Author: mary

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Verse of the Day

1 Peter 5:10

In his kindness God called you to share in his eternal glory by means of Christ Jesus. So after you have suffered a little while, he will restore, support, and strengthen you, and he will place you on a firm foundation.

1 Peter 5:10

In His Kindness

In all of God’s kindness, He called you to spend eternity with Him. None of us deserve His kindness or grace, yet, He gave it anyway. In His kindness, He restores, strengthens, and gives you a firm foundation. He is the one who cares for you so much that He sent His Son to die for your sins.

His firm foundation is what strengthens and supports you. It is what allows you to live in His love and His grace. Spend some time today thanking God for who He is and that He continues to restore His people.

A Prayer to Remember

Dear Lord,
Thank you for your kindness and grace. Thank you that you cared so much for me that you sent your Son Jesus. Amen.

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Today’s Truth

Today’s Truth: God’s Love

Ephesians 3:18 says, “And may you have the power to understand, as all God’s people should, how wide, how long, how high, and how deep his love is.” Do you really understand how deep and wide the love of God really is? God’s Bible is a love letter from Him to mankind. He used many people throughout time to write His love letters. Some of them were first hand accounts of what the Lord did for His people.

Ephesians is one of those accounts. Paul tells in His letters all that the Lord did for Him. When He rescued him from his sins, He made him an ambassador for the message of Christ. Paul understood the love of God. The Gospels are another example of accounts of men who experienced the miracles and the love of Jesus Christ. Matthew, Mark, Luke and John all tell about Christ in different ways. They all experienced who He was and what He did for everyone around Him.

If someone asked you what God has done for you, what would your account look like? If you honestly think about the love of God, how would you describe it? Spend some time praying about His love and think about the impact it has had on your life.

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Verse of the Day

1 Peter 5:9

Stand firm against him, and be strong in your faith. Remember that your family of believers all over the world is going through the same kind of suffering you are.

1 Peter 5:9

Stand Firm

1 Peter 5:8 tells us to be watchful of the enemy’s attacks. Verse 9 says to stand firm against him and be strong in the faith. How do we live in our strength, so that the enemy will be defeated in our lives? When you really spend time with the Lord and read the Bible, you will find yourself able to stand firm. The last part of this verse gives us great hope. We can take hope because others around the world are standing with us. We are not alone in our trials and suffering.

Take some time today to thank God for your Christian brothers and sisters who are going through the same things you are. Ask Him to help him encourage others as well.

A Prayer to Remember

Dear Lord,
Thank you for Christians everywhere who are standing firm against the devil and his schemes. Amen.

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Today’s Truth

Today’s Truth: The Mysterious Plan

“I was chosen to explain to everyone this mysterious plan that God, the Creator of all things, had kept secret from the beginning,” Ephesians 3:9 states. Paul tells of the provisions of God over His life. He was someone who persecuted Christians, but had been rescued by God. He believed wholeheartedly in the plans of the Lord, and especially Jesus Christ.

Why would God choose to keep this mysterious plan a secret? Why hadn’t he revealed it to generations before. These are difficult questions to answer. However, everything God did, He did as part of His plan. He never changed His plan or messed up His plan. It was and still is perfect in every way. Throughout history, He has been gracious with man. He was gracious with Israel when they continuously denied Him and turned from Him. 2 Peter 3:8-10 says it is not His will that anyone should perish. So He is longsuffering, waiting for people to turn to Him, always drawing them and leading them toward Him. We are part of His plan. He longs for us to explain His plan to everyone we meet just as Paul did.

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Verse of the Day

Colossians 3:14

Above all, clothe yourselves with love, which binds us all together in perfect harmony.

Colossians 3:14

Love that Binds

Many people spend a lot of time on their outer appearance, finding the right clothes, the right accessories, just to make sure that they look presentable as the world would have them look. How many people actually spend that much time on their inner person? It is more important to spend time clothing yourself with the things of God than the things of the world. When you put on mercy, kindness, humility, gentleness, and patience, you will find yourself changing into the person God wants you to be. The greatest attribute you can put on is love. Love binds us with those around us in unity. Love binds us with our spouses, When we put on love, we are able to show mercy to each other, kindness, humility for one another, gentleness, and we are able to be patient.

Love is something we have to put on everyday so we can have all of those attributes when we wake up next to each other and go to bed at night. Let His love bind you with your spouse everyday. His love binds together, covers sins, and heals all wounds.

A Prayer to Remember

Dear Lord,

Your love is so beautiful and pure. Your love cleanses and covers sins, heals past wounds, and binds us together. May you bind me with my spouse and show me how to love. Amen

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Today’s Truth

Today’s Truth: Evangelism and Discipleship

Romans 1:14-15 Can be a difficult verse to understand unless we really look at the words and what they mean: “I am obligated both to Greeks and non-Greeks, both to the wise and the foolish. That is why I am so eager to preach the gospel also to you who are in Rome.” What does Paul mean when he says he is obligated? Why would he feel obligated to both Greeks and non-Greeks, wise and the foolish?

According to Webster’s Dictionary, the word obligated can mean legally or morally bound or committed. As a Pharisee, Paul was obligated to keeping the law and the traditions of his religion. However, once saved, he was free from these obligations, so what does he mean here? I think the word obligated means morally bound or even committed pan this verse. Paul felt a moral obligation in his heart to make the name of Jesus known. He had previously been Christians, but now it was time to make His name known to all the world, every culture, every religion. He was also committed to Christ in every way and wanted to show that commitment by preaching the gospel.

What about you? Do you feel a sense of obligation to bringing the name of Jesus to your family, your work, the world around you? If not, spend some time in prayer, asking that God would place a sense of urgency in your heart today.

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Verse of the Day

Hebrews 11:11-12

It was by faith that even Sarah was able to have a child, though she was barren and was too old. She believed that God would keep his promise. And so a whole nation came from this one man who was as good as dead-a nation with so many people that, like the stars in the sky and the sand on the seashore, there is no way to count them.

Hebrews 11:11-12

By Her Faith

Abraham was not the only one who was faithful. Hebrews also mentions his wife Sarah as a person of faith. There were many men mentioned in this chapter, but not as many women. That is what makes Sarah so special. She and Abraham had taken things into their own hands when they thought they couldn’t have children. They tried it their way and were ready to try it God’s way. She was in her old age and barren, yet God promised them an entire nation that would come from their line. Sarah believed it would happen and it did. Not only that, but these verses say that they would number the stars in the sky and the sand on the shore! There would be so many that no one could count them!

It is just like God to turn an impossible situation into a possible one. He loves to prove that He is able and trustworthy!

A Prayer to Remember

Dear Lord,
You are so trustworthy. Just like you made the impossible possible for Abraham and Sarah, you are still wowing us today. May I always believe in your miracles. Amen.

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Today’s Truth

Today’s Truth: No Excuses

Since the beginning of time, God has been revealing himself and his power to man. We see this in the flood with Noah. He flooded the entire earth to destroy sin because of his hatred for it. The creation of the world also shows the power of God. In just seven days he made everything come to life. Take a look into the human body and you will see the intricacies and power of our God. Every cell, every hair on our heads shows the power of God. Romans 1:20 says, “For since the creation of the world God’s invisible qualities-his eternal power and divine nature-have been clearly seen, being understood from what has been made, so that people are without excuse.”

Man has no excuse for rejecting God. He made a way for people to know Him generations before and is still making a way today in this digital age. He has planted the gospel in the hearts of His people, so that they would bring His message to a dying world. In the end, we will all stand before God, and there will not be a good reason anyone could give about why they did not accept Jesus as their Savior.

Pray for those you know today, that they will come to know the Lord before it is too late. Pray that they will accept Jesus and stop giving excuses.

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Verse of the Day

Hebrews 11:10

Abraham was confidently looking forward to a city with eternal foundations, a city designed and built by God.

Hebrews 11:10

Looking Forward

Abraham placed his faith in eternal things. The hope of God was His foundation. He knew that what God promised would not be temporary, but eternal. He knew that joy could not ever be found in earthly things, but in the One who led him to the promised land and would continue to lead him until his death. Abraham was another man who had failures and at times took matters into his own hands, but God always led him back and he followed.

We all have times when we go astray, but what we do after is what matters. When given the chance, will you return to the Lord? Will you follow Him no matter what happens? This life of faith is worth more than anything you can ever find in this world. His eternal city should spur you on!

A Prayer to Remember

Dear Lord,
May I always follow you and the faith that leads me on. Continue to lead me and guide me. Amen.

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Today’s Truth

Today’s Truth: Righteous Living

Paul says in Romans 3:5, “But if our unrighteousness serves to show the righteousness of God, what shall we say? That God is unrighteous to inflict wrath on us? (I speak in a human way.” Our past sins can serve a purpose if we allow them too. We should never dwell on our past sins as a way to prevent us from moving forward, but instead we should let them drive us toward the Lord.

When Jesus went to the cross, He was taking on the sins of the world. We needed His forgiveness for every single sin that stained our lives. So He died for those sins. We do not need to dwell and remember those sins, but instead think about how He rescued you from those sins and gave you a new life. Our sins and unrighteous living shows how righteous the Lord really is.