Devot. Father's Day

Hi Folks,

I hope you had a good Fathers Day weekend either celebrating with your dads if they are still living or having good memories of him if he is no longer living.  

I've said it many times before, but I also sympathize if Father's Day is not the most pleasant of days for you.  Not everyone has a a father who is a good day or loves the Lord.  

I was very blessed to have a good father, but I realize that not everyone has and I've have met folks who did not have a happy childhood because of that.  But...they have come to learn, embrace and rejoice in the fact that because they have accepted Jesus Christ as their Savior, they have a Heavenly Father who is always there for them and they feel His very real love.   

1 John 3:1 states, "Behold what manner of love the Father has bestowed on us, that we should be called children of [a]God!"

Galatians 3:26 says, "For ye are all the children of God by faith in Christ Jesus."

Romans 8:14-15, " For as many as are led by the Spirit of God, they are the sons of God. For ye have not received the spirit of bondage again to fear; but ye have received the Spirit of adoption, whereby we cry, Abba, Father (means "Daddy, Poppa")."

When a child is adopted into a family, they are given the family's name and legal become apart of it. An adopted child also cannot be legally disowned.  When we receive Jesus Christ as our Savior, we are adopted into God's family.  He becomes our Heavenly Father who cares more about us than any human parent could in their humaness(He showed this by giving His life for us) and we are His child for eternity. 

My mom has told me that it was very easy for her to accept Christ as her Savior and see Him as her Heavenly Father because she had such a wonderful dad.  But maybe it's hard for you to see God that way because of how your dad was.   I have a devot below, "Knowing God as Our Father" that I would encourage you to read this week.   

The other devots. can apply to the dads, but I also say that they apply to the guys in general.  Until you are a father, you still may have a longer man looking up to you that you can mentor, be a Christ like example for.

How young men today need godly examples to look up to and follow! (The Glory of the Children is a good one, in my opinion for guys in general.

Ladies, if you are single, these devots. will give you an idea of what to look for in a future husband and dad for your children.    If you are a married lady, then maybe one of these devots. will catch your eye and you can encourage your husband to read it. 

I pray each of you will find something useful and encouraging to read that will spiritually encourage you.

Lord bless you and yours!  

(5 devots. below for you to choose from.)

(Both Devots below are Read and Share.   Taken from https://www.dayspring.com/articles/what-the-father-says-about-fathers?utm_source=Sailthru&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=NEBNANE20190616WhattheFatherSaysAboutFathersArticles&utm_term=DaySpring%20Newsletter%20%2B%20Daily%20Devotion%20List)

What the Father Says About Father's Day:

https://www.dayspring.com/articles/what-the-father-says-about-fathers utm_source=Sailthru&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=NEBNANE20190616WhattheFatherSaysAboutFathersArticles&utm_term=DaySpring%20Newsletter%20%2B%20Daily%20Devotion%20List

A Letter to My Son on Father's Day:  (Written from a mother to her son, but certainly the Biblical principles inside could be from a dad to a son or a good reminder to the guys in general.)

https://www.dayspring.com/articles/a-letter-to-my-son-on-fathers-day utm_source=Sailthru&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=NEBNANE20190616WhattheFatherSaysAboutFathersArticles&utm_term=DaySpring%20Newsletter%20%2B%20Daily%20Devotion%20List

Do Father's Really Matter:  (Used by permission taken from 

https://www.intouch.org/read/magazine/daily-devotions/do-fathers-really-matter

Knowing God as Our Father: 

https://www.intouch.org/read/magazine/daily-devotions/knowing-god-as-our-father

(Both devots. from https://www.intouch.org/read/magazine/daily-devotions/) Used by permission taken from )

The Glory of the Children: (How a dad's "testimony", his reputation reflects on how his children will turn out.  Great Bible principle in general on our influence!)

https://www.icr.org/article/11321/. (Used by permission.  Taken from https://www.icr.org)

Devot. Living Out Our Faith

Hi Folks,

I hope you are having a good week!

Our devot. is on living out your faith in Jesus in such a way that folks can tell that there has been a radical change in your life (that only God could ever do).  You aren't the same person you once were and that can be a good thing!  

The Bible shares in 2 Corinthians 5:17 that when we have trusted Christ for salvation, we become a new "creature" in Christ.   "Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; old things have passed away; behold, all things have become new."

God prunes us of our old nature and gives us a new nature, a desire to live for Him, be like Him in our lifestyle, speech and dress.   We are given His strength (not our own) to live in a Christ like way.  

I was speaking to someone just this past weekend about trusting Jesus as their Savior.  They had never trusted Christ for salvation, but their spouse had 5 years ago and they said that they definitely were not the same person that they married 10 years ago and for the better.  They were a changed person (by the power of God).   

This devot. shares that the strongest tool you have in talking about Jesus and sharing Him with others is your "testimony": your account of what has happened in your life and the evidence of a changed life because of Jesus being your Savior.   I've used this old expression before, "You may be the only Bible someone will read." 

Pray that this devot. gives you spiritual food for thought.  

Blessings! 

Devot. Living Out Our Faith

https://www.intouch.org/read/magazine/daily-devotions/living-out-our-faith

(Used by permission.   Taken from https://www.intouch.org)

Devot. Infusing Faith in a Busy Life

Hi Folks,

I hope you had a good week!

The devot. to for this week is how to Infuse Faith in Christ into your busy week, not just save it for Sundays, or "religious" holidays, but how to make your relationship in Christ personal to your everyday life and make time for it.

I can personally relate by saying that most mornings I hit the ground running and realize after the fact that  I didn't read even a small passage of Scripture to get my morning going.   On the flip side, I realize that when  I don't, my days don't usually go well.  I'm not patient as I should be, "others" focusing as I should be, I'm not thinking as Jesus would have me to think at all.   My day is "off."   

When I take the time to spend even just 20 minutes in the morning reading a few verses of Scripture and asking for the Lord to help me reflect Him through my day, have patience and His wisdom as I make decisions, I find that I can see Him actively helping me through every moment, esp. the times when I need Him the most.

Now I've had folks say to me, "I don't have time to read my Bible, I'm too busy."  

I understand completely.   However, I remember a former pastor of mine saying that I wasn't "Quantity", but the "Quality" of what you read that makes the difference.   He would suggest picking a book of the Bible to read, reading just a few verses and then pondering them through the day.   There are other suggestions I could make, but I will save some useful suggestions for later:)

What I will close with is that the Lord Jesus wishes to be apart of each of our days, and not just the hard ones.

We will discuss this more later.  Pray the devotional below is a refreshing, spiritual boost to your weekend!

Devot.

https://www.dayspring.com/articles/3-tips-for-managing-a-busy-life?utm_source=Sailthru&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=NEBNANN2019-05-22InfusingFaithInABusyLifeArticles&utm_term=DaySpring%20Newsletter%20%2B%20Daily%20Devotion%20List

(Read and Share.  https://www.dayspring.com/articles/)

Devot. Memorial Day

Hi Folks,

I hope you had a good week and good day celebrating Memorial Day with family and friends a few weeks back!

In thinking about Memorial Day, I remember watching a video/news clip a few years ago.

A group of military moms met together to share their stories with each other and the nation.

One of the moms spoke and said that for most American families Memorial Day is a day 

to have picnics, spend time with family and friends and having fun, military families have a different perspective.   

It is a day for them to grieve, to remember their loved ones who are no longer with them and who will never return home.  

Hearing this military mom speak gave me a wholesome, new, reflective, perspective that I am so grateful for. It reminds me to pray for our military families on this day, to be sensitive to those who have lost, to be tactful, yet sincerely grateful as I thank ones who has served, as well as enjoy the time I have with my family.

I found the below quote in a newspaper article on https://www.msn.com.  George H. W. Bush said "Each of the patriots whom we remember on this day was first a beloved son or daughter, a brother or sister, or a spouse, friend, and neighbor."  

I pray that the links below are a blessing to your weekend!  Lord bless you and yours.

Short Video on the History of Memorial Day (I found this very heartfelt!, brought tears to my eyes.) : https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uw1LjaFy9Mo

Memorial Day Scriptures: 

https://www.dayspring.com/articles/a-memorial-day-weekend-scripture?utm_source=Sailthru&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=NEBNAEN2019-05-26MemorialDayWeekendScripturesArticles&utm_term=DaySpring%20Newsletter%20%2B%20Daily%20Devotion%20List

Prayer for our Military Families: 

https://www.dayspring.com/articles/a-prayer-for-military-families

(Read and Share articles.  Taken from http://dayspring.com/articles/)

Devot. Mother's Day, Part 2

HI Folks,

I hope you had a good week!

We are going to continue on the topic of Mother's Day. This devotional mentions a young man, Timothy, who was raised by his mom and grandmother and due to their godly influence in his life, became a preacher when he grew up.

As parents, uncles, aunties and grandparents, we wish for the young people in our life to grow, prosper and 

become something.   However, God sees that a young person who gives his life to Christ, choose to live for Him

to the fullest extent of his being, shares the Gospel, leads souls towards a personal relationship to Christ as accomplishing a great deal, maybe not in the world's eyes, but eternity far outweighs/outlives the temporal..   

This descries the young man Timothy.    How did he become such a person?  Time does not permit me to take you through the various New Testament passages that highlight all his spiritual accomplishes, but the two following passages show where his spiritual upbringing began and who was responsible for it:  

2 Timothy 3:14-15, "But you must continue in the things which you have learned and been assured of, knowing from whom you have learned them and that from childhood you have known the Holy Scriptures, which are able to make you wise for salvation through faith which is in Christ Jesus."

1 Timothy 1:3-5, " I thank God, whom I serve with a pure conscience, as my forefathers did, as without ceasing I remember you in my prayers night and day, greatly desiring to see you, being mindful of your tears, that I may be filled with joy, when I call to remembrance the ^[b]genuine faith that is in you, which dwelt first in your grandmother Lois and your mother Eunice, and I am persuaded is in you also."

Timothy had the Word of God read to him, spoken about to him and instilled in him since he was a child (childhood was considered starting at age 2).  This personal faith in Christ began to grow and develop first in his mother and grandmother, and then they passed it onto Timothy. Now, faith is Christ is not given to our children/grandchildren etc.. through osmosis, thy must receive Jesus Christ for themselves, but we can then develop their love for the Lord through every day life and every chance we get.  This passage describes incorporating faith in God into everyday life; https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=deut.+6%3A4-9&version=NKJV

So Ladies and gentleman we can do the same, influence the young people in our lives for the Kingdom of God and turn out kids who make a positive, godly dent in this world!    

I hope the devot. below is a boost to your week and the sermon link I included is also helpful.  I heard it recently and thought how the principles stated from Scripture could apply to anyone who has has a young person in their life to any extent.   The sermon also dives in a great deal deeper to who Timothy is, who influenced his life and how he turned out to be such a godly young man. There is a lot of wisdom continued in the sermon of how to turn out a godly kid whether you are a mom, grandma, auntie, uncle or teacher.  Pray it's useful to your week!

Pray you have a blessed weekend!

Devot. https://www.icr.org/article/arise-call-her-blessed. (Used by permission.   Taken from https://www.icr.org)

Sermon:  https://www.faithcombible.org/sermons.html. (Under Assorted Topical Sermons, click on Influential People from Mother's Day 2019.)

Devot. Mother's Day, Part 1

Hi Folks,

I hope you had a very blessed weekend celebrating Mother's Day, whether it was celebrating as a mom/grandmom, auntie, or reflecting on what a good mom you had if she is no longer with you.   

My pastor was reminding us that mother's come in many forms-biological moms, spiritual moms, menotors-those ladies who influence others by reflecting and sharing the Lord Lord Jesus and leading others to Him through accepting Him as Lord and Savior in their personal lives, (which would make those folks her spiritual children), passing on a legacy of faith in Christ and making a difference by that example.   

The main thing to remember, whether you are a mother or not, is that if are you a lady who has trusted Jesus alone for salvation, you can have great influence on others in a a godly, Christ like way that would draw them closer to Jesus in such a way that they desire to know Him personally and live for Him in such a way that others will wish that they had Him in their life as well. 

Below are several devots. for you and you can pick what catches your eye, applies the most to your life or read them through the week:).  I have marked two with an asterisk  that I believe were the most powerful in context.  Now, these devots. don't just apply to the ladies:). 

Guys, feel free to pass onto your wives, moms, daughters ect...and read one....you may learn something that you hadn't thought about regarding mothers and the vital role they have.

 Lord bless you and yours this week!

(Read and Share.   Taken from https://www.dayspring.com/articles)

A Blessing for Moms:

https://www.dayspring.com/articles/a-blessing-for-moms?utm_source=Sailthru&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=NEBNANN2019-05-12AMother%27sDayBlessingArticles&utm_term=DaySpring%20Newsletter%20%2B%20Daily%20Devotion%20List

*A Mother's Day Story of Hope:

https://www.dayspring.com/articles/a-mothers-day-story-of-hope?utm_source=Sailthru&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=NEBNANN2019-05-12AMother%27sDayBlessingArticles&utm_term=DaySpring%20Newsletter%20%2B%20Daily%20Devotion%20List

*The Legacy of a Christian Mom:

https://e.dayspring.com/click/16817256.332481/aHR0cHM6Ly93d3cuZGF5c3ByaW5nLmNvbS9hcnRpY2xlcy90aGUtbGVnYWN5LW9mLWEtY2hyaXN0aWFuLW1vbQ/534ea7f8c3ae1582f8523564Eba61efac

To Single Moms, On Mother's Day:

https://e.dayspring.com/click/16839141.2508/aHR0cHM6Ly93d3cuZGF5c3ByaW5nLmNvbS9hcnRpY2xlcy90by1zaW5nbGUtbW9tcy1vbi1tb3RoZXJzLWRheQ/5851f907e661f0dd078b844bCbe2356cb

Encouraging Friends Through Seasons of Motherhood: 

https://www.dayspring.com/articles/encouraging-friends-through-the-seasons-of-motherhood?utm_source=Sailthru&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=NEBNANN2019-05-03EncouragingFriendsThroughSeasonsofMotherhoodArticles&utm_term=DaySpring%20Newsletter%20%2B%20Daily%20Devotion%20List

Devot. National Day of Prayer

Hi Folks,

I hope you had a good week!  

I am going to use a devotional. that is a throwback to a national occurrence on May 20th, 2019.

Thursday, May 20th was The National Day of Prayer.  "While the National Day of Prayer has occurred since 1952, 31 years ago, President Ronald Reagan signed a law designating it as always being the first Thursday of May.  This year’s National Day of Prayer theme is “Love One Another.” The theme comes from the words of Jesus in John 13:34, 'Love one another. Just as I have loved you.' Americans across all 50 states will gather in churches, local businesses, the steps of city halls, schools, neighborhoods and public gathering places for a day of public prayer for the United States of America."  

(Taken from https://awaa.org/blog/)

I saw some clips from a collective meeting of both sides of the aisle that was held in the Rotundra and it gave me goosebumps.   The prayers that were prayed, with boldness and 'in Jesus' Name' were very powerful and the music was spiritually heart stirring. Im sure that a sense of God's presence could be felt even after the meeting was over.

 

Now, before you think in terms of "separation of church and state" or the controversy over praying In Jesus' Name, I wish to remind you of the power that Jesus' Name has.   Acts 4: 8-11 states, 

8 "Then Peter, filled with the Holy Spirit, said to them, “Rulers of the people and elders of Israel: 

9 If we this day are judged for a good deed done to a helpless man, by what means he has been made well, 

10 let it be known to you all, and to all the people of Israel, that by the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth, whom you crucified, whom God raised from the dead, by Him this man stands here before you whole. 11 (In Acts 3, a lame man was healed by Peter commanding him to walk/be healed "In the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth"-verse 6).  

11 This is the ‘stone which was rejected by you builders, which has become the chief cornerstone.’ (an Old Testament reference to the coming Savior which was Jesus in the NT)

12 Nor is there salvation in any other, for there is no other name under heaven given among men by which we must be saved.”

There is no other name than Jesus' name that can save a soul from Hell!  If you read of all the NT miracles in Acts that took place after Jesus' resurrection, the men that were used by the Lord to heal folks always used "In Jesus' Name" as the means of healing.

As you look around our country with an open heard, heart and eyes, we have strayed far from the Christian roots that once grew in our country. Not trying to be depressing, just realistic  but what was legally or morally right or wrong even 30 years ago is seen as just the opposite, justice is not served the way it once was, criminals are allowed to get away with crimes, corruption is rampant, petty issues are made into mountains, folks do not respect each other in general, being of Christian faith is not respected or tolerated anymore....

I was leading a teen girls' Bible study a month ago and one of the girls asked for prayer for our world, as it seemed very messed up right now.  And that was the perception of a 13 year old!!!!   

2 Chronicles 7:14 states, "If My people who are called by My name will humble themselves, and pray and seek My face, and turn from their wicked ways, then I will hear from heaven, and will forgive their sin and heal their land."

In the context of this verse, the Lord Himself is speaking to King Solomon in verse 13 saying that He has heard a specific prayer Solomon made, but also that He would be serving justice on the Nation of Israel through a drought since they had turned their back on worshiping Him.   But that if the Nation of Israel ("My people") would humble themselves, pray, seek Him in their lives, turn from the sinful practices they had allowed to corrupt  the land, He would forgive their  sin and heal their land (physically and I think spiritually as well, as we see that when Jesus healed someone, he stated that they were forgiven of their sins and restored spiritually as well, just just physically.  God wants the whole person/country restored, not just to heal the physical, but ultimately the spiritual as well.)

In the context of us today as Believers in Jesus, God is calling those who are "children of God through faith in Jesus Christ" (Galatians 3:26) to make sure our lives are right with the Lord, we're walking in the light of how God's Word instructs us how to live. When we do, when can pray for our country to be healed and come back to God and our prayers 

can have the power to change the trajectory of our country.   There is still hope.....

Pray that the devot. below is a boost to your week and that the Lord would be with you in a special way. 

Devot. https://www.dayspring.com/articles/what-it-truly-means-to-love-one-another?utm_source=Sailthru&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=NEBNANP2019-05-02NationalDayofPrayerArticle&utm_term=DaySpring%20Newsletter%20%2B%20Daily%20Devotion%20List. (Read and Share.  Taken from https://www.dayspring.com/articles/)