Weekly Word Devotion
Religion May 20, 2019In 1995 the U.S. Stock Market experienced a modern record downturn. Investors lost 37.6% of their investments. In 2008 investors lost 37%. Market experts caution investors, warning of possible negative results due to uncertain economic relations with China.
I recall my study of economics in college, and how stocks and bonds chart up and down at a fast pace. There is one investment that will always pay positive returns: invest our time, talents, and treasure in growing the Kingdom of God. Mark 10:30 ” . . . and in the age to come eternal life.”
Weekly Word Devotion
Religion May 14, 2019Continuing with John 14:6, Jesus said, “I am the way . . ” There is only one way to be physically born. Whether it’s in the womb or test tube, there has to be a natural union of a sperm and egg to produce birth. When Jesus said, “You must be born again…” (John 3:3), He was speaking of the super-natural union of a soul with the Savior. Being born of the Holy Spirit makes us a new creation in Christ (2 Corinthians 5:17).
Weekly Word Devotion
Religion May 6, 2019John 14:6, Jesus said, “I am the way . . .” If we say Jesus is the only way to God, we risk being labeled intolerant. When Larry King interviewed Billy Graham and his son Franklin, he asked them if Jesus was in fact the only way. Both replied YES, and explained that Jesus stated He was the only way, and He is not a liar. You and I know who is the LIAR. Other religious leaders interviewed by Larry King stated there were many paths to God. A South American missionary hired a guide to lead him to a remote village. After several hours of slashing their way through the thick jungle, the missionary asked his guide if he really know the way. The guide dropped his large knife, opened his hands to display scars, and said, “Follow me for I know the way.”
Weekly Word Devotion
Religion April 29, 2019The TV show TMZ consist of a platform where the host calls on entertainment reporters with celebrity news. On one episode, a picture was shown of a female movie star with a Bible in her hand. The host asked why she would take a Bible to lunch with her friend. The reporter responded, “the Bible makes for good reading in the Old Testament when David the warrior is really dramatic, but when Jesus shows up in the New Testament, its all downhill from there.” The Lord’s miracles were really dramatic, and His is the greatest love story ever told. Pray for the host, reporters, and producers of TMZ.
Weekly Word Devotion
Religion April 15, 2019Paul wrote in 2 Corinthians 1:22 that Christ SEALED us and gave us the Holy Spirit in our hearts as a deposit. Imagine a fruit bar inside a protective wrapper. Once opened and left exposed, the bar begins to decay. However, if the bar is sealed in a zip-lock bag, the sweet fruit is preserved. Jesus has sealed our soul, preserving us from the rot of sin. 2 Timothy 2:19, Nevertheless the solid foundation of God stands, having this seal: “The Lord knows those that are His.”
Weekly Word
Religion March 12, 2019Hebrews 4:12, “The word of God is living and active. Sharper than any double-edged sword . . .” In 1921, a New York doctor, Evan O’Neill, operated on himself. Using a local anesthetic, he removed his inflamed appendix. The surgery was successful. In like manner, we need soul surgery. Using the scalpel of Scripture (Sword of the Spirit), we can remove the deadly disease of sin.
Weekly Word Devotion
Religion June 3, 20191 Coronicles 29:14 “For all things come from You.” There are some 150,000 Life Coaches (personalized helper who for a fee, will partner with you in designing your future). For Christians, our Life Coach is the indwelling Holy Spirit. Einstein wrote, “Any intelligent fool can make things more complicated.” Isaac Newton once wrote, “Truth is found in simplicity.” Jesus is simply all we need (John 14:6).
Weekly Word Devotion
Religion April 1, 2019Psalm 1:7 ” . . . fools despise wisdom and instruction.”
Today is April Fools: Tricks played on others that are based on a lie. As a young husband and father, I played April Fool pranks on my family. My father-in-law once called my wife the night before to warn her, but I still pulled it off! Then it all changed when I was on the receiving end. We were at a beach rental during Spring Break, and told not to flush the hallway toilet or it would flood the condo. One morning my youngest daughter in a panic told me she forgot and flushed that toilet. I ran to the toilet and while bent over, my family yelled, “April’s Fool”. After my blood pressure returned to normal, I promised no more tricks. Don’t be fooled by fakers.
Weekly Word Devotion
Religion March 26, 2019In Proverbs 28:2 , King Solomon points out that with sensible government leaders there is stability. On 12/6/18 NASA launched a space shuttle with experimental worms to study the human aging process. Seriously? Spending tax dollars when faced with what would become the longest government shut-down in U. S. history. Thousands of unpaid federal employees could have used those funds to feed their families and pay bills. What’s in your wallet?
Weekly Word Devotion
Religion February 26, 2019Charles “Chuck” Colson was Attorney General for President Nixon. He was sentenced to prison for his part in the WATERGATE scandal. Chuck came to Christ while in jail, and upon his release, formed a prison ministry. While visiting inmates, he noticed one man in an unclean cell in the fetal position. Chuck shared the gospel with the man, and told him to say aloud the name of Jesus daily. Upon his return visit, Chuck noticed the man’s cell was clean. When asked about the change, the man replied, “Jesus lives here now.”
Weekly Word Devotion
Religion April 22, 2019We celebrated EASTER SUNDAY, victory in Jesus over sin and death. In 2018 Jeremy Sutcliffe killed a rattlesnake in his backyard, cutting off its head. He got a plastic bag, and when he picked-up the head, the snake closed its fangs in his hand. A helicopter rushed him to a hospital where he received antivenom that saved his life. The ER doctor told Jeremy that decapitated snakes can bite for up to an hour. Jesus decapitated satan at Calvary, but the old serpent still strikes. In John 10:10 Jesus tells us that the thief comes to KILL. Stay clear of his deadly bite by staying in the Word.
Weekly Word Devotion
Religion April 8, 2019As a boy I wanted more freedom of choice. My mom would say, “You’re acting too big for your britches” meaning act your age. When we’re too big for our britches, the answer is not bigger britches, its fitting into the size we have. It takes time to grow up. The best growth comes from the Word of God. 2 Timothy 3:16, “All Scripture is inspired by God, and is profitable for teaching , for rebuking, for correcting, for training in righteousness.”
The Weekly Word Devotional
Religion October 10, 2018Stephen A. Brown, Marketplace Ministries, inc.
In 2005 my wife Mary Ann was diagnosed with cancer. I posted signs in our home that read: Too Blessed to be Stressed. Following surgery, she underwent months of radiation treatments. Today she is cancer free! We were shocked to learn that her surgeon lost her life to cancer. In the same way a surgeon removes cancer cells, Doctor Jesus, the Great Physician, performs spiritual surgery to remove a deadly disease, sin. Hebrews 9:6, He came to put away sin by the sacrifice of Himself.
Fatherhood
Religion October 24, 2017“Fatherhood”
One day while just talking to the Lord about the issues of life, I realized that I am an old man, and yet I am being fathered. We have a heavenly Father. I have someone who will hear all of my troubles, and understand all of my fears; someone who knows and cares about me and is willing to help me. What comfort! What a blessing! What a wonderful, awesome Father is our God! Father God has a kingdom. The Bible calls it the Kingdom of God. if you are in It, He will be a real Father to you.
If you believe in His precious son, the Lord Jesus, then you can walk right into the Father’s heart, and right into the Father’s kingdom where He can take care of you. Father God loves you. Ask, in the name of the Lord Jesus, and He will open the door of His heart for you.
1John 5:19 KJV “ And we know that we are of God, and the whole world lies in wickedness.” (Amplified Bible “
we know [positively] that we are of God, and the whole world [around us] is under the power of the evil one.” )
So the Devil has a kingdom also. Listen up now, if you are in his kingdom you are also being fathered by the devil and are being slowly lured into a deep, dark, burning hell. If you don’t know the Lord Jesus, you better start sleeping with one eye open.
Some years ago, after I was saved, I sought the Lord day and night without ceasing; for ten years. One day I got into my prayer closet and spent the day just crying out to God. That night when I put one foot in the shower, the Lord spoke to me in a very clear, loud, audible voice. He said to me, “THIS IS THE WILL OF GOD.” I don’t want you to hear what the Lord said to me because it will mean little or nothing to you, but I want you to hear what He is saying to you. I am speaking His words to you on His behalf. He told me His will. I have the word of God for you. This is a quote from the Spirit of God- “This is the will of God.” Then He just let me stand there, for what seemed like forever, with hot water splashing on my leg. I stood at attention. I was afraid to move even to adjust the water. Then He spoke these words to me, “Believe on Him whom he has sent.” I was a little taken back. I thought, I already believe. I wanted to hear Bob you’re doing good, or you’re my man or something. But over the years, I have learned that the kingdom of God is built on the words, the Body, and the precious blood of his Son, Christ Jesus. The Kingdom of God flows and operates through Him. Jesus was sent to bring us back to the Father and to set us apart by transforming and translating us into the Father’s Kingdom where he can provide and take care of us. Here is my confirmation.
John 6:38-39 Jesus said, “ For I came down from heaven, not to do mine own will, but the will of him that sent me.”
“And this is the Father’s will which hath sent me, that of all which he hath given me I should lose nothing but should raise it up again at the last day.” I am not talking here whether you can or cannot lose salvation, but about a wonderful heavenly Father who wants you, and who has given a charge to his wonderful Son, Christ Jesus to secure you and keep you until the day, He raises you up.
Matt.17:5 “This is my beloved Son in whom I a well pleased; hear ye Him.” If you listen to all the words of Jesus, He will be a security blanket unto you. He is the perfect will of the father for you. Jesus knowing he would be leaving the earth has sought the Father for our direction, comfort, and security forever.
John 14:16-17, Jesus said, ” I will pray the [Father], and He shall give you another Comforter that He may abide with you forever.” “Even the Spirit of truth whom the [world] cannot receive, because it seeth him not, neither knoweth him: but ye know him; for he dwelleth with you, and shall be in you.” While you are waiting for the return of Jesus for you, the Holy Spirit has you covered.
John14:26-27 ”But the Comforter which is the Holy Ghost, whom the [Father] will send in my name, He shall teach you all things, and bring all things to your remembrance, whatsoever I have said unto you.” “ Peace I leave with you ,My peace I give unto you, not as the [world] gives, give I unto you. Let not your heart be troubled, neither let it be afraid.” The Holy Spirit will remind you of the things Jesus has said and wants you to stand on to help carry you through.
John16:13 “Howbeit when He, the spirit of truth, comes He will guide you into all truth: for He shall not speak of Himself; but whatsoever He shall hear, that shall He speak: and He will show you things to come.” He will speak and will be the voice of Jesus to you. “Listen”
Our wonderful Father has our future mapped out forever. John14:1-3, this next event is only for kingdom people like you.
Jesus said” Let not your heart be troubled neither let it be afraid, you believe in God believe also in Me. In my Father’s house are many mansions: if it were not so, I would have told you. I go to prepare a place for you. And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again, and receive you unto myself; that where I am, there ye may be also.” You can’t even die!
John 11:26 Jesus said, “And whosoever liveth and believeth in Me shall never die. Believest thou this?” You, my friend, are of the God kind. You are sealed. You are zip locked in. When your body stops, you just step right out into the presence of the angels of the Lord, you never skip a beat. Spirit can’t die. I have been in the presence of one who passed over, and I heard them say, “they are here.” The angels carry you right into glory. Just remember, to believe on Him whom He has sent.”
Ezek 18:4” The soul that sins it shall die” The unrepentant sinner, without the Spirit of God, does not have this hope.
2Cor5:21, Paul said,” For he hath made him to be sin for us who knew no sin, that we might be made the righteousness of God in him.” Your father loves you, and you are made right, put right and kept right. You’re everything He ever wanted. Think about this; the thing purchased always has more value than the price paid in the eyes of the purchaser.
Rev 4:11{ KJV} “Thou art worthy, O Lord to receive glory and honor and power: for thou hast created all things, and for thy pleasure, they are and were created.”
You are the best that Father God could do. He created you for himself, for His pleasure, just like He wanted you! [so don,t mess it up] If He could have done better, He would have. Remember, you are of the God kind, you are like your Father.
The Great Victory
Religion June 22, 2018When Jesus was baptized by John the Baptist, the Spirit of God came upon Him, and all the Spirit and power of God in heaven and earth would soon be given to Him; that is as soon as He beats satan. “For what the law could not do,in that, it was weak through the flesh, God sending His own Son in the likeness of sinful flesh [like us] and for sin, [because of sin] condemned sin in the flesh,” (Rom8:3) Sin started in the flesh. It must be overcome by the flesh.” But when the fulness of the time came, God sent forth His Son, made of a woman, made under the law.” (Gal 4:4 )To know Jesus, as we should ,we must understand we were not made like Him, but He was made like us. When Jesus went into this battle, he was a man. Isaiah said,” For unto us a child is born, unto us, a son is given.” (Isaiah9:6) The child is Mary’s son. The son of man, every time you see the son of man, He is the man, Christ Jesus. The son given is the son of God from heaven.[perfect man ,perfect God] Jesus was led into the wilderness by the Holy Spirit to be tried and tested by the devil for forty days and nights. (Luke4:2) It was as though He was thrown in the ring with Satan and with the wild beasts! This is a very tense time. I believe this is the greatest battle in the history of the world. Jesus, the man in the flesh, against the devil for forty days and nights! Jesus is the first sinless man standing on the earth since the fall of Adam. He has the new sinless bloodline from the Father which Adam had in the beginning before sin. Jesus is the only man in the history of the world not fathered by the sinful bloodline. He has stood the test. Jesus never sinned. He has a perfect, sinless body, and perfect, sinless blood. He bypassed the sinful bloodline. The devil beat Adam in what seems to be just one try. Jesus is called the second Adam. We can read this story in Matthew chapter four in about five minutes, but let’s slow down and try to see it as the Lord Jesus lived it. Jesus is fasting forty days and nights while in the wilderness alone and with the wild beasts. The Word says afterward He was hungry. At His weakest point, the tempter tempted Him with bread. What I am trying to do here is show you the battle that Jesus went through for your soul. Our everlasting, eternal life is free for us, but it was by no means free to Jesus! It was fought for and won. What can we say but thank you, Father? Thank you, Jesus!
Father God is now starting over. It has been about 5,000 years since God had a man on the earth to confront the devil. Since the fall of Adam, until now, there has not been a man who was not of the sinful bloodline of Adam and sin can never take away sin.There has not been one recorded fight between the devil and man from Adam to Jesus. Job never entered the fight. Satan dealt with Job by permission from God. Job never put up a fight because he thought it was God dealing with him. Jesus came out of the wilderness after forty days of temptation by the devil. The devil promised Him the world, but Jesus rebuked him as a man with The Sword of the Spirit which is the written word of God. It is written in Matthew and Luke; when it was all over angels came and ministered to Him. Everything changed that day. God now has a champion, Jesus. Jesus said, “All power in heaven and earth has now been given unto me.” (Matt28:18) Jesus now has the keys to heaven and hell. All the Spirit and power of God upon the earth is now His. Satan has been judged and defeated.
What do you think your chances are of beating the devil if you fail to join yourself to the faithful, overcoming one, Christ the Lord Jesus? How tough it must be for the poor sinner out there being steamrolled by demons and blinded about it all. Get going, be a witness. Help somebody. Paul said, “The god of this world has blinded the minds of them which believe not, lest the light of the glorious gospel of Christ, who is the image of God, should shine unto them.” (2Cor 4:4) Help somebody get their eyes open.
( Jesus)” Who being the brightness of His glory, and the express image of His person, and upholding all things by the word of His power, when He had (by himself purged our sins) sat down on the right hand of the Majesty on high (Heb1:3) He has blottedout the handwriting of ordinances that was against us. (Col 2:14.) How about you? Are you blotted clean?
The wages of sin is death. (Rom6:23) “For he hath made Him to be sin for us, who knew no sin; [killed in our place] that we might be made the righteousness of God, in Him. (2Cor 5:21) Spiritual death is separation from God for all eternity.
Peter, speaking of Jesus said, “Who His own self bare our sins in His own body on the tree.” (1Pet2:24a )Try to remember; your sins should be history. Keep your eyes on the Master. Paul said, “Lest Satan should get an advantage on us, for we are not ignorant of his devices (2Cor2:11). If you leave a door open satan will stick his foot in it. Don’t forget to fight for your family and loved ones.
“For Christ also hath once suffered for sins,[yours and mine] the just for the unjust, that He might bring us to God, being put to death in the flesh,” ( Pet3:18)
“There is therefore now no condemnation to them which are in Christ Jesus, who walk not after the flesh [soul] but after the Spirit.”(Rom8:1)
Visit from the Lord about Sin
Religion May 23, 2018Revela
I want to share with you a visit I had with the Lord. The Lord talked to me about the great depth of sin. I want to make it clear this is a revelation from God and not from man. I also had an angel to visit me. I was taken to heaven and received more revelation of sin. I also had an open vision .I got a quick view of the last day on earth for the sinner. I may have seen some of your family or loved ones caught out in darkness. Unless they get right with the Lord before they leave this world or the last trumpet sounds; it will be too late.
I will be sharing all of this with you.
In my own home, I watched the one that the Apostle Paul calls “the god of this world, the ruler of the darkness of evil” take over a person from the First Baptist Church in Maryland and change their face, even the color of their eyes. Their language changed before my very eyes. The evil one spoke to me and said, “ I say, you just stand accused.” For sure, I met the accuser of the brethren spoken of in Rev.12:10 “for the accuser of the brethren is now cast down.” Satan picked up this kind of authority over mankind when Adam ate from the forbidden tree. I had two more personal visits from the evil one at that time, but I will only be sharing the first one with you in this message. If you know the Lord, you need to hear this. It will make you a better minister and or witness. I will be breaking this up into more than one teaching. I don’t want you to miss any of it since it has been given to me by the Lord for you.
One night while approaching the foot of my bed, the Lord spoke to me in an audible voice. It was very loud and very clear! In fact, it was so loud and clear that this thought actually crossed my mind,” I hope He doesn’t wake my wife.” I feared God, but I also feared her. However, He had put her into a deep sleep. I knew that she could not stand my telling her again I was hearing from God. She was already reporting me to the pastor. I was sure it was an audible voice, because of my fear of her waking up. I guess I feared her seeing me standing at the foot of the bed talking out loud to the Lord. You might be thinking, Bob, why would you be talking out loud to the Lord? Because that was the way God was talking to me. This was a two-way conversation with the Lord, and I answered Him just like I heard his voice.
The Lord asked me this question,” What killed Jesus”? I said He was crucified. The Lord said, “Yes, but what killed Him”? And I said He was hung on a cross and had nails driven thru His hands and feet. The Lord said,” Not a bone in His body was broken. That did not kill Him.” By this time, I was panic-stricken, and I realized that I was talking to the Almighty God and I didn’t have an answer. I had heard that the Jews killed Him, that the Romans killed Him and the pastor had recently preached a message that He died of a broken heart. So I said, “Lord He bled to death” And the Lord said, “He didn’t bleed to death when the spear was stuck in His side. Blood and water gushed out, so that didn’t kill Him”. I said, Lord, I don’t know.
The Lord then said to me ,“Sin.” Then He repeated the word again, and said, “Sin, Sin killed Jesus.”
I had little, to no understanding of what He was trying to teach me. I remember trying to sleep with these words running through my head all night long: sin killed Jesus, sin killed Jesus. All the next day, and for days I kept trying to understand it all. There was no need to talk with the pastor. By now, he was trying to get me to see a Christian COUNSELOR about my claiming to hear from God. He had been serving the Lord twenty years and had worked for Billy Graham. I had just gotten saved. By the same token, I also knew by now that of all the things that were important to God for me to know and understand, SIN WAS IT! And that sin killed Jesus.
My knowledge of the Lord at that time, well it was little to nothing somehow I just never got involved in church or religion in any way I remember my wife talking about God and about Jesus, and I said to her I know about God, but I don’t know anything about Jesus, and she set me down and explained Jesus to me. I was just starting to go to the First Baptist church. I had never been to church with my parents. We just didn’t go to church. My first time in church with them was when I was forty-one years old. It was at my oldest brother Bill’s funeral . I was a Christian then. In fact, I prayed the sinner’s prayer with my Dad and Mom before they left this world to make sure they were in.
By now I am seeking God day and night, and searching the scriptures continuously for answers as well as talking to anybody that knew the Lord, and that would listen to me. This question from the Lord would shape my life as well as my ministry forever. I notice everything I do in ministry revolves around sin. Why and how did sin kill Jesus? I have spent much time pondering The Lord’s visit with me that night.
When God breathed His breath, His spirit into Adam, he became a living soul [ or a soul that lives by God’s breath, God’s Spirit]
” And “so it is written, the first man Adam was made a living soul.” 1cor15:45. The Lord told Adam not to eat of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil for the day he ate he would surely die. Adam lived 930 years, but the Spirit of God that led Adam was now dead to Him Adam is now of the world. The wicked one would now have access to his life.” The living soul which is your mind, will, and emotions would no longer be spiritual, pure, and holy but would now have a death sentence. Adam sinned when he disobeyed God .“The soul that sins, it shall die.” Ezek18:4b. ” For the wages of sin is death.” Rom6:23 “He who knew no sin was made to be sin” 2cor5:21 [ He was made to be sin, so he could be killed to pay the wage that you owed. ”Yet it pleased the Lord to bruise Him; he hath put Him to grief.” Isaiah 53:10 [ Father God make the soul of His precious Son an offering for our sins ] Oh! how He suffered!