– Scripture:

               A Dark Night

Jesus said, “Let them be. Even in this.” Then, touching the servant’s ear, he healed him.  Jesus spoke to those who had come high priests, Temple police, and religious leaders: “What is this, jumping me with swords and clubs as if I were a dangerous criminal? Day after day, I’ve been with you in the Temple, and you’ve not lifted a hand against me. But do it your way—it’s a night, a dark hour.”

                           Luke 22:51–53 MSG

– Reflection:

When Jesus was about to be arrested and crucified, the guards from the Temple approached Him. Peter said, “This is wrong,” and cut the ear off one of them with his sword. The betrayal, false accusations, trial, and crucifixion were all wrong. But just as the other guys with Jesus were about to draw their swords, Jesus said, “Don’t fight these wrongs! They’re a part of My destiny. And the work I was sent to do.” The guys who he had become so close to couldn’t see that these wrongs against Jesus were necessary to get Him to the cross. It wasn’t the enemy leading Him into the wrongs; it was the hand of God leading to a right. That story always gets me because GOD gave himself to us to save us.

Where do we go from here?

Too often, we get stuck in the wrongs—the setbacks, the position you didn’t get, the hurtful things you don’t understand. As Peter did, you’ll be tempted to fight, get upset, live frustrated, and say, “God, where are You?” No, God is saying, “I am in control. Those things that seem like wrongs are leading you to a right. Quit fighting everything you don’t like; flow with it.” You have to get through the wrongs to become who you were created to be.

Our Prayer for Today

Father, thank You for being the one true God directing our steps to our destinies. Thank You that You are in control and that we don’t have to get stuck trying to understand every wrong along the way. We believe You are using it to transport us to our purpose. In Jesus’ Name, Amen.

– Scripture:

                 All You Need to Do Is Ask

“Don’t bargain with God. Be direct. Ask for what you need. This isn’t a cat-and-mouse, hide-and-seek game we’re in. If your child asks for bread, do you trick him with sawdust? If he asks for fish, do you scare him with a live snake on his plate? As bad as you are, you wouldn’t think of such a thing. You’re at least decent to your own children. So don’t you think the God who conceived you in love will be even better?

                                 Matthew 7:7 MSG

– Reflection:

One reason we don’t see God do great things is we’re only asking Him for small things. We pray over our food, we pray for protection, and we pray for wisdom. That’s all good, but when was the last time you asked God to do something that seems impossible, something out of the ordinary, something you couldn’t accomplish on your own? If God answered everything you’re praying about now, would it be big enough, would you be satisfied? Are you asking for your dreams? Are you asking for something that’s over your head? Are you asking for those secret things He’s put in your heart? You know those are from Him, but you haven’t told anyone because it seems too far out.

Where do we go from here?

Many prayers are not being answered simply because they’re not being asked. If you only pray small prayers, you’re not going to see the greatness of our God. If you only ask for little things, you’re not going to reach the fullness of your destiny. God is just waiting for you to ask.

Our Prayer for Today

Father, thank You that You put desires and secret petitions in my heart and that You have said to simply ask You for them. Help me to believe big, dream big, pray big, and think big. I want to be one of the ones who always believes that You can do the impossible. In Jesus’ Name, Amen.

– Scripture:

                The Free YOU

But because God was so gracious, so very generous, here I am. And I’m not about to let his grace go to waste. Haven’t I worked hard trying to do more than any of the others? Even then, my work didn’t amount to all that much. It was God giving me the work to do, God giving me the energy to do it. So whether you heard it from me or from those others, it’s all the same: We spoke God’s truth and you entrusted your lives.

                               1 Corinthians 15:10-11 MSG

Key Verse – But because God was so gracious, so very generous, here I am.

– Reflection:

Today, life will try to put impatience, jealousy, compromise, and bad breaks on you to keep the true you, the person God created you to be, from coming out. God is going to keep working on you, making and molding you until the true you comes out the free you, the blessed you, the patient you, the winning you. By His grace, God specializes in removing everything that’s not the true you.

Where do we go from here?

Now, you need to get in agreement with God and see the free you, not the defeated you, the depressed you, the hurt you. It’s easy to carry bad breaks, hurts, shame, and feel unworthy of being blessed. Don’t believe those lies. What people did to you didn’t stop the true you. The anger and bitterness are not the true you. The true you is peaceful, loving, and kind. The true you is about to come out. What’s holding you back is being broken. The shame is being removed. You’re about to step into favor, freedom, and restoration and become the masterpiece He says you are.

Our Prayer for Today

Father, thank You that my life is in Your hands not just my strengths and gifts, but my weaknesses and shortcomings. Thank You for removing everything that is not the true me. I declare that by Your grace, I am on the way to becoming the masterpiece. You say I am. In Jesus’ Name, Amen.”

– Scripture:

                 Faith Without Work Means Nothing

Do I hear you professing to believe in the one and only God but then observe you complacently sitting back as if you had done something wonderful? That’s just great. Demons do that, but what good does it do them? Use your heads! Do you suppose for a minute that you can cut faith and works in two and not end up with a corpse on your hands? Wasn’t our ancestor Abraham “made right with God by works” when he placed his son Isaac on the sacrificial altar? Isn’t it obvious that faith and works are yoked partners, that faith expresses itself in works? That the works are “works of faith”? The whole meaning of “believe” in the Scripture sentence, “Abraham believed God and was set right with God,” includes his action. It’s that weave of believing and acting that got Abraham named “God’s friend.” Is it not evident that a person is made right with God not by a barren faith but by faith fruitful in works? The same with Rahab, the Jericho harlot. Wasn’t her action in hiding God’s spies and helping them escape that seamless unity of believing and doing what counted with God? The very moment you separate body and spirit, you end up with a corpse. Separate faith and works, and you get the same thing: a corpse.

                                  James 2:24-25 MSG

– Reflection:

In the Old Testament the people coming out of Egypt, sacrificed animals to take on their sins and relieve them from their wrong doing. So people that has had the means to have a large number of sacrificial animals could sin more; at least that was their thoughts anyway. It is supposed to be that once you come into serving and living life with Jesus that you are covered; because we are born into sin. You can’t just go out and commit adultery, steal, and kill; and just be ok. Being in comunity with Christ you won’t want to do these things. You become a true servant once you and Christ are one. Your faith and your works are more important to you than the worldly impulses that drive other into staying in sin.

Where do we go from here?

If there are people around you that are living sinfully, and you aren’y able to rise above it; then you need to run far and fast. It’s like a doctor patient relationship, if the doctor doesn’t complete medical school but is still helping patients; he is not helping himself or the patient. Create safe space around yourself where you can help YOU first then come back with your WORKS. That way you have truly become a person for the kingdom.

Our Prayer for Today

Father, thank you for giving us the ability to be in your presence daily. You have saved us from the world for reasons that we cannot even understand. Your community is better than anything the world can ever create. Thank you Jesus. Amen.