Monday, May 3, 2010

One Hour

In the account of the Lord Jesus in the Garden of Gethsemane, He is recorded as saying something to His disciples that were with Him.

Matthew 26:40-41 “And he cometh unto the disciples, and findeth them asleep, and saith unto Peter, What, could ye not watch with me one hour? Watch and pray, that ye enter not into temptation: the spirit indeed is willing, but the flesh is weak.” Matthew Chapter 26

What Jesus was saying here, was that even one hour of thoughtful prayer would have been something special. “Watch and pray that ye enter not into temptation, the spirit indeed is willing, but the flesh is weak.”

Have you ever had a time when you needed something and you spent an hour in prayer. You will come to find that even one hour can have a tremendous change in the way you feel and in you seeing God move in particular areas of your life. Sometimes we may not pray long enough, but even that one hour of prayer can sometimes really ignite something and make big changes in our lives, bringing God’s peace in comfort into an area where we truly are in need of Him.

So I leave you with this, “Watch and pray, that ye enter not into temptation: the spirit indeed is willing, but the flesh is weak.” Give God just one hour of your prayer, and watch Him do mighty things in your life. God bless.

Scripture used in this devotional: Matthew 26:40-41 Matthew Chapter 26

Thursday, April 29, 2010

It Is Well With My Soul

In 1873, a man, Horatio Spafford, and his wife and four daughters decided to take a trip to England. Horatio was delayed by business, but he sent the rest of his family ahead. On November 22, 1873, the steamship that the Spafford daughters and Mrs. Anna Spafford was on was sunk. Anna survived, but the children did not. Horatio immediately left to bring his wife back home. As he was on his way there, he passed over the spot where the cruel waves had snatched his daughters. As the tears streamed down his face, he penned the words to one of the greatest hymns in history, It Is Well With My Soul.

When peace, like a river, attendeth my way,
When sorrows like sea billows roll;
Whatever my lot, Thou hast taught me to say,
It is well, it is well with my soul.

(Refrain:) It is well (it is well),
with my soul (with my soul),
It is well, it is well with my soul.

Though Satan should buffet, though trials should come,
Let this blest assurance control,
That Christ hath regarded my helpless estate,
And hath shed His own blood for my soul.
(Refrain)

My sin, oh the bliss of this glorious thought!
My sin, not in part but the whole,
Is nailed to His cross, and I bear it no more,
Praise the Lord, praise the Lord, O my soul!
(Refrain)

For me, be it Christ, be it Christ hence to live:
If Jordan above me shall roll,
No pain shall be mine, for in death as in life
Thou wilt whisper Thy peace to my soul.
(Refrain)

And Lord haste the day, when my faith shall be sight,
The clouds be rolled back as a scroll;
The trump shall resound, and the Lord shall descend,
Even so, it is well with my soul.
(Refrain)

The message-filled words of these stanzas speak volumes of truth.

I have one simple question for you.

Is it well with your soul?

When sorrows and trials roll over you like a river, is it well with your soul?

Though Satan should buffet you, throw everything he has at you, is it well with your soul?

When Christ returns, and "the clouds be rolled back as a scroll", will it be well with YOUR soul?

Amen, and Amen.

~KPK~

Wednesday, April 28, 2010

Good morning! Devotion to start the day!

4/29/2010 Serve from the Heart

From now on if you listen obediently to the commandments that I am commanding you today, love God, your God, and serve him with everything you have within you, he'll take charge of sending the rain at the right time .... Deuteronomy 11:13-14 (MSG)

*** *** *** ***

Repeatedly, the Bible says to "serve the Lord with all your heart." God wants you to serve him passionately, not dutifully. People rarely excel at tasks they don't enjoy doing or feel passionate about. God wants you to use your natural interests to serve him and others.

How do you know when you're serving God from your heart?

The first telltale sign is enthusiasm. When you're doing what you love to do, no one has to motivate you, or challenge you, or check up on you. You do it for the sheer enjoyment. You don't need rewards, or applause, or to be paid, because you love serving in this way.

The opposite is also true: When you don't have a heart for what you're doing, you're easily discouraged.

One characteristic of serving God from your heart is effectiveness: whenever you do what God wired you to love to do, you get good at it. Passion drives perfection. If you don't care about a task, it is unlikely that you'll excel at it.

On the other hand, the highest achievers in any field are those who do it because of passion, not duty or profit.

We've all heard people say, "I took a job I hate in order to make a lot of money, so someday I can quit and do what I love to do." That's a big mistake. Don't waste your life in a job that doesn't express your heart.

Remember, the greatest things in life are not things. Meaning is far more important than money. The richest man in the world once said, "A simple life in the fear-of-God is better than a rich life with a ton of headaches" (Proverbs 15:16 MSG).

Don't settle for achieving "the good life," because the good life is not good enough. Ultimately, it doesn't satisfy. You can have a lot to live on, and still have nothing to live for. Aim instead for "the better life" - serving God in a way that expresses your heart.

Figure out what you love to do - that which God gave you a heart for - and then do it for his glory! (PDL)

-Amptrooper



4/28/2010
"For we are God’s workmanship created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do" (Ephesians 2:10).

Christians enjoy the greatest possible success: right-standing with the holy and awesome God of the universe. For this we can take no credit of our own. God made us not only in our physical form but also in our spiritual form. It was His work that transformed us into children of God. This knowledge should give us much security and boldness to do the work He has prepared for us to do.

With everything today remember the Lord. If you are at work or at school or you stay home remember that you are the sons and daughter s of a King! And, work or study as unto him.
Let's also make it a goal to find five things today to thank God for. Not the usual things such as food, life, family good weather and so on. Think of things you do not usually. Try to find the areas of daily life that God's hand is blessing you that maybe you take for granted a lot. Maybe you don't even notice that it is a blessing! :scratch:

The Son is out and shinning bright!

-AmpTrooper

Tuesday, April 27, 2010

AmpTrooper Devotional "thoughts for the evening"

“In my distress I called to the Lord; I cried to my God for help. From his temple he heard my voice; my cry came before him, into his ears.” Psalm 18:6 NIV

“Count it pure joy, my brothers, whenever you face trials of many kinds, because you know that the testing of your faith develops perseverance. Perseverance must finish its work so that you may be mature and complete, not lacking anything.James 1:2-4

In my hospital bed after many surgeries I was hurt, beaten, bruised, broken and I felt alone in my pain. I the beeps and constant noise from the nurses oust side my door I thought " Why? I have loved you Lord. I have had my moments where I haven't been the best but, I still tried. Lord why? My wife, my kids this is going to change everything. Oh God, I love you! Why this?"
You see, I had this great drum set that my Grandfather got me. It was a 1968 Red sparkle Ludwig in perfect shape! I was born with the ability to play music. Drums is my main instrument. Later in life well after coming to the Lord and using my musical talent to worship him in a band and at church I decided I needed (wanted) a motorcycle! So, I sold my drums and used the money to put a down payment on a motorcycle.
September 6th 2008, was a chilly but sunny morning. I was heading out to go to the Zoo for orientation to a job that I have been wanting for years! I was to be the reptile caretaker! It was volunteer to start but would lead to something great soon! I was on my way out the door with the keys to the van. I thought, "It's going to be a nice day! I'll take the bike!" So, I got the bike keys. Put my jacket on and started out the door. "HELMET" A feeling, a voice turned me back to get my helmet. It is not law in Indiana to wear a helmet. Off I went with a smile on my face and a spring in my step.
Down the road I met up with a line of cars. I was behind a van. The cars kept speeding up and then slowing down quickly. Around the turn I could see a little red car that seemed to be the one causing the problems. I thought little of it and proceeded to drive normal. All of a sudden the van in front of me was fully stopped! I ended hitting the back of the van. I rolled on the ground and came to a stop. I sat up and saw my right leg bent up next to me. I picked it up and put it back to how I thought it should go. People came from all around to help me. Here is the first blessing!
The guy driving the van I hit was a first responder! He had his radio and everything with him.
What a great person he was! I owe him greatly! He held my head and just talked to me. He let me know what was happening to me as I was starting to go into shock. The best thing about him is that he had love in his heart and it showed. Next, the person in front of him came and was a nurse heading to work. Then, in front of her was a volunteer fireman who was on the way to help my uncle teach and EMT class. While they got the situation under control another man came in a black pickup truck. He hoped out and said he was a retired medic and asked how he could help.
I didn't hear it at that moment. But later, in that hospital bed with me crying to God and asking why, I heard it. Like I hear anyone's voice. "Corey, this is going to hurt. It is going to be hard. But, I am here with you. I will take care of you. I always have. Trust in me."
We tried to keep my leg. After 13 surgeries and lots of prayer we (my family and I) decided that an amputation would be the right choice. We all really felt that God was leading us this way.
But, what for?! Well, to help others! To show others that it is God that strengthens me. I have used my love of Star Wars to help get this message out by a character I call the AmpTrooper.
It is a Stormtrooper Commander with a prosthetic leg! What a blessing! I have also started an Amputee Support Group that shares the Love of God and freely talks about the Lord and how he has blessed our lives!
So, as the scripture says; “Count it pure joy, my brothers, whenever you face trials of many kinds, because you know that the testing of your faith develops perseverance. Perseverance must finish its work so that you may be mature and complete, not lacking anything.James 1:2-4
I try to count it all as joy for I know that the Lord has used this for good, in me and in others that I meet. I understand now what it means to "count your blessings". This has become my blessing and I count it as that!
In conclusion:
Freely call upon the Lord in your trials. Cry, yell, let it out! He is listening. Remember as well that God loves you and will be there with you to help you endure to strengthen your faith and help you develop perseverance. This helps you to mature in your faith. It also can be a great blessing to you and others!

Psalms 48:14 says, “For this God is our God for ever and ever; He will be our guide even to the end.”

So if you find yourself on the wrong road, don’t panic. Ask God for directions. He has a much bigger map than we do. (this line is borrowed from: Polly Boyette)

May God bless your rest tonight!
God bless and Goodnight!
-AmpTrooper

AmpTrooper's Christian Mandos Devotions

AmpTrooper over at the Forum posted this AWESOME devotion:

All Scripture is God-breathed and is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting and training in righteousness, so that the man of God may be thoroughly equipped for every good work. — 2 Timothy 3:16-17

The Bible is considered one of the best-selling books of all time. Billions of copies in numerous languages have been purchased around the world. In fact, between my husband and me, we own ten Bibles. This was not the case prior to the fifteenth century. The Bible was not widely distributed for general use.

John Wycliffe believed that if everyone was supposed to obey the teachings of the Bible, then everyone should have access to one. Wycliffe knew that some teachings would be hard for the people to understand, however "the New Testament is…open to the understanding of simple men…[For] Christ did not write His laws on tables, or on skins of animals, but in the hearts of men."* Wycliffe and his followers translated the English Bible in the 1380's for the first time, giving people the opportunity to study the Bible and let the Holy Spirit guide their learning.

I don't know about you, but this is definitely a gift I take for granted. What a treasure that I get to study and learn from Holy Scriptures! The Bible is not a collection of nice stories or fables, it is God-breathed. Inspired writers followed the direction of the Lord and produced the Holy Scriptures so that we might grow and learn through reading it, and allow it to speak into our lives, directing our steps.

The Bible is our standard and source of truth. It is how we should test everything in our lives. Reading and understanding the Bible will help equip you for life's journey. We should be studying the Bible to help us in our Christian journey. That is why it saddens me to think that I don't appreciate it as I should.

My challenge to you is the same challenge I give myself. Don't pick up your Bible today and read it because that's what you do everyday. Don't just scan the Scripture on the top of this page, rather, read it. Meditate upon it. Recognize that having Holy Scriptures is a gift from the Lord. Each time we read from it, truth is spoken into our lives and we can learn and grow.


In what way does having access to Holy Scripture affect you?


FURTHER READING:
Deuteronomy 4:29; Romans 10:1-11; 1 Thessalonians 5:16-22 study

AmpTrooper will be posting devotions from here on, so welcome and enjoy him!


Thursday, April 15, 2010

The Rapture is Coming!

5For many shall come in my name, saying, I am Christ; and shall deceive many.

6And ye shall hear of wars and rumours of wars: see that ye be not troubled: for all these things must come to pass, but the end is not yet.

7For nation shall rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom: and there shall be famines, and pestilences, and earthquakes, in divers places.

8All these are the beginning of sorrows.

--Matthew 24: 5-8

  • Earthquakes in China, Haiti, and Chile (only a few);
  • Murders everywhere (too many to list);
  • Government movements for a "National ID Card", "Global Currency Streamlining";
  • The United States abandoning Israel
The Rapture is coming, and it will be SOON!

16For the Lord himself shall descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of the archangel, and with the trump of God: and the dead in Christ shall rise first:

17Then we which are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds, to meet the Lord in the air: and so shall we ever be with the Lord.

18Wherefore comfort one another with these words.

--1 Thessalonians 4:16-18

20He which testifieth these things saith, Surely I come quickly. Amen. Even so, come, Lord Jesus.
21The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with you all. Amen.

--Revelation 22:20-21

We need to ramp up our efforts to spread the Gospel before we are gloriously raptured!

16Rejoice evermore.

17Pray without ceasing.

18In every thing give thanks: for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus concerning you.

19Quench not the Spirit.

20Despise not prophesyings.

21Prove all things; hold fast that which is good.

22Abstain from all appearance of evil.

--1 Thessalonians 5:16-22


This should be the Christian's motto in these perilous times. The Antichrist is rising. Be watching for our Lord!

~~Amen and Oya, Kar'taylir Manda!~~






Friday, April 2, 2010

GOOD FRIDAY

Good Friday is the remembrance of Christ's crucifixion. Good Friday was put into motion around a year after Christ's death, by the disciples. There are many different ways of remembering this crucial day in our faith. I pray that you will meditate and remember what your Lord and Savior did for you 2,000 years ago.


~Amen and Oya, Kar'taylir Manda!~