1 Corinthians 15:34 - Awake to righteousness, and do not sin

“Awake to righteousness, and do not sin.”

1 Corinthians 15:34

What a word for us to receive today … “Awake to righteousness, and do not sin” (1 Corinthians 15:34). Proverbs 3:7 encourages us to “Fear the Lord and depart from evil.” As Christians we should have nothing to do with evil and the works of the devil. We should turn our backs on sin and live for righteousness. Amos 5:14-15 says “Seek good and not evil, that you may live; so the Lord God of hosts will be with you … Hate evil, love good.” If we pursue this we will find the life He intends us to have. It will also help us to be godly. Proverbs 21:21 gives us hope if we do apply this, for it says “He who follows righteousness and mercy finds life, righteousness, and honor.” On the cross Jesus conquered the sin in our lives. We can live for righteousness. 1 Peter 2:24 says “who Himself bore our sins in His own body on the tree, that we, having died to sins, might live for righteousness.” He also delivered us from the power of darkness. Colossians 1:13-14 says “He delivered us from the power of darkness and conveyed us into the kingdom of the Son of His love.”  Hallelujah! God has freed us from the law of sin and death! Romans 8:2 says “For the law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus has made me free from the law of sin and death.” What He has done for us frees us to love the brethren. It also frees us to love God and to keep His commandments. 1 John 5:2 says “By this we know that we love the children of God, when we love God and keep His commandments.” Be encouraged today. God has given us His all so that we are dead to sin and alive to Christ.

Father, May You sanctify us completely. May our whole spirit, soul, and body be preserved blameless until the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ. May we awake to righteousness and sin not. May we walk in the way You have prepared for us. May we seek good and not evil, that we may live. Father we thank You that we are promised that if we walk in this way You will be with us. In Jesus’ name we pray. Amen. 

Colossians 3:12 - We must make allowance for each others faults

“You must make allowance for each others faults…”

Colossians 3:12 (NLT)

None of us are perfect. We all can have faults in our lives. God has brought us far on our Christian walk but He will be continuing that work inside of us until the day of Christ Jesus. Although we try to do the right thing all the time, we sometimes err. And at times we may not even realize that we have erred. Psalm 19:12 says “Who can understand his errors? Cleanse me from secret faults” (NKJV). Sometimes we can’t see our faults. God can see them though and He loves us anyways … right where we are at. He knows He is doing a work in us and He knows He can teach us and bring us through. He continually changes us, making us more like His likeness. A sad truth is that those that are around us can notice our faults too. Sometimes we pull away from each other when we realize this. What we really need to do is pray for them. We need to make allowance for each others faults. We need to love and forgive them. Colossians 3:12-15 “Therefore, as the elect of God, holy and beloved, put on tender mercies, kindness, humility, meekness, longsuffering; bearing with one another, and forgiving one another, if anyone has a complaint against another; even as Christ forgave you, so you also must do. But above all these things put on love, which is the bond of perfection. And let the peace of God rule in your hearts, to which also you were called in one body; and be thankful (NKJV). The NLT says “Since God chose you to be the holy people whom He loves, you must clothe yourselves with tenderhearted mercy, kindness, humility, gentleness, and patience. You must make allowance for each others faults and forgive the person who offends you. Remember, the Lord forgave you, so you must forgive others. And the most important piece of clothing you must wear is love. Love is what binds us all together in perfect harmony. And let the peace that comes from Christ rule in your hearts. For as members of one body you are all called to live in peace. And always be thankful.” Bear with those around you. Make allowance for each others faults. Keep your heart pure before the Lord. Remember: God is not done with them yet & God is not done with you. Glory be to God!

Father, in the name of Jesus we come before You with thanksgiving. We thank You for the work You have done in all our lives. Help us to bear with one another. Help us to make allowance for each others faults. Help us to pray for others when we see their faults. They may not even realize that they have them. May they pray for us when they see our faults as well. We want to be blameless before You.  You are doing a work in us. You are also doing a work in them. You are not done with any of us. May we clothe ourselves with tenderhearted mercy, kindness, humility, gentleness, and patience. May we wear the most important piece of clothing and that is love. Love is what binds us all together in perfect harmony. May the peace that comes from Christ rule in our hearts. May we live in peace and be thankful. In Jesus’ name we pray. Amen.    

Romans 14:19 - Edify others

“Therefore let us pursue the things which make for peace and the things by which one may edify another.”

Romans 14:19

Our actions and words should serve Christ Jesus our Lord and help other believers grow and flourish in their walks with Christ. Romans 15:2 says “Let each of us please his neighbor for his good, leading to edification.” If we are serious about our Christian walk we will take into consideration how our actions and choice of words affect others. Our actions and words will either help build others up and encourage them in their Christian faith or they tear them down, hurting them—which will stunt their spiritual progress and growth. Edification should be foremost on our minds. 1 Thessalonians 5:11 tells us “Therefore comfort each other and edify one another, just as you also are doing.” 1 Corinthians 14:12 “Even so you, since you are zealous for spiritual gifts, let it be for the edification of the church that you seek to excel.” We should desire spiritual gifts for the edification of our fellow believers in Christ. We should not just desire it for our own spiritual well-being. It should only be for theirs. It is important that each of us do this. We are all connected to one another and God wants us to grow in His grace together. He wants us to learn together. He wants us to serve Him together. Unity and oneness in Him shows the power of His love and the power of His love changes us, making us more like Christ. When you take the time to plant flowers in your garden you don’t just plant one flower. You plant several and they grow together. This is what God wants for us. He wants us to grow together, making something beautiful (His church). God wants to bless your life by surrounding you with godly friends. These godly friends can encourage one another and spur each other on. Take the time to look around. Be sensitive to those that need for encouragement and offer supportive words and/or actions. I tell you the truth, there is not one person alive that could not use some words of encouragement. Encourage someone today!

Father, may we encourage our fellow believers in the Lord. May we spur each other on. We want to finish our race strong. In Jesus’ name we pray. Amen.

Romans 13:9-10 Love does no harm to a neighbor

“You shall love your neighbor as yourself.’ Love does no harm to a neighbor; therefore love is the fulfillment of the law.”

Romans 13:9-10

It is healthy for us to love ourselves. God doesn’t want us to have low self-esteems. Because of Christ He has made us somebody. We are not the scum of the earth. We are the cream of His crop. He has made us children of God and has grafted us into His very own family. We haven’t done anything to deserve this. It is only because of His great mercy, grace, and love. Each of us has physical and spiritual needs that need to be met daily. We often see to it that our physical and spiritual needs are met. This is good. God wants us to not only notice our needs each day but He wants to help us notice others and their needs as well. He wants to use us to help meet their needs. Loving others as ourselves actually means actively working to see that our neighbors’ needs are met.  Many times God would use us to help meet their physical needs. Other times He may use us to help meet their spiritual needs. He may have us care what our brothers and sisters are going through so that we can pray and intercede for them accordingly. He may give you a scripture to share with them. He may have you share your personal testimony with them. Or he may have you buy them a book, give them a hug, call them, text them, Facebook message them, or set up a time to get together with them. Just be sensitive to His Spirit’s leading. Christians that think of others throughout the day are usually the happiest as their thoughts are not just on them and themselves alone. Their thoughts are on Him and others. They no longer live just for themselves. They live for Christ and they lay down their lives for Him. They have a sense of purpose in their lives and that purpose is Him and doing His will. Keep your heart quieted before Him throughout the day. Be ready to hear from Him. He can still lead and guide us in this day and age. He wants to do this daily. Romans 13:10 says that “Love does no harm to a neighbor.” We wouldn’t want anyone to be rude, harsh, judgmental, critical, fault finding, or bitter with us. Would we? Then we should be sure not be this way with others either. May we walk in love (His love and ours working together) and therefore fulfill His law. May we love our neighbor as ourselves. May the fruits of the Spirit flow through our lives on to others. The fruits of the Spirit are “love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self control. Against such there is no law” (Galatians 5:22-23). God’s Word says that there are three things that will endure—faith, hope, and love—and the greatest of these is love. God’s Word also says that “love never fails.”

Father, may we walk in love and therefore fulfill Your love. May we love our neighbors as ourselves. May the fruits of Your Spirit flow through our lives on to others. Your Word says that “Love does no harm to our neighbor.” Lord, help us to not bring harm to anyone we know and love. We want to bring glory to Your name. Thank You for Your promise that “love never fails.” Thank You that there are three things that will endure—faith, hope, and love. We thank You that love is the greatest of these three. You are a God of love. You are love. May we walk in Your love too. In Jesus’ name we pray. Amen.

, giving thanks for Your presence in our lives. Work all things out to our good. In Jesus’ name we pray. Amen.

Psalm 1:3 - Do you prosper in the things you do?

“And whatever he does shall prosper.”

Psalm 1:3

Psalm 1:1-3 says “Blessed is the man who walks not in the counsel of the ungodly, nor stands in the path of sinners, nor sits in the seat of the scornful; but his delight is in the law of the Lord, and in His law he meditates day and night. He shall be like a tree planted by the rivers of water that brings forth its fruit in its season, whose leaf also shall not wither; and whatever he does shall prosper.”

The Lord has impressed on my heart today that some Christians are discouraged because they are not prospering in the things they put their efforts to. They are not being fruitful. I asked the Lord why this was. I wondered why “whatever he does shall prosper” isn’t always happening. He told me that 1) they need to do things God’s way—according to His Word and not the way the world does. He told me that 2) they need to be wise and surround themselves with Godly people that have the will and mind of Christ. Iron sharpens iron. Bad company corrupts good character. He told me that 3) their delight is not in the law of the Lord—and oftentimes people want to do things their own way. They don’t look to God or ask for His help. He also told me 4) that they are not meditating day and night on His law. If they would do these things they would be “like a tree planted by the rivers of water that brings forth its fruit in its season.” If they would do these things their leaf would not wither, and whatever they did would prosper. He told me that the choice is ours. If we do those four things we will be blessed. His hand of blessing will be upon us. What are we going to do?

Here’s a few more scriptures to encourage you. Proverbs 12:12 says that “the root of the righteous bears fruit.” Hallelujah! John 15:5 tells us that He is the vine, we are the branches. Those who abide in Him, and He in them, bears much fruit. For without God we can do nothing. We need Him in order to be fruitful and for our efforts to prosper. Colossians 1:10 tells us “that you may walk worthy of the Lord, fully pleasing Him, being fruitful in every good work and increasing in the knowledge of God.” May this be our hearts cry.

Father, may we walk worthy of You Lord. May we fully please You. May we be fruitful in every good work. May we increase in the knowledge of You. May we walk not in the counsel of the ungodly. May we surround us with people that are walking and living for You. May we not stand in the path of sinners, nor sit in the seat of the scornful. We know that iron sharpens iron. We also know that bad company corrupts good character. And we want to be men and women of integrity. May we delight in the law of the Lord from morning to night. May we meditate on Your law all day long. May we be like tree’s planted by the rivers of water that brings forth its fruit in its season, whose leaf also shall not wither; and whatever we do shall we prosper and bear fruit for the kingdom. In Jesus’ name we pray. Amen. So be it.

Philippians 4:6 - Are you frustrated?

“Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication, with thanksgiving, let your requests be known to God.”

Philippians 4:6

The Lord has impressed on my heart that some of His believers are frustrated. Maybe they planned a good thing and it seemed like it was worthless or of no avail. They feel defeated and are discouraged. It could be over something little like trying to grow some herbs so that it would benefit the family’s health and cause your food to taste better. They tried to do this successfully only to have an herb plant that is barely hanging on. Or it could be over something that is big like having a loved one that has to deal with serious health issues. You may wonder “Why, Lord? Why?” Life can be full of frustrations. What does one do with your frustrations and disappointments? Do you ponder them and keep wondering “Why, Lord? Why?” Doing this may just continue to cause you to feel and be frustrated. Your walk with Christ will suffer because of it. This is not good. The sad thing is if you hold on to your frustrations it actually means you are frustrated with God and that you are unsatisfied with Him. Maybe you’ve never thought of this. The best thing you can do is to take your frustrations, feelings, and disappointments all to the Lord in prayer. He is our friend and He cares about you. Part of a song that really spoke to me today was “take it to the Lord in prayer.” The song is What a Friend We Have in Jesus. The verses are:

1. What a Friend we have in Jesus, all our sins and grief’s to bear! What a privilege to carry everything to God in prayer! Oh, what peace we often forfeit, oh, what needless pain we bear, all because we do not carry everything to God in prayer!
2. Have we trials and temptations? Is there trouble anywhere? We should never be discouraged; take it to the Lord in prayer. Can we find a Friend so faithful Who will all our sorrows share? Jesus knows our every weakness; take it to the Lord in prayer.
3. Are we weak and heavy laden, cumbered with a load of care? Precious Savior, still our refuge; take it to the Lord in prayer. Do thy friends despise, forsake thee? Take it to the Lord in prayer; in His arms He’ll take and shield thee; thou will find a solace there.

Be encouraged today. We have a Friend in Jesus.

Father, sometimes we get frustrated and discouraged about things that happen or are happening in our lives. We may feel defeated. Discouragement may settle in.  Sometimes we may question things and wonder “Why?” “Why is this happening?” “Why are we dealing with this?” Help us not to stay in a frustrated or discouraged state. Help us to take everything to You in prayer, giving thanks for Your presence in our lives. Work all things out to our good. In Jesus’ name we pray. Amen.

1 John 5:17-18 - Pray for your brothers in sin

“If anyone sees his brother sinning a sin which does not lead to death, he will ask, and He will give him life for those who commit sin not leading to death. There is sin leading to death. I do not say that he should pray about that. All unrighteousness is sin, and there is sin not leading to death.”

1 John 5:17-18

One thing I am so thankful for is that God changes us and teaches us more about Himself and His ways all the time. Last night I was talking to someone. They were being negative and critical about various things. At one time in my life, I would have been agitated and irritable with them. I may have even corrected them or discredited their account.. This would often cause them to get irritated and mad at me as they were seeing it their way and I wasn’t being kind and understandable with them. A while back, my precious Lord had me start to do something else when this happens. He has me “listen” to what is on their heart. Then He has me “pray” for them as they are speaking to me. I say to Him silently “Father, forgive them.” “Father, forgive them.” “Father forgive them for being negative and critical about various things. You know they love you.” “Father, You see the situation they that has them worked up. Please intervene and help the situation as well as the outcome.” I have found that by doing things God’s way and by “praying” and “asking” Him to forgive them, causes Him to give life to them and their situation and things work so out so much better. Their hearts are more at peace after they are done talking to me and they are more at peace with me. This makes me rejoice in the Lord as I am more at peace too. God showed me that by being obedient to His Word and by praying He was invited into the equation and then He could act. I encourage you to pray for people when you see they are sinning (if their sin doesn’t lead to death). God will give them life.

Father, we come to You and thank You for Your wisdom. We thank You for teaching us more and more about Your truths as we grow in Christ. Help us to pray for our brothers and sisters that are sinning a sin that does not lead to death. May we pray and ask You to forgive them and may You give them life. In Jesus’ name we pray. Amen.

2 Timothy 3:16-17 - We should be a reflection of the Lord Jesus Christ

“All Scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness, that the man of God may be complete, thoroughly equipped for every good work.”

2 Timothy 3:16-17

If I could only lose 50 pounds I would be happy. So many times we think we need lose some of the extra pounds we have put on through the years. Since we have gained weight, we are saddened and we feel down about this, especially when we see old pictures of ourselves. Sometimes we set a goal for ourselves, which we often fall short. But the goal we should truly be focusing on is resembling the heart and life of Jesus Christ, our Lord and Savior. You might think this is impossible. How could we ever be like Christ? I will tell you how. You do this by spending much time in the Word, applying what He has shown you that was in it, doing things His way and not your own way, and spending ceaseless time in prayer. If you do these things, it will be as if you are looking in the mirror and seeing the Son of God in your life. Isn’t this how we really want to be? Don’t we want to be a reflection of Jesus and His love? 2 Timothy 3:16-17 says that “All Scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness, that the man of God may be complete, thoroughly equipped for every good work.” Let’s allow Him and His Word to do a work in our lives. Let’s let Him give us sound doctrine. Let’s let Him give us reproof. Let’s let Him correct us with His love. Let’s let Him instruct us in righteousness and the way we should go. Don’t we want to be men and women of God that are completely whole and sound in Him? Don’t we want to be equipped and ready for every good work that He has called us to do? I know I do. And God can do this by His power and the power that is in His Word. Hebrews 4:12 says “For the Word of God is living and powerful, and sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing even to the division of soul and spirit, and of joints and morrow, and is a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart.” Grab your bible. Read it. It is living and powerful. It is sharper than any two-edged sword. It pierces even to the division of soul and spirit, and of joints and morrow. It is a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart. Then we can repent and pray accordingly so God can purify our hearts and straighten our lives out.

Father, have Your own way in us. Make us all to resemble Your Son, Jesus Christ. May You use Your Word to purify our hearts and to straighten our lives out. We want to be a reflection of Jesus and His love. May we not be overly concerned with our outward appearance and what we look like in pictures. May we be more concerned about our spiritual lives and what You see in our hearts. Help us to be equipped and ready for every good work that You has called us to do. And may You get the glory when we do them. In Jesus’ name we pray. Amen.  

1 Corinthians 14:40 - Pray, yes, but heed His wisdom too.

“Let all things be done decently and in order.”

1 Corinthians 14:40

The Lord is impressing on my heart today that yes, we need to pray, but yes, we need to heed from His wisdom too. Some times people pray, pray, pray for different situations in their lives. We ask the church and others to pray for us too. This is good. God has called us to pray for one another. This is body ministry. I love to have people ask me to pray for them. It is a privilege and an honor. I’ll gladly do this. But sometimes God is trying to show us something that we can do to make the situations better too, which will bring His peace in our lives and replace all the chaos. Sometimes God wants us to change so the situation changes as well. He gives us spiritual wisdom and discernment. He reveals to us what is at the root of the problem. So instead of praying for the surface problems, you are praying for the root cause. Praying for the root cause is when God can truly help situations and move. Let me give you a personal example from my own life: I am married. I have a husband just like many of you do. I love and respect him immensely. He is a very good, godly man. Now he used to grumble and complain. (I admit … I used to too.) Now I could pray till I was blue in the face asking God to replace Dave’s finding fault, complaining, and grumbles with His love. And God could answer this. Or God could show me what was at the root of Dave’s problem so He can intervene and fix the problem. God ended up revealing to me that my husband is the happiest when there is a clean, clutter-free house. His heart is at peace then. He revealed to me that if the house is a disaster he finds fault, complains and grumbles. This would make life harder for me and the girls. Then I realized that it wasn’t just David and his faults … it was me and some of my faults as well. There was a reason David got like this and I was part of the problem. After working hard all day he liked coming home to a tidy, welcoming house. God showed me that there was something I could do that would fix this. I thank God that He gave me wisdom in the situation. He revealed to me that if I kept the house picked up that my husband’s heart would be at peace and that it would bring peace to the home. He told me that Dave was the head of the home and that I was to be his helpmate. I was to complete him, along with the Lord. I have been doing that and we have a lot more peace in our home. So before I use my gifts for the church, I make sure that my home and house is in order. Our home is our first calling. It is so important. We will be held accountable for this. I don’t know about you. I don’t know about the chaos that is possibly going on in your lives. But God does. He can reveal to you what is at the root of the problems so that you can pray accordingly. Sometimes He reveals the root problem and all you have to do is pray about that root problem. The key is to be sensitive to the Holy Spirit too. He may reveal something to you that you can do to improve the situations and bring about His peace as well. God is not the author of chaos, confusion, and problems. He is a God of peace and of order. 1 Corinthians 14:40 says “Let all things be done decently and in order.” Be encouraged today. God is Lord of all. He cares about you and you are the apple of His eye. He cares about what concerns you. He wants to help you and all your situations. Ask for His wisdom. Ask Him to intervene. He will help you if you are open to Him. Heed His wise advice.

Father, you see our many problems. You care about each and every one of them. Father, show us what is at the root of these problems so that we can pray about the root cause. Jesus spoke to the root truth. We want our prayers to speak to the root truth as well. We ask for Your supernatural wisdom. If there is anything we can do to help our situations and bring about Your peace, please reveal it to us. In Jesus’ name we pray. Amen.

Deuteronomy 13:4 - Obey God's Voice and do His Will

“You shall walk after the Lord your God and fear Him, and keep His commandments and obey His voice; you shall serve Him and hold fast to Him.”

Deuteronomy 13:4

We are to walk after the Lord our God. We are to follow Him. We are not to direct Him and expect Him to bless whatever we ourselves decide we are going to do on any given day. We are to be willing to be flexible and to change our plans if that is what He wants us to do as we fear, revere, honor, and respect Him. We are to let Him be our Lord, the God who guides, directs, and instructs us. We are to obey His commandments and obey His voice. We are to serve Him, lay down our lives for Him, and hold fast to Him. Yesterday I had today all figured out. I knew just what I wanted to do and accomplish for the day, but when I sat down with the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit this morning God impressed on my spirit that I wasn’t supposed to do some of those things I had planned. He wanted me to do something else. I knew immediately that I was to be flexible and to toss my plans out the window (so to speak). I needed to obey His voice and guidance for I am to serve Him and hold fast to Him and do what He says. His plans are now my plans and I am excited.

Father, we are to walk after You. We are to follow You. We are not to direct You and expect You to bless whatever we ourselves decide we are going to do on any given day. Yes we should make a list and try to get things done that need done, but if You want us to do something else may we be willing to be flexible and to set our plans aside. What really matters is if we do Your will each and every day. What You will is what’s most important. May we walk after You, Father, with all of our heart. May we fear, revere, honor and respect You. May we keep Your commandments and obey Your voice. May we serve You and hold fast to You as You are the one we love and You are the reason we live. In Jesus’ name we pray. Amen.

Malachi 4:2 - Jesus is our best friend, lets make Him it

“But to you who fear My name the Sun of Righteousness shall arise with healing in His wings; and you shall go out and grow fat like stall-fed calves.”

Malachi 4:2

One thing I have learned through the years is that Jesus truly can be our best friend. I used to wake up every morning and call different friends and chat quite a bit during the day . Then God brought me to a different place. He wanted me to get up every morning and spend time with Him. I would sit at his feet for hours, loving every minute of it. I still had my friends, we just didn’t talk everyday. Jesus was first on my mind and I was able to walk in Him closely all throughout the day. What I learned from being closely knit with the Father, Son and Holy Spirit was that They filled my life completely. He did arise to me each and every day and there was healing in His wings. My heart has never been the same again. I go out “fat like stall-fed calves.” Do you ever notice that the more you are with someone, the more you become like that person? You begin to have the same opinions and perspectives on life. It works the same way with God. The more time you spend with Him the more you become like Him. You begin to have His opinions and perspectives on things. You begin to do what He would do. You begin to desire what He desires. You even begin to love people as He would want you to love. You can forgive people more easily because that is His nature and You are becoming more and more like Him. You reflect more of His glory, goodness and love. Seek His face daily. Talk with Him and spend time in His Word. He will reveal Himself to you. He will reveal spiritual revelations to You and you will reap internal and eternal rewards. The time together will be life-giving and life-changing. You will find that He is the best friend you could ever have. Whenever we spend time with God we are soaking up His Son.

Father, thank You for being real to us. Thank You for being our Lord, Savior, and friend. You can be our confidant and the One that we call. You can fill our lives completely. You can arise to us each and every day with healing in Your wings. You can make us go out “fat like stall-fed calves.” No one deserves our time as much as You do. Lord may we take the time to fellowship with You each and every day. It’s the best thing we can do in our day. It helps us to walk in fellowship all day long. We hope and pray that our time with you make us more like You. Give us Your opinions and perspectives on things. Lead us to do what You would want us to do when we make decisions. May we desire what You desire for us. May we love people as You do. May we forgive others like You do. May we reflect more of Your glory, goodness and love. May we seek Your face daily, talk with you, and spend time in Your Word. Reveal Yourself to us. Give us spiritual revelations. May our time with You be life-giving and life-changing. We ask You today to be our best friend, the one we call, and the One we talk to the most. In Jesus’ name we pray. Amen.

Psalm 16:5 - God is our inheritance, our cup of blessing

“Lord, You alone are my inheritance, my cup of blessing.”

Psalm 16:5 (NLT)

Today I am being led to read from the NLT. I know it words things differently. But it can still be used to encourage us in our faith and spring us into action. Psalm 16:2 says “You are my Master! All the good things I have are from You.” God is our inheritance. He is our cup of blessing. He’s our Master. And every good thing that we have is from Him. He is also all we need. Numbers 18:20 says “And the Lord said to Aaron, ‘You priests will receive no inheritance of land or share of property among the people of Israel. I am your inheritance and your share.’” Our focus shouldn’t be about money and what we could possibly inherit someday. Our focus should be on God and the inheritance He has for us. He not just Aaron’s inheritance and share, He is our inheritance and share as well. God’s Word tells us that He generously provides all we need and gives us extra so that we can share with others. He doesn’t want us to hoard it to ourselves. 2 Corinthians 9:8-14 says “And God will generously provide all you need. Then you will always have everything you need and plenty left over to share with others. As the Scriptures say, ‘Godly people give generously to the poor. Their good deeds will never be forgotten.’ For God is the one who gives seed to the farmer and then bread to eat. In the same way, He will give you many opportunities to do good, and He will produce a great harvest of generosity in you. Yes, you will be enriched so that you can give even more generously. And when we take your gifts to those who need them, they will break out in thanksgiving to God. So two good things will happen—the needs of the Christians … will be met, and they will joyfully express their thanksgiving to God. You will be glorifying God through your generous gifts. For your generosity to them will prove that you are obedient to the Good News of Christ. And they will pray for you with deep affection because of the wonderful grace of God shown through you.” His gracious favor is all we need. 2 Corinthians 12:9 “My gracious favor is all you need.” Remember that God is all that we need. He is our cup of blessing. If we have Him, we are rich and we have everything.

Father, thank You for being You. You are above all we could ask, dream, think and imagine. You are so good. You are amazing! You are our inheritance, our cup of blessing. You are all we need. You provide generously for our needs, and give us an excess so that we can help meet the needs of others. Give us many opportunities to do good. May You produce a great harvest of generosity in us. May we be enriched so that we can give even more generously.  We want to bring glory to Your name. In Jesus’ name we pray. Amen.   

Matthew 6:33 - Seek God first thing in the morning

“seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness.”

Matthew 6:33

We are to “seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness” (Matthew 6:33). But sadly, many Christians only seek Him once in a while. They claim they are to busy and they don’t have time in their day to seek Him regularly. This makes me think of something we did when we were children in gym class. We had to choose sides. Some children were picked right away. Other children had to wait to hear their name called and were picked towards the end or even last. Think of how these children that were chosen near the end or last must have felt. Now I want you to think about how God must feel if we choose Him last or not at all too. This has to grieve Him and make Him sad for He longs to fellowship with you. Let’s make it a point to choose Him first!

Father, may we make it a point to choose You first. We don’t want to hurt Your feelings by choosing You last or not at all. We want to fellowship with You. In Jesus’ name we pray. Amen.

Luke 19:5 - Are You a Friend of Sinners?

“Zaccheus, make haste and come down, for today I must stay at your house.”

Luke 19:5

Jesus reached out to sinners. He often ate with them. The Pharisees when they saw this asked Jesus’ disciples “Why does your Teacher eat with tax collectors and sinners?” (Matthew 9:11). When Jesus heard them, He said “Those who are well have no need of a physician, but those who are sick” (Matthew 9:12). He went on to say “For I did not come to call the righteous, but sinners to repentance” (Matthew 9:13). In Luke chapter 19 we read about a man named Zacchaeus. Zacchaeus was a notorious, chief tax collector. He was very rich. When Jesus came into Jericho Zacchaeus wanted to meet the man he had heard about. He was too short to see over the crowds so he climbed up into a sycamore tree to see Him. When Jesus passed his way He looked up and said to him “Zacchaeus, make haste and come down, for today I must stay at your house” (Luke 19:5). He received Jesus’ words joyfully and made haste and came down. The people didn’t agree with Jesus’ decision to reach out to Zacchaeus . They complained as Zacchaeus was a sinner. God cared about Zacchaeus’ spiritual wellbeing. He wasn’t concerned about the crowds and what they believed. He looked at Zacchaeus’ heart. The result was a transforming miracle in the life of Zacchaeus. Immediately Zacchaeus surrendered everything He had to the Lord. He wanted to make things right. He said to Him, “Look, Lord, I give half of my goods to the poor; and if I have taken anything from anyone by false accusation, I restore fourfold” (Luke 19:8). Jesus was pleased with this inward change and said “Today salvation has come to this house, because he also is a son of Abraham; for the Son of Man has come to seek and to save that which was lost” (Luke 19:9-10). Zacchaeus came to realize that money wasn’t everything and that being rich in Christ is what really mattered.

So often we Christians surround ourselves with a circle of believers that we fellowship with. We can sometimes forget those that are sinners and are in need of our Savior. If Jesus took the time to reach out to them, we should too. Ask God to give you eyes to see those that are around you that are in need of a Savior. It is very likely that they are watching your walk with Him and they are desiring to have what you have in Christ. They may realize this but have no clue how they can incorporate Him into their everyday lives. They don’t know what to do and where to begin. Ask God to do a work in their hearts and to draw them to Him. Then ask Him to give you opportunities to share God’s truths with them. Be sure to pray regularly for them that their hearts will be open to the words the Holy Spirit gives to you to share. Be a witness, in words and in deed. Remember that Jesus “has come to seek and to save that which was lost” (Luke 19:9-10). We should make this one of our aims too. Jesus had a circle of 12 disciples that he taught and fellowshipped with.. But He still spent time reaching out to others so that they could come to know Him too.

Father, we pray for the sinners that are around us. We pray for those that are in need of You, a Lord and a Savior, a friend. Father, we ask that you draw each and every single one of them to You. We pray that You prepare their hearts for You. Reveal to them the way to a life with You. Loose believers across their paths. May us believers be willing to eat with them and care about them personally and their needs. Give us words to share and hearts that care. May we be  witnesses to them, in words and in deeds. In Jesus’ name we pray. Amen.

Hebrews 6:10 - You care called to minister to the brethren

“For God is not unjust to forget your work and labor of love which you have shown toward His name, in that you have ministered to the saints, and do minister.”

Hebrews 6:10

Did you know that you were a minister? Every Christian that is alive in Christ is called to minister to the body. You may not in the pulpit, but you are to do things behind the scenes. And He sees every kind thing that you do in His name. You can be used to refresh, revitalize, and bless believers. Many believers today think that pastors, missionaries, and evangelists are the only spokesmen for the work of the gospel. They are a big part, but not the only part. God needs you to go out into the world and share Him, His love, and His truths as well. God has equipped you with spiritual gifts to strengthen the body of Christ. You can pick up the phone or text someone and ask them how they are doing and tell them that you are praying for them. You can invite someone to lunch so that you can fellowship with one another. You can make a meal for someone that is in need. You can meet with someone and pray for the nation or various needs. You can give someone a gift that the Holy Spirit has laid on your heart. You can mow the lawn for an elderly person. These simple acts of kindness can lift the spirits of your brothers and sisters in Christ and make them feel loved. This is a vital part of body ministry. These things are to take place throughout the week. This is being doers of the Word. This is what God wants to do through you. Ask God to show you how you can bless those in His body. Remember that His church is not just those in the walls of your own church body. He has children all around you. He can use you to build up and encourage them as well. Let Him lead you to demonstrate His abundant love. Remember today’s verse “For God is not unjust to forget your work and labor of love which you have shown toward His name, in that you have ministered to the saints, and do minister.”

God, You are not unjust to forget our work and labor of love which we have shown toward His name. Lord, it is a privilege to minister to the saints. Thanks for allowing us to be a part of body ministry throughout the week. May we be sensitive to Your spirit and minister effectively, all to the glory of You. We want to be used to refresh, revitalize, and bless our brothers and sisters in the Lord. In Jesus’ name we pray. Amen. 

What God has to say about money

The Lord has laid money on my heart today. These are the things He has showed me. I pray that these scriptures bless you and encourage you in the faith and in the area of your finances as well.

1. We should put our trust in God, not money: 1 Timothy 6:17 “Tell those who are rich in this world not to be proud and not to trust in their money, which will soon be gone. But their trust should be in the living God, who richly gives us all we need for our enjoyment.”
2. We should realize that the love of money isn’t good: 1 Timothy 6:10 “For the love of money is at the root of all kinds of evil. And some people, craving money, have wandered from the faith and pierced themselves with many sorrows.”
3. We should be content with what money we have: 1 Timothy 6:6 “true religion with contentment is great wealth.” 1 Timothy 6:8 “So if we have enough food and clothing let us be content.”
4. We should not look down on the poor: James 2:5 “Listen to me, dear brothers and sisters. Hasn’t God chosen the poor in this world to be rich in faith? Aren’t they the ones who will inherit the kingdom God promised to those who love him?”
5. We should live simply: Proverbs 30:8-9 “Give me neither poverty nor riches! Give me just enough to satisfy my needs. For if I grow rich, I may deny you and say, ‘Who is the Lord?’ And if I am too poor, I may steal and thus insult God’s holy name.”
6. We shouldn’t get buried in debt: Romans 13:8 “Pay all your debs, except the debt of love for others.” Proverbs 22:7 “Just as the rich rule the poor, so the borrower is servant to the lender.”
7. We should tithe: Proverbs 3:9-10 “Honor the Lord with your wealth and with the best part of everything your land produces. Then He will fill your barns with grain, and your vats will overflow with the finest wine.”
8. We should work hard: Proverbs 6:6-8 “Take a lesson from the ants, you lazybones. Learn from their ways and be wise! Even though they have no prince, governor, or ruler to make them work, they labor hard all summer, gathering food for the winter.”
9. We shouldn’t work too hard: Proverbs 23:4 “True humility and fear of the Lord leads to riches, honor, and long life.”
10. We should save: Proverbs 13:11 “Wealth from get-rich-quick schemes quickly disappears, wealth from hard work grows.”
11. We should use our money to do good: 1 Timothy 6:18-19 “Tell them to use their money to do good. They should be rich in good works and should give generously to those in need, always being ready to share with others whatever God has given them. By doing this they will be storing up their treasure as a good foundation for the future so that they may take hold of real life.”
12. We can’t take any of our money with us when we die: 1 Timothy 6:7 “we didn’t bring anything with us when we came into the world, and we certainly cannot carry anything with us when we die.”

Father, thank You for the truths You showed us today. May we use our money wisely as the Holy Spirit leads. May our treasure be stored up in heaven. In Jesus’ name we pray.

Matthew 22:30 - Angels Among Us

“They will be like angels in heaven.”

Matthew 22:30

Last night I fell asleep downstairs. This morning I was woken up with the sound of someone shoveling. When I looked outside, Nicole’s boyfriend, Daniel, was outside shoveling off my steps. He took the time to think of me on his way to work. Immediately the song “Angels Among Us” by Alabama popped into my head. Now I realize that angels are sent by God to help those that will inherit eternal life. I know that they can take the form of a human, but they are not. When the dead rise, we won’t be married. We will be like angels in heaven. Daniel is still on the earth, he is human, but I still appreciated Daniel’s kind deed. Sometimes God does use angels among us. Other times He uses people. Both are appreciated and touch our lives. The words of the song are:

Angels Among Us

I was walking home from school on a cold winter day

Took a shortcut through the woods, and I lost my way

It was getting late, and I was scared and alone

But then a kind old man took my hand and led me home

Now Mama couldn’t see Him Oh but He was standing there

And I knew in my heart he was the answer to my prayer

(Chorus)

Oh I believe there are angels among us

Sent down to us from somewhere up above

They come to you and me in our darkest hours

To show us how to live, to teach us how to give

To guide us with the Light of love

When life held troubled times and had me down on my knees

There’s always been someone to come along and comfort me

A kind word from a stranger to lend a helping hand

A phone call from a friend just to say I understand

Now ain’t it kind of funny at the dark end of the road

Someone lights the way with just a single ray of hope

(Chorus)

They wear so many faces

Show up in the strangest places

To grace us with their mercy in our time of need

Father, You are so good to us. Some of us have been blessed by seeing an angel in our time of need. Just the thought of this blows us away. But each of us have experienced Christians blessing us with a kind word, a kind deed, listening ears, and an open heart. They inspire our walks with Christ. We see Jesus in them and Your goodness inside of them shines brightly. Use us to be there and help others as well. In Jesus’ name we pray. Amen.

James 3:2 - We should all wise up!

“We all stumble in many ways. If anyone does not stumble in what he says, he is a mature man who is also able to control his own body.”

James 3:2

God wants us to mature in the faith. He wants us to learn to control our tempers and our tongues, especially in dealing with our loved ones, friends and church family. It surprises me how often Christians become angry with many of their own family members and those that are in the church body. This should not be. We are not of this world. We are Christ’s and we should walk in love. Not only do these Christians get angry, but they also talk. This causes family and church splits. The three most common things people do when they get angry are: 1) they blow up. 2) they clam up and give the person the silent treatment, deciding that they will never talk to them again. And 3) is God’s way—they wise up. Proverbs 15:18 says “A hothead starts fights; a cool-tempered person tries to stop them” (NLT). The NKJV says “A wrathful man stirs up strife, but he who is slow to anger allays contention.” The CEV version says “Losing your temper causes a lot of trouble, but staying calm settles arguments.” God’s Spirit is inside of us. We have His nature. He has made a way for our flesh to be crucified. We can do this. We can walk in this. He can supernaturally help us when we get mad, hurt or angry. James 3:17 says “But the wisdom that is from above is first pure, then peaceable, gentle, willing to yield, full of mercy and good fruits, without partiality and without hypocrisy.” God’s wisdom leads to harmony and peace. Human wisdom leads to dissension, arrogance, and pride. And we must not forget that pride was Satan’s downfall so … wise up. J

Father, may we wise up instead of blow up or clam up when we get angry. May we also control our tongues.  We don’t want to cause dissension in our families or our church. We don’t want to be arrogant or hot-headed. We don’t want to be prideful. We want to resemble Christ. We want to be “pure, peaceable, gentle, willing to yield, full of mercy and good fruits, without partiality and without hypocrisy.” We also want to always walk in Your love. In Jesus’ name we pray. Amen.

Proverbs 12:26 - The righteous should choose his friends carefully

“The righteous should choose his friends carefully”

Proverbs 12:26

God wants to bless us with good, godly friends. It is up to us to observe those around us and seek out friends that walk closely with the Lord. We all need friends that will encourage us in our faith and help us to grow. Friends that won’t make you suffer and experience harm. Proverbs 13:20 says that “He who walks with wise men will be wise, but the companion of fools will be destroyed.” The New Living Translation says “Whoever walks with the wise will become wise; whoever walks with fools will suffer harm.” God’s Word warns us about carelessly choosing friends. This is why it is so important to choose your friends wisely. Years ago the Lord helped me in this area and I have been grateful and thankful ever since. He warned me to stay clear of people that make it a habit to do wrong and sin against Him. He told me to love them, be kind to them, and pray for them, but He instructed me to not make them one of my best or closest friends. Proverbs 6:16-19 says “There are six things the Lord hates—no, seven things he detests: haughty eyes, a lying tongue, hands that kill the innocent, a heart that plots evil, feet that race to do wrong, a false witness who pours out lies, a person who sows discord among the brothers.” If you know someone that is like that and you are still running with them, you may want to step back from being closely knit with them and ask the Lord to give you some new friends, friends that wholeheartedly love and live for God. Your life will be blessed if you do. It will have so much more peace. You will be grateful and thankful in the long run and see the wisdom that comes from God’s Word. God knows best. We just need to trust Him.

Father, the righteous should choose their friends wisely. May we do this Lord. May You bring wise people into our lives so that we can befriend them and grow in our faith. We want to be a blessing to their lives and we want them to be a blessing to our lives too. If we have any friends that are not good for us spiritually, may we step back from the relationship and trust You to bring us some friends that You want us to have. Friends are for reasons and seasons. May You be in control of the seasons. We thank You for the good, godly friends that we already have and we also thank You for the friends You are going to bring into our lives that are spiritually good for us as well. Do in our lives what You want to do. In Jesus’ name we pray. Amen.

Psalm 28:7 - The Lord helps is my strength and shield

“The Lord is my strength and my shield; my heart trusted in Him, and I am helped; therefore my heart greatly rejoices and with my song I will praise Him.”

Psalm 28:7

I am so excited this morning as I have come across this scripture. This scripture speaks volumes to my heart and I feel the Lord has given this scripture to me to cling to this coming year. As many of you know I have chronic lymphocytic leukemia (CLL). A normal white blood cell count is 4-10. Six months ago my white blood cell count went up and was 32. A little over a week ago it doubled and is now 77. This is not good. After some research I learned that people with cancer should be on a ketogenic diet. Sugar (including natural sugars—like in fruit) and carbohydrates feed cancer and causes it to grow. The health professionals recommend that you eat mainly non-starched vegetables, eggs, cheese, nuts, fish, poultry, ham, sausage, bacon and red meat. I go back to the doctor in three months and I am putting my trust in the Lord that He will bring down my white blood cell count since I am no longer feeding the cancer and causing it to grow. Hearing the words “The Lord is my strength and my shield” encourages me in the faith. It assures me that He will help me stick to this diet. “[M]y heart trusted in Him” encourages me to put and keep my trust in Him. He is able and nothing is impossible with Him. “[A]nd I am helped” blesses me as I know that in my own self, my own willpower, my own strength it will be impossible to stick to this healthy eating plan, but He cares and He will help me do what I can’t do myself. “[T]herefore my heart greatly rejoices and with my song I will praise Him.” My heart truly does greatly rejoice. I do praise Him in song. I don’t know what you are facing this year. I don’t know what area you need a breakthrough in. But I pray that this Psalm bless you and be a verse you can personally cling to this coming year.

Father, You are our strength and shield. Our hearts trust in You. You are our friend, helper. Our hearts greatly rejoice in You and our lips praise You in song. Be with us this coming year. May good come out of everything we face. In Jesus’ name we pray. Amen.