Month: August 2023

faith

Devotional for August 26

Bruce ColemanLeave a comment

Fear of the Lord is the Beginning of Wisdom 

34 I will bless the Lord at all times: his praise shall continually be in my mouth.
2 My soul shall make her boast in the Lord: the humble shall hear thereof, and be glad.
3 O magnify the Lord with me, and let us exalt his name together.
4 I sought the Lord, and he heard me, and delivered me from all my fears.
5 They looked unto him, and were lightened: and their faces were not ashamed.
6 This poor man cried, and the Lord heard him, and saved him out of all his troubles.
7 The angel of the Lord encampeth round about them that fear him, and delivereth them.
11 Come, ye children, hearken unto me: I will teach you the fear of the Lord.
12 What man is he that desireth life, and loveth many days, that he may see good?
13 Keep thy tongue from evil, and thy lips from speaking guile.
14 Depart from evil, and do good; seek peace, and pursue it. Psalm 34:1-7, 11-14 (KJV)

The Morning Exhortation

The kingdom principle of sowing and reaping takes time. The harvest comes in its due season. So, climb when you can. Tie a knot and hold on when you can’t move up. Soar with the eagles when the opportunity presents itself, and practice falling with style whenever it doesn’t. Abide in the Lord. It is not what we think we can do, it’s what we trust the Lord to do that sets the limit of our faith. Our sufficiency is of God. Often it requires facing the fear, refusing to doubt, taking the pain, and forgiving the hurt. At times it will mean getting knocked down, skinned up, and then bouncing back again. The Scriptures tell us even though the righteous get knocked down seven times, he will get back up again. Trust in the promised mercy of the Lord, brush yourself off, and start again whenever you must. Consider not the slowness of the process, or the difficulty of the way. To do so is to walk by sight. Rather put your whole trust in God Almighty alone, this is walking by faith. It is so vital to learn the lesson of the vine and the branch. The spirit of “can-do-nothing-without-Christ Jesus” rests on infallible truth. He is our Rock on which we can always depend in season and out, now and late, forever and ever. So, deny self, submit to God, and resist the devil. Sowing and reaping has been ordained by God. The harvest will surely come.

Question

What’s wrong with talking behind someone’s back?

Answer

Bad mouthing, tale biting, complaining, grumbling, murmuring, gossiping, and the like are the sending forth of invisible little birds that carry only negative vibes (Scripture). Peace is sown by those who are at peace (Scripture). To bless our neighbors with both thoughts and deeds is to remain salty, and this is the will of God for each of His children (Scripture).

The Prayer Appointed for This Week from the Book of Common Prayer

Almighty God, who has given your only Son to be unto us both a sacrifice for sin and an example by his godly life: For the sake of your Son,  I most thankfully receive your forgiveness of all my offenses; and grant me the grace to serve you in newness of life to the glory of your Name; through the same your Son Jesus Christ our Lord, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and for ever. Amen.

faith

Devotional for August 25

Bruce ColemanLeave a comment

Keep Me as the Apple of Your Eye 

6 I have called upon thee, for thou wilt hear me, O God: incline thine ear unto me, and hear my speech.
7 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.
8 Keep me as the apple of the eye, hide me under the shadow of thy wings,
9 From the wicked that oppress me, from my deadly enemies, who compass me about. Psalm 17:6-9 (KJV)

The Morning Exhortation

Muscle is forged in the fire of the will. When it gets uncomfortable and you’re not sure if you can go on, that’s when you have to reach down deep and toss another log of desire into the furnace of your will. To take the discomfort and push through the doubt, you have to have a burning desire to get it done. Physical development seems difficult in the beginning, but with persistence it gets easier over time. Physical and spiritual development are the same in that God is the source of both. Spiritual development starts with the grace of God giving us ears to hear. Spiritual hearing first of all takes being exposed to the word of truth. Lots of people have the truth of Bible knowledge and profess that they believe it is true, but this is of no value to them unless it is acted on in faith. Faith is required to get from believing what the Bible promises to actually knowing the Lord Jesus Christ. Knowing about Jesus Christ is a prerequisite, belief is the way, faith is the means, and having a personal relationship with Him is the glorious end. Do NOT stop short. 

Question

Why are we so quick to kill the messenger?

Answer

That which is hard and difficult to take often causes a knee jerk reaction that smites the bearer of news we don’t want to hear (Scripture). More often than not, at the first sign of pain we reach for a pain killer rather than listening to what the pain is saying (Scripture). All pain is not the same (Scripture). Some painful messages should be tolerated (Scripture). Other types of pain require immediate relief (Scripture). Distinguishing between the different meanings of pain is a learned skill that cultivates beauty of body, soul, and spirit (Scripture).

The Prayer Appointed for This Week from the Book of Common Prayer

Almighty God, who has given your only Son to be unto us both a sacrifice for sin and an example by his godly life: For the sake of your Son,  I most thankfully receive your forgiveness of all my offenses; and grant me the grace to serve you in newness of life to the glory of your Name; through the same your Son Jesus Christ our Lord, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and for ever. Amen.

faith

Devotional for August 24

Bruce ColemanLeave a comment

The Lord Shall Keep You

121 I will lift up mine eyes unto the hills, from whence cometh my help.
2 My help cometh from the Lord, which made heaven and earth.
3 He will not suffer thy foot to be moved: he that keepeth thee will not slumber.
4 Behold, he that keepeth Israel shall neither slumber nor sleep.
5 The Lord is thy keeper: the Lord is thy shade upon thy right hand.
6 The sun shall not smite thee by day, nor the moon by night.
7 The Lord shall preserve thee from all evil: he shall preserve thy soul.
8 The Lord shall preserve thy going out and thy coming in from this time forth, and even for evermore. Psalm 121 (KJV)

The Morning Exhortation

Strength doesn’t come from a can, Popeye. Do you think the muscle fairy is just going to leave you 18-inch guns under your pillow? Such lying vanities are cartoon fairy tales when told to children and advertising hype when marketed to adults. There are no shortcuts. Muscle is a full-grown pit bull and you gotta wrassle’em if you want that bone. The “why” is far more important than obtaining any goals however. If you do it to please self, it is sin. If you do it as part of your reasonable service to please the Lord, it is righteousness. Bodybuilding, physical exercise, and diet are not good or bad in themselves, but it is the intent of the heart in doing them that makes it so. Turn from seeking to please self in order to fight the good fight of the faith. Rejoice with unceasing prayer. Prayer is spiritual exercise for faith and practice of the presence of God. Either prayer will end sinning or sinning will end prayer. From everlasting to everlasting, the Lord God Almighty is! So continue to pray to Him, and prayer will win the day.

Question

How can we pray unceasingly?

Answer

To pray unceasingly is to cultivate a continuous awareness of God that comes with the deliberate practice of focusing our attention on God (Scripture). This requires eliminating worldly distractions when possible, as about 90% of the time the mind simply wanders about focusing on whatever wind that passes by (Scripture). The motive for exercise and diet is of paramount importance for building muscle, so too is the motive for focusing attention and directing our thoughts upward toward God essential for praying unceasingly (Scripture). 

The Prayer Appointed for This Week from the Book of Common Prayer

Almighty God, who has given your only Son to be unto us both a sacrifice for sin and an example by his godly life: For the sake of your Son,  I most thankfully receive your forgiveness of all my offenses; and grant me the grace to serve you in newness of life to the glory of your Name; through the same your Son Jesus Christ our Lord, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and for ever. Amen.

Daily Writing Prompt

Sooner or Later

Bruce ColemanLeave a comment
Daily writing prompt
What motivates you?
View all responses

As far back as I can remember, I’ve always been driven by this feeling that I am not yet what I will be. I have been planted by streams of water by the grace of God. I have many green leaves, lots of tender blossoms, and much fruit on the vine. It is the love of God that compels me to continually work for the harvest (Psalm 1:1-3, 92:12-15; Ephesians 2:10; Ecclesiastes 9:10; Colossians 3:23; Philippians 2:13; 2 Corinthians 5:14-15; Hosea 14:8; Isaiah 61:3; Jude 1:24-26)

faith

Devotional for August 23

Bruce ColemanLeave a comment

Be Confident of the Goodness of the Lord 

1 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?
2 When the wicked, even mine enemies and my foes, came upon me to eat up my flesh, they stumbled and fell.
3 Though an host should encamp against me, my heart shall not fear: though war should rise against me, in this will I be confident.
4 One thing have I desired of the Lord, that will I seek after; that I may dwell in the house of the Lord all the days of my life, to behold the beauty of the Lord, and to enquire in his temple.
5 For in the time of trouble he shall hide me in his pavilion: in the secret of his tabernacle shall he hide me; he shall set me up upon a rock.
6 And now shall mine head be lifted up above mine enemies round about me: therefore will I offer in his tabernacle sacrifices of joy; I will sing, yea, I will sing praises unto the Lord.
7 Hear, O Lord, when I cry with my voice: have mercy also upon me, and answer me.
8 When thou saidst, Seek ye my face; my heart said unto thee, Thy face, Lord, will I seek.
13 I had fainted, unless I had believed to see the goodness of the Lord in the land of the living.
14 Wait on the Lord: be of good courage, and he shall strengthen thine heart: wait, I say, on the Lord. Psalm27:1-8, 13-14 (KJV)

The Morning Exhortation

Is a year too long to work to do what God has placed on your heart to do? What about two years? What about ten? The longer I live, the more convinced I am that the question is not so much, “Is it possible?”–as much as it is– “Are you willing to do what it takes?” The sooner you get to stepping on that journey of 10,000 steps, the sooner you will get there. If there is no feeling of inadequacy on your part, you have most likely set your aim too low. God doesn’t call us to do what we can do in our own human strength, He has called us to do what we can only do through the power of the Holy Spirit working within us. Cast down every evil thought and imagination that is contrary to the word of God that would spark unbelief in the heart. Such thoughts do not come from the Lord who has called you, but have their origin from lower sources such as our own fleshly desires, worldly persuasions, or suggestions from the wicked hurler of flaming darts. Be quick to cast down and acknowledge that now is the time to trust the Lord. Be strong and courageous is commanded by the Scriptures. God is forever faithful. What He has commanded, He will provide. Pray for strength when weary, rejoice even in tough times, and fight the good fight of the faith with all perseverance. 

Question

What is unbelief?

Answer

Belief is a continuum with utter unbelief on one extreme, complete belief on the other, and many degrees in between (Scripture). Utter unbelief is the total darkness of the atheist or agnostic (Scripture). The wishy-washy degrees in between the extremes are filled with the shifting sands of the doubleminded man (Scripture), and the deadly quicksand of the hypocrite (Scripture). Complete belief is the one rock on which we may stand by grace before the Almighty God (Scripture).

The Prayer Appointed for This Week from the Book of Common Prayer

Almighty God, who has given your only Son to be unto us both a sacrifice for sin and an example by his godly life: For the sake of your Son,  I most thankfully receive your forgiveness of all my offenses; and grant me the grace to serve you in newness of life to the glory of your Name; through the same your Son Jesus Christ our Lord, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and for ever. Amen.

faith

Devotional for August 22

Bruce ColemanLeave a comment

God Is Our Fortress 

1 God is our refuge and strength, a very present help in trouble.
2 Therefore will not we fear, though the earth be removed, and though the mountains be carried into the midst of the sea;
3 Though the waters thereof roar and be troubled, though the mountains shake with the swelling thereof. Selah.
4 There is a river, the streams whereof shall make glad the city of God, the holy place of the tabernacles of the most High.
5 God is in the midst of her; she shall not be moved: God shall help her, and that right early.
6 The heathen raged, the kingdoms were moved: he uttered his voice, the earth melted.
7 The Lord of hosts is with us; the God of Jacob is our refuge. Selah.
8 Come, behold the works of the Lord, what desolations he hath made in the earth.
9 He maketh wars to cease unto the end of the earth; he breaketh the bow, and cutteth the spear in sunder; he burneth the chariot in the fire.
10 Be still, and know that I am God: I will be exalted among the heathen, I will be exalted in the earth.
11 The Lord of hosts is with us; the God of Jacob is our refuge. Selah. Psalm 46 (KJV)

The Morning Exhortation

Spiritual reality is formed by the Word of God and not by what we feel, see, or think is the truth. One of the chief balance points of the Scriptures is that God is absolutely sovereign and that we are free to choose. Freedom of choice makes us responsible for choosing what is good and accountable to God after choosing. It is sometimes difficult for us to know we are sleeping until after we have woken up. The same can be said when living in bondage to sin. We have been called to be awake and sober. By faith do we come to know that the God of hope is love, faithful, trustworthy, holy, and true. Be still and remember God. Rest in the salvation of our Lord Jesus Christ. There is no glory in seeking glory for self. May all we do glorify Him.

Question

What are feelings?

Answer

Just as the body senses heat and cold, so feelings are the senses of the soul (Scripture). While being hot or cold is almost always easy to regulate physically, feelings are totally unreliable as they can come and go in a blink of the eye or with a single change of thought (Scripture). Feelings are like a broken reed that pierces the hand that leans on them (Scripture). To sometimes feel good and to sometimes feel bad is completely normal (Scripture). Be willing to suffer the temptations of ill feelings and still stand firm in faith (Scripture).

The Prayer Appointed for This Week from the Book of Common Prayer

Almighty God, who has given your only Son to be unto us both a sacrifice for sin and an example by his godly life: For the sake of your Son,  I most thankfully receive your forgiveness of all my offenses; and grant me the grace to serve you in newness of life to the glory of your Name; through the same your Son Jesus Christ our Lord, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and for ever. Amen.

faith

Devotional for August 21

Bruce ColemanLeave a comment

My Safety and Honor is in God 

5 My soul, wait thou only upon God; for my expectation is from him.
6 He only is my rock and my salvation: he is my defence; I shall not be moved.
7 In God is my salvation and my glory: the rock of my strength, and my refuge, is in God.
8 Trust in him at all times; ye people, pour out your heart before him: God is a refuge for us. Selah. Psalm 62:5-8 (KJV)

The Morning Exhortation

Look to the end and let the desire for all temporary things contrary to eternal life fade away. Nobody wants to have a butt big enough to require a whole zip code, yet the average person can’t stop over-dosing on sugar and bingeing on entertainment like an overstuffed coach potato. Wanting to go north, yet in effect continually choosing to travel south. Wanting the good in life, yet continually lusting for evil things. Who can know true happiness when living with such a divided heart? A good life requires a singleness of heart and purpose. We cannot partake of both the table of the Lord and the table of the enemies of our soul. Happy is the one who is totally devoted to the Lord. Wait on the Lord and He will establish your heart. Blessed are all those who love the Lord with all their heart.

Question

How do we walk in the Spirit?

Answer

One step at a time (Scripture). The preparatory step is to repent and believe the gospel of Jesus Christ (Scripture). The first step is to be born again (Scripture). The second step is to crave the pure spiritual milk of the word so that by it you may grow up pass the dirty diaper stage caused by the former way of life (Scripture). The third step is identified by the experiential learning of how to place your right hand in the hand of Jesus Christ (Scripture). 

The Prayer Appointed for This Week from the Book of Common Prayer

Grant to me, Lord. I pray, the spirit to think and do always those things that are right, that I, who cannot exist without you, may by you be enabled to live according to your will; through Jesus Christ my Lord, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, for ever and ever. Amen.

Daily Writing Prompt

Gratitude

Bruce ColemanLeave a comment
Daily writing prompt
What positive emotion do you feel most often?
View all responses

Gratitude functions as the master gland of the soul from which all other positive emotions flow. Consider how hard it is to be grateful and sad, or grateful and angry, or grateful and worried at the same time. When the cares of this world start to press me down, I have found praise and thanksgiving are the best cures. This is why gratitude is the positive emotion I cultivate most often. Would you like me to show you how I do it?

I am thankful that I was able to get out of bed early this morning with only a little stiffness. I’m thankful this cup of black coffee. I’m thankful that I arrived last night safe and sound after unexpectedly having to spend nearly the whole day at the airport, and I’m thankful for another day to be able to draw a little closer to the Lord. (Psalm 118:24, 100:4; 1 Thessalonians 5: 16-18; Isaiah 26:3)

faith

Devotional for August 20

Bruce ColemanLeave a comment

I Will Walk with Sincerity of Heart 

1 I will sing of mercy and judgment: unto thee, O Lord, will I sing.
2 I will behave myself wisely in a perfect way. O when wilt thou come unto me? I will walk within my house with a perfect heart.
3 I will set no wicked thing before mine eyes: I hate the work of them that turn aside; it shall not cleave to me.
4 A froward heart shall depart from me: I will not know a wicked person.
5 Whoso privily slandereth his neighbour, him will I cut off: him that hath an high look and a proud heart will not I suffer.
6 Mine eyes shall be upon the faithful of the land, that they may dwell with me: he that walketh in a perfect way, he shall serve me.
7 He that worketh deceit shall not dwell within my house: he that telleth lies shall not tarry in my sight.
8 I will early destroy all the wicked of the land; that I may cut off all wicked doers from the city of the Lord. Psalm 101 (KJV)

The Morning Exhortation

God is the one and only fixed point that provides true meaning in life. It takes a while to learn that a good life has nothing to do with how much fun you have, how beautiful you are, how many trophies you win, or how much money you have. Go ask any poor little rich kid with his or her face plastered all over the supermarket tabloids and they will likely tell you the same. The one needful thing in this life is to know God. To just know about God is not enough. Knowledge of God must be mixed with faith. We must believe before we can know God, and the bridge between believing and knowing is built by faith.

Question

Should we try to clean ourselves up before we seek God?

Answer

God bids us to come as we are (Scripture), because if we could clean ourselves up we wouldn’t need a savior (Scripture). It is so difficult for a person who is already clean in their own eyes to seek the Lord (Scripture). The answer provided by money, when it is exalted above all, is a love that perverts what is genuinely good (Scripture). Count the cost, come as you are, and rejoice that you aren’t doomed to stay that way (Scripture). 

The Prayer Appointed for This Week from the Book of Common Prayer

Grant to me, Lord. I pray, the spirit to think and do always those things that are right, that I, who cannot exist without you, may by you be enabled to live according to your will; through Jesus Christ my Lord, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, for ever and ever. Amen.