April 30 Edify Devotional

Today’s Devotional Theme      Find Rest   Daily Scripture Psalms 1:1-4 “Blessed is the man Who walks not in the counsel of the ungodly, Nor stands in the path of sinners, Nor sits in the seat of the scornful; But his delight is in the law of the Lord, And in His law he meditates day and night. He shall be like a tree Planted by the rivers of water, That brings forth its fruit in its season, Whose leaf also shall not wither; And whatever he does shall prosper.”    Encouragement Our text offers three things to avoid to experience restful meditation. First, restful meditation comes when we chose not receive the counsel ungodly people. Secondly, we are encouraged to avoid negative words from those that don’t have the mind of God. Then we are instructed not to use the same path many chose when they show no honor or respect for each other or for those who are leaders in their life.   Apply God’s Word Be careful of the where, who, and when. Where are you getting your information from, and who are you receiving it from? Then, finally, timing is very important as well. There is an attack on our quiet time and we must work to protect it because out of it comes a greater relationship with our Father. Come into His Presence Father, I love our time together, I find such rest when I cut away from the noise of the day and just listen to Your instructions. Help me to focus on you and not the noise of what's around me. In Jesus' Name I pray. Amen. Ed Herald Senior Pastor Email Pastor Ed

Victory Christian Center 18180 US Highway 150 Bloomington, Illinois 61705 309.663.7233 www.VictoryPeople.org www.Facebook.com/VictoryPeople.org

April 29 Edify Devotional

Today’s Devotional Theme      Look Through A New Lens   Daily Scripture Philippians 4:8-9 “Finally, brethren, whatever things are true, whatever things are noble, whatever things are just, whatever things are pure, whatever things are lovely, whatever things are of good report, if there is any virtue and if there is anything praiseworthy--meditate on these things. The things which you learned and received and heard and saw in me, these do, and the God of peace will be with you.”    Encouragement Have you ever walked where you normally drive? The view is vastly different. You see things you have been missing because you have been moving too fast. You may be thinking, “I wasn’t speeding”. Doesn’t matter, if you’re traveling at the normal pace of this life you will miss it. Heaven has a different pace. When we begin to see things from Heaven's point of view, everything slows down. Because everything takes on a different importance. What occupies your mind is more important than the air we breathe. The life you have today is the result of your meditation of yesterday, and your life tomorrow will be determined by what you chose to meditate on today.   Apply God’s Word My advice is that we be careful what we chose to think on. Have you ever heard the saying; “Think before you speak”? How about think before you think? It we are what we think then we might want to be cautious what we are thinking. After all, do you really want to become what you think of others? Let me give you an example. When we think judgmental things about others, we ourselves will become just like them, or at the very least we will be judged by the same judgment. That tells me we have become the very thing we have thought about another. Come into His Presence Father, help me to see how You see, and help me to know when I’m being judgmental and critical of others. In Jesus' Name I pray. Amen. Ed Herald Senior Pastor Email Pastor Ed

Victory Christian Center 18180 US Highway 150 Bloomington, Illinois 61705 309.663.7233 www.VictoryPeople.org www.Facebook.com/VictoryPeople.org

April 27 Edify Devotional

Today’s Devotional Theme      Medication of Meditation   Daily Scripture Psalm 37:7 “Rest in the Lord, and wait patiently for Him; Do not fret because of him who prospers in his way, Because of the man who brings wicked schemes to pass. Cease from anger, and forsake wrath; Do not fret--it only causes harm. “    Encouragement In his groundbreaking book Adrenaline and Stress, Dr. Archibald Hart supports this idea with results from the research he’s done. “People in a hurry don’t allow time for their complex bodies and minds to become revitalized,” he wrote. “So they accelerate the wear and tear of their bodies. There is no time for contemplation or even meditation. Anxiety increases and they lose perspective on their problems because they don’t have time to think constructively. This makes them even more stressed and less able to cope with the strains of life, thus exacerbating the stress of life. “   Apply God’s Word If we don’t stop, we may just drop! I’m not trying to be negative today. Just honest. At my age, and I choose to not be all that honest and give it away (Oh, okay, if you must know, 54), I feel the effects of years without the right kind of rest. When I say rest, I mean the rest that regenerates your mind, soul and spirit. This is both in the physical and in the spiritual. From our text we are encouraged to “Rest in the Lord” … What I believe He is alluding to is meditation. It’s the prescription for what ails us, both for the body and for the soul. Anger and fretting are not welcome in meditation. Come into His Presence Father, I can get hot quick when things don’t seem to work out to my good. I know You're trying to work this out of me by pushing me to be patient and rest. That’s what’s better for me anyway, so today I’m going to chill!!! In Jesus Name I pray. Amen. Ed Herald Senior Pastor Email Pastor Ed

Victory Christian Center 18180 US Highway 150 Bloomington, Illinois 61705 309.663.7233 www.VictoryPeople.org www.Facebook.com/VictoryPeople.org

April 26 Edify Devotional

Today’s Devotional Theme      Be Quiet   Daily Scripture Joshua 1:6-8 “Be strong and of good courage, for to this people you shall divide as an inheritance the land which I swore to their fathers to give them. Only be strong and very courageous, that you may observe to do according to all the law which Moses My servant commanded you; do not turn from it to the right hand or to the left, that you may prosper wherever you go. This Book of the Law shall not depart from your mouth, but you shall meditate in it day and night, that you may observe to do according to all that is written in it. For then you will make your way prosperous, and then you will have good success.”    Encouragement “Be quiet” is a registered trade mark for a brand owned by the German company Listen GmbH & Co. KG, who manufactures power supply units, CPU coolers, PC cases, and case fans. Their claim to fame is the fact that they build the quietest components for computers. The book of Joshua opens with some disquieting news.   Apply God’s Word Just because you are in a quiet place doesn’t mean you're experiencing peace. In our text, God knew the news of Moses’ death would bring with it unrest and some anxiety. Go figure, Moses was the only leader they had ever known. Now it was Joshua’s time to rise to the occasion and lead. Out of all the great advice God gave the new leader of this sometimes troubled group of followers, the best was the advice from verse 8, “This Book of the Law shall not depart from your mouth, but you shall meditate in it day and night, that you may observe to do according to all that is written in it. For then you will make your way prosperous, and then you will have good success.” It’s going to be difficult to meditate in peace if you are always busy talking and doing. Stop what you’re doing right now and try some peace and quiet! Come into His Presence Father, I choose today to slow down and count my blessings. I have been far too busy doing and not resting. It seems my life is at “warp speed”, but today I’m going to slooooow down and enjoy my life with You. In Jesus Name I pray, amen. Ed Herald Senior Pastor Email Pastor Ed

Victory Christian Center 18180 US Highway 150 Bloomington, Illinois 61705 309.663.7233 www.VictoryPeople.org www.Facebook.com/VictoryPeople.org

April 25 Edify Devotional

Today’s Devotional Theme      Can I Really Please God?   Daily Scripture Hebrews 11:6 “…Without faith it is impossible to please God…”    Encouragement If there is anything we learned coming from the Dark Ages, it was that God was up there, just waiting for us to mess up. And when we did He was willing and able to zap us at any moment. The problem with the theology, that still exists today, is that it doesn’t show the true personality of God. We know that God has a corrective side that we all need when we are out of line, but those who live under the inordinate fear of God's wrath if they get out of line are missing the virtue of knowing that they can live pleasing to God.   Apply God’s Word The Bible offers us plenty of ways to please God. Our text shows us one, and that is to trust Him. We learned yesterday in our devotional that placing our trust in the wrong things is unhealthy. Here, God is telling us that there is a way to live pleasing to Him. Now, for those of you that may be pruned to performance for acceptance, this is not what the text is suggesting. What it is suggesting is that just as a father is pleased with his son or daughter’s choices, God is pleased when we choose the better way as well. And let me add to that when we are displeasing, we are still His child! We simply need to get back into His Graces! Come into His Presence Father, help me to please You today. I want to make the right choice to honor You. To see that smile from Your face that I have made the right decision. I know at times I will displease You, but I also know that in those moments I’m still loved by You, and always will be. In Jesus' Name I pray. Amen. Ed Herald Senior Pastor Email Pastor Ed

Victory Christian Center 18180 US Highway 150 Bloomington, Illinois 61705 309.663.7233 www.VictoryPeople.org www.Facebook.com/VictoryPeople.org

April 24 Edify Devotional

Today’s Devotional Theme      Feeding From the Right Source   Daily Scripture 3 John 2 “Beloved, I pray that you may prosper in all things and be in health, just as your soul prospers.”    Encouragement As we learned from yesterday’s devotional. Being healthy is the same thing as good hygiene. When John was writing this letter he was concerned about a leader named Gaius. You see, Gaius was worrying himself sick over an issue that was out of his control. John was sending ministers to help in the local church but an influential man was opposed to the ministers' coming. It appears that this man, named Diotrephes, was trying to exert his own will over the people, and didn’t want any outside influence. He was what we call a control freak.   Apply God’s Word In our text, John was trying to get Gaius to recognize that Diotrephes was not his source. Even though he has influence, it was not the influence that Gaius needed to remain healthy. We are faced with the same challenges every day. We worry that our job may be done away with, the company may close. We worry about being able to provide for our families. We even worry that what we are doing at Church isn’t enough to satisfy those around us. If we are not careful, we become like Gaius and worry that people are our source, and Not God. For a believer, that’s an unhealthy lifestyle. He is our source today and every day! Come into His Presence Father, I chose to look to You as my supply. When it feels and even looks like things around me are failing, help me to see You as the resource for my life. In Jesus' Name I pray. Amen. Ed Herald Senior Pastor Email Pastor Ed

Victory Christian Center 18180 US Highway 150 Bloomington, Illinois 61705 309.663.7233 www.VictoryPeople.org www.Facebook.com/VictoryPeople.org

April 23 Edify Devotional

Today’s Devotional Theme      Live Free From the World's Influence   Daily Scripture 3 John 2 “Beloved, I pray that you may prosper in all things and be in health, just as your soul prospers.”    Encouragement This verse uses a word that all of are familiar with. It’s a word that we try to become in order to live a long and prosperous life. Our society is somewhat fixated on this word. It’s the word health. This particular word comes from Greek word hugiaino. Its where we get the English word hygiene. It simply means to be free from disease, germs and sickness.   Apply God’s Word We live in a world where there are serious infections all around us. In recent years we have even heard of cases where patients admitted to the Hospital for a small procedure can come in contact with something that caused then to become sicker than the reason they were admitted. This is not common, but it can happen. Now, let’s look at the world around us that is pressing us from every side to live under its sickening influence. Doubt, fear, unforgiveness, greed and many more things are out there looking for a host to attack. God is calling us to live free from these things and be in health. Come into His Presence Father, today I will face the challenges of the environment I work and live in. Many influences are all around me and today I declare my immunity from every attacking germ the enemy has for me. In Jesus' Name I pray. Amen. Ed Herald Senior Pastor Email Pastor Ed

Victory Christian Center 18180 US Highway 150 Bloomington, Illinois 61705 309.663.7233 www.VictoryPeople.org www.Facebook.com/VictoryPeople.org

April 22 Edify Devotional

Today’s Devotional Theme      Learn From Me   Daily Scripture Matthew 11:28-30 (MSG) "Are you tired? Worn out? Burned out on religion? Come to me. Get away with me and you'll recover your life. I'll show you how to take a real rest. Walk with me and work with me - watch how I do it. Learn the unforced rhythms of grace. I won't lay anything heavy or ill-fitting on you. Keep company with me and you'll learn to live freely and lightly." (KJV) "...Take my yoke upon you, and learn of me; for I am meek and lowly in heart: and ye shall find rest unto your souls."   Encouragement As we have learned, laws are not the answer to our world's problems. Laws by themselves are not the answer for a believer, ether. The heart is the problem, and we all need God to help us follow the new heart He gave us. Laws without guidance offer little to no help with the challenges we face in this life. The followers of Jesus’ day were given a new heart and they were encouraged to follow that new heart. The Jews couldn’t bring themselves to believe Jesus’ message of salvation was that simple. Jesus came to not only set men free, but He also came to model the life that brings freedom.   Apply God’s Word I love what Jesus told them. I’ll show you how to take a real rest. A real rest means there is a rest that isn’t a real rest. I believe the rest He is talking about is a stress free rest. Who is your source today? Is it you job? Your spouse? Your children? Yourself? None of the above!!! Jesus wants to teach us how to rest the right way. Not the worlds way. The world is trying to get someplace so they can rest, but Jesus’ rest is the kind that helps us get there, and no stress is welcome on the journey. So stop resisting a rest. I have never been arrested, but I have watched a few Cop shows. And let me tell you it looks a whole lot easier to surrender than it is to run when a police officer is asking you to put your hands behind your back. So chose to rest in Him today. Your day will go much easier. Come into His Presence Father, help me today to learn only from You. I want to live the life You want me to, a life that brings me freedom. Please help me today to listen to Your way of doing things. In Jesus' name. Amen. Ed Herald Senior Pastor Email Pastor Ed

Victory Christian Center 18180 US Highway 150 Bloomington, Illinois 61705 309.663.7233 www.VictoryPeople.org www.Facebook.com/VictoryPeople.org