Daily Devotional Day & Night

HAPPY WEDNESDAY!

Today’s scriptures are about the sweet savor in the Name of Jesus Christ. Let’s take a few moments to think about how much Jesus has done for us, and how much He means to all mankind. When I think about how much He loves me, and even at the mention of His Name, I get a warming in my heart, and a smile instantly appears on my face. Oh how precious is the Name of Jesus! It makes me think of the song, Something About the Name of Jesus, by Kirk Franklin. It is the sweetest thing I know, oh how I love the Name of Jesus! The bible describes Jesus as the husband, and us [the church] as His bride, and we will be presented to Him, when the time comes, as a bride is presented to her husband. (Revelation 19:6-10) In any marriage, the husband works hard to gain the wife’s affection, but once He has that affection, she’ll do anything for Him, and will love him in a way that she loves no other human being. When we think of our relationship with Jesus and how much He’s done to prove His love for us, we should think of how beautiful, awesome, special, loving, kind, sweet, tender, merciful, and gracious He truly is.

I always wondered why the bible describes Jesus’ love like a “sweet smelling ointment (or oil)”, and today’s scriptures had me digging deeper to find that answer. Aside from all of the sacrificial uses of aromatic oils from the beginning of time, I thought about what certain scents do to the rest of body. Think about how Jesus makes you feel; it’s very similar. Think about your favorite scent, whether it’s a body oil, incense, cologne, or perfume, and think of how it makes you feel when you smell it. I remember the day I smelled a type of cologne whose scent will forever change my life, and until this day, when I smell it, it touches me deeply. I’m not sure why I’m so affected by it, but when a man walks by with it on, it’ll stop me in my tracks. It’s L’Eau D’Issey Pour Homme, by Issey Miyake. There may be some people that are repulsed by it, or it doesn’t have the same effect on them as it does me. It’s proven that certain aromas relax the mind, and some gives energy and awaken the senses, yet each person reacts to different scents uniquely.

In the beginning stages of your faith walk, you’re getting to know Jesus. Yes, you’ve learned enough about Him to invite Him into your life as your Lord and Savior, but that’s the beginning of your relationship. Just like any relationship, you’re entering into the infatuation stage, and that’s when you feel all giddy inside, and yearns to be close to Him—some people refer to it as the “honeymoon” stage, which will eventually wear out. Developing a deep impenetrable love for Him requires us walk with Him on our life’s journey. It requires us to seek Him out, pray, mediate on His teachings, and try our best to live by His commandments. When you’re doing these things, that’s when your love for Him will deepen, and you’ll start to feel like I feel when I smell Issey Miyake, whenever His Name is mentioned. It’ll stop you in your tracks, and you’ll feel this fullness in your heart, that I can’t begin to explain. Oh how I love the Name Jesus! When I start thinking about the things He’s done for me, and the storms He’s kept me through, I can’t help but praise Him.

There was a time when Jesus was asked: “Lord, how is it that You will manifest Yourself to us, and not to the world?” Jesus answered and said to him, “If anyone loves Me, he will keep My word; and My Father will love him, and We will come to him and make Our home with him. He who does not love Me does not keep My words; and the word which you hear is not Mine but the Father’s who sent Me. (John 14:22-24) Now isn’t this the sweetest thing that you’ve ever heard? I’ll tell you what’s so sweet about it—the fact that He only wants our love, nothing more. He never said after you’ve cleaned up your act, then I’ll come to you. He only said love Me, and My Father and I will make Our home with you. He offers freedom and salvation to everyone who loves Him. I promise you, when you start getting to know who He is, and the amount love He has for you, you’ll easily fall in love, but that comes with time and dedication. You can’t truly love Him if you don’t know Him, and you can’t really know Him without spending time in the Word of God, and talking to Him in prayer.

If you’re reading this right now, chances are you’re looking for something, and that’s the beginning of loving the Lord, because you sought Him out. Why stop there? If you don’t know Jesus as Lord and Savior, then take a few minutes to talk to God right now. Confess that you’re a sinner, and you want some changes in your life, and then ask Jesus to come into your heart. From that point on you’re born again. You’ll start in the honeymoon period, and that’s okay, building a strong relationship requires time to get to know Him. You can start with the Gospel of Matthew, the beginning of the New Testament. Allow the Holy Spirit to guide you on this journey, and enjoy the sweetness of the Lord, for the rest of your life. If you you’d like more information, please take the God Quiz now! My favorite verse today is: Christ ... hath loved us, and hath given himself for us, an offering and a sacrifice to God for a sweet-smelling savour. (Ephesians 5:2)

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Daily Devotional Day & Night

HAPPY MONDAY!

Today’s scriptures are about living in wait of the Lord. Jesus said: Watch therefore, for you know neither the day nor the hour in which the Son of Man is coming. (Matt. 25:13) This, and the fact that we also have no idea if we’ll be taken from this earth before Jesus’ return, is why we must do our best to get prepared. We should live each day looking for the Lord, because life doesn’t stop after we’ve received salvation. I’ve seen so many people become saved, or carry the title “Christian”, but continue to live as if they’ve never spoke the Name Jesus Christ. It happens to so many of us, and it causes us to lose so much precious time getting to know our Heavenly Father, as well as keeps us open to so much more stress and turmoil.

Seeking fellowship with our Father is our lifeline. It’s the only way to truly have life more abundantly. To awake each day seeking His will for our life, is the only way to fulfill the ultimate commandments of loving Him, and loving each other with all of heart. God has our life already figured out, so who better to go to for this than Him? I don’t know about you, but I spent the at least the first twenty-eight years of my life lost and confused. In the last fifteen, I didn’t know where to go or what to do. I was filled with all of these hopes and dreams, but I couldn’t quite figure out how to choose one, and get there. I had already confessed Jesus as Lord and Savior, but I was one of those ones who continued “living life”, in hopes of one day finding my way. I knew how to pray, and how to study the Word, but “living life” was more important. It’s not a day that goes by that I don’t wish that I could turn back the hands of time, and live the last fifteen years over again, with the wisdom acquired. However, what’s so beautiful about the Love of God is that I don’t have to; my life starts from today.

I’ve honestly learned the value of a true relationship with God – there’s nothing like it. No one, or nothing, could fulfill you the way that God can. When His love penetrates your heart, it’s like nothing you’ve ever felt before. The sad thing is that there are way too many Christians that have never experienced His love. I mean truly been opened to it. You know why? They haven’t sought Him with their heart. I’m telling you, when you wake up in the morning, before you wash your face and brush your teeth, drop to your knees in prayer. Ask Him to open your eyes and allow you to see Him in everything. Ask for the wisdom to be able to receive His love, from any and everything that’s brought into your life. Be open to Him. You’ll be surprised at the beauty you’ll see in other people.

This reminds me of the movie “Shallow Hal” (I saw it again last night), which is about this guy who only dated women that society told him were beautiful, but he never took the time to learn a woman’s heart. Hal met this Physiologist and motivational speaker, who specialized in helping people see the beauty in everything, and the heart of others. Well (long story short), he hypnotized Hal, so that Hal saw only the beauty inside of a person. This movie reminds me so much of what God does to our heart. When we seek Him, and make Him priority in our life, He begins to penetrate our heart, so that we could dig deeper, below the surface. He allows us to see the beauty in everything, and life is so much more peaceful that way. We can better walk through the valley of the shadow of death, and fear no evil, because we can feel that He’s with us. Only love could permit us to overcome the world.

Spending everyday waiting on God allows us to get to know Him to a point where we’ll be able to discern between good and evil. I’m sure you’ve heard of the saying “wolf in sheep’s clothing”; well that’s exactly how the enemy operates. Jesus warned us: “Behold, I send you out as sheep in the midst of wolves. Therefore be wise as serpents and harmless as doves.” (Matt. 10:16) The wisest thing for us to do is to recognize God’s rightful place in our life. He’s the Alpha and Omega. My dad taught me, as a young girl, that God should always sit on the throne of my life, and the way he illustrated it to me, sticks with me today. When I put God first things always seem to flow, and the enemy is never allowed to get to close to me. In the adult life of a believer, the hierarchy is always God, husband (or wife), children, ministry (or discipleship), and then family and friends. When these things are in order, everything else flows. You have no reason to fear man, poverty, evil, or even death, because God has you covered. The best is yet to come!

Jesus is the glue that holds all of this together. Remember, He’s the vine, and we’re the branches; without Him we cannot produce fruit. Better still, without Him we can’t truly seek God, because “no man comes to the Father, but through the Son”. If you’re lost, or feel like something just isn’t right, you must pray and ask Jesus to come into your life. Take a few moments to take the God Quiz, and it’ll give you some much needed clarity. My favorite verses today are: The hour cometh, and now is, when the true worshippers shall worship the Father in spirit and in truth: for the Father seeketh such to worship him. God is a Spirit: and they that worship him must worship him in spirit and in truth. (John 4 23-24)

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Daily Devotional Day & Night

HAPPY FRIDAY!

It's Mother's day weekend, a time to give thanks to all mothers. Although I'm not officially a mother, I know the plight of moms everywhere. Motherhood is a privilege, given by God, to protect, nurture, guide, and give total care to His children. That deserves to be celebrated! Cherish your mom, or the person who played that role in your life, and thank them, and thank God for them. Some of us are fortunate enough to have several mother figures, but most of us only get one, so cherish her, and tell her you love her this weekend. I'd like to wish each mother (or mother figure), a happy Mother's Day! Enjoy your weekend, and be blessed family.

Today's scriptures are about trusting in the Lord in times of calamity. The world has experienced some vast catastrophes, and I’ve witnessed a few in my adult life. We've had the 9-11 terrorist attack, gulf wars, middle eastern wars, Hurricane Katrina, Tsunamis, devastating earth quakes in Haiti, South America, China, just to name a few, and it seems like it just keeps getting worst. However, when men and women of God come forth, to assure other believers that God allowed these things, because of punishment of sin, there's this great uproar. Let's make sure that we're clear on this, God is the same yesterday, today, and forever more, so everything that's happening now, is no different from the numerous stories found in the Old Testament of the bible. There were great prophets including Isaiah, Jeremiah, Daniel, and Samuel, just to name a few, who gave active accounts of great wars and calamity due to disobedience and spiritual warfare. In my opinion, the entire world, especially our culture, is in a terrible spiritual state. The religions are split greater than ever before, and there are hundreds of false prophets. People are defiling themselves and children. The lands are polluted, and resources are vastly depleting. We've turned into a technology driven world, and things are moving so fast, that we forget to slow down and spend time with God. The enemy is running rampant, which shows in everything around us. In American culture, you turn on the television and see people, who were once role models, blatantly defiling themselves, through explicit songs, movies, and television programs. Marriages are falling apart at the seams, and drugs, alcohol, adultery and fornication is not only glorified, but also promoted. Looking at all of these things, why do you think the earth is deteriorating right under our feet? Jesus said: “Take heed that no one deceives you. For many will come in My name, saying, ‘I am He,’ and will deceive many. But when you hear of wars and rumors of wars, do not be troubled; for such things must happen, but the end is not yet. For nation will rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom. And there will be earthquakes in various places, and there will be famines and troubles. These are the beginnings of sorrows. (Mark 13:5-8) God is a God of righteousness, love, peace, and salvation; however, He's still a God to fear, if we continuously disobey His commandments. Eventually, He'll say enough is enough. All of these "natural disasters" have reasons behind them, but our main concern is not to try and figure out why, and try to avoid the next one, but it's time to get our relationship right with Christ. We cannot walk this earth, day by day, in fear, because that's not what God intended for us. If you know that you've accepted Jesus as your Lord and Savior, and believe with all your heart that you are saved, then you have nothing else to worry about. The world could be crumbling around you, and all you have to do is pray for deliverance, and God will see you through (Psalms 91 is a great resource to help strengthen you in times of fear). I'm going to leave you with the warning from Jesus, it's written: "No one knows about that day or hour, not even the angels in heaven, nor the Son, but only the Father. Be on guard! Be alert! You do not know when that time will come. It's like a man going away: He leaves his house and puts his servants in charge, each with his assigned task, and tells the one at the door to keep watch. Therefore keep watch because you do not know when the owner of the house will come back—whether in the evening, or at midnight, or when the rooster crows, or at dawn. If he comes suddenly, do not let him find you sleeping. What I say to you, I say to everyone: 'Watch!' " (Mark 13:32-37 NIV) Wow, Jesus ended with such a powerful word, "watch!” I love that. What will be will be, and you're in charge of your own destiny. God has destroyed this entire earth before, but He vowed not to do it again. However, this time, it's us who are destroying it, little by little, piece by piece. God gave us warning signs, so that we could be free of worry or sin, and endure the brunt of the storms. Most importantly, so that we could inherit our "promised land", when it's all over. Don't stop living your life because of fear, but start living your life for Christ. Just as we heard from the story of Jonah the other day, sometimes it only takes one person to warn others about the destruction ahead, so that they could be redeemed. Don't forget, be ready, or you will be destroyed with all of the others. I don't say that as a threat, but as warning to those of you who are "teetering" with your faith, and are "still deciding" what you want to believe. Take a look around you, and notice, that you don't have as much time as you think you do. Take a few moments and take the God Quiz today. My favorite verse today is: He shall not be afraid of evil tidings: his heart is fixed, trusting the Lord. (Psalms 112:7)

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