Staying on Course

Bible Reading: Hebrews 12:1-4  "Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a huge crowd of witnesses to the life of faith, let us strip off every weight that slows us down, especially the sin that so easily trips us up. And let us run with endurance the race God has set before us. ² We do this by keeping our eyes on Jesus, the champion who initiates and perfects our faith. Because of the joy awaiting him, he endured the cross, disregarding its shame. Now he is seated in the place of honor beside God’s throne. ³ Think of all the hostility he endured from sinful people; then you won’t become weary and give up. ⁴ After all, you have not yet given your lives in your struggle against sin..”

Focus Verses: Philippians 3:12-14  "I don’t mean to say that I have already achieved these things or that I have already reached perfection. But I press on to possess that perfection for which Christ Jesus first possessed me. ¹³ No, dear brothers and sisters, I have not achieved it, but I focus on this one thing: Forgetting the past and looking forward to what lies ahead, ¹⁴ I press on to reach the end of the race and receive the heavenly prize for which God, through Christ Jesus, is calling us."

I have seen in the news that one of the largest container ships in the world is blocking the Suez Canal.  The ship was hit with a strong wind while passing through the canal and is now completely blocking the passage so no other ships can pass.  Much of the world’s trade passes through the Suez Canal, and there are now 150 ships waiting to pass through.  This has created a big problem for shipping.  The canal joins the Red Sea with the Mediterranean Sea.

Many of you reading this devotion live near Lake Victoria and you know how boats are affected by the wind and can be blown off course.  If we are not careful Satan can blow us off course with even the smallest of sins, and cause us to shipwreck.  Hebrews tells us to get rid of the sin in our lives that weighs us down so that we can run with endurance this race of life.  Paul tells us in Philippians that we are to press on so that we can win the prize.  The prize is a heavenly prize.  Some say it is the incorruptible crown: the crown of life, righteousness, and glory, that does not fade away...  We can run this race because of Jesus and then one day we will be with Jesus in Heaven for all eternity.  When you start to drift off course (which we all do) don’t be discouraged.  Stay in God’s Word and in prayer, and the Lord will help you to stay on course.

Bobby Johnson

Interlocking Ministries

From Success to Setback

Bible Reading : Genesis 39
Focus Verse: "But the LORD was with Joseph in the prison and showed him his faithful love. And the LORD made Joseph a favorite with the prison warden."—Genesis 39:21

Joseph’s story occupies more space in the book of Genesis than the stories of Adam, Noah, Abraham, Isaac, or his own father, Jacob. He was the son of Jacob’s true love, Rachel, and his own brothers hated him.

Their antagonism and hostility toward him, fueled by envy, began to grow, and ultimately they decided they wanted to kill Joseph. But they changed their minds when a group of Midianite slave traders passed by. So they sold Joseph to them for 20 pieces of silver. Then the Midianites brought Joseph to Egypt.

Potiphar, the man who purchased Joseph, was very powerful, the head of Pharaoh’s palace guard. Joseph was so responsible, so hardworking, and so full of integrity that Potiphar gave him more and more responsibilities. Ultimately, he put Joseph in charge of his entire estate.

However, Potiphar’s wife was determined to sleep with Joseph, who kept refusing her. She was far from subtle about it, and one day when the other servants had left the house, she grabbed Joseph and pulled him down on the bed.

Joseph ran out of the house as fast as he could, but she falsely accused him of rape. So Potiphar sent Joseph to prison.

How easily Joseph could have been discouraged. How easily he could have said to God, “Lord, I can’t take this anymore. First, my brothers sell me into slavery, and then this woman tries to entice me. I resisted her, and then she lied about me! Now I’m in prison. This isn’t fair!”

It wasn’t fair. Yet the Bible never tells us that Joseph said anything to that effect. He could have felt like God had forgotten him, but the Bible gives us this very important detail: “The Lord was with Joseph” (Genesis 39:21 NLT).

The Lord was with Joseph as he sat there in that prison. And wherever you are today, the Lord will be with you, too.

by Greg Laurie

Harvest Ministries

He is Not Here!

Scripture: Matthew 28:1-7 

Focus verse: Matthew 28:6  "He is not here: for he is risen, as he said. Come, see the place where the Lord lay. "

 Caroline is a lady I met 2019 and preached to. Before then, she served as a bar maid and lived a life of adultery and was addicted to drinking alcohol. A few days ago I happen to pass where she used to serve. When I asked the bar manager about Caroline, he told me that after I preached to her and she accepted salvation, she left drinking, stopped working as a bar maid and ventured in selling second hand clothes for income. Above that he told me that the lady is walking with the Lord and committed to church. This was good news to me.  I was looking for her in the wrong place!

 

From our focus scripture, the women reaches the tomb where Jesus body was laid. They knew exactly where His body was laid. Upon reaching the tomb, they are met by an angel of God who tells them that Jesus is no longer in tomb. They are looking for Him in wrong place. He is risen! He no longer lay in the tomb. He tells them to go in and see where His body was laid as a confirmation that He is not in the tomb anymore. He tells the women to go and share the news of Jesus resurrection with others and they leave the tomb happily.

 

Pastor Eliazar Wambo

Director Bethesda Faith Ministries

Don't Relax Your Grip

Bible Reading: John 17

Focus Verse: “Now I am departing from the world; they are staying in this world, but I am coming to you. Holy Father, you have given me your name; now protect them by the power of your name so that they will be united just as we are” John 17:11

I think we all know people who have made a so-called commitment to follow Jesus, and then they mysteriously fall away. We saw them in church week after week or maybe month after month for a time. Then suddenly, they disappeared.

Where did they go? What happened to them? They no longer respond to text messages, emails, or phone calls. They’re simply gone. And then we find out they fell away spiritually.

Their marriage may have fallen apart, or maybe they went back to the old life again and started doing what they used to do. But they no longer have any interest in following Jesus.

Maybe you’ve wondered, “Wow, if someone like that could fall away, then am I next?”

My answer might surprise you: that’s entirely up to you. God has given us a free will, so if you want to fall, you certainly can. But if you want to be safe in the protective arms of Jesus, then that is exactly where you will be.

In John 17, Jesus prayed for our preservation. He said, “Now I am departing from the world; they are staying in this world, but I am coming to you. Holy Father, you have given me your name; now protect them by the power of your name so that they will be united just as we are” (verse 11 NLT).

God wants to preserve you, but you have to do your part. The moment you fail to move forward spiritually is the moment you effectively begin to go backward. But falling away doesn’t happen overnight. Generally, it’s a matter of relaxing your grip here or there. You gradually do a little less of the things that help you to grow spiritually, and it starts the process of slowing down.

If you want to be close to the Lord, that is entirely up to you.

Greg Laurie

Harvest Ministries