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.

11/01          Psalm 66:1-2
Shout joyful praises to God, all the earth!  Sing about the glory of his name! Tell the world how glorious he is.

WONDERFUL
The Lord is wonderful!  He loves you and me.  He offers us salvation in Christ.  He seeks to have a relationship with us.  God is so great and glorious beyond anything we can think or see.  The Lord is mighty to save and glorious.

 

11/02          Psalm 66:3-4
Say to God, “How awesome are your deeds! Your enemies cringe before your mighty power.  Everything on earth will worship you; they will sing your praises, shouting your name in glorious songs.”

WONDERFUL
How wonderful is the Lord!  He is mighty and loving and caring-the eternal Lord of all things cares about us.  He is seeking that we might know Him.  Jesus is Lord and He cares about us.  The Lord is good and His plans are perfect.  In Him is the Godhead bodily.  Our God is a great God!

 

11/03          Psalm 66:5-7
Come and see what our God has done, what awesome miracles he does for his people!  He made a dry path through the Red Sea, and his people went across on foot. Come; let us rejoice in who he is.  For by his great power he rules forever. He watches every movement of the nations; let no rebel rise in defiance.

MIRACULOUS
Our God is a great God who cares about every aspect of our life.  Trouble, talk with God.  Fear, ask for His healing.  Change me Lord, first change me before I trouble you with my petty peeves and selfishness.  The Lord is good and He will bring good into our life.

 

11/04          Psalm 66:8-12
Let the whole world bless our God and sing aloud his praises.  Our lives are in his hands, and he keeps our feet from stumbling.  You have tested us, O God; you have purified us like silver melted in a crucible.  You captured us in your net and laid the burden of slavery on our backs.  You sent troops to ride across our broken bodies. We went through fire and flood. But you brought us to a place of great abundance.

REPENTANCE
The Lord is calling us to change.  Change from our selfishness to care for the orphan and widow.  Change that your days may be long with the Lord.  Today is the day you give all of your self to the Lord.  Ask Him to lead, guide and direct your life every day and all days.

 

11/05          Psalm 66:13-15
Now I come to your Temple with burnt offerings to fulfill the vows I made to you –  yes, the sacred vows you heard me make when I was in deep trouble.  That is why I am sacrificing burnt offerings to you – the best of my rams as a pleasing aroma. And I will sacrifice bulls and goats.

OFFERING
An offering is part of the ceremony in the temple.  They bring their offering as an attempt on their part to please God.  He says that it pleases Him for us to accept Jesus.  He says it pleases Him when we follow Jesus.  He prefers our obedience over an offering.  A relationship with us is what the Lord is seeking.

 

11/06          Psalm 66:16-17
Come and listen, all you who fear God, and I will tell you what he did for me. For I cried out to him for help, praising him as I spoke.

HELP
God will help us if we ask.  The Lord does not force Himself on us.  Today ask Him to help you.  We need help for the choices we make in life.  Jesus will give you the help you need.  We need help to discern the right way to go in our life.  Jesus will give us step by step guidance.  Ask Him for help today.

 

11/07          Psalm 66:18-20
If I had not confessed the sin in my heart, my Lord would not have listened.  But God did listen! He paid attention to my prayer.  Praise God, who did not ignore my prayer and did not withdraw his unfailing love from me.

CONFESSION
We need to recognize that we are sinners.  We are in need of forgiveness.  Lord I need your help today.  If we are willing to acknowledge our sin the Lord will forgive us of that sin.  Speak with Him now and ask Him to forgive you of your sin.  Confession clears our mind and opens us up to cleansing from the Lord.

 

11/08          Mark 9:1
Jesus went on to say, “I assure you that some of you standing here right now will not die before you see the Kingdom of God arrive in great power!”

JESUS
Jesus is alive and well and lives in each believer.  If you have asked Jesus into your heart He is at work guiding you in your daily life.  Spend time with Him.  Talk with Him.  Let His activity in your life control you every day.

 

11/09           Mark 9:2-3
Six days later Jesus took Peter, James, and John to the top of a mountain. No one else was there. As the men watched, Jesus’ appearance changed, and his clothing became dazzling white, far whiter than any earthly process could ever make it.

JESUS
Jesus seeks to develop our understanding of Him.  It takes quiet times; prayer and obedience to change so that we are more like Jesus every day.  Our goal is to be as much like Jesus as we can be by the time we go to be with Him.  On that day our aim is to hear “well done.”

 

11/10          Mark 9:4-6
Then Elijah and Moses appeared and began talking with Jesus.  “Teacher, this is wonderful!” Peter exclaimed. “We will make three shrines – one for you, one for Moses, and one for Elijah.”  He didn’t really know what to say, for they were all terribly afraid.

JESUS
How should we pray?  Peter shouldn’t have spoken.  What can I pray about?  We can talk with Jesus about anything.  He will correct and guide us in pray.  Talk with Him.  Jesus is Lord.

 

11/11          Mark 9:7-8
Then a cloud came over them, and a voice from the cloud said, “This is my beloved Son. Listen to him.”  Suddenly they looked around, and Moses and Elijah were gone, and only Jesus was with them.

JESUS
Jesus is God’s everything.  We start with Jesus; He is the way, the truth and the life.  We grow with Jesus, He is our guide.  We go home to be with Jesus.  He is everything we need for a growing, eternal relationship with the Father.

 

11/12          Mark 9:9
As they descended the mountainside, he told them not to tell anyone what they had seen until he, the Son of Man, had risen from the dead.

JESUS
Jesus came to die for our sin.  He knew it and willingly did it.  He died for you and for me before we knew Him.  Today spend a few extra minutes with Him.  Let Him know your problems and share your joys.  Pray for those suffering around the world.  Get to know Jesus better because we will spend eternity with Him.

 

11/13          Mark 9:10
So they kept it to themselves, but they often asked each other what he meant by “rising from the dead.”

JESUS
Jesus arose from the dead by the power of the Father.  He was totally committed to doing the Father’s will.  I must never forget this picture of absolute submission to the will of God.  Jesus gave us a very simple picture of His absolute surrender-He died for us.  Am I, are you, willing to do God’s will today?  Doing anything less is a sin.

 

11/14          Mark 9:11
Now they began asking him, “Why do the teachers of religious law insist that Elijah must return before the Messiah comes?”

JESUS
Our best and brightest do not understand God.  We are finite creatures and therefore are not able to comprehend the infinite.  God came in the flesh and died for us.  That is a picture so that we might understand that He loves us.  Even then we cannot fully comprehend the magnitude of what the Lord has done.  Let Jesus bless you today.

 

11/15          Mark 9:12-13
Jesus responded, “Elijah is indeed coming first to set everything in order. Why then is it written in the Scriptures that the Son of Man must suffer and be treated with utter contempt?  But I tell you, Elijah has already come, and he was badly mistreated, just as the Scriptures predicted.”

JESUS
Jesus reveals the Father to us.  He also validates the prophecies in the Old Testament.  As we listen to His Words in Scripture He will equip us to live in and grow in Him in a pagan society.  The world destroys life.  Jesus values and builds life.

 

11/16          Mark 9:14
At the foot of the mountain they found a great crowd surrounding the other disciples, as some teachers of religious law were arguing with them.

RELIGION
We are not following religious leaders, we follow the risen Lord, Jesus Christ, our savior.  Our faith is alive and growing.  Christ is alive in us.  Let Jesus have control of your life and He will build new life into you.

 

11/17          Mark 9:15-16
The crowd watched Jesus in awe as he came toward them, and then they ran to greet him.  “What is all this arguing about?” he asked.

JESUS
We never surprise Jesus.  He knew what they were doing.  They learned so slowly, just like us.  Know this today, Jesus loves you and is seeking your best good.  Remember that.  Write it down.  If you believe this it will solve a lot of the problems you will face.

 

11/18          Mark 9:17-18
One of the men in the crowd spoke up and said, “Teacher, I brought my son for you to heal him. He can’t speak because he is possessed by an evil spirit that won’t let him talk.  And whenever this evil spirit seizes him, it throws him violently to the ground and makes him foam at the mouth and grind his teeth and become rigid.  So I asked your disciples to cast out the evil spirit, but they couldn’t do it.”

HEALING
Healing isn’t done through our power.  God always heals by His power.  When we are used by the Lord to heal someone it is because we are weak and He is strong.  If you need to be healed ask the Lord Jesus for that healing.  The Lord uses people that are surrendered to Him as His agent for His healing.

 

11/19          Mark 9:19
Jesus said to them, “You faithless people! How long must I be with you until you believe? How long must I put up with you? Bring the boy to me.”

BELIEVE
This is amazing but true.  Do you believe the Lord?  If you do then you can choose to have an abundant life.  You can choose to be used by God.  You and you alone are the decision point as to how much the Lord can use you.  Believe in Jesus and He will live in you and give you life.

 

11/20          Mark 9:20-22
So they brought the boy. But when the evil spirit saw Jesus, it threw the child into a violent convulsion, and he fell to the ground, writhing and foaming at the mouth.  “How long has this been happening?” Jesus asked the boy’s father. He replied, “Since he was very small.  The evil spirit often makes him fall into the fire or into water, trying to kill him. Have mercy on us and help us. Do something if you can.”

NEED
People need Jesus.  He was this man’s only hope.  When we exhaust every other avenue we will often turn to Jesus.  Today, turn to Jesus first with your need.  Talk with Him about it and what you should do.  When He tells you what to do, do it.

 

11/21          Mark 9:23-24
“What do you mean, ‘If I can’?” Jesus asked. “Anything is possible if a person believes.”  The father instantly replied, “I do believe, but help me not to doubt!”

HELP
We need help.  Even when we think we are doing fine we need help.  Jesus is our Lord and He will help us.  Spend time with Him today.  Tell Him what you need and take time to listen to Him.  He will tell you what to do.

 

11/22          Mark 9:25
When Jesus saw that the crowd of onlookers was growing, he rebuked the evil spirit. “Spirit of deafness and muteness,” he said, “I command you to come out of this child and never enter him again!”

JESUS
Jesus knows how we are and what we are.  He speaks to our need.  Too often we are sidetracked by our wants and the truth is it is our needs that we should be talking with Him about.  Jesus will help us to see clearly the difference between our needs and our wants.

 

11/23          Mark 9:26
Then the spirit screamed and threw the boy into another violent convulsion and left him. The boy lay there motionless, and he appeared to be dead. A murmur ran through the crowd, “He’s dead.”

HEALING
Non-believers do not accept the fact that the Lord will sometimes use healing to solve a person’s problems.  Healing is relegated to the realm of myth and mysticism.  The Lord can do anything He chooses to do.  He chose to die for us on the cross paying the price for forgiveness of our sin.  Do not stop praying for healing if you need to be healed.  The Lord is listening and He hears you.

 

11/24          Mark 9:27-29
But Jesus took him by the hand and helped him to his feet, and he stood up.  Afterward, when Jesus was alone in the house with his disciples, they asked him, “Why couldn’t we cast out that evil spirit?”  Jesus replied, “This kind can be cast out only by prayer. ”

JESUS
Jesus is divine and man at the same time.  He knows how important it is to spend time with the Father.  We see Him praying many times.  It was His character to go to the Father in lengthy times of prayer.  Are you praying?  Are you spending time with God?  This is important.  Find a quiet place to be with the Lord.

 

11/25          Mark 9:30-31
Leaving that region, they traveled through Galilee. Jesus tried to avoid all publicity in order to spend more time with his disciples and teach them. He said to them, “The Son of Man is going to be betrayed. He will be killed, but three days later he will rise from the dead.”

JESUS
Jesus told the disciples exactly what would happen to Him in the coming days.  They didn’t understand what He was saying.  It didn’t dawn on them that Jesus was going to sacrifice Himself for us until after it happened.  It is easy to criticize them but what about you.  Is the Lord trying to tell you something over and over and you just aren’t getting it?  How will you find out?  Ask Him.

 

11/26          Mark 9:32
But they didn’t understand what he was saying, and they were afraid to ask him what he meant.

FEAR
We serve the Lord of all things, Jesus.  He is the creator of all things and in charge of all things.  Yet we let fear back us away from doing the very things the Lord is calling us to do.  Do what Jesus says.  Live like Jesus lives.  He will handle the fear.

 

11/27          Mark 9:33-37
After they arrived at Capernaum, Jesus and his disciples settled in the house where they would be staying. Jesus asked them, “What were you discussing out on the road?”  But they didn’t answer, because they had been arguing about which of them was the greatest. He sat down and called the twelve disciples over to him. Then he said, “Anyone who wants to be the first must take last place and be the servant of everyone else.”  Then he put a little child among them. Taking the child in his arms, he said to them, “Anyone who welcomes a little child like this on my behalf welcomes me, and anyone who welcomes me welcomes my Father who sent me.”

SERVANT
A child is without guile.  A child loves without reservation.  There is no I in servant.  Who will we serve?  Will we refuse to let Jesus have control of our life?  Choose.

 

11/28          Mark 9:38-40
John said to Jesus, “Teacher, we saw a man using your name to cast out demons, but we told him to stop because he isn’t one of our group.”  “Don’t stop him!” Jesus said. “No one who performs miracles in my name will soon be able to speak evil of me.  Anyone who is not against us is for us.

DEMONS
Demons fear Jesus.  They don’t fear me or you.  If we are going to deal with demons we must first build a close relationship with Jesus.  If we aren’t close to Jesus we won’t be able to deal with demons.

 

11/29          Mark 9:41-42
If anyone gives you even a cup of water because you belong to the Messiah, I assure you, that person will be rewarded.  “But if anyone causes one of these little ones who trusts in me to lose faith, it would be better for that person to be thrown into the sea with a large millstone tied around the neck.

REALITY
The reality is that our Lord Jesus Christ, Father God and Holy Spirit are infinite.  We are finite.  This is am important message to us.  The Lord is serious and He is warning us.  Take heed.  Be an open handed person.

 

11/30          Mark 9:43-50
If your hand causes you to sin, cut it off. It is better to enter heaven with only one hand than to go into the unquenchable fires of hell with two hands.   If your foot causes you to sin, cut it off. It is better to enter heaven with only one foot than to be thrown into hell with two feet.   And if your eye causes you to sin, gouge it out. It is better to enter the Kingdom of God half blind than to have two eyes and be thrown into hell, ‘where the worm never dies and the fire never goes out.’  “For everyone will be purified with fire.   Salt is good for seasoning. But if it loses its flavor, how do you make it salty again? You must have the qualities of salt among yourselves and live in peace with each other.”

KINGDOM
There is a kingdom lifestyle that we are called to live.  We are different than the world.  We belong to Jesus.  He clearly outlines how we are to live and what we are doing that must be changed.

10/1            Mark 7:1-2
One day some Pharisees and teachers of religious law arrived from Jerusalem to confront Jesus.  They noticed that some of Jesus’ disciples failed to follow the usual Jewish ritual of hand washing before eating.

RITUAL
We can get sidelined by rituals.  We forget that the Lord is interested in a real relationship.  We let ourselves live on auto pilot-we read the Word, say our prayers, recite our memory verses and forget to talk with the Lord.  We don’t stop long enough to hear His response.  A growing Christian life includes time to let the Lord guide us.  Rituals give us control of our life.  Our daily goal is to let Jesus have control of our life.

 

10/2            Mark 7:3-4
(The Jews, especially the Pharisees, do not eat until they have poured water over their cupped hands, as required by their ancient traditions.  Similarly, they eat nothing bought from the market unless they have immersed their hands in water. This is but one of many traditions they have clung to – such as their ceremony of washing cups, pitchers, and kettles.)

CEREMONY
Ceremony replaced relationship for the Pharisees.  Ceremony can be controlled.  Relationships are alive and require sacrifices and decisions.  The religious leaders had opted for ceremony-it framed life in a way they could control.  We strive to grow.  We seek to be filled with the Lord so that our life will be like His life.

 

10/3            Mark 7:5
So the Pharisees and teachers of religious law asked him, “Why don’t your disciples follow our age-old customs? For they eat without first performing the hand-washing ceremony.”

NEW
Jesus brought a new ethic in the flesh.  They didn’t see it.  He was the One they had been looking for and they missed it.  Be careful what customs you call your faith.  We must be open to the movement of the Holy Spirit and the clear guidance of the Lord as we spend time in His Word each day.

 

10/4            Mark 7:6-7
Jesus replied, “You hypocrites! Isaiah was prophesying about you when he said,  ‘These people honor me with their lips, but their hearts are far away. Their worship is a farce, for they replace God’s commands with their own man-made teachings.’

HEART
The Lord looks upon our hearts.  He wants to know if we have accepted Him by faith and believe in our heart that He is Lord.  His call to us today is to let Him have control of our life.

 

10/5            Mark 7:8-9
For you ignore God’s specific laws and substitute your own traditions.”  Then he said, “You reject God’s laws in order to hold on to your own traditions.

SUBSTITUTE
Are you living your life with a substitute god?  Is there something other than Jesus that has your heart?  Set them aside and give your heart, your life to Jesus.  Jesus is first for there is no other way for us to be saved than Jesus Christ.

 

10/6            Mark 7:10
For instance, Moses gave you this law from God: ‘Honor your father and mother,’ and ‘Anyone who speaks evil of father or mother must be put to death.’

TRADITION
Strict adherence to the Scribal law made it impossible for a person to follow the Ten Commandments, God’s law.  Jesus is beginning this passage with an example to show how foolish this kind of thinking is.  We are responsible to God which makes us responsible to the people we live with in this world.  God is not mocked nor can we absolve ourselves by some rule we made no matter the intention.  Following Jesus is based on His Words not our tradition.

 

10/7            Mark 7:11-13
But you say it is all right for people to say to their parents, ‘Sorry, I can’t help you.  For I have vowed to give to God what I could have given to you.’    You let them disregard their needy parents.  As such, you break the law of God in order to protect your own tradition. And this is only one example. There are many, many others.”

COMPLETION
This is the completion of Jesus’ example.  How foolish of us to figure out how we are going to get out of being honest and use our law based on our interpretation to invalidate the obvious meaning God had by His Word.  Be careful.  Pay attention to the things you do.  Serve the Lord.

 

10/8            Mark 7:14-16
Then Jesus called to the crowd to come and hear. “All of you listen,” he said, “and try to understand.  You are not defiled by what you eat; you are defiled by what you say and do! “Anyone who is willing to hear should listen and understand.

DIRECT
This was a revolutionary idea.  It wasn’t a parable.  It was straightforward.  What we think about controls us.  The trappings of our life do not create our ethics.  We are to be careful about the people that we listen to and follow.  That is why Christ gives us a new heart when we come into the family of God.  Jesus helps us to get it.  Kingdom thinking is the key to right living.

 

10/9            Mark 7:17-19
Then Jesus went into a house to get away from the crowds, and his disciples asked him what he meant by the statement he had made.  “Don’t you understand either?” he asked. “Can’t you see that what you eat won’t defile you?  Food doesn’t come in contact with your heart, but only passes through the stomach and then comes out again.” (By saying this, he showed that every kind of food is acceptable.)

VALUE
Our life is useable and useful.  We determine how useful we will be by the way that we think.  Do we let the Lord control our heart?  Do we think about spiritual things all the time?  Where is our head?  We cannot change by being in the world and visiting in the church.  One or the other and it is our choice.  Jesus is Lord.

 

10/10          Mark 7:20-23
And then he added, “It is the thought-life that defiles you.  For from within, out of a person’s heart, come evil thoughts, sexual immorality, theft, murder, adultery, greed, wickedness, deceit, eagerness for lustful pleasure, envy, slander, pride, and foolishness.  All these vile things come from within; they are what defile you and make you unacceptable to God.”

CLOTHES
Clothes are important.  Dressing up at church and when we go out is viewed as important.  We can see clothes.  We can’t see a person’s heart.  Jesus says what is important is our heart.  Sin is a product of an unclean heart.  Jesus can cleanse our heart.  He gives us a new heart when we come into the family of God.  Our new heart can and should reject evil.

 

10/11          Mark 7:24
Then Jesus left Galilee and went north to the region of Tyre.  He tried to keep it secret that he was there, but he couldn’t. As usual, the news of his arrival spread fast.

SPEAKER
When Jesus went somewhere the people crowded around to hear Him speak.  He worked physical miracles in their presence.  They knew this and they were desperate for any glimmer of hope in their life.  Jesus knew this and He was deeply moved by their need.  Do you have a need today?  Take it to Jesus.  He will not turn you away.

 

10/12          Mark 7:25-27
Right away a woman came to him whose little girl was possessed by an evil spirit. She had heard about Jesus, and now she came and fell at his feet.  She begged him to release her child from the demon’s control.  Since she was a Gentile, born in Syrian Phoenicia, Jesus told her, “First I should help my own family, the Jews.  It isn’t right to take food from the children and throw it to the dogs.”

RESPONSE
Did she just want healing or did she really believe in Jesus.  Our relationship with Jesus the Son of God is a heart relationship.  He gives us life.  Whatever it takes for us to get that life is important for us to do.  The woman knew that she wasn’t a Jew but she also knew that Jesus was Lord and she wanted Him.

 

10/13          Mark 7:28-30
She replied, “That’s true, Lord, but even the dogs under the table are given some crumbs from the children’s plates.”  “Good answer!” he said. “And because you have answered so well, I have healed your daughter.”  And when she arrived home, her little girl was lying quietly in bed, and the demon was gone.

JESUS
What are you lacking to accomplish God’s plan for your life?  Talk with Jesus about that need.  Let Him know what you think and move forward with confidence that the Lord will answer you.  The joy will be the journey of experiential awareness knowing that His way of answering you will create a joyous experience in you.

 

10/14          Mark 7:31
Jesus left Tyre and went to Sidon, then back to the Sea of Galilee and the region of the Ten Towns.

PURPOSE
Jesus wants us to see that He like the Father is moving with purpose.  This was a predominantly Gentile area and Jesus would do some unique things here.  As you think about your life think about the opportunities that you have had to do what the Lord has called you to do.  Most of them probably started as ordinary, normal events maybe so much so that you weren’t even thinking about doing God’s work.  But, when you were aware of His activity in the event you also became aware of what the Lord had done leading up to that event.  Jesus is Lord life including the things that transpire in our life.

 

10/15          Mark 7:32-34
A deaf man with a speech impediment was brought to him, and the people begged Jesus to lay his hands on the man to heal him.  Jesus led him to a private place away from the crowd. He put his fingers into the man’s ears. Then, spitting onto his own fingers, he touched the man’s tongue with the spittle.  And looking up to heaven, he sighed and commanded, “Be opened!”

HEALING
Jesus was willing to heal those who came to Him.  Do you want to be healed?  Go to Jesus.  Spend time with the Lord.  Tell Him you problems.  Ask Him what to do.  Pray for the weak.  Ask Him if you need healing.

 

10/16          Mark 7:35-37
Instantly the man could hear perfectly and speak plainly!  Jesus told the crowd not to tell anyone, but the more he told them not to, the more they spread the news, for they were completely amazed. Again and again they said, “Everything he does is wonderful. He even heals those who are deaf and mute.”

WONDERFUL
Do you feel that everything Jesus does is wonderful?  I do.  I do because I have spent time with Him to know Him.  I do because He is worthy of all honor and praise and glory.  Do you know Jesus?  If you do, keep growing in knowledge of Him.  Ask the Lord to guide you into all knowledge of Him.

 

10/17          Mark 8:1-2
About this time another great crowd had gathered, and the people ran out of food again. Jesus called his disciples and told them, “I feel sorry for these people. They have been here with me for three days, and they have nothing left to eat.

LESSON
The disciples didn’t get it.  His examples weren’t gelling in their mind.  They didn’t think of Him as the consummate Lord and Savior.  They saw Him as only a man.  Jesus is Lord.  Until we see and understand that we too will fret about issues and decisions to be made instead of throwing ourselves at His feet.  Jesus help me with my unbelief.

 

10/18          Mark 8:3
And if I send them home without feeding them, they will faint along the road. For some of them have come a long distance.”

PEOPLE
People were willing to pay a great price to hear everything Jesus said.  He was hope for them.  He gave them a ray of change.  Christ in turn felt deep compassion for them including their need for food.  When you look at those around you that are hurting do you feel contempt or compassion?  Your answer to that will give you an insight on your relationship with Jesus.  Jesus had compassion for the multitudes.

 

10/19          Mark 8:4-8
“How are we supposed to find enough food for them here in the wilderness?” his disciples asked.  “How many loaves of bread do you have?” he asked.”Seven,” they replied.  So Jesus told all the people to sit down on the ground. Then he took the seven loaves, thanked God for them, broke them into pieces, and gave them to his disciples, who distributed the bread to the crowd.  A few small fish were found, too, so Jesus also blessed these and told the disciples to pass them out.  They ate until they were full, and when the scraps were picked up, there were seven large baskets of food left over!

FEEDING
Although a quick reading of this passage would tend to lead us to think only of the feeding.  Jesus fed all of them.  The key focus is for us to see that Jesus is able.  He is able to save us.  He is able to use us.  He is able to make His plan for out life come to fruition.  Our prayer is simply thy will be done in me.

 

10/20          Mark 8:9
There were about four thousand people in the crowd that day, and he sent them home after they had eaten.

REALITY
The reality is that we have to deal with flesh and bone issues each day.  God’s Word to us is that He knows the reality of life that each one of us faces.  Therefore, He is able to meet our need.  No matter how great or how small Jesus is able to meet our need.

 

10/21          Mark 8:10
Immediately after this, he got into a boat with his disciples and crossed over to the region of Dalmanutha.

ACTION
The Lord Jesus works hard.  His Word to us is that we should be busy about our master’s work but making sure that we have balance in our life.  All of his travel had purpose.  Jesus was striving to help the people and train His disciples.  They didn’t understand what Jesus was trying to do but they would.  Spend time with Jesus.  Get to know Him.

 

10/22          Mark 8:11
When the Pharisees heard that Jesus had arrived, they came to argue with him. Testing him to see if he was from God, they demanded, “Give us a miraculous sign from heaven to prove yourself.”

PHARISEES
They were always trying to discredit Jesus.  Jesus was a threat to their authority.  They liked standing before the people as God’s only representative.  They loved their rules and regulations and had a high level of disdain for Christ.  They really were not seeking to know Jesus.  They wanted to destroy Him.

 

10/23          Mark 8:12
When he heard this, he sighed deeply and said, “Why do you people keep demanding a miraculous sign? I assure you, I will not give this generation any such sign.”

SIGN
They were simply seeking a way to discredit Jesus.  They had no faith in Him or the Father.  They were close minded on matters of the Gospel.  They didn’t believe Jesus and there was nothing He could say or do that would change that.  Faith in Christ is the key to knowing and growing in Jesus.

 

10/24          Mark 8:13-16
So he got back into the boat and left them, and he crossed to the other side of the lake.  But the disciples discovered they had forgotten to bring any food, so there was only one loaf of bread with them in the boat.  As they were crossing the lake, Jesus warned them, “Beware of the yeast of the Pharisees and of Herod.”  They decided he was saying this because they hadn’t brought any bread.

MISSED
The disciples missed His point again.  We are so much like them.  This world is not our home.  We are called to missionary zeal in proclaiming the Gospel-Messiah has ransomed us from sin and He has come that we might have life.  Believe in Jesus.

 

10/25          Mark 8:17-21
Jesus knew what they were thinking, so he said, “Why are you so worried about having no food? Won’t you ever learn or understand? Are your hearts too hard to take it in?  ‘You have eyes – can’t you see? You have ears – can’t you hear?’  Don’t you remember anything at all?  What about the five thousand men I fed with five loaves of bread? How many baskets of leftovers did you pick up afterward?” “Twelve,” they said.  “And when I fed the four thousand with seven loaves, how many large baskets of leftovers did you pick up?” “Seven,” they said.  “Don’t you understand even yet?” he asked them.

SIN
Sin blinds us to the things of the Gospel.  Jesus is Lord and yet we continue to struggle with actualizing that in our life.  Let Jesus lead you.  He will not turn you in the wrong direction.  Let Him have control of your heart and walk in His peace and power moment by moment.  Jesus is Lord.

 

10/26          Mark 8:22-26
When they arrived at Bethsaida, some people brought a blind man to Jesus, and they begged him to touch and heal the man.  Jesus took the blind man by the hand and led him out of the village. Then, spitting on the man’s eyes, he laid his hands on him and asked, “Can you see anything now?”  The man looked around. “Yes,” he said, “I see people, but I can’t see them very clearly. They look like trees walking around.”  Then Jesus placed his hands over the man’s eyes again. As the man stared intently, his sight was completely restored, and he could see everything clearly.  Jesus sent him home, saying, “Don’t go back into the village on your way home.”

FAITH
Jesus tells us that our faith lets His power work in and thru us.  Believe in Him.  Life is right now.  Today is the time for our faith to grow.  Live in the present not in the maybe.  Spend time with Jesus right now.  If only a few minutes take time to talk with Him.

 

10/27          Mark 8:27-30
Jesus and his disciples left Galilee and went up to the villages of Caesarea Philippi. As they were walking along, he asked them, “Who do people say I am?”  “Well,” they replied, “some say John the Baptist, some say Elijah, and others say you are one of the other prophets.”  Then Jesus asked, “Who do you say I am?” Peter replied, “You are the Messiah.”  But Jesus warned them not to tell anyone about him.

REVELATION
God reveals spiritual things to us.  They are never counter to His revealed will in His Word.  His revelation never calls us to do evil.  Be careful how you dream things up for there are many deceiving spirits.  Read the Word, do the Word and grow in Christ.

 

10/28          Mark 8:31
Then Jesus began to tell them that he, the Son of Man, would suffer many terrible things and be rejected by the leaders, the leading priests, and the teachers of religious law. He would be killed, and three days later he would rise again.

JESUS
Jesus willingly sacrificed His life for you.  He did it while you were still dead in your trespasses and sin.  He did it because there is no other way to the Father than Jesus.

 

10/29          Mark 8:32-33
As he talked about this openly with his disciples, Peter took him aside and told him he shouldn’t say things like that.  Jesus turned and looked at his disciples and then said to Peter very sternly, “Get away from me, Satan! You are seeing things merely from a human point of view, not from God’s.”

REVELATION
We must be careful as we live our lives.  Sin so easily finds us and so often we are such willing associates.  Stay with Jesus by spending time with Him in prayer, reading the Word of God and immediate obedience.

 

10/30          Mark 8:34-35
Then he called his disciples and the crowds to come over and listen. “If any of you wants to be my follower,” he told them, “you must put aside your selfish ambition, shoulder your cross, and follow me.  If you try to keep your life for yourself, you will lose it. But if you give up your life for my sake and for the sake of the Good News, you will find true life.

JESUS
We are called to follow Jesus.  He is the focus of life and our life.  He gives us everything we need to lead an abundant life.  We walk with Him, we talk with Him, we read of Him and we obey Him.  Life is simple when we are focused on Jesus.

 

10/31          Mark 8:36-38
And how do you benefit if you gain the whole world but lose your own soul in the process?  Is anything worth more than your soul?  If a person is ashamed of me and my message in these adulterous and sinful days, I, the Son of Man, will be ashamed of that person when I return in the glory of my Father with the holy angels.”

ETERNITY
This world is a veil of tears.  Life isn’t fair and none of us will get out of this world alive.  Therefore, it makes sense to follow Jesus.  He gives us wisdom for living no matter what we face.  He is our life and in Him we find life.  Follow Jesus and you will never perish but have everlasting life.

9/1              Mark 6:1-2
Jesus left that part of the country and returned with his disciples to Nazareth, his hometown.  The next Sabbath he began teaching in the synagogue, and many who heard him were astonished. They asked, “Where did he get all his wisdom and the power to perform such miracles?

DOUBT
Doubt is difficult to deal with.  We doubt anything and everything.  The evil one knows this and uses doubt to trip us up.  We do not have to doubt Jesus.  He is worthy of our confidence.  He is committed to us and has our best interest at heart.

 

9/2              Mark 6:3-6
He’s just the carpenter, the son of Mary and brother of James, Joseph, Judas, and Simon. And his sisters live right here among us.” They were deeply offended and refused to believe in him.  Then Jesus told them, “A prophet is honored everywhere except in his own hometown and among his relatives and his own family.”  And because of their unbelief, he couldn’t do any mighty miracles among them except to place his hands on a few sick people and heal them.  And he was amazed at their unbelief. Then Jesus went out from village to village, teaching.

LIMITATION
The only limitation on Jesus is the limitation that we place on our faith.  We must remember that the Lord uses weak people for it is in our weakness that He is strong.  He is Lord of all and of all things.  Let us surrender our life to Him and trust Him to use our life with our best interest in mind.

 

9/3              Mark 6:7
And he called his twelve disciples together and sent them out two by two, with authority to cast out evil spirits.

VICTORY
We live in victory Jesus has already won the battle.  The victory is not based on perishable things, like wealth and position and honor and things of that ilk.  Victory is based on the saving work that Jesus did on the cross.  He has saved you.  He has conquered death and hell.  Now, walk by faith in the victory of Jesus Christ.

 

9/4              Mark 6:8
He told them to take nothing with them except a walking stick – no food, no traveler’s bag, no money.

JESUS
Jesus is all we need.  He is sufficient.  Are you trusting Him for your needs today?  This was an important mission for the disciples.  He has called you to an important mission.  His plan for your life will require your trust.  Trust Jesus with all of your heart and He will lead, guide and direct you now.

 

9/5              Mark 6:9-11
He told them to wear sandals but not to take even an extra coat.  “When you enter each village, be a guest in only one home,” he said.  “And if a village won’t welcome you or listen to you, shake off its dust from your feet as you leave. It is a sign that you have abandoned that village to its fate.”

DETAILS
The Lord of all was concerned with the details of the disciples’ trip.  His instructions to them were specific and direct.  They knew their message was important.  They also knew that many would not accept what they had to say.  We must be careful when we are at work serving the Lord.  People count with Jesus so much that He will permit them to make a mistake.  Don’t you make a mistake.  Make sure that your actions do not detract from your message.

 

9/6              Mark 6:12-13
So the disciples went out, telling all they met to turn from their sins.  And they cast out many demons and healed many sick people, anointing them with olive oil.

JESUS
Jesus is in the healing ministry.  People count with Jesus.  He knows their need and will meet that need.  Let Jesus heal you.  Ask Him to show you how to live in Victory.  Name it…Jesus is Lord.  Claim it…He is Lord of me.

 

9/7               Mark 6:14-15
Herod Antipas, the king, soon heard about Jesus, because people everywhere were talking about him. Some were saying, “This must be John the Baptist come back to life again. That is why he can do such miracles.”  Others thought Jesus was the ancient prophet Elijah. Still others thought he was a prophet like the other great prophets of the past.

JESUS
He was then and is now a stumbling block to those who are opposed to God.  Evil declares Him to be ineffective.  The world demands that Jesus show it who He is.  Jesus is Lord and the world denies it.  Jesus is the Messiah and the world keeps looking for One to come who will dance to their tune.  Evil is always trying to create a god it can control.

 

9/8              Mark 6:16
When Herod heard about Jesus, he said, “John, the man I beheaded, has come back from the dead.”

JESUS
Herod was the King and he didn’t know who Jesus was.  He could have known but he was so focused on doing life his way.  What a tragedy not to know Jesus.  I pray that today you will let someone know about your relationship with Jesus.

 

9/9              Mark 6:17-19
For Herod had sent soldiers to arrest and imprison John as a favor to Herodias. She had been his brother Philip’s wife, but Herod had married her.  John kept telling Herod, “It is illegal for you to marry your brother’s wife.”  Herodias was enraged and wanted John killed in revenge, but without Herod’s approval she was powerless.

EVIL
John the Baptist was killed for proclaiming the truth.  He told about Jesus the coming Messiah.  He warned people about evil and called them to repentance.  Even today people are dying for their faith.  More than 65,000 were put to death last year for simply telling about Jesus.  What a wonderful right we have.  We can talk about Jesus and not face any fear for our life.  Tell everyone you know about Jesus.

 

9/10            Mark 6:20
And Herod respected John, knowing that he was a good and holy man, so he kept him under his protection. Herod was disturbed whenever he talked with John, but even so, he liked to listen to him.

LISTEN
Do you listen to the call of ministry?  Are you connecting with the Lord or simply passing bye?  The spiritual life isn’t a sometimes thing, it is all the time.  Be sure you are serious with your faith and are not a tourist.

 

9/11            Mark 6:21-23
Herodias’s chance finally came. It was Herod’s birthday, and he gave a party for his palace aides, army officers, and the leading citizens of Galilee.  Then his daughter, also named Herodias, came in and performed a dance that greatly pleased them all. “Ask me for anything you like,” the king said to the girl, “and I will give it to you.”  Then he promised, “I will give you whatever you ask, up to half of my kingdom!”

JESUS
Jesus is alive.  Following Christ is a full time activity.  There are no sabbaticals in a Christ like life.  The Christian life isn’t a hobby.  Daily time with Jesus and a full surrender of our actions is required to stay close to the Lord.  Follow Him.

 

9/12            Mark 6:24-25
She went out and asked her mother, “What should I ask for?”Her mother told her, “Ask for John the Baptist’s head!”  So the girl hurried back to the king and told him, “I want the head of John the Baptist, right now, on a tray!”

EVIL
When we choose to plot our own course in life we always run into evil.  Be careful how you live.  Be careful when you make decisions.  Life is hard and harsh.  Without Jesus you will make wrong decisions.  Herod made a terrible decision which gave an opening for evil.  Be strong in the Lord and do the next right thing.

 

9/13            Mark 6:26-28
Then the king was very sorry, but he was embarrassed to break his oath in front of his guests.  So he sent an executioner to the prison to cut off John’s head and bring it to him. The soldier beheaded John in the prison, brought his head on a tray, and gave it to the girl, who took it to her mother.

SAD
Yes, the king was sad but self focused.  He knew what he should do and then didn’t do it.  How sad if we when we do the wrong thing and know we are doing the wrong thing.  Stay close to the Word of God and spend time with the Lord God and you will have the strength to make right decisions.

 

9/14            Mark 6:29
When John’s disciples heard what had happened, they came for his body and buried it in a tomb.

REALITY
Some days are tough.  All we can do is what we can do.  The disciples were stunned but they did what they could.  There may be a day in your life when things are overwhelming and when it is just do the next right thing.  One step at a time with the Lord will get you to the right place.

 

9/15            Mark 6:30
The apostles returned to Jesus from their ministry tour and told him all they had done and what they had taught.

MINISTRY
Ministry involves people.  We are an important part of what the Lord is doing in the world today.  He uses us to connect with people.  We are proclaimers, encouragers, prayer warriors, servants and many other things as they relate to people.  People count with the Lord and He is using us to make sure they know Jesus.

 

9/16            Mark 6:31
Then Jesus said, “Let’s get away from the crowds for a while and rest.” There were so many people coming and going that Jesus and his apostles didn’t even have time to eat.

REST
Rest is important for all of us.  Someone once said that lack of rest will make cowards of us all.  Be sure you do all of your ministry work, and personal work and that you do not forget to rest.  Be strong in the Lord and do not fear for He is with you.

 

9/17            Mark 6:32-33
They left by boat for a quieter spot.  But many people saw them leaving, and people from many towns ran ahead along the shore and met them as they landed.

JESUS
The presence of Jesus will turn a wilderness into a paradise.  He welcomed the people.  Jesus set about to minister to them.  The people were attracted to Jesus.  When you meet Jesus you will want to be with Him all the time.  Loving the Lord changes our reference point for what we will do with our life.

 

9/18            Mark 6:34
A vast crowd was there as he stepped from the boat, and he had compassion on them because they were like sheep without a shepherd. So he taught them many things.

JESUS
There is no one like Jesus.  He has our best interest in mind.  He knows us and knows what we need.  Here, He began to teach them many things and the people were grateful for His teaching.  They needed help and Jesus gave them the help they needed.

 

9/19            Mark 6:35-38
Late in the afternoon his disciples came to him and said, “This is a desolate place, and it is getting late.  Send the crowds away so they can go to the nearby farms and villages and buy themselves some food.”  But Jesus said, “You feed them.” “With what?” they asked. “It would take a small fortune to buy food for all this crowd!”

SUPPLY
Jesus knew that He was sufficient to meet the needs of the people here in the wilderness.  They trusted Him.  In fact, the people believed in Jesus as much as or more than the disciples probably because they saw Him in a different way than the disciples did.  When Jesus is all you have He will be the only one you trust.  Jesus cares about us individually and corporately.  He is able to see what we need.  He can see what you need.  You may not even know what you need right now but Jesus knows.  Talk with Him.  Jesus is Lord.

 

9/20            Mark 6:38-39
“How much food do you have?” he asked. “Go and find out.” They came back and reported, “We have five loaves of bread and two fish.”  Then Jesus told the crowd to sit down in groups on the green grass.  So they sat in groups of fifty or a hundred.

SUPPLY
Jesus is adequate to meet our need.  He is an abundant supply of God’s grace and will exactly fit every need we have.  Do not discount the Lord’s abilities.  His Word to you is that He is Lord of all.  Ask Him for exactly what you need and He can exactly meet that need.

 

9/21            Mark 6:41-44
Jesus took the five loaves and two fish, looked up toward heaven, and asked God’s blessing on the food. Breaking the loaves into pieces, he kept giving the bread and fish to the disciples to give to the people.  They all ate as much as they wanted, and they picked up twelve baskets of leftover bread and fish.  Five thousand men had eaten from those five loaves!

JESUS
Jesus is able to meet our need.  He is the creator.  He is the living Son of God.  He can do what He needs to do to accomplish the Father’s purpose.  He loves us, you and me and He is seeking our best good.  Where are you in your spiritual journey?  Do you need a miracle to accomplish what the Lord has called you to do?  Talk with Jesus.  He will meet your need.

 

9/22            Mark 6:45
Immediately after this, Jesus made his disciples get back into the boat and head out across the lake to Bethsaida, while he sent the people home.

JESUS
He meet their need before He sent them home.  He cares for you and me.  He will never leave us alone.  He will never fail to accomplish His purpose.  He is always glorifying the Father.  Now is the time to surrender your all to Jesus.  Now is the time to let Him heal your heart.  Now is the time.  Jesus meets our need now.

 

9/23            Mark 6:46
Afterward he went up into the hills by himself to pray.

JESUS
Spend time with Jesus.  Do not forget to discipline yourself to spend time with Him.  He is waiting to hear from you.  Whatever it is that is sidetracking you set it aside and spend time with Jesus.  You will never be sorry for the time you spend with the Lord.

 

9/24            Mark 6:47-49
During the night, the disciples were in their boat out in the middle of the lake, and Jesus was alone on land.  He saw that they were in serious trouble, rowing hard and struggling against the wind and waves. About three o’clock in the morning he came to them, walking on the water. He started to go past them, but when they saw him walking on the water, they screamed in terror, thinking he was a ghost.

JESUS
Jesus can do what you need done.  He is the creator.  He is not bound by the restrictions that we are.  He has defeated death.  He seeks to build a relationship with us so that we can build relationships with others.  Do not fear.  Jesus is Lord.

 

9/25            Mark 6:50
They were all terrified when they saw him. But Jesus spoke to them at once. “It’s all right,” he said. “I am here! Don’t be afraid.”

JESUS
His Word to you today is do not fear.  Whatever you are facing, Jesus can handle it.  What do you need?  Take it to Jesus.  What has you stopped?  Jesus can give you the strength to see it through.  He is Lord of life.  The Messiah is involved in this life with you.

 

9/26            Mark 6:51
Then he climbed into the boat, and the wind stopped. They were astonished at what they saw.

JESUS
You will be astonished at your perspective when you consult Jesus.  He brings calm and peace to us.  He will give us the strength to stand in the face of the world.  If you are feeling stampeded and overwhelmed talk with Jesus.  Open the Word of God and read Scripture that is relevant to your situation.  Most often you will find the Psalms will speak to the current crisis.  Jesus will speak to you and bring God’s Word alive in your heart to deal with the crisis.

 

9/27            Mark 6:52
They still didn’t understand the significance of the miracle of the multiplied loaves, for their hearts were hard and they did not believe.

BLIND
The disciples were blind to many of the spiritual teachings of Jesus.  So are we.  Ask the Lord to give you wisdom to deal with your life.  He will give it freely and in abundance.  Our goal is to live from victory to victory and we can only do that when Christ is always in control of us.

 

9/28            Mark 6:53-55
When they arrived at Gennesaret on the other side of the lake, they anchored the boat and climbed out. The people standing there recognized him at once, and they ran throughout the whole area and began carrying sick people to him on mats.

FAITH
The people were overrun with disappointment and had lost hope.  Jesus brought them hope.  His healings overcame much disappointment.  Today the situation for people hasn’t changed much.  A modern writer said that most people were living lives of quiet desperation.  Don’t let that be you.  Spend time with Jesus.  Experience His healing touch.  Let the Lord Jesus have your heart and control of your life.

 

9/29            Mark 6:56
Wherever he went – in villages and cities and out on the farms – they laid the sick in the market plazas and streets. The sick begged him to let them at least touch the fringe of his robe, and all who touched it were healed.

JESUS
When we turn to Jesus He brings healing into our life.  The world honors and commands.  Jesus serves and helps.  What do you need today?  Take it to Jesus.  What are you struggling with even this very moment?  Stop where you are and ask Christ to help you deal with it.  He will and will be with you every step of the way to healing.

 

9/30            Psalm1:1-5
A psalm of thanksgiving. Shout with joy to the LORD, O earth!  Worship the LORD with gladness. Come before him, singing with joy.  Acknowledge that the LORD is God! He made us, and we are his. We are his people, the sheep of his pasture.  Enter his gates with thanksgiving; go into his courts with praise. Give thanks to him and bless his name.  For the LORD is good. His unfailing love continues forever, and his faithfulness continues to each generation.

AMEN
The Lord is true.  He loves you.  He will not desert you.  He will stand with you as you struggle day by day to live your life and be yourself.  Many spend their whole being something they aren’t.  Ask the Lord to make you whole and holy.  His actions will make you yourself.

8/1              Mark 4:1
Once again Jesus began teaching by the lakeshore. There was such a large crowd along the shore that he got into a boat and sat down and spoke from there.

JESUS
Jesus was concerned for people.  His ministry was focused on people.  He died for people, you and me.  His love for us is immeasurable.  Spend time with Him for He cares for you.  Getting to know Jesus will be the best investment you can ever make.

 

8/2              Mark 4:2-9
He began to teach the people by telling many stories such as this one:  “Listen! A farmer went out to plant some seed.  As he scattered it across his field, some seed fell on a footpath, and the birds came and ate it.  Other seed fell on shallow soil with underlying rock. The plant sprang up quickly, but it soon wilted beneath the hot sun and died because the roots had no nourishment in the shallow soil.  Other seed fell among thorns that shot up and choked out the tender blades so that it produced no grain.  Still other seed fell on fertile soil and produced a crop that was thirty, sixty, and even a hundred times as much as had been planted.” Then he said, “Anyone who is willing to hear should listen and understand!”

LISTEN
Do you understand this parable?  If you will listen you will.  For many people Jesus is just a name they know.  They go to church, quote some Scripture and even act as if they are followers of Jesus but they don’t know Jesus.  When we listen to Christ He will permeate every aspect of our lives.  All of our decisions will be discussed with Him.  He will give us Godly advice and direction.  Our path will not waver nor will we go the wrong way.  Listen to Jesus and He will guide you in the way you should go.

 

8/3              Mark 4:10-13
Later, when Jesus was alone with the twelve disciples and with the others who were gathered around, they asked him, “What do your stories mean?”  He replied, “You are permitted to understand the secret about the Kingdom of God. But I am using these stories to conceal everything about it from outsiders, so that the Scriptures might be fulfilled: ‘They see what I do, but they don’t perceive its meaning. They hear my words, but they don’t understand. So they will not turn from their sins and be forgiven.’  “But if you can’t understand this story, how will you understand all the others I am going to tell?

SURRENDER
Give your life to Christ.  Call out to Him and ask Him to forgive your sin and to come into your life and guide you.  Believing this we are changed by the indwelling Spirit of God.  He will nurture and guide us.  When we are faced with fear He will give peace.  Nothing can take us out of His hand.  Jesus is here and He is here in us.

 

8/4              Mark 4:14
The farmer I talked about is the one who brings God’s message to others.

PROCLAIM
Tell everyone you know about Jesus.  When we are filled with the Spirit we cannot hold it in.  We will tell about Christ and what He is doing in us.  We will tell others that this same Jesus that owns us can do the same thing for them.  Our life is different when we are filled with the Spirit and we let that light of God in us shine before man.

 

8/5              Mark 4:15
The seed that fell on the hard path represents those who hear the message, but then Satan comes at once and takes it away from them.

JOYLESS
A hard heart that is wakened by revival returns to its cold, hard state when the individual leaves the presence of God.  The one who was singing the loudest and proclaiming his fidelity the most quite often is the one who didn’t ask Jesus into his heart, he was simply caught up in the moment.  Ask the Lord to quicken your heart, to give you a soft heart filled with the Lord Jesus Christ.

 

8/6              Mark 4:16-17
The rocky soil represents those who hear the message and receive it with joy.  But like young plants in such soil, their roots don’t go very deep. At first they get along fine, but they wilt as soon as they have problems or are persecuted because they believe the word.

JESUS
We start with Jesus.  He is the Savior.  We stay with Jesus, we want to know Him in every way we can.  We grow with Jesus.  One day we will spend eternity with Jesus.

 

8/7              Mark 4:18-19
The thorny ground represents those who hear and accept the Good News, but all too quickly the message is crowded out by the cares of this life, the lure of wealth, and the desire for nice things, so no crop is produced.

JESUS
If a person starts off without Jesus they will not have experienced new life in Christ.  The only way to the Father is through the Son, Jesus Christ.  A person trying to live a Christian life without Christ will soon flounder.  Jesus is life and His Spirit in us give us life.  We cannot fake new life in Christ.

 

8/8              Mark 4:20
But the good soil represents those who hear and accept God’s message and produce a huge harvest – thirty, sixty, or even a hundred times as much as had been planted.”

JESUS
When we give our heart to Jesus, He will never leave us.  A relationship with Christ is an eternal relationship.  Accept Jesus and He will accept you.  He will give you the wisdom, mercy and grace that you need today and everyday forever.  Ask Him to forgive you of your sin and take over your life.  He will.

 

8/9              Mark 4:21
Then Jesus asked them, “Would anyone light a lamp and then put it under a basket or under a bed to shut out the light? Of course not! A lamp is placed on a stand, where its light will shine.

JESUS
When Christ comes into our heart we will tell others about it.  We cannot hide Jesus.  We will be different.  We will have life.  We will want to tell others, indeed we will tell others what Jesus has done in us.  We have a new life in Christ.  It is a life that will be pleasing to God and attractive to others.  The world is dead in its trespasses and sin.  People are looking for God they just don’t know it.

 

8/10            Mark 4:22-24
“Everything that is now hidden or secret will eventually be brought to light. Anyone who is willing to hear should listen and understand!  And be sure to pay attention to what you hear. The more you do this, the more you will understand – and even more, besides.

JESUS
We do a lot of talking in our daily life.  Time with Jesus will cause us to stop our incessant chatter and listen.  We need to listen as we read the Bible.  We need to listen as we spend time with Jesus.  Getting to know Him is critical for our daily abundant living.  The world is always attacking us emotionally.  Listening to Jesus is the only way we can grow in Christ likeness.  When we listen carefully to Him we will hear what He calls us to do.  We will know peace.  We will experience growing in spiritual strength.  We will know the Lord.

 

8/11            Mark 4:25
To those who are open to my teaching, more understanding will be given. But to those who are not listening, even what they have will be taken away from them.”

JESUS
Do you every take time to ask Jesus a question and listen for the answer?  Do you seek answers to issues and listen for direction?  It is important that we understand that our relationship with the Lord is not a one-way street.  Jesus wants to give us direction for our life but if we are always talking and never listening we will never hear what Christ is saying.

 

8/12            Mark 4:26-28
Jesus also said, “Here is another illustration of what the Kingdom of God is like: A farmer planted seeds in a field, and then he went on with his other activities. As the days went by, the seeds sprouted and grew without the farmer’s help, because the earth produces crops on its own. First a leaf blade pushes through, then the heads of wheat are formed, and finally the grain ripens.

GROWTH
There is no magic way to grow.  The process takes time.  We spend time with Jesus in Bible reading and study.  We spend time with Jesus in prayer.  We need to spend time with Jesus just listening.  Listen for His voice.  Listen for His gentle hand of guidance.  Listen for His presence.  Jesus loves you.

 

8/13            Mark 4:29
And as soon as the grain is ready, the farmer comes and harvests it with a sickle.”

GRAIN
We are created by God.  He has a plan.  We cannot fathom the activity of God in the world nor are we able to comprehend how the Lord is going to finish His creation plan.  We never have enough information to judge others.  With just this in mind we need to realize that the Lord will determine when the end comes.  That applies to individuals and time itself.  We know that Jesus loves us and that we are going to be with Him.  We know that for sure.

 

8/14            Mark 4:30-32
Jesus asked, “How can I describe the Kingdom of God? What story should I use to illustrate it?  It is like a tiny mustard seed. Though this is one of the smallest of seeds, it grows to become one of the largest of plants, with long branches where birds can come and find shelter.”

JESUS
Our tiny exercise of faith, Lord forgive me, is the beginning point of our growth to become like Jesus.  Spend time with Him and He will make you to become the person you were created to be.  We want to be like Him and He will help us to accomplish that.

 

8/15            Mark 4:33-34
He used many such stories and illustrations to teach the people as much as they were able to understand.  In fact, in his public teaching he taught only with parables, but afterward when he was alone with his disciples, he explained the meaning to them.

JESUS
Jesus will teach us the things we need for living a holy life.  He knows what makes us tick and will fix and equip us in those areas that are in need of fixing and equipping.  We can trust Jesus.  We can trust Him with our life.  We can live daily knowing that He wants to give us the things we need for real life.  Rejoice for the Lord loves you and is seeking your best good!

 

8/16            Mark 4:35-36
As evening came, Jesus said to his disciples, “Let’s cross to the other side of the lake.”  He was already in the boat, so they started out, leaving the crowds behind (although other boats followed).

TIME
We need time to prepare for life.  We need time to grow.  Our preparation and growth will be in direct proportion to our time with Jesus.  We need to pull away from the madding crowd.  We need to establish a habit of spending time every day quietly before the Lord.  Lord what would you have me do and then sit quietly while He answers.

 

8/17            Mark 4:37-38
But soon a fierce storm arose. High waves began to break into the boat until it was nearly full of water.  Jesus was sleeping at the back of the boat with his head on a cushion. Frantically they woke him up, shouting, “Teacher, don’t you even care that we are going to drown?”

LIFE
Life happens everyday.  The Lord knows the end from the beginning and He loves us.  Do you think that He is going to lead us into a dead end?  Faith is not based on our know in detail what is going to happen.  Faith is our confidence that the Lord who loves us is leading us in the right direction from this moment unto eternity.  God is good.  All the time.

 

8/18            Mark 4:39
When he woke up, he rebuked the wind and said to the water, “Quiet down!” Suddenly the wind stopped, and there was a great calm.

LIMITATIONS
The Lord is not limited.  He can do anything.  We are limited in every area of our lives but we know Him and He loves us.  We are not alone nor are we at the mercy of the world, the flesh or the devil.  God is in control and He is in control of our life.

 

8/19            Mark 4:40-41
And he asked them, “Why are you so afraid? Do you still not have faith in me?”  And they were filled with awe and said among themselves, “Who is this man, that even the wind and waves obey him?”

FAITH
Faith is a gift from the Lord.  He gives it to us as we give ourselves to Him.  Work at your relationship with Him.  You will discover that your faith is growing.  You have a choice whether you will live courageously by faith or not.

 

8/20            Mark 5:1-5
So they arrived at the other side of the lake, in the land of the Gerasenes.   Just as Jesus was climbing from the boat, a man possessed by an evil spirit ran out from a cemetery to meet him.  This man lived among the tombs and could not be restrained, even with a chain.  Whenever he was put into chains and shackles – as he often was – he snapped the chains from his wrists and smashed the shackles. No one was strong enough to control him.  All day long and throughout the night, he would wander among the tombs and in the hills, screaming and hitting himself with stones.

JESUS
We sometimes forget that Jesus came for each one of us.  That person that is hurting you, or mistreating you Jesus came for them.  As you struggle day to day dealing with the ups and downs of life, purpose to pray for those who hurt or abuse you or maybe someone who has just been difficult.  Pray for the lost.  Everyone needs Jesus.

 

8/21            Mark 5:6-9
When Jesus was still some distance away, the man saw him. He ran to meet Jesus and fell down before him.  He gave a terrible scream, shrieking, “Why are you bothering me, Jesus, Son of the Most High God? For God’s sake, don’t torture me!”  For Jesus had already said to the spirit, “Come out of the man, you evil spirit.”  Then Jesus asked, “What is your name?” And the spirit replied, “Legion, because there are many of us here inside this man.”

JESUS
The demons know Jesus and tremble.  He is the ruler.  The universe is under His authority.  One day He will come back and take His children out of this world and will sit in judgment of sin and the world.  Victory was predetermined.  Christ is in control.  When we know Jesus as Lord we do not have to fear for we belong to Him.

 

8/22            Mark 5:10-14
Then the spirits begged him again and again not to send them to some distant place.  There happened to be a large herd of pigs feeding on the hillside nearby.  “Send us into those pigs,” the evil spirits begged.  Jesus gave them permission. So the evil spirits came out of the man and entered the pigs, and the entire herd of two thousand pigs plunged down the steep hillside into the lake, where they drowned.  The herdsmen fled to the nearby city and the surrounding countryside, spreading the news as they ran. Everyone rushed out to see for themselves.

JESUS
Jesus spoke and the evil spirits had to leave the man.  He can speak to our biggest need.  What do you need?  Ask Him to help you.  He will help you and will not ever leave you.  Spend time with Jesus so that you can make sense out of your life.

 

8/23            Mark 5:15-17
A crowd soon gathered around Jesus, but they were frightened when they saw the man who had been demon possessed, for he was sitting there fully clothed and perfectly sane.  Those who had seen what happened to the man and to the pigs told everyone about it, and the crowd began pleading with Jesus to go away and leave them alone.

JESUS
Jesus healed people who were in great need.  His healing was at the direction of His Father and by the power of His Father.  Jesus is alive and well.  He continues to serve by the power of the Father.  Do you have a great need for healing?  If you are not saved you need healing.  Ask Jesus to come into your heart and forgive you of your sin.  He will.  Then you will be a member of the family of God.  Do you have another need?  Ask Jesus and He will help you.

 

8/24            Mark 5:18-20
When Jesus got back into the boat, the man who had been demon possessed begged to go, too.  But Jesus said, “No, go home to your friends, and tell them what wonderful things the Lord has done for you and how merciful he has been.”  So the man started off to visit the Ten Towns of that region and began to tell everyone about the great things Jesus had done for him; and everyone was amazed at what he told them.

WITNESS
The formerly demon possessed man simply told others what Jesus had done for Him.  He believed it and could show physically what Christ had done for him in his healing.  You too can share with others what Christ has done for you.  The more you know Him the more you have to tell.  Spend time with Jesus and get to know Him.

 

8/25            Mark 5:21-24
When Jesus went back across to the other side of the lake, a large crowd gathered around him on the shore.  A leader of the local synagogue, whose name was Jairus, came and fell down before him, pleading with him to heal his little daughter. “She is about to die,” he said in desperation. “Please come and place your hands on her; heal her so she can live.”  Jesus went with him, and the crowd thronged behind.

BELIEVE
Jairus believed that Jesus could and would heal his daughter.  Do you believe that Jesus can heal your life?  If you do He can.  If you don’t then you will continue to struggle to come to grips with your life.  Jesus gives us a guide for living and a plan for our life.  Get to know Jesus.  Follow Him and believe in Him and grow your relationship.

 

8/26            Mark 5:25-34
And there was a woman in the crowd who had had a hemorrhage for twelve years.  She had suffered a great deal from many doctors through the years and had spent everything she had to pay them, but she had gotten no better. In fact, she was worse.  She had heard about Jesus, so she came up behind him through the crowd and touched the fringe of his robe.  For she thought to herself, “If I can just touch his clothing, I will be healed.”  Immediately the bleeding stopped, and she could feel that she had been healed!  Jesus realized at once that healing power had gone out from him, so he turned around in the crowd and asked, “Who touched my clothes?”  His disciples said to him, “All this crowd is pressing around you. How can you ask, ‘Who touched me?'”  But he kept on looking around to see who had done it.  Then the frightened woman, trembling at the realization of what had happened to her, came and fell at his feet and told him what she had done.  And he said to her, “Daughter, your faith has made you well. Go in peace. You have been healed.”

HEALING
Do you need healing so desperately that you are willing to do whatever it takes?  Go to Jesus with that kind of desperation and you will find Him healing you.  Give Him your heart and He will help you to grow your faith.  Believe in Him and He will direct your path.

 

8/27            Mark 5:35-36
While he was still speaking to her, messengers arrived from Jairus’s home with the message, “Your daughter is dead. There’s no use troubling the Teacher now.”  But Jesus ignored their comments and said to Jairus, “Don’t be afraid. Just trust me.”

JESUS

Trust Jesus.  He is concerned about you and your life.  The future belongs to Him.  You can be confident that your future will only improve for one day we will stand with Jesus as He bears testimony of our relationship to the Father.  He is in control and will never let us go.

 

8/28            Mark 5:37
Then Jesus stopped the crowd and wouldn’t let anyone go with him except Peter and James and John.

JESUS
Jesus knows what is going on.  You are never out of His sight.  He is trustworthy and faithful.  What you are doing and want to do are important to Jesus.  Ask Him for the wisdom, mercy, and grace that you need to grow.  He will give you what you need.

 

8/29            Mark 5:38-39
When they came to the home of the synagogue leader, Jesus saw the commotion and the weeping and wailing.  He went inside and spoke to the people. “Why all this weeping and commotion?” he asked. “The child isn’t dead; she is only asleep.”

TRUTH
Jesus is the truth.  We can find our way with Him.  We can find out where we should go if we will ask Him.  Do not be fooled.  Jesus has your best interest at heart.  Let Him have your loyalty.  Believe in Christ and He will make you an eternal member of His family.

 

8/30            Mark 5:40
The crowd laughed at him, but he told them all to go outside. Then he took the girl’s father and mother and his three disciples into the room where the girl was lying.

JESUS
Jesus is never confused about what to do.  He knows what is needed and how to do it.  What do you need fixed?  What is out of sync in your life?  Take it to Jesus.  Get to Know Him.  He will fix you.

 

8/31            Mark 5:41-43
Holding her hand, he said to her, “Get up, little girl!”  And the girl, who was twelve years old, immediately stood up and walked around! Her parents were absolutely overwhelmed.  Jesus commanded them not to tell anyone what had happened, and he told them to give her something to eat.

MIRACLES
A miracle is a supernaturally caused event-an even different from what would have occurred in the normal course of events.  Jesus will do what needs to be done when we are in need.  He will intervene in your life if that is the need.  I encourage people to keep a daily diary of their time with the Lord.  I also ask them to keep a list of answered prayer.  Your answered prayer list is where you will see His divine activity in your life.