Devotion: Jesus Is Coming Back

Do you believe that Jesus is coming back?

“When is all this going to happen?  I really don’t need to say anything about that, dear brothers, for you know perfectly well that no one knows.  That day of the Lord will come unexpectedly, like a thief in the night.  When people are saying, ‘All is well; everything is quiet and peaceful’—then, all of a sudden, disaster will fall upon them as suddenly as a woman’s birth pains begin when her child is born.  And these people will not be able to get away anywhere—there will be no place to hide.  But, dear brothers, you are not in the dark about these things, and you won’t be surprised as by a thief when that day of the Lord comes.  For you are all children of the light and of the day, and do not belong to darkness and night.  So be on your guard, not asleep like the others.  Watch for his return and stay sober.  Night is the time for sleep and the time when people get drunk.  But let us who live in the light keep sober, protected by the armor of faith and love, and wearing as our helmet the happy hope of salvation” (I Thessalonians 5:1-8 TLB).

Scripture says that Jesus is coming back and he is coming back “like a thief in the night.”  Will you be ready for his return?

“Look, I will come as unexpectedly as a thief!  Blessed are all who are watching for me, who keep their clothing ready so they will not have to walk around naked and ashamed” (Revelation 16:15 TLB).

Are you watching continually for Jesus to return?  Do you have your clothing ready?  Is your “cloak of grace” intact so that no one will see your nakedness and shame or will others see your sin and punishment because “you have left the cloak behind?”  Be forewarned, he will come suddenly, unexpectedly, and abruptly; will you be ready?

“Now, dear brothers and sisters, let us clarify some things about the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ and how we will be gathered to meet him.  Don’t be so easily shaken or alarmed by those who say that the day of the Lord has already begun.  Don’t believe them, even if they claim to have had a spiritual vision, a revelation, or a letter supposedly from us.  Don’t be fooled by what they say.  For that day will not come until there is a great rebellion against God and the man of lawlessness (the man of sin) is revealed—the one who brings destruction (the son of destruction).  He will exalt himself and defy everything that people call god and every object of worship.  He will even sit in the temple of God, claiming that he himself is God” (II Thessalonians 2:1-4 NLT).

But don’t be deceived about his return for there are certain events that must take place first and then comes the day of the Lord.  Jesus is coming back, will you be ready?

As you read today’s inspirational message, we pray that it will be a blessing to you and that you will share it with others that they may be blessed as well.  Amen.

Enjoy your blessings - KW

Devotion: Make Room For Jesus

Do you make room for Jesus in your life?  Be honest, because we do not ask for our knowledge, but for yours.  You see, as believers, we claim to love Jesus and we claim to have a relationship with Jesus.  But if we have to truthfully describe that relationship, the one word that comes to mind is “complicated.”  By “complicated,” we are saying that our relationship with Jesus is “a little hard to explain and understand.”  Most relationships involving Jesus are “one-sided.”

“Greater love has no one than this: to lay down one’s life for one’s friends.  You are my friends if you do what I command” (John 15:13-14 NIV).

Most believers know that Jesus gave his life for us because he loved us.  Yes, Jesus laid down his life for us because he considered us “to be his friends.”  And in return for this friendship, he only ask that we do what he has commanded of us.  But this is where things get a little “complicated” and a little “one-sided.”  Our relationship with Jesus has become “a little hard to explain and a little hard to understand” because we have allowed the cares of this world to affect and define our relationship with Jesus.  We allow the demands from our family, the demands from our jobs, the demands from our friends, and the demands of just trying to survive this life to dictate the kind of relationship that we have with Jesus.  Because of these demands, demands that we have prioritized, we have no time nor do we make room for Jesus.  So, when we ask if you make room for Jesus, it is truly for your knowledge only.

Most believers have placed Jesus in a position, that if they get a moment, a spare moment mind you, at the end of the day, they try to dedicated that time to Jesus.  The problem with this thought process is that they tend to run out of time before they get to Jesus or are so tired that they just to have anything left and tend to fall asleep.  However, in their time of need, in their time of crisis, when they feel there are no other options, they suddenly make room for Jesus.  When they need him, their priorities change and suddenly they find themselves making time for Jesus.  When they find themselves in such a situation, at the end of their rope, his name is the first name they call out.  “Help me Jesus,” “Save me Jesus,” and “Have mercy on me Jesus,” are just a few of those calls for help that come to mind.  Yes, we have a “one-sided complicated” relationship with the one who gave his life for us.  But it does not have to be that way.

“Look!  I have been standing at the door, and I am constantly knocking.  If anyone hears me calling him and opens the door, I will come in and fellowship with him and he with me” (Revelation 3:20 TLB).  “I have told you this so that my joy may be in you and that your joy may be complete” (John 15:9-17 NIV).

Jesus is standing at the door, knocking, wanting to come in and fellowship with us.  All we have to do is open the door and make a little room for him, make a little more time for him.  Jesus laid down his life for us, because he considered us to be his friends.  In return, he asked that we do what he has commanded.  In doing this, we will find that his joy will be in us and our joy will be made complete and overflowing.  Make time for Jesus in your life and change the description of your relationship with him.  No longer see the relationship with the one you claim to love as “one-sided and complicated.”  Make room for Jesus in your life.

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: God’s Word In Your Mouth

One of man’s biggest problems is his ability to misinterpret the things God has said in his word.  We sometimes want to add to his word and other times, we want to take away from his word.  We see evidence of someone adding to his word, when Eve said what God supposedly said about the fruit of the tree, which is in the midst of the garden,

“Ye shall not eat of it, neither shall ye touch it, lest ye die” (Genesis 3:3).

You see, God never mentioned anything about touching the tree, but Eve added that to original word.  But more interesting than anything else is the catch phrase, “God hath said” that Eve used to validate what she told the serpent.  The problem is this is not what God said.  It may be close but when it comes to God’s word, close does not count for anything.  God has said that “his word will not return to him void” (Isaiah 55:11).  When we repeat God’s words, then we need to make sure that we do just that and not add to what he has already stated in his word because once altered, they be not his word anymore.

“As the rain and snow come down from heaven and stay upon the ground to water the earth, and cause the grain to grow and to produce seed for the farmer and bread for the hungry, so also is my word.  I send it out, and it always produces fruit.  It shall accomplish all I want it to and prosper everywhere I send it” (Isaiah 55:10-11 TLB).

God says that his word will not return to him void.  God says that his word will always produce fruit.  God says that his word will accomplish all that he wants it to accomplish.  And God says that his word will prosper everywhere he has sent it.  Since God has sent us his word, then we need to repeat what God has already said.  By repeating what God has already said, we return his word back to him.  By returning God’s word back to him, we know that it does not return to him void, but accomplishes, prospers, and always produces fruit.  When we repeat God’s word, then we need to make sure that we do just that, repeat his word and not add to what he has already stated because once altered, they be not his word anymore.  God’s word has the power to create, if you could only believe.  As for us, we choose to believe, we choose to believe in the power of his word, and we choose to place our faith in God, “for with God nothing shall be impossible.”

We pray that today’s inspirational message will give you a new perspective on what it means to “have God’s word in your mouth.”  We also pray that this message will bless you, inform you, and that you will be the better for having read it.  If blessed by this message, please share so that others may be blessed as well.

Enjoy your blessings - KW

Devotion: Light and Easy

As a child of God, you have the right to good health, wealth, and total life prosperity.  You have a divine inheritance to the best in life, deserving all the Father has to offer.  Jesus tells us that he come that we might have life and have that life more abundantly (John 10:10).  Jesus came to seek and save that which was lost (Luke 19:10).  Many believe the son of man’s main purpose for coming was to save individual lost souls, but truth be told, saving lost souls was the by-product of what he actually did.

There were many things lost that Jesus saved, but one of the more important things was the authority (dominion) (Matthew 28:18) that the first man had lost (Luke 4:6), in the garden when he ate of the fruit (Genesis 3:6-7).  This is how the devil became known as “the god of this world” (II Corinthians 4:4) or “the prince of this world” (John 12:31).  And while you may have the right to good health, wealth, and total life prosperity there be a thief, an adversary if you will, that is come to kill your good health, steal your wealth, and to destroy your total life prosperity (John 10:10).  He walks about like a roaring lion, seeking those that he may devour (I Peter 5:8).

In getting back this authority (dominion), Jesus also gave mankind the ability to cast out devils and to lay hands on and heal the sick (Mark 16:17-20), along with several other things.  Jesus, who redeemed us from the curse of the law (Galatians 3:13), also gave man the privilege to become a child of God (John 1:12-13), so that all could share in the blessing of Abraham and receive the promise of the Spirit through faith (Galatians 3:14).  As a child of God, man now has the right to the inheritance of the new covenant, a better covenant, built with better promises (Hebrews 8:6-13), the right to a divine inheritance to the best in life, deserving all the Father has to offer (Romans 8:14-17), which includes the right to good health, wealth, and total life prosperity (III John 1:2).

Jesus tells us that we will have trials and sorrow, but we are to be of good cheer because he has overcome the world (John 16:33).  And because we belong to God, we have already won our fight against those who are against Christ.  We have something within us that is much stronger than anything we can face in this world, “for greater is he that is in you, than he that is in the world” (I John 4:4).  Jesus says, “Come to me and I will give you rest—all of you who work so hard beneath a heavy yoke.  Wear my yoke—for it fits perfectly—and let me teach you; for I am gentle and humble, and you shall find rest for your souls; for I give you only light burdens” (Matthew 11:28-30 TLB).  If you are have a hard time in this life, this is not the way life was meant to be.  Jesus has provided everything you need to make this journey “light and easy” but you have to come to him in order for him to help you.  And as he helps you, he will give you rest.

We always give thanks to God for the ability to share our inspirational message with you.  We constantly pray that you will be blessed as well as informed by them and that you will be the better for having read it.  If you are blessed by any of our messages, please share them so that others may be blessed as well.  Amen.

Enjoy your blessings - KW

Devotion: Destroyed For Lack Of Knowledge

Because we have not followed God’s instructions, we have had to put our faith and our trust in man’s interpretation of who God is, what God is, what God does, and what God says, just to scratch the surface.  This is not to say anything negative about the man and women of God who are amongst us spreading God’s true gospel, but is directed towards those who are spreading a gospel of some other kind.  Because we repeatedly fail to follow God’s instructions, we find ourselves deeper and deeper in this abyss that we continually dig for ourselves, with no recognizable way to exit.  God has instructed us “not to believe every spirit but to test each one to see if they be of God or not, because there be many false prophets that are in the world” (I John 4:1).  God has warned us “to beware of these false prophets that come to us in sheep’s clothing because inwardly they are but greedy voracious predators” (Matthew 7:15).  But we have gotten things so mixed up that we listen to and believe, without question, the wolves in sheep’s clothing, and try our best to discredit the true men and women of God, that is not believe or not accept, as truth, the gospel that they speak.  And the really sad part is that we continue to do the same thing, while expecting God to do something about our problems and our situations.  Well, we have some bad news for all who are expecting God to move in your life; “It ain’t gonna happen,”  We guess the correct thing to say is that it is not going to happen until we do our part.  Until we do what we are supposed to do.

“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 has instructed us “to study his word to show ourselves approved unto him.”  This means that God wants us “to investigate his word, he wants us analyze his word, and he wants us to question his word.”  He wants us to find out all that we can find out about his word.  Only by doing this first will we be able to follow the second part of his instructions, which is, “to rightly divide the word of truth.”  Since we do not study, then we are unable show ourselves approved to God.  Since we do not study, then we “typically wrongly divide the word of truth.”  Because we have wrongly divided the word of truth, we do not have the proper knowledge we need to test the every spirit as God has told us to do.  And because we do not test every spirit to see if they be of God, then we lack the needed knowledge to recognize the wolves in sheep’s clothing.  Think about it this way, usually the person giving the test is the same person who already knows the answer to all the test questions.  But because we do not have answers, we do not know the right questions to ask and by not asking, we accept anything and anyone that sounds as if it may have come from God.

But only if we would follow the instructions of God and study his word.  Because if we studied, we would be able “to rightly divide the word of truth” and by rightly dividing the word of truth, “we would gain the needed knowledge to test every spirit to see if it be of God.”  We are being destroyed because we lack knowledge (Hosea 4:6).  And because we have no knowledge, we are being held captives (Isaiah 5:13), imprisoned in a world of deceit.  But the really sad part about all of this is that we do not even see any of this is happening to us.  Because we have failed to recognize that there “are false apostles and deceitful workers, who can transform themselves into the apostles of Christ” (II Corinthians 11:13), we have freely place our faith and trust in their interpretation of who God is, what God is, what God does, and what God says, amongst other things.  God has instructed us not to believe every spirit but to test each one, because “Satan is one who can transform himself into an angel of light and his servant can transform themselves into ministers of righteousness” (II Corinthians 11:14-15).  In order “to do the test,” you must “have the knowledge” and the only way “to get the knowledge is to study.”  And by studying you learn “to rightly divide the word of truth” and once you learn “to rightly divide the word of truth, the revelation knowledge will come.”

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: Jesus Is The Only Way

For the most part, believers and non-believers are familiar with the passage of scripture where Jesus says,

“I am the way, the truth, and the life.  No one can come to the Father except through me (John 14:6 NLT).

Now according to scripture (Acts 4:12), there is no other name under all heaven for men to call whereby they can be saved, for salvation can be found through no one else but Jesus.  The problem is that no one knows exactly who Jesus is.  We are so confused, so influenced by Satan and this world, that we have accepted the Jesus that they preach.  Just as he in the Garden of Eden deceived Eve, he continues to deceive us today in much the same way.  Why would he change his methods since they worked so well for him in the beginning?  Satan has infiltrated the body of Christ, becoming an intricate component in the church so much so that we find it hard to recognize him.

Because of Satan’s influence, we have some who describe Jesus as God himself; others as part of the three-in-one trilogy called the Trinity.  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 had a beginning but not until he was brought forth, created in the womb of Mary.  Others say he existed from the beginning, asked God the Father to create him a body so he could come to earth, while some say he created himself a body so he could come to earth.  Some say he was the king of the Jews, while other say he was no king at all.  Some say he was poor while others say he was rich.  Some say he was white, some say he was black, while others claim some other variation.  Some say he performed all kinds of miracles and healed many people.  Some say he walked on the water, others claim he did not.  Some say he raised the dead.  Some say he raised himself from the dead.  Some say he died on the cross.  Some say he did not die on the cross.  Some say that he survived the cross to father many children.

With so much controversy surrounding the person named Jesus, how do you know that the one you are following is “the way, the truth and the life?”  Many follow the name of Jesus as if he was some type of rock star.  Others do all within their power to avoid mentioning his name.  Many try to prove his existence by any means necessary while others do everything in their power to refute him.  There are books after books written about Jesus.  There are movies and documentaries made about Jesus.  There are websites created to support Jesus and sites created to invalidate him.  So much information that it is hard to decipher it to get to the truth about Jesus.  Imagine believing yourself to be a believer only to find out what you believed you were you were not; all based on untruths.  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; all based on deception.  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; all based on a lie.  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; all based on fiction.  Imagine believing in a truth that has been manufactured by the great deceivers 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.  Come out of the darkness and get to know the real Jesus.  Jesus says,

“Look!  I have been standing at the door, and I am constantly knocking.  If anyone hears me calling him and opens the door, I will come in and fellowship with him and he with me (Revelation 3:20 TLB).  “My sheep recognize my voice, and I know them, and they follow me” (John 10:27 TLB).

There is but “one” who is “the way, the truth, and the life and no one will come to the Father except they come by “the one.”  The true Jesus is standing at the door, constantly knocking, waiting on those who hear his voice to answer his call and open the door so that he can come and fellowship with them and them with him.  Before it is too late, you need to learn to recognize his voice and get to know him intimately because there is only “the one.”

We again give thanks to God for this avenue that he has given us to share his word through our commentary.  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: God’s Word Is Settled

So many people, both believers and non-believers alike, try their best to discredit “the word of God.”  By discredit, we mean “to injure the credit or reputation of; to show to be undeserving of trust or belief; destroy confidence in; to give no credence to; to disbelieve; and/or to disrepute” this word.  When asked where “the word of God” can be found, the most popular answer was what is commonly known as “the Bible.”  Scripture tells us “The whole Bible, all scripture, 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 TLB).  It is our instruction manual and our source for all things God.

Some believe that since “the Bible” was written by men, it is somehow flawed, containing many untruths or unproven things about God, the things of God, and about his instructions.  Others believe “the Bible” to be the infallible word of God, perfect in every sense of the word.  The truth is that “the Bible” contains “the words of God” along with the words of Adam and Eve, Cain, Noah, Enoch, Abraham and Sara, Isaac, Jacob, Joseph, Moses and Pharaoh, David, Rahab, Samuel, Job, numerous prophets, the disciples, Mary and Mary, Paul, Jesus, and even Satan, himself.  We think you get the idea.  “The Bible” contains the words from an array of people in addition to containing “the word of God.”

God tells us to “study to show thyself approved” so that we can “rightly dividing the word of truth” (II Timothy 2:15), which is “the Bible.”  We are also told to “attend to his words and to incline our ears to his sayings” because “they are life unto those that find them” (Proverbs 4:20-22).  Therefore, when we study, we learn to rightly divide the word of truth and from this division, we find the “actual word of God,”  which are full, abundant life unto all who hunt for, look for, or seek those words.  Scripture tells us, “it is impossible for God to lie” (Titus 1:2), which means that he must always keep his word.  And because we know that he must always keep his word, then we know that “the word of God” is forever true.  And since we know that it is forever true, then we know that it can be forever trusted.

“…let God be true, but every man a liar” (Romans 3:4).  “The words of the Lord are pure words: as silver tried in a furnace of earth, purified seven times” (Psalm 12:6).  “As for God, his way is perfect; the word of the Lord is tried (proven): he is a buckler (shield) to all them that trust in him” (II Samuel 22:31).  “The words of the Lord are pure words; as silver tried in a furnace on the earth, refined seven times.  You, O Lord, will keep them; you will preserve him from this generation forever” (Psalm 12:6-7 NASB).  “Every word of God is pure (tried, found pure): he is a shield unto them that put their trust in him” (Proverbs 30:5).  “Thy word is very pure (refined or tired): therefore thy servant loveth it” (Psalm 119:140).

However, there is one thing that we want to really pay attention to more than anything else that is said about “the actual word of God.”  “Heaven and earth will pass away, but my words will not pass away” (Luke 21:33 NASB).  God tells us that heaven and earth will pass away, but his word will not pass away.  To “pass away” means “to die, to come to an end, to go out of existence, or to cease to exist.”  This means that no matter what, “God’s word will not pass.”  So don’t fret, for “the grass withers, the flowers fade, but the word of our God shall stand forever” (Isaiah 40:8 TLB).  “But the word (spoken word) of the Lord endureth for ever. And this is the word which by the gospel is preached unto you” (I Peter 1:25).  “For the word of the Lord is right; and all his works are done in truth” (Psalm 33:4).  By this we know that “God’s word is forever settled.”

We again give thanks to God for this avenue that he has given us to share his word through our commentary.  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