Devotionals

"Not that I speak in regard to need, for I have learned in whatever state I am, to be content: I know how to be abased, and I know how to abound. Everywhere and in all things I have learned both to be full and to be hungry, both to abound and to suffer need. I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me."[Philippians 4:11-13 NKJV]

Bros, it is easy for us to complain about what we lack, in fact way too easy, but also to complain when we have way too much-in reality we have it made! We could learn very easily how to be content like Paul was in his circumstances then we wouldn’t have any reason to complain. And if we find ourselves to be a grumbler we could adjust our attitude of complaining, to a reliance on God totally, and have the peace of God that helps us to trust in His power and strength not ours in whatever situation that God allows us to be in at any given time. Paul states his contentment whether he has much or nothing…Paul did not want to lend to the appearance of being a complainer. He had the peace of God and relied on the strength of God. It’s the power of God that allowed him to live beyond or above his circumstances. Remember he wrote this letter from prison and look he still has the right attitude of trusting God, dependence on God and the peace of God to be content no matter his circumstance… Could it be that hard for us to change…? When you think about whom He is, the Creator of the Universe we should without a doubt be able to always trust in the Almighty Creator of the heavens and the earth and the living creature. I am sure for a lot of us, myself included; the one thing we need to change most is our attitude of complaining and to be able to have a good attitude of gratitude (thankfulness, appreciation and gratefulness) no matter where we find ourselves in everyday life. If we look to God we can always count on His strength and our trust really should always be in Jesus not what we have or do not have materially…This is always the best attitude we can have no matter what or where we find ourselves in life, Christ is always the answer! Christ will always prevail and get us through whether we are rich or poor. It’s about staying in Christ-going to Him, living in His grace, walking in the Spirit, being reliant on Christ and who He is and what He has done for us and how much He loves us and will continue to love us and that love will never fade or fall away! Christ alone provides us with the strength to get through every day to do His will whether we be full or hungry, whether we have it all or suffer need, Christ will give us His peace in any and all circumstances. We can abound in Christ who strengthens us and His peace that surpasses all understanding and trumps everything amen!

“There is one body and one Spirit, just as you were called in one hope of your calling; one Lord, one faith, one baptism; one God and Father of all, who [is] above all, and through all, and in you all.”[Ephesians 4:4-6 NKJV]

Bros we are not only called to be one body for the one true and living God- the God of the Bible! We are of one Father, who is above all and through us all and in us all- we as bros are all washed and cleansed, forgiven and set free by the same blood. So grateful God the Father laid it all out for us knowing by His design that it would take Jesus to save us. He made it simple for us if only we would humble ourselves… and making us family-one body through Christ and explains this unity through this Scripture above and also encourages us to unity by “endeavoring to keep the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace.” [Ephesians4:3 NKJV]

I believe it is easier for us to pray together, study His Word together, encourage one another and use our gifts from God to bless God and His people-His body. He gave us the wherewithal… and He gave us the means for Unity through the gifts He gives each one of us.

“But to each one of us grace was given according to the measure of Christ's gift.” [Ephesians 4:7 NKJV]

 And the purpose He gave us gifts “for the equipping of the saints for the work of ministry, for the edifying of the body of Christ…” [Ephesians 4:12 NKJV]

“so we, [being] many, are one body in Christ, and individually members of one another.” [Romans 12:5 NKJV] We are one body collectively and individually-the body of Christ. So cool that we as Believers have one shared denominator- Jesus Christ the giver of every good gift and every perfect gift. 

“For we, [though] many, are one bread [and] one body; for we all partake of that one bread.” [1Corinthians 10:17 NKJV] Jesus is the bread of life!

 “For as the body is one and has many members, but all the members of that one body, being many, are one body, so also [is] Christ. ...” [1Corinthians 12:12 NKJV]

 “Now you are the body of Christ, and members individually.” [1Corinthians12:27 NKJV] We are like pieces of a puzzle-we are individual pieces and shapes but we all connect and fit together to make one giant interconnecting work for the Lord… That works in unison to create the bigger picture or a greater work unto the Lord by His own design and His own purpose He made us that way.  

Bros God made us unique and individually yet to be one body in Christ, therefore we should live and walk in the unity that God made and desires for us and bros in Christ-amen!

“For you know the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, that though He was rich, yet for your sakes He became poor, that you through His poverty might become rich.”[2Corinthians 8:9 NKJV]

Bros how can we not know and remember the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ? The Lord had the power and strength to do anything He wanted when He came to walk this earth. But chose to come in a lowly form and did not rely on His supernatural ability to make things easy or comfortable for Himself. When things were difficult for Him He did not call on His ability to call into existence anything or for any of the resources of all creation that He created to allow himself to live as the King of kings and Lord of lords that He was, but instead he lived in the humblest way known to man. He laid it all down for us, in His great love and affection towards us He allowed Himself to be stripped of all that should be bestowed upon Him as God in the form and flesh of man. And not only that but He took it to the lowest stature of man’s earthly existence. He allowed us to receive all of His riches beyond comprehension, there is no greater transformation from poor too rich than to receive Jesus Christ as your Lord and Savior! Instantly rich in Christ grace unmerited favor for every last one of us that accepts and receives the gift of life through Christ blood that was shed on Calvary that we might be washed, forgiven of our deadly sins, cleanse, set free, made brand new, receive eternal life instantaneously and walk away debt free forever with every sin taken away and remembered no more. How much richer can we be than in Christ! To think that He would allow Himself to endure the life that He led on this earth leading up to the cross and to become the propitiation for our sins, knowing He was the only one who could save us and yet He never made it easy on Himself especially considering He was the Son of God, Creator of all and had every miracle, power, ability and the riches of all creation at his fingertips and the breath of His words could move mountains. He could of spoke things into existence for His comfort and enjoyed all the delicacies of a king while on earth in the form of man. Yet instead of luxury He chose to give us all His love, He gave His life and traded His riches to redeem us-He took the shame and punishment of the cross in our place for our sins, the mere thought of this is overwhelming and mind boggling and not to mention my heart and I am sure every heart that melts at the thought that He could and does loves us this much. Bros He laid down everything for us and rose from the grave and had victory over sin and death the two things that made us poor but He redeemed us from this poverty and made us rich in eternal life with Him! We have an inheritance in Christ and are eternally rich in Christ; we became rich in Him and because of Him-amen!

“Therefore we do not lose heart. Even though our outward man is perishing, yet the inward [man] is being renewed day by day.[2Corinthians 4:16 NKJV]”

Bros keep on running the race, don’t stop, don’t look back- look up to Jesus, He is the way the truth and the life! Paul’s trials brought him many times close to death and even though we also may also be persecuted but probably not to the extent of what Paul endured. We may get knocked down spiritually, emotionally, verbally, physically and or any other ways we get knocked down, we are not destroyed and we don’t lose heart! “Therefore, since we have this ministry, as we have received mercy, we do not lose heart.” [2Corinthians 4:1 NKJV]

 Everything we go through is hard on the outside or exterior man because he dying every day. But it is what God is doing on the inward man that gives us strength and the ability to keep trucking for Jesus! As the physical outward is perishing there is at work a constant renewing going on inward that God gives through His power for us to be able be used and to serve daily. It is what is living on the inside in the heart and soul through the abundant supply from God where spiritual renewal comes day by day that count…the inside or interior man he is being renewed day by day and built up by the living God-He’s living on the inside!

 “He gives power to the weak, And to [those who have] no might He increases strength. ...”    “But those who wait on the LORD Shall renew [their] strength; They shall mount up with wings like eagles, They shall run and not be weary, They shall walk and not faint.” [Isaiah 40:29, 31 NKJV]  Bros our inward man is being renewed and strengthened by the power of God that is at work in us and that He gives to us day by day as the outward man diminishes the inward man is being renewed to continue on in spite of that dying diminishing outward man and any other contrary condition through persecution or otherwise. God will supply our day by day needs and replenish us abundantly…“And my God shall supply all your need according to His riches in glory by Christ Jesus.”[Philippians 4:19 NKJV]  Praise God- Amen!

“Watch, stand fast in the faith, be brave, be strong.”(1Corinthians 16:13NKJV)

Bros as Paul offers encouragement to the brethren we also as present day brethren should be encouraged likewise to take heed to these words in this verse. As a volunteer PSR with the Sheriff’s Department often there are many opportunities to serve as a Fire Watch as various locations. The idea is when you serve you are watching for fire or smoke to warn others in the event of an impending fire condition so that that warning can help save lives and property- but you have to see the fire or smoke first. I believe when we look at this verse and realize in a similar way as the fire watch we are called to do just that watch for the Lord; except sounding the warning is now before He comes, unlike the fire watch it is after you see fire and smoke then you sound the alarm…

  But with the Lord we do it ahead of time…. “Watch therefore, for you do not know what hour your Lord is coming.”[Matthew 24:42 NKJV] One thing that I definitely read here is Jesus is coming without warning bros! OK we should be ready and watching but also we should “stand fast in the faith” even if you suffer, here is Paul’s encouragement to the afflicted in Philippians “Only let your conduct be worthy of the gospel of Christ, so that whether I come and see you or am absent, I may hear of your affairs, that you stand fast in one spirit, with one mind striving together for the faith of the gospel…,” [Philippians1:27 NKJV] Jesus knows all, He knows what we are doing in our lives right now, He knows if we are watching and waiting, redeeming the time or just going about our lives as if nothing will ever happen. The cool thing is when we are ready and watching we are being proactive we know it’s going to happen and we are sounding the alarms, seize every opportunity to share Jesus, to bear witness to every lost soul, to help save lives instead of waiting idly doing nothing to warn, not taking the initiative to share this great truth, that the Lord is coming back- get ready people; believe and receive Christ now today not later! 

“Therefore, my beloved and longed-for brethren, my joy and crown, so stand fast in the Lord, beloved.” [Philippians 4:1 NKJV]  

Bros be brave, be strong we don’t know the hour, but the days are short, and the Lord is not slack, today He could come back, sound the warning now-not later, spirit led–spirit filled, help save lives for eternity- share the Gospel…  “The Lord is not slack concerning [His] promise, as some count slackness, but is longsuffering toward us, not willing that any should perish but that all should come to repentance.” [2Peter 3:9 NKJV] We know He is coming, we have been warned, warn others, be resilient, fearless and bold for the Lord amen!

“Imitate me, just as I also [imitate] Christ.”[1Corinthians 11:1 NKJV]

Bros imagine having the boldness and confidence to make a statement like Paul has here in saying this; “Imitate me, just as I also [imitate] Christ.” How confident would you be to proclaim this, thinking about your own life and how you are living for Christ? If we examine every area of our life could we still make this proclamation? Of course we all have a few areas where we might be able to declare this-but honestly could you really say this in totality of every area and facet of your daily live; attitude, honesty, treatment of others, love towards your neighbors, devotion to the Lord, love and more? Paul qualifies it by further stating as he imitates Christ- meaning as he keeps following Christ. I believe the only way you can declare this along with Paul is if you are living that life of fully following Christ and being obedient and walking as Christ did, living and walking in Christ strength alone, committed totally to Him and submitted to Him- walking in the power of His grace. Paul couldn’t say this unless he was living his life fully unto Christ this goes for even when no one else can see him- he was a good example for us! You can’t teach what you don’t know and what you yourself are not following…

When I was in school way back when- I occasionally got in trouble, rare as it was… a few times I had to write “I will not throw things in Art class” five hundred times. I went home and got some carbon copy paper and thought I will write two pages at once that way I will only have to write half the quantity. Next day I turned in the required punishment and thought wow I pulled one over on the teacher… At the end of the school day the teacher called me to stay after class and asked me if I used carbon copy paper and I said yes. She said I was I cheating by making false imitations It wasn’t the real deal- I didn’t do the complete punishment, I cut corners so it was easier… So she told me I had to do it over and now write the same thing but a thousand times. It was Friday so I had the weekend to do this, I was ticked! I tried to take a short cut and fake it but didn’t make it! So I started writing as soon as I got home so I wouldn’t ruin my whole weekend. I discovered I could write five sentences at the same time if I taped the pencils together- so I found a new way and only had to really write two hundred sentences, whereas last time I had to write two hundred fifty to get my carbon copied five hundred. Well I did it again- cheap imitation of the real thing, sad part is I actually got away with it this time and quite a few times after this. You see no one knew what I was doing behind the scenes; the teacher didn’t know I was not doing it right- taking the easy way out bro.

In our walk we can fake it but we’ll never make, God see’s He knows bro! There would be no easy way to imitate Christ except to be fully surrendered, submitted and committed to Him who is able, otherwise anything else would be a counterfeit, God see’s He knows bro! We can do things behind closed doors, behind the scenes, in a different neighborhood and think wow I got away with it… But God knows our heart bros. I believe He wants us to be a carbon copy by imitating His Son the example He laid down for us to follow. Paul encourages the Corinthians to imitate him but as he is imitating Christ, Paul is bold in stating this- sad part do many of us have the boldness to make this statement or claim? Bros make it your aim just as I make it mine to be pleasing to the Lord in every area, He knows, He sees, confess your sins and receive forgiveness and imitate Christ Jesus He is the example we long to be following and be like in our walk-amen!

“…but love edifies.” “[1Corinthians 8:1 NKJV]

Bros ever notice when instruction comes in love that we have a tendency to receive the teaching at greater depth… When we receive harsh instructions we tend to spend half our instructional time being bitter or resentful about or towards the instructor… Love teaches us and encourages us and edifies us in the ways of the Lord so much more powerful than any other way. Love can come in many different forms of instruction and correction. Such as truth-it’s better to be truthful, where is love found in lies? “Faithful [are] the wounds of a friend, But the kisses of an enemy [are] deceitful.” [Proverbs 27:6 NKJV]  

I know what appealed to me about coming to the Lord and probably many others I would say is always His great love for us. The fact that He loves us no matter what we have done, or how far we kept ourselves from Him or where we have been hiding in sin in our lives or how much we might have hated or rejected God at one time, His love for us never fails… And that is what drew me into God I could not resist His love and I could not believe that He could love me the way He surely did. He did not coerce me to come to Him, He did not beat me or threaten me physically or verbally abuse me into receiving Christ but He loved me into His Kingdom, His arms, His heart and eternal life with Him. His love never fails or runs empty towards us! His love corrects us while loving us simultaneously and that is such a hard thing to learn for us that correction in love instructs us, teaches us, edifies us- that is until we receive the Love of Christ and we see it demonstrated by God towards us then we get it… Now rightly applying that in our own lives towards instructing others in love- help us Lord we pray!

Paul is instructing the Corinthians in the principles of liberty and the weaker brother in this verse and chapter about eating things offered to idols. He then goes on to remind them not to let their knowledge puff them up…they being the knowing, that there is only one real God our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ and knowing that the idols are not a god but meaningless objects…“yet for us [there is] one God, the Father, of whom [are] all things, and we for Him; and one Lord Jesus Christ, through whom [are] all things, and through whom we [live]. However, [there is] not in everyone that knowledge; for some, with consciousness of the idol, until now eat [it] as a thing offered to an idol; and their conscience, being weak, is defiled.” [1Corinthians 8:6-7 NKJV]  At the end of his instruction Paul encourages them not to be a stumbling block to the weaker brother even though they have the liberty to partake, but as an example of instruction that I believe is in love he encourages them to not stumble the brethren and takes a stance of love and instruction by saying about the meat offered to idols- “I will never eat meat lest I make my brother stumble."

Love sacrifices our liberties for our brother’s wellbeing and keeping him from stumbling. Love teaches us to love others in love in all things-amen!    

“for you are still carnal. For where [there are] envy, strife, and divisions among you, are you not carnal and behaving like [mere] men?”[1Corinthians 3:3 NKJV]

Bros what a sobering thought when Paul says “for you are still carnal” This is a convicting statement for every believer that truly examines himself before the Lord… But Paul was addressing the Corinthians on a number of issues in this letter, but in this part of his response to Chloe’s report of divisions. The Corinthians were priding themselves in human leaders (Paul, Apollo’s and Peter) almost cultic instead of priding themselves in Christ. This led to divisions among them especially in their carnality of thinking and forgetting that man’s knowledge or cleverness is not what brought them to Christ especially because divine wisdom is contrary to human wisdom… We can see this type of behavior in the church today and maybe even in our own lives. Following the man instead of Christ! Paul then goes on to name the conditions for this to be true; “For where [there are] envy, strife, and divisions among you” By puffing themselves up in these personality cults this led to the divisions among them. They were also destroying their witness as Christians because of all these divisions. I believe we have to ask ourselves if we are destroying our witness with envy, strife and divisions among us. Envy comes in many different forms and we can be envious in many ways for instance through jealousy, greed, bitterness, resentment, desire and covetousness just to name a few.

This brings us to the final part of this verse Paul asks this question; “are you not carnal and behaving like mere men?” Bros are we acting and behaving like Christians or mere men? Are we following men instead of Jesus? Are we creating divisions among the brethren? Are we still on milk? We should desire solid food-it belongs to those who are of full age. We, those who are mature should be mature in the things of God not leading to envy, strife and divisions… Put away foolish thinking and be mature to discern both good and evil.

Bros I speak mainly to myself and anyone else that needs to be sharpened-  “for the equipping of the saints for the work of ministry, for the edifying of the body of Christ, till we all come to the unity of the faith and of the knowledge of the Son of God, to a perfect man, to the measure of the stature of the fullness of Christ; that we should no longer be children, tossed to and fro and carried about with every wind of doctrine, by the trickery of men, in the cunning craftiness of deceitful plotting, but, speaking the truth in love, may grow up in all things into Him who is the head--Christ--from whom the whole body, joined and knit together by what every joint supplies, according to the effective working by which every part does its share, causes growth of the body for the edifying of itself in love.” [Ephesians 4:12-16 NKJV]

Lord we ask You to please help us to grow and be mature in You and not be complacent or stagnant in our Christian walk- but growing in Your grace and Knowledge-amen! 

“And [do] this, knowing the time, that now [it is] high time to awake out of sleep; for now our salvation [is] nearer than when we [first] believed. The night is far spent, the day is at hand. Therefore let us cast off the works of darkness, and let us put on the armor of light. Let us walk properly, as in the day, not in revelry and drunkenness, not in lewdness and lust, not in strife and envy. But put on the Lord Jesus Christ, and make no provision for the flesh, to [fulfill its] lusts.”[Romans 13:11-14 NKJV]

Bros how long should we wait until we share the Lord? Time is running out for each of us…

“Awake to righteousness, and do not sin; for some do not have the knowledge of God. I speak [this] to your shame.” [1Corinthians15:34 NKJV] We are running out of time- not knowing the exact day, but the night is far spent and we are in the day when the time is nearer…

“And have no fellowship with the unfruitful works of darkness, but rather expose them.”[Ephesians 5:11 NKJV] We have no time for fellowship with sin; no time to hang out in that arena of darkness that once held us prisoner. But it’s time to use our time to step up and out to be the light to the darkness-not to be a part of the darkness- but illuminate it with the Lord Jesus Christ. “Put on the whole armor of God, that you may be able to stand against the wiles of the devil.” [Ephesians 6:11 NKJV] Bros we want to be fully equipped not in and of our flesh to engage in the battle but by the fullness of God and the equipping of His armor. “Therefore take up the whole armor of God, that you may be able to withstand in the evil day, and having done all, to stand.” [Ephesians 6:13 NKJV] Bros we can walk about in a lackadaisical state of preparedness and be totally unprepared to engage in the battle for souls, unprepared to meet our neighbor’s spiritual needs with the sharing of the Gospel. If we are operating in this state we only show up half ready and halfhearted to share the Good News. We have not prepared to go to battle and as a result we make a provision for our flesh to enter the battle and it can and will fall to its lust if we don’t armor up… Therefore by the grace of God we need to put on the Lord Jesus Christ- not like a garment we take on and off but rather because we are in Christ and He is in us-never to be removed. “For as many of you as were baptized into Christ have put on Christ.” [Galatians 3:27 NKJV]

By not making a provision for our flesh we can operate and walk in the Spirit so that we may not fulfill the lusts of our flesh which we all know cannot be satisfied, our flesh will kill us trying to be fulfilled by its lust. “I say then: Walk in the Spirit, and you shall not fulfill the lust of the flesh.” [Galatians 5:16 NKJV]

Lord help us to make no provision for our flesh but help us to: Walk in the Spirit, to remain in You, to abide in You, to be the Witness You have called us to be and to Love our neighbors because You told us too, plus time is running out and there is no time left to waste in unfruitful works of darkness- may we redeem the time doing Your Will in our lives-amen!

“I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that you present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable to God, [which is] your reasonable service. 2 And do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, that you may prove what [is] that good and acceptable and perfect will of God.”[Romans 12:1-2 NKJV]

Bros God gave us free will spirit to believe, love and choose Him or not choose Him. We can go through life an yield to His love and His ways or choose not to follow Him and go un-yielded doing whatever we want…both will have eternal consequences one will have lifesaving consequences and the other will have death consequences. This analogy might be applicable; if we are driving a car and then come to an intersection just as we approach we see a yield sign for our direction so we know we can continue through the intersection without stopping as long as there is not another car coming through at the same time. But if there is another car we must yield and stop for that car and give them the right away to go through the intersection because of the law that is in place we have given up our right or freedom to just drive through un-yielded. Much in the same we when we come to Christ we have given up our freedom or right to choose doing things that are contrary to our Lords Word, we no longer go through life un-yielded to God but we must present our bodies as a living sacrifice. We give way to God, we yield to Him even though we don’t have to… we could keep going the way we want to go.

But now we want to obey Him and yield to His ways to keep us from having a collision with our body and mind leading to sin… In order to do this we must yield both our body and mind because our body will do what we conceive in our minds. Once that thought seed has been conceived and planted it is just a matter of time before the body will allow that thought seed to sprout or come to fruition. It is so important to not allow our mind to think or meditate on sin pleasures, not even for a second- do not allow your mind to go there or your body will be carrying that sin out in the flesh which was conceived in the mind first. “Commit your works to the LORD, And your thoughts will be established.”[Proverbs 16:3 NKJV] Bros our bodies belong to the Lord we need to have a willingness to be dedicated to Gods commands and will for our life. Also by being yielded to God our mind will be transformed over our lives as we yield to God through prayer to Him in everything in our life and unceasing meditation on the Word of God! “For though we walk in the flesh, we do not war according to the flesh. For the weapons of our warfare [are] not carnal but mighty in God for pulling down strongholds, casting down arguments and every high thing that exalts itself against the knowledge of God, bringing every thought into captivity to the obedience of Christ…,”[2Corinthians 10:3-5 NKJV]

Don’t let the enemy get your mind bound up with a barrage of fiery darts while you sit in His Word, but rather do what Gods Word says an put on the full armor of God and don’t take it off then you will be able to extinguish those un-yielded death darts that are launched against your mind-stay focused on God… Meditate on and in His Word and pray daily until He takes you home-amen!