John 3:17-21
17 For God sent not his Son into the world to condemn the world; but that the world through him might be saved.
18 He that believeth on him is not condemned: but he that believeth not is condemned already, because he hath not believed in the name of the only begotten Son of God.
19 And this is the condemnation, that light is come into the world, and men loved darkness rather than light, because their deeds were evil.
20 For every one that doeth evil hateth the light, neither cometh to the light, lest his deeds should be reproved.
21 But he that doeth truth cometh to the light, that his deeds may be made manifest, that they are wrought in God.
Praise ye the Lord!!!
Tuesday, December 31, 2019
Monday, December 30, 2019
Morning Devotional December 30, 2019
Psalm 103:17-18
“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.”
Praise ye the Lord!!!
“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.”
Praise ye the Lord!!!
Sunday, December 29, 2019
Morning Devotional December 29, 2019
1 Thessalonians 5:1-11
“1 But of the times and the seasons, brethren, ye have no need that I write unto you.
2 For yourselves know perfectly that the day of the Lord so cometh as a thief in the night.
3 For when they shall say, Peace and safety; then sudden destruction cometh upon them, as travail upon a woman with child; and they shall not escape.
4 But ye, brethren, are not in darkness, that that day should overtake you as a thief.
5 Ye are all the children of light, and the children of the day: we are not of the night, nor of darkness.
6 Therefore let us not sleep, as do others; but let us watch and be sober.
7 For they that sleep sleep in the night; and they that be drunken are drunken in the night.
8 But let us, who are of the day, be sober, putting on the breastplate of faith and love; and for an helmet, the hope of salvation.
9 For God hath not appointed us to wrath, but to obtain salvation by our Lord Jesus Christ,
10 Who died for us, that, whether we wake or sleep, we should live together with him.
11 Wherefore comfort yourselves together, and edify one another, even as also ye do.”
Praise ye the Lord!!!
“1 But of the times and the seasons, brethren, ye have no need that I write unto you.
2 For yourselves know perfectly that the day of the Lord so cometh as a thief in the night.
3 For when they shall say, Peace and safety; then sudden destruction cometh upon them, as travail upon a woman with child; and they shall not escape.
4 But ye, brethren, are not in darkness, that that day should overtake you as a thief.
5 Ye are all the children of light, and the children of the day: we are not of the night, nor of darkness.
6 Therefore let us not sleep, as do others; but let us watch and be sober.
7 For they that sleep sleep in the night; and they that be drunken are drunken in the night.
8 But let us, who are of the day, be sober, putting on the breastplate of faith and love; and for an helmet, the hope of salvation.
9 For God hath not appointed us to wrath, but to obtain salvation by our Lord Jesus Christ,
10 Who died for us, that, whether we wake or sleep, we should live together with him.
11 Wherefore comfort yourselves together, and edify one another, even as also ye do.”
Praise ye the Lord!!!
Saturday, December 28, 2019
Morning Devotional December 28, 2019
Matthew 11:28
“Come unto me, all ye that labour and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest.”
Depression is a horrible thing. We often hear preachers take light of depression and, even though it may be unintentional, to the child of God who is suffering it may come across as scoffing at their presumed lack of faith. The fact of the matter is there are many different reasons and causes for depression and whether we want to admit it or not God's people do suffer.
Especially this time of year in the northern parts of the world. When all the scenery can seem so dark and gloomy every day. The days are short and the nights long. People are stuck inside due to the weather. Praise God He has provided us with technology! If we have a phone or a computer with internet and a video camera. What a wonderful way to stay in touch with our brothers and sisters in Christ. Email, social media, even an old fashion letter sent in the mail.
Today we have at our finger tips the means to communicate with others around the world like never before. But, do we? Some will say, “well I am home all day and no one contacts me”. But do you try to make contact with others? Some times we forget others may have busy lives with work and family and just forget to call. Or perhaps they are sitting around saying the same thing we are? Or maybe our attitude towards them has been so that they dread contacting us out of fear of confrontation?
Many a motivational speaker/so-called pastor has made big money over the last 30 years or so promoting ways to deal with depression. Yet, for the child of God most if not all of these are nothing but false prophets. Seeking to fill their bank account rather than teach the love of Christ. A child of God has no business seeking the help of those in the secular world for a spiritual matter. Nor should we look to health/wealth gospel promoters for the same.
With just a little time of study we see many places in God's Word where He gives comforts to His children. We also know our Lord instructed us to comfort one another. In the New Testament we are encouraged by our Lord and by the writers of the epistles that the members of the churches are to be an encouragement to each other. But often times our fellow members know nothing of our despair. We have become good at hiding our feelings and emotions, so much so that our own brothers and sisters don't recognize when we are feeling down. Yet, on the other hand, we are taught today that depression is a weakness not becoming of a child of God. Some look at as a weakness of faith in Christ. But we know even the great heroes in God's Word suffered depression at times. Abraham, Moses, David, Jeremiah, John, Paul, to name a few. Even our Lord when He prayed in the garden.
The fact of the matter is that depression in and of itself is not a sin but, rather it is when we let that depression consume us. When we dwell on things that take our focus off of Christ and place it on our problems then it becomes a sin. I am convinced that depression is part of our God given, human make up. As long as it does not consume our very being and ruin our witness for Christ.
The only time we see in scripture where God chastises one of His own for depression was only when they dwelt to much and to long on whatever concerned them. The same applies to us today. So what is the best remedy or the best way to combat depression? One of our Lord's commandments is that we love one another. Seek godly council from a trusted brother or sister. But more importantly, as Jesus says in our text verse “Come unto me, all ye that labour and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest.” Seek His face in times of despair. Seek Jesus and He will give you rest.
Praise ye the Lord!!!
“Come unto me, all ye that labour and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest.”
Depression is a horrible thing. We often hear preachers take light of depression and, even though it may be unintentional, to the child of God who is suffering it may come across as scoffing at their presumed lack of faith. The fact of the matter is there are many different reasons and causes for depression and whether we want to admit it or not God's people do suffer.
Especially this time of year in the northern parts of the world. When all the scenery can seem so dark and gloomy every day. The days are short and the nights long. People are stuck inside due to the weather. Praise God He has provided us with technology! If we have a phone or a computer with internet and a video camera. What a wonderful way to stay in touch with our brothers and sisters in Christ. Email, social media, even an old fashion letter sent in the mail.
Today we have at our finger tips the means to communicate with others around the world like never before. But, do we? Some will say, “well I am home all day and no one contacts me”. But do you try to make contact with others? Some times we forget others may have busy lives with work and family and just forget to call. Or perhaps they are sitting around saying the same thing we are? Or maybe our attitude towards them has been so that they dread contacting us out of fear of confrontation?
Many a motivational speaker/so-called pastor has made big money over the last 30 years or so promoting ways to deal with depression. Yet, for the child of God most if not all of these are nothing but false prophets. Seeking to fill their bank account rather than teach the love of Christ. A child of God has no business seeking the help of those in the secular world for a spiritual matter. Nor should we look to health/wealth gospel promoters for the same.
With just a little time of study we see many places in God's Word where He gives comforts to His children. We also know our Lord instructed us to comfort one another. In the New Testament we are encouraged by our Lord and by the writers of the epistles that the members of the churches are to be an encouragement to each other. But often times our fellow members know nothing of our despair. We have become good at hiding our feelings and emotions, so much so that our own brothers and sisters don't recognize when we are feeling down. Yet, on the other hand, we are taught today that depression is a weakness not becoming of a child of God. Some look at as a weakness of faith in Christ. But we know even the great heroes in God's Word suffered depression at times. Abraham, Moses, David, Jeremiah, John, Paul, to name a few. Even our Lord when He prayed in the garden.
The fact of the matter is that depression in and of itself is not a sin but, rather it is when we let that depression consume us. When we dwell on things that take our focus off of Christ and place it on our problems then it becomes a sin. I am convinced that depression is part of our God given, human make up. As long as it does not consume our very being and ruin our witness for Christ.
The only time we see in scripture where God chastises one of His own for depression was only when they dwelt to much and to long on whatever concerned them. The same applies to us today. So what is the best remedy or the best way to combat depression? One of our Lord's commandments is that we love one another. Seek godly council from a trusted brother or sister. But more importantly, as Jesus says in our text verse “Come unto me, all ye that labour and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest.” Seek His face in times of despair. Seek Jesus and He will give you rest.
Praise ye the Lord!!!
Friday, December 27, 2019
Morning Devotional December 27, 2019
Romans 6:16
“Know ye not, that to whom ye yield yourselves servants to obey, his servants ye are to whom ye obey; whether of sin unto death, or of obedience unto righteousness?”
We should all examine ourselves in this matter. Do we obey the sin of the world more than the righteousness of God? Think back on the past year. Where or to whom has your obedience been? We ought to be as Joshua taught; “As for me and my house, we shall serve the Lord.”
Praise ye the Lord!!!
“Know ye not, that to whom ye yield yourselves servants to obey, his servants ye are to whom ye obey; whether of sin unto death, or of obedience unto righteousness?”
We should all examine ourselves in this matter. Do we obey the sin of the world more than the righteousness of God? Think back on the past year. Where or to whom has your obedience been? We ought to be as Joshua taught; “As for me and my house, we shall serve the Lord.”
Praise ye the Lord!!!
Thursday, December 26, 2019
Morning Devotional December 26, 2019
Galatians 5:13
“For, brethren, ye have been called unto liberty; only use not liberty for an occasion to the flesh, but by love serve one another.”
“Liberty” or “Soul Liberty” as some call it today, is muchly misunderstood by many of God's people and especially of those who claim to believe in the doctrine of God's Sovereign Grace. It concerns me to see so many in the Lord's churches who actually think that because of their salvation by God's grace they have liberty to live like the world and that God is really “okay” with that. In recent years I have heard pastors preach sermons on how we have liberty to do this or that and that there is nothing wrong with following after the things of the world as long as we do it in a “godly” way or as long as we do it with Christ in mind. What blasphemous garbage!!!
The liberty Paul wrote of to the churches in Galatia was not this type of liberty. In Paul's day the Jews were trying to force legalism to the Law of Moses on the Gentiles in the early churches. There are many religions zealots out there today who are trying to do the same with the Lord's churches in our day. But the liberty God has given us is freedom from the Law not freedom from His commandments. We do not have liberty to follow the world. As His children He tells us if we love Him we will do His commandments. So, if we truly love Him why would we seek anything outside of His commandments and claim we have liberty to do so?
Praise ye the Lord!!!
“For, brethren, ye have been called unto liberty; only use not liberty for an occasion to the flesh, but by love serve one another.”
“Liberty” or “Soul Liberty” as some call it today, is muchly misunderstood by many of God's people and especially of those who claim to believe in the doctrine of God's Sovereign Grace. It concerns me to see so many in the Lord's churches who actually think that because of their salvation by God's grace they have liberty to live like the world and that God is really “okay” with that. In recent years I have heard pastors preach sermons on how we have liberty to do this or that and that there is nothing wrong with following after the things of the world as long as we do it in a “godly” way or as long as we do it with Christ in mind. What blasphemous garbage!!!
The liberty Paul wrote of to the churches in Galatia was not this type of liberty. In Paul's day the Jews were trying to force legalism to the Law of Moses on the Gentiles in the early churches. There are many religions zealots out there today who are trying to do the same with the Lord's churches in our day. But the liberty God has given us is freedom from the Law not freedom from His commandments. We do not have liberty to follow the world. As His children He tells us if we love Him we will do His commandments. So, if we truly love Him why would we seek anything outside of His commandments and claim we have liberty to do so?
Praise ye the Lord!!!
Wednesday, December 25, 2019
Morning Devotional December 25, 2019
Deuteronomy 6:5-9
“5 And thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thine heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy might.
6 And these words, which I command thee this day, shall be in thine heart:
7 And thou shalt teach them diligently unto thy children, and shalt talk of them when thou sittest in thine house, and when thou walkest by the way, and when thou liest down, and when thou risest up.
8 And thou shalt bind them for a sign upon thine hand, and they shall be as frontlets between thine eyes.
9 And thou shalt write them upon the posts of thy house, and on thy gates.”
Praise ye the Lord!!!
“5 And thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thine heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy might.
6 And these words, which I command thee this day, shall be in thine heart:
7 And thou shalt teach them diligently unto thy children, and shalt talk of them when thou sittest in thine house, and when thou walkest by the way, and when thou liest down, and when thou risest up.
8 And thou shalt bind them for a sign upon thine hand, and they shall be as frontlets between thine eyes.
9 And thou shalt write them upon the posts of thy house, and on thy gates.”
Praise ye the Lord!!!
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