faith

Devotional for January 22

January 22, 2024 Bruce ColemanLeave a comment

“I Will Now Arise,” says the Lord

12 Help, Lord; for the godly man ceaseth; for the faithful fail from among the children of men.
2 They speak vanity every one with his neighbour: with flattering lips and with a double heart do they speak.
3 The Lord shall cut off all flattering lips, and the tongue that speaketh proud things:
4 Who have said, With our tongue will we prevail; our lips are our own: who is lord over us?
5 For the oppression of the poor, for the sighing of the needy, now will I arise, saith the Lord; I will set him in safety from him that puffeth at him.
6 The words of the Lord are pure words: as silver tried in a furnace of earth, purified seven times.
7 Thou shalt keep them, O Lord, thou shalt preserve them from this generation for ever.
8 The wicked walk on every side, when the vilest men are exalted. Psalm 12 (KJV)

The Morning Exhortation

It is impossible to live without trust. Only question is who, or what, to trust? Physical beauty and strength may fade, mental beauty and smarts can be lost, and cash flow often goes faster than it comes. Here is the knowledge and trust that saves from all vanity: JESUS CHRIST LIVES! And He is the same yesterday, today, and forever. God is perfectly consistent, and our consistent walking in the Spirit leads to godliness. Our attention represents the eyes of our spirit. When our spiritual eyes are fixed on Jesus, our default way of thinking will be conformed to His image. It is unwise to neglect the command to renew the mind with the Word. Like all the commands of God, they are given for our benefit. Truly His yoke is easy and His burden is light. His commands are not burdensome, so make your calling and election sure. Work out what God has worked in through your new birth. God is holy and Heaven is a holy place. Therefore, let us by the grace of God be willing to be made fit for it. Choose the good part like Mary the sister of Martha. Sit at the feet of Jesus. Open your Bible and hear His word (Luke 10:38-42). His every command is also a promise. All that He commands, He has promised to work in us to will and do (Philippians 2:13). All things are possible if we are willing to believe. The Almighty God of heaven and earth has spoken, and it is written in the Holy Book for our understanding.

Today’s Bible Reading

Genesis 23; Matthew 22

Nehemiah 12; Acts 22

The Prayer Appointed for This Week

Almighty God, whose Son our Savior Jesus Christ is the light of the world: Grant that your people, illumined by your Word, may shine with the radiance of Christ’s glory, that he may be known, worshipped, and obeyed to the ends of the earth; through Jesus Christ our Lord, who with you and the Holy Spirit lives and reigns, one God, now and for ever. Amen. The Book of Common Prayer

faith

Devotional for January 21

January 21, 2024January 21, 2024 Bruce ColemanLeave a comment

No Harm Will Overtake You

8 Only with thine eyes shalt thou behold and see the reward of the wicked.
9 Because thou hast made the Lord, which is my refuge, even the most High, thy habitation;
10 There shall no evil befall thee, neither shall any plague come nigh thy dwelling.
11 For he shall give his angels charge over thee, to keep thee in all thy ways.
12 They shall bear thee up in their hands, lest thou dash thy foot against a stone.
13 Thou shalt tread upon the lion and adder: the young lion and the dragon shalt thou trample under feet. Psalm 91:8-13 (KJV)

The Morning Exhortation

Half-stepping in the Christian life will hinder our ability to model the gospel to a world that so desperately needs to see it. Worry is for unbelievers, and is a sure indication of not knowing God well enough. Keep your mind fixed on who God is. Worry will flee from you when you remain in His presence. Let His peace, which surpasses all understanding, be the default setting in your heart. A doubleminded man should expect none of this however. The heart of the doubleminded is tossed about by winds that sometimes blow hot and sometimes blow cold. Being wishy-washy creates a lukewarm commitment and an incomplete consecration to Jesus Christ. The full blessings are reserved for those who place their all on the alter before God and take none of the old self-life back. Do not be content with merely arranging and re-arranging the pieces of the sacrifice on the altar. Pray for fire from above! Believe and receive the baptism with the Holy Spirit and fire. He who promised is faithful, therefore He will surely do it.

Today’s Bible Reading

Genesis 22; Matthew 21

Nehemiah 11; Acts 21

The Prayer Appointed for This Week

faith

Devotional for January 20

January 20, 2024January 21, 2024 Bruce ColemanLeave a comment

In God We Trust

115 Not unto us, O Lord, not unto us, but unto thy name give glory, for thy mercy, and for thy truth's sake.
2 Wherefore should the heathen say, Where is now their God?
3 But our God is in the heavens: he hath done whatsoever he hath pleased.
4 Their idols are silver and gold, the work of men's hands.
5 They have mouths, but they speak not: eyes have they, but they see not:
6 They have ears, but they hear not: noses have they, but they smell not:
7 They have hands, but they handle not: feet have they, but they walk not: neither speak they through their throat.
8 They that make them are like unto them; so is every one that trusteth in them.
9 O Israel, trust thou in the Lord: he is their help and their shield.
10 O house of Aaron, trust in the Lord: he is their help and their shield.
11 Ye that fear the Lord, trust in the Lord: he is their help and their shield.
12 The Lord hath been mindful of us: he will bless us; he will bless the house of Israel; he will bless the house of Aaron.
13 He will bless them that fear the Lord, both small and great.
14 The Lord shall increase you more and more, you and your children.
15 Ye are blessed of the Lord which made heaven and earth. Psalm 115:1-15 (KJV)

The Morning Exhortation

All confidence in wonder pills, breakthrough powders, premier programs, technological marvels, quick-fixes, short-cuts, and self-effort must be shaken. Only with a burning desire for truth is the dross removed from the gold. Convince yourself once and for all of the truth of the Scriptures: power belongs to God. You have been set apart to love the Lord God with all your heart. And you know that no matter what happens, everything works out for good for those who love the Lord. Start with being thankful with what you have and where you are right now. Though things may be difficult for you right now, give all to God and do not take a backward step. Hold fast your faith while God fits you for greater works. Know that all God has foreordained concerning you will come to be if you are willing to believe. Because God is God, you shall be exactly as God wants you to be. It cannot be otherwise for a willing heart that trusts in God.

Today’s Bible Reading

Genesis 21; Matthew 20

Nehemiah 10; Acts 20

The Prayer Appointed for This Week

faith

Devotional for January 19

January 19, 2024January 21, 2024 Bruce ColemanLeave a comment

The Lord Accepts My Prayer

106 Praise ye the Lord. O give thanks unto the Lord; for he is good: for his mercy endureth for ever.
2 Who can utter the mighty acts of the Lord? who can shew forth all his praise?
3 Blessed are they that keep judgment, and he that doeth righteousness at all times.
4 Remember me, O Lord, with the favour that thou bearest unto thy people: O visit me with thy salvation;
5 That I may see the good of thy chosen, that I may rejoice in the gladness of thy nation, that I may glory with thine inheritance.
6 We have sinned with our fathers, we have committed iniquity, we have done wickedly.
7 Our fathers understood not thy wonders in Egypt; they remembered not the multitude of thy mercies; but provoked him at the sea, even at the Red sea.
8 Nevertheless he saved them for his name's sake, that he might make his mighty power to be known.
9 He rebuked the Red sea also, and it was dried up: so he led them through the depths, as through the wilderness.
10 And he saved them from the hand of him that hated them, and redeemed them from the hand of the enemy.
47 Save us, O Lord our God, and gather us from among the heathen, to give thanks unto thy holy name, and to triumph in thy praise.
48 Blessed be the Lord God of Israel from everlasting to everlasting: and let all the people say, Amen. Praise ye the Lord. Psalm 106:1-10, 47-48 (KJV)

The Morning Exhortation

Strength is not renewed by diet, exercise, and rest alone. Strength is also a spiritual fruit. Make the spiritual tree good and the fruit will be good as well. Do not be content with a secondhand knowledge of God. Taste and see that the Lord is good for yourself. Working out our salvation has to do with willfully practicing the change of heart God has created within us into our everyday life and way of living. This is the working out of what God has worked within. The greatest gains are made by standing firm in the face of the resistance provided by the wickedness of this fallen world. Faith grows strong with testing, with preservice, and with patience. Trust in God. Jesus Christ is the same yesterday, today, and forever. He asks each of us just as He did the blind men: “Do you believe I am able to do this?” We must first choose to believe that God is able, and then to acknowledge the fact that He is also willing to grant all that He has promised. The chief of our faculties is the will. The will must learn to hold faith in God as the default rule of the heart. It is natural for the emotions to respond automatically to what the eyes see, which will often leave us suspectable to evil thoughts from within. Still, being born again by the Spirit makes us free to exercise our will in order to keep the heart firm in faith. Assurance of the truth comes in time. The essence of the Gospel promise is this: come to the Lord just as you are, be transformed, and all things will become new. Trust the Lord. Be strong and courageous. The God who has commanded us is almighty and forever faithful. The promise “ask and you shall receive” belongs to those who choose to please God.

Today’s Bible Reading

Genesis 20; Matthew 19

Nehemiah 9; Acts 19

The Prayer Appointed for This Week

faith

Devotional for January 18

January 18, 2024January 21, 2024 Bruce ColemanLeave a comment

O Lord, Give Strength to Your Servants

11 Teach me thy way, O Lord; I will walk in thy truth: unite my heart to fear thy name.
12 I will praise thee, O Lord my God, with all my heart: and I will glorify thy name for evermore.
13 For great is thy mercy toward me: and thou hast delivered my soul from the lowest hell.
14 O God, the proud are risen against me, and the assemblies of violent men have sought after my soul; and have not set thee before them.
15 But thou, O Lord, art a God full of compassion, and gracious, long suffering, and plenteous in mercy and truth.
16 O turn unto me, and have mercy upon me; give thy strength unto thy servant, and save the son of thine handmaid.
17 Shew me a token for good; that they which hate me may see it, and be ashamed: because thou, Lord, hast holpen me, and comforted me. Psalm 86:11-17 (KJV)

The Morning Exhortation

There is only so much that can be achieved by working to strengthen the physical body alone. We certainly have need of our physical strength and good health in this life, but these profit little unless the inner life is set right before the eyes of God as well. Funerals and the grave are stark reminders of our physical limitations in this life. Go first to God, but not for His gifts. Seek God simply as a child desiring to know his Father. Our first priority must be in restoring our proper relationship with God. This will bring healing for the inner life as well as provide health to the body and nourishment to the bones. Only in Christ Jesus does life have true hope and death loses its sting.

Today’s Bible Reading

Genesis 19; Matthew 18

Nehemiah 8; Acts 18

The Prayer Appointed for This Week

Daily Writing Prompt

The Bug in the Paint Can

January 17, 2024 Bruce Coleman2 Comments

Bloganuary writing prompt

Can you share a positive example of where you’ve felt loved?

View all responses

I must have been about 11 or 12 years old. My dad taught himself how to paint signs by hand for local businesses. He used to take me along to help. We were working on a local fast-food joint called the “Tasty Freeze,” which has long since gone the way of the Dodo bird. I remember the sun was setting. Dad was up on the ladder finishing up while I was down below gathering up all our supplies to go home. I picked up an open can that was practically empty and saw this bug stuck on the bottom. With my brand new 12 year old brain, I decided that I was going to kick the bottom of the can to get the bug out of there.

Holding the can in both hands, I gave it a kick like a punter on the 30 yard line. Whoapp!…and just like that tiny drops of paint sprayed all over the windows and side of the building. It was a grand mess. I stood there speechless. A customer walking into the store sees this and saids, “Mr. Coleman, I think you better come down here.” I can only imagine what my dad was thinking as he climbed down that ladder. I knew that whatever was going to happen after he came down, I well deserved it.

To my surprise, he didn’t say a word. To my amazement, he didn’t even give me a harsh look. He just picked up a rag and a can of paint thinner and started cleaning up the mess. It is hard to explain what such love and forgiveness feels like unless you have experienced something simlar to this.

(Psalm 103:8-18)

faith

Devotional for January 17

January 17, 2024January 21, 2024 Bruce ColemanLeave a comment

God Is Our Help and Shield

33 Rejoice in the Lord, O ye righteous: for praise is comely for the upright.
2 Praise the Lord with harp: sing unto him with the psaltery and an instrument of ten strings.
3 Sing unto him a new song; play skilfully with a loud noise.
4 For the word of the Lord is right; and all his works are done in truth.
18 Behold, the eye of the Lord is upon them that fear him, upon them that hope in his mercy;
19 To deliver their soul from death, and to keep them alive in famine.
20 Our soul waiteth for the Lord: he is our help and our shield.
21 For our heart shall rejoice in him, because we have trusted in his holy name.
22 Let thy mercy, O Lord, be upon us, according as we hope in thee. Psalm 33:1-4, 18-22 (KJV)

The Morning Exhortation

Whenever we make the decision to get fit, we must resist the temptation to look for shortcuts. Lasting fitness doesn’t happen in a few weeks, and working out doesn’t get easier in only a few days. Just consistently do the work and fruit will grow with faith and patience in due time. God has granted all spiritual blessings to those who are in Christ Jesus. It has already been granted. First seek the leading of the Spirit to know what you should ask. Learn what is pleasing to God. Be determined to do nothing, nor entertain any thoughts, that are contrary to the known will of God. Then ask God in faith, go to work, and at just the proper time you will receive. That order is important to understand. Get right with God first, ask in faith and what can be seen will always come after. Ask God and wait with an eager expectation of seeing your prayer’s fulfillment. God has promised, and there are no details too small, nothing too big, nor anything too hard for the Lord. No good thing will He withhold from those who love Him.

Today’s Bible Reading

Genesis 18; Matthew 17

Nehemiah 7; Acts 17

The Prayer Appointed for This Week

faith

Devotional for January 16

January 16, 2024January 21, 2024 Bruce ColemanLeave a comment

Hope in the Steadfast Love of the Lord

147 Praise ye the Lord: for it is good to sing praises unto our God; for it is pleasant; and praise is comely.
2 The Lord doth build up Jerusalem: he gathereth together the outcasts of Israel.
3 He healeth the broken in heart, and bindeth up their wounds.
4 He telleth the number of the stars; he calleth them all by their names.
5 Great is our Lord, and of great power: his understanding is infinite.
6 The Lord lifteth up the meek: he casteth the wicked down to the ground.
7 Sing unto the Lord with thanksgiving; sing praise upon the harp unto our God:
8 Who covereth the heaven with clouds, who prepareth rain for the earth, who maketh grass to grow upon the mountains.
9 He giveth to the beast his food, and to the young ravens which cry.
10 He delighteth not in the strength of the horse: he taketh not pleasure in the legs of a man.
11 The Lord taketh pleasure in them that fear him, in those that hope in his mercy.
12 Praise the Lord, O Jerusalem; praise thy God, O Zion. Psalm 147:1-12 (KJV)

The Morning Exhortation

Difficult circumstances and physical discomforts are often accompanied with temptations to fear and doubt. There are thoughts which have the appearance of truth in the natural, yet clearly contradict the Word of God. Such thoughts do not come from faith. Such thoughts arise from the best guess of the brain’s emotional center, which automatically produces feelings based off what it sees and has experienced in the past. These feelings are easily used to by inner tempter to produce a leaven of persuasive thoughts that draw us to self and the things of this earth rather than toward faith and the things of the Lord. Such thoughts are often attempts to put us in fear so that our faith will be weakened and thereby our work hindered or left undone. Reject and dismiss faithless thoughts without entertaining them. Take heed and refuse the enemy’s bait to trap you running endlessly on the treadmill of human reasoning. Indeed, all the dark forces of this present world conspire to have us live in fear, uncertainty, and doubt. The solution is simple and effective. Trust in the living God and the truth will set you free. Rejoice and trust in God Almighty. He has promised to strengthen your hands to do all He has called you to do.

Today’s Bible Reading

Genesis 17; Matthew 16

Nehemiah 6; Acts 16

The Prayer Appointed for This Week

faith

Devotional for January 15

January 15, 2024January 21, 2024 Bruce ColemanLeave a comment

The God of My Salvation

25 Unto thee, O Lord, do I lift up my soul.
2 O my God, I trust in thee: let me not be ashamed, let not mine enemies triumph over me.
3 Yea, let none that wait on thee be ashamed: let them be ashamed which transgress without cause.
4 Shew me thy ways, O Lord; teach me thy paths.
5 Lead me in thy truth, and teach me: for thou art the God of my salvation; on thee do I wait all the day. Psalm 25:1-5 (KJV)

The Morning Exhortation

Those things that make us fit and healthy are also the same things necessary for keeping us fit and healthy. Just as the same mustard-seed-size faith required to be born again in Christ Jesus is the same faith necessary for removing mountains. Daily we must stay in the Word of Truth. This is an important lesson from all the saints down throughout the ages. Letting the truth slip through cracks of neglect causes us to have to re-fight battles that have already been hard won. Our own forgetfulness aids the thief that comes only to kill, steal, and destroy what was once known and now left unguarded. The way to slowly lose fitness is to forget the diligence, consistency, and patience it takes to get it in the first place. Forgetting causes us to cry when we should be reaping. Forgetting will leave us stuck in the wilderness when we should be bearing fruit in the promised land. Blessed is the one who diligently guards his heart by always remembering the loving-kindness of the Lord in the daytime, and the faithfulness of the Lord in the night.

Today’s Bible Reading

Genesis 16; Matthew 15

Nehemiah 5; Acts 15

The Prayer Appointed for This Week

faith

Devotional for January 14

January 14, 2024 Bruce ColemanLeave a comment

The God of My Salvation

The Morning Exhortation

There is a difference between “eating to live” and “living to eat.” The main motive when living to eat is the pleasure that comes from what tastes good. Eating only what tastes good in this modern age will only make you sick. This is because today there are literally thousands of highly delicious food-like stuff filled with fat/sugar/salt and void of nutrients in grocery stores, restaurants, and convenience stores everywhere. Our food has been scientifically engineered to taste good and leave the body craving for more. The modern table has become a snare to us. As a result we are the fattest and sickest generation in history. It’s a consequence of our food producers being a for profit industry, and the use of modern science to hijack our taste buds to get at our dollars. Many Pilgrims traveling through the forest are enticed off the straight path by the deceiver’s sugary coated persuasions to avoid all hardship and eat only what is delicious. Running from the promised tribulations of a righteous life will surely stunt the Christian’s growth. This will keep them a breast sucking babe long after the time when they should have be a fully develop flame of fire. Strive to be conformed to the Word of God in all you do, say, and think. Deny the taste buds, choose to walk by faith regardless of how hard the way may seem. Though the forest may be dark at times, there is a shining city up ahead. The Holy Guest is more than able to get you there safely.

Today’s Bible Reading

Genesis 15; Matthew 14

Nehemiah 4; Acts 14

The Prayer Appointed for This Week

Father in heaven, who at the baptism of Jesus in the River Jordan proclaimed him your beloved Son and anointed him with the Holy Spirit: Grant that all who are baptized into His Name may keep the covenant they have made, and boldly confess him as Lord and Savior; who with you and the Holy Spirit lives and reigns, one God, in glory everlasting. Amen. The Book of Common Prayer