Messiah Missionary Baptist Church - From The Pastor's Desk

Forgiveness

10/2/2024

TODAY’S VERSE
Lord, if you kept a record of our sins, who, O Lord, could ever survive? But you offer forgiveness.
Psalms 130:3-4 (NLT)

TODAY’S THOUGHT
It is easy to keep a record of sins. How many times have we found ourselves caught up in bitterness over someone’s repeated offenses against us? How many times should we continue to forgive? Jesus addressed that very question when Peter asked Him how many times we should forgive someone. In a magnanimous gesture, Peter suggests seven times, but Jesus said seven times seventy was more like it. The truth is God’s love is greater than we can imagine. David was trying to make that point in this passage. He was amazed that God was justified in keeping a record of all our wrongs but chooses not to. Instead, what does God do? He offers forgiveness. Forgiveness is a powerful healer. Is there something weighing heavy on your heart? Is there a secret sin or something from the past you need to repent of? Today, bring it to God—the God who does not keep a ledger of your wrongdoings but instead offers complete forgiveness
.
TODAY’S PRAYER
Father, thank You for not keeping a record of my wrongs. Instead, I bring my sins to You and ask You to forgive me, and set me free. In Jesus’ name.
AMEN

Don't Be Deceived!!!

9/4/2024

TODAY’S VERSE
You say, “I am rich. I have everything I want. I don’t need a thing!” And you don’t realize that you are wretched and miserable and poor and blind and naked.
Revelation 3:17 (NLT)
TODAY’S THOUGHT
It is so easy to deceive ourselves. Look at the Pharisees. They thought they were doing everything God required of them to be holy, and yet Jesus constantly pointed out how far they had missed the target of true Holiness. It was that way with the church in Laodicea. In Revelations, it says they were rich and had many things and felt they didn’t need a thing. However, God pointed out to them that they were deceived. In reality, they were spiritually wretched, miserable, poor, blind, and naked. What about us? How can we avoid becoming deceived? We must spend time with God. We open ourselves to hear His voice, read His word, and spend time in introspection. We humble ourselves before God, spend time with Him, and listen to His leading. When we do, He will guide us. He will correct us. He will help us discern what we need to change. Today, ask God to make you aware of your spiritual condition. Might we pray what David prayed, “Search me, O God, and know my heart; test me and know my anxious thoughts. See if there is any offensive way in me and lead me in the way everlasting.”
TODAY’S PRAYER
Father, help me be honest with myself and with You. Help me see if there is any offensive way in me and then lead me in a more spiritual path. In Jesus’ name.
AMEN

MERCY

7/1/2024

TODAY’S VERSE
He who conceals his sins does not prosper, but whoever confesses and renounces them finds mercy.
Proverbs 28:13 (NIV)

TODAY’S THOUGHT
Confession is good for the soul. If done right, it is a tremendous spiritual discipline. As a counselor and Pastor, I have heard many “confessions” in the form of remorse, sadness, guilt, and fear. As a person struggling with my “sinful” nature, I have had the blessing of confessing my “sins that so easily beset me.” There is something about cleansing our hearts that gives us life. The Apostle John shares, “If we confess our sins, he (Jesus) is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness.” Jesus listens with never-ending love and forgives with His matchless grace. And yet, even with His forgiveness only seconds away, many of us end up with a false suspicion that we are unlovable, condemned, and damaged goods. So we work harder and put on our “Christian” mask to ensure we make the mark. Where does that come from? From God? No. This false condemnation and poor sense of God’s love comes from our own hearts. Today, let go of that nagging doubt and self-condemnation. God loves you. Period! He completely forgives you! It is finished. You have found mercy; don’t give it back. Keep it. Treasure it. Believe it. Hear Jesus say, “Go, your sins are forgiven, be whole!”

TODAY’S PRAYER
Father, You know my sins. I confess them to You. You know my struggles, fears, and masks I have put on. Help me believe you so I can put down this heavy burden of shame and condemnation and live in the freedom of your mercy. In Jesus’

The Lord's Church

6/2/2024

TODAY’S VERSE
The LORD bless you and keep you; the LORD make his face shine upon you and be gracious to you; the LORD turn his face toward you and give you peace.
Numbers 6:24-26 (NIV)

TODAY’S THOUGHT
At first, this just seems like a benediction you hear after Sunday church—a nice platitude to give you some hope throughout the week. But when you stop to read this passage, it becomes a tremendous reality you must consider. Why? Because believing this passage can change your life. It starts out by stating that God wants to bless and keep you. What a wonderful reality. You can come to God knowing that His full intent is to bless you. But then the author adds a very personal twist. He is saying that God wants to make His face shine upon you. This means that God Almighty is fully aware of you and is turning His face deliberately toward you so you can make full contact with Him. What an invitation. Today, right now, God has turned His face toward you. His goal is to be gracious toward you and give you peace. He is looking; will you look up? Stop now, experience the presence of the Lord.

TODAY’S PRAYER
Father, thank You for taking such a personal interest in me. I want to know You better. Please be gracious toward me, help me experience Your face shining upon me, and give me peace.
AMEN

The Joy of His Presence

4/1/2024

TODAY’S VERSE
You have given him the joy of being in your presence.
Psalms 21:6 (NLT)

TODAY’S THOUGHT
What a gift. God has given us the capacity to experience His presence. Like an antenna picks up the signal sent to it, God has given us His Holy Spirit, enabling us to experience Him. But no antenna in the world would pick up a signal if none were sent. This passage is more about God than us. It is God that sends His presence out to us. It is God who desires our fellowship. It is His grace that causes Him to seek us out. Does that grab you? Let me repeat it, the God of the universe not only allows us an audience with Him, He comes to us and seeks us out! And when we respond, we find out what David knew. There is extreme joy in being in His presence.

TODAY’S PRAYER
Father, thank You for seeking me out and for allowing me to enjoy Your presence. I pray that I experience the joy of Your presence more and more.
AMEN

Are You A Friend Of God???

3/4/2024

TODAY’S VERSE
I have called you friends, for everything that I learned from my Father I have made known to you.
John 15:15 (NIV)
TODAY’S THOUGHT
There are many things to aspire to in life. The world holds up honors, riches, and fame as worthwhile goals. There are many things we can do, and many roles that we can become, but there is something extraordinary and unique about being a “friend” of God. Being a friend of God is the only relationship that can fully fill the empty spot in our hearts. In his book “Surrender To Love,” Dr. David G. Benner explains our need for unique friendship. He writes, “The deepest ache of the soul is the spiritual longing for connection and belonging. – We seek bridges from our isolation through people, possessions and accomplishments. But none of these are ever quite capable of satisfying the restlessness of the human heart. To be human is to have been designed for intimate relationship with the Divine.” God has made it clear that we can have friendship with Him. Christ’s life, death, and resurrection paved the way for you and me to be friends with our Heavenly Father. Today, listen to the words of Jesus and let them sink deep into your heart – “I have called you friend.”
TODAY’S PRAYER
Father, I desire to know You more. I long for Your intimacy. I yearn to know Your love deep in my heart. Thank You for loving me. Thank You for calling me Your friend.
AMEN

Love God!!!

2/4/2024

TODAY’S VERSE
You must love the Lord your God with all your heart, all your soul, all your strength, and all your mind.
Luke 10:27 (NLT)
TODAY’S THOUGHT
God created us for a relationship with Himself. His purpose is for us to love Him. Specifically, we are to love Him with all our heart, soul, and strength. But how do we do this? In his book “Sacred Companions” Dr. Benner writes, “To know God we must think of Him, not simply about Him. We must learn to spend time gazing on Him, being still before Him and focused on Him. And we must learn to listen to Him. These disciplines of loving attention form the basis of the development of a love relationship with Him.” But what do we do if we find it hard to love God with all our hearts? Dr. Benner suggests, “God doesn’t want me to try to be more loving. He wants me to absorb His love so that it flows out from me. And so I return again to knowing myself as deeply loved by God. I meditate on His love, allowing my focus to be on Him and His love for me, not me and my love for Him.” Today, let your love for God grow by being still before Him and focusing on His incredible love for you.
TODAY’S PRAYER
Father, thank You for Your love for me. Help me to understand it more fully so I can learn to love You with my whole heart.
AMEN

Heart Confidence!!!

1/1/2024

TODAY’S VERSE
My heart is confident in you, O God; no wonder I can sing your praises with all my heart!
Psalms 108:1 (NLT)

TODAY’S THOUGHT
There is a difference between “my head being confident” and “my heart being confident.” This is where faith and relationship come in. We read scriptures with our heads, but we meditate with our hearts. We pray “nice” prayers with our heads, but we “cry out to God” with our hearts. We “tell” someone about the gospel with our heads, but we love them and plead for their soul with our hearts. And we know the “reasons for confidence” in God with our heads, but we “experience confidence” in God with our hearts. David knew this kind of confidence in God through his experiential faith. He had a relationship with the true and living God, resulting in true worship and adoration with all his heart. Today, ask God to reveal Himself to you in real and experiential ways. Let your confidence travel the twelve inches from your head to your heart.

TODAY’S PRAYER
Father, I thank You for Your presence in my life. Help me to know You better. Help me to be confident in Your love for me, not just in my head, but in my heart. In Jesus’ name.
AMEN

Don't Fool Yourself!!!

10/30/2023

TODAY’S VERSE
So get rid of all immoral behavior and all the wicked things you do. Humbly accept the word that God has placed in you. This word can save you. Do what God’s word says. Don’t merely listen to it, or you will fool yourselves.
James 1:21-22 (GW)

TODAY’S THOUGHT
In today’s multitasking world, it is hard to focus on anything for more than five minutes. Interruptions have become a fact of life. There are emergencies and just-in-time deadlines, and we make judgments on the fly and hope that they stick. Well, if we are going to make it spiritually, we have to be intentional. It isn’t good enough to hear the Bible, a verse here, a sermon there. We need to know the Word of God. And then, most importantly, we need to do it. Start today; make a commitment to study the Bible and apply it to your life.

TODAY’S PRAYER
Dear Holy Spirit, I know that it is Your joy to help me learn the Word of God and apply it to my life. I invite You to be my teacher, guide, and mentor. Please help me start today to make the Bible a priority in my life. In Jesus’ name.
AMEN

More Than This World!!!

10/1/2023

TODAY’S VERSE
He has also set eternity in the hearts of men.
Ecclesiastes 3:11 (NIV)

TODAY’S THOUGHT
Something about this world causes us to yearn for the next. We were never meant to live just here. God created us for more than just this. He created us to be eternal. A soul that never dies. He has etched it deep into our hearts. C.S. Lewis wrote, “If I find in myself desires which nothing in this world can satisfy, the only logical explanation is that I was made for another world.” The good news is that Christ came to make a way to prepare for the next life. He is the only one who lived in both. He is God and human in one. He made a way, through His death, for us to co-exist with a Holy and Almighty God. So much so that we now can come to God and call Him “Daddy.” That’s what children do. They call their Father “Daddy.” And they long to be home with him. Listen to your inner voice and respond to your Father in Heaven.

TODAY’S PRAYER
Dear Father, I do hear another voice. It is from a distant land, and I long to know more about it. There has to be more than what I can see around me. I come today and ask You to make me more conscious of Your presence. More aware of Your power and mystery. I invite Your Heaven to invade my earth and help me become a citizen of both. Awaken my soul to Your heavenly reality. In Jesus’ name.
AMEN