Tag: Devotional

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Return To Discipleship

15 For though you have countless guides in Christ, you do not have many fathers. For I became your father in Christ Jesus through the gospel. ~ 1 Corinthians 4:15

When we read each letter from Paul to one of the Churches, we tend to take them for granted for what they truly were. See, Paul wasn’t just writing these letters just because they were important teachings, but because Paul was spiritually responsible for these churches. Each of these churches he helped plant and grow. He was spiritually invested in them. So, each letter was specifically detailed and tailored to each church.

So often, we think that one size fits all, and we miss the opportunity to truly help souls in the way that they need. We’ve forgotten the importance of discipleship. Without discipleship, there can be no growth. See, a new Christian is a baby in the faith. They’re going to make mistakes, fall prey to false teachings, and need direction and guidance in their walk of faith. We should take a page out of Paul’s book and disciple once again.

Peace. Love. Go Forth and Return To Discipleship.

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The Clear Intent

Genesis 1:26-28,

[26] Then God said, “Let us make man in our image, after our likeness. And let them have dominion over the fish of the sea and over the birds of the heavens and over the livestock and over all the earth and over every creeping thing that creeps on the earth.” [27] So God created man in his own image, in the image of God he created him; male and female he created them. [28] And God blessed them. And God said to them, “Be fruitful and multiply and fill the earth and subdue it, and have dominion over the fish of the sea and over the birds of the heavens and over every living thing that moves on the earth.”

The idea of creation dates back to the very beginning of recorded history. There isn’t a single ancient culture that did not believe in a creation story. What’s interesting to me though, is that all of those creation stories lack something our creation story doesn’t, love. See, the ancient Babylonians believed they were created after a war, from the blood of the slain god to be slaves. The Canaanites believed that humanity was created almost accidentally without clear intent as a byproduct of gods at war. Even the ancient Greeks saw no clear purpose for mankind. This is where the God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob is different.

See, our God, spoke everything into being in a specific order, on specific days, to foreshadow different things for us. Then He gets to man and He doesn’t speak, He molds him from the dust of the earth with His own hands and breathes His own breath into the man’s nostrils. God molded that very first man in His own image and His own likeness.

This is vastly different from every other ancient belief. They all have wars, chaos, destruction, and even slaves, but our God creates out of order and love. He sets man and woman as rulers of the earth, not His slaves. Not mistakes, accidents, or just the byproduct of the main event. Our God, instead, created us with intent, purpose, and love. He created the entire earth for us. The Earth is ours to keep, take care of, and enjoy.

Dear LORD, thank You for showing us Your love from the very beginning. Thank You for giving us another chance to redeem ourselves and fulfill Your purpose for our lives through Christ Jesus, our LORD and Savior. Please help me to never give into the lie that I have no purpose, that I am a mistake, or that I am not created by design, for I know that I am fearfully and wonderfully made by my loving creator, God, and Savior. Thank You, LORD. In Jesus’ name, I pray, amen.

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The Heart For God

10 Create in me a clean heart, O God, and renew a right spirit within me. ~ Psalms 51:10

David, wrote, “Create in me a clean heart …” after he slept with and impregnated another man’s wife and then had him carry his own death note. A man honorable and loyal he not only betrayed but had murdered in order to cover his own original sin of sleeping with and impregnating this man’s wife. After he’s committed this great sin, the LORD sends Nathan to correct the situation with King David. So, what does David do? He repents.

He humbles himself. His heart is grieved when he truly understands the severity of what he has just done. This is why David is called a man after God’s own heart. Not because he’s perfect, but because when shown the error of his ways, his heart breaks. He yearns for the righteousness of God. He seeks the LORD with all that is within him. He pants for the LORD as a deer pants for the streams.

Out of his heartbreak and distress and shame and guilt David cries out:

Create in me a clean heart, O God, and renew a right spirit within me.

It’s these moments that the LORD desires from us. Not vain attempts at looking outwardly perfect but falling to our knees in desperation as we cry out to Him because we finally grasp how imperfect we truly are. How evil and wicked our natural heart is. So, we cry out to Him longing for a heart not of stone not of deceit, but a pure heart. A clean heart.

Dear LORD, thank You for abounding in steadfast love, mercy, and grace. Thank You for giving me chance after chance. Thank You for never giving up on me though I deserve it. Thank You, God for all that You have done for me. Please forgive me for all the times I have fallen short. Every time I have blatantly and knowingly sinned. Please forgive me for the hardness of my heart and the wicked desires I continuously give into. Please create in me a clean heart. Renew in me a right spirit. Write Your Word upon my heart so that I might not sin against You. Continue to guide me in the ways of righteousness. Convict me, oh LORD, of any and all sins that grieve You. Let what grieves You, grieve me as well, LORD. Let not my flesh dictate my desires, but may You be my desire LORD God. In Jesus’ name, I pray, amen.

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Pray For Them All

 

I was born on July 1st 1997, so by definition, I’m a part of Gen-Z. Gen-Z is the generation spanning from 1997 to 2011. Gen-Z is probably the most hated on generation we have today. We talk about the annoying trends, erratic behavior, sexual promiscuity, anger issues, extreme wokeness, etc. but we never really talk about the most horrifying and heartbreaking thing about Gen-Z. Gen-Z survived a genocide.

Between the years of 1997 and 2011 there has been 19.5 million documented abortions. That’s not counting the illegal, secret, mislabeled abortions. There are currently 69.3 million Gen-Z alive today. That means that roughly 20%-28% of Gen-Z was murdered in their mother’s womb before they even took their first breath.

When those in charge are speaking against population growth and pushing a de-population belief, while simultaneously pushing abortion, it’s truly impossible to he honest and come to any other belief other than this is an actual genocide.

We are all fearfully and wonderfully made and loved by our Creator, yet we are taught, programmed, brainwashed to believe we’re just more evolved animals. That we’re not really a person until viability and viability is debatable. When we look at an entire generation losing a quarter of their population to selective pre-birth murder our hearts should break.

If our parents could commit such atrocities because of the brain washing and programming from such a young age, what atrocities will this generation commit since we are born into the program itself? It’s time we take a step back from teasing, mocking, and laughing at Gen-Z and begin to truly pray for Gen-Z.

Peace. Love. Go Forth and Pray For Them All.

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The Dry Path

[18]  Hear then the parable of the sower: [19] When anyone hears the word of the kingdom and does not understand it, the evil one comes and snatches away what has been sown in his heart. This is what was sown along the path. ~ Matthew 13:18-19

While Jesus sat by the sea great crowds circled Him and He told them The Parable of The Sower. In that parable, He gave us four types of people: Those that will never receive, those that will receive yet will fall away because of tribulations or hardships, those that will receive but the world will ultimately lead them astray, and those that will receive and cling to the Gospel of Christ. Now, I never really understood the first one until just a few minutes ago when it really clicked for me.

These are the people who no matter how much evidence you show them. No matter how many sources, documents, etc. you show them, they will refuse to believe. It will be as if you showed them nothing. These are the people whom Jesus was speaking about. Those who have hardened their heart so hard towards God that the Holy Spirit no longer even draws them to Himself.

When you share the Gospel with someone or you show someone blatant evidence of Christ and they refuse to believe, it’s not because you failed or somehow it’s your fault. Some people have Pharaoh Syndrome. They’ve hardened their heart so much against God, that the LORD has turned away from them and given them over to their own desires.

So, what are we to do? I believe two main things: find good soil (keep spreading the Gospel to anyone willing to listen) and pray that the LORD would have mercy on that soul that has rejected Him.

Dear LORD, please soften my heart to the world. Open my eyes so that I might see the world as you do. So that I might care enough about their souls that I might share Your Gospel with them. That I might share Your Truth with them. Help me not to speak damnation upon them out of anger or frustration but that out of love I would pray for their soul. Show me the good soil that I might know whose heart is willing to accept You. Who only needs to hear because their heart is ready for You. Help me to grow stronger in You that I might be a light in this dark and hopeless world. In Jesus’ name, I pray, amen.

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Oh Fan The Flame

Revelation 3:15-22,

[15]  “‘I know your works: you are neither cold nor hot. Would that you were either cold or hot! [16] So, because you are lukewarm, and neither hot nor cold, I will spit you out of my mouth. [17] For you say, I am rich, I have prospered, and I need nothing, not realizing that you are wretched, pitiable, poor, blind, and naked. [18] I counsel you to buy from me gold refined by fire, so that you may be rich, and white garments so that you may clothe yourself and the shame of your nakedness may not be seen, and salve to anoint your eyes, so that you may see. [19] Those whom I love, I reprove and discipline, so be zealous and repent. [20] Behold, I stand at the door and knock. If anyone hears my voice and opens the door, I will come in to him and eat with him, and he with me. [21] The one who conquers, I will grant him to sit with me on my throne, as I also conquered and sat down with my Father on his throne. [22] He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches.’”

I’ve been doing a little early Church research and in my research I found that the first theological sound use of the term Trinity was by a man named Tertullian. In c. 213 AD he wrote:

“The Father is God, the Son is God, and the Holy Spirit is God, and each is God. But there is one God, by unity of substance, not number of persons. They are **three**, not in status, but in relation; not in substance, but in form; not in power, but in manifestation. They are **one** in essence, but distinguished as **Trinity** by their roles.”

**”Trinitas unius Divinitatis”** — “a Trinity of one Divinity”

Tertullian was arguing against Praxeas, who taught modalism— the idea that God is one person who merely appears in different “modes” (Father, Son, Spirit). Tertullian strongly opposed this, emphasizing that the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit are distinct persons, yet one in essence.

This word Trinity gave us a way to easier express our God. For our God is three, yet one. Three distinct persons yet one God. As I continued my research, I found that Tertullian came from North Africa, specifically, Carthage, modern-day Tunisia. This very much so caught my attention.

Out of Tunisia came the explanation of the foundational and fundamental belief for Christianity, The Trinity. Today, Tunisia is an Islamic nation. The national religion of Tunisia is Islam. The belief that is taught throughout the country is that there is no Trinity. That the teachings of the Trinity are either false teachings and that Allah is god and Allah has no son.

Imagine, the nation that gave us the word Trinity to explain the intrinsic identity of God recorded throughout Scripture, has now become a nation where you will be persecuted if you proclaim that you believe in the Trinity. In the 7th century Tunisia went from a Christian nation to a Islamic nation. How? The Islamic Conquests.

Throughout Scripture, we are told that under persecution we grow. In tribulation our endurance is strengthened. So, what happened? I believe that when we take our religion, our faith, and our freedoms for granted they are taken from us. Tunisia gave us great early Church leaders in the faith, and yet today, that history is often forgotten. When we allow the flame to die, it gives way to enemy to take control.

The enemy can conquer our physical bodies but our spirits, our souls, our eternal beings he cannot. We have to give it to him. We do that not by saying a spell, performing a ritual, or signing our name in blood, but by becoming lukewarm. By becoming comfortable in our walk with God.

When we stop fanning the flame, the fire dies and the coals begin to cool. And what’s left? A lukewarm pile of ash. We are called by God to be on fire for Him. His Word, His call on our lives should be like a fire shut up in our bones that we cannot do anything but follow Him. We should be clinging to our Bible that aren’t illegal. Excited for church in Sundays that we don’t have to fear being arrested for attending.

When we have an abundance of freedoms, we begin to take them for granted and when we do we begin to drift into a heavy slumber. It’s when we slumber that the enemy makes his move. He isn’t an impatient enemy. He’ll wait us out, just as he’s done for millennias. The question is, are you going to allow him the opportunity or are you going to fight for your soul, your faith, and your nation?

Peace. Love. Go Forth and Fan The Flame.

 

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Still Wait On Him

Behold, as the eyes of servants Look to the hand of their master, As the eyes of a maidservant To the hand of her mistress, So our eyes look to the LORD our God, Till He has mercy upon us. ~ Psalms 123:2

To wait upon the LORD is to have our eyes fixed upon Him for the slightest movement. For the slightest gesture. We don’t move until we get the signal or get the nod to go ahead.

It is having the understanding that God’s clock runs perfectly, even if it doesn’t align with ours. And it probably won’t. But still, Psalms 46:10 says, “Be still, and know that I am God.”

Although it may take longer than we expected. Still, we tarry. Although it seems like it is being dragged out. Still, we continue to abide obediently.

Although it feels like our prayers are going unanswered. Still… we wait patiently in full hope and complete surrender. Always remaining in His Presence. And yielding to His will in complete submission.

Peace. Love. Go Forth and Still Wait On Him.

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Oh Be Still

Be still, and know that I am God; I will be exalted among the nations, I will be exalted in the earth (Psalm 46:10).

In the busyness of life, it’s easy to feel overwhelmed by responsibilities, worries, and distractions. Life can hit you full on going 100 miles an hour. There are days when if it rains, it pours, and you think that if it wasn’t for bad luck, you wouldn’t have no luck at all.

These are the times when our God invites us to pause and find rest in His Presence. Be still, is His instruction. Now, this phrase, “be still” is not just a call to physical stillness but an invitation to quiet our hearts, our souls, and our minds, trusting that our God is in complete control.

When we surrender our anxieties and focus on His sovereignty, we find a peace that surpasses understanding. Today, take a moment to be still, reflect on God’s faithfulness, and let His Presence renew your strength. Spend some time in silence focusing on that Presence. Reach out to Him in spirit and feel Him draw near.

Heavenly Father, help me to slow down and rest in Your Presence today. Quiet my heart and mind, and remind me of Your unchanging love and power. Let me find peace in knowing that You are God, and You hold all things in Your hands. Guide my steps and fill me with Your strength. In Jesus’ Name, Amen.

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Show Mercy

7 Blessed are the merciful, for they shall receive mercy. ~ Matthew 5:7

Jesus made it very simple … To receive, you must first give … This goes hand in hand with forgiveness. Because mercy is compassion in action, forgiveness is grace in action … With both, we receive something that we do not deserve, and both are born of love … God’s love. Mercy isn’t just feeling sorry for someone—it’s choosing to act with kindness even when you could respond with judgment.

Forgiveness is one of the clearest expressions of mercy, because it means releasing someone from the debt they owe you, whether that debt is:

  • Emotional
  • Relational
  • Physical
  • Or even financial
  • Mercy/forgiveness cancels the debt

If we put it another way, mercy is love’s open hand in place of hatred’s clenched fist. It is undeserved kindness—exactly what God has shown us through His Son, Jesus Christ. And again, if we want to receive mercy, we must give mercy. Mercy not only heals relationships; it reflects the very heart of God to a watching world.

The world is watching us even though we may not even realize it. The world is judging us even if they claim they don’t believe in judging others. We are being watched. Our actions are being weighed. Therefore, we must make sure to always imitate our Father in Heaven and walk in the footsteps of Christ our LORD.

Peace. Love. Go Forth and Show Mercy.

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They That Wait

Have you not known? Have you not heard? The LORD is the everlasting God, the Creator of the ends of the earth. He does not faint or grow weary; His understanding is unsearchable. He gives power to the faint, and to him who has no might He increases strength… but they who wait for the LORD shall renew their strength; they shall mount up with wings like eagles; they shall run and not be weary; they shall walk and not faint (Isaiah 40:28–31).

Life wears us down. Even the strongest among us grow weary, and even the most faithful may feel faint at times. But Isaiah reminds us of two unshakable truths: our God never grows tired, and His understanding never fails.

The promise is clear: those who wait upon the LORD shall renew their strength. Waiting is not weakness—it is faith in action. It’s not idly doing nothing, but actively trusting—like a servant watching the master’s hand, ready to respond at the slightest signal (Psalm 123:2).

Think of an eagle. It doesn’t frantically flap its wings to soar; it waits for the wind, and then it rises high with little effort. So it is with us—when we wait on the LORD, His Spirit lifts us beyond our weariness if we will wait upon the LORD.

Sometimes the hardest thing is waiting: for healing, for provision, for direction. Saul failed because he wouldn’t wait for Samuel (1 Samuel 13:13–14). The disciples on the road to Emmaus lost hope because they couldn’t yet see God’s timing (Luke 24:21). But Scripture assures us—waiting is never wasted time. It is God’s workshop, where He renews our strength, aligns our hearts with His will, and prepares us for His perfect timing.

What does it really mean to wait on the LORD? Too often, we confuse waiting with inactivity or passivity. But in the biblical sense, waiting is active trust. It’s holding on to God’s promises with expectation, even when circumstances tempt us to give up.

Waiting requires humility. It forces us to admit that we are not in control—that the timing of our lives belongs to the One whose understanding is unsearchable. For many of us, this is the greatest struggle. We want God to move when we ask, in the way we envision, according to our schedule. Yet waiting reminds us that God’s ways are higher than ours, and His timing is always perfect.

Waiting also develops perseverance. When Isaiah says, “They shall run and not be weary; they shall walk and not faint,” he is not promising a life free from difficulty, but a life sustained by God’s strength in the midst of it. The road may be long and tiring, but those who wait on the LORD find a strength that human effort cannot produce.

Consider how many biblical figures had to wait: Abraham waited decades for the promise of a son. Joseph waited years in prison before seeing God’s plan fulfilled. David waited to become king, though he had already been anointed. And the disciples waited in Jerusalem until the promised Holy Spirit was poured out. In every case, waiting was not wasted—it was preparation.

The danger of not waiting is seen in Saul’s impatience. Rather than trust God’s timing, he took matters into his own hands and lost the kingdom (1 Samuel 13:13–14). Impatience can rob us of God’s best. But those who wait discover renewed strength, revived hope, and deeper intimacy with God.

So where do you find yourself today? Are you weary in prayer because the answer hasn’t come? Are you tempted to give up on a promise God made long ago? Or are you so burdened by life’s weight that you feel ready to collapse? Remember this: waiting is not wasted. In the waiting, God is shaping you, strengthening you, and preparing you for what is ahead.

Heavenly Father, teach me to wait upon You. Give me understanding that I might know Your ways. Guide my steps that I might follow You. In Jesus’ name I pray, amen.

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