Author: Pastor Ray Patrick

I was sinking deep in sin, far from the peaceful shore,

Very deeply stained within, sinking to rise no more.

But the Master of the sea heard my despairing cry,

From the waters lifted me—now safe am I.

Love lifted me! Love lifted me!

When nothing else could help, love lifted me!

Many of us have sung this hymn, “Love Lifted Me.”

Love lifts a sinful broken heart not just any love, but the love of God.

In this season of love, nothing can lift our hearts like the love of God. Girlfriends break up with us. Friends abandon us. Colleagues try to bypass us. Even our families may fail to understand us. But God’s love for us never changes.

Even when we act unlovable, God continues to love us. When we are undesirable, He embraces us. When it seems that the world has turned against us, God’s love remains. He has promised never to leave us. Life can certainly leave us feeling broken and confused. Often, disappointments come to teach us more about the depths of God’s love. In desperation, we turn to God. This is when we discover that only His love can lift us up and restore our hope.

Today, we may be struggling to find another way around our problems, hoping that someone’s love will bring relief, but no other love can help us like God’s love. Only His love has the ability to satisfy our every need. Right now, you are wondering if God really loves you because you yielded to sin. Or you allowed the world and its trappings to come between you and your Saviour. Cry to Him, and He will restore the joy of your salvation. And your testimony will be “When nothing else could help, love lifted me.”

“Love never fails” (1 Corinthians 13:8).

Let’s Pray

Yahweh, today heal the broken and hurting places in my heart, soul, and mind, so that I may focus my hope and vision on Your unfailing love. Father, I pray during this season of human love that I won’t look to anyone for love. God, help me train my eyes on You and please restore my joy. I pray in the name of Christ. Amen.

In this fight against unseen foes on this side of heaven, we must take hold of Truth. Scripture has invaluable instructions for us to equip ourselves in the battle with the devil.

Remember that victory is yours. Jesus saved us completely on the cross and has provided everything we need to live victorious lives. Even now, we are seated “in the heavenly realms with every spiritual blessing in Christ” (Ephesians 1:3).

You must lay down your life. As James 4:7 says, “Submit yourselves, then, to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you.” When we surrender our life and will to God, we will live righteously for Him and show Satan he holds no sway.

Every morning, close any doors in your heart that are susceptible to sin by humbling yourself before God—for without Him, we can do nothing (see John 15:5-8).

Put on the armour of God—both the uniform and the weapons (see Ephesians 6:10-17).

Praise the Lord. Though it may be hard to do when facing trials, when we need to put Satan in his place, praise is a sure way to defeat him (see Acts 16:25-26).

Pray for your enemies. One of the most difficult things to do is to pray for those who have wronged us. Yet, Jesus instructed us, “[L]ove your enemies and pray for those who persecute you” (Matthew 5:44). We show the enemy that we belong to Christ and that he is defeated when we model the grace and mercy of our Father God.

Set your heart on heaven. As you do, the Holy Spirit will so work in your life that you will reflect the glory that is coming to Satan’s horror (see 2 Corinthians 3:18).

Today, when we obey the bible’s instructions, we will experience peace and joy, even in trials, the devil is defeated and cannot bring us down. Hallelujah!

“Praise be to the Lord my Rock, who trains my hands for war, my fingers for battle” (Psalm 144:1).

Let’s Pray

Yahweh, help me remember the bible truths so that I will not be brought down by the tactics of the enemy. I rebuke him and his fallen angels in Jesus’ name, Amen.

The story was told of A group of young men that were meeting by a river. During their usual horseplay, one of the men fell into the water. Immediately, this fellow began to thrash around, and it became obvious that he was an inexperienced, weak swimmer.

Another member of the group, a strong swimmer, stood by and watched as his friend fought to stay afloat. Those on shore began to shout at the good swimmer, demanding that he jump into the water to save his friend, but he waited a few more seconds. Once the drowning man stopped his wild struggle, his friend dove in and pulled him to safety.

The rescuer then explained why he had waited to save the drowning man: “If I had jumped in earlier, he would have been too strong for me and possibly both of us would have drowned. Only by waiting until he was too exhausted to try to save himself could I save him.”

There are times when our self-effort can prevent us from being saved. This is especially true concerning our spiritual salvation. There is only one way to be saved from a sure death: by stopping all human efforts and crying out to the Lord Jesus Christ for His forgiveness and mercy.

Today I tell you the truth, the more a person seeks to devise ways of saving himself, the deeper he will sink into fear and disillusionment. Salvation is a gift, not the result of our good works. It is a gift that is given graciously by God, who loves us with eternal love. Truly, there is no greater gift we can receive! Do you feel as though you are drowning and want to give up? Call out to Jesus right now, and He will save you.

“Very truly I tell you, the one who believes has everlasting life” (John 6:47).

Let’s Pray

Yahweh, thank You for the free gift of eternal life. Father, I acknowledge that You are the only one through your Son that can save me and change my heart. God teach me to follow You, that You may be glorified in me. I pray in the name of Jesus Christ. Amen.

The story was told of A group of young men that were meeting by a river. During their usual horseplay, one of the men fell into the water. Immediately, this fellow began to thrash around, and it became obvious that he was an inexperienced, weak swimmer.

Another member of the group, a strong swimmer, stood by and watched as his friend fought to stay afloat. Those on shore began to shout at the good swimmer, demanding that he jump into the water to save his friend, but he waited a few more seconds. Once the drowning man stopped his wild struggle, his friend dove in and pulled him to safety.

The rescuer then explained why he had waited to save the drowning man: “If I had jumped in earlier, he would have been too strong for me and possibly both of us would have drowned. Only by waiting until he was too exhausted to try to save himself could I save him.”

There are times when our self-effort can prevent us from being saved. This is especially true concerning our spiritual salvation. There is only one way to be saved from a sure death: by stopping all human efforts and crying out to the Lord Jesus Christ for His forgiveness and mercy.

Today I tell you the truth, the more a person seeks to devise ways of saving himself, the deeper he will sink into fear and disillusionment. Salvation is a gift, not the result of our good works. It is a gift that is given graciously by God, who loves us with eternal love. Truly, there is no greater gift we can receive! Do you feel as though you are drowning and want to give up? Call out to Jesus right now, and He will save you.

“Very truly I tell you, the one who believes has everlasting life” (John 6:47).

Let’s Pray

Yahweh, thank You for the free gift of eternal life. Father, I acknowledge that You are the only one through your Son that can save me and change my heart. God teach me to follow You, that You may be glorified in me. I pray in the name of Jesus Christ. Amen.

Today is the day my little island of Grenada celebrates its independence. True spirituality shows us the tragic consequences of sin and our search for independence. We are all born with a missing dimension caused by the sin of wanting to live independently of God. This sin separates us from Him. The only way to fill that void is through repentance of sin, faith in Jesus Christ, and the indwelling power of God’s Spirit. This is the spirituality that makes us whole.

It is only when God’s Spirit opens our blind spiritual eyes, that we truly begin to understand ourselves and recognize our own darkness and moral corruption. True spirituality helps us recognize that our desperate inner longing is not a need for independence, but rather our need for dependence – dependence on the Saviour.

Biblical spirituality leads us to know the light of the world, Jesus Christ and makes it possible for us to experience wholeness of body, mind, and spirit in becoming like Him. This healing comes only as the Holy Spirit of God is invited to do His ongoing work of transformation in our lives. We are made whole when we reflect the character of Jesus Christ.

Today, as we embrace our spiritual dependence and turn away from our sinful independence, why not ask the Lord to reveal to you the true answer to your inner longing and to help you understand that your heart is made whole the moment you receive Christ as the Saviour? Today, ask God to help you walk in the light of His Son through all of life’s challenges that you are facing.

“I am the light of the world. Whoever follows me will never walk in darkness, but will have the light of life” (John 8:12).

Let’s Pray

Yahweh, because of Your great love for me, You made me alive in Christ even when I was dead in my sin. Father, thank you for accepting my dependence on you. I denounce my sinful dependence on myself, the world and the media. God thank You for sending the light of the world, Jesus. I pray in the name of Christ. Amen.

The little boy’s hand was dirty, so his mum asked, “Are you planning to get the dirt off your hand?” “Sure, Mom” he said “I’ll just wipe it off with my other hand.” There was only one problem with the boy’s plan. One dirty hand and one clean hand rubbed together equals two dirty hands.

We are like this little boy. Deep down we are conscious of our sin and rebellion and of our need for cleansing, but we think we can clean ourselves by doing some good deed. Just as the mother had to put her son’s hands under running water to clean them, so you must put your life under the fountain of Christ blood. Only the resurrected Christ can cleanse you from sin. Only the resurrected Christ can transform your destination from hell to heaven. Hallelujah!

Today there may be a need in each of us to do things for ourselves and to be self-reliant. If we have a problem, we want to fix it. If we want something, we try to get it. This need to be independent carries over into our relationship with Christ. But we soon discover that we cannot redeem ourselves from our sinful nature. We cannot work our way into God’s favour. We must come to Him in complete surrender and obedience, seeking His forgiveness for our sins. Without Christ, our lives are dirty, meaningless, and empty.

“But I trust in your unfailing love; my heart rejoices in your salvation” (Psalm 13:5).

Let’s Pray

Yahweh, thank You for the cleansing blood of Yahshua the Christ, that though my sins were as scarlet, He has made me white as snow. Father, today I rest in Your salvation by grace, that I may be free and able to share this Good News with others. I pray and receive my cleansing in the name of Christ. Amen.

A Christian actress was asked how she could live and work in Hollywood and still be true to her convictions. Her answer was simple: “I always try to remember whose I am.” For her, the most important thing was to keep her identity as a Christian, no matter what.

It’s easy to forget whose we are. For a student at a public university, surrounded by people sceptical about Christianity, it can be awkward to hold to your beliefs and try to live God’s way. At a wild frat party with friends, it may be tempting to forget that you have committed to live for Jesus. When working with people who have little use for religion, it may seem safer not to mention that you are a Christian. On a business trip with little to do at night it may seem easier to go along with others who engage in immorality than to resist because you are a Christian.

It would have been easier for the early Christians to forget whose they were. Life had become difficult for them because they were followers of Jesus. That’s why Peter wrote to them and to us and said “You are a chosen people, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, God’s special possession.” It’s only when we remember whose we are that we can call others out of darkness into the light of Christ.

You are a chosen people, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, God’s special possession, that you may declare the praises of him who called you out of darkness into his wonderful light (1 Peter 2:9).

Let’s Pray

Yahweh, help me to always remember who you have made me to be, and to never compromise. God, help me to praise you through my life at all times. In Christ’s name, Amen

In the beginning, God placed human beings in a garden sanctuary, where God could live and work with them to bring about the flourishing of His world.

 

Through the deceit of the snake, humans were tempted to disobey God and eat the forbidden fruit. They desired to be “like God, knowing good and evil.” But the hidden reality was that, unlike God, human beings could only know good and evil by becoming a mingled mess of good and evil. As they ingested the fruit, brokenness moved into every part of their being.

 

The brokenness that followed the fall, Genesis describes as a “curse”. Especially regarding relationships. Humanities relationships with themselves, with one another, with nature, and with God became damaged. At the same time, though, God pronounced that someday the serpent, along with the curse of sin and death, would be defeated.

 

Today through the finished work of Jesus on the cross and by His resurrection, the curse is being undone. When we accept the Lord and believe in Him and partake of the supper, our damaged relationships can begin to mend. We receive God’s restoring nourishment in our own lives, and we share the meal with one another. In addition, from the cursed ground we can still grow good food by which God communicates His love and care for us.

 

“Cursed is the ground because of you; through painful toil, you will eat food from it all the days of your life.” Genesis 3:17.

 

Let’s Pray

Yahweh, thank you for the love by which you gave yourself for us, which continues to break the curses in my life, so that all things can be restored by his grace. In Christ’s name, Amen.

When my Grandson was three-years-old he was full of life and vigour. Whenever he ran into the house or I walked into theirs, he would shout, “Granddad!” and charge towards me. He was my mini me, they would say. We walked the same. We have the same gestures always and he seem so excited shouts the good news “granddad!”

Paul commends the church at Thessalonica that they have stayed strong in faith by following his example and that of other leaders—and ultimately by following Jesus, despite the hardship and suffering in their life. They have set an example of how to serve and live by the Spirit with joy. They have learned to access all the empowerment and energy they need in order to live through the Spirit.

Today remember, whoever we are, on any given day- we are following someone or leading someone. Our challenge is to follow those who imitate Jesus and to lead those who need to know him. We ought to be Christ’s mini-me.

You became imitators of us and of the Lord, for you welcomed the message in the midst of severe suffering with the joy given by the Holy Spirit. 1 Thessalonians 1:6.?

Let’s Pray

Yahweh, help me to imitate you. To be your mini-me. Father, may I live by the joy you have given me. I want to be empowered by your Spirit. Please God, may someone see you in me today. In Christ’s name, Amen.

In the past, I have been called greedy. I didn’t think I was greedy until I read this passage again. Jesus warns us to watch out for all kinds of greed. The kind of greed I usually thought about had to do with very wealthy people wanting more. But Jesus doesn’t focus on that kind of greed here.

In today’s verse, a man is arguing with his brother over their inheritance. The family has enough to hand down, but Jesus sees that this man is still worried if he will truly have enough. He is greedy not for luxury but for security. I didn’t really know that kind of greed ­existed. But many of us have it. We want a little bit more so that we don’t have to worry.

Today, Jesus points us away from greed based on worry. So long as we aim to live God’s way, aligning ourselves with God’s purpose for us in this world, and so long as it is not yet time for our heavenly inheritance, God will give us what we need to live for him each day. Wanting more than that is a type of greed. And that will distract us from fully living the life of joy and peace we are created for. So let’s repent and learn to let go of our worry-based greed.

“Watch out! Be on your guard against all kinds of greed; life does not consist in an abundance of possessions.” Luke 12:15.

Let’s Pray

Yahweh, my creator, and Provider, I exist because of you. Father, please forgive me for trying to build my own security. Show me how to deal with the greed of worry that cost too much. In Jesus’ name, Amen.

In the Old Testament, The Israelites were the people of God, they were chosen to become a nation through whom God would bless all other peoples. But, we see in the opening chapters of Exodus, God’s chosen people were in a bad way. The people of Israel had become slaves in Egypt. And in this way, they were not able to be the blessing to others that God had promised.

Pharoah, the King of Egypt, feared the Israelites because their numbers were large and a threat to his domain. So he made life unbearable for them until the people cried out in their slavery, sickness, and suffering. Some of the deepest crying, happened because many of their baby boys were murdered. Which bought trauma and hopelessness.

Today we maybe suffering from trauma and hopelessness like the children of Isreal and God may seem absent for a long time, but God hears our cries and groanings like he heard theirs and will act to bring us to freedom. It may not be easy or quick, but it would be decisive providing rescue for His suffering people.

The Israelites groaned in their slavery and cried out . . . to God. God heard their groaning and . . . was concerned about them (Exodus 2:23-25).

Let’s Pray

Yahweh, see and hear my cries today and the groaning of people who suffer everywhere in this world. Father, be concerned and please move us to the place of faithfulness and trust over worry and fear. God help me to be responsive to your call and move into action in Christ’s name. Amen!