NOVEMBER 9 DEVOTIONAL BIBLE READING: HABAKKUK 3:17-19 Every day in our country about half the people are happy and half are unhappy. We have a President who is elected to lead us. It is the great social experiment called, "America." For the church, as far as our walk goes nothing changes no matter who the President is or nothing should change. We still need to be sharing the Gospel. We need to continue to minister to the poor, the widows, the orphans. We still need to be the

NOVEMBER 8 DEVOTIONAL BIBLE READING: ROMANS 6:5-11 Salvation is not determined by our emotions or how we feel about it. Our salvation is determined by the promise of God. When God declares something, it is true. So, though our salvation and what God does in it, can touch our emotions and feelings, the final determinate on whether we have salvation is what God says. Our words do not have the power to create anything...they do influence, they do impact, they can hurt or help...

NOVEMBER 7 DEVOTIONAL BIBLE READING: PSALM 128 There are foundational truths that make us, who we are, both as a nation and as believers in Christ. It is when these truths are ignored, forgotten, or replaced that we cease to be the people we were created to be. Our nation was developed and created in strife and conflict. It was set up so that everyone was created equal and we're given certain freedoms by the Creator. We didn't get it completely right from the start for all pe

NOVEMBER 6 DEVOTIONAL BIBLE READING: HABAKKUK 2:1-4 Lord, teach me each day to walk by faith and not by what I see. It is Election season in the United States...and while it is important, it is not the most important thing. What God is doing all around us is really what is important. Henry Blackaby teaches in his book, "Experiencing God," that God is on mission all around us, everyday...God is calling us to join Him in His great mission. In order for us to do that we must sto

NOVEMBER 5 DEVOTIONAL BIBLE READING: JAMES 1:21-27 Biblical principles are only good if we follow them. To say one is a biblical Christian and then to do just the opposite of the clear teachings of Scripture is to prove that one is not. They are empty words and that kind of faith is only there as long as it fits our own personal preferences, bias and lifestyle. It seems about this time, every four years, we American Christians struggle with being a partisan or a follower of C

NOVEMBER 4 DEVOTIONAL BIBLE READING: ROMANS 6:20-23 God cannot be appeased with actions, even religious actions, without our obedience. In other words, our hearts must be right in order for our actions to be right. The religious minded person says, "All that is needed is that I do certain things, like going to church, or giving to the Lord, or reading my Bible, etc.” But the Lord requires more from us. He requires a right heart that is turned toward Him. It is from a right he

NOVEMBER 3 DEVOTIONAL BIBLE READING: LEVITICUS 26:3-8 The Lord put us here and has left us here to make a difference. Jesus said we are to be the salt of the earth and the light of the world. He warned of salt losing its savor and being good for nothing...and told us not to hide our light under a bushel. Sadly, there are many Christians who have just decided to check out and not become involved. To them the world has either gotten so bad that they don't think they can make a

NOVEMBER 2 DEVOTIONAL BIBLE READING: NUMBERS 14:1-10 There is an old saying, "If you know no opposition, it's because you stand for nothing!" There is not a person in the world that has made a difference and stood for something that has not had opposition. As a matter, of fact it can be stated with certainty that if you believe and stand for something, it is guaranteed that you will face opposition. And it seems the greater the cause or purpose for which you stand, the greate

NOVEMBER 1 DEVOTIONAL BIBLE READING: 2 CHRONICLES 7:12-18 Around the interior wall of our worship center we have 2 Chronicles 7:14. I shared a series of sermons on this passage and though the words were specifically for Israel, reminding them to stay right with God in order to receive His blessings, I believe the principle in this passage can be applied to us also. Most of the time, when a country moves away from God the church looks at the secular society and casts all the b

OCTOBER 31 DEVOTIONAL BIBLE READING: COLOSSIANS 2:11-15 When one is born again, we follow that experience of salvation with water baptism. It is the opportunity for the new believer to testify to what Jesus has done in their life. Baptism is an illustration of the death, burial and resurrection of the person who is dead to their old life, buried as proof of a literal death and then raised to new life in Christ Jesus. Baptism does not save; it is an act of obedience of the bel

OCTOBER 30 DEVOTIONAL BIBLE READING: 1 CHRONICLES 4:9-10 If you are like me as a follower of Jesus, you have prayed sometime or another, "Lord, whatever you have to do to grow me up into what you want me to be, please do it" or " Lord use me in any way that brings glory to you." Then the Lord begins to work in our lives, but in a way we were not expecting, maybe through hard times and we draw back and say, "Lord, I wanted to grow and I wanted to be used by you, but I didn't m

OCTOBER 29 DEVOTIONAL BIBLE READING: REVELATION 3:14-22 In the Christian there is one thing that Lord cannot condone...as a matter of fact, it is the one thing that would cause Him to, "spew them out of His mouth!" He said He cannot tolerate lukewarm Christians and a lukewarm church. Today it seems to be a virtue to be called moderate...and it is good to be moderate in some things, but not so when we are called to follow Jesus. The first and greatest commandment according to

OCTOBER 28 DEVOTIONAL BIBLE READING: PSALM 51:1-11 We who are saved by the blood of Jesus have been made clean. That cleansing is what takes away the sin from our lives and ultimately the penalty for sin. Once made clean by Christ...we are clean. But we all know, even as clean, forgiven believers it is possible to get dirt on us. At the time of Jesus’ last supper with His Apostles, you will remember that He washed their feet. Peter was indignant and said that he would not let

OCTOBER 27 DEVOTIONAL BIBLE READING: 2 Corinthians 5:16-19   It is God who performs the miracle of the new birth to all who believe in His Son, Jesus. How incredible is the truth that the Lord takes we who are dead in our sins and literally brings us into new life. Mankind was created by God, for God. At one time mankind walk with God in perfect fellowship...there was nothing that separated us from Him. Then mankind chose to enter into disobedience, sin entered his heart and

OCTOBER 26 DEVOTIONAL BIBLE READING: John 16:16-24   Life is filled with storms and unexpected losses. We all know the hurt of losing someone we love. It is certain that knowing the Lord as our personal Savior gives us both the strength and the peace in these times. It is important for us to remember that the Lord is faithful...always! We need to keep our eyes on the Lord in all circumstances, and especially in the times of tragedy and loss, because sometimes the world does n

OCTOBER 25 DEVOTIONAL BIBLE READING: 1 Thessalonians 4:3-8   We are not merely physical beings. God created us as spiritual beings with a physical body. The Scripture says the, "Lord formed man out of the dust of the ground, breathed into his nostrils the breath of life and man became a living soul." I will readily confess I don't understand all that this encompasses, but clearly our bodies were made for this world, our life comes from God and we are complete in Him...mind, b

OCTOBER 24 DEVOTIONAL BIBLE READING: Psalm 127   Parents are God's primary plan for the raising of children. It is the parent's place to teach their children about the Lord and what it means to follow Him. It is by design that God intends for this to happen...it is not the church's place to raise the children. The church is there to assist, encourage, equip and come along side the parents as they take the responsibility of the spiritual nurturing of their children. God's inte

OCTOBER 23 DEVOTIONAL BIBLE READING: Psalm 29   I have reached the age when my friends have started leaving this earth. My good friends Lon Slechta, Ken Cutchall, Mark Hohn and Cal Calvert went to be with Jesus, all dying from cancer. One thing is sure, that we all will one day die. Death is not the end of things, as a matter of fact, there is more time on that side of death than we had in physical life–there's eternity! We were created for eternity and all of us will live fo

OCTOBER 22 DEVOTIONAL BIBLE READING: Romans 10:14-15   Acts 1:8 says, "You will receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you and you shall be witnesses of Me..." So often we make witnessing what we do rather than what we are when it should be both. Our lives are to be so infused with the Holy Spirit that His power working through us transforms us into witnesses of Christ. There is an old saying that goes something like this..."Go into the world and be a witness for Ch

OCTOBER 21 DEVOTIONAL BIBLE READING: Ephesians 3:8-13   The Scriptures teach us that we are to "pray without ceasing." Some would say that is impossible. I would say it's not only possible, it's necessary! Prayer is God's gift to us of His attention, care and direction. We have such a great privilege to be able to commune with God in prayer. It always amazes me that the Lord of all the universe has both the time and the interest to want to hear from me and speak to me in pray