My Whole Self July 31, 2018

Psalm 31:1  (NIV)

1 In you, Lord, I have taken refuge;
    let me never be put to shame;
    deliver me in your righteousness.

When all the clutter is stripped away, what is your real hope? When you push aside the diplomas, awards, accolades, and honors, what is the basis of your significance? Only one source for hope and only one basis of significance is trustworthy. Only One — the LORD God — endures forever! Only our Father in heaven guarantees that our life is significant. So let's place our hope in the LORD and have him be our refuge!

Thought for today: Where is my hope stored?

Fault Finding pt.2 July 30, 2018

Matthew 7:1  (NIV)

7 “Do not judge, or you too will be judged.

Are you judgmental? Do you assume you can judge the intent of another person's heart? Are you critical and negative about the actions of others? Jesus wants us all to realize that we cannot know the motivations of someone's heart. When we are unfairly harsh or bitingly critical in our judgment of others, we are setting the standard by which God will judge us. I don't know about you, but I'm not willing to exchange God's grace for my unreasonable harshness. I'm going work harder at viewing others with mercy and grace.

Thought for today: Do I approach people in love to correct an error or misconception or do I come in with verbal guns ablazing?

Great Comfort July 29, 2018

Psalm 30:5  (NIV)

5 For his anger lasts only a moment,
    but his favor lasts a lifetime;
weeping may stay for the night,
    but rejoicing comes in the morning.

God is the God of all comfort (see 2 Cor. 1). Even when he deals harshly with our sin and rebellion, it is for our good. It will last only a short while and then it gives way to rejoicing. If you are in a time of discipline or facing the cruel consequences of sin, please don't give up. Morning will come, and on that dawn will come God's grace. It's more than worth the wait!

Thought for today: Do I attempt to avoid the consequences and correction for my behavior?

Highs And Lows July 28, 2018

Isaiah 57:15 New International Version (NIV)

15 For this is what the high and exalted One says—
    he who lives forever, whose name is holy:
“I live in a high and holy place,
    but also with the one who is contrite and lowly in spirit,
to revive the spirit of the lowly
    and to revive the heart of the contrite.

Jesus' coming to earth is wholly and holy consistent with the LORD God who reveals himself in the Old Testament. God is high and holy. God is righteous and majestic. Yet the LORD God is the God of incarnation — the LORD who sees our needs, hears our cries, and comes down to help us. God loves people, especially people who come to him knowing that they need his love and grace. To those who seek him with passion, humility, awe, and reverence, God brings revival that touches the spirit and heart.

Thought for today: Can I pray for the highs and lows in my emotions as well as for the highs and lows in people

Fault Finding July 27, 2018

Matthew 7:3-5  (NIV)

3 “Why do you look at the speck of sawdust in your brother’s eye and pay no attention to the plank in your own eye? 4 How can you say to your brother, ‘Let me take the speck out of your eye,’ when all the time there is a plank in your own eye? 5 You hypocrite, first take the plank out of your own eye, and then you will see clearly to remove the speck from your brother’s eye.

Finding fault in someone else is so easy for most of us. Finding fault in ourselves is much trickier. Jesus reminds us that we must deal with the shortcomings and sins in our own lives before we start telling others how to live. Seems pretty simple, doesn't it? But we all know it isn't.

Thought for today: Do I take delight in the “gotcha” moments in life?

Come What May July 26, 2018

Isaiah 43:2-3  (NIV)

2 When you pass through the waters,
    I will be with you;
and when you pass through the rivers,
    they will not sweep over you.
When you walk through the fire,
    you will not be burned;
    the flames will not set you ablaze.
3 For I am the Lord your God,
    the Holy One of Israel, your Savior;
I give Egypt for your ransom,
    Cush and Seba in your stead.

In the context of this passage, God reminds his people that they are precious to him. He formed them and redeemed them. He is not about to abandon them. No matter what challenges or difficulties they face, he will be with them to deliver them and bring them to safety and victory. We can accept this same promise; we also have the benefit of history to show God's faithfulness. We can see how God did preserve his people and redeemed them time and time again from their bondage to their enemies. God will not forget his children! We know it by promise. We know it by history. We know it by faith!

Thought for today: Do I hold on fast and firm to my beliefs ?

A Life In Us July 25, 2018

John 17:26  (NIV)

26 I have made you known to them, and will continue to make you known in order that the love you have for me may be in them and that I myself may be in them.”

Jesus reveals God to us. One of the reasons he does this is so that we can know who God is and what is important to him. Clearly, the most important thing on Jesus' heart in this prayer is that we share his love for us with each other. In this way, Jesus comes to life in us.

Thought for today: How do I relate to God’s love in me and through me?

Invitations July 24, 2018

Hebrews 13:2  (NIV)

2 Do not forget to show hospitality to strangers, for by so doing some people have shown hospitality to angels without knowing it.

What do you do to welcome new neighbors into your neighborhood or apartment complex? How warmly do you personally welcome visitors at your church or in your Bible study group? When was the last time you invited someone new in your congregation over for dinner or included them in a gathering of your Christian friends? While some have the gift of hospitality, all of us need to be warm and open to folks we don't know that join us for Christian worship and fellowship. Why not make a commitment to meet and welcome one new person at church each week. In a cold impersonal world, we can make a huge difference in the lives of those seeking the shelter and grace of Jesus and his people.

Thought for today: Am I inviting?

True Fellowship July 23, 2018

John 17:24  (NIV)

24 “Father, I want those you have given me to be with me where I am, and to see my glory, the glory you have given me because you loved me before the creation of the world.

Wow, what an unbelievable collection of high powered phrases of truth and promise! We are a gift from the Father to Jesus. Jesus wants us to be with him in the glorious presence of God. Jesus wants us to see his glory and experience it. Jesus has been loved by the Father from before the Creation. Think about these things. Ask God to show you how powerfully they reveal our importance to him. Dream of the day you will share in God's glory as one of his children! (cf. 1 John 3:1-3) Now, let's go live based on the view God has of us.

Thought for today: Do I live each day in fellowship with Jesus and with man?

Come Together July 22, 2018

John 17:23 New International Version (NIV)

23 I in them and you in me—so that they may be brought to complete unity. Then the world will know that you sent me and have loved them even as you have loved me.

How will the world come to know that God sent his Son? Through our unity? How will the world know that God truly loves us as his children? When we live together in unity. What is that unity? That's harder to define. The basis of unity is a life of character so consistent with the will of God that he can be seen living in us! Yet for this kind of unity to be seen by the world, it has to be visible in the way we work with each other in the cause of the Gospel, the way we handle our differences, the way as a group that we consistently treat people of the world, and the way we come together in areas that clearly matter to God. May it only be so!

Thought for today:  Do I seek to find commonality?

The Proof July 21, 2018

James 1:22 New International Version (NIV)

22 Do not merely listen to the word, and so deceive yourselves. Do what it says.

"The proof of the pudding is in the tasting." The proof of biblical wisdom and understanding is in the living. To simply know the truth doesn't mean a whole lot; to live the truth is everything. (cf. Matthew 7)

Thought for today: Are your actions in line with what you say you believe?

Mindful Of The Little Things July 20, 2018

Matthew 25:21 New International Version (NIV)

21 “His master replied, ‘Well done, good and faithful servant! You have been faithful with a few things; I will put you in charge of many things. Come and share your master’s happiness!’

We want it all now! We don't want to have to wait for anything. But God has a principle that is absolutely vital: we will be entrusted with much only after we have been faithful with a little. So let's not discount those moral choices about "small and inconsequential matters." How we handle these reveals who we are and helps determines what we become.

Thought for today: Do I overlook the tiny acts as insignificant because the larger things brig accolades?

God Prays For Use July 19, 2018

John 17:20-21  (NIV)

20 “My prayer is not for them alone. I pray also for those who will believe in me through their message, 21 that all of them may be one, Father, just as you are in me and I am in you. May they also be in us so that the world may believe that you have sent me.

Few things are more precious than knowing that Jesus, on the night he was betrayed, thought to pray for us! So often, we read the words of John 17 and study them as a prayer for his apostles in the upper room. But if we look closely at this passage, we see that Jesus prays for us, those who believe on him because of the apostles' testimony. He wants us to be one! He wants us to live with the same unity, purpose, and character of God that he did. If we do not, then how will the world know that God sent his Son? How will they know what to believe? How will they find Jesus as their Savior?

Thought for today: What do you allow to stop your prayer life?

He Cares For Us July 18, 2018

Isaiah 43:1  (NIV)

43 But now, this is what the Lord says—
    he who created you, Jacob,
    he who formed you, Israel:
“Do not fear, for I have redeemed you;
    I have summoned you by name; you are mine.

We belong to the LORD, God of all creation and God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob (cf. 1 Pet. 2:9-10). We are recipients of God's grace and are blessed by his love for Israel's fathers. We do not have to fear because God is in control of our future, just as he worked through the history of his chosen people to send the Messiah. He will accompany us through the difficult trials we will face. He will make sure our redemption is realized. Why? Because we belong to him. We are his. He knows us. He formed us. God's people are his possession forever. We are children of the Almighty God!

Thought for today: Do I think about the way the Lord cares for me?

Where He Lead July 17, 2018

John 17:18 New International Version (NIV)

18 As you sent me into the world, I have sent them into the world.

We are not here by accident! God has a purpose and plan for us. Jesus has sent us into the world to touch it with his redemption and make a positive impact on it for him.

Thought for today: Do I seek out and know my call and my purpose? Am I willing to follow?

The Big Payback July 16, 2018

Proverbs 20:22 New International Version (NIV)

22 Do not say, “I’ll pay you back for this wrong!”
    Wait for the Lord, and he will avenge you.

Vengeance is an awful and painful way to respond to those whom we feel have wronged us. The LORD is our assurance of just rewards. Leave it to him. Escalating vindictiveness only leads to broken people and to broken lives. Worse yet, it leads to broken character.

Thought for today: Do I constantly find myself entrenched in petty tit for tat arguments?

What Profits A Man July 15, 2018

Psalm 37:16-17  (NIV)

16 Better the little that the righteous have
    than the wealth of many wicked;
17 for the power of the wicked will be broken,
    but the Lord upholds the righteous.

What is your most important capital; your money or your character? I can assure you, this question will be asked of you a myriad of ways; quite often at the worst of all possible times when you are most vulnerable. Martin Luther supposedly said that the last thing to get converted in a man was his wallet. So will you choose the little of the righteous over the wealth of many wicked? Hmmm! Tough question in a pinch. So let's make that decision now before the circumstances change. God, his Kingdom, his will, and his righteousness come first, right?

Thought for today: Do I place profit (gain) over principles?

Pray For One Another July 14, 2018

John 17:15  (NIV)

15 My prayer is not that you take them out of the world but that you protect them from the evil one.

Jesus, in showing his love and care for his disciples in prayer before God, is our great example that we must, we should, and we can pray for God's spiritual protection on those we love.

Thought for today: Does someone have to be in crisis or need before I am prompted to pray for them?

Completion July 13, 2018

John 17:4 New International Version (NIV)

4 I have brought you glory on earth by finishing the work you gave me to do.

One of the most amazing things that Jesus ever said, he said to his Father in heaven: "I have completed the work you gave me to do..." In fact, when he breathed his last, he said; "It is finished." Let's live with the glory of God our highest priority! This is our purpose as God's children (cf. Eph. 1:6; Eph. 1:12; Eph. 1:14; 1 Pet. 2:9-10). The more we live by Kingdom priority (Matt. 6:33), the more we can rest assured that we can finish our lives with a line similar to Jesus!

Thought for today: Do I do what I am called to do or do I easily lose interest?

The Path And The Gate July 12, 2018

Matthew 7:13-14 (NIV)

13 “Enter through the narrow gate. For wide is the gate and broad is the road that leads to destruction, and many enter through it. 14 But small is the gate and narrow the road that leads to life, and only a few find it.

"Majority rules!" That's the edict of democracy. This has been a blessed political philosophy for so many people over the course of history. But, "majority rule" doesn't apply to the Kingdom of God. God sets the standard, not us. God's holiness is the goal, not just trying to be better than someone else. Most, regrettably, will never find the way of the Lord. They want it their way. One crucial problem with wanting things our way: it leads to ultimate disaster. God, the Creator and Sustainer of all life, is the only one who can set life's agenda. Let's ask for his help and guidance for our way!

Thought for today: Do I value the things that please God?

Complete Trust July 11, 2018

Proverbs 16:20  (NIV)

20 Whoever gives heed to instruction prospers,
    and blessed is the one who trusts in the Lord.

Those who seek the instruction of God's wisdom and who trust in God for their life's blessings and values will find joyful prosperity. While this philosophy doesn't play well in the world of commercials, this understanding is the key to a blessed and prosperous life!

Thought for today: Do I seek God’s wisdom before I take action ?

Contentment July 10, 2018

Philippians 4:11  (NIV)

11 I am not saying this because I am in need, for I have learned to be content whatever the circumstances.

Paul tells Timothy that one of life's greatest treasures is to find contentment in godliness (1 Tim. 6:6). With this treasure, our physical circumstances become far less important to us than the character we display in those circumstances. Our bottom line is less important than loving God from the bottom of our heart. Those who are wealthy and show godliness, a very difficult challenge according to Jesus, are those who have demonstrated that they are content to be godly and will be that kind of person with or without wealth. Those who are poor and are godly have demonstrated the same ability. So the bottom line is not how rich are we in money, but how rich are we in grace!

Thought for today: Am I at peace? Why/Why not?

A Noble Woman July 9, 2018

Proverbs 31:10  (NIV)

10 A wife of noble character who can find?
    She is worth far more than rubies.

What would happen if we valued our spouses? What would happen if we publicly valued a faithful wife more than a voluptuous starlet? What would happen if character was valued more than money? I believe it would transform our culture, enhance our marriages, and produce stronger and better adjusted children. I know God would be pleased!

Thought for today: Do I know and appreciate my partner’s worth ?

Prayers Of The Righteous July 8, 2018

James 5:16 (NIV)

16 Therefore confess your sins to each other and pray for each other so that you may be healed. The prayer of a righteous person is powerful and effective.

So many hearts, hopes, and homes are broken by sin. This brokenness infects our culture and invades our lives. God has provided both a deterrent to sin and a means of forgiveness for its guilt: honest and genuine confession of our sin. At the heart of confession is a passion to see sin for what it is in the eyes of God and to be anguished for our participation in it. No wonder confession is so healing (cf. 1 John 1:5-2:2). No wonder God wants us to confess our sin to each other and then come to him for each other's healing from sin and its damage. No wonder God grants such power to the prayer of a righteous person interceding for one led to confess. Let's confess our sin and leave it behind.

Thought for today: Do I fully understand and respect the purpose for confession?

Great and Holy July 7, 2018

Ezekiel 38:23  (NIV)

23 And so I will show my greatness and my holiness, and I will make myself known in the sight of many nations. Then they will know that I am the Lord.’

"They will know that I am the LORD," is a familiar refrain in Ezekiel's prophecies. Here it is also a horrifying one to his people who have been rebellious, sinful, and wicked. God is holy. The people who claim him as their God had better reflect that glory and greatness. They had better magnify God's holiness. If they do not, God will do so even at their expense. God will be known as God. In a day when so many profane the name of God and use it so glibly in their reactions and frustration, this is a sobering reminder that even the name of God is holy. He will show his greatness and holiness.

Thought for today: Do I show reverence for the name of God?

The Work Of The Resistance July 6, 2018

James 4:7  (NIV)

7 Submit yourselves, then, to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you.

Let's admit it. Most of us would like for spiritual growth to be easy. We want our ability to withstand temptation to require little effort. We want the Holy Spirit to do the work and God to protect us from too much stress and strain. Thankfully, God does empower us through his Holy Spirit. However, he does remind us that for the Spirit to work powerfully in our lives, we must intentionally submit our wills to God and we must resist the devil. If we will put up a fight against him and his temptations, he will flee from us. Let's do our part, trusting that God will more than uphold his promises!

Thought for today: Do I /Can I recognize which entity I am serving? (Cannot serve two masters Matt: 6:24)

Eternal Timeline July 5, 2018

John 17:3 (NIV)

3 Now this is eternal life: that they know you, the only true God, and Jesus Christ, whom you have sent.

Eternal life begins, now! That is one of Jesus' messages in the Gospel of John. For sure, we don't get to enjoy all of the blessings that await us when we go home to the Father. But, Jesus wants us to know and to experience his love and the Father's presence in our lives, now! He even prayed it for us! So let's seek the Father — not to just know about him, but to know him! He longs to draw near to us and will do so as we draw near to him! He is at work in us, so the real issue isn't his nearness, but our awareness of his presence and work. Let's open our eyes and our hearts to our Father, and ask him to reveal his presence to us!

Thought for today: Do I operate under the misconception that eternal life begins when I die?

Freedom July 4, 2018

Galatians 5:1  (NIV)

5 It is for freedom that Christ has set us free. Stand firm, then, and do not let yourselves be burdened again by a yoke of slavery.

Paul wrote to help the new believers keep their true freedom in Christ: freedom from trying to earn their righteousness through law-keeping (Galatians chapters 3 and 4). The law could not justify them before God. Only faith in Jesus offered them freedom to be all Christ had re-created by grace to be (Galatians 2:14-16; 2 Corinthians 3:17-29). They were God's children through faith, led by the Spirit to take on the character of Jesus (Galatians 5:16-27). We, too, must realize that since we are God's children, we have been freed from law-keeping and sin because of our faith in Jesus and our participation with him in baptism through faith (Galatians 3:26-29; Romans 6:3-14; 1 Corinthians 15:3-7). We must never return to justifying ourselves through works of any law, set of rules, or someone's religious expectation. To do so is to give up our freedom and return to the bondage. Paul begs us to rely on what Jesus did for us, not on works of the law. It is the cross of Christ and the empty tomb that liberate us from sin, death, and slavery to what cannot save us.

Thought for today: Do I have the freedom to live and acknowledge God in my choices or must I follow a strict set of rules because I do not make decisions with prayer?

God Hears July 3, 2018

2 Chronicles 7:14  (NIV)

14 if my people, who are called by my name, will humble themselves and pray and seek my face and turn from their wicked ways, then I will hear from heaven, and I will forgive their sin and will heal their land.

God told Solomon that the Temple would be a place his people could come and be assured that their prayers would be heard if they honestly and humbly would seek God. This promise is true still, to this very day, for while God's physical Temple isn't standing, his spiritual one is found in the gathering of his people (cf. 1 Cor. 3:16; Matt. 18:20). What a great blessing and what a powerful gift for us today! We know that when we gather with believers and humble ourselves before God and seek his presence he will hear us. Rather than wait for a grandiose, world-wide effort to start, why not get together regularly with others who will join us in this prayer effort?

Thought for today: Do I pray in humility and confession knowing God will answer according to His will?

Dealing With Trials July 2, 2018

John 17:1  (NIV)

17 After Jesus said this, he looked toward heaven and prayed:

“Father, the hour has come. Glorify your Son, that your Son may glorify you.

John 17 is one of the most moving chapters in all the Bible. Jesus knows he is going to die. He knows he is spending his last few hours before his death with disciples who do not understand what he is about to do and why he is about to do it. Jesus has two key goals in mind as he prepares himself, and his disciples, for their life ahead without him. He wants them to be one so they can remain strong and influence the world for God. He wants what he does to bring glory to the Father. While he faces humiliation and abandonment, his desire is to bless others. We are going to face hardship. What will be our goal? Hmm, no wonder we are reminded to fix our eyes on Jesus and follow his example.

Thought for today: Am I “prayed up” and prepared for the trials of life?

Work In Progress - Under Construction July 1, 2018

Psalm 127:1  (NIV)

1 Unless the Lord builds the house,
    the builders labor in vain.
Unless the Lord watches over the city,
    the guards stand watch in vain.

"It's all up to you!" That's the prevailing mindset for high achievers in our world. But it is wrong. Our efforts to build and be a part of something great are ultimately in vain if the Lord doesn't bless them. They may flourish for a time under our intense efforts, but if the plans and the construction of great things is not from the Lord, they will not stand the test of time.

Thought for today: Do I allow God to direct me ?