Author: mary

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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!

When the enemy attacks you, and he will, Peter instructs us to stand firm against his attacks. This could be why Peter was able to resist the enemy’s attacks after Jesus died and rose again. He was only human, so he still struggled with sin, but the Bible never tells us that he denied Jesus again. How was he able to do this? By standing firm in his faith and being strong and courageous as men who had gone on before him had done. He would not let the enemy strike again. Then, he goes on to tell us how you can stand firm and be strong. Remember that your family of believers all over the world are going through the same types of troubles as you. In other words, you are not alone. Stand firm as a body of believers, each one protecting the next against the enemy’s arrows, just like an army would. We can put up our shield of faith to block all attempts of an attack.

God has called us to live together as believers, worship together, and stand together. This is the only way to fight against the enemy. So what about you? How can you stand firm and be strong in your faith? How can you protect your fellow believers from the enemy’s attacks? Take time today to pray and ask God to help you when standing firm in the faith.

A Prayer to Remember

Dear Lord,
Thank you for the family of believers you have given me. May I stand firm in my faith as many others have done before me. Give me the strength I need to fight off the enemy’s attacks and protect my fellow believers. Amen.

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Today’s Truth

Today’s Truth: Glorious Light

There are those who cannot hear the message of God. It is not that they haven’t been told; they truly cannot hear the message because they have turned themselves off to it. Their hearts are hardened and will not let the gospel in. They have chosen to believe the god of this world, Satan, as 2 Corinthians 4:3-4 says: “If the Good News we preach is hidden behind a veil, it is hidden only from people who are perishing. Satan, who is the god of this world, has blinded the minds of those who don’t believe. They are unable to see the glorious light of the Good News. They don’t understand this message about the glory of Christ, who is the exact likeness of God.”

Satan is the father of lies. He is ruler of the world and entices people to follow his ways. This is why we see whole communities fall. They give in to sin and destruction. Look at Sodom and Gomorrah. God destroyed them because of their wicked ways. It is not that he had no compassion for them, because he did, but there was not one righteous person there. Fast forward to Nineveh. God sent Jonah to turn the people to Him, and when He shared the truth, they turned from their wicked ways, much to Jonah’s disdain. The difference between these communities was that one chose to continue to live in darkness and the other one chose the light.

There will be those who choose to follow the lies of the enemy, but we must live in the glorious light of eternity. We can know that if we follow Christ, we will be able to lead others to that same light. Even in the midst of a sinful society, we can still turn others to Christ.

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Verse of the Day

1 Peter 5:8

Stay alert! Watch out for your great enemy, the devil. He prowls around like a roaring lion, looking for someone to devour.

1 Peter 5:8

Stay Alert!

In this verse, Peter is warning his fellow believers. He knows how enticing the enemy can be in moments of weakness as he was the one who denied Jesus three times before He went to the cross. In a moment of weakness, he thought of himself instead of the Savior he loved. He had to have regretted that moment every day after. This verse is evidence of that regret.

Our enemy, the devil, looks for anyone who he can devour and destroy. He delights in the destruction of lives. Even though he cannot claim your heart, for it belongs to Jesus Christ through salvation, he will do everything he can to trick and entice you as he did Peter. So Peter is telling you to stay alert. Watch out for the devil, for he prowls around like a roaring lion. He is on the hunt like a predator for its prey. So how do we avoid the enemy? We keep a watchful eye and keep our eyes daily focused on Jesus Christ. You see, Peter focused on himself and his worries in that moment. But every day after Christ’s death, he focused on his Savior instead, preaching about him and leading others to him. He did not make that mistake again.

A Prayer to Remember

Dear Lord,
May I have a watchful eye and always keep my eyes focused on you. Lead me Lord, so I am not led astray. Amen.

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Today’s Truth

Today’s Truth: Cling to the Truth

2 Corinthians 4:2 tells us to “reject all shameful deeds and underhanded methods. We don’t try to trick anyone or distort the word of God. We tell the truth before God, and all who are honest know this.” There are no shortcuts to Christianity. As much as the world tells you that you can find your own way to God, you can’t. Jesus is the only way. In His Word He says that He is the way, the truth, and the life. No one can come to the Father except through Him. Jesus Christ!

As a believer, we should reject anything that does not lead to the Lord. There is a perfect picture of this in 1 Samuel 28. Saul was looking for answers first from the Lord, but the Lord did not answer him, and then he sought out a medium instead. He was not living a righteous life, so God would not answer him. He could have humbled himself and the Lord may have listened. But instead, he just wanted answers and went to something that rejected God.

As His children, we must always seek Him and His way. We must reject shameful deeds and underhanded methods. We must live in holiness instead of tricking others. We must not distort the Word of God, but instead seek the heart of God by speaking truth and living by His Word. His way leads to life and everything else leads to death.

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Verse of the Day

1 Peter 5:7

Give all your worries and cares to God, for he cares about you.

1 Peter 5:7

He Cares About You

Worry in our lives can cause so much heartache and unneeded stress. But yet, it is one of the most difficult things to get rid of. We worry about trivial things like what we will wear or what we will say. We worry about major things like a diagnosis or what will happen in the future. This verse tells us to give all of our worries and cares to God because He cares about us. That means the little things that make us worry, He cares about. The major things in life that we stress over, he cares about. He cares for us this deeply because He is our Father and we are His children. Just as a parent worries about their children when they are young, as they are growing, and even when they’re older, our heavenly Father cares for us. He cares even more than we care for our children. He longs for us to trust Him and give our cares to Him. He knows that if we give Him our cares, a burden will be lifted off of our shoulders. So what stops us? Is it that we think we can do better? Do we think we can control the future or the things that happen to us? Or are we just so used to worrying that we cannot give it up?

Submitting our worries to Him is an everyday surrender. It is waking up in the morning and giving the day to the Lord before it even begins. It is submitting to Him throughout the day and praising Him in the evening before you lay your head to rest.

A Prayer to Remember

Dear God,
Help me submit my worries and cares to you everyday. May I know that you are big enough and gracious enough to take them on. Amen.

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Today’s Truth

Today’s Truth: Never Give Up!

There is no hope like the hope that can be found in Jesus Christ. For the nonbeliever, there is only hope in the here and now, hope in people or situations, but there is no hope to come. No hope in what happens after this life. However, for the Christian, hope can be found in the darkest hour. There is hope in the present day and hope for a future. There is an eternal hope that does not end once this life ends.

2 Corinthians 4:1 describes this hope for the believer, “Therefore, since God in his mercy has given us this new way, we never give up.” The new way is the way of salvation of man through the death and resurrection of our Lord Jesus Christ. God in all of His mercy for mankind, His creation, gave His son up as a sacrifice for our sins. This is the Good News of Christianity! Jesus paid the ultimate price so that we could live with God forever in eternity! Because we have been given such a great life through Jesus, we never give up! We have been given a beautiful hope that we cling to!

Do you cling to that hope today or are you clinging to something physical? A relationship, a career, your health, or what you think the future holds? Spend some time in prayer today, thanking God for the hope He gives and asking Him to help you cling to Him and what is spiritual instead of the physical.

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Verse of the Day

Psalm 130:7

O Israel, hope in the Lord!
     For with the Lord there is steadfast love,
     and with him is plentiful redemption. Psalm 130:7

Hope in the Lord

He has given us a reason to be hopeful. He has given us a reason to rejoice. In him we can find love, we can find peace that passes all understanding, and most of all we can find the hope that he gives. The hope that there is more to this life than what we see. The hope that he is always in charge and more than what we need. The hope of eternity spent with him. In him we find redemption. This verse says that redemption is plentiful. Even after we had found his salvation there is more redemption to be found. When we mess up or fail in our Christian life, we can find more redemption. His grace, his mercy, and his redemption are more than our sins. His love is steadfast, never wavering, always persevering. He is constantly showing us every single day how much he loves us. He finds new ways to love us that we didn’t know before. There is so much hope to be found in his love. May his hope wrap around you today, and may you find comfort in who he is.

A Prayer to Remember

Dear Lord,
You are a God who loves unconditionally. You give your redemption every time I mess up. May I find my home in you every day, all day. Amen.

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Today’s Truth

Today’s Truth: What He Foreknew

In Acts 2:23, Peter preaches and says to the people, “But God knew what would happen, and his prearranged plan was carried out when Jesus was betrayed. With the help of lawless Gentiles, you nailed him to a cross and killed him.” God had a prearranged plan before the world began, knowing that man would sin and would need reconciliation. So when Judas betrayed Jesus in the garden, God had already known what would happen, so it did not shake Him off of His throne or change His plan.

Peter says that with the help of lawless Gentiles, He was nailed to a cross. The hard hearts of men yelled, “Crucify Him,” and chose Him to be crucified over a criminal. The hard hearts of men tried Him in the dark of night, in secret, so that the people would not know. The hard hearts of men cast lots for His clothing while He was dying.

Hard hearts today continue to nail Him on a cross. Our sin nailed Him to the cross that day and continues to every time we choose sin over Him. There would be no need for the cross if there was no sin. So we see that His death was needed to heal the relationship between God and man. We need His salvation to live a righteous life.

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Verse of the Day

Psalm 107:2

Let the redeemed of the Lord say so, whom he has redeemed from trouble.

Psalm 107:2

Rejoice, Oh Christian!

Rejoice in your salvation, oh dear one! Rejoice in the redemption of Jesus Christ! Rejoice in his love, his grace, and the mercy he has bestowed upon you! Let the redeemed of the Lord sing for joy. Let his people proclaim his name and the wondrous things he has done for them.

May our lives be a testimony of the work that God has done in us and through us. Do you live your life in this way? Have you allowed God to be the center of your life, the purpose for your life, and the promise of your life? Think about all He has done for you. Make a list of all of the reasons you have to rejoice. Then praise His name for your salvation!

A Prayer to Remember

Dear Lord,
May I rejoice in your salvation everyday. May I remember all you have done for me as I go throughout my day! Amen.

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Today’s Truth

Today’s Truth: The First Revival

Since the people of the Acts 2 church were meeting together every day and had all things in common with each other, since they were devoting themselves to worship everyday, and they shared what they had with the lost community, they saw many people being saved every single day as it says in Acts 2:47. “…all the while praising God and enjoying the goodwill of all the people. And each day the Lord added to their fellowship those who were being saved.”

Talk about real revival! Throughout history we have seen many other revivals resulting in thousands coming to know Christ. Years ago, friends of mine began meeting together in worship and Bible Study every Friday night. We chose to do this instead of spending our weekends at parties or bars. It was a result of the newfound faith some of my friends had. At the same time, we began to see God working in young people across the nation. Time Magazine even had a cover of an event for young people with the title, “Jesus Rocks!” We were experiencing revival sweep the nation and were right in the middle of it, devoting ourselves to worship and all things in common!

This can happen again. It is not something that only happens once in a lifetime. As 2 Chronicles 7:14 says, “Then if my people who are called by my name will humble themselves and pray and seek my face and turn from their wicked ways, I will hear from heaven and will forgive their sins and restore their land.” He will heal our land and bring revival if we ask it if Him.