Author: mary

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Verse of the Day

Galatians 5:19-21

When you follow the desires of your sinful nature, the results are very clear: sexual immorality, impurity, lustful pleasures, idolatry, sorcery, hostility, quarreling, jealousy, outbursts of anger, selfish ambition, dissension, division, envy, drunkenness, wild parties, and other sins like these. Let me tell you again, as I have before, that anyone living that sort of life will not inherit the Kingdom of God.

Galatians 5:19-21

Sinful Nature

Everyone of us has a sinful nature. We were born with it. From the minute we entered this world, we were influenced by the sinfulness around us and in us. From jealousy to outbursts of anger in our younger years, to quarreling and selfish ambition as we grew into young adults. Some of us even allowed the sinful desires within us to corrupt our character and our outer selves. Our sinful desires can cause us to live a life full of sinful habits and can also affect our witness and mission.
The scary part about giving the sinful nature within us permission is that it can lead to a downward spiral. These verses clearly state that those who live this kind of lifestyle will NOT inherit the kingdom of God! Jesus is the only answer to ridding our lives of the influence of the devil and sin. By accepting Jesus as your Savior, you will find abundant life, especially a godly-filled life instead of a sin-filled life.

A Prayer to Remember

Dear Lord,
You are the only One who can save me from my sin and the enemy’s hold on my life. Rescue me from my sinful desires and lead me to your throne. Amen

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Today’s Truth

Today’s Truth: Walking by Faith

As a Christian, we should want to do good and live a righteous life. Even though we have the salvation of Christ and the freedom it brings, his love and grace should drive us to live a life walking in the Lord. Romans 3:31 says, “Do we then overthrow the law by this faith? By no means! On the contrary, we uphold the law.”

Righteous living can be difficult; however, the Lord can motivate us toward that kind of life. Walking by faith means living a righteous life. Our love for the Lord and His Word points us toward our faith. When my son first came to know the Lord, not much changed. However, soon his behavior and attitude began to change. He began to want to serve the Lord. That is what walking by faith does. It leads us to the Lord and brings joy to our lives.

Are you pursuing the Lord? Spend some time in prayer today and ask God to continue to draw you into a relationship with Him so you will want to serve Him.

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Verse of the Day

2 Peter 1:20

Above all, you must realize that no prophecy in Scripture ever came from the prophet’s own understanding, or from human initiative. No, those prophets were moved by the Holy Spirit, and they spoke from God.

2 Peter 1:20

His Words of Truth

These verses describe the truth of the Bible. While many people believe that Jesus did come to earth. They don’t necessarily believe in His death and resurrection. They also don’t believe in the authority that he had, as God. He was God and man. This is why he was called the Son of God, and the Son of Man. How do we know that the words of the Bible are true? God breathed life into all of the words that the people wrote. Nothing was written without his authority. He gave the words to us through people just like us. They did not live perfect lives, which is why they gave an account of what God did through them, rather than the works that they did.

Do you believe in the authority of God the Father, Jesus the Son, and the Word of God? When you speak about God and who he is, does his authority come through? Pray today that when you speak about God, others will see His authority in your life.

A Prayer to Remember

Dear Lord,
Thank you for the Bible and your words of truth. I trust you with my life. Amen.

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Today’s Truth

Today’s Truth: The Life Within Us

God is able to accomplish so much within us, if we only give him the power to do that. Do you really believe that he can do that? Ephesians 3:20, “Now all glory to God, who is able, through his mighty power at work within us, to accomplish infinitely more than we might ask or think.” When we try to accomplish things on our own, we will never be able to get the job done. Only by His power, can we accomplish great things in His name. We have to believe that he can work in us and through us. Do you believe this? Do you allow him to work in you and through you?

When I was young. I came to know Christ. I really did not understand what that meant. I knew I was saved, but I did not know what it meant that God was at work in me and through me. So I continue to live the way I wanted to live. It was not until many years later that I realized God wanted much more than just my belief in Him. He wanted my whole heart. I then surrendered my life to Him, and promised Him that I would allow him to work inside of me. Since then, He has used me in many different types of ministries to serve all different kinds of people.

God could do so much through you, if you just submit to him, and allow him to work in you. He will change you from the inside out. He is a great Potter. He does not just fashion a lump of clay. He molds, takes care of it, and creates something beautiful from what was once just a lump. Spend some time in prayer today and allow God to begin to work in your life in such a way as He fashions you and to the person He wants you to be.

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Verse of the Day

2 Corinthians 5:6-7

So we are always confident, even though we know that as long as we live in these bodies we are not at home with the Lord. For we live by believing and not by seeing.

2 Corinthians 5:6-7

Live by Faith

Faith is all about believing and not seeing. Take the wind, for instance. You can feel the wind, so you know it’s there. You can see the effects of the wind blowing in the trees, but you can’t actually see it. Yet you still know that it exists. God is the same way. We cannot see Him with our eyes, but we can feel His Holy Spirit and His presence in our lives. We can see His effects when we see a life changed or a miracle take place. We know that He is there by the way He works and moves among His people. THis is not our home. We are simply residing here while He prepares a greater place for us. We have faith that He is preparing that place and will deliver on His promises.

That is faith. Faith is believing when the whole world is against you because they refuse to believe in what they cannot see. Faith is holding onto the very thing that you believe in because you have seen the effects and know that He is real. What is faith to you? Thank Him for His faithfulness today.

A Prayer to Remember

Dear Lord,
You are so faithful to man. You breathed life into us and continue to work in our lives even when we doubt. Increase our faith every single day. Amen

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Today’s Truth

Today’s Truth: Do Not Let the Sun Go Down

The verse from Ephesians 4:26 says, “And “don’t sin by letting anger control you.” Don’t let the sun go down while you are still angry.” This is a verse I remember hearing about from my parents and other adults when we were getting married. When giving advice, the one thing the said was to not let the sun go down while we were still angry. While at a wedding shower before we were married, I remember seeing people write notes with this verse. They said that no matter how angry you become, never go to bed angry. It has helped our marriage throughout the years.

If you are married, take this verse, share it with your spouse, and make a commitment to never go to bed angry. Spend some time in prayer today for your spouse and ask God to help you both communicate and even when you become angry, reconcile before dark so you do not hold grudges.

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Verse of the Day

Psalm 37: 5

Commit everything you do to the Lord. Trust him, and he will help you.

Psalm 37: 5

Commit Your Way

The best way to experience all God has to offer is to commit everything you do to Him. When you commit everything you do to Him, you will see the many ways He works in your life on a daily basis. For example, when you commit your day to Him when you rise, you will see Him work and find blessings in even the most difficult situations. When you commit your life to Him, you will see those blessings more often and see what He is doing in your life and how He makes it better. This is the first step to trusting Him.

Make the first step by trusting in Him and commuting yourself to Him. This will never be a one time thing, but more of a daily thing. Since you are but a man, your flesh will fail you, so commune with God everyday so you can see how He is working and what He is doing in your life.

A Prayer to Remember

Dear Lord,
Thank you for working in my life. I commit myself to you today and everyday after. Help me see the many ways you’re moving in my life. Amen

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Today’s Truth

Today’s Truth: Speaking Truth

Paul’s lifelong goal was to live like Christ. Even though he spent the first part of his life denying Christ by the way he lived and spoke, once he knew Christ, he wanted to be like him in every way possible. One way that He did this was through speaking truth like Ephesians 4:15 states, “Instead, we will speak the truth in love, growing in every way more and more like Christ, who is the head of his body, the church.” What does this look like?

When we see someone in the body of Christ doing something that might be harmful to themselves or others, or when we see someone falling into sin, then we need to go to that person and speak truth into their lives. However, we have to approach them with love. If we have never invested in them, never spoken to them, then we will have no reason to speak with them. They will not trust what we have to say. Instead, we must spend time with them so that when we do need to speak to them, they will trust and respect what we have to say.

Spend some time praying for believers around you. Invest in their spiritual lives so you will be able to speak truth in love.

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Verse of the Day

2 Peter 12-13

Therefore, I will always remind you about these things-even though you already know them and are standing firm in the truth you have been taught. And it is only right that I should keep on reminding you as long as I live.

2 Peter 12-13

A Gentle Reminder

Peter encourages believers here by telling them that he will always remind them of the things they already know and have been taught. He even says he will remind them as long as he lives. What dedication to the Christian life and to Christ Himself! Peter knew what happened when he denied Christ, so he would never deny Him again. Instead, he would spend his life reminding believers of the hope and love they could find in Christ Jesus.

What about you? When you read the Word of God, you can read those reminders from believers who walked this earth. Then, you can go out and remind and encourage others in the faith. Isn’t that what this Christian life is all about?

A Prayer to Remember

Dear Lord,
Thank you for the words of your followers to remind me of what being a believer really means. May I continue to remind others around me in the same way. Amen.

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Today’s Truth

Today’s Truth: A God Who Understands

Ephesians 4:8-9 says, “That is why the Scriptures say, “When he ascended to the heights, he led a crowd of captives and gave gifts to his people.” Notice that it says “he ascended.” This clearly means that Christ also descended to our lowly world.” This verse talks about the ascension and dissension of Christ.

Ascension means that Christ was God. He sat at God’s right hand, before the world began. John 1:1 says that in the beginning was the Word, the Word was with God and the Word was God. That word is Jesus Christ Himself. He was the word that was with God and the beginning of time. This tells us that Jesus is the Son of God. He also was human. He came to earth, and human form, to be able to live and walk like we do. He understood what we went through because He was here. So when this verse says dissension, it is referring to Jesus descending to Earth and walking on the earth, alongside man. Jesus is God and man. He understands the struggles that we face, but yet He also knows the answers, because He is God, He is trustworthy and wants us to approach Him with our problems. Who better to talk to than someone who has already been there and knows how to walk through it?

Spend some time today in prayer, thanking God for sending Jesus His Son, and asking him to walk alongside you every day.