My Daily Devotional

I know that a large percentage of people in our churches do not think they are called to be evangelists, but we all can do the work of evangelism. We are witnesses for God, to others wherever we are and wherever we go. Our mission as a Christian should be to share with others outside the church about the goodness of God and win the lost so that none will perish. However, I find very few Christians doing this, as it is difficult in our community to find people who are willing to work with the needy in distributing food, providing clothing or shelter, or even praying with someone who is having trouble. The lost are not in the churches or in the home groups. They are in the lines waiting to get food for their families, or waiting to get a pair of shoes at the local community center. The church family does not have to receive a degree from the pastor to be able to help distribute food or show someone that you love them. It does not take a diploma from the church to be able to pray with someone who is having financial difficulties and no place to stay. It is time to start putting the training to use, and time for our churches to actually start sending out their members to reach out and win souls for Christ in our communities, as each day we are missing out on being able to reach someone for Christ, and for some it is too late. May God Bless all of you.

God’s Great Commission

“Then the master told his servant, Go out to the roads and country lanes and make them come in, so that my house will be full.
Luke 14:23

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

My Daily Devotional

Don't you wish you could go back in time and relive the good times in your past. Don't you just wish you could just experience the joy, happiness and security you felt during these wonderful times. You had no cares, no worry, no hurts or no pain to think about, only peace and comfort filled your heart. You had perfect peace. I believe this is what Heaven will be like, as we will forever be experiencing our good times all over again. There will be no fear, no pain and suffering, no tears will dim our eyes, and nothing will disturb our peace as we will always be happy. This is what I believe awaits us in heaven if we accept Jesus into our hearts, and believe and trust Him as our savior. I can't wait until I can get to experience all my wonderful first times all over again, and all the new first times that I haven't yet known. This is the promise that God gives each of us as we will be in perfect peace in the arms of Jesus. "You will keep in perfect peace him whose mind is steadfast, because he trusts in you. Isaiah 26:3

Our First Times

“Do not be afraid. I am the First and the Last.”
Revelation: 1:17

Have you ever thought how we remember our favorite “firsts”, and how these are many times the most memorable moments of our lives. For example, the first time I saw my children after they were born, or saw my wife for the first time, or the first time I caught my first fish, were moments that will always be etched in our memories, and will last our lifetimes. Have you ever thought about the very first day, and what a wonder this must have been as God surveyed what he had created. Or the first man, when God saw Adam walking around in the Garden of Eden. Take a moment and think about all that you value in your life, and pretend for a moment that you could awaken tomorrow and experience them once more—for the first time. I am confident that each of us can think of many things that we value more than anything in our lives, and would love to relive these “first times” again. There are also times in our past that I would refer to as our “dark times”. Each of us has our own “dark times”, but instead of wanting to relive these moments, these are the times we would like to forget and never be reminded of again. These are the times we were hurt, disappointed, suffered failure, and are times we want to forget. The truth is that we will never be able to bring back either of these times, even if we wanted to. They are gone forever, and we either have a good or bad memory of them. The thing we must concentrate on now is our future. We need to get excited about our tomorrow, and make all our new “first times” ones that will become our favorites, and ones that we will value. Jesus is the answer to make our future the brightest yet, as he can remove all the “dark times” from our past, and make all our new “first times” the best ones possible as they will last for all eternity.

My Daily Devotional

My devotional today is about making choices, and letting God lead the way in making sure you make the right ones. I know there may be many of you today, that are facing decisions and choices which you are not sure about which ones to make. If you are in this situation, the first thing you need to do is pray and ask God for guidance. Many times the decisions and choices we make during life hinge on the balance of doing what is right or wrong in the sight of God. If your decision is based on deciding between right and wrong, a few moments in prayer will quickly convict you enough to follow the way that is good and the one that is pleasing to God. So often in life we are faced with making these kind of choices, and know deep down which ones are right and which are wrong, but greed, selfishness, or a moment of personal pleasure causes us to make the wrong decisions. This is why a moment in prayer will often bring us back to our senses and let us make the right choices.

Let God Lead the Way

“I will lead the blind by ways they have not known, along unfamiliar paths I will guide them; I will turn the darkness into light before them and make the rough places smooth.”
Isaiah 42:16

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

My Daily Devotional

When we accept Jesus into our hearts, we are transformed and become a new being. We are cleansed both inside and out through God's redeeming grace. We are now to be like God, clean and a new creature made in God's image. This is where the hard part begins, as we now have to change our life to be more like Jesus in every way. This means that we cannot continue in our sinful ways. We must now discern the wisdom that God teaches us through His word, to change our lives and become more like Him. The life that we once lived has now passed away, and through the Holy Spirit we are changed. The new life is one without sin, and the temptation to sin by the help of the Holy Spirit gives us strength to withstand the challenge. As the scripture says we are totally renewed. May God Bless You today

Become a New Christian

“Create in me a pure heart, O God, and renew a steadfast spirit within me. Do not cast me from your presence or take your Holy Spirit from me. Restore to me the joy of your salvation and grant me a willing spirit, to sustain me.”
Psalm 51:10-12

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

My Daily Devotional

My devotional today is about making a change in your life, a change to the kind of person that God wants you to be. God knows what is in your heart. You may put on a good outward appearance to the outside world, but He knows what you are really like on the inside. The question I have for you today is, would God be pleased with you as you are? Would He be pleased with all the secret sin, with all the unforgivness, with all the pride, with all the anger and bitterness you may have stored up inside you? Could you stand before God today with a clean heart, and be comfortable with His judgment? If you are not sure of where you stand; today could be the day that you need to let God transform you and change you into the person He wants you to be. When you allow God to make this transformation in your life and in your heart, you could then stand before Him, at His judgment throne, and be 100% sure that God would be pleased with you, both on the inside and on the outside.

Let God Transform You

“But you were washed, you were sanctified, you were justified in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ and by the Spirit of our God.”
1st Corinthians 6:11

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

My Daily Devotional

My devotional today is about resisting sin. Each of us need to wake up each morning and ask God to watch over us each day, to let us not be tempted by the things of this world, but to keep our eyes on Him. When God is with us each day, and our thoughts are on doing what is pleasing to Him, we are less likely to be tempted to sin. There is much evil in the world, and this evil is all around us, everywhere we look, and everywhere we go. However, if we keep the presence of God in our life, we can resist this evil. Satan cannot get to us, when we have on the armor of God, as it will protect us. Ask God each morning to go with you, to shield you, and protect you from the evil forces of Satan. With God by your side you can be victorious in your daily walk.

Resisting Sin

“Righteousness guards the man of integrity, but wickedness overthrows the sinner.”
Proverbs 13:6

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

My Daily Devotional

My devotional today is about setting your goals. I believe knowing where you are going is important to everyone, as if you don't have a plan you will wander hopelessly going in one direction to another and never get anything done. The primary goal each of us need to have each morning we get up, is to make God number one in our life. If our lives are not centered around God there is very little else that matters. We need to realize that our life here on earth is short, and is described as a fleeting shadow and only a mist in the wind in the Bible. Our real goal must be where are we going to spend all our eternity, which will last forever, not just for the short time we are on this earth. This must be our real goal, and the only one that matters. Think about your goals today and if they set on your eternity, and not just for today. You are not promised tomorrow, so today could be the most important day of your life to get your goals right.

Set Your Goals

“May he give you the desires of your heart and make all your plans succeed.”
Psalm 20:4

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