Do You Have Doubts

Do You Have Doubts

"For all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God, and are justified freely by His grace through the redemption that came by Christ Jesus."
Romans 3:23-24

If you died right now do you know for sure that you would go to Heaven? Do you have any doubts where you will spend your eternity? There are only two choices, either Heaven or Hell. God loves you very much. He doesn't want you to go to Hell. In fact, He loves you so much that He sent His Son Jesus to die on the cross for you. The scripture above tells us that we have all sinned and have fallen short of the glory of God. You have sinned and I have sinned, but by the grace of God, we have been given an opportunity to be redeemed by the shed blood of Jesus. Jesus actually lifted the sin from us and placed it upon Himself. When they nailed Jesus to the cross, the blood that came from Him cleansed our sin. When He died on the cross He paid the price for our sin, which was His death. They buried Jesus but He arose from the dead, and conquered death and sin. So through His death, He gave us the promise of an eternal life. You can't be baptized into Heaven, be good to get to Heave, pay money to get to Heaven. In fact, you can't do anything to get into Heaven, except to accept the payment Jesus made for your sin on the cross of Calvary, and receive Him as your personal Lord and Savior. The only way you can get to Heaven is found in the scripture below. "For whosoever shall call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved." Romans 10:13 So if you have any doubts today about where you will spend your eternity, today may be your last chance to ask Him into your heart. You are not promised tomorrow, and this could be your last chance to make the most important decision you can ever make. Don't delay.
My Daily Devotional Volume Six
June 9
Robert William Brock, Jr.

Be An Encourager

Be An Encourager

"Therefore encourage one another and build each other up, just as in fact you are doing."
1st Thessalonians 5:11

The scripture above is the word of encouragement by the Apostle Paul to the Christians in the town of Thessalionica. Whenever I see a "therefore" in Scripture I usually ask myself what is it there for? In this case the preceding words have everything to do with why we are asked to build each other up. "For God did not appoint us to suffer wrath but to receive salvation through our Lord Jesus Christ. He died for us so that, whether we are awake or asleep, we may live together with Him." 1st Thessalonians 5:9-10. We live in a time were criticism and complaint is so prevalent, as people are so critical and judgmental of others, but encouraging others is so easy to do, but so few people take advantage to give an encouragement to others. Look at yourself, are you quick to offer words that build others up, or do you offer words that tear others down? What do others think about you? Do the people in your life see you as an encourager? Whether we are awake or asleep, whether alive or dead on this earth, we are alive to our Lord that we may live with Him and for Him. So encouraging one another makes huge sense. We should be known as a people builder, and others should see us be an encourager instead of as a destroyer. We should build people up, not tear them down. Our words, our actions, our behavior should always be an encouragement to others. We should always offer words of encouragement that will touch others hearts, and let them know that God is in control of our lives. Get rid of your negative thinking, be a positive Christian, let your light shine, wherever you are. May you be aware of our loving God building you up, just as you build others up.
My Daily Devotional Volume Six
June 8
Robert William Brock, Jr.

Don't Let Wealth Control You

Don't Let Wealth Control You

“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

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. 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 and 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 material possessions, and it becomes their gods. They become totally dependent upon it. Money and wealth 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. Your success in life is much more than your materialistic possessions, it is your faith in God that will provide you with peace, joy and happiness, and things that mean most to you. Don't make money and wealth your priority in life, as God will provide all that you need.
My Daily Devotional Volume Six
June 7
Robert William Brock, Jr.

It's Not Too Late

It's Not Too Late

"When he lies, he speaks his native language, for he is a liar and the father of lies."
John 8:44

In this scripture Jesus is describing what the devil is like, and calls him the "father of lies". Satan's role on earth is to lead everyone astray, to tempt you, in every possible way to sin. He wants to steal your hope, steal your joy, steal your peace, steal all the abundance that this life can be, but most of all he wants to steal your soul. He wants you to reject God, enjoy your sin filled life so you will be forever separated from God. If you are a Christian, he wants to destroy your testimony, destroy your ability to serve God, destroy the plan and purpose God has for your life. You need to realize that Satan is not playing games, he is deadly serious, as he wants you to spend your eternity with him in the Lake of Fire that will be his and your eternal home if you follow him. Satan doesn't care if you are young or old, if you are male or female, if you are white or black, if you are rich or poor, or if you are intelligent or not. He only wants your soul, and doesn't care how he gets it. I realize that what I say can't force you to follow God, but I want you to think whether a few moments of pleasure in this life is worth an eternity spent in Hell. Eternity is forever, and is never ending. It is a place of darkness, spent in a fiery burning lake of fire which will never end, where there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth, that will last forever and ever. I don't want that for you, as you can escape this kind of future, by simply asking Jesus to come into your heart today. Jesus will forgive you of all your past sins, and make you white as snow, and then you will spend all your eternity in Heaven. Take just a few moments today, and ask yourself if you want to follow Satan and risk an eternity in Hell.
My Daily Devotional Volume Six
June 6
Robert William Brock, Jr.

Hear And Obey

Hear And Obey

"Blessed rather are those who hear the word of God and obey it."
Luke 11:28

Do you hear God's Holy Words, and are you obeying them? Throughout the Bible God gives you His commands and instructions that you are to follow, but do you follow these commands, or just go about doing your own thing. Naturally, I am not able to address all of these commands in this one devotional, but I want you to just take a moment and think about God's commands as you go about your daily routine. I have encouraged you repeatedly in prior devotionals, to take time each morning to read your Bible, to pray, and spend a few minutes getting closer to God. It is so important for you to develop a closer relationship with God in your daily walk, as it is only with this closer relationship, that you will begin to hear God speaking to you through the Holy Spirit. God will speak to you through gentle whispers, and lead and guide you on the path He wants you to follow. You will begin to hear the word of God speak to your heart, as you go about your day, when you make Him first in your life. There will be choices and decisions you will make each day, which will be ones that God would approve of, or they can be ones that will lead you toward the ways of the world. If you have the Holy Spirit within you, you will not only hear the word of God, but you will be convicted when you do not obey it. God wants you to obey all His commands, not just some of them. This is not a test where you can get 75% correct and still pass, as God expects you to be 100% right all the time. In other words, God wants you to obey all his commands, not pick and choose which ones to obey. “But you know that he appeared so that he might take away our sins. And in him is no sin. No one who lives in him keeps on sinning. No one who continues to sin has either seen him or known him.” 1st John 3:5-6 Actually, I believe the reason why most people do not obey God's commands and continue to sin is that they want to sin, as it is many times more comfortable to sin, than to do what is right. We like our comfort too much, Let me give you an example. If someone pulls in front of you on a busy highway, and then slows down and you miss getting through your red light, it is easy to want to blow your horn and say, "not nice things" about them, as this is easy for you to do. However, it takes more constraint and will power to control yourself, and even say a silent prayer for them. It is much easier to sin in this example, than it is to do what is right. Take a moment to think about other examples that come up in your daily life, where you find that it is easier to sin than resist. Maybe a co-worker tells a lie about you and gets you in trouble. It is easier to hold a grudge, and do everything you can to get revenge, than to forgive them. What if you get a phone call from a good friend who wants to talk to you, but you just aren't in the mood to talk to them right now, do you tell them a little white lie that someone is at the door or on the other phone and you have to go. It is easier to tell a lie, than it is to tell the truth. All of these are simple examples, which I am sure you have been guilty of at some point in your life. It was easier to commit a sin and not follow God's commands, than it was to do the right thing. These kinds of sins become habits, and become easier and easier the more you do them. I want to encourage you today to seriously think about how you are obeying God's commands in your daily life. All of God's commands are meant to be followed, and there are no exceptions. When you accept Christ as your savior, you are to live a life free from sin. God has given you the Bible to tell you the kind of life He wants you to live, from the moment you asked Him into your heart. Think about all of God's word today and put them into practice.
My Daily Devotional Volume Six
June 5
Robert William Brock, Jr.

Are You Selfish

Are You Selfish

"So in everything, do to others what you would have them do to you, for this sums up the Law and the Prophets"
Matthew 7:12

The above scripture is one of the most important ones we will find in the Bible, as it gives us so much wisdom as to how we are to treat others. When we come into the world, it is all about us, and our wants and desires. We are born thinking only about ourselves, and the things that please us. We are selfish and only think about getting our wants and needs satisfied. God, however tells us that we need to love others as we love ourselves. This means that instead of always thinking about ourselves, that our thoughts should take into account others. This is difficult to do, as we make decisions and choices each day, and the majority of these are what will make us happy and make our lives more enjoyable. Most people seldom consider others, when they make these daily choices. We go to the malls and buy things that bring us pleasure, rarely thinking that the money we spent, could be better used to feed the hungry at the local community center, or to provide shelter to a homeless person. We should consider what Jesus would do in a situation like this. Would He buy the newest cell phone, or would He help feed someone who was hungry. Rarely, do most people think about others, but only think about what would make them happy. The majority of our nation and our people are rich in comparison to the rest of the world. God provides our needs and so much more, but we continue to want the bigger house, the biggest car and all the other luxuries that we can afford. I would encourage each of you to search your hearts, and see if you are following the message in the scripture above and loving others as you love yourself.
My Daily Devotional Volume Six
June 4
Robert William Brock, Jr.

Choose Your Words Wisely

Choose Your Words Wisely

"A wise man's heart guides his mouth, and his lips promote instruction."
Proverbs 16:23

The Bible gives us many instructions as to the use of our words, and the encouragement they can do, or the damage they can do. Choosing our words is so important, as I have seen relationships destroyed by poor choices of words, made in the heat of the moment. Words spoken in anger, which are meant to hurt someone, can be one of the most destructive forces that we use to destroy someone's self worth and confidence. I have seen reputations destroyed during my business career, because someone told lies about their fellow employees, and even though they tried to later take back their words, things never were the same. It is like taking a bucket of feathers and tossing them into the wind, and even though we may try to collect all of them, they can never be collected as people will judge others because of these damaging words. It is so important to think before we speak, and select the words we use when talking about others. We should never judge others, as we do not know their hearts, and we must leave God to be their judge. Our words should always be ones to encourage others, instead of being negative, constantly complaining and bringing others down. If we do not have positive things to say we should remain silent and not say anything. Christian's should be positive instead of negative in all that they do, as if we are constantly complaining and griping about things, why would anyone want to be like us. How can we show the love of Jesus if we are sad, unhappy, and constantly being negative. We should be an example, always uplifting others, instead of complaining about our own problems and difficulties. Our words should always show God's love.
My Daily Devotional Volume Six
June 3
Robert William Brock, Jr.