I AM RICHLY BLESSED!!!

It is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for a rich man to enter the kingdom of God — Mark 10:25

THOUGHTS ON TODAY'S VERSE....
It is so easy to think of ourselves as average people who are not rich. But bottom line, if we have access to a computer to read e-mail, we're richer than most of the world. Let's not let our "stuff" get in the way of our faith and compassion. God wants to help our camels get through the eye of the needle. He will, if we remember that what we have is a gift from him, and that he intends for us to use it to bless others and honor him.

PRAYER:
Tender Father, it is sometimes very hard for me not to worry some about money issues. I know that I am richly blessed and have so many advantages. But Father, I don't want to be owned by the things I possess and I don't want to be sidetracked by trying to acquire what I don't have. Please help me as I seek to be rich in kindness, generosity, and thankfulness with whatever you choose to bless me. In Jesus' name I pray. Amen.

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HOW HAVE YOU BEEN DOING WITH THE MASTER'S MESSAGE LATELY?

Like the coolness of snow at harvest time is a trustworthy messenger to those who send him; he refreshes the spirit of his masters. — Proverbs 25:13

THOUGHTS ON TODAY'S VERSE....
I'm not sure where you are located, but it's been blistering hot where I am. Anything cool and refreshing sounds wonderful. If you've ever worked a harvest and gotten the dust, plant fragments, and sweat up under your shirt, you know how refreshing a cool glass of water is to your parched throat and a shower is for your sticky body. But God says that when we are trustworthy messengers for each other and for him, it is even better refreshment than a cool drink on a hot tiring day. So how have you been doing with the Master's message lately? Shared his love? Told of his grace? Demonstrated his kindness? Let's get busy refreshing our Lord by blessing others with his Gospel!

PRAYER :
Forgive me, heavenly Father, when I am untrustworthy with your message or ashamed of showing my allegiance to you and your Gospel. Give me wisdom to demonstrate and communicate your love, mercy, grace, and character to those around me. May my words and actions today bring you refreshment and glory! In Jesus' name I pray. Amen.

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ETERNAL LIFE

Simon Peter answered him, "Lord, to whom shall we go? You have the words of eternal life." — John 6:68

THOUGHTS ON TODAY'S VERSE....
When Jesus asked his disciples if they would leave him like everyone else had, Peter's response is powerful and great. He knew where truth originated! He had heard the voice on the Mountain saying, "This is my Son, whom I love; listen to him!" He had seen Jesus' words change reality and destroy barriers to God's love and truth. Indeed, he knew that there was no one else who had the words of eternal life! So who are you listening to?

PRAYER:
Almighty God, thank you for making Jesus so accessible to me. Jesus helps me see the full extent of your love. Jesus helps me more completely understand your message about wanting to redeem me and make me your own. I want to always come to Jesus for truth, grace, refreshment, and hope. There is no other one that I want to be my Lord except my crucified Savior, Jesus. Today, Father, gently confront me in those areas where I have yet to fully yield to your Son's lordship in my life. In the precious name of Jesus I pray. Amen.

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GIVING UP ON JESUS

From this time many of his disciples turned back and no longer followed him. — John 6:66

THOUGHT ON TODAY'S VERSE....
This verse haunts me. Not just because of the three numbers in the reference, but because it is a great reminder that many folks simply gave up following Jesus when things became hard to understand. When he shattered their preconceived notions of religious things, when he confronted them about their motives, they went away. What will I do when things get difficult in my discipleship and I can't figure out all the answers to what is going on? I hope, I pray, I trust that I will follow until the way and the will of the Lord become more clear!

PRAYER:
Awesome God, I confess openly that I cannot begin to understand all the complexities of your will and the way you work in our world. But Father, when I'm confused, please bring people into my life who will help me hang on to my faith until the confusion passes. And today, dear Father, please use me to help bless someone who is struggling with his or her faith. In Jesus' name I ask it. Amen.

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AWAY FROM THE CROWDS

Jesus did not want anyone to know where they were, because he was teaching his disciples. He said to them, "The Son of Man is going to be betrayed into the hands of men. They will kill him, and after three days he will rise." — Mark 9:30-31

THOUGHTS ON TODAY'S VERSE....
We often seek to attract large crowds to our churches, crusades, and rallies. Jesus also ministered to large crowds. But his strongest teaching on discipleship occurs away from the crowds, when he is alone with his disciples. What the crowds are able to accept is not enough to call mature disciples to that next level in their walk with the Savior. So Jesus withdrew for intensive teaching with a small group of committed disciples so he could mature them and make them ready for future challenges.

PRAYER:
Holy God, please bless the people in my Bible study group and all those everywhere that are seeking to follow you no matter the cost. Please lead me to a small group of believers with whom I can share my life and through whom you will challenge me to grow in my surrender to the Lordship of Christ. In Jesus' name I pray. Amen.

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THIS IS OUR SEASON OF REFRESHING

I will refresh the weary and satisfy the faint. —Jeremiah 31:25

THOUGHT  ON TODAY'S VERSE....
In the overwhelming, hair-raising, and depressing prophecies of Jeremiah, God repeatedly told his people he would destroy them for their obstinate and hardened hearts. Yet in the middle of these powerful and scorching warnings, God also slips in passages that soar with hope and grace. Can you think of anything more reassuring than God's promise to "refresh the weary and satisfy the faint"? For seventy years, that's all Israel had — God's promise. But when the time came, God made good on his word. I believe he will do the same with us today!

PRAYER
Great Shepherd, I am tired and weary. Please refresh my Spirit and my body. Please help me find satisfaction in the abundance you have already so graciously shared with me. To you belongs all glory, honor, strength and power. I joyously submit myself in faith, waiting for the rest and satisfaction you have promised. In Jesus' name I pray. Amen.

ARE YOU WEARY AND BURDENED?

Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. — Matthew 11:28

THOUGHT ON TODAY'S VERSE....
Where do you go when you are exhausted and in need of rest? No bed, no vacation, no retreat can give us a truly refreshing rest if that rest doesn't involve coming to Jesus. So what are you waiting for? Come to Jesus and and enjoy the blessings of his presence, his love, his forgiveness, his grace, and his rest!

PRAYER
Almighty God, your Son Jesus is my strength and hope. I look forward to the day when he returns in triumph for me and all of your children. But Father, I want to know him better and to live for him with an undivided heart. I want to find rest in his presence, meaning in his service, and significance in his acceptance. Please bless me as I journey toward a deeper relationship with you and as I gain a more profound knowledge of your Son. In the name of Jesus Christ my Lord, I pray. Amen.

FORGIVE! FORGIVE!! FORGIVE!!!

If you forgive men when they sin against you, your heavenly Father will also forgive you. — Matthew 6:14

Thoughts on Today's Verse....

As Christians, we live in the environment of forgiveness and grace. As we forgive others, the basis of that forgiveness is the incredible debt that God has already forgiven us (Matthew 18). But at the same time, as God sees that his forgiveness is kept in circulation and passed on to others by us, he joyously pours out more forgiveness on us. As hard as it is to forgive someone when we have been genuinely harmed, Jesus wants us to know that the blessings of doing so far outweigh the costs!

Prayer:
Loving and just God, thank you for cleansing and forgiving me by the atoning sacrifice of your Son Jesus. Thank you for challenging me to forgive others as you have forgiven me. Thank you for demanding that your people be a community of forgiveness. Forgive us, and especially forgive me, when we are reluctant, slow, or suspicious about forgiveness. I ask especially that you will forgive ___ for ____, and I ask you to bless this person with your love and grace. In Jesus' name. Amen.

DEVOTIONALS : ABIDE IN GOD

Abide in me, and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit of itself, except it abide in the vine, no more can ye, except ye abide in me. – John 15:4

From moment to moment, and from hour to hour, the inner nature of man is to be continuously sustained with the life of God. Only as I am constantly receiving His fulness into my emptiness am I really living in the true, full, deep sense of the word, that life of eternity, which is my privilege now, and will be my glory hereafter.

DEVOTIONALS: NO OTHER GODS

Thou shalt have no other gods before me. – Exod 20:3

If you find yourself beginning to love any pleasure better than your prayers, any book better than your Bible, any house better than God’s, any table better than the Lord’s, any person better than your Savior, any one better than your soul, a present indulgence better than the hope of heaven take alarm!

5 MISCONCEPTIONS ABOUT CHRISTIANS

As a Christian, do you ever feel as if people really misunderstand you and your faith? Being a Christian, especially in this day and age, is not easy, regardless of how people perceive Christianity to be. And when people look at you in ways contrary to the truth, it can make relationships with friends, family and peers uncomfortable. In some cases, it can create distance between yourself and others.

The good news is that simply understanding what the misconceptions are can be helpful in dealing with them.

Following are five huge misconceptions about Christians:

WE'RE SUPPOSED TO BE PERFECT
Or at least, in the minds of many, we should be. We know what to do and how to behave, and therefore we should do it without faltering. But this couldn’t be further from the truth. We as Christians know that we are not perfect and that is why we need Christ. We recognize that we need His strength and guidance, and that without it, we would be lost. We as Christians are not perfect, but we strive to be.

WE MUST HAVE ALL THE ANSWERS
Why wouldn’t we? We read scripture all day and have memorized the Gospels. Well, even if we did these things, we still wouldn’t have all the answers. Being a Christian means not having all the answers and looking to our Lord for them. Knowing scripture is only half the battle; the other half is living and learning from it.

OUR LIVES ARE EASIER
We have God on our side, after all, right? And we’re content with what He provides for us. And even when things are bad, they’re not as bad as they would be if we weren’t Christians. Well, we’re all human and we all experience ups and downs. But it is our Christianity that guides us and strengthens us through the tough times. That doesn’t mean that we don’t experience heartache, pain or suffering. Rather, we open ourselves up to these things and accept our crosses. We also avoid the easier path and instead try to follow the one that leads to eternal glory with God. Oftentimes, this path is the more difficult one.

WE NEVER DOUBT OUR FAITH
Supposedly we have this amazing connection with God that is unwavering. And to some extent, this is true. But many Christians have experienced moments of feeling forsaken. Jesus Himself even felt forsaken. And in these moments of loneliness, we feel lost and alone. We doubt our faith in times of darkness, even if it’s only for a moment.

WE DONT KNOW HOW TO HAVE FUN
Well, I guess this is dependent on how you define “fun,” since fun is subjective. As Christians, we are called to live in the world, not of it, so there are things that we have to avoid. These are things that lead to temptation or things that turn us away from what is Godly. There is a right path and a wrong path, and surprisingly to some, the right path offers a lot of things that are fun and wholesome.

Ladies, it can be unfair when people have misconceptions about you, right? But the best way to overcome these beliefs is to be open and honest. Don’t be afraid to reveal your weaknesses. Don’t be afraid to not have answers or solutions. And don’t be afraid to show your fear. Be open to all of these vulnerable moments, but be open too to the fact that as a Christian, you turn to Jesus for help—that He is your strength when you’re weak, He is your answer to those unanswered questions and He is your protection.

Do you feel that people have misconceptions about you and your faith? Share your story—we so love to hear from you!

HOW TO USE YOUR GIFTS AND TALENTS TO SERVE GOD

If you’re truly seeking after God, loving people around you, you’re probably going to be aiming in the right directions with the gifts and passions He’s given you. A lot of people stress out, feeling like they need to find a way to use their passions in traditional ministry. This is a great place to start, but be open to looking further.

Here are five tips to help you use your gifts and passion to serve God.

FIND YOUR PASSIONS
How do you find the causes or activities that you’re passionate about? First, look to the things that make you come alive. What are the activities that you feel like you could do forever? What are you doing when you lose track of time? What do you naturally excel at and enjoy greatly? Jot these down in your journal—they might point to your passions.
Second, look to the things that get your blood boiling. Anger is not always a bad emotion; in fact, I think God really uses it to get our attention sometimes. Does it make you angry to hear that kids are forced to be child soldiers in Africa? Do you want to yell in the streets about human trafficking or the rights of those with disabilities? The injustices that get to you might also lead to your passions.

DEVOTIONALS: CREATED IN CHRIST FOR GOOD WORKS

Created in Christ Jesus unto good works. – Eph 2:10

Let us ask Him to work in us to will those good works, so that our will, without being impaired in its free operation, may be permeated and moulded by His will, just as light suffuses the atmosphere without displacing it.

And let us also expect that He will infuse into us sufficient strength that we may be able to do His will unto all pleasing. Thus, day by day, our life will be a manifestation of those holy volitions and lovely deeds which shall attest the indwelling and inworking of God. And men shall see our good works, and glorify our Father which is in heaven.

STYLE GUIDE FOR CHRISTIAN GIRLS : MODESTY

The Bible teaches that people should dress modestly and in moderation. When it comes to women, scripture states:

In like manner also, that women adorn themselves in modest apparel, with shamefacedness and sobriety; not with broided hair, or gold, or pearls, or costly array (1 Timothy 2:9). However, I’ve always felt that specific rules or principles of modern-day modest dressing are hard to find.

To dress modestly is to avoid deliberately causing sexual excitement in oneself or one’s neighbor.The objective of modesty is to refrain from wearing clothing that causes lustful thoughts, whether intentionally or unintentionally. When dressing modestly, Christian girls should avoid clothes that reveal, enhance or highlight certain body parts.

DAUGHTERS OF THE KING DAILY DEVOTIONALS: A MESSAGE FROM THE HEART OF GOD FOR YOU

“My hand is on your life. It is My love in your heart. It is My fire that is in your belly and My word is in your mouth. Go forth knowing that I am intricately involved in every part of your existence. For we are one. Walk in step with Me. Move when I move. Speak when I speak. Don’t say,

“Who will hear me?” For it is Me that they will hear. Don’t say, “Who will see me?” For it is My glory that they will see. I am the one doing the work through you. Don’t you see? You are My witnesses in the earth. Walk in My grace and operate at My divine pace for your life. Lay aside every weight and the sin that so easily hinders you from running the race I have set before you. Look to Me and look to My word and you will grow, you will go, you will advance, you will possess the land. When distractions come, look to Me and I will help you see past them. When trials come, look to Me and I will help you get through them. All of the victory you want and need is provided when you look to Me.”

(Acts 17:28; Jeremiah 1:1-12; Hebrews 12:1-2; Psalm 119:105; 1 Corinthians 15:57)