God Is Testing You

God Is Testing You "But when envoys were sent by the rulers of Babylon to ask him about the miraculous sign that had occurred in the land, God left him to test him and to know everything that was in his heart." 2nd Chronicles 32:31 Have you ever had a time when you felt God was not with you? In the scripture above King Hezekiah experienced this very situation, at a crucial time when he needed God to be with him. King Hezekiah was a very wealthy man and God left him alone because he had became prideful with his success. I am sure that all of you have had situations where you have made a choice to do the right thing or the wrong thing, to sin or not to sin. You may be a Christian, and have accepted Jesus into your heart, but all of you will make choices each day of your life to sin or not to sin. Satan will always be there to tempt you to sin, to offer you pleasure, to tempt you to be selfish and only think about yourself. During these times of temptation God is watching, and may leave you alone, as these may be times that He is testing you, just as he did with King Hezekiah, to know what is actually in your heart. I believe God knows exactly when and how to test us, as to the contents of our heart. Often God tests us with material wealth and possessions, as he did with King Hezekiah, to see whether we are prideful of our monetary accomplishments, and seek to broadcast them to the world. If you are struggling with this, God will test you and let Satan tempt you with material possession, to find out exactly what is in your heart. The choice you must make during these times is whether you value God enough to resist the temptation. The choices you make cannot be faked, or denied, as God knows your heart, and knows if you are making the right choice. Will you pass the test. My Daily Devotional Volume Six April 30 Robert William Brock, Jr.

Hidden Sins

Hidden Sins "But Jesus would not entrust himself to them, for he knew all men. He did not need man's testimony about man, for he knew what was in a man." John 2:24-25 I can remember my children as they were growing up, holding a pencil behind their backs, after they had written on the wall, trying to hide it from us. When we do something that we know we should not do, we try to hide it so that no one can see what we have done. We have a remarkable capacity to deny and cover up what we know is wrong, and try to hide it from others. Most people know when they sin, or do something that is not allowed, but often we do it anyway, and then try to cover it up. So often when we commit the initial sin, other sins follow. If we tell a lie, more than often we will tell another lie, to cover up the original lie, thus compounding sin. The thing to remember is that when we do sin, we know about it, and so does God. God knows every time you lie, and then tell another lie to cover it up, and you do too. When Jesus said in the scripture above "he knew what was in a man," he knows what is in you, he knows the good, the bad and the ugly. You might be able to hide your sin, and not let others find out about it, but God knows all about it. You need to realize also that any sin left hidden will always haunt you in your own personal relationship with God. The answer to sin is to confess it, to acknowledge it, to declare to God the truth about yourself, and to turn your behavior over to God, who will forgive you. If you are living with hidden sin today, that is weighing you down, remember that it is not hidden from God, but you can be free from this sin, by simply confessing it to God, who will forgive you. One day God will judge you, and any sins that Jesus' blood has not forgiven, you will be held accountable for. My Daily Devotional Volume Six April 29 Robert William Brock, Jr.

It's Not Too Late

It's Not Too Late "For although they knew God, they neither glorified him as God nor gave thanks to him, but their thinking became futile and their foolish hearts were darkened." Romans 1:21 As I think about the condition of our world today, and the depravity and lack of morality that is rampant in our society, I wonder just how long God is going to wait to come again. I know that there is much debate about the events of the end times, as to what prophesies must still be fulfilled, before God returns, but as I read the Bible I believe the end times are drawing near. The Bible clearly tells us that no man, only God knows the hour of Christ's return, but the things described in our Bible, clearly indicate that the events leading up to His return are being fulfilled as we speak. It tells us that nations will rise against nations, there will be famines and earthquakes in various places. Many will turn away from the faith, and will betray and hate each other. There will be many false prophets that will appear and deceive many people. There will be an increase of wickedness and violence. These are just some of the indications of the events that will appear in the end days. All of these things are happening in our world today, which indicate that we are truly in the last days. The message I want you to get today, is that you need to be ready yourself for Christ's return. Although we don't when He is returning, you need to be ready. The Bible tells us that it is only God's mercy that is delaying this final event from happening, because it is His desire that none should perish and that all come to repentance. For those of you who have never made a commitment of your heart and life to Jesus Christ by faith, the Bible says that today is the day of salvation, as tomorrow may be too late. My Daily Devotional Volume Six April 28 Robert William Brock, Jr.

Enjoy A Life Of Peace

Enjoy A Life Of Peace "When a man's ways are pleasing to the Lord, he makes even his enemies live at peace with him." Proverbs 16:7 If you have gotten up this morning and are struggling with a situation that has taken all the peace and joy out of your life, this message is for you. There should not be any situation that you will face, whether it is financial, a relationship, loss of a job, or even a health issue that you should let rob you of your peace and joy. If you know Jesus Christ as your savior, He will provide you peace even in the most difficult situations. When He made the promise to His disciples, just a few hours before His death, "even though we would have trials and tribulations, be of good cheer, for I have overcome the world." This promise is where your peace and joy should come from. From this precious promise, that no matter who or what may be going in your life, because you know Jesus Christ by faith, you not only have the assurance of spending your eternity with Him, but also the promise of His strength and comfort during your struggles. You also need to know that God knows what you are facing today, even the little things that may seem insignificant to you, as He is aware of all things in your life. God is there to comfort you, during your daily struggles, and all He asks in return, is for you to have faith and trust in Him for all things. Satan is the one that is robbing you of your peace and joy, as any distraction he can cause in your daily life, gets your focus off God, and if he can do this, he can take away your peace. When you asked Jesus into your heart you also got the Holy Spirit which is there to guide you and comfort you through even the darkest storms. So, if you don't have peace and joy each day, it is not God, but Satan that is robbing you. When you put your trust in Jesus, He will give you peace. My Daily Devotional Volume Six April 27 Robert William Brock, Jr.

Put God In Control

Put God In Control "And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose." Romans 8:28 Today, I want to encourage you. I don't know what problems you may be facing in your life this morning, but I do know that many of you are going through something that is troubling you. Whatever your situation is, I want you to know that God already knows all about it, and gives you scriptures like the one above that tells you that He works all things for the good of those who love Him. I cannot promise you that all your problems will be solved by the time you fall asleep tonight, or that they will work out exactly the way you want them to. But, I can tell you that God knows all about them, and according to His will they will work out for the good. The thing I want you to remember is, to not give up trusting and having faith that God is in control. If your trials and struggles seem overwhelming today, pray about them, read your Bible and seek God's wisdom, draw closer to Him, and then turn all your problems over to Him and let Him take control. When you turn your problems over to God, even in the midst of them, He will give you peace. Look at the life of Peter, as he spent much time in prison, was persecuted, beaten and threatened daily, but He had perfect peace, because the presence of God was with Him. God will also be present with you during your struggles, as He will also give you His peace and provide you comfort. He has not abandoned you, or forsaken you. Don't try to handle your problems by yourself, without trusting and having faith that God is bigger than your problems, and that He will work things out for the good of those who love Him. Jesus promised you that "he will never leave you nor forsake you." My Daily Devotional Volume Six April 26 Robert William Brock, Jr.

Is God Your Priority

Is God Your Priority "Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways acknowledge him, and he will make your paths straight." Proverbs 3:5-6 I have always been very goal oriented, and have set daily goals, and focused my energy fully to accomplishing them. My goals have always been what was important to me that day, and If my goals are not accomplished each day, I feel that I have not given my full effort to the things that meant most to me. We can easily get sidetracked, by the busyness of daily living, and let little things take us away from the things that are most important to us. Your goals each day should include time to spend with God, in prayer, reading His Holy Word, and obeying fully His commands. These goals should be prioritized, and your worship time with God should always be your top priority. Making God first in all things, and setting goals each day, will help you keep your worship of God in the proper perspective. You must realize that Satan does not want you to make time for God, and will always fill your day with the busyness of meaningless tasks if you are not goal oriented. Selfishness is one of the ways that Satan comes at you, as if self gets in the way, you will use your time playing games on the computer, talking to friends, doing hobbies, watching sports, the list goes on. However, if your goal is to make God first in all you do, you will resist the selfish pleasures, and take the time needed for God. If you are really serious about making God first in your life, you must plan to devote the time necessary for Him. Set aside time each day to worship God, to pray and read your Bible. When you make God your priority and acknowledge Him, He will make your paths straight. My Daily Devotional Volume Six April 25 Robert William Brock, Jr.

Controlling Anger

Controlling Anger "In your anger do not sin. Do not let the sun go down while you are still angry, and do not give the devil a foothold." Ephesians 4:26 Your ability to handle anger is an important character trait in your life. The statistics state that as many as 50% of people that are in Christian counseling programs have problems dealing with anger. Anger can destroy communications with your family, tear apart relationships, and destroy any hope of having peace and joy in your life. Most people try to justify their anger by blaming others instead of accepting responsibility for it. The Bible gives us much wisdom about how to handle anger in our lives, and the scripture mentioned above is just one of many. Anger turns to sin when it is selfishly motivated, or if it is allowed to linger in our thoughts and minds. Forgiveness is the answer to controlling anger, as many times anger results because we have been wronged by someone, and we want revenge and to retaliate against them. Forgiveness, however, takes away these thoughts as once we can forgive someone who has hurt or harmed us, we are set free from these harmful thoughts. When we use forgiveness as our weapon against anger, and can pray for the people, not hold a grudge, or allow anger to fester, and keep feelings of anger inside us, the battle is easily won in controlling anger. Unfortunately so many people cannot get past hurts out of their minds, and really forgive. Things that happened in the past should never be cause to keep reminding ourselves about past hurts or things done against us. These should be reminders to us to think about forgiveness, and to replace these hurts with love for the people who may have harmed us. When you can convert love for anger, you are where God wants you. My Daily Devotional Volume Six April 24 Robert William Brock, Jr.

God Can Move Your Mountain

God Can Move Your Mountain "If you have faith as small as a mustard seed, you can say to this mountain, move from here to there, and it will move. Nothing will be impossible for you." Matthew 17:20-21 During our lives, we will all face major life-changing situations. The loss of a job, financial issues, the death of a loved one, a problem with our health, and possible relationship issues with family members, or even with our spouses. There are few people that at some time in their life that will not face a mountain that they do not know how to overcome. I know that many of you are facing a mountain today, that just seems to high, and you don't know how to get over it. The message I want to give you today, is how you can respond to these life changing mountains. You can either allow the mountain in your life to keep you from fulfilling your purpose of serving God, and robbing you of your peace, joy and the abundance of this life, or you can move forward in His strength, putting your trust and faith in God to remove your mountain, and live in victory. In the scripture above Jesus tells you that if you have faith as small as a mustard seed, you can say to your mountain "Be gone, and it will be gone." Having grown up on a farm, a mustard seed is one of the tiniest seeds, so it doesn't take a lot of faith, but the question is, "do you trust God enough to put your complete faith in Him." Let me encourage you today, that there is not a mountain that you are facing that cannot be moved. You may not understand why God has placed this mountain in your life, but He has not placed it there, without giving you the strength to overcome it. I want you to know that God will give you whatever strength you need to overcome, but you need to draw closer to Him, pray to Him, read His words, and then trust and have the faith that He will move your mountain. My Daily Devotional Volume Six April 23 Robert William Brock, Jr.

What Can Wash Away My Sin

What Can Wash Away My Sin "For God did not send his son into the world to condemn the world, but to save the world." John 3:17 One night in a church service a young woman felt God tugging at her heart, and she responded to His call and accepted Jesus as her Lord and Savior. The young woman had been addicted to drugs, alcohol and prostitution, and had a very rough past. But, the change in her became evident, and as time passed she became a faithful member of the church, and it was evident to everyone that she had truly been changed and was a devoted follower of Jesus. It was not long until this changed young woman was noticed by the pastor's son, and after several months of dating he asked her to marry him. Some of the church members who knew of the woman's past life, began questioning that it was not suitable for her to marry the pastor's son, and began to argue and fight amongst themselves about the matter. This eventually led to a meeting with all church members involved, and as the meeting was getting completely out of control, the pastor's son stood and said, "My fiancée's past is not what is on trial here. What you are questioning is the ability of the blood of Jesus to wash away sins. So, does it wash away sin or not?" The entire church suddenly realized that they had been slandering the blood of the Lord Jesus Christ. This story should remind us that when we bring up someone's past, and use it as a weapon against them, that forgiveness is the most important foundational part of the Gospel of Jesus. If the blood of Jesus does not cleanse the other person completely, then it cannot cleanse you completely either, as you also have sinned. This lovely old hymn, says it all, "What can wash away my sins, nothing but the blood of Jesus." My Daily Devotional Volume Six April 22 Robert William Brock, Jr.

Be Anxious For Nothing

Be Anxious For Nothing "My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness." 2nd Corinthians 12:8 In 2nd Corinthians the Apostle Paul is telling us all the trials and tribulations he faced daily in his own life, and tells us that as a child of God we should not worry. He wrote much of this while in prison, and was well aware of the things that cause others to be anxious and worry. Even though Paul was constantly under attack by people wanting to persecute him, he was always at peace with himself as he depended on his faith and trust in God. My friends, no matter what position in life you are in, you will always experience trials and sufferings, as God will not necessarily take your problems away, but He will carry the load for you. God wants you to experience His peace, even in your daily struggles. You may not fully understand how God can give you peace in some of the situations you face, but you do not have to understand it in order to experience it. This peace God will give you is not just for the people who may handle stress and worry well, but it is there for everyone. If you are dealing with some situation in your life today, that you are worried and anxious about, turn it over to God. Pray about it and ask Him to give you wisdom and understanding. Read and study your Bible, and let God speak to you through the scriptures about your situation. When you draw closer to God and establish this close relationship with Him, you will find that you will have peace even during your darkest hour. The Bible tells us repeatedly that we should not be anxious for anything. There is nothing that you will face that is too difficult, troubling, or impossible for God to handle. No matter what your circumstances are, turn your anxiety and worry over to God, and let His perfect peace guard your heart. My Daily Devotional Volume Six April 21 Robert William Brock, Jr.

Your Walls Can Fall

Your Walls Can Fall "When the trumpets sounded, the people shouted, and at the sound of the trumpet, when people gave a loud shout, the wall collapsed." Joshua 6:20 I have always loved this story of Joshua and the Children of Israel, and how they destroyed the wall around the city of Jericho. This is a perfect example of a man walking in faith, and trusting and believing in God. Joshua was a military man who had been used to war, and doing battle with his enemies. When he was faced with this impenetrable wall that surrounded Jericho, I am sure he knew that it was just too high and too thick, even with his soldiers, to break through and take the city. Joshua was also a man of God, and when he heard God talk to him and give him these instructions, he must have questioned this in his mind, as it probably didn't make sense to him, but he obeyed God's commands. We know what happened, as described in the scripture above, that when the trumpets sounded and the people shouted the walls fell down. This is another example of the power of God, as when the mission seems impossible in the eyes of man, the power of God can do the impossible. Just as God parted the sea and let the people of Israel flee from bondage, or just as God directed Noah to build an ark, nothing is impossible with God. My friends, you will find that many times God's plans often don't make sense to us, as He knows things that we don't know. But when God does the impossible, we can only sit back and say, "Only God could have done this." When we see and hear about people being healed of incurable sicknesses, or escaping miraculous accidents, this is God at work doing the impossible. God is calling you to also walk in faith just like Joshua did, as He can do the impossible in your life. My Daily Devotional Volume Six April 20 Robert William Brock, Jr.

Personalize Your Bible

Personalize Your Bible "If the Lord delights in a man's way, he makes his steps firm; thought he stumbles, he will not fall, for the Lord upholds him with his hand." Psalm 37:23 Almost ten years ago, I felt God tugging on my heart to write an encouraging Biblical message and send to a friend who had just lost his father. I had never done anything like this before, but I looked in my Bible and found several encouraging scriptures, and e-mailed them to my friend, and wrote some other encouraging words that tied into the scriptures. A few days later I received a message from him telling me that my words had really helped him get through this terrible time, and that he had asked the pastor to read some of the message I had sent at his father's funeral. This response really touched me, and I believe it was the catalyst that started me writing my daily devotionals. A few days later I wrote several other devotionals based on my favorite scriptures and began sending these to my family and close friends. I struggled during this time trying to write messages that were encouraging, not really knowing how and what to write about. I am sure many of these were meaningless to my family, and looking back they were not well written. However, during this time, I discovered, that as I struggled to write a message on a scripture, I loved applying the scripture to my own life, as the scripture became real and personal to me. I remember my uncle Robert, who was a Bible Scholar, telling me that he would write a scripture and then apply it to his life. This was exactly what I was finding out in this process. I would like to encourage you today to try this simple exercise. Find a scripture that you like and spend the day making it personal, and applying it to your life. You will find that your Bible will come alive. My Daily Devotional Volume Six April 19 Robert William Brock, Jr. If you want to get your own personal copy of My Daily Devotional Volume Six containing all 365 daily devotionals for 2013 it is available at Amazon.com.

Be Patient-Wait On God

Be Patient-Wait On God "Be patient, then, brothers, until the Lord's coming. See how the farmer waits for the land to yield its valuable crop and how patient he is for the autumn and spring rains." James 5:7 I believe God puts dreams and desires in people's hearts, that they work all during their lives to achieve. However, so often many get discouraged as they want instant success and victory, and give up. Throughout the Bible God is telling us to be patient and wait for His timing. Our time is not God's time, as I have always struggled with patience, and know this firsthand. However, I have found that God's timing is perfect, where my timing was always flawed. If you are waiting for a relationship to improve, waiting to find the right husband or wife, waiting for a promotion, waiting to overcome an illness or some other dream or desire, I want you to realize that God knows all about your dream, and in His perfect timing He will make His plan for you become a reality. There is a right way to wait and there's a wrong way to wait. Too often, when things don't happen on our timetable, we get down, get discouraged, worry and become anxious. This is not the right way to wait. The scripture above gives us good advice, as it tells us to consider how the farmer waits--patiently and eagerly. We're not supposed to set around discouraged; we're supposed to be hopeful, positive and full of expectancy. Today, no matter what you are praying for, expect things to change in your favor. As you wait with patience and expectancy, you'll open the door for God to move. He'll fight your battles, and you'll see the abundant harvest He has in store for you. Put your trust and hope in God, that you will have good things in store for you in the future, as His plan is fulfilled for you. My Daily Devotional Volume Six April 16 Robert William Brock, Jr.

What Is Your Master

What Is Your Master "They promise them freedom, while they themselves are slaves of depravity--for a man is a slave to whatever has mastered him" 2nd Peter 2:19 The scripture above tells us that we are a slave to whatever sin has mastered us. Today, I want you to think about what sin you are a slave to. Some of the more common things are; you could be a slave to worry, a slave to lust, a slave to food, a slave to your money, or even be a slave to a bad attitude. Whatever you have in your life that is controlling you, and keeping you from having peace in your life, is something that you can remove by simply letting God be part of your life. You see my friend, God does not want you to go through life, being a slave to any kind of sin. He does not want you to spend any of your time mired down with worry, guilt, feeling worthless, defeated, fearful, and thinking there is no way out. God's plan for you is much larger than that, your destiny is too precious, his plan for you is much more important. Your future is too bright to let you be a slave to any kind of sin. Today, I want to encourage you to make up your mind that things will be different, starting today. This is a new day where you do not have to give in to the same old temptations that Satan keeps throwing at you. This is the day where you can stand strong, dig your heels in and resist whatever sin is enslaving you. Just ask God to help you resist Satan's temptation, and He will give you strength to withstand and overcome whatever Satan sends your way. God created you to be free, and today can be your day of freedom from sin. Call on the name of the Lord, and He will help you. He will strengthen you, and empower you, to overcome any sin, so you can live the life of victory He has in store for you. My Daily Devotional Volume Six April 15 Robert William Brock, Jr.

Feel God's Presence

Feel God's Presence “See! The winter is past; the rains are over and gone. Flowers appear on the earth; the season of singing has come, the cooing of doves is heard in our land.” Song of Songs 2:11-12 I always include this devotional in all of my books as this is a special one for me, and lets me see and feel God's presence all around me. One of my favorite hobbies is working in my yard and garden, and as I spend many hours planting, pruning and weeding my flowers, I see God all around me, as I gaze on the beauty of what He has created before me. I believe God desires to be part of our everyday lives in this manner. He shows us His majesty in all the beauty that surrounds us, if we will look for it. Years ago, I discovered the above scripture during my Bible study, and it really jumped off the page at me, as it is one of the most beautiful scriptures I had discovered in some time. Since I found this scripture, every time I go out in my yard, I now think about this verse. It reminds me of God, and the beauty He has created all around me. After the rain and the storms comes the rainbow, and the beauty of the flowers, that He has surrounded me with. It is now a time for singing, as the birds fill the air with their joyful sounds. Since I asked Jesus into my heart, I can see Him and feel Him throughout my day, in all different ways such as this, which I had never experienced before. I believe Jesus wants us to experience Him in this way, in our everyday lives. It is through these kinds of moments, that we realize just how amazing God really is, when we hear the birds singing all around us, see the blue sky above, and feel the wind gently blowing through the trees These are now special times for me, as I can see God, and feel His presence all around me. My Daily Devotional Volume Six April 14 Robert William Brock, Jr.

Are You Walking With God

Are You Walking With God “But you know that he appeared so that he might take away our sins. And in him is no sin. No one who lives in him keeps on sinning. No one who continues to sin has either seen him or known him. No one who is born of God will continue to sin.” 1st John 3:5-9. Are you walking each day with God in your life? Better still, let me rephrase it and ask you, if God is walking with you? There is a difference, as the Bible tells us that God will not be with you if you sin, as He does not condone sin. When you asked Jesus into your heart, he forgave you of all your past sins, and if He abides there, there cannot be any sin in your heart. God will not live in a heart where sin, Satan and evil is present. "We know that anyone born of God does not continue to sin; the one who was born of God keeps him safe, and the evil one cannot harm him." 1st John 5:18. I believe that there are many people who don't understand the sacrifice that Jesus made for us, the sacrifice He made in suffering and dying on the cross, and all the agony and pain that He bore, just so that we could be saved and our sins could be forgiven. Do you think for a moment that Jesus would have suffered and died in this manner to forgive our sins, and then allow us to continue to sin daily. What would be the purpose of all His sacrifice, if we continue to lie, cheat, steal, curse, commit adultery and all the other sins. Do you think Jesus would have died, and allowed us loopholes or escape hatches, where we could continue to go on sinning sometime. There are no "what if's", no "sometimes", or any other conditions which allow us to continue to sin. What has changed in our lives, if we continue to sin after we asked Jesus to save us? What would have been the purpose of Jesus dying for us, and still allowing us to continue to sin? All the scriptures tell us when we accept Jesus as our Savior, that our lives are to be new, we are to be transformed, and we are to be changed into a new creation. This does not mean that we are just changed a little bit, maybe 50% better, or even 85% better, and that we still obey God 50% of the time, or 85% of the time, and Satan the other 50% of the time or the other 15% of the time. God commands us to obey Him 100% of the time, and there is no room for us to obey Satan any of the time. There is no wiggle room for us to obey Satan some, and God some. We either have to choose to obey God, or to obey Satan. We can have only one master, and we have to choose between God and Satan. This is what Jesus told us, "Be perfect, therefore, as your heavenly Father is perfect." Matthew 5:48 These are some pretty high standards that Jesus gave us, and if you are thinking that you have been doing ok, and have been good most of the time, this may not be good enough to get you to heaven. When the Bible tells you that "no one who continues to sin has either seen him or known him" this is a powerful statement, and should make you think, is God walking with me, as I am still committing sins daily. You have the choice to submit yourself to God and follow His commands and flee from sin, or you can follow the devil. If you choose to resist the devil, he will flee from you, or if you choose God He will come near to you. It tells you to purify your hearts and wash your hands of your sins. However, you have to make the choice to either follow God or Satan. You are the only one that can eradicate sin from your life, or the only one that can keep it in your heart. God is careful who he walks with. He will not walk with the sinner or the ungodly, nor with those who profess to know him, but deny Him in their actions. To escape God's wrath, and to be in the Rapture, you must walk with God. There is no other path He'll walk on than the Straight and Narrow path that His Son paved with His righteousness and holiness. My Daily Devotional Volume Six April 13 Robert William Brock, Jr.

Are You Walking With God

Are You Walking With God “But you know that he appeared so that he might take away our sins. And in him is no sin. No one who lives in him keeps on sinning. No one who continues to sin has either seen him or known him. No one who is born of God will continue to sin.” 1st John 3:5-9. Are you walking each day with God in your life? Better still, let me rephrase it and ask you, if God is walking with you? There is a difference, as the Bible tells us that God will not be with you if you sin, as He does not condone sin. When you asked Jesus into your heart, he forgave you of all your past sins, and if He abides there, there cannot be any sin in your heart. God will not live in a heart where sin, Satan and evil is present. "We know that anyone born of God does not continue to sin; the one who was born of God keeps him safe, and the evil one cannot harm him." 1st John 5:18. I believe that there are many people who don't understand the sacrifice that Jesus made for us, the sacrifice He made in suffering and dying on the cross, and all the agony and pain that He bore, just so that we could be saved and our sins could be forgiven. Do you think for a moment that Jesus would have suffered and died in this manner to forgive our sins, and then allow us to continue to sin daily. What would be the purpose of all His sacrifice, if we continue to lie, cheat, steal, curse, commit adultery and all the other sins. Do you think Jesus would have died, and allowed us loopholes or escape hatches, where we could continue to go on sinning sometime. There are no "what if's", no "sometimes", or any other conditions which allow us to continue to sin. What has changed in our lives, if we continue to sin after we asked Jesus to save us? What would have been the purpose of Jesus dying for us, and still allowing us to continue to sin? All the scriptures tell us when we accept Jesus as our Savior, that our lives are to be new, we are to be transformed, and we are to be changed into a new creation. This does not mean that we are just changed a little bit, maybe 50% better, or even 85% better, and that we still obey God 50% of the time, or 85% of the time, and Satan the other 50% of the time or the other 15% of the time. God commands us to obey Him 100% of the time, and there is no room for us to obey Satan any of the time. There is no wiggle room for us to obey Satan some, and God some. We either have to choose to obey God, or to obey Satan. We can have only one master, and we have to choose between God and Satan. This is what Jesus told us, "Be perfect, therefore, as your heavenly Father is perfect." Matthew 5:48 These are some pretty high standards that Jesus gave us, and if you are thinking that you have been doing ok, and have been good most of the time, this may not be good enough to get you to heaven. When the Bible tells you that "no one who continues to sin has either seen him or known him" this is a powerful statement, and should make you think, is God walking with me, as I am still committing sins daily. You have the choice to submit yourself to God and follow His commands and flee from sin, or you can follow the devil. If you choose to resist the devil, he will flee from you, or if you choose God He will come near to you. It tells you to purify your hearts and wash your hands of your sins. However, you have to make the choice to either follow God or Satan. You are the only one that can eradicate sin from your life, or the only one that can keep it in your heart. God is careful who he walks with. He will not walk with the sinner or the ungodly, nor with those who profess to know him, but deny Him in their actions. To escape God's wrath, and to be in the Rapture, you must walk with God. There is no other path He'll walk on than the Straight and Narrow path that His Son paved with His righteousness and holiness. My Daily Devotional Volume Six April 13 Robert William Brock, Jr.

Will You Stand

Will You Stand "Above all else, guard your heart, for it is the wellspring of life." Proverbs 4:23 Over the years I have noticed that many so called Christians, do not speak out, and let others know that they are a Christian. You can observe Christians, in most areas of our society, in places they should not be. You can observe Christians, talking to people who are using bad language. You can find Christians, receiving dirty e-mails and messages, from so called friends. You can find Christians, working in situations that are unlawful, and that are not pleasing to God. You can find Christians dressing inappropriately, and indecent. I spent 45 years in health care, and had all kinds of situations occur, where I could have kept silent, and put up with situations that were not Godly. There is no excuse for letting people curse around you, as you can kindly tell them that you do not feel comfortable with their language. There is no excuse when you let people continue to send you dirty e-mail messages, as you can ask to be removed from their mailing lists. There is no excuse for you letting the current fashion trend cause you to dress inappropriate. When you don't speak out, and remove yourself from these situations, you are turning a blind eye to sin. Our world is in desperate need of people who are willing to stand up for what is right. The people you associate with, need to know that you are a Christian, and that you do not condone their type of behavior. You should not be silent, and simply go along with the crowd, but should let them know that God is your savior, and that you are uncomfortable with their actions. It will not take long for people to respect your wishes, as they will change their behavior when they are in your presence. Will you be the person that will stand up for God? My Daily Devotional Volume Six April 12 Robert William Brock, Jr.

Are You Afraid

Are You Afraid "Fear of man will prove to be a snare, but whoever trusts in the Lord is kept safe." Proverbs 29:25 When I think about this scripture, I think about the prophet Jeremiah, who God commanded to go to the people in Israel and demand that they repent of their sins, and return to God. Jeremiah's fear began to get the best of him, and he began to come up with excuses, why he couldn't go. "I am too young." "I do not know how to speak." Even though Jeremiah made excuses why he couldn't go, God didn't give up on him, and encouraged him by saying "I am with you and will rescue you." Jeremiah 1:8 God was with Jeremiah, and he did go and tell the people all that God wanted him to tell them. Fear is something that most people battle each day, from the fear of flying, to fear of heights, to fear of snakes, and many other types of fear. No matter what kind of fear you have in your life today, I want you to know that you can overcome it. God may be asking you to use one of your gifts to reach out in your community, with a coworker, a family member or a classmate, and you are using fear as the reason you are not stepping out. Just as God was with Jeremiah and calmed his fear, He can do the same for you. The Bible teaches us that the "fear of God is the beginning of wisdom, and the fear of man is a stumbling block." If you are using fear as an excuse, just remember that God never calls you to do something for Him, that He doesn't empower you to do. Please take the time to get in the presence of God each day, let him speak to you and take away your fear. God's mission, and your purpose on earth is to let others know about the saving grace of Jesus. Open your ears and hearts to God, and let Him fulfill your mission to spread the word. My Daily Devotional Volume Six April 11 Robert William Brock, Jr.

Spend Time With God

Spend Time With God "But those who hope in the Lord will renew their strength. They will soar on wings like eagles; they will run and not grow weary, they will walk and not be faint. Isaiah 40:31 We live in such a fast paced, time crunched world that just about everything we do is rushed, hurried and urgent. We have put ourselves on such tight schedules that we have little time left, other than for the bare necessities. The sports events, the work schedules, the hobbies, all eat away at what little precious time we have, that we have very little left for the things that are really important in life; God, family, health and other relationships, including the building up of our spiritual lives. If you find yourself described above, what are you placing first in your daily schedule? The Bible gives us the way our lives are to be structured. God comes first, followed by our families, and then others. This may seem so simple, to get your life back in order, but all you need to do is make God first, and it will work if you will practice it daily. Take just a few minutes each morning to get into the presence of God, read your Bibles, pray and ask Him to lead and guide you in the hours ahead. Doing this simple exercise, will set the tone for your day. You cannot properly handle life without God, but getting in His presence each morning will allow Him to strengthen you, and enable you to handle life peacefully and wisely. When you make time for God and then listen to His voice, He will lead and guide you to make the right choices during your day. Don't let the pressure and busyness of this world continue to control you. When you spend time with God, he will renew your strength, let you soar on wings like eagles, and not grow weary. He will then let the other parts of your life fall into the proper place. My Daily Devotional Volume Six April 10 Robert William Brock, Jr.

Are You Obeying God

Are You Obeying God "For he chose us in him before the creation of the world to be holy and blameless in his sight." Ephesians 1:4 Today, I want you to realize that God is concerned about what you do in your life. He is concerned about the fruit that your life can produce for His kingdom, from all your efforts. He is concerned about your obedience, in following His commands in all aspects of your life. Today, as you go out into the world, you will have temptations all around you, and only you will make the choice to obey God or not. This very day you will make many choices to obey or rebel against God. When we look at the life of King Saul, we can see a man that was anointed by God, but chose to rebel against God. King Saul lived with the same free will that God has given each of you. Sadly, King Saul chose to rebel against God. He made the choice, and suffered the consequences of his rebellion. You also have to make the choice, whether you obey or rebel against God. You also will face the consequences if you make the wrong choices. Today, I just want you to realize and be aware of the choices you will make in the hours ahead, as you can obey, or rebel against God. Jesus promises you a life of abundance, which comes from living a life that is pleasing and acceptable to Him. God is concerned about you, and loves you and only wants the best for you. When God asks you to obey Him, it is not for His good, but for your good. We see in the Old Testament, that many people were quick to offer up sacrifices to God, yet their hearts were not obeying Him. When you obey God out of your heart and your love for Him, you demonstrate your obedience. As you go through the rest of this day, I want you to remember these words, "to obey is better than sacrifice", so make the right choices today, and obey God. My Daily Devotional Volume Six April 9 Robert William Brock, Jr.

Are You Worry Free

Are You Worry Free "Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God." Philippians 4:6 Today, I want to encourage you not to worry, but in every situation, let God know what you need in prayers and requests, while giving thanks. When you look at the meaning of worry in the dictionary, it literally means "to be pulled in different directions." Another definition means to "strangle". Worry can literally destroy your peace, and weaken your faith. It can destroy your health, wastes your energy, control you, and make any problem seem bigger than it really is. The Bible talks much about worry, and the damage it can do. I can only imagine what worry does in the heart of God, when he sees His children caught in the trap of their negative attitudes, while His plan provides for a peaceful mind, free from worry. God's plan for you provides a life free from worry, one of freedom and dependency on Him for all your needs. When you don't depend on God for everything, and rather begin depending upon your own strength and ability, that is when worry will creep into your life. When you take life into your own hands, worry will always be the result. In the scripture above, the Apostle Paul gives you the formula for eliminating worry, and establishing peace in your life. When you begin to pray to God with a thankful heart, asking Him for anything, this is the perfect picture of showing Him your dependence on Him. If you are struggling with situations in your life, and desperate for the power and strength to deal with them, now is the time to turn to God, who can give you His peace and His comfort, during your storms. God can calm the waters, give you peace in any circumstance, and make you worry free. My Daily Devotional Volume Six April 8 Robert William Brock, Jr.

Don't Be A Roamer

Don't Be A Roamer "I am the Lord your God, who teaches you what is best for you, who directs you in the way you should go." Isaiah 48:17 Three years ago, I got a new black lab puppy, which I named Annie. She was only 3 months old when we brought her home. I had just lost my best friend, Trajan, which I had for almost 10 years, and wanted another companion. Annie, was a roamer, not anything like Trajan, who was an inside dog, and one who always wanted to be in the house, by my side. Annie, however, wanted to be outside, where she could roam in our yard and in our neighborhood. Annie reminded me of the scripture above, in that, as Christians we belong to God, and have access to all of His wisdom and knowledge. We live under His protection and authority, and the Holy Spirit is there to lead and guide us in our life. We have it made, living in the presence of God, but like Annie, we are prone to roam and get out of the presence of safety, and God. As long as we read our Bibles, pray and stay in His presence, our lives can be filled with peace, joy and security. So often, however, the pressure and busyness of life, begins to take over, and we don't take time each day to spend with God. When this occurs, it becomes easier and easier to roam, and let the world take over, and begin to control our life. Our speech, our actions, and our thoughts, can start to roam from the things that please God, and soon we are out roaming Satan's neighborhood. If you find yourself roaming away from the presence of God in your life, you can make the choice today, to return to the fold. Don't let the busyness of daily life control you any longer. Begin today, to spend time with God, renew your relationship with Him, and let Him again direct your path. My Daily Devotional Volume Six April 7 Robert William Brock, Jr.

A Passion For God

A Passion For God “Help, Lord, for the godly are no more; the faithful have vanished from among men.” Psalm 12:1 The above scripture was a psalm written by David when he was down and depressed, as he saw his people and their actions. We can see this same attitude prevalent in today’s society, as it appears that so many people have abandoned God, and are going their own ways, without regard to obeying God and His commands. God is being taken out of our schools, our government, our justice system, and even any mention of God in a public forum is being questioned by someone. One of the most important holidays of the year, Christmas, is now glorified by not worshipping the birth of Jesus, as our public displays about his nativity are being questioned, and being replaced with a holiday spirit, that has no mention of Jesus. God must be so disappointed with what is happening in our society today, as our thoughts have turned from Him to our own materialistic ways. We need to get our passion back for God, in the manner our forefathers had during the time our great nation was founded. The first congress spent the first part of every session in prayer, and all their decisions were based upon God and His teachings. What can you do? As a Christian you must have a passion for God, and make Him number one in your life. You must get your mind off yourself, your wants and desires, and get your focus on God, and make your number one goal, to do His will. Your daily life must center around God, and obeying His commands and doing what is right. God wants you to prosper in everything you do, but your passion for Him must be your number one goal each day. Spend time with God each day, and allow Him to direct your life, and fulfill His plan for you, and get your passion back for God. My Daily Devotional Volume Six April 6 Robert William Brock, Jr.

Stick To the Fundamentals

Stick To The Fundamentals "But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well." Matthew 6:33 I can still remember my basketball coach in college telling me to stick to the fundamentals, during one of our championship games. It was a close game, and I was expecting the coach to come up with a new play that would give us a quick score, but he said to simply stick to the fundamentals. We did as he said and won the game, as this was always his philosophy. The same philosophy, I have found is true, in our walk with God. When the pressures, and stresses of everyday life, begin to build up in our lives, we need to keep to the fundamentals of our faith. I have learned during my own life, that one of the fundamentals in keeping my faith fresh and alive, is keeping my relationship with God first in my life. The scripture above is my reinforcement to keeping God first in my life, as He tells me that these other things will be given to me as well, if I make Him first. He even gave me His greatest commandment, which says to make Him first. The ways of the world, and all the temptations that Satan throws at us daily, can cause us to get away from the fundamentals of our faith, if we don't have God walking beside us, keeping us on track. We can't let the issues, problems, and trials of daily living, come between us and God. It is easy to get sidetracked, have our schedules so full of things to do, and become caught up in the busyness of the world that we don't spend time with God. The fundamentals of your faith is that you spend time with God each day, therefore, before each day begins, ask God to fill you with His Holy Spirit. Then by faith, allow Him to guide your life daily, and stick to the fundamentals, and win. My Daily Devotional Volume Six April 5 Robert William Brock, Jr.

Are You Trusting God

Are You Trusting God "To you, O Lord, I lift up my soul; in you I trust, O my God." Psalm 25:1 In our modern day world, so often people are facing difficult situations. Life can seem so confusing, as people don't know where to turn when they face the trials and troubles of life. When Satan unleashes his fury against people, they feel helpless, with no hope, and do not see a way out of their miseries. If you are feeling alone, hopeless, and don't see a way out of your trials, look at the scripture above, and read all the other scriptures in your Bible, where God gives you His Word as a reliable compass to point the way in dealing with difficult situations. He tells you over and over, to trust in Him for your deliverance, and effectively use His guidance, obeying His instructions, and you will have victory over all your problems. Even though Satan will continue to come at you with all his forces, God will give you the armor to withstand all of Satan's evil attacks. Just remember, that your God is trustworthy. He is the one that sent His son to die in your place, and forgive all your sins. God loves you, and wants you to be part of His family. You can always trust God to keep all of His promises in the Bible, and this is the reason that you can always depend on Him. All God wants from you is to make Him number one in your life, and gave you His greatest commandment; to love Him with all your heart, soul, mind and strength. This is all that He wants from you. You need to realize that God is deeply interested in your affairs, and wants you to trust Him for guidance in all things. Don't do as most people do, in times of trouble, and depend upon yourself, but turn to God, get closer to Him, put your confidence in Him, and trust Him for your victory. Remember, God can be trusted in all situations. My Daily Devotional Volume Six April 4 Robert William Brock, Jr.

You Are The Salt Of The Earth

You Are The Salt Of The Earth "You are the salt of the earth. But if the salt loses it saltiness. how can it be made salty again? You are the light of the world. A city on a hill cannot be hidden." Matthew 5:13-14 Over the years, I have seen many Christians, just after they have accepted Jesus as their savior, be on fire for God. They are active in their churches, attend weekly Bible study, and get involved in their church ministries. However, over time they begin to become more reclusive, and want to isolate themselves into their own small group. They try to submerge themselves into a Christian subculture of their own making, and quit becoming involved in the world. When Jesus made the statement above, the disciples understood the significance of what He was saying. They knew that they were to reach out to the world, and be the light on the hill, which would bring others to know Jesus. In the days of Christ, salt was considered to be very valuable. In fact, the Romans considered salt as one of their most important treasures, and some soldiers would even be paid with salt. So when Jesus said, "You are the salt of the earth", He was saying you were valuable, important, and significant, and could make a difference. Just stop and think about salt, and how it can change things. Have you had someone put salt in your water, when you weren't looking? You immediately noticed its change. A little pinch of salt can alter the flavor of something, just as one Christian making his belief in God known to others, can affect change. One believer who lets his or her light shine in the world can really make a difference. God wants you to be the salt to the lost and lonely world, around you. Today, let your light shine brightly and tell others about your God and His grace. My Daily Devotional Volume Six April 3 Robert William Brock, Jr.

God Is Your Banner

God Is Your Banner "Moses built an altar and called it The Lord is my banner." Exodus 17:15 This morning I spent about an hour helping one of my readers, who was battling several difficult situations in his life. I quickly found out that he was not serving God in his life, as he was not reading his Bible, praying or going to church. He was trying to solve all his problems by himself, and others who were trying to help him. After asking him if he would be willing to ask God for help, his reply was "yes, but would God really help me." This poor man is like so many people who try to win the battles in life by themselves. Most people need someone to come along side them and support them, and don't realize that God is their greatest asset. So often, these people need to be reminded constantly, that God is there to help them, comfort them and give them peace in their lives. Just as the people of Israel needed to be reminded that God was there for them. As they were crossing through the waters of the Red Sea, Aaron and Hur held up a banner for them to see, when Moses tired, to remind them that God was with them. In the scripture above, Moses built the altar to remind himself that God was still his banner, and was still with him. You can also win the battles you face in your life if you will always remember that God is your banner. Just as Moses did, you must constantly surrender all that you are to God, and recognize your dependence on Him. As Christians, God is your banner, representing all that He is, love, power, grace, compassion, light, peace and so much more. When you are willing to stay focused on Him, and to recognize Him as your source of strength, God can and will do battle for you each day. When you turn your life over to God, you too shall have victory in all your struggles. My Daily Devotional Volume Six April 2 Robert William Brock, Jr.

Fishing With God

Fishing With God "Plans fail for lack of counsel, but with many advisers they succeed." Proverbs 15:22 As I was growing up, I spent many wonderful days with my grandfather fishing on the Cumberland River. My grandfather loved to fish, and was an accomplished fisherman, as he rarely went fishing when he didn't catch fish. Peter was also a fisherman, and as I read the story of the disciples who went fishing, after Jesus had risen from the dead, I think about my grandfather. I can recall several times where we would be in the boat fishing, and my grandfather would be catching fish, but I would not even be getting a nibble. He would finally tell me, as I would be getting discouraged, where to cast my hook, and soon I would be catching fish. After Peter had fished all night, and had not caught anything, Jesus appeared on the beach and told them to cast their nets on the right side of the boat. When they obeyed Jesus and cast their nets as He commanded, they caught so many fish that their nets were breaking. So often in life we fish outside the will of God, which is equivalent to fishing on the wrong side of the boat. We often struggle, strive, work, and strain, trying to make something great happen. We try to change things, and oftentimes try to change ourselves. We try to get a better job, and think that having more money will make things better. We try to make ourselves healthier by going on many different diets. We may even try to change our spouse in the hope that things will improve. However, the answer to most of our problems is that we don't listen to God. When you don't walk with God in your life, and try to do things yourself, you will most likely fail. When you begin to listen to God, spend time with Him, make Him first in your life, He will tell you where to cast your nets. My Daily Devotional Volume Six April 1 Robert William Brock, Jr.