Tuesday, September 25, 2012

Truth! John 8:31-32

Good afternoon everyone,
If I were to ask each of you what your definition of truth is, what would your answer be?  This devotional goes out to a number of people and in asking, I probably would get a number of different answers.  If you plug the word truth into Bible Gateway, you will get approximately 137 different times that truth is used in Scripture.  I've often heard that truth is only as good as the object in which it is placed!  If you place it in ideas and suggestions, you end up with the result being the furthest thing from the truth!  Truth has been defined from an online dictionary as a verified or indisputable fact.  Biblical Truth (Absolute) is a word that is synonymous with Christ.  In John 8:31-32, Jesus is speaking to the disciples and He tells them if they hold to His teaching, then they are really His disciples.  Then they will know the truth, and the truth will set them free.  Are you set free or are you stumbling around trying to locate the truth?  We can get answers from many sources, but unless our 'go to' source is Christ, we are going to have let down after let down!  Let me encourage you to use God's example of truth in your walk and I think you will find that it will help you avoid obstacles and have less headaches.  Everyone of us has choices that determine the direction we are going to go on a daily basis and with Christ being our compass, He will keep us going the way of Truth! 
Your brother in Christ,

Thursday, September 20, 2012

Still reason to believe! John 11:25; Genesis 1:1; Revelation 22:13

Good morning everyone,
Have you noticed lately that science people have tried over and over again to discredit the very existence of God?  It is as if they are more qualified to make statements about creation than the Creator Himself!  I find it very sad that people for thousands of years have spent their whole life trying to disprove His existence when it makes more sense to experience the 'joy' of His existence! John 11:25 says, 'Anyone who believes in Me will live.'  If you believe part of the Bible, you are to believe all of Scripture!  Genesis 1:1 says, 'In the beginning, God created the heavens and the earth!'  Revelation 22:13 says, 'I am the Alpha and the Omega, the First and the Last, the Beginning and the End.'  From the first of Scripture to the end, God identifies Himself as the Creator, the Beginning, and the End!  The main source of literature that you read should be Scripture so that you get your instruction as well as correct information.  Don't let the popular internet or other propaganda steer you into false truths!  May God richly Bless each of you as you dig into the best literature that will ever be written, 'The Holy Bible!'
Your brother in Christ,
p

Wednesday, September 19, 2012

You make all things work together for my good! 1 Corinthians 13

Good morning everyone,
A popular Christian song titled, 'Your Love Never Fails', comes to mind this morning and it has so many incredible lyrics that I decided to share some of them with you!  Nothing can separate, even if I ran away; Your love never fails!  You make all things work together for my good.  1 Corinthians 13 has often been penned as the love chapter of the Scriptures.  'If I speak in the tongues of men or of angels, but do not have love, I am only a resounding gong or a clanging cymbal.  If I have the gift of prophecy and can fathom all mysteries and all knowledge, and if I have faith that can move mountains, but do not have love, I am nothing.  If I give all I possess to the poor and give over my body to hardship that I may boast, but do not have love, I gain nothing....'  Verse 8 echos the title of the song by saying, 'Love never fails.  But where there are prophecies, they will cease; where there are tongues, they will be stilled; where there is knowledge, it will pass away.  Ladies and gentlemen, your Lord and Savior has made it very simple.  We make it difficult!  Love requires for you and I to allow Him to change us from the inside out.  He teaches us how to release the selfishness, bitterness, greediness, and negative thoughts through a changed heart.  No one is ever too far from His amazing love!  Seek His face and you will find that He will continually be there to make all things work together for His good!
Your brother in Christ,
p

Friday, September 14, 2012

Sing it till you live it; Once you live it, keep singing it! Psalm 7:17; 30:12

Good morning everyone,
Sometimes it is hard to figure out whether you are coming or going.  My wife would say, 'Quit trying to figure it out and let Him determine the process.'  See, if we make ourselves available to the Savior, I believe He can change our minds when we are coming and we should be going!  Connection to the Savior is the key to determining our meaningful output on any given day.  Without it, we probably ought to stay in bed.  When you plug an appliance (that is operational) into a live electrical outlet, the minute you turn it on, it comes to life.  The minute we plug ourselves into the Savior, we come to life!  If you praise Him when it makes no human sense, you are praising Him on a Spiritual level that makes no sense in trying to figure out.  Sing it till you live it; Once you live it, keep singing it!  In Psalms, David repeatedly sings praises to the Lord.  Psalms 7:17 says, 'I will give thanks to the Lord because of His righteousness; I will sing the praises of the Lord Most High.'  Psalm 30:12 says, 'that my heart may sing You praises and not be silent.  Lord my God, I will praise You forever.  David messed up a bunch of times, but he realized that by asking for forgiveness and giving praise to the Most High, God's grace was much bigger than his dilemmas!  Life is going to be hard to figure out at times but the Almighty is willing and ready to redirect your thoughts and actions back to Him!
Your brother in Christ,
p   

Thursday, September 13, 2012

Not forgetting to praise Him at all times! John 14:15-16

Good morning everyone,
It is an honor and priviledge to be one of His children!  John 14:15-16 says, "If you  love Me, you will keep my commandments.  And I will ask the Father, and He will give you another helper (the Holy Spirit) to be with you forever."  Jesus lived the example that we are to live while we are on this earth.  In order to carry that out, the Father has given us the Holy Spirit to help us and correct our walk as we stumble along!  The above verses are a request and a promise all wrapped up together to insure us that He will be with us forever.  No matter what you are going through, He is there to carry you through it.  Has anyone else stepped up to the plate and offered that same guarantee to you lately?  No one is capable of taking care of all of your needs like He can!  If that doesn't give you reason to praise Him, we need to talk.  Pastor Chuck Swindoll has a daily radio talk show and He recently asked the question, 'Do you ever have a dialogue with God's Word as you're reading it?'  In order that you personalize Scripture, insert your name.  God wants to reveal Himself to each of us so that you see the need for His guidance.  He literally can carry you through the valley of the shadow of death!  Don't you want that?  Praise Him in everything and see what happens!
Your brother in Christ,
p

Tuesday, September 11, 2012

How important is prayer? Matthew 6:9-13

Good morning everyone,
Over the weekend, Pastor Bro. preached a sermon that gripped those in attendance with a sense of compassion but with urgency.  The Lord has gifted Him with preaching the Scripture with passion like very few that I've ever seen!  The things he shared with us were electrifying!  He quoted Ralph Waldo Emerson as saying, 'Prayer is contemplating life from the highest point of view!'  If we look at Matthew 6:9-13, we should see that Jesus taught the disciples how to pray and if Jesus taught it, we ought to implement it!  "Pray then, in this way:  Our Father, who is in heaven, hallowed be Your name.  Your kingdom come, Your will be done, on earth as it is in heaven.  Give us this day our daily bread.  And forgive us our debts, as we also have forgiven our debtors.  And do not lead us into temptation, but deliver us from evil.  For thine is the kingdom and the power and the glory forever.  Amen."  If He thought it was important enough to teach those closest to Him (His disciples) how to pray, don't you think that we should follow the same example that has already been set?  Ask Him to touch you in a way that will lead and guide you as you explore your relationship with Him.  The closer we draw to the Savior, the more He will give you guidance in knowing what you should pray about!
Your brother in Christ,
p         

Saturday, September 8, 2012

Level ground! Psalm 143:10; Colossians 3:16

Good morning everyone,
Do you ever feel as though the ride of life is anything but level?  It is kind of like flying an airplane.  You are going along smoothly and then you hit turbulence and you feel like you might lose anything that you just ate.  Psalm 143:10 tells us that we are supposed to ask the Lord to teach us His ways!  It says, 'Teach me to do Your will, for You are my God; may Your good Spirit lead me on level ground.'  If we go through life and we only try and get direction when things get turbulent, what does that show about our dedication to Him?  He wants to build a relationship that is not always wanting but it is also giving.  This past week, I've dealt with mixed emotions about receiving God's direction.  At times, I've felt like He was hard to reach and at other times, I've felt like He assured me He was there but He was very quiet.  Cling to Him giving Him praise and ask Him for constant direction and see if your walk doesn't become more balanced!  Even when we don't hear Him respond, He wants to know the level of our dedication.  He wants you to seek His face at all times giving Him glory and honor while others are complaining.  Gratitude is an attitude that shows Him reverence!  Colossians 3:16 tells you to let the message of Christ dwell among you richly as you teach and admonish one another with all wisdom through psalms, hymns, and songs from the Spirit, singing with gratitude in your hearts.  He gave you a heart so that others might see Him revealed!
Your brother in Christ,
p

Wednesday, September 5, 2012

To be an overcomer! Psalm 118:7

Good morning everyone,
As you go about your day, you may run into folks who seem to want to cause you heartache and pain.  For whatever reason, it seems as though you are a target for their ridicule.  Psalm 118:7 says, 'The Lord is for me among those who help me; therefore I will look with satisfaction on those who hate me.'  Even though it hurts when people throw accusations and ridicule at you, remember that God would prefer you to clothe yourself with compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness, and patience (Colossians 3:13).  Most people expect you to bite back with the same hostility that they show you.  When you can respond like Christ would, it might just be that you have shown them a side that they have never seen.  Remember that many live in this world without any sign of love in their life.  They are constantly on the defence because they have been treated harshly themselves.  If we show love to a world that is dieing, God might have compassion on the lives of the people we run across.  When the opportunity presents itself, ask God to give you the compassion you need to offer to someone so that they receive it as a gift!  When we do something that the world is not familiar with, great things happen!  It could be an opportunity for you to share hope with someone who previously was hopeless.  You may have recently been down yourself, so remember that God uses our weaknesses to reveal His strengths!  Planting seeds is what Christ ask us to do!  He can show them how to overcome just like He showed you!
Your brother in Christ,
p

Sunday, September 2, 2012

Thankfulness! Colossians 2:6-8

Good morning everyone,
When I think of the word thankfulness, I think about the richness of all the things I have received in this life that I really don't deserve.  When you meet someone and your life is better because of that introduction, then you start realizing just how beautiful life is meant to be.  Colossians 2:6-8 says, 'So then, just as you received Christ Jesus as Lord, continue to live your lives in Him, rooted and built up in Him, strengthened in the faith as you were taught, and overflowing in thankfulness.  See to it that no one takes you captive through hollow thinking and deceptive philosophy, which depends on human tradition and the elemental spiritual forces of this world rather than on Christ.'  What are you really thankful for?  Is it the things of this world (fame and fortune) that you will be remembered for or is it the things of Christ that people will talk about when you're gone?  Some of you will say that you have very little to be thankful for and I would beg to differ!  Take your eyes off of your own problems for just a moment and place them on the Savior.  Read the above verse and ask yourself, 'Who am I living this life for?'  If the answer is anyone other than Jesus Christ, your life is going to end in disappointment!  Now I understand that we are all human and we are going to have disappointments as long as we occupy the body that Jesus gave us, but the bigger picture tells us that by being rooted in Him, the element of thankfulness will overcome those disappointments!
Your brother in Christ,
p