Beloved in Christ Ministry

TODAY’S SCRIPTURE “Give thanks in all circumstances; for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus.” (1 Thessalonians  5:18 , NIV) TODAY’S WORD  from Joel and Victoria So many people today wonder what God’s will is for their lives. Oftentimes, they look for big things, signs and supernatural events. But really, God’s will for us unfolds each and every day as we obey Him and serve Him with a thankful heart. When you wake up every morning with an attitude of praise and thanksgiving, you just took a step toward your destiny — you are walking in the will of God. When you go throughout your day thanking God that His hand of blessing is upon you, thanking Him for ordering your steps, thanking Him for a new day, you are taking another step in His will. Today, remember to keep the right perspective. We should have goals and dreams and look forward to a bright future, but the way you live your life today is what’s going to get you to where you need to be  tomorr...

TODAY’S SCRIPTURE “The righteous shall flourish like a palm tree...” (Psalm 92:12, NIV) TODAY’S WORD  from Joel and Victoria Have you ever seen a palm tree in the midst of a great storm? That tree may be bent so far over that it’s almost touching the ground, but when the wind finally stops, that palm tree bounces right back up. What’s interesting is that while that palm tree is hunched over under the pressure of the storm, it is actually becoming stronger. See, the reason God said we’d flourish like a palm tree is because He knew there would be difficult times. He knew things would come against us to try to steal our joy and victory. But God said, “You’re going to be like a palm tree because when the storms of life blow, you are going to come right back up stronger than before.” As you reflect on the events of your life, remember, the storms you have encountered have only made you stronger. You are wiser, you are more alive, and you are headed for victory. Your b...

TODAY’S SCRIPTURE “Teach us to number our days, that we may gain a heart of wisdom.” (Psalm 90:12, NIV) TODAY’S WORD  from Joel and Victoria Have you stopped to consider that today is a special gift from God? Sometimes, our days can be so full and busy that we forget how fragile life really is. The little things try to creep in and steal our peace and joy. Maybe something doesn’t go your way, or someone says something upsetting. Even traffic can cause you to lose focus if you let it. We have to remember that each day is ordained by Almighty God. If we choose to focus on the wrong things, we’ll miss the blessing that each day has to offer. Today, don’t let the precious moments of life pass you by. Don’t wait for holidays and birthdays to show people that you care. Remember, each day is unique and irreplaceable. You have been given time that can be invested or wasted; hours that can be used or misused. That’s why the psalmist prayed to God, “Teach us to number our day...

TODAY’S SCRIPTURE “Let your eyes look straight ahead; fix your gaze directly before you.” (Proverbs  4:25 , NIV) TODAY’S WORD  from Joel and Victoria What are you looking at today? Not in the natural, but with your spiritual eyes. In other words, what is in the forefront of your mind and heart? Are you constantly dwelling on your problems or things that have happened in your past? In the natural, you will move in the direction that your eyes are looking. In the spiritual, it works the same way. Whatever you focus your mind and heart on, you will move toward. That’s why the Bible tells us to look straight ahead. If you are constantly dwelling on your past, wondering “what if,” then you will stay right where you are. But if you choose to release the past through forgiveness, then you can focus on what is ahead of you. Today, make the decision to meditate on God’s goodness and focus on His promises. Forget the past, good and bad, and fix your gaze straight ahead ...

John  11:41 –42 …And Jesus lifted up His eyes and said, “Father, I thank You that You have heard Me. And I know that You always hear Me… After Jesus had said these words, He cried with a loud voice, “Lazarus, come forth!” And the man who had been dead for four days came out of his tomb! This is one of the greatest miracles that Jesus performed. Lazarus had been dead for four days when Jesus raised him to life. Wouldn’t you agree that death is indeed an extreme problem? Having no money in the bank, being sick and losing your job, bad as they are, are not as bad as being dead! But what I want you to see is this: If Jesus, in the most extreme of problems, shows us that the solution is still, “Father, I  thank  You,” then how much more should we thank God in the midst of the less serious problems we face. If thanksgiving can raise the dead, then let us give thanks in spite of the negative circumstances and we will see victory. Unfortunately, we tend to do the opposite—...

1 KINGS  20:23 Then the servants of the king of Syria said to him, “Their gods are gods of the hills. Therefore they were stronger than we; but if we fight against them in the plain, surely we will be stronger than they.   In 1 Kings 20, we find the Syrians being defeated by the Israelites. Then, some of the Syrian king’s advisers gave the king what they thought was the reason for their defeat. They said that they had fought on the hills and lost because Israel’s God is the God of the hills. So if they were to fight the Israelites on the plains or in the valleys, they would win. What stupid advice! They thought that the God of Israel only helped His people up in the hills and mountains, and not down in the valleys. Now, mountains refer to our good times, and valleys, our bad times. Some people have this idea that God is the God of our good times, but He is not there when we are going through bad times. They think that He leaves us helpless in the valleys, especially w...

ROMANS 4:8 Blessed is the man to whom the Lord shall not impute sin.”   You are blessed today because all your sins are forgiven in Christ. God does not count your sins against you. Instead, He counts you righteous in Christ. That is why you are the blessed man to whom the Lord  does not  and  will not  impute sin! What happens to such a man? Let’s look at the story of Jacob to find out. The Bible records how Jacob had deceived his father and cheated his elder brother Esau of his firstborn blessing. (Genesis 27:1–41) Yet, in spite of his sin of deception, God chose to speak to Jacob. And no, God did not say to this cheat, “You terrible sinner! How can you deceive your own father? You are cursed!” No, to deceitful Jacob, God said, “I am the Lord God of Abraham your father and the God of Isaac; the land on which you lie I will give to you and your descendants…Behold, I am with you and will keep you wherever you go, and will bring you back to this land; ...

EPHESIANS 2:7 that in the ages to come He might show the exceeding riches of His grace in His kindness toward us in Christ Jesus.   Have you ever blown things out of proportion and gotten angry with God when you were going through a trying time? This happened to Jesus’ disciples when a storm hit them hard. In their fear of drowning, they cried out to Jesus, who was getting some much-needed sleep in the boat, “Teacher, do You not care that we are perishing?” (Mark 4:38 ) For accusing Him of not caring, you would think that they received a rebuke from Jesus. But it was the wind which received His rebuke, and a great calm followed. (Mark  4:39 ) Because of His tenderness toward His own, Jesus did not waste time taking offence. Instead, He wasted no time taking care of the problem that had caused His disciples so much anxiety and fear. This also happened to two sisters, Martha and Mary, who did not hesitate to let Jesus know how they felt when He finally showed up days aft...

LUKE  15:22 “But the father said to his servants, ‘Bring out the best robe and put it on him, and put a ring on his hand and sandals on his feet.   If you are a believer, you are probably familiar with the touching story of the prodigal son that Jesus shared. Who do you think the father in the story represents? Jesus’ Father in heaven, of course. Jesus was giving us a picture of His Father, who is also our Father. In the story, the father was seen running toward his son, who was returning home. (Luke  15:20 ) Do you realize that God is never described as being in a hurry in the Bible? He is always cool and composed. The only time He is portrayed as being in a hurry is in this story. Though improper in Jewish culture, the father held up his robe and ran. Where was he running to? Why was he in such a hurry? The father was in a hurry because he had seen his son, who was still a long way from home. He was running toward his son as he could not wait to embrace and kiss...