I once suggested to a lady who lived alone that she consider getting a  “low maintenance” pet, perhaps a cat, to keep her company.  I secretly hoped that she hadn’t seen that placard in Big Lots that said, ‘Dogs have masters; cats have staff!’  She candidly responded, ‘You know, I much more prefer the IDEA of a cat than actually getting’ one—they’re so cute and cuddly-lookin’ in pictures!  This woman had made an honest assessment of her desire for a feline houseguest.

Many people, sadly, are not as honest with themselves about their desires as that dear lady was.  They’re desirous of the IDEA of a thing, moreso than its REALITY!  The God of the universe wants to help us  choose wisely in the area of our desires.  In chapter 37 of Psalms, He describes how verse four is not merely a “blank check” for having our every worldly desire fulfilled.  Rather, He prioritizes our pursuit of divine eternal pleasures that cannot be shaken, regardless of what is happening in this world!  Hebrews 12:27. While Psalms 27:4 and 38:9 highlight the importance of the nature of our desires to our Lord, a careful reading of Mark 10:35-45 magnifies the seriousness of assessing our personal desires.  Both our motives and a counting of the costs involved should be honestly weighed, lest we find those desires misaligned with the BEST HE has for us!
 
PRAYER:  Dear Abba, in Your omniscience, You know that our human desires are often fickle, short-lived, and can even be self-destructive, if unwisely and prayerlessly pursued.  Help us to restructure our desires, so as to prefer Your best for us; grant us Your grace to dispense with the rest!  Thank You, in Jesus’ name; amen!
By Sis. Denise Diggs

SCRIPTURE: "And to the angel of the church in Philadelphia write, ‘These things says He who is holy, He who is true, “He who has the key of David, He who opens and no one shuts, and shuts and no one opens”: 8 “I know your works. See, I have set before you an open door, and no one can shut it; for you have a little strength, have kept My word, and have not denied My name. 10 Because you have kept My command to persevere, I also will keep you from the hour of trial which shall come upon the whole world, to test those who dwell on the earth. 11 Behold, I am coming quickly! Hold fast what you have, that no one may take your crown." Revelation 3:7-8, 10,11

So, what does it mean 'Philadelphia', to not deny the name of God, and to 'keep the word of My patience'? What does it mean to have before one, an 'open door' placed by God. The gift of each day brings with it divine appointments, as God is intentional to have 'good' show up. His patience is for 'good'.

As the lyrics from a contemporary Christian song would state, '... if it's not good, then you're not done, no He's not done with you, yet... There will be joy in the morning.'  When the soul produces favor from favor, the Lord is pleased, much like when the 'soil' receives from the heavens and is thereafter fruitful to offer a lush bounty. "For the earth which drinks in the rain that often comes upon it, and bears herbs useful for those by whom it is cultivated, receives blessing from God;... 10 For God is not unjust to forget your work and labor of love which you have shown toward His name, in that you have ministered to the saints, and do minister." Hebrews 6:7, 10

Our Lord is one who radically gives, and cherishes the recipient who, in kind, gives as it is right to do so. Being charitable, speaks to our wealth, in Christ. Maturing in Christ, we recognize this very thing. Declaring our good works in the world, even our giving, aligns with a faith that is alive, and 'sharp', to the revealing of grace. Practice His presence. Sharpen the edge.

"For you 'know' the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, that though He was rich, yet for your sake He became poor, so that you by His poverty might become rich." 2 Corinthians 8:9 Dare to do so, in kind.

PRAYER: Knowing that You love a cheerful giver, Lord help us to be such each day. Such growth in grace matters much! Lead us to trust, and obey. Bless You Jesus! Amen!
By Dea. McNeal Brockington

Eternal God and our gracious heavenly Father, we bend our knees before You and look to You, now, to ask Your blessing upon the hearing of the Word to all who have an ear to hear what the Spirit is saying this morning. Lord God, do a mighty work in us bringing about encouragement, peace and  assurance.  I pray that You would fortify our faith in these times that we live in,  that You might give to us a fresh assurance of Your control and power and Your protection and Your provision in this time. We ask, oh God, that You would use me once again to speak in accordance to Your Oracles and when it’s all said and done, our Father, we’ll be careful to give You all the praise and all the honor and all the glory for we ask it in Jesus’ name, amen and amen.
Pastor Wayne Cockrell taken from “A New Praise for a Great God”

We have many celebrations at work; and one subject that almost always come up is, Favorite Words.  I have never thought about my favorite word. Well, now I have claimed one. It was during a morning conversation with my manager. I expressed the gratitude that comes when I think about my identity in Christ. Yes, I went on to share that my favorite word is “Grace.”

Years ago, when I worked at W. R. Grace (no pun intended), I claimed that my favorite verse was Isaiah 30:18, “Therefore the Lord will wait, that He may be gracious to you; and therefore He will be exalted, that He may have mercy on you. For the Lord is a God of justice; Blessed are all those who wait for Him.”   It would figure that Isaiah 30:18, mentions the word, “Gracious”. The verse lends itself to be a means of exhortation; to share with us the Lord’s goal and objective towards us. He is always in pursuit of us. He desires to give to us and provide within us the amazing gifts that can only be identified as His Grace. In and of ourselves we could never measure up or be able to express the height and depth of God’s Grace towards us. He gave His absolute best to those who were His enemies. Who does that? He went far beyond what we could imagine and gave His Grace, His only Son, the Lord Jesus Christ. Because of Christ, we have the privilege to possess such fruit as love, peace, hope, joy, kindness, generosity, gentleness, self-control (Galatians 5:22-23). The work on the cross is a symbol of all of the Lord’s precious Grace. We have only to begin to tap into all of His grand compassions He wants to give us, that in turn, we may extend to one another, as well. God, the Father, in His infinite wisdom, knew we needed a Savior like Jesus. One who is able to accomplish God’s purposes and exemplify the idea of seeing pass faults and offenses and giving unreachable, abounding, and unmeasurable Grace.

PRAYER: Lord, thank You for Your thoughts to grant us all of what is good and profitable. Thank You for granting us Your “idea” of Grace. Help us to treasure what we have in Jesus. That we may be able to rise above the matters of this life and world and possess our security which is found in only You that we may extend unrelentless grace to others. We want to always give You ALL the Honor, Praise, Witness, & Glory that is forever due Your Holy and Precious NAME…In Your Jesus’ Name we pray, Amen!
By Sis. Lisa Williams

In as much as we see trials all about us, troubles inward and outward, sin seeming to abound, there is the grace of gratitude.  For a moment, Jonah was content with the plant God prepared to give him comfort. What relief has God raised up for you in your time of discomfort, misery, sorrow?  Did that reprieve bring about a lasting contentment?  Or like Jonah did you return to a spirit of disappointment? Contentment is a form or gratitude-the one who practices it appreciates where they are and asks for nothing more or less. Oh, to be grateful, Lord.

The vicissitudes of life are but a test and the goal of this test is for us to be conformed in the image of Christ.  Do you hate tests? Most of us do.  Just seeing the word “test” provokes anxiety, but “Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication, with thanksgiving, let your requests be made known to God; and the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus.” (Philippians 4:6-7); incites fear, but “God has not given you a spirit of fear but of love power and a sound mind.” (2 Timothy 1:7); and causes temporary amnesia, but “Bless the Lord, O my soul, and forget not all His benefits:” (Psalm 103:2).

These three, anxiety, fear, and forgetfulness-ones Jonah clearly experienced- are just responses to God approved, or God allowed trials and they are the antithesis of gratitude. Through the Refiners fire God seeks to draw off this dross of imperfection and create a heart of gratitude, thanksgiving and praise (Psalm 100). Be grateful, when trials come, God is after something and we’re right where we’re supposed to be.

PRAYER: Jesus, I thank You for the tests and trials. Even though they are uncomfortable, You know all things pertaining to me.  You desire truth in the inward parts, a walk that is well pleasing to You, and for me to look more like You!  Help me to embrace, possess, and display an attitude of gratitude, even when things in life are contrary to what I thought they should be.
By Sis. Paula Smith

What does it mean to be rooted. Rooted means to be so secure and confident that you are immovable. Being rooted in Christ means that you have unshakable trust (Proverbs 3:15), that your foundation is secure, your faith can not be rocked by false teachings and that you have peace in the storm. Rooted people produce fruit even in the droughts of life (Jeremiah 17:8b). The word is also an adverb intensifying the adjective (in this case) rooted. Example: For God SO loved the world.

While on YouTube one day I watched a video and a man said; “Be so rooted in God’s plan that even disappointment feels like divine protection. Stay rooted, steady, and planted in God’s will that when things don’t work in your favor, you recognize it as protection disguised as heartbreak.” He went on to say that failures are often fences put up to protect us. Can you imagine being so rooted?

How many storms have come into your life and you just fell apart? What about that guy or gal you liked who just wasn’t that into you or that person who broke your heart? Can you imagine being so secure and confident in God’s plan for your life that even disappointments feel like divine protection? What if you truly trusted God with all you heart and you did not lean on your own understanding would your failures seem more like fences used to protect you? Being rooted means that you know closed doors aren’t bad, they are God’s protection over your life. How many times have you asked the Lord to open the door if you should walk through it but close it if you shouldn’t just to get upset with the Lord for closing the door? Did you ever think that that particular job wasn’t meant for you; that maybe it would cost you some peace? When we are rooted in Christ; when we believe that the thoughts the Lord has toward us are thoughts of peace and not evil (Jeremiah 29:11), we are able to deal with disappointment and rejection differently.

Rooted people recognize that even in the storm God is with them and that even when we feel alone God is there. (Deuteronomy 31:8) So often believers say, “I’m blessed and highly favored,” but become devastated when things don’t go as they planned. One of the hardest lessons learned is that feelings aren’t facts. Being rooted in God’s plan means going when He says go, trusting when He says no, and not allowing emotions and fear to cause us to be disobedient or defiant. Be so rooted…

PRAYER: Dear Heavenly Father forgive us for doubting You. Forgive us for leaning unto our own understanding and becoming dismayed or angry when life disappoints us. Take charge of our thoughts, Lord and grow us in a way that we become so rooted in Your plan for our life that even in the storm our faith doesn’t waver. Lord, thank You for Your Word that helps plant us so securely that even in life’s droughts we still produce fruit. Thank You for Your Son, Jesus the Christ, who died and rose for our sins. In the matchless name of Christ, Amen.
By Sis. Pat Towns

Hebrews 1:3 says “…who being the brightness of His glory and the express image of His person, and upholding all things by the word of His power when He had by Himself purged our sins, sat down at the right hand of the Majesty on high…” The Lord Jesus Christ is 100% God and 100% Man, the God-Man!!!

His emptying was an unquenchable, over-flowing, inexhaustible, exceedingly abundant climax of humiliation. Christ went to the depths of darkness and sin to obtain our salvation. Therefore, there is no height or depth of His exaltation. The exaltation was the reward for His humiliation. He was highly exalted; raised to the supreme position; exalted beyond measure. The whole Person of the Lord Jesus Christ was exalted to honor and power.
Prayer: Blessings and Honor and Glory and Power be to Him who sits on the throne and to the Lamb forever and ever. Amen!!!
By Sis. Cheryl Torain

Fiery gospel preacher Adrian Rogers once said, “We try to keep up with the Joneses. But when we finally catch up with them, they refinance.” He’s also quoted as saying, “We spend the first half of our lives WASTING our health to get wealth; the second half of our lives we spend our wealth to get back our health.” Some may chuckle a bit at these realities, but they are precisely that—grim realities about our often-distorted perspectives on money and what is for many an insatiable fixation on materialism.

Our title verse points to what the Christ follower’s aim should always be—a pursuit of the true and eternal riches attainable by laying up treasures that no one can steal, no government can levy burdensome taxes against, and that will never become tarnished, or require replacement. [See Matthew 6:19] It all goes back to covetousness, which has historically been at the route of much discontentment and unrest in the world.

In light of the idolization of money in the hearts of many —including those who profess to trust in Christ—it’s essential that we embrace a biblical perspective on financial matters and take steps to keep materialism at bay! Christ declared that we will always have the poor among us [Matthew 26:11]. In proclaiming this fact near the time of His sacrificial death and resurrection, He was returning His followers’ gaze-- as well as yours and mine-- to remembering our responsibility to those among us who are truly needy, rather than remaining preoccupied throughout these temporal lives with what we feel we deserve and should possess.

PRAYER: Heavenly Father, “Give me neither poverty nor riches; feed me with the food that is my portion, that I not be full and deny You and say, “Who is the LORD? Or that I not be in want and steal, and profane the name of my God [Proverbs 30:8, 9;]. Thank You, in Christ’s name; amen!
By Sis. Denise Diggs

Father, we thank You so very much, once again, for the testimony of Your Word. Our hearts melt when we are confronted with Your greatness, and how You give us testimonies throughout the various spheres of life we live.  Your presence and power, Your provision and Your promises; all four of those things always working, always being evidenced in our lives in some way, shape or form.   We thank You that You have loved us enough and You have loved us in a way that we could have never imagined, never qualified for.  Yet today, we kneel before You as people who have been saved by Your grace through faith in the finish work of the Lord, Jesus Christ. We thank You for the testimony of Moses and the people-You’ve shown us that you are the same God then and the same God now. God of Abraham, Isaac, Jacob, the God of Moses, the same God of us today and we thank You for that. So now we praise You now that we can place our confidence in Your sufficiency, believing beyond a shadow of a doubt that You are able to keep us in all of our ways and that You are able to protect us, grow us, do all the things in our lives that You have promised.   So, Father, I pray for the body of Christ and for the unsaved, may the witness of the Word touch their hearts and draw them to the saving knowledge of Your Son, the Lord Jesus Christ.
Pastor Wayne Cockrell
Taken from  Closing Prayer- When God Leads Us to Trouble

SCRIPTURE: “For I am the Lord, I do not change; therefore you are not consumed, O sons of Jacob.” Malachi 3:6

God’s promises shall come to pass in His time
God’s promises shall come His way by design
God’s promises have a purpose that’s divine
God’s promises give us a target to remain aligned.

God’s promises are carefully orchestrated and arranged
God’s promises are guaranteed because His ways never change
God’s promises are meant for us to seek and rest in Jesus’s name
God’s promises are trustworthy; they provide the hope that sustains.

God’s promises were experienced at the beginning of our salvation
God’s promises ensured us eternal life rather than eternal damnation
God’s promises feed our faith to withstand evil, Satan, and temptation
God’s promises give us confidence to contend against trials and tribulations.

God’s promises are not merely intended to make us comfortable
God’s promises are an illustration of His love for the undeserved and unlovable
God’s promises indicate His time, His way, and His purpose are reliable
God’s promises work together for the good to reveal a vow that’s unbreakable.

PRAYER: Lord! You are a promise keeper. Thank you for the continual hope and encouragement. My timing is not Yours, but You are always on time. In the matchless name of Jesus!
By Bro. Glenny Moore

With a generation that remembers significant moments in U.S. History, the bombing of Pearl Harbor ( December 7, 1941), D-Day (June 6, 1944), The Vietnam War (January 27, 1973/ April 30, 1975,) each of us can remember where we were on 9/11.

What was initially thought of as a horrible accident soon revealed itself to be an attack on America, (our strength, people and pride). How our collective countenance sank as we learned of, not one, but four planes sent on a suicide mission to destroy as many lives as possible. Neither the twin towers, their massive presence nor our military fortress- the Pentagon, could shield the vulnerable souls therein from this heinous attack. The plane on its way to the White House would see the mastermind’s plans thwarted as several of its passengers counted the cost and rendered the mission a failure-though it cost them their lives as their plane crashed in Shanksville, Pennsylvania. God saw it. God allowed it.

This unexpected physical blow delivered without warning, struck our hubris and caused severe, adverse physical, emotional and spiritual damage. We were humbled by an underestimated enemy and certainly we as a nation were humbled to the point of asking, what Job may have thought, what have we done to deserve this?  God saw it. God allowed it.

“Shall we indeed accept good from God, and shall we not accept adversity?” (Job 2:10) What a hard question to ask when we are in despair.  Every year for the past 25 years, we aim to reflect on the lives lost on that day, the lives lost to this point because of that day, and the ripple effects still being felt today.  As a nation of Christians, may we also individually reflect on 2 Chronicles 7:14 “if My people who are called by My name will humble themselves, and pray and seek My face, and turn from their wicked ways, then I will hear from heaven, and will forgive their sin and heal their land.”  Oh, brothers and sisters, don’t let the rest of your days go by without you personally seeking the Lord, “seek the Lord while He may be found, call upon Him while He is near. 7 Let the wicked forsake his way, and the unrighteous man his thoughts; Let him return to the Lord, and He will have mercy on him; and to our God, for He will abundantly pardon.” Isaiah 55:6-7

Remember this day with solemn reverence and gratitude. In God’s sovereignty He sees, and He allows things we may not understand on this side of glory. All we know is Romans 8:28 and that “He is unique, and who can make Him change? And whatever His soul desires, that He does. 14 For He performs what is appointed for me, and many such things are with Him. 15 Therefore I am terrified at His presence; when I consider this, I am afraid of Him.16 For God made my heart weak,” Job 23:13-16a

PRAYER: Heavenly Father, You made our hearts weak and rightly so. Please bring Your comfort to the hearts of 9/11 families. I pray that this nation and we its people will humble ourselves, turn our hearts toward You, repent from our sins, believe on Jesus as Savior, and serve Him with all our minds, hearts, soul and strength. In Jesus’ name, Amen.
By Sis. Paula Smith

Life brings pain and triumph. I remember a once popular gospel song which included the lyrics, “What God has for me it is for me.” This song was sung with such great fervor and conviction by many believers. The problem with the song is it infers that God only has what we call “good” for us, when scripture undeniably teaches in this life we will have trials. Not many want to capture that God’s goodness involves our assigned trials. Before time began, our trials were determined and strategically designed by the very One who Loves us amazingly.

The great cloud of witnesses mentioned in Hebrews 12:1, are not only named as such because they lived before us, but more so because of how they kept their faith and hope in God while they withstood their assigned pain-causing load. The painful encounters have the ability to encourage and mature the believer. They cause us to align with our Lord more. God desires are fulfilled. In the pain, we come to believe the Lord so much so that our belief in Him turns mysteriously into solid “faith.” After the heaviness of a trial, we are eager to encourage ourselves and others of our Lord’s keeping power and inevitable direction to victory. You know why? Because the just shall live by faith!

God’s consistency and our faith in what He can do allows us to experience worshipful experiences. Our assurance grows! In John 11, when Lazarus died, Mary and Martha were looking for our Lord. They knew He loved them and would not have wanted them to be in despair. Once Christ arrived at their place, they asked Him, “Where were You, Lord?”  They knew that Jesus had power even over death. They proclaimed, “If You (Jesus) had been here, our brother would not have died.”

Our pain is to ultimately bring glory God; therefore, our assigned trial must take place. God desires that in the trial we would rest in His great love and realize that the pain is to accomplish a much greater plan and purpose. The Lord desires that we know and believe Him so much that we have peace and joy beyond human understanding, yes, even in our ‘God ordained’ storms. He wants glory, praise, and honor despite the evidence of things seen. With God’s power we are able to stretch pass human panic and worry to reach our rightful place above where our Lord forever reigns.

PRAYER: Lord, we thank You for Your Word and the understanding of Your great truths which leads us to know and believe You more. You set trials in our path to lead us to Your triumph and righteousness. Lord, may You continue to be our all in all, knowing that there is no other safe place to go for refuge. Thank You for Your commitment and promise to make us look more and more like Your Son, The Christ. It is In His Precious Name we pray. Amen!
Sis. Lisa Williams

The Lord Jesus Christ came into the world not just to die for us, but also to identify with us. He exampled the supreme demonstration of humility. The only way that God’s people can experience unity in the body of Christ is through the attitude of humility. So “Let this mind be in you which was also in Christ Jesus.” (Philippians 2:5) And what mind is that? Christ had the mind of humility.

It is possible to be too big for God to use you, but never too small for God to use you. The fundamental law in Christ’s classroom of learning is denying self for His glory and honor, denying self for the brethren and even denying our own selfish appetites.

Matthew 16:24-25 says “Then Jesus said to His disciples, ‘If anyone desires to come after Me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross, and follow Me. For whoever desires to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for My sake will find it.”’ Jesus made Himself of no reputation – kenosis – the Greek word for emptying Himself. The challenge in Matthew 16 is for us to do a “self-emptying.” Sanctification is the process of becoming more like Jesus through brokenness and obedience.

PRAYER: Precious Jesus, the Glorious God-Man, thank You who knew no sin to be identified with sin for me that through salvation I can experience Your righteousness. Help me to continue this journey of dying to self that I might truly experience life in Christ.
By Sis. Cheryl Torain

Has fear ever paralyzed you? Have you ever considered not doing something or going somewhere because you were afraid? Fear is sneaky and not from God. The Apostle Paul was encouraging Timothy when he said that God doesn’t give you a spirit of fear. Paul knew that Timothy’s calling was to lead the church in Ephesus and correct false teachings and he knew that Timothy needed encouragement to do the task. To do what he was called to do Timothy had to stay strong and be bold in his faith.

Standing for Christ requires us to be fearless. Dispelling false narratives about Christ requires us to be fearless. Furthermore, living like Christ is the head of our life and avoiding sin also requires fearlessness. Walking around afraid to do things like going to college, moving to a new state, starting a new job, standing up for something that is right but unpopular, or trusting God in adversity, does not show the belief in God’s power. Fear can make it easy to dim our light or even go with the crowd. The Word tells us not to go with the crowd but instead we should enter through the narrow gate. The crowd enters through the wide gate and “wide is the gate that leads to destruction” (Matthew 7:13-14). Simply put, don’t follow the world. Fear of losing friends or status can make a person enter through the wide gate and follow the world and its behaviors and beliefs. When fear sets in, you must remember to not allow it to hold you back or control you because that spirit is not from God (2 Timothy 1:7).

PRAYER: Dear Lord, forgive us for giving into fear. Forgive us for allowing fear to dictate our lives. Many times, we have taken the long way to our destination because fear has a hold on our mind. Thank You, for the example of Timothy and Paul, they show us that fear is real but it is not from you. You have made It clear that You have not given us a spirit of fear but of love and power and a sound mind. Help us Lord, to continue to trust You and live our lives like we truly believe that fear is not a part of the plan for our lives. In the matchless name of Jesus, Amen.
By Sis. Pat Towns

SCRIPTURE: “So it will be at the end of the age. The angels will come forth, separate the wicked from among the just, 50 and cast them into the furnace of fire. There will be wailing and gnashing of teeth.” Matthew 13:49, 50

I was recently given a lovely bouquet of flowers, which I placed upon my foyer table. Around the end of the second week, as expected, certain flowers began to visibly wilt, and I embraced a simple solution.  I scooped up some beautiful artificial flowers and interspersed these with the live flowers, and “VOILA!”  problem solved!  Full beauty restored!  If only the harmful disunifying effect of darnel weeds in churches today could be as easily eliminated!   This really showcases the divine reasonableness of the apostle Paul’s comments in 1 Corinthians 5:12, 13—“For what have I to do with judging outsiders?  Do you not judge those who are within the church?  But those who are outside God judges.  REMOVE THE WICKED [person] FROM AMONG YOURSELVES.  [This begs the question, would there be ANY congregants left in the pews of protestant churches today if this earnest regard for maintaining church purity was upheld over the centuries]! We all know the answer to that; but let us resist the temptation to discouragement.

 God has promised to perform an unprecedented “purging” of humankind at His appointed “day.” Does this fact stir us to repent, confessing to Him our transgressions of thought, words, and/or deeds?  I pray that it does, dear reader.  Our uncompromisingly holy and just LORD declares that He will separate the sheep from the goats [Matthew 25:32].  He assures us that He is keenly aware and grieved by the presence of ruinous demonic {is there any other kind?] WEEDS among His redeemed people!   This spiritual reality is emphatically proclaimed in Matthew 13:24-30 and verses 36-44.  This promised separation should give us who know Him great cause for rejoicing!  Fret not over the evildoers—instead, “delight yourself in the LORD; and He will give you the desires of your heart, which will be aligned with HIS!  [Psalm 37:1, 4, 5] Rest assured of this as you yield to His indwelling Spirit; commit your own way to the LORD! A holy separation IS coming!!  HALLELUIAH!!!

PRAYER: Dear Father, while  You’ve told us that You take no delight in the punishment of the wicked, Your divine justice, cannot overlook habitual and willful sinning—the enemies of true unity and spiritual growth.    May Your solemn warnings prompt us daily to walk worthily of Your high calling of us in Jesus Christ, in His wonderful name we pray and give thanks; amen!
By Sis. Denise Diggs

Eternal Father, we thank You once again for the reading of the Word for You have given unto us this eternal Word that we might believe that You are and that You are a rewarder of them that diligently seek You.  We pray now that as we yield to the Holy Spirit, once again, that You would give unto us insight.  Give us enlightenment that we might know Your mind and Your heart. Let this Word do a mighty work in us so that we would be of the same mind with You. That Your desires would be our desires and that we may indeed understand what You have for us to do in this life You’ve called us to live. We ask Your favor upon me as a preacher, once again. That You would use me, Father, to proclaim those things that You desire done and we will give You praise and thanks, Father, for we ask it all in Jesus’ name, amen and amen.
Pastor Wayne Cockrell
Taken from Opening Prayer-"When God Leads Us to Trouble"

Welcome Back to GBFC's Daily Devotionals. A new season to encourage one another in life's journey! Take a moment and read God's Word and today's Devotional by today's writer, Sis. Pat Towns!  Be Encouraged!

Anger is an emotion that comes on like a flood after a dam has broken. When the levees of your heart break those feelings bring about thoughts that can overwhelm and in a split moment your testimony can be destroyed. Anger is a strong emotion that can cause a person to make poor and/or rash decisions, often using their tongue as a weapon. Sticks and stones may break your bones, but words will never hurt you is childhood’s biggest lie.

When anger sets in, negative thoughts can corrupt the mind. Luke 6:45 says, "out of the abundance of the heart the mouth speaks." You cannot fake what’s in your heart. During times of anger your true self will show.  As you grow in Christ you find that you may sin less, but you are not sinless. Moreover, you may find that you sin less in word and deed but not necessarily in thought.

Anger gives Satan a foothold, an opportunity to tempt you. Many times, we want to blame Satan for our behavior, our slips, but if we are honest, we can admit that the devil tempts but doesn’t force. Failure to seek the Lord immediately in times of distress can open the door for Satan to use you. Remember, Satan "walks around like a roaring lion seeking who he can devour." (1 Peter 5:8 ) In that same passage of scripture we are told to be "sober-minded and vigilant." We should always be on high alert because feelings are sneaky.

When a person offends you, the lion that has been pacing back and forth strikes and when he does, we react. That knee jerk reaction can be deadly. Before you know it, you have lashed out and destroyed your testimony. When angry, you aren’t thinking about edifying or "speaking in psalms and hymns" (Ephesians 5:19). Instead, you may think about some other songs that show that Christian doesn’t mean chump. The lion is roaring.

When life hits you with negative feelings and thoughts, pray immediately. Ask the Lord to take charge of your thoughts, to order your steps, to bridle your tongue. "Death and life are in the power of the tongue" (Proverbs 18:21) so it must be controlled. But who can control the tongue (James 3:8)? "Out of the abundance of the heart the mouth speaks."  (Matthew 12:34 ). The heart can’t be trusted it is "deceitful above all things and desperately wicked" (Jeremiah 17:9). Only the Lord can control the tongue and He knows our heart.

When anger embraces you like a vice grip, pray immediately asking the Lord to help you. Remember that feelings aren’t facts – feelings change, facts do not. Consider the facts in your situation, lean on the Lord, remember that the Bible tells us to be "slow to anger" (James 1:19 ), that you can "be angry but don’t sin." (Ephesians 4:26 ) The Bible even says we should not vent in anger (Proverbs 29:11), what!! So, when you feel the urge to cuss that person out, take a deep breath and pray because you cannot take back words spoken, even with apologies.

PRAYER: Dear Lord help us to control ourselves when we become angry. Your Word directs us to not be impulsive, but instead be quick to listen, slow to speak, and slow to anger. Remind us that although anger is not a sin it can lead to sin. Teach us how to be angry and not sin. Help us, Lord, to be aware of our thoughts so they cannot gain traction in our mind and become behaviors. Lord, help us to use Your Word that we have hidden in our hearts to overpower any deceitful or wicked thoughts. Then Lord, please help us to forgive as we have been forgiven. Help us to not hold on to anger and hold grudges – to not let the sun set on our wrath. Lord, thank You for directing us to cast our cares on You, even anger. Thank You for the saving power of Christ, without His Love, we would be lost. In Jesus name, Amen.
By Sis. Pat Towns

Welcome Back to GBFC's Daily Devotionals. A season of encouraging began earlier this week and we want you to take some time and read God's Word and today's Devotional to be encourage by today's writer, Dea. McNeal Brockington!

Such a short, yet loaded proverb to speak of kinship, process, accountability, responsibility, reciprocity, trajectory, capacity, intentionality, persuasion, testing, sanctification, and dutiful anticipation in one breath...Wow!

It speaks to the inherent strength of iron, as likened to the strength of the saint, responsive to the redemptive phrase, the gospel, offered once upon a time, and carried forward by the grace of God. As iron sharpens iron, so ought one soul sharpen another!

When iron meets iron within the testing of heat, and friction, the best is brought forth, for a purposeful existence. Each 'iron', not perfectly the same, meets with a similar, a fellow sojourner, discovering self and Him within the test, both being held and guided by the One greater. "Behold, how good and how pleasant it is for brethren to dwell together in unity." Psalm 133:1

The partnership means much, and is purposeful for eternity-present, and eternity-yet. Be it hammer to blade, or blade to blade, both as 'iron' matter in the Handler's grasp. And what a shine that sharpening brings!  "Iron sharpens iron, as a man 'sharpens' his friend's face."  Through the transformative impact, beyond the testing, the face or countenance, that which is most public and expressive, is given privilege and power to relay what the sum has become. Hereof, truth appreciated is then expressed... and it is righteous and compassionate, an outcome borne of relationship. The Author is God... and what a Friend we have in Jesus! "When two, or more, are gathered together in My name, there will I be in their midst." Matthew 18:20

Jesus. Other. You. Come together, in Christ. He is the resurrection and the life. Receive it, and let your living speak it. Embrace your glorious appointment which God calls 'eternal'.  But for now, 'Sharpen the edge'. "Let us hold fast the confession of our hope without wavering, for He who promised is faithful. And let us consider one another in order to stir up love and good works, not forsaking the assembling of ourselves together...exhorting one another, and so much the more, as you see the Day approaching." Hebrews 10:23-25

PRAYER:  Dearest Lord, I pray Thee, raise my understanding, with my courage, to stand upon such day by day... that my living brings clarity through and beyond words, for the presence of Your living Word as perfect counsel. Then, sharpen me, Lord. May my soul drink of Your Faithfulness, that my journeying in kind, becomes more and more faithful...sharpened. Blessings to You, precious Lord. Majestic is Your Name. Hallelujah and Amen.
By Dea. McNeal Brockington

Welcome Back to GBFC's Daily Devotionals! A new season of encouraging Devotions begins this September. Scroll down and begin with today's Devotional by our Sis. Lisa Williams.

One thing have I desired is to dwell in the house of the Lord for all the days of my life and even for eternity. We must recognize and hold dear that it absolutely matters how we make the decisions and conduct matters in this life. Though we live in this age called Grace; and we, often, can point to our many mercies, the Lord still wants us to be aware that any and all sin brings principled consequences. Sin has to bring consequences for even our individual sin can affect others around us in great ways. God has given us His Word to be our guide in all matters; therefore, we must sound out the noise of the world and walk according to His lead.

God already knows and understands that we are prone to wander outside of His protection. This is why Christ had to come; that is, if the Father would ever fulfill His desire to have a relationship with us. Christ is our refuge, our Strong Tower in whom we can run. The Christ desires we pray always and consistently and persistently read His Word. If we do, we will build the stride and stamina to walk by faith (in Him). The believers’ determination to bring our Lord pleasure will be inevitable when we purpose to live and have our being in the true and living God, yes, in the very One who is our Christ.

Attempting to live independently of the Christ will bring us into contempt of the Father. For the Father with His Son desires to lavish us with all of His benefits, such as, His joy, His peace, His love, even on this side of eternity. Let us not be taken off course by fulfilling our selfish or emotional needs and dumb down the consequences of an independent life of the Savior. There are, for sure, consequences to our independence. For sin is always tragic; and even in the life of the believer, it brings a traumatic distance and separation from the only LOVER of our soul. Knowing this, God always exhorts us to be vigilant to stay in much prayer and in much study of His Word. He wants us to triumph over every temptation.

The believers’ wander, of course, is not without hope; we have an escape. We have 1st John 1:19, which enables us to close the distance we made from our Lord. However, do we take God’s grace for granted as in Romans 6 asks? No, It is the love we have for Jesus which should compel us to embrace His “narrow road”. For we can do nothing without Him! Another part of the enemy’s plan to defeat us is exposed when we dumb down the repercussion of sin. Our constant and close encounters with our Lord will make the difference; we will sin less and therefore, suffer less consequences. Let us hold fast our profession of faith with how we walk in the Omnipotence of our God! HALLELUJAH!!

PRAYER: Dear God, I know Your Word is true! Your Word teaches us that this earth shall pass away but Your Word will forever remain. Lord, help us to set out to bring You glory with the way we obey You to avoid awful consequences of sin. For we know that our sin affects more than us individually. Help us to keep a short account and stay near to You that we don’t forfeit Your ever loving and righteous benefits. Thank You for Jesus and all He has given us the ability to overcome. We want to choose Christ and know we need Him in all we say and do for Your glory and good pleasure. In Jesus’ Name-Amen.
By Sis. Lisa Williams

Welcome Back to GBFC's Daily Devotionals! September prepares us for the next season leaving behind wonderful memories of Summer.. Let's begin with today's Devotional by our Sis. Denise Diggs!

SCRIPTURE: “Now we have received, not the spirit of the world, but the Spirit who is from God, that we might know the things that have been freely given to us by God. “ 1 Corinthians 2:12

Dear Christ follower, are you laying claim to those things which have been freely given to us as children of the King? [I am not endorsing in any way the foolish and presumptuous “name it, claim it” teaching of false prophets]. Rather, I’m reasserting that we Christ-followers have been given a divine right to what our Father has freely bestowed upon us. If you are not accessing these spiritual blessings by faith, it’s a bit like being one of those people to whom unclaimed money is owed by a financial institution, but for some reason it was forgotten about or otherwise left behind by the owner! Failure to access what is freely provided to us as God’s redeemed children is comparable to living under a cloud of “spiritual pauperism.”

In light of what has been freely given to those who belong to Christ, we must remain committed to living daily with our eyes on HIM—NOT on our feelings, NOT on conditions totally beyond our control, or the ungodly antics of carnally-minded persons in our midst! God knows EVERYTHING, says Matthew 10:26 and Hebrews 4:13—and has made all for Himself; yes, EVEN THE WICKED for the day of doom [Proverbs 16:4]—precious things to know, saints!

Things freely given to us include (1) the very MIND of CHRIST [1 Cor. 2: 14], (2) powers of discernment in spiritual matters [v. 15], (3) the guiding principles and promises of His Holy and immutable Word, (4) an earnest longing to APPLY that Word to every situation. For these gifts to mean anything, of course, one MUST be born again, pursuant to John 1:12 and 1 John 5:12. Just like the above-mentioned person who forgot he had unclaimed money, what “King’s kid” is content with living like a spiritual pauper?

PRAYER: Thank You, Lord, for saving my soul; thank You, Lord, for making me WHOLE! Thank You, Lord, for giving to me, Thy GREAT SALVATION, so full and FREE! I LOVE YOU, LORD; AMEN!
** Song lyrics for “Thank You, Lord,” are by Seth Sykes & Bessie Sykes
By Sis. Denise Diggs

Welcome Back to GBFC's Daily Devotionals! We pray you had a wonderful Summer 2026. Let's Dive into today's Devotional with our Min. Lawrence Carpenter!

I was forty years old while traveling down a pathway of destruction, when the name of Jesus was clearly revealed to me. (John 1:12). I made it to my house. This passage of scripture lead me to my knees. While I kneeled to pray in my bedroom, I cried out to the Lord (Jesus) to save me. He heard and He answered and set me on a “path of life.”  Over the next few years, Jesus showed me that the “path of life” is open to all who would believe on His Name. This “path of life” is the only pathway that leads from earth to heaven.

I’d heard the gospel message several times as a youth. Yet, this forty-year-old man is a slave to sin…blinded by unbelief. (John 14:6). Jesus speaks to Thomas concerning the way...” truth and life” and that “no one comes to the Father except by Me.”  As a traveler, on the “path of life,” Jesus called me and placed me into His Ministry of reconciliation (2 Corinthians 5:18). This causes a faithful servant to stop along the way home.

Therefore, being lead by the Holy Spirit, Jesus promised (John 14:21) …I stopped passed Genesis Bible Fellowship Church (building). I heard a familiar a familiar voice coming from a man, as he said, “I greet you in the wonderful name of Jesus.” I immediately recognized this voice. It was from a local Christian radio station where a man by the name of Pastor Wayne Cockrell taught the Word of God weekly…line upon line and precept upon precept. I’d consistently listened to his messages for several years. I was privileged to be a traveler in the area of GBFC at this particular time in my life.

Several years passed while I myself, spent many years preaching and teaching the Word of God, line upon line, precept upon precept. This time, I proposed to travel to Genesis Bible Fellowship Church for morning worship service. I have grown and continue to understand that my home is in heaven. I am just traveling through.

PRAYER: Heavenly Father, we are so thankful for your glorious ministry that You have given unto us. In Jesus’ name.
By Min. Lawrence Carpenter

DEVOTIONS WILL RESUME ON TUESDAY, SEPTEMBER 1, 2026. Until then, get caught up and enjoy our past devotionals!

It's Quiz Time! 

N__ is there s_____ in any ____, for t_____ is no o_____ n____ under h______ given a_____ men by w_____ we m_____ be s_____.
A_____ 4:12

A__ l__ u_ c_______ o__ a_______ i_ o____ t_ s___ u_ l___ a__ g___ w___,
H________ 10:24

n__ f______ t__ a_______ o_ o______ t______, a_ i_ t__ m____ o_ s___, b__ e_______ o__ a____, a__ s_ m___ t__ m___ a_ y__ s___ t__ D__ a___________.
H______ 10:25

It is so good to come into the House of the Lord and see the saints. You refresh our day, make us smile, alleviate the burden from the week prior, make us forget about trouble for a moment, remind us of others who need our help and our prayers, put us to shame when we complain. Yeah, seeing you all on Sunday does that and that's before we even hear the WORD!  Let's Commit this scripture to memory.

not f______ the a_______ of o______ together, as is the m____ of s___, but e_______ one a____, and so m___ the m___ as you s___ the Day a___________.
H______ 10:25

This is the accountability of a One Another Mindset - Encouraging one another. How can we grow into this mindset if we stay away from one another? The Day of Jesus' return is nearer than when we first believed. Keep repeating this scripture all day!

not forsaking the assembling of ourselves together, as is the manner of some, but exhorting one another, and so much the more as you see the Day approaching.
Hebrews 10:25