+Dev+ Michael D. Inman Pastor

Date: September 5, 2019 at 1:20 AM
Topic: +DEV+ Desert Wanderings

Desert Wanderings

"But encourage one another daily, as long as it is called Today, so that none of you may be hardened by sin's deceitfulness." Hebrews 3:13

Scripture Focus: Hebrews 3

The people of Israel wandered in the desert for 40 years after their miraculous escape from Egypt at Moses' hand. They experienced God's supernatural deliverance through the crossing of the Red Sea and yet were quick to forget. They grumbled and complained about God's provision of manna, longing for the leeks and onions of Egypt.

This type of irrational amnesia plagues us all. We have seen God at work in the past, and yet we forget Him in the present. Sadly, we fail to trust Him for the future. Songwriter Michael Card captures the challenge of living in the wilderness between promise and fulfillment: "In the wilderness, we wander/ In the wilderness we weep/ In the wasteland of our wanting/ Where the darkness seems so deep." Have you lost your sense of direction in the desert?

Are you wallowing in your own desires and sorrows? Listen to the words of Scripture which remind us that Jesus passed the wilderness temptation test for us. He trusted God when He was at His weakest. Now He leads us through our current wilderness!

Insight: Ask God to show you if there is someone you know who needs to be encouraged today.

If you have prayer requests for anything please email us and we will pray for them.

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: September 5, 2019 at 1:20 AM
Topic: +DEV+  Desert Wanderings

Desert Wanderings

"But encourage one another daily, as long as it is called Today, so that none of you may be hardened by sin's deceitfulness."  Hebrews 3:13

Scripture Focus: Hebrews 3

The people of Israel wandered in the desert for 40 years after their miraculous escape from Egypt at Moses' hand. They experienced God's supernatural deliverance through the crossing of the Red Sea and yet were quick to forget. They grumbled and complained about God's provision of manna, longing for the leeks and onions of Egypt. 

This type of irrational amnesia plagues us all. We have seen God at work in the past, and yet we forget Him in the present. Sadly, we fail to trust Him for the future. Songwriter Michael Card captures the challenge of living in the wilderness between promise and fulfillment: "In the wilderness, we wander/ In the wilderness we weep/ In the wasteland of our wanting/ Where the darkness seems so deep." Have you lost your sense of direction in the desert? 

Are you wallowing in your own desires and sorrows? Listen to the words of Scripture which remind us that Jesus passed the wilderness temptation test for us. He trusted God when He was at His weakest. Now He leads us through our current wilderness!

Insight: Ask God to show you if there is someone you know who needs to be encouraged today.

If you have prayer requests for anything please email us and we will pray for them.

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

2 +DEV+  Between Captivity and Freedom
Tue Sep 3, 2019 10:58 pm (PDT) .
Date: September 4, 2019 at 12:55 AM
Topic: +DEV+ Between Captivity and Freedom

Between Captivity and Freedom

"The Israelites groaned in their slavery and cried out, and their cry for help because of their slavery went up to God. God heard their groaning and he remembered his covenant with Abraham, with Isaac and with Jacob." Exodus 2:23-24

Scripture Focus: Exodus 2 

Four hundred years was a long time for the Israelites to live in slavery. Entire generations never tasted political or personal freedom. This seems very harsh from God since we tend to elevate personal freedom to the greatest good. But God often has a very different plan. 

While we cling to our quality of life, God clings to His people. Suffering, slavery, or poor life quality cannot hinder an intimate relationship with God. Does it mean that freedom from oppression is not important to God here and now? No, but it is not paramount because in knowing Him, we are truly free! At the same time, God is not unmoved by suffering. He spared Moses and planned to send him to free his people from Egypt. Moses was only foreshadowing the great Exodus that Jesus would accomplish by freeing His people from the bondage of sin and death. 

We still live as refugees, pilgrims on our way to the eternal Promised Land.. When Jesus comes back, injustice, oppression, and satanic tyranny will be eradicated. We will live in peace and freedom forever!

Insight: Meditate today on the freedom Jesus gives you that cannot be taken away even by the worst of circumstances.

If you have prayer requests for anything please email us and we will pray for them.

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: September 3, 2019 at 1:28 AM
Topic: +DEV+ A Peek Behind the Curtain

A Peek Behind the Curtain

"But Joseph said to them, Don't be afraid. Am I in the place of God? You intended to harm me, but God intended it for good to accomplish what is now being done, the saving of many lives." Genesis 50:19-20

Scripture Focus: Genesis 50

Sometimes God lets us peek behind the curtain to see how He is working to unfold His will in history. Joseph is given a peek behind the scenes of God's plan to save many from starvation. Had he not been sold into slavery by his brothers or thrown into an Egyptian jail, he would never have come to the influential role he played in Pharaoh's court. God knew just what He was doing, and now Joseph finally understood. His suffering served a redemptive purpose. 

Many generations later when Jesus died on the cross, the curtain of the temple was torn from top to bottom. It was as if God were saying, "Now you have full access to me and my purposes through my Son. He suffered greatly to reveal my great plan to save many!" We can trust God that He is redeeming all of our situations-even our agonizing ones. 

When we look into His face, we understand that He intends to redeem the sufferings of this in-between life we lead. We can trust Him fully because He went to the end and back for us, and we now walk in His footsteps!

Insight: Ask God to give you faith today that Jesus is redeeming all things, even the circumstances in your life you cannot fully understand.

If you have prayer requests for anything please email us and we will pray for them.

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: September 2, 2019 at 1:20 AM
Topic: +DEV+ Humiliation and Exaltation

Humiliation and Exaltation

"But while Joseph was there in the prison, the LORD was with him; he showed him kindness and granted him favor in the eyes of the prison warden." Genesis 39:20b-21

Scripture Focus: Genesis 39

Lord, why am I stuck here? Who will come to my aid? I have served you faithfully; is this what I deserve? Where are you, God? These are some of the questions Joseph may have been asking during his humiliating two-year stay in an Egyptian jail. He'd been imprisoned under false accusations after serving his master faithfully for over a decade. Joseph lost his job, his reputation, and his freedom all at once. 

Have you ever been in a situation where you have felt falsely accused? It's painful. You feel helpless. Perhaps you also have questioned, "Where are you, God?" But God was with Joseph. He even had a plan to exalt him into a position of great honor and influence. Jesus too, the only perfect man, was slandered and falsely accused. He was dragged before the courts and sentenced to a cruel death on a cross. But the Father exalted Him to the highest place of honor. 

When we are in Christ, we have the same destiny ahead of us, regardless of our earthly circumstances. Until then, we have the promise of His presence with us.

Insight: Spend some time praying for persecuted Christians who may be feeling alone or abandoned by God. Pray they would know his presence today.

If you have prayer requests for anything please email us and we will pray for them.

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: August 30, 2019 at 1:12 AM
Topic: +DEV+ Disappointment and Cynicism

Disappointment and Cynicism

"Is anything too hard for the LORD? I will return to you at the appointed time next year and Sarah will have a son. Sarah was afraid, so she lied and said, I did not laugh." Genesis 18:14-15

Scripture Focus: Genesis 18

Abraham was 99 and Sarah 90 when God promised them a son. Any couple that has experienced infertility can relate to their pain and dashed hopes. But at this age, any of us would have been planning the end of our life, not dreaming of the unexpected gift of new life! 

Yet it is into this situation of complete physical impossibility that God enters with His promise of a son, to which they respond with hardened cynicism. Who would blame them? But God loves to redeem such situations because only He can make something out of nothing, create life in barren wombs, and raise the dead to life again. God was setting the stage for another impossible pregnancy, one conceived by the Holy Spirit to create a child born of the will of the heavenly Father and the seed of the woman. 

Jesus was fully man and fully God, the ultimate child of the promise who would see the results of His suffering and be satisfied. He would inaugurate for us the end of fruitlessness, meaninglessness, frustration, pain, and death. God will have the last laugh!

Insight: What are some situations you may have given up on? Bring these to Jesus again today. He loves to redeem the impossible!

If you have prayer requests for anything please email us and we will pray for them.

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: August 29, 2019 at 1:07 AM
Topic: +DEV+ God Passes in Between

God Passes in Between

"When the sun had set and darkness had fallen, a smoking firepot with a blazing torch appeared and passed between the pieces." Genesis 15:17

Scripture Focus: Genesis 15

God promised Abraham his descendants would be as numerous as the stars. Abraham believed God! But then he had questions about the Promised Land. The "how" of it remained elusive. Do you find yourself with a similar dilemma? You believe God is able, but you cannot see how it can be? God gave Abraham a sign he would have understood. 

To sign a contract in Abraham's day, animals were cut in half and placed on the ground. Both parties would walk between the pieces. This self-binding act said, "If I don't hold up my end of this bargain, let what happened to these animals happen to me!" Smoke and fire are both symbols of God's very presence. 

Abraham knew that God Himself walked alone between the carcasses, binding Himself one-sidedly to His promise. God was the sole guarantor of His covenant with Abraham as well as His covenant with us. We begin to see the extent of His love and provision. He is willing to pass through death itself to stay faithful to His promises. He would, in fact, do this very thing 2,000 years later.

Insight: God not only promises blessing, he claims to be the promise! "Do not be afraid, Abram. I am your shield, your very great reward" (15:1).

If you have prayer requests for anything please email us and we will pray for them.

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: August 28, 2019 at 1:12 AM
Topic: +DEV+ Immediate Connection

Immediate Connection

"Then the man and his wife heard the sound of the LORD God as he was walking in the garden in the cool of the day, and they hid from the LORD God among the trees of the garden." Genesis 3:8

Scripture Focus: Genesis 3

Have you ever felt frustrated by a poor phone line, a bad Skype connection, or no cell reception? I have, especially if it was a very important conversation to me. Now take that mental picture and apply it to your spiritual life. You read God's Word, but you cannot seem to figure out what God is trying to tell you. 

It's as if the connection was bad. Your circumstances blur the promises of Scripture, and you hear conflicting voices. We all wish for immediate connection with God, just as Adam and Eve had in the garden. Even the Apostle Paul was frustrated with this very thing: "Now we see but a poor reflection as in a mirror; then we shall see face to face. Now I know in part; then I shall know fully, even as I am fully known" (1 Corinthians 13:12). 

We live in a time between the garden and the heavenly city where we will be able to see God face to face. We'll talk to Him without mediation. We'll see and hear Him clearly. Until then, though we may not understand everything, we walk with Him, gripped firmly in His love.

Insight: Paul continued with "these three remain: faith, hope and love. But the greatest of these is love" (1 Corinthians 13:13).

If you have prayer requests for anything please email us and we will pray for them.

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: August 27, 2019 at 1:20 AM
Topic: +DEV+ Caught in Between

Caught in Between

"He has made everything beautiful in its time. He has also set eternity in the hearts of men; yet they cannot fathom what God has done from beginning to end." Ecclesiastes 3:11

Scripture Focus: Ecclesiastes 3

Our entire human existence is caught between our birth and our death. The author of Ecclesiastes bemoans the meaninglessness of the human lifespan. Perhaps you have sometimes felt the burden of similar thoughts. People come and go, yet what is left to show for it? 

It almost seems like a cruel form of punishment that God would place a desire for eternity in our hearts when we are stuck in a fallen, broken world, alienated from the One who could rescue us right now. The season of Advent is a season of longing. We long to be freed from our predicament, for this world to be made right and beautiful. Our hearts ache for pain and suffering to end, but we feel helpless to bring it about. 

The older we grow, the more we long for our heavenly home. The good news of Christmas is that God has A surprising remedy for us. Jesus entered our accursed world and bound Himself to the human condition to burst out of it in triumph over evil, death, and meaninglessness. Through Him, we share in His victory and live in hope each day!

Insight: "No more let sins and sorrows grow/ nor thorns infest the ground;/ he comes to make His blessings flow/ far as the curse is found." (Isaac Watts, 1719)

If you have prayer requests for anything please email us and we will pray for them.

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: August 26, 2019 at 1:13 AM

Topic: +DEV+  Advent and the Waiting Game
Advent and the Waiting Game

"And one thing more: Prepare a guest room for me, because I hope to be restored to you in answer to your prayers."  Philemon 22

Scripture Focus: Philemon 22

Advent is sandwiched between the promise of the coming King and the fulfillment of that promise. Similarly, much of our own lives are sandwiched between promise and fulfillment. We were stationed in southern Arizona and don't get to see our families very much. When we heard that my parents were coming for a visit, everyone in our family gets very excited and can't wait for the day they arrive. 

It would, however, be silly to just sit on the couch idly for weeks, waiting for them. Though our thoughts are filled with the anticipation of their coming, we must still get on with daily life. When the time drew nearer, we started making practical preparations. 

We don't have a guest room per se, so one of our girls would vacate her room and the transformation begins. Our activity is infused by the promise of the fulfillment of our longings. The Old Testament promised a Savior who would make our hearts His dwelling. When we have accepted Jesus as Savior, His Spirit takes up dwelling in our hearts, preparing and renovating them to be His guest room.

Insight: Meditate on how God's dwelling in your heart changes the way you wait in difficult situations.

If you have prayer requests for anything please email us and we will pray for them.

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: August 23, 2019 at 1:12 PM
Topic: +DEV+ Advent, a Microcosm of Life

Advent, a Microcosm of Life

"Be still before the LORD and wait patiently for him." Psalm 37:7a

Scripture Focus: Psalm 37

Being still and waiting patiently on God is not my default mode. December 1st catches me off- guard every year! I get a panicky feeling. The whole month is a preparation for one day. We feel the pressure to decorate, bake, buy, and produce Christmas cheer. 

Honestly, I sometimes feel like the Grinch. The demands of the Christmas season mirror and intensify the demands that encompass our entire life except that they are bundled in the space of a few weeks. Daily we're caught between our genuine desire for joy and the impositions society places on us. We forget David's words to us in Psalm 37: "Delight yourself in the LORD and he will give you the desires of your heart" (vs. 4). 

This next series, let's look at what God has to say about being caught in the in-betweens of our human existence. And what better time to do so than during Advent when we are waiting for Jesus' coming? God wants us to know He is not just a God of the fulfillments; He is also the God of the in-betweens, gently whispering to us, "Be still before me." 

Insight: Take a moment today to slow down, catch your breath, and ask God's spirit to infuse you with His peace and joy this busy season.

If you have prayer requests for anything please email us and we will pray for them.

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: August 21, 2019 at 1:10 AM
Topic: +DEV+ High Praise

High Praise

"Praise the LORD, all his heavenly hosts, you his servants who do his will." Psalm 103:21

Scripture Focus: Psalm 103

It seems strange that the psalmist invokes the heavenly hosts to praise the Lord. Why them? The hosts are identified as the servants who do His will. The Bible gives us glimpses of majestic cherubim, seraphim, and angels in God's heavenly court, all of whom are eager to do His bidding (Isaiah 6:1-7; Ezekiel 10; Revelation 7:11-12). 

David says earlier that the love of the Lord is with those who obey His commandments and keep His covenant (vv.17-18). These heavenly hosts are obedient creatures. As faithful servants, they receive the love of God, so the psalmist urges them to praise God. But what about us, unfaithful sinners who violate His will? Where can we find His steadfast love to praise Him? The answer is in Jesus Christ. In Christ, God forgives all our iniquity, removes our transgressions, adopts us as His children, and bestows His steadfast love upon us (vs. 3). 

Because of Christ's faithfulness, we are now part of this heavenly choir praising the Lord together with His heavenly hosts. [Yi, Hei Long Jiang, China; second year student]

Insight: The imperative command to praise God is always preceded by the indicative announcement of what He has already accomplished for us.

If you have prayer requests for anything please email us and we will pray for them.

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


: August 22, 2019 at 1:00 AM
Topic: +DEV+ Talking to Yourself Again

Talking to Yourself Again

"Praise the LORD, O my soul!" Psalm 103:22b

Scripture Focus: Psalm 103

David's "thanksgiving list" ends where it began. He started by talking to himself, summoning everything in him to thank his loving, faithful God (vs. 1). Now, having called everything everywhere in the universe and beyond to join the everlasting song, he again addresses himself. He will not urge others to express gratitude to the great and gracious King without entering in himself. 

By the end of November, America's Thanksgiving celebration is receding in most folks' "rear view mirrors," while the marketers of Christmas merchandise shift into high gear the advertising blitz that started in October. Even today, 25 days before the Big Event, pressures of shopping, decoration, and hospitality may be souring your inner conversation, making you uptight or downcast. 

When you find your thoughts rehearsing a script of anxiety or despair, it's time to "talk back" to your soul. Challenge yourself to "put your hope in God." Because of His mercy in Christ, you can affirm, "I will yet praise him, my Savior and my God." 

Insight: Christ's birth, which we will soon celebrate, gives us reason to keep Thanksgiving going: "Thanks be to God for his indescribable gift!" (2 Corinthians 9:15)

If you have prayer requests for anything please email us and we will pray for them.

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

"Praise the LORD, all his heavenly hosts, you his servants who do his will."  Psalm 103:21

Scripture Focus: Psalm 103

It seems strange that the psalmist invokes the heavenly hosts to praise the Lord. Why them? The hosts are identified as the servants who do His will. The Bible gives us glimpses of majestic cherubim, seraphim, and angels in God's heavenly court, all of whom are eager to do His bidding (Isaiah 6:1-7; Ezekiel 10; Revelation 7:11-12). 

David says earlier that the love of the Lord is with those who obey His commandments and keep His covenant (vv.17-18). These heavenly hosts are obedient creatures. As faithful servants, they receive the love of God, so the psalmist urges them to praise God. But what about us, unfaithful sinners who violate His will? Where can we find His steadfast love to praise Him? The answer is in Jesus Christ. In Christ, God forgives all our iniquity, removes our transgressions, adopts us as His children, and bestows His steadfast love upon us (vs. 3). 

Because of Christ's faithfulness, we are now part of this heavenly choir praising the Lord together with His heavenly hosts. [Yi, Hei Long Jiang, China; second year student]

Insight: The imperative command to praise God is always preceded by the indicative announcement of what He has already accomplished 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,
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 continue.

Date: August 19, 2019 at 1:17 AM

Topic: +DEV+  New Hearts Needed

New Hearts Needed

"For from within, out of men's hearts, come evil thoughts, envy, slander, arrogance and folly. All these evils come from inside and make a man unclean."  Mark 7:21-22

Scripture Focus: Mark 7

In rebuking the religious leaders' emphasis on man-made traditions instead of the Word of God, Jesus goes to the heart of the problem: our hearts. The heart of a person-that is, the core of who we are-is defiled by wickedness. Our hearts are corrupted by sin. It's why Jeremiah pronounced our hearts "deceitful above all things and beyond cure" (17:9).

Theologian and Reformer John Calvin famously wrote, "Man's nature, so to speak, is a perpetual factory of idols." We set our hearts on always inventing new distractions and new things to adore instead of God. Through Jesus Christ, there is a cure for our sinful hearts. When we repent and believe the gospel, God gives us a new, clean heart. But as long as we remain in this world, we are still sinners. 

James understood this. His words about harboring bitter envy and ambition in the heart, and about fights and quarrels coming from within, were written to believers (James 3:14; 4:1-2). Trust Jesus fully. He changes everything-right down to your sin-tainted heart.

Insight: Jesus is the great physician who diagnoses our problem perfectly and offers Himself as the sure medicine we need. 

If you have prayer requests for anything please email us and we will pray for them.

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: August 16, 2019 at 1:18 AM
Topic: +DEV+ The Ruler of All

The Ruler of All

"The LORD has established his throne in heaven, and his Kingdom rules over all." Psalm 103:19

Scripture Focus: Psalm 103

"Let go and let God." Have you ever used this popular saying? It sounds good, but is it true? Do we ever let God do anything? According to Psalm 103:19, God has absolute power and dominion over everything. Even the first verse of the Bible, Genesis 1:1, declares this truth.

Since He is the Creator of all, He is the rightful Ruler of all. Therefore, God is free to do whatever He wills, whether we let Him do so or not. The truth that God is the absolute Ruler should be a great comfort to believers.. When the seas of life are raging and are "mightier than the thunders of great waters" (Psalm 93:4), He alone is able to quiet them (Mark 4:39). So how is it that we, who are sinful, receive such favor from God? It's only because Jesus was thrown into the sea of God's wrath in our place. 

Remember that He did not consider equality with God something to be used to His own advantage. Rather, He humbled Himself and became obedient to death on a cross (see Philippians 2:5-8). Let's be thankful to our Ruler who never lets go of us. 

Insight: ”He who did not spare his own son, how will He not also, along with him, graciously give us all things?" (Romans 8:32)

If you have prayer requests for anything please email us and we will pray for them.

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: August 14, 2019 at 1:12 AM
Topic: +DEV+ Love and Obedience

Love and Obedience

“... with those who keep his covenant and remember to obey his precepts." Psalm 103:18

Scripture Focus: Psalm 103

We eat delicious food and meet congenial friends. We listen to heartwarming songs and watch entertaining movies. We hike a beautiful trail and stop to marvel at a waterfall. Why? The basic answer is because we love these things. Love is, in the simplest form, desire. Desire is not a bad thing per se, since creation itself is not a bad thing. 

However, as St. Augustine said, inordinate love (desire) is the cause of all evil. Sin perverts our love by disordering the priority of the objects of our love. When our love is inordinate, everything we do can turn into a form of idolatry. With inordinate love, even keeping and obeying God's laws can turn into nothing but unbearable toil and legalism. 

This is why Moses urged the Israelites to know God's steadfast covenantal love first and then to "keep his commandments" (Deuteronomy 7:9). Jesus says, "If you love me, you will obey what I command" (John 14:15). With Jesus, love and obedience cannot be divorced from each other. The cross is the place where love and obedience perfectly meet. 

Insight: The true sense of loving obedience wells up in our hearts, only insofar as we meet the love of Christ on the cross.

If you have prayer requests for anything please email us and we will pray for them.

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

Today's Daily Encounter

When the Heart Is Breaking  

"The LORD is close to the brokenhearted and saves those
who are crushed in spirit."1

E. Kittredge wrote, "'I am trying to trust,' said one
who had heard the earth falling on the casket which
held the cold form of the dearest human friend, 'I am
trying to trust,' and so I have seen a bird with a
broken wing trying to fly. When the heart is broken,
all our trying will only increase our pain and
unrest. But if, instead of trying to trust, we will
press closer to the Comforter, and lean our weak heads
upon his sufficient grace, the trust will come without
our trying, and the promised 'perfect peace' will calm
every troubled wave of sorrow."

Unfortunately, resolving grief is not quite this
simple. Learning to resolve grief and trust God is not
an event--it is a process, a process that takes time.
To feel deserted by one whom we love leaves us
destitute. We can be angry at God for taking our loved
one and even angry at the one who left us. Whether we
should or shouldn't feel this way is beside the point.
We feel what we feel. That's the reality and these
feelings need to be expressed in healthy ways to
understanding friends who lovingly accept us and our
feelings. Then there is the unrelenting grief that
tears the heart apart. Tears--gut level tears--need to
be sobbed out over and over until all the pain is
dissipated. Again, this takes time. Tears are God's
gift to drain the pain of unrelenting grief. Until we
resolve all these painful emotions, it can be very
difficult for many, if not impossible, to feel God's
loving presence.

Also, at times of loss the support of loving friends is
also critical. Certainly, one may need to withdraw for
a brief season but not for too long. Loving support
from friends is critical at this time ... often for a
long time.

Yes we need God but we also need people. One of the
first things Jesus did at the commencement of his
public ministry was to choose "twelve that they might
be with him."2 And one of Jesus' hurts prior to his
crucifixion was being abandoned by his disciples. If
Jesus needed loving relationships, how much more do we?

Suggested prayer: "Dear God, please help me to be a
loving and supporting friend with whom grieving people
feel safe to unburden the pain of their broken heart.
And deliver me from the curse to give advice when all
that is needed is a loving heart and a listening and
understanding ear. Thank You for hearing and answering
my prayer. Gratefully in Jesus's name, amen."

1. Psalm 34:18 (NIV).
2. Mark 3:14.

<)))><    
  
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  ACTS International.

Date: August 13, 2019 at 1:15 AM

Topic: +DEV+  God's Comforting Righteousness

God's Comforting Righteousness

“… and his righteousness with their children's children."  Psalm 103:17
Scripture Focus: Psalm 103

Many people live practically with the notion that, as long as our good deeds outweigh our bad deeds, we are acceptable to God. It's hard not to live this way in a world which generally rewards good and punishes wrong, and then judges us accordingly. But the Bible tells us that we all stand guilty before our holy God and cannot attain by our own deeds the righteousness He requires. 

Psalm 103 gives us a word of comfort from outside our attempts to keep God's commandments. It's founded on the eternal promise that God gives His righteousness to those who fear Him and to their children's children. This righteousness He freely gives to us in Christ, on the basis of Jesus' perfect obedience in His life and His death. 
Righteousness is given to us by faith (Romans 3:22) and makes us His children. God's promises will continue throughout the ages until Jesus returns. He will not withhold His righteousness from us. He will abundantly lavish it on all who humbly come to Him no longer trusting in their own deeds to save them. 

Insight: "I am bringing my righteousness near, it is not far away; and my salvation will not be delayed. I will grant salvation." (Isaiah 46:13)

If you have prayer requests for anything please email us and we will pray for them

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: August 12, 2019 at 1:15 AM

Topic: +DEV+  Our Days Fade Away Forever

Our Days Fade Away Forever

"As for man, his days are like grass, he flourishes like a flower of the field; the wind blows over it and it is gone, and its place remembers it no more."  Psalm 103:15-16

Scripture Focus: Psalm 103

The opening of Ecclesiastes summarizes our empty quest for satisfaction apart from the Creator: "Utterly meaningless! Everything is meaningless." We know this to be true even as we fill our hearts and minds with things that we believe will give us satisfaction. Yet too often our quest overlooks the promises of God offered to us in and through His Son Jesus Christ. David paints a portrait of our lives as frail and fading away. We stand in stark contrast to the eternal promises of God who is eternal and bestows everlasting life.

The Apostle Peter elaborates on that point, citing Isaiah 40 to contrast our mortality with the imperishable riches that God gives to those who are in Christ: "All men are like grass, and all their glory is like the flowers of the field; the grass withers and the flowers fall, but the word of the Lord stands forever" (1 Peter 1:24-25). 

Remember that the Lord's love is with those who fear Him, and it is a love which never fades, which always satisfies, and which gives meaning to your life.

Insight: "If we are deeply moved by the sight of His love for us, it detaches our hearts from other would-be saviors." (Timothy J. Keller, 2011)

If you have prayer requests for anything please email us and we will pray for them.

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: August 10, 2019 at 1:07 AM
Topic: +DEV+ God Delights in Mercy

God Delights in Mercy

"As far as the east is from the west, so far has he removed our transgressions from us." Psalm 103:12

Scripture Focus: Psalm 103

In an age that has a diminishing view of God, this declaration of radical mercy may sound hard to believe. God is often viewed today as unconcerned with His creation, unloving, or the one to blame for the evil that happens in the world. Surely you've heard others complaining, "How could a loving God allow that?" 

A grave catastrophe has hit our generation: ignoring the reality of sin and all its effects. We do not call sin by its name. Instead, we call it simply a "mistake," "an alternative lifestyle," or "an alternative truth." Only when we realize the serious nature of our sin will what David says here ring true as good news, showing us what the Lord has done for us. 

When Adam sinned, all creation was affected and now suffers the consequences of that sin. But God in His grace sent His Son Jesus Christ to die for the sins of many, in order that we may be forgiven. Sin no longer disrupts our relationship with God because Christ has carried the burden of sin and reconciled us to Him. This is the truth we stand on!

Insight: "My sin, not in part but the whole, is nailed to the Cross, and I bear it no more, praise the lord, praise the LORD, O my soul!" (Horatio G. Spafford, 1873)

If you have prayer requests for anything please email us and we will pray for them.

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: August 7, 2019 at 1:05 AM
Topic: +DEV+ Love and Grace

Love and Grace

"He does not treat us as our sins deserve or repay us according to our iniquities." Psalm 103:10

Scripture Focus: Psalm 103

Just imagine where we'd be if the opposite of this text were true. What if God repaid our sins and punished us all according to our iniquities? We couldn't make it through one day! No one in this world could survive the just punishment of God. This conclusion is not based on human laws operating in this world but on the absolute justice of God's kingdom, because not one of us is free from sin. 

Then why does God look at us as if we were without sin? Truly, we are on the receiving side of one-sided love and grace. This amazing love and grace springs from God alone, not from us. It is only Jesus Christ who paid the price. He paid the full penalty for sins, not because of His own wrongdoing, but because of ours. This atoning grace is also a holy grace to us, transforming us as our lives go on to become pure as He is pure. 

Now God's one-sided love and grace call us into an eternal two-sided relationship. His faithful love evokes our belief in that love, and this trust forms and fuels our response of love to Him.

Insight: "Give thanks to the LORD, for he is good; his love endures forever." (1 Chronicles 16:34)

If you have prayer requests for anything please email us and we will pray for them.

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: August 6, 2019 at 1:15 AM
Topic: +DEV+ God's Righteous Anger

God's Righteous Anger

“... nor will he harbor his anger forever." Psalm 103:9b

Scripture Focus: Psalm 103

Have you ever been cut off in traffic? Received an unduly cross word from someone? Been lied to or cheated? Maybe you've been wronged in a much deeper way by a friend or a loved one. Situations like these often stir up feelings of anger within us. Sometimes we may even want revenge. 

Thankfully, God's anger is not like ours. It is holy and just, never spiteful. God will never "fly off the handle" because of His short temper, nor will He stop listening to your prayers because of a personal grudge stewing within Him. God's righteous anger directed toward sin will be revealed at the final judgment. But this will not be the first time He has shown His anger. 

At Calvary, all of God's anger and wrath towards the sin of His people was poured out upon Jesus Christ. On that day, there was weeping. But just as the weeping of the disciples turned into joy when Christ resurrected, so the cross should bring joy to us. Because of Jesus, God's anger does not abide on any who have faith in Christ, not even for a moment.

Insight: "Because the sinless Savior died, my sinful soul is counted free; for God, the just, is satisfied, to look on him and pardon me." (Charitie L. Bancroft, 1863)

If you have prayer requests for anything please email us and we will pray for them.

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: August 5, 2019 at 2:24 PM
Topic: +DEV+ Christ, Accused for Us

Christ, Accused for Us

"He will not always accuse." Psalm 103:9a

Scripture Focus: Psalm 103

Our infinite God is loving and just at the same time. He is the author of the law that we must obey perfectly to live, yet we violate and break His commandments each day. God demonstrated both His perfect love and His perfect justice on the cross. 

There His steadfast love and His righteousness met; it was as if they kissed each other (see Psalm 85:10). On the one hand, God poured His full wrath on Christ as a substitute for believers. On the other, He demonstrated His love which would go to any length to save us. So the psalmist writes, "He will not always accuse," because God has condemned His only Son Jesus Christ in our place, once and for all, in order to gather us to Himself again. 

Yes, we continue to break His commandments even when we know better, even when we know He died for our failures. But we can always come to Him confidently by faith, throwing ourselves into His loving fatherly arms, confessing our sins, and asking for forgiveness. He forgives because He accused His Son once for all in our place.

Insight: "If anybody does sin, we have one who speaks to the father in our defense-Jesus Christ, the righteous one." (1 John 2:1)

If you have prayer requests for anything please email us and we will pray for them.

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: August 5, 2019 at 2:24 PM
Topic: +DEV+  Christ, Accused for Us

Christ, Accused for Us

"He will not always accuse."  Psalm 103:9a

Scripture Focus: Psalm 103

Our infinite God is loving and just at the same time. He is the author of the law that we must obey perfectly to live, yet we violate and break His commandments each day. God demonstrated both His perfect love and His perfect justice on the cross. 

There His steadfast love and His righteousness met; it was as if they kissed each other (see Psalm 85:10). On the one hand, God poured His full wrath on Christ as a substitute for believers. On the other, He demonstrated His love which would go to any length to save us. So the psalmist writes, "He will not always accuse," because God has condemned His only Son Jesus Christ in our place, once and for all, in order to gather us to Himself again. 

Yes, we continue to break His commandments even when we know better, even when we know He died for our failures. But we can always come to Him confidently by faith, throwing ourselves into His loving fatherly arms, confessing our sins, and asking for forgiveness. He forgives because He accused His Son once for all in our place.

Insight: "If anybody does sin, we have one who speaks to the father in our defense-Jesus Christ, the righteous one." (1 John 2:1)

If you have prayer requests for anything please email us and we will pray for them.

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 26, 2019 at 1:04 AM
Topic: +DEV+ Anger with Love

Anger with Love

"The Lord is compassionate and gracious, slow to anger, abounding in love." Psalm 103:8

Scripture Focus: Psalm 103

During the Thanksgiving season as we try to show gratitude, we may be reminded of those who ought to thank us but haven't. And when this happens again and again, we start asking, "How many more times should I bear with this person's ingratitude?" Of course, it is not only ungrateful people who offend us. 

Countless offenses can have us wondering just how longsuffering we have to be. Out of a sense of justice, we declare, This is unfair or I have a right to be angry. Before we know it, our thankful thoughts at Thanksgiving have evolved into irritation and complaint. But God answers our ingratitude with abounding love. 

As we repeatedly offend Him by neglecting to thank Him and by doing wrong to others, He has every right to be angry with us. Yet He patiently bears with us. He compassionately bears our sins. He even "gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall Not perish but have eternal life" (John 3:16). God's righteous anger and infinite love met at the cross. Knowing this, how can we not praise Him?

Insight: "Do you wish to see God's love? Look at the cross." (D.A. Carson, 1999)

If you have prayer requests for anything please email us and we will pray for them.

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