Daily Devotional July 16 - It's Time To Make A Melody

 "And be not drunk with wine, wherein is excess; but be filled with the Spirit; Speaking to yourselves in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing and making melody in your heart to the Lord; Giving thanks always for all things unto God and the Father in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ;" Ephesians 5:19-20

When was the last time you sang a song to God? I don't mean at Church, but in private where you lifted up your voice and sang a song from your heart directly to God. What has happened to Christians today is that they are taught a lot of religion, but much of the 'relationship with Jesus' teaching has gone by the wayside. Above is scripture admonishing you to make melody in your heart and to thank God for everything. This should be a regular practice. If it isn't, maybe you can inquire into your heart and find out why. You don't want to miss out on the many wonderful moments with God that are available.

I know it's hard to thank God for everything. How can we thank God when troubles blow our way or when a loved one dies? Only by faith. You have got to know that what has happened, what you are going through or what lies ahead, is not out of God's reach. God uses all of your experiences, good and bad, and carries you through them. God did not cause the bad things that happened to you, you can count on friends and enemies for that, but God does use the experience as a stepping stone to protect you and enlighten you so that you don't make the same mistake again.

Make a melody in your heart and thank God for everything. It is the Word of God and it will bring about much blessing and positive changes.

Daily Devotional July 15 - Oh Well, I Don't think So

 "O how love I Thy law! It is my meditation all the day. Thou through Thy commandments hast made me wiser than mine enemies: for they are ever with me. I have more understanding than all my teachers: for Thy testimonies are my meditation. I understand more than all the ancients, because I keep Thy precepts." Psalm 119:97-100

A good understanding of the spirit of God's law/laws is good medicine for the prospering soul. David remembered what he had done. David knew about his affair with Bathsheba and many other foolish and sinful mistakes he had made. But David is growing up. It's like that with us too. It's not that we haven't sinned or that we haven't made many foolish choices. It's that we come to our senses and do something about it. It is better to chastise yourself and make the necessary adjustments to follow the ways of God than to come to an abrupt end caused by your unfortunate circumstances.

Clean it up. Clean up your mind, your mouth, your behavior, your propensities, your diet, your ways. David found that following the ways of God was far better than anything he had previously considered. You will find that to be true too. The ways of God are not suppressing and boring, but exciting and full of adventure, life and goodness, blessings and gifts and pleasure of the God kind that outdo those of the carnal kind. David understands.

To meditate on the law of God or the testimonies of God is to meditate on the thoughts of God, God-thinking. If you were to practice a little each day, you would find that God will keep His Word. I believe a good start is to read one verse a day, but everyday, no excuses. It is a good discipline. You might find that a verse a day is just not enough. That's a good thing. It's the discipline that counts not the number of verses you read. As time goes by you will be drawn by some of the verses to dig deeper and you will find that God knows what He is talking about. You will find that even a moment with God in understanding cannot be compared to anything that brings pleasure in this world. You will say with David, "O how love I Thy law!"

Don't be afraid to get to know God. The God of the Bible is perfect toward you. It is possible that what you learned about God in Sunday School was not all there is to know. You will not be disappointed if you take this advise and get closer to God than ever before, but you will be disappointed if you continue on the path of "Oh well."

Daily Devotional July 14 - What Have You Been Taught?

 "And the very God of peace sanctify you wholly; and I pray God your whole spirit and soul and body be preserved blameless unto the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ. Faithful is He that calleth you, who also will do it."  1 Thessalonians 5:23-24

• Have you been taught that you must obey the ten commandments in order to be accepted by God?
• Have you been taught that only those who tithe are blessed financially?
• Have you been taught that you must never sin in order to go to heaven and if you do sin that you must ask for forgiveness for that sin before you die or you will go to hell?
• Have you been taught that after you are saved your salvation is kept sure by your works?
• Have you been taught that you must be baptized in water or you won't be saved?
• Have you been taught that you must speak in tongues or you aren't saved yet?
• Have you been taught that you must receive a second blessing in order to be saved?
• Have you been taught that if you eat meat you are a lessor sort of Christian than those who do not?
• Have you been taught that Jesus was the Lord, but is not God?
• Have you been taught that the Holy Spirit is the power of God, but not God Himself?
• Have you been taught that you should only read from the Old Testament?
• Have you been taught that you should only read from the New Testament?
• Have you been taught that Paul's teaching supersedes other books of scripture?
• Have you been taught that what Paul taught is not to be considered as divinely inspired?
• Have you been taught that crossing the Red Sea was just an allegory?
• Have you been taught that there are many ways to heaven and Jesus is only one?
• Have you been taught that you must be a member of the 'one true Church" to be saved?
• Have you been taught that if you take the wafer unworthily, you have to re-earn your salvation?
• Have you been taught that you need a human mediator between you and God?

These are false teachings and God is not pleased that many of His dear children are being led by those who would use you as exploits. Many things are taught to keep people in line and to create in them a sense of duty, but causing in you a sense of guilt by coercion is not a godly motivator, nor will it produce godly fruit. Pastors are so afraid to preach the truth, for loss of numbers, that they start reaching out with extra biblical teaching to pacify newcomers and placate parishioners. What a waste of good talent. The Holy Spirit operates through truth, only.

"Faithful is He who calleth you, who also will do it."  If you are going to worry about something, worry about something that is true; something that can really cause you grief, but don't worry about God being able to finish what He started in you, "looking unto Jesus the author and finisher of our faith."  (Hebrews 12:2a)

Daily Devotional July 13 - What Say Ye?

 "In the last day, that great day of the feast, Jesus stood and cried, saying, If any man thirst, let him come unto Me, and drink." John 7:37

This is a plea from Jesus to give something to you that you cannot get unless you receive it by invitation. This plea was after the great celebration of the feast of tabernacles, eight days of celebration where food and wine was plentiful and a rather good time was had by all. At the end of the part, when everyone had been celebrating for eight days, Jesus offers something to drink for all those whose thirst was not quenched.

I. e., when you have run the gamut of trying to be filled with what the world offers and you have tried it out for quite a while, you will still be parched and thirsty for something more fulfilling and long lasting. Even if you filled up on this world's provisions, it would not be enough to satisfy your soul. Jesus offers what you cannot get by whipping out your credit card. If after you have partied down and filled yourself with this world's wares and you still feel like something is missing, Jesus offers you something to quench your thirst. Not only does what Jesus offer quench your thirst, it lasts and lasts.

You've been invited. What say ye?

Daily Devotional July 12 - The Perfecting Of The Saints

 "How long, LORD? Wilt Thou hide Thyself forever? Shall Thy wrath burn like fire? Psalm 89:46

If you have ever had any real trouble, or real pain, calamity or serious altercation, you've felt what it is like to think the Lord has abandoned you or that God doesn't exist at all. When the bottom fell out at your business you probably shouted, where are you Lord? Or when you had to go through a painful experience, surely you cried out to the Lord and asked, why me? Tragedy may have struck a family member and doubt swirled through your head and lodged in your heart. The person you trusted the most did the most harm to you and believes a lie and you look to heaven and say, How can you let this happen? Where are you God? I thought you protected your people? How can you let this injustice take place? "Wilt Thou hide Thyself forever?"

I don't know you and most people deny having ever doubted God or ever questioning God's wisdom. But part of the human frailty is to go through times of doubt and to question God. It is not blasphemy to question God? God doesn't look down on you for having doubted that God was in the situation. God remembers that you were made of dust. God has not abandoned you, nor has God ever left your side. The troubles, sickness, calamity or personal attack that you went through or are currently going through was not from God, but neither is it true that God left you to fall on your own. It is not true that God didn't care or that somehow you just aren't worth saving from the situation. God has never let you hang out on a string to test your meddle, nor have you been tempted or tested by God to see if you would break.
All of your troubles or pain, suffering or loss is from the fall of man. There are three sources that contribute to life's woes:
1 The fall of man where sin was passed on from generation to generation;
2 from satan, your enemy who is out to destroy you;
3 from your own personal choices, when you went against what you knew was right in your heart.

God was there. God never let you alone. God only brings good things to His people.

If you are still in the middle of trouble, sickness, pain of suffering, God is in the middle with you. God loves you and God is doing what is necessary to bring it to an end. But there is more to the whole picture. The real reason David cried out to God and the real reason that you have felt abandoned or unprotected is due to the frailty of your faith. Pray that God will give your eyes faith to see it through. You may never know the why's of it all, but you must, by faith, understand that if you are in it, God is in it with you and God will take you through it. It is part of the perfecting of the saints.

Daily Devotional July 11 - Who Are You Listening To?

 "For as we have many members in one body, and all members have not the same office: So we, being many, are one body in Christ, and everyone members of one another. Having then gifts differing according to the grace that is given to us, whether prophesy, let us prophesy according to the proportion of faith; or ministry, let us wait on our ministering: or he that teacheth, on teaching; or he that exhorteth, on exhortation: he that giveth, let him do it with simplicity; he that ruleth, with diligence; he that sheweth mercy, with cheerfulness."  Romans 12:4-8

This is a little different list of gifts than that of 1 Corinthians 12, but some are listed the same. The main point of this conversation is to reveal a truth about gifts from God. They didn't stop when Jesus ascended into heaven. This verse was written by Paul about 25-30 years after Jesus ascended into heaven. There is a particular mention of the gift of prophesy. There are entire denominations that deny the gift of prophesy as being in operation today. That is simply not true. The gift of prophecy is alive and well. Some of the prophets that prophesy are false and some just trying to operate in a gift they do not possess, but some prophesy is inspired by God. It is vogue in certain circles to be prophet so and so or apostle so and so. Many such prophets do not speak for God and we both know that, but my contention is that some do.

I am reluctant to deny a truth simply because people misuse it. There have been things done in the name of Christianity that can't even be spoken of, but there have been much more done to better mankind and to glorify God. Do we deny our faith simply because there are charlatans? Do we stop using currency because there are a few counterfeits going around? Of course not and the Word of God speaks sure about the gifts from God and these gifts should be understood and used to glorify God.

It's simple. Do what you do with integrity and honor and do it to the best of your ability. Do what you know and stay within the natural parameters of the skill set, characteristics, propensities and knowledge base that you have. Don't try to be something you are not. Reach high, but don't make stuff up to look good. It is vain and cannot be used by God to benefit others or to elevate yourself. God operates in truth, only. If you really want to be something that you are not, pray about it, study, get the proper training, reach out to others who have succeeded at what you dream of and move forward in truth to attain to a higher place.

Now touching on the "one body, and all members." If you are a Baptist, you are a member with the Methodist and with the Presbyterians and the Charismatics and the Full Gospel, as well as the Catholics and Pentecostals. No you are not a member of the cults or world religions that deny Christ, but Christianity is made of of many denominations, but only one body, i. e., the body of Christ. If you don't like this idea, you probably won't like heaven either, because all those who are in or will be in heaven are decided upon by God, not your denomination. As a matter of fact, your denomination won't even be mentioned. The body of Christ is made up of individuals from many denominations and non-denominations that love and honor and believe in Jesus.

It would do you well for you to reach out to others who love Jesus even if they don't love Jesus in the same style as you do. I'm not talking about trying to bridge some impossible gap, but much of the contention we have between believers is totally uncalled for, unscriptural, foolish, ungodly, irresponsible, damaging, ridiculous, unwarranted, not honored by God. Why, most of the things that one denomination says about another aren't even true. Most of it is based opinions of those who don't even know what the other group believes. They take loving believers and box them into tight, little boxes and set them out on the curb to be picked up as trash. There is nothing further from the truth. Jesus said, "every kingdom divided against itself is brought to desolation;" Maybe we should be listening to Jesus instead of those who are touting division.

Daily Devotional July 10 - What Do You Give Back To The Lord?

 "And David spake unto the LORD the words of this song in the day that the LORD had delivered him out of the hand of all his enemies, and out of the hand of Saul."  2 Samuel 22:1

You can read the song which is 2 Samuel 2-51

The Lord speaks to us and we speak to the Lord. But more than that, I think this verse shows that there are many ways you can give back to the Lord. Singing was David's talent, but what about art or carpentry and through being a physician or a nurse, a store clerk or a computer programmer or a film maker? Giving your talent to the Lord is a great way to give back and to come into a closer relationship with God. Doing something you do anyway, but doing it with excellence and in direct acknowledgement of what God has done for you.

You can't have been a Christian very long and worked at a trade and not seen the Lord at work on your behalf. If you follow your career carefully and look back, you can easily see the hand of the Lord at every turn. It's not that you always made the right decision or that you always enjoyed a positive outcome, but if you look, you can see the hand of God, invested in you, guiding you and sometimes carrying you. This being said, look unto heaven and give of yourself to God. Find a way to do something for the Lord with your talent. Think hard and find a way. Whatever you do will bless the Lord and benefit others."

Daily Devotional July 9 - Examine Yourself

 "Examine yourselves, whether ye be in the faith; prove your own selves. Know ye not you own selves, how that Jesus Christ is in you, except ye be reprobates." 2 Corinthians 13:5

It is good for you to examine yourself. I find that the best way is to examine myself in light of the scriptures. No other method will do. Of course we look to others for example and direction, as long as it is commensurate with godly living. But this kind of examination that is mentioned here is personal. The scriptures don't say examine others to see if they are in the faith. There's too much of that going on.

What are some of the steps we can take to examine our faith?

• Do you believe that Jesus is the Christ, the very Son of God?
• Do you have an interest in living a pure lifestyle?
• Are you completely consumed by worldly matters?
• How many minutes or hours to you spend reading your Bible?
• Are you convinced that it is OK to mix a little sinful living with a little church and all is well?
• How many minutes or hours do you pray each day?
• Do you get into the presence of God, undisturbed without your cell phone on, for extended periods of time?
• Do you tell your friends that you are not interested in their dirty jokes?
• Do you support your pastor? I don't mean just putting a couple dollars in the offering plate either. Do you stand behind him/her and lift them up and bless him and shower their family with gifts of money, vacations, domestic pleasantries and assistance with caring for his household. Do you love them and talk only good things about them? Do you stop the conversation when others start complaining about the color of the carpet, the length of the service, the 'skewer the pastor' topic of the day?
• Do you have a desire, however small to see others come to know about Jesus, even if it means that you have been designated to be the one to testify of Jesus?
• Are you living two lives?
• Are you turned off when someone wants to talk about Jesus?
• Do you think you know it all and no one can teach you something new about God?
• Are you incensed when someone tries to talk to you about your propensities?
• Do you read godly literature with hopes of learning a new truth or expanding your horizons?

These things don't make you a Christian nor do some of them disqualify a person as a Christian. We are looking at some of the characteristics of examining ourselves. I believe it is very important to examine our life/lifestyle in light of our calling. You are the best judge of what you might need to do to step it up a little or what you might want to eliminate in your life for it to better represent a right relationship with God. This is one of those great gifts from God to mankind; to be able to see ourselves as we really are and make changes. That's real power.

Daily Devotional July 8 - Quit Throwing Fellow Christians Under The Bus

 "And, behold, there was a man in Jerusalem, whose name was Simeon; and the same man was just and devout, waiting for the consolation of Israel: and the Holy Ghost was upon him. And it was revealed unto him by the Holy Ghost, that he should not see death, before he had seen the Lord's Christ. And he came by the Spirit into the temple: and when the parents brought in the child Jesus, to do for Him after the custom of the law (circumcision), then took he Him up in his arms, and blessed God, and said, Lord, now lettest thou thy servant depart in peace, according to thy word: for mine eyes have seen Thy salvation, which thou hast prepared before the face of all people; A light to lighten the Gentiles, and the glory of thy people Israel."  Luke 2:25-32

The Holy Spirit did and still does move among God's servants and communicate with them. You should be careful before you condemn those who claim to have a word from the Lord. You should also be careful before you adhere to anyone's claim. God does speak to His people in the voice of the indwelling Holy Spirit. God does give a word and many prophesies are for real.

Discernment is required. But the way some people of certain denominations discern is to deny. Discernment is the separating of the real from the false by inspecting the fruit. Blanket denial is not discernment. Just as blanket acceptance is for the silly laden. Here's the key. First, you must have the Holy Spirit living within you in order to hear the voice of God. If you have been born again you have been endowed with the ability to hear and obey the voice of God. Whether you do or not is up to you, but you have been empowered, your spirit has been activated and you can hear God and you can follow God and you can obey God and you can overcome anything. You can.

Once you have the indwelling Holy Spirit, you are much more receptive to others who are following Christ, those whom are using their relationship with God to benefit those around them. Sometimes God speaks through others to reach you. Sometimes God speaks to you for others. Sometimes God speaks to you for you, but God speaks.

Your enemy speaks too, and nothing pleases your enemy more than a good dose of confusion. If your enemy can cause you to doubt, he can go about his way while you are wallowing in the mire of indecision. Doubt negates the efficacy of Holy information taking root.

All that being said: Don't be afraid to hear from those who may have a different gift than you or that might have a different word than you have heard; test the spirits to see if they are from God. Check out the fruit of the pastor, prophet, minister, teacher, evangelist, apostle, but don't throw them under the bus without proper identification. There's too much of that going around and God is not pleased with His people bashing His people without cause. I have found that most people that don't believe that so and so is for real, don't know a thing about so and so except what they heard from someone who doesn't know a thing about so and so. That's not the honorable way to discern.

Daily Devotional July 7 - Giving Back To God Your Way

 "And David spake unto the LORD the words of this song in the day that the LORD had delivered him out of the hand of all his enemies, and out of the hand of Saul."  2 Samuel 22:1

You can read the song which is 2 Samuel 2-51

The Lord speaks to us and we speak to the Lord. But more than that, I think this verse shows that there are many ways you can give back to the Lord. Singing was David's talent, but what about art or carpentry and through being a physician or a nurse or a computer programmer or a film maker, a cook or a trash collector? Giving your talent to the Lord is a great way to give back and to come into a closer relationship with God. Doing something you do anyway, but doing it with excellence and in direct acknowledgement of what God has done for you.

You can't have been a Christian very long and worked at a trade and not seen the Lord at work on your behalf. If you follow your career carefully and look back, you can easily see the hand of the Lord at every turn. It's not that you always made the right decision or that you always enjoyed a positive outcome, but if you look, you can see the hand of God, invested in you, guiding you and sometimes carrying you. This being said, look unto heaven and give of yourself to God. Find a way to do something for the Lord with your talent. Think hard and find a way. Whatever you do will bless the Lord and benefit others.

Daily Devotional July 6 - Are You A Christian?

 "For the preaching of the cross is to them that perish foolishness; but unto us which are saved it is the power of God." 1 Corinthians 1:18

The Bible is clear about this. If you don't believe the preaching of the cross, what is your guarantee that you are on the right track? 
Have you believed or contrived another way to God? There isn't one and there will never be one. 

Many American unbelievers have made up their own version of the gospel of Jesus Christ and there are many from other countries that have varying philosophies that include Jesus as a good man or do not include Jesus at all. But the preaching and believing of the cross is the power of God. There is no spiritual power under the authority of God, given to those who have not accepted His Son. ("He that believeth on Him is not condemned: but he that believeth not is condemned already, because he hath not believed in the name of the only begotten Son of God." John 3:18)

What really gets me is that many believers today, (Christians that have already have been saved), have a propensity to be casual, indifferent and even apathetic concerning this issue. Many modern Christians seem to have no real roots that cause them to look back and recognize where they were and how gracious God has been in setting them free. There is a tendency in our society to accept any philosophy as valid as long as someone before them believed it, like in the case of Buddhism, and Islam. There is no doubt that we should and must be respectful with those of other faiths and wholly understanding of their position, but never confirming the validity of their beliefs of standing in agreement with them concerning their beliefs, as if these alternate philosophies were sister religions to Christianity, or that there must be some validity to their belief in another god, simply because they believe it.

Recognition of and respect for everyone of another faith is the right thing to do. But acknowledgement of the premise that "All paths lead to God" is not the right thing to do.

I've heard the argument that "it just isn't any of our business what others believe. I'll believe what I want to and you believe what you want to." That's fine, but in no way and at no time should a Christian be in agreement or act like they are in agreement with those who deny Jesus.

If you aren't sure about the cross and you are not sure if Jesus died for your sins and if you aren't sure that Jesus is the only way to God, so be it. But don't call yourself a Christian. Anybody can believe any philosophy, but the power of God rests in the hands of those who have placed their faith and allegiance to Jesus.

Daily Devotional July 5 - Awake Thou That Sleepest

 "But all things that are reproved are made manifest by the light: for whatsoever doth make manifest is light. Wherefore he saith, awake thou that sleepest, and arise from the dead, and Christ shall give thee light. See then that ye walk circumspectly, not as fools, but as wise, redeeming the time, because the days are evil. Wherefore be ye not unwise, but understanding what the will of the Lord is." Ephesians 5:13-17

Of all the things that you desire, seek after, and are driven to get, is one of them an understanding of the will of God for your life? I hope so. No thing is to be compared with an understanding of how God operates and how we are to operate in this world. Right now is the most important day in your life. Are you wallowing through life like walking through a quagmire or are you seizing the day to honor God, find personal solace and benefit others?

You probably already know from experience that at times you were in a slumber, a state of non-awareness of the things of God or what was expected of you. Or maybe you are there now, without a clue of what God has in mind for you or how to apprehend what is yours in Christ. You are sleeping through life, not that concerned about the things of God and not really involved in the life of others and maybe not even engaging in your own pursuits. You are sleeping and need an awakening. Don't think "if God were real He would do it for you." That's the mind of one who is sleeping. God has done it all and you wouldn't be and couldn't even breath without His presence. God is real. God has created everything and placed His signature on it as well as sustaining what He has created and also established guidelines for living.

Lack of knowledge about God or anything for that matter does not constitute it's non-existence. But lack of knowledge about God or science or any subject of life, does make you impotent to operate within it's parameters and expect desired results.

"Awake thou that sleepest" and become alive in Christ, where the real power is; where life has meaning, not just for you but for all those who come into contact with you. You are God's gift to others and to the world at large. You have been instructed to awaken so that you can enjoy a full life with God and offer that same fullness to others. Denying God His place in your life makes you a fool. Get understanding and then operate in it.

Daily Devotional July 4 - Go And Possess It

 "Behold, the LORD thy God hath set the land before thee: go up and possess it, as the LORD God of thy fathers hath said unto thee; fear not, neither be discouraged."  Deuteronomy 1:21

I know that this was a specific promise for a specific people at a specific time, but I also know that this is how God works.
You think you are at the end of your rope
You've prayed and it seems to have landed on deaf ears
There are times when the discouragement of the moment overwhelms you and you say something in disgust or do something not in character
You feel like you have lost the battle
You are almost certain of the outcome
You aren't happy and you feel abandoned and even unloved and overlooked

If you haven't been there before, I hope you never get that discouraged, but discouragement and disappointment are common to everyone, Christians not excluded. You can be in love with the Lord and feel totally helpless and powerless in some circumstances. You can serve the Lord with vigor and have things go wrong. You can follow Jesus and have problems.

But God has not abandoned you, nor has God overlooked you. God has set something before you and it is good. God has pre-arranged it and it will become available to you in due time/God's perfect timing. You may have lost some battles, but God has made a way for you and will take you there, in this life. Go and possess it. You may be discouraged and disappointed, but what God has prepared for you and what God has prepared you for is to be embraced with expectation.

Listen carefully: Things will not turn out the same as you have made up in your mind. We are wrong a lot. Go and posses it, whatever it is in your life that God has already set in your way. You can't help but run into it, but if your spiritual eyes are on, you can actually envision it from afar and start making provisions for yourself to receive it.

Everybody gets down or discouraged, disappointed, confused and even depressed at times, but where do you look for answers? That is the key to success. Look to God and let him know how you feel about it. That's right, just let it out, God can take it. If you have been faking and acting like all is well when it isn't, just go to God and let it all out. God approves of those who are honest with Him. Now, wait to hear from God and see the mighty hand of the Almighty work on your behalf. It's not that God wasn't always working on your behalf, the difference is, that when you are straight with God, God opens your eyes and you can see Him at work.

Daily Devotional July 3 - Quit Whining

 "Wherefore, my beloved, as ye have always obeyed, not as in my presence only, but now much more in my absence, work out your salvation with fear and trembling. For it is God that worketh in you both to will and to do of His good pleasure. Do all things without murmurings and disputings:" Philippians 2:12-14

It's just plain good advice. If you made a promise to someone, keep it. If you owe someone money, pay it. If you can't keep up with your bills, call and make arrangements, don't just ignore it. If you said you are going to go to the park with the kids, go. Keep your word. God is in you and directing you to do the right thing. Do it. Quit riding the fence trying to juggle what you know is right with your current situation. There might not be a way to have the best of both worlds, but during the process of living and at the end, what will really matter is what you know to do that is right.

If you told your pastor that you aren't living with someone, then don't. If you have a wife, be faithful. If you don't like your current situation, pray about it; hear from God and then start making decisions.

Do the right thing and keep your mouth shut about it. Quit whining. Get on with it. If it's not working out just right for you, but you know you are doing the right thing, do it. You don't have to make a profit in everything. If you said you are going to go do something for someone, do it. Let your mouth speak out not just your intent, but what the will of God is concerning you. Speak it and do it. Quit arguing about it. Pick up the slack and be the bigger person. If God is in you what is your excuse for not doing the right thing? What does it mean to you to be saved from your sins and sanctified in your lifestyle?

What I have found is that most of the people that are not committed to God are the same ones living a double life. They want God, but they serve the world. It's cute for a season, but it gets old for those around you and eventually for yourself. Nip it in the bud and let God have His way with you for a season. You will be pleasantly surprised. His will for you is perfect and will produce favorable results, every time.

Daily Devotional July 2 - The Bible Is Clear

 "I, even I, am the LORD; and beside Me there is no Saviour." Isaiah 43:11

"I am Alpha and Omega, the beginning and the ending, saith the Lord, which is, and which was, and which is to come, the Almighty."  Revelation 1:8

Just for the record: Jesus is God. That's right. The trinity and all that it stands for can easily be understood when you see God as the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit. There are not three Gods, but One. The Father is God. The Son is God. The Holy Spirit is God. Through centuries of misinterpretations we have become callous to the concept of the trinity, so we make excuses for it, rather than attempt to grasp it with our mind. We make light of it rather than try to seek agreement with God on the issue.

A good understanding of how God interacts with man is essential in having and maintaining a proper relationship with God. Can I say this without hurting anyone's feelings: Most of the reasons for our inadequacies concerning our relationship with God and our lack of understanding of how God operates among mankind is solely due to our lack of real interest. We have found other pursuits that consume our time and energy that we place higher on the priority list.

I've found that most people that want to argue about the trinity, the second coming of Christ, the Millennial reign of Christ, the destruction of Jerusalem in AD 70, the transfiguration on the mount, the indwelling Holy Spirit, angelology and a host of other so-called sensitive subjects, are not studied in the subject of discussion and therefore ignorant of the apparent and simple Bible exposed answers. There are times when two loving, studied and devoted Christians disagree and that is fine. It makes neither a heretic nor does either have preference with God in the matter. But most arguments come from a lack of personal commitment to the things of God and a lack of Bible study, not a deep devotion to the truth.

In my opinion the only sensitive subject we should have with God or each other is our own level of devotion and loyalty to God. All other disagreements or differing theologies can be made agreeably if the Spirit of God is present.

Daily Devotional July 1 - Unlearning, The New Learning Mode

 "O come, let us worship and bow down: let us kneel before the LORD our maker."  Psalm 95:6

There are many thoughts about how worship should be performed. Different denominations have a different school of thought concerning how worship should be approached.

• There's the "we must be silent and respectful (children not allowed)" group.
• The "we must be shouting out loud group (children must be present)" group.
• The "Come unto me and confess in my booth" group.
• The "We worship (on time)" group.
• The "We believe one should worship in small groups in homes, but never in a church building" group.
• The "We worship with music" group.
• And of course the "We don't allow music during worship" group.
• The "righteous go to the front and kneel while sinners stay in their seats" group.
• The "righteous stay in their seats and quietly worship while those seeking attention go to the front" group.
• The "you must speak in tongues to really worship" group.
• The "if you speak in tongues, you aren't worshiping" group.
• The "you must have the second blessing to worship" group.
• The "you must possess certain gifts of the spirit to worship" group.
• There are the "there are no more gifts of the spirit still in operation, but you must be baptized to worship" group.

God must really be sickened with all of our man-made rules. All of them (as rules to get into the presence of God) hinder the process of worship. All of the man-made rules are man's idea of how someone else should act in the presence of God. None of the man-made rules are bad, in and of themselves, but to miss the spirit of the act of worship is to miss worship. If we weren't so worried that someone else might see what we are doing and not approve, we might find that worship is the letting go of the "what man thinks" and becoming real and true and empty long enough to find out what God thinks. Outward appearance for the sake of trying to act out a part, sickens God, whether in one of these settings above or not.

Only the letting go of this world's standards and coming before God in pure simplicity and reverence and love could ever truly be called worship. You don't have to change denominations to worship God, but you do have to get real and vulnerable before God to worship Him. You will have to unlearn a great many things if you want to give God His due.

Daily Devotional June 30 - God changes Not

 "The LORD is good, a strong hold in the day of trouble; and He knoweth them that trust Him." Nahum 1:7

713 BC and Nahum is expressing His understanding of how God works among mankind. Thanks to Nahum and other prophets and Bible writers we have the inspired Word of God, the Bible. Over centuries men and women of faith have discovered and revealed God. One of the wonders of the scriptures is just how 'the same' things are as they were then as pertains to people. Yes technology has made some forward motion, medicine and all the sciences have expanded and advanced to offer more than ever before. But even in the non-techno age men and women had minds to think and think they did. Some of the greatest achievements come from the non-techno eras.

One thing for certain, as I read the prophets I notice an understanding that they all have about the economy of God and it seems to me to be the same today as yester-year. The God that I serve is the same one that Nahum served and the justice and grace, mercy and commands of God hold true today just the same as yesterday.

Yes much has changed, but much has stayed the same also. I like the fact that I can count on God responding to me in the same Holy way that He responded to Nahum. God reveals Himself and discloses His attributes perfectly today and perfectly yesterday, all the way back to Adam. We are His offspring and the apple of His eye, His people. I hope that you have taken time to see God with your spiritual eyes and to hear God with your spiritual ears so that you too can say with all vigor, "Thus saith the LORD" to you.

God is my stronghold in troubles and I fully understand that He knows that I trust Him. Does that mean that at all times I am strong and that I never have a discouraging thought or that I will always do the right thing? No. But it does mean that God will be there, always lead me and guide me in the right direction and council me to do the right thing. It is God who changes not and can be counted on every time, not Nahum and not me.

Daily Devotional June 29 - The Most Offensive Word To The Unbeliever

 "From that time Jesus began to preach, and to say, Repent: for the kingdom of heaven is at hand." Matthew 4:17

We tend to think of Jesus providing all the pretty, positive information that lifts us up and Jesus does, but Jesus also speaks to us about difficult decisions and hard to swallow truths. You don't have to be a Bible scholar to follow the simple requests/commands of Jesus. At some point in life and then again and again you need to repent, i. e., turn from the direction you are/were in (the direction of following after this world's system) and head the other way (toward a life filled with godliness and holiness.)

Jesus doesn't let the disciples carry the hard messages while He carries the easy to assimilate messages. Jesus knows that for you to grow in grace, you will have to find new direction and a new path and stay on it. He also knows, that, if for whatever reason you drift from that path, in order for you to get back on the right path, it will take a reason or a word or a consequence for you to make the change. Jesus supplies that word, repent/answer.

I know the though of repenting isn't treated with the utmost of respect in our generation. If you listen to enough diversified/alternate teaching you could almost fall into the trap of believing there are other ways of reconciliation to God. If you are looking for a loophole so that you can continue on the path that keeps you from a peaceful and approved relationship with God, you will have to make it up in your mind, because it doesn't exist. God already has in place every perfect response necessary for you to keep in line with the will of God for your life. It's real simple and it has always been real simple and it will always be real simple. Repent.

Note: Why does it bristle the hair when this issue comes up? We have become seasoned Christians. We have developed into a sort of sanctified gang. Together at or place of worship, we decide what is important (from the Bible of course) and should get emphasis and what is superfluous and should get little or no attention at all. If the whole agrees, wah lah, we have doctrine. There are entire denominations built upon this premise. Some have gotten so far off track that there is little to no essence of the gospel left. It is Jesus that says repent. And if I am going to adhere to anything (that Jesus says), I should be willing to adhere to everything that Jesus says. Why not study a little and find out why the concept of repentance is so important?

Daily Devotional June 28 - Repent

 "From that time Jesus began to preach, and to say, Repent: for the kingdom of heaven is at hand." Matthew 4:17

Oh!, you don't like the word repent. Imagine that. Christians today are lazy minded and have very little if any convictions at all. The thought of repenting for sins against God just doesn't meet with the modern generation of sugar-candy, watered-down, seeker, but don't find Christians. 

That being said:
We tend to think of Jesus providing all the pretty, positive information that lifts us up and Jesus does, but Jesus also speaks to us about difficult decisions and hard to swallow truths. You don't have to be a Bible scholar to follow the simple requests/commands of Jesus. At some point in life and then again and again you need to repent, i. e., turn from the direction you are/were in (the direction of following after this world's system) and head the other way (toward a life filled with godliness and holiness.)

Jesus doesn't let the disciples carry the hard messages while He carries the easy to assimilate messages. Jesus knows that for you to grow in grace, you will have to find new direction and a new path and stay on it. He also knows, that, if for whatever reason you drift from that path, in order for you to get back on the right path, it will take a reason or a word or a consequence for you to make the change. Jesus supplies that word, repent/answer.

I know the though of repenting isn't treated with the utmost of respect in our generation. If you listen to enough diversified/alternate teaching you could almost fall into the trap of believing there are other ways of reconciliation to God. If you are looking for a loophole so that you can continue on the path that keeps you from a peaceful and approved relationship with God, you will have to make it up in your mind, because it doesn't exist. God already has in place every perfect response necessary for you to keep in line with the will of God for your life. It's real simple and it has always been real simple and it will always be real simple. Repent.

Note: Why does it bristle the hair when this issue comes up? We have become seasoned Christians. We have developed into a sort of sanctified gang. Together at or place of worship, we decide what is important (from the Bible of course) and should get emphasis and what is superfluous and should get little or no attention at all. If the whole agrees, wah lah, we have doctrine. There are entire denominations built upon this premise. Some have gotten so far off track that there is little to no essence of the gospel left. It is Jesus that says repent. And if I am going to adhere to anything (that Jesus says), I should be willing to adhere to everything that Jesus says. Why not study a little and find out why the concept of repentance is so important?

Daily Devotional June 27 - The Eternal Wellspring

 "Jesus answered and said unto her (the woman at the well), whosoever drinketh of this water shall thirst again: But whosoever drinketh of the water that I shall give him shall never thirst; but the water that I shall give him shall be in him a well of water springing up into everlasting life." John 4:13-14

Everlasting life, what an incredible idea. God is so gracious with us. Think about it: All that God has done to bring into existence all things and then to put it all in motion and then to sustain it, all while listening to and watching us whine and complain about it and literally billions of people even deny that God exists at all. That's the difference in God and man. We wouldn't be so gracious with all those who denied us if we were the creator, but God loves us so much and has mercy without end.

The internal well that springs up from within us is supplied by the Holy Spirit; a perpetual, endless supply of the spirit that testifies of God in us. It's like if you were in a desert place and there were men and women around you, parched and dreary from the heat and you had just taken a big drink of ice cold spring water and you were refreshed. The others would look at you and wonder how you could possibly be refreshed and they so parched. That's what you should look like to a lost and dying world.

Jesus' story at the well is our story also. You can lead people to the well and tell them about the endless supply of God's love and mercy and compassion and forgiveness. You can offer them this free gift. When others look at you are they seeing a refreshed soul in a desert place? Does your presence make them wonder where you get it?

Daily Devotional June 26 - The Kingdom Of Heaven Is At Hand

 "From that time Jesus began to preach, and to say, Repent: for the kingdom of heaven is at hand." Matthew 4:17

We tend to think of Jesus providing all the pretty, positive information that lifts us up and Jesus does, but Jesus also speaks to us about difficult decisions and hard to swallow truths. You don't have to be a Bible scholar to follow the simple requests/commands of Jesus. At some point in life and then again and again you need to repent, i. e., turn from the direction you are/were in (the direction of following after this world's system) and head the other way (toward a life filled with godliness and holiness.) Jesus doesn't let the disciples carry the hard messages while He carries the easy to assimilate messages. Jesus knows that for you to grow in grace, you will have to find new direction and a new path and stay on it. He also knows, that, if for whatever reason you drift from that path, in order for you to get back on the right path, it will take a reason or a word or a consequence for you to make the change. Jesus supplies that word, repent.

I know the though of repenting isn't treated with the utmost of respect in our generation. If you listen to enough diversified/alternate teaching you could almost fall into the trap of believing there are other ways of reconciliation to God. If you are looking for a loophole so that you can continue on the path that keeps you from a peaceful and approved relationship with God, you will have to make it up in your mind, because it doesn't exist. God already has in place every perfect response necessary for you to keep in line with the will of God for your life. It's real simple and it has always been real simple and it will always be real simple. Repent.

Daily Devotional June 25 - Turn and Don't Fight

 "Submit yourselves therefore to God, resist the devil, and he will flee from you. Draw nigh unto God and He will draw nigh unto you." James 4:7, 8a

Two simple rules. Ever since I first read these words I have been drawn back to them to put them to use. I remember when I did not know this Word, I didn't have authority in it. I had some battle with satan and his emissaries and they didn't go well. In my youth I thought you were supposed to stand up against the devil, like a one on one boxing match, but when I would do that I would get beaten, sometimes severely. Then I read this verse and a light came on and I started to do battle with the enemy according to the scriptures and everything changed.

No more would I stand strong and rigid against the enemy when he would come lurking in my life. I would recognize the enemy and flee from His presence. It worked and it worked every time. Now when the enemy seeks territory, I simply put my hand up and say, "No way, you have no place here and there is nothing here for you to claim," I turn around and flee his presence. He turns and goes away. It's not magic, it's the power of the Word of God actualized by following God's precepts.

The second part of these verses is also simple and easily activated. Draw nigh to God and He will draw nigh to you.
God calls you
You answer by inviting God into your life
God comes into you life in the person of the Holy Spirit to dwell in you.
God calls you out of some things and into other things.
As you are listening, because you have free will, you can follow or not.
If you choose to follow, then you invite God into your situation through prayer.
God intervenes. God does the part that you cannot do.
You benefit, receive the blessings.

The reason God wants you to draw nigh to Him is because you have free will and you must invite God, draw nigh, initiate the action. When you draw nigh to God, God will always reciprocate. I do want to mention that most Christians today think that drawing nigh to God is calling out to God when your ship is full of water or when you have completely messed things up on your own and you need bailed out. Don't get me wrong, God will be there for you in those times as well, but drawing nigh to God serves you best if you do it when all is well, and build a relationship. It not as likely that you will be frantically begging God to get you out of this or that situation if you have been including God in your decision making.

Two lessons:
Flee from the devil, don't stand and fight
Draw near to God day and night

Daily Devotional June 24 - The Fool Defined

 "The fool hath said in his heart, There is no God..." Psalm 53:1a

This is the beginning of a Psalm of David. When reading the Psalms I think it would be fair to say that everyone would unanimously agree that the writers of the Psalms were sold out to their belief. You can just tell by the language that they use that they really believe what they are saying. David knew God by faith. His faith was such that he could and would call on God in many occasions to work with him on co-creating situations with a favorable end. David had already found out that God was real and that one minute in the presence of God is better than a lifetime of various mortal pleasures without.

When David says, "The fool said in his heart, There is no God," he was singing his heart out and making it clear that to even think there is no God shows how utterly ridiculous and ignorant some people are. Don't blame God. God has made it abundantly clear of His existence, through faith and through the things He created and sustains even today. You have to turn a blind eye to God to make the statement that there is no God. Quit worrying about other people with other faiths, that there must be something to their religion; after all God wouldn't let so many people just flounder in unbelief. The Bible makes it clear that all creation points to God and that it is God's will that all mankind are saved, but God also created in us free will; free will to not believe His record and free will to close our faith eyes. Many people exercise that free will to deny God. Focus on your own faith and let God permeate your being the way He permeated Davids.

It amazes me that we are so high minded to think that God isn't fair, because He made it so hard to believe the truth and those of other major world religions haven't been given a fair shake. It is presumptuous to think this way and not true at all. God calls every person at every age, all nationalities and all levels of intellect. The Resistance of man to recognize God is pompous pride and blind ignorance. It's your job to testify of what God has accomplished in your life, not to try to figure out why God did it this way or that way.

I've learned to be thankful for the way God designed it all. I've seen what man can do when man is in charge: Hate, prejudice, terrorism, lies, forced religion, false premises, unnatural affections; the list is so long and none of it is good.

Daily Devotional June 23 - Daily How Bright Is Your Light

 "No man, when he hath lighted a candle, putteth it in a secret place, neither under a bushel, but on a candlestick, that they which come in may see the light."  Luke 11:33

The light that you have is of great importance. Whether you are a new Christian or you have been serving the Lord for decades, the light that emanates out from you represents the light within you. There are a few implications I would like to draw from this verse:

1 This is affirmative for all men and women. No one is exempt. Jesus says, "No man,..."

2 If you have the light of the Lord, i. e., you have been born again, you have the light of God within you. Jesus says we have the light of life, (John 8:12).

3 Those who have the light of life follow Jesus and they want the world to know of their relationship. They are exposed. They are vulnerable because the light that emanates from them is tangible and they cannot hide it. They don't want to hide it and they don't hide it. It is not secret. They let their light shine at home, at work, and with all friends.

4 This light was not meant to be put under a bushel, i. e., disguised as some sister religion or in cahoot's with other religious orders. This light is exposed as true Christianity and not to be confused with other religions where there might be a hidden agenda.

5 Your light is to be revealed for all to see. We are like an attractive beautiful light that draws others to the light so that they too can receive the light that is within us.

If you really believed that Jesus was the only way, wouldn't you take another look at just how important it is for your faith to be revealed to others?

Daily Devotional June 22 - Give Me A good Reason

 "And as Jesus passes forth from thence, he saw a man, named Matthew, sitting at the receipt of custom: and he saith unto him, Follow Me. And he arose, and followed him."  matthew 9:9

When Jesus walked by where you were living and saw you doing whatever you were doing and asked you to follow Him, what did you do? Not what did you say. What did you do? Because Matthew and many others in scripture did something at the call from Jesus, I believe that we too must do something when Jesus calls. It's part of our make-up. God made us and God breathed into us life. God made us and then God saves us from our sins. In that process, Go put in us free will and within that free will is the natural/supernatural ability to either accept or reject the call from God, the call from Jesus to follow Him.

I want to make the clarification that to follow Jesus is not the same as giving Him lip service. Too many of our society think they really have it going on because they are a member in good standing in a denomination. By the way, being in good standing in a denomination is a very good thing and rightly to be admired. What I am taking about is, within your denomination are you personally involved with a day to day relationship with Jesus where Jesus is real, you hear His voice and you attempt in your frailty to do what you are asked. That's the difference in following Him and just saying you will do something.

Anybody can say they are going to do something, but only those who accept the call and move forward are actually following. Let me ask you, if Jesus is alive and calling and saving and leading and blessing, what would be a good reason not to follow Him? I can't think of any reason at all.

Daily Devotional June 21 - Do You Like Instruction?

 "Whoso loveth instruction loveth knowledge: but he that hateth reproof is brutish."  Proverbs 12:1

It's just an observation, but I do believe that today, people avoid instruction or they are adversely affected when the idea arises. Why is that. The best minds of all times were men and women who were instructed; by universities, colleges, institutes, seminaries, even living in natural surroundings and of course the school of hard knocks. But whether they were educated by man or nature, the beset minds seek out being instructed and absorb all they can to better themselves and the society at large.

The Bible instructs us about life in general, the sciences, nature and spirit. In this verse above the Bible is instructing us as to how things will go with you depending on your perspective. If you love instruction, you love knowledge and we know that knowledge increasing our chances of success, (of any kind). But he that hates to be told what to do or that what they did was not right or good, they become brutish, harsh, depressed, unrestrained, addicted.

Why even mention this? It's important that those of you that have an influence on others make an effort to assuage those who fit the "hateth reproof" category to start listening and taking advice. Over the last fifty years each generation has lost some of its will to reach to the top and bring others with them. It seems as if those who are reaching to the top are just wanting to elevate themselves and that is not the godly way.

Little by little we need to take back lost territory and find a new heart for instruction and be instructed and then get on with life mastering it; mastering the sciences, mastering our lifestyle, mastering our households, mastering our business practices, mastering the art of friendship, mastering the art of raising children with excellence, mastering our time. There's nothing wrong with working hard to achieve excellence. Is that what you are doing?

Daily Devotional June 20 - God is your Refuge

 "Then the devil taketh Him up into the holy city, and setteth Him on a pinnacle of the temple. And saith unto Him, If Thou be the Son of God, cast Thyself down: for it is written, He shall give His angels charge concerning Thee: and in their hands shall they bear Thee up, lest at any time Thou dash Thy foot against a stone. Jesus said unto Him, It is written again, Thou shalt not tempt the Lord thy God." Matthew 4:5-7

What Jesus was called to do, Jesus did. The devil with all of his power (and it is plenty) could not convince Jesus to go beyond what Jesus was called to do, not what Jesus could have done or could do, but what He was called to do. Yes Jesus could have made other arrangements, but if Jesus had succumbed to the temptation of the devil, there would be no grace, no mercy, no forgiveness of sins.

What kinds of things could happen if you step away from your calling and allow the devil to get a foothold in your life? In our modern society, even Christians don't take very seriously just how dangerous it is to allow the devil any space in your life. First of all I would venture to say that many Christians don't really believe in a devil that roams like "a roaring lion, walking about, seeking whom he may desire." (1 Peter 5:8) There is a kind of unspoken request that we just don't talk about the devil and all will be well.

This is just not true. How can you recognize something that you don't believe exists or that you are unfamiliar with? How can you know when you are being tempted to step outside of you calling if you turn a blind eye toward the problem maker? How can you stand against an enemy that you deny exists?
The devil is real. The devils ways are insidious. The devil wants you to play on his playground and with his toys. If you are thinking that his playground and his toys aren't really that dangerous, you will be easily led to step out of your protected zone under the guidance of the Holy Spirit and try some new territory, untested and unsure of the outcome.

The devil knows that you aren't going to lose your salvation, he simply wants you to lose your credibility. You family, friends and business relationships are all at stake. Just for the record, I can't think of anything worth giving up the incredible feeling of being under the protective hand of Jesus. That's right, when you give into the devils wiles, you step out of the protective zone that is designed for those who abide in Him and you step into an area that is not safe. It will never be OK or safe to agree to follow the leading of the enemy.

Daily Devotional June 19 - have You Found A Better Way?

 "If we confess our sin He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness. If we say that we have not sinned, we make Him a liar, and His word is not in us." 1 John 1:9-10

Many people today don't think they need to be forgiven for anything and they don't think they need a Savior either. To the humanist, Christians look like weaklings. To the agnostics Christians look like feeble minded lemmings. To the atheist Christians look like fools. To God Christians look like His Son.

You do need a Savior and you do need to have your sins forgiven. Sins against humanity are one thing, but sins against holy God are another. Since God is willing to forgive you of your sins for the asking, what could possibly motivate you to hold out? And how often do you take the opportunity to straighten up with God? I don't mean that after you are saved if you don't ask forgiveness for sins committed that you will somehow lose your salvation. That's not true. If it were true no one could be saved because everyone would fit the category of having forgotten to ask forgiveness for something they did. It's just a ridiculous notion.

But I do mean that if you are saved, you have the opportunity and the privilege of going to God in a state of carnal mindedness and having your sins forgiven and your standing with God replenished, (totally from the perspective of your need to bring God into your situation and not that God needs you to do this for Himself.)
Bottom line: The Bible tells us to come to Him and confess our sins. If you have found a better way to do life than to take the advise of the scriptures, I would like to know about it.

Daily Devotional June 18 - Simple Faith

 "Now when Jesus was born in Bethlehem of Judaea in the days of Herod the king, behold, there came wise men from the east to Jerusalem, Saying, where is He that is born King of the Jews? for we have seen His star in the east, and are come to worship Him." Matthew 2:1-2

These Magi traveled quite far and probably with a caravan of as many as 1,000. The reason I say this is that these men were royalty and when they showed up in Jerusalem "he (Herod) was troubled and all of Jerusalem with him." At this time in history it is not likely that three men on camels troubled the king or all Jerusalem. These men knew something that others did not know, i. e., there would be a star, low to the ground, hovering and under the light of that star the Saviour of the world would be born.

They believed it, they knew it in their heart. They believed that the star was significant and they believed in their heart what they had not yet seen, (the birth of Jesus). Somehow these men understood what others could not or would not. Somehow these men saw, read or heard something that would cause them to collectively gather riches, traverse the desert lands for days to enter into another kingdom, with a hostile ruler, in order to bring gifts to a child that they did not know. What could drive a man or woman to do such a thing? Simple faith.
Those with faith hear God. Any one who can read can read the Word of God, but not everyone who reads it comes away with the same understanding.

Why? Simple faith. Simple faith is the God kind of faith. Reckless abandon on a Word from God. Faith to go the distance in spite of the obstacles and barriers ahead. Faith see the obstacles and barriers as stepping stones. Simple faith believes what it reads when it opens the Bible. That's right. No objections. No rationalization. No comparative analysis, just simple faith. Simple faith is what brought these Magi to see Jesus and simple faith is what will bring you to see Jesus also.

Why is this so important? Because we are in a techno age and simple faith is being replaced with systems and programs. Simple faith is not looked upon with respect, but with question. Simple faith to many today means simple minded. Students in seminaries are taught to have differing views and to question the authority of the scriptures in light of other texts. Who is going to come from the east and offer gifts if there is no faith? I wonder, how many times God has spoken to you and you did not gather your precious things and set out on a journey to worship the Sovereign of the world.

Daily Devotional June 17 - You Reap What You Sow

 "Wherefore he saith also in another Psalm, Thou shalt not suffer thine Holy One to see corruption. For David, after he had served his own generation by the will of God, fell on sleep, and was laid unto his fathers, and saw corruption. But He, whom God raised again, saw no corruption. Be it known unto you therefore, men and brethren, that through this man is preached unto you the forgiveness of sins: And by Him all that believe are justified from all things, from which ye could not be justified by the law of Moses."  Acts 13:35-39

What great theology. Jesus Christ saw no corruption. Jesus is the justifier, above the law. You have to catch this. Until Jesus established the law of faith, the law of Moses and the prophets prevailed. But at the cross Jesus put an end to the law of Moses as far as the law having power over us to justify us by the law. It's not that the law is of no effect, it's just that the penalty for breaking the law has been paid. It's not that the law is of no uses, for the law of Moses sets the precedence for all law, foreign and domestic, but the eternal consequences of breaking that law have already been paid by Jesus.

"And by Him all that believe are justified from all things." I know it is hard to believe and many religions have alternate rules concerning this matter, but Paul is clear; Your sins have been paid for and you are justified, no matter what your denomination says or what you have come to know as truth over the years, your sins have been forgiven. That means that right now, if you are a believer, if you were to die you would stand before God innocent, welcomed into the beloved.

Sometimes it's harder to accept the truth if it doesn't have strings attached than if it does. We just don't operate like this. We don't forgive and forget like God does. We should, but we don't. The new law that Jesus established is the law of faith. This law requires/demands that you believe that Jesus is the Christ the very Son of God. Beyond that, the commandments of Jesus are for us to advance the kingdom, for the betterment of our lives and for the benefit of others. You will not be judged by the law of Moses.
You will never stand before God and have God read off the lost of transgressions that you have made throughout your life.
You will not be judged by your works to enter the kingdom of God; you have already entered into the kingdom of God when you accepted the vicarious work of Christ on the cross as payment for your sin/sins.
You will not be scolded by God as you pass through the pearly gates.
Peter will not be handing a lost of things you must do in order to go to the next level.
Moses will not be shaking a finger at you like you are a heavenly second class citizen.

Where some people get mixed up is that they think that if they are born again they won't suffer the natural consequences of their actions while here on earth. That's just not true. God doesn't promise to wipe the slate clean on earth, however don't get the idea that you are going through it alone. Even though you may have chosen to go against God and do something that was ungodly, God did not abandon you to suffer the consequences alone. God's mercy goes beyond the gates of heaven.

To sum this up.
The gift of eternal life is free and you cannot earn it.
This gift starts while you are on earth.
You are already pardoned for your sins so that your life beyond the grave is unaffected by your actions.
You will reap what you sow on the earth, with the exception that God intervenes on earth to buffer the consequences that you really deserve.

Daily Devotional June 16 - Special Offer

 "As a Hart panteth after the water brooks, so panteth my soul after Thee, O God." Psalm 42:1

When you are parched from the hardness of daily life, there is a place to cool off; at the foot of Jesus. I get weary, everyone does, if not from the daily hustle bustle then from the difficulties, stress, strain or pain of life. In these dry times God wants us to look to Him for comfort. God wants you to come to the well of life and drink. At the well, the water is cool, the day is pleasant and the night is safe.

Is your heart heavy with burdens? Are you full of stress and angst? God has prepared a place for you to cool off and relax. Before you became worrisome, God already prepared a way out. Look for the open doors that God has available. The biggest door and the largest door of all is the door of obedience. Inside that door there are worlds of opportunity and expanses that you just can't see from the outside.

Hasn't the world had enough of your time? Can you imagine how things would be if you had given to God as much of yourself as you have given to the world? You know, even though you may have thrown your life away, God will take you in as if you had been doing it right all along. God will take you in today. God will not hold to your charge the past.

You can enter in and drink from the well of life right now. No one inside the door of obedience got there on their own. No one worked their way in or earned it. It has been freely offered to all and those who take the free gift get in. No one has advantage over you and there are no real door keepers. You simply walk in and all that is within is yours, the same as if you had walked in twenty or thirty years ago.

Why would anyone turn down an offer like this?

Daily Devotional June 15 - God Is Your Refuge

 "God is our refuge and strength, a very present help in trouble."  Psalm 46:1

Is God your refuge, strength and a very present help in trouble in your life? I would hope that your life doesn't have any trouble, but if and when it does, you need to know in your heart that God is not only aware, but a participating partner in you troubles. How do you know that God is participating? Because God says so.

I know from experience that God even helps those who are unwilling to yield to the leadership of the Holy Spirit. Of course those who are aware of God's participation, have an advantage, in that they know what their part is to bring it to pass and they understand that God must do some things to bring it to pass. It is in the knowing what your part is and knowing what God must do to bring it to pass that makes one wise.

When you pray about a thing, God moves all of creation toward a desired end for your situation, but along with what God does, you need to do some things also to bring it to pass; that's co-creating. We were made to: Pray about a situation and then do what we are lead to do by God and recognize what God must do to accomplish the task and then work while waiting. It is really important to believe God's Word. It makes all the difference. Believing what God says is part of the solution, because belief activates the faith necessary to bring God's supernatural intervention to pass.

Wait, you say!!! What's this about God's supernatural intervention? When God created everything, part of that creation was you. God also created parameters that you must work within; (the sciences) Within these parameters, you have available all the components necessary to do your part of everything that comes up in life. Also (within these parameters) God provided for believers access to God's supernatural intervention. It is part of who you are as a believer. You would be using this supernatural intervention on a regular basis if you understood and believed that God does provide it. What if you don't believe it? Then you will be unaware of what God is doing on your behalf. Being unaware of what God is doing is a little like not knowing if God is intervening or not.

"God is our refuge and strength, a very present help in trouble."

Daily Devotional June 14 - Jesus is...

 "For we ourselves also were sometimes foolish, disobedient, deceived, serving divers lusts and pleasures, living in malice and envy, hateful and hating one another. But after that the kindness and love of God our Saviour toward man appeared, Not by works of righteousness which we have done, but according to His mercy He saved us, by the washing of regeneration, and renewing of the Holy Ghost; which He shed on us abundantly through Jesus Christ our Saviour."  Titus 3:3-6

• You were once lost, without God, sin driven and miserable.
• God called you out of darkness into His marvelous light.
• You didn't earn it. You were saved with the same blood of Jesus as that of the worst sinner of all.
• God shed His mercy on you, not because you were good enough, but because of His unmeasurable mercy.
• God cleansed you and is perfecting you by a daily bath of the Holy Spirit.
• Not only have you been cleansed today, you have also been renewed. All of this is being done without your help. It is because of who God is that you are righteous at all.
• All of this and all of the blessing of God are poured out like water from a waterfall and all through Jesus.
• Jesus is the Word that explains it all. 
• Jesus is the One that performs it all. 
• Jesus is the One that has done it all. The only way that I know to thank Jesus is to think on Him and give Him His place in my heart. Think hard and let the spiritual connection be made.
• Jesus made it all.
• Jesus gave us the Holy Spirit so that there would be no reason to ever get lost from Him again.
• The Holy Spirit renews us day to day so that we can keep open communication with God.
• God is pleased and you are the benefactor of all that is holy and beautiful. 
• Let this wonderful work that Jesus has done to be continued. Look for it. Find it. Enjoy it.

Daily Devotional June 13 - Which Of These Are You?

 "Give unto the LORD the glory due unto His name: bring an offering, and come before Him: worship the LORD in the beauty of holiness." 1 Chronicles 16:29

How can you give glory that is due unto God? Is it possible that there is a connection between your inner senses and the creator? Yes. First, bring an offering. I know, you have heard it a million times. Sometimes preachers use this verse and others like it in an attempt to get an offering. And there are many verses that talk to the issue of money, giving and tithing, but this is not one of them.

The offering that God is looking for here is the offering of a body, mind, spirit and soul that is devoted to the things of God. There are many ways to approach God. Let me mention a few:

1 You are desperate. You didn't get with God early in the situation and now it is haunting you.  You go to God begging and pleading and you feel like God is a billion miles away. You can't hear God's voice and you are starting to lose the battle for your mind and body.

2 You are willingly disobedient. You aren't even trying to live up to your own standards. You are so satisfied with your current conditions that you don't want to rock the boat through discipline and a godly life. You go to God at church, if you attend at all, and you give God the basic 'close your eyes to pray devotion' and you look around to see if so and so is there.

3 You have one foot in your relationship with God and one foot in the world. You are not against the idea of God, and you believe there is a God and that Jesus is the Son of God. You are saved, you just aren't convinced that God knows what He is talking about in the scriptures. There are a lot of scriptures that you take issue with. You haven't researched the scriptures enough to be sure you are right and what you have researched turned up an answer that you didn't like. So it's best to simply stay away from it. After all if God wants you to know something that you don't know, He will get a hold of you via one of your many techno devices.

4 You love the Lord, but you haven't had much time with the Lord. You are not against the idea at all, it's just that there isn't enough time to juggle work and the kids, make dinner, clean the house, go to games and watch your favorite TV show, much less private quantity time with God.

5 You love the Lord and the Lord comes first. God knows about all the things you have to do and just what it will take on His part to make sure that you have enough time if you do devote quantity time with God. You have learned that just a few moments of undivided attention is where many of the secrets of the holy live. You have also learned that without this special time with God, all is vain, empty and void. You clearly see the world and how it tries to sell its wares to anyone who will listen, whether you need them or not. You see how the world system takes people away from worship and keeps them away through stress and strain. You have met the Master and you know that even the difficult times with the Lord are better than the easy times without. You have come to like meeting with God and you have learned how to dispose your time in a way that honors God and also finds a way to perform your secular duties with excellence. You know how to worship God in the beauty of holiness.

Which one of these conditions do you find yourself living out?

I will venture to say that a simple yielding to God of your self is sufficient. Because you have free will you can deny God access to interaction with you. Even though God is always on for you, you turn God on and off like a light bulb with your will. It has always been this way. You have always had control over your free will decisions. I can tell you from thousands of testimonies, the more you yield, the more you receive; peace of mind, spiritual enlightenment, measurable results, personal interactions with God, personal intervention by God on your behalf. 

Don't get this wrong, God is always doing all these things for you but you can only see according to your faith. If you want to see measurable results of God's intervention, you will have to yield more of yourself and rely on your faith to a greater degree.

Daily Devotional June 11 - Someone Might Be Looking To You To See God

 "For as I passed by, and beheld, I found an altar with this inscription, TO THE UNKNOWN GOD. Whom therefore ye ignorantly worship, Him I declare unto you." Acts 17:23

Even today there are many, many people that worship an unknown god. They have a sense that there is a God and they see through creation that there must be a God, but they have not yielded to the Holy Spirit to receive God. Paul preached the God of the universe to these people. It is your duty and mine to also tell others about having met God. After all, you and I also worshiped or acknowledged the unknown God at one time in our lives.

It's not that unusual if the unbelieving world doesn't recognize God. But when those in the church act like they don't know God either... You can have religion and still not know God. Paul did the right thing. He simply declared God to the people. I think we try too many alternate methods of evangelizing people, when we should be telling them about our own personal daily experience with God. People will believe a genuine report of an actual event. I tell people, "I was talking with God and asking about a certain issue and God spoke to me clearly, that I was on the right path and to pursue it a little further." Just be honest. There were times when I also had to say, "I have been trying to hear the voice of God for days, but it just seems like I just can't make contact."

The truth is the conduit for a genuine believable testimony. You might very well be the person that God chose, to cross paths with someone, that has been looking for a genuine answer to their own lifetime quest. Today might be the day.

Daily Devotional June 10 - Do You Have Peace With God?

 "Therefore being justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ." Romans 5:1

Do you have peace with God? Are you at peace with God? One of the observations I have made concerning what we have and who we are in Christ and how we act and who we act like, is that quite often we don't live like children of the living God. The Bible clearly says we have peace with God, but we live like we don't even understand what God has done or is doing in our lives.

You are at peace with God. You might not feel like it, but you are. If we could learn to believe what God says and live that experience it would be far different than the frenetic lifestyle we do live. You have peace with God. It is a reality, but in you mind you haven't discovered it. That's why God is renewing you day by day with the Word by the Holy Spirit. The Holy Spirit inside of you is saying God is at peace with you.

Why do we hear a different voice other than the pure voice of the Holy Spirit? Your life is full of voices, noises and distractions that are so loud they keep the quiet and peaceful voice of God from being heard. The difference is, of all the loud and obnoxious voices you hear, you can only trust a few and that by measure, but the voice of God is perfect and clear and right, always. How do you hear the true voice of God over the din of life? You put your ear right up next to the voice of God. I had a friend in Port Saint Lucie Florida. I was moving away and he was seeing me off. He leaned into my car window and said to me, "I just can't hear the voice of God anymore." I told him, "God speaks so quietly you have to get your ear right up against the speaker."

You are at peace with God, but if you are not feeling it, its time to try something different. Many people go to the same church, year after year, and do the same things, and in and of itself that is a good thing. And if you are learning every day, and you are being filled with the knowledge of God, and you are taking control of your life, and you are worshipping God and praising God openly, and you are feeling the deep love and affection God has for you, and you are believing the Word every time it is preached, then stay where you are, because you have found a gem.
But if you have been in the same setting for twenty years and your life is turned upside down, and you can't get control of it, and it seems as if God is distant, and all you hear is how God is mad at you and wants you to change, you need to make a change.

Your mind and the life blood of your family is more important than keeping the status quo. You deserve to understand how God operates in your life; what you can do toward finding and keeping joy and peace and contentment in your life; and understanding what God is doing to bring it to pass. Everything you ever needed to be perfectly content is at hand. You need understanding eyes that can see the blessings and you need ears that can hear the voice of God. You already possess them, now get to know them.

Peace with God is a gift from God and requires nothing from you except to receive it. Receive it.

Daily Devotional June 9 - Are You On The Fence?

 "The Pharisees also with the Saducees came, and tempting desired Him that He would shew them a sign from heaven. He answered and said unto them, When it is evening, ye say, It will be fair weather: for the sky is red. And in the morning, It will be foul weather today: for the sky is red and lowering. O ye hypocrites, ye can discern the face of the sky; but can ye not discern the signs of the times? A wicked and adulterous generation seeketh after a sign; and there shall no sign be given unto it, but the sign of the prophet Jonas..."  Matthew 16:1-4

In essence Jesus was rebuking the religious leaders of the time for having matured in the art of scientific observation, but lacking in spiritual inclination. We see some of the same sickness in our society. Many people can tell you what is going on in the world around them from a scientific or natural point of view, but when it comes to spiritual matters, they are ignorant.

We have become reliant on our ability to forecast the weather of life by the degree of education we accomplish. We have psychiatrist treating people with drugs without consulting with God in prayer first and the demons that are tormenting some of their patients love the drugs. We have educators at the highest levels of academics forecasting that the students life will be better served if he or she forgets about a God that does not exist. We have presidents denying the Son of God as the only way to the Father. Jesus said (paraphrased) you treat the signs of the times with medicines that don't work and advice that destroys souls, but you can't even see the simple truths of the spiritual life. There will be no sign given this generation, that this generation of unbelievers can understand.

If you are looking for the brilliant minds (secular humanist) of our century to pull us out of our nations troubles, you are not listening to God. They can't. They don't have the spiritual eyes required to make short and long term decisions that acknowledge and honor God. The signs of the times today are a little like they were in Jesus' time. Jesus had come to the world as the Son of God, the Way the Truth and the Life and He was not recognized by His own people. Today Jesus is alive and He has come unto His own again by the indwelling Holy Spirit and He is not recognized by many of His own people.

Are you still on the fence about such an important issue?