Personally Resisting Satan

Our Friday Devotion comes to us from Neil Anderson's Daily in Christ:

"Put on the Lord Jesus Christ, and make no provision for the flesh in regard to its lusts" Romans 13:14

Paul instructs us to make no provision for the flesh. What if we do ? We are told to take every thought captive to the obedience of Christ. What if we don't? James 4:7 admonishes us to "resist the devil and he will flee from you." What if we don't resist him? Is he required to flee from us if we don't take our stand against him? No, if we don't resist him, he doesn't have to go. We have the assurance of God's protection, but we must assume our responsibility to personally resist Satan.

Dull Axes

"If the ax is dull and its edge unsharpened, more strength is needed but skill will bring success." Ecclesiastes 10:10

Once again, multi-level meaning from our wise teacher, Solomon. This piece of wisdom is a well-spring, brimming with rich opportunities to harvest more truth than can be addressed in one devotional.

Misunderstanding Myself

"A man's steps are directed by the Lord. How then can anyone understand his own way?" Proverbs 20:24

Good question huh? Of course, the first part of this proverb is easier to comprehend than the second. Obviously God is the Director. Everything works best when He sits in the big chair and we do what He says. He sees the big picture better than anybody. He wrote the script designed the set, came up with the plot, and understands how all the characters interrelate, and how it should all come together. Not only is He the Director, He indeed is the producer, writer, and editor, too. We just need to take direction and do our part.

Rejected Light

Our Tuesday Devotion was written by, David C. McCasland:

"I have come [as] a light into the world, that whoever believes in Me should not abide in darkness." John 12:46 NKJV

In the early hours of December 21, 2010, I witnessed an event that last occurred in 1638—a total lunar eclipse on the winter solstice. Slowly the shadow of the earth slipped across the bright full moon and made it appear a dark red. It was a remarkable and beautiful event. Yet it reminded me that while physical darkness is part of God’s created design, spiritual darkness is not.

The Last Day

Our Monday Devotion comes to us from our friend, Heather Gent:

"Today is the day the Lord has made. Let us rejoice and be glad in it!" Psalm 118:24

What would you do differently today if you knew today was your last day?

Not of This World

Dear Grace Harbor Family,
I wanted to take this opportunity to share with you the Christmas Letter of Aurelio Barreto, the founder and CEO of C28 Clothing Stores.

How to Treat People

"Do not rebuke an older man harshly, but exhort him as if he were your father. Treat younger men as brothers, older women as mothers, and younger women as sisters, with absolute purity." I Timothy 5:1-2

These words are specifically written to Timothy, but apply in general. I had a two-fold experience at a restaurant recently that illustrates almost the entire verse.

On the Road to Bethlehem

Dear Pastor,
With our focus on the birth of our Savior this month, I wanted to share a short story and reflection with you.

Don’t Miss the Second Message

"Arrogant lips are unsuited to a fool--how much worse lying lips to a ruler." Proverbs 17:7

Though it is sometimes not easy to get the point of scripture, we must not only feed on its obvious principles, we must also taste the secondary truths. I am a big fan of word-weaving, subtleties and some double entendre.

Jesus’s Christmas List

Our Friday Devotion comes to us from Council Member, Dolly:

"Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength and with all your mind" Luke 10:27 NIV

As I sat in the audience at the Grace Harbor School’s Christmas program this week (yes, I said Christmas), I was touched by the tenderness of the older students toward the younger ones. All of the students were kind and helpful, but I particularly noted Sandra, one of the “older girls”. Her expression as she adjusted a microphone down to their level or as she simply gave reassurance to one of her schoolmates through a smile was so sweet.

Heeding Biblical Counsel

"He who heeds discipline shows the way to life, but whoever ignores correction leads others astray." Proverbs 10:17

Whenever I am finding it hard to write, it is always good for me to get into Proverbs again. Bite-sized tasty morsels of wisdom are good to chew on and allow me to ruminate effectively on the truth.

God is Never Wrong!

Pastor Fred shares a story from an unknown author.

"As for God, His way is perfect; the Word of the Lord is flawless." II Samuel 22:31

I had to pass this interesting story and lesson along to you today. Trust the Lord and that He knows what He is doing and has your best interest and His Glory and ultimate plan in mind at the same time. Trying to stay in His will, Pastor Fred

Self Crucifixion

"Some people. eager for money have wandered from the faith and crucified themselves with many griefs." I Timothy 6:10b

We really do some crazy stuff huh? At my age, eating an entire pecan pie has serious consequences.

In Your Head

Our Devotion comes to us from Our Daily Bread by, Joe Stowell.

"I marvel that you are turning away so soon from Him who called you in the grace of Christ, to a different gospel." Galatians 1:6

I love the prayer that begins, “God be in my head.” When I first heard it, admittedly I thought it sounded a little weird. But then I got to thinking how unfortunate it is if in our efforts to get closer to Jesus we focus on our emotional experience of Him and check our brains at the door. Without His truth ringing in our heads, we’re bound to get off track.

Prepare Your Heart

Today, Alan shares a devotion from an unknown author.

"And the Word was made flesh, and dwelt among us..." John 1:14

Christmas is upon us. The next sixteen days will spin by in a flurry of activity and leave some of us exhausted and perhaps a few pounds heavier. What a grim thought. Is that all there is to this holiday season? Yes, if that is what we are out to celebrate…a holiday.

There is more to Christmas. Christmas is a celebration of the first advent Christ’s coming to earth. "And the Word become flesh, and dwelt among us…" John 1:14(NAS) Christ IS Christmas! Apart from Him, there is no Christmas. Humbly, He came to us in a form that we would recognize. He had growing pains and skinned knees, just like us. Yet, He is so unlike us… He was and is the Living Word of God. He is perfect in all things. He breathed life into our very being, and with that breath, He placed in us a desire to seek Him, to know Him.

My God Will Hear Me

"But as for me, I watch in hope for the Lord, I wait for God my Savior; my God will hear me." " Micah 7:7

The job of prophet can't be easy. As a Pastor, I understand a little, the role of speaking the truth in love and as noble as that sounds, try doing it all the time. Micah is not an easy book to read.

From One Father to Another

"Because Joseph her husband was a righteous man and did not want to expose her to public disgrace, he had in mind to divorce her quietly." Matthew 1:19

Joseph had a back-up plan. He could do the right thing and extract himself from a very awkward situation. That is until an angel appeared to him in a dream and changed everything.

Expectations

"He went there to register with Mary, who was pledged to be married to him, and was expecting a child." Luke 2:5

He is Joseph, there is Bethlehem, registering has nothing to do with a department store and a wedding; it has to do with the census and fulfilling the prophecy.

Three Interrelated Curses

"To Adam he said, Because you listened to your wife about which I commanded you, 'You must not eat of it', "Cursed is the ground because of you, through painful toil you will eat of it all the days of your life." Genesis 3:17a

I so totally love the account of Adam and Eve in Genesis. How revealing about human character is The Fall of Man. In this verse, God curses Adam. He deserved it, so did Eve, so did the serpent (satan). God pronounces his curse on Adam last.

Sacrificial Giving

Our Friday Devotion comes to us from Council Member, Kim:

"and God is able to make all grace abound to you, so that always having all sufficiency in everything, you may have abundance for every good deed" 2 Corinthians 9:8

I get a lot of devotions emailed throughout the day to me and this one came across my desk several months ago and I kept it because it really spoke to me and now God is wanting me to share this with my church family. I hope it speaks as much to your heart as it did mine………

How David Prayed

"Then King David went in and sat before the LORD, and he said:" II Samuel 7:18a

Lately I have been conscious of my prayer life and aware of some glaring inconsistencies between what I want and plan to do and actually end up doing, when it comes to prayer.