All tagged presence

Coach Wooden and Protection against Sin

Richard Forbes
Christian , Daily Devotional, In God’s Presence

Protection against sinning; wouldn't we all like an invincible suit of armor, or some impenetrable costume like a super hero wears that could protect us from sin? Well this morning we find that such a covering is real, and it is available to each of us. The Word of God provides us with the defense we need against sin. It even goes a step further and gives us instructions on how to mend ourselves in the event we are injured when caught without the advantage of our protection, or too immature in our faith to protect ourselves. God's word is power and it is invincible but we must clothe ourselves in it.

Lingering in the Presence of God

Richard Forbes
Christian , Daily Devotional, Lingering With God

Lingering In the presence of God. This hardly seems to be something we should need to be reminded to do, but as our busy lives overrun our quiet time and breach our prayer closets... We need encouragement to be still and pray as we should. In my devotional reading today Pastor E.M. Bounds reminded me of this with these words: "Hasty prayers are without results. Lingering in God's presence instructs and wins. We are taught by it, and the greatest victories are often the results of great waiting - waiting until words and plans are exhausted. Silent and patient waiting gains the crown." Are we reluctant to end our prayers? Are we longing to remain in the presence of God forever?

Alone Each and Every Morning with God

Richard Forbes
Christian , Daily Devotional , Waking with God

Each and every morning I rise, and spend the first hours of my day alone with God. I read His Word, and I pray in the name of His Son Jesus Christ. Then I write what the spirit has given me. There is no substitute for this time when we present ourselves to the Lord. We are made new in faith by committing ourselves fresh to Jesus Christ, and finding ourselves awash in the Holy Spirit in these quiet moments with God. Long before we walk into the world we should embrace Him. We are not meant to prepare ourselves in the morning, but to do so before our morning begins. God told Moses to be ready BY morning, and so we are to do the same. We should close our eyes each evening with a prayer flowing from our mouths; longing in excited anticipation for the moment when our eyes will reopen, and we will take our Father’s hand once more. We should yearn for the feeling of joy that our first breath will bring as we begin the new day in His presence.

The Ever Present Nature of God

Richard Forbes
Christian , Daily Devotional , Omnipresence of God

God is with us always, and Jesus says He is with us “till the end of the age.” Can we comprehend the magnitude of this? Is the idea of omnipresence even something we are capable of fully understanding? When Jesus says that He abides in us, and we in Him, do we realize the extent to which He is with us? Do we grasp the fact that He is also telling us that we are with Him? In life, and even in death He is with us, and we are with Him. In believing we realize that we are never without His presence… even in death.

Entering into the House, and Presence of God, on our Knees

Richard Forbes
Christian , Daily Devotional , Entering God’s Presence

We have accepted Jesus as our savior, and moved with our High Priest beyond the veil of the Holy of Holies sprinkled with His blood, and washed clean by the living water that flows from Him, but do we enter with a true heart? Do we simply find ourselves entering with our eyes open, with an inquisitive human mind, and an intellectual desire to see what awaits us there, or do we enter on our knees, praying, moaning in worship, and consumed by the Holy Spirit as we fearfully come into the presence of God? How do we pray? How do we come before God?

Together we find strength in God, Faith in Christ, and encouragement against sin

Richard Forbes
Christian , Daily Devotional , Gathering Together

As many churches meet remotely due to COVID-19 we are tempted by Zoom meetings to continue coming together in this way, but as we walk the path of our faith we often find ourselves confronted by temptation and evil along the way, and facing these challenges alone is a frightening prospect. We are at our weakest when by ourselves, and that is precisely why Satan tempted Jesus in the wilderness; he felt his best chance to overcome Him was while He was wandering by Himself, but in reality Jesus was never alone, and neither are we... God is with us always.