Wednesday's Word of Truth

Based On : Matthew 17:1-4, 14 – 16 (NIV)   After six days Jesus took with him Peter, James and John the brother of James, and led them up a high mountain by themselves. There he was transfigured before them. His face shone like the sun, and his clothes became as white as the light. Just then there appeared before them Moses and Elijah, talking with Jesus. Peter said to Jesus, “Lord, it is good for...

Based on: Ezekiel 37: 4-6 (NIV) Then he said to me, “Prophesy to these bones and say to them, ‘Dry bones, hear the word of the Lord!  This is what the Sovereign Lord says to these bones: I will make breath enter you, and you will come to life. I will attach tendons to you and make flesh come upon you and cover you with skin; I will put breath in you, and you will come to life. Then you will know t...

Based on: Matthew 16:16-17 (NIV) Simon Peter answered, “You are the Messiah, the Son of the living God.”  Jesus replied, “Blessed are you, Simon son of Jonah, for this was not revealed to you by flesh and blood, but by my Father in heaven. Excerpt: Just like Peter, by our faith we see the Christ – the Son of the living God. He is alive and abiding in every area of our lives. Our faith in God throu...

Based on: Psalm 24:1 (NIV) The earth is the Lord’s, and everything in it, the world, and all who live in it; Excerpt: In short, we have been bamboozled and hoodwinked into believing that we are the tail and not the head. We have forgotten our royal status and now believe that we are the borrowers and not the lenders. It is as if we have been lulled into a deep sleep.

Based On : John 15:26 (NIV)  “But I will send you the Comforter—the Holy Spirit, the source of all truth. He will come to you from the Father and will tell you all about me..." Excerpt: The Truth is we are living in the overflow of heaven. God gifted us with Jesus who is now the resurrected Christ, and Jesus the Christ gifted us with Holy Spirit who is our comforter, guide, and teacher. The b...

Based on: Philippians 3:13-14 (NIV) 13 Brothers and sisters, I do not consider myself yet to have taken hold of it. But one thing I do: Forgetting what is behind and straining toward what is ahead, 14 I press on toward the goal to win the prize for which God has called me heavenward in Christ Jesus. Excerpt: Each of us has a role in fulfilling Jesus’ present moment realization that, “Thy kingdom c...

Based On:  Luke:24:13-14, 30-31 (NIV) 13 Now that same day two of them were going to a village called Emmaus, about seven miles from Jerusalem. 14 They were talking with each other about everything that had happened… 30 When he was at the table with them, he took bread, gave thanks, broke it and began to give it to them. 31 Then their eyes were opened and they recognized him,  and he disappeared f...

Based On: John 12: 12-19 (NIV) The next day the great crowd that had come for the festival heard that Jesus was on his way to Jerusalem. 13 They took palm branches and went out to meet him, shouting, “Hosanna!” “Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord!” “Blessed is the king of Israel!”  14 Jesus found a young donkey and sat on it, as it is written: 15 “Do not be afraid, Daughter Zion; see,...

Based on: Proverbs 4:25-26 (GNT) Look straight ahead with honest confidence; don't hang your head in shame. Plan carefully what you do, and whatever you do will turn out right. Excerpt: It is when we are closest to the finish that we should pay the greatest attention to every deadline, decision, and detail. This is when we should be at our sharpest and our most observant. Any competitive runne...

Based on : Romans 5:5 (NIV) And hope does not put us to shame, because God’s love has been poured out into our hearts through the Holy Spirit, who has been given to us. Excerpt: This morning I received a text with a picture of a dear friend who is celebrating 6 years of sobriety from alcohol. I rejoiced with her and encouraged her because I know her struggle. I also know that every day she wakes u...

Based on: Philippians 4:8 (GNT)   In conclusion, my friends, fill your minds with those things that are good and that deserve praise: things that are true, noble, right, pure, lovely, and honorable. Excerpt: I firmly believe that the thoughts we are thinking today determine where we will be, and what we will be doing a year from now. Like it or not, every thought is an active element of our f...

Based On:  John 10:17-18 NIV 17 The reason my Father loves me is that I lay down my life—only to take it up again. 18 No one takes it from me, but I lay it down of my own accord. I have authority to lay it down and authority to take it up again. This command I received from my Father.” Excerpt:  Any permanent positive change in our lives can only be brought about by the power of God. We...

Based on: Luke 4:1-2 (NIV) Jesus, full of the Holy Spirit, left the Jordan and was led by the Spirit into the wilderness, where for forty days he was tempted by the devil. He ate nothing during those days,… Excerpt: By the power of God, we can truly release something or somebody. When we release God’s way, we will soon develop a distaste for old behaviors, practices, and relationships. We will ble...

Based on: John 19:30 (NIV) When he had received the drink, Jesus said “ It is finished.” With that, he bowed his head and gave up his spirit. Excerpt: What a lesson this is for us who are waiting until the end of the Lenten season to see new life. Jesus has shown us that if we nail our habits, hurts, and hindrances to the Cross today, then “It is finished” today. We are forgiven and freed to begin...

Based On: Deuteronomy 6:5 (NIV) Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength. Excerpt:   So, just in case we’ve forgotten, or we’ve never been told, this is a news flash. We are commanded to love God first. Our love for God should be a forethought and not an afterthought.

Based On : Genesis 16:8a (NIV) And he said, “Hagar, slave of Sarai, where have you come from, and where are you going?” Excerpt: The good news is that God is waiting for us to stop running and get somewhere and sit down. This is when and where we are best situated to have a come-to-meeting moment with our God. Oh, but don’t get it twisted. The tender mercy of our God meets us in our place of pain...

Based On: Philippians 1:6 (NIV) ...being confident of this, that he who began a good work in you will carry it on to completion until the day of Christ Jesus. Excerpt:  Year after year we start out strong, but we sputter and quit before the end of the first quarter of the year. This is a vicious cycle that is hard to break because the time between January and December seems so long. But, I be...

Based On: Luke 13:10-13 (NIV) On a Sabbath Jesus was teaching in one of the synagogues, 11 and a woman was there who had been crippled by a spirit for eighteen years. She was bent over and could not straighten up at all. 12 When Jesus saw her, he called her forward and said to her, “Woman, you are set free from your infirmity.” 13 Then he put his hands on her, and immediately she straightened up a...

Based on: Psalm 32:8 (NIV) I will instruct you and teach you in the way you should go;  I will counsel you with my loving eye on you. Excerpt: The only way that we will truly know our path for 2023 is to listen for God’s directions. Listening for God’s voice requires a commitment to finding and resting in the quiet. In today’s loud and noisy world quiet time is a gift. Yet, it is necessary fo...

Based on:  Genesis 31:49 (NIV) It was also called Mizpah, because he said, “May the Lord keep watch between you and me when we are away from each other.” Excerpt: My sisters and brothers, “game know game.” Every now and then God will allow someone to come into our world who can read us from head to toe. Even more they will play the same games on us that we have played on others for years. Thi...

Based On: Romans 3:19 (GNT) Now we know that everything in the Law applies to those who live under the Law, in order to stop all human excuses and bring the whole world under God's judgment. Excerpt: The New Year is a gift of mercy and grace. It is the mercy of wiping out the mishaps and mistakes of the past year. It is also the grace of building on what we did right in the past year. God’s mercy...

Based On: 1 Samuel 10:6 (NIV) The Spirit of the Lord will come upon you in power, and you will prophecy with them; and you will be changed into a different person. Excerpt: My sisters and brothers, God knows that change is frightening. God knows that doing something differently is not easy. It requires the courage and confidence that we are often short of. Yet, God is full of the power and promise...

Based On : Micah 5:2 (NIV)   “But you, Bethlehem, in the land of Judah, are by no means least among the rulers of Judah: for out of you will come a ruler who will be the shepherd of my people.” Excerpt:  Saints of God this promise of Bethlehem has been fulfilled. Jesus the Christ of God was born in Bethlehem. But, the story does not stop there. Jesus continues to be born over and over ag...

Based On: Luke 1:38 (GNT)   “I am the Lord's servant,” said Mary; “May it happen to me as you have said.” And the angel left her. Excerpt:  God’s directives often make no sense and are beyond our understanding of time and order. They might even seem ridiculous or even incredulous. Such as God’s directive to Abraham to sacrifice his son Isaac, or Gabriel’s announcement to Mary that she wa...

Based On: Colossians 1:15 (NIV) He is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn over all creation. Excerpt:  We are so grateful that we serve a God who will always come through. Therein lies the shout. It is a glory praise for our God who is never a no show. If God says, “It will be done,” then we can boldly expect it to be done.