A Picture Of The Church And Christ

April 28, 2025

KEY FROM GOD’S WORD:

2 Corinthians 3:2
Ye are our epistle written in our hearts, known and read of all men:

THOUGHTS ON GOD’S WORD:

 

     Have you ever heard people say, “I do not care what people think of me; it is my life, and I will live it any way I want to.” You would think that only those who were lost and unsaved might say such a thing, however, it is not only the unsaved who make this claim. I hear this from Christians as well. I have heard, “I don’t care what people think of me, let them think what they want, they are going to think that anyway.” What a terrible thing to say about a life that does not belong to you. I know some of you might be thinking, “What, my life does not belong to me, why not?” Well, I am glad you asked.

     First, we have given our lives to Christ. Therefore, this life is no longer our life to begin with. Everything you do is a reflection on God.

     In addition, you are an example of the body of believers you have joined with as well. As Paul said to the church in Corinth, “ye are our epistles,” or our letters, our statements of what God can do in the life of a person who is saved. We are an open book of what we say we believe for all to see. When people look at you, they say in their hearts, “So that is what a Christian is supposed to do, say, or be.” In addition, they think, “That is what the church they belong to believes is right.” Whether this way of judging is fair or not does not matter. What does matter is your testimony. So the next time you get ready to do something, picture the whole church and Christ doing it with you. Would they do it too? If not, then neither should you.

  

CARRYING THAT THOUGHT THROUGH THE DAY:

     There is a lot of truth in the little poem that says, “The only Christ some people will ever see will be the Christ they see lived out in you and me.” The only thing they know about the church you belong to might be you as well. Let’s not degrade the body or the blood of Jesus Christ. Instead, we should be an epistle. One that the apostle Paul and Christ could write that they are proud of. 

What story is your life writing for the world to read?

IF YOU ARE JOURNALING:

Ask yourself, what are MY THOUGHTS concerning this Passage and today’s Devotion?

Do I find within this reading a CHALLENGE for my life?

What are one or two things I WILL DO today or this week to accept that CHALLENGE?

  

GOD TALKING TO ME:  April 28, 2025

THROUGH THE BIBLE ACCELERATED READING
^{(O.T.-1,   N.T. & PS.-2,   Prov. – Monthly)}
Judges 12-14 – Psalm 101
Proverbs 27-28  –  2 Corinthians 1-5

THROUGH THE BIBLE OLD & NEW TESTAMENT DAILY
1 Samuel 12-13  –  Luke 18:31-43

What Can God Get Out Of My Failures?

April 26 & 27, 2025

KEY FROM GOD’S WORD:

Psalm 99:8
Thou answeredst them, O LORD our God: thou wast a God that forgavest them, though thou tookest vengeance of their inventions.

THOUGHTS ON GOD’S WORD:

     Oh, how wonderful it is that God forgives us of our sins. All our sins were washed away on the day we put our faith in Jesus and asked Him to come into our lives. However, is there still a price to pay for our sins?

     The short answer is YES. If we sin, we often must pay the earthly penalty for those sins. Can a thief be forgiven? YES! Does he still need to pay for his crime? YES!

     The good news is that God can now take what was a punishment and turn it into a blessing. How, you might ask? By teaching others how not to fall into the same pits of sin which we have fallen into. We can walk with those who are struggling in similar areas of life as we were. God can use anything to glorify Himself if we will allow Him to.

     What a wonderful truth to know that God forgives our sins even if we must pay an earthly price for them. Nevertheless, in heaven, it is gone. In the presence of God, our sin is washed away in the blood of His precious Son, Jesus Christ.

  

CARRYING THAT THOUGHT THROUGH THE DAY:

   

When faced with paying the earthly price for our sins, we should ask God to use even this to glorify Himself. Not asking how we can get out of this situation, but what can God get out of this with our life?

What might God teach you out of a failure?

IF YOU ARE JOURNALING:

Ask yourself, what are MY THOUGHTS concerning this Passage and today’s Devotion?

Do I find within this reading a CHALLENGE for my life?

What are one or two things I WILL DO today or this week to accept that CHALLENGE?

  

GOD TALKING TO ME:  April 26, 2025

THROUGH THE BIBLE ACCELERATED READING
^{(OT-1,/NT & PS-2,/Prov-Monthly)}
Judges 9-11  –  Psalm 99-100
Proverbs 26 – 1 Corinthians 16

THROUGH THE BIBLE OLD & NEW TESTAMENT DAILY
1 Samuel 9-11   –  Luke 18:1-30

WHAT TO DO ON SUNDAY:

    There will not be a Daily Devotion sent out on Sundays. Instead, we encourage you to attend your church and listen intently to what God has prepared in the heart of your Pastor. Write down all the scriptures he uses in that message, then when you get home re-read those passages for today’s reading. God has given to your Pastor exactly what He desires for you on that day.  

GOD TALKING TO ME:  April 27, 2025

THROUGH THE BIBLE ACCELERATED READING
^{(OT-1,/NT & PS-2,/Prov-Monthly)}
NO READINGS ON SUNDAY

THROUGH THE BIBLE OLD & NEW TESTAMENT DAILY
NO READINGS ON SUNDAY

Who’s Leading Who?

April 25, 2025

KEY FROM GOD’S WORD:

Judges 8:23
And Gideon said unto them, I will not rule over you, neither shall my son rule over you: the LORD shall rule over you.

THOUGHTS ON GOD’S WORD:

     Leadership. What does this really mean today? Humanity has always looked for real leaders. We want a strong, knowledgeable, capable person to lead. Someone we can also hold accountable in our times of trouble. However, choosing this leader often proves to be the most difficult. Some choose their leaders by who makes the best promises concerning their pocketbooks. Some have an allegiance to certain social policies or political parties. Some pick leaders by just looking at the names and saying, “That name looks like a good leader’s name.” Then some will just let anybody lead, as long as someone leads. Often, that results in the blind leading the blind.

     In today’s verse, we find Israel beginning to make a big mistake. They are choosing the wrong leader. God had led them out of Egypt, through the wilderness, into the promised land, and it was His desire to continue to be their leader and King. However, Israel desired to have a fleshly King much like they had seen other nations around have. This proved to be a long-lasting downfall for them. Their choice to follow a man rather than God was a big part of the problems they faced back then and even still today.

     Choosing the wrong earthly leader has terrible effects on our daily lives. Even worse, choosing the wrong eternal leader can never be changed after death. There will be no casting of a second vote and no second choices. Eternity is forever.  

 

CARRYING THAT THOUGHT THROUGH THE DAY:

    To serve God is to give Him your allegiance. It is completely turning your life over to Him. Choose you this day whom you will serve. Saviour or Self?

Who will you choose to follow?

IF YOU ARE JOURNALING:

Ask yourself, what are MY THOUGHTS concerning this Passage and today’s Devotion?

Do I find within this reading a CHALLENGE for my life?

What are one or two things I WILL DO today or this week to accept that CHALLENGE?

  

GOD TALKING TO ME:  April 25, 2025

THROUGH THE BIBLE ACCELERATED READING
^{(OT-1, NT & PS-2, Prov-Monthly)}
Judges 7, 8 – Psalm 98
Proverbs 25 – 1 Corinthians 15

THROUGH THE BIBLE OLD & NEW TESTAMENT DAILY
1 Samuel 5-8   –  Luke 17

Somewhat Childish
April 24, 2025

KEY FROM GOD’S WORD:

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.

THOUGHTS ON GOD’S WORD:

     Imagine with me for a minute that you walk into a room, and in the center of that room, you see someone playing with Barbie dolls and having a pretend tea party with an imaginary friend. In the next room, you see someone playing with GI Joe army men and plastic tanks, and you hear them going, “Boom, boom,” pretending to blow up a cereal box fortress. Sounds like a couple of children having a blast. However, what if I told you the people playing in the rooms were 45 years old, and this is all they ever do? You would probably think, Oh, how sad, they must have grown up physically but never grown up psychologically.

     Now, think about the life of today’s so-called mature Christians. Are they still playing with their childish ways? Some people do not want to grow up spiritually. They received salvation and said that is enough for me. However, this is not enough. There is so much more as we grow in the Lord. We should be going to church at every opportunity to learn more and more about our Christian Walk, Jesus, God, The Holy Spirit, Evangelism, Soul Winning, Bible Study, Teaching Others, Serving God, Worship, and this is the small list. If you have mastered all that, then you are doing great. However, if you are like me, you will learn more and more every day. As we look at people who have been saved for 20 and 30 years and who have not grown, what should we be saying? That is OK, it is their choice in life. Or, oh how sad, they never grew up spiritually. Immature Christians are missing so much more of what God has to offer.

CARRYING THAT THOUGHT THROUGH THE DAY:

    

     Psalm 119:18 says, “Open thou mine eyes, that I may behold wondrous things out of thy law.”  I pray this almost every time I open the pages of God’s Word. You know what? If I am genuinely looking for Him to show me something, He does open my spiritual eyes and teaches me something new and wonderful!

Will you pray this verse and mean it as you open God’s Word Today?

IF YOU ARE JOURNALING:

Ask yourself, what are MY THOUGHTS concerning this Passage and today’s Devotion?

Do I find within this reading a CHALLENGE for my life?

What are one or two things I WILL DO today or this week to accept that CHALLENGE?

  

GOD TALKING TO ME:  April 24, 2025

THROUGH THE BIBLE ACCELERATED READING
^{(OT-1, NT & PS-2, Prov-Monthly)}
Judges 5, 6 – Psalm 97
Proverbs 24 – 1 Corinthians 13, 14

THROUGH THE BIBLE OLD & NEW TESTAMENT DAILY
1 Samuel 2-4  –  Luke 16:18-31

God Never Forces; He Always Invites

April 21, 2025

KEY FROM GOD’S WORD:

Joshua 24:15
And if it seem evil unto you to serve the LORD, choose you this day whom ye will serve; whether the gods which your fathers served that were on the other side of the flood, or the gods of the Amorites, in whose land ye dwell: but as for me and my house, we will serve the LORD.

THOUGHTS ON GOD’S WORD:

     You might think that God, being God, would make someone worship Him or that He might make people have a desire to attend church if that is what folks are supposed to do. That He would make people tithe if it is right or make them read their bible if it has so much good stuff in there. One might even believe the Lord would make them pray if He wants to hear from them and make them go to Sunday School if they really need more teaching. Additionally, He would force them to find a place of service for Him if He really needs their help and make them come again on Wednesday Night if that is the correct way to worship God. Many are sitting back waiting for a Holy kick in the pants before they will do anything. Then, when it does not come, they say something silly like, “It must not be God’s will for me to do any of those things.”

     The fact is that God will not force anything on you. You have the liberty to choose everything in life you may or may not want. Choose to stay home because of people you cannot seem to get along with at church. Choose not to serve God because you have filled your life with so many other things that you have crowded out time for God. Choose to keep all your money because you have bought so many things that your bills now control your life. Choose to watch the latest sitcom or movie instead of reading God’s Word. Choose to sleep a little longer instead of taking a few minutes and speaking with He whom you call Lord. God never forces; He just invites. It is all your choice. Whether to bless you for your choices is still, however, in the hands of a Righteous and Almighty God.

  

CARRYING THAT THOUGHT THROUGH THE DAY:

   

     “Choose you this day whom ye will serve… but as for me and my house, we will serve the LORD.” So, what choices have you decided on today?

What choices are you making today?

IF YOU ARE JOURNALING:

Ask yourself, what are MY THOUGHTS concerning this Passage and today’s Devotion?

Do I find within this reading a CHALLENGE for my life?

What are one or two things I WILL DO today or this week to accept that CHALLENGE?

  

GOD TALKING TO ME:  April 21, 2025

THROUGH THE BIBLE ACCELERATED READING
^{(O.T.-1,   N.T. & PS.-2,   Prov. – Monthly)}
Joshua 22-24 – Psalm 94:1-23
Proverbs 21 – 1 Corinthians 6-8

THROUGH THE BIBLE OLD & NEW TESTAMENT DAILY
Judges 19-20 – Luke 14