For who is greater, he who sits at the table, or he who serves? Is it not he who sits at the table? Yet I am among you as the One who serves. Luke 22:27 REFERENCE Luke 22:24-27 Have you ever been to a posh restaurant and the waiter comes and says, “I am Julius; I’m at your service?” What he is saying in essence is, “I am here to wait on you; to make your stay enjoyable. Anything you need, let me know, I will SERVE you.” SERVICE is simply the action of helping or doing work for someone;...
I went by the field of the lazy man, and by the vineyard of the man devoid of understanding; and there it was, all overgrown with thorns; its surface was covered with nettles; its stone wall was broken down. Proverbs 24:30-31 REFERENCE Proverbs 24:30-34 In yesterday’s devotional guide, we established the thought that you can’t leave your life to chance by inactively participating in it; that you must be intentional or deliberate in the things you do, in order to get desired outcomes. A good, meaningful, purposeful, spiritual life, marriage, ministry, business or income, is a product of intentionality. It...
I went by the field of the lazy man, and by the vineyard of the man devoid of understanding; and there it was, all overgrown with thorns; its surface was covered with nettles; its stone wall was broken down. Proverbs 24:30-31 REFERENCE Proverbs 24:30-34 Often, we unconsciously slide into the mode of, “What will be, will be.” God will do what He would do in my life.” We surrender to life and expect things to just sort themselves out; we resign ourselves to events around us and expect a miracle of perfection. Not always so! The bible, 31 times, describes...
As one piece of iron sharpens another, so friends keep each other sharp. Proverbs 27:17 (ERV) REFERENCE Proverbs 27:17 (ERV) The Christian lifestyle is not one that is lived in isolation; we all need the company of other people to thrive and grow in a healthy and balanced way. God made us to be relational beings not ‘lone-rangers’. Besides, we can’t keep ourselves away from people and expect to have an impact on them. Friendship is a relationship between two or more people, marked by mutual assistance, approval and support. It is the cement that holds every relationship together. True...
Therefore, we must give the more earnest heed to the things we have heard, lest we drift away. Hebrews 2:1 REFERENCE Hebrews 2:1-4 To “…give earnest heed to the things we have heard,” is potent with instructions for us, because of the danger of ignoring the Word of God – ‘drifting away.’ The bible is not just the words of angels or eloquent prophets and preachers; No! Holy men wrote as they were inspired by the Holy Spirit (2 Peter 1:20-21). The Word of God was revealed at creation’s beginning; for all things finds its existence by/through it. The Word then became...
The centurion answered and said, “Lord, I am not worthy that You should come under my roof. But only speak a word, and my servant will be healed. For I also am a man under authority, having soldiers under me. And I say to this one, ‘Go,’ and he goes; and to another, ‘Come,’ and he comes; and to my servant, ‘Do this,’ and he does it.” Matthew 8:8-9 REFERENCE Matthew 8:5-13 Romans 8:17 reveals that as a believer, you are a son of God and an heir of God through Christ; and as a son, authority has been conferred on...
The place was called the Valley of Eshcol, because of the cluster which the men of Israel cut down there. And they returned from spying out the land after forty days. Numbers 13:24-25 REFERENCE Numbers 13:1-3, & 21-30 “How tall does a sycamore tree grow? If you cut it down, you will never know.” This line is from the song: The Colors of the Wind, in the popular children’s cartoon, ‘Pocahontas.’ It gives a clear picture of today’s study. If you give up or quit without getting to where God is taking you, you will miss the opportunity to see...
But if we hope for what we do not see, we eagerly wait for it with perseverance. Romans 8:25 REFERENCE Romans 8:22-25 Hope is essential to man’s existence. When a man loses hope, he loses his reason for living and his passion for life; he becomes like a bird with broken wings that cannot fly. In today’s reference, Paul speaks of an expectation in the hearts of believers…a longing for something more. He speaks of a burning hope in our hearts; hope for a hereafter, for heaven. He says what keeps that hope alive in us is the Holy Spirit...
For we do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this age, against spiritual hosts of wickedness in the heavenly places. Ephesians 6:12 REFERENCE Ephesians 6:10-13 To survive in this earth realm like we saw earlier in this series, you must learn to be a fighter and not a quitter. You must learn to dig your heels in the ground and defend your territory because life will always throw battles at you. You represent a sum total of all the battles you have fought in life. There are battle...
So the Philistines were afraid, for they said, “God has come into the camp!” And they said, “Woe to us! For such a thing has never happened before. Woe to us! Who will deliver us from the hand of these mighty gods? These are the gods who struck the Egyptians with all the plagues in the wilderness. I Samuel 4:7-8 REFERENCE I Samuel 4:2-11 In wrestling, before a champion wrestler enters the ring, the commentator reels out all his titles and accolades. This does something to him; it gives him a sense of identity as a champion and makes him...