Strength to Continue (Don't Quit)

 

An Emoji Devotions for Thu Jun 17 2021

Topic: Strength to Continue (Don't Quit)

Highlight:

Therefore, my beloved brethren, be steadfast, immovable, always abounding in the work of the Lord, knowing that your labor is not in vain in the Lord. 1 Cor 15:58

You are part of God's process. God has placed you into the position you are currently occupying bon earth. Every thing is as God made it; not as it appears to us. They were not easy to understand as it immediately appears to be until after we meditate and relate to them and realized that God has done certain things for our own good, then our spirit can see God's hand in them. God saved us through our Lord Jesus Christ to give us a role to occupy. Our labour is not in vain as long as we hold on to continue hoping in the Lord Jesus. Those who look to him are radiant; their faces are never covered with shame. Psalm 34:5. Keep moving don't quit. Pray for strength to continue. No one knows the road of life. Only God knows the road you will ply John 14:6. He told Abraham "Go from your country, your people and your father's household to the land I will show you." Genesis 12:1. Only God can show us the way and our destination in life. Abraham obeyed God and left his homeland to become very very great till today because He follow God's plan. His name can never be wiped off in the record of life.  God did even attached Abraham's name to His honor. "I am the God of Abraham"... Exodus 3:6. One thing is special to God and that this is the "strength to continue" Even in hardest decisions, so far it is God's will. Your willpower must be unconditional to continue to believe in God as it was accounted to Abraham as being righteousness. Abraham had to wait before he had his own child and after waiting for so many years, He wanted to Sacrifice his only son to God without objecting it. God gave him a reward of blessings for continuity in strength to walk with Him. There are very good examples to follow written in the Bible to read and be inspired. Take your time to read the Bible always John 5:39.  Be strong to continue to do God's command. Remember to be steadfast, immovable, always abounding in the work of the Lord, knowing that your labor is not in vain in the Lord. At the end of my letter, I want to say this to you: Be united with the Lord , so that you are strong. Then his great power will help you.

Ephesians 6:10

Prayer: O Lord strengthen me to continue in my walk with you in Jesus name.

War In Heaven

 

An Emoji Devotions for 16th June, 2021

Topic: War in heaven

Highlight: 

And there was war in heaven: Michael and his angels fought against the dragon; and the dragon fought and his angels, And prevailed not; neither was their place found any more in heaven.

And I heard a loud voice saying in heaven, Now is come salvation, and strength, and the kingdom of our God, and the power of his Christ: for the accuser of our brethren is cast down, which accused them before our God day and night. Revelations 12:7,8,10

The Sovereign God decided to create another world and made man to rule over it. It's obvious that the development was accepted by all heavens but did not go well with the dragon faction which the devil. He was not happy about it. The Old serpent claims that the human God created is not stable in mind and can change in the face of challenges. The dragon tagged the development as unacceptable! How impossible it is for us to understand God's decisions and his ways! (Rom 11:33) So God gave the old serpent a condition, that if the dragon can give him an evidence that all human will change against his will, he will wipe out humanity. Genesis 18:21 "I will go down now, and see whether they have done altogether according to the cry of it, which is come unto me; and if not, I will know". The devil since then became the accuser of brethren as He is looking for evidence against humanity. 

“Where have you come from?” the LORD asked Satan. Satan answered the LORD, “I have been patrolling the earth, watching everything that’s going on.” Job 2:2

No need to keep the story longer. There is a higher power in heaven greater than the devil and all it's principalities who did not permit the devil to destroy precious humanity whom God has created. His name is Jesus. Jesus came to save us from accusations of devil. The Bible says whoever believes in him will not Perish but have eternal life. Through his blood we can be saved. The angels fought the devil with the blood shed on the Cross as a sacrifice for sin and have cast him off into the earth. 

Are you saved? Do you have eternal life of Christ in You? Did you postpone your salvation? Today is the day to Confess Jesus as your Lord and savior so that accusations will stop and also pray that Jesus will use His Holy blood  to cleanse you from sin to give you victory over accusations of the devil today. (read Romans 6:22-23)

Prayer: Jesus I believe in your blood. Make me powerful and set me free from accusations through your Holy blood and your Holy Spirit. In Jesus name. Amen.

Looking unto Jesus

 

An Emoji Devotions for Tue 15th of June, 2021

Topic: Looking Unto Jesus

Highlight: Looking unto Jesus the author and finisher of our faith; who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is set down at the right hand of the throne of God. Hebrews 12:2

When a child of God is afraid of failure and could not get mind off it, Looking unto Jesus is the only remedy to overcome it. Nehemiah said, “Go and enjoy choice food and sweet drinks, and send some to those who have nothing prepared. This day is holy to our Lord. Do not grieve, for the joy of the LORD is your strength.”

 "Therefore I say unto you, Take no thought for your life, what ye shall eat, or what ye shall drink; nor yet for your body, what ye shall put on. Is not the life more than meat, and the body than raiment?" 

As a child of God, everyday is dedicated holy unto the Lord who is already resting after the time of creation. As The Lord is currently resting, the Lord wants us out of distress and negativity. He wants us to look unto him from beginning to the end of our thoughts. He said "Come to me all of you who are tired. You are like people who have worked for a long time. You are like people who have carried heavy things. Come to me. If you do that, you will find a place to rest. 

Jesus is a resting place for all who listens to his voice. For all who have entered into God’s rest have rested from their labors, just as God did after creating the world. Look unto Jesus as your place of rest through his Word. Seek guidance through prayer, read soul lifting sermons, daily Devotions and the Holy Bible. Stay calm and look on Jesus only as your resting place by relaxing yourself in the author and finisher of your faith. No one can forcefully earn spiritual gifts by merits. You can only surrender and relax in Jesus for solution. John 14:6

You must look unto Jesus only as your resting place in whatever you are doing in life and wherever you find yourself. Look unto Jesus the author and finisher of faith. This is the opportunity to give your life to Jesus Christ if you are not born again. Confess Jesus as your resting place and ask him to come into your life today.

Jesus will give you power to defeat failure and stress. Engage him in prayer today. They call themselves marvelous in heaven because they look unto Jesus and they were not put to shame in the day of battle. Revelations 12:11.

Angels believe in the blood of Jesus. What about you? 

Prayer: Lord Jesus I invite you into my subconsciousness as my place of rest. come and Please give me peace that surpasses all understanding in your name. Amen.

Mystery of Giving

 

An Emoji Devotions for Mon Jun 14 2021

Topic: Mystery in giving.

Highlight: 

One person gives freely, yet gains even more; another withholds unduly, but comes to poverty. A generous person will prosper; whoever refreshes others will be refreshed. Proverbs 11:24-25

"No one has ever become poor by giving" Giving has a mystery;

 "People curse the one who hoards grain, but they pray God’s blessing on the one who is willing to sell." Proverbs 11:26

The mystery behind the above verse shows that giving is beyond  just giving out to escape disturbance from people but giving is about showing unconditional love, caring and providing emotional support. When you give, you open a door of  someone's heart to be thankful to God on your behalf. In this case you have stand as a representative of God to be a blessing. God will evaluate the giver and sends more blessings through him. I have seen a giver who promised a someone in dire need to be hopeful perhaps a miracle could happen in his work place and he might have the opportunity to help. The one at the receiving end went home to pray earnestly for his helper and the next morning a miracle happened to the giver who quickly remember the one he promised to help. If you give with purpose according to God's will, you will never lack.

Look around you today with purpose of Good intentions from God today and you will see an opportunity to give in the name of Jesus. "Each man should give what he has decided in his heart to give, not reluctantly or under compulsion, for God loves a cheerful giver. And God is able to make all grace abound to you, so that in all things at all times, having all that you need, you will abound in every good work." 2 Cor 9:7-8

Give, and it will be given to you. A good measure, pressed down, shaken together and running over, will be poured into your lap. For with the measure you use, it will be measured to you." Luke 6:38

Prayer: Lord help me to be a giver to the glory of your name in Jesus name. Amen

At home – snug, safe and secure

An Emoji Devotions for Sun June 13, 2021

Topic: At home – snug, safe and secure

By H. U. Wenger

Highlights: I will sing the Lord’s praise, for he has been good to me. (Psalm 13:6)

Is anyone among you in trouble? Let them pray. Is anyone happy? Let them sing songs of praise. Is anyone among you sick? Let them call the elders of the church to pray over them and anoint them with oil in the name of the Lord. And the prayer offered in faith will make the sick person well; the Lord will raise them up. If they have sinned, they will be forgiven. (James 5:13 – 15)

“Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy and my burden is light.” (Matthew 11:28 – 30)

I know with unfailing certainty that we all have something in common. We all have started our lives with an insatiable craving for being rescued. There was absolutely nothing we could do to help ourselves, except for crying out as loud as possible. Nothing was more comforting and nourishing than finding strong arms that held us and provided everything we needed. In these loving provisions we felt at home, snug, safe and secure. As we grew, we all began to fight for our independence. 

I do not need help. I am big and strong myself – I want to go my own way – I want to shape and do things my way! In our childhood and adolescence we are oscillating between crying out for help – how do you dare to abandon me? – and marking our independence – leave me alone, I am big enough to decide myself!  Deep down within us there remains an insecurity that keeps craving for being at home, snug safe and secure. The writer of Psalm 13 was aware of this. He is in trouble and cries out to the Lord: ‘How long, Lord? Will you forget me forever? How long will you hide your face from me? How long must I wrestle with my thoughts and day after day have sorrow in my heart? How long will my enemy triumph over me? Look on me and answer, Lord my God. Give light to my eyes, or I will sleep in death, and my enemy will say, “I have overcome him,” and my foes will rejoice when I fall.’ (Verses 1 – 4) Because he knows the Lord the same way he knew his parents, who have nurtured him, he does not despair, but trusts in the help to come, although there is not an immediate answer to his plea. “But I trust in your unfailing love; my heart rejoices in your salvation. I will sing the Lord’s praise, for he has been good to me.” (Verses 5 – 6)

James expands the trust in the Lord to those who are happy and to those who are sick. Everyone is called to either sing the Lord’s praises or to pray. Jesus finally makes clear that he has room for every single one of us, who is burdened and who longs to be at home, snug safe and secure. He offers the rest we all are craving for in our hearts. All I have to do is to come to him and accept that I cannot do it on my own. In his arms I get the same comfort and the same nurturing help as I got as a baby in my mother’s arms. With him, I can be at home for eternity and I will never ever be blamed for being needy.

Prayer: Jesus Christ, I am burdened and needy and I long to be at home. Thank you for your invitation. I need your salvation and the rest for the soul you promise more than anything else. Thank you for accepting me into your kingdom. Amen   

 

Haughtiness and pride versus humility and meekness – What is winning?

 

An Emoji Devotions Sat 12th June 2021

Topic: Haughtiness and pride versus humility and meekness – What is winning? 

By H.U Wenger

Highlights:   Pride goes before destruction, a haughty spirit before a fall. Better to be lowly in spirit along with the oppressed than to share plunder with the proud. (Proverbs 16: 18 – 19)

The Lord detests all the proud of heart. Be sure of this: They will not go unpunished. (Proverbs 16:5)

In the same way, you who are younger, submit yourselves to your elders. All of you, clothe yourselves with humility toward one another, because, “God opposes the proud but shows favor to the humble.” Humble yourselves, therefore, under God’s mighty hand, that he may lift you up in due time. (1. Peter 5: 6) 

“Do not judge, or you too will be judged. For in the same way you judge others, you will be judged, and with the measure you use, it will be measured to you. “Why do you look at the speck of sawdust in your brother’s eye and pay no attention to the plank in your own eye?

 How can you say to your brother, ‘Let me take the speck out of your eye,’ when all the time there is a plank in your own eye? You hypocrite, first take the plank out of your own eye, and then you will see clearly to remove the speck from your brother’s eye.

I never considered myself as proud or haughty and I guess that most people who know me would agree to that statement.

 Publicly I gave myself as not judgmental and I would rather defend someone and tell the good sides of them, than to judge them according to my thinking. After all, a good pastor has to be merciful and compassionate and I felt quite good about myself. Standing before the Lord, however, he convicted me of pride and haughtiness, and of being merciless and highly judgmental.  How could that possibly be? What did I do wrong? Because I had different congregations, it was already a long time, since I was sitting under the preaching of somebody else and I found myself sitting there with a spirit of critique. I found his introduction pitiful, the points he was making, I perceived as week and his altar call as rather clumsy. In a whole, my judgement was that I could have made a better preaching to the same theme without any preparation. Although I did never speak it out, the Lord showed to me, how arrogant and proud I was, looking down on others with internal disdain. He reminded me that it is alone his gift to me that gives me an advantage over the brother I was internally belittling. I repented and the Lord began to show me a multitude of instances in which I did not honor the others above myself according to Romans 12:10 or Philippians 2:3 – 4. In fact, the Lord began to show to me how I was constantly judging others in traffic and in many other domains of my life. I was absolutely chocked and my satisfaction with myself was totally shattered. I found myself exactly as one of those, who see the speck in the eyes of others without the awareness of the plank in my own eyes. I am still learning to grow in humbleness. 

Humility and meekness are the character traits of Jesus in his life on earth and we are to follow his footprints. His character is winning, whereas haughtiness and pride can so deceive us that we even might endanger our salvation. In any case it will be punished according to Proverbs, 16:5. 

Brothers and Sisters let us fight to show the world around us, how humble and meek our Lord Jesus Christ is and how much he invites everybody to learn from him to find peace and rest for our souls.

Prayer: Lord Jesus, let me be humble, so that you can show me your favor. Please train me to love and live the same way you loved and lived your life among us. 

Shout for joy to God, all the earth!

 

An Emoji Devotions for Fri, June 11 2021

Topic: Shout for joy to God, all the earth!

By H.U. Wenger

Highlights: Praise be to God, who has not rejected my prayer or withheld his love from me! (Psalm 66:20)

Devote yourselves to prayer, being watchful and thankful. (Colossians 4:2)

Rejoice in the Lord always. I will say it again: Rejoice! Let your gentleness be evident to all. The Lord is near. Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. And the peace of God, which transcends all under-standing, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus. (Philippians 4:4 – 7)

If you can make it, take the time to read Psalm 66 in its entirety. Often times the burdens of our lives put us so much down that shouts of joy seem impossible for us. By listening to the Psalmist we have to admit that he went through a lot that will not have provoked shouts of joy. Nevertheless he wants to shout, he wants to rejoice, he wants to glorify his wonderful Savior and Lord. His eyes are not on the dire difficulties, but on the excellent trouble shooter and helper, who is second to none and can do much more than we can think and dare praying for. He does not get joy and praise out of the predicaments he has been guided through. His praise and joy are born out of the marvelous experiences he has made with God. He never rejected his prayers and he never diverted his precious love from him. He has always proven bigger, stronger and way superior to every possible trouble that came his way. 

We are not to rejoice in the circumstances of our lives. Much more we are to focus on the Lord for whom no calamity is a problem and with whom we get enabled to go through perceived difficulties, with a merry and joyful heart. 

Years ago, I was in the middle of my theological studies and was preparing for my second Graecum. As a work student, I was always late in the evenings and at four o’ clock in the morning the clock reminded me to get up and translate the New Testament from Greek into German. On the particular morning I still remember, I was on the passage of Philippians 4, as I have cited above. I was sleepy; I was grumpy, full of self-pity and envy of my wife, who was fast asleep. The text: “Rejoice in the Lord …” provoked anger within me and I was very close to go back to bed. I would much rather have shown my anger to all than my gentleness. As I tried to translate on, it suddenly hit me that in a long time I had not done what the text invited to. So I began to pray, to lament to the Lord how much I am under pressure because of the upcoming exam. I thanked for the privilege to study; admitted how much I feel that the exam is over the top of my head and I pleaded for the help of the Lord. I cannot remember any more for how long I was in prayer, but as I went back to my desk, I was totally changed. My circumstances, which were actually quite hard, had not changed, but I felt peace, I felt joy and thankfulness. By turning away from the present givens of life and clinging to the Lord, the one and only giver of joy, peace and life, my soul got restored and healed. 

Whether you are merry today or grumpy and envious as I was, turn your eyes to Jesus. If you manage to change your focus and your attitude today, I invite you together with Nehemiah, after Ezra had publicly read the law:  “Go and enjoy choice food and sweet drinks, and send some to those who have nothing prepared. This day is holy to our Lord. Do not grieve, for the joy of the Lord is your strength.” (Nehemiah 8:10)

Prayer: Dear Lord Jesus, help me to cling to you and to participate in your joy. Thank you that