TODAY'S SCRIPTURES: "He alone is my refuge, my place of safety; he is my God, and I am trusting him." Psalm 91:2
" If you make the Lord your refuge, if you make the Most High your shelter, no evil will conquer you; no plague will come near your home. For he orders his angels to protect you wherever you go." Psalm 92:9-11
TODAY'S MESSAGE: We all go through suffering in our lives. Some pain is greater than other pain, but it doesn't really matter whether great or small, suffering is suffering when we go through it. We can all rest assured that our Lord God has given us the peace of mind that he is our refuge. He is our place of safety. When we have anxiety in our lives it is easy to think of everything except the Lord our God. We may go to others for advice, or we may just decide to make rash decisions in our life and move forward without recognizing the circumstances. Our God promises us that if we seek him, he will be available day or night. He will stand by our side through thick and thin. He promises us that even though our problems may plague us for a short time we will see the light at the end of the tunnel. It is through our struggles that we strengthen our faith and become stronger in our trust in our God in heaven. Our faith in God and his promises are for us to take hold of. We are to hold on so tightly that we cannot let go. We must focus on his Word and never let it out of our sight. When we do, there is nothing we cannot conquer. There is nothing that is so far away that we cannot reach it. All things are possible through Christ Jesus. Sometimes hope does seem far away when we are struggling through problems in this life. But with the Holy Spirit by our side, and Jesus as our conduit to God, our victory is inevitable. No matter how bleak our life may look to us, we must remember that our God in heaven does not fail us! Sometimes we must be patient, but he always answers us. PRAISE THE LORD IN ALL THINGS!
STAND UP FOR JESUS!
TODAY’S SCRIPTURES: “but is no shame to suffer for being a Christian. Praise God for the privilege of being called by his name.” 1 Peter 4:16 (NLT)
“ Everyone who acknowledges me publicly here on earth, I will also acknowledge before my Father in heaven. But everyone who denies me here on earth, I will deny before my Father in heaven.” Matthew 10:32-33 (NLT)
TODAY’S MESSAGE: Standing up for Jesus can be very difficult. When we first develop a personal relationship with him, we are on fire for the Lord Jesus. At that point nothing matters to us except letting everyone else know the love and care he provides to each of us who know him. However, as time goes on, if we don’t stay on fire for the Jesus, it can become harder to allow Him to be involved in our lives. We must always stay close to him. We must never waver in our beliefs. We must consistently show our love for others the way Jesus did when He walked this earth. It cannot matter where we are or who we are with, we must stand up for our Lord. We must show and live the characteristics of Jesus. We must also realize that the struggles we have in life are many times spiritual struggles. We are often fighting against the powers of evil and wickedness. Thus, we must use the spiritual tools our Lord has supplied to us. It is important to continue pray frequently, praise him often and read and meditate in his word. We must also look to the Holy Spirit for guidance. For our God in heaven to accept us we must know Jesus on a personal level. If we do, then we will not let our faith faint away when times become difficult. Stand up for Jesus just as he stands up for us! PRAISE THE LORD IN ALL THINGS!
OUR MAIN CONCERN!
TODAY’S SCRIPTURE: ” But the Lord said to her, ‘ My dear Martha, you are upset over all these details! There is really only one thing worth being concerned about. Mary has discovered it- and I won’t take it away from her.'” Luke 10:41
TODAY’S MESSAGE: Martha had invited Jesus and his disciples into her home and was in the kitchen working on a large meal while Mary, her sister, sat at the feet of Jesus listening to all he had to teach. Martha, with all of her anxiety, went to Jesus and asked him to tell Mary to come to the kitchen to help her with the meal. Jesus was quick to tell her that Mary was not doing wrong. She was only doing as she was supposed to do. She was learning from Jesus, and he was not going to take that away from her. It is easy to get ourselves caught up in our daily routines. We sometimes get so busy thinking of ourselves, and what we are doing, that we leave the most important thing behind us. Our focus is not to be this world but instead it is to be Jesus. It is what he teaches us and how we apply his teaching to our own lives. Our focus on Jesus gives us all the good and great results we need in life. It not only provides us a path to eternal life but also allows our worldly life to come into line. As we focus on Jesus, we are let Him take control of the steering wheel. We are to let him take care of our worldly problems. Just as Martha became so heavily involved with her meal we sometimes become too heavily involved in our worldly lives. When we do, we gain anxiety and worry. With Jesus we garner peace and joy. It is time to change our focus from us to Him. He is the main concern we are to focus on and not what we do in life. Our worldly life will fall into place once we let Jesus take over the reins. PRAISE THE LORD IN ALL THINGS!
SHOULDER YOUR CROSS AND FOLLOW ME!
TODAY’S SCRIPTURES: ” If any of you want to be my follower, you must put aside your selfish ambition, shoulder your cross daily and follow Me.” Luke 9:23
” And if you do not carry your own cross and follow Me, you cannot be my disciple.” Luke 14:27
TODAY’S MESSAGE: There is a cost in following Jesus. We must wholeheartedly believe in his death on the cross, believe for what his purpose was for dying on the cross, and believe that he delivers on all of his promises. In our own daily lives, we must be able to bow to the will of God. We must be able to hear him talking to us in our lives and we must be willing to carry out his directions for us to complete. There are good times and there are hard times as we grow into our relationship with Jesus. It is in the worst of times when we are tested. It is then when we are to be able to let him shoulder the problems we are going through and have the faith to allow him to function in our life. We are to do away with the moaning and groaning we hear so many do when life is hard for them. We are to allow joy to penetrate our thoughts and actions. I can assure you that this is not easy. It takes a different kind of discipline and belief. When shouldering our own cross we are to mirror what Jesus did when he carried his. He did not gripe to God and groan about every hurtful thing that was said about him. He wasn’t a display of weakness when his cross became too heavy. He didn’t get angry with God and kick the dust every time something didn’t go his way. We should not do these things either. We are the bible to many people in this world. The way we shoulder our problems should be an example to those around us. We must be able to carry our own crosses with the dignity and poise that Jesus demonstrated for us. It is time to build. It is time to take faith to the next level. It is time to believe because Jesus is the source that we plug into. It is time to live the faith we profess and show that faith with the strength of our everlasting God in heaven! PRAISE THE LORD I N ALL THINGS!
WANDERING TOO FAR AWAY
TODAY’S SCRIPTURE: “For if you wander beyond the teaching of Christ, you will not have fellowship with God.” 2 John 9 (NLT)
TODAY’S MESSAGE: In today’s world we must be very careful in the Christian teachings we follow. Although there are churches and evangelists out there who claim the message of Jesus, we must unfortunately, be ready to fact check their messages. The devil is doing all that he can to confuse and discourage the substantiated teachings of Christ. All it takes is a misplaced word or an action that seems to be borderline, so we take it as Christ -like. I know people who go to church but never read the bible. I once asked the question as to why not pick up the bible and read it for yourself? The response was that the minister went to school and is paid to know the word. Therefore, what he says must be true. That kind of thinking may have been true many years ago but not today. It is important that you and I know the Holy Word of God. We must be able to know when someone is actually preaching or teaching the right way. There are many in the world who are confused and teaching man-made ideas using the name of Jesus as a way into the hearts of those who will listen. They have wandered far away from the Lord and are trying to influence others of their thoughts and ideas. 2 John 9 is clear when he says that if you wander from the teaching of Christ, you will not have fellowship with God. When we develop a personal relationship with Jesus, we gain a desire to get close to him. Let us all get closer to God. Let’s make sure we are listening and hearing the right message of Jesus. Be ready to fact check those who are responsible for teaching and preaching His Word. PRAISE THE LORD IN ALL SITUATIONS!
A CHEERFUL HEART IS GOOD MEDICINE!
TODAY’S SCRIPTURE: “A cheerful heart is good medicine, but a broken spirit saps a person’s strength.” Proverbs 17:22
TODAY’S MESSAGE: I think most would agree that when we are happy our days go by much faster and our hearts are full of caring and love for others. However, when we are in a bad mood, we tend to avoid others or at the very least our personality becomes one of disdain. It is hard to keep our hearts cheerful in a world of confusion, disgust and just plain evil. However, there is a way. As we read the bible our hearts become as one with God. We take on his personality and are able to deal with problems and issues in a very different way than we would without him in our lives. When we pray to him, we are letting him get involved in our lives. We are able to lay our problems at his feet and walk away burden free. It is our faith and our trust in his promises that take over and help us with our problems. We can rest with ease knowing that he is in control. When we depend on our Lord, we are allowing him to call the shots, and we do as he tells us. Without the worries and doubts plaguing us we are able to absorb the medicine of cheerfulness. To be happy in life helps us to be able to spread the word of God to others and do it with the zest he demands. Our lives begin to reflect his personality for others to see. So, the next time you are down, pick up the bible and begin to read. Then get on your knees and begin to pray. Take on the good medicine of cheerfulness. PRAISE THE LORD IN ALL SITUATIONS!
THE PROMISES
The bible provides many promises from our God in heaven. These include promises for help through trials and tribulations as described in Isaiah 43:2. He promises the fruit of the Spirit, which includes love, joy and peace in Galatians 5:22-23. He promises the Holy Spirit for those who ask, as told to us in Luke 11:13. There are numerous promises that our god has made throughout the bible. They all help us to survive, and they are given to us out of love. We are told that God never goes back on a promise. With this confidence we can move forward in our own lives with the understanding that God is with us and will never leave our side. In Hebrews 10:23 it tells us: ” Let us hold unswervingly to the hope we profess, for he who promised is faithful.” It is important that we study and meditate upon his promises. Doing so will help us to remain faithful and be a refreshing remembrance of his love for us. It is through his promises that we are able to live our lives in faith. We are able to represent him in such a way that others will become amazed at our faith and trust in him. Our God in heaven does not take a promise lightly. He is faithful to us with his and we are to be faithful to others in ours. PRAISE THE LORD IN ALL THINGS!
THE FAITH TOUCH!
TODAY’S SCRIPTURES: ” Daughter”, he said, ” Your faith has made you well. God in peace.” Luke 8:48
“Such love has no fear because perfect love expels all fear.” 1 John 4:18
TODAY’S MESSAGE: Today’s message encounters a miracle that, in my mind, is one of the most intriguing that Jesus performed. While Jesus was on the way to perform one miracle another took place as an example of what faith can produce. Faith is not easy to groom in our life. It is actually very hard because we are accustomed to believing what we see and not what we can’t see. The woman with the issue of blood was desperate. She had anguished with this pain and suffering for twelve years without the success of healing. The bible tells us she had gone to the best doctors without success of improvement. As most everyone in the region, she had heard of Jesus and went that day to see him. As a last resort she reached out and touched the fringe of his garment. She didn’t touch him but only the fringe of his clothing. Jesus knew that power had gone from him. When he found the woman he told her, “YOUR FAITH HAS HEALED YOU.” She had believed with faith that by reaching out and touching his clothing she would be healed. This was an example of what faith can do in our lives. As we take a step back in our own lives and examine our own faith, how deep does it run? Many of us are like the woman with the issue of blood. We go through months and sometimes years of pain and suffering, praying that Jesus will heal us. We must have strong and unresisting faith in our lives. We must nurture it with prayer and praise of our God in heaven. We must read and contemplate his Holy Word. We must study and flood our faith just as those in the time of Jesus did. You and I are no different than the woman with the issue of blood. We sometimes must be desperate to receive. Let us all continue to build our faith so that, we too, can experience the joys of the miracles of God. JESUS IS LORD! PRAISE THE LORD IN ALL THINGS!
HAVE YOU EVER FAILED GOD?
TODAY’S SCRIPTURE: “Be careful then dear brothers and sisters. Make sure that your own hearts are not evil and unbelieving, turning away from the living God.” Hebrews 3:12
TODAY’S MESSAGE: There is none perfect among us. We all have failures in our lives and do things that we want no one else to know about. With God, however, it is impossible to do something without him knowing about it. We can try our hardest to keep our promises and stay on the right road but because of who we are, imperfect, we are going to stumble. We must remain reminded that our God in heaven is a loving God. He showed his love for each of us by sending Jesus to cover for our sins. He died for them so that you and I can be forgiven. He has made it easy for us. We must acknowledge our wrongdoing and repent. We must then ask for his forgiveness and move forward continuing to represent Jesus in our lives in the best ways we know how. Yes, we have all failed God. I am sure that God has been quite disappointed in us when we do fail. But he is always there to pick us up. It is sometimes hard for us to understand just how much he loves us, even knowing that Jesus was sacrificed for us. No matter how much we try to love the way he does we never reach those heights. I know that in my own life I will get to a point when I think I am on the right path and doing well, when suddenly I slip and fall. I not only feel as though I have failed God, but I feel as though He may never trust me again in my journey home. However, that is not what scripture tells us. We are told that our sins are wiped away and never remembered again. Yes, we will stumble and fall but he is always with us. We may not be able to understand all of his ways but after accepting Christ Jesus into our lives we are always ready to get back on the horse and continue our journey. Have we ever failed God? Yes, we all at one time or another! But as a believer we understand that does not love us any less for our actions as long as we repent and ask for his forgiveness. PRAISE THE LORD IN ALL SITUATIONS!
LET US HOP ONTO THE TRUTH TRAIN!
TODAY’S SCRRIPTURES: ” Jesus told him, ‘ I am the truth and the life. No one can come to the Father except through me.’ ” John 14: 6
” And you will know the truth and the truth will set you free.” John 8:32
TODAY’S MESSAGE: It is time to catch the truth train. It is time to stop putting ourselves into situations that make us scramble and hesitate about the ways of Jesus. He tells us plainly that he is the truth, the way and the life. It does us no good to run after what we think is wise and helpful in this world. Doing that is very much like a dog chasing his own tail. We go around and around in circles and when we are finished, we are nothing better that dizzy from all of the going around and around. The world today is full of confusion that makes our heads swirl about things that really make no difference in our lives. What is important is that we find Jesus and begin to live the truth. When we begin to live the truth then the things of this world will begin to fall into place, and we can begin to become a functional representative of Jesus in a world of selfishness and disrespect. Our lives are to be a reflection of him and not of our own confusion and chaos. The truth in our Lord is defined as “being in accordance with God’s nature, will, and character.” Living in the truth of Jesus is living in reality. It may go against the way the world’s thinks and the way the world acts, but it is how our God in heaven has declared it. Truth is determined by God and not by human standards. Understanding truth requires coming to know God, not just knowing the facts. It is more than just sitting in a pew on Sunday. It is going out the church doors and living your life in the ways of Jesus. It is going before others in our community and not being scared or ashamed to declare Jesus as our Lord and Savior. It is time to catch the Truth Train before it leaves the station. PRAISE THE LORD IN ALL SITUATIONS!
SATAN MIRRORS THE WORLD!
TODAY’S SCRIPTURES: “As a face is reflected in water, so the heart reflects the person.” Proverbs 27:19
“Dear children, don’t let anyone deceive you about this: when people do what is right it is because they are righteous. But when people keep on sinning, it shows they belong to the Devil, who has been sinning since the beginning.” 1 John 3:7-8
TODAY’S MESSAGE: As we look into a mirror we do so for a purpose. That purpose is to see who we are and to view how we are to be seen by the rest of the world. As a Christian we also are to look into a mirror. What we see is often what we do not want to see. We see ways that are not of God. We see our many failings and discover the things that we need to change. When we meet Jesus on a personal level, we know that we are to reflect his ways in our life and not what the world expects of us. When we are born again, we are born into righteousness, just the opposite of the way we were born into the world. We are lifted up and out of our old ways and put down in the place of right standing with God. When we then look into the mirror, we are better able to recognize the ways of God and how our lives are to be lived.
It is much the same with those who belong to this world. Their father is not the God of Heaven, but instead he is the God of this world. He is the evil one who lies to the world and confuses those who follow him. He leads them into destruction and death instead of life in eternity with Christ Jesus. It is obvious we are seeing this play out in today’s world. Those who are evil do not understand right from wrong. Their lives reflect the life of their father, the Devil. They are blinded so they see no evil in what they do, nor do they feel love or compassion for those around them. This world is a direct reflection of how the Devil wants it to be. He demands evil, deception and confusion to rule, and wants all to follow him into an eternal life in hell. However, God in heaven has a different plan. His plan is one of a saving grace. It is one that lifts us high above the evil and places us in his loving arms. He fights our battles, and he saves us from the terrors of the world. Yes, were born into a world of sin but we have an opportunity of freedom in Christ and a life of love and understanding by putting our trust and faith in Jesus and accepting Him as our Lord and Savior. PRAISE THE LORD IN ALL THINGS!
Daily writing prompt
If you had the power to change one law, what would it be and why?
YOUR FAITH IN TIMES OF CRISIS
TODAY’S SCRIPTURE: The Lord said to Satan, “Where have you come from? ” Satan answered the Lord, “From roaming throughout the earth, going back and forth on it.” Then the Lord said to Satan, “ Have you considered my servant Job? There is no one on earth like him; he is blameless and upright, a man who fears God and shuns evil.” “Does Job fear God for nothing? ” Satan replied. ” Have you not put a hedge around him and his household and everything he has? You have blessed the work of his hands, so that his flocks and herds are spread throughout the land. But now stretch out your hand and strike everything he has, and he will surely curse you to your face.” Job 1:7-11(NIV)
TODAYS MESSAGE: So, Satan was given power to go out and cause complete chaos in Job’s life. Suddenly from a life that had been completely blessed by the Lord God, Job’s life went to one of living in the remains of what once was. He lost all of his oxen and donkeys, his sheep and servants. He lost his camels and all of his sons and daughters. Yet through all of this disaster he still praised his God in heaven. Job even became subject to losing his own health. He had every reason to curse God and begin feeling sorry for himself, yet he did not. He continued to believe and bless God with his faith and praises. We have all been through struggles in our lives. We lose loved ones, we lose jobs, homes and many other things that the Lord has blessed us with. We must remember the famous verse in Job 1:21, “The Lord gave, and the Lord has taken away: blessed be the name of the Lord.” Our lives will not always be full of sugar plums and fairy tales. We will not have the perfect protected life we hope for. Things happen and we must get through them. I will say that without faith it becomes extremely difficult to survive. Without faith we are subject to becoming angry and holding onto grudges. We are subject to unforgiveness in our lives and never allowing peace to settle in ever again. The next time a trauma hits your life, remember Job. Remember his strength and the faith he displayed in his life. He never gave up on his God in heaven and neither should we! PRAISE THE LORD IN ALL THINGS!
KEEP STRONG! STAY COURAGEOUS! FIGHT ALL BATTLES IN THE NAME OF JESUS!
TODAY’S SCRIPTURE: What do you mean,” if I can?” Jesus asked. Anything is possible if a person believes.” Mark 9:23 (NLT)
Today’s Message: It is easier to give up and go along with the activities going on around us than to stand in the face of danger and be ridiculed, because we are telling the truth of Jesus. There is no one who likes to be made fun of or be persecuted when they say or do something. Those are the moments when most of us will give up and run away with our tails between our legs. The word “if” infers that we may not be able to accomplish something. Jesus makes it very clear, in John 9:23, that all things are possible with faith in Him. There is nothing we cannot accomplish when it is blessed with the majesty of our God in heaven. Our strength and our courage come from the Lord. It is through faith that we are able to stand in the face of danger. It is through our faith that we are able to throw fear, as far as we can, so that the truth of Jesus can be brought forward. We know that our God in heaven does not lie. We know that He does not go back on any promise He has provided to us. We know that our God in heaven is never late on his answers and that his timing is perfect. With this depth of knowledge, we are able to move forth with the courage of a lion and let God’s truths be made known. He is our Savior, our resting place, our healer, and our safety net. There is nothing we cannot do if we believe and are willing to act on the truths of Jesus! PRAISE THE LORD IN ALL THINGS!
Daily writing prompt
You get some great, amazingly fantastic news. What’s the first thing you do?
A CHANGED HEART!
TODAY’S SCRIPTURE: “What you say flows from what is in your heart.” Luke 6:45
TODAY’S MESSAGE: A changed heart is one that has been transformed from sin-focused to God-focused. It is the result of the working of the Holy Spirit who is working to regenerate people and give them new hearts. Often times the presence of the Holy Spirit is forgotten. However, He is the foundation of our change from sin to God-like. It is He who softens the hardened heart and fills people with love, joy, and peace. It is His power that allows us the benefit of living our lives with our focus on God. The death of Jesus broke the seal and power of sin that controlled us as worldly people. It is this sacrifice that allows our God to desire you, and me to become like Jesus, His Son. Our God wants nothing more than for us to desire His presence in our lives, and that we live our lives in such a way that shows the world of our commitment. We become selfless and not selfish. We change from trusting the ways of the world to trusting the ways of our God in heaven. We begin to talk about our Lord, read and meditate upon His Holy Word and praise and pray to Him. Our changed heart begins to show the world that we have a new delight and desire for God in heaven and not for the world around us. It is a changed heart that allows us to believe that our prayers will be answered, and that God is correct in all of His decisions. It is a changed heart that allows us to forgive our enemies. It is with a changed heart that we love our God in heaven, we love His Son, Jesus, and we love His Holy Spirit. PRAISE THE LORD IN ALL THINGS!
Daily writing prompt
Are there any activities or hobbies you’ve outgrown or lost interest in over time?
LIVING IN THE LIGHT
TODAY’S SCRIPTURES: “But if we are living in the light, as God is in the light, then we have fellowship with each other, and the blood of Jesus his son, cleanses us from all sin.” 1 John 1:7
” If we claim we have no sin, we are only fooling ourselves and not living in the truth. But if confess our sins to him, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all wickedness.” 1 John 1:8-9
TODAY’S MESSAGE: It is important that we stay deeply rooted in the Word of God. Each time we dig into his word it gives Him the opportunity to give us something more to dwell upon. It gives us more to understand about our God in heaven. We see in 1 John that we are to live in the light. We find that God is the light and that our attempts, though they may sometimes fail, are to be real and solid. Living in the light is living with God. He is the truth, and our lives are to reflect his ways and not the ways of the world. We are all sinners, as we were born that way, but when we come to Jesus and begin living in him, we have a faithful friend who will forgive us our sins. He will forgive them and discard them from our lives. There will be no record of our forgiven sins remaining. I know how easy it is, for me as a human being, to not forget my sins that have been taken to the Lord and forgiven. As I think of these things I become embarrassed because of my relationship with Jesus. However, we are taught that when we are forgiven of a sin, it is wiped from the slate and never again revisited. So, as we live in the light, there will be times ahead when we will trip and do something that is not in line with our Lord’s ways. It is at these times we must diligently go to Him to repent and ask for his forgiveness. We are to live our lives in truth and not in falsehoods. We are to live our lives in the light of our God in heaven. PRAISE THE LORD IN ALL SITIUATIONS!
IF YOU ARE LOOKING FOR SOMETHING, THAT SOMETHING IS SOMEONE NAMED JESUS!
TODAY’S SCRIPTURE: “And remember, our Lord’s patience gives people time to be saved.” 2 Peter 3:15
TODAY’S MESSAGE: There are times in our lives when we feel lost and left alone. We feel like the whole world is against us and there is nothing we can do to satisfy anything or anyone. These are the times when we are searching. We are searching for peace in our lives and for something that will help us to gain the optimism and the strength we need to live each day. We are also searching for our way in life. As we search, we come up against many opportunities but there is only one that counts. That one is in the person of Jesus Christ. He is the one who can give us the love and the strength we need to move forward. He is the one who will remove that little cloud of darkness, from over our head, so that the sun shines again. It is Jesus who gives us the hope that will replace the doubt that exists way down deep in our hearts. With Jesus, we once again become whole. We once again become confident, and when all else fails in our lives, he is there to remind us of his great sacrifice and love for us. It is Jesus who saves us and allows us to live another day. We should all look to him, pray to him and give him the praise and glory he so richly deserves. There is nothing and no one in this world who can do what Jesus does for us. However, we must believe, confess our belief and put our belief into action. It is then that we begin to feel safe again and gain the confidence that our God in heaven is watching over us. PRAISE THE LORD IN ALL SITUATIONS!
FOR YOU ARE A SLAVE TO WHATEVER CONTROLS YOU!
TODAYS SCRIPTURE: “For you are a slave to whatever controls you.” 2 Peter 2:19
TODAY’S MESSAGE: Have you ever thought about your greatest desires in life? What is it that you like to do and keeps your focus more than anything in this life? Is it playing golf? Is it your work? Is it watching TV? Is it your time with your family or the time you spend away from your work? Is it tinkering with items in your shop or going to movies? Just what is it that you like to put first in your life? 2 Peter 2:19 is pretty clear when he says that we are a slave to whatever controls us. Sometimes we allow the things of pleasure in this world to control us. Sometimes we allow the evil things of this world to control us, such things as drinking too much alcohol or drug use. If they have become too influential in our lives, it is time we change. It is the Lord who should be our focus. It is He who should be taking up our time. It is He who we should be anxious to talk with and converse with about the what’s, where’s and whys of the world. If we put Jesus first in our lives then we are allowing him to control our actions, our thoughts and our ways of living. Our families, our work and our hobbies are all very important to our health and well-being. However, if we focus on our Lord then those will all fall into their proper place. They will become so much more enjoyable because our Lord is our controller, and he will be helping us to enjoy them more. Our focus on Jesus will keep us away from the bad things that can ruin our lives. This world that we live in today is not the end of all things. There is life after death and we each have a choice as to where we want to spend that time. Our choices are simple, it can be eternal life with our God in heaven or it can be in the depths of hell with the evil one. Let us all begin today by make Jesus first in our lives. He is the only way to eternal life. PRAISE THE LORD IN ALL THINGS!
OUR TIME TO SHINE
TODAY’S SCRIPTURES: “So don’t worry or be afraid of their thoughts. Instead, you must worship Christ as Lord of your life.” 1 Peter 3:14-15
“So then, since Christ suffered physical pain, you must arm yourselves with the same attitude he had and be ready to suffer too. For if you have suffered physically for Christ, you have finished with sin,” 1 Peter 4:1
TODAY’S MESSAGE: We do not know what each day will bring. There may be happiness, joy or there may be anguish, anxiety or fear. It is so important that we are prepared for each day. Christ knew his path. He knew what his future held. He was on a mission for God Almighty and would do nothing less than complete that assignment. You and I are in the same boat. The difference is that we do not know what our road leads us through each day. We do not know whether we will have valleys to climb out of or whether there will be mountains to climb over, but we do know that our Savior is by our side every step of the way. We know that through faith in Him we are able to climb over those mountains and climb out of those valleys. With faith in Him we are able to walk the path that has been chosen for us to walk. We can move forward with the confidence of Jesus leading the way. If we receive unexpected bad news, we should be prepared to not panic but instead be calm in Jesus. We must be prepared to go directly to our Lord in prayer and ask for his direction and help. We must begin our conversations, not with negative and frightened thoughts, but instead with positive words giving the Holy Spirit a chance to work in our behalf. This is not easy to do. This is why we must stay connected to the Lord our God in heaven. We must pray, praise him and be confident in the answers he gives us. We must continue each day to build our faith, one brick at a time, until it becomes solid and unwavering. It is our time to shine throughout this world with the light of Jesus shining brightly before us. We must not be scared or ashamed of announcing our faith, but instead, we should be able to shout it from the mountain tops. Jesus loves us and we must love him as much! JESUS IS LORD! PRAISE THE LORD IN ALL THINGS!
A DEDICATION LIKE NO OTHER!
TODAY’S SCRIPTURE’S: ” But all they gave him was lip service; they lied to him with their tongues. Their hearts were not loyal to him. They did not keep his covenant.” Psalm 78:36-37
“And because of his glory and excellence, he has given us great and precious promises. These are the promises that enable you to share his divine nature and escape the world’s corruption caused by human desires.” 2 Peter 1:4
TODAY’S MESSAGE: It takes great effort and dedication to be able to live a life that shows how we have accepted and trust our Lord God in heaven. There is more to our relationship with our God than standing and giving him lip service as his children did in the wilderness. They would give him their promises, and then, at the first sign if things not going their way, they would go back to their old ways. It is not much different today. There are so many who give lip service to our God but nothing else. They may be faithful in church attendance but, as soon as they walk through the church doors and back into the world, they quickly change back to the world. Their daily lives are lived so that no one can see a change or an attitude of a spiritual difference. We must remember that knowing God is more than knowing of God. The demons know of God. They know about him, and they do just the opposite of what he desires. For those who do not truly know God their actions also reflect the opposite of what He desires. We must develop a strong trust and faith in our Lord. Accepting Jesus as our Lord and Savior is the beginning to our journey. As we become saved it is important that we make every effort to respond to the Lord’s promises. As 2 Peter 1: 5-7 states, “Supplement your faith with a generous provision of moral excellence, and moral excellence with knowledge, and knowledge with self-control, and self-control with patient endurance, and patient endurance with godliness, and godliness with brotherly love, and brotherly love with love for everyone.” To do these things we must be close to God and stay close to God. This is accomplished through prayer and meditation in God’s word. We must keep Him on our minds at all times allowing the Holy Spirit to work in our lives. We must be dedicated to our Lord without any hesitation. We must obtain and thrive to keep a dedication to our Lord like no other dedication we have had in the past. We must shine with the brightness of our Lord and never hesitate to do so! PRAISE THE LORD IN ALL THINGS!
Daily writing prompt
How do significant life events or the passage of time influence your perspective on life?
DESIRED RESULTS ARE NOT ALWAYS GOD’S RESULTS!
In normal circumstances when we pray, we do it to help ourselves or those around us to become healed in our lives and to make our lives better. We pray to help others and ourselves to get out of trouble, sickness and other turmoil. We often think that when we pray our God should instantly heal us or deliver us out of an unhealthy situation. When we pray and our prayers are not instantly answered, we begin to allow doubt to enter and allow it to eat away at our faith. What we don’t sometimes understand is that God has a plan. He has the whole world’s picture before him like a huge road map. He puts people in places and into situations that may help someone else but may not instantly help the chosen one. There are many pieces to the world’s puzzle and only our God in heaven sees the whole picture and knows where every piece goes. Because he has given us each a free will, we do not always abide by what God wants us to do. We shake up his plan because we may not hear his voice, or we may hear him, but decide to move in our own direction rather than his. Becoming a born-again believer does not relieve us from hurt, anxiety, worry, doubt or fear. When those enemies come against us, we must have a way to fight them and defeat them. We have been given a powerful tool to help us. In Ephesians 6:11 we are told, “Put on the whole armor of God, that ye may be able to stand against the wiles of evil.” We must put on the Belt of Truth, the Breastplate of Righteousness, the Shoes of the Gospel of Peace, the Shield of Faith and pick up the Sword of the Spirit. Along with a strong prayer life we are able to draw upon strength from Jesus. Our faith continues to grow and become stronger. We begin to listen and learn from the Holy Spirit and do as he asks us to do. Our strength becomes unstoppable as fear, worry and doubt flee. We are able to sustain our strength among the weariness we find ourselves embedded in. It is Jesus who is our strength. It is the Holy Spirit who gives us guidance and the ability to crawl out of our deepest valleys. We must continue to be reminded that our Lord has not forgotten us, it is just the opposite. He has us always in his sight and never lets us suffer beyond what we can handle. Let us keep the strength and praise the Lord in all things!
ARE YOU RUNNING TO JESUS OR FROM HIM?
It is often hard to recognize which direction we are headed in life. We are surrounded at birth by the things of the world, and we grow up reflecting many of the worldly characteristics we are familiar with. We all come from different backgrounds and experiences and reflect those experiences in the way we speak and the actions we take. When we accept Christ as our Lord and Savior our ways of life are to change. We are to reflect a new way of life. We are to begin to show others our change. As a child we may have been brought up as a Methodist, Catholic, Lutheran, Presbyterian, Baptist or some other denomination. We learned of Jesus and of his ways. However, when we accept Christ, our relationship goes even deeper. We now have a personal relationship with him. We know him on a completely deeper level than ever before. We are to live our lives among others in a much different way. 1 Peter 2:12 tells us; “Be careful how you live among your unbelieving neighbors. Even if they accuse you of doing wrong, they will see your honorable behavior, and they will believe and give honor to God when he comes to judge the world.” It becomes easy to drift back into some of our old ways when we get around those who think differently than we do. It is easy to take our eyes off of the Lord and focus on other things. The Lord teaches us to look to him for all things. He reminds us that it is he is our source. He is our source of all worldly things. It is He! When things don’t always go our way, we must be reminded of our source, we must always remember that God in never late, he is always right on time. He will always come through, but it will be on his time schedule and not on ours. We sometimes become impatient with our situations, or we may become bashful about being a Christian. It is at these times that we should pray and praise our Lord asking him for his help. It is in these time that we should pick up the bible and begin to read and meditate. We should never run away from God. We should never completely depend on the things around us for help, as this world will always fail us. But it is our God in heaven who is dependable and will never ever fail us! When we run from him and depend upon things of the world, our lives become so much more complex. When we run to him, he picks us up and our problems then become his. PRAISE THE LORD IN ALL THINGS!
COME BACK TO JESUS!
As each day passes it seems the next day passes even faster. Time seems to be moving at lightning speed and faster than ever before. In this new year of 2025 so many things have happened. It is like a train that starts out slowly and then continues to gain speed until it reaches its ultimate goal. Things in today’s world are passing quickly by our eyes. Things are happening so fast that we are not given a chance to wonder and ponder the things that have happened. There have been great hurricanes that have taken lives and misplaced families from their homes. There have been wildfires that have also taken lives and been so destructive that the landscape gives the impression a bomb has hit the area. There have been plane crashes and wars, drones flying overhead, great floods and other events around the world that cannot be explained. Because of all of the things taking place, it is sometimes hard to live our lives in a normal state. It sometimes feels surreal and as though we are visiting a different time or place. It hurts us to see so many around the world suffer from these disasters. As we watch the events of the world, it becomes easy to become worried and weakened within our own minds, and our lives become affected. It is in these moments that we must take time to draw ourselves back into the arms of Jesus. It is time to remember that no matter what is happening in this world that we are protected by our Lord and Savior. He reminds us in Luke 4:8; “You must worship the Lord your God; serve only him.” Our God also reminds us that we are to be aware of our surroundings and be prudent in what we do. He refers to this in Proverbs 27:12 when he says, “A Prudent person foresees the danger ahead and takes precautions.” We cannot take precautions if we don’t know what to do. If we stay connected to our worldly ways, we will become overwhelmed with fear and doubt. However, by taking a step back, praying consistently to our God in heaven, reading and meditating on his Word daily, and taking time to listen to the Holy Spirit, we will be able to stay close to him and better understand our assignments. It is time to come back to Jesus. It is time to focus on Him and not the happenings of the world. When we do, we will be able live lives that will help others through these terrible disasters. PRAISE THE LORD THROUGH ALL THINGS!
SUCCESS IN FAITH!
TODAY’S SCRIPTURE: “What is the use of saying you have faith if you don’t prove it by your actions?” James 2:14
“Faith that doesn’t show itself by good deeds is no faith at all- it is dead and useless.” James 2:17
TODAY’S MESSAGE: Faith is the belief in something that we cannot see. It is the belief that something will happen, has happened or is about to happen. Our beliefs lead us to faith in Jesus Christ. Jesus’s characteristics are described with adjectives such as, loving, caring, peaceful, honorable, understanding, wise, strong, with compassion, and many other descriptions entailing the sacrifice for others. When we have faith in him, we are to believe in all of these things. We are to have such belief that our lives change in ways, that show those around us, we have grounded our roots down deep into his character. It is easy to say we believe, but it is not easy to live that belief. Our number one duty in life is to represent Jesus in a manner of honor and glory. We are to praise him, glorify him and submit to him in everything we do. It doesn’t matter how small the deed; we are to represent Jesus. It doesn’t matter that we are hurting or being attacked, we are to represent Jesus. We must understand his ways completely and never let them wander away. Our success in this life must always be attributed to our God on High. It is he who gives us the ability to succeed. It is he who gives us the ability to love and have compassion for not only what we do but for those for whom we do it. It is Jesus we should look to the first thing in the morning and the last thing at night. We must stay close to the one who created us. We must stay strong in our faith and not allow the world to overcome us. It is Jesus who is our source. We must never forget! JESUS IS LORD! PRAISE THE LORD IN ALL THINGS!
Daily writing prompt
What’s the thing you’re most scared to do? What would it take to get you to do it?
WE ARE THE LIVING STONES BUILT UPON JESUS, THE CORNERSTONE!
TODAY’S SCRIPTURE: “You are coming to Christ who is the living cornerstone of God’s temple.” 1 Peter 2:4
” And you are the living stones God is building into his spiritual temple.” 1 Peter 2:5
TODAY’S MESSAGE: The definition of a cornerstone is the core around which everything else takes shape. It is a stone that forms a part of the corner or angle of a wall. It is the beginning of the foundation of the wall. The purpose of a cornerstone is to keep two walls together and prevent the building from falling apart. In our life as a “born-again Christian,” Jesus is defined as our cornerstone. Faith in him is the foundation for all believers. He is the foundation of our views and our standard for living. He is the cement that keeps us from falling apart when we go through terrible storms, and he is what keeps us in line when the world begins to attack us. Jesus is the cornerstone who defines our existence, just as a worldly cornerstone defines the existence of the stones built upon it. We must be like Jesus. We cannot be a pebble laid upon the building blocks, as we would not be able to withstand the pressures. We must be strong and have a faith that is unwavering. We as individuals help God to create his living temple. We are his blocks that help his temple to take shape. We are the blocks that others see and the blocks that show trust, faith and strength. It is this temple, made of strong believers, that our God is building to help others to become a part of his family and to obtain eternal life. Let us never fall from where we are in our lives. We are a living stone, put in our place, with a purpose and a reason for being where we are. JESUS IS LORD! PRAISE THE LORD IN ALL THINGS!
BE HOLY BECAUSE I AM HOLY
TODAY’S SCRIPTURES: “Prove by the way you live that you have really turned from your sins and turned to God.” Luke 3:8
” But now you must be holy in everything you do, just as God- who chose you to be his children- is holy. For he himself has said, ‘ You must be holy because I am holy.” 1 Peter 1:15-16
” For you have been born again. Your new life did not come from your earthly parents because the life they gave you will end in death. But this new life will last forever because it comes from the eternal, living word of God.” 1 Peter 1:23
TODAY’S MESSAGE: Just what does it mean to be holy? Being holy is to live our lives in a way that reflects God’s glory, rather than conforming to the ways of the world. It means that we must understand God’s rules and to abide by them. This is not an easy task. It takes a lot of discipline to be able to do this successfully. We talk about living our lives through Jesus a lot in this blog. I continue spread God’s message as he gives it to me each day. Today our Lord has emphasized that the time is short and that our lives must continue to be cleansed. It is important that we take a step back from the busy schedules we all entertain and re-examine our lives in Christ Jesus. Just as God tells us in 1 Peter 1: 15-16, we are to pattern our lives in the shadow our Lord God. We are to be holy because he is holy. He made us in his image and if we are not allowing ourselves to submit to his desires, then we are failing in the way we represent him to others. If we call ourselves Christians and continue to tell lies or to gain riches in non-Christian’s ways, then we are not living our live in holiness. If we can look back at our lives from before being born again and continue to see the same actions as we took back then, then we are not living a holy life. We are to shun all sin and keep every known commandment. We should have a strong desire to do his will and a great fear of displeasing Him. We are not to let ridicule, persecution or embarrassment from the world be a hindrance in our holy lives. We must be dedicated to his Holy Word, learn it, meditate upon it and live it. When we do, our lives will be much fuller and much richer.
THE CLOSER WE GET THE MORE DIFFICULT THE JOURNEY BECOMES!
TODAY’S SCRIPTURES: ” Are any of you suffering? They should keep on praying about it. And those who have reason to be thankful should continually sing praises to the Lord.” James 5:13
” The earnest prayer of a righteous person has great power and wonderful results.” James 5:16
TODAY’S MESSAGE: The journey we have chosen to take is one that has many obstacles. There are many who do not want to go down this road because it is one of great difficulty. However, there is great reward at the end. Many feel as though it is like chasing the pot of gold at the end of the rainbow. In some ways it is much like that. The exception is that there is a great reward at the end of this trip. There is a reward that is much greater than a pot of gold. It is much greater than a million dollars or even becoming the most powerful person in the whole world. It is well worth the trip. God has given us the tools to make this journey. He has given us faith, trust, the Holy Spirit and prayer. Without these gifts from God, we could not successfully make this trip. What lies ahead of us are obstacles that cannot be overcome without spiritual help. They cannot be defeated by us alone because these deterrents of from the devil himself. We must pray and listen carefully to the Holy Spirit. When we confront the lies of this world, we must pray for what to do. When we are confronted by ridicule, persecution and sometimes even death, we must pray to the Lord for direction, strong faith and a trust that cannot be overcome. You see, the strongest obstacle we must destroy is the evil of the devil. He is the one who wants to see us in hell and not in heaven. The reward at the end of this journey is our eternal home with Jesus. It is full of more gold than we can imagine. It is full of more love than we can imagine. It is full of many riches that Jesus has gained for those who finish. The journey is hard, and it becomes more difficult at each step we take. But stay the course, pray and listen, it is well worth journey. PRAISE THE LORD IN ALL THINGS!
FOLLOW THE LEADING!
TODAY’S SCRIPTURE: “Remember, it is a sin to know what you ought to do and then not do it.” James 4:17
TODAY’S MESSAGE: We are to follow the leading of the Holy Spirit. God has sent His presence to live within us. He is there to guide us and direct us. He knows just where we are to go and what we are to do. Our human nature will sometimes take us in a different direction than the desires of the Lord. When we know that doing something is wrong but still do it, it is a sin. When we know we ought to do something, and don’t do it, it is also a sin. It is vital to our Christian lives to be able to know right from wrong. When we read and study the bible we learn and understand the ways of God. We know how he wants us to act, speak and live our lives. We learn his nature and begin to desire for our own lives to be like his. However, sometimes the world gets in our way. Sometimes we let our own human desires take over our thoughts and words, and our wants and desires. It is in these moments that we need to stop and ask God to intervene. It is time to let him revive us and restore our thoughts and desires. We live in a world that thinks differently and demands things that are just the opposite of our God in heaven. Because we live with these worldly ideas’ day in and day out, we sometime falter. When we do, we should get on our knees and ask for forgiveness. We must recognize that when we are in these situations we are living in sin. It is through the gentle touch of the Holy Spirit that we will recognize what we are to do. It is important that we follow the leading! PRAISE THE LORD IN ALL THINGS!
LIVE NOW AND NOT YESTERDAY!
TODAY’S SCRIPTURE: “Your road led through the sea, your pathway through the mighty waters- a pathway no one knew was there.” Psalm 77:19
TODAY’S MESSAGE: Yesterday is over and there is nothing more we can do about it. It is time to look to the future and live in the now. As the Israelites were led out of Egypt, they were not to look back, but instead they were to look to the future. They were headed for the promised land but not without struggles along the way. To them their future became unsure as they began to doubt Moses and God himself, and because of that doubt, they began to look to the past and began to think they had had it better in Egypt than in their current journey of freedom. They would return to their ways of the ungodly. They were on again, off again. They would promise one thing and then become impatient and return to their old ways. We are not different. Our journey too, brings struggles with it. We must climb mountains, go through dry and unstable times, lift boulders out of our way and push through the dense fog, but we are not to look back. We are to focus on what is in front of us. We are to depend upon our Lord. We are not to become impatient and begin to doubt, but instead we are to remember where the Lord is taking us. Just as in the days of the Israelites we are being followed by the evil we once knew. We are not, however, to return to our past and forget about God. Our trust and faith in our Lord and Savior will get us to where we are going. It is a journey of patience and trust. It is a journey that takes us through times of troubles so that we can learn and gain more experience. We may not always agree but who are we to question our God in heaven. It is time to look to tomorrow and not to look back at yesterday. Everlasting life is on the horizon let’s not lose it by looking back. PRAISE THE LORD IN ALL THINGS!
UP-DATE YOUR MIRACLE RADAR!
TODAY’S SCRIPTURE: “So we fix our eyes not on what is seen, but on what is unseen, since what is seen is temporary, but what is unseen is eternal.” 2 Corinthians 4:18
TODAY’S: Unseen miracles are miracles that are happening without being detected or being noticed. Even though they may go unnoticed they are still very significant. They can be reminders of God’s promises for our lives. Quiet miracles happen each and every day. They seem to come and go without even a glancing thought being thrown their way. It is difficult to recognize these miracles if we are not properly trained in our spiritual life. We must be awakened by our faith in what our God can and will do in our lives. What do we call that near crisis when our car suddenly crosses the yellow line but at the last moment, we are alerted to make the correction just before a deadly crash occurs? What do we call that sudden promotion at work that was totally unexpected? What do we call it when our small child, just beginning to walk, suddenly is noticed standing on the edge of the steps, but at the last moment is seen and rescued? Many refer to these events as a coincidence. Others shrug them off as though nothing out of the ordinary has happened at all. These are all miracles of God. What do we call the birth of newborn baby that joins our family? We are very happy and do a lot of celebrating but do we get on our knees and thank God for one of the greatest miracles he performs in our lives? These are all great demonstrations of miracles that cannot happen without the assistance of our God in heaven. These are miracles that go unnoticed, and our Lord is never given the praise or the glory for what he has done in our lives. It is time to adjust our miracle radar. It is time to tune ourselves into what is happening in the spiritual world of the unseen and not the world around us. It is time to stand up as a of child of God and give Him credit where his credit is due. It is time to allow our faith to take over our thoughts and actions and allow ourselves to recognize these everyday experiences for what they are, great miracles of God. It is time to get our bibles out to read and meditate upon as often as we can. It is time to get on our knees and praise and thank our God in heaven for fulfilling his promises to us each day. It is time to up-date our miracle radar! PRAISE THE LORD IN ALL THINGS!
THERE IS NOTHING MORE IMPORTANT THAN…
TODAY’S SCRIPTURE: “But if you keep looking steadily into God’s perfect law- the law that sets you free- and if you do what it says and don’t forget what you heard, then God will bless you for doing it.” James 1:25
TODAY’S MESSAGE: Today’s message will give each of us the opportunity to dig deep into our beliefs and find what is most important to us in our lives. It is so easy to sometimes get involved so deeply in the events of our lives that we forget what we are doing here in the first place. We were chosen for this moment by God himself. There is no happen stance in our existence. We were created for a purpose, and we were given a free choice as to follow that purpose or to take a different direction. There are so many things of this world that make us happy. Our families are the first to come to mind. There are also things like a good job and living in a country that represents the freedoms that we all love. There is that perfect vacation, the weekend football games, the love of golfing and many other things too numerous to mention. What we forget, while enjoying all of our earthly excitement, is who provides all of these opportunities for us. We forget who puts that perfect person in our path, who gives us that great family and that great vacation we so desire. We get so involved in our happiness on this earth that we forget about the joy that is provided by our Lord God in heaven. Our focus has gone down the wrong path and we relish things of this world, things that one day will be gone. It is time for us to take a step back and look at what we are doing. What is most important in our lives? Where do our thoughts go most of the time? Are they thinking of the things of the world or are they on our relationship with Jesus Christ? Are we living our lives to satisfy our own desires or are we living our lives to please our creator in heaven? It is time to reassess! The time is short, and priorities are important. Where is the Lord in your list of priorities? JESUS IS LORD! PRAISE THE LORD IN ALL THINGS!
Daily writing prompt
Name an attraction or town close to home that you still haven’t got around to visiting.
