Free To Love Like Jesus

Daily Devotional
Free to Love Like Jesus
By Alan Riley
This week's topic: Sharing Your Faith


In the day in which we live, it takes a lot to shock us. We see so much sorrow, death and destruction each night on the news that after a while we become desensitized to it. Something I saw around this time two years ago shocked, sickened and saddened me. I'll never forget it. Maybe you remember seeing it too.


A 49 year old woman named Esmin Green was admitted to the emergency room of King's County Hospital Center in New York for psychiatric evaluation, and she was left in the waiting room for over 24 hours. At 5:32 am, the security camera shows her collapsing on the floor. For the next 30 minutes, Ms. Green lay on the floor convulsing, moving and at one point appearing to try to get up. Hospital workers and employees came in, looked at the woman and then left. One even appeared to be looking at the television while completely ignoring the stricken woman. She stopped moving at 6:07 am.

One hour and three minutes after she collapsed, a hospital worker came into the room and nudged Ms. Green with her foot. When she got no response, the worker waited a few minutes more and then summonded help. But it was too late. Esmin Green was dead.

How could someone collapse in a hospital's waiting room and lay there for an hour until she died? How could hospital workers and perhaps other people waiting for treatment in the waiting room ignore someone who was obviously in need of help? How could people be so uncaring and heartless toward another human being?

We later heard that six workers at King's County had been fired for their failure to help Ms. Green and for their attempts to cover it up. Obviously, they should have been. But as I thought about this story, I can't help but think that to one extent or another, you and I are in some ways as guilty of neglect as those hospital workers.

Now to be sure, if someone collapsed in the hall outside my office or in the parking deck as I was walking to my car, I would no doubt act decisively to assist them and to summon help. I am sure you would do the same. But how many times recently have I crossed paths with someone who was in great need spiritually or emotionally and I ignored them just as those hospital workers ignored Esmin Green?

Jesus told the parable of the Good Samaritan to expose the racism and elitism of the Pharisees. He also wanted to point out their lack of compassion for those in need. You remember the story... a man is attacked, beat up, and left for dead. Several religious leaders pass by the injured man before a Samaritan - a group of people hated by the Jews - stopped to help.

In those moments when we are being really honest with ourselves and with God, we know in our hearts that left to our own devices we tend to be like the Pharisees. It is when we are being like Jesus that we reach out in love and compassion to help and to share the gospel with all we come in contact with. Our culture teaches us to withdraw from and distrust those who we don't know and those who are not like us. Jesus has set us free to love like He loves.

And He reminds us that when we touch the least of these we are touching Him. When we refuse them, we are refusing Him.

Lord, make me sensitive to the needs, the cares, the concerns, the hurts, and the spiritual condition of those that I come in contact with today!

Scripture Of The Day: "Therefore by their fruits you will know them." - Matthew 7:20 (NKJV)


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.…

Sharing Your Faith

By Bishop Keith Butler
This week's topic: Sharing Your Faith


All right, which way will it be? Shall we listen to men, or shall we listen to God? That's easy. We will listen to God because His witness is greater than men's witness. God's witness or God's word says "that if we ask anything according to His will He hears us... And if we know that he hear us, whatsoever we ask, we know that we have the petitions that we desired of him." (1 John 5:14-15)


Now if you don not know, that does not apply to you. Some people wonder why God is not answering their prayers. It could be that it is not a prayer of belief. It is a hope prayer. They just kind of threw something out there and hoped that something good would happen. Thank God for His mercy, however. There are times that the mercy of God will get involved in your life. The situation turned out for your good, but you could not duplicate it if you wanted to, because you don't know how it was done. It was God's mercy.

God is merciful. But He requires that we grow up in Him. There are some things we have to know. And there is a voice, the voice of the word of God, we must listen to. "If we know that he hears us whatsoever we ask, we know that we have the petitions that we desired of Him." (1 John 5:15)

Now when you know that you have asked someone for something, and you know that they have given it to you, what do you say to them? You thank. Giving thanks to God is a direct link to your faith in God. So if you are in a tough spot and you find your deliverance in the Word, then pray for that deliverance and thank the Father that you have it, you will see Him manifest Himself in your behalf.

The only thing left to do after that is to thank God. I t should not be asking God to deliver you today. Then tomorrow, ask again, then the next day ask again, because you do not see a change. It should not matter whether you see a change or not. You have confidence that God is taking care of it, and the change is bound to appear.

The word of God is a higher witness than the witness that you can see. His word is the ultimate witness. Faith in the name of Jesus, faith in His blood and faith in the word will cause the manifestation of God in your life.

Finally, the question is: Which witness will you listen to? Listen to the witness of the word of God, for it tells of His provision for you. When men say it ca not be done, God says it can. When men say you are finished, God says you can do all things through Christ. Which witness will you listen to, men or God?

Scripture Of The Day: "If we receive the witness of men, the witness of God is greater: for this is the witness of God which he hath testified of his Son." - 1 John 5:9 (KJV)


Bishop Keith A. Butler is the founder and pastor of Word of Faith International Christian Center in Southfield, MI, and Word of Faith Christian Center in San Antonio, TX. For more information about Bishop Butler, visit http://www.woficc.com.

Tell Them

Tell Them
By Bishop Donald Hilliard
This week's topic: Sharing Your Faith


Josh McDowell writes "An executive 'head hunter' who goes out and hires corporate executives for other firms once told me, 'When I get an executive I'm trying to hire for someone else, I like to disarm him. I offer him a drink, take my coat off, then my vest, undo my tie, throw up my feet and talk about baseball, football, family, whatever, until he's all relaxed."


"Then when I think I've got him relaxed I lean over, look him square in the eye and say - what's the purpose in your life?' It's amazing how top executives fall apart on that question.' Well, I was interviewing this fellow the other day, had him all disarmed with my feet up on my desk talking about football. Then I leaned over and said - what's the purpose in your life, Bob? Without blinking an eye he said 'To go to heaven and take as many people with me as I can.' For the first time in my career I was speechless."

There are basically five reasons why we don't share our faith more often, and not one of them will hold up when we stand before Christ:

(1) We think it's the preacher's job.
(2) We aren't sure of our salvation.
(3) We fear being rejected.
(4) We've never taken responsibility for learning how.
(5) Our love for Christ has grown cold.

But not Paul: he said, "Whatever a person is like, I try to find common ground with him so that he will let me tell him about Christ and let Christ save him."

Can you say that?

Scripture Of The Day: "To the weak I became weak, that I might win the weak. I have become all things to all people, that by all means I might save some." - 1 Corinthians 9:22 (ESV)


Bishop Donald Hilliard, Jr. is the Pastor of one church in three locations in New Jersey: Cathedral International in Perth Amboy, Cathedral Assembly by the Shore in Asbury Park, and Cathedral Assembly in the Fields in Plainfield. For more on Bishop Hilliard’s ministry, visit http://www.thecathedral.org.…

Sharing Over Wine

Sharing Over Wine
By Brenda Gittens
This week's topic: Sharing Your Faith


Do you know or can you sense, when that special opportunity comes for you to share your faith with someone whose path you may cross? Not as a big planned project or performance, but just simply being available to the Lord's will and call anytime and anywhere.


Simply sharing what you know about Jesus, and what He's done for you. (2 Corinthians 4:5). The Holy Spirit working through you, giving you what to say and how to say it. It could even be done over wine!

"We don't go around preaching about ourselves; we preach Christ Jesus, the Lord."

While flying back home from Georgia, I was enjoying the plane ride. A young man seated next to me was reading and studying some papers pulled from his briefcase. While eating airline snacks, we began to engage in conversation. He asked about California, and I shared a little about it. He shared that he had to fly into San Francisco for his job, and he was to be at a winery in the Napa Valley for a meeting the next day.

He asked if I drank wine and my response was, “For communion I do.” He then responded back with a smile and began to share his memories with me of him serving communion as a child. He then asked, “Are you one of those ‘new’ Christians?” and He shared that he was not.

The Holy Spirit gave me the opportunity to share with him a little about my upbringing, and how one day I had become a born-again Christian. This was a time of me simply sharing the message in this scripture. "What this means is that those who become Christians become new persons. They are not the same anymore, for the old life is gone. A new life has begun!" (2 Corinthians 5:17).

Sharing our faith with unbelievers is what we as believers have been called to do. God has given us the privilege of being His ambassadors in this world. While writing this, I couldn't help but think of the joy and delight that comes when sharing my faith. We don't have all of the answers and responses for people that we cross paths with, but we can simply share what the Holy Spirit gives us, remember to pray for them, and leave the rest to God.

To share on this plane with this stranger is something I will never forget. I don't even know that persons name, but God does!

Scripture Of The Day: "For God was in Christ, reconciling the world to himself, no longer counting people’s sins against them. And he gave us this wonderful message of reconciliation." - 2 Corinthians 5:19 (New Living Translation)


Brenda Gittens is a worship evangelist who travels throughout the California Bay Area ministering in song to churches, prisons, and various outreach events. A devoted mother and wife, Brenda is a member of Mt. Calvary Baptist Church, located in Fairfield, CA. For more information about Brenda, log onto http://www.brendagittensministries.com.

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From Faith To Faith

From Faith to Faith
By Bishop Keith Butler
This week's topic: Faith In God


One way to grow in your walk with God is to never allow the things you've learned in the Word of God to get away from you. When you are introduced to more truth from the Bible, take it and add it to what you're now walking in. What you already know is a foundation on which to build. Therefore, don't throw away or forget the old. New truth does not negate the old. It is but another brick to add to the strong foundation of your spiritual house.


To walk in the blessings of God you must have faith. Therefore, it is important that we hold on to our faith and not let it slip away from us. Let's read the text from the Amplified Bible: "Since all this is true, we ought to pay much closer attention than ever to the truths t hat we have heard, lest in any way we drift past [them] and slip away."

"Therefore we ought to give the more earnest heed to the things which we have heard, lest at any time we should let them slip." - Hebrews 2:1(KJV)

Now notice what Paul says here (I believe that Paul is the writer of Hebrews). He says we ought to give more earnest heed to the truths we have already heard. He said we ought to pay more attention to what we already know.

In other words, what we know, we don't throw away. We don't have to get a new revelation. I've heard people say, "I don't need all that faith stuff anymore. I don't need all that confession stuff anymore. I'm past that; I'm into a deeper revelation."

But you're always going to need faith. And you're always going to have to deal with the ramifications of the words of your mouth whether you know it or not. And let me tell you, when you let these things slip away - when you let them get away from you - you pay the price.

In fact, Paul said in our text that we ought to pay even more attention to these things.

So often people learn something, they move on to somet hing else and forget about what they've already learned. You should always be adding to the house, so to speak. This way, when the trials of life come they won't even be able to shake you. You'll stand strong in the Word of God.

Scripture Of The Day: "Therefore we ought to give the more earnest heed to the things which we have heard, lest at any time we should let them slip." - Hebrews 2:1(KJV)

Fearless Faith

Fearless Faith
By Bishop Vashti McKenzie
This week's topic: Faith In God


Anyone with sense at all would want to live without trouble in his or her lives. If we could, we’d live without disappointments, mistakes, mishaps or mix-ups. We would never see a dark day, dark side or a dark cloud in the sky.


We would love to live without ever having an argument or uttering a harsh word to friend, family or foe. There would be no stress, tension, tension headaches, worry lines, wrinkled foreheads, ulcers, or premature gray hair.

Imagine days where friends would always be friendly, lovers would always be attentive, spouses would always be considerate, parents would always be charming and children would always make you proud. If we could, we’d live without failure and regrets would always be few. Pain would permanently be removed from the vocabulary. Suffering would be a figment of someone’s imagination and heartache would be songs sung for fun.

In a perfect world, tragedy wouldn’t know where you live. Temptation would never call your name, sin doesn’t know you, and evil would never catch up to you. But this is not a perfect world. Upsets occur, disappointment knocks, problems come and go, and into this life some rain must fall. Yes, in this life, we shall have tribulation, says Jesus, but be of good cheer for I have overcome the world!

The psalmist didn’t live in a perfect world either. Psalm 27, traditionally attributed to David, is filled with crises. There are the wicked, enemies, foes, hostility, army, trouble and false witnesses who breathe out violence. He seems to be surrounded by intimidating people and events that threaten his existence.

“The Lord is my light and my salvation; whom shall I fear? The Lord is the strength of my life; of whom shall I be afraid?" - Psalm 27: 1 (KJV)


The psalmist is faced with a choice. He could choose fear or faith. The psalmist meets these issues with a confession of faith in God. God, who is my light, expels the darkness of fears and enemies. God, who is my salvation, can rescue and saved me, so whom shall I fear? God, who is my strength and refuge, thus whom shall I be afraid?

David overcomes fear with faith, by putting God first. He no longer depends upon others or himself. But he depends on a God who provides a triple shield of light, salvation and strength. In our daily walk, we are tempted to take the word of others over the Word of God. We seek first the media reports, and then seek the face God.

David overcomes fear with a personal faith. He uses possessive pronouns in his confession of faith, my light, my salvation and my strength. This is the same David who said the Lord is my Shepard. What lifts him is not a second hand faith, but a faith that grows out of a deep relationship with God. He overcomes fear with a faith that has a memory. In verse two, he remembers the triumphant of the past. In remembering, fear falls and faith rises.

Another songwriter sings “When I think of goodness of Jesus and all he’s done for me, my soul shouts hallelujah, I thank God for saving me.” We do not live in a perfect world. We would love to avoid crises, challenge and even change for the good. Fear is a real threat to our faith. Sometimes, we even make decisions based on what we are afraid of rather than on faith. We’re afraid this is going to happen, so we choose this direction. We’re afraid that someone will do this, and we choose another course of action.

In the face of financial foes, hostile job market, and a gushing oil well at the bottom of the Gulf of Mexico that continues to breathe out violence, our hand may become shaky on our shield of faith. David’s fearless faith gives us an example of how we can fight back. Put your personal faith in God into action by putting God first and remembering the victories of the past. The same God who got us through the last time is still able today.

Scripture Of The Day: So Jesus answered and said to them, “Have faith in God." - Mark 11:22 (NKJV)


Bishop Vashti Murphy McKenzie is the presiding bishop of the 13th Episcopal District of the AME, and serves as a guiding example for women and church leaders throughout the country. For more on Bishop McKenzie, visit http://www.13thame.com or hear her messages daily at http://www.thisisyourwakeupcallonline.com.…

Today's Battles, Tomorrow's Strengths

Today’s Battles, Tomorrow’s Strengths
By Steven Furtick
This week's topic: Faith In God


One of my favorite Southern Baptist preachers, Johnny Hunt, once said that the only time he ever gets headaches is when he finds himself trying to fight today's battles with tomorrow's strength.


I think Pastor Johnny was quoting another pastor when he said it. Come to think of it, the idea originated with Jesus:

"Therefore do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own." -Matthew 6:34

God supplies all the strength we need to do all that He's called us to do.
But He rations this strength much in the same way He rationed manna to the children of Israel.

He provides sufficient strength each day for the challenges of that day...and that day only. This strength doesn't carry over from one day to the next. You either use it, or lose it.

And He will not give you enough strength today for the confrontations, obligations, and challenges of next week, next month, or next year. That strength will be deposited in your account precisely when you need it, and not a moment before.

If you're stressed and overwhelmed today, check your strength supply. I'll bet you have enough to get you through this day.

And that's all you need for now.

Scripture Of The Day: "Therefore do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about its own things. Sufficient for the day is its own trouble." - Matthew 6:34 (NKJV)


Steven Furtick is Pastor of Elevation Church, located in Charlotte, North Carolina. Under his passionate leadership, Elevation Church was named one of the 10 fastest growing churches in America. A devoted husband and father of two, you can find Steven blogging at http://www.stevenfurtick.com

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