Worship the Lord

Posted on July 24, 2023 by Mark Shields

Share with others today’s post and worship our Lord who brings to us the mysteries of the Spirit along with knowledge for our mind.

What do you call an elephant that doesn’t matter? Irrelephant!*

When you worship the Lord, it’s not irrelevant … it matters so let us worship today the ONE who inspires passion, enthusiasm, and purpose.

Today, we are analyzing 1 Kings 14:1-20. Jeroboam was the king of Israel who reigned after God took the kingdom away from the house of David. He didn’t follow instructions from God but worshiped idols, so he had to try to hide who he really was but with Ahijah, there was no pretense. As prophet, he told people exactly what God had told him even if it was bad news.

The sins of Jeroboam would eventually affect his family and the whole nation of Israel. His son would die, the nation would be destroyed, and Israel would no longer have a king from the ancestors of Jeroboam.

From an analysis of the life of Jeroboam, there is a need to be faithful to God by knowing our purpose. We need to test and approve God’s purpose in our life. If we do not design our life plan together with God, there’s a good chance we will fall into someone else’s plan that doesn’t maximize our potential.

Lord, we are thankful for the Holy Spirit that helps us filter out the bad of this world in order to be purified. The Holy Spirit inside makes it happen so what transpires makes a difference. Your goodness Lord produces faith, hope, and love. So today, we pray in Jesus’ name and say “yes” to the helper that makes a significant difference as we bring glory to You Lord. Amen.

*Jokes for days. (2021). Funny Editor – Jokes for Days. https://www.funnyeditor.com

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Direction and Protection

Posted on July 23, 2023 by Mark Shields

A devotional thought from reading Psalm 68:1-18 is that God’s divine design provides direction and protection as we walk by faith along the Way.

Index of devotionals

Photo Source – “Bing.” Microsoft. N.p., n.d. Web. Images >.

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Poetry Friday 07-21-2023

Posted on July 21, 2023 by Mark Shields

A poem posted at my other blog Step Ahead is inspired by “Bridge the Gap” which reminded us of the unjust suffering that Jesus went through for our salvation. He is our example to follow when we contend with difficulties. Many times, we face unjust suffering for taking actions that do not fit what out of touch authorities say to do. We are controlled with regulation, censorship, or suppression.

Today’s song Carry Me by Josh Wilson is about handling the difficulties we face by letting God carry us out of the situation. We can contend with these difficulties and be sharpened with fortitude, endurance, and wisdom. The effect is growth, energy, and gained experience that enables greater depth in ministry to others.

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Way – Truth – Life

Posted on July 20, 2023 by Mark Shields 
When Jesus spoke again to the people, he said, “I am the light of the world. Whoever follows me will never walk in darkness, but will have the light of life.” - John 8:12

A lesson from “Light of the World“is the need to study experiences from characters of the Bible. To note the results of decisions made to help learn more about the crucial skill of decision making and give suggestions for the best plans of action.

Take inspiration from the song The Way by Jeremy Camp for your journey today because Jesus is the Way. Do not follow plans from man but follow God’s plan as you step ahead.

Index of devotionals

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Light of the World

Posted on July 19, 2023 by Mark Shields

God has given us a plan or a road map for our journey. From a recent sermon, was a lesson to make sure we discover the Truth by having a relationship with God through Jesus who is the Light of the World! He is the Truth that liberates the heart, mind, body, and soul to set us free. The Truth provides fulfillment and a cohesive plan for us in concert with the world because the Spirit prompts us to step ahead to victory. Jesus is the Way, the Truth, and the Life.*

Jeroboam had departed from God’s ways by setting up idols for worship. He even instituted a festival to offer sacrifices to the golden calves he had made. In 1 Kings 13, God sought to change Jeroboam by sending a man to speak out and warn about his detestable practices. When Jeroboam stretched out his hand to command that the man be seized, his hand shriveled up. Then the altar was split apart and its ashes were poured out (verses 4-5).

We note two men that were told by God what to do but they didn’t do it. Jeroboam was not changed even when the man of God interceded for him so his hand was restored. He didn’t change his idol worship. Then, we get the account of the man of God who explicitly disobeyed a command from the word of the Lord. We find out from this passage that the man of God was punished because of his disobedience. He was mauled by a Lion and killed (v. 26).

We can study within the Bible experiences others have gone through like the ones from today’s passage and learn from the choices made. This teaches us about the crucial skill of decision making and gives suggestions for the best plans of action as we step ahead along the journey.

This day with You Lord, we are thankful for Your Word that provides us with the experiences that others have gone through. These experiences help us with our own decisions. Our assessment is always to choose the path of Jesus because He is the Way, the Truth, and the Life. It is in His name we pray today … Amen.

*”Sermons.” Sermons | FUMC Waco. N.p., n.d. Web.  <http://fumcwaco.org/resources/sermons/>.

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