Blog Posts - Messiah Missionary Baptist Church

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

A Sense of Blessing and Well-Being

9/12/2023

TODAY’S VERSE
Even if my father and mother abandon me, the LORD will hold me close.
Psalm 27:10 (NLT)

TODAY’S MESSAGE
At first glance, this verse may not seem to have much depth. But if we understand its meaning, it can change our lives. In his book Experiencing Healing Prayer, Rick Richardson shares, “From our mother, we get our sense of being and well-being. From our father, we get a sense of blessing.” The trouble is that none of us go through our childhood unscathed. No parent can completely meet all our needs. If our mother or father is controlling, absent, abusive, distant, or exhibits any other negative traits, it can result in a struggle with affirmation and self-esteem. But what can we do? Do we have to be a victim of a fallen world? Today’s verse gives us the answer. “Even if our father and mother abandon us, the Lord will hold us close.” When we understand our genuine relationship with God, we will be able to receive our sense of being and well-being from Him. When we comprehend how much He loves and approves of us, we will live with a deep understanding of His blessing for us. Celebrating who we are in Christ can help us rise above our circumstances and go beyond the limits of our childhood.

TODAY’S PRAYER
Father, I thank You for Your deep, deep love for me. I thank You that You created me for a purpose. I thank You that I am not a mistake. Because of Your love for me, I can feel good about myself. I receive a sense of well-being from knowing that I am a blessing to You. Thank You, Lord, no matter what my past, I can come to You with my needs. When I do, You will hold me close. In Jesus’ name.
AMEN

Where Do You Go???

7/30/2023

TODAY’S VERSE
So let us come boldly to the throne of our gracious God. There we will receive his mercy, and we will find grace to help us when we need it most.
Hebrews 4:16
TODAY’S THOUGHT
Where do you go when there is trouble? There are a lot of choices. You can run to your friends. Friends who listen, understand, and help you when needed are a true blessing. But not all of us have those kinds of friends. Sometimes it is easier for us to simply run away. Running can be in many different forms. It can be procrastination, you know, where we will always find a solution later. It could be an addiction to anesthetize ourselves from the situation. It could be running full steam ahead, ignoring problems, focusing on achievement, or materialism. Yet, there is a better way. Today’s scripture gives us another option that makes good sense. The author of Hebrews writes, “So let us come boldly to the throne of our gracious God. There we will receive his mercy, and we will find grace to help us when we need it most.” You notice the verse doesn’t say to be timid. It says to “boldly” come to God. And what do we get when we find ourselves in His presence? Mercy and grace. Two of the most beautiful words in all of the Bible. Mercy not giving us what we deserve. Grace giving us what we do not deserve. Thank God today that He has His mercy and grace available for you.
TODAY’S PRAYER
Father, thank You for promising me that I can come boldly to You anytime – day or night. I can come boldly with my problems, concerns, and weaknesses. I come to You now, dear Father. Hear my needs, hear the deep inner thoughts and concerns of my heart. Please make me conscious of Your incredible mercy and grace that You have promised to me. In Jesus’ name.
AMEN

The Kingdom of Heaven is Near

7/1/2023

TODAY’S VERSE
As you go, preach this message: ‘The kingdom of heaven is near.’ Heal the sick, raise the dead, cleanse those who have leprosy, drive out demons.
Matthew 10:7,8 (NIV)
TODAY’S THOUGHT
Jesus did the will of His Father. He told His disciples to do the same thing. He gives us the same commission. Jesus said it best, “Don’t you believe that I am in the Father, and that the Father is in me? The words I say to you are not just my own. Rather, it is the Father, living in me, who is doing his work. I tell you the truth, anyone who has faith in me will do what I have been doing. He will do even greater things than these, because I am going to the Father.” Today you and I have been called to be about the same Father’s business. We have been asked to go to the world and cry, “The Kingdom of God is near!” We go in His power and do His will. We go in His love and heal the brokenhearted. We go in His provision and give to those in need. He has called us to do greater things. Today, let’s be like Jesus and let the Heavenly Father live and do His work through us.
TODAY’S PRAYER
Father, I pray that Your Kingdom will be evident in my life today. Guide, lead, and show me what You would have me do. Give me the courage and faith to trust You for mighty things and to be obedient to what You ask of me. I pray that I will honor You in all that I do today. In Jesus’ name.
AMEN

How Deep Are Your Roots??

6/8/2023

TODAY’S VERSE
Then Christ will make his home in your hearts as you trust in him. Your roots will grow down into God’s love and keep you strong.
Ephesians 3:17-18 (NLT)

TODAY’S THOUGHT
Roots are crucial to the health of a plant. It is the way that plants get water and nourishment. Jesus used plants and roots as a metaphor for our spiritual life. He pointed out that “where” you put your roots can make all the difference in the world. Jesus shared about the futility of sowing seed on a path where the roots can’t grow. This represents the evil one stealing away the truth from our hearts. He says some seed falls on a rocky area where the roots grow quickly but shallow, and the plant soon dies. This represents a lack of commitment where spiritual fervor doesn’t last long. Finally, Jesus shared about the seed that falls in the weeds where the competition for the roots steals away nourishment. This represents the cares of this world or the lure of wealth taking us away from our walk with Christ. Instead, Jesus said we must plant the seed on good ground. In Ephesians, Paul is praying for the church that we would let our roots grow deep into the love that Christ has for us. How do we do this? By opening our hearts to Christ’s influence and trusting in Him. To mature in Christ, we must spend time in good soil. We must pray, read His word, and meditate in His presence. Where are your roots? Are emotional issues leaving your faith malnourished? Are the cares of this world choking you out? Come to Jesus –let your roots go down deep into His love.

TODAY’S PRAYER
Father, too many of my roots have been shallow. I have not let my roots go down deep into Your love. My commitment has wavered. I’ve let the cares of this world choke me out. Help me today begin to go deeper with You. Feed me, nourish my soul, I pray. Help me know You more, hear You more, and love You more. In Jesus’ name.
AMEN