“You intended to harm me, but God intended it for good to accomplish what is now being done, the saving of many lives.” – Genesis 50:20

Steven Brudnak is pastor of United Baptist Church in West Springfield, Missouri. He said the church was burglarized on July 31, 2014.

Pastor Brudnak says it didn't take long to find out who committed the crime.

"We found out that it was just some young people that were really just getting into some trouble more than wanting to take something,” he said, “One young person that entered is someone that comes to our church on a regular basis the other two have been visitors at times."

The pastor said the three teenagers broke into a filing cabinet… stole candy… and tried to break into the safe. The pastor said they caused about $300 in damage.

"The one young man, the police officer told me they would have took him to jail, he'd be charged as a felon, and I didn't want to see that happen," said Pastor Steven.

The church asked prosecutors to not to press charges. Instead, the church will work with the teens to resolve the issue. The boys paid for the broken filing cabinet, the church provided counseling for the teen, and in the process all will learn the power of forgiveness.

"If we don't practice what we preach then we might as well not even be here," said Pastor Steven.

The Lord has every circumstance under control. We need to be Christ-like at all times realizing our reaction can bring glory to the Lord. Today in prayer, praise the Lord that He is Lord of all and seek to find the purpose for all circumstances.

“There is nothing, no circumstance, no trouble, no testing, that can ever touch me until, first of all, it has gone past God and past Christ, right through to me. If it has come that far, it has come with a great purpose, which I may not understand at the moment, but as I refuse to become panicky, as I lift up my eyes to him and accept it as coming from the throne of God for some great purpose of blessing to my own heart, no sorrow will ever disturb me, no trial will ever disarm me, no circumstance will cause me to fret, for I shall rest in the joy of what my Lord is.” – Alan Redpath

God’s Word: “And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose.” – Romans 8:28

By Peter Kennedy, Copyright 2015, Devotional E-Mail   

DEVOTIONS IN GENESIS

“They should collect all the food of these good years that are coming and store up the grain under the authority of Pharaoh, to be kept in the cities for food. This food should be held in reserve for the country, to be used during the seven years of famine that will come upon Egypt, so that the country may not be ruined by the famine.” – Genesis 41:35-36

Dave Ramsey is a popular Christian financial author, radio host, television personality, and motivational speaker. The one area where most financial advisors agree with Dave is in the area of saving.

Dave’s first “baby step” in accomplishing financial freedom is people need to save away $1000. “An emergency fund is for those unexpected events in life that you can’t plan for: the loss of a job, an unexpected pregnancy, a faulty car transmission, and the list goes on and on.” The $1000 is just the start of an emergency fund.

The next step is to pay off all debt, except for a home mortgage. And then his third step is to have 3 to 6 months to live on in savings. Dave states: “Use this money for emergencies only: incidents that would have a major impact on you and your family. Keep these savings in a money market account. Remember, this stash of money is not an investment; it is insurance you’re paying to yourself, a buffer between you and life.”

The Lord wants us to wisely use the resources He gives us. One good habit of stewardship is developing the habit of saving. Today in prayer, ask the Lord how you can better develop the habit of saving and being a good steward of all He has given you.

“If money be not thy servant, it will be thy master.” – Francis Bacon

God’s Word: “Go to the ant, you sluggard; consider its ways and be wise! It has no commander, no overseer or ruler, yet it stores its provisions in summer and gathers its food at harvest.” – Proverbs 6:6-8

By Peter Kennedy, Copyright 2015, Devotional E-Mail   

DEVOTIONS IN GENESIS

“The chief cupbearer, however, did not remember Joseph; he forgot him.” – Genesis 40:23

Stephen Richey, who works for a research firm in Indianapolis, wrote about a recent flight that was diverted because someone on board suffered a severe asthma attack. After making the unexpected landing, an irate passenger made a beeline toward the flight attendants treating the sick passenger and demanded they take off immediately.

"This is ruining my vacation," screamed the passenger. When she refused to return to her seat, she was expelled from the flight.

"The best part was all of the cheering as she was escorted off, still cursing and resisting, despite being handcuffed after spitting in the face of one of the officers," said Richey.

Experts say the selfish behavior flares up during periods of high anxiety, like summer and during the holidays. But it's hard to escape the feeling that our "me first!" attitude is gaining traction, and even harder to know who is to blame for it.

Elevated stress levels make travelers lapse into "survival" mode, leading to rude or self-centered behavior, said Erin Olivo, an assistant professor of medical psychology at Columbia University.

"In this state people are highly reactive and self-focused. They are hyper-vigilant about potential threats to their comfort or safety, and they don't care about anyone else," said Dr. Olivo.

“Me first” might be our sin nature, but we can give that sin to the Lord. Today in prayer, ask Jesus to remind you of all who have helped you recently and then be sure to thank them.

“You can easily judge the character of others by how they treat those who can do nothing for them or to them.” – Malcolm Forbes

God’s Word: “People will be lovers of themselves, lovers of money, boastful, proud, abusive, disobedient to their parents, ungrateful, unholy” – 2 Timothy 3:2

By Peter Kennedy, Copyright 2015, Devotional E-Mail   

DEVOTIONS IN GENESIS

“One day he went into the house to attend to his duties, and none of the household servants was inside. She caught him by his cloak and said, "Come to bed with me!" But he left his cloak in her hand and ran out of the house.” – Genesis 39:11-12

Ron DeHaas is the founder of Covenant Eyes, a company that promotes accountability and filters online pornography. What the company offers is transparency. The software tracks the browsing activity on computers, smartphones and tablets and compiles reports that parents, wives, husbands, pastors and friends eventually read.

The company’s mission statement is:

"What people do online impacts their lives offline. It is our goal to equip people with tools that provide protection and encourage accountability and trust in the fight against Internet temptation. We bridge the gap between technology and relationships."

Ron is a committed Christian. He has seen how falling into the sin of pornography can ruin families. Most of Covenant Eyes' customers are families. But an overlapping 40% are "men who want accountability for themselves," Ron said, "recognizing that, even if they don't have a problem, there's still a temptation out there and they don't want the temptation."

Temptation is always lurking to cause us to stumble. Thanks be to God, in Jesus Christ we have a protector who helps us resist sin. Today in prayer, thank the Lord that He has overcome the world and seek Him whenever you are tempted.

"If you are not seeking the Lord, the Devil is seeking you.  If you are not seeking the Lord, judgment is at your heels." - Charles H. Spurgeon

God’s Word: “No temptation has seized you except what is common to man. And God is faithful; he will not let you be tempted beyond what you can bear. But when you are tempted, he will also provide a way out so that you can stand up under it.” – 1 Corinthians 10:13

By Peter Kennedy, Copyright 2015, Devotional E-Mail   

DEVOTIONS IN GENESIS

“Jacob set up a stone pillar at the place where God had talked with him, and he poured out a drink offering on it; he also poured oil on it.” – Genesis 35:14

In January 2013, a six-foot-high memorial, in the shape of an iPhone, was erected outside a St. Petersburg, Russian college.

In the courtyard of St. Petersburg’s National Research University of Information Technologies, Mechanics and Optics stands the monument to American Steve Jobs, the founder of Apple Inc.

Representatives of the city’s administration and Steve Jobs’ associate Timothy Dion attended the opening ceremony of the multimedia memorial.

The design, chosen through a competition, is the work of Gleb Tarasov. The screen displays a slideshow of Jobs' life. Move around to the back and you'll find see a website commemorating Jobs.

The Jobs monument is not Eastern Europe’s only monument to a digital technology giant: Last month the town of Słubice in Poland inaugurated its “Wikipedia Monument,” a fiberglass and resin sculpture devoted to the open source encyclopedia.

In this world that remembers all sorts of people and things, lets remember Jesus and have faith in Him in all that we do. Today in prayer, remember what the Lord has done for you and seek to build upon that faith in Him.

"The tumult and the shouting dies; The captains and the kings depart; Still stands Thine ancient sacrifice, a humble and a contrite heart. Lord God of hosts, be with us yet, Lest we forget - lest we forget!" - Rudyard Kipling

God’s Word: “Remember Jesus Christ, raised from the dead, descended from David. This is my gospel” – 2 Timothy 2:8

By Peter Kennedy, Copyright 2015, Devotional E-Mail   

DEVOTIONS IN GENESIS

“Then Esau looked up and saw the women and children. ‘Who are these with you?’ he asked. Jacob answered, ‘They are the children God has graciously given your servant.’” – Genesis 33:5

Gil and Kelly Jo Bates both grew up in South Carolina. They were married in 1987 at ages 22 and 20. As evangelical Christians, early in their marriage they decided that they would not use birth control, instead "let[ting] the Lord decide how many children we would have".

The couple settled in Tennessee. They have nineteen children, nine boys and ten girls, all of who were born singly; there have been no multiple births.

The Bates family house has 4,000 square feet of space, including five bedrooms, eight bathrooms and two kitchens, as well as a schoolroom for the children's homeschooling.

“We actually thought that we wouldn’t have many children but God just showed us how precious children are,” Kelly Jo said. “The Bible says they [children] are blessed.”

The family was asked to do a reality television show. “We had kind of shied away from doing a reality show,” Gil said.  “But after being on the show with the Duggars a few times we got so much response about people asking questions about family and the choices we made we thought if somehow our mistakes and successes…could be encouragement to someone else that we thought maybe we could use it as a platform for other people to love God, love their family and love others.”

Children are a precious gift of the Lord. Today in prayer, thank the Lord for the children in your life.

"Children are our most valuable natural resource." - Herbert Hoover

God’s Word: “Sons are a heritage from the LORD, children a reward from him.” – Psalm 127:3

By Peter Kennedy, Copyright 2015, Devotional E-Mail   

DEVOTIONS IN GENESIS

“I am unworthy of all the kindness and faithfulness you have shown your servant. I had only my staff when I crossed this Jordan, but now I have become two groups.” – Genesis 32:10

Brian Mori of Miami Springs, Florida found himself with more than $14,000 in credit card debt. It began causing problems in his marriage.

“I had just begun my new walk with Christ, and He allowed me to realize that Satan was trying to attack me and bring me down. I began listening to a Christian radio program about money. I kept hearing people in my similar situation getting and staying out of debt while, at the same time, staying faithful to God and being good stewards. Although I slipped many times, I tried to stay faithful to God and give Him 10% as I paid down the debt through making sacrifices while living paycheck to paycheck.

I continued praying and reading Christian books about debt and finances, as well as taking a finance class at my church. All of these resources showed me that only God can allow us to get out of situations we have gotten ourselves into, and we need to remain faithful to Him and do as He asks.

I now fully understand Malachi 3:10 where God talks about opening the floodgates of Heaven and pouring His blessings on those who are good stewards. One of the things I learned from this situation is that if we just ask God to give us a content heart, He will, and He will keep us from falling into the traps of needing earthly possessions.

I am blessed to say that it took a couple of years, but my family and I are now free and clear of the $14,000 credit card debt. We will forever remain faithful to God and keep being good stewards and managers of His money. Our goal now is to pay off all of our debt and ask God what He wants us to do for Him.”

The Lord wants to shower us with lovingkindness. We first need to be obedient and earnestly follow Him. Today in prayer, ask the Lord to give you guidance on how to be faithful to Him, and follow Jesus with all of your heart.

“God is more anxious to bestow upon us his blessings on us than we are to receive them.” – Augustine

God’s Word: “The blessing of the LORD brings wealth, and he adds no trouble to it.” – Proverbs 10:22

By Peter Kennedy, Copyright 2015, Devotional E-Mail   

DEVOTIONS IN GENESIS

“You know that I've worked for your father with all my strength, yet your father has cheated me by changing my wages ten times. However, God has not allowed him to harm me.” – Genesis 31:6-7

Bobby Evans, is the assistant general manager with the San Francisco Giants baseball team. He is also a Christian and he seeks to honor Christ in the workplace.

"You want your life to point people to Christ," Bobby said. "It starts for me with my own relationship with Christ. That's going to direct and dictate what influence I have for Christ in my family, in my marriage and in the workplace."

A member of First Baptist Church in San Francisco for 21 years, Bobby gave his life to the Lord as a 7-year-old living in Massachusetts. He has been in his current role with the Giants since 2006. Among his duties are negotiating all major league player contracts, helping acquire free agents and signing minor league talent.

Despite pressure to be dishonest in contract negotiations, Bobby said he wants to be known for truthfulness.

"One of the common things in contract negotiations is to have a fudge factor in the sense of what you might tell an agent or express to a player not being entirely accurate," he said. But "the last thing I ever wanted was to have anyone ever be able to say that we didn't fulfill what we promised."

Bobby added, "It's really about integrity and about being able to be trusted by a given agent or for players to feel like you're going to be honest with them."

One of the best places to exhibit God’s love is being fair and just in the workplace. Today in prayer, ask the Lord how you can increase fairness and justice in your place of work.

“Injustice anywhere is a threat to justice everywhere.” – Martin Luther King, Jr.

God’s Word: “Anyone who does wrong will be repaid for his wrong, and there is no favoritism.” – Colossians 3:25

By Peter Kennedy, Copyright 2015, Devotional E-Mail   

DEVOTIONS IN GENESIS

“I am with you and will watch over you wherever you go, and I will bring you back to this land. I will not leave you until I have done what I have promised you.” – Genesis 28:15

On February 2, 2014, Super Bowl 48 was played at MetLife Stadium in East Rutherford, New Jersey. Security preparations began four years earlier.

New Jersey State Police revealed that up to 700 troopers were assigned to patrols in and around the stadium. The National Football League committed another 3,000 private security officers to bolster security there as well.

The New York Police Department quietly installed about 200 temporary surveillance cameras in midtown Manhattan to help spot trouble along "Super Bowl Boulevard," a 13-block street fair on Broadway that's expected to draw large crowds during the windup to the game.

Additionally, there were bomb-sniffing dogs, biometric face recognition cameras, and other security monitoring the event. But with all of the security in place, the top New York Police Department police officer, Philip Banks, could only say: "We are relatively confident that everything will go fine."

Only the Lord can see us and protect us, no matter what situation we face. Today in prayer, thank the Lord that you are always in His sight.

“God is always near you and with you; leave Him not alone.” – Brother Lawrence

God’s Word: “the LORD will watch over your coming and going both now and forevermore.” – Psalm 121:8

By Peter Kennedy, Copyright 2015, Devotional E-Mail   

DEVOTIONS IN GENESIS

“Esau held a grudge against Jacob because of the blessing his father had given him. He said to himself, ‘The days of mourning for my father are near; then I will kill my brother Jacob.’” – Genesis 27:41

Matthew Mundschau, from Milwaukee, Wisconsin had a habit of carrying grudges.  He kept a detailed mental checklist of every single person who had ever wronged him. Then one day in 2003, Mundschau decided it was time to pay back some of the people on his grudge list.

So he grabbed his fluorescent spray paint, headed to the first address on his list and proceeded to cover the house with obscenities, threats, and taunts. What had the homeowner done? Mundschau blamed the 75-year-old owner of the house for getting him fired from a menial supermarket job ... 10 years earlier.

But Mundschau wasn't done. Next he found the house of a man who had intervened in a fight Mundschau was having with a girl in a parking lot five years earlier. He not only spray painted the house, but also dumped all the potted plants into the hot tub. After Matthew finished that home, he paused just long enough to slash a few car tires before moving along.

At a third house, he apparently ran out of spray paint and switched instead to paint stripper, which he dumped all over the cars parked at or around the house. What did this person do? Mundschau believed she had cut him off in traffic.

Mundschau was charged with three counts of criminal damage and two counts of disorderly conduct.

Grudges hurt the ones holding them. Today in prayer, confess any hurt to the Lord and forgive those who have hurt you.

“To carry a grudge is like being stung to death by one fee.” – William H. Walton

God’s Word: “Do not seek revenge or bear a grudge against one of your people, but love your neighbor as yourself. I am the LORD.” – Leviticus 19:18

By Peter Kennedy, Copyright 2015, Devotional E-Mail   

DEVOTIONS IN GENESIS

“Prepare me the kind of tasty food I like and bring it to me to eat, so that I may give you my blessing before I die.” – Genesis 27:4

In November 2014, Pastor Laura Truax surprised her Chicago church congregation with a bold announcement: She was about to hand out money to everyone.

LaSalle Street Church had received a tidy $1.6 million from a real estate deal, the pastor said, and $160,000 — a typical 10 percent tithe — would be divided among some 320 regular attendees. Each would get a $500 check to do something positive.

LaSalle, a non-denominational church, has long been involved in social causes, from feeding homeless families to buying an ambulance for a medical clinic in Niger.

Randy Dill said: "I wanted a 100 percent return on my investment."

He slowed down to conduct a careful search for a place to bless the unemployed and those trying to boost their skills to earn more money.

Randy decided to give to a nonprofit that helps low-income people with worker training, financial coaching and other services so they can be self-sufficient.

Randy's wife, Erika, used her $500 to bless needy families at their daughters' public school buy winter clothes for their kids.

"What the money did for us was help open our eyes to some things that we take granted," Randy said. "This was a not-so-subtle reminder how fortunate we are and those things that we have, such as good health, are blessings that are so easy to ignore."

We are blessed to be a blessing to others so they may walk with Jesus Christ. Today in prayer, ask the Lord how you can bless others for Christ’s glory.

“Remember you are very special to God as His precious child. He has promised to complete to complete the good work He has begun in you. As you continue to grow in Him, he will teach you to be a blessing to others.” – Gary Smalley

God’s Word: “By faith Jacob, when he was dying, blessed each of Joseph's sons, and worshiped as he leaned on the top of his staff.” – Hebrews 11:21

By Peter Kennedy, Copyright 2015, Devotional E-Mail   

DEVOTIONS IN GENESIS

“Then he prayed, "O LORD, God of my master Abraham, give me success today, and show kindness to my master Abraham.” – Genesis 24:12

On 9 May 2012, a new model aircraft, the Sukhoi Superjet 100, took off from Halim Perdanakusuma Airport, Jakarta, Indonesia. The aircraft was on a demonstration flight for potential buyers and journalists. The aircraft had a terrain awareness and warning system, but the pilots were not familiar with its operations. The warning systems alarms began to alert the pilots, but they assumed it was malfunctioning. They turned off the warning system because its alarms were distracting to their conversations with potential customers.  

As the pilots were distracted talking to their passengers, they were unaware that they had drifted off course and were operating in close proximity to mountains.

The aircraft crashed into the mountains without making any last minute maneuvers. It killed all 45 people on board.

Our own dead reckoning can prove to be deadly. Today in prayer, take any decisions you are facing to the Lord asking for His direction.

“It is morally impossible to exercise trust in God while there is a failure to wait upon Him for guidance and direction.” – D.E. Hoste

God’s Word: “guide me in your truth and teach me, for you are God my Savior, and my hope is in you all day long” – Psalm 25:5

By Peter Kennedy, Copyright 2015, Devotional E-Mail   

DEVOTIONS IN GENESIS

“Abraham answered, "God himself will provide the lamb for the burnt offering, my son." And the two of them went on together.” – Genesis 22:8

Marv and Marbeth Rosenthal wrote the falling poem entitled “Mary Had A Little Lamb”:

Mary had the little Lamb, who lived before His birth;

Self-existent Son of God, from Heaven He came to Earth. (Micah 5:2)

Mary had the little Lamb; see Him in yonder stall-

Virgin-born Son of God, to save man from the Fall. (Isaiah 7:14)

Mary had the little Lamb, obedient Son of God;

Everywhere the Father led, His feet were sure to trod. (John 6:38)

Mary had the little Lamb, crucified on the tree

The rejected Son of God, He died to set men free. (1 Peter 1:18)

Mary had the little Lamb-men placed Him in the grave,

Thinking they were done with Him; to death He was no slave! (Matthew 28:6)

Mary had the little Lamb, ascended now is He;

All work on Earth is ended, our Advocate to be. (Hebrews 4:14-16)

Mary had the little Lamb-mystery to behold!

From the Lamb of Calvary, a Lion will unfold. (Revelation 5:5,6)

When the Day Star comes again, of this be very sure:

It won’t be Lamb-like silence, but with the Lion’s roar. (Psalm 2:12; Revelation 19:11-16)

The Lord has always provided the lamb, first an animal and then His Son. Today in prayer, praise the Lord for His sacrifice on the Cross. Praise Jesus that His sacrifice was an acceptable offering for our sin.

“Christ’s blood is heaven’s key.” – Thomas Brooks

God’s Word: “The next day John saw Jesus coming toward him and said, ‘Look, the Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world!’” – John 1:29

By Peter Kennedy, Copyright 2015, Devotional E-Mail   

DEVOTIONS IN GENESIS

“Abraham replied, "I said to myself, 'There is surely no fear of God in this place, and they will kill me because of my wife.'” – Genesis 20:11

Many people have fears, but some celebrities have very unique fears. Actor Billy Bob Thornton is afraid of antiques. “Maybe it’s a past life thing and I got beat to death with an old chair,” Thornton once said. “But I’m totally serious. I can’t eat around antiques.” He swears that they make him “gag.”

Talk show host Oprah Winfrey has a fear of chewing gum so extreme that she forbids the substance from even entering the building in which her show is filmed. She’s gone as far as to throw out a dinner plate upon which a guest had left a chewed piece of gum.

Former “Baywatch” television star Pamela Anderson is terrified of her reflection. Not only can she not look at herself in a mirror, she also refuses to watch herself on television.

Finally, actor Matthew McCounaghey is fearful of revolving doors. “I get anxious just being near them,” he said. Additionally, tunnels have been known to give Matthew the willies.

When any type of fear strikes you, look to the Lord. Today in prayer, thank the Lord that He wants to conquer all of your fears.

“Whenever I hear about Christ as Savior it appears that he saves us from sin – and I don’t wish to deny that – but in my experience he does more than that; he releases us from fear, and I think fear is the great killer.” – Ivor Smith-Cameron

God’s Word: “Fear of man will prove to be a snare, but whoever trusts in the LORD is kept safe.” – Proverbs 29:25

By Peter Kennedy, Copyright 2015, Devotional E-Mail   

DEVOTIONS IN GENESIS

“Then Abraham spoke up again: "Now that I have been so bold as to speak to the Lord, though I am nothing but dust and ashes” – Genesis 18:27

The most effective Chief Executive Officers in the real world, according to a new study from the W.P. Carey School of Business at Arizona State University, are humble.

"Humility is not weakness," said Angelo Kinicki, a professor at Arizona State University. "Humility has its effects across levels of an organization in an empowered, uplifting way. You can't browbeat people into performance."

"Humble people are quieter, more in the background, but they lead in a different way, by empowering their employees, which trickles down," Kinicki said.

Humble bosses are also grateful to their employees. "I appreciate my team members' passion and identification with this company," one CEO told a researcher.

One CEO that was singled out was John Mackey of Whole Foods. He announced in 2006 that he was chopping his salary to $1, putting caps on executive pay, and setting up a $100,000 emergency fund for staff facing personal problems.

Kinicki summarized his findings, "It's time we understood that humility isn't a sign of weakness or lacking confidence, but rather, a good thing that can benefit us all."

The Lord wants us to be humble and to seek Him in all that we do. Today in prayer, bow before the Lord, confessing any sin in your life, and humbly asking Him what He would have you to do.

“We can never have more of true faith than we have of true humility.” – Andrew Murray

God’s Word: “Young men, in the same way be submissive to those who are older. All of you, clothe yourselves with humility toward one another, because, "God opposes the proud but gives grace to the humble." Humble yourselves, therefore, under God's mighty hand, that he may lift you up in due time.”  – 1 Peter 5:5-6

By Peter Kennedy, Copyright 2015, Devotional E-Mail   

DEVOTIONS IN GENESIS

“Abram believed the LORD, and he credited it to him as righteousness.” – Genesis 15:6

Six-year old Liam Osborne says his prayers nightly. In 2014 his father Scott was deployed to Afghanistan. He was not due back in the U.S. until May 2015. But little Liam was a child who believed God would answer his prayers. “We prayed for protection and we prayed for daddy to come home,” he said. Liam wanted his dad home by Christmas 2014.

In late 2014, the Army decided to downsize and Scott was allowed to return to his home in South Webster, Ohio just before Christmas.

He surprised his son by landing in a helicopter at his school.

The chopper set down and Scott headed toward his son. He was ecstatic, “It was like an out-of-body experience really. It was awesome.” Liam’s dad was humbled by his son’s faith, “You know if he can have that kind of faith and he can be so sure his prayers are going to be answered, then we all should … God always answers our prayers. It may not always be the way we think we want it to be but fortunately in this case for him and for us His will was our wish. It worked out really well.”

When we have faith in Christ, He will answer our prayers. Today in prayer, thank Jesus that He is a rewarder of all who have faith in Him.

"Faith is rest in Another." - H. Orton Wiley

God’s Word: “What does the Scripture say? ‘Abraham believed God, and it was credited to him as righteousness.’” - Romans 4:3

By Peter Kennedy, Copyright 2015, Devotional E-Mail   

DEVOTIONS IN GENESIS

“Then they said, "Come, let us build ourselves a city, with a tower that reaches to the heavens, so that we may make a name for ourselves and not be scattered over the face of the whole earth." – Genesis 11:4

In a genre that includes 50 Cent and Diddy, it’s no small feat that Kayne West is now known as the biggest egomaniac in the hip-hop world. West has called himself the “voice of this generation,” which might be why he felt justified in interrupting Taylor Swift’s acceptance speech at the 2009 MTV Video Music Awards to tell her and the millions of other people watching that Beyoncé deserved the award more than Swift. That’s when his narcissism went from being mildly amusing to downright disgusting. But perhaps there’s hope yet—at the 2010 VMAs, he said that he wrote a song specifically for Swift: “I wrote a song … that’s so beautiful and I want her to have it. If she won’t take it then I’ll perform it for her,” he wrote on Twitter.

One of West’s most self-centered quotes is: “I am God’s vessel. But my greatest pain in life is that I will never be able to see myself perform live.”

There is a danger in trying to “make a name for ourselves.”  Today in prayer, humbly come before the Lord and ask how you can glorify His name.

"Oh, beware! Do not seek to be something! Let me be nothing, and Christ be all in all." - John Wesley

God’s Word: “Do nothing out of selfish ambition or vain conceit, but in humility consider others better than yourselves.” – Philippians 2:3

By Peter Kennedy, Copyright 2015, Devotional E-Mail   

DEVOTIONS IN GENESIS

“Noah did everything just as God commanded him.” – Genesis 6:22

In an article entitled “Trust and Obey,” Pastor Charles Stanley wrote the following: “When the Lord calls you to a task that seems unreasonable, you have two options. You can obey Him even though you don't understand what will happen, or you can become fearful and attempt to find a way out. Joshua chose the first option. Because he trusted the Lord, he disregarded all his military experience and adopted God's bizarre battle plan. Over the years, he had learned that the Lord is trustworthy.

The way we respond to God's challenging assignments reveals our level of commitment. We may feel as if we're right in step with Him--until He proposes a change of direction. That's when our resistance kicks in, and with it, the realization we aren't as close to Him as we thought. At that point, our decision determines whether the Lord will be able to use us as He desires. Because Joshua never lost his commitment, he continued to serve the Lord for the remainder of his life.

At times obedience is a struggle, as your mind runs through all the reasons God's path is illogical. Fear dominates and your will battles to comply when everything within is screaming to run the other way. But obedience is always the best choice, because the Lord is trustworthy and wise.”

The Lord does have a purpose for our lives and we need to trust Him even when it may be a struggle. Today in prayer, thank the Lord for His purpose for you and seek to do all that He has you to do.

"Obedience is the fruit of faith; patience the bloom on the fruit."  - Christina Rossetti

God’s Word: “We demolish arguments and every pretension that sets itself up against the knowledge of God, and we take captive every thought to make it obedient to Christ.” – 2 Corinthians 10:5

By Peter Kennedy, Copyright 2015, Devotional E-Mail   

DEVOTIONS IN GENESIS

“The LORD saw how great man's wickedness on the earth had become, and that every inclination of the thoughts of his heart was only evil all the time.” – Genesis 6:5

The Pontic Genocide is one of the darkest moments in history, not only for Greeks but for all mankind.

It was the systematic ethnic cleansing of the Christian Ottoman Greek population from its historic homeland in Asia Minor, central Anatolia, Pontus, and the former Russian Caucasus province of Kars Oblast. It began in World War I and continued until 1923. It was instigated by the government of the Ottoman Empire against the Greek population of the Empire and it included massacres, forced deportations involving death marches, summary expulsions, arbitrary execution, and the destruction of Christian Orthodox cultural, historical, and religious monuments.

The Genocide erased from its ancestral and historic homeland in Pontus a culturally vibrant and unique part of the Greek population that had been fighting for its survival for about 3,000 years. An estimated 353,000 Pontian Greeks were killed during the genocide, and about 1,100,000 Greek Orthodox Christians from Asia Minor (modern day Turkey) were relocated to Greece in the population exchange of 1923. To this day, the Turkish government still denies the specific genocide.

Our natural inclination is toward wickedness. It is only through the grace of the Lord that we are saved. Today in prayer, confess any sin in your heart and seek to follow Christ in all you do.

"Many have puzzled themselves about the origin of evil. I am content to observe that there is evil, and that there is a way to escape from it, and with this I begin and end." - John Newton

God’s Word: “All have turned aside, they have together become corrupt; there is no one who does good, not even one.” – Psalm 14:3

By Peter Kennedy, Copyright 2015, Devotional E-Mail   

DEVOTIONS IN GENESIS

“And I will put enmity between you and the woman, and between your offspring and hers; he will crush your head, and you will strike his heel.” – Genesis 3:15

In 1999, the town of Greece, New York, a town near Rochester, started each Town Board public meetings with a prayer from a “chaplain of the month.” Town officials said that members of all faiths, and atheists, were welcome to give the opening prayer.

Many the chaplains were Christian. And “Roughly two-thirds contained references to ‘Jesus Christ,’ ‘Jesus,’ ‘Your Son’ or the ‘Holy Spirit.’”

Two town residents sued, saying the prayers ran afoul of the First Amendment’s prohibition of the government establishment of religion.

The case went through the court system until it reached the U.S. Supreme Court. The highest court in the land ruled that explicitly Christian prayers at government meetings do not violate the establishment clause of the First Amendment.

Justice Anthony Kennedy wrote for the majority: “Once it invites prayer into the public sphere, government must permit a prayer giver to address his or her own God or gods as conscience dictates, unfettered by what an administrator or judge considers to be nonsectarian.”

No other name has aroused such passion as that of Jesus. Today in prayer, praise the Lord that in Jesus Christ we have eternal life and may your faith in Christ bring hope to a lost world.

“That there is a continual conflict between God's people and him. Heaven and hell can never be reconciled, no more can Satan and a sanctified soul.” – John Wesley

God’s Word: “The field is the world, and the good seed stands for the sons of the kingdom. The weeds are the sons of the evil one” – Matthew 13:38

By Peter Kennedy, Copyright 2015, Devotional E-Mail   

DEVOTIONS IN GENESIS

“For this reason a man will leave his father and mother and be united to his wife, and they will become one flesh.” – Genesis 2:24

In 2000, 7-year old Tyrel Wolfe from Midvale, Idaho put together a shoebox for Operation Christmas Child sponsored by the Christian organization Samaritan’s Purse. The shoebox was given to a little Filipina girl named Joana at a vacation bible school in Quezon City, a suburb of Manila. Included in the box was a small photo of a little boy in a cowboy shirt holding a lariat. The boy had included his name and address.

She wanted to write and tell him how the box had impacted her. Although Joana mailed the young blonde boy a letter, he never received it.

Eleven years later, Joana still felt a need to thank the boy for the meaningful shoebox. Using Facebook, she was able to track down Tyrel. They conversed online for a few months and then in June 2013 Tyrel flew to the Philippines to meet Joana. They continued their online/in person relationship until they were married in Idaho in October 2014.

The couple asked wedding guests to provide shoeboxes for children in need. Then the newlyweds hand delivered the boxes to the Philippine Christian aid group’s headquarters, bringing their own shoebox journey full circle.

God established marriage so that He may be glorified. Today in prayer, give thanks to the Lord for establishing marriage.

“Chains do not hold a marriage together. It is threads, hundreds of tiny threads, which sew people together through the years." – Simone Signoret

God’s Word: “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'?” – Matthew 19:5

By Peter Kennedy, Copyright 2015, Devotional E-Mail   

DEVOTIONS IN GENESIS

“God saw all that he had made, and it was very good. And there was evening, and there was morning--the sixth day.” – Genesis 1:31

Dr. Fred Hoyle, an atheist and Darwinist, was a British astronomer. After years of study and observation, he came to the understanding that there was a high structure and order in the universe.  He concluded that there was a “guiding hand” in the universe and it left him "greatly shaken."

It was Dr. Hoyle who coined the term “Big Bang Theory,” a theory he dismissed. “A common sense interpretation of the facts suggests that a superintellect has monkeyed with physics,” he exclaimed.

As Dr. Hoyle saw it, the beginning of the universe was not a “Big Bang” chaotic explosion, but rather a very highly ordered event “one that could not have occurred by random chance.”

He stated: "the probability of life originating at random is so utterly miniscule as to make the random concept absurd."

It was Dr. Hoyle who compared the random emergence of even the simplest cell to the likelihood that "a tornado sweeping through a junk-yard might assemble a Boeing 747 from the materials therein."

The simplest of life forms is far more complex than we can comprehend. Today in prayer, praise Jesus for this New Year and that He is the Creator of all.

"The world is not here by chance, nor is human life a biological accident.  God brought it all into existence." - Billy Graham

God’s Word: “How many are your works, O LORD! In wisdom you made them all; the earth is full of your creatures.” – Psalm 104:24

By Peter Kennedy, Copyright 2015, Devotional E-Mail   

DEVOTIONS IN GENESIS