A Vision of Heaven I Daily Walk Devotion

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A Vision of Heaven

Almost everyone thinks they are going to heaven. When you ask them what it will be like, they will quote the familiar things like pearly gates and streets of Gold. These appeal to our material senses. Very few people have a picture of God in heaven. It is of an old man with a white beard, lounging in a white toga if they do. In reality, God is so much more. Daniel gives us a vision of heaven in today’s verse.

‭‭Daniel‬ ‭7:9‬

“I kept looking Until thrones were set up, And the Ancient of Days took His seat; His vesture was like white snow And the hair of His head like pure wool. His throne was ablaze with flames, Its wheels were a burning fire.”

Daniel is receiving a vision of the future. What he sees is God the Father, in all of His glory, sitting on the throne. Some say it is Jesus, but most believe it is God the Father because of the white clothes and hair. The main point is that Daniel gets a vision of what heaven is going to look like and how majestic it will be. God is in white clothes because that represents His holiness and purity, and his throne is ablaze with flames because of his majesty and power. What an incredible picture.

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Keep Your Behavior Excellent I Daily Walk Devotion

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Keep Your Behavior Excellent

Christians are held to a higher standard. Unbelievers are watching our actions and listening to our words. You can’t do anytime to prevent. Some are looking for an example to follow, but most are looking for something to criticize. When we do good deeds that will benefit the needy it can often cause them to slander us. Peter tells you to keep your behavior excellent because one day they will glorify God.

‭‭1 Peter‬ ‭2:12

“Keep your behavior excellent among the Gentiles, so that in the thing in which they slander you as evildoers, they may because of your good deeds, as they observe them, glorify God in the day of visitation.”

Peter wasn’t as blunt as James but he gets to the point. He expected every believer to keep their behavior excellent among the Gentiles. They already ridiculed Christians enough, they did’t need to give them any more ammo. Peter tells his readers that they are going to slander you whether you are doing something wrong or not. If you are acting excellent around them it will remove many of the accusations they come up with.

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You are Being Built Up I Daily Walk Devotion

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You Are Being Built Up

One of the most durable materials you can use to build a house is brick or stone. These solid materials, stacked on top of each other, can provide a warm home for a family. They can withstand the elements on the outside while keeping the warmth on the inside. Built on the right foundation, it will stand the test of time. Peter uses this as an analogy to the church. We are living stones being built up as a spiritual house.

‭‭1 Peter‬ ‭2:5

“you also, as living stones, are being built up as a spiritual house for a holy priesthood, to offer up spiritual sacrifices acceptable to God through Jesus Christ.”

Each disciple of Jesus Christ makes up the House of the Lord. We are all living stones being put in place by the master mason, Jesus. He is building His church, and your job is to offer acceptable spiritual sacrifices. The work of the church is to be done by the people who have been made priests. That is what Paul meant in Romans 12:1 when he said we are “living sacrifices.”

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King of the World I Daily Walk Devotion

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King of the World

In the movie Titanic, Leonard DiCaprio’s character stands on the railing at the front of the ship and yells, “I’m the king of the world. The motivation behind this was that he was on an unsinkable ship near the top of the world. We all know how that story ended. Many people have thought they were the greatest human beings, only to come crashing down too after. There is only one “King of the World,” and that is Jesus.

‭‭Daniel‬ ‭6:26

“I make a decree that in all the dominion of my kingdom men are to fear and tremble before the God of Daniel; For He is the living God and enduring forever, And His kingdom is one which will not be destroyed, And His dominion will be forever.”

King Darius did a quick U-turn when Daniel wasn’t killed in the Lion’s den. It wasn’t that the lions weren’t hungry because they ripped apart the other governors before they hit the ground but didn’t touch Daniel. Darius knew that this happened because of Daniel’s God, and he wanted to recognize Him before everyone. Everyone was to fear and tremble before Daniel’s God because He is living and cannot be destroyed. Unlike the edicts and decrees of today’s politicians, people listened and obeyed when Darius spoke.

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Live Your Faith Out Loud I Daily Walk Devotion

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Live Your Faith Out Loud

It’s not easy to live for Jesus today. People will attack you for your beliefs and call you all sorts of names. This is nothing new. It happened to Daniel seven hundred years before Jesus was born. If his jealous coworkers would’ve had their way, they would’ve killed him. Live your faith out loud and let the Lord deliver you.

‭‭Daniel‬ ‭6:16‬

“Then the king gave orders, and Daniel was brought in and cast into the lions’ den. The king spoke and said to Daniel, “Your God whom you constantly serve will Himself deliver you.”

Hard work is always rewarded. Daniel’s work ethic has elevated him to the top of all the king’s governors, and it made his coworkers jealous. They devised a plan to get him in trouble. This caused Daniel to be sentenced to death in the Lion’s Den. King Darius was none too happy that he was going to lose his best governor, but he couldn’t go against his word, so he prayed that Daniel’s God would deliver him. Daniel was saved from the lions’ jaws, and in return, the wicked governors who devised the plan were thrown in the pit.

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Sifted and Strengthened I Daily Walk Devotion

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Sifted and Strengthened

There is an old saying, “What doesn’t kill you will only make you stronger.” The wisdom behind that is you will go through hard times, but the end product will you be stronger than you were before. Jesus uses that principle when He tells Peter that Satan wants to sift him. Peter was going to be sifted and strengthened.

‭‭Luke‬ ‭22:31-32‬

“Simon, Simon, behold, Satan has demanded permission to sift you like wheat; but I have prayed for you, that your faith may not fail; and you, when once you have turned again, strengthen your brothers.”

Peter was good at making bold statements but wasn’t good at backing them up. He asked Jesus to walk in water, but once on it, he quickly sunk. Peter declared that he would fight anyone who tried to arrest Jesus only to deny him three times. Now He tells him that Satan will sift him like wheat after Peter declared that he would die for him. Peter needed to be sifted so that he could strengthen others.

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No Expiration Date I Daily Walk devotion

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No Expiration Date

One of the things that can ruin your morning is pouring expired creamer into your coffee. You wake up looking forward to that fresh brew of magical beans doing its work to wake you up, only to be dashed by sour milk. When you contrast that with the fact that there is no expiration date for disciples of Jesus Christ, you move from perishing to imperishable through our living God.

‭‭1 Peter‬ ‭1:23

“for you have been born again not of seed which is perishable but imperishable, that is, through the living and enduring word of God.”

When we are born as babies, the clock starts clicking when our bodies will perish. That is a fact of life that no one has been able to escape since the beginning of time. When we are “born again’ by receiving the gift of salvation, there is no expiration date on our spirit. When we physically die, or Jesus returns, we will be given new bodies that cannot perish. That is possible through the Word that became flesh, Jesus Christ.

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Prepare Your Mind for Action I Daily Walk Devotion

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Prepare Your Mind for Action

A good soldier is always prepared. They know their role and stay away from anything that will hinder them in battle. As they await orders from their commander, they are always training to improve their skills and knowledge. As a follower of Jesus Christ, you are a soldier in His army. Prepare your mind for action and keep sober.

‭‭1 Peter‬ ‭1:13

“Therefore, prepare your minds for action, keep sober in spirit, fix your hope completely on the grace to be brought to you at the revelation of Jesus Christ.”

We are called to be holy. Holiness is the embodiment of who God is. He is perfect and without defect and wants His children to be the same way. We won’t obtain that this side of heaven, but He will draw us closer through His sanctification program. Too many Christians like to see how close they can live to the dark side of the world and still keep our life intact with God. That only results in failure.

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The Perfect Words to Say I Daily Walk Devotion

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The Perfect Words to Say

Ever wish you could be one of those witty people who always have the perfect comeback? I am more like Forrest Gump, who is still answering a question twenty minutes ago. It’s only after I’ve driven away do I come up with the perfect one-liner. If you are like me, Jesus has the best advice. Rely on Him for the perfect words to say.

‭‭Luke‬ ‭21:14-15‬

Settle it therefore in your minds not to meditate beforehand how to answer, for I will give you a mouth and wisdom, which none of your adversaries will be able to withstand or contradict.

Jesus is prepping the Disciples for what life is going to be like after Him. They are going to be persecuted and brought before judges and rulers. He tells them not to worry about defending themselves beforehand but to rely upon the Holy Spirit to give them the words to say. When they do that, they will speak in such a way that it will dumbfound their enemies.

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Let Your Yes be Yes I Daily Walk Devotion

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Let Your Yes be Yes

My Mom used to get so mad at me when I would say, “I swear to God.” She would tell me that swearing was a sin and that we weren’t supposed to use God’s name in vain. I would feel so convicted back then, but today it makes me chuckle. It’s easy to miss the meaning of specific passages because of deeply held beliefs. James tells us that you should swear by anything, but let your yes be yes.

‭‭James‬ ‭5:12

“But above all, my brethren, do not swear, either by heaven or by earth or with any other oath; but your yes is to be yes, and your no, no, so that you may not fall under judgment.”

To swear by something means to take an oath or promise to do something. If you swore by God or Jesus, it was a binding oath. If you swore by heaven or earth, it was non-binding. A non-binding oath was like keeping your fingers crossed behind your back. James was condemning these kinds of oaths. He was all Christians to consider their words and the promises they made. That’s why he says, “Let your yes be yes.”

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