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... 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... Truthfully, we should have died along time ago, but the grace and truth that Christ poured out 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 leftovers, 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 and to give Him your very best… 

ALL FOR HIS GLORY!!!

One Saved Soul Is Worth Rejoicing

I say unto you, that likewise joy shall be in heaven over one sinner that repenteth, more than over ninety and nine just persons, which need no repentance.

Luke 15:7

Luke reminds us today that God is happy with the one who is seeking His will on a daily basis; however, He is overjoyed at the individuals who decide to leave their old paths and turn to Him today… This is not to say that He is doesn’t care about those who are trying to walk right, but that He is devoting His resources to strengthening you so that others can turn and seek Him… You play a vital rule in the kingdom of God and this is not about your appearance in church but how you appear to others that you encounter on your way to church or your home or workplace… God is smiling at the steps you are taking and joy is filled in heaven when you bring another soul to Him… Your desire on a daily basis should be to get at least one… Share the good news of the gospel with your peers, be the beacon light God created you to be and open up your hand of love to the stranger that may have never known love before… You are called to please God and the best way to do that is bring another person before Him…  Jesus made His mission clear on this earth when He said, “I am here for the sick…” The desire of God is not to see us perish, it isn’t to see us struggle nor to see us in bondage to sin or in captivity of the desires of the flesh; God desires that we repent from our natural form of sin and be reunited with Him… Repentance is the ability to acknowledge your sin and then choosing to turn away from it… There are a lot of us that have not completed the repentance stage of this Christian walk and this leaves our lives still full of voids and unanswered questions… God is ready to transform, mold and wipe clean; however, He is waiting for you to truly repent and turn… This message today reminds us that all is not lost… You may feel down and out, you might have written yourself off and may even be on the edge; the word of today is that there is joy waiting to spring up, Christ is ready to smile down with favor upon you and is ready to fill your life if only you would give Him a try… 

ALL FOR HIS GLORY!

Live The Way God Intended

Thus speaketh the LORD of hosts, saying, Execute true judgment, and show mercy and compassions every man to his brother: And oppress not the widow, nor the fatherless, the stranger, nor the poor; and let none of you imagine evil against his brother in your heart.

Zechariah 7:9-10 

The one thing that we must exercise as a Christian is love; in demonstrating this one word throughout our lives we encompass the desires of God for us and through us… The bible declares in 1 John 4 that God is love… We bring this passage into today’s devotional to make clear the command that God has for His people… When we walk in love, we are living as God has called us to live and therefore we are children of God by exercising this very being… Love keeps us from oppressing the widow and the fatherless; love opens up our door to a stranger and feeds the poor… This is why Jesus said the greatest commandment is that we love one another… The love you have for Christ is not a love that you speak, it is not declared by mere words but actions; notice that it is the Lord who spoke to Zechariah and has given him this message for the people… If you want to please the Lord, don’t speak of His goodness; demonstrate His goodness to others... This passage reminds us that we are to show mercy just as Christ has and is... The bible tells us to love your enemy and pray for those who despite-fully use you. You want to know a true child of God, see how they act around mixed company, examine the mercy they bestow and the compassion that they have on the weak, abused and confused of our societies! Christ died not because He had to, but because He chose too… The choice is yours and it’s shown by how you execute judgment, show mercy and display compassion…

ALL FOR HIS GLORY!

Love Builds Up

Knowledge puffs up but love builds up.  The man who thinks he knows something does not yet know as he ought to know.  But the man who loves God is known by God.

1 Corinthians 8:1-3

As we go through life accumulating knowledge on different subject matters; we are reminded today that the greatest thing we must learn to do is to love… The main difference between knowledge and love is that knowledge is shown predominately by what you say and love is something which is demonstrated by your actions… This is why our set of focus verses starts off by saying knowledge puffs up but love builds up…Knowledge centers around the individual whereas love centers around the individual’s ability to build themselves up through the building of another… We have to be about building up each other instead of trying to accumulate knowledge that we can use to better ourselves or our appearance to others… Knowledge is one of the most deceptive downfalls of a Christian, this is not to stay you are to be dumb, but that you must apply your knowledge in a way that God can use it and be exalted and not allow knowledge to lead you down a road of being conceited and separated from the will that God has devised for you… Paul writes this letter to the Church of Corinth speaking from his own experiences… It’s imperative that we remember who Paul was (originally Saul) and how he persecuted the church of “the way…” It was the knowledge that puffed up inside him and led him to conducting acts that were not of God… We must be careful of the things that serve as tools of motivation in our lives… Our hearts desire must be pleasing God; however, for many of us this desire takes root in trying to up one another through pride and ego’s… Jesus came to this earth and served mankind; make no mistake about it, He was better and superior to mankind but He still humbled Himself and fulfilled the need that mankind had… Today, take a lesson from Jesus and read these verses recorded in Paul’s letter, learn to humble yourself and serve the needs of others… 

ALL FOR HIS GLORY!

You Shall Receive Power

"But ye shall receive power, after that the Holy Ghost is come upon you: and ye shall be witnesses unto me both in Jerusalem, and in all Judaea, and in Samaria, and unto the uttermost part of the earth."

Acts 1:8

Within your own abilities and resources you are powerless; you couldn’t overcome, you couldn’t sustain and you couldn’t bear without the presences and power of God… I state this to reinforce the message from today’s focus verse… Jesus informs His disciples that they are to standby and wait for the arrival of the Holy Ghost before proclaiming the good news throughout the world… We need the Holy Ghost to share the good news to a loss and scattered generation; many have fallen into diverse temptations and have even lost sight of God’s promise and plan because we believed in our own power and were simply overpowered by the storm or circumstance that we faced…  You are called to witness and bring reconciliation between God and His creation; however, you cannot jump into action without first being equipped for duty… This is the grave mistake that we too often make, we have a zeal for God so much so that we move before His command and end up being rejected like Saul or running into the enemy’s territory like David… Jesus says ye shall be witnesses… You will have a story to tell, you will have a testimony to share and you will be given an opportunity to add your personal brick to the building of God’s kingdom; the thing you must understand is that there is a process that must be adhered to before you begin applying your bricks… The Holy Ghost is our guide, compass and power; we have to have the spirit of God living in us in order for the will of God to be carried out through us… 

ALL FOR HIS GLORY!

There Is Nothing To Hard For God

Ah Lord GOD! behold, thou hast made the heaven and the earth by thy great power and stretched out arm, and there is nothing too hard for thee

Jeremiah 32:17

The very power of God was on display when this earth was formed and light was spoken into existence… It was the very power and authority of God that allowed man to be formed from the dust of the ground then to be destroyed by water… The power of God is unstoppable and as a child of God we can draw strength in recognizing His power… This is the message that we must receive through the words of this verse today; the same power of God that formed the earth is the same power of God that can form and mold you… You can be better than your former, you can overcome your past mistakes and you can accomplish more than people think you can… Jeremiah pens this during great oppression in the lives of the Israelites. Captivity, hardship and trials seem to be hovering over the children of God; however, instead of giving up in defeat and or becoming content, Jeremiah begin to refocus His attention on the abilities of God instead of the storm being endured right now… This message is very important for us to understand today, when we face trials and obstacles in life. Often times, the biggest mistake we make is trying to take on the problem within our own abilities… This is not to say that giving up is okay, this simply makes the point that giving up is you turning things over to God and realizing that you are not strong enough to do overcome this obstacle on your own… This is why Jeremiah focuses on the power of God in this verse and doesn’t focus on the power of the Israelites… The enemy will always win when battling you; especially, when you go into battle under your own abilities… He will win because your own abilities can accomplish nothing on this earth; in the bible, I challenge you to name a single man who was able to do anything upon this earth without the power and authority that only comes from God… I'll await your response!

ALL FOR HIS GLORY!

We All Shall Stand Before Him

But why dost thou judge thy brother? or why dost thou set at nought thy brother? for we shall all stand before the judgment seat of Christ.

Romans 14:10

Remember that Jesus said, “A new command I give you: Love one another. As I have loved you, so you must love one another. By this everyone will know that you are my disciples, if you love one another.” These words were spoken by the savior in the 13^th chapter of the gospel of John after washing His disciples’ feet… The message from this passage is simple, you are known of God by the actions that you perform on this earth… We all abide by rules and regulations; however, Jesus encompasses all of these rules into one when He gives this command which is that we love one another… Not only did Jesus say that we must love one another, He also went on to say in the 12^th chapter of Mark, “The second is this: 'Love your neighbor as yourself.' There is no commandment greater than these." Love is not only the very being of God; it promotes the very desires of God in and through us… It is of the utmost importance that we obtain the concepts outlined in today’s message; notice the questions that Paul posses in this verse; “but why dost thou judge they brother? Why dost thou set a nought thy brother? In reading these questions it is very easy for me to come to the realization that we are our own worst enemy… We pass judgment on our peers, we will step on others to get ahead and we will stop at nothing to reach our own personal goals even if they don’t align with the will of God… You have to dare to be different, you have to walk to the drum of Christ and not according to what the world says you need to do… Let people talk; don’t get tied into the minds of others nor allow yourself to be engaged in useless chatter… Paul writes to the Church of Rome teaching them the desires of God in how we should conduct ourselves on this earth… Romans 3:23 says “For we all have sinned and fallen short of the glory of God…” I am no better than you and you are no better than I when we are living in this world… 

ALL FOR HIS GLORY!

God's Love Molds You

Yea, surely God will not do wickedly, neither will the Almighty pervert judgment.

Job 34:12

It is not of God that you should perish or suffer; the word of the Lord today declares to us that God will not do wickedly… There are so many people in this life that want to blame the Lord for things that occur in their life when in reality you are a living witness of what is known as sowing and reaping… If God were to have passed judgment on you then you and I would not even be able to read these words today let alone grow in the knowledge of Jesus Christ… These words are recorded from the mouth of Elihu (a friend of Job) who is speaking these words to 3 of Job’s peers who came to the conclusion that there must have been something going on in Job’s life for which he was being punished… Understand today not only the importance of having the right people around you, but also come to the realization that some people speak word that are untrue and should not be spoken… There were several negative comments hurled in Job’s direction as a result of his life being stripped and it is truly a testament to his faith and reliance on God that he did not adhere to the negative words surrounding him… When you go through trials and tribulations, the biggest test is not the storm it self, but the actions that you take amidst the advice or suggestions that people give you… So many times people have asked me to weigh in or give my opinion on different matters which they may be facing; and as a child of God my response is that I don’t know what it is that God is trying to show or accomplish through the storm which they are currently facing… I bring this into our devotion to make the same point which was made by God in the book of Isaiah which says, "For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways," declares the LORD.” 

We don’t know the full plan of God even in our own lives, so it is of the utmost importance that we refrain from speaking about someone else’s lives whom we could harm by our words… Whatever it is your going through right now; know that God sees your pain... He hears your cries and knows the circumstances that you face! He will not hold back the blessings that He has in store for you when you stand on faith! Job had to face his trials, but because he stood on faith God showed His faithfulness… You must accept your trials knowing that trials bring blessings, hardships bring peace and tears bring joy! God isn’t hurting you; He is preparing you for blessings and exaltation! If you show your faith and don’t waver, God will not waver on you… HE WILL NOT PERVERT JUDGMENT, He will lead you to exaltation and honor!!!! Every trial that comes your way is a step that God presents for you to be elevated and get closer to reaching your goal…

ALL FOR HIS GLORY!

Adversity displays the true character of an individual... You shouldn't judge a book by its cover; often times the ruff and ragged books are the best to open and read...

God's Approval Is All That Matters

Am I now trying to win the approval of men or of God?  Or am I trying to please men?  If I were still trying to please men I would not be a servant of Christ.

Galatians 1:10

While you live upon this earth, know today that you have a choice to make… This choice is not something that is decided verbally but is declared by actions and intentions… Paul reminds us today that we must get away from the thinking of trying to appease or appeal to our peers and focus on winning the approval of Christ… There is no one on this earth who has a say-so or can even decide where you will spend eternity; however, there are so many of us who spend valuable amounts of time trying to please people as if they have power over us… The message of today’s devotional is simple, adhere to the voice of God even if it means that you will lose friends and find yourself alone at times…Paul faced several doubters after his conversion, he could have very easily given into the peer pressure and walked away from the voice of the Lord; however, in walking by faith as he told the church of Corinth he continued to do what God desired of him and reaped the bountiful rewards because of his obedience… Not everyone will approve your transition or transformation, not everyone will be happy about the new you, so as you grow in Christ make the decision and stand by it that you will not be governed or restricted by man… We all must learn from prior knowledge or our very own experiences that we must strive to seek the approval of God verses the approval of men… 

ALL FOR HIS GLORY!

Turn And Live

As I live, saith the Lord GOD, I have no pleasure in the death of the wicked; but that the wicked turn from his way and live: turn ye, turn ye from your evil ways; for why will ye die, O house of Israel?

Ezekiel 33:11

God doesn’t find pleasure in seeing you suffer nor is He comfortable in watching your soul perish; this is the very reason why Jesus came to this earth and this also is the reason why we have been given a second, third and even fourth chance to learn from the mistakes of yesterday… Notice that the Lord is speaking in the verse and says I have no pleasure in the death of the wicked… Know today that God loves you, He may not like the things that you are doing or even the people you give ear to, but He still has a love for you that goes beyond your fault and wants to take care of your needs… To be wicked is to be evil, wrong, immoral or sinful; what God is saying to you today as well as to me is that He despises the sin while loving the sinner… Just knowing that God says that you can turn from your wicked way and live should bring happiness and joy into our hearts as we know that judgment has not been rendered on us even though there are several people in our lives that probably have already written us off… Through this passage I find comfort in knowing that God is patient and is working with me as I grow in Him and in this life… The Lord knows your potential, and He says today that if you turn I can help you fulfill it… There is good news today for the backslider; there is encouragement for the broken hearted and a beam of light for those in places of darkness… This good news is that even in the midst of your current situation, despite how many times you have turned your back on the Lord, despite how many times you have decided to go the wrong way; Ezekiel reminds us that the desires of God are that we shall live!!!Understanding that God desires for us to live tells me that if I don’t know Him than I am not living at all… Yes you may be breathing right now, you might be walking and talking right now, but you have not experienced life until you have found yourself in the body of Christ… See there are some among us that don’t know Christ; the scarier fact is that some even go to church on a daily basis but yet even still don’t know Him… This call that Ezekiel puts forth tells me that it’s not too late… 

ALL FOR HIS GLORY!

Your Afflictions Are Part of The Plan

For our light affliction, which is but for a moment, worketh for us a far more exceeding and eternal weight of glory.

2 Corinthians 4:17

The biggest mistake you can make in this life is allowing your afflictions of today to limit of restrict your abilities tomorrow… Paul, the writer of this epistle to the church of Corinth, found himself dealing with various afflictions throughout his life… This is the same Paul who was given a thorn in the flesh, pushed aside by the disciples of Christ instead of being received with open arms and ridiculed for his life in the days which he was known as Saul… Paul suffered much for the cause of Christ and today we are called to realize that we too must endure affliction… At the time of his conversion, this is the same Paul which Jesus spoke to Ananias about in the 9^th chapter of Acts when He told him “Go! This man is my chosen instrument to proclaim my name to the Gentiles and their kings and to the people of Israel. ¹⁶ I will show him how much he must suffer for my name.” God has designed you for a unique purpose, He has called to you to carry out a special plan and the plan that God has for you will not be a smooth transition nor will it be a smooth plan to execute… The message for today is that no matter what the affliction is, no matter how much you feel that you are enduring or facing right now; know that the situation is light… Paul says for our light affliction;  these circumstances aren’t as difficult as we classify them to be, these situations will not overtake you, but will simply toy with your emotions so that you overtake yourself… Know that the enemy has no power unless you give it to him and even if you have given it to him, know today that his appearance of victory won’t last long as Paul goes on to say that it is but for a moment…  Affliction is a hardship, suffering or a burden; the word of God is telling us today that there will come a time when we will feel the burdens of life; however, this same season we see coming we will also see going and the end results will produce a better you… 

ALL FOR HIS GLORY!

He's Awesome

"For great is the LORD, and greatly to be praised: he also is to be feared above all gods. For all the gods of the people are idols: but the LORD made the heavens. Glory and honour are in his presence; strength and gladness are in his place." 

1 Chronicles 16:25-27

The Lord deserves nothing but your very best; the writer today reminds us For great is the Lord, and greatly to be praised: he also is to be feared above all gods… This very passage affirms what we studied yesterday when looking at the life of John in the revelation which he received from the Lord… On yesterday we called to remembrance the trials that John endured which led to his exile and the fact that he wrote great and marvellous are thy works; today we continue down this road of focusing on praising God instead of complaining… In this passage the ark of the Lord has returned to Jerusalem; David has led a mighty battle against the Philistines and prevailed, after this season of war David calls for burnt offerings to be presented to the Lord and appoints Levite ministers to offer praises unto our God… Asaph leads the way in praise as these verses are recorded…I recall the things leading up to these verses to make the point that battles in your life will occur; situations will have to be faced and you must have the ability to endure knowing that in the end your victor is guaranteed and praise is your command… Notice that Asaph says that the Lord is greatly to be praised; however, he goes on to say he also is to be feared above all gods… So many of us praise the Lord, but we lack the reverence and admiration we are called to have for Him… When this ingredient is missing, our praise suffers… 

ALL FOR HIS GLORY!

He's Worthy To Be Praised

Great and marvellous are thy works, Lord God Almighty; just and true are thy ways, thou King of saints. Who shall not fear thee, O Lord, and glorify thy name? for thou only art holy: for all nations shall come and worship before thee; for thy judgments are made manifest.

Revelation 15:3-4

You may not understand exactly why certain things happen in your life; however, as a child of God you should be able to declare great and marvellous are thy works simple because you know the God you serve will not and cannot fail… John is on the island of Patmos after being excommunicated from his homeland; one may not want to endure the trying times that will come in the life of a Christian; however, we are called to walk by faith and as Paul told the church of Philippi “Do everything without complaining or arguing.” In reading this passage I come to the conclusion that a lot of us in the body of Christ have not reached the levels within our relationship with Christ that will allow us to live out the true meaning of this very passage… John after being about the work of God is not deterred by any setbacks or hardships as he can declare this verse with boldness and clarity… Today, you must push to go deeper in your relationship with the Lord knowing that the things that bother you or distract you are the indicators that show how far you truly have grown and come… Notice all the praise and honor that John bestows to the Lord in the first portion of today’s focus verses; realize today that he (through all the storms and trials of his life) has peace and comfort within to the point that he asks the question who shall not fear thee… God is in control, you shouldn’t be afraid of the situations that you face, your situations should fear what God is about to do in and through them… You will be exalted; God’s name will be uplifted and revered; so in a nutshell you need to just continue to walk this road offering up praises instead of complaints…   

ALL FOR HIS GLORY!

Go And Sin No More

And Jesus said unto her, Neither do I condemn thee: go, and sin no more.

John 8:11 

Some of the sweetest words we can ever hear from the mouth of Jesus is that our sins are forgiven… This cleansing of our mistakes, past failures and missteps affords us a golden opportunity to be reconciled with our creator… Understand today that even though you have messed up along the way, the things of the past do not have to limit your future of tomorrow… This passage taken from the gospel of John deals with a woman whom was caught committing adultery and brought to Jesus for judgment; in reviewing this passage it brings joy to my heart to know that God doesn't pass judgment on us because of our mistakes, but rather will give us another chance due to His grace and mercy…  The men of the temple were ready to write this woman off, they were ready to stone her to death and end her very life; there are people in your life that have written you off, people that have passed judgment on you and feel that you are of no use, the message for you today is to know that God can still use you… Jesus has the final say and will make your latter better than your former if you do what He commands this woman to do which is go, and sin no more… Knowing the command that Jesus gave lets me know that we are actually in control of the destinies of our lives… We have the power to walk in the authority of God if we choose to adhere to His command and be about His business… The same command go is the same command we find in the great commission; we are called to witness, we are called to bring others to Christ and the only way we can do that is to overcome yesterday… 

ALL FOR HIS GLORY!

Put Your Trust In Him

Put Your Trust In Him

He that dwelleth in the secret place of the most High shall abide under the shadow of the Almighty. I will say of the LORD, He is my refuge and my fortress: my God; in him will I trust.

Psalm 91:1-2

There is no security which we can obtain upon this earth… All the money in the world will not provide the stability that you need which only can be obtained through Christ… There are so many things that we put our trust in, when in reality there is only one thing (God) which we can trust… This devotion is coming at a point in time when the world is filled with chaos and confusion. So many people are running from place to place or seeking material things which they believe to hold their security for the trials of life. I recall how often stores sell out when the weather report is not favorable and the truth of the matter is that the situations which we face in life cannot be prepped for; the only place you should be running to is God instead of your local market or companion… There is a secret place which we can find in Christ; this secret place is the same place Jesus was able to enter before being arrested at the words of Judas; this secret place is the same place Stephen reached before being stoned and it is the same place Paul reached while imprisoned… The secret place provides comfort for the weary heart and strength for the weak hands; this secret place gives direction to the loss soul and hope for the wayward sinner… The unknown author of this passage speaks of the secret place and concludes by saying I will say of the Lord, He is my refuge and my fortress: my God, in him will I trust… These words are powerful in that they allude to the fact that the write had to go through some storms and be delivered by the very hand of God to make the concluding state that in him will I trust… 

ALL FOR HIS GLORY!

Don't Worry, God's Got This

And the God of peace shall bruise Satan under your feet shortly.

Romans 16:20 

It is the peace of God that works wonders in your life; the things that turn in your favor, the situations that you overcome are all done by the wonderful peace of our Father… This peace which we study today is the same peace which Jesus spoke over the storms on the sea and it is the same peace which Jesus Himself said that He would give to us… This passage that we focus on today reminds us that we have a God who instills peace in our lives; amidst the storms and hardships of your life, find comfort today in knowing that peace will be provided… The enemy wants you to believe that you cannot overcome, he wants you to believe that you will fail and he wants you to believe that this is simply too much to handle, the God of peace says that I have you in the eye of the storm, I have you hidden in my secret tabernacle and the things you are facing today will only propel you to the future you have tomorrow… Paul says the God of peace shall bruise Satan under your feet shortly… Your victory may not have reached the surface just yet, your breakthrough may not be evident right now, but you are assured today that the God of peace will provide it… This simple tells me today to stop trying to fight battles which are not mine to fight… 

ALL FOR HIS GLORY!

Remember What Christ Did For You

Ye know the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, that, though he was rich, yet for your sakes he became poor, that ye through his poverty might be rich.

2 Corinthians 8:9

The bible declares that while ye were yet sinners Christ died for you… This passage should serve as a daily reminder that Jesus Christ is the reason for our existence and hope for our Eternal lives… It bothers me to know end when someone wants to receive credit for something that they did not do and today’s devotion reminds us that we cannot fall into this trap… Paul starts off by saying ye know the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ…  You have experienced God’s favor; you have felt His presence and you know that He is life… You know that it wasn't anything that you did, but that His grace (unmerited favor) is the very reason that, though he was rich, ye for your sakes he became poor… Just knowing the sacrifice that Christ made for you should be enough to drive you towards a position of humility and should also provide you with a source of strength when times seem too hard to handle… I don’t know about you, but knowing what Jesus did lets me know that I am special and allows me to transform my mind so that I think with a positive outlook on life knowing the simple fact that Christ didn’t have to do it… When we are of this world we ignore the ransom that was paid on Calvary, we turn a deaf ear to the times in which Jesus cried out from the cross and we pay no attention to the love that was shown through Him and His Father… Paul writes this letter to the Church of Corinth to reassure them of the love that God has for us… When things are hard, when things don’t seem to add up or when you feel like you are at the end of your rope; remember the sacrifice that was made, remember that it is a privilege to even bare the weight of these situations knowing that it is only by the GRACE of God that we are even here today… See, so many of us complain about the rigors of life; however, I haven’t found one person who would rather be dead in and hell where things will be unimaginable worse… 

ALL FOR HIS GLORY!

His Spirit Shall Transform You

And it shall come to pass...that I will pour out my spirit upon all flesh; and your sons and your daughters shall prophesy, your old men shall dream dreams, your young men shall see visions: And also upon the servants and upon the handmaids... will I pour out my spirit.

Joel 2:28-29

The Lord knows your struggles, He knows about the obstacles, hurdles and stumbling blocks being set before you and today He declares that I will pour out my spirit upon all flesh… Everyone will have the eternal compass leading the way to salvation; everyone will be afforded the opportunity to grow in Christ and abide in His love… The spirit of God reveals truths to us and provides direction for us; this is why Joel goes on to say that your sons and your daughters shall prophesy, your old men shall dream dreams, your young men shall see visions… God (through His spirit) will begin to reveal things in your life… If you don’t have a vision, then you don’t have a clear direction which means you don’t have a clear directive and therefore you cannot decipher your way through the snares of life and instead often times find yourself entangled by simple matters of this world which should not be able to confine or restrict you in the first place… Without the guidance of the Holy Spirit we are nothing… Without the power of Christ resting upon us and working through us we are lame ducks simply waiting to be plucked off by the enemy… Today, understand the importance of having Christ and the presence of the Holy Spirit in your life… There are so many people in so many different places of darkness right now and they continue down this spiral simply because they have yet to turn their situation over to the Lord… There was a point in time when this world did not know the spirit of God… The spirit of God is a spirit of love, direction, comfort and praise… 

The children of Israel wondered in the desert for 40 years, they were imprisoned under the hands of the Babylonians and suffered daily as captives because of the misguidance of the world… These hills and valley’s that the Israelites experienced were do to the strain relationship between them and the Lord… Without the spirit of God we are lost, without the spirit of God we give into the sinful nature and suffer grave consequences… Today, we are afforded a tremendous chance to have a compass and comforter in the form of God’s spirit… Joel tells the body of believers several hundreds of years ago that a time would come when your path would be paved, he informs the faithful children that a time is on the horizon when your sons and daughters will prophesy and it is in these very times that we live in that Joel’s prophesy has become true… God has poured out is His spirit upon mankind, we have the ability to go to the father through prayer and supplication and make our request known to Him… Jesus said, “I will not leave you comfortless…” You have a navigation tool to get through the rigors of life… You have a comforter when it seems like all is lost and you want to breakdown and you have a tool that can provide strength and endurance when you feel like throwing in the towel… God has given us the ability to prophesy through His spirit and see visions as to what is to come… Peter once denied Jesus before men and left a courtyard weeping; however, in the book of Acts (after he was reinstated) as we studied early this week, he received the spirit of God along with his fellow brethren and stood up for the Lord… While under the influence of God’s spirit, Peter spoke and 3,000 were saved, under God’s spirit lives were changed and hearts were mended… Under the spirit of God, children can be brought home and the enemy can be defeated… When you are walking in the spirit of God, you have a direct communication with the Lord that unlocks visions and dreams that cannot be comprehended by mere men… 

ALL FOR HIS GLORY!