Category Archives: Devotional

40 Days

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Then Jesus was led up by the Spirit into the wilderness to be tempted by the devil. And after He had fasted forty days and forty nights, He then became hungry. Matthew 4:1-2

Since this week is the beginning of Lent season, today we are taking a look at the 40 days Jesus spent in the wilderness. This is symbolic of the 40 days before Easter (Lent  Season) originated. During this journey we see that Jesus was tempted with three temptations that all of us face in our daily lives.

And the tempter came and said to Him, “If You are the Son of God, command that these stones become bread.”  But He answered and said, “It is written, ‘MAN SHALL NOT LIVE ON BREAD ALONE, BUT ON EVERY WORD THAT PROCEEDS OUT OF THE MOUTH OF GOD.'” Matthew 4:3-4

The first temptation we see is the lust of the flesh. Jesus , who has been fasting for 40 days, is obviously very hungry and vulnerable at this point. Satan tries to tempt him by enticing him to make stones into bread. Jesus replies with scripture and says “Man shall not live on bread alone” meaning as Christians we deny our physical temptations which are sinful, to live holy and be a true disciple of Christ.

This could apply to many physical temptations in our lives such as drugs, alcohol, sexual immorality, gluttony, ect. However by the Holy Spirit we can overcome these temptations and avoid sin

Then the devil took Him into the holy city and had Him stand on the pinnacle of the temple, and said to Him, “If You are the Son of God, throw Yourself down; for it is written, ‘HE WILL COMMAND HIS ANGELS CONCERNING YOU’; and ‘ON their HANDS THEY WILL BEAR YOU UP, SO THAT YOU WILL NOT STRIKE YOUR FOOT AGAINST A STONE.'” Matthew 4:5-6

The second temptation comes from human pride. Satan tries to challenge Jesus, by saying if you are the Son of God, then prove it. Often times in life when our pride is challenged, we might make a bad decision just to prove that we are the boss or in charge. Jesus however didn’t fall for this trap

Jesus said to him, “On the other hand, it is written, ‘YOU SHALL NOT PUT THE LORD YOUR GOD TO THE TEST.'” Matthew 4:7

Satan was even quoting scripture to try and lure Jesus into the temptation, but Jesus responded by saying “Don’t test God”.  Jesus demonstrated this humility also later in John 13, Jesus washed the feet of his own disciples. Instead of Jesus being a dictator leader he was leading by example.

Again, the devil took Him to a very high mountain and showed Him all the kingdoms of the world and their glory; and he said to Him, “All these things I will give You, if You fall down and worship me.” Matthew 4:8-9

The final temptation Satan was trying to tempt Jesus into the lust of the eyes. Look at all these beautiful possessions we can have if we just sell our soul. Jesus didn’t fall for this but sadly we see people do this every day. We see actors and musicians sell all their morals and values just to become rich, what they don’t understand is they are worshipping Satan and his worldly system

Then Jesus said to him, “Go, Satan! For it is written, ‘YOU SHALL WORSHIP THE LORD YOUR GOD, AND SERVE HIM ONLY.'” Matthew 4:10

Again Jesus overcame this temptation and told Satan to go away! As the Bible tells us “Resist the devil and he will flee from you (James 4:7) Worship God and serve him only!

We need to remember Jesus was in human form, susceptible to Satans temptations and overcame by The Holy Spirit. We can overcome also because Greater is he living inside of me than he that is living in the world (! John 4:4) in Jesus Name Amen!

Road To The Resurrection

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And if Christ has not been raised, your faith is worthless; you are still in your sins. 1 Corinthians 15:17

As we begin the “Lent Season”, I like to call it the “Road to the Resurrection”,  the event that changed world forever. The moment when sin and death were abolished and defeated, the moment when the stone was rolled away from the tomb and Jesus walked out, we all now have eternal hope!

As Paul says, “if Christ wasn’t raised then your faith is worthless” meaning if the Resurrection didn’t happen then there is no Christianity. If the Resurrection didn’t happen then there is no hope to defeating sin and death. If the Resurrection didn’t happen, then Jesus would be just another prophet and not the Son of God

But on that Sunday morning, the Resurrection did happen, Jesus who suffered and died for our sins, rose again to live and reign forever. This single event changed everything! Jews and Gentiles began worshipping now on “The Lords Day” (Revelation 1:10) instead of the Sabbath Day. The curse of The Law was finally broken, as Jesus was our final atonement for our sins

Roman and Jewish Religious leaders tried to cover up this event, many people were executed , including Jesus apostles , all but John . But Jesus revealed himself to over 500 eyewitnesses (1 Corinthians 15:6) Jesus came back to his apostles and even showed them his marks from the cross. There is no doubt Christ has risen in Jesus name Amen!

Love Like Jesus #HappyValentinesDay2018

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Husbands, love your wives, just as Christ also loved the church and gave Himself up for her, Ephesians 5:25

Today as we celebrate Valentine’s Day we reflect on our own marriages, do you love your wife like Jesus loves the church? The first question would be how did Jesus love the Church? Jesus demonstrated his love for us on the cross by willingly giving up his life, even though we didn’t deserve it. Jesus willingly showed us love and mercy, even when we were his enemy. That’s a sacrificial love know as “Agape”

Often as Husbands we talk the talk but don’t walk the walk, true love is a demonstration. We can say whatever we want , for example I can say I’m an amazing musician , however if nobody has ever heard me play, is my claim truthful? This is the same with love, we can claim to love someone, but if we never demonstrate that love, is it truthful?

Again Jesus demonstrated that love for us, by releasing us from the bondages of sin  and death by being the ransom for our sins. Why would Jesus do this? Because he loves us enough to, and we are instructed to love our wives as much as Jesus loves the Church!

Today I celebrate Valentine’s Day with my best friend, my soul mate, and my wife Heidi. As the Bible says when your married “Two Become One Flesh” , she completes me and I couldn’t imagine life without her. Thank you Father God for blessing me with a virtuous wife and wonderful family in Jesus Name Amen!

Rebuke Evil

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Just then there was a man in their synagogue with an unclean spirit; and he cried out,saying, “What business do we have with each other, Jesus of Nazareth? Have You come to destroy us? I know who You are– the Holy One of God!” Mark 1:23-24

Jesus entered the synagogue (Jewish place of worship) and there was a man possessed with a demons. Make note of this, we don’t usually think of demons being active in holy places such as churches, however as we see, demons are everywhere!

However the demons immediately recognize who Jesus is, “The Holy One of God” and they trembled as they said “Have you come to destroy us?” Even these demons recognizes the power and position of our Lord Jesus Christ, do you understand who Jesus is?

And Jesus rebuked him, saying, “Be quiet, and come out of him!”  Throwing him into convulsions, the unclean spirit cried out with a loud voice and came out of him. Mark 1:25-26

Jesus had no fear of these demons or their evil and rebuked them immediately. And at his command they were cast out, understand the power that we poses through Jesus Christ. As you walk through the valley of death, we can Fear No Evil (Psalm 23)because we are victorious through Jesus Christ!

Whatever evil Satan and his demons are tormenting you with today, don’t fear them, REBUKE them in the name of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ Amen!

Heart, Mind, and Soul

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“If you do well, will not your countenance be lifted up? And if you do not do well, sin is crouching at the door; and its desire is for you, but you must master it.” Genesis 4:7

Today we take a look at Cane and Abel, brothers that Satan tore apart to caused the first murder! Both brothers brought an offering before God; however God was pleased with Abel’s but not Cain’s? Why?

We have to remember God wants our heart,mind, and soul (Matthew 22:37) not just our presence, like quality over quantity. It says that Abel offered his first born sheep of his flock (Firstfruits), this was the best Abel had to offer and because of this God was pleased.  While Cain offered some random fruit from his garden, could have been leftovers or bad fruit, but it surely wasn’t his best, God rejected it!

God doesn’t really care what you are offering him, but what you are offering him should be the best you can provide from your heart. Cain was just going through the motions basically trying to trick God, but God reads our hearts, minds, and soul.

Now this rejection from God obviously upset Cain, and instead of him trying to do better, he became insanely jealous of his brother Abel.  As God said to him “sin is crouching at your door” meaning if you allow this jealousy and anger to manifest in you, it will grow into sin (James 1:15). That’s exactly what happened.

Instead of Cain, repenting, he allowed sin to grow into murder! (James 1:15) God wants us to love him with all our heart, mind, and soul (Matthew 22:37) , not just going through the motions!  Just like the 5 loaves and 2 fish, give God whatever you have and he will bless you in Jesus Name Amen!

Faith, Hope, and Love

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And now these three remain: faith, hope and love. But the greatest of these is love. 1 Corinthians 13:13

Our Lord Jesus gives us many things, three of these things are faith, hope, and love. These three gifts can be anchors when we are caught in the storm. There are many things that people can take away from you, but they cant take your faith, hope and love when your rooted into the word of God

Faith- complete trust or confidence in someone or something

Do you have faith? Can you truly trust someone with your heart? God demonstrated to us that we can have complete faith and trust in him, through the sacrifice of Jesus Christ (Romans 5:8) Even though we were still sinners God not only forgave us but sent his only begotten Son to give us eternal life (John 3:16)

Hope- a feeling of expectation and desire for a certain something to happen

Do you have any hope? When we put our hope in God, it’s not an empty hope but an expected hope because God never breaks his promises (Numbers 23:19) When God makes a covenant its forever, because God does not change (Malachi 3:6)

(Agape) Love- selfless, sacrificial, and unconditional love

When we think of love, we don’t normally think as deeply as sacrificial. But this is the love God demonstrated us from the cross. God so loved the world that he gave his only begotten Son (John 3:16) How could our Creator show us deeper love than this?

So be strong in The Lord knowing that you have the faith, hope, and love of your Heavenly Father that no one can take away from you in Jesus Name Amen

Good Fruit

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“Every branch in Me that does not bear fruit, He takes away; and every branch that bears fruit, He prunes it so that it may bear more fruit. John 15:2
Your faith is like a tree, the word of God is like a seed, when you accept Gods word for truth and learn and grow from it, you grow stronger in your faith.

Jesus said we would know false prophets “By their fruits” (Matthew 7:16) if we don’t produce “Good fruit” then eventually God will cut us off (John 15:2), so what is Good Fruit? Lets look at the Fruits of The Holy Spirit

But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control; against such things there is no law. (Galations 5:22-23)
If your actions don’t match those qualities of the ones above, then your actions are not from God but from the flesh. Its important we remain lead by The Holy Spirit and not by our own flesh.

Second God says “We will be pruned so we can bear more fruit “ (John 15:2) Some might wonder as a Christian, why would God allow you to suffer? Sometimes our pain and suffering is to prepare us and grow us “Good Fruit”

Consider it all joy, my brethren, when you encounter various trials, knowing that the testing of your faith produces endurance. (James 1:2-3)

Don’t be misled by the fake “American” “Prosperity” Gospel, for anyone who loves this world and things of it, God is not in them (1 John 2:15) As a Christian there will be trials and tribulation, but know in the end we have the ultimate victory by the Blood of Christ in Jesus Name Amen!

Are You Ready? #Eclipse2017

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“Therefore be on the alert, for you do not know which day your Lord is coming. Matthew 24:42

Could the Great Eclipse be a sign of the Return of Christ? If Jesus came today would you be ready? Jesus clearly stated that nobody will know the day or hour of his return, however he did tell us to be ready for his return.

“There will be signs in sun and moon and stars, and on the earth dismay among nations, in perplexity at the roaring of the sea and the waves, Luke 21:25

Jesus taught that God uses the heavens to give us signs, a giant billboard from Heaven. With all the attention and excitement generated for the Great Eclipse , could God be using this to get everyones attention? Even if Christ doesn’t return on Monday, their should still be a call to repentance. With all the violence and evil going on in this world, there is no better time than now to return to The Lord

“And then I will declare to them, ‘I never knew you; DEPART FROM ME, YOU WHO PRACTICE LAWLESSNESS.’ Matthew 7:23

If Jesus did return and you are standing face to face with the Holy One, the King of Kings and Lord of Lords. What would he say to you? Would he say “Good work my faithful servant (Matthew 25:23) or will he say “Depart from me I never knew you! Lawlessness by Biblical definition is sin. Any sin is an act or rebellion against God.

Did you repent of your sins and accept Jesus as your Lord and Savior? Time might be running out, you don’t want to be “Left Behind”, Jesus is your only way to salvation! Keep your lamps lit and eyes in the sky!

Fulfillment of The Law

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“Do not think that I have come to abolish the Law or the Prophets; I have not come to abolish them but to fulfill them. Matthew 5:17

Did Jesus abolish The Law? The word “abolish” means to end or terminate, so did Jesus really end The Law? First  what is The Law? The Law or Torah are the first 5 Books of The Bible (Genesis, Exodus, Leviticus, Numbers,  and Deuteronomy) that are written instructions given by God handed down to Moses. The Law not only defines what sin is, but also the consequences of sin.

Without The Law there would be no consequences for anyone’s actions. Imagine if your town abolished all its laws, what would happen? There would be anarchy, looting, rioting, probably even murder. This is the same with Gods Law, if he abolished it there would be no consequences for sinners. So it wouldn’t make sense for Jesus to abolish The Law.

Jesus did however “fulfill” The Law. What does this mean? We know from the Bible that the wages of sin is death (Romans 6:23) and we are all sinners (Romans 3:23) therefore if we all lived “Under the Law” we would all be condemned to death. No matter how righteous you believe you are, you are guilty. But on the cross, Jesus became our ransom (1 Timothy 2:6) and took our place of condemnation. As it says God sent his Son (Jesus) born “Under The Law” (Galatians 4:4) Therefore Jesus fulfilled The Law for us.

But if your led by The Spirit, you are not Under The Law (Galatians 5:18) When you truly become a Christian and live for Christ, you no longer live for the flesh but by The Spirit of God. Does The Law still exist? Absolutely, and all those who live by the flesh and reject Christ are condemned under the Law. But all those who call upon the name of Jesus shall be saved (Romans 10:13) Amen!

God Demonstrated Love

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But God demonstrates his own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us. Romans 5:8

How do you know someone loves you? Can love be shown without action? Many people who don’t know God would like to paint him as an angry and wrathful God. But when we understand what God, our Heavenly Father, has done for us already. We then understand that God does so love the world that he gave his only begotten Son (John 3:16) to free us from our bondages of sin and death

See even though we were rebellious, unholy, wicked, and disobedient. God granted you grace and mercy through Jesus Christ. Did we deserve grace and mercy? No but God’s love was demonstrated for us on the cross, Jesus tasted death for the punishment of our sins, not his.

There is no greater story of love and mercy than through Jesus Christ. Now don’t be misled, because of sin we still live in a broken world. There will still be pain and suffering. However, we can have peace and hope knowing that through Christ we will overcome death. Because our Lord has risen we will rise also and have eternal life in our Fathers Kingdom.

There is no love without action. Just as a man who loves a woman, demonstrates that love with the covenant of marriage. God has demonstrated his love to us through the covenant of his son Jesus Christ Amen!