Category Archives: Devotionals

Christian Growth, Devotionals

Pastor Appreciation

photo credit: hoyasmeg <a href=”http://www.flickr.com/photos/62126383@N00/512265649″>Keith Hill @ last 9:30 service_2456</a> via <a href=”http://photopin.com”>photopin</a> <a href=”https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/2.0/”>(license)</a>    

 

Are you familiar with the concept of Pastor Appreciation Month? 

The month of October has been designated as pastor appreciation month. Pastor Appreciation Day falls on the 2nd Sunday of October. Our pastors deserve special recognition. They need our prayers, support and encouragement.  

“And we urge you, brethren, to recognize those who labor among you, and are over you in the Lord and admonish you, and to esteem them very highly in love for their work’s sake. Be at peace among yourselves (1 Thessalonians 5:12-13 NKJV).”

Why not make every day a pastor appreciation day?

 

 

 

Standard
Devotionals, Grief, Redemption, Salvation

Take it to Heart

photo credit: Lars Plougmann <a href=”http://www.flickr.com/photos/75062596@N00/36425009134″>Leonora Christina’s final resting place</a> via <a href=”http://photopin.com”>photopin</a&gt; <a href=”https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/2.0/”>(license)</a&gt;

 

“A good name is better than precious ointment,
And the day of death than the day of one’s birth;
Better to go to the house of mourning
Than to go to the house of feasting,
For that is the end of all men;
And the living will take it to heart.
Sorrow is better than laughter,
For by a sad countenance the heart is made better.
The heart of the wise is in the house of mourning,
But the heart of fools is in the house of mirth (Ecclesiastes 7:1-4 NKJV).” 

It may take a few readings before the scripture passage above sinks in. At first, it just doesn’t seem logical.

The day a person dies is better than the day he is born?

Families rejoice when a baby is born; they mourn when a family member dies.

You find a key phrase in the words ‘For that is the end of all men; and then the living will take it to heart.’  

When grieving the loss of loved ones and friends we reflect on our own lives. Are we prepared to die?

If not, it is time to set our house in order.

Have you surrendered your life to Christ Jesus.

“For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life (John 3:16 NKJV).”

Standard
Christian Growth, Devotionals

WHO you gonna’ serve?

Who you gonna’ serve?

Many people are slaves to sin and self.

“For if we have become united with Him in the likeness of His death, certainly we shall also be in the likeness of His resurrection, knowing this, that our old self was crucified with Him, in order that our body of sin might be done away with, so that we would no longer be slaves to sin (Roman 6:5-6 NASB).”

What will it be?

We have a choice.

A slave to sin or obedient servant to the Master?

“Do you not know that when you present yourselves to someone as slaves for obedience, you are slaves of the one whom you obey, either of sin resulting in death, or of obedience resulting in righteousness? But thanks be to God that though you were slaves of sin, you became obedient from the heart to that form of teaching to which you were committed, and having been freed from sin, you became slaves of righteousness. I am speaking in human terms because of the weakness of your flesh. For just as you presented your members as slaves to impurity and to lawlessness, resulting in further lawlessness, so now present your members as slaves to righteousness, resulting in sanctification.

For when you were slaves of sin, you were free in regard to righteousness. Therefore what benefit were you then deriving from the things of which you are now ashamed? For the outcome of those things is death. But now having been freed from sin and enslaved to God, you derive your benefit, resulting in sanctification, and the outcome, eternal life. For the wages of sin is death, but the free gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord (Romans 6:16-23 NASB).”

 

 

 

Standard
Bible Studies, Christian Growth, Devotionals

Crossing Over

photo credit: cseeman <a href=”http://www.flickr.com/photos/7702423@N04/31707776518″>Boat Watching Street Sign from Beautiful Stratford, Ontario, Canada – September 1st & 2nd, 2018</a> via <a href=”http://photopin.com”>photopin</a> <a href=”https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-sa/2.0/”>(license)</a>  

 

At intersections… before crossing, stop-look & listen.

 

At train-tracks… before crossing, stop-look & listen.

 

Crossing over into new adventures… before crossing, stop-look & listen.

 

God speaks words of encouragement.

 

“Then Moses went and spoke these words to all Israel. And he said to them: ‘I am one hundred and twenty years old today. I can no longer go out and come in. Also the Lord has said to me, ‘You shall not cross over this Jordan.’ The Lord your God Himself crosses over before you; He will destroy these nations from before you, and you shall dispossess them. Joshua himself crosses over before you, just as the Lord has said (Deuteronomy 31:1-3 NKJV).”

 

He crosses before you.

 

 “And the Lord, He is the One who goes before you. He will be with you, He will not leave you nor forsake you; do not fear nor be dismayed (Deuteronomy 31:8 NKJV).”

Standard
Bible Studies, Christian Growth, Devotionals, Resurrection

ALIVE and Kicking

 

rsz_57584262_1785835828182896_3641755357857972224_n1

photo credit: Onasill ~ Bill Badzo – OFF – 63 Million Views – Me <a href=”http://www.flickr.com/photos/7156765@N05/46609274665″>Toronto Ontario – Canada – Allan Gardens Conservatory – Toronto Tropical Garden – White Lily Macro</a> via <a href=”http://photopin.com”>photopin</a&gt; <a href=”https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-sa/2.0/”>(license)</a

Faith is only as firm as the foundation upon which it rests.

Easter faith is Rock solid.

Resurrection power is not fable sentiment; there were hundreds of witnesses to Jesus appearances in His resurrection body. (1Corinthians 15:3-8) I’m  thankful for the accounts recorded in the Gospels and forever in His debt for revealing the redemption story to me.

We look back to Calvary and the empty grave; Job looked forward and sealed his future.

“I wish that my words were written down, that they were recorded on a scroll or were inscribed in stone forever by an iron stylus and lead! But I know my living Redeemer, and He will stand on the dust at last. Even after my skin has been destroyed, yet I will see God in my flesh. I will see Him myself; my eyes will look at [Him], and not as a stranger. My heart longs within me (Job 19: 23-27 HCSB).”

Jesus is ALIVE and kicking’!

He defeated Satan and triumphed over the grave and death. “Now since the children have flesh and blood in common, He also shared in these, so that through His death He might destroy the one holding the power of death – that is, the Devil- (Hebrews 2:14 HCSB).”

Yes, Job knew that his Redeemer lives; he witnessed in Rock solid faith.

Standard
Bible Studies, Christian Growth, Devotionals

Hosanna!

{Image: crosscards.com}  

Jesus made His triumphant entry into the City of Jerusalem.

I’d think that some in the crowd were likely disinterested bystanders.

Others may have been curiosity seekers.

Inspired by the Holy Spirit, Matthew portrayed most of the crowd favorably. The people gave homage to Jesus. They shouted out praise!

“When they had approached Jerusalem and had come to Bethphage, at the Mount of Olives, then Jesus sent two disciples,  saying to them, ‘Go into the village opposite you, and immediately you will find a donkey tied there and a colt with her; untie them and bring them to Me. If anyone says anything to you, you shall say, ‘The Lord has need of them,’ and immediately he will send them.’ This took place to fulfill what was spoken through the prophet:

‘Say to the daughter of Zion,
‘Behold your King is coming to you,
Gentle, and mounted on a donkey,
Even on a colt, the foal of a beast of burden.’”

The disciples went and did just as Jesus had instructed them, and brought the donkey and the colt, and laid their coats on them; and He sat on the coats. Most of the crowd spread their coats in the road, and others were cutting branches from the trees and spreading them in the road. The crowds going ahead of Him, and those who followed, were shouting,

‘Hosanna to the Son of David;
Blessed is He who comes in the name of the Lord;
Hosanna in the highest! (Matthew 21:1-9 NASB).”

Shouts of praise soon became cries for crucifixion…

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Standard
Bible Studies, Christian Growth, Devotionals, Prayer

Stood Still, It’s a Miracle!

photo credit: ruifo <a href=”http://www.flickr.com/photos/111245738@N08/33265816618″>Waxing Gibbous Moon</a> via <a href=”http://photopin.com”>photopin</a&gt; <a href=”https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-sa/2.0/”>(license)</a&gt;

‘The Day the Earth Stood Still’ was a 1951 science fiction movie.

It’s been said that truth is stranger than fiction.

Biblical truth is miraculous!

“Then the men of Gibeon sent word to Joshua to the camp at Gilgal, saying, ‘Do not abandon your servants; come up to us quickly and save us and help us, for all the kings of the Amorites that live in the hill country have assembled against us.’ So Joshua went up from Gilgal, he and all the people of war with him and all the valiant warriors. The Lord said to Joshua, ‘Do not fear them, for I have given them into your hands; not one of them shall stand before you.’ So Joshua came upon them suddenly by marching all night from Gilgal. And the Lord confounded them before Israel, and He slew them with a great slaughter at Gibeon, and pursued them by the way of the ascent of Beth-horon and struck them as far as Azekah and Makkedah. As they fled from before Israel, while they were at the descent of Beth-horon, the Lord threw large stones from heaven on them as far as Azekah, and they died; there were more who died from the hailstones than those whom the sons of Israel killed with the sword.

Then Joshua spoke to the Lord in the day when the Lord delivered up the Amorites before the sons of Israel, and he said in the sight of Israel,

‘O sun, stand still at Gibeon,
And O moon in the valley of Aijalon.’
So the sun stood still, and the moon stopped,
Until the nation avenged themselves of their enemies.

Is it not written in the book of Jashar? And the sun stopped in the middle of the sky and did not hasten to go down for about a whole day. There was no day like that before it or after it, when the Lord listened to the voice of a man; for the Lord fought for Israel (Joshua 10:6-14 NASB).”

 

 

Standard
Bible Studies, Christian Growth, Devotionals, Missions, Salvation

70 Sent

Seventy sent…

“Now after this the Lord appointed seventy others, and sent them in pairs ahead of Him to every city and place where He Himself was going to come. And He was saying to them, ‘The harvest is plentiful, but the laborers are few; therefore beseech the Lord of the harvest to send out laborers into His harvest. Go; behold, I send you out as lambs in the midst of wolves. Carry no money belt, no bag, no shoes; and greet no one on the way. Whatever house you enter, first say, ‘Peace be to this house.’ If a man of peace is there, your peace will rest on him; but if not, it will return to you. Stay in that house, eating and drinking what they give you; for the laborer is worthy of his wages. Do not keep moving from house to house. Whatever city you enter and they receive you, eat what is set before you; and heal those in it who are sick, and say to them, ‘The kingdom of God has come near to you.’ But whatever city you enter and they do not receive you, go out into its streets and say, ‘Even the dust of your city which clings to our feet we wipe off in protest against you; yet be sure of this, that the kingdom of God has come near.’ I say to you, it will be more tolerable in that day for Sodom than for that city (Luke 10:1-12 NASB).”

Seventy returned…

“The seventy returned with joy, saying, ‘Lord, even the demons are subject to us in Your name.’ And He said to them, ‘I was watching Satan fall from heaven like lightning. Behold, I have given you authority to tread on serpents and scorpions, and over all the power of the enemy, and nothing will injure you. ‘Nevertheless do not rejoice in this, that the spirits are subject to you, but rejoice that your names are recorded in heaven (Luke 10:17-20 NASB).”

Seventy rejoiced!

 

 

Standard
Bible Studies, Devotionals, Redemption, Salvation

The Sunrise From On High

photo credit: Noel F. <a href=”http://www.flickr.com/photos/37563893@N00/45770871165″>Bartolo</a&gt; via <a href=”http://photopin.com”>photopin</a&gt; <a href=”https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/2.0/”>(license)</a&gt;

“And you, child, will be called the prophet of the Most High;
For you will go on before the Lord to prepare His ways;
To give to His people the knowledge of salvation
By the forgiveness of their sins,
Because of the tender mercy of our God,
With which the Sunrise from on high will visit us,
To shine upon those who sit in darkness and the shadow of death,
To guide our feet into the way of peace.’

And the child continued to grow and to become strong in spirit, and he lived in the deserts until the day of his public appearance to Israel (Luke 1:76-80 NASB).”

Standard
Christian Growth, Devotionals

Got Ya!

photo credit: chrisjohnbeckett <a href=”http://www.flickr.com/photos/62558594@N00/14868516335″>Spencer Matthews, Made in Chelsea, at the Secret Garden Party 2014</a> via <a href=”http://photopin.com”>photopin</a&gt; <a href=”https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/2.0/”>(license)</a>

‘Got ya!’

I did it again; I grumbled.

My conscience is pricked.

The Holy Spirit reminds me of the seriousness of my sin. He is the Spirit of truth.

“So then, my beloved, just as you 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 who is at work in you, both to will and to work for His good pleasure.

Do all things without grumbling or disputing;  so that you will prove yourselves to be blameless and innocent, children of God above reproach in the midst of a crooked and perverse generation, among whom you appear as lights in the world (Philippians 2:12-15 NASB).”

Do I do all things without grumbling? Far from it…

‘Father, forgive me.’

‘Got ya!’

Who said that?

The devil, Satan; he accuses and condemns. He battles for control of my mind. He’ll lose the war!

“And there was war in heaven, Michael and his angels waging war with the dragon. The dragon and his angels waged war, and they were not strong enough, and there was no longer a place found for them in heaven. And the great dragon was thrown down, the serpent of old who is called the devil and Satan, who deceives the whole world; he was thrown down to the earth, and his angels were thrown down with him. Then I heard a loud voice in heaven, saying,

‘Now the salvation, and the power, and the kingdom of our God and the authority of His Christ have come, for the accuser of our brethren has been thrown down, he who accuses them before our God day and night (Revelation 12:7-10 NASB).”

 

 

 

Standard