2 Corinthians 2:11 – “in order that no advantage be taken of us by Satan; for we are not ignorant of his schemes.”  NASB

1 Peter 5:8 – “Be of sober spirit, be on the alert. Your adversary, the devil, prowls about like a roaring lion, seeking someone to devour.”  NASB

2 Corinthians 10:3-4 – “For though we walk in the flesh, we do not war according to the flesh, 4 for the weapons of our warfare are not of the flesh, but divinely powerful for the destruction of fortresses.”  NASB

I am relatively certain that everyone reading this has experienced and enjoyed the ‘Thrill of Victory’ and the ‘Agony of Defeat’ at some point.  I would seriously doubt that there is anyone reading this who does not desire to have more Joy, Peace, Faith, Hope, Assurance, and Spiritual Power!  Most everyone I meet wants Victory in their lives.  Most everyone desires a sense of Peace so they can weather whatever storm they are facing or will face.  We want a Hope that is steadfast and sure.

Anyone who as read the Bible has read God’s Promises and most want to believe that God truly intends for us to enjoy those Promises and Provisions today.  I have talked to numerous Christians who are struggling with the idea of having God’s Promised Abundant Life on this earth.  They believe they will have it in heaven but have difficulty envisioning a life of Victory here.  They are ‘enduring’ and believe that is their fate in life.

My objective in this series of devotionals is to inspire Hope and possibly answer some questions regarding, “How can we possess the promises and incorporate them into our daily lives?”  Can we have Joy Unspeakable and if so, how?  Can we have the Peace that passes all human understanding and if so, how?  Can we have Hope that is unshakable and if so, how?  Can we have the power to overcome the devil and if so, how?  What is our condition and position in God?

According to numerous passages of scripture, it is declared that we legally have authority and power over the devil.  That is based on the Victory and Authority of Jesus and His bequeathing or delegating it to us.  I suggest that many know, theoretically that we have that authority and power but have never been able to see it translated into reality in their lives.  How do we move beyond that and have the fullness of God’s Promised Victory in our lives?

In this quest to uncover the truth and incorporate it into our lives there is an essential understanding that must be achieved.  The Hope of Victory hinges on Identification or Recognition.  We must Identify several things if we are going to Possess the Promises and enjoy the Fullness of God’s Promised Victory in our lives.  It is as we identify and recognize these things of which I speak that we place ourselves in a position to implement those principles in our lives and move forward into possession of those promises. 

If you could discover how to Live Victoriously would you be interested?  If you could discover how to incorporate the Promises into your daily life would you be interested?  Would you be willing to do some serious soul searching and examination of God’s Promises?  I hope your answer is yes and if it is then I invite you to join me in the next devotional as we begin looking at what I call “Three Keys to Victory.”

God bless you and may your day be prosperous and joyous!

Acts 4:19-20 – “But Peter and John answered and said to them, “Whether it is right in the sight of God to give heed to you rather than to God, you be the judge; 20 for we cannot stop speaking what we have seen and heard.” NASB

There was a Rock N Roll song released in 1960 by Joe Jones, “You Talk Too Much.”  It was written by Fats Domino’s brother in law, Reginald Hill and Fats passed the song along to Joe Jones.  It is a funny, catchy tune that speaks to life in many ways, but that is not my focus in saying, “Cannot Stop Talking.”

What I am focused on is what was happening in this account where the disciples were teaching and preaching Jesus and upsetting the religious status quo.  The message of the Resurrection of Jesus was extremely disturbing to many, especially the Sadducees and considered a threat to the iron-clad rule of the Sanhedrin.  Therefore, they had them arrested and brought in to be corrected and threatened.

The religious rulers issued a mandate to them to “Stop Talking About Jesus.”  The religious rulers realized that they had a problem because an undeniable miracle had transpired, and people were being swayed by the miracle and the message of the disciples.  They felt that the method that had worked for decades would work and the threat of disfavor with headquarters would be enough to silence them.  Sounds like some today, who fear man more than they fear God.

Peter and John were not intimidated because they had been with Jesus and He was alive in their hearts and they had witnessed His ascension to heaven.  They Knew!  They said to the religious rulers, “Whether it is right in the sight of God to give heed to you rather than God, you be the judge; for we cannot stop speaking what we have seen and heard.”  That is the distinction between someone who has a theoretical religion and those who have experienced the new birth.

Jeremiah spoke of this compulsion in 20:9 saying, “But if I say, ‘I will not remember Him or speak any more in His name,’ then in my heart it will become like a burning fire shut up in my bones.”  He said I will become so consumed with what I have heard that I cannot endure.  The Psalmists declared in 39:3, “My heart was hot within me, while I was musing the fire burned; then I spoke with my tongue.”

When you encounter Jesus in the New Birth and He resides in your heart, you find that talking about Him is the greatest desire of your heart and brings you the most joy.  Back in Bible college, I met a young lady in the community who invited me to a high school football game.  She was interested in me, and I was interested in telling her about Jesus.  She became so frustrated that she said, “You have a one-track mind.”  No, she was not talking about things of the flesh for she continued, “All you think about is Jesus.”  I took that as a compliment, although it was meant to be, “Shut up and focus on me.”

Some of the greatest moments in my life have been when I am able to lead another person to Jesus and see the immediate change in their countenance and attitude.  After I received Jesus, and before I went into the ministry, I took my Bible to work and, on my breaks, I would read the Bible.  One of the men told my brother in law, “All Roy thinks about is God, but he sure does work hard too.”  I tried not to be overbearing wanted to share my experience and my LORD with all who would listen.

I met a man I went to secular college with, shortly after I received Jesus and as I shared my experience and my faith with him, he asked, “What happened to you?”  He expounded on that and said, “Most people turn to religion when something dire happens in their lives.  What happened to you?”  I said, “I was lost but now I’m found. I was blind but now I see.  Nothing traumatic happened, I just finally saw the light and now I am a new person.”  I had asked the LORD to let me go back and testify to everyone I had influenced as a sinner.  That has been a journey that continues after over 50 years. 

Let the Love of God and the Fire of God burn in your heart and speak His name and His Love, you never know who or how you will touch others and impact them for God and good. I cannot stop talking about what fills my heart and that is Jesus!

Have a great day and God bless you richly is my prayer!

Deuteronomy 6:4-15 – “Hear, O Israel! The LORD is our God, the LORD is one! 5 “And you shall love the LORD your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your might. 6 And these words, which I am commanding you today, shall be on your heart; 7 and you shall teach them diligently to your sons and shall talk of them when you sit in your house and when you walk by the way and when you lie down and when you rise up. 8 And you shall bind them as a sign on your hand and they shall be as frontals on your forehead. 9 And you shall write them on the doorposts of your house and on your gates. 10 “Then it shall come about when the LORD your God brings you into the land which He swore to your fathers, Abraham, Isaac and Jacob, to give you, great and splendid cities which you did not build, 11 and houses full of all good things which you did not fill, and hewn cisterns which you did not dig, vineyards and olive trees which you did not plant, and you shall eat and be satisfied, 12 then watch yourself, lest you forget the LORD who brought you from the land of Egypt, out of the house of slavery. 13 You shall fear only the LORD your God; and you shall worship Him, and swear by His name. 14 You shall not follow other gods, any of the gods of the peoples who surround you, 15 for the LORD your God in the midst of you is a jealous God; otherwise the anger of the LORD your God will be kindled against you, and He will wipe you off the face of the earth.”  NASB

I realize that is a lot of scripture to wade through in preparing for a devotional message.  The idea of devotional suggests brevity and with that much scripture, brevity would seem impossible.  With that in mind let me off this ‘three-legged stool’ of which I speak.

The threefold are “Love, Life Actions, and Divine Promises.”  There is the direct and specific instruction that we are to teach these elements to our children and those under our sphere of influence.

The first directive, which is an often-repeated command from God is we are to Love God with our all.  All our hearts, all our souls, and all our strength.  If we were to package that and put it, in a nutshell, it would be to TOTALLY LOVE GOD!  If we reach that condition and position the Obedience is a foregone conclusion.  If we Love God to that extent, we would never think of disobeying for that would wound His heart and pleasing Him is paramount in our minds.

Moses instructed Israel that the Words of God’s Commandments and Law were to be on or in their hearts.  Jesus reflected on that truth and principle in telling us that we were to abide in Him, and His words were to abide in us.  He also said, “If you love Me, you will keep My commandments.” (John 14:15).  He did not say, “If you love Me, you will want to keep My commandments.”  He said, “You Will.”

The Hebrews had a practice and believed that it was the responsibility of the parents, especially the father’s to teach their children the Law of God.  Life lessons were to be taught at every opportunity. 

Instead of texting, burying our heads in our phones, tablets, and computers or being brain-washed by the TV, we are to teach in our homes, the principles and truths of God.  When we travel or walkabout, use whatever presents itself to illustrate God’s truths.  He gave a directive that the Pharisees took to the extreme and said, “bind them as a sign on your hand, and they shall be as frontals on your forehead.  And you shall write them on the doorposts of your house and on your gates.”  He is saying, “Get them in your heart and become one with the truths of God and the Word of God.”

The Promise was “IF” we will do that and Love God with our All and become One with His Word God will send incredible Blessings upon us.  He will give us our Place of Promise and we will reap benefits that we did not provide the labor to receive. He will cause abundance to come into our lives in every possible manner.  We will become what God says we are, “Overcomers!” 

If we see prosperity as being what we hold in our hands, we will forever be poor.  If we see true biblical prosperity as beginning on the inside and working its way to the extremities, we will be as the Hebrews – “People Who Do Not Lack.”  When, I say that, I have people look at me and roll their eyes.  The Hebrews, who followed God with a whole heart live with ‘No Sense of Lack.’  They may not have had abundance in possessions but the had confidence that God would supply.  The Early Church lived believing that, “My God shall supply all your needs according to His riches in glory.” 

I pray that we will all discover and incorporate into our lives God’s Three-Legged Stool of Life.  I pray that we become people who Love God with our all, Live according to His Word, and Receive His Promises.

God bless you and may the Blessings of God be yours powerfully and abundantly today!

Psalm 113:3 – “From the rising of the sun to its setting The name of the LORD is to be praised.” NASB

My simple answer is NO!  I find no reasonable understanding of this passage that would suggest that you could praise God too much.  The Psalmist is addressing the workday not to exclude the night. He is suggesting, in my view, that we should make a conscious effort to Praise the Name of the Lord all the time and in all things.  Praise is a conscious choice and if we do not focus our hearts upon the Lord, we will become too involved in the activities of life to offer genuine praise to the Lord of Hosts.

I find this passage to be in the same category as the directive of Paul in Thessalonians to “pray without ceasing.”  It may be impractical for us to engage in what most would consider prayer ‘without cessation’ but we can have an attitude of prayer all the time.  Likewise, we can have an attitude of praise all the time without stopping what we are doing to do what most consider praise. 

It seems that too frequently we have pigeonholed and developed predetermined ideas of what constitutes praise and prayer.  In that, we often fail to understand that God hears our hearts as well as our words that are spoken out loud.  God hears the thoughts in our minds, not just the words that pass our lips.  We can and should develop an attitude of gratitude in which we consistently and continually commune with the Lord and offer to Him praise and thanksgiving.  From the time we wake in the morning until we go to sleep at night, our hearts should be praising and thanking God. 

I heard a powerful response from a minster who was holding a meeting for the church that I was leading, when someone asked him how much he prayed and when he prayed.  He looked them squarely in the eye and said, “I am a walking prayer.”  They wanted him to be in the church for ‘x’ number of hours per day engaging in what they deemed to be prayer.  They had not learned that prayer is as much a condition and attitude of the heart as it is time spent on your knees or prostrate before the Lord crying out aloud. 

So, to answer the question, “Can You Praise God Too Much?”  I would have to answer in this fashion, YES, if you shut down everything you are responsible for to do what is commonly identified as Praise.  NO, if you develop a mindset and attitude of praise in your heart and allow your entire being and life to become on continual praise to the Lord! 

If you neglect your duties and responsibilities to engage in the religious activity called ‘praise’ then are you really praising the Lord?  If you fail to do what you know you are supposed to do are you bringing honor to His Name?  But, if your heart is filled with awe, love, and appreciation for Him at all times and out of that attitude you live, work, speak, and love then you cannot praise too much!

Therefore, as you go through this day go with a song in your heart and let your mind be filled with His awesomeness.  Let your heartstrings be strummed by the Holy Spirit offering a sweet aroma to the King of Kings and Lord of Lords.

May God be with you as you go through your day!

Revelation 4:1 – “After these things I looked, and behold, a door standing open in heaven…” NASB

There are many paths, I could take with this text I only want to pursue one and that is “Heaven’s Open Door.”  Just the other day as we were driving around running errands my wife and I were listening to some old Gospel Music and “I’ve Never Been This Homesick Before” made its way into the rotation of songs and this scripture came to mind. 

In the song, it says, “I can see the Father standing at the door.”  That reminded me of the parable of the Prodigal Son and how the father saw the returning wayward son at a great distance and ran to meet him.  That suggests that he was always “looking” for the return of his wayward child and possibly standing in the doorway of his house looking over the way hoping against hope that his son that was lost would return.  I can imagine our Heavenly Father looking over His creation at the doorway of Heaven and longing for us to “return to Him with a whole heart.”  At times I can almost hear the sobs of the Father and my Lord Jesus as they weep over the condition of mankind in this time that we live.

Several things come to mind when I think of a “Door Open in Heaven”.  That tells me that there is “open access” to God’s throne through prayer and how we need to take advantage of that invitation and opportunity.  It suggests that God is eagerly awaiting us to petition Him and is willing to dispatch help to us at a moment’s notice. The picture that comes to my heart’s mind is that of a loving parent watching over their children and ready to protect and nurture them if there is a need and willing to let them spread their wings to learn to fly. 

I sense that there is a “Door Open in Heaven” and God is extending a personal invitation for us to “enter in” through the vehicle of prayer and commune with Him and receive from Him His supply. Therefore, whatever you do as you go through this day, hold in your heart and mind that there is an “Open Door in Heaven” for you right now!  

May God be with you and bless you richly!

Romans 8:10-12 – “If Christ is in you, though the body is dead because of sin, yet the spirit is alive because of righteousness. 11 But if the Spirit of Him who raised Jesus from the dead dwells in you, He who raised Christ Jesus from the dead will also give life to your mortal bodies through His Spirit who dwells in you. 12 So then, brethren, we are under obligation, not to the flesh, to live according to the flesh….”  NASB

We are the “Living Dead” and I’m not talking about Zombies as Hollywood seems to be obsessed with these days.  When I say the “Living Dead” I am talking about people who have “died to sin” and “risen to life” in Jesus Christ through the Power of the Blood.  It is a beautiful place to be – LIVING DEAD!

Paul informs the Roman believers that “IF” the Spirit of God, that raised Jesus from the dead, lives in us that same Spirit will give us Life in our mortal bodies.  We are then Dead but Alive and that is because we are not controlled by the “flesh” but the “spirit.”  As a result, we are no longer under obligation to live according to the Flesh.  That leads me to my next question – “Why do we?”  Why do we allow the Flesh to have so much power in our daily lives?  Why do we allow the Flesh to be such a dominant force in our lives?  WHY?  There can only be one of a few possibilities.

• We are uninformed as to our position and condition in Christ.
• We are willing participants with the FLESH.
• We are so underdeveloped spiritually that the devil easily sways and overcomes us.

None of those are conditions that are required or that we are obligated to embrace.  When Jesus came he lived a sinless life, died sacrificially on the Cross, rose the third day, and is now ascended to the Right Hand of the Father! When that transpired the devil was fully and finally defeated!  That is not a maybe or someday hope. It not somehow we will enjoy this when we get to heaven – The devil is defeated NOW! 

Jesus said that All Power or Authority, in heaven, was given to Him and He has given that to us.  Therefore, we have authority and power over the devil which would mean that the Flesh is to be subject to the Spirit of God, not vice versa. We are under No Obligation to succumb to the temptations or whims of the flesh.  We are More Than Conquerors through Jesus and We Can do all things through Christ!  That is our Covenant, Heritage, and Promise from the Lord Himself so why not employ it and enjoy it?

Therefore, as you go through this day go in the strength of the Power of the Spirit of God and walk in Victory!

God bless you richly is my prayer!

1 Corinthians 8:9-13 – “But beware lest somehow this liberty of yours become a stumbling block to those who are weak. 10 For if anyone sees you who have knowledge eating in an idol’s temple, will not the conscience of him who is weak be emboldened to eat those things offered to idols? 11 And because of your knowledge shall the weak brother perish, for whom Christ died? 12 But when you thus sin against the brethren, and wound their weak conscience, you sin against Christ. 13 Therefore, if food makes my brother stumble, I will never again eat meat, lest I make my brother stumble.” NKJV

It has always been and will always be an issue in the Church about our personal liberty and the conscience of a weaker brother or sister.  How far do we press our liberty before we become a stumbling block for a “weaker brother”?  Is there a time to say, “Grow up and realize that different people have different convictions”?  Is exercising our liberty worth causing another to stumble?  How you answer those questions will determine how you relate to those around you.

There was a time in my Christian walk that I felt that everyone should hold the same convictions that I did and if they did not, they were “carnal” at best and “backslidden” at worst.  Most of the time I considered those, one and the same and was a Pharisee of Pharisees!  It took God rattling my cage in a major way to cause me to rethink my way of thinking and to understand that I am not God’s Fruit Inspector He can handle that job just fine. 

I had to learn that although in my heart I knew that most of what I called “convictions” were simply “opinions” and did not have the weight of Scripture.  An opinion is just that and is something that may and should change if new light is brought. 

If God “convicts” your heart over an action, belief, or anything you should follow what God says implicitly and explicitly.  Yet you must always remember that what God “convicts” you of He may not convict another.  Many times, the roots of that conviction stem from something within you or the geographic region in which you live and the mind-set of those around you.  God will bring conviction to your heart for your benefit not so you can attempt to impose it on everyone else that would be what a Pharisee does.

There have been times that I could have done something but knew that there were those around me who would be hindered in their Christian walk if they saw me.  So, in the interest of another, I choose to abstain.  In traveling to other parts of the country and world I have found that there are many differing views on various things that Christians do or do not do.

I have learned that sometimes the dogmatism is so strong that no amount of reason or biblical teaching can break it.  Unless God brings light to the heart that person or persons will remain as they are.  Attempting to legislate to them a particular mind-set or lifestyle would be futile and brings to mind the old saying: “A man convinced against his will is of the same opinion still.”  They may yield to your insistence, but their hearts and minds have not truly changed.  You are not God so why try to be? 

As you go through your day realize that what you do and say will have an impact on others so choose your words and deeds carefully considering another for your liberty is not worth hindering another in their pursuit of GOD and His GRACE!

May God be with you as you go through your day!

Ephesians 4:25 – “Therefore, laying aside falsehood, SPEAK TRUTH EACH ONE of you WITH HIS NEIGHBOR, for we are members of one another.” NASB

I don’t want to make this political or go on an all-out attack on religious hypocrisy but will say that what we need in this present world is men and women of The Truth.  Paul tells the Ephesian church that they are to “lay aside” Falsehood and “speak the truth.”  He reminds them and us that we are not isolated from each other but as members of both the human race and the family of God we are part of the same fabric and while we sometimes are guilty of lying to ourselves or distorting reality in our minds, we do not practice that regularly, at least I hope we do not.

My grandfather and father always told me, “Tell the truth it is easier to remember than a lie.”  They usually told me that when I attempted to pull the wool over their eyes. Both of them saw through those attempts with amazing clarity.  Neither would tolerate laziness or dishonesty and were truthful to a fault and even if telling the truth brought them personal or financial difficulty.  They believed and so do I that “honesty” is not just the best policy it is the “only policy.” 

If we are truthful then we do not have to worry about being exposed and that brings a certain sense of peace and security to the heart and mind.  We have all known people who it seems would climb a tree to tell a lie when they could have stood on the ground and told the truth.

My children know that I told them, “If you lie to me and I catch you it will be far worse than if you tell me the truth.”  If they remember they can recall some of the times when they told me the truth and escaped punishment and times when they were not truthful the punishment or correction was stepped up a notch. 

If we encounter someone who tells us untruths on a regular basis, no matter how hard we try not to label or characterize them as being a liar we still do. In the back of our minds we see them as liars and it affects our relationship or prevents us developing one that is positive.  No one wants to do business with a person that distorts the truth or facts.  No one would want to sit under a preacher who tells fabrications.  As a friend of mine had a member of his congregation asked him, “Pastor was that story you told the truth or were you just preaching?”  What a statement and while she may not have meant it as it came across that she would even entertain it is a tragedy. 

You do not want anyone to tell you anything but the truth so why practice telling others something that is not truthful?  You would not want your doctor to tell you something that was not true regarding your health because that could cost you your life.  You would not want your banker or financial adviser to misrepresent your finances that might cost you your possessions.  In life (all of it) let’s be People of the Truth!

May God bless you as you go through your day!

Galatians 4:1-7 – “Now I say, as long as the heir is a child, he does not differ at all from a slave although he is owner of everything, 2 but he is under guardians and managers until the date set by the father. 3 So also we, while we were children, were held in bondage under the elemental things of the world. 4 But when the fullness of the time came, God sent forth His Son, born of a woman, born under the Law, 5 so that He might redeem those who were under the Law, that we might receive the adoption as sons. 6 Because you are sons, God has sent forth the Spirit of His Son into our hearts, crying, ” Abba! Father!” 7 Therefore you are no longer a slave, but a son; and if a son, then an heir through God.” NASB

Paul’s way of explaining our relationship with God is powerful.  He brings to mind that a child although a member of the family and ultimately owner of all the family fortunes and worth, is very little different from a slave because the child is under the authority of his/her parents or those whom the parents have placed over them.  They are not allowed the privilege of operating as an “owner” until it is deemed by the father that they are ready. Owner of all but the authority of a slave is the condition described.

Then he declares to us that we are sons (a non-gender term as used here) and because of that truth God has sent the Spirit of God into our hearts crying “Abba! Father!”  As a result, we are no longer slaves but sons and daughters and if we are sons and daughters, we are Heirs of God!  How often do we as children of the Most High live beneath our privilege?  How frequently do we live as slaves rather than sons and daughters? 

It is time that we assess who we are and whose we are.  It is time to reread the Bible and determine what this “New Covenant” that is established upon “Better Promises” is all about and what it affords.  It is time that we reevaluate our relationship with the Lord and that we have authority and power to not only overcome the enemy of our souls but the grace to live The Abundant Life that Jesus promised.  You are not a Slave you are a Child of God and an Heir according to His Promise!

Let’s move from a slave mentality to a son and daughter mentality.  Let’s move from timidity to boldness in our relationship, heritage, and covenant.  Let’s begin to live as Heirs and bring real hope to this hopeless world outside of Christ. 

God bless and keep you as you go through your day!