A Devotional Study of the Living Word of God

Psalm 119:51 Most everyone likes a good joke, but there are those days when you know that you are the reason for the laughter, ridicule and scorn. But compared to the eternal law of liberty that we have in Jesus, this momentary light affliction will pass, this meditation is sweet to the soul.

Good Morning

The average teenager from the age of thirteen to fifteen listens to well over ten thousand hours of hard rock music. That was ten to fifteen years ago, now children are brought into this arena at the age of eight through things like MP3, cell phones and other gadgets aimed at destroying the young minds of our children. I am not opposed to technology, but I am opposed to those people who use this technology to destroy the minds of our young people. Ten to fifteen years ago the amount of time wasted listening to this kind of music was 500 to a 1,000 hours shy of the total amount of time spent in school from the first through the twelfth grade. Today the average child spends more time with text messages, cellular phone talking and taking pictures then the average business person does as they go through a day. Add the time listening to music and the time of a child is not only wasted in this technological environment, it is also very evil. You could be thinking! How does all of this play out in the large scheme of things? The battle for control of our children is very real and the devil is driving that school bus. We let our children on board that bus daily, when we fail to control and disciple them. (Proverbs 22:5-6).

Acts 15

Acts 15:35 Teaching and preaching the Word of God. There is not another method available to the church of Jesus Christ to instill the characteristics of love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, gentleness, goodness, faithfulness and self-control in the souls of God's saints. If your church is not filled with men and women who are teachers and examples of being occupied fully with the Holy Spirit, then as a saint of God you will not experience all that God has for you to enjoy.

Acts 15:36-38 The thought of strife in the church may be alarming to some young believer. But for those of us who have been around awhile we know that strife can happen even when your seeking to do a good thing. Most strife is caused by one person being filled with the Holy Spirit and other who is not. God will use this moment to test one or both of these people. It depends on the spiritual awareness of both to avoid these sort of conflicts, but far to often this is not the case. There always seems to be things of the past that sit on the back burner until one or the other say in their heart. “I've had enough” and the strife begins.

Acts 15:39-40 We should take the time to notice that the Holy Spirit is not mentioned from verse 35 to the end of the chapter. The Holy Spirit does not cause strife and He does not promote any attributes of the flesh. As mentioned earlier the fruit of the Spirit of God is developed in the heart willing to abide under the authority of the Word of God. For John Mark, he failed to do this; and for the men who allowed him to be a part of a ministry work it crippled them and eventually destroyed their friendship. That is not God's intent, ever!

Now if you do not have your bible with you, the following is a link you can go to and find the verses of scripture I have referenced herein. Bible Gateway at: www.biblegateway.com/

A Devotional Study of the Living Word of God

Psalm 119:50 Having solace in this world is a promise from God that many people do not know, and if you meditate on the Word of God daily, you will not be one of them!

Good Morning

The USS Constitution in the mid sixties was moored at the Boston Naval Shipyard in Charlestown, Massachusetts. Old Ironsides is still there housed in building 5, it is a museum now and very much worth the visit. In the mid sixties I was on a destroyer that was being overhauled at the shipyard and as we were ending our stay there is was necessary to test all of the repairs and overhaul were completed and worked, so we took the ship out to sea and put it through some sea trials. All seemed well and we returned to Boston. On entering the shipyard area the USS Constitution was dead ahead moored to a stone and cement pier. In front of the USS Constitution was and oil tanker loaded with fuel. Our ship was to slow down and turn to the starboard (right) and head into the shipyard's main area. The destroyer would not slow down, nor would the engines reverse. It stayed at twelve knots, just under twenty miles per hour. Being to close to turn at that speed the skipper aimed the destroyer at a small opening between the oiler and the Constitution. The impact on the destroyer was severe, the bow of the ship was now vertical, but both the Constitution and the oiler were not harmed and we were allowed to stay in the shipyard for an additional forty five days while the bow was replaced. I cannot imagine the repercussion if we would have sliced the Constitution in half, or the possible explosion and oil spill if we hit the tanker.

Acts 15

Acts 15:14-21 James the half brother of Jesus is the lead pastor of the Jerusalem church after Peter's discussion of his experience with the Holy Spirit and the grace demonstrated with the Cornelius household, James reaches a decision. His decision is not only based on Peter's testimony but also on the Old Testament scripture (Amos 9:11-12). In verses 18-19 James is commenting on (Leviticus 3:17). Later in Paul's epistle, Paul will write these words found in (1 Corinthians 6:9-10).

Acts 15:22-29 I like the letter or decree found in these passages, it demonstrates the respect of the elders in Jerusalem that they have for the gentiles; for the ministry of Paul and Barnabas and it provides instruction that will continue to encourage the gentiles to walk by grace and not by works. Grace cannot function without the responsibility of those abiding in grace to abstain from habits or practices that pollute the goodness of God's mercy. We to are held accountable to God by grace. (Romans 6:1-2).

Acts 15:30-34 After returning to Antioch and the reading of the decree, there is rejoicing. The kind of rejoicing that men and women experience when God has done some great thing among them via the power of the Holy Spirit in them. We need to see this in our churches today, God is at work, but sometimes I believe we are afraid to enjoy His work. Besides, God has plans that we need to be aware of, like the plans He had for Silas here. God relocated his ministry with the Jewish believers. to a ministry with the gentile believers, Silas recognized this and remained at Antioch.

Now if you do not have your bible with you, the following is a link you can go to and find the verses of scripture I have referenced herein. Bible Gateway at: www.biblegateway.com/

A Devotional Study of the Living Word of God

Psalm 119:49 Have you ever thought of God's Word to you as a Covenant? This Psalmist did! Here he calls on the LORD to remember that he is God's servant and all of his hope in resting on the promises of God. There are over seven thousand promises in the Word of God, and not one will ever fail.

Good Morning

Before I volunteered for submarine service I was on a variety of surface ships. On my first ship, I was just a deck hand. I did a lot of chipping and painting, cleaning and standing watch. One night on our way to Cuba I was standing watch, looking for ships that we called “contacts”. The evening was peaceful and the seas were calm and there were no contacts. Sea water has a lot of phosphorous in it and when it is disturbed it gives off a glow like hundreds of fire flies. I was watching the water sparkle as the ship moved through the water, no light, just phosphorous. Something caught my eye, at a close distance was two phosphorous lines in the water heading directly at the ship. This scared me dramatically since all I could think of was the training I had received about torpedoes and how to detect them in the water. I screamed into the head phones, “Torpedoes in the water, starboard side, bearing zero nine zero very close.” So many people came to where I was, we all looked over the side of the ship to see two dolphins playing with the waves made by our ship cutting through the water. Everyone had a great laugh. I was told to keep up the good work and that someday I would get the hang of it! I have always wondered if dolphin might taste a bit like tuna. You never know, they might make a good midrats sandwich.

Acts 15

Acts 15:1-2 Here is a very important topic that will come up again, but I want to pick up on scriptural authority. There are religions that will attempt to establish authority of biblical principle by dictating from a papal seat, or from an extra-biblical source such as writings that are considered inspired but not biblical. The most dangerous type of false teaching is when it begins to develop from within the doctrines of the established church of Jesus Christ.

Acts 15:3-5 Paul and Barnabas decided that a good report of conversion must be delivered to the Council at Jerusalem and along with them they brought some of the some of the other gentile believers, those that could attest to the grace of God at work in their lives. Their message was received, but opposition arose from some of the believing Pharisees. We should not be critical here, many of us who go to church today would like to see some of the old rituals of our past church life at work. We sort of think that by doing some religious act, we are helping God like us, forgetting that Jesus Christ does not need any help saving us. His work is complete and He does not like us, He LOVES us and that is why His work is completely by GRACE.

Acts 15:6-13 After much debate regarding the gospel, it is the apostle Peter who recalls his trip to Caesarea and meeting the Roman soldier Cornelius. He also reminds the council that he had a similar experience with the council when he returned from Caesarea. He defended God's grace then and he is about to do the same again here. Grace is what silences works, if salvation is not by grace then no one is saved, to the Jew first and also to the gentile. Tomorrow we will listen to what the apostle James says about the wonderful grace of God.

Now if you do not have your bible with you, the following is a link you can go to and find the verses of scripture I have referenced herein. Bible Gateway at: www.biblegateway.com/

 A Devotional Study of the Living Word of God

Psalm 119:48 Being totally committed to the Commandments of God is like a total workout with the body, soul and spirit. God is totally committed to you. He has a perfect Plan for your life, He sent His Son to rescue your soul and He provides minute by minute guidance through the Holy Spirit.

Good Morning

Someone asked me once about physical exercise on submarines. How does a person stay fit with four full meals a day? The fourth meal on most Navy ships is called midrats, or better titled midnight rations. Midnight rations are sometimes foods that are left over from the evening meal, but can be soup and sandwiches. Sailors can expect a full breakfast, lunch and dinner along with the midrats each and every day. With all of that food and no exercise, problems with health and weight can develop, that is; if you are inclined to be at every meal served. Most men miss a meal or two during the day because of sleep, or preference. This helps, but what really helps is daily exercise. Larger submarines have a small workout area, but others simply have a work space area that is big enough to run in place. The best method of running in place is to have a piece of rope about ten feet in length and a bicycle inner tube. Tie the rope to some solid object, then to the tube. Then get inside the ring of the tube, take the slack out of the rope and tube and start jogging. Now that works real well, in fact; if you cannot afford one of those treadmills from five hundred to a thousand dollars a bike tube and a piece of rope is less than ten dollars and I think it works better. One thing I miss is midnight soup and sandwiches and a glass of milk, maybe I should try that at home here? I wonder if Louise might be interested? Hummm!

Acts 14

Acts 14:19-20 And though I have, or bestow... (1 Corinthians 13:2-3) The strongest power in the universe and on this earth is the love of God. All of the forces of good and evil collectively, cannot match the power of love. Paul gives his body to the moment, religion attacks. He is stoned, beaten until he is thought to be dead. His love for the gospel of Jesus Christ put him there, and it is the love of God who through the disciples and prayer that raise him up for another day to preach the gospel.

Acts 13:21-28 “How can you tell whether or not you have the true gospel?” Paul gives us three tests.

First – What is the source of the gospel? Where did it come from? The answer to these two questions is that the gospel of Jesus Christ is divine revelation from God. The gospel is authentic because it comes from the only source of absolute truth. God Himself. Hebrews 1:1-4

Second – By the power to save. The true gospel is the gospel of grace, you cannot beg for it, buy it, borrow it from a friend, steal it, you cannot learn it or earn it. The gospel saves us because it is a gift of grace and not personal effort. Ephesians 2:1-10

Third - The Subject; in order to experience biblical faith, there must be an object or subject to rest a faith on. It is the grace of Jesus Christ, Jesus alone is the subject. From Genesis to Revelation, the Word of God is all about Jesus. His reputation is displayed to the universe and to this earth that there is no other source. Philippians 2:5-11

For this truth I praise God and daily accept that Jesus Christ is my LORD always. The joy of this truth in my soul today, is just as fresh as the morning of May 21, 1975 when I first trusted God; a day I will never forget!

Now if you do not have your bible with you, the following is a link you can go to and find the verses of scripture I have referenced herein. Bible Gateway at: www.biblegateway.com/

A Devotional Study of the Living Word of God

Psalm 119:48 Being totally committed to the Commandments of God is like a total workout with the body, soul and spirit. God is totally committed to you. He has a perfect Plan for your life, He sent His Son to rescue your soul and He provides minute by minute guidance through the Holy Spirit.

Good Morning

Someone asked me once about physical exercise on submarines. How does a person stay fit with four full meals a day? The fourth meal on most Navy ships is called midrats, or better titled midnight rations. Midnight rations are sometimes foods that are left over from the evening meal, but can be soup and sandwiches. Sailors can expect a full breakfast, lunch and dinner along with the midrats each and every day. With all of that food and no exercise, problems with health and weight can develop, that is; if you are inclined to be at every meal served. Most men miss a meal or two during the day because of sleep, or preference. This helps, but what really helps is daily exercise. Larger submarines have a small workout area, but others simply have a work space area that is big enough to run in place. The best method of running in place is to have a piece of rope about ten feet in length and a bicycle inner tube. Tie the rope to some solid object, then to the tube. Then get inside the ring of the tube, take the slack out of the rope and tube and start jogging. Now that works real well, in fact; if you cannot afford one of those treadmills from five hundred to a thousand dollars a bike tube and a piece of rope is less than ten dollars and I think it works better. One thing I miss is midnight soup and sandwiches and a glass of milk, maybe I should try that at home here? I wonder if Louise might be interested? Hummm!

Acts 14

Acts 14:19-20 And though I have, or bestow... (1 Corinthians 13:2-3) The strongest power in the universe and on this earth is the love of God. All of the forces of good and evil collectively, cannot match the power of love. Paul gives his body to the moment, religion attacks. He is stoned, beaten until he is thought to be dead. His love for the gospel of Jesus Christ put him there, and it is the love of God who through the disciples and prayer that raise him up for another day to preach the gospel.

Acts 13:21-28 “How can you tell whether or not you have the true gospel?” Paul gives us three tests.

First – What is the source of the gospel? Where did it come from? The answer to these two questions is that the gospel of Jesus Christ is divine revelation from God. The gospel is authentic because it comes from the only source of absolute truth. God Himself. Hebrews 1:1-4

Second – By the power to save. The true gospel is the gospel of grace, you cannot beg for it, buy it, borrow it from a friend, steal it, you cannot learn it or earn it. The gospel saves us because it is a gift of grace and not personal effort. Ephesians 2:1-10

Third - The Subject; in order to experience biblical faith, there must be an object or subject to rest a faith on. It is the grace of Jesus Christ, Jesus alone is the subject. From Genesis to Revelation, the Word of God is all about Jesus. His reputation is displayed to the universe and to this earth that there is no other source. Philippians 2:5-11

For this truth I praise God and daily accept that Jesus Christ is my LORD always. The joy of this truth in my soul today, is just as fresh as the morning of May 21, 1975 when I first trusted God; a day I will never forget!

Now if you do not have your bible with you, the following is a link you can go to and find the verses of scripture I have referenced herein. Bible Gateway at: www.biblegateway.com/