ADs AUGUST 2015 Devotional

Are you a victim or a victor?

It depends on your attitude. John Maxwell develops 7 axioms for an overcomer in “The Winning Attitude.” Axiom # 3 declares: “Often our attitude is the only difference between success and failure.” Maxwell asserts, “This could be called the principle of the slight edge [over defeat or victory].”

   The former Israeli Prime Minister Golda Meir underlined this truth in one of her interviews. She said, “All my country has is spirit. We don’t have petroleum dollars. We don’t have mines or great wealth in the ground. We don’t have the support of a worldwide public opinion that looks favorably on us. All Israel has is the spirit of its people. And if the people lose their spirit, even the United States of America cannot save us.”

   When Apostle Paul was under house arrest in Rome, he could have felt like a victim. Arrested in Jerusalem for preaching grace to the Gentiles and under a threat of death by the Jews, he appealed to Caesar. Sent to Rome, he did not see himself as a victim of either the Jews or of the Romans but rather; he was a “prisoner of Christ Jesus” for the sake of the Gentiles (Eph 3:1). To the Gentiles he affirmed, “We can go to God with bold confidence through faith in Christ. So then, I ask you not to become discouraged by the troubles I suffer for you. In fact, my troubles bring you glory.” (Eph 3: 12, 13 GW)

   Paul, the victor kept his identity in Christ in tact, understood his calling and refused to play the victim even in unjust circumstances. Let’s be people of the Spirit. Let’s be victors in Christ! 

ADs JULY 2015 Devotional

Facing your Giants!

In the movie, “Facing the Giants,” David Childers, a rookie punter weighing only 145 pounds, faced an impossible challenge. With 2 seconds left in the state championship game against the Richland Giants, his coach Grant Taylor asked him to kick a game-wining field goal from the 51-yard line, although his best had only been 39 yards. The season had started off badly until coach Taylor 

decided to give the season all to God. All he asked of his team was to lay it 

all on the field for God.

    The Shiloh Eagle’s 32 players shouldn’t have even been in the play-offs and certainly didn’t have a chance against the Giant’s team of 85 players, but they were there! They were facing their giants of fear and failure. David, drawing his courage from his father on the sidelines and a momentary shift in the wind towards the goal, kicks a game-winning goal. Later, coach Taylor declared, “With God, nothing is impossible!”

    We need that message! In this year’s MT/MR, the Holy Spirit weaved the recurrent theme of preparing for suffering. As missionaries we may face the real possibility of suffering and/or persecution as we lay it all on our field! In our own strength, we cannot do this but, “With God, nothing is impossible!”  

   We’re not promised immunity to suffering but rather victory through it. Suffering may become an integral part of our call as missionaries, as Paul’s discovered,

“The Lord said, “Saul is my chosen instrument to take my message to the Gentiles…and I will show him how much he must suffer for my name’s sake.”  Acts 9:15-16 (NLT)

Be of good courage, God is preparing us to face our Giants and we will be alert!

“We continue to shout our praise even when we’re hemmed in with troubles, because we know how troubles can develop passionate patience in us, and how that patience in turn forges the tempered steel of virtue, keeping us alert for whatever God will do next.” Romans 5:3-4 (MSG)

AD's May 2015 Devotional

Ever feel ineffective and unproductive?

I have! I was going through a bad spell. I took on a church building project in Nevis. My path to dedicating the church was laid out for me. We had tremendous success with the first team, getting the building up to the bond beam level. After considering the options, we ordered a roof to be made and shipped to Nevis, arriving in time for the next team. They were going to weld the roof to be finished by team 3. Team 4 was going to lay the floors and hang the doors and windows. The last team was going to finish the platform, plaster and paint, and generally get the building to the dedication stage. 
   My plan fell apart when the shipment scheduled to take 15 days took over two months! Welders became electricians. Stairs were built instead of the roof being installed. As of this writing, I am scheduled to host the last team without any assurance that the roof will come. Is it lost forever in the Bermuda Triangle? I was carrying this discouragement to last Sunday’s service when a scripture spoke to my heart about being effective:
  His divine power has given us everything we need for a godly life...
  …make every effort to add to your faith goodness; and to goodness, knowledge; and to knowledge, self-control; and to self-control, perseverance; and to perseverance, godliness; and to godliness, mutual affection; and to mutual affection, love. For if you possess these qualities in increasing measure, they will keep you from being ineffective and unproductive in your knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ.    

                                                                                                                                        2 Peter 1:3-8 (niv) portions

    I've preached it. I've tried to live it. God is more concerned about the worker than the work!

   During you setbacks —and there WILL BE setbacks— what is the work that God is doing in you 
so He can more effectively work through you? Let keep our eyes on Him to keep from being ineffective and unproductive in life and in ministry.

AD's February 2015 Devotional

What a parade of the Nations! 

What a reminder of the heart of God!

We were at the CFAGE meeting (*Caribbean Fellowship 

of Assembly of God Executives) in Suriname. Suriname has one of the most ethnically diverse populations in the world. On the first night, there was a missions parade of people groups who identified with our host church pastored by Rev. Irving Chin Sie Jen. There were Hindustani, Javanese, Amerindians, Maroons, Creoles, Europeans and Brazilians groups represented, all carrying flags of their nations.

   On the second night of CFAGE, spontaneous praise broke out into joyous dancing. Despite the cultural diversity, most entered in, unashamedly worshipping God. Overhead, there was a sign, 

“To Whom Shall We Go?” 

What a celebration! It was a glimpse of heaven.  

   As Revelation 5:9 (NIV) depicts it: “And they sang a new song, saying: ‘You are worthy to take the scroll and to open its seals, because you were slain and with your blood you purchased for God persons from every tribe and language and people and nation.’”  

Our time in Suriname reminded us of that glorious day of celebration coming soon when our mission on this earth is finished and we shall see Jesus in All of His Glory!