God's Great Commission # 1

God’s Great Commission # 1 “Then the master told his servant, Go out to the roads and country lanes and make them come in, so that my house will be full. Luke 14:23 As I have been growing in my walk with God I have discovered that in so many of our churches today, everyone gets so focused on the church community within the church, that we forget the community outside the walls of the church building we attend. Jesus gave us the Great Commission to all churches to go out into the land and make disciples of all mankind. As Christians we are to reach out and be ambassadors for Him, in our communities and throughout the world. I am witnessing so many of our churches who have wonderful programs set up, such as small groups, where the purpose is to train members of their congregations to go out into the community and reach the people. However, they are failing so badly in that they are forever “training” but never “doing”. They constantly minister to each other in these small groups, supposedly getting each other prepared. This small group then trains others, with the bottom line being that all the time is spent training to go out but no one ever goes out to become actual workers for God. This reminds me so much of a recent commercial, where as a man sits at a table choking to death on a piece of food which is stuck in his throat, while others are calmly sitting and talking about how to administer the Heimlich maneuver. No one does anything to help the man, but continue to talk about the procedure. It is time that our churches begin “acting” instead of “talking” about planning and training. There are souls that are being lost in the meantime, due to this irresponsible behavior. It is time to become a doer instead of a talker and actually reach out. My Daily Devotional Volume III August 7 Robert William Brock, Jr.

Our First Times

Our First Times “Do not be afraid. I am the First and the Last.” Revelation: 1:17 Have you ever thought how we remember our favorite “firsts”, and how these are many times the most memorable moments of our lives. For example, the first time I saw my children after they were born, or saw my wife for the first time, or the first time I caught my first fish, were moments that will always be etched in our memories, and will last our lifetimes. Have you ever thought about the very first day, and what a wonder this must have been as God surveyed what he had created. Or the first man, when God saw Adam walking around in the Garden of Eden. Take a moment and think about all that you value in your life, and pretend for a moment that you could awaken tomorrow and experience them once more—for the first time. I am confident that each of us can think of many things that we value more than anything in our lives, and would love to relive these “first times” again. There are also times in our past that I would refer to as our “dark times”. Each of us has our own “dark times”, but instead of wanting to relive these moments, these are the times we would like to forget and never be reminded of again. These are the times we were hurt, disappointed, suffered failure, and are times we want to forget. The truth is that we will never be able to bring back either of these times, even if we wanted to. They are gone forever, and we either have a good or bad memory of them. The thing we must concentrate on now is our future. We need to get excited about our tomorrow, and make all our new “first times” ones that will become our favorites, and ones that we will value. Jesus is the answer to make our future the brightest yet, as he can remove all the “dark times” from our past, and make all our new “first times” the best ones possible as they will last for all eternity. My Daily Devotional Volume III August 6 Robert William Brock, Jr.

Let God Lead The Way

Let God Lead The Way “I will lead the blind by ways they have not known, along unfamiliar paths I will guide them; I will turn the darkness into light before them and make the rough places smooth.” Isaiah 42:16 It is good to have dreams and plans for the future, as this is what keeps us motivated and many times moving ahead. Many of us have gotten to the place we are today because of the dreams and plans we made years ago. However many people have gotten where they are by circumstances that they have not planned for, and are living day to day dealing with things as they come, with still no plan for the future. I believe most Christians would prefer to follow God’s lead and stay on course, rather than go their own way and stumble along. I know that when I am uncertain about the correct decision or path to take, I can find direction and peace in my decisions by asking God for help. When we follow God and His plan for us, we do not have to worry about where we are going, as we always know that He is going to lead us to the right destination. One of the keys to unlocking the doors to our future is prayer. Prayer can bring us peace of mind when it comes to making decisions or deciding which road to travel about our future. Just a quiet time with God can give us a direction, and provide us with the wisdom needed to make the right decision, about what to do. If you don't know where the Lord is leading you, or are uncertain about the path to follow, or the decisions you need to make, don’t worry because you have the Word of God, and the Scriptures from God’s Holy Bible to give you wisdom and understanding to set you on your journey. God gives you His road map to let you get to your proper destination. If you follow the wisdom and advice found in the pages of His Holy Word, you will find success in whatever you do and wherever you go. My Daily Devotional Volume III August 5 Robert William Brock, Jr.

Become A New Christian

Become A New Christian “Create in me a pure heart, O God, and renew a steadfast spirit within me. Do not cast me from your presence or take your Holy Spirit from me. Restore to me the joy of your salvation and grant me a willing spirit, to sustain me.” Psalm 51:10-12 The previous devotional talked about becoming transformed and truly accepting Jesus into our hearts. The apostle Paul reminded the Christians in the wicked city of Corinth that they had been horrible sinners. He gives them a long laundry list of sins that they described in their lives. Then he says: 1 Corinthians 6:9-11 “But you were washed, you were sanctified, you were justified in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ and by the Spirit of our God.” He is telling them that God has cleansed them inside and out. In a later letter to the same church, Paul reminds them that the Holy Spirit gives them freedom to become what they couldn’t become without Him; God’s children with power like Christ. The presence of the Holy Spirit is the defining mark of who is a Christian and who isn’t. One of the great gifts of salvation is the gift of the Holy Spirit living inside of us. One of the great blessings of being a Christian is that we can ask God to empower us and strengthen us through His Spirit. While the spirit is always present in us, He gives us special power to meet our obstacles and also fulfill our opportunities. Giving thanks to God and obeying His commands and doing His will for our lives are things that each of us can do to begin this transformation. We need to also seek God’s will by studying his Word. The Scriptures are Spirit-inspired, and when we read, study and meditate on God’s will in Scripture, the Spirit helps us understand what is said, and convicts us of what is wrong in our life. It also empowers us to live out what God has called us to do, and fulfill his plan for us. My Daily Devotional Volume III August 4 Robert William Brock, Jr.

Let God Transform You

Let God Transform You “But you were washed, you were sanctified, you were justified in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ and by the Spirit of our God.” 1st Corinthians 6:11 Over the years I have observed many, who are good and decent folks, who go to church on Sunday only to keep up the appearance that they are good Christian people. Their outward appearance is what matters to them, as their thoughts are only how they appear to others. Their involvement and thoughts about God rarely extend beyond the Sunday morning sermon. Their actions and activities are usually non existent when it comes to meeting the needs of the less fortunate in their community. If you see yourself as this kind of Sunday morning person, you need to think about transforming yourself into a more dynamic individual who is depicting God in your daily life, and not be concerned about your outward appearance. The thing that matters most to God is not your outward appearance, but your inner being, your spirit, your mind, your thoughts, but most of all your soul. What you need to seek is an internal as well as an external transformation. Some of us hope getting the outside clean and keeping appearances up to date will suffice. Deep down, however, we fear that if we let God in too close, if we open up our hearts and truly let Him look inside us, then we will have to change significantly. Our hidden sins, our pettiness, our grip on pride, our self centered attitudes are suddenly threatened if we let God really come into our lives. God can transform us if we open ourselves up to Him, and let Him come into our hearts. Becoming a real Christian is critical in this transformation, as God will empower us and strengthen us through His Spirit. When we come to Christ for salvation, the Holy Spirit cleanses us and makes us holy. My Daily Devotional Volume III August 3 Robert William Brock, Jr.

Resisting Sin

Resisting Sin “Righteousness guards the man of integrity, but wickedness overthrows the sinner.” Proverbs 13:6 We are all born into this sinful world, and have all sinned and come short of the glory of God, but this does not have to continually be the pattern of our lives. Many times when we sin we tend to cast the blame on others, as was the case with the first sin when Adam and Eve blamed each other for their transgression. Many times there are reasons why we sin, as we use envy, strife, unforgiveness, revenge and jealousy to try to justify it, but it is no use as we are still the only ones to blame when we commit a sin. Satan is always on the prowl to tempt and entice us to do wrong, and will affect our thoughts, create doubt and any other logic that will cause confusion and disorder in our lives. We must always stay focused, and remember that it is Satan that is originating the assault against us, and not blame others that may be used as pawns to carry out his plans. The Bible tells us that we must discern for ourselves what is right and wrong, and that if we seek wisdom from God it will be given to us. Proverbs 2:6 “For the Lord gives wisdom, and from his mouth comes knowledge and understanding.” The best defense against Satan’s attack is to put on the full armor of God, which includes knowing the truth which is given throughout the Bible, and knowing what God’s commands are. This truth will help us make the proper decisions, and give us wisdom and understanding, to find the proper path to travel throughout our lives. A righteous man will be a man of integrity, who is following the will of God and obeying His commands, and will be one that will shun evil and wickedness. Please remember that only you are responsible for your sins, but when you are faced by Satan’s attack God is there to defend you. My Daily Devotional Volume III August 2 Robert William Brock, Jr.

Set Your Goals

Set Your Goals “May he give you the desires of your heart and make all your plans succeed.” Psalm 20:4 I believe that one of the major causes of failure in the lives of people is their unwillingness to take the time to set their goals. If you do not know where you want to go in life, chances are you are not going to get there. You will be lost and continually spend your life from day to day trying to get by and not knowing where you are going. There are several reasons why people don’t set any goals for themselves, such as they do not know how to go about it, or they are afraid of possible failure, but the greatest is that they have not been taught the power and joy of such an action. Planning and goal setting takes the disorder out of life, as you know where you want to go and the steps needed to get you there. Proverbs 14:8 “The wise man looks ahead.” (TLB) The setting of specific goals is one good way of fulfilling the purpose God has for your life. For instance, you might have as a goal to be a better Christian this year. To fulfill that goal, one of your daily goals could be to read a specific amount of chapters in the Bible each day, or set up a morning prayer time. Goal setting may take some time, discipline, courage and patience but the rewards are very well worth the effort. You must decide for yourself what you really want out of life, as nobody else can decide for you. If you don’t care what happens to your life, no one else will. You need to ask God and seek his wisdom to make sure your goals and plans are ones he desires for you as well. Some people get comfortable in a particular job and stay with it for 20 years even though they may be missing a divine position God is wanting for them. Financial security to them is their job, not their Heavenly Father. It is important to know God’s goals and plans for your life. My Daily Devotional Volume III August 1 Robert William Brock, Jr.

God Is All Powerful

God Is All Powerful “You rule over the surging sea; when its waves mount up, you still them.” Psalm 89:9 God has been and still is all powerful, and can create life and destroy it in an instant. I am reminded of his power by reflecting back at the power of the tsunami that hit the coast of fourteen countries from Southeast Asia to Northeastern Africa in late December 2004. This tsunami was created by a massive earthquake, which had a magnitude of 9.0, which struck deep under the Indian Ocean, off the coast of the Island of Sumatra. The disaster that resulted from this earthquake and the tsunami obliterated cities, villages and popular holiday resorts along all the coast lines of these cities. The death toll from this catastrophe amounted to over 290,000, with thousands of others left injured. This entire region was left devastated and with losses they will never recover from. This demonstrates how our lives can change in an instant, as God has the power to suddenly allow a disaster such as this, and take away all our material possessions and everything we own. In the same way God can also change our lives for the good in an instant. He can bring us healing for our bodies from our diseases, he can allow the blind to see and the lame to walk, he can cure our finances, and heal our relationships. We still see examples today of His power. But the most important and powerful thing that God can do for us is to give us an eternal life, where we will never have to be concerned anymore about earthquakes, tsunamis, or diseases. God gives hope for all that sincerely desire to be free from sin. He can heal wounds that have not healed, and restore broken relationships. God is there to help deal with all our troubles, but most of all He will give us an everlasting life in Heaven with Him. My Daily Devotional Volume III July 31 Robert William Brock, Jr.

You Reap What You Sow

You Reap What You Sow “A man reaps what he sows. The one who sows to please his sinful nature, from that nature will reap destruction; the one who sows to please the Spirit, from the Spirit will reap eternal life.” Galatians 6:7-8 Last night at one of my board meetings, we spent a few minutes discussing how our organization had grown over the past few years. Someone mentioned the seed money that was invested at the beginning, and how it had grown and multiplied to become the organization it was today. This is the way that God wants each of our lives to be like, as the small seeds that we sow each day needs to grow and multiply and produce bountiful harvest in whatever we do. If we sow the seed of diligence, honesty and hard work in our jobs, our harvest will be a promotion. If we sow the seed of love in our family, our harvest will be children that will love us in return, and result in a happy and joyful family. If we sow the seed of giving with our tithes, our harvest will be financial blessings bestowed upon ourselves, and our storehouses will be overflowing. The Bible tells us “whatever we sow, so shall we reap”. We need to remember that everything we have came from God, and that everything we will receive in the future will come from God. He is our total source for everything in our life, both now and in the future. God wants us to be blessed in everything we do, and wants us to sow seeds of righteousness, wherever we go and in whatever we do, so that he can bless us. The secret of our future is in our hands, and is determined by the seeds we sow today. The seeds we sow today can create any future we want. We need to always keep the principal that “whatever we sow, so shall we reap” in our minds, and plant good seeds, and expect a good harvest from God, in whatever we do. My Daily Devotional Volume III July 30 Robert William Brock, Jr.

A Sense Of Duty

A Sense Of Duty “So you also, when you have done everything you were told to do, should say, we are unworthy servants; we have only done our duty.” Luke 17:10 Sometimes we have to do things, even when we don’t feel like doing them. It’s called having a sense of duty. When we go to church on Sunday and hear our pastor talk about the importance of doing things for God because we want to, and not because we have to, many people do not follow through on this principle because it is not a requirement. I can recall a humorous joke which illustrates this so well. Early one morning, a mother went in to wake up her son. “Wake up son; it’s time to go to school.” “But why, mom, I don’t want to go.” “Give me two reasons why you don’t want to go to school today.” “Well, the kids hate me for one, and the teachers hate me too.” “Oh, that’s no reason not to go to school. Come on now and get ready.” “Give me two reasons why I should go to school.” “Well, for one, you’re 52 years old, and for another, you’re the principal.” This is the way it is with many people as they know that they need to serve God, but they don’t feel like it at this time. This is why we have so many Sunday morning Christians, as they think they need to only serve God on Sunday morning, and the rest of the time is theirs to spend as they please. When we only serve God when we really feel like it, our service is going to be minimal indeed. We need to have a sense of duty to serve God at all times, and know that serving him is the right thing to do. We need to rededicate ourselves to serve God every morning as we need to develop a sense of duty to serve him, and make this a mandatory part of our morning. I would encourage you to give yourself entirely to God each morning and then let him lead you all through the day and serve him. My Daily Devotional Volume III July 29 Robert William Brock, Jr.

Remember The Scars

Remember The Scars “But he was pierced for our transgressions, he was crushed for our iniquities; the punishment that brought us peace was upon him, and by his wounds we are healed.” Isaiah 53:5 Sometimes we just don’t take the time to think about the sacrifice that Jesus made that day on the cross for us. I remember a story about a respected general who fought for the south in the Civil War. His name was General John Gordon. After the war, he was running for the United States Senate, but a man who had served under him during the war, had become angry about one of his political stances and was fighting General Gordon’s bid to become a senator. During the convention, this man angrily stomped down the aisle with his anti-Gordon vote in hand. As he saw General Gordon sitting on the platform, he noticed how his once handsome face was disfigured with the scars of battle—marks of his willingness to suffer and bleed for a cause he believed in. He was suddenly filled with remorse, and overcome with emotion, said, “It’s no use: I can’t do it. Here’s my vote for the General.” Then, turning to the General, he said, “Forgive me, General, I had forgotten the scars.” What a difference it makes in our lives when we remember the scars. With so many things to distract us, we don’t often take time each day to reflect on what Jesus went through on the cross for us, but when we are tempted to stray, the cross and the scars remind us of the sacrifice that Jesus made for us, and it draws us back to him. We need to take the time each day to reflect and remember the scars that Jesus endured for each of us, and then thank him for suffering the way he did for us, and saving us from our sins. I would encourage each of you to take a moment right now to pause and “remember the scars.” My Daily Devotional Volume III July 28 Robert William Brock, Jr.

Judgment Day

Judgment Day “For we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ, that each one may receive what is due him for the things done while in the body, whether good or bad.” 2nd Corinthians 5:10 One day each of us will stand before Christ, and be judged on all the good things and bad things we ever did. This will be a day that all the records of our lives will be opened for Christ to see and hold us accountable for. There will be no stone left unturned, or nothing about us that will be hidden from his sight, as all our sins will be laid at his feet. There will be nothing that we can do to make ourselves look better, as there will not be a defense attorney appointed to protect our rights. There will not be any in-between sins or grey areas to debate, as all our sins will be held against us. But God promises us that he will reward us for all the good we do. I believe he will base his rewards on the opportunities God gave us to serve him, along with the abilities and gifts he provided each of us. He doesn’t expect the same level of achievement or amount of work from everybody, but he will assess how we responded when God opened a door of service for us, and he will reward our obedience. Jesus will be righteous, so his judgments will be accurate and fair. Believers’ obedient deeds will result in eternal rewards, however, for those who don’t have a relationship with God; they will suffer eternal separation from God. What can we do to get ready for our judgment day? The most important thing we can do is to immediately ask Jesus to come into our hearts, and ask him to forgive us of our sins, and promise to obey his commands for the rest of our life. When we have committed our lives to Jesus, we then do not have to fear our judgment day, but can look forward to receiving our rich rewards according to the good deeds we have done. My Daily Devotional Volume III July 27 Robert William Brock, Jr.

Resist Temptations

Resist Temptations “And God is faithful; he will not let you be tempted beyond what you can bear. But when you are tempted, he will also provide a way out so that you can stand up under it.” 1st Corinthians 10:13 All Christians face daily temptations in our walk with Christ. Everywhere we go and in everything we do, Satan is there to tempt us to do things that are evil, and things that test our faith. Everywhere we look there is advertising, books, television and music that is tempting us to do wrong. Even our friends, peers, and sometimes even our family, try to persuade us to join the crowd, and do things that are not right in the sight of God. I believe that one of the most important things we can do to ward off temptations is to face them head on. In order to do this we need to prepare ourselves, just as God tells us to do in Psalms 23:5 “You prepare a table before me in the presence of my enemies.” If we expect the enemy to attack us we need to be ready, as it should not be any surprise. We need to stand up and in the name of the Lord declare: I do not care how you got here Satan, but I was expecting you, as I knew that I was going to have troubles and be tempted in this world, so you are no surprise to me. But I am ready for you Satan, as I have God on my side, and he has even prepared a table before me in your presence, and I am going to enjoy a heavenly feast right before your eyes, and there is nothing that you can do about it. My God and I are in control and your power cannot tempt me. If we keep this kind of attitude and faith in God to help us withstand any kind of temptation, we will be able to ward off any attack that Satan will throw against us. I would encourage each of you to anticipate temptations on a daily basis, and when you are tempted think about this scripture and let God help you resist and prepare your own table in front of Satan. My Daily Devotional Volume III July 26 Robert William Brock, Jr.

Give Yourself Fully

Give Yourself Fully “Therefore, my dear brothers, stand firm. Let nothing move you. Always give yourselves fully to the work of the Lord, because you know that your labor in the Lord is not in vain.” 1st Corinthians 15:58 Because of Christ’s resurrection, we know that serving Him is not useless activity, as our labor is not in vain. Our effort is invested in the Lord’s winning cause, and we will be rewarded at His second coming. During the past several years I have observed that most people are prone to set back, and not give 100% of themselves to doing work for God. It is difficult to find people to distribute food to the needy, to help counsel with people who are going through tough times in their lives, or to generally just help people who are in need of other assistance. Most of these people are willing to discuss the problems and offer solutions, but when it comes to actually doing the work, most want to set back and wait for someone else to do the work. Just as the saying goes, “there usually are too many chiefs and not enough Indians”. This is not giving yourself fully to the Lord and doing His work. God gives us clear and concise commands about helping our neighbors who are in need, and when we let our other commitments get in the way, we are committing a sin in the eyes of God. I believe we can commit just as great a sin by not doing something, as we can by doing something that we know is wrong. When we see someone going hungry, or needing clothing or shelter, and do not respond to their needs, when we have the resources to help, we have sinned in God’s eyes. Please take a moment and look at your own lives to see if you are giving yourself fully to the work of the Lord. Jesus tells you to love others as you love yourself. Take time to test yourself to see if you are following His commands. When you give fully to do God’s work, your labor will not be in vain. My Daily Devotional Volume III July 25 Robert William Brock, Jr.

Test Yourself

Test Yourself “Examine yourselves to see whether you are in the faith, test yourselves.” 2nd Corinthians 13:5 Every day almost all of us will have problems and difficulties that Satan will send our way that will test our faith. Satan wants us to constantly be in a state of confusion, not knowing which way to turn, as we are vulnerable to temptations during this time. Knowing that we will be attacked in this manner, it is important to keep reminding ourselves that God is the only one that matters, and that he is in control. We must constantly test ourselves, and reflect back to see that we are not losing our focus, and taking our eyes off God. It is easy to be distracted by the ways of the world, and compromise our values and succumb to the things that others do. Just because our friends go to see a movie or listen to music that is not justifiable in God’s sight, does not mean that we need to follow along. This is what has happened to our generation, as we have compromised our family values, just a little at a time, until now something that our ancestors and God would not have permitted, is now acceptable as routine. There is no compromise in God’s eyes, as if something is just a little bad, it is completely bad. Just a few bad words in a movie or a song, contaminates the entire production and we should not compromise our values, because the next movie and song may have a few more bad words, which will shortly lead to us compromising our values even more. I would encourage each of you to examine and test yourselves, and determine if you are slowly compromising your values. Are you following the ways of the world and succumbing to the temptations from others around you. Ask yourself if God would be pleased with what you are allowing to come into your life and your homes. Test yourself to see if you are in the faith. My Daily Devotional Volume III July 24 Robert William Brock, Jr.

Give Thanks To God Daily

Give Thanks To God Daily “Sing and make music in your heart to the Lord, always giving thanks to God the Father for everything, in the name of Lord Jesus Christ.” Ephesians 5:20 Do you sing and make music in your heart daily to the Lord? This is such an inspiring scripture that all of us should aspire to do each day. How often do we really give God thanks for all that He has done in our lives? I mean really taking the time to look up into the face of Jesus, and with grateful hearts of praise, offer sincere thanks to Him. I think we can all honestly say not often enough. Most people only go to God when they are having troubles in their lives, and need help to solve their problems. This is good, but we need to go to God each morning even when things seem rosy for us, and thank Him for blessing us. We live in a nation that so far God has blessed, as most of us have material possessions that far outweigh what our ancestors had. God has blessed us with many things, and when we wake up in the morning we should thank God for all our blessings. He should be first on our thoughts and our minds each day, and our lives should be focused on doing His will during the hours ahead. The scripture above says to give thanks for all things, even the small things that we often take for granted, as God has provided them to us. I believe that a thankful heart is something that will get God’s attention, more than anything we could do each day, but it needs to be a heart that is filled with, faith, gratitude, and sincerity and really come from within us, and show God that we really are thankful. We need to learn to offer thanks to God with a grateful heart, regardless of what we are going through. I would encourage each of you to begin your day with a “Prayer of Thanksgiving” to God. My Daily Devotional Volume III July 23 Robert William Brock, Jr.

God, Heal Our Land

God, Heal Our Land “If my people, who are called by my name, will humble themselves and pray and seek my face and turn from their wicked ways, then will I hear from heaven and will forgive their sin and will heal their land.” 2nd Chronicles 7:14 When God spoke to King Solomon, about what He would do when his people humbled themselves and prayed, He gave them a great promise. He said, “I will heal your land.” If ever there was a time in America that our great nation is at a cultural and spiritual crossroad, it is today. The battle for the soul of our nation, and its entire population is raging. The materialism, sexual perversion, drug and alcohol addiction, abortions, divorce rates and family values, has set our nation on a road that is leading to an unparalleled crisis, like we have never seen before. It appears that all of this moral failure of the family, and their compromised values, has caused God to look with disfavor on our great nation. Satan is currently winning the battle for the soul of our land. The Bible holds the only answer to this dilemma, as shown in the scripture above, and that is that the Church and its body of believers, must begin to seek God with a renewed vigor, and turn from our wicked ways. The so called Christian majority of our great nation make up the bulk of the population, and I am convinced that if we don’t begin to stand up in faith, and pray to God, and change our behaviors that there is little hope for America’s once bright future. It is time that all believers commit themselves to stand behind the Old and New Testament scriptures, and come to God in earnest prayer, with clean hands and pure hearts, and ask Him to intervene on behalf of our nation. If we start now to humble ourselves, and ask him for forgiveness, God will hear our prayers, and will again heal our land. My Daily Devotional Volume III July 22 Robert William Brock, Jr.

Give A Gift Of Life

Give A Gift Of Life “Then Peter said, ‘Silver or gold I do not have, but what I have I give you. In the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth, walk.” Acts 3:6 The scripture above tells about a man who had been lame from birth, that was carried every day to the temple gate to beg. Everyone who passed by him, to enter the temple, knew who he was, and the condition he was in. But this was not an ordinary day, as Peter and John were passing by, and the man asked Peter for money. Peter did not have any money to give, but he gave him all he had to give, which was the faith of a Christian who believed in Jesus Christ. The amazing thing about this story, is that you and I have exactly what Peter had, both for our life and also to give to others. We do not have to have money or wealth to give away, but we can share and give our faith in Jesus Christ to others. Jesus tells us that by faith, we can also do miracles, as if we have faith as small as a mustard seed we can receive whatever we ask for. Most of the time when we think about giving, we think about writing a check or giving cash to help someone who is in need, but we need to remember that a gift of faith in Jesus Christ is a much greater gift to give to anyone. If we are able to give someone an eternal life, by getting them to accept Jesus as their savior, this is the greatest gift of all. We have the opportunity to have the same relationship that Peter had with God, and our faith can be as strong as we want it to be. The results of our giving can be as life-changing as the results of Peter’s. The next time when you are faced with a genuine need from someone asking you to give, think about the gift that Peter gave, and offer them the gift of an everlasting life with Christ Jesus. Money isn’t everything, as an eternal life is a gift worth many times more than silver or gold, and is more precious than any other gift you could give. My Daily Devotional Volume III July 21 Robert William Brock, Jr.

God Can Do More Than We Ask

God Can Do More Than We Ask “Now to him who is able to do immeasurably more than all we ask or imagine, according to his power that is at work within us, to him be glory in the church and in Christ Jesus throughout all generations, for ever and ever! Amen.” Ephesians 3:20-21 God is able to do much more than we can ever ask for and imagine in our life, as he tells us that anything is possible when we have enough faith and trust in him. If we truly believe that anything is possible, why do we not have enough faith and believe that anything we ask for will be granted? If we truly believe in this, why don’t we expect to be cured of our cancer and healed of our other diseases? Why do we become so fretful, angry and frustrated when things don’t happen the way we want them to, or in our time frame? Why do we hang on to our problems, such as broken marriages, troubled children and family issues, instead of asking God to mend these for us? Why doesn’t our finances improve to the point, that we are content and feel safe and secure? God tells us that everything is possible, but we just don’t have the faith and trust in God that we need to have to make all these things happen. If only we could have the faith of a tiny mustard seed we could even make mountains move, let alone solve our own small problems. The answer to all our problems, our difficulties in life and our daily trials lie within reach of all of us, and that is to increase our faith and trust in God, to the point that he will answer all our requests. When we reach this point however, we will find that the things we were concerned about before are not the concerns that we now have, as so many of our current concerns are things that are of the world, and do not matter anymore. God is able to do immeasurably more than you could ever ask for or imagine, so why don’t you begin living and believing it today. My Daily Devotional Volume III July 20 Robert William Brock, Jr

God's Grace Is Sufficient

God’s Grace Is Sufficient “But he said to me, “My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.” 2nd Corinthians 12:9 Have you ever thought about how God gives us strength to get through each day, and what life would be like without him? There are many days that we all feel that we do not have the strength or energy to get up and face the day, but somehow God gives us the energy, and we are able to breeze through the day. Then there are days that we think we cannot handle one more bit of bad news, but when we receive it, somehow he empowers us to handle it. Sometimes there are days when we wonder if the money will be there, when the bills come in, but somehow he provides a way, and the bills are paid. There are other days when temptations seem too strong for us to resist, but somehow he provides a way of escape, and strength to resist. There are many examples that I could use where God gives us just enough strength and energy to get through, whatever trouble and trials that comes our way. We all have difficult times in our life, but when we face these struggles, God is always there to help us get through them. He promises us that he will never forsake us or leave us, and will never load us down with troubles that are more than we can bear. Yes, God is always there by our side, even though we do not think about him, or call on him as often as we should, he never leaves our side. God can give us strength to get through our difficult times, and can give us wisdom and guidance, to handle any situation that comes our way. I would encourage each of you, to remember that God is always there for you. When you are faced with any problem or difficulty, call upon God. He will be there with you, helping you deal with your situations, giving you strength, and the energy necessary to overcome any difficulty. My Daily Devotional Volume III July 19 Robert William Brock, Jr.

Be An Encourager

Be An Encourager “Therefore encourage one another and build each other up, just as in fact you are doing.” 1st Thessalonians 5:11 Encouragement is such an important trait to master, and each of us should strive to be an encourager to others. Our children’s attitude and behavior can be shaped, because of a father’s encouragement and motivation. A sick friend can find encouragement, from a visit by their neighbors and family, and recover more quickly. An athlete will be more confident and perform better, if they are motivated by an audience of encouragers. The Bible teaches us that some people have been given the gift of encouragement. These people are blessed, as they are able to change attitudes, and bring the best out of the people they come into contact with. An encourager is able to uplift the spirits, and even change the attitude of people they encounter. An encourager is someone that we all like to meet, as they make us feel better, after our encounter with them. I have found through 45 years of management experience, that encouragement is a much better motivator than discipline, in getting the most productivity out of your employees. A carrot dangling in front of a horses face, will motivate him to pull a wagon, more than a whip across his backsides. Throughout the New Testament, the Apostles were writing letters to the Churches they had established, and almost all of them had statements where they were encouraging the churches and the leaders, to keep up the work they were doing. I believe that God wants each of us to be an encourager, and to build each other up. One of the duties of the body of the church is to be an encourager to other members, and through fellowship, encourage and build each other up. Make a point today, to find someone that you can encourage and build up, and God will bless you for it. My Daily Devotional Volume III July 18 Robert William Brock, Jr.

Get Both Sides Of The Story

Get Both Sides Of The Story “The first to present his case seems right, till another comes forward and questions him.” Proverbs 18:17 This is a proverb of King Solomon which provides so much wisdom, which we should use every day before we jump to conclusions about anyone or anything. Most people are quick to come to a conclusion about any issue or matter before hearing both sides of the story. For example, we’re quick to believe in gossip about a co-worker or a neighbor. We’re quick to believe everything we hear about our sports heroes, or a politician that is being ridiculed in the press. We’re quick to condemn people who are accused of crimes that are sensationalized by the media. When we are quick to jump to conclusions, we usually don’t have the other side of the story, and there usually is another side of the story that could change our opinion. Many times when we jump to conclusions we can hurt others if they are our family, close friends or neighbors. How can we protect ourselves and keep from hurting others? There are a number of things we can do, such as to not believe just one side of a story that is told about someone. We need to hear both sides of the story, and then we can understand the situation better. We can also protect ourselves from false doctrine by testing what we hear as the Bible suggests. 1st Thessalonians “Test everything.” It is important that we know the truth, and not over react to what we hear, as we can damage and hurt someone by not knowing the full story. We need to ask God to give us discernment about what is true and wisdom about what is right. Too often, we as Christians believe in the wrong thing, and we are too quick to take a stand, without knowing both sides of the story. Ask God to help you know what is true and not be deceived by untruth, as this can damage and hurt others. My Daily Devotional Volume III July 17 Robert William Brock, Jr.

We Can Predict Our Future

We Can Predict Our Future “Since no man knows the future, who can tell him what is to come? Ecclesiastes 8:7 What does the future hold for us? This is a question that we all ask ourselves throughout our lives. We begin making plans and dreaming from the time we are youngsters and continue through our old age, trying to figure out what lies ahead of us. Predicting the future is a difficult thing to do. And yet we often wonder, what does the future hold for me? What does God have in mind for my life? Who will I marry? What will happen to me when I grow old? How can I make it through the pain or sorrow I’m experiencing right now? Will things every get better? When we don’t know what the future holds we often think the worse will happen which causes fear, doubt and anxiety to creep into our minds and rob us of our peace. Predicting the future is so uncertain that the majority of time we get it wrong, as things do not turn out the way we want them to. Some of the most notable predictions that went awry was: “The radio has no future and x-rays are clearly a hoax,”-Royal Society President Lord Kelvin, 1897. “You ought to go back to driving a truck.” Concert manager firing Elvis Presley in 1954. “The atom bomb will never go off-and I speak as an expert in explosives.” U.S. Admiral William Leahy in 1945. As it is obvious no one knows what the future holds for us, except God, and any plans that we make are so uncertain that they can change in an instant. However God has known the plan He has for each of us even before we were formed in our mother’s womb, as He knows all about us and what He has destined for our life. The only thing that we can be certain of is that when we turn our life over to God, we are able to predict with certainty that we can spend all eternity with Him in Heaven. My Daily Devotional Volume III July 16 Robert William Brock, Jr.

Are We Willing To Sacrifice

Are We Willing To Sacrifice “The kingdom of heaven is like treasure hidden in a field. When a man found it, he hid it again, and then in his joy went and sold all he had and bought that field.” Matthew 13:44 This parable that Jesus told teaches us that the kingdom of heaven is of such great value that one should be willing to give up all he has in order to gain it. Jesus did not imply that one can purchase the kingdom with money or good deeds. The parable also tells us that the man joyfully made a sacrifice and sold all he had in order to gain the kingdom of heaven. This man doesn’t just sell everything he has; he does so with joy. He doesn’t regret it. He doesn’t complain about the sacrifice he has to make. In fact, he probably doesn’t even consider it to be a sacrifice. He gives a lot for the field, but he gets so much more in return. This parable reminds me of a story about two wealthy Christians, a lawyer and a merchant who were vacationing in Korea. They saw a field where a boy was pulling a crude plow, and an old man was holding the plow and guiding it. They asked, “I suppose they are very poor”. The guide replied, “Yes, when the church was being built, they were eager to give something, but had no money, so they sold their only ox and gave the money to the church.” The businessman thought for a moment and said, “That must have been a real sacrifice.” The guide replied, “They do not think that way, as they thought it was fortunate that they had an ox to sell.” The same principles stated above holds true in our walk with Christ. Sacrifices will be necessary, but only a deep love for Christ will make them a joy. The real test of our commitment is not so much whether we are willing to make sacrifices for our Lord and Savior, but whether we are able to make those sacrifices with joy. My Daily Devotional Volume III July 15 Robert William Brock, Jr.

God's New Law

God’s New Law “Therefore, there is now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus, because through Christ Jesus the law of the Spirit of life set me free from the law of sin and death.” Romans 8:1-2 I am sure that most of us have heard of Murphy’s Law which states that “if anything can go wrong, it will.” Or you may have also heard of the law which states that “if everything seems to be going well, you have obviously overlooked something.” There are other laws such as the law of gravity that truly are laws in that they always hold true. Both the Old Testament and the New Testament speaks about the subject of Law quite extensively. In previous devotionals I have discussed the Law that God gave Moses, that Jesus and the Apostles still followed in their day. There are two other laws mentioned in the scripture above. One of these laws “of sin and death” tells us that whoever sins, must die. This is a frightening law because we all know that we are guilty of sin, and that the consequences of our sin is death. However there is another law mentioned in the same scripture, and that is the law of the Spirit of Life through Jesus Christ. This law is probably the most important law of all, as this law is the only thing that can keep the law of sin and death from having its dreaded effect in our lives. This law tells us that if we live a life in Jesus Christ that this law will save us from our sins. When Jesus came to earth and was crucified on the cross of Calvary, he died to save us from our sins. When we accept Jesus as our Savior and ask Him to come into our hearts, and admit that we are a sinner, and that we know He died for our sins and will obey His commands in the future, we are now covered under this New Law of the Spirit of Life. Everything starts anew and afresh for us, as we are covered by this New Law that brings us blessings from God for those who live in Him. My Daily Devotional Volume III July 14 Robert William Brock, Jr.

Jesus Died For You

Jesus Died For You “They stripped him and put a scarlet robe on him, and then twisted together a crown of thorns and set it on his head. They put a staff in his right hand and knelt in front of him and mocked him. They spit on him, and took the staff and struck him on the head again and again. Then they led him away to crucify him.” Matthew 27:28-31 We can never imagine the agony and pain that Jesus suffered that day in Jerusalem before His crucifixion on the hill of Golgotha. We could never visualize just how disgusting this must have been to the followers of Jesus, as they saw the spit running down Jesus’ face, the blood gushing out of His side, the excruciating agony of the spikes being driven into His hands and His feet, and then finally seeing Him raised onto the cross and watching Him die. We all need to really be able to visualize this disgusting scene, and have it etched in our thoughts and minds every minute of every day, because it for us that Jesus endured this agony and suffered this pain. It was for us that He allowed his tormenters to hang Him on the cross. It was for us that He died that day on Calvary. It was not a pretty sight, but it is in that disgusting sight, that we need to keep in our minds, that should enable us to find the strength to turn away the sin that we are contemplating. It is this sight that we need to have engrained in our minds, when we are tempted to do something that we know we should not do. We need to remember this sight, when evil thoughts begin to pervade our minds and threaten to lead us astray. Every time that we sin we need to remember this disgusting sight, and it should remind us that Jesus died for us. I would hope that you would never forget the sacrifice that Jesus made for you that day, and before you sin think about this sight of Jesus on the cross. My Daily Devotional Volume III July 13 Robert William Brock, Jr.

God Is Faithful

God Is Faithful “The Lord is faithful to all his promises and loving toward all he has made.” Psalm 145:13 Sometimes we don’t understand just how faithful God is to provide for us in the way He does. He tells us that He will provide all our needs, but so often we want much more than our needs to be met. I am reminded of the Book of Job where chapter after chapter finds Job saying, “God, I don’t understand why these things are happening.” God’s response is, “you don’t need to know why; you just need to know Me.” This is the way that most people are today, as we seldom understand the wisdom of God, and question why we are not all blessed with riches and everything we ask for. We question why we are given our crosses to bear, such as our health issues, our financial issues, and the all so often relationship issues with friends and even our families. Why do we have to struggle with everything, and why doesn’t things come easy for us? With all of these questions facing us, and very few answers, it is easy to get frustrated and simply quit trying to understand. But God tells us that He is faithful, and will provide for us and will fulfill all His promises. When the Israelites left Egypt they did not understand where they were going to get food in the desert, but God provided manna from heaven. They did not know how they would cross the Red Sea, but God parted the waters for them to pass through. Whatever our needs are God is faithful and will provide them. We may not receive the things over and above our needs, but God knows what is best for us, and will be faithful in taking care of us. He will never let us carry burdens that are too heavy for us to carry. I would encourage each of you, that when you feel overwhelmed with the struggles of life, to turn your burdens over to God and let him faithfully carry them My Daily Devotional Volume III July 12 Robert William Brock, Jr.

Let God Be Your Guide

Let God Be Your Guide “Show me your ways, O Lord, teach me your paths; guide me in your truth and teach me, for you are God my Savior, and my hope is in you all day long.” Psalm 25:4-5 Recently I was given directions to get to a board meeting in a nearby town. I had written down, what I thought were detailed directions to the restaurant. It was in an area that I thought I was familiar enough with that I would not have any problems. However I had missed a key part of the directions as I found myself going completely through the town without seeing the restaurant. I retraced my steps and again found that it did not lead me to where I wanted to go. Finally, in desperation I called and found the right direction and got to the meeting on time. The problem had been that the person giving me the direction was doing so by looking at coming into town from the west, but I was looking at coming into town from the east. So when he said to turn right I should have been turning left. Both of us had completely misunderstood the other. Our daily lives can also be confusing as well, but God gives us directions through our daily reading of the Bible, praying and then listening to what it really says can keep us going in the right direction. When we turn to God for our directions he has the answers and will lead us to our correct destination. There are many decisions that each of us have to make in our daily lives such as financial decisions, relationship decisions, health decisions and family decisions. Most of these decisions are ones that many times we need help with to make the best decision possible. God can help and assist us and give us the right advice and direction to follow, if we will only call upon Him. I would encourage each of you to call upon God as he will show you His ways and teach you His paths and guide you in His truth. My Daily Devotional Volume III July 11 Robert William Brock, Jr.