Jan 1 – 31, 2024 – Jesus Christ – The Mystery Uncovered – In 31 Parts – see DAILY DEVOTIONS 2021 – 4TH QUARTER
Feb 1, 2024 – 2 Corinthians 3:17 – free in the Spirit of the Lord
”Now the Lord is that Spirit: and where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is liberty.”
2 Corinthians 3:17
Hi Everyone!
In my prison environment, freedom is something coveted, something that means everything to a lot of people. Some people have become so conditioned to incarceration that say something like, ”I can do that time on my head”, boasting about their ability to coast through any prison sentence. Others have become so complacent with incarceration that they never desire their freedom again. They become ”institutionalized”, where the only thing that matters to them is the nature of their confinement. Finally, there are the ones who are free no matter where they are.
This is a pretty accurate picture of our communities, from those complacent with living in the world, to those who proudly abuse their freedoms, and those who are free in the Lord.
True freedom can only come through faith in the name of Jesus Christ, because the imparted Holy Spirit dwelling in us gives us freedom that no one can give.
Today, we will look at 2 Corinthians 3:17, free in the Spirit of the Lord.
”Now the Lord is that Spirit: and where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is liberty.”
The word ”Lord” means ”supreme in authority, or controller”. The word ”Spirit” refers to the Holy Spirit of God. This is the acknowledgement that the Word of God is law in our lives.
In John 14:16-17, Christ says, ”And I will pray the Father, and he shall give you another Comforter, that he may abide with you for ever; Even the Spirit of truth; whom the world cannot receive, because it seeth him not, neither knoweth him: but ye know him; for he dwelleth with you, and shall be in you.” When Christ ascended to the Father, the Holy Spirit was sent to be with us and dwell in us, and that Spirit is one of truth.
In John 4:24, the Bible says, ”God is a Spirit: and they that worship him must worship him in spirit and in truth.” We have to receive the Lord in truth, and we also have to receive the Holy Spirit in truth. We have to worship God on His level, not on ours, and if Jesus Christ is Savior, but not Lord, then we receive salvation but we will still find ourselves in forms of bondage.
In John 10:10, Christ says, ”The thief cometh not, but for to steal, and to kill, and to destroy: I am come that they might have life, and that they might have it more abundantly.” Christ came so that we would have access to abundant life, an abundance that can only be given by the Holy Spirit. The sad thing is people try their hardest to find every way but Jesus Christ to live what they deem to be an abundant life.
The word ”liberty” means ”freedom from the yoke of the Mosaic Law, coming from the root-meaning of being unrestrained”. This is a freedom from sin and its consequence, and from the our futile attempts to keep the demands of the law as a means of earning righteousness. This is a huge misconception in the Church, because many receive salvation by faith in Jesus Christ, but then go on to live their lives trying to earn the free gift given by God through Christ.
In John 8:31-32, Christ says, ”Then said Jesus to those Jews which believed on him, If ye continue in my word, then are ye my disciples indeed; And ye shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free.” There is a big difference between our living in the Word of God and trying to be righteousness through our works. We should absolutely do good works because the Holy Spirit empowers us to do good works, but they aren’t a condition of our salvation or our righteousness.
In Hebrews 9:14, the Bible says, ”How much more shall the blood of Christ, who through the eternal Spirit offered himself without spot to God, purge your conscience from dead works to serve the living God?” Christ paid the cost for us to experience salvation, redemption, a new life, and the indwelling of the Holy Spirit. He did it because we are incapable of making ourselves righteous before God. If we could, we wouldn’t need Christ’s shed blood on the cross. Trying to do good works to earn our salvation, or to make ourselves righteous makes our works dead.
In Romans 8:2-3, the Bible says, ”For the law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus hath made me free from the law of sin and death. For what the law could not do, in that it was weak through the flesh, God sending his own Son in the likeness of sinful flesh, and for sin, condemned sin in the flesh”. When we realize that through Christ’s, burial, and resurrection we have access to a freedom we could never have on our own, and in that freedom the yoke holding us in bondage to the Law is broken as well. This is same as being set free, but then trying to walk on a tiled floor and not step on any cracks.
In John 8:36, Christ says, ”If the Son therefore shall make you free, ye shall be free indeed.” There is true freedom in the Holy Spirit of God, and if we trust in that, it will change the way we live our lives.
God Bless!
Marshall & Jessica
Feb 2, 2024 – Hebrews 9:14 – living in the love of the Lord, free from dead works
”How much more shall the blood of Christ, who through the eternal Spirit offered himself without spot to God, purge your conscience from dead works to serve the living God?”
Hebrews 9:14
Hi Everybody!
I don’t always ”feel” saved. A lot of times, I try to do a bunch of great things because of how I feel, but it doesn’t line up with what I actually know to be true:
That Jesus Christ shed His precious blood on the cross, paying the cost for every wrong thing we have done. The beauty about it is that Christ did this nearly two thousand years ago, before I was even present to form the thought to sin! The provision was always available to me, but I had to place faith in Him and His finished work in order to receive salvation for my soul.
Too many of us have the hardest time believing this and ”work for” the salvation we have already received by faith, trying to earn something that was freely given. There is a major difference in doing good works because of the love of God working through us and doing good works to earn the love of God.
Today, we will look at Hebrews 9:14, living in the love of the Lord, free from dead works.
”How much more shall the blood of Christ, who through the eternal Spirit offered himself without spot to God, purge your conscience from dead works to serve the living God?”
The phrase ”the blood of Christ” refers to the atoning blood of Jesus Christ shed on the cross for our salvation. Only the blood of Christ could perfectly atone for our sin.
The law had their spotless lambs that could only roll our sins ahead another year, but not fully bring us into atonement for our sins.
In Hebrews 9:12, the Bible says, ”Neither by the blood of goats and calves, but by his own blood he entered in once into the holy place, having obtained eternal redemption for us.” The blood of Jesus Christ not only went inside the most holy place, but also gave us access to the holiest of holies.
The phrase ”eternal Spirit” speaks of God the Holy Spirit of God. When the word ”through” is used, it expresses that this is the conduit used for Christ to come.
In Galatians 4:4-5, the Bible says, ”But when the fulness of the time was come, God sent forth his Son, made of a woman, made under the law, To redeem them that were under the law, that we might receive the adoption of sons.” God had a precise time for Christ to come, and it most certainly wasn’t when we finally got our lives together! God didn’t send Christ to make us church goers, but children of God, having all the benefits of the kingdom of God as He does.
Let’s look at the phrase ”offered himself”. Isn’t this past tense? This means that the work was already done far before we had the thought to do right. Christ was sent, and He said yes!
In Titus 2:14, the Bible says, ‘‘Who gave himself for us, that he might redeem us from all iniquity, and purify unto himself a peculiar people, zealous of good works.” Christ took our place, not so we can then do whatever we want knowing that we are saved, but so that our actions are not the qualifier for our salvation.
Salvation gives us the heart to desire to do good works because we love God and His people and we desire to serve Him. It’s beyond our redemption.
The word ”purge” means ”to cleanse thoroughly or to purify”. The word ”conscience” means ”co-perception, or moral consciousness”. Here is where many get tripped up, because a lot of times, the things we feel like ”we have to do” aren’t even the things that God requires or even wants us to do. We get inside of our own heads and that is where the misunderstanding occurs.
Doesn’t the Bible say in Proverbs 3:5, ”Trust in the LORD with all thine heart; and lean not unto thine own understanding”? If that is what the Bible says, then why are we trying to serve God our way when the Bible clearly tells us what the blood of Jesus Christ has already done for us?
The phrase ”dead works” refers to the good things we think we have to do in order to earn our salvation and approval. God has not only cleansed us from all sin, but He has also cleansed us from the pressure to perform, because the word ”works” means ”labour, deed, and acts”. Being cleansed from tat pressure makes me want to do the things God calls me to do with a sense of real enjoyment.
The word ”serve” means ”to minister, or to render religious homage”. In Revelation 1:5-6, the Bible says, ”And from Jesus Christ, who is the faithful witness, and the first begotten of the dead, and the prince of the kings of the earth. Unto him that loved us, and washed us from our sins in his own blood, And hath made us kings and priests unto God and his Father; to him be glory and dominion for ever and ever. Amen.’‘
The blood of Jesus Christ has changed our nature, and sanctification is changing our behaviors. God has declared us to be kings and priests, positions where we reign, share the Word and represent the kingdom of God. If we had to work to earn this position we now freely stand in, we would never earn it. Why not let the Holy Spirit work through us?
God Bless!
Marshall & Jessica
Feb 3, 2024 – Matthew 19:26 – serving a God who deeply knows us from the realm of all possibility
”But Jesus beheld them, and said unto them, With men this is impossible; but with God all things are possible.”
Matthew 19:26
Hi Everyone!
How can this big God care about little me? The truth of the matter is not only does God care about us, He loves us so much and He desires us to have His best.
Some of us don’t feel qualified enough to receive His love, His provision, or His protection, but He has provided all of that to us.
I still remember all of the people who said I would never change. I too thought there was no way I could change, and there was really no way that someone with my very checkered past could be in a position to teach the Word of God, but my God is the God of the impossible!
There are some people think that I will never be free again because of the life sentence I was given, but my God is the God of the impossible!
Today, we will look at Matthew 19:26, serving a God who deeply knows us from the realm of all possibility.
”But Jesus beheld them, and said unto them, With men this is impossible; but with God all things are possible.”
The word ”beheld” means ”to look on, observe fixedly, or to discern clearly”. This really implies that Christ didn’t just stare at us, but He looked deeply inside us, and truly wanted to know our innermost thoughts. In the text here, the subject is about whether rich people are able to enter into the kingdom of God.
A young rich man had a conversation with Jesus Christ, and he wanted to know what he had to do to receive eternal life. Christ gave him commandments to follow, he replied that he had followed these since he was a youth. In Matthew 19:20, the Bible says, ”The young man saith unto him, All these things have I kept from my youth up: what lack I yet?” If he has followed the law since he was a youth, but is still asking Jesus what he must do to receive eternal life, then obviously, he knows that merely keeping the law wasn’t enough to receive eternal life? The man knew something was missing from his life, even though it appeared that he had everything, so He came to the Word of God for truth. What this also says is he knew Christ would know the answer.
Is Jesus the answer to all our questions?
God knows us deeper than we know ourselves.
In Matthew 19:21, the Bible says, ”Jesus said unto him, If thou wilt be perfect, go and sell that thou hast, and give to the poor, and thou shalt have treasure in heaven: and come and follow me.” Jesus knew that his great wealth was the thing that kept him from receiving eternal life, essentially telling him that money has become his god. To receive eternal life, he must not have any other god but Him.
Wait a minute, I thought he kept all the law since he was a youth? In Psalm 139:1-3, the Bible says, ”O lord, thou hast searched me, and known me. Thou knowest my downsitting and mine uprising, thou understandest my thought afar off. Thou compassest my path and my lying down, and art acquainted with all my ways.” God knows us inside and out, far deeper than we could ever know ourselves. This rich young man knew Christ was the answer, but also that what he had to give up was too valuable for him to lose, and so walked away because he was unwilling to exchange what he had for what he would have in Christ.
Jesus Christ lost His life giving us eternal life. What’s more valuable than that?
The word ”possible” speaks of capability, power, and might. The disciples were confused by Christ saying that it’s hard for a rich man to enter into the kingdom of God. God is more than capable, more than powerful, more than mighty enough to save anyone. We look at our own limitations and then we limit God, but neither are true.
In Genesis 18:13-14, the Bible says, ‘‘And the LORD said unto Abraham, Wherefore did Sarah laugh, saying, Shall I of a surety bear a child, which am old? Is any thing too hard for the LORD? At the time appointed I will return unto thee, according to the time of life, and Sarah shall have a son.” God birthed a miracle in allowing Sarah to have a son when she was 90, far beyond child bearing years.
In Job 42:1-3, the Bible says, ‘‘Then Job answered the LORD, and said, I know that thou canst do every thing, and that no thought can be withholden from thee. Who is he that hideth counsel without knowledge? therefore have I uttered that I understood not; things too wonderful for me, which I knew not.” Job recognizes that in the midst of his suffering, God knew exactly what He was doing, even when Job didn’t have a clue. Job lost everything but then comes into a deeper trust from God, and his story ends with his receiving double for everything he went through.
In Luke 1:37, the Bible says, ‘‘For with God nothing shall be impossible.” The angel told Mary, a virgin, that she would birth the Savior of the world. Now, years later, the Savior is telling the disciples the same message. God’s Word does not change, even when our beliefs change. Our God specializes in upending what we think is the impossible, but are we willing to let go of our idols to follow Him? What can’t our God do?
God Bless!
Marshall & Jessica
Feb 4, 2024 – Joshua 24:17 – remembering God our gracious deliverer
”For the LORD our God, he it is that brought us up and our fathers out of the land of Egypt, from the house of bondage, and which did those great signs in our sight, and preserved us in all the way wherein we went, and among all the people through whom we passed”.
Joshua 24:17
Hi Everyone!
I know what deliverance feels like. I still remember, clear as day, the person I used to be, and I can honestly say that I got off easy. I didn’t get what I justly deserved, and that adds even more to my story of deliverance, because God didn’t deliver me because I was good, but because He is good, sending His Son Jesus Christ as the atoning sacrifice for my sin.
I am free because He set me free, and I am free indeed because He declares it. Remembering where I have been brought from, keeps me from walking around in arrogance, because now I see that even in my bondage, God was leading me to Him, and He is still here now! Today, we will look at Joshua 24:17, remembering God our gracious deliverer.
”For the LORD our God, he it is that brought us up and our fathers out of the land of Egypt, from the house of bondage, and which did those great signs in our sight, and preserved us in all the way wherein we went, and among all the people through whom we passed”.
The word ”brought us up” means ”to cause to ascend to a higher position”. In order for us to ascend to a higher position, we had to be in a low position. The children of Israel were enslaved by the Egyptians and their bondage was heavy! This bondage arose because God blessed them in the land of Egypt, and they prospered greatly, much to the dismay of the Egyptians.
In Exodus 1:9-10, the Bible says, ”And he said unto his people, Behold, the people of the children of Israel are more and mightier than we: Come on, let us deal wisely with them; lest they multiply, and it come to pass, that, when there falleth out any war, they join also unto our enemies, and fight against us, and so get them up out of the land.” Israel was in the land of Egypt and they were more mighty and more prosperous than the country that housed them. Instead of serving God too, Egypt afflicted them and made them slaves, and even ordered the execution of all male babies born!
Moses was born during this time, and his mother saved him very creatively. Exodus 2:3 says, ”And when she could not longer hide him, she took for him an ark of bulrushes, and daubed it with slime and with pitch, and put the child therein; and she laid it in the flags by the river’s brink.” He was adopted by Phaorah’s daughter! Imagine this with me, that God ”hid” Israel’s deliverance in the same place where the decree was made to kill all the male babies. Israel didn’t know it, but God was raising up the answer to their prayers while they suffered bondage.
The word ”bondage” means ”slavery, or servitude”. In Exodus 2:23-25, the Bible says, ”And it came to pass in process of time, that the king of Egypt died: and the children of Israel sighed by reason of the bondage, and they cried, and their cry came up unto God by reason of the bondage. And God heard their groaning, and God remembered his covenant with Abraham, with Isaac, and with Jacob. And God looked upon the children of Israel, and God had respect unto them.” The children of Israel cried out to God and groaned for His deliverance. The bondage was heavy and their spirits were broken, but they had enough strength to call out to God.
In Joel 2:32, the Bible says, ‘‘And it shall come to pass, that whosoever shall call on the name of the LORD shall be delivered: for in mount Zion and in Jerusalem shall be deliverance, as the LORD hath said, and in the remnant whom the LORD shall call.” God is sure to deliver us when we call on His name! I know this from experience that God will deliver those who call on His name. It doesn’t matter the state of bondage we find ourselves in, the things we have done wrong, when we cry out to God, He hears us!
The word ”signs” means ”miracles, or awe-inspiring events that came by God’s hand. The word ”preserved” means ”to hedge about as thorns, to guard or protect”. When God delivered the children of Israel, He commanded Moses to part the sea and the sea did exactly what God commanded Moses to do.
It goes deeper! In Exodus 14:24-25, the Bible says, ‘‘And it came to pass, that in the morning watch the LORD looked unto the host of the Egyptians through the pillar of fire and of the cloud, and troubled the host of the Egyptians, And took off their chariot wheels, that they drave them heavily: so that the Egyptians said, Let us flee from the face of Israel; for the LORD fighteth for them against the Egyptians.” God didn’t just deliver Israel, but God protected them from recapture! God wants his deliverance to be final, and it will be as long as we continue to go His way, pressing forward in our deliverance.
In John 10:27-28, the Bible says, ”My sheep hear my voice, and I know them, and they follow me: And I give unto them eternal life; and they shall never perish, neither shall any man pluck them out of my hand.” God delivered me and secured my deliverance by His protection. I am His forever because He saved me!
God Bless!
Marshall & Jessica
Feb 5, 2024 – 2 Corinthians 4:3 – a Gospel hiding in plain sight
”But if our gospel be hid, it is hid to them that are lost”
2 Corinthians 4:3
Hi Everyone!
We live in an age of technology where the Word of God is being taught and preached everywhere. Social media has turned a person’s message of Christ’s salvation into a worldwide platform within seconds. Ministries have turned a base church building into a worldwide outreach center, reaching millions daily for the Lord.
In all of this unlimited, unrestricted access to the Word of God, to the message of Truth, to the Gospel’s plan for salvation, we are becoming a society that is without excuse. No one will be able to say that they didn’t know, or that no one ever told them about the Gospel of Jesus Christ.
I have had people compliment me for the peace I have despite the life sentence I was sentenced to, but then tell me that they don’t want ”to hear about that God mess”.
There are people who are lost and not receiving the Gospel, and they are truly blind to what is sitting right in front of them. Today, we will look at 2 Corinthians 4:3, a Gospel hiding in plain sight.
”But if our gospel be hid, it is hid to them that are lost”
The word ”gospel” means ”good message, glad tidings of Christ and His salvation, the gospel plan of salvation, its doctrines, declarations, precepts and promises”. In Mark 1:14-15, the Bible says, ‘‘Now after that John was put in prison, Jesus came into Galilee, preaching the gospel of the kingdom of God, And saying, The time is fulfilled, and the kingdom of God is at hand: repent ye, and believe the gospel.”
John the Baptist became a voice making people ready for the kingdom of God, doing what He was created to do, and when Christ’s ministry began, He proclaimed the same message, but there was so much more. In John 3:16-17, Christ says, ”For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life. For God sent not his Son into the world to condemn the world; but that the world through him might be saved.’‘ This is a whole lot simpler than we make it, and shows the awe-inspiring love of God, with no laundry list of things we have to do to receive salvation.
In Acts 2:38-39, the Bible says, ”Then Peter said unto them, Repent, and be baptized every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins, and ye shall receive the gift of the Holy Ghost. For the promise is unto you, and to your children, and to all that are afar off, even as many as the LORD our God shall call.” The apostles preached the Gospel too, and the Word spread all over the world! This same Gospel is being preached today, and we can use phone or computer and to find devotionals, listen to preaching, or see Gospel teaching within seconds. I am doing these devotionals from prison!
How can people having so much incredible access to the Gospel of Jesus Christ act as if they don’t know what is going on?
The word ”hid” means ”covered up.” In 1 Corinthians 1:17-18, the Bible says, ‘‘For Christ sent me not to baptize, but to preach the gospel: not with wisdom of words, lest the cross of Christ should be made of none effect. For the preaching of the cross is to them that perish foolishness; but unto us which are saved it is the power of God.’‘ Paul, one of the chief pastors of the Church, who also preached the Gospel , operated in the full power of God performing what God called him to do. He knew that he would preach the Word to people who would not receive the Gospel, who would consider the Word of God as foolish.
In 1 Corinthians 1:22-24, the Bible says, ”For the Jews require a sign, and the Greeks seek after wisdom: But we preach Christ crucified, unto the Jews a stumblingblock, and unto the Greeks foolishness; But unto them which are called, both Jews and Greeks, Christ the power of God, and the wisdom of God.” This world is trying to find its own wisdom, and it’s no different from when Christ walked the earth or Paul traveled everywhere preaching the Word.
Because they are looking everywhere, but to the Gospel for truth, the Gospel becomes hidden to them.
The word ”lost” means ”set to perish, excluded from the Messiah’s kingdom”.
In 2 Peter 3:9, the Bible says, ”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 that all should come to repentance.”
God doesn’t want the Gospel of Jesus Christ to be hidden from anyone, because He wants all to receive salvation.
In Acts 28:27, the Bible says, ”For the heart of this people is waxed gross, and their ears are dull of hearing, and their eyes have they closed; lest they should see with their eyes, and hear with their ears, and understand with their heart, and should be converted, and I should heal them.”
There is a salvation available to those who have closed themselves off to it. Healing is right there, but they don’t want it……
God Bless!
Marshall & Jessica
Feb 6, 2024 – 2 Corinthians 4:16 – a daily renewal process making us more like Him
”For which cause we faint not; but though our outward man perish, yet the inward man is renewed day by day.”
2 Corinthians 4:16
Hi Everyone!
When I received the free gift of salvation by faith in Jesus Christ, there was an immediate change within me. I was dead in my sin before, but now, I am alive in Christ. That was an instantaneous change, passing me from death to life.
Now here’s where it got a little confusing for me. I didn’t feel any different. I didn’t feel changed, I didn’t feel saved, and in fact, I felt no different than I did before.
What has happened to me over the last 15 years has been nothing short of a real miracle.
There was this gradual climb from faith to faith, and there was this daily search for God where He made himself present. As I started building this love relationship with God, He responded by changing my heart, my appetites, and my standards. He is still working on me, allowing me the privilege to continue to grow in Him.
Today, we will look at 2 Corinthians 4:16, a daily renewal process making us more like Him.
”For which cause we faint not; but though our outward man perish, yet the inward man is renewed day by day.”
The word ”cause” presents itself as the conduit by which we can experience this verse. In order to understand this verse, we have to understand what cause Paul is referring to.
This means we must go back, and in 2 Corinthians 4:14-15, the Bible says, ”Knowing that he which raised up the Lord Jesus shall raise up us also by Jesus, and shall present us with you. For all things are for your sakes, that the abundant grace might through the thanksgiving of many redound to the glory of God.” Paul speaks of this precious salvation that we receive the same way they did, through the abundant grace God pours over us, causing us to be one in Him and one in each other. We are then secure in the family of Jesus Christ as heirs of the promise.
The word ”faint” means ”to fail at heart, to become weary in the face of trial, or to lose courage”.
As a new believer, I was saved and transformed, but I still felt like the same old me from before. I didn’t understand God was changing me until something crazy happened and I didn’t react the way I used to. There were a number of people who said, ”The Marshall I know would have ….”. Even I was left scratching my head!
In 1 Corinthians 10:13, the Bible says, ”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.” God was allowing me to see a way out when faced with trial, and by taking His way out unwittingly, He allowed me to see that true strength isn’t in reacting, but in resisting the urge to do something stupid.
In 2 Corinthians 4:1-2, the Bible says, ‘‘Therefore seeing we have this ministry, as we have received mercy, we faint not; But have renounced the hidden things of dishonesty, not walking in craftiness, nor handling the word of God deceitfully; but by manifestation of the truth commending ourselves to every man’s conscience in the sight of God.” I have realized that it is the power of the Gospel and the mercy of God that keeps us from losing our courage in the face of trial, and it also allows us to put away the things that are not of Him. Slowly but surely, I began to put certain things away and I gravitated more toward the truth. It wasn’t me, but God working in me.
In Jonah 2:7, the Bible says, ‘‘When my soul fainted within me I remembered the LORD: and my prayer came in unto thee, into thine holy temple.” Do we remember the Lord and who we are in the face of trial? If we lose ourselves in a moment, do we know that we can come back to the Lord, that we don’t have to stay that way?
The “outward man” refers to nature of flesh we used to walk in. The word ”perish” means ”to die or experience destruction or ruin”. The “inward man” refers to the nature of spirit that we walk in now in our status as children of God. The word ”renewed” means ”to renovate, in a sense of to change from a carnal to a Christians life, to increase in faith, hope, virtue, etc.”
The key to this verse is the word ”IS”; it’s a present-tense word implying a continuous process that occurs, showing us that God keeps working on us after our salvation, to make us more like Him.
In Romans 12:2, the Bible says, ”And be not conformed to this world: but be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind, that ye may prove what is that good, and acceptable, and perfect, will of God.” God transformed me through a renewal process that is still happening. Looking back, God was transforming me by a continuous renewal process that has changed my life for the better, in ways I could have never done on my own. God has proven Himself faithful, and as He worked on me, He has drawn me closer to Him. I have desires in my heart that I didn’t have 15 years ago, because I am not who I was 15 years ago! Praise God!
God Bless!
Marshall & Jessica
Feb 7 – 18, 2024 – MARITAL BLISS SERIES – 12 days – see DAILY DEVOTIONS – 2022 3RD QUARTER
Feb 19 – 28 , 2024 – GODLY PROSPERITY SERIES – 10 days – see DAILY DEVOTIONS – 2022 4TH QUARTER
Feb 29, 2024 – 1 John 5:3 – keeping God’s commandments out of love
”For this is the love of God, that we keep his commandments: and his commandments are not grievous.”
1 John 5:3
Hi Everyone!
Jesus Christ died so that we can live, and we have new life, a new identity, and we have the Holy Spirit dwelling richly on the inside of us.
I remember thinking that God would require too much from me, that to keep His commandments I would have to do all of the things that it would strip me of my identity.
The deeper my relationship with God has gotten, the more I see a loving God that is not trying to burden us with commandments, but He is trying to position us for success.
The Law was present to show us our sin and our need for a Savior, but the Law of grace has shown us the immeasurable love of God that empowers us with a new desire to do the things that please Him.
It is not about rules, but relationship, and as the relationship builds, we will keep His commandments out of the same love He pours so heavily upon us.
Today, we will look at 1 John 5:3, keeping God’s commandments out of love.
”For this is the love of God, that we keep his commandments: and his commandments are not grievous.”
The word ”love” means ”affection or benevolence, the love that God exercises toward Christians”.
God not only pours His love on us, but in us as well. God wants us to know this love, because in this love lies the power we need to be who God calls us to be.
In John 14:15-17, Christ says, ”If ye love me, keep my commandments. And I will pray the Father, and he shall give you another Comforter, that he may abide with you for ever; Even the Spirit of truth; whom the world cannot receive, because it seeth him not, neither knoweth him: but ye know him; for he dwelleth with you, and shall be in you.’‘ Some of us think that keeping God’s commandments somehow only benefits God, but we have the benefit of the Holy Spirit dwelling inside us that will teach us deeper about our God and empower us to live as God intends for us to.
This is equivalent to God giving us a pop quiz, but then giving us the answers to it. God wants us to win, and how can we not be able to keep God’s commandments when His Spirit reigns within us?
That’s the question, does the Holy Spirit reign in us?
In Mark 12:29-31, the Bible says, ”And Jesus answered him, The first of all the commandments is, Hear, O Israel; The Lord our God is one Lord: And thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind, and with all thy strength: this is the first commandment. And the second is like, namely this, Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself. There is none other commandment greater than these.” To follow the commands of God is to enter into a love relationship with God and His creation. Love implies that we have this desire to do right by God and by our fellow man. The whole Law is wrapped up in these two commandments.
No one can tell me that God is not trying to make it easy for us to serve Him. It gets no easier than this!
In John 14:23, Christ says, ”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.” Verse 21 says Christ will manifest Himself to us. So not only will we be a dwelling place for God to inhabit, but He will show us Christ. It seems like there are more benefits to keeping God’s commandments than harm done to us.
The word ”keep” means ”to fulfill”. The word ”commandments” means ”precepts, injunctions, or authoritative prescription”. I love these definitions, because an injunction is a legal term implying a new rule being implemented to stop a previous one ruling in its tracks. This means the Holy Spirit is going to continue to lead us with commands that are relevant to this life we live now.
A prescription is something that is given to make us better! How God sees it, is way different than how we see it, but the love relationship brings us to an understanding that God wants us to succeed.
In Micah 6:8, the Bible says, ”He hath shewed thee, O man, what is good; and what doth the LORD require of thee, but to do justly, and to love mercy, and to walk humbly with thy God?” What God asks of us is so small compared to what He brings to the table. God desires that when people see us, they see Him.
The word ”grievous” means ”weighty or burdensome”. God wants us to live according to His creative intent, that we be His image and likeness in the earth. In Matthew 11:29-30, Christ says, ”Take my yoke upon you, and learn of me; for I am meek and lowly in heart: and ye shall find rest unto your souls. For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light.” God is trying to provide His children with rest, but many of us don’t receive it because we are too busy trying to protest the little that God is asking of us.
What God is asking of us is easy compared to us charting our own course. He knows what is best for us and He desires for us to have His best! God is not about rules. He is about love!
God Bless!
Marshall & Jessica
Mar 1, 2024 – Psalm 28:7, rooting ourselves securely in the strength of the Lord
”The LORD is my strength and my shield; my heart trusted in him, and I am helped: therefore my heart greatly rejoiceth; and with my song will I praise him.”
Psalm 28:7
Hi Everyone!
Who do we turn to when we are under some level of affliction? When we need help, who do we seek out?
I remember the days of being under great pressure, times where I was lost for answers as to how I could move forward.
Prison provides ample experience in this, and I remember those days where I went to the wrong people or the wrong things to seek help.
My help needs to be, and always will be, in the Lord. If we pursue anyone or anything else instead of the Lord, then we are setting ourselves up for a world of hurt and disappointment.
As believers, we enter into a loving relationship with a heavenly Father, where, just like earthly fathers we instinctively turn to when we need help, when afraid, or when we are unsure.
It brings us joy when they come through for us, and that should be the same when it comes to the Lord.
God’s deliverance far exceeds anything we can imagine, when we trust in him we won’t be put to shame.
Today, we will look at Psalm 28:7, rooting ourselves securely in the strength of the Lord.
”The LORD is my strength and my shield; my heart trusted in him, and I am helped: therefore my heart greatly rejoiceth; and with my song will I praise him.”
The word ”strength” means ”power of security”. The word ”shield” means ”defense, protection, also referring to the scaly hide of a crocodile”. Considering the hide of a crocodile, I remember watching the show ”Swamp People” where they hunt alligators, watching bullets bounce right off of their hides! This expresses a strength and protection God gives that is tough enough to withstand something that would kill someone else.
There are people who would have lost their lives if they’d walked in my shoes, and vice versa. In Psalm 18:2-3, the Bible says, ”The LORD is my rock, and my fortress, and my deliverer; my God, my strength, in whom I will trust; my buckler, and the horn of my salvation, and my high tower. I will call upon the LORD, who is worthy to be praised: so shall I be saved from mine enemies.”
Look at the word ”is”.
This is present tense, meaning God is there right now. If God is my security, and He is my defense, then when the enemy mounts an offensive against me, there is no reason for me to fear. To know that God covers me doesn’t mean there won’t be fear, because it may have been fear that caused me to call on the Lord for help, but once God responds, there is no more reason to have fear, because we know He will deliver us from our enemies.
In Psalm 27:1, the Bible says, ”The LORD is my light and my salvation; whom shall I fear? the LORD is the strength of my life; of whom shall I be afraid?” Compared to the Lord, the enemies we have don’t stand a chance, so there is nothing to fear.
The word ”heart” refers to our innermost being, from where everything we are flows. The word ”trusted” means ”hie for refuge, be sure, confident, and have hope in.” The word ”hie” expresses the instinct we have to run to the Lord when something crazy happens. Is God the first person we turn to when we seek deliverance?
In Psalm 13:5-6, the Bible says, ”But I have trusted in thy mercy; my heart shall rejoice in thy salvation. I will sing unto the LORD, because he hath dealt bountifully with me.” God’s lovingkindness is something that we can place our full trust in. Do people usually sing in the midst of trouble, or when they have been delivered? They usually sing when delivered, but if a person is able to sing in the midst of trouble, then that shows that they truly trust that God has already provided the victory.
Psalm 100:2 says, ”Serve the LORD with gladness: come before his presence with singing.” It is not always easy to trust in God in the midst of trouble, but God will hear us and respond. I have experienced God give me the strength to endure what was happening, and I have experienced God completely delivering me from something that I had no clue of how I was going to make it out.
In Him is deliverance far greater than anything the world can give.
In Psalm 22:4-5, the Bible says, ”Our fathers trusted in thee: they trusted, and thou didst deliver them. They cried unto thee, and were delivered: they trusted in thee, and were not confounded.” God has been delivering His children throughout the generations, and sometimes a great reference point for what God will do today, is what He did in the past.
Our God doesn’t change see how the Bible says in Hebrews 13:8, ”Jesus Christ the same yesterday, and to day, and for ever.”
In this we should rejoice because just like in math, if we follow the formula, we will find the answer.
The word ”rejoice” means ”to jump for joy”. This expresses celebration which people typically do when they experience victory.
When we rejoice in the Lord, we put God on notice that we trust in Him for deliverance in the face of everything we are going through. This is trust!
God Bless!
Marshall & Jessica
Mar 2, 2024 – Numbers 14:8 – favored to conquer the promise
”If the LORD delight in us, then he will bring us into this land, and give it us; a land which floweth with milk and honey.”
Numbers 14:8
Hi Everyone!
The favor of God changes things in a believer’s life. When God’s favor is upon us, nothing can mount an offensive against us and prevail, nor can anything on earth change that God has put His hand to.
When we have faith in the favor of God over our lives, we have real confidence that we can step out in real faith and get the victory.
The Israelites were faced with a dilemma. Moses called twelve spies to go take a look at the land God promised them. Ten of the spies brought back a mixed report. the promised land was indeed fertile and prosperous, as God promised, but also one full of fear, as they would have to go through ”giants” to receive it.
Unfortunately, Israel was moved by the fear of ten of the twelve spies and rebelled against the word of the Lord, and by that, they missed their chance to seize the promise.
God’s favor gives us the victory, but many of us don’t move in faith because of fear.
Today we will look at Numbers 14:8, favored to conquer the promise.
”If the LORD delight in us, then he will bring us into this land, and give it us; a land which floweth with milk and honey.”
The word ”delight” means ”to incline or bend towards; to favor”. When God gives us a word to move in faith, He also attaches His favor, so that we will attain what His word says.
In Numbers 13:2, the Bible says, ”Send thou men, that they may search the land of Canaan, which I give unto the children of Israel: of every tribe of their fathers shall ye send a man, every one a ruler among them.” God gave them the victory before He sent the spies, because this verse clearly says, ”which I give unto the children of Israel”. God was specific and there were no grey areas. God wanted them to see what they traveled through the wilderness to receive, to spy the land and put together a battle plan, not see the land and be scared of the people!
In Isaiah 55:11, the Bible says, ‘‘So shall my word be that goeth forth out of my mouth: it shall not return unto me void, but it shall accomplish that which I please, and it shall prosper in the thing whereto I sent it.” God would never allow them to go into battle, nor would He allow them to step out in faith and come up short. God gave them His word and His word was victory.
They allowed fear to abandon the Word of God, and they missed out on God’s promise because of it.
In Deuteronomy 10:12, the Bible says, ”And now, Israel, what doth the LORD thy God require of thee, but to fear the LORD thy God, to walk in all his ways, and to love him, and to serve the LORD thy God with all thy heart and with all thy soul”. Many of us want the favor of God, but when He gives us a word, we go our own way and do our own thing.
If we serve the Lord with all our heart, when He sends us to do something, we must do it.
In 2 Samuel 15:25-26, the Bible says, ”And the king said unto Zadok, Carry back the ark of God into the city: if I shall find favour in the eyes of the LORD, he will bring me again, and shew me both it, and his habitation: But if he thus say, I have no delight in thee; behold, here am I, let him do to me as seemeth good unto him.” David was faced a dilemma when he fled from Absalom who was trying to overthrow him as king. Instead of keeping the ark of God with him, he told the priest to take it back into the city. The ark of God displays the favor of God, and David preferred that God favor the people with the ark’s presence than to favor himself.
He knew that it would only be by God’s favor that he could return to the city, and he was committed fully to that. David could have fought and prevailed over Absalom, probably very easily, but he relied on the Lord instead.
Do we rely on the Lord when we are under attack?
In 2 Samuel 22:20-21, the Bible says, ”He brought me forth also into a large place: he delivered me, because he delighted in me. The LORD rewarded me according to my righteousness: according to the cleanness of my hands hath he recompensed me.” David is praying to God from a position of victory, thanking and exalting God for his favor, giving full credit to God for bringing the victory to pass.
Do we give God the glory when we walk in victory, or do we pat ourselves on the back?
The phrase ”land which floweth with milk and honey” represents a fertile and prosperous promised land that God has favored us to seize. God would never allow us to step out with a faith for something that has no value.
In Isaiah 62:4, the Bible says, ”Thou shalt no more be termed Forsaken; neither shall thy land any more be termed Desolate: but thou shalt be called Hephzibah, and thy land Beulah: for the LORD delighteth in thee, and thy land shall be married.” It doesn’t matter what happened in the past and what we were previously unable to do.
When God’s favor is upon us, we are who God says we are and we can seize the promise He has for us!
God Bless!
Marshall & Jessica
Mar 3, 2024 – Number 14:9 – overcoming fear to attain the promise
”Only rebel not ye against the LORD, neither fear ye the people of the land; for they are bread for us: their defence is departed from them, and the LORD is with us: fear them not.”
Number 14:9
Hi Everyone!
When God gives us a Word do we understand that fear is actually a form of rebellion against God?
See, it is not the fear itself, but what the fear causes us to do, and in this case the Israelites refused to step into their promise – out of fear.
Fear can cause us to stop instead of seizing our promise, fear can cause us to stand silent when God is calling us to speak, and fear can also cause us to speak when God is telling us to stand silent.
We may not be confronting the sons of Anak as depicted in this passage, but we have mountains in this world that seem to be too scary to climb, dreams that seem too far out of reach, and a call from God that we fear we are unqualified for.
If God has spoken the Word, then He has already assured us that we will have the victory. Today, we will look at Number 14:9, overcoming fear to attain the promise.
”Only rebel not ye against the LORD, neither fear ye the people of the land; for they are bread for us: their defence is departed from them, and the LORD is with us: fear them not.”
The word ”rebel” means ”to resist the authority of God”. In Deuteronomy 9:6-7, the Bible says, ”Understand therefore, that the LORD thy God giveth thee not this good land to possess it for thy righteousness; for thou art a stiffnecked people. Remember, and forget not, how thou provokedst the LORD thy God to wrath in the wilderness: from the day that thou didst depart out of the land of Egypt, until ye came unto this place, ye have been rebellious against the LORD.” Israel constantly rebelled against God, and though they were punished, God continued to lead them towards the promise.
God was making them ready to seize the promise and even though Israel disobeyed God along the way, He didn’t exclude them from the promised land. It wasn’t until they refused to take the land, God promised them when He told them to take it, that God had had enough, resulting in that generation perishing.
The only two allowed into the promise were Joshua and Caleb, the two who spoke the words this topic text comes from.
In Deuteronomy 9:23-24, the Bible says, ”Likewise when the LORD sent you from Kadesh-barnea, saying, Go up and possess the land which I have given you; then ye rebelled against the commandment of the LORD your God, and ye believed him not, nor hearkened to his voice.” God did His part but Israel allowed their fear to cause them to turn their backs to the Lord, in disobedience.
Fear became their god in that moment.
The word ”fear” means ”to be frightened or afraid”. In 2 Timothy 1:7, the Bible says, ”For God hath not given us the spirit of fear; but of power, and of love, and of a sound mind.” Fear isn’t given by God, but God absolutely knows that we will be afraid when it comes to fulfilling His Word.
It is not the fear, but that we will meditate on our fear, and use fear as an excuse to not obey God. If God says it, we have it!
In Deuteronomy 7:17-18, the Bible says, ”If thou shalt say in thine heart, These nations are more than I; how can I dispossess them? Thou shalt not be afraid of them: but shalt well remember what the LORD thy God did unto Pharaoh, and unto all Egypt”. Fear causes us to see our opponent as mightier than our God, then we feel safer not approaching our promise by faith.
It is easier to wonder what could be, than to actively pursue our promise and ”risk” failure in the process, but honestly, I believe that it is worse to reject what God has created us for, because we will live the rest of our lives in regret.
In Joshua 1:9, the Bible says, ”Have not I commanded thee? Be strong and of a good courage; be not afraid, neither be thou dismayed: for the LORD thy God is with thee whithersoever thou goest.” God told Joshua this similar message three times in four verses.
Normally, God says something twice to confirm His Word, but He tells Joshua three times, letting us know that this is MOST important. Joshua is courageous, but God knows his heart and I firmly believe that Joshua was a little afraid.
I believe our God loves us so much that He is that Father reassuring His children that they can do it. In Psalm 46:6-7, the Bible says, ‘‘The heathen raged, the kingdoms were moved: he uttered his voice, the earth melted. The LORD of hosts is with us; the God of Jacob is our refuge. Selah.”
Joshua said the enemies standing in the way of their promise were as ”bread”. Joshua equated them to food, because He knew no one can stand in opposition to the Word and promise of God, no matter how strong they appear to be.
In Isaiah 41:10, the Bible says, ”Fear thou not; for I am with thee: be not dismayed; for I am thy God: I will strengthen thee; yea, I will help thee; yea, I will uphold thee with the right hand of my righteousness.”
God never calls us to step out in faith without His presence ensuring we can get the victory. God IS with us!
God Bless!
Marshall & Jessica
Mar 4, 2024 – Numbers 14:11 – living a life of faith that does not resist the Word of God
”And the LORD said unto Moses, How long will this people provoke me? and how long will it be ere they believe me, for all the signs which I have shewed among them?”
Numbers 14:11
Hi Everyone!
God has done amazing things in our lives, but do we see it?
I know that there is no way I would still be alive had it not been for the Lord working mightily in my life.
When I was shot, I knew it was the Lord making sure none of the multiple amount of bullets killed me. I was riddled with bullets but the Lord saved my life.
I have seen the Lord heal cancer, protect in severe car accidents, and I have seen the Lord provide when there was no answer that appeared to be in sight. I have experienced the Lord protect me from Covid when they sent all of the guys who were positive to the unit that I was on, and I have seen the Lord cover my family under the provisions of Psalm 91, as we remained in the secret place of prayer and oneness with God.
God has done so much for us to not believe in His Word.
Today, we will look at Numbers 14:11, living a life of faith that does not resist the Word of God.
”And the LORD said unto Moses, How long will this people provoke me? and how long will it be ere they believe me, for all the signs which I have shewed among them?”
The word ”provoke” means ”to scorn or reject, referring to a person who rejects the counsel of a wise person”. This scornful attitude results in an unhappy life: people live in affliction because they reject God’s counsel. This is why a person can not live in sin and truly be happy, even when it appears that they are.
In Numbers 14:22, 23, the Bible says, ”Because all those men which have seen my glory, and my miracles, which I did in Egypt and in the wilderness, and have tempted me now these ten times, and have not hearkened to my voice; Surely they shall not see the land which I sware unto their fathers, neither shall any of them that provoked me see it”. It is one thing if the Israelites never saw the hand of God move, but they literally saw God’s hand be a direct benefit to them daily as they were freed from the Egyptian captivity, and His continuous hand of protection and provision in the wilderness. They had too much evidence to not believe in the Word of God, but they still turned their backs on His Word.
They still rejected His counsel, even after having evidence of the fruits of the land God promised them!
In Psalm 78:7-8, the Bible says, ”That they might set their hope in God, and not forget the works of God, but keep his commandments: And might not be as their fathers, a stubborn and rebellious generation; a generation that set not their heart aright, and whose spirit was not stedfast with God.’‘ God works in our lives, even when we don’t see it.
He is mighty to save, but He also sets things in motion so we can fully walk in His love. God leaves a record behind of faithfulness, but many of us insult God by rejecting His word, despite everything God has shown us.
The word ”believe” means ”to trust, be assured of, to place faith in”.
Despite everything God showed them in bringing them out of Egypt and leading them in the wilderness, when it came down to the whole purpose of their being freed, the prize Israel was to receive, they got all the way to the door of their promise but rejected God’s Word.
In Deuteronomy 1:31-33, the Bible says, ”And in the wilderness, where thou hast seen how that the LORD thy God bare thee, as a man doth bear his son, in all the way that ye went, until ye came into this place. Yet in this thing ye did not believe the LORD your God, Who went in the way before you, to search you out a place to pitch your tents in, in fire by night, to shew you by what way ye should go, and in a cloud by day.”
God has shown me His faithfulness time after time, giving me no doubt as to His existence and presence, and I remember still turning my back on His Word. How close have we been to our promise, but turned our backs on it?
The word ”signs” means ”miracles”.
God doesn’t do ordinary. We can do ordinary ourselves! There is nothing ordinary about our God.
In Psalm 106:21-22, the Bible says, ”They forgat God their saviour, which had done great things in Egypt; Wondrous works in the land of Ham, and terrible things by the Red sea.”
Do we get a sense of amnesia about how awesome our God is when it comes to the next matter in our lives? The Israelites had a pretty hefty record of God’s hand, and so do we.
In Psalm 78:20, the Bible says, ”Behold, he smote the rock, that the waters gushed out, and the streams overflowed; can he give bread also? can he provide flesh for his people?” God provided for every basic need they had supernaturally, causing manna to flow from heaven, quail to appear, water from a rock giving to an insane number of people and animals.
Think about how long that water had to flow!
In Psalm 78:22, the Bible says, ”Because they believed not in God, and trusted not in his salvation”.
God has done His part. Christ has done His part. Now it is time for us to do ours, by trusting God’s Word and moving on it.
God Bless!
Marshall & Jessica
Mar 5, 2024 – Numbers 14:24, living with another Spirit in us
”But my servant Caleb, because he had another spirit with him, and hath followed me fully, him will I bring into the land whereinto he went; and his seed shall possess it.”
Numbers 14:24
Hi Everyone!
God desires us to trust Him at His Word. God’s Word is true, and He will never allow us to be placed into a situation where He has already established things so they will work out completely for our good and His glory.
Is God the type of Father that will desire a poor report to be given about His goodness, or who allows us to actively pursue something given to us by Him only to then fall on our faces?
The Israelites continued to rebel against God and their rebellion led them to be punished by God in the wilderness.
A generation was completely wiped out because they allowed fear to keep them from experiencing the promise of God, but two believed, Joshua and Caleb! These two were men who trusted in God’s Word, who didn’t see the opposition as too much, knowing they wouldn’t be fighting alone!
Today, we will look at Numbers 14:24, living with another Spirit in us.
”But my servant Caleb, because he had another spirit with him, and hath followed me fully, him will I bring into the land whereinto he went; and his seed shall possess it.”
The word ”servant” means ”a bondman or slave”. In this case, Caleb was a follower of God and he placed himself under subjection to the Word of God.
In Romans 6:16-17, the Bible says, ‘‘Know ye not, that to whom ye yield yourselves servants to obey, his servants ye are to whom ye obey; whether of sin unto death, or of obedience unto righteousness? But God be thanked, that ye were the servants of sin, but ye have obeyed from the heart that form of doctrine which was delivered you.”
We can’t say that we are servants of God but then tell God ”no” when He tells us to move.
It will clearly show who we serve by whose word we heed. Obedience is a heart matter, and obedience is also a product of trust, we are assured that whatever God has given us to do is exactly what is best.
The Israelites ALLOWED fear to prevent them from serving God with their whole hearts.
In 2 Timothy 1:7, the Bible says, ‘‘For God hath not given us the spirit of fear; but of power, and of love, and of a sound mind.” Fear is a spirit that God never imparted on us. God in that moment, empowered Israel to seize the promised land because He loved them and wanted them to have a place to place His name. He gave them His Word, which is the best battle plan, not asking them to have blind faith.
In Numbers 13:33, the Bible says, ”And there we saw the giants, the sons of Anak, which come of the giants: and we were in our own sight as grasshoppers, and so we were in their sight.” Here is the problem. Israel looked at the inhabitants like giants and themselves as grasshoppers. They completely took God out of the equation!
They abandoned the Word of God in their hearts, and that blinded them from realizing that God had already given them the victory!
Here’s how Caleb approached that same problem.
In Numbers 13:30, the Bible says, ”And Caleb stilled the people before Moses, and said, Let us go up at once, and possess it; for we are well able to overcome it.” He said they were ”well able” which means that these ”sons of Anak” were no match for the people of God. Caleb knew that God would act through them and for them, and He also trusted in the Word of God.
In Numbers 13:1-2, the Bible says, ”And the LORD spake unto Moses, saying, Send thou men, that they may search the land of Canaan, which I give unto the children of Israel: of every tribe of their fathers shall ye send a man, every one a ruler among them.” God clearly said, ”land, which I give unto the children of Israel”, completely asserting that the victory was theirs before the spies were even sent out!
Caleb followed God fully, meaning he brought himself under complete obedience to the Word of God.
In Hebrews 11:6, the Bible says, ”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.” Caleb heard the Word, believed the Word, and then carried out the Word.
Following the Lord is not in lip service, but it is in deed.
In Matthew 7:16, Christ says, ”Ye shall know them by their fruits. Do men gather grapes of thorns, or figs of thistles?” The Israelites were following after their fears while Caleb was following after God. It didn’t mean that Caleb wasn’t afraid, but to follow God is to place His Word over how we feel.
In 2 Corinthians 2:14, the Bible says, ”Now thanks be unto God, which always causeth us to triumph in Christ, and maketh manifest the savour of his knowledge by us in every place.” Caleb knew this about God, that He wouldn’t send us anywhere to give us a land that we would be incapable of possessing.
The Israelites thought in their fear that God was setting them up to fail, but Caleb knew better. Caleb and Joshua had another spirit at work in them, not the spirit of fear and disobedience, but the spirit of truth and power!
God Bless!
Marshall & Jessica
Mar 6, 2024 – Psalm 33:18 – understanding the favour of God
”Behold, the eye of the LORD is upon them that fear him, upon them that hope in his mercy”
Psalm 33:18
Hi Everyone!
When we have the favour of the Lord upon us, it really changes the atmosphere in us and around us.
It doesn’t mean that everything will or has to go our way, but there won’t ever be a situation that won’t ultimately work out for our good.
Joseph was favoured by God but he was enslaved and imprisoned. We know how that story ends, with him getting out of prison to become second in command of all Egypt.
We know the story of Saul, who persecuted the Church until he was met on that road to Damascus, receiving salvation for his sin. We know how that story ended because he rose to the level of one of the chief pastors of the Church, and we read His letters more and more to understand the love and will of God.
God’s favor was upon David, especially when he was in the wilderness, fleeing from King Saul, who tried to kill him so he wouldn’t take his rightful place as King of Israel. We know how that story ends, David becomes king of all Israel and His lineage led to Christ.
God’s favour produces great results.
Today, we will look at Psalm 33:18, understanding the favour of God.
”Behold, the eye of the LORD is upon them that fear him, upon them that hope in his mercy”
The word ”eye” is not only a vision term, expressing that God watches over us at all times, but it also means ”favour or knowledge”. The word ”fear” means ”moral reverence”. We cannot operate outside God’s order and expect to receive the favour, or knowledge of God. When we have reverence for the Lord, His Word is law in our hearts and minds and His favour is revealed in us.
In Job 36:7, the Bible says, ”He withdraweth not his eyes from the righteous: but with kings are they on the throne; yea, he doth establish them for ever, and they are exalted.” It all begins with the Lord. Our righteousness comes from Him, and when His favour is upon us, we will be established forever. Think not?
In John 3:16, Christ says, ‘‘For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life.” Everlasting life. That sounds like it lasts forever, correct?
In Revelation 1:6, the Bible says, ”And hath made us kings and priests unto God and his Father; to him be glory and dominion for ever and ever. Amen.” If we are established forever, being made priests and kings unto God, then that means that as long as God’s favour is upon us, nothing the enemy tries to do will last.
In Psalm 34:14-16, the Bible says, ”Depart from evil, and do good; seek peace, and pursue it. The eyes of the LORD are upon the righteous, and his ears are open unto their cry. The face of the LORD is against them that do evil, to cut off the remembrance of them from the earth.’‘ This is evidence that we can’t do whatever we want and then expect God’s favour to be upon us. God’s favour is upon those who do His will, but His judgement is upon those who make evil a practice and refuse to choose the Lord.
The word ”hope” means ”to trust or be patient with”. This implies that, no matter what is going on, we wait in hope, fully expecting the Lord to reveal Himself. Many of us, including me, have a real problem with patience, and many of us, me included, have missed things God wanted to do in our lives when we chose to go our own way because we felt that the wait was too long.
1 Peter 3:12-13, the Bible says, ”For the eyes of the Lord are over the righteous, and his ears are open unto their prayers: but the face of the Lord is against them that do evil. And who is he that will harm you, if ye be followers of that which is good?” When we pray to the Lord, we can have our prayers answered, because the favour of the Lord is upon us. Why not follow the Lord, who desires a relationship with us, who desires us to experience His best?
In Psalm 147:10-11, the Bible says, ”He delighteth not in the strength of the horse: he taketh not pleasure in the legs of a man. The LORD taketh pleasure in them that fear him, in those that hope in his mercy.” God doesn’t care about our strength, our abilities, or our ministries as much as He cares about our hearts toward Him. King Saul was rejected as king because he tried to serve God in disobedience. Disobedience does not lead to the favour of God. Disobedience leads to the wrath of God.
The word ”mercy” means ”lovingkindness, compassion, or goodness”.
In Psalm 23:6, the Bible says, ”Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life: and I will dwell in the house of the LORD for ever.” We can find rest in God’s favour, and we can place full trust in His mercy. If we do, it follows us everyday we live, which really suggests that the mercy of God is a covering for us.
When we have deep moral reverence for the Lord and the Word of the Lord, He pours His favour and His lovingkindness upon us, allowing us to walk in victory!
God Bless!
Marshall & Jessica
Mar 7, 2024 – Psalm 33:20 – a great defense from an even greater God
”Our soul waiteth for the LORD: he is our help and our shield.”
Psalm 33:20
Hi Everyone!
I live with a sense of expectancy in my life now, more than I ever have before.
I expect to hear from the Lord, I expect to have my prayers answered, and I expect the Lord to lead me through the dry places life delivers me into sometimes.
This expectation does not come because I am some high and mighty person who deserves anything from the Lord, but it comes because God is my Father, I know He loves me, and I know He wants me to experience His best.
Sometimes, the waiting can be agonizing, especially when it’s something that my heart desires deeply, or when I am under some level of opposition.
The enemy mounts his offensives, and those places we can find ourselves in can be a little sticky and we need God’s deliverance.
There is always real help in the Lord, but do we acknowledge that in praise to God, when we are going through it?
Do we declare God’s record in the midst of our troubles?
Today, we are going to look at Psalm 33:20, a great defense from an even greater God.
”Our soul waiteth for the LORD: he is our help and our shield.”
The word ”soul” means ”the heart, or the inner being of a person with its thoughts and emotions.” As believers, we have a spirit dwelling inside us that is completely perfect at all times. This is the promised Holy Spirit of God. There is our body, which is a dwelling place for the Spirit of God to abide in, initially formed by the hand and creativity of God.
Finally, there is a soul, which presents our personality, emotions, and the stuff that essentially makes us who we are. The soul can be an independent agent, a helper of God, or a rogue state, depending on the day or the mood. The goal of a believer is to bring the body and soul into subjection to the Spirit, so they are all one.
In Ephesians 3:16-17, the Bible says, ”That he would grant you, according to the riches of his glory, to be strengthened with might by his Spirit in the inner man”. Our strength, deliverance, power, and victory comes by what the Spirit of God has already done in us, not necessarily what happens around us. If the Spirit of God dwells in us and our soul is in compliance to the Spirit, then our soul is going to desire the Lord.
The word ”waiteth” means ”to adhere to, to long for, or to yearn”. This is so we aren’t just looking at our watches waiting on God to give us the victory. We are abiding in Him, enjoying His fellowship as we wait. The psalmist here is praising God for the things He has done, declaring how God’s presence and protection gives us victory.
In Psalm 62:1-2, the Bible says, ‘‘Truly my soul waiteth upon God: from him cometh my salvation. He only is my rock and my salvation; he is my defence; I shall not be greatly moved.” Again, praise is coming from the lips of the psalmist, no matter how great or how bad the circumstance. Sometimes David spoke of the real agony he experienced, but in the midst of His agony He praised God and declared His majesty and record.
Do we have a heart of praise, especially when we a burdened by life’s problems, or we are seeking His deliverance?
Easier said than done, but God leaves us examples in His Word so we know it can be done. When we declare that God is our salvation, then we won’t look for it in any other place.
When we declare that God is our defender, then we won’t seek the world’s protection.
Praise keeps us in the presence of God and doesn’t give our souls the chance to break rank from the Spirit.
In Psalm 62:5, the Bible says, ”My soul, wait thou only upon God; for my expectation is from him.” The word ”expectation” also means ”expectancy”, where based on God’s record and character, we know God will show up. This shows the reliability of God, that He is always coming to respond to the needs of His children.
The word ”help” means ”aid”. The word ”shield” means ”protector, defense, or buckler”. If we go to anyone else for help but the Lord, then we are showing our low level of trust for Him.
In Psalm 62:8 the Bible says, ”Trust in him at all times; ye people, pour out your heart before him: God is a refuge for us. Selah.” At all times, not just when it is easy or when the answer comes right away, are our hearts poured out before Him or are we pouring our hearts to people and for things that can’t provide the victory that God can?
In Psalm 130:5-6, the Bible says, ”I wait for the LORD, my soul doth wait, and in his word do I hope. My soul waiteth for the Lord more than they that watch for the morning: I say, more than they that watch for the morning.” Knowing that God is our defense should allow us to stick close to Him in hope, because we know that in Christ we have the victory.
This world is looking for answers their own way, but we have to look to the Lord in all situations, His way, no matter how it looks or what is going on with us. There is victory in Jesus!
God Bless!
Marshall & Jessica
Mar 8, 2024 – Psalm 34:19 – delivered from all affliction
”Many are the afflictions of the righteous: but the LORD delivereth him out of them all.”
Psalm 34:19
Hi Everyone!
God never promised we would have trouble-free lives, nor did he promise that everything would go our way.
God never told us that being a believer was going to be some fairy tale life where we coast on clouds away from anything resembling trouble, nor did God say that we were going to have an easy life.
Many of us have been delivered through salvation from a life that could’ve led to an earthly destruction, but all of us who believe in Jesus Christ have been delivered from a spiritual death and destruction. Even as we live, God is constantly delivering us from things that come our way, ensuring that we experience true refuge and protection in Him.
It won’t mean that we won’t be without trouble, because we have a real enemy, although already defeated, who still tries his hardest to win us back to his side.
If we place our confidence in the Lord in all things, especially when it gets hard, He responds with deliverance.
Today, we will look at Psalm 34:19, delivered from all affliction.
”Many are the afflictions of the righteous: but the LORD delivereth him out of them all.”
The word ”afflictions” means ”adversities, or distresses”. This doesn’t sound pleasant, and many people turn away from God when it becomes difficult.
In Mark 4:16-17, Christ says, ”And these are they likewise which are sown on stony ground; who, when they have heard the word, immediately receive it with gladness; And have no root in themselves, and so endure but for a time: afterward, when affliction or persecution ariseth for the word’s sake, immediately they are offended.” We can’t receive the Word of God on anything more than a superficial basis if we aren’t allowing God to build us for endurance. Sometimes persecution comes because we are believers who actively pursue God and our good purpose in Him.
My wife and I experienced some of that when my copy of our book was confiscated by a staff member at Redgranite, who has been reviewing the book for nearly two months. She knows it is a Christian themed and published book, and knows that I am a believer, but was still trying to find a way to try to prevent our book from floating around prison.
In another situation my wife and I received tons of unfair treatment by Redgranite staff, who seemed to antagonize us every chance they could on visits.
God never promised that there wouldn’t be adversity, and in fact, the topic verse says, ”Many are the afflictions”, so we should come to expect that as we draw closer to the Lord, there will be refinement and affliction.
The word ”righteous” means ”just or lawful”, someone who has conformed to the standard of salvation by faith in Jesus Christ.
In 2 Corinthians 5:21, the Bible says, ”For he hath made him to be sin for us, who knew no sin; that we might be made the righteousness of God in him.” We were made righteous because of the finished work of Jesus Christ, and that created a standard in our lives that is not liked by the enemy, and that God will continue to refine.
In Romans 8:17, the Bible says, ‘‘And if children, then heirs; heirs of God, and joint-heirs with Christ; if so be that we suffer with him, that we may be also glorified together.’‘ God declares us to be His children, heirs of God and co-heirs with Christ. If Christ suffered and experienced adversities, then who are we to expect a freer ride than the one we got by salvation?
In Proverbs 24:15-16, the Bible says, ”Lay not wait, O wicked man, against the dwelling of the righteous; spoil not his resting place: For a just man falleth seven times, and riseth up again: but the wicked shall fall into mischief.’‘ God is putting the evil people on notice, that if they attack his people, if they try to strip His children, we will recover. This means that what is happening will not be the end of us, nor will it be the end of our story. God will allow us to rise again.
The word ”delivereth” means ”to rescue or save, the power of one entity overcoming the power of another”.
In 2 Timothy 3:11-12, the Bible says, ”Persecutions, afflictions, which came unto me at Antioch, at Iconium, at Lystra; what persecutions I endured: but out of them all the Lord delivered me. Yea, and all that will live godly in Christ Jesus shall suffer persecution.” The word ”shall” is pretty definite, and all believers should expect there to be trouble.
In Psalm 23:4, the Bible says, ”Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil: for thou art with me; thy rod and thy staff they comfort me.” Even though we go through incredibly difficult things, just knowing that the Lord is with us should give us the confidence that we will make it through.
Psalm 34:6 says, ‘‘This poor man cried, and the LORD heard him, and saved him out of all his troubles.” Not ”some”, but ”all”. Praise God that when we experience adversity, He delivers us from all of it!
God Bless!
Marshall & Jessica
Mar 9, 2024 – Psalm 37:40 – the help that can only come from the Lord
”And the LORD shall help them, and deliver them: he shall deliver them from the wicked, and save them, because they trust in him.”
Psalm 37:40
Hi Everyone!
The battle is the Lord’s! God would never allow us to go through warfare and not be victorious.
It doesn’t matter how formidable the foe is, or how many people have formed an army against us, and it most certainly doesn’t matter what tricks they have in their minds concerning us.
God’s protection is stronger than anything the enemy can devise against us.
Do we trust in the Word of God, that God is always there to help us in times of trouble?
When we have to flee, who or what do we flee to? That will be a testimony to who and what we trust in the most.
When we place our confidence in the Lord to deliver us, He can always be trusted in times of adversity and warfare.
Today, we will look at Psalm 37:40, the help that can only come from the Lord.
”And the LORD shall help them, and deliver them: he shall deliver them from the wicked, and save them, because they trust in him.”
The word ”help” means ”to protect, surround, or aid”. In Psalm 46:1-2, the Bible says, ”God is our refuge and strength, a very present help in trouble. Therefore will not we fear, though the earth be removed, and though the mountains be carried into the midst of the sea”. Do we really believe this? God is ready to help right now! Not tomorrow, but right at this moment.
Many of us don’t believe this is so.
We may trust in something or someone we can see or feel, believing the situation calls for it. Many of us will fail because we went into a battle with the wrong ammunition!
In 2 Corinthians 10:3-4, the Bible says, ‘‘For though we walk in the flesh, we do not war after the flesh: (For the weapons of our warfare are not carnal, but mighty through God to the pulling down of strong holds;)”. If we don’t war after the flesh, and our weaponry isn’t carnal, then why do we constantly find ourselves trying to fight our battles in our own strength and with our own resources?
When we fight the battle on our own, at the wrong level, we are almost always subject to defeat.
In Psalm 121:1-2, the Bible says, ”I will lift up mine eyes unto the hills, from whence cometh my help. My help cometh from the LORD, which made heaven and earth.” We must focus our minds, hearts, and perspective on the Lord. Looking to the hills implies expectancy that God is coming to take care of His own.
This requires trust AND actively seeking Him.
The word ”deliver” means ”to carry away safe, or to cause to escape out of the hand of the enemy”. The word ”wicked” means ”morally wrong, or ungodly”. David said that it is the Lord who delivers us, and no one else.
In Isaiah 31:1, the Bible says, ”Woe to them that go down to Egypt for help; and stay on horses, and trust in chariots, because they are many; and in horsemen, because they are very strong; but they look not unto the Holy One of Israel, neither seek the LORD!” The Bible expresses that it is not a good thing to trust in mankind and armies for help when we have the Lord.
Man will disappoint us if we enter into spiritual warfare with the tools of the flesh.
In Isaiah 31:4-5, the Bible says, ”For thus hath the LORD spoken unto me, Like as the lion and the young lion roaring on his prey, when a multitude of shepherds is called forth against him, he will not be afraid of their voice, nor abase himself for the noise of them: so shall the LORD of hosts come down to fight for mount Zion, and for the hill thereof. As birds flying, so will the LORD of hosts defend Jerusalem; defending also he will deliver it; and passing over he will preserve it.” The Lord will deliver us when we place our trust in Him instead of putting our trust in the flesh.
The person who trusts in the Lord can stand calmly and strongly in the midst of a mounting army against them, because this text says, the defense is coming from above!
The word ”save” means ”to defend, to be carried away from one place to a place of safety”. The word ”trust” means ”to take refuge in, to flee for protection, to confide in”.
1 Chronicles 5:20, the Bible says, ”And they were helped against them, and the Hagarites were delivered into their hand, and all that were with them: for they cried to God in the battle, and he was intreated of them; because they put their trust in him.’‘ When we trust in God, we are helped in ways that leave the enemy confounded.
In Daniel 3:17-18, the Bible says, ”If it be so, our God whom we serve is able to deliver us from the burning fiery furnace, and he will deliver us out of thine hand, O king. But if not, be it known unto thee, O king, that we will not serve thy gods, nor worship the golden image which thou hast set up.’‘ They could’ve gotten themselves out of the fiery furnace, but they would have had to sin against God to do it.
This is what usually happens when we trust in self, or in flesh, for deliverance. We will always find ourselves in disobedience to God. Is that the kind of deliverance we want?
God Bless!
Marshall & Jessica
Mar 10, 2024 – Psalm 35:1 – having a God who is ready to fight mightily on our behalf
”Plead my cause, O LORD, with them that strive with me: fight against them that fight against me.”
Psalm 35:1
Hi Everyone!
In a believer’s life, it is inevitable that we are going to engage in spiritual warfare.
We have a new nature in Christ and the world we have been delivered from has its own nature, completely contrary to ours.
As we live lives as believers, we are going to experience conflict, no matter how much we try to avoid it.
I have experienced my share of having conflict brought to my doorstep when I have had nothing to do with its inception, and sometimes, I try to fight the battle at ground level, usually not bringing about the desired effect of peace.
As believers, we can’t control the conflicts that are brought our way, but we most certainly can live in the peace of The Lord despite the wars that try to wage against us.
Our God is our defense, and He will gladly fight the battles we have IF we will entrust them to Him.
Today, we will look at Psalm 35:1, having a God who is ready to fight mightily on our behalf.
”Plead my cause, O LORD, with them that strive with me: fight against them that fight against me.”
The word ”plead” means ”to contend, dispute, or debate”.
Let’s look at this from a courtroom perspective.
If David is clearly asking God to plead his cause, that means that someone has built a case against him, and is looking forward to bringing judgment against him. Here is why David is a man after God’s own heart, because he seeks the Lord first, instead of trying to win the battle on his own.
In Samuel 5:22-24, the Bible says, ”And the Philistines came up yet again, and spread themselves in the valley of Rephaim. And when David enquired of the LORD, he said, Thou shalt not go up; but fetch a compass behind them, and come upon them over against the mulberry trees. And let it be, when thou hearest the sound of a going in the tops of the mulberry trees, that then thou shalt bestir thyself: for then shall the LORD go out before thee, to smite the host of the Philistines.” David couldn’t control what the Philistines did, but he knew his answer was in the Lord.
Do we seek God’s perspective and direction when we face some conflict in our lives, or do we have an ”I got this” mentality, pushing God completely out of the picture.
Also, while looking at this through the lens of a courtroom, we can also look at the fact that our God is the judge and the enemy is already defeated!
In Hebrews 2:14-15, the Bible says, ”Forasmuch then as the children are partakers of flesh and blood, he also himself likewise took part of the same; that through death he might destroy him that had the power of death, that is, the devil; And deliver them who through fear of death were all their lifetime subject to bondage.”
Christ already brought defeat to our enemy, but instead of allowing him to plead our cause, we try to re-litigate a battle that has already been won for us!
The word ”strive” means ”to contend against”. In Psalm 43:1-2, the Bible says, ‘‘Judge me, O God, and plead my cause against an ungodly nation: O deliver me from the deceitful and unjust man. For thou art the God of my strength: why dost thou cast me off? why go I mourning because of the oppression of the enemy?”
Sometimes, when we are in a state of conflict against the enemy, it may seem like our God has taken a vacation on us, but that is the furthest thing from the truth. God sees the things people launch against who we are in Him, He sees the offensives mounted up against us, and He knows that it does not feel good when they wage war against us.
Just because we experience discomfort, doesn’t mean that God is not responding to our cries for Him to plead our cause.
In Psalm 119:153-154, the Bible says, ‘‘Consider mine affliction, and deliver me: for I do not forget thy law. Plead my cause, and deliver me: quicken me according to thy word.” More times than not, David sought the Lord to fight his battles before he even picked up a sword. He knew that victory only came through the Lord, and he trusted that God would deliver him. How many battles has David fought that he lost?
The word ”fight” means ”consume, destroy, or overcome”.
David didn’t ask God to empower him to fight either. David asked God to fight for him.
In Exodus 14:-24-25, the Bible says, ”And it came to pass, that in the morning watch the LORD looked unto the host of the Egyptians through the pillar of fire and of the cloud, and troubled the host of the Egyptians, And took off their chariot wheels, that they drave them heavily: so that the Egyptians said, Let us flee from the face of Israel; for the LORD fighteth for them against the Egyptians.”
God clearly fought the battle for the Israelites, so much so, that the Egyptians knew that God was fighting for them. They wanted to flee because they knew they couldn’t fight against the Lord and win.
The enemy knows they can’t win against God, but sadly, many of us take the battle from the Lord and try to fight it ourselves …
God Bless!
Marshall & Jessica
Mar 11, 2024 – Galatians 5:17 – the war between flesh and Spirit
”For the flesh lusteth against the Spirit, and the Spirit against the flesh: and these are contrary the one to the other: so that ye cannot do the things that ye would.”
Galatians 5:17
Hi Everyone!
There is not only warfare going on in the life of a believer, there is also warfare that goes on inside a believer!
When we received salvation by faith in Jesus Christ, we took on a new nature.
This is the most beautiful thing, but the enemy we have been delivered from, Satan, wants to have us back.
So he is going to nag us until his influence is what guides our thoughts, contributes to our actions, and what tarnishes our lives as believers.
The flesh and Spirit are in constant opposition against each other because they want different things.
The Spirit desires life and the things that pertain to life, while the enemy desires death, and the things that pertain to it.
With this warfare raging within us, we have to cleave to the Spirit, which pushes out the flesh.
The more we push the flesh out, the more the Spirit reigns in us.
Today, we will look at Galatians 5:17, the war between flesh and Spirit.
”For the flesh lusteth against the Spirit, and the Spirit against the flesh: and these are contrary the one to the other: so that ye cannot do the things that ye would.”
The word ”flesh” refers to a person’s human nature with its frailties, desires and passion. This is a nature that seeks to serve itself, and sin is the vehicle by which the flesh is fed.
In Hebrews 11:25-26, the Bible says, ”Choosing rather to suffer affliction with the people of God, than to enjoy the pleasures of sin for a season; Esteeming the reproach of Christ greater riches than the treasures in Egypt: for he had respect unto the recompence of the reward.” If sin carried no pleasure, no one would do it, but it does carry pleasure and that is why it can become a habit.
I am taking Psychology in my Biblical studies program. The class talks about how when something brings us pleasure, the Basal Ganglia, our brain’s pleasure and reward center, responds by sending dopamine through our neuron’s synapses.
Our mind wants to recreate that pleasure so we will continue to perform acts that produce it. This overpowers other pleasures which is why someone addicted to drugs, who is also a great basketball player, will abandon the thing that produces the least amount of pleasure.
This doesn’t absolve us from sin, because we have a choice in the matter, and by being believer’s, we have been empowered by God to exercise power over the flesh.
Moses made a choice to serve God and abandon the flesh, and we have the power to make the same choice.
The word ”Spirit” refers to the Spirit of God as coming and acting upon Christians, illuminating and empowering them, imparting to them spiritual knowledge, aid, consolation, sanctification, and making intercession with and for them.
In Romans 8:1-2, the Bible says, ‘‘There is therefore now no condemnation to them which are in Christ Jesus, who walk not after the flesh, but after the Spirit. For the law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus hath made me free from the law of sin and death.” When we ”walk”, we live, and as believers when we live we make a choice to serve God and abandon the flesh. The enemy would love us to live in condemnation like he does, but we are not condemned. We are saved, redeemed, and set free.
In 1 Corinthians 3:16, the Bible says, ”Know ye not that ye are the temple of God, and that the Spirit of God dwelleth in you?’‘ When we see ourselves as temples, the ”places” we come to within to experience the presence of God, it should change the way we see ourselves and see sin.
The word ”contrary” means ”opposed to, or adversarial”. There are no grey areas. Either we are of the flesh or of the Spirit.
In Romans 7:22-23, the Bible says, ”For I delight in the law of God after the inward man: But I see another law in my members, warring against the law of my mind, and bringing me into captivity to the law of sin which is in my members.” Have we ever heard people say, ”my heart was in the right place” usually after they have done something wrong? How can that be? Well, this verse kinda explains it.
We have this desire in our hearts to serve God and do what God tells us to do in His Word, but this happens which is something completely different:
an inner war transpires within us, causing our flesh to mount an offensive against the Spirit.
If we do not allow the Word of God to reign within us, then defeat is imminent, and WE WILL GIVE IN to sin.
In Romans 8:4-5, the Bible says, ”That the righteousness of the law might be fulfilled in us, who walk not after the flesh, but after the Spirit. For they that are after the flesh do mind the things of the flesh; but they that are after the Spirit the things of the Spirit.”
What are we after, the flesh or the Spirit?
The law of righteousness can be what governs our lives, but if we allow the flesh to have reign, then we will keep finding ourselves on the losing end of the war.
God Bless!
Marshall & Jessica
Mar 12, 2024 – 1 Corinthians 2:6 – speaking a world of truth and wisdom
”Howbeit we speak wisdom among them that are perfect: yet not the wisdom of this world, nor of the princes of this world, that come to nought”
1 Corinthians 2:6
Hi Everyone!
Before we were saved, we lived by our kind of wisdom and philosophy.
Whatever made sense to us became ”our truth”, and we proudly lived by it.
As believers, we exchanged the truth of the world for the truth of the Word of God, and our goal now is to develop and mature into the believers God desires us to be.
Praise God that we no longer have to worry about ”being smart”! We have the greatest Teacher in the world, the Holy Spirit, Who teaches us and guides us into all truth, so when we speak, we speak what is given to us by God to advance the kingdom of God.
This does not absolve us from studying God’s Word in any way, because it is commanded that we study the Word of God, but it ensures that when we seek God’s perspective or wisdom, He gives it to us.
The wisdom of the world can’t stand against the Word of God, yet this world is still filled with people trying to live out ”their truth”.
There is only one truth, and all truth comes from it, and that is God’s Word.
Today, we will look at 1 Corinthians 2:6, speaking a world of truth and wisdom.
”Howbeit we speak wisdom among them that are perfect: yet not the wisdom of this world, nor of the princes of this world, that come to nought”
The word ”howbeit” is a word that establishes a connection between two points, so if that word is present, more perspective is added. This suggests we look back.
In 1 Corinthians 2:4-5, the Bible says, ”And my speech and my preaching was not with enticing words of man’s wisdom, but in demonstration of the Spirit and of power: That your faith should not stand in the wisdom of men, but in the power of God.”
Paul, who wrote this was trained under the strictest sect as a Pharisee. He lived and breathed the Law, and he was vastly intelligent, having every right in that area to share ”his truth”.
But everything changed on that road to Damascus, when he exchanged everything he was for who God desired him to be. He now establishes that he is not speaking from who he used to be, but from who he is now in the kingdom of God. He isn’t trying to use his vast education to win souls for Jesus Christ, but He wants people to know that his wisdom now comes from God.
The word ”speak” means ”to utter words, to talk, or to preach”. The word ”wisdom” here means ”in respect to divine things, divine wisdom, the ability to regulate one’s relationship with God”. The word ”perfect” means ”fully grown in knowledge and truth, complete, or mature”.
Paul’s goal is seeing the body of believers come into spiritual maturity through the wisdom of God.
In 1 Corinthians 14:20, the Bible says, ”Brethren, be not children in understanding: howbeit in malice be ye children, but in understanding be men.” Do we have a desire, by what we know in the Lord, to see other believers come into maturity in the knowledge of the Lord Jesus Christ, or do we just want to parade what we know around to advance our own agenda?
In Ephesians 4:11-13, the Bible says, ‘‘And he gave some, apostles; and some, prophets; and some, evangelists; and some, pastors and teachers; For the perfecting of the saints, for the work of the ministry, for the edifying of the body of Christ: Till we all come in the unity of the faith, and of the knowledge of the Son of God, unto a perfect man, unto the measure of the stature of the fulness of Christ”.
This is why God put us in the positions He has, so we can all grow together in maturity and in knowledge of Christ, so our service to God comes from that intention. We have to check our motives at the door to make sure that everything we have and know is with kingdom building in mind.
The word phrase ”wisdom of this world” carries a much different meaning. It means ”specifically of the learning and philosophy current among the Greeks and Romans in the apostolic age intended to draw away the minds of men from divine truth, and they stand in contrast to the simplicity of the Gospel”.
I just experienced this in a Philosophy class in my Associate’s Degree studies.
I studied hard for days in order to understand the point they were trying to make, just so I could do the paper!
God wants us to study, but He wants us to understand His Word clearly. This wisdom of the world is a trap, aimed to confuse and keep us from the ease of the Gospel.
In 1 Corinthians 1:28, the Bible says, ”And base things of the world, and things which are despised, hath God chosen, yea, and things which are not, to bring to nought things that are”.
The phrase ”come to nought” means ”to cause to cease, cause to vanish, or abolish”.
In James 3:15-16, the Bible says, ”This wisdom descendeth not from above, but is earthly, sensual, devilish. For where envying and strife is, there is confusion and every evil work.”
The wisdom of the world does no earthly nor Godly good, only serving to break down what God is building up.
God Bless!
Marshall & Jessica
Mar 13, 2024 – 1 Corinthians 2:7 – the mystery of God bestowed upon us
”But we speak the wisdom of God in a mystery, even the hidden wisdom, which God ordained before the world unto our glory.”
1 Corinthians 2:7
Hi Everyone!
When talking to brothers in my prison environment, I usually have to do what I call ”the bait and switch”.
When they come to me for some form of advice, I gradually pivot it to share the Word of God with them that coincides directly with what they are presenting.
If I gave them the quoted Bible they would make me the last person they talk to!
When they ask me where I came up with what I told them, usually after trying to give me credit for my knowledge, I tell them that I got it from the Bible.
Most are shocked and then they tell me to show them, which brings a smile to my face! I open up the Scriptures and share the passage with them, also explaining whatever I need for them to get the full message.
Sometimes, I am shocked by what comes out of my mouth, because the passage would ”come out of nowhere”. Praise God for His Holy Spirit, continuing to fulfill the Word of God by teaching believers the mysteries of God, previously hidden, but no longer to those who believe.
Today, we will look at 1 Corinthians 2:7, the mystery of God bestowed upon us.
”But we speak the wisdom of God in a mystery, even the hidden wisdom, which God ordained before the world unto our glory.”
The word ”speak” means ”to talk, utter words, or preach”. The word ”wisdom” is in respect to divine things, wisdom, knowledge, insight, deep understanding, represented everywhere as a divine gift, and the ability to regulate one’s relationship with God.”
The word ”mystery” means ”to learn a secret; something in which one must be initiated or instructed before it can be known; something of itself not obvious, and above human insight; facts, doctrines, principles not previously revealed.”
In Romans 16:25-26, the Bible says, ‘‘Now to him that is of power to stablish you according to my gospel, and the preaching of Jesus Christ, according to the revelation of the mystery, which was kept secret since the world began, But now is made manifest, and by the scriptures of the prophets, according to the commandment of the everlasting God, made known to all nations for the obedience of faith”. God desires His children to know the mystery that comes from Him.
When we receive salvation by faith in Jesus Christ, it comes with promises, and it also comes with the mystery of God being unlocked so we can know our God fully. God does not want to keep His children in the dark, so He has made this mystery available to us, this same mystery, we then make available to others.
In Ephesians 3:3-5, the Bible says, ”How that by revelation he made known unto me the mystery; (as I wrote afore in few words, Whereby, when ye read, ye may understand my knowledge in the mystery of Christ) Which in other ages was not made known unto the sons of men, as it is now revealed unto his holy apostles and prophets by the Spirit”. A revelation is revealed, which means that we didn’t have this before.
Some people believe that they have to be an apostle or prophet to receive the mystery of God, but remember Revelation 1:6, the Bible says, ”And hath made us kings and priests unto God and his Father; to him be glory and dominion for ever and ever. Amen.” The phrase ”hath made” is past tense, and because the Book of Revelation was written to believers, this means we are kings and priests in the eyes of God!
The phrase ”hidden” means ”concealed away”. The word ”ordained” means ”to predetermine”. The word ”world” means ”ages”, referring to time.
What we know now as believers was hidden from us when we were unsaved. The wisdom of God is centered in Christ and includes all God’s plans for the history of salvation from before the ages to the unending future of eternity. The Gospel plan for salvation is still hidden to people out there!
In Ephesians 3:8-9, the Bible says, ‘‘Unto me, who am less than the least of all saints, is this grace given, that I should preach among the Gentiles the unsearchable riches of Christ; And to make all men see what is the fellowship of the mystery, which from the beginning of the world hath been hid in God, who created all things by Jesus Christ”. Praise God that He doesn’t look at our qualifications, otherwise no one would be good enough to receive the mystery of God.
God looks at the finished work of Christ and looks at His blood on us, and deems us acceptable to know a Word that comes from Him. It is a blessing to know a word from God and to teach someone else!
In Colossians 1:26-27, the Bible says, ”Even the mystery which hath been hid from ages and from generations, but now is made manifest to his saints: To whom God would make known what is the riches of the glory of this mystery among the Gentiles; which is Christ in you, the hope of glory”. Christ in us, that blessed Holy Spirit sent in Christ’s name, is what reveals the mystery of God to us. Everything I know comes from the Lord, and I praise Him for everything His promises have revealed!
God Bless!
Marshall & Jessica
Mar 14, 2024 – 1 Corinthians 3:23 – Who we really belong to
”And ye are Christ’s; and Christ is God’s.”
1 Corinthians 3:23
Hi Everyone!
Do we understand that we belong to the Lord Jesus Christ?
God has given Christ a name that is above all names. He is the cornerstone of our faith, and His amazing sacrifice has given us a new life in God.
Whatever is under His name is under His authority, but have we as believers really placed ourselves in subjection to His authority, or are we still pursuing our own agenda?
When we are the Lord’s, we know that our lives, ambitions, and truth flow through Him.
When God is in authority, whatever the Word of God says is what we live by, and when the Holy Spirit places something on our hearts, it is our obligation to carry out what God requires.
This is really the least we can do for all the Lord has done for us, yet many of us act like the little that God asks of us is too much for us to handle.
God gives us everything and looks for our faith and our obedience.
Today, we will look at 1 Corinthians 3:23, Who we really belong to.
”And ye are Christ’s; and Christ is God’s.”
There is an order to this as believers, and we must understand that Christ is the door to God.
In John 10:9-10, Christ says, ”I am the door: by me if any man enter in, he shall be saved, and shall go in and out, and find pasture. The thief cometh not, but for to steal, and to kill, and to destroy: I am come that they might have life, and that they might have it more abundantly.’‘
Believers have real safety in the Lord, and Christ is the door into that safety, and the gateway to an abundant life in God. If Christ is the door, then He is the way to God.
In John 14:6, Christ also shares, ”Jesus saith unto him, I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by me.’‘ If we have to come to Christ in order to come to God, then why do so many people on this earth try alternate routes to try to get to God. It is only through Christ!
In John 17:9-11, Christ prays to God, ”I pray for them: I pray not for the world, but for them which thou hast given me; for they are thine. And all mine are thine, and thine are mine; and I am glorified in them. And now I am no more in the world, but these are in the world, and I come to thee. Holy Father, keep through thine own name those whom thou hast given me, that they may be one, as we are.’‘
Even before Christ ascended to the Father, He established the order; the we belong to Him as He belonged to God. He also established that He is glorified in us, so our lives lived in the faith show the world who He is. This also declares the oneness we have in God.
In Romans 14:8-9, the Bible says, ”For whether we live, we live unto the Lord; and whether we die, we die unto the Lord: whether we live therefore, or die, we are the Lord’s. For to this end Christ both died, and rose, and revived, that he might be Lord both of the dead and living.” Our lives are completely His and we should live our lives in full obedience to God, so that we become a reflection of Him.
As new creations in Christ, we go back to the initial intent of God at creation, where in Genesis 1:26, the Bible says, ‘‘And God said, Let us make man in our image, after our likeness: and let them have dominion over the fish of the sea, and over the fowl of the air, and over the cattle, and over all the earth, and over every creeping thing that creepeth upon the earth.’‘ Because our lives belong to the Lord and we serve Him, we then take on His attributes, and as we reign on earth in Him, we are always subject to the kingdom of God.
In Psalm 24:1, the Bible says, ‘‘The earth is the LORD’s, and the fulness thereof; the world, and they that dwell therein.” When we understand the pecking order, that this earth and all of its occupants are the Lord’s then maybe, we will begin to live according to the design of the One who created us. We are unable to do that as long as we are trying to author our own story.
In 1 Corinthians 11:1-3, the Bible says, ‘‘Be ye followers of me, even as I also am of Christ. Now I praise you, brethren, that ye remember me in all things, and keep the ordinances, as I delivered them to you. But I would have you know, that the head of every man is Christ; and the head of the woman is the man; and the head of Christ is God.” Our leadership should direct us in both our instruction, and in our lives, to follow after the Lord. In our lives, our pastorate should always teach us Who we belong to and Who to give glory to.
In Galatians 3:27-29, the Bible says, ”For as many of you as have been baptized into Christ have put on Christ. There is neither Jew nor Greek, there is neither bond nor free, there is neither male nor female: for ye are all one in Christ Jesus. And if ye be Christ’s, then are ye Abraham’s seed, and heirs according to the promise.”
Being one in Christ allows us to understand that He is the Head in our lives, and the promises, are in Him.
God Bless!
Marshall & Jessica
Mar 15, 2024 – Psalm 42:3 – searching for a God who can be found
”My tears have been my meat day and night, while they continually say unto me, Where is thy God?”
Psalm 42:3
Hi Everyone!
We live in a society where people love to kick you when you are down. It happens all of time, especially on social media, where people attack people’s affliction like a pack of ravenous wolves.
I have experienced this in my prison environment, going through a season of brokenness and grief, followed by a season of destitution.
Guys saw me living for the Lord when I was doing well and also living for the Lord when things were extremely crazy. I remember them wondering where God was, if He would allow this type of stuff to happen to me, some almost with a tone of ridicule.
Sometimes, in the midst of my hurt and sorrow, and in the midst of my tears, I cried out to God, asking, ”Where are You?”
No matter what we go through in life, or who ridicules our misfortunes asking, ”Where is Your God?”, God is right there, full of love and compassion, ready to respond in due time.
Today, we will look at Psalm 42:3, searching for a God who can be found.
”My tears have been my meat day and night, while they continually say unto me, Where is thy God?”
The word ”tears” means ”weeping”. The word ”meat” means ”food”. This paints a clear picture that the grief is so intense that the writer of this Psalm couldn’t eat. Whenever grief overpowers a mandatory bodily need, it means that this is serious.
In Psalm 80:4-5, the Bible says, ”O LORD God of hosts, how long wilt thou be angry against the prayer of thy people? Thou feedest them with the bread of tears; and givest them tears to drink in great measure.” Sometimes, we can face the wrath of God causing us to be vulnerable to adversity, affliction, and other times, we can experience misfortune so enormous it becomes obvious to everyone. Often, we are lost as to why this is happening, but God may have purpose in it.
In Job 1:10-12, the Bible says, ”Hast not thou made an hedge about him, and about his house, and about all that he hath on every side? thou hast blessed the work of his hands, and his substance is increased in the land. But put forth thine hand now, and touch all that he hath, and he will curse thee to thy face. And the LORD said unto Satan, Behold, all that he hath is in thy power; only upon himself put not forth thine hand. So Satan went forth from the presence of the LORD.’‘ God and Satan are having this conversation and Satan is looking for a life to ruin. God points him to Job, but Satan expresses that God has a hedge of protection on him, preventing anything from happening to him.
Our first lesson: if God doesn’t prevent it from happening then there is something in it we have to experience for His glory. Job’s suffering became a testimony that should encourage us in the face of our trial, to love and trust God, even in the midst of heartbreak.
In Psalm 102:8-10, the Bible says, ”Mine enemies reproach me all the day; and they that are mad against me are sworn against me. For I have eaten ashes like bread, and mingled my drink with weeping. Because of thine indignation and thy wrath: for thou hast lifted me up, and cast me down.” Sometimes, the attack from the enemy is extremely hard to deal with, being attacked on all sides. Sometimes, the affliction is so hard that tears seem to be our only recourse.
God’s wrath, when experienced, can feel worse than anything we can imagine.
In Psalm 51:11, the Bible says, ”Cast me not away from thy presence; and take not thy holy spirit from me.” David feared not being in the presence of the Lord, and feared his sin had cast him out of God’s presence. Knowing what we know about David, that would have been unbearable to endure.
In 2 Samuel 16:7-8, the Bible says, ‘‘And thus said Shimei when he cursed, Come out, come out, thou bloody man, and thou man of Belial: The LORD hath returned upon thee all the blood of the house of Saul, in whose stead thou hast reigned; and the LORD hath delivered the kingdom into the hand of Absalom thy son: and, behold, thou art taken in thy mischief, because thou art a bloody man.” Shimei was celebrating David’s misfortune, ridiculing him, and throwing stones at him. David or any one of his men could’ve killed him easily, but David endured it without fighting back.
In Psalm 42:9-10, the Bible says, ”I will say unto God my rock, Why hast thou forgotten me? why go I mourning because of the oppression of the enemy? As with a sword in my bones, mine enemies reproach me; while they say daily unto me, Where is thy God?” At the same time we can be experiencing the deepest turmoil, feeling like God has forgotten about us, people are also making sport of our misfortune.
There is great news though. In John 10:29, the Bible says, ”My Father, which gave them me, is greater than all; and no man is able to pluck them out of my Father’s hand.” No matter what we go through, no matter how hard it is, and no matter who celebrates our hurts, we are still in the Father’s hand!
God Bless!
Marshall & Jessica
Mar 16, 2024 – Psalm 77:1 – a loving God who hears our cries
”I cried unto God with my voice, even unto God with my voice; and he gave ear unto me.”
Psalm 77:1
Hi Everyone!
As believers, we have a God who hears our prayers. He listens carefully to the things that come from our mouths, and responds with favor, provision and His grace.
But sometimes He responds in a form that does not always feel pleasant.
Imagine crying out to God for a tree and getting a seed instead? Imagine crying out to God to defeat an enemy in our path and He tells us to ”be still and know that I am God”.
They seem to be no answer at all?
Now, recall the time that the seed He gave reaped a harvest far beyond anything you could have imagined a from a mere seed.
Recall the time you were kept in the midst of a battle where someone saw you struggling yet remaining faithful, resulting in them giving their lives to the Lord.
Remember the time when God stepped in with His comfort and because of it, you were able to comfort someone else.
God hears us and He responds to our prayers.
Today, we will look at Psalm 77:1, a loving God who hears our cries.
”I cried unto God with my voice, even unto God with my voice; and he gave ear unto me.”
The word ”cried” means ”to shriek, or proclaim”.
Who are we crying out to?
Many times, instead of crying out to God, we air our troubles to people who don’t care or have no capacity to do anything about it. I know from experience that I have wasted so much time venting, instead of bringing my pain to the Lord.
In 1 Peter 5:6-7 the Bible says, ”Humble yourselves therefore under the mighty hand of God, that he may exalt you in due time: Casting all your care upon him; for he careth for you.’‘ How is our posture before the Lord?
Do we come to God like entitled brats, demanding Him to do something about our agony, or do we come humbly, understanding that God is all powerful, mighty to save, and that He holds the plan for our lives?
When we come to God humbly and at the end of ourselves, we are showing God that we know our answer comes from Him.
Do we give God everything that’s hurting us or do we keep back a little bit for ourselves, as a contingency just in case God doesn’t answer?
Throughout The Book of Psalms David and Asaph display, in posture and in heart, how to come before the Lord in all situations,.
The word ”voice” means ”call, bleating, or proclamation”. This is verbal.
The enemy would love to afflict us into silence, where we won’t cry out to God.
I see that in my prison environment a lot, where the circumstances of prison have broken their spirit so much, prisoners won’t cry out to God for help.
We have a God who knows our voice and responds to our prayers, but if we won’t cry out to God, how do we expect to receive the answer?
1 John 4:6, the Bible says, ”We are of God: he that knoweth God heareth us; he that is not of God heareth not us. Hereby know we the spirit of truth, and the spirit of error.” As believers, we must be assured that our voices crying out to God are not in vain, that He absolutely hears our cries.
We are His children, not beggars, so God responds as a parent.
In John 9:31, the Bible says, ”Now we know that God heareth not sinners: but if any man be a worshipper of God, and doeth his will, him he heareth.” If we are believers, and out hearts are set on serving God, God then inclines His ear to us. We have that assurance that when we are positioned accordingly, God is more than willing to hear us.
The phrase ”gave an ear” means ”to listen or lend an ear”. This implies that God is offering His shoulder for us to cry on. In Micah 7:7, the Bible says, ”Therefore I will look unto the LORD; I will wait for the God of my salvation: my God will hear me.” If God is not the God of our salvation then we won’t cry out to Him for salvation. If God is not the God of our comfort, then we won’t cry out to Him for comfort.
We must first believe that God has the ability and willingness to perform what we are asking in order for us to believe that He will hear us.
In Psalm 3:3-5, the Bible says, ‘‘But thou, O LORD, art a shield for me; my glory, and the lifter up of mine head. I cried unto the LORD with my voice, and he heard me out of his holy hill. Selah. I laid me down and slept; I awaked; for the LORD sustained me.” There is first acknowledgement of who God is and what He can do. Then God is called on His record of faithfulness. Finally, we see the end result of rest that occurred because God heard him.
This is the same God who will gladly do it for us!
Psalm 34:4-6, the Bible says, ”I sought the LORD, and he heard me, and delivered me from all my fears. They looked unto him, and were lightened: and their faces were not ashamed. This poor man cried, and the LORD heard him, and saved him out of all his troubles.” God hears us and is ready to deliver us from what afflicts us. Our testimony won’t look like what we went through. God hears us.
We are His children and He loves us. He will most certainly respond!
God Bless!
Marshall & Jessica
Mar 17, 2024 – Proverbs 8:32 – obedience leading to blessings
”Now therefore hearken unto me, O ye children: for blessed are they that keep my ways.”
Proverbs 8:32
Hi Everyone!
When God speaks to our hearts and minds by the Holy Spirit, or by a command written in His Word, we come into a state of faith and obedience to the Word of God.
That conformity pleases the Lord, because if we do what He asks us to do, it will always bring glory to Him.
When we obey the Lord, He also bestows blessings with our obedience fulfilled.
It it may not come right away, but God has an awesome way of allowing us to grow into the blessing that He has for us.
A pastor told me ”First faith and faithfulness, then the promise comes.” It is a true statement, because when we look at the life of Abraham who ‘secured the promise’, we see a journey of faith and faithfulness.
Many of us are praying to God for Him to bless our lives, all the while ignoring His Word and even blatantly disobeying the Word He speaks over us. That shouldn’t be, especially when He pours blessings upon us, expecting our obedience.
Today, we will look at Proverbs 8:32, obedience leading to blessings.
”Now therefore hearken unto me, O ye children: for blessed are they that keep my ways.”
There are many scholars who attribute the verses in Proverbs 8 to the characteristics of Christ, and they would be right. In this great wisdom chapter which shows that wisdom existed from the beginning.
Christ existed from the beginning, as did wisdom, and wisdom’s delights just as Christ’s delights were with the sons of men.
In Proverbs 1:2-4, the Bible says, ”To know wisdom and instruction; to perceive the words of understanding; To receive the instruction of wisdom, justice, and judgment, and equity; To give subtilty to the simple, to the young man knowledge and discretion.” The purpose of Proverbs was to impart the wisdom of God to mankind, so that we would learn how to live a faith filled practical life on earth.
God wants us to be prepared to handle those situations, relationships and matters where we have to weigh options, and be obedient.
This is designed to give those of us who need it, the knowledge and wisdom to enable us to step into our threshold of potential. Wisdom is available in abundance for us, but if we don’t walk in it, then I believe that it is a true waste of the potential God gives us, to live out an amazing life in the earth.
The word ”hearken” means ”to listen attentively or intelligently, to heed, obey, or conform”. True wisdom is an intentional act on our part to really understand what God wants from us, and to then actively listen to the Word of God.
He word ”children” means ”builders of the family name”. This lets us know two things. First, God has something to say that commands our obedience, and secondly, the Word is directed toward His children, those saved by faith in Jesus Christ. Building that family name is building the name of Jesus Christ into our lives, relationships, jobs, etc.
In Romans 10:17-18, the Bible says, ”So then faith cometh by hearing, and hearing by the word of God. But I say, Have they not heard? Yes verily, their sound went into all the earth, and their words unto the ends of the world.” Our faith is attached to the Word of God. We can’t just hear the Word of God and not carry it out, because we wouldn’t be operating in faith, nor would we be operating in obedience. Disobedience doesn’t please God, and will bring us to ruin.
In Matthew 7:26-27, the Bible says, ”And every one that heareth these sayings of mine, and doeth them not, shall be likened unto a foolish man, which built his house upon the sand: And the rain descended, and the floods came, and the winds blew, and beat upon that house; and it fell: and great was the fall of it.” God wants us to succeed, but if we choose to not obey, we are setting ourselves up for major ruin.
The word ”blessed” means ”a person’s state of bliss or happiness due to their relationship and obedience to God”. The word ”keep” means ”observe, attend to, or maintain”. This is being a good steward of the Word of God, obeying the Word that God entrusts to us.
The word ”ways” means ”a road, course of life, or mode of action”. Whether God is showing us where to go, how to live, or what to do, we must as His children heed His Word.
In Psalm 119:1-2, the Bible says, ‘‘Blessed are the undefiled in the way, who walk in the law of the LORD. Blessed are they that keep his testimonies, and that seek him with the whole heart.” There are real blessings in store for those who obey the Word of God.
Why do we test God by going our way, instead of the way God is leading us?
In Psalm 128:1-2, the Bible says, ”Blessed is every one that feareth the LORD; that walketh in his ways. For thou shalt eat the labour of thine hands: happy shalt thou be, and it shall be well with thee.” God assures us that when we heed His Wisdom there are tangible blessings we will receive and that our lives will then reflect His blessings.
God Bless!
Marshall & Jessica
Mar 18, 2024 – Proverbs 4:19, a darkness that the wicked stumble in
”The way of the wicked is as darkness: they know not at what they stumble.”
Proverbs 4:19
Hi Everyone!
When I was in the world, I was living a life of darkness. I stumbled often, and found myself getting hurt time after time.
I was in subjection to the flesh, with it came negative consequences.
I was homeless, had been shot at. I was shot multiple times, had a nervous breakdown, and had been confined a number of times.
No matter how hard the consequences got, or how many hard knocks I took, no matter how bad it got I actually still believed that I knew what I was doing!
That is how it is when we live of the world.
We become blind to things of God, and we think our way is the right way.
The Jewish leadership conspired together to have Christ crucified, and while on the cross Christ knew they didn’t know what they were doing.
Had they truly known, they wouldn’t have crucified Christ.
Today, we are going to look at Proverbs 4:19, a darkness that the wicked stumble in.
”The way of the wicked is as darkness: they know not at what they stumble.”
The word ”way” means ”a road, course of life, mode of action”.
The word ”wicked” means ”morally wrong, evil, or condemned”. These are people who actively practice acts of the flesh, not those who sin from time to time.
Where there is wickedness there is darkness, wherever there is darkness there is behavior that’s not in line with the Holy Spirit.
1 Samuel 2:9-10, the Bible says, ‘‘He will keep the feet of his saints, and the wicked shall be silent in darkness; for by strength shall no man prevail. The adversaries of the LORD shall be broken to pieces; out of heaven shall he thunder upon them: the LORD shall judge the ends of the earth; and he shall give strength unto his king, and exalt the horn of his anointed.” God in the face of darkness gives comfort to His children, but there is no comfort for the wicked.
Those stuck in darkness are awaiting destruction, and they won’t even see it coming! I remember those days vividly, and I cringe at the thought of ever being like that again.
In Job 18:5-6, the Bible says, ”Yea, the light of the wicked shall be put out, and the spark of his fire shall not shine. The light shall be dark in his tabernacle, and his candle shall be put out with him.” When we live in darkness it is something the flows from the inside of us outward, and it is something that seems inescapable. Many of us have normalized this, and accepted the darkness as how it is, which is right where the enemy wants us.
In 2 Corinthians 4:4, the Bible says, ”In whom the god of this world hath blinded the minds of them which believe not, lest the light of the glorious gospel of Christ, who is the image of God, should shine unto them.” The enemy wants us in a position where the light doesn’t shine upon us, and we can’t see where we are.
When God opened my eyes and shined a light on my darkness, I saw it for what it was, and I was disgusted at what I sold myself into.
In Isaiah 59:9-10, the Bible says, ”Therefore is judgment far from us, neither doth justice overtake us: we wait for light, but behold obscurity; for brightness, but we walk in darkness. We grope for the wall like the blind, and we grope as if we had no eyes: we stumble at noon day as in the night; we are in desolate places as dead men.” The sad thing about this is that people think they can actually see clearly!
I watch younger guys in prison, preparing to reenter society to have another go round in the streets! Inside they are literally around guys who have been locked up for 30 plus years, and they can’t see that there can become a time in the future where the system will slam that same door in their faces.
The word ”stumble” means ”to totter, waver, faint, fall, or experience ruin”. In Jeremiah 23:12, the Bible says, ”Wherefore their way shall be unto them as slippery ways in the darkness: they shall be driven on, and fall therein: for I will bring evil upon them, even the year of their visitation, saith the LORD.’‘ No matter how much I suffered, I didn’t get it, and I found myself slipping further down a hole that only the blood of Jesus Christ could reverse.
Now I don’t look down at brothers and sisters who are struggling, and think they should know better, because being in darkness is all they see.
It wasn’t until the Light came in that I saw my darkness, but what if instead of light those in darkness experience judgment.
In John 12:35, the Bible says, ‘‘Then Jesus said unto them, Yet a little while is the light with you. Walk while ye have the light, lest darkness come upon you: for he that walketh in darkness knoweth not whither he goeth.’‘
Do we want to wait until it is too late, to then realize that the Light was there for us the whole time?
Do we want to keep knocking our heads against the brick walls of misfortune, oblivious to the pain?
We have the true Light, Jesus Christ, He can remove the darkness from us forever. I know this by experience, and He will do it for you!
God Bless!
Marshall & Jessica
Mar 19, 2024 – Romans 13:8 – the great debt of love
”Owe no man any thing, but to love one another: for he that loveth another hath fulfilled the law.”
Romans 13:8
Hi Everyone!
God created this world and everything in it.
He also created the plan for salvation, giving us a representation of it in the Old Testament, before providing the manifestation of it through Christ in the New Testament.
The Old Testament has over 600 laws, but in the New Testament, two commandments, both of love, fulfill the whole law.
Love really is the way, and when we love others, we always have their best interests at heart, and when we love God, we always live in a way that brings glory to his name.
When we love, the manifestation of God’s true essence flows from us and it reveals God to others in such a deep way.
I remember looking at the mountain of rules that I thought I had to follow down to the letter in order to be a Christian, but God gave me a gift, His Holy Spirit, who keeps leading me into a closer relationship with Him.
He gave me His love to share with others.
Today we will look at Romans 13:8, the great debt of love.
”Owe no man any thing, but to love one another: for he that loveth another hath fulfilled the law.”
The word ”owe” means ”to be under obligation, to be duty bound, to not fail in duty”. Duty implies that this is something we perform, which dispels the myth that love is a feeling.
Love is an action, expressing the feelings people have for each other.
The Word of God teaches us that we should always be ready to love people as if it is owed to them, as if they deserved it.
The word ”love” means ”to regard with strong affection, including the idea of duty, respect, veneration, meaning to love and serve with fidelity.” In Galatians 5:13-14, the Bible says, ”For, brethren, ye have been called unto liberty; only use not liberty for an occasion to the flesh, but by love serve one another. For all the law is fulfilled in one word, even in this; Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself.” By being saved by faith in Jesus Christ we have true freedom, but being saved doesn’t give us a license to go wild, and start doing a bunch of crazy stuff because we are going to heaven anyway.
Too many people use salvation like a fail-safe for their behavior, but that is not what God intended for salvation. He intended us to use our second chance to walk in love, to serve God and people without fear of condemnation. He wants us to use our salvation to walk in love towards our fellow brothers and sisters in the faith, and also toward the unsaved people in the world.
The word ”another” doesn’t just imply another, but the word means ”a different person, or the opposite”. Heteros is the Greek word where we get heterosexual from, meaning to have an attraction and desire for a person of the opposite sex. In this verse, the opposite would also be a nonbeliever, someone who isn’t saved.
Too many times we use our faith and salvation to put down those who are still lost, but that is not what God desires.
Mrs. Denton, one of my Sunday School teachers now home with the Lord, loved me as a kid running around church, and loved me even more deeply when I was a drug dealing gang member who ended locked up for murder. She never stopped loving me, and in fact, she encouraged others to love me, seeing the real me under all of that mess.
In John 3:16, the Bible says, ”For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life.” Christ didn’t die to save the saved, but He came to provide salvation for those that are lost. God’s incredible love for us when we were not saved is the reason why we have salvation today.
The word ”fulfilled” means to bring to a full end, accomplish or complete”. The word ”law” implies the law of Christ. In Mark 12:30-31, Christ says, ”And thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind, and with all thy strength: this is the first commandment. And the second is like, namely this, Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself. There is none other commandment greater than these.”
This is the way to fulfill the law, but many of us are twisted about who is our neighbor.
Loving our neighbor as ourselves goes deeper than personal, it also requires us to love those in the world as if they were already saved!
Remember that ”another” means ”different or opposite”, so our love has to extend to the world as well.
In Colossians 3:14, the Bible says, ”And above all these things put on charity, which is the bond of perfectness.” This is a command calling us into action, calling us to display true faith in the earth.
People don’t care much about our message if love isn’t our goal and ministry. Love perfects an already perfect message, and it shows people God’s love in the process.
God is calling us to love believers and nonbelievers, and for that love to be real.
God Bless!
Marshall & Jessica
Mar 20, 2024 – 1 John 3:8 – triumphing over sin
”He that committeth sin is of the devil; for the devil sinneth from the beginning. For this purpose the Son of God was manifested, that he might destroy the works of the devil.”
1 John 3:8
Hi Everyone!
As believers, we have been redeemed from a life of sin that stood in the way of our salvation.
Our sinful lives offend God and as sinners we are enmity to the cross instead of children of God.
Even as saved believers, there is a nature of sin that still tries to mount offensives in our lives, and there is often a war going on over simple decisions!
Being saved means that we still live in this world, but not live OF this world by using our lives to serve sin. It means that we now don’t have to answer to that former nature of sin we’ve been delivered from.
We also understand that the enemy has been defeated.
Too many believers feel that they are powerless to the offensives of the enemy, but the Word of God says that we can do all things through Christ who strengthens us.
Today, we will look at 1 John 3:8, triumphing over sin.
”He that committeth sin is of the devil; for the devil sinneth from the beginning. For this purpose the Son of God was manifested, that he might destroy the works of the devil.”
The word ”committeth” means ”to perform, execute, observe, continue in, or exercise”. The word ”sin” means ”trespasses or offenses against God”. The emphasis is not someone doing just one thing wrong, but someone who continuously practices offenses against God.
A believer is supposed to make continuous progress in their walk that leads them closer and closer to God, as their actions should become more and more Christ-like.
Remember, in Genesis 1:26, the Bible says, ‘‘And God said, Let us make man in our image, after our likeness: and let them have dominion over the fish of the sea, and over the fowl of the air, and over the cattle, and over all the earth, and over every creeping thing that creepeth upon the earth.” God’s intent was always for us to look and act like Him in the earth, so that our lives reflect Him.
Sin messed up God’s intent for mankind, so He sent us Jesus Christ to die for our sins, so that this atonement for sin could bring those who believe back into a right relationship with God.
In Matthew 13:38-39, Christ says, ”The field is the world; the good seed are the children of the kingdom; but the tares are the children of the wicked one; The enemy that sowed them is the devil; the harvest is the end of the world; and the reapers are the angels.” God sowed righteousness into the world, but the enemy sowed sin into the world.
Christ used this parable to show that while we live saved, there are unsaved sinners around us.
God’s love didn’t force us to be who He desired us to be, but He allowed us to choose what and Who we would serve.
In John 8:34, the Bible says, ”Jesus answered them, Verily, verily, I say unto you, Whosoever committeth sin is the servant of sin.” Christ established that those who continued in their sin after their salvation are slaves to sin.
In Romans 6:5-6, the Bible says, ”For if we have been planted together in the likeness of his death, we shall be also in the likeness of his resurrection: Knowing this, that our old man is crucified with him, that the body of sin might be destroyed, that henceforth we should not serve sin.” Through salvation we experience a transformation within, one that is making us more Christ-like.
God’s intent after our salvation is that the work of Christ in us break’s Satan’s power over us, and becomes evident in our lives and in our choices.
The word ”manifested” means ”to render apparent”. The word ”destroy” means ”break up, dissolve, or put off”. The word ”works” means ”deeds or actions”.
Christ came to destroy the devil’s reign over us.
In Genesis 3:14-15, the Bible says, ”And the LORD God said unto the serpent, Because thou hast done this, thou art cursed above all cattle, and above every beast of the field; upon thy belly shalt thou go, and dust shalt thou eat all the days of thy life: And I will put enmity between thee and the woman, and between thy seed and her seed; it shall bruise thy head, and thou shalt bruise his heel.” Even from the fall, God still intends His children to have dominion over Satan, even though the enemy keeps attacking us and tries to influence us to serve sin.
The work of Jesus Christ assures believers that we can have victory over sin because He already conquered sin for us.
Satan is defeated and we not only have power over sin in Christ, but the enemy is stripped of all absolute power over us!
In Hebrews 2:14, the Bible says, ”Forasmuch then as the children are partakers of flesh and blood, he also himself likewise took part of the same; that through death he might destroy him that had the power of death, that is, the devil.” Because Satan has been stripped of power, we now have a choice to serve God, or serve sin. We can use our choice to live a life that constantly aims to please God, that allows us to look more like our God in this world. The question, will we?
God Bless!
Marshall & Jessica
Mar 21, 2024 – 2 Corinthians 3:5 – our capability in the Lord
”Not that we are sufficient of ourselves to think any thing as of ourselves; but our sufficiency is of God”
2 Corinthians 3:5
Hi Everyone!
When people hear about Red Granite Daily Devotions and how long I have been doing these devotionals, they wonder how me, someone who has been imprisoned for the last 20 years, is able to put these together the way I have.
I tell people it is all because of the Lord, because there was no way, and there is still no way, I am able to do these devotionals in my own strength, ability, or power.
Even when I teach the Word of God directly, what comes out of my mouth comes from the Holy Spirit, much to my surprise a lot of times!
It is God who equips us to be ministers of His Word, and it is God who provides the Words of life and the people to share them with. To suggest that we can do any of this on our own would be to suggest that we have all power, which is a lie.
If I am anything in this kingdom, it is because of what God is doing in me. I am nothing on my own.
Today, we will look at 2 Corinthians 3:5, our capability in the Lord.
”Not that we are sufficient of ourselves to think any thing as of ourselves; but our sufficiency is of God”
The word ”sufficiency” here means ”competence, to be ample, fit, capable, adequate, or worthy”.
Paul used to be a Pharisee, trained under one of the strictest sects. He persecuted the Church because he thought he was following the law, but everything changed for him when he met Christ on the road to Damascus!
In John 15:5, Christ says, ”I am the vine, ye are the branches: He that abideth in me, and I in him, the same bringeth forth much fruit: for without me ye can do nothing.” We are fed the things we need for ministry by Christ, and He empowers us to do the things we do.
I am still scratching my head when I look back on this faith journey, because it is definitely the Holy Spirit who has been teaching me what I teach others.
In 1 Corinthians 15:9-10, the Bible says, ”For I am the least of the apostles, that am not meet to be called an apostle, because I persecuted the church of God. But by the grace of God I am what I am: and his grace which was bestowed upon me was not in vain; but I laboured more abundantly than they all: yet not I, but the grace of God which was with me.”
I know how it feels to look at my past actions and feel like it should disqualify me from ministry, because in essence, I violated God’s law and man’s law by taking life, but one thing the Bible shows me is that God truly uses ”broken things” for His glory. I have a profound appreciation for the ministry He has given me because I know what He has forgiven and restored in me to make this happen.
The word ”think” means ”to take inventory, estimate, conclude, or reckon”. In Romans 12:3, the Bible says, ”For I say, through the grace given unto me, to every man that is among you, not to think of himself more highly than he ought to think; but to think soberly, according as God hath dealt to every man the measure of faith.” Just because we are blessed to share the Word of God with others, doesn’t mean that we somehow have the right to believe we are bigger than what we are.
Christ was God robed in flesh, but He came here not only a servant, but also as a sacrifice.
We don’t have the right to think that we are something in the faith. Christ did it all.
In Philippians 2:13, the Bible says, ‘‘For it is God which worketh in you both to will and to do of his good pleasure.” God gives us the tools and the ability to please Him through what He gives us to do, so it is His work in us, not what we are doing in ourselves, that brings glory to God.
Remember in Genesis 1:3-4, the Bible says, ”And God said, Let there be light: and there was light. And God saw the light, that it was good: and God divided the light from the darkness.” When God ordained something and it became what He declared it, it brought glory to Him. It wasn’t the light that did it, but it was God that caused the light to be.
The word ”sufficiency” here means ”ability”. In Ephesians 3:6-7, the Bible says, ‘‘That the Gentiles should be fellowheirs, and of the same body, and partakers of his promise in Christ by the gospel: Whereof I was made a minister, according to the gift of the grace of God given unto me by the effectual working of his power.” The Gentiles were not accepted in Jewish society, and had no place in religious operations, but that all changed with Christ, who took the outsiders and brought them into His family, allowing us to partake of His Holy Spirit as the children of God!
In 1 Timothy 1:11-12, the Bible says, ”According to the glorious gospel of the blessed God, which was committed to my trust. And I thank Christ Jesus our Lord, who hath enabled me, for that he counted me faithful, putting me into the ministry”. Not of our power or ability, but by the power of God, who has given us the ability to minister to the needs of people. It is only by God that I am able to do any of this. I praise Him for counting me worthy.
God Bless!
Marshall & Jessica
Mar 22, 2024 – Galatians 3:22 – the promise of salvation for all
”But the scripture hath concluded all under sin, that the promise by faith of Jesus Christ might be given to them that believe.”
Galatians 3:22
Hi Everyone!
The Word of God is the final word for our lives.
What God says is what it is, and no one, nor anything can take that away.
God brought Jesus Christ to a sinful world headed for destruction, breaking curse of sin and death. God desires that curse to be broken in us all, but there is one condition: belief.
God can take a murderer and turn him into a minister, turn a prostitute to one who shares the Word with others, and find the lost no matter how far they have strayed.
The blood of Jesus Christ is available to completely cleanse anyone from their sin, and from experiencing the penalty of sin and death.
But if we don’t believe in the name of Jesus Christ, if He hasn’t become our Lord and Savior, then we haven’t been washed clean, no matter how religious we appear to be.
God’s gift is available to all, but sadly all won’t receive it.
Today, we will look at Galatians 3:22, the promise of salvation for all.
”But the scripture hath concluded all under sin, that the promise by faith of Jesus Christ might be given to them that believe.”
The word ”scripture” means ”The Holy Writ or document” speaking of what we know to be the Bible. Back in those days, Scripture was written on scrolls and parchments, but we have everything together in one book that can be carried everywhere.
It is much easier for us to search the Scriptures now than it was back then, but many of us won’t search the Scriptures even with them right in front of us!
In 2 Timothy 3:16-17, the Bible says, ”All scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness: That the man of God may be perfect, throughly furnished unto all good works.’‘ God gave us Scripture not only so we would see the gospel plan for salvation, but so we can learn how to pursue holiness in this world.
Scripture is our means of weighing where we are at compared to where we should be.
The word ”concluded” means ”to shut up together”, suggesting God’s word sees us all in the same sin boat.
The phrase ”under sin” refers to all who are living in the world without salvation by faith in Jesus Christ.
In Romans 3:9-10, the Bible says, ”What then? are we better than they? No, in no wise: for we have before proved both Jews and Gentiles, that they are all under sin; As it is written, There is none righteous, no, not one”. It doesn’t matter if your blood can be traced back to the twelve tribes of Israel, or is from an indigenous tribe in Australia, we are of the same status without Christ as our Lord and Savior.
All have sinned, and in that regard, no one is better than the other.
In Romans 3:19-20, the Bible says, ”Now we know that what things soever the law saith, it saith to them who are under the law: that every mouth may be stopped, and all the world may become guilty before God. Therefore by the deeds of the law there shall no flesh be justified in his sight: for by the law is the knowledge of sin.” The law exposed the sin that was prevalent in their lives.
Scripture shines a light on darkness and reveals exactly what darkness is, none of us deserve the salvation made available to us by faith in Jesus Christ.
We were all under sin, slated for destruction, but God provided mankind with a promise, one that we can only receive by faith, not by keeping the law.
The word ”promise” means ”a pledge, an announcement of a divine assurance of good”. In Romans 3:22-24, the Bible says, ”Even the righteousness of God which is by faith of Jesus Christ unto all and upon all them that believe: for there is no difference: For all have sinned, and come short of the glory of God; Being justified freely by his grace through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus”. Nowhere in Scripture does it say that we are entitled to salvation by keeping the law, because we have all fallen short of it.
But salvation is made available to all those who believe.
We all begin at the same level, as sinners, however it is only by faith in the finished work of Jesus Christ that we receive the gift of salvation.
The word ”faith” means ”reliance on Christ”.
When we rely on someone, we lean on them for what we lack. Do we lean on the Lord for salvation, or are we still trying to save ourselves?
The word ”believe” means ”to entrust one’s spiritual well being to”. In Romans 4:11, the Bible says, ‘‘And he received the sign of circumcision, a seal of the righteousness of the faith which he had yet being uncircumcised: that he might be the father of all them that believe, though they be not circumcised; that righteousness might be imputed unto them also”. Belief in Jesus Christ for salvation is what brakes the curse of sin in our lives. Receiving the gift of salvation, without circumcision, means the blood He shed on the cross has cleansed us from all sin.
What an amazing gift, but do we believe?
God Bless!
Marshall & Jessica
Mar 23, 2024 – Colossians 1:23 – remaining constant in the faith
”If ye continue in the faith grounded and settled, and be not moved away from the hope of the gospel, which ye have heard, and which was preached to every creature which is under heaven; whereof I Paul am made a minister”.
Colossians 1:23
Hi Everyone!
Sometimes, it is hard to keep pressing forward. You live your life right, you aim to make great decisions, and God blesses you because of it, but then here comes the enemy, trying to burn down everything that God just built in us.
Yesterday, I experienced a moment of adversity in the face of a great blessing, and in that moment, I was so hurt that it discouraged me to the core. In that moment, I hastily said, ”I should quit this program”, but immediately checked myself.
Quitting is not an option for me. I wanted to cry, I was upset, but at the core I was discouraged. God doesn’t promise that we won’t have moments like this in our faith walk, but He calls us to press through, and continue to press forward in the faith, with our full trust and assurance in Him.
Today, we will look at Colossians 1:23, remaining constant in the faith.
”If ye continue in the faith grounded and settled, and be not moved away from the hope of the gospel, which ye have heard, and which was preached to every creature which is under heaven; whereof I Paul am made a minister”.
The word ”continue” means ”to remain, abide, or persevere”. The word ”faith” means ”persuasion, credence; reliance in Jesus Christ for salvation and gospel truth”.
It is not always easy to persevere in the face of trial, to continue to keep our eyes focused on Christ.
This is why the faith is about intentionality, about making daily choices to serve God in all things.
The word ”grounded” means ”erected or founded”. The word settled” means ”immovable”. In Ephesians 3:16-17, the Bible says, ‘‘That he would grant you, according to the riches of his glory, to be strengthened with might by his Spirit in the inner man; That Christ may dwell in your hearts by faith; that ye, being rooted and grounded in love”. See, when we face trials, we have a God who strengthens us with the ability to persevere, with the fortitude to remain rooted, and even to love those who persecute us.
God gives us what we need to endure the test, we don’t have to rely on our own strength.
Love is the foundation He enables us to be built on, it is the groundwork for our whole lives.
In Him, we can be still when the storms come, and in Him, we can be unshakable in the face of turbulence.
In John 15:6, the Bible says, ”If a man abide not in me, he is cast forth as a branch, and is withered; and men gather them, and cast them into the fire, and they are burned.” When we try to endure trial in our own strength, we detach ourselves from God’s foundation, and without that we will eventually wither due to the lack of substance.
The word ”hope” means ”expectation or anticipation”. The word ”gospel” means ”the good message of Jesus Christ”. The word ”heard” implies ”intelligent, attentive listening with the intention of obeying”. In Romans 10:17-18, the Bible says, ”So then faith cometh by hearing, and hearing by the word of God. But I say, Have they not heard? Yes verily, their sound went into all the earth, and their words unto the ends of the world.” God continues to pour out His Word to mankind and to provide ways for the Word to be shared everywhere, and in all situations.
God may not directly give you a Bible verse, but with me yesterday, He did send encouragements through my fellow classmates, and also from someone unexpected as well.
God is going to make sure we have what we need when our trust is in Him.
In Colossians 2:6-7, the Bible says, ”As ye have therefore received Christ Jesus the Lord, so walk ye in him: Rooted and built up in him, and stablished in the faith, as ye have been taught, abounding therein with thanksgiving.” God teaches us our foundation and our building which enables us to keep pressing through struggle.
God allows us to have a hope in Him causing us to see beyond the struggle to Him who is greater than those moments we face.
The word ”preached” means ”to herald as a town crier”. The word ”minister” means ”a Christian teacher or pastor”.
In 2 Corinthians 3:6, the Bible says, ‘‘Who also hath made us able ministers of the new testament; not of the letter, but of the spirit: for the letter killeth, but the spirit giveth life.”
God has made us His choice, and no matter what we face, in Him we are able to be exactly who He calls us to be.
In 2 Corinthians 4:1, the Bible says, ”Therefore seeing we have this ministry, as we have received mercy, we faint not”. We are not hanging on some ledge when we walk in the faith actively pursuing the Word of God.
We have the lovingkindness and compassion of God, in the hardest of times that will see us through.
In Ephesians 3:7, the Bible says, ”Whereof I was made a minister, according to the gift of the grace of God given unto me by the effectual working of his power.”
It is not our power at work, but the power of God that keeps us strong when we feel weakened.
God Bless!
Marshall & Jessica
Mar 24, 2024 – Ecclesiastes 5:4 – paying back the vow made to God
”When thou vowest a vow unto God, defer not to pay it; for he hath no pleasure in fools: pay that which thou hast vowed.”
Ecclesiastes 5:4
Hi Everyone!
I remember days in my youth, where I would do something stupid, and then avoid the consequences,
I would actually pray this prayer to God, saying, ”I messed up big time. God, if you please get me out of this, I promise you, I will go back to church and get my life together”.
God came through on His end, but soon after I was let go, I went back to the same stuff I was doing that got me put in the consequence in the first place.
Many of us don’t realize that when we make God a promise, that is an agreement we have made with God, one that He expects payment of.
If we can make good on car and house loans, paying back what we promised to pay, then why is it so hard for us to make good on the promises that we make to God?
I have grown in the faith, where I now understand the power and importance of the agreements I enter into with God, and I am not only fulfilling my previous promises, but I am living out the new ones I am now making.
Today, we will look at Ecclesiastes 5:4, paying back the vow made to God.
”When thou vowest a vow unto God, defer not to pay it; for he hath no pleasure in fools: pay that which thou hast vowed.”
The word ”vowest” means ”a promise made to God to do something as an expression of consecration and devotion to the service of God”.
We make these big promises to God; to serve Him completely, to abstain from sex and drugs, to preach and teach God’s Word, or to treat our spouses and kids better, but when it comes to the time we have to pay what we vow, we are silent and absent.
That should not be, because we should reverence God enough to not make a promise and not keep it.
In Numbers 30:2, the Bible says, ‘‘If a man vow a vow unto the LORD, or swear an oath to bind his soul with a bond; he shall not break his word, he shall do according to all that proceedeth out of his mouth.” There is an expectation from God that we are going to pay what we owe, even if God knows that we really don’t mean it.
When it comes out of our mouths, there is no taking it back, because Proverbs 18:21, the Bible says, ”Death and life are in the power of the tongue: and they that love it shall eat the fruit thereof.” When we promise something to God from our mouth, we have activated our part of the agreement, because we have spoken life to it.
The phrase ”defer not” means ”do not procrastinate”. This means that there should be no hesitation in our fulfilling our end of our vow, nor should we put off our vow to God for a more convenient time.
In Deuteronomy 23:21-23, the Bible says, ”When thou shalt vow a vow unto the LORD thy God, thou shalt not slack to pay it: for the LORD thy God will surely require it of thee; and it would be sin in thee. But if thou shalt forbear to vow, it shall be no sin in thee. That which is gone out of thy lips thou shalt keep and perform; even a freewill offering, according as thou hast vowed unto the LORD thy God, which thou hast promised with thy mouth.” People don’t see failure to pay a vow to God as actual sin against God, but let me paint a clear picture:
If we make a promise to God that we don’t keep, that makes us liars before God, and according to God’s Word in Revelation 21:8, the Bible says, ‘‘But the fearful, and unbelieving, and the abominable, and murderers, and whoremongers, and sorcerers, and idolaters, and all liars, shall have their part in the lake which burneth with fire and brimstone: which is the second death.” God is all truth, and He doesn’t condone our lies, nor does He encourage us to make promises to Him. We do this on our own, and then make excuses, thinking we can back out of it, one of them being, ”Well, God knows my heart”. That still doesn’t allow us to not pay back the vow we gave God. We must pay back what we owe.
Remember when God told Jonah to go preach to Ninevah and tell them to repent? Remember when he was in the belly of the great fish? In Jonah 2:9-10, the Bible says, ”But I will sacrifice unto thee with the voice of thanksgiving; I will pay that that I have vowed. Salvation is of the LORD. And the LORD spake unto the fish, and it vomited out Jonah upon the dry land.” Jonah had to promised God he would preach to Ninevah, and that he would pay back what He vowed to the Lord. God immediately fulfilled His end of the bargain, again.
In the very next verses, Jonah 3:1-2, the Bible says, ”And the word of the LORD came unto Jonah the second time, saying, Arise, go unto Nineveh, that great city, and preach unto it the preaching that I bid thee.” God demanded payment immediately, and this time, Jonah did exactly what God commanded.
In Psalm 50:14-15, the Bible says, ”Offer unto God thanksgiving; and pay thy vows unto the most High: And call upon me in the day of trouble: I will deliver thee, and thou shalt glorify me.” When God can count on us, He clearly displays that we can count on Him. God is always faithful, but are we?
God Bless!
Marshall & Jessica
Mar 25, 2024 – John 15:13 – greater love given by Christ Jesus
”Greater love hath no man than this, that a man lay down his life for his friends.”
John 15:13
Hi Everyone!
Love requires sacrifice.
This isn’t some obligatory kind of sacrifice where we begrudgingly offer our sacrifice, but it is the type of sacrifice where we desire ultimate good to come from our sacrifice so that someone else can benefit greatly by it.
Also, a sacrifice that is made without love is no real sacrifice.
When Jesus Christ died on the cross for our sins, He gave Himself totally over to God’s will, even though in the Garden of Gethsemane, He struggled with the idea of dying on a cross.
Sacrificing in love doesn’t mean we aren’t going to struggle with the idea, but just as Christ knew God’s will was the only will He would consider, so must we.
From the moment Christ settled in His mind that He wanted to do God’s will despite how He felt, He then willingly gave Himself up.
That is the greatest kind of love, and God enables us to be living sacrifices, giving our time, our love, our ministry and our testimony.
Today, we will look at John 15:13, greater love given by Christ Jesus.
”Greater love hath no man than this, that a man lay down his life for his friends.”
The word ”love” means ”affectionate regard, benevolence, spoken of good will towards others, the love of our neighbor, brotherly affection, which the Lord Jesus inspires and commands”.
God never asked us to do something that Christ didn’t first do.
Christ is the perfect example of pure love, which He showed in His life and also in his death.
In 1 John 4:7-9, the Bible says, ‘‘Beloved, let us love one another: for love is of God; and every one that loveth is born of God, and knoweth God. He that loveth not knoweth not God; for God is love. In this was manifested the love of God toward us, because that God sent his only begotten Son into the world, that we might live through him.’‘
God commands us to love each other, understanding the love of Jesus Christ in giving Himself up so that we could have the privilege of living in Him.
Through the love of Jesus Christ, shown in the shedding of His blood on the cross, we who believe now have access to know God in a way that we have never known Him before.
When we consider what Jesus Christ did for us, we have to then look to the love of God, because in John 3:16, the Bible says, ”For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life.”
God gave us Jesus Christ, knowing that He would be willing to give Himself as a sacrifice for the sin of the world.
Most of us would cringe at the thought of dying for someone else, and most of us won’t ever be in this situation. But what about sacrificing our time, money, testimony, gifts and talents in love?
The phrase ”lay down” means ”to give or commit”. The word ”friends” means ”someone dear, our neighbors, someone we’re fond of”.
Remember what God’s word said in John 3:16, ”For God so loved the world”? So, this doesn’t give us the license to love who we deem to be acceptable.
If God loved the world, so must we.
In John 10:15-16, Christ says, ”As the Father knoweth me, even so know I the Father: and I lay down my life for the sheep. And other sheep I have, which are not of this fold: them also I must bring, and they shall hear my voice; and there shall be one fold, and one shepherd”.
We only want and be a sacrifice to those we choose. But if God loved everyone in the world, so must we.
In Romans 5:6-8, the Bible says, ”For when we were yet without strength, in due time Christ died for the ungodly. For scarcely for a righteous man will one die: yet peradventure for a good man some would even dare to die. But God commendeth his love toward us, in that, while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us.”
God didn’t wait to see if we had our lives together, before He poured His love upon us by giving us Jesus Christ.
He made Christ available to us knowing we would offend Him with our sin, knowing we would be this bad, but He did it anyway because it was love that led Christ to the cross, it was love that kept Christ on the cross, and it was love that called Christ to ask God to forgive the same people who put Him on the cross.
In 1 John 3:16-17, the Bible says, ”Hereby perceive we the love of God, because he laid down his life for us: and we ought to lay down our lives for the brethren. But whoso hath this world’s good, and seeth his brother have need, and shutteth up his bowels of compassion from him, how dwelleth the love of God in him?”
Because of the sacrifice of Christ bringing us into the love of God, we should want to then make ourselves living sacrifices out of that same love, to be there for those in need.
Romans 12:1 says, ”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.’‘
How have we’ve been living sacrifices to others?
God Bless!
Marshall & Jessica
Mar 26, 2024 – Ecclesiastes 7:9 – breaking foolish anger
”Be not hasty in thy spirit to be angry: for anger resteth in the bosom of fools.”
Ecclesiastes 7:9
Hi Everyone!
Everyone gets angry.
There is not one person in the history of this world who hasn’t been angry towards someone or something.
I used to be one who had a very hot temper and my reaction to things was usually anger. Sometimes, my anger was justified, and other times, it was completely unnecessary, and when it was unnecessary, I was usually left looking like a fool in the end.
Just because everyone gets angry, doesn’t mean that they respond the same way to the anger that builds within them.
Some people let it pass through them, others address the source of their anger in a constructive fashion, still others pray through their anger.
Despite that many of us still lose our tempers.
Over the years, I have gotten way better in dealing with my anger issue in a more constructive and humorous fashion, but I still see that I have a long way to go.
The goal is for us to deal with our anger in a way that pleases God.
Today, we will look at Ecclesiastes 7:9, breaking foolish anger.
”Be not hasty in thy spirit to be angry: for anger resteth in the bosom of fools.”
The phrase ”hasty in thy spirit” means ”quick, or in a hurry”. The word ”angry” implies being provoked to anger, to rage, or to be troubled”.
Putting this together, God is telling us to not be quick-tempered, or easily provoked to anger.
I call tell you from experience that this is not a good attitude to have, for people to walk on egg shells around you worrying about offending you, or for people to have to rehearse their words before speaking to you, knowing you are going to overact to what they say.
The hot-tempered person is not a reasonable person, nor do they communicate well. And many times, they end up saying or doing something they later regret.
In Ephesians 4:26-27, the Bible says, ”Be ye angry, and sin not: let not the sun go down upon your wrath: Neither give place to the devil.” When we are hot-tempered, we invite Satan right into our lives, into our relationships, and into our minds, distorting reality with lies.
Many times, when we are quick-tempered, the anger rests on us way longer than what actually caused it, so we’ll be still stewing in offense while the person we are mad at is long gone.
Letting the sun go down on our anger means that we haven’t dealt with it, and it definitely means that we haven’t given it over to God.
1 Peter 5:6-7 says, ”Humble yourselves therefore under the mighty hand of God, that he may exalt you in due time: Casting all your care upon him; for he careth for you”,
God really means that! God doesn’t want us to dress up or beautify our prayers for Him because He knows exactly what we are thinking and feeling anyway. Bring it all to Him because God is in love with us, and is so concerned about our state of mind and heart.
Many of us are too afraid of being honest with God, and we don’t allow Him entrance to come in and push Satan out.
In Proverbs 14:16-17, the Bible says, ”A wise man feareth, and departeth from evil: but the fool rageth, and is confident. He that is soon angry dealeth foolishly: and a man of wicked devices is hated.”
A wise person will see the anger mounting in them as unhealthy and if not addressed, will create a little space to effectively work through it.
The fool will thrive in arrogance and ignorance, and find themselves saying and doing things they will later be apologetic for.
The angry person becomes an island that no one wants to approach because they essentially push people away by the mere potential of their anger, or their overreaction.
The word ”resteth” means ”settles, dwells, or takes comfort”. The word ”fools” means ”silly or stupid people”.
In Proverbs 16:32, the Bible says, ”He that is slow to anger is better than the mighty; and he that ruleth his spirit than he that taketh a city.”
The person able to check their anger at the door exercises great power, far above those who just let anything out because they are mad.
I am really learning this as I continue to work on my temper. It takes a whole lot more to resist our anger than it does to let it out. By letting our anger out, we are letting Satan prompt foolishness that beds down and makes a home inside us.
In James 1:19-20, the Bible says, ”Wherefore, my beloved brethren, let every man be swift to hear, slow to speak, slow to wrath: For the wrath of man worketh not the righteousness of God.”
If I am flying off the handle, I am closing my ears to the Word of God, and to the Holy Spirit showing me a better way.
I am closing myself off to reason and understanding, and I can tell you by experience that angry people hear what they want to hear!
In Romans 12:18, the Bible says, ‘‘If it be possible, as much as lieth in you, live peaceably with all men.”
New flash! It all depends on us! God has given us His love, thus He is giving us all power to resist the anger trying to build within us.
God Bless!
Marshall & Jessica
Mar 27, 2024 – Psalm 55:17 – a God who hears when we cry
”Evening, and morning, and at noon, will I pray, and cry aloud: and he shall hear my voice.”
Psalm 55:17
Hi Everyone!
I remember hearing pastors say, ”Prayer changes things”.
Prayer really does change things, but do we really pray?
If someone was to ask you how is your prayer life, what comes to mind?
For me, I would say that it is in need of major improvement.
The thing that boggles my mind is the fact that we can actually believe that we can face an ever-changing world with a real but defeated enemy, and think that we don’t have to pray.
Typically, most people wait until they are consumed in the problem, until it has become too much for them to handle, before they cry out to God for help.
What about when there is nothing going on? How prayerful are we then?
God doesn’t want us to filter our prayers out before we come to Him.
He father’s His children to feel free to utter their complaints and their thanksgiving and praise, and to ask for help regularly.
Prayer is our communication with God.
Today, we will look at Psalm 55:17, a God who hears when we cry.
”Evening, and morning, and at noon, will I pray, and cry aloud: and he shall hear my voice.”
The word ”pray” means ”to converse, to utter, or to lodge complaint before God”.
Do we spend time with God regularly? Three times a day seems a lot on the surface, but it is really not. We talk to our spouses way longer than that, and we have no problem lodging our complaints with them!:-)
We have frequent conversations with our friends and there is intimacy there, where we open up to each other. How can we quickly open up with God’s creation, which is flawed, but then become slack in communication with the Creator, who is perfect and can’t fail?
In Daniel 6:10-11, the Bible says, ”Now when Daniel knew that the writing was signed, he went into his house; and his windows being open in his chamber toward Jerusalem, he kneeled upon his knees three times a day, and prayed, and gave thanks before his God, as he did aforetime. Then these men assembled, and found Daniel praying and making supplication before his God.”
Daniel lived when his prayer was forbidden due to a decree that no one in Babylon was to pray to any God or anyone but the king himself. That didn’t stop him, nor was he afraid of the consequences. He prayed anyway, knowing he could be tossed into the lion’s den, and he was indeed tossed into the lion’s den, but what shut the lions’ mouths, protecting Daniel from being killed?
In Daniel 6:22, the Bible says, ”My God hath sent his angel, and hath shut the lions’ mouths, that they have not hurt me: forasmuch as before him innocency was found in me; and also before thee, O king, have I done no hurt.” Because Daniel prayed to God continually, when trouble came, God heard his prayer and responded with the help he needed.
The word ”cry aloud” means ”to moan, to make a great noise, to be in an uproar”. Are we silent in our prayer life? Does God hear us? In Mark 10:47-48, the Bible says, ‘‘And when he heard that it was Jesus of Nazareth, he began to cry out, and say, Jesus, thou son of David, have mercy on me. And many charged him that he should hold his peace: but he cried the more a great deal, Thou son of David, have mercy on me.” Blind Bartimaeus was not silent in the presence of the Lord. He cried out to Jesus, being unable to see Him, and when people told him to shut up, he screamed even louder!
He wasn’t going to be denied, and some of the same people who tried to shut him up were those who told him that Christ called him. Christ heard his cries and had compassion on him.
In Acts 3:1, the Bible says, ”Now Peter and John went up together into the temple at the hour of prayer, being the ninth hour.” Prayer positions us for a great move of God to happen. Peter and John were going to go pray, and they met a crippled man at the gate called Beautiful, and healed him. The man got up off his mat and began to leap and praise God, all the way into the temple!
The enemy loves to keep us silent, because silent people don’t pray and don’t praise either, both are vital communications we need to have with God.
The word ”hear” means ”to listen attentively or intelligently, with the intention of answering”. God doesn’t just listen, but He responds to our prayers.
In Daniel 10:12, the Bible says, ”Then said he unto me, Fear not, Daniel: for from the first day that thou didst set thine heart to understand, and to chasten thyself before thy God, thy words were heard, and I am come for thy words.” Daniel was a prayer warrior, and there was a delay of three weeks in the answer.
Sometimes, there is a delay from the time of prayer to an answer, and sometimes there is opposition in the spiritual realm to get that answer to us. The word of God said that God heard Daniel’s prayer from the very first day and it is no different with us. Not only does God hear our prayers, but He has already sent an answer! Prayer does change things!
God Bless!
Marshall & Jessica
Mar 28, 2024 – Psalm 56:4 – the praise that breaks the hold of the enemy
”In God I will praise his word, in God I have put my trust; I will not fear what flesh can do unto me.”
Psalm 56:4
Hi Everyone!
There is always a moment to praise the Lord. I don’t care how hard it is, or how hard it seems.
I don’t care how valiant an effort the enemy makes to disrupt what God is doing in our lives, we have the ability to praise the Lord.
Even when we don’t feel praising God makes sense, when all we see is turbulence, there is always an opportunity for us to praise God.
My Psychology teacher Dr. Baskaran told us yesterday in class that we can’t be anxious and grateful at the same time and that has been proven by science.
So are we praising God, OR are we focusing our attention on what is wrong around us and in us?
When we praise God, we are showing Him we trust in Him, despite the enemy, despite the opposition, despite the hardship, and with our praise, we are declaring that we choose the presence of God over everything that comes our way.
Today, we will look at Psalm 56:4, the praise that breaks the hold of the enemy.
”In God I will praise his word, in God I have put my trust; I will not fear what flesh can do unto me.”
The word ”praise” means ”to commend, to celebrate, or boast in with a shout”.
When Caitlin Clark hit the super deep three pointer, allowing her to break the NCAA points record, the crowd went wild! It made the news, and there was a break in play just to celebrate her accomplishment. It made the news, it was a significant event.
I am literally tearing up as I type this as I am understanding praise right now in a way I never have before.
Just as they stopped the play to celebrate Caitlin’s accomplishment, when we praise God, we are taking a break from life to celebrate our God for all He has accomplished!
We are giving Him a standing ovation for being our provider, our protector, our sustainer, for fortress, our healer, and our truth.
The word ”word” means ”a revelation or divine communication”. Psalm 134:1-2, the Bible says, ‘‘Behold, bless ye the LORD, all ye servants of the LORD, which by night stand in the house of the LORD. Lift up your hands in the sanctuary, and bless the LORD.”
We don’t have to wait until we go to church to praise God. We can bless the name of the Lord right here where we stand! We have the Holy Spirit in us, which is the power of the church, so we have the church within us.
Psalm 34:1-3, the Bible says, ”I will bless the LORD at all times: his praise shall continually be in my mouth. My soul shall make her boast in the LORD: the humble shall hear thereof, and be glad. O magnify the LORD with me, and let us exalt his name together.”
All times!
We don’t have to wait on things to be perfect.
We don’t have to wait for the battle to be over.
We don’t have to wait until the answer manifests itself.
We can praise God right where we stand!
We can praise God as if the battle is already over, as if the victory is already won, because it is!
When God is in control, everything has already worked together for our good.
Praise becomes contagious.
We we set a standard for praise, we put the enemy on notice that his tactics have no power, that our trust is in the Lord, that we celebrate Him.
The phrase ”put my trust” means ”to be confident, or to hie for refuge”. The word ”hie” implies an instinct to run immediately, so when we are under affliction, God is our first choice, our natural default setting.
Proverbs 3:5-6, the Bible says, ”Trust in the LORD with all thine heart; and lean not unto thine own understanding. In all thy ways acknowledge him, and he shall direct thy paths.”
When we trust in the Lord with all of our hearts, we push out anxiety, we push out fear, we push out anything that hinders our praise.
We can’t praise and be anxious at the same time, so our praise puts our complete focus on God.
The word ”fear” means ”be frightened or afraid”. The word ”flesh” refers to mankind”. In Psalm 27:1-3, the Bible says, ‘‘The LORD is my light and my salvation; whom shall I fear? the LORD is the strength of my life; of whom shall I be afraid? When the wicked, even mine enemies and my foes, came upon me to eat up my flesh, they stumbled and fell. Though an host should encamp against me, my heart shall not fear: though war should rise against me, in this will I be confident.’‘
God is everything, and in Him lies everything we need. We can celebrate Him because of Who He is. God compared to what we are going through is no match, no matter what man does, or tries to do, God stands in the gap, mighty to save.
Psalm 118:5-6, the Bible says, ”I called upon the LORD in distress: the LORD answered me, and set me in a large place. The LORD is on my side; I will not fear: what can man do unto me?’‘ God is our fortress, our refuge, and our defense.
He has had my back more times than I can count, and He has given me peace in the midst of warfare. He has allowed me to develop hope in a pit of despair. He has given me freedom in midst of confinement. What can man do to me?
God Bless!
Marshall & Jessica
Mar 29, 2024 – Psalm 57:1 – our refuge in the Lord
”Be merciful unto me, O God, be merciful unto me: for my soul trusteth in thee: yea, in the shadow of thy wings will I make my refuge, until these calamities be overpast.”
Psalm 57:1
Hi Everyone!
Sometimes, we find ourselves in tight spots.
Going through hardship is very hard on the mind, especially when you have a heart that loves God and a desire to serve Him.
It is even harder to go through hardship when you are doing the right thing, when you are led by the Lord, and when you have a destiny someone is trying to steal.
David felt all these things in the cave as he fled from Saul, who wanted to kill him as Saul knew David would be king in his place. David served Saul faithfully, as his harp player, soothing Saul’s broken spirit.
David even killed Goliath, who no one else had the courage to fight, giving Israel a great victory.
None of that mattered as Saul hunted David down like an animal, one day forcing him into a cave where he took refuge in the Lord.
Today, we will look at Psalm 57:1, our refuge in the Lord.
”Be merciful unto me, O God, be merciful unto me: for my soul trusteth in thee: yea, in the shadow of thy wings will I make my refuge, until these calamities be overpast.”
The word ”merciful” means ”extend favour to, be gracious towards, to bend or stoop in kindness to an inferior”.
If someone, who is all powerful, bends or stoops in kindness to another who is inferior, this means they have really taken notice of what is going on in that life and they are concerned. David is asking God to bend or stoop in kindness to an inferior, which tells us a lot.
First, it shows the humility David has for God, even in the midst of his turmoil he is not making demands, but rather he is asking God to look upon his low estate, and show him favour.
Secondly, it tells us that David in no way feels entitled to anything from God. The fact that David says it twice also shows us that this situation is heavy on his heart.
He kinda has a whole kingdom after him!
In Psalm 56:1, the Bible says, ‘‘Be merciful unto me, O God: for man would swallow me up; he fighting daily oppresseth me.’‘ David understands Saul’s plans for him are not favourable to the long life he wants to live, and there is a struggle to survive.
Now, remember David was previously anointed to be king by Samuel.
So imagine having a word from God that you are going to be a king, but you are in a cave hiding, because the king you are destined to replace is in staunch opposition to the plan of God.
Imagine being broke but God has given you a word about a ministry that is far beyond your immediate reach, poverty being the enemy trying to kill God’s word over your life.
Imagine having life imprisonment without parole while God tells you that you were going to preach the word of God.
In the greatest moments of affliction, God’s word is still true, and there will always be opposition as you pursue the Word of God, and an enemy trying to oppose your destiny.
In Psalm 4:1, the Bible says, ”Hear me when I call, O God of my righteousness: thou hast enlarged me when I was in distress; have mercy upon me, and hear my prayer.” Sometimes, we are going to have to call out to God from some places that seem to be so far away from where he called us.
But God has a way of causing our distresses to work for His glory. Think about it, this Psalm is being discussed thousands of years later and it still encourages those, like us, who are in the midst of severe trials.
There is a purpose much deeper than the cave.
The word ”soul” means ”the inner being with its thoughts and emotions”. The word ”trusteth” means ”to flee for protection, to confide in, or to take refuge in”.
David’s trust in God in the midst of severe trials comes from the deepest parts of him. David knew where his help came from and entrusted himself to God’s care. This is a statement of faith, because anyone can trust God when everything is going great, but how about when someone is trying to kill you?
The phrase ”shadow of your wings” speaks of the defense and protection of God. In Psalm 91:4, the Bible says, ”He shall cover thee with his feathers, and under his wings shalt thou trust: his truth shall be thy shield and buckler.” God is the greatest protector, but many of us prefer man in times of trouble.
David knew where his help came from, and he leaned on the Lord from the cave.
The phrase ”calamities be overpast” is the same thing as saying ”when this storm of destruction is over”.
David knew he would make it out of this cave and this is another statement of faith:
In Psalm 17:6-7, the Bible says, ”I have called upon thee, for thou wilt hear me, O God: incline thine ear unto me, and hear my speech. Shew thy marvellous lovingkindness, O thou that savest by thy right hand them which put their trust in thee from those that rise up against them.”
David knew God wouldn’t anoint him and then allow Him to be killed.
When God gives us a word, He will fulfill it, but while in our cave, what will our response be, trust in God or brokenness?
God Bless!
Marshall & Jessica
Mar 30, 2024 – Psalm 57:5 – a praise that shakes the foundation of the cave
”Be thou exalted, O God, above the heavens; let thy glory be above all the earth.”
Psalm 57:5
Hi Everyone!
Praising God is vital to a believer’s life.
Praising God gives God the glory He deserves, but it also gives the right perspective in this world.
This requires us to see beyond our circumstances, to a God that sits far above anything we can see with our eyes or experience with our lives.
When we are in turmoil, facing incredible trial, keeping our eyes trained on Jesus is necessary to see that Blessed Hope.
But praising God sends the enemy a message that we know the God we serve is mightier and deliverance is already ours.
The reason we live stressed-filled lives is because our perspective is on the struggle instead of on God who guides us through anything that comes our way.
David, from in the midst of the cave, focused on praise of God which ultimately led him out of that cave and into the kingdom.
That Kingdom of God reigns for us to this day, through Christ.
Today, we will look at Psalm 57:5, a praise that shakes the foundation of the cave.
”Be thou exalted, O God, above the heavens; let thy glory be above all the earth.”
The word ”exalted” means ”to heave up, to lift up, to promote higher in our minds and heart”.
Just look at something here. David is in a cave, running for his life. Saul wants to kill him. Now, let’s not look over this because Saul was the king of Israel. As king, the weight of the kingdom was behind him to perform whatever was in his heart to do.
A whole kingdom is now trying to kill David, not just one person!
Having been involved myself in criminal activity, I know how it feels to be ”on the run”, always looking over my shoulder for police, heartbeat exploding when I saw one. I also know how it feels to have people pursue me to try to take my life.
So David doesn’t feel safe in the cave in itself. The cave might be a dark place where he couldn’t be seen, but from that dark place, David sought ”Light”.
In John 8:12, the Bible says, ”Then spake Jesus again unto them, saying, I am the light of the world: he that followeth me shall not walk in darkness, but shall have the light of life.”
In Christ lies a light that expels darkness, so we can see and experience life. This is what David sought from within the darkness of the cave.
In Psalm 108:1, the Bible says, ”O god, my heart is fixed; I will sing and give praise, even with my glory.”
When our hearts are fixed, we see the Deliverer over what we need to be delivered from. We see God and we experience the richness of His presence over the discomfort of our circumstances.
Everything we are, we return back to the Lord and we just enjoy praising a God who is so madly in love with us.
In Psalm 108:3-4, the Bible says, ”I will praise thee, O LORD, among the people: and I will sing praises unto thee among the nations. For thy mercy is great above the heavens: and thy truth reacheth unto the clouds.”
When we see God as much bigger than what we face, we understand that He holds the key to our future, our perspective, and our deliverance.
David is not just lifting God higher in his mind and heart, but this Psalm is ministry for others to acknowledge his greatness. So in the midst of a cave, in the midst of prison, in the midst of poverty, or in the midst of a bad diagnosis, we can freely acknowledge our God, lifting him higher in our hearts and minds.
In Psalm 34:3-4, the Bible says, ‘‘O magnify the LORD with me, and let us exalt his name together. I sought the LORD, and he heard me, and delivered me from all my fears.”
David continues to encourage others to praise God and lift His name higher in us.
In Psalm 107:1-2, the Bible says, ‘‘O give thanks unto the LORD, for he is good: for his mercy endureth for ever. Let the redeemed of the LORD say so, whom he hath redeemed from the hand of the enemy’‘.
Can we praise God as if the battle is already won, even while we still sit in the midst of our struggles?
Sounds extremely difficult.
The normal thought is ”deliver me, and then I will praise you”, but as Pastor Steven Furtick says, ”It works in reverse”, where we praise God ahead of the deliverance.
The word ”glory” means ”weight, splendor or majesty”. This is our proclamation of who God is in the world.
Our praise of God just doesn’t change our lives, but it also changes people’s perception of God.
When I had a bunch of extremely hard deaths in the family, happening regularly in the span of 7 years, the family saw me still praising God, getting stronger in the process, and it made them see how real our God is.
In Psalm 113:3-5, the Bible says, ”From the rising of the sun unto the going down of the same the LORD’s name is to be praised. The LORD is high above all nations, and his glory above the heavens. Who is like unto the LORD our God, who dwelleth on high”.
Who is like our God? No matter the circumstance, God is far above it, and He will deliver His children. So I am going to praise Him from the cave!
God Bless!
Marshall & Jessica
Mar 31, 2024 – John 7:39, the wonderful Spirit of God
”(But this spake he of the Spirit, which they that believe on him should receive: for the Holy Ghost was not yet given; because that Jesus was not yet glorified.)”
John 7:39
Hi Everyone!
There is no way I would be doing all the things in my life now without the Holy Spirit being at work in my life.
There is no way I could ever recall Scripture the way I do, nor is there any way I would have been making the decisions I have been making in my life without the Spirit’s guidance.
I would not be married right now without the Holy Spirit’s leading, because it was the Holy Spirit who told Jessica to write me when she left the DOC.
There would be no assurance that I was doing the right thing without the Holy Spirit planting His peace inside me, and I also know when I am doing something wrong because of the Holy Spirit’s conviction in my heart.
I walk in power because of what the Holy Spirit is doing, and so do my fellow brothers and sisters in Christ.
Today, we will look at John 7:39, the wonderful Spirit of God.
”(But this spake he of the Spirit, which they that believe on him should receive: for the Holy Ghost was not yet given; because that Jesus was not yet glorified.)”
The word ”Spirit” refers to the ”Holy Spirit or Holy Ghost, as coming to and acting upon Christians, illuminating and empowering them, and remaining with them, imparting to them spiritual knowledge, aid, consolation, sanctification, and making intercession with and for them”.
Please meditate on this definition, because in it lies so many promises that God bestows upon His children.
In 2 Peter 1:3-4, the Bible says, ”According as his divine power hath given unto us all things that pertain unto life and godliness, through the knowledge of him that hath called us to glory and virtue: Whereby are given unto us exceeding great and precious promises: that by these ye might be partakers of the divine nature, having escaped the corruption that is in the world through lust.”
God, through the Holy Spirit, has given us everything we ever need to live a life of moral excellence in Him.
We can partake in a realm that we aren’t physically a part of because of the Holy Spirit’s indwelling, and we can call heavenly things into the earth.
Think about these two verses then look at the definition for ”Spirit” and see how deeply God desires us to succeed in this world. He gave us His Spirit to ensure our victory!
In Isaiah 44:3-4, the Bible says, ”For I will pour water upon him that is thirsty, and floods upon the dry ground: I will pour my spirit upon thy seed, and my blessing upon thine offspring: And they shall spring up as among the grass, as willows by the water courses.”
The Holy Spirit gives us exactly what we need to grow in Him. He first fills up the voids in our lives and then allows the seeds in us to grow as His Spirit takes care of the protection, nourishment, and climate for the seeds to grow at optimal levels. Never forsake or despise where you are planted, because the Holy Spirit has commanded growth to happen right where you are.
The word ”believe” means ”to entrust one’s spiritual well being to Christ”. The word ”receive” means ”to attain, obtain, or seize”.
Sadly, not everyone will receive the promised Holy Spirit, because there will be those who choose not to believe, despite all the evidence and despite being led by the Holy Spirit.
In Joel 2:28, the Bible says, ”And it shall come to pass afterward, that I will pour out my spirit upon all flesh; and your sons and your daughters shall prophesy, your old men shall dream dreams, your young men shall see visions”.
There will be evidence of the Holy Spirit’s work in the Church, yet people will look at this move of the Spirit and attribute it to something else.
Remember in Acts 2:12-13, the Bible says, ”And they were all amazed, and were in doubt, saying one to another, What meaneth this? Others mocking said, These men are full of new wine.”
So despite the evidence, the amazement, and despite the fact people were speaking native languages without training, many still looked at this and didn’t give God the glory.
The word ”glorified” means ”to advance to that state of bliss and glory which is the portion of those who dwell with God in heaven.”
In Acts 2:33, the Bible says, ”Therefore being by the right hand of God exalted, and having received of the Father the promise of the Holy Ghost, he hath shed forth this, which ye now see and hear.”
There is a trail of God’s presence when His Spirit moves, and the supernatural happens. We can’t ignore the evidence.
In John 12:16, the Bible says, ”These things understood not his disciples at the first: but when Jesus was glorified, then remembered they that these things were written of him, and that they had done these things unto him.”
The Holy Spirit makes sense of what we have previously received of God, and bears a record of His work before we were even saved.
The Holy Spirit is the power of God given unto His children, in order for us to live in dominion and power in the earth.
God Bless!
Marshall & Jessica
BONUS GOOD FRIDAY – 1 Peter 3:18 – the blessing of our Christ, the Passover Lamb slain before for the foundation of the world
”For Christ also hath once suffered for sins, the just for the unjust, that he might bring us to God, being put to death in the flesh, but quickened by the Spirit.”
1 Peter 3:18
Hi Everyone!
Good Friday. This is a the day Christ went to the cross for the sins of mankind, fulfilling the law once and for all.
Before Christ, the rituals of sacrifice and the Mosaic Law were powerless in themselves to forgive mankind of their sin, because the perfect atoning sacrifice had not yet come.
Now that He has come we have true freedom in salvation.
Reflecting back on what I have been delivered from and the sinfulness that has been cleansed by His finished work on the cross, I really experience a gratefulness that someone died so that I could live.
We see it on the news sometimes, where someone dies tragically and their donated organs save multiple lives.
Well what Christ did on the cross has not only saved our spiritual lives, but it has also made the kingdom of God available to all who believe in His name.
What an amazing gift from a loving Father.
Today, we will look at 1 Peter 3:18, the blessing of our Christ, the Passover Lamb slain before for the foundation of the world.
”For Christ also hath once suffered for sins, the just for the unjust, that he might bring us to God, being put to death in the flesh, but quickened by the Spirit.”
The word ”suffered” means ”to experience pain”. The word ”sin” means ”offense against God, sinfulness, or spiritual wickedness”.
This wasn’t some ordinary pain Christ suffered. He was beaten, tortured and suffered on the cross, choosing to give His life to save ours.
In Isaiah 53:4-5, the Bible says, ”Surely he hath borne our griefs, and carried our sorrows: yet we did esteem him stricken, smitten of God, and afflicted. But he was wounded for our transgressions, he was bruised for our iniquities: the chastisement of our peace was upon him; and with his stripes we are healed.”
His suffering purchased our healing, He was rejected by mankind so we could be accepted by God.
Christ paid an awful price to ensure our salvation. Imagine being beaten mercilessly, spat on, forced to carry your own cross, and not only not fighting back, but after nails were driven through your hands and feet, you hang, asking God to forgive them, excusing their behavior.
This is something so serious, and even after watching ”The Passion of the Christ”, I sit don’t think we grasp the magnitude of what Christ did for us.
In Isaiah 52:14 the Bible says, ”As many were astonied at thee; his visage was so marred more than any man, and his form more than the sons of men”.
Christ was beaten beyond recognition, but He still recognized our sin, and our need for a Savior.
Christ became everything to our nothingness, and saw us and saw the possibility of our real change by faith in Him.
This means everything to me, because I don’t deserve this salvation I have been given. I committed the worst kind of sin, looking at the image of God in their faces and taking their lives.
The word ”just” means ”innocence, righteous, or unholy”. The word ”unjust” means ”wicked, impious, or ungodly”.
No one is just before God before Christ died on the cross, because all have sinned, but Christ died for all people, those who will believe in Christ as Lord and Saviour will be saved.
God made this provision available to me when I was selling drugs, shooting guns, being involved in gang activity, and committing murder. God knew I would need a Saviour and nearly 2,000 years ago, Christ hung on the cross, knowing well that I would come to repentance.
In Romans 5:6-8, the Bible says, ‘‘For when we were yet without strength, in due time Christ died for the ungodly. For scarcely for a righteous man will one die: yet peradventure for a good man some would even dare to die. But God commendeth his love toward us, in that, while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us.”
God saw our frailty in the flesh and knew we wouldn’t be able to keep the Law.
God knew we would be societal rejects, criminals, and sinners, but in the midst of it all, He sent Christ to die.
He didn’t wait for us to clean up our lives, but allowed the blood of Jesus Christ to become this precious fountain that cleanses us from the sin we have committed.
Christ did this to bring us to God, to present those who believe on His name as faultless before a Holy God.
In 1 Peter 2:21, the Bible says, ”For even hereunto were ye called: because Christ also suffered for us, leaving us an example, that ye should follow his steps”.
Christ not only gave enables us to stand before a God holy, but because of His death, we are able to stand in victory.
Now, being saved, by the way we live, we have the privilege of demonstrating being a living sacrifice for others! Let us approach this day with thankfulness in our hearts.
God Bless!
Marshall & Jessica
