Devotion

Jeremy Lin the New York Knicks point guard is making an impact in the NBA. He was waived and counted out by two other NBA teams prior. Lazarus was counted out after 4 days in the grave, but Jesus raised him from the dead St John 11:1-44. They even counted Jesus out after 3 days …

In life we will face challenges /trials in which we will feel all alone. Yet we are not alone, because God is with us! God was with Jesus when he was alone and he promised to be with you. St. John 16:32 “Behold, the hour cometh, yea, is now come, that ye shall be scattered, …

Sometimes people act out negatively because of something that happen to them in their past. Instead of passing judgment on someone that has fallen or has offended us. We need to have compassion, forgive and restore them. Galatians 6: 1” Brethren, if a man be overtaken in a fault, ye which are spiritual, restore such …

To love the Lord is good but I believe the Lord’s desire is that we be in love with him. In our relationship with our spouse or significant other we can love them and not be in love which is a big difference. Jesus challenge Peter/ church of Ephesus, St. John 21:15-17 “He saith unto …

We should desire to operate in spiritual gifts, but should follow after love. Jesus stated that the only way to know a true believer is by the love that we show toward one another. 1 Corinthians 14:1 “Follow after charity, and desire spiritual gifts.” St. John 13: 35 “By this shall all men know that …

The words on my car side view mirrors states “Object in mirror are closer than they appear.” In life we sometimes get discourage because our destiny and dreams may seem to be so far away. I want to encourage you that your destiny/purpose is closer than it appears to be. Don’t quit or give up! …

I heard a great illustration on how as believers we should be dead to sin. The example given was that you can entice a dead man with sex, drugs and alcohol but because he is dead it will not tempt him. Yet I believe that we have to continue to die to self/ flesh daily. …

I heard a great illustration on how as believers we should be dead to sin. The example given was that you can entice a dead man with sex, drugs and alcohol but because he is dead it will not tempt him. Yet I believe that we have to continue to die to self/ flesh daily. …

As we enter into 2012 let us put off the old and put on the new. Colossians 3: 9-10 “Put off the old man with his deeds” “Put on the new man which is renewed in knowledge after the image of him that created him.” Our number one Goal this year should be to let …

Today as we enjoy our gifts, remember the greatest gift that we ever received did not come from under a tree, but he hung on the tree. Galatians 3:13-14 “Christ hath redeemed us from the curse of the law, being made a curse for us: for it is written. Cursed is every one that hangeth …

Next Sunday we celebrate the birth of Jesus. Let us celebrate his birth as the wise men did when they first saw Jesus. Matthew 2: 11 “They saw the young child with Mary his mother, and fell down, and worshipped him” and they presented unto him gifts; gold, and frankincense, and myrrh”. Let’s not get …

Friday I was honored to be a Pall bearer for one of the soldiers that I serve together with in the military. I recently served as a Pall bearer for my aunt’s funereal. Yesterday I received a call that one of my high school class mates suddenly died. There are so many people that are …

There will be times in your life that God will lead you into the wilderness alone. Family and friends can’t go with you! It will feel very uncomfortable because no one likes to be alone. The key is that you are not alone, Jesus is with you. The desert experience humble Moses and he received …

The wilderness / desert experience in life can be a lonely place, but at the same time it can be a place of growth and maturity. Shortly after I gave my life to the Lord I learned that my next assignment in the military was Fort Bliss El Paso TX (a desert place). I felt …

Living a teenage life style at adult age is a sign of immaturity. The same can be said for a Christian that stays at the same level of relationship with the Lord. Going to church on Sunday is good, but attending bible study and having personal devotions with the Lord will help you to mature. …

The other night we had a strong thunder storm, I checked my garage; water was coming in. Recently I put in a French drain to alleviate that problem, but when I went outside the drain was clogged up with rocks. I unclogged it and the water began to drain properly. In life some rocks come …

As believers we should desire spiritual gifts, but should follow and walk in love! 1 Corinthians 13: 1-13 “And now abideth faith, hope, charity, these three; but the greatest of these is charity.” Walking in love will allow the world to see God in us! 1 John 4:7-8 “Beloved, let us love one another: for …

One of my goals in life is to be totally debt free financially. Romans 13:8 “Owe no man any thing, but to love on another.” Yet at the same time I remain indebted to the Lord for his grace, mercy and love that he has bestowed upon me. I truly understand why the song writer …

I love giving financially to the Lord, but believe our greatest gift to the Lord is our praise and worship. In Luke 7:36-47, the disciples had a problem with the women that used the ointment in her alabaster box to minister to Jesus, because of the cost of it. But what they failed to see …

Having a personnel relationship with the Lord is essential in a believer’s life. Paul had great credentials, positions and titles, but he made it clear that those things were not that important. The key was his relationship with the Lord Philippians 3:7&10 “But what things were gain to me, those I counted loss for Christ” …

It is God’s will that we should prosper, 3 John 2 “Beloved, I wish above all things that thou mayest prosper and be in health, even as thy soul prospereth.” He gives us the ability to obtain wealth, Deuteronomy 8:18 “for it is he that giveth thee power to get wealth.” The key is not …

When life gives you a lemon, do not get bitter. Instead open up a lemonade stand! Joseph was sold by his brothers into slavery; he was also put into prison. But God turned a bad thing into a good thing and made him second in charge in all Egypt. We all will have some bad …

This Sunday my wife and I will be celebrating our 29th wedding Annv. There are no perfect marriages because there are no perfect people. After 29 years I believe the key to a successful marriage is allow the Grace of God to keep you and to give you strength when your relationship is being challenged. …

Our careers/ jobs are what we do, but are not who we are. Paul was a tentmaker by trade and he used his craft to support himself at times. He always made it clear his purpose, Romans 1:1 “Paul a servant of Jesus Christ called to be an apostle, separated unto the gospel of God.” …

In the Old Testament when the people needed help they would look to the hills or mountains for help from the Lord. Psalm 121: I-2 “I will lift up mine eyes unto the hills, from whence cometh my help.” “My help cometh from the Lord.” But as believers today we have help living on the …

While I was in Texas I worked with a ministry called Big Heart, in which we cooked breakfast and minister to those that lived on the streets. I currently work with two mentorship program for youth and most of them do not have both parents in their lives. The poor and the fatherless are close …

In the book of Genesis chapter 22, God asked Abraham to offer up his son Isaac. Abraham goes to the mountain to obey God and God provides a ram in the bush for a sacrifice vs. Isaac. Abraham calls the place Jehovah Jireh (the lord will provide) . Abraham came down off the mountain with …

Last weekend I accidently drove into a ditch and could not get out. I went to the next door neighbor but he said he could not help me. I prayed and tried one more time, my truck came out with no problems. Sometimes in life we all get stuck. Pray and look to the Lord …

One of my greatest struggles that I had as a new believer was which way was right.I had family and friends sharing their faith with me and they were all different.I remember crying out to the Lord and saying Lord I don’t know which way to go! Never forget his answer ST. John 14:6 “I …

Looking forward to this weekend, I’m going to my hometown Church in S.C, 116 Anniversary /Home coming celebration. The last time I was in my hometown my brother was preaching my oldest brothers funereal this time he will be preaching as well but it’s going to be a celebration of life and not death.

In our life time we will experience hurts from one source or another. The greatest hurt normally comes from people that you are close to i.e. family, friends, and church. The key is to forgive them, sometimes that maybe easier said than done. But I encourage you to look to Jesus as Steven did when …

I remember a cadence we use to sing when I was in basic training in the military, “Ain’t no need in looking down there is no discharge on the ground.” Believe me at times I wanted out, but I made it through. Same in our spiritual walk there will be challenges in life, in which …

Our Pastor has been teaching a series on the book of Revelations. He shared that we are living in the end times, even though no one can predict when Jesus will return. All the catastrophes worldwide are not just a coincidence, (read Matthew 24). It is vital that our relationship is solid with the Lord, …

One of the keys to victory in our walk with Christ is to control our thoughts. Negative and lustful thoughts will attack us all, but we don’t have to receive or dwell on them. The way to take control of our thoughts is to apply the word, Philippians 4:8 “think on things that are true, …

My Pastor and my brother-in-law have inspired me to eat healthier and exercise more .To live a healthier lifestyle and take care of God’s temple, 1 Corinthians 3: 16-17. My Pastor leads by example, he was inspired to start church-fit a workout program at the church, which provides nutrition classes as well. Walked with my …

Natural talent will allow you to achieve a certain level of success in life. But it is your character that will keep you at that level. A person that has gift from God and is humble, he will be elevated to greatest. Proverbs 18: 16 “A man’s gift maketh room for him, and bringeth him …

One aspect of Hope is our earnest expectation/ confidence that God is going to come through when we are going through trials and challenges in life. According to Romans 5: 3-5 “we glory in tribulation also: knowing that tribulation worketh patience” “And patience, experience, and experience, hope” “And hope maketh not ashamed because of the …

This past NBA season the Miami heat took a lot of criticism because of their big three; in the manner they came together also they failed in the NBA finals. God has a big three as well and they are awesome and will lead you to victory! 1corithians 13:13 “And now abideth faith, hope, charity, …

I remember the lessons that I learned from my Father. The best lesson in life was to be a great provider for my family. I also experience some negative lessons in life from him as well. The key is to learn from the positive and negative. It is better to learn from the negative lessons …

While serving in the military, in basic training I became very familiar with the saying “Hurry up & wait.” We would rush, and then wait for hours. As a Christian the waiting process applies as well. According to James 1:4, “But let patient have her perfect work, that ye may be perfect and entire, wanting …

I need vs. I want. In life we want a lot of things. Want to change, material things etc. But when our desires move from merely want to need then change occurs. In other words when my need for the Lord overrides my wants in life, I realize I do not need all the materials …

Proverbs 4:7 “Wisdom is the principal thing: therefore get wisdom: and with all thy getting get understanding.” Priority-Put God first in all that you do and you will be successful spiritually and naturally. Balance-Spiritual vs. natural (keep it real). Inside-out- Always look at the heart of a person vs. their physical features (they change). To …

To grow spiritually we have to receive a steady diet of the word of God. Hearing the word on Sunday and mid-week service is great and our faith will increase. But we need more, take notes during Sunday worship and bible study and then review them during the week. Get the CD and hear the …

My Pastor just finished a series on Friendship in which he shared about 4 types of friends. The one that stuck out to me was the Disturber-(shakes things up!). This friend will challenge you, because he is not a yes person. He will ask the tough questions that others wonder but afraid to ask. He …

This coming Sunday all across our Nation we will be honoring our mothers. My mother was an awesome women and I thank God for the privilege to have had her in my life. I encourage everyone to honor and appreciate your mother every day! Even while Jesus was on the cross he took time to …

To understand a person’s praise, must understand their story/ where they came from. You see some people have come out of some tough places in life and their praise reflects that. David danced before the Lord with all his might, because of the return of the Ark. His wife thought he was foolish, because she …

As we celebrate Resurrection Sunday, acknowledging what our Lord and Savior went through for us. Praising God, that Jesus is no longer on the cross or in the grave, but sitting at the right hand of the Father. Let’s forget about those things that are behind us and move forward. “Press toward the mark for …

Goals are man inspired, lose 20 lbs., obtain a college degree, or get out debt etc. Sometimes we achieve them and sometimes we don’t. Vision is God inspired and he watches over his word and will bring it to past. Habakkuk 2: 2-3 “Write the vision” “For the vision is yet for an appointed time” …

The old term “need some fresh blood” is true. Some leaders have stayed in key positions to long have gotten routine and are not progressive. This has caused the followers to become stagnated. God is progressive and has generations of Joshua’s that are waiting to take that position to the next level. Joshua 1:2 “Moses …

God will hide you in his presence so that he can perfect the flaws in our lives, so when your appointment time comes, you will make a difference in body of Christ. Esther was hidden, and faced a serious challenge having to go before the king on behalf of the Jew’s, but she was called …

Being prior military, I’m grateful for our military men and women for their services so that we can all enjoy our natural freedom. A special recognition and honor to those that had paid the ultimate price by giving their lives. I’m especially grateful to Jesus for giving his life, so that we could be free …

Flying under the radar, is a term that I use for those that are doing the will of God and may not be noticed by man. The key is that God see’s you and in due time he will elevate you. Joseph was under the radar, and he went from prison to become 2nd in …

Last Sunday our Pastor shared about his valley experiences in life. One of those valley experiences was when he lost his wife, and he said God I don’t know what to do and the Lord said yes you do, Praise is what you do! (He praise his way out!). One of my valley experiences was …

God has a plan for your life to prosper you and give you good success. Set your goals high, strive for excellence. There is greatness inside you, don’t settle for minimum standards or mediocre. The key to achieving greatness is for the I in our lives to decrease and he (Jesus) to increase. John the …

This week I would like to share about a worship song title “Nobody Greater” by VAShawn Mitchell. “I search all over couldn’t find nobody greater than you” There is nobody greater than Jesus and the greater one lives in us! Therefore we can overcome any trial or challenge that comes our way! 1st John 4: …

This week I would like to share about a worship song title “I give myself away” by William McDowell. “My life is not my own, I give myself away” “To you I belong, I give myself to you”. Love will motivate you to give yourself away to the Lord, you see for God so love …

My brother use to collect soda cans. What others threw away and did not see any value in. He would turn them in to be recycled and make a profit. Sometimes in life people write you off and count you out, but you have value and are recyclable as well. Jeremiah 18:4 “And the vessel …

Humility will elevate and promote you in the Kingdom of God. James 4:10 “Humble yourselves in the sight of the Lord, and he shall lift you up”. The key to staying in purpose is to continue to walk in humility (example Paul). I Corinthians 15: 9-10“For I am the least of the apostles, that am …

The greatest fulfillment in life is to walk in the purpose and destiny that God has for your life. It’s like finding the right piece of the puzzle of life that fits perfectly. Life then makes sense, and has meaning. Paul knew his purpose, and most of his letters reflected that. Romans 1:1 “Paul a …

Sometimes in life bad things happen to us all, and we don’t see any good in it at that time. But be of good courage! , God is working in that situation, to turn it around for your good! Romans 8: 28 “ And we know that all things work together for good to them …

Joel Osteen shared how he applied for a particular job and a person with connections told him that they would look out for him. He waited, but the person never called, and he did not get the job. But God had a better plan for his life, to be the Pastor of Lakewood Church. Sometimes …

My Pastor declared, “Healing The House” for 2011 at our new year eve service. We can recognize someone that has a broken arm or leg, but miss those that have a broken heart or spirit. They raise their hands, smile, say all the right things but are hurting inside. Jesus came to fix that, ST. …

One thing that I have learned in life is that you can’t go forward until you stop looking back! You can’t dwell on past mistakes or decisions, or even past success. Isaiah 43: 18-19 “Remember ye not the former things, neither consider the things of old”. “Behold, I will do a new thing: now it …

Many celebrated Christmas yesterday with family and friends, giving and receiving gifts. Some of the gifts were just what you wanted, others will be recycle to some one else, and some stored in the closet and never used. During this season, let’s don’t forget the greatest gift ever given Jesus! 2 Corinthians 9:15 “Thanks be …

David dedicated the whole chapter of Psalms 136, declaring the goodness of God. Psalms 136: 1 “O Give thanks unto the Lord: for he is good: for his mercy endureth for ever”. Like David I could write my on chapter, because God has been so good to me and my family. To Him that saved …

It’s sowing time! Growing up on a farm I learned the importance of sowing seeds at the right time, so that we could have a harvest to make it through the winter months. December is month people normal give, due to being Christmas season. But I also believe that December is a month/season that is …

Good morning Lord!!! Sometimes in life we face tough challenges and we look forward to the morning. The scripture says in Psalm 30: 5 “Weeping may endure for a night, but joy cometh in the morning “. Yet there are some that are waiting on God with a much greater expectation. Psalms 130: 6 “My …

This past week our nation celebrated Thanksgiving with family and friends. On Thanksgiving morning I was awaken from a dream in which I was worshipping God, it was so real. I got up and continued thanking and worshipping him for all he had done. Psalms 30: “Sing unto the lord, O ye saints of his, …

How to motivate Teens? Must start when they are young, Proverbs 22:6 “Train up a child in the way he should go and when he is old he will not depart from it”. Pray over them daily, speak positive and set a positive example, keep your word. Yet even with all that, some teens even …

This past week we recognized our veterans that have served and currently serving in the military. My wife and I both served in the military, so I know first hand some of the challenges that veterans faced. Some of our service members have experienced disabilities and some have even given their lives for our country, …

Just show up and trust God. I dealt with a situation last week that I really needed the favor of God. I prayed and was prepared to handle it, but didn’t take me long to realize that God had already prepared the way and granted favor. In 2 Chronicles 20: 15&17 God told Jehoshaphat the …

In my life time I have dealt with the challenge of low self esteem. Therefore I can relate to Moses, in that when God spoke to him about leading the children of Israel out of Egypt. Moses had a lot of reservations and did not believe that he could accomplish such a task. Exodus 3: …

In life trouble will knock on all of our doors. The rain falls on the just as well as the unjust. But God, will help and deliver the just out of trouble. Psalms 46: 1 “God is our refuge and strength, a very present help in trouble.” Proverbs 12:13 (later part of the verse) “the …

God hears your prayers, but those that add giving to their prayers will make a memorial before God. Cornelius was a devout man that feared/reverence God and prayed and gave much alms. An angel of God spoke to him in a vision: Acts 10: 4 (last part of verse) “Thy prayers and thine alms are …

The decisions we make today will not only affect us, but our children and their children. We should strive to leave a positive legacy both spiritually and naturally. Proverbs 13:22 “A good man (or women) leaveth an inheritance to his children’s children: and the wealth of the sinner is laid up for the just”.

He has already prepared a way! Just wait and see! Isaiah 64: 4 ” For since the beginning of the world men have not heard, nor perceived by the ear, neither hath the eye seen, O God, beside thee, what he hath prepared for him (or her) that waiteth for him.”

Forgiveness key to true freedom! Sometimes in life we get hurt by those that are really close to us (family, friends, and church) etc. To really get healed of that hurt / over it we must forgive them. Not saying that is easy, “but you can do all things through Christ which strengthens you”. Forgiveness …

For those believers that have been going through some tough trials/challenges lately, be encouraged. There are trials and then there are fiery trials, the difference is the fiery trials are those that really put your faith to the test. The key is that when you are going through the fire, Jesus is with you and …