Daily Devotional By Awftl

Wives and Mothers Need Respect and Support Today More Than Ever in These Days of Stress and Uncertainty MESSAGE SUMMARY: Wives and mothers need respect and support today more than ever in these days of stress and uncertainty, derivative of Covid-19 and cultural dissonance along with inconsistences in our social, educational, health, work, and our faith-based support systems. We are told, in the Wisdom of Proverbs 31:10-12, that: “An excellent wife who can find? She is far more precious than jewels. The heart of her husband trusts in her, and he will have no lack of gain. She does him good, and not harm, all the days of her life.". Paul says, in 2 Thessalonians 2:16-17, that: “Now may our Lord Jesus Christ himself, and God our Father, who loved us and gave us eternal comfort and good hope through grace, comfort your hearts and establish them in every good work and word.". After all, God ordained this special relationship for wives, husbands, and mothers as confirmed by Jesus in Matthew 19:5b: “Therefore a man

Through the Holy Spirit and a Personal Relationship with God, Jesus Followers Hear God’s Calls and Can Respond - “Here am I, Send Me” MESSAGE SUMMARY: Do you, like many Christians, see little, spiritually, going on in your life? As a Jesus Follower, God calls you just as He called the Prophet Isaiah in Isaiah 6:8: “And I heard the voice of the Lord saying, ‘Whom shall I send, and who will go for us?’ Then I said, ‘Here am I! Send me.’”. Therefore, as a Jesus Follower, you should be asking the question: “Am I ready for something spiritual to happen in my life; am I dressed and ready for His service?”. Are you ready to say: “Lord, here am I; send me.”? The call of the Holy Spirit to you may be diverse like: a) becoming a missionary in a third world country; b) being a Christian business leader; or c) taking a stand for Jesus that is not politically correct. Can you be as ready as Isaiah when he said to God’s call, in Isaiah 6:8: “Lord, here am I; send me.”? Are listening for God’s calls, and are ready to be sen

As a Jesus Follower” and in this “time of your life”, Have You Asked God to Walk with You? God Says, “I Am with You Always” MESSAGE SUMMARY: With your personal relationship with God, He is with you as you walk through all the times {“Seasons”} of your life, as Jesus tells us in Matthew 28:20b: “. . .I am with you always, to the end of the age.”. In Ecclesiastes 3:1-8, God tells us about all the times of our lives: “For everything there is a season, and a time for every matter under heaven: a time to be born, and a time to die; a time to plant, and a time to pluck up what is planted; a time to kill, and a time to heal; a time to break down, and a time to build up; a time to weep, and a time to laugh; a time to mourn, and a time to dance; a time to cast away stones, and a time to gather stones together; a time to embrace, and a time to refrain from embracing; a time to seek, and a time to lose; a time to keep, and a time to cast away; a time to tear, and a time to sew; a time to keep silence, and a time to spea

God Does Not Care About Your Money; If Your Heart Is Pure and in the Right Place, Your Money Is in the Right Place MESSAGE SUMMARY: Sadly, too many of our hearts are filled with greed and envy; therefore, often, our treasure has become our “god”. God could care less about your money. God is concerned about your heart. To this end, God is concerned about the purity of your heart along with the placement of {His} your “treasure” in the right places. As Jesus tells you in Matthew 6:19-21: "Do not lay up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust destroy and where thieves break in and steal but lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust destroys and where thieves do not break in and steal. For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.". We gain further insight on the relative value of our Eternal Life vs. our earthly wealth in 1 Timothy 6:17-19: “As for the rich in this present age, charge them not to be haughty, nor to set their hopes on the uncertainty of ric

Jesus Followers “Know God”, which Is “Eternal Life”, Because they Have a Personal Relationship with God MESSAGE SUMMARY: Your personal relationship with God, and knowing Him in your life, renders everything else in your life insignificant.  Knowing God and having that personal relationship with Him, through your prayer life, is summarized in John 17:3: “And this is eternal life, that they know you the only true God, and Jesus Christ whom you have sent.". Jesus’ interchange with the Apostle Peter, in Matthew 16:13-18, exemplifies the importance of God’s gift to you of your access to Him on a personal one-on-one basis: “he {Jesus}asked his disciples, ‘Who do people say that the Son of Man is?’ And they said, ‘Some say John the Baptist, others say Elijah, and others Jeremiah or one of the prophets.’ He said to them, ‘But who do you say that I am?’ Simon Peter replied, ‘You are the Christ, the Son of the living God.’ And Jesus answered him, ‘Blessed are you, Simon Bar-Jonah! For flesh and blood has not revealed t

Many “Christians” Are Unwilling to Come to the God in Penitence to Repent; They Do Not Have the “fire of God” or the Holy Spirit’s Engagement MESSAGE SUMMARY: We must maintain constant repentance with the Lord. Every relationship in our life is a day-by-day journey; therefore, our relationship with the Lord is, also, a continuous journey. In 2 Corinthians 7:10, Paul succinctly describes the difference between “grief” and “sorrow” for our sinful actions and true repentance: “For godly grief produces a repentance that leads to salvation without regret, whereas worldly grief produces death.". God can show us those things, in our lives, that He wants us to do or not do. Some of us have the “pilot light lit” because we have asked Jesus to bring the Holy Spirit into our lives; however, the “furnace isn’t engaged”. The “fire of God” is not in our lives because we are not willing to come to the Lord in penitence and to repent.   TODAY’S PRAYER: Lord, I come this day inviting you to cut those deeply entrenched chains

Jesus Followers Should Fear, Respect, and Praise God’s Power, Sovereignty, and Holiness; but in Life’s Trials They Should “fear not for I {Jesus} am with you always” MESSAGE SUMMARY: You should fear, respect, and praise God’s power, Sovereignty, and Holiness; but, as a Jesus Follower, you should “fear not” in life’s trials and tribulations or at your time of judgment. As David’s praise tells us in Psalms 103:13: “As a father has compassion on his children, so the Lord has compassion on those who fear Him.”. David models again and again, in Psalms, how we should praise God. For example, in Psalms 146, David says: "Put not your trust in Princes; Praise the Lord! Praise the Lord, Oh my soul!". When we are wondering how to praise the Lord, we can read one of David’s Psalms to God like David’s praises to the Lord in Psalms 112:1-2: “Blessed is the man who fears the LORD, who greatly delights in his commandments! His offspring will be mighty in the land; the generation of the upright will be blessed.". Also, we lea

To Become a Follower of Jesus, You Must Have Faith; and Your Faith Comes From YOU Hearing God’s Word MESSAGE SUMMARY:  Others to whom you minister, such as your children and friends, can her about the Lord and the Gospel from you – for the first time or in reinforcement; but they must hear for themselves and believe for themselves to be saved. Many of us first believed because of what our parents taught us; but then we heard for ourselves, and we believed. You cannot live on another’s faith in Jesus. We must hear the Gospel for ourselves and come to the Lord in our own faith. As Paul tells us in Romans 10:16-17: “But they have not all obeyed the gospel. For Isaiah says, ‘Lord, who has believed what he has heard from us?’. So faith comes from hearing, and hearing through the word of Christ." You will stand before the Lord alone in judgment – you will speak for yourself with only Jesus to speak for you. Share God’s good news with your family and friends so that they can hear and believe for themselves.   TODAY’

Jesus Followers Need to Acknowledge the Sufficiency of Jesus, Through Praise, Irrespective of Our Trials and Problems MESSAGE SUMMARY: Some of us and some of our acquaintances have gone through horrendous circumstances. Therefore, we ask, given these circumstances, how can we rejoice in the Lord? Paul tells us, in 2 Corinthians 12:10, that Jesus Followers need to acknowledge the sufficiency of Jesus, through praise and thanksgiving, irrespective of our trials and problems: “For the sake of Christ, then, I am content with weaknesses, insults, hardships, persecutions, and calamities. For when I am weak, then I am strong.". To fulfill God’s exhortation “to rejoice always”, you can rejoice “always” if you keep your eyes on Jesus. David tells us, in Psalm 30:4, to: “Sing praises to the LORD, O you his saints, and give thanks to his holy name. For his anger is but for a moment, and his favor is for a lifetime. Weeping may tarry for the night, but joy comes with the morning.”. Paul instructs us for continuous thanks

How You Respond to Jesus, In Your Earthly Life, Will Determine How You Are Judged By Jesus MESSAGE SUMMARY: Jesus claimed to be the unique, divine Son of God; therefore, Jesus is on an equal footing with God. Jesus said that He would one day judge the world. How you respond to Jesus, in your life, will determine how you are judged. The Apostle John summarizes, in John 20:27-29, the interchange between Jesus and the Apostle Thomas when Thomas realizes who Jesus, the man that he had been following for years, is: “Then he said to Thomas, ’Put your finger here, and see my hands; and put out your hand, and place it in my side. Do not disbelieve, but believe’ Thomas answered him, ‘My Lord and my God!’ Jesus said to him, ‘Have you believed because you have seen me? Blessed are those who have not seen and yet have believed.’”. You, as follower of Jesus, have not seen Jesus or His wounds. Therefore, do you believe through your faith; and are you able, by your faith, to say: “My Lord and my God!”? If not, why not?   TO

Jesus Tells Us that “Eternal Life” Begins Immediately Upon Receipt of the Holy Spirit, Even Before Your “Physical Death” MESSAGE SUMMARY:  Jesus has promised “that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have eternal life.” (John 3:16b). In John 5:24, Jesus tells you that when you receive the Spirit during your earthly life, your eternal life has begun in your earthly life even before your physical death: “Truly, truly, I say to you, whoever hears my word and believes him who sent me has eternal life. He does not come into judgment, but has passed from death to life.”. Also, in John 6:40, Jesus promises: “this is the will of my Father, that everyone who looks on the Son and believes in him should have eternal life, and I will raise him up on the last day.”. What is eternal life? In John 17:2b-3, Jesus defines eternal life: “since you have given him authority over all flesh, to give eternal life to all whom you have given him. And this is eternal life, that they know you the only true God, and Jesus Chri

No Matter How Deep Your Hole, that You have Dug for Yourself, You Can Call on God the Creator of the Universe for Help MESSAGE SUMMARY: Prayer is your conduit for communion with God. Through prayer, you are in God’s Presence; and you can invite His help in your life’s situations. The best way to learn how to have this communion with God is to just do it and use your normal conversational words; however, the words of Scripture are powerful and work strongly. Just pray with your heart in conversation with God. Jonah, in Jonah 2:1-2, models for us that no matter how deep our situational hole, which we have dug for ourselves, we can call on God the Creator of the Universe for help: “Then Jonah prayed to the LORD his God from the belly of the fish, saying, ‘I called out to the LORD, out of my distress, and he answered me; out of the belly of Sheol I cried, and you heard my voice.’".   TODAY’S PRAYER: Lord, I now take a deep breath and stop. So often I miss your hand and gifts in my life because I am preoccupied an

Are You a Part of What God Is Doing in Our Country Today? Do You Seek God’s Presence in Your Life? MESSAGE SUMMARY: Can you tell what God is up to in the World, in our time, in our church, and in America? Are you a part of what God is doing in the world today, or are you just reacting to what God is doing, thereby, creating conflict and division? Psalms 105 reminds you of God’s power in the world if you do seek His presence in your life: “Seek the Lord and his strength; seek his presence continually! Remember the wondrous works that he has done, his miracles, and the judgments he uttered.". On the other hand, Paul, in 1 Thessalonians 1:9, warns you of the implications for not including the presence of Jesus in your worldly considerations: “They will suffer the punishment of eternal destruction, away from the presence of the Lord and from the glory of his might.”. While the Lord is leading, and directing, it seems that we are wrapped up in our agenda and our way of doing things; therefore, we miss God’s presen

At Jesus’ Crucifixion and Death, the “Temple Veil” Was Torn; After Jesus Easter Resurrection, You Now Pray Directly with God MESSAGE SUMMARY:  Think about the magnitude of your direct and personal access to God that your prayers give you, through Jesus, if you will only pray. Before Jesus, ordinary people did not have direct access to God, through the Throne Room of God, with a direct personal relationship with God. In Old Testament times, people would come to the priests; and the priest would offer up a sacrifice on behalf of the people. The priests, and not the people, were communing directly with God. On Good Friday and at Jesus death on the cross, the “Temple Veil” was torn from top to bottom (i.e. “Temple Vail” was a large, very thick, and very heavy barrier that divided that portion of the Temple accessible by those wishing to sacrifice for prayer and the “Holy of Holies” where the only the High Priest could meet with God and pray on behalf of the people of God.). At Jesus Resurrection, no longer was an

Do You Believe that “He {God} gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life”? MESSAGE SUMMARY:  You have got to believe; but until you get your thinking right, your life will not change – you have got to believe! It is hard for some people, today, to believe in the miraculous birth of Jesus celebrated on Christmas day. Ok, just start where you are in what you believe. Can you believe that you are a sinner? Can you believe that you are not perfect? Can you believe that you have violated God’s laws? Despite this life background, can you believe that God loves you just as you now are? Can you believe that God sent His Only Son, Jesus, to save all that believe in Him so that you would not perish but have eternal life? Maybe this is where you start in believing in the miraculous birth of Jesus; you need to start where you are. Jesus’ life was defined by His death on the cross and by His resurrection, thereby, living up to the translation of His name, Jesus – “Salvation”. T

Not Righteous Professing Christians Are "Whitewashed Tombstones" - Pretty on the Outside but Dead on the Inside MESSAGE SUMMARY: A righteousness, that comes from your being in communion with the Holy Spirit, is not like a professing Christian who is really just a "whitewashed tombstone" -- pretty on the outside but dead on the inside. Rather, followers of Jesus are called to live righteous lives, as we are instructed by the Psalmist in Psalms 37:39: “The salvation of the righteous is from the LORD; he is their stronghold in the time of trouble.". Also, Paul tells us in Romans 1:17: “For in it the righteousness of God is revealed from faith for faith, as it is written, ‘The righteous shall live by faith.’”. In Acts 1:8, Jesus tells us, as His followers, that: “But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you, and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the end of the earth.". In Matthew 5, Jesus tells us, as His followers, that we are different and blessed; a

God Is Your Heavenly Father; and You Can Speak to Him, in Prayer, as if He Were Your Earthly Father MESSAGE SUMMARY: God is your Heavenly Father and the Creator of the Universe; however, you can talk to Him as your father, and remember that He loves you. Imagine climbing up into His lap and imagine Him wrapping His arms around you – He is God your loving father. As God tells you in 2 Samuel 7:14-15: “I will be to him a father, and he shall be to me a son. When he commits iniquity, I will discipline him with the rod of men, with the stripes of the sons of men, but my steadfast love will not depart from him, as I took it from Saul, whom I put away from before you.". You need to start talking to God as the best dad there could ever be. Talk to Him about your life; your concerns; and your needs. You need to ask God for His counsel, and you need to ask Him questions regarding His will for your life.   TODAY’S PRAYER: Lord, you know how difficult it is for me to be in silence before you. At times it feels almost im

The Messenger of the {New} Covenant {Jesus} Is Coming – Is He Coming to Purify You or to Judge You? MESSAGE SUMMARY: The people, in God’s Judgment articulated in Malachi 3:5, are the people of God. These people are not the unbelievers; these are the people that say they are following God. Malachi 3:5, articulates those transgressions, including the absence of a “fear of the lord”, in which God: “will draw near to you for judgment. I will be a swift witness against the sorcerers, against the adulterers, against those who swear falsely, against those who oppress the hired worker in his wages, the widow and the fatherless, against those who thrust aside the sojourner, and do not fear me, says the LORD of hosts.” To this end, Paul reminds us again in Romans 2:4-5 of a pathway to or away from God’s Judgment: “Or do you presume on the riches of his kindness and forbearance and patience, not knowing that God’s kindness is meant to lead you to repentance? But because of your hard and impenitent heart you are storing

No Matter How Deep Your Hole, that You have Dug for Yourself, You Can Call on God the Creator of the Universe for Help MESSAGE SUMMARY: Prayer is your conduit for communion with God. Through prayer, you are in God’s Presence; and you can invite His help in your life’s situations. The best way to learn how to have this communion with God is to just do it and use your normal conversational words; however, the words of Scripture are powerful and work strongly. Just pray with your heart in conversation with God. Jonah, in Jonah 2:1-2, models for us that no matter how deep our situational hole, which we have dug for ourselves, we can call on God the Creator of the Universe for help: “Then Jonah prayed to the LORD his God from the belly of the fish, saying, ‘I called out to the LORD, out of my distress, and he answered me; out of the belly of Sheol I cried, and you heard my voice.’".   TODAY’S PRAYER: Lord, I now take a deep breath and stop. So often I miss your hand and gifts in my life because I am preoccupied an

Are You a Part of What God Is Doing in Our Country Today? Do You Seek God’s Presence in Your Life? MESSAGE SUMMARY: Can you tell what God is up to in the World, in our time, in our church, and in America? Are you a part of what God is doing in the world today, or are you just reacting to what God is doing, thereby, creating conflict and division? Psalms 105 reminds you of God’s power in the world if you do seek His presence in your life: “Seek the Lord and his strength; seek his presence continually! Remember the wondrous works that he has done, his miracles, and the judgments he uttered.". On the other hand, Paul, in 1 Thessalonians 1:9, warns you of the implications for not including the presence of Jesus in your worldly considerations: “They will suffer the punishment of eternal destruction, away from the presence of the Lord and from the glory of his might.”. While the Lord is leading, and directing, it seems that we are wrapped up in our agenda and our way of doing things; therefore, we miss God’s presen