Daily Visit with God

Acts 2:12 (KJV) Questions, Mockery, and Faith

2026-11-10T15:15:00.000-08:00

Acts 2:12 (KJV)

And they were all amazed, and were in doubt, saying one to another, What meaneth this?

Acts 2:21 (KJV)

And it shall come to pass, that whosoever shall call on the name of the Lord shall be saved.

It’s not my intention to explain the gift of tongues, the rushing mighty wind, or the cloven tongues as of fire. I mean simply to say that God can do as He pleases, and what He did on the day of Pentecost was meant to be a one-time event.

What is repeated over and over is the way men respond to the working of God. Some ask, “What meaneth this?” Others mock and accuse believers of being drunk, crazy, superstitious, or worse.

I wish to focus on the question, “What meaneth this?” I would suggest that focusing on the event and missing its meaning is much like worshipping the brazen serpent Moses lifted up on the pole. It had to be destroyed because people had made an idol of it.

I would also suggest that the meaning of the event is proclaimed clearly in Acts 2:21. It’s unimportant but interesting to me that Acts 2:12 is the question and Acts 2:21 is the answer. The numbers are reversed: 12 and 21.

Acts 2:21 (KJV)
And it shall come to pass, that whosoever shall call on the name of the Lord shall be saved.

The message of salvation is the sole purpose behind, well, everything on this planet. Souls need to hear it, embrace it, and accept Christ by calling on His name.

The Bible teaches a lot of things. It points out our sin and details its consequences. It provides instruction on how to live in a world corrupted by sin. It teaches those who are saved how to live soberly, righteously, and godly in this present generation.

And it does all of that because “whosoever shall call on the name of the Lord shall be saved.”

Oh, that more would call upon the name of the Lord and be saved! And oh, that more Christians would follow Christ in such a way that others would be moved to call upon Him!

Only that matters, because heaven and hell are literal places, and every soul will spend eternity in one or the other.

#CallUponTheLord #WhosoeverShallCall #SalvationInChrist #ActsChapter2v12 #DailyVisitWithGod

Questions, Mockery, and Faith: Live to Point Others Christward

Who needs to hear about the Saviour from you? Think of one person and make time today to share the promise of Acts 2:21: “Whosoever shall call on the name of the Lord shall be saved.” Heaven and hell are real, and that person will spend eternity in one or the other. Tell them about Christ while you have the opportunity.

Visit marvinmckenzie.org to read more from Daily Visit With God and share this devotional with someone who needs to hear that promise.

To my readers:

Thank you! It is a great joy to me to know you read the thoughts and lessons God has given me in His word. I would love to hear from you. Please feel free to leave comments.

For this and, more than 7300 earlier Daily Visits with God, visit https://mckenzie-visit-with-god.blogspot.com. There you will find daily visits going back to 2005.

If you have been blessed by this blog, please subscribe to my feed and share it with others.

Acts 2:12 (KJV) Questions, Mockery, and Faith

Here's a comic version of the lesson.

https://youtube.com/post/UgkxJuJxG0CSgCOjOhI1d6MyhXi5e--nYJwJ?si=pu6cF7t0H9WiQ7qj

Psalms 60:3 (KJV) The Battle Reveals His Greatness

2026-11-09T13:38:00.000-08:00

Psalms 60:3 (KJV)

Thou hast shewed thy people hard things: thou hast made us to drink the wine of astonishment.

It appears to me that the occasion of this Psalm is after a victory, but one won hard, involving multiple enemies and unusual circumstances. There were both victories and painful losses.

At the end of it all, the king writes this Psalm as a sort of “after-action review.” He sums it up this way:

Thou hast shewed thy people hard things.
Thou hast made us drink the wine of astonishment (made them stagger in weakness).
Thou hast given a banner to them that fear thee.

I’m reminded just now of John 6:60 (KJV):

Many therefore of his disciples, when they had heard this, said, This is an hard saying; who can hear it?

None of us really like hard things. We tend to think of blessings as easy things, smooth things, soft things. But there’s no banner in that. If the Christian life never nearly buckles our knees under the intensity of the struggle, we’ve likely never been in the battle. If the answers to prayer were over issues that wouldn’t have mattered much one way or the other, they wouldn’t be much of a testimony of our God.

No, the only way for the banner of the Lord to make much impact is for the battle in the world to be staggering, overwhelming, unbearable. Then, when God answers our prayers and the enemy is overcome—only then do we know the greatness of the Commander under whose banner we march.

#Psalms60v3 #HardThingsOfFaith #VictoryThroughChrist #UnderGodsBanner #TrustGodInTheBattle

The Battle Reveals His Greatness: Finding Victory Through Life's Battles

The Harder the Battle, the Greater the Testimony!

Don't let the difficulty of the battle cause you to overlook the greatness of your God! Take time today to conduct your own after-action review. Remember the struggles, recognize the victories, and give the Lord the glory He deserves.

What hard thing has God brought you through? Your testimony might be exactly what someone else needs to hear today.

📖 Visit https://marvinmckenzie.org for more Bible studies, daily encouragement, and resources to strengthen your Christian walk.

To my readers:

Thank you! It is a great joy to me to know you read the thoughts and lessons God has given me in His word. I would love to hear from you. Please feel free to leave comments.

For this and, more than 7300 earlier Daily Visits with God, visit https://mckenzie-visit-with-god.blogspot.com. There you will find daily visits going back to 2005.

If you have been blessed by this blog, please subscribe to my feed and share it with others.

Psalms 60:3 (KJV) The Battle Reveals His Greatness

Here's a comic version of the lesson.

https://youtube.com/post/UgkxopqBVEXAVDtSKVlp9jpvJwaLQ-M9IA_k?si=Fao__daGBSN969CA

Psalms 59:9 (KJV) Learning to Wait on God

2026-11-08T11:57:00.000-08:00

Psalms 59:9 (KJV)

Because of his strength will I wait upon thee: for God is my defence.

The passage is a little bit ambiguous as to whom the “his” refers to in the phrase “because of his strength.” Gill says, and I would agree, that it is either King Saul, whose position gave him a strength David was not willing to fight against, or God, whose strength David knew he could absolutely trust.

I am sure there are those, preachers and other Bible students, who would emphatically claim they know who the “his” is. I choose to accept that none of us are so good at parsing the language that we can be that confident. I also think God may have placed these “ambiguities” in the text because there are lessons to be learned from each of the possibilities.

We know that David was insistent upon not touching the Lord’s anointed. Saul was the king, in fact, and though David knew that he had been anointed of the Lord to replace Saul, David would not presume to make the will of God happen for himself. We can learn some lessons there. Disrespect for authority, even that which we believe is wrong and should be replaced, is never right. When authorities are evil or even wicked, they are still authorities. Ours is to wait on the Lord in those times.

And when we must wait, we may do so with joy and praise because of God’s strength. He is our defence and shield. He is our strong brother who stands on our side. He is our fortress where we find shelter and safety. And He has promised that the battle is already won, and in our favor.

#Psalm59v9 #WaitUponTheLord #GodIsMyDefence #RespectGodGivenAuthority #TrustGodsStrength

Learning to Wait on God: Trusting God's Strength and Timing

Are You Willing to Wait on God?

David had every reason to oppose Saul, but he refused to take matters into his own hands. He trusted God to accomplish His will in His time.

What about you? Are you facing opposition, unfair treatment, or circumstances you cannot change? Don't allow impatience to push you into actions you may later regret. Do what is right, respect God-given authority, and trust the Lord to defend you.

Remember, waiting on God is not weakness. It is faith in His strength!

Visit https://marvinmckenzie.org for more daily Bible encouragement through A Daily Visit with God. Join me tomorrow as we continue discovering practical truths from God's Word!

To my readers:

Thank you! It is a great joy to me to know you read the thoughts and lessons God has given me in His word. I would love to hear from you. Please feel free to leave comments.

For this and, more than 7300 earlier Daily Visits with God, visit https://mckenzie-visit-with-god.blogspot.com. There you will find daily visits going back to 2005.

If you have been blessed by this blog, please subscribe to my feed and share it with others.

Psalms 59:9 (KJV) Learning to Wait on God

Here's a comic version of the lesson.

https://youtube.com/post/Ugkxj4rzH7fCSQ7Exjdgokn97uEbZp6ySP58?si=BqrOCe8FSuKis-u0

Psalms 58:6 (KJV) When Words Are Weapons

2026-11-07T08:49:00.000-08:00

Psalms 58:6 (KJV)

Break their teeth, O God, in their mouth: break out the great teeth of the young lions, O LORD.

This is a Psalm of David, and an imprecatory one indeed. David frequently pleads with the Lord to rain down judgment upon his enemies, likely, in this case, Saul and his entourage. The “young lions” represent his “princes, nobles, and courtiers” (Gill).

And, as Gill explains, “it may be by ‘their teeth in their mouth’ may be meant their malicious words, calumnies, and detractions; teeth being the instrument of speech; and by ‘breaking’ them, preventing the mischief designed by them.”

There is no doubt that the passage contains elements of vengeance and bloodshed (verse 10). I am reminded of 2 Thessalonians 1:6–9 and Revelation 19:11–18. We do no good to ignore these passages. There is a day of wrath in the future of the ungodly. It is a day of both vengeance and bloodshed. But it is the day of the Lord, not our own.

We rest in the promise that God will make things right in His time and way.

All we ask for now is that He break the power of their malicious words to do harm.

#Psalms58v6 #GodsJustice #TrustGodsTiming #TheLordWillJudge #DailyVisitWithGod

Words Are Weapons: God Can Silence Their Harm

Have you been wounded by the malicious words of others?

David knew what it meant to be attacked by cruel accusations. Rather than taking vengeance into his own hands, he prayed that God would take away his enemies' power to do harm.

You may not be able to stop what others say about you, but you can ask God to prevent their words from accomplishing their wicked purpose.

Don't seek revenge. Take your burden to the Lord. Trust Him to make things right in His time and way.

Who needs this encouragement today? Share this Daily Visit With God with someone facing unfair criticism or malicious accusations.

Visit marvinmckenzie.org for more daily Bible encouragement and practical lessons from God's Word.

To my readers:

Thank you! It is a great joy to me to know you read the thoughts and lessons God has given me in His word. I would love to hear from you. Please feel free to leave comments.

For this and, more than 7300 earlier Daily Visits with God, visit https://mckenzie-visit-with-god.blogspot.com. There you will find daily visits going back to 2005.

If you have been blessed by this blog, please subscribe to my feed and share it with others.

Psalms 58:6 (KJV) When Words Are Weapons

Here's a comic version of the lesson.

https://youtube.com/post/UgkxJVLZ_4LXsg3cInmBKziYitAtZniVvlBj?si=jwsYQdfX5ziPcnaP

Psalms 57:3 (KJV) Praise Through Persecution

2026-11-06T13:50:00.000-08:00

Psalms 57:3 (KJV)

He shall send from heaven, and save me from the reproach of him that would swallow me up. Selah. God shall send forth his mercy and his truth.

The superscription says this Psalm was written by “David, when he fled from Saul in the cave.”

Saul’s intent was to kill David. He wasn’t just angry, hoping for a chance to lay into him and tell him what he thought about him. Saul wanted him dead. Further, Saul spared very little expense, manpower, or effort to make it happen.

The Psalm indicates the threat of death, but this verse asks for something other than for his life to be saved. He asked to be saved from the reproach, the piercing words of the king. Yes, he declared that God would save him from this reproach.

David would have been young at this time, perhaps 20 years old, maybe younger, but not much older. Consider, at that age, having the king of your nation hate you so much. And for no cause.

I find it impressive, therefore, and a subject of prayer for those caught in such reproach, that David would write:

Psalms 57:7 (KJV)

My heart is fixed, O God, my heart is fixed: I will sing and give praise.

His heart would have to be fixed for two decades before the reproach finally ended.

No matter how long those who reproach us throw piercing and hateful words toward us, let us fix our hearts upon the Lord, to sing and give praise to Him.

#Psalm57v3 #MyHeartIsFixed #TrustingGod #GodsMercyAndTruth #FaithThroughTrials

Praise Through Persecution: Remaining Steadfast Through Reproach

Someone You Know May Be Suffering Under the Weight of Cruel Words. Will You Pray for Them?

David endured years of hatred, accusations, and reproach, yet he declared, “My heart is fixed, O God, my heart is fixed: I will sing and give praise.” (Psalm 57:7, KJV)

Think of someone today who is suffering unjust criticism or painful accusations. Pray specifically that God will protect their heart, strengthen their faith, and help them continue praising Him, no matter how long the reproach lasts.

Don't underestimate what your prayers can mean to someone enduring a difficult season.

Visit marvinmckenzie.org for more Daily Visits with God, and share this message with someone who needs encouragement to remain steadfast in the Lord.

To my readers:

Thank you! It is a great joy to me to know you read the thoughts and lessons God has given me in His word. I would love to hear from you. Please feel free to leave comments.

For this and, more than 7300 earlier Daily Visits with God, visit https://mckenzie-visit-with-god.blogspot.com. There you will find daily visits going back to 2005.

If you have been blessed by this blog, please subscribe to my feed and share it with others.

Psalms 57:3 (KJV) Praise Through Persecution

Here's a comic version of the lesson.

https://youtube.com/post/UgkxB8w3y7ho_Jg-VCGfn2JGgGuN60Up7k0e?si=xgPdDxYHsJVim45z

Psalms 56:3 (KJV) Deliberate Faith in Fearful Times

2026-11-05T13:39:00.000-08:00

Psalms 56:3 (KJV)

What time I am afraid, I will trust in thee.

I imagine any reader of my Daily Visit with God blogs would understand that we want to trust in the Lord at all times. There are, however, times when trust is more challenging than others.

It likely isn’t difficult for us to trust in the Lord for, say, salvation or spiritual truths.

Trusting the Lord to save us is a “gimme” for the saved. We understand trusting the Lord to teach us the Word of God, trusting the Lord to help us teach a Sunday school class, or trusting the Lord to help us witness to the lost.

However,

It can be difficult to trust in the Lord in times of abundance.

It’s almost like there is no need to trust in the Lord in those times. I mean, we have health, finances, and resources such as lending agencies or trusted friends. It’s not that we wouldn’t trust in the Lord in times like those. We just might not give trust a second thought.

It can be difficult to trust in the Lord in times of fear.

Fear can take on a number of forms, can it not? We can be afraid for our life, afraid for our family, afraid for our job, afraid of finances, afraid of the political future, etc.

And so, according to this passage, what time I am afraid, I must make it a matter of deliberate faith to trust in the Lord. It’s not going to come naturally. The flesh of man is corrupt by nature and given to self-worship. To trust in the Lord in times of fear will require deliberate faith and purposeful action.

“What time I am afraid, I will trust in thee.”

#Psalm56v3 #IWillTrustInThee #DeliberateFaith #TrustGodInFear #DailyVisitWithGod

Deliberate Faith in Fearful Times: I Will Trust in Thee

What fear do you need to trust the Lord with today? Make it a matter of deliberate faith. Bring that concern to Him and take the next step in obedience. If you’re enjoying abundance, acknowledge your dependence on Him there, too.

“What time I am afraid, I will trust in thee.” Psalm 56:3 (KJV)

Visit marvinmckenzie.org for more Daily Visit with God devotions, and share this lesson with someone facing fear.

To my readers:

Thank you! It is a great joy to me to know you read the thoughts and lessons God has given me in His word. I would love to hear from you. Please feel free to leave comments.

For this and, more than 7300 earlier Daily Visits with God, visit https://mckenzie-visit-with-god.blogspot.com. There you will find daily visits going back to 2005.

If you have been blessed by this blog, please subscribe to my feed and share it with others.

Psalms 56:3 (KJV) Deliberate Faith in Fearful Times

Here's a comic version of the lesson.

https://youtube.com/post/UgkxKQtqcvA68_sXK6QQ1gPlU8j1a0d2JmJD?si=tTOvEkxvRPIuY_J7

Psalms 55:15 (KJV) Did David Pray for His Enemies to Die?

2026-11-04T15:45:00.000-08:00

Psalms 55:15 (KJV)

Let death seize upon them, and let them go down quick into hell: for wickedness is in their dwellings, and among them.

I would understand the immediate context of this psalm to be the rebellion of Absalom against his father, David, and the decision of Ahithophel, David’s counselor and friend, to side with Absalom.

David’s grief over Absalom was obvious and long-standing. It began with Absalom’s murder of his brother Amnon and continued through his exile and the estrangement that lingered even after he returned home. I imagine David’s grief was compounded by the knowledge that all of this was the consequence of his own sin with Bathsheba years before. God forgave him, and he moved on, but the consequences were irrevocable.

When Absalom was slain in battle, David was nearly inconsolable. I am sure he felt like the entire incident was his doing.

If it had been anyone else, he might have been able to bear it.

Ahithophel is another story. This was a man with whom David had taken sweet counsel. How a man like this could be swept up in the rebellion is almost inconceivable. But experience has taught me that this is a common thorn for the man of God.

Now to his prayer. It is blunt and direct, and it asks for the most devastating answer possible. Could God’s Word actually endorse our praying for the death of others if the case is severe enough?

Ahithophel and Absalom both died, and both died suddenly.

But David did not want Absalom to die.

I submit that it is not the person but the wickedness that the psalmist seeks the death of.

Hell is literal, eternal, and terrible.

I do not wish anyone to go there.

I accept that God is glorified in the fact that those who reject Christ do go there forever.

But I do not pray for that to be the end of anyone.

#DailyVisitWithGod #Psalm55v15 #PrayingThroughBetrayal #GodsRighteousJudgment #MercyForTheLost

Did David Pray for His Enemies to Die? Things We Can Pray For When Someone Hurts Us

Have you known the hurt of someone who claims to be a brother yet turns against you? David knew that pain. Familiarity and a profession of shared faith do not always bring graciousness or a true connection.

Share this Daily Visit With God with someone who understands that heartache. Visit marvinmckenzie.org for more Bible devotions and encouragement from God’s Word.

To my readers:

Thank you! It is a great joy to me to know you read the thoughts and lessons God has given me in His word. I would love to hear from you. Please feel free to leave comments.

For this and, more than 7300 earlier Daily Visits with God, visit https://mckenzie-visit-with-god.blogspot.com. There you will find daily visits going back to 2005.

If you have been blessed by this blog, please subscribe to my feed and share it with others.

Psalms 55:15 (KJV) Did David Pray for His Enemies to Die?

Here's a comic version of the lesson.

https://youtube.com/post/UgkxRb6Oz6-Qbc6mmi3GRoBcr6x_9-aeGt87?si=vFabfU0X1zuJqd4m

Psalms 54:3 (KJV) Familiar Faces, Strange Hearts

2026-11-03T08:41:00.000-08:00

Psalms 54:3 (KJV)

For strangers are risen up against me, and oppressors seek after my soul: they have not set God before them. Selah.

We are told that the occasion of this Psalm is “when the Ziphims came and said to Saul, Doth not David hide himself with us?”

Ziph was a city not only in Israel, but of David’s own tribe. Yet they twice turned David in to King Saul, and David calls them strangers.

Gill says:

-They “used him as barbarously as the very Heathens would have done, or worse”

-“though notwithstanding they were of Israel, might not be Israelites indeed”

-They were “but strangers to an inward experience of divine and spiritual things”

He goes on to say, “men may be professors of religion, and yet be strangers to God in Christ, to Christ himself, and the way of salvation by him, and communion with him; to the Spirit of God, and the operations of his grace on the heart.”

I think I have met some who would claim to be brethren, even claim to be of the same faith as I, and yet are still “strangers” in their relationship because of their lack of graciousness. You rub shoulders with some folks, but never make a good connection. They know you, acknowledge you and would, in an instant, turn, act and speak against you.

They are strangers, no matter how well you know them.

#KnowingChrist #TrueSalvation #MoreThanReligion #GraceOfGod #WalkWithGod

Familiar Faces, Strange Hearts: Close Yet Disconnected

Share this Daily Visit With God with someone who understands that heartache. Visit marvinmckenzie.org for more Bible devotions and encouragement from God’s Word.

To my readers:

Thank you! It is a great joy to me to know you read the thoughts and lessons God has given me in His word. I would love to hear from you. Please feel free to leave comments.

For this and, more than 7300 earlier Daily Visits with God, visit https://mckenzie-visit-with-god.blogspot.com. There you will find daily visits going back to 2005.

If you have been blessed by this blog, please subscribe to my feed and share it with others.

Psalms 54:3 (KJV) Familiar Faces, Strange Hearts

Here's a comic version of the lesson.

https://youtube.com/post/UgkxbTonBfMDW76LfF7CZctRdJUF4F8-zC6N?si=jR6eH9xTUyNFSIzg

John 20:19 (KJV) Courageous Christian Faith

2026-11-02T13:35:00.000-08:00

John 20:19 (KJV)

Then the same day at evening, being the first day of the week, when the doors were shut where the disciples were assembled for fear of the Jews, came Jesus and stood in the midst, and saith unto them, Peace be unto you.

Just about a year ago, my wife and I were privileged to visit a number of churches scattered around the United Arab Emirates. These churches operate underground, but for the most part we would never have known it. They hold regular services at which they sing joyfully and preach the gospel clearly. They conduct evangelistic outreach, hold camps and special services; anything we in a free world would do on a regular basis, they did as well.

But they are underground and, in small (and some not-so-small) ways, we witnessed it.

In a midweek service, the believers were gathered and the song service was underway. We were singing with joy, holding nothing back, when suddenly the song leader held up his hand in a stop motion. I don’t hear so well, so my wife explained what was happening. There was a knock on the door. Everyone stopped singing so our voices would not carry outdoors while the doorkeeper found out whether it was someone coming to services, someone coming to complain, or the police.

In another church, the congregation met in a high-rise apartment. The pastor there joked that they were an underground church meeting six stories up. But they had soundproofed the room with foam boards. He said when they first began holding services and could not yet afford the board, they had stapled old egg cartons to the walls and ceiling to dampen the sound. They preached without reservation and sang loudly and cheerfully.

But in every case, they were aware of their surroundings.

Fear had not paralyzed them. It only made them conscious.

Imagine those disciples assembled, doors shut, and very aware that Jesus Christ, the One to whom they had committed their souls, had been crucified. They had not scattered. They had not separated or disbanded. They were together, assembled, cautious, but not quitting.

And in walks Jesus!

I want to say that these are days we must be aware of our surroundings, but we must not quit our service for the Lord. We assemble not out of fear of what might be done to us but for the souls of those who do not know our Saviour.

And as we meet, aware of the dire need around us, conscious of how little we possess to effect change, we pray, we wait, we hope for that day when the LORD steps in.

#DailyVisitWithGod #John20v19 #FaithOverFear #FaithfulUnderPressure #JesusInOurMidst

Courageous Christian Faith: Cautious, But Not Quitting

Be Cautious, But Don't Quit!

The disciples gathered behind closed doors, but they had not abandoned their faith. And Jesus stood in their midst!

Whatever challenges may come, don't allow fear to silence your witness, separate you from your church, or stop your service for Christ. Keep assembling, keep praying, and keep looking for the Lord to work!

Are you remaining faithful, even when circumstances are difficult?

I invite you to visit https://marvinmckenzie.org for more Daily Visits With God, practical Bible teaching, and encouragement to remain faithful to the Lord.

To my readers:

Thank you! It is a great joy to me to know you read the thoughts and lessons God has given me in His word. I would love to hear from you. Please feel free to leave comments.

For this and, more than 7300 earlier Daily Visits with God, visit https://mckenzie-visit-with-god.blogspot.com. There you will find daily visits going back to 2005.

If you have been blessed by this blog, please subscribe to my feed and share it with others.

John 20:19 (KJV) Courageous Christian Faith

Here's a comic version of the lesson.

https://youtube.com/post/UgkxhIm7BXX-r6dsHIQGMw801j8E5ZoACIuE?si=1H66yIW8LVGSgX3t

Psalm 52:7 (KJV) Why Do Wicked People Prosper?

2026-11-01T10:16:00.000-08:00

Psalm 52:7 (KJV)

Lo, this is the man that made not God his strength; but trusted in the abundance of his riches, and strengthened himself in his wickedness.

This Psalm purportedly was David’s response when Abiathar, the son of Ahimelech, came to tell him that Doeg had told Saul David had been at Nob. Upon this report, Saul had the priests at Nob summoned and then killed at the hands of Doeg. David’s response was not so much grief for the priests, although 1 Samuel 22:22 speaks of that, but of the arrogance of Doeg.

I’d put it like this: what had happened to the priests was done and over. It was terrible and gross, but it was done and could not be resolved. Doeg, on the other hand, was a present matter that could be addressed.

And David addressed him, not by taking vengeance but in prayer. And by recalling God’s ultimate victory over everything that trusts in the abundance of riches and strengthens himself in his wickedness.

Doeg appeared to be the mighty man. He had the favor of the king and the power to destroy those who stood in his way. But David knew something Doeg did not. The goodness of God endureth continually. Doeg trusted in what he could accomplish through wickedness. David trusted in the mercy of God.

David, as we know, was the one who ended on top. Saul lived long enough to mourn his choices but not much longer.

David lived out his days, not always in comfort, because this world is uncomfortable for the people of God, but with inner peace and the joy of his salvation.

And David lives on in eternal life.

I do not know what ultimately became of Doeg, but I do know I’d rather follow the example of David.

#DailyVisitWithGod #Psalm52v7 #TrustInGod #GodsGoodness #BibleDevotional

Why Do Wicked People Prosper? God Has the Final Word

The Wicked May Appear to Win Today, But God Has the Final Word!

Doeg trusted in his influence, his position, and his wickedness. David trusted in the mercy of God. We know which man ultimately prevailed!

Where are you placing your confidence today? In what you possess, what you can accomplish, or in the God whose goodness endureth continually?

Don't let the temporary success of wickedness shake your faith. Follow David's example. Trust God, leave the outcome in His hands, and remember that His judgment is final!

📖 Read more Daily Visits With God and find biblical encouragement for everyday life at https://marvinmckenzie.org.

Share this devotional with someone who needs reminding that God always has the final word!

To my readers:

Thank you! It is a great joy to me to know you read the thoughts and lessons God has given me in His word. I would love to hear from you. Please feel free to leave comments.

For this and, more than 7300 earlier Daily Visits with God, visit https://mckenzie-visit-with-god.blogspot.com. There you will find daily visits going back to 2005.

If you have been blessed by this blog, please subscribe to my feed and share it with others.

Psalm 52:7 (KJV) Why Do Wicked People Prosper?

Here's a comic version of the lesson.

https://youtube.com/post/UgkxeEyeO8hauoRGs1Xaa53_vKwT_iCtgntk?si=54LAR8c-YxVcvr3h

Psalms 51:1 (KJV) The Messenger's Spirit

2026-10-31T09:57:00.000-07:00

Psalms 51:1 (KJV)

To the chief Musician, A Psalm of David, when Nathan the prophet came unto him, after he had gone in to Bathsheba.

Have mercy upon me, O God, according to thy lovingkindness: according unto the multitude of thy tender mercies blot out my transgressions.

I recognize that the superscript that begins many of the Psalms is not God-breathed, inspired writing. But it's considered established that this superscript is accurate. The Psalm was written by David upon being confronted by the prophet for his sin with Bathsheba.

Psalm 51 is a lesson in repentance.

It's not my point to go through the Psalm, but it would be a good one for the one struggling over his sin to work through. This isn't academic; this is visceral, real, cutting to the quick of things.

My point is that it was the response to being confronted. We have a record of this confrontation in the Word of God, and it is worth noting that Nathan wasn't in the flesh when he approached the king. He demonstrated sense, restraint, compassion, and wisdom, but he did confront.

And David did respond. He responded with grief, burden, honesty, and genuine repentance.

Perhaps there is a lesson for both the offended and the offender here, the preacher and the congregant he must rebuke. Perhaps the sinner would be in a better place to repent if the "prophet" approached him with a little more of God Himself…

Matthew 7:5 (KJV)

"...first cast out the beam out of thine own eye; and then shalt thou see clearly to cast out the mote out of thy brother's eye."

#Psalm51v1 #BiblicalRepentance #SpeakingTheTruthInLove #GodlyCorrection #DailyVisitWithGo

The Messenger's Spirit: Confrontation Leading to Repentance

The truth must be preached, but the spirit of the messenger matters!

Before confronting someone else's sin, examine your own heart. Are you seeking their restoration or simply pointing out their failure? And when God uses someone to confront you, will you respond with the humility and repentance David demonstrated?

Ask God to give you both the courage to speak the truth and the grace to speak it in the right spirit.

If this Daily Visit With God has challenged you, share it with someone who might benefit from its message.

Visit marvinmckenzie.org for more daily Bible encouragement, practical Christian teaching, and resources to strengthen your walk with the Lord.

To my readers:

Thank you! It is a great joy to me to know you read the thoughts and lessons God has given me in His word. I would love to hear from you. Please feel free to leave comments.

For this and, more than 7300 earlier Daily Visits with God, visit https://mckenzie-visit-with-god.blogspot.com. There you will find daily visits going back to 2005.

If you have been blessed by this blog, please subscribe to my feed and share it with others.

Psalms 51:1 (KJV) The Messenger's Spirit

Here's a comic version of the lesson.

https://youtube.com/post/Ugkx796wJB6gYxV9Tk9pQFrXTzkCEvS9vBa_?si=xjoDPVucJvyY1G4x

Psalms 50:5-6 (KJV) Christ Is Coming Again

2026-10-30T09:40:00.000-07:00

Psalms 50:5-6 (KJV)

Gather my saints together unto me; those that have made a covenant with me by sacrifice.

And the heavens shall declare his righteousness: for God is judge himself. Selah.

Whenever I read the word “gather” in the Word of God, I think of the rapture. It is represented in the New Testament often as a gathering of God’s people. The Old Testament, of course, has its own context, but the author of God’s Word, who is God Himself, knew where the book would end when He wrote the first word.

Considering that, I see:

His coming (vs. 3)
His presence on earth (vs. 4)
His gathering of the saints (vs. 5)
His Tribulation, Kingdom, and Great White Throne (vs. 6)

And then, in verse 7, the Word of God says, “Hear, O my people, and I will speak.”

How we need the one who will speak today!

The preacher, the witness, the one who declares the righteous truth, is the most meaningful and essential person in our world today. That is precisely because what is written in verses 1–6 is so very, very true.

I know these truths are mocked, scoffed at, and derided. They are often thought of as only secondary, even among professing believers.

But if these things were not true, then nothing about Christianity has purpose.

And if they are true, then nothing else even compares in importance.

#Psalms50v6 #JesusIsComingAgain #TheRapture #GodsFinalJudgment #PreachTheWord

Christ Is Coming Again: Nothing Else Compares

If God's Word is true, nothing matters more than proclaiming it!

Christ is coming! God will gather His saints, establish His kingdom, and judge the world in righteousness. These are not merely interesting Bible prophecies. They are eternal truths that demand our attention today!

The world desperately needs faithful men and women who will declare God's Word without compromise.

Will you be one of those voices?

📖 Read more in today's Daily Visit With God from Psalm 50:5–6.

Visit https://marvinmckenzie.org for daily Bible encouragement, sound doctrine, and practical teaching from God's Word.

Read it. Believe it. Share it. Someone needs to hear God's truth today!

To my readers:

Thank you! It is a great joy to me to know you read the thoughts and lessons God has given me in His word. I would love to hear from you. Please feel free to leave comments.

For this and, more than 7300 earlier Daily Visits with God, visit https://mckenzie-visit-with-god.blogspot.com. There you will find daily visits going back to 2005.

If you have been blessed by this blog, please subscribe to my feed and share it with others.

Psalms 50:5-6 (KJV) Christ Is Coming Again

Here's a comic version of the lesson.

https://youtube.com/post/UgkxdmKNNDPGUWw3kCRZX2omgycxKRni3NSs?si=zI3OjX1Qsu571enS

Psalms 49:11 (KJV) Your Name and Eternity

2026-10-29T12:36:00.000-07:00

Psalms 49:11 (KJV)

Their inward thought is, that their houses shall continue for ever, and their dwelling places to all generations; they call their lands after their own names.

What David observed in his day hasn’t changed at all. People still “call their lands after their own names.”

David did it too. It was “the city of David,” wasn’t it?

2 Samuel 5:9 (KJV)

So David dwelt in the fort, and called it the city of David. And David built round about from Millo and inward.

We actually call the place our house sits on McKenzie Mountain.

Many of the streets (and parks) in Republic are named after people whose life stories are completely unknown to me. There are cities, towns, and regions all over the U.S. named Lafayette or Fayetteville, and the majority of Americans have no knowledge of why.

Here’s the thing: while it may not be wrong to name something after a person or perhaps even after yourself, it is completely foolish to think such an act will make your memory last much longer than the generation in which you live.

But you personally—you can live much longer than your memory. You can live in the presence of God eternally.

I’d like to leave a work that outlasts me—perhaps by many generations. That’s one of the reasons I write.

But if my life on earth is completely forgotten once my grandchildren pass, it’s okay. I know my name is written in the Lamb’s book of life, and with Him I will not be forgotten.

#DailyVisitWithGod #Psalm49v11 #EternalLife #LambsBookOfLife #WhatReallyLasts

Your Name and Eternity: An Better Perspective on Life

What are we passing on to the next generation?

Our love for the Lord should produce a love for His church, its biblical doctrines, and its faithful practices. These are treasures worth preserving!

If this Daily Visit with God encouraged you, share it with someone who loves the local church. Help the next generation understand why it matters!

📖 Visit https://marvinmckenzie.org for more daily Bible studies, practical teaching, and resources to strengthen your walk with the Lord.

To my readers:

Thank you! It is a great joy to me to know you read the thoughts and lessons God has given me in His word. I would love to hear from you. Please feel free to leave comments.

For this and, more than 7300 earlier Daily Visits with God, visit https://mckenzie-visit-with-god.blogspot.com. There you will find daily visits going back to 2005.

If you have been blessed by this blog, please subscribe to my feed and share it with others.

Psalms 49:11 (KJV) Your Name and Eternity

Here's a comic version of the lesson.

https://youtube.com/post/UgkxH4MjTVy6Fz9vZjL48_Tgu2Cw8EJaZ92f?si=OEjAgb0m9-O4Uips

Psalms 48:13 (KJV) Doctrine, Faith, and Practice

2026-10-28T14:52:00.000-07:00

Psalms 48:13 (KJV)

Mark ye well her bulwarks, consider her palaces; that ye may tell it to the generation following.

I'm intrigued by the way the opening verses of this chapter weave together God and “the mountain of his holiness.”

A place is just a place unless it has been consecrated to the Lord or God has chosen it for Himself. I think of David and the threshing floor he purchased. He was not to be the one who built the temple, but he did purchase the site and collect a great deal of the materials and means necessary for its construction.

He did this out of love and devotion to the Lord, and through that love and devotion, he developed a great affection for the site and the temple that would eventually stand there.

And then he writes, “Mark ye well her bulwarks, consider her palaces; that ye may tell it to the generation following.”

May I say that love for the Lord creates in us a love for the place He has called His believers to assemble—the local church—and for the place that local assembly of believers has consecrated for that purpose.

The bulwarks, that which upholds this local assembly, are not the building or its construction but the doctrines, faith, and practice of that church. We are instructed to mark these well, to take good note of them. Consider them, learn them, and then speak of them so that future generations might learn to love the church as well.

#DailyVisitWithGod #Psalm48v13 #LoveYourLocalChurch #BiblicalDoctrine #FaithForTheNextGeneration

Doctrine, Faith, and Practice: The Foundation of Biblical Faith

What are we passing on to the next generation?

Our love for the Lord should produce a love for His church, its biblical doctrines, and its faithful practices. These are treasures worth preserving!

If this Daily Visit with God encouraged you, share it with someone who loves the local church. Help the next generation understand why it matters!

📖 Visit https://marvinmckenzie.org for more daily Bible studies, practical teaching, and resources to strengthen your walk with the Lord.

To my readers:

Thank you! It is a great joy to me to know you read the thoughts and lessons God has given me in His word. I would love to hear from you. Please feel free to leave comments.

For this and, more than 7300 earlier Daily Visits with God, visit https://mckenzie-visit-with-god.blogspot.com. There you will find daily visits going back to 2005.

If you have been blessed by this blog, please subscribe to my feed and share it with others.

Psalms 48:13 (KJV) Doctrine, Faith, and Practice

Here's a comic version of the lesson.

https://youtube.com/post/UgkxuKH18CQCPqSzjFzEvv7C_8bFQWxJ0-7_?si=e2ux6UlKfb1e84yx

John 15:8 (KJV) Christ Living Through You

2026-10-27T21:26:00.000-07:00

John 15:8 (KJV)

Herein is my Father glorified, that ye bear much fruit; so shall ye be my disciples.

The picture of bearing fruit goes back at least to Psalm 1:3 (KJV):

“And he shall be like a tree planted by the rivers of water, that bringeth forth his fruit in his season; his leaf also shall not wither; and whatsoever he doeth shall prosper.”

I think also of Proverbs 11:30 (KJV):

“The fruit of the righteous is a tree of life; and he that winneth souls is wise.”

It seems obvious, then, that the Lord wants Christians to bear fruit. I think the question is, what does that mean?

Some would say it means the fruit of the Holy Spirit. Galatians 5:22–23 (KJV) says:

“But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, gentleness, goodness, faith, Meekness, temperance: against such there is no law.”

My crowd has always been quick to point out that this is the fruit of the Spirit, not the fruit of the Christian. My crowd would say the fruit of the Christian is souls won to the Saviour.

And I believe we ought to be soul winners. We ought at least to strive to be.

It is not my intent at this point to try to define the fruit. I believe a case may be made for both the fruit of the Spirit and soul winning.

True soul winning wouldn't come from us anyway. It would have to come from the source of all spiritual life flowing through us, which is the Holy Spirit. Therefore, without the fruit of the Spirit, we wouldn't be true soul winners anyway.

And then there is fruit itself. Think of the sorts of things we consider fruit. Some of it is really a berry. Some of it is sweet. Some of it is not—so much so that we think of it more as a vegetable.

Likely, because we are all created so uniquely by the Lord, the fruit we produce is equally unique. Perhaps so much so that some would judge our fruit as not being fruit at all.

I think the point is a genuine life with the Lord. Do we just exist, or can we honestly say, as Paul did in Galatians 2:20 (KJV):

“…but Christ liveth in me: and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by the faith of the Son of God, who loved me, and gave himself for me.”?

#John15v8 #BearingFruit #ChristianLiving #SoulWinning #DailyVisitWithGod

Christ Living Through You: More Than Just Existing

Are You Just Existing, or Is Christ Living Through You?

The Christian life was never meant to be merely a name we claim. God desires that our lives bear fruit that brings glory to Him!

Take a moment today to examine your walk with the Lord. Is His life being seen through yours?

Don't settle for simply existing as a Christian. Seek to live a life through which Christ can work!

📖 For more practical Bible teaching and encouragement from God's Word, visit https://marvinmckenzie.org and make Daily Visit with God part of your daily walk with the Lord.

To my readers:

Thank you! It is a great joy to me to know you read the thoughts and lessons God has given me in His word. I would love to hear from you. Please feel free to leave comments.

For this and, more than 7300 earlier Daily Visits with God, visit https://mckenzie-visit-with-god.blogspot.com. There you will find daily visits going back to 2005.

If you have been blessed by this blog, please subscribe to my feed and share it with others.

My books, and other resources, are available at:
https://marvinmckenzie.org

Join me at Daily Visits with God Podcast
https://marvinmckenzie.substack.com/

Merch at my Teespring store https://macz.creator-spring.com/
Be a witness with hats, mugs, t-shirts, sweat shirts, and more

Let’s have coffee?
The link to Ko-fi is an opportunity to support this effort to reach a world of souls with the Word of God. I would appreciate any gift you can give.

John 15:8 (KJV) Christ Living Through You

Here's a comic version of the lesson.

https://youtube.com/post/Ugkx0DUS9_jCGTJpNsYZvym2clBxjzL1ZKxQ?si=imeEKkucWJmUtz7k

John 14:31 (KJV) Arise, Let Us Go Hence

2026-10-26T12:35:00.000-07:00

John 14:31 (KJV)

But that the world may know that I love the Father; and as the Father gave me commandment, even so I do. Arise, let us go hence.

John Gill places Jesus at this time, not in the upper room where the Lord’s Supper was instituted, but in Bethany. He claims that they leave Bethany at this time, that the events leading to the Lord’s Supper are left unrecorded in John’s Gospel, and that it must have taken place between chapters fourteen and fifteen, where Jesus speaks of the vine and the branches.

I can’t say one way or the other.

What I can say is that Jesus knew what would befall Him. He was willingly obedient to the will and plan of God the Father and here engages His disciples: “Arise, let us go hence.”

Arise, let us go to do the will of God.
Arise, let us go in absolute obedience to God.
Arise, let us go motivated by love for God.
Arise, let us go as evangelists in the name of God.
Arise, let us go regardless of the cost.
Arise, let us go for the purpose of seeking and saving the lost.
Arise, let us go hence.

#John14v31 #AriseLetUsGo #ObedienceToGod #LoveForTheFather #DailyVisitWithGod

Arise, Let Us Go Hence:: Faith That Moves Us Forward

Arise, Let Us Go Hence!

Jesus knew the cost of obedience, yet He willingly followed His Father's will. Now the question is, are we willing to do the same?

Don't just admire Christ's obedience. Follow His example! Take that next step of faith, whatever the cost.

📖 For more Bible studies, daily devotions, and practical teaching from God's Word, visit MarvinMcKenzie.org.

Let God's Word challenge your heart and guide your steps today!

To my readers:

Thank you! It is a great joy to me to know you read the thoughts and lessons God has given me in His word. I would love to hear from you. Please feel free to leave comments.

For this and, more than 7300 earlier Daily Visits with God, visit https://mckenzie-visit-with-god.blogspot.com. There you will find daily visits going back to 2005.

If you have been blessed by this blog, please subscribe to my feed and share it with others.

My books, and other resources, are available at:
https://marvinmckenzie.org

Join me at Daily Visits with God Podcast
https://marvinmckenzie.substack.com/

Merch at my Teespring store https://macz.creator-spring.com/
Be a witness with hats, mugs, t-shirts, sweat shirts, and more

Let’s have coffee?
The link to Ko-fi is an opportunity to support this effort to reach a world of souls with the Word of God. I would appreciate any gift you can give.

John 14:31 (KJV) Arise, Let Us Go Hence

Here's a comic version of the lesson.

https://youtube.com/post/UgkxWqVJsqiqjcAJSVuklB0UIBc6OJ-aF3VF?si=qZKmkQ3r9ZXMeUn6

John 13:11 (KJV) Serving Those Who Hurt Us

2026-10-25T13:01:00.000-07:00

John 13:11 (KJV)

For he knew who should betray him; therefore said he, Ye are not all clean.

The foot-washing event is found just this once in the Word of God. It is sometimes associated with the Lord’s Supper, although that is a bit of an assumption. There is a supper mentioned, and the timing of events places it near the same time, but the connection is not specifically given in the text.

Foot washing would have been humbling both to the doer and the recipient. Even the text indicates that. Jesus washed their feet as an example of service to others, and Peter was hesitant to allow the Saviour to wash his feet.

Jesus washed Judas’ feet.

Jesus, knowing they were not all clean and knowing that Judas was the one who would betray Him, washed Judas’ feet.
Judas, who was a thief, must have known within himself that he was not a true disciple. Judas, who surely by this time had had thoughts of betraying Jesus, sat silently as Christ washed his feet.
Judas ate supper beside Christ, had his feet washed by Christ, dipped sop with Christ, and left the room to betray Christ.

I’m struck with two thoughts.

First, there are people sitting next to us who may look just like Christians, behave just like Christians, and do just as Christians do, but be the farthest thing from Christian.

Second, this should in no way influence how we think of them or our behavior toward them.

If Christ could wash the feet of the very one He knew would betray Him, we can be civil and kind to those whom we suspect will do the same to us.

#John13v11 #JesusWashesJudasFeet #ChristlikeLove #ChristianHumility #DailyVisitWithGod

Serving Those Who Hurt Us: A Lesson in Christian Love

Christ knew Judas would betray Him, yet He chose to serve him. What about you?

Is there someone in your life who has disappointed you, spoken against you, or betrayed your trust? Will you allow their behavior to determine yours, or will you follow the example of Jesus Christ?

Don't let someone else's actions rob you of the opportunity to demonstrate Christlike kindness!

If this Daily Visit With God has challenged your heart, share it with someone who might need this reminder.

📖 Visit marvinmckenzie.org for more Bible studies, daily devotions, and practical teaching from God's Word.

Christ knew, yet served. Will you?

To my readers:

Thank you! It is a great joy to me to know you read the thoughts and lessons God has given me in His word. I would love to hear from you. Please feel free to leave comments.

For this and, more than 7300 earlier Daily Visits with God, visit https://mckenzie-visit-with-god.blogspot.com. There you will find daily visits going back to 2005.

If you have been blessed by this blog, please subscribe to my feed and share it with others.

My books, and other resources, are available at:
https://marvinmckenzie.org

Join me at Daily Visits with God Podcast
https://marvinmckenzie.substack.com/

Merch at my Teespring store https://macz.creator-spring.com/
Be a witness with hats, mugs, t-shirts, sweat shirts, and more

Let’s have coffee?
The link to Ko-fi is an opportunity to support this effort to reach a world of souls with the Word of God. I would appreciate any gift you can give.

John 13:11 (KJV) Serving Those Who Hurt Us

Here's a comic version of the lesson.

https://youtube.com/post/UgkxkiYQtQ2tfd1ONCzHvsLlrCbxCK-zKLde?si=ch6CieJXA6i27joN

John 12:42-43 (KJV) A Faith Greater Than Popularity

2026-10-24T12:40:00.000-07:00

John 12:42-43 (KJV)

Nevertheless among the chief rulers also many believed on him; but because of the Pharisees they did not confess him, lest they should be put out of the synagogue:

For they loved the praise of men more than the praise of God.

I notice that this passage makes not only an observation but also a judgment.

The observation is that many of the chief rulers believed on Jesus, but because they feared the Pharisees and the possibility of being put out of the synagogue, they would not confess Him.

The judgment is that they loved the praise of men more than the praise of God.

This reminds me of Paul's words concerning Demas in 2 Timothy 4:10.

“Demas hath forsaken me.”

That is an observation.

“Having loved this present world.”

That is a judgment.

Something similar appears in Psalm 36:1.

“The transgression of the wicked saith within my heart, that there is no fear of God before his eyes.”

David observes the transgression of the wicked, and that observation speaks within his own heart, bringing him to the judgment that there is no fear of God before the wicked man's eyes.

But it is the judgment concerning those chief rulers that especially arrests my attention.

“For they loved the praise of men more than the praise of God.”

What a sad thing!

Here were men who had been brought face to face with the truth concerning Jesus Christ. They believed on Him, yet were unwilling to confess Him because they feared what other men might think and do. They were more concerned about losing their place in the synagogue than about openly identifying themselves with the Saviour.

Think of it! Men could come so close to salvation and yet fall short because the approval of their peers meant more to them than the approval of God.

What a terrible exchange!

We have, however, the example of a man who made a very different choice.

The Apostle Paul had once occupied a respected place among the religious leaders of his day. He had their confidence, shared their convictions, and enjoyed the standing that came with being one of them.

But when Paul came to know Jesus Christ as his Saviour, all of that changed.

The men who had once respected him became his enemies. Those who had been his associates turned against him. The approval he had previously enjoyed was replaced with hatred and persecution.

Yet Paul did not turn back to regain their favor.

Instead, he wrote in Philippians 3:8:

“Yea doubtless, and I count all things but loss for the excellency of the knowledge of Christ Jesus my Lord: for whom I have suffered the loss of all things, and do count them but dung, that I may win Christ.”

What a contrast!

The chief rulers would not confess Christ because they feared losing the praise of men. Paul willingly lost the praise of men because he had found something infinitely more valuable in Christ. The rulers clung to the standing they enjoyed among their peers, while Paul counted his former advantages as dung when compared with knowing the Saviour.

And that brings us to a question worth considering.

How much does the praise of men mean to us?

Are we willing to be identified with Jesus Christ when doing so costs us the respect of people whose opinions we value? Will we stand faithfully for Him when friends turn against us, when associates withdraw their approval, or when others think less of us because of our convictions?

It is a sad thing indeed when a man values the praise of men more than the praise of God.

May God help us to follow the example of Paul rather than the chief rulers, counting the approval of God worth far more than anything we might lose among men.

#PraiseOfGod #FaithOverFear #StandForChrist #ApostlePaul #DailyVisitWithGod

A Faith Greater Than Popularity: Choosing God Over Man

Whose Approval Matters Most to You?

The chief rulers feared losing the praise of men. Paul willingly surrendered it to follow Jesus Christ. What about us?

Are we willing to stand for Christ when it costs us the approval of others?

📖 Read today's Daily Visit With God and discover why the praise of God is worth more than anything this world can offer.

Visit https://marvinmckenzie.org for daily Bible teaching, practical encouragement, and sound instruction from God's Word.

Don't just seek the approval of others. Live to please the Lord!

To my readers:

Thank you! It is a great joy to me to know you read the thoughts and lessons God has given me in His word. I would love to hear from you. Please feel free to leave comments.

For this and, more than 7300 earlier Daily Visits with God, visit https://mckenzie-visit-with-god.blogspot.com. There you will find daily visits going back to 2005.

If you have been blessed by this blog, please subscribe to my feed and share it with others.

My books, and other resources, are available at:
https://marvinmckenzie.org

Join me at Daily Visits with God Podcast
https://marvinmckenzie.substack.com/

Merch at my Teespring store https://macz.creator-spring.com/
Be a witness with hats, mugs, t-shirts, sweat shirts, and more

Let’s have coffee?
The link to Ko-fi is an opportunity to support this effort to reach a world of souls with the Word of God. I would appreciate any gift you can give.

John 12:42-43 (KJV) A Faith Greater Than Popularity

Here's a comic version of the lesson.

https://youtube.com/post/UgkxpcX36LaLaLreDBl_8kxvdNCrBZsvYlk4?si=Pizae-aE85_3HGCr

John 11:33 (KJV) Are We Missing God's Purpose?

2026-10-23T14:38:00.000-07:00

John 11:33 (KJV)

When Jesus therefore saw her weeping, and the Jews also weeping which came with her, he groaned in the spirit, and was troubled,

Jesus had made it very clear that the sickness (and I would add, death) of Lazarus was for the glory of God.

But people get so trapped in earthly-mindedness.

Both sisters called for Jesus when Lazarus became sick. They both thought Jesus' love for Lazarus would compel Him to quit what He was doing and come right away. The disciples, hearing Lazarus was sick, thought they should go right away.

Jesus didn't do what either party thought was the "right thing."

Once He arrived, Martha first and then Mary, separately and independently, made the remark to Jesus, "If thou hadst been here, my brother had not died."

Both were confused. It is appointed unto men once to die. That's going to happen whether Jesus is present or not. There will come a day when death will be done away with. At that time, however, He had not come to do away with death, but rather to remove the sting of death.

When He made the spiritual application, Martha, I think, curtly replied, "I know that he shall rise again in the resurrection at the last day."

She wasn't interested in the future spiritual truth. She wanted Jesus to make her feel better right away.

When Mary made the same remark, the Bible says He groaned in the spirit and was troubled. The Saviour could (and I believe still can) become troubled. But I believe His concern was that they dismissed the spiritual in favor of the temporal.

So Jesus went to Lazarus' grave weeping.

I believe He was weeping not over Lazarus, but over Martha and Mary. He was weeping because people He deeply loved were so focused on temporal things that they dismissed the eternal promises He had given them.

He did what they expected. I'll leave it to the reader to inspect the remainder of the chapter and evaluate the consequences of getting temporal answers to eternal needs.

I propose this chapter hinges on one passage:

John 11:23-24 (KJV)

"Jesus saith unto her, Thy brother shall rise again.

Martha saith unto him, I know that he shall rise again in the resurrection at the last day."

The thing that troubles the Saviour is the dismissive attitude of believers toward His eternal promises. Martha hadn't forgotten the promise. She knew it. She believed it. But it wasn't the answer she wanted at that moment, so she dismissed it in favor of her immediate desire.

And aren't we often guilty of doing the same thing?

We know what God has promised. We believe those promises are true. Yet when they don't address our present circumstances in the way we want, we brush them aside and continue pleading for temporal answers.

We would be so much better off if we would cling to those eternal promises and stop praying for worldly wishes.

#DailyVisitWithGod #John11v33 #EternalPromises #SpiritualOverTemporal #TrustGodsPromises

Are We Missing God's Purpose? Please Don’t Dismiss God's Promises

Are You Clinging to God's Promises or Chasing Worldly Wishes?

It's possible to know God's promises, believe they're true, and still dismiss them because they aren't the answers we want right now.

Take a moment today to examine your prayers and priorities. Are you seeking what God has promised for eternity, or are you consumed with what you want Him to do immediately?

Don't allow temporary troubles to rob you of eternal perspective!

I invite you to visit https://marvinmckenzie.org for more Bible studies, daily devotions, and practical teaching from God's Word.

Let's spend less time chasing worldly wishes and more time clinging to eternal promises!

To my readers:

Thank you! It is a great joy to me to know you read the thoughts and lessons God has given me in His word. I would love to hear from you. Please feel free to leave comments.

For this and, more than 7300 earlier Daily Visits with God, visit https://mckenzie-visit-with-god.blogspot.com. There you will find daily visits going back to 2005.

If you have been blessed by this blog, please subscribe to my feed and share it with others.

My books, and other resources, are available at:
https://marvinmckenzie.org

Join me at Daily Visits with God Podcast
https://marvinmckenzie.substack.com/

Merch at my Teespring store https://macz.creator-spring.com/
Be a witness with hats, mugs, t-shirts, sweat shirts, and more

Let’s have coffee?
The link to Ko-fi is an opportunity to support this effort to reach a world of souls with the Word of God. I would appreciate any gift you can give.

John 11:33 (KJV) Are We Missing God's Purpose?

Here's a comic version of the lesson.

https://youtube.com/post/UgkxS5c_3y1c8NBvcrSWNHNKX_ec3w-OJVcv?si=acxNDce8eY_YWTlM

John 10:17 (KJV) Absolute Power, Willing Surrender

2026-10-22T15:26:00.000-07:00

John 10:17 (KJV)

Therefore doth my Father love me, because I lay down my life, that I might take it again.

It was not merely that Jesus laid down His life.

Many souls have done the same, and for many causes. Some have died sacrificially, others voluntarily, willingly, or heroically. We remember such people, and rightly so.

Jesus laid down His life that He might take it again.

The death of Christ was memorable, but His resurrection was incomparable. What was impossible for man was accomplished by the Son of God. His resurrection was not merely remarkable; it was essential. Without it, His death would have been another sacrifice remembered by history. With it, His death became the victory by which eternal life is made possible.

His resurrection sets His death apart from every other sacrifice in human history.

Furthermore, Jesus not only laid down His life; He took it up again.

He did not have to die. Being fully God, He possessed the power not only to lay down His life but also to refuse death altogether. He was under no obligation to become man. His incarnation was voluntary, and His sacrifice was willing.

Yet He also possessed the power to take up His life again. The Bible declares that the Father raised Jesus from the dead, but Jesus Himself said He had the power to take up His own life.

Here is the wonder of Calvary. The One who possessed all power willingly surrendered Himself to death, knowing He possessed the authority to take up His life again.

Absolute power in absolute surrender.

#JesusChrist #ResurrectionPower #HeIsRisen #VictoryInJesus #DailyVisitWithGod

Absolute Power, Willing Surrender: A Sacrifice Like No Other

Many Died Heroically. Only One Rose Victoriously.

Many have sacrificed their lives for others, but only Jesus Christ possessed the power to lay down His life and take it up again!

The question is not simply whether you admire His sacrifice, but whether you have personally trusted the risen Saviour.

Jesus did not merely die to be remembered. He died and rose again so that you could be saved!

Have you placed your faith in Him? Have you considered what His resurrection means for your eternity?

I invite you to explore more Bible truths through my Daily Visit with God devotionals. Discover what God's Word says, why it matters, and how it applies to your life.

Visit marvinmckenzie.org and make spending time in God's Word a part of every day.

His death was memorable. His resurrection was incomparable. His salvation is available to you!

To my readers:

Thank you! It is a great joy to me to know you read the thoughts and lessons God has given me in His word. I would love to hear from you. Please feel free to leave comments.

For this and, more than 7300 earlier Daily Visits with God, visit https://mckenzie-visit-with-god.blogspot.com. There you will find daily visits going back to 2005.

If you have been blessed by this blog, please subscribe to my feed and share it with others.

My books, and other resources, are available at:
https://marvinmckenzie.org

Join me at Daily Visits with God Podcast
https://marvinmckenzie.substack.com/

Merch at my Teespring store https://macz.creator-spring.com/
Be a witness with hats, mugs, t-shirts, sweat shirts, and more

Let’s have coffee?
The link to Ko-fi is an opportunity to support this effort to reach a world of souls with the Word of God. I would appreciate any gift you can give.

John 10:17 (KJV) Absolute Power, Willing Surrender

Here's a comic version of the lesson.

https://youtube.com/post/UgkxFs7mYz-2EUP3xQnZJkQELXgLglVGfupf?si=KJ_3VMlZ1dhlC2Pa

John 9:34 (KJV) The Danger of Pride

2026-10-21T10:38:00.000-07:00

John 9:34 (KJV)

They answered and said unto him, Thou wast altogether born in sins, and dost thou teach us? And they cast him out.

-It has been said, “You can learn something from everyone you meet, even if it’s only what not to do.”

-And another, “Everyone you meet knows something you don’t.”

-Eleanor Roosevelt is said to have quipped, “Learn from the mistakes of others. You can’t live long enough to make them all yourself.”

-A saying commonly attributed to Bruce Lee reminds us, “A wise man can learn more from a foolish question than a fool can learn from a wise answer.”

Herein we find the problem with Phariseeism, whether in Christ’s day or our own. The Pharisees had determined from whom they were willing to learn. Religion, tradition, and education had built up in them a kind of arrogant pride that presumptuously demanded, “Dost thou teach us?”

I do understand that before we learn from others, we ought to consider where they obtained their information and what motives they may have for teaching it. But even our worst enemies can teach us something, so long as we aren’t so arrogant and proud as to believe we have nothing we can learn from them.

The Pharisees were not ignorant men. They had studied the Scriptures, learned the traditions of their fathers, and established themselves as authorities in matters of religion. But their knowledge had produced an attitude that prevented them from considering the truth when it came from someone they regarded as beneath them.

The man standing before them had been blind from his birth. Jesus Christ had given him sight, and he was simply testifying to what had happened. He did not possess their education, credentials, or position, but he knew something they refused to acknowledge.

Rather than consider his testimony, they attacked his character and dismissed him. They could not imagine that a man such as he might have something to teach men such as themselves.

We ought to be careful that we do not develop that same attitude. Years of Bible study, experience in ministry, or recognition among our brethren ought to make us more discerning, but never less willing to learn. A man may be wrong about many things and still be right about something. We may disagree with his conclusions while benefiting from his observations.

Proverbs 12:15 says, The way of a fool is right in his own eyes: but he that hearkeneth unto counsel is wise. We should never become so convinced of what we know that we are unwilling to learn something we don’t know.

#DailyVisitWithGod #John9v34 #BiblicalWisdom #HumilityBeforeGod #AlwaysLearning

The Danger of Pride: We Must Remain Teachable

Are You Willing to Learn From Someone You Disagree With?

Pride can close our minds to truths we need to hear. Ask yourself today: Have I dismissed someone's advice simply because I didn't respect their experience, education, or position?

Don't let pride rob you of wisdom God may be allowing you to discover through an unexpected person.

Read today's Daily Visit with God and discover the powerful lesson of John 9:34.

Visit https://marvinmckenzie.org for more daily Bible studies, practical Christian encouragement, and resources to help you grow in your walk with God.

Keep learning. Keep growing. Keep walking with God.

To my readers:

Thank you! It is a great joy to me to know you read the thoughts and lessons God has given me in His word. I would love to hear from you. Please feel free to leave comments.

For this and, more than 7300 earlier Daily Visits with God, visit https://mckenzie-visit-with-god.blogspot.com. There you will find daily visits going back to 2005.

If you have been blessed by this blog, please subscribe to my feed and share it with others.

My books, and other resources, are available at:
https://marvinmckenzie.org

Join me at Daily Visits with God Podcast
https://marvinmckenzie.substack.com/

Merch at my Teespring store https://macz.creator-spring.com/
Be a witness with hats, mugs, t-shirts, sweat shirts, and more

Let’s have coffee?
The link to Ko-fi is an opportunity to support this effort to reach a world of souls with the Word of God. I would appreciate any gift you can give.

John 9:34 (KJV) The Danger of Pride

Here's a comic version of the lesson.

http://youtube.com/post/UgkxDDU4VMoRiNcL1eoNdiWBLOEMViaqh5q_?si=VJq2uJ0VJnMRwrxH

John 8:39 (KJV) The Danger of Inherited Faith

2026-10-20T12:24:00.000-07:00

John 8:39 (KJV)

They answered and said unto him, Abraham is our father. Jesus saith unto them, If ye were Abraham's children, ye would do the works of Abraham.

The Jews were traditionally Abraham’s children. They were even genetically Abraham’s children. But they were not spiritually Abraham’s children.

Here is one of the great dangers of modern Christianity. We may assume we are believers, saved, and children of God because of our traditions or because of our heritage, and yet be anything but children of God in attitude, faith, practice, and most importantly, spirit.

Ye must be born again.

One does not have to be raised in a Christian home to be a Christian.
One does not have to know all the children’s choruses to be a Christian.
One does not have to be born in a so-called Christian nation to be a Christian.

But one has to be born again to be a Christian.

And to be born again implies evidence of a new life. Something changes. Those who’ve been raised in a Christian environment might believe they are Christians simply because they’ve always accepted certain things as true, and they have always done certain things faithfully.

But what’s changed?

What about you is new since you’ve been born again?

#BornAgain #John8v39 #TrueFaith #NewLifeInChrist #DailyVisitWithGod

The Danger of Inherited Faith: Evidence of Genuine Salvation

Are You Truly Born Again?

It's possible to grow up in church, know the Bible, and faithfully practice Christian traditions without ever experiencing the new birth.

Don't allow a Christian heritage to give you a false sense of security about your salvation.

Ask yourself today: Have I personally trusted Jesus Christ as my Saviour? And if I've been born again, what's changed in my life?

I invite you to read today's Daily Visit with God, share it with someone who needs this important reminder, and explore more Bible studies and resources at:

https://marvinmckenzie.org

Don't settle for knowing about Christ. Be sure you know Him!

To my readers:

Thank you! It is a great joy to me to know you read the thoughts and lessons God has given me in His word. I would love to hear from you. Please feel free to leave comments.

For this and, more than 7300 earlier Daily Visits with God, visit https://mckenzie-visit-with-god.blogspot.com. There you will find daily visits going back to 2005.

If you have been blessed by this blog, please subscribe to my feed and share it with others.

My books, and other resources, are available at:
https://marvinmckenzie.org

Join me at Daily Visits with God Podcast
https://marvinmckenzie.substack.com/

Merch at my Teespring store https://macz.creator-spring.com/
Be a witness with hats, mugs, t-shirts, sweat shirts, and more

Let’s have coffee?
The link to Ko-fi is an opportunity to support this effort to reach a world of souls with the Word of God. I would appreciate any gift you can give.

John 8:39 (KJV) The Danger of Inherited Faith

Here's a comic version of the lesson.

http://youtube.com/post/UgkxKprJJcuCkdrEfTE8Qpm-sQK6c6IMlM8Q?si=hIXG5JY-R8ZSO23K

Psalms 39:12 (KJV) Christians Don’t Fit

2026-10-19T12:06:00.000-07:00

Psalms 39:12 (KJV)

Hear my prayer, O LORD, and give ear unto my cry; hold not thy peace at my tears: for I am a stranger with thee, and a sojourner, as all my fathers were.

Years ago, a preacher and a young man he was mentoring were visiting us in Astoria. One morning at breakfast, the preacher asked his young disciple what he had learned from his Bible reading that morning. The young man replied, “David’s just complaining again.”

I imagine it is easy for the young and inexperienced to view hardship and grief with impatience and contempt. They are strong and energetic and haven’t been beaten down much by either the troubles of the world or the burdens of their own sin.

Those with a few more years under their belts can relate a bit better to David. The older we get, the more wonderful heaven sounds.

Listen to the Psalmist’s plea to be heard.

I am a stranger

He had come to recognize that he didn’t fit well into this world.

I am a stranger with Thee

Not that he was estranged from the Lord, but that he was a stranger in this world, even as the Lord is. It is no shame to be thought strange in this world so long as you have the companionship of the Lord.

I am a stranger just as my fathers were

He had not tried to make the path more common so he would fit better into the world. He kept the same path, the same faith as his fathers.

The friendship of this world is enmity with God, so to be more familiar with the world is to be less familiar with the Lord.

“Lord, hear my prayer, even my tears, as I seek to be ever nearer to You and further from the things of this world.”

#Psalm39v12 #DailyVisitWithGod #WalkingWithGod #StrangersAndPilgrims #KingJamesBible

Christians Don’t Fit: Faithful to God, Not Worldliness

Are You Growing Closer to God or More Comfortable With the World?

David understood something every Christian needs to learn: this world is not our home, and our greatest fellowship is not found in fitting in with the world but in walking with the Lord.

Take a moment today to examine your own walk with God. Are you following the faith of those who went before you, or allowing the world to draw you away?

Don't just read God's Word. Let it change the way you live!

I invite you to visit https://marvinmckenzie.org for more Bible studies, devotional resources, books, and practical teaching from God's Word.

Keep growing in the Scriptures. Keep walking with the Lord. And never forget where your true home is!

To my readers:

Thank you! It is a great joy to me to know you read the thoughts and lessons God has given me in His word. I would love to hear from you. Please feel free to leave comments.

For this and, more than 7300 earlier Daily Visits with God, visit https://mckenzie-visit-with-god.blogspot.com. There you will find daily visits going back to 2005.

If you have been blessed by this blog, please subscribe to my feed and share it with others.

My books, and other resources, are available at:
https://marvinmckenzie.org

Join me at Daily Visits with God Podcast
https://marvinmckenzie.substack.com/

Merch at my Teespring store https://macz.creator-spring.com/
Be a witness with hats, mugs, t-shirts, sweat shirts, and more

Let’s have coffee?
The link to Ko-fi is an opportunity to support this effort to reach a world of souls with the Word of God. I would appreciate any gift you can give.

Psalms 39:12 (KJV) Christians Don’t Fit

Here's a comic version of the lesson.

http://youtube.com/post/UgkxndkEjBnrgGjwM350ijtiKFbaA8eizgWI?si=J83uzlC4zf8cB9Yo

Psalms 38:19 (KJV) Hatred Is Never Justified

2026-10-18T12:49:00.000-07:00

Psalms 38:19 (KJV)

But mine enemies are lively, and they are strong: and they that hate me wrongfully are multiplied.

There is so much in this Psalm, traditionally believed to have been written by David in connection with his sin with Bathsheba (and never forget his having her husband killed).

It’s difficult to imagine that a man in such anguish of soul as is described in the first eight verses would have ever had the fortitude to cry out:

Psalms 38:21-22 (KJV)
Forsake me not, O LORD: O my God, be not far from me.
Make haste to help me, O Lord my salvation.

There are people who would accuse him of not being repentant because he would even claim to hope in God as he does in verse fifteen.

But then he says there were those who hated him wrongfully.

Here’s my focus: It’s wrongful to hate him, period.

It is wrongful to hate him because of his sin.
It is wrongful to hate him if he did not repent in a manner satisfactory to his enemies.
It is wrongful to hate him for claiming to hope in God.
It is wrongful to hate him for asking God for salvation.

To hate a person is to hate them wrongfully.

There are actions that must be disciplined, that’s for sure.

But there is no justifiable reason to hate the individual.

#Psalm38v19 #WithoutHatred #BiblicalRepentance #HopeInGod #DailyVisitWithGod

Hatred Is Never Justified: Even Guilty People Need Mercy

Sin must be confronted, but hatred must never be excused!

Have you ever found yourself judging someone so harshly for their wrongdoing that you forgot they were still someone God loved?

David's words in Psalm 38:19 challenge us to examine not only the sins of others but also the attitudes of our own hearts.

Share this Daily Visit with God and encourage someone to consider the difference between biblical discipline and sinful hatred.

For more daily Bible studies, practical Christian teaching, and resources to strengthen your walk with God, visit https://marvinmckenzie.org.

God's Word still has something to say to us today. Are we willing to listen?

To my readers:

Thank you! It is a great joy to me to know you read the thoughts and lessons God has given me in His word. I would love to hear from you. Please feel free to leave comments.

For this and, more than 7300 earlier Daily Visits with God, visit https://mckenzie-visit-with-god.blogspot.com. There you will find daily visits going back to 2005.

If you have been blessed by this blog, please subscribe to my feed and share it with others.

My books, and other resources, are available at:
https://marvinmckenzie.org

Join me at Daily Visits with God Podcast
https://marvinmckenzie.substack.com/

Merch at my Teespring store https://macz.creator-spring.com/
Be a witness with hats, mugs, t-shirts, sweat shirts, and more

Let’s have coffee?
The link to Ko-fi is an opportunity to support this effort to reach a world of souls with the Word of God. I would appreciate any gift you can give.

Psalms 38:19 (KJV) Hatred Is Never Justified

Here's a comic version of the lesson.

http://youtube.com/post/UgkxdX2FHN6saShhRimGCJVeZB6bWjkWjgDo?si=a897CO1kou9SZulP

John 6:15 (KJV) True Discipleship

2026-10-17T13:10:00.000-07:00

John 6:15 (KJV)

When Jesus therefore perceived that they would come and take him by force, to make him a king, he departed again into a mountain himself alone.

None can force Jesus to be their King. He refuses such an effort. He departs from those who attempt it.

Jesus gives willingly and freely.

But He does prove His disciples, sometimes in difficult ways.

Jesus is King of kings and Lord of lords. But His kingdom is not of this world.

He is King to those who submit and follow Him.
He is King to those who partake of His flesh. This is a reference to His cross.
He is King to those who have come to the place where they know they have no one else to turn to for the words of eternal life.

He is your King on His terms, or He is no King of yours.

#DailyVisitWithGod #John6v15 #JesusIsKing #KingOnHisTerms #WordsOfEternalLife

True Discipleship: His Kingdom, His Conditions

Is Jesus Christ King of Your Life—On His Terms or Yours?

The crowd wanted Jesus to be their King, but they wanted Him on their own terms. Jesus walked away.

What about you? Have you surrendered your expectations, your plans, and your will to follow Christ? Or are you expecting Him to fit into the life you've already chosen?

Jesus is King of kings and Lord of lords. He does not negotiate the terms of His kingship.

Don't make the mistake of wanting His blessings while refusing His authority. Believe on Him, trust His Word, and follow Him faithfully.

📖 Read more Bible studies and daily devotionals at marvinmckenzie.org.

Discover what the Scriptures teach, strengthen your walk with Christ, and share this message with someone who needs to consider the question:

Is Jesus your King on His terms—or are you still insisting on yours?

To my readers:

Thank you! It is a great joy to me to know you read the thoughts and lessons God has given me in His word. I would love to hear from you. Please feel free to leave comments.

For this and, more than 7300 earlier Daily Visits with God, visit https://mckenzie-visit-with-god.blogspot.com. There you will find daily visits going back to 2005.

If you have been blessed by this blog, please subscribe to my feed and share it with others.

My books, and other resources, are available at:
https://marvinmckenzie.org

Join me at Daily Visits with God Podcast
https://marvinmckenzie.substack.com/

Merch at my Teespring store https://macz.creator-spring.com/
Be a witness with hats, mugs, t-shirts, sweat shirts, and more

Let’s have coffee?
The link to Ko-fi is an opportunity to support this effort to reach a world of souls with the Word of God. I would appreciate any gift you can give.

John 6:15 (KJV) True Discipleship

Here's a comic version of the lesson.

http://youtube.com/post/UgkxRrjIPnTMqxXr0mkB8okGNKuUo3D74hby?si=T0NqIknpnIsbXk6x