Tag: Devotionals

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Focus On Eternal Treasures

19 Do not lay up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust destroy and where thieves break in and steal, 20 but lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust destroys and where thieves do not break in and steal. 21 For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also. ~ Matthew 6:19-21

We brought nothing into this world, and we will take nothing out. All that we will have in eternity is what we send on ahead of us. And that is the reason why Jesus warned us to store up for ourselves treasures in heaven.

This world and the things of this world will pass away. We can’t take what is perishable with us to a place that is imperishable. Eternity is forever. This earth is not. So, why are we obsessed with what the world has to offer? The LORD has in store for us treasures and joy that none can even imagine. Therefore, focus on eternal treasure, not the temporary treasures of this world.

Peace. Love. Go Forth and Focus On Eternal Treasures.

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Build For Eternity

3 For the time is coming when people will not endure sound teaching, but having itching ears they will accumulate for themselves teachers to suit their own passions, 4 and will turn away from listening to the truth and wander off into myths. ~ 2 Timothy 4:3-4

The King James says that, “… they will not endure sound doctrine …” People don’t want to hear sound doctrine but want their itching ears scratched. They leave the Truth of the Church and cling to a lie because they love this world and want their own lusts and passions satisfied. But friend, this world is passing away and eternity is hurdling toward us at a breakneck speed.

Now, hear me… eternity is forever. Jesus is coming back. Paul said that a crown of righteousness is laid up for all those who love His appearing and look forward to it (2 Timothy 4:8). These earthly desires (the lust of the eyes, the lust of the flesh, and the pride of life) are all of the evil one, the devil, and those who are of him will cling to the fables of this world.

But as for us we are to remain sober-minded. We are to endure suffering. We are to win souls. We are to be ready to suffer for the sake of the Gospel if necessary. We must run our race with endurance and finish our course in victory. Then we will receive the crown of life that is laid up for us.

Don’t get caught up in the things of this world and miss out on all the good things God has in store for us. Greed is sweeping the pulpits and washing over the congregations. The Gospel is being twisted into a self-help, wealth-building message that reduces God merely to a means of personal gain.

I’m not preaching against prosperity. I believe in sowing and reaping, but when the blessings of the LORD are being sold from the pulpit. When the increase of wealth without repentance is trumpeted. When the promise of power without purity is condoned. We’ve corrupted the Word of God. The Church is not all about the here and now, but the here and now in preparation for eternity.

We brought nothing into this world, and we will take nothing out. All that we will have in eternity is what we send on ahead of us. And that is the reason for Jesus’ warning to us:

Peace. Love. Go Forth and Build For Eternity.

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Remain His Faithful

“Whoever can be trusted with very little can also be trusted with much…” – Luke 16:10 (NIV)

Jesus reminds us that faithfulness in small things matters more than we think. The little things are where big faith is built. They show God that we’re ready for the next step.

See, God isn’t going to elevate someone who can’t meet with Him daily. Read their Bible daily. Go to church. Spread and share the Gospel. God doesn’t just use people who refuse to be consistent. Why? Because He uses faithful people. Just because you have faith that God is real and Jesus is the LORD, doesn’t mean you are a faithful follower of Christ.

God rewards the faithful. He uses the faithful. He elevates the faithful. But to those who are not faithful, they remain in a state of lack.

Peace. Love. Go Forth and Remain His Faithful. 

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Watch How You Love

Matthew 22:37-40

You shall love the LORD your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind. 38 This is the great and first commandment. 39 And a second is like it: You shall love your neighbor as yourself. 40 On these two commandments depend all the Law and the Prophets.

Jesus said that all of the Law and the Prophets depend on two commandments: Love the LORD your God with all your heart, mind, and soul; and love your neighbor as yourself. In other words, you can do all things for God, preach and teach accurately, you can even give your life for the sake of the Gospel, but if you do not have love, you are a resounding symbol and you gain nothing (1 Corinthians 13:1-3).

And if we keep all the law, but we fail in the part of loving our neighbor as ourselves, what will become of us? We will be found without fruit. The LORD said that if we don’t bear fruit, we will be cut off and the thrown into the fire (John 15:1-6). So, what are we to do? Love. Love as Jesus did. He didn’t condemn. Insult. Demonize. Demean. Instead, we share the Gospel of Jesus Christ with others. Yes, we need to point out sin. But we have to do it without condemnation and insult.

So many of us claim to be Christians but insult and tear down others. What kind of testimony is that? If we, who are supposed to be Christ to the world, can’t do the basic foundational act of loving our neighbor (which is everyone), how can we expect the world to change? How we treat others matters. How we love matters.

Peace. Love. Go Forth and Watch How You Love.

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Change Your Axiom

2 Corinthians 4:7-12NIV

[7] But we have this treasure in jars of clay to show that this all-surpassing power is from God and not from us. [8] We are hard pressed on every side, but not crushed; perplexed, but not in despair; [9] persecuted, but not abandoned; struck down, but not destroyed. [10] We always carry around in our body the death of Jesus, so that the life of Jesus may also be revealed in our body. [11] For we who are alive are always being given over to death for Jesus’ sake, so that his life may also be revealed in our mortal body. [12] So then, death is at work in us, but life is at work in you.

Often times, we take Paul saying “We are hard pressed on every side, but not crushed; perplexed, but not in despair; persecuted, but not abandoned; struck down, but not destroyed.” As strictly spiritually, but I believe Paul intended that to be our axiom for every aspect of our life. Because in life we will face challenges, disappointments, obstacles. We’ll become discouraged, depressed, anxious, if we don’t hold true to Paul telling us that “Yes, you’re struggling. Yes, you’re discouraged. Yes, things don’t look good right now. Yes, you’re not where you want to be, but God has not abandoned you.”

It’s easy to get caught up in all that’s going on and miss all that’s going right. It’s easy to forget the blessings, miracles, and favor God has given you over the years when your hard-pressed on each side. Paul isn’t tell us not to acknowledge the struggle. Paul is telling us to not disregard the victory. Don’t focus on what feels like defeat. Not every battle is won in one try. Some battles take all night. Some battles need the sun and moon to stop so that you have more time to fight.

The one thing you have to do, is keep going. That’s it. Because when you keep going you are actively putting your faith in God to carry you to the end. You’re actively saying “I know the LORD has good plans for my life and I won’t miss them because life is hard right now.” Paul understood obstacles, just like we do today, if not even more so, but the difference between us and Paul, is that he didn’t focus on the obstacle. Paul focused on the one who got him through that obstacle.

Peace. Love. Go Forth and Change Your Axiom.

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Abide In His Word

John 15:7 NIV

[7] If you remain in me and my words remain in you, ask whatever you wish, and it will be done for you.

When Jesus said that if we abide in Him and His Word abides in us, we can ask anything we wish, and it will be done for us, that was a real and achievable promise.

Because make no mistake, Jesus’ word never lies, nor will it return void, nor empty, nor will any of His great promises fail. So, when we don’t receive our prayer requests for things already promised to us such as healing, favor, etc. could it be because we don’t abide in Christ?

How many of us make Christ our main priority? How many of us can truly say that we abide in Christ and in His Word? God doesn’t owe us anything, but He does give us promises that will never fail. People tend to get offended when you say these kinds of things, but I think it’s more offensive to expect things from God that you don’t deserve without giving God anything. He doesn’t ask for much, just for us to follow Him. Faith is an action word. It requires an action in order for it work. Faith without action is dead.

Peace. Love. Go Forth and Abide In His Word.

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Don’t Hide

14 You are the light of the world. A city set on a hill cannot be hidden. 15 Nor do people light a lamp and put it under a basket, but on a stand, and it gives light to all in the house. 16 In the same way, let your light shine before others, so that they may see your good works and give glory to your Father who is in heaven. ~ Matthew 5:14-16

In John 9:5 Jesus states that as long as He is in the world, He is the Light of the World. Jesus however, prepared His followers for His leaving the world and them taking up the mantle of being the light of the world. Now, what I find interesting is that Paul takes this a step further and states that it is no longer us who live, but Christ who lives through us (Galatians 2:20).

We, the Church, are now the light of the world. It’s up to us to spread the Gospel. It’s up to us share the good news of Jesus to all people willing to listen. So many Christians today say that we should keep our religion and beliefs to ourselves. They even say that if we tell others about Jesus and warn them about sin, that we’re hateful and unloving. That we’re nothing like Jesus.

Jesus told us to be the light of the world. To shine His Light, His Truth, His Gospel into the world. That we shouldn’t hide our faith, testimony, or beliefs. Therefore, how can we do anything other than share the Word of God with others? When did Jesus remain silent? When did the disciples remain silent? Never. They spoke the Truth of the Gospel, Jesus, sin, and faith. How can we expect to make it into Heaven and do anything less? Our faith isn’t for us alone. It’s to share with the world that is trapped in darkness.

That was the mission of Christ. That is the mission He passed on to us.

Peace. Love. Go Forth and Don’t Hide.

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Learn Meekness

3 Now the man Moses was very meek, more than all people who were on the face of the earth. ~ Numbers 12:3

Moses was referred to as meek. Many believe that means weak, but Moses was far from being weak. Moses was actually a powerful leader, and Israel prospered under his leadership. But to say he was weak is not a statement that can be attributed to Moses, the man of God.

For instance, Moses was up on the mountain with God for forty days and forty nights, during that time the people of Israel created for themselves a god. So, what did Moses do? He took the god that they had made, the golden calf, and burned it with fire, and then ground it to powder and scattered it on the water, and made the people drink it.

That meek man does not sound like a weak man because he wasn’t. He did not back down from confrontation. He was not skirmish about fighting battles in the time of war, nor was he timid in correcting insolence against God.

What he was meek in doing was defending himself and rising up against any and all false accusers against him. A lot of the time, we Christians spend too much time fighting the small things. We feel the need to defend ourselves because, after all, if we don’t, who will? But Moses did not have that desire.

He did not feel the need to defend himself when his sister and his brother, Miriam and Aaron, spoke against him.

But God, his defender, came down and straightened the whole thing up for him. He didn’t even have to ask or pray about it. God rose up and defended him. Because Moses was no longer his own, he was completely and totally sold out to the service of God.

Peace. Love. Go Forth and Learn Meekness.

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Revere The Rock

11 For the Lord spoke thus to me with his strong hand upon me, and warned me not to walk in the way of this people, saying: 12 “Do not call conspiracy all that this people calls conspiracy, and do not fear what they fear, nor be in dread. 13 But the Lord of hosts, him you shall honor as holy. Let him be your fear, and let him be your dread. 14 And he will become a sanctuary and a stone of offense and a rock of stumbling to both houses of Israel, a trap and a snare to the inhabitants of Jerusalem. 15 And many shall stumble on it. They shall fall and be broken; they shall be snared and taken.” ~ Isaiah 8:11-15

Temple Mount is one of the most controversial and sacred sites on earth. Three major religions all revere this one area. The Muslims. The Jews. And The Christians. Why? Muslims believe that the Dome of the Rock is “al-Sakhrah,” which simply means “the rock.” They believe this is the stone that Muhammad stood on and ascended to heaven from after his night journey from Mecca to Jerusalem. Now, Jews on the other hand, believe this same stone to be sacred as well, but for other reasons. The Jews believe that this is the foundation stone. That this stone is the center of the world, from which creation began, the location where Abraham nearly sacrificed Isaac, and the place where the Holy of Holies stood in the First and Second Temples—the most sacred part of the Temple, where God’s presence dwelled. Now, this is where Christians begins to differ.

Both the Muslims and the Jews cling to this site because of this stone, whereas Christians don’t cling to this site because of the stone but because of the Temple. See, most Christians don’t even realize or have any idea about the Foundation Stone or al-Sakhrah. Most Christians have no idea why the Dome of the Rock is even important to Muslims and they have just the mere basic understanding of why it’s important to Jews. Most Christians, if you were to ask them, would most-likely tell you that the Dome of the Rock is a mosque. When in actuality it’s a shrine to al-Sakhrah.

This rock deemed sacred and in need of reverence by two major world religions is quite overlooked and unimportant, if you will, to Christians. Why? Because our Rock that we hold sacred is Jesus. Jesus, who to Jews was simply a criminal and rebel who tried to start an insurrection and was killed for it, and to Muslims was simply a prophet and the Messiah. Nothing more. Nothing less.

Jesus, the Rock, has become a stumbling block to both of Abraham’s two eldest sons (Ishmael and Isaac). See, both of these religions can see the importance and sacred nature of a simple rock. An inanimate object that cannot see, hear, or speak. Something that has no way of communicating with them or helping them. Something created by the Creator, yet they still revere it and hold it as sacred. But the Creator. The Word of God. The literal Rock they stumble over. They misrepresent and they try to overlook in order to not bow their knee to Him. Why? Because He doesn’t fit their idea of God.

What both the Muslims and the Jews stumble over is the very key to salvation. Jesus. He is the way. The Truth. And the Life. No one comes to the Father except through Him. He is the Rock. The only Rock worthy of reverence and worship. The only Rock worthy of praise and adoration. The World can say what it wants to say. It can deem a created rock as sacred if it so chooses to, but it can never change reality. And the reality is that Jesus is The Rock.

Peace. Love. Go Forth and Revere The Rock.

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Believe In God

John 3:16-21 NIV

[16] For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life. [17] For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but to save the world through him. [18] Whoever believes in him is not condemned, but whoever does not believe stands condemned already because they have not believed in the name of God’s one and only Son. [19] This is the verdict: Light has come into the world, but people loved darkness instead of light because their deeds were evil. [20] Everyone who does evil hates the light, and will not come into the light for fear that their deeds will be exposed. [21] But whoever lives by the truth comes into the light, so that it may be seen plainly that what they have done has been done in the sight of God.

I was watching shorts the other day, as I usually do, and a short of an interview with a guy critiquing Christianity popped up. So, like usual I listened to his critique and honestly felt a little confused by why it was an issue for him. The guy stated that his issue with Christianity is that Jesus died for the sins of everyone except for non-believers. There’s forgiveness for murderers, rapists, child-molesters, but not for those who are good people but just don’t believe. Now, on the surface, many can think, yeah, that’s a good point, but when you actually assess what he’s said and how Christianity works, that’s not at all a good point.

Forgiveness only comes to those who repent and then “sin no more.” So, for the murderer to receive forgiveness he has to repent and then stop murdering. The rapist has to repent and stop raping. The child-molester has to repent and stop child-molesting. Do you see the pattern? Do you see the issue with the statement? If the unbelievers wants forgiveness for the sin of unbelieving, that unbeliever has to then repent for his unbelief and now believe. Therefore, yes, there is forgiveness for the unbeliever. The issue isn’t that there isn’t forgiveness, the issue is that the unbeliever doesn’t want to believe.

How can you receive forgiveness if you refuse to believe? You can’t receive forgiveness without repenting and asking for it. And you can’t repent and ask for it if you don’t believe. It’s an impossibility.

If we want God to forgive us and give us that free gift of Salvation He requires one thing. Faith. That’s it. All we have to do is have faith. Then to continue in that salvation, we have to stop doing the thing we just repented of doing. That’s it. Jesus already cancelled the debt. He already took sin upon Himself and took it away from us. All we have to do is choose to believe in Him and stop sinning. He doesn’t ask for much, but because we are selfish human beings, we want our flesh satisfied, we will try to twist and manipulate who God is in order to justify the way we wanna live our lives.

When we do this, all we are doing is further allowing the enemy to use us and keep us away from the love God.

Peace. Love. Go Forth and Believe In God.

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