Leviticus 26:11-13

Leviticus 26:11-13 I will live among you, and I will not despise you. I will walk among you; I will be your God, and you will be my people. I, the LORD, am your God, who brought you from the land of Egypt so you would no longer be slaves. I have lifted the yoke of slavery from your neck so you can walk free with your heads held high.

O Holy One, I am mesmerized by Your greatness! I'm flabbergasted that someone with Your preeminence and power would leave the Celestial City to live with me. It's unfathomable that someone in Your prominent position would rescue a beat up, burned out, unkempt ragamuffin like me. Yet, by Your grace, You saved me and made my corrupt heart Your home. Possessing me, You placed me right in the middle of Your royal family with everyone else who doesn't deserve to be there. That's amazing grace! I cherish the distinguished position You've given me. Knowing that I'm loved by the greatest King of all time, I no longer have to hang my head in shame. Walking with poise and dignity, I'm free to follow You all of my days because I believe Your precious promises: You will live with me; You will not despise me; You will walk with me; You will be my God; I belong to You; and my burdens have been uplifted by the blood of Jesus, Your splendid Son. Hallelujah! Amen.

Do you believe the promises from the mouth of God? They're His gift to you. Write them on the tablet of your heart and remember them! It is imperative to believe the words of the King more than you believe anything else.

Isaiah 6:1-3

Isaiah 6:1-3 I saw the Lord. He was sitting on a lofty throne, and the train of his robe filled the Temple.Attending him were mighty seraphim, each having six wings. With two wings they covered their faces, with two they covered their feet, and with two they flew. They were calling out to each other, "Holy, holy, holy is the Lord of Heaven's Armies!     The whole earth is filled with his glory!"

Holy God, High above the cosmic galaxies, beyond the stars and moon, is Your lofty throne. The earth and everything in it is Your footstool. Never ending fabric from Your robe flows seamlessly from heaven to earth. Jubilant angels harmoniously sing of Your holiness, while the entire world epitomizes Your brilliant glory. I shudder at the vision of Your unsurpassed excellence. Please dear Lord, expand my view of Your dominion. Gasping at Your supremacy daily, I'll tremble in Your awesome presence, fearing You because You alone are the Lord God Almighty, and You alone are holy, holy, holy. No one else can touch my heart like You do. All glory, honor and praise belong to You, the Sovereign King, who reigns over all the earth from beyond the spectacular spacious skies. Hallelujah! Amen.

When we get a right view of God, we get a right view of ourselves. This helps us to remember that He is big, and people are little. Rather than living our lives to please people, we need to devote our lives to pleasing Him. Do you have a clear view of God's holiness?

Matthew 9:35-36

Matthew 9:35-36 Jesus went through all the towns and villages, teaching in their synagogues, preaching the good news of the kingdom and healing every disease and sickness. When he saw the crowds, he had compassion on them, because they were harassed and helpless, like sheep without a shepherd.

Jesus, You are the King of Compassion! If I follow You, I can easily see what You have been doing. The problem is I'm prone to wandering. Distracted by my own agenda, my mind is so focused on finishing my mission that I'm oblivious to the multitudes surrounding me. Forgive me for my lack of compassion! Open my eyes to see the lost souls entangled in the rush of life. Give me a sensitive spirit to stop and set them free. You're not asking me to sell church. You're asking me to:   Teach them by the example of my simple lifestyle what it means to know the Shepherd and be sheltered in the safety of His arms.    Preach the Good News by telling them the story of how You rescued me from Satan's snare and brought me to the safety of the sheepfold. Nurse their wounds caused by the disease of despair and sickness of sin.    Please give me a heart like Yours to teach, preach, and heal. Please fill me with fresh faith and Holy Spirit power to notice the harassed and helpless hordes crying for release. I will follow You and do the things I see You doing to bring glory and honor to Your name. Amen.

Ask God to put the name of one lost sheep on your heart and in your mind today. Begin to pray specifically for their release.

Matthew 24:3-8

Matthew 24:3-8 As Jesus was sitting on the Mount of Olives, the disciples came to him privately. "Tell us," they said, "when will this happen, and what will be the sign of your coming and of the end of the age?" Jesus answered: "Watch out that no one deceives you. For many will come in my name, claiming, 'I am the Messiah,' and will deceive many. You will hear of wars and rumors of wars, but see to it that you are not alarmed. Such things must happen, but the end is still to come. Nation will rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom. There will be famines and earthquakes in various places. All these are the beginning of birth pains."

Lord, Thank You for preserving Your ancient words. When I come to You privately and revel in my Bible, You reveal incredible insights and instructions for interpreting the times I'm living in. Your Word warns me and tells me what to watch out for. Because Your trustworthy promises preserve my life and provide me hope, I don't have to worry. O Lord, Your Word is faithful and true. Knowing it keeps me from being deluded by a diluted "gospel." Because I delight in it, be gracious to me and give me discernment to understand Your teaching so that I will be able to detect such dreadful deceivers. Wars and rumors of wars are rampant. Nations are rising against nation, and kingdom against kingdom. But, Your kingdom, O God, is an everlasting kingdom. One day all nations will fall beneath Your feet, and every knee will bow and every tongue will confess that You are Lord. Your unchanging Word, is my unswerving confidence. The earth may tremble and tumble into the heart of the sea, but Your Word, O Lord, will stand firm forever. When all I see is tragedy and sorrow, Your unfailing love will be my comfort and my strengthen. I will not perish when You are my shelter and my song. Righteous Lord, I ask that You equip me with farsighted courage to hold on to Your Holy Word because it will be my holy hope as the days get darker. With my eyes on You and my eternal destiny, I will be a level-headed, clear-thinking, still-believing follower of Christ to the end bringing glory and honor to Your everlasting name. Amen.

God's Word warns us about the events we are witnessing. He instructs us to watch out and not be alarmed. What are you doing to protect against deception? Do you know truth for yourself or are you relying on others to discern it for you, spoon-feed it to you, and protect you from error?  What is your response to all the upheaval in the world? How will you "see to it that you are not alarmed?"

Romans 1:5-6

Romans 1:5-6 Through him and for his name's sake, we received grace and apostleship to call people from among all the Gentiles to the obedience that comes from faith. And you also are among those who are called to belong to Jesus Christ.

Lord Jesus, Truly, You are the Son of God! Your generous gift of grace is amazing! It came to me in the promised gospel when You lovingly called my name. Gratefully, I acknowledged You, believing that You lived, died, and rose into heaven. The moment I responded to Your call, You adopted and accepted me into Your family. You chose me to be a holy, pure and blameless ambassador, representing the kingdom of heaven to a helpless and hopeless world. Setting me free from evil and temptation, You put holy fear in my heart and insisted that I live within Your limits. Out of sincere respect and honor, I'll obey the parameters You set for me. While I wait in the quietness of Your presence, teach me to be holy as You are holy. Search my heart and mind. Speak to me through Your Holy Word. Point out any wrong way in me. Immediately, I'll turn around and go in a different direction. Bless me with wisdom, knowledge and understanding of Your will and Your way. Then, I will make wise choices. Thank You for calling me out of all the people in the world to belong to You. Gratefully, I accept the responsibility that comes with it. For Your name sake, I'll willingly follow the rules of Your family so that others will see You when they're watching me. Amen.

If you are a believer, you have a call and a task. God has called you to be a holy, pure, blameless ambassador so that you can truthfully represent His kingdom on earth. What will you do to develop holiness so that you can represent the One and Only True God to a watching world? Take Time To Be Holy William D. Longstaff, c. 1882 Copyright Public Domain Take time to be holy, speak oft with thy Lord; Abide in Him always, and feed on His Word. Make friends of God's children, help those who are weak, Forgetting in nothing His blessing to seek. Take time to be holy, the world rushes on; Spend much time in secret, with Jesus alone. By looking to Jesus, like Him thou shalt be; Thy friends in thy conduct His likeness shall see. Take time to be holy, let Him be thy Guide; And run not before Him, whatever betide. In joy or in sorrow, still follow the Lord, And, looking to Jesus, still trust in His Word. Take time to be holy, be calm in thy soul, Each thought and each motive beneath His control. Thus led by His Spirit to fountains of love, Thou soon shalt be fitted for service above.

1 John 3:16-23

1 John 3:16-23   This is how we know what love is: Jesus Christ laid down his life for us. And we ought to lay down our lives for our brothers. Let us not love with words or tongue but with actions and in truth. This then is how we know that we belong to the truth.

Dearest Father in Heaven- Your divine love is incredibly remarkable! That You would leave Your majestic sanctuary in the sky to come to this hideous hole on earth to rescue hateful humans is unfathomable. I might die for someone really special, like my spouse or my child, but I'd never die for someone who despises me. Yet that's exactly what you did for me. In light of the high price You paid to purchase my freedom, I ought not think twice about giving up my comfortable lifestyle for unpleasant people. I believe You put arrogant, obnoxious, mean-spirited individuals in my life to teach me to love Your way. Remind me daily of my own idiosyncrasies. I don't like to admit it, but You know I'm far from perfect. Instead of uttering idle, meaningless chatter, help me to actively love unlikable people the way You love me. Recognizing my own unworthiness, will be my first step toward tolerating and showing mercy to others. Please dear Lord, fill me with so much of Your magnificent love that my vibrant faith will be contagious, proving to the watching world that I bear Your name. Amen.

How can you show the selfless love of Christ to an unlovable person today?  It's not easy and it's not optional. It's a command from the High King of Heaven who has paid a high price for you. It's the least you can do to honor and glorify Him. Jesus didn't come to rescue good people, he came to save sinners. He expects us to love them too; after all, we're amongst the throng!

Daniel 1: 3-4, 17, 19

Daniel 1: 3-4, 17, 19 Then the king ordered Ashpenaz, chief of his court officials, to bring in some of the Israelites from the royal family and the nobility- young men without any physical defect, handsome, showing aptitude for every kind of learning, well informed, quick to understand, and qualified to serve in the king's palace. He was to teach them the language and literature of the Babylonians. To these four young men God gave knowledge and understanding of all kinds of literature and learning. And Daniel could understand visions and dreams of all kinds.  The king talked with them, and he found none equal to Daniel, Hananiah, Mishael and Azariah; so they entered the king's service.

Most High King of Heaven, I BELIEVE You have chosen and adopted me into Your royal family. Because You have made me righteous, I am flawless. My deformities were made perfect at the foot of the cross. In Your presence, You lavished me with wisdom and understanding to know the mysteries of Your good, pleasing and perfect will. I am qualified to serve You, my high and heavenly King. This world is not my home. My home is in heaven. Like Daniel, I am a foreigner in a strange place. The wholesome language I speak is uncommon here. The Christian literature I'm familiar with is abnormal. Help me to adapt to the way of life in the community where I live, work and play without compromising my Christian values. You've put me here to spread the Good News that Your kingdom is available to everyone who believes. I can only do that by earning the trust and respect of those around me. Please give me the desire to be bold like Daniel. With Your help, I will go beyond the pleasant walls and protection of my church into a corrupt culture. Clinging to my faith and trusting in Your power, I'll infiltrate people with the truth about You in words they'll understand. By developing meaningful relationships and clear communication, I'll connect my community to Your kingdom for the praise of Your name. Amen.

Dare to be a Daniel by building bridges with non-believers. Ask God to give you the wisdom, knowledge and courage of Daniel to boldly live out your life in your neighborhood. Find a non-church related group and begin interacting with them.

John 4:34

John 4:34 "My food," said Jesus, "is to do the will of him who sent me and to finish his work."

Sovereign King of the Smorgasbord- I BELIEVE You empower me to do Your will - share the Bread of Life and Living Water, my Sweet Jesus, with the hordes of hungry, thirsty begging for something more. By Your grace, I will make serving this world full of starving souls my personal business. No other job offers eternal benefits: forgiveness, redemption, and everlasting life. No other place serves all- you-can-eat love, compassion and mercy. Only at the Savior's Smorgasbord will people eat and be satisfied.    The hours are limited, closing time is near. Enable me to urgently accomplish Your mandatory mission to feed the multitudes, giving them Jesus. Open my eyes to see people who are:    Ravished for redemption, riches and relationships  Famished for forgiveness, friends and fellowship  Starved for salvation, security and sympathy  Hungry for healing, honor, and hope  Longing for love, life and laughter With Your help, I will lead them to You where they can gorge themselves with boundless grace and be satisfied with the sweet name of Jesus. Amen

There's a starving society surrounding you. You've been given a mission - to do the will of Jesus, feed them the Bread of Life. How will you obey?

Psalm 34:9, 11

Psalm 34:9, 11 Let the LORD's people show him reverence,        for those who honor him will have all they need. Come, my children, and listen to me,        and I will teach you to fear the LORD. NLT

Holy One of Israel, With all due respect I come to You, bowing down before Your majesty. Approaching Your throne, with overwhelming gratitude I BELIEVE You will teach me to love and respect You. Please give me a tender heart, a teachable spirit, and a yielded will to learn to properly honor and revere You above every other person or thing that exists. O wise and wonderful Teacher, tune my ears to listen amidst all the commotion and confusion going on around me. Help me to remain poised and focused on the importance of each perfectly planned lesson. Empower me to tirelessly study Your Words every day of my life. Write them as Cliff Notes on my heart so that I'll remember them through life's challenging tests. Above all, may I always keep in mind, that You are and have the Only right answer, JESUS. As I grow by grace, in the knowledge of Your holiness, I'll be eager to do Your will, Your way because I am respectfully Yours. Amen.

Consistent Bible reading is a tough assignment. You may need help with it. Ask someone to pray for you. Get a "study buddy" - a brother or sister you can meet with regularly to share the lessons you're learning in the classroom of your heart. In doing so, you'll be praising and honoring your holy God, blessing one another, and inspiring each other to persevere through the difficult tests.  Reverence is much more than sitting quietly in church, it includes doing God's will His way.

Titus 2:12-13

Titus 2:12-13 For the grace of God teaches us to say "No" to ungodliness and worldly passions, and to live self-controlled, upright and godly lives in this present age, while we wait for the blessed hope-the glorious appearing of our great God and Savior, Jesus Christ.

God of Grace, You are a most excellent Teacher. If only I'd stop, sit still and listen, You'd lead me by Your truth and teach me for You are the God who saved me! School me in Your ways so that I'll turn my back on godless, indulgent living. Take my hand and show me how to take on a God-filled, God-honoring life while I wait for the blessed hope - the glorious appearing of the Immortal, Invincible, Incorruptible, Almighty King. Surely You desire for me to be grounded in the truth of the Bible. Help me to carefully study, prayerfully consider, and aptly apply great wisdom so that I won't be swayed by the smooth rhetoric of false teachers. Expand my knowledge so that I won't be deceived by devastating circumstances. Show me how to think clearly when emotions are tugging on the strings of my heart. In this pagan and hostile world, instruct me to do Your will. By Your good Spirit, lead me on level ground. Following You, I'll exercise good judgment and carefully control my desires, tongue, and passions. Under Your divine discipline I'll willingly do whatever is good and right in all situations, no matter how difficult. You'll train me to be peaceable, considerate and humble toward everyone. My lips overflow with praise because You are the One who teaches me to be excellent and productive. God of Grace, You have been so kind and loving toward me. By Your matchless mercy, You generously gave me a rich new life along with a hefty inheritance. Because You are faithful and true, I eagerly expect that some day soon, You will appear in all Your glory, sweep me off my feet, and carry me away to live with You forever and ever because of Jesus. Amen.

Are you struggling with saying "No" to ungodliness and worldly passions? If so, ask the God of grace to teach you. He desires nothing more than for you to be grounded in the truth. Then, open your Bible and carefully study it. Prayerfully consider the Scriptures you've read, and aptly apply them. Practice godly living while you wait for the glorious appearance of the King. "Do not merely listen to the Word, and so deceive yourselves. Do what it says." James 1:22.

2 Peter 3: 10-12

2 Peter 3: 10-12 The day of the Lord will come like a thief. The heavens will disappear with a roar; the elements will be destroyed by fire, and the earth and everything in it will be laid bare. Since everything will be destroyed in this way, what kind of people ought you to be? You ought to live holy and godly lives as you look forward to the day of God and speed its coming.

Most High and Holy Judge, I BELIEVE righteousness and justice are the foundation of Your throne. You will not be silent forever. Someday, and possibly quite soon, a raging fire will consume everything in Your way until the whole earth is exposed. From where the sun rises to where it sets You will summon all humanity for judgment.  Please help me to: Be holy by spending time with You each day in intimate friendship, reading Your Word, praying and making friends with other believers. I want to know and recognize You. Be godly by demonstrating love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control. I want You to know me and recognize me by my Christ-like characteristics. Be watching by remaining alert and paying attention so that I won't be surprised or alarmed when You show up. Be on guard so that I won't be misled by false teachers with a feel good message that twists the truth and justifies inappropriate activities. Since everything here today will be gone tomorrow, it is essential that I live my life for You. I joyfully anticipate my new home in heaven where I'll live happily ever after with You, my Lord and King. Thank You for warning me of what's to come and telling me precisely how to prepare! I praise You for Your wonderful Words! Amen.

God clearly tells us that He will come at an unexpected time. Do You believe Him? Are you ready if He comes tonight? How will you prepare to meet Him? Will you recognize Him? Will He recognize You?

Psalm 119:9-11

Psalm 119:9-11 How can a young man keep his way pure?  By living according to your word. I seek you with all my heart;  do not let me stray from your commands. I have hidden your word in my heart  that I might not sin against you.

Blessed Writer of the Word, O how I cherish the wisdom recorded in Your Holy Scriptures. It teaches me about Your holy character and divine nature. An amazing documentary on love, it tells the dramatic story of my rescue from death and destruction. It reveals that You chose and adopted me into Your holy family. I must; therefore, learn to love You and live like a child of the Most High King. It is essential that I open the Book of Life, my Bible, and read it fervently. It will teach me how to live with integrity in a relativistic society that doesn't take You seriously. The more time I spend studying and applying Your rules for righteous living, the more I'll become like You.  Daily digging into the sacred Treasure Chest of Your Word, I'll uncover Your costly commands and precious promises. Gingerly picking each one up, I'll methodically study them. Memorizing their fine details, I'll recognize their great worth during conflict and crisis. Tucked securely in the pocket of my heart, they'll prevent me from offending You. O blessed Writer of the Word, thank You for imparting me with wisdom to do Your will, Your way for the glory and honor of Your holy name. Amen.

How can you practice clean-heart living? The Bible says it's easy as 1-2-3 ... 1)    Live according to God's Word. 2)    Seek Him with all your heart and obey His commands. 3)    Hide His Word in Your heart so that you won't offend Him