 The Word of Grace Devotion for the Week of February 20, 2017
Sowing Seed Mark 4:27-29, “And he said, “The kingdom of God is as if a man should scatter seed on the ground. 27He sleeps and rises night and day, and the seed sprouts and grows; he knows not how. 28The earth produces by itself, first the blade, then the ear, then the full grain in the ear. 29But when the grain is ripe, at once he puts in the sickle, because the harvest has come.” Beloved, in Mark 4:26-29 we have the miracle of growth, a process that begins by planting a single seed. Concerning this growth Jesus says, “He sleeps and rises night and day, and the seed sprouts and grows; he knows not how.” Fortunately we now know how photosynthesis works but truthfully it is all a miraculous process, which God placed on earth to foster growth. What I desire to focus on this week is the planting of a seed. I encouraged my congregation to go out and plant a seed into the life of one person this week. It could be a co-worker, a neighbor, a friend, someone at the gym, or even someone that you meet at the local grocery store. I encouraged them because Jesus said in John 4:35, “Do you not say, ‘There are yet four months, then comes the harvest’? Look, I tell you, lift up your eyes, and see that the fields are white for harvest.” In other words, there are many people ready to receive Jesus! So please pray about planting a seed into someone’s life this week. Now, when I say planting a seed, what I am talking about is sharing about Jesus Christ. You can do this in numerous ways: (1) Pray for someone that you can invite to church. (2) Share your testimony (how you came to Jesus) with someone you think is not a Christian. (3) Hand someone a tract (a tract is a piece of Christian literature that speaks about how someone can become a Christian. (4) Any other way the Spirit may lead you! After you have done this then pray. Pray that the Lord would speak to their hearts and pray that the Holy Spirit would convict them of their need for Christ. As God continues to work in these people’s lives, my prayer is that we will see a harvest of souls for the kingdom of God! I pray that you will have a blessed week! I love you and I will be praying for you! In Jesus’ Name- Pastor Joe
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"Freed from Fear." Psalm 34:4-7 on this week's Word of Grace Devotion with Pastor Joe Marquez.2/16/2017  The Word of Grace Devotion for the Week of February 13, 2017
Freed From Fear Psalm 34:4-7, "I prayed to the Lord, and he answered me. He freed me from all my fears. 5Those who look to him for help will be radiant with joy; no shadow of shame will darken their faces. 6In my desperation I prayed, and the Lord listened; he saved me from all my troubles. 7For the angel of the Lord is a guard; he surrounds and defends all who fear him." NLT Beloved, there are many believers who in the dreaded place of fear. Yet, there are those who have overcome the fears in their lives and lived to tell about it. King David is one of those who overcame great fear in his life. Psalm 34 tells us in the title the circumstances surrounding King David and why fear had a grip on his life: “A psalm of David, regarding the time he pretended to be insane in front of Abimelech, who sent him away.” So how did King David overcome his fear? (1) He prayed. Psalm 34:4 says, “I prayed to the Lord, and he answered me. He freed me from all my fears.” I know that it sounds simple and you may be saying, “well, I also prayed but fear has not left me.” Note that King David was in a difficult spot, Psalm 34:6, “In my desperation I prayed, and the Lord listened; he saved me from all my troubles.” He was desperate and he desperately needed the Lord. Maybe desperation is the key. We need to come to the Lord acknowledging that we desperately need Him. Then He will answer our prayers. (2) Secondly, King David moved his fear from the circumstances surrounding his life to a fear of the Lord. Psalm 34:7 says, “For the angel of the Lord is a guard; he surrounds and defends all who fear him.” We, like King David, misplace our fear. Instead of fearing the Lord, we fear our circumstances. We need to have an awe and respect of our Great Savior knowing that He does not allow anything in our lives without His consent. In other words, God can take the bad and make something good come out of it. What is the result? Psalm 34:5 says, “Those who look to him for help will be radiant with joy; no shadow of shame will darken their faces.” Radiant joy instead of fear will envelop our hearts! Beloved, take your fears to the Lord and be freed from fear! I pray that you will have a blessed week! I love you and I will be praying for you! In Jesus’ Name- Pastor Joe |
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