Devotion: God Gave Us Dominion

One of the most misunderstood gifts that God has ever given to mankind was “the original dominion” he gave to the first man.  When man was created, God gave man authority or “dominion over the fish of the sea, and over the fowl of the air, and over the cattle, and over all the earth, and over every creeping thing that creepeth upon the earth” (Genesis 1:26-28).  God told man to subdue the earth and have dominion over everything.  He was to reign over God’s creation.

“When I consider thy heavens, the work of thy fingers, the moon and the stars, which thou hast ordained; 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:  all sheep and oxen, yea, and the beasts of the field; the fowl of the air, and the fish of the sea, and whatsoever passeth through the paths of the seas” (Psalm 8:3-8).

Devotion: God Is Rich In Mercy

Most of us have heard of God’s grace and of his mercy, but did you know that God is rich in his mercy?

“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 (have been) saved); and hath raised us up together, and made us sit together in heavenly places in Christ Jesus:  that in the ages to come he might show the exceeding riches of his grace in his kindness toward us through Christ Jesus.  For by grace are ye (you have been) saved through faith; and that not of yourselves:  it is the gift of God: not of works, lest any man should boast.” (Ephesians 2:4-9).

Because of his great love for us, God showed his mercy towards us.  When we were still sinners, dead through our own offences, God showed great compassion for us by giving us our lives back when he raised Christ from the dead.  Because of his grace, his unearned, unmerited favor, we have been saved, raised up together with Christ from the grave and into glory, where we sit with him in the heavenly places because of all that Jesus did.  Now with all that he has done for us through Christ, God can forever point to us as examples of just how rich his mercy truly is.  It is by God’s grace that we have been saved through our faith in what Christ has done, which was not something that we were able to do for ourselves.  Our salvation is not our reward for the good works we have done or for us being good.  No, our salvation is truly a gift from God, given to us by the grace of God.  It is not something that we were able to earn; therefore, none of us can take any credit for it.

Devotion: Don't Be Afraid To Die

It is amazing to find people who claim to be believers, who are afraid to die.  This is not meant to be a criticism of anyone.  We are merely pointing out an observation that these same people who claim to be believers actually do believe in life after death, but still have this fear of death.  The unknown has always produced some amount of fear in all of mankind and death is one of those unknown things that we all will have to go through.  Not knowing, being unsure of, and having no control over the future tends to bring out a little anxiety in even the best of us.  Please do not get us wrong, we are not so naive to suggest that every believer shares in this fear of death for the same reasons.  Some are just selfish.  They love themselves and the things of this world more then they love God and the things of God.  They are not interested in pleasing God but solely interested in pleasing self.  They fear death because it would cause them to lose the things that they have come to cherish most in this life: their money, their status, their popularity, and themselves.  Even though they claimed to be believers, they have no hope for the future because they be not in Christ.

“Then said Jesus unto his disciples, If any man will come after me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross, and follow me.  For whosoever will save his life shall lose it: and whosoever will lose his life for my sake shall find it.  For what is a man profited, if he shall gain the whole world, and lose his own soul?  or what shall a man give in exchange for his soul” (Matthew 16:24-26)?

Devotion: Always Be Thankful

We know that this world will eventually fade away and everything in it, everything on it, and everything around it will fade away as well.  The things that people have placed so much importance on, those things that so many crave, all those evil forbidden things that people seem to be drawn to, each and every one of them will also fade away as the world fades.  But those who are pleasing God and doing the will of God will live forever.  Therefore, for this reason, we should be thankful.  God is working things out for us, even when we don’t see it or feel it.  We just need to keep our faith in God and be thankful for all that he has given us.  There is always something to be thankful for, if we would just look.

It has been said that the more thankful we are, the more we attract things to be thankful for.  Those who take life day by day, complain very little, and are thankful for the things in life, for they are happy.  Scripture tells us to “always give thanks for everything to our God and Father in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ” (Ephesians 5:20 TLB).  Maybe this is why those who are thankful for the things in life are happy.

Devotion: Rest A While

When we are tired or worn out, most of us know what it means, “to rest a while.”  Most of us would define this “rest” as a period where we would take a break from our labors in order to relax and regain our strength.  We would use it as a time to refrain from all strenuous or stressful activities so that we could refresh or rejuvenate ourselves.

“And on the seventh day God ended his work which he had made; and he rested on the seventh day from all his work which he had made.  And God blessed the seventh day, and sanctified it: because that in it he had rested from all his work which God created and made” (Genesis 2:2).

Following his six days of creation, God blessed the seventh day and sanctified it because he rested from all the work of creating he had done.  When we think of God resting, we should not confuse this “rest” with being worn out where he could not do, make, or create one more thing.

Devotion: Jesus Never Fails

Most people, both believers and non-believers know the story of how Adam’s disobedience allowed sin to enter into the world and come upon the human race.  When sinned entered, death caught a ride and spread throughout the world causing everything to grow old and to die.

“For this one man, Adam, brought death to many through his sin.  But this one man, Jesus Christ, brought forgiveness to many through God’s mercy.  Adam’s one sin brought the penalty of death to many, while Christ freely takes away many sins and gives glorious life instead.  The sin of this one man, Adam, caused death to be king over all, but all who will take God’s gift of forgiveness and acquittal are kings of life (reign in life ) because of this one man, Jesus Christ.  Yes, Adam’s sin brought punishment to all, but Christ’s righteousness makes men right with God, so that they can live.  Adam caused many to be sinners because he disobeyed God, and Christ caused many to be made acceptable to God because he obeyed” (Romans 5:15-19 TLB).

Devotion: Selfish Love

When was the last time you checked out your love life?  Is the kind of love that you have a self-centered, self-seeking, or self-interested kind of love?  Do you only love someone when there is something in it for you?  Is your love base on what you can get from someone?  Basically, do you have a selfish kind of love?

“This know also, that in the last days perilous times shall come.  For men shall be lovers of their own selves, covetous, boasters, proud, blasphemers, disobedient to parents, unthankful, unholy, without natural affection, trucebreakers, false accusers, incontinent, fierce, despisers of those that are good, traitors, heady, highminded, lovers of pleasures more than lovers of God; having a form of godliness, but denying the power thereof: from such turn away” (Timothy 3:1-5).

Devotion: When You Hurt, You Are Not Alone

For one reason or another, most of the world is hurting.  There appears to be this never-ending story of one crisis after another after another after another happening throughout the world.  There does not appear to be an end to the suffering that we see in the world.  As we “wrestle daily against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this world, against spiritual wickedness in high places” (Ephesians 6:12), there are times when it feels that we are fighting these battles alone.  Even though people are fighting many of the same battles, we feel that no one else can relate to the hurt, to the pain, to the suffering, or to the loneliness that we are going through in our battles.  There are times when we hurt and we feel that we hurt alone.

“Be strong and of a good courage, fear not, nor be afraid of them: for the Lord thy God, he it is that doth go with thee; he will not fail thee, nor forsake thee.  And the Lord, he it is that doth go before thee; he will be with thee, he will not fail thee, neither forsake thee: fear not, neither be dismayed” (Deuteronomy 31:6; 8).

Devotion: You Are Born To Win

Did you know that you were born to win?  We guess the correct thing to ask would be “Did you know that you were born-again to win?”  In order to win, you first have to be born-again, what the scriptures refer to as “being in Christ.”  Therefore, if you be in Christ, then you are born to win.

“Nay, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him that loved us.  For I am persuaded, that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor principalities, nor powers, nor things present, nor things to come, nor height, nor depth, nor any other creature, shall be able to separate us from the love of God, which is in Christ Jesus our Lord” (Romans 8:37-39).

According to this passage, we are not just “conquers,” who are simply able to “overcome all these things.”  No, we are “more than conquers.”  We are “more than victors.”  We are “more than overcomers.”  Paul goes on to say that he is convinced, “fully persuaded” that nothing can separate us from the love of God, which is “in Christ Jesus our Lord.”  There be neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor principalities or rules, nor the things in this present time, nor the things to come in the future, nor the forces of nature, nor the things on high above the earth, nor the things under the earth, nor any other creatures that could separate us from the love of God, which now rest upon us because of what Christ Jesus our Lord did.

Devotion: God Has Already Forgiven You

Recently we talked about how all of mankind was made a sinner because of the actions of one man.  Because of Adam’s disobedience, “many were made sinners” (Romans 5:19).  When Adam fell, the entire human race was “constituted or formally established as sinners.”  We went on to say that even though all of this seemed to be a little unfair, there is more to the story.  We have learned that when it comes to the things of God, things are seldom what they appear to be.  We went on to mention that all of mankind has been given the opportunity to be made righteous because of the actions of another man.  Because of Jesus’ obedience, “many shall be made righteous” (Romans 5:19).  When Jesus died on the cross, the entire human race was given the opportunity to be “constituted or formally established as the righteousness of God in him” (II Corinthians 5:21).  And all that we have to do to receive this “abundance of grace and the gift of righteousness” (Romans 5:17) is to make Jesus Christ our Lord and savior.  When we make Jesus our Lord and savior, we get all of these free gifts that God has to offer.  When we make Jesus our Lord and savior, we get God’s gift of grace, God’s gift of righteousness, and God’s gift of forgiveness.  But what you really need to understand is that before God arranged all of this, he had already forgiven us.

“To the Lord our God belong mercies and forgivenesses, though we have rebelled against him” (Daniel 9:9).  “Who is a God like unto thee, that pardoneth iniquity, and passeth by the transgression of the remnant of his heritage?  he retaineth not his anger for ever, because he delighteth in mercy.  He will turn again, he will have compassion upon us; he will subdue our iniquities; and thou wilt cast all their sins into the depths of the sea.  Thou wilt perform the truth to Jacob, and the mercy to Abraham, which thou hast sworn unto our fathers from the days of old” (Micah 7:18-20).  “Come now, and let us have an argument together, says the Lord: how may your sins which are red like blood be white as snow?  how may their dark purple seem like wool” (Isaiah 1:18)?  “I, even I, am he that blotteth out thy transgressions for mine own sake, and will not remember thy sins” (Isaiah 43:25).

Scripture tells that God is merciful and forgiving even though we have rebelled against him.  This same God is the one who has compassion on us, who loves to be merciful, and who pardons our sins.  This same God is the one who loves to be merciful towards us.  He takes our sins and puts them beneath his feet, then throws them into the depths of the sea.  No matter the complexity our sins, God will make us as clean as freshly fallen snow.  And though our sins may be blood red, God will make them as white as wool.  Because God cannot stay angry with us, he has set his love upon us.  God is the one who takes away our sins for his own sake and no longer remembers them.

“The Lord is merciful and gracious, slow to anger, and plenteous in mercy.  He will not always chide: neither will he keep his anger for ever.  He hath not dealt with us after our sins; nor rewarded us according to our iniquities.  For as the heaven is high above the earth, so great is his mercy toward them that fear him.  As far as the east is from the west, so far hath he removed our transgressions from us.  Like as a father pitieth his children, so the Lord pitieth them that fear him.  For he knoweth our frame; he remembereth that we are dust.  As for man, his days are as grass: as a flower of the field, so he flourisheth.  For the wind passeth over it, and it is gone; and the place thereof shall know it no more.  But the mercy of the Lord is from everlasting to everlasting upon them that fear him, and his righteousness unto children's children; to such as keep his covenant, and to those that remember his commandments to do them” (Psalm 103:8-18).

God is merciful and gracious towards us.  God is full of kindness, love, and pity.  God is slow to anger and does not hold a grudge because his anger does not last forever.  God is like a father who has pity on his children.  He is tender and sympathetic to us who respect, obey, and praise him.  With all that mankind has accused God of, which includes plenty mischaracterizations, God has never given us the punishment that our sins deserve nor rewarded us according to our wrongdoings, but instead has forgiven us.  God’s mercy towards us, those who reverence, honor, and worship him, is as great as the heavens are above the earth.  God has removed our sins as far away from us as the east is from the west.  The mercy of the Lord and his loving-kindness is eternal, from everlasting to everlasting for those who love him.

We pray that today’s devotional will help you to understand that God has done his part and has already forgiven you.  Now, you need to do your part and just receive the free gift of forgiveness.  We also 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: The Gift of Righteousness

Not long ago, we spoke about sin and its definition.  In that discussion, we gave a definition for the word “sin” as it applied to the passage “For all have sinned, and come (fall) short of the glory of God” (Romans 3:23) and we mentioned that we believed the phrase; “All have sinned” referred to a point in time when everyone sinned.  We found that the only time this could have be referring to, had to be back in the beginning, in the beginning of God’s creation.  The phrase actually points to the very moment when all were in one man, Adam.  You see, when Adam fell, the entire human race was “constituted or formally established as sinners.”

“…by one man’s disobedience many were made sinners” (Romans 5:19).

Because of Adam’s disobedience, many were made sinners.  So you see, the thing that made us “a sinner” was not something that we have done nor is it something that we are doing, but it was something that Adam did.  It was Adam’s sin that caused everyone born into this world to be made a sinner.  We want to restate this fact one more time.  We are “a sinner” because of something Adam did and not because of something that we did or do.  Us being “a sinner” was inherited from Adam and the reason we go out and sin is because we were born with a sin nature.  It is our nature to sin.  Now we know that all of this may seem unfair to many of you, but there is more to the story.

“…so by the obedience of one shall many be made righteous” (Romans 5:19).

Because of the obedience of Jesus Christ, many can be made righteous.  Just as the disobedience of one man, many were made sinners, the obedience of one man, many will be made righteous.  Now we want to restate this fact again.  We can become righteous because of something Jesus did and not because of something we have done or something that we do.  In the same way we received or inherited our sin nature from Adam, you can receive or inherit our righteous nature from Jesus Christ.

“Therefore if any man be in Christ, he is a new creature: old things are passed away; behold, all things are become new” (II Corinthians 5:17).

Scripture tells us that if we be in Christ, then we be a new creature or a new creation.  The passage goes on to say that the old things that are, which be our old sinful nature, be passed away and that all things that are left, which is includes our spirit, becomes new.

“For if by one man’s offence death reigned by one; much more they which receive abundance of grace and of the gift of righteousness shall reign in life by one, Jesus Christ” (Romans 5:17).

Because of what Adam did, his sin brought death to all.  In the same token, because of what Jesus Christ did, his obedience brought forgiveness to many through God’s mercy.  The sin of Adam cause death to be king over all mankind, but the obedience of Jesus Christ gives every man the opportunity to receive God’s gift of grace, God’s gift of forgiveness and God’s gift of righteousness.  Adam’s sin brought with it death and punishment, but Jesus’ obedience brings with it righteousness and acceptability with God.

“For he hath made him to be sin for us, who knew no sin; that we might be made the righteousness of God in him” (II Corinthians 5:21).

We know that this may be a hard concept for many to accept, especially since many of you have been taught that we have to do something to earn our righteousness or our right standing with God.  But here is the thing, if you can accept the fact that you were born with a sin nature, inherited from Adam, then based on scripture, you should be able to accept the fact that when you are born again or born from above, you are born with a new nature, a righteous nature passed on from Jesus.  Adam’s disobedience caused many to become sinners, but it was Jesus’ obedience that causes many to be made acceptable to God.  It was God who made Jesus sin for us, so that through him, we might become “the righteousness of God.”  All we have to do to receive this “abundance of grace and the gift of righteousness” (Romans 5:17) is to make Jesus Christ our Lord and savior.  Now how awesome is that.

As you read today’s inspirational message, we pray that it will be a blessing to you and that you will share it with others that they may be blessed as well.  Amen.

Enjoy your blessings - KW

Devotion: Thank God For You!

Did you know that God has a plan for you?  God has a great plan for your life.  God has a purpose for your life.  He has included you into his master plan.

For I know the thoughts that I think toward you, says the Lord, thoughts of peace and not of evil, to give you a future and a hope” (Jeremiah 29:11 NKJV).

God wants you to be a part of his master plan.  A plan that offers peace and not turmoil.  A plan that includes good and not evil.  A plan that gives you a future.  A plan that gives you hope.  Though you may not feel that you are worthy to be a part of such a plan; know that God thinks you are worthy and he has never given up on you.

“And, behold, I am with thee, and will keep thee in all places whither thou goest, and will bring thee again into this land; for I will not leave thee, until I have done that which I have spoken to thee of” (Genesis 28:15).  “Be strong and of a good courage, fear not, nor be afraid of them: for the Lord thy God, he it is that doth go with thee; he will not fail thee, nor forsake thee” (Deuteronomy 31:6).  “Fear thou not; for I am with thee: be not dismayed; for I am thy God: I will strengthen thee; yea, I will help thee; yea, I will uphold thee with the right hand of my righteousness” (Isaiah 41:10).  “Let your conversation (conduct) be without covetousness; and be content with such things as ye have: for he hath said, I will never leave thee, nor forsake thee” (Hebrews 13:5).

God is the one person who will never give up on you.  He has promised that he will never leave you nor forsake you.  He will never fail you, so be encouraged, and then just simply trust God.  God tells you to be strong and of good courage, in other words, do not fear because he is with you.  Always trust God, for he will strengthen you, he will help you, and he will uphold you with his mighty right hand of righteousness.  Be not dismayed, for he is and will always be with you.  God will never give up on you.

“Let us hold fast the confession of our hope without wavering, for he who promised is faithful” (Hebrews 10:23 NASB).  “For I know the plans I have for you, says the Lord.  They are plans for good and not for evil, to give you a future and a hope” (Jeremiah 29:11 TLB).  “Therefore, never lose hope, for there is always hope.  It is in this hope that we are saved.  Rejoice in hope, be patient in tribulation, be constant in prayer” (Romans 12:12 NIV).  “Know that wisdom is such to your soul; if you find it, there will be a future, and your hope will not be cut off” (Proverbs 24:14 NIV).  “But those who hope in the Lord will renew their strength.  They will soar on wings like eagles; they will run and not grow weary, they will walk and not be faint” (Isaiah 40:31 NIV).  “So hold fast to your confession of your faith without wavering, for the one who made the promise is faithful.  May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace as you trust in him, so that you may overflow with hope by the power of the Holy Spirit” (Romans 15:13 NIV).

God has declared that he know that plans he has for you, plans to prosper you and not hurt or harm you.  These plans include thoughts of peace and not of evil.  He has plans to give you hope and a future.  Therefore hold fast to your confession of hope and never allow yourself to waver from that hope, because he who has made the promise to be with you is faithful in his promises.  As you wait on the Lord, he will renew your strength, for you will run and not grow weary and you will walk and not grow faint.  God has a purpose for your life.  God has a great plan for your life.  Trust him.  Never lose hope, for there is always hope.  And always thank God for you, because you are part of God’s master plan.

As you read today’s message, we pray that it will be an inspiration to you as well as a blessing.  We thank God for you, because without you there would be no us.  So, we are truly grateful for those of you who follow our ministry and who share our messages with others so that they may be blessed by them as well.  Amen.

Enjoy your blessings - KW

Devotion: Life Can Be Tough Too

Life can be tough, tougher than most people realize.  Life can be brutal at times, extremely brutal.  That is what happens when one is in a war.  Yes, we are in a war and very few people even know that there is war going on.  And since few know about this war, then they have no idea who or what is involved in this war.  By nature, we are fighters, survivors, able to persevere many obstacles, provided we know who or what we are fighting.  But when we do not know our opponents, fighting becomes somewhat difficult and winning nearly impossible.

“Our fight is not with people.  It is against the leaders and the powers and the spirits of darkness in this world.  It is against the demon world that works in the heavens” (Ephesians 6:12 NLV).

We are not fighting against people, against persons made of flesh and blood.  No, we are fighting against the spiritual hosts of wickedness in the heavenly places, against the principalities, the powers, and the world rulers of this present darkness, against the mighty satanic beings and great evil princes of darkness who rule this world, and against huge numbers of wicked spirits in the spirit world.  We are fighting against “persons without bodies.”  Interesting to note that this scripture tells us our fight is not with people, yet we spend the majority of our time fighting against the very thing we are not supposed to be fighting against, each other.  Once again, people are not our enemies nor are they our opponents in this war.

“Be sober, be vigilant; because your adversary the devil, as a roaring lion, walketh about, seeking whom he may devour” (I Peter 5:8).

We are given this warning, told to “be sober and to be vigilant,” which is the same as saying, “be careful and keep a watchful eye out” because “our adversary, our opponent, our great enemy, the devil,” goes around as if he is a hungry, roaring lion, “making due use of every opportunity,” to seek those that he may devour or tear apart.  The fact that he is seeking those he may devour or tear apart implies that he as to search for “his prey or his victims.”  The warning is for us to be careful, be watchful, and watch out for the attacks from our great enemy whose only purpose is “to steal, kill, and destroy” (John 10:10), his prey.

“I am come that they might have life, and that they might have it more abundantly” (John 10:10).  “These things I have spoken unto you, that in me ye might have peace.  In the world ye shall have tribulation: but be of good cheer; I have overcome the world” (John 16:33).  “For whatsoever is born of God overcometh the world: and this is the victory that overcometh the world, even our faith.  Who is he that overcometh the world, but he that believeth that Jesus is the Son of God” (I John 5:4)?  “Ye are of God, little children, and have overcome them: because greater is he that is in you, than he that is in the world” (I John 4:4).  “Finally, my brethren, be strong in the Lord, and in the power of his might.  Put on the whole armor of God, that ye may be able to stand against the wiles of the devil” (Ephesians 6:10-11).

Jesus tells us that we can have life and have it more abundantly because of him.  Jesus tells us, that though we may face trials and tribulations, we are to be of good cheer because he has overcome the world.  Because of our faith in Jesus Christ, we have been born again or born of God and we too, can overcome this world.  Because of our faith in Jesus Christ, we know and have the confidence that we can fight and will win this battle.  Because of our faith in Jesus Christ and because we belong to God, we know we have already won our fight because there is someone in our hearts who is stronger and greater than any evil in this world.  We just need to be strong in the Lord and in the power of his might and putting on God’s armor so that we can stand against the wiles or the tricks of the devil.

Praise God that he has made available to his children the tool things needed to overcome the difficulties in this life.  Life can be tough, especially when one has no idea that they are in engaged in a war against an enemy that is not made of flesh and blood.  While we focused on one of the enemies we listed from the beginning, all of these “persons without bodies” are equal-opportunist, seeking to devour the believer as well as the non-believer.  We are so thankful that we have the weaponry available to win this war.  Life can be tough, but as you can see, it does not have to be.

We again give thanks to God for this avenue that he has given us to share his word through this inspirational message.  We continually pray that God’s grace will be upon you and that these devotionals will be a blessing to you.  If you are blessed by them, please share so that others may be blessed as well.  Amen.

Enjoy your blessings - KW

Devotion: Light and Easy

As a child of God, you have the right to good health, wealth, and total life prosperity.  You have a divine inheritance to the best in life, deserving all the Father has to offer.  Jesus tells us that he come that we might have life and have that life more abundantly (John 10:10).  Jesus came to seek and save that which was lost (Luke 19:10).  Many believe the son of man’s main purpose for coming was to save individual lost souls, but truth be told, saving lost souls was the by-product of what he actually did.

There were many things lost that Jesus saved, but one of the more important things was the authority (dominion) (Matthew 28:18) that the first man had lost (Luke 4:6), in the garden when he ate of the fruit (Genesis 3:6-7).  This is how the devil became known as “the god of this world” (II Corinthians 4:4) or “the prince of this world” (John 12:31).  And while you may have the right to good health, wealth, and total life prosperity 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 walks about like a roaring lion, seeking those that he may devour (I Peter 5:8).

In getting back this authority (dominion), Jesus also gave mankind the ability to cast out devils and to lay hands on and heal the sick (Mark 16:17-20), along with several other things.  Jesus, who redeemed us from the curse of the law (Galatians 3:13), also gave man the privilege to become a child of God (John 1:12-13), so that all could share in the blessing of Abraham and receive the promise of the Spirit through faith (Galatians 3:14).  As a child of God, man now has the right to the inheritance of the new covenant, a better covenant, built with better promises (Hebrews 8:6-13), the right to 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).

Jesus tells us that we will have trials and sorrow, but we are to be of good cheer because he has overcome the world (John 16:33).  And because we belong to God, we have already won our fight against those who are against Christ.  We have something within us that is much stronger than anything we can face in this world, “for greater is he that is in you, than he that is in the world” (I John 4:4).  Jesus says, “Come to me and I will give you rest—all of you who work so hard beneath a heavy yoke.  Wear my yoke—for it fits perfectly—and let me teach you; for I am gentle and humble, and you shall find rest for your souls; for I give you only light burdens” (Matthew 11:28-30 TLB).  If you are have a hard time in this life, this is not the way life was meant to be.  Jesus has provided everything you need to make this journey “light and easy” but you have to come to him in order for him to help you.  And as he helps you, he will give you rest.

We always give thanks to God for the ability to share our inspirational message with you.  We constantly pray that you will be blessed as well as informed by them and that you will be the better for having read it.  If you are blessed by any of our messages, please share them so that others may be blessed as well.  Amen.

Enjoy your blessings - KW

Devotion: Jesus Is Your Righteousness

Recently, we discussed the ministry of reconciliation; the renewing of that relationship that existed with the original man before his fall from God’s grace.  In that discussion we found that “God was in Christ reconciling the world unto himself” (II Corinthians 5:17-19).  As God reconciled us back unto himself, he also did one incredible thing for us that many are not aware of; “He no longer imputed our sins against us.”  Did you hear what we just said?  Almighty God, the one many believers call “Abba Father,” no longer counts our sins against us.  How incredible is that?  But how is this possible?

“So by the obedience of one shall many be made righteous” (Romans 5:19).  “…by man came also the resurrection of the dead. … even so in Christ shall all be made alive” (I Corinthians 15:21-22).

By one man’s obedience, many have been given the opportunity to be made righteous.  By one man’s obedience, many have been given the opportunity to be made alive.

“For he hath made him to be sin for us, who knew no sin; that we might be made the righteousness of God in him” (II Corinthians 5:21).

God offers to impute the righteousness of Christ to the account of a believer, making that person’s record as good or as perfect as the record of Jesus Christ.  God offers to take all of your sins and placed them into Jesus, who knew no sin and in place of your sins, God offers to place the righteousness of Jesus Christ in you.  Yes, that’s right.  Instead of imputing your sins against you, God is imputing the righteousness of Jesus in its place.  Again, how incredible is that?

“Now do you see it?  No one can ever be made right in God’s sight by doing what the law commands.  For the more we know of God’s laws, the clearer it becomes that we aren’t obeying them; his laws serve only to make us see that we are sinners.  But now God has shown us a different way to heaven—not by “being good enough” and trying to keep his laws, but by a new way (though not new, really, for the Scriptures told about it long ago).  Now God says he will accept and acquit us—declare us “not guilty”—if we trust Jesus Christ to take away our sins.  And we all can be saved in this same way, by coming to Christ, no matter who we are or what we have been like.  Yes, all have sinned; all fall short of God’s glorious ideal; yet now God declares us “not guilty” of offending him if we trust in Jesus Christ, who in his kindness freely takes away our sins.  For God sent Christ Jesus to take the punishment for our sins and to end all God’s anger against us.  He used Christ’s blood and our faith as the means of saving us from his wrath.  In this way he was being entirely fair, even though he did not punish those who sinned in former times.  For he was looking forward to the time when Christ would come and take away those sins.  And now in these days also he can receive sinners in this same way because Jesus took away their sins.  But isn’t this unfair for God to let criminals go free, and say that they are innocent?  No, for he does it on the basis of their trust in Jesus who took away their sins” (Romans 3:20-26 TLB).

God has taken away your sins and given you the opportunity to have right standing with him.  God has made it possible for you to be righteous in his sight, not by obeying “the law,” which served only to show you that you were a sinner, but by trusting in what Jesus Christ accomplished on the cross.  When you accept Jesus Christ as your Lord and savior, you become “the righteousness of God in Jesus Christ” or because of Jesus Christ.  Because of the cross, Jesus Christ was able to take away your sins, end all separation from God, and give you right standing with God.  Now you know that “Jesus is your righteousness.”  How incredible is that?

As always, we give thanks and glory to God for his wisdom and understanding.  We are so blessed to be able to share with you, those things that God has placed in our hearts.  We continue to pray that the accompanying inspirational message will be a blessing to each of you and that you will be the better for having read it.  If you are blessed by what has been provided, please feel free to share so that others may be blessed as well; for as freely as our Father has given this to us, we freely give so that others may share in the love and be blessed.  Amen.

Enjoy your blessings - KW

Devotion: God Loves You More Than You Love Yourself

Did you know that the greatest miracle of all was what God did for us through Jesus Christ?

“For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life.  For God sent not his Son into the world to condemn the world; but that the world through him might be saved.  He that believeth on him is not condemned: but he that believeth not is condemned already, because he hath not believed in the name of the only begotten Son of God” (John 3:16-18).

Love and redemption, these are the greatest miracles of all and this is what God gave us through what Jesus Christ did.  Because of his love for the world, God made it possible for the world to be saved, through the sacrifice of his only begotten son.  Yes, God loves you just that much.  God loves us just as much.  God loves everyone just as much, which is what the scripture means when it says, “For God so loved the world.”  And because he loved everyone just so much, God made it possible for the entire world to be saved, through the sacrifice of his only begotten son.  God’s love and his redemption does not pertain to a particular person, to a particular people group, or even to a particular nation of people.  God loves everyone and he did not exclude anyone.  Everyone is included.  That means that regardless of what you may or may think of yourself, God loves you, unconditionally.

“When we were utterly helpless, Christ came at just the right time and died for us sinners.  Now, most people would not be willing to die for an upright person, though someone might perhaps be willing to die for a person who is especially good.  But God showed his great love for us by sending Christ to die for us while we were still sinners.  And since we have been made right in God’s sight by the blood of Christ, he will certainly save us from God’s condemnation.  For since our friendship with God was restored by the death of his Son while we were still his enemies, we will certainly be saved through the life of his Son.  So now we can rejoice in our wonderful new relationship with God because our Lord Jesus Christ has made us friends of God” (Romans 5:6-11 NLT).

God loves you.  God loves you even in your darkest hours and will comfort you even in your darkest moments.  God loves you and he forgives you even in your darkest failures.  God loves you, more than you will ever know.

“God showed how much he loved us by sending his one and only Son into the world so that we might have eternal life through him.  This is real love—not that we loved God, but that he loved us and sent his Son as a sacrifice to take away our sins” (I John 4:9-10 NLT).

God loves you probably more than you love yourself.  Please note that the scriptures did not say that God loves us so much that he actually saved you.  No, this is not what is being said in the scriptures and should be interpreted to say so.  The scriptures are actually saying that God loved you so much that he made it possible for you to be saved, by accepting the sacrifice of his son.  But the question is, Do you love yourself enough to take his “free gift of salvation,” which provided to you through the sacrifice of his son?  Do you love yourself enough to claim his “free gift of everlasting life,” by believing in and accepting the son?  How much do you really love yourself?  Do you really love yourself enough?  Do you really love yourself that much?  While you are deciding just how much you truly love yourself, know that real love comes from God and that real love is God’s love for us because “God is love.”

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

Enjoy your blessings. - KW

Devotion: Redeemed By His Blood

There is so much that was accomplished when Jesus died on the cross.  Our redemption was just one of many things that Jesus accomplished on the cross.

“When Adam sinned, sin entered the entire human race.  His sin spread death throughout all the world, so everything began to grow old and die, for all sinned (Romans 5:12 TLB).  For this one man, Adam, brought death to many through his sin.  But this one man, Jesus Christ, brought forgiveness to many through God’s mercy.  Adam’s one sin brought the penalty of death to many, while Christ freely takes away many sins and gives glorious life instead.  The sin of this one man, Adam, caused death to be king over all, but all who will take God’s gift of forgiveness and acquittal are kings of life (reign in life) because of this one man, Jesus Christ.  Yes, Adam’s sin brought punishment to all, but Christ’s righteousness makes men right with God, so that they can live.  Adam caused many to be sinners because he disobeyed God, and Christ caused many to be made acceptable to God because he obeyed” (Romans 5:15-19 TLB).

Man, Adam to be more specific, not by God, changed the original creation, the original nature of mankind.  However, it has been God’s plan, hidden since the beginning of time, to reconcile mankind back to him.  Jesus was a part of this plan.

“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” (II Corinthians 5:18-19).

It was God, who was in Christ Jesus that reconciled his creation back to its original state.  But it was the obedience of Jesus Christ, even unto death (Philippians 2:10) that enabled us to be reconciled back to God (Romans 5:10).

“And since by his blood he did all this for us as sinners, how much more will he do for us now that he has declared us not guilty?  Now he will save us from all of God’s wrath to come.  And since, when we were his enemies, we were brought back to God by the death of his Son, what blessings he must have for us now that we are his friends and he is living within us!  Now we rejoice in our wonderful new relationship with God—all because of what our Lord Jesus Christ has done in dying for our sins—making us friends of God” (Romans 5:9-11 TLB).

Now that we have been brought back to God, through the blood of the son, Jesus Christ, we can rejoice in our new relationship with God.  Because of what Jesus did on the cross, dying for our sins, we are now new creation.

“Therefore if any man be in Christ, he is a new creature: old things are passed away; behold, all things are become new” (II Corinthians 5:17).

For if a man be in Christ, he be a new creature, redeemed for his old sinful nature to a new nature for him, a spiritual nature, that nature of the original man, before the fall.  When someone becomes a Christian, he becomes a brand new person inside.  He is not the same anymore.  A new life has begun.

“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” (Galatians 3:10-14 TLB).

Because of Jesus, I am accepted, I am alive, and I am forgiven.  Because of Jesus, I am now heaven bound.  Because of Jesus, I am a child of the most high God.  Because of Jesus, I am all of these things.  And because of Jesus, I am redeemed.

As always, we pray that our 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: You Can Cast Out Demons

Previously, we talked about what “the last Adam” (I Corinthians 15:45) ability “to seek and to save that which was lost,” which was the authority or dominion that “the first Adam” had lost in the garden when he ate of the fruit.  Though many believe the son of man’s main purpose for coming was to save individual lost souls, we know that saving lost souls was “the by-product” of what he actually did.  In getting back this “authority (dominion),” Jesus gave us “the power or authority over all of the power of the enemy,” which we know is the devil.  He also gave us the “authority” to use “his name, the name of Jesus, to cast out demons (Mark 16:17 NKJV).”

“Yet it was because of this that God raised him up to the heights of heaven and gave him a name which is above every other name, that at the name of Jesus every knee shall bow in heaven and on earth and under the earth, and every tongue shall confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father” (Philippians 2:9-11 TLB).

“The name of Jesus” has incredible power.  For at the very “name of Jesus,” every knee shall bow in heaven, on the earth, and under the earth and every tongue shall confess that Jesus is Lord.  All of this power in a name because God gave him a name that is above every other name.

“When the seventy disciples returned, they joyfully reported to him, ‘Even the demons obey us when we use your name’” (Luke 10:17 TLB).

Jesus chose seventy other disciples and sent them out in pairs to all the towns and villages that he had planned to visit.  He gave them specific instructions as to what to do while they journeyed from place to place.  However, when the seventy disciples returned, they reported to Jesus that even the demons obeyed when they used “his name, the name of Jesus.”

“Jesus called his twelve disciples to him and gave them authority to cast out evil spirits and to heal every kind of sickness and disease” (Matthew 10:1).  “Jesus sent them out with these instructions: ‘Don’t go to the Gentiles or the Samaritans, but only to the people of Israel—God’s lost sheep.  Go and announce to them that the Kingdom of Heaven is near.  Heal the sick, raise the dead, cure the lepers, and cast out demons.  Give as freely as you have received’” (Matthew 10:5-8 TLB)!

Again, we see Jesus giving authority to cast out demons.  We know that many believers have been taught that these demons are spirit beings without physical form, who go around looking for bodies, be they human or animal bodies, to inhabit.  These demons have been describes as being evil spirits that are opposed to God and anything pertaining to God.  They have even been associated with Satan and thought to be part of his entourage fallen angels.  There are some glitches with the notion that they are somehow part of the same coalition, the same evil group, much less the same entourage.

Most of you are very familiar with the temptation of Jesus in the wilderness by the devil.  While in the wilderness, we are told of three separate temptations that Jesus had to endure.  In two of the three temptations, the devil wove in a conditional statement that had Jesus responded to the temptation would have proved who he was beyond any doubt.  The devil’s “If you are the son of God” (Luke 4:3; 4:9) statement gives that appearance that he was unsure as to who Jesus really was.  Scripture goes on to say, “had the rulers of this age, who are coming to nothing, known of the hidden wisdom which God ordained before the ages for our glory, they would not have crucified the Lord of glory” (I Corinthians 2:6-8 NKJV).  However, the demons have a different story.

“When the sun was setting, all those who had any that were sick with various diseases brought them to Him; and He laid His hands on every one of them and healed them.  And demons also came out of many, crying out and saying, ‘You are the Christ, the Son of God!’  And He, rebuking them, did not allow them to speak, for they knew that He was the Christ” (Luke 4: 40-41 NKJV).

The demons immediately recognized who Jesus was as they came out of the people.  And here is the interesting thing about this incident.  Jesus did not allow the demons to say what they knew, “for they knew he was the Christ.”  If the demons are associated with or are a part of the devil’s entourage, then why do the demons know who Jesus is, and the devil appears to question his identity.  We know for some, this revelation is contrary to all you hold dear, but for those of you who have an ear to hear, hear what the Lord God is saying.  You have been given permission, the “authority” to use “the name of Jesus to cast out devils (demons).”  You also have been given “the power or authority over all of the power of the enemy.”  We trust that you can see the difference in the two and that you use your two “authorities” appropriately.

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

Enjoy your blessings - KW

Devotion: Accept God’s Acceptance

So, if you be in Christ, then you be “a new creature” (II Corinthians 5:17).  You are no longer a part of Adam’s sinful race, a race that has a fixed moral nature in sin.  No, you are now part of a new race, a spiritual race, created solely by Jesus through death and resurrection.  This new spiritual race has a nature that is fixed in righteousness.  No longer do we “know good and are unable to do it.”  No longer do we “know evil and are unable to resist it” (Ephesians 2:1-3).  We have been given “a second chance.”

“But God is so rich in mercy; he loved us so much that even though we were spiritually dead and doomed by our sins, he gave us back our lives again when he raised Christ from the dead—only by his undeserved favor have we ever been saved—and lifted us up from the grave into glory along with Christ, where we sit with him in the heavenly realms—all because of what Christ Jesus did.  And now God can always point to us as examples of how very, very rich his kindness is, as shown in all he has done for us through Jesus Christ.  Because of his kindness, you have been saved through trusting Christ.  And even trusting is not of yourselves; it too is a gift from God.  Salvation is not a reward for the good we have done, so none of us can take any credit for it.  It is God himself who has made us what we are and given us new lives from Christ Jesus; and long ages ago he planned that we should spend these lives in helping others” (Ephesians 2:4-10 TLB).

Because God, who is full of mercy and because of his intense love for us, he gave us “a second chance.”  Though we were spiritually dead through our sins, it is by his grace that we have been saved.  Because he loved us so much, he gave us back our lives, when he raised Jesus Christ from the dead.  Only through his undeserved favor, God also lifted us up from the grave, raising us from the dead with Christ and into glory where we are seated with him in the heavenly realms because of what Christ had done.  For it is by grace and the kindness of God that we have been saved through our faith in Jesus Christ.  This salvation is a gift, freely given to us by God so that no one can boast by works, deeds or merits and take the glory that belongs solely to God for him or herself.  It is God himself who made us what we are; his handiwork that was created in Jesus Christ for good works which God had pre-planned long, long ago that we might spend these lives in helping others.

“For he has rescued us from the kingdom of darkness and transferred us into the Kingdom of his dear Son, who purchased our freedom and forgave our sins” (Colossians 1:13 NLT).

We have been delivered out of the dominion of darkness and transferred into the kingdom of his dear son, Jesus Christ.  Through his death, Jesus was able to purchase our freedom, forgive our sins, and reconcile us back into agreement with God (Ephesians 2:14-22).  When we were enemies, haters of God, we were brought back to God through the death of his son (Romans 5:10).  Actually, the truth is that “God was in Christ, reconciling the world back unto himself” (II Corinthians 5:19).  Yes, folks, that is stated correctly.  God was in Christ, restoring mankind back unto himself, even when we were yet still sinners (Romans 5:10).  Through what Christ did, God made peace and brought us back to himself (II Corinthians 5:18).  In doing this, God gave us “the ministry of reconciliation,” entrusting us with his message of reconciliation.  This honor of preaching this news of peace belongs to those who are in Christ (II Corinthians 5:17).  Those who are in Christ be a new creature, a new creation if you will.  Remember, it was through his death that Jesus took two groups and made them part of himself.  In making them a part of himself, Jesus was able to fuse the two together into a new creation, into a new man.  It is this new creation, this new man that are the ambassadors for Christ, his representatives (II Corinthians 5:20).  God uses this new man to urge others to come into his favor, to be at peace with him, and to be reconciled to him.  Now that we have been reconciled back, it does make one wonder what blessings God may have for those who come into his favor.

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: Don't Grow Weary

Don’t be misled; remember that you can’t ignore God and get away with it: a man will always reap just the kind of crop he sows!  If he sows to please his own wrong desires, he will be planting seeds of evil and he will surely reap a harvest of spiritual decay and death; but if he plants the good things of the Spirit, he will reap the everlasting life that the Holy Spirit gives him.  And let us not get tired of doing what is right, for after a while we will reap a harvest of blessing if we don’t get discouraged and give up.  That’s why whenever we can we should always be kind to everyone, and especially to our Christian brothers (Galatians 6:7-10 TLB).

Dear brothers, if a Christian is overcome by some sin, you who are godly should gently and humbly help him back onto the right path, remembering that next time it might be one of you who is in the wrong.  Share each other’s troubles and problems, and so obey our Lord’s command.  If anyone thinks he is too great to stoop to this, he is fooling himself.  He is really a nobody.  Let everyone be sure that he is doing his very best, for then he will have the personal satisfaction of work well done and won’t need to compare himself with someone else.  Each of us must bear some faults and burdens of his own.  For none of us is perfect (Galatians 6:1-5 TLB)!

But now you must also rid yourselves of all such things as these: anger, rage, malice, slander, and filthy language from your lips (Colossians 3:8 NIV).  Do not let any unwholesome talk come out of your mouths, but only what is helpful for building others up according to their needs, that it may benefit those who listen (Ephesians 4:29 NIV).  Nor should there be obscenity, foolish talk or coarse joking, which are out of place, but rather thanksgiving (Ephesians 5:4 NIV).

Let us therefore make every effort to do what leads to peace and to mutual edification (Romans 14:19 NIV).  Each of us should please our neighbors for their good, to build them up (Romans 15:2 NIV).  So encourage each other and build each other up, just as you are already doing (I Thessalonians 5:11 NIV).  Let your conversation be always full of grace, seasoned with salt, so that you may know how to answer everyone (Colossians 4:6 NIV).  Rejoice in the Lord always: and again I say, Rejoice.  Let your moderation be known unto all men.  The Lord is at hand.  Be careful (anxious) for nothing; but in every thing by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known unto God.  And the peace of God, which passeth all understanding, shall keep (guard) your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus (Philippians 4:4-7).

So, my dear brothers, since future victory is sure, be strong and steady, always abounding in the Lord’s work, for you know that nothing you do for the Lord is ever wasted as it would be if there were no resurrection (I Corinthians 15:58 TLB).  But they that wait upon the Lord shall renew their strength.  They shall mount up with wings like eagles; they shall run and not be weary; they shall walk and not faint (Isaiah 40:31 TLB).  Do not be weary in doing good, always doing your best, for you will reap a harvest if you do not give up.  When you are happy, life is good; it is better when others are happy because of you.  Do your very best to inspire people.  Therefore, encourage one another and build each other up.

As always, we give thanks and glory to God for his wisdom and understanding.  We are so blessed to be able to share with you, those things that God has placed in our hearts.  We continue to pray that our commentary will be a blessing to each of you and that you will be the better for having read it.  If you are blessed by what has been provided, please feel free to share so that others may be blessed as well; for as freely as our Father has given this to us, we freely give so that others may share in the love and be blessed.  Amen.

Enjoy your blessings - KW