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Devotional

Exchanging our Empty Lives for More

written by Amber

For you know that God paid a ransom to save you from the empty life you inherited from your ancestors. And the ransom he paid was not mere gold or silver. 1 Peter 1:18

There is nothing more humbling than realizing that the lives that we’ve inherited from our ancestors are completely empty in comparison to the lives that we are able to lead after accepting Christ’s salvation.

Generally when I think of an inheritance, I think of receiving something of great value. Perhaps a trust fund with an astronomical amount of monies, or maybe a family business that’s traditionally passed down from generation to generation. There are many things of great value that each of our families may have accomplished just so that we may one day have and cherish them. These things, while not inherently bad are the very things that empty lives can be comprised of.

Let’s take a look at 1 John 2:16-17 NLT: “For the world offers only a craving for physical pleasure, a craving for everything we see, and pride in our achievements and possessions. These are not from the Father, but are from this world. And this world is fading away, along with everything that people crave. But anyone who does what pleases God will live forever.”

When I pair these two scriptures, I think of our lives as empty cups. The world (society, the government, the education system, our families etc.) are all looking to fill our cups with pride in our businesses, our degrees, our family names and various possessions and accolades. The only thing is when we allow our cup to be filled with the craving of more and more, it never truly gets filled because the size of what we desire is insatiable. We will never have enough or be enough if we do not prioritize our desires in life. But if we are seeking after the things of God through fasting, prayer, meditation of the bible and worship, the Lord will begin to satiate us. (John 6:35) Our cups will actually have the opportunity to overflow so that we will never thirst or desperately hunger for things that distract us from God.

Share some of your thoughts below! I would love to hear from you!

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July 25, 2020 0 comment

Devotional

Getting What You Want From God

written by Amber

I want to start off by saying that there is absolutely no way that we are able to manipulate God. It’s impossible. He is no respecter of persons and doesn’t play favorites. He loves all of his children equally even though we are all so vastly different. We are alike however in our likeness of him. The Bible says that we were all made in the image of the Lord, we were made in his likeness. But I digress, I just came up with the witty title in hopes that I would be seen as a creative.
(Is it working? lol)

Though we are not able to manipulate God, we are able to position ourselves through sacrifice, prayer, fasting and consecration to connect ourselves with him in a way that we wouldn’t be able to otherwise.

For instance say a person is drowning in sin, unable to stop what they’re doing, unrepentant and ashamed. It may be hard to spend time in Gods presence or to even think of spending time with God in general. There is a chasm between God and that person and we all know that God isn’t the one who enacted the silent treatment.

On the complete opposite side of the spectrum is someone who humbles themselves in prayer and fasting. Someone who is actively repentant and seeking the Lords advice to lead them through life.

I want to be clear that the difference between these two people is not that one is sinless, but repentant and making steps toward change, and by the power of the Holy Spirit is being sanctified.

Matthew 6:33 NLT says, “Seek the Kingdom of God above all else, and live righteously, and he will give you everything you need.”

This looks like a set of pretty clear cut instructions to get me on track to living in the perfect will that God has for my life. The first part of this verse is an active COMMAND. We are to desire God’s kingdom over everything else that we desire. What is the kingdom of God for those of us living on earth trying to pursue it? One thing that comes to mind is God’s dominion. We are to seek God’s dominion, his rule, his kingdom and kingship above all else in life. Basically we are to seek God’s leadership above all else. The word of God was divinely inspired by him and holds the information that we as Christian’s need to seek his Kingdom. I would consider this book to be the main avenue in which we are to learn about the Lord’s kingdom and how to actively pursue it.

We are living in a fallen world and the only reason that we would want to seek the kingdom of God above all else is so that we know that the Lord’s will and work are being done through us here on earth.

The second part of this command is to live RIGHTEOUSLY. This ties into being repentant and mature in your faith. Seeking help for struggles that seem unending and casting down wicked thoughts that say you will always commit the same sins, thoughts that say you’ll never change. We must die unto our flesh and live righteously. We must have some integrity about ourselves and continue to press towards the mark of a high calling.

The last part of this verse is the best part of this verse. It says that the Lord will give us everything that we NEED. I want to be clear that it says everything that we need, not everything that we want. Though I’ve known God to supply all of my needs and sometimes the things that I want, I want you to see that the promise lies therein the things that we need not the things that we want.

But if we really think about it, the things that we need should be the things that we want. We should desire the things of God and the more time that we spend with him and the more like him that we are, the more we will desire the things in life that he desires for us.

On top of that, the things that we need are what will get us walking in our purpose. The things that we need will get us accomplishing the will of God. The things that we need will get us in right standing with God.

So this week think of ways that you can start seeking the kingdom of God first. Maybe it means taking a break from social media or your Netflix and Amazon Prime accounts. Maybe it means prioritizing and making a conscious effort to show the Lord that you love him and care about his leadership through journaling, prayer or worship. However you decide to tackle this, stay focused and note how you see the Lord making changes in your life.

Love you,

Amber

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June 21, 2018 0 comment

Daily Devotional Devotional

What are you wearing?

written by Amber

I recently had a conversation with a friend about the different sins that people in the faith may struggle with and how some sins are more taboo than others and how some sins are also more visible than others.

In my mind I saw this gorgeous girl sashaying around in this beautiful shawl. It draped around her just so and she couldn’t seem to go anywhere without receiving a compliment. Outwardly there was nothing you could find about her that was unattractive.

Some of us wear our sin outwardly in the form of homosexuality, cussing and fussing with those around us when things don’t go our way. Sometimes we lie because if we’re being honest we lie more than we tell the truth most days.

Some sins are hidden. Beneath the shawl no one can see us struggling with addiction to things like pornography or masturbation. No one can see how many people we’ve taken advantage of and allowed to take advantage of us. No one can see the suicidal thoughts or bitterness buried deep within our hearts. No one can see the covetousness or jealousy that we feel, scrolling though social media.

No matter the sin or how we wear it, we have to hold ourselves accountable to living a life that our Abba father can be proud of.

I love Ephesians 4:22 NLT. It tells us to, “throw off [our] old sinful nature and [our] former way of life, which is corrupted by lust and deception.”
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We are encouraged to throw off habits and characteristics of our old selves and to put on the armor of God and allow Holy Spirit to make us more like Christ. I like that the scripture suggests “throwing off our old sinful nature.”

To throw something often takes effort and a strong sense of direction. A simple game of “catch” can be incredibly frustrating when you’re playing with someone whose not really paying attention or putting in any real effort to get the ball where it needs to go.

Our sin is the same way. We will continue to feel tired and frustrated until we decide to be intentional in our efforts to throw away the things in our lives that are not like Christ.

What are some steps that you plan on taking to rid yourself of habitual sins in your life? Might I suggest finding someone in the faith to hold you accountable? Joining a church that loves the word of God and encourages you to renew your mind in it daily. Fasting and praying for a serious change in your heart. The list is endless and Holy Spirit is the perfect helper. Ask him how to overcome your sin and practice obeying what it is that he suggests.

Love you,

Amber

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April 20, 2018 0 comment

Blog Daily Devotional Devotional

Got Accountability?

written by Amber

As the new year progresses I have some exciting dreams, goals and aspirations that I am really looking to accomplish with the help and guidance of the Holy Spirit. Books to be published, fitness goals to be obtained, expansion of myself as a brand. These are some lofty things that I’m really excited to see through. But when my excitement is waning or my goals seem to be a little further out of reach than I anticipated, what do I do?

Sure I could stir myself up in the Lord, reading my word and meditating on it daily, I could sing worship songs and journal and all of the those wonderful things to supplement my relationship with Christ, but having accountability is another wonderful reminder to help us stay focused and on track. There are several instances in the bible that show us how beneficial having an accountability partner can be in our lives.

For instance we can take a look at Jonathan and David’s relationship: (1 Samuel 18:1, 2 Samuel 1:17, & 1 Kings 1:28)

These three different passages show the start of their friendship, the sad end of their friendship, and David’s behavior thereafter. The emphasis here is placed on their relationship and bond to indicate that there had to have been some sort of strong accountability between these two friends who felt more like brothers. The trajectory of David’s life after the death of his dear friend is a clear indication that Jonathan’s accountability was very influential in David’s life. Had Jonathan been alive, the whole Bathsheba situation may have never even transpired.
Esther and Mordecai’s accountability relationship is another example of how important having accountability in our lives can be. (Esther 4:14)

During a heightened time where the lives of many Jews were at jeopardy, Esther had the opportunity to boldly speak to the king about the things that were going on and the truth of her nationality. Without words of wisdom and encouragement from Mordecai, thousands of Jews would have been slain including Esther herself. Having his accountability was a great asset to her during this time.
Daniel 3 is also another passage that not only showcases the power of our ever present God, but the power of friendship and accountability.

Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego find themselves in a situation in which their lives are at stake. They have the option to worship King Nebuchadnezzar or stand firm in their faith refusing to worship anyone or anything other than God, the host of Heavens Army’s. Needless to say this infuriates the king and they are sentenced to a horrific death by fiery furnace. I imagine if they were individually persecuted or had no one to stand firm with them that facing the king alone would have been a much harder task, but because they were able to stand firm in their faith in the Lord and support one another in accountability, the Lord rescued them! (By the way this is one of my favorite stories! Seeing the Lord show up and show OUT for his children is such a beautiful thing and I know that he cares for all of us so deeply!)
So take a look around at your circle and see if you’re surrounded by people who are going to hold you accountable to the things that God requires of you. Maybe you’ve never asked your friends to hold you accountable or maybe you’ve recently found yourself in a season where you don’t have many friends or people pouring in to your life and that’s okay too! Don’t be afraid to show yourself friendly to other’s, join your churches small groups, or life groups or whatever they may be called. Ask God to introduce you to people who are going to bring you closer to his heart and hold you accountable to the perfect will that he has for your life!

(Side note: Just because someone may not look like us or sound like us, or meet all of our carnal expectations doesn’t mean that they cannot be a suitable friend for us!) I believe that if we pray and ask God to bring about godly friendships and show ourselves to be friendly he will bring about the friends that we need for this season of our lives, or life time friends!

Happy Tuesday!

Amber

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April 11, 2017 0 comment

Blog Daily Devotional Devotional

Cool Christians: The Inbetweeners

written by Amber

I believe there is a group of Christians who love the Lord and love having sex out of wed lock. I believe there is a group of Christians who love the Lord and love to get drunk. I believe there is a group of Christians who love the Lord and also love to curse. I categorize these guys as the “cool Christians.” They’re under the impression that God’s grace is sufficient (which it is, though not to be abused) and that since his forgiveness abounds, there is plenty to go around for the sins that they’ve made a place for in their lives.

Though absolutely none of us in the faith are perfect, accept through Christ and his sacrifice for us, this is more than just picking on a group of people who dabble in sins too taboo for the church to really deal with, this is about the sincerity of our hearts and living in an inbetween place that just doesn’t exist.

I was listening to Pastor Ben Stuart on youtube speak about this awkward inbetween place that people have created in dating and courtships and I realized that it expands so much further than dating. You can check out what he had to say about it in the link down below.

We’ve created this in between place that we find to be acceptable, not because we’re pursuing a righteous lifestyle but a hedonistic one. We’re trying to figure out how we can live the lives we want and serve God completely and it’s creating a crazy divide of inner turmoil, where our flesh wins out more often times than not.

In the book of Revelation 3:15-16, Jesus says “I know all the things you do, that you are neither hot nor cold, I wish that you were one or the other! But since you are like lukewarm water, neither hot nor cold, I will spit you out of my mouth.”

Jesus would rather someone have no idea who he is, living life on his own accord, not putting on appearances or living unrepentantly (though in retrospect he desires for all men to be saved), than to have his sons and daughters torn between sin and serving him. It puts us in this lukewarm place that never satisfies the need for a moment of sincerity or repentance. It’s as if we’re living in complete disregard of what we know is right.

The Bible says that there is no condemnation for those who are in Christ, Jesus. So if you’re feeling condemned, don’t. The Holy Spirit may convict us of our actions or even arrest our hearts in the very moments of our sins, prompting us to want to stop our actions immediately, but the Holy Spirit is the perfect gentleman. He will never kick you while you’re down, or make you feel as though you will never be good enough. It’s not his job to make you feel as though you will never please the Lord, but to help you live life and life more abundantly. If you’re feeling low and oppressed by feelings of guilt and worthlessness, it’s most likely the enemy (Satan or one of his imps) trying to keep you in a dark place, to make you feel as though there is no hope on the winning side with Christ. That’s one of the biggest, nastiest, lies that I have ever heard and there will always be victory, peace and joy in the presence of Christ.

I imagine that being a “cool christian” is fun for a time (though it’s costing us so much more than we could ever imagine), I mean we’ve all fallen in to this category at some point or another whether our sin of choice was listed or not. And for those who feel as though they’re just one good repentance session away from getting back on track you may be right. The problem lies therein you feeling as if you have all the time in the world. Jesus could come back as you read this sentence, as you climb out of bed with your boyfriend or your new friend from the club. He could come back before you stop habitually lying and cussing and masturbating and slandering and whatever else and then what will you do?

I’ll never forget the passage in the Bible that explains that people will cower away in fear of the Lord when he returns. That would be my worst nightmare. When Jesus returns I want to run into his open arms so excited that he’s here to pick me up! Living on earth is overrated when you’ve accomplished everything that God desires you to. (I’m really hoping I can accomplish everything that he wants me to before I pass away from this earth!)

Just ask yourself this one question: Am I living in a way that would cause me to run in to the open arms of Jesus when he returns or will I cower in fear, afraid to show my face for the way that I’ve chosen to live my life?

If you don’t know whether or not you could confidently face the Lord, I encourage you to repent right now and mean it. It really is as easy as saying yes to God and no to your flesh, it’s in the moments where we’ve given an opportunity to turn back where things may get a little tough. But the Bible says that God will always provide a way out of temptation so what’s our excuse? Give God all of you today, and watch your life shape up to the perfect will that he has for you!

Amber D. Avery

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Pastor Ben Stuarts video clip: https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=oxxWTXuilbs

April 6, 2017 0 comment

Daily Devotional Devotional

New Year, Same Gospel

written by Amber

Our relationship with Christ is not only something that we should pursue everyday, but a relationship in which we should invest, grow, adapt and change.

God’s word (the Bible) speaks HIGHLY of the relationship that God desires for us to have with him.

In Galatians 4:6-7 the Bible says that, “because we are his children, God has sent the Spirit of his son into our hearts, prompting us to cry out, “Abba, Father.” Now you are no longer a slave but God’s own child. And since you are his child, God has made you his heir.”

These couple verses are all about relationship. It is abundantly clear that God desires to be our source for everything. That’s what the bible means when it says that the Spirit prompts us to cry out “Abba Father.” God desires for the dynamic of our relationship with him to be like that of father and child.

It’s hard not to immediately think of the flawed relationships that we may have with our earthly fathers, or lack thereof due to absence whether that be physically or emotionally. Some of us have wonderful relationships with our fathers, but they are still flawed in the sense that our earthly father’s will never be capable of loving us as perfectly as God loves us.

Since God is perfect in all his ways, we should be able to talk to him, cry out to him about the things going on in our lives and seek guidance from him concerning the things that we should do. He desires to be our safe place, refuge and confidant.

Galatians reminds us that we are no longer bound in relationship with our sins and this world, but we are God’s very own children. And since we are his children we have been called to inherit all that is his; Jesus and the kingdom of heaven being the ultimate reward. If we struggle to understand just how wonderful inheriting the kingdom of heaven will be, or why Jesus is such a wonderful prize, we should seek a deeper relationship with God, allowing him to show us himself.

We must let this new year pull us closer to God. My prayer lately has been that God will allow me to walk in his perfect will, that when his son Jesus returns I will not cower back from him in fear, or be ashamed of the way that I’ve chosen to live my life. I want to run into his open arms, laughing and overjoyed to be in reunion with the one that I’ve worked my whole life to get to know.

I’ve stressed the importance of having true relationship with God because at the end of our lives when we stand before him, our efforts to truly know him, honor him and live for him will be put on display. In that very moment, Christ will admit whether he knows us or not and I want my life’s story to show that I took advantage of opportunities daily to get to know him, and to love others as I love myself. We don’t get it right everyday but attempting to establish a better relationship with Christ not only benefits us, but everyone who connects with us. So this year, rest. Set aside the time to get to know God and make him a staple in your life. Read your bible more, start a journal and fill it with conversations to the Lord, blast your favorite worship music, just PURSUE HIM 🙂

Like any other relationship that we’re trying to pursue, we must put forth the effort, time and commitment needed to grow a healthy bond with the Lord.

Happy New Year,

Amber D.

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January 4, 2017 0 comment

Devotional

Holiday Blues

written by Amber

It is so important to remember the heartache and pain that some associate with the holidays. Some of our family members have transitioned on from this life to the next, joining the Lord in eternity. Some family members have voluntarily left, pursuing another family, another lifestyle. Some of our families have pushed us a way, making the executive decision to remove us from their everyday lives. Some are experiencing hardship that they could have never imagined or prepared for, while others are struggling to find the strength to get up each day and thank God, in spite of the sadness that greets them each day. Some of us have family members who are with us physically, but have checked out emotionally years ago.

No matter the situation or circumstance, I want you to know that God loves you and wants to give you the strength to experience peace this holiday.

In Ephesians 3:16-19, the Bible says “I pray that from his glorious, unlimited resources he will empower you with inner strength through his spirit. Then Christ will make his home in your hearts as you trust him. Your roots will grow down into God’s love and keep you strong.”

The apostle Paul is encouraging us in the faith to allow God to strengthen us. In allowing God to strengthen us it brings about peace and a relationship more deeply rooted in Christ’s love and affirmation.

So be kind to yourself this holiday and cry out to the Lord about your situation and circumstances. He longs to free you from the heartache and pain that sometimes comes with life’s growing pains.

Love you!

Amber D.

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November 30, 2016 0 comment