Devotional Thoughts

Ephesians 6:1-4     "Children, obey your parents in the Lord: for this is right.  (2)  Honour thy father and mother; (which is the first commandment with promise;)  (3)  That it may be well with thee, and thou mayest live long on the earth.  (4)  And, ye fathers, provoke not your children to wrath: but bring them up in the nurture and admonition of the Lord." I hear it often said that children do not come with an instruction manual. That is not true. We have the greatest instruction manual that is effective from birth to death and every day in between. God has not left out anything that is needed in order to live successful and productive lives. In today's verses, Paul quotes "the first commandment with promise" which says, "Honour thy father and mother." He is stating the fifth commandment which is the first commandment that has a promise attached to it. "Honour thy father and thy mother: that thy days may be long upon the land which the LOR...

Matthew 7:12-14     " Therefore all things whatsoever ye would that men should do to you, do ye even so to them: for this is the law and the prophets.  Enter ye in at the strait gate: for wide is the gate, and broad is the way, that leadeth to destruction, and many there be which go in thereat:  Because strait is the gate, and narrow is the way, which leadeth unto life, and few there be that find it."   We have heard it called “the golden rule.” Do unto others as you would have others do unto you. We need to consider this instruction from Jesus very carefully. It does not guarantee us that people are going to be good to us if we are good to them. This instruction was not given as a formula for reciprocation in life. The issue here is that we are to treat everyone like we want to be treated. This is a basic truth of discipleship. We are to do this every day regardless of how we are treated in return. This instruction was not a new thing; even the law and...

Ephesians 5:21-33     "Submitting yourselves one to another in the fear of God.  (22)  Wives, submit yourselves unto your own husbands, as unto the Lord.  (23)  For the husband is the head of the wife, even as Christ is the head of the church: and he is the saviour of the body.  (24)  Therefore as the church is subject unto Christ, so let the wives be to their own husbands in every thing.  (25)  Husbands, love your wives, even as Christ also loved the church, and gave himself for it;  (26)  That he might sanctify and cleanse it with the washing of water by the word,  (27)  That he might present it to himself a glorious church, not having spot, or wrinkle, or any such thing; but that it should be holy and without blemish.  (28)  So ought men to love their wives as their own bodies. He that loveth his wife loveth himself.  (29)  For no man ever yet hated his own flesh; but nourisheth and cherish...

Matthew 7:7-11     " Ask, and it shall be given you; seek, and ye shall find; knock, and it shall be opened unto you:  For every one that asketh receiveth; and he that seeketh findeth; and to him that knocketh it shall be opened.  Or what man is there of you, whom if his son ask bread, will he give him a stone?  Or if he ask a fish, will he give him a serpent?  If ye then, being evil, know how to give good gifts unto your children, how much more shall your Father which is in heaven give good things to them that ask him?"  These instructions are so simple that we may simply glance at the words and move on. Or we may think about things that we asked for and sought after that we never got. The source of the problem lies in verse eleven. Here, Jesus speaks of those He is addressing as being evil. Let us be reminded this morning of who this audience was (and is). Jesus was speaking to His disciples (Matthew 5:1). The word translated as “evil” carri...

Titus 3:1-8  (1) Remind them to be subject to rulers and authorities, to obey, to be ready for every good work, (2) to speak evil of no one, to be peaceable, gentle, showing all humility to all men. (3) For we ourselves were also once foolish, disobedient, deceived, serving various lusts and pleasures, living in malice and envy, hateful and hating one another. (4) But when the kindness and the love of God our Savior toward man appeared, (5) not by works of righteousness which we have done, but according to His mercy He saved us, through the washing of regeneration and renewing of the Holy Spirit, (6) whom He poured out on us abundantly through Jesus Christ our Savior, (7) that having been justified by His grace we should become heirs according to the hope of eternal life. (8) This is a faithful saying, and these things I want you to affirm constantly, that those who have believed in God should be careful to maintain good works. These things are good and profitable to men.  Tit...