Month: November 2022

MOLDING THE FAMILY Read Deuteronomy 6:1-25 You shall teach them diligently to your children and shall talk of them when you sit in your house, when you walk by the way, when you lie down, and when you rise up. Deuteronomy 6:7 (NKJV)  Before embarking upon the Promise Land, the children of Israel received the commandments of God that they should live. It was to be from generation to generation. It is that “repetition is the key to real learning” Jack Canfield, Janet Switzer (2009). “The Success Principles (TM),” p.32, Harper Collins. Constant reinforcement of the commandments was encouraged. In…

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TALKING WITH JESUS Read Matthew 6:1-18 And when you pray, do not use vain repetitions as the heathen do, for they think that they will be heard for their many words. Matthew 6:7 (NKJV) Talking to one of my former schoolmates this week, we reminisced on the good old college days. I reminded her of a line she would use when she was praying. “Lord, you said the cattle on a thousand hills belong to you. Can you please sell one of the cows and give me the money?” We have been laughing about this for years each time we…

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HOPE FOR THE FUTURE Read Philippians 3:1-21 Our citizenship is in heaven, and we await a Savior, the Lord Jesus Christ. Philippians 3:20, (NKJV)  Interestingly, every year the world celebrates the birth, death, and resurrection of Jesus, yet there is little spoken of or recognition that he will be returning. When Jesus left earth and ascended to heaven, He promised He would prepare a place for us. “And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again and receive you to Myself; that where I am, there you may also be. (John 14:2-3). The Christians hope…

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SHARING THE LAST MEAL Read 1 Kings 17:8-16 And Elijah said to her, ‘Do not fear; go and do as you said, but make me a small cake from it first, and bring it to me, and afterward make some for yourself and your son. 1 Kings 17:13 (NKJV) This week at church, we had an early thanksgiving celebration. We could go into the community and share gift bags with some of the less fortunate and help make their thanksgiving a better experience. It is a joy when we can extend the blessings that God has given us to our…

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COUNT YOUR BLESSINGS Read Exodus 23:20-33 So you shall serve the LORD your God, and He will bless your bread and water. And I will take sickness away from the midst of you. Exodus 23:25 (NKJV) There are many in our world today who are feeling unhappy, sad, lonely, and angry. They believe that all odds are against them, and in whatever they do, a spell of bad luck keeps pursuing them. One way to tackle this negative mindset is to count the blessings that you have received. You will be surprised by the countless things to be grateful for….

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GOD’S WONDERFUL WORKS Read Genesis 1:1-31 In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth, Genesis 1:1 (NKJV) I enjoy painting and drawing. The entire spectrum of color seen in nature is awe-inspiring, so I find it hard to have one favorite color. In my best artistic renderings of God’s creation, I fail to recreate the details only that the Creator’s hand could make. Each day, nature reminds me of Our Creator. The Genesis account shows the work of God. Six times it says, “And God saw that it was good” (Vv. 4, 10, 12, 18, 21, 25). He…

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BEARING CHRIST’S FRUIT Read Galatians 5:16-26 But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control. Against such there is no law. Galatians 5:22- 23 (NKJV) If you were blindfolded and took a taste test of ten different common fruit, there is a high probability you would get them right. The fruit would direct you to the tree, plant, or bush on which it grows. Similarly, Paul tells the Galatians that their fruit will make their character known. Paul makes a clear distinction between the Spirit and the flesh. He says they are the…

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AN ATTITUDE OF GRATITUDE Read Luke 17:11-19 And one of them, when he saw that he was healed, returned, and with a loud voice glorified God. Luke 17:15(NKJV) The story of the ten lepers in the Bible is a well-known story of being thankful. Jesus healed ten lepers; however, only one returned to give thanks. In today’s age, thankfulness comes around only once a year and maybe just before turkey carving. I often forget how refreshing a “thank you” can be, let alone what a testimony an out-loud “Thank you, God” can be. “It is for our own benefit to…

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GIVING THANKS ALWAYS Read 1 Thessalonians 5:12-22 Rejoice always, pray without ceasing, in everything give thanks; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you 1 Thessalonians 5:16-18 (NKJV) Here we find a prayer of praise to God for His goodness and provisions. When we acknowledge Christ as the creator and sustainer of our lives, we should rejoice. In every facet of our daily lives, we should be grateful for the daily blessings and remember that “every good gift and every perfect gift is from above” (James 1:17). The Psalmist wrote, “The Lord is my shepherd; I…

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