TUESDAY, MARCH 14, 2017 BLOSSOMING ON ROCKS TEXT: PSALM 146:7-8 BIBLE TEXT: Sing unto the LORD with thanksgivingwho prepareth rain for the earth, who maketh grass to grow upon the mountains" (Psalm 146:7-8). Life is full of challenges we can liken to rocks or problems in our way to success. However, the Christian youth must always remember that we are created to have dominion. God is also aware of our difficulties and will never forsake us but make a way out for those who continually put their trust in Him. Our attitude in such moment is critical. Harold W. Ruoff said, "In the presence of trouble, some people grow wings; others buy crutches." Accepting defeat is letting go our dreams of a glorious future, but when we put up the victor's spirit, knowing that we can do all things through Christ Jesus, the impossible becomes possible.  Are you in a tough place and you think that you will fail? Well, you will not only survive but blossom. Joseph was a ...

MARCH 14 The Triumph Is Sure Devotional by John Piper Therefore strong peoples will glorify you; cities of ruthless nations will fear you. (Isaiah 25:3) Isaiah sees the day coming when all the nations — representatives from all the people groups — will no longer be at odds with Yahweh, the God of Israel and his Messiah, whom we know to be Jesus. They will no longer worship Bel or Nebo or Molech or Allah or Buddha or utopian social programs or capitalistic growth possibilities or ancestors or animistic spirits. Instead they will come in faith to the banquet on God’s mountain. And they will have the veil of sorrow removed and death shall be swallowed up and the reproach of God’s people will be removed and tears shall be gone forever. That’s the setting for understanding the vision of Isaiah 25:3, “Therefore strong peoples will glorify you; cities of ruthless nations will fear you.” In other words, God is stronger than the “strong people” and he is so powerful and so gracious...

Avoid Comparisons by Joyce Meyer - posted March 14, 2017 Not that we [have the audacity to] venture to class or [even to] compare ourselves with some who exalt and furnish testimonials for themselves! However, when they measure themselves with themselves and compare themselves with one another, they are without understanding and behave unwisely. —2 Corinthians 10:12 Advertising is often geared to make people strive to look the best, be the best, and own the most. If you wear "this" particular brand of clothes, people will admire you! Try "this" new diet and lose those few extra pounds—and then you will be accepted and noticed. The world consistently gives us the impression that we need to be something other than what we are. A confident person avoids comparisons. Confidence is not possible as long as we compare ourselves with other people. No matter how good we look, how talented or smart we are, or how successful we are, there is always someone who is...

RICHES AND THE KINGDOM TUESDAY, MARCH 14, 2017 RICHES AND THE KINGDOM -MATTHEW 19:23-30 KEY VERSE: "Then said Jesus unto his disciples, Verily I say unto you, That a rich man shall hardly enter into the kingdom of heaven" (Matthew 19:23). Bible history reveals that in different generations, the truly wealthy individuals were the most righteous ones. For instance, Abraham was the richest in his days yet, he was called the friend of God. He was very rich in cattle, silver and gold. The same was recorded about Isaac, Israel, Joseph and others. They prospered anywhere they found themselves. In our text, Jesus reveals the truth about the rich and the Kingdom, pointing out that it is hard for a rich man who sets his heart on his riches to get saved. In the preceding seven verses, a rich young man had been to Jesus, wanting to know what he must do to inherit eternal life, after faithfully keeping the Ten Commandments. To be perfect, Jesus asked him to sell all his wor...

FRAME YOUR WORLD RHAPSODY OF REALITIES TUESDAY, 14TH MARCH. FRAME YOUR WORLD Through faith we understand that the worlds were framed by the word of God, so that things which are seen were not made of things which do appear (Hebrews 11:3). The verse above is so powerful! To get the full import of its message, let’s take a closer look at some of the key words. The first one is “worlds,” which is translated from the Greek word, “aion.” Aion refers to the course of life: how things go with you and how they work around you. It refers to the world as it is: its systems and directions—the different eras, like you’d say, “the life and times of Mr James,” or “The era of the Roman emperors,” the age, or successive ages of men or societies. Another key term is “word,” which is rendered “rhema” in Greek. Rhema refers to the Word that God speaks, which He addresses directly to the human spirit. It’s different from the “Logos” of God, which created the world: “In the beginning was the Word (...

He that is slow to anger is better than the mighty; and he that ruleth his spirit than he that taketh a city. - Proverbs 16:32 WHILE anger, in the nature of hatred, malice, strife, envy, should be put away by all who are seeking to be copies of God's dear Son, anger in the sense of righteous indignation against wrongdoing, sin in its various forms, is proper; and although it should be used with great moderation, backed by love, there are circumstances in which it would be wrong not to have righteous anger and use it.

Joel and Victoria Osteen’s daily devotional –  Victory is Always on the Way Today’s Scripture: "Now thanks be to God who always leads us in triumph in Christ…" - 2 Corinthians 2:14, NKJV Topic: Victory is Always on the Way [Monday March 13, 2017] Isn’t it wonderful to know that God promises to always lead us into victory? That means no matter what is going on in your life today, no matter what’s happening in the world around you, no matter what anybody says, you should always be thanking God because victory is always on the way! You don’t have to wait for everything to be perfect before you decide to celebrate what God is going to do in your life. Praise is putting action behind your faith. In the middle of adversity or a tough time, start making a list of who you’re going to invite to your victory celebration. That means if you’re in the hospital, start planning what you’re going to do when you get out. If you lost some money when the stock market went down, sta...