Carter Conlon | Daily Devotionals

I have a warning for you today. False prophets are like thieves who break into people's lives. They infiltrate minds and hearts, leading people down the wrong path with thoughts not from God.  Just as a good man would not allow his house to be broken into if he knew the hour of Christ's coming, we must guard our minds and hearts against these deceitful influences. We can do this by putting on the...

There's darkness coming upon this whole world, and there's lawlessness that's on the increase. We need an absolute infusion of God's life, first in His church and then through His people, to those living in darkness.  Jesus Christ declared that we are the world's light. We're a city set upon a hill that cannot and should not be hidden. By God's grace, life in the light of Christ will not be hidden...

Carl Oppenheimer, the inventor of the atomic bomb, understood its terrifying power. Today, we have even more destructive weapons in the hands of unstable people. Our time may be shorter than we think. In a nuclear war, your city could become a prime target. We must consider this and get right with God. Just as in Noah's time, there will come a moment when mercy ends and the door closes. Those who...

The weight of sin has reached an unbearable level in our world. Crossing certain lines with God leads to a point of no return. His heart and holiness cannot tolerate the debauchery consuming this world. This generation is becoming deaf to His Word.  In the days of Sodom, they forced their sinful ways upon the innocent and crossed the line that cannot be crossed in God's Kingdom. Angels rescued Lot...

Luke chapter 22:24–26 says, “Now there was also a dispute among them, as to which of them should be considered the greatest. And He said to them, ‘The kings of the Gentiles exercise lordship over them, and those who exercise authority over them are called “benefactors.” But not so among you; on the contrary, he who is greatest among you, let him be as the younger, and he who governs as he who serv...

A biblical worldview is critical. We can't build our lives on emotions, songs, or just going to church (even though all those things are good). Our pursuits have to be built on the Word of God.  The biblical worldview is that the world is about to be judged by God because of the weight of its sin, but God has prepared a place of safety for those who can hear what He's speaking to His people. For u...

We live in a world that's like a magnet. It's pulling people down into a place of despair. It's pulling them down where they think they won't be able to get out. They can't change their thinking, and they're beginning to be filled with rage. We have a lot of college students like this. They can't tolerate a contrary opinion, and they're being pulled into this mire. It's imperative to know who Chri...

Amid a rapidly unraveling society, we must be prepared for the challenging times we face. The apostle Paul talked about a surge of lawlessness in the last few days. Presently, we're witnessing lawlessness pervading our streets, schools, homes, and society's structures and voices.  The disregard for rules and the rejection of absolute truth have become prevalent. Everyone seems eager to create thei...

1 Samuel 17:25 says, "So the men of Israel said, “Have you seen this man who has come up? Surely, he has come up to defy Israel, and it shall be that the man who kills him, the king, will enrich him with great riches, will give him his daughter, and give his father's house exemption from taxes in Israel.’” When religion departs from the presence and power of God, all it can offer to the people is...

Proverbs 3:5 says, “Trust in the Lord with all your heart.” To trust in God, we must first know who He is and what He says. Spending time in His Word allows us to comprehend His heart and the promises He has made to us. He promises never to leave or forsake us. He promises to give us abundant life. He promises that no weapon formed against us will prosper and that we can condemn any accusation tha...

In John 15:4–7, Jesus says, “Remain in me, and I will remain in you. Just as a branch cannot bear fruit by itself unless it remains in the vine. Neither can you bear fruit unless you remain in me.” The strength required to navigate the challenges of our current circumstances can only be attained through a deep connection with Jesus Christ. This strength comes from internalizing God's truth within...

In  John 16:33, Jesus said, "I have told you these things so that in me you may have peace."   In this world, you will have trouble. As Christians, we may face difficulties and challenges that test our faith. However, take heart, for Jesus has triumphed over this world and its power to bring us down. Before knowing Christ, we lacked the strength to resist the downward pull of darkness, sin, and de...

I once addressed a group of men in a football stadium and delivered a simple message. In Christ, you are already in the end zone. Before the game even starts. Spike the ball, start dancing, and declare victory because He has won it for you, and you are now in Him. Yes, we will face opposition, but we will not be overcome. Jesus declared, "I have overcome this world."  Every kind of violence, perse...

In the gospel of Luke 4:18–19, Jesus said, “The Spirit of the Lord is upon me because He has anointed me to preach the gospel to the poor. He has sent me to heal the broken-hearted, to proclaim liberty to the captives and recovery of sight to the blind, to set at liberty those who are oppressed, and to proclaim the acceptable year of the Lord.” I wish you a Happy New Year, and I want to advise you...

Exodus 3:7–8 says, "The LORD said, ‘I have surely seen the oppression of my people who are in Egypt and have heard their cry because of their taskmasters, for I know their sorrows. So I have come down to deliver them.’"  On this New Year's Day, let's look at the moment in which we’re living. The increasing downward spiral is very troubling. We all see this spewing of hatred, violence, and division...

Matthew 7:24–26 says: "Therefore, whoever hears these sayings of mine and does them, I will liken him to a wise man who built his house on the rock. And the rain descended, and the floods came, and the winds blew and beat on that house, and it did not fall, for it was founded on the rock."  I am determined in my heart to walk with the real Jesus. I'm determined to let His value system become mine....

Do you struggle to talk to God because you don't know how to pray or feel you can't be honest with Him? Just speak from your heart, as Jesus did. Be genuine, be sincere, and avoid all pretense. God already knows your true emotions, so don't pretend everything is perfect when struggling.  As Jesus taught in Matthew 6, find a quiet place, close the door, and pray to your Father, who sees in secret....

In John 11, God spoke audibly to a dead man called Lazarus. He was dead for four days, but the voice of God is not limited.  Today, many might feel like Lazarus; the only difference is that you have breath in your lungs. You might be in a dark place with no hope, and even those around you may have no hope for you. They might have a lot of negative things to say about you.  However, one voice has t...

Luke 2:8–9 says, “Now there were in the same country shepherds living out in the fields, keeping watch over their flock by night. And behold, an angel of the Lord stood before them, and the glory of the Lord shone round about them, and they were greatly afraid.” The first Christmas ushered in a glorious invitation to people who weren’t expecting it, entering into a joy that they'd never experience...

Luke 2:13 says, "And suddenly there was with the angel a multitude of the heavenly hosts, praising God and saying, 'Glory to God in the highest and on earth, peace, goodwill toward men.'"  Incredibly, the very first Christmas began with this celebration. A celebration so profound it's as if the angels could not contain themselves. They had to break through that veil, separating the heavens from th...

I want to challenge you today to believe in God. Believe that God can change you. Believe that He can use you. He can give you a heart for people. He can do something miraculous in your life to bring His name to reputation.  He did it for me. I can't tell you the day it happened, but I know that as I went toward the sound of His voice, I told God, "I want it all. I want everything you have for me....

According to the scriptures, Satan is going to throw everything in his arsenal against this world in these last days. He will throw every weapon, deception of darkness, discouragement, and trap he can.  In the gospel of Matthew, Jesus said that in the last days, the deception would be so powerful that, if possible, even the elect could be deceived. This notion implies that those of us who are set...

It amazes me that the God of the universe gives us freedom. He cleanses and strengthens us. He gives us abilities, His voice, and compassion. He can take our empty vessels and infuse them with His presence. He gives us new desires and what He's passionate about.  If you can hear His voice today, don't harden your heart. Move toward the sound of His voice. Don't do as the children of Israel once di...

Luke 2:17–18 says, "Now, when they had seen him, they made widely known the saying which was told them concerning this child. And all those who heard it marveled at those things which were told them by the shepherds."  One of the beauties of our conversion in our lives is an inner explosion of gladness, a sense of being in the right relationship with God. It also comes with a desire that others ma...

Ecclesiastes 7:10 says, "Do not say why were the former days better than these, for you do not inquire wisely concerning this."  This Christmas, don't limit God to the past. Don't put Him in a place where He and His blessings are just a memory in your life. Don't allow yourself to be convinced that those blessings can never come back, that it can never be the way it used to be. As humans, we tend...