Today's Verse: For we are unto God a sweet savour of Christ, in them that are saved, and in them that perish: To the one we are the savour of death unto death; and to the other the savour of life unto life. And who is sufficient for these things? ~2 Corinthians 2:15-16 Does it pass the smell test? This is a phrase that is used to determine if something or someone passes the test of integrity and trustworthiness. It is an informal means of determining the credibility, authen

Today's Verse: After these things the word of the LORD came unto Abram in a vision, saying, Fear not, Abram: I am thy shield, and thy exceeding great reward. ~Genesis 15:1 When I think of a reward, what comes to mind is compensation for finding something or someone that was missing. Law enforcement agencies will offer a substantial reward that leads to the finding and arrest of a wanted criminal. People who lose a valuable item offer a reward for its finding. This morning, l

Today's Verse: But now, after that ye have known God, or rather are known of God, how turn ye again to the weak and beggarly elements, whereunto ye desire again to be in bondage? ~Galatians 4:9 One of our favorite traditional hymns is “I Have Decided to Follow Jesus.” The chorus of this hymn declares, “No turning back, no turning back.” Turning back implies going back on a good decision. It means you have second thoughts and buyer’s remorse, and you changed your mind. The be

Today's Verse: And he said unto them, What manner of man was he which came up to meet you, and told you these words? ~2 Kings 1:7 Our church has been blessed by God with weekly visitors for many years. It is a blessing to look out among the congregation and see many new faces. Oftentimes, I will ask one of our core leaders, “Do you know who that man or woman is?” They will reply, “Which man or woman are you referring to?” I then try to distinguish the visitor by whom they mi

Today's Verse: A wise man scaleth the city of the mighty, and casteth down the strength of the confidence thereof. ~Proverbs 21:22 Strategic planning occurs when a person or a committee of people write out a plan of action for the accomplishment of a stated goal or assignment. This plan assigns responsibilities, establishes processes and timelines, and identifies the people who will get it done. It thinks through the what, the how, and the when. It takes something that start

Today's Verse: The words of king Lemuel, the prophecy that his mother taught him. ~Proverbs 31:1 Today we honor mothers everywhere. We owe a debt of gratitude to Anna Jarvis for diligently encouraging her state legislature in West Virginia to recognize all mother’s one Sunday a year. This noble deed resulted in our Congress passing legislation that made Mother’s Day an official day of recognition on the second Sunday of every May. Today we acknowledge the lives and ministrie

Today's Verse: For the preaching of the cross is to them that perish foolishness; but unto us which are saved it is the power of God. ~1 Corinthians 1:18 God has ordained that the ministry of preaching is how His Word is to be communicated to the masses. The Corinthian believers fell into the error of “hero worship” and became divisive over whom they followed and listened to. They made the mistake of being attracted to “preaching styles” instead of being “preaching submissiv

Today's Verse: And, behold, there came a prophet unto Ahab king of Israel, saying, Thus saith the LORD, Hast thou seen all this great multitude? behold, I will deliver it into thine hand this day; and thou shalt know that I am the LORD. And Ahab said, By whom? And he said, Thus saith the LORD, Even by the young men of the princes of the provinces. Then he said, Who shall order the battle? And he answered, Thou. ~1 Kings 20:13-14 Most of us can think of a time in our lives wh

Today's Verse: The glory of young men is their strength: and the beauty of old men is the grey head. ~Proverbs 20:29 Solomon made many wise summations when the Holy Spirit moved him to write the book of Proverbs. Proverbs helps us to understand the right pursuits in life, how to be the right person, how to make right decisions, and how to develop the right people skills. God allowed Solomon to listen to and gain counsel from every facet of human experience. Our devotion this

Today's Verse: And the king of Israel answered and said, My lord, O king, according to thy saying, I am thine, and all that I have. ~1 Kings 20:4 The king of Syria, Benhadad, led his forces to besiege Samaria and war against it. Ahab, the king of Israel was intimidated and filled with fear. Benhadad told Ahab, “Thy silver and thy gold is mine; thy wives also and thy children, even the goodliest, are mine.” Benhadad boldly told Ahab “I’m taking what is yours and making it min

Today's Verse: I thank my God always on your behalf, for the grace of God which is given you by Jesus Christ; That in every thing ye are enriched by him, in all utterance, and in all knowledge; ~1 Corinthians 1:4-5 Corinth was a large and thriving city during the first century. It was a city where idolatrous practices and sin abounded. God placed this city on Paul’s heart to plant a church there. God worked mightily through Paul’s ministry — many were saved and baptized, an

Today's Verse: Ye are our epistle written in our hearts, known and read of all men: ~2 Corinthians 3:2 How good are you at reading someone’s body language? In sports, players are required to have a trained eye at being able to read plays and anticipate what the opponent might do. In business or interviews, the ability to read someone’s body language reveals what they really are conveying as their message. Are they truthful or telling a lie? Do they want advice or affirmatio

Today's Verse: And after this Joseph of Arimathaea, being a disciple of Jesus, but secretly for fear of the Jews, besought Pilate that he might take away the body of Jesus: and Pilate gave him leave. He came therefore, and took the body of Jesus. ~John 19:38 The Bible records for us three Joseph's. There is Joseph, who was the son of Jacob and who rose to prominence as the man who helped to save Egypt from a seven-year famine. There is Joseph, who was the husband of Mary and

Today's Verse: And Joshua spake unto the house of Joseph, even to Ephraim and to Manasseh, saying, Thou art a great people, and hast great power: thou shalt not have one lot only: ~Joshua 17:17 As Christians, we know the importance of being content. Contentment is when we are satisfied with everything in our life, good or bad, and give God the glory for what He has entrusted to us. However, there are times when we should be stirred in our hearts and in our determination to d

Today's Verse: So he departed thence, and found Elisha the son of Shaphat, who was plowing with twelve yoke of oxen before him, and he with the twelfth: and Elijah passed by him, and cast his mantle upon him. ~1 Kings 19:19 Among the many topics the Bible addresses, one of the important ones is leadership succession. Leadership succession is when the leader of a ministry carefully selects and develops his eventual replacement. Leadership succession is critical for making sur

Today's Verse: Dead flies cause the ointment of the apothecary to send forth a stinking savour: so doth a little folly him that is in reputation for wisdom and honour. ~Ecclesiastes 10:1 Flies! I do not like flies. They have to be among the most annoying pests. Living flies are bad. Dead flies are just as bad. Back in Solomon’s day, a container of special ointment was very precious. People would leave the containers open to allow the sweet-smelling aroma to fill the air in t

Today's Verse: A man that hath friends must shew himself friendly: and there is a friend that sticketh closer than a brother. ~Proverbs 18:24 “Crazy Glue” is the brand name of an adhesive substance that bonds things together very well. I have used Crazy Glue to bond broken items. Its very name speaks of how well it bonds the most difficult things together. Our devotion this morning speaks to us about relationships that are to be like “Crazy Glue.” We see the camaraderie.

Today's Verse: Howbeit, as the disciples stood round about him, he rose up, and came into the city: and the next day he departed with Barnabas to Derbe. ~Acts 14:20 Roy Riegels played for the University of California, Berkeley's football team from 1927–1929. Cal played against Georgia Tech in the New Year’s Day Rose Bowl. Roy is remembered as the player who picked up a fumble but unknowingly ran the ball back to his team’s goal line. The Cal quarterback, Benny Lom, chased h

Today's Verse: That I may know him, and the power of his resurrection, and the fellowship of his sufferings, being made conformable unto his death; ~Philippians 3:10 If you ever see a police chase after a speeding vehicle or a criminal trying to run from being arrested, the police are said to be in hot pursuit of the perpetrator. To be in hot pursuit means to give all of your attention and focus on that one thing. In his epistles, Paul has given us great explanation of the

Today's Verse: Then came Peter to him, and said, Lord, how oft shall my brother sin against me, and I forgive him? till seven times? ~Matthew 18:21 Conflict resolution is when two parties who have a conflicting and divided opinion about something seek out a third party to assist them with a resolution. Conflicts can result in very bitter and harsh resentments. The one offended refuses to come to terms with the offender until the offender has taken the first step to apologiz