Thought for the day...

And they were astonished beyond measure, saying, “He has done all things well. He makes both the deaf to hear and the mute to speak.”
Mark 7:37 NKJV

 

Father, we are grateful for all who have served and are serving in our Armed Forces. Let your mercy rest upon them and their families as we acknowledge the faithfulness You have provided to this Country. Grant strength, courage, and protection to our military in the days to come. Amen.
-Memorial Day Prayer
http://www.if714.org/?p=25187

 

May 27, 2019
Verse of the Day
I will remember the deeds of the LORD; yes, I will remember your miracles of long ago. I will consider all your works and meditate on all your mighty deeds.”
Psalm 77:11-12 NIV

 

Good ones again, sir

 

HE'S GOT THE POWER

Having power at your fingertips is an exhilarating experience. Whether it’s a diesel pickup truck, a compound bow set to ninety pounds, or a hockey stick ready to send the puck blazing past the goalie, if there’s one thing men love, it’s power.
Unfortunately, sooner or later, we all experience a power failure. Maybe your child gets cancer. Maybe you lose your job. Maybe your best friend betrays you. Maybe your car dies on your way home from work to pick up your wife for your anniversary dinner. No matter what the circumstance, being powerless is a man’s worst nightmare!
What do we do when we can’t fix the problem? It’s when we feel the weakest that God’s power can be most visible. God doesn’t guarantee that every tragedy will have a happy ending. But he does promise to pour his power into our lives. We may not fully understand the loss, pain, or betrayal that caused the power outage to begin with, but the unending strength of our Savior will help us endure.
The apostle Paul wrestled with a thorn in the flesh — a special weakness that drove him to his knees. His struggles show us that our reliance on God’s strength is what really empowers us.
Once we own that truth, we’ll survive every power failure we will ever have to face.

Lord, be my strength today . . .

 

And lest I should be exalted above measure by the abundance of the revelations, a thorn in the flesh was given to me, a messenger of Satan to buffet me, lest I be exalted above measure. Concerning this thing I pleaded with the Lord three times that it might depart from me. And He said to me, “My grace is sufficient for you, for My strength is made perfect in weakness.” Therefore most gladly I will rather boast in my infirmities, that the power of Christ may rest upon me. Therefore I take pleasure in infirmities, in reproaches, in needs, in persecutions, in distresses, for Christ’s sake. For when I am weak, then I am strong.
II Corinthians 12:7‭-‬10 NKJV

 

May 28, 2019
Verse of the Day
“I am the vine; you are the branches. If you remain in me and I in you, you will bear much fruit; apart from me you can do nothing.
John 15:5

 

SPREADING THE WORD

This tremendous promise has been fulfilled in the lives of millions of people through the centuries. In this context, it refers to those who turn to God during the “day of the Lord,” the future time of God’s terrible judgment. God does not want to destroy but to heal and to save. Thus, even until the end of time, he allows men and women to repent from their sins and to trust in him for their salvation.
This is the good news we embrace and can proclaim to our friends, relatives, neighbors, and coworkers. They can be saved from sin’s penalty — forgiven; from sin’s power — released; and from God’s judgment — delivered. What a great God we have!
In his letter to the church at Rome, the apostle Paul referenced this passage in Joel and further asked, “How, then, can they call on the one they have not believed in? And how can they believe in the one of whom they have not heard? And how can they hear without someone preaching to them?” (Romans 10:14). His point to the Roman believers and to us is that we must not keep this good news of God’s amazing grace to ourselves.
So what can you do to spread the word?

Savior, give me courage to . . .

 

And it shall come to pass That whoever calls on the name of the Lord Shall be saved. For in Mount Zion and in Jerusalem there shall be deliverance, As the Lord has said, Among the remnant whom the Lord calls.
Joel 2:32 NKJV

 

I just finished day 19 of the @YouVersion plan 'NIV Once-A-Day Bible for Men'. Check it out here:
NIV Once-A-Day Bible for Men

 

Is Fear Holding You Back?
By Rick Warren — May 28, 2019


“For we are God’s handiwork, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do” (Ephesians 2:10 NIV).

What keeps you from developing your full potential? Fear. What keeps you from becoming all God wants you to be? Fear. What keeps you from building a legacy that will last into eternity? Fear.

There are three kinds of fear that will keep you from developing your talents and accomplishing your purpose.

1. Self-doubt. It keeps people locked in a prison and unable to develop their potential. This is actually the fear of failure. But failure doesn’t have to be fatal! In fact, the fear of failure is far worse than failure itself. Failure actually can be a good thing. Failure is how you learn what doesn’t work. And it’s how you grow.

Don’t let self-doubt keep you down. I’d rather attempt to do something great and fail than attempt to do nothing and succeed.

1. Self-consciousness. If you worry about what other people think, nothing will ever get done in your life. You just have to do what God tells you to do. That’s all you’re accountable for. You’re not called to be the best in the world. You’re called to be the best that God made you to be.
2. Self-pity. There were two disciples who had spectacular failures. Peter and Judas both denied Jesus in clutch time, but each responded to his failure differently. Judas went out and had a pity party and then hung himself. Peter, on the other hand, wept bitterly, grieved about it, repented, asked God to forgive him, picked himself up, and went back to serving God. And just a few weeks later, Peter spoke to the crowds in Jerusalem on Pentecost, and 3,000 people became believers—and the church was born. Of all the people God could have used to start the church, he used the guy with the biggest failure. That means there’s room for you in the family of God!

Instead of living in fear, believe what God says about you in Ephesians 2:10: “For we are God’s handiwork, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do

 

May 29, 2019
Verse of the Day
for it is God who works in you to will and to act in order to fulfill his good purpose.
Philippians 2:13

 

“The Spirit teaches you everything you need to know, and what he teaches is true – it is not a lie.” Father, may we faithfully remain in fellowship with Christ and be taught by your Spirit all truth! Amen.
-1 John 2:27
1 John 2:27 - if714

 

Father, for those who are still living for the things of this world and lost in sin, we ask for all deceptive strongholds in their lives to be broken, in Jesus’ name, and for your truth to wash over them like a flood. Amen.
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http://www.if714.org/?p=25207

 

Good Decisions Always Agree with God’s Word
By Rick Warren — May 23, 2019

“Your word is a lamp for my feet, a light on my path” (Psalm 119:105 NIV).

When you need to make a decision, the first and ideal test is this: “Is my decision in harmony with God’s Word?”

You have to decide what’s going to be your ultimate authority in life. It really boils down to this choice: God’s Word or the world. Are you going to base your decisions on what God says or what other people say?

If you base your life on popular opinion, you’re always going to be out of date, because it changes every day. What was “in” yesterday will not be “in” today, and what’s “in” today will not be “in” tomorrow. If you base your life on popular culture, political correctness, or opinion polls, you will struggle because you’re building on a shifting foundation!

On the other hand, if you base your life on God’s Word, the truth never changes. Truth is always true. So if God says something was wrong 10,000 years ago, it was also wrong 500 years ago, it’s wrong today, and it will be wrong 1,000 years from today. I don’t care what opinion polls and political correctness and the media say. If God says it’s wrong, it’s wrong. It always has been, and it always will be. If God says it’s right, it will always be right. That is a solid foundation!

God has set up the universe with certain laws—physical, moral, and spiritual. God built the universe around these laws because they’re all for your benefit. When you cooperate with the principles in this universe, you succeed. If you reject, disobey, ignore, and rebel against God’s principles, you’re the one who gets hurt.

You don’t ever break God’s laws. They break you! If I go up on top of a building and jump off, I don’t break the law of gravity. It breaks me. The same is true with moral laws and spiritual laws. You cannot just thumb your nose at God and get away with it. There’s inevitably a reckoning. Anytime you violate God’s principles, you’re asking for trouble.

With all this in mind, you can be confident in your decision. If God says it’s okay, then you do it. If God says no, then you don’t do it.

“Your word is a lamp for my feet, a light on my path” (Psalm 119:105