Category - Devotionals

09/1            John 10:1
“I assure you, anyone who sneaks over the wall of a sheepfold, rather than going through the gate, must surely be a thief and a robber!

THIEF
Look around you and think about the person to whom you are listening.  Are they a child of God?  Do they follow Jesus?  If they don’t they are dead in their trespasses and sin and are described in the Word as a thief and a robber.  It doesn’t matter how wise you are they think they are the are not wise about the things of God.  Listen to Jesus.

09/2            John 10:2-3
For a shepherd enters through the gate.  The gatekeeper opens the gate for him, and the sheep hear his voice and come to him. He calls his own sheep by name and leads them out.

SHEPHERD
The shepherd is known by his flock.  He has spent time with them, watching over them to keep them safe.  He labors for his flock.  He knows each sheep.  There is a bond between them.  They feel the shepherd’s presence and protection.  If we would like to grow in our knowledge of the Lord let us listen to Him.

09/3            John 10:4-5
After he has gathered his own flock, he walks ahead of them, and they follow him because they recognize his voice.  They won’t follow a stranger; they will run from him because they don’t recognize his voice.”

AHEAD
The shepherd knows where they are going and will take the safest route to get them there.  The sheep obediently follow the shepherd to where he is taking them.  Sheep don’t ask the shepherd where they are going.  Sheep don’t suggest alternate routes.  They listen to the shepherd and follow him.  Obedience is a key element in our growing in knowledge of the Lord.

09/4            John 10:6-8
Those who heard Jesus use this illustration didn’t understand what he meant,  so he explained it to them. “I assure you, I am the gate for the sheep,” he said.  “All others who came before me were thieves and robbers. But the true sheep did not listen to them.

KNOWING
When we know Jesus we know His voice and listen to His speaking to us.  He will equip and enable us to discern evil and guide us on His path for living.  The more we listen to Jesus the better able we are to discern the truth.

09/5            John 10:9-13
Yes, I am the gate. Those who come in through me will be saved. Wherever they go, they will find green pastures.  The thief’s purpose is to steal and kill and destroy. My purpose is to give life in all its fullness.  “I am the good shepherd. The good shepherd lays down his life for the sheep.  A hired hand will run when he sees a wolf coming. He will leave the sheep because they aren’t his and he isn’t their shepherd. And so the wolf attacks them and scatters the flock.  The hired hand runs away because he is merely hired and has no real concern for the sheep.

JESUS
Jesus is Lord.  He is Lord of all and Lord of us.  He came to pay the price for our sin.  He died for us on the cross and purchased us back from sin and separation.  Jesus is Lord and He is worth of all honor and praise and glory.  I thank Him for His deep, abiding love for me and for each of us that name the name of Jesus as our Lord.

09/6            John 10:14-16
“I am the good shepherd; I know my own sheep, and they know me, just as my Father knows me and I know the Father. And I lay down my life for the sheep.  I have other sheep, too, that are not in this sheepfold. I must bring them also, and they will listen to my voice; and there will be one flock with one shepherd.

JESUS
Jesus is concerned about our daily life.  The minute issues of living are important to Him.  He is calling us to spend time with Him and to submit all of our life to His scrutiny and assistance.  Bend your knee to Jesus by giving Him all of your life.

09/7            John 10:17-18
“The Father loves me because I lay down my life that I may have it back again. No one can take my life from me. I lay down my life voluntarily. For I have the right to lay it down when I want to and also the power to take it again. For my Father has given me this command.”

CROSS
The Cross is the picture for us of His sacrifice and our redemption.  He paid the price willing and as part of His plan to save mankind.  Jesus came for you.  Jesus died for you.  Jesus rose from the dead by the power of God and lives today so that you may have real life.  Jesus is Lord.

09/8            John 10:19-21
When he said these things, the people were again divided in their opinions about him.  Some of them said, “He has a demon, or he’s crazy. Why listen to a man like that?”  Others said, “This doesn’t sound like a man possessed by a demon! Can a demon open the eyes of the blind?”

JESUS
The tragedy of the human experience and the lostness of mankind blinds the eyes of people who need Jesus.  It is an humbling experience for a person to recognize their lostness.  Most often they will accuse and curse Jesus.  Sometimes they will do that to you.  Remember not to hold this against them for they are dead on their trespasses and sin.  Pray for them.  Pray that the Lord will send a Word or an experience that will draw them to Him.

09/9            John 10:22-30
It was now winter, and Jesus was in Jerusalem at the time of Hanukkah.  He was at the Temple, walking through the section known as Solomon’s Colonnade.  The Jewish leaders surrounded him and asked, “How long are you going to keep us in suspense? If you are the Messiah, tell us plainly.”  Jesus replied, “I have already told you, and you don’t believe me. The proof is what I do in the name of my Father.   But you don’t believe me because you are not part of my flock.  My sheep recognize my voice; I know them, and they follow me.  I give them eternal life, and they will never perish. No one will snatch them away from me, for my Father has given them to me, and he is more powerful than anyone else. So no one can take them from me.  The Father and I are one.”

JESUS
Jesus is God.  He and God are one.  When we stop and spend time with Jesus we are spending time with God.  The Son hides nothing from the Father.  Be encouraged for we serve a mighty Savior the Lord Jesus Christ.

09/10          John 10:31-33
Once again the Jewish leaders picked up stones to kill him.  Jesus said, “At my Father’s direction I have done many things to help the people. For which one of these good deeds are you killing me?”  They replied, “Not for any good work, but for blasphemy, because you, a mere man, have made yourself God.”

JESUS
The lost cannot understand or perceive spiritual things.  The world hates Jesus because His presence points out their sin.  Sin is serious and must be confessed.  When you go to Jesus He will forgive you but you have to ask for forgiveness.

09/11          John 10:34-36
Jesus replied, “It is written in your own law that God said to certain leaders of the people, ‘I say, you are gods!’  And you know that the Scriptures cannot be altered. So if those people, who received God’s message, were called ‘gods,’ why do you call it blasphemy when the Holy One who was sent into the world by the Father says, ‘I am the Son of God’?

SON OF GOD
Jesus is the Son of God.  His life in word and deed confirmed that.  We can know that but it requires that we believe in Him.  Believe in the Lord Jesus Christ and you shall be saved.

09/12          John 10:37-38
Don’t believe me unless I carry out my Father’s work.  But if I do his work, believe in what I have done, even if you don’t believe me. Then you will realize that the Father is in me, and I am in the Father.”

PROOF
Jesus said look at my life and what I have done.  That will bear testimony to my claims.  They didn’t believe Him.  He went to the cross to die for our sin.  They still didn’t believe Him but we have the opportunity to believe.  His act of saving us is a powerful today as it was that day He was raised from the dead.  We are offered eternal life in Jesus Christ today if we will believe in Him.

09/13          John 10:39-42
Once again they tried to arrest him, but he got away and left them.  He went beyond the Jordan River to stay near the place where John was first baptizing.

And many followed him. “John didn’t do miracles,” they remarked to one another, “but all his predictions about this man have come true.”  And many believed in him there.

TRUTH
Jesus brought eternal truth to mankind.  He came to show us what God was like.  God loves us.  He is seeking our best good.  The Lord is our Shepherd.  He wants to add us to His family and give us an abundant life.

09/14          John 11:1-2
A man named Lazarus was sick. He lived in Bethany with his sisters, Mary and Martha. This is the Mary who poured the expensive perfume on the Lord’s feet and wiped them with her hair. Her brother, Lazarus, was sick.

PEOPLE
Jesus is concerned about people.  He lived and died for each one of us.  His life is available for anyone to claim.  Life in Jesus is life indeed.  Do not struggle alone Jesus will help you.  He is a friend of the needy.

09/15          John 11:3-4
So the two sisters sent a message to Jesus telling him, “Lord, the one you love is very sick.”  But when Jesus heard about it he said, “Lazarus’s sickness will not end in death. No, it is for the glory of God. I, the Son of God, will receive glory from this.”

JESUS
Jesus is the Son of God.  If you have a relationship with Him, if He is Lord and Savior of your life then you are never alone.  You have access to the Lord of the Universe and He will never desert you.  Talk to Jesus and He will give you wisdom, mercy, grace and understanding.  Call upon Jesus and He will come to your side.

09/16          John 11:5-7
Although Jesus loved Martha, Mary, and Lazarus, he stayed where he was for the next two days and did not go to them.  Finally after two days, he said to his disciples, “Let’s go to Judea again.”

PERSPECTIVE
Jesus knew what was going to happen.  He was listening to His Father and doing as His Father instructed.  He knew that God was good.  He knew that the Father would do the best for Lazarus.  He also knew that the Father would get the glory.  His perspective was different than Martha and Mary.  Our perspective of our lives can also be different.  We know in whom we have believed and we know that He is faithful and righteous.  Praise the Lord for He is worthy of all praise.

09/17          John 11:8
But his disciples objected. “Teacher,” they said, “only a few days ago the Jewish leaders in Judea were trying to kill you. Are you going there again?”

RATIONAL
They would be heading right back to where they had just had trouble and just to go see a dead man.  The disciples were not on the same page with Jesus.  Jesus loved with a love like the Father’s love.  The disciples feared like the worst non-believer.  They just were not getting what Jesus was trying to teach them.  What lesson is God in Christ trying to teach you today?  Slow down, change, give up all good lessons that at different times we need to hear and obey.  Let the Lord have control of your life.

09/18          John 11:9-10
Jesus replied, “There are twelve hours of daylight every day. As long as it is light, people can walk safely. They can see because they have the light of this world.  Only at night is there danger of stumbling because there is no light.”

LIGHT
Jesus is the light.  When we follow Him we will not stumble or fall.  Instead of leading a life of doubt and disbelief we can trust Jesus and lead a life of confidence and strength.  Jesus knows each day the trials we will face and He will equip us to deal with our challenges in a way that will glorify God.

09/19          John 11:11
Then he said, “Our friend Lazarus has fallen asleep, but now I will go and wake him up.”

SLEEP
Jesus did not fear death.  God is in charge of all things and over all things including death.  He spoke of death as sleep.  We can wake up from sleep.  Indeed one day all the dead will rise, some to go with Jesus and others to be eternally separated from God.  This is encouragement for us and a promise to us.  One day even though we will be different we will be with Jesus with a physical body.

09/20          John 11:12-13
The disciples said, “Lord, if he is sleeping, that means he is getting better!”  They thought Jesus meant Lazarus was having a good night’s rest, but Jesus meant Lazarus had died.

DEATH
Jesus defeated death on the cross.  The Lord raised Him from the dead and death will reign no more.  In the case of Lazarus Jesus was showing the disciples and us that God is in control of all things, even death.  Do not fear.  Do not let your heart be disturbed for nothing can take away your salvation in the Lord.  Jesus is more than able to deal with our life.

09/21          John 11:14-15
Then he told them plainly, “Lazarus is dead.  And for your sake, I am glad I wasn’t there, because this will give you another opportunity to believe in me. Come, let’s go see him.”

BELIEVE
What will it take in your life to believe in Jesus?  Would a miracle do it?  Ask the Lord to open your eyes and speak to your heart.  He will show you many reasons to strengthen your belief.  Begin a daily prayer journal.  When the prayers are answered put a date and the way they were answered by the prayer.  In three months review your prayer journal.  You will be amazed at the hand of God as He reveals himself to you.

09/22          John 11:16-19
Thomas, nicknamed the Twin, said to his fellow disciples, “Let’s go, too — and die with Jesus.”  When Jesus arrived at Bethany, he was told that Lazarus had already been in his grave for four days.  Bethany was only a few miles down the road from Jerusalem, and many of the people had come to pay their respects and console Martha and Mary on their loss.

JESUS
Jesus knew what His disciples were thinking.  Still He brought them with Him and taught them.  He knew they wouldn’t understand the full import of what He was doing until after the resurrection.  He also knew that this event would impact us 2,000 years later.  Jesus is in the business of giving life.  He has given life to us, life from the Father that gives us eternal life.

09/23          John 11:20-22
When Martha got word that Jesus was coming, she went to meet him. But Mary stayed at home.  Martha said to Jesus, “Lord, if you had been here, my brother would not have died.  But even now I know that God will give you whatever you ask.”

JESUS
Jesus is the Son of God.  He is fully man and fully divine.  I don’t understand this but I believe it.  The Bible is clear that Jesus and God are one.  When I talk with Jesus I have talked with the Father.  The Lord is seeking my best good therefore He calls me to obedience.  Our daily life is to be organized by the Lord not negotiated by us.  Serve the Lord and serve Him whole heartedly.

09/24          John 11:23-24
Jesus told her, “Your brother will rise again.”  “Yes,” Martha said, “when everyone else rises, on resurrection day.”

ETERNAL LIFE
When we come into the family of God we are given eternal life.  To be absent in the flesh is to be present with the Lord.  Life, eternal life, begins right now.  We are not waiting for the end time or our date of death, we are serving right now, right where God wants us to serve and the Lord calls us to serve Him and Him only.  We cannot serve two masters.  Jesus is Lord.

09/25          John 11:25-27
Jesus told her, “I am the resurrection and the life. Those who believe in me, even though they die like everyone else, will live again.  They are given eternal life for believing in me and will never perish. Do you believe this, Martha?”  “Yes, Lord,” she told him. “I have always believed you are the Messiah, the Son of God, the one who has come into the world from God.”

SON OF GOD
When we talk and think about Jesus we are talking and thinking about our creator.  He is Lord of Lords and the one true God.  He was and is and always will be God.  Can you imagine anything greater than developing a friendship with the almighty God?  That is exactly what He gives us the opportunity to do, develop a friendship with Him.  Spend time with Jesus and He will spend time with you.

09/26          John 11:28-31
Then she left him and returned to Mary. She called Mary aside from the mourners and told her, “The Teacher is here and wants to see you.”  So Mary immediately went to him.  Now Jesus had stayed outside the village, at the place where Martha met him.  When the people who were at the house trying to console Mary saw her leave so hastily, they assumed she was going to Lazarus’s grave to weep. So they followed her there.

JESUS
Hurting?  Disappointed?  Experiencing burnout?  The world will chew us up and spit us out.  The Lord will never hurt us or disappoint us.  He will heal our psychic pain and our physical pain.  He loves us and is seeking our best good.  The Lord is good, all the time.

09/27          John 11:32-36
When Mary arrived and saw Jesus, she fell down at his feet and said, “Lord, if you had been here, my brother would not have died.”  When Jesus saw her weeping and saw the other people wailing with her, he was moved with indignation and was deeply troubled.  “Where have you put him?” he asked them. They told him, “Lord, come and see.”  Then Jesus wept.  The people who were standing nearby said, “See how much he loved him.”

LORD
What will it take for us to realize that Jesus is Lord?  These people had observed His ministry up close and still didn’t understand what was going on.  Jesus loves us and it is amazing to see Him struggle with us.  What about you?  Are you where Jesus wants you to be?  Let Christ have control and He will take you to the right place in the right way each day.

09/28          John 11:37-39
But some said, “This man healed a blind man. Why couldn’t he keep Lazarus from dying?”  And again Jesus was deeply troubled. Then they came to the grave. It was a cave with a stone rolled across its entrance.  “Roll the stone aside,” Jesus told them. But Martha, the dead man’s sister, said, “Lord, by now the smell will be terrible because he has been dead for four days.”

BELIEVE
Believe in the Lord Jesus and you shall be saved.  A simple statement that is hard for the majority of the people in world to accept.  Do you believe in the Lord Jesus Christ?  This is the most important decision you will every make.  He will change your life forever.

09/29          John 11:40-44
Jesus responded, “Didn’t I tell you that you will see God’s glory if you believe?”  So they rolled the stone aside. Then Jesus looked up to heaven and said, “Father, thank you for hearing me.  You always hear me, but I said it out loud for the sake of all these people standing here, so they will believe you sent me.”  Then Jesus shouted, “Lazarus, come out!”  And Lazarus came out, bound in graveclothes, his face wrapped in a headcloth. Jesus told them, “Unwrap him and let him go!”

LAZARUS
Raised from the dead this friend of Jesus walked again on the earth.  This miracle was easy for Jesus because He lived in complete obedience to the Father.  Sometimes we need an event like this in our life.  We have messed up and things are impossible.  Jesus takes the impossible messes we can make of our lives and fixes them.  Let Jesus have your impossibility today.  Ask Him to fix it.  Believe and He will.

09/30          John 11:45
Many of the people who were with Mary believed in Jesus when they saw this happen.

BELIEVE
What will it take for you to believe?  Tell it to Jesus.  Let Him work with you and your impossibility.  Christ can change your life.

08/01          John 9:1
As he went along, he saw a man blind from birth.

JESUS
Jesus came looking for the blind man.  He knew what the day would hold and He knew how He would deal with the blind man.  When we spend time with Him He is preparing us for our day.  He knows what we will face and what we will need as we go through our day.  Spend time with Jesus.

08/02          John 9:2
His disciples asked him, “Rabbi, who sinned, this man or his parents, that he was born blind?”

JESUS
Jesus knew that His disciples would be slow to get His message.  They were over and over again.  Jesus patiently listened to them and loved them and protected them to do the ministry He was preparing them for as He ministered.  Do not forget that the Lord loves you and He is preparing you each day for the plan He has for your life.  Go and live and spend time with Jesus.  Love the Lord with all your heart and your life will become and open book to you!

08/03          John 9:3-4
“Neither this man nor his parents sinned,” said Jesus, “but this happened so that the work of God might be displayed in his life.  As long as it is day, we must do the work of him who sent me. Night is coming, when no one can work.

JESUS
We live in the light of Jesus Christ.  Everyone profits from His presence.  Without Jesus nothing would exist.  He loves you.  He is especially interested in your life and what you are dealing with.  Talk with Him.  Spend time with Jesus.  Let Jesus work with you on dealing with the life challenges that you face.  Let Jesus help you make good decisions.

08/04          John 9:5
While I am in the world, I am the light of the world.”

LIGHT
Christ gives us life and with that life His light for seeing where we should go.  We spend time with Jesus we develop the ability to do the next right thing.  He equips us to fight against darkness and to mirror His light.  Stand in His light and you will never get lost.

08/05          John 9:6-7
Having said this, he spit on the ground, made some mud with the saliva, and put it on the man’s eyes.  “Go,” he told him, “wash in the Pool of Siloam” (this word means Sent). So the man went and washed, and came home seeing.

OBEDIENCE
Jesus told the blind man to go and wash in the Pool of Siloam.  He did and he could see.  Are you careful to obey the Lord?  Are you living in obedience to the things of God that you know and understand?  All of us don’t know things about the Bible but it isn’t the things we don’t know that trip us up.  It is the things we know and do not do that cause us to stumble.

08/06          John 9:8
His neighbors and those who had formerly seen him begging asked, “Isn’t this the same man who used to sit and beg?”

CHANGED
When we meet Jesus we are changed.  We are no longer dead in our trespasses and sin.  We are alive in Jesus Christ.  People can tell when we change.  People know that something has happened to us.  We simply need to tell others what happened to us.  When we meet Jesus we will tell people about our experience.

08/07          John 9:9
Some claimed that he was. Others said, “No, he only looks like him.” But he himself insisted, “I am the man.”

SON
Jesus is the Son of God.  He is alive and is seated at the Father’s right hand interceding for us.  He knows who we are, where we are and what our greatest needs are.  He won’t forsake us nor will He abandon us.  Jesus is Lord and nothing takes Him by surprise.

08/08          John 9:10
“How then were your eyes opened?” they demanded.

WORLD
The world doesn’t understand spiritual things.  We cannot get into a debate about the finer points of life in Christ with the lost.  What we can do is tell them what Jesus has done for us.  He gives us new life.  He changes us from death to life.  We belong to the Lord and He will never leave us nor will He forsake us.

08/09          John 9:11
He replied, “The man they call Jesus made some mud and put it on my eyes. He told me to go to Siloam and wash. So I went and washed, and then I could see.”

LIFE
When Jesus gives us new life we are alive in Him.  We see Him, we know Him and we seek Him out.  We want to know Him and know Him better.  We spend time with Him for He has the keys of life.  We want to get guidance for living from Him.  Life in the Spirit is counterintuitive to the way the world thinks and lives.  We are alive in Christ and we can see and know the things Jesus talks to us about.

08/10          John 9:12
“Where is this man?” they asked him. “I don’t know,” he said.

KNOW
They didn’t know Jesus.  They thought of Him as someone they could manipulate or control.  They couldn’t for the Lord of all is in control of all and that includes the here and now and eternity.  We are on a stage acting out our life before the Ruler of the Universe.  He sees everything and knows everything.  He is not fearful or wringing His hands but instead is seeking to develop a relationship with His creation.  Jesus loves you.

08/11          John 9:13
They brought to the Pharisees the man who had been blind.

ALWAYS
Evil always seeks to destroy the works of God.  This man was now being hounded by the religious leaders.  They wanted to grill the blind man about what happened.  They were seeking a way to destroy Jesus.  Sometimes when the Lord tells us what He wants us to do we act like He is persecuting us instead of giving us life and light for living.  Watch carefully how you live.

08/12          John 9:14-15
Now the day on which Jesus had made the mud and opened the man’s eyes was a Sabbath.  Therefore the Pharisees also asked him how he had received his sight. “He put mud on my eyes,” the man replied, “and I washed, and now I see.”

MIRACLES
We sometimes miss miracles in our life.  The activity of God is on-going and always going-on.  The Lord is at work in your life in ways that you often do not understand or see.  Thank God for what He does in your life to give you light and life.

08/13          John 9:16
Some of the Pharisees said, “This man is not from God, for he does not keep the Sabbath.” But others asked, “How can a sinner do such miraculous signs?” So they were divided.

HOW?
How can evil mimic the works of good?  It can’t.  A house divided will not stand.  Jesus is the author of all things good and valuable.  Evil never replaces good with good.  Jesus calls us to a higher standard.  Evil calls us to death and lower standards.  Evil destroys.  Jesus creates.

08/14          John 9:17-18
Finally they turned again to the blind man, “What have you to say about him? It was your eyes he opened.” The man replied, “He is a prophet.”  The Jews still did not believe that he had been blind and had received his sight until they sent for the man’s parents.

UNBELIEF
People who do not want to believe in Jesus live in unbelief.  Nothing we can do will persuade them to change.  We pray for them but we also understand that belief is a personal choice.  Choose Jesus.

08/15          John 9:19-20
“Is this your son?” they asked. “Is this the one you say was born blind? How is it that now he can see?”  “We know he is our son,” the parents answered, “and we know he was born blind.

EVIL
Evil always questions the basics.  The questions come as innocent inquiry but they are straight from the pit of hell.  Has God said is a usual ploy.  There are 7,000 plus promises in the Word of God.  Read them and learn them so that you know what God has said.

08/16          John 9:21-23
But how he can see now, or who opened his eyes, we don’t know. Ask him. He is of age; he will speak for himself.”  His parents said this because they were afraid of the Jews, for already the Jews had decided that anyone who acknowledged that Jesus was the Christ would be put out of the synagogue.  That was why his parents said, “He is of age; ask him.”

JESUS
We are responsible for our relationship with Jesus.  No one else can begin or develop that relationship.  The parents knew that they couldn’t answer for the blind man.  Neither you nor I can answer for a best friend or even our own child.  What will you do about Jesus?  Choose Jesus or you’ve chosen to ignore Jesus.

08/17          John 9:24
A second time they summoned the man who had been blind. “Give glory to God, ” they said. “We know this man is a sinner.”

JESUS
Religious workers sometimes forget that they report to the Lord just like we do.  All of us have access to the Father one-way and that is Jesus Christ.  He is the Way, the Truth and the Life that we so desperately seek to live.  Christ is the good life.  We need to be careful when dealing with others especially the lost that we don’t take a position of instructing others as to what God thinks.  Jesus loves us.

08/18          John 9:25
He replied, “Whether he is a sinner or not, I don’t know. One thing I do know. I was blind but now I see!”

JESUS
Nothing is too hard for the Lord.  He is seeking to save the lost.  He would that all be saved.  Salvation is an individual decision.  Jesus saves but mankind has to choose Jesus to be saved.  Many that reject Jesus proclaim that they didn’t have a chance to accept Him.  This is generally a dodge for Christ says whosoever will may come.  When we come by faith believing that the Lord is faithful to His Word we are saved.  Anyone can do that and receive the same salvation that you and I have.

08/19          John 9:26
Then they asked him, “What did he do to you? How did he open your eyes?”

MIRACLES
We waste a lot of time trying to figure our miracles.  They are simply God acting in our best interest.  Many miracles happen in our life that we never notice or realize.  Tragically we are not thankful sometimes for the miracles that we do notice.  A quiet voice whispers in our ear that we didn’t see or experience what we saw.  Our job is to obey God.  God’s job is taking care of us and He does that very well.

08/20          John 9:27
He answered, “I have told you already and you did not listen. Why do you want to hear it again? Do you want to become his disciples, too?”

QUESTION
Do you want to become His disciple too?  Are you a disciple?  Only you can make that choice.  Follow Jesus.  Let Him lead you.  Be His disciple.  Life will change.  You will change.  Serve the Lord with gladness.

08/21          John 9:28
Then they hurled insults at him and said, “You are this fellow’s disciple! We are disciples of Moses!

WHO?
The religious leaders can control Moses.  He can’t correct.  They don’t fear Moses.  On the other hand, they want to control God who they cannot control.  When God moves it is because He has chosen to move.  We cannot orchestrate the activities of God.  His Words to us: SURRENDER and OBEY.

08/22          John 9:29
We know that God spoke to Moses, but as for this fellow, we don’t even know where he comes from.”

IGNORANCE
This is real ignorance.  Jesus testified where He came from and who He was.  The Holy Spirit by the activity of God testified as to His credentials when He healed the man blind from birth.  Moses acted as God’s emissary.  Jesus was the Son of God and He had given significant evidence to this claim.  Jesus is Lord.

08/23          John 9:30
The man answered, “Now that is remarkable! You don’t know where he comes from, yet he opened my eyes.

MIRACLE
The testimony was this was the work of God.  Jesus did the work.  What has Jesus done in your life?  Are you hurting?  Jesus will heal the hurt.  Are you seeking to find comfort, peace, and joy?  Jesus brings these things to a relationship.  He is the giver of all good and perfect gifts.

08/24          John 9:31
We know that God does not listen to sinners. He listens to the godly man who does his will.

ACT
We are becoming a society that talks and doesn’t act.  We purpose good, we think of very good things to do but until we actually do them we haven’t done anything.  Ask the Lord to come into your heart.  If you have already done this ask the Lord to help you grow and get busy doing what He created you to do.  Obedience is critical in an active Christian life.

08/25          John 9:32-33
Nobody has ever heard of opening the eyes of a man born blind.  If this man were not from God, he could do nothing.”

CONTROL
We think we are in control and then life happens and we know we are not in control.  The Lord is always in control.  When we build a relationship with Jesus we can live our life knowing that He knows what is going on with our life.  Relax, the Lord is in control.

08/25          John 9:32-33
Nobody has ever heard of opening the eyes of a man born blind.  If this man were not from God, he could do nothing.”

CONTROL
We think we are in control and then life happens and we know we are not in control.  The Lord is always in control.  When we build a relationship with Jesus we can live our life knowing that He knows what is going on with our life.  Relax, the Lord is in control.

08/26          John 9:34
To this they replied, “You were steeped in sin at birth; how dare you lecture us!” And they threw him out.

ACCUSATIONS
An accusation about someone else’s sin doesn’t clear us from our sin.  Do not get confused with what sin is.  We do sin.  Without exception each one of us sin.  When we are dealing with the spiritual realm and we aren’t dealing with overt sins (murder, rebellion, etc.) we must be careful as we criticize others.  When we point our finger at someone else there are three fingers pointing at us.

08/27          John 9:35
Jesus heard that they had thrown him out, and when he found him, he said, “Do you believe in the Son of Man?”

JESUS
Do you believe in Jesus?  Does your life show it?  Are you growing day by day in obedience to the Lord?  This is a critical life issue.  Make sure that you believe in Jesus.  Only you can finalize your relationship with Jesus.

08/28          John 9:36
“Who is he, sir?” the man asked. “Tell me so that I may believe in him.”

JESUS
Jesus is Lord.  He is a coequal member of the Holy Trinity.  He is the creator, our savior and the One we will be with throughout eternity.  He came to pay the price for our sin and provide salvation, relationship with the Father.  He is Lord and He can be our Lord if we but ask Him.

08/29          John 9:37-38
Jesus said, “You have now seen him; in fact, he is the one speaking with you.”   Then the man said, “LORD, I believe,” and he worshiped him.

BELIEVE
Jesus is God.  He isn’t just a good man.  He isn’t just a great teacher.  He taught that He was Lord and He lives now as Lord of all things.  When we believe in our heart that Christ saves us, confess our sin and ask Him for forgiveness we have been saved as the Bible presents a salvation experience.  God is in control and we do not have to be at the mercy of the world.

08/30          John 9:39
Jesus said, “For judgment I have come into this world, so that the blind will see and those who see will become blind.”

JESUS
Jesus came as our Savior.  He will return as ruler and eternal judge.  Better to get it right here than to spend eternity lamenting that our few short years on earth were for naught.  Ask Christ to forgive you sin and celebrate real life in Christ day by day.

08/31          John 9:40-41
Some Pharisees who were with him heard him say this and asked, “What? Are we blind too?”  Jesus said, “If you were blind, you would not be guilty of sin; but now that you claim you can see, your guilt remains.

SIN
Mankind cannot escape sin.  It is everywhere, inside of us and outside of us.  Step one is to admit we cannot heal our self from sin.   Step two is the realization that the only One who can forgive our sin is Jesus.  Step three we ask Him to forgive our sin and to come and reside in our heart.  Step four is to believe that God will really do what He said He was going to do and indeed saved us.  Accept His salvation and let it change the way we act and think and live.  Jesus is Lord.

7/1              John 8:1-2
Jesus returned to the Mount of Olives, but early the next morning he was back again at the Temple. A crowd soon gathered, and he sat down and taught them.

JESUS
Jesus came to save people from their sin.  He spent many hours teaching people.  You and I can have that same type of teaching today by reading the Word, listening to the Holy Spirit and letting Jesus guide us each day.

7/2              John 8:3-6
As he was speaking, the teachers of religious law and Pharisees brought a woman they had caught in the act of adultery. They put her in front of the crowd.  “Teacher,” they said to Jesus, “this woman was caught in the very act of adultery.  The law of Moses says to stone her. What do you say?”  They were trying to trap him into saying something they could use against him, but Jesus stooped down and wrote in the dust with his finger.

RIGHT
We want to do the right things sometimes.  Jesus did the right thing all the time.  The Pharisees were trying to trap Him.  Jesus knows our heart and is aware of what we think.  He knew the Pharisees and their evil nature.  Knowing this He let the Father guide Him in answering the question they asked.  We can receive wisdom for daily living by simply asking the Father to give us His wisdom.

7/3              John 8:7
They kept demanding an answer, so he stood up again and said, “All right, stone her. But let those who have never sinned throw the first stones!”

WISDOM
Jesus was filled with wisdom from the Father.  We can have this same wisdom if we will ask for it.  Do not let the world run you down but instead be filled with the Lord and His Spirit so that you can face the challenges of daily life.  Jesus is Lord.

7/4              John 8:8-11
Then he stooped down again and wrote in the dust.  When the accusers heard this, they slipped away one by one, beginning with the oldest, until only Jesus was left in the middle of the crowd with the woman.  Then Jesus stood up again and said to her, “Where are your accusers? Didn’t even one of them condemn you?”  “No, Lord,” she said. And Jesus said, “Neither do I. Go and sin no more.”

JESUS
Are you trying to fool the Lord?  Is your life one way with Christians and another way with the lost?  Jesus gives us the wisdom we need for living our life.  We don’t have to wonder or doubt His care for us because He will walk with us as we face life’s challenges.  Spend time with Jesus.  Let Him know what you are thinking and ask Him specifically for what you need.  He will do it.

7/5              John 8:12
Jesus said to the people, “I am the light of the world. If you follow me, you won’t be stumbling through the darkness, because you will have the light that leads to life.”

LIGHT
Sometimes we get burdened with life.  We may find ourselves confused or out of sorts.  That is when we need to go to Jesus.  Ask Him for light for living.  We need His light so that we will not stumble in the way that we walk.  We need to see clearly what He is calling us to do.  Ask Jesus and He will help you.

7/6              John 8:13
The Pharisees replied, “You are making false claims about yourself!”

JESUS
The world does not recognize Jesus.  They have all kinds of fairy tales about where we come from, how we are made, who made and on and on.  These are fairy tales.  God is our Father.  He made us.  He loves us and will never leave us or forsake us.  The Lord is for us and who can be against us.  We will overcome and we will succeed because Jesus will be with us all of our life.

7/7              John 8:14-18
Jesus told them, “These claims are valid even though I make them about myself. For I know where I came from and where I am going, but you don’t know this about me.  You judge me with all your human limitations, but I am not judging anyone.  And if I did, my judgment would be correct in every respect because I am not alone — I have with me the Father who sent me.  Your own law says that if two people agree about something, their witness is accepted as fact. I am one witness, and my Father who sent me is the other.”

JESUS
Jesus did what no one else could do and still they doubted Him.  He died for our sin and was raised from the dead and still mankind doubts Him.  You and I do not doubt Him for we know whom we have believed.  Jesus is alive and lives in our hearts.  He gives us wisdom for living.  He provides light for our daily walk,  Jesus is Lord.

7/8              John 8:19
“Where is your father?” they asked. Jesus answered, “Since you don’t know who I am, you don’t know who my Father is. If you knew me, then you would know my Father, too.”

JESUS
People get confused about their position in life.  In all honesty each one of us is moving inexorably towards a date when this life will cease.  What have we done to deal with that most urgent of issues-where are we going?  Jesus gives us direction for this life and the life to come.  Listen to Him.

7/9              John 8:20
Jesus made these statements while he was teaching in the section of the Temple known as the Treasury. But he was not arrested, because his time had not yet come.

CONTROL
The Lord is in control.  It may seem chaotic in your life and at times life may seem totally out of control.  It isn’t.  Remember that the Lord knows where you are and what you are going through.  He will not forsake you nor will He forget you.

7/10            John 8:21-22
Later Jesus said to them again, “I am going away. You will search for me and die in your sin. You cannot come where I am going.”  The Jewish leaders asked, “Is he planning to commit suicide? What does he mean, ‘You cannot come where I am going’?”

ETERNITY
It is hard for us to comprehend eternity.  Most of us struggle just to get from Monday to Friday.  Considering eternity is far beyond the human mind to fully comprehend.  We can experience Jesus right now.  He will never leave us.  This experience of His presence will always be with us if we have asked Christ to come into our life.  If you haven’t asked Him into your life do it now.  Jesus will be with you now and forever.

7/11            John 8:23-24
Then he said to them, “You are from below; I am from above. You are of this world; I am not.  That is why I said that you will die in your sins; for unless you believe that I am who I say I am, you will die in your sins.”

LOST
Mankind is dead in its trespasses and sin.  On our own we do not look for God nor are we concerned a great deal about knowing God.  Yes people have a God need in their inner being but so many are simple trying to fill that need themselves.  Ask Jesus to reveal Himself to you as Savior if you have never asked Him to do that.  Jesus really is the way to the Father.

7/12            John 8:25-26
“Tell us who you are,” they demanded. Jesus replied, “I am the one I have always claimed to be.  I have much to say about you and much to condemn, but I won’t. For I say only what I have heard from the one who sent me, and he is true.”

WHO
Many people express knowledge of God and who He is; and ignorance of Jesus Christ.  Christ Himself says this is impossible.  Jesus is Lord and He is the only way to the Father.

7/13            John 8:27
But they still didn’t understand that he was talking to them about his Father.

JESUS
Jesus always talks about the Father.  He does exactly what the Father calls Him to do.  His work on Earth and now from the right hand of the Father is to honor and glorify Him.  Jesus will teach us the right way to go.  Jesus will guide us by His light.  Spend time with Jesus and you will know the Father.

7/14            John 8:28
So Jesus said, “When you have lifted up the Son of Man on the cross, then you will realize that I am he and that I do nothing on my own, but I speak what the Father taught me.

JESUS
When you talk with Jesus you are talking with God.  Jesus guides us in the right way.  How can we deal with today’s problems?  Talk with Jesus.  How do we deal with the unknown?  Talk with Jesus.  By faith we fellowship with Him and receive guidance for what to do next.  Jesus is Lord and He is interested in a relationship with us.

7/15            John 8:29
And the one who sent me is with me — he has not deserted me. For I always do those things that are pleasing to him.”

JESUS
Get to know Jesus and you will know more about yourself.  He will show you your sin and He will forgive you sin.  His way will equip you to accomplish the very best with your life.  Jesus develops us to lead an abundant life.  No matter the problems, no matter the difficulties, Jesus will lead us in the way we should go.  The end result of our obedience will be a life of abundance, peace and joy.  You will not be alone and our lives will be worthy.

7/16            John 8:30-32
Then many who heard him say these things believed in him.  Jesus said to the people who believed in him, “You are truly my disciples if you keep obeying my teachings.  And you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free.”

FREE
We can be free.  We don’t have to worry.  We can finish well.  Jesus is Lord and He is on our side.  Bend the knee in obedience to Jesus and you will discover a life of limitless opportunities.

7/17            John 8:33-34
“But we are descendants of Abraham,” they said. “We have never been slaves to anyone on earth. What do you mean, ‘set free’?”  Jesus replied, “I assure you that everyone who sins is a slave of sin.

SIN
We don’t take sin seriously.  We drift away from God and look at ourselves and pronounce that things have changed.  The ways of God are different for our day.  In our society today God’s truth has simply become a suggestion or worse totally ignored.  When we drift we always drift towards sin and never towards God.  Stop where you are and ask the Lord where am I?  Jesus will touch you and reveal you sin to you.  Then you have to decide whether or not you will change.  My prayer for you as it is for myself repent and run back to the Lord.

7/18            John 8:35-36
A slave is not a permanent member of the family, but a son is part of the family forever. So if the Son sets you free, you will indeed be free.

JESUS
Jesus sets us free from sin.  We can live a Godly life.  We can be like Jesus.  But it takes a decision on our part every day that we will walk in the ways of God.  We are free to choose so for us to be growing we have to spend time with Jesus.  Read the Word, listen to what the Word says and obey God.  Walk in the ways of the Lord.

7/19            John 8:37
Yes, I realize that you are descendants of Abraham. And yet some of you are trying to kill me because my message does not find a place in your hearts. I am telling you what I saw when I was with my Father. But you are following the advice of your father.”

CHOICE
People choose to sin.  We don’t have to choose to sin.  The world is dead in its trespasses and sin.  We are alive in Jesus Christ.  Today choose who you will follow.  Follow Jesus and walk in Christ.

7/20            John 8:39
“Our father is Abraham,” they declared. “No,” Jesus replied, “for if you were children of Abraham, you would follow his good example.

FAITH
Abraham believed God and it was accorded to Him as an act of faith.  Our relationship with Jesus is a faith relationship.  We believe in Him and that belief in Christ has connected us with Him eternally.  Today when I face the challenges of my life I believe that Jesus is going to walk with me through them.  I believe His promises in His Word about all of the things He will do for us and through us.  Jesus is Lord.  Let Abraham be an example to you.

7/21            John 8:40
I told you the truth I heard from God, but you are trying to kill me. Abraham wouldn’t do a thing like that.

TRUTH
We are sensitive to wanting to tell the truth, but the truth is that we are often tempted to hedge on telling the unvarnished truth.  Jesus told the truth and His Word tells the truth to us today: without Jesus we are dead in our trespasses and sin. If we have asked Jesus to come into our life we are alive in Christ.  This is the truth.

7/22            John 8:41
No, you are obeying your real father when you act that way.” They replied, “We were not born out of wedlock! Our true Father is God himself.”

PEOPLE
People often think that something is true just because they think it.  They say some thing long enough and enough times that it becomes true in their mind.  Over a long period of time it becomes true in their heart.  Then they pass on to others these foolish tales and ideas.  Soon a cult or religion is established.  Jesus said, “I am the way, the truth and the life-there is no other way to the Father.”

7/23            John 8:42
Jesus told them, “If God were your Father, you would love me, because I have come to you from God. I am not here on my own, but he sent me.

JESUS
Jesus is God.  He came to us and He is God.  He lives now for us and He is Lord.  He will never leave us nor forsake us.  We can live our life knowing that Jesus is our Redeemer and Savior and nothing can separate us from His presence.

7/24            John 8:43-44
Why can’t you understand what I am saying? It is because you are unable to do so! For you are the children of your father the Devil, and you love to do the evil things he does. He was a murderer from the beginning and has always hated the truth. There is no truth in him. When he lies, it is consistent with his character; for he is a liar and the father of lies.

LOST
The Lost belong to the Evil One.  They are dead in their sin and will never no God unless they come to Jesus Christ.  We are the representatives of Jesus and as such are always on display before a lost world.  Let the world know about Jesus by the way you live, act and talk-tell someone about Jesus.

7/25            John 8:45-47
So when I tell the truth, you just naturally don’t believe me! Which of you can truthfully accuse me of sin? And since I am telling you the truth, why don’t you believe me? Anyone whose Father is God listens gladly to the words of God. Since you don’t, it proves you aren’t God’s children.”

LISTEN
Listen to the Lord.  Spend time reading His Word.  Listen to the quickening of the Holy Spirit when you read.  The Lord will speak to you in a way that is unique to you.  Spend time with the Lord in prayer.  Talk to Him and listen for His answers.  The Lord loves spending time with us.  Spend time with Him.

7/26            John 8:48-49
The people retorted, “You Samaritan devil! Didn’t we say all along that you were possessed by a demon?”  “No,” Jesus said, “I have no demon in me. For I honor my Father — and you dishonor me.

HONOR
Honor the Lord.  Step one is obedience.  Do those things He has specifically told us to do.  Don’t major on the minor but instead do those things that we know and understand are His specific directions to us to do.  Once we learn to live in constant obedience to Him everything else will fall into place.  Obey the Lord.

7/27            John 8:50
And though I have no wish to glorify myself, God wants to glorify me. Let him be the judge.

JESUS
The focus of all of history is Jesus.  One day all things will kneel before Him and declare His glory and praise.  Praise the Lord who is alive and who lives so that we might have life.  Today praise the Lord.  Let Him know from your heart how much you love Him.  Glorious is the Lord.  Wonderful and might is Christ the Lord.

7/28            John 8:51
I assure you, anyone who obeys my teaching will never die!”

LIFE
In Jesus we have life, real life.  He is worthy of our dedication and devotion.  He is calling us to obedience.  We can choose.  Will we follow the One who knows what we should be doing or will we bend the knee to self and wander in darkness?  Think about it.  Do you want to be the kind of person you know in your heart you are or will you permit yourself to continue to be controlled by the vagaries and evil of this world?  Choose Jesus.

7/29            John 8:52-53
The people said, “Now we know you are possessed by a demon. Even Abraham and the prophets died, but you say that those who obey your teaching will never die!  Are you greater than our father Abraham, who died? Are you greater than the prophets, who died? Who do you think you are?”

JESUS
Who do you think Jesus is?  Do you believe that He is Lord of all things, creator, and giver of life?  Have you asked Him to take control of your life and to forgive you of your sin?  If you has His testimony is that He has given you new life.  He makes us alive to spiritual things.  We are able to deal with our sin.  We are given the right and authority to take control of our life.  Once we are in control of our life we will find that doing the right things becomes a part of who we are.  We ask Him for direction and guidance.  We live in Him and He gives us direction for living.

7/30            John 8:54-56
Jesus answered, “If I am merely boasting about myself, it doesn’t count. But it is my Father who says these glorious things about me. You say, ‘He is our God,’ but you do not even know him. I know him. If I said otherwise, I would be as great a liar as you! But it is true — I know him and obey him.  Your ancestor Abraham rejoiced as he looked forward to my coming. He saw it and was glad.”

FAITH
We know Him and experience Him by faith.  It is by faith that we accept His offer of life.  It is by faith we believe that what He says He will do.  I am alive in Christ and I live this life by faith in the Lord Jesus Christ that He will do exactly what He says He will do.  I will not be alone.  He will never desert me.  He will give me direction for daily living.

7/31            John 8:57-59
The people said, “You aren’t even fifty years old. How can you say you have seen Abraham? ”  Jesus answered, “The truth is, I existed before Abraham was even born!” At that point they picked up stones to kill him. But Jesus hid himself from them and left the Temple.

JESUS
His testimony is that He and the Father are one.  The Three, Holy Spirit, Son and Father are ONE and have been together since before the beginning of anything.  They exist because they ARE.  Jesus testifies that He is One with the Father and the Holy Spirit.  When we talk with Jesus we are talking with the Father.  Our conversation with Christ is a conversation with God.

06/01          John 7:1-3
After this, Jesus stayed in Galilee, going from village to village. He wanted to stay out of Judea where the Jewish leaders were plotting his death.  But soon it was time for the Festival of Shelters, and Jesus’ brothers urged him to go to Judea for the celebration. “Go where your followers can see your miracles!” they scoffed.

JESUS
Jesus knew why He was here.  His disciples didn’t get it.  He was seeking to help those in Galilee and was not going to let others push Him into doing something that could deter His mission.  Jesus knew that we needed Him to do exactly what He would do.  Think about it.  We too should do exactly what Christ calls us to do.

06/02          John 7:4-5
“You can’t become a public figure if you hide like this! If you can do such wonderful things, prove it to the world!”  For even his brothers didn’t believe in him.

BELIEVE
Some talk about how hard it is to be a good Christian.  It’s easy when you believe Jesus.  It’s hard when you try to run things yourself.  A Christian lifestyle should be directed by Jesus and based on our belief and trust in Him.

06/03          John 7:6-7
Jesus replied, “Now is not the right time for me to go. But you can go anytime, and it will make no difference.  The world can’t hate you, but it does hate me because I accuse it of sin and evil.

SIN
Sin is the malady that tracks each one of us.  Sin is so desperately seeking to destroy us.  We need to be on the alert.  We need to be watchful.  Jesus will help us avoid being overrun by sin.  The great tragedy is that most folks don’t take sin seriously and they don’t turn to Jesus for His strength and guidance until they are neck deep in sin.

06/04          John 7:8-9
You go on. I am not yet ready to go to this festival, because my time has not yet come.”   So Jesus remained in Galilee.

JESUS
Talk with Jesus.  He knows what is going on.  He can give you expert advice about your life.  Don’t try to go it alone ask Christ to teach you step by step.

06/05          John 7:10
But after his brothers had left for the festival, Jesus also went, though secretly, staying out of public view.

JESUS
He knew the right thing to do.  He knew what people thought.  He knew what He was called to do.  No mistakes or missteps.  Christ is deeply concerned about our personal life.  We need help to make it through the darkness of the world.  Ask Jesus and He will shepherd you.

06/06          John 7:11
The Jewish leaders tried to find him at the festival and kept asking if anyone had seen him.

JESUS
Christ knew who wanted Him and why.  He was careful to show Himself at the appropriate time.  Let me encourage you to see yourself as a part of His family, an important part of the Lord’s family.  He will teach you in the way you should go.

06/07          John 7:12-13
There was a lot of discussion about him among the crowds. Some said, “He’s a wonderful man,” while others said, “He’s nothing but a fraud, deceiving the people.”  But no one had the courage to speak favorably about him in public, for they were afraid of getting in trouble with the Jewish leaders.

FEAR
Fear drives us away from good things and good opportunities.  It causes us to do unwise things.  Do not fear.  Take your challenges to Jesus and let Him speak a word of wisdom and truth to you.

06/08          John 7:14-15
Then, midway through the festival, Jesus went up to the Temple and began to teach.   The Jewish leaders were surprised when they heard him. “How does he know so much when he hasn’t studied everything we’ve studied?” they asked.

WISDOM
The Word of God is wisdom.  It is the essence and base of truth.  God is the start of everything.  When we don’t know the Father we are literally living as walking dead people.  The Bible tells us that all have sinned and that the wages of sin are death.

06/09          John 7:16-17.
So Jesus told them, “I’m not teaching my own ideas, but those of God who sent me.  Anyone who wants to do the will of God will know whether my teaching is from God or is merely my own.

JESUS
The Holy Spirit directs us in our relationship with Jesus.  One cannot deny Jesus and then claim that Jesus lives in them.  We are either directed by Jesus or not.  This is a choice that we make.  Humility is denying self and surrendering to Jesus.  If we are in control we are out of Jesus’ control.

06/10          John 7:18
Those who present their own ideas are looking for praise for themselves, but those who seek to honor the one who sent them are good and genuine.

LORD
We want to follow the Lord.  We follow Him by our obedience, focus on Him and Him only, surrender our own prerogatives and serve others.  People count with Jesus and when they count with us we are living like Him.

06/11          John 7:19
None of you obeys the law of Moses! In fact, you are trying to kill me.”  The crowd replied, “You’re demon possessed! Who’s trying to kill you?”

CROWD
The crowd never follows Jesus.  When we focus our life on Christ we are no longer a part of the crowd.  We have pulled away to be with Jesus.  Our personal walk is a walk of obedience.  Do the next right thing.

06/12          John 7:21-24
Jesus replied, “I worked on the Sabbath by healing a man, and you were offended.  But you work on the Sabbath, too, when you obey Moses’ law of circumcision. (Actually, this tradition of circumcision is older than the law of Moses; it goes back to Abraham.)  For if the correct time for circumcising your son falls on the Sabbath, you go ahead and do it, so as not to break the law of Moses. So why should I be condemned for making a man completely well on the Sabbath?  Think this through and you will see that I am right.”

TRADITION
Tradition misuses people.  What was important in one generation, not Biblical things but human things, may not be important in this generation.  For example we no longer travel by horses and we can light a building with electric lights.  In earlier times people worshipped at a certain time because they had to travel by horse and the buildings weren’t well lit.  Today we travel by car and our buildings can be lit at night as though it were day.  The time our church meets can be early Sunday morning, late Saturday night, late Sunday and still meet the needs of the people.  There are other things we need to think about also.  Some traditions have no relevance for today but Jesus is always relevant.

06/13          John 7:25-27
Some of the people who lived there in Jerusalem said among themselves, “Isn’t this the man they are trying to kill?  But here he is, speaking in public, and they say nothing to him. Can it be that our leaders know that he really is the Messiah?  But how could he be? For we know where this man comes from. When the Messiah comes, he will simply appear; no one will know where he comes from.”

WISDOM
People need wisdom.  When they are lost they are dead in their trespasses and sin and cannot comprehend the things of God.  When Jesus indwells us, when we are part of the family of God, the Lord will give us the wisdom we need to understand what He is saying to us.  The folks in Jesus day was more interested in Him meeting their daily needs for food, shelter and clothing than they were about letting Him have control of their life.  Let Jesus have control of your life and He will not disappoint you.

06/14          John 7:28-29
While Jesus was teaching in the Temple, he called out, “Yes, you know me, and you know where I come from. But I represent one you don’t know, and he is true.  I know him because I have come from him, and he sent me to you.”

JESUS
Jesus was the one and only son of the Lord High God.  He came that we might be saved from our sin.  His death on the cross paid the debt that we had for our sin and Jesus ransomed us from death to life.  Christ is alive and lives in us and if He does then we have been saved.  If we confess with our mouth and believe in our hearts Jesus is Lord then we are saved.

06/15          John 7:30-31
Then the leaders tried to arrest him; but no one laid a hand on him, because his time had not yet come.  Many among the crowds at the Temple believed in him. “After all,” they said, “would you expect the Messiah to do more miraculous signs than this man has done?”

TIME
Time limits us but it does not limit God.  His plans are unchangeable.  He knows the end from the beginning.  The Lord’s plans will succeed and we can be a part of His plan.  Know the Lord and live under His control.  Be a blessing to someone today.

06/16          John 7:32-33
When the Pharisees heard that the crowds were murmuring such things, they and the leading priests sent Temple guards to arrest Jesus.  But Jesus told them, “I will be here a little longer. Then I will return to the one who sent me.

CONTROL
Jesus knew how to deal with people.  He knew what was going on.  He was totally committed to following the will of the Father.  The activity for us as we struggle day by day is to keep focused on Jesus and let Him give us direction for living today.

06/17          John 7:34
You will search for me but not find me. And you won’t be able to come where I am.”

WORLD
The world always looked at Jesus as an outsider and rebel.  He was roundly criticized.  The people knew all of the reasons why their life was a mess.  Jesus knew that the only answer to a messed up life was to surrender one’s life to Jesus.  Jesus is the only way to life a full and abundant life.

06/18          John 7:35-36
The Jewish leaders were puzzled by this statement. “Where is he planning to go?” they asked. “Maybe he is thinking of leaving the country and going to the Jews in other lands, or maybe even to the Gentiles!  What does he mean when he says, ‘You will search for me but not find me,’ and ‘You won’t be able to come where I am’?”

LEADERS
Leaders often mislead their followers because they succumb to greediness or selfishness and no longer believe that someone would follow them even when it looked foolish to do so.  Jesus knew what the people and their leaders thought.  They didn’t know God’s plan for their rescue.  They were dead in their trespasses and sin.  A wise person trusts in God.

06/19          John 7:37-39
On the last day, the climax of the festival, Jesus stood and shouted to the crowds, “If you are thirsty, come to me!  If you believe in me, come and drink! For the Scriptures declare that rivers of living water will flow out from within.”  (When he said “living water,” he was speaking of the Spirit, who would be given to everyone believing in him. But the Spirit had not yet been given, because Jesus had not yet entered into his glory.)

LIFE
Jesus is life.  He gives us the things that we need to grow and mature.  He has a plan for our life.  Working God’s plan gives us real peace and satisfaction.  Obeying the Lord is a joy and not a burden.  Jesus enables us to have that level of obedience.

06/20          John 7:40
When the crowds heard him say this, some of them declared, “This man surely is the Prophet.”

UNDERSTANDING
Not long after this pronouncement the same folks condemned Jesus.  They didn’t know Him nor did they seek to know Him.  They wanted His to meet their needs and be subservient to them.  Jesus knew their heart and didn’t listen to their words.  Jesus listened to the Father and followed Him absolutely.  Don’t listen to the world.  Follow Jesus.

06/21          John 7:41-43
Others said, “He is the Messiah.” Still others said, “But he can’t be! Will the Messiah come from Galilee?  For the Scriptures clearly state that the Messiah will be born of the royal line of David, in Bethlehem, the village where King David was born.”  So the crowd was divided in their opinion about him.

WORLD
The world is always fussing and fuming about Jesus.  It will not follow Him.  It will never understand Him.  Only when we come to Him and ask Him for life-Lord forgive me of my sin and come into my heart-will we ever be able to deal with our life.  Jesus is Lord.

06/22          John 7:44
And some wanted him arrested, but no one touched him.

POWER
God is able to do what is necessary to accomplish His purpose.  He can change the climate.  He can destroy an army.  He can channel our foolishness until at last we willingly follow Him.  What will it take for you to follow Jesus?  Think about it.  God will deliver you from that stumbling block.  You do not have to suffer or fail the Lord is able.

06/23          John 7:45
The Temple guards who had been sent to arrest him returned to the leading priests and Pharisees. “Why didn’t you bring him in?” they demanded.

PEOPLE
Powerful people think that their power is absolute.  It isn’t, in fact the power of people is very limited.  Power that people have is always limited by circumstance, time, health or the Lord.  If we are at war with God we will never succeed.  Accepting Jesus as Lord and Savior gives us peace with God.  Our relationship with the Lord is the most important issue that we will face.  Once we have peace with the Father everything else will work out in time.

06/24          John 7:46
“We have never heard anyone talk like this!” the guards responded.

JESUS
Jesus is Lord.  He knows what is going on and He will deal with the obstacles we face in our daily life.  The key is that we have to be in obedience to Him.  If we are obeying the Lord we will be able to deal with the daily issues that we face.  We will know what to do and how to do it.

06/25          John 7:47
“Have you been led astray, too?” the Pharisees mocked.

JESUS
Jesus will never lead you astray.  He died that we might have life.  He lives so that we too might be able to do those things that the Lord says we should do.  Life is uncertain.  Life in Christ is certain.  Jesus is Lord.

06/26          John 7:48
“Is there a single one of us rulers or Pharisees who believes in him?

BELIEVE
I must choose to believe in Jesus.  The world doesn’t believe and is dead in their trespasses and sin.  The world creates myths and foolish ideas to believe.  If we believe in Jesus we believe in the only Son of God who died for our sin so that we might have life.  In Jesus and Jesus only can we find real life, eternal life, life like the Father.

06/27          John 7:49
These ignorant crowds do, but what do they know about it? A curse on them anyway!”

CURSE
Those who do not believe in Jesus are living under a curse.  They are dead in their trespasses and sin.  Jesus is Lord and He has told us what we should do.  Believe in the Lord Jesus Christ and we shall be saved.

06/28          John 7:50
Nicodemus, the leader who had met with Jesus earlier, then spoke up.

SALVATION
Nicodemus wanted to be a follower of Jesus but He couldn’t bend his knee to Christ the Lord.  Do you believe in Jesus?  If you do you are saved for there is salvation in no other name than the name of Jesus.

06/29          John 7:51
“Is it legal to convict a man before he is given a hearing?” he asked.

HEARING
We have been given and opportunity to hear Jesus.  We have no one to blame if we fail to ask Him to give us life, the kind of life like Gods.  Jesus is Lord.  The question we must answer is have we let Him be Lord of us.

06/30          John 7:52-53
They replied, “Are you from Galilee, too? Search the Scriptures and see for yourself — no prophet ever comes from Galilee!”  Then the meeting broke up and everybody went home.

LIE
People will use a lie to mislead us.  They will dress it up in a coat and apply it any way they choose.  Anything that names something else as our focus or our hope is a lie.  Jesus is Lord.  He is Lord no matter what we do.  The call is to let Jesus have

05/01          Psalm 89:27-28
I will make him my firstborn son, the mightiest king on earth.  I will love him and be kind to him forever; my covenant with him will never end.

JESUS
Messianic comments from God Himself simply stating He is eternally connected with Jesus.  The Lord is able and willing to connect with us.  Let Him change your view of your life.  Ask Him to let you know His plan for you.  Be about the master’s business.

05/02          Psalm 89:29-32
I will preserve an heir for him; his throne will be as endless as the days of heaven.  But if his sons forsake my law and fail to walk in my ways, if they do not obey my decrees and fail to keep my commands, then I will punish their sin with the rod, and their disobedience with beating.

OBEDIENCE
The Lord loves obedience more than sacrifice.  We are called to obey Him because He knows what is right.  The Lord knows the end from the beginning and He knows what we need and what we are able to do.  Jesus loves you and me.

05/03          Psalm 89:33-37
But I will never stop loving him, nor let my promise to him fail.  No, I will not break my covenant; I will not take back a single word I said.  I have sworn an oath to David, and in my holiness I cannot lie: His dynasty will go on forever; his throne is as secure as the sun, as eternal as the moon, my faithful witness in the sky!”

JESUS
The Lord is eternal.  He has a plan.  We can be included in His plan if we accept His offer of a family relationship-salvation in Jesus Christ.  The Lord is mighty and is able to keep us safe throughout eternity.

05/04          Psalm 89:38-40
But now you have rejected him. Why are you so angry with the one you chose as king?  You have renounced your covenant with him, for you have thrown his crown in the dust.  You have broken down the walls protecting him and laid in ruins every fort defending him.

SUFFERING SERVANT
Jesus suffered and died for us.  His death was overcome by the power of God and Jesus was raised from the dead, defeating death and providing for us exactly what we need: salvation.

05/05          Psalm 89:41-45
Everyone who comes along has robbed him while his neighbors mock.  You have strengthened his enemies against him and made them all rejoice.  You have made his sword useless and have refused to help him in battle.  You have ended his splendor and overturned his throne.  You have made him old before his time and publicly disgraced him.

SUFFERING
We do not understand suffering.  We think the way things are right now is forever but the only thing that is forever is our relationship with the Lord.  Put aside your mourning clothes and praise God.  Praise and Glorify the Lord for He is wonderful.  Bless the Lord O my soul!

05/06          Psalm 89:46-48
O LORD, how long will this go on? Will you hide yourself forever? How long will your anger burn like fire?  Remember how short my life is, how empty and futile this human existence!  No one can live forever; all will die. No one can escape the power of the grave.

LIFE
Our life is very short.  The Lord is eternal.  The Lord is seeking to bring us into His family.  In Christ we live eternally.  In Jesus we become a member of God’s family.

05/07          Psalm 89:49
Lord, where is your unfailing love? You promised it to David with a faithful pledge.  Consider, Lord, how your servants are disgraced! I carry in my heart the insults of so many people.  Your enemies have mocked me, O LORD; they mock the one you anointed as king.  Blessed be the LORD forever! Amen and amen!

PRAISE
Praise the Lord.  Praise Him now today.  We don’t understand a lot of things.  Praise the Lord.  We get some of the things we think we understand wrong.  We are hateful creatures.  Praise the Lord.  We can’t fix things our self but we can praise the Lord, in all things give praise to the Lord God Almighty.

05/08          John 6:1-2
After this, Jesus crossed over the Sea of Galilee, also known as the Sea of Tiberias.  And a huge crowd kept following him wherever he went, because they saw his miracles as he healed the sick.

JESUS
People need Jesus.  Those in His day knew that He had something they needed.  They saw the healing and they heard His words and it changed their life.  For the first time someone cared for them, someone with authority cared and they were willing to do whatever it took to find out about Jesus.

05/09          John 6:3-6
Then Jesus went up into the hills and sat down with his disciples around him.  (It was nearly time for the annual Passover celebration.)  Jesus soon saw a great crowd of people climbing the hill, looking for him. Turning to Philip, he asked, “Philip, where can we buy bread to feed all these people?”  He was testing Philip, for he already knew what he was going to do.

JESUS
Does God really want your help?  Are you willing to help Him?  He can do it without you but Jesus would that we become partners together with Him.  What is the Lord asking you about?  Has He given you a word of healing, a word of ministry or some other word about the yearning of your heart?  If He has then He is simply calling you to obedience and obedience always starts right now-do the next right thing.

05/10          John 6:7-9
Philip replied, “It would take a small fortune  to feed them!”  Then Andrew, Simon Peter’s brother, spoke up.  “There’s a young boy here with five barley loaves and two fish. But what good is that with this huge crowd?”

SUFFICIENT
Jesus is sufficient for my life.  He will meet my needs.  He will equip me to pray, work for and befriend the needy.  His work is worthy work that uses our obedience to accomplish His ministry among mankind.  No apology ever needed for serving the Lord.

05/11          John 6:10-11
“Tell everyone to sit down,” Jesus ordered. So all of them — the men alone numbered five thousand — sat down on the grassy slopes.  Then Jesus took the loaves, gave thanks to God, and passed them out to the people. Afterward he did the same with the fish. And they all ate until they were full.

NEED
Jesus knows our need.  He loves us.  He is sensitive to the things happening in our lives.  Jesus meets us at the point of our need and is willing to walk us through it.  Give your heart and mind to Christ and He will not disappoint you.

05/12          John 6:12-13
“Now gather the leftovers,” Jesus told his disciples, “so that nothing is wasted.”   There were only five barley loaves to start with, but twelve baskets were filled with the pieces of bread the people did not eat!

PEOPLE
People count most with Jesus.  He did not come to create a wealthy empire but instead to offer participation in an eternal kingdom.  He is concerned about our daily needs, our heartache and pain, and our eternal destination.

05/13          John 6:14
When the people saw this miraculous sign, they exclaimed, “Surely, he is the Prophet  we have been expecting!”

PEOPLE
People need a leader.  All of us like sheep are easily led astray.  Jesus, the great shepherd, leads us in paths of righteousness.  He is Lord and He will bring us into His kingdom under His leadership and guidance.

05/14          John 6:15
Jesus saw that they were ready to take him by force and make him king, so he went higher into the hills alone.

JESUS
Jesus knew what people thought.  They sought Him because they wanted someone to ease their daily struggle.  There was little thought about kingdom issues.  Their view of God was limited to their needs and their life.

05/15          John 6:16-17
That evening his disciples went down to the shore to wait for him.  But as darkness fell and Jesus still hadn’t come back, they got into the boat and headed out across the lake toward Capernaum.

JESUS
Jesus is the Son of God.  He had told the disciples that but they didn’t understand what He was saying.  He was away praying and they were on the shore doing their own thing.  They knew of His devotion to the Father.  They also knew that He was trying to train them to follow in His footsteps.  They didn’t get it and decided to leave Him there.

05/16          John 6:18-20
Soon a gale swept down upon them as they rowed, and the sea grew very rough.  They were three or four miles out when suddenly they saw Jesus walking on the water toward the boat. They were terrified, but he called out to them, “I am here! Don’t be afraid.”

JESUS
Jesus is here.  He knows what we are facing.  He will help us deal with our life.  He isn’t an armchair quarterback; He knows the pain we feel for He has felt our pain.  The disciples left without instructions doing their own thing.  Jesus cared for them and was coming to their aid.  One of the great truths about our relationship with Jesus is that He always knows what we need and is striving to meet our need.

05/17          John 6:21
Then they were eager to let him in, and immediately the boat arrived at their destination!

JESUS
People want to evaluate Jesus based on their own concept of who Jesus is.  Jesus is Lord and as such calls for our obedience not our evaluation.

05/18          John 6:22-24
The next morning, back across the lake, crowds began gathering on the shore, waiting to see Jesus. For they knew that he and his disciples had come over together and that the disciples had gone off in their boat, leaving him behind.  Several boats from Tiberias landed near the place where the Lord had blessed the bread and the people had eaten.  When the crowd saw that Jesus wasn’t there, nor his disciples, they got into the boats and went across to Capernaum to look for him.

WHY?
Why were they looking for Jesus?  Did they want Him to do their bidding or were they willing to obey Him?  Obedience is usually a last resort.  Today let us consider the Lord’s will and note that He values obedience as the number one thing we can do.  Obey Him and everything else falls into place.

05/19          John 6:25-27
When they arrived and found him, they asked, “Teacher, how did you get here?”  Jesus replied, “The truth is, you want to be with me because I fed you, not because you saw the miraculous sign.  But you shouldn’t be so concerned about perishable things like food. Spend your energy seeking the eternal life that I, the Son of Man, can give you. For God the Father has sent me for that very purpose.”

DO?
What would we have Jesus do?  Are we seeking Him to be our Lord and Master or are we seeking to make Him our spiritual butler?  Jesus calls us to radical obedience.  He wants us to do the Father’s will.  We generally don’t know our own will let alone God’s will.  Spend time with Jesus so that you can follow Him.

05/20          John 6:28-29
They replied, “What does God want us to do?”  Jesus told them, “This is what God wants you to do: Believe in the one he has sent.”

OBEDIENCE
Obedience affects everything we do.  It critically shapes the way I think about and approach God.  He is worthy of all honor and glory.  The people I come into contact with are also due respect and proper treatment.  Help me Lord to be as concerned about people as you are.

05/21          John 6:30-33
They replied, “You must show us a miraculous sign if you want us to believe in you. What will you do for us?  After all, our ancestors ate manna while they journeyed through the wilderness! As the Scriptures say, ‘Moses gave them bread from heaven to eat.’  “Jesus said, “I assure you, Moses didn’t give them bread from heaven. My Father did. And now he offers you the true bread from heaven.  The true bread of God is the one who comes down from heaven and gives life to the world.”

BLIND
Lost people are blind.  They are dead to spiritual things.  A person who is lost has no relationship with the Father.  They cannot think spiritual things.  This is why the world is in the shape it is.  This is why people have put everything first except people.  The lost are truly lost.  It is our responsibility to tell them what God is doing in our life.

05/22          John 6:34-37
“Sir,” they said, “give us that bread every day of our lives.”  Jesus replied, “I am the bread of life. No one who comes to me will ever be hungry again. Those who believe in me will never thirst.  But you haven’t believed in me even though you have seen me.  However, those the Father has given me will come to me, and I will never reject them.

SOURCE
Jesus is the source of our relationship with the Father.  He is Lord and calls us to Himself for our daily life.  Obedience and attitude are critical characteristics of the Christian life.  Our obedience permits Him to lead, guide and direct us.  An attitude of faith and belief enable us to see Him at work in our life.  Jesus is the source of our strength and our peace so we want to be consistent and persistent in our daily walk.

05/23          John 6:38-40
For I have come down from heaven to do the will of God who sent me, not to do what I want.  And this is the will of God, that I should not lose even one of all those he has given me, but that I should raise them to eternal life at the last day.   For it is my Father’s will that all who see his Son and believe in him should have eternal life — that I should raise them at the last day.”

JESUS
Jesus is holding on to us.  He brought us into the Family of God and now He lives so that we might grow and mature spiritually as a servant of the Lord High God.  Jesus brings us everything we need to live a victorious life.

05/24          John 6:41-44
Then the people  began to murmur in disagreement because he had said, “I am the bread from heaven.” They said, “This is Jesus, the son of Joseph. We know his father and mother. How can he say, ‘I came down from heaven’?”  But Jesus replied, “Don’t complain about what I said.  For people can’t come to me unless the Father who sent me draws them to me, and at the last day I will raise them from the dead.

DOUBT
If you don’t believe in Jesus no one will make you believe.  When we accept Jesus as our Lord we begin a journey of getting to know Him.  He already knows all about us but knowing Jesus becomes our life quest.  Spend time with Him and let Jesus teach you about life.

05/25          John 6:45-48
As it is written in the Scriptures, ‘They will all be taught by God.’  Everyone who hears and learns from the Father comes to me.  (Not that anyone has ever seen the Father; only I, who was sent from God, have seen him.)  “I assure you, anyone who believes in me already has eternal life.  Yes, I am the bread of life!

JESUS
Real life begins with Jesus.  We learn from Him.  He has a “hands on” approach to our life, He holds us in His hands.  Troubled?  Turn to Jesus.  Need wisdom?  Ask Jesus.  He is available to give us direction for living.

05/26          John 6:49-51
Your ancestors ate manna in the wilderness, but they all died.  However, the bread from heaven gives eternal life to everyone who eats it.  I am the living bread that came down out of heaven. Anyone who eats this bread will live forever; this bread is my flesh, offered so the world may live.”

LIFE
We have eternal life from Jesus.  It is not based on what we can do it is based on the Lord Jesus Christ and is a free gift from Him to us.  When you come to Jesus you get eternal life.  He is generous and understanding but there is only one way to the Father and that is through Jesus Christ.

05/27          John 6:52-57
Then the people began arguing with each other about what he meant. “How can this man give us his flesh to eat?” they asked.  So Jesus said again, “I assure you, unless you eat the flesh of the Son of Man and drink his blood, you cannot have eternal life within you.   But those who eat my flesh and drink my blood have eternal life, and I will raise them at the last day.  For my flesh is the true food, and my blood is the true drink.  All who eat my flesh and drink my blood remain in me, and I in them.  I live by the power of the living Father who sent me; in the same way, those who partake of me will live because of me.

SACRIFICE
Jesus was our sacrifice and He paid for our sin with His body and blood, He died for us.  When we accept Him we are accepting the sacrifice He made for us and we become members of God’s family.  He dwells in us and in Him we are alive forever.  We have His life in us.

05/28          John 6:58-60
I am the true bread from heaven. Anyone who eats this bread will live forever and not die as your ancestors did, even though they ate the manna.”  He said these things while he was teaching in the synagogue in Capernaum.  Even his disciples said, “This is very hard to understand. How can anyone accept it?”

SIMPLE
The Christ life is actually simple.  We surrender control of our life to Jesus.  We get to know Him and go to Him for guidance.  Jesus willingly guides us.  In Jesus we surrender our life to Him to succeed.

05/29          John 6:61-63
Jesus knew within himself that his disciples were complaining, so he said to them, “Does this offend you?   Then what will you think if you see me, the Son of Man, return to heaven again?   It is the Spirit who gives eternal life. Human effort accomplishes nothing. And the very words I have spoken to you are spirit and life.

JESUS
In Christ we have life.  That life is underwritten by the work of the Holy Spirit.  In Christ we become members of God’s family, He is our Father and we are His children.  Life in Christ is right living.

05/30          John 6:64-66
But some of you don’t believe me.” (For Jesus knew from the beginning who didn’t believe, and he knew who would betray him.)  Then he said, “That is what I meant when I said that people can’t come to me unless the Father brings them to me.”  At this point many of his disciples turned away and deserted him.

CHRIST
The human mind is self-centered and grasping.  Only when we surrender ourselves to Christ and ask Him to forgive us of our sin and lead us will we become children of God and in Jesus we are but it isn’t on our terms or our timetable.  It is God who is at work seeking the lost.

05/31          John 6:67-71
Then Jesus turned to the Twelve and asked, “Are you going to leave, too?”  Simon Peter replied, “Lord, to whom would we go? You alone have the words that give eternal life.  We believe them, and we know you are the Holy One of God.”  Then Jesus said, “I chose the twelve of you, but one is a devil.”  He was speaking of Judas, son of Simon Iscariot, one of the Twelve, who would betray him.

ONLY
Jesus is the only one in whom we can find life.  He is alive and seeking us.  He wants to give us the free gift of life but we have to let Him give it to us and accept it.

04/01               Luke 23:26-33
As they led Jesus away, Simon of Cyrene, who was coming in from the country just then, was forced to follow Jesus and carry his cross. 27 Great crowds trailed along behind, including many grief-stricken women. 28 But Jesus turned and said to them, “Daughters of Jerusalem, don’t weep for me, but weep for yourselves and for your children. 29 For the days are coming when they will say, ‘Fortunate indeed are the women who are childless, the wombs that have not borne a child and the breasts that have never nursed.’ 30 People will beg the mountains to fall on them and the hills to bury them. 31 For if these things are done when the tree is green, what will happen when it is dry? ” 32 Two others, both criminals, were led out to be executed with him. 33 Finally, they came to a place called The Skull. All three were crucified there – Jesus on the center cross, and the two criminals on either side.

JESUS
Put on the cross to suffer and die, Jesus was God’s only plan for the salvation of mankind.

4/02                 Luke 23:34-56
Jesus said, “Father, forgive these people, because they don’t know what they are doing.” And the soldiers gambled for his clothes by throwing dice. 35 The crowd watched, and the leaders laughed and scoffed. “He saved others,” they said, “let him save himself if he is really God’s Chosen One, the Messiah.” 36 The soldiers mocked him, too, by offering him a drink of sour wine. 37 They called out to him, “If you are the King of the Jews, save yourself!” 38 A signboard was nailed to the cross above him with these words: “This is the King of the Jews.” 39 One of the criminals hanging beside him scoffed, “So you’re the Messiah, are you? Prove it by saving yourself – and us, too, while you’re at it!” 40 But the other criminal protested, “Don’t you fear God even when you are dying? 41 We deserve to die for our evil deeds, but this man hasn’t done anything wrong.” 42 Then he said, “Jesus, remember me when you come into your Kingdom.” 43 And Jesus replied, “I assure you, today you will be with me in paradise.” 44 By this time it was noon, and darkness fell across the whole land until three o’clock. 45 The light from the sun was gone. And suddenly, the thick veil hanging in the Temple was torn apart. 46 Then Jesus shouted, “Father, I entrust my spirit into your hands!” And with those words he breathed his last. 47 When the captain of the Roman soldiers handling the executions saw what had happened, he praised God and said, “Surely this man was innocent. ” 48 And when the crowd that came to see the crucifixion saw all that had happened, they went home in deep sorrow. 49 But Jesus’ friends, including the women who had followed him from Galilee, stood at a distance watching. 50 Now there was a good and righteous man named Joseph. He was a member of the Jewish high council, 51 but he had not agreed with the decision and actions of the other religious leaders. He was from the town of Arimathea in Judea, and he had been waiting for the Kingdom of God to come. 52 He went to Pilate and asked for Jesus’ body. 53 Then he took the body down from the cross and wrapped it in a long linen cloth and laid it in a new tomb that had been carved out of rock. 54 This was done late on Friday afternoon, the day of preparation for the Sabbath. 55 As his body was taken away, the women from Galilee followed and saw the tomb where they placed his body. 56 Then they went home and prepared spices and ointments to embalm him. But by the time they were finished it was the Sabbath, so they rested all that day as required by the law.

JESUS
Jesus is fully God and fully man.  He knows what we go through and He knows what it takes to obey the Father.

4/03                 John 20:1-18
But very early on Sunday morning the women came to the tomb, taking the spices they had prepared. 2 They found that the stone covering the entrance had been rolled aside. 3 So they went in, but they couldn’t find the body of the Lord Jesus. 4 They were puzzled, trying to think what could have happened to it. Suddenly, two men appeared to them, clothed in dazzling robes. 5 The women were terrified and bowed low before them. Then the men asked, “Why are you looking in a tomb for someone who is alive? 6 He isn’t here! He has risen from the dead! Don’t you remember what he told you back in Galilee, 7 that the Son of Man must be betrayed into the hands of sinful men and be crucified, and that he would rise again the third day?” 8 Then they remembered that he had said this. 9 So they rushed back to tell his eleven disciples – and everyone else – what had happened. 10 The women who went to the tomb were Mary Magdalene, Joanna, Mary the mother of James, and several others. They told the apostles what had happened, 11 but the story sounded like nonsense, so they didn’t believe it. 12 However, Peter ran to the tomb to look. Stooping, he peered in and saw the empty linen wrappings; then he went home again, wondering what had happened.

JESUS
He died for our sin.  He was raised by the power of God and He is alive now.  Jesus loves me this I know for the Bible tells me so and I have experienced His life in me.

4/04                 Luke 24:1-12
But very early on Sunday morning the women came to the tomb, taking the spices they had prepared. 2 They found that the stone covering the entrance had been rolled aside. 3 So they went in, but they couldn’t find the body of the Lord Jesus. 4 They were puzzled, trying to think what could have happened to it. Suddenly, two men appeared to them, clothed in dazzling robes. 5 The women were terrified and bowed low before them. Then the men asked, “Why are you looking in a tomb for someone who is alive? 6 He isn’t here! He has risen from the dead! Don’t you remember what he told you back in Galilee, 7 that the Son of Man must be betrayed into the hands of sinful men and be crucified, and that he would rise again the third day?” 8 Then they remembered that he had said this. 9 So they rushed back to tell his eleven disciples – and everyone else – what had happened. 10 The women who went to the tomb were Mary Magdalene, Joanna, Mary the mother of James, and several others. They told the apostles what had happened, 11 but the story sounded like nonsense, so they didn’t believe it. 12 However, Peter ran to the tomb to look. Stooping, he peered in and saw the empty linen wrappings; then he went home again, wondering what had happened.

JESUS
The greatest story ever told.  Christ came into our world.  He lived a perfect life.  He suffered the same way the we suffer but was totally obedient to the Father.  He died for our sin and the power of God raised Him from the dead.  He is alive now giving us life and light for living.

04/05               John 5:1-6
Afterward Jesus returned to Jerusalem for one of the Jewish holy days.  Inside the city, near the Sheep Gate, was the pool of Bethesda, with five covered porches.  Crowds of sick people—blind, lame, or paralyzed—lay on the porches.  One of the men lying there had been sick for thirty-eight years.   When Jesus saw him and knew he had been ill for a long time, he asked him, “Would you like to get well?”

QUESTION
Do you want to change?  Obey God.  Jesus asked a simple question.  Are you going to do what it will take to be what you’ve always wanted to be?  Obey God.

04/06               John 5:7
“I can’t, sir,” the sick man said, “for I have no one to put me into the pool when the water bubbles up. Someone else always gets there ahead of me.”

DO YOU
Do you want to be healed?  Do you?  Obey Jesus.  Spend time with Him and get to know Him.  Jesus is the only way that we can be saved and the only one who can heal our sin problem.  Jesus is calling you.  Are you listening?

04/07               John 5:8-10
Jesus told him, “Stand up, pick up your mat, and walk!”  Instantly, the man was healed! He rolled up his sleeping mat and began walking! But this miracle happened on the Sabbath, so the Jewish leaders objected. They said to the man who was cured, “You can’t work on the Sabbath! The law doesn’t allow you to carry that sleeping mat!”

BELIEVE
Do you believe that Jesus can save you?  Have you asked Him to save you?  Do you believe He has?  Questions are powerful tools to be used as we strive to lead an abundant life.  We will find our short comings quickly when we ask the right question.  The issue most of us deal with daily is do I really believe that Jesus loves me?  If I do then I will change.

04/08               John 5:11-15
But he replied, “The man who healed me told me, ‘Pick up your mat and walk.’”  “Who said such a thing as that?” they demanded.  The man didn’t know, for Jesus had disappeared into the crowd.  But afterward Jesus found him in the Temple and told him, “Now you are well; so stop sinning, or something even worse may happen to you.”  Then the man went and told the Jewish leaders that it was Jesus who had healed him.

JESUS
Jesus has our best interests upper most in His heart.  He is seeking our best good.  He is striving to teach us to change our back sliding ways.  Christ wants us to have joy and peace but the tragedy is we most often just want to be in charge.  Give yourself to Jesus and trust Him.  That is the only way to find His way.

04/09               John 5:16-18
So the Jewish leaders began harassing Jesus for breaking the Sabbath rules.  But Jesus replied, “My Father is always working, and so am I.”  So the Jewish leaders tried all the harder to find a way to kill him. For he not only broke the Sabbath, he called God his Father, thereby making himself equal with God.

RELIGION
Religion is always seeking to control man and God.  Christianity is a belief in the man Jesus Christ.  We believe what He said and that He is alive in us today therefore guiding us daily towards becoming more like Him.  Christ in control of our life breaks the bondage of sin and equips us to live day by day under the control of Jesus.  Let Christ have control of you.  It must be a voluntary giving up of control for the Lord will not force it nor will He simply follow our lead.  Surrender to Him for Jesus is light and life for living.

04/10               John 5:19
So Jesus explained, “I tell you the truth, the Son can do nothing by himself. He does only what he sees the Father doing. Whatever the Father does, the Son also does.

JESUS
Jesus is the Son of God.  He is one of a kind and there is no other.  He lived a perfect life and willingly died for our sin.  He is the exact image of the Father that we are called to emulate: We want to be like Him.  He will never forsake us and He will walk every step of our life with us.  Jesus is Lord, Lord of Lords and King of Kings.  Jesus is the reason that we can live life with confidence and joy.

04/11          John 5:20-23
For the Father loves the Son and shows him everything he is doing. In fact, the Father will show him how to do even greater works than healing this man. Then you will truly be astonished.  For just as the Father gives life to those he raises from the dead, so the Son gives life to anyone he wants.  In addition, the Father judges no one. Instead, he has given the Son absolute authority to judge, so that everyone will honor the Son, just as they honor the Father. Anyone who does not honor the Son is certainly not honoring the Father who sent him.

JESUS
Jesus is God’s everything.  He is the alpha and omega the beginning and the end.  He will never forsake us.  He holds us tightly in His grip.  We can accomplish all things through Him.  Jesus is Lord.

04/12          John 5:24
“I tell you the truth, those who listen to my message and believe in God who sent me have eternal life. They will never be condemned for their sins, but they have already passed from death into life.

LIFE
Our old life is passing away.  Death is finality.  Our new life is hidden in Christ with God and Jesus gives us eternal life.  We will never be separated from Him.  He is Lord and Master and we belong to Him.

04/13          John 5:25
“And I assure you that the time is coming, indeed it’s here now, when the dead will hear my voice—the voice of the Son of God. And those who listen will live.

JESUS
A person without Christ is dead in their trespasses and sin.  When we surrender ourselves to Jesus we pass from death to life.  We will live with Christ forever.  Heaven will be our home.

04/14          John 5:26-27
The Father has life in himself, and he has granted that same life-giving power to his Son.   And he has given him authority to judge everyone because he is the Son of Man.

POWER
Jesus has all of the power He needs to make your life a life of victory.  No matter what happens it cannot change the fact that we are beloved of God and when we surrender our life to Him He will accept responsibility for our life and give us eternal life.  What can mankind do to you?  Nothing for nothing can separate us from the love of God.  We are important to Him.

04/15          John 5:28-29
Don’t be so surprised! Indeed, the time is coming when all the dead in their graves will hear the voice of God’s Son, and they will rise again. Those who have done good will rise to experience eternal life, and those who have continued in evil will rise to experience judgment.

ONE-WAY
There is only one way to the Father and that is through Jesus Christ.  There are so many great blessings in this life from walking with the Lord but do not forget that Jesus came to save us from our sin and gives us eternal life.  It is His indwelling in us that makes life joyous and valuable.  You are loved!

04/16          John 5:30
I can do nothing on my own. I judge as God tells me. Therefore, my judgment is just, because I carry out the will of the one who sent me, not my own will.

JESUS
The perfect Son, the perfect Gift, the Lord Jesus Christ came to die for us, a sacrifice that we couldn’t pay so He paid the price for the forgiveness of our sin.  He was fully man, fully God and He lived and walked on our earth so that we would know how we should life.  Jesus is life.  Let Him have your life.

04/17          John 5:31-33
“If I were to testify on my own behalf, my testimony would not be valid.  But someone else is also testifying about me, and I assure you that everything he says about me is true.  In fact, you sent investigators to listen to John the Baptist, and his testimony about me was true.

JESUS
Jesus is God’s everything.  He is the beginning and the end, alpha and omega, He is the first born and the first to die for our sin.  Jesus is what it is all about-life in Christ is real life.  Life without Christ is not life, it is a living death.  Jesus is Lord.

04/18          John 5:34-36
Of course, I have no need of human witnesses, but I say these things so you might be saved.  John was like a burning and shining lamp, and you were excited for a while about his message.  But I have a greater witness than John—my teachings and my miracles. The Father gave me these works to accomplish, and they prove that he sent me.

JESUS
Jesus came from the Father.  He was foretold by the prophets, the law and psalms.  He came as prophesied.  He lived as the Father directed.  He died as was required and now He lives seated at the right hand of the Father interceding for us even now.  One day He will come back and take us home with Him.  Jesus is God’s everything.

04/19          John 5:37-38
And the Father who sent me has testified about me himself. You have never heard his voice or seen him face to face, and you do not have his message in your hearts, because you do not believe me—the one he sent to you.

ALIVE
Jesus is alive.  He lives in those of us who ask Him to come into our life and take control.  We have bent the knee to Christ Jesus and He leads us moment by moment day by day.  He came for the Father to save us from our sin.

04/20          John 5:39-40
“You search the Scriptures because you think they give you eternal life. But the Scriptures point to me!  Yet you refuse to come to me to receive this life.

JESUS
Jesus is the only way to the Father.  Our ideas and opinions don’t change a thing.  God’s way of doing things is God’s way of doing things.  We have an opportunity to choose Christ or in failing to choose reject Him.  We can choose Jesus now.

04/21          John 5:41-44
“Your approval means nothing to me, because I know you don’t have God’s love within you.  For I have come to you in my Father’s name, and you have rejected me. Yet if others come in their own name, you gladly welcome them.  No wonder you can’t believe! For you gladly honor each other, but you don’t care about the honor that comes from the one who alone is God.

JESUS
Jesus knows who we are and what we do.  He knows our thought processes and sees us when we wander away.  He knows all things.  His knowledge is so far beyond our ability to comprehend that it is embarrassing and yet still we seek to control God.  Give it up.  Let Jesus have control of you.

04/22          John 5:45-47
“Yet it isn’t I who will accuse you before the Father. Moses will accuse you! Yes, Moses, in whom you put your hopes.  If you really believed Moses, you would believe me, because he wrote about me.  But since you don’t believe what he wrote, how will you believe what I say?”

JESUS
Moses knew about the coming Messiah and believed God that He would send Him and that the Messiah would be an image of the living God.  Moses knew this and yet today we have otherwise intelligent people denying God and His Son.  Jesus is Lord.  What I or we think will never change that.

04/23          Psalm 89:1-4
A psalm of Ethan the Ezrahite. I will sing of the tender mercies of the LORD forever! Young and old will hear of your faithfulness.  Your unfailing love will last forever. Your faithfulness is as enduring as the heavens.  The LORD said, “I have made a solemn agreement with David, my chosen servant. I have sworn this oath to him: ‘I will establish your descendants as kings forever; they will sit on your throne from now until eternity.'”

OATH
God’s oath will never change.  He knows the end from the beginning and He will never forsake Israel.  He will never forsake us.  He loves us.  When we accept Jesus as our Lord and Savior we must remember as we go that the Lord will never forsake us.

04/24          Psalm 89:5-7
All heaven will praise your miracles, LORD; myriads of angels will praise you for your faithfulness.  For who in all of heaven can compare with the LORD? What mightiest angel is anything like the LORD?  The highest angelic powers stand in awe of God. He is far more awesome than those who surround his throne.

JESUS
It’s all about Jesus.  The Christian life and faith is in Christ Jesus.  We live to serve Him.  We would that all know Him.  We keep our focus on Jesus and daily live out what Jesus is putting into our heart.

04/25          Psalm 89:8-11
O LORD God Almighty! Where is there anyone as mighty as you, LORD? Faithfulness is your very character.  You are the one who rules the oceans. When their waves rise in fearful storms, you subdue them.  You are the one who crushed the great sea monster.  You scattered your enemies with your mighty arm.  The heavens are yours, and the earth is yours; everything in the world is yours — you created it all.

JESUS
The Word tells us that Jesus created all things and that all things created were created for Him.  Do not forget that He is aware of what you are facing.  Jesus is vast and particular.  He knows all things and He knows you.  We are kept by Him and all things are held together by Him.

04/26          Psalm 89:12-13
You created north and south. Mount Tabor and Mount Hermon praise your name.  Powerful is your arm! Strong is your hand! Your right hand is lifted high in glorious strength.

CREATOR
When we talk with the Lord we are talking with the Creator of all things.  As Jesus tells us and the testimony to us is that Jesus is the Creator force of the Lord.  Jesus we love you-speak to us in a way that will change us into your likeness.

04/27          Psalm 89:14-17
Your throne is founded on two strong pillars — righteousness and justice. Unfailing love and truth walk before you as attendants.  Happy are those who hear the joyful call to worship, for they will walk in the light of your presence, LORD.  They rejoice all day long in your wonderful reputation. They exult in your righteousness.  You are their glorious strength. Our power is based on your favor.

WORSHIP
Worship the Lord.  Worship Him for His great goodness to us.  Worship Him for His complete and total forgiveness of us.  Worship Him for His grace which is more than adequate for us.  Rejoice in our relationship with the Lord.  Christ is alive and He loves us.

04/28          Psalm 89:18-21
Yes, our protection comes from the LORD, and he, the Holy One of Israel, has given us our king.  You once spoke in a vision to your prophet and said, “I have given help to a warrior. I have selected him from the common people to be king.  I have found my servant David. I have anointed him with my holy oil.  I will steady him, and I will make him strong.

LORD
The Lord is on our side.  He is looking for us.  He gifts us with membership in His family.  In Jesus we have value, worth, strength and wisdom to live a life that honors and glorifies God.

04/29          Psalm 89:22
His enemies will not get the best of him, nor will the wicked overpower him.  I will beat down his adversaries before him and destroy those who hate him.  My faithfulness and unfailing love will be with him, and he will rise to power because of me.

JESUS
Jesus is God’s everything.  He is our conquering Lord victorious in every battle.  He has won the victory over death and offers us eternal life.  The Lord is a great and mighty elder brother who will not let us go.  Jesus is Lord.

04/30          Psalm 89:25
I will extend his rule from the Mediterranean Sea in the west to the Tigris and Euphrates rivers in the east.  And he will say to me, ‘You are my Father, my God, and the Rock of my salvation.’

FATHER
Jesus is focused on doing the complete will of the Father.  He lived a perfect life here on Earth.  He is the Savior giving us light and life and guiding us in the path of truth.  There is nothing else like Jesus.  He is the unique, one of kind, Son of God.

3/01                 Deuteronomy 26:1-11
“When you arrive in the land the LORD your God is giving you as a special possession and you have conquered it and settled there, 2 put some of the first produce from each harvest into a basket and bring it to the place the LORD your God chooses for his name to be honored. 3 Go to the priest in charge at that time and say to him, ‘With this gift I acknowledge that the LORD your God has brought me into the land he swore to give our ancestors.’ 4 The priest will then take the basket from your hand and set it before the altar of the LORD your God. 5 You must then say in the presence of the LORD your God, ‘My ancestor Jacob was a wandering Aramean who went to live in Egypt. His family was few in number, but in Egypt they became a mighty and numerous nation. 6 When the Egyptians mistreated and humiliated us by making us their slaves, 7 we cried out to the LORD, the God of our ancestors. He heard us and saw our hardship, toil, and oppression. 8 So the LORD brought us out of Egypt with amazing power, overwhelming terror, and miraculous signs and wonders. 9 He brought us to this place and gave us this land flowing with milk and honey! 10 And now, O LORD, I have brought you a token of the first crops you have given me from the ground.’ Then place the produce before the LORD your God and worship him. 11 Afterward go and celebrate because of all the good things the LORD your God has given to you and your household. Remember to include the Levites and the foreigners living among you in the celebration.

DELIVERANCE
God is our deliverer.  Times get tough, the pain almost unbearable and still we know that God is our deliverer.  With Daniel’s young friends addressing the king we can say “our Lord will deliver us, but if He doesn’t, He is still our God!”

3/02                 Psalm 91:1-10
Those who live in the shelter of the Most High will find rest in the shadow of the Almighty. 2 This I declare of the LORD: He alone is my refuge, my place of safety; he is my God, and I am trusting him. 3 For he will rescue you from every trap and protect you from the fatal plague. 4 He will shield you with his wings. He will shelter you with his feathers. His faithful promises are your armor and protection. 5 Do not be afraid of the terrors of the night, nor fear the dangers of the day, 6 nor dread the plague that stalks in darkness, nor the disaster that strikes at midday. 7 Though a thousand fall at your side, though ten thousand are dying around you, these evils will not touch you. 8 But you will see it with your eyes; you will see how the wicked are punished. 9 If you make the LORD your refuge, if you make the Most High your shelter, 10 no evil will conquer you; no plague will come near your dwelling.

REFUGE
When things overwhelm us the Lord is our refuge.  When we mess up and cannot bear the day the Lord is our refuge.  Do not forget that we are more than conquerors through the Lord Jesus Christ.  He is alive in you.

3/03                 Romans 10:8-13
Salvation that comes from trusting Christ – which is the message we preach – is already within easy reach. In fact, the Scriptures say, “The message is close at hand; it is on your lips and in your heart.” 9 For if you confess with your mouth that Jesus is Lord and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved. 10 For it is by believing in your heart that you are made right with God, and it is by confessing with your mouth that you are saved. 11 As the Scriptures tell us, “Anyone who believes in him will not be disappointed. ” 12 Jew and Gentile are the same in this respect. They all have the same Lord, who generously gives his riches to all who ask for them. 13 For “Anyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved.”

SAVED
We are saved into the family of God.  We are saved for eternity.  We are saved for right now.  Our salvation is the provision of a relationship with the Lord in Christ from this point and forevermore.  Jesus is Lord.

3/04                 Luke 4:1-13
Then Jesus, full of the Holy Spirit, left the Jordan River. He was led by the Spirit to go out into the wilderness, 2 where the Devil tempted him for forty days. He ate nothing all that time and was very hungry. 3 Then the Devil said to him, “If you are the Son of God, change this stone into a loaf of bread.” 4 But Jesus told him, “No! The Scriptures say, ‘People need more than bread for their life.’ ” 5 Then the Devil took him up and revealed to him all the kingdoms of the world in a moment of time. 6 The Devil told him, “I will give you the glory of these kingdoms and authority over them – because they are mine to give to anyone I please. 7 I will give it all to you if you will bow down and worship me.” 8 Jesus replied, “The Scriptures say, ‘You must worship the Lord your God; serve only him.’ ” 9 Then the Devil took him to Jerusalem, to the highest point of the Temple, and said, “If you are the Son of God, jump off! 10 For the Scriptures say, ‘He orders his angels to protect and guard you. 11 And they will hold you with their hands to keep you from striking your foot on a stone.’ ” 12 Jesus responded, “The Scriptures also say, ‘Do not test the Lord your God.’ ” 13 When the Devil had finished tempting Jesus, he left him until the next opportunity came.

TESTING
The Lord is our deliverer.  He will stand with us in that time of testing.  When we feel that we cannot survive Jesus will stand with us.  He will give us the strength we need to do the next right thing.  That is all that is required-do the next right thing.

3/05            Isaiah 55:1-9
“Is anyone thirsty? Come and drink – even if you have no money! Come, take your choice of wine or milk – it’s all free! 2 Why spend your money on food that does not give you strength? Why pay for food that does you no good? Listen, and I will tell you where to get food that is good for the soul! 3 “Come to me with your ears wide open. Listen, for the life of your soul is at stake. I am ready to make an everlasting covenant with you. I will give you all the mercies and unfailing love that I promised to David. 4 He displayed my power by being my witness and a leader among the nations. 5 You also will command the nations, and they will come running to obey, because I, the LORD your God, the Holy One of Israel, have made you glorious.” 6 Seek the LORD while you can find him. Call on him now while he is near. 7 Let the people turn from their wicked deeds. Let them banish from their minds the very thought of doing wrong! Let them turn to the LORD that he may have mercy on them. Yes, turn to our God, for he will abundantly pardon. 8 “My thoughts are completely different from yours,” says the LORD. “And my ways are far beyond anything you could imagine. 9 For just as the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways and my thoughts higher than your thoughts.

LIFE
God is the source of life.  We cannot create it nor can we extend it beyond what the Lord gives us.  Think about it.  You and God are inseparable in life.  It is important for you to be a partner with God in life.  The only way to the Father is through Jesus Christ.  Come to the Lord.  He is seeking you this very moment.

3/06            Psalm 63:1-8
A psalm of David, regarding a time when David was in the wilderness of Judah. O God, you are my God; I earnestly search for you. My soul thirsts for you; my whole body longs for you in this parched and weary land where there is no water. 2 I have seen you in your sanctuary and gazed upon your power and glory. 3 Your unfailing love is better to me than life itself; how I praise you! 4 I will honor you as long as I live, lifting up my hands to you in prayer. 5 You satisfy me more than the richest of foods. I will praise you with songs of joy. 6 I lie awake thinking of you, meditating on you through the night. 7 I think how much you have helped me; I sing for joy in the shadow of your protecting wings. 8 I follow close behind you; your strong right hand holds me securely.

LIFE
We all have problems.  We can take our problems to the Lord.  Thinking about Jesus will help us to get over the bumps and bruises of life.  He is Life and IN Christ we can find strength and joy for each day of our life.

3/07            2 Corinthians 10:1-6
Now I, Paul, plead with you. I plead with the gentleness and kindness that Christ himself would use, even though some of you say I am bold in my letters but timid in person. 2 I hope it won’t be necessary, but when I come I may have to be very bold with those who think we act from purely human motives. 3 We are human, but we don’t wage war with human plans and methods. 4 We use God’s mighty weapons, not mere worldly weapons, to knock down the Devil’s strongholds. 5 With these weapons we break down every proud argument that keeps people from knowing God. With these weapons we conquer their rebellious ideas, and we teach them to obey Christ. 6 And we will punish those who remained disobedient after the rest of you became loyal and obedient.

LIFE
The Lord intends for us to be able to lead our life with confidence.  We will face difficult circumstances but we will never be out of His hand.  The Lord knows what is going on and is in us as we live our life.

3/08            Luke 13:10-13
One Sabbath day as Jesus was teaching in a synagogue, 11 he saw a woman who had been crippled by an evil spirit. She had been bent double for eighteen years and was unable to stand up straight. 12 When Jesus saw her, he called her over and said, “Woman, you are healed of your sickness!” 13 Then he touched her, and instantly she could stand straight. How she praised and thanked God!

HEALING
What are you unable to fix in your life?  Take it to Jesus.  He will heal us.  It may be in a way that is different than we ask but rest assured that the Lord is willing and able to deal with whatever we face.  Ask Him to heal you.  Have Christian friends pray over you.  Live strong-Jesus is for you.

3/09            Genesis 15:1-7
Afterward the LORD spoke to Abram in a vision and said to him, “Do not be afraid, Abram, for I will protect you, and your reward will be great.” 2 But Abram replied, “O Sovereign LORD, what good are all your blessings when I don’t even have a son? Since I don’t have a son, Eliezer of Damascus, a servant in my household, will inherit all my wealth. 3 You have given me no children, so one of my servants will have to be my heir.” 4 Then the LORD said to him, “No, your servant will not be your heir, for you will have a son of your own to inherit everything I am giving you.” 5 Then the LORD brought Abram outside beneath the night sky and told him, “Look up into the heavens and count the stars if you can. Your descendants will be like that – too many to count!” 6 And Abram believed the LORD, and the LORD declared him righteous because of his faith. 7 Then the LORD told him, “I am the LORD who brought you out of Ur of the Chaldeans to give you this land.”

BELIEVE
Believe that the Lord is positive about your life.  Surrender yourself to Jesus and let Him handle those things that beset you.  Every thought that God has towards you is a thought for good.  The Lord is on your side.  Give Jesus attention and focus your life on Him.

3/10            Psalm 27:1-5
A psalm of David. The LORD is my light and my salvation – so why should I be afraid? The LORD protects me from danger – so why should I tremble? 2 When evil people come to destroy me, when my enemies and foes attack me, they will stumble and fall. 3 Though a mighty army surrounds me, my heart will know no fear. Even if they attack me, I remain confident. 4 The one thing I ask of the LORD – the thing I seek most – is to live in the house of the LORD all the days of my life, delighting in the LORD’s perfections and meditating in his Temple. 5 For he will conceal me there when troubles come; he will hide me in his sanctuary. He will place me out of reach on a high rock.

PROTECTION
Are you weak and heavy laden?  Take it to Jesus.  Does the world tell you that you are a nobody and worthless?  Take it to Jesus.  Jesus is God’s everything and He will not disappoint.  Let go of whatever is separating you from God and let Jesus have control of your heart and mind.  Trust in the Lord with all of your heart and He will not disappoint you.

3/11            Philippians 3:17-21
Dear brothers and sisters, pattern your lives after mine, and learn from those who follow our example. 18 For I have told you often before, and I say it again with tears in my eyes, that there are many whose conduct shows they are really enemies of the cross of Christ. 19 Their future is eternal destruction. Their god is their appetite, they brag about shameful things, and all they think about is this life here on earth. 20 But we are citizens of heaven, where the Lord Jesus Christ lives. And we are eagerly waiting for him to return as our Savior. 21 He will take these weak mortal bodies of ours and change them into glorious bodies like his own, using the same mighty power that he will use to conquer everything, everywhere.

RESIDENT
We are citizens of heaven.  We are just passing through here.  Whatever length your life is it is only a vapor.  The hope that we have is in Christ.  Jesus is Lord.  We are to look to Him for everything that we need. Our victory is in Christ.  Our citizenship is in heaven.  Let the Lord guide you today.

3/12            Luke 13:31-35
A few minutes later some Pharisees said to him, “Get out of here if you want to live, because Herod Antipas wants to kill you!” 32 Jesus replied, “Go tell that fox that I will keep on casting out demons and doing miracles of healing today and tomorrow; and the third day I will accomplish my purpose. 33 Yes, today, tomorrow, and the next day I must proceed on my way. For it wouldn’t do for a prophet of God to be killed except in Jerusalem! 34 “O Jerusalem, Jerusalem, the city that kills the prophets and stones God’s messengers! How often I have wanted to gather your children together as a hen protects her chicks beneath her wings, but you wouldn’t let me. 35 And now look, your house is left to you empty. And you will never see me again until you say, ‘Bless the one who comes in the name of the Lord!’ ”

JESUS
Jesus knew His mission here on earth.  He lived a perfect life.  He willingly died for us.  The power of God raised Him from the dead and He is alive now and is always interceding for us.  We will see Him face to face one day but for now we trust Him and He is trustworthy.  Trust the Lord for your life.  You will not be disappointed.

3/13            Joshua 5:9-12
Then the LORD said to Joshua, “Today I have rolled away the shame of your slavery in Egypt.” So that place has been called Gilgal to this day. 10 While the Israelites were camped at Gilgal on the plains of Jericho, they celebrated Passover on the evening of the fourteenth day of the first month – the month that marked their exodus from Egypt. 11 The very next day they began to eat unleavened bread and roasted grain harvested from the land. 12 No manna appeared that day, and it was never seen again. So from that time on the Israelites ate from the crops of Canaan.

DELIVERER
God is our deliverer.  He is for us.  He will bring us out of whatever mess we have put ourselves into.  The Lord is strong and He is able to deal with real life.  Take your life to the Lord.  What do you need fixed?  He will do it.

3/14            Psalm 32:1-5
A psalm of David. Oh, what joy for those whose rebellion is forgiven, whose sin is put out of sight! 2 Yes, what joy for those whose record the LORD has cleared of sin, whose lives are lived in complete honesty! 3 When I refused to confess my sin, I was weak and miserable, and I groaned all day long. 4 Day and night your hand of discipline was heavy on me. My strength evaporated like water in the summer heat. Interlude 5 Finally, I confessed all my sins to you and stopped trying to hide them. I said to myself, “I will confess my rebellion to the LORD.” And you forgave me! All my guilt is gone.

FORGIVENESS
Jesus forgives sin.  Take your sin to Him and He will forgive you.  Don’t keep hiding your sin from God, give it to Him and let the Lord Jesus Christ deal with your sin.  He will cleanse you from all unrighteousness and will put you on the right path for your life.  It may take time for your life to be fixed but God will do it.

3/15            Psalm 32:6-11
Therefore, let all the godly confess their rebellion to you while there is time, that they may not drown in the floodwaters of judgment. 7 For you are my hiding place; you protect me from trouble. You surround me with songs of victory. Interlude 8 The LORD says, “I will guide you along the best pathway for your life. I will advise you and watch over you. 9 Do not be like a senseless horse or mule that needs a bit and bridle to keep it under control.” 10 Many sorrows come to the wicked, but unfailing love surrounds those who trust the LORD. 11 So rejoice in the LORD and be glad, all you who obey him! Shout for joy, all you whose hearts are pure!

WISDOM
It is wise to talk with the Lord about our life.  The Word of God, the Bible, gives us wisdom for living and this is a wise thing-take your life to God and He will fix whatever is wrong.  Trust the Lord.  Give Him your life and let Him lead you out of your trouble.  A relationship with Jesus is a journey of wisdom.  The more we know Him the better able we will be to deal with our life.

3/16            2 Corinthians 5:16-21
So we have stopped evaluating others by what the world thinks about them. Once I mistakenly thought of Christ that way, as though he were merely a human being. How differently I think about him now! 17 What this means is that those who become Christians become new persons. They are not the same anymore, for the old life is gone. A new life has begun! 18 All this newness of life is from God, who brought us back to himself through what Christ did. And God has given us the task of reconciling people to him. 19 For God was in Christ, reconciling the world to himself, no longer counting people’s sins against them. This is the wonderful message he has given us to tell others. 20 We are Christ’s ambassadors, and God is using us to speak to you. We urge you, as though Christ himself were here pleading with you, “Be reconciled to God!” 21 For God made Christ, who never sinned, to be the offering for our sin, so that we could be made right with God through Christ.

SEARCHING
The Lord is searching for the lost this very moment.  Jesus would that anyone might come to know Him.  Do you know Jesus?  If you don’t, He is looking for you right now.  Jesus is Lord and He wants to be Lord of your life.

3/17            Luke 15:1-7
Tax collectors and other notorious sinners often came to listen to Jesus teach. 2 This made the Pharisees and teachers of religious law complain that he was associating with such despicable people – even eating with them! 3 So Jesus used this illustration: 4 “If you had one hundred sheep, and one of them strayed away and was lost in the wilderness, wouldn’t you leave the ninety-nine others to go and search for the lost one until you found it? 5 And then you would joyfully carry it home on your shoulders. 6 When you arrived, you would call together your friends and neighbors to rejoice with you because your lost sheep was found. 7 In the same way, heaven will be happier over one lost sinner who returns to God than over ninety-nine others who are righteous and haven’t strayed away!

HURT
Have you been hurt by someone or by failure?  The Lord is looking for you.  He will give you the strength you need and walk through the recovery with you.  Jesus is always looking for His sheep-He is the master shepherd.  When you fall immediately cry out for Jesus.  Don’t spend a minute, hour or day without getting before the Lord.  We all face tough lives.  Let Jesus have your focus so that He can give you the wisdom, mercy and grace that you need for today.

3/18            Luke 15:8-10
“Or suppose a woman has ten valuable silver coins and loses one. Won’t she light a lamp and look in every corner of the house and sweep every nook and cranny until she finds it? 9 And when she finds it, she will call in her friends and neighbors to rejoice with her because she has found her lost coin. 10 In the same way, there is joy in the presence of God’s angels when even one sinner repents.”

REPENT
The call is for us to come back to Jesus-repent.  The need today for each one of us is to see our self as we really are-poor struggling sinners in need of cleansing and guidance.  Don’t keep trying to do it on your own-you will fail.  Bend your knee to Jesus and ask Him to help you.  The Lord is actively seeking to build a personal relationship with you.  Spend time with Jesus.

3/19            Isaiah 43:16-21
I am the LORD, who opened a way through the waters, making a dry path through the sea. 17 I called forth the mighty army of Egypt with all its chariots and horses. I drew them beneath the waves, and they drowned, their lives snuffed out like a smoldering candlewick. 18 “But forget all that – it is nothing compared to what I am going to do. 19 For I am about to do a brand-new thing. See, I have already begun! Do you not see it? I will make a pathway through the wilderness for my people to come home. I will create rivers for them in the desert! 20 The wild animals in the fields will thank me, the jackals and ostriches, too, for giving them water in the wilderness. Yes, I will make springs in the desert, so that my chosen people can be refreshed. 21 I have made Israel for myself, and they will someday honor me before the whole world.

YES
God will make a way.  He will make a way for your life to count.  He will make a way for you to be saved.  He will make a way for you to be sanctified and enable you to become more like Jesus.  He will make a way for you to smile in the face of disaster because you know that He has a home not made with hands already prepared for you.  The victory is won.  Let’s live like it.  Christ is our victory.

3/20            Psalm 126
A song for the ascent to Jerusalem. When the LORD restored his exiles to Jerusalem, it was like a dream! 2 We were filled with laughter, and we sang for joy. And the other nations said, “What amazing things the LORD has done for them.” 3 Yes, the LORD has done amazing things for us! What joy! 4 Restore our fortunes, LORD, as streams renew the desert. 5 Those who plant in tears will harvest with shouts of joy. 6 They weep as they go to plant their seed, but they sing as they return with the harvest.

RESTORE
When we experience difficulty in life we can cry out to our loving Savior-the Lord Jesus Christ.  Our cry will be heard.  He will answer us.  He will not leave us behind or let us stay confused or fearful.  Talk with Jesus.  He will listen and respond but you have to listen to hear Him and be obedient to what He tells us to do.

3/21            Philippians 3:3-14
For we who worship God in the Spirit are the only ones who are truly circumcised. We put no confidence in human effort. Instead, we boast about what Christ Jesus has done for us. 4 Yet I could have confidence in myself if anyone could. If others have reason for confidence in their own efforts, I have even more! 5 For I was circumcised when I was eight days old, having been born into a pure-blooded Jewish family that is a branch of the tribe of Benjamin. So I am a real Jew if there ever was one! What’s more, I was a member of the Pharisees, who demand the strictest obedience to the Jewish law. 6 And zealous? Yes, in fact, I harshly persecuted the church. And I obeyed the Jewish law so carefully that I was never accused of any fault. 7 I once thought all these things were so very important, but now I consider them worthless because of what Christ has done. 8 Yes, everything else is worthless when compared with the priceless gain of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord. I have discarded everything else, counting it all as garbage, so that I may have Christ 9 and become one with him. I no longer count on my own goodness or my ability to obey God’s law, but I trust Christ to save me. For God’s way of making us right with himself depends on faith. 10 As a result, I can really know Christ and experience the mighty power that raised him from the dead. I can learn what it means to suffer with him, sharing in his death, 11 so that, somehow, I can experience the resurrection from the dead! 12 I don’t mean to say that I have already achieved these things or that I have already reached perfection! But I keep working toward that day when I will finally be all that Christ Jesus saved me for and wants me to be. 13 No, dear brothers and sisters, I am still not all I should be, but I am focusing all my energies on this one thing: Forgetting the past and looking forward to what lies ahead, 14 I strain to reach the end of the race and receive the prize for which God, through Christ Jesus, is calling us up to heaven.

RACE
Be willing to serve Jesus.  It is all about Him not you.  Be quick to obey.  Be strong to listen.  Do not let others sway us to do evil.  Put your faith in Jesus and let Him give you what you need each day.

3/22            John 12:1-8
Six days before the Passover ceremonies began, Jesus arrived in Bethany, the home of Lazarus – the man he had raised from the dead. 2 A dinner was prepared in Jesus’ honor. Martha served, and Lazarus sat at the table with him. 3 Then Mary took a twelve-ounce jar of expensive perfume made from essence of nard, and she anointed Jesus’ feet with it and wiped his feet with her hair. And the house was filled with fragrance. 4 But Judas Iscariot, one of his disciples – the one who would betray him – said, 5 “That perfume was worth a small fortune. It should have been sold and the money given to the poor.” 6 Not that he cared for the poor – he was a thief who was in charge of the disciples’ funds, and he often took some for his own use. 7 Jesus replied, “Leave her alone. She did it in preparation for my burial. 8 You will always have the poor among you, but I will not be here with you much longer.”

JESUS
Jesus knew what He was doing.  Jesus knew our sinfulness and need.  He willingly went to the cross to save me and you.  He suffered shame and ignominy to pay the price for our sin.  Think about this today and let Jesus have you.  Give Him your heart, your mind and your time.  We need to listen to Jesus.  We need to know that He is always good and always God.

3/23            John 12:12-16
The next day, the news that Jesus was on the way to Jerusalem swept through the city. A huge crowd of Passover visitors 13 took palm branches and went down the road to meet him. They shouted, “Praise God! Bless the one who comes in the name of the Lord! Hail to the King of Israel!” 14 Jesus found a young donkey and sat on it, fulfilling the prophecy that said: 15 “Don’t be afraid, people of Israel. Look, your King is coming, sitting on a donkey’s colt.” 16 His disciples didn’t realize at the time that this was a fulfillment of prophecy. But after Jesus entered into his glory, they remembered that these Scriptures had come true before their eyes.

TRUTH
God’s Word is true.  Be faithful in reading the Word every day.  Memorize those Scriptures that speak to your situations.  Ask the Lord to use you.  Be willing to sacrifice for service to the Lord and to those you are called to live with.  You are special in His sight and as such are equipped to help those you live among.  Praise God from whom all blessings flow.

3/24            Luke 19:28-40
After telling this story, Jesus went on toward Jerusalem, walking ahead of his disciples. 29 As they came to the towns of Bethphage and Bethany, on the Mount of Olives, he sent two disciples ahead. 30 “Go into that village over there,” he told them, “and as you enter it, you will see a colt tied there that has never been ridden. Untie it and bring it here. 31 If anyone asks what you are doing, just say, ‘The Lord needs it.'” 32 So they went and found the colt, just as Jesus had said. 33 And sure enough, as they were untying it, the owners asked them, “Why are you untying our colt?” 34 And the disciples simply replied, “The Lord needs it.” 35 So they brought the colt to Jesus and threw their garments over it for him to ride on. 36 Then the crowds spread out their coats on the road ahead of Jesus. 37 As they reached the place where the road started down from the Mount of Olives, all of his followers began to shout and sing as they walked along, praising God for all the wonderful miracles they had seen. 38 “Bless the King who comes in the name of the Lord! Peace in heaven and glory in highest heaven!” 39 But some of the Pharisees among the crowd said, “Teacher, rebuke your followers for saying things like that!” 40 He replied, “If they kept quiet, the stones along the road would burst into cheers!”

JESUS
Jesus was the physical embodiment of God.  He came to Earth to show us His love.  He suffered the ignominy of the world and went to the Cross.  He died for our sin, my sin!  His life was a personal act of love for mankind.  You can know this for sure, Jesus loves you.

3/25            Psalm 118:1-2
Give thanks to the LORD, for he is good! His faithful love endures forever. 2 Let the congregation of Israel repeat: “His faithful love endures forever.”

ENDURES
God’s love lasts.  It lasts through all of my failures.  It lasts through all of my bad times.  It lasts throughout my life.  His love lasts forever.  The Lord aggressively seeks my best good even when I turn away from Him.

3/26            Psalm 118:19-29
Open for me the gates where the righteous enter, and I will go in and thank the LORD. 20 Those gates lead to the presence of the LORD, and the godly enter there. 21 I thank you for answering my prayer and saving me! 22 The stone rejected by the builders has now become the cornerstone. 23 This is the LORD’s doing, and it is marvelous to see. 24 This is the day the LORD has made. We will rejoice and be glad in it. 25 Please, LORD, please save us. Please, LORD, please give us success. 26 Bless the one who comes in the name of the LORD. We bless you from the house of the LORD. 27 The LORD is God, shining upon us. Bring forward the sacrifice and put it on the altar. 28 You are my God, and I will praise you! You are my God, and I will exalt you! 29 Give thanks to the LORD, for he is good! His faithful love endures forever.

ENDURES
Look around you and you will see so many things that do not last.  Indeed we ourselves are aging day by day one step closer to our death.  The Lord is not like us, He is totally different.  The Lord loves us and will love us always.  His love is ever lasting and His care and concern for us will never pass away.

3/27            Isaiah 50:4-9
The Sovereign LORD has given me his words of wisdom, so that I know what to say to all these weary ones. Morning by morning he wakens me and opens my understanding to his will. 5 The Sovereign LORD has spoken to me, and I have listened. I do not rebel or turn away. 6 I give my back to those who beat me and my cheeks to those who pull out my beard. I do not hide from shame, for they mock me and spit in my face. 7 Because the Sovereign LORD helps me, I will not be dismayed. Therefore, I have set my face like a stone, determined to do his will. And I know that I will triumph. 8 He who gives me justice is near. Who will dare to oppose me now? Where are my enemies? Let them appear! 9 See, the Sovereign LORD is on my side! Who will declare me guilty? All my enemies will be destroyed like old clothes that have been eaten by moths!

WISDOM
Knowing Jesus is the beginning of wisdom.  Knowing Him more day by day will increase our wisdom.  We begin with Jesus, we stay with Jesus and we will end up with Jesus that is wisdom.

3/28            Psalm 31:9-16
Have mercy on me, LORD, for I am in distress. My sight is blurred because of my tears. My body and soul are withering away. 10 I am dying from grief; my years are shortened by sadness. Misery has drained my strength; I am wasting away from within. 11 I am scorned by all my enemies and despised by my neighbors – even my friends are afraid to come near me. When they see me on the street, they turn the other way. 12 I have been ignored as if I were dead, as if I were a broken pot. 13 I have heard the many rumors about me, and I am surrounded by terror. My enemies conspire against me, plotting to take my life. 14 But I am trusting you, O LORD, saying, “You are my God!” 15 My future is in your hands. Rescue me from those who hunt me down relentlessly. 16 Let your favor shine on your servant. In your unfailing love, save me.

LOVE
We are drawn to the Lord by His love and in His love we exist.  Our life should be committed to Him and knowing Him.  Once we focus our life on Jesus we will begin the journey of living like He lived.  When we have Jesus we have moved from darkness to light and we will no long stumble but will live in truth.

3/29            Philippians 2:5-11
Your attitude should be the same that Christ Jesus had. 6 Though he was God, he did not demand and cling to his rights as God. 7 He made himself nothing; he took the humble position of a slave and appeared in human form. 8 And in human form he obediently humbled himself even further by dying a criminal’s death on a cross. 9 Because of this, God raised him up to the heights of heaven and gave him a name that is above every other name, 10 so that at the name of Jesus every knee will bow, in heaven and on earth and under the earth, 11 and every tongue will confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.

NAME
His name is wonderful, counselor, might God, Jesus is our Lord.  He brings us what we need, salvation from our sin so that we might be equipped and able to lead a Godly life.  Jesus is Lord and there is no other.

3/30            Luke 22:14-23
Then at the proper time Jesus and the twelve apostles sat down together at the table. 15 Jesus said, “I have looked forward to this hour with deep longing, anxious to eat this Passover meal with you before my suffering begins. 16 For I tell you now that I won’t eat it again until it comes to fulfillment in the Kingdom of God.” 17 Then he took a cup of wine, and when he had given thanks for it, he said, “Take this and share it among yourselves. 18 For I will not drink wine again until the Kingdom of God has come.” 19 Then he took a loaf of bread; and when he had thanked God for it, he broke it in pieces and gave it to the disciples, saying, “This is my body, given for you. Do this in remembrance of me.” 20 After supper he took another cup of wine and said, “This wine is the token of God’s new covenant to save you – an agreement sealed with the blood I will pour out for you. 21 “But here at this table, sitting among us as a friend, is the man who will betray me. 22 For I, the Son of Man, must die since it is part of God’s plan. But how terrible it will be for my betrayer!” 23 Then the disciples began to ask each other which of them would ever do such a thing.

GIFT
Jesus came to die for you and me.  His blood sacrifice paid the price that we could not pay.  Jesus brought us from darkness to light, from death to life and He did it because He loves us.  His love is an action.  We can see it.  We can claim it.  Christ died for me and in His resurrection by the power of God I was set free.  Praise God for His riches in Jesus Christ that He gave for us.

3/31            Luke 23:1-25
Then the entire council took Jesus over to Pilate, the Roman governor. 2 They began at once to state their case: “This man has been leading our people to ruin by telling them not to pay their taxes to the Roman government and by claiming he is the Messiah, a king.” 3 So Pilate asked him, “Are you the King of the Jews?”Jesus replied, “Yes, it is as you say.” 4 Pilate turned to the leading priests and to the crowd and said, “I find nothing wrong with this man!” 5 Then they became desperate. “But he is causing riots everywhere he goes, all over Judea, from Galilee to Jerusalem!” 6 “Oh, is he a Galilean?” Pilate asked. 7 When they answered that he was, Pilate sent him to Herod Antipas, because Galilee was under Herod’s jurisdiction, and Herod happened to be in Jerusalem at the time. 8 Herod was delighted at the opportunity to see Jesus, because he had heard about him and had been hoping for a long time to see him perform a miracle. 9 He asked Jesus question after question, but Jesus refused to answer. 10 Meanwhile, the leading priests and the teachers of religious law stood there shouting their accusations. 11 Now Herod and his soldiers began mocking and ridiculing Jesus. Then they put a royal robe on him and sent him back to Pilate. 12 Herod and Pilate, who had been enemies before, became friends that day. 13 Then Pilate called together the leading priests and other religious leaders, along with the people, 14 and he announced his verdict. “You brought this man to me, accusing him of leading a revolt. I have examined him thoroughly on this point in your presence and find him innocent. 15 Herod came to the same conclusion and sent him back to us. Nothing this man has done calls for the death penalty. 16 So I will have him flogged, but then I will release him.” 17 18 Then a mighty roar rose from the crowd, and with one voice they shouted, “Kill him, and release Barabbas to us!” 19 (Barabbas was in prison for murder and for taking part in an insurrection in Jerusalem against the government.) 20 Pilate argued with them, because he wanted to release Jesus. 21 But they shouted, “Crucify him! Crucify him!” 22 For the third time he demanded, “Why? What crime has he committed? I have found no reason to sentence him to death. I will therefore flog him and let him go.” 23 But the crowd shouted louder and louder for Jesus’ death, and their voices prevailed. 24 So Pilate sentenced Jesus to die as they demanded. 25 As they had requested, he released Barabbas, the man in prison for insurrection and murder. But he delivered Jesus over to them to do as they wished.

SIN
The world is a place filled with sin.  People are dead in their sin.  Christ brings light and life and provides forgiveness for our sin.  He puts us in a position to be a member of the household of God, younger brothers and sisters to the Lord Jesus Christ and such we are.  The Lord is alive and He is alive in us.

2/01            John 4:1-2
Jesus[a] knew the Pharisees had heard that he was baptizing and making more disciples than John (though Jesus himself didn’t baptize them—his disciples did).

JESUS
Jesus had no misconceptions.  He knew exactly what He was doing and why.  We often fool ourselves.  We are not truthful to our hearts.  We do wrong things and pray for a right outcome.  Lord help us to be transparent and do the next right thing.

2/02            John 4:3
So he left Judea and returned to Galilee.

JESUS
Jesus did not worry about PR.  He knew what He was supposed to do and went about His work with a sense of awareness of His timetable.  He followed the Father completely each and every day.

2/03            John 4:4-5
He had to go through Samaria on the way.  Eventually he came to the Samaritan village of Sychar, near the field that Jacob gave to his son Joseph.

MINISTRY
Jesus was focused on ministry.  Jews didn’t go through Samaria when they were traveling from Galilee to or from Jerusalem.  Jesus did.  He cared about people.  When we care about people the place of service is irrelevant.

2/04            John 4:6-8
Jacob’s well was there; and Jesus, tired from the long walk, sat wearily beside the well about noontime.  Soon a Samaritan woman came to draw water, and Jesus said to her, “Please give me a drink.”  He was alone at the time because his disciples had gone into the village to buy some food.

MINISTRY
When you are worn out are you able to recognize a ministry opportunity?  Jesus did.  This woman at the well would be ignored by most.  Mainline religious folk would categorize her as an outcast and move on.  Jesus knew her need and took time to minister to her.  Everyone we meet has needs.  We are in the need filling business.

2/05            John 4:9
The woman was surprised, for Jews refuse to have anything to do with Samaritans.  She said to Jesus, “You are a Jew, and I am a Samaritan woman. Why are you asking me for a drink?”

MINISTRY
Ministry overcomes culture.  We minister to those in need.  Everyone is in need.  We are called to minister wherever we go.  When we keep the Son in our eyes ministry becomes second nature to us.

2/06            John 4:10
Jesus replied, “If you only knew the gift God has for you and who you are speaking to, you would ask me, and I would give you living water.”

WORLD
The world cannot comprehend ministry nor can it comprehend meeting needs.  In the world everyone is evaluated by a worth scale that excludes ministry to people.  Living water is what we have to give to those in need.  We recognize their physical needs and also their spiritual needs and are able to minister to both.  People count with the Lord.

2/07            John 4:11-12
“But sir, you don’t have a rope or a bucket,” she said, “and this well is very deep. Where would you get this living water?  And besides, do you think you’re greater than our ancestor Jacob, who gave us this well? How can you offer better water than he and his sons and his animals enjoyed?”

MINISTRY
Many people who need ministry don’t know what ministry is nor do they understand it when someone ministers to them.  We are called to minister to those in need not to make them realize we are ministering to them and then become grateful for what we have done.  We minister out of obedience and love.

2/08            John 4:13-14
Jesus replied, “Anyone who drinks this water will soon become thirsty again.   But those who drink the water I give will never be thirsty again. It becomes a fresh, bubbling spring within them, giving them eternal life.”

MINISTRY
We minister to people.  Sometimes they receive it and sometimes they don’t.  Sometimes they respond negatively towards us.  But no matter the response minister to the needy.

2/09            John 4:15
“Please, sir,” the woman said, “give me this water! Then I’ll never be thirsty again, and I won’t have to come here to get water.”

NEED
The world is lost.  It does not know what it needs.  Jesus always knows our need.  When we turn to Christ and submit out life He will walk with us and guide us to meet our need.  We don’t have to plead or beg to get our need met because Jesus knows what we need and He loves us.  Today let Jesus show you the way.

2/10            John 4:16
“Go and get your husband,” Jesus told her.

NEED
I know you say you need this but is that really your need.  We often find Jesus touching us as to our need and we try to throw Him off the path to our real need.  We ask questions, drag our feet, and make excuses when in fact the only one we are fooling is ourselves.  Jesus knows all about us.  Go to Him and work through to the truth.  Then you can change.  Jesus loves you.

2/11            John 4:17-18
“I don’t have a husband,” the woman replied.  Jesus said, “You’re right! You don’t have a husband—for you have had five husbands, and you aren’t even married to the man you’re living with now. You certainly spoke the truth!”

NEED
We need truth in our life.  We need to face the truth.  We need to understand the magnitude of our sin, the way it separates us from Christ.  Repent, turn away, from your sin and you will experience the wisdom, mercy and grace of Jesus.  Let Christ have control of you.

2/12            John 4:19-20
“Sir,” the woman said, “you must be a prophet.  So tell me, why is it that you Jews insist that Jerusalem is the only place of worship, while we Samaritans claim it is here at Mount Gerizim, where our ancestors worshiped?”

NEED
This item of need was irrelevant to the woman’s need.  Jesus ignored this question because He knew this wasn’t part of the woman’s problem.  She was an outcast to her own people.  This false front was moved aside by Jesus.  He listened but was going to deal with the real problem.  Let the Lord deal with you and He will deal with the real problems you are facing.

2/13            John 4:21-23
Jesus replied, “Believe me, dear woman, the time is coming when it will no longer matter whether you worship the Father on this mountain or in Jerusalem.  You Samaritans know very little about the one you worship, while we Jews know all about him, for salvation comes through the Jews.  But the time is coming—indeed it’s here now—when true worshipers will worship the Father in spirit and in truth. The Father is looking for those who will worship him that way.

TRUTH
Mankind is desperately lost and cannot fix his/her broken relationship with God.  God has provided a way for mankind to be saved.  That is the way for us to go.  Ask Jesus to forgive us of our sin and make us righteous before the Father.  In Christ we have a relationship with God.  Without Christ we are dead in our trespasses and sin.

2/14            John 4:24
For God is Spirit, so those who worship him must worship in spirit and in truth.”

TRUTH
Jesus is the truth.  He is the only way to the Father.  In Christ we have an entre into the family of God.  Jesus is our savior.  The Good News for us is that Jesus lived a perfect life, suffered for our sin, died to pay the price of our sin and was raised from the dead by the power the power of God.  Jesus reigns as the King of kings and Lord of Lords.  Jesus loves you.

2/15            John 4:25
The woman said, “I know the Messiah is coming—the one who is called Christ. When he comes, he will explain everything to us.”

OUTSIDERS
Outsiders always have a potential attitude.  Things aren’t their fault.  Everything will be fixed then.  They have very little recognition of the now.  A Christ centered life is a now life.  I recognize my responsibility as a child of the King.  Do the next right thing and do it now.

2/16            John 4:26
Then Jesus told her, “I Am the Messiah!”

LOST
The lost are dead in their trespasses and sin.  They cannot see spiritual truth.  Jesus is standing before this woman and she doesn’t even recognize Him.  Be careful how you live your life.  You nor I want to miss an opportunity for interaction with Christ the Lord.

2/17            John 4:27
Just then his disciples came back. They were shocked to find him talking to a woman, but none of them had the nerve to ask, “What do you want with her?” or “Why are you talking to her?”

SHEEP
All of us have gone astray like a flock of sheep.  We fail to ask the right questions to our own hurt.  We do not experience the fullness of Christ in our daily life.  What do you want me to do Jesus?  That is the question.

2/18            John 4:28-30
The woman left her water jar beside the well and ran back to the village, telling everyone, “Come and see a man who told me everything I ever did! Could he possibly be the Messiah?”  So the people came streaming from the village to see him.

RECOGNITION
When we see Jesus it will change the way we act and the way we live.  We are no longer living a life of uncertainty.  In Christ we have eternal life and a certain job that we are to be about.  Talk with Jesus.  Are you living the way you should?

2/19            John 4:31-33
Meanwhile, the disciples were urging Jesus, “Rabbi, eat something.”  But Jesus replied, “I have a kind of food you know nothing about.”  “Did someone bring him food while we were gone?” the disciples asked each other.

FOOLISH
Even His disciples didn’t connect the dots.  They really didn’t understand who Jesus was.  Do you understand that Jesus is the Son of God and that He is alive and living in His children here on earth.  He is our elder brother and He gives us His righteousness.  Isaiah 64:4-9 tells us that “all our righteousness is like filthy rags.”   We are saved by His work and His righteousness.

2/20            John 4:34-36
Then Jesus explained: “My nourishment comes from doing the will of God, who sent me, and from finishing his work.  You know the saying, ‘Four months between planting and harvest.’ But I say, wake up and look around. The fields are already ripe[e] for harvest.  The harvesters are paid good wages, and the fruit they harvest is people brought to eternal life. What joy awaits both the planter and the harvester alike!

FOCUS
Our leader Jesus gives us a model to follow for a growing and strong Christian lifestyle-focus on the Lord.  We don’t think about Jesus when we are in trouble, we think about Him all the time.  He is our constant companion.

2/21            John 4:37-38
You know the saying, ‘One plants and another harvests.’ And it’s true.  I sent you to harvest where you didn’t plant; others had already done the work, and now you will get to gather the harvest.”

WORK
There is no limit to the amount of good we can do if it doesn’t matter who gets the credit.  All that I do I do for the glory and honor of the Lord Jesus.  He is God’s everything.  Without Jesus we can do nothing at all.  In Christ we will live, grow and multiply for we will properly represent Him at every opportunity.

2/22            John 4:39-41
Many Samaritans from the village believed in Jesus because the woman had said, “He told me everything I ever did!”  When they came out to see him, they begged him to stay in their village. So he stayed for two days, long enough for many more to hear his message and believe.

WISDOM
The wisdom of God is to know Jesus.  He is our Savior and brings real life and light into our lives.  Jesus is the Messiah and He came so that we might have life.  Think about Jesus and what He means to you.  When the people saw the change in the woman at the well they knew that they wanted that kind of change in their life.

2/23            John 4:42
Then they said to the woman, “Now we believe, not just because of what you told us, but because we have heard him ourselves. Now we know that he is indeed the Savior of the world.”

KNOW
A relationship with Jesus is a personal relationship.  There are no grandchildren in the family of God.  We must come to the point where we too can say that we have heard but now we know that Jesus is Lord and Savior.

2/24            John 4:43
At the end of the two days, Jesus went on to Galilee.

MINISTRY
Most of the ministry of Jesus was in the Galilee.  He was a country person and He loved to be in the small towns around the Sea of Galilee.  Now He was again returning to Galilee.  He knew His course and that there was little time left to complete His work here on earth.  Just a thought, if the Son of God was moving with purpose and meaning maybe that is the way we should be living.  Our focus should be on the task the Lord has assigned us.  Busy about His work.

2/25            John 4:44-45
He himself had said that a prophet is not honored in his own hometown.  Yet the Galileans welcomed him, for they had been in Jerusalem at the Passover celebration and had seen everything he did there.

PEOPLE
People have such short memories.  Even the best of us seldom have pure intentions for people are selfish, self-centered beings.  All have sinned and fallen short of the glory of God.  Let Jesus come into your heart and your life.  Live for Him and with Him.  Bend your knee to the Lord.

2/26            John 4:46-48
As he traveled through Galilee, he came to Cana, where he had turned the water into wine. There was a government official in nearby Capernaum whose son was very sick.  When he heard that Jesus had come from Judea to Galilee, he went and begged Jesus to come to Capernaum to heal his son, who was about to die.

Jesus asked, “Will you never believe in me unless you see miraculous signs and wonders?”

BELIEVE
Lord I believe, help my unbelief.  This government official knew that Jesus could save His son and He came to find Jesus and to get Him to come to Capernaum to heal his boy.  Jesus began pointing out His character and nature-He didn’t come to just work extraordinary works so that we might be impressed.  He came to die for me and you and He was already beginning His march to the Cross.  The miracles Jesus worked were small things compared to the work He did for humanity by dying on the cross in Jerusalem and being resurrected by the power of God.

2/27            John 4:49-50
The official pleaded, “Lord, please come now before my little boy dies.”  Then Jesus told him, “Go back home. Your son will live!” And the man believed what Jesus said and started home.

BELIEVE
Do you believe in Jesus?  If you do you will begin a process of change this moment that will take you the rest of your life consummate.  You can live a life totally committed to Jesus.  So many are needed to tell the world about Jesus, will you?

2/28            John 4:51-54
While the man was on his way, some of his servants met him with the news that his son was alive and well.  He asked them when the boy had begun to get better, and they replied, “Yesterday afternoon at one o’clock his fever suddenly disappeared!”  Then the father realized that that was the very time Jesus had told him, “Your son will live.” And he and his entire household believed in Jesus.  This was the second miraculous sign Jesus did in Galilee after coming from Judea.

ANYTHING
Jesus can do anything.  He can equip us to serve as His co-worker in this world.  Jesus will help you to be just like the Father created you to be.  Be strong in the Lord and in His might and Jesus will work with you to become more like Him.  People need to always be growing into Christ-likeness.  I plan to keep doing this.  Join with me and let’s serve the Lord together.

01/01          John 2:1-2
The next day Jesus’ mother was a guest at a wedding celebration in the village of Cana in Galilee.  Jesus and his disciples were also invited to the celebration.

MARY
Mary loved her son and was willing to listen to Him even when she didn’t understand what was happening.  When you love Jesus you obey Him.  What are you doing that Jesus has directed you to quit doing?  What are you not doing that Jesus has called you over and over to do?  Do it and you will be changed.

01/02          John 2:3-5
The wine supply ran out during the festivities, so Jesus’ mother spoke to him about the problem. “They have no more wine,” she told him.  “How does that concern you and me?” Jesus asked. “My time has not yet come.”  But his mother told the servants, “Do whatever he tells you.”

MARY
Again Mary believes her son and does what He has asked her to do.  The end result is amazing and far beyond what anyone had though about.  Jesus is announcing His arrival as a change agent in the world.  He changes us from dead without Christ to alive in Christ Jesus.

01/03          John 2:6-9
Six stone water pots were standing there; they were used for Jewish ceremonial purposes and held twenty to thirty gallons each.  Jesus told the servants, “Fill the jars with water.” When the jars had been filled to the brim, he said, “Dip some out and take it to the master of ceremonies.” So they followed his instructions.  When the master of ceremonies tasted the water that was now wine, not knowing where it had come from (though, of course, the servants knew), he called the bridegroom over.

AMAZED
The servants were amazed.  They knew who had done this.  This first miracle is significant of the rest of His ministry.  Jesus is always changing the good to best, the worst to excellent, a failure to victory.  Jesus is alive and He is here with us even now.

01/04          John 2:10-11
“Usually a host serves the best wine first,” he said. “Then, when everyone is full and doesn’t care, he brings out the less expensive wines. But you have kept the best until now!”  This miraculous sign at Cana in Galilee was Jesus’ first display of his glory. And his disciples believed in him.

JESUS
Jesus will help us deliver a life that glorifies the Lord until the day we crossover into heaven.  Our life is but a mist.  We are here and gone.  But when we leave we are going to be with Jesus.  Rejoice about your unique and valuable life.  Jesus died for you.

01/05          John 2:12
After the wedding he went to Capernaum for a few days with his mother, his brothers, and his disciples.

JESUS
Capernaum, the hometown of Jesus was only 20 miles from Cana so it was an easy walk.  This was a relaxed time for Jesus and His disciples.  This was a time of rest before they would head to Jerusalem.  We all need rest.  Even the Son of God had to take a bit of a rest.  An old saying says that exhaustion makes cowards of us all.  Be careful with your life and get enough rest or you may find your self overwhelmed by the world.

01/06          John 2:13
It was time for the annual Passover celebration, and Jesus went to Jerusalem.

JERUSALEM
The entire land bustled with activity getting ready for the Passover.  The roads were congested.  It was a festive time of year.  Jesus was going to Jerusalem.  Everything Jesus did was preceded by fervent prayer.  We know He prayed about this trip and was ready for the things that He would face.  Have you prayed about your day?  I know we often think our lives are unimportant but that isn’t true.  Jesus places great value on you and your life.  He died for you.  He has a plan for you life and you will need to spend time with Him in prayer to know each day how to deal with that day.  Stay on track.  Spend time with Jesus.

01/07          John 2:14
In the Temple area he saw merchants selling cattle, sheep, and doves for sacrifices; and he saw money changers behind their counters.

JESUS
This made Jesus angry.  I suspect that you like me have sometimes felt that we were angry for the Lord.  Somebody offends the church and we might be ready to jump back at them.  Did you spend time with Jesus today?  Do you know how Jesus would have you react?  Make sure you are on solid ground when you get angry for the Lord.

01/08          John 2:15-16
Jesus made a whip from some ropes and chased them all out of the Temple. He drove out the sheep and oxen, scattered the money changers’ coins over the floor, and turned over their tables.  Then, going over to the people who sold doves, he told them, “Get these things out of here. Don’t turn my Father’s house into a marketplace!”

MERCHANTS
These merchants were crooks and scalawags.  They charged usurious fees, extorted money from the people, sold unclean animals at exorbitant prices, had kickback arrangements with the religious leaders and many other evil things that were besmirching the House of God: the Temple.  Jesus knew this and demanded that these evil ones immediately leave the Temple area.  Remember the importance of bringing a clean heart before the Lord.  Our faith isn’t just another part of our busy lives, it is our life.

01/09          John 2:17
Then his disciples remembered this prophecy from the Scriptures: “Passion for God’s house burns within me.”

JESUS
Jesus was totally committed to the Father.  He spent the time He needed with the Father to live a perfect life.  We too can live a perfect life before God but we cannot do it without devoting ourselves to the Lord.

01/10          John 2:18
“What right do you have to do these things?” the Jewish leaders demanded. “If you have this authority from God, show us a miraculous sign to prove it.”

MIRACLE
Always the people wanted a miracle.  Jesus had already done so many miracles.  One more miracle on demand wouldn’t change how these leaders thought.  They hated Jesus.  We must be careful not to think that we can’t do anything for the Lord because we can’t do miracles.    Miracles don’t change people, Jesus does.  Tell them about Jesus.  We do not have to fear anyone.  If God is for us who can be against us?

01/11          John 2:19
“All right,” Jesus replied. “Destroy this temple, and in three days I will raise it up.”

TRUTH
Jesus always told the truth.  Even if the people didn’t want to hear the truth Christ told the truth.  We should examine our conversations.  Are we committed to telling the truth or just to tell a convenient word?  Speak the truth with kindness.

01/12          John 2:20
“What!” they exclaimed. “It took forty-six years to build this Temple, and you can do it in three days?”

VISION
We are so limited in our wisdom and knowledge.  Even the most brilliant of us knows so very little about our universe.  Jesus created all things and knows all things.  We can have fellowship with Him.  He will tell us what we need to know for our daily life.

01/13          John 2:21-22
But by “this temple,” Jesus meant his body.  After he was raised from the dead, the disciples remembered that he had said this. And they believed both Jesus and the Scriptures.

SACRIFICE
Jesus gave His life as a sacrifice for us.  He died in our stead.  Think today about the magnitude of His sacrifice for you.  Remember when you were dead in your trespasses and sin.  Can you imagine still being lost and away from God?  Thank Jesus today for His gift of life to you.

01/14          John 2:23
Because of the miraculous signs he did in Jerusalem at the Passover celebration, many people were convinced that he was indeed the Messiah.

SIGNS
Many folks think that if they saw a sign from Jesus that they would believe.  Faith is believing without seeing.  Christ was here and He died for us.  His sacrifice pays the price of our sin.  A miracle will not help us see that any better than the Word of God presents it to us now.

01/15          John 2:24
But Jesus didn’t trust them, because he knew what people were really like. No one needed to tell him about human nature.

PEOPLE
People are dead in their trespasses and sin.  Jesus is a choice.  Tragically too few choose Jesus.  Many choose to live fearful lives that testify to the meaninglessness of life without Christ.

01/16          John 3: 1-2
After dark one evening, a Jewish religious leader named Nicodemus, a Pharisee, came to speak with Jesus. “Teacher,” he said, “we all know that God has sent you to teach us. Your miraculous signs are proof enough that God is with you.”

PEOPLE
People do a lot of talking.  Sometimes they even talk just to hear themselves talk.  Nicodemus was talking and not connecting.  He was on the fence.  He wanted to believe in Jesus but he didn’t.  Make sure you aren’t sitting on the fence waiting for another miracle to bolster your belief.  Believe in Jesus.

01/17          John 3: 3
Jesus replied, “I assure you, unless you are born again, you can never see the Kingdom of God.”

JESUS
Jesus knew what was in the heart of Nicodemus.  He got straight to the point-Nicodemus until you believe we can’t talk.  His point went right over Nicodemus’ head.  Lest you believe you will not have the life and light to discuss spiritual things.  Believe in Jesus and you will be saved.

01/18          John 3: 4
“What do you mean?” exclaimed Nicodemus. “How can an old man go back into his mother’s womb and be born again?”

JESUS
Jesus was speaking plainly and Nicodemus was just not getting it.  People too often just don’t get it.  They want to decide how they are going to develop a relationship with God.  They want their way.  There is only one way to the Father and that is through Jesus Christ the Lord.

01/19          John 3: 5-6
Jesus replied, “The truth is, no one can enter the Kingdom of God without being born of water and the Spirit.  Humans can reproduce only human life, but the Holy Spirit gives new life from heaven.

LINE
We cannot cross the line from human life to spiritual life except through Jesus Christ.  Christ gives us new life.  Holy Spirit life comes from Jesus and is a gift that we can receive by believing in Him.

01/20          John 3: 7-8
So don’t be surprised at my statement that you must be born again.  Just as you can hear the wind but can’t tell where it comes from or where it is going, so you can’t explain how people are born of the Spirit.”

SPIRIT
We are not in control.  Try as we might our life is at the mercy of time.  Pain, sorrow, loss and other things that plague us happen and we are helpless to stop them.  What we can do is accept Christ as Lord and He will give us new life.  That new life will equip us to deal with all of the ups and downs of life and a solid foundation to overcome that vagaries and frustrations of life.  Life in Christ is a life that is under the control of the Lord.

01/21          John 3: 9
“What do you mean?” Nicodemus asked.

DEAD
Nicodemus did not have spiritual life.  He may have gotten it later but at this point he was lost.  Christ had already outlined what new life meant and how the Lord was willing to freely give this new life.  Anytime you talk with someone that is lost they will not understand what you are talking about when you talk about spiritual things.  They may know the right answers but if they don’t know Jesus they don’t have spiritual life.

01/22           John 3:10-15
Jesus replied, “You are a respected Jewish teacher, and yet you don’t understand these things?  I assure you, I am telling you what we know and have seen, and yet you won’t believe us.  But if you don’t even believe me when I tell you about things that happen here on earth, how can you possibly believe if I tell you what is going on in heaven?  For only I, the Son of Man, have come to earth and will return to heaven again.  And as Moses lifted up the bronze snake on a pole in the wilderness, so I, the Son of Man, must be lifted up on a pole, so that everyone who believes in me will have eternal life.

POWER
Jesus has the power to give us new life, eternal life, that is like the life that He has.  We can come into the family of God and be a partner together with Jesus sharing the Good news.  This is a choice that we have to make.

01/23          John 3:16
“For God so loved the world that he gave his only Son, so that everyone who believes in him will not perish but have eternal life.

LIFE
God’s Word to you is that you can have eternal life.  This life is in the Lord Jesus and we can only have it by faith in Him.  Listen to the Word of God and if you don’t know Jesus ask Him into your heart today.

01/24          John 3:17-18
God did not send his Son into the world to condemn it, but to save it.  “There is no judgment awaiting those who trust him. But those who do not trust him have already been judged for not believing in the only Son of God.

TRUST
Trust is a choice.  Do I believe God and accept His gift or do I think that I can do it myself?  Trust God.  Learn about Him.  Spend time with Him and rejoice.

01/25          John 3:19-21
Their judgment is based on this fact: The light from heaven came into the world, but they loved the darkness more than the light, for their actions were evil.   They hate the light because they want to sin in the darkness. They stay away from the light for fear their sins will be exposed and they will be punished.  But any who do what is right come to the light gladly, so everyone can see that they are doing what God wants.”

LIGHT
Jesus Christ is the light of the world.  We can choose to accept Him as Lord and Savior.  But many people refuse to bend the knee to Christ.  They are arrogant and stubborn thinking that they can provide for themselves.  This is tragic.  We cannot demand that God do things our way.

01/26          John 3:22-23
Afterward Jesus and his disciples left Jerusalem, but they stayed in Judea for a while and baptized there.  At this time John the Baptist was baptizing at Aenon, near Salim, because there was plenty of water there and people kept coming to him for baptism.

JESUS
Jesus knew everything that was happening.  He bent His will to the will of the Father and proceeded to do those things that would take Him straight to the cross.  The Lord knows what you are struggling with and what you will struggle with in the future.  He is seeking time with you so that He can equip you to accomplish your plan that the Father has laid out for you.  Spend time with Jesus.

01/27          John 3:24-26
This was before John was put into prison.  At that time a certain Jew began an argument with John’s disciples over ceremonial cleansing.  John’s disciples came to him and said, “Teacher, the man you met on the other side of the Jordan River, the one you said was the Messiah, is also baptizing people. And everybody is going over there instead of coming here to us.”

JOHN
No one was greater than John.  Jesus paid him a high accomplishment.  John simply wanted to do those things that were pleasing to the Father.  He did.  We might say no but the truth is that John did exactly what the Father called him to do and he gave his life to do it.

01/28          John 3:27
John replied, “God in heaven appoints each person’s work.

VALUE
God assigns each one of us work to do.  We choose whether we will accept His assignment.  His personal attention to our life gives us value.  Each one of us has significant value and as a creation of His we have built in value.  Next time you are feeling like a failure or feeling lonely and blue remember God loves you.

01/29          John 3:28-31
You yourselves know how plainly I told you that I am not the Messiah. I am here to prepare the way for him – that is all.  The bride will go where the bridegroom is. A bridegroom’s friend rejoices with him. I am the bridegroom’s friend, and I am filled with joy at his success.  He must become greater and greater, and I must become less and less.  “He has come from above and is greater than anyone else. I am of the earth, and my understanding is limited to the things of earth, but he has come from heaven.

WISDOM
Wisdom comes from God.  It is an insight that we cannot learn by study but instead is a step from known to known through the unknown.  John spoke as directed by the Spirit of God.  We now have knowledge as a result of the wisdom given by God to John so that we would hear proclamation that Jesus came to us from the Father.

01/30          John 3:32-34
He tells what he has seen and heard, but how few believe what he tells them!  Those who believe him discover that God is true.  For he is sent by God. He speaks God’s words, for God’s Spirit is upon him without measure or limit.

JESUS
Jesus said that we would have the opportunity to have a greater ministry than He had.  We only have to obey the Father and trust Him to do the kind of ministry that Jesus did.  He healed the sick, raised the dead, loved the poor and the down and out and He was always careful to do all those things that gave glory to God.  Go and do likewise.

01/31          John 3:35-36
The Father loves his Son, and he has given him authority over everything.  And all who believe in God’s Son have eternal life. Those who don’t obey the Son will never experience eternal life, but the wrath of God remains upon them.”

OBEY
Obey Jesus.  Do what He says.  Live the way He lived.  Get to know Him better each day.  Obey Jesus.

12/1            John 1:1
In the beginning the Word already existed. He was with God, and he was God.

GOD
Jesus is God.  He is totally God and totally man.  Divine and human in every respect; and He is totally able to understand the pain and suffering that mankind experiences.  When you pray to Jesus you are praying to God.  When you spend time with Jesus you are spending time with God.  Jesus Christ is the Lord God.

12/2            John 1:2-3
He was in the beginning with God.  He created everything there is. Nothing exists that he didn’t make.

GOD
Jesus is the creative activity of God.  He is God and He created everything.  We cannot exist without Jesus.  His blessings cover those who are saved and those who are lost, He is God’s everything.

12/3            John 1:4-5
Life itself was in him, and this life gives light to everyone.  The light shines through the darkness, and the darkness can never extinguish it.

LIFE
Jesus brings us life.  His life covers us and fills us with life.  What are you struggling with?  Christ will bring real life to your troubles and woes.  Sit with Him and express yourself.  Christ will change the way you see yourself and the way you see your struggles.  Often He will give us an immediate change of heart.  Sometimes it will take a bit of time for everything to work through to us.  Jesus is bigger than anything that challenges us.

12/4            John 1:6-9
God sent John the Baptist to tell everyone about the light so that everyone might believe because of his testimony.  John himself was not the light; he was only a witness to the light.  The one who is the true light, who gives light to everyone, was going to come into the world.

JESUS
Jesus is foretold and forth told.  John the Baptist tells one and all that HE is coming.  I want you to know that Christ has come and He came that you and me would have eternal life beginning right now.  Nothing can separate us from His love, nothing can condemn us and we do have the right to claim all of His promises for our life each day!  Jesus is Lord.

12/5            John 1:10
But although the world was made through him, the world didn’t recognize him when he came.

ALWAYS
The preexistent Christ created everything there is and His greatest creation, mankind, denies His existence.  That is just unbelievable that the world will claim darkness over Jesus.  You have chosen Christ.  Believe in Him and know that He has you on His heart this very moment.  Jesus loves you.

12/6            John 1:11
Even in his own land and among his own people, he was not accepted.

SAW
They saw His miracles.  They heard Him teach.  They walked with Him many places in the land.  But they didn’t believe Him.  Jesus was just another person to them.  Believe in Him and He will give you life.  There is nothing complex about that.  Trust in the Lord and He will be with you.

12/7            John 1:12
But to all who believed him and accepted him, he gave the right to become children of God.

CHILDREN
We belong to Him and as a result of believing in Him we have become children of God.  We belong to the KING, the Lord High God.  Rejoice in Him and accept His peace and your life will be useful and useable.

12/8            John 1:13
They are reborn! This is not a physical birth resulting from human passion or plan – this rebirth comes from God.

SPIRIT
By the power of the Lord, His Spirit, we are given a spiritual birth.  We have a difficult time understanding this birth but we know and we experience it.  The comes alive to us because we are a part of the Family of God and now hear the Spirit speak to us in the Word of God.  That Word is alive and is to us.  We hear Him as He speaks to us and know Him as Lord and Savior.

12/9            John 1:14
So the Word became human and lived here on earth among us. He was full of unfailing love and faithfulness. And we have seen his glory, the glory of the only Son of the Father.

JESUS
The Darling Son of the Lord is our elder brother.  Jesus is alive.  He lives in us.  He lives to guide us.  His concern for us even transcends our own concern because Jesus knows what we will face.  When tragedy or challenge strikes Jesus will stand together with you.  The Lord Jesus wants to be totally involved in your life.

12/10          John 1:15
John pointed him out to the people. He shouted to the crowds, “This is the one I was talking about when I said, ‘Someone is coming who is far greater than I am, for he existed long before I did.'”

JESUS
John knew.  He knew because the Spirit revealed Christ to him.  You know if you have accepted Jesus as your Lord and Savior.  The Lord has come to us and one day He is coming back to claim His bride and His children.

12/11          John 1:16-17
We have all benefited from the rich blessings he brought to us – one gracious blessing after another.  For the law was given through Moses; God’s unfailing love and faithfulness came through Jesus Christ.

GRACE
The sun is not diminished by shining.  Grace pours out of Christ, grace upon grace and is not diminished by the amount of grace given to each one of us.  He is gracious and provides bountiful grace.  His precious grace gives us what we need and cannot earn.  Jesus the Lord provides each one of us exactly what we need.  His grace is more than we ever expect and far greater than what we need.

12/12          John 1:18
No one has ever seen God. But his only Son, who is himself God, is near to the Father’s heart; he has told us about him.

GOD
The more fully you see grace the greater grace becomes.  God is always ahead of us and we can never outrun His grace.  The greatness of Christ’s love explains the greatness of the Father’s love.  The Lord has come and dwelt among us and we are blessed by His presence.

12/12          John 1:18
No one has ever seen God. But his only Son, who is himself God, is near to the Father’s heart; he has told us about him.

GOD
The more fully you see grace the greater grace becomes.  God is always ahead of us and we can never outrun His grace.  The greatness of Christ’s love explains the greatness of the Father’s love.  The Lord has come and dwelt among us and we are blessed by His presence.

12/13          John 1:19-23
This was the testimony of John when the Jewish leaders sent priests and Temple assistants from Jerusalem to ask John whether he claimed to be the Messiah.  He flatly denied it. “I am not the Messiah,” he said.  “Well then, who are you?” they asked. “Are you Elijah?””No,” he replied.”Are you the Prophet?” “No.”  “Then who are you? Tell us, so we can give an answer to those who sent us. What do you have to say about yourself?”  John replied in the words of Isaiah: “I am a voice shouting in the wilderness, ‘Prepare a straight pathway for the Lord’s coming!'”

VOICE
John the Baptist was a voice.  He submitted himself to God and let the Lord speak thru him to the people.  He prophesied the coming Messiah.  He lived His live in submission to God and was used by the Lord to tell people that Jesus was coming.  One more step in the fulfillment of the prophecies predicting that Messiah would come.  John the Baptist was a workmen clearing a road for the coming Lord.

12/14          John 1:24-27
Then those who were sent by the Pharisees  asked him, “If you aren’t the Messiah or Elijah or the Prophet, what right do you have to baptize?”  John told them, “I baptize with water, but right here in the crowd is someone you do not know, who will soon begin his ministry. I am not even worthy to be his slave. ”

NOTHING
I am nothing but Jesus, Jesus is everything.  Jesus is God’s everything.  He is Lord and ruler of all things.  Creator God, loving Messiah, Savior of Mankind, the Lord Jesus Christ is the one and only son of God sent to save us from our sin.

12/15          John 1:28-29
This incident took place at Bethany, a village east of the Jordan River, where John was baptizing. The next day John saw Jesus coming toward him and said, “Look! There is the Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world!

JESUS
Have you got problems today?  Do they seem insoluble?  Can you not see your way through to a solution to your problem?  Take it to Jesus.  He loves you and will stand with you to work through this problem.  God has a plan for your life.  He has called you to become a member of His family.  Trust the Lord.  Believe in Jesus and He will save you.

12/16          John 1:30-31
He is the one I was talking about when I said, ‘Soon a man is coming who is far greater than I am, for he existed long before I did.’  I didn’t know he was the one, but I have been baptizing with water in order to point him out to Israel.”

JESUS
God has provided a solution to your deepest need.  Jesus is the solution.  Jesus is the way, the truth and the life.  Jesus loves you.  Surrender your heart to Christ for He cares for you.  Believe in Jesus and He will never depart from you.

12/17          John 1:32-35
Then John said, “I saw the Holy Spirit descending like a dove from heaven and resting upon him.  I didn’t know he was the one, but when God sent me to baptize with water, he told me, ‘When you see the Holy Spirit descending and resting upon someone, he is the one you are looking for. He is the one who baptizes with the Holy Spirit.’  I saw this happen to Jesus, so I testify that he is the Son of God. ”

JESUS
Jesus Christ is Lord of all.  He reconnects us with the Father.  John attested to who Jesus was, Jesus was the Son of God.  He is beloved by the Father and He loves us.  Feeling blue?  Spend time with Jesus and He will help you.

12/18          John 1:35-36
The following day, John was again standing with two of his disciples.  As Jesus walked by, John looked at him and then declared, “Look! There is the Lamb of God!”

JESUS
He is the sacrificial lamb for my sin and your sin.  He is the sacrifice for everyone who has ever lived.  We are given the right to choose Jesus.  He has already chosen us.  If no one else has ever given you the right to choose which way you should go, Jesus has.  Jesus would that each one of us have an abundant life.  Sin and evil get in the way and drag us away from doing those things that benefit us.  Jesus always has our best interests at heart.  He died for us so that we might have the right of free choice.

12/19          John 1:37-39
Then John’s two disciples turned and followed Jesus.  Jesus looked around and saw them following. “What do you want?” he asked them. They replied, “Rabbi” (which means Teacher), “where are you staying?”  “Come and see,” he said. It was about four o’clock in the afternoon when they went with him to the place, and they stayed there the rest of the day.

JESUS
Jesus is looking for followers who will follow Him and not something else.  The Lord is single minded and single focused.  We cannot serve Him and everything else we find in our lives We must choose whom we will follow, Jesus or self.

12/20          John 1:40
Andrew, Simon Peter’s brother, was one of these men who had heard what John said and then followed Jesus.

JESUS
It was very clear to those He would call to follow Him who He was.  Jesus was different than the ordinary person.  He was devoted to the Father and was concerned for the weak.  Later Peter testified that He was the Messiah.  Who do you think Jesus is?  If you believe that He is the Messiah then Jesus will change your life.

12/21          John 1:41
The first thing Andrew did was to find his brother, Simon, and tell him, “We have found the Messiah” (which means the Christ).

JESUS
Jesus was fully man and fully God.  We don’t understand exactly what that means but we know what it means to us.  Jesus knows all about me and He still loves me.

12/22          John 1:42
Then Andrew brought Simon to meet Jesus. Looking intently at Simon, Jesus said, “You are Simon, the son of John – but you will be called Cephas” (which means Peter).

JESUS
Jesus knows us from the inside out.  What are you not discussing with the Lord?  Take time now to discuss it and you will discover that the Lord has a plan for you.  Are you troubled?  Take it to Jesus and He will deal with your trouble.  Whatever your need is take it to Jesus.

12/23          Matthew 2:1-8
Jesus was born in the town of Bethlehem in Judea, during the reign of King Herod. About that time some wise men from eastern lands arrived in Jerusalem, asking, “Where is the newborn king of the Jews? We have seen his star as it arose, and we have come to worship him.”  Herod was deeply disturbed by their question, as was all of Jerusalem.  He called a meeting of the leading priests and teachers of religious law. “Where did the prophets say the Messiah would be born?” he asked them.  “In Bethlehem,” they said, “for this is what the prophet wrote: ‘O Bethlehem of Judah, you are not just a lowly village in Judah, for a ruler will come from you who will be the shepherd for my people Israel.’ ”  Then Herod sent a private message to the wise men, asking them to come see him. At this meeting he learned the exact time when they first saw the star.  Then he told them, “Go to Bethlehem and search carefully for the child. And when you find him, come back and tell me so that I can go and worship him, too!”

MAGI
Wise men from the east came to see the baby Jesus.  Go to Jesus and talk with Him about your need.  Do it now not later.

12/24          Matthew 2:9-12
After this interview the wise men went their way. Once again the star appeared to them, guiding them to Bethlehem. It went ahead of them and stopped over the place where the child was.  When they saw the star, they were filled with joy!  They entered the house where the child and his mother, Mary, were, and they fell down before him and worshiped him. Then they opened their treasure chests and gave him gifts of gold, frankincense, and myrrh.  But when it was time to leave, they went home another way, because God had warned them in a dream not to return to Herod.

MAGI
Wise men were elated to find Jesus.  When we come to the Lord Jesus we are blessed with joy and peace.  If you have lost your joy and peace go back to Jesus and you will get it back.

12/25          Luke 2:1-8
At that time the Roman emperor, Augustus, decreed that a census should be taken throughout the Roman Empire.  (This was the first census taken when Quirinius was governor of Syria.)  All returned to their own towns to register for this census.  And because Joseph was a descendant of King David, he had to go to Bethlehem in Judea, David’s ancient home. He traveled there from the village of Nazareth in Galilee.  He took with him Mary, his fiancée, who was obviously pregnant by this time.  And while they were there, the time came for her baby to be born.  She gave birth to her first child, a son. She wrapped him snugly in strips of cloth and laid him in a manger, because there was no room for them in the village inn.

MANGER
The Lord of glory was born in an animal trough in a cave in Bethlehem.  What difficulties have you shackled?  Take it to Jesus; He knows how to handle hardship and difficulty.

12/26          Luke 2:8-20
That night some shepherds were in the fields outside the village, guarding their flocks of sheep.  Suddenly, an angel of the Lord appeared among them, and the radiance of the Lord’s glory surrounded them. They were terribly frightened, but the angel reassured them. “Don’t be afraid!” he said. “I bring you good news of great joy for everyone!  The Savior – yes, the Messiah, the Lord – has been born tonight in Bethlehem, the city of David!  And this is how you will recognize him: You will find a baby lying in a manger, wrapped snugly in strips of cloth!”   Suddenly, the angel was joined by a vast host of others – the armies of heaven – praising God: “Glory to God in the highest heaven, and peace on earth to all whom God favors. ”  When the angels had returned to heaven, the shepherds said to each other, “Come on, let’s go to Bethlehem! Let’s see this wonderful thing that has happened, which the Lord has told us about.”  They ran to the village and found Mary and Joseph. And there was the baby, lying in the manger.  Then the shepherds told everyone what had happened and what the angel had said to them about this child.  All who heard the shepherds’ story were astonished, but Mary quietly treasured these things in her heart and thought about them often.  The shepherds went back to their fields and flocks, glorifying and praising God for what the angels had told them, and because they had seen the child, just as the angel had said.

SHEPHERDS
Tough, ingenious men faced unbelievable difficulties on a daily basis to take care of their sheep.  The Lord cares for you.  He will not turn you away and will keep you from stumbling.  Spend time with the Lord and He will direct your path.

12/27          John 1:43-44
The next day Jesus decided to go to Galilee. He found Philip and said to him, “Come, be my disciple.”  Philip was from Bethsaida, Andrew and Peter’s hometown.

JESUS
Christ knew each person He was calling to follow Him.  Have you heard His call?  Are you following Him?  What will it take for you to follow Jesus?  Choose this day who you will follow, self or Christ.

12/28          John 1:45-46
Philip went off to look for Nathanael and told him, “We have found the very person Moses and the prophets wrote about! His name is Jesus, the son of Joseph from Nazareth.”  “Nazareth!” exclaimed Nathanael. “Can anything good come from there?” “Just come and see for yourself,” Philip said.

JESUS
Predicted in the Old Testament and recognized in the New Testament, Jesus is the Son of God.  We have a relationship with the Father because we have accepted Jesus as our Lord and Savior.

12/29          John 1:47-48
As they approached, Jesus said, “Here comes an honest man – a true son of Israel.”  “How do you know about me?” Nathanael asked.And Jesus replied, “I could see you under the fig tree before Philip found you.”

JESUS
Jesus knows all about us.  He never forgets us nor does He ever leave us.  Rejoice today, Jesus is Lord and He is Lord of where we are.  Jesus fixes the broken things in our life.

12/30          John 1:49
Nathanael replied, “Teacher, you are the Son of God – the King of Israel!”

JESUS
Wisdom comes from the Lord.  Nathanael speaks here under the influence of the Holy Spirit.  He is announcing the true King of Israel-Jesus Christ the Son of God.  We are not alone.  We are not at the mercy of the world.  Our background does not disqualify us.  Jesus changes everything and makes us children of God.

12/31          John 1:50-51
Jesus asked him, “Do you believe all this just because I told you I had seen you under the fig tree? You will see greater things than this.”  Then he said, “The truth is, you will all see heaven open and the angels of God going up and down upon the Son of Man.”

JESUS
We belong to the Lord.  Everything we have and all we are belongs to Him.  My responsibility is to love the Lord, love others and share with others what Jesus has done for me.  Evangelism is simply reporting what the Lord has done to me to everyone I know.  But first, I must learn to connect with others.  People won’t believe me until they trust me.