Baring good fruit

​S-‭‭Matthew‬ ‭3‬:‭10 NLT

“Even now the ax of God’s judgment is poised, ready to sever the roots of the trees. Yes, every tree that does not produce good fruit will be chopped down and thrown into the fire.”

O- These are the words of John the Baptist who was speaking to the Pharisee's who had come to hear John speak.  He called them a brood of vipers and spoke these words about the root of the tree of Israel.   He told them if they don't bare good fruit they will be chopped down and thrown into the fire.  This was to lead the people to the tree that bares good fruit from which Jesus came to plant and grow.  

A - The application for me is to be sure I am not like the tree of the Pharisee holding on to the law as my doctrine, but rather following the person of Jesus who came and preached the good news of the Gospel and led me to the understanding and relationship with the Father that is true and righteous. 

P - Dear heavenly Father thank you for today's devotion may it be sealed to my heart.  I pray Lord that you would be mine vine in which I am rooted and you would help me to bare good fruit.  I pray all this in Jesus name, Amen

God our source of Hope

​S-‭‭Romans‬ ‭15‬:‭13‬ ‭NLT‬‬

“I pray that God, the source of hope, will fill you completely with joy and peace because you trust in him. Then you will overflow with confident hope through the power of the Holy Spirit.”

O-  Trusting in the Lord is our source of hope and all it takes to receive this hope is to place our trust in Him.  With hope comes being filled with joy and peace and then we will overflow with confident hope through the Holy Spirits' presence in us.  

A - The application for me is to pray to God my source of hope that he would fill me with His Holy Spirit.  I desire the joy and peace that comes from knowing God and receiving His Spirit in me.

P- Dear heavenly Father, thank you for today's devotion may it be sealed to my heart .   I pray Lord for your confident hope to be filled up in me and that the Holy Spirit would guide me in your everlasting way.  I pray all this in Jesus name, Amen.

Kindness to our enemies

​S-‭‭Romans‬ ‭12‬:‭20‬ ‭NLT‬‬

“Instead, “If your enemies are hungry, feed them. If they are thirsty, give them something to drink. In doing this, you will heap burning coals of shame on their heads.””

O- Paul here is trying to teach the Romans to love like Christ loved us.   We are to return kindness in the face of opposition from our enemy.   By showing love and kindness we will cause them to be confused at our acts of service and love.  Jesus modeled this on the cross that while there were many who condemned Him ,  he gave His life up so they could be reconciled.  Paul was one of these , whom persecuted the members of the early church,  yet still was able to be reconciled with God through his experience on the road to Damascus.  Jesus chose Paul and showed kindness and mercy to him and those burning coals heaped on him turned Paul toward Jesus and his great sacrifice.

A - The application for me is to remember to be undeservedly kind to those who are against me and follow the example of Christ.  I am to to look to heap burning coals on the head of those who oppose me and oppose God.  Those burning coals though are not literal but metephorical acts of love and kindness.

P- Dear heavenly Father thank you for today's devotion may it be sealed to my heart.  I pray Lord you help me to love my enemies in a way that the love I show them coverts their way of thinking and seeing things, and hopefully see in my love Christ's love for them. I pray al this in Jesus name, Amen

Confessing Jesus is Lord

 S - Romans 10:9-10 NIV

9 If you declare with your mouth, “Jesus is Lord,” and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved. 10 For it is with your heart that you believe and are justified, and it is with your mouth that you profess your faith and are saved

O - Paul is explaining the way we are to be made right by God.  In particular he is focused on the Israelites who tried to make right by following strictly the law of Moses.  But now that Christ has came there is a new and plentiful way of being reconciled with God and living a saved life.  First you must declare Jesus is Lord with your mouth and in your heart believe God raised him from the dead and you will be saved.  The true sacrifice that Jesus made on the cross is once and forever for those who believe in Him.   If in your heart you believe and with your tongue you confess then God's mercy is over you.

A - The application for me is to remember I have confessed with my mouth that Jesus is my Lord and believe in my heart he was raised from the dead, and now I walk in God's mercy.   My sins have been atoned for by Christ and I now stand reconciled and loved by a Holy Father.  

P - Dear heavenly Father, thank you for today's devotion may it be sealed to my heart.  I pray Lord that you would help me to walk by faith the promises of your redemption of my soul.  I pray you help me walk by faith and not by sight.   I pray all this in Jesus Christ name,  Amen. 

Never separated from God's love

​S-‭‭Romans‬ ‭8‬:‭38‬-‭39‬ ‭NLT

“And I am convinced that nothing can ever separate us from God’s love. Neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither our fears for today nor our worries about tomorrow—not even the powers of hell can separate us from God’s love. No power in the sky above or in the earth below—indeed, nothing in all creation will ever be able to separate us from the love of God that is revealed in Christ Jesus our Lord.”

O- Nothing can ever separate us from the Love of God.  This truth is comforting and confidene building.  Confidence in who God is and His love for us, not confidence in ourselves or the world around us.  Death,  demons and our own fears and worries have no power over God's love.  Nothing can separate us from the love of God for us.  Once we have given our lives to Christ we have an enduring and lasting love from God.

A -  The application for me is to remember that no matter my actions or my environment,  God's love for me is there.  There are times when I may feel less than worthy of this unconditional love, but God's love is with me despite my worries about today or tommorow.  

P - Dear heavenly Father thank you for today's devotion and for your unending love.  I pray Lord that I would live in this truth that you love will never be separated from me.  I pray you help me to walk in that confidence that comes from knowing I am loved.   I pray all this in Jesus Christ name, Amen.

Following the Holy Spirit

​S-‭‭Romans‬ ‭8‬:‭5‬-‭6‬ ‭NLT

“Those who are dominated by the sinful nature think about sinful things, but those who are controlled by the Holy Spirit think about things that please the Spirit. So letting your sinful nature control your mind leads to death. But letting the Spirit control your mind leads to life and peace.”

O-  The battle between my sinful nature and the Holy Spirit in me is real.  The key to success is not to let the sinful nature dominate but to be instead controlled by the Holy Spirt.  We must focus of letting the Spirit control our minds.

A -  The application for me is to die to my old nature that was dominated by sinful nature, and live in perfect peace by living controlled by the Holy Spirit.  I must begin my day connecting to the Holy Spirit in me for direction and guidance and discipline myself to following the guidance of the spirit.

P - Dear heavenly Father, thank you for this lesson today may it be sealed to my heart.  I pray Lord your Holy Spirit would dwell in me and guide me in your everlasting ways.  I pray all this in Jesus name, Amen

​S-

“So now there is no condemnation for those who belong to Christ Jesus. And because you belong to him, the power of the life-giving Spirit has freed you from the power of sin that leads to death.”

‭‭Romans‬ ‭8‬:‭1‬-‭2‬ ‭NLT‬‬

https://bible.com/bible/116/rom.8.1-2.NLT

Free from the law - free from sin

​S-Romans 7:6NLT

“But now we have been released from the law, for we died to it and are no longer captive to its power. Now we can serve God, not in the old way of obeying the letter of the law, but in the new way of living in the Spirit.”

‭ “So I am not the one doing wrong; it is sin living in me that does it. And I know that nothing good lives in me, that is, in my sinful nature. I want to do what is right, but I can’t. I want to do what is good, but I don’t. I don’t want to do what is wrong, but I do it anyway.” But if I do what I don’t want to do, I am not really the one doing wrong; it is sin living in me that does it.

‭‭Romans‬ ‭7‬:‭17‬-‭19‬ ‭NLT‬‬

O - Paul here describes the internal struggle we all feel.   We desire to do what is right and good but we don't.  We know the law and desire to follow it but our sinful nature lives in us against the law.  But verse 6 tells us that we have been released from the law because we died to it and are no longer captive its power.  Now we can serve God in a new way , not by following law but by following the Holy Spirit who God has gifted us following our confession of Christ as our Lord and savior.  So we are no longer a slave to sin but a slave to Christ.  

A - The application for me is to thankful for Christ's gift  of salvation as it free's me from the penalty of death that trying to follow God's law  had lead me to.   I now can rejoice in a new freedom from sin and a new life in Christ.  But like Paul I will have this sin nature in me that makes me want to do what is wrong, the answer lies in being obedient to the Holy Spirit in me.

P - Dear heavenly Father thank you for today's devotion may it be sealed to my heart.  I pray Lord that you Holy Spirit would speak to me and guide my ways.  I pray that you help me discern when the sinful nature in me wants to act out and cause me to dwell in my sin. 

Rejoice in trials

​S- Romans 5:3-5 NLT

“We can rejoice, too, when we run into problems and trials, for we know that they help us develop endurance. And endurance develops strength of character, and character strengthens our confident hope of salvation. And this hope will not lead to disappointment. For we know how dearly God loves us, because he has given us the Holy Spirit to fill our hearts with his love.”

O- Yes, we can rejoice because when we face trials it helps us grow stronger and to have more endurance.  Endurance develops the strength of our character and grows us confident in the hope of our salvation that is in Christ.  This hope reminds of how much God loves us because he has given us His Holy Spirit to fill our hearts with His love.

A -  The application for me is to rejoice also in my trials because they are growing my endurance and character and give me a hope for the future.  This hope is in the love God pours out into me through his Holy Spirit in my heart.  I am to no longer run and avoid trials but rather embrace them when they come as they are a chance to grow my faith and character. 

P - Dear heavenly Father thank you for today's devotion may it be sealed to my heart.  I pray Lord you help me to remember to rejoice in the problems and trials that I face.  I need to remember that your grace and mercy are with me and your Holy Spirit will guide me.  I pray this in Jesus Christ name, Amen.

Faith in Christ

​S-‭‭Romans‬ ‭1‬:‭17‬ ‭NLT‬‬

“This Good News tells us how God makes us right in his sight. This is accomplished from start to finish by faith. As the Scriptures say, “It is through faith that a righteous person has life.””

O- The Gospel is the good news for us on how Jesus reconciled us with the Father through his sacrifice on the cross.   By our accepting this sacrifice and believing in Him we are made right with God.  It is our faith in Christ that our salvation is complete.  

A - The application for me is to remember that my faith in Christ is what makes me right with God.   I am to walk in the truth of who Christ is,  a living and breathing sacrifice for the sake of my sins so I could be reconciled with God once and for all. 

P - Dear heavenly Father thank you for today's devotion may it be sealed to my heart.  I pray Lord for the reminder and refreshment of my faith in Christ so that I can walk in your truth.  I pray all this in Jesus Christ name, Amen

The Gospel for everyone

​S- Acts 10:34-36 NIV

Then Peter began to speak: “I now realize how true it is that God does not show favoritism35 but accepts from every nation the one who fears him and does what is right. 36 You know the message God sent to the people of Israel, announcing the good news of peace through Jesus Christ, who is Lord of all. 

O- Here is where Peter is called to go and speak to the Centurion in Caesarea soon after he received the vision of all the animals that the Lord was telling him was clean.   The message was intended to open Peters heart and mind to speaking God's truth to any who are willing to receive.   God accepts anyone who fears him and does what is right. 

A - The application for me is to recognize that God is the one who has made the message of his salvation even to a sinner like me.  I only need to have a repentant heart and a willing ear and I may receive his salvation.  I am also now that I have received be encouraged to share the Gospel to all those who God has made ready for his truth.

P - Dear heavenly Father thank you for today's devotion may it be sealed to my heart .  I pray Lord you help me know who I am to share the Gospel with.  Help me to know who you have called to hear your Gospel that I might deliver the message of salvation.  I pray all this in Jesus Christ name, Amen

​S-Acts 8:6-8 NIV

When the crowds heard Philip and saw the signs he performed, they all paid close attention to what he said. 7 For with shrieks, impure spirits came out of many, and many who were paralyzed or lame were healed. 8 So there was great joy in that city.

O-