Diversity, the Transformed Church, and the Glory of God

Richard Forbes
Christian , Daily Devotional , Diversity , Glory of God , God’s Glory

By our faith in Jesus Christ, and His desire that we take His gospel, and the Word of God, into all of the world, we have become the glory of God. We, as the varied and amazing Church, have become an example before all of heaven of the immense diversity and creativity of our Heavenly Father. So now in this present age it is meant for us to come together in all our many colors, and various fabrics, to become the beautiful tapestry of God’s design which bears the perfect image of Jesus Christ... His Son.

Wishing Harm, and the Worst, upon our Enemies

Richard Forbes
Christian , Daily Devotional , patience , witnessing

Have we ever wished that someone would face harm, or been happy when calamity struck them? Does watching a powerful person fall, or a politician we dislike meet with some terrible misfortune, bring us satisfaction? This is the nature of the world today, and sorrowfully it is an indictment of many Christian hearts as well. We wish that not only harm, but great harm, would befall those who don’t agree with us, and either openly, or deep in our hearts, we don’t want them to be conformed to Christian thinking, but to face disaster. We neglect God’s desire to redeem them as we long for their demise.

Resisting the Subtle Bait of Temptation

Richard Forbes
Christian , Daily Devotional , Temptation

Do we claim to be Christians, saying that we value The Word of God, and the Gospel of Jesus Christ, but keep being led astray by our past passions, and the desires of the flesh? Are we receiving manna from heaven, but continue to think, and dream, about the way our old lives smelled or tasted? We can successfully resist making a meal of the great sins we once knew, but what tempts us most is the lingering scent of them... the small tastes, and pleasures that lead us time and again to the physical doorway of those sins. We crucify the sin, but do we nail the temptation of them to the cross as well?

Increasing in Faith by Anticipating the Coming Christ

Richard Forbes
Christian, Daily Devotional , New , Aging In Faith

Are we growing more Intense, and diligent, in our faith with each passing day, or do we approach it like children who become tired with the same toys over time? When we allow ourselves to simply go through the motions of faith, and to lose sight of the immediacy of it, then we can’t possibly experience the fullness of God’s joy, or feel the love that radiates from Calvary. Do we rise each morning in wonder, that is, do we lift our faces towards the heavens thinking that we are a day closer to the coming of Jesus?

The Truth about Men, Antelope, and becoming Prey

Richard Forbes
Christian , Daily Devotional , Call , Rescue, Sin, Truths

We are tempted to believe that it is by our own efforts we have come to know God, and Jesus Christ, but in fact we have been sought out. No, we didn’t invite that divine knock at our door, nor God’s call to us. We might believe that we stumbled upon the idea of God, or by some stroke of luck heard about Jesus Christ, but that is a deception we have concocted to serve our vanity. God calls us, woos us, receives us through Jesus Christ, and then guards us in our faith to be with Him in eternity.

Abba, and our Loving Father’s Eyes.

Richard Forbes
Christian, Daily Devotional , Parenthood

God diligently keeps His eye upon us, but our worldly life can often distract us from looking to Him as we should. There is not a second in the day when we turn towards Him that His eyes aren’t watching us. Furthermore, He is not merely looking at us, but there is a loving interest and intensity to His gaze that makes us want to please Him more. So what are we doing to deserve those moments when we notice His eyes, and our hearts fill to overflowing, not with the love we have for Him, but that He Has for us. Have we earned the lessons He teaches us, or the love He has towards us? What is it that He sees in us as we are led towards eternity with Him that links us so completely?

The Who, and What, in questioning God, and the Danger in Why

Richard Forbes
Christian, Daily Devotional , Questioning God

If you were taking a walk, and a voice suddenly told you to “cry out“, what would you say? Would you pick some arbitrary exclamation, and shout it, or perhaps tremble, and ask, “Who is this?”, or, “Lord, what would you have me cry out?”. Some believers feel that it is always presumptuous to ask questions of Jesus, or God, but as we read scripture we find that if we ask, and do so in the proper way, it doesn’t bother either of them at all. God wants us to understand what He would have us do, and to ask Him questions until we do; Jesus feels the same.

Sailing a Sea of Sin in a Ship of Faith

Richard Forbes
Christian, Worldly Sin

We live in a sin-filled world, and in such a place as this God sent His precious Son Jesus to redeem us; to save the lost souls that we are. Into the very dwelling place of sin, evil, corruption, and death, He sent His child, a baby, His gift of life. His love was manifest in grace for you and me, and His perfect Son was made imperfect on the cross, being given over to sinners, taking on our sin, and sacrificing Himself, so that we might have life everlasting through Him. So, how are we receiving God’s love, His grace, and such a gift as this... His Son?

Worldly Battles, do they mask the Spiritual War for our Souls?

Richard Forbes
Christian, Daily Devotional , Spiritual , War

When Satan comes against us in the world he looks for the chinks in our armor, but our defenses are complete in the perfect protection of God. Our fear of the dark one comes because we don’t understand the war being waged. We think that victory or defeat depends on the earthly wounds we sustain in mortal battles, and we assign might to others by what occurs in the here and now. Yet, though our bodies, loves, and possessions might suffer, and though we be pierced while upon our crosses, these wounds are of little consequence because the war is not over our physical selves, but for the disposition of our souls.

Are we meant to Fear Death?

Richard Forbes
Christian, Daily Devotional , Fear , Death

We are not meant to be frightened by death, nor to dread its coming. We know that what awaits us when we arrive in our heavenly home will far exceed anything we can imagine, and that our peace and joy there will be unquenchable. So knowing this, do we take heart in the thought that it is ours to die? Do we long to be forever in the presence of God and sitting with Jesus? Does this thought drive us on towards the perfection of our faith, and a love of God that allows us to serve Him fearlessly in this our mortal life?

Are we Bored, and Lost, even having gained all the World has to offer?

Richard Forbes
Christian, Daily Devotional , True Faith, Wealth

Do we believe ourselves to be self-made men and women? Do we look around and see all of the affluence that surrounds us, and stare in the mirror; smiling at our own reflection? When we find that we want for nothing, and have become smug in what we have done, it is in our self-righteousness that we are truly lost. What the world has to offer is fleeting, and satisfies us for a day, and yet we can become addicted to its allure, and lose sight of God, Jesus Christ, and the satisfaction they give that is eternal.

Who do we wrestle in the dark, and are we afraid?

Richard Forbes
Christian , Daily Devotional , Spiritual Enemies

Hidden enemies terrify us. We are far less apt to stumble, or be frightened in the light of day than in the night, and yet half our lives are spent surrounded by darkness. This is also how we struggle spiritually. The spiritual snares placed to trap us are most effective when they are set in darkness, in those places we can’t see or readily understand. When we oppose someone, or something, it is far easier for us than when we wrestle against ideas, fears, spirits, and vaporous things; those are the enemies that scare us as they go bump in the night. 

Do we wince at, or welcome, the Hand of God?

Richard Forbes
Daily Devotional , Transformation , Victory

In the book of Revelation we read the end of the story, and know that Jesus Christ triumphs over Satan and evil, so why is it that so many Christians still live their lives like the outcome is in doubt? Why are believers tempted, knowing full well what awaits them in their sin? Listen to me today... Jesus will not only defeat Satan, but we will be at His side, and claim that victory with Him! This is the journey of our faith realized. 

God’s Will, Hand, And cleft in the rock, as He answers our Prayers

Richard Forbes
Christian , Daily Devotional , Answered Prayer

Are you frustrated with God’s response to your prayers? Do you ask something of Him repeatedly, and feel like it is falling on deaf ears? Well there are two reasons that come immediately to mind which could cause us to feel this way. The first is that we consider God obligated to obey our request, and the second is that we give Him our solution rather than simply presenting Him with the problem. Both of these are rooted in our greatest pitfall... praying outside the will of God. 

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