365 DAY CHRISTIAN TEACHING DEVOTIONAL

By Craig S. Mattheson

Do you desire a closer relationship with God? Do you need to be taught deeper things of God through the scriptures? Do you need something to help you to stay focused on your relationship with God every day with every day things that we deal with and how to handle them biblically? Are you searching for purpose in your life? Are you searching for

• Language: English
• Publisher: Amazon Book Marketing Pros
• Release date: Nov 21, 2023
• ISBN: 9798869015846

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365 DAY CHRISTIAN TEACHING DEVOTIONAL

Craig S. Mattheson

Copyright © Craig S. Mattheson, 2023

All Rights Reserved

This book is subject to the condition that no part of this book is to be reproduced, transmitted in any form or means; electronic or mechanical, stored in a retrieval system, photocopied, recorded, scanned, or otherwise. Any of these actions require the proper written permission of the author.

Scripture quotations marked MSG are taken from THE MESSAGE, copyright © 1993, 2002, 2018 by Eugene H. Peterson. Used by permission of NavPress. All rights reserved. Represented by Tyndale House Publishers, a Division of Tyndale House Ministries.

Scripture quotations marked (NLT) are taken from the Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright ©1996, 2004, 2015 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, a Division of Tyndale House Ministries, Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.

Scripture quotations marked (TLB) are taken from The Living Bible copyright © 1971. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, a Division of Tyndale House Ministries, Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.

Scripture quotations marked (NKJV) are taken from the New King Jamesversion, copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson. Used by permission. All rights reserved.

Scripture quotations marked KJV are taken from the King James version. Public domain.

Scripture quotations marked (NIV) are taken from the Holy Bible, New International Version®, NIV®. Copyright © 1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc.™ Used by permission of Zondervan. All rights reserved worldwide. www.zondervan.comThe NIV and New International Version are trademarks registered in the United States Patent and Trademark Office by Biblica, Inc.™

Scripture quotations marked (AMPC) are taken from the Amplified Bible, Copyright © 1954, 1958, 1962, 1964, 1965, 1987 by The Lockman Foundation. Used by permission.

Introduction

I am so happy that you have this book! It took me almost a year to actually write it along with studying God’s word for over 45 years and being a Pastor and professional Christian Counselor for over 26 years. In those years I have learned a lot of what God has shown me through study and experience and want to share some of it here in this book with you.  It deals with every day life’s topics and how to handle them biblically. It is written for both Christians and people who are not Christians, with the hope and prayer that people who are not Christians would have a clear understanding of God creating us and wanting us to have eternal life through having a personal relationship with God through Jesus Christ. It is my hope that you would commit to reading each day’s devotional. I would suggest that you set a specific time each morning to read them, and take your time. It is important to apply what you have read and to ponder the subject of each day all day long. Please do not let this devotional book replace you reading your bible every day, as I want this book to inspire you to read your bible every day as well. Nothing can ever replace your bible for it is God’s word. This book is full of teaching as well as a devotional. It can be used for small groups as well either at your church or at your home. It also has a topic index so you can study specific topics as well. My prayer is that it would be used to bring you closer to God, or lead you to have a personal relationship with God if you do not know Him. May God bless you!

January 1st

What changes will you make to have a closer relationship with God this year?

Matthew 6:33 (NKJV)

³³  But seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness, and all these things shall be added to you.

In this New Year, we must draw closer and closer to God. This life is very short compared to eternity.

Psalms 39:4 (NLT)

⁴ "Lord, remind me how brief my time on earth will be. Remind me that my days are numbered— how fleeting my life is.

We must make sure our priorities are in order.

First is our relationship with God, secondly our relationship with our family, and third our relationship with our job.

Let me ask you, what habits will you change in this New Year?

How will you intentionally grow closer to the Lord? What changes will you make?

Search your attitude, does it need to change?

What positive habits will you start, and what bad habits will you stop?

Have you somehow got away from reading the Bible regularly?

Has your church attendance somehow gotten less and less?

How is your prayer life? Is it as consistent as it used to be?

Have you stopped sharing the Gospel with others?

Let me encourage you to:

Commit to obey Christ who is the head of the Church.

Commit to live pure and holy.

Commit to sharing Christ with unsaved people.

Commit to read daily the Scriptures.

Commit to pray daily.

Commit to faithful church attendance.

Commit to helping others.

Father God, please help us to make new goals to have a closer relationship with you this year.

In Jesus Name. Amen!

January 2nd

Are you living your life in obedience to the Lord?

Matthew 7:21-23 (NLT)

²¹  "Not everyone who calls out to me, ‘Lord! Lord!’ will enter the Kingdom of Heaven. Only those who actually do the will of my Father in heaven will enter.

²²  On judgment day many will say to me, ‘Lord! Lord! We prophesied in your name and cast out demons in your name and performed many miracles in your name.’

²³  But I will reply, ‘I never knew you. Get away from me, you who break God’s laws.’

I think that this is one of the scariest scriptures that are in the bible. People who thought they were saved, but really were not. The bible talks a lot about obeying the Lord.

When we asked Jesus to come into our lives and repented from our sins, we were making a total hearts commitment to Him. He is now our Lord which means our owner and Master. It is expected of us to live our lives in obedience to Him. We are only deceiving ourselves if we are not:

James 1:22 (NKJV)

²²  But be doers of the word, and not hearers only, deceiving yourselves.

Obedience means submission to authority. Obeying and doing what one is told. God requires obedience!

Obedience to God is the proof of loving God, and loving God is the proof of respecting God.

John 14:21 (NLT)

²¹ Those who obey my commandments are the ones who love me. And because they love me, my Father will love them, and I will love them. And I will reveal myself to each one of them."

Jesus said:

Luke 6:46 (NKJV)

⁴⁶  "But why do you call Me 'Lord, Lord,' and do not do the things which I say?

Be encouraged to be doers of what the bible teaches, and to live your life in obedience, and God will bless you.

Question? In what areas do you need to change in your life, which are not pleasing to the Lord?

Father God please help us to walk in obedience to Your Word, and Holy Spirit, convict us of our sin so we can repent and have a clear conscience in our relationship with You.

January 3rd

Bring your worries to God in prayer

Philippians 4:6-7 (NLT)

⁶  Don’t worry about anything; instead, pray about everything. Tell God what you need, and thank him for all he has done.

⁷  Then you will experience God’s peace, which exceeds anything we can understand. His peace will guard your hearts and minds as you live in Christ Jesus.

We all worry at times in our lives. We worry about our finances, our children, our jobs, our health and the list goes on and on. It’s been said that worrying is like rocking in a rocking chair, you are doing something, but it’s not getting you anywhere.

Jesus Himself addressed worry when He preached and taught on the sermon on the mount. See (See Matthew 6:25-34)

He reminded us that we are very important to God, and we should not waste our time worrying. He indicated that it is from a lack of faith. So we must ask, how do we get faith? The bible says

Romans 10:17 (NKJV)

¹⁷  So then faith comes by hearing, and hearing by the word of God.

So we have to ask ourselves, how often do I read the bible? In other words how often am I in the faith Book that reveals God’s truth? Do I really believe God’s Word?

When we are starting to worry about anything, let that be a signal for you to take time out and pray to God. Tell Him what you are worried about, and thank Him for all He has done in your life. Then you will experience His peace.

Heavenly Father, I admit that I worry too much. Help me to trust You for my future, for You have promised that Your thoughts of me are peace and not of evil, to give me a future and a hope. (Jeremiah 29:11)

January 4th

The importance of the Word of God

Hebrews 4:12 (NLT)

12 For the word of God is full of living power. It is sharper than the sharpest knife, cutting deep into our innermost thoughts and desires. It exposes us for what we really are.

Do you have a bible? Do you read it every day? Do you start your day off with time that is devoted to God every day? As Christians we must intentionally focus on God every day, by reading His Word and meditating upon it, praying, and spending quiet time with Him.

We are all creatures of habit. It has been said that

Men do not decide their future. They decide their habits, and their habits decide their future

The bible has 66 books in it. 39 books are in the Old Testament and 27 in the new. It was originally written in primarily 2 different languages, Hebrew in the Old Testament and Greek in the New Testament. Over 40 people were inspired by the Holy Spirit to be used to write it over a period of 1500 years.

The KJV has:

1189 chapters, 31,214 verses, 773,746 words and 3,566,480 letters in it!

Each of the 2 testaments relies upon the other for its complement. Neither is complete and neither can be understood without the other.

We need to be living by the Word

Matthew 4:4 (NKJV)

⁴ But He answered and said, It is written, 'Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that proceeds from the mouth of God.'

It is like bread for your soul

Deuteronomy 8:3 (NLT)

3 Yes, he humbled you by letting you go hungry and then feeding you with manna, a food previously unknown to you and your ancestors. He did it to teach you that people need more than bread for their life; real life comes by feeding on every word of the LORD.

The greatest success habit on the earth is the habit of receiving the Word into your spirit every day.

Heavenly Father I thank You for Your Word. Help me to read the Bible and obey Your Word every day. In Jesus Name I pray. Amen.

January 5th

Living with a thankful heart!

Psalm 106:1 (NLT)

¹  Praise the LORD! Give thanks to the LORD, for he is good! His faithful love endures forever.

A heart filled with gratitude will change your attitude!

Having a heart of gratitude is good for your health, your heart; it helps you to cope with stress and worry, and draws others to you, because of your thankful attitude.

We must never take our lives for granted. God has truly blessed us. We have clothes on our backs, a home to live in, good health and food on our table.

What is the first thing you usually think of as soon as you wake up in the morning? Let our thoughts be Lord thank You for waking me up another morning. Help me to glorify You in all my ways today.

We can always have something to complain about, but let us intentionally change our mind set and be grateful to the Lord. (Read Psalm 136)

Colossians 3:14-17 (NKJV)

¹⁴  But above all these things put on love, which is the bond of perfection.

¹⁵  And let the peace of God rule in your hearts, to which also you were called in one body; and be thankful.

¹⁶  Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly in all wisdom, teaching and admonishing one another in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing with grace in your hearts to the Lord.

¹⁷  And whatever you do in word or deed, do all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through Him.

1 Thessalonians 5:16-18 (NKJV)

¹⁶  Rejoice always,

¹⁷  pray without ceasing,

¹⁸  in everything give thanks; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you.

Father God please forgive me for complaining about things in my life. Help me to have a heart of thanksgiving to You.

January 6th

Is your mind on Heaven or always on earth?

Colossians 3:1-3 (TLB)

¹  Since you became alive again, so to speak, when Christ arose from the dead, now set your sights on the rich treasures and joys of heaven where he sits beside God in the place of honor and power.

²  Let heaven fill your thoughts; don’t spend your time worrying about things down here.

³  You should have as little desire for this world as a dead person does. Your real life is in heaven with Christ and God.

2 Corinthians 4:18 (TLB)

¹⁸  So we do not look at what we can see right now, the troubles all around us, but we look forward to the joys in heaven which we have not yet seen. The troubles will soon be over, but the joys to come will last forever.

As Christians we have an eternity with God to look forward to. It is easy to be focused only on paying the bills, doing our daily chores, working, taking care of the family, and living day to day without bringing our focus on Heavenly things. This is why we must be pro-active in reading our bibles, praying every day, worshiping and singing praises to the Lord, attending church services, joining prayer groups, witnessing Christ to the lost.

Fellowship with other believers is very important, and reaching out to those in need, and showing God’s love to others. Listen to Christian music while driving your car, and purposely tune in to be attentive to the voice of the Holy Spirit.

We must set our sights on the rich treasure and joys of Heaven.

Heavenly Father help me to be intentional in establishing good habits every day to keep my mind focused on You.

January 7th

Encourage one another

1 Thessalonians 5:9-11 (NKJV)

⁹  For God did not appoint us to wrath, but to obtain salvation through our Lord Jesus Christ,

¹⁰  who died for us, that whether we wake or sleep, we should live together with Him.

¹¹  Therefore comfort each other and edify one another, just as you also are doing.

The Greek word for fellowship is koinonia. It means communion, fellowship, sharing in common, joint participation. It is that love that fills the hearts of believers one for another and for God.

All of us need encouragement from others. The bible says that the tongue has the power of life and death (See Proverbs 18:21). We can speak words of life or words of death. One of the biggest lies we have been told when we were kids is Sticks and stones may break my bones, but words will never hurt me. The fact is that words can be very hurtful, so use them wisely.

Think about who you can encourage today: your spouse, a co-worker, your boss, your pastor, perhaps your kids, a friend, and maybe someone you don’t even really know. There’s always someone who needs it. Let’s take for example a spouse: say words of appreciation. Thank your spouse for doing simple things such as unloading the dish washer, doing the laundry, for making sure the bills are paid on time. Thank them for cooking, or working hard. Never take relationships for granted, always have a kind word to say. Or perhaps send kind appreciative text messages to someone today. I am confident that you know someone who needs encouragement today. And if you feel you need encouragement yourself, there is nothing wrong with sharing that with someone who is close to you.

Father God, help me to see others through the eyes of Jesus. Help me to be a source of encouragement to others.

January 8th

Are you telling people about Jesus? Sharing the good news of salvation?

Matthew 28:18-20 (NKJV)

¹⁸  And Jesus came and spoke to them, saying, "All authority has been given to Me in heaven and on earth.

¹⁹  Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit,

²⁰  teaching them to observe all things that I have commanded you; and lo, I am with you always, even to the end of the age." Amen.

Jesus has told ALL Christians to ….

1)     Go ….Share the Good news of how to be saved with the lost. Question - who can you share the Gospel message with? Who do you know that is not saved? Your friends? Co-workers? Family members? Children? Relatives?

2)     Make disciples….a disciple is a learner, a person who has accepted Jesus Christ as Lord and Savior, who has a personal relationship with Him, a student of the Word of God. A disciple needs to join a church, be part of it, attend regularly and learn the Word of God.

3)     Baptizing them…water baptism is an outward show of what has already happened inwardly when they got saved.

4)     To obey…new disciples need to learn to obey what the bible teaches. They must be taught.

Practical ways to share God’s Word…

Ask individuals, What is your view about God? This opens up a conversation to see where they are or what they think about God.

Talk about your church to them. Many times they will ask about it, and then you can invite them into your local church.

Invite them to any special event that your church is having.

Give them a Gospel tract. You can say something like Can you read this, and tell me what you think of it? This many times gets them to engage in a conversation about God.

Be a tract planter. Always have some bible tracts in your car or on yourself readily available to you at any time to plant in public bathrooms, and any public places.

Wear a baseball cap or tee-shirt having scripture on it or something about God. People will ask you questions such as What church do you go to?

Share the Gospel on social media, such as Facebook and Twitter.

Heavenly Father help me to share the message of salvation to people on a regular basis.

January 9th

What does it mean when you call Jesus your Lord?

What does the word Lord really mean?

Romans 10:8-10 (TLB)

⁸  For salvation that comes from trusting Christ—which is what we preach—is already within easy reach of each of us; in fact, it is as near as our own hearts and mouths.

⁹  For if you tell others with your own mouth that Jesus Christ is your Lord and believe in your own heart that God has raised him from the dead, you will be saved.

¹⁰  For it is by believing in his heart that a man becomes right with God; and with his mouth he tells others of his faith, confirming his salvation.

There are 5 things Christ teaches us about Lordship…

1)     Lordship is accepting the sovereignty of God (Psalm 24:1)

Definition of Sovereign…One who possesses and exercises supreme authority over an individual or group; an acknowledged leader; a controlling influence.

It all begins right here. It begins with you and I saying, God is Sovereign. He is the owner of everything. He is LORD of all. He is in control.

2) Lordship is placing God first in your life  (Matthew 22:36-40)

3)     Lordship is accepting responsibility and accountability (Matthew 25:14-30)

4) Lordship is doing the will of God. (Matthew 7:21-27)

5) Lordship is personal obedience regardless of the cost.

Jesus said if we are really into the Kingdom, our actions will speak louder than our words. Jesus isn’t into professions. You can’t fake Lordship. You may sound good, look good, and say all the right words, but if you are inactive, you are not in His Kingdom. Lordship means doing God’s will.

Father God I thank You so much for sending Your only begotten Son to come to the earth, live a sinless life and die so that I could be saved.

January 10th

Do you know who you are?

2 Corinthians 5:17 (NKJV)

¹⁷  Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; old things have passed away; behold, all things have become new.

Every human being has a great need to be loved, accepted, to feel significant and to be secure in life. The only way we can truly have and feel these things is to be what God has created us to be, first and foremost to have a personal relationship with Him. Without this we will always have a void and emptiness in our lives and wonder -what is my purpose in life?

Our self-esteem as Christians MUST come from who God our Savior and creator says we are. There are so many scriptures that tell us who we are in Christ Jesus.

The bible says that we are accepted, are secure and have significance in Christ Jesus. You are a child of God, a friend of Christ, you have been bought with a price, chosen by God and adopted into His family, you are redeemed and are complete in Christ, you are God’s temple as Holy Spirit is living in you, you are unconditionally loved by God and created in His image, your citizenship is in Heaven and you’re seated with Christ in the Heavenly realm, you are an over-comer and more than a conqueror, God thinks about you all the time and has numbered every hair on your head, and you are the apple of His eye.

Every tear drop you shed God puts in a bottle, and writes in a book why you have shed them.

Psalms 56:8-9 (NLT)

⁸ You keep track of all my sorrows. You have collected all my tears in your bottle. You have recorded each one in your book.

⁹ My enemies will retreat when I call to you for help. This I know: God is on my side!

Yes! This is who you are in Christ Jesus!

Heavenly Father let me receive this in my heart, to act like it, talk like it, behave like it and live my life like it!

January 11th

Our enemy

John 10:10 (KJV)

¹⁰  The thief cometh not, but for to steal, and to kill, and to destroy: I am come that they might have life, and that they might have it more abundantly.

The very most important decision we will ever make is to invite Jesus Christ into our hearts and lives to be our personal Lord and Savior. We must repent from our sins and make a life-time commitment to Him.

We will all live forever. Our spirit and souls will spend eternity either in Heaven or Hell forever!

The ONLY way to go to Heaven after we die is to have a personal relationship with God through Christ now before we die. (Romans 10:9-19) (John 3:3)

The devils goal is to keep people from becoming saved. For those of us who are already saved he fights. He tries to make us busy to keep us out of church worship services, bible studies, witnessing, and prayer meetings. He tries to tempt us to put others, or careers, or money or anything before God in our lives. He tries to get people addicted to porn, alcohol, or drugs in order to destroy them.

1 Peter 5:8 (NLT)

⁸  Stay alert! Watch out for your great enemy, the devil. He prowls around like a roaring lion, looking for someone to devour.

Many times the devil uses discouragement, despair, doubt, distraction, double-mindedness, discontent, dullness, sowing discord and raises up someone to offend us so we have unforgivness in our hearts which hinders our relationship with God.

2 Corinthians 2:11 (TLB)

¹¹  A further reason for forgiveness is to keep from being outsmarted by Satan, for we know what he is trying to do.

We must be strong in the Lord and the power of His might and put the armor of God through prayer every day.

Father God, help me to be aware of the devils schemes and devices, and help me to stay strong in my relationship with You. Help me to forgive others quickly when they offend me for any reason.

January 12th

How is your attitude?

1 Peter 3:8 (NLT)

⁸  Finally, all of you should be of one mind. Sympathize with each other. Love each other as brothers and sisters. Be tenderhearted, and keep a humble attitude.

Attitude: The state of mind toward something

Definition of attitude:  our mental or emotional response to the circumstances of life.

Right actions produce right attitudes.

If you do what is right you will feel right.

How has your attitude been lately? I have learned in my own life that there are a few things that can be hindrances to having a good attitude. The first one is what is your outlook on life itself? Do you have an unrealistic view of what life is supposed to be like? Is it an idealistic outlook? That it should never rain when you are having an outdoor event, or that you should never get sick, or that all your relationships will always be good? The bible says that it rains on the just and the unjust, In other words we Christians are going to have problems as well as people who are not Christians. Be sure that you have a realistic outlook on your life. The second thing that has helped me is not to take life or anything for granted. Be thankful for what God has done for you and given you. The bible says all good things come from the Lord. Be thankful for the clothes on your back, the food that God provides for you, the roof over your head and all the other provisions that God gives you. Worship, praise and adore the Lord for He alone is worthy.

People tend to not want to be around people with bad attitudes, so ask yourself do people like to be around me? A person who has a lot of gratitude will have a good attitude.

Romans 14:17-19 (NLT)

¹⁷  For the Kingdom of God is not a matter of what we eat or drink, but of living a life of goodness and peace and joy in the Holy Spirit.

¹⁸  If you serve Christ with this attitude, you will please God, and others will approve of you, too.

¹⁹  So then, let us aim for harmony in the church and try to build each other up.

Heavenly Father, help me to have a positive attitude. I desire to have the right outlook on life, and walk in thanksgiving to You.

January 13th

Eleven areas that lead to backsliding away from the Lord

Hebrews 2:1 (NLT)

¹  So we must listen very carefully to the truth we have heard, or we may drift away from it.

1 Timothy 4:1 (NLT)

¹  Now the Holy Spirit tells us clearly that in the last times some will turn away from the true faith; they will follow deceptive spirits and teachings that come from demons.

Hebrews 3:12 (MSG)

¹²  So watch your step, friends. Make sure there's no evil unbelief lying around that will trip you up and throw you off course, diverting you from the living God.

The definition of backsliding: To turn away from God after conversion.

1) Disappointment in the inconsistencies seen in other Christians.

We must keep our eyes on our Creator, not His creation!

Just because a person claims to be a Christian and is not living right, or is a bad example to others does not mean that Christianity is false.

2)  An indifferent relation to Christ or following a far-off and ignoring the place of reading God's word daily, praying daily, attending church consistently, and witnessing.

We all have to be pro-active and intentional in our relationship with God.

3) Not joining a local church and being a part of it, committing to it, supporting it through prayer, giving, ministry, and inviting others to join.

4) Not knowing the true implications of spiritual responsibility and practice. We are responsible for what we know.

5) Disobedience to God's revealed will for your life, or perhaps being lazy and not consistently doing it.

6) Willful sin which remains unconfessed. Every person is responsible for their actions before the Lord. We must confess and repent from our sin.

7) Selfishness and pride. When we have everything we think we need we accredit it to ourselves thinking I really don't need God any longer.

8) Distractions and busyness can cause backsliding. Worldly worries, false sense of security brought on by prosperity, and the desire for things. Materialism

9) Being unequally yoked in a relationship.

10) Blaming God for losses, or bad things that happen to you in your life like the death of a loved one, a tragic loss, child getting killed, etc. How could God allow this to happen to me? He must not love me anymore!

11) Being offended. Sometimes we are hurt by other Christians, and are led away from the church and the Lord by being offended.

Father God, please help me to never backslide away from you.

January 14th

Are you saved? …Saved from what?

(The Reality of Hell)

Matthew 5:30 (NKJV)

³⁰  And if your right hand causes you to sin, cut it off and cast it from you; for it is more profitable for you that one of your members perish, than for your whole body to be cast into hell.

I don’t believe that Jesus literally meant for anyone to cut off their hand, however He is emphasizing the reality of sin and Hell, and He is warning us about Hells reality.

I know that this is a very strong scripture to have in a devotional, however when the Lord put on my heart to write it, I promised Him I would not sugar-coat the bible and share all the counsel of scripture. Hell is a reality and unfortunately people go there every day if they do not know Jesus. Jesus said that He is the ONLY way to get to Heaven:

John 14:6 (NKJV)

⁶  Jesus said to him, "I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through Me.

Hell is a terrible place of torment and constant suffering. Jesus said that there is weeping and gnashing of teeth in Hell. (Luke 13:28)

This is a place that you would not even want your worse enemy to go to. We must understand that there is a Heaven to gain and a Hell to shun. Our spirit and soul will live forever, and it’s up to us as far as where we will go after we die. Jesus already paid the price for all your sins when He laid down His life on the cross, so why pay for your own sins in Hell for an eternity? We have all broken God’s Holy standard of living (Romans 3:23), and the penalty for sin is eternal death away from God (Romans 6:23). If you do not have a personal relationship with God start one now. The bible says for you to ask/invite Jesus to come into your life to be your Lord and Savior and to repent from your sins:

Romans 10:9-10 (TLB)

⁹  For if you tell others with your own mouth that Jesus Christ is your Lord and believe in your own heart that God has raised him from the dead, you will be saved.

¹⁰  For it is by believing in his heart that a man becomes right with God; and with his mouth he tells others of his faith, confirming his salvation.

Heavenly Father I pray that people would invite Your only Son Jesus Christ to be their Lord and Savior and to repent from their sins. In Jesus Name. Amen!

January 15th

Are you ready for the rapture?

1 Thessalonians 4:16-18 (KJV)

¹⁶  For the Lord himself shall descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of the archangel, and with the trump of God: and the dead in Christ shall rise first:

¹⁷  Then we which are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds, to meet the Lord in the air: and so shall we ever be with the Lord.

¹⁸  Wherefore comfort one another with these words.

In verse 17 the words caught up are translated in the Greek language harpazo and in Latin language rapturo which is where we get the English word rapture from.

The next event to happen is the rapture of the church. When will it happen? No one knows the time or the hour except the Father as Jesus told us when He was here on earth. My best advice is that we need to be ready every day. Let us be mindful to live every day a life that is worthy of the call. Let’s do a check on our attitudes and actions. Let us not be sleeping spiritually, we must be watching and be sober:

1 Thessalonians 5:6-8 (NKJV)

⁶ Therefore let us not sleep, as others do, but let us watch and be sober.

⁷ For those who sleep, sleep at night, and those who get drunk are drunk at night.

⁸ But let us who are of the day be sober, putting on the breastplate of faith and love, and as a helmet the hope of salvation.

1 Corinthians 15:58 (KJV)

⁵⁸  Therefore, my beloved brethren, be ye stedfast, unmoveable, always abounding in the work of the Lord, forasmuch as ye know that your labour is not in vain in the Lord.

Father God I pray that You would help me to have a close relationship with You always and that when the rapture happens I will be ready.

January 16th

The power of words (Read James 3:1-12)

James 1:26 (TLB)

²⁶ Anyone who says he is a Christian but doesn’t control his sharp tongue is just fooling himself, and his religion isn’t worth much.

What have you been saying lately? What is your self-talk like? Is it positive or negative? Have you been complaining or speaking words of thanksgiving to the Lord? Only a few words spoken in anger can destroy a relationship that took years to build. What we believe is reflected in what we say. Speech is the index of the heart.

God gave us two ears and one tongue, ever wonder why?

James 1:19 (NLT)

¹⁹ Understand this, my dear brothers and sisters: You must all be quick to listen, slow to speak, and slow to get angry.

What you say determines what another sees. Spiritual maturity requires a tamed tongue.

Proper speech is not only saying the right words at the right time, but it is also controlling your desire to say what you shouldn't.

Examples of an untamed tongue: Gossiping, rumors, idol talk about the affairs of others, putting others down, bragging, being manipulative to control someone, complaining, lying, and the use of profanity.

The tongue is small, but it is surely influential, and powerful!

A believers tongue should not be an instrument of inconsistency. Small and influential, the tongue must be controlled. Jesus said:

Matthew 12:34b (NKJV)

For out of the abundance of the heart the mouth speaks.

A measure of spiritual maturity is a believer's speech.

We must control our thoughts in order for our tongue to behave.

Our minds are like computers, garbage in, garbage out.

We must screen what goes into our mind:

What are we watching on TV, cell phones or the computer?

What do we listen to on the radio?

What kind of music do we listen to?

What do we read?

Who do we have as friends? The Bible teaches evil company corrupts good habits.

We must allow the Holy Spirit to fill us with new attitudes and motives, then our speech will be cleansed and its source.

Heavenly Father, help me to control my tongue, and be watchful of the words that come out of my mouth. Help me to be a good example as a Christian.

January 17th

Are you deceived?

James 1:22 (AMPC)

²² But be doers of the Word [obey the message], and not merely listeners to it, betraying yourselves [into deception by reasoning contrary to the Truth].

Webster’s defines the word deceit - To mislead by falsehood; to lead into error; to delude.

It is the action or practice of misleading someone by concealing or misrepresenting the truth.

It is the act of causing someone to accept as true or valid what is false or invalid.

To be deceived is to think that we are ok, when in reality we are not ok.

Five points concerning deception:

1) Man is deceived when he thinks that sin will not have any effect upon him; that he will inherit the kingdom of God regardless of sin in his life. (Romans 8:12-14)

2) That he will not reap what he sows (Galatians 6:7-8)

3) That it is not necessary to obey the Bible (James 1:22)

4) That he cannot be deceived (1 Corinthians 10:12-13)

5) Bad friendships corrupt good character (1 Corinthians 15:33)

One should become a member of a good bible believing church that teaches and preaches the Word of God without compromising it. Attend church bible studies regularly to get a deeper understanding of the word.

One should get up every morning and pray and have faith in God's help through the day.  One should always meditate on the scriptures and refuse to do one thing contrary to the known will of God as the Bible teaches and there will be no danger of being deceived.

Man must be on his guard concerning doctrine, experience, and every phase of the Christian life.  He must learn not to believe anything concerning spiritual and eternal things unless it is definitely stated in Scripture or is at least in harmony with them.  It matters not if it comes from the best ministers in the land or from an angel from Heaven, it should be judged by what the Bible says before it is accepted as truth.  Man must learn to guard against every impression, revelation, or whatever it might be, whether it comes from dreams, visions, preaching, or even from impressions while in prayer.  The fact of a possibility of being deceived should keep everyone on guard and open to test everything by the Bible (2 Tim. 2:15; 2 Tim 3:15-17).

Father God, help me not to ever be deceived. Help me to read Your word every day, to be in prayer and to know what Your word says, as that is the only thing that really matters.

January 18th

What does it mean to be faithful?

1 Corinthians 4:2 (KJV)

²   Moreover it is required in stewards, that a man be found faithful.

Faithfulness:

To be totally dedicated to someone or something. To let your yes be yes, and your no be no. To believe in Jesus so much that your lifestyle and actions show it in everything you do. It means to be consistent in the things of God. It is to use everything you and I have to advance the Kingdom of God. Our time, our treasure, our talent, abilities, and everything we have been blessed with for the Kingdom of God.

All of our actions as Christians are based upon faith in God. This faith came by hearing the word of God and by believing in the truth it presented. Our walk with God finds its heights and depths in our believing or failing to believe His Word. We all need to establish a pattern of consistent living with which He would be pleased.

Hebrews 11:6 (KJV)

⁶ But without faith it is impossible to please him: for he that cometh to God must believe that he is, and that he is a rewarder of them that diligently seek him.

The question Jesus asked is even more important today:

Luke 18:8b (NLT)

But when the Son of Man returns, how many will he find on the earth who have faith?"

Obedience is the only proof to your faith

Obedience to God is the proof of loving God

John 14:15 (NLT)

¹⁵ "If you love me, obey my commandments.

John 14:21 (NLT)

²¹ Those who obey my commandments are the ones who love me. And because they love me, my Father will love them, and I will love them. And I will reveal myself to each one of them."

I believe He is my creator. I believe He is my sustainer, my heavenly Father watches over me. I believe He is my savior; He died for my sins at Calvary. I believe He is my soon- coming King.

Heavenly Father I love you and I desire to be pleasing to You in all areas of my life. Show me what areas that I need to be more faithful to You.

January 19th

Do you have self-discipline?

2 Timothy 1:7 (NLT)

⁷  For God has not given us a spirit of fear and timidity, but of power, love, and self-discipline.

What is self-discipline? It is the ability to control one's feelings and overcome one's weaknesses; the ability to pursue what one thinks is right despite temptations to abandon it.It is havingcorrection or regulation of oneself for the sake of improvement. Self-discipline is the ability to control yourself and to make yourself work hard or behave in a particular way without needing anyone else to tell you what to do. It is the disciplining or controlling of oneself or one's desires, actions, habits, etc. If you are a self-disciplined person you will be more punctual, and take control of your life, set goals and achieve them. If you are self-employed you need self-discipline to wake up every day and go to work, even though you don’t have a boss to fire you if you didn’t go. It takes self-discipline to read your bible and pray every day, to attend your church faithfully, to do the simple things in life like flossing your teeth, or going to the gym to work out every day. Self-control or temperance is listed among the nine fruit of the Holy Spirit in Galatians 5:22-23.

The amplified bible words it this way:

2 Timothy 1:7 (AMPC)

⁷ For God did not give us a spirit of timidity or cowardice or fear, but [He has given us a spirit] of power and of love and of sound judgment and personal discipline [abilities that result in a calm, well-balanced mind and self-control].

A few questions for you:

Are there areas in your life that need more self-discipline?

Spiritually how are you doing concerning having self-discipline in pro-actively focusing on your relationship with God each day?

Father God, there are areas in my life that need to be improved in me having self-discipline. Help me Holy Spirit in these areas.

January 20th

Do you need more peace?

John 14:27 (AMPC)

²⁷ Peace I leave with you; My [own] peace I now give and bequeath to you. Not as the world gives do I give to you. Do not let your hearts be troubled, neither let them be afraid. [Stop allowing yourselves to be agitated and disturbed; and do not permit yourselves to be fearful and intimidated and cowardly and unsettled.]

Definition of peace: (Webster's dictionary) a state of physical or mental tranquility, calm, serenity, the state of harmony between people.

Peace is completeness, health, justice, prosperity, and protection. The world cannot provide this peace. Real peace comes from faith in God, because He alone embodies all the characteristics of peace. To find peace of mind and peace with others, you must find peace with God.

Romans 5:1 (NLT)

¹ Therefore, since we have been made right in God’s sight by faith, we have peace with God because of what Jesus Christ our Lord has done for us.

The bible promises that if we trust in the Lord and keep our minds on Him we will have peace:

Isaiah 26:3 (KJV)

³  Thou wilt keep him in perfect peace, whose mind is stayed on thee: because he trusteth in thee.

God is not the author of confusion, but of peace:

1 Corinthians 14:33 (KJV)

³³  For God is not the author of confusion, but of peace, as in all churches of the saints.

Peace means much more than the absence of war, but it is freedom from strife internally as well as externally. Peace is found among the fruit of the Holy Spirit (Galatians 5:22-23), and so this means the Holy Spirit is working within you to give you this peace. Peace is the byproduct of dependence on God. God’s desire is that we have righteousness, peace and joy in the Holy Spirit.

Romans 14:17-19 (KJV)

¹⁷  For the kingdom of God is not meat and drink; but righteousness, and peace, and joy in the Holy Ghost.

¹⁸  For he that in these things serveth Christ is acceptable to God, and approved of men.

¹⁹  Let us therefore follow after the things which make for peace, and things wherewith one may edify another.

Heavenly Father, please help me to receive your peace which even surpasses human understanding.

January 21st

Why do you need to pray?

Luke 18:1 (NIV)

¹  Then Jesus told his disciples a parable to show them that they should always pray and not give up.

We need to be praying for so many reasons. First of all, as we see in the above scripture, Jesus told us to. If we do not pray we cannot exercise our faith. Prayer changes the way you look at things concerning our biblical perspective. Your prayer pleases God and makes you feel His peace. When you pray for others it blesses them. It glorifies God when our prayers are