Faith Builders Devotional

Daily Devotional

March 8 - March 14 2026

Finally, my brethren, be strong in the Lord and in the power of His might. NKJV

Without Jesus, we would have no purpose or reason for being around. In total, human beings have a maximum of 120 years that they can exist on the earth. Many people think that if they just have money they will be happy. Or if they are just married, they will be happy. A couple kids will make them happy… Maybe if they have things, they will be happy. Well, it is not about any of that. The only way you can be truly happy is to have a living and active relationship with Yahweh through Jesus.

As I get to know God, I have learned that His Word is invaluable to my spiritual life. My spiritual life directly affects my physical life (the life I am living right now). When talking about the Word of God Smith Wigglesworth said,

“God’s Word is:
Supernatural in origin
Eternal in duration
Inexpressible in valor
Infinite in scope
Regenerative in power
Infallible in authority
Universal in application
Inspired in totality

We should:
Read it through
Write it down
Pray it in
Work it out
Pass it on.”

I have learned that the better I know the Word of God, the better I know the God of the Word.

As you know, the Bible was not originally written in English or Japanese. It was not written in French, German, Chinese, Korean, or even Latin. (Why someone would conduct a service in a language others cannot understand amazes me..) It was written in Hebrew (Old Testament) and Greek/Aramaic (New Testament). So when I want to understand the original intention of the words better I get out a Hebrew/Greek concordance (Strong’s is the most famous) and look up the original meanings. It is really simple, so anyone can do it.

Here in Ephesians 6:10 we can find even more meaning if we understand the Greek. It says, Finally, my brethren, be strong in the Lord and in the power of His might. In the original Greek, this term ‘Be Strong’ comes from the word endunamoo, which has the root of dunamis. Dunamis is the same word that we get the word dynamite. It means explosive power.

“And in the power…”, you think that power is all the same. After telling us to be explosively strong in Him, the Word talks about “the Power of His Might”. The power we are talking about here is kratos, or literally from the Greek,” ruling power or authority”. This is the power a king has over his people, as he is authority over the country. You cannot take that away from him as he was born into that ruling power or authority. When you have been born into His Kingdom (God’s Kingdom), you come under His authority and represent His authority. Remember, we are ambassadors for Christ.

Finally, Ephesians talks about the “power of His might”. “Might” here is the Greek word ischus. Ischus literally means, might or strength. I have heard some scholars call it “endowed power”. An initial read of this verse in the English just tells you that we have power and authority. But as you look at the original language, you see there is more to it than that. To get the deeper meaning you put this verse together with the original Greek in mind. I see it as

In all and all, my dear family, be explosively powerful (working signs and wonders) as you operate in the ruling authority you have received from the Kingdom and are endowed with power from above.

This is literally a powerful verse. I realize this is not just about being strong. This verse is talking about walking in the authority of the King because power without authority is like a robber with gun. Once he is disarmed, no one will listen to him. But if you are the child of the King, it doesn’t matter whether you are armed or not; because if people don’t listen to you, the full force of the Kingdom is going to be on them.

Mar9

Presently Progressing

Mark 9:23

Jesus said to him, "If you can believe, all things are possible to him who believes." NKJV

As a believer, you have a very powerful weapon against the enemy. You have faith. By your faith in God, you can overcome everything that comes against you. But there is a key to faith that we have to know and use. Faith is believing. Notice I didn’t say faith is what I believed. I said faith ‘is believing’.

In English grammar, that “is doing” something is called the present progressive tense. Believed is past tense because it is something that has already happened. If I say, I will believe, this is future tense. We have to realize being a believer is not about the past. What is done is done. If you have messed up in the past, ask forgiveness of those you hurt (if you can) and most importantly of the Father Yahweh. He wants to cleanse you from your wrongs but only He can do it if you acknowledge and turn from those wrongs. The progressive tense is something that is in the process of happening.

One very interesting thing about the New Testament is that it is written in the progressive tense of the Greek. In this case it was past progressive. What does that mean? Well, you can’t see it very well in some of the English Bible translations. I have found that I don’t like certain translations of the Bible (for example the NIV) because they lose the original power punch in the writing. There are many good translations out there, but in English if you want to get a feel for the original languages the New American Standard Bible (NASB) and the New King James (which is not that far off) can give you a good feel for what is going on. The NASB is a very literal translation and sometimes can be a little more choppy to read. The NASB doesn’t always translate it literally but you see a lot of footnotes and margin notes that remind you that the New Testament was written in the progressive tense.

In general terms, some translations say, Jesus healed the sick. The literal translation is Jesus was healing the sick. Other examples are, Jesus taught is really Jesus was teaching, Jesus said is Jesus was saying, Jesus healed was Jesus was healing. Do you get the feel? When I began to understand that the New Testament was written in the progressive tense it really opened up the Word to me and I began to read it in the progressive tense no matter what Bible translation I was reading.

Life as a committed Christian is not about the past or really not even about the future. It is really about what you are doing now. Hebrews 11:1 says “Now faith is…” I like to say, “Faith is now”. What are you doing now?

As a believer, this is what they should be saying about us. That person is telling people about Jesus, laying hands on the sick, faithfully bringing their tithes into the church, encouraging their friends, spending time in God’s presence, teaching the children Sunday school, blessing those around them, helping a neighbor in need… We are presently progressing. We are not stuck in one place.

Are you living in the past? Are you always dreaming about the future but not making the steps to get there? Remember the life of the believer is about progressing and not digressing, being above not beneath, being the head and not the tail.

Mar10

How To Get Strength

Phil 4:13

I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me.

As human beings, it is amazing how our bodies are designed. If we accidentally cut our finger on a piece of paper, then the white blood cells in our bodies rush to the place of the laceration and stop the bleeding. If someone has leukemia they have a blood disorder. Their white blood cells do not go to stop up the blood flow at a cut and that person can bleed to death as the bleeding does not naturally stop. I am amazed at how our brains are just made of very simple fatty substances, yet is the command center for our nervous systems and our motor skills (muscles/coordination).

Human beings are not only the most amazing of creations, we are also gifted with intellect. Through our intellect and imaginations amazing things can be done. The pyramids of Egypt are one of the many wonders of the world that show what humans can do with their imaginations, engineering, and planning. God has really blessed us and entrusted us with so much.

In America, we talk about the ‘self-made man’. This person that supposedly has made themselves famous in some sport, built some company or maybe a media empire through some great achievements. Some people rise up in pride thinking that they can achieve all things by themselves. With pride, it is sometimes easy to forget those primary, middle and secondary school teachers that helped shaped you and the way you think. Or forget about that boss that taught you everything you know. And maybe even that agent that gave that entertainer their first big break.

You can try to run on your own power, your own enthusiasm or your own intellect for as long as you like, however, sooner or later you will run out of that mental power. I have learned that it is so important for me to go to church. It is not just important because I can encourage others or to raise up my children in Yahweh’s ways. It is very important because I charge myself up spiritually.

I love to get into God’s presence in the morning and thank Him for His goodness. This is how you connect to the Kingdom. I recently heard a pastor say, “If you are not regularly at church I seriously doubt you are a Christian.” It sounds harsh, but I understand and agree, because even missing one Sunday I feel dry. If that were to continue for weeks and weeks then spiritually I am going to dry up. The Word is very clear. We are not to forsake gathering together. Church and the fellowship of believers is not just something we should do, it is something we must do if we want to be strong.

The awesome thing about spiritual power is that it will kick in when your physical power would cut you off. You can do anything if Jesus is strengthening you! When you don’t have the energy to work those extra hours His presence will strengthen you. When you know the person you just met needs to hear about Jesus, the Holy Spirit will give you the words that cut right to the heart. You can be born into an unknown family somewhere but yet become a world famous preacher, business professional, pastor, writer, designer, missionary, media owner, artist, musician, athlete, sales person, engineer, driver… With God, once you discover that He is the one that strengthens you, your relationship with Him will bring out those gifts and talents that you have always wanted to put to use.

Don’t settle for just knowing about God. Be sure to know God.

Mar11

Favor With God

Luke 1:30
30	Then the angel said to her, "Do not be afraid, Mary, for you have found favor with God. NKJV Have you ever read Luke 1:30 and wondered how Mary found favor with God? Have you thought about it? How or in this case, why was Mary selected to be the woman through whom God would work; the woman through whom the Messiah would be born? If you read on, you will find that Mary was filled with the Word of God. She was not just some woman working in the fields not thinking about things. Mary was a thinker and she loved God. She believed God and she knew His promises. After finding out she was to birth the Messiah, she went to Elizabeth’s house. Elizabeth and her husband knew via another angelic visit that there was more to the story. There was such excitement. Elizabeth was so excited and she voiced that excitement. Mary responded in Luke 1:46-49,
46	"My soul magnifies the Lord, 47 And my spirit has rejoiced in God my Savior. 48 For He has regarded the lowly state of His maidservant; For behold, henceforth all generations will call me blessed. 49 For He who is mighty has done great things for me, And holy is His name. She went on a bit more about God and His goodness (check out to verse 55). However, it is really clear from this story that Mary was filled with the Word and because she knew the Word, she believed. She didn’t just belt this out of the blue. Clearly she knew scriptures. I have realized that when the excitement comes that is when you see what is really in people’s hearts. If I get under a stressful situation and all I do is curse and swear, you can tell that is what is in my heart. However, if I get under the same type of stressful situation and I turn to God and thank Him for His deliverance then you know where I am. It is so important that we have our hearts right. I have learned the only way to do that is to be in His Word and around people who know Him. Mary was full of God’s Word and when the excitement came, she overflowed with praises for Him. It is very interesting that we’ve got schools, hospitals, and even some misinformed people praying to Mary. Do you think Mary was some type of super-human being that God selected because she was different? No! Mary was an amazing woman because she knew the Word and she believed it. You can be the same as Mary. The Messiah has already been born, died, and resurrected for you, but that doesn’t mean God can’t birth some things through you as well. You see, God has awesome plans for our world because He is awesome. Plans to prosper and bless people if they know Him and believe Him. He desires for all of us to repent and be cleared of all our wrongs by the work of Jesus. However, the challenge is to find people who love Him, know His Word, and believe Him. We are the ones who need to tell people about how they need Jesus. God wants to birth some evangelists that aren’t afraid to tell people about Jesus. God wants to birth some businesses that pump billions of dollars into telling people about Jesus and stand as a witness of His Kingdom. God wants to birth doctors that not only perform surgeries but lay hands on the sick and pray over their patients in Jesus’s mighty name. God wants to raise up more Marys; great women who have a passion for God and His Word. However, God is not a respecter of persons. In other words, He does care if you are male or female. God also wants to raise up men of God who know Him, His Word, and how to walk in His ways. If you want to have the favor of God like Mary had, you’d better get into His Word. Have you spent time with Him and in His Word today? Are you believing Him?

Mar12

Marrying Unbelievers

2 Cor 6:14-16

Do not be unequally yoked together with unbelievers. For what fellowship has righteousness with lawlessness? And what communion has light with darkness? 15 And what accord has Christ with Belial? Or what part has a believer with an unbeliever? 16 And what agreement has the temple of God with idols? For you are the temple of the living God. As God has said:
"I will dwell in them, And walk among them.
I will be their God, And they shall be My people." NKJV

If you want to have a lot of pain and suffering in your life, the best thing you can do is marry an unbeliever. I have seen so many believers be abused by an unsaved spouse; whether it be mentally, physically, and especially sexually (ie. withholding themselves). I highly recommend staying single over marrying an unbeliever. If you are a single and you love God, find someone like you. Pray for God to arrange the divine appointment for you to meet with that person. Take your time, don’t be in a hurry. You can even ask Godly men and women what they think of that person’s temperament.

When you are marrying an unbeliever you are subjecting yourself to a relationship that is going to be very hard. “But Pastor I am believing for my spouse to be saved”, some may say. If you think you are going to get a person interested in you to sincerely repent and turn to God when their emotions are clouded by feelings for you, you are gravely mistaken. Don’t do it. Don’t marry an unbeliever. God has something better for you. If you really love that person, pray that God will send believers across their path so that they will hear the news of the Kingdom and repent on their own. If you are already married to an unbeliever, don’t be down… more about that in a moment.

When I was in high school I started praying for my wife to be. I didn’t know who she was. I prayed for a woman with a great personality, a lady that would look good without makeup, a believer that had a passion for God. Three years after graduation from High School I married a beautiful lady. Our first meeting was a get together with a friend of my sister. It was not a date so there was no pressure for anyone to act anything but normal. I liked her bubbly personality, her love for the Lord, and besides she looked very cute in a skirt! I was attracted to her. As I was visiting Tokyo, the second day I saw her I asked for her address so that I could write her when she returned to her bible school in the Los Angeles area and I returned to the Seattle area.

We were pretty pathetic letter writers. (Thank God for email these days!). However, after a year I couldn’t get her off of my mind. I started calling her from my home in Washington to her place in California. When calls were not enough, we started visiting each other via airplane. She met my family. I was young, but I took her up to a little mountain called Mt. Pete near Enumclaw Washington and asked her to marry me at the top of that mountain. I was so nervous! She agreed and we married in January 1989.

It was a wonderful match as we both had a relationship with Yahweh before we even knew each other. We were committed to Him first so we could be committed to each other. Even though we were from different cultures from a national perspective, we were actually the same culture because we were both Kingdom Children.

We have been through a lot in our marriage. We started with nothing and now we are blessed. We were told we could not have children but now we have three that have a passion for Him and help us as we minister. God is so good to us. When we married, we united to create a legacy. I am excited about what God has in store. If one of us would have been a unbeliever, I am sure we would have not made it. Why? The core of our marriage is not each other, or even just ‘’love”. The core of our marriage is a love based on the One who loved us, Jesus.

If you are already married to an unbeliever, pray for the Holy Spirit to draw that person to Yahweh. Pray that wherever they go they will run into Bible-believing, Spirit-filled Christians. Get your extended family (father, mother, sisters, brothers) to be praying for this as well.

If you are not married yet, don’t get in a hurry. A marriage to the wrong person can be horrible. Meet other believers like you in group settings. Meet them at church (usually the safest place, but you still need to always check), church events, and other meetings that center on your relationship with the King. When you meet people in a group setting you can usually see what they are really like. Unfortunately, when you ‘date’ people, you and them are usually trying to put your best foot forward and you can’t always see who they really are.

If you are going to hook up with someone for this lifelong commitment, make sure you follow the Word’s advice… Don’t marry unbelievers. Behind repenting and coming into the Kingdom, it is the second most important decision of your life.

Mar13

God’s Financial Plan

Gen 13:2
2	Abram was very rich in livestock, in silver, and in gold. When you pastor a church, you meet many types of people. It is wonderful to have an opportunity to be an encouragement. All of us meet people every day. Last year we had several homeless men come to church. We encouraged them and helped them. Most of them listened to the Gospel and some even prayed the prayer of repentance, but clearly they were doing so with the hopes of getting some type of money. They were all in desperate situations and in need of deliverance. How does one get into such a situation? Is this God’s plan? God has a plan for us. He has a plan for us to prosper be successful. It is not just for certain people within the body of Christ (the church), it is available for everyone who trusts Him. We are the ones that choose our opportunities but there is something else you have to do. If you look at Abraham’s life you’ll see he was extremely blessed. Not just in the money of the time (silver and gold) but also in resources (land and livestock). What was it about Abraham that made him stick out above the people around him? Was it great intelligence? Was it his family heritage? Was it an inheritance from some deceased grandmother? Was it his entrepreneurial skills? Of course, skill and smarts are something you should develop however it is clear why Abraham was so blessed. He was an active giver. One day Abraham found out that his brother Lot was captured and all his things taken by some attackers. I am sure he was upset, but he didn’t sit there and whine. There was no police to call and there was no army to help him save his family. So he got together 300 guys and went after them. With guidance he caught up with them and not only saved his family and got their things back, he got more because he took the attackers’ belongings as well. They had so much stuff they couldn’t carry it back home. In Gen 14:18-20 it says,
18	Then Melchizedek king of Salem brought out bread and wine; he was the priest of God Most High. 19 And he blessed him and said: "Blessed be Abram of God Most High, Possessor of heaven and earth; 20 And blessed be God Most High, Who has delivered your enemies into your hand." And he gave him a tithe of all. NKJV Isn’t that interesting? Abraham set the standard. He showed what he was made of and what was in his heart. You may say, “Pastor, what are you talking about?”. Well, Abraham met Melchizedek on the way back. Melchizedek was a priest/pastor of Yahweh. He prayed a blessing over Abraham and what did Abraham do? The Word says, “he gave him a tithe of all”. What does that mean? Abraham gave the priest one tenth of all he got. This is where the original idea of tithing came from in the Bible. When you as a believer tithe, you are giving 10% of the first part of your income to God. You may say, “God does not need my money or things”. That’s right, he doesn’t. He wants your heart after Him. Jesus says where your treasure is, that’s where your heart is as well. He doesn’t mind you having things, but he doesn’t want the things to control you. People do all sorts of things just for money. How sad! We are told not to test God in anything but one thing... our giving. We are told to test God in Malachi 3:10, where God says
10	Bring all the tithes into the storehouse, That there may be food in My house, And try Me now in this," Says the Lord of hosts, "If I will not open for you the windows of heaven And pour out for you such blessing That there will not be room enough to receive it. Abraham’s secret was he was a giver. He gave into the church of his day, and was blessed for it. The world tells you to hoard and accumulate things. How ugly! God’s plan is giving. If you give, God can and will, bless you; and you will prosper. There are many examples of this in the Word and in the many people I have met. As the world goes through financial trials around us, we have to remember that God’s Kingdom principles work in any economy. If you want to have financial security you have to be a faithful giver of your tithes and offerings. If you want God to be generous with you, you must be generous with Him and others. What you give is the same measure of what will come back to you. I have seen so many people struggle financially over the last 21 years because they are not faithful to God with their tithes. Become a giver today. See what God does for you when you honor Him with your income. The Word says, “..he who trusts the Lord will be prospered” (Prov. 28:26) and goes on to say, “He who gives to the poor will not lack” (Prov. 28:27). Don’t just give, give expecting in faith that God is going to bless you for your faithfulness to Him.

Mar14

The Way

Acts 24:14-15

But this I confess to you, that according to the Way which they call a sect, so I worship the God of my fathers, believing all things which are written in the Law and in the Prophets.

Many people seem to think you just make a decision and then you are an instant Christian. There is a bit of truth in that. But being a believer is not just a one time fee and you’re in. If you compare it to joining a club, when you join a social club, you pay a one time membership entrance fee(called an initiation fee). However, it doesn’t stop there. After you have joined they have monthly dues. What are the dues? These are the monthly funds they use to keep the club operating that all the members are required to pay. I am sure whoever came up with the first club idea must have gotten it from the believer’s idea of tithing 10% of your income to support your local church. The huge difference is God wants us to give with a cheerful heart (because we want to give) not giving and being negative about it. (If you can’t give cheerfully I think it is better not to give).

If you want to compare the Committed Christian’s life to that of joining a club it is quite easy to understand. Jesus died on the cross and rose from the dead three days later. He made us right before God so we could get into the Kingdom ‘club’. There was no way we could pay the initiation fee on our own. We cannot be right before God on our own or by whatever good we do. However, as a believer the monthly dues are to pay. Of course, you should faithfully give your tithes each month, but this is not what I am talking about.

When Jesus came back from the dead on the third day, it turned the world of that time upside down. This small group of mostly Israelis saw that Jesus came back from the dead and they talked about it. They not only talked about it, but they demonstrated His power through signs and wonders. Prison doors were blown open, earthquakes occurred, storms were calmed, the dead were raised, the sick were healed, the poor were encouraged but most importantly the Good News (Gospel) was preached… There is no denying that the Messiah changed the world. This small group grew to hundreds, thousands, millions, hundreds of millions, and now we have billions of people in the world professing to be believers. These believers weren’t called Christians at the time.

In Acts, when Paul stands before the government officials, he said he was a part of ‘The Way’. Christians were called The Way before they were ever called Christians. It is interesting that they call them this. Why The Way?

I believe they are called The Way because being a believer is not just a one-time initiation into the Kingdom ‘club’. There are dues to be paid each month, and every day for that matter. What are the dues? Being a committed Christian is a daily thing. It is your lifestyle. In other words, it’s the way you live. It is whether you are honoring God first with everything you have or not. What is your lifestyle?

Do you go to a bar after work and drink like a fish and just show up for church on Sundays? Are you paying your taxes? Do foul words come out of your mouth only to be replaced by “Amens and Hallelujahs” on Sundays? Are you obeying the laws of the land? Do you treat other people (especially believers) with respect? Are you joyful and fun to be around?

Jesus changed people for the good. People learned to live The Way and were never the same again. Others noticed the joy, power and authority when you live The Way of Jesus. When we all live The Way, that is when our neighborhoods, our cities and our nations change to God’s ways because of our witness. It is not that hard but each of us has a part to play.

What is your lifestyle? Are you living The Way? If not, ask Him to help you. He’s says call to me and I will answer (Jeremiah 33:3).

Today