Light of Life
"The people walking in darkness have seen a great light; a light has dawned on those living in the land of darkness." Isaiah 9:2. Jesus is the light of the world. Without Him, we would all be stumbling around in the darkness of our own sin. Yet the light of Christ illuminates every dark thought or deed that we ever had or done. Even our best deeds are as filthy [...]
Joy of Christmas, Joy of the Lord
"As soon as the sound of your greeting reached my ears, the baby in my womb leaped for joy." Luke 1:44. This has always been one of my favorite verses in Luke chapter 1. I believe that the baby in her womb truly leaped for joy when he heard the voice of Mary and that it was not just an ordinary kick from the child. How could it have been [...]
Christmas Timing
"In the sixth month of Elizabeth's pregnancy, God sent the angel Gabriel to Nazareth, a town in Galilee," Luke 1:26. God sent Gabriel to Mary during Elizabeth's sixth month of pregnancy. He didn't send Gabriel in Elizabeth's fifth month, or the seventh, but during the sixth. This detail does not appear to add much to the record, but God still included it. Elizabeth had went into seclusion for five months [...]
Faithful
"For no word from God will ever fail." Luke 1:37. I was going through part of the book of Luke where Christ's birth was announced, and this verse stuck out to me. Jesus was described as the Word in John chapter 1. Jesus came, and He had to fulfill certain prophecies, He did that. He fulfilled many, many prophecies. Jesus was meant to be a Savior, and He has not [...]
December 1st
"Through him all things were made; without him nothing was made that has been made." John 1:3. Jesus was with God in the beginning, He was there when everything was created. He took part in creating mankind. He was there creating life. As we move into the Christmas season, the most important thing to remember is that Jesus is the greatest gift that has ever been given. Jesus was with [...]
Praise in the storm
John was going about his day at work. He had just restocked the shelves, double checked the inventory to make sure all was correct, and was getting ready to go on break. Then the phone in the office rings, he hears, "call for John on line two" come over the intercom. He goes to the office, picks up the phone. The voice on the other end was his wife's, she [...]
Miracles
"For everyone who asks receives; the one who seeks finds; and to the one who knocks, the door will be opened." Matthew 7:8 NIV. I want to give a praise report tonight. In the past two days I've had some amazing things go on for me. Yesterday, I got to shoot a bow for the first time in three months. Granted, the bow was a light draw weight, but, it [...]
Temptations
"No temptation has overtaken you except what is common to mankind. And God is faithful; he will not let you be tempted beyond what you can bear. But when you are tempted, he will also provide a way out so that you can endure it." 1 Corinthians 10:13. To be tempted is not a sin, as Satan tempted Jesus, but to allow that temptation to linger and to fall into [...]
Wait
"Wait for the LORD; be strong and take heart and wait for the LORD." Psalm 27:14. Waiting on the Lord does not mean sitting idly by. We are to still continue to do our jobs that God has given us. What does it mean to wait on the Lord though? Well, it means to be patient. God's timing is not ours, and so we must be patient and not try [...]
Happy Thanksgiving!
I hope each of you were able to enjoy Thanksgiving today. I hope you were able to be with as much family as possible, I understand that was not the case this year for many people. I hope that you were able to have fellowship and to sit back and reflect on what all God has blessed you with. We all have reason to praise God, we all have reason [...]
Prayers of the Saints
I need to ask everyone to pray for a friend of mine's pastor. He tested positive for Covid as did a few members of her church, and if y'all would, please pray for quick recovery for them. Pray that they God will help them to grow during their quarantine time. I know that God answers prayers, I've seen it many times in my own life. Sometimes His answers are not [...]
Zealous
"It is fine to be zealous, provided the purpose is good, and to be so always, not just when I am with you." Galatians 4:18. Paul said that it was fine, it was good to be zealous if the purpose was good. There is not a better purpose than that of living for Christ. For such a purpose we should be zealous, we should be passionate about it, and not [...]
Think to Thank
Thanksgiving is in just a few days, a lot of people will be reflecting on what they are thankful for. So let me ask you a question, and I have to ask myself this, did you thank God for something today? Did you take time to thank God, for just one thing? It could be for an answered prayer, for getting to see a friend, or for something that just [...]
Shining a Light
"In the same way, let your light shine before others, that they may see your good deeds and glorify your Father in heaven." Matthew 5:16. Why should one want to do good deeds so that God would get credit instead of them? Why would one want to let God work through them instead of doing whatever they want? When it is all said and done, when I stand before my [...]
As the deer pants
"As the deer pants for streams of water, so my soul pants for you, my God." Psalm 42:1. Do you desire God's Word as much as you do rest after a hard day? God uses His Word to feed our souls, to give our souls comfort, to give us peace and correction when necessary. God's Word is our compass, it is the light for our path. We need to be [...]
Picky in Provision
After the Jewish people got to the promised land, God continued to provide them with judges, whom served as leaders. After a while, the Jews began to ask God for a king, they no longer wanted judges, they wanted to be like everyone else. So, a king was given to them. When Jesus stood before Pilate, Pilate asked the people of Israel if they wanted him to release Jesus unto [...]
Living the Word
I read this in the book, "Unlocking the Scriptures" by Hanz Finzel for school today in a chapter about how we apply Scripture to our lives. "One story tells of several pastors arguing about which Bible translation was best. One man startled the group by saying, "My grandmother's translation is the best I've ever read." "What," his colleagues asked, "your grandmother translated the Bible?" "Yes, she translated the Bible into [...]
What would we do?
I'm on a couple of those church humor/funny groups and I read (part) of a post that was talking about what the author would have done in the situation. The first example was that she (Kimberly Henderson from Proverbs 31 Ministries) would have pulled Joseph out of that pit, or that prison. She would have pulled him out of that pain, she would have cheated nations out of the one [...]
Hard times
"And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose." Romans 8:28. We will all face hard times on our way through life. Satan will attack anybody and everybody who seeks to serve the Lord. Satan may use temptations, he may shut what looks like a door God has opened, or he may throw health [...]
Grace and Faith Col 2:6
"So then, just as you received Christ Jesus as Lord, continue to live your lives in him," Colossians 2:6. I've written quite a few devotionals with this verse. I normally pose the question, how do we receive Christ? We receive Him by faith. We receive Jesus Christ as Lord by faith. Our salvation, is by grace through faith. We provide the faith, and God provides the grace. So as we [...]
Children of Promise
"Now we, brethren, as Isaac was, are the children of promise." Galatians 4:28. In his letter to the Galatians, Paul had to remind the Galatians that we are under grace, not the Law. Christ fulfilled the Law on our behalf, but there were people who were trying to get the Galatians to, in essence, bind themselves to the Law. Paul then talks about Sarah and Hagar. He said that, figuratively, [...]
Rest 11/2020
We need to get our rest physically. Our bodies need rest after working, our bodies need rest in order to heal, and children need rest for growing. We also need rest spiritually. We need to make sure that we are spending time in God's Word learning and being refreshed by it. These are the last days, and Satan will throw all he can at Christians. In order for us to [...]
Alarm Clocks
We have to use alarm clocks to get up on time. We have to use timers in the kitchen to avoid having the smoke alarms tell us that dinner is ready. People need wall clocks, clocks on microwaves, clocks on their phones, and wrist watches to keep up with the time and make sure that we are always on time. We even have clocks in our cars that seem to [...]
Re-read
One of the books I am reading for school right now is "Unlocking the Scriptures" by Hans Finzel, in the book he talked about that we will reread the things that affect us most. For example, we will reread the news or love letters. We will reread new laws and bills that may be passed. I'm going to go down a little bit different path than Finzel did, but, I [...]
Laughter
One thing that God uses to encourage His children is laughter. Humor doesn't have to be dirty to be funny. There doesn't have to be cursing or anything of sexual nature for there to be humor. Carl Hurley is a Christian Comedian, and he talked about looking for the humor in church bulletins. Believe it or not, there can be humor because of the way things are written in a [...]
Take a Breath
"Wait for the LORD; be strong and take heart and wait for the LORD." Psalm 27:14. In the today's American society we often times want everything on our timing. When we are expecting an email, we want it to come through instantly. We want our phone to ring when we expect it to, not after. There is a local fast food chain whose slogan is, "Great Food in a Flash". [...]
Freedom in Christ Gal 5:13
"You, my brothers and sisters, were called to be free. But do not use your freedom to indulge the flesh; rather serve one another humbly in love." Galatians 5:13. When Christ saves us, we receive forgiveness of our sins. We are freed from the bondage of sin. With this freedom, we are to serve Christ and love our neighbor. We are not to use our freedom to run back and [...]
Christmas celebrations
Dad and I were coming back from hunting this evening, and there was a house about five minutes from ours that already had a Christmas tree up. Some may say that it is too early to celebrate Christmas, but for the Christian, Christmas is more than a once a year celebration. We can wake up everyday and praise God that Christ came. God gave us the greatest gift that mankind [...]
Boasting the right way
"May I never boast except in the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ, through which the world has been crucified to me, and I to the world." Galatians 6:14. I could boast about archery, I compete anywhere from locally to nationally, I've got a state championship and several very wonderful sponsors, but will that get me to heaven? I could boast in my academics, I will graduate high school with [...]
His Rod and Staff
"Even though I walk through the darkest valley, I will fear no evil, for you are with me; your rod and your staff, they comfort me." Psalm 23:4. For school I have to read a book that deals with Psalm 119 and in chapter one the author talks about praising God for His laws, for His statutes. Here in Psalm 23 we see David praising God for His Rod and [...]
Could you do it
"Test me, LORD, and try me, examine my heart and my mind;" Psalm 26:2. Sometimes I will read through the Psalms and try to make it like a prayer, but when I come to verse one, and verse two which is mentioned above, it is a tough pill to swallow. Often times I hesitate, because I know that I am not perfect, I make mistakes every single day. I know [...]
Election Day
"He changes times and seasons; he deposes kings and raises up others. He gives wisdom to the wise and knowledge to the discerning." Daniel 2:21. Today we have seen another election day, and although we will not know the results as soon as we normally would due to some extended voting, we can still be confident in this, whichever candidate is elected, God has allowed for that person to be [...]
Teachers
"Why, LORD, do you stand far off? Why do you hide yourself in times of trouble?" Psalm 10:1. Sometimes we feel like God isn't there or He isn't listening, but this isn't the case. God is not ignoring us, He does not abandon us, but, is a teacher not quiet during the test? When you took a test in school, the teacher did not talk loudly, rather he or she [...]
The Wind
"And he awoke and rebuked the wind and said to the sea, "Peace! Be still!" And the wind ceased, and there was great calm." Mark 4:39. Winds can be strong, today at my house there were gusts strong enough that I thought two oak trees were going to fall. Yet, even the most powerful winds have to obey the Word of God. God is in control all the time, even [...]
Lighting the way
I think I wrote a devotional like this not long ago, but, I was reminded of this principle earlier this evening. When it comes to arrows, there are probably a thousand different nocks, but some companies make nocks that light up when you shoot them. These are very good nocks to use when hunting, provided they are legal in your state. These nocks help you to see where you hit [...]
Not what you think
"This is the genealogy of Jesus the Messiah the son of David, the son of Abraham:" Matthew 1:1. Sometimes we get bored reading the genealogies found in the Bible. Reading who begat who seems like a waste of time at first glance, but God always has a reason for what He does. God has a reason for recording these family trees in the Bible. In the case of Christ's birth, [...]
The Times
Hunters often check the weather to figure out the best time of day to hunt, whether morning or evening. I know we personally check the daily and hourly temperatures. We also check the barometric pressure and try to plan when and where we want to hunt based on our findings. We try to keep up with the signs of good days to hunt and more than that, the best time [...]
Voting
In the past few days and weeks I've seen various hunters come out and give a message saying that we need to vote for the one who will protect hunting and conservation. I've seen people come out and say we need to vote for the Bill of Rights. There are all kinds of messages talking about who we should vote for. I heard a Messianic Rabbi the other day, actually [...]
Green Pastures and Rocky Roads
"He makes me lie down in green pastures, he leads me beside quiet waters." Psalm 23:2 NIV. God will give us what we need, when we are stressed He will give us peace. His strength is made perfect in our weakness. He gives us grace that is sufficient for us to endure whatever may come our way. When God leads us to those green pastures, He never promised that the [...]
How Much Praise
"Seven times a day I praise you for your righteous laws." Psalm 119:164. This verse got me thinking, and I hope it gets you to thinking as well. How many times a day do we verbally thank or praise God, for anything? How many times we do we thank Him for who He is, for what He has done, or what He will do? How many times a day do [...]
Timing
When working with compound bows, one thing you have to keep in check is the timing on the bow. A compound bow has a string, and depending on what type of cam (the wheels on each end of the bow) it can have one or two cables, which can vary in type. There are usually marks on the cams that line up with these cables called timing marks. If the [...]
Friend Request
When someone sends you a Friend Request on Facebook, you have to choose to accept or decline, it is as simple as that. If you wait to accept that request, then you are basically declining the request. God will draw a person to salvation, He will present you with a choice, you can confess that Jesus is Lord and Savior, or you choose to not confess Him. God wants to [...]
The Great Physician
I want to thank you all again for praying for my arm. My appointment today went great, and I'll share how it went later, but for now I want to ask you to pray for a good friend of mine. He has been fighting one uphill battle after another and he has told me that he felt like Job in the Bible. He messaged me a few days ago, and [...]
Thankful
As many of you all know, I broke my arm back in August, since then I have had surgery, and have had several weeks of physical therapy. I have almost all of my motion back and as of right now I can lift up to two pounds. I go back to the doctor tomorrow and I'm hoping all goes well, I'm hoping that my arm has healed to the point [...]
Rest Stops
Rest stops are a handy thing. When you've been on the road for hours and you need to just stretch your legs, get a water or soda, and just breathe for a minute before getting back into the vehicle, rest stops are very useful. Those little pit stops can often be refreshing. The Sabbath is similar. God wants us to take just one day a week, and pause from our [...]
Knowing the Heart
"then hear from heaven, your dwelling place. Forgive and act; deal with everyone according to all they do, since you know their hearts (for you alone know every human heart)," 1 Kings 8:39. King Solomon, the wisest man to ever exist, knew this, that he could not know the heart of all people. God knows the heart of all people. He knows the intent of the heart in every move [...]
Timing
Sometimes we ask God why things happen, or why events played out the way they did. Christians are also guilty of asking God why He waited to do a miracle. God's timing is not always our timing, I've said it before, and I'll say it again, God's timing is not always our timing. God has reasons for doing things when we either do not expect them, or we feel like [...]
Trusting
"In you, LORD my God, I put my trust." Psalm 25:1. This is one of my favorite verses to read. Sometimes we just don't know why something happens the way it did. I tend to get caught up on, "God, why did you let this happen this way" which I'm working on that. Sometimes we have to stand back and remind ourselves to trust Him. He knows what He is [...]
Organ Failure
Organ Failure is a very serious problem. I've got a friend with congestive heart failure, and he has to take a lot of precautions, wear a heart monitor, and make several doctor appointments a year over this one condition alone. Each part of the body has a special role, and I don't have to explain the role of the heart, but the role of the heart, just that one part [...]
Humor
There are certain topics I try to write on about once a month, humor is one of them. I believe that God wants us to be able to laugh, there are all kinds of good things that we can laugh about without being rude, mean, or just outright dirty. We can often times laugh at ourselves when we have a little accident. For example, my Mom and I had been [...]
The Big Finale
So I spent the last few days writing about the lessons that we use, and one thing I want to mention, is that no matter what lesson/gospel presentation you give, let the audience know that you are available to answer any questions they may have. This shows that you care for your audience, and this increases the probability that they will take what you have shared with them to heart. [...]
The Arrow pt. 6
So tonight we are going to talk about the last part of the arrow, the nock. The nock is a simple plastic (sometimes aluminum) piece that holds the arrow to the string of the bow until the bow is fired and the arrow is released toward the target. When we look at the palms of our hands, we see lines. It says in Isaiah 49:16, "See, I have engraved you [...]
The Arrow pt. 5
Tonight I want to look at the fletching of the arrow. The fletching guides the arrow through flight, it steers the arrow towards its mark. It says in Psalm 119:105, "Your word is a lamp for my feet, a light on my path." God uses His Word to teach us the way we should live. He puts rules and guidelines in His Word for us to follow. His rules are [...]
Tri Cities Christian School Fall Fest 2019
I want to encourage you all to go check out the photos on our website, I just added a few photos from an event last year. That was an awesome festival the school held, and because of how this year has played out, events have been limited so I just wanted to look back on some phenomenal times. I probably shouldn't pick a favorite, but it was so cool to [...]
The Arrow pt. 3-4
The next part of the arrow is sort of two parts in one. The first one that I'll talk about tonight is the shaft of the arrow. The shaft is straight just like God's path for our lives, it says in Proverbs 4:26-27, "Watch the path of your feet and all your ways will be established. Do not turn to the right nor to the left; turn your foot from [...]
The Arrow pt. 2
So last night we talked about the tip of the arrow and the lesson that we normally give with that part of the arrow, tonight I want to talk about the insert. The insert for those who do not know is a metal piece glued into the shaft so that you can screw in a field point or broad head. It holds the tip securely in place. Last night we [...]
The Arrow pt. 1
Normally, GOD's Archers gets to attend various events and teach Bible lessons using the parts of the arrow, and help participants shoot real bows and arrows. This year has been a little different, and we were only able to work at one event this year thus far, but don't get me wrong, we had a blast at that event and hope that the participants were able to learn something. I [...]
Quiz Time
Little children often do not like to study for a quiz or test at school. Sometimes they feel like they know all the answers and they do not need to waste their time in review of what they have learned. We can sometimes be the same way in our walk with God. We do not always like to go back and reread a verse we feel like we understand. Yet, [...]
Everything
"I love you, LORD, my strength. The LORD is my rock, my fortress and my deliverer; my God is my rock, in whom I take refuge, my shield and the horn of my salvation, my stronghold." Psalm 18:1-2. When we begin to think about all that God has done for us, and just exactly Who He is to us, we cannot list everything. God Himself is our strength, He is [...]
Look at the good
Sometimes when things happen we look at the negatives. As Christians we cannot afford to do this. We have to look at the positive side of things, and even when we feel rattled, when we have to look hard to find the good in something, we need to do it. It can be easy to throw ourselves a pity party, it can be easy to complain, and the more we [...]
Certificate of Forgiveness
There was an old Tom and Jerry episode where Tom had to get Jerry to sign a certificate of forgiveness for Tom to go to heaven, otherwise he would go to hell. Tom only had to get one mouse to sign that paper, but, God makes it even easier for us. We don't have to get a piece of paper and have one of our friends sign it saying that [...]
Leaves Changing
Fall is my favorite time of year, and one reason is because the leaves change color. When we see the leaves change to red, we can think of when Christ was on the cross shedding His red blood for us. When the leaves are all gone, we can think of that as Christ's final breath. Yet, when the tree begins to grow buds in the spring and those buds burst [...]
Stories
I saw where someone had written in a notebook, "God's still writing your story, stop trying to steal the pen, trust the author." So often we have everything planned out, we know exactly what we are going to do, or so we think. Often times we count our chickens before they hatch, or in other words, we make plans too far ahead of schedule. We try to take the pen [...]
Excitement
In many places around the country archery deer season has opened up, however, in Virginia, archery deer season opens tomorrow morning. I cannot wait to get up in the morning and get out in the woods. This past week has been a long one just waiting for season. As Christians, we wait for when our Savior will call us to be with Him in heaven. We wait for that day, [...]
Step back
"Praise the LORD, my soul; all my inmost being, praise his holy name." Psalms 130:1. When we get aggravated or flustered the best thing to do is just to step back, and thank God for His Blessings and to praise Him for His goodness. There are so many tools that Satan uses to attack us, whether it is the little accidents in the day, events at work, things on the [...]
Rest
"And he said to them, "The Sabbath was made for man, not man for the Sabbath" Mark 2:27. God made the Sabbath for us to rest. God knows that we need rest. We are to work heartily as for the Lord, but at the same time we have to take care of the body God gave us. God knows that our bodies need rest, and at the same time He [...]
Gone with the Wind
"Not so the wicked! They are like chaff that the wind blows away." Psalm 1:4. In sin we looked for that thing that will fill that void inside of us. We would try this or that, and it would be pleasing for the moment but it would not fill the void. Nothing seemed to ever be enough, and no combination of things ever added up to the right amount to [...]
Catching one’s eye
I have been going through the book of Second Samuel lately and tonight I was reading in chapter twelve which talks about David and Bathsheba. There was part of a verse in this chapter that I hadn't caught before. After Nathan gave David the illustration of the man with many lambs taking from the man who only had one lamb, Nathan quoted the Lord saying, "Now, therefore, the sword will [...]
A day to remember
Today I got to watch part of the prayer march and it was so cool to see so many brothers and sisters in Christ gather to pray for the nation, for healing, and for the lost. I wished I could have been there. There is a song that I like called, "Sound of the Saints", Audio Adrenaline and I think a few other groups do that song. There is something [...]
After the rain
There was a young farmer waiting on the rain early one year. He was wanting to get his fields plowed and ready to go for the sowing time. Then, a hard storm came, it damaged part of the barn, and knocked down several large trees. One of the trees was the old oak that his grandaddy carved his initials into with his wife when they bought the farm some seventy [...]
Power in prayer
The pastor at the church we go to has mentioned several times throughout the past year that he would love to get to be in service with his Mom once again. She is getting older and her health isn't what it used to be. Our pastor lives in Virginia like we do, but his Mom lives in Ohio, and they had to wait for the right time so that she [...]
What would you want pt. 2
Now I want you to be honest with yourself, about a week ago I wrote a devotion about what you would ask God for if given the chance like Solomon. Well, in that devotional I asked that you would pray for that desire, whether if it was for wisdom like Solomon, or to be more thankful, or if it was to be a better servant, etc. Whatever your desire was, [...]
New
Most people like that "new" smell. Books, vehicles, pretty much everything made has a new smell to it (I prefer the smell of a new bow myself). It is similar to the joy of a new Christian. Someone who has just accepted Christ is usually so happy to know they don't have to wonder where they will go when they die. A new Christian is so joyful to know that [...]
Buffets
A lot of people enjoy eating at a buffet. You can get what you want and not the things you dislike. At a buffet if you don't like veggies, you don't have to get them. Although it may feel good for a moment, you will eventually regret that decision. Some people take the idea of a buffet way too far, there are a lot of Christians that like to pick [...]
Skim Milk
Skim milk is milk that has been watered down substantially. It is almost to the point that you can't call it milk anymore, there may be a little tiny bit of milk, but that's it. There are many who water down the Word of God. They compromise on their beliefs because the message of Christ does not sit well with some people. Most do not like to hear that they [...]
Focused on your mark
There is a target company that I shoot for and one of my favorite things about this particular target is just how easy it is to focus on that target. The way the target is shaped and colored helps you to aim well. As Christians, we have a mark that we are aiming for. We are aiming to become more like Christ each and every day. It is not easy [...]
Play on Words
It can be enjoyable to hear a play on words that is fairly humorous, and it can be enjoyable to hear one that is thought provoking. I'm not saying for certain that God used a play on words, but one might call it that. In Psalm 23 God inspired David to write the following verse, "Surely your goodness and love will follow me all the days of my life, and [...]
Family in Christ
"As iron sharpens iron, so a friend sharpens a friend." Proverbs 27:17. As Christians we need to make sure we are shining a light for those who haven't accepted Christ, we also need to make sure that we are there to sharpen other Christians. We need to be there to encourage other brothers and sisters in Christ. We need to be there to pray for them, and often times to [...]
What would you want
"At Gibeon the LORD appeared to Solomon during the night in a dream, and God said, "Ask for whatever you want me to give you." 1 Kings 3:5. So, if God asked you this same question, what would you say? Would you ask for wisdom, would you ask for God to make you merciful and forgiving, or would you ask for patience? Would you perhaps ask for your whole family [...]
Kneeling
One thing that aggravates me, to put it nicely, is to see people kneeling during the National Anthem, or to disrespect our flag in any way. Many lost their lives 19 years and 4 days ago trying to rescue the people trapped in the rubble from the terrorist attacks on 9/11. There have been so many more lives sacrificed so that our flag can wave freely in every town in [...]
Election
I understand that the topic of election/predestination is a very touchy subject. I understand that there are several different view points, and I respect that, all I ask is that you hear me out. I believe that the grace of God is free to all who will come to God and ask Him for forgiveness through the blood of Christ. Here are a few reasons why. First, God told Abraham, [...]
The past has passed
"Forget the former things; do not dwell on the past. See, I am doing a new thing! Now it springs up; do you not perceive it? I am making a way in the wilderness and streams in the desert." Isaiah 43:18-19. There have been some people clearing land not too far from our house. It used to be completely wooded and now there are only two or three trees that [...]
Unshakable
"So then, just as you received Christ Jesus as Lord, continue to live your lives in him, rooted and built up in him, strengthened in the faith as you were taught, and overflowing with thankfulness." Colossians 2:6-7. I use these two verses quite often, and that is because I feel led to. As Christians we have to read and study God's Word. I cannot stress it enough. We have to [...]
God’s warnings
When it comes to temptation, God always gives us a way to escape. Even as far back as the Garden of Eden. God even gave Cain a warning before he murdered his brother. God said, "If you do what is right, will you not be accepted? But if you do not do what is right, sin is crouching at your door; it desires to have you, but you must rule [...]
Fearing over Hearing
"Once again David inquired of the LORD, and the LORD answered him, "Go down to Keilah, for I am going to give the Philistines into your hand." 1 Samuel 23:4. When David heard of the Philistine attack against Keilah, he asked God if he should go and attack the Philistines. God told David to go, but the men with David were afraid, and so David asked one more time if [...]
His Scars
I was listening to some music today and there was a song I hadn't listened to before come up. The name of the song was, "The Scar that Held my Name". In the song the singer talks about having a dream and seeing Jesus. In the dream Jesus took His robe off and showed the singer a scar on His back that held the singer's name. Jesus was whipped to [...]
Overwhelmed
There are two ways that we can be overwhelmed, we can be glad or burdened. There are times we feel overwhelmed with whatever we may be dealing with which many experience. Then there are those times we are overwhelmed by God's blessing. I want to share with you an experience of the latter of the two. As you all know I broke my arm a few weeks ago, on top [...]
Open doors
We have all heard about God opening doors and closing doors. The Bible talks about it in several different places, a few of which actually have to do with prophecy. When we pray about God opening doors, we usually ask just that, that He would open a specific door, that He would make a way to something specific. Sometimes Christians fail to remember to pray for God's Will to be [...]
Anniversaries
There are all kinds of anniversaries, both pleasant and not so much. There are wedding anniversaries, some people celebrate job anniversaries. Then there are other anniversaries, some that bring up both pleasant and not so pleasant feelings. Today marks exactly one month since my dog passed away. Even though I miss scratching behind his ears and hearing his own unique bark, I know that he is no longer suffering. I [...]
When the answer is “not yet”
A lot of people have a tendency to say that unless God does what you ask when you ask or soon thereafter, then He did not answer your prayer. For instance if Joe prayed for a raise to be able to do what he believed God wanted him to do, but that raise did not come for a while, then somebody might say that God didn't answer Joe's prayer. This [...]
Trust in Him
"You who fear him, trust in the LORD-he is their help and shield." Psalm 115:11. When we are in trouble, we do not have to rely on ourselves. When we face a trial, we are not alone. In temptation we have someone Who can help us. As God's child you do not need to fear. Trust in the Lord, He is your shield. He is your Helper, and more than [...]
Doing your best
Trying to do school work with a broken arm is very interesting. I am trying to do what I can so I don't get behind too far, and my teachers have been helpful through this. Then I started thinking, the physical trouble I'm having is similar to trouble we have as Christians. We live for Christ, we do our best and then something comes along that starts to make things [...]
The man I want to be
Since I had surgery on my arm I've had a night with almost no sleep, a night with good sleep, and last night which was a bit of both. Last night wasn't all that bad though. In the quiet of the night I was able to think well and pray about something that I had been thinking a little bit on over the past week. I love archery, I would [...]
Blessings in the broken pieces
Zach Williams has a song out called, "There was Jesus" and part of the lyrics go, "Like a blessing buried in the broken pieces". Well those lyrics are rather true for me right now. I fractured my radius and ulna this afternoon, yet, despite the pain, I couldn't help but say, "Thank you Lord that I have a good vehicle to get to the hospital in." "Thank you Lord that [...]
Reading vs studying
It is one thing to read God's Word and another to study it. I've been going through the Old Testament lately and I just finished the book of Judges, yet, in the last few chapters particularly, it felt like I wasn't studying as I should have. I am going to go back and go over those last few chapters again, because when I read God's Word, I want to actually [...]
What are you searching for?
I like to watch those TV shows where people go out and try to find the Loch Ness Monster. They spend a lot of time and money looking for the creature, hoping to get it on film. Many have spent most of their lives looking for Nessie. Yet how much time do people spend looking for God? Also, do people even desire to seek God out and learn more about [...]
Hope
"but those who hope in the LORD will renew their strength. They will soar on wings like eagles; they will run and not grow weary, they will walk and not be faint." Isaiah 40:31. One of the key words in this verse to me is the word "renew". It doesn't say that those who hope in the Lord will never be weak, it doesn't say that they will never be [...]
The Ten Lepers
"One of them, when he saw he was healed, came back, praising God in a loud voice." Luke 17:15. There were ten lepers that Christ healed, but only one came back to praise Him. We as Christians have been healed from sin, we are washed clean, redeemed, purified, we are made new in Christ and made a co-heir with Him. We are adopted by God. Yet how often do we [...]
If That Ain’t God
There are country singers that will occasionally do a gospel or Christian themed song and I enjoy listening to them when they do so. Well, there was one who I had prayed for to start doing more Christian style music and probably a month or two months ago by now, he released a song called, "If That Ain't God". The authors of the song requested for this artist to do [...]
Goals
It is good for people to have goals, it gives us something to work for and achieving that goal is a prize in and of itself. One goal that I have is to lose weight and reach a certain amount by my birthday in a month or so. I told Mom, "I need you to help me with this, to do what it takes to reach this amount of weight [...]
Well Spoken
"Let your conversation be always full of grace, seasoned with salt, so that you may know how to answer everyone." Colossians 4:6. I cannot stress it enough that you or I may be the only Bible someone reads, and that we must stay true to what the Bible actually says. We need to live as we should, as actions often speak louder than words. Yet, we need to make sure [...]
Represent
I am by no means a professional archer, but there are several companies that I shoot for that I represent. I use their products and I promote those products in return for a reward. As true Christians, we have received Christ into our lives. This is a gift from God, not a reward for doing good deeds or works. However, once we accept Christ into our life we begin to [...]
Greed
"The rulers of the Philistines went to her and said, "See if you can lure him into showing you the secret of his great strength and how we can overpower him so we may tie him up and subdue him. Each one of us will give you eleven hundred shekels of silver." Judges 16:5. The love of money is the root of all kinds of evil as the Bible puts [...]
Special to God
"Again the Israelites cried out to the LORD, and he gave them a deliverer-Ehud, a left handed man, the son of Gera the Benjamite. The Israelites sent him with tribute to Eglon king of Moab." Judges 3:15. The Bible does not often note whether a person is right handed or left handed, in fact, this is one of the only times it is recorded. As we read through this part [...]
Rest
I try to do at least one devotional per month on rest. God wants us to work, you can find the phrase, "if a man won't work then he shouldn't eat" in the Bible. Yet God also wants us to get the rest that we need just as we have to let soil rest. If you only grow a certain type of plant on a parcel of land, it can [...]
Put in the time
There was a young man named Joe who was in high school. Joe's final exams were drawing near but he refused to study for them. He thought, "Oh I know that stuff, I'll get by just fine." He would go hang out with friends and he would celebrate that graduation was coming up shortly. Then the night before exams he decided to study. He skimmed through every one of his [...]
But God
"But I, by your great love, can come into your house; in reverence I bow down toward your holy temple." Psalm 5:7. The previous verses in Psalm 5 were talking about how God does not take pleasure in wickedness, and how sin cannot be with Him. Then David writes this verse. He did not write, "but I, by my righteousness" or even, "but I, because of my perfection," David wrote, [...]
Changes
"See, I am doing a new thing! Now it springs up; do you not perceive it? I am making a way in the wilderness and streams in the wasteland." Isaiah 43:19. Our dog passed away yesterday evening and I told Mom that the time I normally would feed him I would use to read on top of when I read in the evenings. I know that one chapter in my [...]
Pets
Tonight I just want to go over some reasons why I believe our pets will be in heaven when they die. First off it mentions that Christ will return on a white horse when He comes to set up His Kingdom on the earth for the thousand year reign. That means there will be at least one animal in heaven, so it would make good sense that other animals will [...]
Perseverance
There's an old saying that goes, "when the going gets tough, the tough get going," I got to witness that tonight. I was at a competition this evening and watched a friend of mine having a hard time. Yet, I also saw perseverance in her that I've not seen many times personally. Even though it was rough trying to compete, she still did all that she could do and I'm [...]
Friendly Advice
I love to help others at the archery range when I can. I want to do what I can so that others can become a better shot. Whether I'm showing somebody how to fix something, or just talking to them, I want to do what I can to help them. As Christians, we should strive to talk to others about Christ. He is a friend who can help us solve [...]
Anticipation
With it now being August many deer hunters are getting anxious. Deer season is right around the corner, and many cannot wait to get in the woods, whether they get a deer or not, many just want to feel the cool weather and experience God's creation. This is how we as Christians should long for the return of Christ. We should be looking for Christ to return any minute, and [...]
Filled
I want to ask fellow believers in Christ a question. What are you full of? I'm being serious here, what are you full of? Are you full of yourself, or are you filled with the Holy Spirit? Are you arrogant or humble? Many Christians struggle with being full of themselves instead of being filled with Christ. There are some who appear to be more of a self-righteous theist than a [...]
Excitement
What do you call exciting? Many may think of parties or drugs. Some may think of something more along the lines of going to amusement parks. Maybe racing, or catching that big bass. Some may enjoy getting to go hunting and spending time in God's country. I particularly like the last two. For me, I do love the outdoors, no matter what it is I can enjoy my time being [...]
All Shook Up
"When the earth and all its people quake, it is I who hold its pillars firm." Psalm 75:3. God is in control, no matter what happens, He will not be removed from His throne. I've wondered before that maybe when it feels like our world is falling apart around us, if that isn't God closing His hand over us to protect us from what the devil really wants to attack [...]
Battles
"One man of you shall chase a thousand: for the LORD your God, he it is that fights for you, as he has promised you." Joshua 23:10. This verse make me remember when Christ said that, and I'm paraphrasing, "with God all things are possible". Without God we cannot accomplish anything, it is by His great grace and Love for us that we can do anything. With God, there is [...]
The Straight and Narrow
"But small is the gate and narrow the road that leads to life, and only a few find it." Matthew 7:14. There are times that it can be difficult to walk the straight and narrow path. There are days of trial, temptation, and there will be days of grief. Some days walking the straight and narrow path feels more like walking across a tightrope. Yet, no matter what comes our [...]
Praise
"Seven times a day I praise you for your righteous laws." Psalm 119:164. How much do you praise God everyday? How much do you praise Him for His Love, His forgiveness, His mercy, His provision, or as the Psalmist mentions, for His righteous laws? Often times when we lift our voices to God it is out of desire, and there is nothing wrong with having desires or if we are [...]
Standing out
Christ was a well known individual during His three year ministry. He stood out from the crowd for His Love, compassion, and His wisdom. Since we are to be like Him, as Christians we should stand out from the crowd because of our Love, compassion, and wisdom. People were easily able to identify Jesus, and people should be able to identify us easily as well. We are not to think [...]
He guides me
"He refreshes my soul. He guides me along the right paths for his name's sake." Psalm 23:3. The Bible is full of references where it talks about God's guidance. God wants to comfort us and reassure us that He will be with us. He will guide us in the way that is true and the way that He desires for us to travel. He Loves us, and His plans are [...]
Keep on
When it comes to the sport of archery, there is always room for improvement. There is always something that you can do either with yourself or your bow, arrows, etc., that can help you be a better shot. You have to keep working at it in order to improve. If you don't work, you don't get better. This isn't just with archery though, it is the same with pretty much [...]
Peace
If you would, please remember a good friend of mine in prayer. There was a death in the family and I just wanted to ask for each of you to pray for the family for peace and strength. Also, pray that God's will shall be done through all of this, maybe so that someone gets saved through this or if someone in the family maybe strayed away from God, that [...]
Keeping Focus
Sometimes it can be easy to lose focus. Whether you're tired, or if you're hungry. It can be easy to lose focus when there are thousand different things going on around you, but whatever the case may be, we have to do our best to stay focused. God has given us a job to do. We are to pray continually. We are to seek to give Him glory in all [...]
His Love
"Jesus wept. Then the Jews said, "See how he loved him!" John 11:35-36. I've heard a lot of people speculate as to why Jesus wept at Lazarus' tomb. Pretty much any way you look at it, it is because of Jesus' great Love, as He is Love. It could have been that He wept because His friend had to endure suffering. He could have wept out of compassion because others [...]
Promises
When we go fishing, I love to catch or at least attempt to catch crawdads, otherwise known as crawfish. Tonight I caught a big one for me but I had trouble trying to catch a couple of small ones. I told Dad, "I am catching one more before we leave." Well, I didn't, and it got me thinking. We as humans tend to make promises, but we can't always seem [...]
The Armor
I apologize for being late with the verse this evening, but for tonight I want to talk about the armor of God. It says in Ephesians 6:11, "Put on the full armor of God, so that you can take your stand against the devil's schemes." Then Paul wrote again in verse 13 to put on the Armor. When God says anything, we need to pay close attention, but when He [...]
Pray About it
God Loves us. He will guide us in the way we are to go, not in the wrong direction. We need to follow Him in all things that we do, whether it be in our relationships, our jobs, or even our business deals as those are all things that He has given to us. We have to pray that He will help us to do His will, not just our [...]
BLM
All lives matter, you can call me racist if you want but all lives matter. Red, yellow, black, white, all matter, and all are precious to God. There is one particular group of individuals that do, however, need to be spoken for more. Many people advocate for their lives, but not enough are taking a real stand. Babies lives matter. There have been millions upon millions of babies killed because [...]
Treasures
It is smart to have a savings account. Trying to save at least part of your money can help for rainy days or for whatever may come. God wants us to have a savings account in Heaven, sort of. God wants us to lay up treasures in Heaven. When we get saved God wants us to begin to live for His will and for His glory. He wants to be [...]
Stains
Do you ever have that one shirt that you just really liked? It fit well, looked good, felt good, but then it gets stained somehow. I have a few of those myself. We're not perfect, we mess up. We may spill something on it, or we may drop a piece of food on it. We may get into some grease or something that will permanently stain that garment. It's a [...]
True Colors
When people get into a tricky situation you typically see their true colors. You begin to see them for who they are. As Christians, when we get into a tricky situation our colors should not change. When people see us when we are facing a trial, they should see that we remain steadfast in Christ. We should continue to let the light of Christ shine through us, and let His [...]
Graduation
I've got several friends/family members that graduated this year. This is a big time for them, they have finally finished one of their biggest goals thus far. I can see the gifts that God has given them. They are each very talented individuals that could achieve anything they set their minds to and I hope that they will choose to follow God's guidance as they go throughout their adult lives. [...]
Faith
"Now faith is the reality of what is hoped for, the proof of what is not seen." Hebrews 11:1 HCSB. We cannot see God, but we can see what He has done. We can see how He has transformed the lives of others, and as Christians we can see for ourselves how He has changed us and is continuing to help us grow into better people. We should desire to [...]
Giving God what He already gave to you
God gives people certain talents. I believe that He gives all people some kind of talent, something that they are good at. Now, with that talent comes a choice. You can either use that talent for yourself, which can lead to an empty feeling inside. You can choose to not use it at all. Or you can use that talent for God. You can serve God with the talent that [...]
Welcome Home
I like to listen to songs that thank veterans or various military songs on occasion. I found one this past 4th of July that was called "Welcome Home" the person that posted was unable to find the author of the song nor did the person know the official title. It was an absolutely beautiful song. I don't know if I'm allowed to do this, but the following is the chorus [...]
Boldness
"Now, Lord, consider their threats and enable your servants to speak your word with great boldness." Acts 4:29. In this chapter Peter and John were in trouble over preaching the name of Christ. When they got back to their fellow believers they started praying with them. This was part of that prayer. This should also be part of our prayer today. We need the Armor of God as our defense, [...]
God’s Creativity
Just before God provided a website for us I talked about new growth and referenced how deer antlers grow back every year. Well, I want to talk about antlers again, but for another reason. It says of God in Psalm 139:19, "For you created my inmost being; you knit me together in my mother's womb." NIV. I've not read in the Bible where it says this, but I think that [...]
By Faith Alone
I heard about a pole taken a while back, and I may have mentioned this in a recent devotional, that was taken among church goers and/or church members. There were between 70 and 80 percent of these church goers that still believed that one can go to heaven by doing good deeds. This response was from Christian church goers. We cannot earn salvation. God is Holy and cannot be with [...]
Warnings
Last night there was a blood moon. It was not a normal blood moon as we have had in the last year or so, as the red was lighter, and there was a sliver of another color, it was white or gray if I recall correctly. In the Old Testament, and probably still today, blood moons are not considered good by the Jewish people. They were treated as warnings from [...]
Happy 4th of July!
Tonight as I watched the fireworks I could not help but think of the many men and women who sacrificed so much for this country. Many men gave their life for our freedom. Many women as well. They worked in the mud and blood to fight for their families and for their descendants. They wanted more for the future generations than tyranny that they had endured. They fought side by [...]
Forgiveness
"Then David said to Nathan, "I have sinned against the LORD." Nathan replied, "The LORD has taken away your sin. You are not going to die." 2 Samuel 12:13 NIV. There are many Christians who believe that one can lose salvation. I don't and this verse is one of the reasons why. David had an affair with a man's wife, then had the man killed, and then took the woman [...]
The Seas
"The seas have lifted up, LORD, the seas have lifted up their voice; the seas have lifted up their pounding waves." Psalm 93:3. I heard someone say or read something a while back that said, "The river is music to those who listen." To hear the running water of a river, or to stand back and take in the beautiful sounds of the ocean's waves is an awesome experience. These [...]
Last Chance
We went fishing this evening and I caught this little guy. This was the second lake we had went to and this was on my first cast right at last light. I didn't have hardly any time to catch a fish after that one because the light was getting too low. There are many people out there who want to wait until their last chance to accept Christ. They believe [...]
Pray For
I was driving back to the house today and at a red light there was a car in front of us that had a torn bumper sticker. What remained of the sticker said, "Pray for" and that was it, the rest had torn off or something had happened to it. Today there are so many things to pray for. There are so many things going on, so many people that [...]
A Tangled Rope
Rope is very useful for various things. It can be used for hanging up plants to dry, it can be used for pulling many different things. One thing that rope can have a tendency to do is get tangled up in itself, or at least it does for me anyway. Rope can just look at me and get tangled up in a hundred knots that all start with just one [...]
Speaking Up
When I got up this morning I saw that someone had sent a message to GOD's Archers. I clicked on the message and read it, all it said was, "Jesus Christ is my Saviour" no more and no less. To be honest, the message caught me off guard, but it was a good surprise. A very good surprise. I thought about how to reply all morning, and then this afternoon [...]
When you just don’t know
"Whether you turn to the right or to the left, your ears will hear a voice behind you, saying, "This is the way; walk in it." Isaiah 30:21. Sometimes we get into a situation where we don't know what to say, or we don't know what to do. These situations seem difficult, but if we will trust in the Lord, He will provide the solution or the words to speak. [...]
Let it go
I'm sure you've heard someone say, "I wish I could let it go" or, "Why can't I just give it to God?" We as humans have trouble letting things go. We like to be able to hold onto things thinking that maybe we can control the outcome on our own, and often times we can't. We have to learn to give our problems to God. It isn't always easy, and [...]
The Gospel Message
"For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believes in him should not perish, but have everlasting life." John 3:16 KJV. We all sin and we deserve punishment for our sin. Our due punishment is death in hell, and God will see that justice is served, that sin is punished. God does not want to punish us, so He showed us mercy, He [...]
Days of Noah
"But as the days of Noah were, so shall also the coming of the Son of man be." Matthew 24:37. The Bible goes on to talk about that it would be business as normal in the next verse. That there would be marriage and feasting, and various things. In the days of Noah, there was also great sinfulness. It broke God's heart at the amount of sinfulness that was present [...]
The Mark of our Maker
"See, I have engraved you on the palms of my hands..." Isaiah 49:16 NIV. Look at the palm of your hand. God formed our hands with lines that are visible on the outside of our skin. He did this for our hand to work as it does, but more than that to remind us that He is always holding onto us and that our Maker Loves us. He has us [...]
Fathers
Today is Father's day as you all know and I am very thankful for my father and grandfather. I couldn't have asked for any better because I know that God gave me the family that He wanted me to have. I know that I am always loved and that I have always been taken care of. There are many people though that have not had a good father figure or [...]