Who has our Lord used to help you get to where you are today? Maybe it was a friend who shared with you about the love of Jesus Christ. Perhaps it was a family member. By the way, can your growth in Christ be connected to a local church? A Sunday School teacher? A minister? A youth teacher?

Honestly, all of us have had people pour into our lives to help get us where we are right now — like the turtle on the fence post.

1. Paul PLANTED! (1 Cor. 3:6) – “I have planted, Apollos watered; but God gave the increase.”

2. Apollos WATERED! (1 Cor. 3:6) – “I have planted, Apollos watered; but God gave the increase.”

3. God gives the INCREASE! (1 Cor. 3:7) – “So then neither is he that planteth any thing, neither he that watereth; but God that giveth the increase.”

4. Go PLANT and WATER! (1 Cor. 3:9) – “Now he that planteth and he that watereth are one: and every man shall receive his own reward according to his own labour. For we are labourers together with God: ye are God’s husbandry, ye are God’s building.”

So what is your personal conclusion about this devotion? Where are you in this process? Do you need to plant? Water? If so, please remember God has to give the increase!

“Let no man therefore judge you in meat, or in drink, or in respect of an holyday, or of the new moon, or of the sabbath days: Which are a shadow of things to come; but the body is of Christ.”

Here, a shadow is defined as an image cast by an object and representing the form of that object. Actually, it is opposed to σῶμα (body), which is speaking of Jesus Christ. Follow the thought process:

After reprimanding the early Jewish believers because they were “judging” the Gentile Christians for not practicing the Jewish “feasts and festivals,” along with worshipping on the “sabbaths,” Paul explains that all of those were just “shadows” of things to come.

This is like when you look at a PHOTOGRAPH of a person; it is just a shadow of what they looked like at the time. But supposing the person in the photograph showed up at your front door as you opened it, that would be the REAL THING! JESUS CHRIST is the REAL THING!!

Later, after arriving home, the phone rang. On the other end of the line was a dear Christian lady that flat out asked this question: “Preacher, did you take some children fishing on Sunday? How dare you!” While explaining her dissatisfied feelings about our church taking a group fishing on Sunday — even after attending both Sunday school and church — she expressed her convictions on the matter based on growing up unable to do anything on Sunday. Her parents were very strict.

Sympathetically, while understanding her position, it seemed best to apologize. After all, the blessings from the Lord were more important than a defense or being right at the time. It had become a stumbling block to her. She also just happened to be a good teacher and a dear friend. This passage of Scripture reminds us of such a similar situation in the early church. Read on.

“Let no man therefore judge you in meat, or in drink, or in respect of an holyday, or of the new moon, or of the sabbath days.”

The word “judge” is κρίνω, which is pronounced kree-no. It can be translated to mean condemn, avenge, decree, determine, esteem, go to (sue at the) law, to call in question, sentence to.

Does this same “judging” happen today? When? How? Where?

Do you remember the “kosher” Jewish laws? What about dietary laws such as eating no pork? These unclean animals were listed in the book of Leviticus as non-kosher. In other words, they were forbidden to eat them. Some groups today still adhere to these laws, like SDA.

Bottom line: Either we are stepping stones or stumbling blocks.

Introduction: Do you ever get mad? Angry? Are you angry right now? Over what? Is it eating at you? What can you do? Is there help available? How can we appropriate biblical truth by the power of the Holy Spirit to experience freedom?

The right kind of “FIRE” is not bad; it can keep you warm in the wintertime. But the wrong kind of “FIRE” can burn down your house! Plus, it can burn down your relationships.

Suggestion: Keep a FIRE EXTINGUISHER handy!

By examining Proverbs 16:32, along with other passages, we can learn “How to Put Out the Fires of Anger,” which lead to resentment and grudges.

Follow the three (3) steps that lead to “Putting Out the Fires of Anger”:

The Causes
The Cost
The Cure

Underlying faults CAUSE earthquakes.

Suppressed anger and bitterness can be like an iceberg:
1/8 is seen protruding out of the water
7/8 is unseen underneath the water

Sparks flying CAUSE explosions.

Unresolved conflicts of the past can surface at a moment’s notice — out of nowhere.

Ventilation
Retaliation
Depression

Duke University did a study. In the research, they determined that an angry person is five times more likely to have heart disease. The devil uses this as a major tool — taking people out!

Paul writes about the cure to anger: “Be ye angry, and sin not: let not the sun go down upon your wrath: neither give place to the devil” (Eph. 4:26–27).

“Let all bitterness, and wrath, and anger, and clamour, and evil speaking, be put away from you, with all malice: and be ye kind one to another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, even as God for Christ’s sake hath forgiven you” (Eph. 4:31–32).

Instead of being “Bitten with Bitterness,” Jesus has a remedy — JUST LET IT GO! He forgives us, and then He enables us to forgive others. The blood of Jesus and the power of the Holy Spirit is a FIRE EXTINGUISHER!

Keep them close by!!

Conclusion: All of this anger and resentment affects our TESTIMONY as Christians, not to mention the damage it does to our relationships with loved ones and friends.

Today, people are spending thousands and thousands of dollars trying to cure the deadly disease of resentment.

If we will only admit this stronghold, confess it as sin, trust in Jesus for His forgiveness, and purpose to forgive ourselves and others, then and only then will we experience freedom like never before!

Love y’all,
Dr. Randy Reese

There seems to be two main focal points in this statement. Check them out.

So who were these “sons of God” and “daughters of men”? After much research on the subject, in addition to being led to write a book Angels Over and Under, this pastor’s conclusion is that these were FALLEN ANGELS that procreated with human women and produced an offspring called “GIANTS,” or the Hebrew word נְפִילִים, pronounced neh-fee-LEEM (Nephilim).

Interestingly enough, there is quite a bit of talk about aliens and humanoids these days from high-level officials in government and military. Did you know the Trump administration has authorized access to classified UFO facilities to one of Congress’s leading voices in disclosure (as of Feb. 2026)? Much more could be said on this subject, but suffice it to say, we are living in the “days of Noah.”

Speaking of demonic activity, allegedly the Epstein files — or at least a witness — claims that children and babies were eaten on the island — cannibalism. Are we living in days of increasing wickedness? Fallen angels are controlling world leaders. The “days of Noah” are being played out in our culture. So read on…

In light of our study today, what changes do you need to make? Is it a late hour or what? Are we living in the “days of Noah”? With so much apostasy and infatuation with the occult, demonism, aliens, humanoids, etc., WATCH and PRAY. Stay awake. Prepare for battle. Hold the line.

So the message today is that there are signs everywhere that we are living in the days of Noah; therefore, there is an urgency to witness, because not only is the judgment of God coming, but JESUS is coming.

Introduction: Are you FAILING or PREVAILING? Although at times we may “FAIL,” ultimately we were meant to “PREVAIL”! Do you feel like a FAILURE? Has sin worn you down? Do you keep tripping and falling? How can Christians CONQUER bad habits? Here is JESUS’ last message to John to the Church then, but also now! Read on.

1. PREVAILING instead of FAILING by not BACKSLIDING! (Rev. 2:4–8) – “Nevertheless, I have somewhat against thee, because thou hast left thy first love. Remember therefore from whence thou art fallen, and repent, and do the first works.”

First, look at where believers were FAILING.

What are the first works? Perseverance and patience are marks of the Church of Ephesus. Evidently, those Christians got complacent and apathetic — a not-caring attitude, which is easy to fall into today. So instead of FAILING, the Risen Lord designed for them to be PREVAILING!

Do you see the phrase “faithful unto death”? It literally means willing to die for your faith! That PREVAILING crowd will not see the second death. Do you want to be known as a CASUAL CHRISTIAN or a COMMITTED CHRISTIAN?

3. PREVAILING instead of FAILING by not yielding to Satan’s THRONE! (Rev. 2:17) – “To him that overcometh will I give to eat of the hidden manna, and will give him a white stone, and in the stone a new name written, which no man knoweth saving he that receiveth it.”

Will you substitute a White STONE — acquitted — instead of sitting at Satan’s seat — THRONE? Spiritual warfare is inevitable for every follower of JESUS. With that being said, PREVAILING instead of FAILING is our challenge. Will you be an OVERCOMER?

4. PREVAILING instead of FAILING by staying in the WORD of God and the WILL of God! (Rev. 2:26) – “And he that overcometh, and keepeth my works unto the end, to him will I give power over the nations.”

False teaching is everywhere. Misinterpretation of Scripture floods our churches along with social media. Peter, Jude, John, Jesus, and Paul all warned us. So PREVAIL instead of FAIL as you understand, and more importantly, obey the Bible!

5. PREVAILING instead of FAILING by PARTING from their PRIORITIES! (Rev. 3:5) – “He that overcometh, the same shall be clothed in white raiment; and I will not blot out his name out of the book of life, but I will confess his name before my Father, and before his angels.”

It appears the Church had abandoned its WORK, its WITNESS, and its WATCH, and desperately needed to return! FAILING instead of PREVAILING was the sad indictment by our Lord to the dead but dutiful Church of Sardis. What would our risen Lord say about the churches today?

6. PREVAILING instead of FAILING by staying TRUE to the TRUTH! (Rev. 3:12) – “Him that overcometh will I make a pillar in the temple of my God, and he shall go no more out: and I will write upon him the name of my God, and the name of the city of my God, which is new Jerusalem, which cometh down out of heaven from my God: and I will write upon him my new name.”

Crowns were ready to be rewarded to these FAITHFUL believers. Wouldn’t that be worth it? Are you staying TRUE to TRUTH by TRUSTING?

7. PREVAILING instead of FAILING by staying on FIRE! (Rev. 3:21) – “To him that overcometh will I grant to sit with me in my throne, even as I also overcame, and am set down with my Father in his throne.”

Being lukewarm makes Jesus sick to His stomach. Yet being a faithful witness (Rev 3:20) will facilitate PREVAILING instead of FAILING. Staying prayed up, confessed up, and filled up with JESUS will ensure every Christian is RED HOT in an ICE COLD world!

Our vertical LOVE life needs to stay connected in order for our horizontal LOVE life to thrive. What do I mean?

First, let’s focus on our Vertical Relationship, and then our Horizontal.

1. Our VERTICAL RELATIONSHIP! (1 John 4:7–10) – “He that loveth not knoweth not God; for God is love. In this was manifested the love of God toward us, because that God sent his only begotten Son into the world, that we might live through him. Herein is love, not that we loved God, but that he loved us, and sent his Son to be the propitiation for our sins.”

Do you love God? He loves us according to this verse. Not only that, but He proved His love. How? By paying the ultimate price in laying down His life for our wrongdoing, He demonstrated His great love. Do you know anybody else that would do that? Think about it.

2. Our HORIZONTAL RELATIONSHIPS! (1 John 4:7) – “Beloved, let us love one another: for love is of God; and every one that loveth is born of God, and knoweth God… Beloved, if God so loved us, we ought also to love one another.”

The obvious conclusion is that since Jesus Christ willingly and sacrificially laid down His life for us because of His unconditional love, then, in a sense, we can love others with the same kind of love. But how? Remember: as we trust in His redeeming blood, our sins are forgiven; and at the same time, He comes and lives within us by His Holy Spirit. His life becomes our POWER source to love with His kind of love.

Otherwise, without His power to love, then our love is dependent upon our human enablement, which lacks the power to overcome our feelings consistently. Do you agree?

In other words, eventually we do not feel like forgiving others over and over again, nor showing grace when our emotions are controlling us. Does that make sense? If so, reach up right now to your Heavenly Father and embrace His love! Thank Him. Love Him.

Conclusion: “Relationship Building Time This Valentine” starts with our VERTICAL Relationship with our great and mighty God. After receiving His remarkable love, then and only then can we extend His love to others HORIZONTALLY.

Do you get the picture? When Jesus Christ willingly, voluntarily, and sacrificially was nailed to the cross—where He literally became sin for us, even though He never did sin—He disarmed the devil’s emissaries in the process. That is shouting ground! It means that Satan has no more power over followers of Jesus Christ. Think about that, but go a little further.

2. Who did JESUS defeat? (Col. 2:15) – “And having spoiled principalities and powers, he made a shew of them openly, triumphing over them in it.” 

Plus, the next word gives more clarity and understanding. It is the word “powers,” which is ἐξουσία, ex-oo-see’-ah, and means authority, or jurisdiction, or right. It can have to do with strength. But perhaps the most descriptive picture demonstrates in charge, or in control.

Now tie these words together. Bottom line: All of the evil forces of Satan could not overcome our Savior; instead, He disarmed every fallen spirit.

3. How did JESUS overcome these evil forces? (Col. 2:15) – “And having spoiled principalities and powers, he made a shew of them openly, triumphing over them in it.”

Have you ever studied the word “shew”? This Greek word shines like a bright light on a dark night. The word literally means to make a public example, or to display. Technically, it means to expose. Or if you want to go further, it means to disgrace!

The word “shew,” δειγματίζω, can reveal the word picture of an exhibit. Imagine Jesus putting these evil spirits on display! Finally, the words “triumphing over them” paint a beautiful picture of a victorious procession. JESUS CHRIST—the conquering King—leads the way with the defeated demons bound behind Him under His authority.

And ultimately, the demons, the devil, along with the Antichrist and the false prophet, will meet their demise in the lake of fire to be tormented forever and forever!

What a great word in the midst of a world which seems to be fully under the control of Satan. But not so! Here, the Christian is reminded to have hope and peace in this world of affliction and adversity because our Conquering King has OVERTHROWN the ENEMY!

Conclusion: In the light of this great truth, child of God, be encouraged to keep on serving, loving, and telling the best NEWS in all the world. JESUS lived without sin, died for our sins, arose over sin, and overcame all of His enemies, which He put on public display for all those who trust in Him and follow Him.

One day when He returns, this glorious truth will become a living reality. But until then, keep looking up!

Speaking of following the will of God, there was a woman who did just that; her name was Rebekah. Watch closely how she cooperated with the providential hand of God. The narrative unfolds in the book of Genesis, starting with Abraham taking the initiative to find a godly wife for his son Isaac.

After choosing, commissioning, and sending a faithful servant, Eliezer, the Lord orchestrated the circumstances for him to discover Isaac’s future bride. While on his journey he prayed:

“And he said, O LORD God of my master Abraham, I pray thee, send me good speed this day, and shew kindness unto my master Abraham,” (Gen. 24:12).

Listen to the specific request that, in faith, he presented:

“Behold, I stand here by the well of water; and the daughters of the men of the city come out to draw water: And let it come to pass, that the damsel to whom I shall say, Let down thy pitcher, I pray thee, that I may drink; and she shall say, Drink, and I will give thy camels drink also: let the same be she that thou hast appointed for thy servant Isaac; and thereby shall I know that thou hast shewed kindness unto my master.” (Gen. 24:13–14).

Guess what happened next? Here’s what happened:

“And it came to pass, before he had done speaking, that, behold, Rebekah came out, who was born to Bethuel, son of Milcah, the wife of Nahor, Abraham’s brother, with her pitcher upon her shoulder. And the damsel was very fair to look upon, a virgin, neither had any man known her: and she went down to the well, and filled her pitcher, and came up. And the servant ran to meet her, and said, Let me, I pray thee, drink a little water of thy pitcher. And she said, Drink, my lord: and she hasted, and let down her pitcher upon her hand, and gave him drink. And when she had done giving him drink, she said, I will draw water for thy camels also, until they have done drinking. And she hasted, and emptied her pitcher into the trough, and ran again unto the well to draw water, and drew for all his camels. And the man wondering at her held his peace, to wit whether the LORD had made his journey prosperous or not. And it came to pass, as the camels had done drinking, that the man took a golden earring of half a shekel weight, and two bracelets for her hands of ten shekels weight of gold; And said, Whose daughter art thou? tell me, I pray thee: is there room in thy father’s house for us to lodge in? And she said unto him, I am the daughter of Bethuel the son of Milcah, which she bare unto Nahor. She said moreover unto him, We have both straw and provender enough, and room to lodge in. And the man bowed down his head, and worshipped the LORD.” (Gen. 24:15–26).

Did you notice the character and kindness of this woman, Rebekah, and how it was displayed? So what would you have done next? Look what she did. She ran to MAMA’S house!!

“And the damsel ran, and told them of her mother’s house these things. And Rebekah had a brother, and his name was Laban: and Laban ran out unto the man, unto the well. And it came to pass, when he saw the earring and bracelets upon his sister’s hands, and when he heard the words of Rebekah his sister, saying, Thus spake the man unto me; that he came unto the man; and, behold, he stood by the camels at the well. And he said, Come in, thou blessed of the LORD; wherefore standest thou without? for I have prepared the house, and room for the camels. And the man came into the house: and he ungirded his camels, and gave straw and provender for the camels, and water to wash his feet, and the men’s feet that were with him. And there was set meat before him to eat: but he said, I will not eat, until I have told mine errand. And he said, Speak on. And he said, I am Abraham’s servant.” (Gen. 24:28–33).

After being welcomed with Middle Eastern hospitality, Abraham’s servant began to explain what happened at the well:

“Behold, I stand by the well of water; and it shall come to pass, that when the virgin cometh forth to draw water, and I say to her, Give me, I pray thee, a little water of thy pitcher to drink; And she say to me, Both drink thou, and I will also draw for thy camels: let the same be the woman whom the LORD hath appointed out for my master’s son. And before I had done speaking in mine heart, behold, Rebekah came forth with her pitcher on her shoulder; and she went down unto the well, and drew water: and I said unto her, Let me drink, I pray thee. And she made haste, and let down her pitcher from her shoulder, and said, Drink, and I will give thy camels drink also: so I drank, and she made the camels drink also. And I asked her, and said, Whose daughter art thou? And she said, The daughter of Bethuel, Nahor’s son, whom Milcah bare unto him: and I put the earring upon her face, and the bracelets upon her hands.” (Gen. 24:43–47).

After explaining what happened, Rebekah’s brother suggested calling her to see what she wanted to do. Imagine the security she had living and growing up with her family. And now, all of a sudden, she is confronted with the biggest decision of her life. What would you have done? Stay in the comfort of your own family, or launch out into a whole other world? This amazing young lady crosses the bridge by saying:

“And they said, We will call the damsel, and inquire at her mouth. And they called Rebekah, and said unto her, Wilt thou go with this man? And she said, I will go. And they sent away Rebekah their sister, and her nurse, and Abraham’s servant, and his men. And they blessed Rebekah, and said unto her, Thou art our sister, be thou the mother of thousands of millions, and let thy seed possess the gate of those which hate them. And Rebekah arose, and her damsels, and they rode upon the camels, and followed the man: and the servant took Rebekah, and went his way.” (Gen. 24:57–61).

So now, how will she react when she sees her husband, whom she had never seen or met?

“And Isaac went out to meditate in the field at the eventide: and he lifted up his eyes, and saw, and, behold, the camels were coming. And Rebekah lifted up her eyes, and when she saw Isaac, she lighted off the camel. For she had said unto the servant, What man is this that walketh in the field to meet us? And the servant had said, It is my master: therefore she took a vail, and covered herself. And the servant told Isaac all things that he had done. And Isaac brought her into his mother Sarah’s tent, and took Rebekah, and she became his wife; and he loved her: and Isaac was comforted after his mother’s death.” (Gen. 24:63–67).

What a beautiful narrative revealing how important it is to cooperate with God’s will!

Your thoughts?