I Am An Overcomer

And he that overcometh, and keepeth my works unto the end, to him will I give power over the nations.

Revelation 2:26

The first thing that a Christian must do in this journey is to overcome the power of the natural desire to dwell in sin… The book of revelations is the foretelling of things to come… This book speaks to the return of Jesus Christ for His co-heirs and the deliverance from this earth unto the promised mansions of God… Today John reminds us of where God wants us to end up, but more importantly, he speaks to the journey that we must endure to get there… The revelation that God provides to John is a revelation that we can live by as well. This revelation that is revealed unto John informs us of the gifts that await those who endure. The verse of the day starts off by saying, “He that overcometh…” 

John sets the table for every trial that comes knocking at your door, this word prepares you for every obstacle that is thrust in your path and this message equips you for the snares that are set when you wake up in the morning… The bottom line is that we must overcome, there are no freebies when it comes to this spiritual war that we are fighting; every inch will be tough to come by and every step will draw sweat and blood from within… John knows a little about overcoming, this revelation that he is writing to us has been given to him as he sits on the island of Patmus exiled from his native land… John witnessed the evil plots against Jesus, he watched Jesus be strung up on the cross, now he himself has been persecuted and writes today to let us know that we (just like him) must overcome… Sure it’s very easy to take the clear path and walk the level ground, but we know that in becoming all that you can become there must be some hills and mountains that come into your journey… You must experience the lows of life to appreciate the highs of Christ and this is the journey that God knows will prepare you to appreciate His bountiful blessings… 

ALL FOR HIS GLORY!

Love Has To Be Your Foundation

...Though I bestow all my goods to feed the poor, and though I give my body to be burned, and have not charity, it profiteth me nothing.

1 Corinthians 13:3

The societies that we live in and the communities with which we dwell have lost the meaning of the word love… There are so many people who do not understand what love means and/or what it will do; however, Paul pens in our focus verse today the point that a child of God is defined by love… If love isn’t the center of your motivation to act, then the deeds you do are done in vain… Understand today that Love is more than a word, its’ more than a feeling; love is the ability to go above and beyond, to look beyond faults and extend a hand despite what others may say and/or feel… Paul’s letter to the church of Corinth reminds us again that love has to be the ignition to the fire which leads us to take action… It doesn’t matter how much you give, but that you give in love… It doesn’t matter how much you do, it matters that you do your acts in love, not for prestige or repayment… What is your intent when you give to someone in need? Are you doing it out of genuine concern, or is it so that everyone around you may see your good deeds and praise you for your efforts? Do you give to those in need expecting something in return, or are you simply wishing to help those who stumble upon hard times? These are the questions that we must ask ourselves as a child of God when it comes to giving and extending a hand… Giving to the poor is indeed a great service, but it loses its value if you’re giving for the wrong reasons… 

ALL FOR HIS GLORY!

Your Sole Duty...Fear God

"Only fear the LORD, and serve him in truth with all your heart; for consider how great things he hath done for you."

1 Samuel 12:24

Your only duty on this earth is to “fear the Lord…” When you fear (honor, revere or admonish) the Lord your life is lived in total submission to Him… This means that you walk according to His will and are not focused on things of this world… This passage provides great advice for us to live by; we are called to “serve him in truth” knowing that He knows best but also bringing into remembrance all the things that He has done and the paths that He has paved… We have to have an attitude that reflects on what God has done and dispel the notion of living with the mindset of “what have you done for me lately…” According to worldly standards and ways of living, we must approach life seeking our own way and desires; however, we are reminded today that we serve a faithful God; one who already demonstrated His might by sending His son and one who has promised to supply all our needs… 

Don’t lose sight of this fact. God has already done enough; however, he continues to do more as evident by the very breath you take while reading this devotion. It is only by and through Him that you and I are here today. Just take a moment to think about all the hardships you have faced and then think about how you have made it through… I am sure that there have been days when your finances didn’t add up, your money was funny and your change was strange; however, you still were able to cut that check or make that payment… God is above all and knows all… Fear Him, revere Him and stay focused on Him… 

ALL FOR HIS GLORY!

Confess Christ And Christ Will Confess You

Whosoever therefore shall confess me before men, him will I confess also before my Father which is in heaven. But whosoever shall deny me before men, him will I also deny before my Father which is in heaven.

Matthew 10:32-33

Religion is not something that we take off of our bookshelves and wear 1 day a week; it isn’t something that we keep hidden in the crevices of our lives and display around certain individuals… As a child of God, we are called to walk daily in His divine light and this means that we are to show forth our faith in Him and trust that this is the only way… When we second guess speaking up in defense of the name of Jesus or when we withhold comments concerning our Lord and Savior, we are doing a disservice to those whom we have come in contact with as well as ourselves… It is through speaking up and standing that we display our belief and initiate the standing power of Jesus Christ who continues to make intercessions on our behalf… Peter denied Christ and left a courtyard weeping; however, when standing after receiving the Holy Ghost 3,000 souls were saved… The power that God has and is willing to display in our lives can only be exerted when we “confess him before men…” Make no mistake about it, you will not be able to wheel and deal your way into heaven… The bible declares that anyone who “confess with their mouth” and believes in their heart shall be saved…  You are accountable to the call that God has on your life; however, you are also accountable to bear witness to His name and walk in obedience… 

ALL FOR HIS GLORY!!

Love Is Sacrificing Personal Agenda's

If a man say, I love God, and hateth his brother, he is a liar: for he that loveth not his brother whom he hath seen, how can he love God whom he hath not seen? And this commandment have we from him, That he who loveth God love his brother also.

1 John 4:20-21

Paul, in his first letter to the church of Corinth, pens the characteristics of love in the 13^th chapter… Throughout the verses he writes and describes how important love is; however, it is one particular piece from this chapter that we will look at today as it relates to John’s writings in our focus verses today… This particular piece is found in the 5^th verse where Paul says, “It is not rude, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs.” You cannot be rude to someone, seek to do what is best for you, and become upset when things don’t go your way or keep a record as to why it is that you don’t like a particular person and then say that you are so “in love with God…” There are so many people who openly profess their love for Christ; however, they often fall short in showing it when that love must be displayed not only upward to Him but also horizontally to all that you come in contact with… The rich man had a love for God; however, He was not willing to give his possessions away (show love for his brethren and thus he fell short… This is why John says that a person who claims to love God but hates his brother is “a liar…” Ask yourself today, how is it possible to love someone without displaying it? Love is an action word and it requires movement beyond your lips… The question I just posed to you is the question that we must ask ourselves as a child of God… John records in this passage that we can’t love God without loving our brother; this statement is very true because the only way we can show our love for the Lord is by loving our fellowman… Our father desires for us to extend a loving hand to one another, He desires for us to keep no record of wrongs, He desires for us to walk in humility never focusing on our own desires… These are the ways we show our love and appreciation to the Lord… The next time you cross a person who wronged you, show forth your love for the father by seeking resolution; the next time you are offended by a brother or sister, show your love for the father by going to that person and trying to mend the broken lines of communication instead of allowing your heart and mind to be occupied with resentment and anger… 

ALL FOR HIS GLORY!

Love God And Let Him Work It Out

And we know that all things work together for good to them that love God, to them who are the called according to his purpose.

Romans 8:28

There are positive outcomes to your circumstances that appear to be negative… Notice that I used the word “Appear”... Often times we equate obstacles with negativity, but Paul reminds us today that this concept is false… In the Old Testament Abraham had to relocate in order to be blessed and called the father of many nations, Joseph had to endure slavery to see His dream fulfilled, Jacob ran from Esau and was subject to countless attacks before being named Israel… The point is that when we are walking according to the will of God, everything in our paths will be used as a tool to mold us and guide us toward the ultimate prize… Paul wrote a letter to the church of Corinth about the “thorn in his flesh”, he ended by saying that God told him “His grace is sufficient…” When storms rise, learn to appreciate the rain because that is what helps flowers grow just like the sunny days… Paul declares to the Church of Rome that all things work together for the good of them that love God. Notice that he states all things work, the bad and the goodwill come together and fulfill God’s purpose. Some of us take this verse to read that everything will be peaches and cream when in reality Paul is saying your suffering has a place in God’s divine will for your life! 

ALL FOR HIS GLORY!

Chastening Is A Form Of Love

My son, despise not the chastening of the LORD; neither be weary of his correction:  For whom the LORD loveth he correcteth; even as a father the son in whom he delighteth.

Proverbs 3:11-12

Growing up I believe that I was whipped more than I was congratulated… I believe that the scars and welts on my backside far outnumbered the hugs for a job well done… This is not to suggest that I endured an abusive childhood (which I did not), but this is just to set the foundation of how bad and rebellious I was growing up and how love takes different forms. With that being said I look back on my childhood and thank my parents for correcting me back then, instead of allowing me to suffer the consequences of my actions now… When a parent loves a child, correction is a form of throwing a lifeline before it’s too late… There is nothing worse in life than to lose the support of your parents… I can recall a time in my life when I was all about fitting the image and being amongst my friends… School was nothing to me and my grades showed that. I can remember a time when I received my report card and it seemed as if my parents would have been proud just to see a “C” on the paper. There is one time in particular when my actions actually sunk in, my father looked at my report card and said, “If this is what you have decided that you want to be and do, fine…” I realized at that point that my father wasn’t going to beat me, he wasn’t going to ground me, but that he simply had come to the realization that his love to see me prosper was completely poured out. I could feel the disappointment, but more importantly, I could feel the separation… The book of Proverbs teaches us today that discipline is love, not that your parents love to beat you, but that they love you enough to try and get you on the right path and course. God demonstrated in love for the Israelites every time they were in captivity, He demonstrated His love when Job lost everything, Daniel was in the Lion’s Den, David was pursued by Saul, Joseph was sold to slavery and Paul was blind and in the desert… Love takes many forms, sometimes it's shown through tears or periods of discomfort, but just know that love always brings forth growth and a positive outcome.

ALL FOR HIS GLORY!

God's Spirit Empowers You

For God hath not given us the spirit of fear; but of power, and of love, and of a sound mind.

2 Timothy 1:7

There is nothing of this world that we should fear… In this world so many people have their minds filled with nonsense and things of no significant value that they inherit this worldly fear spoken of in this passage by the apostle Paul… We fear losing jobs, a lower income or alterations to our lifestyle; however, in the body of Christ we are reminded today that we have not been given a spirit of fear… More importantly, the spirit we have and have been given in Christ is a spirit that contradicts what the world thinks we should be afraid of… When you are under the spirit of fear, there are elements in your life that you are scared to lose or allow to change; however, when you are in Christ, you don’t fear these things but learn to trust that God doesn’t make mistakes. This is why Paul says the spirit you have been given is a spirit of “power, and of love, and of a sound mind…” Understand today that you cannot be a child of God if you are walking in fear of things changing in this world or around you… A child resembles their parents; so if you call yourself a child of God, then you shouldn’t fear what circumstances you face in this world or endure through your life’s journey… 

ALL FOR HIS GLORY!

Everyday Is A Day Of Celebration

Then he said unto them, Go your way, eat the fat, and drink the sweet, and send portions unto them for whom nothing is prepared: for this day is holy unto our LORD: neither be ye sorry; for the joy of the LORD is your strength.

Nehemiah 8:10

Even in times of despair, heartbreak and frustration you have a reason to celebrate… Whenever you feel down, your pick-me-up can be found in knowing that “the joy of the Lord is your strength…” When you go through things don’t fret because your weakness will open the door for God to display His strength. When you are faced with a daunting task, don’t give room to the debilitating fear that lurks because the joy of the Lord is your strength… We all have fallen short or missed the mark which was the case at the time of this word being recorded in the book of Nehemiah. You can take courage and find peace today in knowing that you will have provisions, protection and prosperity through the good and perfect gifts which only come from above. Even though we don’t like to make mistakes or mess up from time to time, in reading this passage we know that we as well as the people of that particular time should be overjoyed because God’s word has convicted them and paved the way to repentance… God has paid the penalty of sin on our behalf; we understand that God has delivered us from captivity, now we must put our faith into action by living a life that pleases the Lord… 

ALL FOR HIS GLORY!