+Dev+ Michael D. Inman Pastor

Date: August 22, 2017 at 10:50 PM
Topic: +DEV+ Reach for God's Grace

Reach for God's Grace

“The Lord is good, a refuge in times of trouble. He cares for those who trust in him, but . . .he will pursue his foes into darkness” (Nahum 1:7-8).

Scripture Focus: 2 Corinthians 12:1-10

You have heard it said that “into every life a little rain must fall,” but does it seem sometimes that you are caught in the middle of a deluge? Do problems, pain, and perplexing predicaments sweep around you like a reenactment of Noah's flood? If so, you are not alone.

Even the most dedicated Christians suffer. It's part of the price we pay for living in a fallen world. However, God allows adverse circumstances to enter our lives for our good. They strengthen our faith and teach us to depend on His all-sufficient grace.

The apostle Paul suffered an undisclosed affliction, something he called “a thorn in the flesh.” Paul asked the Lord three times to remove it. But the Lord allowed the affliction to remain. It was His way of keeping Paul humble and dependent on Him. He explained that His grace was sufficient for Paul.

If you are suffering today, reach for God’s grace. You'll find that it is close by - and it is all-sufficient!

Insight: No one is exempt from trials in this life, but God's grace enables those who trust in Him to find purpose in their pain.

Please feel free to use this devotional to send on to your friends or share with your church fellowship and Bible study groups.

We are in need of Prayer and financial partners,
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Michael D. Inman

Date: August 17, 2017 at 2:04 AM
Topic: +DEV+ A Clear Sense of Direction

A Clear Sense of Direction

“Your statutes are wonderful; therefore I obey them. The unfolding of your words gives light; it gives understanding to the simple” (Psalm 119:129-130).

Scripture Focus: Psalm 32

If the following episode were true, it would be tragic. Because it is not true, it is laughable. A pilot announced to his passengers, “I have bad news and good news. First the bad news: our navigator has lost our position, so we don't know where we are or where we're going. Now the good news: we are making very good time.”

Life for far too many of us seems aimless, but considering how we rush about, we are making very good time. The question is where is all this fast-paced living taking us?

The Christian life is the antithesis of aimless activity. God's Word directs every Christian step by step through life and portrays heaven as the final destination, a place of eternal joy. As Christians we may stumble on the straight and narrow path that leads to heaven, but we are still on the right path.

By the way, God is the Christian’s navigator. He never loses sight of where He's taking His people. With God, there is no bad news!

Insight: Those who go through life without God are in a maze. Those who walk with God are amazed – amazed at His goodness and grace.

Please feel free to use this devotional to send on to your friends or share with your church fellowship and Bible study groups.

We are in need of Prayer and financial partners,
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Michael D. Inman

Date: August 18, 2017 at 1:04 AM
Topic: +DEV+ Foundational Truth

Foundational Truth

“Therefore everyone who hears these words of mine and puts them into practice is like a wise man who built his house on the rock” (Matthew 7:24).

Scripture Focus: Matthew 7:24-27

In June 2000 the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) predicted that by 2060 one-fourth of existing houses within 500 feet of U.S. coastlines and Great Lakes shorelines will be wiped out by erosion. That's a scary prediction! It's hard to picture so many beautiful houses toppling into a watery grave. If I were shopping for a lakefront or oceanfront house, I'd want to take a long, hard look at the foundation before plopping down earnest money.

But too many people are constructing their lives on a weak foundation. Jesus said that ignoring His words is like building a house on sand. That life will collapse in the flood of divine judgment. However, those who build their lives on Jesus' words - hearing them and putting them into daily practice - are like the man who built his house on a rock. That house survived torrential rain and a raging flood.

Have you checked your life’s foundation recently? Is it firm?

Insight: A life built on Jesus and His words will survive even life's harshest trials and God's closest inspection. Its foundation is flood-proof!


Please feel free to use this devotional to send on to your friends or share with your church fellowship and Bible study groups.

We are in need of Prayer and financial partners,
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Michael D. Inman

Date: August 16, 2017 at 1:25 AM
Topic: +DEV+ Motivated!

Motivated!

“We are therefore Christ's ambassadors, as though God were making his appeal through us. We implore you on Christ's behalf: Be reconciled to God” (2 Corinthians 5:20).

Scripture Focus: 2 Corinthians 5:16-21

Discovered: a 100-foot-long, highly sophisticated submarine under construction. Where? High in Columbia, in the Andes Mountains at an elevation of 8,500 feet. Now, why would anyone build a submarine high in the mountains?

The answer is, to escape detection. You see, this submarine was being built to smuggle thousands of kilos of cocaine to other countries. The drug smugglers' plan was to construct the sub in three sections, haul those sections to the coast on flatbed trucks, assemble them there, and transport the cocaine at a depth of 700 feet below the ocean's surface.

Obviously, the submarine builders were motivated to make illicit money and lots of it. Fortunately, their plan was torpedoed!

Let’s face it, drug runners and their kind will go to almost any length to snare their victims, while Christ's ambassadors often refuse to cross the street to share the Gospel with a neighbor. Isn't it time to get motivated?

Insight: We don't need to build a submarine to transport the Gospel; we just need to launch a lifeboat. Think about that.
Please feel free to use this devotional to send on to your friends or share with your church fellowship and Bible study groups.

We are in need of Prayer and financial partners,
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Michael D. Inman

Date: August 14, 2017 at 2:00 AM
Topic: +DEV+ God's Invincible Truth

God's Invincible Truth
“See how I love your precepts; preserve my life, O Lord, according to your love. All your words are true; all your righteous laws are eternal
(Psalm 119:159-160).

Scripture Focus: Psalm 119:161-168

British Prime Minister Winston Churchill paid profound tribute to truth. “The truth,” he said, “is incontrovertible. Malice may attack it. Ignorance may deride it, but in the end, there it is.”

Sir Winston Churchill may or may not have had the Bible in mind when he paid truth such a compliment, but his words describe the Bible perfectly. Jesus, a much higher authority than Mr. Churchill, said that God's Word is truth (John 17:17). The test of time has demonstrated that it is timeless and triumphant. Critics have slammed it, but still it stands. Efforts to obliterate it have failed. Persecution intended to silence those who share its message has only kindled a greater zeal to proclaim it. Translators have given their lives to make the Bible available around the world, and small groups of believers have risked their lives to study it in countries opposed to freedom of worship.

The Bible, God’s truth, offers salvation, hope, guidance, encouragement, and much more. Tap into its resources daily. It will always be there for you!

Insight: A few good books may last for centuries, but the Bible endures forever as a treasure to be cherished and used over and over again.

Please feel free to use this devotional to send on to your friends or share with your church fellowship and Bible study groups.

We are in need of Prayer and financial partners,
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Michael D. Inman

Date: August 10, 2017 at 5:38 AM
Topic: +DEV+ God's Victory Parade!

God's Victory Parade!

“Thanks be to God, who always leads us in triumphal procession in Christ and through us spreads everywhere the fragrance of the knowledge of him” (2 Corinthians 2:14).

Scripture Focus: 2 Corinthians 2:14-17

Afton, Wyoming (population 1,630) knows how to put on a parade. Their native son, Rulon Gardner, had won the gold medal in Greco-Roman heavyweight wrestling at the Sydney Olympics. He defeated Russia's Alexander Karelin, who had not lost an international match in 13 years. When Rulon arrived home,

The whole town turned out to welcome him. Thousands of red, white, and blue balloons soared into the sky as Rulon was hoisted onto a chair atop poles – a makeshift throne - and carried by former high school wrestlers and coaches.

Lifting his gold medal off his 54-inch chest, Rulon told the crowd, “This medal is not mine. This is all of ours!

In our verse for today, the apostle Paul celebrates the victory Jesus Christ won over the devil and his forces. Just as the people of Afton share the gold with Rulon, we share in Jesus' victory.

Kind of makes you want to shout, doesn’t it? Or maybe release a few balloons!

Insight: Christians belong to God's winning team, not because of their virtue or skills, but because Jesus has won the victory for us.

Please feel free to use this devotional to send on to your friends or share with your church fellowship and Bible study groups.

We are in need of Prayer and financial partners,
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Michael D. Inman

Date: August 8, 2017 at 3:40 AM
Topic: +DEV+ Alive Today

Alive Today
"`Because you have seen me, you have believed; blessed are those who have not seen and yet have believed.' . . . These are written that you may believe" (John 20:29,31).

Scripture Focus: John 20

Jesus' disciples had been plunged into grief and despair when He was arrested, tried, and crucified as an imposter and criminal. Three days later, though, their devastation was replaced by wonder and joy.

Jesus, who had died on the cross and been buried in the tomb, was alive again. Joy came flooding in when the disciples believed that their Lord was indeed alive.

It's the same for us today. We may be crushed by failure or battered by unfair accusations and betrayal. We may feel like giving up because we see no escape from our circumstances. In our despair we hear the angel asking, "Why are you crying?" (v. 13) We weep because we feel desperately alone.

That all changes when we truly believe that Jesus is alive today and we can count on His presence with us. Our circumstances may not change, but we have joy in knowing that the One who died for us is alive today and will never leave us.

Insight: Let praises overflow. Jesus has died for you. Now He is alive for you and you will never walk alone.

Please feel free to use this devotional to send on to your friends or share with your church fellowship and Bible study groups.

We are in need of Prayer and financial partners,
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Michael D. Inman

Date: August 9, 2017 at 1:42 AM
Topic: +DEV+ An Unfinished Portrait
An Unfinished Portrait
"Peter was hurt because Jesus asked him the third time, `Do you love me?' He said, `Lord, you know all things; you know that I love you.' Jesus said, 'Feed my sheep'" (John 21:17).

Scripture Focus: John 21

As Jesus prepared to leave His disciples, He promised, "I tell you the truth, anyone who has faith in me will do what I have been doing. He will do even greater things than these, because I am going to the Father" (14:12). It was time now for Peter to step out and begin his service for Christ, but he was not ready. Think of the excuses he could have made. Maybe you have made some of them yourself:

I'm too weak. Look at how I failed Jesus.

I'm not qualified. Remember how I boasted of my loyalty then even denied knowing Him.

I don't have the right temperament. One minute I'm a hothead and the next I'm a coward.

I'm too busy now that I have gone back to my fishing business.

Excuses - until Jesus had a private conversation with Peter in which He revealed the depth of His love and grace. Jesus not only forgave Peter for denying Him, He also restored him as a disciple and even trusted him with a special assignment.

Insight: Have you experienced Jesus' forgiveness? Then you can count on Him to qualify you for a special assignment. He will give you the joy of serving Him.

Please feel free to use this devotional to send on to your friends or share with your church fellowship and Bible study groups.

We are in need of Prayer and financial partners,
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Michael D. Inman

Date: August 7, 2017 at 2:09 AM
Topic: +DEV+  Here Is Your King!

Here Is Your King!
"`Here is your king,' Pilate said to the Jews. . . . Pilate had a notice prepared and fastened to the cross. It read: Jesus of Nazareth, the King of the Jews" (John 19:14,19). 

Scripture Focus: John 19 

We have seen portraits of Jesus of Nazareth. He pictured Himself as the Bread of Life, the Light of the World, the Door, the Good Shepherd, the Resurrection and the Life. One day the admiring crowds had even welcomed Him as King of the Jews, the hope of Israel. 

Now Jesus hung on the cross, and seemingly it was all over. No more miracles. No more talk of the kingdom. The sign over the cross read like a cruel mockery. 

But it wasn't all over. And the sign on the cross proclaimed the truth. Jesus had lived His 33 years on earth by God's schedule. Even as He suffered on the cross, He was there because that was what His Father had sent Him to do. Jesus died for the sins of the world -- my sins and yours. The King of the Jews willingly gave His life as the sacrificial lamb so that we can be redeemed with His precious blood. 

We can pity the man who suffered a cruel and unfair death. Or we can worship Him who, though He was King, chose to die as a lamb in our place. 

Insight: Jesus is your King and your Lamb. Believe He is your sacrificial lamb, paying the price for your redemption. Worship Him as your King. 

Please feel free to use this devotional to send on to your friends or share with your church fellowship and Bible study groups.

We are in need of Prayer and financial partners,
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Michael D. Inman

Date: August 4, 2017 at 1:22 AM
Topic: +DEV+  Poised in His Father's Will

Poised in His Father's Will

"You are right in saying I am a king. In fact, for this reason I was born, and for this I came into the world, to testify to the truth. Everyone on the side of truth listens to Me" (John 18:37). 

Scripture Focus: John 18 

Jesus was arrested and humiliated before friends and critics. Throughout the unspeakable ordeal, He remained poised. 

As He waited in an olive grove in the Kidron Valley, He was betrayed by Judas, who traded his personal knowledge of Jesus for 30 silver coins. 

Peter, who had declared his undying loyalty to Jesus, denied his Lord. Finally, after a night of interrogations and false accusations, Jesus was sent to Pilate, the Roman governor, who found no basis for a charge against Him. As Pilate played to the crowd, they shouted that they didn't want Jesus released. 

Jesus, the sinless Son of God, was misunderstood, denied basic human rights, falsely accused with no defense -- and more. Still, He stood before His enemies with poise and divine dignity. 

Jesus came to earth to fulfill His Father's plan for our salvation. He had lived by His Father's timetable and had accomplished His Father's will. Now He stood poised before the worst His enemies could do to Him because He was secure in His Father's love. 

Insight: Jesus will give you poise when you face opposition for your commitment to Him. He will never leave you to stand alone. 

Please feel free to use this devotional to send on to your friends or share with your church fellowship and Bible study groups.

We are in need of Prayer and financial partners,
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Michael D. Inman

Date: August 1, 2017 at 9:35 PM
Topic: +DEV+  The Counselor

The Counselor

"I tell you the truth: It is for your good that I am going away. Unless I go away, the Counselor will not come to you; but if I go, I will send him to you" (John 16:7). 

Scripture Focus: John 15:26-16:33 

Jesus loves without end. He understood the confusion His disciples felt as His departure drew near. He promised, however, all their sorrow would turn to joy when He would rise from the dead and He would send the Counselor who would fulfill His promises to them and to every believer. 

The Counselor, the Holy Spirit sent from the Father, would witness to Jesus' true identity as the Son of God. He would equip Jesus' followers to represent Him in the face of opposition. The world that hated Jesus would also hate His followers. They would not have to face that hatred alone. The faltering witness of the weakest believer would be effective with power from heaven! 

As the Counselor opened their spiritual understanding, the disciples would identify so closely with Jesus that when they would bring their requests to the Father in Jesus' name, they would surely receive His answer. 

Just think: all those promises are for you today! The Holy Spirit is Jesus' gift to you. 

Insight: Do you need the Counselor to open your understanding? Reach for the Word and trust Him to open your heart to receive all that Jesus promised. 

Please feel free to use this devotional to send on to your friends or share with your church fellowship and Bible study groups.

We are in need of Prayer and financial partners,
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Michael D. Inman


Date: August 3, 2017 at 12:07 AM
Topic: +DEV+  Jesus' Priorities

Jesus' Priorities

". . . that he might give eternal life to all those you have given him. Now this is eternal life: that they may know you, the only true God, and Jesus Christ, whom you have sent" (John 17:2-3). 

Scripture Focus: John 17

In His last hours of earthly life, Jesus opened His heart to His Father in what has been called His High Priestly Prayer. He expressed His priorities -- His desire to glorify His Father and to see His followers down through the ages enjoying such an intimate, loving relationship with His Father that they too glorify Him. Jesus desired to have every follower enjoy the closeness with His Father that He has always enjoyed. This is the purpose for which we humans were created, but that closeness was lost through sin. 

Eternal life, received by faith in Jesus Christ, is not just an endless existence. It is a completely new life -- living in an intimate relationship with God so that we know Him, talk with Him, make choices that please Him, and enjoy Him. Jesus prayed that we would enjoy oneness with Him that is like the closeness He enjoys with His Father. And when this prayer is answered, the world will recognize the difference, and they too will turn to Jesus for eternal life and oneness with the Father. 

Insight: Oneness with the Father, love, and joy -- Jesus desires these for you. How are you allowing His prayer to be answered? 

Please feel free to use this devotional to send on to your friends or share with your church fellowship and Bible study groups.

We are in need of Prayer and financial partners,
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Michael D. Inman

Date: July 31, 2017 at 2:19 AM
Topic: +DEV+  The Promise-Keeper

The Way

"Jesus answered, `I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me. If you really knew me, you would know my Father as well'" (John 14;6-7). 

Scripture Focus: John 14:5-31 

When Thomas asked Jesus for help in finding the way to the prepared place, Jesus did not give a set of directions nor hand him a map. Instead, He offered Himself. In Thomas' personal relationship with Jesus he would find everything he needed to enter eternal life and enjoy its blessings on earth and forever in heaven. Jesus makes the same promise to us. He gives additional promises to reinforce what He would do for all His followers: 

He will enable us to do even greater works than He had done on earth (vs. 12). 

He will fulfill our prayer requests in ways that bring glory to His Father (vs. 13-14). 

He will send the Holy Spirit to be our Counselor, to be with us forever (vs. 15-18). 

As we love and obey Him, He will show Himself to us so we will enjoy fellowship with Jesus and the Father (vs. 21-23)  

The Holy Spirit will teach us all that Jesus would have us know (vs. 26). 

We will enjoy the peace Jesus gives (vs. 27). 

Insight: Jesus, the way and the truth and the life, offers Himself to you. He is all you need for now and for eternity. 
Please feel free to use this devotional to send on to your friends or share with your church fellowship and Bible study groups.

We are in need of Prayer and financial partners,
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Michael D. Inman

Date: July 26, 2017 at 11:30 PM
Topic: +DEV+  A Servant
A Servant
"Now that I, your Lord and Teacher, have washed your feet, you also should wash one another's feet. I have set you an example that you should do as I have done for you" (John 13:14-15). 

Scripture Focus: John 13:1-17 

As Jesus prepared His disciples for His death, He gave them an experience that would open their hearts to what He had to say. They were in an upper room to eat the evening meal before the Passover. In this setting, the moment came for Him to show them "the full extent of His love" (vs. 1). 

Jesus got up from the table, wrapped a towel around His waist, poured water into a basin, and began to wash His disciples' feet and dry them with the towel. This was usually the task of a lowly servant, and none of the disciples had offered to perform it. Jesus assumed the role of a servant, knowing His disciples were bickering over their positions in a hierarchy of greatness in Jesus' kingdom. 

By stooping to wash their feet, Jesus demonstrated both His greatness and the extent of His love. He was also setting an example for His disciples and for all who follow Him. None of us is greater than Jesus; therefore, none of us should hesitate to demonstrate love by being a servant. The cost is humility and patience. The reward is Christlikeness. 

Insight: Jesus says that His true followers will demonstrate their love for Him by being servants. Are you a servant? 

Please feel free to use this devotional to send on to your friends or share with your church fellowship and Bible study groups.

We are in need of Prayer and financial partners,
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Michael D. Inman

Date: July 24, 2017 at 1:18 AM
Topic: +DEV+  The Resurrection and the Life

The Resurrection and the Life

"I am the resurrection and the life. He who believes in me will live, even though he dies; and whoever lives and believes in me will never die" (John 11:25-26). 

Scripture Focus: John 11:1-32 

Lazarus was sick -- so sick that his sisters, Mary and Martha, sent an urgent message to Jesus. Knowing His love for Lazarus, they were confident that Jesus would come immediately. But He didn't. 

While the anxious sisters waited, Lazarus died. Perhaps even before the messenger reached Jesus, Lazarus' body was being prepared for burial. 

Four days later, as Jesus came, Martha hurried to meet Him. Jesus spoke gently, "I am the resurrection and the life. Those who believe in Me will live forever, even though their bodies die. Martha, do you believe this?" 

"Yes, Lord!" she replied. "I believe that You are the Christ, the Son of God" (see vv. 25-27). 

Jesus raised Lazarus from the grave, but some time later Lazarus died physically, but because he believed in Jesus, Lazarus will be part of the resurrection Jesus promised to all who are His. Jesus is the resurrection and the life, giving hope to all who believe in Him and comfort to all who grieve the physical death of believers. 

Insight: Praise Jesus, the source and sustainer of life. He is the resurrection and life for all eternity, and you will be with Him after your body dies if you believe. 

Please feel free to use this devotional to send on to your friends or share with your church fellowship and Bible study groups.

We are in need of Prayer and financial partners,
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Michael D. Inman

Date: July 24, 2017 at 11:53 PM
Topic: +DEV+  The King of Israel

The King of Israel

"They took palm branches and went out to meet him, shouting, `Hosanna! Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord! Blessed is the King of Israel!'" (John 12:13). 

Scripture Focus: John 12:12-19 

Excitement grew as word spread quickly through Jerusalem. The great crowds of people who had arrived to celebrate the Passover Feast became wildly enthusiastic when they heard that Jesus was coming. Surely now He would announce that He was their Messiah, the King of Israel. They stripped palm branches from trees, and waving these symbols of victory, they surged out to meet Him with shouts of praise. But He did not come as King. 

Behind the scenes, the religious leaders were aghast. Their plans to kill Jesus were going awry. They would have to watch and wait a little longer. 

The crowd did not understand what was happening. Even Jesus' closest friends did not see that prophecy was being fulfilled as Jesus prepared to give His life for the salvation of the world. Yes, He is King, but the victory celebration is still to come. Someday we will all fall before Him as our King (Philippians 2:9-11). But today we can acknowledge Him as our King. We can honor Him as we give Him our love and obedience. 

Insight: Is Jesus your King? Today -- right now -- is a good time to acknowledge Him again as King of your life. 

Please feel free to use this devotional to send on to your friends or share with your church fellowship and Bible study groups.

We are in need of Prayer and financial partners,
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Michael D. Inman

Date: July 26, 2017 at 1:48 AM
Topic: +DEV+  Kernel of Wheat

Kernel of Wheat

"I tell you the truth, unless a kernel of wheat falls to the ground and dies, it remains only a single seed. But if it dies, it produces many seeds" (John 12:24). 

Scripture Focus: John 12:20-50

Greek visitors to the Feast of Passover asked to meet Jesus, the celebrity who was holding Jerusalem in a state of excitement. What an unexpected opportunity to promote Himself! Instead of rising to the occasion, however, Jesus spoke of an entirely different kind of glory. Yes, He would be glorified, but not in the way the Greek visitors imagined. He would be glorified by doing His Father's will -- and this meant death! 

Jesus gave a truth in the form of a paradoxical principle, something that must have mystified His disciples. He told them that the way to be glorified lay in giving up His life. A kernel of wheat is a single kernel, He explained, until it is planted in the ground. When it "dies" under the soil, it produces many seeds and provides life-giving nourishment. Jesus would be that kernel of wheat. He would give up His life in order to produce life in others. Similarly, Jesus' loyal disciples must follow Him by being willing to die and be buried in self-sacrificing service. Only then will they see fruit multiplied in the lives of many others. 

Insight: Do you want to turn away from the thought of dying? Jesus says that giving up your self-life is the way to fruit-bearing life.

Please feel free to use this devotional to send on to your friends or share with your church fellowship and Bible study groups.

We are in need of Prayer and financial partners,
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Michael D. Inman

Date: July 21, 2017 at 2:06 AM
Topic: +DEV+  The Good Shepherd

The Good Shepherd

"I am the good shepherd; I know my sheep and my sheep know me -- just as the Father knows me and I know the Father -- and I lay down my life for the sheep" (John 10:14-15). 

Scripture Focus: John 10:11-30 

Of all the portraits of Jesus, seeing Him as the Good Shepherd is a favorite of children. They have no problem admitting that they need the care of someone who knows them intimately and would sacrifice Himself for them. 

Jesus gives an amazing dimension to His promise to be your Good Shepherd. He knows and loves you just as He and His Father know and love each other. He links that perfect relationship with His relationship to His sheep! 

Jesus knows every detail of your body, mind, emotions, and spirit. You can have no desire, no regret, no fear, no aspiration that is secret from Him. He knows you completely and He loves you totally. 

Jesus loves you so much that He willingly laid down His life for you. He will never turn from you in your time of need, but promises to be with you always. He calls you by name and knows you will recognize His voice. He gives you eternal life and holds you so securely that nothing can possibly snatch you out of His loving hand. 

Insight: Take time to reflect on the love and care your Good Shepherd gives you. In every way He has committed Himself to you forever.

Please feel free to use this devotional to send on to your friends or share with your church fellowship and Bible study groups.

We are in need of Prayer and financial partners,
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Michael D. Inman

Date: July 19, 2017 at 11:47 PM
Topic: +DEV+  The Door

The Door

"The man who enters by the gate is the shepherd of his sheep. . . . I am the gate; whoever enters through me will be saved. He will come in and go out, and find pasture" (John 10:2,9). 

Scripture Focus: John 10:1-10 
When Jesus introduces Himself as the Good Shepherd, we may wonder why He starts by speaking of the doorway to the sheepfold. 

Jesus says simply, "I am the entrance into the sheepfold." Why is the doorway so important? In Jesus' day the sheep were led into an enclosure where they could rest safely at night. A wall of stone surrounded them, except for the entrance to the sheepfold. This would have left them unprotected, except for the commitment of their shepherd. At night he would stretch his body across the entrance and thus prevent harm from entering the sheepfold. How safely the sheep could rest knowing their shepherd was making his own body the door! 

In the morning, the shepherd would stand in the doorway and call his sheep by name. They could follow him, knowing he had only their well-being on his heart. He would protect them throughout the day as he had throughout the night.   

Jesus is our Shepherd. He is also the door. We are safe in His care. 

Insight: Your Shepherd is calling you by name. If you belong to Him, you will recognize His voice. Follow Him today.

Please feel free to use this devotional to send on to your friends or share with your church fellowship and Bible study groups.

We are in need of Prayer and financial partners,
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Michael D. Inman

Date: July 19, 2017 at 1:53 AM
Topic: +DEV+  Sight for the Blind

Sight for the Blind

"For judgment I have come into this world, so that the blind will see and those who see will become blind" (John 9:39). 

Scripture Focus: John 9 

Jesus performed the miracle of providing sight for a man who had been blind from birth. He used the occasion to expose the deep problem of spiritual blindness, which we all have from birth. 

The man with physical blindness had lived with his disability until Jesus turned it into an occasion to display God's power by giving him physical sight. God's power was also at work as the man understood who Jesus is. That day the man received both physical and spiritual sight. 

In contrast, the Pharisees, who had physical sight, were spiritually blind, and their blindness became more intense as they determined not to acknowledge who Jesus was. In rejecting His power to provide physical sight, they also rejected His power to provide spiritual sight. 

The Pharisees said, "Jesus made mud on the Sabbath; therefore, He cannot have come from God." In response, the healed man said simply, "I was blind; now I can see." The Pharisees remained blind; the man enjoyed sight -- physical and spiritual. 

Insight: Jesus came to bring you spiritual sight. Are you willing to accept the evidence of His power and trust Him for sight? 

Please feel free to use this devotional to send on to your friends or share with your church fellowship and Bible study groups.

We are in need of Prayer and financial partners,
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Michael D. Inman

Date: July 18, 2017 at 12:20 AM
Topic: +DEV+  Source of Living Water
Source of Living Water

"If a man is thirsty, let him come to me and drink. Whoever believes in me, as the Scripture has said, streams of living water will flow from within him" (John 7:37-38). 

Scripture Focus: John 7:37-44 

As part of the celebration of the Feast of Tabernacles, priests filled a golden pitcher with water and carried it to the temple. While the festival crowds sang joyful praises to God, they poured the water out on the altar. The ritual was a reminder of God's provision of water from the rock for the thirsty Israelites in the wilderness (Exodus 17). 

While the focus was on the symbol, the reality was standing in their midst. Suddenly Jesus called out above the celebration, inviting people to come to Him to have their inner thirst quenched. Jesus went on to promise that if they would come to Him for satisfaction, they would then become channels of refreshment for the spiritual thirst of others! 

Religious symbols may be rich in meaning, but Jesus promises reality! He will fully satisfy our thirst for spiritual life when we turn to Him. Once we do that, we'll be amazed at how He will use us to become channels of blessing to others. All glory belongs to Jesus when others find refreshment through us. 

Insight: Are you thirsty? Come to Jesus and drink deeply. Then watch as He uses you to bring refreshment to others.

Please feel free to use this devotional to send on to your friends or share with your church fellowship and Bible study groups.

We are in need of Prayer and financial partners,
If you would like to become a prayer partner and or a financial partner with monthly or one time gifts.
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Michael D. Inman

Date: July 17, 2017 at 1:04 PM
Topic: +DEV+  Tuned to God's Timetable

Tuned to God's Timetable

"`You go to the Feast. I am not yet going up to this Feast, because for me the right time has not yet come.' Having said this, he stayed in Galilee" (John 7:8-9). 

Scripture Focus: John 7:1-24 

We've met people who set goals and then seize every opportunity to advance toward them. Being in the right place at the right time is key to their success. Jesus' brothers taunted Him with this kind of self-promotion. "No one with any sense works miracles behind the scenes. Go to the Feast of Tabernacles and put on a real display!" 

Unbelief blinded them to Jesus' single-minded devotion to His Father. They didn't understand that His motives were not political, and His schedule was not centered around showing off His power. 

Because Jesus lived to please His Father, He was tuned to God's timetable. He knew when to show His miracle power and when simply to speak, because He was responding to His Father's will. 

Jesus went to the Feast a little later. He taught in the temple and aroused heated questions about His authority. According to God's timetable, the occasion was right for challenging the crowds to choose to do His Father's will and thus discover Jesus' true identity (v. 17). 

Insight: You come to know Christ and see His power at work in your life when you truly want to do His Father's will. 

Please feel free to use this devotional to send on to your friends or share with your church fellowship and Bible study groups.

We are in need of Prayer and financial partners,
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Michael D. Inman

Date: July 14, 2017 at 2:18 AM
Topic: +DEV+  Learn from the Wave-Walker
Learn from the Wave-Walker
"He said to them, It is I; don't be afraid. Then they were willing to take him into the boat, and immediately the boat reached the shore where they were heading" (John 6:20-21). 

Scripture Focus: John 6:16-21 

Imagine you were one of Jesus' disciples. You've just seen an amazing miracle in which Jesus took a boy's small lunch and provided a satisfying meal for thousands of people! Then, when the crowd decided to make Him their king, Jesus slipped out of sight. 

You join the other men and set sail across the lake. Suddenly the evening wind whips up a fierce storm. The situation becomes desperate. 

Then in your panic you see something. Someone is walking calmly across the heaving waves! You cry out in terror. Then you hear a voice you recognize, "It is I; don't be afraid" (v. 20). Jesus is coming, and you join the other disciples in welcoming Him into the boat. Suddenly you are at the shore. 

After the miracle of feeding the crowd, Jesus chose to reveal Himself on the storm-tossed sea to His closest friends. Knowing their faith in Him would be tested, He showed Himself in a private revelation as Lord of the Sea. No matter how the winds and waves may threaten us, we can count on Jesus to be with us in the worst storms and to bring us to shore safely. 

Insight: Ask Christ to open your understanding so that you recognize Him as He comes to you in the storms of life. Believe that He's there to help you. 

Please feel free to use this devotional to send on to your friends or share with your church fellowship and Bible study groups.

We are in need of Prayer and financial partners,
If you would like to become a prayer partner and or a financial partner with monthly or one time gifts.
A freewill offering to Restoration Ministry may be made via PayPal at our web site:    http://www.rollanet.org/~restore/donations.htm
Michael D. Inman

Date: July 13, 2017 at 2:23 AM
Topic: +DEV+  The Bread of Life
The Bread of Life

"The bread of God is he who comes down from heaven and gives life to the world. . . . I am the bread of life. He who comes to me will never go hungry" (John 6:33,35). 

Scripture Focus: John 6:1-15, 25-71

For many of us, bread rounds out an already carb-loaded meal. In Bible times bread was the necessary food to sustain life. It was basic in every day's diet. When Jesus performed the miracle of multiplying bread to feed the hungry multitude, He pictured Himself as the source and sustainer of spiritual life. But the people missed this. Instead, they reasoned that if one meal was good, many more meals would be better. If they made Jesus their king, He could supply them with miracle bread every day! 

Rather than receive Jesus as the source of spiritual life, the people wanted to use Him for their physical hunger. Jesus told them the truth that they needed to accept and believe His words, but their minds were set on material things. They wanted bread to satisfy their body hunger, and they went away heart-hungry. 

Peter spoke the truth for each of us when he said, "Lord, to whom shall we go? You have the words of eternal life. We believe and know that You are the Holy One of God" (vs. 68) 

Insight: Where do you go to have your heart-hunger satisfied? Jesus is the Bread of Life. He alone is the source and sustainer of your spiritual life. 
Please feel free to use this devotional to send on to your friends or share with your church fellowship and Bible study groups.

We are in need of Prayer and financial partners,
If you would like to become a prayer partner and or a financial partner with monthly or one time gifts.
A freewill offering to Restoration Ministry may be made via PayPal at our web site:    http://www.rollanet.org/~restore/donations.htm
Michael D. Inman

Date: July 12, 2017 at 2:27 AM
Topic: +DEV+  The One Who Heals

The One Who Heals

"One who was there had been an invalid for thirty-eight years. . . .Then Jesus said to him, `Get up! Pick up your mat and walk.' At once the man was cured; he picked up his mat and walked" (John 5:5, 8-9). 

Scripture Focus: John 5:1-15

The pool of Bethesda was the place of last resort. Desperately infirm people gathered there, hoping somehow to benefit from its healing water. 

Jesus spoke with a man who had been paralyzed for 38 years, depending on others to care for his needs. Jesus asked, "Do you want to be healed?" 

Though the answer was obvious, the man gave an excuse for not getting into the pool. "I'm helpless. I have no one to help me." He wanted someone to lean on, someone to take responsibility for him. 

Jesus did not assume that role. Instead, He told the man to get up, pick up his mat, and begin walking. Impossible as it must have seemed, the man responded and found that Jesus had healed him. 

No matter what our need is today, no matter how long it has defeated us, Jesus asks, "Do you want to be healed? Do you want to be healed of painful memories that paralyze you? Do you want to be rid of habits that have you in its grip?" If we want His healing, He asks us to get up and walk in new life. As we heed His voice, we'll see the healing. 

Insight: Don't wait for someone to take responsibility for your needs. Look to Jesus. Obey His instructions. Then rejoice in His inner healing. 
Please feel free to use this devotional to send on to your friends or share with your church fellowship and Bible study groups.

We are in need of Prayer and financial partners,
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A freewill offering to Restoration Ministry may be made via PayPal at our web site:    http://www.rollanet.org/~restore/donations.htm
Michael D. Inman

Date: July 10, 2017 at 2:31 AM
Topic: +DEV+  Discerner of Hearts

Discerner of Hearts

"The royal official said, `Sir, come down before my child dies.' Jesus replied, `You may go. Your son will live.' The man took Jesus at his word and departed" (John 4:49-50). 

Scripture Focus: John 4:43-54 

The man who stood before Jesus was a royal official. But more importantly, at that moment, he was a frantic father. He had rushed some 20 miles to beg Jesus to come heal his dying son. 

If I were writing the story, I'd have Jesus immediately go with the father and place His healing hand on the boy. But that's not what happened. Jesus appeared to be indifferent to the father's desperate request. He spoke of people needing to see miraculous signs and wonders before they would believe. While it seemed that Jesus was putting the man down, He was actually helping him believe in Him. 

When Jesus said simply, "Go; your son lives," the father believed and returned home, expecting to see his son alive and well. 

True faith meant walking away not knowing what he could find at home, yet believing that Jesus had kept His word. Jesus discerned the father's heart. He saw faith there and rewarded it, knowing the man wouldn't have proof of the miracle until he was met by his servants with good news. 

Insight: Jesus discerns your heart. Does He see that you will trust Him even when you can't see what He will do for you.

Please feel free to use this devotional to send on to your friends or share with your church fellowship and Bible study groups.

We are in need of Prayer and financial partners,
If you would like to become a prayer partner and or a financial partner with monthly or one time gifts.
A freewill offering to Restoration Ministry may be made via PayPal at our web site:    http://www.rollanet.org/~restore/donations.htm
Michael D. Inman

NOTE: Video's coming soon!
Date: July 7, 2017 at 12:07 AM
Topic: +DEV+  God's Seeking Heart

God's Seeking Heart

"A time is coming and has now come when the true worshipers will worship the Father in spirit and truth, for they are the kind of worshipers the Father seeks" (John 4:23).   

Scripture Focus: John 4:1-42 
Many of us would want to avoid a conversation with a woman from an "outsider" race who is being shunned by her own people. Yet Jesus chose to open a conversation with such a person. 

A Jewish teacher would never have spoken to any woman, let alone a Samaritan, especially one whose visits to the village well were timed to avoid her neighbors. But Jesus initiated the conversation, guiding it until He broke through to concealed facts: she was a sinner, having had five husbands and was living with a sixth man. 

Jesus did not blame her or tell her how abhorrent her sins were. Instead, he offered her living water as a gift, water from the fountain of eternal life to quench her desperate thirst. Then he shared with this woman the most amazing truth: His Father is seeking people who will strip themselves of pretense and defensiveness and will turn their hearts to Him. He doesn't wait for them to try to improve -- He seeks people with open hearts who will worship Him sincerely, just as they are. 
Insight: Stop making excuses for your wrongdoing. Recognizing that God sees who you really are, open your heart to worship Him in sincerity and truth. 
Please feel free to use this devotional to send on to your friends or share with your church fellowship and Bible study groups.

We are in need of Prayer and financial partners,
If you would like to become a prayer partner and or a financial partner with monthly or one time gifts.
A freewill offering to Restoration Ministry may be made via PayPal at our web site:    http://www.rollanet.org/~restore/donations.htm
Michael D. Inman

NOTE: Video's coming soon!
Date: July 6, 2017 at 12:26 AM
Topic: +DEV+  Love Lifted Up

Love Lifted Up

"Just as Moses lifted up the snake in the desert, so the Son of Man must be lifted up, that everyone who believes in him may have eternal life" (John 3:14-15). 

Scripture Focus: John 3 

Jesus came to provide the way for us to meet God and respond to His love. To help us understand the extent of God's love, Jesus pointed back to an incident from Old Testament times. Once, when the Israelites rebelled against God, they were punished by poisonous serpents. Many Israelites died. Then God told Moses to make a bronze snake and raise it high on a pole. To be saved from death, the smitten people had only to look up at that serpent. 

Jesus explained that He would be lifted up in the most incredible expression of God's love. On the cross Jesus would bear the punishment we each deserve. In order to receive the gift of eternal life, we need only to look up at the cross, believing that Jesus gave His life there for us. The cross is a symbol of unspeakable suffering and punishment for sin. It is also the symbol of God reaching out in love and grace, offering forgiveness and eternal life. Our part is to believe that this wondrous expression of love is for us. 
Insight: Have you believed the good news? God has provided in His Son the way in which you can have eternal life. Believe it . . . and receive it! 
Please feel free to use this devotional to send on to your friends or share with your church fellowship and Bible study groups.

We are in need of Prayer and financial partners,
If you would like to become a prayer partner and or a financial partner with monthly or one time gifts.
A freewill offering to Restoration Ministry may be made via PayPal at our web site:    http://www.rollanet.org/~restore/donations.htm
Michael D. Inman

Date: July 5, 2017 at 1:25 AM
Topic: +DEV+  Focus on Meaning

Focus on Meaning

“To those who sold doves he said, `Get these out of here! How dare you turn my Father's house into a market!'" (John 2:16) 

Scripture Focus: John 2:12-22 

Jesus went to Jerusalem for the Passover feast. It was an important celebration for the Jews in which they remembered how God had rescued their ancestors from slavery in Egypt. 

As Jesus entered the temple, He found a busy marketplace. Money changers were converting money from festival attendees into temple currency, and making a healthy profit. In addition, merchants were selling animals for sacrifices at greatly inflated prices. 

Jesus was indignant. What should have been a celebration honoring His Father had become a money-making scheme for temple personnel. What should have been a meaningful act of worship for even the most impoverished person had become a painful expense. God was being ignored in a celebration to His honor! Jesus made a whip of cords and drove the offenders out of the temple. 

What does Jesus see in your worship? Where is your focus as you sing, pray, and give your offering. Are you there to honor God? 

Insight: Worship is not formal procedure but the expression of a relationship that is full of personal meaning. How meaningful is your worship?

Please feel free to use this devotional to send on to your friends or share with your church fellowship and Bible study groups.

We are in need of Prayer and financial partners,
If you would like to become a prayer partner and or a financial partner with monthly or one time gifts.
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Michael D. Inman

Date: July 4, 2017 at 2:33 AM
Topic: +DEV+ Glory in the Ordinary
Glory in the Ordinary

“This, the first of his miraculous signs, Jesus performed at Cana in Galilee. He thus revealed his glory, and his disciples put their faith in him” (John 2:11). 

Scripture Focus: John 2:1-11

Jesus came to earth to reveal His Father. Suppose you were His public relations director. How would you promote your client? Would you send Him to Rome to capture the admiration of the empire? Would you send Him to Jerusalem to impress the Jewish leaders? 

Jesus went to a wedding. There, when the host was about to be embarrassed in front of his guests, Jesus quietly performed a miracle of turning water into wine. There was no public announcement, no spotlight beamed on Him, no roll of drums to build anticipation. Amazingly, the host and guests didn't recognize the glory in their midst. Only His disciples discerned it, and they put their trust in Him. 

Jesus enters our lives, supplying a need even before we know we have it, guiding us to the right person at the right time; or protecting us in a moment of danger. We can assume these as ordinary happenings, or we can recognize the Glory -- that Jesus, the Son of God, has revealed something of Himself in the ordinary events of our day. 

Insight: Ask Jesus to open your eyes to see touches of His glory in the ordinary events of your life. Then open your heart to trust Him for even more. 

Please feel free to use this devotional to send on to your friends or share with your church fellowship and Bible study groups.
We are in need of Prayer and financial partners,
If you would like to become a prayer partner and or a financial partner with monthly or one time gifts.
A freewill offering to Restoration Ministry may be made via PayPal at our web site:    http://www.rollanet.org/~restore/donations.htm
Michael D. Inman