Daily Feast Devotional from JesusWired.com
"By His Stripes"
by David C. Coleman
"But He was pierced for our transgressions, he was crushed for our iniquities; the punishment that brought us peace was upon him, and by his stripes we are healed." (Isaiah 53:5)
Christ took the punishment for all the wicked things you and I have ever done. He died for the sins of the world. The way to benefit from that sacrifice is to acknowledge the sacrifice and accept the fruit of it (which is spiritual FREEDOM). If I could go back, would I choose to live my life differently? For sure. But all I can do now is seek to get right with God by confronting my sinful nature, turning away from improper thoughts and actions, and moving forward into the fullness of life. The truth is, Christ ALREADY forgave every sin we have ever committed or ever will commit in the future. It was complete upon His death. The forgiveness is there just waiting for us to receive. All we need to do is simply receive it. We don't need to dwell on our past. We don't need to steep ourselves in our transgressions. We don't need to say 100 Hail Marys. All we need to do is press into God and receive forgiveness and healing. The bible says, "abide in Me and I will abide in you." (John 15:4) More simply, "remain in me, and I will remain in you. No branch can bear fruit by itself; it must remain in the vine. Neither can you bear fruit unless you remain in me."
Father God, I repent of my wicked ways. I realize I have fallen short beyond measure, for holiness is the standard by which I am measured. I realize the only way to receive forgiveness is through a sin sacrifice. In your son Jesus Christ, you have provided just that - an unblemished, blameless and holy sacrifice surrendered in my place. He endured unimaginable pain so that I wouldn't have to. So I ask that you fill me with your Holy Spirit. Remove the things in me that don't belong and fill me with righteousness. Build me into the person you want me to be. I choose to receive the forgiveness that has been waiting there all along. I choose to turn away from the things that have been holding me back. I will forever be your humble servant. In the name above all other names - Jesus Christ - amen!
Monday, December 14, 2009
Monday, December 7, 2009
Daily Feast Devotional - So Let's Not Get Tired
Daily Feast Devotional from JesusWired.com
"So let’s not get tired..."
by David C. Coleman
“So let’s not get tired of doing what is good. At just the right time we will reap a harvest of blessing if we don’t give up.” - Galatians 6:9
Paul exhorts us not to grow weary in doing good. In Jeremiah Chapter 12 Verse 1, a similar sentiment is expressed: “why are the wicked so prosperous?” The right thing to do is most often the hardest thing to do. It takes courage and resolve to not fall prey to the ways of the world when you see others prospering from being dishonorable. But God has promised us a harvest of blessings if we remain true to His ways. In due time, we shall reap the harvest he has planned for us. Allow God to bring good things into your life rather than trying to plot, scheme and manipulate situations.
Dear Lord, I pray that you will give us the courage to stand firm in our faith in a fallen world. When others are prospering from being wicked, may we show that we are different because of your influence in our lives. May we bring honor to Your name. I pray against the forces of evil which try to seduce us into ungodly acts. We have the power to resist in Your name. It is in this name, Jesus Christ, that I pray these things. Amen.
"So let’s not get tired..."
by David C. Coleman
“So let’s not get tired of doing what is good. At just the right time we will reap a harvest of blessing if we don’t give up.” - Galatians 6:9
Paul exhorts us not to grow weary in doing good. In Jeremiah Chapter 12 Verse 1, a similar sentiment is expressed: “why are the wicked so prosperous?” The right thing to do is most often the hardest thing to do. It takes courage and resolve to not fall prey to the ways of the world when you see others prospering from being dishonorable. But God has promised us a harvest of blessings if we remain true to His ways. In due time, we shall reap the harvest he has planned for us. Allow God to bring good things into your life rather than trying to plot, scheme and manipulate situations.
Dear Lord, I pray that you will give us the courage to stand firm in our faith in a fallen world. When others are prospering from being wicked, may we show that we are different because of your influence in our lives. May we bring honor to Your name. I pray against the forces of evil which try to seduce us into ungodly acts. We have the power to resist in Your name. It is in this name, Jesus Christ, that I pray these things. Amen.
Friday, December 4, 2009
Daily Feast Devotional - Salt Is Good For Seasoning
Daily Feast Devotional from JesusWired.com
“Salt Is Good For Seasoning”
by David C. Coleman
“Salt is good for seasoning. But if it loses its flavor, how do you make it salty again? You must have the qualities of salt among yourselves and live in peace with each other.” - Mark 9:50
Have you ever heard the phrase “he isn’t worth his salt”? Salt, at one point in history, was one of the most coveted and precious substances on earth. Its value was extremely high. In fact, soldiers were once paid their wages in salt. The word “salary” is based on the latin word for salt. To “not be worth his or her salt” means a person has no value. Of course, salt is primarily used as a flavoring and to cure meat. The bible often uses salt metaphorically to illustrate that we, as Christians, should add flavor to this world by making a difference in the world around us rather than just keeping to ourselves and not speaking out on issues of the day. We are to stand up for God’s truths. In this way, we can also be used as a “preservative” for the world by keeping the world from morally decaying around us. Never has it been so evident that Christians must unite to hold back the surge of secularism in this country and around the world. Anti-Christian forces are relentless in their attack on Christian values and the concept of “black and white truth”. The world wants us to believe that truth is relative – that everyone has their own truth. But Jesus proclaimed “I am the way, the truth, and the life. No man comes to the father but by me”. It seems pretty clear that there is only ONE truth by which all mankind must live and die. Life truly is black and white. There is one last way in which salt is relevant to Christians. In Leviticus 2, Verse 13, it states “season all your grain offerings with salt to remind you of God’s eternal covenant.” God asks us to pick up our cross daily and offer our lives as a living sacrifice. If we offer ourselves to the Lord by sacrificing our salt (worth) to God, we will be opening ourselves up to the blessings and healing only God can provide. We must place our identity in Jesus Christ in order to achieve relevance in this world. Let’s choose today to be salty in a bland, flavorless world.
Dear Lord Jesus, I pray that we will continue to draw nearer to You. I pray that we will continue to offer up our whole being to You in order to be cleansed and purified. We know that You are our preservative. You keep us from being subject to eternal decay. We thank You for Your sacrifice on the cross. We acknowledge that we are unworthy in and of ourselves. It is only through You that we are redeemed. Give us the courage and the strength to be salt and light in a world destined for destruction. Cleanse our hearts so that we may be fully used by You. In Your glorious name we pray, Amen!
“Salt Is Good For Seasoning”
by David C. Coleman
“Salt is good for seasoning. But if it loses its flavor, how do you make it salty again? You must have the qualities of salt among yourselves and live in peace with each other.” - Mark 9:50
Have you ever heard the phrase “he isn’t worth his salt”? Salt, at one point in history, was one of the most coveted and precious substances on earth. Its value was extremely high. In fact, soldiers were once paid their wages in salt. The word “salary” is based on the latin word for salt. To “not be worth his or her salt” means a person has no value. Of course, salt is primarily used as a flavoring and to cure meat. The bible often uses salt metaphorically to illustrate that we, as Christians, should add flavor to this world by making a difference in the world around us rather than just keeping to ourselves and not speaking out on issues of the day. We are to stand up for God’s truths. In this way, we can also be used as a “preservative” for the world by keeping the world from morally decaying around us. Never has it been so evident that Christians must unite to hold back the surge of secularism in this country and around the world. Anti-Christian forces are relentless in their attack on Christian values and the concept of “black and white truth”. The world wants us to believe that truth is relative – that everyone has their own truth. But Jesus proclaimed “I am the way, the truth, and the life. No man comes to the father but by me”. It seems pretty clear that there is only ONE truth by which all mankind must live and die. Life truly is black and white. There is one last way in which salt is relevant to Christians. In Leviticus 2, Verse 13, it states “season all your grain offerings with salt to remind you of God’s eternal covenant.” God asks us to pick up our cross daily and offer our lives as a living sacrifice. If we offer ourselves to the Lord by sacrificing our salt (worth) to God, we will be opening ourselves up to the blessings and healing only God can provide. We must place our identity in Jesus Christ in order to achieve relevance in this world. Let’s choose today to be salty in a bland, flavorless world.
Dear Lord Jesus, I pray that we will continue to draw nearer to You. I pray that we will continue to offer up our whole being to You in order to be cleansed and purified. We know that You are our preservative. You keep us from being subject to eternal decay. We thank You for Your sacrifice on the cross. We acknowledge that we are unworthy in and of ourselves. It is only through You that we are redeemed. Give us the courage and the strength to be salt and light in a world destined for destruction. Cleanse our hearts so that we may be fully used by You. In Your glorious name we pray, Amen!
Thursday, December 3, 2009
Daily Feast Devotional - Blessed Is The Man Who Trusts
Daily Feast Devotional from JesusWired.com
“Blessed is the man who trusts in the Lord”
by David C. Coleman
Thus says the Lord: “Cursed is the man who trusts in man and makes flesh his strength, whose heart departs from the Lord. For he shall be like a shrub in the desert, and shall not see when good comes, but shall inhabit the parched places in the wilderness, in a salt land which is not inhabited. Blessed is the man who trusts in the Lord. For he shall be like a tree planted by the waters, which spreads out its roots by the river, and will not fear when heat comes; but its leaf will be green, and will not be anxious in the year of drought, nor will cease from yielding fruit.” – Jeremiah 17:5-8
We all experience trials and tribulations in our life. That’s just part of being human. The “mountain top” experiences are great…but the valleys can be daunting, to say the least. Many of us tend to doubt the Lord’s provisions when we’re faced with difficult circumstances. Our natural instinct is to “take things into our own hands”. But the Lord has promised that he will meet our needs. When we attempt to resolve issues in the flesh and fail to wait on the Lord, we can miss out on the incredible blessings God intends us to receive through faith. God has perfect timing. He’s never too early, and never too late. Let’s make it a point to “press into God” in the difficult times. He wants us to depend on Him. He wants to test our faith. He wants to see how we will react under pressure. A couple verses later, He states “I, the Lord, search the heart, I test the mind, even to give every man according to his ways, according to the fruit of his doings.” If we remain faithful and put our trust in Him, He will bless us accordingly.
Dear Lord, I pray that you will bear these truths out in our lives. I pray that we will come to know the value of faith and how to exercise it more consistently in our lives. You are the one who opens doors no one can close, and closes doors no one can open. We must trust that You have our best interest in mind. There is a Divine Will for our lives. Be a light to our path, Lord. Show us the way you will have us go. May we learn to be right in step with your leading. Use us to bless others. Make our hearts pure. In the name of Christ Jesus I pray. Amen.
“Blessed is the man who trusts in the Lord”
by David C. Coleman
Thus says the Lord: “Cursed is the man who trusts in man and makes flesh his strength, whose heart departs from the Lord. For he shall be like a shrub in the desert, and shall not see when good comes, but shall inhabit the parched places in the wilderness, in a salt land which is not inhabited. Blessed is the man who trusts in the Lord. For he shall be like a tree planted by the waters, which spreads out its roots by the river, and will not fear when heat comes; but its leaf will be green, and will not be anxious in the year of drought, nor will cease from yielding fruit.” – Jeremiah 17:5-8
We all experience trials and tribulations in our life. That’s just part of being human. The “mountain top” experiences are great…but the valleys can be daunting, to say the least. Many of us tend to doubt the Lord’s provisions when we’re faced with difficult circumstances. Our natural instinct is to “take things into our own hands”. But the Lord has promised that he will meet our needs. When we attempt to resolve issues in the flesh and fail to wait on the Lord, we can miss out on the incredible blessings God intends us to receive through faith. God has perfect timing. He’s never too early, and never too late. Let’s make it a point to “press into God” in the difficult times. He wants us to depend on Him. He wants to test our faith. He wants to see how we will react under pressure. A couple verses later, He states “I, the Lord, search the heart, I test the mind, even to give every man according to his ways, according to the fruit of his doings.” If we remain faithful and put our trust in Him, He will bless us accordingly.
Dear Lord, I pray that you will bear these truths out in our lives. I pray that we will come to know the value of faith and how to exercise it more consistently in our lives. You are the one who opens doors no one can close, and closes doors no one can open. We must trust that You have our best interest in mind. There is a Divine Will for our lives. Be a light to our path, Lord. Show us the way you will have us go. May we learn to be right in step with your leading. Use us to bless others. Make our hearts pure. In the name of Christ Jesus I pray. Amen.
Wednesday, December 2, 2009
Christian Music New Releases - Week of December 1, 2009
This week's new releases:
Brooke Fraser - What To Do With Daylight [abridged]
UPC: 6-34457-51882-7
SRP: $8.99
Genre: Pop
Brooke Fraser is a verifiable superstar in Australia, New Zealand and, more recently, the U.S. Originally released in Australia and New Zealand in 2004 (and the precursor to the 2008 U.S. release of her second blockbuster solo effort entitled “Albertine” which yielded a Top 5 hit at Christian Radio with the single “Shadowfeet”), “What To Do With Daylight” was the initial impetus for Brooke’s burgeoning career and eventual worldwide success. Music lovers in the States often identify her as a member of the modern worship outfit Hillsong United, as she has penned some of their most beloved hymns including “Hosanna,” “Lead Me To The Cross” and “Lord of Lords.”
In anticipation of a brand-new solo album tentatively slated for the Summer of 2010, “What To Do With Daylight” is being released in the U.S. to reinforce the successes Brooke has experienced over the course of the last couple years. To date, the album has only been available as an import and, more recently, digitally. With the public demand at a high level for all things Brooke Fraser, this is a great catalog item which will prove to be an evergreen seller over the course of time.
Beckah Shae - Emmanuel
UPC: 8-59702-55712-7
SRP: $12.99
Genre: Christmas / Contemporary
Beckah Shae’s destiny was mirrored in a simple act at an early age. The little girl, who was already often called a songbird, was recorded singing, “Jesus Loves Me” at the age of 2. Beckah’s mother was raised in a traditional Jewish home, and her conversion to Christianity was a crucial element in guiding Beckah to her own faith and witness through music. Following several confirmations, Beckah heard the call of God to move to Nashville in 2002. It was there God revealed a bigger vision for the songbird. Little did she know, God was working to provide a musical and life-long marriage partner to help take her music to the next level. Beckah was introduced to Shoc, a rising young producer who had previously worked with Christian artists such as tobyMac, Group 1 Crew, and Lil’ iRocc Williams.
With two previous independent albums under their belt (“Butterfly” & “Joy”), the artist/producer team of Beckah and Shoc have created quite a stir in the Christian arena and have garnered attention from some true Christian industry heavyweights. Beckah was featured on Jonny Lang’s latest work “Turn Around” and has been tracking vocals for tobyMac’s upcoming release slated for February, 2010. Their latest effort, “Emmanuel”, is being released just in time for the Christmas season. Choc-full of classic Christmas songs celebrating “the reason for the season”, Beckah’s voice shines through brilliantly, and the production is clear, crisp and contemporary while still capturing the true essence of traditional Christ-centered holiday favorites. Many of the tracks are low-key, but Beckah finds plenty of opportunity to show her fun side on tunes like “Christmas Love” and “Most Beautiful Time of the Year”. In a musical landscape where many Christmas albums have only a few choice morsels to choose from, Beckah Shae provides a truly enjoyable Christmas album from start to finish.
Daily Feast Devotional - At That Time A Severe Famine Struck
Daily Feast Devotional from JesusWired.com
"At that time a severe famine struck the land…"
by David C. Coleman
“At that time a sever famine struck the land of Canaan, forcing Abram to go down to Egypt, where he lived as a foreigner.” - Genesis 12:10
God had instructed Abram to leave his native country, his relatives, and everything he knew and go to the land of Canaan. God also promised to make Abram into a great nation. Abram followed the Lord’s leading and headed to this new, unfamiliar land. Once he got there, he built an altar to the Lord. It was at this time that famine struck. It was at this time that Abram’s faith was tested. Has God instructed you to pursue a particular pathway in your life? Has God made promises as to how He will use you to affect the world around you? We often receive word from the Lord to follow a certain path, but many times obstacles spring up to test our faith in God’s plan. It is at this point that we must decide to either believe the promises God has placed on our heart regardless of the circumstances, or to second-guess what God is doing. Notice that Abram traveled to Egypt (symbolic of “the world”) during this time of tribulation, but that he lived AS A FOREIGNER. He did not become an Egyptian, but rather remained true to who he was during the trials. He chose to remain apart from those in similar circumstance. Admittedly, I have been guilty of second-guessing God’s will for my life. I have been guilty of not believing the vision God has placed in my heart. But God is not a liar! We must continue to believe in the vision God has given us for our life. When the disciples failed to deliver a young boy from fits of seizures, they asked Jesus why they had not been able to accomplish the task. Jesus replied and said, “Because you have so little faith. I tell you the truth, if you have faith as small as a mustard seed, you can say to this mountain, ‘Move from here to there’ and it will move. Nothing will be impossible for you.” If we can even muster a LITTLE faith, God can work miracles in and through us.
Lord Jesus, I pray today that we can learn to be more faithful to your work in our lives. There remain unfulfilled promises in our lives Lord. I pray that we will stand firm in knowing that You have given us these visions, and that You are working behind the scenes on our behalf. Give us the strength and courage to turn away from sin and purge unrighteousness from our lives. We can then be used in mighty ways to impact Your kingdom. Bless those in a mighty way who call You Lord and Master. In Jesus’ name I pray. Amen!
"At that time a severe famine struck the land…"
by David C. Coleman
“At that time a sever famine struck the land of Canaan, forcing Abram to go down to Egypt, where he lived as a foreigner.” - Genesis 12:10
God had instructed Abram to leave his native country, his relatives, and everything he knew and go to the land of Canaan. God also promised to make Abram into a great nation. Abram followed the Lord’s leading and headed to this new, unfamiliar land. Once he got there, he built an altar to the Lord. It was at this time that famine struck. It was at this time that Abram’s faith was tested. Has God instructed you to pursue a particular pathway in your life? Has God made promises as to how He will use you to affect the world around you? We often receive word from the Lord to follow a certain path, but many times obstacles spring up to test our faith in God’s plan. It is at this point that we must decide to either believe the promises God has placed on our heart regardless of the circumstances, or to second-guess what God is doing. Notice that Abram traveled to Egypt (symbolic of “the world”) during this time of tribulation, but that he lived AS A FOREIGNER. He did not become an Egyptian, but rather remained true to who he was during the trials. He chose to remain apart from those in similar circumstance. Admittedly, I have been guilty of second-guessing God’s will for my life. I have been guilty of not believing the vision God has placed in my heart. But God is not a liar! We must continue to believe in the vision God has given us for our life. When the disciples failed to deliver a young boy from fits of seizures, they asked Jesus why they had not been able to accomplish the task. Jesus replied and said, “Because you have so little faith. I tell you the truth, if you have faith as small as a mustard seed, you can say to this mountain, ‘Move from here to there’ and it will move. Nothing will be impossible for you.” If we can even muster a LITTLE faith, God can work miracles in and through us.
Lord Jesus, I pray today that we can learn to be more faithful to your work in our lives. There remain unfulfilled promises in our lives Lord. I pray that we will stand firm in knowing that You have given us these visions, and that You are working behind the scenes on our behalf. Give us the strength and courage to turn away from sin and purge unrighteousness from our lives. We can then be used in mighty ways to impact Your kingdom. Bless those in a mighty way who call You Lord and Master. In Jesus’ name I pray. Amen!
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