Posts with the category “devotional-series”

“What if?”Who can identify with dealing with a multitude of “what if” thoughts these days?For those of you who don’t know, I dealt with extreme OCD and anxiety in my early to mid-20s. The uncertainty of what I wanted to do with my life and feelings of loneliness were almost unbearable.Amidst feeling like it would be easier to just curl up in a hole somewhere and die, God brought people into my lif...  Read More

Read: Matthew 19:20-22 (NASB)I absolutely love the questions Jesus asks. While sometimes they are introductory or invitational, eventually they always get to the deepest need of the people who come to Him.Often Jesus’ question is in response to a question that has been asked of Him. An effective method of teaching both in Jesus’ time and even today is the use of questions. That’s why I wanted to c...  Read More

Read: Matthew 19:16-26 (NASB)It is obvious by reading the gospels that people are drawn to Jesus. While it is true that many came seeking healing or deliverance, there were always those who came with a questioning and sincere heart.I believe that this man, known as “the rich young ruler,” was genuinely seeking some answers to what he knew what was missing in his life.In Mark and Luke, we see Jesus...  Read More

Read: Romans 8:1-2Oh, what an incredible verse to begin our day with! No matter what has happened, no matter how many times we may have “missed the mark of the high calling in Christ Jesus,” this verse obliterates it all.As my custom is, as I’m writing this post I’m listening to worship songs. Again today started off with “What a Beautiful Name,” and the words, “You have no rival, You have no equa...  Read More

Read: Galatians 5:22 and Proverbs 25:28Here is the definition of this word that Paul uses that is listed last in the fruits of the Spirit: “egkrateia: mastery, self-control – proceeding out from within oneself, but not by oneself.  self-mastery, self-restraint, self-control, continence.”You might remember last week how we continued to share how one of the best ways to understand the fruit of the S...  Read More

Read: Galatians 5:22God’s Word help us see new truthsOh how I love the word of God!For over six decades, the Lord has granted me to know Him in His Word. I praise Him for being the Author of our salvation. But I pray that I may never, ever lose the expectation that the Word of God will always speak to me truths I know, and grant me to see truths yet to be discovered.No matter where we find ourselv...  Read More

The Helmet Rule and Final ThoughtsRead: Ephesians 6:17-20I love to ride motorcycles. I still keep the (M) on my driver’s license, although for my family’s peace of mind and for the protection of other people on the road, I rarely, if ever, now ride.I start off with this “confession” because I want to talk about helmets. Most of us know that many states have a “no helmet rule,” while others states ...  Read More

“Everybody Needs a Shield”Read: Ephesians 6:14-16 Shield - do you have one? Especially now in this time of the pandemic, we see images among the medical community of actual face shields.When there is a riot, or major disturbance that is life threatening, we see officers of law enforcement wearing helmets with face shields. The officers may even have a literal shield to protect them from hurled mis...  Read More

C’mon, Get Dressed!Read: Ephesians 6:10-17As best as I can understand this whole concept of being an armored believer, I’ll begin with what I know of how the Roman soldier was clothed.Most soldiers of any rank at all usually had someone to help them put on their armor. It was either a servant or valet, or it could have been a lower enlisted person who was partnered with them.Usually the first piec...  Read More

“Hey, Who Is It We Are Really Fighting?”Read: Ephesians 6:12, 13Let’s review again this principle from 1 Corinthians 15:46 - first the natural, then the spiritual.The “natural” reason for the Roman soldier to be amor-clad was because A, he needed the protection, and B, he was more often than not engaged in warfare and needed effective offensive weapons.The Holy Spirit took this image of the fully ...  Read More

Read: Ephesians 6:10-20The truths that are placed in this portion of Ephesians 6 need to be divided into multiple posts. Don’t worry, we will get to each piece of the armor - I promise!But first, there are some biblical principles that I want us to observe.God uses the natural to reveal the spiritualIn 1 Corinthians 15:46, we read “The spiritual did not come first, but the natural, and after that ...  Read More

Read: Ephesians 6:10-20Recently one of our leaders issued a prayer challenge to all of the staff here at Coastal. To help reinforce the challenge, he quoted the passage from Ephesians 6 about the “Armor of God.”The Lord prompted me to begin a series of devotional posts that would offer some insight into this key part of our lives as Christians. But before we get to chapter 6 regarding the armor, w...  Read More

Read: 2 Corinthians 5:21, “He made Him Who knew no sin to be sin on our behalf, so that we might become the righteousness of God in Him.”Morning, blessings all. Once again, my heart is full of thanks and praise for the mercy, grace and love that the Father has already lavished upon you and me.This verse from 2 Corinthians was the “Verse of the Day” in the Bible reading plan that I follow from Gate...  Read More

“Thus says the Lord, your Redeemer, the Holy One of Israel, ‘I am the Lord your God, who teaches you to profit, Who leads you in the way you should go.’” Isaiah 48:17 (NASB)“Profit” means “the good result or advantage that can be achieved by a particular action or activity.”As I continued writing these bi-weekly devotional posts, on the morning I wrote this particular post, the “Verse of the Day” ...  Read More

“'No man will be able to stand before you all the days of your life. Just as I have been with Moses, I will be with you; I will not fail you or forsake you.'” Joshua 1:5 (NASB).

God equips those He calls

I have discovered that often in the Word of God, when a servant is called, the accompanying promise or word from the Lord is directly related to the particular temperament and need of the person the...  Read More

The Scriptures make it clear that Jesus came to do and express the Father’s will. Therefore it is early in Jesus’ teachings that the phrases “kingdom of God” or “kingdom of heaven” begin to appear.I believe that He deliberately and intentionally spoke of this “kingdom” for several reasons. And, the Lord being my helper, I wanted to link these phrases to not only Jesus’ healing ministry, but to the...  Read More

“When Jesus came down from the mountain, large crowds followed Him. And a leper came to Him and bowed down before Him, and said, 'Lord, if You are willing, You can make me clean.' Jesus stretched out His hand and touched him, saying, 'I am willing; be cleansed.' And immediately his leprosy was cleansed. And Jesus said to him, 'See that you tell no one; but go, show yourself to the priest and prese...  Read More