Read:
Ephesians 5:25
25 Husbands, love your wives, just as Christ loved the church and gave himself up for her
Also Read:
1 Timothy 3:5
5(If anyone does not know how to manage his own family, how can he take care of God's church?)
It was late that one night, and my son looks up at me with those exciting eyes and says, "Daddy, will you play little cars with me?" I was thinking that I could do the usual and spend about five minutes with him just to get it over with. For some reason or another I spent about twenty minutes with him playing cars. Then I felt compelled to play chase around the house, and then I spent some quality time with my little nine year old girl. Then I felt like I needed to read the bible kids book to my kids, so I reached over to get the book and read to them for about twenty minutes. My little boy looked up at me with those huge colorful brown eyes, and he said with the most gentle voice, "I love it when you read the bible book to me Daddy." WoW! what a night. You know, I felt good though when I spent that quality time with my family. I had forgotten what I prayed for earlier that day. You know, "Lord I want to know your will?" Give me direction Lord! As I was on my way to work that night, the Lord began to discipline me. I don't ever cry, so for me to shed some tears was quite unusual. I shed alot of tears that night. The Lord began to show me where I was missing it in my time management. Although I was living a moral life and wasn't sinning in my personal life with lust or anything else like that, the Lord told me that my sin was not having a balance with my family. Many times we can even do good things, and our family is suffering right before us. Yet we are oblivious to it for some reason or another. We can be doing ministry and good things, but we need balance in our family. Ministry is in our home, and we need to set an example as Husbands and Fathers to our wife and children. I found myself working on my new Christian album, working on my ministry, and other things that was not a good balance in my own home. My wife was very excited and she called me later that night while I was at work and told me that God was dealing with her about some things because of the example I was showing to her. You may be at that place minister of God where you are too busy to spend quality time with your family. You may not necessarily be in full time ministry, but as a Father and Husband you are a Priest to your own home. Ministry is definitely in the home, and God can touch your life and set you on that course that you try and fulfill yourself apart from managing your family. Last thing in this devotion that I want to bring forth to you as we depart is the definition for manage here in 1 Timothy 3:5. It means to pay close attention to. I want you to reflect on this scripture today, and I encourage you to pray about time management in your own home.
prayer:
Lord we come to you in repentance for not watching over our family like we need to. We've done all but this one thing, and this is very important to you Lord. Help us to spend quality time with our family, and give us wisdom on how to make the changes in our lives. Amen.
Wednesday, January 15, 2014
Tuesday, January 14, 2014
Being Able To Discern January 14th Devotional by Keith Edwards
Read:
12In fact, though by this time you ought to be teachers, you need someone to teach you the elementary truths of God's word all over again. You need milk, not solid food! 13Anyone who lives on milk, being still an infant, is not acquainted with the teaching about righteousness. 14But solid food is for the mature, who by constant use have trained themselves to distinguish good from evil.
According to George Barna, 45 percent of all born-again Christians believe if people are good enough they can earn a place in heaven. This is a denial of the central issue of the Reformation, of which the born-again movement today is heir. Barna's research also shows that one-third of born-again Christians do not believe that Jesus was sinless or that He was bodily resurrected from the dead. That means that one-third of those who call themselves evangelicals deny the central belief of Christianity. Similarly, George Gallup reported in 1999 that 20 percent of self described born-again evangelicals believe in reincarnation, 26 percent in astrology, and 16 percent have visited fortuneteller. The Spiritual Marketplace, says that one-quarter of born-again baby boomers claim to communicate with the dead. I say we are living in some current dark ages, and God has been raising up some Martin Luther's in the church to bring forth a balance and repentance to the body of Christ. Another incident happened when a certain actor was on a christian television show, and this particular actor played in a Christian oriented show. But the fact noted on the Christian show that this particular actor is a new thought minister who believes, according to the Christian Research Institute (CRI), that every person is part of God(pantheism) and who rejects Christ's unique divinity and atoning sacrifice on the cross. According to the CRI report, She explained her spiritual beliefs while the host nodded approvingly and offered no objection or biblical perspective. The audience applauded and cheered as the false religion began to rise up more powerfully right in the middle of the church. Discernment? Where have we gone to church? It's time that we seek God's truth like never before, and it's time that we get back to the principals and elementary gospel so that we can righteously discern the mixture that has infiltrated the gospel.
Prayer:
Lord, forgive us. Forgive us for not being able to discern between good and evil. Let your spirit rise up within us, and let your word so fill our hearts that we will allow the Spirit of your Resurrection to reveal that which needs to be revealed and discerned, Amen.
by Keith Edwards
12In fact, though by this time you ought to be teachers, you need someone to teach you the elementary truths of God's word all over again. You need milk, not solid food! 13Anyone who lives on milk, being still an infant, is not acquainted with the teaching about righteousness. 14But solid food is for the mature, who by constant use have trained themselves to distinguish good from evil.
According to George Barna, 45 percent of all born-again Christians believe if people are good enough they can earn a place in heaven. This is a denial of the central issue of the Reformation, of which the born-again movement today is heir. Barna's research also shows that one-third of born-again Christians do not believe that Jesus was sinless or that He was bodily resurrected from the dead. That means that one-third of those who call themselves evangelicals deny the central belief of Christianity. Similarly, George Gallup reported in 1999 that 20 percent of self described born-again evangelicals believe in reincarnation, 26 percent in astrology, and 16 percent have visited fortuneteller. The Spiritual Marketplace, says that one-quarter of born-again baby boomers claim to communicate with the dead. I say we are living in some current dark ages, and God has been raising up some Martin Luther's in the church to bring forth a balance and repentance to the body of Christ. Another incident happened when a certain actor was on a christian television show, and this particular actor played in a Christian oriented show. But the fact noted on the Christian show that this particular actor is a new thought minister who believes, according to the Christian Research Institute (CRI), that every person is part of God(pantheism) and who rejects Christ's unique divinity and atoning sacrifice on the cross. According to the CRI report, She explained her spiritual beliefs while the host nodded approvingly and offered no objection or biblical perspective. The audience applauded and cheered as the false religion began to rise up more powerfully right in the middle of the church. Discernment? Where have we gone to church? It's time that we seek God's truth like never before, and it's time that we get back to the principals and elementary gospel so that we can righteously discern the mixture that has infiltrated the gospel.
Prayer:
Lord, forgive us. Forgive us for not being able to discern between good and evil. Let your spirit rise up within us, and let your word so fill our hearts that we will allow the Spirit of your Resurrection to reveal that which needs to be revealed and discerned, Amen.
by Keith Edwards
Monday, January 13, 2014
From A Mess To A Message March 13th Weekly Devotional by Keith Edwards
Read:
John 15:1-4
1"I am the true vine, and my Father is the gardener. 2He cuts off every branch in me that bears no fruit, while every branch that does bear fruit he prunes so that it will be even more fruitful. 3You are already clean because of the word I have spoken to you. 4Remain in me, and I will remain in you. No branch can bear fruit by itself; it must remain in the vine. Neither can you bear fruit unless you remain in me.
One day my son and I were at the park we would go to quite frequently. He was only four at the time, and at the back part of this park were some tractors and old trucks that were fenced in at an old truck parts junkyard. Me and my son would walk up this big hill and you could see his eyes get big as saucers as he would stare in amazement. One day there was this one truck that actually had some grass growing out of the bed of the truck. My son said, "Daddy, how can something grow in something so dirty?" Immediately, I thought about us. God took a sinner like us who had a dirty old truck bed, and God came and made something out of us. Our mess became a message. He takes us and makes us brand new in Him in the born again experience. That ole' truck bed becomes a new Christ bed and God plants new seeds in us rooted in His word. It's not all about us anymore, but it's all about him. You see, we were so self-centered before we met the Lord, and now that we have been saved we need to allow our lives and our mind, will, and emotions to tap deep into that place with Christ. We need to remain in Christ as one with Him. But Oh! there are times as Christians when we start allowing some things to come in our lives. We begin to stop growing as a christian and lose focus. We plant different things in our soul that is not good. It's like that ole' truck bed. When we get to this place in our lives, We can let God heal us and bring us back to a deeper relationship with Him. We can find that place in Him again that is birthed from our spirit instead of the soulish things that we created ourselves. Friend if you have gotten to this place just remember that your mess can become a message, and your tests can become a testimony. God can bring forth restoration for you today. Oh! but how it hurts when he disciplines us to bear fruit again, when He prunes us to bear more fruit in our lives. We have run away with our own agenda and tried to get impatient as we walk this Christian walk in our own way at times as children of God. This brings us to our next but last thing. As I turn around I can see my Son running ahead of me. He knows better than to leave me like that, so I say, "Son! get back over here this instant!" Let's get real. How many times do we run ahead of Him exploring our gifts and talents our self. How many times do we find that without God holding our hand and guiding us we would get frustrated at times because we have lost our Daddy God. Let's let God hold our hand today as we walk out our Christian walk. We can walk with our Daddy God and experience the great things that we long to see with Him. Do you have a mess in your life from maybe a tragedy or trauma in your life, and you don't know what in the world your going to do. Look to your Father God today and let Him heal you and pull any weeds or grass out of your ole' soul and find that root again that is deep within your spirit.
prayer:
Lord we come to you in your mighty name and ask that you pull any rocks and weeds out of our soul that shouldn't be there. We need your touch today Lord in a mighty way. We know that it's going to hurt when you start to pull the weeds and grass that we planted our self, but we know that we can't bear fruit in the right way without you being our everything. We are sorry Daddy God for running without you at times, and we long to hold your hand today as you take us down the path of your ways. Amen.
by Keith Edwards
John 15:1-4
1"I am the true vine, and my Father is the gardener. 2He cuts off every branch in me that bears no fruit, while every branch that does bear fruit he prunes so that it will be even more fruitful. 3You are already clean because of the word I have spoken to you. 4Remain in me, and I will remain in you. No branch can bear fruit by itself; it must remain in the vine. Neither can you bear fruit unless you remain in me.
One day my son and I were at the park we would go to quite frequently. He was only four at the time, and at the back part of this park were some tractors and old trucks that were fenced in at an old truck parts junkyard. Me and my son would walk up this big hill and you could see his eyes get big as saucers as he would stare in amazement. One day there was this one truck that actually had some grass growing out of the bed of the truck. My son said, "Daddy, how can something grow in something so dirty?" Immediately, I thought about us. God took a sinner like us who had a dirty old truck bed, and God came and made something out of us. Our mess became a message. He takes us and makes us brand new in Him in the born again experience. That ole' truck bed becomes a new Christ bed and God plants new seeds in us rooted in His word. It's not all about us anymore, but it's all about him. You see, we were so self-centered before we met the Lord, and now that we have been saved we need to allow our lives and our mind, will, and emotions to tap deep into that place with Christ. We need to remain in Christ as one with Him. But Oh! there are times as Christians when we start allowing some things to come in our lives. We begin to stop growing as a christian and lose focus. We plant different things in our soul that is not good. It's like that ole' truck bed. When we get to this place in our lives, We can let God heal us and bring us back to a deeper relationship with Him. We can find that place in Him again that is birthed from our spirit instead of the soulish things that we created ourselves. Friend if you have gotten to this place just remember that your mess can become a message, and your tests can become a testimony. God can bring forth restoration for you today. Oh! but how it hurts when he disciplines us to bear fruit again, when He prunes us to bear more fruit in our lives. We have run away with our own agenda and tried to get impatient as we walk this Christian walk in our own way at times as children of God. This brings us to our next but last thing. As I turn around I can see my Son running ahead of me. He knows better than to leave me like that, so I say, "Son! get back over here this instant!" Let's get real. How many times do we run ahead of Him exploring our gifts and talents our self. How many times do we find that without God holding our hand and guiding us we would get frustrated at times because we have lost our Daddy God. Let's let God hold our hand today as we walk out our Christian walk. We can walk with our Daddy God and experience the great things that we long to see with Him. Do you have a mess in your life from maybe a tragedy or trauma in your life, and you don't know what in the world your going to do. Look to your Father God today and let Him heal you and pull any weeds or grass out of your ole' soul and find that root again that is deep within your spirit.
prayer:
Lord we come to you in your mighty name and ask that you pull any rocks and weeds out of our soul that shouldn't be there. We need your touch today Lord in a mighty way. We know that it's going to hurt when you start to pull the weeds and grass that we planted our self, but we know that we can't bear fruit in the right way without you being our everything. We are sorry Daddy God for running without you at times, and we long to hold your hand today as you take us down the path of your ways. Amen.
by Keith Edwards
Sunday, January 12, 2014
To Hear Your Hearbeat March 20th Weekly Devotional
Read:
John 21:17
17 The third time he said to him, "Simon son of John, do you love me?"
Peter was hurt because Jesus asked him the third time, "Do you love me?" He said, "Lord, you know all things; you know that I love you."
Jesus said, "Feed my sheep.
Have you ever wondered why Jesus asked Peter if he loved Him three times as they were sitting there? If you can remember, Peter denied Jesus three times, and Jesus asked him, " Simon son of John, do you love me?" Peter was cut to the heart. There has to be a cutting for a healing and revelation to take place. I know in my own life that when God is dealing with me about a certain area, I feel that spiritual cutting before the healing. It's a healthy fear of God that brings such a pure and loving relationship with Him. We are not to fear God as believers concerning the wrath of God because that was taken care of on the cross. But we are to have a healthy fear of God. This generation has no fear of God today, and it's a shame for us as Christians. One thing I want us to see here in John chapter 21 is that Jesus didn't leave Peter there hurting. Peter had to have a revelation before ministry could begin as an apostle of Christ. I can remember having my devotional worship with the Lord and I felt the Holy Spirit say, "Put your guitar down for a moment!" I felt like the Lord asked me the same thing that He will ask every Christian believer at one point in their walk with the Lord. Do you love me son?" Do you love me more than my power?" I said yes Lord, I love you more than your sovereign power. Do you love me more than the things that I give you?" Yes Lord, I love you more than the things that you give. Do you love me more than your own family?" I hesitated for a moment, then I said, "Yes Lord, I love you more than my family. There was a cutting there that made me want God more than anything. More than the music, more than teaching, more than anything. But I need to let you in on a secret that will help you and I along our journey as true Christians. We need to always stay in check on this particular thing everyday. I know of many unbelievable ministers who lost their first love in the middle of ministry. It can happen, and that's why it is so important to have a healthy repentance everyday in our walk with Him. I'm not talking about the forgive forgive forgive me thing that brings forth condemnation instead of true heart repentance. I talking about sitting at Jesus feet in our daily devotion and learning His ways. He will show us His ways when our heart is truly towards Him. I really meant it that day, and it was a revelation to sit at Jesus' feet daily and to hear His heartbeat. Let me ask you today! Do you love Jesus more than the things that He has blessed you with?" Do you love Him more than ministry? Do we love Him more than the ministry that even God has called us to? This answers the question of why those in some of the prophetic or other type minisries get off balance. We have seen this happen over the years with the new prophetic move. They love the prophetic and their own ministry more than Christ Himself. They may not admit it and deny it, but its true. There are those that truly have a deliverance ministry, and they get caught up in the middle of uneccessary warfare that has nothing to do with true warfare. It is a distraction and God wants us to do a checkup from the neckup. We need to judge ourselves. I know it is painful, but oh the healing and revelation that it brings to advance the Kingdom of God as believers, to make disciples, and to let God's righteousness ring across the whole earth. The last thing that I want us to understand is that we need to understand the importance of feeding the sheep as minister's. We are "all" called to advance God's kingdom, whether it is in our workplace, ministry, or wherever we are at, we are called to advance God's kingdom. We should all be making disciples. The pastor's and those called in the church as leaders are to equip all believers to go out and do the works of Christ. This is the revelation that every Pastor should have before He opens up that front door of His church. The revelation of how God builds, how He thinks, and the very rock of revelation of what the church should be doing to carry on the great commission.
Prayer:
Lord we come to you and ask that you would help us to hear your heartbeat in this generation. We ask that you touch us by your spirit, and that you would lead us in the way we should go. Let us hear you heart in you precious name. Amen.
by Keith Edwards
John 21:17
17 The third time he said to him, "Simon son of John, do you love me?"
Peter was hurt because Jesus asked him the third time, "Do you love me?" He said, "Lord, you know all things; you know that I love you."
Jesus said, "Feed my sheep.
Have you ever wondered why Jesus asked Peter if he loved Him three times as they were sitting there? If you can remember, Peter denied Jesus three times, and Jesus asked him, " Simon son of John, do you love me?" Peter was cut to the heart. There has to be a cutting for a healing and revelation to take place. I know in my own life that when God is dealing with me about a certain area, I feel that spiritual cutting before the healing. It's a healthy fear of God that brings such a pure and loving relationship with Him. We are not to fear God as believers concerning the wrath of God because that was taken care of on the cross. But we are to have a healthy fear of God. This generation has no fear of God today, and it's a shame for us as Christians. One thing I want us to see here in John chapter 21 is that Jesus didn't leave Peter there hurting. Peter had to have a revelation before ministry could begin as an apostle of Christ. I can remember having my devotional worship with the Lord and I felt the Holy Spirit say, "Put your guitar down for a moment!" I felt like the Lord asked me the same thing that He will ask every Christian believer at one point in their walk with the Lord. Do you love me son?" Do you love me more than my power?" I said yes Lord, I love you more than your sovereign power. Do you love me more than the things that I give you?" Yes Lord, I love you more than the things that you give. Do you love me more than your own family?" I hesitated for a moment, then I said, "Yes Lord, I love you more than my family. There was a cutting there that made me want God more than anything. More than the music, more than teaching, more than anything. But I need to let you in on a secret that will help you and I along our journey as true Christians. We need to always stay in check on this particular thing everyday. I know of many unbelievable ministers who lost their first love in the middle of ministry. It can happen, and that's why it is so important to have a healthy repentance everyday in our walk with Him. I'm not talking about the forgive forgive forgive me thing that brings forth condemnation instead of true heart repentance. I talking about sitting at Jesus feet in our daily devotion and learning His ways. He will show us His ways when our heart is truly towards Him. I really meant it that day, and it was a revelation to sit at Jesus' feet daily and to hear His heartbeat. Let me ask you today! Do you love Jesus more than the things that He has blessed you with?" Do you love Him more than ministry? Do we love Him more than the ministry that even God has called us to? This answers the question of why those in some of the prophetic or other type minisries get off balance. We have seen this happen over the years with the new prophetic move. They love the prophetic and their own ministry more than Christ Himself. They may not admit it and deny it, but its true. There are those that truly have a deliverance ministry, and they get caught up in the middle of uneccessary warfare that has nothing to do with true warfare. It is a distraction and God wants us to do a checkup from the neckup. We need to judge ourselves. I know it is painful, but oh the healing and revelation that it brings to advance the Kingdom of God as believers, to make disciples, and to let God's righteousness ring across the whole earth. The last thing that I want us to understand is that we need to understand the importance of feeding the sheep as minister's. We are "all" called to advance God's kingdom, whether it is in our workplace, ministry, or wherever we are at, we are called to advance God's kingdom. We should all be making disciples. The pastor's and those called in the church as leaders are to equip all believers to go out and do the works of Christ. This is the revelation that every Pastor should have before He opens up that front door of His church. The revelation of how God builds, how He thinks, and the very rock of revelation of what the church should be doing to carry on the great commission.
Prayer:
Lord we come to you and ask that you would help us to hear your heartbeat in this generation. We ask that you touch us by your spirit, and that you would lead us in the way we should go. Let us hear you heart in you precious name. Amen.
by Keith Edwards
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)