Merry Christmas

Stronghold and Protector

Nahum 1:1-8

God loves you. If you ever doubted before, this passage proves that. Verse 2 states, “The Lord avenges.” He is slow to anger and great in power. He sends storms, dries waters, melts hill, shakes mountains and heaves the earth. What will He not do for us? “The Lord is good, a stronghold in the day of trouble.” When God, whose power is so eminently proclaimed above, claims to be our stronghold and protector, what are we afraid of? He sent His son to die for us (in case you forgot) and He promises to continually do more. Merry Christmas; God loves you.

Ideal Relationship

Leviticus 26:3-12

“I will walk among you and be your God, any you shall be My people.” This is the relationship God wants with us. It makes sense seeing as He IS God and we are His creations. It’s like little kids playing house: the boy is always daddy and the girl is mommy. But sometimes we want to change to order. How do we do that? We play God when we take definite control of our lives. Proverbs 16:3 sys to submit our plans to God. Verse 3 in today’s text says, “If you walk in My statutes and My commandments and perform them, then I will…” When we submit to God, there are blessings. But when we take everything into our hands, we don’t allow God to be God. In all He does, God wants to be glorified as God.

What's The Difference

Ephesians 4:17-24

People should be able to distinguish us from unbelievers. Verse 17 says not to walk as the rest of the gentiles walk. We know the truth and the truth has set us free from sin. Why do we go back? God’s Word says that greater is He that is in us than he that is in the world. Is that proven through our lives? We have the ability to resist sin. We are a new creation. Why do we still sin? Sin, by its very nature separates us from God (not God from us) and we become vulnerable to attacks from the devil. Don’t make it a new year’s resolution to resist sin. God’s grace is sufficient for us and so we can live righteously.

Righteousness and Wickedness

Proverbs 11:1-12

This passage shows the signs and symptoms of a righteous person. A righteous person does right by his peers. He/she is truthful, honest, and humble. As a result he/she is delivered, rescued, prosperous and well loved. We are the righteousness of God in Christ Jesus. We should live out these characteristics more than anyone else. “The righteousness of the blameless will direct his way aright, but the wicked will fall by his own wickedness…. The righteous is delivered from trouble.” Just as God did not leave us to be righteous on our own, He provides a way for us to live a righteous life. He sent us His Spirit to guide us in all righteousness.

Faithful With the Little Things

Luke 16:10-15

Who do you trust? Why do you trust them? Perhaps you told them a little secret and they kept it. Or maybe you loaned them a little bit of money and they paid it back. The thing is you trust them because they were faithful with the little things. God wants to trust you with so much, but first He will give you a little. When you look at the parable of the talents, that who were faithful were given more. If you ask any successful pastor, (s)he’ll tell you that they worked just as hard for a ten person congregation as they would have with a ten thousand person church. Perhaps you have an ability to talk to people. Maybe people just open up to you. Maybe you have an ability to work with kids. Use your gifts and be faithful because then God will multiply it. “He who is faithful in what is least is faithful also in much.”

God's Promises

Exodus 34:1-10

God is a good God. We see so much evidence in the bible of times God makes promises to His people and kept them. “Behold, I make a covenant. Before all your people I will do marvels such as have not been done in all the earth, nor in any nation; and all the people among whom you are shall see the work of the LORD. For it is an awesome thing that I will do with you.” We know God keeps His promises; He kept them to the people of Israel and if we earnestly seek Him, He will perform mighty acts in and through us. After all, He is the God who sent Jesus after many centuries of prophecy. If He kept that promise to mankind, He will continue to prosper us and heal us because we are His children. Just ask.

Getting God's Goodness

Zechariah 8:14-17

Do you believe God wants to bless you or punish you? Sometimes we do things that are wrong and we figure God wants to punish us. It’s easy to make that mistake…God punished the children of Israel for sinning all the time, right? No. God punished the people of Israel for unrepentance. Every time the people cried out to God in repentance, God rolled back their sentences. If we look at the time of Zechariah’s prophecies, we see that he was prophesying to a people that had just repented from their sins and were restored to their land. God’s Word today is now that His people have repented, He is determined to do them good. What is it you feel will make God want to punish you? Repent today because God will forgive, and you will feel His goodness beginning to work in your life.

Good Money

Leviticus 19:35-37

When I ask my friends what they want to do, a lot of them are going to business. I can see why so many people like the business field: It offers good money to those willing to get it. The thing is it doesn’t matter what field you go into: God’s Word still applies: Make honest money. It is important to talk about it now because teenagers make decision about their character now, not in the future. God commands us to be honest. You hear stories of con artists and CEOs committing fraud and it might look enticing, but stand firm. Verse 37 says, “Therefore you shall observe all My statues and all My judgments and perform them: I am the Lord.” God’s Word is first and He says to be honest in dealing with money.

On Issues Of Character

Psalm 119:25-32

“Remove from me the way of lying and grant me Your law graciously.” The way of lying is a character that lies. The psalmist asks God to remove the way of lying from him. He wants his character to be truthful and trustworthy and you know what? God will answer that prayer. His grace abounds in us for every good work (2 Corinthians 9:8). God works in us both to will and to do of His good pleasure (Philippians 2:13). We can ask Him to work in us so our character proves we are Christians. You see, the beauty of having character is people know they can trust you. When people know you stand for things, they respect you. The nature of human beings is sinful and depraved, but in Christ is a new creation. What will our character say about us?

Love in Words

1 Peter 2:18-25

Yesterday, I was listening to a sermon that talked about a defense attitude. The preacher said that the sign of a Christian is one whose first instinct is not to defend him/herself at the expense of another/ Today’s passage enforces that. If when we are persecuted, we fight back, we are no different from the world. We are not following the example of Jesus who was abused and remained quiet. He was slandered and He never said a word against anyone. The sign of a Christian is one whose first instinct is to love, especially with words. Imagine the testimony we live if we face adverse situations and bless those who curse us? In the words of Pastor Jeremy Pearson, it doesn’t make sense. God doesn’t make sense, but you know He’s right.

Faithful God

Genesis 40:12-23

How would you feel? Imagine you were sold by your brothers, falsely accused and thrown to jail. Then when you had a chance to get released, your friend forgot you. What would that do to your faith? People will disappoint you. Perhaps somebody you trusted already let you down. They are only human. But guess who will never let you down…Jesus. He promised never to forsake us. If you read the story of Joseph, you’ll find out that God set up the scenario that not only did Joseph get released…He got promoted. He became the second most powerful man in the country and he saved a kingdom from famine. Only God ca do that. That’s why we rely on him. He promised to work ALL things together for the good of those who love Him. He promised never to leave or forsake us. And He said His promises will not return to Him void. That’s a God we can trust. He is the most powerful force in the world and if He says He will do something, what can stop Him?

Living Faith

James 2:14-20

It’s easy to say, “I have faith.” it’s just three words and they mean nothing without works. When we became saved, we had to confess; we had to act on our belief in Christ. The same applies throughout our Christian life. Our faith is shown by what we do. When we say we have faith and run scared at every trial, what do we get by that? Hebrews 11:1 tells us that faith, not words, please God. The dictionary may classify faith as a noun, but for the Christian it’s a verb. Faith is an action that should be seen repetitively. When we pray, we pray in faith and then live with an expectation that we have what we asked. When we are faced with decisions, our choice should represent that we believe God. We shouldn’t have to tell people we have faith. They should see it in us.

Lend A Hand (RBC.org)

The next month will be very difficult for many people who are still reeling from a loss this past year. The crippling hurt caused by the absence of a loved one can cloud holiday gatherings and even dim the desire to celebrate the birth of Jesus.
Poet Ann Weems has written:
Some of us walk into Adventtethered to our unresolved yesterdays,the pain still stabbing,the hurt still throbbing.It’s not that we don’t know better;it’s just that we can’t stand upanymore by ourselves.On the way to Bethlehem,will you give us a hand?
In Romans 12:9-21, Paul gives ways to express practical Christianity in our relationships. One seems especially needed at this time of year: “Rejoice with those who rejoice, and weep with those who weep” (v.15). We can “give a hand” to grieving friends and family by understanding their sorrow and not expecting them to “get over it” in time to celebrate the holidays. We can freely mention the name of the person whose death has brought such desolation and then share a fond memory. We can be quiet, listen, and pray for God’s help.
Only God can heal the deep wounds of the heart, but we can lend a hand. — David C. McCasland
If I can help some wounded heart,If I can by my love impartSome blessing that will help more now—Lord, just show me how. —Brandt
No one is strong enough to bear his burdens alone.

This post comes from the RBC daily bread

Jesus, The Life And Times

Phillipians 2:5-11

Let's look at Jesus. He was God and had all the glory, the praise and the power of God. But He humbled Himself to become man to die for us so we could be saved from sin. And because He humbled Himself and was obidient, He was highly exalted so that at His name, every knee must bow and every tongue confess that He is Lord. Today's message is not so much a message as a look into the life of Jesus. We hear of His death and we thnik that was His sacrifice, but everything Jesus did on earth was a sacrifice. Every step He had to walk was a sacrifice becuase His nature is omnipresent. Never doubt that Jesus loves you. Jesus so loved the world that He first came down on earth, and secondly, He died for us. That's why we praise Him and offer our lives to Him.

Just Do It

Ecclesiastes 11:1-6

The world is full of things we cannot control. This passage talks about rainfall and trees and the wind, because it uses the example of a farmer. Its message, however, is not limited to planting; it applies to everything in life. “He who observes the wind will not sow, and he who regards the clouds will not reap.” If we wait for the perfect conditions to do anything, we will do nothing. Whether it is doing homework, starting a diet or going to university, there will never be a perfect time to start. This is especially true when it applies to doing things for God. When God asks us to do something, He wants us to act in faith. I started this devotion in faith and now you are reading it. Don’t try to justify not doing something and start doing it. You are not too young. Timothy in the bible was a teenager with his own ministry. Don’t wait, just do it.

Anatomy of a Testimony

Deuteronomy 6:20-25

What’s the purpose of a testimony? Today’s passage shows us the testimony of the Israelites. First they were slaves, then they were delivered, then they were given commandments. It would be easy to end the testimony at the deliverance, but that’s not where it ends. See, when you look at commandments, it seems like God is so restrictive, but that’s not the case. After the deliverance from whatever issues we faced, God lays down commands to continually protect us. That’s why in verse 20, God finds it so important that the testimony of the Israelites include the commandments of God. “When your son asks you in time to come, saying, ‘what is the meaning of the testimonies, the statutes, and the judgments which the LORD our God has commanded you?’” God’s commandments are by no means meant to restrict you, but to protect you. His commandments are part of the testimony that we have. God so loved us that He saved us and continues to save us.

The Cure For Condemnation

Galatians 3:10-14

What is the curse of the law? It is condemnation. The law shines one’s weaknesses, making everyone aware of their inability to live up to its standards. Nobody can live up to the law. Jesus Christ came to take our sins and now we know we clean under the law. Now we know there is no condemnation in Jesus and when we sin, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sin. I know that and you know that, but guess who doesn’t know and needs to…. Our friends. They need us because though they are not Christians, their conscience condemns them because they know there is a standard they can never live up to. God wants to wash their sins as much as He wanted to wash ours. He took on the curse of the law so all who believe are not living in condemnation. We have to spread the gospel at every opportunity we get.

Why Do I Do It?

Matthew 5:13-16

“Let your light shine before men that they may see your good works and glorify your Father in heaven.”
Wait a minute, people see our good works and glorify…God? How does that work?
Well, we are the light of the world, placed here for a purpose. When we shine as we should, people can see their way into heaven. We get rewarded in heaven, but when people get saved, they commit their lives to God, not to us. We plant the seeds for others so serve God. That is our job here on earth. We work for the glory of the Father. Always keep that in mind in all you do. We evangelize because people need to see the light and that is the most important thing we are to do on earth.

Overcoming Evil

Romans 12:9-21

“Do not be overcome by evil, but overcome evil with good.” Ever heard the saying, “The good guy always wins”? There’s one area I agree with movies. The guy who is willing to rise above popular opinion and pride to help someone usually wins. God asks many tough things of His children, and one of the things He asks to not to be overcome by evil, but to overcome evil with good. Evil is anything that is not of God: swearing, cheating, lying, even breaking curfew. Instead we are to overcome evil with good. We are to make a conscious decision to do good when the situation tempts you to do wrong.

What Can I Do?

Matthew 19:16-26

We will never be perfect. The rich man wanted to get to heaven on his own but his heart denied him access. God sent His Son to die for us because He knew we couldn’t make it to heaven on our own. And knowing that, He wouldn’t expect us to earn our blessings or salvation. I know sometimes, I find myself overly stressing my actions and what I have to do to be a Christian. The Rich man in today’s passage went away sad because he realized he couldn’t do enough to go to heaven. It was simply impossible for him. It is impossible for any man. Jesus said, “No one can come to the Father except through me.” It is impossible. Don’t stress about doing things to earn blessings or to earn God’s love. He is love. I just want to encourage somebody that God doesn’t look at the outward man; He sees the heart. Does your heart seek to be right with God? Are you wondering what you have to do to get God to love you? Nothing you do will ever be enough. But God did all the work. Amen

See The Resemblance?

1 John 3:1-10

“Whoever abides in Him does not son. Whoever sins has neither seen Him nor known Him.” God sent His Son to die for us. Now we are children of God. And as children, we are supposed to resemble our parents. People can see me and know that I am the son of my dad because I look like him. So it only makes sense that we should resemble God. God is righteous so we should be righteous because that is what our Heavenly Father looks like. God hates sin so how can we abide in sin? Today’s passage doesn’t mean you are not saved if you make a mistake. But if you continue in sin, then how can you claim to be God’s child? “Everyone who has a hope in Him purifies himself, just as He is pure.”

The Sacrifice That is Love

Ruth 1:6-18

What is love? See, almost every teenager has been in love at one time or the other, but do we know what love’s really about? I watch movies where love is about sleeping together and where people cannot commit to one person, always trying it out with someone new. The Bible has a different definition of love. John 3:16 says, “For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten son.” 1 Corinthians 3:14, “Love suffers long.” Verse 7, “Love bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things and endures all things.” John 15:13, “Greater love has no man than this; that he lays down his life for his friends.” Ruth displayed true love in today’s passage. She gave up her lifestyle, her people to follow Naomi for no anticipated gain. And if you read the story of Ruth, you see that she got blessed. Ruth showed what love is by committing herself to Naomi. Who do you love? What are you willing to sacrifice?

Why Live Right?

Titus 3:1-8

We are saved by grace, not by works. Some people believe they can still sin because it's not their actions that matter, but Paul says, "Those who have believed in God should be careful to maintain good works. These things are good and profitable to men." We should show in our actions that we are the temple of the Holy Spirit who is God. One thing people look at before they decide to put their faith in God is what God does in the lives of those He saves. They want to see the difference, and that's why we live as youth who have been redeemed from sin. Our lives are to be living testimonies. Verses one and two tell us to be subject to rules and authorities, to obey, to be ready for every good work, to speak evil of no one, to be peaceable, gentle, showing humilty to all men. That is the life of the redeemed.

How to Beat A Lie

2 Timothy 3:10-17

“All who desire to live godly in Christ Jesus will suffer persecution.” It’s a fact. Serving God is not easy. Paul warned Timothy about evil people whose goal is to deceive but that Timothy should continue in the things which he had learned. Deception has not diminished since Timothy’s time, in fact it has gone up. SO we, even more than Timothy, need to continue in the doctrine we have learned. Doctrine from Life Guide Devotion, from our churches, from our parents, and most importantly from reading the Word of God. The Bible is the inspired Word of God, not just smart teachings from men. Why do we need to study the Word of God? Because the only way to know a lie is to know the truth.

Obedience

Luke 2:41-52

Jesus was God and He obeyed His parents. That says something about obedience; it is important. Verse 51 tells us that our Lord and savior, whose character we try to emulate, was subject to His parents. Obedience to parents is important. Ephesians 6:1-3 tells us to obey our parents and it is the only command with a promise. You see, we are all born with potential, and our parents try to draw it out and help us realize our potential. Then it will be well with you as it says in Ephesians.

Decisions, decisions...

Acts 5:1-11

Why lie? It would have been cool if Ananias and Sapphira gave a part of the money and told the truth. They would have been commended but Peter and not condemned. Ananias and Sapphira wanted to maintain an image other than who they really were, and it cost them their life. There are people who live one way in church and another everywhere else. They want the respect of the believers, but are not willing to commit themselves to the discipline required. Church should not be a place to pretend, because it is sanctified by the presence of God. The truth will come out. Dudes and gals, don’t be two faced. Commit to God or commit to sin. Deuteronomy 30:19 says, “I have set before you life and death, blessing and cursing; therefore choose life.” Choose - that’s the keyword. And God even helps you out here. He says, “Choose life.”

Diligence

Colossians 3:12-17

“And whatever you do in word or deed, do all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through Him.” There is a word to describe this: diligence. Diligence means to consistently do your best on everything you do. It’s not something a lazy person can do because it requires hard work all the time. When you are diligent, you take care of all the little details that nobody seemingly notices. You see, when you do a thorough job, the overall effect looks more complete. Diligence not only blesses the person you’re working for it blesses you. First of all, you are obeying a biblical command and so there is blessing in doing the Word of God. Also, when you do better work, it shows and people will reward you. So, let’s be diligent

The Testimony of The Word

Psalm 119:129-13

Can’t you just feel the Spirit in this psalm? This is the testimony of someone who truly knows the goodness of God’s love. “Your testimonies are wonderful; therefore my soul keeps them. The entrance of Your words gives light; it gives understanding to the simple. I opened my mouth and panted, for I longed for Your commandments.” God’s Word should be more addicting than any drug because in His Word is light. The testimonies of God’s Word are wonderful. Those testimonies tell us we are redeemed fro the filth of sin. Those testimonies tell us we will spend eternity with God. They tell us that when we ask in faith we can move mountains. We should make verses 134-135 our prayer as we continue to grow in God.

The Light

Ephesians 5:6-18

“For you were once darkness, but now you are light in the Lord.” Notice how it doesn’t say we are IN the light but that we are the light. If we were merely in the light, we wouldn’t have any obligation to illuminate anything. But because we are the light, we are required to shine and brighten the world around us. Others must be see the light in us so they can come to God and then be filled with the light themselves. So how do we fulfill our role as the light? It’s about the fruit we produce (pardon the mixed metaphor). We have a light which is the Holy Spirit inside us and we keep that light shining by having no fellowship with the unfruitful wants of darkness. We’ve been put on earth for a purpose and so everyday we are to “redeem the time.”

Those Who Are Led...

Romans 8:5-14

“For as many as are led by the Spirit of God, these are sons of God.” That’s what it all comes down to. It’s not about saying a prayer, but about living according to the Spirit. When we get saved, we get the Spirit of God living inside of us. The Spirit becomes like a conscience that not only tells us when we have done wrong, but leads us through life, many times for our benefit. The Spirit of God cannot leas us if we don’t follow. SO we have an obligation to follow the leadings of God’s Spirit living inside us and when we do, it becomes evident in the fruit of the Spirit mentioned in Galatians 5:22-23. How do we know we are children of God? We are led by the Spirit of God

Earn Respect

Titus 2:11-15

Ever wanted to earn respect? Respect is a tricky thing because people don’t have to like you to respect you. Many times, we earn people’s friendship but never their respect. So how do we earn respect? Respect is earned by standing up for your beliefs especially through adversity. We are Christians and we believe that we have been saved by grace. And because we have been saved by grace, we deny ungodliness and the lusts of the world. We live righteously in a world where unrighteousness is the in-thing. Verse 15 tells us not to keep our beliefs to ourselves, but to speak about it. Let no one despise you. Let no one keep you silent about your faith. It will be hard at first, and we will be scorned, but eventually others will learn to respect you. Ever wondered how to earn respect? Well, there it is.

Sober and Vigilant

1 Peter 5:5-11

What doesn’t mean to be sober? The dictionary definition means to not be drunk. Well, that’s all nice but I don’t drink so that doesn’t affect me, right? No, the biblical connotation of soberness means always being aware of your beliefs. That means spending time daily in God’s presence and arming ourselves with the Sword of the Word. Be sober and vigilant means to be aware and watchful of our adversary who walks around like a roaring lion, seeking whom he may destroy. The Greek word for devil here means “slanderer”. His plan of attack is to put us in situations to make us sin so he can overwhelm us with guilt. He looks for who he can devour which means not everyone can be devoured. When we are sober and vigilant, we are able to resist the devil and we won’t fall into sin.

Evangelizing

1 Corinthians 9:24-27

Who has told someone else about God? When you proselytize (big word), you immediately become accountable to that person. Once you tell someone about God, they begin to watch you to see if you really believe in God. Paul tells us that we discipline ourselves and our temptations so that we don’t disqualify ourselves as witnesses for Christ. The day I started this devotional, I made myself accountable to my readers. I’ll be honest, I’ve made mistake big and small, but I can promise that my heart is in the right place. I’m not saying you have to be perfect before you can reach out to somebody, but you do have to be ready to live for God. Because once you tell someone about God and all that He’s done in your life, people will look to discredit you. Be ready to stand firm and run the race as one seeking the prize

Hermoneutics 101

Luke 9:51-56

My dad once told me that the Bible can say whatever you want it to say when you take it out of context. For example, Job in the Old Testament said some things that are not scriptural and these things are in the Bible. However, if you look at the whole story, you realize that God rebuked Him for those things. It’s important to be careful when quoting the Bible. The disciples misquoted the scripture. When you read the story of Elijah, he never called down fire to kill anyone. Dudes and chicks, when reading the Bible always read in context and understand the full story. A lot of damage can get done if the Bible is misquoted. And if something does not make sense, ask someone more mature who can answer your questions. Never make up answers. Yesterday’s passage talked about rightly handling the Word of Truth. That implies that there is a wrong way to handle God’s Word. Let’s use this book correctly, eh?

Poem: When The Storm Rages

Mark 4:35-41

Lord, when your people needed you
You were asleep
And they woke You up
You stilled the waters of the deep
Then You turned back on their shock
In astonishment they endeared to say
“Who can this be, He stilled the storm.”
And that wasn’t your first miracle of the day
Didn’t they know to whom they referred?
The creator of all who is The Way
“Oh ye of little faith,” you did reply
Yet You loved them and silenced the bay
Lord, help me to trust You when I am weak
‘Cause You have the power my issue to tweak
And help me to honour You in all that I speak
For You are my God, when times are bleak
When the night is darkest, You are the brightest
And when the storm rages, You are the greatest

Holiness

1 Peter 1:13-16

How does anyone know you’re saved? “Well… I told people I’m Christian so they know.” But what if you asked someone you haven’t told? Can they spot the difference between you and unbelievers? Today’s passage warns us not to conform to our former lusts but to be holy in all our conduct. As Christians we are called to be a different standard of right and wrong. Even the thoughts we dwell on should be good thoughts (Phil. 4:8). Holiness is not being a snotty prune-face, it can be fun. I can still laugh with my friends depending on the joke. I play computer games and eat junk food. My favorite sport involves knocking others to the ground. The difference is in not swearing and respecting teachers, utilizing gifts and being kind and loving to everyone. Christians can have fun, but we must judge who gets glorified in our fun. Your mission, if you choose to accept it, is holiness just as God is holy.

RBC.org: Exploratory Procedure

Hebrews 4:11-16

I have a friend who recently underwent a laryngoscopy. I winced as he explained how his doctor took a camera with a light on the end and stuck it down his throat to try to find the cause of his pain.
It reminded me that God’s Word is like a laryngoscopy. It invades the unseen areas of our lives, exposing the diseased and damaged spiritual tissue that troubles us. If you’re wincing at the thought of how uncomfortable this divine procedure might be, consider Jesus’ words: “Everyone practicing evil hates the light and does not come to the light, lest his deeds should be exposed” (John 3:20). Internal intrusions may be uncomfortable, but do you really want the disease?
Welcoming God’s Word to penetrate the deep, dark places of our hearts is the only way to find true healing and the spiritual health we long for. Believe me, the procedure will be thorough. As the writer of Hebrews assures, God’s Word is “sharper than any two-edged sword” (4:12)—piercing all the way through the external stuff of our lives, all the way down to our thoughts, intentions, and motives.
So what are you waiting for? With God’s Word you don’t need an appointment. The divine Surgeon is ready when you are! — Joe Stowell
Ever present, truest Friend,Ever near Thine aid to lend,Guide us as we search the Word,Make it both our shield and sword. —Anon.
Let God’s Word explore your inner being.

The Secret to Stresslesness

Isaiah 46:3-7

Remember the poem “Footprints”? A man was walking down a beach with God and as he did, his life was flashing before him. And when he looked back, he saw only one set of footprints in the sand where he was experiencing troubles in his life. He asked God about this and God replied, “The years when you have seen only one set of footprints, my child, is when I carried you.” God promises to carry us in Isaiah 46:4. “I have made and I will bear; even I will carry, and will deliver you.” That’s God’s word for today. He will not force you into His arms, but if you lean in, He will lift you. Life is tough with school, tests, friends, and for some people, work. The burden only gets heavier. If we can learn as teenagers now to lean on God, we can have a much better life. We can be a testimony in the lack of stress in our lives.

Monologue: Delight in The Lord

Psalm 1:1-6

ME: Lord, what does it mean to delight in Your law, Oh Lord? I read my bible everyday and spend time in Your presence, yet sometimes it doesn’t seem to be enough; sometimes I feel like I’m slipping away from You. I know I spend a lot of time on the computer doing nothing. I could spend that time in Your Word gaining wisdom. I have many books on the Bible in my house I could read. Delighting in Your law means I take every opportunity to engross myself in the contents of Your Word. It’s a deliberate choice, it doesn’t just happen. I must choose to drop all my other loves and love You only. And when I delight myself in Your Law, and I meditate on it day and night, Your Word calls me blessed

Angerrr...

Proverbs 12:12-22

The proverbs have so much wisdom, and today’s reading talks about the tongue. But what I think is more prudent is verse 16, “The vexation of a fool is known at once, but the prudent ignores an insult.” It’s so easy to lash out when we feel insulted because it makes us angry. We are not warned against anger today, but acting in anger. God asks us to live at peace with all men and He doesn’t give us any exceptions. Now, why are we not to act in anger? What do you think when you are angry? Revenge? Hurting others? Have you ever wanted to bless someone you were angry at? Have you ever wanted to pray for someone you’re angry at? What would happen if you acted on those thoughts? When we deliberately make a decision not to act in anger remain pure and don’t regret anything. With no guilt, you don’t condemn yourself and you remain in close fellowship with God.

Molding Your Will

Colosians 2:12-15

"For it is God who works in you both to will and to do for His good pleasure." Ever had those days you didn't want to do what you knew you should? Maybe God was leading you to deal with a personality trait or a habit you didn't want to give up. It can be hard to do the right thing sometimes...I know. But God can help us with that. He doesn't expect us to always want to be good, and He promises to help us desire to do good. He works in us so will for His good pleasure. He gave us free will but we can subject our will to Him and He will mold our desires.

Belief

Hebrews 10:32-36

How could someone joyfully accept the plundering of their goods? What would make a person accept mocking and suffering when they don’t have to? It’s called belief. The Christians in Paul’s letter believed so strongly that Jesus is God and that His promises will be fulfilled and so they were willing to accept harassment and torture. Is our faith that strong? Is our dependence on God so strong that we are willing to lose everything for Him? I admit I’m not there yet, but that’s the goal I aim for. I want to trust God so much that I will go through hell and high-water for Him. I want no other source but Him. Who’s with me?

This Little Light of Mine...

Proverbs 4:14-19

“But the path of the just is like the shining sun, that shines ever brighter unto the perfect day.” Does the sun illuminate itself only? No, it shines its light for many millions of miles. Even when you cannot see the sun, its light still shines through the moon. Christians don’t live to bless themselves only; we are to bless others. “The way of the wicked is like darkness; they do not know what makes them stumble.” When light goes into a dark place, it brightens the places. So how do we let our light shine? We pray for people and we show them the love of God and we tell them the Good News of Jesus. We are to extend our light so others can have some and illuminate their world as well.

Contending

Jude 1:3-12

To contend for the faith means to fight to defend it. Why would we need to fight for our faith? Because people will oppose us. I saw a video on Youtube of someone criticizing Christianity. What we as contender for the faith do when we see things like that? Do we just not listen to questions about our faith or do we just ignore questions? No, we answer them. There are things about God we will never understand, but He has left us with the ability to understand the world around us and how He created it all. Contending for the faith means being able to defend it against confrontation. We have to be ready for questions and to do that, we study the bible (not just read it) and ask more mature Christians when we don’t understand. When we see just how perfectly the universe lines up with the bible, it becomes easy to have and contend for faith.

Boast in God

Jeremiah 9:23-26

As Christians, we are to boast in one thing: God. Wealth, health and everything else can be lost in the blink of an eye, but God's love always remains. God is always there when we call on His name. We may not always be popular but God is always with us. He is the one that always provides for us according to His riches in glory. However, He wants us to take pride in the blesser, not the blessings. Don't take pride in wisdom, might or riches. "But let him who glories glory in this, that he understands and knows me."

He STood Still...

Mark 10:46-52

Jesus doesn’t value the multitude more than individuals. He could have easily just kept going with the crowds and nobody would ever remember the name of blind Bartimaeus, the beggar. After all, Bartimaeus was a beggar and of no value to anyone, right? No. Jesus stopped the crowd to heal the beggar. Jesus cares about everyone, even when nobody else does. He is love and love cannot stand to see pain without doing anything. But here’s the flip side. Bartimaeus was the only one who cried out. There were probably many other beggars on that road and only Bartimaeus got healed, because he cried out to God. Only when Jesus heard someone cry out to Him in faith, did He stand still and heal. Cry out to God because He cares for you. No matter what the prayer is, God will stop to hear you when you pray. He knows your need, but you need at ask.

What is God worth to You?

Psalm 119:65-72

“What is God worth to me?” That’s a question we ought to ask ourselves regularly. Matthew 6:21 says, “Where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.” Jesus told us to store up our treasures in heaven with God and so we make God worth more to us. When trials come and we feel afflicted, we don’t go astray. When God is worth so much to us, we delight in His law, because we look forward to seeing our treasure. When God is worth so much to us, we can say, “It is good that I have been afflicted, that I many learn Your statutes. The law of Your mouth is better to me than thousands of coins of gold and silver. We must live our lives to store up treasure with God so we can count on Him through hard times.

RBC Today

Pornography, once a secretive backdoor industry, is now out in the open. The easy access and anonymity of the Internet have turned it into a multibillion-dollar-a-year “business.” But it leaves a trail of broken families, ineffective Christian leaders, and men who have lost the respect of their loved ones.

The apostle John was known for his great love for Christ and His church. In 1 John 2:12-17, he warned fathers and young men against these three lusts:

The lust of the flesh—the insatiable appetite to indulge in pleasures that inflame the flesh but never satisfy.

The lust of the eyes—wandering eyes that continually want more riches and possessions but always remain covetous.

The pride of life—the vain mind that thirsts for man’s applause. But the glory evaporates quickly.
Pornography damages users and victims alike. It feeds lustful desires in ways that can never satisfy. True satisfaction is found only when we give our affections to eternal things—to a right relationship with our heavenly Father and with those He has created in His image.

“The world is passing away, and the lust of it; but he who does the will of God abides forever” (v.17). — Albert Lee

Many Christian men struggle with the temptations of pornography. Find help by reading When A Man’s Eye Wanders
Inner peace springs out of inner purity.

Keys to Righteousness

Psalm 112:1-10

The righteous man is blessed, but what makes him righteous? Is it because he deals fairly or because he walks uprightly or because he gives to the poor? Those things are nice, but they don’t define biblical righteousness. The righteous man is the one who fears the Lord, who delights greatly in His commandments. Nothing we can do can make us righteous. The bible says the righteousness of man is like a filthy rag before God. We can never be clean before God because sin is a stain that can only be removed by the blood of Jesus. He is the only way to righteousness. The righteous man is blessed and exalted and secure and established. That’s a pretty good deal.

Entertaining Sin

Genesis 3:1-9

You wanna know where mankind’s first sin really started? It started before Eve actually ate the fruit. It started when she looked at the fruit and saw that it was pleasant to the eye. Sin begins in the heart. Jesus recognized that when He told us that “whoever looks at a woman to lust for her has already committed adultery with her in his heart.” Different subject matter, same principle. The act of sin is what gets punished but vey few sins are committed without the person thinking about it first. Today’s message: Don’t look at the fruit. Keep your focus on God so it becomes easier to resist temptation. Sex, drugs, overeating, lying, theft, etc all look good and pleasing to the eye, but when we focus on the goodness of God, these things look dirty in comparison. The temptation is not so overwhelming.

Blind Belief

John 14:1-12

Sometimes my personality is like Thomas. I want to know all the answers right now. “Why God?” “Show Me God”. “Prove yourself to me God.” And sometimes I’m like Phillip and I want to see something to prove that God exists. It’s so hard for someone like me to have faith sometimes because there are too many questions I can’t answer. I know God is real but sometimes it’s hard to believe in Him. And I’m not the only one. So when Jesus said, “If you had known Me, you would have known My Father also; and from now on you know Him and have seen Him.” Jesus didn’t answer them the way they wanted. He told His disciples, “If you believe in Me…” and left it at that. It’s natural to doubt God and sometimes wonder if He really has everything in His hands, but you have to keep believing. When it doesn’t look like it, God still has all the answers. As for me, I cling to the hope that I will see and know all in heaven. For right now, I just accept that Jesus is the way, the truth and the life and I live in Him. Amen

Very Good Person

Romans 12:9-21

Oy! The person described here in Romans 12:9-21 is a very good person. They the kind of person I would love to hang around. This person is the standard of Christian living. "Let love be without hypocrisy. Abhor what is evil, cling to what is good." When we abhor evil, we get rid of jealousy and rejoice with those who rejoice. We don't seel vengeance bcause we leave it to God. As we cling to what is good, we become dilligent, fervent in the Spirit and live peaceably with all men. How do we do this? We continue steadfastly in prayer. When we become praying Christians, we commune with God frequently and His presence in our life helps us live right. Prayer is important.

The Temple of God

2 Chronicles 7:12-18

"Now My eyes will be open and My ears attentive to prayer made in this place. For now I chose and sanctified this house, that My name may be there forever." the temple of God that Solomon built was important because God's presence was there. In the book of Nehemiah, the people of Israel rejoiced when the walls of the temple was rebult and even more when the temple was completed. Why? Because they know that God was in the temple and that His power was manifested in that building. Well guess what? We are the temple of God as seen in 1 Corinthians 3:16. So God's power is manifested in us. We are sanctified. The Lord has chosen us for Himself and His eyes and ears are open to prayers made by you. His eyes and heart are in you perpetually. You are the temple of God and as such you are sanctified. So live as one who is truly sanctified. Live right because of God living inside you

Ask

Psalm 2:7-12

“Ask of Me and I will give You the nations for Your inheritance, and the ends of the earth for Your possession.” God has a lot to give us, but He tells us we have to ask. It seems pretty easy to do. We just ask and God gives to us the nations of the earth. In order to ask for something, we must first recognize that we don’t have it and we cannot get it by ourselves. Then we must believe that God has it and He was the ability to give it to us. Today’s message is nothing deep. “Blessed are all those who put their trust in Him.” It’s not selective, He gives to all. When we realize that God has so much to give to His children, faith comes easier. And when we have faith in Him, today’s scripture calls us blessed. So when we ask in faith, we receive AND we are blessed. Sounds like a good deal to deal. God is good, don’t you think?

The Tongue

James 3:1-12

The tongue. That’s a big problem for most peoples. No other organ is as difficult to control as the tongue. “For we all stumble in many ways. Anyone who does not stumble in what he says is a perfect man, able to bridle his whole body.” The thing is that what we say can change our future. What we say opens door in the Spiritual realm for either God or the devil to work in our lives. When we put ourselves down, the devil can come and put us down, but when we speak in faith, God is able to work with that and operate in our lives. It’s hard to control what we say, but we have to learn to do so. Control the tongue and you can control your destiny.

Choosing Life

Deuteronomy 30:15-20

God gives us free will, and with free will comes a choice. Do we choose life or death? It looks like an easy decision, yet many people, even Christians, make the wrong decision daily. Life- as defined by today’s scripture- is, “That you may love the Lord your God, that you may obey His voice, and that you may cling to Him, for He is your life and the length of your days.” Life is not sex and drugs and parties and popularity. Life is not even schoolwork and part-time jobs and community service. Life is not food or sleep or sports. Life is loving God and obeying His voice. It’s a constant decision. Every choice you make should show your love for God. You just have to keep your eyes on God. Death is defined as, “Your heart turning away so that you do not hear, and are drawn away, so that you worship other gods and serve them.” Choose live, my friends; choose life.

Grief Processes

2 Samuel 19:1-7

How many people have grieved? How many people have had something happen that made them just want to sit in the corner and cry? I know how it feels and I have some bad news. Even in our grief, we are still expected to serve others. King David was weeping over the death of his son when Joab came to him and told him that his people needed him. "Arise, go out and speak comfort to your servants." Jesus lost His cousin, John the baptist, and He went to the mountains to grieve. But He saw the people who needed Him and He ministered to them. Even when things are hard, there are people who need us. And when we feel like we can't do it, the bible says the joy of the Lord is our Strength. When we are weak the strength of God is made perfect in us. Amen

Lukewarmities

Revelations 3:14-22

“I know your works, that you are neither cold nor hot. I wish you were cold or hot.” Don’t be lukewarm with God. Think about it: Jesus came down to Earth to die for you. He committed His life and death to you, and all He wants is you to commit your life to Him. Why is it so hard? Too many times we want the blessings of Christianity, but we aren’t ready to live the life of sacrifice and discipline. “Because you say, ‘I am rich, have become wealthy and have need of nothing’ – and do not know that you are wretched, miserable, poor, blind and naked-”Only in Jesus can you be clean; only when you commit to Him. Verse 20 doesn’t tell us to let Jesus in and then kick Him out when we wanna party. We let Him into our hearts to stay and build a relationship. So today, commit yourself to Him (and if you already have, reaffirm your commitment) because that what He wants from you.

The First Commandment

Mark 12:28-34

“And you shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, with all your mind, and with all your strength.’ This is the first commandment.” Jesus said it, not me. When a word in the Bible is repeated, you know it’s important. The word “all” is repeated four times in this verse. All is a big word that includes everything and has no loopholes. We are supposed to love the Lord with ALL our heart, ALL our soul, ALL our mind, and ALL our strength. That means every fibre of our being should love God. Every action we do, every thought we allow into our minds should glorify God. Well, what does that look like? Reading your Bible daily, and taking time to study it. Praying everyday, not just to ask for things but to praise God and acknowledge Him for what He has done. Proclaiming boldly to your friends that you believe and trying to get them saved all the time. Respecting everyone and helping out every time you can. Most importantly, a person who loves God lives his life by the Spirit. So let’s get lovin’.

Keep Your Birthright

Genesis 25:29-34

Why did Esau give up his birthright? His birthright was everything that was his right because he was the first son of Isaac. And because of that position, he was entitled to so much. He gave it all up for stew. Now many of us may look on this and find it funny, but many of us do it all the time. We decide to trade the blessings that we have as children of God for temporary satisfaction. That’s what sin is. When we purposely sin, we place a higher value on the earthly pleasures than eternal life. Earth may look like it’s all that, but it’s only the blink of an eye. There’s eternity waiting for us after this and how we spend that eternity is based on what we do on earth. Esau wanted for his hunger to be satisfied so badly that he gave up his father’s blessing, as we see later on in Genesis. Esau got hungry again, and he ate again many times in his life, but he never got his birthright back. Before we do anything, we must realize that everything has a price, but not everything is worth the cost. Sin is never worth it, no matter how good it may look.

Did He Not Say?

John 11:32-44

In verse 40, Jesus asked, "Did I not say to you that if you would believe you would see the glory of God?" Jesus told Mary and Martha something, but they allowed their circumstance and the people around them to shake their faith. The bible said that Jesus groaned when He heard the voice of the people doubting. Ladies and Gents, God can still do miracles. God's Word still doesn't change. All He wants is your faith. So keep believing. What God has said will come to pass, so keep holding on. You don't want to be the one to whom Jesus asks, "Did I not Say?"

Action Faith

Nehemiah 4:1-9

"Nevertheless we made our prayer to our God and because of them we set a watch against them day and night.” Nehemiah and the people of Israel did not pray and wait for God to deal with Sanballat and Tobiah before continuing the work of God. They prayed to God and continued rebuilding the temple. That is faith. Faith is an action not just a collection of words. The people of Israel had faith that God would bless their endeavors, and they continued to build. No one is too young to have faith. In fact, Jesus taught that we should have the faith of children. This should be easier for teenagers because, and I hate to say this, we are just a little older than children. So if adults can have faith, we should be able to do it as well. I can talk about having faith to start up a devotional for a month, but until I step out and actually create the devotional, talk gets me nowhere. So from now on, do faith, don’t just talk faith.

What is Love?

1 Corinthians 13

We hear a lot about love. Jesus said that people will know we are His disciples when we love. Paul tells us that of faith, hope and love, the greatest is love. But what does love to a teenager? Too many times, the word 'love' is misused in the context of dating and sex, but what does the Bible say about love? Well...love is patient, kind, not envious, not arrogant, not boastful or rude or self-centered or angry or evil. When you love someone, you can bear their weaknesses. Love is helping out. Love is rejoicing when your friends get something you wanted. I know I love my teachers because I respect them and try to make their lives easier. When you begin to love as the Bible dictates, then no relationship of yours can fail, because Godly love never fails. It's easier for others to show you favour because this love makes you likeable. Love is not about sleeping with someone, but helping them, putting their needs first. This is the love that Jesus had for us throughout His life and to the cross, and as Christians, this is the love that we should display. Christianity does mean imitators of Christ.

How Do We Know That We Know?

1 John 2:3-11

"Now by this we know that we know Him, if we keep His commandments." In this world of doubt and different doctrines, how can we be sure that we are saved? We can have that certainty if we keep His commandments. When we are saved, we have the Holy Spirit inside us who fills us with the desire to keep God's commandments. Before we were saved, we didn't have this. Even if we were good people, we didn't think much of the occasional lie, or many "little" sins. But now we should hate sin because the Spirit we received upon salvation hates sin. We may not always be perfect, but we won't be so chill about sinning. As Christians, we should have a desire to love because that is the greatest commandment. That, my friends, is how we know we are saved.

Fruit Of The Spirit

Galatians 5:14-26

“If we live in the Spirit, let us also walk in the Spirit.” We’ve all heard of the fruits of the Spirit but what does it really mean? Well…every action has a reaction. Galatians 6:7 tells us that whatever we sow, that’s what we reap. To walk in the Spirit means all our actions reap the fruits of the Spirit. That’s how we can test ourselves… we look at our fruit. What kind of fruit is our lifestyle reaping? Are we walking in love, joy, peace, longsuffering, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control? When we feel a leading to do something, does it exhibit those characteristics? I talked about knowing God’s voice a few days back and this is one way to tell. So as you grow, always look for the fruits of the Spirit being exhibited in yourself.

Shut Them Up

Luke 20:20-26

“So they watched Him, and sent spies who pretended to be righteous.” People are really good at pretending. My pastor always says that people watch Christians to see if they can walk the walk. But some people will try to make you fall and some will come pretending to be Christians. Those are dangerous because it’s easy to let your guard down and trust people in church. You may never be able to detect a phony Christian…on your own. However, we have the Holy Spirit to help you ID phonies. But what is more important is being able to answer them. Jesus was able to silence the spies with His words because He had wisdom. You can know all the answers, but wisdom is what’ll truly silence opposition. Wisdom is knowing how to apply knowledge. So get some wisdom today. Ask God for it.

Love...The Keyword

Galatians 5: 1 – 15 (ESV)

Today’s scripture talks about what we are called to be as Christians. We are not called to do the religious acts commonly associated with Christianity: going to church, praying “now I lay me down to sleep…” every night, etc. Christianity is about loving one another. Verse 14 says, “The whole law is fulfilled in one word, ‘you shall love your neighbor as yourself.’” The word “Christian” means follower of Christ and one characteristic that Jesus always displayed was love. God is Love. You are not any less of a Christian because you miss a day of church or accidentally swear or things like that. However, that is not an excuse to do those things. “For you were called to freedom, brothers. Only do not use your freedom as an opportunity for the flesh,” (Vs. 13). Deed are important in our christen walk, but not as important as love. God looks at the heart of your actions, and I pray that when He looks at your heart, He sees love. Amen.

Hear God's Voice

Ezekiel 37:1-14

There are so many advantages to knowing God. When you are in a deep relationship with Him, you can hear and recognize His voice. The prophet Ezekiel was told by God to prophecy to dead bones. Ezekiel prophesied what God told him and experienced miracles. The bones got flesh and then came to life. Christianity promises no rewards unless we are in relationship with God. Jesus said, “My sheep hear my voice and heed it.” When my mom calls me, I know it’s her because I know her voice. I know her voice because I’ve spent lots of time with her. It works the same way with God. We get to recognize His voice when we know him and spend time with Him. And when you heed His voice, you experience power as a Christian. Power to talk to people and get them saved; power to encourage; power to change circumstances; power to pray. That power is yours when you walk according to God’s voice.

The Armour Of God

Ephesians 6:10-20

What does it mean to be strong in the Lord? Is it just knowing the Bible or praying everyday? Or maybe it’s about knowing all the “Christianese” so nobody can understand what you’re saying. Nah. Being strong in the Lord is about being able to uphold His standard of life even when troubles come. It’s about having faith that God can do anything when it looks like He can’t. How does the Bible expect us to do this? We put on the armour of God. The Helmet of Salvation protects your head from thoughts that try to make you doubt. You KNOW you are saved and belong to the Kingdom of God and you know what rights you have in Christ. The Shield of Faith helps you believe in God when it may look like He’s not there. Faith is the ASSURANCE of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen. Without faith it is impossible to please God. The Breastplate of Righteousness protects you from condemning yourself. When you live right, it’s easier to pray to God because you don’t feel guilty. The Belt of Truth helps keep the breastplate on. When you know the Truth, which is the Word of God, you know the wages of sin is death, you know God cannot be around sin. That makes it harder to sin. Finally, the only weapon we have is the Sword which is the Word of God. Only in His Word can we know how to pray, what rights we have, and how do defeat the devil in all areas of our life. I know is really deep and a little confusing, but this is how you become strong in the Lord as today’s text says. Nobody ever said our Christian walk would be easy. Even Jesus told us we would be persecuted for our faith. But God has given us what we need to stand strong and guard our minds. Now we just gotta use our tools.

What Are You Asking For?

1 John 5:14-17

There is power in prayer. How many times have we prayed so hard for something and not received it? Well, the confidence we have is that when we ask for something in the name of God, he hears us. And... whatever we ask we know that we have the petitions that we have asked of Him. One thing my mom taught me is that when you pray, find a scripture that promises you what you are asking for. That ensures that you are asking according to the name of the Lord so you can have confidence. Sometimes it might take a while, and it may get worse before it gets better, but keep believing. God will come through in the end.

Get Back With God

Ezra 3:1-13

It feels good to be doing God’s work. Laying the foundation of the temple represented getting back with God for the People of Israel in today’s text. In their time of captivity, many may have felt separated from God and seeing the temple getting rebuilt was such a joyful occasion for them. Dudes and Chicks, being in a relationship with God is beautiful. There’s such joy in the presence of God, it’s indescribable. If you’ve allowed yourself to get separated from Him, today is as good a day as any to reconcile with Him. You know what you have to do because you have the Holy Spirit living in you. The people of Israel were ecstatic to be getting back to worship because they knew what it felt like to be away from Him. Get back with God today

Seeking God

1 Kings 19:4-18

What’s the biggest challenge in your life? God has something to say about it. Elijah felt lonely. He felt like he was the only prophet left, and God spoke to him. God showed him 7000 prophets and took Elijah to Elisha. God isn’t quiet. He sent His Holy Spirit to help you through life. So when you have a problem, bring it to God. Now, I know I’ve heard this message a lot of times before and wondered why God never seems to respond? We see in today’s scripture that God took Elijah to an isolated cave before He spoke. You see Jesus went to be alone to pray. Moses met with God on Mount Sinai. We can meet with God when we take ourselves away from distractions and focus on Him. Hebrews tell us that God is a rewarder of those who diligently seek Him. How diligently do you seek Him?

Listen and Learn

Genesis 20: 1-18

Abimelech could have slept with Sarah. But he didn’t because God kept him from doing so. Many times we are about to do things that seems right and something inside us tells us it’s not. You see, within all of us, we have the Holy Spirit who teaches us. John 14:26 tells us that the Holy Spirit will teach us and bring to remembrance that which we have learned. When you are about to sin, the Holy Spirit will let you know. Today’s practical message is to listen to the Holy Spirit. How do you know when it’s the Holy Spirit? We have to live in integrity. Abimelech was a good man who made a mistake in the integrity of his heart. As a person of integrity, we are willing to listen to God. Secondly, we have something Abimelech did not have: The Word. John 14:26 tells us that Holy Spirit brings to our remembrance that which we have learned. So we have to learn. That’s why it’s important to do your daily devotion everyday, and to study the Word. That’s why it’s important to go to church and learn from your pastors. The Holy Sprit is our guide to keep us on the straight and narrow path. We must learn to listen to Him.

Secret To Success

Psalm 78: 65-72

Everybody wants to be rich and successful. I’m working hard in high school and, later on, university not because I like school. These are steps to success. However, so many people finish university and end up jobless. How do I make sure I end up what I wanna be? I look at someone who already made it big. King David went from being a shepherd to a mighty king. How did he do it? We find out in today’s scripture. “So he shepherded them according to the integrity of his heart, and guided them by the skillfulness of his hands.” Man may never know what you do, but God does, and it is God that grants the answer to your prayers (proverbs 16:1). Integrity is a big ingredient in the soup of success.

Famous Last Words

2 Timothy 4:9-18
At my first defense no one stood with me, but all forsook me. May it not be charged against them. —2 Timothy 4:16
Just days before his death, Gandhi wrote, “All about me is darkness; I am praying for light.” By contrast, evangelist D. L. Moody’s last recorded words were, “This is my triumph; this my coronation day! It is glorious!” In both cases, their last words were significant expressions of their perspectives on life, death, and everything in between.
Aside from some personal greetings, Paul’s last recorded words dealt not with what he had done in life and ministry but rather with how he viewed people. What makes it even more significant is that some of those words were about people who had disappointed him.
Regarding an individual who had harmed him by opposing his ministry, Paul trusted the Lord to deal with him. And when considering those who had abandoned him when imprisoned, he asked others to handle them graciously: “At my first defense no one stood with me, but all forsook me. May it not be charged against them” (2 Tim. 4:16). His last words were those of compassion and kindness instead of harshness and retaliation.
Will our last words show the grace of Christ or the bitterness of a wounded heart? Our answer should impact the words we use today. — Bill Crowder
What have you written on memory’s page?Deeds that were done in the Master’s name?Words that were spoken to spread His fame?What have you written today? —Anon.
What words will be your legacy?

-taken from Daily Bread. www.rbc.org

When The Going Gets Tough...

2 Corinthians 4: 7-15

“We are hard-pressed on every side, yet not crushed; we are perplexed, but not in despair; persecuted, but not forsaken; struck down, but not destroyed,” (Vs. 8-9). This does not sound like easy street to me. It seems like the hard-knock life is what we are called to live. Jesus said that people will persecute us for his sake. However, if you look at all those phrases, there is a ‘but’. Hard-pressed BUT not crushed; struck down, BUT not destroyed. God promises to bring us through the test because He loves us. Psalms 23 says, “Though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil BECAUSE You are with me.” Everyone will go through hard times: friend issues that really depress us, family problems that stress us out, assignments that make us want to shoot ourselves (believe me, I know). I want to encourage you today saying there is that promise. We will go through hard times, BUT God will deliver us from them all. Somebody once said, “What does not kill you will only make you stronger.” I’m here to tell you that the trials will not kill you because you serve a God who is bigger than them all.

Why Do Your Leaders...?

2 Corinthians 13:1-14

Why do your leaders do what they do? Why do they keep pushing you to do what you sometimes don't wanna do? I know at my church, my pastor and youth pastor continually urge me to keep growing, to take more responsibility. Why? Paul wasn't telling the Corinthians to constantly test themselves. This was not so Paul could look good, but for their benefit. He said, "For we are glad when we are weak and you are strong." Leaders in the church, according to the book of Titus, don't seek their own. They labour for you. So listen to them. If you don't have a church, find one where the leaders expect a high standard of character. Also, follow Paul's advice and check yourself regularly. Test your life to see if it lines up with biblical expectations. Examine your motives, your love for prayer, your passion for souls. Where you find yourself lacking, pray to God to fill you up and He will answer you in Jesus name. Amen.

Why Praise ?

Psalm 36

Why do we praise God? The bible says to praise Him in the morning and in the evening, but why? Do we praise God for what He done for us? Well...yes. We thank Him for all that He has done for us, but that's not all. Sometimes we look around and it's hard to see what God has done, but we are still expected to praise. Obviously, blessings are not the only reason we praise. We praise God for who He is. In today's psalm, King David praises God for His steadfast love. "How precious is your steadfast love, O God!" (Vs 7) David understood that the characteristics of God never change so we always have a reason to praise God. So when the bible says to give thanks always and for everything (Eph 5:20) we can, despite what things look like. Amen

Don't Judge

Romans 2:1-11

This talks about judging others. Don't. It's not that hard to understand, but it's hard to do. So many times, you see people dressing a certain way, or doing things a certain way and you just judge that they are sinners. That's not your call. Don't act like you haven't done it, cuz everyone does it; it's human nature. But as christians, we are not to live by human nature, we live by the Word of God. The Word of God tells us that when we judge others, the judgement falls on us. Nobody is perfect and if we pick at everyone's flaws, we will never be happy with anyone. So what do we do? We pray for people. Also (this is from my experience) go up and talk to people. When you talk to people, you find out why they do things and it makes everyone happy.

Promises

Matthew 14:6-16

King Herod made a promise and because of his promise he killed a prophet of God. Was that wrong? The bible says in James 5:12, “let your ‘yes’ be ‘yes’ and let your ‘no’ be ‘no’.” So when you promise someone something, you have to go through with it even if it requires you to sin, right? Wrong! The bible also urges us to get rid of anything thing that causes us to sin and this includes even our promises. As Christian youth, we must be careful of the promises we make. Many times it is tempting to promise somebody “anything” as King Herod did, but you never know what they will ask. And if you do make a promise that will require you to sin to fulfill, cast away that promise. Forget your pride and remember that sin is wrong, no matter the excuse.

Abide

John 15: 1-11

What it mean to abide? It mean to stay, to live, to spend a lot of time with. Jesus said to abide in Him and in His Word. That means we live in Him. We live in His spirit. It’s not enough to be a Christian on Sundays and then you do your own thing the rest of the week. Abiding in Jesus is not always easy, but we do it because that is God’s command.. It is how we become fruitful Jesus is the vine and unless we are constantly connected to the vine, we cannot bear fruit. When we separate ourselves from the vine, the bible tells us we wither and are tossed into the fire. A lukewarm Christian is a useless Christian. Revelations tells us that God spits out lukewarm Christians. Abide in Christ-stay in Him because there is no other way to produce fruit.

Fellowship and Security

Romans 1: 8-17

What’s the goal of fellowship? What’s the point of church every Sunday and all the Christian events? Why does Hebrews 10:25 say, “Do not forsake the gathering of the righteous”? Romans 1:12 tells us. Paul tells the Romans that he wants to meet with them that they may be mutually encouraged by each other’s faith. When believers get together, they strengthen each other through prayer and even just the joy of fellowship. Nobody can truly understand a believer except another believer. The life we are called to live is just so foreign to those who don’t know Christ. That’s why we gotta stick together. 1 Peter 5:8 says the devil seeks whom he may devour. Well, who can he devour? A lion on the hunt doesn’t like to attack a herd of gazelles. It seeks the one on its own. You are strengthened when you take time to regularly meet with other believers. So maybe it’s time to make some new friends.

Life of a Soldier

2 Tim 3:1-7

I love the bible books from Romans to Jude because they teach the modern Christian how to live. Today, we learn about being a soldier. Have you seen videos of soldiers at war? It’s not always pretty. Soldiers have to live a disciplined life. Verse 4 says, “No soldier gets entangled in civilian pursuits since his aim is to please the one who enlisted him.” Many times it’s tempting to commit a little sin- a really small, itsy-bitsy baby sin- but you cannot get entangled in that. One thing I know is that sin is like a snowball rolling down a snowy hill. It always gets bigger until you lose your ability to fight. We make enough mistakes already without adding deliberate sins to the list. Be disciplined as a soldier. Do your spiritual training- your pushups and 50-km hikes- and avoid spiritual donuts and triple fudge delights, but good as they may feel, they are not good for you.

Finding Jesus

John 6: 22-34

Wow. You know what amazes me? The people went looking for Jesus. Verse 24 says, "When the crowds saw that Jesus was not there, nor His disciples, they themselves got into the boats and went to Capernum, seeking Jesus." Why can't we be like this crowd. This was the crowd that saw a miracle, five thousand were fed on five loaves and two fishes. But they did not settle with a miracle. They decided to learn more about the man who could perform these miracles. People, if's not enough to go to church on sundays. You have to know God on a personal level, which requires you to spend time with Him. Seek Him in His Word, seek Him in the fellowship of other believers. When the crowd found Jesus, they asked Him, "What shall we do that we may work the works of God?" What can you do to do the works that God requires? Look for Jesus, have a personal relationship with Him. You realize that Christianity is the only religion (as far as i know) that gives us the chance to relate with God personally. Take advantage of that.

Route to Growth

2 Peter 1: 1-11

From today's bible reading, we see there's more to christianity than just faith. Faith is the first step: you get saved through faith in Jesus as your lord and saviour, but you don't stay there. After salvation, you make a conscious decision to live virtuous. It's a conscious decision to live for God, and you begin to grow. Then you add knowledge. You meditate on the Word daily and you learn more by studying. Then you add self-control. self-control can also be described as discipline. You set a routine to read your bible, to study your bible, to pray and sometimes to fast. You might have to sacrifice a hour of Madden 09, but that's one aspect of growth. After you set a schedule for yourself, you stick to it. It's called perseverence or consistency. Next, you step out and walk in brotherly kindness. You let people see Christ reflected in how you live your life. And becuase you now know so much about the Word, you know that the greatest reflection of Jesus is love. Now these steps are not necessarily one after the other but as you walk them out, you grow. You become more secure in your salvation, or as my bible puts it, "make you call and election sure." Are you 100% sure of your salvation? Can you face skeptics and still know for a fact that you will go to heaven? If not, you got a lot of growing to do

Hardcore Praising

Psalm 42

King David tells us in today's bible reading about the things going wrong in his life. He is oppressed by his enemies, has a mortal wound and basically is not having a glorious day. Yet he refuses to let himself feel down. "Hope in God, for i shall praise him, my salvation and my God." David recognized thata God was still worth praise though circumstances were hard. Hebrews says the Old Testament is useful to us as examples. Let us be like David today. A true test of faith is when you can praise him in the hard times, because you KNOW tht God will deliver you. Always remember what God has done for you in the past, and your faith is strengthened to face today. Remember the old school song, "count your blessings, name them one by one. And it will suprise you what the Lord has done."

Find Your Own Armour

1 Samuel 17: 38-49

David had a goal: to kill Goliath, the phillistine. That goal was the same as all of the other men in the Israelites army. Sure, the rest of them were scared and did nothing, but they did have the same goal as David. Saul tried to put his armour on David, but it didn't fit. Saul's sword was not gonna help David beat the giant. David's own weapon (the slingshot) was what he had to use to kill the giant. You know, many times in life we try to wear other people's armour. I know what it's like to have a role model and want to be exactly like them, but we cant. Everyone has their own destiny. God didn't make any two people to be the same. We all have different DNA, different fingerprints, and different destinies. Nobody's armour will fit you. You have to find your armour, your weapons and serve God in the way you are called. Now this doesn't mean you don't read you bible and follow the basic precepts of Christianity, but you have your own ministry. Fufill YOUR ministry, not your dad's minstry or your pastor's minstry. I pray that God will help you find what your call is and He will help you to walk in it. Amen

Friends

Proverbs 17: 8-17

Today's passage talks about friendship. "A friend loves at all times, and a brother is born for adversity." Many times, i have gotten frustrated with my friends and decided to just leave them alone. That's not wht the bible says. You see, i have friends who are there for me no matter what. I sometimes wonder what would happen to me if i needed them and they were not there. So it only makes sense that i should be that kind of friend as well. That's how the bible says it should be. What friends do you have tht you have let down? I have some, and it hurts thinking about how i've hurt some friends. Don't be the cause of pain to your friends, because how does that reflect God? Just think about it... what kind of friends do you want? Be that kind of friend to somebody.

Of Borrowers and Givers

Psalm 37: 16-24

"The wicked borrows but does not pay back, but the righteous is generous and gives."I love the way the psalms uses contrasts. It tells you what not to be and then what to be instead. That's what makes it so easy to understand. Verse 21 says, "the wicked borrows but does not pay back." The dictionary defines borrowing as, "to take or to obtian something with with promise to return it or its equivalent." With borrowing, there is a promise to return. If you break that promise, you disobey the bible. James 5:12 tells us to let our "yes"be "yes." That is a command not a suggestion. If you borrow you must py back and if you know you cannot pay back, then don't say or even imply that you will. Now, on the flip side, the righteous dude gives. He doesn't expect a return because (s)he understands the biblical principle that, "if anyone gives even a cup of cold water to one of these little ones... he will certainly not lose his reward." Nothing is too small to give; not a cup of cold water, not a hug, not even a smile. Whatever you have, give.

God's Word is Fufilled

1 Kings 7: 1-9

God's Word is always fufilled. When He promises you something, the only force big enough to hold it back is you. The kinng's captain found tht out the hard way in today's passage. God promised, through Elisha, that food would be abundant the next day in Samaria. Because the situation made God's promise look impossible, the king's guard spoke in contradiction to the Word of God. As a result, he did not participate in the blessings. In order to have God's promises fufilled in your life, you must believe. The bible says, "without faith, it is impossible to please God." You must speak based on your belief becuase there is power in the tongue. What has God promised you? Ask your parents because sometimes God prophecies to them about you. My mom knew that i would end up serving God actively even before i gave my life to God. Read your bible. If you are going through something and you read a verse that promises relief, take that verse to heart. Believe it. Know the promises of God and live as though you already have them

The Lord Has Need Of It

Luke 19: 28-40

Many people have heard this story before. This is the tale of Jesus' triumphant entry. But before He entered the city, He needed to score a ride. Today, i think we should follow the example of the owners of the donkey. These people were willing to give up their donkey just because "the Lord hs need of it." We should learn to be so willing to give to God. Now God may not call for your donkey (if you have one, you seriously need an upgrade) or computers or $500 bikes. What he may call for is your time, your energy. The Lord has need of youth willing to tell their friends about Him. The Lord has need of youth willing to serve in a local church. The Lord has need of youth willing to devote time to learning doctrine; youth who know how to defend their faith. The Lord has need of wise youth. Can He count of you?

How Much Is God Worth?

Phillipians 3: 1 - 10

Paul was rich before he met jesus. He was a pharisee, well brought up, followed the law and was well respected. He gave it ll up to follow Christ. Daniel, in the Old Testament, sacrificed delicious food that was offered to other god and he gained knowledge ten times smarter than his peers. Joseph gave up the luxury of Potifah's house and the pleasure of sex with potifah's wife and he gained power over all of Egypt. My point is that we all gotta sacrifice something to pick up the cross. As for me, i've sacrificed an extra half hour of sleep to do my devotion daily. I have sacrificed populatiry of fighting with my friends because of the God that i serve. I'm not perfect but i'm learning that in order to pick up the cross, we gotta drop something. Our hands are too full of things that Paul refers to as rubbish. When we understand the "surpassing worth of knowing Christ Jesus," we consider our sinful habits as useless. What is it you know you should give up for God? Is it sacrificing a little popularity to go talk to a lonely kid? is it an hour of madden 09 so you can study the bible? Is it not being able to buy an iPod so you can pay tithe? Think about it; count the cost. Ï have suffered the loss of all things and count them as rubbish, in order that i may gain Christ and be found in Him...[having] the righteousness from God that depends on faith."- Apostle Paul (Phillipians 3: 8-9)

What does it mean to be saved?

Wednessday, September 10
Hebrews 11: 1-14

What does it mean to be saved? In the old testament, the people had to offer sacrifices every so often, and they had to do it at their expense. These sacrifices covered their sins but could not take it away. Jesus came to save us from our sins. He took them way, once and for all. Salvation is free and it is final. This passage says that we are made perfect through Jesus' sacrifice. This does not mean we are perfect people (no human is), but it means we have a clean slate with God. As far as God is concerned, we have a perfect record because Jesus' blood cleaned our record. Everytime we repent, we are clean again and again. Sometimes, we just have to meditate on what Jesus did for us at the cross. When we understand that His death and resurrection gave us all spiritual blessings in heavenly places, we always have a reason to praise Him; What does it mean to be saved? It means always having a fresh start with God.

Activitely Doing Good

Tuesday, Spetember 9
Psalms 11

"The Lord tests the righteous, but His soul hates the wicked and the one who loves violence.... He loves righteous deeds; the righteous shall behold His face."The foundations of Christianity are faith and love; faith tht God is, and in the resurrection of Jesus, and love for your fellow man. But Christianity also calls for righteous deeds. Today's scripture say the Lord tests the righteous but what criteria does He use? When we get to heaven, and believer are getting crowned, what will be the basis of acknowledgement? Good deeds. When you got out of your way to do a good deed, God honors that. Actively doing good deeds is part of Christianity. It's not something we do if we feel good. When Jesus lost his cousin, John the baptist, and he wanted to go to the mountaianside to mourn, the people followed him and he ministered to them. Galatians 6:7 says, "whatever you sow, that also shall you reap." When you do good, you reap blessings from God, becuase He loves righteous deeds

Wise or Foolish; Righteous or Wicked

Sunday, September 7
Proverbs 15: 1-9

Ther are two contrasts in this scripture: wise or foolish, righteous or wicked. Are you wise? Wisdom comes from God. There are many smart people who are not wise. A wise person knows how to get the most good out of a situation. The dictionary describes wisdom as, "the quality or state of being wise; knowledge of what is true coupled with good judgement." You don't have to be 50 years old to be wise. King Solomon wad a young man when he asked God for wisdom. Are you wise? Ask God for wisdom. The second set of two are the righteous and the wicked. Unlike the dictionary definition, righteousness is not about deeds. It's about surrendering to God. It's about making Jesus your lord, not just your savior. Today's passages show us two contrasts. The fool does not lead a happy life. He stirs up anger and despises teachings. He cannot prosper. The wicked guy is not happy either. His money brings trouble and God rejects his offerings. Today is sunday, and there is no better time to search yourself. Ask God to show you where your heart is. Are you righteous? Have you surrendered to God? Are you wise? God is there willing to grant you His righteousness and wisdom if only you ask.

Pursue Peace And Let The Bible Change You

Saturday, September 6
Hebrews 12: 5-15 (NKJV)
“Pursue peace with all people.” God calls us to live a life of peace. Jesus did it. The only time He got angry was a righteous anger for the temple of God. As Christians, we are called to be followers of Christ, or imitators of Christ (Eph. 5:1). In the past few months, I have been noticing a change in me. Since I committed my life to God, I have become more peaceful. I have allowed myself to be chastened by the Word of God. Many times, I would be going through an issue and my devotional that night would relate to what I did wrong to bring about that problem. Many times I would get angry at God for asking me to change certain things about myself, but I let His Word change me. The road of Christianity is a path leading to perfection, just like Jesus. My youth pastor always says, “You might be the only bible some people will ever read.” To be a truly accurate depiction of God’s love, we have to let His Word chasten and change us. Pursing peace is not easy, especially when you have those people that keep pushing you towards conflict, but you have to pray to God to help you. Read your bible and let its message speak to you. Live your life by the Word and God will help you in Jesus name, Amen.