Believe

Mark 16:16 - "Anyone who believes and is baptized will be saved.  But anyone who refuses to believe will be condemned."

Jesus was very clear in His words here.  You must believe and be baptized.  To refuse means eternal condemnation from God.

I know I believe.  And I have been baptized.  I need to improve on my sharing of God's Good News.  I know it is expected of me.

Dear Lord, give me the strength and wisdom to better share Your Good News.  I know this is expected of me, and I only want to please You.  Amen!

God Bless!!!

The Son of God

Mark 15:39 - When the Roman officer who stood facing Him saw how He had died, he exclaimed, "Truly this was the Son of God!"

The Roman officer finally realized what he and the others had done.  It's a shame the didn't too.

I could not imagine what it must have felt like to be that Roman officer.  I don't know if I would be able to live with myself knowing that I had just helped kill God's Son.

Dear Lord, thank You for sending Your only Son to die for my sins and spilling His blood to wash away my iniquities.  All power and glory to You forever.  Amen!

God Bless!!!

The Arrival

Mark 13:26 - "Then everyone will see the Son of Man arrive on the clouds with great power and glory."

Jesus promises to return and restore His throne on the earth with all of His chosen people.

I long for the day of Christ's return and pray that I will be deemed righteous in God's eyes when that day comes.

Dear Lord, help me stay true to You.  I want to do Your work here on earth.  Please grant me Your grace dear God so that I may serve You.  Amen!

God Bless!!!

The Commandment

Mark 12:30 - "And you must love the Lord your God with all your heart, all your soul, all your mind, and all your strength."

This is the first and the greatest commandment.  God deserves this.  He his done so much for His people and we should consider it an honor to serve and worship Him.

Do I love God like this?  Yes I do!  I was and would still be nothing without Him.  It is a privilege to be His humble servant for all of my days.

Dear Lord, thank You for this honor You have bestowed on me.  I would be nothing without You in my life, and I only want to serve You.  Amen!

God Bless!!!

Forgiveness

Mark 11:25 - "But when you are praying, first forgive anyone you are holding a grudge against, so that your Father in Heaven will forgive your sins, too."

It is vital for us to forgive those who have sinned against us.  If we don't love and forgive like we are commanded to, then God will not forgive us.  We don't deserve to be forgiven.

Do I forgive like I am commanded?  It is not something I learned how to do easily.  God's love and grace have taught me remarkable patience and love.

Dear Lord, please continue the work You have started in me.  Please continue to teach me love, patience, and humility so that I can be deemed right in Your eyes.  Amen!

God Bless!!!

To Serve

Mark 10:45 - "For even I, the Son of Man, came here not to be served but to serve others, and to give my life as a ransom for many."

Jesus made it clear that He came to save us.  He knew that He would have to give His life for ours, and He did not shy away from it.

Have I accepted His gift of salvation?  You bet I have.  This has been the greatest gift I have ever received, and I intend to cherish it and share it.

Dear God, thank You for this precious gift of salvation.  I know that I am unworthy to be Your servant, but You still chose me.  Thank You.  Amen!

God Bless!!!

Believing

Mark 9:23 - "What do you mean, 'If I can'?" Jesus asked.  "Anything is possible if a person believes."

Like Jesus said, with faith we can move mountains.  This is a great way to explain faith.  Everything is possible with faith.  There is nothing God cannot do.

Is my faith strong enough to move mountains?  I would never doubt or question my faith in God. He has already done so much for my life.

Dear Lord, my faith in You grows stronger every day as I dive deeper into Your Word.  Help me move the mountains in my life.  I know You can.  Amen!

God Bless!!!

The Good News

Mark 8:35 - "If you try to keep your life for yourself, you will lose it.  But if you give up your life for my sake and for the sake of the Good News, you will find true life."

The path to true and eternal life is found in God's Word.  Spreading His Good News, even at the cost of this mortal life, is the calling for all true believers.

Do I do enough to spread the Good News of God?  I think I need to be better about it.

Dear Lord, please give me the wisdom in spreading Your Word.  Speak through me so I can testify to Your Good News to everyone with an ear to hear.  Amen!

God Bless!!!

Never Shaken

Acts 2:25 - King David said this about Him:  'I know the Lord is always with me.  I will not be shaken, for He is right beside me.'

King David's faith was amazing.  He knew that God would never abandon him.  He knew that God would always be there to protect him.

I hold tightly to this promise of Jesus.  Jesus said that He would remain in us.  I know that I can conquer any problem in life with Jesus on my side and in my heart.

Dear Lord, thank You for Your eternal promise to remain in me through Your Holy Spirit.  And for giving me the strength, courage, and wisdom to persevere.  All glory be to You.  Amen!

God Bless!!!

Love

1 Corinthians 13:13 - There are three things that will endure - faith, hope, and love - and the greatest of these is love.

Love is indeed the greatest.  Jesus once said to love your enemies, because if you only love those who love you, where's the glory?  He came to save us, and He did it using love.

Do I love my enemies as I should?  Do I love as Jesus loved?  I have no animosity towards anyone, and I pray for thos that dislike me, but I can be better about it.

Dear Lord, please give me the courage and strength and wisdom to truly love like Jesus loved.  I know this will bring You great glory.  Amen!

God Bless!!!

From Within

Mark 7:23 - "All these vile things come from within; they are what defile you and make you unacceptable to God."

Jesus was explaining to His disciples that man-made customs make them unholy to God, because they are not from God and God is jusging their hearts and not their man-made rules.

It is so important to follow God's laws.  God knows what is in our hearts, and He will judge us based on this.  He doesn't care about the man-made customs we follow, because following God's commands are what glorify Him.

Dear Lord, help me to keep Your commands.  Help me stay pure and true to You.  I know that I am a sinner and I am not worthy, but I need Your help.  Amen!

God Bless!!!

My Shield

Psalms 28:7 - The Lord is my strength, my shield from every danger.  I trust in Him with all my heart.  He helps me, and my heart is filled with joy.  I burst out in songs of thanksgiving.

David was a man of great faith.  Absolute trust in God is the only way to go.  God will protect His people that put their absolute trust in Him.

I know that I am a work in progress, but my faith is strong.  Faith brings blessings from God, and it is rewarded by God.  God's protection is absolute.

Dear Lord, the only reward I seek is Your grace and love.  You indeed are my strength and my shield, and my absolute faith is in You.  Amen!

God Bless!!!

Teaching

Mark 4:25 - "To those who are open to my teaching, more understanding will be given.  But to those who are not listening, even what they have will be taken away from them."

When we listen to Jesus' teaching, and keep our hearts open to it, we will grow in our knowledge of and friendship with God.  If we turn away, we lose everything we gained.

I look forward to my daily readings and my weekly teachings at church.  I feel like a sponge sometimes trying to absorb every last word.  I can't take in enough.  I love this feeling.

Dear Lord, please continue to give me the wisdom I need to serve You better.  To offer You the proper honor and praise.  This is all I need!  Amen!

God Bless!!!

God's Will

Mark 3:35 - "Anyone who does God's will is my brother and sister and mother."

Through faith and service to God, we are all family.  We are all God's children.

I love this promise from Jesus.  Because of His words, I know that I am His brother; because of my faithfulness to Him.  How lucky are we all to have this?!  How blessed we truly are.

Dear Lord, thank You for Your love.  I am happy to remain faithful to You.  I thank You for Your salvation.  It is the best gift I have ever received.  Amen!

God Bless!!!

Wisdom

Psalms 90:12 - Teach us to make the most of our time, so that we may grow in wisdom.

All Moses asks for in this prayer, is how to be better.  How to be smarter so that he can serve God and lead God's chosen people properly.

I love this prayer.  I ask God every day for the wisdom to lead my employees in a way that is pleasing to God and that will glorify Him.  I can only hope that He is pleased with me.

As I take this brief sabbatical Lord, please re-energize me with Your Spirit and Your Wisdom, so that when I return, I will be better in glorifying You.  Amen!

God Bless!!!

Patience

Psalms 27:14 - Wait patiently for the Lord.  Be brave and courageous.  Yes, wait patiently for the Lord.

Good things come to those who wait.  Being brave and courageous in our faith in spite of persecution, and waiting patiently on God to rescue us, will yield great things for us.

I have become a very patient man.  My Grandmother used to say that I had the patience of Job.  I don't know how accurate that was, but I am more patient now.  The Lord God waited for me for a lot of years.  I have no problem waiting for Him.

Dear Lord, thank You for Your everlasting patience with me.  I will wait patiently for You because I know You have great things planned for me.  Amen!

God Bless!!!

Salvation

Acts 28:28 - "So I want you to realize that this salvation from God is also available to the Gentiles, and they will accept it."

Paul was explaining to the Jewish leaders in Rome that the gift of God's salvation through Jesus Christ was for everyone who wanted it.  And that some would accept it and some would not.

I am so fortunate that God has offered His salvation to me.  He didn't have to.  But He did because He loves me and wants a relationship with me.  I am so blessed through Him.

Dear Lord, thank You for Your precious gift of salvation through Your Son Jesus Christ.  It is nothing I could ever repay, but I will praise and honor You for the rest of my days.  Amen!

God Bless!!!

The Same

Acts 26:29 - Paul replied, "Whether quickly or not, I pray to God that both you and everyone here in this audience might become the same as I am, except for these chains."

Paul was not concerned about what his fate was in the court.  All he wanted and prayed for was his captors and jailers to come to know Christ and be saved.

Paul was an amazing man.  Even during persecution, he prayed for the souls of his persecutors.  I pray that God will give me the strength and guidance to do the same.

Dear Lord, help me to love like Jesus loved.  Help me to pray for the lost souls so that they may come to know You as I have.  Amen!

God Bless!!!

Appeals

Acts 25:11 - "If I have done something worthy of death, I don't refuse to die.  But if I am innocent, neither you nor anyone else has a right to turn me over to these men to kill me.  I appeal to Caesar!"

Paul was not afraid to die for what he believed in.  He knew had done nothing wrong, and he demanded a fair trial.

I love Paul's faith.  I love his conviction.  I pray that I have that conviction when I am called to account for myself before the Lord.

Dear Lord, give me the strength to remain strong in my faith and conviction in You, so that I will stand proud before You on that day.  Amen!

God Bless!!!

Hope

Acts 24:15-16 - "I have hope in God, just as these men do, that He will raise both the righteous and the ungodly.  (16) Because of this, I always try to maintain a clear conscience before God and everyone else.

Paul, while he was defending himself at trial, made it known that he had nothing to hide and had done nothing wrong.  His hope was in God judging him fairly, not the courts.

If I went to meet God today, would I have a clear conscience?  I like to tell people that I am still a work in progress and I'm striving to receive God's favor.  I still have work to do, but I believe God has me on the right path.

Dear Lord God, please keep me on this straight and narrow path You have placed me on, so I can find favor through Your saving grace.  Amen!

God Bless!!!

Peace

Leviticus 26:6 - "I will give you peace in the land, and you will be able to sleep without fear.  I will remove the wild animals from your land and protect you from your enemies."

God is promising, through His instructions to Moses, that He will take care of His people and they will have nothing to fear as long as they obey His commands and stay true to Him.

How amazing is God?!  We have nothing to fear as long as we stay true to Him and obey His commands.  I will work harder to make sure I do this.  I want and need His protection.

Dear Lord, I am Your humble servant.  I will obey Your commands and stay true to You forever.  Please continue to protect me.  Amen!

God Bless!!!

Taking A Stand

Psalm 26:12 - I have taken a stand, and I will publicly praise the Lord.

David let it be known that he was in no way afraid to declare his belief in and love for the Lord God.

Jesus said if you deny Him to your fellow man, He will deny you to His Father.  We cannot allow that to happen.  Jesus is our only way to salvation, and we must publicly declare our praise for Him.

Dear God, help me take my stand and publicly declare my love for You.  Let me never deny You.  Your love is the greatest thing in this world, and the next.  Amen!

God Bless!!!

All His

Psalm 24:1 - The earth is the Lord's, and everything in it.  The world and all its people belong to Him.

David knew exactly what the score was.  He knew that we are all God's children, and God loves us like only a father can.  How great is this?!

I myself haven't experienced fatherhood, but I have seen how fathers love their children.  There is nothing like it.  I may not have experienced fatherhood yet, but I have experienced God's love.  There is nothing like it, and I wouldn't trade it for anything.

Dear Lord, thank You for loving me totally and unconditionally.  I'm so blessed to have to come to know You and experience Your unfailing love.  Amen!

God Bless!!!

Duty

Acts 20:24 - But my life is worth nothing unless I use it for doing the work assigned me by the Lord Jesus - the work of telling others the Good News about God's wonderful kindness and love.

Our sole purpose as believers and disciples of Christ is to spread the Good News of God's kindness and love.  Failure to do this would be failure to meet His ecpectations.

This is something I definitely need to work on and get better with.  I'm never afraid to share when asked, but I don't initiate the conversation.  What is holding me back?!

Dear Lord, please give me the strength, courage and wisdom to be better about sharing Your Good News, so that I will meet your expectations.  Amen!

God Bless!!!

Obey

Leviticus 18:5 - If you obey my laws and regulations, you will find life through them.  I am the Lord.

Obeying God's decrees and regulations is the way to experience God's grace.  Jesus spoke of this as well.  We are required to obey.

Do I obey every law of God?  I am not perfect.  I have said before that because I am saved, it does not mean I am sinless.  It means that I sin less.  I am still a work in progress.

Dear Lord, please help me to obey Your laws so that I will find favor in Your heart and experience Your true grace.  I need nothing more than You.  Amen!

God Bless!!!

Belonging

Acts 18:10 - "For I am with you, and no one will harm you because many people here in this city belong to me."

Jesus spoke to Paul in this vision to encourage him and to calm his worries.  Paul had experienced a lot of hate when he first arrived in Corinth.

Jesus' words are always encouraging and calming to me.  Whenever I am having a tough day, I always happen to come across something He said, and I feel so much better.  This is not by accident.

Lord Jesus, thank You for being the Great Encourager in my life.  You are always there when I need You.  All praise and glory be to You forever.  Amen!

God Bless!!!

Seeking

Acts 17:27 - "His purpose in all of this was that the nations should seek after God and perhaps feel their way toward Him and find Him - though He is not far from any one of us."

God wants us and expects us to seek Him.  But He is never far from us.  He wants us to be found in Him.  He made our work the easy part, but He had the hard part - sacrificing His only Son for us.

I have found myself in God's love.  I have felt Him move in me more than ever before lately.  But I need to keep seeking Him every day in all that I do.  That is the key.

Dear Lord, thank You so much for moving me like never before.  Continue to give me the wisdom and faith to constantly seek You in all that I do every day.  Amen!

God Bless!!!

Holy

Leviticus 10:3 - Then Moses said to Aaron, "This is what the Lord meant when He said, 'I will show myself holy among those who are near me.  I will be glorified before all the people.'"  And Aaron was silent.

Moses reminded Aaron that we are to follow God's commands or pay the price for it.  Even though Aaron had just lost his sons, he knew Moses was right and said nothing to argue.

Do I follow God's commands?  I know I am a sinner and I am not perfect.  I try hard everyday to follow Him completely and without argument.

Dear Lord, help me to continue down this path You have put me on and continue to give me the strength and wisdom to follow Your commands completely.  Amen!

God Bless!!!