Today's Verse: When Jesus heard it, he marvelled, and said to them that followed, Verily I say unto you, I have not found so great faith, no, not in Israel. ~Matthew 8:10   How great is your faith in the Lord? Can you recall a situation in your life where you had to exercise great faith in God? This morning, we see a man of authority who did just that. What this man did was the exception, and not the rule. Let us see this morning the exercise of great faith.    We see the app

Today's Verse: If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness. ~1 John 1:9   Many times after someone receives Christ as Savior, they are concerned about what happens when they sin. They are concerned if they will lose their salvation. They are concerned about how to deal with sin after they are saved. So, this morning, let us consider the sin question after we’re saved.    We see the impact of our covering. 

Today's Verse: Awake to righteousness, and sin not; for some have not the knowledge of God: I speak this to your shame.  ~1 Corinthians 15:34 Have you ever fallen asleep on public transportation and then awakened to the fact that you missed the stop where you were supposed to get off? Falling asleep at the wrong place and time can be embarrassing. Paul gives a stern admonition to us about falling asleep spiritually when we need to be awake.    We see the alarm.  “Awake to rig

Today's Verse: These all continued with one accord in prayer and supplication, with the women, and Mary the mother of Jesus, and with his brethren. ~Acts 1:14 We live in a time where there is great division and a lack of unity. There are divided opinions about how the government should run, how money should be spent, and how to protect our country. Among Christians, there is division about how to worship God, the priority of the church, whether God has predetermined who goes

Today's Verse: But thou, when thou prayest, enter into thy closet, and when thou hast shut thy door, pray to thy Father which is in secret; and thy Father which seeth in secret shall reward thee openly. ~Matthew 6:6   Are you good at keeping secrets? A secret is privileged information that is to be kept between two parties: the one who shares the secret and the one receiving the secret. Jesus gives us an important dynamic about prayer that is perhaps overlooked by most Christ

Today's Verse: Then I told them of the hand of my God which was good upon me; as also the king's words that he had spoken unto me. And they said, Let us rise up and build. So they strengthened their hands for this good work. ~Nehemiah 2:18   “All hands on deck” is a way of saying everyone needs to be involved and work together with the aim of getting an important task completed. It originated in the British Navy and has been a standard term used by our naval forces as well. I

Today's Verse: But I say unto you, That ye resist not evil: but whosoever shall smite thee on thy right cheek, turn to him the other also. ~Matthew 5:39  The Apostle Paul describes the age we live in as “perilous times.” This description conveys the idea of dangers and perils along the way. Most men I know try to be cautious and aware of their circumstances because of unexpected dangers. However, what do you do when you have been offended by another person? Most people I know

Today's Verse: Which also said, Ye men of Galilee, why stand ye gazing up into heaven? this same Jesus, which is taken up from you into heaven, shall so come in like manner as ye have seen him go into heaven. ~Acts 1:11   Years ago, I took a missions trip to an upper interior area of China. This area was once a part of the rule of Genghis Khan, the Mongolian conqueror. My team and I met at a house church there that was very friendly and inquisitive of us. After 3-4 days of pr

Today's Verse: Let all things be done decently and in order. ~1 Corinthians 14:40   A few years ago, I had a service repairman come to my house three or four times to repair my refrigerator-freezer. It was a great relief when the appliance was back in working order. Most people want things to be in working order. We don’t want things to break down. In addition, we all desire that the events we are involved in and the things that we do be in order. Order implies excellence, or

Today's Verse: Create in me a clean heart, O God; and renew a right spirit within me. ~Psalm 51:10   Someone who is in trouble with the law understands the seriousness of their offense. The record of their offense can be used against them over and over again. However, there is a wonderful feeling when the offender finds mercy in the eyes of the law, has his record cleared, and is able to get a clean start. As we start a New Year, we must not overlook the importance of a clean

Today's Verse: I am crucified with Christ: nevertheless I live; yet not I, but Christ liveth in me: and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by the faith of the Son of God, who loved me, and gave himself for me. ~Galatians 2:20   As we begin a New Year, I am thankful to be alive. I am thankful for my salvation, the prospect of Heaven, good health, a good appetite, the blessing of being married, my children, my granddaughters, my church, and the privilege to serve the

Today's Verse: Therefore leaving the principles of the doctrine of Christ, let us go on unto perfection; not laying again the foundation of repentance from dead works, and of faith toward God, ~Hebrews 6:1   Happy New Year! Believe it or not, today marks the beginning of a new year. It is at the start of a new year when all of us think about and make plans for an improved and more successful year than the one we just completed. Let us see some key principles that are essentia

Today's Verse: For which cause we faint not; but though our outward man perish, yet the inward man is renewed day by day. ~2 Corinthians 4:16   I recently received my DMV registration renewal notice for my automobile. Each year, I must renew the registration of my automobile to show that I am the current owner and that the automobile is in compliance and operational. If I fail to complete the renewal, it could result in a financial penalty and the inability to operate my auto

Today's Verse: Fear thou not; for I am with thee: be not dismayed; for I am thy God: I will strengthen thee; yea, I will help thee; yea, I will uphold thee with the right hand of my righteousness. ~Isaiah 41:10   All of us will have to deal with personal insecurities because of an unexpected challenge or a failure on our part. These insecurities can make us unsure of ourselves, second-guess decisions, and feel like there is nothing we can do to make things right. However, I a

Today's Verse: But they that wait upon the LORD shall renew their strength; they shall mount up with wings as eagles; they shall run, and not be weary; and they shall walk, and not faint. ~Isaiah 40:31   For some of us, waiting is very challenging, and we need patience. For instance, I am not one who likes to wait in lines or past a certain amount of time for an appointment. Waiting is frustrating because you wind up delayed for other planned events. Waiting is frittering tim

Today's Verse: Therefore David enquired of the LORD, saying, Shall I go and smite these Philistines? And the LORD said unto David, Go, and smite the Philistines, and save Keilah. ~1 Samuel 23:2   Do you pray? Do you consider your prayer life successful in the eyes of God? One of the great preachers of the 19 th century, F.B. Meyer, said, “The greatest tragedy is not unanswered prayers, but unoffered prayers.” Perhaps the one area many Christians struggle in is having a consi

Today's Verse: Hear, O Israel: Thou art to pass over Jordan this day, to go in to possess nations greater and mightier than thyself, cities great and fenced up to heaven, ~Deuteronomy 9:1   The book of Deuteronomy consists of the last sermons and words of Moses to Israel. Moses is in the final year of his life. God told him that he would not enter into the Promised Land. So, Moses was preparing them for this great endeavor. As we read Deuteronomy 9:1, God was telling Israel t

Today's Verse: And I will give thee the treasures of darkness, and hidden riches of secret places, that thou mayest know that I, the LORD, which call thee by thy name, am the God of Israel. ~Isaiah 45:3   Do you enjoy treasure hunts? This is when the organizer of such an event chooses a location where he hides treats, treasures, and trinkets for people to look diligently for. The reward is that whatever is found becomes the sole possession of the one who finds it. God told Is

Today's Verse: …Yet now there is hope in Israel concerning this thing. ~Ezra 10:2b   Hope! This one word is the thread by which people hang from day to day. It is the anticipation that there is light at the end of the tunnel. It is the assurance that the sun will come up in the morning. It is the belief that a loved one will be seen again. As one person has said, “Hope springs eternal.” The people of Judah had grievously sinned against God and were weeping and confessing thei

Today's Verse: But I will make them keepers of the charge of the house, for all the service thereof, and for all that shall be done therein.  ~Ezekiel 44:14 As children mature, parents will often put the oldest child in charge of the house. This means the oldest child takes responsibility for conduct and order in the household until mom and dad return home. This morning, we are considering the important responsibilities that God vested in the Levites for the house of God and