No Fear

June 18, 2011

Gary J. Borgstede Faith And Family , , , , , , 3 Comments

Scripture

2 Timothy 1:7 “For God has not given us a spirit of fear, but of power and of love and of a sound mind.”

Observation

In this passage, Paul is writing to encourage Timothy and build up his faith as he leads the church at Ephesus. He exhorts Timothy to stir up the gift of God that is in him [the free gift of the Holy Spirit] by the laying on of his hands and emphasizes to him that God does not give us a spirit of fear.  Instead, God gives us His Spirit of power, of love, and of a sound mind which overcomes any fear from the enemy and empowers us to walk in peace as bold witnesses of our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ, to the world around us.

Application

As a believer, there will be times when the devil will attack us in our minds with the only weapon he has – fear – because he knows that he can rob, steal, and kill everything that God has for us if we live in fear rather than faith.  When this happens, we must recognize that any such spirit of fear is not of God because God gives us His Spirit of power, love, and sound mind which overcomes any spirit of fear cast toward us by the enemy. 1 John 4:4-5 states, “You are of God, little children, and have overcome them, because He who is in you is greater than he who is in the world.” We can overcome fear because the Holy Spirit lives in us and He is greater than any illegal trespass of fear by the enemy.  Plus, the simple truth is that fear has no chance at all with us because the Lord loves each of us perfectly and 1 john 4:18 states that perfect love casts out fear.

Prayer

Heavenly Father, thank You for Your perfect unconditional love for me which casts out all fear. Because You are Jehovah Shalom, the Lord Our Peace, I am thankful to walk in Your peace, peace not as the world can give, but peace that only You can give as my Lord and Savior.  I love You Jesus! Amen!

No Fear Copyright 2010, Gary J. Borgstede.  You have permission to reprint the personal devotion, No Fear, in its entirety only, and forward to your colleagues and friends, provided the copyright notice remains part of the reprint and transmission.  All other rights reserved.

Favor With God And Man

June 4, 2011

Gary J. Borgstede Faith And Family 1 Comment

Scripture

Proverbs 3:3-4 “Let not mercy and truth forsake you; bind them around your neck, write them on the tablet of your heart, and so find favor and high esteem in the sight of God and man.”

Observation

In this passage, King Solomon, the wisest man that ever lived on earth, shares with us that the key to finding favor with God and man is found through a heart full of mercy and truth. As I meditate upon this truth, I am reminded how people loved to be around Jesus, even despite the truth of their sin and shame.  Jesus had favor with tax collectors, adulterers, drunkards, and even the righteous in their own sight because He embraced them in His unconditional love with mercy while at the same time never embracing their sin or condemning them in the truth of it.   Instead, in His loving-kindness Jesus drew people into repentance and in His mercy He delivered them from the power of darkness and conveyed them into His kingdom where we all find redemption through His blood and the forgiveness of sins.

Application

To become more like Jesus, we must have a heart full of mercy and forgiveness because that is the heart of the Lord. Psalm 86:5 says, “For You Lord, are good, and ready to forgive, and abundant in mercy to all those who call upon You.”  When we keep mercy close to our hearts and shed it upon others through love and forgiveness, we find mercy with God for ourselves along with favor and high esteem in the sight of God and man.  In addition to Proverbs 3:3-4 highlighted above, this is confirmed in the writing of James 2:13, “For judgement is without mercy to the one who has shown no mercy. Mercy triumphs judgement.”

Prayer

Heavenly Father, thank You for showing me mercy through Your unconditional love, forgiving me for all of my sin against You, and remembering my sin no more.  Help me to never forget Your loving-kindness and mercy towards me, despite the truth of my sin and shame, so that I may keep a humble heart full of Your love, mercy, and compassion towards others, despite the truth of their sin and shame as well. I love You Jesus! Amen!

Favor With God And Man Copyright 2010, Gary J. Borgstede.  You have permission to reprint the personal devotion, Favor With God And Man, in its entirety only, and forward to your colleagues and friends, provided the copyright notice remains part of the reprint and transmission.  All other rights reserved.

Most High Trust

May 28, 2011

Gary J. Borgstede Faith And Family , , , Leave a comment

Scripture

Psalm 56:11 “In God I have put my trust; I will not be afraid. What can man do to me?”

Observation

In this passage, David wages war against the fear of man by declaring his trust in God Most High. Even though the enemies of David who desired to take his life were many, David knew that his life was completely safe in the hands of Almighty God.  Whenever he became afraid, David would advance directly against his fear by crying out to the Lord and placing his trust in Him.  In the safest place of the Lord’s Most High Trust, David knew that God was for him; therefore, he need not be afraid of anyone who was against him.

Application

At times, when the fear of man unlawfully encroaches upon my life to rob, steal, and kill the destiny that God has planned for me, I will do as David and remember that the name of the Lord is a strong tower I can run to and be safe. With faith and humility, I will place my trust in God and not be afraid of man when doing what God has told me to do in Christ.  Even if others place their trust in chariots and in horses, as David wrote in Psalm 20:7, I will remember the name of the Lord our God.  For all my days, I will praise the Lord with humble courage for His abundant goodness, His saving grace, and His enduring mercy.

Prayer

Heavenly Father, I praise You for You are Jehovah Nissi, the Lord our Banner! May Your Banner rule and reign over my life this day and all my days as I place my total trust in You. May Your favor surround me as with a shield as I take steps of faith to walk in the direction of Your good plan for my life. I love You Jesus! Amen!

Most High Trust Copyright 2010, Gary J. Borgstede.  You have permission to reprint the personal devotion, Most High Trust, in its entirety only, and forward to your colleagues and friends, provided the copyright notice remains part of the reprint and transmission.  All other rights reserved.

Finding Life

May 21, 2011

Gary J. Borgstede Faith And Family , , , 2 Comments

Scripture

Matthew 10:39 “He who finds his life will lose it, and he who loses His life for My sake will find it.”

Observation

In this passage, Jesus is teaching His disciples that the only way to find real life is to lose it for Him.  Fully knowing the persecutions that would come by following Him, Jesus encourages His disciples to pick up their cross and follow His example or they would not be worthy of real life found in Him.  According to Jesus, real life is only found through life completely surrendered to Him. He is the way, the truth, and the life in which no man can come to the Father except through Him.

Application

Jesus came to give us life and life more abundantly; however, this kind of life is only found through the Cross.  At the Cross, we lose our old life of sin and death and gain a new life of grace and mercy in Jesus Christ.  As we surrender our heart, mind, and will to the Lord on a daily basis and invite Him to walk and supp with us through His Holy Spirit, we can walk in the fullness of life that Jesus died to give us regardless of our circumstances.

Prayer

Heavenly Father, thank You for the fullness of life that You died to give me. Help me to follow your example on a daily basis by dying to myself and living in You.  I love You Jesus! Amen!

Finding Life Copyright 2010, Gary J. Borgstede.  You have permission to reprint the personal devotion, Finding Life, in its entirety only, and forward to your colleagues and friends, provided the copyright notice remains part of the reprint and transmission.  All other rights reserved.

Multiplied Seed

May 15, 2011

Gary J. Borgstede Faith And Family , , , , , Leave a comment

Scripture

2 Corinthians 9:10 “Now may He who supplies seed to the sower, and bread for food, supply and multiply the seed you have sown and increase the fruits of your righteousness, while you are enriched in everything for all liberality, which causes thanksgiving through us to God.”  

Observation

In this passage, the Apostle Paul is writing to the Corinthian church about their giving.  In doing so, he eloquently communicates how the hand of God is involved in giving through the farming language of sowing and reaping.  Those who sow sparingly will reap sparingly and those who sow bountifully will reap bountifully. This is the way God has chosen to be glorified in our giving.  Without sowing, there is no reaping. Without God, there is no seed to sow nor any multiplied seed that is sown.  This process is simply designed by God; He provides the seed and He multiplies the seed that is sown in faith.

Application

In God’s economy, 1 + 1 = 100. To the natural mind this equation doesn’t make any sense; however, when we sow a kernel of corn in faith, God can multiply it and provide a 100 fold increase of seed kernels.  We do our possible part and then He does His impossible part which brings the impossible increase [1+1=100].  On the other hand, 0 + 0 = 0 in God’s economy because without faith we cannot please God and without Him, we can do nothing.

Prayer

Heavenly Father, thank You for the gift of faith and the provision of seed to bountifully sow in faith.  By Your grace, may You bountifully multiply the seed that I have sown in faith.  As Your Word declares, with men this is impossible, but with You all things are possible.  Help me Lord to always give in faith as a cheerful bountiful giver like You and have faith in You to multiply the seed that I have sown. I love You Jesus! Amen!

Multiplied Seed Copyright 2010, Gary J. Borgstede.  You have permission to reprint the personal devotion, Multiplied Seed, in its entirety only, and forward to your colleagues and friends, provided the copyright notice remains part of the reprint and transmission.  All other rights reserved.

All Came To Pass

May 9, 2011

Gary J. Borgstede Faith And Family , , , , , Leave a comment

Scripture

Joshua 21:45 “Not a word failed of any good thing which the Lord had spoken to the house of Israel. All came to pass.”

Observation

In this passage is the fulfillment of God’s promise to the children of Israel regarding the Promised Land that He said He would give to them. God promised Israel the land of the Jordan for their possession and they took possession of it and dwelt in it.  God promised them rest all around and they rested in every direction. And God promised that no man would be able to stand against them and He delivered them from all of their enemies. Not a single Word from God’s promise to Israel failed to come to pass.

Application

What God says He will do, I can trust that He will do because God is not a man that He should lie.  Furthermore, the Word of God says that all the promises of God in Him are Yes, and in Him Amen, to the glory of God through us.  Therefore, as a child of the Most High Living God, I can take great comfort in all of His promises to me because the Lord is faithful and He will fulfill His Word in my life just as He fulfilled His Word in the lives of the children of Israel.

Prayer

Heavenly Father, thank You for Your Word that is a light unto my path and a lamp unto my feet and Your faithfulness that reaches to the heavens. I praise You as Jevohah Nissi, the Lord my Banner, and invite Your Banner to rule and reign over my life, my home, my family, and my community. May all of Your promises be completely fulfilled in my life as I trust You and serve You all the days of my life. I love you Jesus! Amen!

All Came To Pass Copyright 2010, Gary J. Borgstede.  You have permission to reprint the personal devotion, All Came To Pass, in its entirety only, and forward to your colleagues and friends, provided the copyright notice remains part of the reprint and transmission.  All other rights reserved.

The Lord’s Release

April 30, 2011

Gary J. Borgstede Faith And Family Leave a comment

Scripture

Deuteronomy 15:1-5 “At the end of every seven years you shall grant a release of debts. And this is the form of the release: Every creditor who has lent anything to his neighbor shall release it; he shall not require it of his neighbor or his brother, because it is called the Lord’s release. Of a foreigner, you may require it, but you shall give up your claim to what is owed by your brother, except where they may be no poor among you; for the Lord will greatly bless you in the land which the Lord your God is giving you to possess as an inheritance – only if you carefully obey the voice of the Lord your God, to observe with care all these commandments which I command you today.”

Observation

In these passages of Scripture, God establishes a financial plan among His people that calls for creditors to release anything that is owed to them by their neighbor or their brother at the end of every seven years.  Remaining true to His nature, God takes full ownership and responsibility for such a plan by calling it “the Lord’s release” and He promises to greatly bless His people in their land if they carefully obey His voice and observe His commandments.

Application

In the natural, it may not seem like a wise plan to release a neighbor or a brother from the debts he may owe us as his or her creditor; however, in this situation, the Lord promises to provide His guarantee for the debt by greatly blessing us in the land He has promised to give us as an inheritance.  In this plan, God is modeling in the natural what happens in the supernatural when we forgive our neighbors and our brothers for their trespasses against us and release them from anything they may have done against us. When we obey the voice of the Lord and release others of their debts and trespasses against us, the Lord in turns releases us from the debts and trespasses that we owe Him.  Therefore, by releasing others of their debts, we are actually released by God of our debts and can walk freely into the fullness of His promises for us.

Prayer

Heavenly Father, thank You for Your mercy that endures forever and Your faithfulness to forgive my trespasses against You as I forgive those who trespass against me.  Help me Lord to always be mindful of the great price that You paid for my debts at the cross so that I can walk in freedom, grace, and mercy with You and others all of the days of my life. I love you Jesus! Amen!

The Lord’s Release Copyright 2010, Gary J. Borgstede.  You have permission to reprint the personal devotion, The Lord’s Release, in its entirety only, and forward to your colleagues and friends, provided the copyright notice remains part of the reprint and transmission.  All other rights reserved.

The Value Of A Day

April 23, 2011

Gary J. Borgstede Faith And Family Leave a comment

Scripture

Psalm 90:12  “So teach us to number our days, that we may gain a heart of wisdom.”

Observation

In the passages of Scripture in Psalm 90, the Psalmist meditates on the eternal everlasting existence of God and recognizes the vapor of time that a person actually lives on earth in comparison.  To God, a thousand years are as a day when they are past; whereas, the days of our natural lives on earth are only 70 or 80 short years and when they are past, they are gone forever. 

Application

Like a pebble of sand on the combined seashores of the earth is our life in comparison to the eternity of God; therefore, we must appreciate and value each day we are given to live on earth as a rare and precious gift from God.  We are only given one opportunity to make a difference in the lives of others with each day of our life that comes and goes like the passing of a ship at night. If we fail to appropriately value and passionately live on purpose each moment of each day of our life, the allotted number of our days may come and go without the complete fulfillment of our God-given destiny and purpose. 

Prayer

Thank You Lord for each new day that you give me to live life in the fullness of Christ.  Because Your mercies are new every morning, I thank You for the opportunity to begin a fresh new day to live the abundant life that You died to give me.  As Your Word declares Lord, “This is the day that You have made, I will rejoice and be glad in it!” Help me Lord to be a wise steward of this day and each new day that You give me to live my life on purpose and make a lasting impact for Your kingdom. I love you Jesus! Amen!

The Value Of A Day Copyright 2010, Gary J. Borgstede.  You have permission to reprint the personal devotion, The Value Of A Day, in its entirety only, and forward to your colleagues and friends, provided the copyright notice remains part of the reprint and transmission.  All other rights reserved.

The One Who Serves

April 16, 2011

Gary J. Borgstede Faith And Family Leave a comment

Scripture

Luke 22:27  “For who is greater, he who sits at the table, or he who serves? Is it not he who sits at the table? Yet I [Jesus] am among you as the One who serves.” NKJV

Observation

In these passages of Scripture, the Lord is responding to a dispute among the disciples regarding who should be considered the greatest.  Jesus, the King of kings and Lord of lords, does not rebuke them for thinking that they could be great in the kingdom, but rather, as the One who serves, the Lord teaches them by the model of His own life how to be great in His kingdom through serving.

Application

Asking God if we can be great in the kingdom of God is not the greatest question to ask the Lord because it really isn’t a matter of whether or not we can be great in His kingdom.  Being created in His image, God created us with greatness in mind; however, as children of God and disciples of the Lord, we must walk the same pathway to greatness in the kingdom that Jesus walked – which is the pathway of humbly serving others like Jesus, our King of kings and Lord of lords.

Prayer

Thank You Lord for the good plan that You have for me in Your kingdom – plans for good and not harm, a future and a hope.  Help me Lord, by the power of your Holy Spirit, to humbly walk the pathway to greatness in Your kingdom by walking the pathway of service to others as one who serves just like You.  I love you Jesus! Amen!

The One Who Serves Copyright 2010, Gary J. Borgstede.  You have permission to reprint the personal devotion, The One Who Serves, in its entirety only, and forward to your colleagues and friends, provided the copyright notice remains part of the reprint and transmission.  All other rights reserved.

The Old Is Better

April 9, 2011

Gary J. Borgstede Faith And Family Leave a comment

Scripture

Luke 5:38-39 “But new wine must be put into new wineskins, and both are preserved. And no one, having drunk old wine, immediately desires new; for he says, ‘The old is better.'”

Observation

In these passages of Scripture, we see the Lord teaching his disciples about the making of wine.  He explains that new wine must be put into new wineskins otherwise the old wineskins would burst and the new wine would be lost.  He then shares the fact that old wine is in fact better than new wine because of the aging process. 

Application

This process for making wine illustrates the process that we go thru in maturing as a Christian.  Once we are born again, we must take off the old man and put on the new man because old things have past away and all things have become new.  As we mature and grow in Christ, God sanctifies us in Him with the tests and trials of life helping to “age” us in faith and spiritual maturity.  Once we are born again and our lives have grown in faith and maturity, even through failure, the aged wine of our lives gained through the maturing process can never be put into a new wineskin again and the aged wine gained through our growing life experience is far superior than when we were first born again.  We are born again with salvation once and never again.  From that time forward we begin to age and mature with the aged wine of our lives always becoming better in God even if we have failed Him along the way. 

Prayer

Lord, thank You for loving me so much that You gave Your life for me and have never given up on me.  As I walk through life, I welcome Your Holy Spirit to teach me, lead me, and correct me that I may become sanctified in Christ.  I love you Jesus!

The Old Is Better Copyright 2010, Gary J. Borgstede.  You have permission to reprint the personal devotion, The Old Is Better, in its entirety only, and forward to your colleagues and friends, provided the copyright notice remains part of the reprint and transmission.  All other rights reserved.

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