Tim’s Daily Devotional
You Have Been Exonerated

Then I heard a loud voice in heaven say:
“Now have come the salvation and the power
    and the kingdom of our God,
    and the authority of his Messiah.
For the accuser of our brothers and sisters,
    who accuses them before our God day and night,
    has been hurled down (Revelation 12:10, NIV).

Who will bring any charge against those whom God has chosen? It is God who justifies. Who then is the one who condemns? No one. Christ Jesus who died—more than that, who was raised to life—is at the right hand of God and is also interceding for us  (Romans 8:33-34).

And having disarmed the powers and authorities, he made a public spectacle of them, triumphing over them by the cross (Colossians 2:15).

We often focus our attentions on how the enemy is doing this or doing that in our lives. If you are a Christian, know this: Yes, the enemy despises you. Yes, the enemy wants to steal your joy. Yes, the enemy’s plan is to make your life miserable. However, you don’t have to let him. The book of Revelations tells us that the one who accuses you has been hurled down. And because Christ has disarmed the powers and the authorities of the accuser, that same power resides in you as a Christian.

When the enemy strikes, you have all of the defenses you need in Jesus Christ. James tells us, “Submit yourselves, then, to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you. Come near to God and he will come near to you” (James 4:7-8). You can draw your attention to the enemy or you can draw your attention to God.  Remember that Jesus Christ is interceding on your behalf. His work on the cross has disarmed the enemy, while at the same time arming you. May the enemy flee from you as you draw near to Christ. May your focus be on the redemption you received from Christ and may the accuser be reminded that he can bring no accusation against those who plead the blood of Christ.

Be blessed in all you do!

Your brother in Christ,

Tim

Tim’s Daily Devotional
Be Strong and Do Not Waiver in Unbelief

Against all hope, Abraham in hope believed and so became the father of many nations, just as it had been said to him, “So shall your offspring be.” Without weakening in his faith, he faced the fact that his body was as good as dead —since he was about a hundred years old —and that Sarah’s womb was also dead. Yet he did not waver through unbelief regarding the promise of God, but was strengthened in his faith and gave glory to God, being fully persuaded that God had power to do what he had promised. (Romans 4:18-21, NIV).

Abraham was known as a man of great faith. Without his faith, the history of Israel would be a different history. When God made promises to Abraham, even when those promises made absolutely no sense to him, He trusted in the Lord and stood on God’s Word. In doing so, he became the “Father of Faith”.

Throughout the Bible, God’s promises are recorded all over the pages of both the Old and New Testaments. When God speaks to you, will you be willing to walk out in faith and stand on the Words penned centuries ago? If you are unsure of what those are, I invite you to take a look at just a few by going to http://www.scripturepromises.com/promises.html.

When you are called (if you have received Christ, then you have been called), you must learn to drown out the fears and confusion that the enemy of God throws at you. We are to quote the promises of God and stand in faith that God’s Word has power, His promises stand firm, and remember that the creation is never greater than the creator. May the Lord strengthen and encourage you today in whatever you might face. Stand firm in your faith and never forget that God does not break His promises.

Be blessed in all you do!

Your brother in Christ,

Tim

What good is it, my brothers and sisters, if someone claims to have faith but has no deeds? Can such faith save them? Suppose a brother or a sister is without clothes and daily food. If one of you says to them, “Go in peace; keep warm and well fed,” but does nothing about their physical needs, what good is it? In the same way, faith by itself, if it is not accompanied by action, is dead.

    But someone will say, “You have faith; I have deeds.”
    Show me your faith without deeds, and I will show you my faith by my deeds. (James 2:14-18, NIV).

One of the objectives of The Well Church of Lewisville is to help people learn how to put their faith into action. That sounds great, but what does that really mean? Isn’t faith alone what saves us? Well the answer to the second question is yes. Faith in Jesus Christ alone is what saves us. However, if we truly have faith in Jesus Christ, then shouldn’t our actions be centered on this faith?

Jesus said, keep my commands (John 14:15).

What did Jesus command? In the gospel of John, Jesus said,

    “A new command I give you: Love one another. As I have loved you, so you must love one another. 35 By         this everyone will know that you are my disciples, if you love one another.” (John 13:34-35).

So, to put our faith into action means to love one another, and in doing so, you will be known as a disciple of Jesus Christ. When you go to church, are you asking yourself, “what will I get out church today”? Or are you asking, “what can I do to be an active part of the church today”? To look at this in a larger context, we don’t really go to church, we are the church. When we view ourselves in this way, the natural response is to take ownership and responsibility for the actions of the church. We each have a role to play as part of the body of Christ.

James argues that our faith should be more than talk. People listen to others when they see their actions backing up their beliefs. When we go out of our way to love others the way Christ has loved us, then we will see a trail of transformed lives. We will see the hungry eating meals, the poor with clothing and shelter, the sick being cared for and the broken hearted comforted. This is how the body of Christ displays true faith. This is faith in action. Will people know that you belong to Christ by your deeds today? Will you be a willing vessel to be used by Christ and be known as a man or woman of faith through your actions? May God lead you and guide you into a faith that is known by your actions today.

Be blessed in all you do!

Your brother in Christ,

Tim

His divine power has given us everything we need for a godly life through our knowledge of him who called us by his own glory and goodness. Through these he has given us his very great and precious promises, so that through them you may participate in the divine nature, having escaped the corruption in the world caused by evil desires.

For this very reason, make every effort to add to your faith goodness; and to goodness, knowledge; and to knowledge, self-control; and to self-control, perseverance; and to perseverance, godliness; and to godliness, mutual affection; and to mutual affection, love. For if you possess these qualities in increasing measure, they will keep you from being ineffective and unproductive in your knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ. But whoever does not have them is nearsighted and blind, forgetting that they have been cleansed from their past sins.

Therefore, my brothers and sisters, make every effort to confirm your calling and election. For if you do these things, you will never stumble, and you will receive a rich welcome into the eternal kingdom of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. (1 Peter 1:3-11, NIV)

Peter tells us that we have received God’s promise of the divine power that comes from our submission to the lordship of Jesus Christ. Each of us was called by God and given the divine power to carry out our calling. Through the power of Christ, we can be His ambassadors in a world full of corruption and evil. Peter also tells us that although we have received such divine power, we must work hand-in-hand with the Lord.

We were created with a free will, and although we have the power of Christ, we must lineup our will with the will of the Father in order to be all that God has called us to be. Peter tells us that faith is the first step. The following steps are more difficult, which requires us to rely on the perfector of our faith, who is Jesus Christ.

We must not stop on our spiritual journey with just saving faith. We must strive to grow as Christians by adding goodness, knowledge, self-control, perseverance, godliness, mutual affection, which all bring us into love. When we achieve maturity in all these things, then the love of Christ will be seen in you and through you to this fallen world in which we live. May the divine power that was promised to you be evident in all you do. May you grow into the love of God that demonstrates no partiality, no unforgiveness, but pure mercy and grace.

Be blessed in all you do!

Your brother in Christ,

Tim

Tim’s Daily Devotional
The Shelter of the Most High

Whoever dwells in the shelter of the Most High
    will rest in the shadow of the Almighty.
I will say of the Lord, “He is my refuge and my fortress,
    my God, in whom I trust.”

Surely he will save you
    from the fowler’s snare
    and from the deadly pestilence.
He will cover you with his feathers,
    and under his wings you will find refuge;
    his faithfulness will be your shield and rampart.
You will not fear the terror of night,
    nor the arrow that flies by day,
nor the pestilence that stalks in the darkness,
    nor the plague that destroys at midday. (Psalm 91:1-6, NIV)

If you say, “The Lord is my refuge,”
    and you make the Most High your dwelling,
no harm will overtake you,
    no disaster will come near your tent. (Psalm 91:9-10).

In the last few days, I have heard from several friends who are going through a difficult time. Maybe you are one of them? Whether you are or know someone who is, I want to give you a word of encouragement today. I want you to know that the God that I serve is a faithful shield, a refuge, and a fortress. He is greater than any problem you are facing today. His Word, which has authority over every problem you face, says if you draw near to Him, He will be your refuge and no disaster will come near your tent!

If you are struggling today, remember that God is our comfort, our peace, and our joy. Draw near to Him and don’t let go of your faith. He will see you through the storms. He will bring you back into the light of dawn. Just continue to push into Him and trust Him in all of your circumstances. The mighty sovereign Lord and Savior will be your fortress. May the Lord our God keep you and protect you. May the blessings overcome your circumstances today.

Be blessed in all you do!

Your brother in Christ,

Tim

Tim’s Daily Devotional
Where’s the Grace?

At dawn he appeared again in the temple courts, where all the people gathered around him, and he sat down to teach them. The teachers of the law and the Pharisees brought in a woman caught in adultery. They made her stand before the group and said to Jesus, “Teacher, this woman was caught in the act of adultery. In the Law Moses commanded us to stone such women. Now what do you say?” They were using this question as a trap, in order to have a basis for accusing him.

But Jesus bent down and started to write on the ground with his finger. When they kept on questioning him, he straightened up and said to them, “Let any one of you who is without sin be the first to throw a stone at her.” Again he stooped down and wrote on the ground.

At this, those who heard began to go away one at a time, the older ones first, until only Jesus was left, with the woman still standing there. Jesus straightened up and asked her, “Woman, where are they? Has no one condemned you?”

“No one, sir,” she said.

“Then neither do I condemn you,” Jesus declared. “Go now and leave your life of sin.” (John 8:2-11, NIV).

We have all most likely heard the phrase,  “let he who is without sin cast the first stone”, as recorded in the gospel of John. We hear it, but how well do we really apply it? When we see others who are different from us, whom we don’t really understand, especially when the culture of the other person does not line up with our moral code, what happens in our mind? Do we start to think of them as a lower class then ourselves? Do we disassociate with them so that we might not be considered as one of them? From my experience, this type of thinking happens too often.

When the Pharisees brought this adulteress woman to Jesus, how do you think the Pharisees and the people, whom were ready execute her, saw this woman? How do you think Jesus saw this woman? I believe the Pharisees, whom Jesus often referred to as hypocrites, saw this woman as a dog, not a human. They saw this as an opportunity to tear the woman down, entrap Jesus, and be entertained by the murderous acts they had planned for this woman. She was no more than a “dog” to them because of her mistake.

Jesus obviously saw past this woman’s sin and saw a child of His. He showed an enormous amount of grace and love. This woman, who was being condemned to die on the spot, came into an encounter with the holy Son of God. Jesus had every right to condemn her for her sins, yet he did not. He said, “neither do I condemn you”. He forgave her on the spot! He then instructed her to leave her life of sin.

Jesus demonstrated the grace to this woman that we receive daily from Him. Since my sins were forgiven in the same manner, who am I to judge, let alone condemn another? This is the heart of Christ that anyone who claims to be a Christian must pursue. When you encounter the next person or group of people whom you don’t understand, will you show the true Jesus? Will you be the one to extend the grace of God that you have received or will you be quick to judge and condemn, as the Pharisees were ready to do?

May God use you as an example to others of the unconditional love and grace that comes from Him.

Be blessed in all you do!

Your brother in Christ,

Tim

Tim’s Daily Devotional
You Are Vital!  - Unity and Diversity

 For just as each of us has one body with many members, and these members do not all have the same function, so in Christ we, though many, form one body, and each member belongs to all the others. We have different gifts, according to the grace given to each of us. If your gift is prophesying, then prophesy in accordance with your faith; if it is serving, then serve; if it is teaching, then teach; if it is to encourage, then give encouragement; if it is giving, then give generously; if it is to lead, do it diligently; if it is to show mercy, do it cheerfully (Romans 12:4-8, NIV).

Last Sunday, at The Well Church of Lewisville, we began a series called “God’s Purpose for You – Unity and Diversity”. In this study, we are learning God’s plan for individuals (diversity) and how it relates to the body of Christ (unity).

In Paul’s letter to the church in Rome, the Apostle Paul is telling the church that the unity of the church can only function as designed through the diversity of it’s members. In other words, God created each part of the body uniquely, because each part plays a vital function in the body. Diversity remains diversity when we forget this concept. Throughout the history of man, diversity has caused separation, not unity. Mankind has been in a constant pursuit of independence. Mankind says, “I don’t need God” and “dependency is weakness”. We are taught to be independent. We are taught that it is shameful to depend on others. This is a lie from the father of lies and is one of the main reasons we don’t see the power of God demonstrated through our churches today.

In Romans 12:4, Paul tells us “each member belongs to all the others”. This is a concept that each person must grasp if they want to see the church impact the world. When you received Christ, you gave up your life for Him. You became a servant to the king of kings. A good analogy of this is someone signing up for the armed forces.

When you sign-up to serve our country, you are willingly giving up your life to serve, making a sacrifice for others. You are given a specific and diverse role to perform, which is vital for the armed forces to function in unity. When you serve, you serve sacrificially and with honor for our great nation.

When you receive Jesus Christ, you sign-up to serve the greatest kingdom of all, sacrificially and with honor. And in doing so, you were grafted in to a holy family that can only function properly when you play your role in the family responsibilities. You have been gifted and created by God’s grace in order that you might play the role God planned for you before you were ever born. And your role is to serve in the body of Christ, not alone. Individually we can be strong, but together we can be unstoppable in showing God’s love to the world. I urge you today to learn God’s purpose for you in the body of Christ and to serve the greatest kingdom in the universe.

May your role in the body of Christ be a fulfilling role to you and may the Lord use your diversity to bring together and unstoppable unity.

Be blessed in all you do!

Your brother in Christ,

Tim

 Love never fails. But where there are prophecies, they will cease; where there are tongues, they will be stilled; where there is knowledge, it will pass away. For we know in part and we prophesy in part, but when completeness comes, what is in part disappears. When I was a child, I talked like a child, I thought like a child, I reasoned like a child. When I became a man, I put the ways of childhood behind me. For now we see only a 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.

And now these three remain: faith, hope and love. But the greatest of these is love. (1 Corinthians 13:8-12, NIV).

When Paul wrote to the Corinthians about spiritual gifts, his letter was written to encourage and instruct the church in Corinth to work together as a body, utilizing the gifts of the Holy Spirit to bring glory to God and edification to the church. So why does Paul remind us about love after speaking of the gifts? The love Paul speaks of is the Greek word “agape”, which refers to good will, brotherly love, benevolence.

Paul reminds us that the gifts of the Holy Spirit are to be used in brotherly love (or good will). That means they are used out of grace, glorifying God, not us. The whole point of the gifting is to show the love of God to the world. Paul tells the Corinthians that when Christ returns, the gifts will stop functioning. Why? Because love will be perfected when Christ returns. If love is perfected, then the gifts are no longer needed to bring the love of God to others.

When you discover your gifting or your ministry, remember that God called you and gifted you in order to bring the Love of Christ to the fallen World. We are to bring glory to God in all we do. May your ministry be a living testimony to God’s grace and may Christ be glorified through your faithful life devoted and centered upon Him.

Be blessed in all you do!

Your brother in Christ,

Tim Vanderwater

Now to each one the manifestation of the Spirit is given for the common good. To one there is given through the Spirit a message of wisdom, to another a message of knowledge by means of the same Spirit, to another faith by the same Spirit, to another gifts of healing by that one Spirit, to another miraculous powers, to another prophecy, to another distinguishing between spirits, to another speaking in different kinds of tongues, and to still another the interpretation of tongues.  All these are the work of one and the same Spirit, and he distributes them to each one, just as he determines.

Just as a body, though one, has many parts, but all its many parts form one body, so it is with Christ (1 Corinthians 12:4-12, NIV).

This week at The Well Church of Lewisville, we are beginning a study on the unity and diversity of the body of Christ. I encourage you to join us this Sunday at 6pm if you can. We are holding service at my home, which is located at 813 Tablerock Way, Lewisville, TX 75077.

Some believe that the gifts of the Spirit ended with the Apostles. I am one who does not agree with this theology. First of all, I have experienced the supernatural manifestation of the Holy Spirit, and secondly, I do not believe scripture supports this theory. The gifts of the Spirit are a necessity for the church to function the way in which God planned. Too often, we put much of the burden on the pastor. Every person in the body of Christ has a function and a purpose, including the pastor, but not exclusively the pastor. This is one of the main goals of The Well, to bring unity amongst the body of Christ. The Apostle Paul makes it very clear that not any one person has been given all of the gifts.

“so in Christ we, though many, form one body, and each member belongs to all the others. 6 We have different gifts, according to the grace given to each of us” (Romans 12:5-6).

The gifts of the Spirit are given so that the church can function in unity. Paul compares the church to the body, which is a living, breathing organism, made up of many parts, which function together in unity. God gives His spiritual gifts to each of us uniquely, so that collectively, the church brings edification, healing, encouragement and power to each other and to the to the lost world.  When one person ventures out solo, he is not fully equipped to do the work of the church.

As you head off to church this Sunday, remember that God did not call you to simply sit in the pew and consume from the pastor. He called you to get out of the pew, use the gifts He has graciously given you, and to be part of the living body of Christ. In doing so, you will be a blessing to the church by edifying, strengthening and encouraging others. You are a vital part to the body of Christ. May you boldly glorify God through the purpose in which He has ordained you and grafted you into the body of Christ Jesus!

Be blessed in all you do!


Your brother in Christ,


Tim Vanderwater
Pastor
The Well Church Of Lewisville

Get rid of all bitterness, rage and anger, brawling and slander, along with every form of malice. Be kind and compassionate to one another, forgiving each other, just as in Christ God forgave you. (Ephesians 4:31-32, NIV). 

For the flesh desires what is contrary to the Spirit, and the Spirit what is contrary to the flesh. They are in conflict with each other, so that you are not to do whatever you want (Galatians 5:17).  

But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, forbearance, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control. Against such things there is no law. Those who belong to Christ Jesus have crucified the flesh with its passions and desires. Since we live by the Spirit, let us keep in step with the Spirit. Let us not become conceited, provoking and envying each other (Galatians 5:22-26).  

God has emotions, and since we are created in His likeness, we too have emotions. Without them, we would not have the ability to love and sympathize with others. Emotions are normal and can be healthy, but when negative emotions bubble up, they can destroy relationships.  

For some, controlling emotions is difficult. We all know someone whose emotions can come out in very destructive ways. As Christians, we are told that we must learn to manage our emotions. There is a time and a place to release our negative emotions and we should learn when and where that is. When negative emotions arise, it might be a good idea to take a deep breath and tell your emotions to line up with The Holy Spirit. Paul tells us that the fruit of the Spirit includes self-control.  

If you are struggling with managing your emotions, pray and ask God to help you manage your emotions. Ask others to help you and pray for you. Ask a trusted friend to hold you accountable. As you grow in Christ, controlling emotions will become easier and easier. When we deny ourselves, we can learn to disarm our destructive emotions and foster healthy relationships.  

Be blessed in all you do!  

Your brother in Christ,

Pastor Tim