Pastor Tom's Daily Devotional

Luke 11:13 (NKJV) If you then, being evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your heavenly Father give the Holy Spirit to those who ask Him? Let us continue looking at the baptism of the Holy Spirit. 1 Corinthians 14:18 (NKJV) I thank my God I speak with tongues more than you all. If the great Apostle Paul thought it was important to pray in tongues, so do I. 1 Corinthians 14:37-39 (NKJV) If anyone thinks himself to be a prophet or spiritual, let him acknowledge that the things which I write to you are the commandments of the Lord. 38 But if anyone is ignorant, let him be ignorant. 39 Therefore, brethren, desire earnestly to prophesy, and do not forbid to speak with tongues. Paul shows us here that the things that he taught were from God Himself, and that we should not hinder a person from speaking in tongues. As I study the book of Acts and the Epistles, I see that tongues is an amazing gift that I should earnestly des...

Luke 11:13 (NKJV) If you then, being evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your heavenly Father give the Holy Spirit to those who ask Him? The Holy Spirit is a beautiful gift given to every person that has received Jesus as their Lord and Savior.  But the Bible talks about another gift from the Holy Spirit, and that is the baptism of the Holy Spirit with the evidence of speaking in other tongues. Tongues is a gifts from the Father to help and assist us in our daily lives.  On the day of Pentecost, they were all together and were filled with the Holy Spirit and spoke in other tongues.  Paul in his letter to the Corinthian church taught on this great gift that God has given to the body of Christ. Let us take the next few days and look at the Scriptures that show us the benefits of receiving this overflow of the Spirit. 1 Corinthians 14:2 (NKJV) For he who speaks in a tongue does not speak to men but to God, for no one...

1 Corinthians 12:7-11 (NKJV) But the manifestation of the Spirit is given to each one for the profit of all: 8 for to one is given the word of wisdom through the Spirit, to another the word of knowledge through the same Spirit, 9 to another faith by the same Spirit, to another gifts of healings by the same Spirit, 10 to another the working of miracles, to another prophecy, to another discerning of spirits, to another different kinds of tongues, to another the interpretation of tongues. 11 But one and the same Spirit works all these things, distributing to each one individually as He wills. Yesterday we saw how the Holy Spirit gives us great fruit.  Today, I want you to see how the Holy Spirit gives us gifts.  That is right, gifts!  Gifts to be a blessing to people.  These nine gifts are given as the Spirit wills, and the reason for that is that the Holy Spirit knows what is going on in people lives. I can remember once talking to a person and him ...

Galatians 5:22-23 (NKJV) But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, 23 gentleness, self-control. Against such there is no law. I do not know about you, but I love ripe, juicy fruit.  I love summer fruit, and fruit all year long.  Here in these two verses, we see that the Holy Spirit has fruit for us to enjoy all year long.  Good juicy fruit.  He has a bushel of love, joy, peace, and so much more! God, your Father, knows that to be a world overcomer, you will need love to be working in your life in a big way, so He has given us the Holy Spirit to help us have a healthy amount of fruit in our lives.  Now I can have a refrigerator filled with fruit, but if I do not go and get it and eat it, I will not enjoy it very much.  I can say, “Well, look at that watermelon in there.  Man it looks good.”  But if I do not cut it up and eat it, I will not enjoy its sweet taste. It is t...

Deuteronomy 6:6-9 (NKJV) And these words which I command you today shall be in your heart. 7 You shall teach them diligently to your children, and shall talk of them when you sit in your house, when you walk by the way, when you lie down, and when you rise up. 8 You shall bind them as a sign on your hand, and they shall be as frontlets between your eyes. 9 You shall write them on the doorposts of your house and on your gates. A father is a gift to his children.  A father needs to have the heart of the true Father, Almighty God.  Of all the attributes that Jesus brought out about Almighty God, the greatest is that He called Him Father.  True fathers are not perfect, but they have such a love in their heart for their children that, at times, it feels like their heart wants to burst. A father wants the best for his kids, yet he knows that the best for his kids is to let them make mistakes and hit bumps in life. I read this little quote and it is so t...

Acts 7:9-10 (NKJV) And the patriarchs, becoming envious, sold Joseph into Egypt. But God was with him 10 and delivered him out of all his troubles, and gave him favor and wisdom in the presence of Pharaoh, king of Egypt; and he made him governor over Egypt and all his house. God's favor is a wonderful thing, and those who are in Christ Jesus have it!  The Bible declares that we are children of God.  I do not know about you, but my children have special favor with me.  If that is how it is with me as an earthly father, how much more with our Heavenly Father?  God loves all the people of the world, but like it says in Hebrews 11:6, “But without faith it is impossible to please Him, for he who comes to God must believe that He is, and that He is a rewarder of those who diligently seek Him.”  God is looking for people that believe in His favor, that trust that His Word is true, and that know that He is a good Father Who showers us daily with...