“WAY OF ESCAPE”

TUESDAY

MI DAILY DEVOTION

“WAY OF ESCAPE”

(Genesis 3:1- 2) 1- “Now the serpent was more subtle than any beast of the field which the LORD God had made. And he said unto the woman, Yea, hath God said, Ye shall not eat of every tree of the garden? 2- And the woman said unto the serpent, We may eat of the fruit of the trees of the garden:”

“The prisoners will do everything in their hands and power to make a way of escape from the nightmares of being behind the iron bars.”

“Freedom” is the only wealth a prisoner may desire to have inside the jail and to escape or by living a good moral character and the mercy of a powerful individual is their only way out.”

Dr. Billy Graham wrote; “Years ago I heard my friend J. Edwin Orr compare the Christian attacked by Satan to a mouse being attacked by a housewife wielding a broom. The mouse does not sit there contemplating the housewife or the broom, he is busy looking for a hole- a way to escape. So we Christian under satanic attack should look for a “way of escape.” (Peace with God, page 157)

(I Corinthians 10:13) “There hath no temptation taken you but such as is common to man: but God is faithful, who will not suffer you to be tempted above that ye are able; but will with the temptation also make a way to escape, that ye may be able to bear it.”

THE LORD- THE CHIEF SHEPHERD OF THE SHEEP

MONDAY

MI DAILY DEVOTION

THE LORD- THE CHIEF SHEPHERD OF THE SHEEP

(John 10:11-13) 11- ”I am the good shepherd: the good shepherd giveth his life for the sheep.12- But he that is an hireling, and not the shepherd, whose own the sheep are not, seeth the wolf coming, and leaveth the sheep, and fleeth: and the wolf catcheth them, and scattereth the sheep. 13- The hireling fleeth, because he is an hireling, and careth not for the sheep.”

“The shepherd stays with his sheep night and day. In the morning he counts them under his staff. Obedient to his call, they follow him to their pasture. At sunset they are led into caves or enclosures made of rough stones and the shepherd stays at night in a booth made of branches near the entrance, to be ready to protect his flock from thieves and from wild beasts.” (Nelson’s New Compact Illustrated Bible Dictionary, “Shepherd”, page 247) (Psalm 23:1- 6)

We have the Shepherd walking and leading us to His way, His will, His work and His word. “The Chief Shepherd is someone that can be trusted for this life and the life to come.” “You can’t be a good shepherd and at the same time feed your sheep with poisons, lead them to destruction and not care for them today and for their destiny.” ElyRS

(John 10:11; 15) 11- “15- As the Father knoweth me, even so know I the Father: and I lay down my life for the sheep.”

“STUDY TO BE QUIET…”

SUNDAY

MI DAILY DEVOTION

“STUDY TO BE QUIET…”

(I Thessalonians 4:11- 12) 11- “And that ye study to be quiet, and to do your own business, and to work with your own hands, as we commanded you; 12- That ye may walk honestly toward them that are without, and that ye may have lack of nothing.”

“Man’s tongue could either destroy the whole world or build the kingdom.” ElyRS

“We have our tongue for us to use for the glory of God, lead people to the truth and to the Cross, encourage someone with appreciation and godly wisdom. But don’t let the enemy use it to destroy man’s life, dignity and future. It’s the power of the tongue” ElyRS

(James 3:5- 10) 5- “Even so the tongue is a little member, and boasteth great things. Behold, how great a matter a little fire kindleth! 6- And the tongue is a fire, a world of iniquity: so is the tongue among our members, that it defileth the whole body, and setteth on fire the course of nature; and it is set on fire of hell. 7- For every kind of beasts, and of birds, and of serpents, and of things in the sea, is tamed, and hath been tamed of mankind: 8- But the tongue can no man tame; it is an unruly evil, full of deadly poison. 9- Therewith bless we God, even the Father; and therewith curse we men, which are made after the similitude of God. 10- Out of the same mouth proceedeth blessing and cursing. My brethren, these things ought not so to be.”

THE MARKS OF A GREAT CHURCH

SATURDAY

MI DAILY DEVOTION

THE MARKS OF A GREAT CHURCH

(III John 1:5- 6) 5- “Beloved, thou doest faithfully whatsoever thou doest to the brethren, and to strangers; 6- Which have borne witness of thy charity before the church: whom if thou bring forward on their journey after a godly sort, thou shalt do well:”

“A great church is a church where love, humility and unity seats in…” ElyRS

“The church is like a home that needs to be built in a good, right and solid foundation.” ElyRS

“The Christian church is not a society of integrated personalities, nor of philosophers, nor of mystics, or even of good people. It is a society of broken personalities, of men and women with troubled minds, of people who know that they are not good. The Christian church is a society of sinners. It is the only society in the world, membership in which is based upon the single qualification that the candidate shall be unworthy of membership.” (Charles Clayton Morrison in “What is Christianity?” Harper & Bros) From the book “Speaker’s Illustrations for Special Days by Charles L Wallis, Editor.

(Colossians 2:17) “Which are a shadow of things to come; but the body is of Christ.”

FAITH IS THE ONLY WAY

FRIDAY

MI DAILY DEVOTION

FAITH IS THE ONLY WAY

(Hebrews 11:1; 6) “Now faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen.; 6- But without faith it is impossible to please him: for he that cometh to God must believe that he is, and that he is a rewarder of them that diligently seek him.”

“Your faith in God and to what He can do in your life is your reaction to God’s Holy Word and your reverence to His blessed name.” ElyRS

“Taking a leap of faith is an expression of what is inside your heart; even if you’re in an obscure darkness, not seeing and feeling anything, but the hands of God working in your inner being.” ElyRS

Charles Haddon Spurgeon in his devotional book “Morning by Morning” wrote; “Christian, take good care of your faith, for remember, faith is the only way whereby you can obtain blessings. If we ask blessings from God, nothing can bring them down but faith. Prayer cannot draw down answers from God’s throne unless it it the earnest prayer of the man who believes.” (“Morning by Morning” March 19, page 87)

(Hebrews 11:33) “Who through faith subdued kingdoms, wrought righteousness, obtained promises, stopped the mouths of lions,”

YOUR HOME MUST BE GOD’S HOME

THURSDAY

MI DAILY DEVOTION

YOUR HOME MUST BE GOD’S HOME

(Mark 3:25) “And if a house be divided against itself, that house cannot stand.”

“A home is a not a place for show, but a place where love dwells.” ElyRS

“A home must be a place of worship and not a place for after work shifts.” ElyRS

One of my favorite classic song about home is Sandy Patti’s song; “LOVE WILL BE OUR HOME” The first and second verses are powerful and have touched my heart.

“If home is really where the heart is
Then home must be a place that we all share
for even with our difference our hearts are much the same
And where love is we come together there.

With love our hearts can be a family
And hope can bring this family face to face
And though we may be far apart our hearts can be as one
When love brings us together in one place.” (Yahoo at LyricZZ.com)

(I Timothy 5:4) “But if any widow have children or nephews, let them learn first to show piety at home, and to requite their parents: for that is good and acceptable before God.”

GIVE ‘TILL IT HURTS

WEDNESDAY

MI DAILY DEVOTION

GIVE ‘TILL IT HURTS

(Philippians 4:19) “But my God shall supply all your need according to his riches in glory by Christ Jesus.”

“Giving is an act of kindness, not because of necessity or it’s necessary on your part; but it’s because of your deep urge to do it from your heart, in the name of love.” ElyRS

“Giving is sharing, sharing for the sake of Christ and in the name of Jesus” ElyRS

 “He would recompense it: But my God shall supply all your wants according to his riches in glory by Christ Jesus, v. 19. He does as it were draw a bill upon the exchequer in heaven, and leaves it to God to make them amends for the kindness they had shown him. "e shall do it, not only as your God, but as my God, who takes what is done to me as done to himself. You supplied my needs, according to your poverty; and he shall supply yours, according to his riches.’’ But still it is by Christ Jesus; through him we have grace to do that which is good, and through him we must expect the reward of it. Not of debt, but of grace; for the more we do for God the more we are indebted to him, because we receive the more from him.” (The Bible Collection, Matthew Henry)

(Acts 20:35) “I have showed you all things, how that so labouring ye ought to support the weak, and to remember the words of the Lord Jesus, how he said, It is more blessed to give than to receive.”

WE’RE NOT PERECT, JUST FORGIVEN!

TUESDAY

MI DAILY DEVOTION

WE’RE NOT PERECT, JUST FORGIVEN!

(Luke 7:47- 48) “Wherefore I say unto thee, Her sins, which are many, are forgiven; for she loved much: but to whom little is forgiven, the same loveth little. 48- And he said unto her, Thy sins are forgiven.”

There was a sticker in a car which says; “IF YOU THINK YOU’RE PERFECT, TRY WALKING ON THE WATER!” and the other one said; “Christians are not perfect, they’re just forgiven”. Those are true indeed.

“Forgiveness is dropping off all your baggage behind you in the ocean of love- the love of God, and not to be taken back forever and ever” ElyRS

Mr. Max Lucado said; “Regardless of what you have done, it’s not too late. Regardless of how far you’ve fallen, it’s not too late. It doesn’t matter how low the mistake is, it’s not too late to dig down, pull out that mistake, and then let it go- and be free. What makes a Christian a Christian is not perfection but forgiveness” (Grace or the Moment, “Not Perfection, But Forgiveness” April 18, page 127).

(Acts 8:22) “Repent therefore of this thy wickedness, and pray God, if perhaps the thought of thine heart may be forgiven thee.”

“FORGIVENESS AND FORGETTING…

MI DAILY DEVOTION

MONDAY

“FORGIVENESS AND FORGETTING…”

(Psalm 103:10- 12)

“He hath not dealt with us after our sins; nor rewarded us according to our iniquities. 11- For as the heaven is high above the earth, so great is his mercy toward them that fear him. 12- As far as the east is from the west, so far hath he removed our transgressions from us.”

Forgiveness is forgetting the sin, mistakes, fault of the other party without any condition or resentment. ElyRS

“When we come to Christ, God imparts His righteousness to us. It is as if an accounting entry had been made in the books in heaven, declaring us righteous for Christ’s sake. The Divine Bookkeeper cancels our debt!” Dr. Billy Graham (Hope for Each Day April 14, “Forgiveness and Fellowship”)

(I John 1:9) “If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.”

“WHAT GOD CAN DO TO A MAN FULLY SURRENDERED TO GOD”

MI DAILY DEVOTION 08-01-11

“WHAT GOD CAN DO TO A MAN FULLY SURRENDERED TO GOD”

(Proverbs 2:5) “Then shalt thou understand the fear of the LORD, and find the knowledge of God.”

My name is Virgilio Pansacala, (AKA) Ver. I started my search for a deeper relationship with God since I was 12 years old. I struggled with the truth that I was a sinner because since childhood, I have been good and very religious. My mother influenced me to be a religious kid. I used to serve with my mother in church which I enjoyed very much. One day, I was in the church looking at the cross which leads me to a question; “Am I serving the true God and in the right way?” But while I pondered on that question in my heart, due to the heat and dehydration, I collapsed and when I gained consciousness, I found myself outside the church. That was the last time I visited the church and I started my search for God outside the church.  When I was in high school, my classmate gave me a Gideon International NT Bible and I started reading it. Then, I began to realized that my former belief and practiced were totally different to the Lord Jesus Christ’s teachings in the New Testament such as the mass, the baptism, the Lord Supper, the confession, the prayers and even the Bible itself. In 1979, I found a Baptist church where all the questions in my mind and my searched about the Bible and my belief had come to an end. Because of my self-righteousness, I thought I was already saved but when I was asked where I would be when I die, I don’t have the answer. On that night, I decided to end my self-righteousness. I admitted that I was a sinner; going to hell and I need a Saviour. I repented of my sins and received the Lord Jesus Christ in my heart. There’s joy in my heart that I cannot explain when I put my trust in Him. I felt His loving care and never in my life that I felt lonely and empty. Jesus Christ is in me and I claimed His promised that “He will never leave me nor forsake me.” I am married to Lucy and we were blessed with 2 God fearing and loving children; Vernon and Vernice. I started a church in Whitley Bay, United Kingdom. And I just started a new work (a church plant) in Monroe, Michigan; partnering with First Baptist church of Trenton, Michigan, with Frenchtown Missionary Baptist Church, Baptist State Convention of Michigan and the Philippine International Christian Church of Trenton, Michigan. To God be the glory! Amen

“NO SUCH THING AS CHRISTIAN TERRORISTS” (WHO ARE THE TRUE CHRISTIANS?)

MI DAILY DEVOTION 07-31-11

“NO SUCH THING AS CHRISTIAN TERRORISTS” (WHO ARE THE TRUE CHRISTIANS?)

(Acts 11:26) “And when he had found him, he brought him unto Antioch. And it came to pass, that a whole year they assembled themselves with the church, and taught much people. And the disciples were called Christians first in Antioch.”

“When the "enemy" is different, an outsider, it's easier to draw quick conclusions, to develop stereotypes. It's simply human nature: There is "us," and there is "them." But what happens when the enemy looks like us — from the same tradition and belief system? McVeigh and Breivik were both "good-looking young Caucasians, self-enlisted soldiers in an imagined cosmic war to save Christendom ... and both were Christian terrorists," Juergensmeyer wrote.

In a column for Salon.com, Alex Pareene said Breivik is not an American-style evangelical, but he listed other connections to Christianity. "All of this says 'Christian terrorist,'" Pareene wrote.

Such claims drew strong resistance. "Breivik is not a Christian. That's impossible. No one believing in Jesus commits mass murder," Bill O'Reilly said on his Fox News show.” (Yahoo News) Christianity’s foundation is not in religion based on man’s idea and belief, but in the Word of God and in the Lord Jesus Christ. You can’t be a Christian and a terrorist, because Christianity is about LOVE- the love of God and the love of the Lord Jesus Christ- the Savior of the world. (John 3:16) Christians gave their lives to serve and not to kill. We are serving God as a living sacrifice and not to die for the sake of Christianity. (Galatians 2:20; Romans 12:1- 2) Christianity is not a religion but an experience. It’s a “born again” experience through the Lord Jesus Christ. It means a new birth! (John 3:1- 6; II Corinthians 5:17) If you’re a Christian, you can’t be a terrorist and if you’re a terrorist, you’re not a Christian!

WORSHIP IS A STRING OF BREATHING HOLES THE LORD PROVIDES HIS PEOPLE

MI DAILY DEVOTION 07-30-11

WORSHIP IS A STRING OF BREATHING HOLES THE LORD PROVIDES HIS PEOPLE

(Hebrews 10:25) “Not forsaking the assembling of ourselves together, as the manner of some is; but exhorting one another: and so much the more, as ye see the day approaching.”

Few years ago, the world watched as three gray whales, icebound off Point Barrow, Alaska, floated battered and bloody, gasping for breath at a hole in the ice. Their only hope: somehow to be transported five miles past the ice pack open sea. Rescuers began cutting a string of breathing holes about twenty yards apart in the six-inch-thick ice. For eight days they coaxed the whales from one hole to the next, mile after mile. Along the way, one of the trio vanished and was presumed dead. But finally, with the help of Russian icebreakers, 2 of the whales swam to freedom.

In a way, Worship is a string of breathing holes the Lord provides his people. Battered and bruised in a world frozen over with greed, selfishness, and hatred, we rise for air in church, a place to breathe again, to be loved and encouraged, until that day when the Lord forever shatters the ice cap. (Craig Brian Larson, Arlington  Heights, Illinois. Leadership, Vol. 11, no 2)

(John 4:24) “God is a Spirit: and they that worship him must worship him in spirit and in truth.”