Displaying Christian Sermons by tag: daily devotion

Joyce Meyer (November-26-2020) Daily Devotion: You Can't "Catch" Holiness. 

Holiness = separation to God, which should result in conduct befitting those so separated

In the New Testament, the same Greek word translated holiness is also translated sanctification, which the Greek dictionary says "cannot be transferred or imputed." That means that holiness is an individual possession, one that is built up little by little, so it cannot be given to or taken from another person. In other words, you and I cannot become holy by going through a prayer line, or by having hands laid on us, or by spending time with someone else who is holy.

As we see in today’s passage from the Old Testament prophet Haggai, unholiness is contagious, but holiness is not. What that means is that if we spend a lot of time with someone who is living an ungodly life, that person’s sinful patterns can rub off on us—we can catch it like a disease. But holiness is not like that. It can't be picked up by contact or exposure; it has to be chosen on purpose.

This is one reason why it’s so very important that we choose our friends intentionally, and especially to spend the most time with other believers who are sincerely seeking Jesus. When we do that, we can spur each other on to keep following Him (see Proverbs 27:17; Hebrews 10:24-25).

Prayer Starter: Father, please help me to proactively choose holiness, and connect me with other solid believers who are pursuing You above all else. Thank You for Your grace today. In Jesus’ name, amen.

John Hagee (November-25-2022) Daily Devotion: Deuteronomy 31:8 - And the Lord, He is the One who goes before you. He will be with you, He will not leave you nor forsake you; do not fear nor be dismayed.

Squanto, whose proper name was Tisquantum, was a member of the Patuxet tribe that lived near Plymouth, Massachusetts at the time the Pilgrims began to build a colony there.

Much of Squanto’s life is cloaked in mystery, but we do know that he traded with trappers and spent considerable time in England, making several transatlantic expeditions with Captains John Smith and Thomas Hunt. He was educated abroad and spoke English fluently. Some scholars believe that he developed a deep faith in God when Spanish friars took him under their care.

The Lord orchestrated the events of his life that led him to the small struggling village the Pilgrims called home in 1621. Squanto’s many experiences and skills caused William Bradford, the leader of the Pilgrims, to call him “a special instrument of God.”

He became their interpreter, translator, educator, and guide. Squanto taught them the tools that they needed to escape certain death the following winter.

For all of us, the Lord is the God of yesterday, today, and tomorrow. He knew the needs of today. His grace has brought us this far. Right now, He is going ahead into tomorrow to move the mountains and make the crooked ways straight.

Today's Blessing: May the Lord bless you and keep you. May the Lord make His face to shine upon you and be gracious unto you and give you His peace. Give thanks to your omnipresent Father Who has protected you in the past, is watching over you today, and is making a way in your tomorrow. Praise the Lord!

Today's Bible Reading: 

• Old Testament - Daniel 1:1-2:23
• New Testament - 1 Peter 3:10-4:6
• Psalms & Proverbs - Psalm 119:71-80, Proverbs 28:14

Joyce Meyer (November-25-2022) Daily Devotion: Fully Satisfied.

We often seek many things in life, thinking they will make us happy and satisfy us, and when we find that they don’t, we’re soon seeking something else. Things (or even people) alone cannot make us happy and content. They may excite us for a while, but they soon lose their luster and we begin seeking another thing.

No matter what we’re wanting, only God Himself can give us the complete satisfaction we long for. The fullness of life and depth of joy that we all desire is in Him. Let Him be your number one need and desire, and your life will be sweet and satisfying.

When our dependence on and need for God grows to the place where He is the first thing we think about in the morning, we’ll also find that we have a joy that nothing else could ever give us.

Prayer Starter: Father, please forgive me for wasting time seeking things that could never satisfy the longings in my heart. Help me seek You with my whole heart—I want to be completely satisfied by You. In Jesus’ name, amen.

Joel Osteen (November-24-2022) Today's Word: One More Time. 

Today’s Scripture: Judges 16:28, NLT - Then Samson prayed to the LORD, "Sovereign LORD, remember me again. O God, please strengthen me just one more time. With one blow let me pay back the Philistines for the loss of my two eyes."

Today’s Word: Samson was given supernatural strength to deliver God's people from their enemies and couldn't be defeated, but he let his moral guard down and ended up losing his strength, was blinded, and made a slave. It was his fault, but God never gives up on us. One day while Samson was being ridiculed by his captors, he prayed for strength "just one more time," and God gave Samson the strength to push the middle pillars of the temple, collapsing the building, and killing more enemies in his death than he had during his lifetime.

You may have made mistakes, but that is not how your story ends. You have not seen your greatest victories. You have not sung your best song. You have not written your best book. You have not played your best play. If you shake off the guilt, God has a one more time coming your way. He has something bigger, more rewarding than you've ever imagined.

Prayer for Today: "Father, thank You for the destiny that You have called me to fulfill. Thank You that You have redeemed me, and Your mercies cover my mistakes and failures. I'm going to keep moving forward knowing that You always have another "one more time" for me. In Jesus' Name, Amen."

John Hagee (November-24-2022) Daily Devotion: Psalm 143:5 - I remember the days of old; I meditate on all Your works; I muse on the work of Your hands.

One hundred and fifty years before the Constitution was signed, our forefathers landed on Plymouth Rock – a memorial stone for America.

Before they disembarked, the Pilgrims signed the Mayflower Compact, a document whose fundamental principles of self-government and common consent laid the groundwork for democratic government in America.

Under the leadership of William Bradford, about one hundred Pilgrims came ashore hoping to establish a settlement “for the glory of God and the advancement of the Christian faith.” On Christmas morning, they assembled their first work crew and began to construct their colony.

The winter of 1620 proved extremely harsh, and 47 members of the original group perished due to sickness and starvation. In March 1621, when a Native American named Squanto visited the village, he found the Pilgrims desperate for help.

Squanto taught the colonists how to build homes to survive the North Atlantic weather. He instructed them on when to plant, how to fertilize with fish, and the prime months to harvest. He also brokered a peace treaty with the Wampanoags, a local Indian tribe, that stood firm for five decades.

The Pilgrims experienced such abundance under Squanto’s tutelage that, in one journal entry, Bradford described him as “a special instrument of God for their good beyond their expectation.” God’s gifts often come in unexpected packages!

Today's Blessing: May the Lord bless you and keep you. May the Lord make His face to shine upon you and be gracious unto you and give you His peace. May God’s light continue to shine across this great land. May America forever exist by and for the glory of God!

Today's Bible Reading: 

• Old Testament - Ezekiel 47:1-48:35
• New Testament - 1 Peter 2:11-3:9
• Psalms & Proverbs - Psalm 119:53-70, Proverbs 28:12-13

Joyce Meyer (November-24-2022) Daily Devotion: Don't "Get"...Receive!

There are certain words in the Bible that I like to refer to as "power words," which simply means that they can be extremely powerful for us if we understand and incorporate them in our lives. One of those power words is receive. In our world, we’re accustomed to working for everything. We struggle to "get," but God wants us to simply "receive" from Him.

Throughout the Bible, we read about receiving from God. Some of the scriptures that teach us to receive are John 1:12; John 1:16; Acts 1:8; Acts 8:17; Acts 10:43; 2 Corinthians 6:1; Galatians 3:2, Colossians 2:6, Hebrews 4:16. Each of these verses specifies something we are to receive from the Lord, and then remind us how important it is for us to receive instead of trying to "get."

To getis "to obtain by struggle and effort", whereas to receive is "to become a receptacle and simply take in what is being offered".

This distinction between getting and receiving helps us understand why so many Christians struggle in their walk with the Lord. They’re trying to get everything from Him when they should simply be asking and receiving.

Today's scripture is one of my favorites on the subject of receiving. It sounds so simple—and that's the point—receiving is simple! Jesus came to deliver us from striving, not to invite us to struggle continu¬ously. When we cease our efforts to "get" and learn to ask and receive, then our joy will be truly full. Once we have freely received, then we can freely give.

Prayer Starter: Father, thank You that I don’t have to work or strive to receive Your help or Your blessings. Please give me the grace I need to simply ask and freely receive, so I can freely give. In Jesus’ name, amen.

John Hagee (November-23-2022) Daily Devotion: Genesis 28:22 - And this stone which I have set as a pillar shall be God’s house…

God knew that we have a tendency to forget, so He encouraged some simple habits to help us remember His wonders. He instructed the Israelites to tie His words on their hands and foreheads, to inscribe them on their doorposts, to speak them to their children, to build altars, celebrate annual feasts, and pile up memorial stones!

On his way to Haran one night, Jacob used a stone for a pillow. He dreamed of a ladder with angels descending to earth and ascending to heaven. When he awoke, he set up the stone and poured oil over it – a reminder of the covenant God had made with him (Genesis 28).

When God rolled back the waters of the Jordan to allow the Israelites into the Promised Land, He commanded them to choose twelve stones from the dry riverbed and carry them across on their shoulders.

Joshua piled up those stones – one for each tribe of Israel – as a future memorial. When their children asked about that mysterious heap, their parents could tell the miraculous stories of the mighty God they served (Joshua 4).

In this week of Thanksgiving, take time to remember the memorial stones in your own life – the ways that God met you. For the place He brought you from and every promise He has kept – give thanks for those stones of remembrance.

Today's Blessing: May the Lord bless you and keep you. May the Lord make His face to shine upon you and be gracious unto you and give you His peace. Remember His promises kept, His wonders revealed, and His love shed abroad for you. Give thanks with a grateful heart!

Today's Bible Reading: 

• Old Testament - Ezekiel 45:13-46:24
• New Testament -1 Peter 1:14-2:10
• Psalms & Proverbs - Psalm 119:36-52, Proverbs 28:11

John Hagee (November-22-2022) Daily Devotion: Psalm 86:12 - I will praise You, O Lord my God, with all my heart, and I will glorify Your name forevermore.

In just a few days, families will gather around a table with those that we love. As we slice the turkey, dive into the dressing, and savor the pumpkin pie, we will offer thanks for the blessings that we often take for granted.

More than an annual tradition, our gratitude should spill over into every day. We must cultivate an ongoing attitude of appreciation – a spirit of thanksgiving – that permeates our every waking moment.

King David vowed to glorify the name of the Lord forever. And in Psalm 34, he declared that God’s praises would continually be in his mouth. And we know that the mouth can only proclaim what is generated in the abundance of the heart! (Luke 6:45)

We need only look around us to find reasons for praise. The heavens declare God’s handiwork. He made the sun to rule the day, and each night, he brings out the starry host one by one and calls them by name.

When we look into the faces of our loved ones, we recognize that He has fearfully and wonderfully made each one. They are His gifts to us.

When we look inside, we are overwhelmed at a Savior Who abides in us. How can we not pour forth His praises? With all of our hearts, may we glorify Him forever!

Today's Blessing: May the Lord bless you and keep you. May the Lord make His face to shine upon you and be gracious unto you and give you His peace. May you be filled with a perpetual spirit of thanksgiving for all of His blessings great and small. Amen and amen!

Today's Bible Reading: 

• Old Testament - Ezekiel 44:1-45:12
• New Testament - 1 Peter 1:1-13
• Psalms & Proverbs - Psalm 119:17-35, Proverbs 28:8-10

Joyce Meyer (November-22-2021) Daily Devotion: Intimacy Brings Freedom. 

I have asked God on several occasions what He wanted me to do in specific situations and He has responded, “Do whatever you want to do.” The first time I heard Him say that, I was afraid to believe God would give me that kind of liberty, but I now know He gives more and more freedom to us as we grow and mature spiritually.

As I thought about this, I realized the same principle is true with my own children. When they were young and inexperienced, I made all their decisions for them. As they got more mature, I let them do more of what they wanted to do. They had been around Dave and me for a long time and were beginning to know our hearts. Now all four of our children are grown, and most of the time they do what they want to do and rarely ever offend us because they know our hearts and act accordingly.

After we walk with God for a number of years, we get to know His heart, His character, and His ways. If we are committed to following them, He can give us greater liberty because we have become “one” with Him. As we grow spiritually, we desire more and more to honor God and reflect His heart in everything we do. Our spirits become filled with His Spirit, and our desires begin to merge with His.

In the verse for today, we read that Jesus does and says only what the Father has taught Him. I want to encourage you to go after that kind of oneness with God. When you’re walking in that, you, too, will do nothing of your own accord, or out of your own desires and strength, but your intimacy with God will be so great that your desires become one with His.

Prayer Starter: Father, please bring me so close to You that our desires start to become one and the same. Thank You for showing me Your heart in each situation, and for giving me grace to make godly decisions. In Jesus’ name, amen.

John Hagee (November-21-2022) Daily Devotion:

John 11:41 - Then they took away the stone from the place where the dead man was lying. And Jesus lifted up His eyes and said, ‘Father, I thank You that You have heard Me’.

Jesus exhibited a thankful attitude as He fulfilled His ministry here on earth. He demonstrated the way to the Father’s heart, the means to walk in the miraculous.

When the disciples despaired of feeding a crowd of five thousand with seven loaves of bread and a few fish, Jesus stopped to give thanks before sharing it among the multitude. Everyone ate, and seven baskets of leftovers were collected!

We often meet our lack with complaints and comparison: “Why do they have so much when we have so little?” Perhaps, if we offer up genuine gratitude for what He has given us, an all-sufficient God will bless us with more than enough!

When Jesus wept before the grave of His friend, Lazarus, He paused to thank God for listening. Immediately afterwards, a dead man walked out of the tomb into the joyful arms of his sisters.

When we stand in front of an impossible situation, we can say with deep hope and trust: “Father, I thank You.” In spite of what the bystanders believe or the doubters do or the scorners say, we offer praise to the One Who has shown us great grace and glorious mercy in the hardest days of our lives.

Today's Blessing: May the Lord bless you and keep you. May the Lord make His face to shine upon you and be gracious unto you and give you His peace. In every situation, give thanks to the Lord! This is the day that He has given you. Rejoice and be glad in it!

Today's Bible Reading: 

• Old Testament - Ezekiel 42:1-43:27
• New Testament - James 5:1-20
• Psalms & Proverbs - Psalm 119:1-16, Proverbs 28:6-7