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.…

The Art Of Re-Gifting

2011
Saturday
08
January
Daily Devotional
The Art of Re-gifting
By Robin May
This week's topic: A New Beginning


A few weeks ago during the Christmas holiday, I posted the following question on my Facebook page: "Do you believe that re-gifting is tacky or resourceful".


As I am sure you can imagine I received a plethora of responses that varied from "Yes! It most certainly is resourceful" to the exact opposite, "I think it's absolutely tacky". While I posted that question just to spark casual conversation about the common practice of re-gifting, I have since been unable to shake the question out of my mind.

Most often in my walk with the Lord, when something stays on my mind, it's often a whisper from God to my heart. However, it was hard for me to take myself seriously this time. What in the world could God have to say about 're-gifting?'

When we think of re-gifting what do we mean? In the simplest definition it means receiving a gift and then instead of keeping the gift, passing it on to someone else. Are you catching it yet? You receive a gift and you pass it on to someone else. That summarizes exactly what God has called us to do!

He has placed in each of us a special gift. All of us, I don't care what you've been told or what you've experienced, all of us were created with a specific purpose; a unique gift. (If you don't believe me I encourage you to read Jeremiah 1:5, 2 Corinthians 4:7, or Isaiah 42:6).

But the gift that he has given us is not intended for us to hold on to them, but rather "re-gift" our gift from God! In Mark 4:21 Jesus asks "Is a lamp brought to be put under a basket or under a bed? Is it not to be set on a lamp stand? " In other words, a light is meant to shine for others to see.

He gave gifts to us for us to pass them onto someone else. But there is one distinction. Most times we re-gift items to others that are our left-overs or items we don't want. That's not God's desire. He wants us to re-gift our very best. Because as we all know "every good gift and every perfect gift is from above..." (James 1:17).

As you ponder this issue of re-gifting allow me to ask you a few questions:

Do you have the gift of song?
If so, don't simply use your gift for the confines of your shower; allow your gift of song to calm someone's anxious heart.

Do you have the gift of writing?
If so, don't simply use the gift for your personal journal; allow that gift to encourage someone during a challenging time.

There is a popular TV show called "Hoarders" and it highlights persons struggling with an obsessive compulsion to stockpile things in their home to the extent that it causes personal crisis in their life. At risk of being an extremist, I believe that those of us who have been given a gift from the Lord but refuse to share the gift with others could be accused of being a lot like these persons on this show...hoarders.

As we embark upon this New Year I am sure you have at least thought about what you want to improve upon in this new decade. Why not add the habit of re-gifting to your list? Believe it or not, it's not tacky at all!

Scripture Of The Day: "Every good and perfect gift is from above" - James 1:17


Robin May is a much sought-after speaker, relationship coach and mental health therapist. She is the author of Before You Take His Name and founder of http://www.ibelieveinmarriage.com. For more information about Robin, visit http://www.virtuespeaks.com.

From Darkness To Light

2010
Saturday
11
December
Daily Devotional
From Darkness to Light
By Greg Laurie
This week's topic: In Need Of A Savior


People have asked me for the one thing they could say to their unbelieving friends to make them become Christians. They want to know the one truth that no one can resist. But I have no such truth—nor does anyone else. There is nothing I can say or you can say that will make a person believe.


To me, conversion is a mystery. I have seen it happen it many times, but I don't understand it. I don't understand why God uses someone like me to articulate a message, and then the Holy Spirit makes it resonate with the listener. But I have seen it happen, even when I am speaking, as I watch a person's reaction. God's Holy Spirit is opening his or her eyes to the truth of the gospel. And when an invitation is extended and that person comes forward, it is exciting to see what God has done.

When we pray for unbelievers, not only should we ask God to open their eyes, but we should also pray they would turn from darkness to light and from the power of Satan to God. Only God can open their eyes, but only they can turn from darkness to light. Only God can make them aware of their need for Christ, but only they can put their faith in Christ. God won't do it for them; He has given them a free will. Therefore, it is up to them to respond and decide.

There are a lot of people who are trying to live in two worlds. They know what is true. They effectively believe it is true. But they have not turned from darkness to light. Have you turned from darkness to light? Are you following Jesus Christ? Or are you just going through the rituals?

Scripture Of The Day: "‘Yes, I am sending you to the Gentiles to open their eyes, so they may turn from darkness to light and from the power of Satan to God. Then they will receive forgiveness for their sins and be given a place among God's people, who are set apart by faith in me.'" - Acts 26:17-18





Greg Laurie serves as the Senior Pastor of Harvest Christian Fellowship in Riverside, California. For more about Greg

In Need Of A Saviour

Daily Devotional
Receive the Lord Today
By Bishop Keith Butler
This week's topic: In Need Of A Savior


The Lord is merciful. He is reaching out His hand for all to receive Jesus today, not tomorrow. Don't think simply because you are young that means you then have a visa card of life to do whatever you want without consequences. Not true. God is against sin because sin will kill you.


Often "reproved" means that he's been warned and warned and warned. The Holy Ghost will warn you not to do this, not to go this way, not to be with these people, not to be in this place. He'll keep warning you. As he keeps warning people, there are people who will listen and then there are people who will not. They keep going their own way. Yet God keeps trying to get to them. You may have been rejecting God. God keeps calling for you, and you keep on rejecting him because you want to do what you want to do, the way you want to do it, and still think you're going to get into heaven. Well, the scripture says that he that is often reproved shall be destroyed suddenly without remedy. (Proverbs 29:1)

Suddenly he will be destroyed, and without remedy. I heard R. W. Schambach talk about how a 15- or 16-year-old boy came to a church that he was pastoring. He drove a motorcycle. And the spirit of God moved on him to minister to that young boy and told him, "Son, you need to get saved today; Get saved today." The boy was being drawn by the Holy Ghost and shrugged it off. He said, "I'm not ready yet. I'll do it when I'm ready." He walked on out of that church. He got on his bike heading home. The pavement was wet and he therefore lost control of that bike and wound up in the grill of an 18 wheeler truck. He met eternity suddenly. He wasn't prepared. He thought he had all day.

I submit to you that you don't have all day to decide to follow God. Who are you to tell God to wait? Who are you to tell God when you're ready? When God calls you, you'd better answer and come. He loves you, and His mercy is out there. So come to Him now while it is called today.

Scripture Of The Day: "He that being often reproved hardeneth his neck, shall suddenly be destroyed, and that without remedy." - Proverbs 29:1 (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.

The Power of Accountability

Daily Devotional
The Power of Accountability
By Bonnie St. John
This week's topic: The Power Of Accountability


If you want to deepen your experience of these daily devotional messages and thus your relationship with God, consider choosing a prayer partner to share this journey with you.


Going through each devotional with a friend or prayer partner creates a great opportunity to discuss your thoughts, feelings and insights along the way, deepening your understanding. It is also helpful to have someone who will hold you accountable and challenge you to stay on track. And of course, as we know, where two or more are gathered, He is there. So with a prayer partner it’s a mini-prayer meeting!

Whatever frequency you set up, daily, weekly, or even monthly, you can meet in person or by phone. Try starting each meeting with a prayer. You can read the daily devotional out loud, and discuss any insights that emerge. Or, if not meeting daily, each of you can bring one devotional that has touched you since the last time you met. Take turns reading your devotional message and explaining why it resonated with you.

You may also want to prayerfully commit to your partner that you will take certain actions or make changes in the time before your next meeting. Close with a prayer to strengthen you and your prayer partner for the journey.

At your next meeting, you can check in on whether you were able to accomplish your goals (or not—we are human!) and how the discussion topic showed up in your actions and attitudes. Sharing this journey with a partner will significantly increase your ability to learn to live God’s joy in the world; it can double your joy! Having a partner keeps you accountable and therefore makes a more powerful impact on your life.

Are you willing to experience the power of accountability?

If you’ve decided that having a prayer partner feels right to you, take time now to list three potential prayer partners. Get in touch and if your first choice isn’t available for this journey right now, keep trying until you find someone who is.

You are on your way!

Scripture Of The Day: "Therefore comfort each other and edify one another, just as you also are doing." - 1 Thessalonians 5:11 NKJV


Bonnie St. John is a professional speaker and Olympic medalist, who has appeared on the Today Show, CNN, the 700 Club, and Life Today. The author of How Strong Women Pray and Live Your Joy, Bonnie St. John is committed to reaching out to the world with a message of triumph over circumstance. For more information about Bonnie, log onto http://www.bonniestjohn.com…

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The Accountability of Passion

Daily Devotional
The Accountability Of Passion
By Lisa Birch
This week's topic: The Power Of Accountability


I got sucked into reality TV recently about a popular entertainment industry mogul.


He talked about how he hadn't slept for days because of the projects he was so heavily involved with. On this particular mission he set out to deliver new and different work and he went at it full force. He surrounded himself with top talent, fine tuned the good stuff, got rid of the bad, learned new techniques, stretched his skill set, and practiced to near perfection. He put in as many if not more hours than his support team. He was clearly exhausted, but still driven to create the best.

I'll have to admit that by the end of the episode I was sold on this man's passion.

A person of mogul status doesn't get to where he is without passion. Yes we all strive to be and do our best, but when passion shows up it takes on a different look.

It's peculiar and relentless. It elevates things to a new level and is strong enough to push you past the point where others normally stop. Rest is vital for the body and balance is key, but there are times when passion overrides sleep and even satisfies the appetite.

When all signs indicated that the guy in the reality show should slow down or stop, the power of passion held him accountable to keep going.

Think about Christ.

He was tired, beaten and bloody, but nothing could stop His passion (thank God!). No boundaries, no persecutions, no haters.

Not even death.

If you're passionate about anything at all, you've made some sacrifices in your life and you've realized some successes. But how much passion do we truly have for God and His word?

Even 99 percent isn't enough.

Lord, I pray by the power of Your Holy Spirit that I develop a passion for You that's so intense it holds me accountable like nothing else will. Make me crazily ambitious for Your word, and set me on fire to love, serve, honor and put you first every day. Amen.

Scripture Of The Day: “Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they shall be satisfied." - Matthew 5:6


Publisher of Vertical Fix online magazine, Lisa Birch has a passion for music with integrity. Along with her husband Chris, Lisa is the co-founder of Vertical Fix internet radio. A 15-year writer and editor, Lisa has contributed writings for corporate, creative, editorial and ministerial environments. For more on Lisa, log onto http://www.verticalfix.com.