Scripture of The Day

But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well. Seek! That is the focus word in this verse. This word is a robust word, describing a passionate pursuit of something to make it our own. The Kingdom, and the righteousness of those in this Kingdom, are not our wish, our hope, our dream -- they are to be our passion. We will pursue God's Kingdom at all costs. We will pursue it with passion. This will be our consuming effort until we make it our own, or better yet, find it our home! My Prayer... Forgive me, dear God, for letting my passion for your Kingdom and your character get pushed to the side. Awaken me each morning with a sense of passion for your work and your will for that day. Father, I want to be a passionate seeker; please make me restless for your Kingdom as my home. In Jesus' name I pray. Amen.

"I call heaven and earth as witnesses today against you, that I have set before you life and death, blessing and cursing; therefore choose life, that both you and your descendants may live; that you may love the LORD your God, that you may obey His voice, and that you may cling to Him, for He is your life and the length of your days;" (Deuteronomy 30:19-20) There are times in life when we are faced with situations that seem dark; Situations that cause us to question our faith in the promises that we have received from God’s Word. Sometimes we struggle with circumstances in the world that cause us to be distracted away from God as we try to battle and win by our own efforts. Even struggles with our own flesh can become a battle that causes us to focus more on our internal war than on God. But our struggle should not be with these things for the battle is the Lord’s. Our struggle should be focused on holding on to God and His Word no matter how dark, and no matter how hopeless

But in your hearts set apart Christ as Lord. Always be prepared to give an answer to everyone who asks you to give the reason for the hope that you have. But do this with gentleness and respect.

"Then the righteous will answer him, 'Lord, when did we see you hungry and feed you, or thirsty and give you something to drink? When did we see you a stranger and invite you in, or needing clothes and clothe you? When did we see you sick or in prison and go to visit you?' The King will reply, 'I tell you the truth, whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers of mine, you did for me.'" Thoughts on Today's Verse... When we help those who can't help themselves -- those who have gotten themselves in trouble, those who have been falsely accused, those who are facing death -- we are helping Jesus himself. What would Jesus do? He would be helping someone find God out of their hopelessness and despair. My Prayer... Father, please give me wisdom to see my opportunities to serve your people as I try to help them understand your incredible grace. In the name of my Redeemer, Savior, and Friend, Jesus. Amen.

We’ve all made promises that we’ve broken. When that happens, we diminish ourselves as persons and lose the confidence of others. Sometimes it can lead to great bitterness and sorrow. A few hours before Judas betrayed him, Jesus told his disciples that they would soon all “fall away.” He would be arrested and crucified, he said, and all of them would forsake him. Peter vigorously disagreed: “Even if all the others fall away, I will not. I will never disown you.” But Jesus told him that before a rooster crowed twice the next morning, Peter would deny Jesus three times. And that’s what happened. Three times Peter broke the vow he’d made with so much gusto—and when he heard the rooster crow, Peter remembered Jesus’ words, and he broke down and wept. The story of Peter’s broken promise does not end there, however, because Jesus is the Savior who forgives promise breakers when they repent and return to him. After his resurrection Jesus restored Peter to the circle of his disciples, and Pete

“The stone the builders rejected has become the capstone.” Mark 12:10 In ancient times a capstone was the most important stone of a great building. From Psalm 118:22, the passage Jesus quoted in our reading, we find that this term literally means “head of the corner,” so it could also refer to a cornerstone. A cornerstone was essential for laying a firm foundation. This stone was very large and was set carefully in place at the beginning of a construction project. All other stones were set in line with the cornerstone. Everything was built around it and depended on it. In God’s plan of salvation, Jesus himself is the cornerstone (see Ephesians 2:20), and everything is built around him. Though his enemies rejected him, he remains the pivotal center of God’s saving work. Jesus was saying that although his enemies would kill him, they could not defeat him—and that is precisely what happened. Jesus’ enemies sentenced him to death on a cross, but three days later he rose triumphantly from t

I can do all things through Christ which strengtheneth me. Matthew Henry's Concise Commentary It is a good work to succour and help a good minister in trouble. The nature of true Christian sympathy, is not only to feel concern for our friends in their troubles, but to do what we can to help them. The apostle was often in bonds, imprisonments, and necessities; but in all, he learned to be content, to bring his mind to his condition, and make the best of it. Pride, unbelief, vain hankering after something we have not got, and fickle disrelish of present things, make men discontented even under favourable circumstances. Let us pray for patient submission and hope when we are abased; for humility and a heavenly mind when exalted. It is a special grace to have an equal temper of mind always. And in a low state not to lose our comfort in God, nor distrust his providence, nor take any wrong course for our own supply. In a prosperous condition not to be proud, or secure, or worldly. This i

“One thing you lack,” he said. Mark 10:21 The rich young man had a lot going for him. He lived a clean life, worshiped God, and obeyed the Word of God. We’d probably call him a “spiritual” person. Since he was concerned about life after death, he asked Jesus, “What must I do to inherit eternal life?” The answer Jesus gave disappointed him. Maybe he had expected Jesus to give him a secret rule to keep or a special pilgrimage to take so he could be assured of a happy life forever. But Jesus pressed deep into the heart of God’s law: “Go, sell everything you have and give to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven. Then come, follow me.” Hearing this, the man’s face fell in disappointment. He was very wealthy, and that meant everything to him. Jesus was offering him the treasures of the kingdom of God, something far greater than earthly riches. But the sacrifice of giving his money away and taking the risk of following Jesus was more than the young man was ready to accept. So he tur

Exodus 16:15 And when the children of Israel saw it, they said one to another, It is manna: for they wist not what it was. And Moses said unto them, This is the bread which the LORD hath given you to eat. When Moses led the Israelites out of Egypt I’m sure several million people were wondering, “How am I going to be fed? How am I going to survive in this wilderness?” Imagine the logistical nightmare. An incalculable quantity of food and water were needed to survive in the desert. Where would it come from? Yet, in this seemingly impossible situation, God provided! He provided Manna from heaven. When the people first saw the Manna on the ground, they wondered in amazement saying to each other, “What is this?”, which is exactly what “Manna” means in Hebrew – “What is it?” They were receiving the food of angels, [Psalm 78:24-25] which sustained them the entire time in the desert. But we know what happened as time passed…the people got used to this miraculous provision, began to take

1 John 5:13 NIV: I write these things to you who believe in the name of the Son of God so that you may know that you have eternal life. Within a single statement, John clarifies to us his purpose for writing his letter-"that you may know." I recently asked a woman if she was going to heaven. She replied, "I hope so." I asked her how she could go on in such uncertainty regarding her eternal life. She wasn´t sure what to say, but then asked me if I was going to heaven. I simply said, "Yes." She asked, "How do you know?" God wants us to know that we have eternal life. He has told us so in His Word. For those who believe in the name of the Son of God, there is no reason to walk in uncertainty any longer.

If Jesus Came to Your House If Jesus came to your house to spend a day or two - If He came unexpectedly, I wonder what you'd do. Oh, I know you'd give your nicest room to such an honored Guest, And all the food you'd serve to Him would be the very best, And you would keep assuring Him you're glad to have him there - That serving Him in your own home is joy beyond compare. But when you saw Him coming, would you meet Him at the door With arms outstretched in welcome to your heavenly Visitor? Or would you have to change your clothes before you let Him in? Or hide some magazines and put the Bible where they'd been? Would you turn off the radio and hope He hadn't heard? And wish you hadn't uttered that last, loud, hasty word? Would you hide your worldly music and put some hymn books out? Could you let Jesus walk right in, or would you rush about? And I wonder - if the Savior spent a day or two with you, Would you go right on doing the things you always do? Would

2 Corinthians 4:16-18: Therefore we do not lose heart. Though outwardly we are wasting away, yet inwardly we are being renewed day by day. For our light and momentary troubles are achieving for us an eternal glory that far outweighs them all. So we fix our eyes not on what is seen, but on what is unseen. For what is seen is temporary, but what is unseen is eternal. It is so easy to look into the mirror and be unhappy with the unkind tricks time plays on our faces and bodies. Living in a world where outward appearance seems so important to so many is something that can sometimes blind us to what is real and lasting. Many of us spend 20 to 30 minutes a day putting on our faces, as it were-and to what end? But consider what equal time invested in God´s Word can do for our spirits. Mirror time in the morning may get us ready for school or work; but time in the Word-now that will get us ready for eternity.

“He leads me in the paths of righteousness.” Psalm 23:3 NKJV It was, at once, history’s most beautiful and most horrible moment. Jesus stood in the tribunal of heaven. Sweeping a hand over all creation, he pleaded, “Punish me for their mistakes. See the murderer? Give me his penalty. The adulteress? I’ll take her shame. The bigot, the liar, the thief? Do to me what you would do to them. Treat me as you would a sinner.” And God did. “For Christ died for sins once for all, the righteous for the unrighteous, to bring you to God.” (I Pet. 3:18 NIV)… The path of righteousness is a narrow, winding trail up a steep hill. At the top of the hill is a cross. At the base of the cross are bags. Countless bags full of innumerable sins. Calvary is the compost pile for guilt. Would you like to leave yours there as well?

Psalm 37:4 NIV: Delight yourself in the LORD and he will give you the desires of your heart. Jesus told us that "whosoever will save his life shall lose it: and whosoever will lose his life for [Jesus´] sake shall find it" (Matthew 16:25). Our greatest rewards will come when we do not seek them. As we seek to "lose" our lives, we open ourselves up to be the instruments of God´s purpose, to accomplish His will on earth. Living this way will bring us great rewards, and that is because we do not seek rewards. We do not seek to store up treasures in heaven and we do not do our righteous acts so that God will reward us--we simply do them because--and we require nothing in return. If our only reason to live the Christian life is to gain better reward then we have missed the point. Following Christ means sacrifice of our wants and giving up of personal desires so that God´s greater good will prevail.

Psalm 18:46 NIV: The LORD lives! Praise be to my Rock! Exalted be God my Savior! I fondly remember a camping trip that my family and my friend´s family went on shortly after my friend had surrendered her life to Christ. We had been walking along a road until she came across a large rock. I will never forget the way she looked, standing up on that rock, singing praises to God. Since that time, when I ask her how she´s doing, I sometimes ask her if she´s "standing on the Rock." There is nothing on earth like standing on the Rock. As our hearts are focused on Jesus, and overflow with His joy, we cannot help but erupt with offerings of praise to Him. For some of us, it has been too long since we have (at least within our hearts), stood on the Rock of Christ and praised Him wholeheartedly. How truly wonderful that we do not have to wait another day, or even for a camping trip. We can ask Jesus to lift us up today, plant our feet on the Rock, and fill our hearts with His praise-bri

Matthew 11:28 NIV: Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. "It doesn´t matter any more," I barely uttered aloud, "None of it matters." My wife asked me what I was talking about. "All the things that were bothering me; they just don´t matter anymore," I replied. This took place shortly after I turned over my life to Jesus. I had encountered Him. I had looked into His face. And everything else faded in comparison. Since that time, I have had my share of setbacks--times when I struggle and let things "matter" in such a way that I become burdened by the weight of my troubles. All the while, Jesus is still there, waiting for me to turn to Him and look into His face--waiting to again lift the burdens. And when I turn to Him, I am again awestruck by the extraordinary way that all those things that seem to matter, simply fade in comparison to Him. Are you weary and burdened? Go to Jesus and do not leave His presence unti

You say: 'It's impossible' God says: All things are possible (Luke 18:27) You say: 'I'm too tired' God says: I will give you rest (Matthew 11:28-30) You say: 'Nobody really loves me' God says: I love you (John 3:1 6 & John 3:34 ) You say: 'I can't go on' God says: My grace is sufficient (II Corinthians 12:9 & Psalm 91:15) You say: 'I can't figure things out' God says: I will direct your steps (Proverbs 3:5-6) You say: 'I can't do it' God says: You can do all things (Philippians 4:13) You say: 'I'm not able' God says: I am able (II Corinthians 9:8) You say: 'It's not worth it' God says: It will be worth it (Romans 8:28) You say: 'I can't forgive my self' God says: I Forgive you (I John 1:9 & Romans 8:1) You say: 'I can't manage' God says: I will supply all your needs (Philippians 4:19) You say: 'I'm afraid' God says: I have not given you a spirit of

2 Timothy 1:7 For God hath not given us the spirit of fear; but of power, and of love, and of a sound mind. When we first moved to Israel we experienced a thundering earthquake that measured 5.2 on the Richter scale. I was in my Hebrew class downtown, and my wife and newborn were in our Jerusalem apartment. I don’t know if any of you have ever experienced an earthquake, but it can be very scary. My wife told me about her experience. She was sitting in our bedroom with the baby in her arms, when out of nowhere came a sudden loud roaring sound, followed by a shaking of all four walls, and all the contents within banging against them for what seemed like an eternity. So many things go through your mind when you’re in the midst of a life-threatening experience like that. Rivka said that as everything was shaking, she began to fear what could happen next. But in the midst of it all, Riv looked down at Elianna in her arms. Would you believe, she was perfectly content — happy, smiling, even d

Test me, O LORD, and try me, examine my heart and my mind" (Ps. 26:2). Throughout the Old Testament, we see many situations in which God tests His people in order to determine if they will follow Him or follow the systems of this world. The nation of Israel was tested many times during the 40-year sojourn in the wilderness: "Remember how the LORD your God led you all the way in the desert these forty years, to humble you and to test you in order to know what was in your heart, whether or not you would keep his commands" (Deut. 8:2). You might ask, "Why does God need to test us? Doesn't He know everything, including what we would do in every situation?" Yes, God knows - but we don't know ourselves! God doesn't test us in order to find out something He doesn't already know. He tests us so that we can learn about ourselves and His love, power and faithfulness. In Genesis 22, God tested Abraham by commanding him to sacrifice his son Isaac on a mount

2 Corinthians 5:17 NIV: Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; the old has gone, the new has come! Coming into the transforming presence of God is something that will open our eyes to a great many things. Drawing near to Him will guarantee that we will begin to rethink the way we think, and question the way we have always considered things to be. We progress forward toward Him until we face areas we may be unwilling to give up, or that we are not wanting to consider changing. It´s then that we shelter our eyes from His light as He reveals truth that we choose not to see. The painful reality is most painful to our flesh. Our flesh chooses to cling to that which is loved in the flesh--those things that are of this earth which bring to us a sense of security and comfort. Our flesh is unwilling to part with such things or even to consider doing so. It is not until we can willingly deny ourselves and selfish nature, that we will move forward toward God. It is not until we

Today's Scripture "I know the Lord is always with me. I will not be shaken, for he is right beside me." Psalm 16:8 NLT Thoughts for Today Do you sometimes find it difficult to manage your thoughts, attitudes, behaviors or emotions? Are you continuing in a destructive habit even though you know you are hurting yourself and those you love? If you answered "yes" to either of these questions, you are not alone. Many of us have operated in a self-destruct mode at some time in our lives. Perhaps you have determined to do right, to change. For a while, things might be better and then you find yourself right back where you started. Consider this… Remember two things: First, you can't make this kind of change by yourself. Second, that's OK because you don't have to do it by yourself. God is standing by to help you. He is inviting you to turn your problem over to him. He wants you to know this is not a person-size problem—it is a God-size problem. He loves y

Matthew 6:33 NIV: But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well. For what, or whom, do we build our homes? For what, or whom, do we live our lives? As we make our way through this world, what is it that we seek? Imagine being able to say, "I build my home for God´s kingdom," or, "I live my life for God´s righteousness." If that were your motto, what do you imagine your life would look like? Christ promises that those who seek first His kingdom and His righteousness need not worry, because they will also have the things they need. But what is it that we seek? Do we seek to sustain ourselves, accumulate things, or provide ourselves our daily bread? Do we seek houses, careers, pensions, or retirement? Imagine saying, "A man´s gotta eat," or, "God helps those who help themselves." If that were your motto, what do you imagine your life would look like? Look around. Those who live such a life are al

Isaiah 55:8-10, NIV: "For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways," declares the LORD. "As the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways and my thoughts than your thoughts." "Timber," the man shouted, after withdrawing his axe from a last well-placed chop. Within a few seconds, after a few loud snaps and pops, the massive oak fell to the ground. "Why would you chop down such a beautiful tree?" someone asked. "Because," he replied, "I have another use for it." Like with the oak, why would God bring someone to what seems to be one thing, only to change the plans? Maybe because that was never His plan to begin with. Where we might say, "Ah, look how God has made me;" God says, "My child, we've only begun." As we reflect on our lives, it might be easy to assume we know what God is making some of us to be. But, could it be that God spends many years maki

Matthew 6:22-23 NIV: The eye is the lamp of the body. If your eyes are good, your whole body will be full of light. But if your eyes are bad, your whole body will be full of darkness. If then the light within you is darkness, how great is that darkness! "Seeing is believing!" Or so some have said. "Show me the bottom line--give it to me in black and white and then I will consider it." We sit ourselves at the table of life ready to feast upon all things we can physically set before our eyes. And within our search for the solid proof and tangible truth, we give up power over our will only to that which can be seen with human eyes. Too much of our living is influenced by what we want, what looks good or what brings us pleasure. God would have us remember that behind all the hype and perfect presentations of pleasure that the world has to offer, there is truly more than meets the eye-and it is certainly not all we would have hoped it to be.

James 2:15-16, NIV: Suppose a brother or sister is without clothes and daily food. If one of you says to him, "Go, I wish you well; keep warm and well fed," but does nothing about his physical needs, what good is it? We are a people guided by pastors and theologians who diligently dissect the Word of God to further discover its truths. We have our meetings and times of Bible studies, and leave such sessions thrilled by intellectual stimulations and new spiritual insights. Yet, all too often we then take our bits of truth home with us and put them upon our bookshelves to gather dust, to later wonder why we don't see God's power in our lives. James tells us that, faith without works is dead. All the devotional readings, sermons, and Bible studies in the world will mean nothing unless practically applied to your life. Paul reminds us, “If I have the gift of prophecy and can fathom all mysteries and all knowledge, and if I have a faith that can move mountains, but have no

by Randy Chambers, 2009-06-04 Matthew 24:45-46, NIV: "Who then is the faithful and wise servant, whom the master has put in charge of the servants in his household to give them their food at the proper time? It will be good for that servant whose master finds him doing so when he returns.“ It is probably a good thing that most of us do not spend our days standing on street corners, proclaiming certain doom, while dauntingly donning signs warning: “THE END IS NEAR!” Such images often stir a myriad of thoughts and feelings within us that may include anger, resentment, apathy, or perhaps even a sort of embarrassment. But what should be more embarrassing to us: someone who disturbingly declares his or her beliefs, or we who believe but remain quiet and show little evidence of our belief? Do we believe God’s prophesies? Do we believe our Master will return? If so, how should that effect the way we live in the here and now? Though it may not be God’s desire for us to set up shop as a pr

2 Timothy 3:1-5 NIV: But mark this: There will be terrible times in the last days. People will be lovers of themselves, lovers of money...lovers of pleasure rather than lovers of God--having a form of godliness but denying its power. There is within all of us a desire to "slip into something more comfortable;" to give into that desire is most likely selfish, many times sinful, and so often hedonistic. By its very nature, the part of us that seeks comfort and pleasure, seeks to avoid truths that bring the opposite. As a result, in this day we live, the church is full of hedonism. It is practically overflowing with people seeking pleasure and comfort first and foremost. We would like to believe that not to be true. But we do so because thinking so is too disconcerting, and causes us grief to consider. Think about how much within the church, and within our lives is not done without considering the way it will make us feel. What we know to be good and right is losing ground to wh

He who overcomes shall be clothed in white garments, and I will not blot out his name from the Book of Life; but I will confess his name before My Father and before His angels. Revelation 3:5 When my son was in the first grade, he came home from school very concerned. He said to me, “Mom, I got in trouble at the lunch tables today. My teacher wrote my name down and put it in her desk.” Sensing his anxiety, I told him not to worry. I knew that the teacher would call me if she had any real concerns. He then said, “But mom, you don’t understand, she wrote my name in permanent ink.” So often in life, having our name written in ink signifies a remembrance of something we have done wrong, ranging from teachers’ notes to public court records. But there is one place that we all should desire to have our names written in permanent ink. That place is called the Book of Life and the ink is nothing less than the blood of Jesus. Our names are not written down to remind Him of our sins or wrongdoing