Morning Devotional December 2, 2013

Psalm 143:9

“Deliver me, O Lord, from mine enemies: I flee unto thee to hide me.”

The enemy is out to destroy us. That old advisory the devil is roaming the earth seeking whom he may devour. God's people are not exempt from the hand of satan. Just look at Job. God removed the hedge of protection from Job and satan had a field day, killing Job's children, stealing his possessions and wreaking havoc on Job's life. But God did not let satan touch Job's soul. Job was a man of God and God knew of Job's faithfulness to God. Without the faith that God had instilled in Job, Job would have no doubt given up. Even Job's wife and closest friends tried to get Job to turn his back on God. But Job, even though he questioned God for what was going on around him, he still turned to God.

So many times we flee to the ways of the world and not to our Lord for hiding during times of despair. Most times what we see on television or read in novels has more of an impact on our life than the Word of God. The very Word of God and prayer to our Heavenly Father should be our first reaction to a trial.

Paul referred to himself as the “Chiefest of Sinners”. The Apostle to the Gentiles, the one whom the Lord used to pen more of the New Testament than any other writer. Paul wrote most of his letters while in prison or under house arrest. And yet while it may seem that Paul was under constant trial, he understood that he was a sinner.

Sometimes we forget that as the children of God that we are greatly vulnerable to the great deceiver and a father of lies. If we will study and follow Ephesians 6:10-17  the Lord teaches us how to fight these spiritual battles we have from time to time. And yes we must remember when in the midst of battle to most importantly keep our eyes, heart, and soul on our Lord, because without Him the battle would be lost.

 

Praise ye the Lord!!!

Morning Devotional November 25, 2013

Psalm 143:6

 

“I stretch forth my hands unto thee: my soul thirsteth after thee, as a thirsty land. Selah.”

“I stretch forth my hands unto thee” Have you ever been so distraught with things in your live that when you go to the Lord in prayer that you cry out and reach up to Him as a child would their mother or father? What a time those are when we reach out to our Heavenly Father and He grabs us up in His arms and comforts us and consoles us and just lets us know He is there and cares for our every worry and burden. Those are the times we cherish. Those are the times, like with our own children, we feel His undying love. All though we may not get the answer we wanted or maybe the problems are not solved right away, we can have that peace in the middle of the storm.

Praise God He is our Heavenly Father!!!

In those times of great despair when we long for our Father's attention and love, our very soul thirsteh after Him. David says here “as a thirsty land”. Have you ever seen the ground soak up the rain water after there has been a long dry spell or a drought?  At first the soil will soak up the water like a sponge, but when it gets its fill and it can hold no more the water will begin to run off of the soil. After the rains have gone plants will bloom with the most beautiful flowers. That's like us in these times. Our very souls are dry as the desert. But when the Lord begins to flood us with His love and mercy and grace, we begin to fill up on those things He provides. Our cups runneth over with His love. We no longer are a desert but a blooming garden. The Lord takes our desert condition and turns it into the most beautiful garden we have ever seen. And why? All because of His love for us. All because He will get the glory for it all. And yes we must give our Heavenly Father the glory for it all!

 

Praise ye the Lord!!!

Morning Devotional October 27, 2013

Acts 2:16-21

“But this is that which was spoken by the prophet Joel;

AND IT SHALL COME TO PASS IN THE LAST DAYS, SAITH GOD, I WILL POUR OUT OF MY SPIRIT UPON ALL FLESH: AND YOUR SONS AND DAUGHTERS SHALL PROPHESY, AND YOUR YOUNG MEN SHALL SEE VISIONS, AND YOUR OLD MEN SHALL DREAM DREAMS: AND ON MY SERVANTS AND ON MY HANDMAIDENS I WILL POUR OUT IN THOSE DAYS OF MY SPIRIT; AND SHALL PROPHESY: AND I WILL SHEW WONDERS IN HEAVEN ABOVE, AND SIGNS IN THE EARTH BENEATH; BLOOD, AND FIRE, AND VAPOUR OF SMOKE: THE SUN SHALL BE TURNED INTO DARKNESS, AND THE MOON INTO BLOOD, BEFORE THAT GREAT AND NOTABLE DAY OF THE LORD COME: AND IT SHALL COME TO PASS, THAT WHOSOEVER SHALL CALL ON THE NAME OF THE LORD SHALL BE SAVED.”

 

Wow! What a time of great sorrow that will be for those unsaved in the world and a glorious time for the nation of Israel. What Peter is describing here is the days leading up to the salvation of the nation of Israel and the final destruction of the armies of the world. Notice in verse 22 “Ye men of Israel, hear these words; Jesus of Nazareth, a man approved of God among you by miracles and wonders and signs, which God did by him in the midst of you, as ye yourselves also know:” Notice who Peter is talking to here. Peter is talking to the men of Israel. The Jews.

Turn to Joel 2:28-32. This is the scripture Peter is quoting. In both places the scripture is referring to the end times. It is referring to the time just before the Lord saves the nation of Israel towards the end of the Great Tribulation Period. Notice Peter and Joel both say: “Before that great and notable day of the Lord come.” This is referring to the day when our Lord along with us will descend from Heaven and our Lord will destroy the armies of the world at the battle of Armageddon.

Notice in verse 32: “And it shall come to pass, that whosever shall call on the name of the Lord shall be delivered: for in the mount Zion and in Jerusalem shall be deliverance, as the Lord hath said, and in the remnant whom the Lord shall call.” Notice Joel says “in the mount Zion and in Jerusalem shall be deliverance,”. Not all the earth, but in Zion and Jerusalem. This prophecy is for the nation of Israel. Not the Gentiles or the nations as a whole but for Israel. And not just Israel but notice Joel also says: “And in the remnant whom the Lord shall call.” So not only is this prophecy for the nation of Israel, but it is for those that the Lord will call out of the nation of Israel. God's elect nation. Paul said that not all that say they are Jews are true Jews. So not all that claim to be Israel are of the true Israel. There are many in the land of Israel and many around the world who claim to be of Israel who are not truly from Israel. It is only those whom the Lord has and will call. It is only those chosen few, elect of God that are the true Israel.

Now all that being said, there is another misconception about these verses. There are those today who take verse 17 in Acts 2 and try to say it is for today. But as I have pointed out these verses have nothing to do with our day and time and are not for the Lord's Churches or the Gentiles. These passages in Acts and Joel are strictly for the true Jews that the Lord will call out in the last days of the Great Tribulation Period.

Many have taken verse 17 and claim that this means the gift of prophecy is alive and well today. Yet in I Corinthians 13:8-10 Paul said: “Charity never faileth: but whether there be prophecies, they shall fail; whether there be tongues, they shall cease; whether there be knowledge, it shall vanish away. For we know in part, and we prophesy in part. But when that which is perfect is come, then that which is in part shall be done away.”

“ when that which is perfect is come,” refers to the complete Word of God. Which we have today. Which was complete when the Apostle John finished writing the book of Revelation. What we have as Genesis-Revelation, the Old and New Testaments combined are the Perfect, Complete Word of God. Now with that complete Word we have all the Prophecies that were told that God intended for us to know. And in His time, He will reveal those prophecies to us. It may be before the thing happens or it may be after. That is up to God.

Many today have taken this verse 17 and claimed it as the reason for women to preach or to teach in the church. But to take this view is to take the verse out of context and out of it's original intent. Remember I have already taken the scripture and proven this verse is not for the church or for Christians today. To say that it is for today is to totally deny the Word of God. The Holy Scripture is plain on this.

Also to say that this verse gives the okay for women to speak in the church is to cause a contradiction in the scriptures themselves. Paul said in I Corinthians 14:34 and 35 “Let your women keep silence in the churches: for it is not permitted unto them to speak; but they are commanded to be under obedience, as also saith the law. And if they will learn any thing, let them ask their husbands at home: for it is a shame for women to speak in the church.” Now how much plainer can you get than that? I will say here that there are some who carry this to far in my opinion. There are those who claim this also means that the women are not to sing in the church service. I do not believe this is what these verses say at all. These verses plainly say “speak”. There is a big difference in speaking and singing. On the other hand there are those who will say these verses came about because some of the women in the church in Corinth were speaking out and/or asking questions during the service while the preacher was trying to preach and thus interrupting the service. Verse 35 does seem to look like that might have been the case. And I can see where that would be a problem that would need to be handled in this manner.

I Timothy 2:11-14 “Let the women learn in silence with all subjection. But I suffer not a woman to teach, nor to usurp authority over the man but to be in silence. For Adam was first formed, then Eve. And Adam was not deceived, but the woman being deceived was in the transgression.” Now if you go back to the first part of chapter 2 you will see Paul is teaching Timothy on public worship. So Paul is teaching how women are to conduct themselves in the public worship service. But also notice here in verse 14: “For Adam was not deceived,”. We can not put all the blame on the woman. We can not degrade the woman in any way. For Adam, the first man, though he was not deceived by the serpent, he still knowingly sinned. So Adam or man has only himself to blame for our sins not the woman.

Now after all this does this mean that men are not to learn from women? I think not. Remember Paul commended Timothy's mother and grandmother for teaching Timothy when he was younger. Also in many places in the scripture the Lord used women to teach men a lesson. Look at Ruth and Naomi. Look at the women of the first church. They were the last to leave the Lord at His death on the cross, the first to go to His tomb the third day to finish the embalming process, the first that the angel spoke to announcing the Lord's resurrection, and the first to go tell the men of the church of the good news of His resurrection. So yes the Lord has used women in great ways in the past and in the present and will in the future. But when it comes to the public worship service the Word of God is very plain and very strict on the difference in the roles of the man and of the woman.

In I Corinthians 11:8-12 “ For the man is not of the woman; but the woman of the man. Neither was the man created for the woman; but the woman for the man. For this cause ought the woman to have power on her head because of the angels. Nevertheless neither is the man without the woman, neither the woman without the man, in the Lord. For as the woman is of the man, even so is the man also by the woman; but all things are of God.” So we must remember that  as far as the Lord is concerned woman was created as a help-meet for the man and they are to be inseparable in this life. Notice that no where does the Lord say the woman is to be the footstool of the man, or his slave. But his helpmeet and partner in life. The Lord also told us they are to be one flesh and the man is to love his wife as the Lord loves the church (the Lord's future wife).

As husbands we are to love, cherish, care for, provide for, and honor our wife. However, just like in the church, men and women have different roles in the marriage. The husband is to be the primary caregiver. Does this mean the wife cannot work outside the home? No, read Proverbs 31. But it is the husbands job as the head of the household to support his family. Does this mean the wife is to not have a say in important decisions involving the home and the family? No, both husband and wife must be a part of any such decisions. All though the husband is to take the lead he should be seeking godly counsel from his wife on matters that affect the family. This goes back to God saying in Genesis 2:24 “Therefore shall a man leave his father and his mother, and shall cleave unto his wife: and they shall be one flesh.”

I realize this is a very touchy subject with some on this list and with most of those out there we know who would consider themselves Christian today. That is why I challenge each of you before you pass judgment on anything I have written here that you take a King James Version of the Bible and study what has been written. There is much more to this topic and this discussion than I could have written in this short devotion. If you desire to learn more and want to discuss this please contact me. I am willing to peaceably discuss this with one.

I pray you all take this with all seriousness and study to show thyselves approved unto God.   

 

Praise ye the Lord!!!

Morning Devotionals September 29, 2013

Proverbs 30:4

“Who hath ascended up to heaven, or descended? Who hath gathered the wind in his fists? Who hath bound the waters in a garment? Who hath established all the ends of the earth? What is his name, and what is his son's name, if thou canst tell?”

Oh what a glorious God we serve! He who descended to earth to die for our sins then ascended to prepare a place for us. He who controls the very winds and calms the storms. He who controls the waters and puts us upon the Rock so we don't wash away with the sand. He who created all things in Heaven and earth. He who is all forgiving. He who is the only way to eternal life. He who is our only hope. He who is our only salvation.

He is God our Heavenly Father. He is the only begotten Son of God the Father, Jesus Christ. He is the Holy Spirit that indwells within us.

Only if we are His child can we understand this wonderful truth.

 

Praise ye the Lord!!!

Morning Devotional September 4, 2013

Matthew 7:24-27

 

“24 Therefore whosoever heareth these sayings of mine, and doeth them, I will liken him unto a wise man, which built his house upon a rock:

25 And the rain descended, and the floods came, and the winds blew, and beat upon that house; and it fell not: for it was founded upon a rock.

26 And every one that heareth these sayings of mine, and doeth them not, shall be likened unto a foolish man, which built his house upon the sand:

27 And the rain descended, and the floods came, and the winds blew, and beat upon that house; and it fell: and great was the fall of it.”

 

Our Lord Jesus Christ is telling us here that if we follow Him and do His commandments we will have a solid foundation in the faith He has given us. Oh how many of us need to heed the warning that our Lord gives us here. Remember as His children we will have trials and tribulations in this life. Because we are His children we can come under attach at any moment from satan and/or his fallen angels.

Our Lord tells us in verse 25 that though the rain, flood, and winds come and pound upon us that if we are founded upon that Rock, Jesus Christ, we will withstand those hardships. But in verses 26 and 27 He tells us if we are not founded upon that Rock we will fall.

Where are you standing today? What is your foundation? Are you standing on the Rock or on shifting sands? As a child of God, study His Word. Learn and follow His commandments. Plant your Spiritual feet upon the Solid Rock. So that when those storms come, and they will, you will stand solid in the faith that our Lord Jesus Christ has given you.

 

Praise ye the Lord!

Morning Devotional July 2, 2013

Isaiah 6:8

“Also I heard the voice of the Lord, saying, Whom shall I send, and who will go for us? Then said I, Here and I; send me.”

Who will go? As I have traveled around the USA the past few years and see the many churches of our Lord that are without Pastors. As I read in the publications I receive every month the request from the Lord's churches for a Pastor. I see very few filling these positions. Many of the Lord's churches have been without a Pastor for a long time. Some, I know, it may be by their own choice. But there are some who honestly desire to have a man of God for a Pastor. But none will go.

The saddest thing I see is men who claim to be called to preach but will not go. So many seek the Lord's will to go preach His word but will not give up their worldly possessions to go Pastor a church of our Lord. Some of the most well read, most eloquent speakers, are content to stay in their comfortable life style rather than go do what they claim the Lord has called them to do.  

Many of our Lord's true churches are now small in number and very few can support a full time Pastor. But did not our Lord tell us “Where two or more are gathered there I am”? I fear that many a good preacher has been scared away from the Lord's ministry because of the lack of money. Please understand, I know a man must care for his family, but no where in the scripture does the Lord tell us the Pastor has to be on the church payroll. Remember Paul paid his way by making tents at times. There is no shame in a man of God working a secular and Pastoring the Lord's church. The Lord will provide.

Now, at the same time, if the church is able to pay a man or help him in any way, they should. It is the churches responsibility to help her Pastor as it is his responsibility to feed the Lord's flock.

The question I have is this: If the Lord has called you to preach, will you go? If not are you truly called to preach? We talk of false professions of salvation but I believe there are many false callings out there as well.

If we are truly called we must be about the Lord's work for the time of our Lord's coming is at hand.

I would like to say I praise the Lord for the members of the Kings Addition Baptist Mission. They have been such a blessing to me and my family. I count it an honor to be called by the Lord to go and serve and work there with them. I long for the day when the Lord moves us there.

 

Praise ye the Lord!!!

Morning Devotional June 18, 2013

Obadiah 15

“For the day of the Lord is near upon all the heathen: as thou hast done, it shall be done unto the: thy reward shall return upon thine own head.”

Praise the Lord we are not counted among the heathen! Praise the Lord for His salvation! Praise the God the Day of the Lord will be soon!

The Lord has His elect people who he has called out of the heathen of this world and will save them from the destruction to come. He will take His elect out of this world before He brings great tribulation upon this world.

O what joy to be counted as one of His elect! What a blessing to have received the Gift of our God, the Gift of His Son Jesus Christ. What a blessed hope we have in Jesus Christ. Without Him we would be nothing.

 

Praise ye the Lord!!!