How To Know God is Leading You

Daily Devotional
How to Know God is Leading You
By Bishop E. Earl Jenkins
This week's topic: New Life In Christ


God guides us by closing one door then opening another. Abraham didn't know where he was going, but he knew he couldn't stay where he was - and that's enough to create movement in the right direction. Knowing you can't stay where you are is often the starting point of God's guidance. And it usually begins with an inward stirring and restlessness in your soul. Seasons have beginnings and endings. When a season is over, you sense it's time to move!


"They headed north [to]...Bithynia, but again the Spirit...said no. So instead they went on through Mysia province to the city of Troas. That night Paul had a vision. In his dream he saw a man over in Macedonia, Greece, pleading with him, 'Come over here and help us.' Well, that settled it. We would go to Macedonia, for we could only conclude that God was sending us to preach the Good News there" (Acts 16:7-10 TLB).

Notice, when God kept Paul from going into Asia, Paul didn't stay there praying and asking "why?" - he just kept moving. For Paul, trying something and it not working out was no big deal. He believed that his gift to God was his willing heart and his mobility, and that God's gift to him was that He would always guide him to where he needed to be. What God prevents, denies, or keeps us away from, is as much divine guidance as what He permits and opens up to us.

Every door that didn't open, every opportunity you didn't get, every call that didn't come, is as much God's guidance as those that did. Think about it!

Scripture Of The Day: "Abraham...obeyed and went, even though he did not know where he was going." - Hebrews 11:8 NIV


Bishop Edward Earl Jenkins is the senior pastor and founder of the True Servant Worship & Praise Church located in Trenton, New Jersey. For over twenty years, Bishop Jenkins’ unique method of preaching and teaching has opened doors to allow him to touch the hearts of many lives near and far.

I am Resolved

Daily Devotional
I Am Resolved
By Alan Riley
This week's topic: New Life In Christ


There's an old gospel song that I've always liked to sing around the New Year called "I Am Resolved." Since polls tell us that a large number of us will carry on the tradition of making New Year's Resolutions, the words of this old song make a couple of great suggestions for worthy resolutions for you and me:


I am resolved no longer to linger
Charmed by the world's delight
Things that are higher
Things that are nobler
These have allured my sight

It is so easy for us to get distracted by the "world's delight" and fail to make progress in our walk with and relationship with the Lord. In this New Year, I am resolved to set my sights on things that are higher and nobler.

I am resolved to go to the Savior
Leaving my sin and strife
He is the true one
He is the just one
He hath the words of life

As the time drew nearer for Jesus to give up His life, the going got tough for Jesus and those who followed Him. The Pharisees sought to trick Him into "blasphemy" and put Him to death. People were all in for the free food for 5,000 or getting healed from all manner of sicknesses and diseases, but now He began to talk about taking up your cross and following Him. The Bible tells us that many who had followed Him followed Him no more. Jesus turned to the disciples and said, "Will you leave also?" Simon Peter quickly replied, "Lord, to whom would we go? You have the words of life!" In this New Year, I am resolved to follow Jesus no matter what my circumstances.

I am resolved to enter the kingdom
Leaving the paths of sin
Friends may oppose me
Foes may beset me
Still will I enter in

Today, just as it was 2,000 years ago, Jesus has many fair weather friends. If you don't believe it, just see how church attendance drops the next time a big rainstorm comes on Sunday. Around the world there are believers who risk their lives by coming to worship, and in the West, we are deterred by a few drops of water. This year, I am resolved to seek first His Kingdom and righteousness, no matter who or what may oppose me.

I am resolved and who will go with me?
Come friends without delay
Taught by the Bible
Led by the Spirit
We'll walk the heavenly way

This year I am resolved to share the Good News of Jesus with people that He places me in contact with. I want to be passionate about bringing people with me to heaven.

Striving to keep these resolutions will reap eternal benefits!

Scripture Of The Day: "Then he called the crowd to him along with his disciples and said: “Whoever wants to be my disciple must deny themselves and take up their cross and follow me. For whoever wants to save their life[a] will lose it, but whoever loses their life for me and for the gospel will save it." - Mark 8:34-35


Alan Riley is Vice President for Ministry and Media Development for 316 Networks (http://www.316Networks.com), Streaming Faith’s sister media property. He can be found blogging at http://www.alansblog.com or more often opining in 140 characters or less at http://www.Twitter.com/AlanRiley.…