Daily Devotional

January 21st, 2016

1/21/2016

"The light of the body is the eye: Therefore when thine eye is single, thy whole body also is full of light, but when thine eye is evil, thy body also is full of darkness."
Luke 11:34

Joshua chapter fourteen tells us something very interesting about a man names Caleb. Three times the Holy Spirit says Caleb "wholly followed the Lord God" (vv. 8, 9, 14) Every ounce of Caleb was given to the Lord. This is the kind of heart you and I should have if we call ourselves Christians. The devil is going to intimidate a fainthearted man or woman, And there's only one way to stand against the devil. That is to give everything to Jesus Christ. Indeed, God does not accept half-hearted religion. It would be better for you to say that there is no God than for you to say that He doesn't mean that much to you; He doesn't make a difference in your life; He doesn't stir your heart to love Him.

Today, in the world we live in, our churches are full of half-hearted people. If the church were full of whole-hearted people, just think what the church would be capable of today. When Jesus Christ is preached from our pulpits, what a difference God could make in our lives. God is looking for wholeheartedness. "With my whole heart I have sought Thee." (Psalm 119:10) Can you say this to the Lord today?

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January 20th, 2016

1/20/2016

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"But we preach Christ crucified, unto the Jews a stumbling block, and unto the Greeks foolishness. But unto them which are called, both Jews and Greeks, Christ is the power of God, and the wisdom of God.
1 Corinthians 1:23-24

We preachers should preach the goodness of Jesus Christ, but also preach the judgment side as well. Everyone needs to know that Jesus is their best friend ever, and also, if not your friend and savior, your judge. Jesus Christ will be either a stepping stone into heaven or a stumbling stone into hell. No one can be neutral about Jesus Christ. Either you rise on Him, or you fall on Him. You cannot walk around Him. Either you're saved by Him or you're judged by Him. If you haven't encountered Jesus yet, you will. Its the Holy Spirits job to make sure everyone has an opportunity to meet Jesus. So, you will encounter Jesus Christ. He is inevitable. He is unavoidable. He is inescapable. What you do with Jesus Christ determines what Jesus Christ will do with you. What are you doing with Jesus Christ today?

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January 15th, 2016

1/15/2016

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"If any man's work abide which he hat built thereupon, he shall receive a reward. If any man's work shall be burned, he shall suffer loss: but he himself shall be saved, yet so as by fire."
1 Corinthians 3:14-15

I believe salvation is attained by grace through faith. That's not Baptist rhetoric. That's Biblical doctrine. But do you know what some people do with that? They say, "Hot dog! I'm saved and I don't have to do a thing to be saved. I can just get in the top seat of a Pullman car of a train, and glide along until we pull into the New Jerusalem" You know, just catch the next sleeper to glory.

That's all I have to do! Well, these people don't like the idea that as Christians we are all going to stand before the Judgment Seat of Christ. And we are all going to give an account for how we used our time, our resources, and our faith. We are not saved by works, but we are rewarded by works.

"For we are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus unto good works, which God hath before ordained that we should walk in them."
Ephesions 2:10

Please read Romans 14:10-12. How do you plan to spend your day knowing this truth?

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January 11th, 2016

1/11/2016

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"Cast me not away from Thy presence; and take not Thy Holy Spirit from me."
Psalm 51:11

When a person dies, his spirit departs. I'm afraid that's what has happened to many churches: the Holy Spirit has departed. After talking to people about the goodness of God and the Holy Spirit moving in our church, many have told me that their church feels cold and dry, now why do you suppose they feel that way. The Holy Spirit may have departed from their church. The organism has become an organization and the movement has become a monument. I read an article a few years ago from Dr. Carl Bates. What he said in his article got me to thinking: "If the Holy Spirit were to suddenly die (now, of course, you know that's impossible. He cannot die) but "if the Holy Spirit were to suddenly die, most of our churches would meet next Sunday and go right on and never know the difference."

I wonder if that's not true about many churches today. The Holy Spirit has not died, but He has departed. I've been in some churches where you'd think that Hallelujahs and Amens cost $100 a piece. You just can't find them. There's a sort of barren stillness. The Bible says where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is liberty. I don't think we have to fry in fanaticism or freeze in formalism, but I believe we ought to have a burning, passionate, blazing, emotional love for the Lord Jesus Christ, and when we have that feeling toward Jesus The Christ, I believe the Holy Spirit of God will once again move in our churches.

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January 21st, 2016

January 20th, 2016

January 15th, 2016

January 11th, 2016

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