+DEV+ Behold or Lo!

Date: July 31, 2015 11:26 PM

Topic: +DEV+  Behold or Lo!

Behold or Lo!

"Do not remember the former things, nor consider the things of old. Behold, I will do a new thing, now it shall spring forth... I will even make a road in the wilderness and rivers in the desert." Isaiah 43:18-19, NKJV

Scripture Focus: Isaiah 43:1-28

The word translated "behold" or "lo" in the King James Version of the Bible means "look carefully at, see and understand." It is used when we are meant to stop in our tracks, pause and consider what the Lord is saying. He wants the "penny to drop." It is a signpost, and there is something arresting about it. It indicates that we are to have an attitude of awe as we approach the following word from the Lord. 

In many translations "behold" is rendered as "look," "see," or "surely," which perhaps miss the sense of a significant pause that the King James (and New King James) word "behold" conveys. So in order to capture that sense of awe, those King James versions of the Bible will be used this month. 

Here in Isaiah the Lord calls us to pause and attend to the amazing promise that He is going to do a radically new thing. He is going to cut a path through all the mundane concerns that capture our attention, through all the barren places, and pour out rivers of living water into our thirsty hearts.

Insight: To have faith in someone means we believe their promises. Since we have faith in Jesus, we shall want to really behold His promises.

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 Original Promise Keeper

Date: July 30, 2015 11:03 PM

Topic: +DEV+  The Original Promise Keeper

The Original Promise Keeper

"Because God wanted to make the unchanging nature of his purpose very clear to the heirs of what was promised, he confirmed it with an oath." Hebrews 6:17

Scripture Focus: Genesis 15

"I will," is the answer to small requests from my wife like, "Can you take out the trash before you go to work tomorrow?" But it is also the answer to much larger questions like, "Will you keep your word" and "Will you love me?" People enter into these kinds of commitments to each other all the time, often saying: "I will" without considering the weight of the promise. And many of us do this believing that we can actually keep our word. 

At the foundation of marriage is a promise to love and serve one another. Amazingly, God enters into a relationship with us also, making promises to us through His eternal Word. In Genesis 15, God made an oath to Abraham and his descendants forever. In a dark and awesome scene, God vows to destroy Himself before breaking His promise. The fulfillment of this came centuries later at the dark judgment on the cross. "For no matter how many promises God has made, they are 'Yes' in Christ. And so through him the 'Amen' is spoken by us to the glory of God" (2 Corinthians 1:20).

Insight: Our Lord is the great promise keeper. man can break his word, but God's word is sure and trustworthy forever

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 Perfect Servant

Date: July 30, 2015 12:46 AM

Topic: +DEV+  The Perfect Servant

The Perfect Servant

"Jesus knew that the time had come for him to leave this world and go to the Father. Having loved his own who were in the world, he now showed them the full extent of his love." John 13:1

Scripture Focus: Matthew 20:25-28

Our culture teaches us self-promotion from a young age. Most of us grow up thinking the only way to achieve happiness is to reach out and take it. "The first shall be first," we could call it. Really this is not a new issue in our sinful world. Right after Jesus predicted His death as the way to win His kingdom, His disciples asked Him who would sit in the privileged positions at His right and left hands in glory. Who would be first? Christ's life and purposeful death cut against that grain. His life is a new standard. He is exalted because He humbled Himself (Philippians 2:8-9). Jesus is Lord because He first became a servant. 

Jesus said that "unless a kernel of wheat falls to the ground and dies, it remains only a single seed. But if it dies, it produces many seeds" (John 12:24). As a husband, I am learning that it is only through death to myself - not insisting on my own wants - that I can have a God-honoring marriage. "Whoever wants to become great among you must be your servant" (Matthew 20:26).

Insight: We are God's loved ones, the bride of Christ our Lord.... 

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+ My Ring On Her Finger

Date: July 28, 2015 1:18 AM

Topic: +DEV+  My Ring On Her Finger

My Ring On Her Finger

"He set his seal of ownership on us, and put his Spirit in our hearts as a deposit, guaranteeing what is to come." 2 Corinthians 1:22

Scripture Focus: Ephesians 1:11-14

Anita and I had been talking for a while about getting married, but we hadn't set a date. We certainly couldn't start planning the wedding because we were still waiting for something: a ring. Once that simple white-gold band with the small diamond was slipped onto her finger, I knew things would never be the same. After I gave her that ring, we walked across the school parking lot as I was leaving for Army boot camp. I felt butterflies in my stomach as I saw the other students faces peeking through the windows and realized everyone was ready to think of us differently. 

In the same way a simple band on our finger changes our identity and gives us something to look forward to, God gives us the Holy Spirit as the seal of our salvation, “The guarantee" (or down payment) "of our inheritance." It's the Spirit that tells us we really are children of God, our identity really has been changed, and we really do have something magnificent to look forward to. Romans 8:16 says, "The Spirit himself testifies with our spirit that we are God's children."

Insight: We've been signed, sealed, and by the grace of God we will be delivered victorious inheritors-children of 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 Serve A Jealous God

Date: July 26, 2015 10:17 PM

Topic: +DEV+  We Serve A Jealous God

We Serve A Jealous God

"Do not worship any other god, for the Lord, whose name is Jealous, is a jealous God." Exodus 34:14

Scripture Focus: Joel 2:12-18

I remember when I was leaving to go into the Army my jealousy was provoked. My relationship with Anita had just begun to be serious about marriage. But there was a student on the high school campus who swore he would ”move in” as I left town, and I was persuaded Anita was going to be bothered in him. 

When I think of the names of God, "Jealous" never comes to mind. Names like Emmanuel, Yahweh, or El Shaddai do, but not "Jealous." Yet this title is a special name connected to us, His people. Christ purchased us as His Bride and intends this relationship to be exclusive. Repeatedly, however, we provoke His jealousy and bring into the relationship other things we love more than Him. This is the very reason Jesus - our Husband - had to die. 

It turns out I was not wrong about that student. Though not yet married, I got a small taste of the desire Jesus has to be the only one on whom we rely. The "You shall have no other gods before me" commandment (Exodus 20:3) is the first one of the ten, reminding us of how ardently God seeks after our whole hearts.

Insight: God's jealousy for his people is a measure of His determination to love us exclusively. Much love... Much jealousy.

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+ Contentment Through Him

Date: July 23, 2015 10:52 PM

Topic: +DEV+  Contentment Through Him

Contentment Through Him

"But seek first His kingdom and His righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well." Matthew 6:33

Scripture Focus: Matthew 11:25-30

It's no secret that we live in a world of stress and anxiety. People carry immense burdens. Yet no human being in history ever carried anything like the burden Jesus bore. If anyone had an excuse to be stressed-out and anxious, it was He. 

But was He? Jesus knew what lay ahead. He knew that He would carry the sin of the world on the cross. And yet He could say, "Tomorrow will worry about itself ... each day has enough trouble of its own." In the presence of Jesus, people sensed something they lacked. Those seeking God found peace in the presence of Christ. He was entirely without anxiety or doubts. His trust in the Father was complete. 

Is it possible for us to know that kind of contentment? According to Jesus, we can start by daily refocusing our attention on God's kingdom and pursuing His righteousness. Yet we cannot do any of this without His help. Only by His power do our hearts resonate with kingdom priorities as we are transformed into His image. May you grow in contentment through Him.

Insight: The peace of God nearly always comes as a result of spending time in the word and in prayer. (Philippians 4:4-7.)

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+ True Contentment

Date: July 23, 2015 1:03 AM

Topic: +DEV+  True Contentment

True Contentment

"But godliness with contentment is great gain. For we brought nothing into the world, and we can take nothing out of it." 1 Timothy 6:6-7

Scripture Focus: 1 Timothy 6:3-10

In the days of the early church, there were some who thought that godliness would ensure financial success. Equating piety with prosperity, they put on a religious facade for their own self-serving motives. This powerful deception lured many away from the faith. 

Today the seduction continues. All around the globe the "health and wealth gospel" captivates people with its message that God will shower them with material blessings in exchange for their faith. But this is not the Gospel. This teaching leaves most people far from contentment and only wanting more. 

On the contrary, we are called to hold nothing back from God. Though God may rarely require someone to give everything away, that should not change the attitude of our hearts. The Apostle Paul said, "I consider everything a loss compared to the surpassing greatness of knowing Christ Jesus" (Philippians 3:8), and, "...if we have food and clothing, we will be content with that" (1 Timothy 6:8). 

Can we say the same? True contentment in Christ makes this possible.

Insight: The giver is infinitely more valuable than the gifts which he gives. Those who love him will never lack what they truly need.

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+ In The House Of The Lord Forever

Date: July 22, 2015 1:37 AM

Topic: +DEV+  In The House Of The Lord Forever

In The House Of The Lord Forever

"Surely goodness and love will follow me all the days of my life, and I will dwell in the house of the Lord forever." Psalm 23:6

Scripture Focus: John 14:1-14

The final verse of Psalm 23 breathes out a deep sigh of contentment. The journey of the sheep with the Shepherd has removed all insecurity. Dark valleys have been faced, traversed, and left behind as a testimony to the faithfulness of the Shepherd. The sheep are well fed. Their wounds are healed. Thus is the quiet confidence of those who have walked closely with Jesus for many years. 

They have learned to recognize His voice and follow Him. Like wet cement, their faith was formed by His hand. Now it has set and hardened. They are confident that the Shepherd will never leave them. They are secure in Him. 

But what about the rest of us? Some of us are young in faith and untested. Some of us have been dragging our feet for years, stubbornly resistant to the guidance of the Shepherd. Regardless of where you are in your journey, there is only one way forward. Keep your eyes on Jesus. Listen for His voice. Obey Him and stay near. Surely goodness and love will follow you all the days of your life.

Insight: No relationship grows without an investment of time. Daily time in the word and in prayer are essential for growing closer to Jesus.

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 Cups Will Overflow

Date: July 21, 2015 3:02 AM

Topic: +DEV+  Our Cups Will Overflow

Our Cups Will Overflow

"You prepare a table before me in the presence of my enemies. You anoint my head with oil; my cup overflows." Psalm 23:5

Scripture Focus: Luke 13:23-30

What do you suppose King David pictured in his mind's eye when he penned this part of Psalm 23? Having spent his youth caring for sheep, he was doubtlessly writing from personal experience. He must have remembered the many journeys he had made with his own sheep to the high pastures. There was no way the sheep could have known along the way that there was a feast waiting for them at journey's end. 

David himself spent many years running for his life from King Saul. Like the sheep from his childhood, David knew himself to be in danger but had confidence in the God who was with him. The Lord took care of David through those years of waiting, and when it was time, David became king over Israel. His cup overflowed! 

What is waiting for you on the other side of your present trial? Only the Lord knows, but there are two things you can be sure of. It will have been for your good, and it will have transformed you to more closely resemble the character of Christ, moving you to a place of contentment in Him.

Insight: Feasting is a future promise of God for all who belong to Christ. The wedding feast of the lamb will be a day unlike any other!

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+ In The Paths of Righteousness

Date: July 20, 2015 1:54 AM

Topic: +DEV+  In The Paths of Righteousness

In The Paths of Righteousness

"He guides me in paths of righteousness for his name's sake." Psalm 23:3

Scripture Focus: Luke 15

Under the watchful care of the Good Shepherd, we can expect times of quiet rest, peace and spiritual restoration. He knows we need this, and He gives it to us when He determines we need it. Yet rest is not an end unto itself. We were made for walking, and the Shepherd instructs us to stay close to Him. This is a crucial lesson most believers have to learn the hard way. Jesus does not say, "Take me with you," but, "Follow me." 

Unfortunately, our inclination in the discontentment of our hearts is to go where we wish. Even while calling Jesus our Lord, we presume to retain control of our lives. Choosing our own path, we are surprised when it becomes rocky, treacherous or difficult. We no longer feel His presence nearby and in fear cry out for Him to rescue us. 

Jesus is never far off; our Good Shepherd is nearby. But our sin always has consequences. Some of our choices may leave us with scars which we'll carry for a lifetime. The sooner we learn to trust Jesus, are content in Him, and follow where He leads, the better off we will be.

Insight: Jesus tells us his priority is seeking after lost sheep. If we want to go where He goes, then this must become our priority too.

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 My Shepherd

Date: July 17, 2015 1:13 AM

Topic: +DEV+  The Lord Is My Shepherd

The Lord Is My Shepherd

"The Lord is my shepherd, I shall not be in want. He makes me lie down in green pastures, he leads me beside quiet waters, he restores my soul." Psalm 23:1-3A

Scripture Focus: John 10:1-18

Have you ever considered what it means that the Lord is our shepherd? By implication, this makes us the sheep. Think about that for a moment. Sheep are not known for their smarts, their strength or their courage. They panic and flee at the slightest disturbance. They have no defensive abilities and are often more a danger to themselves than predators are. Is that how we would like to think of ourselves? 

Probably not, still it is nothing to feel badly about. The Good Shepherd does not ask or expect us to be anything but sheep. He knows how vulnerable we are, and He delights to fulfill His role as the Good Shepherd. Little wonder that this is one of the titles Jesus takes for Himself. He says that those who follow Him "listen to his voice ... He calls his own sheep by name and leads them out" (John 10:3). 

There is no greater peace or comfort than to hear the voice of the Good Shepherd call you by name and lead you out. Take the time today to rest in His presence and find true contentment there.

Insight: The Shepherd's voice should be familiar to those who belong to him. we grow to recognize it better as we spend time in God's word.

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 Wisdom Of God

Date: July 16, 2015 12:08 AM

Topic: +DEV+  The Wisdom Of God

The Wisdom Of God

"Who is wise and understanding among you? Let him show it by his good life, by deeds done in the humility that comes from wisdom." James 3:13

Scripture Focus: Psalm 139

Solomon got it right when he first became king of Israel. Still in his youth, he could have asked God for anything. Instead of asking for riches or a long life, he asked for wisdom. And this was pleasing to God. 

Both then and now, the reality is godly wisdom is rarely valued. When we do desire wisdom, it often comes out of selfish motives. We are seeking to get something we want or think we deserve. Godly wisdom is something else entirely. It is "first of all pure; then peace-loving, considerate, submissive, fully of mercy and good fruit, impartial and sincere" (James 3:17). 

In other words, godly wisdom in action looks like Jesus. It means making God's top priorities your own, giving up your rights for the sake of others, loving unselfishly and serving rather than being served. How do we become people like that? Not by trying to change ourselves! It comes through the power of the Word of God applied daily to our hearts through the work of the Holy Spirit drawing us to Jesus and molding us to His image.

Insight:  "Search me, O God, and know my heart; test me and know my anxious thoughts ...lead me in the way everlasting." (Psalm 139: 23-24)

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+ Embracing Delayed Gratification

Date: July 14, 2015 10:23 PM

Topic: +DEV+  Embracing Delayed Gratification

Embracing Delayed Gratification

"In this you greatly rejoice, though now for a little while you may have had to suffer grief in all kinds of trials." 1 Peter 1:6

Scripture Focus: 1 Peter 1:3-6

Most of us have to learn money-management the hard way. It is actually quite easy to make but difficult to keep a budget. Among other things, success usually depends on embracing delayed gratification. We must believe that what we are waiting for is better than what we could have in the present. 

How much more is this true for citizens of the Kingdom of God? The Apostle Peter tells us that our living hope is Jesus Christ Himself and that, through Him, we have an inheritance of surpassing value waiting for us. What truly matters is that which is yet to come. 

Little wonder that contentment is such a battle! In this life we have trials to endure and griefs to bear. We are tempted to believe that what this world offers will satisfy us more than Jesus will. Yet God does not ask us to live in misery. He hears our prayers and knows our needs. He gives us many material comforts, seasons of rest, faithful friends, and other blessings besides. But it is always the Lord who must be our hearts' greatest treasure.

Insight: Turn your eyes upon Jesus...and the things of earth will grow strangely dim in the light of his glory and grace. (Helen Howarth Lemmel, 1944)

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 Living Bread

Date: July 13, 2015 11:08 PM

Topic: +DEV+  Jesus The Living Bread

Jesus The Living Bread

"I am the living bread that came down from heaven. If anyone eats of this bread, he will live forever." John 6:51

Scripture Focus: John 6:25-58

Jesus was at the height of His popularity. His miracles, teaching, and knowledge of God's Word had mesmerized the crowds. One day prior He had miraculously provided bread for the multitudes. Now the crowd was hungry again. All they wanted was a little more bread. Was that too much to ask? 

But this time Jesus was not cooperating, and suddenly His words made no sense. "Unless you eat the flesh of the Son of Man and drink his blood, you have no life in you ... Your ancestors ate manna and died, but whoever feeds on this bread will live forever" (v. 49, 51). The imagery was grotesque and the notion appalling. But Jesus was unwilling to concede the metaphor. Why was He willing to make this the issue that would cause the crowds to desert Him? 

If you and I are honest, we have to admit that Jesus' words are disconcerting. He insists that His life and flesh are more important to sustaining our lives than our next meal. Do we find that hard to accept? Jesus wants us to be content in Him as the source of life itself.

Insight: If daily food and drink are necessities for life, how much greater is our daily need for the living bread and living water?

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 God Who Is Our Living Water

Date: July 13, 2015 12:24 AM

Topic: +DEV+  The God Who Is Our Living Water

The God Who Is Our Living Water

"If you knew ... who it is that asks you for a drink, you would have asked him and he would have given you living water." John 4:10

Scripture Focus: John 4:1-26

Jesus had a way of communicating deep truths that left people scratching their heads. One of those people was the Samaritan woman who met Jesus at the well. She first thought He was offering her a literal drink of water. She had no idea who He really was, so what He actually offered didn't make much sense to her. 

That's the crucial question for us today, isn't it? Who is Jesus? Before we can understand what He offers, we must know who He is. A teacher? Yes! A prophet? Yes! But that's not enough, Jesus is more. ...All things have been created through Him and for Him ...in Him all things hold together (Col. 1:16-17). There is only One of whom this can be true. If God's Word says these things about Jesus, then Jesus must be God! 

Think of it! The One who invented water offers us Himself, the source of all life ... the Living Water. And He does not intend that we should only drink once, but over and over again. He will always satisfy our souls to overflowing; His life pouring into us will never run dry.

Insight: The living water is available to you today. His supply is endless. Drink deeply of Christ and be satisfied!

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 God Who Sustains Us

Date: July 10, 2015 10:18 PM

Topic: +DEV+  The God Who Sustains Us

The God Who Sustains Us

"Then the Lord said to Moses, I will rain down bread from heaven for you." Exodus 16:4A

Scripture Focus: Exodus 16

The people were to go out each day and gather enough manna for that day. In the six weeks since their departure from Egypt, the Israelites had been rescued from certain death twice. Though safe from the sword and supplied with water, their stomachs were now empty. Rather than turning to the God who had already proven Himself, the people complained bitterly to Moses. From their point of view, it would have been better to die in Egypt than belong to the Lord and endure such difficulty. 

This type of temptation and forgetfulness is a battle every Christian must face. Following Christ is not easy. "Eat, drink, and be merry" may hold more appeal than "pick up your cross and follow me." It can be tempting to glance back at the life we left behind. But Jesus says, "No one who puts a hand to the plow and looks back is fit for service in the kingdom of God." 

Do you feel weak today? Do you feel that you cannot go on? Jesus does not call us to do anything He will not also equip us to do. Bring your needs before Him and trust Him.

Insight: Manna was only good for a single day. likewise, God's sustaining word is just what we need today. don't go hungry without 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,

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 God Who Heals

Date: July 10, 2015 12:23 AM

Topic: +DEV+  The God Who Heals

The God Who Heals

"...I am the LORD, who heals you." Exodus 15:26B

Scripture Focus: Exodus 15:22-27

Sometimes life feels like an endless succession of trials collapsing into each other like dominos. But God is not cruel. He desires to show us more about Himself than we can learn from a single trial. 

God had just delivered Israel from the Egyptian army, but now they were dying of thirst in the desert. Ready to collapse after three days of wandering, they finally found water. Imagine their despair at discovering the water was bitter and could not be consumed. One deadly peril had led to yet another. 

Can you relate to how the nation of Israel must have felt? God instructed Moses to throw a piece of wood into the bitter water. Immediately it became sweet. Nothing is impossible for God! Yet there was a deeper lesson for Israel: Your hearts are like the bitter water, impure and full of death, but "I am the LORD, who heals." 

Is there any hope for bitter hearts today? Yes, there is! Just as one piece of wood made bitter water sweet, a cross of wood bore the Savior who brings us from death into life.

Insight: We are born with hearts in bitter rebellion against God. Only through faith in the son of God can true healing be found

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 God Who Delivers

Date: July 9, 2015 2:38 AM

Topic: +DEV+  The God Who Delivers

The God Who Delivers

"Do not be afraid. Stand firm and you will see the deliverance the Lord will bring you today ... The Lord will fight for you; you need only to be still." Exodus 14:13-14

Scripture Focus: Exodus 14

The people of Israel were terrified, and for good reason. God's pillar of cloud had led them into a blind alley. The mightiest army on earth bore down on them, and they were trapped against the sea. There was nowhere to run. That was exactly how God had planned it. 

Eventually, we will all find ourselves in a similar situation. There are many kinds of danger and many ways to feel trapped. Our souls have an enemy far more deadly than the Egyptian army, and life's battles are rarely over in a day. Sometimes they last for years. 

Regardless of your circumstances today, take heart! God did the impossible and parted the seas so His people could walk across on dry ground. He delivered them and destroyed the enemy in one stroke. And this deliverance was a prelude to the great deliverance that was yet to come at the cross. 

Through Christ, your ultimate deliverance has already been accomplished. That which threatens you today is in God's hands and in His time.

Insight: Safety is not found in the absence of danger, but in the presence of the Savior.

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 God Who Hears

Date: July 7, 2015 11:22 PM

Topic: +DEV+  The God Who Hears

The God Who Hears

"The Lord said, I have indeed seen the misery of my people in Egypt ... So I have come down 

to rescue them." Exodus 3:7-8

Scripture Focus: John 1:1-18

When times are good we tend to forget about God. Then when things get hard we remember our need for God and cry out for help. But then comes a time of waiting. Rarely does God answer our prayers immediately. In times of waiting, do you ever find yourself wondering if God is listening or even cares about what you are 

going through? 

Countless stories in the Bible remind us that nothing escapes God's notice. One of the most powerful examples is the story of the Exodus. After generations of slavery, it is little wonder that the people of Israel had lost hope. Centuries went by and they had nearly forgotten God. But God had not forgotten about them. It was He who moved first. The great "I AM" approached Moses in the wilderness and said, "I have indeed seen ... I have heard ... I am concerned ... So I have come down to rescue." 

Ultimately, the story of the Exodus points us to Christ. Just as God rescued His people from slavery, it would be Christ who rescued God's people from inescapable bondage to sin.

Insight: There is purpose in waiting. God does not withhold answers to prayer to punish us. He often desires to teach us something of great value.

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: A Cancer Of The Soul

Date: July 7, 2015 2:02 AM

Topic: +DEV+  Pride: A Cancer Of The Soul

Pride: A Cancer Of The Soul 

"My heart is not proud, O Lord, my eyes are not haughty; I do not concern myself with great matters or things too wonderful for me." Psalm 131:1

Scripture Focus: Psalm 131

It's hard to believe these words are attributed to the greatest warrior-king Israel ever had. When the son of Jesse was still a boy, he engaged the most fearsome warrior of the Philistine army in hand-to-hand combat, defeating him in seconds. In the years ahead David's acts of valor became legendary among God's people. But this is not what made David "a man after God's own heart." 

David understood the danger of pride, a cancer of the soul and common to all. It abounds in the midst of success. The more we accomplish, the more likely it is that our own glory will loom larger in our hearts than God's. As this happens our hearts become more unsettled, which prompts us to seek even greater glory for ourselves. 

But no one finds satisfaction in this way. Instead, we find contentment by letting go of glory. Rather than having haughty eyes, our vision must be filled with the glory of the King of kings. All glory belongs to Him. When we give it to Him, we will discover that our hearts are satisfied 

and contented.

Insight: Be thou my vision, o Lord of my heart, naught be all else to me, save that thou art... (8Th C. Irish Hymn)

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+ Free Lives

Date: July 5, 2015 11:35 PM

Topic: +DEV+  Free Lives

Free Lives

"Keep your lives free from the love of money and be content with what you have..." Hebrews 13:5

Scripture Focus: Matthew 6:19-24

Our hearts yearn for contentment. It was part of God's original design. After all, human beings once enjoyed perfect contentment and lived in close communion with God. 

That was long ago, before sin entered the world. It was before human beings bought into the lie that God was holding out on them, that they deserved more and could obtain it... outside of Him. Even for us who belong to Christ, there is a great danger of reverting to this way of thinking. At least some part of us still wonders if God might be holding out on us, that we might be better satisfied with more than what He has already provided. Or even worse ... that God is not trustworthy and might not meet our needs. We become obsessed with gaining wealth and, whether we are successful or not, we become lovers of money. 

Ironically, there is an inverse relationship between the love of money and contentment. The more we love it, the less content our hearts will truly be. A close walk with Jesus and the love of money are mutually exclusive.

Insight: Money itself is not evil, but often the more we have, the less we perceive our need for 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+ Fix Your Eyes On God

Date: July 2, 2015 10:08 PM

Topic: +DEV+  Fix Your Eyes On God

Fix Your Eyes On God

"Father, hallowed be your name, your kingdom come. Give us each day our daily bread. Forgive us our sins, for we also forgive everyone who sins against us. And lead us not into temptation." Luke 11:2-4

Scripture Focus: Luke 11:1-13

There must have been something compelling about the way Jesus prayed. After observing Him a disciple begged, "Lord, teach us to pray." Jesus' response, while almost childlike in its simplicity, was profound. Each theme of the prayer directs our attention away from ourselves and onto God. It starts with an expression of worship before moving to a statement of trust in God's providence. Confession and the forgiveness of others come next, not separate, but bound together. Finally, there is a plea for divine intervention in dealing with inevitable temptations ahead. 

Notice that The Lord's Prayer does not include requests for the things we want. Does this mean that we should not pray for these things? On the contrary, as verses 5-11 show, Jesus expects petitions to be included. 

Yet He knows we tend to focus excessively on our own desires. Our anxious hearts find the peace that passes understanding when we shift our focus away from ourselves and toward God. As always, Jesus knows our hearts better than we do.

Insight: Run your race today with your eyes fixed on Jesus, the founder and perfecter of faith.

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+ Neither Riches nor Poverty

Date: July 2, 2015 2:10 AM

Topic: +DEV+  Neither Riches nor Poverty

Neither Riches nor Poverty

"Keep falsehood and lies far from me; give me neither poverty nor riches, but give me only my daily bread." Proverbs 30:8

Scripture Focus: Luke 11:1-13

Do you pray for riches? Many people do. Have you ever prayed for poverty? Probably not, yet both can be a danger to our relationship with God. Think about it. When in need, we may be tempted to cheat, lie and steal. And if we have gained even a small measure of wealth, we face temptations like greed, gluttony and self-reliance (See Proverbs 30:9). 

All of these behaviors are sinful before the Lord, but the underlying issues that drive them are worthy of attention: a failure to trust God for every need and the belief that our physical needs are greater than our need for God Himself. 

This is why Jesus taught His disciples to pray for daily bread. In this way we learn, by daily repetition, that He alone is our faithful provider. Hopefully this leads us into the deeper lesson that our greatest need is not for physical food, but spiritual food. Jesus says that He, the Son of God, is the spiritual food we need. He is true bread and true drink. If we do not feed on Him today, we will go hungry.

Insight: One of the best antidotes to greed and self-reliance is generosity. How is your relationship with God in the area of giving right now? 

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+ Fear Can Be A Good Thing

Date: July 1, 2015 12:45 AM

Topic: +DEV+  Fear Can Be A Good Thing

Fear Can Be A Good Thing

"...when I was in great need, he saved me. Be at rest once more, O my soul, for the Lord has been good to you." Psalm 116:6-7

Scripture Focus: John 3:1-21

Have you ever noticed that in moments of danger people who are not even remotely religious will cry out to God? Fear can be a good thing. It deprives us of dangerous delusions and forces us to face reality. When confronted with our inability to save ourselves, we reach out for something more powerful than we are. 

Yet many do not realize they are in great danger until it is too late. This is why Jesus urges, "Do not be afraid of those who kill the body but cannot kill the soul. Rather, be afraid of the One who can destroy both soul and body in hell" (Matthew 10:28). That truth is brutal. 

God is holy and must judge sin without leniency. And because no one is without sin, we each face an eternal penalty from which no amount of good deeds can rescue us. Our plight is hopeless without the intervention of someone far more powerful than we are. 

The good news is that God Himself has intervened. The death and resurrection of Jesus is sufficient for all who trust in Him alone for forgiveness.

Insight: If you belong to Jesus, let your soul be at rest today. Otherwise, let today be the day you put your faith in 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