Ps. 145:18 "The Lord
is close to all who call on Him." NLT
.
2/1/99 Genesis 1:27
Man and woman are both made in the image of God. Neither man nor woman is better. Both
have a specific role and are of equal concern to the Lord. Both are critical in God’s
plan. Both find their relationship dependent upon the saving work of the Lord Jesus
Christ. Be blessed. God loves you.
2/2/99 Genesis 2:23-24
Marriage was God’s idea. A man and a woman have different roles but the same goal of
honoring God. In a public ceremony they are united as one to each other. Sex is a part of
married life. God ordains it for the marital union, period. Anything other than this is
not of God and is a sin. When we repent of our sin God forgives. When we have violated
God’s Law He can heal and forgive our sinfulness.
2/3/99 Proverbs 10:12
Hatred is a bitter root. Sometimes when the frustrations of life overwhelm me, I permit
that bitter root of hatred to control my actions. Then, all of a sudden it seems like a
full-scale war, with animosity, anger, outbursts and other emotions stirring around. The
solution is for me to go to God and seek forgiveness. I am not responsible for what others
do. I am responsible for how I act. Peace, joy and love are emotions that our precious
savior, Jesus, gives to us in abundance. What I think and how I act are important to the
Lord. How I express myself towards others will cause them to respond to me the same way.
In Christ I can love my neighbor.
2/4/99 Proverbs 17:9
Love keeps its mouth shut. Bringing up another’s faults in an argument is an
invitation to disaster. To keep a friend, be a friend. Forget their faults and pray they
forget yours. God does.
2/5/99 John 13:14-15
Foot washing was not a gesture by Jesus to make the disciples feel good. Nor was He saying
that foot washing was the only task that the disciples would be called upon to perform. It
was an example of service for them to follow as they went into the world to serve the
Lord. We are charged with the responsibility for proclaiming the Gospel message to the
lost. Whatever we need to do to get that message across is our charge. Whatever the task,
whatever the chore, salute the flag of service and get busy. We are on mission for the
Lord Jesus Christ. Service to our fellow man is the order for the day.
2/6/99 John 13: 34-35
Jealousy, petty bickering, and division are the results of religion. Peace, joy and love
are the evidence of the presence of Jesus. When we look at our lives and see the way we
act we know whom we are following. When Jesus is in charge we act like Him.
2/7/99 John 15: 12-13
Help me Lord to show my love in ways that I can. Help me to listen to my friends more
closely. They are valuable to me. When I give them my time by listening to them I am
saying and showing that I love them. Remind me Father to help those in need and hold my
condemnation of their weakness or ineptness. Help me to care for my friends just like you
care for me. Lord, this is the way I can lay down my life for my friends every day.
2/8/99 Romans 12:9-10
Actions are indicators of what we think. If I put my money where my mouth is my heart will
soon follow. If I invest my time in the things of God my life will focus on the things of
God. If I fail to harness my time and lead a self-centered life, my service to God through
serving my fellow man will have a hollow ring. I must be busy about the Lord’s
business.
2/9/99 Romans 13: 8-9
Love isn’t a destination it is a journey. Until our journey is complete we have a
responsibility to share our love with our neighbors by caring for their needs. We are
helpers for the hurting. As we live this journey of love we will find that our needs are
richly met in a way that will exceed our wildest imaginations. God fills our hearts with
love and we are his agents to share that love with those around us.
2/10/99 I Corinthians 13: 1-3
People count. If you love Jesus you will care for and love people. Christ could have done
anything or been anything that He wanted to but out of His love for us He did what we
needed done. He died for us making available to us forgiveness of our sin. Remember that
the greatest of us is the one that serves. The first shall be last.
2/11/99 I Corinthians 13:4
Love and lust are mutually exclusive emotions. Lust wants to get what makes it feel good.
Love seeks to fulfill the needs of others. So much of what we see today labeled as love is
simply lust. Real love is a journey of discovery. We must genuinely care for human need
and we cannot do this without the love of Christ within us. People need love. You need
people. Growing in Christ involves loving those He died for.
2/12/99 1 Corinthians 13:5-6
I’ve got to get a handle on my driving temper. It is that crazy emotion that wells up
when I am driving that takes every mistake another driver makes as a personal slight but
overlooks all of my mistakes. Love reverses this kind of mindset. Love forgives the error
of others and asks forgiveness for personal mistakes. Lord help me to look out of the
windshield of my car and love other drivers.
2/13/99 I Corinthians 13:7
"Please help me I’m falling" are the first few words of a popular song from
a few years ago. When folks mess up, what they need is help not a lecture. I must bring
myself under the mighty hand of God so that in my loved ones time of need I will say,
"I’ll help" instead of "you shouldn’t have done that!" We
are called to a ministry of love and care not criticism and separation.
2/14/99 Ephesians 5: 21, and 24-26
Love is and can be beautiful. Real love is able to work through the ups and downs of life
and survive the tragedies of life. We can survive the hour of temptation and testing
because Jesus died for us. We can continue with our loved one who causes us heartache
because Jesus died for us. Note that all have sinned. Someplace, somewhere we each
have expressed our humanity by sinning. Be blessed and love one another. Especially when
the warts show.
2/15/99 Galatians 5:13
Have you got a favorite sin? Many Christians do. They glory in it, telling themselves they
can’t overcome it. Stop sinning. It is clear in God’s Word that we are not
slaves to sin. Get in the Word. Spend time with God. Focus on Jesus. Your sin will depart
and you will experience the freedom that you already have.
2/16/99 Ephesians 5:3-4
Can you imagine gutter dwelling Christians? Is there such a thing? God’s Word says
there is. Some Christians never get around to changing the way they do their everyday
life. Look to the way you live. Do the things that honor Christ. Rejoice in the great gift
of God’s salvation. The things of this world will pale in comparison to life in
Christ. If you are living in the gutter, God is waiting on you to choose to change.
2/17/99 Joel 2:12
What is it that command’s your attention? Are you going through a personal crisis
that has your time totally consumed? Is their grief or pain in your life that has caused
you to harbor questions about God’s care and concern? Kneel before God and confess
your feelings whatever they are. Heal this breach. Do it quickly. Life is not a guarantee.
The end can sneak up on you. Pay attention to the way you worship the Lord God.
2/18/99 Amos 5:14
"Big talk, little do" is a childhood phrase that I often remember. How many
Christians do you know who talk about their faith but act like the faithless. You know
what I’m talking about. Christians that are overrun by some physical sin like
pornography, cursing, anger or even hate. We must do the right thing. When we do the wrong
thing we are giving Satan a foothold in our lives. Pray for those around you. Run from
evil!
2/19/99 Matthew 3:2
Life is a matter of minutes. We live in a dangerous world. Each day is a challenge to
live. It would be foolish for anyone to think that life would not change and yet many
stumble when change comes. Our relationship with the Lord involves much change. I must
change every day to become more like Christ. As change comes rejoice and do not sorrow for
God is at hand.
2/20/99 Matthew 9:13
I need the Lord. This is the first step in a relationship with the Father. I need the
Lord. This acknowledges my bankrupt condition and my personal request for help. I need the
Lord is my own confession that without Jesus I cannot have a relationship with the Father.
I am not good. I need Jesus.
2/21/99 Acts 17:30-31
I have no excuse. Jesus Christ came to earth and lived a perfect life. He died for
me that I might have a new life and relationship with the Father. If I fail to recognize
and accept what God has demonstrated, I am without excuse. If I did not accept Jesus
as my Lord and Savior, I would be without excuse. God is good, all the time.
2/22/99 Romans 2:4
God’s Word reminds us to pay attention to how we live. What do I value in life? When
I look at God’s Word, are God’s concerns my concerns? Are people more important
than events? Are the things I am devoted to eternal? Today, I pledge to the
Lord to consciously make each decision with His concerns in mind. I want to be like Jesus.
2/23/99 James 4:10
God is able and willing to bless. He calls each one of us to bend our knee in submission
to Him. When I bend my knee to God, it indicates my maturity in Christ. The Lord gives the
worth and honor that I seek. Reward and recognition come on the Lord’s timetable.
2/24/99 1 John 1:9
We are sinners. We sin every day. When we think we are not sinners we have sinned by
questioning the Lord. The critical step that I must learn to establish in my daily life is
a willingness to confess sin. You know the things we think of as little sins. Those sins
that we tend to gloss over, like selfishness, arrogance, white lies and many others. They
don’t seem bad. But God judges all sin as sin. Cleanse me Lord from unrighteousness.
And, He will.
2/25/99 2 Corinthians 7:10
When caught red handed many are extremely sorry for what they have done. The question is
would they have changed if they hadn’t been caught? Any secret sin in your life that
would embarrass you if revealed? If there is, repent of your sin. Don’t wait to be
caught. Turn back to the Lord and He will forgive you and give you the strength to change!
2/26/99 John 6:37
Jesus works in union with God. He seeks to do only those things that please the Father.
Jesus is seeking to help us. It is God’s will that we lead an abundant life. It is
God’s will that we grow in our relationship with Him. When we come to Jesus we can
trust that we are with God!
2/27/28 Philippians 2:13
Do the work God rewards. Listen to the Lord. He encourages. Do the work it feels right.
God enables. Change begins and the work grows. Day by day we live our lives. Day by day is
how we serve God.
2/28/99 Philippians 3:12
To know Christ and be like Him is my goal. It is a goal that is life consuming. It is a
goal that is life long. It is a goal that will not be realized until I stand before Jesus
in Heaven. Then based upon His saving work, based upon His transformation of me and as a
result of His forgiveness of my sin, I will be like Him. Jesus paid it all, all to Him I
owe.
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