Devotion: God Has Already Forgiven You

Recently we talked about how all of mankind was made a sinner because of the actions of one man.  Because of Adam’s disobedience, “many were made sinners” (Romans 5:19).  When Adam fell, the entire human race was “constituted or formally established as sinners.”  We went on to say that even though all of this seemed to be a little unfair, there is more to the story.  We have learned that when it comes to the things of God, things are seldom what they appear to be.  We went on to mention that all of mankind has been given the opportunity to be made righteous because of the actions of another man.  Because of Jesus’ obedience, “many shall be made righteous” (Romans 5:19).  When Jesus died on the cross, the entire human race was given the opportunity to be “constituted or formally established as the righteousness of God in him” (II Corinthians 5:21).  And all that we have to do to receive this “abundance of grace and the gift of righteousness” (Romans 5:17) is to make Jesus Christ our Lord and savior.  When we make Jesus our Lord and savior, we get all of these free gifts that God has to offer.  When we make Jesus our Lord and savior, we get God’s gift of grace, God’s gift of righteousness, and God’s gift of forgiveness.  But what you really need to understand is that before God arranged all of this, he had already forgiven us.

“To the Lord our God belong mercies and forgivenesses, though we have rebelled against him” (Daniel 9:9).  “Who is a God like unto thee, that pardoneth iniquity, and passeth by the transgression of the remnant of his heritage?  he retaineth not his anger for ever, because he delighteth in mercy.  He will turn again, he will have compassion upon us; he will subdue our iniquities; and thou wilt cast all their sins into the depths of the sea.  Thou wilt perform the truth to Jacob, and the mercy to Abraham, which thou hast sworn unto our fathers from the days of old” (Micah 7:18-20).  “Come now, and let us have an argument together, says the Lord: how may your sins which are red like blood be white as snow?  how may their dark purple seem like wool” (Isaiah 1:18)?  “I, even I, am he that blotteth out thy transgressions for mine own sake, and will not remember thy sins” (Isaiah 43:25).

Scripture tells that God is merciful and forgiving even though we have rebelled against him.  This same God is the one who has compassion on us, who loves to be merciful, and who pardons our sins.  This same God is the one who loves to be merciful towards us.  He takes our sins and puts them beneath his feet, then throws them into the depths of the sea.  No matter the complexity our sins, God will make us as clean as freshly fallen snow.  And though our sins may be blood red, God will make them as white as wool.  Because God cannot stay angry with us, he has set his love upon us.  God is the one who takes away our sins for his own sake and no longer remembers them.

“The Lord is merciful and gracious, slow to anger, and plenteous in mercy.  He will not always chide: neither will he keep his anger for ever.  He hath not dealt with us after our sins; nor rewarded us according to our iniquities.  For as the heaven is high above the earth, so great is his mercy toward them that fear him.  As far as the east is from the west, so far hath he removed our transgressions from us.  Like as a father pitieth his children, so the Lord pitieth them that fear him.  For he knoweth our frame; he remembereth that we are dust.  As for man, his days are as grass: as a flower of the field, so he flourisheth.  For the wind passeth over it, and it is gone; and the place thereof shall know it no more.  But the mercy of the Lord is from everlasting to everlasting upon them that fear him, and his righteousness unto children's children; to such as keep his covenant, and to those that remember his commandments to do them” (Psalm 103:8-18).

God is merciful and gracious towards us.  God is full of kindness, love, and pity.  God is slow to anger and does not hold a grudge because his anger does not last forever.  God is like a father who has pity on his children.  He is tender and sympathetic to us who respect, obey, and praise him.  With all that mankind has accused God of, which includes plenty mischaracterizations, God has never given us the punishment that our sins deserve nor rewarded us according to our wrongdoings, but instead has forgiven us.  God’s mercy towards us, those who reverence, honor, and worship him, is as great as the heavens are above the earth.  God has removed our sins as far away from us as the east is from the west.  The mercy of the Lord and his loving-kindness is eternal, from everlasting to everlasting for those who love him.

We pray that today’s devotional will help you to understand that God has done his part and has already forgiven you.  Now, you need to do your part and just receive the free gift of forgiveness.  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.  Amen.

Enjoy your blessings - KW

Devotion: The Gift of Righteousness

Not long ago, we spoke about sin and its definition.  In that discussion, we gave a definition for the word “sin” as it applied to the passage “For all have sinned, and come (fall) short of the glory of God” (Romans 3:23) and we mentioned that we believed the phrase; “All have sinned” referred to a point in time when everyone sinned.  We found that the only time this could have be referring to, had to be back in the beginning, in the beginning of God’s creation.  The phrase actually points to the very moment when all were in one man, Adam.  You see, when Adam fell, the entire human race was “constituted or formally established as sinners.”

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

Because of Adam’s disobedience, many were made sinners.  So you see, the thing that made us “a sinner” was not something that we have done nor is it something that we are doing, but it was something that Adam did.  It was Adam’s sin that caused everyone born into this world to be made a sinner.  We want to restate this fact one more time.  We are “a sinner” because of something Adam did and not because of something that we did or do.  Us being “a sinner” was inherited from Adam and the reason we go out and sin is because we were born with a sin nature.  It is our nature to sin.  Now we know that all of this may seem unfair to many of you, but there is more to the story.

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

Because of the obedience of Jesus Christ, many can be made righteous.  Just as the disobedience of one man, many were made sinners, the obedience of one man, many will be made righteous.  Now we want to restate this fact again.  We can become righteous because of something Jesus did and not because of something we have done or something that we do.  In the same way we received or inherited our sin nature from Adam, you can receive or inherit our righteous nature from Jesus Christ.

“Therefore if any man be in Christ, he is a new creature: old things are passed away; behold, all things are become new” (II Corinthians 5:17).

Scripture tells us that if we be in Christ, then we be a new creature or a new creation.  The passage goes on to say that the old things that are, which be our old sinful nature, be passed away and that all things that are left, which is includes our spirit, becomes new.

“For if by one man’s offence death reigned by one; much more they which receive abundance of grace and of the gift of righteousness shall reign in life by one, Jesus Christ” (Romans 5:17).

Because of what Adam did, his sin brought death to all.  In the same token, because of what Jesus Christ did, his obedience brought forgiveness to many through God’s mercy.  The sin of Adam cause death to be king over all mankind, but the obedience of Jesus Christ gives every man the opportunity to receive God’s gift of grace, God’s gift of forgiveness and God’s gift of righteousness.  Adam’s sin brought with it death and punishment, but Jesus’ obedience brings with it righteousness and acceptability with God.

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

We know that this may be a hard concept for many to accept, especially since many of you have been taught that we have to do something to earn our righteousness or our right standing with God.  But here is the thing, if you can accept the fact that you were born with a sin nature, inherited from Adam, then based on scripture, you should be able to accept the fact that when you are born again or born from above, you are born with a new nature, a righteous nature passed on from Jesus.  Adam’s disobedience caused many to become sinners, but it was Jesus’ obedience that causes many to be made acceptable to God.  It was God who made Jesus sin for us, so that through him, we might become “the righteousness of God.”  All we have to do to receive this “abundance of grace and the gift of righteousness” (Romans 5:17) is to make Jesus Christ our Lord and savior.  Now how awesome is that.

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: Grow Up!

Did you know that God wants us to grow up?  Yes, that right, God expects us to grow up but not in the sense that we are to become upstanding citizens and productive members of society.  No, God wants us to grow up in our understanding, grow up in our understanding of all things God.

“Brethren, be not children in understanding: howbeit in malice be ye children, but in understanding be men” (I Corinthians 14:20).

We are told not to be like children or immature in our understanding, but in our understanding to be men or mature instead.  God has given us certain things, that when we fully use them, we can become mature or complete in our thinking, in our reasoning, and in our discerning.

“All scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness: that the man of God may be perfect, thoroughly furnished unto all good works” (II Timothy 3:16-17).

God has given us the word of truth to tell us what to believe (for doctrine), what is wrong (for reproof), how to correct wrong (for correction), how to live (for instruction in righteousness).  We are to rely on this word of truth because it includes everything needed for us to be perfect or to grow in maturity, to grow in understanding, to grow in wisdom, so that we can be proficient and extremely capable of doing what God wants.

“For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways, saith the Lord.  For as the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways, and my thoughts than your thoughts” (Isaiah 55:8-9).

Traditional teachings have always attempted to convince us that we can never understand God.  You see, we have been led to believe or taught that “the clay cannot understand the potter.”  We have been taught that “God’s ways are higher than our ways and his thoughts are higher than our thoughts.”  With that said, it has been concluded that “it is not possible for a finite being, us, to understand an infinite being, God.”  And the biggest one of all, “if it be God’s will,” suggesting that it is impossible for us to know God’s will.  All of these phrases have been used to make us cast doubt on the fact that we can know God intimately.  Over the years, these phrases and the like have been used to control us both mentally and emotionally.  They have kept many of us in bondage, unaware of the truth that we can know God and know his will.

It is possible for us to recognize, to know, and to understand God.  Yes, contrary to popular beliefs, it is possible for us to know God intimately, without question or doubt.  We are told, “to get wisdom because wisdom is the principal thing.”  And we are told, “with all of our getting to also get understanding (Proverbs 4:5-7).  Ask yourself this question, “For what purpose or for what reason does God instruct us to get wisdom, the principal thing, and then in all of that getting, to get understanding?”  God wants us to do more than just exist.

“…but we are to hold to the truth with love in our hearts.  We are to grow up and be more like Christ” (Ephesians 4:15 NLV).  “But, strange as it seems, we Christians actually do have within us a portion of the very thoughts and mind of Christ” (I Corinthians 2:16 TLB).

God wants us to grow up to become more and more like Christ.  And as odd as it may sound, we actually have inside of us a portion of the very thoughts and mind of Christ.  God has given us everything that we need to grow up in our understanding and to grow up in our understanding of all things God.

“According as his divine power hath given unto us all things that pertain unto life and godliness, through the knowledge of him that hath called us to glory and virtue” (II Peter 1:3).

God wants us to know.  God wants us to understand.  God wants us to reason.  God wants us to think.  God wants us to “grow up.”

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: God Encourages

In our discussion about “The Characteristics of God, his nature, his character, and his personality,” we mentioned “there is no iniquity with the Lord our God, nor respect of persons, nor taking of gifts” (II Chronicles 19:7), “God changes not” (Malachi 3:6), and “it is impossible for God to lie” (Hebrews 6:18) as three traits that God had chosen to be part of “his nature, his character, and his personality.”  As part of our discussion, we mentioned that we were able to sum up God as “a god of integrity.”  We also mentioned that the reason God chose to be “the One of integrity” was so that his children would recognize him over all others.  However, today we want to add yet one more thing to our list of things that makes our God “a god of integrity.”  Did you know that God is “a source of encouragement” to his children?

“Know therefore that the Lord your God is God, the faithful God who keeps covenant and steadfast love with those who love him and keep his commandments, to a thousand generations” (Deuteronomy 7:9 ESV).  “It is the Lord who goes before you.  He will be with you; he will not leave you or forsake you.  Do not fear or be dismayed” (Deuteronomy 31:8 ESV).  “God is our refuge and strength, an ever-present help in trouble” (Psalm 46:1 NIV).  “The Lord is a stronghold for the oppressed, a stronghold in times of trouble.  And those who know your name put their trust in you, for you, O Lord, have not forsaken those who seek you” (Psalm 9:9-10 ESV).

“I will instruct you and teach you in the way you should go; I will counsel you with my eye upon you” (Psalm 32:8 ESV).  “So do not fear, for I am with you; do not be dismayed, for I am your God.  I will strengthen you and help you; I will uphold you with my righteous right hand” (Isaiah 41:10 NIV).  “Cast your cares on the Lord and he will sustain you; he will never let the righteous fall” (Psalm 55:22 NIV).  “Cast all your anxiety on him because he cares for you” (I Peter 5:7 NIV).  “You will keep in perfect peace him whose mind is steadfast, because he trusts in you” (Isaiah 26:3 NIV).

“The Lord is my strength and my song; he has become my salvation” (Psalm 118:14 NIV)!  “The Lord is my light and my salvation; whom shall I fear?  The Lord is the strength of my life; of whom shall I be afraid” (Psalm 27:1 NKJV)?  “I call on the Lord in my distress, and he answers me” (Psalm 120:1 NIV).  “I have set the Lord always before me.  Because he is at my right hand, I will not be shaken” (Psalm 16:8 NIV).  “You are my refuge and my shield; I have put my hope in your word.  Away from me, you evildoers, that I may keep the commands of my God” (Psalm 119:114-115 NIV)!

God is faithful.  God keeps his promises and loves steadfast with those who love him, keeps his commandments, and seeks him.  God is forever with us, keeping his eye on us.  God is our refuge, our strength, our shield, and an ever-present help for us.  God is our stronghold in our time of need and in our time of trouble.  God is our light, our song, and our salvation.  As we cast our cares upon him, he will sustain us.  God will give council and instruction as he teaches us in the way that we should go.  God is always with us and he will keep us in perfect peace if we keep on minds stayed on him.  God will never let his righteous fall but will uphold us with his righteous right hand.  God will never forsake us.  When we call on God in our times of distress, he will answer.  If we set God before us always, we will not be shaken, because he will be at our right hand.  We need to put our hope in the word of God and keep his commands, because God truly does care for us and he is “our source of encouragement.”

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

Enjoy your blessings - KW

Devotion: Love Your Neighbor As Yourself

According to scripture, you are to love others as you love yourself.

“For, dear brothers, you have been given freedom: not freedom to do wrong, but freedom to love and serve each other.  For the whole Law can be summed up in this one command: ‘Love others as you love yourself’” (Galatians 5:13-14 TLB).

The thought is that when you love others as you love yourself, you will not want to do any harm to them.

“Pay all your debts except the debt of love for others—never finish paying that!  For if you love them, you will be obeying all of God’s laws, fulfilling all his requirements.  If you love your neighbor as much as you love yourself you will not want to harm or cheat him, or kill him or steal from him.  And you won’t sin with his wife or want what is his, or do anything else the Ten Commandments say is wrong.  All ten are wrapped up in this one, to love your neighbor as you love yourself.  Love does no wrong to anyone.  That’s why it fully satisfies all of God’s requirements.  It is the only law you need (Romans 13:8-10 TLB).

When you love others as you love yourself, the belief is that you will not want to do anything that harms, hurts, or cheats the other person.  When you love others as you love yourself, then there would be not one thing that you would want that belongs to them, none of their possessions or their significant other.  When you love others as you love yourself, then stealing from them or killing them would never be a thought in your mind.  This is why the scriptures says, “For the whole Law can be summed up in this one command.”  When you “love your neighbor as you love yourself,” you put all of God’s commandments into one commandment where “love supposedly does no wrong to anyone.”

“And so I am giving a new commandment to you now—love each other just as much as I love you.  Your strong love for each other will prove to the world that you are my disciples” (John 13:34-35 TLB).

This is why Jesus said that we have “a new commandment,” a commandment to love each other.  If we each love one another as much as Jesus loved us, then we too would give the ultimate sacrifice for each other.

“I have loved you even as the Father has loved me.  Live within my love.  When you obey me you are living in my love, just as I obey my Father and live in his love.  I have told you this so that you will be filled with my joy.  Yes, your cup of joy will overflow!  I demand that you love each other as much as I love you.  And here is how to measure it—the greatest love is shown when a person lays down his life for his friends; 1and you are my friends if you obey me” (John 15:9-14 TLB).

There is no greater love that one person can express for another then to give this life for them.  Those who understand this commandment, “to love one another,” have a cup that is truly filled with the joy of Christ.  And yes, that cup of joy does overflow.  Think about what this type of love could do if every believer in the body of Christ would adhere to it.  It could unite the body of Christ, with one purpose.  Then think what a united body of believers could do.  We could change the world.  One new commandment given by the one who showed the world what it meant, “to love your neighbor as you love yourself.”

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 them.  If you are blessed by them, please share so that others may be blessed as well.  Amen.

Enjoy your blessings - KW

Devotion: Remember Me

Most believers are very familiar with what is called “The Last Supper” or “The Lord’s Supper.”  The Lord’s Supper is supposedly the very last meal that Jesus shared with his apostles before his betrayal and crucifixion.

“And he took bread, and gave thanks, and brake it, and gave unto them, saying, This is my body which is given for you:  this do in remembrance of me.  Likewise also the cup after supper, saying, This cup is the new testament in my blood, which is shed for you” (Luke 22:19-20).

According to scripture, Jesus took bread, gave thanks, broke it, and gave the pieces to his disciples, saying that it was a symbol of his body that was being given for us.  Then he took wine and shared with his disciples as a symbol of his blood that was being shed for us as well.  From this meal, came what is now known as “The Holy Communion.”  The Holy Communion is the religious practice in which bread and wine or grape juice are consecrated and shared among those who claim to believe in the Lord Jesus Christ, as a symbol of cleansing, consecration, and communion, all done in remembrance of him.

“For I have received of the Lord that which also I delivered unto you, That the Lord Jesus the same night in which he was betrayed took bread:  and when he had given thanks, he brake it, and said, Take, eat:  this is my body, which is broken for you:  this do in remembrance of me.  After the same manner also he took the cup, when he had supped, saying, This cup is the new testament in my blood:  this do ye, as oft as ye drink it, in remembrance of me.  For as often as ye eat this bread, and drink this cup, ye do show the Lord's death till he come.  Wherefore whosoever shall eat this bread, and drink this cup of the Lord, unworthily, shall be guilty of the body and blood of the Lord.  But let a man examine himself, and so let him eat of that bread, and drink of that cup.  For he that eateth and drinketh unworthily, eateth and drinketh damnation to himself, not discerning the Lord's body.  For this cause many are weak and sickly among you, and many sleep.  For if we would judge ourselves, we should not be judged.  But when we are judged, we are chastened of the Lord, that we should not be condemned with the world.  Wherefore, my brethren, when ye come together to eat, tarry one for another.  And if any man hunger, let him eat at home; that ye come not together unto condemnation.  And the rest will I set in order when I come” (I Corinthians 11:23-34).

While many partake of “The Lord’s Supper,” few are aware of the instructions Paul received then from the Lord, pertaining to our participation in this event.  Paul would go on to say that those who participated in the taking of the bread and cup “in an unworthy manner will be guilty of sinning against the body and blood of the Lord.”  When we participate, we are representing, signifying, proclaiming, and giving witness to the Lord’s death until he returns.  Therefore, we need to carefully examine ourselves to make sure we are not “eating and drinking God’s judgment upon ourselves” because we have participated in an unworthy manner.  According to Paul, this unworthy and careless participation is why many so-called believers are weak, why many so-called believers are sickly, and why some so-called believers have even died.  If we were more discerning with regard to our worthiness or our unworthiness as it pertains to us being born again or born from above, then we would not come under such judgment.

We know that many of you have never heard of these instructions from Paul concerning “The Lord’s Supper” or “The Holy Communion.”  However, every time we eat of the bread that symbolizes his body, which was broken for our sake and we drink of the cup that symbolizes his blood, which was shed for our sake, we are retelling the message of the Lord’s death that he has died for us.  If you be unworthy and participate in this practice, then you are guilty of telling a lie and you will come under judgment because you are not in communion with and are not a part of the body of born-again believers.  This is why it is so important for you to carefully examine yourself, to make sure that you have accepted Jesus as your Lord and savior.  So, every time we eat of the bread and we drink of the cup, we do so in remembrance of him, our Lord and savior, Jesus Christ.

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

Enjoy your blessings - KW

Devotion: Thank God For You!

Did you know that God has a plan for you?  God has a great plan for your life.  God has a purpose for your life.  He has included you into his master plan.

For I know the thoughts that I think toward you, says the Lord, thoughts of peace and not of evil, to give you a future and a hope” (Jeremiah 29:11 NKJV).

God wants you to be a part of his master plan.  A plan that offers peace and not turmoil.  A plan that includes good and not evil.  A plan that gives you a future.  A plan that gives you hope.  Though you may not feel that you are worthy to be a part of such a plan; know that God thinks you are worthy and he has never given up on you.

“And, behold, I am with thee, and will keep thee in all places whither thou goest, and will bring thee again into this land; for I will not leave thee, until I have done that which I have spoken to thee of” (Genesis 28:15).  “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” (Deuteronomy 31:6).  “Fear thou not; for I am with thee: be not dismayed; for I am thy God: I will strengthen thee; yea, I will help thee; yea, I will uphold thee with the right hand of my righteousness” (Isaiah 41:10).  “Let your conversation (conduct) be without covetousness; and be content with such things as ye have: for he hath said, I will never leave thee, nor forsake thee” (Hebrews 13:5).

God is the one person who will never give up on you.  He has promised that he will never leave you nor forsake you.  He will never fail you, so be encouraged, and then just simply trust God.  God tells you to be strong and of good courage, in other words, do not fear because he is with you.  Always trust God, for he will strengthen you, he will help you, and he will uphold you with his mighty right hand of righteousness.  Be not dismayed, for he is and will always be with you.  God will never give up on you.

“Let us hold fast the confession of our hope without wavering, for he who promised is faithful” (Hebrews 10:23 NASB).  “For I know the plans I have for you, says the Lord.  They are plans for good and not for evil, to give you a future and a hope” (Jeremiah 29:11 TLB).  “Therefore, never lose hope, for there is always hope.  It is in this hope that we are saved.  Rejoice in hope, be patient in tribulation, be constant in prayer” (Romans 12:12 NIV).  “Know that wisdom is such to your soul; if you find it, there will be a future, and your hope will not be cut off” (Proverbs 24:14 NIV).  “But those who hope in the Lord will renew their strength.  They will soar on wings like eagles; they will run and not grow weary, they will walk and not be faint” (Isaiah 40:31 NIV).  “So hold fast to your confession of your faith without wavering, for the one who made the promise is faithful.  May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace as you trust in him, so that you may overflow with hope by the power of the Holy Spirit” (Romans 15:13 NIV).

God has declared that he know that plans he has for you, plans to prosper you and not hurt or harm you.  These plans include thoughts of peace and not of evil.  He has plans to give you hope and a future.  Therefore hold fast to your confession of hope and never allow yourself to waver from that hope, because he who has made the promise to be with you is faithful in his promises.  As you wait on the Lord, he will renew your strength, for you will run and not grow weary and you will walk and not grow faint.  God has a purpose for your life.  God has a great plan for your life.  Trust him.  Never lose hope, for there is always hope.  And always thank God for you, because you are part of God’s master plan.

As you read today’s message, we pray that it will be an inspiration to you as well as a blessing.  We thank God for you, because without you there would be no us.  So, we are truly grateful for those of you who follow our ministry and who share our messages with others so that they may be blessed by them as well.  Amen.

Enjoy your blessings - KW