Today's Verse: And a certain Jew named Apollos, born at Alexandria, an eloquent man, and mighty in the scriptures, came to Ephesus. ~Acts 18:24 The city of Alexandria was the citadel of higher learning and a place that thrived on philosophies, occultism, and godlessness. Corrupted manuscripts of Scripture came out of Alexandria and gave way to a corrupted translation that would later be rejected. As a believer, you would have to be discerning and careful about what came out

Today's Verse: And when Silas and Timotheus were come from Macedonia, Paul was pressed in the spirit, and testified to the Jews that Jesus was Christ. ~Acts 18:5 A pressure point is defined as a point on the surface of the body that is sensitive to pressure. Traditional Chinese medicine teaches that applying pressure to specific areas of the body can help relieve tension and stress. In our devotion this morning, we read about how the Apostle Paul was pressed in the spirit. Y

Today's Verse: And Enoch walked with God: and he was not; for God took him. ~Genesis 5:24 Enoch’s name means “dedicated.” To be dedicated means to be wholly committed and devoted to someone or something. It implies being wholly controlled and owned by the possessor. However, Enoch’s life did not change until he experienced the birth of his first son, Methuselah, at age 65. His life took on a new and higher priority. For the remaining 300 years of his life on earth, we are to

Today's Verse: The LORD is on my side; I will not fear: what can man do unto me? ~Psalm 118:6 Who do you go to if you need help? Little children go to their parents. Little brothers or sisters go to their big brothers and sisters. Members of a congregation go to their pastors. Wives go to their husbands. The psalmist made a monumental proclamation. He said, “The LORD is on my side; I will not fear; what can man do unto me?” Let’s see what he meant by that emphatic statement.

Today's Verse: Arise, Barak, and lead….. ~Judges 5:12b The Bible contains the historical account of insignificant and weak people whom God used to do great things. Someone said, “The men who conquered the world were men the world could not conquer.” One of these seemingly insignificant men was Barak. Barak is presented to us as a man of faith. “And what shall I more say? for the time would fail me to tell of Gedeon, and of Barak, and of Samson, and of Jephthae....” (Hebrews

Today's Verse: And when thou art come in, thou shalt shut the door upon thee and upon thy sons, and shalt pour out into all those vessels, and thou shalt set aside that which is full. ~2 Kings 4:4 In many corporate business dealings, some of the most important decisions are made behind closed doors. The President of the United States makes important decisions with his cabinet behind closed doors. In 2 Kings 4, reference is made three times to “shut the door.” The first time

Today's Verse: That the man of God may be perfect, throughly furnished unto all good works. ~2 Timothy 3:17 When I go on vacation, we enjoy using our timeshare which gives us the opportunity to live in a unit that is “fully furnished.” It has comfortable furniture for relaxation, sleeping, and dining. It has all of the kitchen equipment for cooking. Being fully furnished provides us with all the amenities we need to have an enjoyable time away. Paul uses the term “throughly

Today's Verse: And at midnight Paul and Silas prayed, and sang praises unto God: and the prisoners heard them. And suddenly there was a great earthquake, so that the foundations of the prison were shaken: and immediately all the doors were opened, and every one's bands were loosed. ~Acts 16:25-26 Breakout is a term that is used in many descriptive ways. It is used to describe something unexpected that occurs like the breakout of a rash. In the stock market, it describes a st

Today's Verse: And he said, Thus saith the LORD, Make this valley full of ditches. ~2 Kings 3:16 I had a conversation with a pastor friend of mine whose ministry has been blessed of God. Somehow our topic shifted to, “What if the offerings dropped and the church found itself in financial difficulty?” My friend responded by saying if this happened, he would probably go and dig ditches to pay his bills. I don’t personally know anyone who digs ditches for a living, but undoubte

Today's Verse: And a certain woman named Lydia, a seller of purple, of the city of Thyatira, which worshipped God, heard us: whose heart the Lord opened, that she attended unto the things which were spoken of Paul. ~Acts 16:14 Lydia is one of many special women whom God used in a great way. Her name means “travail,” which implies hardship and difficulty. She was a successful businesswoman from Thyatira. She thrived in the mercantile business selling purple garments. However,

Today's Verse: And Elisha saw it, and he cried, My father, my father, the chariot of Israel, and the horsemen thereof. And he saw him no more: and he took hold of his own clothes, and rent them in two pieces. ~2 Kings 2:12 Are you a person with focus? Do you find yourself getting easily distracted? It is a term that is used to describe a focused person is “eagle eye.” When we say, “He has an eagle eye,” we mean that a person has a keen focus on his objective and will not bec

Today's Verse: When thou sittest to eat with a ruler, consider diligently what is before thee: And put a knife to thy throat, if thou be a man given to appetite. ~Proverbs 23:1-2 One of the most frightening circumstances that could happen to you is having someone put a sharp knife to your throat. The slightest resistance could result in the perpetrator using the knife to cut your throat and causing you to bleed to death. You don’t want to do anything that results in your inj

Today's Verse: Bear ye one another's burdens, and so fulfil the law of Christ. ~Galatians 6:2 Do you do weightlifting? Weightlifting is when you use weights to build and strengthen your muscles. This type of exercise is very helpful in preventing muscle atrophy and strengthening your bones. As a sport, competitors seek to lift massive amounts of weight to demonstrate power and strength. Everyone should do some form of weightlifting for good health. This morning, we want to c

Today's Verse: By faith Abraham, when he was tried, offered up Isaac: and he that had received the promises offered up his only begotten son, ~Hebrews 11:17 The word "sterling" is typically associated with silver and implies the very best quality. It speaks of gold or silver that meets the highest available standard. Something sterling is the standard by which other things must measure up. It is the benchmark of all that is excellent. We are looking at the faith of Abraham w

Today's Verse: Through faith also Sara herself received strength to conceive seed, and was delivered of a child when she was past age, because she judged him faithful who had promised. ~Hebrews 11:11 As we get older, we become more knowledgeable about things in life. We know that getting older means there are certain things we could do in our youth that we cannot do as adults. Our eyesight changes to the point where reading glasses are necessary. Unless we exercise daily, ou

Today's Verse: As I was in the days of my youth, when the secret of God was upon my tabernacle; ~Job 29:4 A secret is something that is hidden from the view and understanding of others. It is a hidden answer, fact, idea, or solution. We sometimes refer to a secret pathway to a destination as a path that only a few know about. We sometimes refer to secret plans as plans that are hidden from other people. Job referred to the secret of God. By this, he was speaking of the privi

Today's Verse: Wherefore, my beloved, as ye have always obeyed, not as in my presence only, but now much more in my absence, work out your own salvation with fear and trembling. ~Philippians 2:12 One of the favorite phrases of our generation is said when someone has finished an exercise regimen. He will say after he completes this regimen, “I just had a good workout.” It implies that he did a number of exercises that worked various muscles in his body and put his heart to wo

Today's Verse: But thou, son of man, hear what I say unto thee; Be not thou rebellious like that rebellious house: open thy mouth, and eat that I give thee. ~Ezekiel 2:8 When I see the dentist, he or the hygienist will always say, “Please open wide your mouth.” When we feed little children, we frequently must tell them, “Open your mouth. God in His wisdom knows we are like little children and must give us a similar instruction. Let us see three times when God instructs us t

Today's Verse: Not that I speak in respect of want: for I have learned, in whatsoever state I am, therewith to be content. ~Philippians 4:11 On November 4, 2010, Eunice Sandborn became the world’s oldest living person. She celebrated her 114th birthday on July, 20, 2010, at her church, First Baptist, in Jacksonville, Texas. Eunice says that she not only loves everything about her life, but she also has “no complaints” (Source: Houston Chronicle, November 5, 2010). At the age

Today's Verse: And Elijah said unto him, Tarry, I pray thee, here; for the LORD hath sent me to Jordan. And he said, As the LORD liveth, and as thy soul liveth, I will not leave thee. And they two went on. ~2 Kings 2:6 We live in a very transient society. It seems like people are in a state of flux with most things in their lives. People relocate to different cities and states for more affordable housing. People change jobs for what they perceive to be higher pay, better opp