Weekly Devotional: God's Power Is In His Word

"God's power is in his word, if you don't believe his word you don't believe his power."

After attending a local conference last night, this quote from the pastor who preached remained in my mind the most.

It was like God was increasing my faith in him. Just like the preacher said before he started his sermon. "Everyone in this room is going to receive a jolt in their faith".

And I definitely did!!! Thank you Jesus!! : )

Romans 1:17
For therein is the righteousness of God revealed from faith to faith: as it is written, The just shall live by faith.

The word of God is more than just a book with the title as the Holy Bible.

It's his power.

God's power.

I never really viewed it that way until last night.

When Jesus was walking the earth the bible wasn't available to anyone.

Why?

Because the word was walking around with them, God who came into flesh was already among them.

John 1: 14 And the Word was made flesh, and dwelt among us, (and we beheld his glory, the glory as of the only begotten of the Father,) full of grace and truth.

John 1: 1 In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.

Now we have the bible because in it is his word, and his word has power.

Hebrews 4:12 - For the word of God [is] quick, and powerful, and sharper than any twoedged sword, piercing even to the dividing asunder of soul and spirit, and of the joints and marrow, and [is] a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart.

Jeremiah 23:29 - [Is] not my word like as a fire? saith the LORD; and like a hammer [that] breaketh the rock in pieces?

Psalms 119:105 - NUN. Thy word [is] a lamp unto my feet, and a light unto my path.

Romans 10:17 - So then faith [cometh] by hearing, and hearing by the word of God.

John 17:17 - Sanctify them through thy truth: thy word is truth.

There are countless miracles, promises, words of wisdom and other  verses on every page that testify to the power of God.

When we read it do we merely look at it as verses or do we hide it in our heart for it to take root , grow and flourish in our life.

What is the benefit of God's power in our life, God's word in our life?

It sets us free, it changes and transforms our minds, our way of being, testifies to who God is, it comforts, it tells us what God thinks about us, it has life, and God also uses his word to speak to us.

I can go on and on about the word of God. It's just so powerful because it's His word!

In my mind this is how I see it: when you open up the word of God, it's like God is sitting right next to you conversing with you. Speaking life into you and whatever situation you're going through.

So, I encourage you don't look at the bible as just a book filled with verses written by dead apostles and disciples of Jesus Christ. It's more than that it's His word and His word has power.

Stay in God's Peace, not in pieces : )

Hannah

GUEST BLOGGER FOR THE MONTH OF AUGUST: The Power of Choice

My sister asked me to write this post and initially I told her no because I didn't know what to write about. When I told her no she was shocked and she got a little offended, so after some convincing I finally said yes. I know God and I love him and all of that great stuff but like everybody I feel like there is always room for improvement and growth in my relationship with him. One thing I need to work on is reading the bible more and becoming familiar with his scriptures. 

Growing up my mother always made it a point for us to go to church and participate. I used to be in the choir, I was in sunday school, and I naturally enjoyed being at church. As I got older I felt like I strayed away from church. I was no longer being forced by my mom to go because she always made it clear that me and my sisters had to have a relationship with Christ for ourselves and that she couldn't establish that relationship with us. My distance from God grew even further when I realized that I have been in church my whole life. I started to become curious about how my friends who weren't Christian were living and I really felt like I was missing out on something. Church life was all I knew and I felt like I wanted to venture out, but most of all I wanted to feel like I fit in with the crowd. As life continues and we experience new things we realize that we aren't missing out on anything. The best part about my journey was that through it all I still kept my Christian mindset. 

I am at a point in my life where I feel closer to God than I have ever been. I think that experiencing life "on the other side" made me realize how much I need God and it makes me more aware of my choices. Now I go to church on my own, I go to bible study on my own, and prayer on my own not because I have to but because I genuinely want to go. I am finally understanding what the bible means when it talks about the power of choice. From the beginning of creation, God gave Adam and Eve a choice of whether or not to eat the apple, he gave Samson the choice to submit to Delilah or not, and he gave Abraham the choice to sacrifice his son or not. Just like he gave people in the bible choices, he gives all of the choice of whether or not to live for him or not: "But if you refuse to serve the LORD, then choose today whom you will serve. 'Would you prefer the gods your ancestors served beyond the Euphrates? Or will it be the gods of the Amorites in whose land you now live? But as for me and my family, we will serve the LORD.'" Joshua 24:15

Another thing I struggle with is the inconsistencies in my faith and belief in God. I know you're not supposed to question God but there are things that have happened in my life that I honestly believe are not supposed to happen. Even in times when I'm doing what I'm supposed to do for God, I have a hard time accepting that other people are getting blessed who do far less than me. I know we all go through those moments, but for me I just feel alone when it happens. For example, I struggle with my motivation for going back to school, because I don't want to settle and just get by. I have a desire to do good in school! I used to want to be in the classroom and sit in the middle of the class. I didn't want to get called on, I didn't want to sit in the front, but I didn't want to sit in the back either. I guess you can say that I wanted to fit in or be overlooked by the teacher where I wouldn't be noticed or put on the spot. The irony is that I want to be a teacher, and I think that it's what God called me to be. When I told my sister this, she told me that it meant that I had the heart of a servant. I immediately was offended by this because I just don't like the term servant, but when she broke it down I understood completely. My purpose and my gift of being a teacher extends far beyond the classroom, because I know it will carryover to my church life and my home life. I serve people everyday while at work and at home. I constantly assist people, I have a smile on my face while doing it, and I feel that people are naturally attracted to my spirit. I truly believe that God is placing me in situations to prepare me for my purpose. I can no longer hide from him or just do enough to get by. God has chosen me to stand out and to walk in the purpose that he has set aside for me. The bible says, "I am the vine; you are the branches. If you remain in me and I in you, you will bear much fruit; apart from me you can do nothing." John 15:5

Today I choose to live for God, because God chose me. I may not know the most scriptures. I may not scream at the top of my lungs when I'm praying. I may not openly lead prayer. I may not openly give my testimony. I do however, pray to God daily, I make it my responsibility to go to prayer, go to bible study, and when I'm off on Sundays I'm at church. God has done so much for me and I know that as long as he's my first choice I'll remain his first choice. Just remember that once you choose God, when he says yes that nobody can say no.

Michelle Williams - Say Yes

In all your ways acknowledge Him, And He will make your paths straight. Proverbs 3:6

GUEST BLOGGER: ALEARA

Weekly Devotional: Can You Hear Him?? Shhhh

Continuing on last Monday’s blog, I want to speak on Listening to God.

I had a dream where I was amongst a population of people. It was completely silent. I was standing amongst these people intently listening and waiting for God to speak. After, what seemed like a moment, I began to panic screaming “I am deaf!!” I could not hear anything or anyone around me. And it seemed despite being amongst a population, I was all by myself. I awoke from this dream confused, and it wasn’t until I attended a bible study months later that I understood it.

It is hard to hear God amongst the noise. What is noise? Noise are sounds that cause disturbance and can cause you to lose focus. As in the dream, I began focusing on hearing God and then I became disturbed. I was disturbed because I could not hear the environment. I could not hear people, cars and other noises. God's voice in the beginning of this dream was the priority, but then shifted. But what we have to understand is when you are listening for God, we have to silence the noises. Noises can be worries and as the last Monday blogger stated “God can speak through people, situations or you directly”. There have been times, God has spoken to me, but the noises of doubt, situations and people drowned out God's guidance. Other times I could not recognize God's guidance because I spent no time familiarizing myself with him. As Sunday's guest speaker put it, my priority was lost, as God was not number one focus.

Sometimes to better hear God, we must fast, which is simply a process of silencing the noise. Fasting makes God a priority as the sacrifice of a fast helps place God more at a premium. Listening to God is done by reading his word and mediating on it. When a scripture touches you, put it to memory, think on how to apply it. 

Deuteronomy 4:29

But if from there you seek the LORD your God, you will find him if you seek him with all your heart and with all your soul.

GUEST BLOGGER FOR THE MONTH OF AUGUST: Running

                I've always been known as “The Runner”. Everybody in school, church, and my family always asked the same expected question “how’s track?” or phrases like “can’t wait to see you in the Olympics” “we’re so proud of you“ or “Wanna race?”.  Almost as if this was all people knew about me. Most conversation revolved around this, but ultimately what I was running from was much bigger than these cliché track questions in my life as well. I was running away from the true champion of all…GOD

Lately, my life has been a whirlwind of confusion, questioning, and doubt—confusion, in my relationships, questioning about my future, and doubting my walk with God overall. And ultimately I was teetering on the idea of whether living a godly lifestyle was really for me, or completely running away from it all. I've always been “The Runner” physically but in this case I suppose I was mentally running away from God and all he had to offer…

One might question why a girl that’s grew up and spent her whole life in church from birth to 20 years old would ever doubt the power of God and would want to leave. But that’s exactly why. It seemed to me that from the moment I was placed on this Earth I never really knew what freedom was. I never experienced my own understanding of Gods power, and I never got to decide for myself if I really wanted God in my life. In my view, it seemed that because I was made to go to church every week, bible study every Wednesday, prayer every Friday and any event in between it was almost as if I was forced into believing in God, rather than seeking him for myself. I didn’t quite understand or love God for myself. I knew he existed because I’d seen him work in my family’s life and people in the church as well, and I felt his presence every so often. But I wasn’t exactly sure about him, that he was all there is to offer in my life. I needed to figure it out.

 And that whole hypothesis would be tested shortly after in Fall of 2012. I started college in August 2012 on a full scholarship to Towson University running Track. Unknowing what lied ahead of me, or what was in store I jumped right into the college life and all that it entails. Classes, practice, studying, partying, hanging with friends, and ultimately trying to find my place in this whirlwind of a home we call college. Notice, I never included church. When I got to Towson I began to test my boundaries of freedom, I didn’t go to church, and never really prayed-except over my food (some habits are just never broken). But I was enjoying it. It was my way of sticking it to my parents and saying “see I’m doing just fine without you,” and without God as well. I was having fun and experiencing things that I never got to experience at home. I was on cloud nine, only going to church when I came home on breaks. But not even really soaking in the word…and this went on for 2 years.

But as time went on it seemed that everything began to fall apart. The more I sprinted away from God the more my problems began to catch me. My grades were depleting (probably due to more partying and less studying). I was getting in involved with guys that broke my heart one after the next, and losing friendships that I had back home. And I was in a place in my life where I felt that nothing was going right, and I was utterly confused. It wasn’t until this current summer that I went back home that it seemed like everything was going downhill in my life that I decided I needed a change.  I decided maybe leaving God wasn’t the right way to go.

But the problem arose…I didn’t know exactly where to start. After two years of not really praying, I utterly forgot how to approach God. And also I felt like I’d sinned so much in the past couple years that God couldn’t forgive my wrongdoings. But, overtime I suddenly I began to talk to him as if he was my friend, trying hard to pray more and put my heart into productive things rather than distractions. Instead of giving my heart to meaningless boys that didn’t deserve me, I gave my heart to God, and instead of giving my time to parties, I gave my time God.  

Romans 3:23 says “For all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God”. Yes some sins may have been colossal, but regardless God never judges. 1 John 1:19 states “If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.” Maybe that’s where I needed to start; I took the first step and repented for my sins. I talked to God as if he was a friend rather than some fictional being. I confessed everything and tears flooded.

But ultimately I began to come back to him. I guess I had to go through hardships, pain, doubt, instability, and loneliness to form my own relationship with him and see growth. In track you learn to run your own race, and stay in your lane. Going through difficulties I learned that yes, we all have our own race and battles to face in our walk with God. But I ceased to realize that God was always in the race right beside me. Ultimately, I had to stop running away from God’s plan for me and run toward him. I know many of you readers stray away and lose sight of God. But getting back to him is in fact possible, though it may be sometimes difficult, and it may take time and a lot of energy. A relationship with God will never be easy, but better believe it will be worth it. Because of my testimony, I’m sure of this: Run to him full-fledged and he will greet you with open arms.

-Kaitlyn 

Weekly Devotional: Speak Less, Listen More, Fight Through...

"He who has knowledge spares his words, and a man of understanding has a cool spirit." Proverbs 17:27"

While reading the bible i would come across stories in which The Lord spoke to this person or that person, giving direction, comfort or reassurance etc. As i continue my journey as believer i come across fellow believers who have explained or discussed what God has laid on their heart. Whether it was a word specifically for them or for someone else and i would wonder why is it that God hasn't spoken to me? Why is it that he hasn't told me where to go, or what to do or how to do it? It was not until recently i realized that God has been speaking to me. He has been laying things on my heart, i just wasn't always listening. I didn't always know or realize it was God. It is still something i struggle with and continue to pray about.

God speaks to us in different ways all in which we must pay attention to. Part of what helped me begin to hear his voice was really getting an understanding of who God is and how he operates. As with any topic we can learn more about God by reading up on God. The more we can read and actually attempt to grasp what is going on in the bible the better we can understand God.

After we gain an understanding of God, we will have a better idea of what to expect, what to listen for. Listen is defined as giving attention with the intention of hearing; wait attentively for a sound. It is pretty hard to give our attention to God if we are distracted by all that's going on around us. And you can't really be attentively waiting for a sound if you're busy talking. So when trying to hear from God it is a good idea to be somewhere quiet where you wont be distracted by other things and be silent. I recently read something by Joyce Meyers where she explained that her daughter had prayed to God asking if there was anything that he wanted to say to her before she began her day and just waited in silence. As she waited she felt in her heart that God said "Go, i am with you". Comforting words that would prove to be necessary in the next few days as unexpected bad news had arisen.

God also speaks to us through others and or circumstances. Just the other day I had someone come up to me and tell me the Lord had showed them something. We sat and spoke for a bit (well he spoke i listened) and i will be taking action on what was discussed. ^"22 But be ye doers of the word, and not hearers only, deceiving your own selves" James 1:22. It may not always be a word that God uses. Sometimes the only way God can teach us something is to allow circumstances in our life to lead us to and THROUGH the very thing we need to discover.  Joyce Meyer had said "There's no such thing as a drive-through break-through."

When we recieve a word from God whether it be from him directly, someone else, or circumstance, obtaining the word is not the end. With the knowledge we must now act on it and go forth. The road ahead may not always be easy, it may not always seem doable but God WILL see you through it. As our Bishop preached on Sunday in service, continue to fight the good fight. There may be stumbling blocks, and road blocks and speed bumps along the way but do not quit and do not give up. 

Hebrew 12:1-13 "Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a great cloud of witnesses, let us throw off everything that hinders and the sin that so easily entangles. And let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us, ² fixing our eyes on Jesus, the pioneer and perfecter of faith. For the joy set before him he endured the cross, scorning its shame, and sat down at the right hand of the throne of God. ³ Consider him who endured such opposition from sinners, so that you will not grow weary and lose heart. ⁴ In your struggle against sin, you have not yet resisted to the point of shedding your blood. ⁵ And have you completely forgotten this word of encouragement that addresses you as a father addresses his son? It says, 

“My son, do not make light of the Lord’s discipline,
    and do not lose heart when he rebukes you,
⁶ because the Lord disciplines the one he loves,
    and he chastens everyone he accepts as his son.”^[a]

⁷ Endure hardship as discipline; God is treating you as his children. For what children are not disciplined by their father? ⁸ If you are not disciplined—and everyone undergoes discipline—then you are not legitimate, not true sons and daughters at all. ⁹ Moreover, we have all had human fathers who disciplined us and we respected them for it. How much more should we submit to the Father of spirits and live! ¹⁰ They disciplined us for a little while as they thought best; but God disciplines us for our good, in order that we may share in his holiness. ¹¹ No discipline seems pleasant at the time, but painful. Later on, however, it produces a harvest of righteousness and peace for those who have been trained by it. ¹² Therefore, strengthen your feeble arms and weak knees. ¹³ “Make level paths for your feet,”^[b] so that the lame may not be disabled, but rather healed."

Weekly Devotional: Forgive Quickly

The word forgive appears in various forms i.e. forgiveness, forgiving, forgiven in the bible over 150 times, and yet this is a concept that many people struggle with.

Webster defines forgive as:

1

a :  to give up resentment of or claim to requital for <forgive an insult>

b :  to grant relief from payment of <forgive a debt>

2

:  to cease to feel resentment against (an offender) :  pardon <forgive one's enemies>

 

Forgiving is a topic that is difficult for many people, myself included and takes time to learn. Thankfully, Jesus showed the perfect example of how we should forgive others.

 

Forgiveness was a concept that I struggled with for many years. I would hold grudges and completely cut people out of my life if they wronged me. Forgiveness was a word not a part of my vocabulary except, of course, when I needed God to forgive me. Thankfully, God revealed to me that just as I had made mistakes which hurt him, others had made mistakes which hurt me. I wanted God to forgive me so who was I not to forgive others even when they did not ask for it. By reminding myself that people make mistakes which sometimes hurt me allowed me to forgive.  I thought I had finally figured out the key to forgiveness until I was tested again.

 

This test came in the form of the person who I always had issues forgiving… my father. The relationship between my father and I has always been extremely fragile. My father was not a part of my life growing up and as a result there had been many years of hurt, disappointments, anger and resentment. However, I had forgiven him and in recent years we had been delicately working to build a relationship. After I had gotten engaged I told my father who was extremely happy for me. I told him that I wanted him to attend the wedding and he said he would. A few weeks prior to the wedding I called him to confirm he would be attending since I had not heard from him. Unfortunately, he told me that due to a potential job position he would not be able to attend. For me this was devastating. I could not imagine how a father would not want to see his only daughter get married.   It was a horrible blow to our relationship one that I did not know if we would be able to recover from.  I wrestled with the idea of forgiving him for days before I honestly believe I was able to forgive him.

 

At our small group meeting someone said “Forgive as quickly as you expect God to forgive you” This phrase has stuck with me since that day. I believe that God will forgive me as soon as I ask him to, however I struggle with extending that same courtesy to others. If I am to walk in forgiveness not only do I have to follow the commandment to forgive, but I must also forgive as Christ forgave. He demonstrated forgiveness up until the time of death when he prayed “father forgive them for they know not what they do” Jesus forgave the very people who were putting him to death and causing him extreme agony.  The best part about God is that he forgives and remembers our sins no more. People often use the phrase “I will forgive you, but I will never forget.” This goes against what God does for us.  We should strive to forgive quickly, forget, and to love just as Jesus did.  This week I encourage you to forgive those who have hurt you.

 

Brittney