+DEV+ Who Can Clean Up Our Lives?

Date: December 30, 2015 at 9:58 PM
Topic: +DEV+  Who Can Clean Up Our Lives?

Who Can Clean Up Our Lives?

"Then the owner of the house became angry and ordered his servant, Go out quickly into the streets and alleys of the town and bring in the poor, the crippled, the blind and the lame." Luke 14:21

Scripture Focus: Luke 14:15-24

Who is good enough to become a Christian? Must people clean up their life before they become a follower of Christ? Is anyone good enough?

The religious leaders of Jesus' day believed that only a select few were worthy to be worshippers of the one, true God. Those who did not follow their rules were unworthy to worship their God. But Jesus used this parable to show that the very people the leaders deemed not good enough were the ones to whom God offered salvation.

When a person becomes a Christian, his or her life will reflect a new relationship with the Savior. They will want to live differently. But living differently comes as a result of the new relationship; it does not come beforehand. If we had the power to clean up our lives before we come to Christ, we would not need a Savior at all. But we can't, and that is why Jesus died for us - to pay for our sin and to conquer the power that sin has over us. Who is good enough?

None of us, really. But who gives us His goodness and righteousness? Jesus!

Insight: Have you tried to change your life before becoming a christian? Come just as you are. Jesus will give you the power to change.





Please feel free to use this devotional to send on to your friends or share with your church fellowship and Bible study groups.

We are in urgent need of Prayer and financial partners,
If you would like to become a prayer partner and or a financial partner with monthly or one time gifts.
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+DEV+ Our Words And Our Actions

Date: December 29, 2015 at 10:56 PM
Topic: +DEV+  Our Words And Our Actions

Our Words And Our Actions

"For John came to you to show you the way of righteousness, and you did not believe him, but the tax collectors and the prostitutes did." Matthew 21:32

Scripture Focus: Matthew 21:28-32

Do as I say, not as I do. Many a parent has said this to a child! When there is a gap between what people say and how they behave, we usually think of them as hypocrites.

God is less interested in what we say than in what we do. Claims of Christianity mean little if our lives do not reflect our words. Some people grow up in families or live in communities where it is assumed they are Christians and it is expected they will go to church every week. But their Christianity is a social activity, without a change of heart. Their Sunday morning worship does not impact their behavior Monday through Saturday.

It must grieve God's heart to know Jesus died for people who claim His name but fail to receive Him. Sometimes the most religious people are the ones who are farthest away from the Lord. Mahatma Gandhi, the well-known prophet from India, is said to have observed, "I like your Christ; I do not like your Christians. Your Christians are so unlike your Christ." God and the world are both watching. What do they see?

Insight: Are you claiming to be a Christian without a change of heart? Allow the Holy Spirit to change you from the inside out!





Please feel free to use this devotional to send on to your friends or share with your church fellowship and Bible study groups.

We are in urgent need of Prayer and financial partners,
If you would like to become a prayer partner and or a financial partner with monthly or one time gifts.
A freewill offering to Restoration Ministry may be made via PayPal at our web site:    http://www.rollanet.org/~restore/donations.htm
 

+DEV+ Pride Is Behind All Sin

Date: December 29, 2015 at 2:23 AM
Topic: +DEV+  Pride Is Behind All Sin

Pride Is Behind All Sin

"Take the lowest place, so that when your host comes, he will say to you, Friend, move up to a better place. ... For everyone who exalts himself will be humbled, and he who humbles himself will be exalted." Luke 14:10-11

Scripture Focus: Luke 14:7-11

What was the first sin? Many think it was Adam and Eve's disobedience in the Garden of Eden. While this was the first time humans sinned, the very first sin in the universe was the pride that led to Satan's downfall. Ultimately, pride is behind all other sin. Whenever we disobey God, we put our will above His - in effect saying we know better than He does.

Pride shows up in every area of life. It destroys our relationship with the Lord and with each other. It also leads to humiliating experiences when we set ourselves up for honors that are given to someone else. Over and over in Scripture, we see God's ways are not our ways. True leaders are servants; when we are weak, then we are strong; and finally, "everyone who exalts himself will be humbled."

Our way or God's way - it's our choice. We can in pride seek honor and glory for ourselves that will not last, or we can live in a way that gives all honor and glory to Jesus Christ, the One who died for us so we might live eternally. What will you choose?

Insight: How has pride crept into your relationship with God or others? Humble yourself and wait for God to exalt you in his perfect timing.

Please feel free to use this devotional to send on to your friends or share with your church fellowship and Bible study groups.

We are in urgent need of Prayer and financial partners,
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http://www.rollanet.org/~restore/donations.htm 

Michael D. Inman

- "Bad men need nothing more to compass their ends, than that good men should look on and do nothing." John Stuart Mill, 1867

"Be polite, be professional, but have a plan to kill everybody you meet." ~Maj. Gen. James Mattis~

- "The tree of liberty must be refreshed from time to time with the blood of patriots and tyrants." Thomas Jefferson

 Psalms 144:1 Blessed be Jehovah my rock, Who teacheth my hands to war, And my fingers to fight.

+DEV+ Love the Sinner Not The Sin

Date: December 28, 2015 at 12:45 AM
Topic: +DEV+  Love the Sinner Not The Sin

Love the Sinner Not The Sin

"Which of these three do you think was a neighbor to the man who fell into the hands of robbers?' The expert in the law replied, The one who had mercy on him. Jesus told him, Go and do likewise." Luke 10:36-37

Scripture Focus: Luke 10:25-37

"Hate the sin, love the sinner" is a phrase often used to describe how Christians are to respond to unbelievers. But most of us find it difficult to separate the person from the behavior. For example, how many can say they love Hitler, but hate his sin?

Religious people in Jesus' day did not try to separate the sin from the sinner, and in their opinion, Samaritans were the worst of sinners. They despised them. Seven hundred years prior, Assyria conquered northern Israel, exiled many residents and resettled the land with foreigners. Intermarriage led to a hybrid religion. "Pure" Jews shunned Samaria and traveled out of their way to avoid the area.

Yet Jesus used a story about a Samaritan to shame His listeners. This man gave of his time and his money to help someone who saw him as an object of contempt. The "sinner" was the only one to show real love. What might happen if you and I stopped labeling people and started loving them, despite their sin? Love the sinner - it's what God did through His Son for us.

Insight: What unlovable person in your life is God calling you to love? Allow god to love that person through you.





Please feel free to use this devotional to send on to your friends or share with your church fellowship and Bible study groups.

We are in urgent need of Prayer and financial partners,
If you would like to become a prayer partner and or a financial partner with monthly or one time gifts.
A freewill offering to Restoration Ministry may be made via PayPal at our web site:    http://www.rollanet.org/~restore/donations.htm
 

+DEV+ The Generosity Of God

Date: December 24, 2015 at 1:59 AM
Topic: +DEV+  The Generosity Of God

The Generosity Of God

"Take your pay and go. I want to give the man who was hired last the same as I gave you. ... Or are you envious because I am generous?" Matthew 20:14-15

 Scripture Focus: Matthew 20:1-16

The federal minimum wage was first established in the United States in 1938 to help ensure that employees earned livable wages. But wage laws do not prevent employers from paying more than the minimum.

Jesus told a parable in which workers negotiated a fair wage for a day's labor in the vineyard. Later in the day, the owner hired additional laborers to also work in the vineyard. At the end of the day, all the workers received the same payment, despite the fact that some worked longer hours than others.

But this story is really not about fair wages. It's about a heavenly Father who gives us more than we deserve. Since we cannot earn our salvation, we are dependent on the grace and generosity of God to give what only He can provide. The thief on the cross received the same salvation as Jesus' disciples. Does that seem fair? No. But then, it wasn't fair when Jesus died a torturous death to pay for our sins. God's graciousness may not be "fair," but in this case, fairness is highly overrated!

Insight: Do you want God to be fair or gracious? Receive His gracious gift of salvation and thank Him that there's nothing fair about it!




Please feel free to use this devotional to send on to your friends or share with your church fellowship and Bible study groups.

We are in urgent need of Prayer and financial partners,
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A freewill offering to Restoration Ministry may be made via PayPal at our web site:    http://www.rollanet.org/~restore/donations.htm
 

+DEV+ Forgiveness Sets Us Free

Date: December 22, 2015 at 10:58 PM
Topic: +DEV+  Forgiveness Sets Us Free

Forgiveness Sets Us Free

"The master called the servant in. You wicked servant, he said, I canceled all that debt of yours because you begged me to. Shouldn't you have had mercy on your fellow servant just as I had on you?" Matthew 18:32-33

Scripture Focus: Matthew 18:21-35

C. S. Lewis once wrote, "Everyone says forgiveness is a lovely idea, until they have something to forgive." For many of us, this statement hits closer to home than we want to admit.

It's easy to urge others to forgive. We may even use quotes such as, "Not forgiving is like eating poison and expecting the other person to die," or "Forgiveness is setting a prisoner free and discovering the prisoner was you." It's always the right thing for others to do. But our own situations are different. You don't understand. He said he was a Christian, then betrayed me. He molested my daughter. Surely God doesn't expect me to forgive that!

Yes, He does expect us to forgive that...and more. How can we say the offenses done against us are unforgivable when it was for our sin Jesus was nailed to the cross? We are to forgive much because we have been forgiven much. Still, in His mercy,
God has worked it out so that when we forgive, it's not just something we do for others; forgiveness brings blessings to us, too.

Insight: What offense are you unable to forgive? View it in the light of God's forgiveness of you and give the gift of forgiveness.

Please feel free to use this devotional to send on to your friends or share with your church fellowship and Bible study groups.

We are in urgent need of Prayer and financial partners,
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+DEV+ A Golden Lesson

Date: December 21, 2015 at 11:55 PM
Topic: +DEV+  A Golden Lesson

A Golden Lesson

"Look! I see four men walking around in the fire, unbound and unharmed, and the fourth looks like a son of the gods." Daniel 3:25

Scripture Focus: Daniel 3:1-25

Nebuchadnezzar, the most powerful king in the world, made a huge golden idol to be worshiped by all. It was an object lesson for the whole world: loyalty to Nebuchadnezzar comes first.

But three Hebrew officials refused to obey, knowing that proper allegiance is always to God first. The king was furious! He ordered them thrown into a blazing furnace stoked so hot that it killed the soldiers who threw them in. Yet the Hebrew men were unharmed. The king leaped to his feet in awe at the three and the additional supernatural fourth man with them.

Why was a furnace this big sitting there so handy? It was probably the same one used to make the king's idol. Using the king's own resources, God showed His power over idols, a furnace, the laws of nature, and men. Sending His messenger to walk with the men is a picture of how Jesus would come years later and walk alongside of us. The prophet Isaiah would tell of it: "When you walk through the fire, you will not be burned; the flames will not set you ablaze" (43:2).

Insight: God can use anything to teach the unlimited scope of His power. Even the hard heart of the Babylonian king was moved eventually






Please feel free to use this devotional to send on to your friends or share with your church fellowship and Bible study groups.

We are in urgent need of Prayer and financial partners,
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+DEV+ Jesus The Good Shepherd

Date: December 17, 2015 12:59 AM

Topic: +DEV+  Jesus The Good Shepherd

Jesus The Good Shepherd

"I am the good shepherd; I know my sheep and my sheep know me-just as the Father knows me and I know the Father-and I lay down my life for the sheep." John 10:14-15

Scripture Focus: John 10:11-18

If you attended Sunday school as a child, you may remember those rustic pieces of artwork depicting Jesus as a shepherd with His sheep. The peaceful images usually included a lamb in His arms. 

But the job of a shepherd was rarely peaceful. Shepherds had to be continually alert to danger. Sheep could wander into a patch of poisonous plants. Ferocious wolves, dog packs, or other wild animals could threaten the flock at any time. The shepherd needed to guide his sheep along difficult paths and rescue them when they fell. 

When Jesus said He is the good shepherd, He was telling us He is more than able to protect those who belong to Him. We may wander where we don't belong or come under attack by vicious enemies bent on our destruction. But Jesus already proved Himself as our shepherd by giving His life for us. He is the one who unites believers from every tongue and nation. If we are part of His flock, He knows us, cares for us, and protects us. There's no safer place to be than with our Shepherd.

Insight: Have you wandered from your shepherd or defied his authority in your life? Follow the Shepherd and listen to His voice.

Please feel free to use this devotional to send on to your friends or share with your church fellowship and Bible study groups.

We are in urgent need of Prayer and financial partners,

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+DEV+ I Am The Gate

Date: December 16, 2015 1:13 AM

Topic: +DEV+  I Am The Gate

I Am The Gate

"I am the gate; whoever enters through me will be saved. He will come in and go out, and find pasture. ...I have come that they may have life, and have it to the full." John 10:9-10

Scripture Focus: John 10:1-10

A popular television game show offers contestants the choice of a prize behind one of three doors. One door offers a valuable award, one presents a mundane gift, and the third door delivers a "zonk"- something nobody wants. 

People have long searched for the right "door" to salvation. Religious activity, good deeds, and self-sacrifice are just a few ways people try to reach heaven. But these doors or gates lead to a dead end. Jesus said He is the gate, not a gate. He is the door through which we receive eternal life. All other doors only lead to judgment. 

So why do so many people still chase dead ends? Perhaps it is because we like to think we are in control, even of our salvation. Coming to God through Jesus Christ alone means we have to admit our weakness and that we are helpless to restore our relationship with the Lord on our own. No matter how many sacrifices we make, no sacrifice apart from Jesus' death on the cross is acceptable to our holy God. Don't get zonked. Jesus is the only door to salvation!

Insight: What doors have you tried to get to heaven? Believe in Jesus christ as the gate and accept His sacrifice for you.

Please feel free to use this devotional to send on to your friends or share with your church fellowship and Bible study groups.

We are in urgent need of Prayer and financial partners,

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+DEV+ Share What We Have

Date: December 14, 2015 11:41 PM

Topic: +DEV+  Share What We Have

Share What We Have

"The kingdom of heaven is like a net that was let down into the lake and caught all kinds of fish. When it was full, the fishermen pulled it up on the shore." Matthew 13:47-49

Scripture Focus: Matthew 13:47-50

Have you ever decided someone was beyond redemption? Perhaps you've concluded that sharing the Gospel with a person who "didn't deserve to hear it" would be a waste of time. 

Jesus compared the kingdom of heaven to a dragnet. His disciples would have understood His analogy, since many of them were fishermen. They used dragnets to catch large numbers of fish in short periods of time. But catching fish so indiscriminately meant that unclean ones would be found together with edible ones in the nets. The fish would need to be sorted before they could be eaten or sold. 

When we share the Gospel, our job is not to determine in advance which "fish" we think are worthy to be "caught," regardless of how evil or hardened they appear to be. By the Holy Spirit's leading, we are to share the message of salvation whenever we have the opportunity, to whoever will listen. How they choose to respond to what they hear is up to them. Our job is to share what we have, and then God will do the sorting and the judging.

Insight: Has God brought someone into your life who seems beyond redemption? Share the gospel as He gives opportunity and leave the judgment to Him.

Please feel free to use this devotional to send on to your friends or share with your church fellowship and Bible study groups.

We are in urgent need of Prayer and financial partners,

If you would like to become a prayer partner and or a financial partner with monthly or one time gifts.

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+DEV+ Jesus The Greatest Treasure

Date: December 14, 2015 12:36 AM

Topic: +DEV+  Jesus The Greatest Treasure

Jesus The Greatest Treasure

"The kingdom of heaven is like treasure hidden in a field. When a man found it, he hid it again, and then in his joy went and sold all he had and bought that field." Matthew 13:44

Scripture Focus: Matthew 13:44-46

In 1715 a Spanish treasure fleet sunk in a hurricane off the East coast of Florida. Salvagers began recovering the precious cargo in 1961, and the area soon became known as the Treasure Coast. Despite great danger, commercial divers still seek plunder from this fleet as well as from other ships lost through the centuries. To them, the value is worth the risk. 

When we think of valuable objects, our thoughts may turn to precious metals, gems, and other items prized by our culture. But Jesus compared a restored relationship with God to a prized treasure. Those who realize the value of this relationship are willing to give up all else to obtain it. 

This does not mean we purchase our salvation. It has already been bought for us and is freely offered. But it did not come cheap. It cost God the life of His Son to reconcile us to Him. If we recognize the worth of this treasure, we will eagerly give up anything that may interfere with our relationship with Him. No other prize could be of greater value.

Insight: What is impeding your relationship with the Lord? Release it today and enjoy a greater intimacy with your Heavenly Father.

Please feel free to use this devotional to send on to your friends or share with your church fellowship and Bible study groups.

We are in urgent need of Prayer and financial partners,

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+DEV+ God Judgment Is Just

Date: December 10, 2015 11:17 PM

Topic: +DEV+  God Judgment Is Just

Gods Judgment Is Just

"The servants asked him, Do you want us to go and pull them up? No, he answered, because while you are pulling the weeds, you may root up the wheat with them. Let both grow together until the harvest." Matthew 13:28-30

Scripture Focus: Matthew 13:24-30, 36-43

Pulling weeds out of a garden is often a tiring but rewarding task. The result is a neat garden and healthy plants that do not have to compete with weeds for nutrients and water. 

It's satisfying to uproot weeds and banish them from the garden. But it is also vexing when they have wrapped themselves around the bases of the vegetables and flowers, their intertwining roots damaging the plants in removal. These images, familiar to Jesus' first hearers as well as to us, are speaking of more than just the garden. 

Both Christians and unbelievers live side by side. In government, schools, even churches, "weeds" have set their roots deep, causing us to be discouraged at the extent of wickedness around us. We may wonder why God doesn't stop the spread of evil, but He has already told us the answer. Christ will return, and He will bring judgment with Him. Evil will not always be free to work its insidious ways. Until then, let's be salt and light in our society, trusting His timing and serving Jesus until He comes.

Insight: Are you discouraged at the growth of evil? Rest in the assurance that God is just and will judge sin wherever he finds it.

Please feel free to use this devotional to send on to your friends or share with your church fellowship and Bible study groups.

We are in urgent need of Prayer and financial partners,

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+DEV+ Stay Alert

Date: December 9, 2015 10:35 PM

Topic: +DEV+  Stay Alert

Stay Alert

"Who then is the faithful and wise manager...? The master of that servant will come on a day when he does not expect him and at an hour he is not aware of." Luke 12:42, 46

Scripture Focus: Luke 12:42-48

Early warning systems have been devised for everything from tornado detection to gas gauges on automobile dashboards. The goal is to alert people to trouble before it happens. 

But trouble still comes... and in all shapes and sizes. For some, the worst trouble of all will occur when Jesus Christ returns. Unbelievers will face His wrath. Even believers will have to answer for how they lived and how they used what God had given them. Despite the many Bible verses about Jesus' second coming, there is no actual early warning system for His return. 

Jesus said, "The master of that servant will come on a day when he does not expect him." When Christ returns, will He find us serving Him with joy, or will we be focused on our own plans and comfort? The world is filled with hurting people who have grave physical needs and even more severe spiritual needs. They need us to show our love and share the good news of Jesus. He can return at any time. Let's be sure our Master will find His servants alert and ready for Him!

Insight: Have you become complacent about the Lord's return? Stay alert and serve with joy so that you might hear him say, "well done!"

Please feel free to use this devotional to send on to your friends or share with your church fellowship and Bible study groups.

We are in urgent need of Prayer and financial partners,

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+DEV+ Holy Spirit In Salvation

Date: December 9, 2015 12:28 AM

Topic: +DEV+  Holy Spirit In Salvation

Holy Spirit In Salvation

"The farmer sows the word....Others, like seed sown on good soil, hear the word, accept it, and produce a crop - thirty, sixty or even a hundred times what was sown." Mark 4:14, 20

Scripture Focus: Mark 4:1-20

Seed germination is a secretive process. We plant a seed in soil, cover it, add water, and wait. Over a period of weeks, the seed may sprout... or it may not. We are left to wonder why some seeds grow and others don't. 

Unlike many of the other parables Jesus told, the parable of the sower includes a detailed explanation. Yet understanding the meaning has not prevented some people from being living examples of the seeds "along the path" or "sown in rocky or thorny places." A restored relationship with God is the highest priority anyone can have. But the things of this world tend to get in the way. The devil, trouble, worry, and materialism interfere with the Gospel message. 

Only the Spirit of Christ can cut through the influences that block the message of salvation. Sharing the Gospel is not just a human action. Without the work of the Holy Spirit, no one can receive the things of God. As we share the Gospel, let's ask the Author of salvation to open hearts to receive and bear fruit for His glory.

Insight: Are others resistant when you share the Gospel? Pray the Holy Spirit will move in their lives, and trust Him to change their hearts.

Please feel free to use this devotional to send on to your friends or share with your church fellowship and Bible study groups.

We are in urgent need of Prayer and financial partners,

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A freewill offering to Restoration Ministry may be made via PayPal at our web site:    http://www.rollanet.org/~restore/donations.htm

  

+DEV+ How Much Stuff Is Enough

Date: December 7, 2015 10:48 PM

Topic: +DEV+  How Much Stuff Is Enough

How Much Stuff Is Enough

"Then he said to them, Watch out! Be on your guard against all kinds of greed; a man's life does not consist in the abundance of his possessions." Luke 12:15

Scripture Focus: Luke 12:13-21

Someone once asked John D. Rockefeller, "How much money is enough?" He replied, "Just a little bit more." If this multimillionaire didn't think he had enough, what about us today? 

Life is often gauged in terms of possessions. Money in the bank offers security. We work hard so we can retire and play hard. But Jesus had a different message. He warned against using our resources solely for our own comfort. Instead, we are to have an eternal perspective. God is the one who enables us to earn money, and He expects us to be generous and glorify Him in how we handle our finances. 

Some people go through life wondering why God blesses others financially, but does not seem to bless them. Perhaps we should examine what we do with the resources we've already been given. When God grants us material possessions, do we hoard them or use them to bless others? Randy Alcorn, author of The Treasure Principle wrote, "You can't take it with you, but you can send it on ahead." Let's make sure the buck doesn't stop with us!

Insight: Are you generous with your resources for the sake of God's kingdom? Honor God in your finances and allow him to multiply your investment.

Please feel free to use this devotional to send on to your friends or share with your church fellowship and Bible study groups.

We are in urgent need of Prayer and financial partners,

If you would like to become a prayer partner and or a financial partner with monthly or one time gifts.

A freewill offering to Restoration Ministry may be made via PayPal at our web site:    http://www.rollanet.org/~restore/donations.htm

+DEV+ Everyone Who Asks Receives

Date: December 6, 2015 11:43 PM

Topic: +DEV+  Everyone Who Asks Receives

Everyone Who Asks Receives

"Ask and it will be given to you; seek and you will find; knock and the door will be opened to you. For everyone who asks receives; he who seeks finds; and to him who knocks, the door will be opened." Luke 11:9-10

Scripture Focus: Luke 11:5-13

The story of Aladdin and his magic lamp has delighted children for generations. Aladdin and the genie have been memorialized in books, movies, and song. But the idea of a genie granting wishes has also influenced the way Christians think of God. 

When Aladdin made his wishes, the genie was bound to grant each request. By taking Luke 11:9 and other verses out of context, some people view the God of creation as little more than a genie. They quote, "Ask and it will be given to you" to say that if we don't receive what we want, we must not have enough faith, because God promised to give us whatever we request. 

But God is not a genie. He's not a cosmic Santa Clause. He is our loving, heavenly Father. 

He wants our desires to match His. He wants us to yearn for the highest and best that He has planned for us. Most of all, He wants our first desire to be that He has first place in our lives. When that happens, He will give us whatever we ask for. And that's no fairy tale!

Insight: Are your requests consistent with God's desires for you? His best for you will never disappoint!

Please feel free to use this devotional to send on to your friends or share with your church fellowship and Bible study groups.

We are in urgent need of Prayer and financial partners,

If you would like to become a prayer partner and or a financial partner with monthly or one time gifts.

A freewill offering to Restoration Ministry may be made via PayPal at our web site:    http://www.rollanet.org/~restore/donations.htm

  

+DEV+ People Love Rankings

Date: December 3, 2015 11:24 PM

Topic: +DEV+  People Love Rankings

People Love Rankings

"Two men owed money to a certain moneylender...Neither of them had the money to pay him back, so he cancelled the debts of both. Now which of them will love him more?" Luke 7:41-42

Scripture Focus: Luke 7:36-50

People love rankings. Ten best movies. Twenty most common spelling errors. Top five tennis players. Ranked lists can be useful. But they can also have a darker side. 

In Jesus' day, the religious leaders were proud of their righteous lifestyles. They did not see themselves as sinful - or at least, not as sinful as everyone else. As a result, they dismissed their own need for forgiveness. Other people needed to repent before God, but not them. The problem is, they compared themselves to the wrong standard. 

They missed the point in two ways. First, whether by a little or a lot, we all fall short of God's standard of holiness and deserve His judgment. Second, the more we realize our need for God's forgiveness, the more grateful we are to receive it. Still, we must first recognize the depth of our own debt to God. When we do, the gift of forgiveness in Christ is a joy to accept. But it doesn't stop there. We are then free to forgive others because we know - like the man whose debt was great - how much we've been forgiven.

Insight: Have you been comparing yourself to the wrong standard? Measure yourself against God's holiness, receive the gift of forgiveness, and give it to others!

Please feel free to use this devotional to send on to your friends or share with your church fellowship and Bible study groups.

We are in urgent need of Prayer and financial partners,

If you would like to become a prayer partner and or a financial partner with monthly or one time gifts.

A freewill offering to Restoration Ministry may be made via PayPal at our web site:    http://www.rollanet.org/~restore/donations.htm

  

+DEV+ Patching Holes

Date: December 2, 2015 1:25 AM

Topic: +DEV+  Patching Holes

Patching Holes

"No one sews a patch of unshrunk cloth on an old garment, for the patch will pull away from the garment, making the tear worse. Neither do men pour new wine into old wineskins." Matthew 9:16-17A

Scripture Focus: Matthew 9:16-17

Patching holes in clothes is a time-honored way to save money. With a needle and a little thread, we can extend the life of clothing that would otherwise be doomed to the trash heap. But while patches are helpful for clothing, they can't fix everything in life. 

Some people spend their entire lives trying to patch up their damaged areas. However, failed resolutions, broken promises, and unconquered habits prove we need more than repairs. We need to be made new. When we give our lives to Christ, that is exactly what He does for us. He doesn't just patch up the rips and tears. Through His indwelling Spirit, He brings new life to our dead spirits. Then, as we submit to the Holy Spirit minute by minute and day by day, He uses the rest of our lives to transform us into the image of Jesus Christ. 

We can waste our time trying to patch up our old lives - trying harder, but getting nowhere. Or we can receive the gift of salvation that only Christ can bring...and be made brand new.

Insight: Are you still trying to patch up your life? Once you receive new life, allow the lord to transform you by his holy spirit.

Please feel free to use this devotional to send on to your friends or share with your church fellowship and Bible study groups.

We are in urgent need of Prayer and financial partners,

If you would like to become a prayer partner and or a financial partner with monthly or one time gifts.

A freewill offering to Restoration Ministry may be made via PayPal at our web site:    http://www.rollanet.org/~restore/donations.htm

  

+DEV+ Jesus, The Solid Rock

Date: December 1, 2015 12:37 AM

Topic: +DEV+  Jesus, The Solid Rock

Jesus, The Solid Rock

"Therefore everyone who hears these words of mine and puts them into practice is like a wise man who built his house on the rock." Matthew 7:24

Scripture Focus: Matthew 7:21-27

When Hurricane Sandy tore through the Northeast United States, it devastated entire cities. Homes thought to have been built on solid foundations were destroyed by a pounding combination of wind and flooding. More than 100 people died, many due to their false sense of security. 

We can also have a false sense of security in our spiritual life. Jesus made it clear that religious words and deeds provide a perilous basis for salvation. Religion is not a substitute for a relationship with the Father through His Son, Jesus Christ. No matter how many good works we do, even in His name, they will fall short of God's perfect holiness. The only sure foundation is one of faith in what Christ did for us by His atoning work on the cross. 

Just as we are careful to build our physical homes on solid foundations, let's build our spiritual life on the solid rock God provides. Jesus is worthy of our trust no matter what storms we face, and He will bring us safely home, even through the final storm of death.

Insight: How might you be relying on religious activity to win God's approval? Instead, receive the salvation he freely gives, and serve him with gratitude!

Please feel free to use this devotional to send on to your friends or share with your church fellowship and Bible study groups.

We are in urgent need of Prayer and financial partners,

If you would like to become a prayer partner and or a financial partner with monthly or one time gifts.

A freewill offering to Restoration Ministry may be made via PayPal at our web site:    http://www.rollanet.org/~restore/donations.htm

  

+DEV+ Jesus Taught In Parables

Date: November 30, 2015 3:45 AM

Topic: +DEV+  Jesus Taught In Parables

Jesus Taught In Parables

"The disciples came to him and asked, Why do you speak to the people in parables? He replied, The knowledge of the secrets of the kingdom of heaven has been given to you, but not to them." Matthew 13:10-11

Scripture Focus: Matthew 13:10-17

How would you communicate spiritual truth to a diverse group of listeners, some hungry for what you have to say and others seeking any chance to trap you with your own words? Jesus did it by telling parables. 

The Greek word for parable means to "lay by the side of" or "cast alongside." Each parable compared or cast a new or difficult spiritual truth alongside settings and customs familiar to Jesus' listeners. By focusing on just one spiritual principle in each story, Jesus enabled His followers to understand the truth and apply it to their lives. 

Not all of Jesus' listeners were eager to hear what He had to say. Their hard hearts caused them to be blind and deaf to the truth. So Jesus sometimes used parables to hide the truth in plain sight. For those unwilling to take His words to heart, He made sure the meanings would be obscure. 

Jesus' parables are more than simple stories. They communicate profound truths if we will open our eyes, ears, hearts, and minds to the lessons they have for us.

Insight: Although Jesus' parables may be familiar, will you read them with a fresh appreciation of the spiritual truths he wants to communicate today?

Please feel free to use this devotional to send on to your friends or share with your church fellowship and Bible study groups.

We are in urgent need of Prayer and financial partners,

If you would like to become a prayer partner and or a financial partner with monthly or one time gifts.

A freewill offering to Restoration Ministry may be made via PayPal at our web site:    http://www.rollanet.org/~restore/donations.htm

  

+DEV+ Jesus, Suffered For Us

Date: November 25, 2015 3:44 AM

Topic: +DEV+  Jesus, Suffered For Us

Jesus, Suffered For Us

"Then Pilate took Jesus and had him flogged. The soldiers twisted together a crown of thorns and put it on his head. They clothed him in a purple robe... And they slapped him in the face." John 19:1-3

Scripture Focus: Isaiah 53:3

When Jesus gave up His throne, came to earth, and lived as a man, He did so to show us His understanding of our imprisonment to sin and suffering. His heart grieved for us in our sin. He wept. 

Jesus Christ demonstrated an understanding of our suffering and need for rescue. He Himself suffered an agonizing death in order to rescue us. Not only was He compassionate in our hurts, but He hurt himself so that we would have the promise of a future without worry, regret or pain. The mocking robe He wore on the way to the cross will become the robe of righteousness that He gives to us! 

The fact that Jesus suffered worse than we ever will - even the Father, forsook Him to His death - doesn't always bring us comfort alone. But it should be a reminder to us of the reality of our status as sinners and what it took to save us. It should stir in us the knowledge that we weren't made to suffer, that God has bigger plans for us in the eternal kingdom, when Jesus comes again to finish what He started on the cross.

Insight: Jesus has known suffering as we do, and He suffered for us, that we might know a future day of no suffering.

Please feel free to use this devotional to send on to your friends or share with your church fellowship and Bible study groups.

We are in urgent need of Prayer and financial partners,

If you would like to become a prayer partner and or a financial partner with monthly or one time gifts.

A freewill offering to Restoration Ministry may be made via PayPal at our web site:    http://www.rollanet.org/~restore/donations.htm

  

+DEV+ Our Tears Of Repentance

Date: November 23, 2015 10:05 PM

Topic: +DEV+  Our Tears Of Repentance

Our Tears Of Repentance

"Have mercy on me, O God, according to your unfailing love; according to your great compassion blot out my transgressions. Wash away all my iniquity and cleanse me from my sin." Psalm 51:1-2

Scripture Focus: Romans 7:14-20

Though Jesus cried for sin and death, we are to cry for our sins that would surely lead to death without Him. Our tears are to be tears of repentance. We are incapable of living the way we should before we were Christ's, and we are incapable of living the life we want to after we are Christ's. So Jesus not only took our punishment onto Himself, but He also fulfilled the law in our place, bringing our debt to zero. 

When a little child comes to a parent truly sorry for an offense and even crying tears of contriteness, how the parent's heart is stirred to forgiveness. We are like that little child to our heavenly Father. Our tears of repentance will turn to tears of joy when we know that we belong to Jesus forever. And how we will praise Him when we are able to do good and to stop doing evil! For that is Christ's work in us, not our own. He will sustain us, though we'll struggle against sin all our earthly lives, so that He can declare us faithful servants at the end, thanks only to 

His power.

Insight: God will turn our tears of repentance into tears of joy. Let us be moved again by what it took for us to live right with God.

Please feel free to use this devotional to send on to your friends or share with your church fellowship and Bible study groups.

We are in urgent need of Prayer and financial partners,

If you would like to become a prayer partner and or a financial partner with monthly or one time gifts.

A freewill offering to Restoration Ministry may be made via PayPal at our web site:    http://www.rollanet.org/~restore/donations.htm

  

+DEV+ We Actually Deserve Suffering

Date: November 23, 2015 3:38 AM

Topic: +DEV+  We Actually Deserve Suffering

We Actually Deserve Suffering

"There is no one righteous, not even one; there is no one who understands; no one who seeks God. All have turned away, they have together become worthless; there is no one who does good, not even one." Romans 3:10-12

Scripture Focus: Psalm 36:1-4

The ugly truth is that we actually do deserve suffering. We deserve to live forever in punishment for our sin. Sins that often are so hard to shake. We don't worship God as we were created to do. For our rebellion against God, He would be just in leaving us to the horror that Satan has devised for us. 

Does that mean that we deserve the tragedies that befall us because of something we have done? Does a country in crisis deserve those crises because of specific sins? These are hard questions, ones whose answers our finite minds can barely grasp. The world is broken because of sin and we suffer the consequences. Good things come from God. Destruction is not His goal for us. He allows suffering so that we may believe in Him and that His glory in healing and reparations might be displayed. 

Jesus has delayed His return not so that more should suffer, but so that more who are born to suffering may be born again to life with Him. In that delay, trust Him in all circumstances and be ready when He comes again.

Insight: We don't deserve anything good, yet God has chosen good for us in our salvation and in the blessings He bestows in this life.

Please feel free to use this devotional to send on to your friends or share with your church fellowship and Bible study groups.

We are in urgent need of Prayer and financial partners,

If you would like to become a prayer partner and or a financial partner with monthly or one time gifts.

A freewill offering to Restoration Ministry may be made via PayPal at our web site:    http://www.rollanet.org/~restore/donations.htm

  

+DEV+ We Belong To Jesus

Date: November 19, 2015 10:00 PM

Topic: +DEV+  We Belong To Jesus

We Belong To Jesus

"If we live, we live to the Lord; and if we die, we die to the Lord. So, whether we live or die, we belong to the Lord." Romans 14:8

Scripture Focus: Isaiah 45:22-25

Catechisms distill for us what the Bible teaches so that we can understand what we believe and why we believe it. But catechisms aren't just cold truths for us to memorize. They are beautiful stories of what God has revealed about Himself. The first question in my old Catechism asks, "What is your only comfort in life and death?" The answer: "That I, with body and soul, both in life and death, am not my own, but belong unto my faithful Savior, Jesus Christ ... He also assures me of eternal life, and makes me sincerely willing and ready, henceforth, to live unto him." 

This world has two masters. Before we were Christ's, we were the evil one's. But now that we belong to Jesus, we are in His hands forever. It is to Jesus that ultimately every knee will bow. Belonging to Him isn't a comfort reserved only for life-threatening circumstances; it is the same comfort we have when things go well... comfort for us in life and in death. Though we would have certainly been lost, in Jesus we are found.

Insight: For those in Christ, Romans 14:8 are words of serious comfort. Even in the day of judgment, Christ says that we are His loved ones.

Please feel free to use this devotional to send on to your friends or share with your church fellowship and Bible study groups.

We are in urgent need of Prayer and financial partners,

If you would like to become a prayer partner and or a financial partner with monthly or one time gifts.

A freewill offering to Restoration Ministry may be made via PayPal at our web site:    http://www.rollanet.org/~restore/donations.htm

  

+DEV+ The Benefits Of Suffering

Date: November 18, 2015 10:04 PM

Topic: +DEV+  The Benefits Of Suffering

The Benefits Of Suffering

"...we know that suffering produces perseverance; perseverance, character; and character, hope. And hope does not disappoint us, because God has poured out his love into our hearts by the Holy Spirit..." Romans 5:3-5

Scripture Focus: 1 Peter 4:12-19

Are there any benefits to suffering in this life? We know we are to look toward eternity and trust in our future glory, but are we just to sit around then and wait for that eternity? No. Although Paul longed to be with God, he knew that it was good that he stayed to encourage those he was with and wrote to. 

Though we have hardships, God will never waste them. He will use them for our good, producing in us further peace and character that will in turn encourage others and maybe even lead others to Christ. He even gives us the Holy Spirit to live in us, to allow us to love others and love Him. Isn't it mind-blowing that God lives inside of us and is always renewing us through our learning and circumstances? 

How utterly disappointing if our sufferings had no meaning! God promises that He sees our sufferings, records them, weeps for them, uses them for our good and His glory, and has overcome them for our salvation. Every moment - heartbreaking ones included - in our lives has every meaning in the world.

Insight: The Holy Spirit in us gives the ability to do the impossible and glory in our sufferings.

Please feel free to use this devotional to send on to your friends or share with your church fellowship and Bible study groups.

We are in urgent need of Prayer and financial partners,

If you would like to become a prayer partner and or a financial partner with monthly or one time gifts.

A freewill offering to Restoration Ministry may be made via PayPal at our web site:    http://www.rollanet.org/~restore/donations.htm

  

+DEV+ We Will Suffer

Date: November 17, 2015 10:22 PM

Topic: +DEV+  We Will Suffer

We Will Suffer

"I have told you these things, so that in me you may have peace. In this world you will have trouble. But take heart! I have overcome the world." John 16:33

Scripture Focus: Philippians 1:27-30

There are many promises Jesus makes that sit well with us: promises of hope, of sanctification, of eternal life. And then there is the one promise that we don't like: the promise that we will suffer. Hardship in this life will come because creation has fallen with us. Our suffering may be because we have told God that we don't need Him, so He has left us to our sins. Many times the harsh circumstances we suffer seem to have no explanation at all. In one way or another, suffering will come upon us. 

Paul tells us to count this suffering as proof that Christ has claimed us. Because we follow Christ who knew true pain and loss, we should expect that we also will experience pain and loss. But unlike those who don't trust in Christ, our afflictions are already overcome and will one day be fully redeemed. Jesus tells us to take heart; the war is decisively over, and Christ has won. The battles that still go on are only because Satan is fighting back in his dying rage. 

Take heart, Jesus says. Trust in me.

Insight: We should be prepared for, but not dread, suffering. We count it as proof that we are Christ's own. 

Please feel free to use this devotional to send on to your friends or share with your church fellowship and Bible study groups.

We are in urgent need of Prayer and financial partners,

If you would like to become a prayer partner and or a financial partner with monthly or one time gifts.

A freewill offering to Restoration Ministry may be made via PayPal at our web site:    http://www.rollanet.org/~restore/donations.htm

  

+DEV+ God's Glory Matters

Date: November 16, 2015 8:40 PM

Topic: +DEV+  God's Glory Matters

God's Glory Matters

"Jesus loved Martha and her sister and Lazarus. Yet when he heard that Lazarus was sick, he stayed where he was two more days." John 11:5-6

Scripture Focus: Isaiah 40:5

I'm often so amazed at Jesus' weeping, at His human love for us, that I skip over the preceding verses in John where we read that Jesus purposefully delayed in going to Lazarus. Jesus, knowing that He would raise Lazarus from the dead, allowed Lazarus to die so that God's saving glory might be displayed. 

So think about Jesus' weeping again now. He still had the compassion to stop and weep even though He knew that He would save Lazarus and that all would turn out well for him and his sisters. Jesus wept over death and suffering. 

Ultimately, God exists, God created us out of nothing, and to Him should be all glory and honor and praise. God doesn't need us, but He loved us anyway... loved us enough to share in our experiences and our emotions. 

In Jesus' love for Martha, Mary, Lazarus, and us, God has shown the realities of His saving grace. He put His glory on display for them and for us so that we might believe and have a foretaste of future resurrection and eternity with Him.

Insight: God's glory matters more than anything, yet He chose to weep for our sufferings, heal our sins, and raise us into glory with him.

Please feel free to use this devotional to send on to your friends or share with your church fellowship and Bible study groups.

We are in urgent need of Prayer and financial partners,

If you would like to become a prayer partner and or a financial partner with monthly or one time gifts.

A freewill offering to Restoration Ministry may be made via PayPal at our web site:    http://www.rollanet.org/~restore/donations.htm

  

+DEV+ The Lord Is Gracious

Date: November 12, 2015 11:25 PM

Topic: +DEV+  The Lord Is Gracious

The Lord Is Gracious

"For men are not cast off by the Lord forever. Though he brings grief, he will show compassion, so great is his unfailing love. For he does not willingly bring affliction or grief to anyone." Lamentations 3:31-33

Scripture Focus: Hebrews 12:4-12

Adam first sinned, and as our representative, he caused us to sin with him - much like how the president of a country starts a war, and then all of its citizens are at war. Adam started war against God, and the battle rages daily with us all suffering casualties. That first sin infected creation, causing aging, death, barren land, natural disasters, loneliness, and heartbreak. 

But we did no go along with Adam passively. We sinned with him and we continue to choose sin. If we have any doubt that we participated in declaring war against God, we should try to go a day without complaining or being angry. Try going a day loving others with no regard to self. 

Sometimes God may allow us to suffer because of specific sins we commit. Our sins have consequences. Notice that Lamentations says He is compassionate even for those who are guilty of sin. And that is exactly our hope, our only hope! God does not wish us grief, but He wishes for our repentance, endurance of sin's consequences, and life with Him forever.

Insight: Even when we are suffering because of a specific transgression, the Lord is gracious and merciful. 

Please feel free to use this devotional to send on to your friends or share with your church fellowship and Bible study groups.

We are in urgent need of Prayer and financial partners,

If you would like to become a prayer partner and or a financial partner with monthly or one time gifts.

A freewill offering to Restoration Ministry may be made via PayPal at our web site:    http://www.rollanet.org/~restore/donations.htm

  

+DEV+ Joy Comes In The Morning

Date: November 11, 2015 11:28 PM

Topic: +DEV+  Joy Comes In The Morning

Joy Comes In The Morning

"He will wipe every tear from their eyes. There will be no more death or mourning or crying or pain, for the old order of things has passed away." Revelation 21:4

Scripture Focus: Isaiah 25:8

Whether joy comes in the morning in this life or not (Psalm 30:5), God does promise that one day there will be the morning of all mornings and our short lives will turn into never-ending joy. What a consolation to those with chronic pain or terminal illnesses and also to those of us that struggle daily with sin and fear. "I desire to depart and be with Christ, which is better by far," Paul says in Philippians 1:23, and "Who will rescue me from this body that is subject to death?" in Romans 7:24. Don't we all long for an end to our current and future trials? Yet we are called to live faithfully until that day. 

Our God came to earth to live a law-fulfilling perfect 33 years, when we couldn't live a second with breaking a law. He died and then rose from the dead so that we could follow in His place. Because He came to earth as a man, it means much when God tells John in Revelation that there will be no more crying. Our God knows what it is to cry, and He is the only One with the power to end it.

Insight: The more we focus on eternity, the more the things of this life will pale, and yet paradoxically, the more we'll get out of this life!

Please feel free to use this devotional to send on to your friends or share with your church fellowship and Bible study groups.

We are in urgent need of Prayer and financial partners,

If you would like to become a prayer partner and or a financial partner with monthly or one time gifts.

A freewill offering to Restoration Ministry may be made via PayPal at our web site:    http://www.rollanet.org/~restore/donations.htm

  

+DEV+ Express Your Grief And Sorrows

Date: November 11, 2015 1:03 AM

Topic: +DEV+  Express Your Grief And Sorrows

Express Your Grief And Sorrows

"Save me, O God, for the waters have come up to my neck. I sink in the miry depths... I have come into the deep waters; the floods engulf me. I am worn out calling for help..." Psalm 69:1-3

Scripture Focus: John 11:33-35

If Jesus is often an example to us of how to live, then His instances of grief over death of friends - and over death's effect on this life - should show that it is acceptable to grieve. Not only is it acceptable, it is necessary to acknowledge, as Jesus did, how mournful this life is. If we don't, we aren't admitting what sin has done to this world, and we therefore won't turn to Christ in our need. 

Just as we need to fully dwell on our sinful nature and repent of those sins, we also need to dwell on our sorrow. For it is only those who know that they need forgiveness and hope that can appreciate what Christ has done in triumphing over death and thereby giving His people life forever in eternity. 

If we need any further encouragement that grieving is important, we can turn to the many verses in the Psalms where the psalmists cried out from the depth of their souls the agony they felt in times of sorrow. Acknowledge with them before God's throne the pain you feel in this life and depend on Him for true consolation.

Insight: Let Jesus' mourning and the psalmists' examples encourage you to fully express your grief and sorrows, whatever they may be.

Please feel free to use this devotional to send on to your friends or share with your church fellowship and Bible study groups.

We are in urgent need of Prayer and financial partners,

If you would like to become a prayer partner and or a financial partner with monthly or one time gifts.

A freewill offering to Restoration Ministry may be made via PayPal at our web site:    http://www.rollanet.org/~restore/donations.htm

  

+DEV+ Look At Me

Date: November 10, 2015 1:27 AM

Topic: +DEV+  Look At Me

Look At Me

 "Now faith is being sure of what we hope for and certain of what we do not see. This is what the ancients were commended for." Hebrews 11:1-2

Scripture Focus: Colossians 3:1-4

Before going under the knife for a second back surgery, I began to fear the surgery and so prayed, "Help me, God; Help me, God; Help me God." But seemingly apart from my own will or consciousness, my prayer changed to, "God loves me so much; God loves me; God loves me so much." Immediately I calmed down like I hadn't with the first prayer. 

Prayer is essential to a life in Christ. And some of our prayers cry out in urgency. But prayer is something that can be sanctified - made holy and good - along with our character and faith. Meditating upon a fear is far inferior to meditating on who our God is, what He has done for us, and what He promises to keep doing for us. God Himself has given us faith and a confidence that cannot be disputed through the substance of the historic Christ. Our confidence is that Jesus Christ lived, died and rose again. Our assurance is in writing - the very Word of God - and signed with the blood of Christ. May you rest in Him today.

Insight: It's easy to look at our problems and try to find solutions. But Jesus says, "look at me," and trust in who He is.

Please feel free to use this devotional to send on to your friends or share with your church fellowship and Bible study groups.

We are in urgent need of Prayer and financial partners,

If you would like to become a prayer partner and or a financial partner with monthly or one time gifts.

A freewill offering to Restoration Ministry may be made via PayPal at our web site:    http://www.rollanet.org/~restore/donations.htm

+DEV+ Grieving Is Normal

Date: November 9, 2015 1:19 AM

Topic: +DEV+  Grieving Is Normal

Grieving Is Normal

"Rejoice with those who rejoice; mourn with those who mourn." Romans 12:15

Scripture Focus: 1 Corinthians 13:11-12

To paraphrase Paul, when I was young, I grieved like a child. I used to grieve selfishly, despairingly, for the pain that I felt upon losing each grandparent. As I grew older, and experienced more loss, I began to grieve more and more for death itself and the harrowing effects of sin in this world. 

A mark of sanctification is when your heart begins to hurt with those who have suffered a great loss, even if you weren't necessarily close to them. Anger may soon follow: Satan! Not you again! Leave us alone! Haven't you done enough? Your heartache can be hard to explain to others: No, I wasn't close to him. No, I hadn't seen her in 10 years. It's a cry like those of the psalmists, calling out to God in anguish over a broken world. Mourning with those who mourn is not something that we can will to happen, or even something we may desire. But the Holy Spirit brings it over time, often after we've known many who suffer. The more we mourn with others, the more our hearts align with Jesus' heart of compassion.

Insight: We are to sit, with those who mourn, on what author Nicholas Wolterstorff calls the mourner's bench. There we grow in compassion and understanding.

Please feel free to use this devotional to send on to your friends or share with your church fellowship and Bible study groups.

We are in urgent need of Prayer and financial partners,

If you would like to become a prayer partner and or a financial partner with monthly or one time gifts.

A freewill offering to Restoration Ministry may be made via PayPal at our web site:    http://www.rollanet.org/~restore/donations.htm

  

+DEV+ God Is Sovereign

Date: November 6, 2015 12:52 AM

Topic: +DEV+  God Is Sovereign

God Is Sovereign

 "But some of them said, Could not he who opened the eyes of the blind man have kept this man from dying?" John 11:37

Scripture Focus: Deuteronomy 29:29

The question following Jesus' weeping at Lazarus's death is an honest one and one we've all asked. Why? Why, Lord, did that son and friend of the church have to drown in a creek? Why did our newly married friend lose his wife and unborn child in a car accident? Why did our church-family couple suffer the suicide of an adopted child, the car-accident death of a biological child, and the unexpected death of a sister - all in a year's time? There are so many unanswered gut-wrenching, heart-breaking questions in this life. 

So we have to rest on what we do know: God intended good for us in His creation; we participated in the sin that brought suffering upon this world; Jesus became man and took God's just judgment of us and our sin upon Himself; and one day, we will pass through death and live eternally in His presence as we were designed to. 

God is sovereign. He is sitting upon His throne, doing all things - even the hard things - for our ultimate good and His glory.

Insight: We are not God and do not have control of events. But God does, and we can trust in His providence, even in deep grief.

Please feel free to use this devotional to send on to your friends or share with your church fellowship and Bible study groups.

We are in urgent need of Prayer and financial partners,

If you would like to become a prayer partner and or a financial partner with monthly or one time gifts.

A freewill offering to Restoration Ministry may be made via PayPal at our web site:    http://www.rollanet.org/~restore/donations.htm