Today's Scripture:
For our light and momentary troubles are achieving for us an eternal glory that far outweighs them all 2 Corinthians 4:17, NIV.
Today's Word:
Aren’t you glad that your troubles and trials are only temporary? In fact, today’s verse tells us they are momentary. Compared with eternity, our troubles don’t last long at all! As you stand strong in faith during times of adversity, scripture says that you are achieving eternal glory. When you confess your trust and reliance on God, you are passing the test.
If you are in the middle of tough times today, look to Jesus! The Bible says that He is the Author and Finisher of your faith. He is the one who writes faith on your heart and then develops it to completion on the inside of you. Your part is to open your heart and choose words of faith and victory.
Remember, your words set the course for your life. As you remind yourself that your troubles are only momentary and confess your trust and hope in Him, you will see His hand moving in your life. Focus on that eternal glory every day. As you do, you’ll move forward in victory and experience all He has for you!
Prayer for Today:
Heavenly Father, thank You for working Your eternal glory in me. I cast my cares on You, knowing that my trials and troubles are only temporary. Thank You for Your eternal blessing on my life today and always in Jesus’ name. Amen.
Be Blessed!
Dawn
Wednesday, January 25, 2012
Tuesday, January 17, 2012
The Sin of Prayerlessness
Pray without ceasing — 1 Thess. 5:17
We must never forget that prayer is not only for petition, but also for protection and for preparation. Prayer not only gives us what we want; it prepares us for and protects us from what we don't want.
In the Garden of Gethsemane, Jesus was in anguish as He contemplated the horrors of the cross. All He wanted the disciples to do was to be present and praying. Being God, He knew what was ahead. He knew every detail. And so He prayed, "O My Father, if it is possible, let this cup pass from Me; nevertheless, not as I will, but as You will" (Matthew 26:39).
All Jesus asked for was some companionship. He didn't need a sermon; He needed some friends. But His friends were sleeping. And this was a direct result of the sin of self-confidence.
The same can be true of us. We pray when we think we need to pray. When a crisis hits, when we get bad news from the doctor, when we are laid off, when we are having problems with our marriage or problems with our children, what do we do? We pray. And that is good. It's what we should do.
But what about when things are going well? When the bills are paid, when the job is looking good, when there is no bad news from any front, do you pray then? Is it because you think you don't need to? Is it because of self-confidence?
Failure to pray actually can be a sin. Sin isn't just breaking a commandment, though it includes that. There is also the sin of omission. James 4:17 tells us, "Therefore, to him who knows to do good and does not do it, to him it is sin."
(Via Greg Laurie)
Be Blessed!
Dawn
We must never forget that prayer is not only for petition, but also for protection and for preparation. Prayer not only gives us what we want; it prepares us for and protects us from what we don't want.
In the Garden of Gethsemane, Jesus was in anguish as He contemplated the horrors of the cross. All He wanted the disciples to do was to be present and praying. Being God, He knew what was ahead. He knew every detail. And so He prayed, "O My Father, if it is possible, let this cup pass from Me; nevertheless, not as I will, but as You will" (Matthew 26:39).
All Jesus asked for was some companionship. He didn't need a sermon; He needed some friends. But His friends were sleeping. And this was a direct result of the sin of self-confidence.
The same can be true of us. We pray when we think we need to pray. When a crisis hits, when we get bad news from the doctor, when we are laid off, when we are having problems with our marriage or problems with our children, what do we do? We pray. And that is good. It's what we should do.
But what about when things are going well? When the bills are paid, when the job is looking good, when there is no bad news from any front, do you pray then? Is it because you think you don't need to? Is it because of self-confidence?
Failure to pray actually can be a sin. Sin isn't just breaking a commandment, though it includes that. There is also the sin of omission. James 4:17 tells us, "Therefore, to him who knows to do good and does not do it, to him it is sin."
(Via Greg Laurie)
Be Blessed!
Dawn
Tuesday, January 10, 2012
The Voice of Faith
Every believer has been given a measure of faith. In order to see the promises of God come to pass in your life, you have to give expression to that faith through the words that you speak. We must declare what God says about us in His Word in order to activate those seeds of faith within. That’s why the scripture tells us, “Let the weak say I am strong. Let the poor say I am rich.” When you give your faith a voice, you send forth the Word of God into the atmosphere. The Bible says that He watches over His Word to bring it to pass in your life.
The key is that we can’t allow words of defeat or negativity to come out of our mouths. Don’t dig up your seed by speaking against His Word. Instead, water your seed by continuing to declare the Word of God. When you wake up every morning, thank Him that His promises are coming to pass in your life. Throughout the day, continue speaking words of faith and life. As you give your faith a voice, you will see God's promises come to pass, and you will live the abundant life He has prepared for you.
A PRAYER FOR TODAY
(Via Joel & Victoria Osteen)
Be Blessed!
Dawn
The key is that we can’t allow words of defeat or negativity to come out of our mouths. Don’t dig up your seed by speaking against His Word. Instead, water your seed by continuing to declare the Word of God. When you wake up every morning, thank Him that His promises are coming to pass in your life. Throughout the day, continue speaking words of faith and life. As you give your faith a voice, you will see God's promises come to pass, and you will live the abundant life He has prepared for you.
A PRAYER FOR TODAY
Father in heaven, I humbly come before You giving You my thoughts,
my actions and my words. Help me to activate my faith by speaking Your
Word daily. May my words and thoughts be pleasing to You always in Jesus’
name. Amen.
(Via Joel & Victoria Osteen)
Be Blessed!
Dawn
Tuesday, January 3, 2012
Your Past, Present, and Future
Firstly, Happy New Year to all!
The apostle Paul was called by God to bring the gospel to his generation. He had perhaps the most unexpected conversion in human history, as he previously had set himself to effectively destroy the Christian faith. But when Paul, known then as Saul of Tarsus, met the living Jesus, that all changed.
Among other things, this is what Jesus said to him:
"Now stand up! For I have appeared to you to appoint you as my servant and my witness. You are to tell the world about this experience and about other times I will appear to you. And I will protect you from both your own people and the Gentiles. Yes, I am going to send you to the Gentiles" (Acts 26:16-17 NLT).
Christ's commission of Paul took the form of three words . . .
Paul's Past. Verse 16 says, "I have appeared to you." In other words, Paul had seen with his own eyes the risen Christ.
Paul's Present. Verse 17 says, "I will protect you." Nothing would stop Paul from completing his life and ministry. He would not be silenced until his God-appointed work was done. That did not mean it would be easy, for Jesus also told him he would "suffer." But he would finish his work or, as Paul said earlier, "finish his race with joy."
Paul's Future. Jesus tells Paul in verse 17, Yes, I am going to send you to the Gentiles". Jesus was personally commissioning Paul to do this. In the same way, we too have our past, present, and future.
1. Our Past: Jesus has "appeared" to us.
No, not in the same way as He did for Paul, but He has made Himself known to us. There is even a special blessing for the person who has not "seen Him" in John 20:29: "Then Jesus told him, 'You believe because you have seen me. Blessed are those who haven't seen me and believe anyway.'"
2. Our Present: Jesus will rescue us.
We will finish the life God has given us to live and the task He wants us to complete. In Isaiah 54, we read that "No weapon that is formed against you will prosper" (NKJV). Psalm 91 has even more promises of protection for the believer.
3. Our Future: Jesus is calling us.
We all have a calling to fulfill, a task to complete, a race to run. We all have been called to live godly lives that glorify Him. We have all been called to "preach the gospel." We have been commissioned by Jesus Himself to "Go therefore into all the world . . ."
(Via Greg Laurie)
Be Blessed!!
Dawn
The apostle Paul was called by God to bring the gospel to his generation. He had perhaps the most unexpected conversion in human history, as he previously had set himself to effectively destroy the Christian faith. But when Paul, known then as Saul of Tarsus, met the living Jesus, that all changed.
Among other things, this is what Jesus said to him:
"Now stand up! For I have appeared to you to appoint you as my servant and my witness. You are to tell the world about this experience and about other times I will appear to you. And I will protect you from both your own people and the Gentiles. Yes, I am going to send you to the Gentiles" (Acts 26:16-17 NLT).
Christ's commission of Paul took the form of three words . . .
Paul's Past. Verse 16 says, "I have appeared to you." In other words, Paul had seen with his own eyes the risen Christ.
Paul's Present. Verse 17 says, "I will protect you." Nothing would stop Paul from completing his life and ministry. He would not be silenced until his God-appointed work was done. That did not mean it would be easy, for Jesus also told him he would "suffer." But he would finish his work or, as Paul said earlier, "finish his race with joy."
Paul's Future. Jesus tells Paul in verse 17, Yes, I am going to send you to the Gentiles". Jesus was personally commissioning Paul to do this. In the same way, we too have our past, present, and future.
1. Our Past: Jesus has "appeared" to us.
No, not in the same way as He did for Paul, but He has made Himself known to us. There is even a special blessing for the person who has not "seen Him" in John 20:29: "Then Jesus told him, 'You believe because you have seen me. Blessed are those who haven't seen me and believe anyway.'"
2. Our Present: Jesus will rescue us.
We will finish the life God has given us to live and the task He wants us to complete. In Isaiah 54, we read that "No weapon that is formed against you will prosper" (NKJV). Psalm 91 has even more promises of protection for the believer.
3. Our Future: Jesus is calling us.
We all have a calling to fulfill, a task to complete, a race to run. We all have been called to live godly lives that glorify Him. We have all been called to "preach the gospel." We have been commissioned by Jesus Himself to "Go therefore into all the world . . ."
(Via Greg Laurie)
Be Blessed!!
Dawn
Monday, December 12, 2011
It's All About Him
A little girl noticed that her mom was getting really stressed out around Christmas. Everything was bothering her mom, and she was very irritable.
Evening came and the mom bathed the little girl, got her ready for bed, put her under the covers, and had her say her prayers. She would usually pray the Lord's Prayer, but on this particular evening, she amended it a little bit.
Her petition went something like this, "Father, forgive us our Christmases, as we forgive those who Christmas against us."
That is what happens when we lose focus of the real meaning of Christmas, isn't it? We get so caught up in the busyness of the season that sometimes we forget the wonder of it all: that deity took on humanity, that God became a man.
Scripture sums it up well in 2 Corinthians 8:9, which says, "For you know the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, that though He was rich, yet for your sakes He became poor, that you through His poverty might become rich" (NKJV). Jesus literally went from the throne of heaven to a simple little cave or stable.
Can you imagine what must have gone through Mary's mind that day when the angel Gabriel appeared to her and told her she would be the mother of the Messiah? Her head must have been swimming. "What about Joseph? What are people going to say?"
But God had it all put together, because the time was just right in every way.
There was one small detail: the Messiah was to be born in Bethlehem, as Scripture prophesied (see Micah 5:2). But Mary and her husband-to-be Joseph lived in Nazareth. So the Lord touched a little man who was big in his own mind.
His name was Caesar, and at this particular time in history, he was the most powerful man on Earth. One day, Caesar gave a decree that all of the world should be taxed.
In reality, he was nothing more than a pawn in the hand of God. The Lord needed Mary and Joseph in Bethlehem, so He moved events.
Mary and Joseph made the difficult journey to Bethlehem, which was especially perilous for a woman who was as far along in her pregnancy as Mary was. But they did make it, and there, the miraculous birth of Christ took place, just as Scripture said it would.
This little baby grew up quickly, and although we would love to know more about his boyhood, the Bible offers only a few details.
But we do read of one day in the synagogue in Nazareth when, as the custom was, the time had come for Jesus to read. He walked to the front of the synagogue, opened up the scroll, and began to read from Isaiah: " 'The Spirit of the Lord is upon Me, because He has anointed Me to preach the gospel to the poor; He has sent Me to heal the brokenhearted, to proclaim liberty to the captives and recovery of sight to the blind, to set at liberty those who are oppressed; to proclaim the acceptable year of the Lord' " (Luke 4:18–19 NLT).
When He had finished, He sat down and said, "Today this Scripture is fulfilled in your hearing" (verse 21). He had declared himself the Messiah. His public ministry had begun.
This One who was sent from God was always in perfect sync with the Father. While He spoke with the learned spiritual leaders, He always had time for the outcasts of society—people like the woman at the well and the tax collector, Zacchaeus. People like you. People like me.
His ministry on Earth was only a few years, and then He was crucified. You can be sure that as He hung there on the cross, where all of the sin of humanity was placed upon Him, that this was God's most painful moment.
But then it was finished. He rose again from the dead, and after a time, ascended back into heaven, promising to come back to this earth. And we eagerly await that day.
This Jesus who was born in a manger, who walked this earth, who was crucified, and who rose again, is not some mere historical figure, although He was that. He is alive, and He is still in the business of changing lives.
That is the reason He came: to put us in touch with God, to forgive us of all of our sins, and to give our lives purpose and meaning.
(Via Greg Laurie)
Be Blessed!
Dawn
Evening came and the mom bathed the little girl, got her ready for bed, put her under the covers, and had her say her prayers. She would usually pray the Lord's Prayer, but on this particular evening, she amended it a little bit.
Her petition went something like this, "Father, forgive us our Christmases, as we forgive those who Christmas against us."
That is what happens when we lose focus of the real meaning of Christmas, isn't it? We get so caught up in the busyness of the season that sometimes we forget the wonder of it all: that deity took on humanity, that God became a man.
Scripture sums it up well in 2 Corinthians 8:9, which says, "For you know the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, that though He was rich, yet for your sakes He became poor, that you through His poverty might become rich" (NKJV). Jesus literally went from the throne of heaven to a simple little cave or stable.
Can you imagine what must have gone through Mary's mind that day when the angel Gabriel appeared to her and told her she would be the mother of the Messiah? Her head must have been swimming. "What about Joseph? What are people going to say?"
But God had it all put together, because the time was just right in every way.
There was one small detail: the Messiah was to be born in Bethlehem, as Scripture prophesied (see Micah 5:2). But Mary and her husband-to-be Joseph lived in Nazareth. So the Lord touched a little man who was big in his own mind.
His name was Caesar, and at this particular time in history, he was the most powerful man on Earth. One day, Caesar gave a decree that all of the world should be taxed.
In reality, he was nothing more than a pawn in the hand of God. The Lord needed Mary and Joseph in Bethlehem, so He moved events.
Mary and Joseph made the difficult journey to Bethlehem, which was especially perilous for a woman who was as far along in her pregnancy as Mary was. But they did make it, and there, the miraculous birth of Christ took place, just as Scripture said it would.
This little baby grew up quickly, and although we would love to know more about his boyhood, the Bible offers only a few details.
But we do read of one day in the synagogue in Nazareth when, as the custom was, the time had come for Jesus to read. He walked to the front of the synagogue, opened up the scroll, and began to read from Isaiah: " 'The Spirit of the Lord is upon Me, because He has anointed Me to preach the gospel to the poor; He has sent Me to heal the brokenhearted, to proclaim liberty to the captives and recovery of sight to the blind, to set at liberty those who are oppressed; to proclaim the acceptable year of the Lord' " (Luke 4:18–19 NLT).
When He had finished, He sat down and said, "Today this Scripture is fulfilled in your hearing" (verse 21). He had declared himself the Messiah. His public ministry had begun.
This One who was sent from God was always in perfect sync with the Father. While He spoke with the learned spiritual leaders, He always had time for the outcasts of society—people like the woman at the well and the tax collector, Zacchaeus. People like you. People like me.
His ministry on Earth was only a few years, and then He was crucified. You can be sure that as He hung there on the cross, where all of the sin of humanity was placed upon Him, that this was God's most painful moment.
But then it was finished. He rose again from the dead, and after a time, ascended back into heaven, promising to come back to this earth. And we eagerly await that day.
This Jesus who was born in a manger, who walked this earth, who was crucified, and who rose again, is not some mere historical figure, although He was that. He is alive, and He is still in the business of changing lives.
That is the reason He came: to put us in touch with God, to forgive us of all of our sins, and to give our lives purpose and meaning.
(Via Greg Laurie)
Be Blessed!
Dawn
Friday, December 9, 2011
God Is with Us
Blessed is the Lord God of Israel for He has visited and redeemed His People. ~ Luke 1:68
Immanuel: God is with us—God came to us. What a staggering thought. It is really the essence of the Christian faith and the Christian life. All other religious ideologies essentially tell you that you must do something: Do this, and you will find inner peace. . . . Do this, and you will reach nirvana. . . . Do this, and maybe you will make it to heaven. But Christianity says it is done—done for you at the Cross, paid for by the blood of Jesus Christ.
Being a Christian is not merely following a creed; it is having Christ himself live in you and through you, giving you the strength to be the man or woman He has called you to be. Jesus said, "Lo, I am with you always, even to the end of the age" (Matthew 28:20) and "I will never leave you nor forsake you" (Hebrews 13:5).
The message of Christmas is God with us. That is important to know, especially during those times when we are going through great difficulty. The psalmist said, "If I take the wings of the morning, and dwell in the uttermost parts of the sea, even there Your hand shall lead me, and Your right hand shall hold me" (Psalm 139:9–10). It is great to know that God is with you wherever you go.
The Bible never teaches that we will have problem-free lives as followers of Christ. But the Bible does teach that we never will be alone. And because of that, we don't have to be afraid. As Ray Stedman said, "The chief mark of the Christian ought to be the absence of fear and the presence of joy."
That is the message that this sin-sick world needs to hear: Immanuel—God is with us.
(Via By Greg Laurie)
Be Blessed!
Dawn
Immanuel: God is with us—God came to us. What a staggering thought. It is really the essence of the Christian faith and the Christian life. All other religious ideologies essentially tell you that you must do something: Do this, and you will find inner peace. . . . Do this, and you will reach nirvana. . . . Do this, and maybe you will make it to heaven. But Christianity says it is done—done for you at the Cross, paid for by the blood of Jesus Christ.
Being a Christian is not merely following a creed; it is having Christ himself live in you and through you, giving you the strength to be the man or woman He has called you to be. Jesus said, "Lo, I am with you always, even to the end of the age" (Matthew 28:20) and "I will never leave you nor forsake you" (Hebrews 13:5).
The message of Christmas is God with us. That is important to know, especially during those times when we are going through great difficulty. The psalmist said, "If I take the wings of the morning, and dwell in the uttermost parts of the sea, even there Your hand shall lead me, and Your right hand shall hold me" (Psalm 139:9–10). It is great to know that God is with you wherever you go.
The Bible never teaches that we will have problem-free lives as followers of Christ. But the Bible does teach that we never will be alone. And because of that, we don't have to be afraid. As Ray Stedman said, "The chief mark of the Christian ought to be the absence of fear and the presence of joy."
That is the message that this sin-sick world needs to hear: Immanuel—God is with us.
(Via By Greg Laurie)
Be Blessed!
Dawn
Thursday, December 1, 2011
An Introduction to Christ
Read Revelation 1:4-8
The first chapter of Revelation gives a compact description of the Lord. In verses 4 to 8, John condenses the wonder of Jesus Christ to the bare but beautiful essentials of who He is:
Jesus Christ is the faithful witness. Jesus came to earth to more fully reveal the character and ways of the Father (John 14:9). The miracles He performed validated His claim to be the Son of God.
Jesus Christ is the first-born from the dead. The Savior bore our sins and died on the cross, was buried, and rose again on the third day. His resurrection proved that eternal life is possible for us, too, as Jesus taught in John 11:25: “He who believes in Me will live even if he dies.”
Jesus Christ is the ruler of the kings of the earth. It is the Lord who raises men to power, just as it is He who removes them (John 19:11; Rom. 13:1). Meanwhile, believers have access to a higher authority. In God’s throne room, we can beseech Him on behalf of our nations and lay claim to His promises.
Jesus Christ loves us and released us from our sins by His blood. Note the change of tense in John’s writing. The Lord’s love is ever-present, but He has freed believers from their past. Both the penalty and power of sin have been broken.
When people ask you about Jesus, introduce Him by guiding them through this mini-biography. In just a few sentences, John describes Christ’s character, divinity, and authority. The disciple was not timid about proclaiming the Lord. We shouldn’t be shy, either, when we serve so great a Savior.
(Via Charles Stanley)
Be Blessed
Dawn
The first chapter of Revelation gives a compact description of the Lord. In verses 4 to 8, John condenses the wonder of Jesus Christ to the bare but beautiful essentials of who He is:
Jesus Christ is the faithful witness. Jesus came to earth to more fully reveal the character and ways of the Father (John 14:9). The miracles He performed validated His claim to be the Son of God.
Jesus Christ is the first-born from the dead. The Savior bore our sins and died on the cross, was buried, and rose again on the third day. His resurrection proved that eternal life is possible for us, too, as Jesus taught in John 11:25: “He who believes in Me will live even if he dies.”
Jesus Christ is the ruler of the kings of the earth. It is the Lord who raises men to power, just as it is He who removes them (John 19:11; Rom. 13:1). Meanwhile, believers have access to a higher authority. In God’s throne room, we can beseech Him on behalf of our nations and lay claim to His promises.
Jesus Christ loves us and released us from our sins by His blood. Note the change of tense in John’s writing. The Lord’s love is ever-present, but He has freed believers from their past. Both the penalty and power of sin have been broken.
When people ask you about Jesus, introduce Him by guiding them through this mini-biography. In just a few sentences, John describes Christ’s character, divinity, and authority. The disciple was not timid about proclaiming the Lord. We shouldn’t be shy, either, when we serve so great a Savior.
(Via Charles Stanley)
Be Blessed
Dawn
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