June 8 Edify Devotional

Today’s Devotional Theme      Increase God's Way   Daily Scripture 2 Peter 1:2 “Grace and peace be multiplied to you in the knowledge of God and of Jesus our Lord, as His divine power has given to us all things that pertain to life and godliness, through the knowledge of Him who called us by glory and virtue.”    Encouragement Today we will once again look at the topic of increasing grace. Peter adds a word in his writing that Paul omits from yesterday’s text. He adds the word peace along with grace. Not really too surprising. Peace is a product of our faith in God. As His grace increases in our lives, I believe our peace increases proportionately. Then Peter refers to two additional words: life and Godliness. At the heart of Godly living and a spiritually transformed life is an attitude of reverence toward God and a willingness to live in obedience to His commands.   Apply God’s Word This week, we are following up with our devotionals on the sermon from Sunday. In the message Sunday we looked at how to live a simple life that has little clutter. Clutter is equal to confusion, and if we are dealing with a lot of confusion in our life then we may need to look closely at whether or not we are living a life that honors God. Honoring God is showing Him reverence in our daily affairs. We need His instruction on how to simplify our life so we are not so overwhelmed that we cannot fulfill our calling to expand His Kingdom. Come into His Presence Father, I think it’s time to look closely at my attitude and actions. If my life is confused, then help me to reduce the clutter so I can have the time needed to do the things You have called me to do. 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

June 7 Edify Devotional

Today’s Devotional Theme      He Is Enough   Daily Scripture 2 Corinthians 9:8 “And God is able to make all grace abound toward you, that you, always having all sufficiency in all things, may have an abundance for every good work.”    Encouragement In our text today, Paul is addressing the issue of giving with the church in Corinth. They, like anyone, had the potential to see their material passions as their wealth, and their employer as the source of their supply. He stresses in the text that God is the supplier of everything we need. But it wasn’t their wealth he addressed first, it was the increase of grace. You see, grace is God's favor as He pursues man for a relationship. Then, Paul qualifies what His abundance is meant for. Good works. Good works simply means doing the things He has called us to do every day. It's living with character and virtue in our everyday life. This kind of living affects the Kingdom that we have been called to help build.   Apply God’s Word I have had the unfortunate experience of thinking I had enough gas in my tank when it said it was on empty. You guessed it, I underestimated how much I had. It’s not fun standing by your car filling it with gas as the rest of the world passes you by, and wondering why you didn’t respond to the big red E on your dash board. Well, this just will not happen when it comes to God's supply. There is a never ending supply of Grace as we need it. Not material things, but grace. His never-ending love of us as we need it to navigate through this present life. So if you’re feeling like your running on E, gas up with His never-ending grace. Keep in mind we will run out if we choose to ignore the E. Do you need to stop today and grace up? Come into His Presence Father, help me to pay attention to the E. I’m feeling a bit low, so I ask for Your ever-increasing grace. Help me to use the grace for those around me today. To show the grace that I have been shown. 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

June 6 Edify Devotional

Today’s Devotional Theme      The Gospel Train   Daily Scripture Luke 24:13-15 “That very day two of [Jesus’ disciples] were going to a village named Emmaus, about seven miles from Jerusalem, and they were talking with each other about all these things that had happened. While they were talking and discussing together, Jesus himself drew near and went with them.” Encouragement  Two trains roar past each other through the night. One plunges pell-mell toward perdition and oblivion. Thank God we’re not on that train! The other, silver-skinned, is racing east toward the break of dawn. The first rays of sun are about to glint off its sleek sides. As the sun rises, ushering in another warm day, this train will shine as though it is the source of the daylight. Trains make a timeless subject for thousands of songs of various genres. A favorite bluegrass band of mine does a rousing version of one of the many songs titled “Gospel Train.” One of the best-known gospel train songs has to be “This Train is Bound for Glory.” This train “don’t carry nothing but the righteous and the holy.” Apply God’s Word For reasons now obscure, that bluegrass gospel train song makes me think of the road to Emmaus recounted in Luke. Two disciples are on their way to a town a few miles west of Jerusalem, and a man falls in with them. They don’t know at first that the man is the resurrected Jesus. In my vision, a man comes aboard a train and sits opposite two friends, facing them. They sense something very different about him. He begins engaging the two in conversation, asking them about themselves, why they’re on this train and where they are going. Down the line, the train makes a stop. The lone man stands. “I get off here. Get off a few miles on, at a stop called Paradise. I’ll meet you there.” The two men look at each other. “Wow,” one says. “Something really different about that guy. I’ve always gone on past Paradise. Maybe we ought to just stop and see if he does meet us.” Train songs and visions aside, Jesus will meet us wherever we are, if our hearts and minds are open to something new. When we’re just drifting along without a destination in mind, Jesus will help us renew our place and purpose. And an encounter with Him in Paradise just might be in the offing. Come into His Presence Our Father in Heaven, I thank You for sending Your Son into our one-time wretched lives. We still sometimes find ourselves aboard that gospel train, but without a particular destination in mind. I thank You for renewing our focus on our destination. In Jesus’ Name, amen. Mark Bacon Teacher & Mentor Email Mark

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

June 5 Edify Devotional

Today’s Devotional Theme      What Happened to Sunday?   Daily Scripture Mark 2:24, 27 “And the Pharisees were saying to him, ‘Look, why are they doing what is not lawful on the Sabbath?’ … And he said to them, ‘The Sabbath was made for man, not man for the Sabbath.’” Encouragement  The land of Israel, as secular as it has become, still takes very seriously the 24-hour Jewish Shabbat that begins at sundown Friday evening and ends at the same time Saturday evening. If you’re shopping in the Jewish quarter in Jerusalem early Friday afternoon, you’d better get a move on, because shop owners start getting ready to shutter their businesses by about 4 pm. The sidewalks basically roll up (not literally, of course) and preparations are made in homes and synagogues for Shabbat observances. It is a time for family and quiet reflection. Although the day, Sunday, is different, 150 years ago the Sabbath (the word comes from the Hebrew Shabbat) was a big deal in America. Typically people converged on the community church early Sunday morning, coming in carriages, on buckboards, and horseback, bringing food for a potluck picnic after service. It was a leisurely affair of conversation, renewing acquaintances, and sharing thoughts on the sermon. Then they stayed on until late afternoon for community singing and worship. Sunday was the one day of leisure out of the week, a sorely needed break from the toil of eking out a life from the land or working in the blacksmith’s or shoemaker’s shop Apply God’s Word Although it works for many – and sometimes I’m just a little envious – I don’t think God is calling us to maintain a full-blown Jewish Shabbat. Nonetheless, God mandated a day of rest, preferably each week, for our spiritual and physical benefit. Today, in our hurly-burly world, many of us don’t put in the physical labor that our five-times-great grandparents did. But whether we labor physically or mentally, most of us have a job (or jobs) or are rearing kids and perhaps home-schooling them. We all need a break. Our Sabbaths don’t have to be on Sunday. God will honor any day that works best. Regardless of when, we all need that respite from our daily doings – to reflect on Sunday’s message, to meditate, to renew. Come into His Presence Lord God, I thank You for encouraging us to take a day of rest regularly. You know we need it. Seven days of work, week after week, can take a terrible toil on our bodies and minds. Thank You for insisting we rest. In Jesus’ Name, amen. Mark Bacon Teacher & Mentor Email Mark

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

June 4 Edify Devotional

Today’s Devotional Theme      Spilt Milk   Daily Scripture Luke 22:61, Acts 3:4 “And the Lord turned and looked at Peter. Then Peter remembered the word of the Lord how He had said to him, ‘Before the rooster crows, you will deny Me three times’.” “...And fixing his eyes on him [the lame man], with John, Peter said, ‘Look at us.’” Encouragement  “Opportunity knocks only once.” We’ve heard and repeated that old adage many times. But, like many old saws we repeat without thinking about what they’re really saying, it’s a blatant lie. In God’s realm, opportunity knocks over and over, every day. We’ll all miss opportunities to please God, but God – in His unending grace – keeps presenting us with more occasions to do something good, or even something great. I for one am glad, because I sometimes feel like I’m the most flagrant opportunity waster on the planet. I used to really get down on myself for tossing away chances to do what I knew was right, like accepting and acting on an invitation to a get-together with a newer believer. I still frequently miss those avenues to do something for God, but I don’t indulge in self-recrimination as much as I used to. If you’re like me, you’ll take the high road more often and not have a personal pity party every time you think about a missed opportunity. Apply God’s Word Peter had a great chance to stand up for his Lord. Jesus, however, knew that Peter wouldn’t have the backbone to do it. He caught Peter’s eye, which only ground shredded bitterroot into his open wound. In short, the disciple blew it. Only a few weeks later, Jesus presented Peter with another opportunity to do something great. This time, Peter was up to the task. “Look at us. No, we don’t have any money. Jesus Christ of Nazareth has something for you money can’t buy. Stand up and walk!” God was about to put strong legs under this man who had never in his life walked. Come into His Presence My Lord and my God, I’m so glad that You are no “one strike and out” God. We get an unending string of strikes and even a few fat pitches, so we who are sometimes prone to watch fastballs fly by can take a big swing and pound a home run. Thank You. In Jesus’ Name, amen. Mark Bacon Teacher & Mentor Email Mark

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

June 3 Edify Devotional

Today’s Devotional Theme      Don't Despise Small Beginnings   Daily Scripture Mark 1:17 “And Jesus said to them [His new disciples], ‘Follow Me, and I will make you fishers of men.’” Encouragement  “God, give me patience, and give it to me now!” We’ve all heard this old quote, and perhaps said it ourselves. But becoming mature kingdom workers takes time. When we’re saved, an instant and miraculous transformation happens, but following up is a growing process. After three-plus years of walking in the dust of the greatest disciple-maker the world will ever see, Jesus’ students still didn’t fully “get it.” It took the work of God’s Spirit poured out on them to “cinch the deal.” To truly change, most of us have to start small. The key is not to get discouraged and give up. Are you progressing in your discipleship? Can you see a little day-to-day or week-to-week improvement? Then thank God for your progress and keep your eye on the prize. And thank God we can rejoice as we progress on our journey! Apply God’s Word I’m no genius. I’m like Peter – a slow learner. But when Peter finally “got it,” he became a key mover in the early church. We see the transformed Peter preaching to the crowds of fellow Jews in Acts chapters 2 and 3. (Come to think of it, Peter perhaps was a genius after all!) Let’s look at two key exhortations in today’s scripture: “Follow me,” and “I will make you…” The word “follow” is the Greek imperative deute. The essential meaning is “Come with me!” It’s more a command than a request. We see an equivalent in 2 Kings 6:19, where Elisha says, “Follow me!” to a group of Syrians that had been struck blind. The phrase “make you become” implies a process, not an instant transformation. Another way to say it: I will remake you so that you will learn to become fishers of men. We’ve been remade. Our journey with Jesus is underway. Let’s march down that road with focus and enthusiasm! Come into His Presence Lord God, give us patience to persevere. Giving up is not a viable option. Let us keep our eye on the prize at the end of the road. Let us appreciate the progress we’ve made but never say, ‘I’ve gone far enough.’ Help us to envision the victories that lie yet ahead. In Jesus’ Name, amen. Mark Bacon Teacher & Mentor Email Mark

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

June 2 Edify Devotional

Today’s Devotional Theme      God's "Reman" Plan   Daily Scripture Ephesians 4:23-24 “…Put off your old self, which belongs to your former manner of life and is corrupt through deceitful desires, and to be renewed in the spirit of your minds, and to put on the new self, created after the likeness of God in true righteousness and holiness.” Encouragement  We recently toured the Caterpillar visitor’s center in Peoria. We wandered among the various examples of construction and mining equipment, including an enormous truck intended for large open-pit operations that towers many feet over the onlooker. However, it was Caterpillar’s engine rebuilding program – known as a “reman” program (for remanufactured) – that really caught my eye. Here’s how it works: when the engine from a piece of equipment reaches the end of its useful life, the customer removes the engine, strips it down, and sends the basic unit – the block with all the internal parts intact (known as the core) – in for “reman.” A Caterpillar subsidiary strips down the core, dissembling all the internal parts, and replaces all worn parts with new equivalents. Then the engine is reassembled, tested to meet its original specifications, and returned to the owner, along with the same warranty that a new engine receives. The cost is one-third of an equivalent new engine. The same engine can be remanufactured several times before a brand new one is needed. I’ve often spiritually slipped and fallen. When that happens, I “ship” myself into God’s shop for a “reman.” God always renews me to the same specs and with the same “warranty” I received as a brand-new believer. Apply God’s Word When an old engine wears out, it’s no longer useful for the purpose for which it was made. It can either be discarded or remanufactured. Barring our turning our back on God and wading away neck-deep into the polluted marshes of this world, God doesn’t discard us. If we let Him, He’ll bring us into his shop and “reman” us. We’re enjoined to put off the old man and let God renew us to the specs Adam and Eve were endowed with before they made their fatal choice. Come into His Presence Lord God, sometimes we wear out – prematurely if we don’t allow You to maintain us regularly. When we come close to wearing out, may we be mindful to let You renew us spiritually – and ,yes, even physically! In Jesus’ Name, amen. Mark Bacon Teacher & Mentor Email Mark

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