Tag: Devotionals

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Set Your Mind On God

22 But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, 23 gentleness, self-control; against such things there is no law. 24 And those who belong to Christ Jesus have crucified the flesh with its passions and desires. ~ Galatians 5:22–24

The Spirit does not bear all these fruits unless the flesh has been crucified. Which means it is no longer in charge. It does not dictate anymore. We are no longer feeding our own egos, but we are seeking to please God.

The spiritual Spirit is not concerned with the things of this world. It is the spirit of the world that is concerned with such things. Therefore, we have to set our minds on the things of God so that our spirit may be after the Spirit of God. Why?

Because the mind nurtures the heart, the heart nurtures the soul, and the soul nurtures the spirit. So, in order to overcome, we have to renew our minds because the heart is deceitful above all things. Therefore, we cry out, as David did, to create in me a clean heart and renew a right spirit within me.

Peace. Love. Go Forth and Set Your Mind On God.

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Which Leper Are You?

11 As Jesus continued on toward Jerusalem, He reached the border between Galilee and Samaria. 12 As He entered a village there, ten men with leprosy stood at a distance, 13 crying out, “Jesus, Master, have mercy on us!” 14 He looked at them and said, “Go show yourselves to the priests.”And as they went, they were cleansed of their leprosy. 15 One of them, when he saw that he was healed, came back to Jesus, shouting, “Praise God!” 16 He fell to the ground at Jesus’ feet, thanking Him for what he had done. This man was a Samaritan. 17 Jesus asked, “Didn’t I heal ten men? Where are the other nine? 18 Has no one returned to give glory to God except this foreigner?” 19 And Jesus said to the man, “Stand up and go. Your faith has healed you.” ~ Luke 17:11-19

As Jesus walked along the border, He was met by ten lepers who were separated from their families because of their leprous disease. They cried from a distance, wanting to be healed. We are like those lepers. We were separated from God and needed cleansing. Sin had us separated from God, and the only thing that could bring us back to God was a blood sacrifice. Without this sacrifice, we would be condemned to spend eternity in a place called the Lake of Fire, a place of torment and agony, but where could we get such a blood sacrifice? 

Jesus made the sacrifice 2,000 years ago when He was crucified on the Cross, once and for all. All we have to do is call out to Him as the Lepers did, and He will cleanse us and make us whole again as He did for the 10 lepers.

When we refuse to acknowledge or accept Jesus’ sacrifice, we are like the 9 lepers who did not come back to give thanks. The problem with that is, if we don’t, we will spend eternity in the Lake of Fire in those eternal flames. But if we do, we will spend eternity with Him in a place of peace, joy, and happiness. Never again be hungry, thirsty, rejected, bullied, or teased. Never again will we have sad goodbyes.

Jesus is our sacrifice, and we no longer need to be separated from God. Jesus has made a way for us. All we have to do is ask Him into our hearts; it is that simple.

LORD God, thank you for your sacrifice. Thank you for taking our place on the Cross. I’m sorry for every sin I’ve committed. Please forgive me. LORD Jesus, please be the LORD of my life. Cover me in Your precious and Holy blood. Please take charge of my life and guide me as I run the race set before me. In Jesus’ name, I pray, Amen.

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Unite

11 Now on His way to Jerusalem, Jesus traveled along the border between Samaria and Galilee. ~ Luke 17:11-19NIV

Jesus was in Galilee and was on His way to Jerusalem to actually die on the Cross. A huge crowd was following Him; after all, He fed them with five loaves of bread and two fish. He also healed their diseases and raised their dead. Now He was at the end of His earthly ministry and on His way to Jerusalem to be crucified for the sins of the world. But He comes to a problem. The Jews with Him do not pass through Samaria, so He travels along the border between Samaria and Galilee.

The people who lived in Samaria were Jewish people who intermarried with non-Jews and were considered half breeds. They hated each other to the point that Jews would rather walk around the border of Samaria than to take the shorter route through Samaria.

We have that seem divisions today in our culture. We have the black people not wanting to mix with the white people and the white not wanting to mix with the Spanish and Spanish only wanting to hang out with other Spanish people. But that is not the way God intended it to be. And as Christians, we are determined to break down those walls that separate the cultures.

There is a Latin term ‘Divide et impera.’ It means ‘Divide and Conquer,’ or ‘Divide and rule.’ It is a military tactic but just as effective when applied to a political strategy designed to keep the people separated and fighting amongst themselves while the ruling class gain more and more power. And that is what is happening right now. We are so busy at each other’s throats that the real plan is virtually going unnoticed. The majority of people spend the majority of their time sitting in front of the tv being indoctrinated by the same media companies that are keeping us divided. But if we would only put our differences aside and unite, we can say enough is enough. United we stand, divided we fall.

Peace. Love. Go Forth and Unite.

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Hunger and Thirst For More

2 I know your deeds, your hard work and your perseverance. I know that you cannot tolerate wicked men, that you have tested those who claim to be apostles but are not, and have found them false. 3 You have persevered and have endured hardships for my name, and have not grown weary. 4 Yet I hold this against you: You have forsaken your first love. 5 Remember the height from which you have fallen! Repent and do the things you did at first. If you do not repent, I will come to you and remove your lampstand from its place. ~ Revelation 2:2-5

They were doing all the right things, but it was more out of routine, a ritual even, not out of love. From the outside, they looked like the model church, but from the inside, they had lost the hunger for more. We have to hunger for more; we can’t become satisfied with where we are at and what we are doing. We must keep on expanding our borders, stretching our limits, and come out of our comfort zones. It is those who hunger and thirst for righteousness that will be filled. If you don’t hunger…you won’t be filled, simple.

Jesus loves those who hunger and thirst for more. When we get to the place where we say, “The same old is not good enough any longer; I want more.” That is when we begin to get Jesus’ attention. He looks at us with love, and His heart swells with pride, and He says, “Yes, that’s my boy, that’s my girl, and I am proud of you.” So, why do we need a continual hunger for more? Because Jesus wants and even expects us to always be panting for more. As we said earlier, it is those who hunger and thirst that are filled.

Peace. Love. Go Forth and Hunger and Thirst For More.

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Stagnant Water

15 For we are to God the pleasing aroma of Christ among those who are being saved and those who are perishing. ~ 2 Corinthians 2:15NIV

The other night we were out walking, and we passed by a stagnant creek. The water was beginning to smell. It was a disgusting scent that we eagerly wanted to get away from, then all of a sudden Celia had a Jesus moment. The thought came to her that when we are stagnant before God, what is He smelling? Is He smelling a stench?

When we are walking around stagnant, what kind of aroma is reaching God’s nostrils? What kind of stench are we giving off when we are in sin or rebellion? When we are operating in perversion, what kind of stench is rising up to God?

The stagnant stench from the lack of action filled faith is like the river that is stagnant and can be smelled from so far away. The river is no longer living water, it has no life in it. That is what happens when the Spirit no longer operates in us.

In other words, when there is no action to our faith, then we become like that stagnant creek that gave off that awful stench. And if we are giving off a bad stench because of dead works, then it is no longer a sweet aroma but a foul stench in God’s nostrils.

LORD God, help us to never become stagnant before You. Help us to live our lives with action filled faith. Let our faith not just be contained to empty words and empty prayers, but let us act out in faith. In the name of Jesus, we pray, amen.

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Keep The Faith

8 I tell you; He will give justice to them speedily. Nevertheless, when the Son of Man comes, will He find faith on earth? ~ Luke 18:8

Just because you don’t get an answer when you say amen, don’t lose faith. When God put something, a dream, or a vision in your heart, don’t let someone else make you doubt, or more importantly, don’t let them talk you out of it. We put God on a timeline, “OK God, you have three days, or I’ll give you seven days for good measure; if you don’t answer by then, your Word cannot be trusted.”

But I want you to know that not every promise made was seen overnight. Some were, though, like the promise of food in the great famine in the days of King Jehoram. Ben Hadad, king of Syria, besieged Samaria, and the hunger was so great that the people were paying top dollar for a donkey’s head and for dove dung to cook for food. What’s more, they were even eating their own children. And in one day, God said by this time tomorrow… and as sure as God’s word is true, it happened. In one day, the starving people of Samaria were feasting.

But these people did not lose hope or lose faith in who God was or the faithfulness of His promises. And that is what Jesus is warning, don’t let the cares of this life lull you into spiritual lethargy. Don’t let COVID19 or any other seemingly hopeless situation cause you so much fear that you lose your hope or your relationship with the LORD. Trust in the LORD, and He will renew your strength.

Peace. Love. Go Forth and Keep The Faith.

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Proclaim

4 Then He said to me, “Prophesy to these bones and say to them, ‘Dry bones, hear the word of the Lord! 5 This is what the Sovereign Lord says to these bones: I will make breath enter you, and you will come to life. 6 I will attach tendons to you and make flesh come upon you and cover you with skin; I will put breath in you, and you will come to life. Then you will know that I am the Lord.’” ~ Ezekiel 37:4-6

We make prayer so complicated. Prayer is confession. Prayer is asking. Prayer is proclaiming God’s Word. You need something, look for that promise in the Scripture and pray it. Claim it as yours. It is as easy as praying Scripture.

Proclamation is not a mantra, it’s not some memorized bedtime children’s prayer. It’s strong, it’s powerful, it’s speaking the word of God. If we proclaim what God has promised us, we will see it come to pass. It doesn’t matter how difficult it may look. It doesn’t matter how impossible it may look, as long as we believe and proclaim, we will see it come to pass.

Peace. Love. Go Forth and Proclaim.

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Can These Bones Live?

3 He asked me, “Son of man, can these bones live?” I said, “Sovereign Lord, you alone know.” ~ Ezekiel 37:3

God already knew the answer to that question, and what’s more, He already knew what He was going to do. You see, to Ezekiel, it was hopeless. The bones were dried up and bleached white from the scorching heat of the sun. There was no life left in those bones. So, to Ezekiel, it was like a trick question. It is no way that these bones can live. It is a hopeless situation.

Unless that’s why he answered the way he did, he knew he couldn’t do it. He knew the bones couldn’t do it on their own. But He knew with God, it was possible. He knew all things were possible. God will ask questions in difficult times just to test our faith and see where we stand.

There is nothing too difficult for God to do. Therefore, all things are possible for him or her who believes. Ezekiel wasn’t special; he had no more power than you or me. The difference was his faith in God, his relationship with God, and his obedience to God.

Peace. Love. Go Forth and Let These Bones Live.

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How Do You Know?

15 but in your hearts honor Christ the Lord as holy, always being prepared to make a defense to anyone who asks you for a reason for the hope that is in you; yet do it with gentleness and respect. ~ 1 Peter 3:15

Everyday tv personalities are getting bolder and bolder about their contempt for Jesus. They poke fun at the LORD and use Him as the butt of their jokes. But God is patient and kind, not wanting anyone to perish, but for them to come to repentance because He is a good, good God.

Here is the first and most famous question. “How can we trust the Bible is accurate? After all, it was written by man.” This is the enemy’s first line of attack. This shouldn’t come as a shock or a surprise since this is the one that the serpent used in the garden in the very first recorded temptation. It is designed to confuse and distort the word of God. (Genesis 3:1)

The law was given to the man before the woman was created. So, the Gospel, or the Law, or the word of God was handed down to the woman just as it is handed down to us. The evil one came and tried to question the reliability of the word handed down to her.

Peter says that Scripture did not originate in man’s own thoughts, but the prophets spoke and wrote as God led them. He was comparing the New Testament writing with the Old Testament Scriptures, and this is what he said about Paul’s New Testament writings. (2 Peter 3:15-16)

We have 24k more manuscripts than the closest one. Not only that, but the entire New Testament was written within 70 years of the actual events. This means that a lot of the eyewitnesses were still alive and could have disputed the stories and facts about Jesus. But surprisingly, none did. Yet, it’s the most disputed and considered the most unreliable. You must ask yourself why? Why is that? Even though they have been proven to be highly preserved.

If that is the case, then would it not stand to reason that other historical figures with way less documented evidence should also be subjected to doubt and scrutiny? Yes, they should, but they are not. Only Jesus, and Scripture.

Jesus said, blessed is the one who believes and has not actually seen. The truth is, it’s through faith that we are saved. You don’t have to worry; the same God who spoke the world into being is the same God who preserves His own word. Jesus is the Word that became flesh; therefore, His word cannot be corrupted.

As we said, Jesus is alive, and He is coming back to judge the living and the dead. Are you Ready? If you haven’t accepted Jesus as LORD and Savior, I invite you to know Him today. No matter what you’ve done. No matter what you’ve said, it’s only one step back to Christ.

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Clear The Rubble

10 Meanwhile, the people in Judah said, “The strength of the laborers is giving out, and there is so much rubble that we cannot rebuild the wall.” ~ Nehemiah 4:10

Nehemiah had just arrived in Jerusalem, and the first thing he does is get acquainted, and then he sees about his project. Now, when Sanballat the Horonite and Tobiah the Ammonite servant, and Geshem the Arab heard of it, they were upset at what was going on because they didn’t like the Jews and didn’t want them to prosper, so they started taunting them in order to discourage them.

This added to the rubble that was piling up, trying to hinder Nehemiah from building. When mocking didn’t work, Tobiah started threatening them; he tried intimidating them. He did some of everything to try to discourage them, which only added more to the rubble.

Today, we have these same problems. The world has become an incredibly stressful place—so much hate and division that presses you down. Employers requiring more and more with no more pay or benefits, it all adds to the rubble. But remember, when you see too much rubble piling up in your life, take it all to God in prayer.

I would like to give you a few suggestions to reduce the rubble in your life. As a Christian, when feeling overwhelmed, the first thing you need to do is:

    1. Remember God loves you
    2. Remember God, and who He is, and that He is still in control
    3. List the prayers God has answered in the past
    4. Meditate
    5. Identify/recognize and understand your problem
    6. Go outside/Take a walk
    7. Exercise
    8. Relax
    9. Sleep

Never let anything stop you from building. When God has called you, He will make a way for you to fulfill your call. But that doesn’t mean it will be easy. You have to fight for it. You have to start to clear the rubble; then God will help you.

Peace. Love. Go Forth and Clear The Rubble.

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