Daily Devotional Day & Night

HAPPY FRIDAY!

Today’s scriptures are about how to recognize true blessings. You’ve probably heard the saying, “everything that looks good, isn’t good for you”; this is so true in so many ways. Recognizing true blessings, which come from God, is something that you learn as you mature in your faith walk. It takes really knowing God, and understanding what’s most important to Him. We’ll only grow spiritually by studying the Word of God, spending time with Him, and being in tuned with our Holy Spirit. I can’t quote these scriptures enough: Rejoice always, pray without ceasing, in everything give thanks; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you. (1Thes. 5:16-18) When we’re doing all of these things, we’ll be blessed tremendously. At the same time, we’re always going to be tempted and tried—the enemy dangles, and even offers us the “forbidden fruit”, and makes it seem like it’s the most delicious and nutritious fruit that has ever been created. However, we learned valuable lessons from Adam and Eve, as well as the artificial blessings he offered to Jesus, when he tempted Him in the wilderness. If he tried to win the heart of the only begotten Son of God, what stops him from trying to win our heart?

The enemy is very crafty, and uses so many things to lead us into pitfalls. He’s a master of illusion and disguise, and can easily convince the non-believer, or even a Christian with wavering faith, that what he can give us is far better than what God offers. He works in subtle ways, and if we aren’t wise in the ways of the Lord, we’ll fall for his artificial blessings. The Apostle Paul wrote: For we do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this age, against spiritual hosts of wickedness in the heavenly places. (Eph 6:12) The enemy preys on the weak, and offers temporary pleasure, through people and things, which will leave us feeling empty inside. He has the world thinking that anything that make us feel good, or fulfils the need of our vanity, are blessings. As believers we are above the world, so the Holy Spirit will always let us know what’s real. Rule of thumb, if it doesn’t feel good, it probably isn’t.

Money is so controversial to people in the Christian faith; how much to give, how much to keep, what to buy, etc. It’s a cause of great division in the church (well it could cause division in any relationship). This verse may be the most misquoted and misunderstood verse in the bible: “For the love of money is a root of all kinds of evil…” Some people turn this into “money is evil”, which is far from the truth. They not only leave out the key part, “the LOVE of…” they also omit the remainder of this verse, “…for which some have strayed from the faith in their greediness, and pierced themselves through with many sorrows.” (1 Tim 6:10) Money is one of the devil’s primary tools, used to pull believers away from God. However, God will always bless us with exactly what we need, as well as what we are wise enough to handle—nothing more nothing less. Nevertheless, if we aren’t careful, we’ll find ourselves doing what Paul mentions, in the sometimes forgotten part of, the aforementioned verse. A true blessing from God is for us to be at peace with or without an abundance of money. He wants us to be grateful, as well as faithful with every dime that He blesses us with. He requires us to be faithful tithers, and always willing to give to those in need.

Life is full of ups and downs, but God blesses us in every circumstance. Actually, there’s not a day that goes by that we aren’t blessed. I’m a pretty adventurous person, and there are some things that I’m willing to do, go, or try, that others may not. I know God, and I refuse to allow fear to rule my life. I understand that He created this earth, and will bless me with everything I want and desire while I’m here, because I try my best to live for Him. I understand who I am in Christ, so I know what I’m worth; I’m no longer as susceptible to the things that the enemy tries to pass off as blessings in my life. Most of the time I can spot him from a mile away, but he slithers like a snake, and can sometimes slide by undetected. He knows that patience is one of my biggest challenges, so he tries to offer me the “cliff notes” version of what I originally asked God for, but it’s up to me to recognize the prototype, and never take anything less than what God has promised me. I know that God loves me, so His blessings will never cause me any ill will, or unnecessary pain in my life.

The most important blessing to all mankind is the gift of salvation through Jesus Christ. Anyone can ask for it, and they will receive it. When we study the Word of God, and learn the ways of Jesus Christ [whom we’re striving to be like], we learn that God is far above the ways of the world. Money, fame, and prestige aren’t the only, or most important, blessings we receive. Salvation, peace, joy, forgiveness, fellowship, love, companionship, children, good health, a warm bed on cold nights, food when you hunger, water when you thirst, etc. are just few—it’s the simple things that matter most. Remember, when you count your blessings you find gratitude, and gratitude leads to repentance, and repentance leads to freedom. If you don’t know Jesus as Lord, please take a few minutes to take the God Quiz right now. My favorite verse today is: The blessing of the Lord, it maketh rich, and he addeth no sorrow with it. (Proverbs 10:22)

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Daily Devotional Day & Night

HAPPY THURSDAY!

Today’s scriptures are about the penalties of sin, and warnings of temptations. I don’t know one person who doesn’t sin, or isn’t tempted to sin. It doesn’t matter if it’s our Priest, Pastor, or parents, we all come from dust, so we are weak. That’s just the way we’re created. Because of this, God has offered forgiveness of sin and protection against temptation, through Jesus Christ. Jesus has taken on the sin of all mankind, and conquered it, so that we could have the opportunity at a life full of peace, joy, and love. At the same time, we still have freewill, so to sin or not to sin is our choice. When we sin we’re punished, and if we do well we’re rewarded, because the law of life is “you reap what you sow”. I love the way the Apostle Paul explains it: Do not be deceived: God cannot be mocked. A man reaps what he sows. Whoever sows to please their flesh, from the flesh will reap destruction; whoever sows to please the Spirit, from the Spirit will reap eternal life. Let us not become weary in doing good, for at the proper time we will reap a harvest if we do not give up. (Gal 6:7-9 NIV)

God doesn’t expect us to be perfect, but He does require that we love Him with all of our heart, and love each other. In keeping these commandments, we should think of Him first, before we make any choice. We should seek His instruction by studying His Word, and do our best to follow it. When faced with temptation, we should cry out to Him for help. When dealing with each other, we should ask ourselves “what would Jesus do”, and follow His examples. After all, Jesus is the only person who’s ever lived in the flesh without sin. Through Jesus, we also learn that we’ll be tempted, there’s no way to avoid it, because even He was tempted. However, God never gives us more than we can bear. Sometimes the temptations are tests, to see if we’re ready to move on to the next level in life. Other times they’re meant for testimony, or to help our fellow brothers and sisters, either way, know that you’re more than a conqueror through the blood of Christ.

As we grow spiritually, the enemy’s plots to bring us down becomes more evident, and it becomes easier for us to overcome them, and avoid sin. We all have our weak spots–things that have a hold on us, which we can’t seem to break. We must actively work on those things through prayer, meditation, and fasting. Paul once described it as a “thorn in his flesh”; which was something that was placed in his life to keep Him completely depended upon God. God will remove that thorn when He sees fit, but until then, we must continue to pray for deliverance, and seek His face when it feels like temptation is too strong. Always know that you can overcome anything the devil throws your way, because you are a child of God. We’re one with Christ, and Christ is one with God, so there’s no way to penetrate our shield. The enemy only wins when we let him, so keep fighting temptation, with the help of Jesus Christ.

We can find help in church, from the Body of Christ. This is why Paul suggested that we avoid surrounding ourselves with people who are “unequally yoked”, because sometimes we need to seek strength and solace in other believers. Make sure you’re in a church that’s filled with supportive leaders, and members you can depend on. Not saying that there isn’t controversy in the church, but if you have the right church, God is at the forefront of everything. If you’re one of those people who think that church isn’t that important, then this is just one of the many reasons why you should find yourself a good Church home.

Earlier in Galatians chapter 6, Paul said: Brothers and sisters, if someone is caught in a sin, you who live by the Spirit should restore that person gently. But watch yourselves, or you also may be tempted. Carry each other’s burdens, and in this way you will fulfill the law of Christ. If anyone thinks they are something when they are not, they deceive themselves. Each one should test their own actions. Then they can take pride in themselves alone, without comparing themselves to someone else, for each one should carry their own load. Nevertheless, the one who receives instruction in the word should share all good things with their instructor. (vs.1-6) Always remember that we’re in this together, so loving one another requires support, forgiveness, humility, and guidance.

If you don’t know Jesus as Lord and Savior, then sin will consume you, and lead you to death and destruction for all eternity. This is not a dramatization, but the truth by the Word of God. Jesus gives us life now and forever; so in order to overcome the darkness in your life, ask Him to come into your heart as Lord. If you aren’t sure where you stand with God, take a few moments to take the God Quiz today! My favorite verse today is: God is faithful, who will not suffer you to be tempted above that ye are able; but will with the temptation also make a way to escape, that ye may be able to bear it. (1 Corinthians 10:13)

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Daily Devotional Day & Night

HAPPY WEDNESDAY!



I pray all is well with everyone, and you're enjoying this beautiful "hump day". It is HOT here in the DC area, and there's no sign of relief. It's miserable hot, and I don't want to go outside, not even to swim in a pool. I had a wonderful weekend, and spent time with family and friends, but I'm grateful that it wasn't as hot as it has been for the last few days. Yesterday I had the day off, but refused to leave the house, because it was so hot. I know it's summer, and God is in control, but we must also pray for our world. There's a lot going on, especially in our nation, so our prayers are much needed. The Body of Christ is being attacked more than we understand, so it's time for us to stand firm for every human being. You know one of my favorite verses: …The effective, fervent prayer of a righteous man avails much. (James 5:16) Elijah prayed for the end of the drought to save his entire nation (1 King 17-18), and he was just one man, so if we gather together and pray, we'll make a great difference in this world. I came across this on Dr. Stanley’s website today, check it out: http://www.intouch.org/resources/140-days-of-prayer. Enjoy the remainder of your day family, and be blessed!



Today's scriptures are about temptation. Temptation is something that we each will face on a daily basis, and no man is, or ever was, above it. However God is grater than anything that we could ever face, and because of His greatness, we can endure all things, with just a little faith. The love of God can take us where our own strength cannot, and it's so important to keep our focus on Him, so He can shine His light on our path. Temptations are like speed bumps, or objects placed in our path in hopes of slowing us down, or tripping us up. Some temptations are like false detour signs, which cause us to stray off of His the path completely. The enemy knows the Word of God as good, or even better, than most Christians, so He'll setup evil temptations with a Holy pretense, to trap us. It's important to read and understand God’s Word, and to keep a close relationship with the Holy Spirit, in order to clearly spot temptation and be able to avoid it.

Even Jesus was often tempted in the flesh, but He never sinned. He endured by trusting God, and praying without ceasing. He was the strongest Man, who ever walked this earth, and even He had to rely on God to get Him through certain situations, so you and I aren't above anything or anyone. Maybe you’ve heard one of the most popular stories in the bible, about Jesus being tempted by Satan, in the wilderness, after fasting for forty days. This passage starts off: Then Jesus was led up by the Spirit into the wilderness to be tempted by the devil. (Matt. 4:1) Why do you think Jesus was tempted? Jesus was the great Rabbi or High Priest, so He was our teacher, as well as our Savior. God showed us a lot of things through Jesus’ walk, and each story we read in the gospels teaches us how to conduct ourselves, when faced with the same temptations, by the words and actions of Christ. There are plenty of times we too are "lead by the Spirit into moments of temptations", to help us further rely on the love of God.

God wants us to understand that we can, in fact, do all things through Christ. We have all power by faith, in the mighty Name of Jesus Christ. Jesus defeated the enemy, and every temptation threw at Him, with the Word of God. Paul taught us to "put on the whole Armor of God in order to withstand the wiles (scheming) of the devil, because our struggles are not against the flesh, but against 'the spiritual forces of evil'" (Eph 6:11-12). It's written: Therefore put on the full armor of God, so that when the day of evil comes, you may be able to stand your ground, and after you have done everything, to stand. Stand firm then, with the belt of truth buckled around your waist, with the breastplate of righteousness in place, and with your feet fitted with the readiness that comes from the gospel of peace. In addition to all this, take up the shield of faith, with which you can extinguish all the flaming arrows of the evil one. Take the helmet of salvation and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God. (Eph 6:13-17 NIV)

Now I was lead by the Spirit to read this passage a few nights ago during my studies, and I kept asking God why I had to keep reading this over and over, and He revealed this very thing to me (hallelujah!). This was the first time that I noticed that the Word of God is your sword, and everything else is meant to protect you from attacks. Now, although it's very important to have protection from attacks, such as a helmet, breastplate, shield, etc., it's more important to have a weapon to fight back with as well. Eventually, if you keep being beat up on, your protection get's weak and could give way. You can only defeat your enemy by using force, and that's what Jesus did when He was tempted. Jesus defeated the enemy and overcame temptation by the striking back with the Word of God.

The most dangerous thing we could do as Christians is think that we have it all figured out, because it makes it that much easier to step outside of the will of God. We then become more susceptible to temptation, and more likely to submit to it. In most cases we allow the wrong people in our lives, who allow themselves to be used by the enemy, to tempt us, so be careful about the company you keep. I love the old cliché, "If it walks like a duck, and quack like a duck, it's a duck". We have a lot of animalistic characters, and evil people prey on the weak. So be careful who you go to with your problems, or trust with your heart; it's always wise to seek Godly counsel in your times of trouble. Someone once told me that evil people could sense when you

Re at a weak point, almost like a lion can smell wounded prey from miles away. The enemy is most likely to tempt us in our weakest moments, in order to cause us to step outside of the will of God. However, we're to take on God's strength in our weaknesses. I love the way Paul said it: Therefore I take pleasure in infirmities, in reproaches, in needs, in persecutions, in distresses, for Christ’s sake. For when I am weak, then I am strong. (2 Cor. 12:10)

Temptations are going to be an issue for any human being, but there's only one way to overcome them. Without the strength of Jesus, you'll keep falling, but you have to put on the Armor each day. Read the story of Jesus' temptation and learn how it's done. If you’ve accepted Jesus as Lord then you posses His strength, by His blood. If you don't know Jesus as Lord and Savior, then you have to take that first step today. According to John 1:14 Jesus is the Word of God, which makes Him your sword. You can get to know Him by praying and asking Him to be your Lord and Savior, and through Him you'll receive His Holy Spirit, which dwells with you at all times. He will be the one to help lead you along the way. My favorite verse today is: There hath no temptation taken you but such as is common to man: but God is faithful, who will not suffer you to be tempted above that ye are able; but will with the temptation also make a way to escape, that ye may be able to bear it. (1 Corinthians 10:13)



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