Read:
24God is spirit, and his worshipers must worship in spirit and in truth."
W-Who God is in us
O-One with God
R-Restoration through our worship
S-Stand upon the foundation
H-Heed to His call
I-Insight for our destiny in Him
P-Producing fruit will come from our worship
Praise and worship is so important for us as believers. As a praise and worship leader, I understand the importance of the need for revelation mixed with my worship to God. Praise is an expression of faith, either through song or devotion of what God has done for us. Worship is an expression of special love to God by song or devotion of who God is, and who God is in us. We praise God for his acts, and we worship God for his character. I want to encourage you today as you worship the Lord in song or devotion to bring with you a revelation of who God really is. Great things will happen in your walk with God when you magnify and lift Jesus up. Many magnify the moves of God instead of the one who pours down His glory upon us. Many magnify the things of God rather than lifting the one who creates all of the things. There's nothing wrong with enjoying the things that God created when are heart is fixed upon Him. There is such power when we think upon God's name. Name in Hebrew is Shem, and it means his reputation and character, and we need to reverence His character and His reputation. The power of the worshiper doesn't come from the mind, but it does go through the mind. What we think upon as we are praising and worshiping God effects our whole life to be consecrated to Christ fully. God's word in our heart begins to renew our mind, heal our emotions, and gives us the strength to walk in the spirit.
Prayer:
Lord we ask that you give us such a revelation of your name as we enter your presence. You said in your word that we can enter the most holy place by the blood of Jesus. We enter today Lord by that revelation, and we seek your holy face. We seek you Lord for who you are. Because of who you are we are accepted and can express our love for you because of that acceptance. Amen.
Saturday, July 3, 2010
Friday, July 2, 2010
From Filthy Garments To Righteous Robes July 2nd Devotional
Read:
Zechariah 3:1-6
1 Then he showed me Joshua the high priest standing before the angel of the LORD, and Satan standing at his right hand to accuse him.
2 The LORD said to Satan, "The LORD rebuke you, Satan! Indeed, the LORD who has chosen Jerusalem rebuke you! Is this not a brand plucked from the fire?"
3 Now Joshua was clothed with filthy garments and standing before the angel.
4 He spoke and said to those who were standing before him, saying, "Remove the filthy garments from him " Again he said to him, "See, I have taken your iniquity away from you and will clothe you with festal robes."
5 Then I said, "Let them put a clean turban on his head." So they put a clean turban on his head and clothed him with garments, while the angel of the LORD was standing by.
6 And the angel of the LORD admonished Joshua, saying,
7 "Thus says the LORD of hosts, 'If you will walk in My ways and if you will perform My service, then you will also govern My house and also have charge of My)courts, and I will grant you free access among these who are standing here.
The Branch
8 'Now listen, Joshua the high priest, you and your friends who are sitting in front of you--indeed they are men who are a symbol for behold, I am going to bring in My servant the Branch.
How many times do we put a filthy garment of negative perception on top of our beautiful robe of righteousness that we have received in the new birth. You’ve been born again through true repentance, and you felt you could do the works of Jesus right then, but oh! Then you see that growth is necessary in your walk with Jesus. You see that Jesus needs to be the Lord of your life in every area. Then the devil comes and starts whispering things in your ear like, your no good! You are not really saved! You will never make it in this life! etc. Here in Zechariah chapter 3, Zechariah the prophet is there to speak a message to the Jews about rebuilding the temple in Jerusalem. The Jews became complacent and lost hope bringing a fifteen year delay in rebuilding the temple. Joshua was a high priest who came to Jerusalem years before with Zerubbabel the governor with the first fifty-thousand jews to return to Jerusalem under the Kings order. Zechariah saw a vision for Joshua. Satan was standing next to Joshua as an accuser. Wow! How many times does the enemy stand there to accuse us. Then Zechariah sees the angel in the vision rebuke Satan. This was so that Joshua could see who he really is again through the eyes of God. Then the angel took the filthy garment in the vision off of Joshua and put a new revelation before him to show him his state of position as priest. The greek word for remove in Zechariah 3:3 is cuwr and it means to come to an end, and the greek word for festal robes upon Joshua in the vision is machalatsah and it means a state of position. The branch in verse 8 is Christ Jesus coming from the Davidic tree being born as the branch or messiah, God the Son. Life application here is that sometimes we do put a filthy garment of negative perception on top of the beautiful robe of righteousness, and our life walk with Christ seems to come to a halt. We feel pain, guilt, misery, and every other other sort of emotion that keeps us from advancing God’s Kingdom and living a fruitful life as a believer. I can hear the words of the Holy Spirit speaking to you now in this devotional. Take off that filthy garment of legalism and religion. Take off that filthy garment of negative things that maybe family or even friends have spoken over you. Take off that filthy garment of lies that the enemy has told you. I can hear the Holy Spirit tell you that you are great. You are a child of the King. You are a chosen generation, new Jerusalem, living stones, and I clothe you now with a “revelation” of who you are in me says the Lord God almighty. Let’s go from filthy garments to a fresh revelation of the robe of righteousness that God has already placed upon us in the new birth.
prayer:
Lord we come to you in the name of Jesus and ask that you give us revelation of who we really are in you. We are so tired Lord of seeing you the way that others portrayed you to be, and we want to see you through the eyes of your spirit with such a fellowship and devotion that brings forth a power to submit to you in such a powerful way. We rise up in the name of Jesus and stretch out our hands with the glow and light of a robe that was washed clean by the blood of Christ. Amen
Zechariah 3:1-6
1 Then he showed me Joshua the high priest standing before the angel of the LORD, and Satan standing at his right hand to accuse him.
2 The LORD said to Satan, "The LORD rebuke you, Satan! Indeed, the LORD who has chosen Jerusalem rebuke you! Is this not a brand plucked from the fire?"
3 Now Joshua was clothed with filthy garments and standing before the angel.
4 He spoke and said to those who were standing before him, saying, "Remove the filthy garments from him " Again he said to him, "See, I have taken your iniquity away from you and will clothe you with festal robes."
5 Then I said, "Let them put a clean turban on his head." So they put a clean turban on his head and clothed him with garments, while the angel of the LORD was standing by.
6 And the angel of the LORD admonished Joshua, saying,
7 "Thus says the LORD of hosts, 'If you will walk in My ways and if you will perform My service, then you will also govern My house and also have charge of My)courts, and I will grant you free access among these who are standing here.
The Branch
8 'Now listen, Joshua the high priest, you and your friends who are sitting in front of you--indeed they are men who are a symbol for behold, I am going to bring in My servant the Branch.
How many times do we put a filthy garment of negative perception on top of our beautiful robe of righteousness that we have received in the new birth. You’ve been born again through true repentance, and you felt you could do the works of Jesus right then, but oh! Then you see that growth is necessary in your walk with Jesus. You see that Jesus needs to be the Lord of your life in every area. Then the devil comes and starts whispering things in your ear like, your no good! You are not really saved! You will never make it in this life! etc. Here in Zechariah chapter 3, Zechariah the prophet is there to speak a message to the Jews about rebuilding the temple in Jerusalem. The Jews became complacent and lost hope bringing a fifteen year delay in rebuilding the temple. Joshua was a high priest who came to Jerusalem years before with Zerubbabel the governor with the first fifty-thousand jews to return to Jerusalem under the Kings order. Zechariah saw a vision for Joshua. Satan was standing next to Joshua as an accuser. Wow! How many times does the enemy stand there to accuse us. Then Zechariah sees the angel in the vision rebuke Satan. This was so that Joshua could see who he really is again through the eyes of God. Then the angel took the filthy garment in the vision off of Joshua and put a new revelation before him to show him his state of position as priest. The greek word for remove in Zechariah 3:3 is cuwr and it means to come to an end, and the greek word for festal robes upon Joshua in the vision is machalatsah and it means a state of position. The branch in verse 8 is Christ Jesus coming from the Davidic tree being born as the branch or messiah, God the Son. Life application here is that sometimes we do put a filthy garment of negative perception on top of the beautiful robe of righteousness, and our life walk with Christ seems to come to a halt. We feel pain, guilt, misery, and every other other sort of emotion that keeps us from advancing God’s Kingdom and living a fruitful life as a believer. I can hear the words of the Holy Spirit speaking to you now in this devotional. Take off that filthy garment of legalism and religion. Take off that filthy garment of negative things that maybe family or even friends have spoken over you. Take off that filthy garment of lies that the enemy has told you. I can hear the Holy Spirit tell you that you are great. You are a child of the King. You are a chosen generation, new Jerusalem, living stones, and I clothe you now with a “revelation” of who you are in me says the Lord God almighty. Let’s go from filthy garments to a fresh revelation of the robe of righteousness that God has already placed upon us in the new birth.
prayer:
Lord we come to you in the name of Jesus and ask that you give us revelation of who we really are in you. We are so tired Lord of seeing you the way that others portrayed you to be, and we want to see you through the eyes of your spirit with such a fellowship and devotion that brings forth a power to submit to you in such a powerful way. We rise up in the name of Jesus and stretch out our hands with the glow and light of a robe that was washed clean by the blood of Christ. Amen
Thursday, July 1, 2010
July 1st 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 I would bring my bible and read during lunch time. 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 I would bring my bible and read during lunch time. 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, June 30, 2010
June 30th Devotional by Keith Edwards
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 our secret life in our prayer closet and our personal life. 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 our secret life in our prayer closet and our personal life. 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
Tuesday, June 29, 2010
Our Actions Do Speak Louder Than Words June 29th Devotional
Read:
It was a hot day at Jakarta airport. Chuck Colson, who is an author and minister of the gospel, was standing in line waiting for his next flight. Passport in his sticky hand, he was exhausted and exasperated at the long, inefficient line snaking ahead of him. He was worried he and his ministry colleagues would miss their next flight, and some ministry friends were waiting for them. He remained calm and not let the frustration get to him. He talked with his friends; they laughed and made the best of the situation. Two years later, he got a letter from a businessman who lived in Singapore. He told me he was a follower of Confucius, but that he had sent his children to a Presbyterian church so they could get some moral training in Sunday school. When he picked up his children one Sunday, he happened to hear the end of the sermon. A visiting missionary held up a copy of a book called Born Again, and on the cover the businessman saw a picture of Chuck Colson. Then, a few months later, he was stuck in a long line in the steaming Jakarta airport. He looked over into the next line and saw the same face he had seen on the cover of Born Again. He was so impressed by my calm demeanor and cheerfulness, the man wrote, that when he went back to Singapore, he got the book Born Again, read it-and committed his life to Christ. Our actions do speak louder than words. Wherever we are at we are called to advance God's Kingdom. If you are a doctor, you are called to advance God's Kingdom. If you are a cake decorator, you are called to advance God's Kingdom. Wherever we are at, we are called to the great commission of Jesus Christ. Our actions will shake faulty foundations, evil spirits, and will make those around us see something that is different. I have seen my actions stir things up without me saying a word. I want to encourage you and I today to let our actions speak to others around us. It could be at a hot steamy airport, or it could be at your workplace. Wherever you are at, shine the light of Jesus.
Prayer,
Lord, we ask that you would shine forth your spirit to others around us. Help us Lord to have character and calmness as you use us in a mighty name, Amen.
by Keith Edwards
It was a hot day at Jakarta airport. Chuck Colson, who is an author and minister of the gospel, was standing in line waiting for his next flight. Passport in his sticky hand, he was exhausted and exasperated at the long, inefficient line snaking ahead of him. He was worried he and his ministry colleagues would miss their next flight, and some ministry friends were waiting for them. He remained calm and not let the frustration get to him. He talked with his friends; they laughed and made the best of the situation. Two years later, he got a letter from a businessman who lived in Singapore. He told me he was a follower of Confucius, but that he had sent his children to a Presbyterian church so they could get some moral training in Sunday school. When he picked up his children one Sunday, he happened to hear the end of the sermon. A visiting missionary held up a copy of a book called Born Again, and on the cover the businessman saw a picture of Chuck Colson. Then, a few months later, he was stuck in a long line in the steaming Jakarta airport. He looked over into the next line and saw the same face he had seen on the cover of Born Again. He was so impressed by my calm demeanor and cheerfulness, the man wrote, that when he went back to Singapore, he got the book Born Again, read it-and committed his life to Christ. Our actions do speak louder than words. Wherever we are at we are called to advance God's Kingdom. If you are a doctor, you are called to advance God's Kingdom. If you are a cake decorator, you are called to advance God's Kingdom. Wherever we are at, we are called to the great commission of Jesus Christ. Our actions will shake faulty foundations, evil spirits, and will make those around us see something that is different. I have seen my actions stir things up without me saying a word. I want to encourage you and I today to let our actions speak to others around us. It could be at a hot steamy airport, or it could be at your workplace. Wherever you are at, shine the light of Jesus.
Prayer,
Lord, we ask that you would shine forth your spirit to others around us. Help us Lord to have character and calmness as you use us in a mighty name, Amen.
by Keith Edwards
Monday, June 28, 2010
June 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
Sunday, June 27, 2010
First Love June 27th Devotional
Read:
Revelation 2:4,5
4 Yet I hold this against you: You have forsaken your first love.
5 Remember the height from which you have fallen! Repent and do the things you did at first. If you do not repent, I will come to you and remove your lampstand from its place.
Have you ever came to a place in your walk with the lord, where you feel like you are doing everything right. You are faithful and committed to your home church, giving of your first fruit, and it seems like there's nothing else that you need. I can remember doing this a few times in my walk with the Lord, and found myself crawling to God in tears for leaving that first love with Him. There's nothing wrong with doing the things of God as long as the motive of why we are doing them is pure. There are many faithful church members that are just going through the motions. It's great that they are faithful for this is crucial to grow as a Christian, but we can just be maintaining our walk with the Lord instead of having that healthy fellowship with Him. It's as if we serve the things we do instead of serving the one that is the giver of those things. Are you feeling like you are doing all of the right things yet there is something missing? Sometimes we can be oblivious to it though, and that's why we need to search our hearts and let God show us the things we need to change so that we can be that burning candle to a dark and lost world. We usually lose our first love by not lifting Christ up in everything we do. We have to focus on Christ Jesus through the things we do, our worship, and even our commitment to the body of Christ. Let's repent today for losing our first love, and let's focus totally on the one who has redeemed us from the jaws of hell.
Prayer:
Lord we ask that you forgive us for losing focus on you. Sometimes Lord we magnify the things we do instead of magnifying your name that causes us to do the works of you. Sometimes Lord we endure, are faithful, and have not grown weary in church things, but we have somehow lost that first love. Light that fire within us in your name we pray. Amen.
by Keith Edwards
Revelation 2:4,5
4 Yet I hold this against you: You have forsaken your first love.
5 Remember the height from which you have fallen! Repent and do the things you did at first. If you do not repent, I will come to you and remove your lampstand from its place.
Have you ever came to a place in your walk with the lord, where you feel like you are doing everything right. You are faithful and committed to your home church, giving of your first fruit, and it seems like there's nothing else that you need. I can remember doing this a few times in my walk with the Lord, and found myself crawling to God in tears for leaving that first love with Him. There's nothing wrong with doing the things of God as long as the motive of why we are doing them is pure. There are many faithful church members that are just going through the motions. It's great that they are faithful for this is crucial to grow as a Christian, but we can just be maintaining our walk with the Lord instead of having that healthy fellowship with Him. It's as if we serve the things we do instead of serving the one that is the giver of those things. Are you feeling like you are doing all of the right things yet there is something missing? Sometimes we can be oblivious to it though, and that's why we need to search our hearts and let God show us the things we need to change so that we can be that burning candle to a dark and lost world. We usually lose our first love by not lifting Christ up in everything we do. We have to focus on Christ Jesus through the things we do, our worship, and even our commitment to the body of Christ. Let's repent today for losing our first love, and let's focus totally on the one who has redeemed us from the jaws of hell.
Prayer:
Lord we ask that you forgive us for losing focus on you. Sometimes Lord we magnify the things we do instead of magnifying your name that causes us to do the works of you. Sometimes Lord we endure, are faithful, and have not grown weary in church things, but we have somehow lost that first love. Light that fire within us in your name we pray. Amen.
by Keith Edwards
Saturday, June 26, 2010
Honesty: Coming Clean June 26th Devotional by Shona Marie & Keith Edwards
Read:
Philippians 1:6
“…Being confident of this, that he who began a good work in you will carry it on to completion until the day of Christ Jesus”
Sometimes it is hard to go through life let alone write out what is going on… Honesty is now, my best friend. For so long I hid from it, people didn’t like honesty, well my honesty, they didn’t except my truths or beliefs, I was always wrong! My no wasn’t good enough, unless it was disguised as a yes… This is what I believed, until this morning, when it all hit the fan…
God has been doing a mighty work in me and I realized that me saying yes, when I really want to say no is dishonesty and it isn’t fair for anyone.
I give too much, self-sacrificially, instead of, obediently, God’s intended way of giving. (Obedience is better than sacrifice 1Sam15:22)
I almost gave my self “to death:—with every false yes, I intended to be agreeable, when I truly was denying myself the right to say NO! I began to fade away, to make up for my total disregard for myself, I began to talk about those people, I was angry with them, “How dare they ask me…” This is how I coped—in reality it was my fault, I could have said no; I had no one to blame, but myself.
I feel so free like I can sprint a thousand miles and still have energy… In the back of my mind, I ask, “Why’d it take so long?” But with that question, I realize this happened just in time. I am reminded like every second of each day that this is a progressive work, God is working it out and I didn’t get like this overnight and I surely am not going to be alright in a day!
Comment by Keith Edwards:
In our Christian walk we will find that God is refining us and bringing us to a place to produce more fruit. It is a progressive growth, and one that takes discipline and humbleness before the Lord. One thing that God will develop in us is a need for honesty. We can't be driven by the direction of how everyone around us thinks we should go, but rather driven by the Holy Spirit. I want to encourage us today to be honest, and step out on a limb to obey God in not just some areas, but every area.
Prayer:
Lord, we ask that you help us to be driven by Your Spirit. Help us to be honest with all those around us, and if the need arises to even be confrontational to help others in their walk with you, Amen.
by Shona Marie & Keith Edwards
Philippians 1:6
“…Being confident of this, that he who began a good work in you will carry it on to completion until the day of Christ Jesus”
Sometimes it is hard to go through life let alone write out what is going on… Honesty is now, my best friend. For so long I hid from it, people didn’t like honesty, well my honesty, they didn’t except my truths or beliefs, I was always wrong! My no wasn’t good enough, unless it was disguised as a yes… This is what I believed, until this morning, when it all hit the fan…
God has been doing a mighty work in me and I realized that me saying yes, when I really want to say no is dishonesty and it isn’t fair for anyone.
I give too much, self-sacrificially, instead of, obediently, God’s intended way of giving. (Obedience is better than sacrifice 1Sam15:22)
I almost gave my self “to death:—with every false yes, I intended to be agreeable, when I truly was denying myself the right to say NO! I began to fade away, to make up for my total disregard for myself, I began to talk about those people, I was angry with them, “How dare they ask me…” This is how I coped—in reality it was my fault, I could have said no; I had no one to blame, but myself.
I feel so free like I can sprint a thousand miles and still have energy… In the back of my mind, I ask, “Why’d it take so long?” But with that question, I realize this happened just in time. I am reminded like every second of each day that this is a progressive work, God is working it out and I didn’t get like this overnight and I surely am not going to be alright in a day!
Comment by Keith Edwards:
In our Christian walk we will find that God is refining us and bringing us to a place to produce more fruit. It is a progressive growth, and one that takes discipline and humbleness before the Lord. One thing that God will develop in us is a need for honesty. We can't be driven by the direction of how everyone around us thinks we should go, but rather driven by the Holy Spirit. I want to encourage us today to be honest, and step out on a limb to obey God in not just some areas, but every area.
Prayer:
Lord, we ask that you help us to be driven by Your Spirit. Help us to be honest with all those around us, and if the need arises to even be confrontational to help others in their walk with you, Amen.
by Shona Marie & Keith Edwards
Friday, June 25, 2010
Can't Figure It Out? June 25th Devotional
Read:
Job 38:4
4 "Where were you when I laid the earth's foundation?
Tell me, if you understand.
Have you ever met someone who tried to prove there point concerning different theological issues of Christianity? They are so convinced that this scripture says what it says and that settles it. Now scripture is plain about biblical foundational scriptures concerning repentance, resurrection, and the blood of Jesus. The teaching of the work of the cross is set as foundation and shouldn't ever be changed or twisted. I'm talking about things like predestination, when the rapture is going to take place, etc. Then we have the questions about baptism. some say this way, and some say that way, and some say it's got to be this way. There was a story of a church service having a baptism at an ole' river. A drunk man came walking down the road and the Pastor asked him, "Do you want to find Jesus?" The old man said, " sure, I'd like to find Jesus. They ducked him under water and pulled him up. They said, "Did you find Jesus?" The old man said, no! They did it another time and asked him if he found Jesus yet? No! the old man replied. They ducked him under the water the third time with a little exhaustion and asked him, "Now did you find Jesus?" The old man looked up at the Pastor with a few hiccups and said, "Are you sure He's down there?" This story is a little funny, but how many times have you heard of people telling you that they have been baptized, dedicated, etc. and they never truly repented of their sins. There is no proof of their conversion. It's as if they have figured God out and they need nothing else but what the sacraments or the things that we are commanded to do "because" of the salvation that we have already received. Then there is the group of Christians that have been truly born again and the sacrament, the things of God, or even theological issues almost become their God. We have different theologians who can prove their point. We are very gracious to have great theologians all throughout history and today, but there are some things about God we probably won't be able to figure out until we meet Him face to face. There is a theological word of God being above and beyond us, but another theological word is God being within. Thank God we not only have God above and beyond us but we have the very life of God within us. There are alot of things about God that we may never be able to understand in this life, and it is just pride for someone to take scripture and butcher it to there own belief of what "they" think is right. This theologian here says that the rapture will take place during the tribulation, this theologian over here says that the rapture will take place before the tribulation, and on and on it goes. I believe...just kidding! Some try to figure God out to where it totally saturates there whole life. Are you facing some questions about God today? Are you beating yourself over the head about some theological issues that your not for sure about apart from biblical foundations and this is taking over your whole life. I promise you that if God really wants to reveal something to us He will do it. Let's just go on with what has already been imparted to us, and lets go forth in what God commanded us to do, and lets bind together in unity and love of Christ Jesus. There's nothing wrong with having a theological discussion as long as fists aren't thrown, but the main focus for us as the body of Christ is the great commission that Jesus gave us. The blood of Jesus is a cut to the chase message. You can't twist scripture to make it say something else. Thank God for His blood. I want to encourage you today to not try and figure "everything" out to where your devotion goes down the tube, your worship with believers goes down the tube, and your joy goes down the tube. In Job here we see that he retains his integrity as God is letting him know that it is He who created the world, it is He who created the ocean, and it is He who laid the very foundation of the world that we are walking on today.
Prayer:
Lord we come to you and ask that you help us not to try and figure you out in the wrong way. Sometimes Lord we try and put you under a microscope to see if what we really believe is real. Lord we know that you are real because of you changing our hearts and becoming a new creation in Christ Jesus by faith. We thank you Lord that we take our spiritual journey one step at a time, and when you want to reveal a little extra something about yourself it will come to pass. Sometimes though Lord you say, "Thus far and no further!" You hold us in the palm of your hand as Daddy God and teach us things one step at a time. Amen.
by Keith Edwards
Job 38:4
4 "Where were you when I laid the earth's foundation?
Tell me, if you understand.
Have you ever met someone who tried to prove there point concerning different theological issues of Christianity? They are so convinced that this scripture says what it says and that settles it. Now scripture is plain about biblical foundational scriptures concerning repentance, resurrection, and the blood of Jesus. The teaching of the work of the cross is set as foundation and shouldn't ever be changed or twisted. I'm talking about things like predestination, when the rapture is going to take place, etc. Then we have the questions about baptism. some say this way, and some say that way, and some say it's got to be this way. There was a story of a church service having a baptism at an ole' river. A drunk man came walking down the road and the Pastor asked him, "Do you want to find Jesus?" The old man said, " sure, I'd like to find Jesus. They ducked him under water and pulled him up. They said, "Did you find Jesus?" The old man said, no! They did it another time and asked him if he found Jesus yet? No! the old man replied. They ducked him under the water the third time with a little exhaustion and asked him, "Now did you find Jesus?" The old man looked up at the Pastor with a few hiccups and said, "Are you sure He's down there?" This story is a little funny, but how many times have you heard of people telling you that they have been baptized, dedicated, etc. and they never truly repented of their sins. There is no proof of their conversion. It's as if they have figured God out and they need nothing else but what the sacraments or the things that we are commanded to do "because" of the salvation that we have already received. Then there is the group of Christians that have been truly born again and the sacrament, the things of God, or even theological issues almost become their God. We have different theologians who can prove their point. We are very gracious to have great theologians all throughout history and today, but there are some things about God we probably won't be able to figure out until we meet Him face to face. There is a theological word of God being above and beyond us, but another theological word is God being within. Thank God we not only have God above and beyond us but we have the very life of God within us. There are alot of things about God that we may never be able to understand in this life, and it is just pride for someone to take scripture and butcher it to there own belief of what "they" think is right. This theologian here says that the rapture will take place during the tribulation, this theologian over here says that the rapture will take place before the tribulation, and on and on it goes. I believe...just kidding! Some try to figure God out to where it totally saturates there whole life. Are you facing some questions about God today? Are you beating yourself over the head about some theological issues that your not for sure about apart from biblical foundations and this is taking over your whole life. I promise you that if God really wants to reveal something to us He will do it. Let's just go on with what has already been imparted to us, and lets go forth in what God commanded us to do, and lets bind together in unity and love of Christ Jesus. There's nothing wrong with having a theological discussion as long as fists aren't thrown, but the main focus for us as the body of Christ is the great commission that Jesus gave us. The blood of Jesus is a cut to the chase message. You can't twist scripture to make it say something else. Thank God for His blood. I want to encourage you today to not try and figure "everything" out to where your devotion goes down the tube, your worship with believers goes down the tube, and your joy goes down the tube. In Job here we see that he retains his integrity as God is letting him know that it is He who created the world, it is He who created the ocean, and it is He who laid the very foundation of the world that we are walking on today.
Prayer:
Lord we come to you and ask that you help us not to try and figure you out in the wrong way. Sometimes Lord we try and put you under a microscope to see if what we really believe is real. Lord we know that you are real because of you changing our hearts and becoming a new creation in Christ Jesus by faith. We thank you Lord that we take our spiritual journey one step at a time, and when you want to reveal a little extra something about yourself it will come to pass. Sometimes though Lord you say, "Thus far and no further!" You hold us in the palm of your hand as Daddy God and teach us things one step at a time. Amen.
by Keith Edwards
Thursday, June 24, 2010
To Hear His Heartbeat June 24th Devotional
Read:
17 The third time he said to him, "Simon son of John, do you love me?"
Peter was hurt because Jesus asked him the third time, "Do you love me?" He said, "Lord, you know all things; you know that I love you."
Jesus said, "Feed my sheep.
Have you ever wondered why Jesus asked Peter if he loved Him three times as they were sitting there? If you can remember, Peter denied Jesus three times, and Jesus asked him, " Simon son of John, do you love me?" Peter was cut to the heart. There has to be a cutting for a healing and revelation to take place. I know in my own life that when God is dealing with me about a certain area, I feel that spiritual cutting before the healing. It's a healthy fear of God that brings such a pure and loving relationship with Him. We are not to fear God as believers concerning the wrath of God because that was taken care of on the cross. But we are to have a healthy fear of God. This generation has no fear of God today, and it's a shame for us as Christians. One thing I want us to see here in John chapter 21 is that Jesus didn't leave Peter there hurting. Peter had to have a revelation before ministry could begin as an apostle of Christ. I can remember having my devotional worship with the Lord and I felt the Holy Spirit say, "Put your guitar down for a moment!" I felt like the Lord asked me the same thing that He will ask every Christian believer at one point in their walk with the Lord. Do you love me son?" Do you love me more than my power?" I said yes Lord, I love you more than your sovereign power. Do you love me more than the things that I give you?" Yes Lord, I love you more than the things that you give. Do you love me more than your own family?" I hesitated for a moment, then I said, "Yes Lord, I love you more than my family. There was a cutting there that made me want God more than anything. More than the music, more than teaching, more than anything. But I need to let you in on a secret that will help you and I along our journey as true Christians. We need to always stay in check on this particular thing everyday. I know of many unbelievable ministers who lost their first love in the middle of ministry. It can happen, and that's why it is so important to have a healthy repentance everyday in our walk with Him. I'm not talking about the forgive forgive forgive me thing that brings forth condemnation instead of true heart repentance. I talking about sitting at Jesus feet in our daily devotion and learning His ways. He will show us His ways when our heart is truly towards Him. I really meant it that day, and it was a revelation to sit at Jesus' feet daily and to hear His heartbeat. Let me ask you today! Do you love Jesus more than the things that He has blessed you with?" Do you love Him more than ministry?" I know it is painful, but oh the healing and revelation that it brings to advance the Kingdom of God as believers, to make disciples, and to let God's righteousness ring across the whole earth. The last thing that I want us to understand is that we need to understand the importance of feeding the sheep as minister's. We are "all" called to advance God's kingdom, whether it is in our workplace, ministry, or wherever we are at, we are called to advance God's kingdom. We should all be making disciples. The pastor's and those called in the church as leaders are to equip all believers to go out and do the works of Christ. This is the revelation that every Pastor should have before He opens up that front door of His church. The revelation of how God builds, how He thinks, and the very rock of revelation of what the church should be doing to carry on the great commission.
Prayer:
Lord we come to you and ask that you would help us to hear your heartbeat in this generation. We ask that you touch us by your spirit, and that you would lead us in the way we should go. Let us hear you heart in you precious name. Amen.
by Keith Edwards
17 The third time he said to him, "Simon son of John, do you love me?"
Peter was hurt because Jesus asked him the third time, "Do you love me?" He said, "Lord, you know all things; you know that I love you."
Jesus said, "Feed my sheep.
Have you ever wondered why Jesus asked Peter if he loved Him three times as they were sitting there? If you can remember, Peter denied Jesus three times, and Jesus asked him, " Simon son of John, do you love me?" Peter was cut to the heart. There has to be a cutting for a healing and revelation to take place. I know in my own life that when God is dealing with me about a certain area, I feel that spiritual cutting before the healing. It's a healthy fear of God that brings such a pure and loving relationship with Him. We are not to fear God as believers concerning the wrath of God because that was taken care of on the cross. But we are to have a healthy fear of God. This generation has no fear of God today, and it's a shame for us as Christians. One thing I want us to see here in John chapter 21 is that Jesus didn't leave Peter there hurting. Peter had to have a revelation before ministry could begin as an apostle of Christ. I can remember having my devotional worship with the Lord and I felt the Holy Spirit say, "Put your guitar down for a moment!" I felt like the Lord asked me the same thing that He will ask every Christian believer at one point in their walk with the Lord. Do you love me son?" Do you love me more than my power?" I said yes Lord, I love you more than your sovereign power. Do you love me more than the things that I give you?" Yes Lord, I love you more than the things that you give. Do you love me more than your own family?" I hesitated for a moment, then I said, "Yes Lord, I love you more than my family. There was a cutting there that made me want God more than anything. More than the music, more than teaching, more than anything. But I need to let you in on a secret that will help you and I along our journey as true Christians. We need to always stay in check on this particular thing everyday. I know of many unbelievable ministers who lost their first love in the middle of ministry. It can happen, and that's why it is so important to have a healthy repentance everyday in our walk with Him. I'm not talking about the forgive forgive forgive me thing that brings forth condemnation instead of true heart repentance. I talking about sitting at Jesus feet in our daily devotion and learning His ways. He will show us His ways when our heart is truly towards Him. I really meant it that day, and it was a revelation to sit at Jesus' feet daily and to hear His heartbeat. Let me ask you today! Do you love Jesus more than the things that He has blessed you with?" Do you love Him more than ministry?" I know it is painful, but oh the healing and revelation that it brings to advance the Kingdom of God as believers, to make disciples, and to let God's righteousness ring across the whole earth. The last thing that I want us to understand is that we need to understand the importance of feeding the sheep as minister's. We are "all" called to advance God's kingdom, whether it is in our workplace, ministry, or wherever we are at, we are called to advance God's kingdom. We should all be making disciples. The pastor's and those called in the church as leaders are to equip all believers to go out and do the works of Christ. This is the revelation that every Pastor should have before He opens up that front door of His church. The revelation of how God builds, how He thinks, and the very rock of revelation of what the church should be doing to carry on the great commission.
Prayer:
Lord we come to you and ask that you would help us to hear your heartbeat in this generation. We ask that you touch us by your spirit, and that you would lead us in the way we should go. Let us hear you heart in you precious name. Amen.
by Keith Edwards
Wednesday, June 23, 2010
You Can't Plant A Key In The GrassJune 23rd Devotional
Read:
23 For you have been born again, not of perishable seed, but of imperishable, through the living and enduring word of God.
24For,
"All men are like grass,
and all their glory is like the flowers of the field;
the grass withers and the flowers fall,
25 But the word of the Lord endures forever
Also:
52"Woe to you experts in the law, because you have taken away the key to knowledge. You yourselves have not entered, and you have hindered those who were entering."
One day I was thinking about seeds and how you plant different things to get a harvest. I thought about how if you plant a key in the grass it wouldn't grow there, but if you use a key to unlock a door, you would be able to get to your destination by opening the door that was locked. You can't plant a key in the grass because it will not grow there, and in verse twenty-four of 1st Peter we see that all men are like grass, and all there glory is like the flowers of the field; the grass withers and the flowers fall, but the word of the Lord endures forever. The flesh of man or woman is as grass that fades away, and the key is Christ Jesus. You can't plant the things of Christ in the flesh because God is not of flesh, but you can plant the word of God in your spirit where God communicates with us. All of the things that we plant in our flesh is going to fade away as well. The lawyers in Luke 11:52 didn't have a heart for God on the inside of them. Jesus was rebuking them here about them having their outward looking good, but their inward heart was rotten. Jesus was saying that they were hindering those who were trying to enter in to the things of God. The key is Christ and the Lord will unlock the things that have been planted within us by the new born again conversion. One thing that I want us to see today as we go on with our Christian walk is that we have a seed within us that is "incorruptible" and it cannot fade away, but we have to let God water that seed by our worship, prayer, and devotion. God will begin to unlock the fruit of the spirit, the revelation of making disciples, and the course we need to take to fulfill our destiny here on earth.
Prayer:
Lord we thank you for that incorruptible seed that does not fade away. We ask that you help us to have a healthy fear for you in our Christian walk, and to understand your love for us as son's and daughters. We thank you Lord that our spirit is eternal and we can let you water that great seed by us submitting to you each and everyday. Amen.
by Keith Edwards
23 For you have been born again, not of perishable seed, but of imperishable, through the living and enduring word of God.
24For,
"All men are like grass,
and all their glory is like the flowers of the field;
the grass withers and the flowers fall,
25 But the word of the Lord endures forever
Also:
52"Woe to you experts in the law, because you have taken away the key to knowledge. You yourselves have not entered, and you have hindered those who were entering."
One day I was thinking about seeds and how you plant different things to get a harvest. I thought about how if you plant a key in the grass it wouldn't grow there, but if you use a key to unlock a door, you would be able to get to your destination by opening the door that was locked. You can't plant a key in the grass because it will not grow there, and in verse twenty-four of 1st Peter we see that all men are like grass, and all there glory is like the flowers of the field; the grass withers and the flowers fall, but the word of the Lord endures forever. The flesh of man or woman is as grass that fades away, and the key is Christ Jesus. You can't plant the things of Christ in the flesh because God is not of flesh, but you can plant the word of God in your spirit where God communicates with us. All of the things that we plant in our flesh is going to fade away as well. The lawyers in Luke 11:52 didn't have a heart for God on the inside of them. Jesus was rebuking them here about them having their outward looking good, but their inward heart was rotten. Jesus was saying that they were hindering those who were trying to enter in to the things of God. The key is Christ and the Lord will unlock the things that have been planted within us by the new born again conversion. One thing that I want us to see today as we go on with our Christian walk is that we have a seed within us that is "incorruptible" and it cannot fade away, but we have to let God water that seed by our worship, prayer, and devotion. God will begin to unlock the fruit of the spirit, the revelation of making disciples, and the course we need to take to fulfill our destiny here on earth.
Prayer:
Lord we thank you for that incorruptible seed that does not fade away. We ask that you help us to have a healthy fear for you in our Christian walk, and to understand your love for us as son's and daughters. We thank you Lord that our spirit is eternal and we can let you water that great seed by us submitting to you each and everyday. Amen.
by Keith Edwards
Tuesday, June 22, 2010
Despise Not Small Beginnings June22nd Devotional
Read:
Zechariah 4:6
6 So he said to me, "This is the word of the LORD to Zerubbabel: 'Not by might nor by power, but by my Spirit,' says the LORD Almighty.
Have you ever walked your Christian walk by yourself? You get frustrated because maybe your dream or vision hasn't come to pass, and you even try and fulfill your calling by yourself. We can see here in Zechariah that God was speaking to Him to tell Zerubbabel, the governor of Jerusalem, that it is God that will cause the temple to be reconstructed with the help of Zerubbabel. The angel in the vision also tells Zechariah to tell Zerubbabel in chapter ten that He saw a plumb line in His hand for the building of the temple. God gave Zechariah this vision because they had gotten discouraged and complacent in the rebuilding of the temple. There was a great delay of the temple, and many were concerned with just there own life. God is much concerned with our spiritual growth through us as His concern for His power upon us. I see you today with a tool in your hand to start building again. I see you as great in God's eyes and see your work that you have already accomplished in your Christian walk relevant and not in vain. But friend there is more to do. You may be at a place in your life in some area where it is maybe small. It may have been something that you had started in your life, and there has been a great delay with this particular thing. Don't Despise small beginnings. Allow God to do a great work in you today, and allow God to touch your heart and life as you begin to build again your dreams and visions.
prayer:
Lord we pray that you will help us today with trusting totally in you. We ask that you will help us by your grace to work through us in a mighty way today. We need your spirit Lord to blow upon situations and circumstances in our life. Lord we allow you spirit to breathe upon our visions and dreams again, Amem.
by Keith Edwards
Zechariah 4:6
6 So he said to me, "This is the word of the LORD to Zerubbabel: 'Not by might nor by power, but by my Spirit,' says the LORD Almighty.
Have you ever walked your Christian walk by yourself? You get frustrated because maybe your dream or vision hasn't come to pass, and you even try and fulfill your calling by yourself. We can see here in Zechariah that God was speaking to Him to tell Zerubbabel, the governor of Jerusalem, that it is God that will cause the temple to be reconstructed with the help of Zerubbabel. The angel in the vision also tells Zechariah to tell Zerubbabel in chapter ten that He saw a plumb line in His hand for the building of the temple. God gave Zechariah this vision because they had gotten discouraged and complacent in the rebuilding of the temple. There was a great delay of the temple, and many were concerned with just there own life. God is much concerned with our spiritual growth through us as His concern for His power upon us. I see you today with a tool in your hand to start building again. I see you as great in God's eyes and see your work that you have already accomplished in your Christian walk relevant and not in vain. But friend there is more to do. You may be at a place in your life in some area where it is maybe small. It may have been something that you had started in your life, and there has been a great delay with this particular thing. Don't Despise small beginnings. Allow God to do a great work in you today, and allow God to touch your heart and life as you begin to build again your dreams and visions.
prayer:
Lord we pray that you will help us today with trusting totally in you. We ask that you will help us by your grace to work through us in a mighty way today. We need your spirit Lord to blow upon situations and circumstances in our life. Lord we allow you spirit to breathe upon our visions and dreams again, Amem.
by Keith Edwards
Monday, June 21, 2010
June 21st 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. The 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. The 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
Sunday, June 20, 2010
June 20th Devotional
Read:
17Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; the old has gone, the new has come!
There was a story told one time about what the difference between the law and grace was. This story gave an example of an ole' hound dog that wanted to be a German Sheppard police dog. When the old man would come to do role check with all of the other German Sheppard's, the hound dog would sit there and act like a German Sheppard police dog, and bark like a Sheppard police dog. The old man finally got tired of him acting like a German Sheppard police dog and told him one day, "your not a German Sheppard police dog!" The ole' hound dog said, "sure I am!" I can talk, act, and walk like one. So one day the old man came with a quail behind his back. When he pulled that old quail out, that old' hound dog jerked and kicked and ran after that old quail. You see, the quail is like the law. That quail strengthened what was really inside of him. This is what the law of God does. It strengthens what is already in us before we are born again. The only way we can be changed on the inside is to repent of our sins and make Jesus Christ Lord of our life. We need a miracle, and if it were not for the grace of God that really changes us and make us new creatures, we would never really be changed on the inside. You can take an old donkey, pull his ears back, make him look like a beautiful race horse, but when you put that old donkey on the race line, he will kick and scream and act just like an old donkey. You can take a pig and call him Feefy. You can walk him, feed him dog food, and let him sit at the foot of your bed, but eventually that old pig will run right back to the mud where it was created to be at. Thank God for His grace that can change our old spirit and make us brand new in Him. The Greek word for creature in 2 Corinthians 5:17 is Ktisis and it means the act of founding, establishing. Our new spirit on the inside of us has no bad past. We still have memories in our head and emotions about our past, and that's why we need the blood of Jesus everyday to purge our "conscience" from dead works through a healthy repentance, but our spirit is brand new and unused. The Greek word for new in this scripture is Kainos and it means recently made, unused and unworn. I want to encourage you today if you don't know Christ in a true conversion to really repent and ask Him to change you on the inside. If you have accepted Christ Jesus don't try and walk this Christian walk alone. You can't change yourself before you come to Christ, and you can't grow in the Lord through the law after you have accepted Christ in your own righteousness. It's all by His grace. His grace will help you do things that you can't do. It will help you walk in the spirit, and it will guide and direct you in His ways.
prayer:
Lord we come to you today and ask that you help us to totally rely upon your grace to get us through each day. Help us to realize that there is nothing we can do in our own strength that helps us to walk in your spirit. We need you Lord and we love you today. Amen.
by Keith Edwards
17Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; the old has gone, the new has come!
There was a story told one time about what the difference between the law and grace was. This story gave an example of an ole' hound dog that wanted to be a German Sheppard police dog. When the old man would come to do role check with all of the other German Sheppard's, the hound dog would sit there and act like a German Sheppard police dog, and bark like a Sheppard police dog. The old man finally got tired of him acting like a German Sheppard police dog and told him one day, "your not a German Sheppard police dog!" The ole' hound dog said, "sure I am!" I can talk, act, and walk like one. So one day the old man came with a quail behind his back. When he pulled that old quail out, that old' hound dog jerked and kicked and ran after that old quail. You see, the quail is like the law. That quail strengthened what was really inside of him. This is what the law of God does. It strengthens what is already in us before we are born again. The only way we can be changed on the inside is to repent of our sins and make Jesus Christ Lord of our life. We need a miracle, and if it were not for the grace of God that really changes us and make us new creatures, we would never really be changed on the inside. You can take an old donkey, pull his ears back, make him look like a beautiful race horse, but when you put that old donkey on the race line, he will kick and scream and act just like an old donkey. You can take a pig and call him Feefy. You can walk him, feed him dog food, and let him sit at the foot of your bed, but eventually that old pig will run right back to the mud where it was created to be at. Thank God for His grace that can change our old spirit and make us brand new in Him. The Greek word for creature in 2 Corinthians 5:17 is Ktisis and it means the act of founding, establishing. Our new spirit on the inside of us has no bad past. We still have memories in our head and emotions about our past, and that's why we need the blood of Jesus everyday to purge our "conscience" from dead works through a healthy repentance, but our spirit is brand new and unused. The Greek word for new in this scripture is Kainos and it means recently made, unused and unworn. I want to encourage you today if you don't know Christ in a true conversion to really repent and ask Him to change you on the inside. If you have accepted Christ Jesus don't try and walk this Christian walk alone. You can't change yourself before you come to Christ, and you can't grow in the Lord through the law after you have accepted Christ in your own righteousness. It's all by His grace. His grace will help you do things that you can't do. It will help you walk in the spirit, and it will guide and direct you in His ways.
prayer:
Lord we come to you today and ask that you help us to totally rely upon your grace to get us through each day. Help us to realize that there is nothing we can do in our own strength that helps us to walk in your spirit. We need you Lord and we love you today. Amen.
by Keith Edwards
Saturday, June 19, 2010
False Conversion June 19th Devotional
Read:
Acts 2:37,38
37 When the people heard this, they were cut to the heart and said to Peter and the other apostles, "Brothers, what shall we do?"
38 Peter replied, "Repent and be baptized, every one of you, in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins. And you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit.
Throughout the years, I have met many that claimed that they have been saved but there was no mark whatsoever of there conversion. They would say, "I have been baptized when I was a child, or they would tell me that they said a prayer and shook the preachers hand after the service." Now there are true born again Christians that may be lacking in spiritual growth. I'm not talking about this subject. I'm talking about someone that has no remorse whatsoever for sins or things that we know as Christians to be morally wrong. It is something on the inside of us that tells us that this or that is definitely wrong. I had a young guy that was working for me when I was a manager at a grocery retail store tell me that he goes all of the time and has his girlfriends get an abortion when they had an accident. I asked him, "Being that you are saved like you say you are, do you think that this is wrong?" He would tell me that he don't think that it is wrong, I'm still saved though. Then I would pull him aside and give him a foundation of repentance. Sometimes they were cut to the heart when I would explain to them that the Lordship of Jesus will bring you to a place of total surrender to God, and that means making Him the Lord of your life. There is a change in you when you get born again. I would encounter this situation time and time again in the secular world. Another story that comes to my mind is when a famous athlete claimed that he was a Christian, but would party and do unethical things in his life. He had no remorse for them, but said, "Yea! I'm a Christian. Many would be confused because they didn't see a change in him. One day, a minister who was once famous in sports confronted this young man. He looked straight through his eyes and asked, "So, are you a Christian like every one says you are?" He answered, "No man! I just say that I am. It's kinda cool huh? That minister looked straight through his eyes and said, "You might as well take that cross necklace off of your neck and swallow it, because maybe it will get in your heart and do you some good!" Now I wouldn't advise that you do this unless you really felt led, because he was a big boy and would probably pound someone's head in that wasn't led by God. But this minister was led by God to bring him to a place of true repentance. He was cut to the heart that day, and now he is on there ministry team and touches many lives with gospel. If it wasn't for someone to have a little guts and confront this young man, he would have been lost in his sins on his way to hell. Thank God for God's grace though. You see friend, you can have a big bible on your coffee table, have a necklace cross around your neck, or a bumper sticker on the back of your car. But if your heart isn't really changed, then you haven't been born again. You can raise your hands and sing He is Lord, He is Lord all you want to, but unless you truly repented then you are lost. I'm not talking about struggles we all face being Christians. I live a life of repentance daily, and repentance isn't condemning to the Christian, but the lost sinner is condemned already because he or she hasn't really come to that place of repentance. I want to ask you today, "Do you know the Lord, or are you just going through the motions? You really don't feel a change at all within you, and you just maybe raised your right hand with nobody looking. You shook the preachers hand and boom! your saved. I'm not saying that there haven't been some that have been saved that way. I'm talking about those who do it because there friends did it and they feel like it's the right thing to do. They do it because maybe there mom and dad forced them to. Ask Jesus in your heart right now and repent.
Prayer:
Lord, I ask that you will forgive me today. I need you Lord to change me and make me new in you. I repent and believe in your resurrection. I believe that you died for me on that cross, and I believe that I am saved in Jesus name. Lord, I am saved but need to get closer to you in my walk. Forgive me Lord of any sins in my life, and help me Lord to walk in your Spirit, Amen.
by Keith Edwards
Acts 2:37,38
37 When the people heard this, they were cut to the heart and said to Peter and the other apostles, "Brothers, what shall we do?"
38 Peter replied, "Repent and be baptized, every one of you, in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins. And you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit.
Throughout the years, I have met many that claimed that they have been saved but there was no mark whatsoever of there conversion. They would say, "I have been baptized when I was a child, or they would tell me that they said a prayer and shook the preachers hand after the service." Now there are true born again Christians that may be lacking in spiritual growth. I'm not talking about this subject. I'm talking about someone that has no remorse whatsoever for sins or things that we know as Christians to be morally wrong. It is something on the inside of us that tells us that this or that is definitely wrong. I had a young guy that was working for me when I was a manager at a grocery retail store tell me that he goes all of the time and has his girlfriends get an abortion when they had an accident. I asked him, "Being that you are saved like you say you are, do you think that this is wrong?" He would tell me that he don't think that it is wrong, I'm still saved though. Then I would pull him aside and give him a foundation of repentance. Sometimes they were cut to the heart when I would explain to them that the Lordship of Jesus will bring you to a place of total surrender to God, and that means making Him the Lord of your life. There is a change in you when you get born again. I would encounter this situation time and time again in the secular world. Another story that comes to my mind is when a famous athlete claimed that he was a Christian, but would party and do unethical things in his life. He had no remorse for them, but said, "Yea! I'm a Christian. Many would be confused because they didn't see a change in him. One day, a minister who was once famous in sports confronted this young man. He looked straight through his eyes and asked, "So, are you a Christian like every one says you are?" He answered, "No man! I just say that I am. It's kinda cool huh? That minister looked straight through his eyes and said, "You might as well take that cross necklace off of your neck and swallow it, because maybe it will get in your heart and do you some good!" Now I wouldn't advise that you do this unless you really felt led, because he was a big boy and would probably pound someone's head in that wasn't led by God. But this minister was led by God to bring him to a place of true repentance. He was cut to the heart that day, and now he is on there ministry team and touches many lives with gospel. If it wasn't for someone to have a little guts and confront this young man, he would have been lost in his sins on his way to hell. Thank God for God's grace though. You see friend, you can have a big bible on your coffee table, have a necklace cross around your neck, or a bumper sticker on the back of your car. But if your heart isn't really changed, then you haven't been born again. You can raise your hands and sing He is Lord, He is Lord all you want to, but unless you truly repented then you are lost. I'm not talking about struggles we all face being Christians. I live a life of repentance daily, and repentance isn't condemning to the Christian, but the lost sinner is condemned already because he or she hasn't really come to that place of repentance. I want to ask you today, "Do you know the Lord, or are you just going through the motions? You really don't feel a change at all within you, and you just maybe raised your right hand with nobody looking. You shook the preachers hand and boom! your saved. I'm not saying that there haven't been some that have been saved that way. I'm talking about those who do it because there friends did it and they feel like it's the right thing to do. They do it because maybe there mom and dad forced them to. Ask Jesus in your heart right now and repent.
Prayer:
Lord, I ask that you will forgive me today. I need you Lord to change me and make me new in you. I repent and believe in your resurrection. I believe that you died for me on that cross, and I believe that I am saved in Jesus name. Lord, I am saved but need to get closer to you in my walk. Forgive me Lord of any sins in my life, and help me Lord to walk in your Spirit, Amen.
by Keith Edwards
Friday, June 18, 2010
From Holes To Holiness June 18th Devotional
Read:
Philippians 1:6
6 being confident of this, that he who began a good work in you will carry it on to completion until the day of Christ Jesus.
I can remember one night going to work at the school we cleaned for from our cleaning business. Everything seemed to be going right on schedule. As I walked in I notice a leak in the kitchen of the school, and water was coming from a pipe behind the dishwasher. Water began to leak under the walls and onto the carpet in the teachers lounge. I began to go crazy. I ran to the main breaker room and started turning off the breaker for the water. I turned off the hot water heater as well but nothing seemed to work. I began to try and tape the pipe, but every time that I would plug one hole another hole would appear etc. I was going nuts. I finally got a hold of the owner. He came running in there going crazy as well. He ran down one end while I ran down the other. You should of seen us. He got a hold of one of the guys that knew what to do. It ended up being one small lever that you had to pull. We would have never known without the direction of this one small step. Do you have holes in your life today. Maybe you have never been born again and no matter how many holes you plug, another one appears. you may become successful, but you still feel empty inside. You become healthy conscience, but it seems like no matter how many holes of life you try and plug up, there is still that feeling of emptiness. You can go from holes to holiness today by looking to Jesus in salvation. But then there are times as Christians when we have holes as well. We see this in the life of Job, Joseph, and the life of Paul. They were doing everything right in God's eyes but they began to see holes in there life. Job lost everything he had, and no matter how hard he prayed other holes would appear. Job focused on God and got everything restored to him again. Then there is Joseph. He gets thrown in a pit, almost murdered, sold into slavery, and accused of rape. He eventually became Pharaoh. Then we see Paul. He would start one church and see holes of doctrinal error sometimes pop up in the church and would have to address it. He would plug that hole to find another hole and on and on it goes. We can either go from holes to holiness by repentance and asking Jesus to be Lord of our life in salvation, or go from holes to holiness by focusing on Jesus with the holes that may be around you, and realize that God is in control of your life. He will complete the work by His holiness in you. Just remember that as a Christian we don't have to let the holes that pop up in our life to be who we really are. We are the righteousness of God in Christ Jesus. We are more than conquerors through the blood of Jesus. We don't have to let problems and trials define us, but we can let them mold us and shape us. When we begin to allow God to heal us in different areas as Christians, holes that are deep within our soul will appear. This could be a memory from the past, an emotional thing, or it could be a thought pattern that needs to be changed. We need to let the holiness of God plug up those holes, and let Him do His perfect work in our lives. But sometimes we just cover the holes in our life with spiritual bandages and they are never really dealt with By God's holiness. We make holes in our life as a Christian by the lack of knowledge of who we really are in Christ Jesus and the blood of Christ that has covered us. We just patch it up as if the hole is no longer there, but sooner or later that emptiness inside you will begin to surface once more. I can remember being a manager at a grocery retail store for about eight years. We had this one supervisor who didn't like holes in your department at all. I can remember several times coming in and finding holes from poultry being low, lunchmeat truck not coming in, and other low places all in my department, either by someone calling in, or problems with the truck that was supposed to show up etc. Then I hear those words you don't want to hear coming from the store manager. "He's coming!" Man! you should of seen all of us scattering around that store trying to get those holes plugged up somehow. It was like ground zero. I'd be spreading out, filling in, doing everything I could to get those holes covered. However, they were never filled in the right way. I just had to do something to get us through. Eventually we couldn't plug the holes up anymore, so the truth of what was really there showed up. You see friend, God in His infinite grace and mercy can fill in your life the right way by the right thing. His Holiness and grace can fill you with the healing you may need, or the financial need you may have need of, or whatever you may have need of today. God is there for you. Are you facing some holes in your life as a Christian? You can go from holes to holiness today in your walk with the Lord. Our focus in the middle of situations can be so powerful. You can call on the Lord Jesus in your situation, and He will carry you through.
prayer:
Lord we come to you now and ask for your forgiveness. We ask that you will forgive us for not keeping our focus on you through all of the holes in our life. It can be you pruning us, or it can be holes that we brought upon ourselves that we face today. Lord let your presence so fill our lives today, and let us go from holes to holiness, Amen.
by Keith Edwards
Philippians 1:6
6 being confident of this, that he who began a good work in you will carry it on to completion until the day of Christ Jesus.
I can remember one night going to work at the school we cleaned for from our cleaning business. Everything seemed to be going right on schedule. As I walked in I notice a leak in the kitchen of the school, and water was coming from a pipe behind the dishwasher. Water began to leak under the walls and onto the carpet in the teachers lounge. I began to go crazy. I ran to the main breaker room and started turning off the breaker for the water. I turned off the hot water heater as well but nothing seemed to work. I began to try and tape the pipe, but every time that I would plug one hole another hole would appear etc. I was going nuts. I finally got a hold of the owner. He came running in there going crazy as well. He ran down one end while I ran down the other. You should of seen us. He got a hold of one of the guys that knew what to do. It ended up being one small lever that you had to pull. We would have never known without the direction of this one small step. Do you have holes in your life today. Maybe you have never been born again and no matter how many holes you plug, another one appears. you may become successful, but you still feel empty inside. You become healthy conscience, but it seems like no matter how many holes of life you try and plug up, there is still that feeling of emptiness. You can go from holes to holiness today by looking to Jesus in salvation. But then there are times as Christians when we have holes as well. We see this in the life of Job, Joseph, and the life of Paul. They were doing everything right in God's eyes but they began to see holes in there life. Job lost everything he had, and no matter how hard he prayed other holes would appear. Job focused on God and got everything restored to him again. Then there is Joseph. He gets thrown in a pit, almost murdered, sold into slavery, and accused of rape. He eventually became Pharaoh. Then we see Paul. He would start one church and see holes of doctrinal error sometimes pop up in the church and would have to address it. He would plug that hole to find another hole and on and on it goes. We can either go from holes to holiness by repentance and asking Jesus to be Lord of our life in salvation, or go from holes to holiness by focusing on Jesus with the holes that may be around you, and realize that God is in control of your life. He will complete the work by His holiness in you. Just remember that as a Christian we don't have to let the holes that pop up in our life to be who we really are. We are the righteousness of God in Christ Jesus. We are more than conquerors through the blood of Jesus. We don't have to let problems and trials define us, but we can let them mold us and shape us. When we begin to allow God to heal us in different areas as Christians, holes that are deep within our soul will appear. This could be a memory from the past, an emotional thing, or it could be a thought pattern that needs to be changed. We need to let the holiness of God plug up those holes, and let Him do His perfect work in our lives. But sometimes we just cover the holes in our life with spiritual bandages and they are never really dealt with By God's holiness. We make holes in our life as a Christian by the lack of knowledge of who we really are in Christ Jesus and the blood of Christ that has covered us. We just patch it up as if the hole is no longer there, but sooner or later that emptiness inside you will begin to surface once more. I can remember being a manager at a grocery retail store for about eight years. We had this one supervisor who didn't like holes in your department at all. I can remember several times coming in and finding holes from poultry being low, lunchmeat truck not coming in, and other low places all in my department, either by someone calling in, or problems with the truck that was supposed to show up etc. Then I hear those words you don't want to hear coming from the store manager. "He's coming!" Man! you should of seen all of us scattering around that store trying to get those holes plugged up somehow. It was like ground zero. I'd be spreading out, filling in, doing everything I could to get those holes covered. However, they were never filled in the right way. I just had to do something to get us through. Eventually we couldn't plug the holes up anymore, so the truth of what was really there showed up. You see friend, God in His infinite grace and mercy can fill in your life the right way by the right thing. His Holiness and grace can fill you with the healing you may need, or the financial need you may have need of, or whatever you may have need of today. God is there for you. Are you facing some holes in your life as a Christian? You can go from holes to holiness today in your walk with the Lord. Our focus in the middle of situations can be so powerful. You can call on the Lord Jesus in your situation, and He will carry you through.
prayer:
Lord we come to you now and ask for your forgiveness. We ask that you will forgive us for not keeping our focus on you through all of the holes in our life. It can be you pruning us, or it can be holes that we brought upon ourselves that we face today. Lord let your presence so fill our lives today, and let us go from holes to holiness, Amen.
by Keith Edwards
Wednesday, June 16, 2010
Take My Life Lord June 16th devotional by Sandy Groom & Keith Edwards
Scripture Reading: I Kings 18-19
“And the word of the Lord came to him: ‘What are you doing here, Elijah?’ He replied, ‘I have been very zealous for the Lord God Almighty. The Israelites have rejected your covenant, broken down your alters, and put your prophets to death with the sword. I am the only one left, and now they are trying to kill me too.’ The Lord said, ‘Go out and stand on the mountain in the presence of the Lord, for the Lord is about to pass by. Then a great and powerful wind tore the mountains apart and shattered the rocks before the Lord, but the Lord was not in the wind. After the wind there was an earthquake, but the Lord was not in the earthquake. After the earthquake came a fire, but the Lord was not in the fire. And after the fire came a gentle whisper. When Elijah heard it, he pulled his cloak over his face and went out and stood at the mouth of the cave. Then a voice said to him ‘What are you doing here, Elijah?’ He replied, ‘I have been very zealous for the Lord God Almighty. The Israelites have rejected your covenant, broken down your alters, and put your prophets to death with the sword. I am the only one left, and now they are trying to kill me too. The Lord said to him, ‘Go back the way you came, and go to the Desert of Damascus. When you get theire, anoint Hazael King over Aram. Also, anoint Jehu son of Nimshi king over Israel, and anoint Elisha son of Shaphat from Abel Meholah to succeed you as prophet. Jehu will put to death any who escape the sword of Hazael, and Elisha will put to death any who escape the sword of Jehu. Yet I reserve seven thousand in Israel—all whose knees have not bowed down to Baal and all whose mouths have not kissed him.” I Kings 19: 9b-18
Elijah had lots of time to think as he walked alone to Mount Horeb. Forty long days to think about being alone, about all that happened on Mount Carmel, and the threat Queen Jezebel put on his life! He likely spent a great deal of time contemplating his meeting with the Lord; probably rehearsing what he would say. Elijah seemed to forget what just happened on Mount Carmel. He saw the Lord consume the alter with fire. He saw many Israelites turn their hearts to the Lord on Mount Carmel in one day. He seemed to forget the amazing revival that occurred as people cried out “The Lord—he is God! (I Kings 18:39). He even heard Obadiah talk about the 100 prophets kept safely hidden in caves. Yet his mind was fixated on being alone, and he started to believe he was the only prophet of God left on earth. We all have times in our lives where we perseverate (get stuck on a thought or idea) on things that are not true. These incorrect thoughts caused Elijah emotional distress, just as it does in our lives. Just like Elijah, we can cry out to the Lord with our misguided beliefs, and he will completely love us. He will also show us what is true.Although Elijah’s thoughts mislead him, he eagerly shared his beliefs with the Lord. God did not rebuke him. He did not speak to Elijah through a destructive wind, earthquake or fire. Instead, he came in a gentle whisper. In a still small voice the Lord asked him again why he was there, giving Elijah another opportunity to cry out with his concerns and thoughts. Again Elijah shared with the Lord about being alone.
The Lord did not scold Elijah for forgetting so quickly what took place at Carmel. He did not tell Elijah to stop feeling sorry for himself, or stop dwelling on the negative. Instead, God lovingly gave Elijah a task and a purpose. The Lord exchanged his loneliness and despair with a plan that involved interaction and fellowship with others. And the Lord corrected his mistaken beliefs by telling him “Yet I reserve seven thousand in Israel—all whose knees have not bowed down to Baal and all whose mouths have not kissed him.” Are there thoughts that trouble you or bring you increased pain. Ask the Lord to show you his perspective. You may be feeling lonely, sad, depressed, or anxious. The physical pain may seem never-ending, it may even feel unbearable. You can pour your heart, thoughts, and beliefs out to the Lord. He will hear you. He will wrap his love around you and show you his truths. Allow the Lord to speak to you through his word and his gentle whisper. We all have an inner dialogue, called self-talk, going on inside us throughout the day. Often times we speak to ourselves in negative and hurtful ways. I encourage you to notice your inner self-talk, and ask the Lord to cleanse you from those hurtful thoughts and a negative view of yourself. Ask the Lord to replace any destructive thoughts with his perspective and love. He loves you so much that he sings over you with delight and rejoicing. Allow him to turn your self-hate into self-love. Not a selfish, me-first kind of love, but a love that honors, appreciates, and is kind to your-self. A love that accepts and absorbs God’s incredible love for you. Allow the Lord to take your life, your emotions, your thoughts, and mold them into his loving image. Here I am Lord, take me; take all of me. Cleanse me, heal me, mold me, use me.
Comment by Keith Edwards:
There are times in our Christian walk, as Sandy has mentioned, that we find ourselves like Elijah hiding in a cave. We want God to explain things to us, why this? and why that? but God wants us to have faith in the fact that we don't have to understand everything about God to walk in His Spirit. God does reveal reasons for different things that go on in our life, but we may have to just trust God in certain areas, and remember, there are others who haven't bowed their knee to the enemy.
Prayer:
Father God, I pour my heart out to you. You know all my anxious thoughts, my mistaken beliefs, and my misunderstandings. Father God, please forgive my self-destructive thinking, please cleanse my mind and give me your perspective. “My thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways,” Lord. Please exchange my negativity for your love, my hurtful ways with your kind, gentle ways. Take my life Lord; my heart, my strength, and my mind. Make me, mold me, create me into the loving person you desire for me to be. In Jesus name I pray, Amen.
“And the word of the Lord came to him: ‘What are you doing here, Elijah?’ He replied, ‘I have been very zealous for the Lord God Almighty. The Israelites have rejected your covenant, broken down your alters, and put your prophets to death with the sword. I am the only one left, and now they are trying to kill me too.’ The Lord said, ‘Go out and stand on the mountain in the presence of the Lord, for the Lord is about to pass by. Then a great and powerful wind tore the mountains apart and shattered the rocks before the Lord, but the Lord was not in the wind. After the wind there was an earthquake, but the Lord was not in the earthquake. After the earthquake came a fire, but the Lord was not in the fire. And after the fire came a gentle whisper. When Elijah heard it, he pulled his cloak over his face and went out and stood at the mouth of the cave. Then a voice said to him ‘What are you doing here, Elijah?’ He replied, ‘I have been very zealous for the Lord God Almighty. The Israelites have rejected your covenant, broken down your alters, and put your prophets to death with the sword. I am the only one left, and now they are trying to kill me too. The Lord said to him, ‘Go back the way you came, and go to the Desert of Damascus. When you get theire, anoint Hazael King over Aram. Also, anoint Jehu son of Nimshi king over Israel, and anoint Elisha son of Shaphat from Abel Meholah to succeed you as prophet. Jehu will put to death any who escape the sword of Hazael, and Elisha will put to death any who escape the sword of Jehu. Yet I reserve seven thousand in Israel—all whose knees have not bowed down to Baal and all whose mouths have not kissed him.” I Kings 19: 9b-18
Elijah had lots of time to think as he walked alone to Mount Horeb. Forty long days to think about being alone, about all that happened on Mount Carmel, and the threat Queen Jezebel put on his life! He likely spent a great deal of time contemplating his meeting with the Lord; probably rehearsing what he would say. Elijah seemed to forget what just happened on Mount Carmel. He saw the Lord consume the alter with fire. He saw many Israelites turn their hearts to the Lord on Mount Carmel in one day. He seemed to forget the amazing revival that occurred as people cried out “The Lord—he is God! (I Kings 18:39). He even heard Obadiah talk about the 100 prophets kept safely hidden in caves. Yet his mind was fixated on being alone, and he started to believe he was the only prophet of God left on earth. We all have times in our lives where we perseverate (get stuck on a thought or idea) on things that are not true. These incorrect thoughts caused Elijah emotional distress, just as it does in our lives. Just like Elijah, we can cry out to the Lord with our misguided beliefs, and he will completely love us. He will also show us what is true.Although Elijah’s thoughts mislead him, he eagerly shared his beliefs with the Lord. God did not rebuke him. He did not speak to Elijah through a destructive wind, earthquake or fire. Instead, he came in a gentle whisper. In a still small voice the Lord asked him again why he was there, giving Elijah another opportunity to cry out with his concerns and thoughts. Again Elijah shared with the Lord about being alone.
The Lord did not scold Elijah for forgetting so quickly what took place at Carmel. He did not tell Elijah to stop feeling sorry for himself, or stop dwelling on the negative. Instead, God lovingly gave Elijah a task and a purpose. The Lord exchanged his loneliness and despair with a plan that involved interaction and fellowship with others. And the Lord corrected his mistaken beliefs by telling him “Yet I reserve seven thousand in Israel—all whose knees have not bowed down to Baal and all whose mouths have not kissed him.” Are there thoughts that trouble you or bring you increased pain. Ask the Lord to show you his perspective. You may be feeling lonely, sad, depressed, or anxious. The physical pain may seem never-ending, it may even feel unbearable. You can pour your heart, thoughts, and beliefs out to the Lord. He will hear you. He will wrap his love around you and show you his truths. Allow the Lord to speak to you through his word and his gentle whisper. We all have an inner dialogue, called self-talk, going on inside us throughout the day. Often times we speak to ourselves in negative and hurtful ways. I encourage you to notice your inner self-talk, and ask the Lord to cleanse you from those hurtful thoughts and a negative view of yourself. Ask the Lord to replace any destructive thoughts with his perspective and love. He loves you so much that he sings over you with delight and rejoicing. Allow him to turn your self-hate into self-love. Not a selfish, me-first kind of love, but a love that honors, appreciates, and is kind to your-self. A love that accepts and absorbs God’s incredible love for you. Allow the Lord to take your life, your emotions, your thoughts, and mold them into his loving image. Here I am Lord, take me; take all of me. Cleanse me, heal me, mold me, use me.
Comment by Keith Edwards:
There are times in our Christian walk, as Sandy has mentioned, that we find ourselves like Elijah hiding in a cave. We want God to explain things to us, why this? and why that? but God wants us to have faith in the fact that we don't have to understand everything about God to walk in His Spirit. God does reveal reasons for different things that go on in our life, but we may have to just trust God in certain areas, and remember, there are others who haven't bowed their knee to the enemy.
Prayer:
Father God, I pour my heart out to you. You know all my anxious thoughts, my mistaken beliefs, and my misunderstandings. Father God, please forgive my self-destructive thinking, please cleanse my mind and give me your perspective. “My thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways,” Lord. Please exchange my negativity for your love, my hurtful ways with your kind, gentle ways. Take my life Lord; my heart, my strength, and my mind. Make me, mold me, create me into the loving person you desire for me to be. In Jesus name I pray, Amen.
Tuesday, June 15, 2010
June 15th 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 alot of 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
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 alot of 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
Monday, June 14, 2010
Two Opinions: I will and I Am June 14 th Devotional
Read:
1 Kings 18
In I Kings 18, Elijah asked the wavering Israelites "How long halt ye between two opinions". There are in this world basically only two opinions. Throughout the Bible, one can see as well that there have only been two systems of worship (the worship of God and the worship of devils), two groups of people (covenant or non-covenant people) and two wills (God's and Satan's). So once again, even though there are many different thoughts and theories, feelings and fancies, all of those will come under one of two all-inclusive opinions that can be summed up in the phrases "I WILL" and "I AM".
The angel Lucifer said in Isaiah 14:13,14 "I WILL" five different times, each time setting his will was against the Lord's will. It represents the inclination to have or to be something independent of the plan and provision of God. However, in Exodus 3:14, God introduces Himself to Moses three times as "I AM". Satan and the nature of Satan says defiantly "I WILL"; but God simply says "I AM"!
The original issue in I Kings 18 was not about the outright taking of one of these two opinions: it was rather about the people of God "halting" between these two opinions...wanting "I WILL" and "I AM" at the same time. But oil and water do not mix...and "I WILL" and "I AM" will not mix either! Just listen to the strength in both opinions: "I WILL" with the strength of self-confidence and self-reliance and then "I AM" with the power of eternity (Psalm 90:2 "From everlasting to everlasting THOU ART God")! Satan and his children have to "will" to become anything - but God just IS! The first Adam had to struggle and toil for life; but the Last Adam simply said "I AM life" (John 14:6)!
Let us all consider that life truly is a yoke (Matthew 11:29,30); and that there is no such thing as purely independent life - we are either yoked up with God or with the devil! And the easy one is God's yoke, where we do not have to try so hard to "will" Christ-likeness but we can rather simply BE Christ-like by yielding to the Spirit of Christ within - JUST WALK IN THE SPIRIT!
NO MORE HALTING, FELLOW BELIEVER! Abandon "I WILL" and rest in "I AM"!
Comment by Keith Edwards:
This is a good devotion about us letting God have His perfect work in us and through us. So many times we find ourselves praying, "God, I give you all, but let me show you how I want to give you all." Lord, guide me by Your Spirit, but let me show you how I want you to guide me. It's all about Jesus, and he can step across boundaries to get your destiny He has for you accomplished. I want to encourage you today to realize that it's all about Him.
Prayer:
Lord, we come to you in your mighty name that you will have Your perfect work done in our life. Help us to trust you as we go through life's stuggles, and help us to trust you more, Amen.
by Joel Hawkins and Keith Edwards
1 Kings 18
In I Kings 18, Elijah asked the wavering Israelites "How long halt ye between two opinions". There are in this world basically only two opinions. Throughout the Bible, one can see as well that there have only been two systems of worship (the worship of God and the worship of devils), two groups of people (covenant or non-covenant people) and two wills (God's and Satan's). So once again, even though there are many different thoughts and theories, feelings and fancies, all of those will come under one of two all-inclusive opinions that can be summed up in the phrases "I WILL" and "I AM".
The angel Lucifer said in Isaiah 14:13,14 "I WILL" five different times, each time setting his will was against the Lord's will. It represents the inclination to have or to be something independent of the plan and provision of God. However, in Exodus 3:14, God introduces Himself to Moses three times as "I AM". Satan and the nature of Satan says defiantly "I WILL"; but God simply says "I AM"!
The original issue in I Kings 18 was not about the outright taking of one of these two opinions: it was rather about the people of God "halting" between these two opinions...wanting "I WILL" and "I AM" at the same time. But oil and water do not mix...and "I WILL" and "I AM" will not mix either! Just listen to the strength in both opinions: "I WILL" with the strength of self-confidence and self-reliance and then "I AM" with the power of eternity (Psalm 90:2 "From everlasting to everlasting THOU ART God")! Satan and his children have to "will" to become anything - but God just IS! The first Adam had to struggle and toil for life; but the Last Adam simply said "I AM life" (John 14:6)!
Let us all consider that life truly is a yoke (Matthew 11:29,30); and that there is no such thing as purely independent life - we are either yoked up with God or with the devil! And the easy one is God's yoke, where we do not have to try so hard to "will" Christ-likeness but we can rather simply BE Christ-like by yielding to the Spirit of Christ within - JUST WALK IN THE SPIRIT!
NO MORE HALTING, FELLOW BELIEVER! Abandon "I WILL" and rest in "I AM"!
Comment by Keith Edwards:
This is a good devotion about us letting God have His perfect work in us and through us. So many times we find ourselves praying, "God, I give you all, but let me show you how I want to give you all." Lord, guide me by Your Spirit, but let me show you how I want you to guide me. It's all about Jesus, and he can step across boundaries to get your destiny He has for you accomplished. I want to encourage you today to realize that it's all about Him.
Prayer:
Lord, we come to you in your mighty name that you will have Your perfect work done in our life. Help us to trust you as we go through life's stuggles, and help us to trust you more, Amen.
by Joel Hawkins and Keith Edwards
Sunday, June 13, 2010
June 13th 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
Saturday, June 12, 2010
Nourished Up June 12th Devotional
Read:
1 Timothy 4:6
If thou put the brethren in remembrance of these things, thou shalt be a good minister of Jesus Christ, nourished up in the words of faith and of good doctrine, whereunto thou hast attained.
Have you ever heard the "name it claim it" message. Put a little offering in the basket, and you can get what you want. You put a hundred dollars in the basket as if the basket was a vending machine or something, you cross your fingers, and boom! there you have it. It seems to me that this is the biggest deception among Christians today then ever before in the protestant church. You see the hype-prosperity message, crazy prophetic message, and other things in the church that is down right embarrassing to us as the church. If Martin Luther was here in the 21st century he probably would have fell over dead seeing the things going on now. There would have been some things posted on the door of the church just like when he posted the 95 thesis on the wall of the Catholic church. The money thing was such a big business between the Catholic church in the 1500's. I believe that the bishops really thought that they were the only one's who could unlock revelation. Martin Luther didn't get revelation from the bishop's. He just opened the new testament and saw that we were supposed to feed the poor, help those in need, and win souls for the Lord Jesus Christ. The Catholic church couldn't understand Martin Luther because they didn't have the revelation of the commandment of Jesus. It was all business. A minister by the name of Mel Montgomery wrote a little article on the front page of His newsletter that I think needs to scream out to the church today. Martin Luther errors and excesses of his day sparked the Protestant Reformation, lighting holy fires that burned around the globe, removing errors and destroying man-made religious traditions and structures. In the same manner, we must again nail the scriptures and sound doctrine back on the church door of our day, rebuking the errors and excesses that are so common, and call on God to forgive us, cleanse us, renew us, and revive us again that we may proclaim the Gospel of Christ in the power of the Holy Spirit to a lost and dying humanity. Wow! I think that this is the most powerful message for us to be nourished in sound doctrine today for correction in our church. The bishop would rob from the poor by telling them that as soon as the coin in the casket rings, so shall the soul from purgatory spring. These poor people would get so scared that they would give there money away to this corruptness. I'd probably get hung inside of some protestant churches today for what I'm about to say but I believe it is needful for us. Here is a saying that I made up that is sadly true for today. "As soon as the coin in the basket rings, so shall the etravagant lifestyle of the evangelist spring. While the corrupt evangelist's and false prophets are flourishing, the poor are dying. There is nothing wrong with God's blessings and the minister's getting paid for there ministering, but we see alot of garbage out there that is watering down the gospel of Jesus Christ. I want to encourage you today to have a hunger for sound doctrine and the truth of God. Be nourished up in good sound doctrine and God's truth. Take the name it claim it message to a whole new level. Speak over yourself who you are in Christ Jesus. Speak over yourself today that you are going to walk in the spirit, desire holiness, and walk in the truth. God will take care of those who are walking in the spirit. Speak these words with me today. Lord, I am the righteousness of God in Christ Jesus. I will walk in the spirit today with a hunger in my heart for your word. I put on and walk in that which I have received. I am created in your image. Help me to be nourished up now Lord with your ways, In Jesus name.
prayer:
Lord we come to you and ask your forgiveness if we have strayed from your truth by a mixture of error. We long to walk in your ways and to hear your voice. We ask that you purify our hearts and that You would help us to walk in you word. Amen
1 Timothy 4:6
If thou put the brethren in remembrance of these things, thou shalt be a good minister of Jesus Christ, nourished up in the words of faith and of good doctrine, whereunto thou hast attained.
Have you ever heard the "name it claim it" message. Put a little offering in the basket, and you can get what you want. You put a hundred dollars in the basket as if the basket was a vending machine or something, you cross your fingers, and boom! there you have it. It seems to me that this is the biggest deception among Christians today then ever before in the protestant church. You see the hype-prosperity message, crazy prophetic message, and other things in the church that is down right embarrassing to us as the church. If Martin Luther was here in the 21st century he probably would have fell over dead seeing the things going on now. There would have been some things posted on the door of the church just like when he posted the 95 thesis on the wall of the Catholic church. The money thing was such a big business between the Catholic church in the 1500's. I believe that the bishops really thought that they were the only one's who could unlock revelation. Martin Luther didn't get revelation from the bishop's. He just opened the new testament and saw that we were supposed to feed the poor, help those in need, and win souls for the Lord Jesus Christ. The Catholic church couldn't understand Martin Luther because they didn't have the revelation of the commandment of Jesus. It was all business. A minister by the name of Mel Montgomery wrote a little article on the front page of His newsletter that I think needs to scream out to the church today. Martin Luther errors and excesses of his day sparked the Protestant Reformation, lighting holy fires that burned around the globe, removing errors and destroying man-made religious traditions and structures. In the same manner, we must again nail the scriptures and sound doctrine back on the church door of our day, rebuking the errors and excesses that are so common, and call on God to forgive us, cleanse us, renew us, and revive us again that we may proclaim the Gospel of Christ in the power of the Holy Spirit to a lost and dying humanity. Wow! I think that this is the most powerful message for us to be nourished in sound doctrine today for correction in our church. The bishop would rob from the poor by telling them that as soon as the coin in the casket rings, so shall the soul from purgatory spring. These poor people would get so scared that they would give there money away to this corruptness. I'd probably get hung inside of some protestant churches today for what I'm about to say but I believe it is needful for us. Here is a saying that I made up that is sadly true for today. "As soon as the coin in the basket rings, so shall the etravagant lifestyle of the evangelist spring. While the corrupt evangelist's and false prophets are flourishing, the poor are dying. There is nothing wrong with God's blessings and the minister's getting paid for there ministering, but we see alot of garbage out there that is watering down the gospel of Jesus Christ. I want to encourage you today to have a hunger for sound doctrine and the truth of God. Be nourished up in good sound doctrine and God's truth. Take the name it claim it message to a whole new level. Speak over yourself who you are in Christ Jesus. Speak over yourself today that you are going to walk in the spirit, desire holiness, and walk in the truth. God will take care of those who are walking in the spirit. Speak these words with me today. Lord, I am the righteousness of God in Christ Jesus. I will walk in the spirit today with a hunger in my heart for your word. I put on and walk in that which I have received. I am created in your image. Help me to be nourished up now Lord with your ways, In Jesus name.
prayer:
Lord we come to you and ask your forgiveness if we have strayed from your truth by a mixture of error. We long to walk in your ways and to hear your voice. We ask that you purify our hearts and that You would help us to walk in you word. Amen
Friday, June 11, 2010
Thursday, June 10, 2010
June 10th Devotional
Read:
James 1:21,22,26
21 Wherefore lay apart all filthiness and superfluity of naughtiness, and receive with meekness the engrafted word, which is able to save your souls.
22 But be ye doers of the word, and not hearers only, deceiving your own selves.
26 If any man among you seem to be religious, and bridleth not his tongue, but deceiveth his own heart, this man's religion is vain.
In India, a native wrote to friend about a great revival in the area and he said, “We are having a great rebible here!” Revival means "new life" and it always starts with the bible totally saturating His bride through the bride repenting for the condition of the church.Throughout history we see Christendom with many distinctions that mark a particualar denomination. We have the baptists' that center on conversion and evangelism, eastern ortodox denomination that even centers on pentecostal gifts', the reformed church who centers on justification by faith, and pentecostal which is motivated by revelation and power of the baptism. You can get revelation from different types of denominations, but wouldn't it be nice if we could just be the new testament church. It would be nice to have a bit of each denomination and just be the church, going forth in our calling, advancing God's Kingdom, and moving forth in the power of the Holy Spirit, yet rooted in sound doctrine. If you look at each type of denomination, you will see what they empasize is clearly taught in scripture. We see sacrament taught in scripture, conversion is definitely an essential to our protestant belief, the power of the Holy spirit is taught, and we see doctrine is taught as well. Sometimes though we see a particular denomination lift there head up in arrogance and say, "We are right, and you are wrong!" This will absolutely kill revival, because the world sees this hate among the protestants. Its amazing to see when something is wrong with our society, you will see some reformed group get together and make a declaration or some type of article dealing with a particular thing. There's nothing wrong with bringing forth sound doctrine and truth to a certain situation that needs to be dealt with, but I'm talking about the venom that is sometimes shot through the veins of the church. This can kill the fire of a productive church. Revival shoud be a lifestyle and not just a season. You can see some strengths and weaknesses in different denominations, but before a powerful pure revival can break lose, we have got to bind together and be the church. We sometimes get so caught up with fads and theologically issues, that we lose sight with what we are really here for. Revival shouldn't be confined within the four walls of the church building, but should be out on the highways and byways. Our devotional life should be a revival. Our lifestyle should be changed day by day to reflect Christ more and more, and so we what we really need is a rebible. We need to let the word of God weed out and water the seed that is engrafted within us. We have a garden within us, and that garden has been unattended and the church has lost it's fire. The world has lost it's faith because the church has lost it's fire. I want us to concentrate on three things in this devotion that will bring forth a great revival in our world again. One, recieve the engrafted word which will pull out the weeds and rocks of sin out of our soul for revival to spring up again. Two, we need to be a doer of the word of God and not just a hearer only, and this will bring forth a salt to this world as we become a living epistle right before their eyes. Three, we need to watch the words we speak out by the power of the Holy spirit and our daily devotion. Lets get the bible back in the church, and watch and see how a rebible will bring forth a revival.
Prayer:
Lord, we ask that you will forgive us for attacking each other, and we pray that you help us bind together as one body. Help us to hold hands with one another with such a great seriousness of sacrament, yet rooted in good doctrine, and going forth in the power of the Holy Spirit. We desire Lord for many to be converted, and we want our life to be a revival, and we know Lord that this kind of life saturated with your precious word will bring forth revival all across the land, Amen.
by Keith Edwards
James 1:21,22,26
21 Wherefore lay apart all filthiness and superfluity of naughtiness, and receive with meekness the engrafted word, which is able to save your souls.
22 But be ye doers of the word, and not hearers only, deceiving your own selves.
26 If any man among you seem to be religious, and bridleth not his tongue, but deceiveth his own heart, this man's religion is vain.
In India, a native wrote to friend about a great revival in the area and he said, “We are having a great rebible here!” Revival means "new life" and it always starts with the bible totally saturating His bride through the bride repenting for the condition of the church.Throughout history we see Christendom with many distinctions that mark a particualar denomination. We have the baptists' that center on conversion and evangelism, eastern ortodox denomination that even centers on pentecostal gifts', the reformed church who centers on justification by faith, and pentecostal which is motivated by revelation and power of the baptism. You can get revelation from different types of denominations, but wouldn't it be nice if we could just be the new testament church. It would be nice to have a bit of each denomination and just be the church, going forth in our calling, advancing God's Kingdom, and moving forth in the power of the Holy Spirit, yet rooted in sound doctrine. If you look at each type of denomination, you will see what they empasize is clearly taught in scripture. We see sacrament taught in scripture, conversion is definitely an essential to our protestant belief, the power of the Holy spirit is taught, and we see doctrine is taught as well. Sometimes though we see a particular denomination lift there head up in arrogance and say, "We are right, and you are wrong!" This will absolutely kill revival, because the world sees this hate among the protestants. Its amazing to see when something is wrong with our society, you will see some reformed group get together and make a declaration or some type of article dealing with a particular thing. There's nothing wrong with bringing forth sound doctrine and truth to a certain situation that needs to be dealt with, but I'm talking about the venom that is sometimes shot through the veins of the church. This can kill the fire of a productive church. Revival shoud be a lifestyle and not just a season. You can see some strengths and weaknesses in different denominations, but before a powerful pure revival can break lose, we have got to bind together and be the church. We sometimes get so caught up with fads and theologically issues, that we lose sight with what we are really here for. Revival shouldn't be confined within the four walls of the church building, but should be out on the highways and byways. Our devotional life should be a revival. Our lifestyle should be changed day by day to reflect Christ more and more, and so we what we really need is a rebible. We need to let the word of God weed out and water the seed that is engrafted within us. We have a garden within us, and that garden has been unattended and the church has lost it's fire. The world has lost it's faith because the church has lost it's fire. I want us to concentrate on three things in this devotion that will bring forth a great revival in our world again. One, recieve the engrafted word which will pull out the weeds and rocks of sin out of our soul for revival to spring up again. Two, we need to be a doer of the word of God and not just a hearer only, and this will bring forth a salt to this world as we become a living epistle right before their eyes. Three, we need to watch the words we speak out by the power of the Holy spirit and our daily devotion. Lets get the bible back in the church, and watch and see how a rebible will bring forth a revival.
Prayer:
Lord, we ask that you will forgive us for attacking each other, and we pray that you help us bind together as one body. Help us to hold hands with one another with such a great seriousness of sacrament, yet rooted in good doctrine, and going forth in the power of the Holy Spirit. We desire Lord for many to be converted, and we want our life to be a revival, and we know Lord that this kind of life saturated with your precious word will bring forth revival all across the land, Amen.
by Keith Edwards
Wednesday, June 9, 2010
Daddy! You Still Love Me? June 9th Devotional
Read:
Romans 8:39
39 neither height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord.
There was a story about a Father and Son who went hunting together. They went to an old log cabin to spend the night, and the Father told his Son to stay in this cabin until morning and don't leave this cabin. Later on in the night the son got a little curious. He got his little shot gun, sneaked out the back door, and headed out to adventure his first hunting experience all alone. As he was walking through the woods he got caught in a bear trap. He screamed the words, "Daddy! help me! His Father ran as fast as he could, found his son, and pulled him out of the bear trap. The son looked up at his Father and said, "you still love me?" Of course I do son. You are my Son and that will never change. How many times do we mess up in our Christian walk and feel like God isn't there to forgive us. Can I get a witness? You didn't say enough prayers a particular day. You didn't obey a list about a mile long. You didn't obey the Lord in a particular area and now you feel abandoned and exiled from God forever. We'll I have and still do at times, and I have to call out to God in bear traps that I get myself into and call upon His blood in time of need. We all make mistakes and it it a growing process of His pruning to make us more like Him. But if you have missed it in some area you are not abandoned from God's love today. His love is unconditional, and His love is beyond any love that this world has to offer. We will become less likely to disobey God as we submit and grow in Him daily, but I promise you that if you step out to grow in the Lord your are going to stumble. I've got alot of behind prints in the sand where God had to drag me at times but it was for my own good and I can see it know where it was God all along protecting me. My bottom is sore to this day from God spanking me at times as a Father. You know the old saying, "Put it on the south side of a north bound mule!" You may be feeling down today because you didn't do everything right yesterday. I want to encourage you to let Daddy God wrap His loving arms around you and enter His presence today so that you won't have to go around that same mountain with Him time and time again in a certain area. We have to sell all out to God, and make Him Lord in every area through obedience. His love is like no other love, and when we get ourselves in life's bear traps, we can call out to Him and He will be there for us.
Prayer:
Lord we come to you and ask that you will forgive us for any sin that we may have gotten ourselves trapped in. We call out to you for your rescue and ask that you would wrap those big arms around our heart and guide us by your Spirit. Help us by your grace to receive your pruning, and help us by your mercy to call out to you in time of need. Amen.
Romans 8:39
39 neither height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord.
There was a story about a Father and Son who went hunting together. They went to an old log cabin to spend the night, and the Father told his Son to stay in this cabin until morning and don't leave this cabin. Later on in the night the son got a little curious. He got his little shot gun, sneaked out the back door, and headed out to adventure his first hunting experience all alone. As he was walking through the woods he got caught in a bear trap. He screamed the words, "Daddy! help me! His Father ran as fast as he could, found his son, and pulled him out of the bear trap. The son looked up at his Father and said, "you still love me?" Of course I do son. You are my Son and that will never change. How many times do we mess up in our Christian walk and feel like God isn't there to forgive us. Can I get a witness? You didn't say enough prayers a particular day. You didn't obey a list about a mile long. You didn't obey the Lord in a particular area and now you feel abandoned and exiled from God forever. We'll I have and still do at times, and I have to call out to God in bear traps that I get myself into and call upon His blood in time of need. We all make mistakes and it it a growing process of His pruning to make us more like Him. But if you have missed it in some area you are not abandoned from God's love today. His love is unconditional, and His love is beyond any love that this world has to offer. We will become less likely to disobey God as we submit and grow in Him daily, but I promise you that if you step out to grow in the Lord your are going to stumble. I've got alot of behind prints in the sand where God had to drag me at times but it was for my own good and I can see it know where it was God all along protecting me. My bottom is sore to this day from God spanking me at times as a Father. You know the old saying, "Put it on the south side of a north bound mule!" You may be feeling down today because you didn't do everything right yesterday. I want to encourage you to let Daddy God wrap His loving arms around you and enter His presence today so that you won't have to go around that same mountain with Him time and time again in a certain area. We have to sell all out to God, and make Him Lord in every area through obedience. His love is like no other love, and when we get ourselves in life's bear traps, we can call out to Him and He will be there for us.
Prayer:
Lord we come to you and ask that you will forgive us for any sin that we may have gotten ourselves trapped in. We call out to you for your rescue and ask that you would wrap those big arms around our heart and guide us by your Spirit. Help us by your grace to receive your pruning, and help us by your mercy to call out to you in time of need. Amen.
Tuesday, June 8, 2010
June 8th 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
Monday, June 7, 2010
June 7th Devotional
Read:
Philippians 4:19
19 And my God will meet all your needs according to his glorious riches in Christ Jesus
Are you in need today? If we keep our eyes focused on God then He will take care of us, and He will meet our need. As we seek first His Kingdom and His righteousness God will meet our needs not our wants, yet so many snap there finger and expect it right now and no later. I can remember many times having to be patient even when I prayed earnestly, and the answer did come. There have been times where I had forgotten a particular prayer that I had prayed, and that prayer was answered eventually. God works that way at times. But then there are times when God will intervene in a certain situation at that very moment we pray. I remember when I was in full time ministry, and many would come in from other ministries. There were pastors, evangelists, and ministries that would come in to this particular ministry to partner with us. That morning I was in need for new tires on my car, and I prayed for exactly three-hundred dollars for some tires. That morning an evangelist came in and came up to me. After the worship he told me that he felt like the Lord told him to give me a bible. It was a very expensive bible. He told me that he just bought it for a hundred dollars, and for some reason he really felt like the Lord wanted him to bless me with it. He also wanted me to come by his house later that night and fellowship with him and his family. Little did I know what a blessing it was going to be. When I got there he told me to pull my car in the shop next to his house. He put my car on the rack and said that He felt like the Lord wanted him to bless me with two hundred dollars worth of tires. I couldn't believe it. coincidence? No, I believe it was God. They owned the tire shop, and this all come out to about three hundred dollars. Friend, God is concerned with us. He wants to meet our need but not our greed. Sometimes God wants us to ask him for a need so that it can build our faith, but our asking will never be out of line with our union in Christ. He will automatically take care of us as we are seeking him, but sometimes it is a faith builder. I still have that ole' bible, and I read it and have been blessed by it. Let's realize today that God is concerned with us, and He will supply all of our needs.
Prayer:
Lord we ask that you meet our needs that we have today. We pray that you will first bless us with knowing you more, and that you will meet any needs we have, whether it is financial, physical, or emotional. Move us into a new season with you Lord, and grow us up in the ways we should go with you, Amen.
by Keith Edwards
Philippians 4:19
19 And my God will meet all your needs according to his glorious riches in Christ Jesus
Are you in need today? If we keep our eyes focused on God then He will take care of us, and He will meet our need. As we seek first His Kingdom and His righteousness God will meet our needs not our wants, yet so many snap there finger and expect it right now and no later. I can remember many times having to be patient even when I prayed earnestly, and the answer did come. There have been times where I had forgotten a particular prayer that I had prayed, and that prayer was answered eventually. God works that way at times. But then there are times when God will intervene in a certain situation at that very moment we pray. I remember when I was in full time ministry, and many would come in from other ministries. There were pastors, evangelists, and ministries that would come in to this particular ministry to partner with us. That morning I was in need for new tires on my car, and I prayed for exactly three-hundred dollars for some tires. That morning an evangelist came in and came up to me. After the worship he told me that he felt like the Lord told him to give me a bible. It was a very expensive bible. He told me that he just bought it for a hundred dollars, and for some reason he really felt like the Lord wanted him to bless me with it. He also wanted me to come by his house later that night and fellowship with him and his family. Little did I know what a blessing it was going to be. When I got there he told me to pull my car in the shop next to his house. He put my car on the rack and said that He felt like the Lord wanted him to bless me with two hundred dollars worth of tires. I couldn't believe it. coincidence? No, I believe it was God. They owned the tire shop, and this all come out to about three hundred dollars. Friend, God is concerned with us. He wants to meet our need but not our greed. Sometimes God wants us to ask him for a need so that it can build our faith, but our asking will never be out of line with our union in Christ. He will automatically take care of us as we are seeking him, but sometimes it is a faith builder. I still have that ole' bible, and I read it and have been blessed by it. Let's realize today that God is concerned with us, and He will supply all of our needs.
Prayer:
Lord we ask that you meet our needs that we have today. We pray that you will first bless us with knowing you more, and that you will meet any needs we have, whether it is financial, physical, or emotional. Move us into a new season with you Lord, and grow us up in the ways we should go with you, Amen.
by Keith Edwards
Sunday, June 6, 2010
June 6th Devotional
Read:
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
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
Saturday, June 5, 2010
Priority In The Home June 5th Devotional
Read:
Ephesians 5:25
25 Husbands, love your wives, just as Christ loved the church and gave himself up for her
Also Read:
1 Timothy 3:5
5(If anyone does not know how to manage his own family, how can he take care of God's church?)
It was late that one night, and my son looks up at me with those exciting eyes and says, "Daddy, will you play little cars with me?" I was thinking that I could do the usual and spend about five minutes with him just to get it over with. For some reason or another I spent about twenty minutes with him playing cars. Then I felt compelled to play chase around the house, and then I spent some quality time with my little nine year old girl. Then I felt like I needed to read the bible kids book to my kids, so I reached over to get the book and read to them for about twenty minutes. My little boy looked up at me with those huge colorful brown eyes, and he said with the most gentle voice, "I love it when you read the bible book to me Daddy." WoW! what a night. You know, I felt good though when I spent that quality time with my family. I had forgotten what I prayed for earlier that day. You know, "Lord I want to know your will?" Give me direction Lord! As I was on my way to work that night, the Lord began to discipline me. I don't ever cry, so for me to shed some tears was quite unusual. I shed alot of tears that night. The Lord began to show me where I was missing it in my time management. Although I was living a moral life and wasn't sinning in my personal life with lust or anything else like that, the Lord told me that my sin was not having a balance with my family. Many times we can even do good things, and our family is suffering right before us. Yet we are oblivious to it for some reason or another. We can be doing ministry and good things, but we need balance in our family. Ministry is in our home, and we need to set an example as Husbands and Fathers to our wife and children. I found myself working on my new Christian album, working on my ministry, and other things that was not a good balance in my own home. My wife was very excited and she called me later that night while I was at work and told me that God was dealing with her about some things because of the example I was showing to her. You may be at that place minister of God where you are too busy to spend quality time with your family. You may not necessarily be in full time ministry, but as a Father and Husband you are a Priest to your own home. Ministry is definitely in the home, and God can touch your life and set you on that course that you try and fulfill yourself apart from managing your family. Last thing in this devotion that I want to bring forth to you as we depart is the definition for manage here in 1 Timothy 3:5. It means to pay close attention to. I want you to reflect on this scripture today, and I encourage you to pray about time management in your own home.
prayer:
Lord we come to you in repentance for not watching over our family like we need to. We've done all but this one thing, and this is very important to you Lord. Help us to spend quality time with our family, and give us wisdom on how to make the changes in our lives. Amen.
by Keith Edwards
Ephesians 5:25
25 Husbands, love your wives, just as Christ loved the church and gave himself up for her
Also Read:
1 Timothy 3:5
5(If anyone does not know how to manage his own family, how can he take care of God's church?)
It was late that one night, and my son looks up at me with those exciting eyes and says, "Daddy, will you play little cars with me?" I was thinking that I could do the usual and spend about five minutes with him just to get it over with. For some reason or another I spent about twenty minutes with him playing cars. Then I felt compelled to play chase around the house, and then I spent some quality time with my little nine year old girl. Then I felt like I needed to read the bible kids book to my kids, so I reached over to get the book and read to them for about twenty minutes. My little boy looked up at me with those huge colorful brown eyes, and he said with the most gentle voice, "I love it when you read the bible book to me Daddy." WoW! what a night. You know, I felt good though when I spent that quality time with my family. I had forgotten what I prayed for earlier that day. You know, "Lord I want to know your will?" Give me direction Lord! As I was on my way to work that night, the Lord began to discipline me. I don't ever cry, so for me to shed some tears was quite unusual. I shed alot of tears that night. The Lord began to show me where I was missing it in my time management. Although I was living a moral life and wasn't sinning in my personal life with lust or anything else like that, the Lord told me that my sin was not having a balance with my family. Many times we can even do good things, and our family is suffering right before us. Yet we are oblivious to it for some reason or another. We can be doing ministry and good things, but we need balance in our family. Ministry is in our home, and we need to set an example as Husbands and Fathers to our wife and children. I found myself working on my new Christian album, working on my ministry, and other things that was not a good balance in my own home. My wife was very excited and she called me later that night while I was at work and told me that God was dealing with her about some things because of the example I was showing to her. You may be at that place minister of God where you are too busy to spend quality time with your family. You may not necessarily be in full time ministry, but as a Father and Husband you are a Priest to your own home. Ministry is definitely in the home, and God can touch your life and set you on that course that you try and fulfill yourself apart from managing your family. Last thing in this devotion that I want to bring forth to you as we depart is the definition for manage here in 1 Timothy 3:5. It means to pay close attention to. I want you to reflect on this scripture today, and I encourage you to pray about time management in your own home.
prayer:
Lord we come to you in repentance for not watching over our family like we need to. We've done all but this one thing, and this is very important to you Lord. Help us to spend quality time with our family, and give us wisdom on how to make the changes in our lives. Amen.
by Keith Edwards
Friday, June 4, 2010
Time To Bind Together June 4th Devotional
Read:
Acts 2:42-47
42And they continued steadfast in the apostles' doctrine and fellowship, and in breaking of bread, and in prayers.
43And fear came upon every soul: and many wonders and signs were done by the apostles.
44And all that believed were together, and had all things common;
45And sold their possessions and goods, and parted them to all men, as every man had need.
46And they, continuing daily with one accord in the temple, and breaking bread from house to house, did eat their meat with gladness and singleness of heart,
47Praising God, and having favour with all the people. And the Lord added to the church daily such as should be saved.
A Pastor said one day that the church would be alright if it were not for people. This sounds kind of humorous, but the way we act sometimes, including some ministers, we would think that the church is all about me and not we. Someone said one time, "To live above with those we love will be full of glory, but to live below with those we know we'll, that's another story." God never attended for us to be that Lone Ranger type christian who sits in there 8X8 closet and that is the only fellowship that they have. For so many years I spent more time by myself just in my own little world studying. There is definitely nothing wrong with this when done in balance. We need that quality time in our prayer closet. The secret to a successful life of a believer is the success of there secret life in the prayer closet. This will build character and cause the anointing of God to increase in our lives. But we need the fellowship of other believers in the church. This is how God builds. God builds in three ways. He builds by revelation, relationally, and by generation. All throughout the bible God was looking after His holy seed for the coming messiah. After Christ came He was a seed for all of humanity through all ages, and that seed was by generation. God also builds by revelation. Jesus asked His disciples one day, "Who do men say that I am?" Some said this and some said that, but Peter spoke and said with power and revelation, "You are the Christ the Son of the living God!" This was by revelation of who Jesus was as God the Son. The third way God builds is very important for us as believers. He builds relationally. There is such a power in cell groups, prayer meetings, and bible studies branched from the home church itself. I can remember back two years ago when we had a prayer meeting, worship music, and bible study in the basement of a minister friend of mine. God move miraculously. There were some healed, delivered, and set free by the power of God. The minister's wife prayed for a young girl who had breast cancer. The young girl's mom come running in to her office crying. She said I know you believe in miracles, and I'm pleading with you to pray with us. Will you? She said yes let's pray. She laid her hands on her and the mom took her young daughter to the doctor and they couldn't find a trace of that cancer. Many other things happened there. I can remember just leading worship and lifting Jesus up. You see, when you lift Jesus up together in unity, things will happen. So many Christians get caught up in lifting miracles and other things up instead of lifting Christ Jesus up. We need each other. I want to encourage you today to get connected and plugged in to your home church like never before. Yes it's going to make your flesh go crazy. One revelation that helps when I feel the pressure of connecting to believers in a more powerful way is realizing that it's the enemy that don't want you to get connected. He knows the power in it. Don't try and fight the body of Christ when this happens. This is how the enemy works. The devil hates relationships and always will. Will you say with me today, "I am a part of the body of Christ, and I will get connected like never before with bible studies, corporate worship, and other ways in the church." I want to encourage this day to re-focus on how God builds.
prayer:
Lord we come to you in your mighty name. We know that the enemy hates anything to do with you Lord and the fellowship of believers. We know that we need to bind together as a body of believers like never before. Help us Lord to plug in greater than ever with the body of Christ and help us pick up a stone as living stones and carry it back with the other stones of other believers if we have strayed away with our own little stone. We long to be a part of the building of the temple. Lord we also pray for our youth. We understand Lord that if you tarry the youth will be the next generation. God we lift up our youth pastor's today, and we pray protection upon this generation in Jesus name we pray. Amen.
Acts 2:42-47
42And they continued steadfast in the apostles' doctrine and fellowship, and in breaking of bread, and in prayers.
43And fear came upon every soul: and many wonders and signs were done by the apostles.
44And all that believed were together, and had all things common;
45And sold their possessions and goods, and parted them to all men, as every man had need.
46And they, continuing daily with one accord in the temple, and breaking bread from house to house, did eat their meat with gladness and singleness of heart,
47Praising God, and having favour with all the people. And the Lord added to the church daily such as should be saved.
A Pastor said one day that the church would be alright if it were not for people. This sounds kind of humorous, but the way we act sometimes, including some ministers, we would think that the church is all about me and not we. Someone said one time, "To live above with those we love will be full of glory, but to live below with those we know we'll, that's another story." God never attended for us to be that Lone Ranger type christian who sits in there 8X8 closet and that is the only fellowship that they have. For so many years I spent more time by myself just in my own little world studying. There is definitely nothing wrong with this when done in balance. We need that quality time in our prayer closet. The secret to a successful life of a believer is the success of there secret life in the prayer closet. This will build character and cause the anointing of God to increase in our lives. But we need the fellowship of other believers in the church. This is how God builds. God builds in three ways. He builds by revelation, relationally, and by generation. All throughout the bible God was looking after His holy seed for the coming messiah. After Christ came He was a seed for all of humanity through all ages, and that seed was by generation. God also builds by revelation. Jesus asked His disciples one day, "Who do men say that I am?" Some said this and some said that, but Peter spoke and said with power and revelation, "You are the Christ the Son of the living God!" This was by revelation of who Jesus was as God the Son. The third way God builds is very important for us as believers. He builds relationally. There is such a power in cell groups, prayer meetings, and bible studies branched from the home church itself. I can remember back two years ago when we had a prayer meeting, worship music, and bible study in the basement of a minister friend of mine. God move miraculously. There were some healed, delivered, and set free by the power of God. The minister's wife prayed for a young girl who had breast cancer. The young girl's mom come running in to her office crying. She said I know you believe in miracles, and I'm pleading with you to pray with us. Will you? She said yes let's pray. She laid her hands on her and the mom took her young daughter to the doctor and they couldn't find a trace of that cancer. Many other things happened there. I can remember just leading worship and lifting Jesus up. You see, when you lift Jesus up together in unity, things will happen. So many Christians get caught up in lifting miracles and other things up instead of lifting Christ Jesus up. We need each other. I want to encourage you today to get connected and plugged in to your home church like never before. Yes it's going to make your flesh go crazy. One revelation that helps when I feel the pressure of connecting to believers in a more powerful way is realizing that it's the enemy that don't want you to get connected. He knows the power in it. Don't try and fight the body of Christ when this happens. This is how the enemy works. The devil hates relationships and always will. Will you say with me today, "I am a part of the body of Christ, and I will get connected like never before with bible studies, corporate worship, and other ways in the church." I want to encourage this day to re-focus on how God builds.
prayer:
Lord we come to you in your mighty name. We know that the enemy hates anything to do with you Lord and the fellowship of believers. We know that we need to bind together as a body of believers like never before. Help us Lord to plug in greater than ever with the body of Christ and help us pick up a stone as living stones and carry it back with the other stones of other believers if we have strayed away with our own little stone. We long to be a part of the building of the temple. Lord we also pray for our youth. We understand Lord that if you tarry the youth will be the next generation. God we lift up our youth pastor's today, and we pray protection upon this generation in Jesus name we pray. Amen.
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