Daily Devotions

Today’s Bible Verse You must not let anything cause you to give up the hope that became yours when you heard the Good News. Colossians 1:22-23 Relentless Hope According to 1 John 5:4 TPT, our faith is “the victorious power that triumphs over the world.” We can say that faith is the victory. However, faith is conjoined to hope; because faith is the substance of things hoped for. Hope is such a powerful force; it holds things together until the promise is fully manifested. The book of Romans defines hope like this: “But hope means that we must trust and wait for what is still unseen” (Romans 8:24 TPT). Hope trusts and waits for a turnaround; hope expects a favorable outcome.  The key to hoping in the Lord is to not be swayed by the time factor. This is where many believers miss it. We are in faith, hoping for a breakthrough, but time gets the best of us, and when situations don’t change in our timing, we give up.  (Pastor Miguel Montano, Word of Life Santa Barbara) Change My Story Not long ago I saw Bruno Mars in an interview (I am not a fan, but follow me for a minute). He was asked about his songwriting process. He explained that most of his songs are written in a few hours or days, but Uptown Funk (one of his greatest hits) took him seven months to write. He said that ten times they put that song in the trashcan

Today’s Bible Verse But the Lord answered her, “Martha, Martha, you are worried and distracted by many things; there is need of only one thing. Mary has chosen the better part, which will not be taken away from her.” Luke 10: 41-42 (TNRSV) One Thing The holiday season is upon us! Even as I type, I’m feeling it. I must fight to stay focused on that “one thing.” It reminds me of the story of Mary and Martha in Luke 10:38-42 (TNRSV). As the sisters, Mary and Martha, were expecting Jesus’s visit, we can imagine that they both did all they could to make their home appealing, tidy, and comfortable for the Master’s coming. Yet, in verses 39 and 40, we can see a difference in the hearts of these two sisters.  Once Jesus entered the home, Mary stopped what she was doing and sat at Jesus’ feet. Martha, on the other hand, continued with her preparations. Not only that, but in her self-righteousness, Martha tells Jesus, “Lord, do You not care that my sister has left me to do the serving by myself? Then tell her to help me.”  Wow! Martha was upset. However, let’s give Martha the benefit of the doubt that her intentions were honorable. That she only wanted to create the very best experience for Jesus and all the guests who were present.  In times past, I’ve noticed that comments are made that we need to stop being like Martha. Yet, Martha’s preparations were vital in

This Week’s Memory Verse Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations [help the people to learn of Me, believe in Me, and obey My words], baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit. Matthew 28:19 (AMP) Mission Accomplished Hey Kids! Did you know that Elijah, our superhero this month did not die?  Yeah, the Bible says that he went straight to heaven!  He went to Heaven in a whirlwind like a tornado…. He spinned upward to Heaven!  Wow, how cool is that?   Elijah was faithful to God from the beginning of his life on earth till the end.  He never stopped believing in God or in what God said.  No matter how hard things got, he never gave up on serving God and living his life the way God assigned Him to live!  Elijah was given a God mission and he nailed it!   It wasn’t always easy for Elijah but he listened and obeyed God.  He made mistakes but he did not give up in believing God.  He stayed close to God and God gave him the strength to keep on going even when it seemed like it was too hard. God gave you a special mission too!  Yes, that’s right!  God picked you out of thousands, no millions, more like trillions of people to do a special mission for Him!!  Your life has a purpose while you are here on earth.  When God gives you something it never changes or goes away!  It’s for only you to accomplish.   This mission is so important

Today’s Bible Verse Not that I have already attained, or am already perfected; but I press on, that I may lay hold of that for which Christ Jesus has also laid hold of me. Brethren, I do not count myself to have apprehended; but one thing I do, forgetting those things which are behind and reaching forward to those things which are ahead, I press toward the goal for the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus. Philippians 3:12-14 (NKJV) I’m not there yet, nor have I become perfect; but I am charging on to gain anything and everything the Anointed One, Jesus, has in store for me—and nothing will stand in my way because He has grabbed me and won’t let me go. Brothers and sisters, as I said, I know I have not arrived; but there’s one thing I am doing: I’m leaving my old life behind, putting everything on the line for this mission. I am sprinting toward the only goal that counts: to cross the line, to win the prize, and to hear God’s call to resurrection life found exclusively in Jesus the Anointed Philippians 3:12-14 (The Voice) Forgetting is Freeing I love how Paul compels, charges, and challenges us to FORGET what is behind and to REACH FORWARD to what is ahead. Why? Because Forgetting is Freeing.  The past will try to hinder us, so we don’t visualize our future as true disciples and leaders of Christ.  Rehearsing the past only keeps

Today’s Bible Verse I can do all things [which He has called me to do] through Him who strengthens and empowers me [to fulfill His purpose—I am self-sufficient in Christ’s sufficiency; I am ready for anything and equal to anything through Him who infuses me with inner strength and confident peace.] … Philippians 4:13-14 (AMP) Equal to Anything As a teen and young adult, I was preoccupied with leisure as a recreational surfer, hiker, and runner.  So, when the Holy Spirit refocused me into academia, it was an unlikely path.  It was an intimidating path.         On most school days I felt vulnerable, treading water, in the deep, in the mystery … but in books instead of the ocean or the mountains.  I transitioned from dealing with the immediacy of an increased heart rate and split-second choices to grappling with intangibles: theory, concepts, the extent of human thought and wonder, mostly useless stuff.   But, the useful part in all of it was the transferable part, the faith part.   Yet, faith is a strength I had to activate with a yes, a willingness to walk God’s path, even when it didn’t make sense, even when it scared me.  Because sometimes God asks us to do things we aren’t good at to teach us the invaluable lesson: We are “ready for anything and equal to anything through Him.” The strength of faith is not an issue of ability.  It is a matter of willingness and courage to say, yes, when we recognize God’s