Damascus Missionary Baptist Church Conway, SC

04/11/2026

April 12, 2026

Daily Inspiration: “Going a little farther, he fell with his face to the ground and prayed, “My Father, if it is possible, may this cup be taken from me. Yet not as I will, but as you will.” Matthew 26:39, NIV

Topic: “Surrendered”

Friends, the Garden of Gethsemane is an olive garden in East Jerusalem. “Gethsemane” means “a place of pressing.” Here workers put olives into a press and squeezed out the valuable olive oil under great pressure. It’s not a coincidence that before Jesus went to the cross and rose from the dead, He had to go through Gethsemane. That’s where He was so distressed, knowing what He was about to face on the cross, that His soul was overwhelmed with sorrow to the point of death. He had this season of suffering that He had to endure and pass the test.

We celebrate the resurrection, but the real victory was won in Gethsemane. That’s where He refused to give up despite being under great pressure, and where He made this decision: “Father, not My will but Your will be done.” He showed that real victory is won in private. It’s how you surrender your will and control to God’s will when life is unfair and you don’t understand it. You believe that He has you in the palm of His hand and will bring you through to victory.

Let’s Pray: “Father, thank You that You know best when it comes to the difficulties and challenges I face. Thank You that You are directing my steps and that You’ll take me through the things I can’t handle and lead me to victory. In Jesus’ Name, Amen.

04/11/2026

April 11, 2026

Daily Inspiration: “…that I may know Him and the power of His resurrection, and the fellowship of His sufferings, being conformed to His death.”
Philippians 3:10, NKJV

Topic: “The Fellowship of His Sufferings”

Friends, for Jesus to reach His destiny of the resurrection, He had to go through suffering in Gethsemane and the agony of the cross. The apostle Paul says that if we want to know the power of His resurrection, it involves enduring some suffering. You have to have a strong will, a made-up mind, a warrior mentality. “I will not give up and start complaining, blaming, doubting, or worrying. I know that on the other side of this suffering is the power of the resurrection.” On the other side, there’s healing, abundance, divine connections, new levels. The suffering is not permanent. It’s for a season. It’s designed for you to pass through it so you can come into the power, the fullness, the abundance that God has in store.

The fact that you feel distressed by adversity is a sign that a resurrection is coming, that you’re close to something amazing—doors opening that you never dreamed would open, the right people showing up, healing from what looks impossible. You keep doing the right thing when it’s hard, and you’re about to see the power of the resurrection.

Let’s Pray: “Father, thank You that You are with me through every season of suffering. Thank You that You can bring me through the difficulties better off than I was before they showed up. I believe that as I keep doing the right thing, I will experience His blessings.” In Jesus’ Name, Amen.

04/11/2026

April 10, 2026

Daily Inspiration: “Men of Galilee,” they said, “why do you stand here looking into the sky? This same Jesus, who has been taken from you into heaven, will come back in the same way you have seen him go into heaven.”
Acts 1:11, NIV

Topic: “The Ultimate Place of Victory”

Friends, it’s interesting that the last place Jesus appeared to His disciples before He ascended to heaven was the Mount of Olives. That’s where the Garden of Gethsemane is located. Forty days earlier, He spent the night in the garden in agony, in great distress, as He faced the coming suffering on the cross and death for our sins. Now He’s at that very place, but He’s victorious over death and the enemy, alive forevermore, with the keys of death and hell. He’s not suffering but reigning, not in agony but in victory, not in great distress but clothed with all power. All that suffering was a setup for a resurrection. It was all a part of God’s plan that would launch Jesus into His purpose.

You may go through some Gethsemanes, but like Jesus, you’re going to go back to that place with great victory, great favor, great courage. The enemy doesn’t have the final say. God does. He’s ordering your steps. In those times of pressure, keep reminding yourself that it’s a setup. That suffering is a sign that a resurrection is coming.

Lets Pray: “Father, thank You that when the difficulties in my way look bigger, stronger, and more powerful than I can handle, You have the final word. Thank You that You turn what look like setbacks into setups and bring me through to great victory. I believe that You are bringing resurrections. In Jesus’ Name, Amen.”

04/11/2026

April 9, 2026

Daily Inspiration: “The mountains melt like wax before the LORD, before the Lord of all the earth.”
Psalm 97:5, NIV

Topic: “Mountains Melt”

Friends, mountains represent problems that look permanent, immovable. It might be a mountain of depression, insecurity, addiction, lack, or anxiety. It looks as though it could never change, but there’s no mountain God can’t melt, and He can melt it to the point that there is no more sign of it. It may not have happened yet, but this is a new day. God is doing a new thing. He will not allow any obstacle to keep you from your destiny. What God put in your heart will still come to pass. The dreams He’s given you will still be completed.

Now do your part and start declaring God’s favor and power. Start declaring His promises, speaking what He says about you: “I can do all things through Christ.”

There’s nothing too difficult for my God. Start thanking God that it’s going to happen. As you keep God’s Word in your heart, God promises it will prevail—not the sickness, not the trouble, not the fear. He will melt the obstacle that is set to defeat you. You will be victorious.

Lets Pray: “Father, thank You that no matter how big the mountain of obstacles is, I have Your promise that You will melt it down. Thank You that what has held me back will not limit me anymore. I receive this by faith and look forward to how You will turn it around. In Jesus’ Name, Amen.”

04/11/2026

April 8, 2026

Daily Inspiration: “But this one thing I do, forgetting those things which are behind, and reaching forth unto those things which are before.”
Philippians 3:13

Topic: “Leave the Past Behind”

All of us experience failures, disappointments, aches and pains from the past that just won’t seem to go away. Most of us know what it’s like to suffer from them but too few of us know just what to do about them. So we limp along, hoping somehow they’ll magically stop hurting.

But it never happens that way. In fact, the passing of time often leaves us in worse condition—not better. Because, instead of putting those painful failures behind us, we often dwell on them until they become more real to us than the promises of God. We focus on them until we become bogged down in depression, frozen in our tracks by the fear that if we go on, we’ll only fail again.

I used to get caught in that trap a lot. Then one day when I was right in the middle of a bout with depression, the Lord spoke up inside me and said: “your problem is you’re forming your thoughts off the past instead of the future.”Don’t do that! Unbelief looks at the past and says, “See, it can’t be done.” But faith looks at the future and says, “It can be done, and according to the promises of God, it is done!” Then putting past failures behind it forever, faith steps out and acts like the victory’s already been won.

If depression has driven you into a spiritual nose dive, break out of it by getting your eyes off the past and onto your future—a future that’s been guaranteed by Christ Jesus through the great and precious promises in His Word.

Forget about those failures in the past! That’s what God has done (Hebrews 8:12). And if He doesn’t remember them any more, why should you?

The Bible says, “God’s mercies are new every morning.” So if you’ll take God at His Word, you can wake up every morning to a brand-new world. You can live life totally unhindered by the past.
So, do it! Replace thoughts of yesterday’s mistakes with scriptural promises about your future. As you do that, hope will start taking the place of depression. The spiritual aches and pains that have crippled you for so long will quickly disappear. Instead of looking behind you and saying, “I can’t,” you’ll begin to look ahead and say, “I can do all things through Christ which strengthens me!”

04/11/2026

April 7, 2026

Daily Inspiration: “Paul went in and prayed for him, and laying his hands on him, he healed him. Then all the other sick people on the island came and were healed.”
Acts 28:8–9, NLT

Topic: “Miracles Along the Way”

Friends, the Apostle Paul had God’s promise that he would stand before Caesar in Rome, but on the journey there he had to survive a huge storm, being shipwrecked, and being bitten by a venomous snake. The islanders witnessed Paul miraculously not being harmed by the poison. Then Paul prayed for the healing of the father of the leading official of the island as well as anyone else on the island who was sick. Not surprisingly, many of the islanders came to faith.

Sometimes God will take you on what feels like a detour on your way to your destiny. He said you’re going to Rome, but you find yourself on an island with a snake bite, thinking, “This doesn’t make sense.” But it’s not just about you; it’s about the people whom God wants you to impact. There are people who need your love and healing touch. There’s healing in your words. Sometimes we can get so caught up in our plans that we miss the miracles along the way. It’s a divine detour. As you help others, that’s a seed God will use to help you.

Lets Pray: “Father, thank You that the storms and shipwrecks I face today cannot stop Your plan for my life. Thank You that my purpose is firmly and securely in Your hands. I believe and declare that what seem like detours cannot defeat me and are pushing me into my destiny. In Jesus’ Name, Amen.”

04/07/2026

April 6, 2026

Daily Inspiration: “… that I may know Him and the power of His resurrection, and the fellowship of His sufferings, being conformed to His death.”
Philippians 3:10, NKJV

Topic: “The Fellowship of His Sufferings”

Friends, for Jesus to reach His destiny of the resurrection, He had to go through suffering in Gethsemane and the agony of the cross. The apostle Paul says that if we want to know the power of His resurrection, it involves enduring some suffering. You have to have a strong will, a made-up mind, a warrior mentality. “I will not give up and start complaining, blaming, doubting, or worrying. I know that on the other side of this suffering is the power of the resurrection.” On the other side, there’s healing, abundance, divine connections, new levels. The suffering is not permanent. It’s for a season. It’s designed for you to pass through it so you can come into the power, the fullness, the abundance that God has in store.

The fact that you feel distressed by adversity is a sign that a resurrection is coming, that you’re close to something amazing—doors opening that you never dreamed would open, the right people showing up, healing from what looks impossible. You keep doing the right thing when it’s hard, and you’re about to see the power of the resurrection.

Let’s Pray: “Father, thank You that You are with me through every season of suffering. Thank You that You can bring me through the difficulties better off than I was before they showed up. I believe that as I keep doing the right thing, I will experience victory. In Jesus’ name, Amen.

04/07/2026

April 5, 2026

Daily Inspiration: “Men of Galilee,” they said, “why do you stand here looking into the sky? This same Jesus, who has been taken from you into heaven, will come back in the same way you have seen him go into heaven.”
Acts 1:11, NIV

Topic: “The Ultimate Place of Victory”

Friends, it’s interesting that the last place Jesus appeared to His disciples before He ascended to heaven was the Mount of Olives. That’s where the Garden of Gethsemane is located. Forty days earlier, He spent the night in the garden in agony, in great distress, as He faced the coming suffering on the cross and death for our sins. Now He’s at that very place, but He’s victorious over death and the enemy, alive forevermore, with the keys of death and hell. He’s not suffering but reigning, not in agony but in victory, not in great distress but clothed with all power. All that suffering was a setup for a resurrection. It was all a part of God’s plan that would launch Jesus into His purpose.

You may go through some Gethsemanes, but like Jesus, you’re going to go back to that place with great victory, great favor, great courage. The enemy doesn’t have the final say. God does. He’s ordering your steps. In those times of pressure, keep reminding yourself that it’s a setup. That suffering is a sign that a resurrection is coming.

Lets Prayer: “Father, thank You that when the difficulties in my way look bigger, stronger, and more powerful than I can handle, You have the final word. Thank You that You turn what look like setbacks into setups and bring me through to great victory. I believe that You are bringing resurrections. In Jesus’ Name, Amen.”

04/05/2026

April 4, 2026

Daily Inspiration: “You, O Lord, are good and forgiving, full of mercy toward everyone who calls out to you.” Psalm 86:5 (GW)

Topic: “The Difference Mercy Makes”

This Easter season, we’ve been looking at God’s mercy and why you need it in your life. His mercy is something you can’t live without. And even though you don’t deserve it and can’t earn it, he always responds mercifully when you humbly pray, “God, I need your mercy in my life.”

The Bible says, “You, O Lord, are good and forgiving, full of mercy toward everyone who calls out to you” (Psalm 86:5 GW).
But you might be wondering, “What difference will God’s mercy really make in my life?”

Here are three things that happen when you ask God for mercy:

God forgives you and frees you. God’s forgiveness takes care of your past guilt. And his freedom gives you the power to change in the future. Many people struggle because they can’t let go of the past. But Jesus says, “The Lord has sent me to announce freedom for prisoners, to give sight to the blind, to free everyone who suffers” (Luke 4:18 CEV).
Maybe you’re a prisoner to envy or resentment. Maybe you’re held captive by worry or addiction. I have good news: Jesus didn’t come to judge you. He came to show you mercy! In fact, he said, “I did not come to judge the world, but to save the world" (John 12:47 NIV). James 2:13 says, “Mercy triumphs over judgment” (NIV). Yes, there will be a judgment day. But Jesus came to offer you mercy before that day comes.

God makes the impossible possible. Anytime you use the word “impossible,” listen for laughter from heaven—because “impossible” is not in God’s book. God can do things you can’t do. He has power and resources you’ve never dreamed of having. Jesus says, "What is impossible with man is possible with God" (Luke 18:27 NIV).
Why doesn’t God just take away all your problems? Because God uses tough times to grow your character. If you never had any problems, your persistence, determination, diligence, and patience would never have a chance to grow. God’s work in your life during hard times makes having these character traits possible.

God saves you for eternity. You were made by God to last forever, and he wants you in his forever family. But there’s one condition: You need to ask for mercy. The Living Bible paraphrase says, “Anyone who asks for mercy from the Lord shall have it and shall be saved” (Acts 2:21).

The reason we celebrate Easter is because Jesus said, “I am the resurrection and the life. Whoever believes in me, though he die, yet shall he live” (John 11:25 ESV). If Jesus had not risen from the dead, you would have no valid reason to believe that there is life after death in heaven. But because he raised himself, he can raise you.

When you accept the mercy of God, it truly makes all the difference in the world.

04/04/2026

April 4, 2026

The Lesson Of The Dogwood

Every year during the Springtime in the heart of the Easter season the Dogwood flower blossoms. The Dogwood reveals to us a most amazing story. The flower is in the shape of a cross it has blood red coloring in the areas of the head, hands, and feet the same places that Christ was pierced and crowned with a crown of thorns. A tree that was an instrument of death became the tree of life. From the center of the pedal comes what looks like a crown symbolizing the crown of thorns worn by our Savior. New life is bursting forth out of the agony of suffering from the crown of thorns to now a crown of glory. Through the agony and suffering of the cross follows a resurrection. There is much to learn from this beautiful pedal, God lovingly reminds us every year how much He loves us. Through what Jesus accomplished for us through all His suffering and the glory of His resurrection we can have new life when we have faith in Him and his gift of eternal life.

04/03/2026

April 3, 2026

Daily Devotion: “He Himself has said, “I will never leave you nor forsake you.” Heb 13:5
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Topic: “God Will Never Turn His Back on You”

For six whole hours, the Son of God was suspended between heaven and earth. And at the height of His suffering on the cross, He cried out in the deep darkness, “My God, My God, why have You forsaken Me?” (Matt. 27:45–46).

For the first time, Jesus addressed His Father as “God.” The Father had forsaken the Son. As Judge of the universe, God had to turn His back on His Son, who was carrying the filth of the world’s sins, for His eyes are too pure to behold evil (Hab. 1:13).

If the Father had not turned His back on His Son, He would have to turn His back on you today when you call out to Him in your hour of need. But because Jesus has taken your place, today, you take His place, and you have God’s face smiling on you always!
Right now, God’s face is smiling on you. His countenance is shining on you. I can stand before you and declare, “The Lord make His face shine upon you” (Num. 6:25–26). And it is all because Jesus has paid the price for God to never leave you nor forsake you (Heb. 13:5).

As Judge, God turned His back on His Son. But as Father, He cried. His heart was broken because Christ was never more pleasing to Him than when He was on the cross. Christ’s suffering was a sweet-smelling aroma to the Father (Eph. 5:2).

Do you remember what Jesus said? “Therefore My Father loves Me, because I lay down My life that I may take it again” (John 10:17). If you are a parent, you love each one of your children equally. But when one of them does something special for you out of love, it touches your heart and you just want to run to him/her and hug him/her. That was what happened at the cross, except that the Father could not embrace His Son. Instead, He had to turn His back on His Son because our sins had to be punished in His Son’s body.

Beloved, when you cry out to the Father for help today, know that He hears you and will surely help you. Because of Jesus, He will never turn His back on you!

04/02/2026

April 2, 2026

Daily Inspiration:

What Happened On Maundy Thursday?

Maundy Thursday marks the beginning of the most solemn hours of Holy Week. The word “Maundy” comes from the Latin word mandatum, meaning “command,” “mandate” and refers to the new commandment Jesus gave His disciples: to love one another as He had loved them (John 13:34). On this night, Jesus demonstrated the depth of His love through humble service, instituted the Lord’s Supper, and submitted to the Father’s will in the Garden of Gethsemane. It was a night of profound love, sacrifice, and submission, setting the stage for the events of Good Friday.

Preparation for the Passover: On the first day of the Festival of Unleavened Bread, Jesus sent Peter and John to prepare the Passover meal. He gave them specific instructions: “Go into the city to a certain man and tell him, ‘The Teacher says: My appointed time is near. I am going to celebrate the Passover with my disciples at your house’” (Matthew 26:18). The disciples found everything just as Jesus had said, and they prepared the meal.

This moment highlights Jesus’ foreknowledge and His intentionality in orchestrating the events of His final hours. The Passover meal, commemorating Israel’s deliverance from Egypt, would now take on new meaning as Jesus prepared to offer Himself as the ultimate Passover Lamb, delivering humanity from sin and death.

The Last Supper: That evening, Jesus and His disciples gathered in the upper room to share the Passover meal. During the meal, Jesus revealed that one of them would betray Him. The disciples were deeply troubled and began to ask, “Surely you don’t mean me, Lord?” Jesus identified Judas as the betrayer, though the other disciples did not fully understand what was happening.

Then, Jesus took the bread, gave thanks, and broke it, saying, “This is my body, given for you; do this in remembrance of me.” In the same way, He took the cup, saying, “This cup is the new covenant in my blood, which is poured out for you”. With these words, Jesus instituted the Lord’s Supper, transforming the Passover meal into a lasting sacrament that would remind His followers of His sacrifice and unite them in His love.

The Last Supper was not only a moment of deep intimacy between Jesus and His disciples but also a foreshadowing of the sacrifice He was about to make. It reminds us of the cost of our redemption and calls us to approach the Lord’s Table with gratitude, humility, and reverence.

The Prayer in the Garden of Gethsemane: After the meal, Jesus and His disciples went to the Garden of Gethsemane, where He asked them to keep watch and pray while He went a short distance away to pray alone. In agony, Jesus prayed, “My Father, if it is possible, may this cup be taken from me. Yet not as I will, but as you will”. His prayer reveals both His humanity and His perfect submission to the Father’s will.

Meanwhile, the disciples, overcome with exhaustion, fell asleep. Jesus returned to them three times, asking and encouraging them to stay awake and pray, but each time they failed. Despite their weakness, Jesus remained steadfast, fully surrendering to the Father’s plan.

This scene in the Garden of Gethsemane is one of the most poignant moments in the Gospels. It shows us the depth of Jesus’ love and His willingness to endure unimaginable suffering for our sake. It also challenges us to develop a deeper commitment to prayer and to trust God’s purposes, even in the face of fear and uncertainty.

The Betrayal and Arrest of Jesus: As Jesus finished praying, Judas arrived with a crowd armed with swords and clubs, sent by the chief priests and elders. Judas approached Jesus and betrayed Him with a kiss, the prearranged signal to identify Him. Jesus responded with calm authority, saying, “Friend, do what you came for”.

When the crowd seized Jesus, one of His disciples drew a sword and struck the servant of the high priest, cutting off his ear. But Jesus rebuked him, saying, “Put your sword back in its place, for all who draw the sword will die by the sword”. He then healed the servant’s ear, demonstrating His commitment to peace even in the face of violence.

Jesus willingly allowed Himself to be arrested, knowing that this was the fulfillment of Scripture and the Father’s plan. His calm surrender stands in stark contrast to the chaos around Him, showing His unwavering trust in God’s purposes.

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Maundy Thursday is a night of profound contrasts. It is a night of love, as Jesus washed His disciples’ feet, shared the Passover meal with them, and gave them a new commandment: “Love one another. As I have loved you, so you must love one another” (John 13:34). It is also a night of sorrow, as Jesus faced betrayal, abandonment, and the weight of the cross that lay ahead.

But it is also a night of betrayal, violence, failure, and sorrow.

Scriptures:
Preparation for the Passover: Matthew 26:17–19; Mark 14:12–16; Luke 22:7–13
The Last Supper; Institution of the Lord’s Supper: Matthew 26:20–30; Mark 14:17–26; Luke 22:14–30; 1 Corinthians 11:23–26
Washing of the disciples’ feet: John 13:1–17
Prediction of betrayal and Peter’s denial: Matthew 26:21–25, 31–35; Mark 14:18–21, 27–31; Luke 22:21–23, 31–34; John 13:21–38
High Priestly Prayer: John 17
Gethsemane prayer: Matthew 26:36–46; Mark 14:32–42; Luke 22:39–46
Arrest of Jesus: Matthew 26:47–56; Mark 14:43–50; Luke 22:47–53; John 18:1–11
Trial before Annas and Caiaphas: Matthew 26:57–68; Mark 14:53–65; Luke 22:54–71; John 18:12–24
Peter’s denial: Matthew 26:69–75; Mark 14:66–72; Luke 22:54–62; John 18:15–18, 25–27
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A Meditation: The Way Jesus Comes to Mind

“Do this in remembrance of me.”
Luke 22:19

Let’s Pray: “Almighty Father, whose dear Son,
on the night before He suffered, instituted the Sacrament of His Body and Blood: Mercifully grant that we may receive it thankfully in remembrance of Jesus Christ our Lord, who in these holy mysteries gives us a pledge of eternal life; and who now lives and reigns with You
and the Holy Spirit, one God, for ever and ever. In Jesus’ Name, Amen.

What is Maundy Thursday / Holy Thursday? Why did Jesus wash the feet of His disciples? What happened on the Thursday of Passion Week / Holy Week?