Do you hold fast to your testimony about Jesus?

Be Still . . .
Devotionals for Daily Living ©

Then the dragon was enraged at the woman and went off to wage war against the rest of her offspring—those who keep God’s commands and hold fast their testimony about Jesus.
(Revelation 12:17 (NIV))

There is a disagreement among believers about the timeline of this event and who will be here when it happens. Regardless of the occurrence and who will be here, I want to ask you a question. If this were to happen today, would you be ignored by the dragon or would the dragon wage war against you?

I realize that this sounds like a simple question, but your honest answer, or should I say the Lord’s honest answer, will determine so much of your future.

Do you keep God’s commands?

I realize that we are only human, and as such, we are not capable in our own strength of achieving this. With that in mind, is it your desire to do what God desires for you? Do you feel remorse and guilt when you fail?

Do you hold fast to your testimony about Jesus?

This testimony is much more than just stating that Jesus was a good man or that He was a prophet. This testimony proclaims that Jesus is the only begotten Son of God. This testimony proclaims God’s redemptive plan of salvation.

For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life. For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but to save the world through him. Whoever believes in him is not condemned, but whoever does not believe stands condemned already because they have not believed in the name of God’s one and only Son. This is the verdict: Light has come into the world, but people loved darkness instead of light because their deeds were evil. Everyone who does evil hates the light, and will not come into the light for fear that their deeds will be exposed. But whoever lives by the truth comes into the light, so that it may be seen plainly that what they have done has been done in the sight of God.
(John 3:16-21 (NIV))

Do you hold fast to John 3:16? Do you proclaim this as your testimony? If you do, rest assured that the dragon is waging war against you, but you must also rest assured that God will fulfill His promises and defeat the dragon.

Do you hold fast to your testimony about Jesus?

Copyright 1998 – 2020 Dennis J. Smock
Daily Living Ministries, Inc.
http://www.dailylivingministries.org
Subscribe to daily email delivery
Visit us on facebook

Are you prepared for what you may face?

Be Still . . .
Devotionals for Daily Living

Blessed are those who are persecuted because of righteousness, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.
(Matthew 5:10 (NIV))

Many people in the church today have not been prepared for what is coming. Far too many people have been told that following Jesus is easy and everything in your life will begin to get better if you follow Jesus. I need to clarify something at this point and admit that God will begin to work things for your good when you start to follow Jesus. These things are probably best explained as a fresh manifestation of the fruit of the Spirit in your life.

But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, forbearance, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control. Against such things there is no law.
(Galatians 5:22-23 (NIV))

When these things are present in your life, people notice. They will be drawn to you because they see something that they desire in their own lives. This is the prime opportunity to share the Gospel, to share the source of your love, joy, and peace.

Sadly, when this happens, the enemy also takes notice. He will muster all resources to keep you from sharing the Gospel, for he knows that you have a powerful witness that must be stopped.

Hold fast!

Stand firm!

Do not allow the threat of ridicule or persecution keep you from following Jesus.

We are all familiar with the accounts of what the disciples and the early church had to endure. We may never have to face the same things that the disciples and the early Christians had to face, but what if we do? Are you prepared to completely place your faith in Jesus no matter the worldly consequences? Are you willing to stand firm and tell the world that you believe in Jesus and nothing that they can do will make you change your mind?

Are you prepared for what you may face?

Copyright 1998 – 2019 Dennis J. Smock
Daily Living Ministries, Inc.
http://www.dailylivingministries.org
Subscribe to daily email delivery
Visit us on facebook

Hold on to what you have!

Be Still . . .
Devotionals for Daily Living

I am coming soon. Hold on to what you have, so that no one will take your crown. Him who overcomes I will make a pillar in the temple of my God. Never again will he leave it. I will write on him the name of my God and the name of the city of my God, the new Jerusalem, which is coming down out of heaven from my God; and I will also write on him my new name. He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches.
(Revelation 3:11-13 (NIV))

Hold on to what you have!

Have you honestly given thought to what you do have? What was the first thing that came to mind when you read that question? Was it your home? Perhaps it was your car. Perhaps you are not as material obsessed and what you thought of was your family. Perhaps you even went to the point of thinking about your life and all that you have been blessed with.

Now, step back and take a look at all of these things through the eyes of God. Did He send Jesus to die on the cross so that you could have a nice home or a nice car? Did He send Jesus so that you could have a loving family? Do you honestly think that Jesus came so that you could live your life in any manner that you choose?

Jesus came to offer to us the most prized possession that we could ever be given. He came to offer us salvation from our sins and the laws of sin and death. If you profess Jesus as your personal Lord and Savior, then that is what you have. It is a possession that cannot be taken away, but it can be relinquished by turning away. It can be lost by not recognizing the tricks and lies of the enemy and turning to these life robbing sins once more. Professing a belief in Jesus as your Lord and Savior is only the beginning. It is a starting point, but it is not the finish line of the race. Paul often spoke of faith in Jesus as a race, a race that we must not only start, but one that we must finish.

Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a great cloud of witnesses, let us throw off everything that hinders and the sin that so easily entangles, and let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us. Let us fix our eyes on Jesus, the author and perfecter of our faith, who for the joy set before him endured the cross, scorning its shame, and sat down at the right hand of the throne of God. Consider him who endured such opposition from sinful men, so that you will not grow weary and lose heart.
(Hebrews 12:1-3 (NIV))

We cannot sign up to run the race and then sit on the sidelines. We will not receive the prize. We must hold on to what we have. We must embrace what we have been given. We must not allow anything or anyone to keep us from the finish that will allow us to receive the prize.

Hold on to what you have!

Copyright 1998 – 2019 Dennis J. Smock
Daily Living Ministries, Inc.
http://www.dailylivingministries.org
Subscribe to daily email delivery
Visit us on facebook

Are you embracing worldly passions or suffering for your faith?

Be Still . . .
Devotionals for Daily Living ^©

For the grace of God that brings salvation has appeared to all men. It teaches us to say “No” to ungodliness and worldly passions, and to live self-controlled, upright and godly lives in this present age, while we wait for the blessed hope–the glorious appearing of our great God and Savior, Jesus Christ, who gave himself for us to redeem us from all wickedness and to purify for himself a people that are his very own, eager to do what is good.
(Titus 2:11-14 (NIV))

Have we forgotten how to say “No” to ungodliness and worldly passions?

I see so many things going on in this world that makes me wonder if the Body of Christ is having any influence or if the world is influencing us.

Take a serious look at your life. Are there things that have crept in and slowly taken over? Have you lost the self-control that you may have once had? Do you find yourself forgetting godliness and righteousness because you have become too close to the world?

I have a question for your personal reflection.

Have you stopped longing for the return of Jesus?

Perhaps you are someone who does not want Jesus to return for His Bride because you are having too much fun in this world.

Do you truly embrace the grace that has been given to us, or are you still clinging to things of this world? What worldly passion keeps you from the full realization of God’s grace?

We never know when our life will end. We never know at what moment Jesus will return. We should never allow a distraction that is fleeting keep us from eternal salvation. We must truly live our lives each and every moment as if it were to be our last. We must live out our faith as if it is the most important thing in our lives.

I read something today that I want to share with you about faith, focus and worldly passions. It was about placing your faith in the wrong place and how it can lead to worldly passions, even in the Body of Christ. If the only reason that we profess a faith is because we believe that our faith will bring blessings, do we really have faith? God did not promise financial blessings. He did not promise an easy life. We have been told that truly following Jesus would cause tribulation, or stress, within our lives.

Following God has never been easy. Noah could have taken the easy way out. Moses had to flee. Joseph was tossed into a well and then sold into slavery. Jesus went to the cross. Why do we think that we will have financial blessings and an easy life if we turn our back upon worldly passions. We will be attacked by the enemy. We need to prepare for it. Today’s church has forgotten that the church was birthed through suffering, and that if we are true to our calling, we will be in the middle of it at every turn.

Dear friends, do not be surprised at the painful trial you are suffering, as though something strange were happening to you. But rejoice that you participate in the sufferings of Christ, so that you may be overjoyed when his glory is revealed. If you are insulted because of the name of Christ, you are blessed, for the Spirit of glory and of God rests on you. If you suffer, it should not be as a murderer or thief or any other kind of criminal, or even as a meddler. However, if you suffer as a Christian, do not be ashamed, but praise God that you bear that name. For it is time for judgment to begin with the family of God; and if it begins with us, what will the outcome be for those who do not obey the gospel of God?
(1 Peter 4:12-17 (NIV))

Are you eager to do what is good even if you will suffer?

Copyright 1998 – 2014 Dennis J. Smock
Daily Living Ministries, Inc.
http://www.dailylivingministries.org
Subscribe to daily email delivery

We are the Body of Christ! We are to press on!

Be Still . . .
Devotionals for Daily Living ^©

“Haven’t you read,” he replied, “that at the beginning the Creator `made them male and female,’ and said, `For this reason a man will leave his father and mother and be united to his wife, and the two will become one flesh’ ? So they are no longer two, but one. Therefore what God has joined together, let man not separate.”
(Matthew 19:4-6 (NIV))

The things that God has put together are under attack by man. Or should I say that they are under attack by the enemy as he lies and tricks man into believing that anything goes?

Think back over your life.

Is there anything that you considered to be unshakable, only now to see it being questioned or completely discarded?

Have you stood up for the biblical principles that used to be the foundation of our society? Have you stood face to face with the enemy as he tries to remove any reference to God from our society? Do we, as the Body of Christ, even try to take a stand or are we so lost in the hope of the Rapture that we forget that we are called to be salt and light where we are?

Many people believe that we are living at the beginning of the times written of in Ezekiel, Daniel and Revelation, and we just might be, but I have a question for you. If you are running a race, do you lose focus once the finish line comes into view? Do you slow down and take it easy because you are almost there? Do you stop altogether and join the spectators to see what will happen?

You persevere!

You complete the task!

To quote Paul in his letter to the church at Phillipi,

I press on toward the goal to win the prize for which God has called me heavenward in Christ Jesus.
(Philippians 3:14 (NIV))

We are called to be salt and light to the world. We are called to finish the race. We are not told to give up when we see good being called evil. We are to model out faith after Paul.

We are the Body of Christ! We are to press on!

Copyright 1998 – 2014 Dennis J. Smock
Daily Living Ministries, Inc.
http://www.dailylivingministries.org
Subscribe to daily email delivery

Do you endure or do you give in?

Be Still . . .
Devotionals for Daily Living ^©

Blessed is the man who endures temptation; for when he has been proved, he will receive the crown of life which the Lord has promised to those who love Him.
(James 1:12 (NKJV))

Temptation is everywhere. Is it really possible for anyone to resist the temptation that they see everywhere they look? Even those who follow God have given in to temptation at some point in their lives.

Take a look at David. The Bible says that he was a man after God’s own heart, yet, in a moment of weakness, he did something that was a direct result of temptation. Even Jesus was tempted. When he was in the desert, Satan tempted Him, yet, Jesus held firm. What was the difference then between David and Jesus?

Only Jesus, as God’s Son, could perfectly resist all temptation. Frail humanity does not have the wisdom and insight that Jesus had due to His direct communication with God the Father. Jesus was perfect. No one else can ever be perfect in this world because of the sin introduced through Adam and Eve.

But, we have the power of forgiveness! God, through His infinite wisdom and mercy gave us His Son, Jesus Christ as a way to wash away the sins of this world. All we have to do is call upon the name of Jesus as our Lord and Savior and the sin results of temptation will be as far from us as the east is from the west.

Do you endure or do you give in?

Copyright 1998 – 2013 Dennis J. Smock
Daily Living Ministries, Inc.
http://www.dailylivingministries.org
Subscribe to daily email delivery

Doubt is a serious crippler of faith!

Be Still . . .
Devotionals for Daily Living ^©

Early in the morning, as he was on his way back to the city, he was hungry. Seeing a fig tree by the road, he went up to it but found nothing on it except leaves. Then he said to it, “May you never bear fruit again!” Immediately the tree withered.

When the disciples saw this, they were amazed. “How did the fig tree wither so quickly?” they asked.

Jesus replied, “I tell you the truth, if you have faith and do not doubt, not only can you do what was done to the fig tree, but also you can say to this mountain, `Go, throw yourself into the sea,’ and it will be done. If you believe, you will receive whatever you ask for in prayer.”
(Matthew 21:18-22 (NIV))

Doubt is a serious crippler of faith. Jesus knew that what He commanded would be done. Yet, the disciples did not understand. Doubt can steal the blessings that God wishes to give us. Do you believe that God can be trusted? Do you believe that God never changes? Do you believe that Jesus was sent of God? If you answered “Yes” to these questions, then there is no room for doubt. Doubt comes from the enemy to deceive us and confuse us. Hold fast to what you know to be true.

Copyright 1998 – 2013 Dennis J. Smock
Daily Living Ministries, Inc.
http://www.dailylivingministries.org
Subscribe to daily email delivery

Are you ready for His return?

Be Still . . .
Devotionals for Daily Living ^©

“Be dressed ready for service and keep your lamps burning, like men waiting for their master to return from a wedding banquet, so that when he comes and knocks they can immediately open the door for him. It will be good for those servants whose master finds them watching when he comes. I tell you the truth, he will dress himself to serve, will have them recline at the table and will come and wait on them. It will be good for those servants whose master finds them ready, even if he comes in the second or third watch of the night. But understand this: If the owner of the house had known at what hour the thief was coming, he would not have let his house be broken into. You also must be ready, because the Son of Man will come at an hour when you do not expect him.”
(Luke 12:35-40 (NIV))

Is Jesus your Lord and master?

Are you ready for His return?

Will He find you prepared and looking for His return?

Things are happening in the world today that appear to be very prominent signs that the season is rapidly approaching when Jesus will return. Are we prepared for His arrival? Will He find us diligent in our faith and living as He taught?

Will we be ready or will we be caught off guard?

The parable that we are told in Luke shows servants who have been assigned the responsibility to keep watch over the house. The gates or doors were locked and the servants who stood watch had the responsibility of alerting the whole household if trouble came or if an important event happened. The return of the master of the house was such an event. It was their responsibility to keep watch for him and to let him in when he arrived.

Are we keeping watch for Jesus?

Will we be ready to let Him in when He arrives?

We do not know the day or the hour, but we can know the season. I pray that the Body of Christ will look beyond their circle of influence and seek to learn what is going on throughout our country and the world. There are things happening that will send you to your knees. We do not have an exclusive claim to Christianity in this country. The Body of Christ is worldwide. The Body of Christ is being persecuted worldwide. Members of the Body of Christ are losing their lives simply because they profess a faith in Jesus.

Are you ready to stand watch? Are you ready to profess Jesus?

Are you ready for His return?

Copyright 1998 – 2013 Dennis J. Smock
Daily Living Ministries, Inc.
http://www.dailylivingministries.org
Subscribe to daily email delivery

Do you fight the good fight?

Be Still . . .
Devotionals for Daily Living ^©

Timothy, my son, I give you this instruction in keeping with the prophecies once made about you, so that by following them you may fight the good fight, holding on to faith and a good conscience. Some have rejected these and so have shipwrecked their faith.
(1 Timothy 1:18-19 (NIV))

Do you fight the good fight?

Do you hold on to your faith no matter what may come your way?

I realize that this is a difficult task to accomplish, especially when the whole world seems to be filled with such bad news. Economic collapse, pirates with speed boats, terrorists, wars and threats of wars are all part of the enemy’s strategy to make you lose focus – to make you lose sight of the one whom you have placed your faith. It is the desire of the enemy to so distract you that you will run aground in the world of sin. He knows that if you take your eyes off of Jesus, that it will be easy to make you lose your course.

What happens if you are driving and you take your eyes off of the road? Now, apply that very same principle to a life in faith. Faith is a long distance journey. Just like on a long distance road trip, a faith journey can find you in times of less focus and perhaps even exhaustion. A life of faith, just like a road trip, will require times when you allow someone else to drive so that you may rest. Just as you feel that the world is beginning to take its toll, completely turn over control to Jesus. He will guide you through whatever you may be facing. Allow Jesus to refresh you and to strengthen your faith. He will always walk with you, but sometimes He will do more if you simply allow it. He will carry you. He will under gird you and lift you up so that you can face whatever the enemy may send your way.

What does a road trip have to do with a shipwreck? What does a shipwreck have to do with fighting? What does fighting have to do with faith? Perhaps it all comes down to a single, yet profoundly simple truth. Do you have the faith and the confidence to trust Jesus in all things? If you do, then He will walk with you in all that you encounter. He will never leave you. The promise made to Joshua still holds true for each of us today.

The LORD himself goes before you and will be with you; he will never leave you nor forsake you. Do not be afraid; do not be discouraged.
(Deuteronomy 31:8 (NIV))

Copyright 1998 – 2013 Dennis J. Smock
Daily Living Ministries, Inc.
http://www.dailylivingministries.org
Subscribe to daily email delivery

Hold fast to Jesus!

Be Still . . .
Devotionals for Daily Living ^©

I am astonished that you are so quickly deserting the one who called you by the grace of Christ and are turning to a different gospel– which is really no gospel at all. Evidently some people are throwing you into confusion and are trying to pervert the gospel of Christ. But even if we or an angel from heaven should preach a gospel other than the one we preached to you, let him be eternally condemned! As we have already said, so now I say again: If anybody is preaching to you a gospel other than what you accepted, let him be eternally condemned!
(Galatians 1:6-9 (NIV))

I came across something today that does not surprise me given the current status of the world and the attack on Christianity from all sides. It is still another false teaching and false gospel that the enemy is using to try and ridicule the church and deceive people.

I have never included live links before, but this particular story merits breaking this practice.

http://flashtrafficblog.wordpress.com/2012/05/24/iran-claims-discovery-of-ancient-gospel-will-prove-islam-and-destroy-christianity/

I include it for one simple reason, and that is to allow you to read about this for yourself.

We live in interesting times.

When I was younger, I could not have imagined the very rapid and drastic turns in society and the world. Tolerance is preached, but those who preach it are not tolerant of Jesus. Love is preached, but those who preach it hate the Body of Christ. Acceptance is preached only as long as it is of alternate lifestyles.

Hold fast to Jesus!

Jesus answered, “I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.”
(John 14:6 (NIV))

If anything is preached that does not profess Jesus as the Son of God, crucified, resurrected and at the right hand of God the Father, do not be deceived. The enemy has many tricks and he has no problems using them to keep you from the grace and mercy that is freely given through Jesus.

Hold fast. Pray. Place your trust in Jesus.

Copyright 1998 – 2012 Dennis J. Smock
Daily Living Ministries, Inc.
http://www.dailylivingministries.org
Subscribe to daily email delivery