Living A Focused Life

April 4, 2025

KEY FROM GOD’S WORD:

James 1:8
A double minded man is unstable in all his ways.

THOUGHTS ON GOD’S WORD:

   

    Have you ever found yourself with more than you could possibly do? It just seemed to sneak up on you, and then, wham! You are overwhelmed. Now what? You have trouble trying to decide what to tackle first. Everything seems just as important as the rest of it. My dad would say, “You have got too much on your plate at one time.” When this happens, you feel as if you are being pulled in all different directions. Well trust me on this, you simply cannot go two different directions at the same time. It is just not physically possible. Yet this is how many people live their lives. Running to a fro and not knowing which way to turn next.

    The Bible says, “a double minded man is unstable in all his ways.” A person who is trying to live two lives, that of a Christian and that of a worldly sinner, is unsure of both. You most often find these people unsure of their salvation. Wondering if they were saved or not. In addition, many times they are just as unsure of their eternal destination when life ends. Such a terrible mixed-up way to live a life, especially when you do not have to live this way.

    The Bible is such a clear understandable book. A person who is bogged down with trivial questioning about such things as who Cain’s wife may have been is not really looking for salvation. They would much rather argue about what God’s Word says than let the truth of His love help them. Once they realize they are heading for hell without Christ… they will no longer care who Cain’s wife was as long as they know they are going to heaven when they die. Then, when they get to heaven, they can just ask God about old Cain.      

 

CARRYING THAT THOUGHT THROUGH THE DAY:

    Ask God to help you keep your heart and mind focused on His Son Jesus. If we keep Him in view, the rest of life will fall into place.

What can you do today to keep your focus on the Lord?

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 4, 2025

THROUGH THE BIBLE ACCELERATED READING
^{(OT-1, NT & PS-2, Prov-Monthly)}
Deuteronomy 22, 23 – Psalm 80
Proverbs 4 – James 1, 2

THROUGH THE BIBLE OLD & NEW TESTAMENT DAILY
Joshua 7-9 – Luke 7:1-35

Everybody Wants To Go To Heaven
April 3, 2025

KEY FROM GOD’S WORD:

Proverbs 3:1-2
My son, forget not my law; but let thine heart keep my commandments: For length of days, and long life, and peace, shall they add to thee.

THOUGHTS ON GOD’S WORD:

    “Everybody wants to go to heaven, but nobody wants to die.” That was to be a line written in a chorus sung years ago. However, the sentiment seems to be the truth for most people today. There is a story of a Sunday School teacher who asked a student, “Do you want to go to heaven?” The student said, “Yes.” She said, “Go stand over there.” Then she asked another, “Do you want to go to heaven?” They also said, “Yes.” She instructed them also to stand over by the other class members. Then she asked a third student the same question, but the student said, “NO.” The teacher, amazed said, “You mean to tell me that when you die you don’t want to go to heaven?” The young lad replied, “Oh yes, when I die I do, I thought you were getting a group together to go right now.”

    Everybody wants to go to heaven. I have never spoken to anybody about someone who just passed away and heard him or her say, “I sure hope they went to Hell.” Why? Because nobody, I do not care what they say when they are alive, nobody really ever wants to go to hell. Everybody wants to go to heaven. At the same time, we all want to find the fountain of youth. This way we can live here forever.

    Well, I personally cannot promise you length of days and quality of life. However, in today’s verse, I believe the Word of God gives us an example of how God does exactly that. It says we need to stay in His Word and obey the precepts in it, and then God says he will lengthen our days and make them as enjoyable as earthly possible.

 

 

CARRYING THAT THOUGHT THROUGH THE DAY:

     How can this be? Well, can you imagine any better way to spend your life, than in obedience to the one who holds the days of your life in the palm of His hand? What a peace of mind. What a joy-filled life in communion with the creator and sustainer of life. If anyone can promise you more days, it is He who holds our days in His hands. 

Can you think of another way
to have a real JOY-FILLED life?

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 3, 2025

THROUGH THE BIBLE ACCELERATED READING
^{(OT-1, NT & PS-2, Prov-Monthly)}
Deuteronomy 20, 21 – Psalm 79
Proverbs 3 – Acts 14

THROUGH THE BIBLE OLD & NEW TESTAMENT DAILY
Joshua 4-6 – Luke 6:20-49

A Man Is A Man

March 31, 2025

KEY FROM GOD’S WORD:

Acts 10:25-26
And as Peter was coming in, Cornelius met him, and fell down at his feet, and worshipped him. But Peter took him up, saying, Stand up; I myself also am a man.

THOUGHTS ON GOD’S WORD:

    One category in the popular self-help books for several years has been that of self-esteem. These books are written to help you avoid the pitfalls of thinking you may have no value in life and to encourage you to think more highly of yourself. This subject has been one that many people have almost become consumed with at times.

    Now I am not discounting the fact that there are those who need a boost now and again. Christians also need to remember that they are a child of the Most High God. Being born again, they are part of a Royal Family, Heir to the Kingdom of God, and have been adopted into the Family of God. However, some people have almost taken this issue of self-esteem too far. They have gone far past elevating their discouraged hearts and into believing that people are some sort of god themselves. When this occurs, you find people worshiping people and holding others up almost in the place of God.

    In our verse today, Peter understood he was just a man. We know Peter was a great man no doubt. Nevertheless, he was only great because of God’s power in and through him, and not because of his own doing. Should we respect people in authority over us? Yes! However, we should never elevate them to the point of worshiping them. We must remember we are a CHILD of God, an HEIR, and ADOPTED into the Family of God. We are not little gods, but rather we are made in the likeness of God. Worship should be reserved for one God and Him alone.

  

CARRYING THAT THOUGHT THROUGH THE DAY:

Oh Lord, as I look at those who have meant a lot to me in my life, allow me Father to respect them, appreciate them, and even admire them. However, God, let me hold back the worship of any and all things only for you. AMEN

Is it possible you are worshiping
something or someone other than God?

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:  March 31, 2025

THROUGH THE BIBLE ACCELERATED READING
^{(O.T.-1,   N.T. & PS.-2,   Prov. – Monthly)}
Deuteronomy 13, 14 – Psalm 78:1-33
Proverbs 30-31 – Acts 10

THROUGH THE BIBLE OLD & NEW TESTAMENT DAILY
Deuteronomy 29-31 – Luke 5:1-26

Singing A New Song

March 29 & 30, 2025

KEY FROM GOD’S WORD:

Psalms 77:6
I call to remembrance my song in the night: I commune with mine own heart: and my spirit made diligent search.

 

THOUGHTS ON GOD’S WORD:

 

    You get in your car, start the engine, back out of the drive, and head off for the day. Things are a little quiet, so you turn on the radio and a song begins to play. A song you have heard before with a catchy tune. After just a second or so, you find yourself singing like the lead singer in the band. Just you, the radio, and God, (and maybe the people around you in the other cars who think you are talking to yourself.) Soon you find yourself singing and getting lost in the song. As you step out of the car, you hear this little tune playing over and over again in your mind. Later that day you find yourself again humming or maybe even softly singing the same song.

 

    What has happened to you? It seems that now you cannot get this tune out of your mind. It’s like a constant recording playing again and again. You almost wish someone would sing something else so you could replace the song in your mind with a new one.

 

    The Psalmist in today’s verse is remembering the new song that was placed in his heart when he trusted in the Lord. It plays constantly for him in his heart. Christian Brother and Sister, it should be playing in our hearts as well. It is the song of salvation, which brings peace to our souls as we remember it daily. Knowing that you have decided to follow Jesus and there is no turning back, nor any desire to do so. There is a new song in your heart.

 

  

CARRYING THAT THOUGHT THROUGH THE DAY:

 

    Back in Psalm 40:3 it says, “And he hath put a new song in my mouth, even praise unto our God: many shall see it, and fear, and shall trust in the LORD.” Do you have this new song in your heart? I wonder if the song could be, I have decided to follow Jesus… I have decided to follow Jesus… I have decided to follow Jesus… No Turning Back,..  No Turning Back… (I hope this song gets stuck in your head for today.)

 

Do you have a song that plays in your mind?

 

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:  March 29, 2025

THROUGH THE BIBLE ACCELERATED READING
^{(OT-1,/NT & PS-2,/Prov-Monthly)}
Deuteronomy 9-12 – Psalm 77
Proverbs 29 – Acts 8-9

 

THROUGH THE BIBLE OLD & NEW TESTAMENT DAILY
Deuteronomy 28 – Luke 4:14-44

 

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:  March 30, 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

 

Absolute Truth

March 28, 2025

KEY FROM GOD’S WORD:

Deuteronomy 7:9
Know therefore that the LORD thy God, he is God, the faithful God, which keepeth covenant and mercy with them that love him and keep his commandments to a thousand generations;

 

THOUGHTS ON GOD’S WORD:

 

    There was a story once told of a music student who went to speak with her Music Professor and asked, “What is a true note?” The professor said to this student, “The tenor in the room above us sings off-key quite often, the violinists in the room below us will drag their bow across too many strings and give us a horrible sound,” He then took out a tuning fork and struck it on its side and said, “but this my friend will always be a true A.”

 

    We can look today around the world and find people who mean well and try to do their best. Still, as we all know, their best may often fall short of perfection. However, my friend, the Word of God is true forever. In Luke 16:17 it says, “And it is easier for heaven and earth to pass, than one tittle of the law to fail.” A tittle is a small dot or stroke that distinguishes one letter from another in the Hebrew alphabet. Jesus was saying that before anything He said would ever become untrue, it would be easier for all that we see all around us to vanish. His Word is forever. It never fails, never changes, and never goes out of date.

 

CARRYING THAT THOUGHT THROUGH THE DAY:

 

     When searching for the truth, find it always in the pages of God’s Holy Word. 

 

Where do you look for the truths of life?

 

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:  March 28, 2025

THROUGH THE BIBLE ACCELERATED READING
^{(OT-1, NT & PS-2, Prov-Monthly)}
Deuteronomy 7, 8 – Psalm 76
Proverbs 28 – Acts 7

 

THROUGH THE BIBLE OLD & NEW TESTAMENT DAILY
Deuteronomy 25-27 – Luke 3:23-4:13