Daily Devotional By Archbishop Foley Beach

Followers of Jesus Must Meet Jesus’ Expectation of His “Great Commission” By Both “Going” and “Making Disciples”

MESSAGE SUMMARY: Jesus, in Luke 15:4-7, tells us, through His Parable of The Lost Sheep, the importance to God of our discipleship: “What man of you, having a hundred sheep, if he has lost one of them, does not leave the ninety-nine in the open country, and go after the one that is lost, until he finds it? And when he has found it, he lays it on his shoulders, rejoicing. And when he comes home, he calls together his friends and his neighbors, saying to them, ‘Rejoice with me, for I have found my sheep that was lost.’ Just so, I tell you, there will be more joy in heaven over one sinner who repents than over ninety-nine righteous persons who need no repentance.".

Immediately before His Ascension into Heaven, Jesus told the Apostles, in His Great Commission found in Matthew 28:18-20, as we go into our communities and into all parts of the world, that we are to make disciples: “And Jesus came and said to them, ‘All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you. And behold, I am with you always, to the end of the age.’”. We must begin, as followers of Jesus, to meet His fundamental expectation for us by both going and making disciples!

 

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): Matthew 28:18-20; Matthew 10:16; Matthew 16:24-28; Psalms 29:1-11.

THIS SUNDAY’S AUDIO SERMON: You can listen to Archbishop Beach’s Current Sunday Sermon: “The Blessing of Our Faith, as Followers of Jesus, Is the Presence of Jesus In Our Lives, Irrespective of Our Life’s Circumstances", at our Website: https://awtlser.podbean.com/

WEBSITE LINK TO DR. BEACH’S SERMON VIDEO – “We All Need “Hope” in Today’s World of Fear, Doubt in Our Faith, and Feelings of “Hopelessness”; and God Is this “Hope””:  www.AWFTL.org/watch

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

I Am a Sinner Who Now Has a Savior Because “Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners . . .”; Is He Your Savior Too?

MESSAGE SUMMARY: We are all sinners, but we now have a Savior – Jesus. As Paul tells us, in 1 Timothy 1:15-16, that the Gospel provides Salvation for all followers of Jesus, including the worst of sinners -- Paul: “The saying is trustworthy and deserving of full acceptance, that Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners, of whom I am the foremost. But I received mercy for this reason, that in me, as the foremost, Jesus Christ might display his perfect patience as an example to those who were to believe in him for eternal life.". Also, Paul, in 1 Timothy 2:3b-6, further points out that God wants all of us to be saved by His Grace through Jesus if we only, as sinners like Paul, reach out to bring Jesus into our lives: God our Savior, who desires all people to be saved and to come to the knowledge of the truth. For there is one God, and there is one mediator between God and men, the man Christ Jesus, who gave himself as a ransom for all, which is the testimony given at the proper time.”. It is only because of Jesus the Christ that we receive the healing that we need. “I am a sinner who now has a Savior – do you”?

 

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 Timothy 1:15-17; 1 Timothy 2:3b-6; 2 Timothy 1:8-12; Psalms 89a:1-13.

THIS SUNDAY’S AUDIO SERMON: You can listen to Archbishop Beach’s Current Sunday Sermon: “The Blessing of Our Faith, as Followers of Jesus, Is the Presence of Jesus In Our Lives, Irrespective of Our Life’s Circumstances", at our Website: https://awtlser.podbean.com/

WEBSITE LINK TO DR. BEACH’S SERMON VIDEO – “We All Need “Hope” in Today’s World of Fear, Doubt in Our Faith, and Feelings of “Hopelessness”; and God Is this “Hope””:  www.AWFTL.org/watch

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

In Addition to God’s Grace for Your Salvation, What Other Personal Gifts of the Holy Spirit Has God Given You? How Are You Serving His Kingdom?

MESSAGE SUMMARY: To each one of us, Grace has been given as Christ apportioned it. As Paul tells us in 1 Corinthians 12:4-6: “Now there are varieties of gifts, but the same Spirit; and there are varieties of service, but the same Lord; and there are varieties of activities, but it is the same God who empowers them all in everyone.”. Just because one of us has a certain gift, it does not mean that your gift is not just as important in the Body of Christ. While some in the church teach that some of the gifts of the Holy Spirit have faded away and are no longer needed. “Says who?” The Bible teaches that all gifts are needed and are necessary if the Body of Christ to function properly. The Apostle Peter tells us, in 1 Peter 4:10, how we, as followers of Jesus, should consider our gifts from God: “As each has received a gift, use it to serve one another, as good stewards of God's varied grace.". In addition to God’s gift of your Salvation, through your Faith and His Grace, what other personal gifts Has God given yo

 

TODAY’S AFFIRMATION: 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): 1 Corinthians 3:10-17; Romans 12:3-8; 1 Peter 4:10-11; Psalms 28:1-9.

TODAY’S AFFIRMATION: Today, I affirm that because of what God has done for me in His Son, Jesus, I AM RIGHTEOUS IN GOD’S EYES. God made Him who had no sin to be sin for us, so that in Him we might become the righteousness of God. (2 Corinthians 5:21).

SCRIPTURE REFERENCE (ESV): Hebrews 4:14-16; Philippians 4:4-9; Mathew 6:25-34; Psalm 23:1-6; Psalms 22b:17-31.

THIS SUNDAY’S AUDIO SERMON: You can listen to Archbishop Beach’s Current Sunday Sermon: “The Blessing of Our Faith, as Followers of Jesus, Is the Presence of Jesus In Our Lives, Irrespective of Our Life’s Circumstances", at our Website: https://awtlser.podbean.com/

WEBSITE LINK TO DR. BEACH’S SERMON VIDEO – “We All Need “Hope” in Today’s World of Fear, Doubt in Our Faith, and Feelings of “Hopelessness”; and God Is this “Hope””:  www.AWFTL.org/watch

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

“Serve the Needs of Others”: What If You Are in a Grocery and You See a Young Family in Need at the Register and You Pay Their Bill?

MESSAGE SUMMARY: What would happen, if the next time you are in the grocery store, you see a young family in need at the register and you pay their bill? Would it be possible that the young family and those around could see Jesus in You? How could this single action by you ripple through the Kingdom? Paul, in Titus 3:4-8, powerfully lays out that we, as Christians, receive our Salvation through our faith and God’s Grace; however, we are given the opportunity to mirror Jesus in our actions and works: “But when the goodness and loving kindness of God our Savior appeared, he saved us, not because of works done by us in righteousness, but according to his own mercy, by the washing of regeneration and renewal of the Holy Spirit, whom he poured out on us richly through Jesus Christ our Savior, so that being justified by his grace we might become heirs according to the hope of eternal life. The saying is trustworthy, and I want you to insist on these things, so that those who have believed in God may be careful to devote themselves to good works. These things are excellent and profitable for people.". Therefore, what would happen if you paid the bill of a young family in line behind you at a fast-food restaurant; or what would happen if you got in your car and visited the shut-ins living in your community; or what would happen if you went next door and actually met, got to know, and helped your neighbor? If we want to be real Christians, then we need to follow the “Great Commission” set forth by Jesus, for us, in Matthew 28:19-20: “Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you. And behold, I am with you always, to the end of the age.”"

The world, the country, your friends, and your family have so many issues and hurts for which Jesus and His Gospel are the answer; but we keep this good news a secret by our unwillingness to live a visible life walking the talk of the Gospel and sharing the Gospel. Do you have the faith and courage and are you willing to share the Gospel? If you do, then pray for God’s guidance to you for His will and role for you.

 

TODAY’S AFFIRMATION: Today, I affirm that because I am in Jesus Christ, I will trust in the Lord with all my heart. I will trust in the Lord with all of my heart and lean not on my own understanding.  In all my ways I will seek to know Him, and He will make my pathways straight. (From Proverbs 3:5f).

SCRIPTURE REFERENCE (ESV): John 13:34-35; Romans 2:6-10; Titus 3:4-8; Psalms 27:1-14.

THIS SUNDAY’S AUDIO SERMON: You can listen to Archbishop Beach’s Current Sunday Sermon: “Why Do We Not Go to the Lord when We, as Individual Followers of Jesus and We as a Nation, Face Difficult Circumstances, Especially with Jesus as Our Great High Priest?", at our Website: https://awtlser.podbean.com/

WEBSITE LINK TO DR. BEACH’S SERMON VIDEO – “We All Need “Hope” in Today’s World of Fear, Doubt in Our Faith, and Feelings of “Hopelessness”; and God Is this “Hope””:  www.AWFTL.org/watch

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

When God Calls You In Your Life, You Can Be Sure that Your Call Is Not Inconsequential; and He Will Walk With You To Meet His Expectations

MESSAGE SUMMARY:  When God calls you in your life that He walks with you as you strive to meet His expectations. Often, when God gives you a vision to start a ministry or to witness to co-workers through your life as a follower of Jesus, you may think that your vision is too small or inconsequential. However, you must remember Jesus’ Parable of the Mustard Seed in Mathew 13:31-32 – “. . . a grain of mustard seed that a man took and sowed in his field. It is the smallest of all seeds, but when it has grown it is larger than all the garden plants and becomes a tree . . .”. From this parable, we learn that God will take what He asks you to do and multiply it many times. Remember, God began with the twelve Apostles, and Christianity has grown, globally, to more than 2.5 Billion Christians today; and Christianity is growing, rapidly, outside the Western World. You can be sure, like Paul tells us in Romans 8:28: “And we know that for those who love God all things work together for good, [7] for those who are called according to his purpose.".

 

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

SCRIPTURE REFERENCE (ESV): Mathew 13:31-34; Romans 8:26-28; Galatians 5:22-24; Psalms 26:1-12.

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

SCRIPTURE REFERENCE (ESV): Mathew 25:14-30; Luke 12:13-21; Romans 3:19-20; Psalms 21:1-13.

THIS SUNDAY’S AUDIO SERMON: You can listen to Archbishop Beach’s Current Sunday Sermon: “Why Do We Not Go to the Lord when We, as Individual Followers of Jesus and We as a Nation, Face Difficult Circumstances, Especially with Jesus as Our Great High Priest?", at our Website: https://awtlser.podbean.com/

WEBSITE LINK TO DR. BEACH’S SERMON VIDEO – “We All Need “Hope” in Today’s World of Fear, Doubt in Our Faith, and Feelings of “Hopelessness”; and God Is this “Hope””:  www.AWFTL.org/watch

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

Followers of Jesus Have the Holy Spirit, Who Is God In Your Life Trying to Make You Like Jesus – The Holy Spirit is God, Creator of Universe, Walking With You!

MESSAGE SUMMARY: The third presence of the Trinity is the Holy Spirit -- God Himself. In Acts 1:8-10, Jesus, at His Ascension, reaffirmed the coming of the Holy Spirit to those that follow Him: “’But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you, and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the end of the earth.’ And when he had said these things, as they were looking on, he was lifted up, and a cloud took him out of their sight. And while they were gazing into heaven as he went, behold, two men stood by them in white robes . . .". When you are a follower of Jesus and you have been given the gift of the Holy Spirit, God, the Creator of the Universe, comes and takes residence in your life – God, in your life through the Holy Spirit, is trying to make you like Jesus.

 

TODAY’S AFFIRMATION: Because of who I am in Jesus Christ, I will not be driven by Resentment. 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): John 16:4-11; Acts 1:8-10; Acts 2:38-39; Romans 14:17-19; 1 Corinthians 12:1-4; Psalms 25b:12-22.

THIS SUNDAY’S AUDIO SERMON: You can listen to Archbishop Beach’s Current Sunday Sermon: “Why Do We Not Go to the Lord when We, as Individual Followers of Jesus and We as a Nation, Face Difficult Circumstances, Especially with Jesus as Our Great High Priest?", at our Website: https://awtlser.podbean.com/

WEBSITE LINK TO DR. BEACH’S SERMON VIDEO – “We All Need “Hope” in Today’s World of Fear, Doubt in Our Faith, and Feelings of “Hopelessness”; and God Is this “Hope””:  www.AWFTL.org/watch

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

As a Christian, Do Others See Jesus in You? If You Follow Jesus, Then the Holy Spirit Will Be Present and Apparent In and Through Your Life

MESSAGE SUMMARY: If you are a follower of Jesus, then your life is characterized by the fruit of the Holy Spirit. Paul tells us in 1 Corinthians 6:17,19 about the indwelling of the Holy Spirit in you if you are a follower of Jesus: “But he who is joined to the Lord becomes one spirit with him . . . Or do you not know that your body is a temple of the Holy Spirit within you, whom you have from God?”.  Can it be said that your church is, also, characterized by the fruit of the Holy Spirit? Again, if not then why not? You can play church all you want; but if you follow Jesus, then the Holy Spirit will be manifested in and through your life, as Paul tells us in Romans 8:16-17: “The Spirit himself bears witness with our spirit that we are children of God, and if children, then heirs—heirs of God and fellow heirs with Christ, provided we suffer with him in order that we may also be glorified with him.".

 

TODAY’S AFFIRMATION: Today, I affirm that, because I am in Jesus Christ, My life is about Christ. (Philippians 1:21). “I can do everything through Him who gives me strength.”. (Philippians 4:14).

SCRIPTURE REFERENCE (ESV): Romans 12.1-2; Ephesians 4:19-24; 1 Corinthians 6:17-20; Psalms 25a:1-11.

THIS SUNDAY’S AUDIO SERMON: You can listen to Archbishop Beach’s Current Sunday Sermon: “We Have “Hope” in Today’s World of Fear, Doubt, and Feelings of “Hopelessness” Through God’s Abiding Presence With Us and In Us", at our Website: https://awtlser.podbean.com/

WEBSITE LINK TO DR. BEACH’S SERMON VIDEO – “We All Need “Hope” in Today’s World of Fear, Doubt in Our Faith, and Feelings of “Hopelessness”; and God Is this “Hope””:  www.AWFTL.org/watch

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

 

Is Jesus the Lord of Your Life? Until You Surrender Your Life and Your Will to Jesus, the Holy Spirit Cannot Lead, Counsel, and Help You

MESSAGE SUMMARY: The question is not "When did you receive the Holy Spirit?" BUT "Have you received the Holy Spirit?". As Jesus told us in John 14:26-27: “But the Helper, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in my name, he will teach you all things and bring to your remembrance all that I have said to you. Peace I leave with you; my peace I give to you. Not as the world gives do I give to you. Let not your hearts be troubled, neither let them be afraid.". Is the Holy Spirit Present in your life, and does the Holy Spirit have you? Have you surrendered your life and will to Jesus the Christ? Until you surrender to Jesus, the Holy Spirit cannot lead you. As soon as you put up any resistance to "surrendering", you quench the Holy Spirit in your life. 

 

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

SCRIPTURE REFERENCE (ESV): ):  John 14:25-27; Acts 1:4-9; Acts 2:38; Acts 10:45; Romans 14:17-19; Psalms 24:1-10.

THIS SUNDAY’S AUDIO SERMON: You can listen to Archbishop Beach’s Current Sunday Sermon: “Why Do We Not Go to the Lord when We, as Individual Followers of Jesus and We as a Nation, Face Difficult Circumstances, Especially with Jesus as Our Great High Priest?", at our Website: https://awtlser.podbean.com/

WEBSITE LINK TO DR. BEACH’S SERMON VIDEO – “We All Need “Hope” in Today’s World of Fear, Doubt in Our Faith, and Feelings of “Hopelessness”; and God Is this “Hope””:  www.AWFTL.org/watch

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

As a Christian, God Himself Walks With You and Talks With You and Counsels You and Helps You Through the Holy Spirit; Does the Holy Spirit Have You?

MESSAGE SUMMARY: The Holy Spirit is given to Christians so that God may work in you and through you. In  Acts 2:38-39, the Apostle Peter was preaching at the First Pentecost in Jerusalem; and he told the gathering of thousands: “And Peter said to them, ‘Repent and be baptized every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins, and you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit. For the promise is for you and for your children and for all who are far off, everyone whom the Lord our God calls to himself.’”. While Peter was preaching, the Holy Spirit was given to all those Followers of Jesus in the crowd, as the Apostle Luke tells us in Acts 10:44: “While Peter was still saying these things, the Holy Spirit fell on all who heard the word.". God desires to work in you to make you more like Jesus. God Himself walks with you and talks with you and counsels you and helps you through the Holy Spirit, as Paul tells us in Romans 14:17: “For the kingdom of God is not a matter of eating and drinking but of righteousness and peace and joy in the Holy Spirit.". The Holy Spirit was given to you, as a follower of Jesus, so that the way you live and act is like Jesus while letting others see Jesus in you – the greatest possible tool for evangelism.

 

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 1:4-9; Acts 2:38-39; Romans 14:17-19; Psalms 82:1-8.

THIS SUNDAY’S AUDIO SERMON: You can listen to Archbishop Beach’s Current Sunday Sermon: “Why Do We Not Go to the Lord when We, as Individual Followers of Jesus and We as a Nation, Face Difficult Circumstances, Especially with Jesus as Our Great High Priest?", at our Website: https://awtlser.podbean.com/

WEBSITE LINK TO DR. BEACH’S SERMON VIDEO – “We All Need “Hope” in Today’s World of Fear, Doubt in Our Faith, and Feelings of “Hopelessness”; and God Is this “Hope””:  www.AWFTL.org/watch

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

Why Do We Not Go to the Lord when We, as Individual Followers of Jesus and We as a Nation, Face Difficult Circumstances, Especially with Jesus as Our Great High Priest?

MESSAGE SUMMARY: “Lord is my helper and confident, why should I be afraid? What can man do to me?” For this confidence, you must know who Jesus is – both in your heart and in your mind. Jesus is the Son of God – God in the flesh. In the First Century, the Writer of Hebrews is writing to the persecuted Followers of Jesus in Rome where the Emperor Nero’s torture and persecution of Christians rose to a new level of depravity. In this context, Hebrews 4:16 assures First Century Christians facing difficult circumstances, as we do now, to: “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, we can see the Writer’s admonition to the Christians of Rome and to us that God is still with them and us in difficult circumstances. In difficult circumstances, we and they should hold fast to faith , in spite of physical suffering, fear, uncertainties, and perceived silence from prayers because Jesus is our personal High Priest.

As Paul tells us in Philippians 4:4: “do not be anxious about anything, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God.". Therefore, You do not need to worry about troubling circumstances in your life because you know that He is with you; and He will guide you no matter how dark your life seems. Jesus is the light that shines in darkness.  As Jesus tells you in Luke 12:4-5, that when you have anxiety and fear in your life, you must determine if this anxiety derivative of the right kind of fear: “I tell you, my friends, do not fear those who kill the body, and after that have nothing more that they can do. But I will warn you whom to fear: fear him who, after he has killed, has authority to cast into hell. Yes, I tell you, fear him!”. When you are faced with life’s tragedies and the anxieties that result from just living your life, Jesus can turn those situations and your fears into ways and results that you cannot fathom, understand, or anticipate; but you can certainly appreciate. Why not give God a chance to walk with you in all your life situations -- good and bad? Ultimately, the Psalmist got it right in Psalm 23:4: “Even though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil, for you are with me; your rod and your staff, they comfort me.".

 

TODAY’S AFFIRMATION: Today, I affirm that because of what God has done for me in His Son, Jesus, I AM RIGHTEOUS IN GOD’S EYES. God made Him who had no sin to be sin for us, so that in Him we might become the righteousness of God. (2 Corinthians 5:21).

SCRIPTURE REFERENCE (ESV): Hebrews 4:14-16; Philippians 4:4-9; Mathew 6:25-34; Psalm 23:1-6; Psalms 22b:17-31.

THIS SUNDAY’S AUDIO SERMON: You can listen to Archbishop Beach’s Current Sunday Sermon: “Why Do We Not Go to the Lord when We, as Individual Followers of Jesus and We as a Nation, Face Difficult Circumstances, Especially with Jesus as Our Great High Priest?", at our Website: https://awtlser.podbean.com/

WEBSITE LINK TO DR. BEACH’S SERMON VIDEO – “We All Need “Hope” in Today’s World of Fear, Doubt in Our Faith, and Feelings of “Hopelessness”; and God Is this “Hope””:  www.AWFTL.org/watch

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