Bro. Mark's Encouraging Word of the Day 

Sunday

"The Gospel is the Good News. But good news is most impactful in the face of bad news. Never was there a clearer example of good news cancelling out bad news than in the story of the Emmaus road. The disciples in Jerusalem had been overwhelmed with the bad news of Jesus’ death. Many who had been in Jerusalem to celebrate the Passover were returning to their homes with heavy hearts. Then Paul meet the risen Savior and He called him into a life of Ministry and he touched thousands with the Good News of the gospel."

Monday

"The phrase “high places” occurs around seventy times in the Old Testament. The frequent reference to “high places” reflects the ongoing temptation in Israel to worship idols instead of the one true God. But Israel had its own “high place,” and that was Jerusalem, situated on Mount Moriah and surrounded by hills. Three times a year Israelites would journey to Jerusalem for feasts and celebrations. Just as the Jewish pilgrims journeyed to Jerusalem, so we journey through life toward the New Jerusalem. And just as God was their help, so He will be ours. Look to God, not to the “high places” of this world."

Tuesday

"Sometimes Christians ask, “Given the Bible’s promises about God’s protection, why do Christians still experience hurtful, even evil, events?” Psalm 121 is a good example of such promises. This psalm has four stanzas, the first states that our help comes from God; the last three make illustrative promises about how God helps us. These promises, taken literally, suggest that nothing bad will ever happen to God’s people. But that’s not the psalmist’s point. Rather, he says that God will watch over His people wherever they go and whatever they do; God will not “slumber nor sleep.” David expressed God’s watchfulness in detail in Psalm 139:1-12. And Paul summarized God’s care in "Nothing “shall be able to separate us from the love of God which is in Christ Jesus our Lord..” God is with you today, right now, watching over you and your whole life. Nothing passes through the filter of His will and awareness, “even forevermore.”

 

                                                                                                   Wednesday

"The “night watches” those hours we spend in bed during the night can be fertile soil for seeds of worry. In Psalm 63, we find David describing his “night watch” practice: meditating on God. And this he did during one of the most tumultuous, heart-wrenching times of his life. King David’s son Absalom wanted to unseat his father from the throne. When word reached David that Absalom’s army was approaching Jerusalem, David gathered his loyal courtiers and commanders, and their families, and they left Jerusalem. As he fled Jerusalem, David was cursed by those loyal to Absalom. Crossing the Kidron Valley, they ascended the Mount of Olives. From there they headed into the Judean wilderness to seek refuge and make plans. David organized his troops and engaged the army of Absalom, and his son was killed. Can you imagine the worry and heartache David experienced during those days? Yet on his bed, he turned his thoughts to God and meditated on Him. Use the quiet hours of the night to commit your concerns to God in prayer. Faith can place a candle in the darkest night.

 

"Thursday

"The Jewish people waited a long time for their Messiah, but “when the right time came, God sent his Son, born of a woman.” The world, too, waited a long time for a Redeemer, but “at just the right time, when we were still powerless, Christ died for the ungodly." Sometimes our prayers aren’t answered in our timing, but we must continue to focus on God. He will deliver us in His timing and in His way. Scripture says, “At the right time, I, the Lord, will make it happen.” It also says, “So let’s not get tired of doing what is good. At just the right time we will reap a harvest of blessing if we don’t give up.” Waiting on the Lord isn’t easy, but think of Abraham waiting for a son, Joseph waiting for freedom, Paul waiting in prison, and Jesus waiting for His hour to come. Trust the Lord to respond to your need, at just the right time. Timing is everything. When we talk about waiting, we’re implying waiting for the right time. Sometimes God waits to answer your prayers, because now is not the right time."

                                                                                                       Friday

"We see it frequently these days, athletes, celebrities, and others thanking God publicly for His help in their achievement. That might be a modern-day equivalent of the sentiment expressed by the psalmist: “Before the gods I will sing praises to You.” It’s a statement of boldness at the very least: a willingness to thank God publicly in the presence of kings and the gods they represent or in the presence of a public that has no allegiance to God. An immediate example comes to mind: Daniel and his three friends in the courts of Babylon during their captivity. All four of these young men at various times spoke openly about their allegiance to the God of Israel. Peter and John did the same thing in Jerusalem when the Jewish Sanhedrin ordered them not to preach about Jesus shortly after His resurrection. And the psalmist’s sentiment of thanksgiving could well be summarized by 1 Thessalonians 5:18: “In everything give thanks.” There is no limit to the reasons and places we should give thanks to God. Cultivate the boldness needed to give thanks to God at any time, in any place, and in the presence of anyone."

                                                                                                    Saturday

"As the summer months come to a close, we return from travels to the place we call home. And we refresh our understanding of God’s promise to be with us and to strengthen and guide us into the next season of life. In the Old Testament, home for Israel was the Promised Land. God intended for the nations of the world to be drawn to His glory as revealed in Israel. But in this Church Age, home is not geographical. Christ has sent us out from Jerusalem into all the world. And He promises to be with us wherever we go. In the patriarch Jacob’s life, home was Israel. Even when Jacob journeyed afar, God promised to bring him back to his home. For us, home is the Kingdom of God—the presence of Christ through His Spirit. As you head into your fall routine, establish Christ and His Word as the center of your home life. Wherever you are, He is with you. Help us, O Lord, our homes to make, Thy Holy Spirit’s dwelling place."