Tag: #abideinjesus

Are You Using All That God Has Provided You?

A Bowl of Encouragement by Herb Cotton

God Speaks:

John 15:4 King James Version (KJV)

4 Abide in me, and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit of itself, except it abide in the vine; no more can ye, except ye abide in me.

Listen to God Speak & Obey: 

The one great purpose of the life of followers of Jesus is to abide in Him. The reason is in our focal verse which says we can do nothing without Jesus.

The Lord Jesus is a great shepherd, and He provides abundantly for His flock. Today, I invite each reader of this devotional to consider these words of Jesus, “Abide in me, and I in you.”

Today’s devotional draws from two of my favorite chapters in the Bible; John 15 and Acts 4.

The Apostle Peter demonstrated being filled with the Holy Spirit.

Acts 4:8 King James Version (KJV)

8 Then Peter, filled with the Holy Ghost, said unto them, Ye rulers of the people, and elders of Israel,

Are you filled with the Holy Spirit?

Romans 5:5 King James Version (KJV)

5 And hope maketh not ashamed; because the love of God is shed abroad in our hearts by the Holy Ghost which is given unto us.

Romans 8:9 King James Version (KJV)

9 But ye are not in the flesh, but in the Spirit, if so be that the Spirit of God dwell in you. Now if any man have not the Spirit of Christ, he is none of his.

The first-century church demonstrated being filled with the Holy Spirit.

Acts 4:31 King James Version (KJV)

31 And when they had prayed, the place was shaken where they were assembled together; and they were all filled with the Holy Ghost, and they spake the word of God with boldness.

Are you abiding in Christ and is Christ alive in you? Are you filled with the Holy Spirit? Are you bearing much fruit by the power of the Holy Spirit who is alive in the lives of the people of God?

Galatians 5:22-23 King James Version (KJV)

22 But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, gentleness, goodness, faith,

23 Meekness, temperance: against such there is no law.

Are you able to say the words that David said in Psalm 23?

Psalm 23

A Psalm of David.

1 

The Lord is my shepherd;

    I have all that I need.

Prayer:

Our Father in heaven, hallowed be Your name. Father, we are so grateful for Your presence, provisions and power You provide for Your people. Amen. 

— 

Link to my new devotional book Amazon Author’s Page. Everything about the book is found there with pictures, and more to come.

What Fruits Are Hanging on the Tree of Your Life?

Text:

Galatians 5:22-23 (KJV) 

 But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, gentleness, goodness, faith, 

 Meekness, temperance: against such there is no law. 

Observation:

Do you know that you were born again to bear much fruit? Why not take a long look at your life for a day, and examine whether you are yielding much fruit?

God has something to say about the topic of fruit in the lives of His children. Do you have a moment to read this devotional that I received from the mouth of the Lord, written with my pen, and now typing them to send them to you?

The Bible says:

John 15:4 (KJV) 

 Abide in me, and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit of itself, except it abide in the vine; no more can ye, except ye abide in me. 

The Bible says about the gift of love; the first fruit mentioned in Galatians 5:22.

Romans 5:5 (NKJV) 

 Now hope does not disappoint, because the love of God has been poured out in our hearts by the Holy Spirit who was given to us. 

God has spoken to us, and He gets the final word, and the Bible says this about love.

1 John 4:7-8 (NKJV) 

 Beloved, let us love one another, for love is of God; and everyone who loves is born of God and knows God. 

 He who does not love does not know God, for God is love. 

Prayer:

Father God, we thank You for the privilege of living in Your presence every hour of every day, and all the day and night long. We have Your iron-clad promise that You would never leave us.

Hebrews 13:5 (NKJV) 

 Let your conduct be without covetousness; be content with such things as you have. For He Himself has said, “I will never leave you nor forsake you.” 

Father, help us to always remember Your abiding presence with us, and that we would draw near to You when we feel we cannot love others as we love ourselves.

Father, help us to love others first with the love that was poured into our hearts when we received the gift of the Holy Spirit.  In mighty name of Jesus, Amen.

 

—

My new book was released on December 8, 2017, and is currently available at the following links. It is possible for your local bookstores to obtain it from the Ingram Network, a primary distribution source for Book Stores nationwide.
 
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Title: 31 Days of Hearing God Speak

Why Obedience Is Essential

Text:

John 14:15 (NLT)

15  “If you love me, obey my commandments.

Observation:

In this brief verse Jesus gives the key to living the abundant life as children of God. Jesus links love, and obedience.

What are God’s commandments? Let’s meditate, and consider this penetrating question.

Luke 6:46 (NLT)

46  “So why do you keep calling me ‘Lord, Lord!’ when you don’t do what I say?

Jesus makes a distinction between true believers, and pretenders in this clear message to those following Him.

Matthew 7:21 (NLT)

21  “Not everyone who calls out to me, ‘Lord! Lord!’ will enter the Kingdom of Heaven. Only those who actually do the will of my Father in heaven will enter.

James 1:22 (NLT)

22  But don’t just listen to God’s word. You must do what it says. Otherwise, you are only fooling yourselves.

If you are willing, wise, and obedient, you will reap an abundant harvest of fruit. The key is to draw near to God, and to live every day in the light of His presence.

John 15:5 (NLT)

5  “Yes, I am the vine; you are the branches. Those who remain in me, and I in them, will produce much fruit. For apart from me you can do nothing.

Prayer:

Father God, my dear Father, hallowed be Your name; the name that is above every name in heaven, and in earth.

Father, give us each day all that we need to love you with our whole heart, and obey your commandments. In the mighty name of Jesus we pray, Amen.

—

Ephesians 6:10-11 (ESV)
10  Finally, be strong in the Lord and in the strength of his might.
11  Put on the whole armor of God, that you may be able to stand against the schemes of the devil.

Read all the Daily Devotionals by Herb Cotton; click here:

http://herbcotton.blogspot.com/

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Is Complaining the Best Practice to Succeed?

Text:

Genesis 3:12 (ESV)

12  The man said, “The woman whom you gave to be with me, she gave me fruit of the tree, and I ate.”

Genesis 4:6 (ESV)

6  The LORD said to Cain, “Why are you angry, and why has your face fallen?

Observation:

Today I didn’t have to turn too many pages in my Bible to discover what it had to say about complaining. It has been around a long time; I found the origin in the book of beginnings.

I remember hearing a former pastor say, “An excuse is a reason with its brains blown out”.

Why do people complain so much? Is complaining the best practice to accomplish what you desire? Or, like the quote from my former pastor, is it just an excuse?

It is very difficult, and almost impossible to lead a group of people who are always complaining. It is destructive, debilitating, and discouraging. Notice what it did to God’s anointed servant who was chosen by God.

Exodus 17:4 (ESV)

4  So Moses cried to the LORD, “What shall I do with this people? They are almost ready to stone me.”

I was prompted to write on this topic by an article I read earlier this morning. This is the statement that got my attention.

“I continue to be amazed by the hatred of the most beautiful miracle to land in our collective laps in years”.

In what context do you think this statement was made?

  1. Government
  2. Education
  3. Military
  4. Media
  5. Medicine
  6. Family
  7. Sports
  8. Church

Which one did you pick?

For believers, we can do better than to be named with the complainers. God has so richly blessed us with the presence of the Holy Spirit in our lives, the gifts of the Spirit, and the fruit of the Spirit.

Galatians 5:22-23 (ESV)

22  But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness,

23  gentleness, self-control; against such things there is no law.

This is the best practice for Christ Followers; it comes from the lips of Jesus, and it is for you; not your neighbor.

John 15:5 (ESV)

5  I am the vine; you are the branches. Whoever abides in me and I in him, he it is that bears much fruit, for apart from me you can do nothing.

Prayer:

Father, hallowed be Your name. Father, I ask that You would stir the hearts of Christ followers everywhere that we would have the faith and the courage to release from within us the power that You have placed in us. Lord, help us to bear much fruit.  In the mighty name of Jesus I pray, Amen.

—

Isaiah 55:11 (KJV) 
11  So shall my word be that goeth forth out of my mouth: it shall not return unto me void, but it shall accomplish that which I please, and it shall prosper in the thing whereto I sent it.

Read the Daily Devotional by Herb Cotton; click here:

http://herbcotton.blogspot.com/

Hear the Daily Devotional by Herb Cotton; click here:

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What Is Stealing Your Peace?

 

Text:

John 17:25-26 (HCSB)

25  Righteous Father! The world has not known You. However, I have known You, and these have known that You sent Me.

26  I made Your name known to them and will make it known, so the love You have loved Me with may be in them and I may be in them.

Observation:

The topic of today’s devotional brings to mind another question that is useful before considering the question posed by today’s title.

Do I have the peace of God living in me? This is a peace that God gives His people, and no one can take His peace from you.

Consider some of the things that cannot rob you of the peace of God:

  • pain
  • persecution
  • sickness
  • slander
  • hatred
  • lies

All of these things and more were faced by the servants of God. Additionally, they were faced by Jesus, and His disciples. Today, you may be facing one or more of these peace robbers.

Our focal passage is a portion of the prayer that Jesus prayed for His people, and that prayer includes you. I am so grateful that Jesus is praying for you and me.

John 17:20 (HCSB)

20  I pray not only for these, but also for those who believe in Me through their message.

The peace of God is a gift from God with Your name written on it. Believe Him, and receive your blessing.

John 14:1 (HCSB)

1  “Your heart must not be troubled. Believe in God; believe also in Me.

John 14:27 (HCSB)

27  “Peace I leave with you. My peace I give to you. I do not give to you as the world gives. Your heart must not be troubled or fearful.

Prayer:

Father, hallowed be Your name. Father, thank You for loving us with the same love that You loved Jesus.

Father, I thank You for pouring out Your love into our hearts by the Holy Spirit that You have given to us (Romans 5:5).

Father, I thank You that the Son that You so loved is also alive in our hearts.

Father, draw us nearer to You, and I pray that we would always remember the precious gifts that You have given us in Christ Jesus our Lord. In the mighty name of Jesus I pray, Amen.

—

Isaiah 55:11 (KJV) 
11  So shall my word be that goeth forth out of my mouth: it shall not return unto me void, but it shall accomplish that which I please, and it shall prosper in the thing whereto I sent it.

Read the Daily Devotional by Herb Cotton; click here:

http://herbcotton.blogspot.com/

Hear the Daily Devotional by Herb Cotton; click here:

https://soundcloud.com/praying-for-you-ministry