Daily Devotional By Archbishop Foley Beach

Jesus Gave His Followers the Earth’s Most Intimate Relationship – a Personal Relationship with God, the Universe’s Creator

Jesus Gave His Followers the Earth’s Most Intimate Relationship – a Personal Relationship with God, the Universe’s Creator

MESSAGE SUMMARY: The idea of an intimate relationship is to truly know someone; and you are given the privilege of knowing God, the Creator of the Universe. You are given the privilege of being close to Him and to have a personal and dynamic relationship with the God of the universe. Your relationship with God is made possible through Jesus the Christ and God’s gracious gift of the Holy Spirit.  Paul, in Romans 8:37-39, succinctly defines God’s uncompromising love for you through His personal relationship with you: “No, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him who loved us. For I am sure that neither death nor life, nor angels nor rulers, nor things present nor things to come, nor powers, nor height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God in Christ Jesus our Lord.". Jesus puts the Holy Spirit in your life so that you can commune and have personal fellowship with God -- the most intimate relationship on earth.

 

TODAY’S PRAYER: Lord, help me to be still and to wait patiently for you in silence. In Jesus’ name, amen. Scazzero, Peter. Emotionally Healthy Spirituality Day by Day (p. 125). Zondervan. Kindle Edition.

TODAY’S AFFIRMATION: Today, Because of who I am in Jesus Christ, I will not be driven by Fear. Rather, I will abide in the Lord’s Faithfulness. “I am the vine; you are the branches. If a man remains in Me and I in him, he will bear much fruit; apart from Me you can do nothing.” (John 15:5).

SCRIPTURE REFERENCE (ESV): 1 Corinthians 11:25; Colossians 2:2-3; John 10:25-30; Psalms 70:1-5.

A WORD FROM THE LORD WEBSITE: www.AWFTL.org.

THIS SUNDAY’S AUDIO SERMON: You can listen to Archbishop Beach’s Current Sunday Sermon: “The Resurrection -- Part 3: Jesus Gives Us His Great Commission Just Before His Ascension”, at our Website: https://awtlser.podbean.com/

DONATE TO AWFTL: https://mygiving.secure.force.com/GXDonateNow?id=a0Ui000000DglsqEAB

Jesus Followers Practice a Weekly Time of Worship and Rest through Their Sabbath and a Daily Time Alone with God in Prayer

Jesus Followers Practice a Weekly Time of Worship and Rest through Their Sabbath and a Daily Time Alone with God in Prayer

MESSAGE SUMMARY: Jesus said, in Mark 2:27-28, “The Sabbath was made for man, not man for the Sabbath. So the Son of Man is Lord even of the Sabbath.”. Therefore, we are to practice a weekly Sabbath – worship and rest. Also, we are to build into our lives a time alone with God each day. In Mark 1:35, Mark tells us about Jesus: “And rising very early in the morning, while it was still dark, He departed and went out to a desolate place, and there He prayed.". If Jesus needed to spend time in prayer, doesn’t it make sense that we need to spend time in daily prayer as well?

 

TODAY’S PRAYER: Lord, I now take a deep breath and stop. So often I miss your hand and gifts in my life because I am preoccupied and anxious. Grant me the power to pause each day and each week to simply rest in your arms of love. In Jesus’ name, amen. Scazzero, Peter. Emotionally Healthy Spirituality Day by Day (p. 132). Zondervan. Kindle Edition.

TODAY’S AFFIRMATION: Today, Because of who I am in Jesus Christ, I will not be driven by Anger. Rather, I will abide in the Lord’s Forgiveness. “I am the vine; you are the branches. If a man remains in Me and I in him, he will bear much fruit; apart from Me you can do nothing.” (John 15:5).

SCRIPTURE REFERENCE (ESV): Mark 2:27-28; Mark 1:35; John 16:33; John 10:10.

A WORD FROM THE LORD WEBSITE: www.AWFTL.org.

THIS SUNDAY’S AUDIO SERMON: You can listen to Archbishop Beach’s Current Sunday Sermon: “Marriage – A Current Assessment (Christ the King Anglican Church; Birmingham, AL)”, at our Website: https://awtlser.podbean.com/

DONATE TO AWFTL: https://mygiving.secure.force.com/GXDonateNow?id=a0Ui000000DglsqEAB

God Gives a Jesus Follower’s Life Meaning and Purpose, Satisfies their Hunger to Know Their Life’s Purpose, and Forgives Their Sins

God Gives a Jesus Follower’s Life Meaning and Purpose, Satisfies their Hunger to Know Their Life’s Purpose, and Forgives Their Sins

MESSAGE SUMMARY: As Jesus tells us in John 15:12-14, that you, as His follower, are His “friend: “This is my commandment, that you love one another as I have loved you. Greater love has no one than this, that someone lay down his life for his friends. You are my friends.". God became flesh, and He dwelt among us. God became human to draw you into a personal relationship with Him. In John 1:14, the Apostle John identifies Jesus as the “Son of the Father”: “And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us, and we have seen his glory, glory as of the only Son from the Father, full of grace and truth.". God alone can satisfy the meaning and purpose of your life. God alone can satisfy your hunger to know your life’s meaning. Most importantly, God alone can give you forgiveness of your sins as Paul tells us in Colossians 2:13-14: “And you, who were dead in your trespasses and the uncircumcision of your flesh, God made alive together with him, having forgiven us all our trespasses, by canceling the record of debt that stood against us with its legal demands. This he set aside, nailing it to the cross.". Jesus’ life, miracles, death, and His Resurrection are invitations to a life-long personal relationship with God, the Creator of the Universe. Our personal relationship with God is through His gift, to Jesus Followers, of the Holy Spirit.

 

TODAY’S PRAYER: Lord, help me to grab hold of you today. I need you. Set me free to begin reorienting my life around you, and you alone. Help me to pay attention to and honor how you have uniquely made me. Thank you for the gift of rest. In Jesus’ name, amen.       Scazzero, Peter. Emotionally Healthy Spirituality Day by Day (p. 122). Zondervan. Kindle Edition.

TODAY’S AFFIRMATION: Today, Because of who I am in Jesus Christ, I will not be driven by Hatred. Rather, I will abide in the Lord’s Love. “I am the vine; you are the branches. If a man remains in Me and I in him, he will bear much fruit; apart from Me you can do nothing.” (John 15:5).

SCRIPTURE REFERENCE (ESV): Hebrews 1:3; Hebrews 1:10-13; Colossians 2:10-15; Psalms137:1-9.

A WORD FROM THE LORD WEBSITE: www.AWFTL.org.

THIS SUNDAY’S AUDIO SERMON: You can listen to Archbishop Beach’s Current Sunday Sermon: “The Upper Room Part 1: The Promise of the Spirit (Apostles Anglican Church; Knoxville, TN)”, at our Website: https://awtlser.podbean.com/

DONATE TO AWFTL: https://mygiving.secure.force.com/GXDonateNow?id=a0Ui000000DglsqEAB

As a Jesus Follower, Go to God in Your Fear and Anxiety Because Jesus Says: “do not be anxious about tomorrow”

As a Jesus Follower, Go to God in Your Fear and Anxiety Because Jesus Says: “do not be anxious about tomorrow”

MESSAGE SUMMARY: Your problems are not too big for God; God is faithful. Your financial issues, your debt, your health issues, and your sins are not too big for God. God is faithful, and He is trustworthy. Why not take, to God, all those things in your life that are creating anxiety? In Psalms 9:9-10, the Psalmist encourages you to put your trust in God: “The LORD is a stronghold for the oppressed, a stronghold in times of trouble. And those who know your name put their trust in you, for you, O LORD, have not forsaken those who seek you.". Also, Jesus tells us, in Mathew. 6:33-34, that you can put our trust in Him and not be anxious about your problems: “But seek first the kingdom of God and his righteousness, and all these things will be added to you. Therefore do not be anxious about tomorrow, for tomorrow will be anxious for itself. Sufficient for the day is its own trouble.”. Our God is a faithful God – reach out to God when fear and anxiety are taking a firm hold on your life.

 

TODAY’S PRAYER: Lord, fill me with the simple trust that even out of the most awful evil around me, you are able to bring great good — for me, for others, and for your great glory. In Jesus’ name, amen.     Scazzero, Peter. Emotionally Healthy Spirituality Day by Day (p. 91). Zondervan. Kindle Edition.

TODAY’S AFFIRMATION: Today, because of I am filled with the Holy Spirit, I will not be controlled by my Inconsistencies. Rather, I will walk in the Spirit’s fruit of Faithfulness. “The fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control.” (Galatians 5:22f).

SCRIPTURE REFERENCE (ESV): Mathew. 6:25-34; Mathew. 10:19-20; 1 Corinthians 7:32-35; Psalms 48:1-14.

A WORD FROM THE LORD WEBSITE: www.AWFTL.org.

THIS SUNDAY’S AUDIO SERMON: You can listen to Archbishop Beach’s Current Sunday Sermon: “Jesus Appears Again”, at our Website: https://awordfromthelord.org/listen/

DONATE TO AWFTL: https://mygiving.secure.force.com/GXDonateNow?id=a0Ui000000DglsqEAB

Since Your Judgment Is Coming, Are You Doing All You Can to Continue Growing Your Relationship with God?

Since Your Judgment Is Coming, Are You Doing All You Can to Continue Growing Your Relationship with God?

MESSAGE SUMMARY: Jesus tells you about the certainty of your Judgment in John 5:25,29: “Truly, truly, I say to you, an hour is coming, and is now here, when the dead will hear the voice of the Son of God, and those who hear will live . . . and come out, those who have done good to the resurrection of life, and those who have done evil to the resurrection of judgment.". Since Judgment is coming, are you doing all you can to keep your relationship with the Lord growing? Given certain Judgment for all, a primary purpose of the Church is to lead people into a growing relationship with the Lord. You must be constantly growing and nurturing your faith in Jesus. There is a day when we will all be judged by the Lord – do not you think you can wait until the last minute to have a real relationship with Jesus.

 

TODAY’S PRAYER: Father, when I read even part of the story of Job, I too am overwhelmed by your “wildness.” Your ways and timing are beyond me. Job moved from hearing about you to having “seen you.” Lead me, Lord, on a pathway so that I too can pray as Job prayed: “My ears had heard of you, but now my eyes have seen you” (Job 42:5). In Jesus’ name, amen. Scazzero, Peter. Emotionally Healthy Spirituality Day by Day (p. 89). Zondervan. Kindle Edition.

TODAY’S AFFIRMATION: Today, because of I am filled with the Holy Spirit, I will not be controlled by my Evil Ways. Rather, I will walk in the Spirit’s fruit of Goodness. “The fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control.” (Galatians 5:22f).

SCRIPTURE REFERENCE (ESV): Isaiah 24:19-22; Matthew 7:21-23; John 12:48-50; Psalms149:1-9.

A WORD FROM THE LORD WEBSITE: www.AWFTL.org.

THIS SUNDAY’S AUDIO SERMON: You can listen to Archbishop Beach’s Current Sunday Sermon: “Easter: He is Risen!”, at our Website: https://awordfromthelord.org/listen/

DONATE TO AWFTL: https://mygiving.secure.force.com/GXDonateNow?id=a0Ui000000DglsqEAB

Jesus Followers “Know God”, which Is “Eternal Life”, Because they Have a Personal Relationship with God

Jesus Followers “Know God”, which Is “Eternal Life”, Because they Have a Personal Relationship with God

MESSAGE SUMMARY: Your personal relationship with God, and knowing Him in your life, renders everything else in your life insignificant.  Knowing God and having that personal relationship with Him, through your prayer life, is summarized in John 17:3: “And this is eternal life, that they know you the only true God, and Jesus Christ whom you have sent.". Jesus’ interchange with the Apostle Peter, in Matthew 16:13-18, exemplifies the importance of God’s gift to you of your access to Him on a personal one-on-one basis: “he {Jesus}asked his disciples, ‘Who do people say that the Son of Man is?’ And they said, ‘Some say John the Baptist, others say Elijah, and others Jeremiah or one of the prophets.’ He said to them, ‘But who do you say that I am?’ Simon Peter replied, ‘You are the Christ, the Son of the living God.’ And Jesus answered him, ‘Blessed are you, Simon Bar-Jonah! For flesh and blood has not revealed this to you, but my Father who is in heaven. And I tell you, you are Peter, and on this rock I will build my church, and the gates of hell shall not prevail against it.’”. How is your personal relationship with God, the Creator of the Universe, today?

 

TODAY’S PRAYER: Lord, I now take a deep breath and stop. So often I miss your hand and gifts in my life because I am preoccupied and anxious. Grant me the power to pause each day and each week to simply rest in your arms of love. In Jesus’ name, amen.   Scazzero, Peter. Emotionally Healthy Spirituality Day by Day (p. 132). Zondervan. Kindle Edition.

TODAY’S AFFIRMATION: Today, because of I am filled with the Holy Spirit, I will not be controlled by my Despair. Rather, I will walk in the Spirit’s fruit of Joy. “The fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control.” (Galatians 5:22f).

SCRIPTURE REFERENCE (ESV): John 17:2-3; Philippians 3:7-10; Matthew 16:13-20; Psalms 74a:1-12.

A WORD FROM THE LORD WEBSITE: www.AWFTL.org.

THIS SUNDAY’S AUDIO SERMON: You can listen to Archbishop Beach’s Current Sunday Sermon: “How God Says He Loves Us: Part 3 -- The Covenant with Moses”, at our Website: https://awordfromthelord.org/listen/

DONATE TO AWFTL: https://mygiving.secure.force.com/GXDonateNow?id=a0Ui000000DglsqEAB

Jesus’ Death and Resurrection Tore the Veil that Stood Between You and a Personal Relationship with God

Jesus’ Death and Resurrection Tore the Veil that Stood Between You and a Personal Relationship with God

MESSAGE SUMMARY: With the “Veil torn”, Jesus wants your life-focus to be on following Him -- your life should be about impressing Him and not others. Jesus assumes that Jesus Followers will practice the piety of giving, praying, and fasting; therefore, they will do things in the right way and with the right motives. To this end in Matthew 6:16-18, Jesus instructed the Apostles in fasting: “And when you fast, do not look gloomy like the hypocrites, for they disfigure their faces that their fasting may be seen by others. Truly, I say to you, they have received their reward. But when you fast, anoint your head and wash your face, that your fasting may not be seen by others but by your Father who is in secret. And your Father who sees in secret will reward you.". Therefore, your worship and prayers should be about growing and deepening your personal relationship with God and not in consideration of others and their impressions of you.

 

TODAY’S PRAYER: Lord, I come this day inviting you to cut those deeply entrenched chains that keep me from being faithful to my true self in Christ. In doing so, may my life be a blessing to many. In Jesus’ name, amen.      Scazzero, Peter. Emotionally Healthy Spirituality Day by Day (p. 44). Zondervan. Kindle Edition.

TODAY’S AFFIRMATION: Today, Because of who I am in Jesus Christ, I will not be driven by Anger. Rather, I will abide in the Lord’s Forgiveness. “I am the vine; you are the branches. If a man remains in Me and I in him, he will bear much fruit; apart from Me you can do nothing.” (John 15:5).

SCRIPTURE REFERENCE (ESV): Acts 14:23; Matthew 6:16-18; 2 Samuel 12:15-17; Psalms 119i:97-108.

A WORD FROM THE LORD WEBSITE: www.AWFTL.org.

THIS SUNDAY’S AUDIO SERMON: You can listen to Archbishop Beach’s Current Sunday Sermon: “How God Says He Loves Us: Part 2 -- The Covenant with Abraham”, at our Website: https://awtlser.podbean.com/

DONATE TO AWFTL: https://mygiving.secure.force.com/GXDonateNow?id=a0Ui000000DglsqEAB

At Jesus’ Crucifixion and Death, the “Temple Veil” Was Torn; After Jesus Easter Resurrection, You Now Pray Directly with God

At Jesus’ Crucifixion and Death, the “Temple Veil” Was Torn; After Jesus Easter Resurrection, You Now Pray Directly with God

MESSAGE SUMMARY:  Think about the magnitude of your direct and personal access to God that your prayers give you, through Jesus, if you will only pray. Before Jesus, ordinary people did not have direct access to God, through the Throne Room of God, with a direct personal relationship with God. In Old Testament times, people would come to the priests; and the priest would offer up a sacrifice on behalf of the people. The priests, and not the people, were communing directly with God. On Good Friday and at Jesus death on the cross, the “Temple Veil” was torn from top to bottom (i.e. “Temple Vail” was a large, very thick, and very heavy barrier that divided that portion of the Temple accessible by those wishing to sacrifice for prayer and the “Holy of Holies” where the only the High Priest could meet with God and pray on behalf of the people of God.). At Jesus Resurrection, no longer was an intermediary (e.g., a Priest) required for direct prayer with God by the people in Christ (i.e. Jesus Followers).  Because Jesus created a New Covenant relationship with His followers, now your prayers are in direct communion with God, the Creator of the Universe. Everyone, who is in Christ, may have access to the Throne Room of God in the name of Jesus. What a privilege this direct access to God is for those who are in Christ. The author of Hebrews, in Hebrews 4:16, tells Jesus Followers that, because of the Gospel, you have direct access to God’s “throne of Grace” for your needs: “Let us then with confidence draw near to the throne of grace, that we may receive mercy and find grace to help in time of need.".

 

TODAY’S PRAYER: Keeping the Sabbath, Lord, will require a lot of changes in the way I am living life. Teach me, Lord, how to take the next step with this in a way that fits my unique personality and situation. Help me to trust you with all that will remain unfinished and to enjoy my humble place in your very large world. In Jesus’ name, amen. Scazzero, Peter. Emotionally Healthy Spirituality Day by Day (p. 129). Zondervan. Kindle Edition.

TODAY’S AFFIRMATION: Today, I affirm that because of what God has done for me in His Son, Jesus, I AM A CHILD OF GOD. Yet to all who received Him, to those who believed in His Name, He gave the right to become children of God-- children born not of natural descent, nor of human decision or a husband's will, but born of God. John 1:12f

SCRIPTURE REFERENCE (ESV): Philippians 4:1-13; John 15:9-10; Revelation 4:1-2; Psalms 69c:25-36.

A WORD FROM THE LORD WEBSITE: www.AWFTL.org.

THIS SUNDAY’S AUDIO SERMON: You can listen to Archbishop Beach’s Current Sunday Sermon: “How God Says He Loves Us: Part 2 -- The Covenant with Abraham” at our Website: https://awordfromthelord.org/listen/   

DONATE TO AWFTL: https://mygiving.secure.force.com/GXDonateNow?id=a0Ui000000DglsqEAB

Today’s Uncertainties Call for a Deepening Personal Relationship with God Through Prayer, Fasting, and Listening

Today’s Uncertainties Call for a Deepening Personal Relationship with God Through Prayer, Fasting, and Listening

MESSAGE SUMMARY: There are times when you need clarity, understanding, knowledge, and insights from the Lord about the specific issues that you are facing. The Lord will speak to you, but sometimes it takes your listening and fasting to hear Him. For example, when Joel received a Word when the land was to be destroyed, he called a fast (i.e. Joel 1:14): “Consecrate a fast; call a solemn assembly. Gather the elders and all the inhabitants of the land to the house of the LORD your God, and cry out to the LORD.”. Some things you are facing in your life must be dealt with by both prayer and fasting. Fasting releases a spiritual power – in your weakness, God is made strong in your life. Daniel’s prayer, from Daniel 9:3-5, provides a context for asking direction from God: “Then I turned my face to the Lord God, seeking him by prayer and pleas for mercy with fasting and sackcloth and ashes. I prayed to the LORD my God and made confession, saying, ‘O Lord, the great and awesome God, who keeps covenant and steadfast love with those who love him and keep his commandments, we have sinned and done wrong and acted wickedly and rebelled, turning aside from your commandments and rules.’". After Jesus responded to the Apostles request of “teach us to pray” by providing the “Lord’s Prayer”, Jesus instructed the Apostles and us, in Matthew 6:17-18, how to fast: “But when you fast, anoint your head and wash your face, that your fasting may not be seen by others but by your Father who is in secret. And your Father who sees in secret will reward you.". Our fasting will be rewarded as a deepening link to God in our personal relationship with Him.

 

TODAY’S PRAYER: Father, I confess that when difficulties and trials come into my life, large or small, I mostly grumble and complain. I realize the trials James talks about are not necessarily “walls,” but they are difficult to bear, nonetheless. Fill me with such a vision of a transformed life, O God, that I might actually consider it “pure joy” when you bring trials my way. I believe, Lord. Help my unbelief. In Jesus’ name, amen.   Scazzero, Peter. Emotionally Healthy Spirituality Day by Day (p. 94). Zondervan. Kindle Edition.

TODAY’S AFFIRMATION: Today, Because of who I am in Jesus Christ, I will not be driven by Past Failures. Rather, I will abide in the Lord’s Grace. “I am the vine; you are the branches. If a man remains in Me and I in him, he will bear much fruit; apart from Me you can do nothing.” (John 15:5).

SCRIPTURE REFERENCE (ESV): Joel 1:13-16; Matthew 6:16; Daniel 9:3-7; Psalms 114:1-8.

A WORD FROM THE LORD WEBSITE: www.AWFTL.org.

THIS SUNDAY’S AUDIO SERMON: You can listen to Archbishop Beach’s Current Sunday Sermon: “The Interior Life – Maintenance of the Inner Man -- Part 4: Our Emotional Being”, at our Website: https://awordfromthelord.org/listen/

DONATE TO AWFTL: https://mygiving.secure.force.com/GXDonateNow?id=a0Ui000000DglsqEAB

God’s Grace Allows Jesus Followers to Know God Personally, Like a Father Knows His Son

God’s Grace Allows Jesus Followers to Know God Personally, Like a Father Knows His Son

MESSAGE SUMMARY:  There is a difference in knowing about someone and really knowing them. Jesus’ New Covenant permits you to know God in a personal way and not just to know about God. This means to know the Lord God was fulfilled in Jesus the Christ. In Romans 8:26, Paul tells us that the pathway for knowing God, personally, is through our prayers; and the Holy Spirit is with you to help you with your prayers: “Likewise the Spirit helps us in our weakness. For we do not know what to pray for as we ought, but the Spirit himself intercedes for us with groanings too deep for words.". There is a great deal of difference in knowing about God through study and knowing God by developing a personal relationship with Him through your prayers and the New Covenant that is in Jesus. The Apostle John, in John 1:1-5, clearly identifies that Jesus is the “Word” {Jesus} who is the Creator of the Universe: “In the beginning was the Word {Jesus}, and the Word {Jesus} was with God, and the Word {Jesus} was God. He {Jesus} was in the beginning with God. All things were made through him, and without him was not any thing made that was made. In him was life, and the life was the light of men. The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness has not overcome it.". Therefore, God’s Grace, through Jesus, has given you the opportunity to have a personal relationship with our Triune God (i.e. God the Father, Jesus, and the Holy Spirit). Jesus provides this opportunity for you to have a personal relationship with God, the Creator of the Universe, who can become the cornerstone of your life. Have you established your personal relationship with God? If not, why not?

 

TODAY’S PRAYER: Father, I confess that when difficulties and trials come into my life, large or small, I mostly grumble and complain. I realize the trials James talks about are not necessarily “walls,” but they are difficult to bear, nonetheless. Fill me with such a vision of a transformed life, O God, that I might actually consider it “pure joy” when you bring trials my way. I believe, Lord. Help my unbelief. In Jesus’ name, amen.    Scazzero, Peter. Emotionally Healthy Spirituality Day by Day (p. 94). Zondervan. Kindle Edition.

TODAY’S AFFIRMATION: Today, I affirm that because I am in Jesus Christ, I will not be ashamed of the Gospel. I will not be ashamed of the Gospel of Jesus Christ for it is the power of God for the salvation of everyone who believes (including me). From Romans 1:16

SCRIPTURE REFERENCE (ESV): John 12:44-50; Luke 12:4-12; John 15:12-17; Psalms 55a:1-12.

A WORD FROM THE LORD WEBSITE: www.AWFTL.org.

THIS SUNDAY’S AUDIO SERMON: You can listen to Archbishop Beach’s Current Sunday Sermon: “The Interior Life – Maintenance of the Inner Man -- Part 2: The Mind of the Soul”, at our Website: https://awordfromthelord.org/listen/

DONATE TO AWFTL: https://mygiving.secure.force.com/GXDonateNow?id=a0Ui000000DglsqEAB