Devotionals Archives

April 12, 2024April 12, 2024

Use Words

¹²For it is not an enemy who taunts me—then I could bear it; it is not an adversary who deals insolently with me—then I could hide from him. ¹³But it is you, a man, my equal, my companion, my familiar friend. ¹⁴We used to take sweet counsel together; within God’s house we walked in the throng. ~ Psalms 55:12-14

In this passage, David has come to the sudden and heartbreaking realization that it’s not an enemy or some obscure adversary that has opposed him but his familiar friend who walked in the throng up to the house of God with him.

Today, that would equate to a fellow Christian. A fellow pastor. Someone you used to worship with in church. You attended Bible studies together, and as iron sharpens iron, so you all would encourage each other. Now, that person has turned their back on you. They are in a backslidden state and are causing confusion in the Church.

They propagate holy and pious-sounding mysticism like, “Preach the Gospel at all times. Use words when necessary.” I have no clue where that saying came from, but I’m hard pressed to believe it was Saint Francis of Assisi, whom it is often attributed to.

St. Francis was committed to a life of poverty as an itinerant preacher begging for his food while preaching, and apparently, a very powerful preacher at that. It’s said that he would sometimes preach in up to five villages in a single day. Often speaking from a bale of straw or a granary doorway in the country, and from a box or on the steps of some building when he preached in the town. Even more, it is said of him that he preached with such passion that his feet moved as if he were dancing.

Doesn’t sound to me like someone who said, “Don’t talk about the Gospel, only live it.”

No, that comes from the silencers. Those who want to hush up the Gospel. They will attribute things like that to heroes of the faith, and Christians will grab hold of it and propagate it, silencing the Church without even realizing what they are doing.

Thus, they become the silent watchers themselves. Because, after all, you cannot preach the Gospel without words.

Peace. Love. Go Forth and Use Words.

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Tending Sheep

¹⁰And Jesse made seven of his sons pass before Samuel. And Samuel said to Jesse, “The Lord has not chosen these.” ¹¹Then Samuel said to Jesse, “Are all your sons here?” And he said, “There remains yet the youngest, but behold, he is keeping the sheep.” And Samuel said to Jesse, “Send and get him, for we will not sit down till he comes here.” ¹²And he sent and brought him in. Now he was ruddy and had beautiful eyes and was handsome. And the Lord said, “Arise, anoint him, for this is he.” ~ 1 Samuel 16:10-12

Jesse had seven of his sons pass before Samuel, all except for his youngest, David. The first was tall and strong; surely God must be pleased enough with him to make him king. But no, he was not chosen. The others passed in like manner, but they were not chosen either. Finally, Samuel asked, are these all of your sons? No one even thought about calling David. He is young, giddy-headed, just a keeper of sheep; he will never be chosen. These big sons of mine have fought in the army. They have followed Saul to war. Surely, God will choose one of them. But God did not choose any of them.

Sometimes, people, even your own family, may not see your potential; they may just think of you as a child keeping the sheep. They may see you as worthless, no good, or in the menial task you are performing now. That is because they only see the raw material, but the cool thing is that God sees the finished product. Maybe the CEO of a corporation, or the next senator, or President. Maybe the next successful small business owner with a huge outreach. He sees you for who you are, not where you are.

It does not matter where you are right now physically; it matters where you are spiritually. God wants to bless you and use you. So, continue tending those sheep to the best of your ability until your anointing brings you your crown. For if you are faithful, God will open the door of opportunity. Just be faithful in the little things, and God will give you big things in your time. That needed job or promotion you’ve been praying for is on its way. So, hold on, hang in there; your Samuel is on his way.

Father, bring peace and joy to the hearts of your people as they labor in the fields, waiting for their door of opportunity to open. We believe You are a faithful God who delights in giving His children good gifts. Thank you for hearing us today. In Jesus’ name, we pray, amen.

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Notice The Weeds

²⁴He put another parable before them, saying, “The kingdom of heaven may be compared to a man who sowed good seed in his field, ²⁵but while his men were sleeping, his enemy came and sowed weeds among the wheat and went away.” ~ Matthew 13:24-25

Jesus compared the kingdom of heaven to a man who sowed good seed in his field, but while his men were sleeping, his enemy came and sowed weeds among the wheat and went away. This didn’t just happen randomly. It wasn’t out of nowhere. It was while his men were sleeping. And that is where the Church finds itself today … just waking up from a long nap and finding weeds have been sown among the wheat.

Because the enemy came and sowed weeds in our wheat field while we were asleep. While we were busy dividing ourselves by race and political parties. While we were busy following the media and celebrities instead of reading the Word of God. Now, we find ourselves surrounded by weeds and unable to differentiate between Truth and lies.

Jesus told us that we will know true believers by the fruit that they bear, but how can we do that if we’ve been asleep so long that we don’t know what fruit is. We’ve allowed words to define themselves, most famously:

Love is love.

What does that even mean? How can you define a word by repeating a word? While we were sleeping they’ve been able to remove the definition of the most important fruit that we can bear. Love is the only mandatory fruit that we must bear, yet we lost the ability to define what it is.

We’ve lost so much while we were sleeping. It’s time for a wake-up call. It’s time for the sheep to separate from the goats. It’s time for the sheep to sound the alarm when wolves in sheep’s clothing are near. It’s time for the Church to wake up and return to Christ.

Peace. Love. Go Forth and Notice The Weeds.

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Burn Em With Coals

²¹If your enemy is hungry, give him bread to eat, and if he is thirsty, give him water to drink, ²²for you will heap burning coals on his head, and the Lord will reward you. ~ Proverbs 25:21-22

Have you ever been hurt by someone, and all you want is revenge? All you want is to get even and make them hurt the way they hurt you? This is our flesh coming out in us, not our spirit man. Our flesh wants revenge, but our spirit man is in tune with God, so it wants to give it to God, for He said, “Vengeance is mine.” Our flesh wants to take everything into our own hands because it’s our flesh that’s been hurt. The reality is we must crucify our flesh and build up our spirit man.

We do this so that our actions will be more in tune with God’s desires. Vengeance is God’s because He isn’t wicked and cruel like we are; He is just and righteous. He is loving and merciful. So what’s our job then? We are to love our enemy and pray for those who persecute us.

In doing so, we not only crucify our own flesh, but we heal burning coals on there’s. Why is that good? Because we are refined, tested, and purified with fire.

Burning coals is a type of fire. A burning coal cleansed Isaiah’s lips and atoned for his sin (Isaiah 6:5-7). When we heap burning coals on someone by showing them love instead of hatred, then we are spiritually destroying their flesh as well as our own. For Paul said don’t be overcome by evil, but instead overcome evil with good (Romans 12:19-21).

Peace. Love. Go Forth and Heap Burning Coals.

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Return O Sinner

²¹ Remember these things, O Jacob, and Israel, for you are my servant; I formed you; you are my servant; O Israel, you will not be forgotten by me. ²² I have blotted out your transgressions like a cloud and your sins like mist; return to me, for I have redeemed you. ~ Isaiah 44:21-22

Israel had forsaken the One True God and began to chase after worthless idols. Even though they had turned their backs on Him, God was still pleased to forgive, not willing to completely blot out their name from under heaven. He told them that they will not be forgotten by Him, but He will blot out their transgressions and their sins.

And it is the same with us, because God is a respecter of no persons. God loves everyone and treats everyone alike, and give each the same chances, which is really good for us. Because sometimes we mess up, sometimes we slip up, and sometimes we fall down. Sometimes, we even willingly wander far away from God, but He does not want us to stay gone. For He is compassionate and forgiving. He wants us to return to Him.

No one is too far away from God. You’re not too far away or done too much that He won’t forgive you. You are still called to what God has called you to. Just remember His Word in Isaiah 44:21-22 and insert your own name or the name of the one you’re praying for.

Return to God _____, He has not forgotten you. Return and have your sins forgiven and your transgressions blotted out.

Heavenly Father, forgive me, for I have transgressed. Teach me Your ways that I might walk in them. Remind me that I am Your child and that You love me unconditionally. Thank You for redeeming me. In Jesus’ name, I pray, amen.

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God’s Favor

⁵ For His anger lasts only a moment, but His favor lasts a lifetime; weeping may stay for the night, but rejoicing comes in the morning. ~ Psalms 30:5

If God loves you, and He does, He will discipline you, and that is how you know you are a son or a daughter because God does not discipline an illegitimate child. But know this: when God does discipline you, it’s only for a short time because He loves you. But His favor, His love, and His mercies last a lifetime; they are forever.

His favor will open doors that were once closed; His love brings that promotion that was out of reach. His mercies will protect the wayward child and restore the broken relationship. His kindness is the reason why weeping will only last a night, but when the sun comes up, it brings joy, new hope, renewed mercies, and fresh blessings.

Here is a truth: God does not want to be angry; He would much prefer to be generous. And when He is angry, He will always look for ways, or for someone to stand in the gap so that He will not have to carry out the deserved punishment. Whatever God does, it is always for our own good.

Rejoice in the fact that God loves you and cares for you. Rejoice that He notices you among all the billions of other people that inhabit Earth. We are like His pride and joy, and He loves us.

Be blessed today, be joyful today, and be hopeful and optimistic today; God loves you and cares for you.

Father, we, Your children, come and present to You the offering of praise. Receive it today and leave behind a blessing. Thank You, in Jesus’ name, I pray, amen.

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Make Disciples

¹⁸And Jesus came and said to them, “All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. ¹⁹Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, ²⁰teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you. And behold, I am with you always, to the end of the age.” ~ Matthew 28:18-20

Many Christians believe that it’s not their place to tell others about their faith, religion, or relationship with Christ. When it comes to correcting sin, they forcefully say they weren’t put on this earth to judge. What, then, was the point of Jesus giving His disciples The Great Commission? Christians who believe they’re to keep their religion and beliefs to themselves and share Jesus with the world are Christians who don’t believe their own religion.

Paul touches on this in his letter to the Romans:

¹³For “everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved.” ¹⁴How then will they call on Him in whom they have not believed? And how are they to believe in Him of whom they have never heard? And how are they to hear without someone preaching?”

Romans 10:13-14

It’s our job to go into the world and share the good news. It doesn’t matter your race, ethnicity, sex, or nationality. God calls both men and women. God uses all races, ethnicities, and nationalities. God has called all who believe to follow Him and spread the good news of Jesus Christ. For how can they believe if they have never heard?

If we, the Church, refuse to spread the good news, then we are refusing to follow Jesus. We’re saying that the world is better off not knowing about Christ. What we do and don’t do directly reflects what we do and don’t believe. Therefore, tell everyone willing to listen about Jesus.

The harvest is plentiful, but the laborers are few;

Matthew 9:35-38

Peace. Love. Go Forth and Make Disciples.

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Build Your Spiritual Wall

¹⁰His watchmen are blind; they are all without knowledge; they are all silent dogs; they cannot bark, dreaming, lying down, loving to slumber. ¹¹The dogs have a mighty appetite; they never have enough. But they are shepherds who have no understanding; they have all turned to their own way, each to his own gain, one and all.~ Isaiah 56:10-11

Throughout the Old Testament, God reproves His watchmen, the ones He has placed upon the wall, to watch and sound the alarm at any and all approaching danger. The idea comes from the ancient world when a wall surrounding a city protected its inhabitants from bands of marauders, invading armies, and any such perceived danger.

Towers were built into the wall, and watchmen patrolled the top of the wall and were also stationed inside the towers to see far distances so that they could give a warning far enough in advance so that the people and the resting, or sleeping, army could prepare to defend their city.

Today, God is still trying to get the attention of His watchmen. There is still a Biblical mandate for watchmen to be stationed upon the walls to watch and sound the alarm of any and all approaching danger.

We, Christians, are called to be watchmen. Watchmen for our community, families, friends. We aren’t to just stand by and watch evil rule our world; we’re to sound the alarm. We’re to pray and fast about the current world we’re living in, building a spiritual wall around our homes, families, businesses, etc.

Peace. Love. Go Forth and Build Your Spiritual Wall.

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Power To Overcome

⁴ Little children, you are from God and have overcome them, for He who is in you is greater than he who is in the world. ~ 1 John 4:4

John said, “Little children, you are from God …” What does he mean by that anyway, that we are from God? Well, John was explaining that those who do not believe that Jesus has actually come in the flesh are not from God, and those who do believe are. If you do not believe that Christ has come, you have a spirit of Antichrist on you.

The spirit of Antichrist is always trying to convince the world that there is no God. That Jesus did not die for your sins. That Jesus the Messiah has not come into the world as yet. In short, it does not want you to believe that God even exists. But we must overcome that spirit with truth. Truth that Jesus did come and that He suffered and did die and was buried for three days and three nights and rose again to life on the third day, and that He is coming back for us so that where He is, there we shall be also.

We must make a special effort to be a witness for Jesus. To tell of His loving kindness and about His goodness and His grace. The grace that He lavished on us. Mercy that He poured out on all. Jesus is willing to save anyone who will come to Him. He will not turn away one soul with a repentant heart. Because that is the reason He died in the first place. So that He might bring many sons and daughters to the Father.

And finally, we have overcome because we have God living on the inside of us, and there is no power on earth that can match His. Do you need power to overcome? There is power in the blood.

Our Father, help us to forsake the wrong and choose the right. Teach us how to connect with Your power so that we can indeed overcome. For there is forgiveness, healing, peace, and joy in your presence. Help us to receive today. In Jesus’ name, I pray, amen.

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The Wages of Sin

²³ For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our LORD. ~ Romans 6:23^NIV

The wages of sin is death, but God’s gift of eternal life is in Christ Jesus. What exactly does that mean? Have you ever heard the expression, “Pay the Piper?” Some people will say, “You have to pay the Piper if you want to dance.” Well, it is the same concept that Paul is teaching, only this is not figurative, this is for reals, and for keeps.

Sin, when dabbled in, demands payment when it is all over, and it only knows one currency, that is death. Nothing else will satisfy its payment demands.

Therefore, when we indulge in sin, we must pay with our own lives since the wages of sin is death.

But on the flip side, there is good news. Jesus has paid the demands of sins with His own death. Peter put it this way,

¹⁸ For Christ also suffered once for sins, the righteous for the unrighteous, to bring you to God. He was put to death in the body but made alive in the Spirit.

1 Peter 3:18^NIV

Through Jesus, the wages that sin demanded, is no longer a standing debt against us, and now He offers us a gift, free of all charges. All we have to do is say, “Yes, LORD, I accept Your free gift, Jesus,” and He will give it to us.

Have you accepted His free gift? Are you living for Him? If not, here is how. Repeat this prayer and mean it from your heart, and Jesus will come into you and give you His free gift of life.

Dear Heavenly Father, please forgive me of my sins. I am so sorry for offending You. Please help me now to live the rest of my life for You. I joyfully accept Your free gift of life. Thank You, Jesus, for dying on the cross in my place. In Jesus’ name, I pray, amen.

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Tag: Devotionals

Use Words

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