As children we are taught to be obedient to our elders. Our parents and those who are older are supposed to teach us right from wrong and make good choices so that when we are older we continue to choose a right way of living that makes our parents and ancestors proud. Unfortunately we are given into temptation because of the Fall and we are prone to make bad choices which have consequences. Each type of behavior has different consequences which can be life changing or completely ignored and people go back to their ways.

The life of Saul, the first king of Israel was filled with disobedience to God and the consequence ended in the removal of his kingship and destruction of those around him. At first he was a good king and led the people to victory but he had been seduced by the power given and began to disobey God while thinking he was doing the right thing. He was blind to the temptations that led to his sins.
   
Let’s examine one instance where Saul let his soldiers disobey God’s Word:
And Samuel said, “Though you are little in your own eyes, are you not the head of the tribes of Israel? The Lord anointed you king over Israel. And the Lord sent you on a mission and said, ‘Go, devote to destruction the sinners, the Amalekites, and fight against them until they are consumed.’ Why then did you not obey the voice of the Lord? Why did you pounce on the spoil and do what was evil in the sight of the Lord?” And Saul said to Samuel, “I have obeyed the voice of the Lord. I have gone on the mission on which the Lord sent me. I have brought Agag the king of Amalek, and I have devoted the Amalekites to destruction. But the people took of the spoil, sheep and oxen, the best of the things devoted to destruction, to sacrifice to the Lord your God in Gilgal.” And Samuel said,
“Has the Lord as great delight in burnt offerings and sacrifices,
    as in obeying the voice of the Lord?
Behold, to obey is better than sacrifice,
    and to listen than the fat of rams.
For rebellion is as the sin of divination,
    and presumption is as iniquity and idolatry.
Because you have rejected the word of the Lord,
    he has also rejected you from being king.” 1 Samuel 15:17-23

Saul’s first mistake was not having the Amalekites completely destroyed by sparing King Agag. He then allowed his troops to take the best of the flocks instead of slaughtering them as ordered. The intention was to bring them back and sacrifice them to God but God did not want that. Saul believed he was doing the right thing but he was blinded by his perception that he was pleasing God through the sacrifices.

What God desired of Saul is the same that He desires of us. God gave us His Word so that we could know Him and desire a relationship with Him through obedience. Saul had a relationship with God when he was chosen to lead the people. God relied of Saul to be the example of what it is like to be obedient and have a close personal relationship with Him. When Saul made this mistake it was the nail in the coffin for his role as he had made small mistakes up to this point. Saul did not understand that sacrifice was only a temporary solution to the larger issue of sin. God was trying to convey that He desired the relationship with us that He had with Adam and Eve before sin entered the world.

Saul rejected the Word and thus rejected the relationship that had developed between him and God. In doing this, God rejected Saul as the leader example for His people Israel. It is from this point that Saul continued down the path of sinfulness and lived in fear of being replaced while he still lived.

David was eventually chosen to rule in Saul’s place. Although he was a man after God’s own heart, David was not without fault. David’s line of kings were the examples of disobedience and obedience that led to the eventual exile from the Land of the Promise so that they could learn to trust God and return to Him. It is this trust, this faith in obedience to God that leads to the personal relationship that is desired.

God sent His Son Jesus, the Word made Flesh, to the people in order to return them to the right way of living that God desires for us. A life of caring for our fellow man and having a personal relationship with God. The mission was successful in that Jesus made the final sacrifice and defeated sin and death, covering us with His blood and sanctifying us in God’s presence.

But just because we are covered does not mean that we can be disobedient and remain in God’s good graces. We must live a life in obedience the best we can and repent of our sinfulness, trusting that Jesus is the one who God sent to save us so that we can have a relationship with God. We place our faith in God so that He knows us as one of His children and that spiritual death has no power over us.

Brothers and Sisters, as we go through our daily lives we need to remember to keep God’s Word in our hearts and live in obedience through our love that is a reflection of God’s love for us as His children. In obedience we will live with God. In disobedience we will remain in darkness away from God. Share this love with others and do your best not to fall into the temptation as Saul did.

In God’s Loving Arms,

 Rob, Servant of God

We all suffer in many different ways. This life is full of pain and suffering but it doesn't have to be that way. Healing starts in the heart and mind. I know some of the pain is in those parts but it does not mean that God cannot work in you. God gave us a connection in prayer. 

Prayer is much more powerful than some are led to believe. Fervent prayers of one release a portion of the life giving spirit. But the mind speaks very loud when connected with other God fearing individuals in prayer. 

There is more proof in the power of prayer ever day that is left unspoken than has been put out by the media. We hear about blessings of healing all the time but what about the prayers that end in sending someone home. Those prayers that seem like failure are not failures because even in suffering someone is blessed. 

Prayers give relief when the request is true and not said to test or manipulate God. The manipulative prayer will backfire and may cause more damage than good. We cannot control God but we can request things that may influence outcomes. Prayers filled with humble faith can move mountains and bring relief to pain. Praying with a humble heart let's God see the truth of our concerns. 

Brothers and Sisters I have seen much in life and I am finally understanding the true importance of prayer. It is The conduit that allows direct communication with God. The most important thing is to listen. Pray from the heart not the head because the head can get foggy. Pray without the loud hauty voice that we hear in some churches. Do not rehearse prayers, those will not be answered. Pray in the moment raising the concerns of the heart. Life may hurt for a little while but there is joy when God is in your heart. May God hear your heart.

In His Arms,
​Rob, Servant of God

Do you have an unwavering enthusiasm filled with love and loyalty towards God? Are you devoted to Him? Devotion has many meanings but it boils down to one thing, Love for God. It is in Him that we have hope. It is by Him that we received Jesus who is hope. It is through the Holy Spirit we can live in the hope for our future. Our devotion to God is full of hope.

We Show Devotion Through Worship  
Worship is a form of devotion that we observe daily. Some Christians rely on daily devotional readings to empower them in God’s Grace. Others go straight to the Word in Scripture and devote their heart to learning and memorizing the Word. However God’s Word is received in these manners, God’s presence guides and directs a person to full devotion.

Song is another form of devotion through worship. If God’s Word and presence is at the forefront of the song and the focus is God and what He has done in our lives, we show our devotion as we observe the effect that the words and music have on our lives.
Our worship revolves around hope. We hope for Christ’s return and that our relationship is fully restored with God. We show this through our devotion in worship.

We Show Devotion Through Our Words and Actions 
Everything we do should be a reflection of God’s work in our lives. When we show others how God has affected us we are showing our devotion to His ways by following the example of Jesus. Because God wants us to emulate His Word in our lives, we live a life of devotion the best we possibly can.
 
How easy it is to say something, but without actions, words mean nothing. The simple act of kindness is one of the best ways to start. Kind gestures are habit forming. Something we must remember though, the actions are not ours to receive accolades. It is okay to be rewarded in some ways but do not expect it all the time.
 
Our hope is translated into the words and actions we do. We share our hope with others with the hope that the Kingdom gains another and the branches grow.
 
Expecting Accolades Places Your Devotion Away From God
Those who expect rewards no longer do things for God.
It is easy to get lost in how much you do for people and continually receive an “at a boy/girl”, but do not do things and expect it. As an example, we have a person at my secular job that tries really hard to receive accolades to the point of blasting our phones up with pictures of his accomplishments. He kept doing it until the boss got really tired and told him that he needs to stop. He did, but now he gets upset if someone else does something and succeeds. Sad thing is this person desires money and self-love yet calls himself Christian.     
 
Doing things for yourself and moving reliance away from God also changes where your devotions lie. This also changes our hope. The godly hope transforms into hope in the world which leads nowhere. Reliance in worldly things only leads to heartache and temporary happiness. Be careful what you do and who you are doing it for.
 
Can You Be Fully Devoted?
The hardest question is the easiest yet hardest to accomplish unless you have full faith and trust in God. Full devotion should be the desire of many Christians. Is it attainable? Yes. It is a hard road? It is quite narrow. Is it worth the suffering? Absolutely. You can still live as a part of the world just do not let the world take over all aspects of your life. Share the Word with all your heart, soul, and strength and you will be showing the love, hope, joy, and devotion you have for the Father who created, loves, guides, has compassion, disciplines, sends His Grace and Mercy, and Saves us from ourselves and death everlasting.
 
Brothers and Sisters, we can be devoted followers of God filled with hope because Jesus is our hope. The Word which is Him will come again and we will live with God forevermore.
 
In His Loving Embrace,
Rob, Servant of God

The United States Government has done something that many have been afraid of these past 20 years. Instead of bowing to those who threaten the world and have caused mass murder, the people in charge have set in motion a plan to removing those who would threaten our existence. This means removing some from the power they believe they possess by either death, removal from office, or imprisonment.
What is happening now has happened before and will happen again until God returns to claim His inheritance. This is the continuation of God's story. It is not over yet.
Some have tried to apologize for actions taken and have said some things that are actually more detrimental to people than the actions taken. They do not see past the nose on their faces. The Devil knows what is coming and has tried to delay through distractions and falsehoods in order to mislead people into believing they are doing what is best for the country and the world. Do not get me wrong, I am just as confused as many but through discernment and the eyes of the heart we can tell what is going on. 

Brothers and Sisters these are trying times and we need to Keep God's Word on our Hearts and Minds. God said through The Word and His Prophets that these things would occur. Prepare yourself to have things of the world removed and live as we once did long ago even if it just for a little while until Jesus comes to claim His rule over us.
Let us be in prayer for the world to give up this madness and come to the Kingdom of God.

In the Father's Loving Embrace,
Rob, Servant of God