Read:
Judges 7:2
"And the Lord said unto Gideon 'The people that are with thee are TOO MANY for Me to give the Midianites into their hands..."
What a predicament...to have too much for God to work! Most would blame not having enough for their not working; but God here blames having TOO MUCH for His not working! And that is exactly where Gideon found himself. From living in a cave to leading as a captain, Gideon had done everything right in preparation for this national deliverance God was about to work through him.
1) He had become officially right with God - 6:17-23
2) He had, in his new rightstanding, brought down his family's idol - 6:25-32
3) He had received and responded to the Holy Ghost (in an Old testament way) - 6:34
4) He had affirmed through two divine signs that this calling was truly of God - 6:36-40
But there was another event that took place between #3 and #4 that was not of Gideon's doing: people from all over Israel began to rally to his side. As Gideon had responded to the Holy Ghost by blowing a trumpet, the people responded to the trumpet and began to naturally amass an army. Now what could be wrong with that? Not a thing...except that what began by the Spirit was now being finished in the flesh!
In our zeal for the Lord, our imagination (of course under the more spiritually sounding tag of an "open vision" or the "discerning of spirits") often takes over from the Holy Ghost that which He has started; and we usually end up adding way more to the "mix" than God originally intended. We mean well! We really only wanted to help! Like Namaan, we just thought it ought to happen this way or that (II Kings 5:11).
Nevertheless, God said to Gideon "You've got too much for Me to work"!
I wonder if He might be saying that to the American Church?! I wonder if through the years of abundant "revelation", proseprity and freedom, we believers in this country have accumulated way too many "accessories" for the worship and work of the Lord?!
If we have, then before the "revival" move, we can like Gideon expect a "downsizing" move, where God whittles away at the excess add-ons of our ministries and lives until we are left with only that which He originally called us and graced us to walk with and in!
Let this word from the life of Gideon be like a spotlight on our multiple "irons in the fire" for God; and let it be a great release from the stress of trying to maintain more than we were meant to carry out! And let it finally be a great big "governor" on our zealous engines; so that we never again outrun and overshoot God in His working out of His will in our lives and thus have to carry the burden of "TOO MUCH" in our own strength.
II Kings 10:16
"And he (Jehu) said 'Come with me, and see MY zeal for the Lord..."
Our zeal usually embellishes (sprucing up the truth with extras that are "not so true") God's instructions and words. Yet, only HIS zeal (Isaiah 9:7) can perform His own will!
He started this thing - let Him finish it!
Comment by Keith Edwards:
Today I want us to take heed to this devotional and let God do His perfect work in our life, ministry, and workplace. We have accumlated much here in America and the church, and God wants us to put Him first place in everything. Let's be like Gideon and open our hearts to the Holy Spirit. Lets ask the Holy Spirit to reveal any mixture that we may have, and lets Let Him burn it out of us.
Prayer:
Lord, we desire you and only you today. We ask that you will forgive us for adding to your mighty work by letting things creep up in the body of Christ that is fleshly. We want to be like Gideon and trust you Lord as we fight the good fight of faith as we blow the trumpet in Zion, Amen.
by Joel Hawkins and Keith Edwards
Sunday, October 17, 2010
Sunday, October 10, 2010
Look by Joel Hawkins and Keith Edwards October 10th Devotional
Read:
Matthew 14:14 - "Jesus...saw a great multitude, and was moved with compassion toward them, and he healed their sick"
Luke 7:13,14 - "And when the Lord saw her, he had compassion on her...and he said...'Arise'"
John 4:35 - "Look on the fields; for they are white already to harvest."
If I have heard it once, I have heard it a thousand times - "Where's the power of God today". Believers all over the country are flocking to seminars and conferences on how to retrieve the old-time power back in our churches and ministries. Dozens of formulas have been presented that explain the loss of power as a lack of faith, a lack of prayer or maybe a lack of praise and worship. Then, upon getting these areas back on track, healing and delivering power are guaranteed to come back into your hands when you touch the sick.
However, according to the above Scriptures, the reason for the absence of power is not just a lack of faith or a lack of prayer but a LACK OF CARE! It was compassion that proceeded the above mentioned miracles - enough compassion, in fact, to MOVE the Lord! THE POWER IN HIS HANDS STARTED WITH THE BREAKING OF HIS HEART! I'm not so sure if many would come to a seminar for power today if they knew that they would have to "hurt" before they could "help"!
Sometimes, we have to use several extension cords to connect a power source to a power need. In these two accounts in Matthew and Luke, there were TWO cords from the One who had the power to the one who had the need...and this second cord of heart-moving compassion for many today in our fast-paced culture has come unplugged! We don't really mind praying for the sick - we just don't want to get so involved!
And the first cord before compassion is simply "LOOK"! I think that cord has not only been unplugged but wrapped up and hidden somewhere! Oh how quickly we change the TV channel when the hungry-children commercials come on! We dare not tarry and LOOK at someone troubled in a hospital waiting room, lest we become moved and get involved! But Jesus LOOKED! He opened His eyes and His heart to the full intensity of the need in front of Him.
In John's Gospel, Jesus tells us to look at something else...the harvest. He was actually talking about the Samaritan woman and her neighbors that were about to experience salvation (in an Old Covenant way), and He was calling them a "harvest". He looked beyond their ethnicity and viewed them spiritually, as God sees them - the harvest! We are to stop overlooking people (ignoring them as though we didn't know they were there) and we are certainly to stop "under looking" people or looking at them as something less than they are.
Exodus 2:11 - "And it came to pass in those days, when Moses was grown, that he went out unto his brethren, and LOOKED on their burdens..."
Yes, Moses was willing to look and willing to get involved...but only with his own view and his own feelings. His well-intentioned efforts ended up in murder and him running for his life. God then had to hide him away for 40 years in order to show him the bigger picture - how GOD saw things, how GOD felt about them and what GOD intended to do. God saw more than just one Hebrew being abused. He saw a nation that needed to answer their calling, as well as other nations (Egypt and the nations of Canaan) that needed to answer for their idolatry. Moses' passion was not deep enough or wide enough to cover these other parts of the whole. With God, it is always bigger than just the immediate need in the particular individual in front of us! As Moses took on God's will in his fresh "look" at the situation (Exodus 3), then and only then was Moses ready to have divine power!
So where's the power? Its all in the look!
Comment by Keith Edwards
I want to encourage you today to "look" at what is around you. Ministry is all around us, but so many times we turn the other way. This devotion from Joel Hawkins really compels me to pay attention to ministry that is around me. It may be baking a cake for someone who is sick, reaching out to the downcast, whatever it may be, there are hurting people all around us that need that compassion of Jesus stretched there way.
Prayer:
Lord, we ask that you will forgive us for not looking at ministry in our day to day routine. We want to be used by you Lord, but we don't want to get our hands dirty at times. We don't' want to reach out the that homeless man that needs a touch, that mother that is trying to support her child, or that orphan that needs a hug. Help us to see ministry around us, Amen.
by Joel Hawkins and Keith Edwards
Matthew 14:14 - "Jesus...saw a great multitude, and was moved with compassion toward them, and he healed their sick"
Luke 7:13,14 - "And when the Lord saw her, he had compassion on her...and he said...'Arise'"
John 4:35 - "Look on the fields; for they are white already to harvest."
If I have heard it once, I have heard it a thousand times - "Where's the power of God today". Believers all over the country are flocking to seminars and conferences on how to retrieve the old-time power back in our churches and ministries. Dozens of formulas have been presented that explain the loss of power as a lack of faith, a lack of prayer or maybe a lack of praise and worship. Then, upon getting these areas back on track, healing and delivering power are guaranteed to come back into your hands when you touch the sick.
However, according to the above Scriptures, the reason for the absence of power is not just a lack of faith or a lack of prayer but a LACK OF CARE! It was compassion that proceeded the above mentioned miracles - enough compassion, in fact, to MOVE the Lord! THE POWER IN HIS HANDS STARTED WITH THE BREAKING OF HIS HEART! I'm not so sure if many would come to a seminar for power today if they knew that they would have to "hurt" before they could "help"!
Sometimes, we have to use several extension cords to connect a power source to a power need. In these two accounts in Matthew and Luke, there were TWO cords from the One who had the power to the one who had the need...and this second cord of heart-moving compassion for many today in our fast-paced culture has come unplugged! We don't really mind praying for the sick - we just don't want to get so involved!
And the first cord before compassion is simply "LOOK"! I think that cord has not only been unplugged but wrapped up and hidden somewhere! Oh how quickly we change the TV channel when the hungry-children commercials come on! We dare not tarry and LOOK at someone troubled in a hospital waiting room, lest we become moved and get involved! But Jesus LOOKED! He opened His eyes and His heart to the full intensity of the need in front of Him.
In John's Gospel, Jesus tells us to look at something else...the harvest. He was actually talking about the Samaritan woman and her neighbors that were about to experience salvation (in an Old Covenant way), and He was calling them a "harvest". He looked beyond their ethnicity and viewed them spiritually, as God sees them - the harvest! We are to stop overlooking people (ignoring them as though we didn't know they were there) and we are certainly to stop "under looking" people or looking at them as something less than they are.
Exodus 2:11 - "And it came to pass in those days, when Moses was grown, that he went out unto his brethren, and LOOKED on their burdens..."
Yes, Moses was willing to look and willing to get involved...but only with his own view and his own feelings. His well-intentioned efforts ended up in murder and him running for his life. God then had to hide him away for 40 years in order to show him the bigger picture - how GOD saw things, how GOD felt about them and what GOD intended to do. God saw more than just one Hebrew being abused. He saw a nation that needed to answer their calling, as well as other nations (Egypt and the nations of Canaan) that needed to answer for their idolatry. Moses' passion was not deep enough or wide enough to cover these other parts of the whole. With God, it is always bigger than just the immediate need in the particular individual in front of us! As Moses took on God's will in his fresh "look" at the situation (Exodus 3), then and only then was Moses ready to have divine power!
So where's the power? Its all in the look!
Comment by Keith Edwards
I want to encourage you today to "look" at what is around you. Ministry is all around us, but so many times we turn the other way. This devotion from Joel Hawkins really compels me to pay attention to ministry that is around me. It may be baking a cake for someone who is sick, reaching out to the downcast, whatever it may be, there are hurting people all around us that need that compassion of Jesus stretched there way.
Prayer:
Lord, we ask that you will forgive us for not looking at ministry in our day to day routine. We want to be used by you Lord, but we don't want to get our hands dirty at times. We don't' want to reach out the that homeless man that needs a touch, that mother that is trying to support her child, or that orphan that needs a hug. Help us to see ministry around us, Amen.
by Joel Hawkins and Keith Edwards
Saturday, October 9, 2010
New Testament Paradigm October 9th Devotional
Read:
Philippians 2:5
5 Your attitude should be the same as that of Christ Jesus:
Also Read:
1 Corinthians 11:1
1 Follow my example, as I follow the example of Christ
We are living in a generation that has lost the importance and revelation of how God builds and the model of the cross that we should follow. The church has taken in paradigms that are not godly but rather humanistic and gnostic. We have lost the paradigm of the cross of Jesus Christ, and how we should follow Christ as He laid down His life. Like the Gnostic's, we have a revelation of Christ living within us, but it is more of a concept and teaching rather than knowing Him and the power of His resurrection. Within us is often a collection of teachings and our dedication to them, rather than to our risen Lord Who lives in us. The New Testament paradigm of the Cross and the risen Lord should be the focus of our devotion everyday. I find myself loving the idea of God at times, rather than keeping that pure devotion with Him, and then I have to repent and return to that first love with Him. The teachings that many minister's hold to and "defend" can be totally orthodox, but they lose the paradigm of love that Jesus portrayed, the sacrifice that He gave, and the ministry that He poured out to many. It seems to me that many minister's try and add to the gospel, and the paradigm for us to follow is so clear, yet we make it difficult. We can't build a paradigm upon a paradigm, and we can't change the gospel to make it fit our own agenda and what we think is right. Many churches have lowered the standard of what there church is to follow, and they make it an easy gospel. A paradigm is an example and model to follow, and the very foundation that was laid for us by the apostles, prophets, and Jesus Christ being the chief cornerstone is the very foundation that we need to follow today. I have minister friends over seas that are powerful minister's of God, and I see a vast difference between some minister's here in the United States and those from overseas. I think that the biggest reason for this is that they haven't been tainted by other paradigms, but understood right off the bat that ministry is just following what Christ Jesus did. I think that one of the major errors we have gotten into, including me, is defending the gospel with the wrong approach. Sometimes we get so caught up with what we think is right, and we lose sight to what needs to be done to transform our nation, change our community, and make disciples. It is very important to defend the gospel and to flow in our gifts and callings. I'm just saying that we need to get our priorities in order as the church and understand that the new testament model for the church is to minister to our community and have outward ministry. It is extending our hands outside the four walls of the building and winning souls, feeding the poor, and making disciples, but yet done with love. It is following the paradigm of the cross. We've done all but make disciples. We have our programs, agenda's, and other things, but our focus needs to be on the Kingdom of God. I want us today to have a fresh insight as to what God has for us, and to ask God today to place us where we need to be as we play our part in following the cross.
Prayer:
Lord, we repent for any other paradigms that we have allowed in our lives, if any. Show us Lord if there is any way in us besides your way, and give us a fresh revelation of the only paradigm and foundation that we need to follow today, Amen.
by Keith Edwards
Philippians 2:5
5 Your attitude should be the same as that of Christ Jesus:
Also Read:
1 Corinthians 11:1
1 Follow my example, as I follow the example of Christ
We are living in a generation that has lost the importance and revelation of how God builds and the model of the cross that we should follow. The church has taken in paradigms that are not godly but rather humanistic and gnostic. We have lost the paradigm of the cross of Jesus Christ, and how we should follow Christ as He laid down His life. Like the Gnostic's, we have a revelation of Christ living within us, but it is more of a concept and teaching rather than knowing Him and the power of His resurrection. Within us is often a collection of teachings and our dedication to them, rather than to our risen Lord Who lives in us. The New Testament paradigm of the Cross and the risen Lord should be the focus of our devotion everyday. I find myself loving the idea of God at times, rather than keeping that pure devotion with Him, and then I have to repent and return to that first love with Him. The teachings that many minister's hold to and "defend" can be totally orthodox, but they lose the paradigm of love that Jesus portrayed, the sacrifice that He gave, and the ministry that He poured out to many. It seems to me that many minister's try and add to the gospel, and the paradigm for us to follow is so clear, yet we make it difficult. We can't build a paradigm upon a paradigm, and we can't change the gospel to make it fit our own agenda and what we think is right. Many churches have lowered the standard of what there church is to follow, and they make it an easy gospel. A paradigm is an example and model to follow, and the very foundation that was laid for us by the apostles, prophets, and Jesus Christ being the chief cornerstone is the very foundation that we need to follow today. I have minister friends over seas that are powerful minister's of God, and I see a vast difference between some minister's here in the United States and those from overseas. I think that the biggest reason for this is that they haven't been tainted by other paradigms, but understood right off the bat that ministry is just following what Christ Jesus did. I think that one of the major errors we have gotten into, including me, is defending the gospel with the wrong approach. Sometimes we get so caught up with what we think is right, and we lose sight to what needs to be done to transform our nation, change our community, and make disciples. It is very important to defend the gospel and to flow in our gifts and callings. I'm just saying that we need to get our priorities in order as the church and understand that the new testament model for the church is to minister to our community and have outward ministry. It is extending our hands outside the four walls of the building and winning souls, feeding the poor, and making disciples, but yet done with love. It is following the paradigm of the cross. We've done all but make disciples. We have our programs, agenda's, and other things, but our focus needs to be on the Kingdom of God. I want us today to have a fresh insight as to what God has for us, and to ask God today to place us where we need to be as we play our part in following the cross.
Prayer:
Lord, we repent for any other paradigms that we have allowed in our lives, if any. Show us Lord if there is any way in us besides your way, and give us a fresh revelation of the only paradigm and foundation that we need to follow today, Amen.
by Keith Edwards
Friday, October 8, 2010
Example Of A Leader October 8th Devotional
Read:
15 But like the Holy One who called you, be holy yourselves also in all your behavior;
Setting an example as a leader is very important, especially for the world today. We need to set an example for those who watch and follow us. The definition for behavior here is anastrophe, and it means conduct or manner of life. We need to set an example by doing the right thing as a leader. I was a manager for about eight years in the grocery retail, and was training a young man that I lead to the Lord. I told him that I would clean up the meat cutting room so he could cut meat. After I got through he looked down at my shoes and said, "You don't mind getting wet do you?" I told him, son, a leader will do things that no one else wants to do. I'm doing this to set an example to you by not only making you a disciple in the spiritual things, but also training you in the work place so you can be ready, and advancing God's kingdom is at our workplace as well. It is so important to lay aside our pride and lead, but sometimes leading is humbling ourselves and doing things that is inconvenient to the worlds standards. We are not of this world and leading by the example of Christ will rub against the mainstream of the typical "get to the top" motivation. This young man has learned alot so far, and I am willing to invest in this young man. I want to encourage you today to lead by example. I need to do this more myself, and sometimes it is laying down our own pride and allowing others to do what we teach them. Show them and they will know, but allow them and they will do and be ready to teach others the same way we taught them. They will understand the importance of our conduct for others, and they will also understand the example that they need to set for the new converts that they will make. Lets see this scripture in a whole new light today, whether it is setting an example as a spiritual leader, or teaching them in the workplace through on the job training.
Prayer:
Lord, we ask that you will make us better leaders by setting a better example to others by our conduct and behavior. Help us to shine your light to others around us, especially those that we are leading.
by Keith Edwards
15 But like the Holy One who called you, be holy yourselves also in all your behavior;
Setting an example as a leader is very important, especially for the world today. We need to set an example for those who watch and follow us. The definition for behavior here is anastrophe, and it means conduct or manner of life. We need to set an example by doing the right thing as a leader. I was a manager for about eight years in the grocery retail, and was training a young man that I lead to the Lord. I told him that I would clean up the meat cutting room so he could cut meat. After I got through he looked down at my shoes and said, "You don't mind getting wet do you?" I told him, son, a leader will do things that no one else wants to do. I'm doing this to set an example to you by not only making you a disciple in the spiritual things, but also training you in the work place so you can be ready, and advancing God's kingdom is at our workplace as well. It is so important to lay aside our pride and lead, but sometimes leading is humbling ourselves and doing things that is inconvenient to the worlds standards. We are not of this world and leading by the example of Christ will rub against the mainstream of the typical "get to the top" motivation. This young man has learned alot so far, and I am willing to invest in this young man. I want to encourage you today to lead by example. I need to do this more myself, and sometimes it is laying down our own pride and allowing others to do what we teach them. Show them and they will know, but allow them and they will do and be ready to teach others the same way we taught them. They will understand the importance of our conduct for others, and they will also understand the example that they need to set for the new converts that they will make. Lets see this scripture in a whole new light today, whether it is setting an example as a spiritual leader, or teaching them in the workplace through on the job training.
Prayer:
Lord, we ask that you will make us better leaders by setting a better example to others by our conduct and behavior. Help us to shine your light to others around us, especially those that we are leading.
by Keith Edwards
Thursday, October 7, 2010
River Of Ahava October 7th Devotional
Read:
Ezra 8:21
21 There, by the Ahava Canal, I proclaimed a fast, so that we might humble ourselves before our God and ask him for a safe journey for us and our children, with all our possessions.
Life can get so stressful at times. Things can change in an instant, and we need to know how to get strength from God in those rough times. We can learn a great deal about our daily walk with the Lord by looking at Ezra. Ezra is going to Jerusalem concerning the reconstruction of Jerusalem. Fifty-Thousand Jews come before Ezra to rebuild the temple in Jerusalem Eighty years before Ezra actually takes the journey from Babylon to Jerusalem. When Ezra starts his journey to Jerusalem, he stops at the river of Ahava with the three-thousand he has with him. The hebrew definition for Ahava is "I Shall Subsist" and subsist means to gain nourishment needed to carry on. It was just as much a spiritual nourishment as it was concerning food and raiment. Ezra proclaims a fast, and he gathers leading men to lead with him. Ezra not only knew the importance of humbling himself before God to help them make it to Jerusalem, but he knew the importance of plotting leaders all around him to bind together as one as they carried on the journey. I want us to stop today and gain the nourishment needed to walk this Christian walk. Let's open our hearts today for His spirit to strengthen us and make us strong in Him. We need to stop at that place like the River of Ahava, and we need to draw strength from the Father. He is so willing and able to help us in trying times, and He can help us through restoration to build the little Jerusalem that we may have in our heart. We can also learn a great deal about Ezra here as we build the church of the Lord Jesus Christ upon the rock of revelation. Ezra plotted men around him. It is so important as pastor's to understand how God builds. If we don't have the revelation of how God builds, and how the church needs strong Godly leaders around them, then the church isn't being built upon that rock. There is a great deal of revelation from Ezra today that we need to understand, and we can gain that nourishment needed to carry on the great journey of spiritual growth with one another as the bride of Christ. Maybe you have a dream and you have given up on that dream. Maybe you are going through a very hard time right now and don't know what to do. Just reach out to God today, and gain the nourishment needed to go forward in the things of God.
Prayer:
Lord we ask for strength as we face another day. We stop to gain the nourishment needed to carry on Lord. Give us the power to walk out this walk in your grace, and help us to hear your voice and learn of your ways in Jesus name we pray. Amen.
by Keith Edwards
Ezra 8:21
21 There, by the Ahava Canal, I proclaimed a fast, so that we might humble ourselves before our God and ask him for a safe journey for us and our children, with all our possessions.
Life can get so stressful at times. Things can change in an instant, and we need to know how to get strength from God in those rough times. We can learn a great deal about our daily walk with the Lord by looking at Ezra. Ezra is going to Jerusalem concerning the reconstruction of Jerusalem. Fifty-Thousand Jews come before Ezra to rebuild the temple in Jerusalem Eighty years before Ezra actually takes the journey from Babylon to Jerusalem. When Ezra starts his journey to Jerusalem, he stops at the river of Ahava with the three-thousand he has with him. The hebrew definition for Ahava is "I Shall Subsist" and subsist means to gain nourishment needed to carry on. It was just as much a spiritual nourishment as it was concerning food and raiment. Ezra proclaims a fast, and he gathers leading men to lead with him. Ezra not only knew the importance of humbling himself before God to help them make it to Jerusalem, but he knew the importance of plotting leaders all around him to bind together as one as they carried on the journey. I want us to stop today and gain the nourishment needed to walk this Christian walk. Let's open our hearts today for His spirit to strengthen us and make us strong in Him. We need to stop at that place like the River of Ahava, and we need to draw strength from the Father. He is so willing and able to help us in trying times, and He can help us through restoration to build the little Jerusalem that we may have in our heart. We can also learn a great deal about Ezra here as we build the church of the Lord Jesus Christ upon the rock of revelation. Ezra plotted men around him. It is so important as pastor's to understand how God builds. If we don't have the revelation of how God builds, and how the church needs strong Godly leaders around them, then the church isn't being built upon that rock. There is a great deal of revelation from Ezra today that we need to understand, and we can gain that nourishment needed to carry on the great journey of spiritual growth with one another as the bride of Christ. Maybe you have a dream and you have given up on that dream. Maybe you are going through a very hard time right now and don't know what to do. Just reach out to God today, and gain the nourishment needed to go forward in the things of God.
Prayer:
Lord we ask for strength as we face another day. We stop to gain the nourishment needed to carry on Lord. Give us the power to walk out this walk in your grace, and help us to hear your voice and learn of your ways in Jesus name we pray. Amen.
by Keith Edwards
Wednesday, October 6, 2010
Spiritual Water Brook October 6th Devotional
Read:
Psalms 42:1
1 As the deer pants for streams of water, so my soul pants for you, O God
Also Read:
14 but whoever drinks the water I give him will never thirst. Indeed, the water I give him will become in him a spring of water welling up to eternal life."
Life can be so hard at times. Things can change in an instant, and if we don't have the foundation of Christ placed firmly in our soul, we will surely give up and possibly take our last breath here on earth. In psalms 42, David is running for his life. He has made some wrong choices while he was King in his palace, yet he found God's grace even under the law. David many times fell on his face before the Lord and pleaded for mercy, especially when Prophet Nathan came to him and spoke a hard word from the Lord to Him. David fell on his face before the Lord. Nathan told him that God is going to spare your life but that he will go through some things because of his sin. Here David is tired, weary, and he is thirsty for nothing but God. He says he is like a deer panting by a water brook. The story of a deer is interesting. The deer will run from the hounds, submerge itself under a river, and go as long as it can until it reaches a certain destination point. Then, by the time it reaches a water brook, it will pant from unbelievable thirst while it drinks of the brook. Then we read in John chapter four that God is our living water that we can drink from. There have been times when I can remember being by a spiritual water brook in my life from some wrong choices that I had made, and wanting nothing but a drink of the presence of God, wanting nothing but God's mercy and forgiveness by His blood. It may not necessarily be because of sin in our past that we find ourselves in a state of unbelievable thirst. When are heart is pure before the Lord, God will prune us and make us more like Him. When we seek His face we will find ourselves crying out to him as He sharpens us and clips things from His spiritual branches to be one with the vine. I feel like God is bringing the body of Christ to a place of oneness with Him like never before. God is breathing His holiness and alignment upon His body to get the mixture out, and things that are in need of filtering will bring forth that feeling of needing God more than anything. Are you facing that thirst in a certain area, and need a drink of His living waters today? Just reach out to Him and He will be there for you.
Prayer:
Lord we come to that living water today for a drink of that everlasting water that gives us that assurance of eternity. We put all of our mistakes and failures under your blood and give you all today. Lord you are the only one who can feel that void that we feel, and you are the only one who can give us that drink that we need in our life. Help us Lord to stop and evaluate our life as we drink of your presence. Amen.
by Keith Edwards
Psalms 42:1
1 As the deer pants for streams of water, so my soul pants for you, O God
Also Read:
14 but whoever drinks the water I give him will never thirst. Indeed, the water I give him will become in him a spring of water welling up to eternal life."
Life can be so hard at times. Things can change in an instant, and if we don't have the foundation of Christ placed firmly in our soul, we will surely give up and possibly take our last breath here on earth. In psalms 42, David is running for his life. He has made some wrong choices while he was King in his palace, yet he found God's grace even under the law. David many times fell on his face before the Lord and pleaded for mercy, especially when Prophet Nathan came to him and spoke a hard word from the Lord to Him. David fell on his face before the Lord. Nathan told him that God is going to spare your life but that he will go through some things because of his sin. Here David is tired, weary, and he is thirsty for nothing but God. He says he is like a deer panting by a water brook. The story of a deer is interesting. The deer will run from the hounds, submerge itself under a river, and go as long as it can until it reaches a certain destination point. Then, by the time it reaches a water brook, it will pant from unbelievable thirst while it drinks of the brook. Then we read in John chapter four that God is our living water that we can drink from. There have been times when I can remember being by a spiritual water brook in my life from some wrong choices that I had made, and wanting nothing but a drink of the presence of God, wanting nothing but God's mercy and forgiveness by His blood. It may not necessarily be because of sin in our past that we find ourselves in a state of unbelievable thirst. When are heart is pure before the Lord, God will prune us and make us more like Him. When we seek His face we will find ourselves crying out to him as He sharpens us and clips things from His spiritual branches to be one with the vine. I feel like God is bringing the body of Christ to a place of oneness with Him like never before. God is breathing His holiness and alignment upon His body to get the mixture out, and things that are in need of filtering will bring forth that feeling of needing God more than anything. Are you facing that thirst in a certain area, and need a drink of His living waters today? Just reach out to Him and He will be there for you.
Prayer:
Lord we come to that living water today for a drink of that everlasting water that gives us that assurance of eternity. We put all of our mistakes and failures under your blood and give you all today. Lord you are the only one who can feel that void that we feel, and you are the only one who can give us that drink that we need in our life. Help us Lord to stop and evaluate our life as we drink of your presence. Amen.
by Keith Edwards
Tuesday, October 5, 2010
Living Epistle October 5th devotional
2Ye are our epistle written in our hearts, known and read of all men:
One of the greatest ways to win someone to the Lord is by being a living epistle. To be that light to someone who is in darkness is powerful when done the right way. You can talk about great revelations and how much you know, but people don't care how much we know until they know how much we care. I can remember my mom telling me the time when Dad worked at a factory. He was a pastor of his first church, and was on fire for the things of God. My father was a great man and he lived what he preached. The Lord spoke to him and he felt like the Lord wanted him to witness to one of his co-workers. He witnessed day after day for several months. One day my father said, "Lord this is getting old. I just don't feel like I'm getting through to him. He felt like the Lord told him that he was done with talking to this one particular employee. He went to work that next day. As he started out his daily routine, a man on a fork lift came riding up to him. He said, "pastor, I've been watching you witness to that employee day after day. I've also watched how you deal with your co-workers. I've seen you live out what you believe. I want this Jesus you have been talking about." My father led this man to the Lord and to this day I believe he is still living a christian life. I was only five years old when this man and his family would come to our church on Sunday's. I remember becoming friends with his family, and I can remember years after this me and my brother going to this man's house and staying a whole week there with his family during the summer. My Father has gone to be with the Lord but he has made an imprint in my life as his son. I'll never forget the great things he did to live out the gospel. I want to encourage you this morning to never underestimate the power of seed planting, but never underestimate the power of reflecting Christ by being a living epistle.
Prayer:
Lord we ask that you help us be that living epistle to those around us. Let your light shine from within us, and we pray God that you would help us to not only talk to those around us, but live a holy life right before the most worst sinners around us. it could be the least one we would expect Lord that comes crawling to you, or it could be someone peeking around the corner watching very closely. We pray Lord that our devotional life would be so strong with you to show forth character to an unbelieving generation. Amen.
by Keith Edwards
One of the greatest ways to win someone to the Lord is by being a living epistle. To be that light to someone who is in darkness is powerful when done the right way. You can talk about great revelations and how much you know, but people don't care how much we know until they know how much we care. I can remember my mom telling me the time when Dad worked at a factory. He was a pastor of his first church, and was on fire for the things of God. My father was a great man and he lived what he preached. The Lord spoke to him and he felt like the Lord wanted him to witness to one of his co-workers. He witnessed day after day for several months. One day my father said, "Lord this is getting old. I just don't feel like I'm getting through to him. He felt like the Lord told him that he was done with talking to this one particular employee. He went to work that next day. As he started out his daily routine, a man on a fork lift came riding up to him. He said, "pastor, I've been watching you witness to that employee day after day. I've also watched how you deal with your co-workers. I've seen you live out what you believe. I want this Jesus you have been talking about." My father led this man to the Lord and to this day I believe he is still living a christian life. I was only five years old when this man and his family would come to our church on Sunday's. I remember becoming friends with his family, and I can remember years after this me and my brother going to this man's house and staying a whole week there with his family during the summer. My Father has gone to be with the Lord but he has made an imprint in my life as his son. I'll never forget the great things he did to live out the gospel. I want to encourage you this morning to never underestimate the power of seed planting, but never underestimate the power of reflecting Christ by being a living epistle.
Prayer:
Lord we ask that you help us be that living epistle to those around us. Let your light shine from within us, and we pray God that you would help us to not only talk to those around us, but live a holy life right before the most worst sinners around us. it could be the least one we would expect Lord that comes crawling to you, or it could be someone peeking around the corner watching very closely. We pray Lord that our devotional life would be so strong with you to show forth character to an unbelieving generation. Amen.
by Keith Edwards
Sunday, October 3, 2010
Being Content October 3rd Devotional
Read:
Philippians 4:11
11 I am not saying this because I am in need, for I have learned to be content whatever the circumstances.
Also Read:
Psalms 138:8
8 The LORD will fulfill his purpose for me;
your love, O LORD, endures forever—
do not abandon the works of your hands.
Have you ever felt like giving up on your dreams and goals in this life. God has put dreams and gifts' within each and every Christian, but we need to let God move us to that place we need to be to fulfill that which is within us. It can get so frustrating at times, but God sometimes has to deal with us about different things in our life so that those things won't become a hindrance down the road. I know from experience of great financial stress how discouraging it can get. Can I get a witness? You go through the Dave Ramsey course and drive an old "cash for clunker" type car, with the ceiling falling in your coffee on your way to work. Every time you push in the clutch it squeaks lol. You look up to God in your devotion and say, "Lord I just can't take it anymore!" I want to encourage us in our daily walk with the Lord to be content with what we have. Maybe you got to a certain place in your life and it has caused unnecessary pain. It brought your dreams and visions to a screeching halt. Don't give up. God promised in His word that He will perfect that which concerns us. He will open that door that once was open, and He will get you back to that place that will lead you to the fulfilling place that God has for us. The Lord didn't bring you all of the way here to just let you go. It's not too late for you and I. However, we need to stay totally focused on the Lord as we go through that door again. Sometimes that door of our dreams and visions may only be cracked open. We see a little bit of hope on the other side of that door, but we sometimes doubt if God is in the middle of the door opening up for us. God is for us and not against us. Have you gotten to this place friend where it just seems like you are at a dead end job. You failed somewhere and you find yourself settling for where you are at. Pray to God today to help you be content where you are at, but also pray to God that He will give us wisdom on how to pray for restoration in our life. The last thing I want us to see today is have a good attitude where you are at. Attitude is very important. Attitude and being content go hand in hand, and our good attitude along with that content heart will allow God to open that door just a little further each day, until one day you look and see you are in a place that God wanted you to be in. A teacher at the bible college talked to us about when he graduated from bible school and went to his pastor and told him, "Man! I know what God wants me to do now. He's called me into full time ministry." The pastor looked at him with that serious grin and said, "Good! now go get a job! God needs to shape and mold you before you step into the ministry." He did that, and worked at arby's scrubbing toilets and cooking arby sandwiches. We'll not in that order..lol. About three months after he got a job at arby's, God moved him out of there and put him into full time ministry. I feel something right now for you and I as I'm writing this devotional. God didn't move him out of arby's because of necessarily his calling. God moved him out of there into the place he had for him in ministry because of his attitude. Here is what I feel for us as we go through another day wondering why God hasn't totally moved us to that certain place here on this earth as Christians. It's all about attitude, and I said this in one of my devotionals but I want to bring it to the table again. Our attitude will affect our character, our character will affect our calling, and our calling will ultimately affect our destiny here on earth. We just have to remember that even when we are in that particular place that God has for us, we still have to be content in whatever state we are in. Sometimes we can get to a place where we feel like we don't need God. We have everything. This is a very dangerous place to be in. We need God in the good, bad, and the ugly.
Prayer:
Lord help us to be content with where we are at. Help us to be content even when we are feeling good. But we need you so much Lord in every situation. Lord help us to cry out to you in not only in the hard times, but good times as well. Help us to realize in whatever state we are in that we need you the same in any situation. Amen.
by Keith Edwards
Philippians 4:11
11 I am not saying this because I am in need, for I have learned to be content whatever the circumstances.
Also Read:
Psalms 138:8
8 The LORD will fulfill his purpose for me;
your love, O LORD, endures forever—
do not abandon the works of your hands.
Have you ever felt like giving up on your dreams and goals in this life. God has put dreams and gifts' within each and every Christian, but we need to let God move us to that place we need to be to fulfill that which is within us. It can get so frustrating at times, but God sometimes has to deal with us about different things in our life so that those things won't become a hindrance down the road. I know from experience of great financial stress how discouraging it can get. Can I get a witness? You go through the Dave Ramsey course and drive an old "cash for clunker" type car, with the ceiling falling in your coffee on your way to work. Every time you push in the clutch it squeaks lol. You look up to God in your devotion and say, "Lord I just can't take it anymore!" I want to encourage us in our daily walk with the Lord to be content with what we have. Maybe you got to a certain place in your life and it has caused unnecessary pain. It brought your dreams and visions to a screeching halt. Don't give up. God promised in His word that He will perfect that which concerns us. He will open that door that once was open, and He will get you back to that place that will lead you to the fulfilling place that God has for us. The Lord didn't bring you all of the way here to just let you go. It's not too late for you and I. However, we need to stay totally focused on the Lord as we go through that door again. Sometimes that door of our dreams and visions may only be cracked open. We see a little bit of hope on the other side of that door, but we sometimes doubt if God is in the middle of the door opening up for us. God is for us and not against us. Have you gotten to this place friend where it just seems like you are at a dead end job. You failed somewhere and you find yourself settling for where you are at. Pray to God today to help you be content where you are at, but also pray to God that He will give us wisdom on how to pray for restoration in our life. The last thing I want us to see today is have a good attitude where you are at. Attitude is very important. Attitude and being content go hand in hand, and our good attitude along with that content heart will allow God to open that door just a little further each day, until one day you look and see you are in a place that God wanted you to be in. A teacher at the bible college talked to us about when he graduated from bible school and went to his pastor and told him, "Man! I know what God wants me to do now. He's called me into full time ministry." The pastor looked at him with that serious grin and said, "Good! now go get a job! God needs to shape and mold you before you step into the ministry." He did that, and worked at arby's scrubbing toilets and cooking arby sandwiches. We'll not in that order..lol. About three months after he got a job at arby's, God moved him out of there and put him into full time ministry. I feel something right now for you and I as I'm writing this devotional. God didn't move him out of arby's because of necessarily his calling. God moved him out of there into the place he had for him in ministry because of his attitude. Here is what I feel for us as we go through another day wondering why God hasn't totally moved us to that certain place here on this earth as Christians. It's all about attitude, and I said this in one of my devotionals but I want to bring it to the table again. Our attitude will affect our character, our character will affect our calling, and our calling will ultimately affect our destiny here on earth. We just have to remember that even when we are in that particular place that God has for us, we still have to be content in whatever state we are in. Sometimes we can get to a place where we feel like we don't need God. We have everything. This is a very dangerous place to be in. We need God in the good, bad, and the ugly.
Prayer:
Lord help us to be content with where we are at. Help us to be content even when we are feeling good. But we need you so much Lord in every situation. Lord help us to cry out to you in not only in the hard times, but good times as well. Help us to realize in whatever state we are in that we need you the same in any situation. Amen.
by Keith Edwards
Saturday, October 2, 2010
Looking Unto Jesus October 2nd Devotional
Read:
Hebrews 12:2
2 Looking unto Jesus the author and finisher of our faith; who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is set down at the right hand of the throne of God.
There are seasons in our walk with God that He will begin to purify us and heal us of different things in our soul. It could be some trauma that we have been through, or maybe some hurts that linger deep within us. During those times we have to look "unto" Jesus in these seasons. One day I was driving down the road and meditating on this scripture. I felt like the Lord said, "Son, you have to be broken before there can be a healing. Son, when I start to heal you of hurts and other things within you, you stand up strong in the wrong way and try to be tough when you need to be broken and totally dependent upon me as you look unto me." The preposition unto in this scripture means total dependency. We need to look with total dependency upon Jesus. Sometimes we try and be so strong when we need to be so broken before Him. He is continually sanctifying us to conform to the image of Himself. Do you have hurts down deep inside of you that you can't seem to let go of? I want to encourage you today to give it to Him. Give it all to Jesus. Don't worry about where He is going to take you, but rather trust Him to get you through the rough places in the road that He takes you down. You may not be able to trace His hand, but you can trust His heart. His heart for you as a born again believer is that He loves you like a son or daughter. As we walk in the Kingdom of Christ, we can remain in that walk with Him by looking unto Jesus.
Prayer:
Lord, we come to you with a contrite and broken spirit. We need you Lord to help us trust you as you conform us in the image of your Son Christ Jesus. Let us know that you are guiding us in some way, but help us to still trust you when you don't give us that clear answer that we hope for. It's all about you Lord, and we look unto you Lord with total dependence upon you to get us to the next place you have for us.
by Keith Edwards
Hebrews 12:2
2 Looking unto Jesus the author and finisher of our faith; who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is set down at the right hand of the throne of God.
There are seasons in our walk with God that He will begin to purify us and heal us of different things in our soul. It could be some trauma that we have been through, or maybe some hurts that linger deep within us. During those times we have to look "unto" Jesus in these seasons. One day I was driving down the road and meditating on this scripture. I felt like the Lord said, "Son, you have to be broken before there can be a healing. Son, when I start to heal you of hurts and other things within you, you stand up strong in the wrong way and try to be tough when you need to be broken and totally dependent upon me as you look unto me." The preposition unto in this scripture means total dependency. We need to look with total dependency upon Jesus. Sometimes we try and be so strong when we need to be so broken before Him. He is continually sanctifying us to conform to the image of Himself. Do you have hurts down deep inside of you that you can't seem to let go of? I want to encourage you today to give it to Him. Give it all to Jesus. Don't worry about where He is going to take you, but rather trust Him to get you through the rough places in the road that He takes you down. You may not be able to trace His hand, but you can trust His heart. His heart for you as a born again believer is that He loves you like a son or daughter. As we walk in the Kingdom of Christ, we can remain in that walk with Him by looking unto Jesus.
Prayer:
Lord, we come to you with a contrite and broken spirit. We need you Lord to help us trust you as you conform us in the image of your Son Christ Jesus. Let us know that you are guiding us in some way, but help us to still trust you when you don't give us that clear answer that we hope for. It's all about you Lord, and we look unto you Lord with total dependence upon you to get us to the next place you have for us.
by Keith Edwards
Friday, October 1, 2010
God Strengthen My Hands october 1st Devotional
>Read:
Nehemiah 6:9
9 They were all trying to frighten us, thinking, "Their hands will get too weak for the work, and it will not be completed." But I prayed, "Now strengthen my hands."
In our Christian walk there is going to come persecution rise up against us. If we are doing anything for God, the enemy will come with everything he has got to stop us dead in our tracks in the race that God wants us to run. I have seen in my life persecution come against me from every angle. I remember getting harrassed at this one particular place, and I know it was because of my walk with the Lord. God came through however, and it worked out perfectly. It just took some patience and lots of prayer. Here in Nehemiah we see the walls getting built. Nehemiah had opposition come his way by Sanballat, Geshem, and Tobiah. They were coming at Nehemiah as strong as they could to stop the completion of the temple. Nehemiah kept on going though, and in fifty-two days the walls of the temple was completed. God does this with us. We start building some walls of our destiny as living stones, and opposition comes our way. The enemy will use people to try and stop you from reaching that place. It could be a deeper walk with the Lord, or it could be ministry, whatever it is rest assure that the enemy is right there waiting to find a soft place to paralyze us spiritually from reaching that goal. The enemy will place thoughts of fear in our thinking, and he will tell you that you are no good and you won't never make anything of yourself. I want to encourage you today to keep building. Ask God to strenghthen your hands like Nehemiah did, and shake off that Tobiah and Sanballat spirit. Shake it off today and walk in that new season that God wants for you.
Prayer:
Lord, we come to you and ask that you will strengthen our hands to walk in your Spirit, fulfill our destiny here on earth, to advance your Kingdom by making disciples, walking in love with our bretheren, and staying committed to our home church. Help us to carry on with the work you have for us as soldiers of the most high, Amen.
by Keith Edwards
Nehemiah 6:9
9 They were all trying to frighten us, thinking, "Their hands will get too weak for the work, and it will not be completed." But I prayed, "Now strengthen my hands."
In our Christian walk there is going to come persecution rise up against us. If we are doing anything for God, the enemy will come with everything he has got to stop us dead in our tracks in the race that God wants us to run. I have seen in my life persecution come against me from every angle. I remember getting harrassed at this one particular place, and I know it was because of my walk with the Lord. God came through however, and it worked out perfectly. It just took some patience and lots of prayer. Here in Nehemiah we see the walls getting built. Nehemiah had opposition come his way by Sanballat, Geshem, and Tobiah. They were coming at Nehemiah as strong as they could to stop the completion of the temple. Nehemiah kept on going though, and in fifty-two days the walls of the temple was completed. God does this with us. We start building some walls of our destiny as living stones, and opposition comes our way. The enemy will use people to try and stop you from reaching that place. It could be a deeper walk with the Lord, or it could be ministry, whatever it is rest assure that the enemy is right there waiting to find a soft place to paralyze us spiritually from reaching that goal. The enemy will place thoughts of fear in our thinking, and he will tell you that you are no good and you won't never make anything of yourself. I want to encourage you today to keep building. Ask God to strenghthen your hands like Nehemiah did, and shake off that Tobiah and Sanballat spirit. Shake it off today and walk in that new season that God wants for you.
Prayer:
Lord, we come to you and ask that you will strengthen our hands to walk in your Spirit, fulfill our destiny here on earth, to advance your Kingdom by making disciples, walking in love with our bretheren, and staying committed to our home church. Help us to carry on with the work you have for us as soldiers of the most high, Amen.
by Keith Edwards
Thursday, September 30, 2010
Below The Plane September 30th Devotional
Read:
John 14:12
12 I tell you the truth, anyone who has faith in me will do what I have been doing. He will do even greater things than these, because I am going to the Father.
Also Read:
Colossians 1:18
18 And he is the head of the body, the church; he is the beginning and the firstborn from among the dead, so that in everything he might have the supremacy.
One of our favorite pictures of the church comes from the chaplain of the U.S. Senate, but before that he was pastor of Washington D.C.'s large Fourth Presbyterian Church. He had been leading that church for years when suddenly, one night, he saw his church clearly for the very first time. He was flying into Washington one day at dusk. At that time the approach path to Washington's Reagan National Airport happened to pass directly over Fourth Presbyterian Church. He pressed his face against the window to catch a glimpse of the building from the air. But everything on the ground was shrouded in the shadows falling over the city as the sun set. Dick could not find his church. He leaned back in his seat, gazing at the Washington skyline, always an inspiring sight. As his eyes followed the Potomac River, he could see the skyscrapers of Rosslyn, just across Key Bridge from Georgetown. Then, in the distance to the left, the White House, the lights of the Labor Department, the distant glow of the Capitol dome. As he stared out the window, he began mentally ticking off the names of members of his congregation who worked in those office buildings and government bureaus. Disciples he had equipped to live their faith. And suddenly it hit him. "Of course!" he exclaimed to the startled passenger in the next seat. "There it is! Fourth Presbyterian Church!" You see a church isn't marked by a sanctuary or steeple. Many get so caught up in the building, that they lose sight of what the body of Christ is about. They begin to maintain the building instead of operating as the true chuch of the Lord Jesus Christ. There's nothing wrong with a building when it is connected to proper growth and how God builds. The church was poured out into homes, Washington, and neighborhoods. I want you to see yourself looking below the plane today. How many lives have you impacted in some way or another. You look down and you can't seem to find your church, but you see your school where you might have impacted someone. Then you see a large building where you led someone to Christ. As you are flying a little further, you see a neighborhood where you might have led a cell group, or touched someone. Maybe you haven't made an impact like you needed to as a Christian, and you want to. Just look below the plane today. You can make a difference.
Prayer:
Lord, we want to be the church in the way you want us to be the church. Give us a revelation of how Your church is not marked by a steeple or religion alone. It is marked by the church making an impact upon our community and world. Help us to see ourselves as the new testament church, and we repent today Lord for seeing Your church in any other way but how you want us to see Your body, Amen
by Keith Edwards
John 14:12
12 I tell you the truth, anyone who has faith in me will do what I have been doing. He will do even greater things than these, because I am going to the Father.
Also Read:
Colossians 1:18
18 And he is the head of the body, the church; he is the beginning and the firstborn from among the dead, so that in everything he might have the supremacy.
One of our favorite pictures of the church comes from the chaplain of the U.S. Senate, but before that he was pastor of Washington D.C.'s large Fourth Presbyterian Church. He had been leading that church for years when suddenly, one night, he saw his church clearly for the very first time. He was flying into Washington one day at dusk. At that time the approach path to Washington's Reagan National Airport happened to pass directly over Fourth Presbyterian Church. He pressed his face against the window to catch a glimpse of the building from the air. But everything on the ground was shrouded in the shadows falling over the city as the sun set. Dick could not find his church. He leaned back in his seat, gazing at the Washington skyline, always an inspiring sight. As his eyes followed the Potomac River, he could see the skyscrapers of Rosslyn, just across Key Bridge from Georgetown. Then, in the distance to the left, the White House, the lights of the Labor Department, the distant glow of the Capitol dome. As he stared out the window, he began mentally ticking off the names of members of his congregation who worked in those office buildings and government bureaus. Disciples he had equipped to live their faith. And suddenly it hit him. "Of course!" he exclaimed to the startled passenger in the next seat. "There it is! Fourth Presbyterian Church!" You see a church isn't marked by a sanctuary or steeple. Many get so caught up in the building, that they lose sight of what the body of Christ is about. They begin to maintain the building instead of operating as the true chuch of the Lord Jesus Christ. There's nothing wrong with a building when it is connected to proper growth and how God builds. The church was poured out into homes, Washington, and neighborhoods. I want you to see yourself looking below the plane today. How many lives have you impacted in some way or another. You look down and you can't seem to find your church, but you see your school where you might have impacted someone. Then you see a large building where you led someone to Christ. As you are flying a little further, you see a neighborhood where you might have led a cell group, or touched someone. Maybe you haven't made an impact like you needed to as a Christian, and you want to. Just look below the plane today. You can make a difference.
Prayer:
Lord, we want to be the church in the way you want us to be the church. Give us a revelation of how Your church is not marked by a steeple or religion alone. It is marked by the church making an impact upon our community and world. Help us to see ourselves as the new testament church, and we repent today Lord for seeing Your church in any other way but how you want us to see Your body, Amen
by Keith Edwards
Wednesday, September 29, 2010
Let Go And Let God September 29th Devotional
Read:
Galatians 5:1-6
1 It is for freedom that Christ has set us free. Stand firm, then, and do not let yourselves be burdened again by a yoke of slavery.
2 Mark my words! I, Paul, tell you that if you let yourselves be circumcised, Christ will be of no value to you at all. 3 Again I declare to every man who lets himself be circumcised that he is obligated to obey the whole law. 4 You who are trying to be justified by law have been alienated from Christ; you have fallen away from grace. 5 But by faith we eagerly await through the Spirit the righteousness for which we hope. 6 For in Christ Jesus neither circumcision nor uncircumcision has any value. The only thing that counts is faith expressing itself through love.
How many times do we hold on to prison bars in our christian walk with the Lord. Imagine us holding on to some prison bars, yet no bars in the back of us or on either side of us, and then all of the sudden we hear God speak very sternly, "Stand firm, then, and do not let yourselves be burdened again by a yoke of slavery!" So many times we feel so condemned and feel like we can't live up to the expectations that maybe a preacher, friend, or the enemy himself puts before us. The question is, "do we live out our christian walk to stay out of hell?" or do we live out our born again experience because we "LOVE" God? I can remember getting born again and again and again and..we'll you get my point. I'm not going to debate on this devotional about whether I believe in eternal security or whether I don't. This belief that you can lose your salvation at a drop of a bucket can make a christian literally lose there mind. I can remember getting baptised so much I knew the fish by name lol. I think that both sides of theology can get crazy. They are so right in what they believe, and both sides can get nutty. I'm not saying that we are to live a lose lifestyle. Scripture tells us that we are to live a holy life so that the world can see the fruit, but you can't grow in the Lord if you are feeling condemned all of the time, or if you are holding on to some prison bars that God never attended for you to hold on to. There is a time for preaching hell to those that don't know God, but if we are preaching hell hell hell to the church that has truly repented then I promise that they are going to be feeling pretty bad by the time the next Sunday service comes there way.Can you imagine Jesus asking Peter, "Peter! do you love me. Then beat my sheep! No, Jesus never attended for preachers to flog the goats but to feed the sheep. Now there is a time for correction and exhortation from pastor's and those spankings can hurt, but it is done out of love. I've got alot of spankings from minister friends and from God Himself and man does it hurt, but God will do it in love. If we can submit to God with some rich devotion and prayer everyday, then we will begin to act out good works. We have to submit and let God work through us. God does deal with us as we walk with him, and that will cause us to feel some pain within our soul at times. We have to let God do a work in us so that we can grow with Him. For we are in Him and He is in us to work through us mighty things. Let's let go and let God.
Prayer:
Lord we ask that you reveal your love to us in a deep way. We want to walk in the spirit and we want to walk in holiness, but sometimes Lord we feel so condemned and we feel like we can't measure up to the things that only you can do through us. We love you Lord and we need you so much in our life. We submit to you now with all of our heart, mind, and soul in Jesus name we pray. Amen.
by Keith Edwards
Galatians 5:1-6
1 It is for freedom that Christ has set us free. Stand firm, then, and do not let yourselves be burdened again by a yoke of slavery.
2 Mark my words! I, Paul, tell you that if you let yourselves be circumcised, Christ will be of no value to you at all. 3 Again I declare to every man who lets himself be circumcised that he is obligated to obey the whole law. 4 You who are trying to be justified by law have been alienated from Christ; you have fallen away from grace. 5 But by faith we eagerly await through the Spirit the righteousness for which we hope. 6 For in Christ Jesus neither circumcision nor uncircumcision has any value. The only thing that counts is faith expressing itself through love.
How many times do we hold on to prison bars in our christian walk with the Lord. Imagine us holding on to some prison bars, yet no bars in the back of us or on either side of us, and then all of the sudden we hear God speak very sternly, "Stand firm, then, and do not let yourselves be burdened again by a yoke of slavery!" So many times we feel so condemned and feel like we can't live up to the expectations that maybe a preacher, friend, or the enemy himself puts before us. The question is, "do we live out our christian walk to stay out of hell?" or do we live out our born again experience because we "LOVE" God? I can remember getting born again and again and again and..we'll you get my point. I'm not going to debate on this devotional about whether I believe in eternal security or whether I don't. This belief that you can lose your salvation at a drop of a bucket can make a christian literally lose there mind. I can remember getting baptised so much I knew the fish by name lol. I think that both sides of theology can get crazy. They are so right in what they believe, and both sides can get nutty. I'm not saying that we are to live a lose lifestyle. Scripture tells us that we are to live a holy life so that the world can see the fruit, but you can't grow in the Lord if you are feeling condemned all of the time, or if you are holding on to some prison bars that God never attended for you to hold on to. There is a time for preaching hell to those that don't know God, but if we are preaching hell hell hell to the church that has truly repented then I promise that they are going to be feeling pretty bad by the time the next Sunday service comes there way.Can you imagine Jesus asking Peter, "Peter! do you love me. Then beat my sheep! No, Jesus never attended for preachers to flog the goats but to feed the sheep. Now there is a time for correction and exhortation from pastor's and those spankings can hurt, but it is done out of love. I've got alot of spankings from minister friends and from God Himself and man does it hurt, but God will do it in love. If we can submit to God with some rich devotion and prayer everyday, then we will begin to act out good works. We have to submit and let God work through us. God does deal with us as we walk with him, and that will cause us to feel some pain within our soul at times. We have to let God do a work in us so that we can grow with Him. For we are in Him and He is in us to work through us mighty things. Let's let go and let God.
Prayer:
Lord we ask that you reveal your love to us in a deep way. We want to walk in the spirit and we want to walk in holiness, but sometimes Lord we feel so condemned and we feel like we can't measure up to the things that only you can do through us. We love you Lord and we need you so much in our life. We submit to you now with all of our heart, mind, and soul in Jesus name we pray. Amen.
by Keith Edwards
Tuesday, September 28, 2010
My Great Experiment September 28th Devotional
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?
One night I did an experiment with both my children and my son's friend from down the street. Earlier that day, I told my little boy to come down stairs and spend some time with me. He and His friend wanted to wrestle, so we spent a little time throwing each other around a little, and then just spending that quality time together. Before I got dinner together, I told my daughter, who was on facebook to come down stairs and walk the dog with me. My little boys friend wanted to take a walk with us as well, so we got everything together and took off down the street. It was a nice walk around the block. Then me and my daughter played a card game. After I got dinner prepared I did a little experiment with them. I looked at my little girl and asked, "So, what is the best thing you did all day?" My daughter said, "It was playing cards and taking a walk with you Daddy!" I was shocked! She said, "Yes daddy, I love spending time with you." Then, I asked my little boy's friend what was the best thing He did all day long? He said, "Taking a walk with you and Avery." Then I got to my little boy who absolutely loves playing games. I asked, "What was the best thing you did all day?" He said, "Wrestling and spending time with you daddy." Through all of these three experiments I come to the conclusion that spending time and paying attention to your family is crucial, especially in these current dark ages we are facing with family values. It's time that we turn that television and computer off and get back to family values. I'm not saying that we can't watch some good programs or get on the internet. I'm talking about balance. It is so easy to get unbalanced in the day to day life, and God is wanting us to get back to that place of priority. The greek word for rule in 1 timothy 3:5 is proistemi, and the definition is to give attention to. It also means to care for and manage. We as parents need to spend more time with our children. The television and internet is taking over our kids and it is causing them to become calloused to what is really important. This will shock you! they did a survey with a bunch of five year old kids. They asked each one of them what they would rather give up, their daddy or the television? 1/3 of the kids said, "I'd rather give up my daddy." This was shocking. I don't know if these kids were getting abused or not, but it just goes to show that we are losing are precious little kids to technology. I believe that God wants us to get a balance in our home like never before. One more thing. The night before, I was praying that God would show me what I needed to give up in my house, and praying that He would make me a better Father and husband to my family. Huh???
Prayer:
Lord, we ask that you would help us as parents to manage and pay attention to our children. We ask that you would make us a better spouse. Give us the wisdom and balance in our home Lord, and help us to put the first things first. We need priority in our homes and lives in Jesus name, Amen.
by Keith Edwards
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?
One night I did an experiment with both my children and my son's friend from down the street. Earlier that day, I told my little boy to come down stairs and spend some time with me. He and His friend wanted to wrestle, so we spent a little time throwing each other around a little, and then just spending that quality time together. Before I got dinner together, I told my daughter, who was on facebook to come down stairs and walk the dog with me. My little boys friend wanted to take a walk with us as well, so we got everything together and took off down the street. It was a nice walk around the block. Then me and my daughter played a card game. After I got dinner prepared I did a little experiment with them. I looked at my little girl and asked, "So, what is the best thing you did all day?" My daughter said, "It was playing cards and taking a walk with you Daddy!" I was shocked! She said, "Yes daddy, I love spending time with you." Then, I asked my little boy's friend what was the best thing He did all day long? He said, "Taking a walk with you and Avery." Then I got to my little boy who absolutely loves playing games. I asked, "What was the best thing you did all day?" He said, "Wrestling and spending time with you daddy." Through all of these three experiments I come to the conclusion that spending time and paying attention to your family is crucial, especially in these current dark ages we are facing with family values. It's time that we turn that television and computer off and get back to family values. I'm not saying that we can't watch some good programs or get on the internet. I'm talking about balance. It is so easy to get unbalanced in the day to day life, and God is wanting us to get back to that place of priority. The greek word for rule in 1 timothy 3:5 is proistemi, and the definition is to give attention to. It also means to care for and manage. We as parents need to spend more time with our children. The television and internet is taking over our kids and it is causing them to become calloused to what is really important. This will shock you! they did a survey with a bunch of five year old kids. They asked each one of them what they would rather give up, their daddy or the television? 1/3 of the kids said, "I'd rather give up my daddy." This was shocking. I don't know if these kids were getting abused or not, but it just goes to show that we are losing are precious little kids to technology. I believe that God wants us to get a balance in our home like never before. One more thing. The night before, I was praying that God would show me what I needed to give up in my house, and praying that He would make me a better Father and husband to my family. Huh???
Prayer:
Lord, we ask that you would help us as parents to manage and pay attention to our children. We ask that you would make us a better spouse. Give us the wisdom and balance in our home Lord, and help us to put the first things first. We need priority in our homes and lives in Jesus name, Amen.
by Keith Edwards
Monday, September 27, 2010
The Pit Experience September 27th Devotional
Read:
Psalms 40:2
2 He lifted me out of the slimy pit, out of the mud and mire; he set my feet on a rock and gave me a firm place to stand.
There was a Baptist preacher who had a large church. He was a very devout Christian, and people were drawn to his love for the word and for people, until his life totally changed. He found himself in a pit and didn't know why all of this happened. He also made records, and would record songs and loved to worship the Lord. He developed a flu that attacked his vocal chords. For three years he couldn't talk, sing, and the pastor said that it felt like two big hands were pressing against his vocal chords. The doctor told him that he would never talk again. It was getting worse and worse, and the church prayed for healing but it never came, at least not when he expected it to. He never gave up hope. He had to resign from being pastor, and it made it hard financially for the whole family. He had a lovely family that was behind him, but they didn't know how to deal with all this pit stuff. One day, after a long three years of chaos, the baptist preacher went to church to teach. They set up a vocal microphone that was very sensitive, and he would have to literally scream just to get a small scratchy sound out of his vocals. It was about all over for this pastor. He went to church that morning as usual, and he began to read a scripture in psalms about God delivering us from the pit. Immediately when he said the word pit his voice began to come back. Tears filled the church as he began to preach his first message without a scratch in his voice at all. They began to worship the Lord that morning for his healing power. The pastor went to the doctor and the doctor couldn't explain what had happened. The doctor told him, "I can explain away the nerves that could possibly rebuild itself, but the scar damage is a mystery. I have no answer why you are talking today." It is an impossiblity that you are standing here talking to me. It was doctor Jesus that got a hold of him. I want to encourage you today to hang in there when you find yourself in a pit. I don't have all of the answers why God doesn't just snap his finger in a pit experience, but the Lord will deliver us as we stay focused on Him. There was a miracle that early Sunday morning, and many were touched and faith was built in that pastor. If you find yourself in pit experience land just keep your eyes upon Jesus. Be patient in His presence, and don't let your pit experience define who you are for God is there with you the whole way.
Prayer:
Lord, we ask that you help us through those pit experiences. Sometimes Lord you snap your finger, and sometimes you build character in those trials we seem to face. We ask that you give us the grace in times of trouble, Amen.
by Keith Edwards
Psalms 40:2
2 He lifted me out of the slimy pit, out of the mud and mire; he set my feet on a rock and gave me a firm place to stand.
There was a Baptist preacher who had a large church. He was a very devout Christian, and people were drawn to his love for the word and for people, until his life totally changed. He found himself in a pit and didn't know why all of this happened. He also made records, and would record songs and loved to worship the Lord. He developed a flu that attacked his vocal chords. For three years he couldn't talk, sing, and the pastor said that it felt like two big hands were pressing against his vocal chords. The doctor told him that he would never talk again. It was getting worse and worse, and the church prayed for healing but it never came, at least not when he expected it to. He never gave up hope. He had to resign from being pastor, and it made it hard financially for the whole family. He had a lovely family that was behind him, but they didn't know how to deal with all this pit stuff. One day, after a long three years of chaos, the baptist preacher went to church to teach. They set up a vocal microphone that was very sensitive, and he would have to literally scream just to get a small scratchy sound out of his vocals. It was about all over for this pastor. He went to church that morning as usual, and he began to read a scripture in psalms about God delivering us from the pit. Immediately when he said the word pit his voice began to come back. Tears filled the church as he began to preach his first message without a scratch in his voice at all. They began to worship the Lord that morning for his healing power. The pastor went to the doctor and the doctor couldn't explain what had happened. The doctor told him, "I can explain away the nerves that could possibly rebuild itself, but the scar damage is a mystery. I have no answer why you are talking today." It is an impossiblity that you are standing here talking to me. It was doctor Jesus that got a hold of him. I want to encourage you today to hang in there when you find yourself in a pit. I don't have all of the answers why God doesn't just snap his finger in a pit experience, but the Lord will deliver us as we stay focused on Him. There was a miracle that early Sunday morning, and many were touched and faith was built in that pastor. If you find yourself in pit experience land just keep your eyes upon Jesus. Be patient in His presence, and don't let your pit experience define who you are for God is there with you the whole way.
Prayer:
Lord, we ask that you help us through those pit experiences. Sometimes Lord you snap your finger, and sometimes you build character in those trials we seem to face. We ask that you give us the grace in times of trouble, Amen.
by Keith Edwards
Sunday, September 26, 2010
Refine Me Oh Lord September 26th Devotional
Read:
6In this you greatly rejoice, though now for a little while you may have had to suffer grief in all kinds of trials. 7These have come so that your faith—of greater worth than gold, which perishes even though refined by fire—may be proved genuine and may result in praise, glory and honor when Jesus Christ is revealed.
A lady asked a silversmith one time, "Do you just let the silver become refined on it's own?" The silversmith said absolutely not. I have to keep a fixed eye upon it at all times to make sure that it comes out alright. Before the lady could walk out the door, the silversmith said, "Oh! and one more thing I forgot to tell you." You know when it is ready because you can see a clear reflection of yourself in it. God is at work in us sometimes when we may not even know it. We may think it is something else or just your own imagination, but friend it could be God. I want to share just a little testimony of this gold and silver stuff. As a worship leader, I pray to God that I may seek His face. A wise man of god told me one time, "Son be careful when you pray that prayer, and get ready." I didn't know exactly what he meant until things started happening that I can't even explain. All along I was trying to find out what it was. Why was I feeling certain pains within my soul? One night I was at my job listening to some worship music. My wife and I owns our own business, so I was all alone in the middle of the morning working. The Holy Spirit came to where I was at and I began to break down crying from the presence of the Lord. I got down on my knees and began to pray. I said Lord what is this. I feel something on the inside of me breaking into pieces. He said, "Son I'm healing you of things. I've tried your faith in some areas and you have been going through my fire and been tried. Now the dross from the gold is beginning to come out." Just let me do a work in you. You see my friend, growth is part of that refining. I felt like the Lord was saying to me, "Don't drown in the dross, but let my perfect work heal you, mend you, mold you, and make you into the christian that I called you to. this is the sanctifying work of grace in our lives that flows through us. I've known many powerful minister's in full-time ministries that had something that God needed to pull out of them. No christian is exempt from God's refining. But the joy in being able to reflect Christ Jesus to others is such a great joy. You see, when God is done with us in a certain area through that refining, He can see a reflection of Himself from us. Oh that we might decrease so He can increase. We need to be living epistles to those around us. Are you going through something that you can't explain right now? It very well could be God taking out and putting in. Just let Him touch you today by His spirit. Open yourself to His healing hands. The faster we let God do what He needs to do in us in certain areas, the faster we can move on to whatever else He wants to do in our lives, and just remember that God used Peter even in the middle of much refining. The things God may need to restore may be something that we brought upon ourselves, but God can forgive us and turn any situation around in our lives.
prayer:
Lord we come to you with our arms open wide. We don't know why we face certain things in our life Lord, but we know that it's all for your glory. We seek your face today and not just your hand. We want to be more like you, and we want to have a heart of true worship to you everyday. Amen
by Keith Edwards
6In this you greatly rejoice, though now for a little while you may have had to suffer grief in all kinds of trials. 7These have come so that your faith—of greater worth than gold, which perishes even though refined by fire—may be proved genuine and may result in praise, glory and honor when Jesus Christ is revealed.
A lady asked a silversmith one time, "Do you just let the silver become refined on it's own?" The silversmith said absolutely not. I have to keep a fixed eye upon it at all times to make sure that it comes out alright. Before the lady could walk out the door, the silversmith said, "Oh! and one more thing I forgot to tell you." You know when it is ready because you can see a clear reflection of yourself in it. God is at work in us sometimes when we may not even know it. We may think it is something else or just your own imagination, but friend it could be God. I want to share just a little testimony of this gold and silver stuff. As a worship leader, I pray to God that I may seek His face. A wise man of god told me one time, "Son be careful when you pray that prayer, and get ready." I didn't know exactly what he meant until things started happening that I can't even explain. All along I was trying to find out what it was. Why was I feeling certain pains within my soul? One night I was at my job listening to some worship music. My wife and I owns our own business, so I was all alone in the middle of the morning working. The Holy Spirit came to where I was at and I began to break down crying from the presence of the Lord. I got down on my knees and began to pray. I said Lord what is this. I feel something on the inside of me breaking into pieces. He said, "Son I'm healing you of things. I've tried your faith in some areas and you have been going through my fire and been tried. Now the dross from the gold is beginning to come out." Just let me do a work in you. You see my friend, growth is part of that refining. I felt like the Lord was saying to me, "Don't drown in the dross, but let my perfect work heal you, mend you, mold you, and make you into the christian that I called you to. this is the sanctifying work of grace in our lives that flows through us. I've known many powerful minister's in full-time ministries that had something that God needed to pull out of them. No christian is exempt from God's refining. But the joy in being able to reflect Christ Jesus to others is such a great joy. You see, when God is done with us in a certain area through that refining, He can see a reflection of Himself from us. Oh that we might decrease so He can increase. We need to be living epistles to those around us. Are you going through something that you can't explain right now? It very well could be God taking out and putting in. Just let Him touch you today by His spirit. Open yourself to His healing hands. The faster we let God do what He needs to do in us in certain areas, the faster we can move on to whatever else He wants to do in our lives, and just remember that God used Peter even in the middle of much refining. The things God may need to restore may be something that we brought upon ourselves, but God can forgive us and turn any situation around in our lives.
prayer:
Lord we come to you with our arms open wide. We don't know why we face certain things in our life Lord, but we know that it's all for your glory. We seek your face today and not just your hand. We want to be more like you, and we want to have a heart of true worship to you everyday. Amen
by Keith Edwards
Saturday, September 25, 2010
Lord Shine Upon Your Temple September 25th Devotional
Read:
17"So now, our God, listen to the prayer of Your servant and to his supplications, and for Your sake, O Lord, let Your face shine on Your desolate sanctuary.
Have you ever just felt like giving up on praying for the church and nation? You see the mess out there, and its humiliating to the body of Christ. You pray and pray and feel like God as forsaken you. I know I have and still do at times. Here in Daniel chapter 9 he is praying for Jerusalem. He knows the seventy years of captivity in Babylon is almost up, but prophetically he knows that Jerusalem will be destroyed once again in the future. However, God gives Daniel some encouragement concerning the "spiritual Temple" which is the church of Jesus Christ. He tells him that a messiah will come, which pertains to Christ Jesus. Daniel remained patient through his prayer and God came through immediately in Chapter 9. However, in chapter 10 it took twenty-one days for God to come through because of the evil spirit that was hindering. Daniel remained faithful through fasting, prayer, and devotion to the Lord. God came through and He can come through for you today. God is much concerned with the new Jerusalem temple today as He was with physical Jerusalem during the seventy-year captivity in Babylon. There will be a physical temple built in Jerusalem during the tribulation, but we need not to be concerned too much with that. We do need to pray for the peace of Jerusalem according to scripture, but our main focus is the spiritual temple of the church, and the Jerusalem in our own home as the temple, for we are a temple individually and corporately as a body.It's good to know prophetically what is going on in Jerusalem though as a believer. A journalist went to Jerusalem to see how far along they were to getting the utensils, priestly garments etc. for rebuilding the temple in the early 1900's. He went every decade, and in the early part of 2000 he went and asked them how far along they were? They said, "We have everything we need to start it!" They say it takes three and a half years to build it. This should not make us fear, but to motivate us to pray for God to shine His light upon His spiritual temple. The bible says, "that no man knows the day nor hour when Christ will come and there will be a "catching away" but we would know the season. We will soon reign with Jesus forever and ever. Want that be a great time! However, we need to stay focused as the body of Christ, and allow Him to work through us in these last days that we are living in. I believe we are living in the last season of this earth age, and it's time that we do the works of Christ like never before. Right now there are Daniel's in our midst who are praying for the temple of the body of Christ today, and they are weeping like Daniel for the mixture, greed, and other things that have leaked into the body of Christ. There are also Zechariah's, Joshua's, Ezra's, and Nehemiah's who are helping with the building of the spiritual temple. We have seen many minister's rise in the power of the Holy Spirit, who brought forth a motivation and revelation to build as living stones, and we will see this increase in the days ahead. Will you be a Daniel today and pray with fervent prayer? Let's start out our day with a desire for God to shine upon His temple. Let's ask God to forgive us as the body of Christ for things we let in our marriage as the bride of Christ, and let's focus on divorcing those things in the name of Jesus.
Prayer:
Lord we come to you in repentance and ask that you will forgive all of us for letting your body get to the place it is in. We have let money ruin your name, and we have loved the gifts and the things that you give more than you Lord. We ask that you would filter out the mixture, and that you would bring us to a pure place with you in patience as we pray for your light to shine down upon us. Amen
by Keith Edwards
17"So now, our God, listen to the prayer of Your servant and to his supplications, and for Your sake, O Lord, let Your face shine on Your desolate sanctuary.
Have you ever just felt like giving up on praying for the church and nation? You see the mess out there, and its humiliating to the body of Christ. You pray and pray and feel like God as forsaken you. I know I have and still do at times. Here in Daniel chapter 9 he is praying for Jerusalem. He knows the seventy years of captivity in Babylon is almost up, but prophetically he knows that Jerusalem will be destroyed once again in the future. However, God gives Daniel some encouragement concerning the "spiritual Temple" which is the church of Jesus Christ. He tells him that a messiah will come, which pertains to Christ Jesus. Daniel remained patient through his prayer and God came through immediately in Chapter 9. However, in chapter 10 it took twenty-one days for God to come through because of the evil spirit that was hindering. Daniel remained faithful through fasting, prayer, and devotion to the Lord. God came through and He can come through for you today. God is much concerned with the new Jerusalem temple today as He was with physical Jerusalem during the seventy-year captivity in Babylon. There will be a physical temple built in Jerusalem during the tribulation, but we need not to be concerned too much with that. We do need to pray for the peace of Jerusalem according to scripture, but our main focus is the spiritual temple of the church, and the Jerusalem in our own home as the temple, for we are a temple individually and corporately as a body.It's good to know prophetically what is going on in Jerusalem though as a believer. A journalist went to Jerusalem to see how far along they were to getting the utensils, priestly garments etc. for rebuilding the temple in the early 1900's. He went every decade, and in the early part of 2000 he went and asked them how far along they were? They said, "We have everything we need to start it!" They say it takes three and a half years to build it. This should not make us fear, but to motivate us to pray for God to shine His light upon His spiritual temple. The bible says, "that no man knows the day nor hour when Christ will come and there will be a "catching away" but we would know the season. We will soon reign with Jesus forever and ever. Want that be a great time! However, we need to stay focused as the body of Christ, and allow Him to work through us in these last days that we are living in. I believe we are living in the last season of this earth age, and it's time that we do the works of Christ like never before. Right now there are Daniel's in our midst who are praying for the temple of the body of Christ today, and they are weeping like Daniel for the mixture, greed, and other things that have leaked into the body of Christ. There are also Zechariah's, Joshua's, Ezra's, and Nehemiah's who are helping with the building of the spiritual temple. We have seen many minister's rise in the power of the Holy Spirit, who brought forth a motivation and revelation to build as living stones, and we will see this increase in the days ahead. Will you be a Daniel today and pray with fervent prayer? Let's start out our day with a desire for God to shine upon His temple. Let's ask God to forgive us as the body of Christ for things we let in our marriage as the bride of Christ, and let's focus on divorcing those things in the name of Jesus.
Prayer:
Lord we come to you in repentance and ask that you will forgive all of us for letting your body get to the place it is in. We have let money ruin your name, and we have loved the gifts and the things that you give more than you Lord. We ask that you would filter out the mixture, and that you would bring us to a pure place with you in patience as we pray for your light to shine down upon us. Amen
by Keith Edwards
Friday, September 24, 2010
All We Have Is An Altar? September 24th Devotional
Read:
Ezra 3:3
3 Despite their fear of the peoples around them, they built the altar on its foundation and sacrificed burnt offerings on it to the LORD, both the morning and evening sacrifices.
Also:
1 Corinthians 3:11
11 For no one can lay any foundation other than the one already laid, which is Jesus Christ.
Have you ever faced situations in your life where you just said, "man! I don't know if I can go on?" We'll I have and still do at times. One thing that I learned through tough times is that it's not the foundation of myself that is going to get me through those hard times. It's the foundation of Christ Jesus that's going to carry me through. In Ezra 3:3 the first 50,000 Jews came back to Jerusalem after a 70year bondage in captivity. It was under the leadership of Zerubbabel and Joshua. Zerubbabel was a great righteous governor, and Joshua was a High Priest. Then 80 years later Ezra came with another 3,000 Jews to Jerusalem in the rebuilding of the temple. Then we have Nehemiah some years later to rebuild the wall. One thing I want us to see is that when the first 50,000 Jews got to Jerusalem in Ezra 3:3, they didn't have anything built as of yet, but they had hope. All they had was an altar. They placed the altar upon the foundation when they got there, and they offered burnt offerings to the Lord. You may be at a place today where you are just tired and worn out by life, but you can say with me, "All I have is an altar!" It's more than just having an altar. We need to praise God with the realization that we have a foundation that is unshakable. It is the foundation of Christ Jesus, and Christ is the sure foundation that absolutely cannot be shaken. There are times in my life as a christian that I have to place my faith and trust upon that foundation, and when I find myself at a place of no hope, I turn my focus upon that sure foundation which is Jesus Christ. My friend, don't lose focus. If you do, you can praise and worship God now upon that beautiful foundation that is a powerful and unshakable foundation. Many of you fight the feeling of not having things in your life complete. You may be at a place where you missed it and feel like you had to take a dead end road to nowhere. Think about this with me for a moment. The Jews felt that way. When they got there everything was in ruins, and the temple of Jerusalem was totally destroyed. All you may have is a little altar. This is enough my friend, and the altar is your heart before the Lord almighty. Look up to Him today, and trust in His foundation that absolutely cannot be shaken. Notice that the Jews didn't even have Jerusalem built as of yet, but they understood the need for restoration of worship. We need revelation upon the foundation for the situation that we are facing. In the middle of restoration in our life, whether it is financial, physical, or emotional, we can stay focused on the one and only, Christ Jesus.
prayer:
Lord we come in your precious name, the name that is above every name. We place our praise and worship today upon that powerful foundation. We know Lord that the foundation consists of your name and your blood. We appropriate you blood upon the situation we are facing today, and we look to
you in a deeper way for restoration in our lives. Holy Spirit teach us today about that great foundation. Lord we acknowledge you as we stand in all of you. In Jesus Name we pray, Amen.
by Keith Edwards
Ezra 3:3
3 Despite their fear of the peoples around them, they built the altar on its foundation and sacrificed burnt offerings on it to the LORD, both the morning and evening sacrifices.
Also:
1 Corinthians 3:11
11 For no one can lay any foundation other than the one already laid, which is Jesus Christ.
Have you ever faced situations in your life where you just said, "man! I don't know if I can go on?" We'll I have and still do at times. One thing that I learned through tough times is that it's not the foundation of myself that is going to get me through those hard times. It's the foundation of Christ Jesus that's going to carry me through. In Ezra 3:3 the first 50,000 Jews came back to Jerusalem after a 70year bondage in captivity. It was under the leadership of Zerubbabel and Joshua. Zerubbabel was a great righteous governor, and Joshua was a High Priest. Then 80 years later Ezra came with another 3,000 Jews to Jerusalem in the rebuilding of the temple. Then we have Nehemiah some years later to rebuild the wall. One thing I want us to see is that when the first 50,000 Jews got to Jerusalem in Ezra 3:3, they didn't have anything built as of yet, but they had hope. All they had was an altar. They placed the altar upon the foundation when they got there, and they offered burnt offerings to the Lord. You may be at a place today where you are just tired and worn out by life, but you can say with me, "All I have is an altar!" It's more than just having an altar. We need to praise God with the realization that we have a foundation that is unshakable. It is the foundation of Christ Jesus, and Christ is the sure foundation that absolutely cannot be shaken. There are times in my life as a christian that I have to place my faith and trust upon that foundation, and when I find myself at a place of no hope, I turn my focus upon that sure foundation which is Jesus Christ. My friend, don't lose focus. If you do, you can praise and worship God now upon that beautiful foundation that is a powerful and unshakable foundation. Many of you fight the feeling of not having things in your life complete. You may be at a place where you missed it and feel like you had to take a dead end road to nowhere. Think about this with me for a moment. The Jews felt that way. When they got there everything was in ruins, and the temple of Jerusalem was totally destroyed. All you may have is a little altar. This is enough my friend, and the altar is your heart before the Lord almighty. Look up to Him today, and trust in His foundation that absolutely cannot be shaken. Notice that the Jews didn't even have Jerusalem built as of yet, but they understood the need for restoration of worship. We need revelation upon the foundation for the situation that we are facing. In the middle of restoration in our life, whether it is financial, physical, or emotional, we can stay focused on the one and only, Christ Jesus.
prayer:
Lord we come in your precious name, the name that is above every name. We place our praise and worship today upon that powerful foundation. We know Lord that the foundation consists of your name and your blood. We appropriate you blood upon the situation we are facing today, and we look to
you in a deeper way for restoration in our lives. Holy Spirit teach us today about that great foundation. Lord we acknowledge you as we stand in all of you. In Jesus Name we pray, Amen.
by Keith Edwards
Thursday, September 23, 2010
How Much Does It Cost? September 23rd Devotional
Read:
18 When Simon saw that the Spirit was given at the laying on of the apostles' hands, he offered them money
19 and said, "Give me also this ability so that everyone on whom I lay my hands may receive the Holy Spirit."
One day one of my employees who never went to church asked me, " how much do you have to pay in the offering plate to become a member?" I chuckled a little because I thought he was joking. To my surprise he was serious. He honestly thought that the church was like a membership to a health club. I'm not putting him down at all, because most non believers believe this. They see all of the seed screaming and finger prying from some television channels and other places, and they get a false perspective of the real gospel. I told him that you don't have to pay a dime to come to church. I did tell him that my wife and I do believe in tithing and offerings to the church, and if the church is doing what they supposed to be doing, the poor, widows, missions, and a reasonable payroll to the staff will be pure and real. It's a shame that many really believe that you have to pay to be a member as if it was some kind of membership package. We do need to teach about giving, but it needs to be taught the correct way. Our giving should come out of love for God instead of the feeling of it being like an electric bill. Church, this is absolutely absurd to think that many preachers impart this teaching. God is really grieved by some minister's in the church that has gotten way out of order concerning money. Preachers scream for seeds on television, and this only makes a lot of false conversions. People think that they can buy salvation or any other thing from God. They tell the people that they will give them a word from the Lord if they would just send in one-hundred dollars to so and so ministry. How much does it cost? How much do we need to tell the lost man or woman on their way to hell that it's going to cost them money instead of their life through repentance to Jesus Christ of Nazareth. When you sell all to Jesus through that repentance it will compel you to give unto the Kingdom of God. It will compel you to have a hunger for the word of God. Yes, you have to give all to the Lord, but you don't buy salvation friend. If you are a minister and are mixed with this nonsense I exhort you in the name of the Lord Jesus to repent and get out of this mess. The world sees no difference between the church and the world. We were never called "to get to the top" as a church. We were never called to build big buildings apart from the first priority of spreading the gospel and winning souls for the Lord. Politics and greed has leaked into the church, and it is flooding out the purity and holiness of God. There's nothing wrong with big buildings, but we have built big buildings and erased the reason for the church meeting in that big building. We have small churches as well who are maintaining and just barely getting by, and they to are in need of refining. It's not the building but the body of believers that makes up the church. We look for revival but can't find it. The floods of corruption has drowned any hope for a lost and dying world. I know I'm sounding a little angry about what I am talking about here, but it's time that we be the church to those living in darkness looking for light. How much does it cost? Our life to Christ!
Prayer:
Lord we ask that you will get the mixture of greed and politics out of our hearts. We repent Lord for the mess that we have gotten ourselves into. We pray that your will pour upon our hearts such a pure anointing of your spirit, and give us direction like never before. Help us to make your name attractive to that lost and dying world in the name of Jesus. Amen.
by Keith Edwards
18 When Simon saw that the Spirit was given at the laying on of the apostles' hands, he offered them money
19 and said, "Give me also this ability so that everyone on whom I lay my hands may receive the Holy Spirit."
One day one of my employees who never went to church asked me, " how much do you have to pay in the offering plate to become a member?" I chuckled a little because I thought he was joking. To my surprise he was serious. He honestly thought that the church was like a membership to a health club. I'm not putting him down at all, because most non believers believe this. They see all of the seed screaming and finger prying from some television channels and other places, and they get a false perspective of the real gospel. I told him that you don't have to pay a dime to come to church. I did tell him that my wife and I do believe in tithing and offerings to the church, and if the church is doing what they supposed to be doing, the poor, widows, missions, and a reasonable payroll to the staff will be pure and real. It's a shame that many really believe that you have to pay to be a member as if it was some kind of membership package. We do need to teach about giving, but it needs to be taught the correct way. Our giving should come out of love for God instead of the feeling of it being like an electric bill. Church, this is absolutely absurd to think that many preachers impart this teaching. God is really grieved by some minister's in the church that has gotten way out of order concerning money. Preachers scream for seeds on television, and this only makes a lot of false conversions. People think that they can buy salvation or any other thing from God. They tell the people that they will give them a word from the Lord if they would just send in one-hundred dollars to so and so ministry. How much does it cost? How much do we need to tell the lost man or woman on their way to hell that it's going to cost them money instead of their life through repentance to Jesus Christ of Nazareth. When you sell all to Jesus through that repentance it will compel you to give unto the Kingdom of God. It will compel you to have a hunger for the word of God. Yes, you have to give all to the Lord, but you don't buy salvation friend. If you are a minister and are mixed with this nonsense I exhort you in the name of the Lord Jesus to repent and get out of this mess. The world sees no difference between the church and the world. We were never called "to get to the top" as a church. We were never called to build big buildings apart from the first priority of spreading the gospel and winning souls for the Lord. Politics and greed has leaked into the church, and it is flooding out the purity and holiness of God. There's nothing wrong with big buildings, but we have built big buildings and erased the reason for the church meeting in that big building. We have small churches as well who are maintaining and just barely getting by, and they to are in need of refining. It's not the building but the body of believers that makes up the church. We look for revival but can't find it. The floods of corruption has drowned any hope for a lost and dying world. I know I'm sounding a little angry about what I am talking about here, but it's time that we be the church to those living in darkness looking for light. How much does it cost? Our life to Christ!
Prayer:
Lord we ask that you will get the mixture of greed and politics out of our hearts. We repent Lord for the mess that we have gotten ourselves into. We pray that your will pour upon our hearts such a pure anointing of your spirit, and give us direction like never before. Help us to make your name attractive to that lost and dying world in the name of Jesus. Amen.
by Keith Edwards
Wednesday, September 22, 2010
My High Tower September22nd Devotional
Read:
Proverbs 18:10
The name of the Lord is a strong tower; the righteous run in to it and they are saved.
Imagine yourself right now standing upon a huge tower. It’s dark and you can’t see a thing. You have truly repented and turned your life over to the Lord, but now you feel like He has abandoned you. Then you feel like there is no hope when all of the sudden, God says to you, “child you are mine. I have placed you child upon this tower of my name, of my character, and who I am within you. Stand in me and let your hope so trust in the fact that my name needs to be a revelation of who you are in me and who you are standing upon.” Then as the darkness subsides, you look and see that the tower that you are standing upon starts to lean. You hear God speak to you again that He is your balance. He is your rock and your foundation. The foundation and the tower is strong and mighty. Nothing can separate us from that place in God. Then you see the tower stand in an upright position. How many times do we start losing sight of what God did for us on the cross. How many times do we feel unbalance as a Christian and we feel like God has abandoned us. It’s all about revelation. The greek definition here for name in proverbs is shem and it means the character and reputation of God. The greek word for tower here is milgda and it means to be elevated to a high place. We are elevated and lifted in His name, his character, His might. For he is Jehovah, Elohim our Creator, El Elyon most High God, Adonai our Master, Elroi God Who Sees, El Shaddai God Almighty, Jehovah Ezer the Lord our Helper, Jehovah Jireh the Lord Will Provide, Jehovah Rapha the Lord our Healer, Jehovah Roi the Lord our Shepherd. He is our banner, our peace, and His name can be trusted as we stand upon his foundation, upon His tower, and in His name has been given to us by the Spirit of His trust. His name is the very revelation that we need to have when we enter into worship, prayer, and that devotion with Him everyday, and when that revelation is mixed with the spirit of Christ in that moment of revelation is a power of the choice of our will that starts instilling foundation in our soul. It will renew our mind, heal our emotions, and set our will on course to the things of God, and when we see ourselves lean upon our own name at times, we should look to Him to straighten us in the right position of revelation of who we are in Him and who He is in us. Oh! Friend it’s a much powerful place to stand upon His name. It will tear down faulty little foundations that we might have placed in our soul, and God will take out things and put good sound doctrine within us. Then as you are standing upon that tower you hear the Lord ask you, “Is that tears in your eyes?” and you feel the Holy Spirit wrap His arms around you and comfort you. You feel healing taking place. It’s a place like no other place. As you go through each day remember to stand in His name in your Christian walk. Remember to let God hold you when you need to be held. Let’s be elevated and lifted up in His name.
Prayer:
Lord we come to you in your name. Help us to see us how you see us. Righteous by the blood of Your Son, delivered by the power of the cross, and set free by trusting in you. Help us Lord to submit to you upon that tower so that we can walk in holiness, purity, and be the salt of this earth to those that don’t know you. Give us revelation of the very rock and foundation that we have within us. Amen
Proverbs 18:10
The name of the Lord is a strong tower; the righteous run in to it and they are saved.
Imagine yourself right now standing upon a huge tower. It’s dark and you can’t see a thing. You have truly repented and turned your life over to the Lord, but now you feel like He has abandoned you. Then you feel like there is no hope when all of the sudden, God says to you, “child you are mine. I have placed you child upon this tower of my name, of my character, and who I am within you. Stand in me and let your hope so trust in the fact that my name needs to be a revelation of who you are in me and who you are standing upon.” Then as the darkness subsides, you look and see that the tower that you are standing upon starts to lean. You hear God speak to you again that He is your balance. He is your rock and your foundation. The foundation and the tower is strong and mighty. Nothing can separate us from that place in God. Then you see the tower stand in an upright position. How many times do we start losing sight of what God did for us on the cross. How many times do we feel unbalance as a Christian and we feel like God has abandoned us. It’s all about revelation. The greek definition here for name in proverbs is shem and it means the character and reputation of God. The greek word for tower here is milgda and it means to be elevated to a high place. We are elevated and lifted in His name, his character, His might. For he is Jehovah, Elohim our Creator, El Elyon most High God, Adonai our Master, Elroi God Who Sees, El Shaddai God Almighty, Jehovah Ezer the Lord our Helper, Jehovah Jireh the Lord Will Provide, Jehovah Rapha the Lord our Healer, Jehovah Roi the Lord our Shepherd. He is our banner, our peace, and His name can be trusted as we stand upon his foundation, upon His tower, and in His name has been given to us by the Spirit of His trust. His name is the very revelation that we need to have when we enter into worship, prayer, and that devotion with Him everyday, and when that revelation is mixed with the spirit of Christ in that moment of revelation is a power of the choice of our will that starts instilling foundation in our soul. It will renew our mind, heal our emotions, and set our will on course to the things of God, and when we see ourselves lean upon our own name at times, we should look to Him to straighten us in the right position of revelation of who we are in Him and who He is in us. Oh! Friend it’s a much powerful place to stand upon His name. It will tear down faulty little foundations that we might have placed in our soul, and God will take out things and put good sound doctrine within us. Then as you are standing upon that tower you hear the Lord ask you, “Is that tears in your eyes?” and you feel the Holy Spirit wrap His arms around you and comfort you. You feel healing taking place. It’s a place like no other place. As you go through each day remember to stand in His name in your Christian walk. Remember to let God hold you when you need to be held. Let’s be elevated and lifted up in His name.
Prayer:
Lord we come to you in your name. Help us to see us how you see us. Righteous by the blood of Your Son, delivered by the power of the cross, and set free by trusting in you. Help us Lord to submit to you upon that tower so that we can walk in holiness, purity, and be the salt of this earth to those that don’t know you. Give us revelation of the very rock and foundation that we have within us. Amen
Tuesday, September 21, 2010
Balance In Spiritual Gifts by Mel Montgomery & Keith Edwards September 21st Devotional
Read:
I am grieved beyond words when I see church services in which some so-called prophet is lining people up, laying hands on every one and saying "God wants to use you in the gift of prophecy." And "God is calling you to be an apostle. . ." ". . . prophet. . . " ". . . healing evangelist. . ." whatever. Even if the "prophet" is discerning this correctly--which most of the ones I've seen are not--it does incalculable damage to blurt this out to people. God will reveal these things to them directly Himself when He believes they are ready to know it. He doesn't need your help or mine. The Goodwins exercised great wisdom in this area. I had known Sister Goodwin for several years before she ever talked to me about what she knew God had called me to do. She eventually told me, "I've known since I first met you that God was going to give you a strong ministry, an anointed ministry. But I couldn't tell you this when I first met you because you would have been lifted up in pride. . . But I can tell you now. . . " Then she went ahead and told me things that have continued to slowly unfold in the 15+ years that have passed since that conversation. Many times the best thing you can do is just shut your mouth and let God do the work in His way and timing. Not long ago, I saw the Spirit of Prophecy beginning to move on a man in a church where I had been invited to minister. I said nothing to him. But later I pointed the man out to his pastor and told him, "Keep your eye on that one. God is beginning to move on him in spiritual gifts. You'll see it develop before much longer. Be sure to encourage him, and to help him to understand how to flow in that within the limitations of scripture and within the boundaries you set." The pastor--which is no surprise to me--said, "I know it. I see that too. I'll keep my eye on him and help him." You don't have to be a prophet to discern these things about others. Pastors see many more things than some people think they do. My friends, the nine gifts of the Holy Spirit come directly from God only and at His choosing. They develop best and to the fullest as individuals observe those same gifts operating through their leadership. If you desire to be used of God in spiritual gifts, then go to God about the matter. Humble yourself. Let Him know you are available for Him to use, and let Him also know that you will give Him all the Glory for any gift He manifests through you. Then trust Him to know what is best. He will make the decision, and let you know what His decision is, over time.
Comment by Keith Edwards:
I want us to ask the Lord to give us balance in the gifts of the spirit like never before. We are living in a time where some mixture has infiltrated the body of Christ concerning the prophetic and apostolic. Line up the gifts and manifestations of the Spirit with the word of God. The Holy Spirit will never violate scripture, and as you get rooted and grounded in the word of God you will know what is right and what is error. There are three ways you can judge what is right and wrong. 1st, watch out for a mixture of strong pride in their ministry. This can cause alot of problems in the church and in an indiviual as the temple of God. 2nd, line up what they teach or preach with the word of God. If you listen very carefully to some so called apostles and prophets, you will see error being spoken over the congregation. 3rd thing is greed. Make sure that there is not any greed in a minister. This can be very dangerous.
Prayer:
Lord, we ask for a powerful spiritual covering of Your Blood upon the ministry you have for each and every one of us, as we minister Your word. Bring a balance Lord to us so that we can discern what is truth and what is error. Let your word so fill our hearts so that we can operate in the right way concerning order in the spiritual gifts.
by Mel Montgomery and Keith Edwards
I am grieved beyond words when I see church services in which some so-called prophet is lining people up, laying hands on every one and saying "God wants to use you in the gift of prophecy." And "God is calling you to be an apostle. . ." ". . . prophet. . . " ". . . healing evangelist. . ." whatever. Even if the "prophet" is discerning this correctly--which most of the ones I've seen are not--it does incalculable damage to blurt this out to people. God will reveal these things to them directly Himself when He believes they are ready to know it. He doesn't need your help or mine. The Goodwins exercised great wisdom in this area. I had known Sister Goodwin for several years before she ever talked to me about what she knew God had called me to do. She eventually told me, "I've known since I first met you that God was going to give you a strong ministry, an anointed ministry. But I couldn't tell you this when I first met you because you would have been lifted up in pride. . . But I can tell you now. . . " Then she went ahead and told me things that have continued to slowly unfold in the 15+ years that have passed since that conversation. Many times the best thing you can do is just shut your mouth and let God do the work in His way and timing. Not long ago, I saw the Spirit of Prophecy beginning to move on a man in a church where I had been invited to minister. I said nothing to him. But later I pointed the man out to his pastor and told him, "Keep your eye on that one. God is beginning to move on him in spiritual gifts. You'll see it develop before much longer. Be sure to encourage him, and to help him to understand how to flow in that within the limitations of scripture and within the boundaries you set." The pastor--which is no surprise to me--said, "I know it. I see that too. I'll keep my eye on him and help him." You don't have to be a prophet to discern these things about others. Pastors see many more things than some people think they do. My friends, the nine gifts of the Holy Spirit come directly from God only and at His choosing. They develop best and to the fullest as individuals observe those same gifts operating through their leadership. If you desire to be used of God in spiritual gifts, then go to God about the matter. Humble yourself. Let Him know you are available for Him to use, and let Him also know that you will give Him all the Glory for any gift He manifests through you. Then trust Him to know what is best. He will make the decision, and let you know what His decision is, over time.
Comment by Keith Edwards:
I want us to ask the Lord to give us balance in the gifts of the spirit like never before. We are living in a time where some mixture has infiltrated the body of Christ concerning the prophetic and apostolic. Line up the gifts and manifestations of the Spirit with the word of God. The Holy Spirit will never violate scripture, and as you get rooted and grounded in the word of God you will know what is right and what is error. There are three ways you can judge what is right and wrong. 1st, watch out for a mixture of strong pride in their ministry. This can cause alot of problems in the church and in an indiviual as the temple of God. 2nd, line up what they teach or preach with the word of God. If you listen very carefully to some so called apostles and prophets, you will see error being spoken over the congregation. 3rd thing is greed. Make sure that there is not any greed in a minister. This can be very dangerous.
Prayer:
Lord, we ask for a powerful spiritual covering of Your Blood upon the ministry you have for each and every one of us, as we minister Your word. Bring a balance Lord to us so that we can discern what is truth and what is error. Let your word so fill our hearts so that we can operate in the right way concerning order in the spiritual gifts.
by Mel Montgomery and Keith Edwards
Monday, September 20, 2010
Equip The Body September 20th Devotional
Read:
1 Corinthians 12:27
27 Now you are the body of Christ, and each one of you is a part of it.
Also Read:
Ephesians 4:11,12
11 It was he who gave some to be apostles, some to be prophets, some to be evangelists, and some to be pastors and teachers, 12 to prepare God's people for works of service, so that the body of Christ may be built up
We are living in a time where the church as a whole has forgotten what ministry is all about. We go to church and pay money to our home church so that the pastor's and minster's in the church can be there for a particular body , and this is needful and necessary, but not the end all. It's biblical to give unto the work of the Church, but the body of Christ as a whole is one body involved in the Great commission of Jesus Christ and His Kingdom. The minister's in the church is to equip or prepare the body of Christ for the work of ministry. The bible says here in verse 28 of 1 Corinthians that there are minister gifts in the body of Christ and this is very important. The minister gifts in verse 28 is to prepare and equip the whole body of Christ to advance God's Kingdom. We advance God's Kingdom by ministry. We are all called as one in the body of Christ. Many in the protestant church doesn't really understand this concept, and the pastor is doing everything in the church. We have to get out of our little shell and be a light to those in our workplace, our neighbors, or wherever we are at. You may have an administrative gift. You may have a gift to fix things. Whatever gift you have you are very special to the body of Christ. We are all called to advance God's Kingdom. My wife and I own a cleaning business, and we have a friend that got diagnosed with cancer. My wife told her and her husband that we want to use our business and clean there house for free. I'm also going to make a bunch of sandwiches and cook a big pot of spaghetti for them. We are going to keep them lifted up in prayer and believe for a good report from the doctor. This is ministry, and you can reach out to people in a unique way by just doing things like this to reach out to them. My wife and I were helping with a church years ago with a pastor from our apartment complex. I was doing some teaching and worship, and the pastor would have all of us find ministry right there in our apartment complex. Somebody from our small group baked a cake for a police officer that just had surgery on his back, and you should have seen his face when we took that cake to him. He was ministered to. There are so many things we can do as the body of Christ. Its great to come to church and get lifted up, but that's not where it ends. We are to take the message of Christ to the hurting, lost, and those in need. I want to encourage us today to be the body of Christ, whether it is baking a cake, sending someone a card, or whatever your can do to be a part of the body. What do you have to give today that maybe you never gave? You might not of understood what ministry is all about and that we are "all" called in ministry as the body.
Prayer:
Lord, we ask that you will shed light on what our place and position is in the body of Christ. Let us know Lord that there is something we can do to be a part of your Kingdom. Help us Lord to use the gifts that we have and not only use them inside the four walls of the church, but use them also out in the world that many would come to repentance and be touched by your Spirit, Amen.
by Keith Edwards
1 Corinthians 12:27
27 Now you are the body of Christ, and each one of you is a part of it.
Also Read:
Ephesians 4:11,12
11 It was he who gave some to be apostles, some to be prophets, some to be evangelists, and some to be pastors and teachers, 12 to prepare God's people for works of service, so that the body of Christ may be built up
We are living in a time where the church as a whole has forgotten what ministry is all about. We go to church and pay money to our home church so that the pastor's and minster's in the church can be there for a particular body , and this is needful and necessary, but not the end all. It's biblical to give unto the work of the Church, but the body of Christ as a whole is one body involved in the Great commission of Jesus Christ and His Kingdom. The minister's in the church is to equip or prepare the body of Christ for the work of ministry. The bible says here in verse 28 of 1 Corinthians that there are minister gifts in the body of Christ and this is very important. The minister gifts in verse 28 is to prepare and equip the whole body of Christ to advance God's Kingdom. We advance God's Kingdom by ministry. We are all called as one in the body of Christ. Many in the protestant church doesn't really understand this concept, and the pastor is doing everything in the church. We have to get out of our little shell and be a light to those in our workplace, our neighbors, or wherever we are at. You may have an administrative gift. You may have a gift to fix things. Whatever gift you have you are very special to the body of Christ. We are all called to advance God's Kingdom. My wife and I own a cleaning business, and we have a friend that got diagnosed with cancer. My wife told her and her husband that we want to use our business and clean there house for free. I'm also going to make a bunch of sandwiches and cook a big pot of spaghetti for them. We are going to keep them lifted up in prayer and believe for a good report from the doctor. This is ministry, and you can reach out to people in a unique way by just doing things like this to reach out to them. My wife and I were helping with a church years ago with a pastor from our apartment complex. I was doing some teaching and worship, and the pastor would have all of us find ministry right there in our apartment complex. Somebody from our small group baked a cake for a police officer that just had surgery on his back, and you should have seen his face when we took that cake to him. He was ministered to. There are so many things we can do as the body of Christ. Its great to come to church and get lifted up, but that's not where it ends. We are to take the message of Christ to the hurting, lost, and those in need. I want to encourage us today to be the body of Christ, whether it is baking a cake, sending someone a card, or whatever your can do to be a part of the body. What do you have to give today that maybe you never gave? You might not of understood what ministry is all about and that we are "all" called in ministry as the body.
Prayer:
Lord, we ask that you will shed light on what our place and position is in the body of Christ. Let us know Lord that there is something we can do to be a part of your Kingdom. Help us Lord to use the gifts that we have and not only use them inside the four walls of the church, but use them also out in the world that many would come to repentance and be touched by your Spirit, Amen.
by Keith Edwards
Sunday, September 19, 2010
Jesus Knows Our Struggles by Sandy Groom & Keith Edwards
Read:
Isaiah 53:5
5 But he was pierced for our transgressions,
he was crushed for our iniquities;
the punishment that brought us peace was upon him,
and by his wounds we are healed.
Jesus knows our struggles. “He was a man of sorrows, familiar with suffering.” He knows exactly what we are going through today, what we experienced in the past, and everything we will experience in the future. He walks with us through the dark and miserable times as well as the beautiful times. Jesus holds us in his hands with love and empathy; but he does not stop there. He died an agonizing death to set us free from the horrible consequences of sin, to cleanse us, heal us, and make us whole. He bore all of our pain, distress and sin on the cross.
Why is it so important that we be clean and holy? Because we cannot have fellowship with him without being completely righteous. He is pure and holy, and we must be holy and pure to enjoy friendship with him. Our wrongdoings separate us from the Lord. Isaiah 59:2 explains that our sins have separated us from God. Yet Jesus is our righteousness if we believe and ask him into our lives. 2Corinthians 5:21 tells us, “God made him who had no sin to be sin for us, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God.”
It is amazing! Our Lord longed to have fellowship with us. He desired to pour his love and life into us and be with us forever. He wanted to have an intimate relationship with us so much, that he was tortured on the cross to set us free from sin. Isaiah 53 describes Jesus as being pierced, crushed, wounded, oppressed, afflicted, stricken, and a guilt offering for all mankind. He did all this so we can be in his presence. He took upon himself all of our infirmities and sorrows, so we can experience his amazing love and healing.
We can feel unworthy and undeserving during times of anxiety, depression, physical limitations and chronic pain. Traumatic experiences, such as child abuse and domestic violence, often cause us to feel dirty and ashamed. Yet God thought us worthwhile enough to give his life for us, and to live in us with all his righteousness and healing power.
Are you hurting today? Do you feel unworthy of love, or ashamed of who you are or have become? Let Jesus come inside, wash you white as snow, and heal you. Let him fill you with his love. Sometimes he heals us quickly, sometimes healing comes as a journey, and occasionally it comes through endurance and long perseverance. Yet no matter how the healing comes, Jesus walks with us and fills us with his strength and comfort each step of the way. He draws close to us, smiling upon us in love, yet always feeling our suffering.
Comment by Keith Edwards:
I want to encourage you today to take the words from Sandy seriously and remember, God loves you so much. I also want to encourage you today to let the Holy Spirit touch you and heal you completely. There is no problem to big God can not solve it. There is no mountain too tall God cannot move it. There is no storm cloud to rough God cannot calm it. There is no "heartache" too deep God cannot heal it. Friend, if He carried the weight of the world upon His shoulder, I know that He can carry you today.
prayer:
Lord, we lay our problems and concerns at the altar today. Heal us Lord of anything that is causing us to go backwards instead of forwards with you. We accept your agape love today, and we accept our pardon in Jesus name we pray, amen.
by Sandy Groom and Keith Edwards
Isaiah 53:5
5 But he was pierced for our transgressions,
he was crushed for our iniquities;
the punishment that brought us peace was upon him,
and by his wounds we are healed.
Jesus knows our struggles. “He was a man of sorrows, familiar with suffering.” He knows exactly what we are going through today, what we experienced in the past, and everything we will experience in the future. He walks with us through the dark and miserable times as well as the beautiful times. Jesus holds us in his hands with love and empathy; but he does not stop there. He died an agonizing death to set us free from the horrible consequences of sin, to cleanse us, heal us, and make us whole. He bore all of our pain, distress and sin on the cross.
Why is it so important that we be clean and holy? Because we cannot have fellowship with him without being completely righteous. He is pure and holy, and we must be holy and pure to enjoy friendship with him. Our wrongdoings separate us from the Lord. Isaiah 59:2 explains that our sins have separated us from God. Yet Jesus is our righteousness if we believe and ask him into our lives. 2Corinthians 5:21 tells us, “God made him who had no sin to be sin for us, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God.”
It is amazing! Our Lord longed to have fellowship with us. He desired to pour his love and life into us and be with us forever. He wanted to have an intimate relationship with us so much, that he was tortured on the cross to set us free from sin. Isaiah 53 describes Jesus as being pierced, crushed, wounded, oppressed, afflicted, stricken, and a guilt offering for all mankind. He did all this so we can be in his presence. He took upon himself all of our infirmities and sorrows, so we can experience his amazing love and healing.
We can feel unworthy and undeserving during times of anxiety, depression, physical limitations and chronic pain. Traumatic experiences, such as child abuse and domestic violence, often cause us to feel dirty and ashamed. Yet God thought us worthwhile enough to give his life for us, and to live in us with all his righteousness and healing power.
Are you hurting today? Do you feel unworthy of love, or ashamed of who you are or have become? Let Jesus come inside, wash you white as snow, and heal you. Let him fill you with his love. Sometimes he heals us quickly, sometimes healing comes as a journey, and occasionally it comes through endurance and long perseverance. Yet no matter how the healing comes, Jesus walks with us and fills us with his strength and comfort each step of the way. He draws close to us, smiling upon us in love, yet always feeling our suffering.
Comment by Keith Edwards:
I want to encourage you today to take the words from Sandy seriously and remember, God loves you so much. I also want to encourage you today to let the Holy Spirit touch you and heal you completely. There is no problem to big God can not solve it. There is no mountain too tall God cannot move it. There is no storm cloud to rough God cannot calm it. There is no "heartache" too deep God cannot heal it. Friend, if He carried the weight of the world upon His shoulder, I know that He can carry you today.
prayer:
Lord, we lay our problems and concerns at the altar today. Heal us Lord of anything that is causing us to go backwards instead of forwards with you. We accept your agape love today, and we accept our pardon in Jesus name we pray, amen.
by Sandy Groom and Keith Edwards
Saturday, September 18, 2010
Character Rebirth
Read:
Philippians 2:5
Have this attitude in yourselves which was also in Christ Jesus
Also:
Philippians 2:15
so that you will prove yourselves to be blameless and innocent, children of God above reproach in the midst of a crooked and perverse generation, among whom you appear as lights in the world,
We are living in a time of a crooked and corrupt generation. We are living in a time where we need to show forth character and be a light to the world like never before. All the world can see is a plastic type Christianity with no fruit. You see the hype-prosperity message, strange prophecies, and other things that have been going on in the church and this would have shocked great protestant ministers during the great reformation. Martin Luther in the 1500’s would have fallen over in disbelief at how corrupt the protestant movement has gotten off to. He would have placed ninety-five more thesis at the foot of the church. We have tv evangelist’s begging for seeds, asking for mortgage payments so that God will pay off there mortgage payment, and every other ridiculous move that has embarrassed the protestant church. This is not the most popular devotional but it is needed. I’d probably get hung in some churches if I taught this message. But friend, we need a character rebirth like never before. The greek word for attitude in Philippians 2:5 is phroneo, and it means to be like-minded with the same views. Could you imagine Jesus teaching on the sermon of the mount and saying, “For ten dollars I’ll give you my teaching of the sermon on the mount.” Could you imagine Jesus saying, “I’ll pray for you for a whole year with a little love offering of one thousand dollars, and two years for two thousand dollars." This sounds unbelievable, but just go online or watch some of the tv channels and you’ll see this nonsense. I've seen it first hand, and I about fell over when I saw this mess, being so so grieved in my spirit. I know that I’m being a little sarcastic about what would Jesus do, but we need to be lights in the world. How do we get a good attitude and walk in the spirit? By our devotion, prayer, and our faithfulness. You see, the secret to a successful life as a Christian is the success of their secret life in their prayer closet, with such a conviction and inward pure character in their personal life as well. It goes hand in hand with our commitment to the body of Christ and faithfulness in our home church. Character is determined by the inner-life of a person. It reflects either the sinful nature being influenced by the world, or the devine nature influenced by the Holy Spirit. Our character will affect our attitude, our attitude will affect our calling, and our calling will ultimately affect our destiny here on earth. God’s got a destiny and place here on this earth for us, and our character is the foundation for unleashing God’s will in our life. Some of us need a new birth, but many of us need a character rebirth. Let’s be like Jesus and show something to this generation.
By Keith Edwards
Prayer:
Lord, we come to you in your precious name and ask that you search our hearts. Show us if there is anything that is not right, and help us to shine our light to this fallen world. We sit at your feet Jesus in prayer and we ask that we would have the same mind and attitude that you have Lord. Help us Lord to hear your heartbeat as your church and body. We ask this all in your name. Amen.
Posted by Keith at 12:00 AM
1 comments:
Sandy Groom MSW said...
Thank you Keith for your blog.
Our most powerful work begins in our prayer closet -- that quiet place where we spend alone with our mighty God.
It is easy to turn our eyes on those who make a mockery of walking with Jesus; who choose hype over committed faith. In fact, it's easy to become distracted by many things. Yet so important to draw close to the Lord and spend time with him, looking at him and who he is, praising him, crying out to him, loving him, and his Word - the Bible.
He is the one who gives us a character re-birth; he will make us and mold us each day, if we allow him to work in us and through us.
He loves us that much.
Thanks
Sandy Groom at hopeforhurtinghearts.blogspot.com
Philippians 2:5
Have this attitude in yourselves which was also in Christ Jesus
Also:
Philippians 2:15
so that you will prove yourselves to be blameless and innocent, children of God above reproach in the midst of a crooked and perverse generation, among whom you appear as lights in the world,
We are living in a time of a crooked and corrupt generation. We are living in a time where we need to show forth character and be a light to the world like never before. All the world can see is a plastic type Christianity with no fruit. You see the hype-prosperity message, strange prophecies, and other things that have been going on in the church and this would have shocked great protestant ministers during the great reformation. Martin Luther in the 1500’s would have fallen over in disbelief at how corrupt the protestant movement has gotten off to. He would have placed ninety-five more thesis at the foot of the church. We have tv evangelist’s begging for seeds, asking for mortgage payments so that God will pay off there mortgage payment, and every other ridiculous move that has embarrassed the protestant church. This is not the most popular devotional but it is needed. I’d probably get hung in some churches if I taught this message. But friend, we need a character rebirth like never before. The greek word for attitude in Philippians 2:5 is phroneo, and it means to be like-minded with the same views. Could you imagine Jesus teaching on the sermon of the mount and saying, “For ten dollars I’ll give you my teaching of the sermon on the mount.” Could you imagine Jesus saying, “I’ll pray for you for a whole year with a little love offering of one thousand dollars, and two years for two thousand dollars." This sounds unbelievable, but just go online or watch some of the tv channels and you’ll see this nonsense. I've seen it first hand, and I about fell over when I saw this mess, being so so grieved in my spirit. I know that I’m being a little sarcastic about what would Jesus do, but we need to be lights in the world. How do we get a good attitude and walk in the spirit? By our devotion, prayer, and our faithfulness. You see, the secret to a successful life as a Christian is the success of their secret life in their prayer closet, with such a conviction and inward pure character in their personal life as well. It goes hand in hand with our commitment to the body of Christ and faithfulness in our home church. Character is determined by the inner-life of a person. It reflects either the sinful nature being influenced by the world, or the devine nature influenced by the Holy Spirit. Our character will affect our attitude, our attitude will affect our calling, and our calling will ultimately affect our destiny here on earth. God’s got a destiny and place here on this earth for us, and our character is the foundation for unleashing God’s will in our life. Some of us need a new birth, but many of us need a character rebirth. Let’s be like Jesus and show something to this generation.
By Keith Edwards
Prayer:
Lord, we come to you in your precious name and ask that you search our hearts. Show us if there is anything that is not right, and help us to shine our light to this fallen world. We sit at your feet Jesus in prayer and we ask that we would have the same mind and attitude that you have Lord. Help us Lord to hear your heartbeat as your church and body. We ask this all in your name. Amen.
Posted by Keith at 12:00 AM
1 comments:
Sandy Groom MSW said...
Thank you Keith for your blog.
Our most powerful work begins in our prayer closet -- that quiet place where we spend alone with our mighty God.
It is easy to turn our eyes on those who make a mockery of walking with Jesus; who choose hype over committed faith. In fact, it's easy to become distracted by many things. Yet so important to draw close to the Lord and spend time with him, looking at him and who he is, praising him, crying out to him, loving him, and his Word - the Bible.
He is the one who gives us a character re-birth; he will make us and mold us each day, if we allow him to work in us and through us.
He loves us that much.
Thanks
Sandy Groom at hopeforhurtinghearts.blogspot.com
Friday, September 17, 2010
Cocooned In The Person Of Jesus Christ by Mel Mongomery & Keith Edwards September 17th Devotional
Read:
11 Corinthians 4:4
4 The god of this age has blinded the minds of unbelievers, so that they cannot see the light of the gospel of the glory of Christ, who is the image of God.
As the last days wind down, with the Unrighteous drawing closer to Satan and to the Anti-Christ in their thinking and affections, what little light they do have grows darker and darker. Every sort of wickedness, lewdness, and dishonesty that used to seem to them to be objectionable, now for some reason, no longer seem so bad. Darkness is becoming normal to them. While darkness is enveloping the Wicked, the exact opposite is occurring with the Righteous. For us also, the Last days are winding down to their ultimate conclusion. We too are going through a metamorphosis. We are cocooned in the person of Jesus Christ. The Holy Spirit surrounds us and is fulfilling scripture by leading into all truth, teaching us all things, and bringing to our minds all that Christ commanded us (John 14:26) We are not being conformed to the image of this world, but are being transformed by the renewing of our mind (Rom. 12:2). We are going from glory to glory (11Cor. 3:18). Light is normal to us, and we welcome it. We love the one who is the Truth; so naturally, we want to know the truth in all situations. One day, we also shall emerge from our cocoons, but not to give ourselves over totally to evil and rebellion against God as shall the Wicked. When we hear the Last Trumpet, our bodies will be transformed into glorious bodies, and we shall rise to meet the Lord in the air, and ever shall we be with Him (1 Thess. 4:16). In the meantime, as we prepare to receive our King, the light, the truth, holiness, purity, righteousness and all of the other attributes of Christ become more precious and normal to us. There is a deep desire in our hearts to meet our Lord soon, and to be the Church without spot, or blemish, or any such thing, that He desires us to be (Eph. 5:27). He is holy; therefore, we desire to be holy.
Comment by Keith Edwards:
I want to encourage us today to realize that we are cocooned in the person of Christ Jesus. We are enveloped within Him and He within us, and we will one day be totally transformed into a glorious body in Heaven. We are living in a time where the enemy is trying to thwart the gospel and bring the gospel down lower and lower. The bar of Christianity is no longer set where it once was, and the very tactic the enemy uses in these last days is the weapon of doubt and lack of revelation of who we are in Christ. If he can steal that revelation of us being cocooned in His power, then he can stop the flow of hope that we cling on to in these wicked times.
Prayer:
Lord, we ask that you will bring us back to the level we need to be at in You. Help us Lord to reflect Your nature. We desire to know you more as we seek you, Amen.
by Mel Montgomery and Keith Edwards
11 Corinthians 4:4
4 The god of this age has blinded the minds of unbelievers, so that they cannot see the light of the gospel of the glory of Christ, who is the image of God.
As the last days wind down, with the Unrighteous drawing closer to Satan and to the Anti-Christ in their thinking and affections, what little light they do have grows darker and darker. Every sort of wickedness, lewdness, and dishonesty that used to seem to them to be objectionable, now for some reason, no longer seem so bad. Darkness is becoming normal to them. While darkness is enveloping the Wicked, the exact opposite is occurring with the Righteous. For us also, the Last days are winding down to their ultimate conclusion. We too are going through a metamorphosis. We are cocooned in the person of Jesus Christ. The Holy Spirit surrounds us and is fulfilling scripture by leading into all truth, teaching us all things, and bringing to our minds all that Christ commanded us (John 14:26) We are not being conformed to the image of this world, but are being transformed by the renewing of our mind (Rom. 12:2). We are going from glory to glory (11Cor. 3:18). Light is normal to us, and we welcome it. We love the one who is the Truth; so naturally, we want to know the truth in all situations. One day, we also shall emerge from our cocoons, but not to give ourselves over totally to evil and rebellion against God as shall the Wicked. When we hear the Last Trumpet, our bodies will be transformed into glorious bodies, and we shall rise to meet the Lord in the air, and ever shall we be with Him (1 Thess. 4:16). In the meantime, as we prepare to receive our King, the light, the truth, holiness, purity, righteousness and all of the other attributes of Christ become more precious and normal to us. There is a deep desire in our hearts to meet our Lord soon, and to be the Church without spot, or blemish, or any such thing, that He desires us to be (Eph. 5:27). He is holy; therefore, we desire to be holy.
Comment by Keith Edwards:
I want to encourage us today to realize that we are cocooned in the person of Christ Jesus. We are enveloped within Him and He within us, and we will one day be totally transformed into a glorious body in Heaven. We are living in a time where the enemy is trying to thwart the gospel and bring the gospel down lower and lower. The bar of Christianity is no longer set where it once was, and the very tactic the enemy uses in these last days is the weapon of doubt and lack of revelation of who we are in Christ. If he can steal that revelation of us being cocooned in His power, then he can stop the flow of hope that we cling on to in these wicked times.
Prayer:
Lord, we ask that you will bring us back to the level we need to be at in You. Help us Lord to reflect Your nature. We desire to know you more as we seek you, Amen.
by Mel Montgomery and Keith Edwards
Thursday, September 16, 2010
Shaking The Salt September 16th Devotional
Read:
Matthew 5:13-15
13"You are the salt of the earth. But if the salt loses its saltiness, how can it be made salty again? It is no longer good for anything, except to be thrown out and trampled by men.
I can remember back years ago when I worked at this particular place. I was a cell leader and did some worship and teaching at my Father's church he was a pastor at. I was on fire for the things of God, and they all knew my love for God. They probably called me a Jesus freak. I don't know, but I really didn't care. I cared for the things of God more than life itself. There was this one guy I couldn't stand. We will call him John Doe. John had a filthy mouth and loved to drink. I told the Lord, "Lord, this guy will never come to you!" John made me so mad. I would be reading during my lunch break, and he would just cuss and carry on. Months later, John Doe sat down at the table I was at one night, and he had tears streaming down his face. He said, "I want this God you serve!" I couldn't believe it. I had to shake my head and wipe my eyes to see if this was really happening. He was in front of everyone in the lunch area, but it seemed like he didn't even care. His car was in the shop that morning, so I was able to take him home. I led him to the Lord that Sunday morning and he repented of his sins and was washed by the blood of Jesus. He began to weep and cry and you can really tell that it was a true conversion. It gets better. Years down the road, I was at my brother-in law's house, and I asked him how his job was coming along? He worked at the same grocery retail store that I worked at but a different location. He was an assistant store manager and told me that he had a pretty good crew. He said, "There is this one fellow there though that is kinda weird." I asked him about this fellow. He said his name was John Doe. He said that he brings his bible to work every night and talks about Jesus to all of us. Man! you talk about a chill running down my spine. This John Doe is the same exact John Doe that I led to Christ Jesus years past. I said all of that to let us realize that we are the salt of the earth and just remember that there is always somebody watching us. They want to see that what we believe is really real or not. Let's be the salt of this earth, and let's be the reflection of Jesus to a lost and dying world.
Prayer:
Lord we thank you today for your power and salvation. We pray that we would shine forth your light like never before to this generation. Lord we never know sometimes that there is the most unlikely prospect that is studying our every move to see if we really believe what we believe. Help us Lord to be the salt of this earth. Amen.
by Keith Edwards
Matthew 5:13-15
13"You are the salt of the earth. But if the salt loses its saltiness, how can it be made salty again? It is no longer good for anything, except to be thrown out and trampled by men.
I can remember back years ago when I worked at this particular place. I was a cell leader and did some worship and teaching at my Father's church he was a pastor at. I was on fire for the things of God, and they all knew my love for God. They probably called me a Jesus freak. I don't know, but I really didn't care. I cared for the things of God more than life itself. There was this one guy I couldn't stand. We will call him John Doe. John had a filthy mouth and loved to drink. I told the Lord, "Lord, this guy will never come to you!" John made me so mad. I would be reading during my lunch break, and he would just cuss and carry on. Months later, John Doe sat down at the table I was at one night, and he had tears streaming down his face. He said, "I want this God you serve!" I couldn't believe it. I had to shake my head and wipe my eyes to see if this was really happening. He was in front of everyone in the lunch area, but it seemed like he didn't even care. His car was in the shop that morning, so I was able to take him home. I led him to the Lord that Sunday morning and he repented of his sins and was washed by the blood of Jesus. He began to weep and cry and you can really tell that it was a true conversion. It gets better. Years down the road, I was at my brother-in law's house, and I asked him how his job was coming along? He worked at the same grocery retail store that I worked at but a different location. He was an assistant store manager and told me that he had a pretty good crew. He said, "There is this one fellow there though that is kinda weird." I asked him about this fellow. He said his name was John Doe. He said that he brings his bible to work every night and talks about Jesus to all of us. Man! you talk about a chill running down my spine. This John Doe is the same exact John Doe that I led to Christ Jesus years past. I said all of that to let us realize that we are the salt of the earth and just remember that there is always somebody watching us. They want to see that what we believe is really real or not. Let's be the salt of this earth, and let's be the reflection of Jesus to a lost and dying world.
Prayer:
Lord we thank you today for your power and salvation. We pray that we would shine forth your light like never before to this generation. Lord we never know sometimes that there is the most unlikely prospect that is studying our every move to see if we really believe what we believe. Help us Lord to be the salt of this earth. Amen.
by Keith Edwards
Wednesday, September 15, 2010
Complacency by Seth Swindall Comment by Keith Edwards September 15th Devotional
Complacency 4
Numbness can cause complacency in your life. You can grow cold to what once motivated you. For example, a surgeon, on his first day of surgery, probably has to deal with many emotions and fears. He may even be a little queasy. Over the course of time, though, he is no longer affected by the condition of his patients. He has grown numb to the problems around him and simply performs a robotic task.
Let me give you another personal example. The summer following my junior year of high school I became a lifeguard at the local pool in my hometown. I remember going through the crash course class and having to pass all of the physical and written tests, proving that I, in the case of an emergency, could save a life in trouble. To this day I still remember my first official day of work and my first shift on top of the stand, overlooking the water filled with people whose lives were now in my hands. I was so attentive and focused, keeping count of every head and every person in and out of the pool. I simply knew the moment I became complacent and lost focus a swimmer might go under and drown and I was not going to allow that to happen during my time on the stand. I left that day stressed and worn out from the pressure of having so many lives in my hands. Of course as time progressed through the summer, I became comfortable and more at ease with my responsibilities. I day dreamed a little more, paid more attention to friends, and was more concerned about what was going on after work than who was in the pool. I was growing numb and was not as attentive and focused as I should have been to what was going on around me. (Now, just to clarify…I did a good job and no one ever drown on my watch…I even had the opportunity to save a life. Needless to say I have learned a lot about my Christian life from those couple of summers of life guarding…)
The danger with growing numb is that you can’t feel. You no longer have the ability to sense what is going on around you. I don’t know if your hand, arm, or another part of your body has lost feeling, if so you will understand this idea. Because you can’t feel…you don’t know when you hurt yourself or those around you. Complacency caused from numbness in your own life can do real damage to you, your family, and those around you and the great danger is…you don’t realize it.
The Bible says in Romans 12 (The Message), “Don’t become so well-adjusted to your culture that you fit into it without even thinking. Instead, fix your attention on God. You’ll be changed from the inside out. Readily recognize what he wants from you, and quickly respond to it. Unlike the culture around you, always dragging you down to its level of immaturity, God brings the best out of you, develops well-formed maturity in you.”
Over time, if we are not careful, we can become numb, desensitized to what is going on around us, and lose focus and our God-given internal drive to make a difference. I don’t know about you, but when I have an arm or leg ‘go to sleep,’ I have to give it a good shake to return blood flow to it so that the sensitivity and feeling can return. Some of our lives need a good shaking to return the flow of God’s Holy Spirit into our lives so that we can again be driven individuals moved by compassion to effectively make a difference in the world around us.
We will get to some of the solutions for complacency once we get through a couple more causes of complacency…stick with us and help us spread the message by sharing via the Facebook & Twitter links below. God bless and please leave your thoughts or questions below…
Pastor Seth
comment by Keith Edwards
Many Christians have become complacent today in this generation we are living in. Haggai the prophet tells the Jews to consider their ways. They have become numb to the voice of God. We have become numb to what we are really here for. The Jews started the rebuilding of the temple by laying the foundation, but after the King stopped the rebuilding by the Samaritans, the Jews got complacent and loss hope of ever completing the temple. They were more concerned about "their" houses, and their lives that the temple of God laid in ruins. Doesn't that sound like us today? We are more concerned about our own lives that we have let a blanket cover the light of Christ from within us. The light is now very dim and as Seth mentioned, "sensitivity and feeling can return. Some of our lives need a good shaking to return the flow of God’s Holy Spirit into our lives so that we can again be driven individuals moved by compassion to effectively make a difference in the world around us." I want to encourage you today to consider your ways. Lets all as living stones do an inventory of our lives. Let's not let the shaking of God that is in the works scare us and keep us in a hopeless situation, but lets let the shaking motivate us to advance God's kingdom, make disciples, and do the works that God wants us to do as the "Body" of Christ. Let's pray.
Prayer:
Lord, we come to you with a serious heart. Forgive us God. forgive us for putting things before you, and not letting that growth by your grace change us. Lord, give us a revelation of hope today. Give us a revelation that you will take care of us as we trust you. You spoke that you were with Moses, Joshua, Paul, and many more, and you are with us today as well. Break the spirit of complacency, and birth in us again your power and your spirit to carry on the great journey of building together as your bride, amen.
by Seth Swindall and Keith Edwards
Numbness can cause complacency in your life. You can grow cold to what once motivated you. For example, a surgeon, on his first day of surgery, probably has to deal with many emotions and fears. He may even be a little queasy. Over the course of time, though, he is no longer affected by the condition of his patients. He has grown numb to the problems around him and simply performs a robotic task.
Let me give you another personal example. The summer following my junior year of high school I became a lifeguard at the local pool in my hometown. I remember going through the crash course class and having to pass all of the physical and written tests, proving that I, in the case of an emergency, could save a life in trouble. To this day I still remember my first official day of work and my first shift on top of the stand, overlooking the water filled with people whose lives were now in my hands. I was so attentive and focused, keeping count of every head and every person in and out of the pool. I simply knew the moment I became complacent and lost focus a swimmer might go under and drown and I was not going to allow that to happen during my time on the stand. I left that day stressed and worn out from the pressure of having so many lives in my hands. Of course as time progressed through the summer, I became comfortable and more at ease with my responsibilities. I day dreamed a little more, paid more attention to friends, and was more concerned about what was going on after work than who was in the pool. I was growing numb and was not as attentive and focused as I should have been to what was going on around me. (Now, just to clarify…I did a good job and no one ever drown on my watch…I even had the opportunity to save a life. Needless to say I have learned a lot about my Christian life from those couple of summers of life guarding…)
The danger with growing numb is that you can’t feel. You no longer have the ability to sense what is going on around you. I don’t know if your hand, arm, or another part of your body has lost feeling, if so you will understand this idea. Because you can’t feel…you don’t know when you hurt yourself or those around you. Complacency caused from numbness in your own life can do real damage to you, your family, and those around you and the great danger is…you don’t realize it.
The Bible says in Romans 12 (The Message), “Don’t become so well-adjusted to your culture that you fit into it without even thinking. Instead, fix your attention on God. You’ll be changed from the inside out. Readily recognize what he wants from you, and quickly respond to it. Unlike the culture around you, always dragging you down to its level of immaturity, God brings the best out of you, develops well-formed maturity in you.”
Over time, if we are not careful, we can become numb, desensitized to what is going on around us, and lose focus and our God-given internal drive to make a difference. I don’t know about you, but when I have an arm or leg ‘go to sleep,’ I have to give it a good shake to return blood flow to it so that the sensitivity and feeling can return. Some of our lives need a good shaking to return the flow of God’s Holy Spirit into our lives so that we can again be driven individuals moved by compassion to effectively make a difference in the world around us.
We will get to some of the solutions for complacency once we get through a couple more causes of complacency…stick with us and help us spread the message by sharing via the Facebook & Twitter links below. God bless and please leave your thoughts or questions below…
Pastor Seth
comment by Keith Edwards
Many Christians have become complacent today in this generation we are living in. Haggai the prophet tells the Jews to consider their ways. They have become numb to the voice of God. We have become numb to what we are really here for. The Jews started the rebuilding of the temple by laying the foundation, but after the King stopped the rebuilding by the Samaritans, the Jews got complacent and loss hope of ever completing the temple. They were more concerned about "their" houses, and their lives that the temple of God laid in ruins. Doesn't that sound like us today? We are more concerned about our own lives that we have let a blanket cover the light of Christ from within us. The light is now very dim and as Seth mentioned, "sensitivity and feeling can return. Some of our lives need a good shaking to return the flow of God’s Holy Spirit into our lives so that we can again be driven individuals moved by compassion to effectively make a difference in the world around us." I want to encourage you today to consider your ways. Lets all as living stones do an inventory of our lives. Let's not let the shaking of God that is in the works scare us and keep us in a hopeless situation, but lets let the shaking motivate us to advance God's kingdom, make disciples, and do the works that God wants us to do as the "Body" of Christ. Let's pray.
Prayer:
Lord, we come to you with a serious heart. Forgive us God. forgive us for putting things before you, and not letting that growth by your grace change us. Lord, give us a revelation of hope today. Give us a revelation that you will take care of us as we trust you. You spoke that you were with Moses, Joshua, Paul, and many more, and you are with us today as well. Break the spirit of complacency, and birth in us again your power and your spirit to carry on the great journey of building together as your bride, amen.
by Seth Swindall and Keith Edwards
Tuesday, September 14, 2010
Worship Through Revelation September 14th Devotional
Read:
John 4:24
24 God is spirit, and his worshipers must worship in spirit and in truth."
Today I want us to focus on worship. The Lord wants us to worship Him in spirit and in truth. The definition for truth here in John 4:24 is the truth as taught in the Christian religion, respecting God and the execution of his purposes through Christ, and respecting the duties of man, opposing alike to the superstitions of the Gentiles and the inventions of the Jews, and the corrupt opinions and precepts of false teachers even among Christians. We need such a revelation through our worship and adoration to our Lord Jesus Christ. What we focus on through our revelation is the difference between hearing God's voice, and not hearing His voice clearly. In this type of worship will come a strength within us to understand His will for us here in our lifetime. I have found that as I worship the Lord and sit at His feet, there is such a fulfilling of what sometimes we seem to miss in our Christian walk with Him. What are you thinking about in your worship? Have you gotten to a place where you think about all of the things you have done and haven't done as you come to the table of worship? Have you gotten to a place where you think upon the things of God only, instead of seeking His face first and foremost in spirit and in truth. I know I need to get to this place in a deeper way, and it is such a crucial place to be in as we go through this life. Lets bring to the table of worship a revelation of the cross, the blood that was spilled upon the cross, and His resurrection. This attitude of worship will bring forth a mixture of character and integrity within us to produce pure fruit and make disciples.
Prayer:
Lord, we ask for such a revelation of who you are and how you see us today. Let our worship be pure Lord before you, and we desire to find that first love for you increase day by day as we walk this journey with you. We repent Lord for thinking upon the wrong things in our worship. Cleanse us by your blood, and touch our lips by your spirit to speak your truth to a corrupt generation.
by Keith Edwards
John 4:24
24 God is spirit, and his worshipers must worship in spirit and in truth."
Today I want us to focus on worship. The Lord wants us to worship Him in spirit and in truth. The definition for truth here in John 4:24 is the truth as taught in the Christian religion, respecting God and the execution of his purposes through Christ, and respecting the duties of man, opposing alike to the superstitions of the Gentiles and the inventions of the Jews, and the corrupt opinions and precepts of false teachers even among Christians. We need such a revelation through our worship and adoration to our Lord Jesus Christ. What we focus on through our revelation is the difference between hearing God's voice, and not hearing His voice clearly. In this type of worship will come a strength within us to understand His will for us here in our lifetime. I have found that as I worship the Lord and sit at His feet, there is such a fulfilling of what sometimes we seem to miss in our Christian walk with Him. What are you thinking about in your worship? Have you gotten to a place where you think about all of the things you have done and haven't done as you come to the table of worship? Have you gotten to a place where you think upon the things of God only, instead of seeking His face first and foremost in spirit and in truth. I know I need to get to this place in a deeper way, and it is such a crucial place to be in as we go through this life. Lets bring to the table of worship a revelation of the cross, the blood that was spilled upon the cross, and His resurrection. This attitude of worship will bring forth a mixture of character and integrity within us to produce pure fruit and make disciples.
Prayer:
Lord, we ask for such a revelation of who you are and how you see us today. Let our worship be pure Lord before you, and we desire to find that first love for you increase day by day as we walk this journey with you. We repent Lord for thinking upon the wrong things in our worship. Cleanse us by your blood, and touch our lips by your spirit to speak your truth to a corrupt generation.
by Keith Edwards
Monday, September 13, 2010
There Is A River September 13th Devotional
Read:
Psalms 46:4
“There is a River, the streams whereof shall make glad the city of God, the holy place of the tabernacles of the most High.”
Also Read:
Exodus 47:9
He is the Master of the Healing Stream. Jesus Lives!
“And everything shall Live whither the River cometh.”
There is a River that flows from Genesis to Revelation. The Bible begins and ends with a River. It is an unending stream of Gods’ Life and Power, and it is the River of Life and Healing found only in Jesus Christ. The Apostle John describes for us the wonder of this Healing stream. In Revelation 22:1 the Holy Spirit gives us a glimpse of this Life flowing from the Throne of God. “And he shewed me a pure River of water of life, clear as crystal, proceeding out of the Throne of God and of the Lamb. In the midst of the street of it, and on either side of the River, was the tree of Life, which bare twelve manner of fruits, and yielded her fruit every month: and the leaves of the tree were for the healing of the nations.” There is something about the touch of Jesus that causes this healing virtue to flow. There is something about the touch of the Saviour that heals, restores, and delivers. Learn the secret of touching Him.
“And when Jesus was come into Peters’ house, He saw his wife’s mother laid, sick of a fever. And He touched her hand, and the fever left her: and she arose, and ministered unto them.” Matthew 8:14-15.
Great men of God have often spoke of this wonderful Heavenly power. Jesus is Gods’ Healing Stream.
“Grace and peace be multiplied unto you through the knowledge of God, and of Jesus our Lord, According as His Divine power hath given unto us all things that pertain unto life and godliness, through the knowledge of Him that hath called us unto glory and virtue.” 2 Peter 1:2-3.
It is through the Word that we contact God, and it is through the Word that He contacts us. The Bible is our meeting place with Him and Him with us. It is through the Word that we touch God. It is through the Word that He touches us. The Prophet David wrote, “There is a River, the streams whereof shall make glad the city of God, the holy place of the tabernacles of the most High.” Psalm 46:4.
The Holy Ghost has come to teach us all things. God has given us the revelation of Christ the Healer. Jesus is the Healing stream of Calvary, and He is by your side today. Jesus of Nazareth is the source of all Life. He is the fountain of Wholeness, Health, Peace, and Happiness. He is the Master of the Healing Stream. Jesus Lives!
“And everything shall Live whither the River cometh.” Ezekiel 47:9.
There is a river today that flows from God above, and we can drink of that living water that is eternal. I want to encourage you today to let God quench your thirst today. whatever you are facing, God has all a place of His presence, and we can enter that place today by His precious blood.
Prayer:
Lord, fill our cup as we lift it up. Come and quench this the thirst and dryness we sometimes feel. We need a spiritual drink of your spiritual river, and we need your love to rain upon us as we seek you day by day, Amen.
by Drew Kaylor & Keith Edwards
Psalms 46:4
“There is a River, the streams whereof shall make glad the city of God, the holy place of the tabernacles of the most High.”
Also Read:
Exodus 47:9
He is the Master of the Healing Stream. Jesus Lives!
“And everything shall Live whither the River cometh.”
There is a River that flows from Genesis to Revelation. The Bible begins and ends with a River. It is an unending stream of Gods’ Life and Power, and it is the River of Life and Healing found only in Jesus Christ. The Apostle John describes for us the wonder of this Healing stream. In Revelation 22:1 the Holy Spirit gives us a glimpse of this Life flowing from the Throne of God. “And he shewed me a pure River of water of life, clear as crystal, proceeding out of the Throne of God and of the Lamb. In the midst of the street of it, and on either side of the River, was the tree of Life, which bare twelve manner of fruits, and yielded her fruit every month: and the leaves of the tree were for the healing of the nations.” There is something about the touch of Jesus that causes this healing virtue to flow. There is something about the touch of the Saviour that heals, restores, and delivers. Learn the secret of touching Him.
“And when Jesus was come into Peters’ house, He saw his wife’s mother laid, sick of a fever. And He touched her hand, and the fever left her: and she arose, and ministered unto them.” Matthew 8:14-15.
Great men of God have often spoke of this wonderful Heavenly power. Jesus is Gods’ Healing Stream.
“Grace and peace be multiplied unto you through the knowledge of God, and of Jesus our Lord, According as His Divine power hath given unto us all things that pertain unto life and godliness, through the knowledge of Him that hath called us unto glory and virtue.” 2 Peter 1:2-3.
It is through the Word that we contact God, and it is through the Word that He contacts us. The Bible is our meeting place with Him and Him with us. It is through the Word that we touch God. It is through the Word that He touches us. The Prophet David wrote, “There is a River, the streams whereof shall make glad the city of God, the holy place of the tabernacles of the most High.” Psalm 46:4.
The Holy Ghost has come to teach us all things. God has given us the revelation of Christ the Healer. Jesus is the Healing stream of Calvary, and He is by your side today. Jesus of Nazareth is the source of all Life. He is the fountain of Wholeness, Health, Peace, and Happiness. He is the Master of the Healing Stream. Jesus Lives!
“And everything shall Live whither the River cometh.” Ezekiel 47:9.
There is a river today that flows from God above, and we can drink of that living water that is eternal. I want to encourage you today to let God quench your thirst today. whatever you are facing, God has all a place of His presence, and we can enter that place today by His precious blood.
Prayer:
Lord, fill our cup as we lift it up. Come and quench this the thirst and dryness we sometimes feel. We need a spiritual drink of your spiritual river, and we need your love to rain upon us as we seek you day by day, Amen.
by Drew Kaylor & Keith Edwards
Sunday, September 12, 2010
Guarding That Deposit September 12th Devotional
Read:
2 timothy 1:13,14
13 What you heard from me, keep as the pattern of sound teaching, with faith and love in Christ Jesus.
14 Guard the good deposit that was entrusted to you—guard it with the help of the Holy Spirit who lives in us
Whenever you have a treasure, there is always a thief. The enemy wants to destroy the word from our mind and soul that we lay down as foundation. Our mind, will, and emotions need to line up with the very Christ within us, and Satan wants nothing more than to totally stop us in our tracks as a believer. These current dark ages we are living in is bringing us to a place where we need to shine the light of Jesus to others like never before, and I feel like God wants us to beware of the enemy today in these dark ages we face. One night at work I was meditating on this scripture, and it seemed like the Lord spoke to my heart about this. He said, " Son, be very careful. Many are watching your every move, and the enemy wants to steal that treasure from you so that you won't be effective to those around you. Guard that word son with extreme caution, and don't let the enemy steal it even for one second. Keep watch!" This is what the Lord wants for you today. I don't know how much of the word you have been storing up in your mind, will, and emotions, but be very careful to guard it with all diligence. The bible also says for us to guard our heart with all diligence, for out of it flow the issues of life. Entrusted in the Greek is paratheke, and the definition is a deposit, and used of correct knowledge and pure doctrine of the gospel. Treasure in the Greek is Kalos, and the definition for treasure is beautiful by reason of purity of heart and life. As a living epistle, we need to be the reflection of Christ Jesus and make His name attractive to those who don't have that name. We need to shine forth His truth to those who need truth, and we need to shine forth the love of Christ for those who don't understand or don't know His love. We are carriers of the very attributes of God, and He has made a deposit of all of the attributes in our inner spirit where we have been born again. We are sanctified through spiritual growth, and spiritual foundation is established in our soul. I want to encourage you today to hold on to the word of God with all diligence, and be that light to a dark and deceptive world. Many need to see some of that treasure that has been entrusted to you.
Prayer:
Lord, we ask that you will help us by the help of the Holy Spirit to guard that good treasure that has been deposited in us. Help us to renew our mind to the word, and help us to be that living epistle to those around us, Amen.
by Keith Edwards
2 timothy 1:13,14
13 What you heard from me, keep as the pattern of sound teaching, with faith and love in Christ Jesus.
14 Guard the good deposit that was entrusted to you—guard it with the help of the Holy Spirit who lives in us
Whenever you have a treasure, there is always a thief. The enemy wants to destroy the word from our mind and soul that we lay down as foundation. Our mind, will, and emotions need to line up with the very Christ within us, and Satan wants nothing more than to totally stop us in our tracks as a believer. These current dark ages we are living in is bringing us to a place where we need to shine the light of Jesus to others like never before, and I feel like God wants us to beware of the enemy today in these dark ages we face. One night at work I was meditating on this scripture, and it seemed like the Lord spoke to my heart about this. He said, " Son, be very careful. Many are watching your every move, and the enemy wants to steal that treasure from you so that you won't be effective to those around you. Guard that word son with extreme caution, and don't let the enemy steal it even for one second. Keep watch!" This is what the Lord wants for you today. I don't know how much of the word you have been storing up in your mind, will, and emotions, but be very careful to guard it with all diligence. The bible also says for us to guard our heart with all diligence, for out of it flow the issues of life. Entrusted in the Greek is paratheke, and the definition is a deposit, and used of correct knowledge and pure doctrine of the gospel. Treasure in the Greek is Kalos, and the definition for treasure is beautiful by reason of purity of heart and life. As a living epistle, we need to be the reflection of Christ Jesus and make His name attractive to those who don't have that name. We need to shine forth His truth to those who need truth, and we need to shine forth the love of Christ for those who don't understand or don't know His love. We are carriers of the very attributes of God, and He has made a deposit of all of the attributes in our inner spirit where we have been born again. We are sanctified through spiritual growth, and spiritual foundation is established in our soul. I want to encourage you today to hold on to the word of God with all diligence, and be that light to a dark and deceptive world. Many need to see some of that treasure that has been entrusted to you.
Prayer:
Lord, we ask that you will help us by the help of the Holy Spirit to guard that good treasure that has been deposited in us. Help us to renew our mind to the word, and help us to be that living epistle to those around us, Amen.
by Keith Edwards
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)