day 180

Isaiah 9:6-7
For to us a child is born, to us a son is given, and the government will be on his shoulders. And he will be called Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace. Of the greatness of his government and peace there will be no end. He will reign on David’s throne and over his kingdom, establishing and upholding it with justice and righteousness from that time on and forever.The zeal of the Lord Almighty will accomplish this.
Merry Christmas and many rich blessings to you and your family. As someone said in church a few weeks ago, "if you're sick of Christmas by the 25th, you didn't do it right."

day 179

(Slightly odd version)
1 Corinthians 13:4-8
Love endures long and is patient and is kind; love never is envious nor boils over with jealousy, is not boastful or vainglorious, does not display itself haughtily. It is not conceited (arrogant and inflated with pride); it is not rude (unmannerly) and does not act unbecomingly. Love (God's love in us) does not insist on its own rights or its own way, for it is not self-seeking; it is not touchy or fretful or resentful; it takes no account of the evil done to it [it pays no attention to a suffered wrong]. It does not rejoice at injustice and unrighteousness, but rejoices when right and truth prevail. Love bears up under anything and everything that comes, is ever ready to believe the best of every person, its hopes are fadeless under all circumstances, and it endures everything [without weakening]. Love never fails.
If we all loved the way God loves us, the world would change SO much. Just imagine it. Totally mind blowing.

day 178

Ecclesiastes 3:1-8
To everything there is a season, and a time for every matter or purpose under heaven: A time to be born and a time to die, a time to plant and a time to pluck up what is planted, A time to kill and a time to heal, a time to break down and a time to build up, A time to weep and a time to laugh, a time to mourn and a time to dance, A time to cast away stones and a time to gather stones together, a time to embrace and a time to refrain from embracing, A time to get and a time to lose, a time to keep and a time to cast away, A time to rend and a time to sew, a time to keep silence and a time to speak, A time to love and a time to hate, a time for war and a time for peace.
What time is it for you? Have you asked our Lord recently what time the GrandFather Clock has struck? You will never get an answer to anything unless you ask AND eagerly wait for and ACCEPT the answer.

day 177

Hosea 4:16
The Israelites are stubborn, like a stubborn heifer. How then can the Lord pasture them like lambs in a meadow?
That's a good question. If you're being difficult to work with, yet you want help, how do you suppose that will work out? Not well at all. Do you think you're fooling God when you blame Him for you not getting the help you need? He sees right through you. If you want to "speed up the process" then you need to admit to God what your struggles are--all of them. The first step to fixing an issue is admitting its existance.
Prayer requests?

day 176

Sorry it's late:/
Psalm 89:1-2
I will sing of the Lord's great love forever; with my mouth I will make your faithfulness known through all generations. I will declare that your love stands firm forever, that you have established your faithfulness in heaven itself.
That's a nice promise to make, but if there's no action behind those words, you'd be better off not saying anything in the first place. We need to stand up and take action. We have the freedom to do so in this country, so let's benefit from it. The Bible doesn't say to keep God all to yourself. It says to go make disciples of ALL nations. C'mon now. Jeez.

day 175

Whatever you hope for, hope for it in God's name. It makes it easier, because God's plan is always the best; it's perfect.
Isaiah 41:3
For I am the Lord, your God, who takes hold of your right hand and says to you, Do not fear; I will help you.
Prayer requests?

day 174

Philippians 3:2 Watch out for those dogs, those men who do evil, those mutilators of the flesh.
Ephesians 2:10 For we are God's workmanship, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do.
If you think something is too hard for you to do, God KNOWS you can do it; He's given you the tools you need to accomplish whatever it is He wants you to do. God doesn't give you a task because He knows you'll fail. He knows you can't do things alone. Everything you need is provided for you. Be careful of those things that set you back, those things that cloud your vision of God. Keep your eyes fixed on our Lord and Savior; nothing is impossible with God. Keep your head up, that way you can see heaven easier :)
Prayer requests?

day 173

Isaiah 44:6-11
The Lord, Not Idols
"This is what the Lord says--Israel's King and Redeemer, the Lord Almighty: I am the first and I am the last, apart from me there is no God. Who then is like me? Let him proclaim it. Let him declare and lay out before me what has happened since I established my ancient people, and what it yet to come--yes, let him fotell what is to come. Do not tremble, do not be afraid. Did I not proclaim this and fortell it long ago? You are my witnesses. Is there and God besides me? No, there is no other Rock; I know not one." All who make idols are nothing, and the things they treasure are worthless. Those who would speak up for them are blind; they are ignorant, to their own shame. Who shapes a god and casts an idol, which can profit him nothing? He and his kind will be put to shame; craftsmen are nothing but men. Let them all come together and take their stand; they will be brought down to terror
and infamy.
Any prayer requests?

day 172

Ecclesiastes 4:9-12
Two are better than one, because they have a good return for their work; If one falls down, his friend can help him up. But pity the man who falls and has no one to help him up! Also, if two life down together, they will keep warm. But how can one keep warm alone? Though one may be overpowered, two can defend themselves. A cord of three strands is not quickly broken.
Friendship is awesome. People who accept you no matter what. They put up with your bad side. They support you. They hold you accountable whether you'd really like them to or not. Hey, isn't that like some stuff God does for us? Friends are Godsends. He knew humans couldn't be alone. So He provided another way to help people survive. God is ultimately enough. But all these extra bonuses come our way. Why? Because God's love overflows. He didn't have to give us anything. But He did so anyway. If God has put someone in your life and you try your hardest to push them away, GOD MAKES SURE THEY DON'T LEAVE!!!Fortunately, you're stuck with the people God hands to you. And God is with you. He never leaves you.
Matt. 18:20
"For where two or three come together in my name, there I am with them."
Prayer requests?

day 171

^^^That look you get when you make plans and they backfire somehow. It's not fun when things don't go your way. It's annoying. It's agitating. When you work even harder to get your plans back to how you wanted them, sometimes they still don't work. Or it wasn't what you expected. Sometimes what happens is the exact opposite of what you planned, but it went well. Maybe that last part isn't recognized until sometime later. Point is, when your plan doesn't match God's, He will still get His way. No matter what. That's pretty comforting to know, since human's plans aren't always the best. Scratch that. They are never for the best. Only God's plan is the best. So let's try to match it!
Jeremiah 29:11 "For I know the plans I have for you," declares the Lord, "plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future."

day 170

"It's funny how it takes a holiday
To show us how the world could truly change
If we all took the time to really care
There'd be a little more of heaven everywhere
It's the grace that we need to show a world that needs hope
It's giving our lives knowing they're not our own
It's the joy that we feel and the love that we share
There's a bit of heaven everywhere
There's a bit of heaven everywhere
It's the smile on a man who has finaly found hope
It's the tears of a mother whose child has come home
It's the joy that we feel and the love that we share
There's a little bit of heaven everywhere
There's a little bit of heaven everywhere"
-Francesca Battistelli
"With upwards of ten hours a day spent on the water (canoeing), I came to realize my own strength, or rather, lack thereof. No matter how hard I pulled or how fast I paddled, the current was was larger determinate of my path and arrival time then my own might. It wasn't until I finally learned to join the current did I come to see the river as a source of strength and renewal. The water became something to rely on. Through the routine of our days we came to praise our God who carried us--the tired, the restless, the expectant and the homebound."
-Erica Grasse
Everything works on God-time. We make it harder for ourselves each time we stay away from God for whatever reason, for however long. Let go. Let God. Let God renew you, restore you, heal you, love you, care for you. He is more than capable of doing so. Stop working and go to God. You don't have to prove yourself to God. What is there to prove, really? The more you try to prove yourself, the more you're showing how much you fall apart with Him--which, I'm guessing, is the opposite of what you're trying to show. Yes, God sees your mess. Do yourself a favor and stop making your situations worse. Go to God for help. He won't disappoint. Maybe you're thinking God is taking too long to "fix" you. Well, God is not the problem; He isn't slowing Himself down. You are the problem. You're the one slowing down the process. Hmmm. It's give and take. Give yourself to God so He can take your impurities and make you up to your wonderful, godly, amazing full potential.
Prayer requests?

day 169

1John 3:15 Anyone who hates his brother is a murderer, and you know that no murderer has eternal life in him.
Acts 2:38 Peter replied, "Repent and be baptized, every one of you, in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins. And you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit.
Jeremiah 15:19 Therefore this is what the Lord says: "If you repent, I will restore you that you may serve me; if you utter worthy, not worthless, words, you will be my spokesman. Let this people turn to you, must not turn to them.
Matt. 4:17 From that time on Jesus began to preach, "Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is near."
Psalm 19:14 May the words of my mouth and the meditation of my heart be pleasing in your sight, O Lord, my Rock and my Redeemer.
Any prayer requests?

day 168

If God had a phone, email, Facebook, Twitter, an actual address, I think more people would communicate with Him. More people would be willing to talk to Him. If you got an IM from Him, maybe you'd be more willing to talk about problems you're having and ask for His help. You'd say thank you more often. Maybe God would even use Skype. If God called you, you'd probably answer quicker. If God actually came to stay in your house, maybe you act different. Maybe you wouldn't. Maybe you'd even be the one to send the invite. Maybe you'd be more willing to serve Him, to serve others. As convenient as all those things would be, and as nice a fantasy as that may sound, we don't need any of it. Our God is more than enough for us. All we need is Him. There. That's it. That's more than we could ever imagine. More than we could ever ask for. More than we deserve, but look. We've got Him. More importantly, He's got us. Me being the texter I am, I'd love it if God had a cell phone. Life would be easier. Nobody said being a Christ follower is easy. Humans are never satisfied. Why wish for different or better communication when people struggle with the means of communicating with Him that we already have?! It's just crazy. Work with what you have. Because what you have is the absolute greatest gift ever. Period.
Prayer requests?

day 167

"I can't believe what she said
I can't believe what he did
Oh, don't they know it's wrong, yeah?
Don't they know it's wrong, yeah?
Maybe there's something I missed
But how could they treat me like this?
It's wearing out my heart
The way they disregard
This love, this hate...
We all have a choice to make
Oh, Father won't you You forgive them?
They don't know what they've been doin'
Oh, Father, give me grace to forgive them
'Cause I feel like the one losin'" -Tenth Avenue North
Forgiving someone is mainly the freeing of our own conscience. The wrongdoing of the other person of course is bad, but the Bible says it's a mistake not to forgive. Maybe the person didn't even do something directly to you, yet you have bitterness and anger toward them. What a shame. For you, that is.
Luke 23:34
Jesus said, "Father, forgive them, for they do not know what they are doing."
Oftentimes that is true. The offender doesn't even know what they're doing. Perhaps they didn't do anything. As humans we always have to find fault in others, we always pass blame around. Knock it off and forgive. Forgive the person, forgive yourself. And ask God for his forgiveness, too.
Prayer requests?

day 166

Ecclesiastes 5:3-7
As a dream comes when there are many cares, so the speech of a fool when there are many words. When you make a vow to God, do not delay in fulfilling it. He has no pleasure with fools; fulfill your vow. It is better not to vow then to make a vow and not fulfill it. Do not let your mouth lead you into sin. And do not protest to the temple messenger,"My vow was a mistake." Why should God be angry at what you say and destroy the work of your hands? Much dreaming and many words are meaningless. Therefore stand in awe of God.
God made promises, covenants, with Abraham, Isaac and Jacob, and He remembered them. Not only did God remember, but He also kept those promises and fulfilled them. We're supposed to act godly, so keep your vows to God and see them through. Don't see that they FELL through.
Any prayer requests?

day 165

"By one offering He has perfected forever those who are being sanctified" (Hebrews 10:14)
We trample the blood of the Son of God underfoot if we think we are forgiven because we are sorry for our sins. The only reason for the forgiveness of sins by God, and the infinite depth of His promise to forget them, is the death of Jesus Christ. Our repentance is merely the result of our personal realization of the atonement by the Cross of Christ, which He has provided for us. "...Christ Jesus...became for us wisdom from God--and righteousness and sanctification and redeption..." (1 Corinthians 1:30). Once we realize that Christ has become all this for us, the limitless joy of God begins in us. And wherever the joy of God is not present, the death sentence is still in effect. No matter who or what we are, God restores us to right standing with Himself only by means of the death of Jesus Christ. God does this, not because Jesus pleads with Him to do so but because He died. It cannot be earned, just accepted. All the pleasing for salvation which deliberately ignores the Cross of Christ is useless. It is knocking at a door other than the one which Jesus has already opened. We protest by saying, "But I don't want to come that way. It is too humiliating to be received as a sinner." God's response, through Peter, is, "...there is no other name...by which we must be saved" (Acts 4:12). What at first appears to be heartlessness on God's part is actually the true expression of His heart. There is unlimited entrance His way. "In Him we have redemption through His blood..." (Ephesians 1:7). To identify with the death of Jesus Christ means that we must die to everything that was never part of Him. God is just in saving bad people only as He makes them good. Our Lord does not pretend we are all right when we are all wrong. The atonement by the Cross of Christ is the propitiation God uses to make unholy people holy.
-Oswald Chambers,My Untmost for His Highest
Prayer requests?

day 164

Our minds can be a very scary and dangerous place. Thoughts can either build you up or completely tear you down, whether by your own doing or by Satan's. So "cast your burden on the Lord and he shall sustain you; he shall never permit the righteous to be moved. For God is not the author of confusion but of peace." -Psalm 55:22 & 1Corinthians 14:33a
For the Lord God will help Me; therefore I will not be disappointed; therefore I have set My face like a flint, and I know that I will not be ashamed. -Isaiah 50:7

day 163

Isaiah 43:2
When you pass through the waters, I will be with you; And through the rivers, they shall not overflow you. When you walk through the fire, you shall not be burned, Nor shall the flame scorch you.
Psalm 3:3
But You, O Lord, are a shield for me, My glory and the One who lifts up my head.
Deut. 1:30
The Lord your God, who goes before you, He will fight for you, according to all He did for you in Egypt (insert your city, you life) before your eyes.
2Thessalonians 3:3
But the Lord is faithful, who will establish you and guard you from the evil one.
Zephaniah 3:17
The Lord your God in your midst, The Mighty One, will save; He will rejoice over you with gladness, He will quiet you with his love, He will rejoice over you with singing.
1Peter 1:3-5
Bleesed be the God and the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who according to His abundant mercy has begotten us again to a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead, to an inheritance and undefiled and that does not fade away, reserved in heaven for you, who are kept by the power of God through faith for salvation ready to be revealed in the last time.
Philippians 1:6
Being confident of this very thing, that He who has begun a good work in you will complete it until the day of Jesus Christ.
Jude 24,25
Now to Him who is able to keep you from stumbling, And to present you faultless Before the presence of His glory with exceeding joy, To God our Savior, Who alone is wise, Be glory and majesty, Dominion and power, Both now and forever. Amen.
Sometimes we need a reminder that God is our Guardian and our Security. (Also, notice the pattern of 3's...cool symbolism(: )

day 162

Isaiah 53
Who has believed our message and whom has the arm of the Lord been revealed? He grew up before him like a tender shoot, and like a root out of dry ground. He had no beauty or majesty to attract us to him, nothing in his appearance that we should desire him. He was despised and rejected by man, a man of sorrows, and familiar with suffering. Like one from whom men hide their faces he was despised, and we esteemed him not. Surely he took up our infirmities and carried our sorrows, yet we considered him stricken by God, smitten by him, and afflicted. But he was pierced for our transgressions, he was crushed for our iniquities; the punishment that brought our peace was upon him, and by his wounds we are healed. We all, like sheep, have gone astray, each one of us has turned to his own way; and the Lord has laid on him the iniquity of us all. He was oppressed and afflicted, yet he did not open his mouth; he was led like a lamb to the slaughter, as a sheep before her shearers is silent,  so he did not open his mouth. By oppression and judgement he was taken away. And who can speak of his descendants? For he was cut off from the land of the living; for the transgression of my people he was stricken. He was assigned a grave with the wicked, and with the rich in his death, though he had done no violence, nor was any deceit in his mouth. Yet it was the Lord's will to crush him and cause him to suffer, and though the Lord makes his like a guilt offering, he will see his offspring and prolong his days, and the will of the Lord will prosper in his hand. After the offering of his soul, he will see the light of life and be satisfied; by his knowledge my righteous servant will justify many, and he will bear their iniquities. Therefore I will give him a portion among the great, and he will divide the spoils with the strong, because he poured out his life unto death, and he
was numbered with the transgressors. For he bore the sin of many, and made intercession for the transgressors.


Even though we reject Him and turn to our own ways, He took our crap on Himself anyway. Amidst all of the junk, Jesus was crushed for US.
Prayer requests today?

day 161

You shall have no other gods before Me. -Exodus 20:3
"Aim at heaven and you will get earth thrown in; aim at earth and you will get neither." -C.S. Lewis
Put God first and everything else second. If it means being uncomfortable, don't let that stop you. Jesus didn't tell his executioners to take him off the cross because it was uncomfortable. God didn't stop the sacrifice of His Son because it was uncomfortable. Don't sacrifice your relationship with God for your relationship with other people. People will let you down. You will let other people down. When has God ever done that? Never. You can think up a situation all you want, but the truth is it was Satan who let you down. Or YOU let yourself down. Or another person did. Not God. That's not how He rolls. With God put first, everything will fall into place in Due time.
Prayer requests?

day 160

"The only superman I know is my dad."
Hebrews 1:1-2 [God's final Word: His Son] In the past God spoke to our ancestors through the prophets at many times and in various ways, but in these last days he has spoken to us by his Son, whome he appointed heir of all things, and through whom also he made the Universe.
God definitely spoke to us when He set His Son to the cross for us. Even Jesus asked for it not to happen, but it was His Father's Will, so Jesus obeyed. God made the ultimate sacrifice. The least you could do is WILLINGLY give some of your time to Him.
Prayer requests?

day 159

This is oftentimes our attitude with God. And that is definitely wrong. God doesn't have many reasons to keep us alive. He doesn't have to provide so many things for us. He doesn't have to really do anything for us. We've let him down countless times. And continue to do so. But God never leaves and He never will. She shares Hiw Word with us. He communicates to us and we can communicate back. If there's on thing you should never take for granted it's God. God, His Son and the Holy Spirit are the best gifts ever given! Even just one of those is way more than we can imagine. Way more than we deserve. Way more than enough. Don't just blow Him off. Do unto others as you would have them do unto you. If God blew you off, think of how your life would be. Quite simply, you wouldn't even have one.

day 158

Don't you know that you are God's temple and that God's Spirit lives in you? -1Corinthians 3:16 NCV
"Our body is a portable sanctuary through which we are daily experiencing the presence of God." -Richard Foster
"If I truly knew that He was smitten with me, maybe I could take a deep breathe, square my shoulders, and go out to face the world with confidence." -Angela Thomas
Vow to be a hope-filled Christian. Think optimistically about your life, your education, your family, and your future. Trust your hopes, not your fears.
^Another compilation from my devo book. It's a really good book, guys!
Any prayer requests?

day 157

I will instruct you and teach you in the way you should go; I will guide you with My eye. -Psalm 32:8 NKJV
If you were blindfolded (as some of you saw in chapel yesterday) wouldn't you want to be guided by someone who could see it all, who knew everything that could potentially harm you? It's easier to trust somebody that's confident in what they do. You still might miss and aim in the wrong direction, or run into the wall, or totally walk past something important. God sees the entire court, all the time. He is there to coach you through it all. He won't run ahead and leave you to your own devices, unlike Satan. Listen. God's trying to talk to you. He's saying, "Come one, this way. I've got you. Don't let go; I never will. We're in this together. Follow me. I know exactly where I'm going. Come home." It's like a game of Marco Polo: you can't see anything, you may get some water up your nose, but you follow the voice anyway and gain victory.
Prayer requests?

day 156

Dear friends, don't let this one thing escape you: with the Lord one day is like 1,000 years, and 1,000 years like one day. -2Peter 3:8 Holman CSB
Every day you keep God waiting, that's tremendous amount of time. I did some calculations, and if you make God wait for you one day, you're keeping him waiting for about 8,660,000 hours. That's a huge number! Math is not my strongsuit, so this could be a wrong number, but still. That's a very long time. And our God is SO patient with us! After a week or two, I get tired of waiting for people. God's patience is just mind blowing. So the next time you get mad and say, "I don't want to talk to God today," or "I've had a really busy day, there's just no time," or flat-out "I'm ignoring God," take time and think about how long that is. Would you like to be ignored for that long? Would you be patient if EVERYBODY kept blowing you off? Talk to God. Time's up. Enough is enough.
Any prayer requests?

Day 155

Usually when you think of depositing something you think of going to the bank. There are four other types of deposits: 1)the Holy Spirit being deposited in you
2)you being deposited in the place you're at [both broad and specific]
3)the Word of God being deposited in you
4)you and your gifts deposited to others
These are all good types of deposits, but if they're ignored and pushed to the side, what good can they do? What do you hold onto that keeps you from experiencing God's promise? Is it your pride, expectations, prejudices, traditions? Don't let your expectations, judgements and desires get in the way of what God's plan is for you. When was the last time you consulted God for something? When was the last time you asked God about your own mission in life? Hmm. Something to think about.
Prayer requests?

day 154

Sorry there hasn't been a devo the past couple days. This one is from a book I have:
You have heard that it was said, "Love your neighbor and hate your enemies." But I say to you, love your enemies. Pray for those who hurt you. -Matt. 5:43-44 NCV
It's hard to feel good about yourself while you're carrying around a heart full of bitterness. That's one reason (but not the only reason) that you should be quick to forgive everybody. If there exists even one person whom you have not forgiven (and that includes yourself), follow God's commandment and His will for you: forgive that person today. And remember that bitterness, anger, and regret are not part of God's plan for your life. Forgiveness is. If you sincerely wish to forgive someone, pray for that person. And then pray for yourself by asking God to heal your heart. Don't expect forgiveness to be easy or quick, but rest assured: with God as your partner, you can forgive...and you will.
"Mercy imitates God and disappoints Satan." -St. John Chrysostom
"Our Lord worked with people as they were, and He was patient--not tolerant of sin, but compassionate." -Vance Havner
When other people have made a mistake...it's a mistake not to forgive them.
Any prayer requests today?

Day 153

¡¡HAPPY THANKSGIVING!!
"Give thanks with a grateful heart
Give thanks to the Holy One
Give thanks beecause He's given Jesus Christ His Son
Give thanks with a grateful heart
Give thanks to the Holy One
Give thanks because He's given Jesus Christ His Son
And now let the weak say 'I am strong!'
Let the poor say 'I am rich!' because of what the Lord has done for us
Give thanks"
May the dear Lord continue to bless you richly<3

day 152

Psalm 113:1-3
Praise the Lord. Praise, O servants of the Lord, praise the name of the Lord. Let the name of the Lord be praised, both now and forevermore. From the rising of the sun to the place where it sets, the name of the Lord is to be praised.
No matter what your are going through, praise God. Maybe your homelife isn't the greatest--lots of fighting and hurt. Maybe your job area isn't even close to ideal. God gave you a family. God has blessed you with a job. God will provide for you; He always has, always does, always will. Be thankful for the things you've been given. People have similarities in their life, but all of the finer details are personalized. In every single situation, there is always something good. Always.
Any prayer requests?

day 151

Psalm 43
Vindicate me, O God, and plead my cause against an ungodly nation; rescue me from deceitful and wicked men. You are God my stronghold. Why have you rejected me? Why must I go about mourning, oppressed by the enemy? Send forth your light and your truth, let them guide me; let them bring me to your holy mountain, to the place where you dwell. Then will I go to the alter of God, to God, my joy and my delight. I will praise you with the harp, O God, my God. Why are you downcast, O my soul? Why so disturbed within me? Put your hope in God, for I will yet praise him, my Savior and my God.
The only way those bad things in your life will get fixed is by running into God's open, loving arms. The only way those good things in your life will get even better is by sticking with God. He is the answer to it all. The truth will set you free. Why wouldn't you find it and hold onto it and share it with others? Hmm.
Prayer requests?

Day 150

James 4:11-12
beothers, do not slander one another. Anyone who speaks against his brother or judges him speaks against the law and judges it. When you judge the law, you are not keeping it, butting sitting in judgement on it. There is only one Lawgiver and Judge, the one who is able to save and destroy. But you--who are you to judge?
A definition of judging that would be really well is: letting God know you're better than Him; He's not cut out for His own job. How dare we judge! You wouldn't be too happy if someone shoved you out of the way and just started taking over. Especially if everyone did it multiple times a day and didn't even acknowledge it. Just kept interrupting. They didn't acknowledge you or apologize for it. That's God's job. Give it back.
Any prayer requests?

day 149

Romans 12:12,14,17-19
Be joyful in hope, patient in affiction, faithful in prayer. Bless those who persecute you; BLESS and do not curse. Do NOT repay anyone evil for evil. Be careful to do what is right in the eyes of everybody. If it is possible, as far as it depends on you, live at peace with everyone. Do not take revenge, my friends, but leave room for God's wrath, for it is written: "It is mine to avenge; I will repay," says the Lord.
Hope? Yeah! Hope. God will get you through it all. You and God have different to-do lists. Getting back at people and giving them "a taste of their own medicine" is NOT on your list. God knows both sides of all situations and will deal with each person accordingly. Pray for people who do wrong to you. Don't wish ill on even your own worst enemy. Always be joyful--not happy, but joyful--pray without end.
1Thessalonians 5:16-18
Be joyful always; pray continually; give thanks in all circumstances, for this is God's will for you in Christ Jesus.
How often have you asked God what His plan for you is? Are there any prayer requests today?

day 148

"Thanks be to God who giveth us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ." -Handel's Messiah
All of our strengths come from God. All of our strengths ARE God. Nothing bad comes from Him. Are you the type of person who likes to show off or prove your strength? Well, doing it by yourself will work against you. The best way to show how strong you are is when you're weak. Weaknesses are great, because that's when God's light radiates through you and great things happen.
Prayer requests?

day 147

The Lord bless you and keep you; the Lord make his face shine upon you and be gracious to you; the Lord turn his face toward you and give you peace.
-Number 6:24-26
Have a great weekend! Prayer requests?

day 146

2Corinthians 12:7-10
To keep me from becoming conceited because of these surpassingly great revelations, there was given me a thorn in my flesh, a messenger of Satan, to torment me. Three times I pleaded with the Lord to take it away from me. But he said, "My grace is sufficient for you, my power is made perfect in weakness." Therefore I will boast all the more gladly about my weaknesses, so that Christ's power may rest on me. That is why, for Christ's sake, I delight in weaknesses, in insults, in hardships, in persecutions, in difficulties. For when I am weak, then I am strong.
In times of weakness God works best. He can really do His job, and the result it great. You don't need to prove your strength to others. You don't need to prove it to yourself. In doing that you don't accomplish much. It's your own power, which compared to God's, is nothing. Doing things YOURSELF only makes you weaker.
Proverbs 3:5
Trust in the LORD with all your heart and lean NOT on YOUR OWN understanding

day 145

Proverbs 24:1-12,19-22
Do not envy wicked men, do not desire their company; for their hearts plot violence, and their lips talk about making trouble. By wisdom a house is built, and through understanding it is established; through knowledge its rooms are filled with rare and beautiful treasures. A wise man has great power, and a man of knowledge increases strength; for waging war you need guidance, and for victory man advisors. Wisdom is too high for a fool; in the assembly at the gate he has nothing to say. He who plots evil will be known as a schemer. The schemes of folly are sin, in times of trouble, how small is your strength! Rescue those being led away to slaughter. If you say, "But we knew nothing about this," does not he who weighs the heart perceive it? Does not he who guards your life know it? Will he not repay each person according to what he has done? Do not fret because of evil men or be envious of the wicked, for the evil man has no future hope, and the lamp of the wicked
will be snuffed out. Fear the Lord and the king, my son, and do not join with the rebellious, for those two will send sudden destruction upon them, and who knows what calamities they can bring?
Any prayer requests today?

day 144

Powerful so powerful
Your glory fills the skies
Your mighty works displayed for all to see
The beauty of your majesty
Awakes my heart to see
How marvelous how wonderful you are...
You opened my eyes to your wonders anew
You captured my heart with this love
Because nothing on Earth is as beautiful as you
Praise God, from Whom all blessings flow
Praise Him, all creatures here below
Praise Him above, ye heavenly host
Praise Father, Son, and Holy Ghost
Amen
-Beautiful One and the Doxology
God has each one of you in every place you go to for a reason. He shows us many wonderful things everyday that we don't realize, or that is taken foor granted. We need to praise Him in everything we do. Everything you do should be done in the Almighty name of God. If it isn't, some changes need to be made ASAP. No kidding.

day 143

2Corinthians 1:21-22
Now it is God who makes both us and you stand firm in Christ. He annointed us, set his seal of ownership on us, and put his Spirit in our hearts as a deposit, guaranteeing what is to come.
Matt. 25:26-27
"His master replied, 'You wicked, lazy servant! So you knew that I harvest where I have not sown and gather where I have not scattered seed? Well then, you should have put my money on deposit with the bankers, so that when I returned I would have received it back with interest."
The master is upset because his servant did nothing with what he was given. God put his own Spirit inside us and there is an expectation of growth to take place in us. It is quite unacceptable to keep doing what you did before you got saved and act like it's okay. Own up to your wrongdoings and ask God for help to fix it.
Any prayer requests?

day 142

"Unless someone like you care a whole awful lot,
Nothing is going to get better. It's not."
John 15:4,6-17
Remain in me, as I also remain in you. No branch can bear fruit by itself; it must remain in the vine. Neither can you bear fruit unless you remain in me. If you do not remain in me, you are like a branch that is thrown away and withers; such branches are picked up, thrown into the fire and burned. If you remain in me and my words remain in you, ask whatever you wish, and it will be done for you. This is to my Father's glory, that you bear much fruit, showing yourselves to be my disciples. As the Father has loved me, so have I loved you. Now remain in my love. If you keep my commands, you will remain in my love, just as I have kept my Father's commands and remain in his love. I have told you this so that my joy may be in you and that you joy may be complete. My command is this: Love each other as I have loved you. Greater love has no one than this: to lay down one's life for one's
friends. You are my friends is you do what I command. I no longer call you servants, because a servant does not know his master's business. Instead, I have called you friends, for everything that I learned from my Father I have made known to you. You did not choose me, but I chose you and appointed you so that you might go and bear fruit--fruit that will last--and so that whatever you ask in my name the Father will give you. This is my command: Love each other.
That's a long passage, but quick comment: asking in Jesus' name is key. It's a shorter way of saying "God, if this is in your will to happen then let it be so and if not, You know what's for the best."
Prayer requests?

day 141

Proverbs 2:11-22&3:5-8
Discretion will protect you,
and understanding will guard you.

Wisdom will save you from the ways of wicked men,
from men whose words are perverse,
who have left the straight paths
to walk in dark ways,
who delight in doing wrong
and rejoice in the perverseness of evil,
whose paths are crooked
and who are devious in their ways.

Wisdom will save you also from the adulterous woman,
from the wayward woman with her seductive words,
who has left the partner of her youth
and ignored the covenant she made before God.[a]
Surely her house leads down to death
and her paths to the spirits of the dead.
None who go to her return
or attain the paths of life.

Thus you will walk in the ways of the good
and keep to the paths of the righteous.
For the upright will live in the land,
and the blameless will remain in it;
but the wicked will be cut off from the land,
and the unfaithful will be torn from it.
Trust in the Lord with all your heart
and lean not on your own understanding;
in all your ways submit to him,
and he will make your paths straight.[a]

Do not be wise in your own eyes;
fear the Lord and shun evil.
This will bring health to your body
and nourishment to your bones.
Any prayer requests?

day 140

"If you move just a little bit closer you
can put your head on my shoulder
So baby hold on
just another day or two
I can see the clouds are
moving faster now
and the sun is breaking through
If you can hold on, to the one that's holding you
there is nothing that can
stop this crazy love
from breaking though"
-TobyMac
With the results of the election, some people may be happy while some may not be. As pointed out by my father, now we really have to hold onto our faith in Jesus and hold onto the fact that this is not our home. We are passing through. It's temporary. We are to respect authoritative figures as well and we should pray for them. Pray for their leadership and that God's Will will be done through any and all situations. They have a great responsibilty. Let's support through prayer. Not by going against them and making their job harder. Action=reaction.
Prayer requests?

day 139

Proverbs 30:5-6
"Every word of God is flawless; he is a shield to those who take refuge in him. Do not add to his words, or he will rebuke you and prove you a liar."
God sees and hears everything you do. There's no point in hiding, because well, He sees you. It's said that God will hold you accountable for unsaid words, but the shame applies for said ones. People twist God's Word until it agrees with them. They don't look at it from God's perspective or ask for His guidance when reading. That's a HUGE problem. Don't add to God's Word or take away from it. He doesn't need your opinion. He needs your love, faith and obedience.
Deuteronomy 12:32
See that you do all I command you; do not add to it or take away from it.
Prayer requests?

day 138

Awesome new quote I heard from a cousin: "Know God, know peace; No God, no peace."
John 14:27 Peace I leave with you; my peace I give you. I do not give to you as the world gives. Do not let your hearts be troubled and do not be afraid.
Amen. Pretty plain and simple today. Jesus gives us his peace abd his givings are WAY better off than what the world has to offer. Don't let your hearts be troubled any. Don't be afraid.
Any prayer requests?

day 137

5 Good Things to Remember:
1. Free your heart from hatred
2. Free your mind from worries
3. Live simply
4. Give more
5. Expect less
Nobody likes it when something is clogged. Nobody likes having a brain fart. So get rid of the crap that causes these things. You know those "gifts" that just keep on giving? Well, give them back. To Satan. Where they all came from. The devil borrows you. Spits you out like you're nothing until you come back to him. But God bought you. You are His. He is yours.
Psalm 51:10 Create in me a pure heart, O God, and renew a steadfast spirit within me.
Prayer requests?

day 136

Everybody gets hurt one way or another. It's inevitable. People heal at different rates. Sometimes you don't even want to heal because you'd rather just stay wallowing in self pity. Healing. It's time. The faster you let go and lett God, the faster your problems can be handled and taken away. Wallowing slows down the process you're really looking for. If your scared for change to happen, would you REALLY be happier in this pile of darkness and hurt and just plain crap? Really?! Do yourself a favor and get the help you need. Let God do it. The saying, "you got yourself into this mess, so you get yourself out of it" does not really work. The BEST thing you can do quick with the wallowing and self pity and just get rid of the baggage. Nowadays we are SO lazy. We don't want to work. We don't want to lift heavy items. Well you are right now! So drop it! Let go of it! Good golly, take
advantage of God's offering to take it away!!!
Any prayer requests?

day 135

"So Napoleon, what are you gonna do today?"
"Whatever I feel like, gosh!"
This is the attitude of WAY too many people. What we should be saying is, "Whatever God wants me to do, duh!" Maybe guys wouldn't say it quite like that, and maybe girls wouldn't either, but you get the point. We should have a desire to do God's will and to LIVE by it. Breathe it. Spread it.
Psalm 143:10 Teach me to do your will, for you are my God; may your good Spirit lead me on level ground.
Any prayer requests?

day 134

"Somebody tell him that the lost are saved
Somebody tell him that his debt's been paid
And let him know, love is calling out his name
Somebody tell him, he's a child of the King
And there is an end to this suffering
And hope that never fades, through grace that's made a way
Somebody tell him, somebody tell him now."
Although it is the best kept secret, we can't just hog Him for ourselves. Be like Jesus and share the love. We are called to go out and make desciples of all nations. I know that near the beginning when God says to be fruitful and multiply He was talking about populating the earth since there was well, pretty much nobody. But we need to be fruitful--fruit of the Spirit, you know--and multiply--expand the Kingdom of God and show people how much open-armed room there is!

day 133

 

James 1:19-20
My dear brothers, take note of this: Everyone should be quick to listen, slow to speak and slow to become angry, for man's anger does not bring about the righteous life that God desires.

This passage is pretty polite. Too much of the time it is taken lightly, as a suggestion. Really, this is a command for us to be following. Yes, God is patient with us and slow to anger. That's how we should be. But God also has a breaking point. I'd rather not see God's angry side coming down on me. Am I alone in that? Now, I mean this in the holiest and most godly way possible: Shut up and listen! We need a Biblical muzzle. Honestly.
Prayer requests?

day 132

"Feels like I'm born again
Feels like I'm living
For the very first time
For the very first time in my life"
When you feel like you're at the edge of a cliff, about to fall off because you don't think you can hold on any longer, Jesus lifts you up. The feeling of darkness, in all its various forms, comes from us turning away from God. It's our selfishness and stubbornness. We think we can hand ourselves; we know what's best for us. WRONG! Without God you're dead. There's nothing that's impossible to do when you have Jesus in your life. He has to be in the INSIDE for anything to happen. If a stranger knocks on your door you might be hesitant to open the door, right? Don't be hesitant with Jesus. He isn't a stranger. A stranger wouldn't be willing to get nailed on a cross, take the sins of the world upon him and descend into Hell for you. God has one son. He chose to give His son for US so that there's a possible way for us to live eternally with Him.
God knows what we need. He's the one
who calls us to go to church, youthgroup, to read a section of the Bible, to listen to a song, to pray. It's not our doing, it's God's. When we reach that breaking point, God lifts us up and brighten our life. He gives us a new life in Him; we are born again. When you've been ill, that first breath of fresh air feels wonderful. Your nasal passage is cleared and you can finally BREATHE.
Any prayer requests?

day 131

Witness protection:protection of a threatened witness or any person involved in the justice system,including defendants and other clients,before,during and after a trial,usually by police.While a witness may only require protection until the conclusion of a trial,some witnesses are provided with a new identity and may live out the rest of their lives under government protection.
We're all God's witness protection.Whether we think we need it or not,we get it.When we accept God into our lives and surrender to Him,giving our trust to Him,we are born again and given a new name.We get a new identity.The trick with that is to be rid of your old self.You're given room to start all over,take it.And nothing is able to harm you.
Romans 8:38-39 For I am convinced that neither death nor life,neither angels nor demons,neither the present nor the future,nor any powers,neither height nor depth,nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus
our Lord.
NOTHING. Remember that.
Prayer requests today?

day 130

"Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest." -Matt. 11:28

Nuff said. Any prayer requests?

day 129

 

Today's devo is another set of lyrics from Christian lyricist Ezekiel.

I could teach you how to kill without choking, stabbing or shooting.
Just walk past someone who's dying and do this (looks and keeps walking)
And it's funny--I'm stuck instructing this tough class but I just passed
I was not the good Samaritan--I was the priest who just passed
Who can't understand why he's only washing his hands after taking his blood
bath but
Here's the leson:
Death is the equivalent to life when life is unmentioned.
So scratch the strife and tension
You might as well pull them to the side, look them in the eye, and tell them, "I want you to die."
And if they're strugging and desperate for a word of life to survive,
Just keep your mouth closed--now that's homicide
Most Christians are so eager to open their mouths to bless me,
But when I'm struggling with sin, they hold the truth back and
pat me on the back gently, and tell me something sweet,
cuz they don't want to offend me
At that point it was
so necessary for me to repent
See, I was drivng on grace while my tank was on empty
Why only bash violence when silence is so deadly?
And Scripture says our tongues hold the power of life and death
And that helps, but couldn't we use our powers to bring life to someone else?
If we just think it but never speak it, then death will volunteer itself
Shhh don't mention it. Shhhh just roll with it
Shhhhh it's the generation of hush
Hush mode-ism. And it's ruining us
you can trust that people are thirsting for living water
so why are we so busy sweating bullets
trying to keep it a secret that theu're sure to be dry...Bones
In this valley we are all Ezekiels
God needs us to speak to his people
Shall they live? I don't know
Cuz honestly, if I'm not speaking life into you, I'm killing you
I see some of you are feeling the same type of conviction I'm feeling too
Cuz if I had an adjective to describe the type of kellers we've become, it would be serial
And I'm serious, just look at us
Even in our
personal lives, we've hidden behind our lies so many times
that our hearts have a hard time convincing our minds that everything is fine,
so because of our pride, we keep our lips sealed, and pretend that we're mimes
not knowing that our audience is potentially blind
But my God speaks Braille, and it's only difficult
If you can't see what He did for you
So I don't care what they did to you, know how much it gets to you
Regardless of who disrespected, rejected, or negelcted you, slept with you and sexually transmitted disease infected you
No matter who, what, when, where, why or how they spiritually or physically molested you
raped you, betrayed you, spit in your face just to show you how much they hate you
despite what they did against you,
if you take two seconds and think about how you've offended God,
it should make you understand how much you deserve death just as much as they do
So
if they hurt you, let them know, speak forgiveness, let it go,
cuz my brethren you should know holding a grudge is the same as holding a gun
With the intention of having someone resting in peace
why do you think they say, speak now or forever hold your click-click peace?
You know sometimes we can be like old TVs
with antennae that can't receive signals from above so they
shhhhhhhhhhh
but God wants you to transmit that big picture with love
so don't let fear remote control you
cuz no matter how much static is in your view on Christ's station,
it's never cute to be mute in volume
So I dare you to be different, cuz by faith I've made a decision
that even if I was somehow placed in a prison
feet tied up, hands cuffed, face duct-taped up,
I would summon my faith in the Christ who saved us
through the manifestations of my heart's meditations,
I'd initiate with my brain and
translate that information to my nerves and my veins,
sending words to my epidermis surface in case my lips couldn't
release my statements,
I'd nod, twitch, and wiggle and wink you towarsa salvation
The spirit of pride--every spirit of pride ot lack of boldness, I destroy it in the
name of Jesus
You are now granted freedom to life--and not just to have it, but to speak it
Just allow God to breathe it, your CPR is needed
so is anyone is ever seeking for life, through the power of your words
I pray and wish that I never see anyone go shhhhh
Cuz Christ took lashes of the whip--and I'm not talking the regular whip
The kind of whip that when inflicted, causes the flesh to rip and compels you to go--
So you never have to go shhh
And now that we know that God has chosen that our spiritual reproductive
organs be manifested
by our words through our lips when we're speaking supernaturally we're
conceiving by our words
through our lips
So how can life continue to exist when my sisters keep them closed my
beothers keep them zipped?
So for the sake of the life I beg you to open your mouth and speak.

Any prayers

day 128

Matthew 18:10-14 "See you do not look down on one of these little ones. For I tell you that their angels in heaven always see the face of my Father in heaven.
"What do you think? If a man owns a hundred sheep, and one of them wanders away, will he not leave the ninety-nine on the hills and go to look for the one that wandered off? And if he finds it, I tell you the truth, he is happier about that one sheep than about the ninety-nine that did not wander off. In the same way your Father in heaven is not willing that any of these little ones should be lost.
Hebrews 3:14 We have come to share in Christ if we hold firmly till the end of the confidence we had first.
"Amazing grace
how sweet the sound
that saved a wretch like me
I once was lost
but now am found
was blind but now I see...

My chains are gone
I've been set free..."

day 127

 

"Let go and let God."
Luke 23:34 Jesus said, "Father, forgive them, for they do not know what they are doing."
Matt. 4:17 From that time on Jesus began to preach, "Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is near."
Jeremiah 15:19 Therefore this is what the Lord says: "If you repent I will restore you that you may serve me;

We al mess up. That's inevitable. Sometimes we know full well what we're doing and a lot of times we actually don't. It's all stupidity, really. We know the truth and we see it, but the lies win. The lies make sense. You might think: "This is such a good idea!" "Great reason for doing this!" "I am such a genius!" The devil uses our weakness to deceive us so well, we don't even know the half of it. The hard thing to remember: don't beat yourself up. God sees what you did. God sees what Satan did. Repent and ask for peace; He'll give it to you. He's very loving and forgiving.
Prayer requests today?

day 126

 

1Corinthians 3:8-9
The man who plants and the man who waters have one purpose, and each will be rewarded according to his own labor. For we are God's fellow workers; you are God's field, God's building.
1Corinthians 15:58
Therefore, my dear brothers, stand firm. Let nothing move you. Always give yourselves fully to the work of the Lord, because you know that your labor in the Lord is not in vain.

I've used the quote before, "Until God opens another door, you praise him from the hallway." Everyone has a purpose on this Earth and God has special jobs and tasks for everyone. Sometimes smaller deeds are needed more than bigger ones. God works and reveals himself through us. What an honor! We are chosen to be God's employees, therefore let nothing stand in your way. When obstacles are thrown at you, go around or jump over; DO NOT TURN BACK. After days of working we are given the opportunity to rest and relax. Such a day is even blessed by God, too!

Exodus 20:9-11
Six days you shall labor
and do all your work, but the seventh day is a Sabbath to the Lord your God. On it you shall not do any work, neither you, nor your son or daughter, nor your manservant or maidservant, nor your animals, nor the alien within your gates. For in six days the Lord made the heavens and the earth, the sea, and all that is in them, but he rested on the seventh day. Therefore the Lord blessed the Sabbath day and made it holy.

Any prayer requests?

day 125

 

1John 2:9-11
Anyone who claims to be in the light but hates his brother is still in the darkness. Whoever loves his brother lives in the light, and there is nothing in him to make him stumble. But whoever hates his brother walks around in the darkness; he does not know where he is going, because the darkness has blinded him
Over the weekend something quite obvious stuck out to me. Hating your brother is not limited to family. We are ALL brothers and sisters ; it applies to everyone. Get rid of the hate inside you. Forgive regularly. Forgive your parents--honor them, siblings, other family, friends, peers, yourself and ENEMIES. It sets prisoners free, it liberates slaves. That prisoner, that slave, is you.
Prayer requests?

day 124

 

For the beauty of the earth
For the glory of the skies,
For the love which from our birth
Over and around us lies:

It's the hardest thing to give away
And the last thing on your mind today
It always goes to those that don't deserve
It's the opposite of how you feel
Wen the pain they caused it just too real
It takes everything you have to say the word...
Lord of all, to Thee we raise
This, our hymn of thankful praise.

Forgiveness
Forgiveness

It flies in the face of all your pride
It moves away the mad inside
It's always anger's own worst enemy
Even when the jury and the judge
Say you gotta right to hold a grudge
It's the whisper in your ear saying 'Set It Free'

For the beauty of each hour
Of the day and of the night,
Hill and wale and tree and flow'r
Sun and moon and stars of light

Forgiveness
Forgiveness
Show me how to love the unlovable
Show me how to reach the unreachable
Show me how to do the impossible

For the joy of human love,
Brother, sister, parent, child.
Friends on
Earth and friends above
For all gently thoughts and mild

It'll clear the bitterness away
It can even set a prisoner free
There is no end to what its power can do
So, let it go and be amazed
By what you see through eyes of grace
The prisoner that it really frees is you

For each perfect gift of Thine
To our race so freely given.
Graces human and divine
Flow'rs of earth and buds of heav'n.

Forgiveness
Forgiveness
-Mashup of For the Beauty of the Earth (hymn) and Forgiveness (Matthew West)

Any prayer requests?

day 123

 

These are the words to a poem by a Christian lyricist. The actual video is great. Check it out on Youtube if you can: "Ezekiel almost saved"

One of the most dangerous terms in English diction
If it could be translated into audio it would sound like
Pbb-bb-bb-bb from the saxophone of Lisa Simpson
Two words designed and strategically combined
To form the biggest oxymoron in the history of mankind
ALL-MOST
But see, as far as the world's concerned, you could live your life vile
and could almost get away with murder if you had a nice smile
you could almost meet folks just to almost sleep around
and stop at your local clinic while you almost had a child.
see, 'almost' is no stranger to Satan.
Here's proof:
he only tells lies when they're almost the truth
And it's amazing in our incompleteness we find complacence
but if almost is one of Lucifer's many traits
then we are inadvertently good Satan impersonations
But on the contrary, Christ did his job fully
and he proved he was God when he died
on the cross like it was his duty
and to pardon my iniquities that I commited rudely
he resurrected from the grave just to tell death to excuse me
but excuse me, this is your life and that's something I can't impose on
but your body is God's home which was alone about to get forclosed on
See, an almost Christian looks right but lives wrong
can't stand the conviction in Romans so they sit down to be comforted in Psalms
never understood worship but loved to sing songs like "I surrender all...MOST"
Cuz it's far too expensive to spend your life on something that doesn't appeal to your five senses
See, nowadays, Christianity is like a Louis rag--
no function or use but we just rock it cuz it's stylish
not righteous, but right-ish
so now all God sees is a pile of ISHmael's when he intended for Isaac's
And we're moved by how we feel so we're saved when we feel like it
so technically we've never really been saved we merely tried it.
So no wonder why we're never sold out when we return it after
we buy it
Let me break it down because you need to beware
that your life could lack the very standards that need to be there
Cuz on that final day of judgement while God's receiving his heir
will he say, Son, well done or (spits) medium rare!
Cuz even by the earthly standards it would be highly insane
to start spending all of your money days before you almost get paid
like parents, you wouldn't send your kids to a school that's almost safe
and ladies, would you really date a man who claim's he's almost straight?
and this is the very thing about God that we all try to get around
but his standards are like between two mountains--no middle ground
so a halfway life is unprofitable to you

cuz after all the Sunday service, Bible studies, and prayer meetings
and everything that goes between, God will say I never knew you
But that's not even the worst part of living your life as neutral
it's that you were once arctic but it is your lukewarmness that is causing him to spew you
and this is the very thing that had me I was bound and held down by the unforgiving gravity of my spiritual reality
I was a Christian, or at least I portrayed the fantasy
With a filthy personal life but a "God bless you brother, how you doin' sister?" personality
I was a male enveloped by guilt because I was stamped a sinner
My message couldn't be received because I didn't represent the sender yet I was almost delivered
Till that one day when I totally, absolutely and completely surrendered
I took heed to a modern prophet who proclaimed it was time for change
Now I'm no longer bound to sin point-blank off the chain
You can ask Umar Abdul Mutallab, he'll tell you the same--
you don't almost go to jail when you almost blow up a plane
like you don't almost go to hell when you almost get saved
Despised the cross that he was slain and thus the cause for which he he came
but don't worry I'm almost done, but before I leave this stage
we all have worked in sin and death was minimum wage
but if it wasn't for Christ we would have almost got paid.

Check out the video! Prayer requests?

day 122

Insanity is doing the same thing over and over but expecting a different outcome. Today's kind of ties in with yesterday's. If you keep believing the lies Satan tells you, the only place to go is down. No matter what you keep telling yourself, if you don't give it to God and let Him fully take over, quite frankly, you're stupid. You know what needs to be done. You know the steps you need to take. So DO IT!!! Why weigh yourself down with all this extra baggage? Drop it. Get rid of it. God WANTS to take it from you. Why not let him? Take advantage!

Any prayer requests?

day 121

"Today I want to inform you, just in case anyone else hasn't, that Satan is a liar. Right now? He's lying to you. And the scary thing is, these lies usually make sense. Do you believe you're ugly? Think you're a loser? Lies. All of it. My friends, Satan is a terrorist. He's a gang leader. The Bible says he is a a thief who wants to steal, kill, and destroy you. And you know what? He's succeeding with a lot of you. That guy doesn't come out at you like a horned monster. No, he's one smooth dude. You afraid of rejection? He's gonna use it. You afraid of what others think? He's all over that." The youth pastor held up his tattered Bible. "This is your armor. And this is the only place you surrender. Tell the devil you're through listening. It's time to tell yourself, 'I'm good enough.' It's time you claim the verse in the Bible that says you are a dearly loved child of God. You are adored.
And you deserve love. When that voice sneaks into your head with lies, you claim the opposite. Say, 'I'm beautiful. I'm a success. I'm going places.' God doesn't care about your money, your background, what kind of clothes you wear. Stop looking in the mirror for your truth. Stop listening to your friends. Don't read that magazine and think that's your reality. They're lying to you. Because you are dearly loved. Isn'tit time we start acting like it? You want to know what's holding you back? It's not what is or isn't in your wallet. It's not your folks or your face. It's lies. Here is where truth begins. Jesus died for you. He died for this moment. Standing up to Satan's lies takes guts. I want to live that peace God promises. And I think there are some of your here today who feel the same. You're sick of the lies stealing your joy. They sound like truth. They make sense. Satan plants questions in your mind and says, 'Answer this with logic.' But God says, 'No, answer with faith.' Who's going to fight back today? Are you going to be brave enough to surrender that burden and nail it to the cross? Who's ready to live like you're dearly loved?"
-Sermon from a book I'm reading
Any prayer requests?

day 120

 

The world sees you by how you dress, what you eat, drive, sell, etc. Does that REALLY say who you are? Do material things define you? No. I sure hope not. God sees your definition written on the inside of you. By the condition of your heart. That's what matters. God understands your ways. He may not be happy with them all the time, but He is more than willing to guide you on how to fix them.
"Man does not see what the Lord sees, for man sees what is visible, but the Lord sees the heart." -1Samuel 15:7 Holman CSB
God has faith in you. Belief in what is not seen. He has hope and a great, prosperous future for you, too.
Prayer requests?

day 119

 

Another from my devotion book:
When Something Needs to be Done, Do It

1Corinthians 4:20 (NLT) For the Kingdom of God is not just fancy talk, it is living by God's power.
When you know that something really needs to be done, you have a choice to make: You can either do the work that neds to be done, or you can put it off till later. If you get into the habit of doing things in a timely manner, you'll feel better about yurself (and you'll earn bigger rewards from life). But if you fall prey to the trap of procrastination, you'll pay a heavy price for your shortsightedness.
Are you one of those people who puts things off till the last minute? If so, it's time to change your ways. Your procrastination is probably the result of your shortsighted attempt to postpone (or avoid altogether) the discomfort that you associate with a particular activity. Get over it!
Whatever "it" is, do it now. When you do, you won't have to worry about "it" later--and that's very good news for you.
Any prayer requests today?

day 118

 

1corinthians 10:13
No temptation has seized you except what is common to man. And God is faithful; he will not let you be tempted beyond what you can bear. But when you are tempted, he will also provide a way out so that you can stand up under it.
You do have to put in effort, though; God has his part to play and you have yours.
"Temptation is not a sin. Even Jesus was tempted. The Lord Jesus gives you the strength needed to resist temptation." -Corrie Ten Boom
What you do with temptation determines what is sin.
Any prayer requests?

day 117

 

From a devotion book I have:
Avoid Gossip

"So rid yourselves of all wickedness, all deceit, hypocrisy, envy, and all slander." -1Peter 2:1 Holman CSB

Face facts: gossip is the guilty little pleasure that tempts almost all of us from time to time. Why is it so tempting to gossip? Because when we put other people down, we experience a brief dose of self-righteousness as we look down our noses at the mideeds of other. But there's a catch: In truth, we can never really build ourselves up by tearing other people down. So, the habit of gossip turned out to be a self-defeating waste of time.
It's no wonder that the Bible clearly teaches that gossip is wrong. Consider the simple advice found in Proverbs 16:28 : "Gossip ruins friendships" (NCV). So do yourself a big favor: Don't spend precious time talking about other people. It's a waste of words, it's the wrong thing to do, and in the end, it will leave you with less self-respect, not more.
When you avoid the temptation to engage in gossip,
you'll feel better about yourself--and other people will feel better about you, too. So don't do it.

"To belittle is to be little." -anon
"I still believe we ought to talk about Jesus. The old country doctor of my boyhood days always began his examination by saying, 'Let me see your tongue.' That's a good way to check a Christian: the tongue test. Let's hear what he is talking about." -Vince Havner
"Would we want our hidden sins to be devulged? Then we should be silent about the hidden sins of others." -St. Jean Baptiste de la Salle

When talking about other people, use this guideline: don't say something behind someone's back that you wouldn't say to that person directly.

This devo could be an hourly reminder...maybe even by the half hour in some cases. Also, gossipping isn't always said aloud, either. The very thought about someone else is sometimes worse than what comes out the mouth.
Prayer requests?

day 116

 

Eyes by Gwen Ulrey

His eyes are brown
Her eyes are blue
His eyes laugh
Her eyes laugh too
His eyes are watchful
Her eyes stumble
His eyes are pronounced
Her eyes stumble
His eyes are harsh
Her eyes are soft
Your eyes hold judgement
My eyes seek acceptance

Romans 5:17 Accept one another, then, just as Christ accepted you, in order to bring praise to God.
Philippians 3:20 But our citizenship is in heaven. And we eagerly await a Savior from there, the Lord Jesus Christ.

Come as you are. If you accept Christ and what He did for you, He will aaccept you; then all other things will fall into place. Jesus is all the acceptance you need.
Prayer requests?

day 115

 

This morning I was flipping through my Bible looking for a good verse to touch on today, and I came across threee passages. I couldn't pick just one, so today's is like three mini devos on one. God didn't seem to protest =). I promise today's is shorter than the other day!
Matt.23:37 "O Jerusalem, Jerusalem, you who kill the prophets and stone those sent to you, how often have I longed to gather your children together, as a hen gathers her chicks under her wongs, but you were not willing.
God wants to help and fix out problems, but we're too stubborn and not humble.
Matt.5:10-12 Blessed are those who are persecuted because of righteousness, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven. Blessed are you when people insult you, persecute you and falsely say all kinds of evil against you because of me. Rejoice and be glad, because great is your reward in heaven, for in the same way they persecuted the prophets who were before you.
Haters gon' hate. They say to "kill 'em with kindness" so maybe tell them 'thank you' next time, or 'because of you I am blessed and have an awesome prize'.
Numbers 6:24-27 ' "The Lord bless you and keep you; the Lord make his face shine upon you and be gracious to you; the Lord turn his face toward you and give you peace." '
"So they will put my name on the Israelites, and I will bless them."
With that said, I hope you have a fun-filled weekend! LHWL kids, HAVE FUN @ HOMECOMING AND PUT PICS ON FB!!!
Any prayer requests today?

day 114

 

Yeah, it's PROfound
And I'n feelin like a fool, fool for God that is...

Aye when I hear the Jesus beats through the speakers in the buildin'
My soul begins to urge and on the florr I start giggin'
His spirit fills my body, I don't even care who's watchin'
I be feelin' every word like I was readin' brail writin'
Now if you wanna join, then you don't have to be afraid
Cuz nobody will judge you and no sentence will be made
So trade in all your sorrows, you can leave them at the door
Cuz Jesus Christ is knockin', better answer that bro
And when I get to dancin' it's gon' cause a chain reaction
I don't care if it's the Dougie or I'll do the Michael Jackson
Cuz Christ is who I'm servin' I don't care about no tip
Cuz in Christ I'l retire with unlimited benefits
And Jesus is the reason that I'm smilin' so big
He filled my life with song like an iPod with 1000 gigs
My shoulders get to bouncin' and look what I started
Cuz there ain't no party like a Jesus Christ Partyyy

Teach me how to love Th
ee, teach me, teach me how to love Thee
I know Jesus loves me, I know, I know Jesus loves me
I know Jesus loves me, and I'm not afraid cuz He's my homie

Now teach me how to love Thee get a feel for how to do this
Start by slappin' Jesus music and we gettin' really foolish
Really feelin' that sensation, that has be enstilled
He relieves me of my pain like aspirin pills
We ain't happy cuz we stackin' skrills or cuz we got them flashy wheels
We got eternal life, that be happenin' fareals
Without a diggy doubt, hope you feel what this is bout
Treat his truth like a flyer, we give it out
Not His gifts but, God himself I'ma love bro
Arm myself with His weapons, like spiritual gunshow
Gave me a grip on life, yes He gave my faith a gum sole
Constant like a drumroll, joyful, Philippians 1:4
Pick me up when I was lost like a fumble
Don't know much about Him, I just know, that my savior's got me goin' dumb tho
Holy by him, I have a sanctified swag, through Prayers, Dance, and Teachin' I be be th
ankin' my Dad

And I'm like..
Teacher teacher!
Teach me how to love Thee
Fitna study got my textbook the b.i.b.l.e
My number one, I ain't talkin' bout Nelly
The gospel feeds my soul, my spirit got a belly
I'm on the dance floor, sweatin' out my sins mayne
I got them Jesus Jams bumpin' out the speakers mayne
I hit a two step, they screamin' YOU A JERK
Swagged out Soul'd out doin' God's work
Puttin' over time for Him alone I push and grind
Spill my mind then form a rhyme and praise His name in every line
The Lord's my only refuge, so I do trust He died for my sins, yeah that's wussup
But he ain't any man, He's God's sn who came to stand and fight for our rights, so I'm livin' out his plan
Got J's on my hand and I'm swaggin' to the right
Catch flight off His light, cuz he love me, love me like
(chorus)
-PROfound
A lot of you can probably guess the tune of this song...it's a Christian remix of Teach Me How To Dougie. Everyone like a good beat on a song, but what about the words that go alo
ng? Anyone can take a tune and add new words. That's great. What you fill your ears with, becomes your thoughts. Thoughts into words, words into actions. Actions turn into habits, habits turn into your character. Your character turns into your destiny. Whoa. We have GOT to be CAREFUL and more aware of what we enter into ourselves.
Prayer requests?

day 113

 

Psalm 4
Answer me when I call you, O my righteous God. Give me relief from my stress; be merciful to me and hear my prayer. How long, O men, will you turn my glory into shame? How long will you love delusions and seek false gods? Know that the Lord has set apart the gofly for himself; the Lord will hear when I call to him. In your anger do not sin; when you are on your beds, search your hearts and be silent. Offer right sacrifices and trust in the Lord. Many are asking, "Who can show us any good?" Let the light of your face shine upon us, O Lord. You have filled my heart with greater joy than when their grain and new wine abound. I will lie down and sleep in peace, for you alone, O Lord, make me dwell in safety.
You don't fully know the answer to something unless you ask. Sometimes the answer you get is surprising. God doesn't want you to suffer on your own. He suffers with you; he knows what you're feeling and thinking. There's a time for being silent and still; resting. God will give you peace and safety. God will give you your heart's desire one way or another. Just ask for it.
Any prayer requests?

day 112

 I'm headed down this narrow road
Chosen by the few
And all that I know is
You told me to follow You

I'm taking a risk and leaving it all
Not knowing what I'll go through
But I'm not alone
As long as I follow You

So when my life's a leap of faith
I can hear You say

Well done, well done
I'm gonna chase You, Lord
I'm gonna show the world Your love, woah
I'll run, I'll run
I'm gonna run this race
To hear You say well done

If people walk with me, talk with me, looking for truth
They're gonna find out soon
If they're following me then
They're gonna follow You

So let my life speak loud and clear
Lord, I wanna hear

Well done, well done
I'm gonna chase You, Lord
I'm gonna show the world Your love, woah
I'll run, I'll run
I'm gonna run this race
To hear You say well done

I'm so glad that I get to serve You, Lord
You're the only One I am living for, woah
I'm gonna run straight into Your open arms
I'm gonna follow You with my all heart, woah, woah

Well done, well done
I'm gonna chase You, Lord
I'm gonna show the world Your love, woah
I'll run, I'll run
I'm gonna run this race
To hear You say well done

I'm gonna run this race
To hear You say well done
[x2]

Well done
-Moriah Peters

Prayer requests?

day 111

 

Psalm 119:171
May my lips overflow with praise, for you teach me your decrees.
2Corinthians 1:5-7
For just as the sufferings of Christ flow over into our lives, so also through Christ our comfort overflows. If we are distressed, it is for your comfort and salvation; if we are comforted, it is for your comfort, which produces in you patient endurance of the same sufferings we suffer. And our hope in you is firm, because we know that just as you share in our sufferings, so also you share in our comfort.
Romans 15:13
May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace as you trust in him, so that you may overflow with hope by the power of the Holy Spirit.
God is not the "glass half full" or "half empty" type. God is the "fill to the brim and keep on filling" type. He's not gonna be like, "well that person has enough for the day, or "this person needs some more so I'll take some from someone else and they'll be okay". God gives us more than what's enough. He is enough and BEYOND. If you're the type of person to say the glass is half empty, then Satan took something from you. Or you took something from yourself. But if you say the glass is half full, you know God's still filling you up and throwing stuff at you. People say appearance. Well, mindset is everything. Heartset is everything. If you listen to your mind, you'll end up sorry. If your heart is what you listen to, you'll reach beyond what you imagine. God is just that boss.
Any prayer requests?

day 110

 "In First Peter God says it's time to be on alert. The devil prowls around, looking for our weakness. Do you know when we are at our weekest? We are such easy prey when we're broken down like an old truck on the side of the road. When life has knocked you t your knees, and you have no idea how you're going to fix it. When your brain is consumed with hurt...and all the solutions you've come up with are filling up your head. God tells us to get humble. To run to him and just say, 'Take care of me. Take the decision-making out of my hands.' He promises to lift us up in due time. He says, 'After you've suffered for a while, I'm gonna pull you right out, and you're going to be stronger than ever.' Guys, we gotta stay tough. We have to stay in the Word and on our knees in prayer. Are you going through something? Now is not the time to shrink back. Satan wants you to quit and run away. but the
Lord tells us to face our problems bravely, because just like a young David facing his Goliath,we've got God on our side. He is our defense and refuge. Does life seem unfair right now? Well, just hang on. Because your breakthrough is coming--for those who are courageous enough to wait it out. What is it that's defeating you today? That keeps you up at night and makes you want to give up? Are you ready to let God be your champion? Give him all your confusion, your worry, your past. And just let it go. Do not go one more day living in fear of defeat. We are more than conquerors."
-Sermon during church in a Christian fiction novel
Prayer requests?

day 109

 

What can take a dying man and
raise him up to life again?What can heal a wounded soul?
What can make us white as snow?
What can fill the emptiness?
What can mend our brokenness?
Brokenness

Mighty, awesome, wonderful
Is the holy cross
Where the Lamb laid down His life
To lift us from the fall
Mighty is the power of the cross

What restores our faith in God?
What reveals the Father's love?
What can lead the wayward hom?
What can melt a heart of stone?
What can free the guilty ones
What can save and overcome?
Overcome

Mighty, awesome, wonderful
Is the holy cross
Where the Lamb laid down His life
To lift us from the fall
Mighty is the power of the cross

It's a miracle to see me
It's a miracle to see me
And it's still a mystery
And it's still a mystery
It's a miracle to me
The power of God
For those who believe

Mighty, awesome, wonderful
Is the holy cross
Where the Lamb laid down His life
To lift us from the fall

Mighty is
The power of
Mighty is
The power of
Mighty is the power of the
cross

Thank you for the cross
Thank you for the cross
Love the cross
Love the cross
So Powerful

What can take a dying man?
And raise him up to life again,

Worship You Jesus
By your wounds we are healed
By your wounds we are saved

Mighty is the power of the cross
Mighty is the power of the cross
Thank You Jesus
for the Holy cross

-Chris Tomlin

day 108

 Ecclesiastes 5:10-12
Whoever loves money never has money enough; whoever loves wealth is never satisfied with his income. This too is meaningless. As goods increase, so do those who consume them. And what benefit are they to the owner except to feast his eyes on them? The sleep of a laborer is sweet, whether he eats little or much, but the abundance of a rich man permits him no sleep.
Less is more. God will provide you what you need--as long as you stay out of the way. How are you supposed to help someone when they constantly blow you off and talk over you and they only listen to bits and pieces of what you're trying to say before getting interrupted yet again? It's pretty hard. Be still, know who God is and that he extends faaaaar beyond your imagination of him and he will provide for you in every single situation you're in, no matter how big or small.
Have a great weekend! Prayer requests?