Devotional Thoughts

Ephesians 1:20-23     "... when he raised him from the dead, and set him at his own right hand in the heavenly places, (21) Far above all principality, and power, and might, and dominion, and every name that is named, not only in this world, but also in that which is to come: (22) And hath put all things under his feet, and gave him to be the head over all things to the church, (23)  Which is his body, the fulness of him that filleth all in all." God, our Father, gave Jesus "to be the head over all things."  Yes, Jesus is our "elder Brother." (See Romans 8:29.) Yes, Jesus is our Friend. (See Proverbs 18:24.) But most of all, we must remember that He is Lord of all. He now sits at the right hand of the Father and has been given a place that is higher than "... all principality, and power, and might, and dominion, and every name that is named." He is due our utmost respect and honor that is to be given to Him. His name is only to be used with a sen...

Matthew 4:18-22     "And Jesus, walking by the sea of Galilee, saw two brethren, Simon called Peter, and Andrew his brother, casting a net into the sea: for they were fishers.   And he saith unto them, Follow me, and I will make you fishers of men.  And they straightway left their nets, and followed him.  And going on from thence, he saw other two brethren, James the son of Zebedee, and John his brother, in a ship with Zebedee their father, mending their nets; and he called them.  And they immediately left the ship and their father, and followed him."   We sometimes get the idea that to have an experience of grace, it has to be something that knocks us off our feet. When we think of God calling us into His service, we often look to Paul’s experience on the road to Damascus. There was a great light, a voice like thunder, and Paul (called Saul) was knocked down and left blind for three days. Certainly, this was a mighty experience. The trut...

Ephesians 1:18-20    "The eyes of your understanding being enlightened; that ye may know what is the hope of his calling, and what the riches of the glory of his inheritance in the saints,  (19)  And what is the exceeding greatness of his power to us-ward who believe, according to the working of his mighty power,  (20)  Which he wrought in Christ, when he raised him from the dead, and set him at his own right hand in the heavenly places" We are looking at Paul's prayer for the Ephesian Church - and for each of us today. He was praying for "the eyes of your understanding being enlightened; that ye may know what is the hope of his calling..." Do you ever find yourself reading the Bible while at the same time your mind is wandering somewhere else? I guess I'm asking this because I don't want to be the only one that is guilty of doing this. We saw in our study of the Psalms that the Word of God "is a lamp unto my feet, and a light unto my path." I ...

Matthew 4:12-17    "Now when Jesus had heard that John was cast into prison, he departed into Galilee;  And leaving Nazareth, he came and dwelt in Capernaum, which is upon the sea coast, in the borders of Zabulon and Nephthalim:  That it might be fulfilled which was spoken by Esaias the prophet, saying,  The land of Zabulon, and the land of Nephthalim, by the way of the sea, beyond Jordan, Galilee of the Gentiles;  The people which sat in darkness saw great light; and to them which sat in the region and shadow of death light is sprung up.  From that time Jesus began to preach, and to say, Repent: for the kingdom of heaven is at hand."   Jesus came to fulfill the law and to do His Father’s will. He was born a Jew of the tribe of Judah. He forbade His disciples at one point to preach to the Gentiles (Matthew 10:6) and said of Himself that He was sent only to the lost sheep of the house of Israel (Matthew 15:24). Both Zabulon (Zebulon, a son of Isr...

 Our text for this message is to be found in the Old Testament prophecy of Joel. This message will conclude our expository series in this book. This rather short book of prophecy is rich with promises of God that should come as a delight to hearing ears, throughout the ages from the time of the writing until today and even beyond.  The last portion of Joel’s prophecy was a privileged view of time far distant from Joel’s day. It extends beyond the writings of the New Testament. These last few verses are eschatological. They find their ultimate fulfillment in last things. We must also keep in mind that this message was revealed to Joel in terms that were relevant to his experience and culture, but the imagery is poetic and we should not necessarily interpret it literally. For the sake of context, we will begin at verse sixteen.  Joel 3:16-21   (16) The LORD also will roar from Zion, And utter His voice from Jerusalem; The heavens and earth will shake; But the...

Ephesians 1:15-18    "Wherefore I also, after I heard of your faith in the Lord Jesus, and love unto all the saints,  (16)  Cease not to give thanks for you, making mention of you in my prayers;  (17)  That the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of glory, may give unto you the spirit of wisdom and revelation in the knowledge of him:  (18)  The eyes of your understanding being enlightened; that ye may know what is the hope of his calling, and what the riches of the glory of his inheritance in the saints," "... After I heard of your faith in the Lord Jesus..." There is such a relief and release that takes place in our hearts and minds after we are brought to the understanding of the work of Jesus on the cross. There is sweet peace and comfort when the Holy Spirit gives us understanding of the forgiveness of sins and that God has accepted us through the blood of Jesus Christ. There is a great burden that is lifted when we are brought to the pla...