Today’s Verse: I know thy works: behold, I have set before thee an open door, and no man can shut it: for thou hast a little strength, and hast kept my word, and hast not denied my name. ~Revelation 3:8 An open door represents accessibility. It is an invitation to enter. It also speaks to us about an opportunity that is available, but possibly limited. Our devotion this morning is about a message that the Lord Jesus Christ gave to the church that was at Philadelphia. The mess

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 Some people’s names are associated with their deeds. For instance, Abraham Lincoln will always be associated with liberty and emancipation. The first woman, Eve, will always be associated with having eaten the forbidden fruit and bringing sin into the w

Today’s Verse: My soul longeth, yea, even fainteth for the courts of the LORD: my heart and my flesh crieth out for the living God. ~Psalm 84:2 A friend of mine just moved into her recently built dream house. It is a house where the dimensions, layout, décor, furnishing, and location meet or exceed all of her expectations. It is a place where she will always look forward to being and have a great sense of security at all times. It will be a place she will call “home.” The psa

Today’s Verse: First, I thank my God through Jesus Christ for you all, that your faith is spoken of throughout the whole world. ~Romans 1:8 Major corporations are driven with the quest to become a household name. There are established consumer brands, such as Coca Cola and McDonald’s, which can be found in most countries of the world. Then, there are the technology giants, such as Apple, Google, and Facebook, whose products and services have affected most areas of life. All o

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 of great division and a lack of unitedness. There are divided thoughts about how the government should be 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 to H

Today’s Verse: How amiable are thy tabernacles, O LORD of hosts! ~Psalm 84:1 Psalm 84 is a psalm that speaks about the writer’s love for God’s house. His opening statement is “How amiable are thy tabernacles, O LORD of hosts!” In this psalm, we are challenged to rise to a high level of adoration, appreciation, and love for the house of God. On this Lord’s Day, may it be our claim that “I love my church!” We see the craving. "My soul longeth, yea, even fainteth for the courts

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: Then said Jesus to them again, Peace be unto you: as my Father hath sent me, even so send I you. ~John 20:21 Jesus began the local church when He called the twelve apostles. In Matthew 16:18, He uses the word church, or ecclesia in Greek, for the first time to emphasize a called-out assembly of saved, baptized individuals. Jesus made very clear the priority of preaching the gospel at the outset. However, these men, like us, became distracted and lost focus on t

Today’s Verse: And there was set meat before him to eat: but he said, I will not eat, until I have told mine errand. And he said, Speak on. ~Genesis 24:33 Sometimes, when little children throw a fit, they might tell their parents, “I’m not hungry,” or, “I’m not eating.” That, more or less, is a child’s stubborn reaction of disapproval of a parent’s decision. While we might smile at a child’s reaction, we might consider an adult’s response as being more serious. Let us see les

Today’s Verse: Behold, I stand at the door, and knock: if any man hear my voice, and open the door, I will come in to him, and will sup with him, and he with me. ~Revelation 3:20 Have you ever accidentally locked yourself out of your house and knocked on the door until someone inside came to open the door for you? If you have, you might have found yourself knocking frantically and calling out loudly. We see Jesus standing outside the door of a church, knocking and asking to c

Today’s Verse: And found in the temple those that sold oxen and sheep and doves, and the changers of money sitting: ~John 2:14 Prospective home buyers typically request a home inspection before making an offer. They want to know if the appliances are in good working order, the condition of the roof and structure of the house, and if there are any known defects, repairs, or hazardous materials in the house. They don’t want any surprises that would make their future home undesi

Today’s Verse: Not forsaking the assembling of ourselves together, as the manner of some is; but exhorting one another: and so much the more, as ye see the day approaching. ~Hebrews 10:25 When Covid-19 was declared a pandemic, indoor in person worship was deemed a risk in spreading the disease and this type of service was banned. After several weeks of non-indoor in person assembly, at the prodding of Christian leaders our President publicly declared that church is essential.

Today’s Verse: Moreover Ruth the Moabitess, the wife of Mahlon, have I purchased to be my wife, to raise up the name of the dead upon his inheritance, that the name of the dead be not cut off from among his brethren, and from the gate of his place: ye are witnesses this day. ~Ruth 4:10 The Book of Ruth is one of the most touching and beautiful books of the Bible. Boaz is the kinsman redeemer who purchases the inheritance of Naomi and Ruth as his own. Ruth, who is a Moabite, i

Today’s Verse: And when the day of Pentecost was fully come, they were all with one accord in one place. ~Acts 2:1 Today is celebrated on the Christian calendar as Pentecost Sunday. Pentecost was the harvest festival of the Jews. It was also known as the Feast of Weeks. It was a blessed time when the Jews celebrated God’s blessing on their harvest. All the Jews would come to Jerusalem to celebrate. Pentecost means “fiftieth day” and followed the Feast of Passover. It was on t

Today’s Verse: And being in Bethany in the house of Simon the leper, as he sat at meat, there came a woman having an alabaster box of ointment of spikenard very precious; and she brake the box, and poured it on his head. ~Mark 14:3 One of the most beautiful and striking images from Scripture is Mary of Bethany pouring ointment from an alabaster box on the head of Jesus. The entire content of the box (worth an entire year’s wages) was lovingly poured on Jesus and flowed from H

Today’s Verse: One thing have I desired of the LORD, that will I seek after; that I may dwell in the house of the LORD all the days of my life, to behold the beauty of the LORD, and to enquire in his temple. ~Psalm 27:4 As I write this devotion, our entire state is under a shelter-in-place order. Everyone is under orders to stay indoors and to avoid contact with other people except for family and essential needs. In addition, gatherings such as church services are banned. We

Today’s Verse: And there was one Anna, a prophetess, the daughter of Phanuel, of the tribe of Aser: she was of a great age, and had lived with an husband seven years from her virginity; ~Luke 2:36 One of the marvels about the grace of God is that it is God’s strength made perfect in weakness. As we get older, there is the reality that we start to slow down and our health starts to decline. We have less energy and become weaker. Many people, as they age, use their slowdown and

Today’s Verse: I know thy works, and thy labour, and thy patience, and how thou canst not bear them which are evil: and thou hast tried them which say they are apostles, and are not, and hast found them liars: ~Revelation 2:2 Revelation 2:1-7 is the record of a letter that the Lord had the Apostle John write to the church at Ephesus. God loves His churches, and He wants every local church and its members to have a long-term and deep-rooted impact where the church is planted.

Today’s Verse: And I say also unto thee, That thou art Peter, and upon this rock I will build my church; and the gates of hell shall not prevail against it. ~Matthew 16:18 Hudson Taylor aptly said, “God’s work, done in God’s way, will never lack God’s supply.” As a man of faith, he lived and practiced this throughout the entire time that he planted churches, started schools, trained laborers, and advanced the cause of missions across China. The Lord Jesus Christ is the Founde

Today’s Verse: And speak unto him, saying, Thus speaketh the LORD of hosts, saying, Behold the man whose name is The BRANCH; and he shall grow up out of his place, and he shall build the temple of the LORD: ~Zechariah 6:12 Zechariah 6 speaks of the temple of the Lord during the millennium. It will be a literal temple where the people of the earth will worship the Lord. Waters will flow out from under that great temple and give life to barren or lifeless things. The future tem