Today's Good News

FEBRUARY 17 – RELIGION

2/17 Isaiah 58:4-7
4 What good is fasting when you keep on fighting and quarreling? This kind of fasting will never get you anywhere with me. 5 You humble yourselves by going through the motions of penance, bowing your heads like a blade of grass in the wind. You dress in sackcloth and cover yourselves with ashes. Is this what you call fasting? Do you really think this will please the LORD? 6 “No, the kind of fasting I want calls you to free those who are wrongly imprisoned and to stop oppressing those who work for you. Treat them fairly and give them what they earn. 7 I want you to share your food with the hungry and to welcome poor wanderers into your homes. Give clothes to
those who need them, and do not hide from relatives who need your help.
RELIGION
Religion is man’s attempt to control God. Christianity is God’s effort to save man. Quit playing church and trying to fool the Lord. Bend your knee to Jesus and let Him save you. Give you heart to Christ and He will give you life and light for living. You will know you belong to Jesus when you take up your cross and follow Him.

FEBRUARY 16 – FACADE

2/16 Isaiah 58:1-3
1 “Shout with the voice of a trumpet blast. Tell my people Israel of their sins! 2 Yet they act so pious! They come to the Temple every day and seem delighted to hear my laws. You would almost think this was a righteous nation that would never abandon its God. They love to make a show of coming to me and asking me to take action on their behalf. 3 ‘We have fasted before you!’ they say. ‘Why aren’t you impressed? We have done much penance, and you don’t even notice it!'”I will tell you why! It’s because you are living for yourselves even while you are fasting. You keep right on oppressing your workers.
FACADE
The facade we display will not change the way the Lord sees us. HE sees our heart. He is not swayed by how we want Him to think or even what we plead with Him to see. The Lord sees our heart and knows our deepest thoughts. Do not think you can fool the Lord. He knows the real you.

FEBRUARY 15 – SERVICE

2/15 1 Samuel 16:18-23
18 One of the servants said to Saul, “The son of Jesse is a talented harp player. Not only that; he is brave and strong and has good judgment. He is also a fine-looking young man, and the LORD is with him.” 19 So Saul sent messengers to Jesse to say, “Send me your son David, the shepherd.” 20 Jesse responded by sending David to Saul, along with a young goat and a donkey loaded down with food and wine. 21 So David went to Saul and served him. Saul liked David very much, and David became one of Saul’s armor bearers. 22 Then Saul sent word to Jesse asking, “Please let David join my staff, for I am very pleased with him.” 23 And whenever the tormenting spirit from God troubled Saul, David would play the harp. Then Saul would feel better, and the tormenting spirit would go away.
SERVICE
What has the Lord called you to do? Will you do it? We do not know the end from the beginning as the Lord does but we know the ONE who does know the end from the beginning and that is Jesus. Talk to Jesus about everything in your life.

FEBRUARY 14 – SOLUTION

2/14 1 Samuel 16:14-17
14 Now the Spirit of the LORD had left Saul, and the LORD sent a tormenting spirit that filled him with depression and fear. 15 Some of Saul’s servants suggested a remedy. “It is clear that a spirit from God is tormenting you,” they said. 16 “Let us find a good musician to play the harp for you whenever the tormenting spirit is bothering you. The harp music will quiet you, and you will soon be well again.” 17 “All right,” Saul said. “Find me someone who plays well and bring him here.”
SOLUTION
The solution to our problems is found in the Lord. We need to spend the time necessary with the Lord to find the solution. He will not hide it from us. The Lord will stand with us as we deal with the great difficulties in our life.

FEBRUARY 13 – SIGHT

2/13 1 Samuel 16:11-13
Then Samuel asked, “Are these all the sons you have?””There is still the youngest,” Jesse replied. “But he’s out in the fields watching the sheep.” “Send for him at once,” Samuel said. “We will not sit down to eat until he arrives.” 12 So Jesse sent for him. He was ruddy and handsome, with pleasant eyes. And the LORD said, “This is the one; anoint him.” 13 So as David stood there among his brothers, Samuel took the olive oil he had brought and poured it on David’s head. And the Spirit of the LORD came mightily upon him from that day on. Then Samuel returned to Ramah.
SIGHT
Our eyes do not see spiritual reality. The Holy Spirit acting in us as the counselor equips and enables us to see Holy Truth. Let the Lord guide you today. Give Him your consent. Do what He says.

FEBRUARY 12 – CHOICE

2/12 1 Samuel 16:6-10
When they arrived, Samuel took one look at Eliab and thought, “Surely this is the LORD’s anointed!” 7 But the LORD said to Samuel, “Don’t judge by his appearance or height, for I have rejected him. The LORD doesn’t make decisions the way you do! People judge by outward appearance, but the LORD looks at a person’s thoughts and intentions.” 8 Then Jesse told his son Abinadab to step forward and walk in front of Samuel. But Samuel said, “This is not the one the LORD has chosen.” 9 Next Jesse summoned Shammah, but Samuel said, “Neither is this the one the LORD has chosen.” 10 In the same way all seven of Jesse’s sons were presented to Samuel. But Samuel said to Jesse, “The LORD has not chosen any of these.”
CHOICE
God in Christ has chosen us. He saw our great need and came into our world to save us. Jesus saves us from ignominy, evil, failure, worthlessness, uselessness and a wasted life. Christ has a plan for our life. Surrender you life to Jesus and He will make a difference in you.

FEBRUARY 11 – OBEDIENCE

2/11 1 Samuel 16:2-5
2 But Samuel asked, “How can I do that? If Saul hears about it, he will kill me.” “Take a heifer with you,” the LORD replied, “and say that you have come to make a sacrifice to the LORD. 3 Invite Jesse to the sacrifice, and I will show you which of his sons to anoint for me.” 4 So Samuel did as the LORD instructed him. When he arrived at Bethlehem, the leaders of the town became afraid. “What’s wrong?” they asked. “Do you come in peace?” 5 “Yes,” Samuel replied. “I have come to sacrifice to the LORD. Purify yourselves and come with me to the sacrifice.” Then Samuel performed the purification rite for Jesse and his sons and invited them, too.
OBEDIENCE
The Lord is seeking our obedience. He wants us to do what He says. I am not able to see the future nor do I understand what is going on in the spiritual realm. What I do know is that the Lord wants me to care for others and forgive them-treat others as I want to be treated.

FEBRUARY 10 – CONTROL

2/10 1 Samuel 16:1
Finally, the LORD said to Samuel, “You have mourned long enough for Saul. I have rejected him as king of Israel. Now fill your horn with olive oil and go to Bethlehem. Find a man named Jesse who lives there, for I have selected one of his sons to be my new king.”
CONTROL
God is in control. Ignoring God does not defeat Him. We cannot confound the wisdom of God nor can we stop Him from accomplishing what He desires. Rejoice for the Lord is in control.

FEBRUARY 9 – THE CALL

2/9 Matthew 4:12-23
12 When Jesus heard that John had been arrested, he left Judea and returned to Galilee. 13 But instead of going to Nazareth, he went to Capernaum, beside the Sea of Galilee, in the region of Zebulun and Naphtali. 14 This fulfilled Isaiah’s prophecy: 15 “In the land of Zebulun and of Naphtali, beside the sea, beyond the Jordan River — in Galilee where so many Gentiles live — 16 the people who sat in darkness have seen a great light. And for those who lived in the land where death casts its shadow, a light has shined.” 17 From then on, Jesus began to preach, “Turn from your sins and turn to God, because the Kingdom of Heaven is near. ” 18 One day as Jesus was walking along the shore beside the Sea of Galilee, he saw two brothers — Simon, also called Peter, and Andrew — fishing with a net, for they were commercial fishermen. 19 Jesus called out to them, “Come, be my disciples, and I will show you how to fish for people!” 20 And they left their nets at once and went with him. 21 A little farther up the shore he saw two other brothers, James and John, sitting in a boat with their father, Zebedee, mending their nets. And he called them to come, too. 22 They immediately followed him, leaving the boat and their father behind. 23 Jesus traveled throughout Galilee teaching in the synagogues, preaching everywhere the Good News about the Kingdom. And he healed people who had every kind of sickness and disease.
THE CALL
Jesus has issued His call: COME BE MY DISCIPLE. That call is to you and me. We are given the opportunity to serve the Lord God as His child. He has a plan for our life. We should listen to that plan.

FEBRUARY 8 – GIFTED

2/8 1 Corinthians 12:22-31
22 In fact, some of the parts that seem weakest and least important are really the most necessary. 23 And the parts we regard as less honorable are those we clothe with the greatest care. So we carefully protect from the eyes of others those parts that should not be seen, 24 while other parts do not require this special care. So God has put the body together in such a way that extra honor and care are given to those parts that have less dignity. 25 This makes for harmony among the members, so that all the members care for each other equally. 26 If one part suffers, all the parts suffer with it, and if one part is honored, all the parts are glad. 27 Now all of you together are Christ’s body, and each one of you is a separate and necessary part of it. 28 Here is a list of some of the members that God has placed in the body of Christ: first are apostles, second are prophets, third are teachers, then those who do miracles, those who have the gift of healing, those who can help others, those who can get others to work together, those who speak in unknown languages. 29 Is everyone an apostle? Of course not. Is everyone a prophet? No. Are all teachers? Does everyone have the power to do miracles? 30 Does everyone have the gift of healing? Of course not. Does God give all of us the ability to speak in unknown languages? Can everyone interpret unknown languages? No! 31 And in any event, you should desire the most helpful gifts. First, however, let me tell you about something else that is better than any of them!
GIFTED
The Holy Spirit has gifted you. He gives you that ability that is necessary for you to serve the Lord and bring honor to Him. You are special and the Lord will enable and equip you to do what He called you to do.