Are You Content

Are You Content “But if we have food and clothing, we will be content with that. People who want to get rich fall into temptation and a trap and into many foolish and harmful desires that plunge men into ruin and destruction.” 1st Timothy 6:8-9 I have observed over the years in doing the research on my ancestors an important fact that is creeping into our society today, and changing our values and many times our priorities, and this is that we are not content with our status in life. My ancestors in the 1800’s, and I believe you would find that your ancestors probably were the same, were content with their place in life. They lived in the same house, and in the same communities most of their lives. They had the same jobs for year after year, and were content with their means of livelihood. Most of them were content with their lives, as their ancestors had been. The fathers worked in the fields, the mines or in the factory, and provided the income for his family, while the mother stayed home and took care of the children. Their needs were met, and the families were contented with this lifestyle. Today we find a new culture that has developed. We find that the family is not contented or satisfied anymore just with their needs being met, but now are seeking ways to add their wants and desires to their lifestyles. This is why God places such an emphasis in the Bible about the power of our money, and the power it can have over us. When our money becomes our God, we need to reevaluate our priorities, and get our lives back under control. If we had the time and the money that we spend for our wants and desires, and used this as God intended, on him, our families and others, what wonderful things we could do. God wants you to be content, get your priorities meshed with God's priorities, and they will become realities. Robert W. Brock My Daily Devotional Volume Six October 31

Are Your Needs Met

Are Your Needs Met “I am the bread of life. He who comes to me will never go hungry, and he who believes in me will never be thirsty.” John 6:35 I can recall reading one of Pat Robertson’s books about the law of simplicity, whereby God tells us to be happy with the simple things of life. I believe that our lives would be much more stress free, if everyone could be happy when their needs are provided for, and be contented with that. Life would be so simple if we could be satisfied with having food, clothing and shelter, as our ancestors had. They were not stressed out because they did not have the best and biggest house, best job or the most money, but were happy and contented with what they had. When we go beyond having our needs met, we have to be careful to keep this from detracting and taking away from the things that really matter the most to us, which is our God and our families. So often the pressure to accumulate our wants and our desires, takes valuable time away from God and our families in order to be able to acquire these things. In the Bible God does not talk about meeting our wants or our desires, but tells us repeatedly that He will take care of the things that we really need. He tells us that even the birds do not worry about their needs as He provides for them. Having grown up without the luxuries that most families now have, I can appreciate what it means to have your basic needs met. I would encourage each of you to think about your real needs, and find the place in your life where you feel comfortable with having your true needs met. I would also encourage you to reach the point where the excesses that you accumulate over and above your true needs, will be the things that you will also feel comfortable sharing with others. Robert W. Brock My Daily Devotional Volume Six October 30

Controlling Wealth

Controlling Wealth “You may say to yourself, my power and the strength of my hands have produced this wealth for me. But remember the Lord your God, for it is he who gives you the ability to produce wealth.” Deuteronomy 8:18 Since time began the importance and value of money has been such a controlling influence in the lives of man, that God has over 2,350 references to money and material things in the Bible. Money is intoxicating; it is like a drug, as it can be addictive and can change people’s lives forever. We can be consumed by money. It can enslave us. It can consume our thoughts. It can dictate our lives, and it can control our behavior. Money can become our gods, and the Bible tells us to worship no other God, but I believe many people worship their money, and it becomes their gods. They become totally dependent upon it. Money does not bring happiness, but many times can destroy happiness in people’s lives. I can remember growing up in my small town in southeastern Kentucky. We had very little money as I grew up, as my family were farmers and coal miners, but we were content with what we had, and lived a very happy life. We were not dependent upon money and material things for our happiness, but rather enjoyed and depended first upon God, and then on our own abilities to provide our needs. The Bible gives us so much good advice about the power and use of money, but the scripture shown above is one of my favorite verses. So often in life we think we are the ones that produces our wealth, it is us with our brilliant mind, our great wisdom, and our superior work ethic that has produced our wealth, but we so seldom give the one who made all this possible, as without God we would have nothing. Give God credit for your success. Robert W. Brock My Daily Devotional Volume Six October 29

A Time For Renewal

A Time For Renewal "See, I am doing a new thing. Now it springs up, do you not perceive it." Isaiah 43:19 Margaret and I began cleaning out some of our closets last week before the New Year, as it was time to tackle some of the chores we had put off. It is sometimes hard to part with some of our clothes, but we were determined to get rid of the old, and make room for the new. It was time for a change. We are told to look ahead to each new day with a fresh hope in what we can accomplish. God is always doing a new thing in the lives of His people. He says His mercies are new and fresh every morning. He says His grace is sufficient for this day. We can see that nothing is stale and nothing is stagnant in God’s Kingdom. We can trust Him to give us what we need each day, and look forward to living one day at a time, as old things have passed away. In the new year ahead I want to look for new ways to worship God and devote more time to Him, and not look back to what I didn't get done last year. I like to reflect back on what I did accomplish for God’s Kingdom last year, but then I want to move forward to what I can do in the new year. I have seen people who want to live in the past, but there is no future in the past, as often it is only a place of hopelessness and despair. Resolve in your heart to move forward and leave last year behind you, and ask God to let your new year be one of thankfulness, praise and worship to Him Believe and claim that this new year can and will be great, as you go forward expecting God's favor in your life. Speak your future into becoming a reality, as you build a closer relationship with God, asking Him to watch over you and protect you. Think about taking the old things out of your heart and mind, and making room for the new. Robert W. Brock My Daily Devotional Volume Six October 28

It Takes Effort

It Takes Effort “Whatever you do, work at it with all your heart, as working for the Lord, not for men, since you know that you will receive an inheritance from the Lord as a reward.” Colossians 3:23-24 I have always tried to teach my children that whatever they want out of life they can make it happen, if they put forth the effort and be committed enough. I know that when I was young I wanted to be the best basketball player that I could be. This was my dream and all I ever wanted to do was to be able to play basketball better than anyone. I would practice from morning to night, and probably had a basketball in my hands pretty much any hour of the day. I became very good and set several college scoring records that still have not been broken today, because of the amount of commitment I had. I was offered a scholarship at the University of Kentucky, the most renowned basketball college in the nation, all due to my commitment to be the best I could be. This is the kind of commitment that we all have to make, if we want to excel in anything we do. I have tried to carry this attitude with me in my business career, and also in my personal life, as I have strived to be the best I could be. I am always willing to make the commitment to make these things happen. It is important to strive for excellence in everything that we do. Jesus said in Colossians 3:23, which is shown above, that he expects us to do whatever we do with all our heart, and put all our efforts into it. If we want to experience the blessings of God we also have to put forth much effort. Satan will always be tempting us to do wrong, and often these temptations will be ones that will be pleasing to us, but we must resist, which will take some effort on our part, which will also be pleasing to God. Robert W. Brock My Daily Devotional Volume Six October 27

Looking To The Future

Looking To The Future “Therefore do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own.” Matthew 6:34 We can all look back and see things in our lives that we wish we would have done differently, but the Bible says to make the most of each day. Yesterday is gone; tomorrow may not come. You must live for today. You can’t do anything about yesterday, but you can do a great deal about tomorrow. Regardless of the poor choices we may have made in our lives, and the times we feel we may have blown it and things will never be the same, there is still a new day ahead. God promises us that if we have faith in Him that He will restore us and make us new. We just have to believe and live for tomorrow and trust Him to provide for us in the future. We cannot change anything that happened in the past no matter what we do, but we can plan for the future and make it better for ourselves and our families. There are so many examples God gave us in the Bible where almost all the disciples faced disappointments in their lives. Paul for example faced death many times during his life. He was beaten numerous times and spent much time in prison for his faith. He was finally beheaded for his faith in God. Throughout all these examples that God gave us, none of these people lost their faith and trust that God would provide for them. God tells us in Matthew 6:25 “Therefore I tell you, do not worry about your life, what you will eat or drink; or about your body, what you will wear.” We must remain focused on the future and not dwell in the past. When we accept Jesus as our Lord and Savior, our past is forgotten and forgiven. Look for a brighter tomorrow, and experience an eternal home in Heaven. Robert W. Brock My Daily Devotional Volume Six October 26

You Can't Fail

You Can't Fail "The steps of a good man are ordered by the LORD: and he delighteth in his way. Though he fall, he shall not be utterly cast down: for the LORD upholdeth him with his hand." Psalms 37:23-24 Thomas Edison was busy working in his laboratory at 2 o’clock one morning when an assistant came into the room and noticed that the inventor was smiling broadly. “Have you solved the problem?” he asked. “No,” replied Edison, “that experiment didn’t work at all. Now I can start over again.” Edison could have such a confident attitude because he knew that the road to success is often paved with disappointments that serve to extend the road, but not to block it. Each failure brought him a little closer to success. My friends, failure is never a pleasant feeling. It isn’t enjoyable to lose a job, or fail a test, but the disappointment we feel when we face defeat can be turned to joy if we look at it the right way! The key is learning how to get up after we have fallen. It’s natural to make mistakes - but it’s supernatural to learn from those mistakes and move forward! In the world's eyes, Jeremiah looked totally unsuccessful. He had no money, family, or friends. He prophesied the destruction of the nation, the capital city, and the Temple, but the political and religious leaders would not accept or follow his advice. No group of people liked him or listened to him. Yet as we look back, we see that he successfully completed the work God gave him to do. Success must never be measured by popularity, fame, or fortune, the worldly measure. God measures our success with the yardsticks of obedience, faithfulness, and righteousness. If you are faithfully doing the work God has given you, you are successful in his eyes. Robert W. Brock My Daily Devotional Volume Six October 25

The First Marriage

The First Marriage “And the LORD God said, It is not good that the man should be alone; I will make him an help meet for him." Genesis 2:18 When that perfect, beautiful helper and complement was brought to Adam, he was delighted and was so moved that he broke out in poetic expression, saying: “This is now bone of my bones, and flesh of my flesh: she shall be called Woman, because she was taken out of Man.” This is how God began the first marriage in the garden of Eden, which was designed as a permanent bond. It provided for companionship and mutual help, and its basic purpose—reproducing and nurturing each other. Humans were created with the capacity to express love—in the case of wedlock, the deep affection for a person of the opposite sex. Marriage in paradise may seem quite idealistic today, as many families are disintegrating. So often, natural affection seems to wane and the marriage bond is severed. Hence, a person may wonder, Is deep, enduring love really possible between those united in marriage? Or is it naïve to think that mutual love and respect can be lasting? True love between a man and a woman can be exceedingly strong, firm, unyielding, and is shown so well in a poetic book of the Holy Bible, composed some 3,000 years ago by wise King Solomon called The Song of Solomon. It tells of the unswerving love that existed between a shepherd and a country girl from the village of Shunem. This “superlative song” illustrates the beauty of constant and enduring love. My friends, I have found my soul mate and the woman who is at last “bone of my bones and flesh of my flesh.” I thank God that I have found a woman who will truly be my wife, Margaret I love you ! You are proof of God’s love for me!. Robert W. Brock My Daily Devotional Volume Six October 24

Put God In Control

Put God In Control "For this God is our God forever and ever; he will be our guide even to the end." Psalm 48:14 Today, I want to ask you who is in control of your life, God or Satan? I hope and pray that God is in control of your life, as if He is you have the promise of a bright future, one that will last for all eternity. I hope you realize that God wants so much to be in control of your life, that He even sent His only son to die on the cross for you. During my business career, many times I found myself having to fly across the country on various business trips, and during these times I was always relying on the pilot of the plane to guide me, and get me to my destination safely. Fortunately, they always did their job, but I never had complete trust and faith in them, but with God, there is never any doubt that He will not provide for me. You must realize that when God is in control of your life, there is never any doubt or lack of faith. You are 100% assured that He will guide you in all your paths, and watch over and protect you, in all circumstances. God knows us, and knows all things about us, even the number of hairs on our heads. He knows our thoughts, and even what the future holds for us. He knows our strengths and our weaknesses, and He knows what is best for us. What a promise and a gift to know that if we turn our life over to Him, that He will lead and guide us. Just knowing that God only wants the best for us, and will provide only the best, should be all the assurance we need to put Him in control of our lives. The only thing missing is that you must ask Him to take control of your life. You have to make the choice and choose Him, by asking Jesus into your heart. You cannot imagine the peace, joy and comfort you will have, when you submit yourself to Him, and let Him take control of your life. Robert W. Brock My Daily Devotional Volume Six October 23

The Fruit Of The Spirit

The Fruit Of The Spirit "But the fruit of the spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self control." Galatians 5:22 When you accept Jesus as your Lord and Savior, some of the benefits are shown in the scripture above, and will reflect the kind of life you can expect to have. When you begin looking at this scripture it includes fruits for everyone. The fruit of love, joy and peace is for your own personal enjoyment. These three fruits are the ones that will make you happy and contented, and the ones that will keep you above all the worries and cares of the world, as you will be comfortable and at peace, regardless of what is going on around you. The fruits of patience, kindness and goodness are fruits that you share with others. We need patience in dealing with people. We also need kindness and goodness to fulfill God's commandment that we must love others as we love ourselves. These three fruits help us show our love for others, and fulfill God's commission to us about how our relationship is to be with all the people we meet. The final three fruits deal with our relationship with God. Faithfulness is the way that we honor God, as we must put our trust and faith in Him, and depend on Him for all things. Gentleness and self control are necessary to keep us focused on honoring God and keeping His commands. This wonderful scripture has something for everybody. It has fruit that we can enjoy for ourselves, it has fruit that we can give to others, and it also has fruit that we share and honor God with. If you have Jesus, you have all nine of these fruits, and you are now complete in Jesus, as you partake of them. My Daily Devotional Volume Five October 22

My Mountaintop

My Mountaintop "Your love, O Lord, reaches to the heavens, your faithfulness to the skies." Psalm 36:5 As I was growing up, I spent a lot of my time hunting with my grandfather in the beautiful mountains of Kentucky. We would climb the mountains to the very top, where we could overlook the valleys below. Many times, early in the morning, we could look down and see the fog in the valleys below, that seemed like clouds, floating in the air, with the brilliant rays of sunlight shining above them. These were beautiful scenes, and they are memories that have been etched and engrained in my mind all these years. It seemed like we were on top of the world, as we couldn't get any higher, but could see everything around us. We could see for miles and miles in all directions. When I was on these mountain tops with my grandfather, all the cares of the world were forgotten, and everything seemed at peace. This is what I envision heaven to be like, as I will be above all the cares, the hurts, the worries, the struggles, the trials, the pain and all the other things that weigh me down on this earth. They will lay at my feet, and cannot get to me, and destroy my peace and my joy. So often people live deep in the valleys, where the worry, trials and struggles of life keep them mired down, and they see very little hope for the future. They are constantly looking up at their problems, which seem like mountains, with cliffs too steep to climb. When you are in the valleys often you only see the sides of the hills, but can't see the view from the mountaintops. On top of the mountain there is hope, peace, joy and contentment. If you are down in the valley today, there is a mountaintop experience waiting for you. Ask God to help you climb to your mountaintop and experience His love and the peace that He can give. Robert W. Brock My Daily Devotional Volume Six October 21

Resisting Temptations

Resisting Temptations "Submit yourselves, then, to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you." James 4:7 Each day as we go out into the world we will be faced with temptations to do right or to do wrong, to either follow God or to follow Satan. Over the years when I have been tempted to do anything wrong, I have said to myself that it is the devil that is tempting me, and that I need to resist him. How many times have you said this to yourself when you are tempted? It is important to keep this in your mind, however you will not be able to resist the devil, unless you have submitted to God first. When we find ourselves in difficult situations, we must look at ourselves and ask, "Have I submitted to God in this area of my life, this situation, or this circumstance." Once we have truly submitted to God, we then have the power to resist the devil, but unless God is with us, more than likely we will succumb to the evil and do wrong. Sometimes when we are caught in the middle of a difficult situation, our worldly instincts tell us that we must rely on worldly understanding and worldly solutions. We try to analyze the problem, and try to solve the problem by ourselves, instead of turning it over to God. If you are facing a difficult decision today, don't try to solve it yourself, but turn it over to God, and let him help you deal with it. Although you may think you have the answer, using your worldly judgment, it is better to let God help you, as if you have not asked God for help, it may be Satan that is leading you and guiding you. Don't be ignorant of the devil's devices, but see him for what he is and what he is doing. Don't be fooled by him, but rather turn your situation over to God first, as then you will be able to resist the devil, and do what is right, as God will be leading and directing your path. Robert W. Brock My Daily Devotional Volume Six October 20

Do You Thank God

Do You Thank God "Enter his gates with thanksgiving and his courts with praise; give thanks to him and praise his name." Psalm 100:4 It has been a practice of ours for several years to take my mother, who will soon be 95 years old, out to lunch on Sunday after church. I have noticed during this time in the restaurants, that very few people pray before eating their meals. My wife never lets us begin to eat until we pray, and thank God for all the blessings that He bestows on us, and to bless the food that we are about to eat. In the Old Testament there was a special offering just for thanksgiving. The New Testament also says that when we pray, we are to do so with thanksgiving. We are to thank God for our food and all the other things that He so freely gives us. In our culture we have been blessed with so much, as in the eyes of the rest of the world, we are all rich when compared to the plight of many of the third world countries. However, we take all of these blessings for granted, and seldom do we take the time to thank God for all that we have. When we look at how Jesus viewed giving Him thanks, we see that when the ten lepers were healed, only one returned to thank Him. Nine never came to thank Him, and Jesus asked WHY they never came. This implies that God wants us to have a grateful heart, and to thank Him, for all that He provides. Each morning, take just a moment and thank God for all His blessings, as this is important to Him. You probably thank someone who opens a door for you, or someone who goes out of their way to be nice, but do you forget to thank God, as He has given you everything, He even gave you His son, Jesus to die on the cross for your sins, the greatest gift you will ever receive, so take time to thank Him today. Robert W. Brock My Daily Devotional Volume Six October 19

God's Truth Revealed

God's Truth Revealed "Speak up for those who cannot speak for themselves, for the rights of all who are destitute." Proverbs 31:8 Over the past several years I have taken a very hard stand on the issue of abortion, as each year we kill 1.3 million babies. Abortion is the leading cause of death in the United States. My book "The Silent Church" included much information on the increased practice of killing innocent little babies, and the laws that our corrupted government has passed to allow this barbaric act. During the time I was doing research for my book, and writing many of my devotionals on abortion, I found this scripture which reinforced my desire to speak out. Unborn babies are mute and cannot speak for themselves. Babies that die by abortion cannot cry out and defend themselves. This is why we must open our mouths and cry out for them. I knew that when I found this scripture, that it was not just enough for me to be "against" abortion, but I must speak out for those that cannot speak for themselves. Abortion is literally destroying human lives, as many of these innocent souls are pulled apart as they are being born, in partial birth abortions. Why does the world participate in such things? It is because the world does not understand what the Word of God says, nor does it respect it. Many times when I have wondered about world issues, God has given me scriptures such as this to open up my understanding. I pray today, that God will also open up your heart to hear His Holy Words, and that you will also begin to speak out for those who cannot speak for themselves. There are also many scriptures throughout your Bibles where God will reveal His wisdom, where key verses will simply leap off the pages, and be transformed into a revealed truth and answer for some situation in your life. Robert W. Brock My Daily Devotional Volume Six October 18

You Are Special

You Are Special "Do not conform any longer to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind." Romans 12:2 Throughout my business career, I saw hundreds of people who lived below their potential, because they had feelings of inferiority. These were people who had God given talents for encouragement, giving, caring, leadership and many other talents and gifts that could only come from God. So often these people did not use their God given talents and gifts, because they felt inferior to others around them. This was a waste to see people living so far below their potential. God had given them such a gift, and they were burying this precious gift, and keeping it hidden, or using it so sparingly. This is what the Bible tells us in the parable of the talents, when we don't use our gifts and talents, that God is displeased with us. The thing that each of you need to realize is that God made each of you special. There is not another person exactly like you, and there never will be. You are unique, and special in God's eyes, and you should never feel inferior, as God made only one of you. Instead you should always feel good about yourself, and feel special instead of inferior. It is not God who wants you to feel inferior, but it is Satan that has infiltrated your thoughts and minds, as this is how he will attack you. Satan wants you to feel defeated, weak and inferior as you will not be the witness for God that you could be. Don't let Satan control your life, but trust God that you are special, unique, and one of a kind. Use your gift and talent to the Glory of God, and let His light shine brightly in you for others to see. When you go out into the world, hold your head up high, be proud of who you are, and let others know that you are God's special creation. Robert W. Brock My Daily Devotional Volume Six October 17

Change Your Priorities

Change Your Priorities "Blessed is the man who finds wisdom, the man who gains understanding." Proverbs 3:13 I realize that most people spend the best part of their time either involved in their work or school, and I have encouraged you in previous devotionals, to put forth your best effort in these areas, which is important. But, how many times do you come home from your work or school, and are exhausted? You have a spouse, children, family, and friends who are part of your life and need to be nurtured. The fact is, we give our best efforts to our work or school, while the people who we love the most often, get the leftovers. When we look at our culture, we see the result of this, as almost half of all marriages today end in divorce. Marriages suffer because husbands and wives don't have time for each other, and many are little more than convenient living arrangements. Children suffer, because the parents don't have time to spend with them, teaching them good family values. They get only little bits and pieces of your love. But the most critical person that gets left out in this scenario is God. He may get only a brief "hello" in the morning when you wake up, and maybe a short prayer as your eyes close at night. Today, I want you to change your priorities by starting your day with God, and spending some quality time with him. Take some time with your family before work or school, and have breakfast together and talk about the day ahead. Then go to work or school, and do the very best job you can. After work, spend the balance of time with your family, eating and playing together, and bonding and sharing your love with them. Before you close your eyes thank God for everything he has blessed you with, then spend some more time in His Holy Word, and watch how your life will change. Robert W. Brock My Daily Devotional Volume Six October 16

Attitude About Wealth

Attitude About Wealth “You cannot serve both God and Money.” Matthew 6:24 Even as children we are bombarded with the attitude that attaining wealth and worldly possessions is the goal we must strive for in our lives. Our success in the eyes of most people is measured by the kind of house we live in, the kind of car we drive, the job we have, the clothes we wear, the clubs and social circles that we belong to, and the amount of material wealth that we possess. If we do not have these kinds of material possessions most people think that we have failed in our lives. I grew up thinking this way as I thought this was what I was to work toward. I wanted the big house, big car and all the material possessions that the wealthy people in our area were identified with. However, I now know that there is more to life than the accumulation of material possessions. Although I feel God wants us to be successful, the amount of material wealth that we accumulate is not indicative of the type of success that God has in store for us. God provides us the means to obtain wealth, but it is how we use this wealth is what determines our success. For example, God does not want us to be successful at the expense of other people. God also wants us to be a good steward of all that he gives us. The parable of the talents is a good example of how he wants each of us to use what he has given us. He expects each of us to take what he provides, and make it grow. God wants us to be a cheerful giver, not hoarding our wealth, but sharing it with others. Money and material possessions does not provide us happiness. We need to always remember that whatever we have, God already owns it all. Strive for success, work hard in all that you do, but don't let your wealth become your God. Robert W. Brock My Daily Devotional Volume Six October 15

Look Up For Your Answer

Look Up For Your Answer “When these things begin to take place, stand up and lift up your heads, because your redemption is drawing near.” Luke 21:28 It is always interesting to watch people in a big crowd, some always look down, others always look around, and others are always turning and looking back, but God doesn’t call us to do either of these as He only wants us to look up. When God told Noah to build the ark, he instructed him to build a roof to within 18 inches from the top as a window, as He wanted Noah to only look up, as if he looked out from the side he would only have seen the endless water, the debris, and the people screaming for help. The answer to all of life’s problems is to always look up, as God has solutions for all of the struggles and problems you may be facing today. You can look around you, and may find some comfort in talking to other believers, pastors, family and friends, who can give you advice. You may also be able to look back and see how you and others have dealt with some of the same issues in the past, and not make the same mistakes again. You may look in front of you however, and see that there is no way out of your situation, and realize that you do not know where to turn. When all these fail you realize that the answer to your problem is to look up, and ask God for help. You will find that God is always there, and is always waiting for you to ask Him to help you, and give you His peace and His comfort in your situation. So if you are dealing with problems and difficulties today, you can raise your hands, lift up your heads and look up, where God will let the faith build up in your hearts, and fulfill His promise that everything will be all right. You will then realize that God promises to provide all that you need. My Daily Devotional Volume Six October 14

God Loves You

God Loves You "No eye has seen, no ear has heard, no mind has conceived what God has prepared for those who love him." 1st Corinthians 2:9 This week as I was voting in the recent election, the clerk asked for my identification, which I gave her. Even though my name and picture was on my driver's license they had used a number to identify me. When I got back home I had to call my bank to transfer some money from one account to another, and again was asked for a number. Before we can even get a job our employer must have our Social Security Number, as this is how we are identified in the world today. These series of events made me think that we are only a number when it comes to being recognized in society today. No one cares who we really are, what we do, what our wants and needs are. They only see us as a number. I am so thankful that God does not use a number to identify me. The Bible tells me that He knows all about me, He even knows the number of hairs on my head. He knew me before I was born, and in my mother's womb. He knows my inner most thoughts and my words before I think or say them. He knows what my future holds, and what I will be doing next week, and even next year. God has a plan just for me, one that no one else has or will ever have. He has not classified me as only a number, but knows everything about me, as I am one of a kind, and am unique and special in His eyes. You are also special in God's eyes as he knows you just as He knows me. There is nothing hidden from Him, as He knows all about you. You are so special to God that He sent His son Jesus to die on the cross for your sins, that you might be saved. If you have not accepted this free gift, please accept it today. Always remember that God loves you. Robert W. Brock My Daily Devotional Volume Six October 13

A Sin Free Life

A Sin Free Life "For whoever keeps the whole law and yet stumbles at just one point is guilty of breaking all of it." James 1:10 In scriptures like the one above the Bible is telling us that all of our sins are important. I realize that people have a tendency to want to place a value on the type of sins. For instance most would say murder is a horrific sin, but that telling a little white lie is not bad. In the sight of God both are still a sin, and nowhere in the Bible does God make a distinction about the severity of them. He does not rank them by their importance, or tell us to never commit the first six as they are really bad sins, and that the last four are not really all that bad. His words tell us just the opposite and that all sin is bad and must be avoided. Other scriptures tell us "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." 1st John 3:5-6. These are powerful words that tell us just how important it is to lead a sin free life. With such powerful scriptures in mind, please do not take your daily walk with God too lightly, and try to justify any sin in your life. You need to avoid any sin, whether you consider it small or large, as God does not put a value or ranking on any kind of sin. Once you accept Jesus as your Lord and Savior you are expected to remove all sin from your life. John 9:41 "Jesus said, If you were blind, you would not be guilty of sin; but now that you claim you can see, your guilt remains." When you accepted Jesus into your heart, your sins were forgiven to that point, but if you continue in sin, your guilt remains. Jesus expects your life to change after you accepted His gift of salvation, and wants you to remove all sins from your daily life. My Daily Devotional Volume Six October 12

A New Life

A New Life "Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; the old has gone, the new has come!" 2nd Corinthians 5:17 There is something exciting about getting something "new". I can recall our children's faces when they got a new toy, or when they got new clothes, or got their first new bicycle. There is something inspiring about getting a "new" anything. Most people even try to change their appearances by new hairstyles, makeovers, whiter teeth, to plastic surgery in hopes of creating a new look. The problem with these superficial changes is that it is only skin deep, and only covers what is on the outside. In the scripture above Jesus promises us that our entire being can become new, not just the outside surface, but also our inner being, when we ask Him into our hearts. Our happiness and joy begins with what is inside us, in our hearts, not on the outside. Just think what a new beginning could mean to you today. I am confident most of you have made mistakes during your life. You have committed sins you are ashamed of, you have done things that you regretted doing, you have hurt others, and done things that you wish you could erase and eliminate in your past. When you accept Jesus, all of these are forgiven, as anyone who comes to Jesus is given a brand new start. "All things have become new." What an amazing promise God has given us. We not only get a new start, but we become a new creation. "I, even I, am he who blots out your transgressions, for my own sake, and remembers your sins no more." Isaiah 43:25 Once we accept Jesus as our Savior He wipes all our sins away, and we are given a new start with a new life. This precious gift of salvation, gives us the opportunity to begin a new life, one that will lead to an eternal future in Heaven. Robert W. Brock My Daily Devotional Volume Six October 11

God Has A Plan For You

Good Morning to all my friends. This is another day that God has given us, let us be glad and rejoice in it. My prayer for you is that God will bless each of you today and give you His peace and His comfort in all that you do. Today's Challenge-------------------- God Has A Plan For You "For I know the plans I have for you, declares the Lord, plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future." Jeremiah 29:11 Do you know what God has planned for your life? I am sure that most of you don't know what you are going to be doing 10 years, 20 years or 30 years from now. I know that I had a completely different plan for my life, when I was 20 years old, than what I am now doing at almost 70 years old. During all phases of our lives we develop strategies, game-plans, life-plans, whatever you want to call them, but many times they do not become realities. Life is always sending us unexpected surprises, but God always knows what is in store for us, as nothing takes Him by surprise. He's the master planner. Even though we may face storms and trials during our life, which derail what we have planned for ourselves, God's plan never changes. Joseph is a prime example of life's surprises. It took him 13 years to realize what God had in store for him. He was sold into slavery by his own brothers. He was betrayed and imprisoned, and must have wondered where God was, and what was going on in his life. But, finally, Joseph was placed in the highest position in the land, second only to Pharaoh, and was in the position to execute God's plan for saving his nation from famine. When our situations become difficult to handle, and impossible to explain, we need to remind ourselves that God said, "I know the plans I have for you". God knows what we can handle, and will never give us more than we can bear. The fact that we have problems in our lives is a sign that we also have a promise, and it's only a matter of time before God will reveal His plan for us. My Daily Devotional Volume Four August 13 Robert William Brock, Jr.

Your Inner Beauty

Your Inner Beauty "When I became a man, I put childish ways behind me. Now we see but a poor reflection as in a mirror; then we shall see face to face." 1st Corinthians 13:11-12 When you stare into the mirror each morning, who do you see? Your friends, family, the people you work with, your schoolmates, all know the person you see in the mirror pretty well. They see the same person that reflects back to you in the mirror, and may think that you are a pretty nice person, hard working, honest, kind and over all a person they like. However, when God looks at you, He not only sees the outside, but He also sees what is inside you. He knows your thoughts, and what is buried deep inside your heart. He knows all the pride you may have stored inside you, that prevents you from humbling yourselves to others. He knows the un-forgiveness that you hold inside, where you have not been able to forgive and forget the sins others have done against you. He knows the lies and falsehoods that you have told, the times you have taken things that were not yours. He knows the times you were angry and said things, or did things that hurt others. God sees all the darkness you have hidden away inside you, that others do not see. You may also see this same person that God sees, and know what is deep down inside you, that is hidden away, and not be proud of the person you see. However, no matter how much darkness you may have hidden from the people around you, Jesus still loves you and can remove all this darkness. He wants the people who see you each day, to not only see the outward person, but also to see your inner beauty. He wants them to see Jesus in your life. If you do not like who you see, you can ask God to change you to be a person that both you and God are pleased with. Robert W. Brock My Daily Devotional Volume Six October 9

Leave The Past Behind

Leave The Past Behind "But one thing I do: Forgetting what is behind and straining toward what is ahead, I press on toward the goal to win the prize for which God has called me heavenward in Christ Jesus." Philippians 3:13-14 It is so easy to want to look back in life and see the mistakes we made, the things that have gone bad for us, and use these as an excuse to not move forward. If you want to run the race of life successfully, then don't look back. If you have ever run a race and looked over your shoulder to see what your competitor was doing, then you know that looking back can break your stride and ultimately cause you to lose the race. In the scripture above, Paul tells us not to look back on life, but keep our eyes focused on what lies ahead. You cannot allow the things that happened last week, last year or ten years ago affect you, and take your eyes off what lies ahead. When you accept Christ as your savior, your sins, no matter how bad they were, are forgiven; you start anew with a clean slate. God no longer holds your sins against you. Sometimes we want to dredge up the things God has forgiven and forgotten, which keeps us locked into our past routines and practices of sins. This is why we must forget the past.. The Lord says, "I will remember their sins no more" (Jeremiah 31:34). Yet many times we will bring past sins up, forgetting the fact that our God has a big eraser. Why should you choose to remember what God has chosen to forget? If God has forgiven and forgotten your sins, then you need to leave them behind also. You must learn from your mistakes, and not do them again, but then you must move forward. You can't change your past, but you can change your future when you accept God's gift of salvation. Robert W. Brock My Daily Devotional Volume Six October 8

The Road To Heaven

The Road to Heaven “We know that we have come to know him if we obey his commands. The man who says, ‘I know him, but does not do what he commands is a liar, and the truth is not in him.” 1st John 2:3-4 My friends, this is probably the most serious and critical devotional I have ever written, but it is so important for you to hear it's message. It is not going to be as easy as you think to get to heaven, "But small is the gate and narrow the road that leads to life, and only a few find it." Matthew 7:14. The Bible is very clear when it talks about the importance of obeying God and His commands. The Ten Commandments were not just something that God told you about as an afterthought, and you have the liberty of obeying them or not obeying them. If you are going to find this narrow road to heaven you must begin to obey God’s commands, and not take them lightly. When you say you know God, as in the scripture above, you must do what he commands, and if not He calls you a liar. There is no room for anything else, and you must not go on fooling yourself and making excuses for not following the commands of God. Just look at God's greatest commandments and see how you are obeying these. He tells you to love Him with all your heart, soul, mind and strength. How must time do you spend each day in prayer and reading His word. This is how you show God you love Him. When you love someone you make them number one in your life. You don't give them the crumbs from your table after you spend all your time on other things. His second greatest command is to love others as you love yourself. Is your life all about yourself or is it about others. The little white lies, the cheating, the lust, the pride, the hording of your wealth, the non use of your talents, not obeying the Sabbath, are all things that must cease if you really know Jesus as your savior. There is no room for them anymore in your daily life, if you really have accepted Jesus into your heart. There are even more drastic warnings from God that tells you how perfect your lives must be to reach heaven. Matthew 19:24 Again I tell you, it is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for a rich man to enter the kingdom of God." There would be very few American's who are not considered to be rich in the sight of God, so this scripture would apply to you. 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." My friends, this is God's words not mine, and there are dozens of other scriptures, just as powerful that say the same thing. Our world needs to wake up and realize that the feel good preaching that we are hearing today, does not tell us this message. Don't be led astray by these false teachings that are leading you to Hell. There is only one way to heaven and that is to first ask Jesus to come into your heart, forgive you of your sins and then obey His commands. You must realize that Satan is alive and well and is roaming our world, and will entice and tempt you to compromise the word of God. There is no compromise allowed, however, as when Jesus died to save you he made the ultimate sacrifice for you. The Book of Hebrews has the most compelling scripture in the Bible that tells us the importance of living a Godly life and obeying God's commands, after you have been saved. "It is impossible for those who have once been enlightened, who have tasted the heavenly gift, who have shared in the Holy Spirit, who have tasted the goodness of the word of God and the powers of the coming age, if they fall away, to be brought back to repentance, because to their loss they are crucifying the Son of God all over again and subjecting him to public disgrace." Hebrews 6:4-6. These are frightening words, my friends, and these cannot be discounted as being taken out of context or not applying to you. The Bible is filled with many scriptures such as these that warn you that you cannot take your salvation lightly. When God's Word tells you over and over that you cannot sin anymore after you have been saved, you had better believe it. You can't continue to make excuses for your sins, as God is not going to listen to you and is warning you over and over. You are just not hearing this in your churches today, because "For the time will come when men will not put up with sound doctrine. Instead, to suit their own desires, they will gather around them a great number of teachers to say what their itching ears want to hear." 2nd Timothy 4:3. There is too much at stake in your life not to heed God's warning, as heaven is the reward, but hell is the punishment if you don't begin to obey God’s commands. Don't take my word for it, but read the Bible yourself and see what it says about living a sin free life. Find all the scriptures for yourself that talk about the penalties of sin. 1st John 3-6 " No-one who lives in him keeps on sinning. No one who continues to sin has either seen him or known him." My friends, there is no other way to interpret a scripture such as this one or the one below, and I challenge you to interpret it any other way. John 9:41 "Jesus said, If you were blind, you would not be guilty of sin; but now that you claim you can see, your guilt remains." If God is really in your heart, you are not going to continue sinning as you are going to live the kind of life that Jesus led, as He tells you that you need to be an imitator of Him in everything you do. Take the time today to apply this devotional to your own life. Are you confident that you are living the life God wants you to live? If you aren't sure that God will be pleased with you, it is not too late to ask Him for forgiveness, and begin to obey His commandments. To begin your journey to Heaven, you can ask Jesus to come into your heart today, right now ask Him to be your savior, and then let the Holy Spirit lead and guide you daily to be free of sin, and lead you on the path to your eternal future in Heaven. October 7 Robert W. Brock My Daily Devotional Volume Six

Ths Sin Of Pride

The Sin Of Pride "To fear the Lord is to hate evil; I hate pride and arrogance, evil behavior and perverse speech." Proverbs 8:9 In today's devotional I want to talk about pride, and how it can affect our daily walk with God. Pride can get in the way of letting God into our life, and letting Him help us face the daily trials and struggles that Satan puts in our paths. I know that I have always struggled with pride, as I have always been confident about my own abilities, thinking that I could handle most situations that have occurred in my life. Many times, however, I have made bad decisions by relying on my own abilities. My pride got in the way of asking God to help me deal with these issues. As I have gotten older God has given me wisdom to know that I do not have all the answers to the problems that I will face in life. I know that I need God in my daily life, to lead me and guide me in the paths that I need to follow. I know that if I become so prideful to think that I have all the answers, I will soon stray off the right path and begin making bad choices. We all need to let God be part of our daily lives, and not depend upon ourselves for all the answers to deal with our situations in life. When our pride keeps God out of our daily life, this is when Satan gets in, and temptations begin to take over and control what we do. Satan only needs a foothold, to begin his attack on our life, which will lead to temptation and ultimate destruction. It is important to keep God in our lives daily, and continually pray and ask Him to give us wisdom and direction to face the trials and struggles that confront us. Don't let your pride, stand in the way of asking God for help. God wants you to depend upon Him for help and guidance. "When pride comes, then comes disgrace, but with humility comes wisdom." Proverbs 11:2.

How To Defeat Your Giants

Good Morning to all my friends. This is another day that God has given us, let us be glad and rejoice in it. My prayer for you is that God will bless each of you today and give you His peace and His comfort in all that you do. Today's Challenge-------------------- How To Defeat Your Giants "In this world you will have trouble. But take heart! I have overcome the world." John 16:33 Is your life filled with trouble today, and you don't know where to turn? In this world we will face all kinds of obstacles, trials and tribulations, and we should be wary of any doctrines or teachings that say we shouldn’t have to face these things. Why? Because the Lord said we will have trouble, but the important thing to remember is that God is greater than any problem you will face in this world. As problems present themselves, we should face them in the power of God, and overcome them with Him, because every problem is an opportunity to exhibit the love and power of God in our lives. It’s often through these situations, that the world gets our true testimony, as believers in Him. When Saul was king of Israel, there were no giant slayers in their midst, and when Goliath stood against the armies of Israel, the Israelites trembled. There was, however, a young shepherd, whose intimate knowledge of God inspired and empowered him to fight and defeat the evil giant. David’s victory over Goliath, paved the way for those after him to slay the giant’s offspring, who were also giants. So when those new giants arose to fight, the people of Israel already had the knowledge that these giants could be defeated as well. All around us, there are “Goliaths”, or evil giants…but none of them are “undefeatable”. In fact, we have an entire Bible full of examples, of saints who stood their ground and routed their enemies. Let’s follow their example, and set new precedents fighting the giants of our day. We too can leave a legacy of victory, inspiring our children and grandchildren to victory over the “sons of Goliath”. My Daily Devotional Volume Four August 8 Robert William Brock, Jr.

Little White Lies

Little White Lies "A false witness will not go unpunished, and he who pours out lies will not go free." Proverbs 19:5 In our permissive society, which is becoming more and more evil, people do not hesitate to tell lies, to either get out of uncomfortable situations, or simply to keep from hurting the feelings of others. The Bible gives us many scriptures about lying, and warns us that lies can severely hurt and damage the lives of others. Good reputations have been ruined by lies, and even families torn apart and marriages ruined. Lying is a sin, and many people think little about lying. Even the so called "little white lies" are sins. God wants us to be truthful at all times, and tells us that the words that come out of our mouth, is generated from what is in our hearts. I have seen statistics that state that one innocent white lie, may result in as many as 6 other lies to cover up the original lie. This is a slippery slope that so many people get caught up in, as one sin leads to another and then another. As Christians, we are to be the examples for others around us, but if we are caught telling even the little innocent white lies, we are not being the examples of what God wants us to be. We are no different than other people, when we are caught in a lie. We need to be different and tell the truth in all situations. I realize that God may not judge us as harshly as if we committed murder, but lying is still a sin in God's eyes, and if we continue to sin in this way, we are not following His commands. God tells us to remove all sin from our life, and the little white lies are still sins in His eyes. I would encourage each of you to think about what you say, let your words encourage and build up, not discourage and tear down. Let your words be truthful at all times, and be the example to others that God wants you to be. My Daily Devotional October 4 Robert W. Brock My Daily Devotional Volume Six

A Special Grandson

A Special Grandson "Get wisdom, get understanding; do not forget my words or swerve from them." Proverbs 4:5 Today my grandson Brock Elliott Ford got his first full time job, he is going to college and will graduate in a few more months, and will soon be 22 years old. It only seems like moments ago when I held his mother Pamela in my arms for the first time, and now I am blessed to see my first grandson, become a man and have his first job. Brock is such as special young man, and has been such a blessing to me throughout the years. I have watched him grow up to be a loving, caring and gentle young man, with such a kind heart that always thinks about the welfare of others. It only seems like days ago when I watched him leave for his first day at kindergarten. I believe that grandchildren are special, as they are what their parents and grandparents have made them. If God is present in the home, which it was with Brock's parents, the result is a young man that has his life centered around God, and the values that God represents. Brock exemplifies this, as he has grown up in church, and in a family where God's values have been evident on a daily basis. Brock has been taught the words of God from the time he was born through today, and now is a young man, getting ready to begin his own life. The wisdom and values he has been taught from the Word of God will stay with him for the rest of his life. I am confident that he will not forget this wisdom he has learned from his parents and his grandparents. "Train a child in the way he should go, and when he is old he will not turn from it. Proverbs 22:6. As I pray for him each day, I think how blessed I am to have a grandson like him. He will always be my special one, and I pray that God will continue to watch over him, protect him, and keep him safe. My Daily Devotional October 3 Robert W. Brock My Daily Devotional Volume Six

My Children's Prayer

My Children's Prayer "And Jesus grew in wisdom and stature, and in favor with God and men." Luke 2:52 This devotional is for my children, but I hope anyone that has children, will read this message, and use this as a basis for what you should always pray that your children will become. I have been blessed with three of the most wonderful children any father could ever want to have. As I think about each of them, and the fine young men and women they have become, it makes me proud to be their father. Over the years, I have prayed for all my children as they grew up, that God would watch over them and protect them at all times. I have prayed that God would touch their hearts, and that they would come to accept Jesus as their Lord and Savior. I have always prayed that God would give me the wisdom and knowledge, and ability to be the example for them and lead them to God. When I think about what I would wish and want their lives to be like, I think about the scripture above. I believe this scripture so exemplifies what every parent should want for their children. We want them to grow in "wisdom and stature, and in favor with God and men." What more could we ever ask for, as we pray for our children. This was just a simple scripture which described the childhood of Jesus, but should be the basis for all our prayers for our children. If our children grew just as Jesus grew, what a wonderful thought this would be, so I pray that my children will grow, just as Jesus grew. I pray that my children will increase in wisdom, especially in the wisdom from God. I pray that my children will grow in stature, and in their physical well-being. I pray that my children will grow in a strong life-sustaining relationship with God, and with all the people God puts in their lives. This is my Prayer for my children. My Daily Devotional October 2 Robert W. Brock My Daily Devotional Volume Six

Strings That Bind

Strings That Bind "I can do everything through him who gives me strength." Philippians 4:13 Several years ago, a young man in India read some of my devotionals, and accepted Jesus as His savior, and is now a minister, leading many people to Christ through his ministry. During one of our recent conversations, he was telling me how they train young elephants in India. The trainer ties one of their hind legs to a tree with a thick rope. The young elephant naturally tries to break free at first, but after awhile gradually gives up. As the elephant ages, he has become so accustomed to being chained, that he no longer tries to break free. Even a simple string is enough to keep him captive. This reminds me that so often our mistakes, failures, our sins and other issues can hold us captive to the past, much like these simple elephant strings. Scriptures, like the one above, however, tells us that we can break free from our past, as we have the power through Christ to break the chains that binds us. If you find yourself living with past sin, and you feel that you are hopelessly bound, I want you to know that you can break free from this string of habitual sin. "let us throw off everything that hinders and the sin that so easily entangles" Hebrews 12:1. Unless you break free, that string of guilt will hold you back from a deeper relationship with God. Each of you has made mistakes in your past, and you need to learn from them, but don't allow these past sins to hold you back, because if you don't break free, you will become so accustomed to them, that you will forever be held captive. Today, is the time to break these strings that bind you, as God tells you that He will give you all the strength you need, to free yourself, and accept His free gift of an eternal life in Heaven. Robert W. Brock My Daily Devotional Volume Six October 1