Devotion: Jesus Is Coming Back

Do you believe that Jesus is coming back?

“When is all this going to happen?  I really don’t need to say anything about that, dear brothers, for you know perfectly well that no one knows.  That day of the Lord will come unexpectedly, like a thief in the night.  When people are saying, ‘All is well; everything is quiet and peaceful’—then, all of a sudden, disaster will fall upon them as suddenly as a woman’s birth pains begin when her child is born.  And these people will not be able to get away anywhere—there will be no place to hide.  But, dear brothers, you are not in the dark about these things, and you won’t be surprised as by a thief when that day of the Lord comes.  For you are all children of the light and of the day, and do not belong to darkness and night.  So be on your guard, not asleep like the others.  Watch for his return and stay sober.  Night is the time for sleep and the time when people get drunk.  But let us who live in the light keep sober, protected by the armor of faith and love, and wearing as our helmet the happy hope of salvation” (I Thessalonians 5:1-8 TLB).

Scripture says that Jesus is coming back and he is coming back “like a thief in the night.”  Will you be ready for his return?

“Look, I will come as unexpectedly as a thief!  Blessed are all who are watching for me, who keep their clothing ready so they will not have to walk around naked and ashamed” (Revelation 16:15 TLB).

Are you watching continually for Jesus to return?  Do you have your clothing ready?  Is your “cloak of grace” intact so that no one will see your nakedness and shame or will others see your sin and punishment because “you have left the cloak behind?”  Be forewarned, he will come suddenly, unexpectedly, and abruptly; will you be ready?

“Now, dear brothers and sisters, let us clarify some things about the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ and how we will be gathered to meet him.  Don’t be so easily shaken or alarmed by those who say that the day of the Lord has already begun.  Don’t believe them, even if they claim to have had a spiritual vision, a revelation, or a letter supposedly from us.  Don’t be fooled by what they say.  For that day will not come until there is a great rebellion against God and the man of lawlessness (the man of sin) is revealed—the one who brings destruction (the son of destruction).  He will exalt himself and defy everything that people call god and every object of worship.  He will even sit in the temple of God, claiming that he himself is God” (II Thessalonians 2:1-4 NLT).

But don’t be deceived about his return for there are certain events that must take place first and then comes the day of the Lord.  Jesus is coming back, will you be ready?

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: God’s Word In Your Mouth

One of man’s biggest problems is his ability to misinterpret the things God has said in his word.  We sometimes want to add to his word and other times, we want to take away from his word.  We see evidence of someone adding to his word, when Eve said what God supposedly said about the fruit of the tree, which is in the midst of the garden,

“Ye shall not eat of it, neither shall ye touch it, lest ye die” (Genesis 3:3).

You see, God never mentioned anything about touching the tree, but Eve added that to original word.  But more interesting than anything else is the catch phrase, “God hath said” that Eve used to validate what she told the serpent.  The problem is this is not what God said.  It may be close but when it comes to God’s word, close does not count for anything.  God has said that “his word will not return to him void” (Isaiah 55:11).  When we repeat God’s words, then we need to make sure that we do just that and not add to what he has already stated in his word because once altered, they be not his word anymore.

“As the rain and snow come down from heaven and stay upon the ground to water the earth, and cause the grain to grow and to produce seed for the farmer and bread for the hungry, so also is my word.  I send it out, and it always produces fruit.  It shall accomplish all I want it to and prosper everywhere I send it” (Isaiah 55:10-11 TLB).

God says that his word will not return to him void.  God says that his word will always produce fruit.  God says that his word will accomplish all that he wants it to accomplish.  And God says that his word will prosper everywhere he has sent it.  Since God has sent us his word, then we need to repeat what God has already said.  By repeating what God has already said, we return his word back to him.  By returning God’s word back to him, we know that it does not return to him void, but accomplishes, prospers, and always produces fruit.  When we repeat God’s word, then we need to make sure that we do just that, repeat his word and not add to what he has already stated because once altered, they be not his word anymore.  God’s word has the power to create, if you could only believe.  As for us, we choose to believe, we choose to believe in the power of his word, and we choose to place our faith in God, “for with God nothing shall be impossible.”

We pray that today’s inspirational message will give you a new perspective on what it means to “have God’s word in your mouth.”  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.

Enjoy your blessings - KW

Devotion: Destroyed For Lack Of Knowledge

Because we have not followed God’s instructions, we have had to put our faith and our trust in man’s interpretation of who God is, what God is, what God does, and what God says, just to scratch the surface.  This is not to say anything negative about the man and women of God who are amongst us spreading God’s true gospel, but is directed towards those who are spreading a gospel of some other kind.  Because we repeatedly fail to follow God’s instructions, we find ourselves deeper and deeper in this abyss that we continually dig for ourselves, with no recognizable way to exit.  God has instructed us “not to believe every spirit but to test each one to see if they be of God or not, because there be many false prophets that are in the world” (I John 4:1).  God has warned us “to beware of these false prophets that come to us in sheep’s clothing because inwardly they are but greedy voracious predators” (Matthew 7:15).  But we have gotten things so mixed up that we listen to and believe, without question, the wolves in sheep’s clothing, and try our best to discredit the true men and women of God, that is not believe or not accept, as truth, the gospel that they speak.  And the really sad part is that we continue to do the same thing, while expecting God to do something about our problems and our situations.  Well, we have some bad news for all who are expecting God to move in your life; “It ain’t gonna happen,”  We guess the correct thing to say is that it is not going to happen until we do our part.  Until we do what we are supposed to do.

“Study to show thyself approved unto God, a workman that needeth not to be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth” (II Timothy 2:15).

God has instructed us “to study his word to show ourselves approved unto him.”  This means that God wants us “to investigate his word, he wants us analyze his word, and he wants us to question his word.”  He wants us to find out all that we can find out about his word.  Only by doing this first will we be able to follow the second part of his instructions, which is, “to rightly divide the word of truth.”  Since we do not study, then we are unable show ourselves approved to God.  Since we do not study, then we “typically wrongly divide the word of truth.”  Because we have wrongly divided the word of truth, we do not have the proper knowledge we need to test the every spirit as God has told us to do.  And because we do not test every spirit to see if they be of God, then we lack the needed knowledge to recognize the wolves in sheep’s clothing.  Think about it this way, usually the person giving the test is the same person who already knows the answer to all the test questions.  But because we do not have answers, we do not know the right questions to ask and by not asking, we accept anything and anyone that sounds as if it may have come from God.

But only if we would follow the instructions of God and study his word.  Because if we studied, we would be able “to rightly divide the word of truth” and by rightly dividing the word of truth, “we would gain the needed knowledge to test every spirit to see if it be of God.”  We are being destroyed because we lack knowledge (Hosea 4:6).  And because we have no knowledge, we are being held captives (Isaiah 5:13), imprisoned in a world of deceit.  But the really sad part about all of this is that we do not even see any of this is happening to us.  Because we have failed to recognize that there “are false apostles and deceitful workers, who can transform themselves into the apostles of Christ” (II Corinthians 11:13), we have freely place our faith and trust in their interpretation of who God is, what God is, what God does, and what God says, amongst other things.  God has instructed us not to believe every spirit but to test each one, because “Satan is one who can transform himself into an angel of light and his servant can transform themselves into ministers of righteousness” (II Corinthians 11:14-15).  In order “to do the test,” you must “have the knowledge” and the only way “to get the knowledge is to study.”  And by studying you learn “to rightly divide the word of truth” and once you learn “to rightly divide the word of truth, the revelation knowledge will come.”

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: Jesus Is The Only Way

For the most part, believers and non-believers are familiar with the passage of scripture where Jesus says,

“I am the way, the truth, and the life.  No one can come to the Father except through me (John 14:6 NLT).

Now according to scripture (Acts 4:12), there is no other name under all heaven for men to call whereby they can be saved, for salvation can be found through no one else but Jesus.  The problem is that no one knows exactly who Jesus is.  We are so confused, so influenced by Satan and this world, that we have accepted the Jesus that they preach.  Just as he in the Garden of Eden deceived Eve, he continues to deceive us today in much the same way.  Why would he change his methods since they worked so well for him in the beginning?  Satan has infiltrated the body of Christ, becoming an intricate component in the church so much so that we find it hard to recognize him.

Because of Satan’s influence, we have some who describe Jesus as God himself; others as part of the three-in-one trilogy called the Trinity.  Some believe him to be some combination of God and man, both one-hundred percent God and one-hundred percent man; or fifty percent God and fifty percent man; or some in between combination.  Some say he has no beginning because he always existed.  Others say he has always existed because he created the universe and all that we see while some say he helped the Father with creation.  Some say he has a beginning but he was, at some point created before the universe.  Still some say he had a beginning but not until he was brought forth, created in the womb of Mary.  Others say he existed from the beginning, asked God the Father to create him a body so he could come to earth, while some say he created himself a body so he could come to earth.  Some say he was the king of the Jews, while other say he was no king at all.  Some say he was poor while others say he was rich.  Some say he was white, some say he was black, while others claim some other variation.  Some say he performed all kinds of miracles and healed many people.  Some say he walked on the water, others claim he did not.  Some say he raised the dead.  Some say he raised himself from the dead.  Some say he died on the cross.  Some say he did not die on the cross.  Some say that he survived the cross to father many children.

With so much controversy surrounding the person named Jesus, how do you know that the one you are following is “the way, the truth and the life?”  Many follow the name of Jesus as if he was some type of rock star.  Others do all within their power to avoid mentioning his name.  Many try to prove his existence by any means necessary while others do everything in their power to refute him.  There are books after books written about Jesus.  There are movies and documentaries made about Jesus.  There are websites created to support Jesus and sites created to invalidate him.  So much information that it is hard to decipher it to get to the truth about Jesus.  Imagine believing yourself to be a believer only to find out what you believed you were you were not; all based on untruths.  Imagine believing yourself to be a follower of Jesus only to find out that the one whom you claimed to follow was not the one that you needed to follow; all based on deception.  Imagine believing yourself to be saved because you believed you joined the family only to find out that the family you joined was not the right one; all based on a lie.  Imagine believing yourself to be free from condemnation only to find out you have been held in captivity because you have rejected the knowledge needed to make yourself free; all based on fiction.  Imagine believing in a truth that has been manufactured by the great deceivers for the sole purpose of taking you out of the kingdom of heaven.  Imagine not even being aware of any of this until it was too late.  Come out of the darkness and get to know the real Jesus.  Jesus says,

“Look!  I have been standing at the door, and I am constantly knocking.  If anyone hears me calling him and opens the door, I will come in and fellowship with him and he with me (Revelation 3:20 TLB).  “My sheep recognize my voice, and I know them, and they follow me” (John 10:27 TLB).

There is but “one” who is “the way, the truth, and the life and no one will come to the Father except they come by “the one.”  The true Jesus is standing at the door, constantly knocking, waiting on those who hear his voice to answer his call and open the door so that he can come and fellowship with them and them with him.  Before it is too late, you need to learn to recognize his voice and get to know him intimately because there is only “the one.”

We again give thanks to God for this avenue that he has given us to share his word through our commentary.  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: Prayer Strengthens You

Prayer is always an interesting subject because of the many aspects associated with the process.  We know from previous discussions, prayer is nothing more than how we communicate with God.  We now know that prayer will also strengthen us.

“Don’t worry about anything; instead, pray about everything; tell God your needs, and don’t forget to thank him for his answers.  If you do this, you will experience God’s peace, which is far more wonderful than the human mind can understand.  His peace will keep your thoughts and your hearts quiet and at rest as you trust in Christ Jesus” (Philippians 4:6-7 TLB).

Worrying causes stress and stress can causes all kinds of other issues, mainly issues that can affect our health.  Instead of worrying about things, we are told to pray about everything.  And when we pray, we will experience God’s peace, which will keep our thoughts and our heart quiet and at rest.

“Pray without ceasing.  In every thing give thanks: for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus concerning you” (I Thessalonians 5:17-18).

We are told to pray without ceasing.  As we know, prayer is just a conversation between God and us, so basically God is telling us to “communicate with him without ceasing.”  God is telling us that we should not cease to be in constant contact with him, constantly having a conversation with him, which will allow us to experience his peace.

“Rejoice in hope, be patient in tribulation, be constant in prayer” (Romans 12:12 NIV)

Prayer should always be our first response to everything and never used as our last resort because we have become desperate and run out of options.  We should devote ourselves to prayer and to being in constant communication with God.  Prayer, that constant communication with God can actually strengthen your faith.

“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).

We should never underestimate the power of prayer, especially when we do it the way God wants us to do it.  Prayer can renew our strength.  Cease not to pray.  Cease not to constantly communicate with God.  Prayer, constant communication with God, will strengthen us.

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./span>

Enjoy your blessings - KW

Devotion: Fight The Good Fight Of Faith

One of the biggest enemy’s in “fighting the good fight of faith” is what is called “sense-knowledge.”  “Sense-knowledge” is the kind of knowledge that is based on physical evidence.  This enemy forces us to concentrate only on those things that can be perceived by our five senses.  We only believe those things that we can see, taste, smell, hear, or touch.  “Sense-knowledge” requires us to rely upon physical evidence as the motivator for our belief system, which in turn drives our faith in God.  By allowing this enemy to grow within us, we in turn, place our trust only in “the witness of the senses or what the senses are telling us.”  But is this the kind of faith that God requires of us?

“Now faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen” (Hebrews 11:1).

We know from scripture that faith actually provides substance or assurance and then evidence.  There is not a lot of difference between assurance and evidence other than the qualifiers for each of them, which involves hope and realities that are unseen, respectively.  Everything in our life that we have learned has come through our five senses or through “sense-knowledge.”  However, “the God kind of faith” is not at all perceived by the senses.  Faith is actually the evidence of the thing hoped for, the evidence that the thing exists but it is not the thing itself.  Faith is the substance or the tangibility of hope.  While hope cannot change your circumstances, it can change your attitude about the circumstances.  Hope is a goal setter and faith is the way to achieve the goal.  You see, we do not need evidence to believe in something that we can physically see, taste, smell, hear, or touch.  The thing itself provides the evidence of the thing’s existence.  Faith is the evidence that something does exists regardless of the witness of the senses or what the senses are telling us.  Again, “the God kind of faith” is not perceived by any of the senses.

“For we walk by faith, not by sight” (II Corinthians 5:7).  “While we look not at the things which are seen, but at the things which are not seen: for the things which are seen are temporal; but the things which are not seen are eternal” (II Corinthians 4:18).

In order to walk by faith, we must leave the world of the senses.  As we walk by faith, we leave behind what our senses are telling us and completely trust God.  This is key component to “the God kind of faith,” completely trusting in him.  When we take up this walking by faith, our mind is not focused on the things that can be seen.  Our mind is not focused on the troubles around us.  The things that are seen or perceived by our senses are temporary in nature and can only be seen for a time.  When we walk by faith, our mind should be focused on those things that cannot be seen, for the things that are not seen or perceived by our senses are eternal and everlasting.  Some people will disagree with this assessment because their faith is based one hundred percent on their “sense-knowledge” or what some would call “head faith.”  Again, this type of faith requires one to rely upon physical evidence as the motivator for his or her belief system, which in turn drives his or her faith in God.  When we walk by faith, we are not walking by our senses when it comes to the things of God.  This is the kind of faith that God requires of us, this is that “God kind of faith.”

“Fight the good fight of faith, lay hold on eternal life, whereunto thou art also called, and hast professed a good profession before many witnesses” (I Timothy 6:12).

In all of this, we see that faith contingent upon “sense-knowledge” or “head faith” has several limitations and can become a hindrance to our faith.  Focusing our mind on only those things that we can see, taste, smell, hear, or touch or physical evidence will limit or hinder our faith and is just another one of the many enemies to our faith that we need to overcome in our efforts to “fight the good fight of faith.”

Today’s inspirational message just might give you a new perspective on what it means to “fight the good fight of faith.”  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: Faith Is The Victory

Just how important is your faith?  In past discussions we have defined “faith” as “the confident assurance that something we want is going to happen and it is the certainty that what we hope for is waiting for us even though we cannot see it up ahead.”  Faith is “trust in somebody or something, especially without logical proof.”  It can also be defined as “trusting in somebody that you consider worthwhile and truthful.”  It is by faith that we “accept that something exists when there is no physical proof of its existence or of its reality.”  But just how important is your faith in all of this?

We know that according to the scripture, “God has dealt to every man the measure of faith” (Romans 12:3).  We know from our discussions, that God has dealt to everyone “the same amount of faith.”  This means that no one has been given more faith than anyone else has, for we all have been given “the same amount” and not some “random or varied amount of faith.”  We also found that you could not get more than the measure that has been dealt to you at birth by God.  We know that faith is something that you increase through exercise, where you sort of develop your faith by building it up.  The only way to increase your faith is through the knowledge gathered through the word of God.  But just how important is your faith in all of this?

“But without faith it is impossible to please him: for he that cometh to God must believe that he is, and that he is a rewarder of them that diligently seek him” (Hebrews 11:6).

From this passage, we see just how important faith is, “for without faith, it is impossible to please God.”  So, faith appears to play an important part in our ability to please God.

“For therein is the righteousness of God revealed from faith to faith: as it is written, The just shall live by faith” (Romans 1:17).

Faith is not only important in pleasing God, it is also something that we are to live by, for “the just shall live by faith.”  We read in scripture, where a number of Old Testament saints were able to please God through their faith (Hebrews 11).  Even though each of these people had faith, fully trusted God, and won his approval by receiving a good report through faith, none of them received “the promise.”  They all died in faith, not receiving any of the good things of “the promise.”  Since they all died in faith, without receiving any of the good things of the promise, God made it so that it was not possible for them to be complete and made perfect without us.

From all of this, we see just how important faith is.  The word tells us that God makes us right in his sight when we place our faith in him.  We see that these Old Testament saints that were able to please God through their faith.  While they died before receiving the promise, they still walked by faith.  It was by faith that they were able to see “the promise” with delight afar off.  In seeing “the promise,” they were persuaded by it and they embraced it.  The Good News tells us that God makes us right in his sight when we place our faith and trust in him.  Faith is the victory.  So, we ask one more time, “Just how important is your faith in all of this?”

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 it and that you will be the better for having read it.  If you are blessed by them, please share so that others may be blessed as well.  Amen.

Enjoy your blessings - KW

Devotion: Faith And Patience

Dear brothers, is your life full of difficulties and temptations?  Then be happy, for when the way is rough, your patience has a chance to grow.  So let it grow, and don’t try to squirm out of your problems.  For when your patience is finally in full bloom, then you will be ready for anything, strong in character, full and complete (James 1:2-4 TLB).  We can rejoice, too, when we run into problems and trials, for we know that they are good for us—they help us learn to be patient.  And patience develops strength of character in us and helps us trust God more each time we use it until finally our hope and faith are strong and steady.  Then, when that happens, we are able to hold our heads high no matter what happens and know that all is well, for we know how dearly God loves us, and we feel this warm love everywhere within us because God has given us the Holy Spirit to fill our hearts with his love (Romans 5:3-5 TLB).

Blessed is the man that endureth temptation: for when he is tried, he shall receive the crown of life, which the Lord hath promised to them that love him.  Let no man say when he is tempted, I am tempted of God: for God cannot be tempted with evil, neither tempteth he any man: but every man is tempted, when he is drawn away of his own lust and desires, and enticed.  Then when lust and desire hath conceived, it bringeth forth and gives birth to sin: and sin, when it is finished and full-grown, bringeth forth death.  Do not err and be deceived, my beloved brethren.  Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, and cometh down from the Father of lights, with whom is no variableness or variation, neither shadow of turning (James 1:12-17).

Behold, we count them happy and blessed which endure.  Ye have heard of the patience and perseverance of Job, and have seen the end of the Lord; that the Lord is very pitiful and compassionate, and of tender mercy (James 5:11).  Wherefore seeing we also are compassed about with and surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses, let us lay aside every weight, and the sin which doth so easily beset and ensnare us, and let us run with patience and perseverance the race that is set before us, looking unto Jesus the author, the originator, the finisher and the perfecter of our faith; who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is set down at the right hand of the throne of God (Hebrews 12:1-2).

Be strong!  Be courageous!  Do not be afraid of them!  For the Lord your God will be with you.  He will neither fail you nor forsake you (Deuteronomy 31:6 TLB).  Do your best to improve your faith by adding goodness, understanding, self-control, patience, devotion to God, concern for others, and love (II Peter 1:5-7 CEV).  May you be made strong with all the strength that comes from his glorious power, and may you be prepared to endure everything with patience, while joyfully giving thanks to the Father, who has enabled you to share in the inheritance of the saints in the light (Colossians 1:11-12 NRVS).

The devil wants you to think that the trials you go through means that God does not love you.  Do not be deceived.  Do not mistake God’s patience for his absence, for his timing is perfect and his presence is constant—he is always with you.  Happy is the person who learns to wait as he prays and never loses his patience, for God’s time is the best time.  Perseverance must finish its work so that you may be mature and complete, not lacking anything.  Regardless, have faith and rejoice in the middle of all of your trials, because they, your trials, will produce the patience and endurance that you need to face anything that comes your way.  A moment of patience in a moment of anger saves thousand moments of regret.  Never lose hope for there is always hope.  For in this hope we were saved.  Now hope that is seen is not hope.  For who hopes for what he sees?  But if we hope for what we do not see, we wait for it with patience (Romans 8:24-25 NIV).  Rejoice in hope, be patient in tribulation, be constant in prayer (Romans 12:12 NIV).  For when your patience is finally in full bloom, then you will be ready for anything, strong in character, full and complete (James 1:4 TLB).

We again give thanks to God for this avenue that he has given us to share his word through our commentary.  We also thank God for the accompanying inspirational message that he also provided.  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: The Holy Spirit Will Teach You

We have mentioned that you have to follow God’s instructions if you want to become all that God has planned for you to become.  As believers, we now know some of the many benefits to following God’s instructions.  While we are still a work in progress, we have discovered one of “the rewards for them that diligently seek him” (Hebrews 11:6).  We become “spiritually and morally mature.”  When we become “spiritually and morally mature,” we speak wisdom among them that are the same.  We speak not the wisdom of the world or the wisdom of those thought to be intelligent, wise, learned, or scholarly.  We speak not the wisdom of the sages and the men of discernment.  We speak not the wisdom of the Greek philosophers and orators or the Jewish theologians and the Christian teachers.  No, we speak the wisdom of God, which is given to us by divine revelation.  Yes, we speak the wisdom of God, wisdom that was hidden before the world began.  Yes, that’s right; wisdom that God predestined from the beginning that would result in glory to us.  Jesus prayed, thanking the Father for revealing this wisdom to those who would become “the spiritually and morally mature.”  And as the spiritually and morally mature, we now know that the word of God is wisdom only to “those who have an ear to hear.”

“Howbeit we speak wisdom among them that are perfect (mature):  yet not the wisdom of this world, nor of the princes (rulers) of this world (age), that come to nought (nothing).  But we speak the wisdom of God in a mystery, even the hidden wisdom, which God ordained (predetermined) before the world (ages) unto our glory.  Which none of the princes (rulers) of this world (age) knew:  for had they known it, they would not have crucified the Lord of glory” (I Corinthians 2:6-8).

Among “the spiritually and morally mature,” the word of God, spoken of here by Paul, is wisdom to “those that have ears to hear.”  This 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.  This great wisdom does not come from the earth realm or is it the kind that appeals to the great men of this world, but it comes directly through God’s word.  This wisdom tells us of the things of God, which the great men of the world have never understood.  They try to make sense of the information but are unable to assemble all the pieces to form a coherent picture.  Their picture, made mostly of theories, contains much speculation or conjecture, which over the years has not withstood the test of time.

As “the spiritually and morally mature,” we speak, among “those who have an ear to hear,” words of wisdom.  As “the spiritually and morally mature,” we know about these things because God has sent “the Holy Spirit” to tell us of his wisdom.

“But as it is written, Eye hath not seen, nor ear heard, neither have entered into the heart of man, the things which God hath prepared for them that love him.  But God hath revealed them unto us by his Spirit: for the Spirit searcheth all things, yea, the deep things of God” (I Corinthians 2:9-10).

As “the spiritually and morally mature,” we know about these things because God has revealed them to us by “his Spirit.”  This same “Spirit,” which searches out God’s deepest secrets, reveals to his children all of the mysteries of the Bible.  This same “Spirit” reveals words of wisdom to only “those who have an ear to hear,” his children.  However, make no mistake, everyone is a creation of God; not everyone is a child of God.

“For what man knoweth the things of a man, save the spirit of man which is in him? even so the things of God knoweth no man, but the Spirit of God” (I Corinthians 2:11).

With man and his inner thoughts, only his spirit man, who is inside of him, has knowledge of what they are.  With man and his inner thoughts, only his spirit man, who is inside of him, understands what they are.  It is the same way with God.  Only the “Spirit of God” has knowledge and understanding of the inner thoughts of God.  Only the “Spirit of God” has knowledge and understanding of the things of God.  As “the spiritually and morally mature,” we now know of these things.  We know of these things because we have within us, “the mind of Christ” (I Corinthians 2:16).  Yes, that’s right; we have a portion of the very thoughts of Christ within us.  Because we have this mind of Christ, we can receive “the Spirit” that comes forth from God.  Once received, “the Spirit” reveals to us the things that are freely given to us by God.  Once received, “the Spirit” reveals to us the inner thoughts of God.  And because we have this “mind of Christ,” we have knowledge and understanding of the things “the Spirit” reveals to us.

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: Do Not Be Afraid

There are many spirits mentioned throughout scripture that have been associated with mankind, some of them good while others are bad.  Scripture clearly states that God gives us the good spirits and does not give us the others, yet we find those spirits, which we receive not from God, affecting or influencing our lives.  We hear of this war that we are all involved in, where “we wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this world, against spiritual wickedness in high places” (Ephesians 6:12), and though we normally do not think of our opponents in these terms, could altering how we view them give us an advantage in this spiritual war that we are engaged in?

“For God has not given us a spirit of fear, but of power and of love and of a sound mind” (II Timothy 1:7 NKJV).

As we mentioned, we do not normally think of our opponents in such terms, but could “the spirit of fear” be one of those evil opponents that we wrestle against?  We mentioned “the spirit of fear” because we know that it is one spirit that can cripple the mightiest of men and women, whenever it becomes dominant.  Since it appears that God did not give us “the spirit of fear,” it does appear that he did give us others instead.  It appears that we have been given the “the spirit of power” instead.  Along with this spirit, it appears that God also included “the spirit of love” and “the spirit of a sound mind.”

“For you did not receive a spirit of slavery to fall back into fear, but you have received a spirit of adoption.  When we cry, ‘Abba! Father!’ it is that very Spirit bearing witness with our spirit that we are children of God” (Romans 8:15-16 NRSV).

It would appear that we have not received “the spirit of bondage or slavery” to be put back into fear like cringing, fearful slaves, but instead have received “the spirit of adoption,” whereby we have this deep inward conviction of having been adopted, as children, into the bosom of the family of the most high God.

What if these spirits are like the attributes we find in mankind itself?  What if the qualities or characteristics, good or bad that we find in mankind are actually spirits?  It would appear that God has given to us the good spirits like “the spirit of power,” “the spirit of love,” and “the spirit of a sound mind” to overcome the bad one like “the spirit of fear.”  If God has given us spirits to oppose those spirits that come against us in our struggles, then they could be considered weapons, but if we do not recognize them as weapons, then we cannot call upon them in our time of need.  While this is strictly our opinion, it is something we wanted to share as “food for thought” for those who have an ear to hear.  Maybe there is a deeper understanding of these spirits waiting is waiting on us to discover.

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 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: The Lord Changes Not

Here is a tidbit of information about God that you may find interesting, one that may take you to another level of understanding.  We hear quite often that God is doing a new thing this year or in this season.  We realize that many of you have experienced something new in your life and we understand how you believe that God is doing something new or has done a new thing in your life.  And while we cannot disagree with the fact that something new maybe going on in your life, this new thing that you are experiencing does not automatically translate to mean that God himself is doing something new or has changed.  God says

“For I am the Lord, I change not” (Malachi 3:6).

God has said that “he change not” and he has not changed since the beginning nor will he ever change in the future.  God has not changed his mind nor changed those things that he put into place since the beginning, contrary to popular beliefs.  Many of the changes we see today are because man has changed what God says, it is not God changing what God says.  Man has changed many things and used God’s name to do so.  But here is a revelation for those of you who have a hard time accepting this truth and think God is doing something new or has changed in some way.  God can be doing the same thing that he has always done, but what he has always done can be something new for you, a never before experienced blessing, a never before experienced healing, or a never before experience revelation, all being something new in your life but not something new for God.  Keep this thought in mind, it was you who accepted the Lord Jesus Christ and caused the change in your life.  It was you who chose to draw nearer to God and by doing so, caused this new experience that you are now going through.  It was you who changed and not God.

Man, Adam to be more specific, not God, changed the original creation, the original nature of mankind in the garden when he ate of the fruit.  However, it has been God’s plan, hidden since the beginning of time, to reconcile mankind back to him.  And it was God who reconciled his creation back to its original state, not a new state.  For if a man be in Christ, he be a new creature, redeemed for his old sinful nature, created by Adam, to a new nature for him, the nature of the original man, before the fall, created by 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.  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 5:17-19).

This be the ministry of reconciliation, the renewing of that relationship that existed with the original man before his fall from God’s grace.  So, God has not changed his mind nor changed those things that he put into place since the beginning.  An all-knowing God cannot have a change of heart or a change of mind because if he changes anything that he has already done or said, then that change, that variation, or that deviation would suggest that he did not know everything from the beginning and we all know that this is not true, for “God is omniscient or all-knowing.”

“All praise to God, the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly realms because we are united with Christ.  Even before he made the world, God loved us and chose us in Christ to be holy and without fault in his eyes.  God decided in advance to adopt us into his own family by bringing us to himself through Jesus Christ.  This is what he wanted to do, and it gave him great pleasure” (Ephesians 1:3-5 NLT).

Even before he created anything, God had a plan for mankind, a plan to save mankind, a plan to reconcile man back unto himself.  While he knew, in advance what man, Adam would do to mankind, he also knew what Jesus Christ would do for mankind (Romans 5:19).  God has loved mankind from the beginning, before he created the first thing and this love for his creation has never changed.  It is this love for mankind that caused God to devise a plan from the very beginning that would bring or reconcile mankind back to a state where God would not see our faults anymore, to a state where we could be a part of his family once again, to a state that he wanted us to be in and one that gave him great pleasure.  This has been God’s plan for mankind from the very beginning and this plan has not changed nor is it something new.

We trust that you can see that if there were any variation or deviation in God or the slightest suggestion of change, that he would have been untrue to himself at some point in time.  We trust that you can also see that he would also have lied at some point as well.  This is why there can be no change in God.  This is why he cannot be doing a new thing.  This is not to say that what is going on in your life is not something new or some type of new experience for you, but that does not automatically translate to mean that God himself is doing something new or has changed, because God says, “I am the Lord, I change not.”  If we cannot take God at his word, then whose word are we to take?  Whose word do you take?

As always, 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: Are You Strong In The Lord?

Imagine believing yourself to be a believer, only to find out what you believed you were, you were not.  Imagine believing yourself to be a follower of Jesus, only to find out that the one whom you claimed to follow, was not the one that you needed to follow.  Imagine believing yourself to be saved because you believed you joined the family, only to find out that the family you joined, was not the right one.  Imagine believing yourself to be free from condemnation, only to find out you have been held in captivity, because you have rejected the knowledge needed to make yourself free.  Imagine all that you believed was based in untruths, based in deception, based in lies, and based in fiction.  Imagine believing in a truth that has been manufactured by the great deceiver himself, all for the sole purpose of taking you out of the kingdom of heaven.  Imagine not even being aware of any of this until it was too late.

We are so eager to meet Jesus that we see him in pots and pans, on building walls and in sidewalks, and in all kinds of food such as bread, chips, tortillas, bananas, and even in the bite mark of a Kit Kat candy bar.  The problem is that all of these images mirror the paintings that we currently have of Jesus, which are someone else’s interpretation of what they believe Jesus to have looked like.  The Bible never gives us a clear physical description of what Jesus supposedly looked like, yet we believe we are able to see images of him in so many things.  God warns us that “there will come false Christs and false prophets who will give great signs and do great wonders, so much so that if it were possible, these things could turn the very elect from the true way” (Matthew 24:24; Mark 13:22).  The Message (MSG) puts it this way:

If anyone tries to flag you down, calling out, ‘Here’s the Messiah!’ or points, ‘There he is!’ don’t fall for it.  Fake Messiahs and lying preachers are going to pop up everywhere.  Their impressive credentials and dazzling performances will pull the wool over the eyes of even those who ought to know better.  So watch out.  I’ve given you fair warning” (Mark 13:21-23 MSG).

This is a very illuminating passage.  The fact that the great signs and great wonders of the false Christs and the false prophets are so convincing that these things could trick “the very elect,” those who ought to know better, means that all who are not “the very elect” are in trouble of being deceived.  Do you know to whom “the very elect” refer?  Are you sure about that definition?  The possibility that “the very elect” could be deceived is a little disturbing and should raise all kinds of red flags.  While many believe they are “the very elect,” the possibility does exist that they may not be what they think they are.

“Not every one that saith unto me, Lord, Lord, shall enter into the kingdom of heaven; but he that doeth the will of my Father which is in heaven.  Many will say to me in that day, Lord, Lord, have we not prophesied in thy name?  and in thy name have cast out devils?  and in thy name done many wonderful works?  And then will I profess unto them, I never knew you: depart from me, ye that work iniquity” (Matthew 7:21-23).

Scriptures tell us that not everyone who says, “Lord, Lord” will enter into the kingdom of heaven.  For they will ask, “Have we not prophesied in your name?  Have we not cast out demons in your name?  And have we not done many wonderful works in your name?”  But Jesus will say to them, “I never knew you, therefore, depart from me you that work iniquity.”  Does this mean that “the many” who claim to be “in Christ” are not what they profess to be?  Are “the many” already deceived?  Here is the disturbing part, they, “the many,” will not find out any of this until the end, when it will be too late

When the judgment comes, “the many” will come to the Lord and tell of all the things that they have done in his name, but he will tell them to depart from him.  You see the deception is not what one would think or even recognize.  Most recognize “the works of iniquity” and know that these things are never of God.  Therefore, one can see Jesus telling them who do or practice such things to depart from him.  But the one thing that many fail to recognize is “to whom” the Lord is actually speaking.  While it appears that the Lord is referring to those “workers of iniquities” when he tells them to depart from him, he is actually speaking to those that “he never knew.”  Because they never truly received Christ and trusted in his name, they were not given the privilege to become “a child of God” (John 1:12-13).

The sad part is they truly believed, yet they will not enter into the kingdom of heaven.  They truly believed, yet they were never part of the family.  They were never part of the family because they believed in someone who was not the real deal.  They never truly received Jesus, so they were not given the privilege to become a child of God.  They believed they received, only to discover that the one they received, was from the one who continues to deceive the world.  They believed in the message of the one who can appear as “Christ’s apostle” and whose servants can be transformed to appear like “godly ministers” (II Corinthians 11:12-15).  They were deceived by the false Christs and false prophets.  “Are you strong in the Lord?”  If this message causes unrest in your spirit, then you may not be as “strong in the Lord” as you should be.  The good news is that it is not too late to make a change.

We pray that today’s 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: The Fall Of The Devil

We have had several discussions about the wicked one we call Satan.  We know that the scriptures do not reveal much detail about this entity, but the lack of verifiable facts has not stopped the speculation about him and his existence.  We know from our earlier discussion that there are no indications as to when the revolt happened or even when the fall took place.  The Bible is somewhat vague about how he became known as Satan and even vaguer about his origins.  We know that the scriptures do not reveal much detail about this entity, especially in the Old Testament, mainly because there was not much man could do about him; mankind was sort of at his mercy.  The one question that remains unanswered from our previous discussions is “How did he become evil?”  Many think or believe God created Satan, but this does not appear to be the case.  God created the entity known as “Lucifer, son of the morning, or Day Star” (Isaiah 14:12), who happened to be one of God’s highest angels, created perfect in beauty, wisdom, and morality (Ezekiel 28:11-19).  Satan appears to come along later, but the question is when?

“He that committeth sin is of the devil; for the devil sinneth from the beginning” (I John 3:8).  “For the devil has been sinning from the beginning.  The earth is given into the hand of the wicked” (Job 9:24).  “And the great dragon was cast out, that old serpent, called the Devil, and Satan, which deceiveth the whole world: he was cast out into the earth, and his angels were cast out with him” (Revelation 12:9).

The above scriptures make it very clear that the devil sinned from the very beginning.  However, much of the problem with the entity called Satan is his beginnings.  It is not clearly defined in Scripture when Satan actually came into being  So, what was Satan’s beginning?

There are several theories in place where people attempt to explain the existence and nature of Satan.  Some subscribe to the “Genesis Gap or Ruin-Reconstruction theory.”  They believe that something happened between the time when God created the heavens and the earth and when the earth was without form, and void; and darkness was upon the face of the deep.  The “Genesis Gap theory” uses the period between the first and second verses of “Genesis” to account for many of those unanswerable questions about “the age of the earth and the age of the universe.”  This is and continues to be the biggest hindrance for many as they struggle to accept the truth concerning the Word of God.  The evidence for the theory is derived primarily from scientist, who have found through scientific testing, that the earth is billions upon billions of years old.  The teachers of this theory use these scientific findings and the biblical teachings to cover the unexplained chronological gaps that exist between the two.  In the “Genesis Gap theory” they believe that a catastrophic event, a cosmic war by Satan destroyed the original creation.  They believe that because of the fall and the revolt of Satan, led to some type of judgment that befell the earth.  There are many theories that exist similar to the “Genesis Gap theory.”  Common to all of these theories is the belief that the fall happened before the creation of man because of the serpent approaching Eve.  They share in the belief that the fall of Satan had already taken place and he used the serpent to express himself.

One of the biggest problems for us was the word “theory.”  By definition, “a theory” is “the formulation of an opinion or a belief about something arrived at based on incomplete and inconclusive facts or information through speculation or conjecture.”  The bottom line is that a theory is someone else’s best guess.  Now, this does not automatically mean the guess is completely wrong, it just means that one should exercise caution in what is accepted as truth.  At this point in our walk, we have left the world of theory and have since tried to live in the world of truth, supported by biblical facts and evidence.  However, with what appears to be a lack of verifiable facts pertaining to the origin of Satan and his fall, are we to stop short in our quest for truth by compromising and accepting “the theory?”  So often, this is the case.  Many believers have searched to find the truth about the God we all claim to serve, only to compromise and accept “the theory.”

Because they compromise, they fail in their efforts to seek wisdom and know-how, to get understanding, to get the ability to use good sense in their thinking, in their judgment, and in their actions, and to get the ability to perceive and to explain the meaning or nature of things (Proverbs 4:5-7).  Because they compromise, they remain confused by every wind of doctrine and/or new teaching as they are influenced by those people who trick them with lies so clever that they, the lies, sound like the truth (Ephesians 4:14).  The Bible is a mystery book, full of hidden keys that will unlock all of the mysteries contained within, but we really have to diligently and earnestly seek these keys.  But once we find the keys, the Bible ceases to be a mystery book and becomes a message book for God’s children.  Sometimes the messages are hard to see, “but God has revealed them to us by his Spirit:  for the Spirit searches all the things, even the deep things of God” (I Corinthians 2:10).  We will have more on the entity known as Satan in a future commentary, where we will revisit the question, “How did he become evil?”

As always, 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: You Are Healed

Not long ago, we asked the question, “Do you know that God wants you well?”  In that discussion, we found that God wants you well, he wants you healed.  We also debunked the belief that God, who is the creator of such things like physical pain, sicknesses, accidents, death, and other tragedies (Isaiah 45:7), uses such things to chastise or chasten anyone.  We found that much of this ideology used the theological and traditional teachings of those who primarily cited Old Testament scriptures to support their arguments, which portrays the God of the Old Testament as “a god of wrath.”  They read their Bibles and see what appears to be God causing such things to happen to mankind and then conclude that God is the perpetrator of such acts on mankind.  This belief has become one of the biggest misconceptions about the God of the Old Testament.

In stark contrast, the God of the New Testament is portrayed as “a God of love.”  The New Testament portrays God as a very willing healer and life giver.  Many of those who believe that God uses such things to chastise or chasten mankind appear to be unaware that God says he changes not (Malachi 3:6), meaning that what God was in the beginning is what he is today and what he will be in the tomorrows.  And since those things written in the Old Testament came first, they are steadfast in their belief that it is God who causes these things to happen.

But such theological and traditional teachings, based primarily on Old Testament scriptures, have divided the Christian community on many things, one of them being “healing.”  Truth be told, physical pain, sicknesses, accidents, death, and other tragedies actually comes from the devil (The thief cometh not, but for to steal, and to kill, and to destroy - John 10:10) and not from God.  God will allow these things to happen, but he does not cause them.  Think about this, if God is the cause of all of these things, then he is working against all that Jesus came to do (I am come that they might have life, and that they might have it more abundantly - John 10:10).

According to scripture, God anointed Jesus with the Holy Ghost and with power, who went around everywhere doing good and healing all who were oppressed of the devil, for God was with him (Acts 10:38).  We know that he went through all of Galilee, teaching, preaching, and healing every kind of sickness and disease (Matthew 9:35).  From this, those who are trapped inside that religious institutional box, where no one is allowed to question those things taught and/or those things that just don’t make sense, will not see that it is the thief, who is stealing our health, destroying our bodies, and/or slowly and painfully taking our lives.  They will never understand that this is the work of the thief and not of God.  They will continue to blame God for the things that are done by the devil.

“He was despised and rejected and forsaken by men, a Man of sorrows and pains, and acquainted with grief and sickness; and like One from Whom men hide their faces He was despised, and we did not appreciate His worth or have any esteem for Him.  Surely He has borne our griefs (sicknesses, weaknesses, and distresses) and carried our sorrows and pains [of punishment], yet we [ignorantly] considered Him stricken, smitten, and afflicted by God [as if with leprosy].  But He was wounded for our transgressions, He was bruised for our guilt and iniquities; the chastisement [needful to obtain] peace and well-being for us was upon Him, and with the stripes [that wounded] Him we are healed and made whole” (Isaiah 53:3-5 AMP).

It is hard to have faith for healing when you believe God is the source of your suffering.  It is hard to have faith for healing when you do not know that healing is available to you.  When your knowledge for healing is limited, then your faith for healing will also be limited.  And when your faith for healing is limited, then your belief for healing will be limited.  And when your belief for healing is limited, then the healing that you seek will be limited.  And when the healing that you ask for is limited, then the results that you receive will be limited or even non-existent.  Everything in this example was limited because the amount of knowledge that you had for healing was limited.  It is hard to have faith for healing when you do not have the knowledge that you have been “healed and made whole” by the actions on the cross.  “Do you know that God wants you well or are you limited in your knowledge?”

We pray that our commentary and 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