Daily Devotion from Ryan Marks book Thoughts

Thought 130

The Boundary Stone

“Do not move an ancient boundary stone set up by your forefathers.”  Proverbs 22:28 NIV

       In America today, all kinds of boundary stones that were set up by our forefathers are being removed, the chief being the Bible; without it the Constitution is nothing, the Declaration is nothing, the United States is nothing. Will you stand among the ranks of those that remove the ancient boundary stones, or will you hold to the boundaries of the past that were established by our God-fearing Forefathers?

Daily Devotion from Ryan Marks book Thoughts

Thought 129

A Peculiar People

“For the grace of God that brings salvation has appeared to all men. It teaches us to say ‘No’ to ungodliness and worldly passions, and to live self-controlled, upright and godly lives in this present age, while we wait for the blessed hope—the glorious appearing of our great God and Savior, Jesus Christ, who gave himself for us to redeem us from all wickedness and to purify for himself a people that are his very own, eager to do what is good. These, then, are the things you should teach. Encourage and rebuke with all authority. Do not let anyone despise you.”– Titus 2:11-15 NIV

Are you a peculiar person? Read this passage 3 times, slowly. While doing so, ask God to reveal the truth of this verse to you and listen for His gentle Spirits voice. (It might help to contemplatively write the verse down as well.)

Daily Devotion from Ryan Marks book Thoughts

Thought 128

Know, Court, Marry

       For more information on these three items (know, court, marry) read Passion and Purity or Quest for Love by Elizabeth Elliot. They are awesome books!

Know: Getting to know the opposite sex. When I say getting to know I mean just talking, hanging out—in groups!—, studying the Bible together at Church, ect…  I do not mean sex and lust. You can have clean, meaningful friendships with those of the opposite sex without dating them or pursuing temptation.

Court: A period of time in which you move toward engagement and marriage after having consulted your parents and other mature Christians, but, most importantly, having already received the approval of the Lord through prayer and seeking His will.  

Marriage: Uniting for as long as you both shall live.

Interested in somebody, but don’t know if you should say something?

#1 Go to God in prayer asking for direction and His will to be done.

Perquisite:  If you are a Christian only pursue a “relationship” with another Christian. The Lord has warned us not to be unequally yoked (2 Cor. 6:14-18).

#2 Go to your parents and other mature Christian counselors (older people than you), and talk to them about the person you are interested in. Ask them to partner with you in prayer and keep in touch. In short, have some accountability.

#3 Go to her dad and ask for permission to court his daughter with the intention of marriage. Young men, I encourage you to do this before you say anything to the girl, there are many reasons why I say this, but the primary one is that her father deserves your respect. He, hopefully, is and has been the primary man in her life, and out of respect you should ask him about his little girl. If you don’t agree with me, then I ask you to put yourself in his position: how would you feel if your daughter is “going-out” with a young man that you know nothing about? That should be enough to send chills up and down your spine.

      Courting is not a synonym of dating. Dating is usually based on lust. Here’s why: a guy sees a girl that is “hot” and so he asks her out. His thoughts are nowhere near pure and his intention possibly worse. This is not God-honoring and it certainly is not honoring to the young woman. The purpose of courting is to get to know each other and find out if God wants the two of you to marry and when you know that it is, to take wise, Spirit-lead steps to preparation for your marriage.

     For the girls out there saying, “But what about a girl that is interested in a particular guy, should she go to his Dad?” The answer is no. Girls, you should not do the asking or pursue the young man. He is supposed to be the leader in the home and if you marry him, he is to be the head of the household. If you pursue him, it would be easy for you two to get your roles mixed up from the very beginning. A woman leading her household is not operating in her God-given role, if her husband is still alive (Eph. 5:22-33).

#4 Talk to HER or HIM. Be careful and remember that your goal is to honor what God wants for each of you. Maybe God has already revealed to you that you would marry that person, but this doesn’t mean that you skip the courtship stage. Courtship does not have a time limit attached to it; but you should strive to keep God as the focus. Don’t just spend time alone together. Spend time during your courtship with each other’s families, serving at church, ect… Don’t just stay alone together! Only spending time alone puts you in the center of the devil’s physical fun zone mentality. Scripture warns us to flee sexual temptation, not walk into situations where we know there could be some temptation and just resist. Therefore, I purpose, avoiding the temptation altogether—to flee like Joseph!—by going places with friends and family together instead. After all, when you marry, you will need to know each other’s family, so why not start from the beginning?

      The courtship model is much closer to what occurred in ancient Israel and colonial America than our current “progressive” search for finding a mate; and quite frankly, I think they understood this process to marriage a lot better.

      We have looked at a lot today and we have done so very briefly. Above all else, please seek the Lord’s will! Whether you completely agree with me or not, what is one principle that you know is Scriptural and that you can put into action that you saw today? Put it into action.

“He gives strength to the weary and increases the power of the weak. Even youths grow tired and weary, and young men stumble and fall; but those who hope in the Lord will renew their strength. They will soar on wings like eagles; they will run and not grow weary, they will walk and not be faint.”

Isaiah 40:29-31 NIV

Discipleship--an examination of education

Click below to view the newly released Discipleship: an examination of education

http://sermon.net/fmm/sermonid/1199783191

Daily Devotion from Ryan Marks book Thoughts

Thought 127

The Three Big Decisions of Your life

             The way I see it, there are three major decisions/events in a person’s life. #1 Accepting Christ’s free gift is the most important event in your life coupled with maintaining a vibrant relationship with Him. #2 The calling that God has placed on you. Everyone has a calling (2 Peter 1:10)! Your calling can be to serve in ministry, your career, a hobby, serving at your church, simply listening to people, and the list goes on. The possibilities are huge and fathomless because God makes us unique people that can use our talents in specific, yet personal ways. God has a specific thing (or things!) that He wants you to do in your lifetime. Have you sought Him for what that or those things are? Why or why not? #3 The greatest decision that you will ever make in the natural world is who you marry. You will be bonded to this person for the rest of your earthly lives; you will need to follow God’s leading together in your marriage; and the fruit of your marriage may be a family. Are you going to marry the right one? How will you know? Call upon God through prayer. Does God want you to marry the specific man or woman you are interested in? The Bible talks about asking and receiving: if you need wisdom, then ask God for wisdom (James 1:5). Isn’t wisdom required to make the decision of who you will marry? Then why not ask God? God will speak! If you seek Him, you will find Him. Ask Him, you may be surprised what He reveals.

Daily Devotion from Ryan Marks book Thoughts

Thought 126

Music

          The type of music you listen to impacts your spirit. Music can uplift and encourage you or it tear you down and depress you. You can praise God with music or you can worship human ideals, the body, or perverted interests with music. You can choose to guard your ears or you can listen to anything. Either way, you have a choice to make. No one can force you not to listen to a certain type of music. The point is do you believe that music impacts you? Do you live like it does? Do you think that it can arouse emotions that should not be aroused?

           What about the rebellious spirit in the youth of America? A lot of songs from famous young singers are about independence, and the other bulk of their songs are about “love” and sex. Should these things be in the minds of the young people of America? Should they be saturating themselves with such worldly ideals? They will have to make the choice for themselves: whether to guard themselves or listen to anything . . . . and you have a choice as well. What type of music will you feed your soul with? What type of music do you feed your soul with?. . . .

“Now when you hear the sound of the horn, flute, zither, lyre, harp, pipes and all kinds of music, if you are ready to fall down and worship the image I made, very good. But if you do not worship it, you will be thrown immediately into a blazing furnace. Then what god will be able to rescue you from my hand?" Daniel 3:15 NIV

“All these men were under the supervision of their fathers for the music of the temple of the LORD, with cymbals, lyres and harps, for the ministry at the house of God. Asaph, Jeduthun and Heman were under the supervision of the king.” 1 Chronicles 25:6 NIV

“Sing joyfully to the Lord, you righteous; it is fitting for the upright to praise him. Praise the Lord with the harp; make music to him on the ten-stringed lyre. Sing to him a new song; play skillfully, and shout for joy.” Psalm 33:1-3 NIV

"And now their sons mock me in song; I have become a byword among them.” Job 30:9 NIV

”And I heard a sound from heaven like the roar of rushing waters and like a loud peal of thunder. The sound I heard was like that of harpists playing their harps.” Revelation 14:2 NIV

“Let our lord command his servants here to search for someone who can play the harp. He will play when the evil spirit from God comes upon you, and you will feel better.”  So Saul said to his attendants, “Find someone who plays well and bring him to me.” One of the servants answered, “I have seen a son of Jesse of Bethlehem who knows how to play the harp. He is a brave man and a warrior. He speaks well and is a fine-looking man. And the Lord is with him.” Then Saul sent messengers to Jesse and said, “Send me your son David, who is with the sheep.” So Jesse took a donkey loaded with bread, a skin of wine and a young goat and sent them with his son David to Saul. David came to Saul and entered his service. Saul liked him very much, and David became one of his armor-bearers. Then Saul sent word to Jesse, saying, “Allow David to remain in my service, for I am pleased with him.” Whenever the spirit from God came upon Saul, David would take his harp and play. Then relief would come to Saul; he would feel better, and the evil spirit would leave him.” 1 Samuel 16:16-23 NIV

    Music does affect us; either negatively or positively. Think on these verses that have been given.

Daily Devotion from Ryan Marks book Thoughts

Thought 125

Spiritual Growth

         Did you know that you choose how fast you grow spiritually? Well, you do. If you have a willingness to do the Lord’s will, learn from your mistakes, turn form your wicked ways after repenting, and learn wisdom from godly mentors, then you are going to grow faster than someone who does not. We see a similar principle in physical life: some people mentally and emotionally “grow-up” faster than others. They do so by practice: they have to put forth effort to control their minds and emotions and when they do so, their character shows forth as responsible, wise, and mature character. Again, many people who grow faster did so because they chose to learn from their mistakes and apply themselves. It is the same spiritually: will you put forth the effort to grow and learn or will you just ‘go-along-for–the-ride’?

“Therefore, since we have been justified through faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ, through whom we have gained access by faith into this grace in which we now stand. And we rejoice in the hope of the glory of God. Not only so, but we also rejoice in our sufferings, because we know that suffering produces perseverance; perseverance, character; and character, hope. And hope does not disappoint us, because God has poured out his love into our hearts by the Holy Spirit, whom he has given us.” Romans 5:1-5 NIV

“His divine power has given us everything we need for life and godliness through our knowledge of him who called us by his own glory and goodness. Through these he has given us his very great and precious promises, so that through them you may participate in the divine nature and escape the corruption in the world caused by evil desires. For this very reason, make every effort to add to your faith goodness; and to goodness, knowledge; and to knowledge, self-control; and to self-control, perseverance; and to perseverance, godliness; and to godliness, brotherly kindness; and to brotherly kindness, love. For if you possess these qualities in increasing measure, they will keep you from being ineffective and unproductive in your knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ. But if anyone does not have them, he is nearsighted and blind, and has forgotten that he has been cleansed from his past sins. Therefore, my brothers, be all the more eager to make your calling and election sure. For if you do these things, you will never fall, and you will receive a rich welcome into the eternal kingdom of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.” 2 Peter 1:3-11 NIV

Daily Devotion from Ryan Marks book Thoughts

Thought 124

The Promise of the Father

          Jesus promised that the Holy Spirit would come to be the counselor and the empowerment of His disciples after He left (John 14:16, Acts 1:8). This coming occurred during the baptism of the Holy Spirit the Early Church experienced in Acts 2.

          The Holy Spirit is received when you accept Christ as your Savior; but being baptized with the Holy Spirit gives you empowerment beyond what you received at salvation—this empowerment is given to do great things for the Lord, not to promote yourself. As evidence of being baptized in the Holy Spirit, the Early Church spoke in tongues, that is,  in a language that they did not comprehend: they spoke as the Spirit directed them in a language unknown to their natural minds (Acts 2:4). Speaking in tongues is still evident, it wasn’t just for the Early Church.

Read Luke 11:11-13 and Acts 1:1-8, 2:1-47.

           You can receive the Holy Spirit and the empowerment He gives like Peter and the believers in the book of Acts. All you need to do is have faith. Ask the Lord for this gift and believe.

           A word of advice: Even though you ask, you might not receive immediately, but have to wait. There have been many others who have received the Holy Spirit the first time they asked the Lord for Him, but some do not. YOU have nothing wrong with you if you haven’t received, some people wait years to be baptized in this way, so don’t become discouraged and keep asking and believing God for the Promise of the Father – it is a gift that HE wants to give you (read Luke 11:11-13 again if in doubt).

For more information on this check out: http://www.theholyspirit.com/HolySpiritBaptism.asp

Daily Devotion from Ryan Marks book Thoughts

Thought 123

Quiet Time

        Do you set aside a special time with God to pray, read your Bible and be in God’s presence? Some people call this a devotional time, others a quiet time; but no matter what you call it, do you do it? If I don’t take some time to spend with God each day even more stuff goes wrong than usual that day. And do you know why more stuff goes wrong? Because I haven’t been prepared for the day with God, my spirit hasn’t been refreshed and my mind hasn’t been renewed.

         Establish a devotional time in the mornings, and also in the evenings if possible.

Stay alert and be ready to do what God has for you.

Peace, Mercy, and Favor, truly, may the Lord give you all. In Jesus Christ’s Name, Amen.

Daily Devotion from Ryan Marks book Thoughts

Thought 122

Waiting

         Have your parents ever told you something that you had to wait for? Maybe it was having your best friend over or a special trip, but you had to wait for a few days….or maybe it was way longer. It is the same way with God. He told Noah to prepare for a flood, even though Noah had no clue what rain even was (i.e. a midst covered the earth to water it prior to the flood, at the flood is when rain first came down from the skies). God told Abraham that he would have a son, but Abraham had to wait for a long while and got impatient and sinned in trying to “speed-it-along” with his wife’s servant. These are just two examples, but do you see a pattern developing here? I am in some “waiting phases” right now, are you? I am waiting for my future wife, for my career, for this book to be done, and for High School to end.

         Check out Noah’s story in Genesis 5-9 and think about how long Noah had to wait and work before God did what He said He would.

Devo Blast 20, Baptism!

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                Devo Blast 20, Baptism

Daily Devotion from Ryan Marks book Thoughts

Thought 121

Scripture

           Read John 14 with this in mind, “For the word of God is living and active. Sharper than any double-edged sword, it penetrates even to dividing soul and spirit, joints and marrow; it judges the thoughts and attitudes of the heart.” Hebrews 4:12 NIV

A Devotion for Thought

It’s better to do the Hard Stuff

“It is better to go to a house of mourning than to go to a house of feasting, for death is the destiny of every man; the living should take this to heart. Sorrow is better than laughter, because a sad face is good for the heart. The heart of the wise is in the house of mourning, but the heart of fools is in the house of pleasure.”

Ecclesiastes 7:2-4 NIV1984

     This Scripture presents a mindset that is a polar opposite of what we often hear in America. We hear the message of just live and enjoy life! Smile more and don’t think too hard. The Word declares a different message right here, though. Read the verses above again slowly.

“It is better to go to a house of mourning than to go to a house of feasting.” That Scripture has impacted me big time as a young Christian man. I have seen two applications which I’d like to share with you. 1) Is it really better to just feast on life or to consider and contemplate some of its hardships like death. If death comes so quickly, how should I live my life? Should I really just not stress about the small stuff, or is the small stuff what determines whether I’ll ever make it to the big stuff (faithfulness principle, Luke 16:10)? While almost everyone young seems to cheer, “just have fun and experience life!” think about your actions. Look at what Ecclesiastes 11:9, 12:1 say:

  “Be happy young man, while you are young, and let your heart give you joy in the days of your youth. Follow the ways of your heart and whatever your eyes see, but know that for all these things God will bring you to judgment. . . .Remember your Creator in the days of your youth, before the days of trouble come and the years approach when you will say, “I find no pleasure in them” (NIV1984)

  2) Going to a funeral may actually be for your benefit. Preachers know that at a funeral, many more people are open to Christ that may be very stubborn at other times, the reason is because the people are considering death and its reality right then. Eternity seems much closer.

   Another point on funerals, even as a Christian, I was impacted by going to a couple of funerals. This verse was in my mind around those times and the tragedies that had occurred also brought many to the side of the family and sharing of the impact that the deceased had made. I was speechless and struck to the heart—life is so fleeting and next to accepting Christ, reaching and touching others lives with Him is very important.

   What we have looked at today is probably not the most encouraging, but it is the Word. Let’s pray:

  Lord Jesus, may You speak to us by Your Holy Spirit who You said will lead us into all truth (John 16:13) and give us insight into what we should do with what we have read. Lord, may every heart be receptive and moldable to Your small, still voice speaking to them. In Jesus Christ’s Mighty Name, may these things be done.

Daily Devotion from Ryan Marks book Thoughts

Thought 120

Legalism

          I have walked down the road of legalism before, have you? I once decided to read the Pentateuch (the first 5 books of the Bible) for my devotional time. At that time, I usually read one chapter a day, and after I got through Genesis, Exodus, Leviticus, Numbers, and Deuteronomy I became really legalistic. The reason that I fell into legalism was because I was solely dwelling on the laws of the Old Testament and not remembering the balance of the grace and salvation of God for several months. My “Bible knowledge” at this time was also very patchy. I knew the Sunday school stories, but themes of Grace, Mercy, Forgiveness, and Love had never really been ‘hit-home’ (internalized) to me. It is not wrong to read the Old Testament; the Bible clarifies that in 2 Timothy 3:16-17; but, both the Old and New Testaments should be viewed in light of each other. The temptation to be legalistic has occurred multiple times as I have read the Bible, but the Holy Spirit has protected me by revealing to my mind the correlation of Scripture verses from the New Testament to the Old. The same has occurred as I write these devotions, the Holy Spirit often brings a Scripture to mind and then helps me to understand it so that I can write a Biblically-sound devotion; and when I go blank on where a Scripture is located—thank God for the internet and all the Bible tools/concordances that are available there.

Another Angle:

           Vincent Newfield, a man I respect, mentioned in one of his Sunday school classes that, “Where your focus goes, the power flows.” My focus used to be exclusively on the laws of the Old Testament; as a result the power of God’s grace was limited in my life because I was only reading and meditating about sins and rules. Regulations became the determiner for spirituality in my mind during that time. Yet God protected also me during that time, and kept me from being snatched away by the enemy and eventually showed me the error of my thinking. Even now, I sometimes have to fight that old pattern of legalistic thinking.

            I became like my friend(s) during those months of reading and dwelling on Old Testament Law. To clarify, my friends were the laws at that time: your friend can be a person, a game, a book of the Bible, a fantasy, research, technology, wisdom, finances—anything! Where our attention focuses we naturally invest time and energy, and we must be careful that our focus is not always on the studying the law, sin, and rules; but rather, a balance of the grace and forgiveness of Christ coupled with the hard commandments of our Lord—there must be balance.

 Points to Contemplate:

Ø  Without the vital balance in our focus, as described above, we cannot be as effective in witnessing as God wants us to. We cut ourselves off from the Holy Spirit when we trust following certain rules and rituals rather than following His leading. Beware, you become like your friends. Will you stand against the ideals of the culture and embrace God, the Word, and a relationship with the Holy Ghost over lifeless rules and rituals?

Ø  The biggest argument for a legalist not to be a legalist is the Salvation message.

“For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith—and this not from yourselves, it is the gift of God— not by works, so that no one can boast.” Ephesians 2:8-9 NIV

Daily Devotion from Ryan Marks book Thoughts

Thought 119

                                                                        Broccoli

         During my mother’s pregnancy with my little brother Ben, it seemed like my family had to eat broccoli every night. In reality it was not every night, but it got old fast! I remember many times where I groaned when I saw more broccoli on the table and whenever my Dad heard it he gave me another big helping for voicing my opinion. I should have learned a lot about keeping my mouth shut about broccoli and other things at that time in my life, but I didn’t. I did not apply the principle my father was trying to teach me to other areas of my life, and as a result, I only learned to keep my mouth shut so that I didn’t have to eat more of what I did not like, instead of applying the self-control that keeps the dangerous act of complaining (it is sin) away.

“Now the people complained about their hardships in the hearing of the LORD, and when he heard them his anger was aroused. Then fire from the LORD burned among them and consumed some of the outskirts of the camp.” Numbers 11:1 NIV

“Do not complain, brethren, against one another, so that you yourselves may not be judged; behold, the Judge is standing right at the door.” James 5:9 NASB

“And do not grumble, as some of them did—and were killed by the destroying angel.” 1 Corinthians 10:10 NIV

"’Stop grumbling among yourselves,’ Jesus answered.” John 6:43 NIV

“It's better to live alone in the desert than with a quarrelsome, complaining wife.” Proverbs 21:19 NLT

“Do you not know that the wicked will not inherit the kingdom of God? Do not be deceived: Neither the sexually immoral nor idolaters nor adulterers nor male prostitutes nor homosexual offenders nor thieves nor the greedy nor drunkards nor slanderers nor swindlers will inherit the kingdom of God. And that is what some of you were. But you were washed, you were sanctified, you were justified in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ and by the Spirit of our God.” 1 Corinthians 6:9-11 NIV

         Apparently, God doesn’t like complaining. It is a sin and it is wrong. It infects other people, it is punished, and it is just plain evil.

Questions for Application:

V  How can you apply this story to holding your own mouth shut?

V  Where are you complaining?

V  Now that you realize the seriousness with which God addresses complaining, what are you going to do? Will you earnestly strive to not complain, or will you continue to do so?  

“. . . . ‘Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is near.’ “~ Matthew 3:2 NIV

Daily Devotion from Ryan Marks book Thoughts

Thought 118

Breaking DVD’s because of conviction

          There I was faced with a decision: would I break the DVD’s that I was convicted about or would I leave them sitting there on my shelf to be a painful reminder of disobedience to the Holy Spirit’s conviction. . . . . I ended up breaking $200 worth or more of my DVD’s and video games because I was convicted about them. They did not line-up with what I stood for as a Christian; yet I had often watched them and played them. Those movies displayed the false view of “macho” manhood, sexual immorality (the worldly view of love), lying, lust, and blasphemy of Jesus Christ’s Holy name. In the video games were ghosts, murder, the capability to beat virtual men to death, zombies, cursing, violence, and more. Those DVD’s and video games were a hindrance to my spiritual growth, and if I hadn’t obeyed the Holy Spirit’s conviction I would not have grown. Thankfully, I have learned this: God brings us, at times, to a point where we must make a decision: one decision is clearly of God and the other of our pride. At that point, even if I don’t want to, I need to do right thing and obey the Holy Spirit. Feeling like being obedient doesn’t matter; OBEDIENCE is what matters.

           Will you choose God’s way when the Holy Spirit brings you to an intersection where one option leads you away from God and the other towards obedience? Choose obedience! Being obedient will bring you closer to God.

           I had some accountability when I destroyed those DVD’s and video games—my brother and sister watched as I destroyed them: my brother laughing and my sister probably thinking I was crazy. I do not remember the whole incident in minute detail, and I don’t believe that I explained to my siblings why I was doing what I was doing, although I did have them there with me. At first, I felt nothing as I broke those DVD’s and video games, but as I broke several freedom began to come, rising up within my spirit. I felt like a weight had been lifted from my chest! After I was finished and my siblings had left, I was filled with joy and I felt so light, I felt free! HIS presence was upon me and I was just enjoying it! Yes, God brought freedom, but it was not instantaneous, rather I had to continue being obedient to receive it.

“Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy and my burden is light.”   

Matthew 11:28-30 NIV

Daily Devotion from Ryan Marks book Thoughts

Thought 117

Praying for Future Generations

         I have heard about praying for the future generations that will come through your children; but I have seldom done it. Right now, please take some time to pray for your (future) children, grandchildren, great grandchildren, and more.  Those kids will be real men and women one day and the life they live will either be one with Christ as the center or one with their pride as the center. They need your prayers!

         Are you stuck and don’t know what to pray for? I suggest simply starting by praying for them to have a deeper relationship with God than you ever had and a greater hunger for Him than you ever experienced.

“Know therefore that the Lord your God is God; he is the faithful God, keeping his covenant of love to a thousand generations of those who love him and keep his commands.” Deuteronomy 7:9 NIV

Daily Devotion from Ryan Marks book Thoughts

Thought 116

Finding God

“But if from there you seek the LORD your God, you will find him if you look for him with all your heart and with all your soul.” Deuteronomy 4:29 NIV

         When you earnestly seek God, you will find Him! Personally, I have been seeking the Lord with all of my heart and soul, and guess what? He has allowed me to find Him! God is great, but at times I don’t remain faithful and focus on seeking Him; yet the Gracious God of Heaven is still waiting with His arms wide open for me to seek Him again! Let’s seek Him. Let’s rely on Him. Let’s live for Him and for nothing else.

          Do you sense the importance of what I am saying? Many of you have already accepted Christ and some of you are “Spirit-filled,” yet you do not seek Him. Please, seek the Lord. You should be deeply grieved without Him; you should hate leaving His presence. Let’s seek Him!

Daily Devotion from Ryan Marks book Thoughts

Thought 115

                                                           When I almost left God

          Have you ever had a pity party? I have. I remember one time that I told God that I was just so discouraged that if He didn’t do something to show me He was really there for me then I was going to stop following Him. That evening God worked, my grandmother brought a DVD of Facing the Giants over to watch. That movie came at just the right time! I needed to know that I could continue trusting God, and He used that movie to help me to realize He was with me the whole way, no matter how big my giant was. I still struggle at times believing different things that God has revealed to me, especially when I don’t see any movement in that or those area(s), what about you?

  Lord, help me, and theses readers, to have the strength to resist the doubt and discouragement that the Enemy brings against us. I can’t resist the devil and his minions in my own strength, so please empower me, Lord, and may the joy of Lord be our strength (Psalm 28:7 and Nehemiah 8:10). Accept our desire to have greater faith in You. . . . My faith often, if any, is small, yet You said that even that can move mountains! Thanks God, I don’t feel better, the doubt isn’t gone, but please continue to help me take life one step at a time, trusting in Your strength.

Daily Devotion from Ryan Marks book Thoughts

Thought 114

The LOVE Command of the Song of Solomon

          Dear reader, the Song of Solomon says several times “. . . Do not arouse or awaken love until it so desires.”(Song of Solomon 8:4 NIV) What does this “arousing” or “awakening” of love mean? Let’s start by looking at the definition of arouse.

Noah Webster’s 1828 American Dictionary of the English Language defines arouse as:

To excite into action, that which is at rest ; to stir, or put in motion or exertion, that which is languid ; as, to arouse one from sleep ; to arouse dormant faculties.

          LOVE is often associated with feelings or physical actions, like a kiss or sex in our 21^st century culture, but God’s WORD describes LOVE as something else. Read first Corinthians 13.       

          First Corinthians 13 describes love as patient and kind. In light of these two attributes, do you really love someone? Or are you just lusting after them? Lust is wanting and love is waiting. Let’s be wise, there is no need to “. . . arouse or awaken love . . .” (Song of Solomon 8:4 NIV). Those unmarried, let’s wait until God directs us to arouse/awaken romantic love in marriage. We will experience God’s blessing on a relationship only when we are obedient, but how can we expect to have God’s blessings without obeying His rules of on real love? LET’S WAIT. Adults, what experiences do you have of arousing/awakening romantic love before God gave the ok? Your experience is what the younger generation desperately needs to hear! Please share it; because we need to know the pain that comes with ignoring God’s righteous way. Let’s return to the Scriptures, stop lusting and start truly loving.

Personal Question:

V  Are you “arousing” the physical side of a relationship that is supposed to come only in marriage in any way?

Daily Devotion from Ryan Marks book Thoughts

Thought 113

What is Purpose?

       Purpose is to have a meaning, to live for a reason. Without a sense of purpose we feel miserable. I felt this way, like I was without a purpose; but when I sought God for guidance on what He wanted me to do I found joy, contentment, and direction. I do not always have a crystal clear understanding of what I am supposed to do, and when I get off track I feel pressured and troubled inside. I don’t know exactly how God speaks to everyone, but I can assure you that He does SPEAK today and in those times of discouragement, you can run to the Lord and His wonderful Word and find meaning. As you seek the Lord, He may speak to you. I have never heard God audibly, but God can speak that way or He may just speak to your heart as a still small voice. The point is: will you seek the Lord for your purpose?

     I know that my current purpose is to make a difference in other people’s lives. It is to share the Word, fellowship with believers and speak the Truth. What is your purpose? You might not know and that’s ok, nothing is wrong with you. However, I do challenge you to seek God, His Word, and your gifting/talents for an answer to what your purpose is, and how you are to glorify God.

Daily Devotion from Ryan Marks book Thoughts

Thought 112

Success

           Success comes by following God, but that doesn’t matter in the WORLD’s eyes. What is your definition of success?

           Where God wants you is the truest purpose and success that you can have in this world. However, the world’s views of success are often based on the size of your pay check and what you own. Take 5 or 10 minutes and commune with the Lord. Ask His Spirit to reveal what His definition of success is and ask Him which definition you are living.