Devo for 01/12/2025 service- Message by Jarod Smith
It was so good to hear from Pastor Jarod Smith from New Tribe Church in Mount Juliet, Tennessee. For those who may not know, Pastor Jarod was our worship pastor here before starting New Tribe.
Pastor Jarod brought energy and enlightenment with his message of fasting and jump-starting your new year! He talked about the value of reading the bible, praying, and wanting to fast!
From his message, I landed on this quote:
God wants to shape history through our testimonies.
We have all heard Revelation 12:11: “And they overcame him because of the blood of the Lamb and because of the word of their testimony”
This statement is about US! The they in this verse is you and me, we get to overcome satan and evil in our lives by the blood of Jesus (the Lamb) and the power of our testimonies.
When speaking of the blood of Jesus, we must realize the power in the statement. The power comes from the fact that Jesus going to the cross for us sealed the deal when it comes to whose we are! Upon salvation, we are adopted Sons of God that satan cannot control (unless we let him!). Jesus’s victory becomes our victory!
The second part, our testimony, allows us to overcome the lies and deceptions of satan. Our remembrance of what Jesus did in our lives disarms anything the enemy may try to use against us. Knowing God’s Word keeps satan’s lies out of our ears and gives us strength and faith that we are overcomers! Remember, we ARE NOT a product of our past!!!
However, we must be vigilant and aware of obstacles that could trip us up. Pastor Jarod mentioned a big one: We are often “distracted by convenience.” One example of this is when we use our phone for our bible. It is very easy to be distracted and end up in social media or email rather than studying the Word. (To see how you are doing with this, use a real bible the next time you are in the Word. See if you notice a difference!) Another obstacle creeps in when we begin to let our thoughts stray from the narrow path God has for us. It takes discipline but together we can walk in victory!
Both of these gifts, the Blood of Jesus and our Testimony, are not meant for us to just put on the shelf to look at or talk about. They are tools gifted to us so we can go into this world and wage holy warfare against our enemy! We need to take our ‘stories” on the road and share with others the glory of the Almighty!
As men of God and men of LifeMission, let’s join together and make 2025 the year that we overcome, and help others overcome, the lies and evil we have on this dirtball called Earth. It is as simple as walking in strength, knowing the Blood of Jesus covers you, and your testimony will not only silence the enemy but will allow you to share the Good News of Christ with those around you!
Remember that God wants to shape history through your testimony and believes you are significant! Invite the Holy Spirit to lead you as you sow seeds from the Lord. The reward is you will reap blessings and favor!
Don’t forget to invite God into your day!
Topic for Study -
Who am I in Christ?
Romans 8:2
1 John 5:18
Mark 16:17-18
January Memory Verses:
Psalm 25:1, 4-5
1 In you, Lord my God, I put my trust, 4 Show me your ways, Lord, teach me your paths. 5 Guide me in your truth and teach me, for you are God my Savior, and my hope is in you all day long.