Daily Inspirations

  Good morning. We are back to the handout sheets. You were not a mistake, for all your days are written in My book. Isn't that super to know that we are not a mistake? Too many people in the world feel like they were a mistake. God wrote down all of our days even before we were born. That does not mean that He wanted all of the things that happened to us to happen. It does mean that He knew they were going to happen before they happened. He even tried to warn us they were going to happen; but we either did not hear Him or we ignored Him. What is He trying to tell us right now that is going to happen, if we don't heed His warning? I determined the exact time of your birth and where you would live. We were not born in the wrong century, as some people believe they were. Even though we may not have gotten to this exact spot the best way possible, God made it happen anyway. We are not here just to take up space. God has a plan for us at this point in His timeline. I know it'...

  Good morning. We are back in Psalm 119. We are almost halfway through. Forever, oh Lord, Your word is settled in heaven. His word is not yes yes and no no. We are not testing it out to see if it's true. It doesn't matter whether we believe it or not – it's true. And like His word: Your faithfulness continues throughout all generations. Because His word is true, we can know for sure that He will be faithful to us forever. If Your word had not been my delight, then I would have perished in my affliction. His word is what sustains us, and keeps us on the right path. I am Yours - save me. Your commandments make me wiser than my enemies; I have more insight than all my teachers, for Your testimonies are my meditation. We are smarter than the average bear J . We have the mind of Christ – who can outsmart us? How sweet are Your words to my taste! Yes, sweeter than honey to my mouth! Your word is a lamp to my feet, and a light to my path. It allows us to see which way we are go...

  Good morning. I hope everything is going great. From the handout sheets: I know when you sit down and when you rise up. We don't serve a God who does not care for us. He cares intimately about us. I am familiar with all your ways. Uh Oh – that could be good, or it could be bad. He's even better than Santa Claus. So we better be good for goodness sake J . Even the very hairs on your head are numbered. That is a decreasing number. But it does show that He's knowledgeable about every little thing about us. You were made in My image. Now that is unimaginable! How could we be made in the image of the awesome God? When we do wrong, we are going against our very nature. In Me you live and move and have your being; for you are My offspring. We cannot exist outside of Him. We are His children. And as such we should act like Him. Remember Jesus telling some people "you act like your father - the devil". We should act like our Father – God. I knew you even before you wer...

  Good morning. I hope you found peace yesterday. Remember that God wants us to know His will even more than we want to know it. We are back to the handout sheets – hopefully this has not been you at night. You keep track of every toss and turn through the sleepless nights. Each tear entered into Your ledger each ache written in Your book. It does not go unnoticed by Him. He even "keeps track of them". He desires us to have sweet rest and sweet peace. Oh my God, work a miracle for me. You can do it! Get me out of here. Your love is so great! I'm at the end of my rope - my life is in ruins. Hopefully that does not describe your situation, because that sounds desperate. Why does He help us? Save me through Your wonderful love. He saves us because He loves us. What is the result? Then they will know that Your hand is in this – that You, God have been at work. When people see what God has done in your life, they will want to come to know Him, so that He will do it in their ...

  Good morning. We are back in Psalm 119. Open my eyes, that I may behold wonderful things from Your law. Too many Christians close their eyes to God's word. They do not want to know where they are going wrong. I remember one time when this young man told my friend and me that he did not want to hear what God said about what he was doing. That's because he would then be accountable to do the right thing. In other words "if I don't know it's wrong, then I can't be held accountable for my sin". Even though princes sit and talk against me, Your servant meditates on Your statutes. No matter who says what even those high in authority, we should still meditate on God's word. We should not vary from it just because everyone around us is against God's word. My soul cleaves to the dust; revive me according to Your word. No matter how down we get, God's word will lift us up. Turn away my eyes from looking at vanity (uh oh), and revive me in Your ways. ...

  Good morning. We are back to the handout sheets. Many are the afflictions (pressures) of the righteous, but the Lord delivers them out of them all. Thank God! I'm sure you're familiar with the joke: it came to pass – thank God it didn't come to stay. I've been reading in the book of Acts. Several times it took pressure for them to do or to go where they were supposed to. The children of Israel also had no desire to leave Egypt before they were enslaved. They could've left at any time. They had the best of the land – who would want to leave? It took the pressure of slavery to get them to have the desire to leave. Too many Christians are that way now. Things are going great – who would want to leave? (even to go to heaven). But I am poor and needy; yet the Lord thinks upon me (is thinking about me right now). You are my help and my deliverer. Make no tarrying, oh my God. We are on His mind continually. Of course we want help yesterday. But God is never late. He ha...

  Good morning. Back to Psalm 119: You have ordained Your precepts, that we should keep them diligently. That's why He gave us His word - so that we would know what we are supposed to do. Remember the old saying: "without the Spirit you will dry up, without the word you will blow up". It's great to have the gifts of the Spirit, but you need the word to keep you in line. Oh, that my ways may be established to keep Your statutes! Then I shall not be ashamed when I look upon all Your commandments. How can a young (or old) man (or woman) keep his/her way pure? By keeping it according to Your word. And so what should we do? Your word I have treasured in my heart, that I might not sin against You. It's not just plain reading it once in a while. Nor hearing it on Sunday morning. With my lips I have told of all the ordinances of Your mouth. That's important for us to do, especially to our children. Sometimes it seems like we did not do it enough. I have rejoiced in ...

  Good morning. We are back in the handout sheets. When I was fenced in, You freed me and rescued me because You loved me. We have all felt fenced in at times. There was no way of escape. And yet God came to our rescue. He freed us not because He had to, nor because of anything we did, but because He loved us. And when it looks like there is no hope – "that clinches it help is coming, an answer is on the way! Everything is going to work out". When it's the darkest storm, the “Sonlight” always shows up. We know everything is going to be all right. Watch this. God's eye is upon those who respect Him, the ones looking for His love. He's ready to come to their rescue in bad times. In lean times, He keeps body and soul together. He is always watching over us. That is because we love and respect Him. When we can't keep it together – He does. This poor man cried and the Lord heard him and delivered him out of all his troubles. Remember the song taken out of second ...

  Good morning. We are back in Psalms: it is better to take refuge in the Lord than to trust in man. Of course that is what we should do in times like these. Sometimes men can help, but disaster can still overtake us. Even when we are OK physically, we're not really OK, if we are not taking refuge in the Lord. I shall not die, but live (reminds me of the song we sometimes sing "I will live I will not die") and tell of the works of the Lord. Just what we should be doing every day. And then talks about the stone which the builders rejected and became the chief cornerstone. This is the day which the Lord has made; let us rejoice and be glad in it! No matter what happens we should be glad and rejoice in it. Oh Lord, do save, do send prosperity! Blessed is the one who comes in the name of the Lord. Now we are at Psalm 119 – a whole lot of verses. But don't worry – we're not doing them all today . How blessed are those whose way is blameless, who walk in the law of th...

  Good morning. We are back in Psalms. I love the Lord, because He hears my voice and my supplications. We have a God who listens to us. The prophets of Baal whom Elijah faced cried out and cut themselves; but their god did not listen. We do not have to fear that God will turn His back on us. And so "because He has inclined His ear to me, therefore I shall call upon Him as long as I live." If He did it before, He will do it again. Sometimes when things happen, our soul gets upset. However we should say "return to your rest, oh my soul, for the Lord has dealt bountifully with you." Yes sometimes you do have to talk to your soul. After all in Psalm 103 it says bless the Lord O my soul. Our soul should be at rest continually. Why? Because He has rescued my soul from death, my eyes from tears, my feet from stumbling. First and foremost, He saved our soul. We can take comfort in that. When our eyes were crying from hurt, He turned our mourning into laughter. Because ou...

  Good morning. We are back to the handout sheets. I am an alien and stranger to this world in which I temporarily live. We are just visiting. “this world is not my home, I'm just a passing through." The language of this world is not our natural one now. We should be speaking the words of our home – heaven. Sadly, too many Christians do just the opposite. You can't tell them from the natives. I am an enemy of the devil. He knows it and acts like it. He treats us like enemies. He takes no prisoners, though he does help us imprison ourselves, if we let him. I am a child of God and I will resemble Christ when He returns. Children look like their parents, and so we should look like God. When people see us, they should see God in us. Children even look somewhat like each other. And so we should look like our big brother - Jesus Christ. A lot of times children also look up to their big brother and try to act like him. We should do the same. He is our example to look up to and ...

  Good morning. We are back in Psalms. Who is like the Lord our God, who is enthroned on high, who humbles Himself to behold the things that are in heaven and in the earth? God humbles Himself to behold what's happening to us here on earth. And yet He loves us that much. To Your name we give glory because of Your lovingkindness, because of Your truth. But our God is in the heavens; He does whatever He pleases. And what He pleases is to be with us; to help us in our times of need. He pleased to send His Son to die for us. You who fear the Lord, trust in the Lord; He is their help and their shield. He shields us from all harm. He is our protector. The Lord has been mindful of us and He will bless us. How awesome that He would even think about us. May the Lord give you increase, you and your family. Wow! He not only gives us increase He also gives our family increase. All because we fear and trust in the Lord. May you be blessed of the Lord, maker of heaven and earth. The creator of...

  Good morning. We are back to the handout sheets. I've been placed into Christ by God's doing. As you know, God did it all. We are in Christ, and He is in us. I have received the Spirit of God into my life that I might know the things freely given to me by God. We have the Holy Spirit living inside of us! Who has known the mind of God but the Spirit of God? Since He has a direct connection with God, He can let us know anything that we need. God has given us freely many things, and the Holy Spirit reveals them to us as we need them. I have been given the mind of Christ. And because of that, His thoughts become our thoughts, if we allow it. Christ can give us clarity of mind when we need it. I have been bought with a price; I am not my own; I belong to God. The price was very high – the crucifixion of Jesus Christ. We don't belong to ourselves, we belong to God. And so we should act like it. Father thank You that the reader has received Your Holy Spirit into his/her life; ...

  Good morning. We are back in Hebrews. In the middle of a sentence: and it is hard to explain, since you have become dull of hearing. This happens to too many Christians. It's like little boys: their mamas call them to dinner. Just a minute, they say. (nothing happens) she calls again. (surprise – again nothing happens) that boy becomes dull of hearing. Why didn't you come? I didn't hear your mama. Since she didn't come and enforce her request, she trained him to become dull of hearing. (so that's why husbands don't listen when their wives talk to them – their mamas trained them that way) . Moving right along. Christians keep hearing messages from the pulpit. When there is no immediate enforcement of the word spoken, they become like little boys. They tune it out. They become dull of hearing. For though by this time you ought to be teachers, you have need again for someone to teach you the elementary principles of the oracles of God, and you have come to need...

  Good morning. We are back to the handout sheets. I have been justified (just if I'd never sinned) – completely forgiven and made righteous. That is the way that God looks at us, and that is the way we should look at ourselves. However it's hard to do that when we keep messing up. I died with Christ and died to the power of sin's rule over my life. We are dead. Sin should have no power over us then. It only has whatever power we allow it to have. If you have lived your whole life under the power of sin's rule, then it is very hard to think of yourself as not being under its rule. It's like they say about turkeys. You can tie the legs of two turkeys together to each other. After some length of time, you can release them. They don't try to move because in their minds they are still tied together and can't move. That is the same way with people who have lived their whole lives under the power of sin's rule over their lives. When they are released from th...

  Good morning. Today's inspiration talks about one's children. In Psalms: how blessed is the man who fears the Lord, who greatly delights in His commandments. You want to be blessed – fear the Lord and delight in His word. Not only will you be blessed but: his descendants will be mighty on the earth: the generation of the upright will be blessed. So the blessing is not only for you; it's also for your children. That's a double blessing. Wealth and riches are in his house (believing is seeing). It's easier to handle bad things when they happen to us; it's a lot harder when it happens to our children. His righteousness endures forever. Light arises in the darkness for the upright. Even though things look dark now for you or your children, light will arise for you and for them. He is gracious and compassionate and righteous. And because of that: it is well with the man who is gracious and lends. God will maintain his cause in judgment. He will never be shaken. S...

  Good morning. We are now back in the book of Hebrews. Pursue peace with all men, and the sanctification without which no one will see the Lord. This is not just a statement; it is in the imperative which is like an command. It tells us to pursue that peace. Paul said as far as it has to do with you be at peace with all men. However, we do not compromise to obtain that peace. We are also to pursue sanctification. Yes we were "legally" sanctified when we were born again. But the outworking of that sanctification in our lives depends on us. And we have to pursue it – it doesn't just come naturally. Without it, we will not see the Lord. See to it that no one comes   short of the grace of God; that no root of bitterness springing up causes trouble, and by it many be defiled. Too many lives of Christians are ruined by a root of bitterness. With good plants it seems like a root is not enough for them to continue. But with weeds, that's all it takes. They eventually sprin...

  Good morning. We're back to the handout sheets. I have the right to come boldly before the throne of God to receive mercy and find grace to help in time of need. People are always demanding their rights. But we don't have to demand our rights – we already have them. And we don't have to crawl into the throne room. We can come boldly. Not because of anything we did, but because of what Jesus did. He sprinkled His own blood on the mercy seat for us. Whatever we need Jesus accomplished for us. I have been given precious and magnificent promises by God, by which I am a partaker of God's divine nature. Any promises given by God are precious and magnificent. And we know that we know that we know that they are ours and that He will fulfill them. By them we partake of God's own divine nature. We have God's own nature inside of us. It is no longer our nature to do evil, but to do good. We go against our nature when we do evil. Sadly too many Christians believe just t...

  Good morning. We are back in Psalms. He changes a wilderness into a pool of water, and a dry land into springs of water. He can take a desperate situation and change it into just the opposite. So whatever bad thing is happening to you, He can turn it around. His lovingkindness is great above the heavens; and His truth reaches to the skies. Through God we shall do valiantly; and it is He who will tread down our enemies. We are not to just barely get along in life. We are to be victorious over all our enemies; whether they are physical or spiritual. In the midst of many I will praise Him. I will give thanks to the Lord with all my heart, in the company of the upright and in the assembly. This is where giving our testimony in church comes into play. When other believers hear what God has done for us, it encourages them that He will do it for them too. Great are the works of the Lord; they are studied by all who delight in them. This is why we read the word – both the Old and New T...

  Good morning. We are back in Hebrews. Speaking of Abraham: and thus, having patiently waited, he obtained the promise. He couldn't with his physical eyes see any possibility of the promise happening. He only had one son who only had two sons before Abraham died. There was no possibility of his descendants being like the stars of heaven; and yet he still believed. Now that is faith. It should be the same with us. Even though we see no possibility of the promise happening, and in fact it looks like the opposite is going to happen, we still have to believe. Then in a later chapter: by faith Abraham, when he was tested, offered up Isaac; and he who had received the promises was offering up his only begotten son. He had only one shot at the promise happening – and he was willing to give up that possibility because he trusted God. He had faith that God was going to work out everything according to His promise. By contrast Adam did not trust God concerning Eve. God said don't eat ...

  Good morning. We are back in Psalms. Oh give thanks to the Lord, for He is good; for His lovingkindness is everlasting. Let the redeemed of the Lord say so (go ahead – say "so!"), whom He has redeemed from the hand of the adversary. Yes we should say how God has redeemed us from all our sins and from all harm. Of course in today's world, we are ridiculed for saying so. Speaking about the children of Israel, it says He led them also by a straight way. God also leads us along a straight and narrow path. And we should not deviate from this straight path. For He has satisfied the thirsty soul, and the hungry soul He has filled with what is good. Too many Christians today are not hungering and thirsting after righteousness. They are hungering and thirsting after things instead of righteousness. If you are willing, your soul will never hunger or thirst again. He sent His word and healed them, and delivered them from their destructions. It is His word that heals and delivers...

  Good morning. Today we are in Hebrews. Therefore, since we have so great a cloud of witnesses surrounding us, let us also lay aside every encumbrance, and the sin which so easily entangles us, and let us run with endurance the race that is set before us. Just like at the Olympics the competitors have a great cloud of witnesses surrounding them watching their every move, so do we. Unlike the Olympics though, our cloud of witnesses all have won gold medals. They were successful in the game of life. And if we follow their example of faith, so will we be. In the Olympics they have to put aside every encumbrance that would keep them from performing at their best. And so we too have to lay aside everything that would keep us from performing at our best. Two of the women runners got entangled with each other – while we get entangled in our sin. It trips us up. Life is not a sprint like Bolt is so great at - it is a marathon. So we need to run with endurance. The performers at the Olym...

  Good morning. We are now back to the handout sheets. I have been buried, raised, and made alive with Christ. I died with Christ and I have been raised up with Christ. My life is now hidden with Christ in God. Christ is now my life. Since this is true, then we should act like it. The old man is dead and buried. We should not let him rise up from the dead. We have been made new; and we should act like it. Christ is our life; so we should act like it. Sadly too many Christians act like their own personal interest is their life – not Christ. Their thoughts turn to what is best for them; not what is best for Christ. If it is good for Him, then it is good for us. I have been given a Spirit of power, love, and self-discipline. We have all the power we need residing within us. We are not weak but strong in Him. We all have problems at times with that self-discipline part. I have been saved and set apart according to God's doing. We are set apart from the world. And so we should act lik...

  Good morning. We are back in Psalms. Let the heart of those who seek the Lord be glad. Seek the Lord and His strength; seek His face continually. Truly let your heart be glad; for you seek the Lord. Seek after His strength and not your own. Seek His face continually not just when you are in need of something. Remember His wonders which He has done. As we've said before: if you remember what He has done for you in the past, it encourages you that He will do it again for you in the future. It then reminds us of Joseph who was sold as a slave. Just when things looked impossible God came to the rescue. It then says the word of the Lord tested him. At the proper time God's word came true. And so His word about you will come true - at the proper time. You can say with the Psalmist: remember me, O Lord, in Your favor toward Your people. That I may see the prosperity of Your chosen ones. But be careful. Then they believed His words; they sang His praise. They quickly forgot His wor...

  Good morning. Today we looking at the book of Hebrews. Since therefore, brethren, we have confidence to enter the holy place by the blood of Jesus, by a new and living way which He inaugurated for us through the veil, that is, His flesh. Only the high priest could enter the holy place and that was once a year after he sacrificed an animal and sprinkled its blood. At least at first he entered with fear and trembling because he wasn't sure that he had done everything correctly. We however, can enter the holy place at any time with complete confidence; because of the blood of Jesus. Since we have a great priest over the house of God, let us draw near with a sincere heart in full assurance of faith. We can come near to God. But we need to have a sincere heart. Then we can be confident that we are welcome. Having our hearts sprinkled clean from an evil conscience and our bodies washed with pure water. The high priest sprinkled the blood of an animal on the mercy seat when he came in...

  Good morning. We are back to the handout sheets. You will personally come and pick me up and set me firmly in place, and make me stronger than ever. You mean that much to Him Rani - that He would personally do it. He will set you firmly in place. You will be able to stand against all the floods and winds that come against you. Not only that – you'll be even stronger than you ever were. You give power to the faint (The tired and worn-out) and to them that have no might You increase strength. As I wait upon You, Lord, You will renew my strength; I shall mount up with wings as an eagle – I shall run and not be weary, I shall walk and not faint or become tired. He's much better than any energy drink. It's all too easy to give up when you are weary. But we have to wait upon Him. We have to become still within. I have been rescued from the domain of Satan's rule and transferred to the kingdom of Christ. At one time we were all under Satan's rule; some for just the fir...

  Good morning. Today we are back in the pastor's favorite book. But prove yourselves doers of the word, and not merely hearers who delude themselves. If you are just a hearer of the word, you think you're OK. I've done my duty by going to church. I'll be just fine for the following week. You have deluded yourself. Everyone else will know you're not OK. For if anyone is a hearer of the word and not a doer, he is like a man who looks at his natural face in a mirror; for once he has looked at himself and gone away, he has immediately forgotten what kind of person he was. The word shows him how he does not measure up. But if he is not a doer of the word that tells him how to change his life, then he will quickly forget how much he did not measure up to the word. But the one who looks intently (this is the same Greek word that was used when they stooped to look into the tomb) at the perfect law, the law of liberty, and abides by it, not having become a forgetful heare...

  Good morning. We are back in Psalms. As far as the east is from the west, so far has He removed our transgressions from us. He didn't just cover them over with a little dirt. They are gone forever. He doesn't remember them and so we shouldn't either. Don't let the devil bring up things from the past. He, God, knows what we are made out of; He is mindful that we are but dust. As for man his days are like grass. But the lovingkindness of the Lord is from everlasting to everlasting on those who fear Him. That shows a great contrast between Him and us. Even though we are but temporary on the earth, His lovingkindness is forever. Let my meditation be pleasing to Him. What we meditate upon matters. When we meditate upon the bad things around us, it is hard if not impossible to believe that He wants good things and will bring good things to us. Someone once said that meditation is like a cow chewing her cud. She chews on it for a while and then later brings it back up and ...

  Good morning. Today we are back in the pastor's favorite book - James. Right after he says God is opposed to the proud, but gives grace to the humble, he says submit therefore to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you. If we are proud, then we think we can do it on our own. We will not submit to God for fear He will tell us to do something that we don't want to do. We have to swallow our pride and submit to God. We have to do it His way not ours. If we don't submit to God we can try to resist the devil, but he won't flee from us. When we submit to God, he sees God not us - because we're under His wings. He knows he can't defeat God. Draw near to God and He will draw near to you. God's not moving – we are the ones that have to move towards Him. But first we have to "Cleanse your hands, you sinners; and purify your hearts, you double minded." Clean hands and a pure heart are what He desires. You cannot be double minded – you cannot serv...

  Good morning. Today we're going to look at Psalm 103. Bless the Lord, O my soul; and all that is within me, bless His holy name. Bless the Lord, O my soul, and forget not all His benefits. You have groups of workers all over the country fighting for their benefits. We don't have to fight for them; we have them in abundance! And just what are those benefits you may ask? Who pardons all your iniquities (there's not even a co-pay; He pardons them all); Who heals all your diseases (we don't have to worry about something not being covered under His health plan); Who redeems your life from the pit (that's where we were headed until He redeemed us); Who crowns you with lovingkindness and compassion (there's our mental health plan); Who satisfies your years with good things (this is a lifetime benefit); so that your youth is renewed like the eagle (it's much better than Social Security and Medicare !). The Lord is compassionate and gracious, slow to anger (aren...

  Good morning. We are back to the handout sheets. The righteous shall move onward and forward; those with pure hearts shall become stronger and stronger. We are not supposed to just sit there and become stagnant. As someone has said: "if you're not moving forward, you are moving backward. "The key of course, is to have a pure heart. As the song says "my will is not my own". We surrender it to God. As we step forward in faith, we become stronger and stronger. Like Abraham: I will not stagger at the promises of God through unbelief, but I will grow strong and empowered by faith as I give glory to God. Before he even had a son, Abraham was promised that his descendants would be as the stars of the heaven. Then God asked him to sacrifice his only son, Isaac. Here he was an old dude and yet he was willing to trust God. He was willing to put all on the line. He didn't rest on the miracle of Isaac's birth. If God did a miracle before, He would do it again. T...