Category Archives: Daily Devotional

Messages from the daily devotional

Ruth Read By Ben Franklin

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When Benjamin Franklin acted as a delegate for our country in Paris, he was asked to speak at a meeting of the leading scholastic authorities. A large number of these men were condemning of the Bible and affirmed unbelievers. Not telling them the source, Franklin read them the story of Ruth. When he’d finished they clapped wildly, saying it was the most beautiful love story they had ever heard. Franklin shocked them into silence when he told them it was from the Bible.

Without question, Ruth is one of the world’s most excellent love stories. It includes a young Gentile widow who turned to God in her greatest trial. From this experience, she found a new and moving life. God led her to Boaz, gave her a new home, and later she became the grandmother of David, Israel’s greatest king. Through him, she was an ancestor of our Lord.

Of the many lessons to learn from the beautiful book of Ruth, possibly the greatly comforting is how God can take all the trials of our lives and make something beautiful from them. Instead of wandering into hopelessness when her husband died, Ruth turned to God. Her pain of separation was relieved, and God blessed her with a new family and a strong faith.

Trouble can either make us better or bitter. If we learn to look at our trials as opportunities for God to draw us near to Himself, then they will open many new doors to spiritual adventure. Christ is still Master of the storm and Lord of all our lives.

What opportunities have you experienced that were seen as trials and God drew you near to Himself and blessed you?

Comment and let’s chat.

Spiritual Armor

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Ephesians 6_12-13 imageIt’s illogical! No one does it! No one in their right mind would leave home for the day exposed. It not only breaks social custom but you are unprotected from the elements.

Every day, though, Christians leave their homes unprotected from the spiritual elements they will meet. And as surely as we’re exposed without our clothes, we’re just as exposed for spiritual battle without our armor. The armor of God is something we put on and keep on because every day is a day of spiritual battle. The unprotected are persecuted or hurt.

The attacks of satan are ceaseless, crafty, and repeatedly searching for any place in our defenses that is exposed. Whether to cause us to doubt God’s love for us, or compromise our integrity, or confuse us with doctrines of lies and half truths, our only defense is to gear up for battle every day. Supported with truth, wrapped by righteousness, guarded by faith, and transformed by salvation, we are ready to face the day.

Why would you leave yourself exposed to Satan?

Servitude

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The key thought in the book of Joshua is that as long as Israel served God, they prospered.

There it is again. Obedience to God. Serving Him is obeying Him.

When we remove our agenda and surrender to Him lovingly, we’ll be prosperous. There’s more to obedience than meets the eye. As the title says, servitude, it’s about your attitude while serving Him.

Truly serving Him is about removing our wants and replacing them with His wants.

It’s all in His word. Go read it and find out for yourselves.

(Note: This is not a message in favor of the prosperity gospel.)

What’s your attitude about serving God? Comment, let’s chat!

Why Obey?

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Being responsible? It’s hard, in today’s society. It was in Biblical days, too. That’s the way people put it who choose not to be responsible and blame everyone and everything else about their life.

We all make choices. Even not choosing is a choice. Those choices all have ramifications on our lives.

The Word talks about it clearly.

This book (The Word; The Holy Bible), is God breathed and inerrant, teaches an important lesson: we bring hardship to ourselves and others when we disobey God.

May we see the moral integrity of God that Moses proclaimed and respond by being responsible.

How does this look in your life? Comment and let’s chat.

How can I pray for you today? Contact me, now, with your prayer request.

Rules of The Game

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Everyone loves a good game, right?

Here’s the thing; in order for the game to be fair and fun, we must have rules. Without rules, it’s chaos and anarchy.

In the scripture image, it tells of Aaron being given rules to live by, a law, to live a holy life. This is when The Law, given to the Levites, was started for a God fearing people. This is how the book of Leviticus came to be.

Granted, we are not under servitude to the old laws ascribed in Leviticus, there are laws of love that we must keep in Christ’s Kingdom. Leviticus serves to show that Yahweh is high and holy and that He demands the best from us. Paul says that regardless of it, we are free in Christ, we are not free to become involved in the captivity of the flesh.

In Hebrews, we see the old system of Leviticus merged into the New Testament. Praise Yahweh for His Law! Society only lasts because of it.

Back to the rules of the game. On occasion, rules are modified to better suit the game. In our faith, Jesus became the game rule changer. His gift of salvation created the merger of old to new rules. The merger made the rules more encompassing but, at the same time, easier to follow.

What game rules are you living by? Share, with me; here, what game and its rules you are living by. How’s that working for you?

Me: I live by Yahweh’s love and the rules that entail. If you’ve experienced me in person, do you agree with my estimation of myself? Leave a comment, let’s chat.

Joy And Justice

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You’re wrong and I’m right. That’s just how it is.

That’s the way most people think and act. They believe in their hearts that they’re right and nobody else is.

That’s not what Yahweh says. In Proverbs, above, it tells us Yahweh weighs our hearts. It’s not up to us to tell everyone they’re wrong.

We need to focus on Yahweh and live in joy and justice; not in sin and picking at other’s sins. And we’re to stay away from sin and not do it.

Here’s how David put it:

Set a watch, Yahweh, before my mouth. Keep the door of my lips. Don’t incline my heart to any evil thing, To practice deeds of wickedness with men who work iniquity. Don’t let me eat of their delicacies. Psalm 141:3-4

Delicacies… We’re all about that, aren’t we? Something delightful or pleasing. We can get ourselves into some hot water there.

Satan likes to deceive us just enough to hook us in.

Oh yes, it’s happened to me, too. It happens to everyone.

We see that fun thing; knowing it’s a sin, but, we justify it by saying something like, “It’s just a little thing. It won’t hurt me or anyone.” That’s the lie that sucks us in.

We need to stop that. Yes, it’s hard, isn’t it? I know!

We must set our sights on a higher plane. We must look upward to Yahweh and our Eternal Home.

We must be about the Lord’s business. Yes, it’s hard work. But, that’s what keeps us from sinning. It’s what wins souls for Christ.

Yes, there’s time for fun and games. His word talks of rejoicing and having fun. Get into The Word and learn about Him and Eternity. All work and no play make for a dull life. Let’s use it to our advantage and to advance the Kingdom of Christ.

Where do you stand in the joy and justice of Yahweh? Comment, let’s chat.

The Circle Is Complete!

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The Bible makess a complete circle. Genesis opens with man in a perfect state of union with his Creator. On the other hand, through his own will, man fell. Throughout the rest of the Bible, we see the harsh suffering sin causes and Yahweh’s attempt to bring man back home. Then the Bible closes with the eternal paradise restored to all who come to Yahweh through Christ. In Jesus, man is eternally redeemed, to never repeat the corrupting circle of his foolishness agaimn. Nowhere else are we given such glances of the glory Yahweh has prepared for us as in Revelation.

Some reckon Revelation is a puzzle. The very title denotes Yahweh wants us to know His eternal plan revealed through Christ. In this “apocalypse” or “revealing,” there are four important lessons to remember: (1) there is an ever-existing struggle between good and evil, but right will eventually triumph in Christ; (2) seven messages are included for specific churches and can be applied to the entire church age and to our own personal lives; (3) the heavenly visions give support and comfort to all who face severe testing and trials; and (4) this is Yahweh’s last written Word to us.

Revelation is the ultimate work of all Scripture. Without this book, the Bible would be undone like a novel without a last chapter. Also, this is the only Bible book that utters a blessing on all who read it: Blessed is the one who reads the words of God’s message, and blessed are the people who hear this message and do what is written in it. The time is near when all of this will happen. (Rev 1:3). The wise believer reads and rereads this great revelation of Jesus Christ written by John.

It’s not really a puzzle. Allow Yahweh to help you understand. Don’t let the World tell you. It will only confused you. That’s what Satan wants. Don’t let him have it.

I’ve went through more than one study of the book of Revelation. It’s good to have someone who can decipher it during the study. Read it, pray about it, allow Yahweh to open your mind to its message. It’s enlightening to say the least.

What’s your experience with the book of Revelation? Comment, share, let’s chat.

In Battle

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We’re all in a battle of some sort. These battles are not of this world, though. It is Spiritual warfare.

Scripture expresses it this way:

Our fight is not against people on earth but against the rulers and authorities and the powers of this world’s darkness, against the spiritual powers of evil in the heavenly world. Ephesians 6:12

We need the Holy Spirit. He gives us power. Read scripture for yourselves. You can see.

Only a fool accepts the allegations of the enemy. If we’re ever going to really be free, we need to completely sell out to Christ.

The message is clear; there is no middle ground. Either we serve God or we serve worldly materialism.

Jesus said: “No one can serve two masters. The person will hate one master and love the other, or will follow one master and refuse to follow the other. You cannot serve both God and the world. Matthew 6:24

It’s you choice! Choose wisely!

But if you don’t want to serve the Lord, you must choose for yourselves today whom you will serve. … As for me and my family, we will serve the Lord.” Joshua 24:15 [Emphasis mine. Read the whole word in Scripture.]

Who do you choose? Where do you find yourself today? What season are you in? Comment, let’s chat!

We Have An Anchor!

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How often do you think the adversary attacks our souls a day?

I think he’s very cunning and crafty with his words and ways. Even if it’s only a couple of times he attacks; once its in place, by human nature the doubt and fear in us does the rest for him.

There comes a time in our Christian walk when our feelings become dim. Satan tries to make us doubt our transformation, and during this time, we need something solid that we can take hold of. Yahweh‘s Word is an anchor that will not break free.

In His wilderness experience, Jesus counteracted the attacks of Satan by quoting Scriptures. We must follow His example when we are being bullied by the attacker of our souls.

In my Christian walk, I’ve hit lows in my faith in Yahweh. I stepped back from Him a few times disgruntled by the way things were going.

My problem? I wasn’t anchored to Yahweh. It happens to all of us. Some come around quicker than others. But, we all step back and question our faith.

Let’s grab hold of The Anchor. Hold on for dear life. He will cling to you and be your strength. Just like He did for Jesus during his experience of temptation. The Word of Yahweh is our guide and instruction for our Christian walk.

Where do you find yourself in your Christian walk, today?

Comment and let’s chat! Bless others as you bless yourself.

Long and Strong Mercy

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There’s been a lot of theologians with a lot of influence over the years since The Apostle Paul. But, none like Paul.

Throughout Paul’s letters, he summons for downreaching love, pureness of life, and unceasing mercy for the lost. Paul sowed spiritual seed in the far corners of the earth. He contended for the right of Gentiles to hear Christ’s message and become essential for believers in the church. No one questions his reputation for good. Still, the awesome fact is, he was once a murderer! When he found Christ, his life dramatically changed. The inspiring story of Paul serves to remind us that Yahweh’s mercies are long and His love is strong. Thank Yahweh for a saving power that has reached even the likes of us.

Yahweh used Paul in a mighty powerful way for His purpose. He wants to use each of us as well.

What’s holding you back? What lies are Satan telling you?

Contact me privately if it’s something you fear posting public.

Me: I put myself out there. I’ve been ridiculed and yelled at. People will fight tooth and nail against hearing the truth of a Savior! Satan has people fooled. Don’t fall for his lies! I did at one time in my life. But, not anymore!