Blog Posts - Messiah Missionary Baptist Church

Forgiveness

8/31/2019

TODAY’S VERSE
But when you are praying, first forgive anyone you are holding a grudge against, so that your Father in heaven will forgive your sins, too.
Mark 11:25 (NLT)

TODAY’S THOUGHT
Forgiveness can be difficult. It is hard to forgive some of the offenses against us. But we must remember that forgiveness is a very important part of our spirituality. We go to church, we pray, we read the scriptures. This is all good, but Jesus is making it clear, the true test for real Christianity is to forgive others. That is because all of Christianity is built on forgiveness. Where would we be without the forgiveness of Christ? In “Steps To Freedom In Christ”, Neil Anderson shares the following six important elements to forgiveness. 1. Forgiveness is not forgetting rather forgetting is a long-term by-product of forgiveness. 2. Forgiveness is a choice, a decision of the will. 3. Forgiveness is agreeing to live with the consequences of another person’s sin. 4. We forgive from our heart, not our head. 5. Forgiveness is choosing not to hold someone’s sin against him or her anymore. 6. Finally, do not wait until you feel like forgiving. If you do, you will never get there. Instead, make a hard choice to forgive those that you are bitter toward. Let go of all the unforgiveness that is eating you up inside. Today, let God help you forgive.

TODAY’S PRAYER
Lord Jesus, You know the pain I harbor in my heart. Forgiveness seems so far from my grasp, yet I know that You have commanded me to forgive. Help me to forgive those who have offended me as You have so graciously forgiven me. In Jesus’ name.
AMEN

Compassion

8/5/2019

TODAY’S VERSE
He made heaven and earth, the sea, and everything in them. He keeps every promise forever. He gives justice to the oppressed and food to the hungry. The LORD frees the prisoners. The LORD opens the eyes of the blind. The LORD lifts up those who are weighed down. The LORD loves the godly. The LORD protects the foreigners among us. He cares for the orphans and widows, but he frustrates the plans of the wicked.”Psalms 146:6-9 (NLT)

TODAY’S THOUGHT
How the Church has distorted the purpose of God in this world. We have made it all about us. It is our worship of God, it the discipleship of our own, it is care of our people, our buildings and our programs that take top priority. Now, obviously, we are to worship Him. Certainly, God inhabits the praise of His people. We must disciple those who have come to faith in Christ. Christ Himself told us to go and make “disciples” of all nations. Finally, we must take care of the resources God has given us to use. But we have an incomplete picture of God’s purpose if we never consider the compassion He has toward those that are needy. We read many times in the gospels where Jesus was moved with compassion and then He ministered in power. Likewise, we are woefully short of God’s purpose for the church and scarce on His power, if we are not moved with compassion toward those that are outside our four walls. The question is, will we join God in all of His work? God has called you and me to follow Him, let us follow Him, by helping those around us that so desperately need our help.

TODAY’S PRAYER
Father, help me see the needs of others the way You do. Help me to respond in a way that honors you. In Jesus’ name.
AMEN

Complete Joy

7/13/2019

TODAY’S VERSE
I have told you this so that my joy may be in you and that your joy may be complete.
John 15:11 (NIV)

TODAY’S THOUGHT
God created us for joy! And where does joy come from? Jesus said, “I have told you this so that my joy may be in you.” What was it that He told us that would give us joy? The answer lies in the preceding verse. It says, “As the Father has loved me, so have I loved you. Now remain in my love.” Jesus said that His joy would be in us and that our joy would be complete as a direct result of the love He and our heavenly Father has for us. Our joy comes from knowing this love in a personal way. It comes from the fact that God is very, very glad to be with us. As the Psalmist suggests, we can come into God’s presence with thanksgiving, and into His courts with praise! Why? Because He loves us unconditionally and has bonded with us in a way that gives us true, deep down joy. Today, don’t accept some mediocre joy. Instead, meditate on the love that God has for you and let it move you deep in your soul. Today, ask God to fill you with joy.

TODAY’S PRAYER
Father, thank You for creating me for joy. Help me to know the extent of Your love and how happy You are to call me Your own so that my joy will be full.
AMEN

Strength

7/11/2019

TODAY’S VERSE
The LORD gives his people strength.
Psalms 28:8 (NLT)

TODAY’S THOUGHT
Strength is a mighty gift from God. With strength, you can have many options. You can have the strength to make it through a tough time. Strength to accomplish a difficult task. Strength to overcome overwhelming circumstances. Strength when all else has failed. Strength to be patient and wait on the Lord. Strength to tear down strongholds. Strength to get through another day. Strength to outlast a temptation. Strength to give it another try. Strength to accept grace. Strength to face your deepest fears. Strength to start over. Strength to admit when you’re wrong. Strength to accept your weakness. Strength to trust in God. Today God has all the strength you need. It’s yours for the asking.

TODAY’S PRAYER
Father, how I thank You that You give Your people strength. You know my needs. You know where I am weak and where I need Your strength. Give me all the strength I need for today. In Jesus’ name.
AMEN

Comfort and Strength

7/7/2019

TODAY’S VERSE
Now may our Lord Jesus Christ himself and God our Father, who loved us and by his grace gave us eternal comfort and a wonderful hope, comfort you and strengthen you in every good thing you do and say.
II Thessalonians 2:16-17 (NLT)

TODAY’S THOUGHT
God knows exactly what we need to make it in this life. He offers to us two indispensable tools for getting us through any of life’s situation. He gives us comfort and strength. Comfort calms us. Comfort gives us hope and encourages our faith. Comfort gives us the ability to trust God for the strength to press on. Strength to help us overcome obstacles. Strength needed for everyday life. Today may God comfort your heart and mind and give you all the strength you need.

TODAY’S PRAYER
Father, I pray that You will give me all the comfort and strength I need for this day. In Jesus’ name.
AMEN

God's Thinking of You!!!

6/23/2019

TODAY’S VERSE
How precious are your thoughts about me, O God. They cannot be numbered! I can’t even count them; they outnumber the grains of sand! And when I wake up, you are still with me!
Psalms 139:17-18 (NLT)
TODAY’S THOUGHT
What a mood David was in! You can hear the enthusiasm in his words. He is full of appreciation and amazement. Could he get any more excited about God? He got it! He understood that the Almighty God of the universe was aware of him. More than aware, God was constantly thinking about him. More than just thinking, David said that God’s thoughts about him were precious! Have you come to that same awareness David had? Have you stopped to consider how much God thinks about you? Today, meditate on the fact that God is keenly aware of you. You are precious to Him. In fact, if you tried to add up all the thoughts God has about you, you would never be able to do it! And here is the amazing part, every day you wake up God is still with you; He is still having precious thoughts about you. Today, live joyfully in this awareness.
TODAY’S PRAYER
Father, I thank You for all Your precious thoughts about me. I thank You for caring and being there for me. Thank You for Your love. In Jesus’ name.
AMEN

Treasures

6/9/2019

TODAY’S VERSE
Wherever your treasure is, there the desires of your heart will also be.
Matthew 6:21

TODAY’S THOUGHT
Where are our priorities? What is really important to us? We can pretend that we believe certain spiritual truths but what we really treasure usually gives us away. Jesus is warning us that it is easy to get caught up in this life and not really look at the whole picture. We are not just part of this physical world. We are part of a much larger system. We are part of the Spiritual realm. We are connected with eternity and therefore need to integrate what we believe in this life with a Heavenly perspective. The questions that we need to ask our self is, “What do we really care for?” “What is really important to us?” “What do we treasure?” When we answer these questions, we will find our heart. Then we need to ask ourselves a really hard question. “Does our heart reflect Christ’s values or the worlds?” If we are going to follow Christ, if we are going to be His representative in this world, then our heart needs to reflect what is important to Him. Today, might we check our heart’s priority and realign what’s important to us to be more in tune with Christ.

TODAY’S PRAYER
Father help me love what You love. Help me live with Your priorities foremost in my thinking. Help live for You today.
AMEN

Praise God!!!

5/4/2019

TODAY’S VERSE
Praise the LORD! For the Lord our God, the Almighty, reigns. Let us celebrate, let us rejoice, let us give him the glory! Revelation 19:6-7 (NLT)

TODAY’S THOUGHT
How excited are you about knowing God? You would think we would be ecstatic, but instead, our joy is minimal. I have seen sports fan get more excited about their teams winning a championship than most churches do during worship. This is because in reality most of us only know about God. Sure, we have asked Him to be our Savior, but we haven’t taken the time to really know Him. We know nothing of His power, wisdom or glory. How then can we say with John, “The Lord our God, the Almighty reigns”? If we are going to celebrate God, if we are going to rejoice because of Him, then we need to know God in a deep and personal way. This will only happen if we spend time in His presence. In His presence, He will reveal Himself to us. In His presence, we will learn of His power, wisdom and His glory. In His presence, we will learn to praise, celebrate and rejoice in Him. So today stop everything. Stop and for one moment become conscious of His presence and consider who He is. Sense that He is the Almighty one. Feel how worthy He is of all our praise. For just a moment consider how great He is and then know this; He loves you! The Almighty One loves you, so go ahead, celebrate, rejoice and give Him the glory!

TODAY’S PRAYER
Father, forgive me for not appreciating You enough. You are the Almighty One and You reign on high. I rejoice that I know You and come to You with joy and celebration. You are worthy of all my praise and I give You all the glory.
AMEN

Self-Compassion

4/4/2019

TODAY’S VERSE
The Lord does not ignore me or belittle me when I come to Him suffering and am needy. He never turns His back on me. Instead, He listens to my cry for help!
Psalm 22:24
TODAY’S THOUGHT
We need to rebuild our concept of ourselves. Because God is compassionate toward us, we also need to learn to be compassionate toward ourselves. But beware—self-compassion is not easy for someone who is shame-based. It is difficult to grasp the concept, but it can be done. It takes practice. It takes self-awareness, intentional correction of our negative thinking, and consistent intake of affirmations to keep us in the practice of thinking about ourselves in completely new ways. We can’t just say it. We must drive it deeply into our psyches so that we feel it. Our body and emotions need to become believers. We need to come against the lies about ourselves; we need to resist the emotional triggers that will cause us to slip back into shame, thinking about what we should have done and self-loathing. It takes the power of the Holy Spirit, the Word of God, and fellowship with other believers to truly grasp and practice the new reality. Today, love yourself the way God loves you. Walk in that freedom.
TODAY’S PRAYER
Father God, thank you for your love and compassion toward me. Help me be compassionate toward myself the way You are. Help me love myself so I, in turn, can love You and others from a truly joyful heart. In Jesus’ name.
Amen

Everything We Need For Life And Godliness

3/30/2019

TODAY’S VERSE
His divine power has given us everything we need for life and godliness through our knowledge of him. II Peter 1:3 (NIV)

TODAY’S THOUGHT
How many times have we felt inadequate in a situation? If only there was something that could help us? It is easy to feel this way about our spiritual life. How can we live for God? How can we live this Christian life the way He wants us to? By ourselves, we can’t. But the good news is, “He has given us everything we need for life and godliness.” How? Through knowing Him and His promises. What a blessing! Capture the scope of what Peter is saying, he has “given us everything we need for life and Godliness!” Today, spend time and get to know God. Talk to Him. Ask Him to reveal Himself to you. If you will spend time getting to know God, you will find that He does indeed have everything you need for life and godliness.

TODAY’S PRAYER
Dear God, I want to live the life You want me to, but I can’t do it by myself. I need You. I need Your promises. Reveal Yourself to me today and in the days to come, so I can get to know You more and more and live the life You desire for me.
AMEN