Tag Archives: God

Promises, Promises

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SONY DSCYou can trust God today. You can.

We all know God’s promises to us. He will never leave nor forsake us (Deuteronomy 31:6).

All things work for God for those that love God (Romans 8:28).

He will forgive us our sins (1 John 1:9).

He will be with us in the shadow of death (Psalm 23).

He wants good things for our future (Jeremiah 29:11).

We knows these things. We’ve heard these verses. We’ve heard sermons and bible studies on all these things that God has promised us. But, how do we know? How do we know that we can trust these things. How do we know?

Listen to what it says in Hebrew 6:17-18:

So when God desired to show more convincingly to the heirs of the promise the unchangeable character of his purpose, he guaranteed it with an oath, so that by two unchangeable things, in which it is impossible for God to lie, we who have fled for refuge might have strong encouragement to hold fast to the hope set before us.

God made a promise to us. And God is unable to lie. He cannot lie. It’s impossible. He is who He says that He is. His words are true. And we can believe them.

So today, you can trust these promises. You can believe them. You can know them. They are true.

You are not alone.

You are loved.

You are forgiven.

God will not leave you.

You will not walk through the valley alone.

God has promised you these things. And He cannot lie. Trust today. Let go of your fears and worries. Trust.

God will not leave you. He has promised that. And He is true to His word.

Don’t forget, you can click here to download Asbury’s mobile app and read these devotionals, as well as listen to my sermons on your smart phones.

Hope

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hopeIt’s so easy in life to hope in so many things.  To hope in our strength.  To hope in our might.  Our talent.  Our abilities.  Our worth.

There are so many things in life that we can place our hope in.

But, so many of these things will not last.  All of the stuff of earth will in time fail or become frail.

Our strength will grow weary.  Our might is fading.  Our talent and abilities are not perfect.

And so, what do we do?  What do we do when find our “best” is not enough. What do we do when we find that we can’t do it?  Fix it?

We turn to the place that we should actually start with. We turn to the place where our hope is actually found, where life, power, and strength are actually found.

We turn to God. We turn to Him and His strength. Listen what it says in Psalm 18:1-2 this morning.

I love you, O Lord, my strength. The Lord is my rock and my fortress and my deliverer, my God, my rock, in whom I take refuge, my shield, and the horn of my salvation, my stronghold.

The Lord is our strength.  He is our rock, our shield, our hope.  He is the one that we can count on.

He is the one that will save us.

Today, we don’t trust in your own might or in your own ability. Trust in Him and in His.  And He will not fail you.  He will not disappoint you.  He will not leave you.  No matter what.  You can trust in Him, today.

Today, may He be our hope. And that hope will never fail.

Don’t forget, you can click here to download Asbury’s mobile app and read these devotionals, as well as listen to my sermons on your smart phones.

God Wins

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One of the things that I’ve always stressed in ministry is this. Things will not always be easy. There will be times of trial, times of hurt, times of tears, times of worry, times of stress.

That’s a given. That’s a certainty. We see that in our lives. We know that from our experiences. We just know that. Things will not always be easy.

Even the Bible confirms that. We can even look within God’s Word and understand that man, sometimes it’s just going to stink. Sometimes, there’s no getting around it. It’s just going to be hard.

But you know what, even in that, it’s going to be ok. Listen to what is says in John 16:31-33:

Jesus answered them, “Do you now believe? Behold, the hour is coming, indeed it has come, when you will be scattered, each to his own home, and will leave me alone. Yet I am not alone, for the Father is with me. I have said these things to you, that in me you may have peace. In the world you will have tribulation. But take heart; I have overcome the world.”

keep-calm-for-i-have-overcome-the-worldJesus tells us there will be times when the disciples face troubles. They will be scattered. They will leave Jesus alone. Times will get tough, bad, and painful. It will not be fun.

The same is true for us. We know that. We can count those times in our minds right now.

But, keep reading. In the world you will have trouble. But, He has overcome the world. Yeah, it may be bad. It may be hard. You may not like it. You may feel like giving up.

Don’t. Do not give up. The world cannot win. The pain cannot will. The trials cannot win.

They will come. Sure. But Jesus has overcome them. He has triumphed over them. He has conquered them. He has won.

Yeah, troubles come. That’s ok. Remember what matters.

God wins. And through Him, so do we. It’s going to be ok.

God wins.

Don’t forget, you can click here to download Asbury’s mobile app and read these devotionals, as well as listen to my sermons on your smart phones.

Listen

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Jesus talks a lot bout being the shepherd and us being the sheep. He talks a lot how the sheep know Him and He knows them.

The sheep know the shepherd’s voice. And they follow it. No matter where it leads them.

Listen to what it says in John 10:25-27:

Jesus answered them, “I told you, and you do not believe. The works that I do in my Father’s name bear witness about me, but you do not believe because you are not part of my flock. My sheep hear my voice, and I know them, and they follow me.

windyThe sheep follow the voice of the shepherd because the sheep know that the shepherd has their best interest in mind. The sheep know that the shepherd loves them, cares for them, and will protect them.

The sheep know that the shepherd will protect them.

So do we. We know that our Good Shepherd loves us. Cares for us. Will protect us. Has our best interests in heart.

So we know that we can follow the voice of the shepherd wherever it is that He leads us. And it will be ok.

But, here’s the thing. We’ve got to learn to listen. We’ve got to learn to listen to the voice of the Good Shepherd.

We’ve got to listen for His voice. In prayer. In study. In worship. In service.

The Good Shepherd will call us. He will love us. He will lead us.

We just have to make sure that we are listening.

Don’t forget, you can click here to download Asbury’s mobile app and read these devotionals, as well as listen to my sermons on your smart phones.

What Are You Afraid Of?

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What are you afraid of today?  What is it that makes you scared? Worried? Terrified?

We all have something. We all have someone. We all something that take away our joy, our confidence, our hope. We are all afraid of something.

It’s that reason why that one of the most mentioned commands in the Bible is this. Do not be afraid. Do not fear. Over and over again in scripture we are told to do not be afraid.  Do not worry. Do not live in fear.

If God is for us, who can be against us, we are told.  Listen to what we are told today in Jeremiah:

But they shall serve the Lord their God and David their king, whom I will raise up for them. “Then fear not, O Jacob my servant, declares the Lord, nor be dismayed, O Israel; for behold, I will save you from far away, and your offspring from the land of their captivity. Jacob shall return and have quiet and ease, and none shall make him afraid.

urlThe people of Israel were going to be defeated by the foreign army. Their way of life was going to change forever. Nothing would ever be the same again. They were going to lose so much of what they knew, what they expected, what they had hoped for, what was the their foundation.

They were afraid. They were terrified with what was going to happen.

And so, in that moment, God speaks these words – do not be afraid. And then again at the end, no one shall make him afraid.

No one.

Nothing.

He will not be afraid, for I, the Lord, and with him. Do not fear.

And today, no matter where you are in your faith, that is His call to you as well. Do not be afraid. Do not fear. Do not worry. God is with you. God loves you. God is for you.

Do not fear.

Today, you have nothing to be afraid of. For you God is with you. Take confidence in that fact today!

Don’t forget, you can click here to download Asbury’s mobile app and read these devotionals, as well as listen to my sermons on your smart phones.

A Holy Place

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Today is a holy day.

You are standing in holy place. This is a sacred moment. You are, right now, at a moment, in a place, in a space, that is holy.

How can this be so? You may be reading this on your phone at work. You may be reading this at your home. You may be reading this in a place that you may not consider “holy.”

How can this place be holy? This is just a place. It’s not church. It’s not a place of significance. It’s just a place.

Nope.

It’s holy. Why? Because God is here. If God is here, then any place is holy. No matter where it is.

Look at what happens to Moses today in Exodus 3:2-6:

And the angel of the Lord appeared to him in a flame of fire out of the midst of a bush. He looked, and behold, the bush was burning, yet it was not consumed. And Moses said, “I will turn aside to see this great sight, why the bush is not burned.” When the Lord saw that he turned aside to see, God called to him out of the bush, “Moses, Moses!” And he said, “Here I am.” Then he said, “Do not come near; take your sandals off your feet, for the place on which you are standing is holy ground.” And he said, “I am the God of your father, the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob.” And Moses hid his face, for he was afraid to look at God.

urlThere he is, tending his sheep, minding his business. And he sees it. He sees a bush burning, but it is not consumed. He sees that something is happening. Something is different. Something is not as it should be.

So he goes to look. And what does he find? He finds the Lord. He finds that the Lord is there, that He is calling him, and that God has a mission for him.

God is there. So, since God is there, this place is holy. Even through it’s not church. Even through its plain. Even through there is nothing “holy” there, this place is holy.

Because God is there.

So is this moment in your life. So is this place where you are reading. So is this time. It’s holy. Why? Because God is here. Because God is with you. Because God will not forsake you.

This is a holy place. God is here. God is present. God is with you. God has not forgotten or forsaken. God is with you.

And will be. Through the Holy Spirit that lives in you and through you, as believer, God is present and with you. Never forget. Today, this moment, it holy.

Every moment, it is Holy.

God is here. That’s all that matters!

Don’t forget, you can click here to download Asbury’s mobile app and read these devotionals, as well as listen to my sermons on your smart phones.

What do we Trust?

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urlWhere is your hope today? Who do you trust? What do you trust? Where is our hope?

There are lots of things that we can trust in. We can trust in our own abilities. We can trust in our status. We can trust in our might. We can trust in ourselves.

Or, we can trust in others. Our friends. Our surroundings. Our families.

We can trust in out possessions. Our worth. Our stuff.

We can trust in so many things. But in the end, there in only one thing we can place our trust in.

Listen to what Psalm 62: 8-10 says today:

Trust in him at all times, O people; pour out your heart before him; God is a refuge for us. Those of low estate are but a breath; those of high estate are a delusion; in the balances they go up; they are together lighter than a breath. Put no trust in extortion; set no vain hopes on robbery; if riches increase, set not your heart on them.

This Psalm reminds us that God is our hope. He is the one that we place our trust in. Not the lowly. Not the mighty. Not the powers of this world. Not in extortion. Not in robbery. Not in wealth. Not in riches.

None of these things should be our hope.

None of these things should be what we trust in. For they are all fleeting. They are all frail. They will not last.

They will pass.

God is eternal. God is trustworthy. God is our refuge. God is our strength. God is our hope.

Today, do not place your trust in your own might or strength or stuff. Do not place your trust in the things of the world.

Place your trust in God. And He will not fail or disappoint you.

Today, trust in Him.

Don’t forget, you can click here to download Asbury’s mobile app and read these devotionals, as well as listen to my sermons on your smart phones.

God is for You

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urlToday, God is for you. God is on your side. God is with you.

God is your biggest fan, your biggest ally, your strongest strength, your greatest hope, your rock and salvation.

God is for you. Today.

No matter what you are going through, God is for you.

Now, this is not an “everything is perfect and easy and smooth” message. There will be tough times. There will be trials. There will be tears.

Listen to Psalm 56:8-11:

You have kept count of my tossings; put my tears in your bottle. Are they not in your book? Then my enemies will turn back in the day when I call. This I know, that God is for me. In God, whose word I praise, in the Lord, whose word I praise, in God I trust; I shall not be afraid. What can man do to me?

God keeps a record of our tears. God is aware. God knows our hurts, records them, keeps them.

But, God is for you. God is with us. We shall not be afraid. What can man do to us? What can this world do to us? What can there trials do to us?

For if God is for us, who can be against us?

Today, know, God is for you. No matter what is going on in your life, God is for you. God is with you. God will not leave you.

No matter what.

Today, God is for you.

Don’t forget, you can click here to download Asbury’s mobile app and read these devotionals, as well as listen to my sermons on your smart phones.

You Can Do It

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You ever felt like you couldn’t do something? Maybe a task at work. Maybe a homework assignment. Maybe you just feel overwhelmed by something.

Maybe you don’t feel like you are good enough to do something.

Maybe you don’t feel like you have the skills to do it.

May you just think that it’s impossible to do it.

You want to just stop and say, I can’t do it. There is no way that I can do this.

Jeremiah felt that way. God had called him to be a prophet, and he told God, basically, I can’t do this. There’s no way that I can do this thing that you’ve called me to do. It’s impossible.

Can’t happen.

By the way, that’s the reaction that most people have when they are called by God to do something. I can’t do it. There’s no way that I can do it. It’s just impossible. Can’t happen.

Listen to the words that God tells Jeremiah 1:6-8 this morning

Then I said, “Ah, Lord God! Behold, I do not know how to speak, for I am only a youth.” But the Lord said to me, “Do not say, “I am only a youth”; for to all to whom I send you, you shall go, and whatever I command you, you shall speak. Do not be afraid of them, for I am with you to deliver you, declares the Lord.”

Keep calm and believe you can do itHe says, don’t say that I’m too young. Don’t say that you can’t do it.

God says, if I tell you that you can do it, you can do it.

For I am with you. I will not leave you. I will not forsake you. In the midst of the troubles, trials, fears, worries, doubts, I am still God. I am still with you. I am still your rock and safety.

Do not worry. Do not fear.

For I am God.

And I am with you.

Do not say, – I can’t do this. You can. If God has called you to it, placed it on your heart, given you the vision, the calling, the passion, the heart for it, then you can do it.

He is with you. Do not fear. Do not worry. You can do it.

He is with you.

Don’t forget, you can click here to download Asbury’s mobile app and read these devotionals, as well as listen to my sermons on your smart phones.

When the World Falls Apart

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What do you do when your world falls apart?

That’s a tough question. It’s a tough thing to think about. It’s not fun to ponder or think about. But, what would we do? What would you do?

Who would you turn too?

In some ways, we’ve all been there. In our lives, we are comfortable with the way that much of it is constructed. And things are good. We feel good. We like it.

And then, something happens. Some tragedy. Some loss. Some pain.

What do we do?

Listen to what we told in Psalm 46: 1-3:

God is our refuge and strength, a very present help in trouble. Therefore we will not fear though the earth gives way, though the mountains be moved into the heart of the sea, though its waters roar and foam, though the mountains tremble at its swelling. Selah

2c6b65earefuge3-bigGod is our refuge and strength. Even through the earth gives way. Even though the mountains move to the heart of the sea, God is our refuge and strength.

God is our help in times of trouble.

When our world falls apart, when things go wrong, when things go bad, know this.

God is there. God has not left. God will not leave. God is there.

He is our help, our strength, our hope, our help, our life.

Today, trust. Even when it looks bad. Even when it’s hard. Even when there is pain and loss. Trust.

God is there. When the world crumbles, He is there.

Your help is in the Lord. Even in days of little hope. He is there.

Today, no matter what is going on trust in Him. And you will no be disappointed.

He will be there. Even when the world falls apart.

Don’t forget, you can click here to download Asbury’s mobile app and read these devotionals, as well as listen to my sermons on your smart phones.