Renewed

A devotional based on the song, "Renewed" by Stryper

Are you lost? Running from your past? Lying to yourself about areas of your life that need change? Have you fallen so far into sin, that you don’t even see a need for such a change? Or does the road back to reality seem so long and complicated that you don’t even know WHERE to begin? (Psalm 32:3-4, Colossians 3:9-10)

Take heart, all is not lost. When we surrender to Jesus, He accepts us just as we are. All we need to do is present ourselves to Him in this helpless, broken state, and He does the rest. (Psalm 32:5, Matthew 11:28-30)

As we go through life, eventually we’re going to come to a crossroad, where we grow weary of certain things. It could be a job, a bad relationship, or even day to day routines. These things can make us feel trapped and tired of all the typical problems most people have. (Proverbs 12:25, Jeremiah 6:16)

When we come to this crossroad, we have to ask ourselves, “what are we going to do to change?” (Romans 12:2, Ephesians 4:22-24)         

God’s life changing power is never far away. Sometimes if we close our eyes and envision it, we can actually see Him. All we need to do is call upon Him and He will give us His strength.  (Isaiah 40:30-31)

Give yourself up and over to Him today. He will take you, shape you, break you and make you Renewed! (Psalm 51:10-12, Lamentations 5:21, Matthew 7:13-14)

Prayer: 

Dear Heavenly Father,

Thank you for letting us know that we are not alone. And that our past, no matter how dark it is, CAN be reconciled through Jesus. Please help us see the path back to You, to stop running, and to surrender it all Your Son, who died for our sins…past, present and future. 

“I look to the sky, I see You there.

When I close my eyes, I dream You’re everywhere.

You’re standing beside me, Your power I can feel.

You move upon me, like a river made of steel.”

“Giving myself up and over to You. 

Take me, shape me, break me, make me RENEWED.”

No More Hell To Pay

A devotional based on the song, "No More Hell To Pay" by Stryper

There is no doubt that being a Christian can be very challenging in today’s society, where a lot of people doubt, misunderstand, or don't even believe in God. But nevertheless, as believers we are called to lift Him up every day regardless of the perilous times we live in. Each day brings us closer to the return of Jesus and one step closer to Heaven. (Psalm 14:1, Ephesians 6:13-14, 2 Peter 3:3-5, 8 NIV)

Life is not easy and God never promised that it would be, especially for Christians. But regardless of all the pain in the world or the persecution of believers we can stand firm in our faith knowing that our place in eternity is secure and not be ashamed of the Gospel. (John 16:33, Romans 8:35-39, John 14:1-3, Romans 1:16 NIV)

The end is coming, and unfortunately, it's going to get a lot worse before it gets better. As believers we need to stick it out til the end. We need to not be corrupted by society, we must remain faithful until Jesus returns to judge the world and sin is defeated once and for all. (Matthew 24:6, Romans 12:2, 1 Corinthians 10:13 NIV) 

Along with the gift of salvation we all have special gifts that God has given us. We need to use these gifts to be a light in this broken world, remember that our time on earth is temporary, and that Heaven awaits us one day. And when that day comes, all the pain, all the death, all the sorrow…we will never have to deal with it again. It'll just be us and God and we will live in constant joy with our Lord and Savior forever. (1 Peter 4:10-11, John 15:19, Revelation 21:4 NIV)

On days when you find it hard to see God’s greatness just remember that our Creator doesn't change. Regardless of what storm or trial you're going through or what unfortunate things befall you, God has always been there, from the moment you were born! (Hebrews 13:8, James 1:12, Jeremiah 1:5 NIV)

Therefore, follow Jesus. Every day, every night, through the good, through the bad, from the beginning, to the end..til there's no more hell to pay! (Hebrews 3:14 NLT)

Prayer: 

Dear Heavenly Father,

Thank you for the guarantee of our eternal place in Heaven. Please give us the strength to weather the storm in all of life's trials and help us to stay true to Your word. We eagerly await for the day when Your Son returns and puts an end to sin. In Jesus's name we pray, amen.  

"If the darkness reveals the end of days,

I'll follow you till there's no more hell to pay"