Receiving Christ Is The Key To Receiving Power

But as many as received him, to them gave he power to become the sons of God, even to them that believe on his name.

John 1:12

The door to your victory is right in front of you; the question that lies as the doormat is whether you will open it or not… John starts off this verse by saying “as many as received him…” You have a choice to make, you decide the outcome and verdict of your life… Jesus said, “Behold I stand at the door and knock,” he wants you to open up and let Him in… You can withstand this test, you can overcome this obstacle and you can master this journey… You have the ability because Christ deposited it in you from Calvary… You have the power to become sons of God, what a truly powerful statement… This declaration simply means that you have the power to alter your life, you have the power to be what people said you couldn’t be and you have the power to decide to live instead of dying… The keys to victory are within reach, the mantle of success is within your sight and the first step to obtain all of this is to receive the Lord Jesus Christ… When you are a son of God, you are covered and are assured victory… We are told in John the 10^th chapter 28^th verse that as a child of God we are protected and safe… Jesus said, “I give them eternal life, and they shall never perish; no one can snatch them out of my hand.” When you walk in the will of God, though you may stumble you won’t fall, though you slip you will not be cast down for God cares for you and will sustain you… Know that Just like Jesus, we have a mission to complete, a set of tasks with our names on them… Jesus came to this earth with a purpose, He came to this earth to complete a mission and fulfill the prophecies of old… If you receive Him today, He will transform you, He will strengthen you and He will deliver you… You were created in God’s image; now receive Jesus so that you can walk in the prosperity and victory that God ordained for your life before you were even born…

ALL FOR HIS GLORY!

Life Begins And Ends With The Heart

Keep thy heart with all diligence; for out of it are the issues of life.

Proverbs 4:23

The most important thing you have is your heart… Your heart provides life within your physical body as well as your connection with the Lord… You are called to guard your heart today because your life (physically and spiritually) depends on it… If you have a heart of hatred and envy you cannot have a connection with the Lord; the bible tells us that God is love and love is something that starts in the heart… The heart is a very sacred and vital organ both to your physical and spiritual life… If we take the analogy of the heart being a pump, we know that whatever is inside the heart will be pumped out; in the physical sense, this is the blood that travels through our veins. Spiritually, we are talking about whatever Godly or worldly things that reside within…This is why we are reminded that if we want to live we must keep our heart… The heart is the source, it’s the critical point and it’s the very place you’re most likely attacked by the devil… 

Luke 6:45 says, “A good man out of the good treasure of his heart bringeth forth that which is good; and an evil man out of the evil treasure of his heart bringeth forth that which is evil: for out of the abundance of the heart his mouth speaketh.” How often do you give your heart to others? How many times have you found yourself allowing someone or something to have authority over you by controlling your heart…Whether we have come to realize it or have not comprehended it yet, the heart is the center of our living and being… God knows the things that we seek are love, appreciation, acceptance and happiness… Today we are reminded that just because we seek those things doesn’t mean we try to obtain them at all costs… The proverb today reminds us that we must “Keep thy heart with all diligence…” The proverb says in all diligence, we must make every effort, put every last bit of energy into preserving our heart… The bottom line is that you must protect yourself and your life… If you’re careless with your heart and give it to any and everybody, it will be shown by how torn and tattered your life is…

ALL FOR HIS GLORY!

He Never Said It Would Be Easy

For therefore we both labour and suffer reproach, because we trust in the living God, who is the Saviour of all men, specially of those that believe.

1 Timothy 4:10

There are two kinds of men on this earth; those who work for the reward of today and those who work for the reward of tomorrow… Your drive as far as your work ethic displays the kind of man that you are… When things don’t go as you planned or you don’t’ see the immediate fruits of your labor, how do you handle those situations… Paul reminds us today that we must remember that the prize we labor for will not be manifested upon this earth… Timothy faced a lot of peer pressure when he took up the calling of ministry that was placed upon his life; however, it was through this passage that Paul reminds Him that we suffer not for material things, but “because we trust in the living God…” Not every person you meet will have a zeal for Christ… Not everyone you meet will want to share in your witness or see the name of Christ exalted; it is in these times that we must remember the services that we take part in… We are not about pleasing men nor are we doing this for form or fashion… I serve Christ because I believe that He died for my sins, I serve Him because I believe that I can do nothing without Him, but that with Him all things are possible… I will “suffer reproach” because I believe I have found an answer to the void that is in my life that cannot be filled by men… Don’t give in to the temptation of earthly success; don’t give in to the appearance of happiness that comes with material things… Know that you are working toward a far more precious prize and the more you go through the better it will be… 

ALL FOR HIS GLORY!

Endure Temptation; Your Crown Awaits

Blessed is the man that endureth temptation: for when he is tried, he shall receive the crown of life, which the Lord hath promised to them that love him. 

James 1:12

Every man faces temptations; however, the one that is blessed is the one that endures them and doesn’t give in…  I was once told that the saddest thing about someone quitting a project or process is that they never realize how close they were to completing it and the same can be said of our Christian journey… The temptations we face appear to be the easy way out, but the reality is that you are so close to the blessings of God if you just hold on a little while longer… The things that catch your eye in this life will never satisfy the vision that God has placed inside of you… The difference between being blessed and not being blessed lies in the sacrifice and obedience that one has within… Daily, we all face decisions; however, the question that we must have at the heart of our decisions is to whom are we trying to please… You can only endure temptations if you have a heart's desire to please the Lord… Make no mistake about it, the story of your life is unique to you, but the challenges that you faced in getting to where you are now are quite similar to everyone on this journey… 

We all have been and will be tested; this is why James says “for when he is tried…” he doesn’t say if, but when; you can rest assured that in seeking to live according to the will of God that Satan will try you… He will try to paint a picture of gloom and doom and lead you down a path of destruction that will end with you throwing in the towel… On this journey we will be tried, we will be tested, and we will experience adversity. People will talk about us, people will turn their backs on us, and people will try and discourage our walk. The devil will continue to press us, the devil will continue to try and push us over the edge, and the devil will try to destroy our faith. However, it is very sweet to know that Jesus sits high and looks low; Jesus hears our every cry, and Jesus is waiting for us to complete this journey so that he can crack the sky and say well done thy good and faithful servant. So just hold on, be strong and of good courage, we have to be tested, but there is a tremendous reward if we continue to pass the test!

ALL FOR HIS GLORY!

Call On Him And Be Saved

And it shall come to pass, that whosoever shall call on the name of the Lord shall be saved.

Acts 2:21

This passage is written after the crucifixion of Jesus Christ; the disciples have been hiding in the upper room and many have feared for their very lives… Through this trying time, Jesus shows himself unto the disciples to reignite their faith… This passage starts out with the words, “And it shall come to pass”… Though we suffer for a moment, the promises of God “shall come to pass”. Even though we face trials, hardships, and adversity we are reminded today that the fulfillment of God’s promises is not notated by an “if” but “when”…  Through Jesus' death we all were given a chance to inherit eternal life… Through His suffering, the path was paved for all mankind to change direction and not be condemned according to the sin that we are born in… The bible tells us that we all have sinned and fallen short of the glory of God; understand that we all have done things we wish we could change or have made decisions that weren’t the right ones… Luke writes today in the book of Acts that we all have a chance to right our wrongs, we have an opportunity to change our direction, and we have been given an opening to improve our future and outlook on life! Luke says the time shall come, it is upon us today… Stop what your doing and know that Christ is real and waiting for you to turn to Him… Tomorrow is not promised; today is a gift, that’s why it’s called the present… So pick yourself up, dust yourself off, and revitalize your life by giving Jesus a chance…

ALL FOR HIS GLORY!

The Lord Is Worthy

Thou art worthy, O Lord, to receive glory and honour and power: for thou hast created all things, and for thy pleasure they are and were created.

Revelation 4:11 

Can you still praise God when things don’t appear to be going your way? Do you still adore His name when the storms of life rage over your head…? These questions define the true worshipper and believer of Christ… Though he experienced many low points in his life, this scripture comes at a time in John’s life when he has been exiled to the island of Patmus… John has no friends to lean on and is literally all alone, even then he writes this revelation praising God for all His goodness despite the situations that he has and currently faces… John recognizes today that God has created all things; John recognizes that all things were created not only by God but for His pleasure… This is good news to us today, this teaches me to know and understand that even when I am on the island of misfortune, even when I am isolated and feel alone, every situation will bring God pleasure… Jesus said if I be lifted up, I’ll draw all men unto me… When we lift Jesus up through the trials and tribulations that we face we are sure to be lifted up out of the miry clay and sinking sand that we find ourselves in… John is at peace because he knows that God is still with Him, we can have an attitude of praise despite the circumstance because we know that God has all power in the palm of His hand and will never leave us nor forsake us… All I can say is, “To God be the glory”, as I read this piece of scripture I am encouraged by the revelation of John… 

ALL FOR HIS GLORY!

Turn From Sin; There's Still Hope

But if the wicked will turn from all his sins that he hath committed, and keep all my statutes, and do that which is lawful and right, he shall surely live, he shall not die. 

Ezekiel 18:21

There is still hope for all who continue to fall short in this journey we call life (I am included)… Though we have made mistakes and given into temptations we are reminded today that we still can overcome and be victorious… Ezekiel speaks to a rebellious house today that turned from God to seek other gods and other possessions… The message written at the time of Israel’s disobedience carries the same value and weight for us today… Through today's devotional, we learn of the 4 steps required in order to be reunited with Christ.

1) The first step “But if the wicked…” We must acknowledge our position as sinners and accept the fact that we are not nor will we ever be perfect on this earth… Ezekiel is speaking to a rebellious house, a people that abstained, objected and denied God… We too have rejected the teachings of God; we have denied the will of God in our lives and clothed ourselves with the will and ways of the world… God desires all creation to return unto him, but we must understand that we are wicked and acknowledge that we are in need of a savior in order to open up the door that God will enter into… 

2) The second step is “turn from all his sin that he hath committed…” you must have an attitude that learns from your mistakes and doesn’t continue in the path of darkness! We all have fallen short, but must realize that until we turn away and turn back to God, we will not be released from the weight of our sin… Change is never easy to accept or to do, but we must “turn” and change our lifestyle, habits and friends in order to even begin to entertain a relationship with God… 

3) The third step in this process of sanctification is “…and keep all my statues…” Even though we understand the importance of recognizing your sin and desiring to turn away from it, it is not enough to turn from your wickedness. Turning is just the beginning; however, that doesn’t release you from eternal damnation. It is not enough to turn, you must take additional steps, the first of which is to accept and commit your life to Christ! Once you join a gym, results are not seen until you actually workout.

4) The last step in this process is that you “…do that which is lawful and right…” Not only must we keep his statures, but we must remain steadfast in God’s laws; understand that this is not an overnight process and that it takes time… You must do that which is lawfully right and adhere to His commandments daily. When you begin to focus your attention on God, you will begin to live and death will have no more dominion over you!

ALL FOR HIS GLORY!

The Word Will Cleanse You

Wherewithal shall a young man cleanse his way? By taking heed thereto according to thy word. With my whole heart have I sought thee: O let me not wander from thy commandments. Thy word have I hid in mine heart, that I might not sin against thee.

Psalm 119:9-11

There is only one way that we can purge the sin within us and be released from the penalty of Eternal Death… Many have tried to develop their own way to fulfill the desires that they have; however, we are reminded by David today that the only way to be brought out of condemnation is through the word of God… David was a man that made many mistakes in his life; from adultery with Bathsheba to encamping with the enemy, we find many instances in which David made poor decisions… I am sure that if we look over our lives, we too can agree that there are a lot of choices that we made and things we have done that have strained our relationship with God and caused us to fall short of His calling… The key is not living a mistake-free life, but in recognizing your mistakes and knowing who is able to deliver you from them… After making mistakes, David poses a question here in the 119^th psalm that we all ask when we are down and out, “wherewithal shall a young man cleanse his way?” 

How can we get back up when we have fallen, how can we be cleansed from the filth in our lives, how can we overcome the mistakes that we have made, how is it that we can right our wrongs or turn a negative into a positive? We all have asked ourselves these questions and David provides the answer to us in the very next piece of the text, “By taking heed thereto according to thy word…” The bible is a lamp unto our feet and a light unto our pathway… When we are engrossed in the word of God it will show us our mistakes and convict our spirit into remorse… Hebrews 4:12 says, “For the word of God is living and active. Sharper than any double-edged sword, it penetrates even to dividing soul and spirit, joints and marrow; it judges the thoughts and attitudes of the heart.” If you really desire to walk in the will of God, if you want to learn from your mistakes and see the areas in which you need to grow, then study God’s word for it will penetrate down to your very soul and expose the areas of your lives that are keeping you from living according to the will of God… 

ALL FOR HIS GLORY!

You Can Do It Through Christ

I know both how to be abased, and I know how to abound: every where and in all things I am instructed both to be full and to be hungry, both to abound and to suffer need. I can do all things through Christ which strengtheneth me.

Philippians 4:12-13

On this roller coaster of life, we are sure to experience highs and lows, we will have days of joy and days of sadness, laughter and pain go hand and hand along with great abundance and fear that you don’t have enough… Though the seasons of life change and we experience them all; Paul reminds us today that we must be content not in our earthly possessions but in our standing with Christ…  Paul says I know how to live when I am low (abased) and how to live when I abound (have plenty)… No matter where you are in your life today, whether you have plenty or don’t think you have enough, you must make sure that your faith in Christ reminds, and that you continue to seek His will… When we have little, it is a time where we can be tempted to question God and give up; likewise, when we have plenty we can find ourselves taking the credit that God deserves by becoming confident in what we can do… In both scenarios, we begin to ease God out and this is why we must go through seasons… The seasons that we face change at any given time; however, we are told in Hebrews 13:8 “Jesus Christ is the same yesterday and today and forever.” We can learn to be content with what we have and what we are dealing with because we know that through it all Christ is with us and will always be our guide and our sustainer… Be content because Christ has already done it before, be content because you are growing and be content because you know that Christ is the same yesterday, today and forever… The same results that we see in the bible when people remained content are the same results we will see in our lives when and if we remain content in the will of God…

ALL FOR HIS GLORY!