The Lord's Prayer

The Lord’s Prayer “Our Father which art in heaven, hallowed be thy name. Thy kingdom come, thy will be done, on earth as it is in Heaven. Give us this day our daily bread. And forgive us our sins, as we forgive those who sin against us. And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil. Amen Luke 11:2-4 Christians think of this prayer as The Lord’s Prayer, the model prayer and the prayer that gives direction. The disciples had asked Jesus to teach them how to pray and He gave them this prayer. Jesus also used parts of this same prayer in His Sermon on the Mount. Jesus tells us throughout the Bible to pray without ceasing. When our heart is so heavy with all our problems, this is the time that most people turn to Jesus, however we need to turn to Him also in the good times as well. I am reminded of a story about a small boy who had been having nightmares and his grandmother began saying a prayer for him before he went to sleep. After a few nights his nightmares went away, and after several nights he said to his grandmother “I don’t need to pray tonight, as I no longer have any nightmares, and there is no longer need to have God take care of me.” Later on that night, the little boy woke up crying hysterically; his nightmares had returned. His grandmother rushed to his bedside, and his first words were I want to pray so God can hear me. He then prayed and in just a few minutes he was fast asleep. The little boy learned an important life lesson, and that is that trouble can teach us to pray, as so often we only go to God in prayer, when we have problems. God’s prayer has so much more to offer than to help with problems, as it covers so much of what God promises us. I would encourage each of you to pray to God each and every day of your life in the way that God has instructed us to pray, His prayer. My Daily Devotional Volume III October 25 Robert William Brock, Jr.

Take Time To See People

Take Time To See People “The Lord does not look at the things man looks at. Man looks at the outward appearance, but the Lord looks at the heart.” 1st Samuel 16:7 A man was exploring caves by the seashore. In one of the caves he found a canvas bag filled with more that a hundred hardened clay balls. It was like someone had rolled clay balls and left them out in the sun to bake. They didn’t look like much, but they intrigued the man, so he took the bag out of the cave with him. As he strolled along the beach, he would throw the clay balls one at a time into the ocean as far as he could. He thought little about it, until he dropped one of the clay balls and it cracked open on a rock. Inside was a beautiful precious stone. Excited, the man started breaking open the remaining clay balls. Each contained a similar treasure. He found thousands of dollars worth of jewels in the 20 or so clay balls he had left. He immediately realized that he had just thrown away tens of thousands of dollars into the ocean. It’s like that with people. We look at someone, maybe even ourselves, and we see the external clay vessel. It doesn’t look like much from the outside. It isn’t always beautiful or sparkling, so we discount it. We see this person as less important than someone more beautiful, stylish, well known or wealthy. We have not taken the time to find the treasure hidden inside this person. There is a treasure buried deep inside each and every one of us. If we take the time to get to know this person, and if we ask God to show us this person the way He sees them, then the clay begins to peel away and the brilliant gem begins to shine forth. May we not come to the end of our lives and find that we have thrown away a fortune in friendships, because the gems were hidden in bits of clay. Take the time to see the people in your world as God sees them. My Daily Devotional Volume III October 23 Robert William Brock, Jr.

God's Judgment

God’s Judgment “But I will pass judgment on you because you say, I have not sinned.” Jeremiah 2:35 The Bible tells us that someday God is going to judge us for all the sins we have committed. Our book will be opened and all our sins will be recorded in it. There will not be one evil thought, one evil deed or action that will not show up in this book of our lives. There will be no one we can blame for causing us to sin, as only we will be held accountable. When I think of how God will judge us, I am reminded of the two robbers that were crucified on the cross with Jesus. These two robbers had been judged by the authorities and had been sentenced to death along with Jesus. One of these men however saw the true heart of Jesus as He prayed for His accusers, and asked God to forgive them for what they were doing. This man knew that he had sinned and was being punished justly for his crimes, and asked Jesus to remember Him when he came into His kingdom. Jesus replied, “I tell you the truth, today you will be with me in paradise.” Luke 23:43. Jesus knew that this robber had repented and promised him salvation. Even though this man had sinned, and was being punished by man for his sins, God’s judgment reigned superior over the judgment of man. Earthly man could take this man’s life, but Jesus could give him an eternal life. It is not too late to confess your sins and ask God for your salvation. When Jesus suffered and died on the cross, He did this so that you might be saved. Just as the robber gave his heart to Jesus, you can also give your heart to Jesus and be promised your own eternal life. You may not have tomorrow, so it is critical that you ask Jesus for your salvation today. God’s judgment is something that none of us will be able to avoid, and I urge you to consider asking Jesus into your heart today. My Daily Devotional Volume III October 21 Robert William Brock, Jr.

Don't Be Afraid

Don’t Be Afraid “Yet not one of them (sparrows) will fall to the ground apart from the will of your Father. And even the very hairs of your head are all numbered. So don’t be afraid; you are worth more than many sparrows.” Matthew 10:29-31 I find it very uplifting and exciting to see the number of times that Jesus said throughout the Bible, “don’t be afraid”, as seen in the scripture above. This indicates to me that God doesn’t want us to go through life concerned about the worries of the world, but is telling us that we need to have a positive attitude about our life. He is telling us through these scriptures to not give in to Satan, who wants us to be afraid, as we are weak and uncertain about how to deal with situations that we are confronted with, when we are fearful. God wants us to be able to confront our difficulties, to be positive about all their outcomes, but most of all is telling us to trust and have faith in Him, and that He will provide and protect us. Jesus loves us, and places an immense value on us, and does not want us to go through life afraid of what might happen. When the disciples were in the boat and a terrible storm came and threatened to capsize the boat, Jesus awoke and told them to not be afraid, and He calmed the storm. Jesus is here with us during our storms, and will calm the wind and the seas that threaten to wash us under. When we go through our valleys, and do not see how we can ever get back to our mountain tops, Jesus is with us, and tells us to not be afraid, but to be positive, continue to have hope, and continue to have faith and trust in Him. Nothing is impossible with God, as none of our problems are too great for God to handle. Just as He calmed the storm for the disciples He can handle any trial that Satan sends our way. So the next time that you face a trial, look up, and see Jesus and “don’t be afraid.” My Daily Devotional Volume III October 19 Robert William Brock, Jr.

God Loves You

God Loves You “For my Father’s will is that everyone who looks to the Son and believes in him shall have eternal life, and I will raise him up in the last day.” John 6:40 Have you ever thought just how much God loves each of us? Could you imagine sacrificing your own Son to save others and give them an eternal life? This scripture reminds me of the father who had a handicapped son, whose dream was to be in a triathlon. This father loved his son so much that he entered him in a triathlon, and pushed, pulled and carried his son by swimming 2.5 miles, cycling 125 miles and running 26.2 miles. No, they did not finish first or second but they did come in under the deadline. This earthly example showed the love that a father can have for his son. We can also see this in the love that God has for us, as our Heavenly Father is running in a similar race with us. We are all in a race, as the sins of this world have led us to places we should not be in, doing things we should not be doing, and saying things we should not be saying. But God’s love is so strong for us that no matter what sins we have committed, He still sent his Son to die for us so that we can be forgiven and have a new life. This was God’s sacrifice as the blood of Jesus was given as the ultimate price for our sins. However, with the help of Jesus our goal is to win our race, and receive our trophy which is an eternal life. In order to win our race, we need to strive to live a sin free life, and depend on God to help us withstand the temptations to sin. We need to put on the full armor of God, and depend on Him to push, pull, and carry us across the finish line, and claim our reward. I would encourage each of you to think about the love that God has for you, as He wants the best for you. He cares for you, and wants you to be cleansed from your sins, and give you an eternal life. My Daily Devotional Volume III October 17 Robert William Brock, Jr.

Our Place To Serve God

Our Place To Serve God “Moses my servant is dead. Now then, you and all these people, get ready to cross the Jordan River into the land I am about to give to them, to the Israelites.” Joshua 1:2 There are many times in our lives when God calls us to go somewhere or do something. During these times He wants us to step out in faith and go and do what He is asking us to do, but these may seem frightening and undoable to us. Many times we miss out on these exciting opportunities because of fear of the unknown or fear of failure. We are reluctant to step out of our comfort zones and let God work through us. I am sure this is what Joshua felt when God spoke these words to him in the scripture above. But Joshua faithfully listened to God and followed Him, and God led them to their promised land. God has a plan for each of us, and wants us to be in specific places at certain times so that He can use us to fulfill our plan. I know that God wanted me and my family where we are today, as this was His plan for my life. I did not expect to be here, and left to my wants and desires I would have been in another place. But God destined me to be here as this was His plan for me, and is using me to witness for Him. We sell ourselves short when we believe that only missionaries can make a huge impact for Christ. God calls all of us to be missionaries, and puts us is our mission field. True service to the Lord is a combination of two things: faith and submission. God has placed us where we are today for a reason, we need to go out in faith and submit ourselves to do His will. We can’t wait until we feel we are where we want to be, and have everything in place that we dreamed about and desired before we begin to serve God. We can serve God now as this is the place God has destined for us to be, and we need to faithfully obey. My Daily Devotional Volume III October 15 Robert William Brock, Jr.

Christmas Day

Merry Christmas to Everyone from Bob and Margaret May God Bless all of you and give you His peace and His comfort in the coming year. Christmas Day The Birth of Jesus Luke Chapter 2 “In those days Caesar Augustus issued a decree that a census should be taken of the entire Roman world. And everyone went to his own town to register. So Joseph also went up from the town of Nazareth in Galilee to Judea, to Bethlehem the town of David, because he belonged to the house and line of David. He went there to register with Mary, who was pledged to be married to him and was expecting a child. While they were there, the time came for the baby to be born, and she gave birth to her firstborn, a son. She wrapped him in cloths and placed him in a manger, because there was no room for them in the inn. And there were shepherds living out in the fields nearby, keeping watch over their flocks at night. An angel of the Lord appeared to them, and the glory of the Lord shone around them, and they were terrified. But the angel said to them, “Do not be afraid. I bring you good news of great joy that be for all the people. Today in the town of David a Savior has been born to you; he is Christ, the Lord. This will be a sign to you: You will find a baby wrapped in cloths and lying in a manger.” Suddenly a great company of the heavenly host appeared with the angel, praising God and saying, “Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace to men on whom his favor rests.” This is the day of the birth of our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ who came into this world to suffer and die on the cross for us, and forgive us from our sins. My Daily Devotional Volume Five December 25 Robert William Brock, Jr.

Joseph's Transformation

Joseph’s Transformation “This is how the birth of Jesus Christ came about: His mother Mary was pledged to be married to Joseph, but before they came together, she was found to be with child through the Holy Spirit.” Matthew 1:18 Can you imagine the transformation that Joseph must have had when the angel of the Lord appeared to him in a dream? Joseph was just an ordinary man with ordinary dreams for his life. He was going to get married, start a family, raise his children, and build his carpentry business in a little town called Nazareth. There was nothing unusual in his plans, just a simple life. But when Joseph had first found out that Mary was going to have a baby, he had thought about divorcing her quietly, as he had wanted to be married to her, but being a righteous man did not want to expose her to public disgrace. But God had different plans for him and also for Mary. Most of us can look back at certain moments in our own lives, where we have encountered God, and He has changed everything. It may have been when you were baptized, or when you accepted Jesus as your Lord and Savior. I know there have been several encounters, in my own life, where God changed everything from what I had planned for myself. During this Christmas Season, don’t forget to do more than just open presents. Open your heart to Christ in a greater way than ever before, and worship Him and let Him transform your life. Your encounter with God can become the most important event that will ever happen to you. Remember that God has already given you the greatest gift possible, when He sent Jesus to earth, and then to die on the cross for your salvation.

Are You Too Busy

Are You Too Busy “She wrapped him in cloths and placed him in a manger, because there was no room for him in the inn.” Luke 2:7 In just two more days we are going to celebrate Christmas, and the birth of Jesus, the most momentous occasion in history. But why, on this most important night, were the majority of people like the innkeeper, unaware of what was going on? Angels had appeared to proclaim His arrival. Wise men came from afar to acknowledge His birth. Shepherds were visited by an angel, who announced where the Son of God was born. But, how did the majority of people miss the birth of Jesus? Why did the innkeeper not know that Jesus was to be born that night? I believe the reason is that they were not looking for Him, because they were too busy. This is how people still are today, as we become too busy with the demands and struggles of daily living, that we lose sight of God, and neglect to spend any time getting to know anything about Him. We become too involved in our own pleasures, and don’t try to adjust our time and schedules to make room for God. Even though the shepherds were busy, keeping watch over their flocks, they took time to adjust their busyness and make room for Him. The innkeeper however put his priorities ahead of God and didn't see. I would like to ask each of you if you are looking for God, or are you to busy? For those that are looking for God, the heavens are open, the angels are singing and God is giving you signs. For those who are not looking for God, you are like the innkeeper, as you will not have any room for Him when He comes back again to earth, and are relegating Jesus again to a stable. My Daily Devotional Volume Five December 23 Robert William Brock, Jr.

Simplicity of Christmas

Simplicity of Christmas “This will be a sign to you: You will find a baby wrapped in cloths and lying in a manger.” Luke 2:12 This Christmas, like most others, almost all of us will dress up, wrap our presents, and prepare our best meal of the year, to celebrate the greatest of all seasons. But what we miss so often, in the elaborate and glamorous celebration we are accustomed to, is the simplicity of Christmas. Just think of God, becoming flesh, and coming to earth, and living among mankind. When God got ready for Christmas, He undressed, stripped off His finery and apparel, and left His place in eternity, and laid down as a baby in a manager on Christmas. This is the simplicity of Christmas that I want to make you aware of. But if Jesus had not come to earth in this way, and become flesh with us, we would not be able to understand just how much of a sacrifice, He was making on our behalf. There are so many people who don't understand the significance of what God did for us during Christmas. Not everyone will understand its eternal significance in our lives. The commercialization, the presents, the food are just a few of the things, that have gotten us away from the real understanding of what God did during this precious time. We think of it as just another festive time, when we get time off from work and give and get presents. I would encourage each of you this Christmas, to read the story of the birth of Christ, and to think about the significance it has for us. We need to understand that without the birth of Jesus we will not have the promise of salvation. Christmas is a season of simplicity, but it is one of the most important days for all of us. Christmas is the time when God gave His only son to come to earth, and to die on the cross of Calvary, for our sins, to give us His gift of salvation.

Signs Of The Times

Signs Of The Times “Therefore the Lord himself will give you a sign: The virgin will be with child and will give birth to a son, and will call him Immanuel.” Isaiah 7:14 As we approach the Christmas season we need to be mindful that for hundreds of years before Christ was born, prophecies were given of the Messiah’s conception, birth and promise of salvation for mankind. The scripture above, from the Prophet Isaiah, gave us this account, and the sign when Jesus would be born. When Jesus was born, the sign from God that the prophets had declared should have been obvious to all the world. However, not everyone saw the Star that the Magi saw, nor did everyone see the angels appear and hear them, when they announced the birth of Jesus. There were few that paid any attention, when a young virgin girl named Mary was found with child. Nor did anyone listen, when Joseph told his story of the angel who appeared before him, and spoke to him about Mary’s baby. I am afraid that it is much like that today, as God is moving all around us, with signs of Jesus coming again, and we are still not paying attention or believing. Just as it was in the days of the first Christmas, even with all the signs, not many noticed and were ready for the first coming of Jesus. Today, we have the Bible giving us all the signs of the second coming of Jesus, and we are still not paying attention, or heeding them. This time will be the last coming of Jesus, and is the critical one that we must make sure we are prepared for, as this time we are going to be judged by God, to see if we have been paying attention. There will not be a next time to get prepared for, as this will be the last. It is so important for us to get prepared today, as it could be today or tomorrow, and we need to be ready. My Daily Devotional Volume Six December 21 Robert William Brock, Jr.

Be A Contagious Christian

Be A Contagious Christian “Some of them, however, men from Cyprus and Cyrene, went to Antioch and began to speak to Greeks also, telling them the good news, about the Lord Jesus.” Acts 11:20 In the scripture above there was nothing special about these men, as they were not trained evangelists or pastors. We do not even know their names. They are just ordinary people like you and me. However they spoke freely of their Lord and Savior in a positive way and the people responded. In your normal everyday conversation with your family members, your friends, co-workers or anyone else, do you ever talk about your faith and speak freely about God? Do all the people you come into contact with know that you are a Christian? In the vast majority of cases, American Christians today do not speak about their faith in a personal conversational way, even when given an obvious opportunity to tell others about Jesus. In not being outgoing in letting others know about Jesus we may be depriving them of the single opportunity they will have to know about Him and His plan for salvation. It is easy to let people you come into contact with know that you are a Christian, and share your faith and Christian values with them. The Bible tells us to be a contagious Christian, and to spread the good news about God wherever we go. We need to be alert and ready to seize any opportunity to let others know about God. We should not argue with anyone however, and let our faith become a stumbling block to others, but spreading the word of God to others is something that God expects each of us to do. Colossians 4:5-6 “Be wise in the way you act toward outsiders; make the most of every opportunity. Let your conversation be always full of grace, seasoned with salt, so that you may know how to answer everyone.” My Daily Devotional Volume III October 9 Robert William Brock, Jr.

Abortion

The talk is now all about gun control, but no one is talking about abortion control. Abortions are the leading cause of death in the United states, 4,000 babies are killed each day. Abortions 1962 292 1963 390 1964 823 1965 794 1966 1,028 1967 2,061 1968 4,630 1969 23,680 1970 193,491 1971 485,816 1972 586,760 1973 744,600 1974 898,600 1975 1,034,200 1976 1,179,300 1977 1,316,700 1978 1,409,600 1979 1,497,700 1980 1,553,900 1981 1,577,300 1982 1,573,920 1983 1,575,000 1984 1,577,200 1985 1,588,600 1986 1,574,000 1987 1,559,100 1988 1,590,800 1989 1,566,900 1990 1,608,600 1991 1,556,510 1992 1,528,930 1993 1,495,000 1994 1,423,000 1995 1,359,400 1996 1,360,160 1997 1,335,000 1998 1,319,000 1999 1,314,800 2000 1,312,990 2001 1,291,000 2002 1,269,000 2003 1,250,000 2004 1,222,100 2005 1,206,200

The Greatest Book

The Greatest Book “Your word is a lamp to my feet and a light for my path.” Psalm 119:105 The greatest book on earth is the Bible, as it has outsold every book that has ever been written. According to Biblical scholars it takes approximately 56 hours to read the Bible through completely. If you read 40 chapters a day, you will complete the Bible within 30 days. If you read nine chapters a day in the New Testament you will finish reading the New Testament in 30 days. I know in my life every time I open the Bible there is a new revelation that jumps out at me when I read its scriptures. Even though I have read each verse many times before I am able to understand additional wisdom that God is telling me. The Bible is truly a lamp to my feet and a light for my path, as the scriptures gives me guidance for anything that will occur in my life. I believe that faith comes when you hear God talk through His Holy Word, and the wisdom that you get from the scriptures help you deal with life’s problems. The word of God will help keep you pure, as it will keep you on the right path and not let you give in to the temptations that Satan is constantly bombarding you with. The Bible is God’s word and has been given to us to give us direction and guidance in how to live a godly life, and one that is pleasing to God. We need to go to God’s word daily which will give us the strength to overcome all the adversities that we face, and to give us the faith we need to trust in God for all things. Faith and trust in God is all we need to sustain us, as He promises to provide all our needs. The Bible should be the most important book in all our lives, and the one that we turn to for all the answers. The Bible is God’s word and we need to listen to God and let Him be a lamp unto our feet and a light for our path. My Daily Devotional Volume III October 8 Robert William Brock, Jr.

Devote Time For God

Devote Time For God “There is a time for everything, and a season for every activity under heaven.” Ecclesiastes 3:1 I have written many times about the use of our time, but was reminded just this week when another friend stated that he did not have time to read his Bible each day. Our time is the one thing that we should all have control over, and is the one thing that we need to use wisely. Time control is all about priorities, and our priorities need to be the things that matter most in our lives. When we have a newborn baby almost everyone gives this new baby their top priority. We rush to it when it cries and watch over it all during the night when it may cough or make any sound. A Christian’s priority must be the same, as God tells us that our number one priority is to love God with all our heart, mind and strength. He must be number one in our lives, and be part of everything we do. In order to find time for God we must control our schedule. We need to wake up every day and have on our schedule the time to spend with God. I believe God expects us to give Him a tithe of our time as well as our money. We need to make time for God, and spend this time reading and studying His word and praying to Him, and thanking Him for everything He has given us. Putting God on our schedule may require some changes. It may mean that we need to get up earlier in the morning or stay up a little later at night. But God needs to be on everyone’s daily schedule, and His time must not be pushed aside by other worldly matters. We cannot relegate God to only a few hours at church on Sunday, but need to make Him a priority in our daily routine and schedule. When you find time for God every day, not just in a passing thought, but a tithe to God where you devote your thoughts entirely on Him, then God will begin to bless you. My Daily Devotional Volume III October 7 Robert William Brock, Jr.

The Biblical View Of Marriage

The Biblical View Of Marriage “For this reason a man will leave his father and mother and be united to his wife, and the two will become one flesh. However, each one of you also must love his wife as he loves himself, and the wife must respect her husband.” Ephesians 5:31-33 The Bible has a very high view of marriage, as it is to be a lifetime plan, not a convenience that can be disregarded as it is being done today. I have seen statistics that state that as many as half of all marriages today end in divorce. This is not the state that God teaches in the Bible as to how marriage is supposed to function. Somewhere along the line the idea of permanence has been thrown aside. Most marriage vows use the phrase “till death do us part”, but so often this vow is thrown by the wayside, and the result is broken families and dysfunctional children that do not have the structure and foundation on which to build their own lives. God wants the family to be a place that gives honor to the marriage vows, where the husband and wife remain faithful to one another, and where minor disagreements and differences are not the grounds for divorce and breaking up the home. It is true that the Bible gives marriages a reason for divorce, but so often marriages of today are breaking up for reasons other than these. I am sure that God is very displeased with our generation today, as the sacred union of marriage is being degraded in this fashion. We can look at the history of Sodom and Gomorrah and see the punishment that God inflicted on that generation, and should learn from this example that God can also punish us as well. We need to give honor to our marriage vows, and follow the word of God in dealing with issues that may arise in the family. What can we expect from our children and grandchildren if we don’t give them an example of what a godly family is like? My Daily Devotional Volume III October 6 Robert William Brock, Jr.

My Path To Heaven

My Path To Heaven “Listen, my sons, to a father’s instruction; pay attention and gain understanding. I give you sound learning, so do not forsake my teaching.” Proverbs 4:1-2 During the past ten years I have chosen to fill my mind with the Word of God and sound biblical teaching. It helps to keep me walking in the way of the Lord and fulfilling the plan he has for my life. During this time I have been enlightened so much by the wisdom that God has given me. The Bible has become my path to better understand just what kind of life that God wants me and each of you to live. The Bible is our roadmap to a happy and joy filled life, and one that can lead to our everlasting life in heaven with our Lord and Savior. There is nothing greater than to learn God’s wisdom and apply it to our lives. All my devotionals, my books and my teachings have been directed to help my family and all my readers know the importance of what an eternal life means to them, as without the assurance of our home in Heaven there is nothing else that matters. Our time on this earth is only temporary as we are only passing through, but our time in Heaven will be for all eternity. It is difficult to comprehend what Heaven will be like, as there will be no troubles, no trials or heartaches, as only peace and joy will surround us, and this will last forever. What a future to look forward to. I only hope and pray that my family and all my readers will be prepared, as the path is a narrow one that leads to Heaven and Jesus tells us that few will find it. God has revealed this path to me and I am on this path and am looking forward to spending my eternity with God. I would encourage each of you to spend time in God’s word, and find this path for yourself and walk on it every day of your time on this earth, so that you can also spend your eternity with God. My Daily Devotional Volume III October 4 Robert William Brock, Jr.

Jesus Is Coming Soon

Jesus Is Coming Soon “Don’t let anyone deceive you in any way, for that day will not come until the rebellion occurs and the man of lawlessness is revealed, the man doomed to destruction.” 2nd Thessalonians 2:3 Are you aware of the signs of Christ’s return? They are all around us in our world that gives us indications that Christ’s return is soon. Many times we put off doing things that need to be done today, as we have become complacent and believe that we have until tomorrow or next week to get things done. This may not be true as Jesus warns us that tomorrow may never come, as no one knows the day or the hour that Jesus will return. He tells us that His coming will be as swift as the twinkling of the eye. We need to be ready for the return of Jesus, and not be caught unaware by falling into spiritual compromise and a luke-warm faith. We should never gamble that tomorrow will come as usual, and we will have time to repent and ask God for salvation. Today is the day for salvation and everyone that is not right with God must take control of their life and ask God to save their souls before it is too late. We cannot afford to put off until tomorrow something as important as spending all eternity with God. The signs of God’s coming are all around us as the prophesy of the scriptures are being fulfilled every day. There is nothing that is more important in your life than to get right with God and be ready for His coming. The future will be bright and joyful when we are ready and prepared to meet Jesus, but it can be disastrous when we are not prepared. I would encourage each of you to not delay asking Jesus into your hearts as time is running out, and tomorrow may be too late. With Jesus as your Savior there is nothing to fear about your future, as you will be safe in the knowledge that you have an eternal home in heaven with our Lord and Savior. My Daily Devotional Volume III October 3 Robert William Brock, Jr.

A Life Without Limits

A Life Without Limits “So if the Son sets you free, you will be free indeed.” John 8:36 When I read the scripture above I am reminded that we indeed are free, and that there are no limits to what we can do with God by our side. As I was doing family research on my Great Grand Father I found him to be a perfect example of someone who had no limits. He was a man that had come from humble beginnings, but was raised in a home where Godly family values were followed daily. He was called to the ministry at an early age, and spent his entire life in the southeastern part of Kentucky as a minister and a schoolteacher. He was the first Methodist minister to settle in Kentucky and was the founder of almost all of the Methodist Churches in the westward movement. He was one of the most sought out speakers in the area, and is listed as being one of the most influential men to settle in the eastern part of the state of Kentucky. He certainly was not living a life of confinement and limitation, but was trusting in God to direct his path, and according to all historical documents God had provided him a life without limits. The same is true in our lives as God has not placed any limits on what we can accomplish. When we are following God and His plan there is nothing that can keep us from fulfilling what He has planned for us. Your dreams, ambitions and success in life can all come true when you follow and live your life with God first in all you do. I believe that God will allow us to go beyond our limits, as He sets no boundaries when we are doing His work. When our desire, our efforts and our time and talents are put to the work of God, there is nothing that we can’t accomplish with Him by our side. I would encourage each of you to put God first in your life and follow Him, and your life can also be one without limits, and one that is pleasing to God. My Daily Devotional Volume III October 2 Robert William Brock, Jr.

Commit Fully To Jesus

Commit Fully to Jesus “What is more, I consider everything a loss compared to the surpassing greatness of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord, for whose sake I have lost all things.” Philippians 3:8 In the previous devotional I talked about following Jesus and the difference He can make in your life and just how He can impact your world. There is a choice each of us has to make if we genuinely choose to follow Jesus and make Him Lord of our lives. I believe we have to give our hearts completely to Him and commit everything we do entirely to Him. I do not believe we can half heartedly commit, and still go our own way and do our own thing. It is all or nothing. I believe when we decide to go along with Jesus we become a part of His life, and He becomes a part of ours. There are many benefits to committing our entire self to following Jesus. God promises us an eternal life, which will last forever after the brief life on earth is over. He promises to give us strength, and will be with us during our trials and troubles. He is our shoulder to cry on, and does not leave us without hope. His mercy and forgiveness is assured no matter what each day brings. God has planned our lives and our purpose in a good and perfect way, and when we follow Him our paths and our steps are easy to follow. God promises us a peace and joy in our lives, even through our disappointments. Just these few promises mentioned above, should be enough to want us to sacrifice our worldly wants and desires and to follow him. Anything that we sacrifice in order to follow Jesus we will get back a thousand-fold in paradise. Our sights must be firmly fixed on the choice to follow Jesus, as there is much more to gain than we will ever lose by not following Him. Don’t make the mistake to not allow Jesus to come into your life, and lose out on all the things He has in store for you. My Daily Devotional Volume III October 1 Robert William Brock, Jr.

Walk With God

Walk With God “The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom, and knowledge of the Holy One is understanding.” Proverbs 9:10 Have you ever considered that Jesus wants us to walk with Him every day? All of us who have given our lives to Jesus have been invited to follow Him every day. I know that in my situation I resisted following Jesus for many of my younger years, although He was calling out to me. However he did not give up on me and continued calling my name and begging me to follow Him. All during the time I was not following Him I believe I was afraid of the change that I would have to make in my life. However, I now know what I was missing and regret not making this commitment earlier in my life. As the scripture above says the fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom, and knowledge is understanding. There is no formal education and earning any college degree or diploma, that can describe the wisdom and understanding that Jesus gives us when we begin to follow Him. It is much like going from complete darkness to being able to see again when you discover the wisdom that God grants, when you accept Jesus as your Savior. The Bible, which for me, was difficult to understand and comprehend the true meaning of scriptures, suddenly became a storehouse of knowledge, as God poured out the meaning of each scripture, and enabled me to understand and apply these to my life. It was as if the Bible was written entirely for me, and was giving me a roadmap as to how to live my life, and handle every situation that confronted me. Where God leads us sometimes is not always the easy road. But when we encounter a rough time in our lives, we know that God has led us into a season of testing our faith. Let me encourage each of you to keep following God. Do not turn away from Him. Trust Him and He will strengthen you. My Daily Devotional Volume III September 30 Robert William Brock, Jr.

Be A Contaigous Christian

Be a Contagious Christian “Always be prepared to give an answer to every one who asks you to give the reason for the hope that you have.” 1st Peter 3:15 Most of us have heard stories from various people in our lives that have touched our hearts and impacted our lives. When I read the scripture above I was reminded of the story about a young missionary named Bob Pierce who while on a mission trip to China ran across a young Chinese girl whose widowed mother could not afford to send her to a mission school, and he felt such compassion that he gave all the money he had to help, which was only five dollars. However that was enough to enroll her in the school, and he committed to send money each month for her continued support. After returning to America he began to tell others about the needs he had seen in China, and the story of what he had done to help this young girl. From his story the concept of child sponsorship caught on and began to grow. Today the organization he started, World Vision, has over 500,000 people sponsoring children every month and also supports 100 million people in 99 countries. It has become one of the largest relief agencies in the world. All of us may not have an impressive story such as this to tell others, but if we’re genuine followers of Jesus, we need to tell our story of salvation and what it has meant to us. Our story of our life-changing salvation can have a dramatic impact on those we talk to. Our testimonies can be absolutely contagious in their influence and impact. Real life stories can change minds, touch hearts and impact lives. Your story may impact someone’s life as you share the dramatic transformation it had in your life. It may just be the key that unlocks the heart of some uncommitted person and help them step across the line from skepticism to saving faith and accepting Jesus as their savior. My Daily Devotional Volume III September 28 Robert William Brock, Jr.

Respect Other Christians

Respect Other Christians “May they be brought to complete unity to let the world know that you sent me and have loved them even as you have loved me.” John 17:23 In our society it is not unusual to find someone who is in the process of changing churches for many varied reasons. Many leave because they don’t like what is going on in their churches, others because of personality conflicts, others because of the style of worship and others because of differing opinions concerning the understanding of doctrine. Everyone needs to feel comfortable in their church and with the people that they associate with, as part of the churches mission must be to uplift and encourage fellow brothers and sisters. I believe God cares about our relationship with our churches and with our relationships with the people who attend them. I also believe that there is too much denominational strife between our churches today that is destroying the faith of others. We need to remember that Heaven will be a place where there are not any denominations; there will not be a section for the Catholics, one for the Baptists, one for the Methodists, and another one for the Presbyterians, etc. All of us will be together in one Holy place where there will not be any disagreement or animosity toward others. Until we reach heaven we need to be understanding and show compassion with others points of view of the Bible. We need to always seek God’s wisdom and verify for ourselves what God teaches us and put it into practice. Bitter theological debates about religion can be divisive, and cause others to turn away from God and the church, and must be avoided. We need to hold fast to our own convictions that we have verified as true by studying God’s word for ourselves, and be careful to not cause any one to turn away from God by our actions. My Daily Devotional Volume III September 27 Robert William Brock, Jr.

Check All Things

Check All Things “We have heard that some went out from us without our authorization and disturbed you, troubling your minds by what they said.” Acts 15:24 Faith in God is a wonderful thing to have, as it can get us through many of the trials and troubles that all of us will endure at some point in our lives. By our faith we have become children of God and received our salvation. We need to have faith in the Word of God and trust it, but we always need to make sure that the Word of God comes from our own understanding and make sure that it is right, by verifying it ourselves in the Bible. Too often, however, we as Christians believe in the wrong things that we have heard from others and don’t verify it for ourselves. I have heard pastors, deacons and Sunday school teachers teach the wrong things even though they think they are right. People are quick to believe in gossip about co-workers, friends, neighbors, and our governmental leaders are a target for almost anyone. When we believe misinformation this can lead to slander, we can hurt others by judging them about things that might not be true. How can we protect ourselves and keep from hurting others? One way is to not believe just one side of a story that is told about someone. We need to hear both sides of a story, and then we can understand the situation better. In addition, we can protect ourselves from false doctrine by comparing what we hear to the actual Word of God found in our Bible. We should test everything with the Bible and the guidance of the Holy Spirit. James wrote “If any of you lacks wisdom, he should ask God who gives generously to all without finding fault, and it will be given to him.” James 1:5. Let us resolve to not hurt ourselves or others by believing in things that we shouldn’t, but let God give us wisdom. My Daily Devotional Volume III September 26 Robert William Brock, Jr.

Implement God's Word

Implement God’s Word “My mother and brothers are those who hear God’s word and put it into practice.” Luke 8:21 This scripture reminds me of a situation that I encountered during a college basketball game, where my coach was telling us how to run an offensive play that would almost certainly produce a score, that would enable us to break up a tied basketball game and give us a victory. He called a time out and told each of us exactly what we were to do during the play and if we each did our job we could win the game. All of my teammates heard his instructions and did exactly what he told us to do, and the result was a score in the last seconds of the ball game and we won. God is telling us in the scripture above that if we hear and obey God’s word, and do what we are told to do we will also be victorious in our life. So many times however we read and know what God is telling us to do, but for some other reason we do not put His words into practice in our lives and we fail. There are instructions throughout the Bible that tell us how to deal with almost any situation we will ever face during our life, but so often we read and know what to do, but do not put God’s wisdom into practice and the result is failure. If you are dealing with issues in your life today that you don’t know how to handle, chances are that God already has a play designed that will allow you to conquer these issues and defeat it. To get the answer it is as easy as opening your Bible and studying it to find out what the answer is and you will be successful. God tells us that there will be trials and troubles in our lives, but He has the answers for these, and that He will help us get through them. I encourage each of you to turn to Jesus during your times of trouble, as He has the answer to deal with your problems. Your job is to put into practice God’s word and follow His instructions. My Daily Devotional Volume III September 25 Robert William Brock, Jr.

I Can Talk To God

I Can Talk To God “Consequently, faith comes from hearing the message, and the message is heard through the word of Christ.” Romans 10:17 It was almost 20 years ago that God began talking to me. No, I did not hear his booming voice come down from heaven, but heard Him through gentle whispers. These gentle whispers were enough, however, to get my attention and want to know more about what He was saying to me. Although God was placing His vision in my heart, I hesitated for several years before succumbing to Him and what He was saying. As this time passed I could more clearly see what God wanted me to do, and as this vision became more engrained in my mind and thoughts, I began questioning why God had chosen me to do His work. I had never had thoughts before of what God was asking me to do, and this was completely out of my comfort zone. However, as I began to read and study my Bible I became more at ease as my faith and trust in God began to grow and the task did not seem as large. God continued to talk to me, and still does, in these gentle whispers and continues to lead me and direct me in the fulfillment of my tasks. So often I do not know how these tasks will be carried out, but in all circumstances, as I have forged ahead everything falls into place. Many times I press and push for these tasks to be completed in a time frame I establish, and many times I can become frustrated as God knows when the time is right, and without fail He has always allowed them to be completed. When I now hear these gentle whispers I rush forward without any hesitation to answer God’s call to me, and in all situations God allows these gentle whispers to come to pass. Hearing God’s voice is such an important part of my life now, and I can hardly contain myself as He talks to me and I can talk to Him and get help and answers to any of my problems. My Daily Devotional Volume III September 24 Robert William Brock, Jr.

Our Prayer Time

Our Prayer Time “Praise be to the Lord, to God our Savior, who daily bears our burdens.” Psalm 68:19 Do you pray daily? This is an important question to ask yourself. Each of us needs to set aside time in our daily routine to pray to God. I know that with the pressures on our lives that prayer of any significance beyond the “bless me today” kind of prayer may seem not to be doable in your schedule. However, I believe that God wants us to give Him our tithes in our time as well as our money. This means that we need to spend at least a tenth of our waking time worshiping God. We are to spend time praying, and spend time reading and studying the Bible. Part of this time could be spent on helping others that are in need. Our days should not consist of all our time spent on ourselves and our needs, as God commanded us to love others as we love ourselves. This means our time should not be spent entirely on our pleasures, but some time should be spent to assist, encourage or help someone other than ourselves. But a good part of our worship time should be spent in prayer. During our prayer time we need to thank God for all the blessings that He gives us daily, and also ask Him to give us guidance and wisdom that we can use to better understand and follow what He wants us to do in fulfilling the purpose He has for our lives. Our prayer time should include the Lord’s Prayer as it encompasses all of the things that God tells us are important. We need to pray to the Lord who bears our burdens, about our burdens, for the necessities of life and for mutual encouragement with other believers. We need to always offer praise, affection and love for the God who loves you. We need to understand that God loves to hear the voices of His people, and that He also loves the sound of your voice. My Daily Devotional Volume III September 22 Robert William Brock, Jr.

Fathers Love Your Children

Fathers Love Your Children “The father of a righteous man has great joy, he who has a wise son delights in him.” Proverbs 23:24 This devotional is dedicated to the many fathers that receive my devotionals, and the importance your role is in your family. Various studies conducted by Yale, Johns Hopkins and other groups have documented that the absence of a father is a stronger factor than poverty in contributing to juvenile delinquency. In forty eight cultures around the world crime rates were highest among adults who, as children, had been raised solely by women. A lack of closeness with fathers was the common factor in hypertension, coronary heart disease, malignant tumors, mental illness and suicide. A study of thirty-nine teenage girls suffering from anorexia showed that thirty-six of them had one common denominator, a lack of closeness with their fathers. It is a fact that an emotionally or physically absent father contributes to a child’s low motivation, low self-esteem and susceptibility to group influence and juvenile delinquency. It is clear, fathers are important in the lives of their children, and they need to be there not just physically, but emotionally as well. Being a father myself, I sometimes do not come up to the standard I set for myself, nevertheless, through the years of raising three wonderful children, God has continued to remind me that God’s standard for fatherhood is not perfection, it is love. And although I may have failed in some respect it was not in my love for each of them as this has always been the most important thing in my life. I would encourage each father to make sure that your children see the love you have for them, and demonstrate this to them each and every day during the time you have them. There is not a greater heritage that you can pass on to them than to show them love. My Daily Devotional Volume III September 21 Robert William Brock, Jr.

God Will Never Forsake You

God Will Never Forsake You “For the Lord will not reject his people; he will never forsake his inheritance.” Psalm 94:14 There are not many people who go through life without their up’s and down’s. Life is constantly changing, as some days we may be shouting to God, and praising Him for the good things that are happening to us. Then, there will be days where the storm clouds are all around us, and our world seems to be falling apart. We need to have a godly mindset in order to handle these changes, and deal with them properly. If we have our faith and trust in God, and have Him as number one in our lives, we will know that God will never reject us and forsake us. Even when the trials and troubles of life surround us, we will know that God is still there with us. We need to look at each new day, and even each hour, as an opportunity for God to bless us. So often we overlook all the blessings that God sends our way, as we seldom recognize an encouraging word from a friend, or a pat on the back from our boss, or even an unexpected financial blessing, as blessings from God. We can even see the blessings from God by looking at the beautiful blue sky or the large oak tree on our way to work, or the food before us at dinner. God has given us all these blessings, but so often we take them for granted, and do not appreciate them as we should. We need to always remember that God wants the best for us, and even when we may have a trial come our way, God is still there with us. So when we awake each morning we need to look for all the blessings that God has provided, and thank him for these. When our trials come we must not walk in fear, but hold on to the faith and trust that God is with us through all our challenges in life. Look for God’s blessings today and thank Him and trust Him during your challenges, as God will never forsake you. My Daily Devotional Volume III September 18 Robert William Brock, Jr.

Listen To God's Call

Listen to God’s Call “But God chose the foolish things of the world to shame the wise; God chose the weak things of the world to shame the strong.” 1st Corinthians 1:27 Several months ago Reverend Jerry Falwell passed away, and the Reverend Billy Graham’s health is failing. These two men are some of the greatest evangelical leaders that our nation has had for the past several decades. Neither of them was afraid to speak the truth, and both were dedicated to God and spent their lives making our nation a better place. Neither of these men came from well known families, but had humble beginnings, however God had big plans for each of them and their purpose in life was destined to reach thousands of people and bring them to Christ. These situations are not uncommon as God often chooses the least likely in the world’s eyes. Look at David, the youngest of Jesse’s sons. David was merely a shepherd when Samuel found him, and not even his father suspected that God had chosen him to be king. When we consider the marvelous things that God did through Jerry Falwell and Billy Graham, and see each of them give all the credit to God for what they became, it is wonderful to know that God has a destiny and a purpose for each of us that can enhance God’s kingdom. We may not be famous, but we are not insignificant in God’s eyes, and we need to listen to Him and let Him lead us in the path He wants us to follow. I believe God speaks to all of us and gives us visions as to what we are to do, as God chooses many times the weak to carry out His mission. I would encourage each of you to listen to God when He speaks to you and sacrifice all you have to do His bidding. We will all be amazed at what God can do through each of us when we heed and listen to Him and obey and follow His call and will for our life. My Daily Devotional Volume III September 17 Robert William Brock, Jr.

God's Stand On Sin

God’s Stand On Sin “Have mercy on me, O God, according to your unfailing love; according to your great compassion blot out my transgressions. Wash away all my iniquity and cleanse me from my sin.” Psalm 51:1-2 The above scripture was David’s humble prayer for forgiveness and cleansing of his sins. We see many scriptures throughout the Bible where David and others were asking God to forgive them when they had sinned against God. Even as David had sinned when he committed adultery with Bathsheba, sin is a transgression of a command from God, and thus all sin is against God, whether it has injured another human being or not. There is no justification for a Christian to continue to go on sinning after he has accepted Jesus as his savior. 1st John 3:9 “No one who is born of God will continue to sin, because God’s seed remains in him; he cannot go on sinning, because he has been born of God.” All Christians need to take heed, and begin to ask God for wisdom and guidance in their daily life, to give them the strength and courage to live a life that is pleasing in the sight of God. There is no excuse for sin in your daily life when you have accepted Jesus into your heart. When we stand before God at our Day of Judgment there is no excuse that we will be able to bring to the table, that can defend our reason for sin. God has given us His commands that we are to follow, and the Bible clearly spells out how we are to live our lives obeying and following these commands. Our lives need to be characterized not by sin, but by doing what is right, which is what we must practice in our daily living. Our focus each and every day must be to do what is pleasing in the sight of God, and our actions and our thoughts must demonstrate this as we are a witness to God in all we do. My Daily Devotional Volume III September 16 Robert William Brock, Jr.