Trundle (Philippians 1:12-20)

Good morning ladies,

The word of the day is "trundle.” So many times today we believe that we have life pretty tough. I am not saying this is not the case, but we must take things and put them in perspective. The apostle Paul lived his life not knowing what would happen from one day to the next. He was always up against some kind of opposition. He did not have to deal with all of this in his life. When he chose to follow Christ he pretty much gave up his standing in the community for reasons of the gospel. The best part about all of this is that he did not expect anybody to feel sorry for him. He knew that the advancement of the gospel was the most important aspect of his life. In this passage today, we see Paul in chains still rejoicing, knowing that the gospel was continuing in this advancement.

“But what does it matter? The important thing is that in every way, whether from false motives or true, Christ is preached. And because of this I rejoice. Yes, and I will continue to rejoice, for I know that through your prayers and the help given by the Spirit of Jesus Christ,what has happened to me will turn out for my deliverance.”

~Phil. 1:18-19

My question is: when considering the advancement of the gospel, where is that on your priority list? I know that there are a ton of things that pull at your time. Whether it is school, work, family, sports, or other commitments that cause you to stress out, where does advancing the Gospel fall within your set of important stuff? My prayer is that you continue to evaluate and reevaluate the importance of advancing God's gospel, not just for the long haul of your life but in the short term as well.  The advancement of the Gospel will trundle, or roll on, with or without us.  I only hope that each of us can be a part of the Lord’s work in doing so.

Praying for you,

Mo

Probity (Psalm 36)

Good morning ladies,

The word of the day is “probity.”  Every time it rains it causes me to think more deeply about God's character. I'm not really sure why, but probably because we see so little rain here in California that I remember that God controls everything, even the seasons. When speaking of the righteousness of God we should remember that our Lord is above all. Previous words of the day have highlighted Jesus calming the storm and God controlling nature in other ways. We see in today's passage that giving credit to God's righteousness is a tough thing to do because it is almost unspeakable and powerful.

“Your righteousness is like the mighty mountains, your justice like the great deep. O LORD, you preserve both man and beast.”

~Ps. 36:6

My question is: What are some of the words that you would use for God’s righteousness in your own life.  When have you seen God’s justice in your dealings with others and in situations when you called on him?  The cool thing is that God does not only give justice through his righteousness, but he also displays grace and mercy when dealing with his people. My prayer for you this morning is that you remember that God is mighty to save, and his righteousness is like that of the mountains. We can take comfort in God's love and care for his people.

Praying for you,

mo

Stentorian (Psalm 98:1-9)

Good morning ladies,

The word of the day is “stentorian.”  The Bible speaks a lot about how we are to praise God.  The psalmist understood the making known his joy to the Lord was one of the best parts of his worship experience.  This was a way to be an example to others who would read the psalm to lift up praise to God without restraint.

“Shout for joy to the Lord, all the earth, burst into jubilant song with music; make music to the Lord with the harp, with the harp and the sound of singing, with trumpets and the blast of the ram’s horn — shout for joy before the Lord, the King.”

Ps. 98:4-6

My question is: does the Lord’s eventual coming back to this earth excite you?  I think that with all the madness going on in the world we forget to praise God in the midst of it every now and again.  My prayer is that you take time to slow down and praise God the way that the psalmist does in this scripture.  If we put more time into giving glory and praise to the Lord then we have a better chance at influencing others to do the same.

Praying for you,

mo

Epigone (Matthew 7:15-23)

Good morning ladies,

The word of the day is “epigone.” When Jesus was doing ministry on earth he understood that his followers were fragile. There were many people out there who claimed to be what they were not. You have to figure that ministry was difficult enough already, and adding this dynamic to the mix was probably just one more detail to keep Jesus busy and tired.

“Watch out for false prophets. They come to you in sheep’s clothing, but inwardly they are ferocious wolves.”

~Matt. 7:15

My question is: do you feel like your relationship with the Savior is continually growing in a way that you will be able to spot these false teachers even today? Some things do not change, and we know that much is in the world that would cause us to fall away from Jesus. My prayer is that each of you take an opportunity to know Christ in a real and authentic manner, staying far from the epigones, or inferior imitators, of this world. If you open yourself up to his teachings, you will be greatly blessed.

Praying for you,

mo

Agape (John 14:15-21)

Good morning ladies,

The word of the day is “agape.” I'm sure that most of you have heard this word associated with the Bible one time or another in your time is Christian. Jesus had a love for the people who did ministry with him day in and day out. But his love did not stop there. He gave love unconditionally to those who treated him both good and bad. In this passage he reminds the disciples that their love is revealed in obeying his commands. Jesus has set the pattern of love and obedience, and his disciples are expected to follow.

“If you love me, you will obey what I command."

~Jn. 15:15

My question for you is: do you claim to know Jesus as your personal Lord and Savior? If so then you know this in the way that you obey him (1 Jn. 2:3). My prayer for you this morning is that you show your love for God in the way that you will obey his commands. And furthermore, I hope that we do not see obeying God as burdensome, but an act of worship for everything that he has done for us.

Praying for you,

mo