The Glorious Scars of a Faithful Life

Richard Forbes
Christian , Daily Devotional , Suffering and Tribulation

We enter into a relationship with Jesus Christ who suffered terribly as He obeyed the will of God, and redeemed us from sin, yet so many believers think that we should not face tribulation in our lifetimes. This is far from what scripture tells us, but even in our storms we will find hope, comfort, and protection in the Lord. Then, when the storms subside, the light of God will shine upon us and we will find ourselves to have grown in faith and our relationship to have been made all the stronger.

Removing the Earthly from our Spiritual Calling

Richard Forbes
Christian , Daily Devotional , Our Calling

Today I want to pray a blessing over you; the same prayer of blessing that was prayed in Hebrews. Many of you are Pastors, Saints, and Missionaries, who have prayed this blessing over others, but it is especially relevant to your calling, and your lives. Today I ask for God to equip you with every good thing you need as you go about doing His will, and the good work in us that you have been called to do. For some this equipment will be new, but to most it has already been given... if you will only open your eyes, and trust in His provision as you witness to others, and save souls with these tools of faith.

Sinners Ride Home on the backs of Prayers

Richard Forbes
Daily Devotional , intercession

How strong, and fervently, do we intercede for others? Do we save our most sincere prayers for ourselves, and our family, while praying lesser blessings, or asking for things not quite as grand, when it comes to those around us? What about praying for our enemies; can we bring ourselves to pray God’s blessings upon them at all? Can we pray for others as sincerely as Paul prayed for the church at Ephesus?

Is our home prepared for the return of Jesus?

Richard Forbes
Christian , Daily Devotional , Come Lord Jesus

Jesus is coming, He is coming as certainly as any promise we have ever received, but will we be ready for His return? Will we have been sanctified, and held blameless in our preparation for His arrival? When we believe in God, and Jesus Christ, then yield ourselves by loving them and obeying their commandments, God promises to sanctify us. We can’t do this ourselves, but we can accept His gift of redemption and righteousness by our believing, and His grace. We will find the peace of Christ by our absolute faith in Him. Are we ready? Will God sanctify us... spirit, soul, and body?

Placing God First in everything... the good, bad, and the indifferent in life

Richard Forbes
Christian , Daily Devotional , Placing God First

Is there anything in our lives that we value more than God, and Jesus Christ? Do we turn our attention away from Jesus to concentrate on some desire, facet, or issue in our life? In all things good, bad, and indifferent, we should find ourselves in the presence of God, and our way through them all by following the teaching and commandments of Jesus.

Have we been crucified with Christ?

Richard Forbes
Christian , Daily Devotional , Crucified with Christ

When we think of being crucified with Jesus, just where do we envision ourselves in that process? Are we entering Jerusalem, praying in the Garden of Gethsemane, being taken before the high priest, standing before Pilot, receiving a beating at the hands of the guards, being scourged and cut by the whip, stumbling under the weight of the cross as we walk the Via Dolorosa, crying out in pain as the nails are driven through us, hanging above the crowd as our life ebbs away, or have we taken our last breath, are we laying in the tomb, being resurrected, speaking once again to our disciples, or ascending into heaven? What does being crucified with Christ mean to us?

Do we believe in eternity, and does it strengthen our faith?

Richard Forbes
Christian , Daily Devotional , Eternal Life

As Christians we are meant to believe in the absolute perfection of Christ’s redemption of our sins. We see his blood, and life being drained from Him, hear his final words, and exhale in our sorrow as He breathes out His dying breath, but we also must grasp hold of His resurrection and ascension... His eternal and forgiving nature. So why is it that so many of us fall back again into sin, remaining in the clutches of Adam’s imperfection? Why don’t we claim the eternity that awaits us in the risen Christ? Is it because the concept of eternity has become foreign to us?

Praying in tears for a clean heart

Richard Forbes
Christian , Daily Devotional , Praying for Change

When we pray in contrition, and confess our sins, do we ask God to not only forgive us, but to change our hearts as well? In the midst of our sorrowful and broken hearts, do we ask Him for help in cleansing us of the desire to continue on in sin? Are we looking for more than God’s pity and mercy as He forgives, and ask Him for His transformation as well? After He had forgiven someone Jesus said “Go and sin no more”, but don’t we need help in doing this? Yes, so Pray for God to make our spirits right!

Jesus Loves Me - a simple song, or an incredible relationship?

Richard Forbes
Christian , Daily Devotional , Loving Jesus

Jesus loves me, and what an incredible declaration that is! We sing this in song as children, but it is more than a childish thought put to melody, it is the driving motivation for all that is our faith, and for God’s desire to redeem and restore us to Himself. Are you trapped in the obvious simplicity of the song, or have you matured in your faith as you have come to understand the interwoven complexity of loving Jesus, loving God, and in knowing how much they love you?

Fear, and anxiety, have no authority over us!

Richard Forbes
Christian , Daily Devotional , Fear and Anxiety

In today’s world filled with trouble, sickness, starvation, and war, it is easy to become anxious, and to be overcome by fear. We look back on times in our lives that were peaceful and calm, and wish for those “good old days” to return. We think that the world has changed from good to bad, when in fact it has always been this way since the moment of Adam’s fall. So how do we live in a world such as this? How do we overcome our fear?

Bearing Fruit in the Quiet, and Hard Times, of Personal Witness

Richard Forbes
Christian , Daily Devotional , Personal Witness

Do we abide, or remain, in Jesus even in the most trying of times? If so isn’t it amazing how we can bear fruit for God despite the trouble and distraction that we find ourselves in the midst of? No matter the trial or tribulation we are enduring, our dedication to abiding in Jesus will not only bring us His peace, but will make our lives witnesses for Him, and will allow others to see what an amazing life in Him looks like.

Has Jesus been Manifest to you?

Richard Forbes
Christian , Daily Devotional , Jesus Manifest to us

Do we love Jesus Christ enough to obey His commandments, and live as He taught us during His life? Have we disciplined ourselves such that we can not only walk with Him up to the mount to hear His amazing sermon there, but out into the wilderness to be tempted, onto the waters of faith with Peter, and along the Via Dolorosa with His cross, and nails? It is by our love for Him that God comes to love us, abide in us, and makes His home with us as we celebrate, and endure all these moments with Jesus.

Have we heard the wind of the spirit?

Richard Forbes
Christian , Daily Devotional , Holy Spirit

The Holy Spirit is an incredibly important part of our faith, and to our lives as Christians, but so many believers tend to trivialize, or ignore, him. There are those among us who believe that all they need is to believe in Jesus, but even our Lord Jesus received him into His life to help Him. The Holy Spirit is the Spirit of God, so he is not a new creation. He is the essence of God, the power in Christ, and our understanding. Didn’t Jesus tell us that He could do nothing of Himself?

Load More