Day 16 - Devo: Free to Run!

Matthew 11:28-30

“Come to Me, all you who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. Take My yoke upon you and learn from Me, for I am gentle and lowly in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For My yoke is easy and My burden is light." NKJV

On numerous occasions this passage has blessed my life and I’m sure it is has done the same for many others; before our time and after we are gone. It is so easy to get bogged down by the trials and busyness of life or weighed down by our own struggles, issues, hurts or discouragements. One major weight can be self-condemnation. We can condemn ourselves for feeling condemned and thus the vicious cycle continues.

These weights can become so heavy that they can hold us back from moving forward in life with joy and peace. They can also hinder us from experiencing the abundant life that God has for us and instead of enjoying life we can grow to despise it instead. God knows our hearts and knows our needs and desires us to come to Him. Read More...

Day 16 Devotional: Free to Run!

Matthew 11:28-30

“Come to Me, all you who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. Take My yoke upon you and learn from Me, for I am gentle and lowly in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For My yoke is easy and My burden is light." NKJV

On numerous occasions this passage has blessed my life and I’m sure it is has done the same for many others; before our time and after we are gone. It is so easy to get bogged down by the trials and busyness of life or weighed down by our own struggles, issues, hurts or discouragements. One major weight can be self-condemnation. We can condemn ourselves for feeling condemned and thus the vicious cycle continues.

These weights can become so heavy that they can hold us back from moving forward in life with joy and peace. They can also hinder us from experiencing the abundant life that God has for us and instead of enjoying life we can grow to despise it instead. God knows our hearts and knows our needs and desires us to come to Him. Read More...

Day 15 - His Eye is On the Sparrow

Matthew 10:29-31

"Are not two sparrows sold for a copper coin? And not one of them falls to the ground apart from your Father's will. But the very hairs of your head are all numbered. Do not fear therefore; you are of more value than many sparrows." NKJV

As I read this passage I am reminded of this beautiful worship song called, “His Eye is On the Sparrow”. I believe the song was written with these scriptures in mind.

The song goes like this:

Why should I feel discouraged
Why should the shadows come
Why should my heart feel lonely
And long for heaven and home

When Jesus is my portion
A constant friend is he
His eye is on the sparrow
And I know he watches over me


Read More...

Day 13 - A Compassion for the Harvest

Matthew 9:37-38

“Then He said to His disciples, "The harvest truly is plentiful, but the laborers are few. Therefore pray the Lord of the harvest to send out laborers into His harvest." NKJV

Context:

Matthew 9:35-38 “Then Jesus went about all the cities and villages, teaching in their synagogues, preaching the gospel of the kingdom, and healing every sickness and every disease among the people. But when He saw the multitudes, He was moved with compassion for them, because they were weary and scattered, like sheep having no shepherd. Then He said to His disciples, "The harvest truly is plentiful, but the laborers are few. Therefore pray the Lord of the harvest to send out laborers into His harvest."

Jesus had been teaching, preaching and healing every sickness and disease and it says here after he looked at the multitude in verse 36, “He was moved with compassion for them, because they were weary and scattered, like sheep with no shepherd.”

One of the reasons I personally have a heart for the hurting and the lost is because I was one of those sheep. I was utterly lost and felt so alone searching to find substance and purpose for my life. It wasn’t until I asked Christ into my heart that I finally felt the peace I had been longing for - to soothe my empty soul. My testimony is that of the song; Amazing Grace – Amazing grace how sweet the sound who saved a wretch like me. I once was lost but now I’m found, once blind but now I see. Read More...

Day 12 - A Centurion’s Marvelous Faith

Matthew 8:10-11

“When Jesus heard it, He marveled, and said to those who followed, "Assuredly, I say to you, I have not found such great faith, not even in Israel! NKJV

Verse in Context:

Matthew 8:8-9 “The centurion answered and said, "Lord, I am not worthy that You should come under my roof. But only speak a word, and my servant will be healed. for I also am a man under authority, having soldiers under me. And I say to this one, 'Go,' and he goes; and to another, 'Come,' and he comes; and to my servant, 'Do this,' and he does it." NKJV

A Centurion was a Roman Captain soldier over one hundred men or more depending on their level; the higher the level the more men under his command. They were men of authority who gave orders rather than receive them. Yet, he approached Jesus not with a power or authority of his own; he came with a humbled heart recognizing Christ as Lord . He acknowledgied his unworthiness of having Jesus step foot in his home. Read more...

Day 11 Devotional - God Desires Mercy not Sacrifice

Matthew 32:11-13

“And when the Pharisees saw it, they said to His disciples, "Why does your Teacher eat with tax collectors and sinners?" When Jesus heard that, He said to them, "Those who are well have no need of a physician, but those who are sick. But go and learn what this means: 'I desire mercy and not sacrifice. for I did not come to call the righteous, but sinners, to repentance." NKJV

Jesus had just called Matthew who was a tax collector to follow Him and he immediately got up and followed Him. Matthew had Jesus over for dinner that night and invited all his friends to come meet Him. In those days tax collectors were despised and hated by everyone and viewed as the scum of the earth. They could only hang out with each other and others that were viewed the same way because no one else would talk to them. Once again we see how Jesus chose His disciples not because of their outward righteous acts or religious piety but men who would follow Him with their whole heart.

Matthew inviting his friends over to meet Jesus was the perfect scenario to bring light into their dark world and bring them to repentance and salvation through Christ. The Pharisees saw the good that was happening and viewed it as evil and then accused Jesus of fellowshipping with sinners. Read More...

The Seed of Promise and Blessing

Genesis 22:17-19

“Blessing I will bless you, and multiplying I will multiply your descendants as the stars of the heaven and as the sand which is on the seashore; and your descendants shall possess the gate of their enemies. In your seed all the nations of the earth shall be blessed, because you have obeyed My voice." NKJV

God gives Abraham a wonderful and powerful promise of blessing upon him and all his descendents namely those of his seed. The Lord God tells him that in his seed they will multiply and bless the nations of the earth. NKJV

I love how God tells Abraham he will not only be blessed but through his seed he and his offspring will bless the nations. It’s hard to imagine how one man could produce offspring as numerous as the stars in the heavens, especially a number so great that they would impact nations – not a country, not a continent but nations.

What Abraham may not have known how at the time but fully believed by faith God would provide was that God in His infinite and all surpassing knowledge was going to send his own son to be born of a virgin named Mary, married to Joseph Whose family line and seed came directly from Abraham and the house of King David. Jesus is the seed from Abraham and fulfillment of that promise. Read more...

Day 9 – Under the Shadow of His Wings

Psalm 9:9 "The Lord also will be a refuge for the oppressed, a refuge in times of trouble."

This is a powerful promise and one to meditate on and memorize to be written on the tablets of our hearts and minds. The beauty of this passage is in the word, “Refuge”. In the Webster dictionary and bible dictionaries the word refuge means; a shelter and protection from danger or distress. What’s more interesting is the Hebrew definition for refuge: ‎misgab (mis-gawb) which also means; “CLIFF” - High and Lofty inaccessible to reach or obtain.

Here is the cross-reference for this very passage:

Psalm 91:2-5 “I will say of the Lord, "He is my refuge and my fortress;

My God, in Him I will trust." Surely He shall deliver you from the snare of the fowler and from the perilous pestilence. He shall cover you with His feathers, and under His wings you shall take refuge; His truth shall be your shield and buckler. You shall not be afraid of the terror by night, Nor of the arrow that flies by day, NKJV

In this passage especially in verses 3 and 4, we learn that our refuge is under the shadow of His wings. Eagles and most birds are known to protect their young by placing them underneath their wings hiding them from the eyes of the predators and protecting them from the snare of the fowler. Read More...

Day 8 - Therefore

Matthew 7:12
Therefore, whatever you want men to do to you, do also to them, for this is the Law and the Prophets. NKJV

Matthew 7:7-12 "Ask, and it will be given to you; seek, and you will find; knock, and it will be opened to you. For everyone who asks receives, and he who seeks finds, and to him who knocks it will be opened. Or what man is there among you who, if his son asks for bread, will give him a stone? Or if he asks for a fish, will he give him a serpent? If you then, being evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your Father who is in heaven give good things to those who ask Him! Therefore, whatever you want men to do to you, do also to them, for this is the Law and the Prophets. NKJV

In looking at the entire passage - Jesus is telling them to keep asking and it shall be given; keep seeking and they shall find and keep knocking and the door shall be opened to them. Jesus is referring to man’s continual pursuit of God and they shall receive. He then proceeds to tell them if evil men give good gifts to their children how much more will your heavenly Father give to those that ask? And then he closes this particular thought by saying, “Therefore, whatever you want men to do to you, do also to them for this is the Law and the Prophets.” Read More...

Day 7- Our Father in Heaven

Matthew 6:9

“In this manner, therefore, pray: Our Father in heaven,Hallowed be Your name.” NKJV


In this passage Jesus is teaching in the manner or model that we should pray but also in the heart, mind and attitude we should be praying with. We know this because of what he shares with them in the prior verses. He tells them not to pray to be seen by others but to go in the closet and pray to their father in secret.

Notice Jesus starts out His prayer by saying, “Our Father in heaven”. His first lesson is teaching them to pray as a son or daughter to their heavenly father. He is teaching us that our faith is not about religion for tradition sake it’s about personal relationship between God and us. It’s an intimate and personal relationship that is near and dear to the heart; not far away and distant, but close up and personal. Read More here...

Day 6 - Love your Enemies

Matthew 5:43-45

"You have heard that it was said, 'You shall love your neighbor and hate your enemy.' But I say to you, love your enemies, bless those who curse you, do good to those who hate you, and pray for those who spitefully use you and persecute you, that you may be sons of your Father in heaven; NKJV

It can be very difficult when you have been hurt, wounded or persecuted by an individual to love them, bless them and especially pray for them. In fact in your heart of flesh you might think it’s impossible to do; but Jesus also says that what is impossible for man is possible with God.

This type of love and attitude can only come from God because God is love and His love is unconditional, patient, kind and holds no record of wrongs etc... It goes far beyond our limited and human love. Read 1 Corinthians 13, the chapter of love and see how good God’s love truly is. Compared to ours - there’s no comparison. God does however allow us these experiences to work in us and teach us how to love like He does over time. Read more here...

Day 5 - Let it Shine!

Matthew 5:16
“Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works and glorify your Father in heaven.” NKJV

In the Old Testament God gave a prophetic message through the prophet Isaiah to the people, saying that a great light would come in the midst of gloom and the shadow of darkness and his name would be called Immanuel, God with us. In Matthew 4:16 this particular passage is mentioned again:

Matthew 4:16 “The people who sat in darkness have seen a great light, And upon those who sat in the region and shadow of death Light has dawned." – NKJV

Notice how it says, “Light has dawned”. It was mentioned in Matthew as a reminder that Jesus coming to earth was a fulfillment of prophecy to be the light of the world a great light in the midst of darkness, condemnation and gloom. Read more here.

Day 4 - Follow Me

Matthew 4:19-20

Then He said to them, "Follow Me, and I will make you fishers of men." They immediately left their nets and followed Him. NKJV

Right at the beginning of Jesus ministry He calls two brothers who were both fishermen. He simply saw them and called them and it says here they immediately got up and followed Him.

Jesus being fully God and fully man understood them and spoke their language. He knew they were experts in their field because it was their livelihood, something they worked at every single day but Jesus was going to show them a new way of living; His expertise in fishing for the lives of men and bringing them to salvation through Christ.

Notice these men were fishermen not theologians; they had no ministry background what so ever and yet Jesus chose them first out of the twelve He called His disciples. Note: These men went on to change the entire world for Christ. Read more here...

Day 3 - You oh Lord are a Shield about Me

Psalm 3:3

But You, O Lord, are a shield for me, My glory and the One who lifts up my head. NKJV

King David wrote this psalm during a time of deep despair. Word had come to David that Absalom his own son was plotting to take over his kingdom. Absalom coveted the position and power his father had and wanted it for himself so he sowed seeds of discord and division among the people of Israel to turn them against their king and then plotted to kill him.

King David and his entire household and those who stayed faithful to him immediately fled for their lives. The pure notion that David’s own son would want to kill him broke his heart and he was deeply grieved. He was so distraught that he covered his head while he walked, cried and sang to the Lord. The covering of their heads is symbolic of mourning, grief and shame.

What a powerful testimony he gave in the midst of his anguish - he continued to trust God. He turned his fears, his hurt and his pain over to the Lord and laid it bare before God by faith believing that He was his shield, his glory and the lifter of His head. God was indeed faithful to King David and answered his cries; both he and his household were protected from Absalom and his army and returned home victorious. Read more here...

Day 2 Devotional - A Life Like John the Baptist

Matthew 3:1-2

“In those days John the Baptist came preaching in the wilderness of Judea, and saying, "Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is at hand!" NKJV

John the Baptist was born with a destiny to prepare the way of the Lord by bringing people to repentance for the kingdom of heaven was near. He was preparing their hearts for Jesus Christ by telling people to repent of their sins and be baptized.

According to the Nelson’s Bible Dictionary, The word repentance means to turn away from sin, disobedience, rebellion and turning back to God; a changing of the mind. In looking at these definitions John was telling the people to stop walking in their sin and disobedience but to change their heart and their mind back towards God. He spoke truth to them in love. I love how John was more concerned about saving their souls then offending them

John preached the gospel in the wilderness; ate locusts and honey and wore clothing made of camel hair. He lived a simple life yet he was powerfully anointed by God to bring the gospel of Christ to many. What is also powerful is that Jesus Himself gave testimony of John. In Matthew 11:11,

"Assuredly, I say to you, among those born of women there has not risen one greater than John the Baptist; but he who is least in the kingdom of heaven is greater than he.” Matthew 11:11-12 - NKJV read more of this article.

Day - 1 One Year Bible Devo - A Home for Adam

Genesis 1:27-28
“So God created man in His own image; in the image of God He created him; male and female He created them.” NKJV

Imagine for a moment the creator of the heavens and the earth and all living things on and above the earth were divinely created for God’s own goodness and pleasure but only man was created in God’s own image. From the beginning man was set apart to God as His precious creation in His own image over all His creations. Everything God has done He did for His own glory and we are the beneficiaries.

When I was pregnant with Sarah, my first child, It boggled my mind how God would knit together another human being that was both part of my husband and me. The thought was truly amazing and when we saw her beautiful face for the very first time our hearts melted within us; she was so perfect. I felt both privileged and blessed that God would allow me to bear a new life inside of me. The births of all our children are nothing short of modern day miracles. Read More Here...

2010 New Year Challenge! Get Ready

Join me and Mid-City Christian Fellowship as we embark on the new year with a reading the bible in a year challenge. We want ot encourage everyone to particpate and be blessed as we read together as one body in Christ. Some of us have started on January 1, 2010 and we are already seeing fruit. Join us and be blessed this year by offering God some of your time to read His Word you won't regret it.

We are reading, "The One Year Bible" by Tyndale publishers NIV version. We are not receiving any incentives from the publishers for doing this challenge. This is purely to promote reading the Word of God as One Body in Christ. For more info click here.