Category Archives: Devos

Apr 17 2020
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Devos

Can you imagine… “Blessed with every blessing!”

God's blessingCan you imagine…
There is a knock at your front door, a well-dressed person stands there, identifies himself as the official representative of an incredibly well-known, influential, powerful and wealthy person, and informs you that he has been sent officially to inform you of a wonderful gift that will be given to you… His words, “Be prepared for it – the benefactor, who authorized me to deliver this message, assures its arrival!”
I thought of that scenario as I read these well-known words in the Bible this morning…
“Then the Lord said to Moses, ‘Tell Aaron and his sons [the Lord’s official representatives] to bless the people of Israel [God’s chosen people] with this special blessing:
‘May the Lord bless you and protect you.
May the Lord smile on you and be gracious to you.
May the Lord grant you His favor and give you His peace.’
Whenever Aaron and his sons bless the people of Israel IN MY NAME, I MYSELF WILL BLESS THEM.” (From Numbers 6:22-27 NLT)
A few observations…
1) It is Almighty God’s intention to bless His people!
2) He has authorized His representatives to bless those who are His children!
3) When they bless God’s people in His name, in this way (either using these exact words or similar blessings)
4) God Himself, with all the resources of heaven and earth, stands behind the blessing and declares, “I Myself will bless them!”
This I believe! And in this way, in His name, I intend to bless others of His children!
Oh, you want a New Testament passage to back it up? How’s this one… “All praise to God, the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, Who has blessed us with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly realms in Christ Jesus!” (Ephesians 1:3 NLT)
Apr 16 2020
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Devos

“God Bless America, Land that I Love…”

God bless AmericaI thought of the nation I love and am concerned about when I read Jeremiah 18.7-10 this morning:

“If at any time I [God] declare concerning a nation or a kingdom, that I will pluck up and break down and destroy it, and if that nation, concerning which I have spoken, turns from its evil, I will relent of the disaster that I intended to do to it…

“…and if at any time I declare concerning a nation or a kingdom that I will build and plant it, and if it does evil in my sight, not listening to my voice, then I will relent of the good that I had intended to do to it.

… Or at another moment I might speak concerning a nation or concerning a kingdom to build up or to plant it; if it does evil in My sight by not obeying My voice, then I will think better of the good with which I had promised to bless it.”

“Therefore… the Lord says, “Return, every one of you from his evil way, and amend your ways and your deeds!” (From Jeremiah 18:7-11 ESV)

I didn’t say it… It’s a message God spoke through Jeremiah, the prophet, concerning Judah.  And it was fulfilled in the painful experience of the Babylonian exile.  And it is a message that applies to our nation as well!  Which will we choose – the mercy of God or the judgment of God?  I am praying we will choose His mercy!

Apr 12 2020
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Devos

Let me tell you… I’m REALLY glad I read my Bible this Easter morning!

He is RisenJust finished my Bible reading this Easter morning – “Resurrection Day!” Part of my Bible reading came from 1 Corinthians 15 – the “Resurrection chapter!”

Have I got news for you! Because of the death, burial and resurrection of Jesus – the One who conquered death – there is HOPE for those who are “in Christ!”

Now our physical bodies die and decay! But for those who are “in Christ” there is HOPE! You will survive your death! No, more than that – You’ll be transformed because of Jesus’ victory over death! After the resurrection of our bodies, no more disease, no more diminished vitality, no more death, no more decay!!! Transformed into the likeness of His glorious body!

Here it is, right out of the Bible, this Easter morning…

“Someone may ask, “How will the dead be raised? What kind of bodies will they have?”

“God gives a new body – the kind He wants us to have! … There are heavenly bodies and there are earthly bodies. The glory of the heavenly bodies is different from the glory of the earthly bodies…

“It is the same way with the resurrection of the dead. Our earthly bodies are planted in the ground when we die, but they will be raised to live forever! Our bodies are buried in brokenness, but they will be raised in glory! They are buried in weakness, but they will be raised in strength! They are buried as natural human bodies, but they will be raised as spiritual bodies.

“What comes first is the natural body, then the spiritual body comes later. Adam, the first man, was made from the dust of the earth, while Christ, the second man, came from heaven…Just as we are now like the earthly man, we will someday be like the heavenly man…

“Let me reveal to you a wonderful secret! We will not all die, but we will all be transformed. It will happen in a moment, in the blink of an eye, when the last trumpet is blown. For when God’s trumpet sounds, those who have died will be raised to live forever! And we who are living will also be transformed! Our dying bodies must be transformed into bodies that will never die; our mortal bodies must be transformed into immortal bodies. Then when our dying bodies have been transformed into bodies that will never die, this Scripture will be fulfilled: ‘Death is swallowed up in victory! O death, where is your victory? O death, where is your sting?’ … But thank God! He gives us victory over sin and death through our Lord Jesus Christ!” (From 1 Corinthians 15:35–57 The New Living Translation)

Let me tell you, I am REALLY glad I read my Bible this Easter morning!

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