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Press On!!

5/31/2020

TODAY’S VERSE
I focus on this one thing: Forgetting the past and looking forward to what lies ahead, I press on to reach the end of the race and receive the heavenly prize for which God, through Christ Jesus, is calling us.
Philippians 3:13-14 (NLT)

TODAY’S THOUGHT
It is so easy to live in the past. Remorse, grief, disappointment, bitterness, so many painful emotions can keep us in a state of limbo. Paul had regrets; he had persecuted Christians. Paul had disappointments and hardships, but he knew the secret to living with all of life’s ups and downs. He pressed on. He knew when the appropriate time came; it was time to forget. It was time to quit looking behind and trust God for the future. God doesn’t remain in the past, and neither should we. Today, what is keeping you in the past? What has you locked in painful emotions? Give it to God. Forget the past and look forward to what God has ahead. He is not finished with you yet!

TODAY’S PRAYER
Father, I have hung on to my past. Today, I surrender to You. I quit looking back with regret, sorrow, remorse, and bitterness and will look forward with anticipation, joy, and excitement toward what lies ahead. Today, I choose to trust You. In Jesus’ name.
AMEN

There is Hope This Special Weekend

4/11/2020

TODAY’S VERSE
Therefore, we who have fled to him for refuge can have great confidence as we hold to the hope that lies before us. This hope is a strong and trustworthy anchor for our souls.
Hebrews 6:18-19

TODAY’S THOUGHT
With the magnitude of the crisis that we have been in, with all the changes in schedules, with lives, turned upside down, it would be easy to forget Easter weekend. The fact is for many who look forward to this weekend; churches will be empty. No choirs singing, no pageantry, no sitting with friends and family listening to a special sermon filled with the hope and power of the resurrection. But churches are not the only thing that will be empty. Today there is a hill with a stone that has been rolled away. There is a tomb that is also empty! Jesus is not there, He has risen! And even though our churches will be empty, our hearts can be filled with hope, faith, and love because God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life. Today there is hope in the midst of our crisis. We are not alone. Our faith is not empty. Jesus left the tomb empty so He could fill our hearts with His hope. Today know that we live in both worlds. We are citizens here with the very presence of God among us, and because of our faith in the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ, we are citizens of our eternal home where the power of God radiates from the Throne of God to keep us and sustain us even in these times. Today, take a moment, stop whatever you are doing, and give Jesus thanks. Thanks that He is here and that He loves you and knows what you are going through. Thanks that He died on the Cross for you and that He is not dead but very much alive in your heart.

TODAY’S PRAYER
Dear God, on this special weekend with all the crisis around us, we stop to give you thanks. Thanks for your sacrifice for our sins on Calvary. Thanks for the hope of Easter. And thanks for Your presence with us because of the Risen Christ.
Amen

HOPE AND COMFORT

4/3/2020

TODAY’S VERSE
LORD, you know the hopes of the helpless. Surely you will hear their cries and comfort them. Psalms 10:17 (NLT)

TODAY’S THOUGHT
There are times when we feel helpless. But it doesn’t mean we are hopeless. David shared that God can give us hope no matter how helpless we feel. He hears our cries and will bring us comfort. That is why Abraham kept hoping even when there was no reason for hope. When circumstances did not make any sense, it was the comfort from hope that allowed Abraham’s faith not to weaken. Paul shared that “Abraham never wavered in believing God’s promise. His faith grew stronger, and in this he brought glory to God.” Why did his faith grow stronger? Because He knew God, and “he was fully convinced that God is able to do whatever he promises.” How my heart yearns for that kind of faith, that kind of trust, that kind of hope. Today, may we know God like David. May we believe God like Abraham. May our faith grow stronger. Today, let us keep hoping.

TODAY’S PRAYER
Father, help me know You better. Increase my faith. Help me to trust in You and be comforted and full of hope. In Jesus’ name.
AMEN

COME!!

3/1/2020

TODAY’S VERSE
“Come, follow me,’ Jesus said”
Matthew 4:19
TODAY’S THOUGHT
Come is one of the most beautiful words in the Bible. It is an offer to participate in something. An invitation to move in a certain direction. It is only as good as the person requesting you to come and the object which you are moving toward. Today God offers so much for you to partake of. He offers you the ultimate relationship with Himself and all that goes with it. What is it your soul desires? Come. What is it that you find missing in your life? Come. Are you weary? Come and find rest. Are you poor in Spirit? Come, take your inheritance. Is your heart thirsty? Come. Do you desire peace, joy, forgiveness, strength, hope, and love? Come. Today, hear the voice of the Lord. He is calling out to you. All you need to do is come.
TODAY’S PRAYER
Father, You love me, and today I hear Your voice say, “Come.” So I come to You dear Lord with open arms and heart. I come to You in humility and anticipation to receive all that You have for me. In Jesus’ name.
AMEN

Remember His Power

1/30/2020

TODAY’S VERSE
They forgot what he had done, the wonders he had shown them. They did not remember his power. Psalms 78:42

TODAY’S THOUGHT
What is worry other than forgetting the power and promise of God? The legacy that the Jews, who fled from Egypt, left for their children is that they forgot about the power of God. All the miracles, all the provisions they had experienced and yet they were guilty of murmuring, complaining and idolatry. They lived as if God did not exist. Jesus came many centuries later and still found the same lack of faith. He was born amongst a people who did not know the all-powerful God. So He showed them. He taught them not to worry about their needs because God would provide for them. He taught them to seek Him first and everything they needed would follow. Jesus lived among them for three and a half years. They saw the miracles, they heard His teachings, they experienced His power and yet like the Jews in the wilderness, “They forgot what he had done, the wonders he had shown them. They did not remember his power.” What about you? When situations come today that force you to take pause, will you fear or have faith? Will you remember all that He has done or will you worry in unbelief? Today remember that the God of all power and provision is the same yesterday, today and will be tomorrow.

TODAY’S PRAYER
Dear Father, I thank You that You are the same yesterday, today and tomorrow. I thank You that Your power continues today as it has in the past. I know that You are able to provide, protect and keep me from falling. In faith, I give my life to You. In Jesus’ name.
AMEN

Spiritaul Growth

1/8/2020

TODAY’S VERSE
For this reason, since the day we heard about you, we have not stopped praying for you and asking God to fill you with the knowledge of his will through all spiritual wisdom and understanding. And we pray this in order that you may live a life worthy of the Lord and may please him in every way: bearing fruit in every good work, growing in the knowledge of God. Colossians 1:9-10

TODAY'S THOUGHT
There is one thing about life you can count on. Life is not static. You are either living or you are dying. I have learned a lot about life from gardening. To have a good garden you must have a good balance of sun, water, and nutrients. You must also protect the plants by weeding and keeping away the bugs and animals that would destroy it. It is the same with your spiritual life. You must nurture and care for your own soul. You must protect yourself from spiritual forces that would destroy you. How? By letting God fill you with the knowledge of His will. He does that through Spiritual wisdom and understanding. As you seek God and learn more about Him, the more alive you will become. This will result in a life worth living, pleasing to God. Today, stop being static in your spiritual life and set your heart on gaining spiritual wisdom and understanding. Grow in your knowledge of God.

TODAY’S PRAYER
Father, help me grow in You. Help me gain Spiritual wisdom and understanding as I read Your word and listen to Your Holy Spirit. Help me grow in my knowledge of You.
AMEN

Throw It Off

12/11/2019

TODAY’S VERSE
Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a great cloud of witnesses, let us throw off everything that hinders and the sin that so easily entangles, and let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us. Hebrews 12:1 (NIV)

TODAY’S THOUGHT
Paul uses the analogy of running a race to describe the Christian life. He paints a picture of a poor runner who has come to the starting blocks with a large heavy weight tied to him and chains wrapped around his legs. There is no way this runner is going to finish the race, let alone win. Instead, Paul suggests that the runner first throw off everything that hinders them. That could be events, habits, environments, attitudes, anything that “triggers” the desire to do things that Christ would not want us to do, or prevent us from doing what we should. We need to throw off anything that leads us toward Spiritual apathy or complacency. In their book “True Faced” the authors point out that in reality there are two kinds of sins. These are sins that we commit resulting in guilt and sins that are committed against us resulting in hurt. Both of these “sins” can trip us up. If we allow guilt to grow, it will spread like cancer in our Spirit. If we allow hurt to go unchecked, it can fester into sadness, anger, fear, malice, bitterness and many other negative attitudes. We need to deal with the sin in our life — both those that we commit and those committed against us. Then we can run the race. Today let us consider our own life. Are we running the race that God has called us to? If not, what is weighing us down? What is entangling us? Pray today that God would help you throw it off.

TODAY’S PRAYER:
Father, You know that I need to run in this race of life. I confess that I have let burdens weigh me down. I have let sins, both that I have committed and those committed against me, trip me up. Help me, Lord, throw off these things. Help me run today, free from all these issues that hinder me. In Jesus’ name.
AMEN

MATURITY

12/7/2019

TODAY’S VERSE
Brothers, I could not address you as spiritual but as worldly—mere infants in Christ. I gave you milk, not solid food, for you were not yet ready for it. Indeed, you are still not ready. I Corinthians 3:1-2 (NIV)

TODAY’S THOUGHT
Paul was concerned about the maturity of the Corinth believers. Paul says that when we are new in Christ we should desire to be spiritually mature. After a while, we should be eating spiritual “solid” food not continuing to drink spiritual milk. A new believer needs to get grounded in faith learning the basic truths and practicing the basic spiritual disciplines. However, as time goes by like a newborn child grows and needs a more comprehensive meal, so Christians should desire a deeper walk with God. Paul observed that the Corinth church was immature in their Christian walk. Their spiritual growth was stunted. How about you? How is your spiritual maturity? Can you look over the last year and say, “I know I have grown in Christ this year?” Have you read the Bible, spent time in prayer, let God work with your personal habits? Has God made a difference in your emotional life? Do you see yourself more mature in your relationships? There is so much to know and so many areas in which to grow. Pray today that God will help you begin on a healthy spiritual diet so you will grow as a Christian.

TODAY’S PRAYER
Father, I need to grow in You. Help my desire become a reality. Help me study Your word and talk to You in prayer. Help me be honest with You and then listen to what You say. I desire more of You and Your word. Feed me I pray. In Jesus’ name.
AMEN

Supernatural Love

10/31/2019

TODAY’S VERSE
He has told us about the love for others that the Holy Spirit has given you.
Colossians 1:8 (NLT)
TODAY’S THOUGHT
We get so used to hearing that we are supposed to love others that we think we need to do it by ourselves. But in today’s verse, we get a glimpse of where the real power comes from. God’s Spirit in us strives to guide us, teach us and create a love for others in our hearts. Why should that be so surprising? After all the Apostle John reminds us that God is not only the source of love, He is love. It is God Himself manifested in His Spirit in us that moves us to love. Jesus modeled this God-driven kind of love. John writes, “We know what real love is because Jesus gave up his life for us. So we also ought to give up our lives for our brothers and sisters.” So today, love others. But don’t do it in your own power. Ask God to give you a Spirit-led love for those around you.
TODAY’S PRAYER
Holy Spirit of God, reach deep into my heart and birth in me a love for others that only You can produce. I want to love as Jesus did. Fill me with a Supernatural love I pray.
AMEN

Power & Majesty

10/1/2019

TODAY’S VERSE
We did not follow cleverly invented stories when we told you about the power and coming of our Lord Jesus Christ, but we were eyewitnesses of his majesty.
II Peter 1:16 (NIV)

TODAY’S THOUGHT
The Bible makes it plain that there is a spiritual battle going on for the souls of mankind. It is more than good versus bad. Part of the satanic strategy is to confuse people about God’s plan. We are warned that Satan often comes as an “angel of light.” For century’s fiction has imitated the Supernatural. Fairytales, myths, stories about people with magical powers. WE are inundated with superheroes that imitate the supernatural. The subtle reality is that they plant a seed of doubt in actually believing that the Bible is true. After all, a fairytale is make belief so why believe the stories told in Scriptures. Peter knew this was happening. That is why he insisted that we know that he and the other disciples were not following some clever invented story. Instead, they were sharing what they actually witnessed. They witnessed the very power and majesty of Christ. Majesty, that splendor of character, greatness, authority and sovereign power that Christ exhibited in the way He lived. What if you and I could say with Peter that we too were eyewitnesses of this same power and majesty today? We can you know. We can experience the real, living Christ today, just like the disciples. Ask Christ if it is true? Go ahead. Talk to Him about His power and majesty. Ask Him to reveal Himself to you. Today, begin a deeper walk with Him. If you do, you too will join Peter and the millions of others, who through the centuries, have known His power and majesty.

TODAY’S PRAYER
Father, I want to know You in all Your power and majesty. I want to be an eyewitness of the same kinds of things that Peter experienced. Help me believe. Increase my faith. Make Your supernatural presence a reality in my life. I pray this in Jesus’ name.
AMEN