Devotion: Meeting Together

Did you know that God is not calling us to go to church?  Actually, he is calling us to be his church.  He wants us to be the hope of the world.

“And Jesus came and spake unto them, saying, All power (authority) is given unto me in heaven and in earth.  Go ye therefore, and teach (make disciples of) all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost: teaching them to observe all things whatsoever I have commanded you: and, lo, I am with you alway, even unto the end of the world.  Amen” (Matthew 28:18-20 NLT).

Known as “The Great Commission,” Jesus commanded his disciples to go and teach or make disciples of all nations.  He commanded that these new disciples be taught to observe all things whatsoever or to obey all the commands Jesus had given to his own disciples.  But what exactly is a disciple?  A disciple is not only a believer or a follower, but a disciple is more importantly a student and a pupil.  A disciple is a person who has been trained.  You cannot make disciples without some type of teaching.  And yes, there is a difference between preaching to someone and teaching someone.  Preaching proclaims the gospel where teaching explains the gospel.

This is not to say that there is no place for the preaching of the gospel, but preaching alone does not make disciples.  For example, preaching can proclaim the good news of salvation and can convert sinners into “born-again believers,” but what about afterwards?  What happens to the “born-again believer” once they have been saved or converted?

A person who is “born-again” should reflect or be like Christ, but not everyone who claims to be “born-again” is able to do so.  They more than likely continue to live a lifestyle that is contrary to being Christ-like mainly because they have not been taught that Christ-like lifestyle.  Scripture tells us “So then faith cometh by hearing, and hearing by the word of God” (Romans 10:17) and when that word comes in the form of a salvation message, then salvation is all that person will have faith for.

We fully understand that a person’s own evil desires play an important part in his or her lifestyle choices, but when the person is not taught to observe all things whatsoever or to obey all that Jesus commanded, then that person’s life tends to be run by the previous doctrines he or she used before becoming “born-again.”  This is why there is this emphasis on teaching others to become disciples and not just “born-again believers” or “new converts.”

For the true disciple of Christ, he or she will have the tools needed to live a Christ-like lifestyle, but it would be entirely different for “a new convert.”  A true disciple would have the faith to put God first, above everyone and everything else where “a new convert” may be in that growing stage where he or she is trying to find the true path to Christ.  Without the proper guidance, “a new convert” may stumble upon the wrong path going in the wrong direction or even resort back to old habits.  Most people are struggling with the hell they live in on this earth and are trying to find a way to overcome their situation.  And though the salvation message will make them feel good for a moment, it does nothing for the long haul to show them what to do after salvation.

Making new converts true disciples will help them to be more Christ-like in their actions and in their lifestyle choices.  Teaching them to observe all things whatsoever or to obey all the commands of Jesus will give them the tools they need to teach others to become disciples and not just new converts who are left to find their own way.

There is a lot more to being a disciple than what we have stated here.  This was just a short introduction for those who have that ear to hear and want to obey “The Great Commission,” where they go and make disciples of all nations, teaching “born-again believers” to observe all things whatsoever and to obey all the commands of Jesus Christ.  You first must become a true disciple yourself; you must become a student and a pupil of the teachings of Christ.  God is not calling us to go to church; he is calling us to be his church.

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: Give Your Burdens To God

Scripture tells us to cast our cares upon the Lord and he will sustain or carry them, that being our cares.

“Humble yourselves therefore under the mighty hand of God, that he may exalt you in due time: casting all your care upon him; for he careth for you” (I Peter 5:6-7).  “Cast thy burden upon the Lord, and he shall sustain thee: he shall never suffer (permit) the righteous to be moved (shaken)” (Psalm 55:22).

Basically, when we humble ourselves, yielding ourselves to God’s mighty hand, we can cast our cares upon him and he will exalt or lift us up in due time because he cares so much for us.  When we trust in the Lord to help us and commit everything we do to him, he will do just that, “help us.”

When we delight in the Lord, he will give us the desires of our heart.  All we have to do is just trust him to help us in our time of need.  But instead of casting our cares upon the Lord, we tend to carry them around with us like a badge of honor.  We tend to worry about things that we have little to no control over, especially when it comes to those things that may directly affect or impact our lives.

“That is why I tell you not to worry about everyday life—whether you have enough food and drink, or enough clothes to wear.  Isn’t life more than food, and your body more than clothing?  Look at the birds.  They don’t plant or harvest or store food in barns, for your heavenly Father feeds them.  And aren’t you far more valuable to him than they are?  Can all your worries add a single moment to your life?  And why worry about your clothing?  Look at the lilies of the field and how they grow.  They don’t work or make their clothing, yet Solomon in all his glory was not dressed as beautifully as they are.  And if God cares so wonderfully for wildflowers that are here today and thrown into the fire tomorrow, he will certainly care for you.  Why do you have so little faith?  So don’t worry about these things, saying, What will we eat?  What will we drink?  What will we wear?  These things dominate the thoughts of unbelievers, but your heavenly Father already knows all your needs.  Seek the Kingdom of God above all else, and live righteously, and he will give you everything you need.  So don’t worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will bring its own worries.  Today’s trouble is enough for today” (Matthew 6:25-34 TLB).

Scripture tells us that we should not worry or be over-anxious about the things of this life, but instead, trust in the Lord and cast these things, these cares upon him.  This does not mean that we get a free ride either where we do not have a part to play.  We must first seek the kingdom of God, which means finding the things of God is to be our first priority.  Then we must seek his righteousness, which means we must live righteously according to his commands.  Part of this righteous living includes putting our faith in him (Hebrews 11:6).  You see when we cast your cares upon the Lord, then we are saying that we have faith in him and that we trust in him to provide the things that we need (Philippians 4:19).  But listen to what God says in his word in response to our obedience, “he shall sustain or carry us; he shall never permit us, the righteous, to be shaken; he will exalt us in due time; and he will give us everything we need, all because he cares for us.  Now how awesome is that.

As you read today’s inspirational messages, we pray that this message will be an inspiration to you as well as a blessing and that you will be the better for having read them.  Please share this message so that others may be blessed as well.  Amen.

Enjoy your blessings - KW

Devotion: God’s Way Is Best

God wants the best for all of his children.  He wants the best for every aspect of our lives, no matter how large or how small that aspect may be.  We need to understand that God only gives us his best, the best advice and the best course of action for every situation that could possibly arise in our lives.  The problem for many of us is that we tend to ignore God and try to go it on our own.  Instead of allowing God to “drive the car,” so to speak, we throw him in the back seat as we hit the road of life.  Some of us throw him as far back as the trunk, Amen.  We then try to follow the road map that we have laid out for our lives instead of the one that God has for us.  Truth be told, we really should trust in the Lord and allow him to direct our path.

“Trust in the Lord with all thine heart; and lean not unto thine own understanding.  In all thy ways acknowledge him, and he shall direct (make smooth or straight) thy paths.  Be not wise in thine own eyes: fear the Lord, and depart from evil.  It shall be health to thy navel (body), and marrow (strength) to thy bones” (Proverbs 3:5-8).  “For I know the thoughts that I think toward you, saith the Lord, thoughts of peace, and not of evil, to give you an expected end” (Jeremiah 29:11).

God has declared that he knows the thoughts or the plans he has for us, plans to prosper us and not hurt or harm us.  He has plans to give us hope and a future.  It would only make sense to follow God’s plans for us, which guarantees us peace and an expected end.

“My son, attend to my words; incline thine ear unto my sayings.  Let them not depart from thine eyes; keep them in the midst of thine heart.  For they are life unto those that find them, and health to all their flesh” (Proverbs 4:20-22).

Yes, this is true.  God tells us that if we listen carefully and give ear to his sayings, keeping them in the midst of our hearts and mind, not allowing them to depart from our eyes, then we will find that God words are life unto those who find them and health to all their flesh.

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

God tells us to “study to show thyself approved” so that we can “rightly divide the word of truth” (II Timothy 2:15), but most of us do not adhere to this command.  This word of truth is given “to tell you what to believe (for doctrine), what is wrong (for reproof), how to correct wrong (for correction), how to live (for instruction in righteousness).  You are to rely on the word of truth because it includes everything needed to grow in maturity, to be perfect (meaning proficient or capable), and to do what God wants” (II Timothy 3:16-17).  The idea that we are to “attend to his words” holds little meaning for some because just carrying a Bible with them fits the commandment.  When we attend to his words, we learn that “they are life unto those that find them” (Proverbs 4:20-22), meaning, “God’s words are full, abundant life unto those that hunt for, look for, or seek those words.”  And this is why you have to pick that Bible up, open it, and do a little more than just read it.  You may have to dissect it.  You have to pick it apart.  You have to analyze it.  You have to examine it.  You have to study it.  You have to rightly divide it.  This is God’s best for us, the best advice and the best course of action that will give us the best results for every situation that could possibly arise in our lives.  He does not offer alternatives or suggestions.  Don’t just get into his word, but get his word in you, get his word into your very being.  You must immerse yourself in his word; you must hunt for, look for, and seek the answers that he has provided through his instruction manual.

As you read today’s inspirational messages, we pray that the messages will be an inspiration to you as well as a blessing and that you will be the better for having read them.  Please share this message so that others may be blessed as well.  Amen.

Enjoy your blessings. - KW

Devotion: A Relationship With God

Do you know that a relationship with God is the most important relationship you can have?  Good relationships do not just happen.  They take time and patience and two people who truly want to be together.  God has already shown his love for us.

“God showed how much he loved us by sending his only Son into this wicked world to bring to us eternal life through his death.  In this act we see what real love is: it is not our love for God but his love for us when he sent his Son to satisfy God’s anger against our sins (I John 4:9-10 TLB).

Now we need to show our love for him.  Jesus, when asked which was the greatest commandment in the Law, replied saying,

“Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind.  This is the first and greatest commandment” (Matthew 22:36-38 NIV).

The Bible tells us that our greatest need is a relationship with God.  Our relationship with God should not just be limited to a Sunday event or a Wednesday prayer service.  We were created for so much more.  One of the biggest problems the church faces right now is spiritual boredom, because believers were never made for a program, an institution, or a weekly pew-warming ceremony.  Believers were never made to be satisfied by a three-point outline that contains just enough advice, just enough spiritual food to get through Sunday evening or to the “mid-week hump.”  The human heart was made for passion.  It was created for relationship.  It was designed to experience the fullness of God.  It was created to have a relationship with God.

“We know how much God loves us because we have felt his love and because we believe him when he tells us that he loves us dearly.  God is love, and anyone who lives in love is living with God and God is living in him.  And as we live with Christ, our love grows more perfect and complete; so we will not be ashamed and embarrassed at the day of judgment, but can face him with confidence and joy because he loves us and we love him too.  We need have no fear of someone who loves us perfectly; his perfect love for us eliminates all dread of what he might do to us.  If we are afraid, it is for fear of what he might do to us and shows that we are not fully convinced that he really loves us.  So you see, our love for him comes as a result of his loving us first” (I John 4:16-19 TLB).

We are to trust in the Lord with all our heart (Proverbs 3:5-6), because he knows what he is doing.  When we have a relationship with God, everything else tends to work itself out.  Therefore, do not let anyone or anything get in the way of your relationship with God.  It is the most important relationship you can ever have.

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: 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: Recognize Your Enemy

When you are ready to come to God, it be “you” who repents of your sins, who confesses with your mouth, and who believes with your heart.  When you are ready, it be “you” who is wants to submit to God, to praise him, and to worship him.  When you are ready, it be “you” who humbly comes before God and it be “God” who accepts you as you come, who forgives you of your past sins, and who wipes clean your slate.  But more importantly than anything else, it be “God” who reconnects his Spirit with your spirit, giving new life to your spirit.  And for those of you who have experienced this, you know the feeling that comes upon you when this happens.  You get this fire all up in your spirit as if it has been supercharged.  You get this unbelievable desire to serve, praise, and worship God for everything that he has done for you.  But this is when the real war begins and when all of your battles start.

And so the war begins but there be more to this war than you could ever imagine.  Most believers do not know that we war on two fronts.  On the one front, our newly found spirit nature wars with our flesh, our old sinful nature.  On the other front, we war against persons without bodies.

“For we wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this world, against spiritual wickedness in high places” (Ephesians 6:12).

We wrestle against the evil rulers of the unseen world, which include the mighty satanic beings, the great evil princes of darkness, and a huge number of wicked spirits who rule this unseen world.  And while we see the daily struggles of those who succumb to poverty, sickness, and death, the primary battle involves depression, fear, discouragement, low self-esteem, worry, anxiety, confusion, doubt, and many other tactics.  This battle takes place in the arena of your mind and is unavoidable.  It knows no bounds, no gender, no age, no race, and no religion.  It attacks everyone.  For on this battleground the war is waged for the control of your soul.

Your mind is the road by which the evil rulers of the unseen world gain access into your life, your personality, your emotions, your family, your finances, your marriage, your body, and your home.  They specialize in trying to keep you in bondage through the control of your thought-life.  They know that which controls the mind, controls the soul.  As you fail to maintain your thought-life, you will live far below the standards that God has set up for you.  Your mind plays an important role in your walk of faith; therefore, it is tremendously important that you guard your mind and your thought-life.  Everything hinges on your mind and controlling your thought-life.  Your thoughts will always precede your actions.

We are warned to be sober and watchful because we have an adversary.  This adversary, the devil, walks about like a roaring lion looking for those whom he can devour (I Peter 5:8).  So, how does this adversary come against us?  Well, his tactics have not change since the first temptation and there are really no secrets to his approach.  He tries to control you through your mind, with thoughts, ideas, and suggestions.  These thoughts, ideas, and suggestions are usually tied to your five senses.  Your sense of taste, touch, smell, hearing, and seeing, offers him an avenue into your mind and are the areas he tempts in order to gain control of your thought-life.  When you give in to the lust of the flesh (your sense of taste, touch, smell, and hearing), the lust of the eyes (your sense of seeing), and the pride of life (your mind where you think you are special because of what you look like, what you have, and/or who you are), you become carnally minded and forgo all that is spiritual (I John 2:16).  Your five senses play a major part in your self-fulfilling, sinful evil nature and greatly contribute to your carnal mind.  Your carnal mind only wants to satisfy your fleshy physical needs and appetites, like that itch that cannot be satisfied; the more you scratch, the more you itch.  And we discovered from a previous discussion that “carnal mindedness was enmity against God,” bent on only following our evil flesh nature and never wanting to obey or please God (Romans 8:5-8).

The battleground has been set, the arena has been staged, and the battles have begun.  This battle is totally unavoidable and will never end.  But we need to know our enemy and we need to know that he is very predictable.  The same things that he used on the first man in the Garden of Eden are the same things that he uses today.  And because of this information we should not be ignorant of his devices (II Corinthians 2:11).  Learning his tactics, his weapons, his devices, and understanding his mode of operation will put us in a good position to win the battle.

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: 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