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Christian Devotional – November 9, 2017
Are we victorious? When we think about our life and what we do on a daily basis, would we categorize ourselves as victorious in all that we are doing? Reading Proverbs 21:16-31 we see: The horse is prepared for the day of battle, But victory belongs to the Lord . Proverbs 21:31 NASB http://bible.com/100/pro.21.31.NASB We can do all we can to prepare, and we should be doing everything we can. But, in the end, we are not the ones who will own the victory. God is the one who makes us victorious and our victory looks like whatever He considers victorious. Do we take credit for victory thst isn’t ours?…
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Christian Devotional – November 8, 2017
How do you decide what to do? Every man’s way is right in his own eyes, But the Lord weighs the hearts. Proverbs 21:2 NASB http://bible.com/100/pro.21.2.NASB In reading Proverbs 21:1-15, this verse jumps out. Every day, we make decisions and thoughts about what we are going to do. We feel that we are right, but this verse indicates that God judges the heart. God knows our secret thoughts and private motivations. He cannot be fooled. What does He see when He looks at all that you are doing? What motivates us to do all the right things? God sees this and knows the why behind it.
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Christian Devotional – November 7, 2017
Are you seeking revenge? Do not say, “I will repay evil”; Wait for the Lord , and He will save you. Proverbs 20:22 NASB http://bible.com/100/pro.20.22.NASB As we read through Proverbs 20:16-30, we see this verse. When we have some bad things happen to us, it can be easy to say I will take care of this. I will repay that person. I will make them pay. We want to be able to hurt people the same way they have hurt us. Our sense of justice demands that. However, God has another way. Ultimately, God is Justice and he is the one who determines judgment and mercy. His vision is higher…
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Christian Devotional – November 5, 2017
What are you seeking most in this life? There is gold, and an abundance of jewels; But the lips of knowledge are a more precious thing. Proverbs 20:15 NASB http://bible.com/100/pro.20.15.NASB Many people spend the whole of their life on this Earth seeking out treasures, power, and other forms of success. As we continue to move through the Book of Proverbs, we find in chapter 20 more information about how someone should gain wisdom. Wisdom is one of the most important things that we can have on this side of eternity. Solomon goes through and explains the importance of wisdom. However, many times people are seeking after material possessions instead of…
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Christian Devotional – November 3, 2017
The angel said to the women, “Do not be afraid; for I know that you are looking for Jesus who has been crucified. He is not here, for He has risen, just as He said. Come, see the place where He was lying. Matthew 28:5-6 NASB http://bible.com/100/mat.28.5-6.NASB He is not here. On this statement the crux the Christian faith stands. We serve, obey, worship, follow, a living God who died for our sins and rose again from the dead in victory. The victory is complete, the debt we owe is paid for. Through His sacrifice on the cross, we can find forgiveness in Him, which is necessary, but it’s His…
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Christian Devotional – October 31, 2017
Do you want to get well? This is such an odd question to ask someone. Typically most people want to feel well and to get better if they have something that ails them. Yet Jesus asks this very question in John chapter 5. There we find the story of the man sitting by the pool of Bethesda. He has been there for 38 years waiting for an angel to store the waters so that he can be the first one in and be healed. Jesus finds him there and ask him, do you want to get well? Here is the actual site of the pool in Jerusalem. We know this…
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Christian Devotional – October 30, 2017
In Genesis 21, we see an amazing peace treaty. Abraham and Abimelech agreed to have peace when Abraham gave 7 lambs to Abimelech in exchange for the right to claim a well as his property. This was a great step toward peace in this land in those days. The offer was accepted and they had peace. This is the site that tradition holds is the well that Abraham dug. God sent Jesus to be the sacrificial lamb for us. With our sin, we are at war with God. Through Jesus Christ we have a way to be made right and at peace with God. The question becomes whether we will…
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Christian Devotional – October 28, 2017
What do we think of God’s Word? Do we treat and respect it as being a message to us from God? The Bible says: All Scripture is inspired by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, for training in righteousness; so that the man of God may be adequate, equipped for every good work. 2 Timothy 3:16-17 NASB http://bible.com/100/2ti.3.16-17.NASB Here is Qumran, the site where the Bedouin shepherds found scriptures hidden in caves, the earliest known portions of scriptures that we have. They found hundreds and hundreds of the scrolls and portions of scrolls hidden in caves here. At the time, they only saw the scrolls as a…
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Christian Devotional – October 27, 2017
Simon Peter answered, “You are the Christ, the Son of the living God.” Matthew 16:16 NASB http://bible.com/100/mat.16.16.NASB Tradition holds that Peter made this statement somewhere near this site, the Springs of Banaius. This is one of the springs that feeds into the Jordan river in northern Israel. This verse has come to be called Peter’s great confession of faith. Peter declares who Christ is to Him. Jesus had asked them what others were thinking about Him and saying about Him. We can be the same, focusing on what others are saying or thinking, but in the end, it really only matters what we think about Jesus. Do we believe what…
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Christian Devotional – October 26, 2017
Yesterday I traveled through the ruins of Cesaraea, the great city that Herod built on the coast of the Mediterranean Sea. I was struck by the fact that the only things that remained were the theatre and the hippodrome where they raced horses. Pieces of those had remained and they were able to reconstruct much of both from that. I find it interesting that with everything that they did and built, that was the legacy that was left and what remains after over 2000 years. What will remain from our life? Will we fade off into time or will we have a legacy that leads others to see Christ in…