Intense Prayer

The one concern of the devil is to keep Christians from praying. He fears nothing from prayerless studies, prayerless work, and prayerless religion. He laughs at our toil, mocks at our wisdom, but trembles when we pray.

Samuel Chadwick

Romans 12:12-14
Rejoice in hope; be patient in affliction; be persistent in prayer. Share with the saints in their needs; pursue hospitality. Bless those who persecute you; bless and do not curse. (HCSB)

How important is prayer? In the Word of God you will find our Lord directing us to communicate with Him richly through prayer. In Col 4:2-4, Paul tells us to “Devote yourselves to prayer; stay alert in it with thanksgiving. At the same time, pray also for us that God may open a door to us for the message, to speak the mystery of the Messiah, for which I am in prison, so that I may reveal it as I am required to speak.”

I can see two things that God is interested in here. One is that He is interested in you and I, and He is also interested in others. So, during our prayer times He is listening to, and communing with us, and He wants us to ask Him for things. He already knows what we need, but He desires us to communicate with Him, He desires a relationship with us that is good for us, and for others as well.

When we are persistent in prayers then we will be in right relationship with God, and with others as well. As a result of our prayer time we will find ourselves increasingly less worried about ourselves and more interested in the lost. We will be along side of Paul, revealing the mystery of our Messiah, spreading the hope we receive through prayer with others, opening doors for the gospel…God’s Blessings.

Pastor William

The Blessings of Affliction

Affliction, like the iron-smith, shapes as it smites.

John Christian Bovee (1820-1904, American author, lawyer)

Romans 12:12-14
Rejoice in hope; be patient in affliction; be persistent in prayer. Share with the saints in their needs; pursue hospitality. Bless those who persecute you; bless and do not curse. (HCSB)

What is it to be patient in affliction? Affliction is a daily nagging and pulling at our strength, it is something that drains us emotionally and can also affect us physically if we let it. Benjamin Franklin advised us to “bear other people's afflictions, everyone has courage, and enough to spare.” But courage for a one time affliction is easy, for it is the ongoing daily afflictions that empty our reservoirs of strength.

John Tillotson, former Archbishop of Canterbury, left us this tidbit “Though all afflictions are evils in themselves, yet they are good for us, because they discover to us our disease and tend to our cure.” This puts a new light on what Jesus told Peter in Luke 22:31, when he advised Peter of Satan’s intentions to “sift him like wheat” he did not take away from him the sifting, put prayed for him to strengthen “the brethren” after his testing.

So we see that in this life there will always be something that will be tugging at us, or trying to pull us down, and sometimes we may even fall. But through this process we will be refined and strengthened, and if you will not be angry or discouraged, you might even hear the same voice that spoke unto Peter many years ago. Jesus will say to you as well, turn now and strengthen the brethren…God’s Blessings.

Pastor William

Whispering Hope

If we were logical, the future would be bleak indeed. But we are more than logical. We are human beings, and we have faith, and we have hope, and we can work.

Jacques Cousteau (1910-1997, French naval officer, underwater explorer)

Romans 12:12-14
Rejoice in hope; be patient in affliction; be persistent in prayer. Share with the saints in their needs; pursue hospitality. Bless those who persecute you; bless and do not curse. (HCSB)

Rejoicing in hope takes faith, and I like Cousteau’s words, we have faith. Faith is a must to achieve anything, for without it no one will work. Charles Colton put it this way. “Hope sees the invisible, feels the intangible, and achieves the impossible.” Did you hear the impossible part?

You see God knew what was possible for us to achieve by ourselves, He limited what we could do without Him. He put certain limits for man that he cannot go beyond without His Omnipotent presence. You cannot see certain things without Him, and without that sight, you cannot do the impossible. Isn’t God’s wisdom eternal and so far beyond us. Of course it is, He is our Maker, and designer, He has our blueprint.

So the impossible is what God is asking us to do. He is asking us to link our hope with faith and do works that will make others in this world stand up and take notice. I think that was God’s idea in the first place. As Christ came so that we could see His Father, we also are to be doing things that gives the world a glimpse of who our Father is too…we should want to make Dad proud…God’s Blessings.

Pastor William

A Voice to Rejoice

He that loveth, flieth, runneth, and rejoiceth. He is free, and cannot be held in. He giveth all for all, and hath all in all, because he resteth in one highest above all things, from whom all that is good flows and proceeds.

Thomas a Kempis (1379-1471, German monk, mystic, religious writer)

Romans 12:11- 12
Do not lack diligence; be fervent in spirit; serve the Lord. Rejoice in hope; be patient in affliction; be persistent in prayer. (HCSB)

Paul gives us this secret to life in Philippians 4:4-5, “Rejoice in the Lord always. I will say it again: Rejoice!” Let your graciousness be known to everyone. The Lord is near.” Sorrow is a great killer isn’t it? Some have been known to sorrow themselves to death, so the attitude in which we face life is very important.

James Freeman Clarke, an American minister, left this jewel of wisdom, “The art of life consists in taking each event which befalls us with a contented mind, confident of good. With this method, rejoice always, though in the midst of sorrows, and possess all things, though destitute of everything.” It’s true isn’t it? Life is really in how we perceive it. We can curse because rose bushes have thorns, or rejoice that rose bushes have roses.

Paul also tells us in Romans 5:2, “Also through Him,(that is through Christ) we have obtained access by faith into this grace in which we stand, and we rejoice in the hope of the glory of God. So if our hopes are placed on gaining the eternal promises of God we will not be disappointed or sorrowing, we will be looking forward to seeing the beautiful “Rose of Sharon,” our Risen Lord!!...God Bless

Pastor William

A Living Sacrifice

The ultimate test of servanthood is that those being served, by the way they are served, ultimately become disposed themselves to be servants.

Robert K. Greenleaf

Romans 12:11- 12
Do not lack diligence; be fervent in spirit; serve the Lord. Rejoice in hope; be patient in affliction; be persistent in prayer. (HCSB)

Marcus T. Cicero the Roman orator who lived from 106-43 BC, had this to say of serving, “In the master there is a servant, in the servant a master.” Marcus didn’t know Jesus, but in a way the words he spoke were directed to those that serve Christ today. Let’s look at the parallels.

Jesus came as a servant to us and insisted that it be that way, just ask Peter about a certain foot washing and he will testify to that. Jesus’ favorite way to refer to Himself was “Son of Man.” He really wanted to connect to us on the servant level. So why don’t we try to do that more, it seems that we all want to be looked at as great philosophers, but the greater is a servant. Again, ask Peter.

So in our serving each other, we also serve the Lord. It is all connected somehow, just as Jesus connected with us, and also connected with His Father in Glory, we are also to keep our hearts in both places. Those around you should be shown the same love that you show the Father, and service shows it best…God Bless.

Pastor William

Serving with Intensity

Our goals can only be reached through a vehicle of a plan, in which we must fervently believe, and upon which we must vigorously act. There is no other route to success.

Stephen A. Brennan (American basketball coach)


Romans 12:11- 12
Do not lack diligence; be fervent in spirit; serve the Lord. Rejoice in hope; be patient in affliction; be persistent in prayer. (HCSB)

Continuing on in Romans 12 we find God’s direction to us to be fervent in Spirit as we mentioned at the end of yesterday’s devotion. Now what does it mean to be fervent? We see it interpreted also as intense in James 5:16, “Therefore, confess your sins to one another and pray for one another so that you may be healed. The intense prayer of the righteous is very powerful.

I wish that I also was a more intense Christian. I let a lot of things interfere with the intensity that I should have every day for my Lord. He has done many intense things for me, and one of them was done on a cross; that is the very definition of intensity. I think that Him coming to this earth and leaving all the Glory of Heaven to come to earth to be with us, filled all of heaven with intensity.

Praying intensely, living intensely, loving intensely, all these things are to be done with the inspiration of the Holy Spirit stirring us within. Fervency describes the way the Lord loves us, diligently fervently and faithfully. This should call from us a intense desire to serve Him, the One to whom we owe everything…God Bless

Pastor William

Asleep at the Wheel

The expectations of life depend upon diligence; the mechanic that would perfect his work must first sharpen his tools.

Confucius (BC 551-479, Chinese ethical teacher, philosopher)


Romans 12:11- 12
Do not lack diligence; be fervent in spirit; serve the Lord. Rejoice in hope; be patient in affliction; be persistent in prayer. (HCSB)

I am really enjoying Romans 12, and I hope you are too! There is so much that pertains to our daily lives in these verses. In verse 11 we see God’s direction to us to be diligent, and to not be found lacking this quality. Well, what is diligence? Well according to Webster’s dictionary it is; “The attention and care legally expected or required of a person (as a party to a contract.)” Are you part of a contract?

Luke tells us a story about our contract in Luke 20:22, it says this; “In the same way He also took the cup after supper and said, “This cup is the new covenant established by My blood; it is shed for you.” Jesus established a way for us by His Precious Blood that confirmed this contract, not with the blood of a goat or an animal, but by His Blood, which placed an eternal seal on our salvation.

So diligence is having a fervent spirit within me that maintains and directs my life according to what Jesus requires of me as a partaker in the faith. Paul tells us in Philemon verse 6 that our faithful participation will shows us everything good that is in us for the Glory of Christ. It will make us effective in service to our Savior…God Bless.

Pastor William

Unexpected Visitors

I find it interesting that the meanest life, the poorest existence, is attributed to God's will, but as human beings become more affluent, as their living standard and style begin to ascend the material scale, God descends the scale of responsibility at a commensurate speed.

Maya Angelou (1928-, African-American poet, writer, performer)

Romans 12:9 - 12
Show family affection to one another with brotherly love. Outdo one another in showing honor. Do not lack diligence; be fervent in spirit; serve the Lord. Rejoice in hope; be patient in affliction; be persistent in prayer. (HCSB)

My life’s verse is Hebrews 13:1, “Let Brotherly Love Continue.” In verse 2 Paul tells us, and I believe that he had a life experience that taught him this, that we will at times in this life meet angels. How should this change our attitude towards our daily walk? This is something akin to you spending the night with your friend as a child, and mom coming by to check on you.

It is like the recording at the service center when you call in that says, “This call may be checked for “quality” purposes. This makes brotherly love a more important subject for my life, and it affects how I treat others that I meet in this world. Angels may be measuring my diligence and the fervency of my spirit and service to the Lord. It may even cause me to have fewer bad days as a Christian.

St. Teresa of Avila, reminds of a wonderful fact, “Let us remember that within us there is a palace of immense magnificence.” This palace is the dwelling place of God’s Holy Spirit, and daily He walks with us, and meets life with us. Knowing this fact and remembering who we are as children of the King, will help us to be better prepared for these unexpected meetings with our Lord…God Bless.

Pastor William

Do You Hate Evil?

When you locate good in yourself, approve of it with determination. When you locate evil in yourself, despise it as something detestable.

Confucius (BC 551-479, Chinese ethical teacher, philosopher)

Romans 12:9-12
Love must be without hypocrisy. Detest evil; cling to what is good. Show family affection to one another with brotherly love. Outdo one another in showing honor. Do not lack diligence; be fervent in spirit; serve the Lord. Rejoice in hope; be patient in affliction; be persistent in prayer. (HCSB)

Do you detest evil, that is to say that the very thought of it causes a great disturbance within you. I question whether we detest evil in the day that we live in, or if we have learned how to ignore it, and I don’t think that is what we are called to do. Proverbs 15:9 tells us “The Lord detests the way of the wicked, but He loves the one who pursues righteousness.”

Now I think that I can take from this scripture a simple lesson. There must be a physical reaction to sin in this world. That is to say that we are not to just simply thumb our noses at it, but we are to outwardly make a great show of dislike for its practice in this world.

But it doesn’t just end with rejecting the sin; it also means that the world needs to see us clinging to good. Clinging is a desperate act. It means if I don’t hold on I will be swept away by something, and yes we will. If we don’t cling to good and outwardly reject evil, the current of this sinful world will sweep us away from the security and peace we find in Jesus Christ…God Bless.
Pastor William

Absolutely NO Hypocrisy

With affection beaming in one eye, and calculation shining out of the other.

Charles Dickens (1812-1870, British novelist)

Romans 12:9-12
Love must be without hypocrisy. Detest evil; cling to what is good. Show family affection to one another with brotherly love. Outdo one another in showing honor. Do not lack diligence; be fervent in spirit; serve the Lord. Rejoice in hope; be patient in affliction; be persistent in prayer. (HCSB)

Let’s stop and dwell a little on Romans 12:9-12. I find a word at the beginning of this verse that is used a lot to speak of the Church outside of its walls. Often I hear this word used as an excuse by those outside of the Church as an excuse to stay there. That word is hypocrite, and if I hear what God has demanded from us it is that love must be without this often used word.

That British Baptist preacher Spurgeon said this concerning hypocrisy, “When you see a great deal of religion displayed in his shop window, you may depend on it, that he keeps a very small stock of it within.” I have seen that often. That quite soul in the midst that displays quiet trust, and then the loud one who speaks one thing, and lives another. God save us from them.

Love lived out loud is sacrifice, Jesus showed us that. He left the arguing and the outward religious displays to the Pharisees. Real love is unconditional, which is to say accepting someone who is different than me, after all isn’t that why Jesus was rejected? He was not what was expected, He didn’t measure up, and for many lost Jews today, He still doesn’t. That’s why hypocrisy is so dangerous; you could be trying to impress the wrong crowd…God Bless.

Brotherly Love

Almighty God, we make our earnest prayer...that Thou wilt incline the hearts of the citizens ...to entertain a brotherly affection and love for one another and for their fellow citizens of the United States at large.

George Washington (1732-1799, American President (1st))

Romans 12:9-12
Love must be without hypocrisy. Detest evil; cling to what is good. Show family affection to one another with brotherly love. Outdo one another in showing honor. Do not lack diligence; be fervent in spirit; serve the Lord. Rejoice in hope; be patient in affliction; be persistent in prayer. (HCSB)

Today is the first Monday morning after Easter, the day after the resurrection. Do you think that it was a different Monday for those in Jesus’ day? Of course it was, and we see that in scripture, as men walked around in their daily lives speaking of the events surrounding our Savior, and how it impacted them. People had seen the unselfish and unbridled love of Christ, unleashed on our world.

Our Nation was established as a nation of “brotherly love,” as indicated by the city named “Philadelphia” in our nation. In the Greek; from philos, "love", and adelphos "brother"). In other words, our lives were always to include each other, and we were to be a nation that practiced that in our daily lives, we can see and feel that in the words of George Washington, our first President.

The Church is where that love is sustained. It is where sincere love began, 1 Peter 1:22, tells us that we are to “purify ourselves for sincere love for the brethren.” The hypocritical love of today causes most people to love only those that are like them or might benefit them. On the morning after the crucifixion most were speaking of our Lord who died for those that knew Him, and so that many who didn’t know, might…God Bless.

Pastor William

It's Their Fault

To say that authority, whether secular or religious, supplies no ground for morality is not to deny the obvious fact that it supplies a sanction.

Alfred Jules Ayer (1910-1989, British philosopher)

Matthew 27:22-24
Pilate asked them, “What should I do then with Jesus, who is called Messiah?” They all answered, “Crucify Him!” Then he said, “Why? What has He done wrong?” But they kept shouting, “Crucify Him!” all the more. When Pilate saw that he was getting nowhere, but that a riot was starting instead, he took some water, washed his hands in front of the crowd, and said, “I am innocent of this man’s blood. See to it yourselves!” (HCSB)

I can imagine that at the Judgment Seat of Christ many would murmur as Pontius Pilate took his seat. Many would begin to speculate on his fate, and on his future, and yes, the blood will still be on his hands. Pilate even had warning from his wife, “Have nothing to do with this man,” but he thought that he had found a way to sidestep responsibility.

Now I have a question for all Christians that are living in this current world, where increasingly we come under suspicion and harassment. Currently in some way every day people are asking us this same question, “what should I do then with Jesus.” So my question is this, are you sidestepping?

Today they crucify Christ all over again; they still want to make Him a byword, and not The Word. In the midst of today’s tribulation we must remember Peter’s denial and remember to be faithful, even when it is not popular to be so. We cannot pass off our responsibility to others and wash our hands of trouble. We must proclaim Him “Messiah” and remain innocent of His Blood, or sit beside Pilate…God Bless.
Pastor William

A Deadly Virus

A decadent civilization compromises with its disease, cherishes the virus infecting it, loses its self-respect.

E. M. Cioran (1911-1995, Rumanian-born French philosopher)

Jeremiah 40:1-3
This is the word that came to Jeremiah from the Lord after Nebuzaradan, captain of the guard, released him at Ramah when he had been bound in chains with all the exiles of Jerusalem and Judah who were being exiled to Babylon. The captain of the guard took Jeremiah and said to him, “The Lord your God decreed this disaster on this place, and the Lord has fulfilled it. He has done just what He decreed. Because you people have sinned against the Lord and have not obeyed Him, this thing has happened. (HCSB)

Yesterday I was attacked by a small organism called a Rotovirus. It can only be seen under the lens of an Electron microscope. But it makes its presence known in the body in a big way. I have made numerous trips to the bathroom and cannot eat; I only drink as much fluid as possible to keep myself hydrated. It kills around two million children in undeveloped countries every year.

It came to mind that sin is much the same way. It starts out small, but in the end its effects are much larger. Israel had a virus. That virus was desire. It started out small but ended in a big way. It will destroy you totally, but it begins as something hardly noticeable. It is small desires that desire to control your flesh and turn it from its original purpose, which is to serve our Lord.

James 1:15 tell us this, “Then after desire has conceived, it gives birth to sin, and when sin is fully grown, it gives birth to death.” After it’s too late our enemy will tell us what happened. The Captain of the Guard told Jeremiah, “Because you people have sinned against the Lord, and have not obeyed him, this thing has happened, the result of a small virus called desire…God Bless.

Pastor William

The Final Word

We're more popular than Jesus Christ now. I don't know which will go first; rock and roll or Christianity.

John Lennon (1940-1980, British rock musician)

Isaiah 26:8-10
Yes, Lord, we wait for You in the path of Your judgments. Our desire is for Your name and renown. I long for You in the night; yes, my spirit within me diligently seeks You, for when Your judgments are in the land, the inhabitants of the world will learn righteousness. But if the wicked is shown favor, he does not learn righteousness. In a righteous land he acts unjustly and does not see the majesty of the Lord. (HCSB)

It seems to me we often take God’s silence as God’s approval. There are times that we cry out as Christians, and ask our Lord and King why He puts up with so much of our nonsense. Isaiah says, Lord we are waiting in the path of Your Judgments. There are many times that people seek to have their cases heard before a favorable Judge, and Isaiah knew the only Judge that mattered.

There are times in this world when Christianity seems to take a few steps back, and we wonder where God is. But, the fact is this has always been God’s way. He gives us opportunities to handle prosperity, and then steps back to see what it does to us. In John Lennon’s case you can see it in full bloom, but it ended in a flurry of bullets on a street, when he was killed by a deranged fan.

Popularity draws attention, and sometimes not the attention that we might desire, therefore it is good to be found waiting in the paths of God’s judgments, diligently seeking His face. For in the end, eternity will define popularity, and all of earth’s inhabitants will see the end of all things, but God…God Bless.
Pastor William

Truth Walking

The decline and fall of the modern religious right's notion of a Christian America creates a calmer political environment and, for many believers, may help open the way for a more theologically serious religious life.

Jon Meacham, Newsweek Magazine, April 04, 2009

Daniel 7:25-27
He will speak words against the Most High and oppress the holy ones of the Most High. He will intend to change religious festivals and laws, and the holy ones will be handed over to him for a time, times, and half a time. But the court will convene, and his dominion will be taken away, to be completely destroyed forever. The kingdom, dominion, and greatness of the kingdoms under all of heaven will be given to the people, the holy ones of the Most High. His kingdom will be an everlasting kingdom, and all rulers will serve and obey Him.’ (HCSB)

Jon Meacham, one of the many pagan writers for Newsweek magazine, also had this to say about Christian views of the Word of God, this quote was most telling on the witness of today’s church. “The orthodox tend to try to live their lives in accordance with the general behavioral principles of the Bible (or at least the principles they find there of which they approve.)”

Are we giving pagans fuel for the fire? Are we as Christians giving the world that desires to destroy all moral consensuses, and live without guilt slicing their consciences over their actions, the tools to destroy that which we claim we love? I’m afraid so. Don’t misunderstand, the world will always find ways to condemn what God declares right, to justify their wrong, but we don’t need to be helping them.

In the political climate, and increasingly confused spiritual world that we live in, it is increasingly important that we live the Truth. The Court will convene one day, and all of the worlds opinions of our God will be called in for examination. But, for today, their quizzes should come early as they examine our lives and see living examples of walking Truth…God Bless.
Pastor William

Seeking to Understand

Nothing can be loved or hated unless it is first known.

Leonardo Da Vinci (1452-1519, Italian inventor, architect, painter, scientist, sculptor)



Psalm 119:25-31
My life is down in the dust; give me life through Your word. I told You about my life, and You listened to me; teach me Your statutes. Help me understand the meaning of Your precepts so that I can meditate on Your wonders. I am weary from grief; strengthen me through Your word. Keep me from the way of deceit, and graciously give me Your instruction. I have chosen the way of truth; I have set Your ordinances ⌊before me⌋. I cling to Your decrees; Lord, do not put me to shame. (HCSB)

Maybe the reason we do not give God the respect that He deserves is because we do not seek to understand just who God is. Can we grasp it all? Of course not, we will spend the rest of our lives here and just touch the hem of His Garments. But, that must not stop us from seeking to know Him more every day.

Listen to the cry of the psalmist, he says God you have sat patiently and listened to me as I explained my life to you. In other words he had experienced God’s compassion in his heart and had spent time getting to know Him. He had a personal relationship with his God. More than that, the psalmist knew, he was assured, and believed with all of his heart that God had taken the time to “listen” to him.

Now that is a real key to understanding God, for listen to his next words, and we need to dearly hear them today. He says, “God, since you take the time to listen and learn about me, I am going to take the time to listen to, and understand You too. Amen! We all need that attitude don’t we? It is a holy reaction that comes from touching the hem of His garment…God Bless.
Pastor William

God Is Awesome

Worship is transcendent wonder.

Thomas Carlyle (1795-1881, Scottish philosopher, author)


Ecclesiastes 3:14
I know that all God does will last forever; there is no adding to it or taking from it. God works so that people will be in awe of Him. (HCSB)

Jesus implied to us that we must each come to him as a little child. There is much to glean from this. We seem to lose the wonder and awe of childhood quickly, especially in today’s tech world. You remember that overwhelming feeling when you first saw an elephant up close, and do you remember the podium that you might have put your dad or mom on, wow…they could do anything.

Well, that is part of our problem today, we do not see how awe inspiring, and awesome our God is. We do not consider it, or ponder it, we have grown up, we are bigger now, and we know better, right? Listen to David’s words in Psalm 5:7 “But I enter Your house by the abundance of Your faithful love; I bow down toward Your holy temple in reverential awe of You.”

I think that we need to take another look at our God. We need to be aware, every day that we walk, of the very wonder of the ground under out feet, the oceans that surround us and the starry wonder of the heavenly host over our heads. Even down to the heart that beats within our very bosom and we are to declare His praise to the heavens, and then go to His house, in reverential awe of who God is, Amen, and Amen…God Bless.
Pastor William

Attitude of Worship

It is only when men begin to worship that they begin to grow.

Calvin Coolidge

Nehemiah 8:5-6
Ezra opened the book in full view of all the people, since he was elevated above everyone. As he opened it, all the people stood up. Ezra blessed the Lord, the great God, and with their hands uplifted all the people said, “Amen, Amen!” Then they bowed down and worshiped the Lord with their faces to the ground. (HCSB)

Webster’s dictionary gives us this definition of “worship.” “Extravagant respect or admiration for, or devotion to, an object of esteem.” To me this transcends what we are doing in our churches today. We seem to have become to “laid back” in our services, and we are not truly acknowledging who our God is. We have lost our amazement, and we are losing opportunities for special times with our Lord.

Even today we recognize certain positions in our government by standing in honor of them when they come into a room. It is recognition of position, and it seems that we do not have that same regard and respect for our God. Look at the reaction of the people to Ezra opening The Book. They stood up, they raised their hands, and they bowed down on their faces, and shouted Amen! Which is saying in Hebrew that something is certain, valid, truthful, or faithful.

1 Timothy 2:8 tells us this, “Therefore I want the men in every place to pray, lifting up holy hands without anger or argument.” This tells me that when I come into God’s house and God’s Book is opened that I am to surrender totally to God’s authority in my life. If we come into God’s presence with the right attitude of worship, maybe we will leave with an attitude that “reflects” His Glory to this lost world…God Bless.
Pastor William