Morning Bible Verse of the Day
Morning Prayer
When Christ, who is our life, shall appear, then shall ye also appear with him in glory.
From: Colossians 3:4 (KJV)
Inspiration
Jesus is coming again. He shall appear with great glory when returns to reign on the earth, and all of his glorified saints will come with him. Christ is the source and sustainer of our life with God, and he ought also be the center of our affections (Colossians 3:2) and desires rather than earthly, temporary things.
Prayer
Help us to turn our thoughts to eternal things, to spiritual things, to the things of Christ, O God. The natural man does not like to think of God, or at least, not of the true God as He really is. Our minds needs renewing as well as redirecting, O Lord. Turn us, O Lord, and we shall be turned. We hunger and thirst for your righteousness, and we know you will satisfy that hunger and thirst which you yourself have created in us. Amen.
Morning Devotional
Matthew 4:1-4 (KJV)
Then was Jesus led up of the Spirit into the wilderness to be tempted of the devil.
And when he had fasted forty days and forty nights, he was afterward an hungred.
And when the tempter came to him, he said, If thou be the Son of God, command that these stones be made bread.
But he answered and said, It is written, Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that proceedeth out of the mouth of God.
Resisting Temptation
Frances Taylor
Everyone faces temptation every day. It may be something as unimportant as having an extra piece of candy, or skipping exercise, but it could be as serious as giving in to road rage, drinking too much, cheating, gambling, taking drugs, or β insert your favorite vice! Jesus was tempted to let us know that this is something we all must overcome. When you face a temptation, how do you respond? Jesus looked to scripture for the answer. The other day I was reminded of the old WWJD bracelets that young people wore to remind them of how we should act. A good question to ask ourselves β What would Jesus do? I have often said that the first commandment is one of the hardest to keep. βI am the Lord, your God. You shall not have strange gods before me.β Think you donβt have a problem with this one? Think again! Every time we put our needs before God, we set ourselves up as gods. Every time we choose pleasure, money, sports before God, we have created idols for ourselves. We believe that the Holy Spirit who lives within us will give us all the strength we need to overcome the temptations that come our way. But we need to listen to God, not to the music, movies or TV, to help form our consciences so that we know what is right and what is wrong. In other words, do as Jesus did and look to the Bible for our answers for how to live and we will be armed to fight the daily battle that is sure to come our way.
Prayer
Loving and forgiving God, we are all tempted to break your
commandments but you have given us your Holy Spirit to help us stand firm. Grant us the graces we need to follow your will and resist evil in all its forms. Amen.
Night Bible Verse of the Day
Night Prayer
Think not that I am come to destroy the law, or the prophets: I am not come to destroy, but to fulfil.
From: Matthew 5:17 (KJV)
Inspiration
As Christians, we tend to find our comfort zone in the New Testament. Perhaps we turn to the Psalms for comfort or to Proverbs for wisdom, but do we embrace the fullness of scripture. Some parts of the Old Testament may seem strange or uncomfortable, but it all points to Jesus and helps us to know him better. So letβs cherish the words that God has provided for us and know that He still speaks through those words today.
Prayer
Lord, thank You for the gift of Your word. I confess that I am not always diligent in reading and learning Your word. Help me to see Your character and Your purpose on every page. Give me the wisdom to understand the words that are confusing. And give me the conviction to apply Your teaching to my life. In Jesusβ name, amen.
Morning Bible Verse of the Day
Morning Prayer
But we all, with open face beholding as in a glass the glory of the Lord, are changed into the same image from glory to glory, even as by the Spirit of the Lord.
From: 2 Corinthians 3:18 (KJV)
Inspiration
Here we see a great truth about the acquisition of Christlikeness by the believer. He beholds, contemplates, sees by faith the glory of Christ. And where is that found? It is found in Godβs Word! And beholding the glory of Jesus Christ, he is changed little by little into His image. But not automatically, but by the Spirit.
Prayer
Help us to think and dwell on the glory of Christ, O Lord. Help us to see it in your Word and to see it with the eye of faith. Change us from βglory to gloryβ by your Spirit, in the way that Paul refers to in this precious and powerful verse. Amen.
Morning Devotional
Leviticus 19:17-18 (KJV)
Thou shalt not hate thy brother in thine heart: thou shalt in any wise rebuke thy neighbour, and not suffer sin upon him.
Thou shalt not avenge, nor bear any grudge against the children of thy people, but thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself: I am the LORD.
Love Thy Neighbor
Frances Taylor
I find this passage interesting. Hate goes against Godβs laws. God is love, so there is no hate in God. Even in the story of Cain and Abel, God marks Cain so that no one will kill him. So how can we hate? Itβs okay not to like someone, we all do that, but hate implies that we wish someone evil. Thatβs not okay.
To love our neighbor means that we donβt wish him any evil. This doesnβt mean that we have to approve everything our neighbor does. No, not at all, in fact this passage tells us itβs okay to rebuke someone, even a friend or family member and not get involved in behavior contrary to Godβs law. Going back to Cain and Abel, revenge is also contrary to Godβs will for us. So much violence would be avoided if people didnβt seek revenge.
As I mentioned the other day, today, a person who feels disrespected often gathers friends to βget evenβ with that person. This leads to a larger group of friends getting even with the others and so on and so on. Feuds of this sort have become commonplace among many groups of young people as we have become such a βthemβ and βusβ society. Some feuds seem to last one generation to the next and often people donβt even remember when the bad feelings began, nor do they know the cause. How do you want to be treated? How do I? If I want to be treated kindly, with respect, then it is my responsibility to treat others the same. Itβs not always easy to love those we donβt like, but thatβs what God not only expects of us, but commands.
Prayer
Compassionate God, you love us all in spite of our weaknesses and sinfulness. Help us to treat others with the same compassion with which you treat us. Amen.
Night Bible Verse of the Day
Night Prayer
A little leaven leaveneth the whole lump.
From: Galatians 5:9 (KJV)
Inspiration
Our influences, good and bad, have far-reaching effects. For this reason, we must be discerning in the words that we choose to share, knowing that whether we sow harm and deceit, or goodness and truth, it will spread beyond our reach. Likewise, we must also be prepared to identify unsound teaching when we hear it, and so avoid further propagating it.
Prayer
Lord, please fill me with Your wisdom, so that I may be able to tell truth from lies in all that I hear. Help me to cling to and pass on only what is true, right, and good, so that only that which is of You may proceed from me. Use me to spread Your love, so that Your grace may abound in the lives that I touch. In Jesusβ name, amen.
Morning Bible Verse of the Day
Morning Prayer
He must increase, but I must decrease.
From: John 3:30 (KJV)
Inspiration
John was content to decrease in perceived importance and popularity among the Jewish people if only Christ Jesus would correspondingly increase. Like a man introducing another at the podium, he was all too willing to step down and let the one he introduced take the limelight. He knew himself unworthy to be even a lowly slave of Christ, to unloose the straps of the sandals of one so exalted and holy.
Prayer
Lord, let us be content to be a door keeper in the house of our God rather than to dwell in the tents of the wicked (Psalm 84:10). Help us to decrease in our own estimation and you to increase. Lessen our opinion of ourselves to that which squares with truth, and help us to see increasingly how exalted and glorious you truly are. Amen.
Morning Devotional
Isaiah 55:10-11 (KJV)
For as the rain cometh down, and the snow from heaven, and returneth not thither, but watereth the earth, and maketh it bring forth and bud, that it may give seed to the sower, and bread to the eater:
So shall my word be that goeth forth out of my mouth: it shall not return unto me void, but it shall accomplish that which I please, and it shall prosper in the thing whereto I sent it.
Godβs Word
Frances Taylor
This passage from Isaiah talks about the purpose of Godβs Word. Scripture isnβt written down and passed down to each generation because itβs a nice story. Godβs Word has purpose just as the snow and rain do. Itβs our job to discover what the purpose is for us. The overall purpose was to let us know of Godβs love and saving power; that he was sending his son into the world to earn for us eternal life. His word would help us understand the forgiving nature of God and keep reminding us our responsibilities to ourselves, God and others. Lent is a perfect time to listen to this comparison of the nature of God and the elements of nature for Lent is the season of spring. We are hoping for the end of the snowy season of winter and looking forward to the rains of spring which will reawaken the earth so it will produce both beauty and food for us to enjoy. Godβs Word can reawaken our joy which can become dormant during a cold winter season, and it is important that we take advantage of this season. Baptism has planted a seed in us, but unless it is nourished, it will not grow and we will not experience the joy and power that God wishes for us. The Scriptures will provide the water to nurture this seed, help it bud and bring it to fulfillment. May Godβs Word in us not return to him void.
Prayer
Lord, you give us all we need. Help us to recognize the good gifts you have given us and seek out your guidance in your Word. Amen.
Night Bible Verse of the Day
Night Prayer
After this I beheld, and, lo, a great multitude, which no man could number, of all nations, and kindreds, and people, and tongues, stood before the throne, and before the Lamb, clothed with white robes, and palms in their hands;
From: Revelation 7:9 (KJV)
Inspiration
No matter where in the world we live, it is human nature to gravitate to others who are most like us. But this glimpse of heavenβs multitude reminds us that Jesus calls people of all races, nationalities, and ethnicities to be his kingdom children. Our identity as Christians is in Christ alone, and not in our genes or our heritage. So let us remember this truth as we interact with others of all races and origins.
Prayer
Lord, You made us in Your image, yet Youβve formed us with great variety and uniqueness. Lord, the complexity of mankind testifies to the depth of Your creative power and Your very being. Thank You for calling people of every nation, language, and race to be Your people. Help us, Lord, to find unity in You as we testify together to Your great saving power. In Jesusβ name, amen.
Morning Bible Verse of the Day
Morning Prayer
If any man speak, let him speak as the oracles of God; if any man minister, let him do it as of the ability which God giveth: that God in all things may be glorified through Jesus Christ, to whom be praise and dominion for ever and ever. Amen.
From: 1 Peter 4:11 (KJV)
Inspiration
When we preach or hear the Word preached, we should understand that the Bible is the oracles of God. Where is the prophet among you, O Church of the living God? There is none today save one, His written Word, which is the very words of the prophets recorded for us and given to us for our benefit.
Prayer
Speak, Lord, through your Word to me and to all your Church. Speak to this generation, which has become so wise in its own eyes, and humble us. Let us see true wisdom and perfect beauty in your holy Law and holy Gospel. Give us the eyes to see and the heart to obey your truths. Amen.
Morning Devotional
Psalms 51:1-2 (KJV)
Have mercy upon me, O God, according to thy lovingkindness: according unto the multitude of thy tender mercies blot out my transgressions.
Wash me throughly from mine iniquity, and cleanse me from my sin.
Please Forgive Me
Frances Taylor
This psalm of David is considered to be his plea to God to forgive him for his sin in taking the wife of Uriah the Hittite because he lusted after her and then making sure that Uriah was killed in battle. Iβm sure that none of you are guilty of such a crime. But, even if one of us were, God can forgive us. David was king of Israel at this time, and his reign did not end because of this offense. In fact, even though the child that he had conceived through his sin died, Bathsheba becomes the mother of Solomon and the Davidic line continues. Although we might not be guilty of such serious sin, who of us can say we have never sinned? David recognized his sinfulness and pleaded with God for mercy and forgiveness. We, too, need to recognize our sins, take responsibility and beg God for mercy and forgiveness.
Lent is a good time to add an βexamination of conscienceβ to your nightly prayers. This gives us a daily review of how we are doing. What opportunities have I taken advantage of in which I could show Godβs love? What chances did I miss, or totally reject? We need to remember that sins can be of omission too! The more aware we are of our behavior, the more the chance is that we will do the right thing. In college, I studied Russian and from the first month our teacher made us write down a sentence in Russian, even if it was only to say βitβs cold!β But, the need to do the assignment meant that every day we needed to think in the little bit of the language we were learning. Itβs the same with the rest of our lives. If we are watching for opportunities to do the right thing, we are less apt to do the wrong.
Prayer
Lord, during this season of Lent, make me more aware of my behavior so that I might recognize the wrongs I do and beg your forgiveness and mercy. Amen.
Night Bible Verse of the Day
Night Prayer
The Lord render to every man his righteousness and his faithfulness; for the Lord delivered thee into my hand to day, but I would not stretch forth mine hand against the Lordβs anointed.
From: 1 Samuel 26:23 (KJV)
Inspiration
Just because we can do something doesnβt mean that we should do something. When David was being pursued by Saul, he had multiple opportunities to take Saulβs life, but he refused every time. Why? Because David understood that God chose Saul for a time and a purpose, and he did not want to encroach on Godβs sovereignty by taking matters into his own hands.
Prayer
Lord, I confess that my ideas, plans, and agenda are not always in alignment with Yours. Sometimes I see an easy or quick solution to my problems, yet You call me to defer to Your timing and Your purpose. Help me Lord, to set aside my own will and seek Yours, so that I may work within Your plan and purpose for me. In Jesusβ name, amen.
Morning Bible Verse of the Day
Morning Prayer
Who was delivered for our offences, and was raised again for our justification.
From: Romans 4:25 (KJV)
Inspiration
Christ Jesus was given up to suffering and death on a cruel Roman cross, by God the Father, in order that he might purge away our sins. He who had not offended at all, died for the offenses of sinners, the Just for the unjust, that He might bring us to God. And this Christ who so loved us enough to die did not remain in the grave, but He rose victoriously that he might raise us also to spiritual life and justify us through faith.
Prayer
We know, Lord, that we all offend in many points, but that your dear Son offended in none. In your wisdom, O Lord, you knew there was no other way but the cross that a people for your praise could be redeemed. We thank you for your great love to us, and we know that you who gave up your own Son for us and raised him up from the dead will also raise up us on the Day of Christ. Amen.
Morning Devotional
2 Corinthians 10:17-18 (KJV)
But he that glorieth, let him glory in the Lord.
For not he that commendeth himself is approved, but whom the Lord commendeth.
Donβt Boast
Frances Taylor
Who has the right to boast? Someone who is a gifted artist, a musician, the top student in class, the wealthy man or woman, the top model, the award winning actor? Thatβs a partial list and you might add a few more. But what right do any of them have to boast? Who gave them the artistic ability, the musicianβs ear or voice, the intelligence, the looks, the opportunities? The answer of course, is God. We didnβt earn the right to be born with any of these gifts. Nor are people who have fewer advantages being punished. As St. Paul says, if we are to boast β glory β let it be in the Lord. All that we have is gift! We didnβt earn it, we donβt deserve it, but we do have a responsibility to use and develop our gifts. The artist didnβt just get up one day, pick up a paint brush and bring the first attempt to the museum to be welcomed with open arms.
I have known intelligent people who sailed through high school and flunked out of college the first semester because he/she never learned how to study. We also have been gifted with faith. But faith, like any other gift needs to be practiced. I might sound like a broken record, but we do need to take advantage of this wonderful season to check and see how well we are doing. Let us show our gratitude for the gifts we have been given by thanking God and using them to the best of our ability.
##Prayer
Lord, we so often take for granted the gifts we have. Let us remember to say thank you and to use them to your purpose. Amen.
Night Bible Verse of the Day
Night Prayer
Jesus saith unto him, If I will that he tarry till I come, what is that to thee? follow thou me.
From: John 21:22 (KJV)
Inspiration
Sometimes, we wonder why other people have an easier time than we do. βWhy me?β we lament. But do we ask βwhy me?β when we are given an easier load than our neighbor? Usually, we donβt. God calls us each to our specific purpose, and we serve Him best when we focus on His will and plan for us, instead of comparing our circumstances to those of our neighbors.
Prayer
Father, thank You for calling me and equipping me to serve You and Your kingdom. I do not understand why You have chosen me for the life You have given me, but I ask that You empower me to faithfully serve where You have placed me. Protect my heart from envy over those whose path seems easier, and let me not lose compassion for those whose struggle is greater. In Jesusβ name, amen.
Morning Bible Verse of the Day
Morning Prayer
I am the LORD thy God, which brought thee out of the land of Egypt, from the house of bondage. Thou shalt have none other gods before me.
From: Deuteronomy 5:6-7 (KJV)
Inspiration
Moses reminds the nation Israel here in Deuteronomy, just before they entered the promised land, of the 10 Commandments they received from God when they stood before Mount Sinai. The first of those commandments was that He, the only true God and the God who saved them out of slavery in Egypt, must be the only God they worship.
Prayer
You, Lord, are our God and our Savior. You brought us up out of slavery to sin in the world. You alone must be first in our hearts. We cannot serve you and money. We cannot serve you and worldly pleasures. We cannot make another god stand beside you and be true worshippers of you. Help us to dedicate ourselves fully to you, Lord, that we be not double-minded or double-hearted. Amen.
Morning Devotional
Ezekiel 18:20-21 (KJV)
The soul that sinneth, it shall die. The son shall not bear the iniquity of the father, neither shall the father bear the iniquity of the son: the righteousness of the righteous shall be upon him, and the wickedness of the wicked shall be upon him.
But if the wicked will turn from all his sins that he hath committed, and keep all my statutes, and do that which is lawful and right, he shall surely live, he shall not die.
Reward or Punishment - Our Choice
Frances Taylor
Letβs read this again. It gives lie to the attitude present in Jesusβ time, and sometimes in our own, the children should bear the shame of a parentβs transgression or that the parent should be blamed if a child does something wrong. It also lets us know that there is always room to change the direction of our lives and that God will gladly welcome us back. We are not always as generous as God. Families can be ruined if a member is sent to prison. Parents can be blamed because a child turns to alcohol or drugs. The woman who suffers a miscarriage is often asked what she did to cause it. For a long time, anyone who was HIV positive was thought to be condemned, and isolated along with either parents or children β a modern day leper. In Jesusβ time it was the man born blind who was asked whose sin had caused it, his or his parentsβ. If we steal and are fired, thatβs reasonable. If we steal and our children are fired, thatβs not reasonable. If a child goes to jail, the parents need to be consoled, not blamed. Our sins are our own, our punishment is our own. At the same time, God waits. God doesnβt want to lose any of his children. He pursues us with his grace and gladly welcomes us when we repent and return. May we do the same.
Prayer
Lord, sometimes we can be too quick to blame or judge others and not exactly kind to people who have turned their lives around. Please give us your Spirit of forgiveness and compassion. Amen.
Night Bible Verse of the Day
Night Prayer
And God, which knoweth the hearts, bare them witness, giving them the Holy Ghost, even as he did unto us;
From: Acts 15:8 (KJV)
Inspiration
As believers, we are all given the Holy Spirit. He may manifest differently for others, but He is the same Spirit. We must resist the temptation to create silos around ourselves because of our denominations, our upbringing, or even our politics. God invites people to faith in Christ from varied walks of life and faith traditions, but He unites us by the same Spirit.
Prayer
Lord, thank You for giving the gift of the Holy Spirit not only to me but to all who receive You in faith. Lord, I pray that You would prosper the good work that You do through all of Your believers, even if we are culturally or denominationally different. Use each of us where You have placed us so that we may reach the people that You call us to reach. In Jesusβ name, amen.
Morning Bible Verse of the Day
Morning Prayer
And, behold, men brought in a bed a man which was taken with a palsy: and they sought means to bring him in, and to lay him before him.
From: Luke 5:18 (KJV)
Inspiration
Here we have five men of faith, the man who lay crippled on the cot and the four men who carried him to Jesus. Unable to reach Jesus due to the great crowds that had come to hear him, they opened up the roof and lowered him down. They knew Jesus had the power to heal their friend and would stop at nothing if they could only get him to Him.
Prayer
Let us learn from the good examples in your Word, Lord, including these men of faith who used every means possible to bring this man to you to be healed. We cannot make men come to you spiritually, but let us endeavor to pray for their salvation and to speak to them and invite them earnestly to come to you for spiritual healing. Amen.
Morning Devotional
Matthew 5:43-48 (KJV)
Ye have heard that it hath been said, Thou shalt love thy neighbour, and hate thine enemy.
But I say unto you, Love your enemies, bless them that curse you, do good to them that hate you, and pray for them which despitefully use you, and persecute you;
That ye may be the children of your Father which is in heaven: for he maketh his sun to rise on the evil and on the good, and sendeth rain on the just and on the unjust.
For if ye love them which love you, what reward have ye? do not even the publicans the same?
And if ye salute your brethren only, what do ye more than others? do not even the publicans so?
Be ye therefore perfect, even as your Father which is in heaven is perfect.
Be Perfect
Frances Taylor
Not easy to love our enemies, especially when the faults of our enemies are often being placed in front of us by well-meaning friends or the media! But who really is our enemy? Usually the term enemy refers to someone we fear and fear usually comes from a lack of knowledge. This isnβt to say that there arenβt people who have enemies, who have been threatened or harmed by others. There are countries that attack other countries and violence under any circumstance needs to be stopped. But I donβt think that these are the enemies Jesus is talking about. Just because we disagree with the attitudes of others doesnβt mean that we have the right to hate. The best way to deal with enemies is to pray for them. In order to end hate in this world, we need to replace it with love and the author of love is God. I wonder what would happen if the entire Christian world prayed for an end of violence and hate every day for a year. An interesting thought, isnβt it! Perhaps all who are reading this today might make a vow to begin this Lent to pray each day, either in the morning or at night for an end of violence in our homes, our neighborhoods and our world.
Prayer
Lord of love, help us to spread that love in our world and eliminate the hate that causes such pain. Amen.
