C.m.a. Trinity Riders
Christian Motorcylists Association of Canada
Weekly Devotion
Impossible with Man, Possible with God
John Ogden Sr
April 16, 2025
Hebrews 11:1 (NKJV) states, “Now faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen.” This scripture is both interesting and the definition of faith. We can look at faith in two ways: man’s faith and God’s faith. Interestingly, this scripture setting talks about faith as a substance. I believe the substance in this verse deals with the Spirit of God speaking on the day of creation to a world that was void and without form, creating something out of nothing, an eternal substance above man’s substance. Evidence in this scripture can be looked at in many forms, but the evidence that I like best is knowing that the blood of the Lamb redeems me. This evidence is what Christ did for all of us at Calvary.
When I think of faith from this standpoint, it makes it easy for me to put my whole confidence and trust in our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ, for where my faith stops, He holds me up. When I realize that I owed a debt that I could not pay and He paid a debt that He did not owe, I then begin to understand the evidence for our faith. Jesus Christ is the author and the finisher of our faith, which to me means He not only wrote the blueprint, but He completed it. He is all we need in any situation; for any question we might have, He is the answer. May I encourage you to look to Him for the faith that you need in your life.
Weekly Devotion
Hope Built on Faith
John Ogden Sr
April 9, 2025
“Now faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen” (Hebrews 11:1, NKJV).
There are many things in life that we look for, think about, and, from a natural standpoint, hope for. But that is man’s hope, not one tied to our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ. The hope described in the above verse is the hope that is built on the principles and foundations of God’s Word. It is a hope that is planted in our spirit based on God’s faithfulness.
Hope built on faith in God and His Word will produce optimism and confidence that cannot be acquired any other way. It stands on the foundation and the faithfulness of God. This kind of hope in God and His promises produces faith. Even though, at times, we may find ourselves in what would appear to be hopeless conditions, God would remind us that, in Him, there are no hopeless conditions, only hope. He is faithful, and He knows what we need. With this in mind, hope becomes faith, which, in the Christian life, is the opening to God’s promises, moving us towards the confidence of Heaven itself.
He declared that we would have tribulations in this world, but He said, “Be of good cheer, I have overcome the world” (John 16:33b, NKJV). I challenge you to lay hold of a hope based on God that produces confidence beyond the natural and takes us from victory to victory in every situation.
Going Above and Beyond
John Ogden Sr
April 1, 2025
“Then he said, “O Lord God of my master Abraham, please give me success this day, and show kindness to my master Abraham. Behold, here I stand by the well of water, and the daughters of the men of the city are coming out to draw water. Now let it be that the young woman to whom I say, ‘Please let down your pitcher that I may drink,’ and she says, ‘Drink, and I will also give your camels a drink’ – let her be the one You have appointed for Your servant Isaac. And by this I will know that You have shown kindness to my master.” And it happened, before he had finished speaking, that behold, Rebekah, who was born to Bethuel, son of Milcah, the wife of Nahor, Abraham’s brother, came out with her pitcher on her shoulder” (Genesis 24:12-15, NKJV).
This scripture setting deals with the story of Abraham sending his servant to find a wife for Isaac. The servant petitioned God in order to know God's will; he planned to ask a lady for a drink at the well. If she responded that she would give him a drink and also his camels, he asked that she be the one God had appointed. When the servant asked Rebekah for a drink, she not only provided water for the servant, but as he had prayed, she went the extra mile to give water to the camels.
To water the camels was a great task, as it would generally take 20 gallons of water to fill up one camel. In Rebekah's case, she simply said that she would do what was asked, but then she was going to do something more. Her generosity allowed her to fulfill God's destiny for her life. Rebekah could have very easily said, 'I don't do water for camels,' and she would have missed God's destiny for her life.
Where would we be if Noah had said, “I don't do boats,” or if Moses had said, “I don't do rivers,” or if David had said, “I don't do giants,” or if Paul had said, “I don't do letters”? God calls us to be servants and go beyond what is expected in the natural to fulfill His will in our lives. I believe that God would challenge us to do our best and, as we serve, perform every task as unto the Lord, for only God knows the specific tasks that will open the door for our destiny in Him.
WEEKLY DEVOTIONS
Controlling Our Thought Life
John Ogden Sr
March 24, 2025
“Casting down arguments and every high thing that exalts itself against the knowledge of God, bringing every thought into captivity to the obedience of Christ” (2 Corinthians 10:5, NKJV).
Our thought processes determine who we are. God declares that from the abundance of the heart, the mouth speaks. The things that we hear, watch, and see are the things that are planted in our spirit. They will mold our thoughts, speech, integrity, and character. This scripture tells us to take control of our imaginations and everything that would place itself above God's knowledge.
God's knowledge is revealed to us through His Word. One only has to pick up the newspaper or converse with a well-meaning person to realize that people's thoughts give them direction in life. As Christians, our thoughts should line up with the Word of God. In every area that does not, we are responsible for taking control of our thought patterns. We are in a spiritual war, requiring us to bring every thought in line with God's Word. Failure to do so will lead to immorality and spiritual death.
I am amazed at Christians that say they know what God's Word says, but think it is okay to do something different. This leaves a big question mark in my mind. I realize we are all an unfinished product, but we should strive to allow God's Word to be lived through us. God knows the thoughts and intents of the heart, but only when we turn those thoughts and intents over to Him can we begin to bring our thought life into subjection. It is our responsibility to stand steadfast, resist, and reject evil and unwholesome thoughts in the name of Jesus. We, as Christians, overcome our enemy by the blood of the Lamb and the word of our testimony. There is a popular saying, "Just say no." But, in many cases, we must continually say no and stand steadfast on God's Word. God reminds us that with every temptation, He will make a way of escape. He also tells us that when we have done all that we can do but stand, we are to stand. We are to set our minds on spiritual life and peace. We are to fill our minds with God's Word. As Philippians 4:8 states, meditate on the things that are noble, excellent, and praiseworthy. At all times, we must be careful what we allow our eyes to see and our ears to hear. We can train our minds to think according to God's Word, producing a godly thought pattern. This will, in turn, allow us to prove what is good and acceptable according to God for our lives.
In my life, I use a simple method – the first step is knowing what God's Word says. The second step is simply saying out loud, "I take authority over (the thought) and rebuke it in Jesus' name." In this way, I have brought the thought in subjection to God's Word. I then say out loud what the thought should have been according to God's Word. As you practice and take control of your thought life, by the power of God, your outlook will change, and you will find that you will immediately begin to quote God's Word.
Weekly Devotion
Our Strength and Our Standard
John Ogden Sr
March 18, 2025
“For though we walk in the flesh, we do not war according to the flesh. For the weapons of our warfare are not carnal but mighty in God for pulling down strongholds, casting down arguments and every high thing that exalts itself against the knowledge of God, bringing every thought into captivity to the obedience of Christ” (2 Corinthians 10:3-5, NKJV).
Although we are in the flesh while on this earth, God's Word reminds us that we are not to war or to operate within our fleshly nature for the things of God and the provisions of this life; while it is true, God expects us to use our physical strength, but only after being yielded to Him and being led by His Spirit. Our strength and weapons as soldiers of Christ are to be obtained through God. The most excellent access we have to God's things comes from prayer and faith in Him. Interestingly, prayer is the most talked about among Christians and probably the least done. We are to lay hold of God's provisions.
In verse 5, God reminds us that everything should be judged against His Word. We should judge all our thoughts and actions against God's Word. When our thoughts and actions do not align with His Word, we are to bring them into captivity to the obedience of Christ. Anything or anyone that would exalt itself above what God would say and against His knowledge should not be heeded. The direction for our lives, wisdom, and thoughts should always align with God's Word. Our standard must always be God's Word.