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2 Corinthians 10:4 NASB "for the weapons of our warfare are not of the flesh, but divinely powerful for the destruction of fortresses."It was time to bring in a bigger hammer! Today's Word shares about our weapons of warfare and how they need to be of God! It was stuck, I tried this and that but I finally had to go get a bigger hammer to hit it with so it would break free. I knew I should have gotten the sledge hammer out first, I could have saved myself a lot of time and trouble. Too often, we don't go to God first for help, but try to do it on our own. Only after we tried, then we go to God for His Help, just imagine if we went to Him first?! Asking God to destroy some of the strongholds in our life isn't a sign of weakness but in fact a sign of strength. That our faith is stronger in Him than ourselves. Let's let Him be the powerful tool we used to break free of our sin. peace, tom
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1 Corinthians 10:31 NASB "Therefore, whether you eat or drink, or whatever you do, do all things for the glory of God."There's nothing like sharing a meal with friends! Today we read some rather strong words about no matter what we do, we should be doing it for the glory of God! Who doesn't like to sit down with friends and share a meal?! A time to get caught up with what's going on in each other's life, an opportunity to laugh a bit, maybe even cry a bit depending on the conversation, but gathering together helps us stay connected! Many years ago, He gathered with His friends to share a meal that meant so much more than bread and wine. He was to share with them a new commandment, that we love one another as He has loved us. May we take time this week and remember, remember His Words, Actions and how He glorified His Father for us but taking our sin and making us clean! He brought His Father glory by being obedient, how are we doing in bringing God the glory?! peace, tom
Philippians 4:6 NASB "Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything by prayer and pleading with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God."I wasn't sure when it would happen! Today's Word is about not being anxious but be in prayer and thanksgiving as we wait. Whether it was catching my first fish or waiting for the "go bell" to ring at the fire house, the anxious waiting could have been overwhelming. Waiting with anxiousness can be so consuming that we lose sight of anything else in our life. Whether we are waiting for answered prayer or the report of recent health test, we need to keep perspective that God is in control. We can't rush the results or make time go faster. Things will come when the time is ready. Many years ago, God had a specific time for our sins to be forgiven. A time when Jesus would take them upon Himself and what did He do before that - He went to the garden and prayed. A great example for us who wait. Let us wait in prayerful thanksgiving and know He is in control! peace, tom
Philippians 2:8 NASB "And being found in appearance as a man, He humbled Himself by becoming obedient to the point of death: death on a cross." Being humble means putting others first! Today's Word speaks about what Jesus was about to face by the end of His Week! He stepped back and allowed others to go first, that was his nature. My dad had taught me many things in life and one of them was to be humble, to realize how blessed I was and to allow others to go first. It was his nature to think of others before himself, maybe that's why he enjoyed going the extra mile for others. Whether it was delivering a free pizza to them, or just a bit of candy, he always thought of others. As I look back upon his life, and the many things he shared with me, learning to be humble was one of the best. Jesus humbled Himself and put you and me first by taking our sin upon the Cross. That's being humble to the tenth degree. What about us, can we humble ourselves for others, and be an example to many?! peace, tom
Hebrews 11:25 NASB "choosing rather to endure ill-treatment with the people of God than to enjoy the temporary pleasures of sin"And then we run across this verse! Today's verse speaks about choice and which group of people we choose to be with. I remember it well, it was early in my walk with Christ when I had to make a choice. I could either go with my old friends to do some mischief or go to a Bible study. I chose the Bible Study and when the guys found out, they ran me up and down the flag pole (if you know what I mean!) There was a part of me that wanted to even with them for giving me such a hard time but this is how God works... the minister taught about forgiving our enemies at the Bible study that night and how revenge is best left to God. Looking back, I know I made the right decision, now it was time to invite those guys to come with me to the study... what do you choose? peace, tom
1 Timothy 2:8 NASB "Therefore I want the men in every place to pray, lifting up holy hands, without anger and dispute." It was a sight to see! Today's Word is about praying together without anger or disagreement! I love men's conferences! If you ever have the opportunity to go to one, grab a buddy and go! At a recent men's conference, I stood back for a moment and watched. I saw men praying together, praying for one another, praying for their families, praying for their pastors! I saw men praising God, lifting up their hands in worship. The speakers hit their targets in sharing the Word and the message they gave, the breakout sessions hit upon different topics to encourage us to be stronger, go deeper, and live Jesus. When men stand together as one, with the power of the Holy Spirit, nothing can stop us. Don't let a men's conference pass you by without attending it, it will change your life, strengthen your faith and you will come away blessed! peace, tom
Romans 8:37 NASB "But in all these things we overwhelmingly conquer through Him who loved us."To see his face was worth it! Today's Word tells us to be overwhelming conquerers! When he first started coming to the group, he was depressed, had almost given up but a year later, things were different! He had struggled with so many things to the point where he wanted to give up. He heard about our meeting and decided to give it one last chance. He came, he was truthful with his life choices and he asked for prayer. What he didn't know was that the guys in the group really cared about him. Each of us prayed, each of us reached out to make sure he was on the right path, each of us encouraged him to stay close to Christ and keep fighting the temptations. A year later, he announced that with Christ, he had conquer those things that he struggled with. He knew the journey wasn't over but he could face each day knowing that with God all things are possible. Don't give up, never surrender and give God the glory! peace, tom
Titus 2:7 ESV "Show yourself in all respects to be a model of good works, and in your teaching show integrity, dignity,"I am so glad I had him as a teacher! Today's Word speaks to how we respect others and teach others with integrity and dignity! I have been blessed to say that there have been many men in my life who have taught me things. From a father who showed me Christ, to uncles who care enough to part of my life, to instructors at rookie school - the list is endless. The key to all of them was how they not only treated me but how they treated others as well. When I look back on my life, I see a group of men who cared enough to get involved. They simply cared! Now it's my time and I pray I live up to the example they shared. Each of us have the opportunity to show respect, to be models of good works, and teach others with integrity and dignity and of course follow our greatest example, Jesus Christ! Lead well! peace, tom
1 Thessalonians 5:14 NASB "We urge you, brothers and sisters, admonish the unruly, encourage the fainthearted, help the weak, be patient with everyone."It wasn't the conversation I wanted to have but it had to be said! Today's verse urges us to admonish, encourage, and help with patience! We had been working on the same crew for a few weeks when it became apparent that his goal was to find ways to slack off, not work hard, and just kind of disappear when the heavy work started. I called him into my office and began to admonish him about his work ethic. I encouraged him to start over on Monday but when Monday came, he didn't show up for work. After work, I called him. I asked him if he was ok and what happened. He said that he didn't want to work for the company anymore, that the work was too hard and he quit. People have choice, he could have stayed and stepped up or he could quit. He did the later and never came back. I still pray for him, that he finds his way regarding his attitude towards working. It always comes down to choice! peace, tom
Romans 5:3 NASB "And not only this, but we also celebrate in our tribulations, knowing that tribulation brings about perseverance"It's one of those verses when we say "what"?! Today we read about celebrating in our tribulations which will give us the strength to go on. It almost sounds ridiculous to rejoice in trouble, but that's what today's verse states. I don't know about you but it's not the first thing on my mind when trouble hits. To celebrate when tribulations comes our way teaches us that when they are over, we can see that we persevered and got through them. Anyone who has struggled with some sort of health issue knows how hard it is to rejoice in it but going to God, and asking Him for the strength to see us through, can be a form of celebration. We see that going to Him celebrates our faith that God will help us and He will. It just may not be as fast as we want it but, that gives us more time to celebrate the fact that He is with us through the tribulation. Hold the faith, rejoice while we are in the thick of it and He will see us through! peace, tom
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Tom SEmberAuthor of Daily Devotions Archives
December 2024
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