Devotion: God Gave Us Dominion

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

“When I consider thy heavens, the work of thy fingers, the moon and the stars, which thou hast ordained; what is man, that thou art mindful of him? and the son of man, that thou visitest him?  For thou hast made him a little lower than the angels, and hast crowned him with glory and honor.  Thou madest him to have dominion over the works of thy hands; thou hast put all things under his feet:  all sheep and oxen, yea, and the beasts of the field; the fowl of the air, and the fish of the sea, and whatsoever passeth through the paths of the seas” (Psalm 8:3-8).

Devotion: Don't Be Afraid To Die

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

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

Devotion: 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: You Are Born To Win

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

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

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

Devotion: 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: 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: 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: Jesus Is Your Righteousness

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Enjoy your blessings - KW

Devotion: God Loves You More Than You Love Yourself

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Enjoy your blessings. - KW

Devotion: Jesus Is Lord

Jesus is Lord.  Yes, that is right; we said that Jesus is Lord.  Scripture tells us that there is power in the name of Jesus.

“Wherefore God also hath highly exalted him, and given him a name which is above every name: that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, of things (those) in heaven, and things in (those on) earth, and things (those) under the earth; and that every tongue should confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father” (Philippians 2:9-11).

We see that when God raised Jesus up to the heights of heaven, he highly exalted him and gave him a name that is above every other name.  God gave him a name that at his name that every knee, the knee of those in heaven, the knee of those on the earth, and the knee of those under the earth would bow.  God gave him a name that every tongue would confess, acknowledging that Jesus the Christ is Lord to the glory of the Father.  Basically, God bestowed a name to him that at the mere mention of the name Jesus, every knee, no matter where that knee may be, would bow and every tongue would confess that Jesus is Lord, all to the glory of God the Father.

“If you declare with your mouth, ‘Jesus is Lord,’ and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved” (Romans 10:9 NIV).

For those who want to be saved, they must confess, “Jesus is Lord,” while believing in their heart, that God raise him from the dead.  Isn’t it interesting that your salvation is connected to your acknowledgement that “Jesus is Lord.”

“I pray that you will begin to understand how incredibly great his power is to help those who believe him.  It is that same mighty power that raised Christ from the dead and seated him in the place of honor at God’s right hand in heaven, far, far above any other king or ruler or dictator or leader.  Yes, his honor is far more glorious than that of anyone else either in this world or in the world to come.  And God has put all things under his feet and made him the supreme Head of the Church—which is his body, filled with himself, the Author and Giver of everything everywhere” (Ephesians 1:19-23 TLB).

God has placed Jesus in a position of the highest honor, at his right hand in the heavenly realms, far over all rule, authority, and power as well as above every name that can be named, not only in the present world, but also in the world to come.  God has placed all things under his feet and has made him the head of the Church, which is his body.

“And Jesus came and spake unto them, saying, All power is given unto me in heaven and in earth” (Matthew 28:18).

All power in heaven and in the earth has been given to Jesus, because “Jesus is Lord.”  Yes, that is right, we said it once and we are saying it again, “Jesus is Lord.”

Once again, we are so appreciative and give thanks to God for all he has done for us and all that he is doing with this ministry.  We are truly grateful for all he has provided us and we give praise, honor, and glory to God for each of you.  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: The Gift of Grace

“As for you, you were dead in your transgressions and sins, in which you used to live when you followed the ways of this world and of the ruler of the kingdom of the air, the spirit who is now at work in those who are disobedient.  All of us also lived among them at one time, gratifying the cravings of our flesh and following its desires and thoughts.  Like the rest, we were by nature deserving of wrath.  But because of his great love for us, God, who is rich in mercy, made us alive with Christ even when we were dead in transgressions—it is by grace you have been saved.  And God raised us up with Christ and seated us with him in the heavenly realms in Christ Jesus, in order that in the coming ages he might show the incomparable riches of his grace, expressed in his kindness to us in Christ Jesus.  For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith—and this is not from yourselves, it is the gift of God—not by works, so that no one can boast.  For we are God’s handiwork, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do” (Ephesians 2:1-10 NIV).

“But now apart from the law the righteousness of God has been made known, to which the Law and the Prophets testify.  This righteousness is given through faith in (through the faithfulness of) Jesus Christ to all who believe.  There is no difference between Jew and Gentile, for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God, and all are justified freely by his grace through the redemption that came by Christ Jesus.  God presented Christ as a sacrifice of atonement, through the shedding of his blood—to be received by faith.  He did this to demonstrate his righteousness, because in his forbearance he had left the sins committed beforehand unpunished— he did it to demonstrate his righteousness at the present time, so as to be just and the one who justifies those who have faith in Jesus” (Romans 3:21-26 NIV).

“All these new things are from God who brought us back to himself through what Christ Jesus did.  And God has given us the privilege of urging everyone to come into his favor and be reconciled to him.  For God was in Christ, restoring the world to himself, no longer counting men’s sins against them but blotting them out.  This is the wonderful message he has given us to tell others.  We are Christ’s ambassadors.  God is using us to speak to you: we beg you, as though Christ himself were here pleading with you, receive the love he offers you—be reconciled to God.  For God took the sinless Christ and poured into him our sins.  Then, in exchange, he poured God’s goodness into us” (II Corinthians 5:18-21 TLB)!

Scripture clearly states that no one can be declared righteous or made right with God by trying to keep the law.  Those who depend on the law to save them are under God’s curse, for it is written, “Cursed is everyone who breaks a single one of the laws written in the book of the law at anytime” (Galatians 3:10 TLB).  The law, which has nothing to do with faith, teaches that those who do or follow these things (the law) will only have life in doing or following them (the law).  But thank God, Christ has redeemed us and brought us out from under the doom of that impossible system of laws by taking on the curse himself.  Yes, Christ purchased our freedom from the curse of the law by becoming a curse for us when he hung on that wooden cross.  Because Christ purchased our freedom, we now can share in the blessings belonging to Abraham, who was full of faith and accepted God’s promise.  It is through the blessings of Abraham that we of like faith might receive the Spirit that God had promised to give (Galatians 3:10-14).  The man who finds life will find it through his faith in God (Habakkuk 2:4) and not through a law that is not of faith.  Justified freely by his grace (Romans 3:24), the just shall live by faith.

As always, we pray that today’s devotion will give you a new perspective on this “free gift of God, this gift of grace,” which is given by the righteousness of Jesus Christ and has been made available to all.  If you are blessed by this devotion, please share so that others may be blessed as well.  Amen.

Enjoy your blessings - KW

Devotion: An Ugly Tree

It was the first man, Adam who came from the earth, who “was made a living soul” (I Corinthians 15:45).  Scripture tells us “Adam was the figure or the type of him who was to come” (Romans 5:14).  It was Jesus who was first made in the likeness of earthy man, fashioned as the first.  Then upon his resurrection, “he was made a quickening or life-giving spirit” (I Corinthians 15:45).  We know that first came the natural man and then came the spiritual man.  And as we have bore the image of the earthly man, we now have the opportunity to bear the image of the heavenly man.  We now have the opportunity to put on a spiritual body that comes directly from God.

“And we know that all things work together for good to them that love God, to them who are the called according to his purpose.  For whom he did foreknow, he also did predestinate to be conformed to the image of his Son, that he might be the firstborn among many brethren.  Moreover whom he did predestinate, them he also called: and whom he called, them he also justified: and whom he justified, them he also glorified” (Romans 8:28-30).

We are fully aware that all things work together for the good to those who have love for God.  It is those who have this love for God that have come to him and it is them that he has declared not guilty, and filled with the goodness of Jesus Christ.  He has given them right standing and given them his glory.  For God knew before the beginning, pre-destined, if you will, that those who would come to him would bear the likeness of the only begotten son of God, that he, Jesus Christ might be the firstborn among many brothers.

“If in this life only we have hope in Christ, we are of all men most miserable.  But now is Christ risen from the dead, and become the firstfruits of them that slept.  For since by man came death, by man came also the resurrection of the dead.  For as in Adam all die, even so in Christ shall all be made alive.  But every man in his own order: Christ the firstfruits; afterward they that are Christ's at his coming” (I Corinthians 15:19-23).  “Christ hath redeemed us from the curse of the law, being made a curse for us: for it is written, Cursed is every one that hangeth on a tree” (Galatians 3:13).

If our hope in Jesus rest solely in this present life, then we have completely missed the boat.  Jesus Christ has risen from the dead to become the firstfruits of them who have died or slept.  He is the firstfruits of the first resurrection.  This be the resurrection from the dead that came to all men because of what Jesus himself did.  It is in this life, this resurrected life, that we are to rest our hope.  We know that everyone dies because all of us are related to Adam, being members of his sinful race, and wherever there is sin, death results.  And because all who are in Christ are related to Christ, then all will rise again because Christ redeemed us when he hung on that “ugly tree”

We forever pray that this 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: When You Sin

Tradition teaches us that sin is “a violation of divine law.”  And tradition teaches us that we are all sinners because we have violated the law.  While we do commit and/or practice sin, we are not sinners because of either of these reasons; we are actually sinners because we have a sin nature, a nature that was created by Adam.  You see, when Adam fell, the entire human race was constituted or formally established as sinners.

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

It was by one man’s disobedience that we were made sinners.  Adam was the first man and the forefather of the entire human race (Genesis 2:19) and the consequences of his disobedience affected all mankind.  The belief is that when he sinned, it was as if we all had sinned at the same time.  And at the same time, “death was passed upon all men” (Romans 5:12).  For it was at this point in time that the phrase, “For all have sinned and fallen short of the glory of God” (Romans 3:23) took on its meaning.

We know from scripture that by man, Adam, came sin and with sin came death.  These things were passed on to all mankind, so that all mankind were guilty of sinning and all mankind would die.  The fact that God would impute the disobedience of one man to the entire human race may seem a little unfair to many of you.  It really is not as unfair as you think.

“For since by man came death, by man came also the resurrection of the dead.  For as in Adam all die, even so in Christ shall all be made alive” (I Corinthians 15:21-22).

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 Jesus Christ’s just as he imputed the sin of Adam to the account of all of mankind making everyone sinners.  Imputed righteousness in place of imputed sin; sounds fair to us.  Death came into the world because of what man (Adam) did.  And it is because of what this other man (Jesus) has done that now there is the resurrection from the dead.  Everyone dies because all of us are related to Adam, being members of his sinful race, and wherever there is sin, death results.  But all who are related to Jesus Christ will rise again, as members of his spiritual race.  Death came into the world because of what man (Adam) did.  And it is because of what this other man (Jesus) has done that now there is the resurrection from the dead.

By one man’s disobedience, sin entered into the world.  And with that sin came death, spreading throughout the world; for all die because of Adam.  And because of Adam, everything began to grow old and die.  But by one man’s obedience, sin’s curse was defeated.  And with that defeat came the resurrection of the dead, for in Christ shall all be made alive.  But now we want to look at the contrast between the one who started all of this and the one who ended all of this.

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

Adam’s sin brought punishment to all, causing all to become sinners because he disobeyed God.  It was the righteousness of Christ that made man right with God again so that they could live.  Christ gave many the opportunity to be made acceptable to God; all because he obeyed.

The free gift of God does not work the same way that the transgression of man did.  Because of one man’s sin, the death penalty was brought to many, but this free gift of God is so much more.  This gift, a gift of grace, is given by the righteousness of Jesus Christ.  He has taken away all sin and replaced it with glorious life.  But this gift does not have the same effect as the sin of the one, Adam.  Adam provoked a judgment that resulted in the condemnation of everyone.  The gift of grace, however, resulted in the justification for a multitude of transgressions.

Again, you are not a sinner because you commit and/or practice sin, you are sinner because of the sin nature that was created and passed down by Adam when he fell.  By accepting Jesus Christ as your Lord and savior, you be in Christ and Christ be in you.  When you are in Christ and Christ in you, then your sin nature is changed and you become a new creature or creation.  And as a new creation, your old sinful nature be passed away and a new nature is created in you, a justified and upright nature, a nature that is Christ-like.

We pray that today’s inspirational message will give you a new perspective on this thing called “sin.”  We pray that that this message will bless you, inform you, and that you will be the better for having read this message.  If blessed, please share so that others may be blessed as well.  Amen.

Enjoy your blessings - KW

Devotion: The Blood Speaks

Recently, we discussed the power that was in the sacrificial blood of Jesus Christ.  We discovered that he, using his own blood as the payment, was able to go straight into the Holy of Holies to, once and for all, obtain redemption for us and secure our eternal salvation.

“For verily he took not on him the nature of angels; but he took on him the seed of Abraham.  Wherefore in all things it behoved him to be made like unto his brethren, that he might be a merciful and faithful high priest in things pertaining to God, to make reconciliation (propitiation) for the sins of the people.  For in that he himself hath suffered being tempted, he is able to succor (aid) them that are tempted” (Hebrews 2:16-18).

Since we were human beings, Jesus Christ, who did not take on the nature of angels, instead took on the same nature as his brethren, flesh and blood.  Being born in human form, it was the only form in which he could willingly give himself to death to rescue us from the penalty of sin and to break the power of the one who have the power over death, that being the devil (Hebrews 2:14).  In dying, he became our High Priest, who went directly before God, once and for all, to obtain eternal redemption for us.  In dying, he became our merciful and faithful high priest, a mediator, who understood what it is like when we suffer and are tempted having experienced suffering and temptations firsthand.

“But now hath he obtained a more excellent ministry, by how much also he is the mediator of a better covenant, which was established upon better promises” (Hebrews 8:6).  “How much more shall the blood of Christ, who through the eternal Spirit offered himself without spot to God, purge your conscience from dead works to serve the living God?  And for this cause he is the mediator of the new testament, that by means of death, for the redemption of the transgressions that were under the first testament, they which are called might receive the promise of eternal inheritance” (Hebrews 9:14-15). “Wherefore then serveth the law?  It was added because of transgressions, till the seed should come to whom the promise was made; and it was ordained by angels in the hand of a mediator.  Now a mediator is not a mediator of one, but God is one” (Galatians 3:19-20).  “For there is one God, and one mediator between God and men, the man Christ Jesus; who gave himself a ransom for all, to be testified in due time” (I Timothy 2:5-6).

In dying, Jesus Christ became our mediator to the new covenant, a covenant that had better promises and a better system than the old covenant.  In dying, Jesus Christ made clean the hearts of those who have answered the call, freeing them from the worry of having to obey the old rules and dead works so that they could become servants of the ever-living God and receive the eternal inheritance, which had been promised to them.  The old rules were given, after the promise, as a way to define sin and to show man how guilty he truly was of breaking God’s laws.  The old rules were only designed to last until the coming of Jesus Christ, the seed of Abraham to which the promise was made that he would be used as the go-between of the new covenant much like Moses was used as a go-between in the old covenant.  When God made the old covenant, he used Moses as the mediator between himself and the people to give the details to the people, but with the new covenant, God had to wait for a mediator, so that he could give the details of the new covenant to us as Moses had done previously.  Scripture tells us, there is one God and one mediator, one negotiator of the new covenant between God and men, the man Jesus Christ.  Therefore, all that have accepted and answered the call must be very careful to listen to and obey this mediator, because he has been set up as the go-between to give us the details of the new covenant.

We forever 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 his message, please share so that others may be blessed as well.  Amen.

Enjoy your blessings - KW

Devotion: Sprinkle The Blood

There is power in the blood of Jesus.

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

His death rescued mankind from the penalty of sin.  He came as the High Priest of the new covenant, a covenant that would come later, having better promises and a better system than the one of old.  Because he now has a more perfect tabernacle, one not made of hand nor made by men nor being a part of this world, but one resurrected, he was able to bypass the restrictions of the old tabernacle and go straight into the Holy of Holies to once and for all obtain eternal redemption for us.  Using his own blood as the payment and not the blood of goats and calves, he entered into that inner room in the holy place and secured our eternal salvation.  He set us free.  For if the blood of bulls and goats and the ashes of young cows could cleanse those under the old covenant from sin, how much more should his blood, he who came with a new covenant, cleanse us inside and out and transform our lives and our hearts.  With help from the eternal Holy Spirit, he, who being perfect and without a single sin or fault offered himself as an unblemished sacrifice.  He willingly gave himself to God to die for our sins so that we could be free from the concerns of having to follow and obey the rules of the old covenant and live all out for God.  That’s right, it was Jesus Christ who did all of these things for us and that’s why “there is power in the blood of Jesus.”

“And almost all things are by the law purged (cleansed) with blood; and without shedding of blood is no remission (forgiveness).  It was therefore necessary that the patterns of things in the heavens should be purified (cleansed) with these; but the heavenly things themselves with better sacrifices than these.  For Christ is not entered into the holy places made with hands, which are the figures (copies) of the true; but into heaven itself, now to appear in the presence of God for us: nor yet that he should offer himself often, as the high priest entereth into the holy place (Most Holy Place) every year with blood of others; for then must he often have suffered since the foundation of the world: but now once in the end of the world (ages) hath he appeared to put away sin by the sacrifice of himself.  And as it is appointed unto men once to die, but after this the judgment: so Christ was once offered to bear the sins of many; and unto them that look (eagerly wait) for him shall he appear the second time without (apart from) sin unto salvation” (Hebrews 9:22-28).

Under the old agreement, almost everything was cleansed by blood.  We see that without the shedding of blood, there was no forgiveness of sins.  Moses, after giving the people all the laws of God, dedicated the first covenant by sprinkling the blood of calves and goats over the book of the law and over all the people.  Scripture tells us that it was necessary for Moses to make the things down here on earth, all copied from the things in heaven, pure with these offerings, but the real things themselves in heaven, were to be made pure with a far more precious offering.  So, Christ, who did not enter into the earthly holy place, which was a copy of the one above, entered directly into the real temple in heaven itself and appeared before the mercy seat of God.  However, unlike the high priest down here on earth, who offered the blood of animals year after year as atonement for our sins, Christ went before the face of God, once, to make an offering of himself on our behalf.  By dying, Christ was able to put away the power of sin for all times as the ultimate sacrifice, unblemished and without a single sin or fault.  Again, it was Jesus Christ who did all of these things for us and that’s why “there is power in the blood of Jesus.”

We forever 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 Paid For Your Prosperity

In reading the scriptures, we find that there is a thief that “cometh not, but for to steal, and to kill, and to destroy (John 10:10).”  We also find in that same passage, Jesus telling us “he has come that we might have life and have that life more abundantly.”  Jesus, who was manifested to destroy the works of the thief (I John 3:8), came to seek and save that which was lost (Luke 19:10).  Many believe that Jesus’ main purpose for coming was to save individual lost souls, but truth be told, saving lost souls was just the by-product of what he actually did.

There were many things lost because of the disobedient actions of the first man.  It was the obedience of the second man (I Corinthians 15:47) that restored all that the first man lost (Romans 5:19).  Because of obedience, the second man became the firstborn among many brothers (Romans 8:29).  Because of obedience, the second man rose from the dead as the firstfruits of them who have died or slept (I Corinthians 15:20).  Because of obedience, the second man became the first to come back from the dead, who will die no more (Revelation 1:5).  The second man is the firstfruits of the first resurrection.  The second man is the firstborn or first in rank of or over every creature and has preeminence in all things.  Because of obedience, the second man was made ruler over all of the kings of the earth (Revelation 1:5).  Scripture after scripture, we see a comparison between the first man and the second man, also known as “the last Adam” (I Corinthians 15:45).

Among the many things that the last Adam restored, was our right standing with God (Romans 5:16-17).  This was by far the most important of all things restored.  This meant that our relationship with God was as it was at the very beginning with the first Adam.  It was like starting over, if you will.  The last Adam was able to get back the authority or dominion (Matthew 28:18) that the first Adam had lost (Luke 4:6) in the garden when he ate of the fruit (Genesis 3:6-7).  Because of the obedience of the last Adam, we have been redeemed from the curse of the law (Galatians 3:13) and given the privilege to become a child of God (John 1:12-13), so that all could share in the blessings of Abraham and receive the promise of the Spirit through faith (Galatians 3:14).  As a child of God, we now have the right to the inheritance of the new covenant, a better covenant, built with better promises (Hebrews 8:6-13), the right to a divine inheritance to the best in life, deserving all the Father has to offer (Romans 8:14-17), which includes the right to good health, wealth, and total life prosperity (III John 1:2).  We have all of this, because of the obedience of the second man, the last Adam, He paid for our prosperity.

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: Jesus Is The Resurrection

Scripture tells us “Jesus is the way, the truth, and the life.”  And scripture tells us “no man comes to the Father except by him” (John 14:6).  Scripture also warns us that “there will rise up false Christs and false prophets, who will show great signs and wonders that are so convincing that if it were possible, they would deceive the very elect” (Matthew 24:24; Mark 13:22).  And deceive us they do and they do it in fine fashion.  The many false prophets and the spirit of the antichrist have become very proficient with their deceptions, especially the devil.  Just look at what he was able to accomplish in his first encounter with mankind.  This group has had many, many years to perfect their skills and we have . . . . , yeah about that many to perfect ours.  Even if we started when we first enter into this world, it still pales in comparison to the length of time they have been perfecting their skills and what they are capable of doing.

Now we know that many of you have been taught or believe that you are the “elect of God” and we are in no way questioning your beliefs.  However, we would be remiss in our obligations as seekers of truth if we did not at least mention this possible deception.  The scriptures warn us of these false Christs and false prophets, who will rise up and show great signs and do wonderful miracles so realistic, that if it were possible, they, these signs and miracles “would deceive, trick, or even seduce the very elect.”  This means that whatever these great signs and wonderful miracles be, “they be good enough to fool the very elect,” if that was possible.  And since that is not possible, then what is possible is for these great signs and wonderful miracles “to deceive, trick, or even seduce everyone who is not one of the very elect.”

While we are not claiming to know whether someone be the elect or not, we do know that there are many false prophets and a spirit of the antichrist that are already come into the world.  And there is our enemy, the devil, who we know is also in the world.  But here is the thing; these guys are not walking around in “red suits with pitchforks.”  Nor are they walking around with “with a big red cape and the letters ‘FP’ (False Prophets) on their chest” like some Superman character.  The scriptures tell us that these guys can transform themselves into “apostles of Christ” and “ministers of righteousness.”  The scriptures even tell us that even Satan can transform himself into “an angel of light” (II Corinthians 11:13-15).  These guys are counterfeits, but not your run-of-the-mill counterfeits; they are high quality counterfeits.

Think about a counterfeit $20 bill.  It is designed to like exactly like the real deal, so much so, that it is nearly impossible to tell the difference.  But all counterfeits are flawed and if you know what you are looking for, you can find that flaw.  Those flaws can usually be found in the details of the counterfeits.  This is how it is with the deceptions of those out to deceive the world.  Their messages sound so close to the real deal that it is nearly impossible to detect them.  Think about it, if their message was a bad copy, it would be easily identified and would fool absolutely no one.  Therefore, it has to be really, really good in order to deceive the masses.  So, all of those people that have been fooled and those that are still being fooled, are being fooled by some really good counterfeits.  The only way to counter the counterfeit is to learn all we can about the real deal.  That way, when the counterfeit messages come, and they will, we will be able to detect the flaws and not be deceived.

We wish we had more room to fully cover this topic, but space is limited.  Yes, “Jesus is the resurrection;” he be the way, the truth, and the life and no man comes to the Father except by him; we just need to make sure that the one we follow be the real deal and not a high quality counterfeit capable of showing great signs and doing wonderful miracles.  We need to learn all that we possibly can about the real deal so that when the counterfeit comes, we can recognize them as well.  Keep in mind that “The voice of God will never, never,” and we say again with emphasis, “NEVER contradict the word of God.”  If the voice that speaks to you contradicts the word of God, then “IT BE NOT THE VOICE OF GOD.”  Amen.

If this message is a blessing to you, please share it so that others may be blessed by it as well.  Blessings.

Enjoy your blessings. - KW

Devotion: Enjoy Your Salvation

Salvation is a subject that is on the minds of many believers and some non-believers, with many wondering just what one must do to obtain salvation.  Depending on one’s religious affiliation, the information for obtaining salvation includes a range of steps that consist of anything from admitting being a sinner in need of a savior to repenting of one’s sin, confessing one’s sins to praying about receiving salvation, and working to earn salvation to performing some type of penance for salvation, just to list a few.  And no, we are not singling out any particular denomination or religious tradition, but the list of steps does appear to be endless.

Scripture tells us, “For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God: not of works, lest any man should boast” (Ephesians 2:8-9).  Salvation is a gift and gifts are usually free, without exception.  Salvation is a free gift from God.  Free gifts normally do not come with stipulations or require anything from the recipient except for one thing, the recipient must “accept and receive the free gift.”  You can choose “to accept the free gifts of grace (forgiveness) and righteousness (acquittal) that Jesus provided for us” (Romans 5:15-19), “this gift of salvation” (Romans 10:9-10), which leads “to life everlasting” (John 3:16-17) or you can choose to reject the free gift.  The beauty is, you get to decide if salvation is something that you want or not.  No one else can decide for you, which is the beauty of this choice.

The method that God has instituted “to accept and receive the free gift of salvation” is very clear and very specific.  A person must “confess with his or her mouth, believe in his or her heart that God raised Jesus from the dead in order for that person to be saved” (Romans 10:9-10).  The scriptures go on to say that “it is with the heart that he or she believes unto righteousness and with the mouth that the confession is made unto salvation.”

Are there more things that one has to do “to accept and receive the free gift of salvation?”  The answer is “No,” there is nothing else that one has to do “to accept and receive the free gift of salvation.”  Some believe that prayer or other religious rites or traditional ceremonies must be followed in order for one to receive salvation, but there is nothing scriptural to support such beliefs.  However, once you “accept and receive the free gift of salvation” there are other things that you will desire to do so that you can be all that God designed you to be.  Think of all of this in terms of baking a cake, which usually comes with a recipe that when followed exactly produces a finished and complete product.  We know that one has to start with the very first step in the process and “accepting and receiving the free gift of salvation” is that first step in a process to making one a finished and complete product of God.  And while there are shortcuts that can be taken when following recipes, this is not a recipe where one wants to take shortcuts.  Follow the recipe exactly as God has provided.  “Accepting and receiving the free gift of salvation” is the first step.  Once you complete the first step, learn to “Enjoy Your Salvation.”  Amen.

Salvation is such a controversial yet important topic that everyone has an opinion about.  Regardless of the source, you owe it to yourself to thoroughly examine and check out all information, especially on this particular topic, which includes this message.  Do not simply take our word about anything without verify the message for yourself.  As we continually say, “Words can be manipulated to say many things, just make sure the ones that you accept are those of God and not those of man.”  As always, if this message is a blessing to you, please share it so that others may be blessed by it as well.

Enjoy your blessings - KW