Category: <span>thoughts by Allan Mitchell</span>

Shifting sand, apple house in the desert

Therefore everyone who hears these words of mine and puts them into practice is like a wise man who built his house on the rock. The rain came down, the streams rose, and the winds blew and beat against that house; yet it did not fall, because it had its foundation on the rock.Matthew 7:24-25

In today’s consumer crazed culture, Christian communicators and commentators saturate the marketplace with various media to meet believers’ appetite for spiritual insight and clarity. Many of these well-intentioned offerings complement and supplement Scripture; however, many cultivate a divisive theological environment that misrepresents the uncompromising truth of God’s Word.

In the first century, Jewish rabbis roamed Judea with their followers, interpreting, debating, and reiterating God’s Word. Many prominent religious leaders contributed to the conversation by offering their expert opinion and commentary on Scripture.

Just like today, diverse and divisive theology arose which misrepresented God’s word. As the Living Word (the Bible), Jesus assures His followers that His understanding of God’s Word is reliable and infallible. He characterizes a wise man as someone who hears His words and acts on them. James and John reiterate that, as His followers, we must prioritize His Word as our primary counsel and authority, and obediently and faithfully practice it.

Today, Christian books and other teaching tools are an essential element of Christian discipleship. However, believers must discern truth by measuring everything according to the only infallible words of wisdom – the Words of the Living Word. The written Word and the Living Word testify of eternal wisdom, truth, and life.

In today’s diverse and distracting theological environment, we need to keep our eyes on Jesus and prioritize His Word, so that when the rains come…the streams rise…the winds blow—which inevitably they will, we shall not fall.

Thank You that You sent Jesus, the Living Word to lead us into all truth. Empower me, through Your Holy Spirit to faithfully and obediently be a doer of the Word. Amen.

Ask yourself this question: Is God’s Word my primary authority? If your answer is yes, then consider how you can better honor and reflect His Word in your daily life. Write down the steps you feel God is asking you to take to prioritize His Word more. Then set a time to get started.

By Allan Mitchell


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sound wisdom devotional

For the Lord gives wisdom; From His mouth come knowledge and understanding;  He stores up sound wisdom for the upright; He is a shield to those who walk uprightly; He guards the paths of justice, And preserves the way of His saints.Proverbs 2:6-8, NKJV

Do you ever reflect on the wrong decisions you’ve made? I do. In retrospect, I re-evaluate my personal decision-making process. Then, I annoyingly retort, “If only I had sought the Lord more before deciding.”

Regrettably, when assessing life’s decisions through a rearview mirror – hindsight is twenty/twenty. How can we overcome the ritual and remorse of unwise decisions and obtain the foresight to make wiser choices?

In today’s complex, tumultuous, and multicultural social environment, many people defer to conventional wisdom for direction and decision-making. However, in Proverbs, Solomon assures us that the Lord is the all-sufficient, accessible source of sound wisdom, knowledge, and understanding. Jesus, the personification of wisdom, reiterates that man is to live by every word that “proceeds out of the mouth of God” (Matthew 4:4). Paul warns that “the wisdom of this world is foolishness” (1 Corinthians 1:9). Solomon says that God stores wisdom for the upright. James, perhaps alluding to Solomon’s timely insight, reminds us to ask God for His stored up wisdom (James 1:5). God will provide generously – without reproach.

Do you aspire to make wiser choices? Regrettably, many believers defer to conventional wisdom. In today’s perplexed world, God’s wisdom conflicts with worldly wisdom. Therefore, believers cannot allow conventional wisdom to influence their decisions. We need God’s counter-cultural common sense. When you solicit sound wisdom for a dilemma, consider the source. Ask God for wisdom and He will shield you from error, clothe you with knowledge and understanding, and preserve your integrity as one of His Saint.

Dear Heavenly Father, thank You that You have sound wisdom stored up for me. Help me to consider You as the primary source of council for life’s decisions. Clothe me with knowledge and understanding and protect me from the wisdom of the world, amen.

By Allan Mitchell



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Thoughts by All thoughts by Allan Mitchell Thoughts by Men

Dear Heavenly Father

Then a scribe came and said to Him, “Teacher, I will follow You wherever You go.” Matthew 8:19

As a youngster, I loved playing “follow the leader.” After the participants select a leader, the players follow the leader mimicking his actions — following him wherever he may go. By agreeing to play, players assume a certain risk, depending on the terrain of the course, which may very well include craggy hillsides, cold streams, and unstable rocks. If a player is unable to replicate the leader’s actions, then that player is excused from participating. The last surviving player still accompanying the leader becomes the leader and the game restarts.

This perilous but appealing adventure game offers many parallels to the Christian life: commitment, compliance, inconvenience, risk, and reward. In Matthew 8:18-22, Jesus confronts potential disciples with the cost of discipleship. When the scribe enthusiastically declares, “I will follow You wherever You go,” did he understand the risk and ramifications of his proclamation? Was he willing to follow Jesus unequivocally? The other disciple’s response is less definitive. He excuses himself because of an untimely family commitment.

Which disciple are you? Will you follow Him wherever He may go – without reservation? These are difficult but necessary questions for every believer. Following our leader is our non-negotiable rite of passage. Daily, we must face the call, challenge, and choice to follow Him wholeheartedly. Prayerfully, one step at a time, we walk in Jesus’ footprints, mimicking his actions. When we faithfully reflect obedience, and go where He goes, He empowers and equips us to go and take the lead so other disciples may willingly follow.

Dear Heavenly Father, thank You for the privilege of following You. Teach me obedience. May Your Holy Spirit teach me how to walk in Your footprints. Empower and equip me to “Go and make disciples of all nations.” Amen.

By Allan Mitchell

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Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways submit to him, and he will make your paths straight.”  Proverbs 3:5-6

devotional on trustiing GodIf someone asked me, “Do you trust in the Lord?” my natural response would be an emphatic, “Yes!

However, if someone rephrased the question and asked me, “Do you trust the Lord with all your heart?” My response would be less enthusiastic and even less definitive, because during many seasons of uncertainty and adversity, I have questioned God’s sovereignty by foolishly favoring my own understanding.

The advice in this proverb reflects divine insight and wisdom. Trust is an unavoidable rite-of-passage for believers seeking counsel and a deeper, more intimate relationship with the Lord. Relational intimacy without trust is unattainable.

Throughout His life, Jesus, in obedience to the Father, modeled unwavering trust. For Him, trust meant submitting to the Father’s council and will despite circumstance or consequence. Jesus compelled His followers to embrace that same trust — a trust that emphatically resolves to submit to the Father’s will despite personal perception or doubt.

Trusting the Lord with all your heart is a lifelong call and challenge. Remember, trust is not a feeling; trust is an action. Trust is the foundation and heart of authentic, intimate relationship.

How then, as believers, do we respond to the apparent crucible of trust? For me, trust is audaciously choosing to follow Jesus on a long and winding road — around fog-filled curves, through unmarked crossroads, and over clouded peaks and valleys. Unwavering trust is a journey worthy of inconvenience. In hindsight, when we reflect on our apparent arduous journey, we witness a perfectly straight path disappearing into life’s horizon.

Dear Heavenly Father, thank You for loving me despite my weaknesses and inadequacies. Help me to overcome my fears. May Your Holy Spirit teach me to trust You in every circumstance — with all my heart. In Jesus precious name, amen.

By Allan Mitchell

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devotional on God's hope

For the grace of God has appeared that offers salvation to all people. It teaches us to say “No” to ungodliness and worldly passions, and to live self-controlled, upright and godly lives in this present age, while we wait for the blessed hope — the appearing of the glory of our great God and Savior, Jesus Christ…
Titus 2:11-13

Do you believe Jesus’ return is imminent? Every time I watch, listen to, or read secular news media, my heart grieves the moral, spiritual, social, and environmental deprivation that permeates our world. Sensationalized graphic images and discouraging messages attempt to indoctrinate us with fear and hopelessness. However, as Christ-followers, we can recognize that these alarming accounts accurately affirm the writings, warnings, and visions of renowned ancient prophets. Rather than give in to fear, we can anticipate our blessed hope.

The word hope appears approximately seventy-seven times in the New Testament. Primarily, the writers use the word to emphasize God’s promises – salvation, redemption, eternal life. Amidst the apparent apocalyptic precursors of a world immersed in the “beginning of sorrows,” believers need not be intimidated or brought to despair. In Luke 21, Jesus reminds us not to be distracted or distressed by life’s anxieties, but to watch and pray for His appearing.

In a world that sorrowfully cries, “Where is the hope?” Paul also reminds us that, “[We] do not grieve like the rest of mankind, who have no hope” (1 Thessalonians 4:13).  For believers, hope remains ever present. Hope sits sovereignly on the throne of Heaven, and one day, in the not so distant future, we will rejoice at His glorious appearing. Until then, don’t waste your sorrows on sordid stories spun by secular media. Watch and pray, discern the signs and the times, and relentlessly look for the unswerving promise of the Faithful One – the appearance of our ever blessed hope.

Dear Heavenly Father, thank You that You are our blessed hope amidst a world of chaos and confusion. Protect my heart and mind from the distress and distraction of life’s anxieties. Empower me with wisdom to discern daily – vigilantly watching and praying throughout my faith journey. Amen.

By Allan Mitchell

~ ~ ~ ~

If you don’t have a relationship with the God and would like to, and believe the words in this prayer, then that is how you begin.  After that we will send you links to helpful resources and connect you with an email mentor if you’d would like that.

Here is the sample:

Lord Jesus, I want to know You personally. Thank You for dying on the cross for my sins. I open the door of my life and receive You as my Savior and Lord. Thank You for forgiving my sins and giving me eternal life. Take control of my life. Make me be the person You want me to be. Amen.


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devotional

“ … Always be prepared to give an answer to everyone who asks you to give the reason for the hope that you have…” 1 Peter 3:15

One of my most dreaded childhood experiences was when my teacher would ask me a question. Although I often knew the answer, the question paralyzed me because I was unprepared for the scrutiny. In today’s increasingly secular world, many believers experience a similar paralysis when confronted with an intrusive or challenging question about their faith.

Why are so many believers unprepared for the world’s inquiries and inquisitions? Statistics suggest it’s the thriving epidemic of biblical illiteracy. In Matthew 16:15-16, Jesus asks Peter,

Who do you say I am?” Peter responds: “You are the Messiah, the Son of the living God.” In Acts 17:3, Paul reiterates: “This Jesus I am proclaiming to you is the Messiah,” Both men boldly proclaim truth, but their concise answers are the result of divine revelation and intentional, disciplined study of Scripture. They had adequately prepared themselves to proclaim the sovereignty and divinity of the Messiah.

Are you prepared to answer spontaneous inquiries about your faith? Christian apologist, Ravi Zacharias observes: “Everyone — pantheist, atheist, skeptic, polytheist — has to answer these questions: ‘Where did I come from? What is life’s meaning? How do I define right from wrong and what happens to me when I die?’ Those are the fulcrum points of our existence.

In a world desperately seeking answers, believers don’t require a seminary degree to effectively proclaim Christ. They need only willingly prepare their hearts and minds through regularly studying God’s Word so they can effectively proclaim Jesus as the answer the world needs.

Dear Heavenly Father, thank You for the privilege of knowing You. May Your Holy Spirit help me to prepare my heart and mind to be Your faithful witness. Empower and equip me with Your Word and grant me favor to effectively proclaim Jesus. Amen.

By Allan Mitchell

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Thoughts by All thoughts by Allan Mitchell Thoughts by Men

devotional on significance

For we are God’s handiwork, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do.”  Ephesians 2:10

Do you yearn to live a life of significance? During a season of vocational and spiritual discontent, I silently prayed, “Surely there’s more to life than this…” A relentless restlessness resonated in my soul. Initially, I ignored my uneasiness, because I was comfortable with life as usual, but internally, I felt unfulfilled and empty. So I started asking God to help me discover a dynamic and thriving faith.

By divine design, God has integrated an insatiable desire for significance into our spiritual DNA. Often, we try to fulfill this yearning by prioritizing fame, fortune, or other temporal treasures and pleasures, which may appear to satiate us temporarily. However, the aching emptiness persists and reverberates in our souls.

Paul reminds us that God created us anew to live a life of selfless significance – a life of good works that God prepared in advance – a life that fully and faithfully shares and reflects Him. Paul, Luke, and others practiced occupations while prioritizing sharing the gospel in word and deed.

Are you seeking soul significance? I rediscovered soul significance while serving on a community outreach team. God challenged me to transcend cultural and occupational obligations and expectations and to faithfully share Him with the community. Whether you are a preacher, physician, poet, or plumber, God has redeemed you to experience a thriving and dynamic faith journey – a journey that reflects eternal significance and influence.

It is only when we fully realize our value and potential in Him and surrender to His direction and influence that the aching restlessness subsides and we begin to live with abiding joy and satisfaction.

Dear Heavenly Father, thank You for creating me anew in Christ Jesus. Help me to reevaluate my priorities and to discover and embrace the good works you have planned for me. Open opportunities for me to reflect my faith with those in my community. Enable me to experience a thriving and dynamic faith through selfless service. Amen.

By Allan Mitchell

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devotional online

For those God foreknew he also predestined to be conformed to the image of his Son, that he might be the firstborn among many brothers and sisters.”
Romans 8:29

God created you in His image and designed an intricate plan for your life—a  plan to redeem, restore, and refine your character to reflect the character of His Son, Jesus. As you journey through your day, I invite you to reflect on my poem, “Tapestry.”

My life’s a woven tapestry, I so often fail to see,
The perfect weaving of the loom at work inside of me.
Every day, I look unfinished, and find it hard to understand,
My tapestry’s great splendor seeking all my Lord has planned.

In times of pain and suffering, when trust and pain collide,
I long to see the finished work, but I can only view the underside:
A tangled web of knots and threads, caught up in such a mess,
I know His work’s unfinished, and in His tender hands, I rest.
His needlework is perfect, in every stitch His love is told,
The crafting of His handiwork in priceless threads of gold.
I must trust the master weaver, who knows my life’s great plan.
So I’ll let Him sow his perfect will, though I may not understand.

My life’s a treasured tapestry that I shall walk in faith to see,
As I feel the nails as needles sow his tender love through me.
And when His work is finished on the topside may I see,
The perfect image of my Savior, on my life’s great tapestry.

You are a living tapestry—a masterpiece in progress—created to authentically reflect God’s image and glory.

Dear Heavenly Father, thank You for sending Your Son to redeem me and for the gift of the Holy Spirit. Help me to realize I am a work in progress and to keep my eyes on Jesus. May His refining fire sanctify my soul and transform my character and heart to reflect Jesus. Amen.

Before you begin your busy day, ask yourself today, how can I become more like Jesus? Ask the Holy Spirit to help you to become more like Jesus—to see the world and those around you through His eyes.

By Allan Mitchell

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Thoughts by All thoughts by Allan Mitchell Thoughts by Men