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   Missions is the work of the church sending laborers into the fields that are white unto harvest. It is the church taking the gospel message to local and foreign communities and bringing the multitudes that are lost in sin to Christ. Henry Martyn said, “The spirit of Christ is the spirit of missions. The nearer we

Today's Verse: So Jonah went out of the city, and sat on the east side of the city, and there made him a booth, and sat under it in the shadow, till he might see what would become of the city. ~Jonah 4:5   A western idiom that we use is the term “sitting duck.” This is a way of saying that a person is vulnerable to attack or other sources of danger. The term comes from hunting, where it is much easier to hit ducks when they are sitting on the water than when they are in fligh

Today's Verse: And David said unto him, Fear not: for I will surely shew thee kindness for Jonathan thy father's sake, and will restore thee all the land of Saul thy father; and thou shalt eat bread at my table continually. ~2 Samuel 9:7   It is very special to sit at the table with dignity. It is very humbling when someone of great prominence and importance invites me to sit at his table with him. His table is preeminent of all the tables in the room. Everyone watches the he

Today's Verse: And when he saw that, he arose, and went for his life, and came to Beersheba, which belongeth to Judah, and left his servant there. ~1 Kings 19:3   Fear is when we are afraid of someone or something that we think will cause serious harm to us. Fear will quickly take over every aspect of our life. Fear is the opposite of faith. Everyone has a fear that can overcome them. I believe that fear is one of the devil’s biggest lies that he uses to sideline us from the

Today's Verse: For this cause I Paul, the prisoner of Jesus Christ for you Gentiles, If ye have heard of the dispensation of the grace of God which is given me to you-ward: ~Ephesians 3:1-2   Have you ever been stuck in really bad traffic? This can be very frustrating and draining on your energy. Have you ever been stuck in a problem that made you feel bound and shackled with little certainty of getting out? Paul was in prison bound to two Roman soldiers. He referred to himse

Today's Verse: But sanctify the Lord God in your hearts: and be ready always to give an answer to every man that asketh you a reason of the hope that is in you with meekness and fear: ~1 Peter 3:15   Many times people have questions about the Bible and the Christian life. They might hear something said in the pastor’s message that they did not completely understand. In order to help someone get a good grasp on a subject, you allow them to ask questions. This enables them to o

Today's Verse: But my horn shalt thou exalt like the horn of an unicorn: I shall be anointed with fresh oil. ~Psalm 92:10   Oil is a necessity of life. It is used for medicinal purposes. It is used to provide relief during the intense heat of the day. It is used for cooking. It was also used to indicate the approval of God upon a new king or a prophet of God. Oil is made by applying strong pressure to olives until all the oil has been extracted. Many olives must be crushed to

Today's Verse: And Elijah said unto all the people, Come near unto me. And all the people came near unto him. And he repaired the altar of the LORD that was broken down. ~1 Kings 18:30   When you are in major trouble, you are relieved to get out of it. We refer to this as "getting out of a fix." The word "fix" also has the idea of repairing and restoring. King Ahab made an unholy alliance when he married Jezebel of Zidon. Through her influence, Baal worship permeated the land

Today's Verse: So being affectionately desirous of you, we were willing to have imparted unto you, not the gospel of God only, but also our own souls, because ye were dear unto us. ~1 Thessalonians 2:8   What are you passionate about? John Knox cried out, “Give me Scotland, or I die!” He was passionate about winning Scotland to Christ. Whatever you are passionate about, tell other people what is important to you. Whatever you are passionate about is what you give yourself to

Today's Verse: As yet I am as strong this day as I was in the day that Moses sent me: as my strength was then, even so is my strength now, for war, both to go out, and to come in. ~Joshua 14:11   Caleb was an amazing man. At 85 years of age, he told Joshua, “I am as strong this day as I was in the day that Moses sent me: as my strength was then, even so is my strength now....” The typical conversations of men who live to be octogenarians go something like this: “When I was y

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: 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: 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: 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: 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