Thought 365
His Hand Clave to the
Sword – David’s mighty men
Read 2 Samuel 23:1-39
and 1 Chronicles 11:10-47.
The Most Important Question You'll ever be Asked:
Sunday, March 31, 2013
Thought 365: His Hand Clave to the Sword -- David's mighty men from Ryan's devotional book series Thoughts
Saturday, March 30, 2013
Thought 264: 1 Corinthians 13:11 from Ryan's devotional book series Thoughts
Thought 364
1 Corinthians 13:11
“When I
was a child, I spake as a child, I understood as a child, I thought as a child:
but when I became a man, I put away childish things.” 1 Corinthians 13:11 KJV
The Apostle Paul testifies to the fact that when
he became man, that he left childhood behind. There was no teenage years of
“weirdness” that were considered a stage in his life. Young men and women should
be learning new things and maturing just like adults. However, the modern perception
of a “teenage” stage has reared up a false idea in our society. The term teenager and its definition were created
under 100 years ago. We need to treat young men and women as what they are—young men and young women. They should be given responsibilities and be expected
to mature beyond the current normal. The point, is since the Bible teaches the
opposite of the “teenage” years then why should we uphold the idea?
Friday, March 29, 2013
Thought 363: A Threat from Ryan's devotional book series Thoughts
Thought 363
A Threat
Christians are a threat to the World, because
we know that its foundation and focus are wrong. We are a threat in the sense
that we live and speak truth that is contrary what the World believes. In today’s
passage notice how Believers will be different from the world:
And Jesus went out,
and departed from the temple: and his disciples came to him for to shew him the
buildings of the temple. And Jesus said unto them, See ye not all these
things? verily I say unto you, There shall not be left here one stone upon
another, that shall not be thrown down.
And as he sat upon the mount of Olives, the disciples came
unto him privately, saying, Tell us, when shall these things be? and what shall
be the sign of thy coming, and of the end of the world? And
Jesus answered and said unto them, Take heed that no man deceive you.
For many shall come in my name, saying, I am Christ; and shall deceive
many.
And ye shall hear of wars and rumours of wars: see that ye be
not troubled: for all these things must come to pass, but the end is not yet. For nation shall rise against nation, and kingdom
against kingdom: and there shall be famines, and pestilences, and earthquakes,
in divers places. All these are the beginning of
sorrows.
Then shall they deliver you up to be afflicted, and shall kill you: and
ye shall be hated of all nations for my name's sake. And then shall many be offended, and shall betray one
another, and shall hate one another. And many
false prophets shall rise, and shall deceive many. And because iniquity shall abound, the love of many shall wax cold.
But he that shall endure unto the end, the same shall be saved.
And this gospel of the kingdom shall be preached in all the
world for a witness unto all nations; and then shall the end come.
When ye therefore shall see the abomination of desolation,
spoken of by Daniel the prophet, stand in the holy place, (whoso readeth, let
him understand:) Then let them which be in Judaea flee into
the mountains: Let him which is on
the housetop not come down to take any thing out of his house: Neither
let him which is in the field return back to take his clothes.
And woe unto them that are with child, and to them that give
suck in those days! But
pray ye that your flight be not in the winter, neither on the sabbath day:
For then shall be great tribulation, such as was not since the beginning
of the world to this time, no, nor ever shall be. And except
those days should be shortened, there should no flesh be saved: but for the
elect's sake those days shall be shortened.
Then if any man shall say unto you, Lo, here is Christ, or
there; believe it not. For there shall arise false Christs,
and false prophets, and shall shew great signs and wonders; insomuch that, if
it were possible, they shall deceive the very elect. Behold,
I have told you before. Wherefore if they shall say unto you,
Behold, he is in the desert; go not forth: behold, he is in the secret
chambers; believe it not. For as the lightning cometh out of
the east, and shineth even unto the west; so shall also the coming of the Son
of man be. For wheresoever the carcase is, there will the
eagles be gathered together.
Immediately after the tribulation of those days shall the sun
be darkened, and the moon shall not give her light, and the stars shall fall
from heaven, and the powers of the heavens shall be shaken: And
then shall appear the sign of the Son of man in heaven: and then shall all the
tribes of the earth mourn, and they shall see the Son of man coming in the
clouds of heaven with power and great glory. And he shall
send his angels with a great sound of a trumpet, and they shall gather together
his elect from the four winds, from one end of heaven to the other.
Now learn a parable of the fig tree; When his branch is yet
tender, and putteth forth leaves, ye know that summer is nigh: So
likewise ye, when ye shall see all these things, know that it is near, even at
the doors. Verily I say unto you, This generation shall not
pass, till all these things be fulfilled. Heaven and earth
shall pass away, but my words shall not pass away.
But of that day and hour knoweth no man, no, not the angels
of heaven, but my Father only. But as the days of Noah were,
so shall also the coming of the Son of man be. For as in the
days that were before the flood they were eating and drinking, marrying and
giving in marriage, until the day that Noe entered into the ark, And
knew not until the flood came, and took them all away; so shall also the coming
of the Son of man be. Then shall two be in the field; the one
shall be taken, and the other left. Two women shall be
grinding at the mill; the one shall be taken, and the other left. Watch
therefore: for ye know not what hour your Lord doth come.
But know this, that if the goodman of the house had known in
what watch the thief would come, he would have watched, and would not have
suffered his house to be broken up. Therefore be ye also ready: for in such an hour as ye
think not the Son of man cometh. Who then is a faithful and
wise servant, whom his lord hath made ruler over his household, to give them
meat in due season? Blessed is that servant, whom his lord
when he cometh shall find so doing. Verily I say unto you,
That he shall make him ruler over all his goods. But and if
that evil servant shall say in his heart, My lord delayeth his coming;
And shall begin to smite his fellowservants, and to eat and drink with
the drunken; The lord of that servant shall come in a day
when he looketh not for him, and in an hour that he is not aware of,
And shall cut him asunder, and appoint him his portion with the
hypocrites: there shall be weeping and gnashing of teeth. Matthew
24 KJV
Thursday, March 28, 2013
Thought 362: FEAR OF MAN from Ryan's devotional book series Thoughts
Thought 362
FEAR OF MAN
“I, even I, am he that comforteth you: who art thou, that thou shouldest
be afraid of a man that shall die, and of the son of man which shall be made as
grass; And forgettest the Lord thy maker, that hath stretched forth the heavens, and laid the
foundations of the earth; and hast feared continually every day because of the
fury of the oppressor, as if he were ready to destroy? and where is the fury of
the oppressor?”
Isaiah 51:12-13 KJV
“So that we may boldly say, The
Lord is my helper, and I will not fear what man shall do unto me.”
Hebrews 13:6 KJV
Wednesday, March 27, 2013
Thought 361: Commander Bob from Ryan's devotional book series Thoughts
Thought 361
Commander Bob
“Commander
Bob,” whose real name is Robert Wenneker, is a great benefit to the Royal
Rangers Ministry at Faith Community Church and his friends. Commander Bob
possesses many character traits that are both helpful and admirable. The
following are just a few of the traits that Bob possesses that seem to stick
out once one gets to know him: Bob coordinates events for the older Royal
Ranger groups, administrates over the younger Royal Ranger leaders, counsels
boys on issues pertaining to Royal Rangers and real life, Bob teaches in a
merciful fashion that encourages one to ‘press on’ and not to give up, and he
possesses leadership skills, which he demonstrates by knowing just the right
time to step in and take charge of a crazy situation.
Due
to Bob’s example as a role model many boys are learning valuable life skills
and are at points of achievement in their lives. One clearly sees the influence
that Bob’s hours of preparation prior to a Royal Ranger meeting has on the
class “flow.” Bob scans merit work/flyers, cleans up the Ranger room, keeps detailed
records of each boy’s advancement, offers help when someone needs him,
discusses ways to improve the class, and is ready to earn his own advancements
and certifications to help others.
Bob’s
appearance might not show just how helpful he is or how many jokes he has up
his sleeve. Bob has a bushy, gray beard about fifty percent of the time that
someone sees him; the other half of the time, Bob has wacked his beard down to
a very thin layer of facial hair. Bob wears big, coke bottle like glasses and
has a bald head to match. Bob’s clothing usually consists of something casual,
like jeans and a t-shirt—he rarely gets dressed up.
All
in all, Commander Bob is a blessing because of the time and energy that he
invests in people, and his tremendous role in the functioning of the Royal
Ranger ministry. Bob truly does display some admirable characteristics, among
which are: wisdom, mercy, teaching, leadership, administration, and counseling,
not to mention that he puts these all together to mentor young men. Thanks for
your investment in me, Commander Bob.
Tuesday, March 26, 2013
Thought 360: Mr. Howe and his influence from Ryan's devotional book series Thoughts
Thought 360
Mr. Howe and his
influence
Mr. Howe was my sixth grade history, math,
science, and Bible DVD teacher through A Beka Academy. He is a man of Faith and
his Bible lessons shinned with the light of knowing Jesus Christ. As a result
of his teaching across the miles and through the years, he has been a blessing
to many students. It was while having Mr. Howe as a teacher that I began to
discipline myself to get up and to study God’s Word, particularly Proverbs.
Thank you Mr. Howe for your example!
Consider This
Think back…REMEMBER…. how God has used someone in your past to lead you to another
step in your Christian walk. Someone who’s counsel or example gave you rest,
encouragement, or a greater delight in the Lord.
Now that
you’ve remembered your blessing, ask the Lord how you can pass on encouragement
to another Christian who is running for the Prize.
Monday, March 25, 2013
Thought 359: Wanting God to do Everything from Ryan's devotional book series Thoughts
Thought 359
Wanting
God to do Everything
"Watch and pray, that ye
enter not into temptation: the spirit indeed is willing, but the flesh is weak." Matthew 26:41
KJV
How often do we want
God to do everything for us and yet He continues to say “just watch and pray so
that you won’t fall”?
I have found that it
is easy to fall when I’m idle. That little old saying, “idle hands are the
devil’s workshop” is true! When we just sit there and do nothing, when the Lord
has spoken to us, a deep “sleep” comes upon us. When we do nothing, Satan is
very likely to tempt! Now, when I say sitting by and doing nothing, I’m not
referring to the times of rest and refreshing that come from the Lord and
the recreation that we need in our lives to have balance, but rather about
doing nothing during the spiritual battle or the night watch seasons of the
soul. The urge to watch and pray—to be ready and listening—from Christ (Matt.
26:41) is so that we will not partake of the bread of idleness and fall into
temptation.
When we’re idle and our guards are down--watch out!--
Satan is probably lurking around.
Proverbs 19:15 says that “Slothfulness
casteth into a deep sleep; and an idle soul shall suffer hunger (KJV).” Laziness, idleness,
shiftlessness are all the same thing: they are disobedience to what our God
created us to do: to have dominion over the earth and rule it for the glory of
God (Genesis 1:28). Yes, we should rest one day every seven, but the other six
we are to be watching and praying—standing!—ready for the Lord to come and move.
But being ready does not just take place in the natural, in the spiritual realm
there are times that we must stand. Daniel did this when he prayed for the help
of the Lord and kept praying for twenty-one days (Daniel 10).
Thought of Reflection:
V Are
you sitting by wanting God to do everything, instead of obediently standing and
waiting for Him?
“And when he was at
the place, he said unto them, Pray that ye enter not into temptation.”
Luke 22:40 KJV
Sunday, March 24, 2013
Thought 358: A Blameless Man from Ryan's devotional book series Thoughts
Thought 358
A Blameless Man
The
Bible talks about how a minister, deacon, or elder must be the husband of one
wife and a blameless man, in addition to, several other necessary requirements.
These men are hard to find these days and, unfortunately, Christian leaders and
congregations in our times often settle for less than the Word teaches, and
thus bring a curse upon themselves because they are disobeying the Word of the
Lord.
Saturday, March 23, 2013
Thought 357: Take me and Break me from Ryan's devotional book series Thoughts
Thought 357
Take me and Break me
Our cry needs to be to
the Lord, O! How I cannot do anything in my own strength, like Ecclesiastes
declares: everything I do in my strength is meaningless, yet O Lord! Your
purpose and your plans for my for my life are not meaningless! Lord kill my
pride, help me reject my will. O Lord, not my will, but Yours be done!!! Lord,
be my Shelter and my Fortress, my Shield, my Provider, my Everlasting Father,
my Good God, my Prince of Peace! May You direct my paths, answer my cries,
defend my defenselessness; may You rage my war, may You give me strength, may You
work in me to take every thought captive to You, O Lord, direct my paths! O
Lord give me patience to wait on you. O Lord, may You give me the strength to
climb out of bed early each day to dedicate it to You, to invest in prayer, to
speak with You and be strengthened, for You have promised as a strengthen my
inner man when I wait on You. Lord, give me a passion and hunger to study and
meditate on Your Word. Lover and keeper my soul, let my sin not lead me astray,
but keep me ever close in Your loving arms and strengthen me for the battles in
which You will come out victorious in my future. And in the life of my wife,
and my children, and my sisters, and my brothers, and my parents, and my
cousins, and Your people, and Your messengers, O Lord, give them strength!
Protect Israel, O Lord, bless them though they don’t deserve it, and bless Your
people, though we don’t deserve it. Deliver us from evil and teach us Your ways
as only You can. Amen . . . . and amen. . . . . . take me and break me . . .
make me useable for Your will.
Friday, March 22, 2013
Thought 356: The danger of Compromising Biblical worldview from Ryan's devotional book series Thoughts
Thought 356
The danger of
Compromising Biblical worldview
Again
I must state that your worldview must be rooted in God’s Word (Matthew 7:24-27).
It must be only built upon the foundation of Jesus Christ (1 Corinthians 3:11—21).
Some think that a Christian Worldview is a
belief in a literal 6 day Creation, standing against evolution, rejecting
atheism’s claims, belief in the Fall of man, etc… those things are important
and are valuable stances taken because of possessing a Biblical worldview, but the central theme of a Biblical worldview must
be based on is Jesus Christ—He is the Word and His Truth is enduring. Our lives should be lived growing closer to
Him, sharing the Good News of His Redemption at the Cross and Following His
Words in every area of our life (yes, even voting and abortion)!
Read: 1Corinthians 3. This passage declares our worldview focal
point: Jesus Christ.
Thursday, March 21, 2013
Thought 355: Worldview from Ryan's devotional book series Thoughts
Thought 355
Worldview
Root your worldview in
Christ, otherwise the foundation won’t last.
The foundation must be
Christ (Matthew 7:24-27). The reality of living like Christ is following the
guidance of the Holy Spirit, your Teacher and Guide, and keeping Christ’s cross
at the center of your life? Who would He vote for (His Word makes it pretty
clear)? Are my closest friends like Christ and are they influencing me to be
conformed to Christ or to follow the passing pleasures of this world? How would
Christ honor her on this courtship outing?
A
Christian’s worldview should be rooted in the Scriptures—the very character of
Christ!—not on opinions.
Jesus spoke out and acted in order to help a person . . . . .
to rebuke sin . . . . . yet He loved all. How do you need to adjust your worldview,
so that you can be more like Christ? Follow
His Spirits’ leading—He will guide you (John 14 & 16).
Wednesday, March 20, 2013
Thought 354: "Romantic Relationships"--Free in Principle, but not in Practice from Ryan's devotional book series Thoughts
Thought 354
“Romantic Relationships”
Free in Principle, but
not in Practice
God
does have guidelines, and He will make a way for His perfect plan to be
accomplished in our “Romantic Relationships” if we will wait on Him. The Lord
has given us a free will which we can take a detour with that produces
permanent consequences. God will chasten our disobedience to His absolute laws
of right and wrong.
Side Note:
Noah Webster’s 1828
dictionary defines Romance as that which
vaults or soars beyond the limits of fact and real life; Romancer as one who invents fictitious stories; and
Romantic as Pertaining to romance, or
resembling it ; wild ; fanciful ; extravagant ; as a romantic taste; romantic
notions ; romantic expectations ; romantic zeal. Improbable or chimerical ;
fictitious ; as a romantic tale. Fanciful ; wild ; full of wild or fantastic
scenery ; as a romantic prospect or landscape ; a romantic situation.
In light of those definitions
of “Romance,” I do not encourage or recommend it and have only used the word
for the sake of relating today’s’ topic to you. Even though a modern definition
may differ from the 1828’s, both still depict Romance as wild and fanciful. Far
too many Christians fall into the trap its illusion, especially young girls. So
many books and movies are filled with it and there are many people that search
in vain to find it. But in light of a Biblical worldview, we should be very
cautious with anything that propagates the idea of Romance. A further look into
history reveals a concept called Greco-Roman
love. This conception of love is based on the pagan Greeks and Romans who
propagated perverted sexual pleasures, worship, “art,” and literature. A
Christian should be on his (and her) guard against the widespread philosophy of
“Romantic Love” for it certainly does not line up with God’s definition of
Love-1 Corinthians 13.
Our word for the day regarding “Romance” is
WAIT. The Bible teaches in many of its’ verses about the importance of waiting.
If we wait upon the Lord for our strength (Isaiah 40:31) and we wait for Him in
the deserts and valleys that we go through (Isaiah 43:18-19), why not in our relationships?
And why not in “Romantic relationships”?
Readers, romantic relationships are not
something to fool around with; and unfortunately many in the World and in the Church
view dating, kissing, sex, lust, pornography, and temptation as a game, not as
sin and a stumbling block to others. Many date simply for enjoyment or to-get-to-know
the significant “beauty” that they laid-eyes-upon. When one does this he is putting his
trust and his heart in the hands of his emotions and not in the hands of an Omnipotent,
Sovereign God who already has the “right one” selected for us according to His
will. The big issue is: will we wait (sexually and emotionally) on the
one the Lord has for us or will we look—search—for The One and simply let “fate”
lead us into the “perfect relationship”?
Really listen to the following wisdom
that many grasped too late in life to spare them pain:
#1 There are no perfect relationships. There are no perfect men
or women, we all commit wrong.
#2 All are sinners and fall short of perfection: this further disproves
the illusion of having a “perfected life,” because it isn’t even a possibility.
#3 Forgiveness is essential, we have to forgive the past of our
future spouses and promise to not hold it over their heads. Just remember, we
have all sinfully trespassed, but Christ can forgive them and will forgive Him
if they repent and place their faith in Him. As His image bearers, we should
forgive as well.
#4 Fate isn’t real, God directs everything, yet He allows Satan to tempt you at times
and He restricts Satan at other times
(check out the story of Job)
#5 Looking for something that God has already promised to
give you one day is just impatience and it leads out hearts into a state of being
more prone to sin because we are ‘weary’ of waiting. Don’t try to hurry God along because it won’t work.
#6 Waiting for the Lord is always the best option. Obedience to the Father
brings blessing, but disobedience brings a curse (check out God’s promise to
the Israelites).
#7 God has picked someone out for you that is beyond what you
could ever find on your own.
I encourage you to make
the choice to surrender EVERYTHING
to God, even “ROMANCE.”
Tuesday, March 19, 2013
Thought 353: Faithfulness to God and Spouse from Ryan's devotional book Thoughts
Thought 353
Faithfulness to God and Spouse
Often mankind struggles with being
faithful. Israel many times walked away from God. Yet, God is the ultimate role
model of faithfulness, because He never leaves us or forsakes us. Just as God
demonstrates heavenly loyalty, commitment, and love through His faithfulness, earthly
marital faithfulness illustrates them.
Today
“relationships” are often built largely upon feeling. Some “Christians” will
only stay ‘true’ to the Lord when they feel all bubbly inside. Likewise, many marriages
are built on an attitude that is all for divorce. When dating was previously
played as a game—simply switching relationships as fast as you can tie your
shoes—one (hopefully unknowingly) lines himself up for a future divorce,
because his marriage relationship is based only on a feeling that he has and as
soon as a little unwanted heat starts to rise, he takes to his heels wanting
out and after awhile, begins looking for another “romantic feeling.” Feelings
are great, don’t get me wrong, but it is the faithfulness of Christ that should
be lived out through you, because He faithfully lives in His children. Faithfulness
demonstrates true love (1 Corinthians 13), not emotional mountaintops.
I pray that today, God convicts you if there is any
indication of unfaithfulness to your spouse or your relationship with God; and
that from your conviction, you would repent and be transformed into a faithful
follower of Christ and marriage partner.
Monday, March 18, 2013
Thought 352: Repentance from Ryan's devotional book series Thoughts
Thought 352
Repentance
Read Hosea 14
Repentance is essential to experiencing a
real transformation of life. Webster’s 1828 dictionary defines Repentance as follows: (def. 3.)
Real
penitence; sorrow or deep contrition for sin, as an offense and dishonor to
God, a violation of his holy law, and the basest ingratitude towards a Being of
infinite benevolence. This is called evangelical
repentance, and is accompanied and followed by an amendment of life.
Take
another look at the verses for today and pray that God continues to grant you a
truly repentant soul, that you might continually walk in His will and avoid
many dangerous snares, hollow and deceptive philosophies, false prophets, and
serpents which are all along the narrow road seeking to detour you to the wide
paths of destruction.
Our part, is to repent for our sins and
TURN from our wicked ways.
Check
out These you close this devotion: Ezekiel 18:30-32; 2 Chronicles 7:14; 2 Chronicles 16:9
Sunday, March 17, 2013
Thought 351: much study wearies the body from Ryan's devotional book series Thoughts
Thought 351
much study
wearies the body
“The words of the wise are as goads, and as nails fastened by the masters
of assemblies, which are given from one shepherd. And
further, by these, my son, be admonished: of making many books there is no end;
and much study is a weariness of the flesh.” Ecclesiastes 12:11-12 KJV
Verse
12 certainly describes the research put into writing a book and everyone should
be able to relate how studies for school make us weary. There is a powerful
principle here. Yes we will be weary from much study, but that doesn’t mean
that all our study is of no benefit. On the contrary, Biblical study is of great
benefit to our lives. But we must be careful to not come under the mindset of
study being everything for that is an unbalanced and unhealthy view to have.
Many knowledgeable people throughout the ages have committed their entire lives
to meaningless studies on evolution, heathen philosophies, and a search for the
“higher truth;” therefore, we would be wise to take to heart the truths of
Scripture and cautious about how many other subjects we try to master from the
worldly point of view: for surely, their number of books have no end.
My friends, be careful
that you are not taken captive by the same old lies that Satan has ensnared men
and women with: the primary lie being pride—that you can know all about
something or trust in your own knowledge and research instead of placing your
Faith in the unalterable Truths of God’s Word. Make Faith and Diligent studies
of the Scriptures your highest aim, maintain balance in life, and be on your
guard for the attacks of Satan which can come through the people serving him
instead of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.
Saturday, March 16, 2013
Thought 350: Evangelism from Ryan's devotional book series Thoughts
Thought 350
Evangelism
Simply
live and share your Faith in Jesus.
That is evangelism in a nut shell.
Why evangelize? Because Jesus said to.
“Go ye therefore, and teach all
nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the
Holy Ghost: Teaching them to observe all things whatsoever I have
commanded you: and, lo, I am with you always, even unto the end of the world.
Amen.” Matthew 28:19-20 KJV
Evangelism as displayed in Acts is simply
following the prompting of the Holy Spirit to share Jesus. Christ is asking, “Will you allow me to use you? You are just the
instrument that I want to work through in ________ particular instance, but I
won’t force you to do the job: you must willingly choose to.”
Are you willing, but don’t feel effective?
Don’t
worry about what you can see. God can use you without your knowledge. It may appear
that your obedience is fruitless, but God can still work! Some sow, some
nurture the growing seed, and some harvest. If your desire and actions are to
spread the message of Jesus, just keep on diligently working.
Feel paralyzed by fear?
Ask
the Lord to give you His strength and opportunities to share your Faith. Then be
obedient as the Holy Spirit prompts you—you may be asked to move out of your
comfort zone, but that is a way that you will conquer fear. We are in a battle
against the World, the Flesh, and the Devil so it will not always going to be
easy to obtain victory. Sometimes, perhaps, but be prepared and ready for
challenges that require Faith, Patience, Longsuffering, and Intense Battle.
Friday, March 15, 2013
Thought 349: Let yes be yes and no be no from Ryan's devotional book series Thoughts
Thought 349
Let yes be yes and no be
no
“Again you have heard that it was
said to those of old, ‘You shall not swear falsely, but shall perform your
oaths to the Lord.’ But I say to you, do
not swear at all: neither by heaven, for it is God’s throne; nor by the earth, for it is His footstool; nor by Jerusalem, for it is
the city of the great King. Nor shall you swear by your head, because you cannot make one hair white
or black. But let your ‘Yes’ be
‘Yes,’ and your ‘No,’ ‘No.’ For whatever is more than these is from the evil
one.” Matthew 5:33-37 NKJV
How
many times have you said something other than yes or no? Have you ever said
maybe? Take a moment and pray that the Lord helps you to apply this passage of
Scripture to your life.
Thursday, March 14, 2013
Thought 348: Take back the ground from Ryan's devotional book series Thoughts
Thought 348
Take back the ground
The
World is our enemy in the sense that it is evil. It is ruled by the devil,
Satan: the Prince of the Air and the Lord of the Flies. We need to take back
the ground that rightfully was entrusted to man in the beginning to rule and
reign over according to God’s will and design. Because the Holy Spirit dwells inside
of Believers, we have more reason than ever to take back what the Devil, the
World, and the Flesh has stolen: the air waves, magazine covers, clothing
designs, swimsuit designs, movie industry, music world, drinking crowds, depraved
minds, the education of our children, the truth about ruling in a government
(God’s Word says a lot!), true honesty, cable TV, the internet, the business
world, the video game industry, the books (yes, even the so called “Classics,”
and the courts.
Get pumped up and
spiritually built in the Word, so that you may set the example for the
believers in speech, in life, in love and in the Word (Jude 1:20, 1 Tim. 4:12).
Wednesday, March 13, 2013
Thought 347: Dedication from Ryan's devotional book series Thoughts
Thought 347
Dedication
Why
don’t we dedicate it to the Lord? Our homes, churches, lives, resources,
possessions, children, education, etc…
really all belong to the Lord.
“Commit thy works unto
the Lord, and thy thoughts
shall be established.” Proverbs 16:3 KJV
Tuesday, March 12, 2013
Thought 346: Pick up Snakes? from Ryan's devotional book series Thoughts
Thought 346
Pick up Snakes?
“Behold, I give unto
you power to tread on serpents and scorpions, and over all the power of the
enemy: and nothing shall by any means hurt you.” Luke 10:19 KJV
15 And He said to them, “Go into all the world and preach the gospel to every creature. 16 He who believes and is baptized will be saved; but he who
does not believe will be condemned. 17 And these signs will follow those who believe: In My name
they will cast out demons; they will speak with new tongues; 18 they will take up serpents; and if they drink anything deadly, it
will by no means hurt them; they will lay hands on the sick, and they will
recover.”
19 So then, after the Lord had spoken to them, He was received
up into heaven, and sat down at the right hand of God. 20 And they went out and preached everywhere, the Lord
working with them and confirming the word through the accompanying
signs. Amen. Mark 16:15-20 NKJV
“Thou shalt tread upon
the lion and adder: the young lion and the dragon shalt thou trample under feet.”
Psalms 91:13 KJV
1 Now when they had escaped, they then found out that the island was called
Malta. 2 And the natives showed us unusual
kindness; for they kindled a fire and made us all welcome, because of the rain
that was falling and because of the cold. 3 But
when Paul had gathered a bundle of sticks and laid them on the fire, a
viper came out because of the heat, and fastened on his hand. 4 So when the natives saw the creature hanging from his
hand, they said to one another, “No doubt this man is a murderer, whom, though
he has escaped the sea, yet justice does not allow to live.” 5 But he shook off the creature into the fire and
suffered no harm. 6 However, they were
expecting that he would swell up or suddenly fall down dead. But after they had
looked for a long time and saw no harm come to him, they changed their minds
and said that he was a god.
7 In that region there was an estate of the leading citizen of
the island, whose name was Publius, who received us and entertained us
courteously for three days. 8 And it
happened that the father of Publius lay sick of a fever and dysentery. Paul
went in to him and prayed, and he laid his hands on him and healed him. 9 So when this was done, the rest of those on the island
who had diseases also came and were healed. 10
They also honored us in many ways; and when we departed, they provided such
things as were necessary. Acts
28:1-10 NKJV
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