By Faith We Can Be Healed

By Faith We Can Be Healed “Just then a woman who had been subject to bleeding for twelve years came up behind him and touched the edge of his cloak. She said to herself, ‘if I only touch his cloak, I will be healed’. Jesus turned and saw her. ‘Take heart, daughter’, he said, ‘your faith has healed you.” Matthew 9:20-21 Jesus tells us in His scriptures that if we have as little faith as a mustard seed we can make a mountain move. This woman in the scripture above proved Her faith just by touching the hem of Jesus’ garment and was healed. Jesus also healed two blind men. Matthew 9:28-29 “Do you believe that I am able to do this?” “Yes, Lord” they replied. Then he touched their eyes and said, “According to your faith will it be done to you”; and their sight was restored.” There are so many people suffering with medical issues, financial issues, relationship issues and family issues today that could be healed, if they just had enough faith, as in the two examples above. As Christians we go to church each Sunday, and read our Bibles each day, and know what God tells us about the power of our faith. God tells us that our faith can heal and restore, so why don’t we have enough faith to cure ourselves of our sickness? I have personally witnessed several people during the past two years that have been healed, and had the faith necessary to have God touch them, and heal their bodies. To be able to witness a healing by faith is such an important occurrence, in that it lets us know that the power of God’s word is still alive in our nation today. God is still with us, and His power is still as strong and alive as it was in the days of the Apostles. I would encourage each of you that have a medical need, to seek God, spend time with Him and get to know Him in such a way as to have the faith needed to ask for your own healing, as in the examples above. My Daily Devotional Volume III July 8 Robert William Brock, Jr.

Giving Freely

Giving Freely “But when you give to the needy, do not let your left hand know what your right hand is doing, so that your giving may be in secret. Then your Father, who sees what is done in secret, will reward you.” Matthew 6:3-4 During this past ten years I have been amazed at the lack of commitment that our church community has shown to provide for the needy in our community. I have visited the majority of the churches in our area speaking to their congregations about the need in our area and the number of people who are going hungry. The majority of these churches have not responded to this need, and have not participated in any way. Many of the churches that have responded have done so with the idea of getting publicity for their churches, and unless there has been a way to get their name in the public eye they have not contributed. The scripture above tells us how Jesus views our giving to the needy, as it needs to be done in private and not with the thought of bringing attention to ourselves. I know that my wife and I have provided help to the needy throughout the years, always keeping our giving between the person we are helping and ourselves, as God tells us to do. There was a wealthy gentleman in our area several years ago who would give large sums of money to worthwhile causes, but always insisted on the building being named after him or his name displayed in a public place. His sole purpose was to let others know that he gave and to get public recognition for his gift. I believe that giving in this manner did nothing to bring him any reward in the sight of God, as he was doing it not with the idea of helping others, but to gain glory for himself in the eyes of others. God wants each of us to give freely, as He has provided our needs and wants us to then give freely of our excess. My Daily Devotional Volume III July 7 Robert William Brock, Jr.

Keep God's Law

Keep God’s Law “I tell you the truth, until heaven and earth disappear, not the smallest letter, not the least stroke of a pen, will by any means disappear from the Law until everything is accomplished.” Matthew 5:18 The above scripture describes how Jesus felt about the law, and the importance it meant to him. I have heard many people say that the Law of the Old Testament was not meant for Jesus’ time, or was meant for the society we live in. This is not true, as throughout the New Testament, both Jesus and the Disciples talk repeatedly, about the Law and the importance it means. The Law that is depicted in the Old Testament is still the Law that God expects us to obey today. When I think back to the time of my childhood, and see the changes in family values that have occurred during this time, I realize what perilous times we are living in. The lifestyles of today’s families bear little resemblance to what they were, as I was growing up. Families have compromised their values little by little, until they have succumbed to the temptations of Satan, and have thrown God out of their families. The divorce rates are skyrocketing, and families are being torn apart by drug and alcohol abuse, sexual permissiveness, relationship and financial pressures. The home is no longer a place for children to feel safe and secure, and a place where Godly principles are taught. Children are left to find their own values, usually from their peers, who have not been taught the word of God, and what is right from wrong. When God gave us the Law, it was meant to provide guidance and wisdom for all people to use, as it gives us the format to pattern our families and our lives after. I would encourage each of you to study God’s word, and apply it to your life and your family. It will make a difference in your life. My Daily Devotional Volume III July 6 Robert William Brock, Jr.

Keep Your Joy

Keep Your Joy “This day is sacred to our Lord. Do not grieve, for the joy of the Lord is your strength.” Nehemiah 8:10 Have you ever noticed how easy our joy can disappear? We can wake up in the morning with joy in our hearts and a smile on our face, but the first disappointment or problem we face, completely destroys that joy, and takes away that smile. It is so easy to allow Satan to destroy our joy and our positive attitude, and replace it with discouragement and negativity. I believe that each day is sacred and precious to God, and He wants us to cherish it as much as possible. God wants us to be at peace and have joy in our lives, as we are going to be a better witness for Him, and be more focused on His will, when we are happy. When we begin to give in to discouragement, to have doubts, to concentrate on the negative things around us, we are on the path to losing our joy and happiness. The answer to getting back our joy and happiness, is to begin to refocus our minds and life back on God, as chances are when your joy and happiness began leaving you, was the time you were drifting away from God. I would suggest that when you sense that your joy is waning, to begin immediately praying to God. Thank Him for all the blessings that He has bestowed on you, for providing you with your needs, and saving your soul. Think about King David, as he prayed to God constantly, when his joy began to leave him, as much of the Book of Psalm was about him, either thanking God for blessing him, or praying for deliverance from his enemies. I would encourage you that when that black cloud threatens to take over, to seek God, and remember that you serve a good and gracious God, one who loves you unconditionally, and wants you to be joyful, so that He can fulfill the plan and purpose that He has for your life. My Daily Devotional Volume III July 5 Robert William Brock, Jr.

God Can Rescue Us

God Can Rescue Us “Even to your old age and gray hairs I am he, I am he who will sustain you. I have made you and I will carry you; I will sustain you and I will rescue you.” Isaiah 46:4 Last week I saw the news where severe flooding in Texas had claimed the lives of several people. The newscast showed several people clinging to the tops of trees to try to escape the raging waters. In life there are times when we are going along without a care in the world and nothing to weigh us down. Then, without warning we are hit by a catastrophe such as this flood and our world is turned upside down. We look around and are terrified by what we see, as our human eyes do not see any way out of our trouble. I am sure that these people clinging to the tree tops felt exactly this way, and felt that their worlds had collapsed around them. Their homes, their material possessions and everything they owned had been swept away by the raging floodwaters. In the scripture above God tells us that there is hope in the worst of times as He will sustain us and rescue us. Maybe you are facing adversity in a physical, emotional, or financial area of your life. Don’t panic! Pray, even though it looks like there is no way out, you must not lose heart because God is still there, and knows your trouble, and tells us that He will not let us bear more than we can handle. Isaiah 43:2 “I will be with you; and when you pass through the rivers, they will not sweep over you. When you walk through the fire, you will not be burned; the flames will not set you ablaze.” I would encourage each of you to turn to God when you face your troubles, as He will be there to listen and come to your rescue. There is no one that can conquer the raging floods in your life the way God can. Even through our trials God can give us His overwhelming peace and assurances that everything is fine. My Daily Devotional Volume III July 3 Robert William Brock, Jr.

Keep Your Faith

Keep Your Faith “Dear friends, do not be surprised at the painful trial you are suffering, as though something strange were happening to you. But rejoice that you participate in the sufferings of Christ, so that you may be overjoyed when his glory is revealed.” 1st Peter 4:12-13 It is sometimes difficult to understand why things happen to us. Why do we have the trials and troubles that we suffer through, when we are trying our best to be a Christian? Many times it seems like we are constantly deep in the valleys and the mountains seem too steep to climb, and there is no way that we can see how we will ever overcome our problems. I have a dear Christian friend who this scripture fits so well, as during the past year he endured a terrible year financially, as one problem after another happened in his business. He had given so much of himself during this time both financially and of his time, to help distribute food to the needy in our area, while his own personal finances had suffered. I recently had a conversation with him and asked him why he had continued to give the way he did, when he was suffering so badly himself. He stated that the time that he spent distributing the food to the needy was what was getting him through his own troubles. He said that he looked forward to the days that the food was distributed, and that this was his best day of the week. His faith and trust in God has never wavered during the year, and he faithfully kept giving of his time and money. The people in our church have seen his unwavering dedication to God during this difficult time, and it is touching many of the people around him. He is a tremendous witness for Christ wherever he goes, and through his trials he continues to keep his faith and trust. I would encourage each of you to continue trusting in God even during your trials because your reward in heaven will be worth it. My Daily Devotional Volume III July 2 Robert William Brock, Jr

Our Inner Beauty

Our Inner Beauty “Your beauty should not come from outward adornment, such as braided hair and the wearing of gold jewelry and fine clothes. Instead it should be that of your inner self, the unfading beauty of a gentle and quiet spirit, which is of great worth in God’s sight.” 1st Peter 3:3-4 So often throughout our society our success in life is judged by our outward appearance. Recent surveys show that someone who is attractive has a much better chance of getting the best jobs, receive better raises and has a much better chance to advance in their careers. Our society routinely promotes outward appearances through beauty pageants, fashions and television and movie stars as the ultimate pinnacle of success. However, it is not the outward appearances that matters most to God, as it is the inner beauty of each of us that is important to Him. I recently saw a young girl who was deformed and crippled from birth with a terrible disease. Her limbs and face were distorted, but God had given her a talent for music, and she had been asked to play the piano for one of the largest symphonies in the nation. Her music was the best I have ever heard. Her beauty did not come from her outward appearance, but rather came from her inner self, and God had given her a gift that very few people have. It is important to never judge others based on what we see with our eyes, but to judge them on their hearts, and even then we are not the final judge as what we think does not matter. God is the ultimate judge for all of us, as it is when we stand before God on judgment day, we will not be judged on our beauty, as God will look at our hearts, at our good deeds, at the way we lived our lives and obeyed His commands. All of these things will be considered, but the most important thing of all is that we have accepted Jesus as our Lord and Savior. My Daily Devotional Volume III July 1 Robert William Brock, Jr.