Faith Builders Devotional

Daily Devotional

March 29 - April 4 2026

Mar29

Fact Or Fiction?

2 Tim 3:16-17
16	All Scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness, NKJV These days, much as in the days of old, people are trying to invalidate the Word of God. Some misinformed people say that the Bible is some myth or fairy tale. Some compare it to Roman, Greek, or even Nordic mythology as man’s efforts of the past to explain what they did not understand. Why attack the BIble? If you can discount the power of God’s Word, the Bible in our hands, then as a believer, we don’t have anything to stand on. These days, if you want to write a book, you get out your computer and start typing. When you are ready to give a copy to someone on paper, you print it out and give it to them. However, in the past many stories and traditions were passed down through generations verbally. What does that mean? That means that the stories were told over and over by the parents or grandparents to their children. Of course with time, the story could change based on the story teller and the details could actually be diluted or changed all together. We know that the Bible was inspired by God and has survived many attempts by various governments and groups to expunge it from history. Various dictators have tried to burn Bibles because they wanted to take away freedom people have. If God didn’t have His hand on it, the Bible would have been wiped out many years ago. Although I think it was surely passed down via some oral tradition. It is amazing how accurate and true the translation and writing is. It is definitely no myth. ‘how do you know the Bible we have now was what they had in Jesus’s time on the earth or even before?‘ you may ask. Of course, the Bible has proven itself time and time again. We find the cities where the Bible records, their pottery, their money, and their events in the archeological record. However, one boy throwing a rock, changed everything. In 1947, a young Bedouin shepherd boy was looking for his lost goat. He was on the Northwest shore of the Dead Sea in Israel in an area called Qumran. He threw a rock into one of the many caves in hopes of scaring out his goat, if it was there. He heard the shattering of pottery from the rock inside side the cave. No goat came out, but a great discovery was made. Going inside, he discovered large clay jars with old scrolls made of papyrus. Basically a time capsule was discovered. These scrolls later became known as the Dead Sea Scrolls. They discovered about 500 scrolls and fragments of scrolls in 11 different nearby caves. Scholars and experts determined the scrolls were written between 250 B.C. and A.D. 68. With these scrolls, they compared the scriptures we had in our day, two what they had then. They found that the Bible we have today is exactly what they were reading from the beginning! Isn’t that amazing! God has got His hand on the Word. There was much more to this story, as scholars were able to “reconstruct the history of the Holy Land from the fourth century B.C. to A.D. 135; and to clarify the relationship between Jewish religious traditions and early Christianity”*. However, the main point is what you have now is God’s Word, it is accurate. It has not changed with time. The Word is inspired. When I read the Word, God speaks to me and gives me direction. He wants to do the same for you. Hebrews 4:12 says,
12	For the word of God is alive and powerful. It is sharper than the sharpest two-edged sword, cutting between soul and spirit, between joint and marrow. It exposes our innermost thoughts and desires. NLT If you want to be inspired by God, then read the Bible. It will change you. * Nelson's Illustrated Bible Dictionary, Copyright © 1986, Thomas Nelson Publishers

Mar30

The Power Of The Name

Acts 3:16
16	And His name, through faith in His name, has made this man strong, whom you see and know. Yes, the faith which comes through Him has given him this perfect soundness in the presence of you all. NKJV Would you like to be strong? Do you want to be able to be ready for anything? Well, you’ve got to know the power of the Name of Jesus. The Name of Jesus is the only name that brings salvation. The Name of Jesus is the only name that brings complete and total healing. The Name of Jesus is the only name that delivers us from the controlling power of the demonic. The Name of Jesus brings freedom from the past . There is an amazing power in the Name! What is this power? It is not some magical name. It is not some weird religious chant. What is this power that you engage in the Name of Jesus? Why is it that demons flee when you use the Name of Jesus? Why is it that weather changes when you speak to it in the Name of Jesus? Why is it that tornados change course when commanded by the name of Jesus? It is not the name itself, but it is the authority behind the Name. There are two words that you may have never thought about, because at first glance they seem like the same word. They are power and authority. What is the difference? Authority is like a policeman’s badge. Power is like his gun. The policeman is a representative of the government in power. He is there to make sure people obey the laws. If you disobey the orders of a policeman, then you can be assured that a lot of other policemen or other government representatives will be after you. The badge represents that authority. The gun, on the other hand, is a representative of his power. Robbers and thieves may have a gun (temporary power) but they have no authority so their power cannot last. When Jesus came to the earth, He was not born like we are, looking for His purpose in life. He knew exactly why He was here and had a mission to accomplish. In John 10:17-18, He says
17	"For this reason the Father loves Me, because I lay down My life that I may take it again. 18 "No one has taken it away from Me, but I lay it down on My own initiative. I have authority to lay it down, and I have authority to take it up again. This commandment I received from My Father." NASB No man or woman has power over death. We are all born, and our bodies will physically die up until Jesus returns. There is only one man that was born and predicted He would die and come back on the third day. We have thousands of witnesses and historians’ documentation to prove it. When you use the Name of Jesus, you are not just reciting a name. You are demonstrating authority. You are using the only Name in the world that can change things. Why? Jesus changed the world. He made us right before God. But many Christians seem to just leave it at that. Jesus said there is more to it than that. Matt 28:18
18	And Jesus came and spoke to them, saying, "All authority has been given to Me in heaven and on earth…” When you use the Name of Jesus, you have got all the authority of heaven and earth behind what you are saying. That is why Jesus told us to pray to the Father in His Name. When you pray, engage the Name of Jesus and watch the world changing power of the Messiah change your life each day.

And Ananias went his way and entered the house; and laying his hands on him he said, "Brother Saul, the Lord Jesus, who appeared to you on the road as you came, has sent me that you may receive your sight and be filled with the Holy Spirit." 18 Immediately there fell from his eyes something like scales, and he received his sight at once; and he arose and was baptized. NKJV

I have heard many people say, “If God exists, why doesn’t He talk to me?” The question you can ask them is, “He does, but are you listening?”

There are so many distractions in the Word around us. It is so easy to get caught spending hours on the internet watching funny videos, reading and commenting on social media websites, watching movies, keeping up with the news, messaging friends from your mobile phone and so forth. I was thinking recently about how our generation has so much distraction. I heard a couple internet gurus talking about how this age we live in may be the new dark ages. Why is that? The reason is people spend a lot of time communicating via internet media and updating that media. Because it is all digital, when the server dies or the software is upgraded, it is possible for all that information to disappear completely. Experts think, that all that time spent just becomes lost, because unlike a book there is no physical remnant of the work. Rather than spending time on things that may later not exist, how about spending time getting to know Yahweh, the Creator of the world?

Unlike animals, humans have spirits. We are spirit-beings made in God’s image. God is a spirit. He is the spirit. I think my Native American ancestors had the general idea when they would talk about the Great Spirit. Many of them were looking for God. IF you call on God, He will find you. Most of the time, He uses people to get to you.

When God communicates with you, he doesn’t communicate normally by speaking with an audible voice your physical ear can hear. In the this age of technology, you could say, He doesn’t speak with you via physical networks. He doesn’t communicate via the LAN, the cellular, or an electrical network. He communicates via the spiritual realm… the spiritual network. God is a spirit.

Let me give you an example of the spiritual network. If you turn your mobile phone off, you are off the network (sometimes you have to pull the battery out your phone for it to be completely off). If you phone is off, does that mean the mobile phone network does not exist? Absolutely not! If you turn your phone back on, it will reconnect to the network.

When your phone is on, you are able to pick up communications via the network. It is the same with the spiritual. We are all born in sin. We are all not right with God. However, Jesus died and came back from the dead to make us right with God and put us back on the Network. Those who do not know God are like those who have their spiritual phones turned off. When they repent and turn to God, then they are connected to the network but their batteries are low. When batteries are low, electrical products do not always operate properly. Many times we do not know how to operate.

We have to learn to recognize God speaking to us. Jesus said, My sheep know My voice. So evidently, there are some who do not know His voice. I think it is the vast majority who do not know His voice. You and I need to change that.

God speaks to you via your spirit, because He is a spirit. When God speaks to you, you just know. You just know in your spirit as a thought or idea comes to your mind. We must always remember that God will never tell you to do anything contrary to the Word of God. He will not contradict Himself. If you ‘hear’ something contrary to the Word, then you can guess you are hearing an evil spirit. For example, I don’t know how many times in the news I have seen murderers say that ‘God told me to do it’. God never contradicts His word. God will never tell someone to do evil. He wants us to help people and be a blessing.

Ananias knew how to hear God. Even though he knew from others that Saul was someone who was actually attacking anyone of ”The Way”, he followed the leading of God. He prayed for Saul and by listening to the voice of God, he was a part of the life-changing experience for Saul.. You know, God did not just lead Ananias, but God told him exactly what happened to Paul. I have seen this time and time again in our church intercession and prayer meetings. Yahweh is speaking to those who listen. Are you listening?

Apr1

Be A Giver, Be Generous

Acts 10:1-3
1	There was a certain man in Caesarea called Cornelius, a centurion of what was called the Italian Regiment, 2 a devout man and one who feared God with all his household, who gave alms generously to the people, and prayed to God always. 3 About the ninth hour of the day he saw clearly in a vision an angel of God coming in and saying to him, "Cornelius!" NKJV God is SO good! If you are seeking Yahweh, it doesn’t matter who you are or what you’ve done. You don’t have to be from some certain group or level or class or people. If you believe God, you are in. When you get around believers, you will find that they are much like Cornelius. In Acts, it is noted that Cornelius was 1) A generous giver 2) Praying all the time That is exactly what I have noticed about Committed Christians in my life as well. Every year, my wife and I would go to a minister’s conference in January. It was awesome as at that time as you get under the Word hearing various preachers from all around the US, the Holy Spirit speaks to you. I would get lots of direction as to what the Lord wanted to do in our lives that year. You would meet ministers from all over the US. I was invited to go and preach in Minneapolis by one of the pastors at those meetings. I prayed about it and sensed I should go. I went to the area and did the message. The pastor and his family took such good care of me. They took me out for every meal. I tried to pay for myself and also tried to treat them to meals for the week that I was there, but they would have none of it. They wanted to make sure they took care of me. They even took me to get small presents for my kids to take back. They were such a blessing to me. I have been out many times with other believers just like this. Normally, everyone is trying to get a free lunch. However, with believers I have noticed people are fighting for the chance to be able to treat everyone to a meal. I have had seen people insisting to pay for the meal because they want to be a blessing. I have also see Committed Christians giving away cars, washing machines, televisions, and even houses. They don’t give away trash, they give away nice things. One couple felt they should give their car to a new family in Japan. The car was two years old and they felt there was lots of good life left in it. Rather than just giving it away, they took it to the local car supply and put on new tires, changed the oils, and changed everything to make it as close to new as possible. They wanted to give something good, not trash. Why? What you sow (plant) is was you reap (harvest). Galatians 6:7 says
7	Do not be deceived, God is not mocked; for whatever a man sows, that he will also reap. If you give good things, good things are going to come back to you. If you do evil to others, evil will come back to you. Committed Christians are givers. Let’s not forget that they are also people of prayer. Cornelius was a man of great wealth and respected by the Israeli people. That is the people he was ruling over as a Roman conqueror! Normally, if you are living in a land that your people took over, people aren’t going to be so happy to have you around. He treated people with respect and cared for people. He respected people because he knew they were all God’s creation and equal before God. He knew God’s heart because He spent time with God praying all the time. Let’s be the biggest givers in our communities and be people after God’s own heart. Let’s seek Him with all we’ve got and watch the blessings come!
Matt 6:33
33	But seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness, and all these things shall be added to you.

Apr2

How To Engage God’s Power

Acts 17:10-13
10	Then the brethren immediately sent Paul and Silas away by night to Berea. When they arrived, they went into the synagogue of the Jews. 11 These were more fair-minded than those in Thessalonica, in that they received the word with all readiness, and searched the Scriptures daily to find out whether these things were so. 12 Therefore many of them believed, and also not a few of the Greeks, prominent women as well as men. 　　NKJV Have you ever met someone who says they know they need to get to church but they never show up? You see them struggling in life, however you know most of their pain is self-inflicted. What you put into life is what you are going to get out of life. It is even more true for spiritual things. Yahweh is not a controller. Yahweh the Most High wants to give us a choice. He has given us a choice. With choice comes much responsibility. That is why Yahweh gave us the Word. He gave us the Word so that we can know the answers to life. Everything we need to know about life is in the Word. If you don’t know the Word (scriptures), you don’t know the power of God.
Mark 12:24
	Jesus answered and said to them, "Are you not therefore mistaken, because you do not know the Scriptures nor the power of God? As newlyweds coming to live in Tokyo, we were so hungry for the things of God. We were going to church but the pastor didn’t seem to really understand the things of God. We left church with more questions than answers. We soon found a great Bible study group that was going on outside of the church. We would drive 2.5 hours each Saturday (one way!) to get to that Bible study on the South side of Tokyo because we were so hungry. We were not satisfied with some religious service on Sundays. If you are hungry, got will fill you up. He’ll connect you to a Spirit-filled church and fellowships. You and I, the Children of God are not to be robots controlled someone else. We are God’s children with free wills. We have a choice to make decisions ourselves. We have to drive ourselves, and we need to have goals and objectives in life. If we have no vision for our lives, we will perish hopelessly. The Bereans would take everything that was taught and make sure that it was right. They checked the teaching according to the scriptures. There was no way things were going to become like a cult because they knew the Word. I have noticed that the better I know the Word of God, the better I know the God of the Word. That’s right, if you want to know God, you need to know His Word. God and His Word are inseparable. Build yourself spiritually by reading His Word every day. You will never be the same.

Apr3

Discerning The Situation

Acts 10:44-46
44	While Peter was still speaking these words, the Holy Spirit fell upon all those who heard the word. 45 And those of the circumcision who believed were astonished, as many as came with Peter, because the gift of the Holy Spirit had been poured out on the Gentiles also. 46 For they heard them speak with tongues and magnify God. NKJV Speaking in tongues, gifts of healing, prophecies, you see these gifts of the Holy Spirit working in the church today. I have met a few people that have said that these gifts of God are no longer. Usually, the people that hold this view are the ones who have not experienced these wonderful gifts. If you don’t have the gifts of the Holy Spirit don’t let it be that way. The most common reason given to justify not having spiritual gifts is that, the gifts passed away with the early church apostles or leaders. It makes me wonder why God would give something to us, just to take it away less than one lifetime later. The Word says in Romans 11:29
29	For the gifts and the calling of God are irrevocable. This is clearly talking about the gifts and talents each one of us has. It is also talking about the spiritual gifts. God does not take away the gifts He has given us. When I sin, does that mean that God is going to take away my prayer language (gift of tongues)? Absolutely not! I would have lost that many years ago if that was the case because I have messed up. The gifts are there for you. Why? When you are in trouble, that is when you need them. When you start to feel sick, pray in the spirit! When things seem to be going down, praise Him that He is going to take you up! You will sense the Holy Spirit strengthening you as you do this. Peter was directed by Yahweh to give the good news of Jesus to the non-Jews. He obeyed and Yahweh showed His condoning to the whole world. The power of the Holy Spirit not only fell on the Jews but also on everyone else (the so-called Gentiles). Peter was under a lot of pressure when he went back to the Jews. Most accepted what He did as they understood that Jews have no monopoly on Yahweh or Jesus. However, some rejected and created divisions due to this, even denying the power of God that confirmed the event through non-Jews being filled with the Holy Spirit and receiving the gift of tongues. We have similar issues today, some people just don’t want to accept what God is doing. Other times there are whacky people doing strange things in God’s Name. It is our responsibility to check each situation. Things can start good and go bad or vice versa. We have to discern things by His Spirit and His wisdom, as this world is not always so easy to see the right and the wrong at first glance A couple years back, there was a Canadian evangelist that amazing things were happening through. There were special meetings that started up in Florida at a church there. There was a lot of healing, salvation, and miracles happening in those nightly meetings as we watched via live feed. I really sensed God in the meetings, but somewhere along the way, you could sense pride rising up in this minister’s life. Something snapped and you could tell his pride was taking him out. In the end, he had an affair with one of the women at the meetings and left his wife and children. The whole event fell apart. Does that mean everything was wrong? From what we saw, the meetings started out good, that cannot be denied; however, everything ended in evil and chaos because the guy’s heart was not right and he chose himself and darkness over caring for others. Next time someone gives you a Bible interpretation, do your part. Check it to the Word of God and with the Holy Spirit. Jesus said the Holy Spirit is your teacher. Just as the Holy Spirit guided Peter to minister to people he would have normally not even talked to. We need to listen as well. Peter followed God’s guidance and signs followed. Most importantly, Redemption was opened to all and condoned by God. He wants to guide us you as well. It is a daily thing. If you stay tuned in to Yahweh, you will never go wrong.

Apr4

Mountains Out of Ant Hills

Matt 15:7-9
7	Hypocrites! Well did Isaiah prophesy about you, saying: 8 "These people draw near to Me with their mouth, And honor Me with their lips, But their heart is far from Me. 9 And in vain they worship Me, Teaching as doctrines the commandments of men.'" NKJV Every single human being, whether they are willing to admit it or not, knows that there is a God. They just know it because it is created in them. It is like a child. Every child knows that without their Father (and mother!) they would not exist. When they start to wonder about that, then they get the opportunity to choose Him or not. In all of us there is a void, and emptiness without knowing our heavenly Father. It can only be filled by becoming right with Yahweh through Jesus. Many others try to use the various distractions of life as a way to try to satisfy that void. A huge distraction is religion. Just because someone says they are a ‘Christian’ does not mean you have to just believe them. Jesus says we should be judged by our fruit. Religion makes a big deal out of things. What seems to be a small issue is magnified into being something much bigger, or in some cases something completely different. Martin Luther severed ties with the Roman Church because they were allowing people to sell “forgiveness” and even “salvation”. Jesus already paid the ultimate price so that we don’t have to. I have seen thousands of people come to Jesus in my life this far. It is awesome! What an exciting time! When people turn to Yahweh, the angels in heaven are rejoicing with us. It is greater than any miracle. However, believe it or not some people don’t want to make the choice. They don’t want to give up their addictions, their wrong lifestyles. We all have a conscience and know that we need God. There are others that act as if they have changes, and like they know God. But as you get to know them you wonder if they really know God as they say. They are talk about God and tell people how they know Him through their ‘religion’ but they life shows dishonesty, selfishness, and very judgmental attitudes towards others. To me, religion is a negative word as it reminds me of the traditions of men. Jesus knew these types of people as well. We all know Jesus for His love and His power, however we need to remember that the Lord hated hypocrisy and bigotry. He hates seeing people say one thing and do or think another. That is exactly what happens with religious folks. Christianity is not a religion, it is a relationship with the Creator of the world. He loved us first. Being a believer, being a Christian is ALL about love. That is love for God with everything you’ve got and love for others. When you love God, it is not hard to love others.
Luke 10:27-28
27	So he answered and said, "'You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, with all your strength, and with all your mind,' and 'your neighbor as yourself.'" 28 And He said to him, "You have answered rightly; do this and you will live."

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