Monday
Stand On the Rock
For we cannot oppose the truth, but must always stand for the truth (2 Corinthians 13:8 NLT).
Followers of Christ must always stand firm in God's word. But our firm stand must be seasoned with love.
We know that God's word is perfect and true, so we have truth on our side. By proclaiming His truth and word, no one should have an argument with us, for their argument is with God. We are only proclaiming and following His guide for our lives.
I thank God every day for His word so that I might know truth and direction for my life.
Dear Lord, help us to share Your truth with all people, not by beating them over the head with the Bible, but by our relationship with them and You. I pray this in the name of Jesus. Amen.
Tuesday
The Good Fight
I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, and I have remained faithful. 8 And now the prize awaits me—the crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous Judge, will give me on the day of his return. And the prize is not just for me but for all who eagerly look forward to his appearing (2 Timothy 4:7-8 NLT).
Every day is a battle, a spiritual battle. Some days are just hard, as it seems that the Devil throws everything he can to distract us or he whispers lies into our ears or he blinds us from seeing the good things around us. Satan glorifies our destructive choices and subdues the choices of goodness and righteousness. The Devil is good at what he does.
Satan is a liar and a deceiver. He perverts all that is good. It is a battle, every day.
So, how do we know good from evil? It's all determined by our knowledge of God's word and having Jesus as our guide. Do you want to fight the good fight? If so, get in God's word, ask the Holy Spirit to guide your mind and your heart, and follow Jesus into the battle of the day. When all is said and done, Jesus Christ does have ultimate victory. Are you going to be with Him or against Him?
Dear Lord, help us fight the good fight and remain faithful to Your commands. I ask this in the mighty and matchless name of Jesus Christ.
Wednesday
Accepting Responsibility
Then we will no longer be immature like children. We won’t be tossed and blown about by every wind of new teaching. We will not be influenced when people try to trick us with lies so clever they sound like the truth. Instead, we will speak the truth in love, growing in every way more and more like Christ, who is the head of his body, the church (Ephesians 4:14-15 NLT).
One of the biggest reasons, our world is so broken, is that no one wants to be responsible for themselves. A man should step up and be a man and support and lead his family. A woman should be a mom and make sure her family is loved and the home is a safe and secure place. Children should respect their parents.
Maybe that unaccepted responsibility is getting a job and working to pay the bills. Maybe it's paying your debt. Maybe it's paying your child support payments. Just maybe that responsibility is asking someone for help to get away from an addiction and not using the addiction as a crutch. It might be that you should claim responsibility for your lifestyle or addiction instead of blaming God or someone else.
But the biggest reason we are living in a broken and fallen world is that we, the people, have decided that we are smarter than God. We have decided that we don't need Him to lead our lives. We have decided that what His Word says is old-fashioned and not relevant to today's world. We have decided that if it feels good, it's okay to do it. We have decided to believe the lies of Satan and the world's values instead of God's.
We must return to God. If we come back to Him, He will overshadow any problem in our world, our nation, and our lives. He is the Creator of all things and loves us very much. He will never leave us but He surely will let us choose our fate. Come back to Him and your life will become richer and fuller and more satisfying. With Him, we can live the life that He has planned for us. Our nation can, again, prosper. Come to Him!
Dear Lord, open the hearts and minds of the lost and bring them back to you. Lord, give those who are struggling with life issues discernment on how to battle the issues that are plaguing them. Lord, bring our nation back to You. We need you, Lord. We desperately need You. We pray in Jesus' mighty name, Amen.
Thursday
Masterpiece
God saved you by his grace when you believed. And you can’t take credit for this; it is a gift from God. Salvation is not a reward for the good things we have done, so none of us can boast about it. For we are God’s masterpiece. He has created us anew in Christ Jesus, so we can do the good things he planned for us long ago (Ephesians 2:8-10 NLT).
We are each a creation of the most high God. We are formed in His image. We are an incomplete masterpiece. Yes, incomplete not by God but by our choices in life. God gave us free will to choose the direction of our lives. He also gave us His holy Word to guide us in our choices. We must choose to follow His plan or our own plan.
To complete God's masterpiece for eternity, we must make a choice. Our choices are: to pursue the pleasures of this world that lead to sin or the salvation of our Lord, Jesus Christ.
Our choice will either complete the masterpiece that God began, or our choice will separate us from His love, mercy, and grace, forever.
Choose wisely, brothers and sisters. Your choice has eternal consequences.
Thank You, Lord, for giving us the gift of salvation. Dear Lord, open the hearts, minds, and senses of your children to recognize that we are doomed without accepting that wonderful gift. It is in Jesus' name that we humbly pray. Amen.
Friday
No Greater Love
There is no greater love than to lay down one’s life for one’s friends (John 15:13 NLT).
Our law enforcement officers and first responders need our thoughts, prayers, and support. They are on the front lines of an increasingly dangerous world.
I would like to especially pray for all the families that have lost loved ones who were battling the evil in our streets. We have lost too many brave men and women who are working, in sometimes horrible situations, to protect and serve our communities.
God, be with our leo's and first responders. They go into their daily jobs to protect and serve. Lord, be with all the families who have lost loved ones. Place Your mighty hand of healing on every wounded officer/responder, whether it be mental or physical wounds. In Jesus' mighty and matchless name and by the power of the Holy Spirit, we pray. Amen.
Saturday
Nothing Is Hidden
But I, the LORD, search all hearts and examine secret motives. I give all people their due rewards, according to what their actions deserve (Jeremiah 17:10 NLT).
People might fool their neighbor in what they do behind closed doors, but God knows everything. He knows each of our hearts.
We might think we are hiding our sin in the dark but not one thing is hidden from God's eyes.
Thank You, Lord, for never giving up on us, even when we sin against You and Your word. Father thank for giving us an open door when we come to you in repentance for our sins. We know that You will treat unrepentant sin harshly but You are pleased when we fall on our face and ask for forgiveness. Thank You, Jesus, for paying the price for this broken world and we pray this in Your mighty name. Amen.
Sunday
Dereliction of My Duty
Dereliction of duty is a specific offense under United States Code Title 10,892. Article 92 and applies to all branches of the military. A service member who is derelict has willfully refused to perform his duties (or follow a given order) or has incapacitated himself in such a way that he cannot perform his duties.
As a minister of the gospel, It would be a dereliction of my duty to not proclaim God's word and His truth to all. God's word can sting and hurt when it touches the hearts of those who are living sin-filled lives. For that matter, when our loved ones are living sin-filled lives, it's very hard to not condone their choices. We as parents, friends or extended family become enablers for their sin. We actually become “sins friend.”
There is nothing easy about being in the position to proclaim God's truth, especially when those who need to hear it, have no desire to hear it. We can also fall into the Devil's trap that “we are sinners”, so what right do we have to judge someone. Brothers and sisters, we aren't judging. We are proclaiming God's truth. Judgment is in God's hands, but if we love those who are living an unrepentant lifestyle, they need to be told the truth by someone who loves them.
For the word of God is alive and powerful. It is sharper than the sharpest two-edged sword, cutting between soul and spirit, between joint and marrow. It exposes our innermost thoughts and desires (Hebrews 4:12 NLT).
Telling people truth will bring the wrath of hell on you, so be ready. You will become the “bad person” and you will be called a hater, etc. It's part of the ploy of those who are defiant to God's word and His truth. Speaking the truth isn't fun but it is the right thing to do if we love those who need to hear it.
Brothers and sisters, one of the most important parts of speaking God's truth is that it must be done in love. Many of you know me, many of you don't, but those who know me know that I don't have a hateful bone in my body. I love people. I always have and always will. What I hate is the sin that destroys lives.
Truth needs to be told. When you share God's truth with someone do it in love. That is the Christian way. That is the way Christ spoke and we should imitate Him. Be ready for the slings and arrows, when you speak the truth, but know that it's not you who they are really mad at. It's God.
Lord, direct our words and our path to be in alignment to Yours. Let us move out of Your way. I pray that You would use us for Your glory. Help us to be bold. Help us to be kind. Help us to love those who are lost in sin. Lord, open the hearts and minds of those who need truth, that they might hear Your message. In Jesus Mighty Name, Amen.
