Morning Devotional August 30, 2021

 

Ephesians 4:7

“But unto every one of us is given grace according to the measure of the gift of Christ.”

Praise ye the Lord!!!

Morning Devotional August 29, 2021

 

2 Corinthians 4:17-18

“17 For our light affliction, which is but for a moment, worketh for us a far more exceeding and eternal weight of glory;

18 While we look not at the things which are seen, but at the things which are not seen: for the things which are seen are temporal; but the things which are not seen are eternal.”

Praise ye the Lord!!!

Morning Devotional August 28, 2021

 

Romans 16:17-20

“16 Salute one another with an holy kiss. The churches of Christ salute you. 17 Now I beseech you, brethren, mark them which cause divisions and offences contrary to the doctrine which ye have learned; and avoid them.

18 For they that are such serve not our Lord Jesus Christ, but their own belly; and by good words and fair speeches deceive the hearts of the simple.

19 For your obedience is come abroad unto all men. I am glad therefore on your behalf: but yet I would have you wise unto that which is good, and simple concerning evil.

20 And the God of peace shall bruise Satan under your feet shortly. The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with you. Amen.”

As the Lord's Churches, how are we to “mark them which cause divisions and offences contrary to the doctrine which ye have learned”? The Apostle Paul tells us here to avoid them. How so? The correct way and the way the same Apostle taught here and in some of his other letters was through church discipline with excluding those offenders from fellowship and membership with the local church. This has been the practice for Baptist churches since the days of when Jesus spoke of this same matter in His ministry on the earth. To let those who are causing problems in the local congregation continue undisciplined goes against the very commandments of our Lord for His churches.

But notice in verse 16. “The churches of Christ salute you.” Another way to mark them that cause divisions and offenses contrary to the doctrine we have been taught is to let other churches of like faith know of these things. A common practice today is if a person causes problems in one church and is excluded they just go join somewhere else with no questions asked or if questions are asked they are only asked from the side of the offender and the church which they were disciplined from is never consulted. This is a grave problem in the Lord's churches today. This is how the seed of discontent between the Lord's churches is sown and trust and fellowships between churches is broken. All because we didn't follow the scripture as pertaining to church discipline.

The purpose of church discipline is likened unto the parent's discipline of their children. It is a correction for some wrong. It is out of love and hope that one will repent and return into full fellowship. But first there must be reconciliation and repentance. Other churches of like faith, like other parents, are to honor the disciplinary actions of other churches or parents on their own membership or children. How would we feel if we discipline our child for something they had done wrong and another parent whom we were close friends with stepped in and received our child into their family and let them continue on with the wrong we had disciplined them for? Sounds ridiculous doesn't it? Of course it does. So why do we think it's okay for the Lord's churches? When we have disciplined someone from our own congregation, how would we feel if another church accepted them into their membership? Is it worth it to lose fellowship with others over such a one?

Just my thoughts this morning.

Praise ye the Lord!!!

Morning Devotional August 27, 2021

 

Proverbs 8:13

“The fear of the Lord is to hate evil: pride, and arrogancy, and the evil way, and the froward mouth, do I hate.”

Praise ye the Lord!!!

Morning Devotional August 26, 2021

 

But as the Days of Noah Were

Matthew 24:37

“37 But as the days of Noah were, so shall also the coming of the Son of man be.”

Genesis 6:5-7

“5 And God saw that the wickedness of man was great in the earth, and that every imagination of the thoughts of his heart was only evil continually.

6 And it repented the Lord that he had made man on the earth, and it grieved him at his heart.

7 And the Lord said, I will destroy man whom I have created from the face of the earth; both man, and beast, and the creeping thing, and the fowls of the air; for it repenteth me that I have made them.”

Genesis 6:8

“8 But Noah found grace in the eyes of the Lord.”

If you are saved you are as Noah was. Praise God we have found grace in His eyes!!! Praise God we will not be here when great tribulation comes upon this earth.

We are truly living in the days that are as they were before Noah entered into the Ark and God closed Noah and his family inside.

Praise ye the Lord!!!

Morning Devotional August 24, 2021

 

Colossians 4:5-6

“5 Walk in wisdom toward them that are without, redeeming the time.

6 Let your speech be always with grace, seasoned with salt, that ye may know how ye ought to answer every man.”

Praise ye the Lord!!!

Morning Devotional August 22, 2021

 

Colossians 3:23-24

“23 And whatsoever ye do, do it heartily, as to the Lord, and not unto men;

24 Knowing that of the Lord ye shall receive the reward of the inheritance: for ye serve the Lord Christ.”

Whom will ye serve today? Do you seek self-gratification? Do you seek the approval of others? Where is Christ in your life? Is He even in your life? Look to Christ in all you do and follow Him and only Him.

Praise ye the Lord!!!

Morning Devotional August 21, 2021

 

1 Corinthians 6:12-20

“12 All things are lawful unto me, but all things are not expedient: all things are lawful for me, but I will not be brought under the power of any.

13 Meats for the belly, and the belly for meats: but God shall destroy both it and them. Now the body is not for fornication, but for the Lord; and the Lord for the body.

14 And God hath both raised up the Lord, and will also raise up us by his own power.

15 Know ye not that your bodies are the members of Christ? shall I then take the members of Christ, and make them the members of an harlot? God forbid.

16 What? know ye not that he which is joined to an harlot is one body? for two, saith he, shall be one flesh.

17 But he that is joined unto the Lord is one spirit.

18 Flee fornication. Every sin that a man doeth is without the body; but he that committeth fornication sinneth against his own body.

19 What? know ye not that your body is the temple of the Holy Ghost which is in you, which ye have of God, and ye are not your own?

20 For ye are bought with a price: therefore glorify God in your body, and in your spirit, which are God's.”

We often hear people quoting verse 12 to justify some sin they enjoy. The preachers of “soul liberty” quote this often. But, as I have often brought out in these devotionals, we need to read and study in context to see what the Lord really meant with our favorite verses. When we do we might find out our favorite verse may not able to us at all or maybe it does, but in a different light than we thought. A prime example is the context in which verse 12 was written.

Praise ye the Lord!!!

Morning Devotional August 20, 2021

 

Psalm 39:7

“And now, Lord, what wait I for? my hope is in thee.”

Where is your hope today? In whom is your hope today? Follow Christ.

Praise ye the Lord!!!

Morning Devotional August 19, 2021

 

Luke 10:38-42

“38 Now it came to pass, as they went, that he entered into a certain village: and a certain woman named Martha received him into her house.

39 And she had a sister called Mary, which also sat at Jesus' feet, and heard his word.

40 But Martha was cumbered about much serving, and came to him, and said, Lord, dost thou not care that my sister hath left me to serve alone? bid her therefore that she help me.

41 And Jesus answered and said unto her, Martha, Martha, thou art careful and troubled about many things:

42 But one thing is needful: and Mary hath chosen that good part, which shall not be taken away from her.”

Praise ye the Lord!!!

Morning Devotional August 17, 2021

 

Mark 8:36-37

“36 For what shall it profit a man, if he shall gain the whole world, and lose his own soul?

37 Or what shall a man give in exchange for his soul?”

Something to think about today.

Praise ye the Lord!!!

Morning Devotional August 16, 2021

 

Romans 8:18-25

“18 For I reckon that the sufferings of this present time are not worthy to be compared with the glory which shall be revealed in us.

19 For the earnest expectation of the creature waiteth for the manifestation of the sons of God.

20 For the creature was made subject to vanity, not willingly, but by reason of him who hath subjected the same in hope,

21 Because the creature itself also shall be delivered from the bondage of corruption into the glorious liberty of the children of God.

22 For we know that the whole creation groaneth and travaileth in pain together until now.

23 And not only they, but ourselves also, which have the firstfruits of the Spirit, even we ourselves groan within ourselves, waiting for the adoption, to wit, the redemption of our body.

24 For we are saved by hope: but hope that is seen is not hope: for what a man seeth, why doth he yet hope for?

25 But if we hope for that we see not, then do we with patience wait for it.”

Praise ye the Lord!!!

Morning Devotional August 15, 2021

 

1 Corinthians 14:33 “For God is not the author of confusion, but of peace, as in all churches of the saints.”

In our day there is much confusion in the Lord's Churches. The enemy is well trained and understands if you create confusion amongst God's people you not only disrupt the peace of a congregation but you also keep them from their God called duties and eventually that group becomes ineffective in the matter of spreading the Gospel. The old saying “divide and conquer” comes into play.

Through the love of the world and the things of the world our enemy has deceived many and has cause much confusion even in the Lord's true churches. Many pastors have given into tickling the ears of the people to stay popular. Many people would rather be a member where they don't have to feel obligated to show up for services or help with the upkeep of the physical and spiritual needs of the church.

As our congregations are getting more aged and the younger generations are showing signs of rebellion against the Lord and His churches many are simply giving up or giving in to the confusion of false doctrines and false preachers for the sake of keeping the doors open.

Notice in our text verse, “For God is not the author of confusion”. If there is confusion and a lack of peace in the place where you attend, know and understand those who bring this are not of God. But praise God He can stop the confusion and bring peace to His people if they will turn from their wicked ways and seek His face through prayer and supplications. He can do it with the congregation intact with all becoming as one in faith or He can weed out those who refuse to repent. Or in the extreme case the Lord has removed the candlestick.

Pray for peace and the continued preaching of the truth in the Lord's churches. As members of the Lord's Bride we should and must be praying for each other daily.

Praise ye the Lord!!!

Morning Devotional August 13, 2021

 

Luke 12:5

“But I will forewarn you whom ye shall fear: Fear him, which after he hath killed hath power to cast into hell; yea, I say unto you, Fear him.”

Praise ye the Lord!!!

Morning Devotional August 12, 2021

 

Proverbs 17:6

“Children's children are the crown of old men; and the glory of children are their fathers.”

Praising the Lord this morning with the news of the birth of our 4^th grandchild.

Praise ye the Lord!!!

Morning Devotional August 11, 2021

Morning Devotional

Isaiah 40:31

“But they that wait upon the Lord shall renew their strength; they shall mount up with wings as eagles; they shall run, and not be weary; and they shall walk, and not faint.”

Praise ye the Lord!!!

Morning Devotional August 10, 2021

 

1 John 3:1

“Behold, what manner of love the Father hath bestowed upon us, that we should be called the sons of God: therefore the world knoweth us not, because it knew him not.”

Praise ye the Lord!!!

Morning Devotional August 9, 2021

 

Hebrews 4:16

“Let us therefore come boldly unto the throne of grace, that we may obtain mercy, and find grace to help in time of need.”

Praise ye the Lord!!!

Morning Devotional August 8, 2021

 

Ephesians 4:30-32

“30 And grieve not the holy Spirit of God, whereby ye are sealed unto the day of redemption.

31 Let all bitterness, and wrath, and anger, and clamour, and evil speaking, be put away from you, with all malice:

32 And be ye kind one to another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, even as God for Christ's sake hath forgiven you.”

 

O how we often forget the mercy and grace God has shown towards us in this life. The example Jesus gave in His earthly ministry and as He hung on the tree.

Forgiveness can be a hard thing for many of us at times. The greatest example of forgiveness was when Jesus suffered and died for the sins of His people. He was totally innocent of any crime or sin yet He bore every sin His people would ever commit. By all rights we deserved death and hell but, praise God that was not His will!!!

How much and how often are we willing to forgive our brothers and sisters in Christ? How can we live with the thought of ill will toward others and claim the name of Christ? Forgiveness can be a hard thing, but should it be?

 

Praise ye the Lord!!!

Morning Devotional August 7, 2021

 

Philippians 3:13-16

“13 Brethren, I count not myself to have apprehended: but this one thing I do, forgetting those things which are behind, and reaching forth unto those things which are before,

14 I press toward the mark for the prize of the high calling of God in Christ Jesus.

15 Let us therefore, as many as be perfect, be thus minded: and if in any thing ye be otherwise minded, God shall reveal even this unto you.

16 Nevertheless, whereto we have already attained, let us walk by the same rule, let us mind the same thing.”

 

Once God has saved us and we have repented of our sins we must from that time on be looking forward to that day when our Lord returns and to that one eternal day we will spend in His presence. As far as our Heavenly Father is concerned, our past is no longer relevant. We are now His child and no longer a child of the devil.

On the same hand, we must remember we are His child and not a child of the devil. Our desires and wants and needs must be directed towards our Heavenly Father. Our new goal in this life must be to strive for “the mark for the prize of the high calling of God in Christ Jesus.”

What are we striving for today? Fame and fortune in this life? Pleasing our friends and family? Or praising and glorifying our Lord and Savior?

Our goal in this life, as God's children should be to strive to lovingly follow His commandments in hopes of being counted as one of His Bride. It is those who will make up the Bride of Christ who will have the greatest reward for all eternity. To live in the palace of the King of kings and Lord of lords.

 

Praise ye the Lord!!!

Morning Devotional August 5, 2021

 

Isaiah 45:5-7

“5 I am the Lord, and there is none else, there is no God beside me: I girded thee, though thou hast not known me:

6 That they may know from the rising of the sun, and from the west, that there is none beside me. I am the Lord, and there is none else.

7 I form the light, and create darkness: I make peace, and create evil: I the Lord do all these things.”

Praise ye the Lord!!!

Morning Devotional August 4, 2021

 

1 Corinthians 9:24-27

“24 Know ye not that they which run in a race run all, but one receiveth the prize? So run, that ye may obtain.

25 And every man that striveth for the mastery is temperate in all things. Now they do it to obtain a corruptible crown; but we an incorruptible.

26 I therefore so run, not as uncertainly; so fight I, not as one that beateth the air:

27 But I keep under my body, and bring it into subjection: lest that by any means, when I have preached to others, I myself should be a castaway.”

Praise ye the Lord!!!

Morning Devotional August 3, 2021

 

Proverbs 19:21

“There are many devices in a man's heart; nevertheless the counsel of the Lord, that shall stand.”

Praise ye the Lord!!!

Morning Devotional August 2, 2021

 

Matthew 5:6

“Blessed are they which do hunger and thirst after righteousness: for they shall be filled.”

Do you hunger and thirst for the things of God today as much as you did yesterday? Or was yesterday vain glory to appease family and friends? Did the preacher tickle your ears with kind gentle, feel good words or did the words he spoke lovingly cut to the heart?

What do you hunger and thirst for today?

Praise ye the Lord!!!

Morning Devotional August 1st, 2021

 

2 Corinthians 13:5-8

“5 Examine yourselves, whether ye be in the faith; prove your own selves. Know ye not your own selves, how that Jesus Christ is in you, except ye be reprobates?

6 But I trust that ye shall know that we are not reprobates.

7 Now I pray to God that ye do no evil; not that we should appear approved, but that ye should do that which is honest, though we be as reprobates.

8 For we can do nothing against the truth, but for the truth.”

Praise ye the Lord!!!