Archives June 2023

Monday June 26, 2023
GOD WILL DO A NEW THING (1)
TEXT: Isaiah 43:18-19
VERSE OF THE DAY: “Behold, I will do a new thing; now it shall
spring forth; shall ye not know it? I will even make a way in the
wilderness, and rivers in the desert” Isaiah 43:19.
A new beginning is a conscious decision to walk out of old ways of
doing things into positive and better ways of doing them. The Bible
makes us understand that God, our Father takes delight in doing
new things and so also should we, His children, take delight in the
same.
God delights in seeing us turn from our former and unpleasant ways
of life to a new beginning. Be it a failure in life, business or career,
spiritual dryness, sinful life etc., God wants a better and new
beginning for us and He will give it to whosoever desires it.
God is ready to give us a brand new beginning if we decide to return
to Him, and He will give us again our enviable place in redemption.
Jer 15:19. Let us look at Biblical examples of how God gave His
people a new beginning;
Jabez [1 chronicles 4:9-10]. He had a life and destiny characterized
by sorrow and pain. Failure in all areas of life was his lot from
childhood because his mother gave birth to him in sorrow. Jabez
sought a new beginning, he cried unto God in faith for a new
beginning characterized by a change of story and God heard Jabez
and answered him with a new beginning of glory and honour. Jabez
afterwards became a man whose story became that of success and
glory because he sought a new beginning from God and got it.
PRAYER: Heavenly Father, change my story in Jesus’ name, Amen.

ACTION POINT: God is ever ready and willing to give you a new beginning.

Sunday June 25, 2023
WHEN GOD’S PEOPLE PRAY
Text: 2 Chronicles 7:1-14
Verse of The Day: “[If] My people who are called by My name humble
themselves, and pray and seek My face, and turn from their wicked ways,
then I will hear from heaven, and I will forgive their sin and will heal their
land” ~ (2 Chronicles 7:14 NASB).
God knew there was sin in the land. He was ready to act. Something had to
change.
His focus was not on sinners or the godless, but on His own people. They
needed to humble themselves, pray, seek His face, and turn from their
wicked ways. Only then would He hear, forgive, and heal their land.
The same principle applies today. It can be easy to focus on the immorality,
blasphemy, corruption, and godlessness we see in the world around us. But
God tells us He focuses on His people. He watches to see how we react.
If you want to see change, start with prayer! Humble yourself before God.
Seek His face. Ask Him to convict you of anything that displeases Him ~ any
thought or activity, any hobby or habit. Make sure to confess your sins,
repent, and seek to make changes.
The Bible promises that God is ready to “hear from heaven.” He is ready to
forgive the sins of our people and heal our land and ready to act in powerful
ways. But we need to be passionate about our prayers. Will we seek Him
persistently? Will we pray with passion? Will we cry out for His mercy? For
healing? For His power to fall on us?
Today, commit to praying more intensely and to pray for the lost. Pray that
the Spirit will fall. Pray that God will send revival. Pray until our land is
healed.
Prayer: Dear Lord, forgive my sins. Forgive the sins of your people. Help us
turn from our wicked ways. Heal our land. Bring revival in Jesus Name ~
Amen.
ACTION POINT: Pray without ceasing.

Bible in 365 Days

Isa 56, Matt 4

HANDLING MISTAKES (2)

TEXT: PHILIPPIANS 3:13-14

VERSE OF THE DAY:

_“HE HELPS THOSE WHO ARE IN TROUBLE; HE LIFTS THOSE WHO HAVE FALLEN”- PSALM 145:14._

Some people fear mistakes because they are reprimanded and ridiculed for them. As a result, we become defensive when they occur. Your best teacher is your last mistake.

When mistakes are made, our actions shift from doing the right thing to covering our behinds; pointing fingers rather than accepting personal responsibility; hiding errors rather than fixing them; allowing wasteful projects to linger rather than shutting them down, and letting small problems become big ones because they are inadequately addressed. The result is that learning is brought to a complete standstill, making it likely to repeat the same mistake. It should not be that way.

The time has come to view every mistake as an opportunity rather than a weakness. This change in outlook will stimulate personal growth, strengthen relationships, and enhance efficiency and effectiveness. The truth is that we should not be ashamed of making a mistake. The disgrace should be in failing to admit, correct, and learn from it. The bottom line is that the difference between mediocrity and exponential personal growth is how you view your mistakes.

PRAYER: Dear Lord, thank you for all the lessons I’ve learned from my mistakes, Amen.

BIBLE IN 365 DAYS:

Isa 55

Matt 3

ACTION POINT:

VIEW A MISTAKE AS AN OPPORTUNITY RATHER THAN A CHALLENGE.

HANDLING MISTAKES (1)

TEXT: PSALM 37:23-24

VERSE OF THE DAY:
_“OUR ENEMIES HAVE NO REASON TO GLOAT OVER US. WE HAVE FALLEN, BUT WE WILL RISE AGAIN. WE ARE IN DARKNESS NOW, BUT THE LORD WILL GIVE US LIGHT”- MICAH 7:8._

Mistakes have a negative image. So we hide them, play the blame game, or beat ourselves up when they occur. In fact, these actions compound our mistakes by creating stress and anxiety, damaging relationships, and squandering time and money.

Trying to avoid mistakes at any cost can be very costly. As Albert Einstein said, “A person who never made a mistake never tried anything new”. Learn from other people’s mistakes rather than reinventing the wheel and making every mistake yourself. Sweeping mistakes under a rug never makes them really disappear.

Left unattended, small mistakes grow into big ones. Mistakes don’t make you a failure, but beating yourself up makes you feel like one. It is one thing to make a mistake and quite another to commit one intentionally by being deceitful.

No one wins the blame game. Pointing fingers prohibits learning or progress from taking place. It’s time to face the music.

PRAYER: Dear Lord, help me to learn from my mistakes in Jesus’ name, Amen.

BIBLE IN 365 DAYS:
ISA 54
MATT 2

ACTION POINT:
STOP BLAMING OTHERS FOR YOUR MISTAKES.

DON’T QUIT

TEXT: PHILIPPIANS 3:14

VERSE OF THE DAY:
_“FOR WHATSOEVER IS BORN OF GOD OVERCOMETH THE WORLD: AND THIS IS THE VICTORY THAT OVERCOMETH THE WORLD, EVEN OUR FAITH”- 1 JOHN 5:4_

Throughout our lifetime, we will all face situations that test our will, defy our determination, and challenge our character. Remember, even if life were a bed of roses, you will still need to avoid the thorns.

Even though our personal limits may be challenged, defeat should never be accepted as an option. The fact remains that the difference between a winner and a loser is not always that the loser fell on hard times. Rather, the difference often lies in how the adversity was faced. While some people stare tough times right in the eye, others are quick to surrender to a challenge. Which one are you?

Some people give up before they even start. Their rationale is why make the effort when the odds of winning are stacked against me. Some people when they are faced with a challenge are surprised, overwhelmed, and ill-prepared to rise to the occasion.

Some other people tend to reach out for help as soon as they are faced with a challenge. The problem is that the more reliant you are on others, the less reliant you are on yourself. There are people who don’t have the stomach to face adversity. They give up so many times in life and they accept defeat without making an effort.

PRAYER: Dear Lord, help me not to quit in Jesus’ name, Amen.

BIBLE IN 365 DAYS:
Isa 53
Matt 1

ACTION POINT:
PEOPLE WHO QUIT NEVER WIN.

BE COURAGEOUS (2)

TEXT:ISAIAH 54:4

VERSE OF THE DAY:
_“BE STRONG AND OF GOOD COURAGE, DO NOT FEAR NOR BE AFRAID OF THEM; FOR THE LORD YOUR GOD, HE IS THE ONE WHO GOES WITH YOU. HE WILL NOT LEAVE YOU NOR FORSAKE YOU”- DEUTERONOMY 31:6._

Courageous people put other people’s needs ahead of their own. They know that the Captain must go down with the ship and that being selfless helps to gain the respect of friends and colleagues.

Courageous people understand the importance of trust, honesty, and full disclosure while confronting people who hide behind untruths. They believe that people are willing to make tough decisions if the options are presented to them in an open, honest, and objective manner. They also believe that people should admit their mistakes, learn from them, and move on, rather than waste precious time playing politics.

Courageous people are not afraid of swimming against the tide or challenging the status quo. They stare adversity in the eye; running toward the problem rather than away from it. They know that saying “no” to one idea may enable them to “say yes” to another and that old ways of doing things should not stand in the way of a better solution.

Courageous people step outside their comfort zone to meet the challenges that lie ahead. They know that change is part of life and that some of the greatest advances have been realized by embracing change.

Courageous people follow their intuition. If the information required to make a good decision is not available, they follow their instincts.

Courageous people put their money where their mouth is. They know that it is not enough to talk about doing something. Instead, they act.

PRAYER: Dear Lord, thank you for giving me courage in Jesus’ name, Amen.

BIBLE IN 365 DAYS:
Isa 52
Rev 22

ACTION POINT:
YOU NEED THE COURAGE TO ACHIEVE THE IMPOSSIBLE.

BE COURAGEOUS (1)

TEXT: ISAIAH 54:4

VERSE OF THE DAY:
_“BE STRONG AND OF GOOD COURAGE, DO NOT FEAR NOR BE AFRAID OF THEM; FOR THE LORD YOUR GOD, HE IS THE ONE WHO GOES WITH YOU. HE WILL NOT LEAVE YOU NOR FORSAKE YOU”- DEUTERONOMY 31:6._

Courageous people believe in themselves. They know who they are and what they stand for. They have strong values, recognize their personal capabilities, and are confident in meeting the challenges that lie before them. Courageous people are passionate and purposeful. You can sense courageous people when they walk into a room; they have a bounce in their step, maintain a positive outlook, and are comfortable in their own skin.

You always know where courageous people stand. They are passionate about their beliefs and values and have consistent and predictable behaviour. They don’t blindly follow the crowd, give up in the midst of adversity, or change their opinion unless the change is supported by a strong factual case.

Courageous people know the difference between right and wrong. They don’t just talk about honour; they live it every day by following the letter, as well as the spirit of the law. They are trustworthy, objective, fair, and tolerant. They also stand up against injustice, backing their words with action.

Courageous people are not deterred by adversity or afraid of what people may think of them. Courageous leaders motivate people with personal charisma, expertise, integrity, and respect rather than by using their position or authority as a crutch. Courageous people are tough but fair. While they may ask others to achieve the impossible, they ask others only what they are willing to do themselves.

PRAYER: Dear Lord, thank you for giving me courage in Jesus’ name, Amen.

BIBLE IN 365 DAYS:
Isa 51
Rev 21

ACTION POINT:
YOU NEED THE COURAGE TO ACHIEVE THE IMPOSSIBLE.

A GODLY FATHER

TEXT: PSALM 78:1-7

VERSE OF THE DAY:
_“FOR HE ESTABLISHED A TESTIMONY IN JACOB, AND APPOINTED A LAW IN ISRAEL, WHICH HE COMMANDED OUR FATHERS, THAT THEY SHOULD MAKE THEM KNOWN TO THEIR CHILDREN: THAT THE GENERATION TO COME MIGHT KNOW THEM, EVEN THE CHILDREN WHICH SHOULD BE BORN; WHO SHOULD ARISE AND DECLARE THEM TO THEIR CHILDREN”- PSALMS 78:5-6._

Today is Fathers Day and I want us to take a sobering look at what fatherhood entails. Fathering a child is, for many, not difficult. But being a father is! It is the first and most important decision of fathers: to make a conscientious choice to be a father. The decision to be a father is a daily decision. Being a good father means making tough, sacrificial decisions. Decisions that tell our children what is important to us.

Of all the fathers in the Bible, one stands out for his decision to be a godly father. His name is Mordecai. He consciously decided to be an adoptive father to his orphaned cousin, Esther. He could be called the father of courage because he instilled this trait in his daughter. Mordecai raised his daughter to take a stand at the right time, to do the right thing.

Esther must have trusted Mordecai greatly, for she determined to stand before the king for her people when she said “And if I perish, I perish.” (Esther 4:16) These were words of faith and courage. Words that a daughter could say because she was raised by a father who made the right decisions. Remember this: a crisis does not develop character; a crisis reveals character. The character Esther revealed was what she learnt from observing her father’s character.

Usually, when we study the story of Esther, we see her strength and devotion to her people. But God used someone else in this story to accomplish His purpose. God used a faithful father ~ a father who taught a young daughter to have courage in her convictions. At the right time, Esther did the right thing, because she had been raised by a godly father.

We thank God for all godly fathers who have taken a stand to be godly, responsible and available fathers to their children. To such fathers, we say happy Father’s Day!

PRAYER: Dear Lord, we bring all fathers before You today and we ask for Your grace upon their lives in Jesus’ Name, Amen.

BIBLE IN 365 DAYS:
Isa 50
Rev 20

ACTION POINT:
FATHERS, MAKE A CONSCIENTIOUS CHOICE TO BE GODLY FATHERS.