Messenger Moments

Today’s Devotional October 12, 2026

BOMBARDED BY SATAN

Mark 9:29 KKJV

28 And when He had come into the house, His disciples asked Him privately, “Why could we not cast it out?”

29 So He said to them, “This kind can come out by nothing but prayer and fasting.”

     I always hesitate to say the following, never wanting to give satan (little s) credit for anything.

     God “allows” him to meddle in my life. Got Questions  says; satan has a measure of control over the world and he uses his power to attack us in various ways. God’s word, our Bible teaches that God allows satan a certain amount of freedom (Job 1:12), but that freedom is limited.

Job 1:12 NKJV 

12 And the Lord said to Satan, “Behold, all that he has (speaking of Job) is in your power; only do not lay a hand on his person.”

So Satan went out from the presence of the Lord.

1 John 5:19 ESV 

19 We know that we are from God, and the whole world lies in the power of the evil one.

1st Peter 5:8 ESV

8 Be sober-minded; be watchful. Your adversary the devil prowls around like a roaring lion, seeking someone to devour.

     Some of the most difficult spiritual times I’ve experienced are when he, satan (little s), is messing with my mind. He is a trickster of the first degree…always working to destroy my peace and joy in knowing and serving Jesus Christ.

     Our theme for the ladies of my church’s Fall Bible Study is being mission minded by allowing Jesus to work through us as the extraordinary women of the Bible have done. That theme, should we choose to accept it, is every Christian's mission from God.

     We have been chosen to represent Our Father and Glorify His Name among the people of the earth. It is no accident that we are living in the last days when it seems that satan is increasing his bombardment of God’s children.

     As the Psalmist said, we were created for this time.

Psalm 139:16 ESV

Your eyes saw my unformed substance; in your book were written, every one of them, the days that were formed for me, when as yet there was none of them.

     The rhyme and reason for God allowing our testing and trials is simply so we will grow in our relationship with Him and that we will glorify Him by rising above life’s stressful circumstances.

     Jesus, we love you; we worship and adore you

     Glorify your name in all the earth

     Glorify your name, Glorify your name,

     Glorify your name I all the earth

Amen and Amen

Today’s Devotional October 7, 2026

THE WAYS OF REGENERATION

Galatians 1:15-16 NKJV 

But when it pleased God, who separated me from my mother’s womb and called me through His grace, 16 to reveal His Son in me, that I might preach Him among the Gentiles, I did not immediately confer with flesh and blood, God . . . was pleased to reveal his Son in me. 

For Jill and all others who struggle with "Being Holy"

     If Jesus Christ is going to regenerate me, what is the problem he is up against? I’ve inherited a sinful nature, a heredity I had no say in. I am not holy, nor am I likely to become holy. If all Jesus Christ can do is tell me to be holy, I’ll end in despair. But since Jesus Christ does more than tell, since he is a regenerator who can impart to me his own heredity—the heredity of holiness—I begin to see what he’s getting at when he tells me to be holy.

     Redemption means that Jesus Christ can remake anyone by putting his own holy nature into them. The standards he sets for us are based on this new heredity; his teaching is directed at what he puts into me, not at what I was before I received him. The moral obligation on my part is to agree with God’s verdict on sin in the cross of Jesus Christ.

     What the New Testament teaches about spiritual rebirth is that when people are struck by a sense of their need, God will begin to put the Holy Spirit into their spirit, not stopping until they have been fully remade—that is, “until Christ is formed” inside them (Galatians 4:19). The moral miracle of redemption is that God can instill in me a holiness that enables me to live a totally new life. But it isn’t until I reach the frontier of need and understand my limitations that Jesus says, “Blessed are you” (Matthew 5:11). God cannot put the holiness that was in Jesus Christ into someone who is still convinced of their own morality. I have to be consciously in need of him to receive his heredity.

     Just as the disposition of sin entered humanity through one man,
so the Holy Spirit entered humanity by one man. Redemption means
that I can be delivered from the heredity of sin and receive the spotless
heredity of the Holy Spirit through Jesus Christ.

  Wisdom from Oswald

“I have chosen you” (John 15:16). Keep that note of greatness in your creed. It is not that you have got God, but that He has got you.

My Utmost for His Highest, October 25, 837

Amen and Amen

Today’s Devotional October 6, 2026

FORGIVEN by Pastor Jack Hibbs

Psalm 130:4 NKJV 

But there is forgiveness with You, that You may be feared. 

Monday, October 05, 2026

Not far from New York City is a cemetery with a grave with just one word on the headstone: FORGIVEN. There is nothing else—no name, no date of birth, no designation as father, mother, son, or daughter, no mention of praise for the departed—just forgiven. And yet, what greater word could be written above our last resting place on this earth? But if I were to add one other, it would be the word “forgive.” Forgiven and forgive belong together, just as Jesus placed them together when He taught us how to pray, “…and forgive us our sins, as we have forgiven those who sin against us” (Matthew 6:12 NLT).

Sinning, either in thought or deed, is the sad result of our fallen nature. And when you have been on the receiving end, you know how bad it can hurt. But let me ask, “Has anyone wronged you as much as you have wronged God?” The answer is no. We have committed incalculable offenses against God, both knowingly and unknowingly.

When we forgive, we are the beneficiaries because it releases you and me. It opens the prison door of anger and bitterness wide, allowing us to move forward in complete freedom. It liberates us to love as Jesus loves and models His character to the world.

Christ forgives—past, present, and future—and in love, gratitude, and obedience to Him, we must go and do likewise.

Awaiting His Return

Amen and Amen

Today’s Devotional October 5, 2026

A LESSON FROM THE VALLEY

Mark 9:21-23 ESV

21 And Jesus asked his father, “How long has this been happening to him?” And he said, “From childhood. 22 And it has often cast him into fire and into water, to destroy him. But if you can do anything, have compassion on us and help us.” 23 And Jesus said to him, “‘If you can’! All things are possible for one who believes.”

     Mark the evangelist wrote “all things are possible for one who believes.” Peter wanted to put up a monument to Jesus, Moses and Elijah.

Matthew 17:4 ESV

4 And Peter said to Jesus, “Lord, it is good that we are here. If you wish, I will make three tents here, one for you and one for Moses and one for Elijah.”

     Our view from the mountain top is always exhilarating as Peter and Mark can attest to.

     Oswald Chambers in “My Utmost for His Highest” says; “the height of the mountaintop is measured by the drab drudgery of the valley; but it is in the valley that we have to live for the glory of God.” 

     I spent a few hours in the valley last Thursday watching as countless numbers of people from all walks of life came with their family or caregivers to receive treatment for cancer.

     The exhilaration of my mountain top experiences as a messenger for God came crashing down and was replaced with a feeling of intense anger. Without a doubt I was under an attack from satan. Later that evening my anger turned into extreme pain in my stomach and anger was replaced with whimpers of sorrow over my fallen state.

     That’s when I realized God was teaching me about living in the valley! My anger was clouding my vision of God’s lesson on praying for others. My attitude interfered with the Holy Spirit’s direction to pray for all these hurting people.

     Prayer was called for in that valley of Hope as all ages of men and women sought freedom from a physical invasion of something beyond their control. Namely, cancer! 

     Mark clearly wrote “have compassion.” I found that compassion flies out the window when selfish anger enters in!

Luke 16:13 NKJV

13 “No servant can serve two masters; for either he will hate the one and love the other, or else he will be loyal to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve God and mammon.”

     You can read “The Sphere of Humiliation” for yourself in the October 2nd devotional of Oswald Chambers “My Utmost for His Highest.”

Amen and Amen

Today’s Devotional October 2, 2026

The Gift of Grace

Ephesians 2:8-9 ESV

8 For by grace you have been saved through faith. And this is not your own doing; it is the gift of God, 9 not a result of works, so that no one may boast.

     Oswald Chambers writes in My Utmost for His Highest, “Our Lords making of a disciple is supernatural. He does not build on any natural capacity at all. God does not ask us to do the things that are easy to us naturally; He only asks us to do the things we are perfectly fitted to do by His grace, and the cross will come along that line always.”

     In my long years I have seldom looked in depth at the discoveries the geniuses' of mankind have created or envisioned for our future.

     My vision came from within my own heart. I was that little girl who drew homes and furnishings with a stick in the sandy backyard of my grandmother’s home in rural South Carolina. I was that little girl who designed highways and overpasses by digging in that same sandy ground. I spent hours pretending. Hours driving matchbook cars and trucks to unknown destinations on interstate highways of the future.

     In short, I’ve lived in one of the most rapidly developing technologies in the world’s history with never a thought for tomorrow.

     But God has, He designed each of us for this place and time in history. Our future unknown and undetermined only by God Himself, His Son Jesus Christ and The Holy Spirit who inhabits us when we surrender our lives to Christ.

     How do I know we were created for this time in history? God’s word, His Holy Bible says so in the book of Acts.

Acts 17:24-27 ESV 

24 The God who made the world and everything in it, being Lord of heaven and earth, does not live in temples made by man, 25 nor is he served by human hands, as though he needed anything, since he himself gives to all mankind life and breath and everything. 26 And he made from one man every nation of mankind to live on all the face of the earth, having determined allotted periods and the boundaries of their dwelling place, 27 that they should seek God, and perhaps feel their way toward him and find him. Yet he is actually not far from each one of us,

     The process of God’s Holy Spirit is to "check" us with gentle warnings before we step into a sinful thought or deed. He educates us, as Christians, to God’s design. Birthing us as instruments of His peace, grace, and love so that we demonstrate God's Holiness to a perverse and evil generation.

Psalm 139:13-16 ESV

13 For you formed my inward parts; you knitted me together in my mother's womb.14 I praise you, for I am fearfully and wonderfully made. Wonderful are your works; my soul knows it very well.15 My frame was not hidden from you, when I was being made in secret, intricately woven in the depths of the earth. 16 Your eyes saw my unformed substance; in your book were written, every one of them, the days that were formed for me, when as yet there was none of them.

Amen and Amen

Today's Devotional September 28,2026

Mission Accomplished

1 Timothy 6: 7-10 ESV

7 for we brought nothing into the world, and we cannot take anything out of the world. 8 But if we have food and clothing, with these we will be content. 9 But those who desire to be rich fall into temptation, into a snare, into many senseless and harmful desires that plunge people into ruin and destruction. 10 For the love of money is a root of all kinds of evils. It is through this craving that some have wandered away from the faith and pierced themselves with many pangs. 

     Today our church members dedicated the recently renovated sanctuary built by funds from a generous member.

     I am sure there were those who questioned the renovation and believed that the funds should have been used for a more mission centered project. 

     Our pastor in his dedication message referenced our church's mission... winning souls for Jesus Christ.

     The new sanctuary brought many people from the surrounding community who had never entered our doors.

     As I looked around at faces, I've never seen before and heard of others that had not been to church in a while. I believe our generous doner and our renovation team fulfilled the statement "mission accomplished."

Real Life Devotional September 21, 2026

        It has been said that money talks, and the world often puts immense effort       into trying to get the inside word on what money is saying. But Jesus warns of the division that money (the god Mammon) can foster, and we must be mindful of its influence.

      Some men’s deepest desire is to possess, and so, in self-service and self-worship, they sacrifice themselves, and even their loved ones, upon the altar of wealth. Scripture condemns such unbridled pursuit because, “The love of money is a root of all kinds of evil, for which some have strayed from the faith in their greediness, and pierced themselves through with many sorrows."

 (1 Timothy 6:10).

      Yet,money and material possessions are not wrong.

      When God calls His people to venture out for the kingdom, He simply delivers the necessary tools so that His laborers can do what is needed. When you learn that a church or ministry has invested large sums toward missionary work or ministry endeavors, what is your reaction to such news?

      Perhaps it’s, “That’s a lot of money!” But I ask you, to whom? To the world, yes! But to God, and those who build, it is a means to reach souls and advance       God’s kingdom.

      May it be that in heaven there will be those who say, “Thank you for using your resources to tell me about Jesus and share the love of Christ.” That, my friend, is true wealth!

      Awaiting His Return,

      Jack Hibbs, Pastor

      Chino Hills, Chino, CA  

Amen and amen   

Today's Devotional September 25, 2026 

Footprints of Jesus

Acts 17:24-27 ESV

24 The God who made the world and everything in it, being Lord of heaven and earth, does not live in temples made by man,

25 nor is he served by human hands, as though he needed anything, since he himself gives to all mankind life and breath and everything. 26 And he made from one man every nation of mankind to live on all the face of the earth, having determined allotted periods and the boundaries of their dwelling place,

27 that they should seek God, and perhaps feel their way toward him and find him. Yet he is actually not far from each one of us,

     Our church is studying 12 Exceptional Women of the Bible by Christian author John MacArthur. The cover of the study makes a statement about the pages between 1-216. In this book the author hopes to reveal the following.

     · How God Shaped Women of the Bible.

     · What He Wants to Do with You

     Like layers of a blooming onion the Bible peels back our imperfections and reveal our inner worth.

     It can be as simple as the three scriptures that describe Anna a prophetess.

Luke 2:36-38 ESV

36 And there was a prophetess, Anna, the daughter of Phanuel, of the tribe of Asher. She was advanced in years, having lived with her husband seven years from when she was a virgin, 37 and then as a widow until she was eighty-four. She did not depart from the temple, worshiping with fasting and prayer night and day. 38 And coming up at that very hour she began to give thanks to God and to speak of him to all who were waiting for the redemption of Jerusalem.

     As missionaries our aim is to do God’s will. It is not to be useful or win the heathen for Jesus Christ although the outcome is that we do both. Our aim is to do “the Will of Our Lord.”

     This morning’s devotionals in Luke and Acts brought to mind a wonderful Christian hymn called;

     Footprints of Jesus.

     Sweetly, Lord, have we heard Thee calling, "Come, follow Me!"
    And we see where Thy footprints falling, lead us to Thee.
    Footprints of Jesus that make the pathway glow; we will follow the

     steps of Jesus where’er they go.

     Written by: Mary Bridges Canady Slade 1826-1882

Amen and Amen

Today’s Devotional September 21, 2026

Created to Glorify God

John 3:16-17 NKJV 

16 For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life. 17 For God did not send His Son into the world to condemn the world, but that the world through Him might be saved.

      As I sat between two long-time Christian friends at church yesterday morning it occurred to me how wonderful it feels to praise The Lord with those that love Him. My experience was enhanced as others around us quietly praised God with their replies of amen and the lifting of their voices in song.

     This morning's devotional in "My Utmost for His Highest" has continued the theme of my Sunday morning worship experience. Oswald Chambers says, "The whole human race was created to glorify God and enjoy Him forever. Sin has switched the human race on to another tack, but it has not altered God's purpose in the tiniest degree; and when we are born again, we are brought into the realization of God's great purpose for the human race, viz. I am created for God, He made me."

Psalm 139:13-14

 For You formed my inward parts; You covered me in my mother’s womb.
14 I will praise You, for I am fearfully and wonderfully made; Marvelous are Your works, And that my soul knows very well. 

     Holy, holy, holy! Lord God Almighty!
    All thy works shall praise thy name, in earth, and sky, and sea;
    Holy, holy, holy! merciful and mighty!
    God in three Persons, blessed Trinity. 

Amen and Amen

Today’s Devotional September 18, 2026

Perilous Times

2 Timothy 3:1-4 NKJV

     3 But know this, that in the last days perilous times will come: 2 For men will be lovers of themselves, lovers of money, boasters, proud, blasphemers, disobedient to parents, unthankful, unholy, 3 unloving, unforgiving, slanderers, without self-control, brutal, despisers of good, 4 traitors, headstrong, haughty, lovers of pleasure rather than lovers of God, 

      It has been my privilege to select material for various women’s ministries. Our ladies meet and study inspirational books by Christian authors for Spring and Fall sessions or meet at individual homes for smaller group studies. My church selections are reviewed by our Educational Team members for their approval and if they pass muster become material for our in-house studies. It’s a process that has worked in the past. Now I’m not so sure.

     Christians are under attack everywhere. We are discredited and whispered about within God’s house. There seems to be an us against them type of mentality that is prevalent within many churches and those of us who elect not to choose sides stand out like sore thumbs. I speak of my years of experience.

1 Peter 4:16-18 NKJV

     16 Yet if anyone suffers as a Christian, let him not be ashamed, but let him glorify God in this matter.

17 For the time has come for judgment to begin at the house of God; and if it begins with us first, what will be the end of those who do not obey the gospel of God? 18 Now “If the righteous one is scarcely saved, Where will the ungodly and the sinner appear?”

     Christian do not faint or grow weary when you are persecuted, stand your ground and proclaim Jesus as Lord. Lean on His word and believe that He has saved you and brought you through the rugged waters of reproof for this time and place. 

     My life application study Bible referencing the above scripture writes the following;

     It is not shameful to suffer for being a Christian. When Peter and John were persecuted for preaching the Good News, they rejoiced because such persecution was a mark of God’s approval of their work (Acts 5:41). Don’t seek out suffering, and don’t try to avoid it. Instead, keep on doing what is right regardless of the suffering it might bring.

Acts 5:41 KNIV

41 So they departed from the presence of the council, rejoicing that they were counted worthy to suffer shame for His name.

     God’s word always provides a pathway for resolving any persecutions or issues that arise.

2 Timothy 3:15-17 NKJV 

     15 and that from childhood you have known the Holy Scriptures, which are able to make you wise for salvation through faith which is in Christ Jesus.

16 All Scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness, 17 that the man of God may be complete, thoroughly equipped for every good work.

Amen and Amen

Today’s Devotional September 15, 2026

We are Children of Our Heavenly Father 

Matthew 19:14 NIV 14 Jesus said, “Let the little children come to me, and do not hinder them, for the kingdom of heaven belongs to such as these.”

     There was a baptism at our newly renovated church sanctuary yesterday. Immersive Baptism is an ordinance of the Baptist church and of Christian belief that is symbolic of our new life in Jesus Christ and salvation. 

     The service brings multiple family members into God’s house to celebrate their loved one’s faith. Many of these family members are not acquainted with or are too young to appreciate their loved one’s commitment to their new life in Jesus Christ. So, there are a variety of responses as the service progresses.

     I watched as some of the adults and most of the young children squirmed and tried to look “involved” as our church members conducted the hours-long service. It was apparent that most of our visitors felt like strangers in a strange land but love for their family brought them into a place when they would rather have been elsewhere.

     Our pastors and deacons did a lovely job of presenting salvation’s story throughout the course of the baptism service and our monthly “Lord’s Supper” celebration.

     I am positive that much of “the message” of salvation was heard by all visitors to our church yesterday.

     This I know, God’s word never goes unnoticed or unheard. Our visitors heard, saw, and participated (some even reluctantly) in acknowledging God’s presence in His house.

Hebrews 4:12ESV

For the word of God is living and active, sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing to the division of soul and of spirit, of joints and of marrow, and discerning the thoughts and intentions of the heart.

Amen and Amen

 Today’s Devotional September 11, 2026

He’s Still the Same God

1 Corinthians 1:9

God is faithful, who has called you into fellowship with his Son, Jesus Christ our Lord.

     I doubt there’s been a time in the history of America when the peoples of our nation didn’t know if or when death would rain down on them from the sky.

     As I stood pumping gas at my local QT in O’Fallon, Missouri, I remember looking up to see if there were any airplanes in the sky. I wanted to be at home not at a gas station. I had been attending a meeting ten minutes earlier and learned that the World Trade Center had received a direct hit from an airplane and that our nation was under attack.

     I had another meeting scheduled that morning. So, I drove to meet my associate at her home. She and I were to visit a physician about providing x-ray services for his patients. Kathy met me at the door weeping unconsolably and told me that her daughter and son-in-law lived in Manhattan and she could not get in touch with them.

     The hours and days that followed were totally chaotic. No one knew if our nation was under attack. All air traffic was halted nationwide as we prepared for impending disaster and war. In short, the silence in the sky's was deafening. 

     President Bush stood atop the rubble at the towers and spoke encouraging words to our nation. That seemed to help everyone take a deep breath and regain some semblance of calm for a short time.

     Twenty-five years is a long time, but it seems like it was only yesterday to those of us alive at that time.

     Unless you have experienced this fear of war, the destruction of your nation, the instantaneous death of thousands of people in the blink of an eye or of friends and family ripped apart by sudden disaster there is no way to bring it home to roost in your mind's eye.

     Today I can honestly say; I praise you God because you are faithful and will not tempt us above what we can stand.

     Twenty-five years have passed, a mere blink of an eye to our God but I do know this. In times like those and times like these We Need a Savior.

1 Corinthians 10:13

No temptation has overtaken you except what is common to mankind. And God is faithful; he will not let you be tempted beyond what you can bear. But when you are tempted, he will also provide a way out so that you can endure it.

Amen and Amen

Today’s Devotional September 10, 2026

Mission Possible

1 Corinthians 1:8-10 NIV

8 He will also keep you firm to the end, so that you will be blameless on the day of our Lord Jesus Christ. 9 God is faithful, who has called you into fellowship with his Son, Jesus Christ our Lord.

     Sometimes it seems that our daily sins and imperfections keep us from serving Jesus as we desire. Yet, throughout His word He tells us that He will keep us “firm” to the end. On that glorious day when we are called home or He returns for us, God will not say depart from me I never knew you instead He will say, “Well done my Good and faithful servant”!

     Are you struggling with feeling inadequate at serving Christ? Does it seem that all your Christian friends are joyful and happy in their Christianity while you feel in the dumps much of the time?

     You are not alone! Many Christians have convinced themselves that they need to be or do more for the Lord. I too have had feelings of inadequacy but have come to realize this too is a scheme by Satan to make me feel unworthy. Satan works at getting us into a self-centered mode again. We are, after all, still frail humans. However, here’s where the power struggle ends for him.

     2 Corinthians 12:9 NIV

9 But he said to me, “My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.” Therefore I will boast all the more gladly about my weaknesses, so that Christ’s power may rest on me.

     Because we are living examples of Christ’s power to heal, change and use our weak human frailties as examples for other Christians and unbelievers alike. We, like Paul, go through daily spiritual struggles.

     Ephesians 6:12 NIV

For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms.

     Remember, this world is not our home. We are here for a reason and that reason is to show the love and redemptive power of Jesus Christ to change lives just as He has changed ours. 

Hebrews 10:22 NIV 

Let us draw near to God with a sincere heart and with the full assurance that faith brings, having our hearts sprinkled to cleanse us from a guilty conscience and having our bodies washed with pure water.

Amen and Amen

Today's Devotional September 9, 2026

It Ain’t Easy Being Green

2 Corinthians 10:5 NIV

5 We demolish arguments and every pretension that sets itself up against the knowledge of God, and we take captive every thought to make it obedient to Christ.

     I loved Kermit and Jim Hansen’s characters. Jim had a way of making life’s problems seem easier when seen through the eyes of his muppet-type characters.

     Honestly, it’s not easy being a child of God with so many outside influences to disrupt and disturb us.

     My devotional this morning involved looking at how I deal with God’s will and my commitment. Do I bring my every thought captive when making decisions? Truthfully, I do not do so on every occasion.

     My current church project has many pieces to put into place. Not as difficult as a 3,000-piece puzzle but difficult none the least. When done successfully it will bring honor and glory to God and fulfillment to the hearts of our church ladies. It's just that sometimes I get into my own way as I piece the pieces together.

     Our Lord’s every project, and move was in step with His Father’s will. He obeyed God and brought glory to His Father.

     My question this morning to myself and all of you is; are we doing God’s work and obeying His will or are we “do it yourself Christian’s”?

     Let’s explore!

Amen and Amen

Today's Devotional September 8, 2026

The Great Commission

Matthew 28:18-19 NIV

18 Then Jesus came to them and said, “All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. 19 Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, 20 and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age.”

     The eleven disciples went eagerly to the mountain where Jesus had told them to go. They went to worship Him and hear words of encouragement; however, some still doubted His resurrection even though they had already seen Him with their own eyes and heard Him with their own ears. They were, after all, human and had seen and heard many tricks from the seers of that age.

     Jesus came and spoke with them and gave them “the great commission” to go and make disciples of every nation and to baptize them and teach them to obey everything He had commanded them. 

     Oswald Chambers in “My Utmost for His Highest’s October 14”, devotional taught young ministers and missionaries that accepting a commission from God’s Son Jesus Christ, was a lifetime commitment. 

     I like the words of my Life Application Study Bible regarding our commission. It reads, “we are to go whether it is next door or to another country and make disciples. It is not an option, but a command to all who call Jesus’s Lord. We are not all evangelists in the formal sense, but we have all received gifts that we can use to help fulfill the Great Commission.”

     We go with this knowledge and promise. That Jesus is with us always and will bless the seeds we sow.

Matthew 28:20 NIV

20 teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you. And behold, I am with you always, to the end of the age.”

Amen and Amen

Today’s Devotional September 4, 2026

Because We’re His!

2 Timothy 3:1,12 NIV

3 But mark this: There will be terrible times in the last days. 12 In fact, everyone who wants to live a godly life in Christ Jesus will be persecuted

Psalm 121:1-2 NIV

1 I lift up my eyes to the mountains—where does my help come from? 2 My help comes from the Lord, the Maker of heaven and earth.

     Yesterday I listened to an upsetting story of how members of a certain Christian church were under intense pressure from Satan to disrupt the work that is being done for man’s salvation and God’s Glory. Church members and leaders in tears as Satan tried to destroy the work of God because he knows that his time is short.

     2 Timothy 3 is God’s testimony of these end-time events. We can read for ourselves a picture of today’s world.

     Be encouraged and of good cheer…God is not dead nor does He sleep. Psalm 121 (as in 1-2 above) in a few verses is a Psalm of encouragement given to David and all Christians by God’s Holy Spirit. It will lift even the most sorrowful of souls and bring the light of Jesus Christ to their darkened world.

     Oswald Chambers in “My Utmost for His Highest” September 4th devotional says, “the Holy Spirit expounds the nature of Jesus to me in order to make me one with my Lord…. our Lord makes a disciple His own possession, He becomes responsible for him”

     My dear Christian be of good cheer this day. We must give 100% of ourselves in “sovereign preference” to Jesus Christ. As the gospel hymn says, “He is Lord!”

Amen and Amen

  Today’s Devotional September 3, 2026

Knowing God: His Perfect Timing

     I was recently studying about Anna the Prophetess in John Macarthur’s “Twelve Extraordinary Women.” It occurred to me how God’s Holy Spirit causes people, places and things to happen just-in-time. 

     Luke 2:36-38 reads as follows:

36 Now there was one, Anna, a prophetess, the daughter of Phanuel, of the tribe of Asher. She was of a great age, and had lived with a husband seven years from her virginity;

37 and this woman was a widow of about eighty-four years, who did not depart from the temple, but served God with fastings and prayers night and day.

38 And coming in that instant she gave thanks to the Lord, and spoke of Him to all those who looked for redemption in Jerusalem.

     Anna had been praying and fasting for many long years, perhaps as many as 64, she had been fervently praying that Messiah would come. Now, He had come, He was born to a carpenter and his wife in the small unknown town of Bethlehem. Anna could tell everyone she would meet from that moment until she died that Messiah had come.

     What occurred that day in the temple was exceptional.

     John Macarthur in his book describes the temple in this way.  “Herod’s temple was a massive building, and the temple complex was huge, surrounded by a courtyard with thousands of people milling around at almost any given time. Joseph and Mary did not know Simeon, but by God’s providence and through the sovereign direction of His Spirit, He had brought them together. At that very instant, just while Simeon was blessing the child…the Spirit of God providentially led this elderly woman to a place where she was within earshot”.

     How often has this happened throughout the course of the history of creation? How often does it happen today? I would say, quite often, in fact I would say “it is the very way God’s Holy Spirit has operated in every way since the beginning of time. That is why there is no such thing as coincidence.”

     Can you remember a time when you were operating on Holy Spirit Time? When some event occurred that “never in a million years” could happen to you but it did, “just-in-time”? Perhaps the event saved your life or a loved one’s life?          Perhaps some unbelievable happening in your life or a total stranger’s life was caught on film and your only thought was, “no way that could ever happen?”    That’s God’s Holy Spirit at work!

Amen and Amen

  Today’s Devotional August 31, 2026

Our Help Comes from Above

I will lift up mine eyes to the hills
From whence cometh my help
My help cometh from the Lord,
The Lord which made heaven and earth

     One of the most soul stirring songs I’ve ever heard is the Brooklyn Tabernacle Choir’s rendition of My Help.

     My NIV Life Application Study Bible says this; “As a believer, you are not left to your own resources to cope with problems. Even when you don’t know the right words to pray, the Holy Spirit prays with and for you, and God answers. With God helping you pray, you don’t need to be afraid to come before Him. Ask the Holy Spirit to intercede for you “in accordance with God’s will.” Then when you bring your requests to God, trust that He will always do what is best for you.

     Sometimes God’s word is all that’s necessary to fill our hearts and emotions. I find in days like these Psalm 91 says what my written words cannot say.

Psalm 91 1-2, 14-16

1 Whoever dwells in the shelter of the Most High
 will rest in the shadow of the Almighty.
2 I will say of the Lord, “He is my refuge and my fortress,
 my God, in whom I trust.”

14 “Because he loves me,” says the Lord, “I will rescue him;
 I will protect him, for he acknowledges my name.
15 He will call on me, and I will answer him;
 I will be with him in trouble,
 I will deliver him and honor him.

16 With long life I will satisfy him
 and show him my salvation.”

Amen and Amen

Today’s Devotional August 28, 2026 

GOD AMID YOUR PRAYER LIFE

Romans 8:26-27 NIV

26 In the same way, the Spirit helps us in our weakness. We do not know what we ought to pray for, but the Spirit himself intercedes for us through wordless groans. 27 And he who searches our hearts knows the mind of the Spirit, because the Spirit intercedes for God’s people in accordance with the will of God. 

     No one ever said living life as a child of God would be easy. However, some of the happiest, most settled people I’ve ever met are Christians.

     It’s true we all have our stories, our burdens, our challenges but we have a wonderful, kind, loving Father that we can turn to any second or any moment of the day or night.

     I’ve had tragedies befall me throughout my long years of life that would bring anyone to their knees but through it all, as the song says, “I’ve learned to trust in Jesus.”

     A little book called How to Develop a Powerful Prayer Life by Dr. Gregory R. Frizzell was given to me by a friend who knew I was writing daily devotions. Dr. Frizzell writes, “a powerful prayer life is not just a discipline or ritual, it is your commitment to a personal relationship with God. From God’s perspective prayer is the expression of that which He desires most…your personal relationship of love, surrender and trust.

     I have found that a strong emphasis is placed on new Christians to serve and work when the overwhelming emphasis should be on leading them to develop a solid prayer life express through a genuine love for God and His son, the Lord Jesus Christ.

     Finally, the way to God’s heart is not servitude and soul winning it's having a genuine loving relationship with him 24/7. When we have that the servitude and soul winning will naturally follow.

     Matthew 22:37 NIV

37 Jesus replied: “‘Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind.’

Amen and Amen