Psalm 78:9-11

Psalm 78:9-11 The men of Ephraim, though armed with bows, turned back on the day of battle; they did not keep God's covenant and refused to live by his law. They forgot what he had done, the wonders he had shown them. O Great & Mighty God, Your Word is a swift, sharp sword that cuts to the very core of my soul. We, as a church are big cowards like the Ephraimites. You've armed us to the hilt for the spiritual battle, yet we've fearfully run away. We don't believe in Your powerful, protective promises. We've ditched the indispensable weapons You made just for us. Even though the Truth is readily available, we refuse to open our Bibles and access it. Because we don't open our Bibles outside of church, we're ignorant about Your Sacred Laws. If we don't know them, how can we obey them? We're busy making believers and baptizing them, neglecting to teach them to obey Your commands. We can't instruct what we do not know ourselves. We're a battalion of reckless rebels marching down a dangerous road. Forgetting the high price You paid to save us from death and destruction, we've conscientiously objected to following You into combat. It's each man for himself in this skirmish with the wicked world. Prayerless, we've abandoned our brothers and sisters, leaving them alone to fight the vicious foe. Self-absorbed, we've forgotten to declare the great works You've done. Have mercy on us for our lack of faith! I never again want to withdrawal from the life-or-death fight with the Devil. I don't want You to associate me with the weak and spineless Ephraimites who lost favor in Your sight. From this day forward, I'm surrendering my life and my agenda to enlist in Your massive Army of prayer warriors. Equipped with Your Word, I'll confidently open my mouth and speak in Your almighty power, watching until the enemy retreats. Show me a comrade who needs support today, and I'll join them in the battle at the altar for the glory of Your victorious name. Amen. Do you know someone in the midst of a spiritual battle? The enemy is strategically attacking Christ-followers from every vantage point. Who can you join in combat? I urge you, turn around and fight for someone in the name of Jesus. If you have a Bible and a mouth, you're fully armed and equipped for combat. Our pastors and spiritual leaders are under siege. The enemy is torturing and punishing missionaries worldwide. Our nation is under fierce attack. Marriages are falling apart. Children are innocent victims. There's a whole world full of sick and suffering souls standing alone in their struggles. Everywhere there are broken hearts and shattered lives. You don't have to look far to find someone to stand in the gap and fight with.

2 Corinthians 12:7-10

2 Corinthians 12:7-10 To keep me from becoming conceited because of these surpassingly great revelations, there was given me a thorn in my flesh, a messenger of Satan, to torment me. Three times I pleaded with the Lord to take it away from me. But he said to me, "My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness." Therefore I will boast all the more gladly about my weaknesses, so that Christ's power may rest on me. That is why, for Christ's sake, I delight in weaknesses, in insults, in hardships, in persecutions, in difficulties. For when I am weak, then I am strong.

Eternal, Invisible, Almighty God- Thank You for the prickly thorns of trouble and temptation sent to me by Satan. I now know that You authorized him to deliver them to keep my heart humble. I've repeatedly asked You to remove the pain of my afflictions and addictions. Instead You've empowered me with grace to endure them. Your magnificent grace is enough to enlighten and enliven me. It is sufficient to strengthen and soothe me. When I am worn-down, weak, and weary from sadness, sickness, and sin, please purify my heart and fill it with faith to believe in Your almighty power. By faith, I BELIEVE You will turn my hurts to hope, my loss to life, and my difficulties to determination. In the turmoil twisting around me there is a purpose. During chaos and confusion, Your power is manifested and magnified in me. Rather than dreading trials and tests, I need to delight in them. Instead of focusing on my inadequacies and insecurities, I need to focus on Your unfailing, everlasting promises. You have pledged to keep me, protect me, and teach me. You've promised to abide in me and be my strength. Now, I need to walk in faith by acknowledging, accepting, and acting on Your holy name - El Shaddai. To Your all-sufficient, all-powerful, almighty name be the glory forever and ever. Amen

Identify the prickly thorns sent by Satan to torment You. Thank God that they were sent to keep you focused on Him. Instead of focusing on your difficulties and despair, focus on God's unfailing, everlasting promises. Search the Scriptures. Acknowledge God's faithfulness, accept His powerful promises, and act in faith. Then, you will discover extraordinary delight in the midst of your despondency.

John 10:27-30

John 10:27-30 Jesus said, "My sheep listen to my voice; I know them, and they follow me. I give them eternal life, and they shall never perish; no one can snatch them out of my hand. My Father, who has given them to me, is greater than all; no one can snatch them out of my Father's hand. I and the Father are one."

Jesus, O how Your voice resonates deep within the inner ear of my soul. The longer I walk with You the more definite and distinctive it becomes. I BELIEVE You are the Great Shepherd of my weak, vacillating, trembling soul. Bought with Your precious, priceless blood, my heart is permanently branded with the seal of Your Holy Spirit. You can easily identify that I belong to You. How precious it is to think that You gave me eternal life - permanent life that never ceases; imperishable, immortal everlasting life that never ends. People and problems will persistently pull at me. Trouble and temptation will tirelessly tug at me. Sickness and suffering will steadily assail me. Through it all, I will not perish but prevail. No one or no thing can ever snatch me from the grip of Your almighty, tight-fisted, nail-pierced hand. You paid too high a price to ever let me go. As Your absolutely treasured possession, You firmly hold onto me even when I let go. O Lord, I believe that You are faithful to all Your promises. Without reservation or hesitation, I'm choosing to believe that You'll keep me eternally secure bringing glory, honor and praise to Your powerful name. Amen

If you are one of God's chosen sheep, you are branded with the seal of the Holy Spirit. The seal guarantees that you are His possession, bought and paid for with the priceless blood of Jesus. (Ephesians 1:13) He paid too high a price to ever let you go. His sheep listen to His voice and obediently follow Him, not making up their own whimsical rules as they roam to and fro. His sheep imitate Him. As you read the Word of God, what do you see Jesus doing? Are you following Him producing spiritual fruit that will bring glory, honor and praise to Him? Jesus promises His sheep who listen to His voice and follow Him eternal security. You can choose to believe Him or argue with Him about this incredibly powerful promise. His Word says, according to Your faith it will be done to you (Matthew 9:29). Are you standing on the promises of Christ the Lord?

Isaiah 40:11

Isaiah 40:11 He tends his flock like a shepherd:        He gathers the lambs in his arms        and carries them close to his heart;        he gently leads those that have young. Good and Gentle Shepherd, So tenderhearted and compassionate, You certainly love Your sheep! You carefully lead us to the lush mountain pastures in our Bibles where we can graze to our heart's content on the fertile food of Your Word. Faithfully, You guide us through barren deserts to refreshing streams of Living Water to quench our dry and thirsty souls. Along the way, You protect us from animalistic humans who threaten to attack our character. Prone to wandering, we slip into clefts of criticism and condemnation, plunge into ravines of rejection and ridicule, and sink deep into depressions of disgrace and despair. In our times of trouble, You never fail to hear our cry, find us and set us free. I BELIEVE Your sheep are Your most prized possession.  Bruised and bloodied from the fall, You meticulously bandage our broken hearts. Scooping us up in Your powerful arms, You hold us close to Your loving heart and carry us to safety. Resting in Your presence, we have nothing to fear. You are bigger than the people, problems and pressure pursuing us. Thank You dear Shepherd for diligently doing Your job twenty-four hours a day, seven days a week, year in and year out. Because of Your hard work I'm alive and well. I know from experience that danger lurks around the bend. It's crucial that I trust and obey You. Huddled in Your flock, there's protection, provision, and perfect peace because of Jesus. Amen. Are you sticking with the Shepherd or have your wandered away from the flock? You are valuable to Him! He wants to take care of you, but you need to follow Him. If you've lost your way and are stuck, cry out to Him. He'll find you right where you are, pick you up in His strong arms, and carry you close to His heart to the safety of His presence where there's protection, provision and perfect peace.

Psalm 92:1-5

Psalm 92:1-5 It is good to praise the LORD        and make music to your name, O Most High, to proclaim your love in the morning        and your faithfulness at night, to the music of the ten-stringed lyre        and the melody of the harp. For you make me glad by your deeds, O LORD;        I sing for joy at the works of your hands. How great are your works, O LORD,        how profound your thoughts!

O Lord Most High, It's a delight and honor to sing of Your wonderful works. In humble adoration, I gratefully thank You for Your ever loving kindness each morning. Your unbelievable mercy has kept me from complete obliteration. Each evening, I fondly remember Your incredible faithfulness. With a cheerful song in my heart, I love to tell of Your excellent greatness! My eyes have seen Your magnificent handiwork! Merrily, I sing the praises of my drastically changed life. Your marvelous grace has miraculously covered all my past, present and future mistakes. Clothed and unashamed, I'm free to come into Your holy presence and worship You. With sheer confidence, I can stand up and assuredly sing with all my heart, "How great is my God!" Jesus, You mean the world to me! The amazing works of Your hands have made me glad. I'll sing of Your love forever because of the blessed promise I have in Your gloriously beautiful name. Amen.

It is good to praise the Lord! Bless Him for keeping you from complete obliteration! If you're alive today, thank Him! It's only by His amazing grace.

Zechariah 10:2

Zechariah 10:2 The idols speak deceit,        diviners see visions that lie;        they tell dreams that are false,        they give comfort in vain.        Therefore the people wander like sheep        oppressed for lack of a shepherd.

Glorious, Ever-living, Creator, I BELIEVE Your infallible, inerrant, inspired Word is a treasure chest of holy joy available to everyone who believes in You. Rather than seeking Your perfectly wise counsel, we seek fabricated advice, distorted dreams and vain comfort from false teachers. Instead of truth, they deliver a subjective, superstitious, shallow brand of spirituality that causes confusion, contradiction, and false hope. Not satisfied with You alone, our carnal curiosity has us looking for feel-good mystical experiences. The Church in America is wandering like lost sheep without a shepherd, vulnerable to danger, deceit, and seduction. Forgive us, O Lord, for trading Your eternal treasures for temporary trash. Will You graciously step in and rescue Your precious people from these religious, smooth-sounding charlatans? Replace their barefaced lies with Absolute Truth. Open our ears to accurately hear the reality of Your infallible, inerrant, inspired precepts, promises, and purposes. Help us to be satisfied with You, and You alone. Focused on You, we'll worship above all the deceptive and unpredictable pleasures this world has to offer. You are worthy O Lord to receive glory and honor and power, because You created all things, and by Your will they were created and have their being. Amen.

What have you exalted above God's infallible, inerrant, inspired Word in your life?

Psalm 116:3-6

Psalm 116:3-6   The cords of death entangled me,        the anguish of the grave came upon me;        I was overcome by trouble and sorrow.   Then I called on the name of the LORD :        "O LORD, save me!"   The LORD is gracious and righteous;        our God is full of compassion.   The LORD protects the simplehearted;        when I was in great need, he saved me.

Lord of Life, I BELIEVE you are gracious, righteous, and full of compassion. I was intertwined in a web of confusion, trapped by trouble and seized by sorrow. Satan choked me with his charm, strangled me with his shams, and was slowing killing me with his lies.  In fearful desperation, I cried out to You, "O Lord, Save me!" In Your loving kindness, You rescued me and saved my life. I didn't deserve to be released from Satan's snare, but because You abound in love and mercy You set me free. Unwrapped from the cords of death that entangled me, I'm free to stand upright and tell others the wonders of Your love. Because You have done great things for me, I will extol You.  With a grateful heart I will always praise for caring enough to save me, keep me, and wash me with the crimson blood of Your Dear Son through whom I live and move and have my being. To Him who is seated on the throne of heaven, and to the Lamb, be glory and honor and praise forever and ever! Amen.

How will you worship God with all your heart this week for His wonderful work of salvation?

Isaiah 53:6

Isaiah 53:6        We all, like sheep, have gone astray,        each of us has turned to his own way;        and the LORD has laid on him        the iniquity of us all.

Darling Lamb of God, I BELIEVE You've carefully led me through Heaven's Gate where I can live safe and secure surrounded by You limitless love. You faithfully take care of ALL my needs. Yet, disgruntled with my lot in life, I deliberately chose to wander off in search of greener pastures seeking gods to suit my own desires. Beyond the safe confines of Your community, I live dangerously, making unwise choices. Taking wrong turns, I end up in precarious situations, falling prey to power-hungry people. Rather than letting me perish in a pit, You voluntarily gave Your life to save me from death. Though I blatantly chose to go my own way and do my own thing, You willingly carried the deep gashes from my deadly decisions on Your body accepting the blame for every wrong move I ever made. How can I ever thank You for giving Your life to safely bring me back into the sheepfold where I can heal in the peace and protection of Your prosperous presence because of Jesus, the Darling Lamb of God who was slain. Hallelujah! Amen.

Consider how far you have strayed from the sheepfold of God and the awful trouble you've gotten yourself into. Then consider the wonder of the Darling Lamb of God who came to save you by taking on all of your iniquities. What does this mean to you? How will you respond?

John 10:9

John 10:9 Jesus said, "I am the gate. Those who come in through me will be saved. They will come and go freely and will find good pastures."

Jesus, Lamb of God, I BELIEVE You are the Heavenly Gate! Thank You for swinging wide the door of righteousness so that everyone who believes in You can come through and be saved from sin and death.  Laying down Your life, You made an opening for me to access Your holy throne in heaven.   Within the walls of Your gated community, there is safety, security, and shelter. Through the Heavenly Gate lies a peaceful place of rich, luscious life where the Son always shines brightly. In the presence of Your majesty, I graze on Your glorious grace day and night when I read my Bible. My life will overflow with love when I persistently obey You and point people on the broad road leading to ruin to the narrow Gate of Righteousness leading to the lush green pastures of Your eternal love. I rejoice and exalt You, the One Way to everlasting life. Amen.

Thank God that the Gate of Heaven has been open to you! Share the joy of your discovery with someone traveling the road to ruin.

John 1:29

John 1:29 The next day John saw Jesus coming toward him and said, "Look, the Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world!"

Jesus, Lamb of God worthy is Your Name! All power and wealth and wisdom and strength and honor and glory and praise belong to You, the precious Lamb who was slain! Your limitless love is too much for my meager mind to grasp.  No one - no, not one - is worthy of Your Holy Love. From the purist to the vilest, we stand equally condemned in Your most high and holy court. Shamefully destitute, our only recourse is to come to the foot of the cross where You, the unblemished Lamb of God, took on the imperfections and blame of the entire world, dying for the benefit of all mankind. Thank You for Your boundless mercy and unending grace freely offered to all who voluntarily come. By Your blood, cleanse my conscience and heal my heart. With a renewed mind and soul, I'll willingly lay down my life to radically love others as You have loved me. Enthusiastically, I'll point them to the Lamb of God who takes away the sins of the world. To Him who sits on the throne and to the Lamb be praise and honor and glory and power forever and ever! Amen.

What can we say to such magnanimous love? We are acceptable to God not because of our obedience, but because of the death of Christ, the perfect Lamb of God. He came for no other reason than to take away the sins of the world. How will you respond to Him?

Matthew 26: 37-39, 42,44

Matthew 26: 37-39, 42,44 He began to be sorrowful and deeply distressed. Then He said to them, "My soul is exceedingly sorrowful, even to death ... He went a little farther and fell on His face, and prayed, saying,"O My Father, if it is possible, let this cup pass from Me; nevertheless, not as I will, but as You will." Again, a second time, He went away and prayed, saying,"O My Father, if this cup cannot pass away from Me unless I drink it, Your will be done." So He went away again, and prayed the third time, saying the same words. NKJV

O Lord Jesus,  Thank You for teaching me how to pray! Forgive me for my casual, careless prayers. My happy-go-lucky heart would rather be singing praises and dancing than falling on my face in deep sorrowful prayer. I've failed to follow Your example. My prayers have been hasty, shallow and sloppy. I wonder why they go unanswered. Please lay Your heart over my heart and teach me to pray. O that my soul would be exceedingly anguished even to the point of death for the things that trouble You. Rather than praying as I drive down the road asking You to bless this person and that person, give me this and give them that, I want to go to the garden alone, far away from the hustle and bustle, where I can experience prayer with You. In Your presence, I'll fall on my face. Crying out to You in deep distress, You'll tell me exactly what's on Your heart. As I sit still, quietly listening to Your voice, my prayer life will change. I'll be overcome with grief for the things that grieve You. The intense pain will be unbearable. It'll be tempting to walk away from the severe problems and pressures you reveal to me, but Lord, with all my heart I want to follow You, even to death. I want to pray like You, Jesus, not my will but Yours be done.  Amen.

Have you ever had this heart of God? Have you ever prayed like Jesus? Would you be willing to allow God to take You to a different kind of praying? Turn around and follow Jesus. He'll teach you how to pray powerful prayers that will make a kingdom difference.

1 Peter 2: 21-24

1 Peter 2: 21-24 To this you were called, because Christ suffered for you, leaving you an example, that you should follow in his steps.      "He committed no sin,       and no deceit was found in his mouth." When they hurled their insults at him, he did not retaliate; when he suffered, he made no threats. Instead, he entrusted himself to him who judges justly. He himself bore our sins in his body on the tree, so that we might die to sins and live for righteousness; by his wounds you have been healed.

Jesus, Lamb of God, I BELIEVE You personally carried the wounds of my sin and the filth of my spit on Your body to the cross so that I could experience the heart of God. Because You suffered and died for me, I'm called to suffer and die for You. It's the debt of love. Clothed in Your love and righteousness, and filled with Your power when others:   Strip and offend me exposing my shame, I won't retaliate Twist the truth and prick my mind with thorny thoughts, I won't be deceived Mock and make fun of me for my faith, I won't falter Spew filth from their mouth that insults me, I won't spit back Beat and hurt me, I won't seek revenge By Your grace, sweet Jesus, I will follow Your example, exercising the heart of God on my own journey to the cross where I will die to self for the glory of Your name. Amen.

Who do you need to painfully love? Exercise God's grace, die to yourself, and love like Jesus.

Acts 2:3-4

Acts 2:3-4 They saw what seemed to be tongues of fire that separated and came to rest on each of them. All of them were filled with the Holy Spirit.

Holy Spirit, Light the match and breathe on me! Set me on fire! Brand me with Your signature so that I'm Yours alone! I want to be a Christian in my heart, blazing with the zeal of Your love. With intense heat, burn away anything that isn't of You. Turn my stubborn will to soot. Melt my cold, hard heart until it glistens with righteousness. Then, teach me with tongues of living flames what You would have me do. Ignite me with divine power. Make me spiritually combustible today! Exploding with love, I'll be tenderhearted and merciful. Bursting with joy for my salvation, I'll glow brilliantly for You. Blast away my sin, so that I crackle with kindness. Fully ablaze, I will not live for myself. Consumed by Your love, I'll live to please only You. May people recognize me on the outside by Your flickering flame that's burning in my heart. Lord, let Your righteousness shine through and be glorified in me today for Your name sake. Amen.

If you are a believer God has branded His seal on your heart (Eph 2:9). What do people see when they look at you? What do they see in your actions? Do they match the seal of God's love burned on your heart? If not, I encourage you to pray and ask the Holy Spirit to ignite a fire in your heart so that others will see Jesus when they encounter you.

Unconscious Choices

According to the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission, in 2013 there were 93,727 charges of workplace discrimination costing companies a total of $372.1 million dollars.

Many organizations train employees and supervisors in harassment and discrimination prevention. In fact, many employers even train their workforces in the benefits of diversity. Why, then, is there such an exorbitant number of discrimination claims and enforcements? Experts believe that hidden biases – biases that people don’t even know they hold – affect their personal and professional preferences. These unconscious choices are subtle instances where we misrecognize and misinterpret behaviors.

In meetings, for example, it can manifest in actions such as men interrupting more, or men talking exclusively to each other ignoring the woman with more expertise in the room. It could be a comment, that when made by a woman is discounted, but coming from a male is acknowledged.

Two people—one a neatly dressed young white man, the other a middle-aged black woman who is slightly overweight—apply for a job with your organization. They seem equally qualified, but the hiring manager has an inexplicable and slightly negative reaction to the woman. “I just can’t put my finger on it,” he tells you, “but I don’t think she’ll be a good fit.” The hiring manager didn’t think she was judging.

Two equally educated friends were talking in the lunchroom—one white, the other Hispanic. The white friend said, “When I went to the library yesterday half the people there were members of your class … actually, it was more than half because half the people were Hispanic.” The comment wasn’t meant to be racist, and the pre-judged didn’t even seem to notice.  

At the lunch counter, a man jokingly tried to pay less than the full amount expected. In jest, the server said, “What are you, a Jew?” Undoubtedly, the server would strongly deny being anti-Semitic.

In Managing Your Mind, Dr. Gillian Butler explains that your mind is wired to judge, form opinions, assess a stimulus as positive or negative, and much more. This is necessary mental process that helps you function in life. The problem sometimes lies in forming an opinion or judgment based on little evidence. And why is it a problem? Because subtle prejudices may influence your behavior. 

Such unconscious choices can be disastrous for the employees who suffer as a result of them; they also can damage businesses by leading managers and employees to make flawed business decisions in a number of areas, including hiring, promotion, training opportunities and project assignments.

It’s important to remember that these unconscious choices can come from anybody, and can be directed toward anyone. Unrestricted to gender, it can show up in race, ethnicity, education, sexual orientation, weight, economic class, physical ability, religion, age, etc. Most times these inappropriate inadvertent behaviors, while obvious to the insulted, are completely unintentional.

Over time, these little untalked about incidences build up. People are afraid to broach the subject for fear of being shut down, overlooked for a promotion, or simply because they don’t know how to speak up. The result is ongoing exclusion, frustration, and sometimes termination of top talent.

Following are a few tips for to help influence sensitivity and reduce stress.

Silence isn’t golden, it’s agreement. Cultural norms are maintained when everyone is empowered to hold anyone accountable – from the line worker to the CEO. When you see incongruent behavior be brave and speak up with confidence. To remain silent is to concede to it.

Assume no ill intent. “Biases don’t necessarily stem from evil in the hearts of men and women,” says Bob Dattner, a psychologist and principal with Dattner Consulting, a New York organizational effectiveness and human resource consulting firm, and a professor at New York University.

Pay attention to the pattern, not the incident. Most of these sensitive issues involve patterns of problems that build up over time. Emotionally charged people often overreact to an incident, when it’s the repeated pattern that makes the matter so troubling.

Communicate the facts, not the conclusions. When emotions are heated up, people tend to open with their own twisted truth or distorted reality and misconstrued assumptions. Instead, begin with your perception of the facts – those verifiable behaviors you see and hear.

Exchange ideas. Open the door for discussion – two way communication. Reserve the right to be wrong, and show genuine interest in hearing the other party’s perspective. Ask questions. Express what you really want. And, be open to the other person’s ideas.

The ability to understand, identify and discuss unconscious choices in a diverse world is becoming increasingly important. Organizations that understand hidden biases and work to overcome them will have a competitive advantage in this ever increasing global economy. They will find and retain top talent, have fewer lawsuits filed against them, and make better decisions. As a result, they will be more profitable. And, isn’t that why the business exists – to be productive and profitable?

Beth Rudy is a Senior Consultant with Insight Management Consulting, an organizational and leadership development firm located in Crofton, MD that focuses on communications training. She uses her passion, personality, and positive energy to influence individuals to become better communicators.

She has found that being an excellent communicator has helped her gain confidence to express her thoughts more clearly, share information more effectively, and resolve conflict more respectfully. To bring a communications class to your workplace please contact Beth.

1.   http://www.eeoc.gov/eeoc/newsroom/release/2-5-14.cfm

2.  0206 HR Magazine, Detecting Hidden Biases, By Pamela Babcock   2/1/2006

3.  Managing Your Mind by Gillian Butler, PhD and Tony Hope, MD. Oxford University Press, 1995

Matthew 28: 16-20

Matthew 28: 16-20 Then the eleven disciples went to Galilee, to the mountain where Jesus had told them to go. When they saw him, they worshiped him; but some doubted. Then Jesus came to them and said, "All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age."

Jesus, I BELIEVE You are the King who sovereignly rules the universe, and supremely rules on the throne of my heart. I submit my whole life to Your divine authority. Clearly, Your parting Words commission me to GO to every community in every country telling people of every culture to repent and believe in You for the forgiveness of sins and eternal life. Please fill me with Holy Spirit power to GO with brave boldness. Open my eyes to see all the sick, sad souls surrounding me. Open my ears to hear the sound of people marching to hell. Give me a sensitive spirit to stop and share the Only Way to eternal life. It's not optional. It's a mandatory mission from the One I call King, Lord and Master. To disobey would be disrespectful insubordination. Since I can't fathom the thought of anyone spending eternity in torment, I'll courageously and confidently conquer my fears and GO as You command. One day every tongue will confess You are God, one day every knee will bow to the glory of Your Most High and Holy Name. I exalt You, O Lord, above the heavens. Let Your glory be over all the earth! Alleluia! Amen.

Do you believe the One who rules the universe? Do you acknowledge Him as your King, Lord, and Master? If so, you've been given a mandatory mission to spread the Good News: Our God Reigns! It's as easy as ABC. A = Admit you are a sinner B = Believe Jesus died for your sins C = Commit your life to Him

John 21: 1- 7, 12

John 21: 1- 7, 12 Afterward Jesus appeared again to his disciples, by the Sea of Tiberias. It happened this way: Simon Peter, Thomas (called Didymus), Nathanael from Cana in Galilee, the sons of Zebedee, and two other disciples were together. "I'm going out to fish," Simon Peter told them, and they said, "We'll go with you." So they went out and got into the boat, but that night they caught nothing. Early in the morning, Jesus stood on the shore, but the disciples did not realize that it was Jesus. He called out to them,"Friends, haven't you any fish?"        "No," they answered. He said, "Throw your net on the right side of the boat and you will find some."When they did, they were unable to haul the net in because of the large number of fish. Then the disciple whom Jesus loved said to Peter, "It is the Lord!" None of the disciples dared ask him, "Who are you?" They knew it was the Lord.

Jesus,  I BELIEVE You are the Lord, the great I AM, who is always with me. On bright days, Your presence warms my heart. On deep, dark days filled with discouragement and disappointment You are just as present. On days of despair when all hope is gone and the net of my heart is empty, and my vision is distorted by tear soaked eyes, I can't recognize You standing right in front of me. I can't hear Your voice. Are You there? Please open my eyes to see while others just stand still staring. Open my mind to perceive while others parade around pondering. Many will watch, but I want to see, hear, and believe. Give me crystal clear vision to recognize You through the haze of hopelessness. When You affectionately call me I want to know Your voice. Unclog my ears so that I'll hear You say, "Friend, haven't you any hope?" Then I need faith to follow Your simple command to toss the empty net of my heart into the sea of blessings. You will fill it beyond my wildest imagination and exceed my immediate need! I'll jubilantly shout, "It is the Lord!" and others will notice You because of my faith. Please dear Lord, take my desperate dilemma and turn it into innumerous blessings for Your glorious name. Give me eyes to see, ears to hear, and faith to BELIEVE. Amen.

What is your hopeless situation? Do you see the Lord standing in front of you? He's there if you look beyond the tears. He's calling, "Friend, haven't you any hope?" Tell him today that you want to know Him more dearly so that you can clearly see Him, hear Him, and believe Him when your heart is empty.