June 7 ~ Dr. Tom Milam He Leadeth Me Devotional

“Don’t Slack Off”
John 14:13

God help us to be faithful in intercessory prayer and worship; for this is the lifeline of a successful, submissive Christian. I am one with Christ, my work must be done with Him the center attraction, and to his glory and honor and cause.

We need to lift up Jesus in every area of our lives. We must trust in the power of Christ and what He did for us at the cross, in His resurrection and H
is soon coming. I’m rooted in Him, and I’m growing in that. Ask yourself if you are rooted, grounded and growing? Am I totally given to God? What does it mean to really be one with Christ? It is actually atonement spelled like this, “At-one-ment,” Amen! May we always demonstrate the power of God in our lives; Personally live by it, and outwardly be driven by it.

What a blessing it was to wake up this morning and realize that God almighty actually hears me and abides in me and will answer my petitions gladly as I trust and obey.

There is no slack in God’s mercy, love, grace, provision and promises.

“I Am His Will”

 Whatever I ask, He will do, 

If I abide in Him.

 My Choices are free, I am His will. 

True faith says He will answer them.

No logic ensues, to the world we are faint, 

O, but a glorious, truth to the saint.

                                        ~ Tom Milam

Daily Jewel:

“We must trust in the power of Christ and what He did for us.”

 Bible Reading Schedule: Nehemiah 4-6

Weekly Memory Verses:  John 3:3-7

3 Jesus answered and said unto him, Verily, verily, I say unto thee, Except a man be born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God.

4 Nicodemus saith unto him, How can a man be born when he is old? can he enter the second time into his mother's womb, and be born?

5 Jesus answered, Verily, verily, I say unto thee, Except a man be born of water and of the Spirit, he cannot enter into the kingdom of God.

6 That which is born of the flesh is flesh; and that which is born of the Spirit is spirit.

7 Marvel not that I said unto thee, Ye must be born again.

June 6 ~ Dr. Tom Milam He Leadeth Me Devotional

“Personality Comes From Within”
John 17:22

My characteristics proceed from a personality that sets me apart from everyone else, making me unique in my own way. I don’t even know myself or what makes me what I am in the natural realm. I can’t make an estimate of what I am or what I might become. The more I try to figure out myself, the more troubled I become about myself. So, I must turn to God. He understands me, when I don’t understand myself.

My personality will show itself through my spirituality, because that is my characteristic makeup. Whereas individuality is the characteristic of the natural man. Jesus’ personality shows that He and the Father are one. It’s hard to prove our personality until it meets with another person, and then our identity is immediately known.

When true love of God’s spirit hits a man, he is never the same again, he is transformed. He no longer wants to stand on his own ground but wants someone standing with him. When we give up all rights to ourselves, God will give us the right personality, because our true nature will emerge. The change is to love and be personally devoted.

“Love On”

Love kept is love squandered, 

Love given is well received.

Love taken away, can never return,

A true love personality can never be spent; 

Love on in light of the cross.

                                ~ Tom Milam

Daily Jewel:

“My personality will show itself through my spirituality.”

 Bible Reading Schedule: Nehemiah 1-3

Weekly Memory Verses:  John 3:3-7

3 Jesus answered and said unto him, Verily, verily, I say unto thee, Except a man be born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God.

4 Nicodemus saith unto him, How can a man be born when he is old? can he enter the second time into his mother's womb, and be born?

5 Jesus answered, Verily, verily, I say unto thee, Except a man be born of water and of the Spirit, he cannot enter into the kingdom of God.

6 That which is born of the flesh is flesh; and that which is born of the Spirit is spirit.

7 Marvel not that I said unto thee, Ye must be born again.

June 5 ~ Dr. Tom Milam He Leadeth Me Devotional

“Shut In”
Genesis 7:16

Gods divine hand of love shut Noah in, away from all that was going on outside of the Ark. You see, Jesus was not of this world, and we are not either. We can’t do what the world does. Because our desires are not in things, recreation, and pleasures of this world. We cannot follow the same paths, and do the same sins as the world, with no thoughts of Gods chastisement. We can’t mingle with the multitudes and dabble with the children of darkness. We are shut in by our Heavenly Father, as Noah was shut in with Him in the ark. God didn’t say go into the ark, but said, “Come into the ark”. His intention and desire was to dwell with and in Noah and his family.

God lives within everyone of His children in the person of the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. Don’t let the clamor and noise of the world, keep you from hearing that gracious call, "Come, enter your private place and close your door and hide in Him for a while." Like Noah, we can be shut in so that evil could not reach in and destroy our testimony. Now this being shut in with God is not of our own doing and brag but is of our willingness to give up ourselves and our rights to ourselves and let Him live in and through us. The flood waters billowed under him, raising him even higher, to the lofty winds of security that carried him onward. Everything outside of the ark was ravaged and ruined, but on the inside was safety, peace and rest. Without Christ, we’re in a mess, but in Christ we’re safe and secure. Are you shut in so, that you have no desire to come out? We that are Christs’, are shut in forever by His compassionate, eternal faithfulness.

“Trust”

The Master has come and shut Himself in, 

The philosophers scream and cry to get in, 

The door is shut, you can find no place,   

We all get in by trusting His grace.

                                    
~Tom Milam

Daily Jewel:

“God lives within everyone of His children.”

Bible Reading Schedule: Ezra 10

Weekly Memory Verses:  John 3:3-7

3 Jesus answered and said unto him, Verily, verily, I say unto thee, Except a man be born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God.

4 Nicodemus saith unto him, How can a man be born when he is old? can he enter the second time into his mother's womb, and be born?

5 Jesus answered, Verily, verily, I say unto thee, Except a man be born of water and of the Spirit, he cannot enter into the kingdom of God.

6 That which is born of the flesh is flesh; and that which is born of the Spirit is spirit.

7 Marvel not that I said unto thee, Ye must be born again.

June 4 ~ Dr. Tom Milam He Leadeth Me Devotional

“Serving, In Humility”
I Peter 5:6

Pride is a downhill ride, and the biggest loser is the one that’s eaten up by it. It will destroy the very best of people. We are to love righteousness and do good; Jesus went to heal the sick. We are also to go to them and minister to their needs. Jesus went also to do good. We are also to go with humble hearts and helping hands, offering ourselves as a living sacrifice. Jesus will not only sit with us, and have fellowship with us, but will go with us where the needs of others are. If we will go, He said, “Lo I am with you.” When Jesus washed the disciple's feet, he took on the duties of a servant, to prove to them that we too must serve others with kindness and meekness, especially in giving them the gospel; We must be willing to give ourselves to this humble work. 

Do you know someone that is hurting? Go to them with a gentle touch of care. Is a friend cast down? Go with one purpose, to lift them up, and you may be lifted yourself. Is someone weeping? Go, to help dry their eyes. Is a child hungry? Feed him and you’ll win him.

“Humility”

Be bathed in humility, but carefully watch it, 

‘Cause when you think you’ve got it,

you’ve lost it!

The one that brags about being humble, 

Is getting ready to go for a tumble.

Humility never boasts of itself, 

And in Heaven, it will rest upon a shelf.

~ Tom Milam

Daily Jewel:

“Pride .... will destroy the very best of people.”

Bible Reading Schedule: Ezra 8-9

Weekly Memory Verses:  2 Peter 3:9-12

9 ¶The Lord is not slack concerning his promise, as some men count slackness; but is longsuffering to us-ward, not willing that any should perish, but that all should come to repentance.

10 But the day of the Lord will come as a thief in the night; in the which the heavens shall pass away with a great noise, and the elements shall melt with fervent heat, the earth also and the works that are therein shall be burned up.

11 ¶Seeing then that all these things shall be dissolved, what manner of persons ought ye to be in all holy conversation and godliness,

12 Looking for and hasting unto the coming of the day of God, wherein the heavens being on fire shall be dissolved, and the elements shall melt with fervent heat?

June 3 ~ Dr. Tom Milam He Leadeth Me Devotional

“Humility Doesn’t Brag”
I Corinthians 10:12

Beware of the person that is always bragging about being humble, because he is not humble at all; But is full of deceit. I cannot stand on anything but Christ alone. He is to be honored, lifted up and praised; I am to be put in a position of where I’m not seen or heard, unless it is to magnify Him. Christ Himself said, we would be exalted in due time. For now, we are to work and wait patiently for the change. One sure way to find out if you are in God’s will, is to go to the hospital to visit a dying loved-one or friend, or maybe when a disaster has destroyed many homes and land. Look into the eyes of someone in despair, where it seems all hope is gone. Where they must pick up their lives again and again; Pray with them, offer them hope. When for instance a doctor has just pronounced a terrible incurable blood disease to the closest one to you and says there’s nothing left to do.

When and if you go through something like this, you’ll walk away and find a solitary place and bury your face in your hands and weep until your fleshly eyes can stand no more, and the soul bows in pity and nothing is left standing but Jesus over you, with an outstretched hand and a love so strong that He gently picks us up to go another mile and face another task. Then you’ll know the meaning of humility.

 “Dying”

 Yesterday I prayed with a friend that is dying, 

Today I realized I must die too.

Death to the Saint is not leaving with crying, 

But happily leaving to live anew.

 As soon as tomorrow, she may be in glory;  

My friend, let not pride hinder telling the story.

Of the death of Jesus, in humble grace; 

That bled and died, and has made us a place.

                                                ~ Tom Milam

Daily Jewel:

“Beware of the person that is always bragging about being humble,

because he is not humble at all.”

Bible Reading Schedule: Ezra 6-7

Weekly Memory Verses:  2 Peter 3:9-12

9 ¶The Lord is not slack concerning his promise, as some men count slackness; but is longsuffering to us-ward, not willing that any should perish, but that all should come to repentance.

10 But the day of the Lord will come as a thief in the night; in the which the heavens shall pass away with a great noise, and the elements shall melt with fervent heat, the earth also and the works that are therein shall be burned up.

11 ¶Seeing then that all these things shall be dissolved, what manner of persons ought ye to be in all holy conversation and godliness,

12 Looking for and hasting unto the coming of the day of God, wherein the heavens being on fire shall be dissolved, and the elements shall melt with fervent heat?

June 2 ~ Dr. Tom Milam He Leadeth Me Devotional

“The Garden of Bitterness”
Revelation 22:2

Our imagination runs wild as we think on what the first garden looked like, and then we are overwhelmed with sadness as we realize what we lost there. But in the end, we will gain it back, and more. But today I want to discuss the third garden; the one that is not so glamorous, but overlooked and disregarded, and even avoided. The garden of Gethsemane. In this garden is bitterness, turmoil, and desolation, even loneliness. But in it flows “the river of the water of life.” Think of it my friend, without a Gethsemane there could be no New Jerusalem! Without the dreadful night in this garden, there could be no beautiful sunrise of the morning of eternal hope of glory!

Gethsemane’s necessity led to our reconciliation to God by the death of His precious Son on the cross. Redemption is not taken as serious as it should be. It is too lightly thought of; our carnality has cheapened its truth. We gave up our rights and gained privileges by the grace of God. I must never forget Gethsemane, because if I do, I will lose the value of redemption and my actions will regard it as cheaply bought, and I will miss God’s best for my life. “I am not my own, I am bought with a price;” I will serve Him!

“Gardens”

The garden in the beginning, 

Grand beauty I see.

The garden in the end, 

Paradise, must be.

But what of the garden, 

We tend to neglect?

The garden of bitterness, 

“Gethsemane!”

                                    ~ Tom Milam

Daily Jewel:

“I am not my own, I am bought with a price.”

Bible Reading Schedule: Ezra 3-5

Weekly Memory Verses:  2 Peter 3:9-12

9 ¶The Lord is not slack concerning his promise, as some men count slackness; but is longsuffering to us-ward, not willing that any should perish, but that all should come to repentance.

10 But the day of the Lord will come as a thief in the night; in the which the heavens shall pass away with a great noise, and the elements shall melt with fervent heat, the earth also and the works that are therein shall be burned up.

11 ¶Seeing then that all these things shall be dissolved, what manner of persons ought ye to be in all holy conversation and godliness,

12 Looking for and hasting unto the coming of the day of God, wherein the heavens being on fire shall be dissolved, and the elements shall melt with fervent heat?

June 1 ~ Dr. Tom Milam He Leadeth Me Devotional

“The Time of Roses”
I Thessalonians 4:13-18

Isn’t it wonderful to know that we have a much better place to go when this short life is over. Down here we are privileged to get a glimpse of glory on occasion, maybe by looking at the roses bloom and the fragrance that is unmistakable. Winter is gone again. Spring has brought its freshness, and summer is in full swing. Ah! To be part of God’s providential plan is bliss and joy. The blue skies laying a blanket over me, and a few white clouds put a glint in my eyes. Birds singing, nesting and reproducing offspring, while it lifts its head to feed and rejoice in singing to the one that made us, and then bought us with redeeming love. Heaven is more real when we look at God’s nature and preservation. We get more energetic.

Therefore, we should realize a greater opportunity to do more for the Master that purchased a perfect plan for mankind; That gives life and then life more abundant. The days of summer puts us out among more people, more gatherings with family and friends. A subtle reminder that eternal life offers communion down here and reunion over there, in heaven. Summer challenges revival in us; Will we block it with recreation? Will we be taken in by things or will we make occasion to praise the Lord?

“Never Fading”

A glimpse of glory, I see in a rose; 

A tender flower, strong to rise. 

Giving forth a pleasant fragrance, 

A beautiful sight before my eyes.

Heaven is surely full of flowers:

 The aroma breaking everywhere.

Jesus is the rose that gives the glory, 

Plucked ahead, to guide us there.

                    ~ Tom Milam

Daily Jewel:

“Heaven is more real, when we look at God’s nature.”

Bible Reading Schedule: Ezra 1-2

Weekly Memory Verses:  2 Peter 3:9-12

9 ¶The Lord is not slack concerning his promise, as some men count slackness; but is longsuffering to us-ward, not willing that any should perish, but that all should come to repentance.

10 But the day of the Lord will come as a thief in the night; in the which the heavens shall pass away with a great noise, and the elements shall melt with fervent heat, the earth also and the works that are therein shall be burned up.

11 ¶Seeing then that all these things shall be dissolved, what manner of persons ought ye to be in all holy conversation and godliness,

12 Looking for and hasting unto the coming of the day of God, wherein the heavens being on fire shall be dissolved, and the elements shall melt with fervent heat?