Sermon Notes; a Daily Devotional

Romans 8:31&32 "31 What shall we then say to these things? If God be for us, who can be against us? 32 He that spared not His own Son, but delivered Him up for us all, how shall He not with Him also freely give us all things?" This week we studied how God wants us to "stand against the wiles of the devil." God has given us resources to help us. Paul describes them well as "the WHOLE armour of God," Like every set of quality tools, they work best when used together. For today's verse we turn to another one of Paul's letters. In these two verses, the case is made that we need to follow GOD'S plan. God went to extraordinary lengths to demonstrate His love for us by giving up His only Son. We can trust that He will provide us with all the things He has promised us. Including the WHOLE ARMOR of GOD. God’s generosity and abundance is far greater than we expected. Know this, your salvation is not just about forgiveness of sins, but about being ado...

Ephesians 6:13  "Wherefore take unto you the whole armour of God, that ye may be able to withstand in the evil day, and having done all, to stand." God wants us to "stand against the wiles of the devil." God has given us resources to help us. Paul describes them well as "the WHOLE armour of God," Like every set of quality tools, they work best when used together. We are not only challenged by our fellow human beings. There are commanding evil spirits. There are MIGHTY FORCES of evil, including angels and demons, that OPERATE in the UNSEEN world. Their actions affect the world we live in! They oppose faith, love, and holiness. Evil spirits that inhabit the heavenly realms, seeking to infuse unbelief, pride, idolatry, malice, envy, anger, and hatred. We experience their handiwork in our world today. Today's verse reinforces GOD'S promise to us. "Wherefore take unto you the WHOLE armour of God, that ye may be able to withstand in the evil day, an...

Ephesians 6:12 "For we wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this world, against spiritual wickedness in high places." Paul's words to the Ephesians can help you and me today. God wants us to "stand against the wiles of the devil." God has given us resources to help us. Paul describes them well in the coming verses. Like every set of quality tools, they work best when used together. And we are instructed to "Put on the WHOLE armour of God," not just one piece. Or, one piece here and another there. Or, one piece today and another piece tomorrow. Nope. Put the WHOLE thing on. Today's jam-packed verse tells us why. "For we wrestle not against flesh and blood," It's not just our fellow human beings that we contend with. It is far more than that! "but against principalities, against powers," There are commanding evil spirits and RULING over the darkn...

Ephesians 6:11 "Put on the whole armour of God, that ye may be able to stand against the wiles of the devil." We want to form a solid united front against Satan. We turn to Paul's letter to the Ephesians. Paul cared deeply for the Ephesians. He lived with them for three years as this church was forming. He wants to encourage them and help them become successful. His words can help you and me today. God wants us to "stand against the wiles of the devil." God has given us resources to help us. Paul describes them well in the coming verses. Like every set of quality tools, they work best when used together. And we are instructed to "Put on the WHOLE armour of God," not just one piece. Or, one piece here and another there. Or, one piece today and another piece tomorrow. Nope. Put the WHOLE thing on. You will be glad you did.

Ephesians 6:10 "Finally, my brethren, be strong in the Lord, and in the power of His might." We continue our study of the Lord's Prayer. This week, "Deliver Us From Evil." is also translated as "Deliver Us From The Evil One." We need to remain "sober" and "vigilant." A big part of this is studying the Holy Scriptures, like we are doing. We want to form a solid united front against Satan.  For the heart of our studies we turn to Paul's letter to the Ephesians. It was one of four letters Paul wrote while in prison in Rome. Paul cared deeply for the Ephesians. He lived with them for three years as this church was forming. He wants to encourage them and help them become successful. His words can help you and me today.

1 Peter 5:9 "Whom resist stedfast in the faith, knowing that the same afflictions are accomplished in your brethren that are in the world." The translators say this verse is particularly beautiful in Greek. The wording is such that it does NOT mean that each individual has to stand firm. Rather, it says that everyone together is to be a solid united front against the "lion." And, the verse goes on to console us that the temptations and troubles that we suffer from are no worse than what other people experience. The Rock, Peter, perfectly describes Satan "as a ROARING LION, walketh about, seeking whom he may DEVOUR:" This is exactly right. Satan’s temptations will tear apart and wreck your life like it was attacked by the king of beasts. You might prefer to be attacked by the lion over the attacks of Satan. We need to remain "sober" and "vigilant." A big part of this is studying the Holy Scriptures, like we are doing. And, our study of t...

1 Peter 5:8 "8 Be sober, be vigilant; because your adversary the devil, as a roaring lion, walketh about, seeking whom he may devour:" We continue our study of the Lord's Prayer. This week, "Deliver Us From Evil." Also translated as "Deliver Us From The Evil One." It's appropriate following last week's study of temptation, with Satan’s failed attempts to make Jesus falter. Jesus used this event to train His followers to battle the work of the Devil through the Holy Scriptures. Remaining open to the Holy Ghost to lead you, strengthen you and keep you. Make no mistake about it, Satan is working to steal, kill and destroy. He is waiting for the opportunity to take advantage of our moment of weakness. The Rock, Peter, perfectly describes it in today's verse. "Be sober, be vigilant; because your adversary the devil, as a ROARING LION, walketh about, seeking whom he may DEVOUR:" This is exactly right. Satan’s temptations will tear apart...

Luke 4:12&13 "12 And Jesus answering said unto him, It is said, Thou shalt not tempt the Lord thy God. 13 And when the devil had ended all the temptation, he departed from Him for a season." Satan tried to tempt Jesus. Satan failed. Deuteronomy 6:16 is the verse Jesus quotes. All rational creatures will fall under this general law. GOD is the creator and governor, all are subject to His rule. Jesus reminded Satan of this and there was nothing more he could do. Satan is done. Satan did not give in easily. This was his third attempt. Jesus stood strong and quoted Holy Scriptures. This demonstrates the power of knowing Scripture. Everyone should spend time studying GOD'S word. The Holy Ghost will lead you. Partner with God's Spirit to strengthen you and keep you. Let the Holy Ghost coach you. Encourage you to do better. Drive you to achieve goals you could not otherwise. Here are some tips on memorizing Holy Scripture... https://search.brave.com/search?q=memorize+bib...

Luke 4:10&11 "10 For it is written, He shall give His angels charge over Thee, to keep Thee: 11 And in their hands they shall bear Thee up, lest at any time Thou dash Thy foot against a stone." Jesus has rebuked two of Satan’s temptations with verses from Holy Scriptures. So, Satan’s third temptation is to twist Holy Scripture to trick Jesus.  Satan is trying to tempt Jesus to act impulsively, ignoring God’s will and timing. All of Satan’s works are tricks and fakery. He can only steal, kill and destroy. In his work he is prolific and cunning.  Satan doesn't give up easily. He doesn't need to deliver on his false promises. He just needs you to give in to temptation. We need to be prepared for Satan to attack our weaknesses. Use the Holy Scriptures to strengthen yourself. Don't keep temptation around. Get rid of it. Use the scriptures to wipe out temptation. Jesus shared His account of this interaction with Satan to inform and educate His followers! We get to l...

Luke 4:8&9 "8 And Jesus answered and said unto him, Get thee behind Me, Satan: for it is written, Thou shalt worship the Lord thy God, and Him only shalt thou serve. 9 And he brought Him to Jerusalem, and set Him on a pinnacle of the temple, and said unto Him, If thou be the Son of God, cast thyself down from hence:" Jesus shared His account of this interaction with Satan to inform and educate His followers! We get to learn from this too! Notice, Satan doesn't give up easily. First, he tried to get Jesus to turn stones into bread. Jesus is starving, having fasted for FORTY DAYS in the wilderness. Then Satan offers every kingdom in the world. He doesn't need to deliver on his false promises. He just needs you to give in to temptation. In today's verse, Jesus beats back Satan by quoting Holy Scriptures. "And Jesus answered and said unto him, Get thee behind Me, Satan: for it is written, Thou shalt worship the Lord thy God, and HIM ONLY shalt thou serve....

Luke 4:6&7 "6 And the devil said unto Him, All this power will I give Thee, and the glory of them: for that is delivered unto me; and to whomsoever I will I give it. 7 If Thou therefore wilt worship me, all shall be Thine." Satan will offer things that are not his to give. He doesn't need to deliver on his false promises. He just needs you to give in to temptation. Satan’s offers are tempting. But, like this instance, his offers are fake. Jesus was there when this world was created. "all the kingdoms of the world" already belong to Jesus! He doesn't need to worship anybody. It's laughable to even suggest such a thing. Satan didn't give up easily. Just before this, he tried to get Jesus to turn stones into bread. Jesus is starving, having fasted for FORTY DAYS in the wilderness. During this encounter with the adversary, Jesus was ALONE. Which means that Jesus shared His account of this interaction to inform and educate His followers! We get to lea...

Luke 4:4&5 "4 And Jesus answered him, saying, It is written, That man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word of God. 5 And the devil, taking Him up into an high mountain, shewed unto Him all the kingdoms of the world in a moment of time." In the Lord's Prayer we say "And lead us not into temptation." This is NOT to say that God tempts us. We pray this petition so that God will guard and keep us so that the devil, the world, and our sinful nature may not deceive us or mislead us into false belief, despair, and other great shame and vice. Even Jesus faced temptations. In the Gospel of Luke, after Jesus was baptized, He heads into the wilderness ALONE. He miraculously fasted for FORTY DAYS! At this point we can say Jesus was as HUNGRY as any person ever has been!  Of course, this is when Satan makes his move. Satan attacks when we are vulnerable. When we are tired and hungry, here he is going for Jesus's pride, "IF" you are the Son of Go...

Luke 4:2&3 "2 Being forty days tempted of the devil. And in those days He did eat nothing: and when they were ended, He afterward hungered. 3 And the devil said unto Him, If thou be the Son of God, command this stone that it be made bread." We continue to study the Lord's Prayer. This week we will move on to the sixth petition, "And lead us not into temptation." This is NOT to say that God tempts us. We pray this petition so that God will guard and keep us so that the devil, the world, and our sinful nature may not deceive us or mislead us into false belief, despair, and other great shame and vice. In the Holy Bible we turn to the Gospel of Luke, chapter four. Jesus was just baptized by His cousin. Where the voice of God was heard saying "Thou art My beloved Son; in Thee I am well pleased." From this PEAK experience Jesus heads into the wilderness ALONE. In situations where people were buried alive, they survived for twenty-one days without food or...

Luke 4:1 "And Jesus being full of the Holy Ghost returned from Jordan, and was led by the Spirit into the wilderness," Last week we studied forgiveness. Ending with the quality of being TENDERHEARTED. Seeing the best in everything and in everybody. Being the first to offer kind words and encouragement. Being eager to help when needed. And, when situations are especially challenging, we should turn it over to Jesus. He will work it out. You don't have to. You can forgive them. We want to live according to Jesus's teaching. We don't want to live any other way. This week we will move on to the sixth petition, "And lead us not into temptation." This is NOT to say that God tempts us. We pray this petition so that God will guard and keep us so that the devil, the world, and our sinful nature may not deceive us or mislead us into false belief, despair, and other great shame and vice. In the Holy Bible we turn to the Gospel of Luke, chapter four, verse one. ...

Ephesians 4:31&32 "31 Let all bitterness, and wrath, and anger, and clamour, and evil speaking, be put away from you, with all malice: 32 And be ye kind one to another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, even as God for Christ's sake hath forgiven you." If you know, you know. In the Christian faith we have saints who embody the qualities described in today's verses. They see the best in everything and in everybody. They are the first to offer kind words and encouragement. They are there to help when needed. It is truly a beautiful thing to experience. "...TENDERHEARTED, forgiving one another, even as God for Christ's sake hath FORGIVEN you." It's incredible that GOD forgives you and me. It is on one condition. The two verses immediately following the Lord’s Prayer, in the Gospel of Matthew, tell us that we have to FORGIVE the people who do wrong against us. GOD is merciful if you are merciful. If you are cruel and revengeful to others, GOD wil...

Psalms 32:5 "I acknowledged my sin unto Thee, and mine iniquity have I not hid. I said, I will confess my transgressions unto the LORD; and Thou forgavest the iniquity of my sin. Selah." As we repent of our sins, we are being truthful to ourselves and to GOD. Then we can be truthful to our family and friends. It's incredible that GOD forgives you and me. But, it is on one condition. The two verses immediately following the Lord’s Prayer, in the Gospel of Matthew, tell us that we have to forgive the people who do wrong against us. GOD is merciful if you are merciful. If you are cruel and revengeful to others, GOD will not be merciful to you. In today's verse we read affirmation of this principle. Written by King David about one thousand years before Jesus's incarnation. "I acknowledged my sin unto Thee, and mine iniquity have I not hid. I said, I will confess my transgressions unto the LORD; and Thou forgavest the iniquity of my sin. Selah." Unconfessed s...

1 John 1:9 "If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness." We NEED GOD'S forgiveness. As yesterday's verse pointed out, we have all sinned. We need to realize this. We need to repent of our sins. We need to be truthful to ourselves and GOD. Start there, and then we can be truthful to our family and friends. Today's verse tells us GOD will forgive us. "If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness." It's incredible news that GOD forgives you and me. But, it is on one condition. The two verses immediately following the Lord’s Prayer, in the Gospel of Matthew, tell us that we have to forgive the people who do wrong against us. GOD is merciful if you are merciful. If you are cruel and revengeful to others, GOD will not be merciful to you.

1 John 1:8 "If we say that we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us." In the Lord's Prayer we ask for forgiveness. It's incredible news that GOD forgives you and me. But, it is on one condition. The two verses immediately following the Lord’s Prayer, in the Gospel of Matthew, tell us that we have to forgive the people who do wrong against us. GOD is merciful if you are merciful. If you are cruel and revengeful to others, GOD will not be merciful to you. We NEED GOD'S forgiveness. As today's verse points out, we have all sinned. We need to realize this. We need to repent of our sins. We need to be truthful to ourselves and GOD. Start there, and then we can be truthful to our family and friends.

Matthew 6:15 "But if ye forgive not men their trespasses, neither will your Father forgive your trespasses." The two verses immediately following the Lord’s Prayer, in the Gospel of Matthew, should get our attention. It's incredible news that GOD forgives you and me. But, it is on one condition. That we forgive the people who do wrong against us. Jesus says we should forgive even if the offense is committed seventy times seven times! When someone asks forgiveness, we are to kindly pardon their offense. If they do not ask for forgiveness, yet we are still to treat them friendly; not to harbor malice, not to speak ill of them. And, be ready to forgive in the event they ask for it. Today's verse makes the conditions plain as day. "But if ye forgive NOT men their trespasses, NEITHER will your Father forgive your trespasses." GOD is merciful if you are merciful. If you are cruel and revengeful to others, GOD will not be merciful to you. Appreciate that people are...

Matthew 6:14 "For if ye forgive men their trespasses, your heavenly Father will also forgive you:" This is the verse immediately following the Lord’s Prayer. Think of this as the footnote to the Lord's Prayer. It's incredible news that GOD forgives you and me. Hallelujah! On one condition. That we forgive the people who do wrong against us. Jesus says we should forgive even if the offense is committed seventy times seven times! When someone asks forgiveness, we are to kindly pardon their offense. If they do not ask for forgiveness, yet we are still to treat them friendly; not to harbor malice, not to speak ill of them. And, be ready to forgive in the event they ask for it. This ratchets up the intensity of the Lord's Prayer. Making it an even MORE powerful expression of praise and worship to God, acknowledging His sovereignty, provision, and love. His presence and guidance in our lives is very real and an extreme challenge.  As it should be. Forgiveness is a GREAT...

Matthew 6:12 "And forgive us our debts, as we forgive our debtors." The Lord’s Prayer is a model prayer taught by Jesus Christ in the New Testament (Matthew 6:9-13 and Luke 11:2-4). It is a powerful expression of praise and worship to God, acknowledging His sovereignty, provision, and love. By incorporating its themes and petitions into our own prayers, we can deepen our relationship with God and experience His presence and guidance in our lives. Last week we focused on "Give us this day our daily bread." We are, of course, asking for our material needs. Our GOD is so generous, He also provides us with spiritual bread for our eternal life. We need to satisfy our spiritual hunger. We must consume the knowledge found in the Holy Scriptures, it will sustain our spiritual life. Now and in eternity. But, wait, there's more... in today's verse we read about forgiveness. "And forgive us our debts, as we forgive our debtors." Another GREAT GIFT from our Lo...

John 6:40 "And this is the will of Him that sent Me, that every one which seeth the Son, and believeth on Him, may have everlasting life: and I will raise him up at the LAST DAY." The day of judgment. The Messiah will return and raise up the dead to be judged. The faithful will be blessed. The sinful will be cursed. Those that believe in Jesus as their Lord and Savior will be forgiven of their sins. Jesus gave His life for your eternal life. When Satan tempted Jesus, Jesus said "Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that proceedeth out of the mouth of God." Make time to dig into God's word. We easily forget, so we need daily reminders. We need our DAILY BREAD, the word of GOD. When we pray the Lord's Prayer, saying "Give us this day our daily bread." We are, of course, asking for our material needs. Our GOD is so generous, He also provides us with spiritual bread for our eternal life. We need to satisfy our spiritual hunger. We must ...

John 6:39 "And this is the Father's will which hath sent Me, that of all which He hath given Me I should lose nothing, but should raise it up again at the last day." Jesus is doing His Father's will. Jesus will make heaven work. No one is compelled to go to heaven against their will. That would NOT be heaven. No one is compelled to go to hell against their will, they choose to be away from God. The Holy Ghost inclines the will of one, and they seek God freely as a moral agent. Others choose the way of sin and death. God constantly provides opportunities for them to be saved. Yet, they prefer the path that leads down to hell. Jesus will not reject or refuse any sinner who comes to Him. In today's verse, "...all which He hath given Me I should lose nothing, but should raise it up again at the LAST DAY." The day of judgment. The Messiah will return and raise up the dead to be judged. The faithful will be blessed. The sinful will be cursed. Those that believ...

John 6:38 "For I came down from heaven, not to do Mine own will, but the will of Him that sent Me." Talk about a glimpse into the inner workings of heaven! Jesus is doing His Father's will. I think we all know that. Did we know that Jesus was NOT doing His own will? Does Jesus have another plan? It's interesting to think about the Holy Trinity having different ideas from one another. We can see that each has a different perspective. With people, we have as many opinions as people! Somehow, Jesus will make heaven work. No one is compelled to go to heaven against their will. That would NOT be heaven. No one is compelled to go to hell against their will, they choose to be away from God. The Holy Ghost inclines the will of one, and they seek God freely as a moral agent. Others choose the way of sin and death. God constantly provides opportunities for them to be saved. Yet, they prefer the path that leads down to hell. Jesus will not reject or refuse any sinner who comes t...

John 6:37 "All that the Father giveth Me shall come to Me; and him that cometh to Me I will in no wise cast out." We petition God with "Give us this day our daily bread." It's not because God would forget to feed us. It's to remind our hearts and minds that God is the source of everything we receive. God keeps us in His heart and mind. It was God who sent His Son to teach us about the bread of life. And, as remarkable as it seems, some who witnessed signs and wonders performed by Jesus, did NOT believe!?!? In today's verse we get a peek into that mystery. "All that the Father giveth Me shall come to Me; and him that cometh to Me I will in no wise cast out." No one is compelled to go to heaven against their will, that would NOT be heaven. No one is compelled to go to hell against their will, they choose to be away from God. The Holy Ghost inclines the will of one, and they seek God freely as a moral agent. Others choose the way of sin and death....

John 6:36 "But I said unto you, That ye also have seen Me, and believe not." Can you believe it? There were people who witnessed sings and wonders performed by Jesus, AND they did NOT believe!?!? Some of them may have benefited from His miracles. Possibly healed by Him. Or, they were fed from the loaves and fishes. Yet, they did not believe in Jesus as their personal Savior and Redeemer.  During Jesus's incarnation His actions were giving bread to the hungry. There was NO vail over people's perception of what was happening. In addition He was teaching about God’s plan, providing spiritual bread for their eternal life. Which is what Jesus is talking about in yesterday's verse. And, what we pray about in the Lord's Prayer, "Give us this day our daily bread."

John 6:35 "And Jesus said unto them, I am the bread of life: he that cometh to Me shall never hunger; and he that believeth on Me shall never thirst." This week we will study the fourth petition from the Lord's Prayer. "Give us this day our daily bread." God certainly gives daily bread to everyone WITHOUT our prayers, even to all evil people. We want to pray that God will help us realize His good gifts and receive them with thanksgiving. Daily bread includes everything we need for our body, like; food, drink, clothing, shoes, house, home, land, animals, money, goods, a devout husband or wife, devout children, devout workers, devout and faithful rulers, good government, good weather, peace, health, self-control, good reputation, good friends, faithful neighbors, and more. God not only provides for our material needs, He also provides us with spiritual bread for our eternal life. Which is what Jesus is talking about in today's verse. "And Jesus said unto ...

Matthew 6:11 "Give us this day our daily bread." Last week we focused our studies on “Thy Will Be Done...” We can TRUST in the LORD with ALL our hearts. Let GOD lead us in our daily lives. GOD'S will is for you and me to follow His plan. Accept Jesus as your Lord and Savior. Serve Him by helping your friends and neighbors. It's a beautiful way. The rest of this petition is “On Earth as it is in Heaven.” We want God’s kingdom to be established on earth, reflecting the harmony and perfection found in heaven. We can have this in the here and now by prioritizing God’s will, seeking His guidance, and striving to live according to Biblical principles. However, we must keep in mind that we live in a fallen world. Too many will not join in our journey with Jesus. This tension and stress will cause everyone difficulties. This week we will study the fourth petition from the Lord's Prayer. "Give us this day our daily bread." God certainly gives daily bread to every...

1 Corinthians 12:26&27 "26 And whether one member suffer, all the members suffer with it; or one member be honoured, all the members rejoice with it. 27 Now ye are the body of Christ, and members in particular." We study the Holy Bible to know GOD'S will better. So when we say “Thy Will Be Done...” we mean it. We can TRUST in the LORD with ALL our hearts. Let GOD lead us in our daily lives. GOD'S will is for you and me to follow His plan. Accept Jesus as your Lord and Savior. Serve Him by helping your friends and neighbors. It's a beautiful way. United by faith, Christians are unstoppable. "And whether one member suffer, all the members suffer with it; or one member be honoured, all the members rejoice with it. Now ye are the body of Christ, and members in particular." Your walk with God is personal but not private. Consider the way that God is calling you. You are not on your own. God's wisdom will be made known to you. Pray to God, is this what...

Proverbs 3:5&6 "5 Trust in the LORD with all thine heart; and lean not unto thine own understanding. 6 In all thy ways acknowledge Him, and He shall direct thy paths." In the Lord's Prayer we say “Thy Will Be Done...” We study the Holy Bible to know GOD'S will better. And, we need to get a clue. GOD'S will is for all people to worship Him and praise Him. As we study this week we know GOD knows if we are naughty or nice. In either case, GOD HELPS us. The Holy Ghost prays to GOD for you and me! Even when our emotions are too intense for words. The Holy Ghost is our middleman. He helps us to understand and thrive in GOD'S will. The more we study the Holy Bible, the more we understand we have a good and gracious GOD. Because of this we can take today's verses to heart. "Trust in the LORD with ALL thine heart; and lean NOT unto thine own understanding. In ALL thy ways acknowledge Him, and He shall DIRECT thy paths." GOD'S will is for you and m...