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A sharing of Christian video sermons delivered globally by Archbishop Foley Beach
Episodes
Saturday Aug 07, 2021
Saturday Aug 07, 2021
“Lord, Teach Us to Pray” – A Life Lesson for Jesus Followers
MESSAGE SUMMARY: Luke emphasizes Jesus’ prayer life. The disciples, including Luke, would have seen Jesus pray every day and night, over three years, as they followed Him. In Luke 11:1, the disciples asked Jesus: “Now Jesus was praying in a certain place, and when he finished, one of his disciples said to him, ‘Lord, teach us to pray, as John taught his disciples.’”. Ask Jesus both to teach you to pray and lead you to a person that can teach you to pray. Then in 11:2-13, Jesus taught His disciples how to pray – The Lord’s Prayer. From Luke 11:2-13, we can envision God standing, with His hands wide open, to bless us; but we must pray and ask: “And he said to them, “When you pray, say: ‘Father, hallowed be your name. Your kingdom come. Give us each day our daily bread, and forgive us our sins, for we ourselves forgive everyone who is indebted to us. And lead us not into temptation.’ And he said to them, ‘Which of you who has a friend will go to him at midnight and say to him, ‘Friend, lend me three loaves, for a friend of mine has arrived on a journey, and I have nothing to set before him’; and he will answer from within, ‘Do not bother me; the door is now shut, and my children are with me in bed. I cannot get up and give you anything’? I tell you, though he will not get up and give him anything because he is his friend, yet because of his impudence he will rise and give him whatever he needs. And I tell you, ask, and it will be given to you; seek, and you will find; knock, and it will be opened to you. For everyone who asks receives, and the one who seeks finds, and to the one who knocks it will be opened. What father among you, if his son asks for a fish, will instead of a fish give him a serpent; or if he asks for an egg, will give him a scorpion? If you then, who are evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will the heavenly Father give the Holy Spirit to those who ask him!’.”
Be persistent in praying to the Lord and asking, as Jesus has instructed us through the Gospel of Luke and, indeed, like we are consistently instructed throughout the New Testament. For example, James, in James 4:2-3 implores Jesus Followers: “You desire and do not have, so you murder. You covet and cannot obtain, so you fight and quarrel. You do not have, because you do not ask. You ask and do not receive, because you ask wrongly, to spend it on your passions.".
In summary, prayer is a fundamental attribute of a Jesus Follower; and to this end, Jesus Followers must first ask God to “tech me to pray” and then seek the example of Paul in 1 Thessalonians 5:16-18: “Rejoice always, pray without ceasing, give thanks in all circumstances; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you.”.
TODAY’S PRAYER: Father, I confess that when difficulties and trials come into my life, large or small, I mostly grumble and complain. I realize the trials James talks about are not necessarily “walls,” but they are difficult to bear, nonetheless. Fill me with such a vision of a transformed life, O God, that I might actually consider it “pure joy” when you bring trials my way. I believe, Lord. Help my unbelief. In Jesus’ name, amen. Scazzero, Peter. Emotionally Healthy Spirituality Day by Day (p. 94). Zondervan. Kindle Edition.
TODAY’S AFFIRMATION: Today, I affirm that because of what God has done for me in His Son, Jesus, I AM RIGHTEOUS IN GOD’S EYES. God made Him who had no sin to be sin for us, so that in Him we might become the righteousness of God. (2 Corinthians 5:21).
SCRIPTURE REFERENCE (ESV): Luke 11:1-13; Luke 15:16; Luke 6:12; Luke 9:29; Luke 22:31-32; Luke 22:41; Luke 23:34; 1 Chronicles 4:10; 1 Corinthians 10:13-14; James 4:2-3; 1 Thessalonians 5:16-18.
A WORD FROM THE LORD WEBSITE: www.AWFTL.org.
WEBSITE LINK TO DR. BEACH’S DAILY DEVOTIONAL – “For a Jesus Follower in Difficult Circumstances, God: ‘is gracious and merciful, slow to anger, and abounding in steadfast love; and he relents over disaster’”: https://awordfromthelord.org/devotional/
DONATE TO AWFTL: https://mygiving.secure.force.com/GXDonateNow?id=a0Ui000000DglsqEAB
Saturday Jul 31, 2021
Saturday Jul 31, 2021
Jesus WILL Call You to Follow Him Without Reservations While You Incur Earthly Cost Inherent in Being a Jesus Follower
MESSAGE SUMMARY: Jesus asks us to follow Him, but it’s not like He is physically here on earth with us to show us the way. We must discern His intended way for us by listening to His voice and reading His Word and by aligning ourselves with the Holy Spirit who is leading us. Part of what Jesus is teaching us in Luke 9:51-60 is to stop making excuses and reasons for not following Him. Jesus calls us to follow Him now and without reservations and incurring those earthly cost inherent in being a Jesus Follower: “When the days drew near for him to be taken up, he set his face to go to Jerusalem. And he sent messengers ahead of him, who went and entered a village of the Samaritans, to make preparations for him. But the people did not receive him, because his face was set toward Jerusalem. And when his disciples James and John saw it, they said, ‘Lord, do you want us to tell fire to come down from heaven and consume them?’ But he turned and rebuked them. And they went on to another village. As they were going along the road, someone said to him, ‘I will follow you wherever you go.’ And Jesus said to him, ‘Foxes have holes, and birds of the air have nests, but the Son of Man has nowhere to lay his head.’ To another he said, ‘Follow me.’ But he said, ‘Lord, let me first go and bury my father.’ And Jesus said to him, ‘Leave the dead to bury their own dead. But as for you, go and proclaim the kingdom of God.’”.
Christians are not just believers in Jesus; Christians are followers of Jesus. In Matthew 10:37-39, Jesus significantly refines the context and implications of His call to us as His followers: “Whoever loves father or mother more than me is not worthy of me, and whoever loves son or daughter more than me is not worthy of me. And whoever does not take his worthy of me. Whoever finds his life will lose it, and whoever loses his life for my sake will find it.". Our calls from Jesus to follow Him may, often, be moment by moment. As Jesus said to the First Century Christians: follow me today! Is Jesus the Lord, or is Jesus your Lord? You must consciously make the decision to follow Jesus because He will call you.
Jesus said: “Follow me.”. Who and what are you following?
TODAY’S PRAYER: Lord, fill me with the simple trust that even out of the most awful evil around me, you are able to bring great good — for me, for others, and for your great glory. In Jesus’ name, amen. Scazzero, Peter. Emotionally Healthy Spirituality Day by Day (p. 91). Zondervan. Kindle Edition.
Today’s Affirmation: Today, I affirm that because of what God has done for me in His Son, Jesus, I AM FILLED WITH THE HOLY SPIRIT. If you then, though you are evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your Father in heaven give the Holy Spirit to those who ask him! (Luke 11:13).
SCRIPTURE REFERENCE (ESV): Luke 9:51-60; Matthew 10:34-42.
A WORD FROM THE LORD WEBSITE: www.AWFTL.org.
WEBSITE LINK TO DR. BEACH’S DAILY DEVOTIONAL – “Jesus Followers Are Given the Incredible Gift of the Holy Spirit - “your ears shall hear a word behind you, saying, ‘This is the way’”: https://awordfromthelord.org/devotional/
DONATE TO AWFTL: https://mygiving.secure.force.com/GXDonateNow?id=a0Ui000000DglsqEAB
Saturday Jul 24, 2021
Saturday Jul 24, 2021
Our Realities Speak to Our Real Priorities “For the kingdom of God is . . . of righteousness and peace and joy in the Holy Spirit”
MESSAGE SUMMARY: In Luke 12:32f, Jesus speaks to His priorities for us by declaring that He has given His followers His Kingdom. Living in His Kingdom sets Jesus’ priorities for us. The goal for us is to live to Kingdom priorities and not our priorities. In Rick Warren’s book The Purpose Driven Life, he presents five Kingdom Priorities: 1) worship; 2) fellowship; 3) discipleship; 4) ministry; and 5) evangelism. By being in fellowship with God, we can discern His priorities for our lives.
Luke 12 speaks to two priorities for God’s Kingdom: 1) being ready followers, and 2) and being a responsible steward. To be a ready follower of Jesus, we must: 1) be ready to give; 2) is ready to go and serve the Lord; and 3) be ready to greet the Master. For the Kingdom Priority of being a ready steward, we must answer the question: “After being entrusted with God by much, are we being responsible for His gifts?”. The point is not with what God has entrusted us but what we are doing with His trust He has provided us. It is a deep privilege to know God’s will for us and His trust for us. God will give us the tools and power to be good stewards of the trust that He has provided us if we are in fellowship with Him – God wants to bless us if we seek and follow His will for us.
“For the kingdom of God is not a matter of eating and drinking but of righteousness and peace and joy in the Holy Spirit." (Romans 14:17)
TODAY’S PRAYER: Father, I confess that when difficulties and trials come into my life, large or small, I mostly grumble and complain. I realize the trials James talks about are not necessarily “walls,” but they are difficult to bear, nonetheless. Fill me with such a vision of a transformed life, O God, that I might actually consider it “pure joy” when you bring trials my way. I believe, Lord. Help my unbelief. In Jesus’ name, amen. Scazzero, Peter. Emotionally Healthy Spirituality Day by Day (p. 94). Zondervan. Kindle Edition.
TODAY’S AFFIRMATION: Today, I affirm that because of what God has done for me in His Son, Jesus, I AM FORGIVEN. If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness. (1 John 1:9).
SCRIPTURE REFERENCE (ESV): Luke 12:32-48; Romans 14:17; 1 John 3:17.
A WORD FROM THE LORD WEBSITE: www.AWFTL.org.
WEBSITE LINK TO DR. BEACH’S DAILY DEVOTIONAL – “Jesus Followers Are the Enemy’s {devil’s} Target to Mess You Up and To Destroy Your Relationship with God”: https://awordfromthelord.org/devotional/
DONATE TO AWFTL: https://mygiving.secure.force.com/GXDonateNow?id=a0Ui000000DglsqEAB
Saturday Jul 17, 2021
Saturday Jul 17, 2021
The People of Gerasenes Asked Jesus, the God of the Universe, to Leave; How Often Do You Ask Jesus to Leave Your Life?
MESSAGE SUMMARY: Introduction From 7/11/21 -- Compassion Unpacked: God wants to have a heart-to-heart talk with us. Therefore, if there is anything in our lives blocking this talk with God, we must remove it – we need to open ourselves to what God will do for us if we will just let go of our life impediments. We must pray for God’s guidance that He keeps us from becoming judgmental, self-righteous, self-centered Christians like the Pharisees in Luke 7:36-50.
Today’s Message -- And They Asked Jesus to Leave: When Jesus stepped ashore after a storm-tossed sail across the Sea of Galilee, Luke 8:26-39 tells us that Jesus was met by a demon-possessed man. True Christians cannot be demon-possessed; the Holy Spirit indwells and possesses Christians. For non-believers, their spirit is void and open to passion by demons. However, Christians can be oppressed by demons.
In Luke 8:32-33, Luke tells us that the demons called Jesus by name and asked that they not be removed from the demon-posed man and be sent to the “abyss”. Therefore, Jesus removed the demons from the man and transferred the demons into a large herd of pigs: “Now a large herd of pigs was feeding there on the hillside, and they begged him to let them enter these. So he gave them permission. Then the demons entered the pigs, and the herd rushed down the steep bank into the lake and were drowned.". Subsequently, the people from the town came to observe the formerly possessed man and the fate of the pig herd (Luke 8:36-39): “And those who had seen it told them how the demon-possessed man had been healed. Then all the people of the surrounding country of the Gerasenes asked him {Jesus} to depart from them, for they were seized with great fear. So he got into the boat and returned. The man from whom the demons had gone begged that he might be with him, but Jesus sent him away, saying, ‘Return to your home, and declare how much God has done for you.’".
The people of the town asked Jesus, the Creator of the Universe, to leave because he had cost their economy, and they were afraid. However, “asking him {Jesus} to depart” is something we Christians do all too often. We learn from this story of the demon-possessed man and the people of “Gerasenes” that: 1) Jesus has power over demons (demon passion and oppression are real and should not be taken lightly); 2) it is easy to talk those people that we do not know well about what Jesus has done for us, but Jesus wants us to witness to our families and friends; 3) we should be careful what we invest, especially those investments that are against God’s law; 4) we do “ask Jesus to leave” – every time we sin, every time we begin our day without Jesus, every time we walk away from His calling on our lives, every time we say “my will be done” rather than “they will be done”; 5) Jesus wants us to share what He has done for us – wherever we are and whomever we are with, especially where we live and work; and 6) this story tells us who Jesus is – the demon-possessed man tells us (Luke 8:32) who Jesus is: “When he saw Jesus, he cried out and fell down before him and said with a loud voice, ‘What have you to do with me, Jesus, Son of the Most High God? I beg you, do not torment me.’”.
The ultimate question that we all must all answer: “Who do we say that Jesus is?”.
TODAY’S PRAYER: Lord, I now take a deep breath and stop. So often I miss your hand and gifts in my life because I am preoccupied and anxious. Grant me the power to pause each day and each week to simply rest in your arms of love. In Jesus’ name, amen. Scazzero, Peter. Emotionally Healthy Spirituality Day by Day (p. 132). Zondervan. Kindle Edition.
TODAY’S AFFIRMATION: Today, I affirm that because of what God has done for me in His Son, Jesus, I AM A CHILD OF GOD. Yet to all who received Him, to those who believed in His Name, He gave the right to become children of God-- children born not of natural descent, nor of human decision or a husband's will, but born of God. (John 1:12f).
SCRIPTURE REFERENCE (ESV): Ephesians 6:10; Luke 8:22-25; Luke 8:26-39.
A WORD FROM THE LORD WEBSITE: www.AWFTL.org.
WEBSITE LINK TO DR. BEACH’S DAILY DEVOTIONAL – “Letting God Be Lord Over Your Finances, which Are His but He Entrusted to You, Will Liberate Your Life!”: https://awordfromthelord.org/devotional/
DONATE TO AWFTL: https://mygiving.secure.force.com/GXDonateNow?id=a0Ui000000DglsqEAB
Saturday Jul 10, 2021
Saturday Jul 10, 2021
Jesus Followers Pray that God Keeps Us from Becoming Judgmental, Self-righteous, Self-centered Christians - Lacking Compassion
MESSAGE SUMMARY: Luke 7:36-50 describes the compassion of God revealed to those who come to Him in humility and faith. In unpacking Luke’s Gospel reference, Luke is relating a dinner party taking place in the home of a Pharisee. The Pharisees’ thought that their attempts at righteousness would earn them more favor with God, but their focus was outward not inward and in their hearts. The Pharisees were always in Jesus’ face attacking Jesus and trying to dismiss His teachings.
In the Scripture references from Luke and Matthew below, Jesus gave strong words of description and condemnation regarding the Pharisees’ hearts and behaviors. However, there were many Pharisees that were Godly and spiritual men. We need to be careful that we do not become twenty-first century Pharisees identified by Jesus in Luke 7. Like the Pharisees, many of us know the Word of God; but we need to be careful that we do not become judgmental and self-surviving, thereby missing the fresh wind of the Holy Spirit and forgetting to apply the love and Justice of God in our lives and relationships.
Jesus is at this dinner party, in Luke 7, given by a Pharisee, and we are told that a sinful woman comes into the party. The woman comes up behind Jesus and weeps with such intensity that her tears fall on Jesus’ feet. The woman, after her earlier conversion, is probably overcome with the conviction of her sinful life and remorse, thereby becoming a servant to her Lord. In these actions of conviction and love toward Jesus, Jesus explains, to Simon the Pharisee in Luke 7:47, that: “Therefore I tell you, her sins, which are many, are forgiven—for she loved much. But he who is forgiven little, loves little.”.
Simon the Pharisee represents many modern day “church people”. We can get caught up in our personal righteousness. We get used to the presence of God and His peace in our lives, but then we encounter a new Jesus Follower. They, before their conversion, were living in the ways of the world without God’s peace. Now, these new believers are so excited with their new life; and their outward manifestation of their conversion may not “fit” with our personal Christian behavioral norms. Sadly, too many modern Christians judge and condemn these new believers rather than loving, encouraging, and embracing these new believers. After all, none of us deserve the forgiveness of God: “I am who I am by the Grace of God through Jesus.”.
God wants to have a heart-to-heart talk with us. Therefore, if there is anything in our lives blocking this talk with God, we must remove it – we need to open ourselves to what God will do for us if we will just let go of our life impediments. We must pray for God’s guidance that He keeps us from becoming judgmental, self-righteous, self-centered Christians like the Pharisees in Luke 7.
TODAY’S PRAYER: Lord, help me to grab hold of you today. I need you. Set me free to begin reorienting my life around you, and you alone. Help me to pay attention to and honor how you have uniquely made me. Thank you for the gift of rest. In Jesus’ name, amen. Scazzero, Peter. Emotionally Healthy Spirituality Day by Day (p. 122). Zondervan. Kindle Edition.
TODAY’S AFFIRMATION: Today, I affirm that because of what God has done for me in His Son, Jesus, I AM RIGHTEOUS IN GOD’S EYES. God made Him who had no sin to be sin for us, so that in Him we might become the righteousness of God. (2 Corinthians 5:21).
SCRIPTURE REFERENCE (ESV): Luke 7:36-50; Matthew 5:20; Luke 11:37-44; Luke 15:1-7: Matthew 23:13-19; Matthew 23:23-36.
A WORD FROM THE LORD WEBSITE: www.AWFTL.org.
WEBSITE LINK TO DR. BEACH’S DAILY DEVOTIONAL – “Jesus Followers’ Righteousness Will Flow, with the Indwelling of the Holy Spirit, from Their Heart Through Their Personal Relationship with Jesus”: https://awordfromthelord.org/devotional/
DONATE TO AWFTL: https://mygiving.secure.force.com/GXDonateNow?id=a0Ui000000DglsqEAB
Saturday Jul 03, 2021
Saturday Jul 03, 2021
God Says: “If my people who are called by my name humble themselves, and pray and seek my face and turn from their wicked ways, then I . . . will forgive their sin and heal their land."
MESSAGE SUMMARY: As we prepare to celebrate our nations independence today, Archbishop Beach confesses that: “I come this day with a heavy heart for our nation; for our people; for our children; for our grandchildren; and people of faith.”. Over the past months, we have seen an unprecedented removal of ethical, moral, and spiritual foundations. These foundations have allowed this country, in the past, to be blessed by God; to be civil; to be protected; and to be successful. John Adams, signor of the Declarations of Independence and second President of the US said: “Our Constitution was made only for a moral and religious people. It {the US Constitution} is wholly inadequate to the government of any other {people}.”.
St. Paul referenced this “moral and religious” point of John Adams, succinctly, in 1 Corinthians 9:21: “to those outside the law I became as one outside the law (not being outside the law of God but under the law of Christ) that I might win those outside the law.”. St. Paul referred, again, to the “Law of Christ” in Galatians 6:2,9-10a: “Bear one another's burdens, and so fulfill the law of Christ . . . And let us not grow weary of doing good, for in due season we will reap, if we do not give up. So then, as we have opportunity, let us do good to everyone.”. Clearly, St. Paul’s “Law of Christ” was referencing Jesus’ admonition to us in John 15:12: “This is my commandment is that you love one another as I have loved you.”. “Doing good”, “love one another”, “Law of Christ” were the “moral and religious” concepts that John Adams, when he referred to the Constitution being made “only for moral and religious people”, believed that, in their absence, the Constitution would fail. Is America there yet?
In the times of Jeremiah, the nations of Israel and Judah were having their problems. The people were neglecting God; abandoning God’s commandments; and doing things God considered abominable – in summary, Jeremiah’s people had no fear of God. Given this situation, God says, in Jeremiah 5:29, “’Shall I not punish them for these things?’ declares the LORD, ‘and shall I not avenge myself on a nation such as this?’”. Given these situations in Scripture as a comparative context, we are now, like in the times of Jeremiah, pushing God’s patience. Therefore, we cannot expect for things to continue to go well. God’s laws are meant for blessing and protecting us, and our actions now are mocking God. Again, we can refer to St. Paul and Galatians 6 when St. Paul instructs us, in Galatians 6:7, that God cannot be mocked: “Do not be deceived: God is not mocked, for whatever one sows, that will he also reap.”.
Great Britain declared that February 21, 1781 would be a day of prayer and fasting. On this day, the Anglican pastor John Newton, who wrote Amazing Grace, preached a sermon on Jeremiah 5:29. Several comments from Newton’s sermon enlighten us on God and the affairs of nations.
Since we have had a public covenant with God through Jesus’ Great Commandment, do you thank that God will not take notice of our public divorce from Him through our actions and the turning of our backs on Him?
God tells us, in 2 Chronicles 7:14, that “If my people who are called by my name humble themselves, and pray and seek my face and turn from their wicked ways, then I will hear from heaven and will forgive their sin and heal their land.". Following God’s command for prayer when a nation has gone away from his blessings, Paul’s instructions to Timothy, in 1 Timothy 2:1-6, are valid for everybody today as we now live in what some, who are not Jesus Followers, are referring to these times in our country as a “post-Christian culture”: 1) we should remain diligent in our prayers, and our prayers should concern and consider everyone, including all those in authority (e.g., presidents, cabinet members, legislators, governors, mayors, judges); 2) our hearts should be concerned for everyone’s Salvation; and 3) our message (i.e. there is one mediator between God and mankind – Jesus the Christ) should concern everyone.
Nations come and go; civilizations come and go; and institutions come and go; but God and His Word abide forever. Therefore, we all should throw ourselves on the mercy of God because it is only by God’s mercy that His hand will be stayed. Remember, God’s justice is getting what we deserve, but God’s mercy is not getting what we deserve.
Are we praying? Are our churches houses of prayer, are we repenting for ourselves and our nation; and are we praying for a spiritual awakening in our nation and in the world, which will turn this nation and world back to God, before there is no more mercy?
As in Isaiah 6:8, “And I heard the voice of the Lord saying, ‘Whom shall I send, and who will go for us?’ Then I said, ‘Here I am! Send me.’” – YOU CAN do something in the name of Jesus the Christ as He calls and leads you; and if not you then who?
TODAY’S PRAYER: Lord, everything in me resists following you into the garden of Gethsemane to fall on my face to the ground before you. Grant me the courage to follow you all the way to the cross, whatever that might mean for my life. And then, by your grace, lead me to resurrection life and power. In Jesus’ name, amen. Scazzero, Peter. Emotionally Healthy Spirituality Day by Day (p. 100). Zondervan. Kindle Edition.
TODAY’S AFFIRMATION: I affirm that because of what God has done for me in His Son, Jesus, I AM FILLED WITH THE HOLY SPIRIT. If you then, though you are evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your Father in heaven give the Holy Spirit to those who ask him! (Luke 11:13).
SCRIPTURE REFERENCE (ESV): Jeremiah 5:11-31; Galatians 6:1-18; Matthew 11:21-24; Romans 1:18-32; 1 Timothy 2:1-6; 2 Chronicles 7:14; Isaiah 6:8; 1 Corinthians 9:21.
A WORD FROM THE LORD WEBSITE: www.AWFTL.org.
WEBSITE LINK TO DR. BEACH’S DAILY DEVOTIONAL – “Jesus Followers Have a Personal Relationship with the Creator of the Universe So Pray, Listen, and Be Patient for God’s Call”: https://awordfromthelord.org/devotional/
DONATE TO AWFTL:https://mygiving.secure.force.com/GXDonateNow?id=a0Ui000000DglsqEAB
Saturday Jun 26, 2021
Saturday Jun 26, 2021
Today’s World Is Fertile Ground for a Spiritual Awakening that Calls Jesus Followers to Obey and be “Strong and Courageous” – God Is with Us and In Us
MESSAGE SUMMARY: We have been equipped, as God told Jeremiah in Jeremiah 29:11-12, for God’s purposes in our lives: “For I know the plans I have for you, declares the LORD, plans for welfare and not for evil, to give you a future and a hope. Then you will call upon me and come and pray to me, and I will hear you.". In Joshua 1:9, God commands us to be strong and courageous because He is with us. Also, God gave Joshua truths that would confirm God’s support in His command of Joshua: “Have I not commanded you? Be strong and courageous. Do not be frightened, and do not be dismayed, for the LORD your God is with you wherever you go.”.
Often the Lord has called or commanded us to do something in His service, but tough decisions for us arise for us when we are not fully committed to obey God; and we fall into disobedience. When we obey God’s commands, He steps into lives with support for us to achieve His command. Also, God instructed Joshua, in Joshua 1:6, to be “strong and courageous”: “Be strong and courageous, for you shall cause this people to inherit the land that I swore to their fathers to give them.". We must be “strong and courageous” to do the will of God when we are called. Additionally, God commanded Joshua to be committed to the Word of God.
Courage is acting and speaking even though you are afraid. If you follow God’s call and seek His will to live and act in His Word, there is no reason to be overcome by fear because “your God is with you wherever you go”. After God’s grace through Jesus, God is in us through His gift to us of the Holy Spirit. You get strong by exercising the “muscles” of your faith and commitment to God’s will and His word – often pushing your “commitment to God” beyond levels you thought possible. Spiritual strength comes from having God with you and in you.
TODAY’S PRAYER: Lord, grant me wisdom and prudence to see the larger picture, to wait, and to discern the seasons in my life with you. Forgive me for fighting the “deaths” you send into my life in order to plant something new. In Jesus’ name, amen. Scazzero, Peter. Emotionally Healthy Spirituality Day by Day (p. 107). Zondervan. Kindle Edition.
TODAY’S AFFIRMATION: I affirm that because of what God has done for me in His Son, Jesus, I AM FORGIVEN. If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness. (1 John 1:9).
SCRIPTURE REFERENCE (ESV): Jeremiah 29:11-12; Joshua 1:9; Joshua 1:6; Joshua 1:7; James 1:22; Hebrews 10:23; Joshua 1:8: 2 Timothy 3:16-17; Matthew 28:16-20. Ephesians 6:10-12.
A WORD FROM THE LORD WEBSITE: www.AWFTL.org.
WEBSITE LINK TO DR. BEACH’S DAILY DEVOTIONAL – “To Be a Jesus Follower, You Must First Enter the Only Door to God’s Kingdom and that Door is Jesus – the Door to Eternal Life”: https://awordfromthelord.org/devotional/
DONATE TO AWFTL: https://mygiving.secure.force.com/GXDonateNow?id=a0Ui000000DglsqEAB
Saturday Jun 19, 2021
Saturday Jun 19, 2021
The Ultimate Call of a Father -- Where Are the Faithful Fathers?
MESSAGE SUMMARY:
Special Message: The Five Needs of Fathers: On Father's Day, we need to understand God's expectations of Fathers. Dads are to bring up their children in "the way they should go" (their calling). The Five Needs of Dads: 1) Companionship; 2) Respect; 3) Know How to Face Temptation; 4) Not to Be Foolish; and 5) and Remember that God Expects You to Be a dad. Discipline, wisely administered by fathers, is an important attribute and need for fathers, as the author of Hebrews tells us in Hebrews 12:9-11: “. . . we have had earthly fathers who disciplined us and we respected them. Shall we not much more be subject to the Father of spirits and live? For they disciplined us for a short time as it seemed best to them, but he disciplines us for our good, that we may share his holiness. For the moment all discipline seems painful rather than pleasant, but later it yields the peaceful fruit of righteousness to those who have been trained by it.”.
Sermon for Today: Where are the faithful fathers? More and more couples are coming into marriage having not been raised by a father. God is an incredible example for us to look to for guidance in being a father. One of God's characteristics, as a father, is His faithfulness. Faithfulness, as dads, includes faithfulness in our relationships with: 1) God – daily communion in our personal relationship with God and our corporate worship; 2) our wives -- no relationship for a man, other than his relationship with God, is as important as his relationship with his wife; 3) our children – be present physically and engage with our children emotionally and spiritually; and 4) our finances – when finances are sound and in order, God’s peace surrounds the family.
We can begin practicing our faithfulness in our lives through our focus on: 1) the little things in our lives – like our words and acts of kindness; 2) watching out for the secret things – who we are when no one is watching is who we are; and 3) asking God to help and fill you with the Holy Spirit.
There is a void of faithful men and fathers today; therefore, Dads, ask God to help you to be faithful as a father. Fathers should hope that, when we are judged by God, He tells us: “Well done good and faithful servant!”.
TODAY’S PRAYER: Lord, may your will, not my will, be done in my life. You know how easy it is to call myself a Christian but then become busy, forgetting about your will and desires. Forgive me for this sin. Help me listen to you, and grant me the courage to faithfully surrender to you. In Jesus’ name, amen. Scazzero, Peter. Emotionally Healthy Spirituality Day by Day (p. 25). Zondervan. Kindle Edition.
TODAY’S AFFIRMATION: Today, I affirm that because of what God has done for me in His Son, Jesus, I AM A CHILD OF GOD. Yet to all who received Him, to those who believed in His Name, He gave the right to become children of God-- children born not of natural descent, nor of human decision or a husband's will, but born of God. (John 1:12f).
SCRIPTURE REFERENCE (ESV): Hebrews 12:9-11; Ephesians 6:4; Lamentations 3:22; 1 John 1:10; 1 Thessalonians 5:23-24.
TODAY’S AFFIRMATION: Today, I affirm that because of what God has done for me in His Son, Jesus, I AM RIGHTEOUS IN GOD’S EYES. God made Him who had no sin to be sin for us, so that in Him we might become the righteousness of God. (2 Corinthians 5:21).
A WORD FROM THE LORD WEBSITE: www.AWFTL.org.
WEBSITE LINK TO DR. BEACH’S DAILY DEVOTIONAL – “God Sees Jesus Followers as “In Christ”: “There is neither Jew nor Greek, there is neither slave nor free, there is no male and female, for you are all one in Christ Jesus’”: https://awordfromthelord.org/devotional/
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Saturday Jun 12, 2021
Saturday Jun 12, 2021
Are You Being Led by the Holy Spirit, or Are YOU DOING WHAT YOU THINK IS BEST? Be filled with the Holy Spirit
MESSAGE SUMMARY: On Pentecost, the birthday of the Church, the Holy Spirit, the third entity of the Trinity, was poured out; therefore, everyone is entitled to have a personal relationship with God through prayer and the Holy Spirit. The Apostle Luke, in Acts 2:38, tells us of God’s gift of the Holy Spirit to Christians: “And Peter said to them, ‘Repent and be baptized every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins, and you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit.’". Pentecost changed the previous limited and temporary inclusion of the Holy Spirit into human life relationships with God to a gift from God, as a part of His Grace of Salvation through Jesus, to the Holy Spirit’s availability to all that believe and are Jesus Followers.
In 1900, the world-wide awakening with the Holy Spirit began when a humble Roman Catholic Nun obeyed the voice of the Lord and wrote to Pope Leo encouraging him to pray for a fresh outpouring of the Holy Spirit. Based on his concerns with all that was going on in the world, Pope Leo responded to the letter by calling an assembly of the College of Cardinals to a prayer vigil at the Vatican on New Year’s Eve. This beginning spread the same night to Topeka Kansas; and the Holy Spirit descended over the world during the next six years with one revival in California lasting twenty-four hours a day for three years; and the world received a fresh outpouring of the Holy Spirit.
Today, we and the world need to be refreshed by the Holy Spirit -- this is what Pentecost is all about. The Holy Spirit is the presence of Jesus among us. Our being filled with the Holy Spirit is normal Christianity. It is the Holy Spirit that enables us to commune with God and to have a personal relationship with Him -- the Holy Spirit is the presence of Jesus among us. You cannot live the Christian life without the Holy Spirit. Pentecost reminds us that we are given Spiritual Gifts so that we might be a witness to the Lord.
You will be filled with the Holy Spirit every day that you surrender your life to the Holy Spirit. You cannot be filled with the Holy Spirit if you are consumed by sin and the desires of your flesh.
Are You being led by the Holy Spirit, or are you just doing what you think is best? Be filled with the Holy Spirit.
TODAY’S AFFIRMATION: Today, I affirm that because of what God has done for me in His Son, Jesus, I AM RIGHTEOUS IN GOD’S EYES. God made Him who had no sin to be sin for us, so that in Him we might become the righteousness of God. (2 Corinthians 5:21).
SCRIPTURE REFERENCE (ESV): Acts 2:38; Genesis 1:2; 1 Corinthians 2:1-11; Acts 2:1-13; Ephesians 5:18; 2 Peter 1:20; Galatians 5:16-20; Philippians 4:13-20; Acts 1:8.
TODAY’S PRAYER: Father, teach me to trust you even when I feel like I am alone and that you are asleep in the boat with storms raging all around me. Awaken me to the treasures that can only be found in darkness. Grant me the grace to follow you into the next place you have for me in this journey called life. In Jesus’ name, amen. Scazzero, Peter. Emotionally Healthy Spirituality Day by Day (p. 82). Zondervan. Kindle Edition.
A WORD FROM THE LORD WEBSITE: www.AWFTL.org.
WEBSITE LINK TO DR. BEACH’S DAILY DEVOTIONAL – “Your Sin Is Never Too Great so that You Are Lost to God’s Salvation – ‘Return to Me {God}, and I Will Return to You’”: https://awordfromthelord.org/devotional/
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Saturday Jun 05, 2021
Saturday Jun 05, 2021
Jesus Followers’ Personal Pentecost Characterizes Life Positively Through the Holy Spirit and a Personal Relationship with God
MESSAGE SUMMARY: On Pentecost, the birthday of the Church, the Holy Spirit, the third entity of the Trinity, was poured out; therefore, Jesus Followers entitled to have a personal relationship with God through prayer and the Holy Spirit. The Apostle Luke, in Acts 2:38, tells us of God’s gift of the Holy Spirit to Christians: “And Peter said to them, ‘Repent and be baptized every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins, and you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit.’". Pentecost changed the previous limited and temporary inclusion of the Holy Spirit into human life relationships with God to a gift from God, as a part of His Grace of Salvation through Jesus, to the Holy Spirit’s availability to all that believe and follow Jesus.
How would you characterize your life in terms of peace vs. anxiety and God’s presence vs. emptiness? If you cannot characterize your life in a positive context vis-à-vis your personal relationship with God through the Holy Spirit, then you need a Personal Pentecost in your life.
Characteristics of the Holy Spirit include: 1) is the divine indweller – we can participate in the divine nature of God through the Holy Spirit; and 2) produces the divine character – manifests in us the graces of Jesus, and we need to learn to live in the power of a Personal Pentecost,
What is entailed in our living in the “Power of Pentecost”? A Personal Pentecost includes: 1) receiving Jesus, on a personal basis, into your life and by asking: “Does the Holy Spirit have me?”; and 2) regular and daily confession of your sin with regular repentance – allowing the will of God to be manifest in your life.
By following Jesus, the Holy Spirit is indwelling in you like the pilot light in a furnace which burns but without real heat being produced unless the Pilot Light is permitted to light the furnace. Therefore, you need to ignite the furnace to use the power of the pilot light (i.e. Holy Spirit) to produce the power available from the Holy Spirit in your life and in the lives of those people that God is asking you to touch. This ignition of the furnace in your life is your Personal Pentecost.
TODAY’S AFFIRMATION: I affirm that because of what God has done for me in His Son, Jesus, I AM FILLED WITH THE HOLY SPIRIT. If you then, though you are evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your Father in heaven give the Holy Spirit to those who ask him! (Luke 11:13).
SCRIPTURE REFERENCE (ESV): Acts 2:38; Genesis 1:2; John 7:38; 2 Peter 1:3-4; John 14:16; Galatians 5:22; Romans 14:17; Romans 15:13; Romans 5:5; Romans 4:29-30; 1 Thessalonians 5:16.
A WORD FROM THE LORD WEBSITE: www.AWFTL.org.
WEBSITE LINK TO DR. BEACH’S DAILY DEVOTIONAL – “As a Jesus Follower, the Greatest Witness for the Gospel that You Can Give Is for Others to See Jesus IN You”: www.AWFTL.org/watch
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