Posted in Devotions

Holy, Holy, Holy, Is the Lord God Almighty

Holy, holy, holy, is our God, who saved us from the penalty of sin and has given us true freedom from iniquity through the sacrifice of His Son Jesus Christ. Blessed are we to know salvation; blessed are we to know that we will one day live and reign with Christ forever.

“And the four living creatures, each of them with six wings, are full of eyes all around and within, and day and night they never cease to say, ‘Holy, holy, holy, is the Lord God Almighty, who was and is and is to come!’”

(Revelation 4:8)

Who set the boundaries of the sky, separating it day from night? Who says to the waves, “To this shore and no further shall you go?” Who brought life to this world, raising the branches of the trees in worship to its Creator?

Who made the whale to drift back and forth in the ocean, proclaiming God’s glory? Who lifted the wings of the eagle, for it to waft along the mountains, honoring Him who gave it life? Who set the lion on the jungle’s throne to reign as a witness to its Maker’s majesty?

Only our God can raise and lower mountains by His Word. Only our God can give rain in due season. Only our God can purge the wicked from this world. Only our God can give and take life. Holy, holy, holy, is the Lord God Almighty.

Posted in Devotions

Be Kind to One Another

As God has forgiven us, let us forgive others. No manner of sin should rule in our heart. Put away bitterness and draw nearer to God, for His love for us is good and His troubles are light. Worship him always, giving thanks for His love.

“Let all bitterness and wrath and anger and clamor and slander be put away from you, along with all malice. Be kind to one another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, as God in Christ forgave you.”

(Ephesians 4:31-32)

Be rid of bitterness, for it is as a weed that wastes the heart and strangles life. Hate rises from its roots and threatens all who keep company with us. Purge its ground with God’s love and allow His kindness to flourish within you.

Be gentle toward one another. Never allow a slight to turn us from God’s truth. Through Jesus, we have salvation. Is there anything more we ought to desire than to be with God always? Show compassion toward all, for we do not know their plight.

Give to those in need. Bless the homeless. Show mercy to those who struggle inwardly. Visit the infirm. Bestow heavenly treasures to the elect, guiding them toward God. See that no one leads you astray. Be kind to one another.

Posted in Devotions

Believe in the Lord Jesus

If we believe Jesus is the Son of God, who came to take away sins, who died on the cross and three days later rose from the dead, then we do well. Salvation is ours. Jesus is Lord and one day, we also will rise from the dead.

“Then he brought them out and said, ‘Sirs, what must I do to be saved?’ And they said, ‘Believe in the Lord Jesus, and you will be saved, you and your household.’”

(Acts 16:30-31)

Prior to His crucifixion, Jesus grew up a carpenter. His first miracle was at a wedding feast where He turned water into wine. Soon after, he would cast out demons, heal the sick and raise the dead, for He is the Christ, the Son of the living God.

Jesus’ last miracle was healing the ear of a servant of the high priest who had come to take Him away. He could have commanded more than twelve legions of angels to rescue Him, but instead He said, “All who take the sword will perish by the sword.”

Jesus fulfilled the scriptures. He now sits at the right hand of the Father, and one day soon, He will return. Once He does, we will rise and be with Him always. His dominion will have no end, and its breadth will be from everlasting to everlasting.

Posted in Devotions

Great Are You, LORD!

As many times as we lift our hands in worship to God, He blesses us with hope. As many times as we drop to our knees in prayer, giving thanks to Him, He listens and grants His will in our lives. If we humble ourselves before Him, He will always rescue us from our trials.

O LORD My God, You Are Very Great
Bless the LORD, O my soul!
O LORD my God, you are very great!
You are clothed with splendor and majesty,
covering yourself with light as with a garment,
stretching out the heavens like a tent.

(Psalms 104:1-2)

How great is our God? He creates the mist on a lake, quieting the fish to sleep. He forms the morning dew that rolls from a leaf, giving moisture to the ground underneath. He blossoms the rainbow after a heavy storm, a promise He would protect us from destruction.

How great is our God? He gives us what we need, never allowing us to suffer more than what we can bear. He continually watches over us, delivering us from evil. He saved us by offering His Son Jesus as a sacrifice to pay for the penalty of our sins.

No one can separate us from God. His love for us will never fail. He will bless us in our trial, give us hope when we need it most and rescue us always without restraint.

Great are you, Lord!

Posted in Devotions

With God All Things Are Possible

God created the heavens and the earth, made all living creatures, gave breath to us so that we could live and flourish; nothing is too great for God. If he can save a sinner through Jesus’ sacrifice, how difficult would it be for Him to rescue us from our trials?

“‘Again I tell you, it is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for a rich person to enter the kingdom of God.’ When the disciples heard this, they were greatly astonished, saying, ‘Who then can be saved?’ But Jesus looked at them and said, ‘With man this is impossible, but with God all things are possible.’”

(Matthew 19:24-26)

God has no beginning of days or end of life. His power is everlasting and His dominion will never cease. He parted the Red Sea, defeated Goliath, made David king and protected Daniel from the lions. Nothing is beyond God’s power. He can do anything.

Is anything impossible for God? He guides the winds back and forth on the earth. He forms the clouds, giving rain in due season and tossing snow to the coldest peaks. Nothing is beyond God’s power and nothing can come against His sons and daughters in this age.

Brethren, persevere until the end. Do not give that ancient serpent, who is the devil and Satan, a place in your heart. Bring all your troubles to the Lord, and He will rescue you, for with God all things are possible.

Posted in Devotions

Encourage One Another with These Words

How wonderful is it to know that one day we shall rise to everlasting life through Jesus Christ our Savior. By God, we will live again!

“For the Lord himself will descend from heaven with a cry of command, with the voice of an archangel, and with the sound of the trumpet of God. And the dead in Christ will rise first. Then we who are alive, who are left, will be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air, and so we will always be with the Lord. Therefore encourage one another with these words.”

(1 Thessalonians 4:16-18)

Let not the riches of this present age deceive us into believing we are rich. We brought nothing into this world and we will take nothing out of this world. Only our faith in Jesus gives us hope for eternal riches.

Therefore, what manner of people should we be, knowing all of this that we see will one day be gone? Look to God, strive for endurance, give ear to the faith and never give that ancient serpent, who is the devil and Satan, an opportunity to dwell in our hearts and minds.

Retribution will come, but it will come from God; we only need to be silent. For now, pray for one another, bless one another and encourage one another with these words.

Posted in Devotions

Whoever Does Good Is from God

Jesus said in the Sermon on the Mount, “Blessed are the pure in heart, for they shall see God.” The Apostle John said it another way: whoever does evil has not seen God. Therefore, if we do good, we will also see God.

“Beloved, do not imitate evil but imitate good. Whoever does good is from God; whoever does evil has not seen God.”

(3 John 1:11)

All good comes from God. There is no evil in God, for His very spirit is pure and undefiled. What is evil? Sin is evil. Breaking God’s law is evil. We, however, have hope in Jesus. He paid the penalty of sin for us, and because of it, we have salvation.

What is good? Good is to love God and to love others as we love ourselves. We ought to honor and worship God, honor our parents, keep others safe, be faithful to the one we love, be honest with one another, keep our word, and be happy with what we have.

When we do good, we are seeing as God sees, for our heart is His heart and our love is His love working in us. Blessed is our God for He is good and whoever does good is from God.