Who Is Jesus?

TODAY’S VERSE
“When Jesus came to the region of Caesarea Philippi, he asked his disciples, ‘Who do people say the Son of Man is?’ They replied, ‘Some say John the Baptist; others say Elijah; and still others, Jeremiah or one of the prophets.’ ‘But what about you?’ he asked. ‘Who do you say I am?’ Simon Peter answered, ‘You are the Christ, the Son of the living God.’”
Matthew 16:13-16 (NIV)

TODAY’S THOUGHT
What do you really believe about Jesus? That is the real question. You can have all sorts of “head knowledge”, you can quote the creeds and catechisms, but if you don’t have that everyday “I’m going to trust You because I know You love me” kind of knowledge, you really don’t know who Christ really is. There were all kinds of speculation about the nature of Jesus. Some thought He was a prophet, others John the Baptist or Elijah, but Peter knew who Jesus really was. Peter answered without hesitation and said that Jesus was indeed the Christ the son of the living God. Peter had a complete view of who Christ was. Do you? Julian of Norwich wrote, “Some of us believe that God is almighty and can do everything; and that he is all wise and may do everything; but that He is all love and will do everything – there we draw back.” You see, it is one thing to believe God can do everything, another to believe He may, but it is a whole other level of knowledge to say that God loves me and will do everything. Today, make your knowledge complete. Trust in Him with your whole heart. Believe in His deep love for you with faith, trusting Him in all things.

TODAY’S PRAYER
Father, I thank You that You are almighty and can do everything. I praise You for the fact that You are all wise and may do all things. But most of all Father, I worship You today, believing that You love me unconditionally and will do all things according to that love.
AMEN

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No Shame

TODAY’S VERSE
“Have mercy on me, O God, according to your unfailing love; according to your great compassion blot out my transgressions. Wash away all my iniquity and cleanse me from my sin.”
Psalm 51:1-2

TODAY’S THOUGHT
Shame and guilt have so many of us in bondage. If it is not actual shame, it is the fear of being shamed. Yet this is not the way of life God has chosen for us. David knew this. In today’s passage, David is appealing to God to forgive him. He came to Him with complete abandonment, crying out for mercy, asking God to cleanse him from all his sin. He was counting on God’s unfailing love and compassion. Likewise, we come to God, through the sacrifice of Christ on the cross, asking that all our sins be forgiven. But do we really believe that happens? Are we really forgiven? We need to get to that same place of trust that David was in. We need to know and experience the freedom that comes from the forgiveness of Christ. In his book “Bondage Breaker” Neil Anderson models prayers for overcoming different emotional and spiritual bondages. He writes, “I renounce the lie of Satan that I am unclean or in any way unacceptable as a result of my past. Lord, I thank You that You have totally cleansed and forgiven me, that You love and accept me unconditionally. Therefore, I can accept myself. And I choose to accept myself as cleansed. In Jesus’ name.” David accepted himself as clean. Will you? I will write the prayer again. Pray it as your own. Live in His forgiveness today.

TODAY’S PRAYER
Father, I renounce the lie of Satan that I am unclean or in any way unacceptable as a result of my past. Lord, I thank You that You have totally cleansed and forgiven me, that You love and accept me unconditionally. Therefore, I can accept myself. And I choose to accept myself as cleansed. In Jesus’ name.
AMEN

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What Really Matters

TODAY’S VERSE
“For the Kingdom of God is not a matter of what we eat or drink, but of living a life of goodness and peace and joy in the Holy Spirit.”
Romans 17:14 (NLT)

TODAY’S THOUGHT
It is so easy to get our priorities mixed up isn’t it? We tend to put life into a box full of rules, regulations and standards by which to measure ourself. We must look a certain way, think a certain way, achieve certain levels of accomplishments, aquire the right kind of accessories. Then we come up with all sorts of core beliefs that sustain these rules. For example, we may believe, deep in our heart, that if we don’t accomplish a certain goal, we will not be liked. If we don’t drive the right kind of car or live in the right kind of community, people will think little of us. Of course, these thoughts alone don’t motivate us, it is the perceived “terrible” results of failing these standards of acceptability that frightens us to death and drives us to succeed at any cost. The fact is, the terrible results are only in our mind! We will not die if certain people do not like us. We are not a “loser” that will be totally annihilated if we do not live in the “right” house. Instead, Paul points out what we should really strive for. We should strive to live a good righteous life. We should seek for joy and peace through the Holy Spirit. These are the important things in life. And best of all, these are freely given to any person who asks. When we come to God seeking these very things, He will not turn us away. It is His will that you live righteously, full of peace and joy through the power and presence of the Holy Spirit. What do you want? Begin today to seek the things that really matter. Follow God – He will not disappoint.

TODAY’S PRAYER
Father, You know what is really important. You know that I have bought so many lies about success and self worth. I need Your help to know the truth. So, please Lord, help me live a life of goodness today. Please give me what really matters, that is joy and peace which comes from Your Holy Spirit. Help me live today in a way that is pleasing to you.
AMEN

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Compassion

TODAY’S VERSE
“When he saw the crowds, he had compassion on them, because they were harassed and helpless, like sheep without a shepherd. Then he said to his disciples, ‘The harvest is plentiful but the workers are few. Ask the Lord of the harvest, therefore, to send out workers into his harvest field.”’
Matthew 9:36-38

“Speak up for those who cannot speak for themselves, for the rights of all who are destitute. Speak up and judge fairly; defend the rights of the poor and needy.”
Proverbs 31:8-9

TODAY’S THOUGHT
Everyone has a story. Everyone hurts sometime. If not now, wait ten minutes. It is a hurting world. This is what Jesus saw. He saw the crowds, harassed and helpless. He compared them to lost sheep without a shepherd to protect them. And when He saw He had compassion. Why? Because He was God incarnate! God in the flesh. All you have to do, to understand why Jesus reacted the way He did, is to read the Old Testament. God Jehovah had compassion on the poor and needy. Even in Proverbs, Solomon gives us instruction to help those in need. He says we are to speak up for those who cannot speak for themselves. We are to defend the rights of the poor and needy. But you ask, what can I do? I don’t know. All I can say is that I asked God, “What can I do?” and He has given me more than I can handle. It starts with your willing heart. Then it moves to your eyes. Next it moves to your head, then to your hands and feet. If you are willing to be used on behalf of the needy and ask God to help you help others, His love takes over. His compassion will be more than you could ever begin to contain. His miracles on behalf of the needy will be more than you can keep up with. God loves His human race, but He ordained His church to be His hands and feet. When Jesus saw the crowds, he had compassion on them, because they were harassed and helpless, like sheep without a shepherd. Then he called his disciples for help. He is still calling! What will you do?

TODAY’S PRAYER
Father, where do I begin? There are so many needs, so many hurting and dying. But You have me here, where I am right now, so I ask You to use me today, right here, right now, to make a difference in someone’s life. Help me see with Your eyes, love with Your heart and move with Your power. In Jesus’ Name.
AMEN

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Temptation

TODAY’S VERSE
“And remember, when you are being tempted, do not say, ‘God is tempting me.’ God is never tempted to do wrong, and he never tempts anyone else. Temptation comes from our own desires, which entice us and drag us away. These desires give birth to sinful actions. And when sin is allowed to grow, it gives birth to death.”
James 1:13-15 (NLT)

TODAY’S THOUGHT
Temptation. Who has not felt its sting? Who has not been knocked in the gut and brought to their knees by this cancer of our soul? What keeps us in such bondage is the mistaken belief that temptations are “out there”. We see them as external enemies sneaking around waiting to ambush us. Now it is true that we have an enemy of our very soul, the devil, and he does seek to devour us, but James shares that the root of our temptations come from within us. James says that “temptations come from our own desires, which entice us and drag us away. These desires give birth to sinful actions.” We can blame the magazine publisher or the movie producer but it is our own lust, our own unmet needs or misguided thinking that has caused us to dwell on pornography. I despise drug dealers and those that profit at human misery, yet it is our own misbeliefs and internal dialog that keep us coming back for self medication. I will be the first one to clear my house of “triggers” that will trip me up or try to be careful what I watch on TV or the internet yet Paul makes it clear that it is God that must help us. He writes, “No temptation has seized you except what is common to man. And God is faithful; he will not let you be tempted beyond what you can bear. But when you are tempted, he will also provide a way out so that you can stand up under it.” (I Corinthians 10:13 – NIV) Better yet, what God’s grace does not prevent, because of our own humanness, His grace forgives. The Apostle John wrote, “If we claim to be without sin, we deceive ourselves and the truth is not in us. If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness.” (I John 1:8-9) Today, let Jesus untie the ropes that bind you. Like Peter, get up from the cell you are in. You are free! You have been liberated. Hear the words of Jesus, “Arise and sin no more.”  “My son, my daughter, go, your sins have been forgiven you!”

TODAY’S PRAYER
Dear liberator of my soul, I bring you my shackles. Take them. I bring you the key to my heart, unlock it. Heal me from the inside. Defeat my misguided thoughts, cast down the enemy of my soul. I look to you, who knows me better than I know myself. By your power, in your grace, because of your mercy, free me, forgive me. In Jesus’ name I pray.
AMEN

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Obey or Weigh?

TODAY’S VERSE
“If any of you lacks wisdom, he should ask God, who gives generously to all without finding fault, and it will be given to him. But when he asks, he must believe and not doubt.”
James 1:5-6 (NIV)

TODAY’S THOUGHT
Have you ever had people you are close to make a decision about something you know a lot about, yet they never asked your opinion? Have you ever been asked your opinion and then totally ignored? Have you ever been asked to “weigh-in” on a decision only to have to “buy-in” to a decision you disagree with? It is hard when you are ignored or when decisions are made that you think should have been different. What about God? How does He feel about people who go through life never asking for His opinion on anything? How about people that pray a desperate request never really intending to listen? Or worst, what about those that ask God for wisdom and treat His answer as simply a “weigh-in” deciding later to ask God to “buy-in” to the decision they made contrary to what God suggested? Ask yourself, “Do you ask God for wisdom or do you go about your life without His opinion?” Or , “If you do ask God for wisdom, do you listen to it or are you off to something else not really listening for an answer at all?” Finally, if you do ask for wisdom and hear God’s voice, do you “obey” it or do you “weigh” it. James tells us to ask God for wisdom and then believe God will give it to us and not doubt His answer. Today, when you need wisdom, ask God, really ask Him. Then, listen to what He says. When you hear, follow His path. It is like the old Hymn says, “Trust and obey, for there is no other way. To be happy in Jesus, just trust and obey.”

TODAY’S PRAYER

Father, I know that I don’t ask You for wisdom like I should. And when I have asked, I have often ignored You. Forgive me Lord. I know I need Your wisdom for this life and I ask that You would give it to me. Then, Holy Spirit, guide me, direct me, empower me to do what Your wisdom dictates. In Jesus’ Name.
AMEN

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Rescue Me

TODAY’S VERSE
“I do not understand what I do. For what I want to do I do not do, but what I hate, I do.– What a wretched man I am! Who will rescue me from this body of death? Thanks be to God—through Jesus Christ our Lord!”
Romans 7:17, 24-25

TODAY’S THOUGHT
How many times have we found ourself in this dilemma? We sit in the aftermath of some mess we have just created and wonder, “How in the world did I get here?” Paul knew what it felt like to utterly fail at trying to change his behavior. Who can’t relate to this passage? At the end of the day we have all felt like the “wretched man” that Paul is writing about. Dr. William Backus, in his book, “Learning To Tell Myself The Truth” explains it this way, “We are in a battle, not with childhood memories, dysfunctional family issues, or our own subconscious, but with sin, death, and the forces of evil. The sinfulness of human nature, man’s deepest spiritual disorder, involves a quarrel with God. Springing from this rift are underlying false beliefs about God and His attitude toward us (Spiritual misbeliefs), which in turn lead to untruthful thoughts, thoughts that affect our feelings and behavior and created difficulties in our relationship with others.” Out of these core misbeliefs come all sort of evil. But Paul doesn’t stop there. He asks, “Who will rescue me?” Then he gives a resounding answer, “Jesus Christ our Lord.” Backus says it this way, “The reality of sin and its effects in our daily lives is not the final word. As Christians we have the ultimate good news, the key to a healthier spiritual core.” Today, come to Christ for cleansing. Accept His total forgiveness. Ask Him to point out any Spiritual misbeliefs that are dragging you down. Throw off “wretched man” thinking and accept His grace, love and forgiveness.

TODAY’S PRAYER
Lord, You know my temptations, struggles and failures. I confess I have many Spiritual misbeliefs that I need to get rid of. Help me know what they are and begin my inner cleansing. Thank You that Jesus Christ has rescued me.
AMEN

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Doing His Will

TODAY’S VERSE
“May He equip you with all you need for doing His will. May He produce in you, through the power of Jesus Christ, every good thing that is pleasing to Him. All glory to Him forever and ever! Amen.”
Hebrews 13:21 (NLT)

TODAY’S THOUGHT
Isn’t it great that you do not have the live the Christian life by yourself? Isn’t it exciting that God Himself is invested in you and your success in your Christian experience? Imagine a rich business person calling you and saying that they are giving you a business. Then they say, “Besides the business, I am going to give you all the staff, computers, business equipment and customers you need to be successful.” You would hang up the phone, jump up and down and then tell everyone you know. How much more exciting is it, that God has given you a Holy and eternal mission? More than that, God says that He is going to produce in you, through the power of Jesus Christ, every good thing that is pleasing to Him. God says He will equip you, not with a few things, but with ALL you need for doing His will! So today you can go about your day knowing that everything you need in order to do God’s will is already provided. You can know that God is more interested in producing every good thing that is pleasing to Him in your life than you are. Rejoice, God is committed to equipping you with everything you need for doing His will.

TODAY’S PRAYER
Father, thank You for Your vital interest in me. Thank you for equipping me with everything I need for doing Your will. Please produce in me every good thing that is pleasing to You. In Jesus’ Name.
AMEN

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Freedom In Christ

TODAY’S VERSE
“Jesus said, ‘If you hold to my teaching, you are really my disciples. Then you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free.’— So if the Son sets you free, you are truly free.”
John 8:31-32, 36

“Then the angel said to him, ‘Put on your clothes and sandals.’ And Peter did so. ‘Wrap your cloak around you and follow me,’ the angel told him. Peter followed him out of the prison, but he had no idea that what the angel was doing was really happening; he thought he was seeing a vision.”
Acts 12:8-9

TODAY’S THOUGHT
Peter was being set free from prison by an angel and did not even know it. He thought he was dreaming. Isn’t that a lot like us? Jesus came along and said that if we hold to His teachings, we would know the truth and the truth would set us free. What truth? The truth found in what Jesus taught. He taught that we could have a relationship with Him, that He would love us unconditionally, He would give us peace that passes all our understanding, He would forgive us of all our sins, and that He came to give us an abundant life. And yet, like Peter, our walk gives us away. Peter was walking in a trance. He did not realize he was being set free. Thankfully, he came to senses, woke up and realized that he was indeed free from jail. How many mornings do we awaken only to walk in a spiritual stupor, go to work and live out our day as if God did not even exist? How many days have we spent it defeated, far from the reality of victory that Jesus promises? We need to do the same thing that Peter did. We need to wake up! It is time to get the spiritual dust out of our eyes, and wake up to the tremendous Spiritual reality that God has for us. Peter wrote a wonderful promise that should be smelling salts to our soul. In II Peter 2:3-4 he writes, “His divine power has given us everything we need for life and godliness through our knowledge of him who called us by his own glory and goodness. Through these he has given us his very great and precious promises, so that through them you may participate in the divine nature.” Jesus said it this way, “If you hold to my teaching, you are really my disciples. Then you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free.–If the Son sets you free, you are truly free.”

TODAY’S PRAYER
Father, help me understand the truth of Your teachings. Help me believe it, trust it and live it. I want to know what it is to be Spiritually free, free from all that is holding me down, that is chaining me in bondage. Wake me up, Father, that I may see the reality of the freedom You have given me in Christ Jesus my Lord.
AMEN

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Created To Do Good

TODAY’S VERSE
“And do not forget to do good and to share with others, for with such sacrifices God is pleased.”
Hebrews 13:16 (NIV)

“For we are God’s workmanship, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do.”
Ephesians 2:10 (NIV)

TODAY’S THOUGHT
It is amazing to study how the cells in the body all work together in order to survive as an organism. Insects work in hives all working together for the survival of their species. Systems throughout the universe are in motion working in harmony. But then there is mankind. How dysfunctional can we get? We don’t work together for the survival of our own kind. It is every person for their own self. And yet this is not God’s desire. God created humans to exist in a system that has each of us looking out for the interests of others. He created love to be our model of coexistence. As Christians, He created us in Christ to do good works. He prepared us in advance for this great task. God has called each of us to be His ambassador of “good”. This is why we are called the “light on top of the hill” and the “salt of the earth.” But God doesn’t make us do His will. Instead through the Holy Spirit, He reminds us not forget to do good and to share with others. And the world needs good. There are so many weary, hurting, broken, saddened, terrified people all around us. Every family has a story. So today volunteer. Just show up. Let God know that you will be willing to help someone today and then be available. He will lead you, He will guide you to someone who needs your help. And you will be blessed, for there is nothing better than doing what you were created to do. After all, you have been called by God Himself to do good works, which He prepared in advance for you to do!  

TODAY’S PRAYER
Lord, I pray that You will open my eyes to all the opportunities to do good around me. I know that You have created me to do good. I know that it is Your desire, yet I need You to guide me. Direct me to someone who needs what I have. Someone who will benefit from the way you have wired me. Guide me, then empower me to do the good that You have prepared in advance for me to do. In Jesus’ name.
AMEN

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