Devotion for Motion 2: Devotion for Motion, #2

By Pilgrim Preacher

The Devotion for Motion Series: full-text messages in a conversational style to be read to an audience to spur to heartfelt action.

Each book in the series has full-text ready-to-read bible devotions in a conversational style, expounding biblical principles from both Testaments. Geared to spur the Christian Pilgrim to action, these devotions glean inspiration from numerous passages and the lives of some of the best-known men and women heroes of holy writ.

 

These devotions are perfect for personal use, bible camps, midweek bible studies, revival meetings, discipleship sessions, campus bible clubs, outreach training events, main church services, small group meetings, retreats, and more...

 

Everyone in ministry can use these devotions to equip, entertain, and encourage members of their congregation to devote themselves to motion in the Lord's service.
 

"My heart burns with spirit fire after reading them. I feel revival is coming! My favorite devotion so far is Take You Away the Stone."  E Pennington

 

 

The author is ordained with over thirty-five years in ministry. He is an authority on the book's subject matter, having trained many parishioners, and himself living devoted to motion in the Lord's service. With keen insight into life and ministry, he has written this book to help you live devoted to motion in your Christian life and Kingdom role. 

 

You need this motivational book on the timeless themes of Revival, Evangelism, and Christian Assurance.

Get each book in this series to be the best you can be.

 

• Language: English
• Publisher: Pilgrim Preacher
• Release date: Oct 7, 2023
• ISBN: 9798223940579

Pilgrim Preacher

The Pilgrim Preacher gives Ministers and Teachers everything they need to deliver a relevant and engaging Bible lesson to today's audience. Ordained with over thirty-five years of theological experience and having e-books distributed in online bookstores, the Pilgrim Preacher is your one-stop shop for sermons and bible lessons. The Pilgrim Preacher's suite of sermons, lessons, and devotions is the busy minister's best friend. The biblical genres covered are comprehensive, theologically sound, and engaging. Each series format empowers Pastors and Teachers to achieve their routine of delivering bible lessons multiple times each week. Everyone in ministry should have this suite of e-learning courses to educate and inspire their parishioners to greater heights in the Faith.

Book preview

The Goal of Control

First Corinthians 10:1 Moreover, brethren, I would not that ye should be ignorant, how that all our fathers were under the cloud, and all passed through the sea;  10:2 And were all baptized unto Moses in the cloud and in the sea;  10:3 And did all eat the same spiritual meat;  10:4 And did all drink the same spiritual drink: for they drank of that spiritual Rock that followed them: and that Rock was Christ.  10:5 But with many of them God was not well pleased: for they were overthrown in the wilderness.  10:6 Now these things were our examples, to the intent we should not lust after evil things, as they also lusted.  

Here, we see that the word all is used a few times in this passage: they all passed through the sea, they were all baptized unto Moses, they all ate the same spiritual meat, they did all drink the same spiritual drink. All of these people who came out of Egypt had the same opportunities, and they all had the same experience: they were all baptized by passing through the waters, they all ate the same spiritual meat, and they all drank the same spiritual drink. And then the passage says, many were overthrown in the wilderness because of lust. God was not pleased with many of them because of discontentment.

In this devotion, The Goal of Control, we are addressing situations you can control, and things you cannot control. So, they all had the same experience, they all had the same path, and they all had the same opportunities to move forward and to enter into the Promised Land. Very few used this opportunity to enter the promised land and many didn't. Some made use of it; many didn't.

All of us have a gift to exercise; all of us have a plan of God in our lives to be fulfilled, and all of us are on the same ground. The ground at the Cross is level: no man stands any higher; no man stands any lower. The ground at the Cross is level. The resurrection side of the Cross is level ground. No person stands higher than you, and you stand no higher than anyone else. If any man is in Christ, he is a new creature, old things are passed away, and behold, all things have become new.

Every pilgrim has the same opportunity to make use of his or her Christian life; to exercise his or her gift. Every Christian has the opportunity to be filled and anointed with the Holy Ghost. Every Christian has the same opportunity to be a soldier. Every Christian has the same opportunity to enter into that place of spiritual rest. Every Christian has the opportunity to reach a higher plane: some will make use of it, and some won’t.

Sometimes when you are on shouting ground, you wish you could hurry or change or control the decisions of other people. Sometimes you wish you could force other people to upgrade to a blissful Christian existence. You wish you could force another person to come to church services and study their bible. The tendency is to get frustrated; the tendency is to get discouraged. The tendency is that your spirit will fail in yourself. This can happen to ministers, deacons, and church teachers. When you do not see other people making use of opportunities that God has made available to them, there is a tendency to get frustrated. That frustration can lead to anger, which can lead to resentment, and finally, it can lead to apathy. This run of emotions in a church leader is awkward and regrettable. This emotional spin-out in a faithful church member can run them and others off track. Moses went through this series of emotions during his dealings with the people in the wilderness. Remember when Moses struck the Rock with his rod in anger? Remember the dire outcome of his precipitous action? This devotion will help us all by giving principles to help us cope with this matter of control.

Allow the author to tell a personal story. On one of my many outreach missions, I was crossing the Mangakino Dam bridge. I walked and stood on that Dam bridge. On one side there was the rushing turbulent waters coming down the river into the turbines, and everything looked rough on that side of the Dam. As I looked, I saw the river waves splashing over the rocks. I saw the upheaval as the water approached the Dam gates. And then I walked to the other side of the Dam bridge and looked at a completely different scene. The other side of the Dam was serene and calm. There was a lake that glistened with the sunshine, looking beautiful and peaceful.

And you know, that's a bit like the Christian life. There are two sides of the same bridge that a Christian can choose to focus on and walk. You can look at other people, and you can try to force people to fit into your model. When they resist, you can become frustrated, angry, and discouraged. You could be trying to force adult peers to do things and you could be like that river coming down to the turbines. There is turbulence and upheaval. You can get yourself worked up and stress yourself out.

Or you can be the Christian who learns to control those things that you can control. Like a tranquil lake scene, you have peace that passes understanding. You allow the Divine to heal, prod, and change other people. There is the trust to let Deity deal with those shaky situations. You know, you can't change things by force. The way of the universe is one of flow. The way of nature involves time and flow in regard to growth to maturity. Let go and let God.

You can change things by prayer! Remember the father’s action when his younger son came and asked for the inheritance money to leave home. The father did not tie his son down in a chair. He didn't force his adult son to stay at home. He spoke words of advice, gave the choice to that guy, and he prayed for his son. The son went away for a long while into a far country. The father prayed for his son to come to his senses. The father prayed for his son every day to be safe and loved. When the prodigal son returned home, the father saw him coming a long way off and ran to welcome him back home. That which was lost was found again. The father understood that life has the factors of time and flow. He focused on what he could control.

Malachi 3:6 For I am the LORD, I change not. This verse speaks about God’s character, his morality, and his nature. He does not change. He is above and beyond the human time construct. Time does not change him or diminish him. People cannot control God. Sometimes when Christians pray, they demand to be heard and answered according to their desires, for their own self-interests. They ask God to give things and to do things that are against his own character, against his morality. We cannot change who God is to suit our whims. We cannot pray and ask for outcomes that offend his nature. We cannot get God to move on our timing, in our program. You know, we cannot do that.

But we can pray to a compassionate God. And when your heart is after his heart, then he will give you your heart's desires. If you want to pray for your teen; if you want to pray for your spouse; if you want to pray for somebody in an empathetic manner, then the Lord will hear and answer your positive affirmation. You can't change the habits of an adult by force, but you can change them by prayer, positive persuasion, and encouragement. And let us not neglect being a positive role model for others to emulate.

First Samuel chapter one tells the story of a woman called Hannah. She was barren and could not conceive a baby. She was distraught about this. There was this other woman in the house who chose to pick on Hannah, saying, you are useless. You can't have children. You are no good. God doesn't bless you. God doesn't love you.

This abuse occurred often. It really got Hannah down in the dumps. And you know, sometimes in our lives, other grownups tell us that we are no good and we can't do certain things, and they set limits for us. We must be careful that we do not allow other adult people to set limits for us, especially if they are mocking us. Hannah went down in desperation upon her knees in a temple and prayed, saying, God, I know that this is not an impossibility to you. I know you can do this, and I am beseeching you to give me a child. I feel it is in tune with your will. Please give me a son. If you give me a son, I'll dedicate that son to you in sacred service for all the days of his life.

This is what we are talking about here. First, you cannot control the habits of your peers. Second, you must be careful not to let others set limits for you and say, well, this is not going to happen or that's not going to happen. Go to prayer and see what God can do.

An amazing story to illustrate our point is, David coming to the encampment and hearing the rant of Goliath, the Philistine