I say to you, though he will not rise and give to him because he is his friend, yet because of his persistence he will rise and give him as many as he needs. - Luke 11:8 REFERENCE Luke 11:5-13 This passage further reinforces the fact that “You will not necessarily get what you deserve in life (for it was recorded that the man did not answer the petitioner though he was his friend), you will only get what you demand.” (Yes it is recorded that the petitioner’s request was granted because of his persistence). Life on earth...
But He turned and rebuked them, and said, “You do not know what manner of spirit you are of. - Luke 9:55 REFERENCE Luke 9:51-56 Love is one of the most frequently used words and talked about concepts, yet it is the most difficult to practice. Many people don’t even want to hear the word again because, it either places a demand on them or it has been used to take advantage of them. However, as Christians, love is and will always be our BRAND. Jesus said, “…by this shall all men know you are My disciples…”...
Rejoice in the LORD, O you righteous! For praise from the upright is beautiful. - Psalms 33:1 REFERENCE Psalm 33:1-9 As you continue your journey into the year, there is one ‘KEY’ God will want you to lay a hold of, come rain or shine, good or bad, hell or high water; and that key is “Praise.” When you praise God, you magnify Him above all circumstances and show that you believe His report (Word) above the facts in your life – thereby honoring Him. Praise in the mouth of a believer is a powerful weapon (a...
Behold, I will do a new thing, Now it shall spring forth; Shall you not know it? I will even make a road in the wilderness And rivers in the desert. - Isaiah 43:19 REFERENCE Isaiah 43:15-19 As you begin a new month, God wants you to know that whatever He has done for you up to this point is now in the past. This suggests that He plans to do something new. He wants you to have present testimonies that will swallow up your past miracles. God is never stagnant, He is a progressive God, that...
Therefore take up the whole armor of God, that you may be able to withstand in the evil day, and having done all, to stand. - Ephesians 6:13 REFERENCE Ephesians 6:10-17 When Jesus won the victory over the devil, it was a once-and-for-all-time thing. It is the same way He wants your victory over the enemy to be. A lasting victory is one in which you have defeated the enemy, and kept him in a place of defeat that he can’t overcome you again no matter how hard he tries. Today’s passage admonishes you to stand your ground...
Greater love has no one than this, than to lay down one’s life for his friends. - John 15:13 REFERENCE John 15:9-14 Yesterday, we talked about love not just being in our speech but in our actions. Today’s text further buttresses that truth. True love (God’s kind) can only be measured by the sacrifices you are willing to make for the people connected to you. A sacrifice means you are ready to give up something of value (money, time, comfort, etc), for the sake of others. The account in Mark 2:1-12 is a good point of...
Then they came to Him, bringing a paralytic who was carried by four men. And when they could not come near Him because of the crowd, they uncovered the roof where He was… - Mark 2:3-4 REFERENCE Mark 2:1-12 Jesus Christ became the embodiment of love by dying for us. And He commanded us to show this same love to others. So, as Christ-like ones, we ought to live and show love to others in deeds and not in speeches. Love, as an action word, must be demonstrated. It is not enough to theorize about love in our...
…That man was telling his friend about a dream that he had. He was saying, 'I dreamed that a round loaf of bread came rolling into the camp of the Midianites. That loaf of bread hit the tent so hard that the tent turned over and fell flat.' - Judges 7:13 ERV REFERENCE Judges 6:3-6 & 7:1-22 In today’s passage we see a time in history when the Israelites were reduced to poverty because their strong enemy – the Midianites oppressed and plundered them. Gideon, whom God called to lead an army against the Midianites, was able to...
Behold, how good and how pleasant it is For brethren to dwell together in unity! - Psalms 133:1 REFERENCE Psalm 133:1-3 Continued from yesterday… The advantages of being in fellowship with other believers are unquantifiable. For starters, it gives you a platform to experience the love of God from others, because sooner or later, you will need a body of believers to console you in your ‘low’ times, and also to rejoice with you in times of celebration. Again, because of the pressures around, being in company of other believers will always keep you refreshed in the Word,...
So the five men left. They came to the city of Laish and saw that the people of that city lived in safety… Everything was peaceful and quiet… Also they lived a long way from the city of Sidon, and they did not have any agreements with the people of Aram. - Judges 18:7 (ERV) REFERENCE Judges 18:1-10, 27-29 This story about the people of Laish further buttresses the point we made yesterday, about the enemy seeking that stand alone Christian, who doesn’t want to associate with any group (church), so he can easily devour them. Sometimes, people don’t...