The final time I talked to my little brother, Ricky, the conversation was jovial. We caught up on what was happening in his Texas home. He had a new job, a girlfriend, and his health, although he had a history of illness and heart problems, seemed to have stabilized.

In his early 60s, he asked me about Carolina Reaper Peppers. He’d watched a television show that discussed the peppers, supposedly the hottest in the world, and sold only in the Carolina's. I told him I’d never heard of them, but I would check into it, then and send him some.

Three days later, I was awakened from a sound sleep about 2 a.m. by a ringing telephone, which is never a good thing. It was his sobbing girlfriend. She’d been trying to reach him all day. When she went over to check on him, she found his body lying near the front door. With his health history, his death was a surprise, but not shocking.

When I think about that conversation with my brother, I think about what more important things we could have talked about. Chief among these, our relationship with Jesus Christ.

It was a lack of conversation that I’ll forever regret. If he’d answered no to either question, I could have led him to salvation. Or at least tried.

I believe my brother’s name was written in the Lamb’s Book of Life. And that I will l see him again. But I’ve adopted a new policy that I put into practice when I called my best friend to tell him Ricky had died. I ended the conversation with a question: Do you have a relationship with Jesus?

I may not know for certain about my brother, but the lack of conversation on the most important question can be the catalyst for conversations with others.

Read the full devotion at https://devotableapp.com/daily-devotion-my-final-conversation-with-my-brother

I felt like I recognized that phrasing but couldn’t place it. So, I started digging and found this passage in the Gospel of John, “The Jews then responded to him, “What sign can you show us to prove your authority to do all this?” Jesus answered them, “Destroy this temple, and I will raise it again in three days.” (John 2:18-22 NIV)

So, while Jesus is on the cross, they start hurling insults at him and someone remembers that Jesus had made this obscure claim that he would destroy the temple and rebuild in three days, which is completely ludicrous. The temple was built by Solomon, and it took decades to finish, and he had the best of the best working on, not just one man working for three days. Some people were offended, some laughed at how silly this man was, and someone apparently stored that information away for a later time.

But the people had missed the point. They had mistaken the meaning, and imposed their own view of religion, faith, and theology on what Jesus was saying. When people insult Jesus in Mark, they say he would REBUILD the temple, whereas in John he says he will RAISE the temple. I need you to understand that the temple Jesus was referring to was himself. It wasn’t a building, but a body.

Jesus was reminding people that he was the Son of God, and for the first time ever he was letting people know a beautiful truth, that God was not contained into the four walls of the temple. God was living amongst us. He was with us at all time.

That was revolutionary! We didn’t have to go somewhere to find God. He came and found us. So, on the cross, as he’s being insulted, being laughed at that he said he could the raise the temple in three days, but he couldn’t even save himself, I wonder if he thought, “just wait and see.” The temple did raise in three days, it just wasn’t a building.

Read the full devotion at https://devotableapp.com/daily-devotion-mark-15-29-raise-the-temple

Every one of us is born into moral and spiritual destitution. In case you’re wondering what “destitution” means, here it is: “poverty so extreme that one lacks the means to provide for oneself.” Really we’re worse than destitute. Listen to how Paul put it:

“As for you, you were dead in your transgressions and sins…” (Ephesians 2:2)

Dead? Yes, dead! You can’t get any more “destitute” than that!

But the follower of Jesus has been restored. We are not only forgiven; we have been “raised us up with Christ and seated…with Him in the heavenly realms” (Ephesians 2:6). We’ve received not only provision; we’ve received resurrection power!

And to top it all off, we’ve been given His Spirit to constantly abide in us. He (the Holy Spirit) is not only our constant “traveling companion.” He is the “river of life” Himself! Remember this precious proclamation made by our LORD on a Jewish feast day some 2000 years ago that “rivers of living water will flow” from within all who believe in Him? Those rivers are embodied by His Spirit! And whether we know it or not, those rivers are alive in us!

As a follower of the risen Messiah, you have a well inside of you. You have a never-ending stream of living water flowing inside of you. That’s right: YOU!

“All my fountains are in You.” When I became a follower of Jesus, He took all my fountains (that is, the “streams” in my inner being of hopes, dreams, personality, etc.) and made them tributaries to flow into His fountain. And His fountain is a source of resurrection power not only for me but for the world around me!

Take time today to submit to the Holy Spirit (Galatians 5:25; Jude 20). Let Him harness your inner fountains into the flow of His fountain—and expect your life to be transformed into a fountain of resurrection power for the world around you!

Read the full devotion at https://devotableapp.com/daily-devotion-psalm-36-9-the-fountain-of-life/

There will never be enough recognition for the world that will measure up to the reward that awaits those who are wholeheartedly working for the Lord.

Read the full devotion at https://devotableapp.com/daily-devotion-what-defines-you/

​​Those also who render evil for good, ​​They are my adversaries, because I follow what is good. Psalm 38:20

Calling Evil Good

There is a prevailing, detrimentally flip-flopped movement in our culture to call what is good evil and what is evil good.

On this point, I’m going to be completely transparent with you. I, myself, have often grown discouraged playing the part of the villain when all I’m trying to do is show the love of Christ to our world. Instead of receiving the godly counsel that I have lovingly shared, some have labeled me as a legalistic, bible-thumping, out-of-touch, or an old-school fundamentalist.

Again, being totally honest, it has been disheartening and hurtful to try to genuinely and deeply love someone by graciously sharing with them the honest truth, and then having them walk away to say terrible things about you.

Don't Get Discouraged Christian

If you find yourself in this boat or one similar, I hope you find the same solace in the above verse as I have. While I was sitting in my discomfiture, this verse actually comforted me with its revelation that the adversaries David had, he had BECAUSE he did what was good! You could say it was proof that he was doing the correct thing.

Wouldn’t we love to avoid all conflict in general and never have any enemies? Of course! But, the fact of the matter is that if we are standing for godliness, we will always have enemies; those who render evil for good.

Even more than that, if we are believers, we live life with a constant enemy, The Enemy in fact! Don’t grow discouraged in doing good. Remember that you are an Ambassador of Christ, and He is your strength and shield!

Read the full devotion at https://devotableapp.com/daily-devotion-psalm-38-20-evil-for-good/

Struggling to Forgive

Do you struggle to forgive? I understand the challenge of forgiving a troublesome person. Forgiveness isn’t easy. My first instinct is to lash out and cause them emotional discomfort. But this gets me nowhere. I have come to the realization that through Jesus' example on the cross, we can unlock the power of real forgiveness.

For example, when my ex-wife wanted divorce, devastation emerged. Shock set in, and I couldn’t grasp the reality of a permanent separation. After the divorce papers arrived it become real.

This enraged me and it took me years to forgive her.

In fact, bitterness and resentments blocked my ability to forgive. I refused to let go of the emotional anguish and stayed drunk for eight years, drowning those hurt feelings. My anger towards her coupled with alcohol abuse led to self-destructive behaviors.

The Power of Forgiveness Through Christ

One day in desperation I asked for God’s help. Thoughts of suicide were a regular occurrence. But God intervened and delivered me from evil.

First, God provided me with the strength to get and stay sober. Then the Lord introduced His Son, Jesus Christ.

As the result of Jesus, my life changed.

What was my solution?

Prayer.

So, through prayer, I connected with God, and He showed me His forgiveness through the death, resurrection, and ascension of His Son Christ Jesus.

I think you’ll agree with me when I say Christ died for the forgiveness of sin. How awesome is that? Jesus paid the price.

If God sacrificed His Son to forgive humanity, then I must do the same!

Bear with each other and forgive one another if any of you has a grievance against someone. Forgive as the Lord forgave you. Colossians 3:13 NIV

Read the full devotion at https://devotableapp.com/daily-devotion-unlock-the-power-of-forgiveness/

Being set apart and living a holy life sometimes has the connotation of being set aside. But it does not have to mean loneliness or isolation. When we feel as if we are standing alone, it actually turns out to be a very appropriate time to remember that we are, in reality, never by ourselves! God is always by our side.

But you are a chosen people, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, God's special possession, that you may declare the praises of him who called you out of darkness into his wonderful light. 1 Peter 2:9

God commands us to be holy. Scriptures such as Leviticus 11:44-45 and 1 Peter 1:5-16 make it clear that living a holy life is not a gentle suggestion or an insignificant request. He instructs us in a straightforward manner to be holy because He is holy.

Living a holy life doesn't mean just saying holy things and taking holy actions. It includes our motive behind the words we say and the actions we take. It means speaking to others the way Jesus would and loving others the way Jesus commands.

Being holy is striving to have eyes that see others the way Jesus does. It also means responding to Him in a way He is worthy of because of His unmatched holiness.

When we choose to make the pursuit of holiness a priority in our lives, we will have a sense of urgency about it, and we will become committed to making the hard choices that come with it.

Making those aforementioned hard choices can sometimes cause us to feel like we have been set aside, but if we decide to change our outlook, it is then that we see we are actually set apart. Not set aside. And set apart is a great place to be, because God is there.

Read the full devotion at https://devotableapp.com/daily-devotion-living-a-holy-life/

Start children off on the way they should go, and even when they are old they will not turn from it. Proverbs 22:6 (NIV)

There is a real conundrum that exists in the parenting realm today. The difficult part of pointing our children towards a healthy direction rooted in scripture is that of modern-day society.

However, in Proverbs, we find that there is no mincing of words and that as parents we must commit ourselves to the Godly training and discipline of our children.

The Hebrew word “train” means to dedicate. Thus we as parents should seek to dedicate the direction of our children to God and His will. This is done by direction away from worldly influences and in the direction of Godly behaviors.

I recently returned from a trip to Colorado with my 12-year-old daughter, Sophia. On this trip, my intention was to learn what direction she should go in life. What I quickly learned was that as her father, it was partially up to me to point her in the right direction that she “should” go and not the direction I “thought she should” go.

This direction change for me as a parent was significant as I reflected on how, in my upbringing, I received little to no direction.

As a child who received little to no direction, I overcompensated and found that I was forming the direction I “thought” my children should go, rather than the way they “should” go according to their individual design and purpose in Christ.

Giving direction to our children means pointing them in a direction where we encourage them to seek God for themselves. Giving them direction to enjoy real spiritual experiences with the Living God that they will always remember, and point them in the direction that is intrinsically connected to who they are designed to be so that when they are old, they will not go in a different direction.

Read the full devotion at https://devotableapp.com/daily-devotion-teach-a-child-the-way-they-should-go/

How do you feel when you're asked to take on a new challenge? Are you filled with confidence, eager to give it a go, or are you hesitant, unsure whether you have what it takes?

When I was asked to take on the task of leading a camp for young people a few years ago, I felt completely inadequate.

As I considered my response, I was flicking through my Bible, and my eyes were drawn to some words David spoke to his son Solomon, as if they leapt right off the page and spoke directly into my situation:

"Then David continued, "Be strong and courageous, and do the work. Don't be afraid or discouraged, for the Lord God, my God, is with you. He will not fail you or forsake you. He will see to it that all the work related to the Temple of the Lord is finished correctly."" (1 Chronicles 28:20 NLT)

Here we see Solomon facing a similarly daunting task. David, is nearing the end of his life, and Solomon is poised to take over from him as king. Solomon has also been given the job of coordinating the building of the Temple where the people will go to worship God.

As he considers this task, it is clear that his confidence is lacking, but David's words encourage him not to look to himself and his own ability, but to place his confidence in God and his faithfulness.

Not: "You can do this!", but: "God is with you."
Not: "You have all the skills you need!", but: "God will see that the work is completed."
Not: "Just work hard, and do your best!" but: "Trust in God - he will not fail you or forsake you."

And as David's words encouraged Solomon, they also encouraged me several years later to get on with the task, trusting in God, confident in the knowledge that when he calls us he equips us for the task.

Read the full devotion at https://devotableapp.com/daily-devotion-confidence-in-god/

Two wonderful things God's law does for those who love it: it gives them great peace and keeps them from stumbling.

The first thing we notice is that we must love the law of God. Can you honestly say you love it? You spend time with what and whom you love. You want to spend time with them. You want to learn from them. You want to absorb all that you can from their presence. You want to enjoy and savor what they bring into your life.

In order to have a healthy relationship with God, you must have a passion for His Word. It must captivate your soul. It must permeate your thinking. It must govern your living. If you love the Lord, you will love His Word and you will know the peace of God.

The peace of God is different than any kind of peace found on earth. His peace is a great peace. What makes it great is the knowledge that all is well with one's soul. When we are listening to what God is saying, we are hearing from the absolute authority over all things. We are listening to the One who knows. Hearing from God and doing what He says assures us of our right standing before Him. Nothing can compare to the peace that comes from knowing we are living a life that pleases God, before whom we shall all give an account someday.

Living out the Word keeps us steady in our walk with the Lord. It is why it is so important for us to stay connected daily with God through His Word. We tend to easily forget what we know to be true and need daily reminders of it. We tend to be weak in spirit and need the strength God's Word provides for us. We tend to let our own ideas influence our steps and we need the Word to keep us in line with God's ways. Take God's Word lightly or neglect it and you will stumble and fall.

Those who love your law have great peace and do not stumble. Psalm 119:165

Read the full devotion at https://devotableapp.com/daily-devotion-psalm-119-165-loving-gods-laws/