Tag: faith

faith

Devotional for April 10

Bruce ColemanLeave a comment

The Lord is a Shield

1 Lord, how are they increased that trouble me! many are they that rise up against me.
2 Many there be which say of my soul, There is no help for him in God. Selah.
3 But thou, O Lord, art a shield for me; my glory, and the lifter up of mine head.
4 I cried unto the Lord with my voice, and he heard me out of his holy hill. Selah.
5 I laid me down and slept; I awaked; for the Lord sustained me. Psalm 3:1-5 (KJV)

The Morning Exhortation

Building muscle and developing character both take time. Choosing shortcuts only slows the process. Don’t be so quick to reach for the easy way out just because things are currently hard. Hard times may linger, but tough people are those who develop the discipline it takes to endure. What comes without discipline never lasts. The sooner we learn that there is no lasting satisfaction for the pursuit of happiness apart from God the better. The preparation of the gospel of peace is for developing discipline, wisdom, righteousness, patience, and fitness for every good work. Such is the straight and narrow way that leads to eternal life. (Proverbs 20:21, 24:30-34; Luke 8:17; Hebrews 12:1-17; James 1:5-6; Matthew 7:7-14; 1 Corinthians 16:13-14; Ephesians 6:15; Psalm 119:105; Hebrews 6:1-12; 2 Timothy 2:15; Jude 1:17-25)

Today’s Bible Reading

Leviticus 14; Psalms 17

Proverbs 28; 2 Thessalonians 2

The Prayer Appointed for This Week

O God, whose blessed Son made himself known to his disciples in the breaking of bread; Open the eyes of my faith, that I may behold him in all his redeeming work; who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and for ever. Amen. Amen. The Book of Common Prayer

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Devotional for April 9

Bruce ColemanLeave a comment

The Blessed

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:
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 147:1-7, 11-12 (KJV)

The Morning Exhortation

Keep working. It is destiny for the bird to sing and the butterfly to dance, but only after working through the egg or cocoon. Skipping  workouts is NOT the way to grow strong. The spiritual equivalent of skipping workouts is refusing to fight the good fight of the faith. Once we have broken free of our spiritual cocoon, the striving will cease. We only need to stand in a right relationship with God, put on the complete armor God has provided, and remain in the love of God with all our heart, mind, soul, and strength. Victory is assured, because the battle is the Lord’s. (Psalm 78: 1-11; Zechariah 13:9; James 4:7-10; Proverbs 16:3; 2 Corinthians 10:4-6; 2 Chronicles 20:15-22; Ephesians 6:11-18; Romans 8:26-39; John 15:3-11; Hebrews 11:32-40; 1 Peter 5:6-11)

Today’s Bible Reading

Leviticus 13; Psalms 15-16

Proverbs 27; 2 Thessalonians 1

The Prayer Appointed for This Week

O God, whose blessed Son made himself known to his disciples in the breaking of bread; Open the eyes of my faith, that I may behold him in all his redeeming work; who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and for ever. Amen. Amen. The Book of Common Prayer

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Devotional for April 8

Bruce ColemanLeave a comment

The Narrow Way

5 Come and see the works of God: he is terrible in his doing toward the children of men.
6 He turned the sea into dry land: they went through the flood on foot: there did we rejoice in him.
7 He ruleth by his power for ever; his eyes behold the nations: let not the rebellious exalt themselves. Selah.
8 O bless our God, ye people, and make the voice of his praise to be heard:
9 Which holdeth our soul in life, and suffereth not our feet to be moved.
10 For thou, O God, hast proved us: thou hast tried us, as silver is tried.
11 Thou broughtest us into the net; thou laidst affliction upon our loins.
12 Thou hast caused men to ride over our heads; we went through fire and through water: but thou broughtest us out into a wealthy place. Psalm 66:5-12 (KJV)

The Morning Exhortation

Everyone believes that exercise and healthy eating are necessary for physical fitness, but belief alone is not enough. Fitness comes only to those who practice what they believe, and so it is with the things of the spirit as well. Faith is the practice of what we believe. We are called to live by faith and depend on the grace of God to press toward the call heavenward in Christ Jesus. Now faith is the evidence of our hope in the promises of God. Turn from lessor things and seek God. He has promised to make himself known to those who hunger and thirst for His righteousness. Jesus Christ is the same yesterday, today, and forever. Can anything in life be more important than knowing Him? Stop demanding a burning bush, a light brighter than the sun, or to put your hand into His side. Believe the gospel, enter into it by faith, and expect to be strengthened by grace. (Exodus 3:1-6; Acts 26:8-29; John 20:24-29; Hebrews 11:1-6; Hebrews 13:9; Matthew 5:6; Psalm 81:10; James 2:15-19; Hebrews 10:38; James 1:2-4; Romans 1:17; Galatians 2:20; Hebrews 13:5; John 14:1-7; Matthew 28:19-20)

Today’s Bible Reading

Leviticus 11-12; Psalms 13-14

Proverbs 26; 1 Thessalonians 5

The Prayer Appointed for This Week

O God, whose blessed Son made himself known to his disciples in the breaking of bread; Open the eyes of my faith, that I may behold him in all his redeeming work; who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and for ever. Amen. Amen. The Book of Common Prayer

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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

faith

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

faith

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 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 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

faith

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 29

Bruce ColemanLeave a comment

O God of Our Salvation

1 Praise waiteth for thee, O God, in Sion: and unto thee shall the vow be performed.
2 O thou that hearest prayer, unto thee shall all flesh come.
3 Iniquities prevail against me: as for our transgressions, thou shalt purge them away.
4 Blessed is the man whom thou choosest, and causest to approach unto thee, that he may dwell in thy courts: we shall be satisfied with the goodness of thy house, even of thy holy temple.
5 By terrible things in righteousness wilt thou answer us, O God of our salvation; who art the confidence of all the ends of the earth, and of them that are afar off upon the sea:
6 Which by his strength setteth fast the mountains; being girded with power:
7 Which stilleth the noise of the seas, the noise of their waves, and the tumult of the people.
8 They also that dwell in the uttermost parts are afraid at thy tokens: thou makest the outgoings of the morning and evening to rejoice.
9 Thou visitest the earth, and waterest it: thou greatly enrichest it with the river of God, which is full of water: thou preparest them corn, when thou hast so provided for it. Psalm 65:1-9 (KJV)

The Morning Exhortation

Distance to the destination doesn’t really matter when you can enjoy every step of the way. God is always in-charge. It’s easy to sit down and throw a pity party when things aren’t going your way. Life being full of ups and downs is such a common experience that it hardly needs to be stated. There will be days when you move forward with smashing through to a new personal best, just as there will be other days that set you a few steps back. Such is the pulse of life. Happiness comes from trusting the Lord through it all. Don’t anchor your consistency to feelings which change like the wind. The time will surely come when the wind is contrary. Be ready to put out the oars when necessary and go to work, holding onto the hope set forth in the Gospel. Be willing to love. Choose faith. Live in the light. Walk in the Spirit. This is the will of God for all who are called to be in Christ Jesus. (Isaiah 52:7; Psalm 30:4-5; 1 Corinthians 10:13; Luke 9:62; John 16:33; Matthew 5:13-16; Philippians 2:14-16; Romans 8:28; 1 John 5:4-5; 1 Corinthians 16:13-14; Romans 8:35-39, 16:25-27)

Today’s Bible Reading

Exodus 40; John 19

Proverbs 16; Philippians 3

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