Our Devotionals

When I Can’t 

“He giveth power to the faint; and to them that have no might he increaseth strength.” Isaiah 40:29 KJV 

Oftentimes, we feel incompetent and vulnerable to things that come at us. As if we don’t have the resources or ability to overcome whatever challenges we face in life. Sometimes we feel as if it is easier to quit and give up rather than fight. We have this mentality because we failed in the past or that if we are faced with it we will fail. Sometimes we look at things and feel in our physical ability we cant achieve, overcome or beat. So we don’t even attempt it. We are often told it is by the vision of the person on whether they can achieve there goals. Reality shows us that no matter what our skills and talents might be some thing’s can’t be done. With our abilities it is impossible. But thank the Lord, that when I can’t, HE can. 

When we can’t face the mountain, when we can’t go through the valley. We have a God who grants us the strength to face life and come out with victory. Paul was faced with a persistent problem over and over daily. He thought he could never overcome it but while seeking the Lord, God spoke to Paul and said “My grace is sufficient for thee: for my strength is made perfect in weakness.” 2 Corinthians 12:9 KJV 

Never think it’s impossible when you have Jesus, Matt 19:26 KJV. We face all different challenges, situation and circumstances. But let us remember that with faith we can move mountains. (Matt 17:20 KJV) We have the host of heaven on our side. So anytime we face life, the world or the devil, remember when you feel you cant or it’s impossible for you too. Stop and look at whatever it is you’re facing and say “I Can’t But HE Can!!!” Because it is him who strengthens you to face anything in this world and triumph in victory. 1st John 4:4 ~Pastor Robert May #4

Praise Him Anyway

Job 1:21-22 - “…the LORD gave, and the LORD hath taken away; blessed be the name of the LORD. In all this Job sinned not, nor charged God foolishly.”

Today, as I was writing an essay in my AP Language course about whether a man could reach perfection, I instantly thought of Job. The story began to be brought to my remembrance of how God had let down the hedge on him to try him. Job had lost everything that he owned, his wife encouraged him to curse God and die but Job said that she “speakest as one of the foolish women speaketh.” I believe it is one of the most beautiful ideas how in Job 1:21-22 that even though his troubles were many, he didn’t sin but he gave God praise because he knew that through it all God was good. 

Jobs patience throughout his trial brought him far greater blessings. If Job would’ve acted in a disorderly manner, what kind of circumstances would he have been in? We are so quick to allow our flesh to rise up within ourselves; allowing such can make room for the enemy to creep in and cause havoc in our lives. Walk in the spirit, by that you will not fulfill the lust of the flesh. If there be a trouble in your walk, give the enemy no place to allow discouragement, doubt, or fear. The Lord has given us many blessings, even if he doesn’t do another thing, he’s worthy of our praise.  – Sis. Taegyn May #4

 I love Jesus, So He died for you and me  Romans 6:23 For the wages of sin is death; but the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord.

 He is the best Jesus ever, he is the King. He loves you and me, Amen. Get saved. - Jensen Greene #2 

John 3:16 – “For God so loved the world that he gave his only begotten son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish but have everlasting life.”

This says it all. God sent his son, his only son Jesus to die and suffer for us. All of us. Not just one of us. If we only believe. But satan the ole devil wants us to all die and go to a burning hell. That’s why satan causes so much trouble with things like alcohol, drugs, sexual problems, child abuse, divorce etc. He doesn’t want us to have time to believe in Jesus and get to know him as our best friend. So, please remember there is a heaven and there is a hell. All you have to do is believe in Jesus Christ and be baptized. Amen – Sis. Connie Arnett #4

Have we done enough?

Matthew 26:25 - “Then Judas, which betrayed him, answered and said, Master, is it I? He said unto him, Thou hast said.”

Bro. Gary Starr from Sarah Ann, WV brought a message forth during revival at our church, but at the Alter call, the words that I heard that stuck in my mind were, “MASTER IS IT I?”

Here are some questions I ask myself and possibly some we need to ask ourselves.

• Have I not spread HIS WORD? Do we do enough everyday to tell the world about GOD'S LOVE?

• Have I failed my church? Have I done all I could do to strengthen my church?

• Have I failed my family? Have I not spread GOD'S WORD to my family?

• Have I forgotten to pray for others? Prayer is a Powerful thing in the world we live in. Don't forget we are all in need of prayer!

•Have I not been thankful for all his Blessings? Everyday we are blessed, we have freedoms that other people in the world don't have!

• I hope you and I have very good answers when GOD ask us!

Remember GOD LOVES YOU, but he expects obedience!

GOD BLESS, HAVE A BLESSED DAY! – Bro. John Julio Colvin #4

Psalm 27:14 – “Wait on the Lord. Be of good courage, and he shall strengthen thine heart; wait, I say, on the Lord.”

Over the years I have found myself stuck in a rut. Things happen and we let our heart be shut down because the pain takes over. We lose sight of the promises of God to give us comfort and rest. Our time of waiting on the Lord seems so far off, as time passes, we soon find we have lost all courage and strength due to our own neglect by trying to figure everything out on our own. We often put a timeline on the end result of our problems. Instead of waiting on the Lord to make the situation a place of growth and renewal. His timing is always perfect. After we get ourselves out of the way. – Sis. Opal Colvin #4

Gods got a plan 

Jeremiah 1:5-9 - “Before I formed thee in the belly I knew thee; and before thou camest forth out of the womb I sanctified thee, and I ordained thee a prophet unto the nations. Then said I, Ah, Lord GOD! behold, I cannot speak: for I am a child. But the LORD said unto me, Say not, I am a child: for thou shalt go to all that I shall send thee, and whatsoever I command thee thou shalt speak. Be not afraid of their faces: for I am with thee to deliver thee, saith the LORD. Then the LORD put forth his hand, and touched my mouth. And the LORD said unto me, Behold, I have put my words in thy mouth.”

Is there times you find yourself wondering what the plan is and what it is you will do for the Lord asking God what is my calling or how can I better to serve you? Or maybe you just sit and think about how your life was before you met Jesus and you see the change in what you thought you was going to be as a person to who he had planned you to be and you see it’s much better the way he plans it. He tells us he knew us before he even formed us. That tells me he knew what he had planned for me to do for him, he knew my calling before I was even formed and it tells me every individual is known by God and has a specific purpose before birth. Sometimes we do know what we are called to do and we get worried we can’t do it, that it’s too hard but the Lord has already planned this out for you. If he calls you to it, he will see you through it. That’s where faith comes in, trust him cause what he has planned for you is greater than anything you can image.

1 John 4:4 Ye are of God, little children, and have overcome them: because greater is he that is in you, than he that is in the world.”

Does that mean it’s going to be easy? No, that’s where you must have faith and trust and let the Lord lead and guide you.

Proverbs 16:9 A man's heart deviseth his way: But the LORD directeth his steps.” 

Sometimes we don’t see the bigger picture but if we trust the Lord and stay in the center of his will, we will find out he had a plan this whole time and that plan is greater than we had ever imagined. Amen! 

I pray today for whoever reads this, that you trust the Lord and let him lead and guide you. Your calling may seem heavy but remember so was the cross and he had you on his mind while he was packing it. Jesus loves you. – Sis. Ashley Risner #4

“Getting rid of that stinkin thinkin”

Proverbs 18:20-21 – “A man’s belly shall be satisfied with the fruit of his mouth; and with the increase of his lips shall he be filled. Death and life are in the power of the tongue: and they that love it shall eat the fruit thereof.”

God knows our every thought, every desire, and even every word. He knows our heart’s condition. He knows where our faith lies. He knows how much faith we even have. He knows it’s not what we consume (earthly) but it’s what we say spiritually that affects us. (Matthew 15:11) As I sit here and reflect on these two verses, I begin to think of a time when these verses were the only thing I could hold onto. I was having episodes of non-epileptic seizures that were anxiety induced, and there was no cure, no medication, nothing worked. I will never forget when I had a pastor pray for me, and all he said was Proverbs 18:21 and then, “All will be well.”

From that moment on, I began to realize how much our thoughts, worries, feelings, points of view, and even our words truly impact our lives. If we murmur and complain, it will kill the blessings of God (1 Corinthians 10:6). Every word we say we are held accountable for, and it is written down (Matthew 12:36–37).

From that moment on, I would only speak good things. If it was not even a glass half full kind of thing, I was not saying it. I began to shift my inward thoughts and negative thinking. I got rid of “that stinkin’ thinkin’,” as my Pastor Robert May calls it. I noticed a shift in my life when I got rid of that stinkin’ thinkin’. I started speaking faith and believing that the Lord could and would do it. I began to put action into watching what I said, and God began to bless.

I was made whole. I was healed and delivered. I was set free.

What we say holds so much more value than we could ever imagine.

He knows when we are hurting, broken, frustrated, and in need of deliverance, healing, and miracles. Whatever it is you are going through, He knows. He wants you to praise Him through it anyway. Praise will get us so much farther than complaining ever could. 

– Sis. Rachael Hensley #4

An upright walk with God

“He that walketh uprightly, and worketh righteousness, and speaketh the truth in his heart.” -Psalm 15:2 KJV

It’s mentioned in the Bible several times about walking uprightly before the Lord, having an upright heart. What does that mean? I believe that having an upright heart means to have a honest sincere walk with God with pure intentions. Walking uprightly before him laying down every burden and casting ever care upon him. It is hard to walk uprightly when we are weighed down with troubles and cares or even sin. The definition of uprightly is morally straight, honest, just, describing someone with integrity and a sincere walk with God. A truly upright person is inflexible in his uprightness, meaning he does not bend or bow or buck to be conformed of this world. We often get burdened down with worry, doubt, fears, peoples opinions and that makes it hard for us to walk uprightly before the Lord and serve him to the best of our ability. Imagine trying to win a race with a huge heavy load on your back, you might could go for a little while but eventually it’s going to get heavier and heavier. If you have something in your life that just feels heavy, feels like it makes it hard for you to serve him to the fullest or hard to worship him, I encourage you to just give it to him, turn it over to him. We was never meant to carry the load. Father, help us to lay down every weight, to cast all our cares and burdens on you so we can stand uprightly before you. Help us not to bow down or bend to conform to this world but to stand for you no matter the circumstances. – Sis. Acelyn Greene #4

Drop your stones

The Bible teaches in a couple different places about getting caught up worrying about the actions and decisions of others, when we ourselves also have our own problems to deal with. The Bible says in Matthew 7:1-5; “1 Judge not, that ye be not judged. 2 For with what judgment ye judge, ye shall be judged: and with what measure ye mete, it shall be measured to you again. 3 And why beholdest thou the mote that is in thy brother's eye, but considerest not the beam that is in thine own eye? 4 Or how wilt thou say to thy brother, Let me pull out the mote out of thine eye; and, behold, a beam [is] in thine own eye? 5 Thou hypocrite, first cast out the beam out of thine own eye; and then shalt thou see clearly to cast out the mote out of thy brother's eye.” This tells us how we should first focus on ourselves, then we will be able to help our brothers and sisters to see more clearly. How can we help others to find God’s vision for their life, if we don’t first have clarity in our own? Sometimes we get so carried away going through the motions, that we forget to pay attention to where we’re at with God ourselves. 

The Bible goes on to say in John 8:7 “So when they continued asking him, he lifted up himself, and said unto them, He that is without sin among you, let him first cast a stone at her.” Referring to a woman who had been caught in the act of adultery, but when they turned and her accusers were gone, he told her to go and sin no more. Although there is a difference between judging and a righteous judgment, we must first be in a righteous standing ourselves to do so. The point I want to get across here is when we start carrying around stones to cast at other people, little by little we begin to weigh ourselves down more and more. So much that it gets to the point, that those who we were holding the stone for, who aren’t weighed down by them, will go past us running. Running to the one person, who our focus should’ve been on the entire time. Jesus. We have to stop weighing ourselves down and focus on where we are with the Lord. What good does it do anyone to be right about someone else’s mistake, if we too have mistakes of our own. It’s time we stop weighing ourselves down, put down the stones we’re holding onto to cast at others, and put our focus back on our walk towards the cross, on Jesus. – Bro. Jonathan Greene #4

Psalms 34:4 KJV – “I sought the LORD, and he heard me, and delivered me from all my fears.”

David wrote Psalm 34 during a time of deep distress and uncertainty. He wasn’t writing from comfort. He had enemies, danger, and real reasons to be afraid. 

It says God heard him and delivered him from his fears.

God often delivers us not by removing every problem, but by removing fear’s control over our hearts.

Fear shrinks when God becomes bigger in our focus.

The promise here is personal — He heard me. God is not distant. He listens when you pray, even when your prayers feel weak or desperate.

You are never facing fear alone. – Sis. Tammy Smith #4

The waiting room of pain. 

Jeremiah 17:14 – “Heal me O Lord, and I shall be healed; save me and I shall be saved for thou art my praise.” 

Pancreatitis is not just a disease: it is an agonizing, body consuming battle that steals your joy, your strength, and often your temper. If you are angry at God right now you are not alone. It is a natural response to pain to shake your fist at the one who has the power to stop it, yet hasn’t. You may have reached a point where your anger turned into brokenness, leading you to ask God to forgive you for your rage and to heal your broken body. You cry out perhaps in the middle of the night, “please, I need help”. It is difficult, a refining journey when you have asked for forgiveness, and surrendered the anger, and still the pain remains. It feels as though God is not listening, or that your healing is lost in transit. Yet, God is in the waiting room with you. 

In Psalms 41:3 it says, the Lord sustains him on his sick bed; in his illness you restore him to full health, and note that it does not say the illness vanishes instantly. 

Often, God sustains us in the sickness before he restores us from it.

Your anger was not a sin that disqualifies you: it was a desperate cry of a hurting child.

God handles our rawest emotions better than anyone else, 

Your sickness (I’m still not healed) is not a sign of lack of faith, but a testament to your endurance. He is using this time to refine your heart, making it stronger even while your body remains weak. 

Do not let the waiting room become a place of bitterness. Let it be a place of deeper dependence. Even if your body does not feel healed today. You can ask for the strength to endure, knowing that he is holding your future. 

Lord, I am so tired of this pain. You know I was angry, and I ask for your forgiveness for the harsh words I spoke in my pain. Thank you for listening to me Lord, I am still not healed and I’m struggling to understand why, I ask you to heal my pancreas and take away this inflammation, and pain, but more than that I ask for the strength to walk through this day trusting that you are holding my hand even when I cannot feel your touch. Let your peace, the kind that makes no sense, guard my heart and mind. I bring my broken, aching body to you as a sacrifice, please heal me.  – Sis. Florence Tackett #4

1st Samuel 16:7 – “But the Lord said unto Samuel, Look not on his countenance, or on the height of his stature; because I have refused him: for the Lord Seth not as man seeth; for man looketh on the outward appearance, but the Lord looketh on the heart.”

How often do we spend our time doing the exact opposite? We examine ourselves in the mirror of other people’s opinions. We pick apart our flaws, replay our mistakes, and sometimes even do the same thing to others. We measure worth by appearance, talent, personality, or past failures.

But God doesn’t operate that way.

When God was choosing the next king of Israel, everyone assumed the strongest, tallest, most impressive brother would be the one. Yet God chose David the little shepherd boy no one even thought to invite to the picking. Why? Because while people were looking at size, God was looking at heart.

This verse is a reminder that we don’t have to constantly criticize ourselves or others. God is not standing over us with a checklist of imperfections. He is looking deeper at our intentions, our love for Him, our willingness to follow Him even when we’re imperfect.

The heart God sees is the one that keeps trying, keeps loving, and keeps turning toward Him.

So today, give yourself and others a little grace. The things we tend to judge the most are often the things God cares about the least. What He values most is the condition of the heart.

And that is something only HE truly sees. – Sis. Rayona Fletcher #4

From Victim to Victor

1 Cor. 15:57 - "But thanks be to God, which giveth us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ."

Often times in life we’re met with situations, circumstances or people where we may be a victim. Whether that be physical, spiritual, emotional, mental. or financial abuse. Where someone has brought us immense pain or harm. Where there is a victim, there is a perpetrator or attacker. Satan is our ultimate perpetrator, being our adversary going about seeking whom he may devour, always on a mission to steal, kill and destroy and bring us harm. Even if he has to use others to do so. We must recognize our true adversary because we wrestle not against flesh and blood and once we recognize our true adversary. Jesus can take us from victim to Victor.

Have you ever been a victim in a situation? Were you hurt or harmed in any way?

There is good news if so. Jesus doesn’t want us to stay that way, always labeled as the victim. He longs to take us from victim to Victor.

A Victor is one that defeats an enemy or opponent, or one who has defeated an adversary.

Through Christ Jesus our Lord and his finished work on the cross we stand Victorious.

The harm, hurt and pain may have happened but through Christ, Victory is possible.

For he is able to take us from victim to Victor. – Sis. Tiffany Patrick

Matthew 14:29 – “and he said come and when Peter was come down out of the ship he walked on the water to go to Jesus.” 

When you give your heart and soul to Jesus, believe in him with all your heart and all your soul. He is the Lord and Savior. He is better than a brother. He will never leave you or forsake you. He will be with you to the end. Have faith and believe that He is king of kings and Lord of Lords. Love him with all your heart and soul. l know he loves me. – Bro. Lonnie Puckett #2

True Happiness 

Psalms 144:15 – “Happy is that people, whose God is the Lord.” 

The word Happy appears several times in the Bible and is often connected to the persons relationship with the Lord and their obedience to Him. Not their circumstances. People search everywhere for happiness but The Lord shows us where it’s truly at. 

Real happiness doesn’t come from possessions, success or good circumstances. It comes from full surrender to God. When we’re fully surrendered to the Lord, we have peace during troubles and hard times and joy that doesn’t make sense. A true happiness that the world can’t take away. 

The world looks for happiness in many places and ways but children of God knows the secret. It is found in Him. When we walk with the Lord, and trust him, and keep Him first in our lives, our hearts can be truly happy. It is not about what we desire but what he desires. So Today, remember what God wants for you! Happiness!! Regardless of what you have or what happens to you, Happy are the people whose God is the Lord. - Sis. Sheena May #4