Prayers Devotionals

"For to him that is joined to all the living there is hope: for a living dog is better than a dead lion" — Ecclesiastes 9:4 Life is a precious thing, and in its humblest form it is superior to death. This truth is eminently certain in spiritual things. It is better to be the least in the kingdom of heaven than the greatest out of it. The lowest degree of grace is superior to the noblest development of unregenerate nature. Where the Holy Ghost implants divine life in the soul, there is a precious deposit which none of the refinements of education can equal. The thief on the cross excels Caesar on his throne; Lazarus among the dogs is better than Cicero among the senators; and the most unlettered Christian is in the sight of God superior to Plato. Life is the badge of nobility in the realm of spiritual things, and men without it are only coarser or finer specimens of the same lifeless material, needing to be quickened, for they are dead in trespasses and sins. A living, loving,...

Psalm 23:2-4 2 He maketh me to lie down in green pastures: He leadeth me beside the still waters. 3 He restoreth my soul: He leadeth me in the paths of righteousness for his name's sake. 4 Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil: for thou art with me; Thy rod and thy staff they comfort me.

Come needy, come guilty, come loathsome and bare; You can't come too filthy-come just as you are. C.H.S.

Come To Me  Matthew 11:28  https://biblehub.com/parallel/matthew/11-28.htm Proverbs 3:24  https://biblehub.com/parallel/proverbs/3-24.htm

Groaning's Too Deep For Words When I am at a loss for words, and prayers aren’t bubbling up to the surface, I sit in silence. I let the stillness of the moment wash over me and I feel the weight of your presence. 'In the same way the Spirit also helps us in our weakness, because we do not know what to pray for as we should, but the Spirit himself intercedes for us with inexpressible groanings. ' Romans 8:26

RESTORING RIGHTEOUSNESS I’ve heard it said that Christians are not perfect, only forgiven. It is true. Because we are not perfect, we all sometimes need help. In Galatians 2:11–21, Paul describes a time when he confronted Peter (called Cephas) about his hypocritical behavior toward Gentile Christians. Even spiritual giants need correction. If someone is caught in a sin, you who live by the Spirit should restore that person gently. GALATIANS 6:1 In today’s passage, Paul offers guidance for restoring a Christian who was “caught in a sin” (v. 1). The Greek text implies someone who was taken by surprise. It may suggest that the person being corrected did not yet recognize that what they were doing was a sin. Before they could be restored, someone had to point out the problem. Helping others be accountable is one aspect of the church’s larger obligation to “carry each other’s burdens” (v. 2). This is not a matter of Christians policing one another. It is about showing love. However, we shou...

The Blessing of Brokenness We've all seen restored furniture. Restoring furniture involves stripping away old varnish or paint with strong chemicals. This reveals all the nooks, crannies and original spots on the piece. The sanding takes place next - the wood is rubbed with coarse sandpaper in order to level out its imperfections. Then the furniture is ready to receive a new stain or paint color - it's ready for a new look. New glory can be given to old furniture. And God can do the same thing with us. He can put new glory inside an old life, but He must first strip away our old nature and sand away our sinful strongholds. We shouldn't run from being broken. It's not pleasant or happy, but it will produce a better life. Brokenness is a blessing because it puts us on the road to a breakthrough. Jesus said, "Blessed are the poor in spirit" (Matthew 5:3) Those who are spiritually broken will be blessed because they will see God and experience His reality flowing ...

From Ordinary to Great Acts 4:13 Anyone who studies God's ways soon realizes they are quite different from man's. Worldly wisdom says that extraordinary people and abundant resources are needed for great tasks, yet the Lord often chooses the small and insignificant to achieve His purposes on earth. For example, Christ selected a rather unimpressive group of men as disciples, yet after being filled with the Spirit, they "turned the world upside down." During His ministry on earth, Jesus fed thousands with a child's meager lunch, and He viewed the widow's two small coins as a greater offering than all the other generous donations (John 6:5-12; Luke 21:2-3). God specializes in using people who aren't naturally qualified to accomplish His tasks. Moses was a verbally impaired 80-year-old shepherd who liberated a nation. After Gideon hid from the enemy, God made him a valiant warrior. David was the overlooked youngest son who killed a giant with a small stone an...

 

 'As for me, I will call upon God; And the LORD shall save me. Evening, and morning, and at noon, will I pray, and cry aloud: And he shall hear my voice. '  Psalm 55:16-17

Nothing Can Separate Your love for me is constant, and nothing can take that away. God, grant me the confidence to believe and the perseverance to hang on to this unchangeable truth. https://youtu.be/sTBUnrWqw5Y?list=PLDMfNaLBx1vVYz2EPeKX2tEkG1dW3RTjH

The next time you feel like treating someone like garbage. Remember God loves to recycle! https://wonderfullymade.org/god-loves-to-recycle/

 " My hope lives not because I am not a sinner, but because I am a sinner for whom Christ died; my trust is not that I am holy, but that being unholy, He is my righteousness. My faith rests not upon what I am, or shall be, or feel, or know, but in what Christ is, in what He has done, and in what He is now doing for me. On the lion of justice the fair maid of hope rides like a queen.

HEBREWS 6:1 The Christian faith has basics too. The author of Hebrews mentions a few of them in verses 1–2: repentance, faith, the resurrection of the dead, and eternal judgment. A couple of the items may not seem that basic. Why does he mean by “cleansing rites” and “laying on of hands”? The Greek term translated cleansing rites is the word for baptism, but in the plural. The writer may be referring to water baptism and the baptism in the Holy Spirit. Or perhaps he is speaking of cleansing from sin. The practice of laying on of hands was associated with the ministry of the Holy Spirit (Acts 8:18). In general, these fundamentals have to do with salvation by faith in Christ and the role of the Holy Spirit in the believer’s life. Verses 4–8 have troubled many readers. But their warning about the danger of turning away from these basic truths is meant to disturb. He seems to be describing the marks of false faith. A lack of spiritual progress is a cause for concern. The fact that we have ...

Where Our Focus Should Be “So when the apostles were with Jesus, they kept asking him, ‘Lord, has the time come for you to free Israel and restore our kingdom?’” (Acts 1:6 NLT) After His resurrection, Jesus said to His disciples, “But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes upon you. And you will be my witnesses, telling people about me everywhere—in Jerusalem, throughout Judea, in Samaria, and to the ends of the earth” (Acts 1:8 NLT). This statement was prompted by the following question from the disciples: “Lord, has the time come for you to free Israel and restore our kingdom?” (verse 6 NLT). The disciples thought that the Messiah, Jesus, had come to establish the Kingdom of God on Earth. This was why it seemed like a mistake when He was crucified. But as the Scriptures foretold, the Messiah would come first to suffer and die for the sins of the world. Then He would return to Earth and establish His Kingdom therein. Jesus told them, “The Father alone has the authority to s...

  When You Want to Throw a Red Flag Out on God (Romans 8:32, Psalms 12)  When a head coach on an NFL team perceives that the referee has made a wrong call, awarding a key play to the opposition, he throws out a red flag. This red flag signals that the referee needs to review the play again. Obviously the coach believes that the referee has made a mistake. There are times in our lives, especially when we are caught between a rock and a hard place, when we want to throw a red flag out on God. We want to stop the game and throw down the red flag because it looks like God has made a wrong call. It looks like He has missed something. It looks like He didn't know what He was doing because if He did, He wouldn't have called things that way. We think thoughts like - If God had known how this was going to affect me, He wouldn't have allowed that thing to happen. If He had really known the pain that I was going to have to go through in dealing with this, then He would have made a dif...

Warnings Against Laziness One of the most toxic and dangerous attitudes in many parts of the world today is the spirit of entitlement. People have come to believe the lie that others—whether it’s the state or some more local institution—owe them. They believe they are entitled to have every benefit for nothing. They expect regular income, housing, food, medical care, and other necessities of life even though they make absolutely no contribution in return for them. Now, there are cases where a person must have benefits for which they cannot directly and actively contribute. In such cases there must be provision. Throughout the book of Proverbs, Solomon talks about the importance of championing the causes of those who cannot speak or act for themselves. This is the character of God, who loves justice and hates it when the poor are disempowered. But others become lazy and expect everything for nothing. To them, Solomon has some stern words of wisdom and warning: If you don’t plant seeds i...

  Parents often worry about the effect peer pressure will have on their children. At some point, nearly every child has explained their behavior by shifting the blame to others: “But they told me to do it!” Their parents will often respond, “If someone told you to jump off a cliff, would you do that too?” If we were honest, answer might be “yes.” In 1 Corinthians 15:33, Paul warns: “Bad company corrupts good character.” (Here Paul was quoting a Greek playwright Menander). Avoid godless chatter, because those who indulge in it will become more and more ungodly. 2 TIMOTHY 2:16 The apostle Paul applies the same principle in today’s passage. In verse 14, Paul urges Timothy to warn God’s people “against quarreling about words.” In verse 16 he further describes this kind of speech as “godless chatter.” It’s not only the behavior of others that can influence us but also their words. Like bad company, bad teaching also corrupts. To clarify the kind of teaching he has in mind, the apostle o...

2 Timothy Our experience of God’s grace is further strengthened by practice. Paul offers three analogies in verses 3–7 to show what he means. A Christian who remains strong in grace is like a soldier, an athlete, and a farmer. The athlete must compete according to the rules to win. The soldier must stay free from civilian entanglements to be available to those in command. The farmer plants to reap a harvest. These illustrations underscore the need for our Christian practice to be marked by obedience, discipline, and hope. Paul’s analogy of the farmer may also imply that, since Timothy’s message promises grace, his life should also show evidence of the strength of that grace. Allegiance to Christ often brings difficulties (vv. 9–10). Paul was willing to endure such things so that others might know this grace. Verses 11–13 contain a poem that helped the early Christians remember what they believed. This is an excellent passage to commit to memory. Spend the next few days reading those ve...

Satan's Strategy When Satan sifts believers, his goal is to damage our faith so much that we're useless to God. He wants us shelved far from the action of the Lord's kingdom. Therefore, he goes for our strengths—the areas where we believe ourselves to be invincible, or at least very well protected. And when the Devil succeeds, we are disappointed and demoralized. But we don't have to stay that way. If we are willing, God can use failure to do spiritual housecleaning. Peter laid down his pride and instead put on the Holy Spirit's courage. Thereafter, he risked humiliation, persecution, and death to proclaim the gospel. Failure was the catalyst that brought forth greater faith and true servanthood. On the Enemy "The Devil often transforms himself into an angel to tempt men, some for their instruction, some for their ruin." —Augustine of Hippo "The deceit, the lie of the Devil consists of this, that he wishes to make man believe that he can live without ...

Man does not come to know God through works—he comes to know God by faith through grace. You cannot work your way toward happiness and heaven, you cannot moralize your way, you cannot reform your way, you cannot buy your way. It comes as a gift of God through Christ. B.G.

What are you depending on for righteousness? Paul says that anything other than Christ is garbage. Let it go! Only Jesus can make you righteous. He alone can give you victory over sin.

Have you ever noticed the overwhelming infatuation with angels? Just walk into any Christian bookstore, and you will find countless books dealing with angelic beings. Just turn on any TV network, and there will be numerous TV shows and movies centered around the supernatural. There is nothing wrong with wanting to learn more about angels, but we must be careful not to let our curiosity turn into the worship of them.  This is what happened to some of believers in the book of Hebrews. Some were falling away to angel worship because the strong role angels played in the Old Testament. They worshipped angels because of their role in bearing and revealing God’s Word. They thought that by worshipping angelic figures, they might draw on their power and protection, and the angels might carry their requests directly to God. Yet, in doing so they mistakenly placed a messenger in a place of honor that should only be occupied by God Himself. Worshipping angels equates to idol worship, and it di...

 “I would rather be comfortable with my Bible and uncomfortable with my theology, than comfortable with my theology and uncomfortable with the Bible.” Theology is a very good thing—as long as it is true to Scripture, and helps us understand it, and see it in its fuller picture. When theology replaces Scripture’s authority, and ends up obscuring Scripture and causing us to reinterpret it rather than accept it, that’s when it interferes with rather than illuminates God’s sacred. May we read Scripture and believe it, not explaining away what doesn’t fit our theology, but stretching our theology to embrace the full breadth of God’s revealed truth. Unknown

For a Christian to be labeled as self-righteous, this would mean they are defining their faith not in God, nor His Word, but themselves. “And do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, that you may prove what is that good and acceptable and perfect will of God.” (Romans 12:2) God has nothing to say to the self-righteous. ~ Dwight L. Moody. The Bible makes it clear that self-righteousness is the premier enemy of the Gospel. ~ Tullian Tchividjian. We are all naturally self-righteous. It is the family disease of all the children of Adam. ~ J. C. Ryle. The greatest enemy to human souls is the self-righteous spirit which makes men look to themselves for salvation. ~ Charles Spurgeon. The self-sufficient does not pray, the self-satisfied will not pray, the self-righteous cannot pray. No man is greater than his prayer life. ~ Leonard Ravenhill. Thankfully, while our self-righteousness reaches far, God’s grace reaches farther. ~ Tullian Tchividjian. The...

self-righteous : convinced of one's own righteousness especially in contrast with the actions and beliefs of others : narrow-mindedly moralistic. The Bible defines self-righteousness as relying on one’s own merits or righteousness as the grounds for their salvation and the reason for God to save them. The Bible teaches the exact opposite of this in many places, Ephesians 2:8 for example, “ For by grace you have been saved through faith, and that not of yourselves; it is the gift of God. ” The dictionary definition of self-righteousness is “confidence in one’s own righteousness, especially when smugly moralistic and intolerant of the opinions and behavior of others.” Biblically speaking, self-righteousness, which is related to legalism, is the idea that we can somehow generate within ourselves a righteousness that will be acceptable to God (Romans 3:10). Although any serious Christian would recognize the error of this thought, because of our sin nature, it is a constant temptation t...

Richest Food For Our Soul One quote about food says "One cannot think well, love well, sleep well, if one has not dined well." Our physical body cannot survive without food after a number of days. When we are hungry and see food at the table, we will not just look at it without any desire to eat it. Our spiritual body is the same. We need to eat spiritual food, which is the word of God. Many have a Bible at home, or in the office, that they see but not read. Jesus said you cannot live with bread alone, but you also need my words as daily bread. Without reading God's word, how can your soul be satisfied? Prayer: Heavenly Father, stir up our deepest hunger for your word. We want more spiritual food to satisfy our souls. In Jesus’ Name, Amen.

 Some people think that gaining God’s forgiveness will happen because of something we say or do. But that is not true. Receiving forgiveness does not depend on us, but only upon Jesus Christ. God alone can forgive sins, and this is a subtle reminder that Jesus is God in the flesh . God does not simply close His eyes to our sin or lower His standard when we confess. Instead, God can forgive us because Jesus satisfied all the demands of righteousness and paid the penalty for sin with His own blood. In this way, God is both “just and the one who justifies those who have faith in Jesus” (Rom. 3:26). Don’t wait for sins to stack up before you confess them. As soon as a sin comes to mind, admit your guilt and ask God to forgive you because of what Jesus Christ has done. You do not need a long and elaborate prayer. It is enough for you to say, “God forgive me for Jesus’ sake.”  If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins. 1 JOHN 1:9 Dr.J.K.

 Perhaps his most well-known quote is, "When God wants to do an impossible task, he takes an impossible man, and he crushes him." [1] Other notable quotes are; "The conversion of a soul is the miracle of a moment, but the manufacture of a saint is the task of a lifetime." "The Christian life doesn't get easier as one gets older." Alan Redpath

God's Wild Ride (1 John 1, Psalms 4) When my wife, Lois, and I started dating, I came up with a strategy to encourage her to fall more in love with me. She was a lot in love with me from the beginning, but I wanted to increase that. What I decided to do was to take her to the amusement park. Once we had wandered around the amusement park for a while, and had enjoyed some of the games and food, I coolly asked her if she wanted to ride the Wild Mouse. Lois had never been on the Wild Mouse ride before. But I had. I knew how wild the Wild Mouse really was. She didn't have any idea because it looked like an innocent ride. I knew Lois' personality and that going on the Wild Mouse would be a tough situation for her. But I hadn't told her that. I had only mentioned that we should go on a nice ride together. So we got on the Wild Mouse. The thing began to shoot out making it seem like our small car was going to fly right off of the edge of the track. Lois screamed. Then she scoo...

 We are sometimes reluctant to confess our sins to God because it makes us feel like a failure. In reality, confession is an expression of faith. When we confess, we will find that the Lord’s “ unfailing love surrounds the one who trusts in him ”  

Praying Is Far Better Than Complaining In a difficult time or crisis, some complain about others and some blame their self-inflicted mistakes. We should make a determined effort to pray instead of complaining. When we cry out to God with total surrender and humility, desperately depending on His source and power only, God will answer our prayers, just like how He gave victory to King David when he cried out or when Jesus calmed the sea when His disciples cried out in the storm. Prayer: Abba Father, thank you for giving us a privilege of praying to you directly and help us to not always ask you for things, but be able to hear from you and pray for those in need and the lost. In Jesus’ Name, Amen.

The Judgment Every Christian is answerable to Jesus for how he or she lived life. We will not stand before the Great White Throne of Revelation 20:11--that is where unbelievers will be judged. Instead, we will go before Christ's judgment seat and give an account of ourselves. What we'll be judged on is the quality of our work. God has given every believer an individual purpose, along with the personality, talents, and spiritual gifts needed to fulfill it. The question that will be answered at Christ's judgment seat is, Did I live out my purpose to honor and glorify God? C.S.

Jesus’ command to watch and pray indicates that prayer is an effective strategy for dealing with temptation.  Prayer can redirect our attention from our sinful desire to God. Those who pray call upon the Holy Spirit for the strength to resist.  DR. J.K.

Good Works Numerous Heresies Hmm let us see here: Will good works get you into heaven? Good works will not get us into heaven, as the Bible specifically tells us that we can only be saved by grace through our faith in Jesus Christ. But being willing to do good works for the Lord in this life will bring us certain types of rewards as you will see in the Scripture verses. What does the Bible say about to be saved? The Bible says that we are saved by grace through faith and that is not of ourselves. We are admonished, “Believe in the Lord Jesus Christ and you should be saved” . The Bible also commands baptism, but baptism does not save us from sin. Communion cannot save. It is not even our faith that saves, only Jesus saves. What does it mean to be 'saved' in the Bible? To be saved means that the Lord Jesus Christ has rescued us from God’s wrath and judgment. I realize that the idea of God’s wrath and judgment are not popular in our day. Our culture would rather believe in a God o...

The High Cost of Unforgiveness I know this is hard to hear and do but if it's all about mental health these days as they say, then follow this. “Get rid of all bitterness, rage, anger, harsh words, and slander, as well as all types of evil behavior. Instead, be kind to each other, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, just as God through Christ has forgiven you.” (Ephesians 4:31-32  https://biblehub.com/parallel/ephesians/4-31.htm https://biblehub.com/parallel/ephesians/4-32.htm Studies suggest that those who don’t forgive are more likely to experience high blood pressure, bouts of depression, and problems with anger, stress, and anxiety. When we forgive others, we’re not letting them off the hook. Rather, we’re avoiding misery in our own lives.  Forgive. Don’t live in a self-imposed prison of anger, bitterness, and resentment, which can ruin your life. As wise reverends said it enough, Let It Go! When you forgive someone, you set a prisoner free: YOURSELF!

 “No man knows how bad he is till he has tried very hard to be good,” author and theologian C. S. Lewis observed. Temptation is a common experience for all Christians. Being dead to sin does not mean the impulse to sin has died within us. The question is not whether we will be tempted someday but when we will be tempted and how we will respond. Blessed is the one who perseveres under trial. JAMES 1:12  https://biblehub.com/parallel/james/1-12.htm

  Can a murderer follow Jesus? How about a thief? The answer is yes. We can all be thankful that our past does not determine what we can become in Christ. Paul rejoiced because Jesus considered him “trustworthy” and appointed him as His messenger. But this was not because of Paul’s past. Prior to Paul’s conversion, he had been a blasphemer, persecutor, and a violent man (v. 13). The Greek term that the NIV translates violent is a word that means to be insolent or aggressive. Acts 8:3 says he “began to destroy the church.” Paul’s behavior toward Christians prior to his faith in Christ amounted to murder. All Christians have sins in their past, and often these include serious sins. In 1 Corinthians 6:9–10, Paul warns that those who are sexually immoral, idolaters, adulterers, homosexuals, thieves, the greedy, drunkards, slanderers, and swindlers will not inherit the kingdom of God. Yet in the next verse he declares: “And that is what some of you were. But you were washed, you were sa...

False teachers who craftily and industriously hunt for the precious life, devouring men by their false-hoods, are as dangerous and detestable as evening wolves. Darkness is their element, deceit is their character, destruction is their end. We are most in danger from them when they wear the sheep's skin. Blessed is he who is kept from them, for thousands are made the prey of grievous wolves that enter within the fold of the church. What a wonder of grace it is when fierce persecutors are converted, for then the wolf dwells with the lamb, and men of cruel ungovernable dispositions become gentle and teachable. O Lord, convert many such: for such we will pray to-night. C.H.S.

Character over Charisma “Joyful are people of integrity, who follow the instructions of the Lord.” (Psalm 119:1 NLT) There are people who cheat, lie, steal, and cut corners, yet they seem to get away with it. Maybe you’ve thought, “Why shouldn’t I do that? Why should I play by the rules?” Here’s why: In the end, those people will reap what they sow. The Bible tells us, “Do not be deceived, God is not mocked; for whatever a man sows, that he will also reap” (Galatians 6:7 NKJV). The longer I live, the more impressed I am with character over charisma. I’ve seen a lot of preachers with dynamic personalities flame out because they didn’t seek to maintain honesty and integrity. The psalmist David wrote, “I will be careful to live a blameless life—when will you come to help me? I will lead a life of integrity in my own home” (Psalm 101:2 NLT). And in Psalm 119:1 we read, “Joyful are people of integrity, who follow the instructions of the Lord” (NLT). The great evangelist D. L. Moody said, “I...

The Faithful Friend’s Function Have you ever had a friend point out a piece of breakfast lodged in your teeth, or a bit of tissue stuck to your face? How did you respond? Did your face turn blood red, your knuckles swell, and anger course through your veins? Of course not! You likely grabbed your pocket floss and thanked them for their kindness. But what about a slightly more serious confrontation? Have you ever had a friend call you out when your “venting” turned quickly into gossiping? Have you ever had a friend call you to repentance for some long-held bitterness? Have you ever had a friend stop you mid-sentence, and lovingly tell you to get some time with your Creator? The book of Proverbs talks about the value of this exact type of friend. “Iron sharpens iron, and one man sharpens another” (Proverbs 27:17). In the ancient context of these words, this wasn’t a pretty process. Sparks would be flying, sweat would be covering the laborer, and the instrument receiving the sharpening wo...

FALSE FREEDOM In today’s culture, no area of freedom seems quite as important as that of our physical bodies. People argue for abortion rights, the legalization of marijuana and other drugs, various changing views of sexuality, and even euthanasia. They reason that if this is my body, I should be able to do whatever I want with it. You were bought at a price. Therefore honor God with your bodies. 1 CORINTHIANS 6:20 The Corinthian culture in Paul’s day seemed to have a similar view. Their slogan was “I have the right to do anything” (1 Cor. 6:12). Like us, they misinterpreted Paul’s teaching that the Law no longer binds those who are in Christ. The apostle clarified that the freedom of the Christian does not mean we can do anything we want. In fact, even some things that might be allowable can become a source of bondage. The Corinthian’s view of freedom was also shaped by a philosophical view that considered the physical body spiritually unimportant. This view valued the spirit, but the...

Every Tribe And Tongue And Nation It is said that the ground at the foot of the cross is level - there are no favorites for God - all are equal and all can come to the cross in faith for salvation. And that is why heaven will be populated by all - rich and poor, white and black, from every tribe, tongue and people. The work of the cross is available to all. Prayer: Lord God, we thank you for the salvation we have in Jesus Christ and we thank you that this is freely available to all - irrespective of our backgrounds, our ethnicity, our talents, our position in society. Thank you that you truly love each one of us. We praise and worship you for this. In Jesus’ Name, Amen. Let Every Nation https://sirteddy.com/Let-Every-Nation.mp3

  Trust and Obey Joshua 6:1-5 One of my favorite songs is "Trust and Obey" because it sums up God's purpose for our lives. When we practice these two commands, a beautiful cycle begins. Trusting the Lord makes obedience easier, and obedience produces ever-increasing trust. Can you recall facing a challenge that was difficult or perplexing? If so, you know how important these two commands are. When the Lord calls you to a task that seems unreasonable, you have two options. You can obey Him even though you don't understand what will happen, or you can become fearful and attempt to find a way out. Joshua chose the first option. Because he trusted the Lord, he disregarded all his military experience and adopted God's bizarre battle plan. Over the years, he had learned that the Lord is trustworthy. The way we respond to God's challenging assignments reveals our level of commitment. We may feel as if we're right in step with Him--until He proposes a change of di...

So the question is and always has been what is life? So with all the hate in the world today what is life really worth, can you answer that? There is only one thing that has kept some of us going for all these years and that is FAITH!  There is a time like right now that you can set back and just watch what is going on and wonder "why" but nobody has all the answers but the Bible does so you just have to go One Day At A Time.  Some people don't believe in religion and that's their choice but wouldn't it be easier to believe in something than nothing at all? P.S. it's a personal relationship with Jesus Christ our Lord and Savior.   Were not perfect and we for one don't want to be, you know what stress is like, but we strive to be like Jesus but we learn from our mistakes and errors.  We have wronged and been wronged but you have to ask for forgiveness and live. This is what we try to do every day but life can get you down and in some dark places but in some...

 It is not the word preached, nor the word read in itself; all quickening power proceeds from the Holy Ghost.  No sin, no corruption, no devils in hell nor sinners upon earth, can stay the hand of God's grace when it intends to convert a man. If God omnipotently says, "Thou shalt," man shall not say, "I will not."So there is great glory to God in the conversion of every sinner. What a blessing to be quickened together with Christ! C.H.S.

You, my brothers and sisters, were called to be free.  GALATIANS 5:13  https://biblehub.com/parallel/galatians/5-13.htm Your decision illustrates a common assumption about freedom. Most of us think of freedom as the liberty to do as we please. Today’s passage describes another dimension of freedom. It is the liberty not to do something that we might otherwise do. The freedom to which Paul refers to in verse 13 is freedom from the Law, something he describes as “a yoke of slavery” in verse 1. Although Christ has freed the believer from the bondage of the Law, that does not mean we are free to do anything. This freedom is not an excuse to “indulge the flesh” (v. 13). Flesh in this verse does not refer to the skin that covers our bodies, but the part of our nature that is opposed to God. The natural inclination of our flesh and the presence of God often result in an internal conflict (v. 17). The freedom Paul celebrates in today’s passage is the ability to choose the way of the S...

Stop Worrying and Start Praying “So, don’t worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will bring its own worries. Today’s trouble is enough for today.” (Matthew 6:34 NLT) Worry can ruin your day. It can ruin your week. It can ruin your month. Actually, worry can ruin your life. The root word of “worry” means “to choke” or “to strangle.” When my grand-kids were much younger, they liked to come up and choke me from behind. They thought it was cute and fun, and it was okay because they were small. They weren’t hurting me. Worry, however, does hurt us. It chokes us out. That’s why we need to stop worrying and start praying. I realize that we all have things in life to worry about, but I’m reminded of the words of the apostle Paul: “Don’t worry about anything; instead, pray about everything. Tell God what you need, and thank him for all he has done. Then you will experience God’s peace, which exceeds anything we can understand. His peace will guard your hearts and minds as you live in Christ Je...

Prayer: Father, thank you for creating me for relationship. Thank you for the friends you’ve placed in my life who have pointed me and sometimes carried me to your Son. Please show me this week, through your word, how to be the friend that you desire me to be. Who You Have & Who You Are As God was creating, He gave each creation a stamp of approval. Plants and flowers: good. Night and day: good. Living creatures (maybe specifically dogs): good! But when God created man and found Him alone, He said something different, “it is not good that the man should be alone” (Genesis 2:18). From our very origin, we were made for relationship. Who are your closest friends? The book of Proverbs describes the ideal friends: those who celebrate with you when life is good, mourn with you when it isn’t, and stick around through all of the in-between. If what God’s word says here is true, then we will greatly benefit from both having this kind of friend and being this kind of friend.  Unfortunate...

Where Will You Hide? Jesus is coming again - but this time to judge and to rule. This is also the time for the punishment of the sinful - those walking in relationship with Christ have nothing to fear. But others do have to fear - it does not matter if a person is powerful or rich - it is not those things that bring safety but only the blood of Jesus. As an old American spiritual saying goes - "O sinner man, where will you run to, all on that day." Prayer: Heavenly Father, we thank you that in Christ we have forgiveness of sins and the righteousness of Christ. We do not need to fear your wrath. We are therefore secure in you when you display your wrath on sinful man. It is true that at that time, wealth and position are not going to protect but only the blood of Jesus. We thank you for your Son and the salvation we have in Him. In Jesus’ Name, Amen.

Read It. Memorize It. Treasure It. “They are like trees planted along the riverbank, bearing fruit each season. Their leaves never wither, and they prosper in all they do.” (Psalm 1:3 NLT) Sometimes, as Christians grow in their faith, they think they no longer need to read the Bible as much as they used to. But that isn’t true. We need to read the Bible every day. We should start the day with it. We should end the day with it. Psalm 1 tells us, “Oh, the joys of those who do not follow the advice of the wicked, or stand around with sinners, or join in with mockers. But they delight in the law of the Lord, meditating on it day and night” (verses 1–2 NLT ). The psalmist goes on to say, “They are like trees planted along the riverbank, bearing fruit each season. Their leaves never wither, and they prosper in all they do” (verse 3 NLT ). If you want to be a happy person, read the Word of God. Meditate on it. In Eastern meditation, people seek to empty their minds. But in biblical meditation...

SEEDS and SOIL Luke 8:4-15 Human hearts are like soil. Things grow there - thoughts, ideas, and attitudes. Some of the things that grow are good. Some aren't. Even in the most beautiful gardens, weeds grow and need to be pulled so the good plants can be healthy. And even in the rockiest places, where there's no dirt to be seen, trees and other plants find ways to grow. But they can't survive heavy storms, and they won't grow tall and strong without deep roots. Heart "soil" can change. Hard and rocky hearts can be transformed into gentle and loving hearts. Dry and dusty hearts can be changed into joyful and kind hearts. Weedy hearts can be changed into clean and pure hearts.  We can't change our hearts on our own. Only God can make that kind of change, which he promises to do if we give up control and trust him to work in our lives.  TO THINK ABOUT What things might cause a heart to be rocky? shallow? filled with weeds and thorns? What needs to change about...

 Faith is full of inventions. The house was full, a crowd blocked up the door, but faith found a way of getting at the Lord and placing the palsied man before Him. If we cannot get sinners where Jesus is by ordinary methods we must use extraordinary ones. It seems, according to Luke 5:19, that a tiling had to be removed, which would make dust and cause a measure of danger to those below, but where the case is very urgent we must not mind running some risks and shocking some proprieties. Jesus was there to heal, and therefore fall what might, faith ventured all so that her poor paralyzed charge might have his sins forgiven. O that we had more daring faith among us! Cannot we, dear reader, seek it this morning for ourselves and for our fellow-workers, and will we not try to-day to perform some gallant act for the love of souls and the glory of the Lord. The world is constantly inventing; genius serves all the purposes of human desire: cannot faith invent too, and reach by some new me...

Our Needs Philippians 4:19 Jim saved for a long time to take an Alaskan cruise. At last he was on board with two carefully packed suitcases. The first evening, when he heard "Dinner is served" announced over the loudspeaker, he took peanut butter crackers from his suitcase and sat at the table in his small cabin. Every day at mealtime, he repeated the ritual. It wasn't that Jim didn't like the ship's tasty banquets. He simply didn't know that his meals were included in the price of the ticket. For two weeks he enjoyed beautiful scenery off the decks but ate dry, stale food in his cabin. This sad story is a metaphor for how some believers live the Christian life. God has promised to meet every need of His children—His riches are included in the price Christ paid for their salvation (Eph. 1:18). Yet many folks are trying to live out of their own resources. They don't know that the wealth of God's love, power, and provision is on their menu. A believer...

Seek First the Kingdom “These things dominate the thoughts of unbelievers, but your heavenly Father already knows all your needs.” (Matthew 6:32 NLT) If I had the opportunity to speak to my younger self, here’s what I would say: Put God first in your life. Of course, this starts with asking Christ to come into your life. Then it means following Him. Jesus summed it up this way: “But seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness, and all these things shall be added to you” (Matthew 6:33 NKJV). Now, what did Jesus mean by “all these things”? We find the answer in the earlier verses, where He said, “So don’t worry about these things, saying, ‘What will we eat? What will we drink? What will we wear?’ These things dominate the thoughts of unbelievers, but your heavenly Father already knows all your needs” (verses 31–32 NLT). We’re obsessed with what we’ll eat, drink, and wear. These are not necessarily bad things to think about, but Jesus is saying that we shouldn’t make them the focu...

Born Again Clothe yourself with this new nature. —Ephesians 4:24 (TLB) In Texas they tell a story about a man who used to hitch his horse every morning in front of the saloon. One morning the saloonkeeper came out and found that the horse was hitched in front of the Methodist church. He saw the man walking down the street and called out, “Say, why is your horse hitched in front of the Methodist church this morning?” The man turned around and said, “Well, last night I was converted in the revival meeting, and I’ve changed hitching posts.” That’s what it means to be born again. That’s what it means to be converted. It means that you changed hitching posts. Watch: God’s love is relentless and He calls you by name. Prayer for the day May I live in such a way that people will know that I am bound in the freedom of Your love. B.G.

Galatians 5:18 https://biblehub.com/parallel/galatians/5-18.htm Ah! believer, it is safer always for you to be led of the Spirit into gospel liberty than to wear legal fetters. Judge yourself at what Christ is rather than at what you are. Satan will try to mar your peace by reminding you of your sinfulness and imperfections: you can only meet his accusations by faithfully adhering to the gospel and refusing to wear the yoke of bondage. C.H.S.

Turn The other Cheek There are three ways of taking the command to turn the other cheek. One is the Pacifist interpretation; it means what it says and imposes a duty of nonresistance on all men in all circumstances. Another is the minimising interpretation; it does not mean what it says but is merely an orientally hyperbolical way of saying that you should put up with a lot and be placable. Both you and I agree in rejecting this view. The conflict is therefore between the Pacifist interpretation and a third one which I am now going to propound. I think the text means exactly what it says, but with an understood reservation in favour of those obviously exceptional cases which every hearer would naturally assume to be exceptions without being told. . . That is, insofar as the only relevant factors in the case are an injury to me by my neighbour and a desire on my part to retaliate, then I hold that Christianity commands the absolute mortification of that desire. No quarter whatever is gi...

GROWING ROOTS Accepting Jesus (or "starting a relationship with Jesus" or "inviting Jesus into your life" or "becoming a Christian") is not the same thing as following Jesus. It's just the first step in a lifetime of steps. Sadly, some people never move past accepting Jesus. They say "yes" to his forgiveness, enjoy the moment, and then set it aside. Maybe they think "following Jesus" is like following someone on social media, which is totally passive. All you need to do is click a link, swipe a screen, or confirm a request. But following Jesus requires us to be actively and intentionally connected to him personally. We can't just check in now and then, or mute his updates or ignore the notifications. We need to make time to be with him, to listen to him, to learn about him, and to learn from him.  In these verses, Paul writes:  "Just as you have accepted Jesus as your Lord, you must continue to follow him. Let your roots gr...

Leading: Do the right thing. Every year, Forbes magazine has a list of 30 under 30. Forbes looks for the top upcoming leaders who are under 30 years of age to celebrate and promote. I love young leaders, especially young Christian leaders. Seeing Christian teenagers, college students, and young adults initiating significant movements continually inspires me with hope.  However, for every sparkling young leadership talent, we regularly see many established leaders “flake out” or “flame out” because their character did not pan out. More important than a great start is a great finish. We need leaders to do the right things for a lifetime. Proverbs gives leaders guidance in this area. As we looked at earlier, wisdom begins with the fear of the Lord. When we rightly honor God in our lives, we submit all of ourselves to Him, including our leadership.  God then gives us guidance in what great leaders do. They live righteously. Meaning, they do the right things. In other words, they l...

Woe is me As a Christian you have to live in the midst of an ungodly world, and it is of little use for you to cry "Woe is me." Jesus did not pray O that you should be taken out of the world, and what He did not pray for you need not desire. Better far in the Lord's strength to meet the difficulty, and glorify Him in it. The enemy is ever on the watch to detect inconsistency in your conduct; be therefore very holy. Remember that the eyes of all are upon you, and that more is expected from you than from other men. Strive to give no occasion for blame. Let your goodness be the only fault they can discover in you. Like Daniel, compel them to say of you, "We shall not find any occasion against this Daniel, except we find it against him concerning the law of his God." Seek to be useful as well as consistent. Perhaps you think, "If I were in a more favourable position I might serve the Lord's cause, but I cannot do any good where I am"; but the worse the...

A Kingdom Man Follows His Rule Book You’ve got to be right or wrong. I love the satisfaction when you are right—and the agony when you are wrong. —NFL referee Ed Hochuli, interview with USA Today, October 9, 2007 Quarterback Russell Wilson released a high, arcing Hail Mary pass toward the end zone. Two Seattle Seahawks and four Green Bay Packers leaped to catch it. The crowd landed, the ball somewhere among them. One official signaled touchdown Seahawks. One official signaled interception Packers. The score stood. The Seahawks won. And the third team was the source of great controversy. The third team? The team of officials, in this case replacements being used during a labor lockout of the real refs. Their commitment and allegiance belong to a different kingdom: the NFL office. Their authority comes from a book that holds the guidelines, rules, and regulations by which they are to manage the events on the field. If an official’s viewpoint leaves the book, he demotes himself to the sta...

The Life-or-Death Choice “The thief does not come except to steal, and to kill, and to destroy. I have come that they may have life, and that they may have it more abundantly.” (John 10:10 NKJV) According to a report by the American Psychological Association, 91% of Generation Z (those born within the period from 1997 to 2012) have high levels of anxiety and stress. I think one of the reasons that things are harder for Generation Z is that many in this generation come from broken homes. In addition, violence has escalated and, of course, social media amplifies everything and has changed things dramatically. One-third of those in Generation Z also struggle with suicidal thoughts. To those who have contemplated or even attempted suicide, I want you to know this: You are loved. You’re loved by more people than you could ever imagine. You are wanted. And God has a special plan for your life. You matter, and we need you. Whatever you’re going through, you’ll get through it. Don’t ever let t...

Always. As a believer ... God will always be with you. He will always love you. He will always forgive your sins. He will always listen to you. He will always comfort you. He will always provide for you. He will always remember you. He will always work on your behalf. He will always lead you with love, power, and wisdom. He will always bless your obedience to Him. He will always come through for you. He will always answer your prayers. And when you wait on the Lord, you can know for certain that the best is yet to come … always.

A Prayer: Oh Lord, may there be in our hearts, at the same time, both a reverence of Your majesty and a resting in Your goodness, both a believing dread of Your wrath and a believing expectation of Your favour; not that we must hang in suspense between hope and fear, but we must act under the gracious influences of hope and fear. May our fear save our hope from swelling into presumption, and our hope save our fear from sinking into despair. May we hope in Your mercy, even when we cannot find a particular promise to stay ourselves upon! -Matthew Henry

Surviving the Wait With Courage Continued delays can be disheartening, especially when circumstances don’t go your way or your burdens become too heavy to carry. Most likely, you’ve experienced heartbreaking occasions before—devastating disappointments that have robbed you of the last of your strength and resolve. The days, weeks, months, and sometimes years go by without any answers to your prayers. The illness, financial difficulty, conflict, loneliness, uncertainty, or need persists. You struggle, feeling the overwhelming temptation to give in to utter despair and fall back into destructive habits. There’s nothing that can plunge you into the darkness of despair like a prolonged season of waiting. But this is when you must determine to wait on the Lord with courage. The quality that enables us to endure suffering, opposition, and the challenges of life with a steadfast and fearless confidence in God’s provision and protection is courage. And it’s your courage that’s stretched and re...