Was your cup filled today? If the words of God had special meaning for you, please share your reflections in the comments section at the end of each post. We would love to hear Christ's impact on you.

“Why do the nations rage and the peoples plot in vain? The kings of the earth set themselves, and the rulers take counsel together, against the Lord and against his Anointed, saying, “Let us burst their bonds apart and cast away their cords from us.” (Psalm 2:1-2 ESV)   This Psalm is beautiful in every way. It is symmetrical in design, and in its progression, it finds hope in Christ for those who fear but honor God. It also reflects the past, present, and future of the sinful

“You stiff-necked people, uncircumcised in heart and ears, you always resist the Holy Spirit. As your fathers did, so do you.” (Acts 7:51) If we are God’s elect, do we have the choice to come to Him on our own? This question recently came to light after hearing a pastor use the word choice related to salvation. In the Book of Acts, Steven spoke these words to the Pharisees before he was stoned, becoming the first martyr for Christ. Can we choose salvation if our name is in th

“ Count it all joy, my brothers, when you meet trials of various kinds, for you know that the testing of your faith produces steadfastness. And let steadfastness have its full effect, that you may be perfect and complete, lacking in nothing.” (James 1:2-5 ESV) In a previous devotional, we dealt with Temptations and found that they are from the devil, and he always uses sin to tempt us to break our fellowship with God. If you recall, the Greek word that we translate as “tempta

Heavenly Father, This world is troubled and must be pulled from the grip of the enemy. Today, we pray that You would send a   mighty outpouring of the Holy Spirit upon the Church and the nations. Fill every believer with boldness, wisdom, and power to proclaim Your Word. We pray that your children would be awakened and filled with the Holy Spirit, and like on the day of Pentecost, the message of the gospel would go out in the many languages of this world, stirring a deep sens

“ Let no one say when he is tempted, “I am being tempted by God,' for God cannot be tempted with evil, and he himself tempts no one. But each person is tempted when he is lured and enticed by his own desire.” (James 11:13-14 ESV) James is my go-to passage in Scripture when I try to make sense out of what is going on in my life. If you are like me, and I bet you are, many times the events surrounding me aren’t clear, and I struggle with how to respond to them appropriately. Bu

“For by grace you have been saved through faith. And this is not your own doing; it is the gift of God, not a result of works, so that no one may boast.” (Ephesians 2:8-9 ESV) I think most believers know this scripture by heart. In his Epistle to the church in Ephesus, Paul reminds us that we cannot save ourselves from our sin. We are unable to make ourselves right with God. We are unable to keep the law and commandments, as the essence of our being is sinful. Even in our sal

“These things you have done, and I have been silent; you thought that I was one like yourself. But now I rebuke you and lay the charge before you.” (Psalm 50:21 ESV) Psalm 51 is a Psalm of conviction. It affirms God’s sovereignty over humanity's evils and is judgment of the wicked. A Psalm of Asaph means the Psalms are of Asaphic authorship. There were two Asaphs, the most prominent being the son of Berachiah, of the Gershom family. It is this Asaph who led the music service

“Yet even now,” declares the Lord, “return to me with all your heart, with fasting, with weeping, and with mourning; and rend your hearts and not your garments.” Return to the Lord your God,for he is gracious and merciful, slow to anger, and abounding in steadfast love; and he relents over disaster. (Joel 2:12-13 ESV) In the Book of Joel, the prophet warns of God's coming wrath against sinners. Joel also reminds us that redemption is found in the Lord. Joel also speaks of the

For the word of the cross is folly to those who are perishing, but to us who are being saved it is the power of God.   For it is written, “I will destroy the wisdom of the wise, and the discernment of the discerning I will thwart.” A frequent discussion among discerning brothers and sisters is why some will not believe in the truth of the Word of God, the truth of the Bible. Why is it that the Bible is so easily disregarded as a fairy tale, a fable, or fiction? There are many

“Therefore put away all filthiness and rampant wickedness and receive with meekness the implanted word, which is able to save your souls. But be doers of the word, and not hearers only, deceiving yourselves. For if anyone is a hearer of the word and not a doer, he is like a man who looks intently at his natural face in a mirror.” (James 1:21-23 ESV) The Epistle of James Chapter 1 is so full of wonderful truths from our heavenly Father, like what we talked about last time in v

Father God, Today on Your day, the Lord’s Day, we pause with grateful hearts, thankful for Your deep, sustaining love and mercy for Your children. We thank You for the people who fill our days with love, and for the blessings, both seen and unseen, that help us navigate the narrow path. We give thanks for the fulfillment of all our needs even before we recognize them, and for unchanging love that provides. In times of joy, may we remember to be humble, as You are the source o

“If any of you lacks wisdom, let him ask God, who gives generously to all without reproach, and it will be given him. But let him ask in faith, with no doubting, for the one who doubts is like a wave of the sea that is driven and tossed by the wind.”  (James 1:6-7 ESV) One of the first Biblical truths that James tells his believing brethren is in verse 5  “if any of you lack wisdom, let him as of God, who gives to all men generously and without reproach, and it will be given

“Jesus said to him, “I am the way, and the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.” (John 14:6 ESV) Jesus said this while speaking to Thomas in the upper room. Can you even fathom what took place in that upper room, sitting with Christ for the Sabbath meal? Even more so because it was a doubly significant sabbath involving the Feast of Unleavened Bread and the Friday sabbath. Yet after three years, the apostles still did not truly grasp who Jesus wa

"But I am not ashamed, for I know whom I have believed, and I am convinced that he is able to guard until that day what has been entrusted to me." (2 Timothy 1:12 ESV) “For I know whom I have believed.” Paul's transformation from Pharisee to apostle shows that change is possible, inspiring believers and seekers to trust in God's power to transform lives. Paul was the Pharisee of Pharisees. He knew the Jewish laws and scripture better than the majority of His peers. Yet, on th

“He saved us, not because of works done by us in righteousness, but according to his own mercy, by the washing of regeneration and renewal of the Holy Spirit.” (Titus 3:5 ESV) In this verse from Paul’s letter to Titus, Paul clarifies three things that are often lost in the battle over denominational truths. It is these truths that, when twisted, lead many to hell. It is all about the root of works or the fruits of service to God. “He saved us.”  Christ saved us; it is not the

“ I appeal to you therefore, brothers, by the mercies of God, to present your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and acceptable to God, which is your spiritual worship.” (Romans 12:1 ESV) Paul gave every part of his being to Christ. He held nothing back in his devotion. In his epistle to the Romans, Paul calls on believers to do the very same thing. You see, devotion is not about promises or beliefs. Devotion is a very different thing. Through God’s grace, we are gifted the a

“For God has not destined us for wrath, but to obtain salvation through our Lord Jesus Christ, who died for us so that whether we are awake or asleep we might live with him. Therefore encourage one another and build one another up, just as you are doing.”   (1 Thessalonians 5:9-11 ESV)  In chapter 5 of 1 Thessalonians, Paul continues his teaching on eschatology (the study of end-time events, such as the Rapture, the Second Coming of Jesus, the Tribulation, the Great White Thr

Heavenly Father, Thank you, Lord, for the gift of life and the opportunity to serve You today. Help us recognize Your daily blessings and feel grateful for Your presence in our lives. We worship and give you praise for You alone, are the Lord our God. We lift you up before the nations, before those who do not believe, and we pray for them. Father, God, we pray for each other that we may be willing and faithful servants of Your Word, trusting in Your guidance every step of the

“And I, when I came to you, brothers,   did not come proclaiming to you the testimony of God with lofty speech or wisdom. For I decided to know nothing among you except Jesus Christ and him crucified.” (1Corinthians 2:1-2 ESV). This focus on the cross should inspire reverence and gratitude in our hearts, reminding us of Christ's sacrifice as the foundation of our faith.   Testimony may carry weight with others; however, it does not carry the weight of the cross. More often th

“And he said to them, ‘Why were you looking for me? Did you not know that I must be in my Father's house?’” (Luke 2:49 ESV) Having celebrated the birth of the Messiah, our Savior Christ Jesus, we look forward from that blessing towards the cross. There is not much written about the life of Christ before His ministry. We know that He was preceded by John the Baptist, but there is no mention of Jesus's childhood, except in today's passage, which is part of Luke's narrative. Jos