Tuesday, July 31, 2012

LOOK AND WAIT

 
Micah 7:7


"But as for me, I watch in hope for the Lord, I wait for God my Savior; my God will hear me." NIV


"Therefore I will look unto the Lord; I will wait for the God of my salvation: my God will hear me." KJV


What does the average person do when trouble strikes unexpectedly, or life seems to throw a curve ball? There are a number of responses for the average person to calamity. But for the Christian, we have a sure hope that whatever we are going through, our Lord is with us, leading us along, and working all things out for our good. The waiting part is difficult, but it is worth it when we arrive at the place the Lord has taken us.


Heavenly Father, how we thank You for never changing and for being the source of hope that never disappoints. Help us to wait for Your timing and enjoy our walk with You to where You are taking us. We pray in Jesus' name, Amen.


           
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Monday, July 30, 2012

MORE THAN WINNERS

 
Romans 8:37


"No, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him who loved us." NIV


"Nay, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him that loved us." KJV


We hear this scripture quoted often, but do we understand what things we are able to more than conquer? The Word says we can defeat any trouble, any hardship, any persecution, any famine, and poverty, any danger, or any threat to our lives. Doesn't that bring sweet comfort to us, who live in a world where all those things loom around us every day? If we are in Christ, we are more than conquerors over any of these things, because Christ already defeated them for us.


Heavenly Father, forgive us for being anxious and fearful about the problems and tribulations of this world. Help us to remember that all these things are under our feet because You are our fortress. In Jesus' name we pray, Amen.


           
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Sunday, July 29, 2012

ONLY ONE

 
Micah 5:2


"But you, Bethlehem Ephrathah, though you are small among the clans of Judah, out of you will come for me one who will be ruler over Israel, whose origins are from of old, from ancient times." NIV


"But thou, Bethlehem Ephratah, though thou be little among the thousands of Judah, yet out of thee shall he come forth unto me that is to be ruler in Israel; whose goings forth have been from of old, from everlasting." KJV


In our times, there are so many polluted beliefs about the way to God. Many religions have joined together believing there are many roads but they all lead to the same place. Dear brothers and sisters, this is a lie from Satan himself. There is only one. There is only one way. It is He who was born in Bethlehem of Judea; He is from eternity and He is God. He will rule all of creation and He is the only way to salvation and eternal life. Don't let the world's logic and reasoning seep in and contaminate our souls.


Heavenly Father, how we praise You for giving Your only begotten Son to save us and bring us to Yourself. Help us to guard our hearts and minds from the subtle poison this world is so ready to give us. We pray in the name of Jesus our Lord, Amen.


           
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Saturday, July 28, 2012

LIT UP AND SHINING

 
Matthew 5:14


You are the light of the world. A town built on a hill cannot be hidden." NIV


"Ye are the light of the world. A city that is set on a hill cannot be hid." KJV


Jesus said He is the Light of the world, and that He is, the One and Only true light. When we became His children, He put His light within us so that we and the whole world would know that we are His. How can the light within us not be seen? All light shines out into the dark and the dark goes away. What does it mean that we shine as lights in the world? If we are living as Christ has shown us and we follow Him, everyone will see that we are His. Our lives will automatically reflect the light and love of Jesus.


Heavenly Father, forgive us for hiding our light for whatever reasons. Give us boldness through the Holy Spirit to walk in Your steps and let our lights shine freely out into this dark world so that others will know the Way. In His precious name we pray, Amen.


           
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Friday, July 27, 2012

WONDERFUL PEACE

 
John 14:27


"Peace I leave with you, my peace I give you, I do not give to you as the world gives. Do not let your hearts be troubled and do not be afraid." NIV


"Peace I leave with you, my peace I give unto you: not as the world giveth, give I unto you. Let not your heart be troubled, neither let it be afraid." KJV


Peace! What is that? In this world the best we can hope for is a little quiet time from the noise and clamor. Jesus gives us His peace. This is a peace that cannot come from anywhere but Him and He has lavishly poured it out on us because He loves us. However, we have to accept it with humble hearts and gratitude. Then we will be able to experience that awesome peace within that never hides or goes away no matter what is going on around us. If we keep our eyes on Him and acknowledge His peace within us, all our fears and inner struggles will fade away. The power and presence of His peace will guard us and keep us in Him. In Him, there is love, peace, and joy.


Heavenly Father, we seem to let the troubles of this world overpower our hearts and minds, and we worry and fret about tomorrow. Forgive us for not accepting Your gracious gift of peace that You long for us to have. Clear our minds of the clatter and fears of this world and help us soak up Your wonderful peace, so that it will rule in our hearts, not fear and worries. In Jesus' holy name we pray, Amen.


           
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Thursday, July 26, 2012

FAST TALKERS

 
Proverbs 29:20


"Do you see someone who speaks in haste? There is more hope for a fool than for them." NIV


"Seest thou a man that is hasty in his words? There is more hope for a fool than for him." KJV


How many times have we said something without thinking, just blurting it out, then regretting it? How often have we been quick to spill out words in anger that we don't really mean? We are accountable for every word we speak. Words spoken to another can never be taken back. If we will give our Lord control of our words and stay alert to what we say, He will help us to speak words that encourage, lift up, and provide a positive atmosphere for those around us. The Word says those who speak what's on their mind without thinking are worse than fools.


Heavenly Father, we ask Your forgiveness for those times we have spoken in haste and have caused hurt and problems for others and ourselves. Give us the power through Your Holy Spirit to speak in ways that are pleasing to You. We pray this in the name of Jesus, Amen.


           
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Wednesday, July 25, 2012

STAIN RESISTANT

 
James 1:27


"Religion that God our Father accepts as pure and faultless is this: to look after orphans and widows in their distress and to keep oneself from being polluted by the world." NIV


"Pure religion and undefiled before God the Father is this, To visit the fatherless and widows in their affliction, and to keep himself unspotted from the world." KJV


It can be frustrating to bring a shirt out of the washer and there is still a stain on the front of it. If the shirt is worth keeping, we will find a product that will remove that stain and re-wash it. Unfortunately, keeping ourselves unstained by the world is not that easy. First of all, God tells us it is our responsibility to keep ourselves spotless from the pollution of the world. We cannot blame others if we fall into the ways of the world. And there is no earthly means by which we can keep ourselves spiritually clean. If we commit our ways to the Lord and walk in His Spirit, we will have the perfect stain protector and remover.


Heavenly Father, we are sorry that we allow ourselves to get caught up in the world and wear the stains of it in Your presence. Forgive us and help us to live out the words You have spoken that help us to stay unspotted by this world. In Jesus' name, Amen.


           
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Tuesday, July 24, 2012

OUR STUFF, HERE TODAY GONE TOMORROW

 
Proverbs 27:24


"For riches do not endure forever, and a crown is not secure for all generations." NIV


"For riches are not for ever: and doth the crown endure to every generation?" KJV


We live in a time when our status in society is measured by how much material wealth we have. This creates a driving force for all of us to work as hard as we can, in one way or another, to get more and more. This is a deceiving plan of Satan. He knows as humans we will become attached to our "things" and will want more. Then we will get our eyes off of what really matters, the things of God. Material wealth is only for a little while. The life of God through Christ Jesus and His will for our lives is forever.


Heavenly Father, forgive us for getting caught up in the things of this world. Give us discernment to know it is a trick of Satan. Give us the right perspective about the possessions with which You have blessed us. In Jesus' name, Amen.


           
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Monday, July 23, 2012

A TIME FOR ALL THINGS

 
Ecclesiastes 3:5


"A time to scatter stones and a time to gather them, a time to embrace and a time to refrain from embracing." NIV


"A time to cast away stones, and a time to gather stones together; a time to embrace, and a time to refrain from embracing." KJV


Change is difficult. Even when things are not the way we want them to be or even if things are bad, we have a hard time making changes we need to make. We hang on to the familiar even when it is not in our best interest. God tells us there is a time for everything. If we pray for direction, remain open, and wait for His timing, He will let us know the time and way we need to change the things that need changing. It may be uncomfortable, but He will work it out. He will be glorified and we will be more like Him.


Heavenly Father, forgive us for holding on to things when they are not good for us. Forgive us for being too afraid or too uncomfortable to make changes in our lives. Help us to stand strong and do the things we need to do when it's time and trust You to be with us every step of the way. In Jesus' name we pray, Amen.




           
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Sunday, July 22, 2012

HIS ETERNAL WORD

 
Matthew 24:35


"Heaven and earth will pass away, but my words will never pass away." NIV


"Heaven and earth shall pass away, but my words shall not pass away." KJV


It's pretty well understood that the things of this world are temporary. But we do get involved with people and people make promises. We deal with businesses who guarantee their products. But there are always betrayals and change of plans that disappoint and create mistrust. There is one sure thing we can count on even when we feel all is lost. It is the Word of God. What He said will never betray us, or change in any way, or leave us. We can forever have hope and trust that His Word stands forevermore.


Heavenly Father, we give You thanks and praise for Your eternal Word. There is nothing in this world we can count on. Give us a greater hunger for Your Word, so that it will abide in us while we are waiting for Your return. In His name we pray, Amen.


           
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Saturday, July 21, 2012

LIVE UP TO OUR MATURITY IN CHRIST

 
Philippians 3:16


"Only let us live up to what we have already attained." NIV


"Nevertheless, whereto we have already attained, let us walk by the same rule, let us mind the same thing." KJV


As Christians, we hunger for more of God, to know Him more, to be more like Him. That is a normal desire for true Christians. Sometimes we try so hard or go beyond what the Lord has revealed to us, and we stumble and fall. We fail to walk in the light we have been given thus far in our spiritual walk. We are strongly directed in the Word to make sure we live in the spiritual light we have already been given and keep going forward.


Heavenly Father, we probably look like small children trying to wear adult shoes in the way we live our spiritual lives. Forgive us. Help us to be aware of where we are in our walk with You and to live up to that before we try running ahead and stumbling. In Jesus' name we pray, Amen.


           
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Friday, July 20, 2012

GOD'S POWER IN US

 
Ephesians 3:20


"Now to him who is able to do immeasurably more than all we ask or imagine, according to his power that is at work within us." NIV


"Now unto him that is able to do exceeding abundantly above all that we ask or think, according to the power that worketh in us." KJV


Our God is omnipotent (all powerful) and we trust that there is nothing impossible for Him. However, we do tend to doubt or even fail to realize that He can and does do things more powerful than we could ever imagine through us. Yes, through you and through me. He works by the power of His Holy Spirit within us. We can do all things through His power that dwells in us. These are things that God desires to work through us, not for us to use the power like we want.


Heavenly Father, we stand in awe that You would choose to use us, lowly, weak human beings, to work Your mighty deeds. May we be open vessels, filled with the Holy Spirit's power and ready to do Your will. In Jesus' name we pray, Amen.


           
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Thursday, July 19, 2012

WE CAN ONLY SEE THE LIGHT

 
John 8:12


"I am the light of the world. Whoever follows me will never walk in darkness, but will have the light of life." NIV


"I am the light of the world: he that followeth me shall not walk in darkness, but shall have the light of life." KJV


Just about everyone understands that when there is no light in an area, it is dark and seeing is difficult if not impossible. That is an elementary concept even children understand. Why is it that many people do not understand that we need spiritual light to see what is around us and where we are going? We use the sun and artificial light without giving it a second thought. But so many try getting through life using their own limited knowledge, following close to others, or just taking risks that sound like the best option. These people are in darkness. They cannot see what they are doing, where they are, or where they are going. They need Jesus, the Light of the world.


Heavenly Father, how thankful we are that Your Son came to earth to be the Light we need to travel through this dark world. Help us to be aware that others are still stumbling around in spiritual darkness and let us be lights that shine the truth of Jesus Christ to them. In His name we pray, Amen.


           
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Wednesday, July 18, 2012

GOD IS SPIRIT

 
John 4:24


"God is spirit, and his worshippers must worship in the Spirit and in truth." NIV


"God is a Spirit: and they that worship him must worship him in spirit and in truth." KJV


Of course God is spirit. We know He is not confined to a physical body or any other kind of containment. He is omnipresent (everywhere). How then, can we call ourselves true worshippers if we are merely going through motions, following a program, mindlessly singing a hymn or repeating a memorized or written prayer. That is not true worship. That is going through the motions of worship. True worship is bringing ourselves into the very presence of God with humble hearts of thanksgiving and praise. It is drawing near to Him with our hearts and minds totally focused on Him and His awesomeness. When we leave the scene of true worship, we are changed and know we have been in the very presence of the Lord God almighty.


Heavenly Father, forgive us for our complacency and failure to give You our hearts and minds in worship. Put a burning desire within us to worship You in spirit and truth so that we will know the joy of being in Your presence and that we will become more like You. In the name of Jesus Christ we pray, Amen.


           
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Tuesday, July 17, 2012

LIVING LETTERS

 
2 Corinthians 3:3


"You show that you are a letter from Christ, the result of our ministry, written not with ink but with the Spirit of the living God, not on tablets of stone but on tablets of human hearts." NIV


"Forasmuch as ye are manifestly declared to be the epistle of Christ ministered by us, written not with ink, but with the Spirit of the living God; not in tables of stone, but in fleshy tables of the heart." KJV


First of all, our words and actions may be the only method the salvation message will get to some unsaved souls. Most people can tell the genuine from the fake. Do we "act" in Christian ways because that's what we're supposed to do? Or do we live our lives as Christ did because His Holy Spirit has true reign in our hearts and it just flows out of us? This is how the gospel message reaches those around us without written word or even spoken word, but by the Spirit of the living God emanating from our hearts.


Heavenly Father, how short we fall from living as Christ did. Forgive us for allowing the things of this world to shadow over the Holy Spirit in our lives and hindering His work. Help us to give total control to Him so that we will be living letters of life to a lost and dying world. In the name of Jesus' we pray, Amen.


           
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Monday, July 16, 2012

UNEQUALLY YOKED

 
2 Corinthians 6:14


"Do not be yoked together with unbelievers. For what do righteousness and wickedness have in common? Or what fellowship can light have with darkness.? NIV


"Be ye not unequally yoked together with unbelievers: for what fellowship hath righteousness with unrighteousness? And what communion hath light darkness?" KJV


What exactly does it mean to be "yoked together?" A yoke is a device made of two curved pieces to enclose the heads of each of two work animals connected by a crosspiece. This device restricts each animal to going the same way, in step, with no deviation. When we look at this comparison with Christians and unbelievers, it becomes quite clear that yoking ourselves with an unbeliever is going to be a terrible situation. It simply will not work. There will be strife and getting off the path. There will be pulling one way then another. We, unlike work animals, have a choice with whom we unite (yoke) ourselves together. The Word warns us about it. Can we see why?


Heavenly Father, we are thankful for the Word that gives us sound direction for our lives to keep us from making wrong choices that can wreck our lives. Give us open hearts for the wisdom of the Word so that we will make Godly choices and not unite ourselves with unbelievers in close business, social, and personal relationships. In Jesus' name we pray, Amen.


           
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Sunday, July 15, 2012

OUR TROUBLES WILL BE WORTH IT

 
2 Corinthians 4:17


"For our light and momentary troubles are achieving for us an eternal glory that far outweighs them all." NIV


"For our light affliction, which is but for a moment, worketh for us a far more exceeding and eternal weight of glory." KJV


What is one of the first things we are apt do when trouble comes our way? We react in a number of negative ways. We complain or go all the way into total anger and resentment. Have we forgotten that we live in a cursed world? A world that is full of troubles and tragedy and there is no respecter of persons. It rains on the just and the unjust. As Christians, our faith should be such that we are reminded in difficult times that this is the way of suffering, we all pass this way, and all the while our Lord is with us. The greatest thing to remember is that these problems are only temporary. If we stand strong in the Lord, the glorious eternity we will experience will erase any bad thing this world caused us.


Heavenly Father, we just praise and worship Your holy name that You have prepared for us eternal perfection with You. Forgive us for forgetting that when trouble comes to us. Fill us with the comfort and peace of the Holy Spirit during difficult times. And help us look up, knowing what is waiting for us. In Jesus' name we pray, Amen.


           
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Saturday, July 14, 2012

THE WAYS OF THE LORD ARE RIGHT

 
Hosea 14:9


"Who is wise? Let them realize these things. Who is discerning? Let them understand. The ways of the Lord are right; the righteous walk in them, but the rebellious stumble in them." NIV


"Who is wise, and he shall understand these things? Prudent, and he shall know them? For the ways of the Lord are right, and the just shall walk in them: but the transgressors shall fall therein." KJV


As Christians, we all have struggles and we may even fall. But we have a God who loves us and walks with us and sets us back on the path when we stray. But, for those who choose to live their lives on their own, without Jesus Christ, it is a vastly different result. Without a loving God at their side, they walk alone and, without any assurance. They inwardly tremble, hoping someone will have a heart of kindness to come and help them with their problem. When the unsaved get into trouble for not following the world's laws, they are at the mercy of the world's justice system. They may pay for their wrongdoing here on earth, but they will walk the streets still unsaved and unforgiven, walking toward eternal darkness. For them, there is no hope. They are unwise, making up their own beliefs that all is well.


Heavenly Father, how can we ever thank You enough for showing us Your just and true ways so that we can put our trust in You during good times and bad. Give us the boldness to let those who are unsaved know there is a better way that gives hope, a foundation of peace, that leads to eternal life. In Jesus' name, Amen.


           
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Friday, July 13, 2012

WARN, ENCOURAGE, HELP, WITH PATIENCE

 
1 Thessalonians 5:14


"And we urge you, brothers and sisters, warn those who are idle and disruptive, encourage the disheartened, help the weak, be patient with everyone."NIV


"Now we exhort you, brethren, warn them that are unruly, comfort the feebleminded, support the weak, be patient toward all men."KJV


We are called on to take action toward those who are struggling in the faith. Before we can do that, we will need to examine our own lives to see if we are lacking in our walk with the Lord. Then, it will take much prayer and communion with the Lord, asking daily for the fullness and leading of the Holy Spirit to be able to do these things that are asked of us. There are always going to be lazy, boisterous, depressed, and weak people. And patience is a difficult spiritual fruit to practice. It helps if we remember that we were at one time or another, one of those people who needed someone to be patient with us.


Heavenly Father, Jesus Christ fulfilled all these things expected of us toward others. Search our hearts and if we fall short, help us to mature in these areas. Help us to remember from where we came just prior and after we became Christians. Give us the mind of Christ and fullness of His Spirit so that we can help others who are struggling and do it with patience. In Jesus' name we pray, Amen.


           
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Thursday, July 12, 2012

TRUST GOD FOR RICHES AND WISDOM

 
Proverbs 23:4


"Do not wear yourself out to get rich; do not trust your own cleverness."NIV


"Labour not to be rich; cease from thine own wisdom."KJV


According to a recent report by the American Psychological Association, 75% of the people interviewed reported moderate to severe stress in their lives. Stress comes from many places, but one of the major sources of stress in our society is to accruing enough wealth and possessions to make our lives comfortable and satisfying. Many are willing to risk their health to make this happen and they lose sleep due to planning more ways to make more money. When we stop to look at the way time is racing by and to recognize that all the things we gather for our own pleasure are just temporary, it seems rather foolish. Our God has so much more waiting for us that will last forever. Wouldn't it be more wise to seek after the things of God, those things that will bring us more pleasure that anything this world can offer?


Heavenly Father, we just get so caught up in this world and the things that bring us instant gratification. We even get together and show one another the latest things we have gotten that we believe will make a difference in our lives. Help us to remember that all the things of this world will perish and are very short lived. Give us the desire to seek the riches of the Kingdom of God, those things that will last forever. In Jesus' name we pray, Amen.


           
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