Today’s Verse: That he might present it to himself a glorious church, not having spot, or wrinkle, or any such thing; but that it should be holy and without blemish. ~Ephesians 5:27 Paul makes a big emphasis on the church in his letter to the church at Ephesus. The Greek word used for church is “ecclesia,” which refers to a visible, local assembly of people. Specific to the church, it refers to the saved, baptized individuals who make up a local assembly that worships the Lor

Today’s Verse: But the liberal deviseth liberal things; and by liberal things shall he stand. ~Isaiah 32:8 A recent news article revealed that one of the richest female philanthropists in the world donated an astounding $2.7M to 286 organizations. While I do not agree philosophically with most of the organizations she donated to, her action falls within the thought of “the liberal deviseth liberal things.” Giving is a major aspect of the Christian life. We must remember that

Today’s Verse: As they ministered to the Lord, and fasted, the Holy Ghost said, Separate me Barnabas and Saul for the work whereunto I have called them. ~Acts 13:2 One of our greatest needs as Christians is to discern when the Holy Spirit speaks to us. Jesus promised that the Holy Spirit would come as our Comforter and our Teacher (John 14:26). As our Teacher, He teaches us all things, is truth, and is no lie (1 John 2:27). In Acts 8:29, the Spirit told Philip to go near and

Today’s Verse: Now it came to pass, when Sanballat, and Tobiah, and Geshem the Arabian, and the rest of our enemies, heard that I had builded the wall, and that there was no breach left therein; (though at that time I had not set up the doors upon the gates;) ~Nehemiah 6:1 Many of us are familiar with the story of the little boy who saw a leak in the wall of a dam and plugged it with his finger to keep it from leaking and getting larger. When Nehemiah came to Jerusalem and su

Today’s Verse: But Nathan the prophet, and Benaiah, and the mighty men, and Solomon his brother, he called not. ~1 Kings 1:10 Nathan the Prophet was a leading prophet during the reign of David. His name means “given of God” or “whom God gave.” Certainly, he was God’s gift to David and Israel during David’s reign. His person and messages were timely, helpful, blunt, and effective. He teaches us much about ministry integrity, ministry inspiration, and ministry influence. Every

Today’s Verse: Be ye angry, and sin not: let not the sun go down upon your wrath: ~Ephesians 4:26 I enjoy this time of the summer. The sun rises earlier and sets much later. We get to enjoy more daylight. Just last night, I went out for a walk and was watching as the sun was setting between 9:00pm and 9:15pm. Sundown represents the close of the day and the start of evening. Sundown is a marker in time for certain things. We see the affirmation. “And it came to pass, that, whe

Today’s Verse: That he told her all his heart, and said unto her, There hath not come a razor upon mine head; for I have been a Nazarite unto God from my mother's womb: if I be shaven, then my strength will go from me, and I shall become weak, and be like any other man. ~Judges 16:17 Most people are very particular about the cutting or styling of their hair. Getting a haircut is not just simply walking into a hair shop and letting anyone cut it. If we have the same person cut

Today’s Verse: Now the Lord is that Spirit: and where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is liberty. ~2 Corinthians 3:17 Today, the USA celebrates its independence from the tyranny of political and religious oppression of England. On July 4, 1776, the Declaration of Independence was signed by our founding fathers. In the city of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, there is a bell that is aptly called "the Liberty Bell” that symbolizes the freedom and liberty that we attained. There is

Today’s Verse: And it came to pass, when she pressed him daily with her words, and urged him, so that his soul was vexed unto death; ~Judges 16:16 Are you someone under pressure? Are you experiencing great stress in your job, your health, your family, or another important area of your life? There is the pressure of a trial, when the outcome of something is not in your control. There is the pressure from your peers to conform to them. There is the pressure from the world to ca

Today’s Verse: How then shall they call on him in whom they have not believed? and how shall they believe in him of whom they have not heard? and how shall they hear without a preacher? ~Romans 10:14 The high priority of the gospel ministry is the preaching of the gospel. Preaching in a church is the center point for directing the congregation towards the worship of God. It has been said that “preaching is the engine that drives the church.” God’s great leaders have been prea

Today’s Verse: For this cause I Paul, the prisoner of Jesus Christ for you Gentiles, ~Ephesians 3:1 Would you listen to the words of a prisoner? When we think of a prisoner, we might tend to think of a criminal who has been incarcerated. We might question the credibility of the prisoner and disregard what he says or be very skeptical. However, we hear the words this morning of “Paul, the prisoner of Jesus Christ.” He is not a prisoner for breaking the law, but for the advance