As I was praying this morning, I started to ask God to help me live more like Him. As I was talking to God about this, He placed in my heart an evaluation of myself by the percentage of how much of my life is truly about Him. As I started thinking about time spent in prayer, the time spent reading His word, the time I spent in service to Him, and the time I spoke about and was an example of Him, I realized it was still no more than 25 percent of my day. That means 75 percent

2 Timothy 4:3 NASB95 For the time will come when they will not endure sound doctrine; but wanting to have their ears tickled, they will accumulate for themselves teachers in accordance to their own desires. As we get closer to the end time, (everyday is closer) more and more people will refuse to hear the truth of sound doctrine. To be sound is to be uncorrupted, to be whole - not partial. We must be cautious that we look at scripture as a whole and not to take outside influ

Merry CHRISTmas! Celebrated this day is the birth of Christ our Savior. The thoughts of a sweet baby coming to be worshipped by the world. Shepherds came and worshipped Him. However, His purpose for coming was not as much about His worship as it was our salvation by His sacrifice. When we speak of sacrifice, we often think of the cross, but it actually began much earlier. Zechariah 13:1 NASB95 “In that day a fountain will be opened for the house of David and for the inhabitan

John 1:14 NASB95 And the Word became flesh, and dwelt among us, and we saw His glory, glory as of the only begotten from the Father, full of grace and truth. John opens his account of the gospel with a description of the Son of God. He refers to Jesus as the Word who was in the beginning. He already existed having always been. He says that the Word (Jesus) was with God and was God. Jesus is the Son of God and is God. Jesus created all things. Then in verse 14, he says and th

James 1:27 NASB95 Pure and undefiled religion in the sight of our God and Father is this: to visit orphans and widows in their distress, and to keep oneself unstained by the world. Religion has been given a negative meaning. However, it was not meant to be so in its origin. It has its root in worship of God, but Satan has encouraged man to worship idols, objects, false gods, and self, instead of God. In this twisted world, man often worships the act of worship, and thus rel

1 Peter 3:15 NASB95 but sanctify Christ as Lord in your hearts, always being ready to make a defense to everyone who asks you to give an account for the hope that is in you, yet with gentleness and reverence; This time of year we recognize the birth of a Savior but we must not forget that he is Lord. The text says to Sanctify Christ. Sanctify means to consecrate or to make and declare. Then the text tells us who to declare. The person is Christ, which means anointed and chos

2 Samuel 19:2 NASB95 The victory that day was turned to mourning for all the people, for the people heard it said that day, “The king is grieved for his son.” David, had lost his son. Of course, he was sad, but his sadness was causing a negative effect on the nation. As Christians, those who are to be after God's own heart, we must be cautious of our mourning. While mourning is normal and right, we must not let it be excessive to the point that it hinders our witness. God is

Revelation 5:5 NASB1995 and one of the elders *said to me, “Stop weeping; behold, the Lion that is from the tribe of Judah, the Root of David, has overcome so as to open the book and its seven seals.” Revelation 5:9 NASB1995 And they *sang a new song, saying, “Worthy are You to take the book and to break its seals; for You were slain, and purchased for God with Your blood men from every tribe and tongue and people and nation. Revelation 5:12 NASB1995 saying with a loud voic

1 Thessalonians 5:7-11 NASB95 For those who sleep do their sleeping at night, and those who get drunk get drunk at night. But since we are of the day, let us be sober, having put on the breastplate of faith and love, and as a helmet, the hope of salvation. For God has not destined us for wrath, but for obtaining salvation through our Lord Jesus Christ, who died for us, so that whether we are awake or asleep, we will live together with Him. Therefore encourage one another and

Esther 10:2 NASB95 And all the accomplishments of his authority and strength, and the full account of the greatness of Mordecai to which the king advanced him, are they not written in the Book of the Chronicles of the Kings of Media and Persia? Mordecai never sought his own glory. If we read through the book of Esther, we see that he always sought righteousness, obedience to God, and the safety of God's people. Nowhere do we see him seeking the name of Mordecai to be praised,

Judges 14:9 NASB95 So he scraped the honey into his hands and went on, eating as he went. When he came to his father and mother, he gave some to them and they ate it; but he did not tell them that he had scraped the honey out of the body of the lion. Today's Devotional comes from CH Spurgeon. When I found this I wanted to share it with you. How a Lion in the hands of a man filled with the power of the Spirit yet walking his own path was used by God to reveal the coming Gospel

Titus 1:2 NASB95 in the hope of eternal life, which God, who cannot lie, promised long ages ago, Eternal life. Exist outside of time. Since without time there is no end or beginning. In hope of, is faith in, which is a longing or a great desire for what we know to be true. Paul longs for and desires what he knows to be true. This longing and desire is for eternal life. Life outside of time in the presence of the one who is eternal. The one who always was, is now, and forever

Ezra 9:13 NASB95 “After all that has come upon us for our evil deeds and our great guilt, since You our God have requited us less than our iniquities deserve, and have given us an escaped remnant as this, In our text, Ezra is speaking about the fact that Israel has sinned by intermarrying with non-believers. God warns against this throughout many places in the Bible, but people continue to do it even today. We see over and over that the majority of those who commit this sin e

Psalm 114:7-8 NASB95 Tremble, O earth, before the Lord, Before the God of Jacob, Who turned the rock into a pool of water, The flint into a fountain of water. God spoke. Jesus is the rock providing life. The Holy Spirit is a fountain flowing to others in conviction. Romans 9:33 NASB95 just as it is written, “BEHOLD, I LAY IN ZION A STONE OF STUMBLING AND A ROCK OF OFFENSE, AND HE WHO BELIEVES IN HIM WILL NOT BE DISAPPOINTED.” Consider how God utilized the rock in the Old Tes

Mark 2:17 NASB95 And hearing this, Jesus said to them, “It is not those who are healthy who need a physician, but those who are sick; I did not come to call the righteous, but sinners.” John 3:16 NASB95 “For God so loved the world, that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him shall not perish, but have eternal life. 1 Timothy 2:3-4 NASB95 This is good and acceptable in the sight of God our Savior, who desires all men to be saved and to come to the knowledg

Colossians 2:6-7 NASB95 Therefore as you have received Christ Jesus the Lord, so walk in Him, having been firmly rooted and now being built up in Him and established in your faith, just as you were instructed, and overflowing with gratitude. The struggle of many Christians is that they have shallow roots (faith) that spread across the surface of many godly things but do not go deep into Christ. The anchor of their salvation should be Christ yet they rely on their good works t

Hebrews 13:1 NASB95 Let love of the brethren continue. A very short verse but with so much information. In Greek this verse is just three words. A very literal translation of these three words could be (the brethren love endure.) I would like to ask a question. What is your life on earth about? Is it to have fun? Is it to raise a family? Is it to get an education? Is it to work? Is it to make money? Is it to relax and rest? Is it to teach others? There is nothing wrong with

While God forgives the eternal punishment of sin, because of the atoning blood of Jesus, the earthly consequences, or punishments are not diminished. We must not scoff at sin while in our forgiven state of mercy provided by Jesus. Sin is still horrible, disgusting, and, putrid in the nostrils of our God! The earthly punishment for this disgusting act is awful and long-lasting. We see this in our text today. 2 Kings 24:3 NASB95 Surely at the command of the LORD it came upon Ju

Do you have a plan? The time for the passover was approaching and Jesus sent His disciples ahead. Jesus told them, "Go and prepare the Passover for us, so that we may eat it.” They were confused. Where should we go? Where will we find the supplies that are needed? Who will provide a place for us? However, Jesus spoke again, When you have entered the city, a man will meet you carrying a pitcher of water; follow him into the house that he enters." “You shall say to the owner o

Zephaniah 1:17-18 NASB95 I will bring distress on men So that they will walk like the blind, Because they have sinned against the LORD; And their blood will be poured out like dust And their flesh like dung. Neither their silver nor their gold Will be able to deliver them On the day of the LORD’S wrath; And all the earth will be devoured In the fire of His jealousy, For He will make a complete end, Indeed a terrifying one, Of all the inhabitants of the earth. Stumbling over t