Open Your Heart Not Your Mouth

Do not repay evil with evil or insult with insult, but with blessing, because to this you were called so that you may inherit a blessing.

 

1 Peter 3:9

 

Just yesterday we looked at the gospel of Luke and how we are called as Christians to love our enemies, bless those who curse you and pray for those who despitefully use you… Today, we examine other aspects of our walk that lead to growth and display our acceptance of Jesus as the model for our lives… Peter was a man that faced many challenges, from the time he wept in the courtyard to standing before the courts of the Pharisee’s, Peter saw many trials and tribulations… It is in today’s reading that he reminds us that we can’t act like everyone else in the world, we can’t conduct business the way people conduct business and we cannot stoop to the levels of society that would lead us to straying away from our walk with the Lord… Peter was known as a man that didn't care for too many shenanigans; many scholars speak of Peter as being the kind of guy that you would think twice before messing with… All these things lead me to believe that Peter had a very quick temper; however, under the guidance of the Lord Peter teaches us today that we can’t be reactive, we can’t jump to conclusion, we can’t be like everyone else… How hard is it for you to turn away from somebody who has done you wrong? How hard is it to walk away from a person who has insulted you and/or gotten under your skin…? Peter reminds us today that as a child of God we show our faith by taking these actions! Despite how we may have reacted as a product of the world, today we are reminded that we must have a different approach as a child of God… Quite frankly there are things in our lives that we use to do which will not be accepted nor tolerated in living a life that is pleasing to our Lord…

 

I know that biting your tongue can be difficult, extending a loving hand to your adversary may be challenging and turning the other check can be a daunting task; however, the words from Peter are not only that these are things that you must do, but that these traits are obtainable when walking under the authority of God… You are and will be called blessed by adhering the desires of God and being about His business… As you grow in Christ, He will begin to mold you so that you can repay evil with good and insults with blessings… This is not something accomplished overnight and I know that there are many times that we would like to give somebody a piece of our mind, there are many instances where we have felt that we were wronged and wanted to retaliate or address the situation. We must know and realize that by retaliating we are fueling the fire of sin and anger and replacing the promise of God (vengeance is mine saith the Lord, I will repay…) with our own agenda. Temptation comes in many forms and “evil intentions” is one of the main forms that the devil will use to try and gain your attention and distract you from doing the will of God!

 

Understand that by walking away you will inherit blessings; this is not a sign of weakness but maturity… As a Christian we all need to remember that God didn't repay us for our evil and sin, He responded with a blessing in the form of Jesus Christ… Blessings poured out in times of evil reap a harvest of glory and honor to God! Jesus didn't repay the roman soldiers that hung Him on the cross, He sought there forgiveness than bowed His head; now He sits at the right hand of the father and all power has been placed in His hands! Let us draw strength from His example, live your life according to the will of God, when evil arises in your life, pour out the spirit of blessings that God has poured out on you… Speak a kind word to your enemy, lend a hand to someone who has betrayed you, and seek there forgiveness even when they have sought forgiveness from you… When you do these things, you rebuke Satan’s attack and store up more blessings from God in heaven… God has promised that you will be exalted in the face of evil (thou preparest a table for me in the presences of mine enemies…) so stand on faith in God and don’t take matters into your own hands… The Lord knows how many times you keep quite and don’t overact; He will do the talking for you and will reward you openly with blessings…

 

ALL FOR HIS GLORY!

Love In Spite Of

But I say unto you which hear, Love your enemies, do good to them which hate you, Bless them that curse you, and pray for them which despitefully use you.

Luke 6:27-28

As we have studied the last couple of days, today’s devotional deals with the fact that as a Christian we are held to a higher standard or way of living… Today’s message echo’s our focus this week which elaborates on the fact that you are to love your enemies and do good to them which hate you… Understand today that how you handle people is a direct example of who you feel Christ has dealt with you… Remember today that you were undeserving of His love, grace and mercy just like the people who irk your nerves; however, we have to model Christ and continue to love others even if they don’t know how to love you in return…  Again, as we have studied throughout the week, know that as believers in Christ we are held to a higher standard… We must go the extra mile and extend hands of kindness to those who may not be grateful… In this journey of life we must speak words of encouragement to those who may be gossiping about us and we must stay focused on exalting God through our living… Jesus gives us instructs that we are called to live by today; we are not called to extend helping hands to just believers in Christ; we are called to see each and every moment in our lives as a chances to display our faith and God’s faithfulness… We give not expecting anything in return, we give showing that we are of Christ and that we want to bring praise and honor to the name that is above us… 

Jesus goes on in this chapter to say what good is it to give to your brother, even sinners do that… If we were just focused on living within the church we wouldn’t be able to bring others to Christ and the church wouldn’t grow… Jesus called disciples from all works of earth and from every religious background of position… Matthew was a tax collector, Peter was a fisherman and Nicodemus was a Pharisee… It didn’t matter what you were when you encountered Jesus, but what you became after you walked with Him… Know that we are called not to judge people, but to allow them to encounter Christ through the beacon light that He has placed in us… A child of God is a person who continues to grow under the guidance and direction of the Lord… The key to your Christian walk is growth and one of the biggest forums that your growth is displayed in is how you treat your enemies… We all have heard the saying that “not everyone will like you;” however, the challenge is put forth by God’s calling upon our lives to be able to extend a hand of love to any and everyone that we come in contact with… Luke says that we are to love our enemies, bless them that curse you and pray for those who despitefully use you… An enemy is one who simply opposes you, they constantly go against the grain and challenge you daily; we are called to love that person, continue to try and lift them up, continue to try and show them the right way, continue to try and impact their lives…  To bless means that you consecrate, approve or exalt… When someone curses you, you in turn bless them by exalting their name before the Lord; you bless them by covering them in the blood of the lamb and not retaliating according to the errors of their ways… 

One of the most difficult things we are asked to do as a Christian is to pray for those who abuse us (mentally or physically)… Prayer is a conversation between you and the Lord, when we pray it is very hard to put our own desires aside and left up another person, especially if this person has wronged us and has evil intentions… Prayer takes time and focus, as a child of God we must put aside anger, malice and evil thoughts to bring about repentance, peace and God’s love… When we can love, bless and pray; we are growing in Christ and are a child of God… Time and time again you have heard me talk about how this walk as a Christian is not easy, today is more evidence to that statement… God calls us to be His child, with that calling we are called to go above the norm, be better than we were and achieve greatness within His will… In order to accomplish these things we must be able to overcome the snares of the devil which can be a person who is your enemy or who curses you or who despitefully uses you… Luke reminds us that as a child of God we are to simply love unconditionally; we are to embrace our enemies and do good to those who hate you… This is much easier said than done, but this is a measure of your faith within the will of God! Many times we allow relationships to end and terminate people from our lives because of mistakes that have been made, when this occurs we are allowing the weight of sin and bondage to be placed in our lives and the lives of others! By not forgiving and seeking resolution we allow this conflict to fester and ultimately guide our footsteps in a way that removes us from the will of God… Remember the grace that God bestowed upon you when you were His enemy and bestow that same grace upon your enemies as a child of God…

ALL FOR HIS GLORY!

Take Note: Jesus Came To Serve

For even the Son of man came not to be ministered unto, but to minister, and to give his life a ransom for many.

Mark 10:45

Jesus came to this earth with one assignment which was to serve the very creation of His father by laying down His life… Knowing that Jesus was and is the Savior allows us to place Him in high esteem or regard; however, we must know the submissive nature that He displayed to reach and obtain such a noble calling… We have to examine the life He lived which was indeed a life full of service and not one which was built upon people serving Him… Through today’s devotion we are challenged to remember the humility with which we are called to live and know that our duty as Christians is to assist others instead of seeking our own will and having others assist us in reaching it… This is not to be confused to say that you cannot have goals; however, what the passage says to us today is that we must be about the work of Christ which is extending hands of love and gratitude toward our fellowman if we want to reach and obtain these aforementioned goals… One of the biggest struggles in the church today is living a life of service… We can all shout, we can all quote a scripture, but the true definition of a Christian is found in their ability to minister… As we studied on yesterday, we are all called to the Ministry of reconciliation; however, this calling will be null and void if we are not able to submit ourselves to the will of God which requires us to submit to our brothers and sisters here on earth… Make sure that you are living your life with the right purpose and the choices you make are for the right reasons… Mark reminds us today that Jesus in all His glory came unto this earth to minister unto all who would accept His offering which was poured out on the cross… We are reminded of this today, because the call we have on this earth is not about “me, myself and I” but to minister unto those we come in contact with… 

We shouldn’t be focused on obtaining financial wealth for ourselves, we should be focused on be successful so that we can lend a helping hand to our fellow brothers and sisters… In the Old Testament, the Hebrews were instructed to lend resources unto their brothers without interest, it was the duty of the brothers to help out in times of need and not take advantaged of one another… In this world today, the goal is to get rich quick, the mindset is that only the strong survive and the focus is on taking care of your house… The reality of all these things is that that if Jesus lived this way you and I wouldn’t be here… Think about how troubled your life has been, is or may become and now think about the life that Jesus laid down on your behalf… We may want riches; however Mark is reminding us that Jesus was the richest of all… He is alpha and omega, the beginning and the end… He’s is the first and the last and yet He still gave His very life for my sin… When you think about doing stuff just for yourself meditate on this verse… Mark says, “For even the Son of man came not to be ministered unto…” Jesus wasn’t here to be pampered, He wasn’t here to receive praise and for people to gloat over His success; He was here to do the will of the father, He was here to fulfill the plan that God had for His life and He was here to drink the cup put before Him… Mark starts this verse off this way because we can’t get things twisted… Even Christ came to minister… We are here to minister, we aren’t even close to being in the same category of Christ; however He still washed the disciple’s feet and laid down His life… If Christ, in all His majesty was able to do that, what does that mean as far as our responsibilities on this earth… See this passage helps me to stay grounded in knowing that being a child of God is more than just saying you love Jesus… 

This passage instructs me today that being a child of God is more than just going to church and spending time with brothers and sisters in Christ… This passage reminds me that our lives must be totally sacrificed to the Lord… We must offer ourselves a living sacrifice as Paul writes in the 12^th chapter of his letter to the Church of Rome… A living sacrifice means each and everyday, each and every hour and each and every second we are walking the will of God and ministering to those around us… Your ministry doesn’t just live on Sunday, your ministry is speaking kind words in the midst of gossip, your ministry is turning the other cheek in the midst of a confrontation, your ministry is loving those who don’t love you back… Christ new He came to this earth to transform lives and pave the way to Salvation… Your life is more than just having a good job and driving a nice you’re your life is far more than living in a nice community and having money… You’re here to transform lives and lead other to Christ… This ministry is the foundation that all Christians stand on… We are called to impact the lives of others… We can do that if we are worried about buying this or diving that… We can do that if we are worried about what people may say or what obstacles may come our way… Whenever you are faced with a choice think to yourself, “What Would Jesus Do…?” I say that because we already know the answer as to what He did… He ignored the desire to maintain a reasonable life for Himself… He didn’t acknowledge the desire to lookout for self and even in the worst of times, He didn’t give into the temptation of resisting the cup of God’s plan which was laid before Him… Jesus came to serve His people and bear witness to His Father’s mission for us all. To be a true Christian is to serve throughout your life. Give to the needy, pray for your enemies and be a beacon light in this dark world.

ALL FOR HIS GLORY!

Be The Bigger Person

Do not repay evil with evil or insult with insult, but with blessing, because to this you were called so that you may inherit a blessing.

1 Peter 3:9

As a child of God you are held to a higher standard… The way in which others may deal with situations should not and cannot be the same way in which you deal with situations… Peter reminds us of this higher standard when He says Do not repay evil with evil or insult with insults… As you go through this life there are two principles which you must adhere too.. The first is that you must remember who you are representing; this means that you must carry yourself as a child of the Most High God doing things that bring honor to Him which is what we examined on yesterday… The second is that you must mature daily in the ability of controlling your tongue… Remember that James tells us that the tongue is unruly evil which no man can tame… These two principles are what display Christ to others and bring exaltation to His name… When you walk in love you will not indulge in evil and when you control your tongue you will lift up and edify instead of breakdown and curse… Not only must we avoid these two pitfalls, but Peter even takes it to another level when He says that we must repay with blessing…

You have to be able to rise above the sin to promote a love and opening for the sinner… This requires a strong and intimate relationship with God…  Some of us have learned how to handle situations as far as avoiding the snare of the enemy; however, we still have not mastered the test as we have yet to transform that stumbling block of evil and insult into a stepping stone of love and compassion… How you handle evil and the ability to transform situations is what displays Christ and therefore promotes His grace and mercy in the lives of others… This passage simply reminds us today that we cannot walk around this earth with bitterness, unforgiveness and therefore leave an area or void of separation between us and anyone whom we come in contact with… You must reconcile and rebuild as Paul told the Church of Corinth…So from now on we regard no one from a worldly point of view. Though we once regarded Christ in this way, we do so no longer.  Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, the new creation has come: The old has gone, the new is here! All this is from God, who reconciled us to himself through Christ and gave us the ministry of reconciliation: that God was reconciling the world to himself in Christ, not counting people’s sins against them. And he has committed to us the message of reconciliation.Sure people with double cross you, they will offend you, but your ministry is reconciliation which means that you cannot repay with evil and insult… How hard is it for you to turn away from somebody who has done you wrong? How hard is it to walk away from a person who has insulted you and/or gotten under your skin…? 

Peter reminds us today that as a child of God we show our faith by these actions! There are many times that we would like to give somebody a piece of our mind, there are many instances where we have felt that we were wronged and wanted to retaliate or address the situation. We must know and realize that by retaliating we are fueling the fire of sin and anger and replacing the promise of God (vengeance is mine saith the Lord, I will repay…) with our own agenda. Temptation comes in many forms and evil is a main form that the devil will use to try and gain your attention and distract you from doing the will of God! Understand that by walking away you will inherit blessings; this is not a sign of weakness but maturity… As a Christian we all need to remember that God didn’t repay us for our evil and sin, he responded with a blessing in the form of Jesus Christ… Blessings poured out in times of evil reap a harvest of glory and honor to God! Jesus didn’t repay the roman soldiers that hung him on the cross, he sought there forgiveness than bowed his head; now he sits at the right hand of the father and all power has been placed in his hands! Let us draw strength from His example, live your life according to the will of God, when evil arises in your life, pour out the spirit of blessings that God has poured out on you… Speak a kind word to your enemy, lend a hand to someone who has betrayed you, and seek there forgiveness even when they have sought forgiveness from you… When you do these things, you rebuke Satan’s attack and store up more blessings from God in heaven… God has promised that you will be exalted in the face of evil (thou preparest a table for me in the presences of mine enemies…) so stand on faith in God and don’t take matters into your own hands…

ALL FOR HIS GLORY!

Honour Your Parents

Honour thy father and thy mother: that thy days may be long upon the land which the LORD thy God giveth thee.

Exodus 20:12

As you journey through this life; know that the choices you make carry not only an impact upon your very being but also the people who joined together in your blessed creation… Your focus in life should be pleasing God and today we are reminded of a commandment given by God to Moses which deals directly with how we are to not only treat but also represent our parents… Understand today that there is always someone who is watching you, taking notice of every move that you make and every action you engage in; the message today is that you must make choices that will not only better you, but make choices that will place you and the family which you are a pat of in a good light… In bringing honor to our parents I am reminded of the 3^rd chapter in the gospel of Matthew which speaks of Jesus being baptized, it is in that chapter that you will find these words recorded; “As soon as Jesus was baptized, he went up out of the water. At that moment heaven was opened, and he saw the Spirit of God descending like a dove and alighting on him. And a voice from heaven said, “This is my Son, whom I love; with him I am well pleased.” God says that He is pleased in His son; this is one of the best honors which we can obtain is to please the Lord and we know that what pleased God was not only that Jesus was His son, but more importantly that He was accepting the divine will and plan that His father had for His life… 

Know today that this is how you bring honor to your father and mother, you must adhere to the guidelines and plans that they have put in placing knowing that a man or woman of God will not steer you wrong… There are so many who walk this earth for a short period of time not because it was there time to go, but because they did not appreciate the love and kindness that came in the discipline and structure which was provided by their parents… This is why today’s focus verse says that we are to honor our father and mother so that thy days may be long upon the land the Lord they God giveth thee… If you want to have live and have it more abundantly; you must walk in the grace of Jesus Christ and obey the parents which our heavenly father has blessed us with… Moses reminds us that we must be about bringing honor to our father and mother… It is very critical that we take steps that are calculated and will not be regretted and shameful at the conclusion or sunset of our days upon this earth… Whether we realize it or not, every move that we make in life impacts our lives as well as the lives of everyone that we know or are connected too… When I read this verse, my mind goes back to my childhood and how as a child growing up I could remember how often neighbors would say “that’s Annie’s little boy or that’s Quintin’s son and let me tell you he is a handful…” It was bad enough that I did some “devilish” things; however, the biggest dishonor was how I negatively impacted the way my parents were viewed in the neighborhood… Every mistake a child makes is often times turned to how the parents didn’t raise them right or how they spoiled that child too much… It wasn't until my junior year in high school that I realized the bad impression that I gave others about my parents! 

People assumed that my parents were simple and didn’t discipline me because of the things that I did; it was by the actions that I took that people begin to draw conclusions about how I was raised… These same principles apply to us today; this commandment given by God is the first commandment with a promise! It states that we should honor our father and mother so that our days may be prolonged… What does it mean to honor your father and mother? This is not done by words; it is not conveyed by thoughts, but rather actions… We are to bring honor to God as our father through the decisions that we make on this earth! Just as my parents parental skills were called into question because of my bad behavior, there are a lot of people that question the faith you claim due to the lifestyle that you live… Understanding that God is our heavenly father lets us know that we have a duty to live a life on this earth that will bring honor to Him and His word… When we attend church, but continuously walk according to this world and live by the standards of this world we allow people to question God and His sovereignty just like when we make mistakes growing up and bring dishonor to the name of our parents… God promises that your days may be prolonged because he knows that if you follow His commands and obey His will you will prosper in this land and in your life! Your parents always instructed you and disciplined you because they wanted to see you reach high levels and go beyond expectation; when we disobey we are lowering our success level and in essences cutting our lives short (when we do this the promise is not fulfilled and our days are not prolonged)… We all can attest that there are some decision that we made that didn’t bring honor to our parents and if we really look at them closely, a lot of the decisions that we made could have brought our lives to an end! Just like your parents on this earth, no matter how many mistakes you have made, God hasn’t given up on you and still loves and cares for you… Today let us focus on bringing honor to the household of faith by living a life built on faith! Your days will be long, your children will be blessed and God will be pleased when you follow His commandments and trust His word! As my father taught me, “Remember who you are and who’s you are!”

ALL FOR HIS GLORY!

Wandering Eyes Lead To Destruction

Let no man say when he is tempted, I am tempted of God: for God cannot be tempted with evil, neither tempteth he any man: But every man is tempted, when he is drawn away of his own lust, and enticed.

James 1:13-14

The failures of your life are a result of the course which you have chosen to travel… The message of today’s devotional is simple; be accountable to yourself and God if you want to be transformed and grow in Christ… The problem of accountability is one that has plagued mankind since his creation… Adam ate of the forbidden fruit and when God inquired about his actions, the first thing he said was the woman that you gave me… Understand that the biggest hurdle we face is the acceptable our mistakes and failures as our own instead of trying to point the proverbial finger at someone else as if they are in control of our every single step… This happens when we blame others for our situation or even try to speak ill-advised words regarding the absences of God in our circumstances… You can be tempted by evil; however, God (conquering death and the grave) cannot… The first things that we must realize on this earth, is that we are sinners from birth and the natural feel is to do what the flesh desires… This must understood as we take this Christian journey because this will help us not only deal with temptations as they arise, but it will also help us to keep a proper perspective of what is of God and what isn’t… We face many trials and test throughout our walk; however, James reminds us today to remember that the temptations we face are only tempting because of the lust that lies within… Temptation is a desire to do something especially something wrong… We break down the meaning of temptation because doing something wrong and walking with God does not go hand and hand… We must realize that enemy is busy and when we choose to walk with the Lord we choose the narrow path that few find… 

This path takes a trained eye to find; however, the broad path, the path that can be seen very easy and appealing to the eye is the temptations that we face on a day to day basis… God desires that all men would come to know Him and that known should perish, this shines light on the fact that God doesn’t tempt you, He doesn’t want you to be enticed to do something wrong; however, the enemy will always place temptations in front of you to make you second guess or become apprehensive about the direction in which you are going… This walk with God is as much about obeying Him as it is about being accountable to yourself… Accept the things that you have done, take your sins before the Lord and stop trying to make excuses or blame others for your shortcomings… James says, “…God cannot be tempted with evil…” Remember when Jesus was baptized and led into the wilderness, Satan tried Him three times, but eventually Jesus rebuked him and he fled… Today know that you face temptations; however, know that through the power of Jesus Christ you can rebuke the temptations you face and they will flee… Don’t blame God for the temptations that you either entertain or incur… James reminds us today that we must know the difference in the things that take place in our lives as it relates to God’s will and plan for us… God never is nor will be tempted by evil, the desire of God is that we will come to know Him and develop a more intimate relationship with Him; however, often times we associate learning and developing in our Christian walk with being tempted and dealing with evil… The message that James brings to light today is that we must be accountable for our actions and take ownership of the decisions that we make… Again, too often we want to blame everyone and everything except ourselves for the predicaments that we end up in… 

How often do we take ownership for the decisions that we make? Likewise, how often do we blame God when things don’t go as we imagined? James reminds us today that God doesn’t desire us to be tempted, but that we allow certain things to grasp our attention which leads us down a road of temptation and despair… We must remember that we came into this world as sinners and those who accept Christ offering of Salvation we will be changed over when we leave this earth… Daily we will wrestle with temptation because of the sinful nature that still resides in us; James is saying that we must know that this is because of our sin and not because of God’s neglect! It is of the utmost importance that we realize where we are and where we are trying to go in order to understand the uphill battle that we face… The devil wasn’t mad when you were born but when you were born again… Jesus was not tempted of the devil until He was baptized and accepted His father’s calling for His life… Temptation is a device used by Satan to entice and lure us away from the will of God, this is why James says that we are not tempted by God nor is God ever tempted… Adam and Eve brought a curse on every child conceived and it is because of that that we deal with trials and tribulations… The bible says that we reap what we sow, there are a lot of things that we sowed yesterday and they are reaping in our lives today… I lot of decisions that didn’t impact us yesterday are tearing us down today; this is what James is talking about… Yes you have accepted Christ as you’re personal savior, but know that there are still certain things that you must endure and handle! A lot of times we come into the fold of Christ and begin to expect things to happen, in reality we assume that peace is a given and heartache will be removed… James says today that you must know that you have a sinful nature and that there will be times when you give into that sinful nature, when this happens don’t blame God, but go to Him in prayer and acknowledge your sin!

ALL FOR HIS GLORY!

There Is No God Like Thee

Who is a God like unto thee, that pardoneth iniquity and passeth by the transgression of the remnant of his heritage? He retaineth not his anger forever, because he delighteth in mercy.

Micah 7:18

Just as we have studied throughout the week; Micah again calls us to remember the saving Grace that defines our Lord… No other god sent His only begotten son to die the most humiliating death known to man… No other god laid down his life and rose three days later… These things all point to the mercies that God pours out every morning upon His creation and it’s because of these great things that Micah asked the question, “Who is a God like unto thee, that pardoneth iniquity…” In reading this passage from Micah I am reminded of a similar question which entered the minds of the Pharisee’s in the gospel of Matthew; it is in the 9^th chapter of his book that you will find these verses:

Jesus stepped into a boat, crossed over and came to his own town. Some men brought to him a paralyzed man, lying on a mat. When Jesus saw their faith, he said to the man,“ Take heart, son; your sins are forgiven.” At this, some of the teachers of the law said to themselves, “This fellow is blaspheming!” Knowing their thoughts, Jesus said, “Why do you entertain evil thoughts in your hearts?Which is easier: to say, ‘Your sins are forgiven,’ or to say, ‘Get up and walk’? But I want you to know that the Son of Man has authority on earth to forgive sins.” So he said to the paralyzed man, “Get up, take your mat and go home.” Then the man got up and went home. 

I recall this passage in today’s devotion to make the point that we serve a God who simply is above all others; just think about the paths that He has paved and doors which He has opened for you and you will too be uttering the words found in this prophetic book of Micah… What other gods can you call on that have the power to save you, have the power over this earth and heaven? What other gods can you call on that have taken the form of man, walked this earth and conquered death and the grave…? Even when Christ died, the love of the only true God still pardons our iniquity… Isaiah 53:5 says, “But he was pierced for our transgressions, he was crushed for our iniquities; the punishment that brought us peace was upon him, and by his wounds we are healed.” Jesus was crushed so that we could be saved, He died that we might live and he paid the ultimate price so that we could go free… Do you know of any other god that loved you enough to sacrifice the life of His own son…? Again Micah is asking a question which has yet to be answered… “Who is a God like unto thee”, the mercies that have been bestowed upon our lives are unmatched, the paths that have been laid by God could not be laid by anyone else and I am sure that we all can vouch for the iniquity (wickedness, evil, sin and crime) that God has pardoned us from… The bible says that at the name of Jesus every knee shall bow, there is only one God, one savior and one Lord who rules forevermore… As we examined the grace and mercy of God yesterday; Micah continues to remind us of His love and favor today… He posses a question that we all need to answer, who is like God that pardoneth iniquity? What friend do you know that looks beyond your faults and sees your needs, what friend do you have that is always there and will cleanse you of unrighteousness!

There is no man like God and there is no other god… If we were to receive what we deserved we all would be perishing right now and hell would be our home, but through God’s love, forgiveness, and mercy we have been given a clean slate and chance for redemption! Continue this week to examine your life and remember the grace that God has bestowed upon you; remember the bountiful blessings that have already been given or placed in your life…One on the precious gifts that we receive from God is forgiveness and a clean slate… Micah goes on to say that He retaineth not His anger forever; so many of us walk around with a chip on our shoulder, we are mad at the world and carry grudges to our graves… Where would we be if God carried a grudge toward us, where would we be if God had a chip on His shoulder for every time we disobeyed Him and fell short…? Micah reminds us that God has chosen to forgive us and not carry out the penalty and judgment that we deserve! “He retaineth not his anger forever, because he delighteth in mercy.” Be thankful that God delights in mercy; be thankful that He is willing to withhold the judgment due to you… It is only by the mercy of God that you are not consumed… God has withheld certain death through His son and continues to withhold His wrath wishing that all would come to know and adore His name… What God do you know that pardons sin and extends love, what God do you know that works on your behalf even when you aren’t working in His will… The answer is Jesus Christ, the answer is the trinity, and the answer is the Only True and Wise God our father… Remember the sins you have committed and how God has forgiven you and taken you under His loving and protective arm… Remember where you were and how much God has taken on to cleanse you of your filth; then learn to extend the hand of forgiveness to others knowing that the hand of forgiveness was first extended to you…

ALL FOR HIS GLORY!

We Live By His Grace

But God, who is rich in mercy, for his great love wherewith he loved us, Even when we were dead in sins, hath quickened us together with Christ, (by grace ye are saved;) And hath raised us up together, and made us sit together in heavenly places in Christ Jesus.

Ephesians 2:4-6

You are here because of the grace and mercy which God so generously poured out on this earth through the life of His son… It pains me when I hear people who take credit for things which can only be accomplished through Christ… Here is a simple equation that I live by, Christ equals life; in other words, if He had not died than there simply is no way that you be here let alone be able to accomplish anything on this earth… Today’s devotion challenges us to keep a level head and always a proper perspective on life… Humility is a word that comes to mind when reading these verses from Paul’s letter… One who lacks humility will go as far as to take credit for things which they have not even done…  Make no mistake about it, if it were not for the mercy that God poured out from above you and I would not be here… We deserve every punishment imaginable; however, the mercy of God has kept us from feeling the full weight of our sins and mistakes… The word of God tells us in Lamentations 3:22, 23 “It is of the LORD's mercies that we are not consumed, because his compassions fail not. They are new every morning: great is thy faithfulness.” We sin on a daily basis, sometimes we seen without even recognizing the sin we have committed; however Jeremiah reminds us and Paul confirms it that it is only through the mercies of God that we are not consumed and that we are able to make in through each day of this life… Understand today that you will endure trials and persecutions, but also know that things could always be worse and the hand of God that is stretched out over your life is what has kept you and will keep you… I don’t know about you, but it’s comforting to know that God is rich in mercy… It’s a good feeling to know that God loves me and showed His love for me when I didn’t even know Him nor did I love Him… 

Paul reminds us of this because of the fact that we make mistakes and bad choices everyday of our lives… If God were not rich in mercy we would not be where we are today… The outcome of our lives could be dramatically different if it weren’t for God’s mercy, the opportunities that we have today would be non-existent if it weren’t for God’s mercy, Paul (once known as the chief sinner) realizes that God must be rich in mercy to spend the life of His son to save the lives of sinners…Two important things for us to remember in life; don’t forget where you came from and who helped you get to where you are now… Paul reminds us today of those factors and teaches us to remember to always give God glory for His mercy! Often times we tend to take credit for things that we don’t deserve; we will stand on our own two feet as if we did everything by ourselves… Paul says that God loved us even when we were dead in sin, there was a time in your life when you were dead, there was a time in your life when nobody cared about you and there were no achievements or accolades associated with your name! It was when you were down that God loved you, it was when you were heartbroken God loved you, when you were neck-deep in sin that God loved you…  One of the biggest mistakes that we can make in life is looking pass the little things that helped us reach the bigger ones… 

Paul doesn’t forget that it was God who knocked him off his high horse and grounded him in His word… Paul is credited for writing almost two-thirds of the New Testament and this would not be so if it weren’t for his Damascus road experience… We all have a Damascus road experience, we all have seen the efforts of God to mold us and take us to higher heights… Don’t forget where you came from, don’t take on a (n) ego {Easing God Out} or become prideful and remove the love of God that has been bestowed upon your life! Remember the times when you were counted out, remember the times when you had no one to turn too and know that God was always there and is still with you today! Paul says that God quickened us together with Christ by His grace… Not only was He there in our time of need and despair, but God has pulled us up out of our sin and placed us in the arms of Christ through His death on the cross! A lot of friends will give you advice and tell you things, but God shows up and will pull you out of danger, He will show up and dust you off and plant your feet on solid ground! He quickened you together with Christ because He knew that death was certain, He knew that you needed a savior, He knew that there was more to you than what the earth could see… God raised you up to the level your at today, He has raised you up to be His disciple and to provide a testimony to this land of His faithfulness and His Grace! Don’t forget about the things that God has done in your life, don’t take His Grace and Mercy for granted and don’t allow the problems of today to overshadow the love that God has for you and is showing you right now! This world is a dark and confusing place; you must remember where you came from and who helped you get to where you are now, so that you don’t fall back to where you were…

ALL FOR HIS GLORY!

Don't Take His Name Lightly

Thou shalt not take the name of the LORD thy God in vain; for the LORD will not hold him guiltless that taketh his name in vain.

Exodus 20:7

You should not take your commitment to the Lord nor the meaning of His name lightly… Today’s devotion reminds us of the seriousness with which we must approach our relationship with the Most High God… Notice that the second book of Moses tells us the Lord will not hold him guiltless that taketh his name in vain… The word of God teaches us that we must not allow situations and/or circumstances to stop us from adhering to God’s commands… See often times we utter words which we do not necessarily mean and today’s message reminds us that we must guard our mouth and lips accordingly… We are called to fear the Lord; this means to revere, honor and admire Him… I state this calling to all children of God because there are so many of us that misuse the name of the Lord… We can find ourselves in a predicament and utter the words “Jesus Christ” or we can be struck by an unforeseen circumstance and curse by saying “God Da*n it…” These are just a few scenarios in which we can find ourselves improperly using God’s name or using it in vain… To us His name in vain is simply to use it out of the context in which it should be used… 

Calling on the name of the Lord should be in times of praise, in times of worship and in times of prayer… The enemy will certainly try and test you and we must understand that there are many levels in which he will test us and this is one of them… This verse recorded in the book of Exodus is a commandment given from the mouth of the Lord to Moses to be established as a law of governance over the children of God… We are to adhere to upholding the name of the Lord; if we know that God has kept us and is the only True and Wise God than we should show these thoughts in the way we conduct ourselves in this life and how we use His name… The Lord deserves your best; He deserves honor, praise and glory…. The book of Exodus reminds us that we are not to take the name of the Lord in vain, we must pay honor to His Holy name… These commandments were given to the children of Israel at time when they had been brought out of the bondage of Pharaoh… Whether we realize it or not, it is when things are going the best in our lives that we begin to take God for granted… It isn’t when the bills are stacked up on our coffee table that we take God for granted, it’s when we have all our bills paid… The Israelites could taste their freedom, they could grasp their liberty and at that time Moses teaches them that they must not take the name of the Lord in vain… Remember when Moses comes off the mountain he finds them worshipping the golden calf… To take the name of the Lord in vain is to either forget about Him or use His name in a manner that is not spiritual nor glorifying Him… Another example of this is when someone simply has a conversation in which God’s name is used without any purpose or rightful association… God has been way to gracious to you and far too merciful to be subject to any condescending conversation or actions that bring dishonor to Him… 

Notice what this next part of verse 7 says… “…for the Lord will not hold him guiltless that taketh his name in vain…” When you misuse the name of the Lord you cannot be found guiltless, the error of your ways will not go unpunished and you will be held accountable… Just two verses prior to this verse God gives instruction about not worshipping other gods or idols… In this 5^th verse He states that “God is a jealous God, punishing the children for their sin…” The Lord you serve is a jealous Lord, He wants you to praise Him, He wants you to honor Him and He wants you to be obedient to the will He has for your life… If you are willing to misuse His name, if you are willing to disobey His call then you are not truly walking in His divine light… Think about what would happen to you if you called your mother or father out of their names… Think about how you would be dealt with if you disrespected your parents through your living or with your tongue (a lot of us would be picking ourselves off the floor… The commandment says that we will be held accountable for taking God’s name in vain; no matter what you do or say, consequences will be paid when we use the name of the Lord in a dishonorable manner… Let us understand that the name of the Lord should not be taken in vain because He deserves better… He has seen us through countless storms and trials, He has lifted us up when no one else was around and has given us a second chance to inherit His Eternal promises… God is all powerful, He is alpha and omega, the beginning and the end; all power is found in the palm of His hand… The bible says that He make the sun shine on the just as well as the unjust… The sovereignty of God is why we fear Him and don’t use His name in vain, the fact that He formed us out of the dust of the ground is why we honor and adore His holy name… Out of reverence and respect, we don’t joke with the name of the Lord. We need to understand that God is superior and has all power in His hands. The commandments tell us not to use the name of the Lord in vain. God cannot be compared to anything, nor should His name be used if not exalting Him…

ALL FOR HIS GLORY!

We Live Because Of His Grace

For the law was given by Moses, but grace and truth came by Jesus Christ.

 

John 1:17

 

Today’s devotion reminds us of the thankfulness which we should approach each and every day of our lives with, knowing that we are living under the grace of God… John reminds us today that the law which was put in place by Moses (the Ten Commandments and the Mosaic) was not obeyed by mankind and thus judgment and condemnation should have been our end result; however, Jesus came to this earth with an assignment from His Father which He clearly defines in the 5^th chapter of Matthew with these words;“Do not think that I have come to abolish the Law or the Prophets; I have not come to abolish them but to fulfill them.” I don’t know about you, but I am thankful that Jesus was sent to this earth with the assignment of fulfilling a law that I could never stand up too; I praise God and believe that we should always offer up praise in knowing that God’s grace has spared us and given us the life which we have at this present time… Understand today that the law was set in place by God through his servant Moses. The Ten Commandments were set over the house of Israel when Moses led the people from the land of Egypt into the wilderness… These laws along with the 603 mosaic laws were put in place to govern the children of God and direct them as to how they ought to live on this earth… Even those who saw God’s hand in their deliverance from Egypt and bore witness to His authority over the earth with the parting of the Red Sea didn’t remain faithful to God and His laws… Through this disobedience all the generations led from Egypt were wiped out at the door of the Promised Land… Just like those children then; we find ourselves daily falling short of the laws of God… We find ourselves coveting, dishonoring our mother and father, stealing and serving other gods… We too deserved to be wiped from the face of this earth, we deserve the judgment of damnation which was placed upon our heads from our mother’s womb; however, we are reminded of the gift that Christ offered through His life… 

John says, “For the law was given by Moses, but grace and truth came by Jesus Christ…” I don’t know about you, but I thank God that I am under grace today… The gift that Christ has given that I didn’t deserve is the only thing that sustains me, it’s the only thing that keeps me and it’s the only thing that separates me from the fires of hell… Grace and truth came by Jesus Christ… The truth that we see in Christ is that He is the savior, the truth we see in Christ is that He has all power on this earth and in heaven; the truth that we see in Christ is that while we were yet sinners Christ died for us… Everyday you see on this earth you ought to thank God, every storm you face you ought to praise God and every experience you gain upon this earth you ought to worship God… The grace Christ deposited in your life woke you up this morning, the grace He dispensed this morning is what will keep you throughout the day and will not allow you to be consumed by the hardships you face and the grace He poured out from the windows of heaven will open up doors when it appears that others have closed and you don’t have anywhere to turn to… Remember Paul pleaded with God about his thorn in the flesh; however, the answer he received was that God reminded him that “My grace is sufficient…” Be thankful that you are under God’s grace and not the law, the law can’t save you, the law can’t heal you, the law can’t reclaim you; however the grace that God has spread to His believers will keep them, it will heal them when they are broken down and it will reclaim them when they are lost or have gone the wrong way… 

We are all familiar with the story of how Moses went up on the mountaintop and received the rules and regulations of God; we know how he returned to find the Israelites worshipping the golden calf and disobeying the will of God. Surely up until this very day we still worship the false images, only this time it isn’t necessarily gold, but rather greed, popularity, fame, and fortune. Just like the children of yesterday we too have not been able to keep His commandments and surely death should be our judgment. Stop acting like you’re better than you are, stop acting as if the things you accomplish in life are the works of your hands, stop acting like you have the power in your finite mind to comprehend and overcome on your own… Everything that you experience in life is allowed and governed by God… As a child of God grace is what has kept you and truth defines who you were and who you are… The bible says that“…every good and perfect gift comes from above…” The perfect timing for the financial breakthrough you need is through God’s grace, the perfect timing for the doors to close in your life and other to open is God’s grace, the perfect opportunity for you to work and have a stable job isn’t by the degrees you have obtained or the work experience you have but simply God’s grace… See when you realize that it is all God’s grace you have the ability to praise Him, you have the ability to love Him despite you situation and you have the courage to accept your current circumstances knowing that this is not your end because of the grace that has been deposited in your life… I can truly say that I am joyous over this scripture; because it reminds us of the love of Christ that though we were sinners and had fallen short He was a gift that brought more gifts (grace and truth) from God to us. Truthfully, we should have died along time ago, but the grace and truth that Christ poured on Calvary is what keeps us everyday and what allows us a chance to inherit eternal life (knowing this should allow us to always keep a praise in our spirit knowing that He is with us)!

 

ALL FOR HIS GLORY!

His Name Stands Alone

For from the rising of the sun even unto the going down of the same my name shall be great among the Gentiles; and in every place incense shall be offered unto my name, and a pure offering: for my name shall be great among the heathen, saith the LORD of hosts.

Malachi 1:11

Read the next sentence very careful as we study this verse taken from the prophetic book of Malachi… The things which you suffer upon this earth are a direct result of your lack of giving God the best which He deserves… This sentence embodies the meaning of today’s focus in the Old Testament; the Israelites were defiling the very alter of God; giving blemished sacrifices and believing that God would be pleased… It was through this that God rejected their cries and speaks this word through the prophet Malachi today… Make no mistake about it, God will be great among the nations whether you carry the torch of His will or are engulfed by it… Too often we believe that we can get over on God, we believe that just enough is enough and today we are reminded of what God truly requires of us… God requires that His name is great among the Gentiles and this is accomplished by receiving only the best which we can offer… This is not to say that we should be pouring thousands of dollars into the church but that we must give God our very best everyday of our lives… I recall growing up and how my father would speak about the importance of appearance and remembering who we are and who’s we are… I incorporate this lesson I learned in my early childhood to this devotion to say that you must remember that you are walking under the Most High and therefore anything less than your best will not qualify… In remembering who I am, I was able to decipher the road which I should be traveling… Knowing that I am a child of God, I know that there is nothing which God would not desire for me to have unless it would not be beneficial to me… I am a sinner saved by the grace of God… He didn’t give me leftover, He gave me His only begotten son and so it is time for me to fulfill the words of Paul in the 12^th chapter of his letter to Rome in which he said, “I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that ye present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable unto God, which is your reasonable service.” When you really begin to think about all that God has done for you and the paths which He has paved and set before you, it is your reasonable service to present your bodies as a living sacrifice… 

Notice that Paul says your bodies and not just your foot, hand, nose or eye… This is the same message we find in Malachi today, we have to present our entire being to the Lord which is the very best we can offer unto Him… The Lord requires you and anything else will simply not be enough… This is the problem that the Israelites faced; the sacrifices which they offered to the Lord were a part of a bigger problem which was the poor relationship that they desired with Him… The gifts offered unto God reflected the heart which His children had for Him… This is why the word of God tells us that we can tell a tree by its fruit… You have to give God your best if you want Him to know that you are putting forth your best… The gifts (offered on the alter of the Lord) which have defects point to a bigger defect that must reside within you… The children of God are suffering upon this earth not because of God’s absence, but because of their ability to truly seek Him in purity… God says for my name shall be great among the heathen; everyone will come to know Him, everyone will get a glimpse of His sovereignty and everyone will indeed bow down before Him… The question today is will you do it by choice or by force… God doesn’t need you to be exalted; however, He has afforded you to a golden opportunity to step before Him correctly and be used by Him for His glory… This again requires a pure decision in which you totally turn your life over to Him… The word says, in every place incense shall be offered unto my name, and a pure offering… The key to your life is the purity which you give it over to the Lord… God is not pleased or satisfied with hand-me-downs or leftovers; as a result of giving these things we encounter trials and tribulations instead of peace and exaltation… 

God calls His chosen people to remember all that He had done for them and even for generations before them… He speaks of the love which he had for Jacob and how Esau suffered; today, know that God loves and cares for you but He simply will not accept just anything in return…  Let us take this moment in time to reflect on the goodness of God! Malachi reminds us today of the faithfulness that God has already shown and that we should simply adore his name through every trial and circumstance that we face… Often times we overlook the small things in the world and ultimately overlook the blessings that God has already bestowed… When you laid down last night, you assumed that you would sleep in peace; you assumed that the sun would rise again, but for some that isn’t always the case… God watched over you as you sleep and has set the time for the sun to rise again… Let everyone reflect on God’s goodness, you have the activity of your limbs and a job to go to… You have been kept and blessed beyond belief! His name is worthy to be praised and shall be great among the Gentiles… Every man and woman will come to know that there is only one God; there is only one that has the power and controls the heavens and the earth… God spoke everything into existence and it is by his grace and mercy that we are here today! Don’t worry about yesterday, that’s why its called the past; don’t worry about tomorrow, that’s why its called the future; instead focus on today because it is a gift, that’s why its called the present… Give God praise for seeing another day; give him honor for guiding you life and keeping you! Don’t focus on the things that may hurt sometimes, don’t focus on the trials that must come to your door; instead know that there is always a positive side, there is always an eye in ever storm… Hold to his Grace and know that He will continue to display his faithfulness in your life as long as you remain faithful…

ALL FOR HIS GLORY!!!