Days Of Devotion

[daysofdevotion-blog-blog]

Day Twenty Seven 11.27.11

- Sickness is always a reminder of our consequences of sin and mortality in the contrast of Jesus's immortality. Do not focus on the pain, focus on how God ordained that affliction on you to work for your good. If you focus on the bad things of your afflictions you will miss God's glory in how he is working in your life. Being sick causes is to reach out to God to be healed, and gives us a stringer understanding of just how powerful God is, and how weak we are. God never changes, God's love never fails, no matter what is happening in your life. We are preoccupied with our health, because we are preoccupied with ourselves. An opportunity for each of us to loosen our grip on this world is to cry out to God to comfort us, and to save us. To grab ahold of the reality of our salvation. So that we may experience the joy of the Lord. Those are all things that sickness can make us realize. So when we hit various trials, like sickness, don't waste them! Use them! Because they really are a gift from God. So do not be consumed with your own head but be consumed with Gods glory and love.

[daysofdevotion-blog-blog]

Day Twenty Six 11.26.11

-Psalm 150 - This concluding Psalm filth caps the Psalter and the final Hallel by raising and than answering some strategic questions about praise: 1) Where? (v.1-2). 2) What For? (v.2-3). 3) With What? (v.3-5). 4) Who? (v.6) 1. Place of Praise (150:1) 2. Points of praise (150:2) 3. Proper means of praise (150:3-5) 4. Practicers of praise (150:6) -Praise should be for what God has done, and who God is. - Worship: these two words were combine to make the English word "worship" 1) "worth"- good enough to justify. 2) "ship"- to send away. - Definition of Worship: Acknowledging that someone or something is greater, to give yourself to it, and to be mastered by it. Worship in the old language was "what we assign work to" - The highest form of worship is the reaction of the word. We of all people should be the best worshiped because we understand the truth of Gods word. * I will speak more on worship In a later devotion.

[daysofdevotion-blog-blog]

Day Twenty Five 11.25.11

- And we all, with unveiled face, beholding the glory of the Lord are being transformed into the same image from one degree of glory to another. For this comes from the Lord who is the Spirit (2 Corinthians 3:18) - The ultimate goal of a Christian is to become like Christ. This verse describes progressive sanctification. The more believers grow in their knowledge of Christ the more he is revealed in their lives. And don't we want that? To have the fruits of our perfect savior being displayed in our lives? Than keep his commandments and live by His word. The Holy Spirit day by day is gradually shaping us in a Christ like image, and we can not ignore it but conform to it. And as Christians that should be our desire. Strive to be more like Christ, so one day you will fully understand Gods glory in heaven.

[daysofdevotion-blog-blog]

Day Twenty Four 11.24.11

-1 John 3:1-3 - I want to remind you that in being a believer and the privileges we gain do not cancel obligations, they increase them. - The real aliens, as John MacArthur puts it, are not extraterrestrials but Christians. Having been born again, given a new nature of heavenly origin, Christians display a nature and lifestyle like their savior and heavenly Father; a nature totally foreign to the unsaved. No wonder scripture describes Christians as "exiles" and "strangers". The Lord Jesus was unearthly in origin, and so are those born again. Our true transformed lives have not yet been manifested. And that is where our hope as believers come in. Though the truly, heavenly, divine life in us will not be revealed until Jesus appears, God has personally places a hope in us for that day. The Holy Spirit is working us into the image of Christ, and we need to submit to the Spirits leading along with putting to death the deeds of the flesh.

[daysofdevotion-blog-blog]

Day Twenty 11.20.11

- I go to Calvary Bible Church (CBC) located in Joelton Tennessee. My pastor, Dave Harrell, is an amazing expository preacher. If you want to hear any of his sermons visit www.cbctn.org. I am going to speak briefly on a few points from his sermon (11.20.11) that really helped me engage in the battle against sin. We are going through Romans and it is AMAZING! - 6 ways to put to death the deeds of the flesh: 1. You must understand who you are in Christ. -You need to understand who you are positionally so you can function practically. (Colossians 3) (Ephesians 4:1) 2. Search your heart. - Sin is so bias in its favor that we do not notice it, we get comfortable with it. And when this sin is unsheathed we get embarrassed and get all upset. That sin will be the one that destroys you. 3. Go to war with sin. - You hunt it down and kill it! It will destroy you, that is the number one priority. Kill your sin or it will be killing you. 4. You have to understand what it is to walk by the Spirit. - (Galatians 5:16) surrender your life completely to the will of God. ( Galatians 5:22) 5. We MUST crave the word. - (1 Peter 2:2) Sin can not grow in a garden that is saturated with the word of God. ( Colossians 3:12-16) 6. We need to learn how to watch and pray. -Never be confident with your own strength, keep alert! Jesus told His disciples to stay and watch for anything, and what did they do? They all fell sleep. - Wow! Right! I love my pastor. And each Sunday and Wednesday I see God working through him. Engage in spiritual warfare because it is real. Read Ephesians for the armor of God in spiritual warfare.

[daysofdevotion-blog-blog]

Day Twenty Three 11.23.11

10 features of Hope: Bob Allen 1. Our hope comes from God (Psalm 33:5) 2. Hope is a gift of Grace (2 Thessalonians 2:16) 3. Our hope is defined by scripture. (Romans 15:4) 4. Our hope is reasonable (2 Peter 3:15) 5. Our hope is secured by Christ's resurrection 6. Our hope is confirmed In us by the Holy Spirit (Romans 15:13) 7. Guards us against satan's attacks (2 Thessalonians 5:8) 8. Confirmed throughout trials (James 1:34) 9. Produces Joy (Psalm 146:4) 10. Our Hope is filled with Christ's return. - What is biblical hope? Some use the word hope as a synonym for a wish. This is wrong. When we talk about hope In a Christian life, we talk about something true, something factual, what really is to come. The hope that we have is steadfast and real. Out hope is an anchor, it is unmovable, we are forever connected to Jesus Christ our Lord. It is a living hope through our Lord Jesus Christ! Hope only exists because God has ordained it, as he does everything. Hope is the ultimate end of the gospel. Our past, present, and future are defined in the gospel. Hope is a reality that is being worked out in our lives daily. Some people put a false hope in a false god/s or object/s to have some kind of anticipation for the future/afterlife, but it is hopeLESS. Man can not invent their hope, or their salvation. Only our one true God can. Romans chapter eight is themed with hope. Romans 8:28. We have a hope that Is out of our control, but we are humble and rejoice because we know that God works all things together for our ultimate good and his glory. Amen!

[daysofdevotion-blog-blog]

Day Twenty One 11.21.11

-Sermon by Dave Harrell 11.20.11 -my notes - Because of grace sin is like a toothless tiger to us. We have been completely set free from the bondage of sin, and we no longer are ruled by it, but we are ruled by the Spirit! We need to progressively and actively pursue obedience, but we are not alone in this because God is working in us. Thank the Lord! We are not debtors to the flesh, we owe it nothing. Our flesh will always be there taunting us into its rule until the day of glorification. But you do not have to submit to it because you have been freed from it. So stop! Stop conforming to the world, or giving into desires. Instead worship Christ who made you worthy enough in the sight of God. Don't you think that is worth worship? If Christ can save us from the pit of hell when we were nothing and in complete rebellion against God, than why can't we praise Jesus who is everything and our only way to glorification to live eternity in forever fulfilled happiness and contentment, worshiping the most high God? Why can that not be ENOUGH? Yes! Thank the Lord for those who believe that we are no longer debtors to the flesh, BUT WE ARE DEBTORS TO THE SPIRIT, and we owe him all praise, love and worship! - I am speaking to believers here. If you are not a believer than you need to repent and come to Jesus who will lovingly and mercifully accept you into His kingdom and guide you in righteousness. Non believer please notice your sinful ways and that you do need Jesus, and pray to Him to accept you and you accept Christ into your life. And live a life praising the most high God.

[daysofdevotion-blog-blog]

Day Twenty Two 11.22.11

-Romans 7:7-25 - This chapter is not a testimony of just the unbeliever. It is for us believers too! So many Christians skip the book of Romans because they feel that it does not pertain to them. Well that shows you right there that they need the book of Romans. Dave Harrell, my pastor, outlined this: -Problem: battle of Spirit against flesh. -Effect: Either flesh or spirit manifests itself in us. -Cause: Where can the blame be accurately laid? 1. Problem. Positionally we are freed from sin, but practically sin is in our lives. On the day of redemption our temporal body and our unredeemed humanness will be done away with. Even though we are no longer enslaved by the flesh we are influenced by it. 2. Effect (Romans 7:15) 3. Cause (Romans 7:17) Our new nature is energized by the Holy Spirit and the Holy Spirit is trying to transform is into the image of Christ, but our flesh constantly is driving us away from that. Like a moth our flesh is drawn by the flame of sin. - The Solution. Walk by the Spirit and do not carry out the deeds of the flesh. We can not escape out flesh but we can avoid to walk according to the flesh. Do not listen to your flesh. Say to yourself "My flesh is deceiving and manipulative, it will only give me temporal pleasure and result in sin which is hated in the sight of God". - think about it. Walk by the Spirit and live to the glory of God accepting Jesus as your savior. RESULT: eternal life in heaven praising the Lord forever and being to the fullest contentment. Live according to the flesh and it's desires. RESULT: eternal damnation, disappointment from God. -hmmm.

[daysofdevotion-blog-blog]

Day Nineteen 11.19.11

- Matthew (19:16-22) "The Rich Young Man" - The young mans lack was to see his own spiritual bankruptcy. Jesus said "keep my Fathers commandments" but the young man saw himself perfectly fit for the kingdom under those circumstances. This is where many of us are strongly deceived. When we sin we automatically see ourselves higher than God, we really out ourselves way below what God wants us to do, we act constantly in rebellion. This particular man would not admit to his son and saw himself "perfect", which boils down to pride (as does all sin). In this passage Jesus was not setting terms on salvation but taking the comfortable warm blanket off this mans heart, to see what he truly COVETED. His possessions were a major stumbling block in his life, he idolized them, which caused him to walk away in unbelief. - Let us not have this lack of faith! Surrender all and follow Jesus. Jesus is the truth, the life, and the way. NOT possessions, whether it be emotional possessions or physical possessions. Without the Holy Spirit working in your life, you have nothing. Just like in 1 Corinthians 13, if you do not have love you have nothing. Jesus is love. To obtain true, pure live you must follow Him.

[daysofdevotion-blog-blog]

Day Eighteen 11.18.11

http://www.desiringgod.org/resource-library/sermons/the-happiness-of-god-foundation-for-christian-hedonism -Sometimes on my post I am going to put up sermons that I listened to that day. This is the first sermon of a series on "Desiring God". This sermon introduces you into Christian hedonism. I love this sermon and I have listened to it numerous times. I would strongly encourage you to click on the link and listen, if you have any questions I would love to answer.

[daysofdevotion-blog-blog]

Day Seventeen 11.17.11

"How Great Thou Art" is a Christian hymn based on a Swedish poem written by Carl Gustav Boberg (1859–1940) in Sweden in 1885. The melody is a Swedish folk song. It was translated into English by British missionary Stuart K. Hine, who also added two original verses of his own composition. It was popularized by George Beverly Shea and Cliff Barrows during the Billy Graham crusades.The inspiration for the poem came when Boberg was walking home from church near Kronobäck, Sweden, and listening to church bells. A sudden awe-inspiring storm gripped Boberg’s attention, and then just as suddenly as it had made its violent entrance, it subsided to a peaceful calm which Boberg observed over Mönsterås Bay. According to J. Irving Erickson: Carl Boberg and some friends were returning home to Mönsterås from Kronobäck, where they had participated in an afternoon service. Nature was at its peak that radiant afternoon. Presently a thundercloud appeared on the horizon, and soon sharp lightning flashed across the sky. Strong winds swept over the meadows and billowing fields of grain. The thunder pealed in loud claps. Then rain came in cool fresh showers. In a little while the storm was over, and a rainbow appeared. When Boberg arrived home, he opened the window and saw the bay of Mönsterås like a mirror before him… From the woods on the other side of the bay, he heard the song of a thrush…the church bells were tolling in the quiet evening. It was this series of sights, sounds, and experiences that inspired the writing of the song. According to Boberg's great-nephew, Bud Boberg, "My dad's story of its origin was that it was a paraphrase of Psalm 8 and was used in the 'underground church' in Sweden in the late 1800s when the Baptists and Mission Friends were persecuted." The author, Carl Boberg himself gave the following information about the inspiration behind his poem: "It was that time of year when everything seemed to be in its richest colouring; the birds were singing in trees and everywhere. It was very warm; a thunderstorm appeared on the horizon and soon thunder and lightning. We had to hurry to shelter. But the storm was soon over and the clear sky appeared. "When I came home I opened my window toward the sea. There evidently had been a funeral and the bells were playing the tune of 'When eternity's clock calling my saved soul to its Sabbath rest.' That evening, I wrote the song, 'O Store Gud.'

[daysofdevotion-blog-blog]

Day Sixteen 11.16.11

-"I can do all things through Him who strengthens me" (Philippians 4:13) - Because believers are in Christ, he gives them strength to sustain them until they receive some provision. If you are in Christ and living a life led by Christ you can do any humanly thing that brings glory to God. Just remember that if you are in the midst of a trial or are having difficulties with life in general, that Christ died for you. He suffered the worst pain and humility anyone could have endured, and guess what? He did it for us! He freed us from sin and made us acceptable to God. And remember to praise Him and thank Him daily for the beautiful gift of salvation.

[daysofdevotion-blog-blog]

Day Fifteen 11.15.11

-"And after you have suffered a little while, the God of all grace, who has called you to Hid eternal glory in Christ, will himself restore, confirm, strengthen, and establish you" (1 Peter 5:10)

-God has called you to His eternal kingdom before the foundations of time, he chose you. Respond to his call with the worship of your heart, and the praise in your actions. No matter what has happened to you, or if you have strayed off the path, go to God and repent and he will restore, confirm, strengthen, and confirm you with his merciful love. He loves you and delights is his works and creation, you are his work and creation.

-This is one of my ultimate favorite bible verses. This home in which we dwell in, amongst sin, is only temporal. And since it is temporal we need to use this time we have to share the love of Christ. John MacArthur puts "Christians are to live with the understanding that God's purposes realized in the future require some pain in the present. While the believer is being personally attacked by the enemy, he is being personally perfected by the Lord" God is working in you through you for his perfect purpose, personally. Because you are His child He is working with us through our pain to produce strength and character. John MacArthur also outlines that in this chapter these following attitudes are necessary for the believer to grow in Christ in effective maturity: submission (v.5) Humility (v.5-6) Trust (v.7) Sober Mindedness (v.8) Vigilant defense (v.8-9) Hope (v.10) Worship (v.11) Faithfulness (v.12), and Affection (v.13-14).

[daysofdevotion-blog-blog]

Day Fourteen 11.14.11

-I want to talk a little on Pride and Humility by Stuart Scott. My experience with this book has been a very convicting one. It explains all forms of pride and humility. It talks about the sins that boil down to pride, which is every sin. RIGHT! That surprised me to, but it is so true. Pride is the enemy to humility. Scott says that the definition of pride is when someone is proud and focused on self, it is self worship. Read the following verses that the bible says about being against pride: Proverbs 16:18, Philippians 2:3-4, Proverbs 26:12, Proverbs 16:5.

-Pride is even found in unfamiliar places. People who are caught up in self pity, and who are self absorbed with a sense of failure, that is pride. This list goes on and on and i would strongly encourage you to read this booklet, it is a very helpful tool. This booklet not only talks about putting off pride but putting on forms of humility. It is an amazing read.

-All in all Stuart Scott says "Get humble, and Keep humble.". Remember when we put off pride and put on humility we are putting on Christ, and glorifying God.

[daysofdevotion-blog-blog]

Day Thirteen 11.13.11

-Proverbs 3:1-20

-John MacArthur outlines that Solomon instructs that wisdom is 1) rooted in sound teaching (verses 1-4), 2) Rests and trusts in God (verses 5-6), 3) rewards those who obey (verses 7-10). While wisdom demands chastening, it brings profound benefits (verses 13-18). And its importance is clear since it undergirded God's creation (verses 19-20)

-This whole chapter talks about truth leading to wisdom. It also talks about the paths of the wise and wicked. It is so perfectly pictured here of what Christ Likeness is. in verse 12 it says that the Lord reproves him whom He loves, as a father the son in whom he delights. Wow! We are children of God, and God our Father is constantly reproving us to mold us into the image of His son. What a loving Father. This proverb is so powerful. in thee verses we find so much wisdom that we need to apply to our own lives so that we may display Christ, and glorify God. I would strongly encourage you to memorize at last verse 1-12. Memorizing scripture is awesome, because you have it in your mind, but also in your heart. And do not give excuses about memorizing because my 6 year old sister is memorizing this.

-Heavenly Father how great thou art! Your majesty and wonder always keeps me in awe. And I know with my human mind I can not even wrap my mind around an ounce of your power and grace. Lord our heavenly father I praise your Holy name.

[daysofdevotion-blog-blog]

Day Twelve 11.12.11

- "Do not lay up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moths and rust destroy and where thieves break in and steal, but lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust destroys and where thieves do not break in and steal" (Matthew 6:19-20)

-Jesus is coming! It says that clearly in the bible of his returning. And when he does everything will turn to dust (all your material possessions, etc..) and the day of judgement will come among all people. So dear Christian be excited for the day Christ comes. Do not put your security and heart into material things. Put your faith and security in the living God who is in heaven. And when you receive material things, thank God, because he knows all the little desires of our heart, and he cares enough to grant us them. Put your whole self into the EVERLASTING, NEVER FADING, INFINITE Holy God that loves you enough to send His only son to die for your sins and make you spotless and blameless in the presence of HIm. 

-John Piper speaks on this scripture in a wonderful way. "Quit being satisfied with the little 5 percent yields of pleasure that get eaten up by moths of inflation and rust to death. Invest in the blue-chip, high-yield, divinely insured security of heaven. Devoting a life to material comforts and thrills is like throwing money down a rat hole. But investing a life in the labor of love yields dividends of joy, unsurpassed and unending."(John Piper: Desiring God)

[daysofdevotion-blog-blog]

Day Eleven 11.11.11

How deep the Father's love for us, How vast beyond all measure That He should give His only Son To make a wretch His treasure How great the pain of searing loss, The Father turns His face away As wounds which mar the chosen One, Bring many sons to glory Behold the Man upon a cross, My sin upon His shoulders Ashamed I hear my mocking voice, Call out among the scoffers It was my sin that left Him there Until it was accomplished His dying breath has brought me life I know that it is finished I will not boast in anything No gifts, no power, no wisdom But I will boast in Jesus Christ His death and resurrection Why should I gain from His reward? I cannot give an answer But this I know with all my heart His wounds have paid my ransom

-This hymn has so many rich lyrics. It is one of my favorites. I would encourage you to just read over this hymn and think out the words, and the deep meaning of them. It is so powerful.

-Thank you Lord Jesus for choosing the cross and claiming me. I was such a wretch running towards hell as fast as i could, and you plucked me up and led me towards the heavenly Father. You are the way to Him, and no other but you. Thank you Jesus.. thank you.