Category: devotional

Our Possessions Belong to God

~ servantone1

JESUS SPEAKING

And it came to pass, when He drew near to Bethphage and Bethany, at the mountain called Olivet, that He sent two of His disciples, saying, “Go into the village opposite you, where as you enter you will find a colt tied, on which no one has ever sat. Loose it and bring it here. And if anyone asks you, ‘Why are you loosing it?’ thus you shall say to him, ‘Because the Lord has need of it.’” So those who were sent went their way and found it just as He had said to them. But as they were loosing the colt, the owners of it said to them, “Why are you loosing the colt?” And they said, “The Lord has need of it.” And they brought him to Jesus (Luke 19: 29 – 35.)

INSPIRED THOUGHTS

The book of Zechariah prophesied that the messiah would arrive humbly; “riding on a donkey.” Jesus therefore sent out a pair of disciples to procure an animal for His triumphal entry into Jerusalem. The men, upon being confronted by the animal’s owners, did exactly as they were instructed; they simply replied, “The Lord has need of it.” They were then permitted to leave. Much has been written about this brief encounter; many have highlighted the omniscience of God, the wisdom of Christ, and the faithfulness of the disciples. Yet in the presence of God’s glory, there exists a nameless stranger; a generous individual who recognized that his possessions were divine endowments; gifts from God, ready to be used to serve the Creator whenever He had need of them.

It is said of General George Gordon, that when the English government sought to reward him for his magnificent service in China, he declined all money and titles, but accepted a gold medal on which his name and a record of his thirty-three engagements was inscribed. After his death the medal could not be found. Eventually it was discovered that he had sent it to Manchester during a famine, with a request that it be melted and used to buy bread for the famished poor. In his diary that day he had written these words: “The last and only thing that I had in this world that I valued, I have given over to the Lord Jesus Christ.”
       Our possessions are not our own; our time, our money, and our resources all belong to God. We are mere stewards of what we have been given. When the Lord calls, we must be willing to relinquish control of our time, our money, and our goods so that others may know the love of Christ. Be still, and the Holy Spirit will tell you what, when, and where to give. Be generous and faithful, and you will experience the joy of the Lord; and His peace will fill your heart, now and forevermore.
      “Lord Heavenly Father, give us opportunities to use our resources to further Your Kingdom. May we be generous; may we be faithful; may we serve others with gladness and singleness of heart; and may we never turn away from those who are in need. All that we have is Yours. We love You Father, we praise You, and we thank You, and we ask and pray all of these things, according to Your will, in Jesus Christ’s name, Amen.” God bless all of you!

Not of This World

~ servantone1

JESUS SPEAKING

“But now I come to You, and these things I speak in the world, that they may have My joy fulfilled in themselves. I have given them Your word; and the world has hated them because they are not of the world, just as I am not of the world. I do not pray that you should take them out of the world, but that you should keep them from the evil one. They are not of the world, just as I am not of the world. Sanctify them by Your truth. Your word is truth. As You sent Me into the world, I also have sent them into the world.” (John 17: 13 – 18)

INSPIRED THOUGHTS

This world, with all of its destructive values and carnal temptations persists in direct opposition to the righteous virtues that exist in God’s eternal kingdom. When we stand for Jesus, we are standing against the world, because like Christ, we are not of this world. We are governed by a higher set of laws; which, when exhibited properly, directly elicit hatred and disdain from individuals primarily driven by their fleshly appetites. As Christians, we choose to struggle against the worldly forces that are meant to induce our conformity.

Before the days of modern navigational aids, a traveler made the Atlantic crossing in a boat equipped with two compasses. One was fixed to the deck where the man at the wheel could see it. The other compass was fastened high on one of the masts; which the sailors would often be seen climbing up to inspect. As the story goes, a passenger once asked a captain, “Why do you have two compasses?” The captain replied, “This is an iron vessel, and the compass on the deck is often affected by its surroundings. Such is not the case with the compass at the masthead; that one is above the influence. We steer by the compass above.” We as Christians must do the same.

As we navigate through this hostile environment, our Christian lives are governed by God’s highest laws; values that exist above, and transcend this world’s passing pleasures and temptations. Abandoning selfishness, we cling to the fruits of the Spirit, which are ‘love, joy, peace, longsuffering (patience), kindness, goodness, gentleness, and self-control,’ to name just a few. If we steer according to God’s higher compass, we will never lose our course.

“Lord Heavenly Father, we seek to accomplish Your will in this place. Guide us by the power of Your Holy Spirit, that we might never be conformed to the carnal values of this passing life. As we walk in the truth and journey toward Your eternal kingdom, help us to remain focused on what is good and right. Strengthen us, that we may withstand the persecution which accompanies the expression of our Christian virtues. We love You Father, we praise You, and we thank You, and we ask and pray all of these things, according to Your will, in Jesus Christ’s name we pray. Amen.” God bless all of you!

Being Honest

~ servantone1

JESUS SPEAKS

While speaking with a group of men, Jesus said, “If you were Abraham’s children you would do the works of Abraham. But now you seek to kill me, a Man who has told you the truth which I heard from God. Abraham did not do this. You do the deeds of your father.” Then they said to Him “We were not born of fornication; we have one Father—God.” Jesus said to them, “If God were your Father, you would love Me for I proceeded forth and came from God; nor have I come of Myself but He sent Me. Why do you not understand My speech? Because you are not able to listen to My word. You are of your father the devil, and the desires of your father you want to do. He was a murderer from the beginning, and does not stand in the truth, because there is no truth in him. When he speaks a lie, he speaks from his own resources, for he is a liar and the father of it.” (John 8: 29 – 34)

INSPIRED THOUGHTS

Lying and dishonesty are sinful behaviors that originate from Satan; these dreadful lies produce confusion, hardship and suffering. The truth however, which is pure, unchanging, and reliable, emanates from God the Father. He sent His only Son Jesus Christ to preach the truth, and for that purpose He was hated. Many today remain frightened of the gospel message because they yearn to continue in their sin without guilt or remorse. Thus honesty creates great animosity. Speaking the truth can be quite costly; which constitutes one of the reasons Jesus Christ is rejected more often than He is accepted.

In 2004, a high school golfer named Chelsee Richard, of Bloomingdale Florida, lost her chance to win the state championship by being honest. In the qualifier for the state finals, Chelsee hit her tee shot on the second hole into the rough. She then unkowingly played another golfer’s ball out of the rough and finished the hole. However, on the third hole she realized what she had done. The rules stated that a golfer must declare on that hole, that they hit the wrong ball before putting the ball into the cup, or they are disqualified. Chelsee drew strength from her favorite bible verse, Philippians 4: 13; “I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me.” She promptly reported her error, ending her senior season and her dream of going to the state finals. Concerning the incident, she said, “With my faith and with God, being honest was the most important thing to me, and that’s what is going to advance on through my life; being honest.”

Like Chelsee, many Christians have committed themselves to walking in the truth. We must always speak what is right and avoid dishonesty, no matter the cost. For those who have been called according to God’s purpose, lying of any sort is entirely unacceptable. We will undoubtedly encounter hatred, disdain, and derision, but our hearts will overflow with gladness. As we avoid Satan’s lies, those who are walking in darkness will see a great light and be drawn to God.

“Lord Heavenly Father, we love You and are committed to Your cause of salvation. May we speak only those things that are true and never fall victim to the lies that tempt others to sin. Sanctify us by the power of Your Holy Spirit, that we might be bold messengers of the Gospel. We love you Father, we praise You, and we thank You, and we ask and pray all of these things, according to Your will, in Jesus Christ’s name. Amen.” God bless all of you!