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: Rest A While

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

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

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

Devotion: When You Hurt, You Are Not Alone

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

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

Devotion: The Deceitfulness of Riches

Scripture upon scripture has revealed that God wants his children to prosper and he enjoys helping us to prosper.  Misinterpretations have caused many to reject the prosperity message, seeing it in a negative light.  Since “no man can serve two masters, because he will either love the one and hate the other or he will keep or hold on to one and have not respect for the other” (Matthew 6:24), prosperity has been taken off the table.  However, the Bible makes it clear that there is a right way or a godly way to prosperity and that there is a wrong way or an ungodly way to prosperity.

“Then someone called from the crowd, ‘Sir, please tell my brother to divide my father’s estate with me.’  But Jesus replied, ‘Man, who made me a judge over you to decide such things as that?  Beware!  Don’t always be wishing for what you don’t have.  For real life and real living are not related to how rich we are.’  Then he gave an illustration: ‘A rich man had a fertile farm that produced fine crops.  In fact, his barns were full to overflowing—he couldn’t get everything in.  He thought about his problem, and finally exclaimed, ‘I know—I’ll tear down my barns and build bigger ones!  Then I’ll have room enough.  And I’ll sit back and say to myself, “Friend, you have enough stored away for years to come.  Now take it easy!  Wine, women, and song for you!”’  But God said to him, ‘Fool!  Tonight you die.  Then who will get it all?’  Yes, every man is a fool who gets rich on earth but not in heaven” (Luke 12:13-21 TLB).

Although this rich man had a fertile farm that produced fine crops, his only concern or problem was that, “his barns were full to overflowing and he couldn’t get everything in.”  His biggest problem was that he did not have enough room to store all that he had amassed.  He thought he was the source of his prosperity, which is why he had the conversation with himself about what he had done and what he was going to do.  But God revealed to him “the deceitfulness of his riches,” eventually saying “every man is a fool who gets rich on earth but not in heaven.”

Before you throw this message under the bus, like other prosperity messages, keep in mind that we stated, “there is a right way or a godly way to prosperity and that there is a wrong way or an ungodly way to prosperity.”  Most people use the world’s roadmap to obtain their riches and/or to measure their wealth.  When we are the source of our financial prosperity and not God, we worry about everything and we tend to take credit for everything that we have amassed.  However, when God is the source of our prosperity, we do not have to worry about anything.  God’s roadmap is different from the world’s roadmap.  This is what God is talking about when he says, “every man is a fool who gets rich on earth but not in heaven.”  If we used the world’s roadmap to get rich and to measure our worth, then “we are fools.”

“Don’t store up treasures here on earth where they can erode away or may be stolen.  Store them in heaven where they will never lose their value and are safe from thieves.  If your profits are in heaven, your heart will be there too” (Matthew 6:19-21).

This rich man tried to store all of his wealth on earth, in barns no less.  None of his profits were stored in heaven and his heart was not on the things of God.  Scripture tells us that “The blessing of the Lord, it maketh rich, and he addeth no sorrow with it” (Proverbs 10:22).  According to this passage, it is “the blessing of the Lord” that makes a person rich.  When our prosperity comes this way, there is no sorrow added with it.  It appears that having “the blessing or favor of the Lord” is the key to receiving true prosperity God’s way.  With “the blessing or favor of the Lord,” we do not have the burden or the weight of producing and/or maintaining our own riches.  “The blessing or favor of the Lord” will bless all that we do and make us prosperous with no sorry or bad success added, for the sole purpose of enabling us to be a blessing to others.

To strive or chase after money as our main purpose or goal in life is the lure or “the deceitfulness of riches.”  It is this love of money, when money holds first place in your heart, that scripture says, “is the root of all evil” (I Timothy 6:6-10).  It is this love of money that leads many down that dark path where they will do all kinds of wrong things to get it.  It has the same properties as being addicted to something, where a person will do anything to satisfy that desire, that itch, or that need for more.  This is completely different from having money and knowing God’s purpose for having the money.  When correctly understood, prosperity is not for us, where we amass as much wealth as we can for ourselves.  This is “the deceitfulness of riches,” because “real life and real living are not related to how rich we are.”  The primary goal for the prosperity is for us to be a channel for money to flow through so that God can use us, “that he may establish his covenant” and that we may be a blessing to others.  Our personal wealth is a by-product of having “the blessing or favor of the Lord” in our life and is not the primary goal for the prosperity.  Do not allow yourself to be “deceived by the riches.”

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

Enjoy your blessings - KW

Devotion: Faith And Patience

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

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

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

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

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

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

Enjoy your blessings. - KW

Devotion: Are You Strong In The Lord?

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Enjoy your blessings. - KW

Devotion: The Fall Of The Devil

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Enjoy your blessings - KW

Devotion: Resist The Devil By Faith

Who is this wicked one we call Satan?  The scriptures do not reveal much detail about this entity even though there is a lot of speculation pertaining to him and his existence.  There is no time period that explains exactly when he came into existence.  According to scripture, there are no indications as to when, if any, a revolt happened or when the fall occurred.  The Bible is somewhat vague about how he became known as Satan and his origins.  The lack of verifiable facts has not stopped the speculation about his existence or lack thereof.

“And the great dragon was cast out, that old serpent, called the Devil, and Satan, which deceiveth the whole world: he was cast out into the earth, and his angels were cast out with him” (Revelation 12:9).

Lucifer was originally created as one of God’s highest angels.  Satan, who possesses all angelic attributes, is believed to have led some of the angels in a rebellion.  Many describe the devil as the originator and chef practitioner of sin (I John 3:8), as that wicked one (I John 5:18), as a thief and a destroyer (John 10:10), as a deceiver (Revelation 12:9), as a murderer and liar (John 8:44), and as the accuser of the brethren (Revelation 12:10).  Many believe his craftiness and deceitful nature was first depicted during the fall of mankind in Genesis 3:1-13, and in fact he can masquerade as an angel of light (II Corinthians 11:14), as he deceives the whole world (Revelation 12:19).  Many believe that he is in opposition to all things of God by counterfeiting the works of God and destroying all that is good.  The phrase “deceiveth the whole world” (Revelation 12:9) is a definitive statement, that is a statement of summary, which summarizes his actions in the earth realm.  During every free moment in the earth realm, his only purpose supposedly has been to deceive the world.

To “deceive” is to tell a “lie.”  He is accused of being the father of lies and the father of deceit.  The stories go on to say that if he can plant a lie, get you to accept it, then get you to act upon it, he can gain control of your mind in the battle for your soul.  Supposedly he wants you to think on things that are not true, keeping you confused, so that you will not know God’s will for your life.  An unmaintained, undisciplined thought-life occurs from the deceptions brought on by him.  His main goal is to cause you not to maintain your thought-life.  He is out to deceive you so that he might gain access to your soul through your mind.  Some say he is not a creator and has used the same tactics as he did during his first encounter with mankind.  Some claim he uses the same methods today that he used in that encounter with Eve in the garden.  Why would he change his methods of operation since they worked so well for him in the past against them that were pure in heart and mind?  They had no thoughts that were not pure to confuse their minds and no bad genes passed down for past generations to deal with like you do, but he used temptation to defeat them.  What he used to defeat them then, is what he will use to defeat you today.

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

Be sober (meaning clear minded) and be vigilant (meaning watchful) because your great enemy walks around like a hungry, roaring lion looking for some victim to devour.  Walks around like a hungry, roaring lion meaning he walks around roaring like a hungry lion, but he is not a lion.  Because he is the father of lies, he wants you to believe that he is a lion waiting to devour you.  He continuously travels through the earth realm, going back and forth in the earth, and walking up and down in it (Job 1:7), seeking souls to devour.  To seek whom he may devour means he has to seek those who are willing to play into his hands.  He does not have the right to devour anyone unless his or her action allows him to do that.  He must have your permission to devour you.  If you are looking for something or someone, it means that you do not have it or have not found them yet; therefore, he has no control over you unless you let him find you.

“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).

He has had many years to study human nature, but this does not mean we should be ignorant to his ways either (II Corinthians 2:11).  While you have been given authority over the power of the enemy, to resist him by faith, you should never underestimate him.  He just may prove not to be who you have been led to believe he is.

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: Endure Hardship

“No temptation has overtaken you except what is common to mankind.  And God is faithful; he will not let you be tempted beyond what you can bear.  But when you are tempted, he will also provide a way out so that you can endure it” (I Corinthians 10:13 NIV).

Too many so-called believers still have pieces of their old sinful nature still living within them.  While many have been able to put to death many aspects of their sinful natures, many choose to keep souvenirs, clinging to particular portions of their old life.  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).

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, death.

“But remember this—the wrong desires that come into your life aren’t anything new and different.  Many others have faced exactly the same problems before you.  And no temptation is irresistible.  You can trust God to keep the temptation from becoming so strong that you can’t stand up against it, for he has promised this and will do what he says.  He will show you how to escape temptation’s power so that you can bear up patiently against it” (I Corinthians 10:11-13 TLB).

While the old cliché says, “God never gives you more than you can bear,” we actually see that God will not allow you to be tempted beyond your capability to “stand up against the temptation, if you choose.”  But you have to be willing to find the way of escape and not allow that old sinful nature and the temptation to give birth to sin.  It is then, when you find that way of escape, that you will be able to endure and “stand up against it.”  Remember, God will provide a way out, a way to escape, but you have to look for it and be willing to use it.

We pray that today’s inspirational message will be a blessing to you and we pray that you will share them with others so that they may be blessed as well.  Amen.

Enjoy your blessings - KW

Devotion: Offering Time

A lot of discussion in the body of Christ on this topic of “tithing” has left many questions as to what should and should not be given.  Webster defines “tithe” as “one tenth of the annual produce of one’s annual income, paid as a tax or contribution to support a church or its clergy; a tenth part.”  Tithing is the practice of giving ten percent of one’s income to the Lord.

“Honor the Lord with thy substance, and with the firstfruits of all thine increase: so shall thy barns be filled with plenty, and thy presses shall burst out with new wine” (Proverbs 3:9).

We are to give honor to God with our substance or our very wealth and possessions as well as with the firstfruits of our increase.  As you read the rest of this verse, you see that those who obeyed this command had an increase; they had their barns filled with plenty, and their presses burst with new wine.  While we do not trade in the same commodities or the same ways as they did in those days, the basic principle still applies to us today.  The giving of tithes and offerings is the process of giving from the income that you receive, while firstfruits is the process of giving from the increase in income that you receive

“Will a man rob God?  Surely not!  And yet you have robbed me.  What do you mean?  When did we ever rob you?  You have robbed me of the tithes and offerings due me.  And so the awesome curse of God is cursing you, for your whole nation has been robbing me.  Bring all the tithes into the storehouse so that there will be food enough in my Temple; if you do, I will open up the windows of heaven for you and pour out a blessing so great you won’t have room enough to take it in!  Try it!  Let me prove it to you” (Malachi 3:8-10 TLB)!

In order to rob someone of something would mean that the something that was taken must already have belonged to the person it is taken from.  No one can be robbed of something that doesn’t belong to him or her.  Therefore, these tithes and offerings that are spoken of here must already belong to God.  In addition, we see that basic principle being applied here, where those who obeyed this command had an increase even though we again do not trade in the same commodities or the same ways as they did in those days.

This basic principle we are talking about is the principle of “seedtime and harvest or sowing and reaping” a principle which God established that says, “For whatsoever a man soweth, that shall he also reap” (Galatians 6:7).  We know that this principle applies to the words we speak as well as the things we do, where our words and actions are like seeds being planted in the ground that produces a crop from which we reap a harvest, be it good or be it bad, depending on what we have sown.

“But remember this—if you give little, you will get little.  A farmer who plants just a few seeds will get only a small crop, but if he plants much, he will reap much.  Everyone must make up his own mind as to how much he should give.  Don’t force anyone to give more than he really wants to, for cheerful givers are the ones God prizes.  God is able to make it up to you by giving you everything you need and more so that there will not only be enough for your own needs but plenty left over to give joyfully to others.  It is as the Scriptures say: “The godly man gives generously to the poor.  His good deeds will be an honor to him forever” (II Corinthians 9:6-9 TLB).

There are those that believe that if they give away their money, they won’t have anything left for themselves.  They have no faith in the scriptures, fearing that if they give away their money, they will not have enough to survive.  They struggle to make sense of what they see and what they think they know, believing that they have to take matters into their own hands.  Reality says that it is a major undertaking to make it through life with the money that they have, and they can’t believe that they are expected to give some away and are required to live on less.  Jesus validates this principle of giving in the following scripture.

“Give, and it will be given to you: good measure, pressed down, shaken together, and running over will be put into your bosom.  For with the same measure that you use, it will be measured back to you” (Luke 6:38 NKJV).

Jesus assures us that we can count on the principle of “sowing and reaping.”  This principle works, and it works the same way for everyone.  Give and you will receive.  Not only will you have enough for yourself, but the more you give, the more you'll be given.

“It is possible to give away and become richer!  It is also possible to hold on too tightly and lose everything.  Yes, the liberal man shall be rich!  By watering others, he waters himself” (Proverbs 11:24-25 TLB).

The more you sow into the kingdom of God the more you will reap from his kingdom.  Many don’t believe in the principle, but just because you don’t know about or believe in a thing has no bearing on how the thing works.  Many have problems with giving away their money and with tithing.  They find all kinds of excuses as to why they should not give their hard-earned money away.  To them, it makes no sense to give away what they consider theirs.  Look at it this way: We go out to eat and afterwards will give a total stranger (a waiter/waitress whose only job is to serve us our food), a fifteen (15) to twenty (20) percent tip because we don’t want them to think bad of us or it’s the politically correct thing to do, but we won’t give God the 10 percent or so that he is due.  He has never raised his rates.  They have remained the same since the beginning.  And to beat it all, when we are in trouble, we do not call on the name of that stranger (waiter/waitress) to help us, we will call on the Lord.  Now that is something to ponder.

But here is the most important thing to keep in mind about offering time. Giving an offering to God is a way of honoring and worshipping God by telling him, “I am trusting in and depending on you, God, to make it through and not myself or my money.”  Now that be a walk of faith, Amen.

We pray that our 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: Eternal Life

There is a phrase that was coined to define a so-called believer who confesses and believes in Christ Jesus, but lives a lifestyle that does not appear to glorify God while claiming the forgiveness and acceptance of God.  Some know this phrase as “the carnal Christian.”  But before any of you get on that high horse and start labeling people, we need to determine if this phrase is biblical or something that man created.  According to the dictionary, the word “carnal” is defined as “relating to the physical needs or strong desires of the body or the flesh in contrast to all that is spiritual.”

“For we are conscious that the law is of the spirit; but I am of the flesh, given into the power of sin.  And I have no clear knowledge of what I am doing, for that which I have a mind to do, I do not, but what I have hate for, that I do.  But, if I do that which I have no mind to do, I am in agreement with the law that the law is good.  So it is no longer I who do it, but the sin living in me.  For I am conscious that in me, that is, in my flesh, there is nothing good: I have the mind but not the power to do what is right.  For the good which I have a mind to do, I do not: but the evil which I have no mind to do, that I do.  But if I do what I have no mind to do, it is no longer I who do it, but the sin living in me.  So I see a law that, though I have a mind to do good, evil is present in me.  In my heart I take pleasure in the law of God, but I see another law in my body, working against the law of my mind, and making me the servant of the law of sin which is in my flesh.  How unhappy am I! who will make me free from the body of this death?  I give praise to God through Jesus Christ our Lord.  So with my mind I am a servant to the law of God, but with my flesh to the law of sin” (Romans 7:14-25 – BBE).

Here we have biblical evidence supporting the “carnal” part of our phrase “carnal Christian,” but can this be applied biblically to the definition of a Christian?  According to the dictionary, the word “Christian” is defined as “a person who believes in Jesus Christ as his or her savior.”

“That if thou shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus, and shalt believe in thine heart that God hath raised him from the dead, thou shalt be saved.  For with the heart man believeth unto righteousness; and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation” (Romans 10:9-10).

Here we have biblical evidence supporting the “Christian” part of our phrase “carnal Christian.”  We trust that from these passages you can see that “a person who believes in Jesus Christ as his or her savior but is dominated by the physical needs or the strong desires of the body or the flesh in contrast to all that is spiritual” is by definition, “a carnal Christian.”  And yes, we have a little experience in this area.  You see, we have been that “carnal Christian.”  We accepted Jesus Christ as our Lord and Savior, were baptized in the name of the Father, Son, and Holy Ghost, and believed it or not, we were sanctified or at least that was what we were told.  We regularly attended church, was very active with our membership, and we were well versed in the Scriptures or at least we thought we were.  We believed that we were saved and considered to be righteous, and we were taught that nothing could take our salvation from us.  And if we failed, all we had to do was to get down on our knees, ask to be forgiven, and we would be forgiven.  But it was the following verse that gave us revelation into the destructive nature of the carnal Christian lifestyle, or so we thought.

“For they that are after the flesh do mind the things of the flesh; but they that are after the Spirit the things of the Spirit.  For to be carnally minded is death; but to be spiritually minded is life and peace.  Because the carnal mind is enmity against God: for it is not subject to the law of God, neither indeed can be.  So then they that are in the flesh cannot please God” (Romans 8:5-8).

What we did not realize was those who allowed themselves to be controlled by the things of the flesh lived only to please themselves, which in itself leads to death.  We did not fully understand that our carnal Christian lifestyle actually did not and never could obey or please God because our “carnal mindedness was enmity against God,” bent on only following our earthly thinking and our evil flesh nature.  But thank God for his grace and mercy and for revealing the truth to us.  We found that being spiritually minded, making the effort to follow after the Spirit actually led to us being controlled by the things of the Spirit.  But more important was the revelation that when we were led and controlled by the Spirit, we wanted to live our life doing those things that were pleasing to God, which in itself leads to life and peace everlasting.  So, here is the biggest revelation from God.  That “Carnal Christian” definition mentioned above is actually the man-made definition of the term and not the biblical definition of it.  But that’s a story for another time.

We pray that our inspirational message will give you a slightly different perspective on obtaining life and peace everlasting.  We pray you will be blessed, informed, and all the better for having read this.  If blessed by this message, please share so that others may be blessed as well.  Amen.

Enjoy your blessings - KW

Devotion: Take What God Has Given You

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

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

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

Enjoy your blessings - KW

Devotion: Words Steer Your Life

The Bible tells us that “death and life are in the power of the tongue” (Proverbs 18:21), which suggests that with one’s mouth an individual can speak death into his or her life or the same individual can speak life into his or her life.  Did you know that the words that you speak will produce a crop much like that of the farmer who plants a field?  If you plant death, then death is what you will reap, in its full measure.  And if you plant life, then life will be what you reap, in its full measure.  If you plant sickness, then sickness will be what you will reap or if you plant health or healing, then health or healing will be what you will reap, all in their full measure.  The words that we speak are like seeds that are planted in the ground.  And from those seeds, we reap that for which we have sown.  This is why the words that we speak are so important; they really do control the things that happen to us.

Most people do not believe that we choose what happens to us.  And regardless of how things appear in the world, the truth of the matter is that we do choose what happens in our life through the words that we speak.  We know some of you will find this notion of words controlling what happens to us hard to accept and unfortunately, we do not have enough room to fully cover the topic here but consider this.  If it be possible “for you to be saved by a confession of your mouth” (Romans 10:9-10) not to forgo the believing in the heart part, then do you think it be possible “for you to be condemn by a confession of your mouth as well,” provided the belief in the heart is there?  And we know that people don’t believe that such a negative belief exist in their heart, but according to scripture, “of the abundance of the heart, the mouth speaks” (Luke 6:45).  So, whether it be good or bad treasures that are stored in your heart, what is stored there will eventually come out through your mouth.  And when it comes out, it will bring forth that which is good or that which is evil.

Many are not aware that God has built a system that works based on what a person says, which is an interesting thought in itself.  However, more interesting is the power that our tongue has (James 3) in this system.

“You have been trapped by what you said, ensnared by the words of your mouth” (Proverbs 6:2 NIV).

Scripture tells us that we have been ensnared by the words the come out of your mouth.  In simpler terms, we have been trapped by what we say.  And you still think what you say is not important.  There is more scriptural evidence that bear witness to a system that hinges on what you say, be it saying something good or be it saying something bad.  But we do want you to know two things; death and life are truly in the power of a person’s tongue and “words steer your life.”  So give care to the words that you speak, they do more than you think.  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

Do You Believe Jesus Was Tempted? (concluded)

To be tempted in all points as we are, with every temptation known to man and not give in to a single one is simply amazing.  The scriptures tell us that he was without sin.  To endure two major battles at the same time in a forty-day span is just too difficult to wrap one’s mind around without completely being mesmerized by the details.  First, the earthly battle between his spirit and his flesh and then the spiritual battle between his spirit and the devil, in which he was victorious in both.  Now, how impressed are you with the awesomeness of our high priest, Jesus Christ?  We have discovered that the level of awesomeness totally depends on whom or what a person believes Jesus to be.  While many claim to believe in Jesus, the controversy surrounding his identity has made it more and more difficult to separate the fact from the fiction.  And while we understand that you may know Jesus, bear with us as we share with everyone else some of the descriptions we found for the one every claims to know.

We found some who believe him to be God himself.  Some who believe him to be part of the three-in-one trilogy called the Trinity.  Some believe him to be only a man.  Some say he was just a myth, that he never existed.  Some believe him to be some combination of God and man, both one-hundred percent God and one-hundred percent man; or fifty percent God and fifty percent man; or some in between combination.  Some say he has no beginning because he always existed.  Others say he has always existed because he created the universe and all that we see while some say he helped the Father with creation.  Some say he has a beginning but he was, at some point created before the universe.  Still some say he has a beginning but not until he was brought forth, created in the womb of Mary.

Do You Believe Jesus Was Tempted? (continued)

So how awesome does this make our high priest, Jesus Christ?  To know that he was tempted with every temptation common to man and yet he was without sin is simply amazing.  Let us continue our examination into the temptations of our high priest.

And Jesus being full of the Holy Ghost (Holy Spirit) returned from Jordan, and was led by the Spirit into the wilderness, being forty days tempted of (tested by) the devil.  And in those days he did eat nothing: and when they were ended, he afterward hungered (was hungry).  And the devil said unto him, If thou be the Son of God, command this stone that it be made bread.  And Jesus answered him, saying, It is written, That man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word of God.  And the devil, taking him up into an high mountain, showed unto him all the kingdoms of the world in a moment of time.  And the devil said unto him, All this power (authority) will I give thee, and the glory of them:  for that is delivered unto me; and to whomsoever I will I give it.  If thou therefore wilt worship me, all shall be thine.   And Jesus answered and said unto him, Get thee behind me, Satan: for it is written, Thou shalt worship the Lord thy God, and him only shalt thou serve.  And he brought him to Jerusalem, and set him on a pinnacle of the temple, and said unto him, If thou be the Son of God, cast thyself down from hence:  for it is written, He shall give his angels charge over thee, to keep thee:  and in their hands they shall bear thee up, lest at any time thou dash thy foot against a stone.  And Jesus answering said unto him, It is said, Thou shalt not tempt (test) the Lord thy God.  And when the devil had ended all the temptation, he departed from him for a season (Luke 4:1-13).

Do You Believe Jesus Was Tempted?

Here is some food for you to digest.

For we have not an high priest which cannot be touched with the feeling of our infirmities; but was in all points tempted like as we are, yet without sin (Hebrews 4:15).

Did you know that we do not have a high priest who cannot be touched with the feeling of our infirmities?  No, we do not.  What we do have is a high priest who can be touched with the feeling of our infirmities and one who was tempted in one point as we are.

Did we say one point?  We are terribly sorry.  We meant to say is that we do have a high priest who can be touched with the feeling of our infirmities and one who was tempted in two points as we are.

Wait a minute, what did we say?  Two points?  Again, we are so sorry, but we think we got it this time.  We do have a high priest who can be touched with the feeling of our infirmities and one who was tempted in several points as we are.