Devotion: I Am Wrong

Most of you have heard that old cliché, “Pride comes before the fall.”  According to scripture, “Pride goes before destruction and haughtiness before a fall” (Proverbs 16:18 TLB).  Pride by itself is not a bad thing.  We should be proud to be in the service of the Lord, but when our pride is combined with haughtiness, with arrogance, with conceit, with self-importance, then we end up heading in the wrong direction.  We find in scripture that, “The wicked, through the pride of his countenance, will not seek after God: God is not in all his thoughts” (Psalm 10:4).  To not seek after God, or to not have God in our thoughts is definitely not the path we should be following.  But again, this is not to say that we should not be proud of who we are, as children of the most High God, or proud to be in his service.

We also see in scripture, “For I say, through the grace given unto me, to every man that is among you, not to think of himself more highly than he ought to think; but to think soberly, according as God hath dealt to every man the measure of faith” (Romans 12:3).  Do not overestimate yourself by thinking more highly of yourself than you ought to think, but in the same token, do not underestimate yourself by thinking lesser of yourself than you ought to.  We should “think highly” of ourselves but to do so soberly, thoughtfully, and/or seriously, even as God, who is not a respecter of person (Romans 2:11), thinks of us, (Ephesians 4:24), which is free of arrogance, conceit, and self-importance.  The righteousness of God should be cause enough for us to conduct ourselves appropriately and in humility without any haughtiness.

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: The Bible Gives You Instructions For Victory

Most of us have a bible or two in our possession that we open from time to time to read, to study, to find encouragement, to be inspired or for various other reasons; too numerous to list here.  In fact, the scriptures tell us that the whole Bible “was given to us by inspiration from God and is useful to teach us what is true and to make us realize what is wrong in our lives; it straightens us out and helps us do what is right.  It is God’s way of making us well prepared at every point, fully equipped to do good to everyone” (II Timothy 3:16-17).  Basically, it is our instruction manual and our source for all things God.  The problem for many is that we do not understand the Bible, much less fully know its purpose.  The misunderstandings surrounding this book have only led to many heated debates, which have only served to confuse those who try to gain some type of understanding from the one source that is supposed to instruct us.

First, we need to understand that the Bible is a mystery book with many secrets, hidden in plain sight just waiting to be found.  As one person put it, “The Bible is a coded book, written as a kind of jigsaw puzzle creating a series of smaller pictures within an overall picture that only becomes clear in meaning when one properly pieces together all passages on a subject.”  It is only when we find the keys that we are able to unlock the mysteries or put together the puzzle pieces that allow us to understand the word of God that is contained in the Bible.  Next, we need to trust that God has given instructions, that when followed, will allow us to find those keys that will help with our understanding of those divine revelations from God.  God has told us to seek wisdom and know-how (Proverbs 4:5-7), to listen carefully to his words and to pay close attention to what is being said (Proverbs 4:20-22), to meditate on them day and night (Joshua 1:8), and to study and to rightly divide the word of truth (II Timothy 2:15) as part of the things we need to do.

Finally, we need to open our mind and open our heart so that we may see and hear the truths that God is trying to reveal to us through his Spirit.  We may have to do a little work in order to find truth and understanding, like stepping outside of or climbing over the walls of traditionalism or denominationalism that have kept many in bondage.  In doing so, we can remove any confusion, enabling us to grasp the meaning of all of the things of God.  It has been said, “A closed mind can only grow within the limits of its enclosure; an open mind grows with endless possibilities.”  The Bible is our instruction manual for victory, but you have to use it as an instruction manual.  You also have to open your mind to the endless possibilities contained within its cover.

We forever pray that this inspirational messages 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: Why I Speak In Tongues

There is a power that comes from the baptism of the Holy Spirit that is shunned by some religious denominations.  And while many have associated this power with “the gifts of the Holy Spirit” (I Corinthians 12:1-11), the power that we are speaking of is not the same, even though it comes from the same source.  In the last meeting Jesus had with his disciples before he ascended into heaven, he told them that when “the Holy Spirit had come upon them, they would receive power” (Acts 1:8) to testify of him to the entire world.  The power that Jesus spoke of was a special anointing that would enable them to do things beyond or outside of themselves.  Included in this power was the ability to speak in an unknown language or “the ability to speak in tongues.”

“And when the day of Pentecost was fully come, they were all with one accord in one place.  And suddenly there came a sound from heaven as of a rushing mighty wind, and it filled all the house where they were sitting.  And there appeared unto them cloven tongues like as of fire, and it sat upon each of them.  And they were all filled with the Holy Ghost, and began to speak with other tongues, as the Spirit gave them utterance” (Acts 2:1-4).

While “speaking in tongues is a part of the baptism of the Holy Spirit experience,” many denominations, for various reasons, have chosen to forgo any discussions on speaking in tongues.  Today’s inspirational message is about “the power of speaking in tongues;” however, if you do not believe that this power is for you, in this modern day, then this message is truly not for you.  This just happens to be one of those spiritual things that you have to completely believe in, in order to receive;  “for he that speaks in an unknown tongue, speaks to God, not unto men and he edifies himself” (I Corinthians 14:1-4).

As always, 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: Accept Jesus As Your Righteousness

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.”   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.

“Yes, and those who depend on the Jewish laws to save them are under God’s curse, for the Scriptures point out very clearly, ‘Cursed is everyone who at any time breaks a single one of these laws that are written in God’s Book of the Law.’  Consequently, it is clear that no one can ever win God’s favor by trying to keep the Jewish laws because God has said that the only way we can be right in his sight is by faith.  As the prophet Habakkuk says it, ‘The man who finds life will find it through trusting God.’  How different from this way of faith is the way of law, which says that a man is saved by obeying every law of God, without one slip.  But Christ has bought us out from under the doom of that impossible system by taking the curse for our wrongdoing upon himself.  For it is written in the Scripture, ‘Anyone who is hanged on a tree is cursed’ (as Jesus was hung upon a wooden cross).  Now God can bless the Gentiles, too, with this same blessing he promised to Abraham; and all of us as Christians can have the promised Holy Spirit through this faith” (Galatians 3:10-14 TLB)

We know that the righteous man finds life through his faith in God (Habakkuk 2:4 TLB) and not through a law that is not of faith, “for as it is written, the just shall live by faith” (Romans 1:17).  God has made it pretty simply, all we have to do is just accept Jesus Christ as our righteousness to be free from the curse of the law.

As you read today’s message, we pray that it will be an inspiration to you as well as a blessing.  Please share this message so that others may be blessed as well.  Amen.

Enjoy your blessings - KW

Devotion: You Are In The Army Of Love

Scripture tells us “if any man be in Christ, he is a new creature (creation): old things are passed away; behold, all things are become new” (II Corinthians 5:17).  So, if you be in Christ, then you be a new creature or creation.  When you become a new creation, the old things are passed away and all things are become new.  You are redeemed from your old sinful nature and a new nature is created for you, the same nature of the original man, before the fall.  And now that you have been brought into a relationship with Christ, then all those things that you needed to be humble before the Lord for, are passed away.  All of your sinful ways are passed away.  Your sinful nature are passed away.  Your pridefulness are passed away.  Your haughty heart are passed away.  If you be in Christ, then you be a new creation and old things are passed away.

“But God, who is rich in mercy, for his great love wherewith he loved us, even when we were dead in sins, hath quickened us (made us alive) together with Christ, (by grace ye are saved); and hath raised us up together, and made us sit together in heavenly places in Christ Jesus” (Ephesians 2:4-6).

Now God, who is rich in mercy, has made us (us being those who have come humbly before him when we repented of our sins, turned from our sinful ways, and asked Christ to come in and be a part of our life) alive together with Christ and have raised us (us being those who have come humbly before him) up together and made us (by now you know who us be) sit together in heavenly places in Christ Jesus.  You should know that it is our spirit, not our physical body that God has made alive together with Christ and raised our spirit up and it is our spirit that sits in heavenly places in Christ.

“And all things are of God, who hath reconciled us to himself by Jesus Christ, and hath given to us the ministry of reconciliation; to wit, that God was in Christ, reconciling the world unto himself, not imputing their trespasses unto them; and hath committed unto us the word of reconciliation.  Now then we are ambassadors for Christ, as though God did beseech you by us: we pray you in Christ's stead, be ye reconciled to God” (II Corinthians 5:18-20).

We see that God had a hidden plan to reconcile us unto himself, which he did while he was in Christ.  In reconciling us unto himself, God has made us alive together with Christ, and has raised us up together and made us sit together in heavenly places in Christ.  And in doing all of this, we have been made ambassadors for Christ, representatives, who have been entrusted with the ministry of reconciliation, the message beseeching all men to be reconciled to God.  As a new creation and an ambassador of Christ, entrusted with the ministry of reconciliation, you have been inducted into the army of love, inducted into the army of God.

Today’s inspirational message offers a glance into what being in God’s army truly means.  As you read the message, we pray that it will be an inspiration to you as well as a blessing.  Please share this message so that others may be blessed as well.  Amen.

Enjoy your blessings - KW

Devotion: Pray To Be Enlightened

Some of you have commented on the fact that we do not exclusively use the King James Version when we reference or quote scripture in our commentaries.  While we cannot comment or speak for the author(s) of any other resources that we share, we believe that using the many different translations that we have available at our disposal, actually helps in our understanding and better helps us to spread the true Gospel.  We know that the King James Version can be somewhat difficult to understand at times, mainly because of the way some of the sentences are constructed, and the choice of the words used in the interpretation of the original manuscripts.  We also know that there is the belief that the King James Version is “the only true and authorized translation” of God’s word in existence.  Our intent is not to offend those who share in this belief, but to state why we do not exclusively use the King James Version when we reference or quote scripture.

Scripture tells us that all scripture is given by inspiration of God so that the man of God may be complete and may be perfectly equipped for every good work (II Timothy 3:16-17), but it does not point us to any particular translation of the scriptures.  Scripture also tells us, “the word of our God shall stand for ever” (Isaiah 40:8) and that his “words shall never pass away” (Matthew 24:35).  We will be the first to admit that there are some translations in print that appear to miss the mark on some passages, but we are told, through scripture, to study to show ourselves approved unto God so that we can rightly divide the word of truth (II Timothy 2:15), as well as to help us recognize and understand all that God has for us to know.  This is why we have chosen to reference or quote scriptures from other translations as well as the King James Version: they help us in our understanding and we pray that they help our readers.  However, if the message is better delivered to you by using your favorite King James translation, then please substitute in those passages in place of any that we have provided.  It is far more important that the message be received, than it is to debate over which translations provided the message.  As for us, we use them all.

Hopefully, today’s inspirational message will enlighten you so that your eyes will be opened and that you get the understanding of all that God has for you to know.  As always, we pray that you will be blessed and informed by what you have read.  If you are blessed by this message, please share so that others may be blessed as well.  Amen.

Enjoy your blessings. - KW

Devotion: Mankind's Dominion

David wrote a psalm about “man having dominion over the works of God’s hand,” which has been translated in the King James Version to say; “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” (Psalm 8:4-6).  In this version, we see the translation says God has made man “a little lower than the angels,” even though man, who is created in the image and after the likeness of God, is given dominion over the works of God’s hand and has all things put under his feet.  When we think of man being “a little lower” than something, we think more in terms of rank, status, position, stature, importance and/or order.

“But I would have you know, that the head of every man is Christ; and the head of the woman is the man; and the head of Christ is God” (I Corinthians 11:3 KJV).

According to this passage, in terms of rank, status, position, etc., there is first, God, then Jesus, then man, and then woman, but nowhere are there the mention of angels.  Now, if man is created “a little lower than the angels” as the original text has been translated, then one would think that the angels would have been mentioned somewhere in the order of things in this passage.  Again, we remind you that man was originally created in the image and after the likeness of God, given dominion over the works of God’s hand, and has all things put under his feet “(Genesis 1:27).”

Here is what the scriptures tell us about the angels, “But to which of the angels said he at any time, Sit on my right hand, until I make thine enemies thy footstool?  Are they not all ministering spirits, sent forth to minister for them who shall be heirs of salvation” (Hebrews 1:13-14 KJV)?  According to this passage, all angels are ministering spirits that have been sent forth to minister, to serve, and to care for those who will be the heirs or inheritors of salvation.

Several versions have translated David’s words to say man was made “a little lower than God,” which appears to be more in line with the order we find in I Corinthians 11:3.  We point out this little difference, because we believe that knowing where man stands in relationship to God and his creation will help in your understanding of “mankind’s dominion” as you truly consider what David was trying to say in his psalm.

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