Love Is Required

A new commandment I give unto you, That ye love one another; as I have loved you, that ye also love one another. By this shall all men know that ye are my disciples, if ye have love one to another.

John 13:34-35

The sooner that we learn to love; the sooner we will be able to walk in the commandments that God has given us… Love is an essential part of our everyday life and daily affairs… Walking in love, we can build relationships instead of tearing people down… Love is the key to opening the doors of people’s hearts around you; which therefore will allow them to receive the word that God has placed in you to provide for them… Love can be the difference between offending someone and providing constructive criticism that is received… This is why Christ provides a new commandment for us in the gospel of John… Did you know that there are actually 624 commandments in the bible? You have the original ten given by the Lord to Moses, then 613 that were adopted under Moses as the Mosaic Law, and last but not least the commandment found in today’s scripture lesson… Jesus Christ teaches the disciples about the importance of love and abounding compassion… This commandment does not void the previous ones recorded in the Bible; it simply sums up how all these things can be accomplished… When you love you won’t steal or kill; when you walk in love you won’t covet your neighbor's things nor disrespect your mother and father… Ill-will, wickedness, malice, or resentment cannot live in a garden when a seed of love is planted… Love Is Required!

ALL FOR HIS GLORY!

His Love Has Covered Us

He brought me to the banqueting house, and his banner over me was love.

Song of Songs 2:4 

As sinners, we are outsiders looking in… We don’t have the right, nor the ability to enter the presence of God nor can we sit at His table; however, we are reminded that through His great mercy and His extended hand of Grace we have been called from darkness into light… Solomon writes at the very beginning of this verse that, “He brought me”; understand that he couldn’t get there on his own; likewise, we (through the banner of love) have been brought to this point in life and have been given a chance of Eternal Life through the outpouring of Jesus Christ… A banquet is a formal meal, feast, or dinner… When someone is hosting a banquet, it is a special event that specific people or individuals are invited to, a banquet is something that people will remember and cherish… Again, Solomon says God “brought me to the banqueting house…” Solomon recognized that this was not a place that he could go on his own, we must come to realize that we cannot enter in without God’s escort (love) right by our side… To bring someone in, you must first go and get them… God saw where Solomon had been and what he had done, and went to him, picked him up, and turned him around… Today God has sent you an invitation to His glorious banquet… When someone throws a banquet people usually go and buy a nice dress or tuxedo, and they make sure they display the very best they have to offer; God’s banquet is a little different, the attire is that you simply come as you are and he will dress you in royalty… 

ALL FOR HIS GLORY!

Walk In The Will of God

Thus saith the LORD, Stand ye in the ways, and see, and ask for the old paths, where is the good way, and walk therein, and ye shall find rest for your souls.

Jeremiah 6:16

Jeremiah reminds us today that if we desire to advance in life, we must ask for the old paths… Since we enter this world as sinners; our first steps upon this earth are on a course which leads to death… The “old paths” that Jeremiah speaks of are the paths that God paved when we were created… It’s the path that led the Israelites out of Egypt and makes the forgiveness of sin possible… This path is spoken of by Jesus in the New Testament, Matthew 7: 13, 14 which says, “Enter through the narrow gate. For wide is the gate and broad is the road that leads to destruction, and many enter through it. ¹⁴ But small is the gate and narrow the road that leads to life, and only a few find it.” We must seek the old path because the new path isn’t the right path… The new path is broader than the old, but it leads to destruction… This is why Jeremiah says we must stand, see, ask, and walk… So many of us have wondered aimlessly through this life thus far, wherever the wind blows is the direction in which we travel… 

Today, we come to know and understand the direction that we should not only travel but how we can identify the purpose that we have on this earth… God called Jeremiah to speak to the house of Israel; however, he (being young) was reluctant to go… A lot of us have been called by God for a specific purpose or task, we have been ordained before the foundation of this earth, but many of us have been reluctant to accept God’s calling upon our lives… We are afraid of what people will say, we are scared of failing and we are hesitant to take the leap of faith that being a child of God calls for… Let us take hold of today's devotion and grow in faith to the following: 

Step 1: “Stand ye in the ways…” God has already shined His light of mercy and grace upon your life, He has already opened up doors and made ways out of no way; when you face trials, change, or misfortune, you must stand… You must be planted like a tree by the rivers; you must be unmovable, always abounding in the work of the Lord… Trials display your character and help to identify your purpose, stand strong in the Lord and in the power of His might…

Step 2: “…ask for the old paths…” We must seek the ways of the Lord instead of our own direction… The Bible teaches us that there is nothing new under the sun; the same God that delivered in the Old Testament is the same God that delivers today… Look at the “old paths” God made, look at the miracles that He has already performed, and seek His guidance in everything that you do…

Step 3: “…and walk therein…” You must be committed to the will of God; you must not only stand and seek, but you must be willing to walk… When you walk you are taking steps, there is direction in your life, there is purpose to your movements and you are accepting your calling…

Jeremiah knew that the road placed before him would be difficult, but he also knew and trusted God… Today we come to know and understand this by standing when everyone around you sits down so that you obtain success, it is by seeking the ways of old and looking back on the past that you identify your purpose, and by walking in the will of God that you will fulfill the calling that He has on your life and “find rest for your souls…”

ALL FOR HIS GLORY!

It's Not About Flesh and Blood

For we wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this world, against spiritual wickedness in high places.

Ephesians 6:12

In today’s focus verse, we learn two important things that we must understand and carry with us daily… The first is that upon this earth we will wrestle… There is a battle that takes place daily, the problem is that it comes in many forms… Laziness (a desire not to get up or go to work), jealousy (a desire to have what others have obtained), and malice (hatred, spite, or cruelty) which will cause us to be nasty to people or disrespectful just to name a few… Know that battles are at your door and sometimes have invaded your house… You must follow the guidelines outlined in this letter to the church of Ephesus… Paul teaches us in the verse that precedes this one that we are to put on the full amour of God… After instructing us about the importance of being prepared, he goes on in today’s focus verse to explain why we need to equip ourselves… Again, whether we recognize it or not, we are at war within ourselves and our societies…  We see many young men and women becoming chalk outlines, many kids having kids, and more and more decisions being made that lead to catastrophic outcomes… 

To understand the war we are fighting (this is the second lesson that we must learn and comprehend), we must understand who the enemy really is… When someone commits a heinous crime, we are quick to pass judgment, but the truth of the matter is that we should be praying for that individual to be released from the bondage of evil that has taken His life captive… This war we are fighting isn’t about the flesh; it’s not about what you see but about the motives and where the decisions are derived from… Consider Job from the Old Testament as an example; he lost everything (children, cattle) and then his wife told him to curse God and die… The physical things that we see on the surface of Job’s life weren’t the real problem, it was the decision to curse God or not… Paul’s letter speaks to us and Job’s situation confirms it… We wrestle not against the flesh (what we can see), but rather against the devil and all the traps that aren’t visible…

ALL FOR HIS GLORY!

There's Power In The Blood

And they overcame him by the blood of the Lamb, and by the word of their testimony; and they loved not their lives unto the death.

Revelation 12:11

Your ability to become all that God has designed you to be, defeat the enemy, and persevere through the tests, trials, and tribulations are found in “the blood of the lamb…” Satan knows that he can defeat you when you try to take him on in your own power; however, he also knows that he doesn’t stand a snowball's chance in hell to defeat you when you call on the name of Jesus… The storms you are enduring are developing your testimony which will bear witness to the power you didn’t have and the power that God bestowed on your behalf… When you go through challenges and oppositions in life and know that God brought you out, your approach to life will change; the things that mattered most to you will become less significant in your life and you will display a form of humility that was never seen before in you… As you mature in Christ, the life you sought in this world will be transformed into a life seeking to please Christ. This is what John is referring to when he starts this verse by proclaiming how to overcome; he concludes by saying, “They loved not their lives unto the death…” You won’t care about pleasing men when you realize that those same men can’t help you when you are in the midst of tragedy or trial… You will care less about what people say about you when you understand that God’s words produce life and fruit… John reveals the secret to overcoming and being victorious… It's all through “...the blood of the lamb…”

ALL FOR HIS GLORY!

Reconciliation Is Your Ministry

And all things are of God, who hath reconciled us to himself by Jesus Christ, and hath given to us the ministry of reconciliation; To wit, that God was in Christ, reconciling the world unto himself, not imputing their trespasses unto them; and hath committed unto us the word of reconciliation.

2 Corinthians 5:18-19

As you are blessed, your ministry is to bless others with the seed planted in you… Christ came to this earth with a sole purpose in mind, to free us from the bondage and guilt of our sins… You are here to fulfill a God-given purpose; you are at your current location to reconcile yourself to the Lord by reconciling relationships and people that may have been fractured or punctured through this course of life… This is why Paul goes on to say that Jesus “hath given to us the ministry of reconciliation…” You were formed with a distinct plan from the Lord; you were created to fulfill the Lord's desire before you were even born into existence… The message that we are called to receive and understand today is a compelling and true message regarding the purpose behind each day that you witness on this earth…  So many people have overlooked the things that God has deposited in their lives and therefore continue to miss the mark of pleasing Him… The Bible declares that without faith it is impossible to please the Lord; you must walk in faith throughout your days and weeks and to do this you must realize that you don’t have to be a minister to have ministry… We miss opportunities to bring people to Christ because we are focused on bringing them to church… You have been called to the ministry; however, it doesn’t mean you stand in a pulpit on Sunday mornings… The message that Paul pens to us today is that you have some reconciliation to do in your life… This could be forgiving an adversary or it could be seeking forgiveness from another or from God above… Whatever the case or situation, you must know that people are perishing because you have not walked in your ministry… 

ALL FOR HIS GLORY!

Overcoming Spiritual Blindness

The eyes of your understanding being enlightened; that ye may know what is the hope of his calling, and what the riches of the glory of his inheritance in the saints

Ephesians 1:18

Ephesus was a city full of superstition, magic, and all the other works that resembled that of a cult… It was the missionary journey of Paul (led by the Holy Spirit) to enter the city of Ephesus and open their eyes… Often we see people who have gone the wrong way, we speak words about them but never speak words to them… This is the message that I find so important for us to grasp in today’s focus verse… The people you encounter may not know what they’re doing is wrong, some of them may have very well been brought up with the notion that all the things that are being done are right and it is up to you to allow the Holy Spirit to move so that “The eyes of there understanding may be enlightened…” Not everybody needs to hear a word of encouragement, not everybody needs a pat on the back, some people in your life need to hear the truth in love, some people in your life need a stern kick in their backside… The ministry that God has placed in your life, you are accountable for; every person you encounter every day of your life should be impacted by the display of Christ in and through you… This is what Paul was saying in his letter to the Church of Rome when he said that we should be “a living sacrifice…” The problems that occur in most of the lives of people who live according to this world is that they place their hopes in and on material things… People of the world have the belief that a high-paying job gives them hope for a bright future and stability; however, this is where their understanding must be enlightened… The eyes of this world must be opened and enlightened; this can only be accomplished when they are taught the hope for their existence, the hope for their family and friends is not found in the world but in his calling… God will not fail, and He will not allow you to fail either, so continue to hold to His hand, continue to trust in the Lord, and be about the work that He has called you to do! Your eyes are being enlightened and you are growing in Christ!

ALL FOR HIS GLORY!

Every Knee Shall Bow

That at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, of things in heaven, and things in earth, and things under the earth;  And that every tongue should confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.

Philippians 2:10-11

When you make Christ the head of your life and walk according to His will and plan you are assured two things, the first is trials and the second is victory… Jesus reminds the disciples in John 15:18 “If the world hates you, keep in mind that it hated me first.”However, we see in the scripture penned by Paul that people will be humbled before the mighty name of the one that we serve and face trials for… Paul writes a letter to the church of Philippi focused on imitating the life of Christ… When Jesus was resurrected from the dead He received all power in heaven and on earth, He was given authority over every matter and situation and defeated the devil with His sacrifice… Paul reminds us of the authority that Jesus has in today’s focus verses… “That at the name of Jesus, every knee should bow…” 

Today we see the reasons why we can smile in the midst of tragedy, today we are given evidence of how we can hold our head up amid a storm, through this passage we learn how to continue in praise despite the circumstances that we face… We have victory through the blood of Jesus; we can triumph because of His nail-scarred hands and we have received a clean slate because of His humility… Paul says every knee shall bow and every tongue shall confess that Jesus is Lord… You may see some people going the wrong way right now, you may see some people smiling while indulging in their life of sin and you may see others who appear to be better off than you; however, we must remember that Jesus experienced the same things when dealing with the Romans and Pharisees, Jesus was belittled on this earth, but now has a place next to the father (sitting on a throne) that everyone would love to have… He reigns because of His sacrifice and determination to fulfill the will of His Father… Today you suffer, but in the end, God will be glorified and you will be exalted…If you want to become God's disciple, then imitate Christ and suffer in and for His name…

ALL FOR HIS GLORY!

The Blessings Of Giving

Blessed are the merciful: for they shall obtain mercy.  Blessed are the pure in heart: for they shall see God.

Matthew 5:7-8

Matthew 7:2 says, “For in the same way you judge others, you will be judged, and with the measure you use, it will be measured to you.” You have to give to receive, in order to have something put in your hand, you must first remove what already exists in it… The Bible says that the merciful are blessed not only because of their kind acts but also because true mercy calls for one to be humble and solely focused upon the Lord… Mercy is withholding or forgiving someone who has wronged you and/or caused pain and strife within you… Mercy is something that we all naturally do not extend to our fellowman; when I was a little boy I was instructed that when someone hit me I should hit them back; however, Jesus tells us that we must turn the other cheek… A merciful person is indeed blessed because they are walking in the will of God and therefore protected under His mighty hand… Matthew records that those who are merciful shall obtain mercy; we have all fallen short, and we have all made bad choices and decisions, but as a child of God, we cannot allow those things to serve as stumbling blocks that hinder our growth and future aspirations! We must learn from our mistakes and seek the forgiveness of God as well as our fellow man… More importantly, we must be able to extend forgiveness to one another in pure and unconditional love so that our sins and poor choices may be forgiven by our Lord and Savior! Jesus informs us in the 18^th chapter of Matthew that the forgiveness of our sins is made possible by the forgiveness (mercy) that we extend to others… "I tell you the truth, whatever you bind on earth will be bound in heaven, and whatever you loose on earth will be loosed in heaven.” To obtain mercy from above, you must first extend mercy on earth… 

ALL FOR HIS GLORY!

There's Always An Escape

"There hath no temptation taken you but such as is common to man: but God is faithful, who will not suffer you to be tempted above that ye are able; but will with the temptation also make a way to escape, that ye may be able to bear it."

1 Corinthians 10:13

 

Everybody faces temptations; the only thing that varies from person to person is how we handle them… Paul says, “There hath no temptation taken you but such as if common to man…” This passage shines light on the fact that the enemy knows your common weaknesses; however, it also provides encouragement to the believer as you are told that the adversary is using the same old tired tricks that our Lord has already conquered… This is why, despite the temptations that are common snares in our lives, Paul says that “God is faithful…”This means that the things we face in life are things that have been here before; God knows your limitations… Everything that you endure is never going to overtake you if you remain focused and attentive to the will of God… The things you are dealing with God already knows and the reason you are subject to them is simply because He knows that you can handle them… Temptations display the true character and heart of an individual… It is when we are tempted that we showcase the faith we have in Christ or the lack thereof… We must endure such temptations as we profess our faith and allow God’s faithfulness to work in and through us… Remember that the first portion of this scripture speaks about the common temptations that man faces; with that being said, we can look to Jesus and know how to handle tempting situations…  When Jesus was led into the wilderness and fasted for forty days, the word of God tells us that He was tempted by the enemy… Through all the temptations that were hurled His way, by standing upon the word He was able to resist the enemy and eventually make him retreat… Understand today, that through the word of God, you can overcome obstacles in front of you… You can resist the enemy just as Jesus did and he will flee… 

 

ALL FOR HIS GLORY!

Remember His Mercies

I will mention the lovingkindnesses of the LORD, and the praises of the LORD, according to all that the LORD hath bestowed on us, and the great goodness toward the house of Israel, which he hath bestowed on them according to his mercies, and according to the multitude of his lovingkindnesses.

Isaiah 63:7

Do you ever sit back and just recall all the lovingkindness that God has shown you…? When you truly examine your life, you will come to the conclusion that you are beyond blessed… You should always approach the Lord with thanksgiving because even to have breath in your body is a blessing… Despite the different things that you may be going through or the various storms that you have encountered; Isaiah reminds us today that we need to meditate on the things that God has done in our lives, the paths that He has made and the doors that He has opened… When you feel like you are at the edge of the cliff, remind yourself of God’s “great goodness toward the house of Israel…” Substitute the house of Israel with your name and rehash all the wonderful blessings that have been bestowed in your life… At this point in time in the scriptures, the Israelites had already been delivered from the hand of Pharaoh, fed manna from heaven, and entered the Promised Land under the leadership of Joshua… Despite all their nagging and complaints, God still gave them water from a rock and defeated all their adversaries… It is in the days of Isaiah that the children of God have rekindled their rebellious nature and are finding themselves in the midst of coming bondage… It is very easy for us to focus on the problems in our lives instead of the solution… Nobody wants to endure discipline and correction; however, we can embrace these times in our life when we know that God is in the midst and His lovingkindness is still present… Can you remember when you weren’t doing what God wanted you to? Can you think back to the point in time when church was an afterthought? If you can, answer this question, has God shown mercy to you in your undeserving state? Let the world know of His lovingkindness, of the grace and mercy bestowed upon you. Understand today that your shoes may not be comfortable for you, but there is always someone who is walking barefoot and would love to try yours on; that’s why Isaiah tells us to THANK GOD!

ALL FOR HIS GLORY!

He Hasn't Forgotten About You

"Let your conversation be without covetousness; and be content with such things as ye have: for he hath said, I will never leave thee, nor forsake thee." 

Hebrews 13:5

Are you truly content with the things that you have? This does not mean that you are satisfied with your standing, but that you appreciate everything in your life and don’t take things for granted… Today’s focus verse reminds us of the importance of being content with what we have or else we will become susceptible to coveting what our neighbor has… To covet means to desire, want, or long for; when you covet something all your focus turns to obtaining that particular position or object and leaves you vulnerable to losing what you already have… As a child of God, we stand in faith that “he hath said, I will never leave thee, nor forsake thee…”We don’t covet the possessions of our neighbors simply because we believe in God and that He will supply all of our needs…  When one takes on the mindset of coveting, they really expose themselves to all the devices and snares of the enemy… The minute you turn to material things you lose sight of God; this is one of the very reasons why Moses received one of the Ten Commandments which spoke to coveting… "You shall not covet your neighbor's house. You shall not covet your neighbor's wife, or his manservant or maidservant, his ox or donkey, or anything that belongs to your neighbor.” God indeed is in the blessing business (as I often hear people say), but you must first take care of the little you have (be content) and allow God to provide the abundance… Just because He has not provided it now doesn't mean it isn't on the way. Keep the faith and know that Christ has not forgotten about you. 

ALL FOR HIS GLORY!

Grace Is Given To The Humble

But he giveth more grace. Wherefore he saith, God resisteth the proud, but giveth grace unto the humble.

James 4:6

James teaches us the truth about God’s grace and how we experience it through this journey we call life… Jesus taught His disciples that in order to find your life you must lose it for His sake… We each have a cross to bear and Christ will give us the power, grace, energy and endurance to bear it… James informs us today that if you want to live you must die, if you want be rich you must become poor and if you want to be exalted you must be humbled… God is a God of faithfulness and He demonstrates it by lifting you up when you fall… Every trial that you encounter serves a purpose in your life, every obstacle that you face was ordained and appointed by God and every storm that approaches your door teaches you to lean and depend on our heavenly Father… James says, “But he giveth more grace…” Grace is something that is given that isn’t deserved, a gift that is out of thoughtfulness, kindness and compassion… Even though you don’t deserve it, God gives you more, even when you mess up, He gives you another chance, when you walk through the wrong door (temptation), He opens another to get you back on track… God cares about you, God’s compassion was demonstrated when He sent His only begotten son to die for our sins… Today we are reminded that God is able to make all grace abound to you, one of my sisters once told me, “You never tell God how big your storm is, you simply tell the storm how big your God is…” There is a lot of substance in that statement, James starts off his book by telling us that we should consider it pure joy when we face trials and temptations… We can be joyful in storms not because of the rain, but because you have shelter and will see the sun shine again… You can be joyful in times of sorrow, not because of the tears that flow, but because of the happiness soon to come… God has promised that He will never leave us nor forsake us and the truth of the matter is the greater the hurdle in front of you, the more grace God is about to deposit into your life… 

ALL FOR HIS GLORY!

Beware Of Tradition

Beware lest any man spoil you through philosophy and vain deceit, after the tradition of men, after the rudiments of the world, and not after Christ.

Colossians 2:8

We are tempted in many ways and forms to follow anything but the path that Jesus Christ paved for us through His bloodshed on the cross… Paul reminds us of that fact in today’s focus verses which sheds light on the many avenues in which we can be deceived… Today we focus on a letter that Paul writes to the church of Colosse about guarding yourself against the attacks of the devil and his evil intentions… Paul has laid the foundation for the Church of Colosse and as the people have begun to convert unto Christianity, there are some men who have began to try and infiltrate the church and deceive the congregation… Make no mistake about it, as soon as you make the choice to follow Christ; that’s the same time in which the devil turns his attack toward you… Often time we focus on the things of the world as being evil, but today Paul reminds us that our biggest adversary can be found within the church… I once heard a man say that the devil resides in the church, not because He wants to be religious, but because he has no cares about whoever is living according to the worldly standard… Paul teaches us today about the importance of surrounding yourself with the right kind of people and also establishing a sturdy foundation upon the word of God on your own…We live in a world where we have more and more people receiving their doctorate in theology, more and more people attending seminary and more and more people building churches; however, we see more and more corruption in the church, more and more thieves in the pulpit and more and more souls being lost… People have begun to follow men instead of following God and Paul reminds us today through his letter to the church of Colosse that we must beware and be vigilant… Understand that there are a lot of people in the church that aren’t of the church and will try to spoil the congregation… We often hear people say that they are looking for the perfect church and I once heard someone say that you will never find a perfect church because its perfection will be lost as soon as you join…There is a lot of truth in the fact that you will never find a perfect church; however, the key is knowing and understanding where the flaws are so that you aren’t ensnared by them…

ALL FOR HIS GLORY!