“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

Pauline Joyce Hutchison was born in south St. Louis in 1943. Her father went into the army to fight in World War II soon after she was born. When he returned, he abused his daughter. "I was in a terrible mess in my childhood," she said. "Just had so many devastating things happen to me; sexual abuse, verbal abuse, abandonment, just one mess after another. So let's just say by the time I was a young adult, I was really messed up." She graduated from high school and then married a part-time car salesman. The marriage lasted five years. Her husband frequently cheated on her and was abusive. She then visited local bars before meeting Dave Meyer, an engineering draftsman. They were married on January 7, 1967.

Then in 1976, she prayed and gave her life to the Lord.

Today, Joyce Meyer has a gift to share with others. She shares all of the bad experiences of her life with others and lets them know that in Christ there is hope. She is a popular author and speaker with a worldwide ministry.

The Lord can take every horrible situation and turn it into good. Today in prayer, give thanks to Jesus, give Him your hurts and disappointments, and trust Him to turn it into a blessing.  

“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 2012, Devotional E-Mail   

DEVOTIONS IN GENESIS

“‘This is what you are to say to Joseph: I ask you to forgive your brothers the sins and the wrongs they committed in treating you so badly.’ Now please forgive the sins of the servants of the God of your father.” When their message came to him, Joseph wept.” – Genesis 50:17

The Battle of Gettysburg has been called the turning point in the Civil War. More than 150,000 men engaged in the battle with more than 51,000 casualties.

Fifty years after the battle, the “Great Reunion” was held on the battlefield. From June 29 to July 6, 1913, the Union and Confederate flags flew side-by-side when more than 50,000 Civil War veterans convened in Gettysburg, Pennsylvania.

From July 1-3, speeches were made, units marched in parade formation, and parts of the battle were reenacted.

But the majority of the time was catching up with friends who had fought on both sides of the battle.

It was common for a veteran to seek out a man who may have shot him or exchange badges with a soldier from the other side. Two men reportedly purchased a hatchet at a local hardware store, walked it to the site where their regiments fought, and buried it. It was a time of forgiveness and reconciliation.

The Lord desires us to reconcile to God and to our brother. Today in prayer, praise the Lord that you have been reconciled to Him through the Cross. Forgive your brother for past wrongs and be reconciled to him.

“Forgiveness is the giving, and so the receiving, of life.” – George Mac Donald

God’s Word: “And when you stand praying, if you hold anything against anyone, forgive him, so that your Father in heaven may forgive you your sins.” – Mark 11:25

By Peter Kennedy, Copyright 2012, 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

When 11 year old Grace Goldoni of Princeton, New Jersey received her first paycheck as a mother’s helper, she opened a savings account. She then started babysitting and continued to save.  “Then I did lots of retail work” said Grace. “And worked for DoughMain, where I really learned about saving and financial education.”

Grace is now 18 years old, in college, and still saving.

“I don't have a constant amount that I contribute, but when I'm working I'll try to put in at least $50 a month to my savings account. At this point, I'd say I have a little over $300,000 saved up. My parents encourage me, and sometimes they'll match the amount.”

In addition to saving the money she earns or is given as a gift, Grace does side jobs, like tutoring, and sells textbooks and clothing so that she is able to put even more money into her savings.

“Most people my age don't think about saving for retirement, and I see peers and adults alike buying so much more than they can afford. People should really start taking saving more seriously” said Grace.

The Lord wants us to wisely use the resources He gives us it all to us. We need to be good stewards and learn to earn, save, and give wisely. Today in prayer, ask Jesus how you can better develop the habit of saving and being a better steward of all He has blessed 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 2012, Devotional E-Mail   

DEVOTIONS IN GENESIS

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

For over 45 years, Mother Teresa ministered to the poor, sick, orphaned, and dying, while guiding the Missionaries of Charity ministry in India and then in other countries. During that time, she became an expert in understanding human nature. She said the following:

“People are unreasonable, illogical, and self-centered. Love them anyway. If you do good, people may accuse you of selfish motives. Do good anyway. If you are successful, you may win false friends and true enemies. Succeed anyway. The good you do today may be forgotten tomorrow. Do good anyway. Honesty and transparency make you vulnerable. Be honest and transparent anyway. What you spend years building may be destroyed overnight. Build anyway. People who really want help may attack you if you help them. Help them anyway. Give the world the best you have and you may get hurt. Give the world your best anyway.”

Many people will be self-centered and forget you when you can most use their help. Love them anyway. Today in prayer, ask Jesus to remind you of all who have helped you recently and then be sure to thank them.

“If you want to have sustained joy, you have to not only make sure that you think right, but you also have to make decisions now that are going to guarantee some joy in the future. One of the key things for people as far as joy is concerned is not living a selfish, self-centered lifestyle where we live our lives expecting everybody else to do something for us.” – Joyce Meyer

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 2006, 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

In 1995, Justin Armour was drafted out of Stanford University by the Buffalo Bills of the National Football League. The rookie wide receiver, along with some of his veteran teammates, was invited to a preseason party. Justin went, and then realized it was a wild adult party where women were offering sex to any of the guys who wanted it.

"It was the most eye-opening experience I've ever had," Justin said. "I had heard about things like this, but I was so naive. I got out of there as fast as I could!"

Justin is a single Christian guy and has committed himself to the Lord to save sex for marriage.

"I'd rather not have my mind polluted by those things. Once you've been in a couple situations where's there's temptation, you learn how to avoid them and you don't go back."

Justin regularly calls upon his best friend and accountability partner, Steve Stenstrom, to help him battle such temptations. "You need someone to hold you accountable for walking with Christ," said Justin. "Steve does that for me. He knows everything about my life, good and bad, and there's nothing he won't hold me accountable for."

Be prepared for temptation, because it will come. Today in prayer, thank the Lord that He has overcome the world and seek Jesus 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 2012, 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

The USS South Dakota (BB-57) was an American battleship that was commissioned in 1942. The ship participated in battles of Santa Cruz Islands, Guadalcanal, Saipan and Tinian. During one battle alone, it sustained 42 hits from 3 ships and continued to fight on.

After World War II, USS South Dakota went into the reserve fleet. In 1962, the decision was made to scrap the battleship.

The people of South Dakota wanted to memorialize the valor of their namesake ship. A foot-high concrete outline of the ship was poured onto the ground in Sherman Park in Sioux Falls, South Dakota. The ship’s outline is to scale and is 680 feet in length. The ship’s anchor, bell, a massive propeller, and other components are placed around the park within the ship’s outline. There is also an original 16-inch gun (weighing 94 tons) and the ship’s flag mast within the memorial. Videos and placards tell the story of the USS South Dakota. Every year, reunions of the ship’s crew gather on its ‘deck’ to reminisce about the ship.

The Lord brings us through many experiences and it is only right to always remember Him. Today in prayer, remember what Christ has done for you and seek to continue to walk with Him by faith.

"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 2012, 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

Chris and Wendy Jeub live in Monument, Colorado with their 16 children. Chris is president of Training Minds Ministry and owner of Monument Publishing. He co-authors Blue Book, a debate team book, with Vance Trefethen.

Chris and Wendy believed early on that large families are a blessing from the Lord. They wrote the following:

“God has blessed us with over a dozen children. If we were to tell you that it has been an easy road, you’d think we were either super heroes or liars. It hasn’t been easy, but what path in life is? Is the life of no children and all of the world’s treasures (travel, money, fame, pleasure) any easier than a life full of children? Perhaps it is easier, but ease doesn’t equate to fulfillment. Consider this heavily: lying on your death bed, will you treasure your riches you gathered over your lifetime, or will you treasure the surrounding comfort of children, grandchildren, and great-grandchildren?”

Children are a treasure from the Lord. Today in prayer, thank Jesus 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 2012, 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

Yong Chun Kim grew up in South Korea, served in the South Korean Army, and immigrated to the United States. On January 15, 2012, Yong was leading a group of snowshoers in Mount Rainier National Park, in Washington state, when he fell down a slope and became separated.

An experienced hiker, Yong used a walkie-talkie to tell the other group members to continue on without him, trusting they would seek help.

For the next two days, he endured freezing conditions as 30 inches of snow fell. To stay warm, he burned a pair of socks, bandages, a nylon scarf, and six dollars from his wallet.

Yong prayed and walked in circles while singing the hymn 'Amazing Grace' in Korean.

Finally, rescue crews used a Sno-Cat snow vehicle to reach Yong and rescue him.

Yong’s sister-in-law later said: “As soon as we heard he was alive, my sister, his wife, praised God and said ‘Hallelujah’. We were so worried. We prayed every day.”

It is when we have nothing but the Lord that we possess everything. Today in prayer, ask the Lord to give you faith to follow Him in all circumstances and know that He will bless you.

“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 2012, 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

In October 2011, three logistics companies with warehousing operations in Jurupa Valley, California routinely cheated workers of their wages. They also refused to allow them meal breaks and resorted to retaliatory measures if they complained. 

“I went 28 consecutive days without a day off,” said Juan Chavez. “There were no lunch breaks, no rest breaks. I’m here today to demand justice.”

“There are a large amount of abuses against workers there,” said Everardo Carrillo. “I once worked from 7 a.m. to 2 a.m. the next day. We unloaded (truck) containers when conditions were very bad, 110 degrees inside. The pay arrangement was very unorganized. If you asked questions, you could be laid off for two or three days or a week.”

Court papers also alleged that workers would not be compensated for “incidental” assignments, including sweeping the warehouse floor, locating missing boxes, breaking down pallets or filing paperwork.

The California Department of Industrial Relations heavily fined all three logistics companies for mistreating their employees.

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 2012, 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

Lancaster, Pennsylvania has the distinction of having the most surveillance cameras per capita in the United States. For the 54,000 residents, there are more than 165 cameras observing their movements within 4 square miles.

Soon after September 11, 2001, Lancaster outsourced its surveillance to a private nonprofit group that hires civilians to tilt, pan and zoom the cameras -- and to call police if they spot suspicious activity. No government agency is directly involved.

Those monitoring the cameras sit in a room with two 42-inch plasma screens and six smaller ones, each divided into views of different cameras. A joystick allows them to zoom in or move the cameras if they see something unusual. If they do, they call police.

"What they are typically seeing is people in their everyday life going through their business," Morales said. "They're looking for anything out of the ordinary."

The cameras have caught illegal gun sales, DUI accidents, and assaults. But the crime rate has not declined and many crimes are not visible to the cameras.

Nothing escapes the Lord’s notice. He not only looks after us but also protects us. Today in prayer, praise Jesus 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 2012, 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

In Arizona in 1882, some cattle were stolen from James Stinson. Members of the Tewksbury and Graham families were arrested on charges of cattle rustling. After their release, the Graham family and the Tewksburys carried a grudge toward one another. The Grahams, who were cattlemen, continued to bicker with the Tewksburys, who became sheepherders.

Through the years, the two families nursed the grudges they held toward one another. The long-standing argument turned deadly when, in February, 1887, a Navajo Indian employed by the Tewksburys was herding sheep in an area called the Mogollon Rim, a vicinity that had been accepted as the line across which sheep were not permitted. Tom Graham killed the Indian and also destroyed the sheep.

The event sparked the Pleasant Valley War that killed more than 30 people over the next decade.

In 1892, Tom Graham, the last of the Graham faction involved in the feud, was murdered in Tempe, Arizona. Edwin Tewksbury, the last of that faction involved in the feud, was accused of the murder. In 1904, Edwin died in Globe, Arizona, and both family lines came to an end.

The Lord desires that we forgive others, not harbor grudges toward them. Today in prayer, confess any grudges you are carrying to Christ and reconcile to those who have hurt you.

“To carry a grudge is like being stung to death by one bee.” – 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 2012, 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 the fall of 2002, Carl Fox and Paul Norcross were ministering together in Romania. Carl was speaking at a Gypsy church in an inner city church in the capital city of Bucharest. That night, God moved powerfully in an elderly Romanian Gypsy woman’s heart. She said, "I myself never knew who my father was. Does the Word of God have an answer for this?"

Carl replied, "Of course it does!"

He then shared with the congregation how the Lord loves the fatherless.

"Of course," they shouted! "Yes! Yes! Yes!"

Many of the people hurried up to the front and prayed in the name of Jesus Christ to break every curse of the fatherlessness and to bless the congregation.

Carl remembers: “We prayed that their fellowship with the Lord Jesus Christ would be very sweet and that it would have the power that God intended for them in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ.

There was much joy and rejoicing. Tears were streaming down their cheeks. They truly felt the difference deep down in their souls. I then urged them to go home and get their families together and break off the curses in the name of Jesus Christ and speak blessings in His name. I told them to speak the blessing that they would come into the congregation of the Lord.

Within weeks I was getting e-mails from Romania telling of the excitement that was happening in the church. There had been a great outbreak of the gospel of the Lord Jesus and it was moving forward in the young people. The church was gaining in numbers every day, and at each service there were thirty to forty new people. This growth has continued. Many services have been standing room only, and the heart to evangelize has spread into the pews. The people were so excited that they were going out 2 hours before church was starting and winning the lost and bringing them to church. A new church has been planted from this work about 40 kilometers away.”

When we bless others, we strengthen them to walk with Jesus Christ. Today in prayer, give thanks to the Lord and bless others to walk with Christ.

“Christian, God will in a divine fashion fulfill to you His promise, ‘I will bless thee.’”– Andrew Murray

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 2012, 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

During early 2003, the USS Hartford, (SSN-768), a United States Navy nuclear powered submarine, had difficulty with their navigation while preparing to deploy overseas. During the next few months, there were more than a half dozen navigational errors cropped up.

Inspectors noted that the navigation team was not comparing its primary navigation system to its backup system often enough to catch discrepancies.

On 25 October, 2003, the USS Hartford was in La Maddalena, Sardinia. It was just after noontime and the ship began to experience navigational errors. The submarine’s captain ordered the ship to speed up to 12 knots, a variation from the approved plan that allowed for a speed of 9.5 knots the entire trip. This change in speed compounded the navigational error and the assistant navigator and other key personnel left their stations in the control room to trouble shoot the navigation equipment.

The captain then ordered a couple of different turns, even though he did not have an accurate fix of his own position. At 12:40 pm, about the time that Hartford should have been reaching open water, it struck the bottom about 1,100 yards off Bisce Island. Almost immediately the ship began to slow. The commodore, Captain Greg Parker, afraid the submarine would be stranded, ordered "Speed on," though he did not know the submarine’s position. The submarine ran aground of the shoals, suffered $9 million worth of damage, and was out of service for seven months. An investigation into the accident revealed that basic navigation errors combined with equipment failures were to blame for the submarine running into the rocky shallows.

Our lives can become shipwrecked if we do not seek the Lord’s guidance. Today in prayer, look to the Lord in prayer and in the Bible to safely guide you in your decisions.

“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 2012, 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

In March 1984, the government of Polish Prime Minister Jaruzelski ordered crucifixes removed from classroom walls, just as they had been banned in factories, hospitals, and other public institutions.

But one zealous Communist school administrator in Garwolin, just south of Warsaw, decided that the law was the law. So one evening he had seven large crucifixes removed from lecture halls where they had hung since the school's founding in the 1920’s. Days later, a group of parents entered the school and hung more crosses. The administrator promptly had these taken down as well.

The next day two-thirds of the school's six hundred students staged a sit-in. When heavily armed riot police arrived, the 400 students were forced into the streets. Then they marched, many holding high crucifixes, to a nearby church where they were joined by twenty-five hundred other students from nearby schools for a morning of prayer in support of the protest. Soldiers surrounded the church. The apex of the demonstration was when Reverend Stanislaw Binko addressed the 3,000 member crowd, clutching crucifixes, and declared: "There is no Poland without a cross." 

God provided a way for us to be reunited with Him and that is the Cross of Jesus Christ. There is no salvation without the Cross. Today in prayer, praise the Lord for providing the Cross to take away our sins and restore our relationship with God.

“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 2012, 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

Richard “Red” Skelton was a comedian who got his start as a teenager during the early 1900’s. By age 15, he had hit the road full-time as an entertainer, working everywhere from medicine shows and vaudeville to burlesque, showboats, minstrel shows and circuses.

In 1951, Red was scheduled to appear at the London Palladium. His plane was flying over the Alps when three of the aircraft's four engines malfunctioned. As his fellow passengers began to pray and bargain with God, Red launched into one of his comical routines to distract them and calm their fears as the plane lost altitude.

Miraculously the pilot, having spotted a field between the looming mountain peaks, successfully made an emergency landing.

"Now, ladies and gentlemen," Red said as everyone sighed with relief, "you may return to all the evil habits you gave up twenty minutes ago."

Fear grips us when we are powerless. It is then we need to look to the Lord for our comfort and our strength. Today in prayer, thank the Lord that He is Lord of all and give any fears to Him and continue to draw close to Him.

“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 2012, 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

During the Middle Ages in England, a predominate meal of the commoner was the ‘umble pie.’ It consisted of deer, boar or cow meat. It was often the least desirable cuts and was often stringy and fatty. People who ate it were poor and, thus, humble in nature.

By the 16th century, well-to-do people who had gotten too arrogant were admonished to go out and eat ‘umbles pie’.

Since the sound "h" is often dropped in many dialects, and "umble" was a humble meal anyway, the phrase was renamed as "humble pie".

The more familiar use of humble pie is ‘humility forced on someone, often under embarrassing conditions’. This sense of 'humiliation' first appears in the early 19th century. The expression ‘eat humble pie’ means 'to be forced to apologize humbly; suffer humiliation'. It is far better to continually be humble than to be prideful and suffer humiliation.

The Lord desires us to be humble and to walk with Him in all that we do. Today in prayer, confess any sin of pride in your life and walk humbly with Jesus in all that you 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 2012, Devotional E-Mail   

DEVOTIONS IN GENESIS

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

Arthur Wellesley was the Duke of Wellington. In 1815, he led the British Army to victory at the Battle of Waterloo against Napoleon. He later served as Prime Minister of England.

A salesman once approached the Duke with a jacket that he had invented for soldiers. He claimed it could stop a bullet. “Oh!”, said the Duke, “just put it on.”

Then the Duke rang the bell, and said to his servant: “Tell the captain of the guard to order one of his men to load his rifle and come here.”

The inventor, not trusting the jacket was bulletproof, ran for his life and the Duke was never troubled with him again.

When we have faith in Christ, we need to fully trust that He will protect us from all evil. Today in prayer, praise Jesus that He has credited you with righteousness because of your 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 2012, 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 1969, Libyan Army Colonel Muammar Gaddafi disposed of King Idris. Colonel Gaddafi never held a formal position in the Libyan state. He was called the "Brother Leader," but Gaddafi aspired to greater titles.

In 1999, he proclaimed himself king of kings of Africa. He used the title to disrupt large amounts of Libya’s oil wealth to tribal chieftains in the name of African unity.

His former aides said he was "obsessive" about his image. He gave gold watches with images of his face to his staff as gifts. In 2011, a Brazilian plastic surgeon confided that Gaddafi had been his patient in 1995 to avoid appearing old to the Libyan people.

During the uprising in 2011, Gaddafi envisioned that he would crush the rebellion. He then had planned to crown himself King of Libya so he could pass power on to his sons.

Our ambition should not be to “make a name for ourselves.”  Today in prayer, humbly come before the Lord and ask how you can glorify Christ’s 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 2012, Devotional E-Mail    

DEVOTIONS IN GENESIS

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

On December 21, 2011, four Christian Laotian family leaders were summoned by the Natoo village chief to the village government headquarters. In the meeting, the village authorities ordered all forty-seven Christians, including men, women and children, to give up their belief in Christ and to cease all Sunday worship meetings. The authorities ordered, “If you want to live in our village, you must cease all beliefs and practices in the Christian faith.” The authorities continued, “If you continue holding on to your faith, then you are forfeiting your right to live in our village and you must move out by tomorrow.” The Christian believers responded to the authorities with a question, “Who is giving this eviction order?” The village authorities replied, “We are the ones giving the order because we are the owners of this village.” After the four Christians were let go from the meeting, one of the four, Mr. Sompu, who is the leader of the church, went to report the incident of the eviction order to the sub-district police. The Laotian police failed to act on the matter.

Following the Lord will stretch your faith and trust in Him. Today in prayer, give thanks to Jesus for His example of faith and seek to faithfully walk with God.

"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 2012, 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

On Sunday morning of August 14, 1971, police sirens were heard throughout the college town of Palo Alto, California. Stanford University Psychology Professor Philip Zimbardo had selected 24 male students to be prisoners and guards for the Stanford Prison Experiment. Twelve student suspects were handcuffed, read their rights and subjected to the degradation of the booking process after being transported to the Stanford County Prison. The plan was for the next 2 weeks, the twelve student guards would guard the twelve student prisoners.

However, to the amazement of Professor Zimbardo and his assistants, within 24 hours an incredible transformation occurred: the "mock" prisoners became prisoners and the "mock" guards became guards. The experiment had morphed from being an experimental rat-maze into being a prison. Some prisoners became passive while others became rebellious.

The guards were given wide latitude in how to treat the prisoners with the caveat they could never strike them. As the days went by the guards as a whole flexed their power by increasing their aggressive, humiliating and dehumanizing tactics against the prisoners.

Dr. Zimbardo said: “Our planned two-week investigation into the psychology of prison life had to be ended prematurely after only six days because of what the situation was doing to the college students who participated. In only a few days, our guards became sadistic and our prisoners became depressed and showed signs of extreme stress.”

Left unchecked by the grace of God, we are inherently wicked. Today in prayer, confess any sin to Jesus and seek to follow Him in all that 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 2012, 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 1997, the state of Louisiana passed the Covenant-marriage law.  The law contains the following vow couples make: “Believing that marriage is a covenant intended by God to be a lifelong relationship between a man and a woman, we vow to God, each other, our families, and our community to remain steadfast in unconditional love, reconciliation, and sexual purity, while purposefully growing in our Covenant Marriage relationship."

The law requires premarital counseling, a written pledge to “take all reasonable steps” to preserve the marriage, and set stricter grounds for divorce.

In 2005, professors from Bowling Green University, the University of Central Florida, and the University of Virginia began studying 600 couples that were married from 1999 to 2004. Half the couples had a standard marriage and half had a covenant marriage. By the end of the study, 8.6 percent of covenant couples were divorced, compared with 15.4 percent of couples with standard marriages.

Phil Waugh, the National Coordinator for the Covenant Marriage Movement, said the following: “God is drawing our society towards understanding what marriage is about. Through that, society will change from being a divorce culture to, in effect, a Covenant Marriage culture.”

Marriage is a relationship created by God. Today in prayer, praise 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 2012, 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

Phillip E. Johnson is a retired UC Berkeley law professor and author. He is also a born again Christian. He rejects evolution and seeks to convince the scientific community to allow a role for God in scientific theory.

He stated the following:

“I have built an intellectual movement in the universities and churches that we call ‘The Wedge’, which is devoted to scholarship and writing that furthers this program of questioning the materialistic basis of science...Now, the way that I see the logic of our movement going is like this. The first thing you understand is that the Darwinian theory isn't true. It's falsified by all of the evidence and the logic is terrible. When you realize that, the next question that occurs to you is, well, where might you get the truth?...I start with John 1:1. In the beginning was the Word. In the beginning was intelligence, purpose, and wisdom. The Bible had that right. And the materialist scientists are deluding themselves...”

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 2012, Devotional E-Mail   

DEVOTIONS IN GENESIS