faith

Devotional for April 7

Bruce ColemanLeave a comment

Be Filled With the Joy of the Lord

3 Blow up the trumpet in the new moon, in the time appointed, on our solemn feast day.
4 For this was a statute for Israel, and a law of the God of Jacob.
5 This he ordained in Joseph for a testimony, when he went out through the land of Egypt: where I heard a language that I understood not.
8 Hear, O my people, and I will testify unto thee: O Israel, if thou wilt hearken unto me;
9 There shall no strange god be in thee; neither shalt thou worship any strange god.
10 I am the Lord thy God, which brought thee out of the land of Egypt: open thy mouth wide, and I will fill it. Psalm 81:3-5, 8-10 (KJV)

The Morning Exhortation

Why do you do what you do? Find meaning or you will get little satisfaction. The things you do to benefit yourself are good, but the things you do to benefit others are worth double. It is not those who know what is right that shall be saved. Only those who know what is right and do it are so blessed. Believe the gospel and pray for the grace needed to live it. (Ecclesiastes 5:15-16; Matthew 11:28-30, 16:21-27; Luke 10:25-37; Proverbs 11:25, 18:24; Revelation 3:20; Mark 9:41; Acts 20:35; 2 Corinthians 3:5; Philippians 2:13-15; Colossians 1:25-29; 2 Corinthians 13:14)

Today’s Bible Reading

Leviticus 10; Psalms 11-12

Proverbs 25; 1 Thessalonians 4

The Prayer Appointed for This Week

Gracious Father, whose blessed Son Jesus Christ came down from heaven to be the true bread which gives life to the world: Evermore give me this bread, that he may live in me, and I in him; who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and forever. Amen. The Book of Common Prayer

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Devotional for April 6

Bruce ColemanLeave a comment

For God Alone My Soul Waits

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.
9 Surely men of low degree are vanity, and men of high degree are a lie: to be laid in the balance, they are altogether lighter than vanity.
10 Trust not in oppression, and become not vain in robbery: if riches increase, set not your heart upon them.
11 God hath spoken once; twice have I heard this; that power belongeth unto God.
12 Also unto thee, O Lord, belongeth mercy: for thou renderest to every man according to his work. Psalm 62:5-12 (KJV)

The Morning Exhortation

Diet and exercise are but means to an end. Pray for the means, have faith in God, and patiently endure while putting in the work. This is the solution for 99% of all problems. The remaining 1% will require a miracle outside of the elementary principles of the world. Miracles are meant to be the exceptions, not the general rule. Be it diet and exercise, a piece of wood thrown into the water, a bronze serpent raised on a pole, or a bandage laced with figs, have faith in God the source of all power. Everything else is just the means. (Psalm 14:2; Habakkuk 1:15-2:4; Psalm 62:11; Mark 11:22-24; Hebrews 10:35-39; Proverbs 23:23-26; Hebrews 1:1-3, 11:1-6; Galatians 4:9; Mark 10:24; Psalm 9:9-11; Exodus 15:22-26; Numbers 21:4-9; 2 Kings 20:1-7; Psalm 90:17; 2 Thessalonians 3:10; Psalm 44:1-8)

Today’s Bible Reading

Leviticus 9; Psalms 10

Proverbs 24; 1 Thessalonians 3

The Prayer Appointed for This Week

Gracious Father, whose blessed Son Jesus Christ came down from heaven to be the true bread which gives life to the world: Evermore give me this bread, that he may live in me, and I in him; who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and forever. Amen. The Book of Common Prayer

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Devotional for April 5

Bruce ColemanLeave a comment

On Guard

1 Lord, I cry unto thee: make haste unto me; give ear unto my voice, when I cry unto thee.
2 Let my prayer be set forth before thee as incense; and the lifting up of my hands as the evening sacrifice.
3 Set a watch, O Lord, before my mouth; keep the door of my lips.
4 Incline not my heart to any evil thing, to practise wicked works with men that work iniquity: and let me not eat of their dainties.
5 Let the righteous smite me; it shall be a kindness: and let him reprove me; it shall be an excellent oil, which shall not break my head: for yet my prayer also shall be in their calamities. Psalm 141:1-5 (KJV)

The Morning Exhortation

No champion is crowned by avoiding struggle. It takes heat and cold to temper steel. Too much luxury and ease are precursors to weakness. To fight for the sake of fighting is foolishness. To refuse to fight when a fight is called for is tragic. Victory favors the bold, but stripes are reserved for fools. When, why, and how we fight are far more important than winning every battle. Always fight the good fight, and even if you don’t win, you will never lose. (Ezekiel 37:1-14; Hebrews 4:12, 11:6; 2 Timothy 2:14-16; 2 Timothy 2:1-7; Proverbs 27:17; 1 Corinthians 9:23-27; Proverbs 19:29, 28:1; 2 Timothy 1:7; 1 Timothy 6:12; Ephesians 6:10-18; 2 Corinthians 10:4-6; 1 Corinthians 16:13-14; Revelation 3:11-13, 22:20-21) 

Today’s Bible Reading

Leviticus 8; Psalms 9

Proverbs 23; 1 Thessalonians 2

The Prayer Appointed for This Week

Gracious Father, whose blessed Son Jesus Christ came down from heaven to be the true bread which gives life to the world: Evermore give me this bread, that he may live in me, and I in him; who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and forever. Amen. The Book of Common Prayer

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Devotional for April 4

Bruce ColemanLeave a comment

Jesus is Lord

1 Make a joyful noise unto the Lord, all ye lands.
2 Serve the Lord with gladness: come before his presence with singing.
3 Know ye that the Lord he is God: it is he that hath made us, and not we ourselves; we are his people, and the sheep of his pasture.
4 Enter into his gates with thanksgiving, and into his courts with praise: be thankful unto him, and bless his name.
5 For the Lord is good; his mercy is everlasting; and his truth endureth to all generations. Psalm 100:1-5 (KJV)

The Morning Exhortation

Age is much more than just a number. The perfect age has less to do with the number of years and all to do with being old enough for the vain desires of youth to have passed away while still being young enough to pursue what is really important in life. Work hard, recover well, and grow stronger. The maxim “what doesn’t kill you makes you stronger” is a half-truth. It is just as likely that what doesn’t kill you will actually leave you weaker. It’s only what you can recover from that actually makes you stronger. Falling down, distractions, detours, obstacles, and other such things are common to every journey. Such pitfalls often take us by surprise, but nothing surprises God. Set your affections on the things above and He will keep you in perfect peace through both seasons of ease and difficulties. (Proverbs 29:15; Proverbs 22:6; Ecclesiastes 4:13; Proverbs 24:16; 1 Thessalonians 5:3; 1 Peter 4:12; Philippians 4:10-13, 3:13-14; Revelation 3:14-22; John 16:33; 1 John 5:4; Isaiah 26:3; 2 Corinthians 13:14)

Today’s Bible Reading

Leviticus 7; Psalms 7-8

Proverbs 22; 1 Thessalonians 1

The Prayer Appointed for This Week

Gracious Father, whose blessed Son Jesus Christ came down from heaven to be the true bread which gives life to the world: Evermore give me this bread, that he may live in me, and I in him; who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and forever. Amen. The Book of Common Prayer

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Devotional for April 3

Bruce ColemanLeave a comment

Trust God

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 33:18-22 (KJV)

The Morning Exhortation

Willingly suffer the soreness that comes from time to time from lifting weights and working out. By such the body is hardened and the mind is strengthened. We must also be willing to suffer the testing of our faith to strengthen us spiritually. What God has worked in, we are to work out. Salvation through Jesus Christ releases us from bondage to sin and gives us the power to live for God. The freedom that comes from our salvation is not to be used as license to continue to practice those things that lead only to death though. Rather, we are to make the fear of the Lord our rule, which is to love truth and hate every false way. This is a safeguard as we learn to live in the righteousness purchased for us by Jesus Christ. Testing and cleaning up after the ox is not fun. The maxim “no pain, no gain” applies to both. It is by testing we are made strong. (Matthew 11:28-30; Proverbs 14:4; John 15:14-16; Philippians 2:12-13; 1 Peter 2:1-5; Romans 6:11-14; 1 Peter 4:12-13; Romans 12:1-2; Ephesians 1:15-23; Psalm 18:29-35; Revelation 22:21)

Today’s Bible Reading

Leviticus 6; Psalms 5-6

Proverbs 21; Colossians 4

The Prayer Appointed for This Week

Gracious Father, whose blessed Son Jesus Christ came down from heaven to be the true bread which gives life to the world: Evermore give me this bread, that he may live in me, and I in him; who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and forever. Amen. The Book of Common Prayer

faith

Devotional for April 2

Bruce ColemanLeave a comment

Forever Faithful is the Lord

1 O praise the Lord, all ye nations: praise him, all ye people.
2 For his merciful kindness is great toward us: and the truth of the Lord endureth for ever. Praise ye the Lord. Psalm 117 (KJV)

The Morning Exhortation

Distance to the destination may be far. Still, joyfulness is a mode of travel and not to be delayed until reaching the destination. Seek the kingdom of God and His righteousness first, then will the joy of the Lord become your strength every step of the way. Elijah was a man just like us is a remarkable statement in the Scriptures considering how mightily he was used by God. Elijah is a shining testament to wholehearted devotion to God and the effectiveness of prayer. With these two swords there will be boundless joy in good times as well as joy in adversity, joy in suffering, and joy in difficulties. There is always joy in the presence of the Lord. Enter into His courts with praise and thanksgiving. Especially do this when times are tough. So, let us submit our understanding to the truth of God, submit our will to follow His precepts, and submit our affections to be more ready to pursue good rather than to experience sinful pleasures that only hinder His grace working within us. Submit to God and resist the inner temptations to revive the ways of the sinful nature in which we used to walk before we came to know Christ. To be who we are, is to seek to be now who we will be in heaven. (1 Kings 18:21-39; James 5:13-18; Colossians 3:15-17; Romans 8:28; Psalm 100:4, 16:7-11; Hebrews 12:1-2; 1 Thessalonians 5:16-18; Luke 22:38)

Today’s Bible Reading

Leviticus 5; Psalms 3-4

Proverbs 20; Colossians 3

The Prayer Appointed for This Week

Gracious Father, whose blessed Son Jesus Christ came down from heaven to be the true bread which gives life to the world: Evermore give me this bread, that he may live in me, and I in him; who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and forever. Amen. The Book of Common Prayer

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Devotional for April 1

Bruce Coleman2 Comments

The Soul Yearns

1 How amiable are thy tabernacles, O Lord of hosts!
2 My soul longeth, yea, even fainteth for the courts of the Lord: my heart and my flesh crieth out for the living God.
3 Yea, the sparrow hath found an house, and the swallow a nest for herself, where she may lay her young, even thine altars, O Lord of hosts, my King, and my God.
4 Blessed are they that dwell in thy house: they will be still praising thee. Selah.
5 Blessed is the man whose strength is in thee; in whose heart are the ways of them. Psalm 84:1-5 (KJV)

The Morning Exhortation

Some form of resistance training is essential to maintain strength as we get older, and the fountain of youth is a spirit filled with a child-like faith in God. How was it that Daniel was found ten times better than everyone else? It wasn’t his training as we are told in the Scriptures that it was the same as everyone else. It was the water and vegetables, right? The real secret of Daniel being ten times better came from his willingness to deny the flesh and nourish the soul by glorifying God in every thought, word, and deed. This is what it means to love the Lord our God with all our heart, all our soul, all our mind, and all our strength. We may not be able to be ten times better like Daniel, but we can certainly be blessed like Daniel if we are willing to love God like Daniel. (Matthew 18:1-4; 2 Corinthians 11:3; 1 John 5:4; Hebrews 11:6; Daniel 6:10-28; Proverbs 16:13-20; Romans 12:1-2; Mark 12:30; Proverbs 3:5-8; Ecclesiastes 12:13-14)

Today’s Bible Reading

Leviticus 4; Psalms 1-2

Proverbs 19; Colossians 2

The Prayer Appointed for This Week

Gracious Father, whose blessed Son Jesus Christ came down from heaven to be the true bread which gives life to the world: Evermore give me this bread, that he may live in me, and I in him; who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and forever. Amen. The Book of Common Prayer

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Devotional for March 31

Bruce ColemanLeave a comment

Rejoice in Your Salvation 

11 Sing praises to the Lord, which dwelleth in Zion: declare among the people his doings.
12 When he maketh inquisition for blood, he remembereth them: he forgetteth not the cry of the humble.
13 Have mercy upon me, O Lord; consider my trouble which I suffer of them that hate me, thou that liftest me up from the gates of death:
14 That I may shew forth all thy praise in the gates of the daughter of Zion: I will rejoice in thy salvation. Psalm 9:11-14 (KJV)

The Morning Exhortation

Pray for the blessing of God to be upon the means, then go to work. Plant and water, but God must grant the increase. Where did Samson get his great strength? It certainly wasn’t from anabolic steroids, or some ancient super hype pre-workout powder. It was the hair, right? Not really. His hair was a symbol of his being right with God. Samson was strengthen by grace. The same amazing grace that is available for us today to enable us to do the will of God. Thanks be to Christ Jesus! His death on the Cross was the payment for our sins, and His resurrection is our guarantee for newness of life. A life lived in accordance to the Word is our equivalent of Samson’s hair. You will know it by its fruit. (Judges 16:16-31; Psalm 62:11; 1 Corinthians 3:6-8; Matthew 16:24-26; , 7:21-23, 22:36-40; John 15:9-11; Romans 8:1-16; 1 Chronicles 29:10-13; 1 Corinthians 1:18-30; 1 Thessalonians 5:16-18; 2 Corinthians 13:14)

Today’s Bible Reading

Leviticus 2-3; John 21

Proverbs 18; Colossians 1

The Prayer Appointed for This Week

O God, whose glory it is always to have mercy: Be gracious to all who have gone astray from your ways, and bring us again with penitent hearts and steadfast faith to embrace and hold fast the unchangeable truth of your Word, Jesus Christ your Son; who with you and the Holy Spirit lives and reigns, one God, for ever and ever. Amen. The Book of Common Prayer

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Devotional for March 30

Bruce ColemanLeave a comment

Bring Me to Your Holy Mountain

3 O send out thy light and thy truth: let them lead me; let them bring me unto thy holy hill, and to thy tabernacles.
4 Then will I go unto the altar of God, unto God my exceeding joy: yea, upon the harp will I praise thee, O God my God.
5 Why art thou cast down, O my soul? and why art thou disquieted within me? hope in God: for I shall yet praise him, who is the health of my countenance, and my God. Psalm 43:3-5 (KJV)

The Morning Exhortation

Growth requires resistance. It is not the absence of resistance or adversity that brings physical strength and spiritual maturity. On the contrary, without some challenge and testing we sleep and become weaker over time. Endurance through resistance, in the gym as well as in life, is essential for strength and peace. No need to be impressed with those who boast about how they can tear it up when they feel good. Those who can still get it done when they don’t feel like it are by far more impressive. (Proverbs 14:4; Proverbs 10:5; 1 Thessalonians 5:5-9; 1 John 2:24-29; Psalm 33:16-22; Luke 4:16-21; Nehemiah 8:10; Psalm 95:8-11; Hebrews 6:9-20)

Today’s Bible Reading

Leviticus 1; John 20

Proverbs 17; Philippians 4

The Prayer Appointed for This Week

O God, whose glory it is always to have mercy: Be gracious to all who have gone astray from your ways, and bring us again with penitent hearts and steadfast faith to embrace and hold fast the unchangeable truth of your Word, Jesus Christ your Son; who with you and the Holy Spirit lives and reigns, one God, for ever and ever. Amen. The Book of Common Prayer