WHO IS YOUR HERO?

MI DAILY DEVOTION

WEDNESDAY

WHO IS YOUR HERO?

(Galatians 6:17) “From henceforth let no man trouble me: for I bear in my body the marks of the Lord Jesus.”

Do you have an individual that you know and look up and may say; “He or She is My Hero”? I believe we all have our own “hero”. Some of the young people that I know make their favorite singers, actors or artists their hero. We also make those who excel in sports our personal hero. There’s nothing wrong about it, as long as you don’t worship and place them above God. Your “hero”; be it in sports, in music or in whatever area in life should served as an inspiration for you. You should admire and be inspired of their accomplishment, determination and discipline in life. Paul’s hero and inspiration was the Lord Jesus Christ. Paul was willing to live and die for Him. Paul was not just a member or a leader of a “Fan club” for Christ, but a dedicated and willing follower of the Lord Jesus Christ. No wonder Paul said; “for I bear in my body the marks of the Lord Jesus.” Matthew Henry wrote; “That he had cheerfully suffered persecution for the sake of Christ and Christianity, v. 17. As the cross of Christ, or the doctrine of salvation by a crucified Redeemer, was what he chiefly gloried in, so he had been willing to run all hazards rather than he would betray this truth, or suffer it to be corrupted.” (The Bible Collection)

In (Philippians 3:7- 8) 7- “But what things were gain to me, those I counted loss for Christ. 8- Yea doubtless, and I count all things but loss for the excellency of the knowledge of Christ Jesus my Lord: for whom I have suffered the loss of all things, and do count them but dung, that I may win Christ,”

BE GRATEFUL

MI DAILY DEVOTION

WEDNESDAY

BE GRATEFUL

(Exodus 16:1- 2)

11- “And the LORD spake unto Moses, saying, 12- I have heard the murmurings of the children of Israel: speak unto them, saying, At even ye shall eat flesh, and in the morning ye shall be filled with bread; and ye shall know that I am the LORD your God.”

In (I Thessalonians 5: 18) “In everything give thanks: for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus concerning you.” Thankfulness, gratefulness, gratitude, “thank you” or “praise God”- the common words we say when things are not going right and well. Unfortunately, it’s not a common vocabulary to many individuals and homes. We may have thousands of things to be thankful for, but we can easily be diverted to complain and concentrate on little things to complain about. But the Holy Bible said, “In everything give thanks:” Pastors and preachers must learn to teach their congregations to be grateful to God. Parents and teachers should help their children exercise “gratefulness” at all times. Let us be grateful to God for who we are, what we have and even for what we don’t have. In other words; contentment and satisfaction must be in our systems. It should be in our hearts, in our mind and in our soul. During my times in the Bible College at International Baptist Theological College, we have Morning devotion at 5:30 AM. Before the speaker would start sharing of the Word of God, we would sometimes sing this song:

“Thank you Lord for saving my soul;

Thank you Lord for making me whole

Thank you Lord for giving to me,

Thy great salvation so pure and free.”

(Psalm 106:1) 1-“Praise ye the LORD. O give thanks unto the LORD; for he is good: for his mercy endureth forever.”

TOO BUSY TO BE GRATEFUL

MI DAILY DEVOTION

TUESDAY

TOO BUSY TO BE GRATEFUL

(Psalm 105:1- 2) 1- “O give thanks unto the LORD; call upon his name: make known his deeds among the people. 2- Sing unto him, sing psalms unto him: talk ye of all his wondrous works.”

Have you been still and think of this word- “busy”? It’s the most popular word in the world. People will tell you; “I’m too busy at home” “I’m too busy at work” “I’m too busy with the ministry…” while some are busybodies. (II Thessalonians 3:11) “For we hear that there are some which walk among you disorderly, working not at all, but are busybodies.” They are the kind of people who watch others and bark on those who are working for God. They gossip or criticize others when they see them prosper either for the Lord or for themselves. Instead of being too busy to be grateful to God, they’re too busy to be watchful on others and not for the Lord. If you will ask Mr. Webster of the meaning of the word “busy”, he will tell you; “Occupied, actively engaged, or to make or keep busy”. (Webster’s Dictionary and Thesaurus) Notice the expressions of King David as he kept himself busy giving thanks to God. He gave thanks to God by “calling” or praying. He made known the deeds of God. He sang and he talked of God’s wondrous works. Millions of people right now are too busy to slow down, or too busy to cease from what they are doing in their business or job. They don’t have the time to look up to God and thank Him for this life and the blessings of it. In (I Thessalonians 4:10- 11) 10- “And indeed ye do it toward all the brethren which are in all Macedonia: but we beseech you, brethren, that ye increase more and more; 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;” Again, David said in (Psalm 105:5) “Remember his marvellous works that he hath done; his wonders, and the judgments of his mouth;”

“GIVE THANKS UNTO THE LORD”

MI DAILY DEVOTION

MONDAY

“GIVE THANKS UNTO THE LORD”

(Psalm 95:1- 2) 1- “O come, let us sing unto the LORD: let us make a joyful noise to the rock of our salvation. 2- Let us come before his presence with thanksgiving, and make a joyful noise unto him with psalms.”

The psalmist was telling the people around him and he was relaying the message of thanksgiving to the present generation. When you come to God, you come to Him with songs and with a joyful noise. It really doesn’t matter to the psalmist as what he was going through... As for him; he will sing praises to God and he will come before His presence with praises and thanksgiving in His heart. (Psalm 92:1- 2) “A Psalm or Song for the sabbath day. It is a good thing to give thanks unto the LORD, and to sing praises unto thy name, O most High: 2-To show forth thy lovingkindness in the morning, and thy faithfulness every night,” What the Lord wants for His people is come before Him in worship and to enter into His gates with a different perspective and spirit. One of the best things to do for God this “Thanksgiving week” is to enter into His gates with thanksgiving in our heart. It means you will come before Him in humility of worship and with a thankful heart. (Psalm 100:4- 5) 4- “Enter into his gates with thanksgiving, and into his courts with praise: be thankful unto him, and bless his name. 5-For the LORD is good; his mercy is everlasting; and his truth endureth to all generations.” Even in our trials and tribulations; we can see the Lord’s goodness, mercy and most of all His love for us. He even gives us the strength in our weakness, in our pain and sorrow. (Psalm 94:14; 18) 14- “For the LORD will not cast off his people, neither will he forsake his inheritance.  18- When I said, My foot slippeth; thy mercy, O LORD, held me up.”

THE HURDLE IN YOUR STEP TO ETERNAL LIFE

MI DAILY DEVOTION

SUNDAY

THE HURDLE IN YOUR STEP TO ETERNAL LIFE

(Romans 10:9- 10) 9- “That if thou shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus, and shalt believe in thine heart that God hath raised him from the dead, thou shalt be saved. 10- For with the heart man believeth unto righteousness; and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation.”

Confess your sins to God and make a U-turn. (I John 1:7- 10) 7- “But if we walk in the light, as he is in the light, we have fellowship one with another, and the blood of Jesus Christ his Son cleanseth us from all sin. 8- If we say that we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us. 9- If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness. 10- If we say that we have not sinned, we make him a liar, and his word is not in us.”

Someone said; “To confess, it means to say it, to look at it and deal with it as it is.” You don’t confess your sins to an individual or religious leader. You confess your sins to God because we have sinned before Him and we offended Him. When you confess your sins to God, it means you admit your sinfulness and your spiritual condition before Him. Charles H. Spurgeon wrote, “It may be that you are unsaved. Why? Do you think the plan of salvation laid down in our text is untrue? How can that be, when God has pledged His own word? Do you think it is too easy? Why then are not saved?” (Morning and Evening- October 05, Evening)

In (Matthew 3:1- 2) 1- “In those days came John the Baptist, preaching in the wilderness of Judaea, 2- And saying, Repent ye: for the kingdom of heaven is at hand.”

YOUR SELF-RESPECT OR DIGNITY, IT’S UP TO YOU?

MI DAILY DEVOTION

SATURDAY

YOUR SELF-RESPECT OR DIGNITY, IT’S UP TO YOU?

(Proverbs 19:3) “The foolishness of man perverteth his way: and his heart fretteth against the LORD.”

The other word for “dignity” is “self-respect”. According to Dictionary.com, the definition of self-respect is- “(noun) belief in your own worth and dignity.” The Free Dictionary definition of “Self-Respect” means “Due respect for oneself, one's character, and one's conduct or a proper sense of one's own dignity and integrity.”

“If you don’t believe in your own self- worth, then I believe that some of the things will not be worth believing for you. And if you don’t believe in your own worth, then you won’t be worth believing.”“Those who don’t have self-respect will not be respected by those who deserved and desire respect in any sense.” “A man who has no self- respect will not put so much respect on himself.”“You cannot destroy a man of dignity, integrity and self-respect, because his dignity, integrity and self-respect will destroy those who destroy him.” “A person’s true color will show up if he is under pressure, in trouble or in deepest needs, but if he is a man with dignity or self-respect, then he will be truthful to what he stands for and live to his conviction and belief.” “A man who fears the Lord will stand in the truth of the Word of God; even if it will hurt him, his family and his own personal belief, and financial condition. He knows that at the end, his integrity, dignity or self-respect will not be questioned and not be in jeopardy. “Whosoever believeth in Jesus will not be affected by the world’s foolishness and corruption, because he will live by faith, in His grace and by the power of the Son of God who help him stand with self-respect and integrity.” (Proverbs 19:1; 21) “Better is the poor that walketh in his integrity, than he that is perverse in his lips, and is a fool.” “There are many devices in a man's heart; nevertheless the counsel of the LORD, that shall stand.”

GOD’S WILL FOR US IS TO BE FAITHFUL IN HIS SERVICE

MONDAY

MI DAILY DEVOTION

GOD’S WILL FOR US IS TO BE FAITHFUL IN HIS SERVICE.

(Romans 12:1) 1-“I BESEECH you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that ye present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable unto God, which is your reasonable service.”

I may not be as what others are, but I can be what God wants me to be. WE MUST CLAIM THE PROMISES OF GOD, and it’s the promise of His presence. (Hebrews 13:5-6) 5- “Let your conversation be without covetousness; and be content with such things as ye have; for he hath said, I will never leave thee, nor forsake thee. 6-So that we may boldly say, The Lord is my helper, and I will not fear what man shall do unto me.” The Lord did not promise us of financial prosperity if we remain faithful to Him, but He promise us of His provision. (Deuteronomy 4:40; 5:32-33; 6:1-3) 40- “Thou shalt keep therefore his statutes, and his commandments, which I command thee this day, that it may go well with thee, and with thy children after thee, and that thou mayest prolong thy days upon the earth, which the LORD thy God giveth thee, forever.” (Deuteronomy 5:32-33) 32- “Ye shall observe to do therefore as the LORD your God hath commanded you, ye shall not turn aside to the right hand or to the left. 33- Ye shall walk in all the ways which the LORD your God hath commanded you, that ye may live, and that it may be well with you, and that ye may prolong your days in the land which ye shall possess.” It was God who made them prosperous and it was God who was in charge of their prosperity, so as with ours. The promise of God for those who remain faithful; (Revelation 2:26- 28) 26- “And he that overcometh, and keepeth my works unto the end, to him will I give power over the nations: 27- And he shall rule them with a rod of iron; as the vessels of a potter shall they be broken to shivers: even as I received of my Father. 28- And I will give him the morning star.”

YOU MUST FOLLOW THE WILL OF GOD FOR YOUR LIFE.

SUNDAY

MI DAILY DEVOTION

YOU MUST FOLLOW THE WILL OF GOD FOR YOUR LIFE.

(Matthew 26:42) “He went away again the second time, and prayed, saying, O my Father, if this cup may not pass away from me, except I drink it, thy will be done.”

God’s will for us is to be saved. (II Peter 3:9) “The Lord is not slack concerning his promise, as some men count slackness; but is longsuffering to us-ward, not willing that any should perish, but all should come to repentance.” God’s will for us is to be obedient to His Word. (John 14: 23) “Jesus answered and said unto him, If a man love me, he will keep my words: and my Father will love him, and we will come unto him, and make our abode with him.” Joshua followed the will of God when he heard His voice and obeyed His will for him, which is to be the successor of Moses. For Samuel, it was his obedience to the counsel of the high priest Eli and to be Eli’s successor and the judge of Israel. For David, it was to take the throne from his former boss. The man that David dearly love, respect and prayed for... but he has to obey the call and the will of God for his life. For Joseph, it was when he was hated by his brothers and was betrayed, sold as slave and have to go through the dark, empty, and dirty well; but it was God’s will. He was accused of being a sex offender or of raping Mrs. Potiphar. He was put in prison and was betrayed again by a friend.  But Joseph was willing to obey and do what God wanted for him to do. If you will ask the Apostle Paul, it would be to preach to the Gentiles and to be hanged for the sake of Christ. As for the Lord Jesus Christ; it was to lay down His life for our sins in obedience to the will of God the Father. Would you be willing to follow the will of God for your life? (John 10:18) “No man taketh it from me, but I lay it down of myself. I have power to lay it down, and I have power to take it again. This commandment have I received of my Father.”

GOD COMMENDED KING DAVID FOR THE INTEGRITY OF HIS HEART

WEDNESDAY

MI DAILY DEVOTION

GOD COMMENDED KING DAVID FOR THE INTEGRITY OF HIS HEART

(I Kings 9:4- 5) 4- “And if thou wilt walk before me, as David thy father walked, in integrity of heart, and in uprightness, to do according to all that I have commanded thee, and wilt keep my statutes and my judgments: 5- Then I will establish the throne of thy kingdom upon Israel for ever, as I promised to David thy father, saying, There shall not fail thee a man upon the throne of Israel.

Mr. Matthew Henry wrote; “God here tells Solomon, (1.) That the establishment of his kingdom depended upon the constancy of his obedience (v. 4, 5): "If thou wilt walk before me as David did, who left thee a good example and encouragement enough to follow it (and advantage thou wilt be accountable for if thou do not improve it), if thou wilt walk as he did, in integrity of heart and uprightness’’ (for that is the main matter—no religion without sincerity), "then I will establish the throne of thy kingdom, and not otherwise,’’ for on that condition the promise was made, Ps. 132:12.” (The Bible Collection)

DAVID WAS COMMENDED BY THE LORD, BECAUSE OF HIS INTEGRITY. King David got the thumbs up from the Lord and he passed on the kingdom to Solomon his son; because of his obedience to God’s Word and because of David’s integrity of heart. Millions of people all over the world have lost their position, possessions, pastorate and their church or ministry because they’ve lost this word in their life - “integrity”.

(Psalm 26:1) “A Psalm of David. Judge me, O LORD; for I have walked in mine integrity: I have trusted also in the LORD; therefore I shall not slide.”