Today's Verse

VERSE:
  For the LORD loves the just and will not forsake his faithful
ones. They will be protected forever ...
   -- Psalm 37:28


THOUGHT:
  God is committed to his people. He loves justice, and those who
pursue it. He will not forget his people, those who seek to honor
him by displaying his character in their lives. God has promised
that he will honor his promises to his people and preserve them
with his protecting power, forever. As God has said elsewhere,
"Never will I leave you; never will I forsake you!" (Heb. 13:5-6)

PRAYER:
  Eternal and Faithful Father, thank you for your great promises.
I am thrilled at the reminder of your faithful presence in my life.
I fully believe that I can entrust my future to you and that you
will bring me into your presence with victory and great joy. Thank
you for being my sure and steadfast hope. In Jesus' name I pray.
Amen.

The art of Obeying

He who obeys God, trusts God;     and he who trusts God, obeys God!                               (C.H.Spurgeon, 1834-1892)

Today's Verse

VERSE:
  Blessings crown the head of the righteous, but violence
overwhelms the mouth of the wicked.
   -- Proverbs 10:6
      

THOUGHT:
  Righteousness brings us great blessings. Violence becomes its
own vile reward, bringing to those who use it what they have done
to others. So what's our choice? Blessing or violence?
Encouragement or a foul mouth? So what's the real choice? Letting
God define character and not someone else.

PRAYER:
  Father, I want to live my life to please you, to bring your
Kingdom a blessing, and to help others see that violence is
destructive to themselves and to others. In Jesus' name I pray.
Amen.

Today's Verse

VERSE:
  "Then the righteous will answer him, 'Lord, when did we see you
hungry and feed you, or thirsty and give you something to drink?
When did we see you a stranger and invite you in, or needing
clothes and clothe you? When did we see you sick or in prison and
go to visit you?' The King will reply, 'I tell you the truth,
whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers of mine,
you did for me.'"
   -- Matthew 25:37-40
      

THOUGHT:
  When we help those who can't help themselves -- those who have
gotten themselves in trouble, those who have been falsely accused,
those who are facing death -- we are helping Jesus himself. What
would Jesus do? He would be helping someone find God out of their
hopelessness and despair.

PRAYER:
  Father, please give me wisdom to see my opportunities to serve
your people as I try to help them understand your incredible grace.
In the name of my Redeemer, Savior, and Friend, Jesus. Amen.

Today'sVerse

VERSE:
  Have no fear of sudden disaster or of the ruin that overtakes
the wicked, for the LORD will be your confidence and will keep your
foot from being snared.
   -- Proverbs 3:25-26
     

THOUGHT:
  What guards your heart from fear? Only one protector is sure and
faithful; his name is the Yahweh -- he alone is the LORD. He is our
confidence and protector. As Paul said so powerfully long ago,
prayer and the Holy Spirit are our assurance of God's deliverance.
Either we will be delivered from death to serve God powerfully or
we will be delivered through death to share with him in eternity.
We will not be snared when our fate and future remain in God's
hands!

PRAYER:
  Almighty Deliverer, please give me courage to live for you with
passion, no matter the cost. I trust in you to deliver me. In
Jesus' name I confidently pray. Amen.

Today's Verse

VERSE:

  Yet I am always with you; you hold me by my right hand. You

guide me with your counsel, and afterward you will take me into

glory. Whom have I in heaven but you? And earth has nothing I

desire besides you. My flesh and my heart may fail, but God is the

strength of my heart and my portion forever.

   -- Psalm 73:23-26

      

THOUGHT:

  In times of confusion, we can take comfort that while we may not

understand everything while here on earth (read Psalm 73:1-22), God

will be faithful. Everything we have and know here on earth is

subject to decay, but our relationship with the LORD is our

strength forever. He will not abandon, fail, or forget us.

PRAYER:

  Almighty God, thank you for being with me always, especially in

those moments when life is most confusing and my fears most

troubling. Please give me faith to not only ask you honest

questions, but to also trust you even when things don't look like

they are all that good for those who believe in you. Please help my

faith hold firm as I wait for your mighty vindication of your

people. In Jesus' name I pray. Amen.

Today's Verse

VERSE:
  For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal
life in Christ Jesus our Lord.
   -- Romans 6:23
      

THOUGHT:
  Our sin earns us death. God's grace gives us life. The
difference between these two extremes? The Cross of Christ which
spans the chasm of our sin and brings us to the mercy, forgiveness,
and redemption of God!

PRAYER:
  Holy Father, thank you for saving me through Jesus. Lord Jesus,
thank you for paying the price for my sins. Blessed Holy Spirit,
thank you for cleansing me and making me God's holy dwelling place.
In Jesus' name I pray. Amen.

Living simple life

"I count all things loss for the excellence of the knowledge of Christ Jesus my Lord, for whom I have lost all things" (Phil 3:8) Self-denial is not cheap. Jesus challenged His followers to count the cost. What Jesus actually wanted was to deepen the commitment of His followers (Lk 14:27-33). Those who kept going after Him just for blessings and miracles would be terribly disappointed. As disciples of Christ we are called to deny ourselves of even certain legitimate rights and enjoyments of life (1 Cor 7:29-31). While listing out the signs of the endtimes, Paul says, "Men will be lovers of themselves, lovers of money." (2 Tim 3:1,2). It's foolish to wait for a calamity to strike us and force us to loosen our grip on riches. Jesus became poor voluntarily. Self-denial is the supreme spiritual exercise. Self-denial was reflected in everything Jesus chose to do- Jesus denied Himself of the perfect beauty and splendor of His deity and became "sin" for us (2 Cor 5:21). He refused to yield to the pressure of temptations to show off His power (Mt 4:3-11). He forewent the basic comforts in life and went forth without a place to lay His head (Mt 8:20). Unmindful of His time to sleep or sup, He ministered to ignorant teachers and ignominious thirsters (Jn 3&4). He refused to be influenced by the filial love of His own family members in the matters of the Kingdom of God (Mt 12:46-50). He laid aside the prestige of His lordship in order to wash the feet of His disciples (Jn 13:3-5). He refused to pray to the Father for the release of battalions of angels to fight for Him (Mt 26:53,54). He directed sympathizers to weep for themselves and their children (Lk 23:27,28). He refused a pain-killer drink while agonizing on the Cross (Mt 27:34). He denied Himself of the Throne and became a "sacrifice" on the Altar (Eph 5:2). This is self-denial.Shall we follow Him? All that we have is not for us to enjoy. All that we earn is not for us to expend. "Whoever of you does not forsake all that he has cannot be My disciple," said Jesus (Lk 14:33). Here lies our problem. We attempt what Jesus pointed out as impossible. Mother Teresa's belongings were a Bible, a rosary, two sarees and a suitcase - that's all!     In full and glad surrender I give myself to Thee,     Thine utterly and only and evermore to be.     Reign over me, Lord Jesus; oh, make my heart Thy throne;     It shall be Thine, dear Saviour, it shall be Thine alone! From www.Stanleyonbible.com

Unbelief

"Without faith it is impossible to please God" (Heb 11:6a) The Garden of Eden was a place of hills, plains, and lovely lakes. The blue heavens and the green earth were in perfect harmony. On the graceful shrubs stood colourful flowers, dressed in purple and pink, to greet the first man and woman at every turn of their eye. The lion and the lamb played peacefully around them. The two full-grown babies enjoyed the company of the angelic beings who were their frequent visitors. Above all, they welcomed the coming of their Creator who walked in the garden, in the cool of the day. They lived in perpetual dependence on God and enjoyed perfect bliss. But they could continue in that happy estate only on a condition. The condition that their Creator laid down was this: "Of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil you shall not eat" (Gen 2:18). The tree of knowledge had been made a test of their faith and obedience. It was then that the unwanted intruder came on the scene and asked Eve, "Has God indeed said, You shall not eat of every tree of the garden?" (Gen 3:1). He questioned the very Word of God. Alas! Eve began to distrust God's love and doubt His wisdom. She disbelieved the words of God for whom it was impossible to lie (Heb 6:8) and believed the lie of the liar (Jn 8:44). And the outcome? They became outcasts from the garden of Eden. The first sin of our first parents is failure to believe God's Word. Yes, unbelief is the sin of sins. Unbelief is the only sin that leads to death (1 Jn 5:16). For any other sin committed by any of us, we can pray for that person, and God will forgive him. But if he keeps refusing to believe on Christ Jesus as his Saviour, however much we may pray for him, he will not be forgiven. "There is no judgment awaiting those who trust Him. But those who do not trust Him have already been judged for not believing in the only Son of God" (Jn 3:18). This truth must be shouted in the ears of those who say there is no God, and all religions are the same, and membership in the Church is good enough for salvation! The only condition God lays for us to be forgiven and accepted into His family is that we must believe on His Son. Anything else is secondary. Without faith, it is impossible to please God! "Dear God, in these days when thousands go astray from faith, help me not to believe the lies of the devil but trust in the finished work of Christ only, and walk in faith obeying the simple truths of Your holy Word!" Unbelief shuts the door of Heaven and opens the gates of hell! -Dr. Billy Graham (1918- )

Today's Verse

VERSE:
  He who finds a wife finds what is good and receives favor from
the LORD.
   -- Proverbs 18:22
      

THOUGHT:
  Several great truths are taught us in the opening chapters of
the Bible. First, we are made in God's image, both male and female.
Second, we are made to be different (male and female). Third, we
are made to bless each other and be complements of one another.
Fourth, we are made to leave our families of origin and build our
lives together (Gen. 1:26-2:25). To find a partner for life, one
created by God in his image, is to find what is truly good!

PRAYER:
  Father, I thank you for your plan for my life. (For the
married:) I thank you for my partner in marriage and ask for your
help in blessing and fulfilling that person in every way. (For the
widowed:) I ask, dear Father, that you comfort my feelings of loss
and grief, and that you know my thanks for this special person
through whom you blessed my life. (For the single:) I ask that you
help me know the path for my life and use me to bless others in the
way that I live with integrity and faithfulness. In addition, dear
Father, please bless me with close Christian friends with whom I
can find emotional fulfillment and spiritual strength. (For the
divorced) I ask, dear Father, that you minister to my sense of loss
and that you use me to serve you and bring you glory. However, dear
God, I need your nearness to sustain me and comfort me as I deal
with my emotional struggles and unfulfilled hopes. In Jesus' name I
pray. Amen.