Stop , Look, Listen, and Trust

God is our refuge and strength, a very present help in trouble. Therefore we will not fear, even though the earth be removed, and through the mountains be carried into the midst of the sea... "Be still, and know that I am God."

Psalm 46:1-2

          The Psalms are a tapestry of human emotions. The poetry of prayer weaves together anger, fear, joy, longing, despair, praise, and passion. These verses sum up God's response to those prayers. Their truth is the thread of peace and comfort that runs through he entire book of Psalms, as well as the rest of the Bible - and the life of every individual who walks with God. God's answer to those who are emotionally troubled is brief and straight forward: stop and remember who is on your side.

          Psalm 46 talks about earthquakes falling mountains, cities being destroyed, nations being in an uproar, kingdoms crumbling. It talks about the final destruction of the world itself. The overall tone of the psalm is anything but quiet and still. One sentence, however, says to "be still," and the focal point of emotion changes from outside chaos to internal rest. That's why this psalm was written as a song. It proclaimed a message everyone needed to hear.

          Let the truth of these verse find a home in your heart today. When  life gets busy or chaotic, it's easy to get distracted. You wind up focusing on problems instead of the One who holds the answer to your problems in his hands. When that happens, stop. Focus on who God is and how much he loves you. Share your own heartfelt psalm of prayer with the God of power and compassion. Be still and know God is near.

          The words in Psalm 46 hold incredible power when it comes to knowing God is near in any and every situation. Memorize them. Meditate on them. Keep them close at heart for when you need them most.

          Pray to God to be still and know that he is in control at all times. ~ MME Team

Living Life to the Fullest

Jesus said, "The thief does not come except to steal, and to kill, and to destroy. I have come that they may have life,and that they may have it more abundantly."

John 10:10

          Jesus often used parables and metaphors to help people get a better picture of the principles and truths he was talking about. He referred to himself as things like a vine, a lamb, or a bridegroom. He also described himself as the Good Shepherd. He wanted his followers to understand the difference between how a good shepherd cares and sacrifices for the benefit of his sheep, while thieves and hired hands use sheep only to benefit themselves. Jesus wanted them to know he was a leader who always had his followers' best interests at heart.

          Jesus proclaimed the end result of this tender care for his sheep, which makes the verse one of the most important verses in the Bible. It is Jesus's statement of purpose; it is his promise to those who follow him. That includes you. What Jesus promised is life. Not just ordinary, breathing-in-and-breathing-out, making-it-by-the-seat-of-your-pants life, but an authentic, eternal, hang-on-to-the-seats-because-another-miracle's-coming abundant life.

          The kind of abundance that Jesus promised is a measure of the quality of life, not the quantity of possessions. You can't measure this abundance in square footage or bottom lines. Jesus promised to provide a surplus of what makes life worth living - things like love, grace, guidance, forgiveness, and joy. These are Jesus's gifts to you, a life that is overflowing with riches of the heart that no one can ever take away.

          Keeping in mind Jesus's promise to you of an abundant life gives you reason for constant hope and thanks. It also fosters contentment by helping you find joy in the abundance of what matters most.

          Pray to praise a God who knows exactly what we need and when to provide it in abundance.

          Pray for wisdom from God to guide your purpose for living; to live for quality of life not quantity of possessions. Do not live as the people of this earth do; but live as people of God. For we are not home yet. ~ MME Team

          

Praying Like Jesus

You should pray like this: "Our Father in heaven, may your name always be kept holy. May your kingdom come and what you want be done, here on earth as it is in heaven. Give us the food we need for each day. Forgive us for our sins, just as we have forgiven those who sinned against us. And do not cause us to be tempted, but save us from the Evil One."

Matthew 6:9-13

          These verses are some of the most-often-repeated words in the Bible. Various Bible translations differ on a word here or there, but the heart of the Lord's Prayer remains the same. Right before Jesus shared how to pray, he emphasized how not to pray. One of the things he said not to do was repeat the same words over and over again without thinking about what is being said. That's exactly what many people do with the Lord's Prayer.

          Use the Lord's Prayer the way Jesus intended. Let it help you better understand, and put into practice, three vital elements of prayer: praise, petition, and confession. Jesus's prayer began with thanks for who God is, a Father deserving honor. Then Jesus requested help by sharing personal needs, both physical and spiritual. He asked for the basic provision of food, as well as for the protection and the strength necessary to do what God wanted. He also prayed for the needs of others, asking that their lives would align more with God's desires.

          Jesus had nothing to confess, but he knew those listening did, so he modeled how to ask for forgiveness. Confessing where you've failed keeps communication with God honest and open and helps you become more merciful to those who fail you. As Jesus demonstrated, prayer is simply inviting God to play an active role in your life.

          The Lord's Prayer is Jesus's most concrete lesson on prayer. Pray as Jesus did. Share your deepest concerns with God, and invite God to make your heart and your will more like his.

   

          Prayer is an act of love that demonstrates to our Lord, Creator, Heavenly Father that we are HIS PEOPLE. God made us and he wants a personal intimate relationship with his creation. Pray today to God; he is always ready to hear your prayers. ~ MME Team

Blade of Truth

God's word is alive and working and is sharper than a double-edged sword. It cuts all the way into us, where the soul and the spirit are joined, to the center of our joints and bones. And it judges the thoughts and feelings in our hearts.

Hebrews 4:12

The family has an invaluable role in passing on the faith in a joyful and bold manner. Children will learn that they are members of the Body of Christ and have a valuable role in the Church. Let us read the Bible as a family of God.

          The Bible is not your ordinary book. Like a surgeon's scalpel, it has the power to slice through lies to expose raw truth. It can prick a guilty conscience, heal a broken heart, or open eyes that have long been blind to God's existence. The verse in Hebrews is like the Bible's warning label. It lets you know that what you're holding in your hands should be handled carefully - and that it will leave a reader or listener a changed person.

          That's because the Bible is much more than merely print on paper. The Bible is alive with the power of God's Spirit. Like Jesus, its genesis is both fully human and fully divine. Through ordinary people wrote it, God worked through those writers in an extraordinary way. Throughout the Bible's sixty-six books of history, prophecy, and guidelines for living written over a period of six hundred years by more than thirty authors using three languages, there is a consistency of purpose about God and his plan that mere coincidence could never achieve.

          The Bible is not a reference book to teach you about God. The Bible is an invitation to connect with God in a personal way - and to learn more about yourself in the process. The more time you spend reading the Bible and meditating on how God wants you to apply what you've read, the more you'll learn to recognize the whisper of God's Spirit in your life and to see his hand at work in the world around you.

          Get to know God better by becoming better acquainted with the Bible. Reading one psalm and a chapter from one of the Gospels each morning is a great way to begin.

          Pray for heavenly vision, to transform your view of the Bible from mere words to the THE WORD. "The Word is God's most intimate, and informative, communication with those whom he created." ~ MME Team
       

Special Delivery

The WORD became a human and lived among us. We saw his glory - the glory that belongs to the only Son of the Father - and he was full of grace and truth. 

John 1:14

          The day God came to earth is much more than a sweet tale on which to base a holiday. It is a miracle of dynamic proportions, and John tells the wonder of it all. God himself came to live on earth. That is the heart of the Christmas story. The God of the universe made his home here on earth so that people could better understand him, connect with him, and experience his kindness. The Word is God's most intimate, and informative, communication with those whom he created. 

        It is interesting that such a pivotal verse about Jesus does not even contain his name. That's because Word was a powerful symbol in both Greek philosophy and Jewish tradition. The Greeks referred to logos or Word as the creative force that brought the world into being. Everyone at the time understood that referring to Jesus as the Word was the same as calling him the eternal Creator. 

        If you're going to believe in this eternal Creator, you need to understand who he is. The biggest mistake people make about Jesus is to minimize either his deity or his humanity. In his earthly life, Jesus was both fully God and fully human. John emphasized this point throughout his entire Gospel. Although both the Old and New Testaments are filled with important verses about Jesus, John 1:14 clearly states who Jesus is and what he wants to impart to you.

          Jesus's humanity enabled him to relate to your human problems, while his divinity gave him the power to help you overcome them.

         Pray that the words we share today be the reflection of the grace and truth that the WORD all mighty who is our Creator first revealed to us when he sent his only Son to earth to save us. ~ MME Team

The One and Only

You must worship no other gods, but only the LORD, for he is a God who is passionate about his relationship with you.

Exodus 34:14

          The Israelites saw God part the Red Sea and save them from captivity in Egypt. But soon afterward, they gave up on the God who'd rescued them. They chose to worship a golden calf instead. When Moses returned from receiving the Ten Commandments, he saw the Israelites - God's people - engaged in idolatry. Moses threw the tablets to the ground, shattering them just as the people had shattered God's first commandment - to worship only God.

          God is a God of second chances, however. God gave Moses new tablets and reiterated his commands. Those commands are as important today as they were for the Israelites, because God designed his commands to build relationships with him and with the people around you. Obeying God's commands helps you to love well.

          The first commandment, that God alone is to be worshiped, is the heart of them all. God doesn't ask you for worship because his ego needs stroking. He asks it because worshiping him alone is the best thing that could happen to you. You don't have to kneel before a golden calf to worship idols. An idol is anything for which you have a deeper devotion than for God. An idol could be power, money, comfort, pleasure, even religion. Worshiping God above everything else keeps life in the proper perspective. God is passionate about his relationship with you. Worshiping him alone helps you become more passionate about him.

         Consider what's important in your life. Weigh your relationship with God in light of everything else. Ask God to help you identify anything that you give higher priority to than getting to know him better.

          Pray for wisdom from God to put all things in correct priority - put God first. ~ MME Team

Sharing Your Strength

I'm eager to encourage you in your faith, but I also want to be encouraged by yours. In this way, each of us will be a blessing to the other. 

Romans 1:12

          God is not the only One with the power to bless. You, too, can build others up by showing them special favor, which is what a blessing really is. One way is through the gift of encouragement. Paul expressed his desire to share this valuable gift with other believers who lived in Rome. He'd never met them, and neither had any of the other apostles. But that didn't stop Paul from longing to comfort and strengthen others who shared his faith in God. 

         Paul's words are a practical example of God's love at work. Love cannot exist in a vacuum. You have to share it. When you encourage others by your loving example, actions, words, or prayers, you'll discover that your gift comes with a bonus. You will, in turn, be encouraged. In the Greek language, to encourage means "to share your strength with others" as well as "to be mutually comforted." The more you take the opportunity to cheer on and support those around you, the more you'll experience the joy that love can bring.

          God has used Paul's words and the example of his life to strengthen and inspire people for more than two thousand years. You never know when a simple word of encouragement to a friend or even a stranger will cause a ripple effect that will be felt throughout eternity. Put the principle behind Paul's words to the test today. God can turn your simple gift of encouragement into a tremendous blessing.

          Be encouraged, and act on what you've learned. Strengthen others by sharing how much they mean to you and to God.

         Pray for blessings and to be a blessing to others. Share your love with others as God has done for you. ~ MME Team