Good News Brief For Men

Ephesians 4: 23  and that you be renewed in the spirit of your mind, (NASB) Good Day Men! Knowing God as our personal Savior results in His desire for us to experience His renewal of our minds.  This can never be done in the power of one’s self and personal sheer determination.  Satan will defeat that at every turn.  It is God who renews our minds but it is we as men of God to give Him every opportunity to do so.  We need to be willing to accept Godly change as He presents it to us in his way.  This change in our lives will be reflected in the lives of those around us especially our immediate family. Let God change your life.  It will take time….a lifetime. Prayer:  Dear Father, Give me your direction as I seek to receive and accept your ways as my ways and your thoughts as my thoughts..  Amen! May God richly bless us as we continue seek His will, and His way, through His Word. Have a GREAT day!!! Rev. Ted J. Wilkins Director...

2 Corinthians 10: 5  We are destroying speculations and every lofty thing raised up against the knowledge of God, and we are taking every thought captive to the obedience of Christ,  (NASB) Good Day Men! In the last devotional it appears that having a pure thought life may be unobtainable.  In today’s verse we see the obedient thought life.  Men as well as women have a real problem in this area.  It’s as simple as men looking at women and women looking at men.  Anything other than that is considered unnatural and an abomination to our holy God (men looking at men and women looking at women, and you KNOW what I mean!).  The look itself isn’t the sin.  It’s what we do with that look that causes compromise in the hearts of mankind.  Our thought life can be other things as well.  It can involve white-collar theft of (minor) office supplies.  The simple fact is if you didn’t buy it, then it doesn’t belong to you.  Blue-collar th...

Isaiah 55: 8   For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways, declares the Lord.  (NASB) Good Day Men! We are reminded by Isaiah that God’s thoughts are not our thoughts, nor His ways our ways.  If they were, our lives would be in perfect harmony in Christ.  But such is not the case.  We are the product of fallen man and his name is Adam and her name is Eve.  We read in God’s Word we are born in sin, of sin and through sin.  Yet, God knows of every birth from before time began.  God knows our nature yet in His great love he makes himself available to us through the forgiveness of our sin through the Son, Jesus Christ.  God’s heart is for us to experience closeness like no other.  Our relationship with God grows as this closeness is experienced.  When we draw near to God, God draws near to us.  He desires that close relationship.  It is us, mankind, who withdraw from God.  The devil never mad...

Isaiah 55: 7   Let the wicked forsake his way, and the unrighteous man his thoughts; and let him return to the Lord, and He will have compassion on him; and to our God, for He will abundantly pardon. Good Day Men! Isaiah points out a very important message here.  With all the sin that one life can imagine God is willing to forgive and restore.  God knows our desire to change and when we go to Him, He promises to abundantly pardon .  What could ever hold us back from going to a God who is so willing for us to experience His absolute forgiveness?  One word says it all, PRIDE!  I have seen men so afraid that God will change them into something that they don't want to be, that they run far from Him in an effort to get away.  They don't take the time to see that God can be trusted in all things.  God would never do harm to us.  In Jeremiah 29: 11 (11-13) it says that God wants only to do good for us and wishes that no harm would come our way,...

Isaiah 55: 6   Seek the Lord while He may be found; Call upon Him while He is near.  (NASB) Isaiah is making reference to God’s free offer of mercy.  God’s offer of free mercy can still be found today.  It is not like the blue light special at the local department store, only being offered for a short while then at the end of that particular on-sale item the light goes out and the sale is over.  Mercy is; God’s unmerited pardon, which in fact we don’t deserve.  The problem here lies in our sensitivity to what God offers us through His love.  If we say no to God long enough we become desensitized to the Holy Spirit’s calling on our lives and the urgency is no longer an issue with us.  In fact we often times wonder why he doesn’t come to us anymore.  What has happened here is we have said no to God so much that we no longer sense His calling on our lives.  In reality, God’s calling on our lives never goes away, it just appears that way....

1 Corinthians 12 :12   For even as the body is one and yet has many members, and all the members of the body, though they are many, are one body, so also is Christ.  (NASB) In conclusion we see the collection of all the gifts God offers through His Son Jesus Christ, distributed through the Holy Spirit.  The point here is that God orchestrates the distribution and the activity of each and every gift provided through the Holy Spirit.  There is such strength and organization in all God does through those given over to His direction and sold out to his purpose.  We must be committed believers and seek the direction God has planned for us, for there we will experience peace and harmony as well as abundant life in knowing Him fully. Prayer:   Dear Holy God.  Give me your desire for my life that I may experience Godly life and that, to it’s fullest…….. May God richly bless us as we continue to seek His will, and His way, through His Word. Have a GRE...

1 Corinthians 12 :11   But one and the same Spirit works all these things, distributing to each one individually just as He wills.  (NASB) The Holy Spirit works in the lives of each individual.  God, the head of the Holy Trinity works through the Holy Spirit His fullness to deliver, into and through those willing to give their hearts and minds to Him alone.  More often than not believers are not as totally committed to the cause of Christ as one would see on the outside.  The believer experiences a sense of peace in all of life’s trials and tribulations.  This doesn’t mean that they don’t get upset, hurt or otherwise at the events and situations God puts us through in order to grow deeper in love with our Savior.  But the focus is the key.  A truly committed believer will look for God’s experience for them through the entire journey.  They don’t just stand there with their eyes closed repeating, “Tell me when it’s over”.  Each event t...

1 Corinthians 12 :10   and to another the interpretation of tongues.  (NASB) The interpretation of tongues that Paul is referring to here is the receiving of the Word from the Apostles (who knew not the language, which they were speaking), to the interpretation of what was said by those who heard the Gospel for the first time in their own language as the Holy Spirit moved them to receive or interpret.  In the initial beginning of the spreading of God’s Word, God equipped the Apostles to receive and deliver all that he was leading them to say.  The crowd heard these Apostles and even they were shocked by what they heard, even though they heard it in their own language.  What was happening was beyond belief.  It had to be a miracle. As the surrounding regions received all, which God offered through these great men in their first great mission thrust, the focus as well as the hearts of mankind were turned from sin and to Christ.  It was God’s plan ...

1 Corinthians 12: 10   to another various kinds of tongues,  (NASB) Good Day Men! The tongues mentioned here are referred to as other languages and their translations, thus the use of the word “various”.  As the Apostles experienced the day of Pentecost where the Holy Spirit dispersed them into the regions of different languages and dialects, that demonstrated the power of the Holy Spirit and the ability to be given over to it’s control.  This is a clear demonstration of the absolute trust we can place in the power of a mighty God, the King of Kings and the Lord of Lords.  Everything He does is complete, but often times we interfere and make it incomplete. Let God have His perfect work in your lives.  His mighty blessings await….. The journey continues………. Prayer:   Dear Father God.  Show me your greatness and power through the Holy Spirit, the great comforter.  AMEN! May God richly bless us as we continue seek His ...

1 Corinthians 12: 10   and to another the distinguishing of spirits,  (NASB) Good Day Men! This particular gift was used to distinguish between the Word of God proclaimed by a true prophet, and that of a satanic deceiver.  In Corinth there were sorcerers and others who would proclaim good but meant it for evil or personal gain.  As large as the city was, these particular people for the most part believed anything (good) that they heard or witnessed without testing it against the Word of God as found in the scrolls.  They were deceived quite often as Paul warned them to be careful and to test the spirits.  This was to test the spirits against the Word of God, the one and only true test, just like it should be today.  But even as in the times of this letter, we still have problems distinguishing between good and evil. The journey continues………. Prayer:   Dear Lord.  Help me to be more resourceful in testing the spirits and loo...

1 Corinthians 12: 10   and to another prophecy,  (NASB) Good Day Men! Prophesy as defined in the Collegiate Dictionary, refers mostly to the prophesying as spoken of in the Old Testament, and some in the New Testament with more reference to Old Testament, with exception to John the Baptist who was the last Prophet before Christ.  Prophesy is still looked at as the foreknowledge of something that God has revealed to individuals in order to pray specifically for someone or something that will occur in someone’s life.  That is pretty much the limit of that particular gift, yet God still uses the gift of a more personal Prophesy in the lives of individuals. Too many times I have heard of “Prophesy for hire”.  A church will bring in a Prophet and will take up enormous love offerings in support and when their prophesy doesn’t come true they are told by that same prophet or even the Pastor that arranged for the Prophet to come in in the first place that ...

1 Corinthians 12: 10   and to another the effecting of miracles,  (NASB) Good Day Men! Miracles is such a broad term but unlimited in the power of almighty God.  God chooses those he will bless with this particular gift just as he does all of the others.  When the Apostles were used by God in the effecting of miracles they were not surprised by his power as much as being unaware of how He would do this.  It’s interesting how God works these “HOW’s” into our lives and into the gifts He blesses us with.  The plan of “HOW” is already in place as God orchestrates our lives to receive His gifts.  So we are not so surprised as much as we are complimented and drawn closer to God as He reveals these things in our lives through the Holy Spirit.  The Apostles were completed through the power of the Holy Spirit in their accepting of this gift as God’s intensions in their lives.  It is very similar to the person who rejects God’s gifts in thei...

1 Corinthians 12: 9   and to another gifts of healing by the one Spirit;  (NASB) Good Day Men! The gift of healing is one of few that has been abused over the many years by those wishing to turn this honorable godly gift into a profit making business under the guise that everyone who is sick wants to be healed.  Those who are sincere in their calling from God into this ministry are the ones whom you may never hear the name of mentioned in public.  The sincerity is the direct result of their humility concerning their gift from God through the Holy Spirit.  They consider themselves unworthy of the receiving of this gift of healing and do not seek public acclaim of its practice.  God will take his willing servant and put them in place where honor and praise will be brought to his holy name and not be used to turn a buck.  I recently heard a well-known evangelical speaker literally brag on how much God had blessed them with the gift of healing, ...

1 Corinthians 12: 9   to another faith by the same Spirit;  (NASB) Good Day Men! Faith is a powerful tool on the list of Spiritual Gifts offered by God through the Holy Spirit.  I have often wondered about those I have known over the years who I think have been blessed with the gift of faith.  Their faith in God seems so powerful and accessible.  Their connection with God is first place in their lives and they fully trust all outcomes in Christ.  These particular people are wonderful when placed in an environment where God uses this gift in wonderful and miraculous ways.  This isn’t to say that believers don’t have faith.  Those who have the gift of faith that we are talking about here is an extraordinary kind of faith.  This is the gift of faith in God given to those who use this faith in a very reverent kind of way.  Only God knows those to whom He has blessed with this particular gift. Those with this gift I would expect to...

1 Corinthians 12: 8   For to one is given the word of wisdom through the Spirit, and another the word of knowledge according to the same Spirit;  (NASB) Good Day Men! This verse is often misunderstood to be one gift as can happen when it is read through quickly.  But this verse clearly refers to two separate gifts but administered by the same Holy Spirit.  Wisdom of God’s Word comes from practical experience and application of its very contents.  Wisdom occurs more over a period of time as opposed to knowledge, which is simplified by the root word, know (meaning to know ).  Knowledge is the knowing of God’s Word and not necessarily the wisdom of its practice.  Knowledge can be a simple memorization of a verse of scripture or scriptures and even the historical application of the verses purpose as intended by the divine guidance from the Holy Spirit through and into the writer of the verses at the time it was written.  There is a lot to b...

1 Corinthians 12: 7   A spiritual gift is given to each of us as a means of helping the entire church.  (NLT) Good Day Men! Being the Pastor of a church, you get to see the workings of the body of believers for whom you are responsible.  When a certain task needs to be done those who have the needed spiritual gifts get into their huddle and out comes a plan to initiate, commit, and produce the desired outcome according to God’s holy desire in the lives of those this task will affect.  They communicate with each other and they grow in the spiritual gift God has so blessed them with.  From my vantage point as Pastor I see many different teams working together and comparing notes and experiencing God’s desire for fellowship in their lives.  These people are working as individuals and pulling together as a team including those gifted for that particular need.  To watch them work together through the concern they have for the body of believers is...

1 Corinthians 12: 6   And there are varieties of effects, but the same God who works all things in all persons .  (NASB) Good Day Men! There are different ways that God works through our lives.  This is what is meant by “ varieties of effects ”.  When looking at the whole picture it becomes so enormous and impossible to understand, but God guides us all at the same time for His same great purpose and desired outcome.  He is constantly at work in our hearts showing us His compassion and mighty love.  It is up to us as His children to follow through in accepting all He has to offer and open our hearts to receive all He wants to pour into our lives.  We can trust Him to provide our needs as He draws us near to Him through His actions in our lives. God truly does work all things in all persons . The journey continues………. Prayer:   Dear Lord.  Show me your way.  Fill my heart with your great love.  Guide my though...

1 Corinthians 12: 5   And there are varieties of ministries, and the same Lord.  (NASB) Good Day Men! Needless to say our Lord is a great manager.  His work in our lives is organized when we aren’t.  He is prepared to deliver His special gifts, when we aren’t even ready to receive them.  The list could go on and on.  What we need to do is prepare our hearts from the beginning of each and every day and make our hearts available to God for the tasks He has before us.  There are many ministries in which we could get involved, but are we ready?  This takes time for our hearts to get prepared by the reading and practical use of God’s Holy Word as well as time spent in prayer seeking guidance and direction.  If we are to seek His gifts, then we are to first seek Him. Spend time alone with God and ask him what direction he would have you go in the preparation of your heart to receive his greatest gift for your life. The journey co...

1 Corinthians 12: 4   Now there are varieties of gifts, but the same Spirit.  (NASB) Good Day Men! In this devotional study on Spiritual Gifts we see the source of all gifts being God and administered through the Holy Spirit.  As we continue to seek a greater understanding of God’s Word I pray that God will reveal to you your gifts.  All these gifts are to be used to the glorification of God.  We sometimes think that we are alone in the world yet in Christ we are never alone.  God has provided everything for us through His great power.  To dismiss Him and the wonderful gifts He provides is to ignore Him in his greatest strength in Grace and wonderful Mercy.  God refuses to be ignored.  As believers He will draw us near to Him so we will be in position to receive His very best.  The core of all these gifts is for us to experience the very personal best that God has to offer us as individuals.  As a result we will grow in C...

Ephesians 4: 11   He is the one who gave these gifts to the church: the apostles, the prophets, the evangelists, and the pastors and teachers.  (NLT) Good Day Men! This Bible Study Devotional is to the church, the body of believers, those who know Christ as their personal Savior.  The Spiritual Gifts have to some extent over the years become a somewhat vague unseen thing with which God blesses his people through.  This often means that the reader will often speed read or even completely ignore the text involving “Spiritual Gifts” under the guise that “It’s too complicated”, or “I just don’t understand it”, and as a result comment “that’s just not for me.”  But God’s intentions for us are that we thoroughly read and absorb his Holy Word and not to dismiss any of it at all.  In due time, we will understand if we persevere.  These gifts were so given to the people of leadership responsibility in order that the gifts would be explained and taugh...