Righteousness Made Clear

3 Trust in the Lord, and do good; so shalt thou dwell in the land, and verily thou shalt be fed.
4 Delight thyself also in the Lord: and he shall give thee the desires of thine heart.
5 Commit thy way unto the Lord; trust also in him; and he shall bring it to pass.
6 And he shall bring forth thy righteousness as the light, and thy judgment as the noonday.
7 Rest in the Lord, and wait patiently for him: fret not thyself because of him who prospereth in his way, because of the man who bringeth wicked devices to pass.
8 Cease from anger, and forsake wrath: fret not thyself in any wise to do evil.
9 For evildoers shall be cut off: but those that wait upon the Lord, they shall inherit the earth.
10 For yet a little while, and the wicked shall not be: yea, thou shalt diligently consider his place, and it shall not be.  Psalm 51:10-13 (KJV)

The Morning Exhortation

Don’t waste your time anxiously searching for the 1% that you don’t have, all the while paying little attention to the 99% that you do have in your hand right now. Most everyone knows what they need to do, but only a few people actually get it done. Why is it so? One reason is the lack of a total commitment. It is hard to understand the power of a total commitment if you have never made one. A total commitment removes the possibly of retreat or turning back. You either swim or you sink. You either do it or you die still trying to get it done. All manner of great things have blossomed from such commitments. When all things are considered as they should be in the light of eternity, a total commitment to our Lord Jesus Christ is a no-brainer. One thing needed is a singleness of heart that pursues the living God and refuses to settle for anything less. Let it not be His gifts that move us to seek His face. Rather, let the desire to know Him mold our thoughts and actions. God has promised that we will find Him when we search for Him with all our heart. The mercy of God has provided the way. We only need to make the total commitment to Jesus Christ, and God meets us with the needed grace to make it happen.

Today’s Bible Reading

1 Kings 8

Ephesians 5

The Prayer Appointed for This Week from the Book of Common Prayer

Almighty and everlasting God, you are always more ready to hear than we to pray, and to give more than we either desire or deserve: Pour upon your church the abundance of your mercy, forgiving us those things of which our conscience is afraid, and giving us those good things for which we are not worthy to ask, except through the merits of Jesus Christ our Savior; who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, for ever and ever. Amen.

A Meditation Pleasing to the Heart 

6 And the heavens shall declare his righteousness: for God is judge himself. Selah.
7 Hear, O my people, and I will speak; O Israel, and I will testify against thee: I am God, even thy God.
8 I will not reprove thee for thy sacrifices or thy burnt offerings, to have been continually before me.
9 I will take no bullock out of thy house, nor he goats out of thy folds.
10 For every beast of the forest is mine, and the cattle upon a thousand hills.
11 I know all the fowls of the mountains: and the wild beasts of the field are mine.
12 If I were hungry, I would not tell thee: for the world is mine, and the fulness thereof.
13 Will I eat the flesh of bulls, or drink the blood of goats?
14 Offer unto God thanksgiving; and pay thy vows unto the most High:
15 And call upon me in the day of trouble: I will deliver thee, and thou shalt glorify me.
16 But unto the wicked God saith, What hast thou to do to declare my statutes, or that thou shouldest take my covenant in thy mouth?
17 Seeing thou hatest instruction, and casteth my words behind thee. Psalm 50:6-17 (KJV)

The Morning Exhortation

Never let what you can’t do stop you from doing what you can. Don’t just sit around whining and complaining. It doesn’t help, and it certainly doesn’t please God. Just get busy making the most out of whatever opportunity you do have, and leave the lingering on lack to the unhappy and the depressed. Trust God, and waste no time complaining about your best-laid plans as they lie broken upon the jagged rocks of life. Refuse to allow discouraging feelings to carry your thoughts away captive. Rather, set your hope firmly upon your full salvation in the Lord Jesus Christ. Pray for the needed grace based on what God has promised. Take the promise as being immediately answered by faith based on the incorruptible truth of the Word, and not on evidence based upon our corruptible physical senses and unstable emotions. Wait on the Lord in faith, which means to keep the words of your mouth and the meditation of your heart pleasing to God. Rest in the knowledge of the faithfulness of God. Wait for the blessing with joyful expectation. When peace, thanksgiving, and praise to God reign in your heart, regardless of temporary circumstances, all will be well.

Today’s Bible Reading

1 Kings 7

Ephesians 4

The Prayer Appointed for This Week from the Book of Common Prayer

Almighty and everlasting God, you are always more ready to hear than we to pray, and to give more than we either desire or deserve: Pour upon your church the abundance of your mercy, forgiving us those things of which our conscience is afraid, and giving us those good things for which we are not worthy to ask, except through the merits of Jesus Christ our Savior; who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, for ever and ever. Amen.

A Hymn of the Messiah

110 The Lord said unto my Lord, Sit thou at my right hand, until I make thine enemies thy footstool.
2 The Lord shall send the rod of thy strength out of Zion: rule thou in the midst of thine enemies.
3 Thy people shall be willing in the day of thy power, in the beauties of holiness from the womb of the morning: thou hast the dew of thy youth.
4 The Lord hath sworn, and will not repent, Thou art a priest for ever after the order of Melchizedek.  Psalm 110:1-4 (KJV)

The Morning Exhortation

Lasting change that is good comes from above, and it proceeds from the inside-out. It is a great mystery how we are 100% dependent on God for everything, while at the same time being 100% responsible for our choices. They are not contradictory opposites, but rather complementary truths. The state of your health 20 years from now can best be predicted by how you live and what you do today. Just as your current body condition is a result of your past thoughts, habits, and lifestyle choices. Don’t expect much change from your exercise and diet efforts if you are still going to think the same, do the same things, go to the same places, and live the same way that created the need for change in the first place. The call of the gospel is to come as you are, not stay as you are. The mind set on gratifying the flesh is not capable of making lasting changes for the better, but the mind set on the things of the Spirit is renewed from the inside-out. Lasting change happens first in the inner man’s heart and affections, which are the source of every choice to do or to not do. God will change the heart as you consistently seek to renew the mind with the Word of Life. Accept the divine order: first the blade, then the ear, and then the full corn in the ear. Transformation is certain because God is faithful to perform His unchangeable word whenever we meet the conditions. Only believe. O Lord, I believe! Say it aloud and keep saying it until your “Amen” is made strong by the Spirit.

Today’s Bible Reading

1 Kings 6

Ephesians 3

The Prayer Appointed for This Week from the Book of Common Prayer

Almighty and everlasting God, you are always more ready to hear than we to pray, and to give more than we either desire or deserve: Pour upon your church the abundance of your mercy, forgiving us those things of which our conscience is afraid, and giving us those good things for which we are not worthy to ask, except through the merits of Jesus Christ our Savior; who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, for ever and ever. Amen.

Hear and Understand

8 Hear, O my people, and I will testify unto thee: O Israel, if thou wilt hearken unto me;
9 There shall no strange god be in thee; neither shalt thou worship any strange god.
10 I am the Lord thy God, which brought thee out of the land of Egypt: open thy mouth wide, and I will fill it. Psalm 81:8-10 KJV

The Morning Exhortation

All the promises of God are “yes, yes” in Christ Jesus for those whose hearts are set on being doers of the word with prayer and faith. Exercise the gift of whatever faith that you have right now until God grants you the grace of the full assurance of faith. Then will you no longer be tossed about like a wave of sea troubled by the rapidly changing winds of doubt. You must believe your heart has been cleansed and renewed, and your body made strong and healthy even before seeing any evidence of the granted grace. Find another believer that you can emulate. Blaze your own trail if you have to, but it is more efficient to follow the path of someone else who has already obtained steadfastness in the faith. However, in your pursuit of everything that is good, never lose sight of the one most important thing. And that is this: he who has a personal relationship with the Lord Jesus Christ, already has everything he could possibly need. 

Today’s Bible Reading

1 Kings 4-5

Ephesians 2

The Prayer Appointed for This Week from the Book of Common Prayer

Almighty and everlasting God, you are always more ready to hear than we to pray, and to give more than we either desire or deserve: Pour upon your church the abundance of your mercy, forgiving us those things of which our conscience is afraid, and giving us those good things for which we are not worthy to ask, except through the merits of Jesus Christ our Savior; who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, for ever and ever. Amen.

Like a Weened Child 

131 Lord, my heart is not haughty, nor mine eyes lofty: neither do I exercise myself in great matters, or in things too high for me.
2 Surely I have behaved and quieted myself, as a child that is weaned of his mother: my soul is even as a weaned child.
3 Let Israel hope in the Lord from henceforth and for ever. (Psalm 131)

The Morning Exhortation

All good things come from God above. Self-help is no help at all. No matter how great the self-help guru or program, the underlying problem of our sinful nature will still remain. All change is merely cosmetic without Jesus Christ. You can dye your hair, but you are only deceiving yourself. The truth is always found at the roots. It is not dye we need, but the grace to allow the Word of God to dwell richly in our heart. By faith are we created anew with a clean heart in Christ Jesus. We are spiritually born again by the grace of God. Accept this spiritual transformation through believing in the Son of God as fact, without demanding a miraculous experience as proof. First believe, after which all things will become new.

Today’s Bible Reading

1 Kings 3

Ephesians 1

The Prayer Appointed for This Week from the Book of Common Prayer

O God, you declare your almighty power chiefly in showing mercy and pity: Grant me the fullness of your grace, that I, running to obtain your promises, may become a partaker of your heavenly treasure; through Jesus Christ our Lord, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, for ever and ever. Amen.

In the Beginning, O Lord

24  I said, O my God, take me not away in the midst of my days: thy years are throughout all generations.
25 Of old hast thou laid the foundation of the earth: and the heavens are the work of thy hands.
26 They shall perish, but thou shalt endure: yea, all of them shall wax old like a garment; as a vesture shalt thou change them, and they shall be changed:
27 But thou art the same, and thy years shall have no end.
28 The children of thy servants shall continue, and their seed shall be established before thee. Psalm 102:24-28 (KJV)

The Morning Exhortation

The hardest exercises in the gym often yield the greatest benefits. It’s the difficult things inside and outside the gym that result in the biggest pay offs. One of the hardest things to do outside the gym are to quit bad habits. It is always easier and faster to fill the tub with water when the drain has first been properly plugged. We all know what habits and behaviors we have that are counterproductive. Choose your worst, take it to the Cross and ask the Lord to crucify you to it and it in you. Now by faith in God, consider yourself to be free, and it to be dead. Whether to live according to what we see, or to trust in the truth of God as revealed in the Word. Each of us must choose to live by one or the other. The testing of that choice will certainly come. The feelings caused by circumstances that collaborate what can be seen are often a part of the testing of faith. Faith is NOT a feeling. Faith is a spiritual fact that we choose to accept. All the elders in Bible that had a good report considered contrary physical evidence as lying vanities. Faith is the bridge between spiritual and physical realities. Ask the Lord for His needed grace, then accept it as a fact. Like a sea washed lighthouse, He will enable you to stand firm. Forsake not the mercy of the Lord and He will turn every contrary tide.

Today’s Bible Reading

1 Kings 2

Galatians 6

The Prayer Appointed for This Week from the Book of Common Prayer

O God, you declare your almighty power chiefly in showing mercy and pity: Grant me the fullness of your grace, that I, running to obtain your promises, may become a partaker of your heavenly treasure; through Jesus Christ our Lord, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, for ever and ever. Amen.

Safety in Christ 

91 He that dwelleth in the secret place of the most High shall abide under the shadow of the Almighty.
2 I will say of the Lord, He is my refuge and my fortress: my God; in him will I trust.
3 Surely he shall deliver thee from the snare of the fowler, and from the noisome pestilence.
4 He shall cover thee with his feathers, and under his wings shalt thou trust: his truth shall be thy shield and buckler.
5 Thou shalt not be afraid for the terror by night; nor for the arrow that flieth by day;
6 Nor for the pestilence that walketh in darkness; nor for the destruction that wasteth at noonday.
7 A thousand shall fall at thy side, and ten thousand at thy right hand; but it shall not come nigh thee.
8 Only with thine eyes shalt thou behold and see the reward of the wicked.
9 Because thou hast made the Lord, which is my refuge, even the most High, thy habitation;
10 There shall no evil befall thee, neither shall any plague come nigh thy dwelling.
11 For he shall give his angels charge over thee, to keep thee in all thy ways.
12 They shall bear thee up in their hands, lest thou dash thy foot against a stone.
13 Thou shalt tread upon the lion and adder: the young lion and the dragon shalt thou trample under feet. Psalm 91:1-13 (KJV)

The Morning Exhortation

Physical exercise was of little benefit in days long past when life itself required so much more physical activity just to survive. Working to provide protection from wild beasts while hunting for food and finding shelter, were more than enough exercise for the largest part of human history. Life in the 21st century however, has now made physical exercise essential. We have become so sedentary that we can no longer ignore physical exercise and remain healthy as we get older. Spiritual development is certainly of much greater importance, but wisdom demands that we do not neglect physical exercise. Let us honor our God by making our physical exercise a spiritual practice as well, and not as an end in itself as those with little knowledge of God make it. The good news of the gospel is that our eternal inheritance in heaven has been purchased for us by the blood of Jesus Christ our Savior, as well as the sanctification of our spirit, soul, and body here on earth in this life. Not by our efforts, but by God’s grace are we saved, sanctified, and filled with the Holy Ghost. 

Today’s Bible Reading

1 Kings 1

Galatians 5

The Prayer Appointed for This Week from the Book of Common Prayer

O God, you declare your almighty power chiefly in showing mercy and pity: Grant me the fullness of your grace, that I, running to obtain your promises, may become a partaker of your heavenly treasure; through Jesus Christ our Lord, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, for ever and ever. Amen.

The Lord Will Perfect That Which Concerns Me 

138  I will praise thee with my whole heart: before the gods will I sing praise unto thee.
2 I will worship toward thy holy temple, and praise thy name for thy lovingkindness and for thy truth: for thou hast magnified thy word above all thy name.
3 In the day when I cried thou answeredst me, and strengthenedst me with strength in my soul.
4 All the Kings of the earth shall praise thee, O Lord, when they hear the words of thy mouth.
5 Yea, they shall sing in the ways of the Lord: for great is the glory of the Lord.
6 Though the Lord be high, yet hath he respect unto the lowly: but the proud he knoweth afar off.
7 Though I walk in the midst of trouble, thou wilt revive me: thou shalt stretch forth thine hand against the wrath of mine enemies, and thy right hand shall save me.
8 The Lord will perfect that which concerneth me: thy mercy, O Lord, endureth for ever: forsake not the works of thine own hands. Psalm 138 (KJV)

The Morning Exhortation

Take no counsel from your fears. Consider what direction your feelings are flowing, and be quick to swim against the current when faith demands it. You cannot stop the birds from flying over your head, but allow no bird of doubt to build a nest filled with uncertainty in your heart. Chase these ugly birds of prey away by the light of the sword of the Spirit. You are the workmanship of God created in Christ Jesus to do good works. The Word of God is light, teaching us how to live a life pleasing to God. And God will enable us to do His will if we are willing. Hold firm to the truth that all members of the body of Christ are called to holiness. Submit to the Spirit and walk in accordance with the Word of God. Be blessed, and may God use you to pour His blessings on others. 

Today’s Bible Reading

2 Samuel 24

Galatians 4

The Prayer Appointed for This Week from the Book of Common Prayer

O God, you declare your almighty power chiefly in showing mercy and pity: Grant me the fullness of your grace, that I, running to obtain your promises, may become a partaker of your heavenly treasure; through Jesus Christ our Lord, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, for ever and ever. Amen.

Life is Short 

1 I said, I will take heed to my ways, that I sin not with my tongue: I will keep my mouth with a bridle, while the wicked is before me.
2 I was dumb with silence, I held my peace, even from good; and my sorrow was stirred.
3 My heart was hot within me, while I was musing the fire burned: then spake I with my tongue,
4 Lord, make me to know mine end, and the measure of my days, what it is: that I may know how frail I am.
5 Behold, thou hast made my days as an handbreadth; and mine age is as nothing before thee: verily every man at his best state is altogether vanity. Selah.
6 Surely every man walketh in a vain shew: surely they are disquieted in vain: he heapeth up riches, and knoweth not who shall gather them.
7 And now, Lord, what wait I for? my hope is in thee.
8 Deliver me from all my transgressions: make me not the reproach of the foolish. Psalm 39:1-8 (KJV)

The Morning Exhortation

It takes years of toil in obscurity to become an overnight success. Let no one deceive you. A continuous buildup of weak thoughts will in time make a person weak physically, mentally, and spiritually. Weakening thoughts come packaged with the entertaining of fear, uncertainty, and doubt. The further we allow the mind to wander from faithful thoughts, the more worry and vexation of soul we tend to experienced. Cast down weak thoughts contrary to faith in God as soon as you become aware of them. Take your thoughts off your feelings, off your circumstances, off the world. Maintain your focus on Jesus, the author and perfecter of our faith. Self and all other things change, but Christ remains the same yesterday, today, and forever. He will strengthen you for all that you need to do. So look up to where your strength comes from, dig deep, and get done what needs to be done. Make no mistake about it. Faith is the spiritual muscle necessary for developing physical strength, mental toughness, and the godliness we desire.

Today’s Bible Reading

2 Samuel 23

Galatians 3

The Prayer Appointed for This Week from the Book of Common Prayer

Grant that I, Lord, may not be anxious about earthly things, but love things heavenly; and even now, while I am placed among things that are passing away, hold fast to those that shall endure; through Jesus Christ our Lord, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, for ever and ever. Amen.

I Will Confess My Transgressions 

3 When I kept silence, my bones waxed old through my roaring all the day long.
4 For day and night thy hand was heavy upon me: my moisture is turned into the drought of summer. Selah.
5 I acknowledge my sin unto thee, and mine iniquity have I not hid. I said, I will confess my transgressions unto the Lord; and thou forgavest the iniquity of my sin. Selah.
6 For this shall every one that is godly pray unto thee in a time when thou mayest be found: surely in the floods of great waters they shall not come nigh unto him.
7 Thou art my hiding place; thou shalt preserve me from trouble; thou shalt compass me about with songs of deliverance. Selah. Psalm 32:3-7 (KJV)

The Morning Exhortation

In the mist of every difficultly, remember God. When things seem the absolute toughest, that is the opportune time to choose to trust God. Cast your cares upon Him, and take none of them back. Never complain. Instead, praise God for His goodness and find something for which you can be thankful for. Be patient, be real, train hard, love much, pray continuously, give thanks always, and sing praises to the Lord whether you feel like it or not. Do all this and God will cause the rising tides to turn away from you, and the mountains that stand against you to move.

Today’s Bible Reading

2 Samuel 22

Galatians 2

The Prayer Appointed for This Week from the Book of Common Prayer

Grant that I, Lord, may not be anxious about earthly things, but love things heavenly; and even now, while I am placed among things that are passing away, hold fast to those that shall endure; through Jesus Christ our Lord, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, for ever and ever. Amen.