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Increase Your Inner Strength

3/4/2019

TODAY’S VERSE
I pray that out of his glorious riches he may strengthen you with power through his Spirit in your inner being. Ephesians 3:16 (NIV)

TODAY’S THOUGHT
Two thousand years ago, Paul the Apostle prayed this prayer for the church in Ephesus. He prayed that God would use His mighty resources to strengthen them with POWER in their INNER BEING. Can you think of anything that we need more than that? All around us, there is strife, stress, conflicts, and confusion. We often find ourselves going up and down emotionally. It is easy to get sucked into this world’s problems and forget that there is a God who cares, who loves us and who can strengthen us. In order to make it in this world, we need a mighty reservoir of strength on the inside, where we really live. And how does God impart His strength into our life? Through the indwelling of the Holy Spirit. According to Paul, it is the job of the Holy Spirit to give us the internal strength we need. This same Spirit that intercedes for us. This same Spirit that leads us into all truth. This same Spirit that is our comfort. The Holy Spirit will give us the strength we need on the inside. Ask Him to strengthen you with His power today.

TODAY’S PRAYER
Dear Holy Spirit, I know You are real. You are our Holy God’s Spirit, that comes and takes residence in us upon our conversion. I confess I have ignored You. I repent and ask Your forgiveness. I ask You now, O Holy Spirit, to come in all Your power and give me strength today in my inner being. Might I live in the fullness of Your power even now. In Jesus’ name.
AMEN

His Name Is Hope

1/31/2019

TODAY’S VERSE
Look at my Servant, whom I have chosen. He is my Beloved, who pleases me. I will put my Spirit upon him, and he will proclaim justice to the nations. He will not fight or shout or raise his voice in public. He will not crush the weakest reed or put out a flickering candle. Finally, he will cause justice to be victorious. And his name will be the hope of all the world.”
Matthew 12:18-21 (NLT)

TODAY’S MESSAGE
You can tell a religion by the God it follows. We follow Jehovah who manifested Himself a man in the person of Christ Jesus. He could have chosen to come as a ruler, a dictator, a mighty military leader or a tyrant. Instead, He came to earth as a humble savior. Isaiah says that Jesus came to proclaim justice. He came to be our hope. He did not come to crush the weakest reed or put out a flickering flame. What a picture Isaiah is painting. Here we are – many times messy, needy and weak. We get beat up, confused, tempted and tired. What does Jesus do? Does He step all over us? Does He crush the reeds? No, not even a faint brush to disturb them. Does He rant and rave? Does He blow out the littlest bit of a flame that we have left? No, He does nothing that would cause the flame to go out. His name is Hope! Hope is what our soul thirsts for. Today, hope in His unconditional love for you.

TODAY’S PRAYER
Dear Father, what a picture of Your love for me! I need Your love. I need Your understanding, Your mercy, and Your total forgiveness. I fully receive them right now. I praise You for Your kindness. I shout with joy even now for Your unconditional love for me. Thank you, Jesus. My hope is in you! In Your Holy name, I pray.
AMEN

Baby Sieps

1/6/2019

TODAY’S VERSE
For this very reason, make every effort to add to your faith goodness; and to goodness, knowledge; and to knowledge, self-control; and to self-control, perseverance; and to perseverance, godliness; and to godliness, brotherly kindness; and to brotherly kindness, love. For if you possess these qualities in increasing measure, they will keep you from being ineffective and unproductive in your knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ.II Peter 1:5-8 (NIV)

TODAY’S THOUGHT
Have you bought the lie? Do you sit around wishing there was something you could do about your spiritual life? Do you feel helpless to live the kind of life that Christ has asked you to? Well, there is good news! You and I do not have to be a victim of satanic attacks or the pull of our old nature. God in His word has suggested a better way. He tells us to make every effort to “add to your faith goodness; and to goodness, knowledge; and to knowledge, self-control; and to self-control, perseverance; and to perseverance, godliness; and to godliness, brotherly kindness; and to brotherly kindness, love.” Every effort, I can live with that. Every effort means that we really try. It acknowledges that there may be set-backs but that is okay. Get up and make every effort again! That is what Peter means when he writes that we need to possess these qualities in increasing measure. He is talking about baby steps. We make every effort, fall down, get up and make every effort again. When we do, look at the hope, look at what God promises. He says if we make every effort to increase our faith, goodness, knowledge, self-control, perseverance, godliness, brotherly kindness and love in baby steps, that it will keep us from being ineffective and unproductive in our Christian walk. Today, you can claim this promise for yourself. Don’t buy the lie. You can live for God today. You can make a difference, one baby step at a time.

TODAY’S PRAYER
Dear God, I want to live for You, but I acknowledge that I keep tripping up. Help me take my faith and add to it goodness, knowledge, self-control, perseverance, godliness, brotherly kindness and love in baby steps. Holy Spirit, convict me, guide me and give me the discipline to begin living for You today. In Jesus’ name.
AMEN

Don't Give Up Doing Good!!!

12/1/2018

TODAY’S VERSE
So let’s not get tired of doing what is good. At just the right time we will reap a harvest of blessing if we don’t give up. Galatians 6:9 (NLT)

TODAY’S THOUGHT
It is hard work doing good. It seems like there is always a shortcut, a reason to delay, an easier way. It is easier to complain than to fix something. It is easier to quit than to go the extra mile. We find ourselves asking, “If this is so good, why is it so hard?” Besides, there is no way you will ever get paid for all you are doing; most of the time your efforts will go unrewarded. And yet we do good because it is the right thing to do. It is what Jesus would do. Nobody knew this more than the Apostle Paul. He pens these words for our encouragement, “Don’t get tired of doing good! You will reap a harvest of blessing, just don’t give up!” So, what good are you doing? What have you started but need to get back to? Are you discouraged? Do you feel like giving up? Talk to God about it today. Let Him know. Ask Him for strength and joy. Ask Him to give you a glimpse of the possibilities and then get back up and continue on. You will see the end, there will be a blessing, don’t give up.

TODAY’S PRAYER
Lord, You know where I am at. You know the good I am trying to do. You know my struggle. I cannot see the end. I need Your help. I need Your strength. I recommit myself today to doing the good that You have called me to do. Lord, I believe that there will be a harvest of blessing. In Jesus’ name.
AMEN

What Do You Want Him To Do For You?

11/3/2018

TODAY’S VERSE
Two blind men were sitting by the roadside, and when they heard that Jesus was going by, they shouted, “Lord, Son of David, have mercy on us!” Jesus stopped and called them. “What do you want me to do for you?” Matthew 20:30-32

TODAY’S THOUGHT
Deep down inside you know there has to be more. There must be a relief for your pain. Perhaps like two blind men on the side of the road, if you knew Jesus was coming, you would shout out to Him. In his book, The Church That Heals Doug Murren writes, “We need the miraculous in the church today. Postmodern people are too broken to be fixed through simple human caregiving; they need to be pieced back together through the Supernatural healing of Jesus through His body the church.” What is it you need today? Where are you hurting? Today Jesus is asking you the same thing that He asked the blind men, “What do you want me to do for you?”

TODAY’S PRAYER
Jesus, I am sitting here today by the side of the road. I am in great need. I have shouted for mercy and You have heard me. Help me to respond to Your question, What do you want me to do for you? In Jesus’ name.
AMEN

Think Right

10/1/2018

TODAY’S VERSE
Whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable—if anything is excellent or praiseworthy—think about such things.
Philippians 4:8 (NIV)

TODAY’S THOUGHT
You have heard the saying, “You are what you eat.” I think in reality, “We are what we think.” Thoughts, whether conscious or on a more hidden level, affect the way we feel, perceive reality, act or react. Thoughts help create our moods, attitudes, and beliefs. Anger, jealousy, pride, envy, sadness, rebellion – these and many other negative emotions or behaviors have their root in the way we think. That is why it is so important to be aware and take responsibility for our thinking. Paul instructs us to consider that our mind is in a spiritual war. Because of that, we are to demolish any rouge thoughts that set itself up against Godly thinking. We are to take our thoughts captive and put it through a Godly filter so it becomes the way He would have us think. Paul admonishes us to dwell on thoughts that are noble, right, pure, lovely, admirable, excellent and praiseworthy. Today you have a choice; you can rule your thoughts or you can let them rule you. Let Jesus be the Lord of your thought life. Let Him help you with the way you think.

TODAY’S PRAYER
Father, I bring you my mind and my sub-conscious mind. Help me bring all my thoughts into the light of Your Holy Spirit. Today, dear Lord, help me dwell on thoughts that are noble, right, pure, lovely, admirable, excellent and praiseworthy. In Jesus’ name.
AMEN

The Real Deal

9/22/2018

TODAY’S VERSE
My ears had heard of you but now my eyes have seen you.
Job 42:5

TODAY’S THOUGHT
It is so easy to walk in our Christian experience and really believe that we know God. We are like a baseball fanatic. You know the kind. He can tell you everything about a certain player. He can quote their batting average, the number of homers, lifetime RBI’s. He knows where they played college ball, the names of his wife and children. He even has an autographed baseball. Yet, he has never met the player. Never went to his house, never sat with him at dinner or even had a discussion. Everything he knows is from reading or listening to commentators. Now don’t get me wrong, there is passion! Chances are he will fight you if you say something derogatory about the player. There is a passion but it is based on admiration, not friendship. Job came to a place where everything he thought he knew about God seemed empty and vain. And then He met God. Job knew all about God, He “worshipped” God, He even lived the way he thought God wanted him to; but when he saw God, it all changed. Knowing God in a personal and intimate way changes everything. And the beauty is that God created each of us with the ability to know Him. He has equipped us with the Holy Spirit who is to teach us all things and bring us into intimate fellowship with God. But the choice is yours. You can choose to spend time with God and ask Him to reveal Himself to you or you can continue to “know” about Him. Cry out to God today and ask Him to open your eyes like He did Job’s and you will be able to say, “My ears had heard of you but now my eyes have seen you.”

TODAY’S PRAYER
Father, sometimes I feel so phony inside. I talk about You, I read about You, I pray to You, but I don’t seem to really know You. Today, Lord, help me be conscious of Your presence. Father, speak to me. Help the eyes of my heart to see You. I want to know You in a deep and personal way. Help me Lord I pray. In Jesus’ name.
AMEN

First Love

9/1/2018

TODAY’S VERSE
I know your deeds, your hard work and your perseverance. – Yet I hold this against you: You have forsaken your first love. Remember the height from which you have fallen! Repent and do the things you did at first.
Revelation 2:2, 4-5

TODAY’S THOUGHT
Remember when you first came to Christ? You were aware of your need. You were humbled by His love, appreciative of His sacrifice for you. You wanted to help everyone else know Him. What happened? How did we allow our intimate relationship with Christ to become a ritual? When did we trade our freedom? When did we forsake our joy? Have we traded our relationship with Christ for a religion? Have we given up grace for rules and regulations? Have we traded the mission of the church for membership in a country club? Paul wrote the church in Colossians, “So then, just as you received Christ Jesus as Lord, continue to live in him, rooted and built up in him, strengthened in the faith as you were taught, and overflowing with thankfulness.” He asked them to continue to live in Christ just like they did the first day they tasted of salvation. The first day the Spirit of God was born in their heart, the first time the tears from God’s forgiveness stained their cheeks. John warned the church in Ephesus that even though they worked hard and persevered, they had lost their first love. He admonished them to repent and return to doing the things that they did at first. Oh, that we would never forget the wonder that God loves us. Today, examine your heart. Do you feel far from God? Who moved? Go back to the place you met Christ. Rededicate your heart to Him. Just as you received Christ Jesus as Lord, continue to live in Him.

TODAY’S PRAYER
Father, take me back to the time I first knew You. Renew the joy in my soul. Reignite the fire that burned in my heart. Help me to remember and to live this day in the fresh awareness of Your love and forgiveness.
In Jesus’ name.
AMEN

God's Path

8/1/2018

TODAY’S VERSE
Show me the right path, O LORD; point out the road for me to follow. Lead me by your truth and teach me, for you are the God who saves me. All day long I put my hope in you. Remember, O LORD, your compassion and unfailing love.
Psalms 25:4-6

TODAY’S THOUGHT
Life is a journey. We are not settlers in this world. We are called to go through life as an ambassador of heaven, a sojourner commanded to give away God’s peace and love. And the journey can get messy. That is why it is so important to learn to navigate, to solve problems and to discern what to do next. David is crying out that God would direct his path. He said, “Lead me by your truth and teach me.” This is important. So much of our hardships, misdirection and hurts in this life are due to deception and misinformation. We need to pray that God would show us the truth and teach us through each experience. This is how we derive our faith and hope in Him. We succeed and make progress by learning. David learned to put his hope in God and trusted that God’s compassion and love would not fail. God wants the same for you. Today, may God lead you and point out the road for you to follow. May you learn all about His compassion and unfailing love.

TODAY’S PRAYER
Father, I need Your guidance today. Show me what road to follow. Guide me by Your truth and teach me to trust You. I put my hope in You and Your compassionate, unfailing love. In Jesus’ name.
AMEN

My Needs

7/1/2018

TODAY’S VERSE
Your heavenly Father already knows all your needs. Seek the Kingdom of God above all else, and live righteously, and he will give you everything you need. Matthew 6:32-33

TODAY’S THOUGHT
We can really complicate life, can’t we? There are so many demands on our life. There are so many things that we think we must do we have lost sight of what is really important. Jesus comes along and would say to us, “Stop filling your life with so many other things and let Me fulfill your real need.” You see, Jesus knows what satisfies, and He offers it to all His followers. He said, “Seek the Kingdom of God above all else, and live righteously, and he will give you everything you need.” The real secret to this life is to live in His Kingdom, instead of our own. We need to live in this world with heaven’s priority. God loves you. Trust Him, live for Him and He promises that He will give you everything you need.

TODAY’S PRAYER
Father, You know my name. You know who I am. You also know my needs. Thank You, for Your promise that if I seek Your Kingdom above everything else, You will give me everything I need. So I come to You now, Father, and ask that You would help me live for You. I entrust my needs to You. In Jesus’ name. AMEN