Devotion for Sunday, July 12th, 2009 "It's Sunday! Are you glad?"

Psalm 122:1 "I was glad when they said unto me, Let us go into the house of the Lord"

Is today just another Sunday to you? Here in Psalm 122:1, David said that he was "glad" when he got to go into the Lord's house. Does that describe how you feel this morning. Some of you, I know went to bed last night dreading the fact that you had to get up and get ready to go to church today. I've known people that have said, "Church really isn't all that important." Well, if it's not, what was David so glad about? If you can be an outstanding Christian without it, why did God establish it?

I hope this morning, this afternoon, or even this evening, whenever you may be reading this, I hope that you will be glad for the next opportunity to attend the house of the Lord. Get glad, church is worth getting excited about. It's Sunday! Are you glad? Get glad and get to church.

Devotion for Saturday, July 11th, 2009 "From a Child"

II Timothy 3:14-15 "(14) But continue thou in the things thou hast learned and hast been assured of, knowing of whom thou hast learned them; (15) And that from a child thou hast known the Holy Scriptures, which are able to make thee wise unto salvation which is in Christ Jesus."

It's VBS time here at our church, which is one of my favorite times of the year. Kid's never cease to amaze me. The things they remember. The questions they ask. The excitement and energy they bring into a room. Children are a very important aspect of the ministry.

You hear it said all the time, "Our kids today are the church of tomorrow." I believe that statement to be very true. There are, however, some things about that statement that scare me. Those of us that are still raising children are going to have to realize that we are responsible for the future of children and our children's churches.

The Bible says, "that from a child thou hast known the Holy Scriptures." As parents and grandparents it is our responsibility to teach the Bible to them. Biblical principles are going to have to be established within the homes of Christians, because kids pick up on the smallest aspects of life. If we are going to expect them to be in church 35 years from now, it is of utmost importance that we are giving them what they need today, not just what they want. Now I am not foolish enough to say that just because we teach them right they will always do right. I understand that each person makes their own decisions, and will give an account to God for those decisions. What I am saying, is, as Christian parents our children are going to learn the most about the Bible from us. Let's not take that lightly.

Devotion for Friday, July 10th, 2009 "Tips for having a Daily Quiet Time with God"

Psalm 63:1 - 3 "(1) O God, thou art my God; early will I seek thee: my soul thirsteth for thee, my flesh longeth for thee in a dry and thirsty land, where no water is; (2) To see thy power and thy glory, so as I have seen thee in the sanctuary. (3) Because thy loving kindness is better than life, my lips shall praise thee. "

Finding time is not an easy task. We constantly have something or someone clamouring for our time. I believe that time is our most valuable commodity. It is the only thing that we spend all of what we have. We can't save or manufacture more of it. Any relationship we have in this life requires time. Our relationship with God is not any different. I share some tips that I hope will enhance the time you spend with the Lord each day.

How?

• Pray: Praise, Confess, and renew your dedication to the Lord.
• Read: Re-read, mark where you read, memorize a daily verse.
• Act: Think through, live it out, and pass it on.

What?

• Spend time alone with God and His Word everyday.

Who?

• All Christians who want to all God wants them to be.

Why?

• For a daily cleansing of your sin: renewing your dedication to the Lord.

When?

• Do it before you do anything else.

Where?

• A definite, quiet place.

Devotion for Wednesday, July 9th, 2009 - "Pleasing, bearing fruit, and Increasing - It's all in a day's work"

Colossians 1:10 "That ye might walk worthy of the Lord unto all pleasing, being fruitful in every good work, and increasing in the knowledge of God:"

As Christians we must remember that we have a work that needs to be done. And because we have work to do, we must also remember it is important how the work gets done. Here in Colossians 1:10 the Bible says that we should be walking worthy of the Lord, and what we do should not only bear fruit, but it should be fruit that is pleasing to Him. As we bear pleasing fruit we should increase in our knowledge in order to keep on producing that pleasing fruit.

We have all heard the saying, "if it's not broke, don't fix it." You know the same is true in the Christian life. The things that were pleasing to God and bore fruit 75 years ago, are still just as pleasing to Him and still bear just as much fruit.

Increase you knowledge today, and bear some fruit that would be pleasing to the Lord. What worked for you last week will work again. Keep on keepin' on! It's all in a days work.

Devotion for Wednesday, July 8th, 2009 - "Are you ready to be successful?"

Joshua 1:8 "This book of the law shall not depart out of thy mouth; but thou shalt meditate therein day and night, that thou mayest observe to do according to all that is written therein: for then thou shalt make thy way prosperous, and then thou shalt have good success."

I believe it was Jerry Falwell that said, "Being successful in the Christian life means that one must find God's will, follow God's will, and then finish God's will." Amen to that. True success is not about the size of ones bank account or the number of influential people they may know. The Word of God does not place a heavy emphasis on being successful. As a matter of fact, Joshua 1:8 is the only place in the Bible that it is even mentioned.

With that being said, every believer in Christ can be and should be a successful Christian. To do so, we must first find God's will. God's will is not hidden to us. He has revealed, and preserved it in the Bible. Now that is not say that God does not have a specific will for you as an individual, because He does. People struggle with the difference between the two. That is God's revealed and unrevealed will. Let me try and help here a little bit. God is not obligated to show any of us His unrevealed will for our lives as long as we are not doing His revealed will found in the Bible. It's kind of like having an engine for a car with out having the car. The car would represent God's revealed will, the engine His unrevealed will. We need both in order for us to enjoy the journey God has for us. So finding God's will is important.

Now once we've found it, next we must follow it. This of course is easier said than done. Sometimes we may not like what God's will is for our lives. Doing something that we don't like is part of maturing as a person and a as Christian. If we want to be successful though, we must follow God's will no matter what.

The last thing we must do is finish God's will. God's will does not change. However, there are many times that God may only reveal a portion of what He wants us to do for a particular amount of time. Once completed he reveals another part. The key to being successful is to finish God's will as He reveals it to us.

Everyone wants to be a success in this life, but few are willing to do what it takes to be. Find, follow, and finish God's will. Are you ready to successful?

Devotion for Tuesday, July 7th, 2009 "The Necessity of Storms"

Nahum 1:3b "...the Lord hath His way in the whirlwind and in the storm, and the clouds are the dust of His feet."

We all know that we have to have rain. With out the rain, the plant life would wither and die, the wells & water supplies would dry up completely. Rain is a necessary part of our lives. But what about the storms? What makes them necessary? I'm not real sure why storms are necessary in the physical world but I do have some thoughts as to why they are necessary in our lives spiritually.

Think about how when the physical storm arises. It starts out with a color change in the sky. Next the wind may pick up a bit, and then it starts to thunder and lightening. Then the rain begins to pour. During a storm, destruction is possible if the proper shelter is not sought out and found.

When a spiritual storm arises God is often times trying to get our attention. Maybe we are to increase our faith and trust in Him as were His disciples when they were in the boat. Maybe, just maybe, God is stirring up the storm in our lives because there is somthing we are holding on to that we need to let go of. The winds from the storm come and rip it from the clutches of our spiritual hands. Don't be surprised by storms of life, just learn what God is trying to show you in your life.

Devotion for Monday, July 6th, 2009 - "You're almost there"

Galatians 6:9 "And let us not be weary in well doing: for in due season we shall reap if we faint not."

Don't you just love traveling with kids in your car? It doesn't matter if you are going 10 minutes or 10 hours the ride always seems to bring the same questions and comments. Are we there yet? I have to go potty. I'm hungry. I'm thirsty. When are we going to be there? She's looking at me! Stop touching me! WOW! - that can be very wearisome.

You know something though? The Christian life can be very similar to taking a trip with kids. The only difference is we are the kids. We are the ones who are constantly complaining to God about how we are not getting what we want out of our trip. We tell him about the people bothering us, and about our physical needs. Now don't get me wrong, it is okay to talk to God about these things, it's just that all of those types of things are what is making us so weary most of the time. Just imagine how much fuller our fellowship with Him would be if we were not so weary with the journey.

Now our verse tells us not to get weary. Because if we get weary and fall asleep, we may miss the harvest. We are going to make it. We must keep going, and don't allow our selves to get discouraged along the way no matter how so and so looks at us or not. Keep going, you're almost there.

Devotion for Sunday, July 5th, 2009 "One Thing I know"

John 9:25 "He answered and said, whether he be a sinner or no, I know not: one thing I know, that, whereas I was blind, now I see."

"One thing I know." What a powerful statement! Jesus had just healed this man. This man used to sit at the gates of the city and beg for money, food, clothes, whatever he could get. Then one day Jesus passed by his way and noticed him. He knelt down, made some mud, put it on the blind man's eyes, and told him to go wash it off. As he washed the mud off from his eyes, he received his sight. After much questioning from the the religious leaders of the day about how it happened, and whether or not the Man that did this wonderful thing, was a sinner or not. His response was " One thing I know, whereas I was blind, now I see."

What is the one thing you know today? Is it that Jesus Christ died to save you from the place of hell? Or is it something else. Now I understand that we can know for sure several things today. But the most important thing we can know is that we are saved and on our way to Heaven. This one thing I know, I was lost in the trespasses of sin and when I trusted Jesus as my Savior, by faith, he change my life. This blind man's life was forever changed. How is your life different since you came to know Jesus? "One thing I know" What is it?

Devotion for Saturday, July 4th, 2009 - "I Love America" By: Dr. Jack Hyles Happy 4th of July

I love Thanksgiving when we pray,And July 4th and Labor DayWith picnics, ants, and hungry flies,And barbecue and hot French fries,With Cokes and chips and apple piesBeneath some hazy, lazy skies.

I love Miami's royal palmThat oozes forth a healing balmBeside the ocean's quiet calm.
And Betsy Ross, and Orville Wright,And dear Ben Franklin's flying kite;And Thomas Jefferson's mightly quill,And Alamo, and Bunker Hill,And Paul Revere's midnight ride,And Wilbur Wright's successful glide.

I love United's friendly skies;And baseball when the umpire cries,"Play ball!" as thousands quietly riseTo turn their moistened sober eyesToward waving flag that proudly flies.
And Casey Stengal's Stengaleze,And Dairy Queen, and Tastee Freeze,And cotton candy at the zoo;And corny dogs and Big Macs too;And Burger Kings, and shopping malls,And hockey pucks, and basketballs.

And Mississippi's cotton fields,And Holland, Michigan's spinning wheels;Monotonous midwestern plains,Florida's sun, Seattle's rams.

Atlanta's lovely, dogwood trails,And Santa Fe's long clicking rails.I love the Rocky Mountain peaksBeneath a sky which mutely speaks;

And Disney World, and Disney Land,And Georgia's fertile blood-red sand:The Mississippi, and Rio Grande;Wisconsin's cheese and dairy land.

I love McDonald's chocolate shakes,And Minnesota's thousand lakes;The Royal Gorge's mighty yawn,A sleepy Alabama dawn;The harvest moon that shineth on.

I love to gaze at YellowstoneWhile licking on an ice cream cone;And Howard Johnson's Motor Lodge;And Ford, and Chevrolet, and Dodge.I love the stately Empire State,And San Francisco's Golden Gate.

I love St. Louis' friendly arch,The Statue of Liberty's burning torch,The Washington Monument's prickly goad,And Colorado's trail ridge road.

I love "My Country, Tis of Thee,"Oh, blessed land of liberty.Long may our glorious land be bright,With freedom's wondrous holy light,Protect us by Thy matchless might.

I love to stand with hand o'er heartAnd think of those who did their part,Who left a mom a lone gold star,Whose bodies rest 'neath fields afar.

I love New England's rolling farms,Its quaint decor and blushing charms.I love the azalea's freshened blooms,East Texas' roses sparkling plumes.

I love it when my church choir sings, And know the peace that worship brings.
There beats within my breast a dreamThat that small faint and flickering gleamWill soon become a mighty flameTo spread to all His matchless name:That those dear four who call me "Dad"Will know the country I have had;Where freedom's flag flies proud and high,And those dear ones may loudly cry,"I'm free! My dad helped make it so.That faint small gleam is now aglow!That Christian land that he once knewIs now the kind that we know too!God's judging hand has now been stayed,So I and mine are not afraid,For churches like our own aboundIn every city, village, town! We're free to witness, visit, teachThe same dear truths we heard Dad preach! And now we vow to God aboveTo pass it on to those we love."

Devotion for Friday, July 3rd, 2009 - "Be a man!"

I Corinthians 16:13 "Watch ye, stand fast in the faith, quit you like men, be strong."

Here in our verse today, the Apostle Paul is encouraging the church at Corinth to stand up "be a man" if we were going to put it in a more modern slang. Let's take a few moments to closer examine this verse.

1. Watch ye: As Christians we must be always watching out for those things around us that might be harmful to us. We do that as parents. We watch when our children play outside. We don't let them play in the street, play with chain saws, or throw knives at each other. I know those are extreme examples. But what in our spiritual lives? As God's children, are we "playing" with spiritual knives or chain saws that could slip at any moment and cut us? We must be watchful.

2. Stand fast in the faith: It is of vital importance that we keep our faith strong. Unwavering faith will get us through the attacks of the Devil. The Bible tells that the shield of faith is the most important piece in the Christian armor. Stand fast, don't sit down, keep on standing, hold your ground and don't give up ground.

3. Quit you like men, be strong: "Man up" "Don't be a sissy" "Be a man" "Quit whining" that's what Paul may have written if he were writing it today. Bravery and strength are generally characteristics given to men. Not that women cannot be brave or strong, it just that men are expected to be the things. As Christians, all men, women, and children need to be brave and strong in order to repel the darts that are sometimes hurled at us by the Devil.

So today, "be a man" increase your faith, and take a stand against sin and the Devil.

Devotion for Thursday, July 2nd, 2009 - "Two Things"

Proverbs 30:7 "Two things have I required of thee: deny me them not before I die."

Love God & Love Others! I almost stopped the devotion right there. I figured, what else needs to be typed other than, Love God & Love Others. I know that Proverbs 30:7 is not talking about these two things. However, my mind immediately went here. What two things have been required of me? Love God & Love Others.

"Two things have I required of thee:..." LOVE GOD & LOVE OTHERS! Period. That's it. LOVE GOD & LOVE OTHERS!

Devotion for Wednesday, July 1st, 2009 "Consider Your Ways"

According to Thorndike Barnhart Advanced Dictionary, the word consider means "to think something over, to give it some careful thought before making a decision about it".

In Haggai 1:5 & 7 the Lord told Israel to "Consider your ways" Of course as God was speaking to Haggai He was refering to the rebuilding of the Temple in Jerusalem when He said to "consider your ways"

For the Christian, we are told in I Corinthians 6:19 about our temples, "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?" As we realize that our body are the temple of the Holy Spirit, we must, as God spoke in Haggi, "consider our ways."

What do we do? What do we say? Where do we go? Who are we? What do we allow to entertain ourselves? How do we respond? Consider your ways. You are building a temple for the Holy Spirit. Consider.

Devotion for Tuesday, June 30th, 2009 - "Missed Opportunities"

Galatians 6:10 "As we therefore have opportunity, let us do good unto all men, especially unto them that are of the household of faith."

I found the phrase, "as we therefore have opportunity" to be very interesting. Galatians 6:10 closes out a set of verses about bearing one another's burdens, and deals at length with sowing and reaping. Then you get to vs. 10 and the Bible says, "as we therefore have opportunity"

We have all had some missed opportunities in this life. As I think about the ones that I've missed, I could almost kick myself as I wonder, "what could have been" or "where would I be now if I had..."

I think most of our missed opportunities are missed because we are focusing on the wrong thing, ourselves. Look at the rest of that verse, "let us do good unto all men, especially unto them that are of the household of faith." The verse is talking about us taking the opportunity to do right, on purpose, by other people.

Think about the relationships that we have with others. Now think about the relationships you used to have. How many of the old relationships aren't there today due to a missed opportunity? Take full advantage of the opportunities that are placed in front of you today, and do right by all men, but especially those that are closest to you. Don't let the opportunity pass.

Devotion for Monday, June 29th, 2009 "Perfect Peace"

Isaiah 26:3 "Thou wilt keep him perfect peace, whose mind is stayed on thee: because he trusteth in thee."

We hear so much about peace these days - world peace, peace in the middle east, lasting peace. We hear statements such as, "help us to keep the peace." The truth of the matter is, the only place where there IS peace today is in the heart of the believer.

Peace is the exact opposite of strife, discord, and conflict. All we need to do is stop, look, and listen. We live in a world that is filled with discord, strife, and opposition. There world is not able bring the peace of mind it tries to offer. There is no pill prescribed by a doctor that can bring peace into someones life. It amazes me the number of people that try to fill there heart with peace, do so with drugs, alcohol, sex, and anything else they can get there hands on.

No one but the perfect God could provide the perfect peace that people are longing for today. Through the perfect sacrifice of Christ on the cross of Calvary, God provides perfect peace for all who will receive peace on the terms of the Gospel.

Don't try and fill yourself up with the cares and distractions of this world. Let God have his way in your life and then you can have the peace that you have been longing for.

Devotion for Sunday, June 28th, 2009 "Let's get Excited"

II Corinthians 9:2 "For I know the forwardness of your mind, for which I boast of you to them of Macedonia, that Achaia was ready a year ago; and your zeal hath provoked very many."

Excitement is a wonderful thing. We get excited about plenty of things. Vacations, holiday's, birthday's, parties, raises at work, days off from work, television programs, etc. When we get excited about these things we tell other people. We tell people and even count down the days till our vacation, holiday's, birthday's, etc. The fact of the matter is, is that excitement is contagious.

What separates a growing business from a non-growing or shrinking business? I believe it is excitement that separates them. When a CEO or owner that's excited about the business that excitement trickles down to the employees. The key to growing a business is excitement.

What about in a church? What separates a growing church from a non-growing church? Again, I believe that, just like a business, if a church is going to grow it's members are going to have to be excited about what God is doing in their church. In order for a Christian to be excited about their church, that same Christian must first be excited about what God is doing in their lives personally.

Notice the last phrase in the verse here, "...and your zeal hath provoked very many." This church at Corinth was excited about what was going on in and through their church. Let God have His way in your life today and let may "zeal" provoke many to doing what God would have them to do. Get excited about what God is doing, because just like excitement, negativity is also very contagious. Let's get excited!