My Daily Devotional

Obey the Sabbath

“There remains, then, a Sabbath rest for the people of God; for anyone who enters God’s rest also rests from his own work, just as God did from his.”
Hebrews 4:9-10

Throughout the Bible God tells us about a time for rest, a Sabbath; a time where we take time out from our busy schedules, and spend renewing ourselves and spend building our relationship with God. I believe that we all need our Sabbath’s where we can reflect on the goodness of God and his mercy and the blessings that he bestows on us. People in today’s society get so caught up in the hustle and bustle that we do not take the time to slow down and smell the roses. The Sabbath should be our time to stand back and reflect on what God does in our life each day. This is the time that we need to give Him thanks for the blessing He gives us. All of us need this Sabbath, this time that we devote to God. Begin by thanking Him for some little thing, and then go on, day by day, adding to your subjects of praise…until you see in everything some cause for thanksgiving. Our praises of thanksgiving need to be carried throughout our days and weeks, but a good time to begin is during our Sabbath day. God needs to be number one in our lives daily, as He commands us to throughout the Bible, but so often we lose this sense of dedication and need our Sabbath day to bring us back, and get our minds and thoughts refocused on serving and obeying His commands and making Him first and foremost in our lives. The Sabbath day is critical to God as this is one of His ten commandments, and one that He expects us to follow faithfully during our life. I would encourage each of you to begin to honor God throughout the week, and make Him number one in your life, and on the Sabbath day to set this day aside as a day of rest and spend the time letting Him know you love Him.

My Daily Devotional

I realize that many of you may be going through difficult times in your lives right now, and you may not understand why these things are happening to you. The Bible tells us plainly that we will endure times of suffering during this life, and that our life may not be a bed of roses. However, the trials and troubles also may be due to God just trying to get your attention. If things always went the way we wanted them to go, we would not need God, as if we got everything we wanted, when we wanted it, we would not need anything, and probably would never seek God. This doesn't happen, however, as things do go wrong in our lives. We have health issues, we have financial problems, we have problems getting along with our spouses, our children, our coworkers and numerous other problems. Many times we do not see any way out of our situations, and don't know where to turn. These are the times so many seek God. If we did not have these problems we would not have had any reason to seek God. So if you are dealing with problems and trials today in your life, this may be God's way of letting you know that you need Him. Just remember that God is there to comfort you in whatever situation you are dealing with today. He may or may not make your problems disappear, but believe me He will comfort you and give you peace in whatever you are going through. When you have nowhere else to turn, God is there and can make your load lighter, if you will only ask.

God May be Speaking to You

“Today, if you hear his voice, do not harden your hearts.”
Hebrews 5:7

Throughout our lives I believe God speaks to us. We may not receive his words through an audible loud voice or through visions or dreams where we are struck with awe. I believe that God can speak softly to us through gentle whispers, and through our thoughts. God places His will for our lives in our hearts and keeps reminding us of His plan for us. He tells us that He knows all our thoughts, and knows all about us, even before we were born. God’s plan and will for our lives is imbedded in our hearts, and is engrained in our minds from the beginning of our lives, but so often we do not open ourselves up enough to let His words come through. I know that I had heard these gentle whispers from God long before I opened my heart and really let His words sink in. Many times it takes difficult situations and trials in our lives before God gets our attention to allow Him to talk to us. Many times it takes a health issue, financial issue or a relationship issue to bring us to the realization that we cannot do it on our own, and need God’s help to bring us out of our despair and right our ship and allow us to continue. This is how God so often got the attention of the people of Israel, as before they really heard and began to obey God they suffered difficult times and situations where there was no place to turn to except God. Many times God needs to get our attention before we begin to hear Him. If you are in a situation at this moment, maybe this is the time that you need to turn to God for help. This may be the moment that you realize that you cannot handle the situation by yourself and need God’s help to right your ship. God is always there for you, and if you ask Him for help He can calm your storms and take away your fears. He is waiting for you to respond, as this may be your time.

My Daily Devotional

Maybe my recent devotionals were written because I suddenly realize that I am getting older, or maybe simply that I have reached the point of my life (which I have heard other older people talk about) where they begin to reflect back on their lives. Whatever the reason I seem to find more scriptures as I read my Bible each day bringing me to want to write about them. One day we suddenly realize where did our life go, as it only seems like yesterday when we were young and just starting on our journey. Our future was ahead of us and we could make it whatever we wanted. Our dreams and visions of what lay ahead made us alive with every day being a new adventure as we tried to make our dreams and visions become realities. Then we suddenly realize that we are in the winter season of life and begin to reflect back to see what actually took place during our lives. We see many successes in our past, many times of joy and happiness, and many times we would love to experience just one more time. But we also see times of disappointments, failure, and times that we want to forget and erase from our memories. These mixtures of the good times and the bad times have gotten us to where we are today, and made us the people we have become. As you look back and reflect on your life I hope you have been blessed with more joy and happiness, than you were with disappointments and failure. I hope you are seeing the fruits of the seeds you have sown during your life, and that they have produced a bountiful harvest. Whatever you are seeing as the result of your life, whether it is a fruitful harvest or one that has not produced much fruit, I want you to know that whatever you see, does not determine what your future still holds for you. You may have accepted Jesus into your heart years ago and let Him lead and guide you through life, and experienced His many blessings. However, you may have rejected Him to this point in your life. If you have not accepted Him yet, it is not too late. Jesus is still there, and even if you are in the winter of your life, He is still waiting. He doesn't care what has happened in your past, whether you have messed up, and done things you should not have done. There is nothing that you have done that He will not forgive and forget. He is only interested in your future, and it is not too late to ask Him into your heart, and ask Him to forget your past and forgive you of all your sins. You can begin your life all over again today, and assure your future. May God Bless You.

Reflections of Life

“You are observing special days and months and seasons and years!”
Galatians 4:10

We all see the power of God in our lives when we make Him number one in our lives and follow His commands. As I look back on my life I can see how God has worked in me, and how He has influenced me, and made me the person I have become. I believe that in the winter of our lives God gives us the wisdom and understanding to reflect back on our lives and see our accomplishments and also our failures. Old age is winter for many people, but for those who are wise and optimistic, it is the happiest and most fruitful time of their life as they now begin to see the abundance of their harvest. We can see the fruits of our labor begin to be manifested in our children and our grandchildren, as they bring back the memories of our own childhood, and we relive aspects of our youth all over again. Old age arrives suddenly, as does the snow, as one morning on awakening one realizes that everything is white. However I believe that by growing old one learns to remain young, as we can now understand and rid ourselves of our shortcomings, because they no longer serve any useful purpose. We can now see how God begins to put all the pieces of His magnificent puzzle into place, and can begin to see His design, His purpose for all things and can see our part in completing this amazing puzzle. Even as through the effect of the setting sun on the beautiful twilights of autumn we can see our reason and place in God’s magnificent and beautiful world. Things that used to cause us grief, worry and strife no longer seem to be the important things of life as we now get a glimpse of the future that God has planned for us; a future that far surpasses what God has given us in this life.

My Daily Devotional

A couple of weeks ago I received word that one of my friends son had been killed in a car accident. He was only 21 years old. It is so important that we live each day with the thought that this could be our last day. All we have to do is pick up any newspaper and look at the obituary page, to see people who experienced their last day, some of these will be young people. When they woke up that morning they did not realize there would be no more days for them. My question for you today is, would you be prepared if this was your last day? I know most people don't want to think about death, but death is going to come to each of us, we just don't know when. Our main purpose and goal in life should be, to be ready when this day comes. I encourage you to think about your life right now, and determine if you would be ready. It is so easy and simple to ask God into your heart, so that you could be ready if this is your last day. This could be your last chance and could be the most important thing you will ever do.

The Winter of Life

“Preach the Word; be prepared in season and out of season; correct, rebuke and encourage—with great patience and careful instruction.”
2nd Timothy 4:2

We need to be mindful all during our lives that there are different times that we all go through. There are times of learning, where we are taught the good things of life; things that God would have us do. There are times when we need to live out these good things that Jesus gives us. Then there are times when, if we have sowed our good seeds when we reap the harvest of what we have sown. Our seasons have a way of coming at us before we know it and soon we find it is our winter season. Time has a way of moving quickly and catching us unaware of the passing years. I know it seems like only yesterday that I was young, just married and embarking on my new life with my wonderful wife. I have passed through the first three seasons and now find myself in the winter of my life. But, at least I know, that though the winter has come, and I’m not sure how long it will last, that I have very few regrets. Yes there are things that I wish I had done differently and better, and things that I still haven’t gotten accomplished, but I am pleased with my life and what God has provided me and blessed me with. Life goes by so quickly, and I would encourage each of you to do what you can today, as you can never be sure just how long your winter will last. You have no promise that you will see all the seasons of your life—so live for good today. Say all the good things that you want your loved ones to remember, and teach them by your example, the good things that God has given you. Be their mentor, their teacher and their example in the way you live. Life is a gift to you. The way you live your life is your gift to those who come after you. Make it one they will follow.

My Daily Devotional

My devotional today is about making a change in our society. Our great nation is headed to destruction if we don't change our wicked ways. God is not pleased with what is happening in our nation, as we have completely abandoned His teachings and have become a perverse society. However, it does not have to be this way, as change in any culture must start with each of us. If everyone would begin to obey God and His commands, just imagine how different our world would be. We would still have prayer in our schools, abortion would be abolished, marriages would be sacred, and Godly family values would be taught to our children. Obeying God and doing His commands would be the focus in our everyday lives You can make a change in yourselves today by living the life that God wants each of you to live. As you read this devotional think just about today, and begin to do the will of God and obey His commands, in your life. This may seem like such a small step but change can start with you today. In reality your eternal life is what is in the balance, as God loves you and wants you to change and follow Him.

Pray for God’s Deliverance

“For it is time for judgment to begin with the family of God; and if it begins with us, what will the outcome be for those who do not obey the gospel of God?
1st Peter 4:17

As you can probably gather from my previous devotionals, I believe that God is going to punish our great nation for the sins we are allowing to happen to our society. We as Americans are not standing up, and being a force and preventing the moral decay of our nation. We are allowing the pagan society to bring us to the point of destruction, and God is going to pass judgment on us as He did on the cities of Sodom and Gomorrah, and destroy us as He did them. The church of God is a force that needs to heed the words of God, and change our wicked ways, and take back our country, and become a Godly people again. This change needs to start with each of us, and in our churches and with our church leaders. We have gotten away from God’s commands and are concentrating on ourselves instead of concentrating on bringing the lost to Christ. We have allowed the killing of unborn babies, removal of prayer from our schools, homosexuality, drug and alcohol additions and other perverse behaviors to take over our values. We have thrown God out of our daily worship, and have succumbed to the ways of the world, and we are going to pay the price for our wicked behavior. It is time for all Christians to take a stand and seek God again. We need to cry out to God to heal our land. He tells us that if we seek him and seek His heart He will hear us and come to our rescue. He will intervene in the hearts of our young, our old, the ones with addictions, sexual perversions and all other sins. If God’s people begin to pray today and call upon the name of the Lord, He will hear our prayers, and will heal our land and bring it back to the righteous behavior that He intended for us to have.

My Daily Devotional

My devotional today is about humility. There are many scriptures throughout the Bible where God teaches us about humility. I realized early on in my career that humility was an important part of what it takes to be a good leader. Dictators can rule and govern, but they are never respected by the people they control, but someone that is humble, kind and considerate can get much more accomplished by being a servant leader, rather than a dictator leader. Jesus was a servant as He came to help and serve others, and I believe we need to also serve others. God's greatest commandment was to love God with all our soul, mind and strength, but his second was to love others as we love ourselves. My message to you today is not to go through life with your focus on yourself or your accomplishments. Practice humility where ever you go. Think about others around you, in your jobs, your neighborhoods, your schools, or anywhere you are. Be kind, considerate, respectful to everyone, as you are the example to these people of the kind of person that should reflect the love of God. You can make a difference where ever you are by practicing humility, and serving others.

Practice Humility

“A prudent man keeps his knowledge to himself, but the heart of fools blurts out folly.”
Proverbs 12:23

The scripture above reminds me of a board member at one of the hospitals where I worked, who was always trying to impress everyone by bringing up the fact that he had graduated from Harvard Law School. No matter what the subject was he could always find some way to bring this up in a conversation, and usually wanted to dominate any conversation. Even though he evidently was a well educated man, he was never able to apply his knowledge to his job as a board member or to his profession, as he was not a very good attorney and the public and people he came into contact with quickly realized this. On this same board was another attorney who had gotten his Law Degree from a small state university who was a brilliant man, and had a well established practice in town. He was a very quiet man but when he spoke everyone listened as he always knew the solutions to any of the problems and situations the hospital encountered. Jesus talked throughout the New Testament about the Pharisees who gave the eloquent speeches, and prayed long prayers in public, but did not walk the talk, and led lives that were less than Godly. Jesus tells us that we need to humble ourselves around people, and not try to impress them by our wealth, our power, our prestige or any other means. Others need to see us as we are, Godly men and women, living Godly lives and obeying and following God’s commands. The way we live our lives needs to be our testimony to others, as they need to see us being a caring, respecting and loving individual who does not have our own individual concerns in mind, but are always thinking about others around us. I believe Jesus was this kind of man, as he humbled himself to others.

My Daily Devotional

As you can gather from the previous devotionals, and many others throughout my writings, winning souls for Christ is such an important part of my life and has been the sole purpose of my ministry during these past years. All the programs I have developed have been built around meeting needs, but most of all reaching these people and ministering to them, and telling them about Jesus. I have found that the people who are in need are usually the ones that need Jesus the most in their lives, because they are normally in their plight because they have not followed the commands and will of God in their lives. There is so much need all around us, and it is so easy to assemble any size or group of people that we want to assemble. It is easy to assemble groups of teenagers, the elderly, the sick, the unemployed, the alcoholics and drug addicted, the blind, the disabled, the divorced, etc. These are the people that need to be ministered to by our church family the most, as God gives us his Great Commission to reach out to these people and bring them to Christ. During the past several years we have assembled groups of almost all of these people together and have tried to get our church pastors, deacons and church leaders to minister to these lost people, help them with their problems, but most of all lead them to Christ. It is sad that so few of our churches, do not seem to care enough to become involved in these types of ministries, but even sadder that they do not have any programs of their own that are reaching out. It is time for a revival of our churches and time for them to begin reaching out and fulfilling their duty to save lost souls. May God Bless All Of You.

God’s Great Commission #2

“The Spirit of the Lord is on me, because he has anointed me to preach good news to the poor. He has sent me to proclaim freedom for the prisoners and recovery of sight for the blind, to release the oppressed, to proclaim the year of the Lord’s favor.”
Luke 4:18-19

The mission of Jesus is to set the captive free. Jesus declared his mission publicly from the outset of his ministry when he spoke the scripture above. The question is how can we, as the people of God fulfill the mission of Jesus and empower the people of God to do the work of Jesus in the world? I am convinced the body of Christ in America has lost its way in the matter of its mission because we have neglected the work of the Holy Spirit. Many leaders in the body of Christ are so bound up themselves and have grieved the Holy Spirit so much that the only thing that moves in the Sunday service is the clock. People leave the same way they came in, broken, bound, feeling helpless, and destitute. Many churches in America never see a conversion, a healing, deliverance, or broken hearts mended because the leaders refuse to allow it to happen, and the church people are themselves bound by the very same habits, compromise, and sinful pursuits as the ones who have never experienced God’s deliverance. The body of Christ needs revival. We need a God sent, Spirit empowered, sin cleansing revival in the church in America today. We need to pray for revival in our churches, and for the pastors, elders, deacons and others to begin a revival in their own hearts and then pass this on to their members. I have been going through some difficult times lately dealing with the issues of getting churches involved in reaching outside of their churches into the community and saving souls for Christ. Each day that passes it seems like we lose another dear person to death that we have been ministering to where we are not certain that they have received Christ in their life. When this happens I wonder have I done enough, and what could I have done better or differently? Many times it seems that no one else is concerned about the plight of our community, as our churches are not responding to the call of these people. Yes, we have some volunteers that are faithful workers that help distribute food and clothing to the needy, but such a small percentage of the need is actually met. The time our few volunteers have to spend with these people is very limited due to the volume of need. We should have the time to know them and be able to share the Word of God with them and tell them about Jesus. We have people in the local agencies that are crying out for help in dealing with family issues, financial issues and relationships issues which offers such a great avenue to minister to them and tell them about Jesus and win their souls to Christ, but we are failing miserably in our church family providing this to them. Each time I see an obituary in our local paper about one of these folks, I wonder if they were saved, and did we provide information about Jesus to them. There is so much that our churches could be doing to win souls for Christ that is going undone. I would ask all of you to pray that God will inspire our churches to respond and reach out to save these souls.