Today's Verse: But God commendeth his love toward us, in that, while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us. ~Romans 5:8 Debt is a financial or moral obligation that we owe someone else. Debt is a liability. Debt offsets what we own. As a debtor, I am required to make sure my obligation is paid in full. When that obligation is paid off, I receive a notification from our creditor that the debt is paid in full. This morning, let us rejoice in the sin debt that has been paid in

Today's Verse: Rebuke not an elder, but intreat him as a father; and the younger men as brethren; The elder women as mothers; the younger as sisters, with all purity. ~1 Timothy 5:1-2 When I was growing up, my father, elders, and teachers in school placed a strong emphasis on respecting other people. The age we now live in has morphed into barbarism, crudeness, and disrespect. Sadly, we find disrespect in our Christian homes and even in our churches. Disrespect is an indicato

Today's Verse: And the LORD said unto Gideon, The people are yet too many; bring them down unto the water, and I will try them for thee there: and it shall be, that of whom I say unto thee, This shall go with thee, the same shall go with thee; and of whomsoever I say unto thee, This shall not go with thee, the same shall not go. ~Judges 7:4 Has anyone ever told you that you have “too much” or “too many”? “Too many” implies more than necessary or more than is required. The Isr

Today's Verse: Likewise, ye husbands, dwell with them according to knowledge, giving honour unto the wife, as unto the weaker vessel, and as being heirs together of the grace of life; that your prayers be not hindered. ~1 Peter 3:7 I recently read how UPS (United Parcel Service) handles an average of 20.1 million packages per day. This is substantially more than FedEx, which averages more than 16 million packages per day. A percentage of these shipped goods falls into a categ

Today's Verse: Thus he shewed me: and, behold, the LORD stood upon a wall made by a plumbline, with a plumbline in his hand. And the LORD said unto me, Amos, what seest thou? And I said, A plumbline. Then said the Lord, Behold, I will set a plumbline in the midst of my people Israel: I will not again pass by them any more: ~Amos 7:7-8 If you have ever tried to make a straight line, you probably realized that you need a measuring device to help you make sure the line was truly

Today's Verse: Woe to them that are at ease in Zion, and trust in the mountain of Samaria, which are named chief of the nations, to whom the house of Israel came! ~Amos 6:1 I love the ministry and serving the Lord. The role that I serve in involves a multiplicity of tasks, responsibilities, and many people who need to be ministered to. The fast pace and large workload require me to be highly inspired and on the edge when it comes to completing tasks. I purposely try to plan a

Today's Verse: Now unto him that is able to do exceeding abundantly above all that we ask or think, according to the power that worketh in us, ~Ephesians 3:20 Paul referred to himself as the prisoner of Jesus Christ in Ephesians 3:1. He was a prisoner of Rome and used his time in prison to write to the church at Ephesus. The idea of being a prisoner presents someone who is held captive. It speaks of little to no liberty. It indicates that the prisoner is held by a power great

Today's Verse: For he is our peace, who hath made both one, and hath broken down the middle wall of partition between us; ~Ephesians 2:14 One of the great names of our Lord Jesus Christ is the Prince of Peace from Isaiah 9:6. As the Prince of Peace, He is the giver, sustainer, and complete authority for peace. Many noble men and women have lived their lives as activists for world peace. However, Jesus said, “In the world ye shall have tribulation.” Any kind of society or wo

Today's Verse: Therefore watch, and remember, that by the space of three years I ceased not to warn every one night and day with tears. ~Acts 20:31 Whenever we enter into a contract, purchase real estate, purchase insurance, incur a debt, or agree to a medical procedure, we want in writing the terms and conditions of what we are getting into. We want full disclosure of what are agreeing to, the risks, exclusions and limitations. We do not want any surprises after the fact, or

Today's Verse: I will run the way of thy commandments, when thou shalt enlarge my heart. ~Psalm 119:32 A few years ago, a missionary that we support indicated that she was diagnosed with an enlarged heart. This condition led to several other life-threatening health developments. Mayo Clinic says the following about an enlarged heart: “An enlarged heart (cardiomegaly) isn't a disease, but rather a sign of another condition. The term 'cardiomegaly' refers to an enlarged heart s

Today's Verse: And the woman said to Elijah, Now by this I know that thou art a man of God, and that the word of the LORD in thy mouth is truth. ~1 Kings 17:24 Do you know anyone who is a skeptic? Are you someone who is a skeptic? The Jews tend to be skeptical people. Jesus said about them, “Except ye see signs and wonders, ye will not believe.” After crossing the Red Sea, the Hebrews saw and then believed. However, faith means believing first and then seeing. Faith is belie

Today's Verse: And he removed from thence unto a mountain on the east of Bethel, and pitched his tent, having Bethel on the west, and Hai on the east: and there he builded an altar unto the LORD, and called upon the name of the LORD. ~Genesis 12:8   The altar was a place established for the worship of God. The altar was identified by sacrifices that the offeror burned at this location. The altar identified the offeror as a worshiper of God. It was meant to stir the devotion o

Today's Verse: There is no fear in love; but perfect love casteth out fear: because fear hath torment. He that feareth is not made perfect in love. ~1 John 4:18   When I was a toddler, my favorite book to have read to me was “Fraidy Cat.” I could identify with his character because I was so afraid of almost everything. Fear is the apprehension we have about a situation and the lack of courage to face it. Fear can be tortuous mentally and emotionally. We want to run and hide.

Today's Verse: Arise, get thee to Zarephath, which belongeth to Zidon, and dwell there: behold, I have commanded a widow woman there to sustain thee. ~1 Kings 17:9   Have you ever been at the place in life where you had to “scrape the bottom of the barrel”? Have you ever been completely depleted in energy, emotion, patience, savings, or ability, and you couldn’t see how you were going to make it? It is during these moments that our faith in God and ability to trust in Him is

Today's Verse: Heaviness in the heart of man maketh it stoop: but a good word maketh it glad. ~Proverbs 12:25   Everyone gets discouraged. Whenever events in our life result in a setback, or we experience a serious challenge that leaves us feeling weak and vulnerable, we can find ourselves becoming discouraged. A heavy heart is when we are sad, lonely, defeated, and lacking a desire to go on. However, God in His infinite love for us brings us encouragement when we need it the

Today's Verse: Get thee hence, and turn thee eastward, and hide thyself by the brook Cherith, that is before Jordan. ~1 Kings 17:3   There is something tranquil and peaceful about resting at a brook, lake, or calm river. It captures our attention and helps us to get our minds and thoughts off the things that make us anxious and discouraged. This morning, we are at the Brook Cherith. It was there during a terrible drought that God sent Elijah. Let us see the education that com

Today's Verse: On the morrow, as they went on their journey, and drew nigh unto the city, Peter went up upon the housetop to pray about the sixth hour: ~Acts 10:9   Every Christian believes in the importance of prayer. We know that prayer is a vital part of our fellowship with God. Jesus taught, “that men ought always to pray and not to faint.” Paul taught that “men should pray everywhere lifting up holy hands.” Prayer is the means by which the hand of God is moved to work

Today's Verse: Bow down thine ear, O LORD, hear me: for I am poor and needy. Preserve my soul; for I am holy: O thou my God, save thy servant that trusteth in thee. ~Psalm 86:1-2   A man prayed this prayer one morning: “Dear Heavenly Father, So far, today, I've done all right. I haven't gossiped or lost my temper. I haven't been greedy, grumpy, nasty, or self-centered. I'm really happy about that so far. But in a few minutes I'm going to be getting out of bed and then I'm goi

Today's Verse: He that hath an ear, let him hear what the Spirit saith unto the churches; To him that overcometh will I give to eat of the hidden manna, and will give him a white stone, and in the stone a new name written, which no man knoweth saving he that receiveth it. ~Revelation 2:17   Some people are collectors of stones. They collect stones that are colorful. They collect stones that date back to a different era. In some cases, they use these stones as decoration piece

Today's Verse: And he trembling and astonished said, Lord, what wilt thou have me to do? And the Lord said unto him, Arise, and go into the city, and it shall be told thee what thou must do. ~Acts 9:6   Have you ever been in a dark cavern or room where all you saw was pitch blackness? If you have, you know how eerie a feeling that is. You feel lost, blinded, unsure, and at a standstill. However, once you are able to see light again, you must act decisively. Saul (later Paul)