Do Not Fear

Do Not Fear “Do not be afraid; keep on speaking, do not be silent. For I am with you, and no one is going to attack and harm you, because I have many people in this city.” Acts 18:9-10 As we look at our daily newspapers and our television we see more and more trouble all around us, as the spirit of fear seems to be working overtime. With the terror threats, violence in our streets, the threats of war and the crime that is prevalent in almost every community, we have reason to be fearful. This fear is not coming from God but from Satan. The devil wants us to be afraid and on the defensive. He wants us to be so consumed by fear, and so afraid that our thoughts and minds will be so overwhelmed with fear that we will not be able to accomplish the things we need to do. The scriptures, such as the one above can give us strength to stand up and hold fast to the promises of God, that He will not forsake us and leave us alone. He will protect us from our enemies and our fear. We cannot get caught up in the day to day troubles that face our society, and become despondent and begin to have doubts about what the future holds for us. We must realize that the word of God tells us that we must refuse to worry about what “may” happen, as God is going to see us through. He tells us that there will be a brighter tomorrow, even though we sometimes cannot see through the dark clouds that surrounds us. I believe God has angels all around us that are there to protect the ones that believe and trust in Him. We also have our Christian brothers and sisters to aid and comfort us during our times of trouble. When the attacks of the devil begin to drag you down, and fear begins to overwhelm you, you can reach out to your friends, but just remember that God is always there for you and will not let anyone attack you or harm you, as He is always there to watch over you. Do not be afraid. Robert W. Brock My Daily Devotional Volume Seven September 7

Don't Compromise

Don't Compromise "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 Are you living the kind of life that God wants you to live, or are you letting the world control your life and influence you in your behavior? I believe we are living in perilous times today, as I continue to hear so called pastors on television, preaching messages that go against Biblical teaching. As the scripture above states, we have to be careful and listen to what we hear from these preachers, as when their message goes against what the Bible tells us, we need to be able to discern what the truth really is. Our society today has gradually compromised their values, and many of our preachers are also compromising their values as well, and preaching "feel good" messages, that go along with our compromised values. The Bible, and God's word has not changed throughout the centuries, and still apply to today's society, as they did when they were written. I have heard many say that we live in a different time now, and that we need to be understanding of the culture of today. When we begin to compromise, and change right from wrong, to suit our own standards, we are on a slippery slope that will lead to our destruction. When we begin to compromise our values on issues such as marriage, abortion and our freedom of prayer, we are getting away from the Word of God. This is the time to stand firm on what the Bible teaches us about these issues, and not compromise our values and beliefs. The Word of God has not changed, and never will. The Bible must continue to be what we base our faith on, and continue to live by. God's real word is all that matters, and we must never compromise it in any way. Robert W. Brock My Daily Devotional Volume Seven September 6

Move Your Mountain

Move Your Mountain "If you have faith as small as a mustard seed, you can say to this mountain, move from here to there, and it will move. Nothing will be impossible for you." Matthew 17:20-21 During our lives, we will all face major life-changing situations. The loss of a job, financial issues, the death of a loved one, a problem with our health, and possible relationship issues with family members, or even with our spouses. There are few people that at some time in their life that will not face a mountain that they do not know how to overcome. I know that many of you are facing a mountain today, that just seems to high, and you don't know how to get over it. The message I want to give you today, is how you can respond to these life changing mountains. You can either allow the mountain in your life to keep you from fulfilling your purpose of serving God, and robbing you of your peace, joy and the abundance of this life, or you can move forward in God's strength, putting your trust and faith in Him to remove your mountain, and live in victory. In the scripture above Jesus tells you that if you have faith as small as a mustard seed, you can say to your mountain "Be gone, and it will be gone." Having grown up on a farm, a mustard seed is one of the tiniest seeds, so it doesn't take a lot of faith, but the question is, "do you trust God enough to put your complete faith in Him." Let me encourage you today, that there is not a mountain that you are facing that cannot be moved. You may not understand why God has placed this mountain in your life, but He has not placed it there, without giving you the strength to overcome it. I want you to know that God will give you whatever strength you need to overcome, but you need to draw closer to Him, pray to Him, read His words, and then trust and have the faith that He will move your mountain. Just remember that with God all things are possible. Robert W. Brock My Daily Devotional Volume Seven September 5

God Is Always There

God Is Always There "Call to me and I will answer you and tell you great and unsearchable things you do not know." Jeremiah 33:3 We recently had a terrible storm that came through our area where the skies became dark, the wind began to blow, and tree limbs were broken from the trees and covered our yard. Fortunately this did not last long as I was beginning to get worried that our house would be damaged. It is during these times that we feel helpless as we can only trust God to watch over and protect us. After the blast of the wind came the hard rain, however this did not last long, and when it was over, the skies began to brighten and traces of the sun appeared, and a beautiful rainbow suddenly appeared. As I opened the door I was greeted by a wonderful fragrance as I looked at the beautiful signal God had placed in the sky indicating that the storm was over. The air smelled fresh and clean. It was like the heavens had opened and rained flowers on the land. But isn’t this a lot like life? In the midst of our scariest times, frustrating moments, and absolute downpours of too much of a good thing, there are gifts from God. This gift was for anyone who took the time to open their doors and see the rainbow in the sky, and breathe in the fresh air. God allows us to go through the hard times but He has certainly promised us the great times too. Out of what seems like the storms of life, we can find Him and know that He cares for us. He was there in the storm and the rain. But He was also there to protect us. Maybe we were all being tested to trust in Him. I am so glad that I know God in such a personal way that when the storms in life hit me with their best shots, I can know that I will make it. He is there for us and longs to refresh us when we need it, protect us from harm and danger, and provide the wisdom we need when we don’t understand the “whys” in life. Robert W. Brock My Daily Devotional Volume Seven September 4

Who Controls You

Who Controls You "Now then, my sons, listen to me; blessed are those who keep my ways." Proverbs 8:32 Have you thought about what controls your life, is it God or is it the world around you? One of the most incredible challenges we have each day in our Christian journey, is what controls us. The ultimate goal of every believer is to be controlled at all times by the Spirit of God, instead of the spirit of this world. It is when we are controlled by the Lord that we are able to fulfill our purpose in life, enjoy the peace, joy, and abundance of this life, and know God's richest blessings. When we allow ourselves to be controlled by the things of this world, we distance ourselves from the Lord. What controls our lives becomes the ultimate battle we fight each day. Before we became Christians, it was never an issue. There was no choice. We simply lived our life the way the world lived. Our lives were totally controlled by the spirit of the world. Once we accept Jesus Christ as our Savior, we are now confronted with a choice each day. Continue to live the way the world lives, the way we are used to living, or live under the control of our new Master, Jesus Christ. We must learn how to let the Holy Spirit control us. It starts with our daily relationship with the Lord by praying and reading the Word each day. As this becomes our daily life and focus, we are more in touch with God, as we get used to the Holy Spirit controlling our life as opposed to the things of this world. The critical key is to be consistent, day after day. When we stop praying each day; stop reading the Word each day; stop going to church; stop finding ways to serve God, that is when we become open to having the things of this world take control over our lives. Our daily challenge is to do the things that please God and not the world, and to let the Holy Spirit lead and guide us in the ways of God. Robert W. Brock My Daily Devotional Volume Seven September 3

Put Your Burdens Down

Put Your Burdens Down "My fruit is better than fine gold; what I yield surpasses choice silver." Proverbs 8:19 I remember my teacher in college who walked around the room while leading and explaining stress management to us with a raised glass of water. Everyone knew she was going to ask the ultimate question, 'half empty or half full?' She fooled us all by asking "How heavy is this glass of water?" Answers called out ranged from 8 oz. To 20 oz. She replied, "The absolute weight doesn't matter. It depends on how long I hold it. If I hold it for a minute, that's not a problem. If I hold it for an hour, I'll have an ache in my right arm. If I hold it for a day, you'll have to call an ambulance. In each case it's the same weight, but the longer I hold it, the heavier it becomes." She continued, "and that's the way it is with stress. If we carry our burdens all the time, sooner or later, as the burden becomes increasingly heavy, we won't be able to carry on." "As with the glass of water, you have to put it down for a while and rest before holding it again." This lesson is so true. Don't carry your burdens through the evening and into the night, but pick them up tomorrow. The Bible tells us to be happy and content with whatever the circumstances we are facing. We will all have trials and troubles during life, but when we have Jesus in our hearts, we will never have more than we can bear. Don't let the worries of this life get you down, but learn to be happy and contented in whatever comes your way. God does not want you to go through live just getting by, but wants you to be a beacon of light for others to see. When you go around with a frown on your face, nobody wants to be like you, but when they see the big smile, even when you are going through a struggle, you are being an example for them. Let God help you share your burdens as He can lighten your load. Robert W. Brock My Daily Devotional Volume Seven September 2

Laugh And Smile

Laugh And Smile "The path of the righteous is like the first glean of dawn, shining ever brighter till the full light of day." Proverbs 4:18 Would anyone you meet know that you have Jesus in your heart by the expression on your face. A smile can mean so much to others you meet in your daily life, however so many go around with a frown on their face, looking like they have lost their best friend. However a smile and laughing is what we have been given to open up our soul and allow light to shine on it. What oil is to an engine, laughter is to the inner man. It lubricates our insides so that we are able to function without burning out from the friction of life. There is an old saying that, "we don't stop laughing because we grow old, we grow old because we stop laughing." In today's world many of us have stopped laughing. The pressures of life and the dire circumstances some of us face in our lives has meant that we have allowed our smiles to be wiped off our faces permanently. Laughter like most things, the less you do it, the harder it is to get it going next time you have the chance. When we don't laugh our insides become stiff and our emotions paralyzed and so does our experience of life. We let the trials and troubles of life weigh us down and don't let the peace and contentment we should have show through. This is because laughter and a smile has the power to change your circumstances and even those around you. Today one of the biggest momentum changers at your disposal is your ability to smile and laugh. Yes there is a time to be serious, yet having a serious face outside does not mean that you can't keep smiling inside. Happy people live longer and prosper more. This is because laughing is far less taxing on our being and our journey. It has the power to strengthen us and help us to face whatever may come, with that wonderful curve that straightens all things out called a smile. Robert W. Brock My Daily Devotional Volume Seven September 1