Tag: Devotionals

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Leave Mount Horeb

6 The Lord our God said to us in Horeb, ‘You have stayed long enough at this mountain. 7 Turn and take your journey, and go to the hill country of the Amorites and to all their neighbors in the Arabah, in the hill country and in the lowland and in the Negeb and by the seacoast, the land of the Canaanites, and Lebanon, as far as the great river, the river Euphrates. 8 See, I have set the land before you. Go in and take possession of the land that the Lord swore to your fathers, to Abraham, to Isaac, and to Jacob, to give to them and to their offspring after them.’ ~ Deuteronomy 1:6-8

Mount Horeb is the Mountain of God; that’s where God came down to meet them. But they didn’t spend their lives there. No. God told them they had spent enough time in His presence learning His law; now it was time to put that worship into action. Sometimes, we stay in worship and don’t put that worship into action. We don’t do anything with what we have been given. We’re expected to go out into the world and carry the Spirit of the LORD with us in the name of Jesus so that we might spread His light wherever we go. We’re to break up the darkness, not just remain at the mountain. Because the LORD doesn’t just remain on the mountaintop. No. His dwelling is with mankind. He will go before us, behind us, beside us, and in us if we will follow Him.

Dear LORD, please forgive me for remaining in my own comfort zone and not evangelizing all that I meet and come in contact with. Please help me not to ever get caught up in my own little world, instead, help me to be a light in this deep darkness around me. Please shine Your light through me and give me the confidence to always share Your Word with the world. In Jesus’ name, I pray, amen.

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Be Prepared For War

17 When Pharaoh let the people go, God did not lead them by way of the land of the Philistines, although that was near. For God said, “Lest the people change their minds when they see war and return to Egypt.” 18 But God led the people around by the way of the wilderness toward the Red Sea. And the people of Israel went up out of the land of Egypt equipped for battle. ~ Exodus 13:17-18

The people of Israel had just been freed from Egypt. Their spirits were joyful but still fragile. So, what does God do? He leads them in the way that is best for them. When God frees us from our sins, He doesn’t always send us straight into battle. Why?

Because not everyone can take battle immediately. God equipped them for battle, but knowing the weak faith of the people of Israel after 400 years of slavery, God gave them time to grow before they saw war. God promised that He wouldn’t allow us to be tempted beyond what we can withstand but always gives us an escape route so that we can overcome. But I want you to understand that just because you may not see war immediately doesn’t mean you won’t ever see war.

Before Israel was able to settle in the Promised Land, they had to defeat their enemies. We will all face battles; some will be bigger than others, but one thing is for certain we will be able to overcome anything through Christ who gives us strength.

Peace. Love. Go Forth and Be Prepared For War.

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Nurture Your Faith

1 “Let not your hearts be troubled. Believe in God; believe also in me. 2 In my Father’s house are many rooms. If it were not so, would I have told you that I go to prepare a place for you? 3 And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again and will take you to myself, that where I am you may be also. 4 And you know the way to where I am going.” 5 Thomas said to Him, “Lord, we do not know where you are going. How can we know the way?” 6 Jesus said to him, “I am the way, and the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me. 7 If you had known me, you would have known my Father also. From now on you do know Him and have seen Him.” ~ John 14:1-7

Thomas is remembered by his one moment of doubt and disbelief. I don’t believe that it was random or even out of character that Thomas doubted the resurrection of Christ. See, Thomas, like the other disciples, didn’t grasp all that Jesus told them. It was to Thomas that Jesus explained that He is the Way, the Truth, and the Life. It was due to Thomas’ lack of understanding of how they would know where Jesus was going and how to follow Him there.

Faith isn’t blind. It doesn’t dwell or grow in ignorance. It has to be planted in good soil, nurtured and watered so that it might grow strong and unshakable. See, if Thomas understood what Jesus said, he wouldn’t have doubted when the others saw the resurrected Christ. So many of us struggle with doubt because we lack the understanding. Paul said, how can they believe if they have never heard? If also said, faith comes by hearing and hearing by the Word of Christ. It’s by our relationship and revelation of Christ and His Word that our faith grows.

James left us with an encouraging statement on understanding. He explained that God doesn’t desire us to remain in ignorance, so if we lack any understanding, we should ask God, and He will give us the wisdom and understanding. This is key to growing your faith. Unless you know and understand what you believe, then you can’t have an unshakeable faith. Instead, you will be double-minded and, therefore, unstable in all of your ways, ready to be blown over at the first sign of trouble or confusion.

So, nurture your faith by reading your Bible, spending time praying, fasting, and worshipping. And when you lack understanding, bring it before God. Don’t allow yourself to become like Thomas and leave a legacy of anything less than God has for you.

Peace. Love. Go Forth and Nurture Your Faith.

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Even If

16 Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego answered and said to the king, “O Nebuchadnezzar, we have no need to answer you in this matter. 17 If this be so, our God whom we serve is able to deliver us from the burning fiery furnace, and he will deliver us out of your hand, O king. 18 But if not, be it known to you, O king, that we will not serve your gods or worship the golden image that you have set up.” ~ Daniel 3:16-18

I believe that the lack of answered prayers is one of the biggest reasons that people lose faith. When we pray and pray and pray for something, and we don’t receive whatever it was we prayed for, the Devil begins to cast doubt into our minds. The reason we do this is because our faith is conditional. This is due to a lack of true love.

We want unconditional love from God, but we don’t have to hold ourselves to that same standard. Many of us, including myself, fall prey to the deception that God will answer and give us whatever it is we ask for. This isn’t really the case. God gives us good things that will build us up and further His Kingdom, but not every one of our heart’s desires. Many of us put God up against a wall backed in a corner, threatening that we won’t believe if we don’t see the answer to our prayer. This isn’t true faith because this isn’t true love.

Our heart is stained with sin, and within sin, there is doubt because of fear. We have a fear that God won’t actually come through, so we, oftentimes unknowingly, give God an ultimatum: either answer my prayer, or I will no longer believe in You. We may not say it vocally or even think it in our minds, but it’s in our hearts. We know it is because when that prayer isn’t answered, then we stop believing.

Our prayers will never be answered unless we have faith. Unconditional without threat faith. Faith that says:

I know and believe You can, but even if You don’t, I will still be faithful to You. I will still believe. I will still love You.

Dear LORD, please forgive me for all the times that I backed You into a corner with my conditional faith and love. Please teach me to trust in You and not in my own idea of what’s best. Please replace my heart of some with a heart of flesh and renew a right spirit within me. Please write Your Word on my heart that I might not sin against You. Thank You for Your conditional love; please continue to mold me into Your image and likeness. In Jesus’ name, I pray, amen.

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Fulfillment Breaks The Silence

8 And there were in the same country shepherds abiding in the field, keeping watch over their flock by night. 9 And, lo, the angel of the Lord came upon them, and the glory of the Lord shone round about them: and they were sore afraid. 10 And the angel said unto them, Fear not: for, behold, I bring you good tidings of great joy, which shall be to all people. 11 For unto you is born this day in the city of David a Saviour, which is Christ the Lord. 12 And this shall be a sign unto you; Ye shall find the babe wrapped in swaddling clothes, lying in a manger. ~ Luke 2:8-12 (KJV 1900)

The birth announcement of the LORD Jesus was to shepherds who were keeping watch over their flock by night. No doubt, these men were watching, waiting, and looking for the promised Messiah. But they did not expect it to happen that night when all of a sudden, an angel appeared saying, “Behold, I bring you good tidings of great joy.” They were told that the Savior of the whole world was born in Bethlehem that very night.

Understand that when you’ve been diligently waiting on the LORD, He will show up at any moment, especially when you least expect it. There was no word from God for 400 years, but God had not forgotten His promise to Israel or to the world.

So, in the fullness of time, Jesus, being the Word of God, became flesh and dwelt among us. He lived and died, and rose again, and ascended into heaven, and one day, He’s coming back for us. Just like He fulfilled the promise of His first coming, He will fulfill the promise of His second coming. Therefore, I urge you to be ready, watch, and pray.

The Shepherds were taken by surprise at His first coming and still got to go see baby Jesus, but those who are taken by surprise at His second coming will be left behind. Therefore, I warn you, stay awake, watch, and pray.

Father, thank you for Jesus. Thank you for the promise of Christmas fulfilled in the birthday of Your Son, Jesus. Help me to stay vigilant and be ready for His return. In Jesus’ name, I pray, amen.

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Believe God In The Impossible

8 Now while he was serving as priest before God when his division was on duty, 9 according to the custom of the priesthood, he was chosen by lot to enter the temple of the Lord and burn incense. 10 And the whole multitude of the people were praying outside at the hour of incense. 11 And there appeared to him an angel of the Lord standing on the right side of the altar of incense. 12 And Zechariah was troubled when he saw him, and fear fell upon him. 13 But the angel said to him, “Do not be afraid, Zechariah, for your prayer has been heard, and your wife Elizabeth will bear you a son, and you shall call his name John (Luke 1:8–13).

Notice what the angel of the LORD said to Zechariah, “Do not be afraid, for your prayer has been heard.” Apparently, Zechariah was praying for something, and the LORD had heard his prayer and sent His angel to let him know the prayer he had been praying was being answered. But if you think about Zechariah’s reaction to the angel, one could conclude that he had stopped praying for what it was he was praying for. And what was Zechariah praying for? A son.

See what the angel goes on to say, “Your wife Elizabeth will bear you a son.” Zachariah did not say, “I wasn’t praying for a son.” He accepted that he was praying for a son, but the problem was God had taken too long to answer his prayer, and now it was too late because he and his wife were too advanced in years to have children.

Although the answer was good, and it was exactly what he was praying for, it came a little too late, at least that was Zechariah’s thoughts, so he did not believe the angel’s words.

And that is how it is with us. We pray so hard for something, but when it falls outside the timeline we set, we lose hope, and unbelief swamps our ship of dreams. But remember, all things are possible for God, who knows no restraints, nor is He bound by any timeline.

Therefore, this Christmas, let unshakeable faith be birthed in you. Let unshakeable faith arise and believe God for the impossible. For the Just shall live by faith and not by sight. We don’t let circumstances nor perceived notions derail our freight train of faith, no, we believe God even when it looks like He hasn’t heard, nor is He answering.

Dear Heavenly Father, increase our faith. Help us to stand firm upon Your Word and believe You will hear, and if You hear, You will answer. Strengthen us in our spirit person so that we will not be easily moved. Thank You, Father, in Jesus’ name I pray, amen.

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Give To Others

16 For God so loved the world, that He gave His only Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have eternal life. ~ John 3:16

Every year, my family and I pack shoeboxes that go all over the world. And every year, I ask my family back home if they’d like to do shoebox as well. Many say yes, but some say no. I’ve noticed over the years that the ones that say no are always the ones that have the most wealth to share. Christmas is a time of giving and receiving, but as Scripture says:

It is more blessed to give than to receive.

Acts 20:35

It’s much easier to receive than it is to give. Giving means putting another above ourselves, which is against our very nature, but that’s what we’re called to do. We’re called to give to the poor, feed the hungry, clothe the naked, and take care of those who cannot take care of themselves. We don’t withhold love or help from others, especially when they are in great need of it.

This Christmas, give to those who are in need. Share the love of Christ with others. Remember the less fortunate. Give as God first gave to us.

Peace. Love. Go Forth and Give To Others.

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Closed-Eyes Prayers

23 “Behold, the virgin shall conceive and bear a son, and they shall call His name Immanuel” (which means, God with us). ~ Matthew 1:23

Have you ever been praying but feel as though you aren’t alone? Like there’s something in the room with you, and it makes you uneasy? It makes it difficult to close your eyes because you feel like there’s something there? This happens to me sometimes. Then, a thought came to me as I struggled to keep my eyes closed:

What good is your eyes being opened vs. closed? If there is something there, what will your eyes being opened do? Will it suddenly make it disappear? Do you have more faith in what your eyes can or cannot see than in the God who says I will go before you and behind you?

See, we humans were created in time bound to the physical world by our physical bodies. We think in a very physical and natural sense. Our eyes are some important that Jesus described them as being the gateway or door of the soul. So, when we can’t see something with our eyes, it’s hard to trust that it’s there. Fear capitalizes on this sense.

Because we can’t see God with our natural eyes, it’s difficult for us to fully put our faith in Him. We trust Him but not fully because the unseen, the unknown, it still causes fear to enter our minds and hearts. Fear can manifest in many ways: doubt, worry, anxiety, terror, etc.

The root of all fear is the lack of love. See, perfect love casts out all fear because it’s within that perfect love we no longer put our faith in what we can see but in the God that we cannot see. Dwelling in the perfect love of God is saying all my faith is in Christ, so I don’t need to fear what may happen. It’s putting all of your faith into the promise:

He will never leave you nor forsake you.

Jesus hasn’t left you. He’s still with you. He’s Immanuel, God with us. He dwells in us, through us, and is in constant intercession for us. He even baptized us in His Holy Spirit so that we might never be without Him. Nothing can separate us from that love. The moment we believe that is the moment we give life to that verse, and we’re filled with the very power of God, for He will send His angels concerning you.

Jesus may not be here physically, but He is with us spiritually. He is Immanuel. Don’t allow the enemy to strike you with Fear. Know your God, for He is come.

Dear LORD, please strengthen my faith this Christmas season. Please help me not to end this year the same way I started it. Help me to dwell in Your perfect love and keep in step with Your Holy Spirit. Please cover me in Your perfect blood and keep Your angels watching over me. In Jesus’ name, I pray, amen.

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God Remembers His Promises

26 In the sixth month the angel Gabriel was sent from God to a city of Galilee named Nazareth, 27 to a virgin betrothed to a man whose name was Joseph, of the house of David. And the virgin’s name was Mary. 28 And he came to her and said, “Greetings, O favored one, the Lord is with you!” 29 But she was greatly troubled at the saying, and tried to discern what sort of greeting this might be. 30 And the angel said to her, “Do not be afraid, Mary, for you have found favor with God. 31 And behold, you will conceive in your womb and bear a son, and you shall call His name Jesus. 32 He will be great and will be called the Son of the Most High. And the Lord God will give to Him the throne of His father David, 33 and He will reign over the house of Jacob forever, and of His kingdom there will be no end.” ~ Luke 1:26-33

Christmas time is a time when we remember the Christmas story. The time when the angel Gabriel was sent to Nazareth to a virgin named Mary to let her know that she was chosen to be the mother of the Savior of the world. The very first mention of a Savior can be found in the book of Genesis while Adam and Eve were still in the Garden of Eden. Although it took some four thousand years to fulfill, God never forgot His promise of a Savior. Likewise, God will never forget His promises to you.

You can rest assured that if God has promised you, God will deliver to you the promise He has promised. God is faithful and will never forget, nor is He a man that He should lie. What He has promised that He will deliver. So, this Christmas, rest assured that God will remember His promises to you, and if He remembers them, He will fulfill them.

Heavenly Father, thank You that You do not forget, nor do you lie to us. Thank You that we can trust and depend on You to do exactly what You have promised to do. Increase our faith that we might trust You even more. In Jesus’ name, I pray, amen.

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Hope Fulfilled

16 And he will turn many of the sons of Israel back to the Lord their God. 15 It is he who will go as a forerunner before Him in the spirit and power of Elijah, to turn the hearts of the fathers back to the children, and the disobedient to the attitude of the righteous, so as to make ready a people prepared for the Lord.” ~ Luke 1:16-17NASB1995

The Old Testament ends with the prophecy that the New Testament starts with. In other words, the Old Testament, or the Old Covenant, ends in hope, but the New Testament, or the New Covenant, begins with hope fulfilled.

The name John means, The LORD Remembers, and it is he who ushered in the hope fulfilled. John, meaning God remembers, was the forerunner of Jesus, whose name means salvation, and was the voice crying in the desert, “Prepare the way…”

Hope has come because Christ the Savior is born. That is what Christmas is really all about. When we celebrate Christmas, we celebrate hope fulfilled because Jesus, being God, came in the flesh to save each one of us. So, God bless you this Christmas as you and your family celebrate the birth of hope.

Father, thank You for giving us Jesus, our living hope. Thank You for the free gift of life, and as I celebrate the birth of Your Son this Christmas, help me never to forget the real and true meaning of Christmas, for I pray in the name of Jesus our LORD and Savior, amen.

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