Devotional Thoughts

Revelation 19:5-6      "And a voice came out of the throne, saying, Praise our God, all ye his servants, and ye that fear him, both small and great.  (6)  And I heard as it were the voice of a great multitude, and as the voice of many waters, and as the voice of mighty thunderings, saying, Alleluia: for the Lord God omnipotent reigneth." I know I am running the danger of people looking at the text verse and begin to just skim over it. But I am trusting God to impress upon each mind the utmost importance of taking into our hearts and minds the absolute fact that our God, indeed, has ALL power both in heaven and in earth. I'm trying to break it down into pieces that allow us to think upon the many facets of life in which God is an active participant with us. He doesn't just sit up there twiddling His thumbs while waiting for us to call for His help. He is very active every day that we live, from the time we wake up until the time we go to sleep. And then He is act...

Colossians 3:15-17     “And let the peace of God rule in your hearts, to the which also ye are called in one body; and be ye thankful. Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly in all wisdom; teaching and admonishing one another in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing with grace in your hearts to the Lord. And whatsoever ye do in word or deed,   do   all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God and the Father by him.” The word “let” can be an injunction not to hinder, a command to be obeyed, or an entreaty expressing desire. While an argument could be made for any of these positions, I believe (based on the tone of this letter) that Paul is expressing his desire for the saints at Colosse. As they were obviously under some duress (Col 2:16-23), Paul was concerned that their attention might be taken away from what was really important. We find ourselves in many stressful situations today. We are bombarded with news of hatred, of poli...

Revelation 19:6      "And I heard as it were the voice of a great multitude, and as the voice of many waters, and as the voice of mighty thunderings, saying, Alleluia: for the Lord God omnipotent reigneth." I receive more and more consolation in my heart and mind each time I read this verse. I pray we never think it to be just mere words that were given to fill space. True peace and comfort comes from the reality that "... the Lord God omnipotent reigneth." ALLELUIA !  "Praise our God, all ye his servants, and ye that fear him, both small and great." (Revelation 19:5)  The Prophet Amos was moved to write, "Woe to them that are at ease in Zion..." (Amos 6:1) If the words of Revelation 19:6 are not true, then you and I have absolutely no hope whatsoever. If God does not have all power, then He has no power. If God does not have all wisdom, then He has no wisdom. If God is not everywhere at all times, then He is no where at any time. If Revelation 1...

Colossians 3:12-14     “Put on therefore, as the elect of God, holy and beloved, bowels of mercies, kindness, humbleness of mind, meekness, longsuffering; Forbearing one another, and forgiving one another, if any man have a quarrel against any: even as Christ forgave you, so also   do   ye. And above all these things   put on   charity, which is the bond of perfectness.” The word “therefore” in verse twelve calls our attention back to a previous statement. Just prior to these verses, Paul has told us that we have put on the new man and now live in the image of our Creator (see verse 10). Because we are not clothed with the new man, there are other aspects of our “attire” that we need to consider. There is a glorious reason for these things that we are to “put on.” Strong’s defines the phrase “put on” as “in the sense of sinking into a garment); to invest with clothing (literally or figuratively): – array, clothe (with), endue, have (put) on.”...

Revelation 19:6      "And I heard as it were the voice of a great multitude, and as the voice of many waters, and as the voice of mighty thunderings, saying, Alleluia: for the Lord God omnipotent reigneth." "The Lord God omnipotent reigneth."  This part of the sentence stands on its own merit.  Even if the great multitude did not praise Him, "the Lord God omnipotent reigneth." If the many waters did not praise Him, "the Lord God omnipotent reigneth." If the mighty thunderings did not roll across the sky, "the Lord God omnipotent reigneth." If I did not praise Him, the rocks would cry out because "the Lord God omnipotent reigneth." He reigns and He rules this great universe and all that is in it.  Satan had to ask permission before he could go against Job. There is nothing outside the realm of God's authority. "Praise our God, all ye his servants, and ye that fear him, both small and great." (Revelation 19:5) ...

Colossians 3:8-11     “But now ye also put off all these; anger, wrath, malice, blasphemy, filthy communication out of your mouth. Lie not one to another, seeing that ye have put off the old man with his deeds; And have put on the new   man,   which is renewed in knowledge after the image of him that created him: Where there is neither Greek nor Jew, circumcision nor uncircumcision, Barbarian, Scythian, bond   nor   free: but Christ   is   all, and in all.” In verse five, Paul has given us an inventory of our earthly members (“…fornication, uncleanness, inordinate affection, evil concupiscence, and covetousness, which is idolatry…”). He has counseled us that we should mortify (subdue) these things. Christ is our life (Col 3:4), and these things have no place. However, since we appear with Him in glory, there is a greater depth to our self-denial. In addition to those things in verse five, Paul advises us to lay aside other worl...

John 18:4-6      "Jesus therefore, knowing all things that should come upon him, went forth, and said unto them, Whom seek ye?  (5)  They answered him, Jesus of Nazareth. Jesus saith unto them, I am he. And Judas also, which betrayed him, stood with them.  (6)  As soon then as he had said unto them, I am he, they went backward, and fell to the ground." John tells us Judas "... received a band of men and officers from the chief priests and Pharisees..." Some say these were Roman soldiers. Others say they were temple guards along with the chief priests and Pharisees.  It is estimated they were anywhere between 200-600 in number. Why would they send so many to retrieve one man?  This passage tells us what took place when Judas came with the band of soldiers to take Jesus. Jesus asked them, "Whom seek ye?"  "As soon then as he had said unto them, I am he, they went backward, and fell to the ground." This has always amazed me. "They drew back...

Colossians 3:4-7     “When Christ,   who is   our life, shall appear, then shall ye also appear with him in glory. Mortify therefore your members which are upon the earth; fornication, uncleanness, inordinate affection, evil concupiscence, and covetousness, which is idolatry: For which things’ sake the wrath of God cometh on the children of disobedience: In the which ye also walked some time, when ye lived in them.” Since we are now raised with Christ (Col 3:1), He is our life. He is the source of our ability and desire. We are motivated by His love, grace, and truth. Any effort we make to continue to live our old life is met with dissatisfaction and sorrow. The word rendered “when” in verse three has two basic thoughts behind it according to Strong’s. One is that of uncertainty and the other is that of cause. Since the language here does not allow for uncertainty (“When Christ… shall  appear), then we must consider this in the view of being ...

Colossians 3:1-3     “If ye then be risen with Christ, seek those things which are above, where Christ sitteth on the right hand of God. Set your affection on things above, not on things on the earth. For ye are dead, and your life is hid with Christ in God.” In the previous chapter, Paul talks about being dead with Christ and some of the things that means to us. Now he begins to look at what it means to be raised with Christ. These two topics are mutually  inclusive . If we are raised with Christ, then we must first have died with Him. If we died with Him, then we are most certainly raised with Him. Notice that Paul is speaking of something that has already occurred. Even though we have not yet died corporeally and been buried in a cemetery (or at sea, or cremated, etc.), we are nonetheless both dead with Christ and raised with Christ. The evidence of this is found in what we desire (seek) and where we look for it. If we are raised with Christ, we seek tho...

Revelation 19:5-6      "And a voice came out of the throne, saying, Praise our God, all ye his servants, and ye that fear him, both small and great.  (6)  And I heard as it were the voice of a great multitude, and as the voice of many waters, and as the voice of mighty thunderings, saying, Alleluia: for the Lord God omnipotent reigneth." Sometimes, we look at a particular book of the Bible and expect it to tell us something about the future. Or, we look at a book of the Bible and expect it to tell us something about history. Both of these things are good, but there is a danger of looking ahead or looking back and, in the process, we forget about the present. I am convinced that every word of the Bible pertains to me and my life TODAY.  I am to learn from the past and have hope for the future, but in the process I am to spend time today seeking my purpose and following God's plan for my life. There is a condition that I am to meet no matter the circumstance ...

Revelation 19:6    "And I heard as it were the voice of a great multitude, and as the voice of many waters, and as the voice of mighty thunderings, saying, Alleluia: for the Lord God omnipotent reigneth." Genesis 1:1-3     "In the beginning God created the heaven and the earth.  (2)  And the earth was without form, and void; and darkness was upon the face of the deep. And the Spirit of God moved upon the face of the waters.  (3)  And God said, Let there be light: and there was light." Recently, we were reminded of God's sovereignty in creation. Before there was nothing, God is. When there was nothing, God is. Before there was a universe, God is. Before there was manifested light, God is. The point I'm trying to make is that before me, God is. Without me, God is. Without God, I am nothing. God is my all and in all. I take very literally the words of Jesus when He said, "Without me, ye can do NOTHING." (John 15:5) Without God, the earth was w...

Colossians 2:20-23     “Wherefore if ye be dead with Christ from the rudiments of the world, why, as though living in the world, are ye subject to ordinances,  (Touch not; taste not; handle not; Which all are to perish with the using;) after the commandments and doctrines of men? Which things have indeed a shew of wisdom in will worship, and humility, and neglecting of the body; not in any honour to the satisfying of the flesh.” Paul’s basic question here is why are we subjecting ourselves to  ceremonial  rule (see Strong’s definition of “ordinances”) based on (after) religious principles and teachings of men? It is high time for us to seek God in prayer as we study His word and ask for the Holy Spirit to teach us how to worship. We should not be worshipping God in the manner we do because that is how our forefathers worshipped. This has nothing to do with whether or not they worshipped in Spirit and in Truth. The emphasis here is about our focus....

Revelation 19:6     "And I heard as it were the voice of a great multitude, and as the voice of many waters, and as the voice of mighty thunderings, saying, Alleluia: for the Lord God omnipotent reigneth." I continue today with the thought of God's omnipotence; that is, His eternally infinite power.  I write those words and need to confess that I have only scratched the surface of this great truth. I will still have only scratched the surface at the conclusion of however long the Lord leads my thoughts along this line. My desire is that my understanding of the worth and significance of God's presence in my life may grow much deeper. The Apostle Peter closed his writings with these words, "But grow in grace, and in the knowledge of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ. To him be glory both now and for ever. Amen." (2 Peter 3:18) He had been writing to people who had been driven from their homes because of their faith in the Lord Jesus Christ. God was telling the...

Colossians 2:16-19     “Let no man therefore judge you in meat, or in drink, or in respect of an holyday, or of the new moon, or of the sabbath   days:  Which are a shadow of things to come; but the body   is   of Christ. Let no man beguile you of your reward in a voluntary humility and worshipping of angels, intruding into those things which he hath not seen, vainly puffed up by his fleshly mind, And not holding the Head, from which all the body by joints and bands having nourishment ministered, and knit together, increaseth with the increase of God.”   In the previous verses of this chapter, Paul has declared how that Jesus put aside the service of legality. He nailed it to His cross and full divested Himself (and us) of it (Col 2:14-15). Jesus, through His death and resurrection, plainly showed that the ordinances of the law service had always been inadequate to put away sin. He, however, was victorious in all the Father sent Him to d...

Revelation 19:1     "And after these things I heard a great voice of much people in heaven, saying, Alleluia; Salvation, and glory, and honour, and power, unto the Lord our God" Revelation 19:4-5     "And the four and twenty elders and the four beasts fell down and worshipped God that sat on the throne, saying, Amen; Alleluia.  (5)  And a voice came out of the throne, saying, Praise our God, all ye his servants, and ye that fear him, both small and great." Revelation 19:6     "And I heard as it were the voice of a great multitude, and as the voice of many waters, and as the voice of mighty thunderings, saying, Alleluia: for the Lord God omnipotent reigneth." In many places, we hear Jesus saying, "He that hath ears, let him hear." He, of course, is speaking of having spiritual ears that hear more than just an audible sound. Any person with good listening ability can hear audible sounds and even identify most of them.  But in o...

Colossians 2:13-15     “And you, being dead in your sins and the uncircumcision of your flesh, hath he quickened together with him, having forgiven you all trespasses; Blotting out the handwriting of ordinances that was against us, which was contrary to us, and took it out of the way, nailing it to his cross;  And   having spoiled principalities and powers, he made a shew of them openly, triumphing over them in it.” To truly get the meaning of verse thirteen, we need to look at it in stages. The main thrust of the verse is “And you…hath he quickened together with him…” If we look back to verse twelve, we will find that the “he” under consideration is God and the “him” refers to Jesus. God has animated us with Jesus in the resurrection. Now, let us look at our condition while this was taking place. We were dead and separated from God. Our state of “being” was as a corpse (see Strong’s definition of “dead”) bound in our sins. We were not just unwilling to cho...

Revelation 19:6-7     "And I heard as it were the voice of a great multitude, and as the voice of many waters, and as the voice of mighty thunderings, saying, Alleluia: for the Lord God omnipotent reigneth. (7)  Let us be glad and rejoice, and give honour to him..." "And I heard as it were the voice..."  When was the last time you heard from God? When was the last time your heart overflowed with the very presence of the Lord God Almighty? When was the last time your heart was filled with gladness and rejoicing flowed from you to the very throne of God? I wish I could tell you this is a daily event for me.  I try in my prayer life to give praise and honour unto the Lord. I long to hear His voice speaking into my heart.  It's such a great blessing when I read something in God's Word and it resonates loudly inside of me. I love it when I read a verse and I know God had me in mind when He inspired the writer to pen those words. I think it's amazing to...

Colossians 2:10-12     “And ye are complete in him, which is the head of all principality and power: In whom also ye are circumcised with the circumcision made without hands, in putting off the body of the sins of the flesh by the circumcision of Christ: Buried with him in baptism, wherein also ye are risen with  him  through the faith of the operation of God, who hath raised him from the dead.” The “him” referenced in verse ten is Jesus Christ (Col 2:8). It is very important that we are perfectly clear on this point. We are complete in Him, so it stands to reason that outside of Him we are lacking. There is wholeness in Jesus that does not exist anywhere else in the world. When we are blessed to understand this, we can then understand how He is the head of all rule (principality) and authority (power). Since He is the head of all rule and authority, He has the ability to do extraordinary things in our lives. Whereas the physical circumcision of Abraha...

Matthew 6:9-13     "After this manner therefore pray ye: Our Father which art in heaven, Hallowed be thy name.  (10)  Thy kingdom come. Thy will be done in earth, as it is in heaven.  (11)  Give us this day our daily bread.  (12)  And forgive us our debts, as we forgive our debtors.  (13)  And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil: For thine is the kingdom, and the power, and the glory, for ever. Amen." "For thine is the kingdom, and the power, and the glory, for ever. Amen."  Are we "glory seekers"?  Do we revel in honor? How does it make us feel when someone else gives us a high compliment? Do we enjoy it when others observe us at our best? Do we like to be in charge of situations, circumstances, or maybe even think that we are in charge of our own lives? How do these questions make us feel? If I am honest with myself, there is a part of me that rises up in self defence even when I have to ask these quest...

Colossians 2:8-9     “Beware lest any man spoil you through philosophy and vain deceit, after the tradition of men, after the rudiments of the world, and not after Christ. For in him dwelleth all the fulness of the Godhead bodily.” As children of the Living God, we need to always be aware of our way of thinking about Him and His works. Considering Paul’s warning here, this is not new. There are many ideas in the world that would lead us away (spoil) from the truth as it is in Christ. Strong defines the word translated as “spoil” to indicate that there are men who would treat us as a possession gotten as the result of war. Beware of men who see religion as a competition to see who can get you to come to “their” church. Paul is not warning against philosophy as a field of study. The use of this word pointed specifically to “Jewish sophistry” (see Strong’s). Sophistry is the act of basing one’s position on faulty reasoning. If we take a close look at Paul’s letters, he ...

Matthew 6:9-13     "After this manner therefore pray ye: Our Father which art in heaven, Hallowed be thy name.  (10)  Thy kingdom come. Thy will be done in earth, as it is in heaven.  (11)  Give us this day our daily bread.  (12)  And forgive us our debts, as we forgive our debtors.  (13)  And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil: For thine is the kingdom, and the power, and the glory, for ever. Amen." "And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil..."  I prayed this prayer, read this prayer, and repeated this prayer many times before I came to an understanding about this portion of the Model Prayer.  Quite honestly, it did not make sense to ask God not to lead us into temptation. Why would He do that in the first place? Let me share some Scripture with you that would come to my mind when praying this prayer.  This verse speaks of Jesus: (1 John 3:5)   "And ye know that he was manifes...