Devotional Thoughts

Ephesians 1:3-7    "Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who hath blessed us with all spiritual blessings in heavenly places in Christ:  (4)  According as he hath chosen us in him before the foundation of the world, that we should be holy and without blame before him in love:  (5)  Having predestinated us unto the adoption of children by Jesus Christ to himself, according to the good pleasure of his will,  (6)  To the praise of the glory of his grace, wherein he hath made us accepted in the beloved.  (7)  In whom we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of sins, according to the riches of his grace;" I pray that as we look at these verses, we can find the peace and assurance that the Apostle Paul felt as he wrote these words. My thoughts concerning them will be brief, but I pray it will take each of us into a deeper appreciation of the work of our precious Lord in redeeming us "through His blood." Paul lis...

Matthew 3:5-9    "Then went out to him Jerusalem, and all Judaea, and all the region round about Jordan,  And were baptized of him in Jordan, confessing their sins.  But when he saw many of the Pharisees and Sadducees come to his baptism, he said unto them, O generation of vipers, who hath warned you to flee from the wrath to come?  Bring forth therefore fruits meet for repentance:  And think not to say within yourselves, We have Abraham to our father: for I say unto you, that God is able of these stones to raise up children unto Abraham."   John the Baptist was described in previous verses as the “voice of one crying in the wilderness.” John did not go into any area begging people to be baptized. He stood where God sent him and preached the truth of the coming kingdom of heaven. This message drew men and women to come seeking baptism. As far as scripture tells us, the act of baptism had not been done before John came. John was of the lineage of th...

Ephesians 1:3    "Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who hath blessed us with all spiritual blessings in heavenly places in Christ:" Yesterday, we spoke of the blessedness of God. Isn't it wonderful to think upon the greatness and goodness of our Lord. The child's blessing before a meal states it simply, "God is great. God is good." And then to know that out of that greatness and goodness, "Jesus loves me." My heart begins to fill with great joy and gladness when I think of the God of all creation even thinking about me and then knowing that He bestowed His love upon me. Out of His great love and mercy, He has blessed us (He has blessed me) with all spiritual blessings in heavenly places in Christ." Think about that - "All spiritual blessings." The basis for those blessings are listed in the verses that follow and, the Lord willing, we will look a little more closely at them. But for now, I have one thought that ...

Matthew 3:1-4    "In those days came John the Baptist, preaching in the wilderness of Judaea,  And saying, Repent ye: for the kingdom of heaven is at hand.  For this is he that was spoken of by the prophet Esaias, saying, The voice of one crying in the wilderness, Prepare ye the way of the Lord, make his paths straight.  And the same John had his raiment of camel's hair, and a leathern girdle about his loins; and his meat was locusts and wild honey."  The Greek word translated here as “came,” carried the idea “to have arrived (See Strong’s).” Webster’s 1828 Dictionary in part describes the word “arrived” to mean “to gain or compass by effort, practice, study, enquiry, reasoning or experiment.” My point is simply this: John the Baptist did not “just happen” to show up in the wilderness of Judaea when he did. God’s purpose was being fulfilled in John’s coming. Isaiah (who was called in the Greek, Esaias) prophesied of the coming of John the Baptist (Isaia...

Comfort Food, you have heard that phrase before. It is a phrase you may intuitively know what it is, but it is one that may be difficult to give a good definition. I came across this definition I thought was rather good. It is, “food associated with emotional comfort, familiarity, and a sense of well-being, often connected to home, family, or positive memories.  That is a good understanding of what “comfort food” is, don’t you agree? Well from a spiritual perspective, would not it be appropriate to think of this much beloved Psalm as the believer’s “comfort food” for their souls. For it has fed the souls of countless numbers of God’s people through the ages. It is connected to the Christians true home, his true family, and the positive memories of it continue to be a source of encouragement. This is especially so for those who have gone through the hardest and darkest of times. One of the hardest and darkest of times is the death of a loved one. Psalm 23 has been the most popular p...