Called To Live For God

TODAY’S VERSE
An elder must live a blameless life.
Titus 1:6 (NLT)

TODAY’S THOUGHT
Paul had sent Titus to appoint Elders in the different house churches. They were to lead the church. Paul wrote, “An elder is a manager of God’s household, so he must live a blameless life.” Again Paul wrote, “He must have a strong belief in the trustworthy message he was taught; then he will be able to encourage others with wholesome teaching and show those who oppose it where they are wrong.” But what about you? What if you are not an Elder? What if you are not a teacher? Can you live any way you want? Of course not! Paul also shares the moral responsibility of an Elder and it is safe to say that these would apply to you and I as well. He writes, “He must be faithful to his wife, and his children must be believers who don’t have a reputation for being wild or rebellious. – He must not be arrogant or quick-tempered; he must not be a heavy drinker, violent, or dishonest with money. Rather, he must enjoy having guests in his home, and he must love what is good. He must live wisely and be just. He must live a devout and disciplined life.” These same behaviors apply to us. You may not be called to be an Elder but you are called to live for Christ.

TODAY’S PRAYER
Dear Father, help me live for You. Help me to mature and live the kind of life You have called me to. In Jesus’ name.
AMEN

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Growing Faith

TODAY’S VERSE
When your faith is tested, your endurance has a chance to grow. So let it grow.
James 1:3-4 (NLT)

TODAY’S THOUGHT
Faith grows. It is not static. We are either growing in our faith or our dependency upon Him diminishing. Through experience, we learn more about God’s faithfulness and that we can trust in His power. It is the tests in life that give us the ability to say, with confidence, “I know I can trust Him.” When times are tough, everything is on the line; there doesn’t seem any way out; that is when God’s faithfulness gets etched into our hearts. That is when our faith leaps forward. So today, trust Him. Look for an opportunity to put your faith in Him and then let it go. God is faithful. As you watch and see what God does over and over again, your faith will grow.

TODAY’S PRAYER
Dear Father, help me to increase my faith. Help me know You more and more and put my trust in You. In Jesus’ name.
AMEN

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Real Faith

TODAY’S VERSE
What good is it, dear brothers and sisters, if you say you have faith but don’t show it by your actions?
James 2:14 (NLT)

TODAY’S THOUGHT
What kind of faith do you have? It is easy to talk about faith as a subject. We can read about faith and even study it academically, but that is only intellectual knowledge. Faith is more than a noun; it is a verb. It is not faith until we live it. James continues in this passage, writing, “Suppose you see a brother or sister who has no food or clothing, and you say, ‘Good-bye and have a good day; stay warm and eat well’—but then you don’t give that person any food or clothing. What good does that do?” He goes on to say, “So you see, faith by itself isn’t enough. Unless it produces good deeds, it is dead and useless.” Faith is more than believing in God and His word. It is the living out of that belief. Today, ask yourself, “Do I have a deep faith in God?” The answer will be in the choices you make and how you live.

TODAY’S PRAYER
Dear Father, forgive me for saying I have faith and then living like I don’t. I believe in You, Father. Holy Spirit, help me translate that belief into action.
AMEN

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Come Close To God

TODAY’S VERSE
Come close to God, and God will come close to you.
James 4:8 (NLT)

TODAY’S THOUGHT
You can be so close to someone yet so far away! The Children of Israel had the Tabernacle of God as they went through the wilderness. They had the tablets with the Ten Commandments written on them by God Himself. They were close to God, yet their hearts were far from Him. Are we any better? We have the scriptures, beautiful sanctuaries, thousands of Christian books, an endless supply of Biblical teachers in the media, and yet how close are we to God? Closeness to God is not about all the spiritual aids we have. It is not about His proximity. He is as near as our breath. The question is, how close have we moved toward Him? Where is our focus? What are we conscious about? Today, if you feel far from God, who moved? Get up, awaken your heart and move toward Him. Talk to Him, love Him, worship Him. He is there. Are you?

TODAY’S PRAYER
Dear Father, today I come to draw near to You. Draw near to me, I pray. Invade my heart. Speak to my inner being. Fill me with Your presence, that I may know You better. In Jesus Name.
AMEN

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Radical Love

TODAY’S VERSE
Do to others as you would like them to do to you.
Luke 6:31 (NLT)

TODAY’S THOUGHT
Today’s verse is perhaps one of Jesus’ best-known phrases. It is known throughout the world as the Golden Rule. But behind this phrase is so much more. It is the crux of Jesus’ concept of loving others. In this same passage, Jesus taught, “But to you who are willing to listen I say, love your enemies! Do good to those who hate you. Bless those who curse you. Pray for those who hurt you.” This is and always has been radical and revolutionary teaching. Jesus continues by saying again, “Love your enemies!” He explains, “Do good to them. Lend to them without expecting to be repaid. Then your reward from heaven will be very great, and you will truly be acting as children of the Most High, for he is kind to those who are unthankful and wicked.” Jesus has called us to a higher calling. He has asked us to be His disciples, His disciples of love. He said it this way, “You must be compassionate, just as your Father is compassionate.” Today, to those of us “who are willing to listen,” may God help us love others with this radical love of Christ.

TODAY’S PRAYER
Dear Father, Your calling to love others is so extreme. I cannot do this in my own flesh. Fill me with Your Holy Spirit. Empower me with the power of Christ to go and love the way You love. In Jesus’ name.
AMEN

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My Own Log

TODAY’S VERSE
And why worry about a speck in your friend’s eye when you have a log in your own?

TODAY’S THOUGHT
How much better my life would be if I were as concerned about my behavior as I was about everyone else. It is much easier to project to others the very issues I struggle with than to humble myself and change. It is easier to worry about everyone else than to work on my problems. Jesus knew our tendency to complain, judge and condemn others. He knew how hard it is to look into our hearts and face the sin looking back at us. That is why He said, “First get rid of the log in your own eye; then you will see well enough to deal with the speck in your friend’s eye.” Today, ask God to help you deal with your issues and then help others with theirs.

TODAY’S PRAYER
Dear Father, forgive me for judging others. You know the sins that lurk in my own heart. You know all about my character defects and my poor habits. Help me see them and allow You to help me correct them. In Jesus name.
AMEN

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Do Right

TODAY’S VERSE
So if you are suffering in a manner that pleases God, keep on doing what is right, and trust your lives to the God who created you, for he will never fail you.
I Peter 4:19 (NLT)

TODAY’S THOUGHT
Sometimes there is a price for doing the right thing. But there is always a reward. It may not be the kind of reward we were looking for. Materialism is so addictive. We judge our value by our accomplishments, net worth, and how many toys we have. However, with all that can come Godless attitudes of self-sufficiency and pride. So we decided instead to follow Christ. Peter explains, “You won’t spend the rest of your lives chasing your own desires, but you will be anxious to do the will of God.” As a follower of Christ, the good you decide to do may be countercultural to where you work or those that you associate with. Peter says that this could result in people slandering you. You could suffer because of it. That may be the price you will pay, but Peter also explains the reward. He writes, “So if you are suffering in a manner that pleases God, keep on doing what is right, and trust your lives to the God who created you, for he will never fail you.” He will never fail you. He will never fail you! Keep on doing what is right.

TODAY’S PRAYER
Lord, help me keep on doing right because I know it pleases You. Thank You that You promised You will never leave me or forsake. You will not fail me.
AMEN

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Live Like Christ

TODAY’S VERSE
Those who say they live in God should live their lives as Jesus did.
I John 2:6 (NLT)

TODAY’S THOUGHT
How true is this? How often do we hear the word, “hypocrite” in association with Christians? Why? Because we follow a high standard. We claim to follow Christ so people assume we are going to live like Him. Why not? Isn’t that what Jesus expected? He said, “I tell you the truth, anyone who believes in me will do the same works I have done, and even greater works because I am going to be with the Father.” Isn’t that what Paul meant when he wrote to the church in Corinth, “Be imitators of me, as I am of Christ.” Peter wrote, “Keep your conscience clear. Then if people speak against you, they will be ashamed when they see what a good life you live because you belong to Christ.” It is a tall order. Sure we will fail, but in humility, we confess and ask for His strength to help us to try again. The good news is He hasn’t left us empty-handed. He has given us the Bible. Paul wrote, “All Scripture is inspired by God and is useful to teach us what is true and to make us realize what is wrong in our lives. It corrects us when we are wrong and teaches us to do what is right.” Today, let us live like Christ. 

TODAY’S PRAYER
Dear Lord Jesus, I try to live like You, but I fall so short. I cannot do it by myself. Please help me, through the power of Your Holy Spirit and Your word, to live like You. 
AMEN

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Love

TODAY’S VERSE
Dear friends, let us continue to love one another, for love comes from God.
I John 4:7 (NLT)

TODAY’S THOUGHT
Love is the ultimate commandment. Jesus affirmed this when he stated that the greatest commandment is, “‘You must love the LORD your God with all your heart, all your soul, all your strength, and all your mind.’ And, ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’” The Apostle John says it even stronger when he writes, “But anyone who does not love does not know God, for God is love.” God is love. And if we are His followers we too must love. Today love those around you.

TODAY’S PRAYER
Dear Love, for that is who You are! Thank You for Your love for me. Today, help me love others.
AMEN

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What Pleases God

TODAY’S VERSE
And we are confident that he hears us whenever we ask for anything that pleases him.
I John 5:14 (NLT)

TODAY’S THOUGHT
Have you ever worked for someone that you were really in synch with? You knew what they wanted. You knew their passions, goals, and plans. This made it easy to work on their behalf. You could express their desires to others and speak for them in various business dealings. When it came to corporate affairs, you knew what pleased them. How much more should this be true in our Christian experience with God? We are His child. We have His word. We have God’s Spirit living within us. For this reason, we have been called to be about God’s business here in this world. Therefore John says that we can be confident that God will hear us when we ask for anything that pleases Him. So the first question is, “How well do you know God?” The second is, “Do you know what pleases Him?” If not, ask Him. Today, pray, “Lord, help me to know You and discern what pleases You so I can pray according to Your will.”

TODAY’S PRAYER
Dear Father, help me to know You better. Help me to know what pleases You so I can pray according to Your will.
AMEN

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