On The Go Daily with Keith Cook

Tuesday, May 17, 2011

Confrontation Brings Glory

On The Go Daily Devotion for May 17, 2011
Brought to you each day by
On The Go Ministries / Keith Cook Team

Confrontation Brings Glory by Carey Smith

"For even if I made you sorry with my letter, I do not regret it; though I did regret it. For I perceive that the same epistle made you sorry, though only for a while. Now I rejoice, not that you were made sorry, but that your sorrow led to repentance. For you were made sorry in a godly manner, that you might suffer loss from us in nothing. For godly sorrow produces repentance leading to salvation, not to be regretted; but the sorrow of the world produces death." 2 Corinthians 7:8-10

Are you afraid of confrontation? Are you worried someone might get upset or defensive because you tell them what they are doing is wrong? I imagine we are all guilty of the fear of confrontation. I know my immediate response is sometimes not that of a caring nature.

Paul did not consider himself to be a great speaker. He admits to being timid when he had to speak to others face to face, yet he understood the importance of Godly confrontation. Paul knew that sin leads to death. It separates us from the awesome glory of who God is. Who wants to be separated from God?

Because of his concern for the Corinthians, Paul confronted them in their sin. He took no pleasure in their sorrow. He did not delight in being right. He took joy in knowing that sorrow leads to repentance to an awesome, wonderful God who displays His glory in forgiveness.

Jesus says in Luke 15:7, "I say to you that likewise there will be more joy in heaven over one sinner who repents than over ninety-nine just persons who need no repentance." Just think, you can have a part in the rejoicing that takes place in Heaven!

Be willing to confront your brother or sister in sin. Be willing to be confronted and put away your pride. Rejoice in the forgiveness that can only come from a gracious and glorious Father who desires salvation for your life and not separation from Him.

Personal Prayer Focus: Pray that God will reveal hidden sins in your own life and confess them to God. Pray for divine wisdom and discernment as God may use you to confront your brother or sister in their sin.

On The Go Prayer Focus: On The Go's Outreach Training Schools (OTS). In our OTS, young people and adults are trained to go to the next level in their service to God. Pray for On The Go as we train believers to make a difference in their generation.

Thank you for taking the time to pray for this important division of On The Go Ministries. For more information on any our ministries here at On The Go, you may send your questions to info@onthego.org.

Copyright (c) 2003, 2011 Keith Cook - On The Go
Permission is granted to "forward" this devotional to friends and acquaintances. All other rights reserved.

On The Go Ministries, Keith Cook Team
P.O. Box 963, Springfield, TN 37172, (615) 299-0222, www.onthego.org
Founder/Director - Keith Cook, keithcook@onthego.org
E-zine Editor, Laurie McTier, laurie@onthego.org
Send E-zine questions or comments to: ezines@onthego.org
______________________________________________

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Monday, May 16, 2011

Have You Ever Been Caught in A Blackout?

On The Go Daily Devotion for May 16, 2011
Brought to you each day by
On The Go Ministries / Keith Cook Team

Have You Ever Been Caught in A Blackout? By Keith Cook

"But ye are a chosen generation, a royal priesthood, an holy nation, a peculiar people; that ye should shew forth the praises of him who hath called you out of darkness into his marvelous light:" 1 Peter 2:9

A blackout is a time when all of the lights go off. It can be a scary situation, but rest assured, when the lights go out, God wants you to know that there is a light for you.

In the Bible we see representation of spiritual blackouts related to sin, the earth, and death.

There was a blackout where the light of God went out in men's hearts because of sin. The blackout occurred when the men no longer followed God, but their own way, their own plan, and their own agenda. It is a catastrophe to have the light of God go out in your life.

The earth was also darkened when Jesus died on the cross. Jesus took all the sins of every man, woman, and child upon Himself, and the earth became dark. Spiritual darkness was defeated then. The true light of God shown brightly on all of mankind through Jesus Christ. The death and victorious resurrection of Jesus shown the light of God on life that was possible in Heaven for all mankind. It was now possible for fallen man to walk in the revealed light of God's pathway that leads to eternity with Him. Because Jesus paid for all of the sins of the entire world real light shattered the darkness.

The Bible also speaks of the darkness of death. Everyone is assured of a time when they will one day pass from this life into another. We all will face death. It is sure and we will enter into the darkness of death. According to the scripture, we should not live in defeat because of the threat of death, but we should live victoriously in the light of God. We should not live in fear of the blackout of death, because Jesus is the Light of the World. He will shine in the darkness.

He has provided for you and He will continue to show you the path that is illuminated by His love that leads all the way through this life but on through the door of death into eternity. If you come to Him and get to really know Him, then you will have victorious peace at the blackout of death and will awaken in the light of His presence. You do not have to fear death. The light of God's Son will shine the way!

Jesus loves you and He wants you to take the three steps that leads through the darkness into real light.

1. Admit that you are a sinner and cannot save yourself.

2. Believe in Jesus Christ as God's only Son and your Savior.

3. Confess your sins before God and call upon Him to save you.

You can shine the light on your life today and vanquish the darkness by taking these three steps right now. Turn the light on by praying today. "Dear God I have sinned against you and I have a dirty sinful heart. I realize you sent Jesus Christ your Son to die on the cross, shed His blood for me, and pay for all my sins so that I may have a clean heart and eternal life. I invite Christ into my heart right now and accept Him and what He did for me. Come into my heart, Lord Jesus and cleanse it. Thank you for giving me a new life, a clean heart, and eternal life in Heaven. In Jesus name, Amen."

If you prayed to receive Jesus Christ as Your Lord and Savior today, we would love to know about it. Please email us or contact us at the phone number or address listed below. We rejoice with you in your decision to follow Christ and would like to send you some free materials which will be vital tools you can use in your walk with God.

Personal Prayer Focus: Pray that others will see the light of Christ transparent in your life and that they will be drawn to Him.

On The Go Prayer Focus: On The Go¹s USA Outreach Effort. God has placed a United States effort on the heart and mind of the On The Go Team. Three key objectives are sharing, praying, and training in every county in the USA using On The Go Advance Teams, Training Teams, Planning Teams, Prayer Teams, GoTeams, and Outreach Efforts.

Copyright (c) 2004, 2011 Keith Cook - On The Go
Permission is granted to "forward" this devotional to friends and acquaintances. All other rights reserved.

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Sunday, May 15, 2011

Marriage Goes Hollywood

On The Go Daily Devotion for May 15, 2011
Brought to you each day by
On The Go Ministries / Keith Cook Team

Marriage Goes Hollywood By Keith Cook

"Marriage is to be held in honor among all, and the marriage bed is to be undefiled; for fornicators and adulterers God will judge." Hebrews 13:4

Actress Cameron Diaz, has stated in the June issue of Maxim magazine that marriage is a “dying institution," “I think we have to make our own rules,” “I don't think we should live our lives in relationships based off old traditions that don't suit our world any longer." (1)

Upon hearing her remark I realized that to some degree she is right - marriage is a dying institution - dying to self and living for another's happiness and fulfillment, dying to the temptation to continue hunting for the next sexual conquest, and dying to doing, living, or thinking selfishly or for oneself.

While Hollywood preaches a message of loose living, on and off again commitments to marriage partners, and multiple attempts at finding the right partner they are not the only ones to blame for the decline of marriage importance in modern culture.

Who is to blame? Everyone is to blame. Once anyone allows sin and compromise into their personal lives it will affect every area of their lives.

If a father mistreats his wife most agree that that is wrong. He may commit this sin for many reasons, none of which are valid. Yet - He may drink too much and get out of control, he may desire another spouse and take it out on the wife he has, he may be in a job he hates and feel unfulfilled. So he abuses his wife. Plain and simple. Yes - No!

Not only does the wife suffer abuse but all in that household. Children grow up with a perverted view of marriage, a warped view of love between a man and a woman, or a emotional scar that will follow them into their own relationships.

If marriage partners "die to self and live for Christ" marriage is truly made in Heaven. Secular marriage may be a thing of the past but a true Christian marriage is divine. With Christ in control of a marriage there are spiritual, mental, emotional, and physical benefits. Love, acceptance, companionship, compassion, tenderness, caring, sharing, commitment, security, strength, passion, courage, peace, and trust are all attributes of a real Christian marriage.

Christian marriages are not perfect but they do have a perfect marriage counselor and guide in the Holy Spirit. All any marriage needs to survive is a direct relationship with their creator. WIth Christ all things are possible. The valley of death can be traveled, the pathway through shame and guilt can be traversed, and the normal ups and downs of family life can be navigated under Christ's control.

You do not need a Hollywood marriage, you need a Godly marriage. Deny self, the tabloids, culture, fairytale dreams and just live life with the partner God has given you (or will give you). There is such joy with living out your life with the one God has given. There is adventure and blessing around every corner of life and with every breath. Enjoy!

Daily Prayer Focus: Praise God for your Marriage Partner! Pray for God to draw you closer to Him and to one another. Pray that together you will die to self and live for Christ.

On The Go Prayer Focus: Crusade USA. God has placed a United States effort on the heart and mind of the On The Go Team. Three Key Objectives for Crusade USA are sharing, praying and training. This week, Keith and the team will be preaching and sharing in Pinson and Jackson, Tennessee. Pray for Keith today as he preaches the Word at Parkburg Baptist Church. Pray that God will give him discernment, sensitivity, power, and boldness to preach the Gospel.

(1) http://entertainment.blogs.foxnews.com/2011/05/05/cameron-diaz-says-the-institution-of-marriage-is-dying/ May 5, 2011

Thank you for taking the time to pray for this important division of On The Go Ministries. For more information on any our ministries here at On The Go, you may send your questions to info@onthego.org.

Copyright (c) 2011 Keith Cook - On The Go
Permission is granted to "forward" this devotional to friends and acquaintances. All other rights reserved.

On The Go Ministries, Keith Cook Team
P.O. Box 963, Springfield, TN 37172, (615) 299-0222, www.onthego.org
Founder/Director - Keith Cook, keithcook@onthego.org
E-zine Editor, Laurie McTier, laurie@onthego.org
Send E-zine questions or comments to: ezines@onthego.org
______________________________________________

Subscribing - If you're reading a pass-along copy of this "On The Go" devotional e-zine and want to receive your own subscription, free of charge, simply fill out the online form at http://onthego.org/ezine_newsletters.php .

After registering online you will receive an e-mail asking you to confirm your subscription request, and you simply reply to that e-mail. Thank you and God bless.

Friday, May 13, 2011

Coconut Milk

On The Go Daily Devotion for May 13, 2011
Brought to you each day by
On The Go Ministries / Keith Cook Team

Coconut Milk by Laurie McTier

"But sanctify the Lord God in your hearts: and be ready always to give an answer to every man that asketh you a reason of the hope that is in you with meekness and fear:" 1 Peter 3:15

On a mission outreach to Jamaica, our team had the opportunity to paint the outside of a local church. As the outreach team painted the church, scraped walls, trimmed doors and windows, several boys from the community came out to help. God allowed us to build key relationships with the boys as we worked together, exchanged stories, and shared with them about the love of Christ. One of the key leaders in the church had already informed us that she had been trying to get these boys in church for years, without success, and she was so excited to see them come out each day to help the team and spend time with us.

On the last day as we finished painting the church, the ladies in the church were preparing a Jamaica-style buffet for our team, complete with Jerk chicken, peas, and rice. The temperature was extremely hot, and the pastor asked the boys to climb a coconut tree and get the team some fresh coconuts. Personally, I do not particularly care for coconut milk myself, but on the field, when someone has climbed up the tree to the very top to pick it just for you, you are forced to oblige, and honestly, it was quite refreshing.

As we were finishing up on the paint job, we noticed that we needed some rope to finish off the project. Jason, one of the young boys, quickly volunteered to run to the market. He was so eager and had such a servant's heart.

After an hour or so had passed, we began to notice Jason had not returned. We began to get a little concerned. Just then, he came around the corner. He was limping, and you could tell he was in great pain. We immediately brought him into the church to assess what had happened. While Jason had gone on his errand, an elderly townsman had asked him to climb a coconut tree and get his family some coconuts. Now he had done this thousands of times before, but this time as he got to the top, he lost his grip and fell about 20 feet.

I asked our taxi driver to take him into town and gave him the money for the visit to the emergency room. We did not get to see him before we left, but on the following Sunday, a dear friend from the church called me on the phone. With excitement in her voice, Winsome shared with me that Jason had come to church that morning and that he surrendered his life to the Lord!

You see my friends, God often works in strange and mysterious ways. God used coconut milk, Jason's injury, and the love that our team shared with him to bring him to a personal relationship with the Lord! Always be ready to share the love of Christ with others.

Personal Prayer Focus: Pray for those who have physical needs. Pray that God will work in their midst and that through their need, they will come to know God.

On The Go Prayer Focus: On The Go Publications & Media Team. We are striving to saturate and minister to a contemporary culture and society through modern media. This division includes our audio, video, internet, and written materials. Through these various ministries we reach out, train, and inspire Christians to action.

Copyright (c) 2003, 2011 Keith Cook - On The Go
Permission is granted to "forward" this devotional to friends and acquaintances. All other rights reserved.

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Wednesday, May 11, 2011

Seven

On The Go Daily Devotion for May 11, 2011
Brought to you each day by
On The Go Ministries / Keith Cook Team

Seven by Keith Cook

"and God blessed the seventh day and made it holy, because on it he rested from all the work of creating that he had done." Exodus 2:3

The number seven means complete, perfect, and whole. It is the sign that all is good. As Christians God wants each day to be exciting and fulfilling for us. In a spiritual way every day is to be "Perfect" in that Christ is to lead us and direct us in all we are to do.

Here are some perfect - whole - complete, things you can count on:

1. Love is perfect - True love is never jealous, boastful, proud, or wants it's own way over others.

2. Your Commitment to your family and friends is perfect - Being in a family is forever. You have a past and future together.

3. Knowing you have the power to meet each day In Christ is perfect - Your hope is not in riches or governments but in Christ.

4. Your potential to be Successful is perfect - God promised you that you will have "your portion" to do His will all of your days.

5. God's Love for you is perfect - Never forget that Jesus loves you no matter what you do.

6. Forgiveness is perfect - Do not let bitterness and anger rob you of your joy.

7. Faith and Trust in Christ is perfect - Place all your faith in Jesus to save you, lead you, and keep you. You will not be disappointed.

Love, commit, trust, hope, rely, and rest in Christ's perfect will for your life.

Personal Prayer Focus: Pray that you will walk in unity with Christ's perfect will.

On The Go Prayer Focus: On The Go's Neighborhood Outreach Program. In reality, very little is being done to reach people in many communities across the USA. On The Go is striving to train local Christians and help them develop programs that can systematically and permanently reach real needs in their neighborhoods.

Copyright (c) 2005, 2011 Keith Cook - On The Go
Permission is granted to "forward" this devotional to friends and acquaintances. All other rights reserved.

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Tuesday, May 10, 2011

Revival Happens First In The Church

On The Go Daily Devotion for May 10, 2011
Brought to you each day by
On The Go Ministries / Keith Cook Team

Revival Happens First In The Church by Keith Cook

"If my people, which are called by my name, shall humble themselves, and pray, and seek my face, and turn from their wicked ways; then will I hear from heaven, and will forgive their sin, and will heal their land." 2 Chronicles 7:14

True revival happens first in the church, then it reaches outside the walls to affect the community. If you are wanting the world to get better, make sure your church is getting better. If you are wanting your personal situation to get better, you must be doing all you can to make sure your local church is functioning in real revival. Revival happens in the church one member at a time. So in order for your church to have true revival it will require a personal revival to take place in your heart. They are depending on you!

The conditions for a God-Sent revival are as follows:

1. You Must Be God's. You must have a personal relationship with Jesus Christ. You must belong to Him. You must admit that you are a sinner, believe in Jesus Christ as God's only Son and your Saviour, and call on God to actually save you.

2. You Must Humble Yourself. You must acknowledge your need to be more like Christ. You must be holy as He is holy. This will translate into righteous living and a transformed attitude. People will notice the life change in your life!

3. You Must Pray. You must take all your requests directly and initially to God. There's no sense in taking your request to family, politicians, friends, or anyone else before you have talked with your Creator about them. Take your needs to Jesus Christ and He will not only give you directions but He will also lead you and strengthen you as you follow His will.

4. You Must Seek His Face! For real revival to happen you must talk to God as a friend. Return to your first love and fall in love with Him again. Seek His face again. Get to know God and hear His voice.

5. You Must Repent. If you want to experience real revival it will cost you dearly. You must turn from your sins and turn to do whatever God calls you to do. This will not be easy but it will be rewarding. Resting at the end of the day with total confidence in the path you have traveled and full assurance in the tasks before you will bring about peace and stability in your life.

If you practice these five steps, God will keep His promises! He will forgive your sins, and He will heal your land. This is God's plan for revival for you and your church! Let Him hear you today. Let God forgive you right now. Receive His healing touch even now as you commit to walk in real revival by putting His plan for your life into practice. Humbly seek Him, turn to Him, and pray with Him! Revival will be on its way.

Personal Prayer Focus: Pray that God will send forth Revival, and that it will begin in you!

On The Go Prayer Focus: Pray for Keith as he meets with Area Youth Pastors in Jackson, Tennessee today. They will be planning and strategizing for our Keith Cook Festival to be held in August 2011. Pray for area churches to network together and reach out to their community so that many will come to Christ during the Festival.

Copyright (c) 2003, 2011 Keith Cook - On The Go
Permission is granted to "forward" this devotional to friends and acquaintances. All other rights reserved.

After registering online you will receive an e-mail asking you to confirm your subscription request, and you simply reply to that e-mail. Thank you and God bless.

Monday, May 9, 2011

How Far Is It to Heaven?

On The Go Daily Devotion for May 9, 2011
Brought to you each day by
On The Go Ministries / Keith Cook Team

How Far Is It to Heaven? By Keith Cook

"Repent ye: for the kingdom of heaven is at hand." Matthew 3:2

Repentance means to change your ways and change directions in the way that you are living. You may be going away from God now, but when you repent, you come towards God. The Bible says that we Must Repent because the Kingdom of Heaven is at hand.

If the Kingdom of Heaven is at hand, we must learn how far it is to Heaven. Recently, I asked some children this very question. I got many answers. One of my favorites was, "It's a million quazillion miles away!" I'm not even sure if that's a word, but I couldn't help but laugh. Another young girl stated, "It's not a million quazillion miles away, it's just right up there. You can see it just above the clouds." Spiritually speaking, I believe that Heaven is closer than you may think. I believe that Heaven is just three steps away.

1. Admit that you are a sinner.
2. Believe that Jesus Christ died on the cross just for you.
3. Call upon the name of the Lord to be saved.

After taking these three steps, you will have Heaven in your heart, and Heaven as your final destination! Heaven is so close!

Personal Prayer Focus: Ask God to search your heart and reveal unconfessed sins so that you may live in peace and obedience and
in expectation of Heaven.

On The Go Prayer Focus: On The GoAudio Podcasts and Radio Ministries. Currently we are producing various programs which go over the internet and international airwaves. Pray that God will continue to bless the On The GoAudio Podcasts and that He will expand the listening base. Visit OnTheGo.org to hear past broadcasts.

Copyright (c) 2004, 2011 Keith Cook - On The Go
Permission is granted to "forward" this devotional to friends and acquaintances. All other rights reserved.

After registering online you will receive an e-mail asking you to confirm your subscription request, and you simply reply to that e-mail. Thank you and God bless.