Devotion: What Is Faith?

Explaining faith to those who doubt the existence of faith can be summed up similar to this, which surprisingly supports the existence of faith that can be found in everyone.

A man (woman) agrees to take a job with a company.  The company tells the man that he will be paid every two weeks.  The man agrees to the terms and accepts the job.  The man reports to work the first day, works eight hours, and afterwards, he goes home.  The next day the man repeats what he did the first day.  The man does the exact same thing for one week straight.  This is a classic example of faith in action.  The man has placed his faith in the company, believing that he will be paid when he gets to the end of the pay period, which is supported by him going to work every day and not getting any form of compensation during the period.  Payday comes and the company gives the man his first paycheck.  Now that the man has his paycheck, he does not need faith anymore because the thing that he had hope for, the thing that he believed he was getting from the company is now a reality.

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

“Now faith is a well-grounded assurance of that for which we hope, and a conviction of the reality of things which we do not see (Hebrews 11:1 Weymouth New Testament Translation).”

“Now faith means that we are confident of what we hope for, convinced of what we do not see (James Moffitt).”

Devotion: Is All The Bible True?

When asked where “the word of God” can be found, the most popular answer is “the Bible.”  Many believe the Bible to be the inerrant and infallible word of God, but is this belief the truth?  Is the Bible actually the inerrant and infallible word of God?  First, let us define a few important words.  The first word “inerrant,” simply means “free from errors or untruths.”  The next word “infallible,” means “incapable of making mistakes or being wrong” or simply “incapable of error.”  Another definition says that “infallible” also means “absolutely trustworthy or sure.”  When combined, we see why the Bible is said to be “absolutely trustworthy or sure” because of its association with the word of God.  This has led many to consider the Bible of being “incapable of error, of making mistakes, or being wrong.”  But does all of this mean that the entire Bible is true?  That is a question that has been pondered throughout the ages.

Devotion: Is Money Your God?

Most of us have heard the phrase, “Money is the root of all evil.”  Stated this way, this phrase leads us to believe that “money” itself is “the root or cause of all evil.”

“For the love of money is the root of all evil: which while some coveted after, they have erred from the faith, and pierced themselves through with many sorrows” (I Timothy 6:10).

According to scripture, it “the love of money” that is “the root or cause of all evil.”  The actual wording brings to light a slightly different interpretation where “the love of money” is the root cause of all kinds of evil and not money itself.  It is this “love of money,” this desire in people to be rich that is the first step of a downward spiral that causes all kinds of wrongdoings just to acquire this money.  Those who covet after money, fall into temptation, and do all kinds of unwise, destructive, and malicious things that eventually hurts them, all to satisfy this desire to gain access to money.  Because of their “love of money,” these same people have turned away from God, have been led astray from the faith, and have inflicted themselves with countless sorrows that eventually lead to their ruin and destruction.

Devotion: Prosperity God’s Way

Here we go once again, talking about prosperity and how it is God’s will for his children to prosper.  In the past, we have shared several passages of scripture that show it is God’s will for his children to prosper.

“But thou shalt remember the Lord thy God: for it is he that giveth thee power to get wealth, that he may establish his covenant which he sware unto thy fathers, as it is this day” (Deuteronomy 8:18).

We have continually used Deuteronomy 8:18 as the anchor to our message to make clear the specific purpose for this wealth, which is “that he may establish his covenant,” a covenant “which he sware unto thy fathers.”  God gives us the power to get wealth to fulfill his promise, that agreement he made with our ancestors.

“Let the Lord be magnified, which hath pleasure in the prosperity of his servant” (Psalm 35:27)

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: You Are Not A Loser

There are a lot of so-called Christians walking around defeated.  By defeated, we mean that they have not yet fully experienced all that God has made available to them through the new covenant, “a better covenant, which was established upon better promises” (Hebrews 8:6).  By defeated, we mean that they have not yet experienced that “more abundant life” that Jesus spoke of in John 10:10.  The really sad part is that they do not even realize that they are defeated, living a defeated life.  They claim the blood of Jesus over their lives but it is of no effect or at best, it has a partial effect on their lives.  The biggest culprit is not the devil or any other outside forces, but it is an internal force known as “self,” what we will refer to as “an image problem.”

“For as he thinketh in his heart, so is he: …” (Proverbs 23:7).

Devotion: Great Things Happen When You Believe – Part II

In part one of our “Great Things Happen When You Believe” series, we talked about faith and the three elements of faith, which were:

• belief, which is accepting that something can be true or that something is real when it has not been seen,
• confidence or conviction, which is believing or trusting that something is, especially when there is no logical proof that it exists,
• and action, which is doing something in order to reach a goal, to obtain a result, or to get that thing which you hoped for.

We found that faith is confidently acting upon what you believe, what appears to be impossible and expecting results.  Scripture tells us that “If you can believe, all things are possible to him who believes” (Mark 9:23).  And while your faith plays a key role in causing those great things to happen, in making all things possible, there be a few other things we need to consider, things that are equally as important and equally as strong but can cause those great things not to happen.  The sad part is that most people are not aware of them.

Devotion: God Loves A Cheerful Giver

In the religious circles, when the subject of money comes up, it incites all kinds of emotions in people.  Though the passage, “the love of money is the root of all evil” (I Timothy 6:10) is guaranteed to be mentioned in the conversation, it is the misinterpretation and misapplication of this passage that creates the most controversy.  Many believers do not believe that man should prosper financially or have wealth because it goes against the teachings of Jesus.  Based on the story surrounding his statement, “It is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle, than for a rich man to enter into the kingdom of God” (Matthew 19:24), many have interpreted this passage to mean that a person with riches cannot enter into the kingdom of God.  So, the belief is that God is against his children having money.  Those familiar with the story of the young rich man (Matthew 19:16-22), saw Jesus tell the man to “go and sell that thou hast, and give to the poor” (Matthew 19:21).  Most do not make the connection between when Jesus told the young rich man to give and when he tells us to give, especially when giving to the poor.

Devotion: Always Put God First

God wants to hold first place in your heart.  God wants to be first in your life.  God wants to be the only god that we worship, praise, give thanks to, and serve.  This point is illustrated throughout the scriptures.

“And God spake all these words, saying, I am the Lord thy God, which have brought thee out of the land of Egypt, out of the house of bondage.  Thou shalt have no other gods before me.  Thou shalt not make unto thee any graven image, or any likeness of any thing that is in heaven above, or that is in the earth beneath, or that is in the water under the earth:  thou shalt not bow down thyself to them, nor serve them: for I the Lord thy God am a jealous God, visiting the iniquity of the fathers upon the children unto the third and fourth generation of them that hate me” (Exodus 20:1-5).

When God brought the Israelites out of the land of Egypt and liberated them from their slavery, he told them they were not to have any other gods before him.  He did not want them worshipping any other gods other than him.  He did not want them to bow down before any other gods besides him.  He did not want them to serve any other gods besides him.  Because he is a possessive God, he wanted to be first in their lives.  Because he is a jealous God, he did not want to share their affections, their time, or any parts of them with any other gods.

Devotion: Right Standing With God Is A Gift

Not long ago, we discovered that God had already forgiven us of our sins.  For any of us to receive this “abundance of grace and the gift of righteousness” (Romans 5:17) we have to make Jesus Christ our Lord and savior.  When we do this, make Jesus our Lord and savior, we get all of these free gifts that God has to offer; God’s gift of grace, God’s gift of righteousness, and God’s gift of forgiveness.  We know that this is not the message that is being preached in many churches.  They still feel the need to use the law to try to control their congregations by continually making them feel guilty and condemned, but scripture tells us of another way that has no guilt, no condemnation, and is made as available as “a free gift.”

“For all have sinned, and come short of the glory of God; being justified freely by his grace through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus: whom God hath set forth to be a propitiation through faith in his blood, to declare his righteousness for the remission of sins that are past, through the forbearance of God; to declare, I say, at this time his righteousness: that he might be just, and the justifier of him which believeth in Jesus” (Romans 3:23-26).

Scripture tells us that we were all guilty of sinning and falling short of God’s glory, yet God, through his mercy and grace, “freely declared us as righteous.”  When Jesus was presented as the sacrifice for our sin, we were made right with God, declared “not guilty” of offending him, as long as we trusted in Jesus Christ.  Because God wanted to demonstrate his righteousness, his fairness, and his justness, he declared sinners to be right in his sight as long as we placed our faith in Jesus Christ and made him our Lord and savior.  God basically gave us right standing with him in exchange for our faith and belief in Jesus Christ.  But what about the law, wasn’t it given to make us right with God, if we followed it?

“Now we know that what things soever the law saith, it saith to them who are under the law: that every mouth may be stopped, and all the world may become guilty before God.  Therefore by the deeds of the law there shall no flesh be justified in his sight: for by the law is the knowledge of sin” (Romans 3:19-20).  “For whosoever shall keep the whole law, and yet offend in one point, he is guilty of all’ (James 2:10).

According to this passage, the law applies to those who are still under the law, those who still try to follow the law, those who try to earn their way into heaven through their own self-righteousness.  However, the purpose of the laws was to keep everyone from having excuses for doing all of the evil things they were doing and to show that the entire world was guilty before God.  There were none that were made right with God, no matter how many righteous things they had done or how many laws they were able to follow.  The law served only to give us knowledge of sin and to show us just how sinful we were.  The more we knew of God’s law, the clearer it became that we were not obeying them at all and the guiltier we became.  The law was unkind and condemning, without understanding and without compassion.  People tried to follow the law, but the problem was that if “they broke one point in the law” and it did not matter which point that was, they were “guilty of breaking the entire law.”  The law simply made it impossible for anyone to be in right standing with God through their own efforts or their own performance.  No one could earn righteousness and the law was quick to point this fact out.  The law did two things, made us guilty before God and showed that we needed a savior.

“But now the righteousness of God without the law is manifested, being witnessed by the law and the prophets; even the righteousness of God which is by faith of Jesus Christ unto all and upon all them that believe: for there is no difference” (Romans 3:21-22).  “Knowing that a man is not justified by the works of the law, but by the faith of Jesus Christ, even we have believed in Jesus Christ, that we might be justified by the faith of Christ, and not by the works of the law: for by the works of the law shall no flesh be justified” (Galatians 2:16).

According to this passage, God has shown us another way to be made righteous and have right standing with him, that did not include the law.  No longer do we have to keep the standards of the law because “the righteousness of God has been manifested” and has revealed a different way to heaven.  This new way to heaven has nothing to do with us being good or self-righteous and trying to keep the laws, but is an alternative way that was foretold in the law and by the prophets.  No longer do we have to do good deeds according to the law and try to earn our way into God’s good graces and be right with him, because according to scripture “no one will ever be justified by obeying the law.”  Nonetheless, God says, “he will accept and acquit us, declaring us not guilty” if we will just put our trust and our faith in Jesus and in his righteousness as then means to take away our sins.  We can be made right with him and have right standing with him simply by trusting and putting faith in Jesus Christ.  God has made this “gift of right standing with God” available to all and it is the same for everyone who will accept it.

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: 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: Grow Up!

Did you know that God wants us to grow up?  Yes, that right, God expects us to grow up but not in the sense that we are to become upstanding citizens and productive members of society.  No, God wants us to grow up in our understanding, grow up in our understanding of all things God.

“Brethren, be not children in understanding: howbeit in malice be ye children, but in understanding be men” (I Corinthians 14:20).

We are told not to be like children or immature in our understanding, but in our understanding to be men or mature instead.  God has given us certain things, that when we fully use them, we can become mature or complete in our thinking, in our reasoning, and in our discerning.

“All scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness: that the man of God may be perfect, thoroughly furnished unto all good works” (II Timothy 3:16-17).

God has given us the word of truth to tell us what to believe (for doctrine), what is wrong (for reproof), how to correct wrong (for correction), how to live (for instruction in righteousness).  We are to rely on this word of truth because it includes everything needed for us to be perfect or to grow in maturity, to grow in understanding, to grow in wisdom, so that we can be proficient and extremely capable of doing what God wants.

“For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways, saith the Lord.  For as the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways, and my thoughts than your thoughts” (Isaiah 55:8-9).

Traditional teachings have always attempted to convince us that we can never understand God.  You see, we have been led to believe or taught that “the clay cannot understand the potter.”  We have been taught that “God’s ways are higher than our ways and his thoughts are higher than our thoughts.”  With that said, it has been concluded that “it is not possible for a finite being, us, to understand an infinite being, God.”  And the biggest one of all, “if it be God’s will,” suggesting that it is impossible for us to know God’s will.  All of these phrases have been used to make us cast doubt on the fact that we can know God intimately.  Over the years, these phrases and the like have been used to control us both mentally and emotionally.  They have kept many of us in bondage, unaware of the truth that we can know God and know his will.

It is possible for us to recognize, to know, and to understand God.  Yes, contrary to popular beliefs, it is possible for us to know God intimately, without question or doubt.  We are told, “to get wisdom because wisdom is the principal thing.”  And we are told, “with all of our getting to also get understanding (Proverbs 4:5-7).  Ask yourself this question, “For what purpose or for what reason does God instruct us to get wisdom, the principal thing, and then in all of that getting, to get understanding?”  God wants us to do more than just exist.

“…but we are to hold to the truth with love in our hearts.  We are to grow up and be more like Christ” (Ephesians 4:15 NLV).  “But, strange as it seems, we Christians actually do have within us a portion of the very thoughts and mind of Christ” (I Corinthians 2:16 TLB).

God wants us to grow up to become more and more like Christ.  And as odd as it may sound, we actually have inside of us a portion of the very thoughts and mind of Christ.  God has given us everything that we need to grow up in our understanding and to grow up in our understanding of all things God.

“According as his divine power hath given unto us all things that pertain unto life and godliness, through the knowledge of him that hath called us to glory and virtue” (II Peter 1:3).

God wants us to know.  God wants us to understand.  God wants us to reason.  God wants us to think.  God wants us to “grow up.”

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: Remember Me

Most believers are very familiar with what is called “The Last Supper” or “The Lord’s Supper.”  The Lord’s Supper is supposedly the very last meal that Jesus shared with his apostles before his betrayal and crucifixion.

“And he took bread, and gave thanks, and brake it, and gave unto them, saying, This is my body which is given for you:  this do in remembrance of me.  Likewise also the cup after supper, saying, This cup is the new testament in my blood, which is shed for you” (Luke 22:19-20).

According to scripture, Jesus took bread, gave thanks, broke it, and gave the pieces to his disciples, saying that it was a symbol of his body that was being given for us.  Then he took wine and shared with his disciples as a symbol of his blood that was being shed for us as well.  From this meal, came what is now known as “The Holy Communion.”  The Holy Communion is the religious practice in which bread and wine or grape juice are consecrated and shared among those who claim to believe in the Lord Jesus Christ, as a symbol of cleansing, consecration, and communion, all done in remembrance of him.

“For I have received of the Lord that which also I delivered unto you, That the Lord Jesus the same night in which he was betrayed took bread:  and when he had given thanks, he brake it, and said, Take, eat:  this is my body, which is broken for you:  this do in remembrance of me.  After the same manner also he took the cup, when he had supped, saying, This cup is the new testament in my blood:  this do ye, as oft as ye drink it, in remembrance of me.  For as often as ye eat this bread, and drink this cup, ye do show the Lord's death till he come.  Wherefore whosoever shall eat this bread, and drink this cup of the Lord, unworthily, shall be guilty of the body and blood of the Lord.  But let a man examine himself, and so let him eat of that bread, and drink of that cup.  For he that eateth and drinketh unworthily, eateth and drinketh damnation to himself, not discerning the Lord's body.  For this cause many are weak and sickly among you, and many sleep.  For if we would judge ourselves, we should not be judged.  But when we are judged, we are chastened of the Lord, that we should not be condemned with the world.  Wherefore, my brethren, when ye come together to eat, tarry one for another.  And if any man hunger, let him eat at home; that ye come not together unto condemnation.  And the rest will I set in order when I come” (I Corinthians 11:23-34).

While many partake of “The Lord’s Supper,” few are aware of the instructions Paul received then from the Lord, pertaining to our participation in this event.  Paul would go on to say that those who participated in the taking of the bread and cup “in an unworthy manner will be guilty of sinning against the body and blood of the Lord.”  When we participate, we are representing, signifying, proclaiming, and giving witness to the Lord’s death until he returns.  Therefore, we need to carefully examine ourselves to make sure we are not “eating and drinking God’s judgment upon ourselves” because we have participated in an unworthy manner.  According to Paul, this unworthy and careless participation is why many so-called believers are weak, why many so-called believers are sickly, and why some so-called believers have even died.  If we were more discerning with regard to our worthiness or our unworthiness as it pertains to us being born again or born from above, then we would not come under such judgment.

We know that many of you have never heard of these instructions from Paul concerning “The Lord’s Supper” or “The Holy Communion.”  However, every time we eat of the bread that symbolizes his body, which was broken for our sake and we drink of the cup that symbolizes his blood, which was shed for our sake, we are retelling the message of the Lord’s death that he has died for us.  If you be unworthy and participate in this practice, then you are guilty of telling a lie and you will come under judgment because you are not in communion with and are not a part of the body of born-again believers.  This is why it is so important for you to carefully examine yourself, to make sure that you have accepted Jesus as your Lord and savior.  So, every time we eat of the bread and we drink of the cup, we do so in remembrance of him, our Lord and savior, Jesus Christ.

As you read to today’s inspirational message, 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.

Enjoy your blessings - KW

Devotion: Sin Is Deadly

“For the wages of sin is death …” (Romans 6:23).

Most believers are very familiar with this passage of scripture, but few have given any deep thought to what this passage is actually telling us.  Just as you expect to receive “compensation or a wage” for working in any job, be it full-time or part-time, you should expect to receive “compensation or a wage” for working or living in sin, be it full-time or part-time.  While the “compensation or wage” for employment is usually some type of monetary benefit, the compensation or wage for sin is “death.”  Therefore, this passage is really saying to us that “the wages, the salary, the pay, the income, the take-home pay” of sin, no matter that amount of sin, is “death.”  Imagine that, working in sin, playing in sin, living in sin, or just existing in sin pays a benefit, which according to scripture is death.

Now, there are some so-called believers who still have pieces of their old sinful nature still living within them.  While they have been able to put to death many aspects of their old sinful natures, many choose to keep souvenirs, keepsakes, and mementos, in an attempt to cling to particular portions of their old sinful life.  And while there are varying amounts being kept, these tokens only serve as reminders of a life gone by, a life that was completely ruled by a sinful nature.  The problem with keeping these souvenirs, these tokens alive, it gives opportunity for temptation to do its thing.

“But every man is tempted, when he is drawn away of his own lust, and enticed.  Then when lust hath conceived, it bringeth forth sin: and sin, when it is finished, bringeth forth death” (James 1:14-15).

For every man is tempted, but he is tempted by his own passions and by his own desires.  His own lust serves as the bait for the temptation.  Once the trap is baited, it is man’s lower nature, his fleshly desires that draws him away and entices him.  Then once the temptation goes from the confines of man’s mind and he acts upon it, he then gives birth to sin.  Once sin is born, it grows up, matures, and then brings with it “the wages,” which we now know is “death.”

Traditionally, sin has been defined as “a violation of divine law.”  When we think of sin, we usually think of it as “personal sin.”  Typically, “personal sin” is defined in one of two ways.  There is “the sin of commission,” where an individual does something that is prohibited.  Then there is “the sin of omission,” where an individual fails to do what is required of him or her.  The problem with engaging in sin is that sin will take you where you don't what to go, will keep you longer than you want to stay, and will cost you more than you want to pay.  Nevertheless, know this, you may have the ability to choose the sin, the one thing that you do not get to do and cannot do is to choose is the consequences of sin.  Though a sinful act does not end in death each and every time, death is one of the possible outcomes each and every time a sinful act is committed.  Sin is deadly, so keep in mind that “the wages, the salary, the pay, the income, the take-home pay” for working or living in sin, be it full-time or be it part-time, is “death.”

We pray that this inspirational message will give you a new perspective on what “the wages of sin” actually refers to.  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: God Cares

If it is true that God cares, then why doesn’t he do something to show us he cares?  If it is true that God cares, then why doesn’t he do something about all the wrong that is in the world?  If it is true that God cares, then why does he sit silently by and allow bad things to happen?  Is this what a caring God does?  The truth of the matter is that God really does care and has done all that he can do to take care of the problems that so many face.  When God first created man, he created man to have dominion over all of his creation (Genesis 1:26-28).

“What is man, that thou art mindful of him?  and the son of man, that thou visitest (pay attention to or care for) 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 8:4-8).

If God does not care, then why is he so mindful of man?  If God does not care, then why does he bother with us puny humans?  God does care and that is why he pays so much attention to or care for us so.  God does care and that is why God continues to visit with us.  God created us a little lower than himself, “in his image and after his likeness” (Genesis 1:26), and placed a crown of glory and honor upon our head.  God created us to have dominion and charge over everything he created and he has placed all things under our feet.  Does any of this sound as if or like God doesn’t care?  So many struggle with poverty, sickness, and death because they lack the knowledge.  So many battle depression, fear, discouragement, low self-esteem, worry, anxiety, confusion, and doubt because they lack the knowledge.  So many are praying and waiting on some divine intervention to resolve their problems for them.  They do not know that we have already been given power or authority over all of these things.

“And Jesus came and spake unto them, saying, All power is given unto me in heaven and in earth” (Matthew 28:18).  “Behold, I give unto you power to tread on serpents and scorpions, and over all the power of the enemy: and nothing shall by any means hurt you” (Luke 10:19).  “And these signs shall follow them that believe; In my name shall they cast out devils; they shall speak with new tongues; they shall take up serpents; and if they drink any deadly thing, it shall not hurt them; they shall lay hands on the sick, and they shall recover” (Mark 16:17-18).

Jesus came “to seek and save that which was lost” (Luke 19:10) and part of what Jesus saved was the authority or dominion over God’s creation (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).  In getting back this authority or dominion, Jesus also gave mankind the ability to cast out devils and to lay hands on and heal the sick, along with several other things.  People do not know that we must take that power or authority and resolve our problems ourselves.  This is something that each one of us has to do for ourselves.  God has given us everything that we need to do this.  God is not going to do this for us; we have to do it.

This is what God was telling Paul, when Paul asked that the thorn in his flesh, which he said was “a messenger from Satan to hurt and bother me and prick my pride” (II Corinthians 12:7 TLB), be removed.  Paul had the favor or support of God.  If anyone was deserving of God’s protection or having a hedge around him that would have been Paul.  So, why did God not do as Paul had requested and remove the thorn that he had been given?  God responded to Paul’s prayer request saying, “My grace is sufficient for thee:  for my strength is made perfect in weakness” (II Corinthians 12:9).  Many see this as the actions of a God who doesn’t care, but this is so far from the truth and is not the case with Paul’s thorn in the flesh.  When Paul asked God three times for help, God basically told him that his grace, what he, God had already done, was sufficient.  Paul, like all of us had already been given the power to tread on serpents and scorpions, and over all the power of the enemy, so there was nothing else God could do for him and that why his grace, his favor was sufficient.  God has done all that he can do and made every provision for us to deal with any problem that we could face.  It is now up to us to do our part.  We pray that you can see that God really does care for us.

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

Enjoy your blessings - KW 

Devotion: You Are A Spirit

As we look at the creation of man, we can actually see man being created with three distinct parts; spirit, soul, and body.  We know that man was created in the image and after the likeness of God.  According to the first chapter of Genesis, God said, “Let us make man in our image, after our likeness (Genesis 1:26).”  Many people have a hard time reconciling the fact that mankind is “created in the image and after the likeness of God,” but the original man and the original women were “created in the image and after the likeness of God (Genesis 1:27).”  And since each of us are a copy of the original man or the original woman, then we too were “created in the image and after the likeness of God.”  Now, when God said, “Let us make man in our image, after our likeness,” he was not referring to the image that you see when you look in the mirror.  Jesus tells us “God is a Spirit” (John 4:24), which means you must be a spirit as well.  Wow!  You are actually a spirit being, created in the image and after the likeness of God.  Elihu, the son of Barachel the Buzite told Job and his two friends that “there is a spirit in man” (Job 32:6-8).  This statement implies that the spirit, which is in man and man himself are not the same.  However, this does not mean that your spirit is not similar to the form that you see in the mirror because throughout the Bible, God is described as having features such as “hands, arms, face, and back parts” (Exodus 33:22-23), but you are a spirit being first.  What you see in the mirror is your physical body.

“And the Lord God formed man of the dust of the ground” (Genesis 2:7).

We see from scripture that God formed, molded, or shaped man’s body from the dust of the ground.  We also see this fact strongly emphasized by God after the fall of man.  God tells man that he is but dust; “for it was out of dust that he was taken and it is to dust that he will return” (Genesis 3:19).  Now we have the physical body, formed from the dust of the earth, but there is no life in this body.

“… and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life” (Genesis 2:7).

Now we have the lifeless body, which God breathed the breath of life into and the body comes to life.  This breath is the same breath that God “gives to all living things” (Numbers 27:16).  When we die, we see the creation process in reversed.  We already know that our bodies return back to the dust from where it came, but “our breath,” the breath that God breathed into our nostrils, “returns back to God who gave it” (Ecclesiastes 12:7).

“… and man became a living soul” (Genesis 2:7).

Then, there is the soul, the thing that man became.  Man became a living soul after God breathed into his nostrils the breath of life.  The soul is defined as the nonphysical aspect of a person, which contains person’s most important feature, his or her essence.  This is where the deepest and truest nature of a person can be found.  It is here that the most complicated human attributes can be found, such as a person’s consciousness, thoughts, feelings, and will.  The soul is where a person’s emotional and moral nature and be found.  This is a place where the most private thoughts and feelings are hidden.  The soul is the thing that gives each person his or her distinctive character.  It is also believed to be the one part of man that continues to exist after the body dies.

“And the very God of peace sanctify you wholly; and I pray God your whole spirit and soul and body be preserved blameless unto the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ” (I Thessalonians 5:23).

In this passage, Paul makes mention of our whole spirit and soul and body.  Paul has described man as “a tri-partite being,” made up of three individual parts, asking that our “entire spirit and soul and body be preserved blameless until the coming of the Lord Jesus Christ.”  So the reflection that you see in the mirror, that physical body that you see, is made of dust and to dust is where it will return.  However, within the reflection is that real you; a spirit being that has a soul, all living inside of that image in the mirror.

“... This message is from the Lord, who stretched out the heavens, laid the foundations of the earth, and formed the human spirit” (Zechariah 12:1 NLT).<

To summarize, you are a spirit created in the image of God that became a living soul, all living inside of a body.  We pray that today’s inspirational message will give you a new perspective on what it means when it is said, “you are a spirit being.”  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: Actively Receive

“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” (John 3:16).  “He that spared not his own Son, but delivered him up for us all, how shall he not with him also freely give us all things” (Romans 8:32)?

Just about everyone is familiar with or has heard of John 3:16.  It says that God so love the world that he gave his only begotten to save us.  And even though God so loved the world, the “everlasting life” spoken of here is “conditional,” which means that in order for us to receive this “everlasting life,” we have to do something.  Receiving this “everlasting life” is contingent upon us “believing in his only begotten son.”  According to this passage, if we “just believe in this only begotten son,” then we will not perish but will receive this “everlasting life.”  Though it appears that God has freely given us all of these things, nothing in the verses suggest that receiving this “everlasting life” is automatic, but conditional.

“The Lord is not slack concerning his promise, as some men count slackness; but is longsuffering to us-ward, not willing that any should perish, but that all should come to repentance (II Peter 3:9).

While God is extremely patient with us, not wanting or desiring that anyone of us to perish, he has once again made our salvation “conditional,” meaning the in order for us to receive this “salvation,” we again have to do something.  Receiving this “salvation” is contingent upon us “coming to repentance.”

“But as many as received him, to them gave he power to become the sons of God, even to them that believe on his name” (John 1:12).

Everyone is given the power to become a son or daughter of God, but again becoming “a child of God” is conditional.  Everyone who “receives his only begotten son” and who “believes on his name” is freely given or receives the right to become a child of the Almighty God.  This means that unless the conditions set forth by God are met, then “no one receives that power to become a child of God.”  You see, everyone is “a creation of God,” but not everyone is “a child of God.”  In order “to receive” what God has freely given us all, which includes “salvation, everlasting life, and the power to become a child of God,” we each have “to actively” meet the conditions that God has set.  Make the choice to “actively receive” all the God has to offer and all that he has freely given because nothing is automatic; everything is conditional, conditional upon you doing something.

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: Delay Is Not Denial

There has always been some question in the minds of most believers as to how God answers our prayers.  We have been taught that God is always faithful to answer our prayers, but we have been told that God answers some prayers with a “Yes,” some prayers with a “No” or so it seems sometimes, and other prayers with a “Wait.”  Is this really how God answers our prayers?  Does he really tell us “No” or to “to wait” or is this something that has been created by man to console ourselves when we do not get that immediate, desired answer from God?

For the answer to these questions, let us turn to a prayer by Daniel, who was seeking wisdom on a prophesy that Jeremiah had given to the children of Israel that said they would be held in captivity for seventy years (Jeremiah 25:11-12; 29:10).  The time had passed and it looked like the prophesy was not going to come true so Daniel prayed seeking revelation from God.

“And whiles I was speaking, and praying, and confessing my sin and the sin of my people Israel, and presenting my supplication before the Lord my God for the holy mountain of my God; yea, whiles I was speaking in prayer, even the man Gabriel, whom I had seen in the vision at the beginning, being caused to fly swiftly, touched me about the time of the evening oblation.  And he informed me, and talked with me, and said, O Daniel, I am now come forth to give thee skill and understanding.  At the beginning of thy supplications the commandment came forth, and I am come to show thee; for thou art greatly beloved: therefore understand the matter, and consider the vision” (Daniel 9:20-23).

We see from this passage that while Daniel was still praying, the answer to his prayer was so immediate that it interrupted his prayer.  God had sent forth the angel Gabriel to deliver the answer to Daniel’s prayer.  Besides giving Daniel the answer to his prayer, we also note that Gabriel explained to Daniel that when he first began to pray, the commandment came forth for Gabriel to come forth and show him the answer to his request.  We see from the onset of Daniel’s prayer, God immediately answered his prayer and within a matter of minutes, the answer manifested itself in the form of the angel Gabriel.  By the way, the answer was seventy weeks of years or seven times seventy years (490 years in all) (Daniel 9:24).  But Daniel had a second prayer, but with this prayer, Daniel prayed and fasted for three full weeks (Daniel 10:1-2).  Why was such a delay in God answering this prayer?  Had he somehow told Daniel to “wait?”

“And, behold, an hand touched me, which set me upon my knees and upon the palms of my hands.  And he said unto me, O Daniel, a man greatly beloved, understand the words that I speak unto thee, and stand upright: for unto thee am I now sent.  And when he had spoken this word unto me, I stood trembling.  Then said he unto me, Fear not, Daniel: for from the first day that thou didst set thine heart to understand, and to chasten thyself before thy God, thy words were heard, and I am come for thy words.  But the prince of the kingdom of Persia withstood me one and twenty days: but, lo, Michael, one of the chief princes, came to help me; and I remained there with the kings of Persia.  Now I am come to make thee understand what shall befall thy people in the latter days: for yet the vision is for many days” (Daniel 10:10-14).

We see from this passage that while Daniel prayed this time for three full weeks, the angel told him that from the first day that he had set his heart to understand, God heard his prayer and the commandment came forth for this angel to come forth and show him the answer to his request.  We see from the onset of Daniel’s prayer, God immediately answered his prayer, but for some reason this answer took three weeks to manifest.  Why was there a delay of three weeks for this prayer and manifestation for the previous prayer received immediately?  According to the angel, it the prince of the kingdom of Persia or a demonic entity that delayed him one and twenty days or three weeks and it was not until the angel Gabriel came to help him that he was able to get free and come to make Daniel understand what would befall the children of Israel.  From this, we see from this prayer that the delay was not of God but of a demonic force.

“And this is the confidence that we have in him, that, if we ask any thing according to his will, he heareth us: and if we know that he hear us, whatsoever we ask, we know that we have the petitions that we desired of him” (I John 5:14-15).  “For all the promises of God in him are yea, and in him Amen, unto the glory of God by us” (II Corinthians 1:20).

Scripture tells us that we can now have this confidence in knowing that if we ask any thing according to his will, he hears us and knowing that he hears any request that is according to his will, whatever the request, we have the petitions that we have asked of him.  But here is the icing on the cake, all of the promises of God and any thing based on the word of God are “Yes” and “Amen.”  God simply does not answer “No” to our prayers, however, he just doesn’t answer, honor, or listen to any request that is not in his will.  As for the delays being or not being denials, we see that had Daniel not stood on his faith and on the promise of God for three weeks, waiting for the manifestation, “the delay” may have been seen as “a denial.”  But now that you know the truth, knowing that God answers all prayers that are according to his will, immediately, how will this knowledge change the way you view prayer?  Will you now preserve one and twenty days or one and twenty years?

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: If You Don’t Know What To Believe

Each day we struggle with what to believe, questioning whether what we hear is of God or of the devil.  While there appears to be some ambiguity in the minds of many about God, we wanted to know who this God is that so many claim to serve.  Since we were tired of being tossed back and forth, going this way and that, turned about by every wind of doctrine and teaching of man (Ephesians 4:14), we decided to search the scriptures for ourselves to see what God has said about himself.  We found that the God we are supposed to serve tells us to put our trust in him.

“Thus saith the Lord; Cursed be the man that trusteth in man, and maketh flesh his arm, and whose heart departeth from the Lord.  For he shall be like the heath in the desert, and shall not see when good cometh; but shall inhabit the parched places in the wilderness, in a salt land and not inhabited.  Blessed is the man that trusteth in the Lord, and whose hope the Lord is.  For he shall be as a tree planted by the waters, and that spreadeth out her roots by the river, and shall not see when heat cometh, but her leaf shall be green; and shall not be careful in the year of drought, neither shall cease from yielding fruit” (Jeremiah 17:5-8).

Because we do not know who God is, then our faith and our trust ends up being misplaced.  We place more trust in mortal man, who can turn our hearts away from God than we place in trusting the actual word of God.  God tells us to “study to show thyself approved” so that we can “rightly dividing the word of truth” (II Timothy 2:15).  Scripture tells us that this “word of truth is given to tell you what to believe (for doctrine), what is wrong (for reproof), how to correct wrong (for correction), how to live (for instruction in righteousness).  You are to rely on the word of truth because it includes everything needed to grow in maturity, to be perfect (meaning proficient or capable), and to do what God wants” (II Timothy 3:16-17).

What must we do if we don’t know what to believe?  If you don’t know what to believe, then we suggest that you find out the truth for yourself.  Search the scriptures for yourself because the word of truth contains all you need, so that you will know what to believe and what not to believe.  We pray that today’s inspirational message will bless you and that you will share it 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