I know that we all get catalogues in the mail wanting us to order the latest and greatest invnetion.

I have ordered things before and when it arrives, it looks nothing like the picture in the catalogue. It’s a box filled with screws, bolts, washers, and an instruction sheet the size of a small area rug. I didn’t notice those three fatal words written in small print beside the picture… ‘Some assembly required.’

Three hours later, I have a shiny new bicycle in my living room. The problem is – it’s supposed to be a rowing machine. The picture in the catalogue looks nice, but getting it to look like that takes work.

God gives you visions and promises of what your life is to become in Him. The thing is, it doesn’t come fully assembled. It takes work – applying and persevering when you don’t feel like it, following the Master’s instructions until the job is done.

A good vision is worth sticking to and persevering for. Get moving and stick to it even when it’s hard. That promise, vision, life, that you saw, you will one day see with your eyes – fully assembled.

TODAY’S MISSION – Is there something in your life that is out of the will of God? Get back into His will. It might not look like the picture you envisioned just yet, but that is because it still needs some assembling, it still needs some work.

Follow the instructions given and eventually it will look and work exactly like God showed you!

Today’s Verse:
Beloved, I do not consider that I have made it my own; but this one thing I do: forgetting what lies behind and straining forward to what lies ahead. – Philippians 3:13 

If you are reading this, chances are, at some point in your past, you have experience hurt caused by someone else in your life. It seems though that kind of pain is the most difficult to overcome, even thought it is in our past.

The past seems nice to visit, but I discovered that it’s never a good place to dwell. That type of hurt and pain makes it difficult to realize that as believers, we should not only forgive but also leave the past behind us. It is never easy, but it is also not impossible.

Apostle Paul did many wicked things against the early church before his conversion. However, he was able to forgive himself not by his might but by the grace of God. If you find it difficult to get over the past or cannot forgive, lift them up to the Lord. You might not see the big picture now, but He knows what lies ahead for you.

Today’s Prayer:
Our Heavenly Father, help me to forgive those who have hurt me and help me also to forgive myself. Lord, help me forget the past, and please show me a glimpse of the wonderful future You have planned for me. In Jesus’ name, Amen.

In an army, you can be many things: a private, a sergeant, a lieutenant, a corporal, a captain, a major, a colonel, a general. Each has its own rights, status, and responsibilities. But the main object is not your rank in the army, but the army of your rank. Which is better, to be the general in a defeated army, or a private in a victorious one?

You might be looking at your rank in life, your status, your situation, your job, your rank in the Lord. You may not feel you have much rank. It’s not your rank that means anything in the end, but what army you’re in… Or more importantly, who’s side you’re on. It doesn’t matter if you’re a private or a general, or on the winning side. When victory comes, the private rejoices as much as the general. How do you know if you’re on the winning side?

If you’re born again and you’re with God, then you’re a winner. So start rejoicing, for you are more than a conqueror through Messiah who loves you; a heavenly private on the winning side.

TODAY’S MISSION – Take a stand for what you know is the right thing to do, whether you’re a student or a teacher, a layman or a preacher. No matter what it looks like, you’re on the winning side

There are many different religious teachings.

Hinduism teaches that salvation comes when man merges back into God through reincarnation.

Islam teaches that salvation is to obey the Shariah, Islamic Law.

Buddhism teaches that salvation is to extinguish all desires of the soul and enter a state of nothingness called ‘Nirvana.’

Orthodox Judaism teaches that salvation comes when one observes all the mitzvahs to where one’s good deeds outweigh one’s bad deeds.

Although these teachings are very diverse, they all maintain that salvation has to come from man, the one who needs to be saved. It’s all about a hand reaching up to heaven and hoping, by one’s own effort, to achieve it. The one who needs to be saved cannot save himself. All the religions of the world speak of an arm reaching up, of our achieving salvation except one – the Gospel. That alone declares an arm from heaven reaching down.

So stop striving to be good enough, and seeking to save yourself, for you cannot and do not have to. Messiah is reaching His arm down to you. Just grab hold of His arm. He’ll do the rest.

TODAY’S MISSION – Today, don’t look for answers from earth, from the situation, even from your own efforts. Give it to God and look for the answer from His Hand.

www.facebook.com/181872369300102/posts/934120187408646/

Today’s Verse:  To that end keep alert and always persevere in supplication for all the saints. – Ephesians 6:18  After Paul tells us to put on the full armor of God, he tells us to be alert and persevere. The belt of truth, the breastplate of righteousness, shoes of readiness, the shield of faith, the helmet of salvation, and the sword of the Spirit. I believe Paul wrote these things in this order because we need the individual pieces, creating the full armor before we can be alert and persevere. We cannot be alert and persevere if we aren’t aware there is a war. When we go to war, we put on armor and take up weapons. The enemy is always throwing darts at us, and we are always at war. What do you do to put on the armor? What habits in your life prepare you to be alert and persevere? They are things like walking in the light, quiet time with God, solitude, reading the Bible, praying, and our Christian community will help with this. – Commentary by Kristina Taylor  Today’s Prayer: God, I pray that you help prepare us for the battles we have every day. Help us remember You are always fighting for us, and You have given us the armor and weapons we need to fight. Amen.

Wednesday, May 19, 2021

Have you ever had overnight guests? Usually they lodge for one night and take off the next day. What if your guests decided to stay permanently and become part of your family? Do you call the police and have them removed from the premises? In Psalm 30 says “Weeping endures for a night, but joy comes in the morning.” In the original Hebrew, weeping doesn’t endure for the night, it lun for the night. Lun means to lodge, only for the night. What does that tell you? Weeping or sorrow will sometimes show up at your door and enter. To pretend that it doesn’t show up in life is not real. But the good news is that if you’re a born again child of God, then when weeping turns up at your door, no sorrow is permanent for God promises to work all things in your life together for good. That weeping, sadness, or anger you’re going through is only temporary. It has no right to stay with you or you with it – for weeping is never more than an overnight lodger. And you can rejoice in that.

TODAY’S MISSION – No matter what you’re dealing with, a problem, a challenge, a difficulty, encourage yourself with these words “Joy will come in the morning.”

Today’s Verse: 
For my thoughts are not your thoughts, nor are your ways my ways, says the Lord – Isaiah 55:8

If you are anything like me, you find it difficult sometimes to understand everything that is going on in our lives. I even get discouraged because I cannot see the benefits of certain events, or I feel like bad things are happening to me for no reason. I wonder if God’s caring eyes are still watching over me because I feel alone and stressed. Helpless to grasp the purpose of certain misfortunes, I start doubting that there is a purpose at all.

I suppose many people have felt that way throughout human history. That is why God spoke through the prophet Isaiah and proclaimed that we are too small to understand His ways. His thoughts and His plans are not our thoughts and our plans. We can only trust Him, and rest assured that everything is happening for a purpose.

God’s plans cannot fail! And if we trust in Him, endure, and persevere until the end, we will be blessed for it. My encouragement to you today is to be consciously and intentionally faithful and remain committed and believe that God’s Will is happening in our lives. Let us always remember He has prepared only the best for us. We just need to trust Him and His plans!

Today’s Prayer:
Dear Jesus, please give us the wisdom to understand Your plans, and to trust, and follow the way You have prepared for us. Amen.

People often say, “You have to be a realist. It’s fine to have faith and dreams but ultimately you have to be a realist.” I’ve got news for you…You don’t have to be a realist. In fact, you shouldn’t be a realist.

We’re supposed to be like God…God isn’t a realist. God doesn’t just accept things as they are, nor does he limit Himself by the reality of the world. He made the world when there was no world. If He were a realist, He would’ve just looked at the situation and accepted it. He would have said, “Well there’s no light and we just have to accept that.” He never did because God isn’t a realist. He said, “Let there be light!” And there was light.

In the same way, if you call yourself a child of God, then you also cannot be a realist, nor be bound by what is real. You’re not called to accept the world; you’re called to change the world. So whenever you’re faced by a situation of darkness, don’t accept it. Say, “Let there be light!” And there will be light. For God is your father, and your Father is no realist!

TODAY’S MISSION – Don’t be a realist! Don’t be bound by the reality of your circumstances or problems. But, in God, live in faith, by His better and overcoming reality.

Today’s Verse: 
“Come, everyone who thirsts, come to the waters; and he who has no money, come, buy and eat! Come, buy wine and milk without money and without price. – Isaiah 55:1

Who doesn’t like the freebies? But let’s face it, if it sounds too good to be true, it usually is.

We must admit that one of our major concerns in this world is to have enough money. Most of us are not greedy but still, our lives revolve around earning money to live and satisfy our basic needs. We need it to pay for our house, bills, clothes, food, school, and so on.

There is almost nothing free in this world, and without money, life can become very hard. Yet in this verse, we hear the prophet calling people to come drink and eat without money and without price. God gives His gifts generously. He pours them out abundantly asking nothing for them.

He is calling everybody who is thirsty for love to drink and hungry for life to eat! Don’t be afraid, there is no price! This is a deal you shouldn’t pass up, because while it sounds too good to be true, it is very true.

Our God is a generous and merciful God. Rejoice! He will nourish us with the milk of His Word and the wine of His Spirit. His Son has already paid for everything we will need in this life when He willingly laid His life down.

So, join the family today, join the celebration today and for the rest of your life, eat and drink for free! Pastor Mike

Today’s Prayer:
Dear Jesus, I come to You with empty hands and without anything to give because I believe You are a merciful and loving God, a complete God so there is nothing that you need from me to add to your existence. Fill me with Your Holy Spirit and satisfy my deepest hunger for life and thirst for love as you inspire me to share this life giving water of the Spirit and meat of Your Word. Amen.