Devotion: How Many Times Should I Ask God For Something?

Not long ago in a devotional titled, “Believe You Receive When You Pray,” we discussed believing in the power of prayer and how most believers who prayed did not know how to pray.  We mentioned that God intends for us to always pray and for us to get answers to our prayers, because if this were not the case, he would have not told us to “pray without ceasing” (I Thessalonians 5:17) and more importantly, he would have not told us how to pray (Luke 11:1).

We mentioned there being different types of prayer, but our primary focus at that moment was on what we called “The Prayer Of Faith or The Petition Prayer,” which is the primary prayer that the average believer will pray.  We went on to say that when you pray this prayer, you believe that those things which you say will come to pass and that you will have whatever you say, provided that there is no doubt in your heart (Matthew 21:22; Mark 11:23-24).  Simply put, if you do not believe that you already have it when you speak it, then you will not be getting it.

Now, we know there are those who do not believe in the “speak it, believe it, and receive it” concept and have many reasons why believers should not blindly accept or follow after this concept.  But what they fail to realize is that their prayers are already defeated even before they utter the first word because of their unbelief.  The fact that the scripture says, “whatsoever things you desire when you pray,” poses a problem for many because they find it hard to accept that a child of God can ask for anything whatsoever and that he or she expects to receive it from God.  And while they will try to impose restrictions on “the whatsoever things you desire,” they fail to understand that those who are truly born-againand understand this concept know what “those whatsoever things” are and will not ask for anything outside of the will of God, which is why they can ask with confidence and know that God will answer their prayers (I John 5:14-15).  And since they know that God answers those prayers that are not outside of his will, then those who are truly born-againand understand this concept know they need ask but one time.  A second, third, fourth or fifth request for the same “whatsoever things” would mean that they did not believe that they already received those “whatsoever things they desired when they first  prayed.”  What they should be doing over and over again is praising and thanking God, through prayer, for answering their request until they see the manifestation or the reality of what they prayed for, come to pass.  This is not some hocus-pocus-genie-in-a-bottle type of stuff, but a truism that will help any believer get their prayers answered.

We pray that you will receive this as it will help you with understanding how to pray and how to receive answers to your prayers.  And we pray that you will be abundantly blessed by today’s message, that you will be richly informed, and that you will be the better for having read it.  If blessed by this message, please share so that others may be blessed as well.  Amen.

Enjoy your blessings - KW

Devotion: Plead The Blood

There is power in the blood, power in the blood of Jesus.

“But Christ being come an high priest of good things to come, by a greater and more perfect tabernacle, not made with hands, that is to say, not of this building (creation); neither by the blood of goats and calves, but by his own blood he entered in once into the holy place (Most Holy Place), having obtained eternal redemption for us.  For if the blood of bulls and of goats, and the ashes of an heifer sprinkling the unclean, sanctifieth (set apart) to the purifying of the flesh: how much more shall the blood of Christ, who through the eternal Spirit offered himself without spot (blemish) to God, purge (cleanse) your conscience from dead works to serve the living God” (Hebrew 9:11-14)?

“And these things write we unto you, that your joy may be full. This then is the message which we have heard of him, and declare unto you, that God is light, and in him is no darkness at all. If we say that we have fellowship with him, and walk in darkness, we lie, and do not the (do not practice the) truth: But if we walk in the light, as he is in the light, we have fellowship one with another, and the blood of Jesus Christ his Son cleanseth us from all sin” (I John 1:4-7).

“Therefore, brothers and sisters, since we have confidence to enter the Most Holy Place by the blood of Jesus, by a new and living way opened for us through the curtain, that is, his body, and since we have a great priest over the house of God, let us draw near to God with a sincere heart and with the full assurance that faith brings, having our hearts sprinkled to cleanse us from a guilty conscience and having our bodies washed with pure water. Let us hold unswervingly to the hope we profess, for he who promised is faithful” (Hebrews 10:19-23 TLB).

How much more, has the blood of Christ cleansed our consciences from lifeless acts that lead to death that we may serve the ever-living God?  “There is power in the blood, true power in the blood of Jesus.”  We forever pray that you are abundantly blessed by today’s inspirational message and that you will be the better for having read it. If blessed by this message please share so that others may be blessed as well.  Amen.

Enjoy your blessings. - KW

Devotion: God Will Provide

Recently, we spoke of God’s promise “to supply all your needs from his riches in glory because of what Christ Jesus has done for us” (Philippians 4:19 TLB).  We discovered that this is the promise from our heavenly Father to provide for us, like a “guaranteed provision” with nothing lacking (Luke 12:22-32).  However, as we look at the world today, we see what appears to be many lacking that “guaranteed provision” that we find in the word of God.  But why is this so?

We live in a very negative society where the culture focuses on what’s wrong or what’s missing.  The devil is constantly bombarding our mind with ungodly negative thoughts, ideas, and suggestions.  He is very cunning as he slowly infiltrates our mind.  Sure, we see the daily struggles of those who succumb to poverty, sickness, and death, but he specializes in fear and failure tactics, which creates depression, fear, discouragement, low self-esteem, worry, anxiety, confusion, doubt, and unbelief.  Fear is a force like faith, where fear can actually bring things to pass just as faith can bring things to pass.  The devil tries to distract our attention away from God.  He wants to keep us so busy trying to figure out our mess that we just give up.

Therefore, don’t be moved by the circumstances of a situation and don’t deny that the situation exists, but have faith that you will be blessed in the spiritual to resolve the situation.  Don’t allow your “sense knowledge; knowledge that is gained through or by your five senses,” to dictate what you should do; how you should act or react; and the direction that your faith should head.  As long as you look at the circumstances of life, as long as you look at what happens to others, doubt can enter and cause your faith to leave.  So many times in life, you will allow what you see to affect your faith and your belief.  You will allow what you see happen to others to cloud your vision and cause you to doubt the word of God.  Many times, you allow others and circumstances to influence or discourage your faith because you base your faith on feelings or emotions instead of the word of God.  Human reasoning has been and will continue to be a great hindrance to faith.

Your faith must be great, strong, true, and unfailing.  It should never be weak, little, or wavering.  Faith is a product of the heart, not a product of the head.  The devil will make you question your faith and belief by getting into your mind, through your head and not your heart.  You must have faith and you must also believe; these are two separate things.  Belief alone will not work without some action of faith.  Faith will not function without belief.  “Faith” is the acting on what you “believe,” acting on the word of God.  The soul contains your desire, your will, your intellect, and your mind.  You must be in control of all of these things.  Do not be bound by the circumstances and never be bound by your emotions either.  You must renew your mind and your soul daily.  You must get “the word of God” inside of you so that it will shine during the times when you are tested.  “Your actions mirror your faith.”  Faith is always now, present tense.  Faith is never about tomorrow or about yesterday.

God has promised to take care of us, promised to provide, promised to supply all our need, but we have to take God at his word, believe that he is fully capable to do all that he has promised, and we must put action to our faith.  Today’s inspirational message will help you to see how to put action to your faith.  We forever pray that our message will abundantly bless you, greatly inform you, and that you will be the better for having read it.  If blessed by this message please share so that others may be blessed as well.

Enjoy your blessings - KW

Devotion: You Have Guaranteed Provisions

God has made a promise to take care of you, a promise...

“. . . to supply all your needs from his riches in glory because of what Christ Jesus has done for us” (Philippians 4:19 TLB).

Because of Jesus, we now have the opportunity to “become a child of God” (John 1:12-13) and as a child of God, we have “a divine inheritance to the best in life, deserving all the Father has to offer” (Romans 8:14-17).  This is the promise from our heavenly Father to provide for us, like a “guaranteed provision” with nothing lacking (Luke 12:22-32).

Today’s inspirational message offers a glimpse into something we like to call “our guaranteed provisions.”  We pray that this message will bless you and that you will share so that others may be blessed as well.  Amen.

Enjoy your blessings - KW

Devotion: The Purpose Of Life

So many, both believers and non-believers want to know the purpose of life, especially “the purpose for their individual life.”  However, with so much controversy surrounding the topic, many are confused as to the true purpose of life.  As for us, we are constantly searching, constantly redefining the purpose of life, especially here at this ministry.   And while we understand the basics, we continually search for that deeper purpose, that ultimate meaning and understanding that can only be found in the revelation knowledge that the Holy Spirit shares with us as we continue to seek God’s will.

“Yet when I am among mature believers, I do speak with words of wisdom, but not the kind of wisdom that belongs to this world or to the rulers of this world, who are soon forgotten.  No, the wisdom we speak of is the mystery of God—his plan that was previously hidden, even though he made it for our ultimate glory before the world began.  But the rulers of this world have not understood it; if they had, they would not have crucified our glorious Lord.  That is what the Scriptures mean when they say, ‘No eye has seen, no ear has heard, and no mind has imagined what God has prepared for those who love him.’

But it was to us that God revealed these things by his Spirit. For his Spirit searches out everything and shows us God’s deep secrets.  No one can know a person’s thoughts except that person’s own spirit, and no one can know God’s thoughts except God’s own Spirit.  And we have received God’s Spirit (not the world’s spirit), so we can know the wonderful things God has freely given us.

When we tell you these things, we do not use words that come from human wisdom.  Instead, we speak words given to us by the Spirit, using the Spirit’s words to explain spiritual truths.  But people who aren’t spiritual can’t receive these truths from God’s Spirit.  It all sounds foolish to them and they can’t understand it, for only those who are spiritual can understand what the Spirit means.  Those who are spiritual can evaluate all things, but they themselves cannot be evaluated by others.  For, ‘Who can know the Lord’s thoughts?  Who knows enough to teach him?’  But we understand these things, for we have the mind of Christ” (I Corinthians 2:6-16 NLT).

The kind of wisdom spoken of here is not the kind of wisdom that the world uses or the kind of wisdom that the sages and the men of discernment use, but the kind of wisdom that comes directly from God, through God’s word.  This wisdom spoken of here, tells “those that have an ear to hear” of the things of God, his plan that was previously hidden, even though he made it for our ultimate glory before the world began.  So, if you want to know “the purpose of life,” ask the Holy Spirit to reveal “the purpose” to you.  Keep in mind the Spirit searches out everything and shows “those that have an ear to hear,” God’s deep secrets.  Once revealed, you have to follow God’s instructions if you are to become all that God had planned for you to become.

Today’s inspirational message is but another thought in the endless array on “The Purpose Of Life.”  We pray that this message will add to your understanding as well as be a blessing to you.  If blessed by it, please share so that others may be blessed as well.  Amen.

Enjoy your blessings - KW

Devotion: You Are Rich Because Of What Jesus Did

Most people do not understand the complete significance of Jesus’ sacrifice at Calvary.  Most everyone knows that his death redeemed us and brought many freedoms from “the curse of the law” (Galatians 3:13), but they do not understand that it also brought us so much more.  Because of what Jesus did, his sacrifice at Calvary, we now have the right “to become a child of God” (John 1:12-13), “whereby we cry Abba, Father” (Romans 8:15).  Because of what Jesus did, we now have the right “to share in the blessing of Abraham, receiving the promise of the Spirit through faith” (Galatians 3:14).  Because of what Jesus did, we now have the right “to the inheritance of the new covenant, a better covenant, built with better promises (Hebrews 8:6-13), a divine inheritance to the best in life, deserving all the Father has to offer (Romans 8:14-17), which includes the right to good health, wealth, and total life prosperity” (III John 1:2).  Because of what Jesus did, we now have been given back “the original authority (dominion) that God gave to Adam” (Matthew 28:18) but was lost (Luke 4:6), given away when he ate of the fruit in the garden (Genesis 3:6-7).  Because of what Jesus did, we now have the right “to life, a more abundant life” (John 10:10), lacking nothing (Philippians 4:19).

God has “made us alive together with Christ, for by grace we are saved; and raised us up together, making us sit together in heavenly places in Christ Jesus” (Ephesians 2:4-6) and has “blessed us with all spiritual blessings in heavenly places in Christ” (Ephesians 1:3).  And while you may have the right to good health, wealth, and total life prosperity because we “be in Christ” (II Corinthians 5:17), there be a thief, an adversary if you will, that is come to kill your good health, steal your wealth, and to destroy your total life prosperity (John 10:10).  He, this thief, this adversary, “walks about like a roaring lion, seeking those that he may devour” (I Peter 5:8).  And because many do not understand the complete significance of Jesus’ sacrifice at Calvary, they either have not claimed what belongs to them because they do not know they have this inheritance or have allowed the thief to steal everything from them.  Keep this thought in mind, that a thief can only steal from you, if you have something of value in the first place to steal.  A thief is not interested in stealing from someone who has absolutely nothing to steal.  What would be the point in being a thief if there is nothing to steal from anyone.

Motivated by what they see happening in the world, most people walk by sight and not by faith, which is contrary to how we are supposed to walk (II Corinthians 5:7).  This has given place to the devil (Ephesians 4:27) and allowed him to steal their divine inheritance, kill off their authority (dominion) or divine rights, and completely stop them from prospering in this life at all.  Jesus says he “is come to seek and to save that which was lost” (Luke 19:10), but we need to seek those things that were lost so that we may fully understand the significance of what Jesus accomplished through his sacrifice at Calvary.

Hopefully today’s inspirational message will get you started in the right direction, revealing that “you are rich because of what Jesus did.”  As always, we pray that this message will bless you, inform you, and that you will be the better for having read it.  If blessed by this message please share so that others may be blessed as well.  Amen.

Enjoy your blessings - KW

Devotion: Pay Your Teachers

Do you financially support those who minister to your spiritual needs?  So many of us will gladly give money to those things that entertain us, to those things that feed our flesh, and to those things, whatever they may be, that we deem worthy of financial support, but we are cautious, sometimes even reluctant about giving money to those who feed our spirit.  Yes, we realize there are some who claim to be “ministers of righteousneous” (II Corinthians 11:12-15), whose sole purpose is to deceive us, but should they deter us from supporting those who are truly of the kingdom of God?  Scripture tells us, “not to believe every spirit but to put each one to the test to see if they are from God” (I John 4:1-6) which has been designed to help us identify those with “the spirit of Antichrist.”

So, do not allow your fear of being deceived prevent you from supporting those working in the kingdom of God, who actually feed the spiritual needs of the world.  Test each of those spirits, just as the scriptures instruct you to and invest your money wisely into the kingdom and support those who feed us spiritually.  The return on that investment will pay amazing dividends in the long run.

We pray that this inspirational message will give you a new perspective on “supporting those who spiritually feed you.”  We also pray that the message will bless you, inform you, and that you will be the better for having read it.  If blessed by this message please share so that others may be blessed as well.  Amen.

Enjoy your blessings - KW

Devotion: You Are Not Under The Law

Is “The Law,” those so-called “rules of conduct” given to the Israelites back in the days of the Old Testament for us today?  This is one of the more highly debated questions in many religious circles today; however, we wanted to share a few things that we have discovered during the course of our studies.  Under the old covenant, the laws, written on stone tablets and conveyed to the Israelites through Moses, were given to regulate almost every aspect of life (Exodus 24:12).

He cancels the first system in favor of a far better one.  Under this new plan we have been forgiven and made clean by Christ’s dying for us once and for all.  Under the old agreement the priests stood before the altar day after day offering sacrifices that could never take away our sins.  But Christ gave himself to God for our sins as one sacrifice for all time and then sat down in the place of highest honor at God’s right hand, waiting for his enemies to be laid under his feet.  For by that one offering he made forever perfect in the sight of God all those whom he is making holy.  And the Holy Spirit testifies that this is so, for he has said, “This is the agreement I will make with the people of Israel, though they broke their first agreement: I will write my laws into their minds so that they will always know my will, and I will put my laws in their hearts so that they will want to obey them.”  And then he adds, “I will never again remember their sins and lawless deeds” (Hebrews 10:9-17 TLB).

Unlike the days of the old covenant, where the laws were written on stone tablets and passed along by Moses, under this new covenant, we have those same laws written into our minds and placed in our hearts, so that those “rules of conduct,” originally given to the Israelites are now written into our very being.  However, there is one major difference between the old and the new covenant that everyone involved in the great debate needs to consider.  Under this new covenant, we actually have a High Priest, Jesus Christ, who offered himself as the sacrifice for the penalty of sin and of death for all time, redeeming those who would accept the free gift of salvation, from the condemning curse of the law (Galatians 3:10-14), but he did not free us from “the rules of conduct” themselves.

“Don’t misunderstand why I have come—it isn’t to cancel the laws of Moses and the warnings of the prophets.  No, I came to fulfill them and to make them all come true.  With all the earnestness I have I say: Every law in the Book will continue until its purpose is achieved.  And so if anyone breaks the least commandment and teaches others to, he shall be the least in the Kingdom of Heaven.  But those who teach God’s laws and obey them shall be great in the Kingdom of Heaven” (Matthew 5:17-19 TLB).

While we may not have the laws on stone tablets any longer, that does not mean they are still not in effect; they just appear to be in effect from the inside of us.  We pray that today’s inspirational message will abundantly bless you, greatly inform you, and that you will be the better for having read it.  If blessed by this message please share so that others may be blessed as well.  Amen.

Enjoy your blessings. - KW

Devotion: Gift Or Purchase?

Normally when someone dies, they usually leave behind something called  “a last will and testament.”  This is a legal declaration for the purpose of giving final instructions as to how a person’s estate is to be managed and instructions for the distribution of any properties or inheritances.  Scripture tells us that Jesus is the mediator of a new testament, a new agreement that by means of death, his death, a payment was given as atonement for the offences committed under the first agreement, rescuing those, who answer the call, from the penalties for all sins committed while under that old system, that those who answer might receive the eternal inheritance which had been promised to us (Hebrews 9:15).  Therefore, Christ being offered once, through death, to bear the sins of many, will bring salvation to those who have answered the call and who are eagerly and patiently waiting for him to return (Hebrews 9:28).

Now we have a new agreement that brought to light a righteousness from God that depends on faith in Jesus Christ.  A righteousness where God will accept us, acquit us, and declare us not guilty, if we accept Jesus Christ as our savior and redeemer.  A righteousness that has been extended to all who accept, where it does not matter who we are or what we have done.  A righteousness that justified us freely by the grace of God through the redemption that Jesus Christ purchased, whereby God declares us “not guilty” of offending him if we just place our trust in Jesus Christ to remove our sins.  A righteousness, that by the kindness of God, freely removes all our sins and all we have to do is accept the free gift (Romans 3:21-24).

As always, we pray that this inspirational message will be a blessing to you as well as informative.  If blessed by this message please share so that others may be blessed as well.  Amen.

Enjoy your blessings - KW

Devotion: I Am Wrong

Most of you have heard that old cliché, “Pride comes before the fall.”  According to scripture, “Pride goes before destruction and haughtiness before a fall” (Proverbs 16:18 TLB).  Pride by itself is not a bad thing.  We should be proud to be in the service of the Lord, but when our pride is combined with haughtiness, with arrogance, with conceit, with self-importance, then we end up heading in the wrong direction.  We find in scripture that, “The wicked, through the pride of his countenance, will not seek after God: God is not in all his thoughts” (Psalm 10:4).  To not seek after God, or to not have God in our thoughts is definitely not the path we should be following.  But again, this is not to say that we should not be proud of who we are, as children of the most High God, or proud to be in his service.

We also see in scripture, “For I say, through the grace given unto me, to every man that is among you, not to think of himself more highly than he ought to think; but to think soberly, according as God hath dealt to every man the measure of faith” (Romans 12:3).  Do not overestimate yourself by thinking more highly of yourself than you ought to think, but in the same token, do not underestimate yourself by thinking lesser of yourself than you ought to.  We should “think highly” of ourselves but to do so soberly, thoughtfully, and/or seriously, even as God, who is not a respecter of person (Romans 2:11), thinks of us, (Ephesians 4:24), which is free of arrogance, conceit, and self-importance.  The righteousness of God should be cause enough for us to conduct ourselves appropriately and in humility without any haughtiness.

We pray that this inspirational message will be a blessing to you as well as informative.  If blessed by this message please share so that others may be blessed as well.  Amen.

Enjoy your blessings - KW

Devotion: The Bible Gives You Instructions For Victory

Most of us have a bible or two in our possession that we open from time to time to read, to study, to find encouragement, to be inspired or for various other reasons; too numerous to list here.  In fact, the scriptures tell us that the whole Bible “was given to us by inspiration from God and is useful to teach us what is true and to make us realize what is wrong in our lives; it straightens us out and helps us do what is right.  It is God’s way of making us well prepared at every point, fully equipped to do good to everyone” (II Timothy 3:16-17).  Basically, it is our instruction manual and our source for all things God.  The problem for many is that we do not understand the Bible, much less fully know its purpose.  The misunderstandings surrounding this book have only led to many heated debates, which have only served to confuse those who try to gain some type of understanding from the one source that is supposed to instruct us.

First, we need to understand that the Bible is a mystery book with many secrets, hidden in plain sight just waiting to be found.  As one person put it, “The Bible is a coded book, written as a kind of jigsaw puzzle creating a series of smaller pictures within an overall picture that only becomes clear in meaning when one properly pieces together all passages on a subject.”  It is only when we find the keys that we are able to unlock the mysteries or put together the puzzle pieces that allow us to understand the word of God that is contained in the Bible.  Next, we need to trust that God has given instructions, that when followed, will allow us to find those keys that will help with our understanding of those divine revelations from God.  God has told us to seek wisdom and know-how (Proverbs 4:5-7), to listen carefully to his words and to pay close attention to what is being said (Proverbs 4:20-22), to meditate on them day and night (Joshua 1:8), and to study and to rightly divide the word of truth (II Timothy 2:15) as part of the things we need to do.

Finally, we need to open our mind and open our heart so that we may see and hear the truths that God is trying to reveal to us through his Spirit.  We may have to do a little work in order to find truth and understanding, like stepping outside of or climbing over the walls of traditionalism or denominationalism that have kept many in bondage.  In doing so, we can remove any confusion, enabling us to grasp the meaning of all of the things of God.  It has been said, “A closed mind can only grow within the limits of its enclosure; an open mind grows with endless possibilities.”  The Bible is our instruction manual for victory, but you have to use it as an instruction manual.  You also have to open your mind to the endless possibilities contained within its cover.

We forever pray that this inspirational messages will abundantly bless you, greatly inform you, and that you will be the better for having read it.  If blessed by this message please share so that others may be blessed as well.  Amen.

Enjoy your blessings - KW

Devotion: Why I Speak In Tongues

There is a power that comes from the baptism of the Holy Spirit that is shunned by some religious denominations.  And while many have associated this power with “the gifts of the Holy Spirit” (I Corinthians 12:1-11), the power that we are speaking of is not the same, even though it comes from the same source.  In the last meeting Jesus had with his disciples before he ascended into heaven, he told them that when “the Holy Spirit had come upon them, they would receive power” (Acts 1:8) to testify of him to the entire world.  The power that Jesus spoke of was a special anointing that would enable them to do things beyond or outside of themselves.  Included in this power was the ability to speak in an unknown language or “the ability to speak in tongues.”

“And when the day of Pentecost was fully come, they were all with one accord in one place.  And suddenly there came a sound from heaven as of a rushing mighty wind, and it filled all the house where they were sitting.  And there appeared unto them cloven tongues like as of fire, and it sat upon each of them.  And they were all filled with the Holy Ghost, and began to speak with other tongues, as the Spirit gave them utterance” (Acts 2:1-4).

While “speaking in tongues is a part of the baptism of the Holy Spirit experience,” many denominations, for various reasons, have chosen to forgo any discussions on speaking in tongues.  Today’s inspirational message is about “the power of speaking in tongues;” however, if you do not believe that this power is for you, in this modern day, then this message is truly not for you.  This just happens to be one of those spiritual things that you have to completely believe in, in order to receive;  “for he that speaks in an unknown tongue, speaks to God, not unto men and he edifies himself” (I Corinthians 14:1-4).

As always, we pray that this message will bless you, inform you, and that you will be the better for having read it.  If blessed by this message please share so that others may be blessed as well.  Amen.

Enjoy your blessings - KW

Devotion: Accept Jesus As Your Righteousness

Scripture clearly states that no one can be declared righteous or made right with God by trying to keep the law.  Those who depend on the law to save them are under God’s curse, for it is written, “Cursed is everyone who breaks a single one of the laws written in the book of the law at anytime.”   The law, which has nothing to do with faith, teaches that those who do or follow these things (the law) will only have life in doing or following them (the law).  But thank God, Christ has redeemed us and brought us out from under the doom of that impossible system of laws by taking on the curse himself.  Yes, Christ purchased our freedom from the curse of the law by becoming a curse for us when he hung on that wooden cross.  Because Christ purchased our freedom, we now can share in the blessings belonging to Abraham, who was full of faith and accepted God’s promise.  It is through the blessings of Abraham that we of like faith might receive the Spirit that God had promised to give.

“Yes, and those who depend on the Jewish laws to save them are under God’s curse, for the Scriptures point out very clearly, ‘Cursed is everyone who at any time breaks a single one of these laws that are written in God’s Book of the Law.’  Consequently, it is clear that no one can ever win God’s favor by trying to keep the Jewish laws because God has said that the only way we can be right in his sight is by faith.  As the prophet Habakkuk says it, ‘The man who finds life will find it through trusting God.’  How different from this way of faith is the way of law, which says that a man is saved by obeying every law of God, without one slip.  But Christ has bought us out from under the doom of that impossible system by taking the curse for our wrongdoing upon himself.  For it is written in the Scripture, ‘Anyone who is hanged on a tree is cursed’ (as Jesus was hung upon a wooden cross).  Now God can bless the Gentiles, too, with this same blessing he promised to Abraham; and all of us as Christians can have the promised Holy Spirit through this faith” (Galatians 3:10-14 TLB)

We know that the righteous man finds life through his faith in God (Habakkuk 2:4 TLB) and not through a law that is not of faith, “for as it is written, the just shall live by faith” (Romans 1:17).  God has made it pretty simply, all we have to do is just accept Jesus Christ as our righteousness to be free from the curse of the law.

As you read today’s message, we pray that it will be an inspiration to you as well as a blessing.  Please share this message so that others may be blessed as well.  Amen.

Enjoy your blessings - KW

Devotion: You Are In The Army Of Love

Scripture tells us “if any man be in Christ, he is a new creature (creation): old things are passed away; behold, all things are become new” (II Corinthians 5:17).  So, if you be in Christ, then you be a new creature or creation.  When you become a new creation, the old things are passed away and all things are become new.  You are redeemed from your old sinful nature and a new nature is created for you, the same nature of the original man, before the fall.  And now that you have been brought into a relationship with Christ, then all those things that you needed to be humble before the Lord for, are passed away.  All of your sinful ways are passed away.  Your sinful nature are passed away.  Your pridefulness are passed away.  Your haughty heart are passed away.  If you be in Christ, then you be a new creation and old things are passed away.

“But God, who is rich in mercy, for his great love wherewith he loved us, even when we were dead in sins, hath quickened us (made us alive) together with Christ, (by grace ye are saved); and hath raised us up together, and made us sit together in heavenly places in Christ Jesus” (Ephesians 2:4-6).

Now God, who is rich in mercy, has made us (us being those who have come humbly before him when we repented of our sins, turned from our sinful ways, and asked Christ to come in and be a part of our life) alive together with Christ and have raised us (us being those who have come humbly before him) up together and made us (by now you know who us be) sit together in heavenly places in Christ Jesus.  You should know that it is our spirit, not our physical body that God has made alive together with Christ and raised our spirit up and it is our spirit that sits in heavenly places in Christ.

“And all things are of God, who hath reconciled us to himself by Jesus Christ, and hath given to us the ministry of reconciliation; to wit, that God was in Christ, reconciling the world unto himself, not imputing their trespasses unto them; and hath committed unto us the word of reconciliation.  Now then we are ambassadors for Christ, as though God did beseech you by us: we pray you in Christ's stead, be ye reconciled to God” (II Corinthians 5:18-20).

We see that God had a hidden plan to reconcile us unto himself, which he did while he was in Christ.  In reconciling us unto himself, God has made us alive together with Christ, and has raised us up together and made us sit together in heavenly places in Christ.  And in doing all of this, we have been made ambassadors for Christ, representatives, who have been entrusted with the ministry of reconciliation, the message beseeching all men to be reconciled to God.  As a new creation and an ambassador of Christ, entrusted with the ministry of reconciliation, you have been inducted into the army of love, inducted into the army of God.

Today’s inspirational message offers a glance into what being in God’s army truly means.  As you read the message, we pray that it will be an inspiration to you as well as a blessing.  Please share this message so that others may be blessed as well.  Amen.

Enjoy your blessings - KW

Devotion: Pray To Be Enlightened

Some of you have commented on the fact that we do not exclusively use the King James Version when we reference or quote scripture in our commentaries.  While we cannot comment or speak for the author(s) of any other resources that we share, we believe that using the many different translations that we have available at our disposal, actually helps in our understanding and better helps us to spread the true Gospel.  We know that the King James Version can be somewhat difficult to understand at times, mainly because of the way some of the sentences are constructed, and the choice of the words used in the interpretation of the original manuscripts.  We also know that there is the belief that the King James Version is “the only true and authorized translation” of God’s word in existence.  Our intent is not to offend those who share in this belief, but to state why we do not exclusively use the King James Version when we reference or quote scripture.

Scripture tells us that all scripture is given by inspiration of God so that the man of God may be complete and may be perfectly equipped for every good work (II Timothy 3:16-17), but it does not point us to any particular translation of the scriptures.  Scripture also tells us, “the word of our God shall stand for ever” (Isaiah 40:8) and that his “words shall never pass away” (Matthew 24:35).  We will be the first to admit that there are some translations in print that appear to miss the mark on some passages, but we are told, through scripture, to study to show ourselves approved unto God so that we can rightly divide the word of truth (II Timothy 2:15), as well as to help us recognize and understand all that God has for us to know.  This is why we have chosen to reference or quote scriptures from other translations as well as the King James Version: they help us in our understanding and we pray that they help our readers.  However, if the message is better delivered to you by using your favorite King James translation, then please substitute in those passages in place of any that we have provided.  It is far more important that the message be received, than it is to debate over which translations provided the message.  As for us, we use them all.

Hopefully, today’s inspirational message will enlighten you so that your eyes will be opened and that you get the understanding of all that God has for you to know.  As always, we pray that you will be blessed and informed by what you have read.  If you are blessed by this message, please share so that others may be blessed as well.  Amen.

Enjoy your blessings. - KW

Devotion: Mankind's Dominion

David wrote a psalm about “man having dominion over the works of God’s hand,” which has been translated in the King James Version to say; “What is man, that thou art mindful of him? and the son of man, that thou visitest him?  For thou hast made him a little lower than the angels, and hast crowned him with glory and honor.  Thou madest him to have dominion over the works of thy hands; thou hast put all things under his feet” (Psalm 8:4-6).  In this version, we see the translation says God has made man “a little lower than the angels,” even though man, who is created in the image and after the likeness of God, is given dominion over the works of God’s hand and has all things put under his feet.  When we think of man being “a little lower” than something, we think more in terms of rank, status, position, stature, importance and/or order.

“But I would have you know, that the head of every man is Christ; and the head of the woman is the man; and the head of Christ is God” (I Corinthians 11:3 KJV).

According to this passage, in terms of rank, status, position, etc., there is first, God, then Jesus, then man, and then woman, but nowhere are there the mention of angels.  Now, if man is created “a little lower than the angels” as the original text has been translated, then one would think that the angels would have been mentioned somewhere in the order of things in this passage.  Again, we remind you that man was originally created in the image and after the likeness of God, given dominion over the works of God’s hand, and has all things put under his feet “(Genesis 1:27).”

Here is what the scriptures tell us about the angels, “But to which of the angels said he at any time, Sit on my right hand, until I make thine enemies thy footstool?  Are they not all ministering spirits, sent forth to minister for them who shall be heirs of salvation” (Hebrews 1:13-14 KJV)?  According to this passage, all angels are ministering spirits that have been sent forth to minister, to serve, and to care for those who will be the heirs or inheritors of salvation.

Several versions have translated David’s words to say man was made “a little lower than God,” which appears to be more in line with the order we find in I Corinthians 11:3.  We point out this little difference, because we believe that knowing where man stands in relationship to God and his creation will help in your understanding of “mankind’s dominion” as you truly consider what David was trying to say in his psalm.

We pray that today’s message will bless you, inform you, and that you will be the better for having read it.  If blessed by this message please share so that others may be blessed as well.  Amen.

Enjoy your blessings. - KW

Devotion: Believe You Receive When You Pray

Do you believe in the power of prayer?  Most believers would answer this question with a big “YES.”  However, the problem for most believers who pray is that they do not know how to pray.  Did you know that God intends for you to always pray and for you to get all your prayers answered?  Contrary to popular beliefs and some teachings, if God did not want to answer all of your prayers, he would not have told you to “pray without ceasing” (I Thessalonians 5:17) and more importantly, he would not have told you how to pray (Luke 11:1).  When you pray, you should expect to have your prayers answered (I John 5:14-15).  But to get the answers that you seek you must be aware of the many types of prayer.  Then you must know the right type of prayer to use for your situation and the proper procedure for using that prayer.

We know that many believers are not familiar with the different types of prayer that God has made available and this is the reason many of their prayers go unanswered.  In order to have your prayers answered, you must be aware of the many types of prayer, you must know the right type of prayer to use for your situation, and you must know the procedure for using that prayer.  Because we lack the needed knowledge about prayer and its purpose, there are more prayers that go unanswered than are answered.  “Praying always with all prayer and supplication” (Ephesians 6:18), implies that there are different kinds or methods of prayer.  On the surface, these prayers seem to be identical to each other, sharing many similarities, which would account for the confusion by so many, but a more thorough examination yields the different attributes of each type.

The primary prayer that the average believer will pray, most of the time is “The Prayer Of Faith or The Petition Prayer.”  When you pray this prayer, you are praying for you and no one else.  This prayer is just between the heavenly Father and you.  It does not involve anyone else.  Here, you are relaying on your faith, which “is the substance of things hope for, the evidence of things not seen” (Hebrews 11:1) and standing on the promises of God (Hebrews 8:6-13), where you are fully convinced that he is able to do all that he has promised (Romans 4:21).  When you pray this prayer, you believe that those things which you say will come to pass and you will have whatever you say, provided that there is no doubt in your heart.

“Truly I say to you, Whoever says to this mountain, Be taken up and be put into the sea; and has no doubt in his heart, but has faith that what he says will come about, he will have his desire.  For this reason I say to you, Whatever you make a request for in prayer, have faith that it has been given to you, and you will have it” (Mark 11:23-24 BBE).  “And all things, whatsoever you shall request for in prayer, having faith and believing, you will get” (Matthew 21:22).

Simply put, if you do not believe that you already have it, then you will not be getting it.  Believe in the power of prayer, “if you can believe, then anything is possible to him that has faith” (Mark 9:23).

We pray that today’s message will bless you, inform you, and that you will be the better for having read it.  If blessed by this message please share so that others may be blessed as well.  Amen.

Enjoy your blessings - KW

Devotion: The Future Begins Today

Scripture tells us “those who come to God must believe that he is or that he exists” (Hebrews 11:6).  That all sounds good, because those who come to God, most of the time, do believe that he does exists.  We are also told that those who come must believe that “he is a rewarder of them who diligently seek him” (Hebrews 11:6).  If we come already believing that God exists, then why do we have to “diligently seek” him?  What exactly are we to look for?

Not only are we to seek him but we are to diligently seek him.  “Diligently” means “to carefully, attentively, thoroughly, conscientiously, and very meticulously search for something.”  But if we come to God already believing that he is and that he exists, then why do we have to seek him?  You would think that if we come to him, believing that he exists, then we would have sought him before coming to him.  Apparently, this be not the case because we are told to “diligently seek” him.  In diligently seeking God, what exactly are we to look for?  Some believe that we are to seek his presence, while others believe that we are to seek his face.  Some say seeking his hand is the thing to do, while others mention seeking his rest as the ultimate thing to seek.  Most believe that we are to seek his righteousness, while others believe that his grace is sufficient.  The thought is that those who “diligently seek” God will not be disappointed, but will instead, be rewarded.  But if we do not know exactly what we are looking for, then how would we know when we have found it?  So the question remains, what exactly are we to look for?

We are looking for “ANY AND EVERYTHING AS IT PERTAINS TO GOD.”  God wants us to find everything we can find about him.  God wants us to “diligently seek” his heart, his face, and his holy presence.  God wants us to “diligently seek” his fellowship, his love, and his rest.  God wants us to involve him in every aspect of our life.  If you have not involved God and his word in every aspect of your life, then now is the time to start.  We guarantee it will change your future.  Now is the time to seriously consider starting your future, especially if you have not do so before.

As always, we pray that today’s inspirational message will bless you, inform you, and that you will be the better for having read it.  If blessed by this message please share so that others may be blessed as well.  Amen.

Enjoy your blessings - KW

Devotion: Serve The Lord With Gladness

It is amazing how many so-called Christians do not actually know God.  We all have relied on traditional teachings to provide us with spiritual knowledge, the kind of knowledge that supposedly brought us closer to God.  We have put our faith and our trust in these teachings because that was and always has been the accepted practice.  We have been taught to never question the things of God or anything that we did not understand.  Over the years, man has either forgotten or just plain ignored the laws of God.  Man has even forgotten or misinterpreted the teachings and sayings of Jesus Christ.  And to beat it all, man does not truly seek to know God much anymore, forgetting how to walk and to talk with God.  Man has become totally dependent upon the church leaders, television, books, the Internet, and other various mediums to teach them the truth about God, Jesus Christ, salvation, and the word of God.  We currently have a belief system full of contrary beliefs, misguided values, unethical practices, and overstated theologies.  This belief system has made it hard for many to take hold of the truth, especially when one does not recognize it.  The truth has become so distorted that it is easy to see why man has a hard time identifying with the things of God and even God himself.

Even with our current belief system, many strive to find that one on one relationship they have heard about most of their lives although it appears to elude them.  Is God behind or at the bottom of this elusive act?  Or, is there something else that is responsible for our inability to connect with God?  We believe that going to church on Sunday is good enough to make it through life and that is all the religion we need or want.  We are just comfortable with the feel-good feelings we get on Sunday and have no desire to expand our knowledge.  Even though we claim to be a society of church going, Bible toting, praying Christians, how many of us really know God?  How many of us spend time alone with God?  How many of us spend time truly studying the word of God?  How many of us spend time praying or talking to God?  How many of us spend time being in fellowship or walking with God?  Scripture tells us that for us to worship God, we “must worship him in spirit and in truth” (John 4:24), but if our truth is distorted by contrary beliefs, misguided values, unethical practices, and overstated theologies, then which god are we actually serving?

Scripture tells us to “Serve the Lord with gladness: come before his presence with singing (Psalm 100:2), which is something that many so-called Christians desire to do.  However, to truly serve or worship God, we have to know God; we have to have that personal relationship with God; and we have to know the truth, which according to scripture “will make you free” (John 8:32). 

We pray that this message will be a blessing to you as well as informative.  If blessed by this message please share so that others may be blessed as well.  Amen.

Enjoy your blessings - KW

Devotion: Have A Word Harvest

Recently, we talked about attending to and listening carefully to the words of God.  We learned that God’s words were full of abundant life for all who hunted for, looked for, or sought after his words (Proverbs 4:20-22).  We also talked about knowing that we have faith because “God has dealt to every man the measure of faith” (Romans 12:3), which we found that each of us was given “the same amount of faith.”  We mentioned how “faith comes by hearing (listening) and hearing (listening) by the word of God” (Romans 10:17) and we know what happens when we attend to and listening carefully to the words of God.

We mentioned another benefit to attending to and listening carefully to the words of God was that in our time of need, we would automatically speak those words because they were abundantly stored in our heart.  And we know from scripture that whatever we have stored in abundance in our heart will eventually come out through our mouth (Luke 6:45).  Then we learned that when we speak the words of God, we actually return his words to him, and according to God, they do not return to him void but will accomplish what they were intended to accomplish, which is to produce fruit in the earth realm for his children (Isaiah 55:10-11).

We learned from previous devotional messages that “death and life are in the power of the tongue” (Proverbs 18:21) and that the words we speak are like seeds that are planted in the ground and from those seeds, we reap those things for which you have sown or in this case spoken (Galatians 6:7 TLB).  With this information in your arsenal, you should be well equipped to “have a word harvest.” Again, we pray that today’s inspirational message will bless you, inform you, and that you will be the better for having read it.  If blessed by this message please share so that others may be blessed as well.

Enjoy your blessings - KW

Devotion: Take What God Has Given You

Let’s talk about the story of the children of Israel and the promise land.  In this story, God promises to give a particular land to the children that were led out of Egypt as part of an inheritance, but with one condition.  And though the land was possessed by others, including giants, all the children of Israel had do was basically go in and take possession of the land (Deuteronomy 11:22-25).  But with all of the promises and assurances of God, it was their unbelief that delayed them from getting what God had given to or promised them (Numbers 14:20-25).

Today, you have been given the privilege to become a child of God (John 1:12-13), so that you can share in the blessings of Abraham and receive the promise of the Spirit through faith (Galatians 3:14).  Once you become a child of God, you then have the right to the inheritance of the new covenant, a better covenant, built with better promises (Hebrews 8:6-13), a divine inheritance to the best in life, deserving all the Father has to offer (Romans 8:14-17), which includes the right to good health, wealth, and total life prosperity (I John 1:2), but there is one condition.  Yes that’s right, you have to take possession of it.  You have to take inventory of the rights, privileges, and inheritance that are part of the promise and lay claim to them.  Do not allow your unbelief to stop or delay you from going and getting what God has given you as it did the children of Israel.

As always, we pray that today’s message will bless you, inform you, and that you will be the better for having read it.  If blessed by this message please share so that others may be blessed as well.  Amen.

Enjoy your blessings - KW

Devotion: You Can Do All Things Through Christ

Paul, while speaking with the Philippians, thanked them for their concern for him and the gifts they sent to him (Philippians 4:10-20).  He told them that he had learned the secret to living in every situation, stating that he could do all things through Christ who strengthened him (verse 13).  But what does this statement, “I can do all things through Christ which strengtheneth me” actually mean for us?  Jesus explains it this way:

“I am the true Vine, and my Father is the Gardener.  He lops off every branch that doesn’t produce.  And he prunes those branches that bear fruit for even larger crops.  He has already tended you by pruning you back for greater strength and usefulness by means of the commands I gave you.  Take care to live in me, and let me live in you.  For a branch can’t produce fruit when severed from the vine.  Nor can you be fruitful apart from me.  Yes, I am the Vine; you are the branches.  Whoever lives in me and I in him shall produce a large crop of fruit.  For apart from me you can’t do a thing.  If anyone separates from me, he is thrown away like a useless branch, withers, and is gathered into a pile with all the others and burned.  But if you stay in me and obey my commands, you may ask any request you like, and it will be granted!  My true disciples produce bountiful harvests.  This brings great glory to my Father” (John 15:1-8 TLB).

Because we are in Christ, who is the true vine, he explains how we are able to do all things through him.  Because we are in him and because we obey his commands, we are allowed to make any request we like and it will be granted to us.  Now, we know that some will place restrictions on “make any request we like and it will be granted to us” part, but if you are in Christ, you will only seek to do those things that are within the will of God and those things that are pleasing to God.  Notice what happens to those who separate themselves from the vine and are not in him; they don’t get pruned, but loped off.

We pray that this inspirational message will bless you, inform you, and that you will be the better for having read it.  If blessed by this message please share so that others may be blessed as well.  Amen.

Enjoy your blessings - KW

Devotion: How Do I Know When I Have Faith?

What an interesting question, “How Do I Know When I Have Faith?”  According to the scripture, “God has dealt to every man the measure of faith” (Romans 12:3 KJV).  Some translations say, “God has dealt to every man a measure of faith.”  We know that this will sound like a play on words, but we assure you that it is not.  It is important that you understand the difference between the two translations because the difference will help you to honestly measure the correct amount of faith that has been given to you.

When using the word “the,” which is a definite article that is used before a noun to express specificity to its reference, you get the sense that God has dealt to everyone “the same amount of faith.”  No one has been given more faith than anyone else has; we all have been given “the same amount.”  On the other hand, when using the word “a” or “an,” which are indefinite articles that are used before a noun to express non-specificity to its reference, you get the sense that God has dealt to everyone “a random or varied amount of faith.”  So, how can you be sure that you have been dealt “the measure of faith” and not some random amount?  How can you be sure that you have been given enough faith or that you have been given your fair share?

According to scripture, “there is no respect of persons with God” (Romans 2:11), which means we can safely say that God, who treats everyone the same, did not shortchange anyone when it came to faith; he gave us all “the same amount of faith” and not some random amount.  Now, if “the measure of faith” given to you by God is the size of a mustard seed (Matthew 17:20; Luke 17:6), then you have all the faith that you need.

The only thing left for you to do is to activate your faith and then, build up your faith, which are both lessons for another time.  Scripture tells us, “faith comes by hearing (listening) and hearing (listening) by the word of God” (Romans 10:17), and we know what happens when we attend to the word of God, giving ear to it (Proverbs 4:20-22).

Today’s inspirational message should help to answer the question, “How Do I Know When I Have Faith?”  As always, we pray that this message will bless you, inform you, and that you will be the better for having read it.  If blessed by this message please share so that others may be blessed as well.  Amen.

Enjoy your blessings - KW