Be encourage with biblical encouragement and inspiration from Pastor Kevin Berry. Receive leadership tips to succeed in your work or daily life, follow along with daily devotionals, and receive practical steps to walk out your Christian life.
We will soon be coming out of the most unusual spring and summer I have ever experienced. However, this fall comes with its own turbulence and division that tends to surround an election season. Deception and division have marked the season we are living through. However, we are called to maintain the unity that the cross of Christ has purchased for us. Let’s make every effort to do what leads to peace (Eph. 4:3).
Beloved, remember what is normal for this world is not typical in the Kingdom. Paul spoke to the deception and division of his day with words that are equally powerful today. He said, “If you bite and ravage each other, watch out—in no time at all you will be annihilating each other, and where will your precious freedom be then?” (Gal. 5:15 MSG).
Throughout this season, I have endeavored to keep us focused on the great mission God has given us: to make disciples of the nations (Matt. 28:19). Under the Holy Spirit’s inspiration, Peter said that we live out our God-given mission by praying, loving, and serving (1 Pet. 4:7-10). We must stay focused on what God has called us to do.
Politics is not part of our biblical strategy to make disciples. We are citizens of another world, and our loyalty is to the Kingdom of God. Yes, we are called to be salt and light. We are to have a preserving influence on this world. As light changes the atmosphere, so we are called to shine brightly. I’m thankful for leaders like Joseph, Daniel, Cyrus, and Esther, whom the Lord put in government positions. They inspire us to play our part in God’s great redemptive plan, all while keeping our loyalty to the King of Kings. As ambassadors for Christ, we are the embassy of Heaven on the earth, and we serve His interests in all we do.
Pray. The essence of prayer is knowing God. I pray that you will grow as you get to know God better and better. I pray you press into His presence and live your whole life there. I ask that you join me in prayer for our nation. If anybody should know that our answers are not in politicians but in the power of God, it is the church. The solution to the troubles that plague our nation is found in these words, “If my people…”
Love. Let’s throw ourselves into loving the lost, and each other, like Christ. While others may be focused on endless debates on the things that divide society, let’s saturate our communities with the hope that is in Christ. It is the power of the gospel that brings about a change of heart, not the laws that are passed in this world.
Serve. You are called and gifted by God. Let’s use the gifts God has given us to serve others while we still can. Jesus came not to be served, but to serve; let’s do the same. I want to serve you as we approach the voting booths soon. As Christians, we make our decisions in the light of the scriptures, as ambassadors of Christ on the earth.
Justice. The Lord cares deeply for the poor, the marginalized in society. Read through the Word of God, and you’ll quickly discover the Lord’s passion for defending the poor, the widow, and the orphan. The Lord listens to the cry of the oppressed, and we must do the same (Ps. 10:18, 72:12).
Life. It’s astonishing to me that we shut down the nation because a virus was taking lives; yet we continue to take the lives of innocent babies under the guise of reproductive healthcare. All life is sacred and a gift from God— black lives, brown lives, white lives, and unborn lives. From conception through death, all life is to be valued, nurtured, and protected. We must fully engage in foster care and adoption. (Job 10:10; Ps. 139:15).
Marriage and Family. The family was God’s idea, and the enemy has been trying to destroy the family since the beginning. When it comes to marriage, the Bible’s stance is clear and not up for negotiation. God made man to be the husband and a woman to be the wife. This is not a political thing; it is a biblical thing (Gen. 1:27, 2:21-25; Eph. 5:25).
Court Appointments. Judicial interpretations have had a profound impact on the morality of our day. Pray that our leaders will appoint federal and Supreme Court judges who will uphold the Constitution while supporting our society’s moral foundation (Deut. 1:15; Ezra 7:25). The threats to religious freedom are real and upon us. Last month, Justice Gorsuch keenly observed in Calvary Chapel v. Sisolak, “In Nevada, it seems, it is better to be in entertainment than religion.” The troubling case demonstrated that entertainment venues, including casinos, could be exempt from severe restrictions placed on worshippers at religious services.
Let’s live out our dual citizenship at this moment. As citizens of the Kingdom, let’s pray. Prayer really does change things! As citizens of this earth, let’s represent the interest of the King we serve as we take the privilege and responsibility of voting seriously. During political battles, let’s remember to keep our conversations filled with grace as we overcome evil with goodness (Rom. 12:21).
Renee and I love you and are praying for you in this season.
Your Friend and Pastor,
Kevin Berry
As our nation has been filled with fires born out of frustration over delayed and denied justice, I’m reminded of the riots, fires, and frustration that followed the assassination of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.
A member of our church family recently reminded me of the fires of revival that followed King’s assassination. The Jesus movement began to sweep across the nation. So I pray that following our day of grief and frustration will be the fires of awakening again! I ask again for a Grace Awakening across America and the nations.
In regard to protests and the dream in his heart, Dr. King said,
“We must forever conduct our struggle on the high plane of dignity and discipline. We must not allow our creative protests to degenerate into physical violence. Again and again we must rise to the majestic heights of meeting physical force with soul force.”
“There are those who are asking the devotees of civil rights, ‘When will you be satisfied?’ We can never be satisfied as long as the Negro is the victim of the unspeakable horrors of police brutality.”
Then quoting from the prophet Amos, he said,
“No, no we are not satisfied, and we will not be satisfied until justice rolls down like waters and righteousness like a mighty stream.”
“But let justice roll down like waters, and righteousness like a mighty river.”
– Amos 5:24
In calling for justice and righteousness, King was calling for justice for the past and righteousness for the future. Justice in the moment—without righteousness—would mean that the injustice would continue to resurface over and over again.
I like the way Gerald Brooks said it, “Justice for yesterday and Righteousness for tomorrow.”
Justice for the past, righteousness for the future.
Providing proper justice in a community is the responsibility of civil servants. In the Scriptures, they are called God’s servants.
Providing righteousness in a community is the responsibility of the Church. Righteousness has been provided for by the death, burial, and resurrection of Jesus Christ. It is the Church that has been entrusted by God to display and proclaim the righteousness that is available in Christ.
Father: Grant us—your children—the wisdom to put feet to our prayers! May we PRAY, LOVE, and SERVE in such a way that results in showers of your mercy and showers of your grace! May there be waters of justice flowing like water in our communities, and mighty rivers of righteousness!
Looking at the prayer of Jesus in John 17, we see His great desire for our lives: UNITY!
“May they experience such perfect unity that the world will know that you sent me and that you love them as much as you love me.” – John 17:23
Perfect unity—what does that look like among a family when there are obvious, differing opinions? Can we only get along with people that think exactly as we do about everything?
There is a divisive spirit that is trying to creep into the family of God that we must not allow. We should expect there to be division, strife, name calling, and slander in this world—but not in, or coming from—God’s Kingdom family. The Apostle Paul said,
“So then, let us aim for harmony in the church and try to build each other up.” – Romans 14:19
Ed Stetzer recently wrote on Twitter:
“If you open your church, you don’t love your neighbor. If you don’t open your church, you are a compromised coward. False dichotomies are dividing the body of Christ. Local situations are different and responsible pastors will follow appropriate guidelines. Let’s have some grace folks!”
People have different opinions about when the church should open up (trust me, I’ve heard my share of them), the effectiveness of wearing masks or not wearing masks, the way they practice social distancing or do not, and many more.
There is one guiding principle in all of our relationships: LOVE! Love is a fruit of the Holy Spirit’s work in a person’s life (John 17:17, 26; Acts 4:32). Love is patient and kind. Love is not proud. Love does not demand its own way. Love puts the needs, thoughts, and desires of others above themselves (1 Cor. 13).
As you encounter people in God’s family who think differently than you, let love win over your opinions winning. Let your conversations be filled with grace. Refuse to pretend to be the judge over other people. Let mutual respect govern the words and attitudes that come from you. Remember your own imperfections, lighten up, and have some grace.
Where there is unity, the Lord commands a blessing (Ps. 133). Let’s work to cultivate unity in our homes and with our brothers and sisters in the Lord. Let’s position ourselves for the blessing of the Lord that comes to the place where there is unity.
Lord, I ask that you work in me some more of the fruit of your Holy Spirit. I ask that you give me the grace to put the concerns of others above myself. Because the words that come out of my mouth always reveal what is in my heart, I ask that you continue to do a work of transformation in my heart. May you fill me fresh with your Holy Spirit again today so that your love will guide all of my actions.
I rebuke the spirit of division that seeks to judge, condemn, and divide your people. I plead the precious, protecting, and cleansing blood of Jesus over your family today. I pray that they will give no room for the enemy in their lives. I pray that they will conquer evil with pure goodness! May they experience such perfect unity that the world will know you!
When unusual persecution took place and the early Church was not allowed to meet in their usual gatherings, they scattered out into communities proclaiming the Good News about Jesus and the life transformation that follows. The result? We see in Acts 8 that massive numbers of people came to faith in Christ, miracles took place, and people experienced hope!
In 1918, when there was an unusual Spanish flu that lasted for more a year, 500 million people were infected. In these dark times, history records that the Church thrived! By the summer of 1919, it’s reported that the gospel had won the hearts of entire communities and churches experienced massive growth in that season.
Throughout the Scriptures, we see a pattern that when there is a season of the unusual, God does the extraordinary. We began this year with our focus on 2 Chronicles 20, where Judah faced an unusual moment of trial and was shaken to the core. King Jehoshaphat set his face to seek God and called the entire nation to do the same.
Jehoshaphat was terrified by this news and begged the Lord for guidance. He also ordered everyone in Judah to begin fasting. – 2 Chron. 20:3
When the king wanted to get the people’s eyes off the problem and onto the promise of deliverance, he said,
“Believe God, and you will be established; believe in his prophets, and you will succeed.” – 2 Chron. 20:20
The result? In their unusual trial, their threat of annihilation, they did something unusual and began to praise the Lord. They fought their enemy with a sound_the sound of praise. At the sound of their praise, God did the extraordinary and provided supernatural deliverance and provision. The people went from shaken to shouting as they spent time in the valley of blessing, giving thanks to God (2 Chron. 20:19, 26-27).
This is our moment… let’s shine brightly! Let’s gather for the sake of going! Let’s make a sound of praise that sends the enemy running and releases supernatural deliverance and provision. Let’s do the unusual and watch God do the extraordinary!
I look forward to seeing you all soon!
Your Friend and Pastor,
Kevin Berry
Throughout history—in times of tragedy or crisis, during plagues or looming disaster, when it was time for something horrible to end—the prayers of God’s people went into action.
When Pharaoh cried out for a plague to stop when enough was enough, we read this: “So Moses went out from Pharaoh and prayed to the Lord. And the Lord did as Moses asked, and removed the swarms of flies… not one remained” (Exodus 8:30-31).
When King Jehoshaphat was shaken to the core, threatened by opposing armies, and it appeared all hope was gone, he set his face to seek the Lord. He went on to call the nation of Judah to seek the Lord. The threat miraculously and suddenly ended. The King and the people went from shaken to shouting praise to God (2 Chronicles 20:3-4, 12, 22, 27).
When wicked Haman sought to kill the Jews, Queen Esther called for three days of fasting and prayer. The threat of annihilation came to a sudden end (Esther 4:16).
When the disciples were caught in a storm and afraid for their lives, they cried out to Jesus, who suddenly brought the storm to an end (Mark 4:39).
When Herod had killed the Apostle James and then had plans to take Peter out next, the church was earnestly praying to God. Suddenly and miraculously, the threat came to an end (Acts 12:5).
LORD, knowing your great history of responding to the prayers of your people and bringing an end to plagues that threaten your creation, we cry out to you, Great King! We are not confident in the government to fix this. We are not confident in the medical experts to create a medicine that can heal. We thank you for them, but our hearts are confident in you, O God (Psalm 57:7). You are the Creator of Heaven and Earth. You are the Lord, our Healer. You are the King who sits on the throne. You are the Great I AM, not the “Great I Was!” You are eternally kind and gracious in all you do.
Lord, you have seen the suffering of this nation and the world. You have collected the tears of your people. Because you are the God who sees me, you’ve seen this suffering. I’m confident in you! We ask that COVID-19 come to an end suddenly, in the name of Jesus.
Jesus, you taught us to pray as it is in Heaven, let it be on the earth. So, Lord, as it is in Heaven, where there is no virus, let it be on the earth. Let it be in Lansing and all our surrounding communities. In Michigan, this land you made with the shape of a hand, let your hand of healing power touch this state.
Cease and desist, dry up and die, be gone with you in the name of Jesus (Mark 11:23-24). No more breaking through the walls of our state, no more cries of alarm from this virus. NO MORE! (Psalm 144:14)
Now, Lord, as the eyes of the world have been watching a virus and its effects, I pray for all eyes on Jesus! I pray for a new sound of thanksgiving and praise to rise from the state of Michigan. We humble ourselves, set ourselves to seek your face. We ask that you come suddenly and heal this land of yours, and we thank you for it.
One thing that has stood out to me during this season is that it’s just not normal. The Lord put on my heart that this year would be surrounded by the word “unusual,” and if we would do the unusual, God would do the extraordinary. I had no idea then that things would be as unusual as they are right now, but God did.
I don’t like being away from people, away from you. We have been wired by God for relationship with Him and connection with each other. As we come to the close of our study in Romans, it’s interesting to me how the Apostle Paul ends this most amazing letter. He starts going through a list of names. He says hello to this person, honors another, calls them brothers, sisters, and one was like a mother to him. It’s clear that for Paul, the family was essential! These family relationships, the gathering of the saints, are essential to our lives. You are essential!
In this series, we are discovering how essential the family of God really is. We’ll explore why this family gathering has been unstoppable throughout history. How God made you for community. How to combat loneliness. The secret power of the gathering of believers. How the right relationships can be a catalyst for your life and so much more.
While our in-person gatherings have stopped temporarily, we are still connecting more than ever. Now is a great time to connect with a Life Group. You can spend extra time making memories with your family. Make some phone calls, send text messages, or write somebody a note at least once a day—just stay connected. The Scriptures reveal this truth: We need each other, and we are better together.
In this season, it is imperative that as followers of Jesus Christ, we understand that we have been transferred from the kingdom of darkness into the Kingdom of light through faith in Christ (Col. 1:13). What does it mean to seek first the Kingdom of God, and then all these things will be added to you (Matt. 6:33)? What is the Kingdom? As followers of Christ, citizens of another world, how do we live in this world that is filled with evil and headed toward destruction? Let’s look at God’s word together.
For I have told you often before, and I say it again with tears in my eyes, that there are many whose conduct shows they are really enemies of the cross of Christ. They are headed for destruction. Their god is their appetite, they brag about shameful things, and they think only about this life here on earth. But we are citizens of heaven, where the Lord Jesus Christ lives. And we are eagerly waiting for him to return as our Savior (Phil. 3:18-20).
Since you have been raised to new life with Christ, set your sights on the realities of heaven, where Christ sits in the place of honor at God’s right hand. Think about the things of heaven, not the things of earth (Col. 3:1-2).
What is the Kingdom? To have a kingdom, there must be a king. The Kingdom is the King’s rule in the human heart that changes the way we live. The Kingdom is both already and not yet. The Kingdom was inaugurated at the coming of Christ, and something we will enter fully in the future (Matt. 25:31-46). Be encouraged, my friend, as you prioritize the King of Kings, “all these things” will be added to you. He will provide for you out of His kingdom riches (Phil. 4:19). When this season gets beyond frustrating to you, stop and remember: The King is on the throne! You are valuable to him. Yes, you are essential to the heart of God and He will take care of you!
Don’t allow yourself to be obsessed with this world. Satan is called the god of this world (2 Cor. 4:4). This world calls evil good and good evil; they brag about shameful things and only think about life on this earth, but not you. You are a temporary resident on this earth but a permanent citizen of Heaven.
With all that is going on in the world right now, it’s easy to be consumed by it. It’s easy to be obsessed with how broken things are, how unlike Heaven this earth is right now. Lot was vexed by the evil around him day in and day out (2 Peter 2:8). Hear my heart, my brother and my sister: Fix your eyes on the King. We have one role while on this earth – ambassadors of another Kingdom, representatives of the love of God. Our calling is to bring light into the darkness. Don’t be surprised by the darkness around you. Don’t be shocked by how politically polarized our nation has become; instead – shine there! (Matt. 5:14). Jesus said we are not of this world any more than He was of this world, but we are sent into this world, just as the Father sent Him. Let’s follow His lead. What did Jesus do? He walked around, empowered by the Holy Spirit, doing good, seeking to save the lost, healing those who hurt (Acts 10:38). We have a part to play in this world – it’s representing the interests of the King.
When I think of God’s servants, I think of great people like Moses, the disciples, pastors, and you! However, the Apostle Paul adds to the list of God’s servants, civil leaders. But Paul doesn’t stop at calling political, governmental leaders God’s servants. He also calls believers to honor them, pray for them, and submit to them (Romans 13:1-7; 1 Tim. 2:1-3). That all sounds good when you agree with them, but what about when you don’t? Do we get a pass on this when they aren’t the person we voted for? When their decisions make us uncomfortable?
Everyone must submit to governing authorities. For all authority comes from God, and those in positions of authority have been placed there by God. So anyone who rebels against authority is rebelling against what God has instituted, and they will be punished. The authorities are God’s servants, sent for your good. Give to everyone what you owe them: Pay your taxes and government fees to those who collect them, and give respect and honor to those who are in authority. –Romans 13:1-2, 4, 7
1) Submit to them. I imagine the first readers of Romans saying, “Wait? Submit to Roman authority? But they are ungodly. The emperor thinks he is a god and should be worshipped! Look what these leaders do; they are known for perversion, brutality, and murder!” Paul knew that submitting to Roman authority was not an easy ask and would go against everything a believer’s flesh wanted to do. Side note: Submitting doesn’t imply agreeing as much as obeying.
2) Pray for them (1 Tim. 2:1-2). The command is not to pray for those you agree with or the ones you think are godly leaders. I sometimes wonder what could happen if we would spend more time praying for our leaders instead of talking about them. More can be accomplished in minutes of prayer than years of criticizing. In a culture that is known for speaking out against our leaders, I find it very interesting that as evil as the Roman leaders were known for, Paul didn’t feel the need to point that out. It seems he was more interested in exposing them to the Kingdom than exposing their sins. The call from the Scriptures is clear: Pray for your leaders!
Is there a time when enough is enough, and we are forced to choose to obey God rather than obey man? Sure, of course, there is, when government leaders command what God forbids. When Peter and the apostles were ordered not to teach in the name of Jesus, Peter and the apostles said, “We must obey God rather than any human authority” (Acts 5:29). When Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego were ordered to worship the statue of Nebuchadnezzar or be burned to death, they said, “If we are thrown into the blazing furnace, the God whom we serve is able to save us. He will rescue us from your power, Your Majesty. But even if he doesn’t, we want to make it clear to you, Your Majesty, that we will never serve your gods or worship the gold statue you have set up” (Daniel 3:17-18). Then of course there was the time that the law of the land decreed that no one could pray to anyone except to King Darius. But Daniel did what he always did, and prayed to his God (Daniel 6:10).
While I believe that the gathering of believers is absolutely essential (Hebrews 10:25), the temporary restriction on gatherings, as a result of COVID-19, is just that – temporary. Let there be no doubt, there is a line that can be crossed which biblically requires a response of civil disobedience; that is not the moment we are in right now. We are in a temporary situation, not a permanent condition. I’m eager to resume meeting once again, and we are in the process of prayerfully and strategically planning our comeback. For right now, let me remind you that the Church of Jesus Christ has always been unstoppable. The cause of Christ is simply too great to stop. When the Church was not able to gather because of persecution, they did not take a vacation, they did not pause; instead they went out boldly proclaiming the gospel, leading people to Jesus, healing the sick, and the Church flourished (Acts 8). So instead of slowing down, let’s together ramp up our efforts to saturate this region with the hope we have in Christ. I’m believing God for another Great Awakening in America!
Prior to laying out the call to respect and honor governmental authority, Paul said, “Rejoice in hope, be patient in trouble, and keep on praying. Do not be overcome by evil, but overcome evil with good” (Romans 12:12, 21). May you rejoice in the hope you have in Jesus! May you have the grace to be patient in trouble. Let’s keep on praying, and let’s overcome evil not by lashing out, not by responding to evil with evil, but with goodness.
Kevin Berry
“Humanly speaking, it is impossible. But with God everything is possible. ”
Matthew 19:26
When Jesus said these words, He was speaking about more than a rich person entering into the Kingdom of God. He was speaking about “the new normal.” In the midst of our new normal of social distancing in this season, I want to remind you of the new normal Jesus makes possible for us.
Perhaps you’ve heard things like this:
It’s impossible to get ahead in this economy.
It’s impossible for me to get out of debt.
They say it’s impossible for me to walk again.
We were told it’s impossible for us to have children.
It’s impossible to find a decent job.
It seems impossible for us to just get along.
Did you hear that? EVERYTHING! We have to become unfamiliar with the word impossible and become familiar with: “But with God everything is possible!” It’s time to step out of the realm of impossibility and step into the new normal, where, with God, the sky is the limit. Everything is possible. It goes something like this:
With God, it’s possible to thrive in this economy!
With God, my debt is being eliminated.
Thanks to God, I’m walking again!
Praise God, there’s a new member joining our family today!
With God’s help, I found the perfect job.
With God, our marriage can do more than survive… we can thrive!
The new normal for you has nothing to do with COVID-19 or the state of our economy. It has everything to do with your faith in God’s ability to make everything possible!
Prayer – Father in Heaven, my faith level is rising. Peter walked on water and did the impossible; that is how I choose to live the rest of my life. Trusting in you to make the impossible, possible, I choose to take a risk and step out of the boat and step into the new normal – a life of miracles.