PMCBC

To me, to live is Christ and to die is gain. — Philippians 1:21

Thoughts on Today’s Verse….

The truth is often as simple as it is sweet – if Jesus is our life, then our lives have no end. In faith, we shared with Jesus in his saving death, burial, and resurrection (1 Corinthians 15:3-7) through our baptism as we called on the name of the Lord to save us (Colossians 2:12). Our lives – our eternal essence and identity – are hidden with Christ and will be fully revealed when we share with Jesus in his eternal glory (Colossians 3:3-4). Death does not strip life from us, but ushers us into life in Jesus’ very presence, where no power or event, not even death, can steal us from his grasp (Romans 8:38-39).

My Prayer…

O Eternal God, thank you for sending Jesus to show us your love, and thank you for sending him again in the future. Jesus is our anchor in the storms of life and our light in our darkest nights, reminding us that you love us with an undying love. In the name of Jesus, the Resurrection and the Life, and the one in whom we find life that never ends,* we pray. Amen.

“Let him who boasts boast in the Lord.” For it is not the one who commends himself who is approved, but the one whom the Lord commends. — 2 Corinthians 10:17-18

Thoughts on Today’s Verse….

We live in a world with skewed values, false promises, lust for notoriety, and desperation for fleeting fame. The real question for us, needs to be this: What can we boast in other than the steadfastness of the Lord’s love, the incredible riches of the Lord’s grace, the incomparable supply of the Lord’s blessings, the sweetness of the Lord’s people, the mercy of the Lord’s plan for our salvation, the promise of the Lord’s tomorrow, and the promise of the Lord Jesus’ nearness (Philippians 4:5; Romans 8:38-39; Hebrews 13:5-6) – who is with us and in us and for us? So, dear friend of Jesus, let’s have our only boast be in the Lord because that is where everything else that matters in our lives can be found!

My Prayer…

Lord of majesty and mercy, every good and enduring thing in our lives we have because of your love, grace, mercy, and presence. You are our assurance and hope. You are our blessing and boast. We place our assurance of a glorious future in you, Lord Jesus. In your name, we offer our thanks and praise as we boast only in our Lord. Amen.

Since we have these promises, dear friends, let us purify ourselves from everything that contaminates body and spirit, perfecting holiness out of reverence for God. — 2 Corinthians 7:1

Thoughts on Today’s Verse….

In a world so full of distractions and temptations, purity is difficult. Even more than difficult, the call to purity often goes forgotten and ignored (1 John 3:2-3). “Cheap grace” (Jude 1:4) is sometimes substituted for Jesus’ call to passionate, pure, and holy living. While we never want to give in to a works-righteousness approach to salvation, we must also remember that impurity through laziness, lack of commitment, or simple rebellion contaminates those claiming to be Christians and ruins our influence before the watching world. We are called to be at work perfecting holiness in our lives out of our reverence for God!

My Prayer…

Please purify my heart, my life, my body, and my influence, O God. May my words and my thoughts be blameless in your sight. I want to be holy as you are holy and honor you alone as worthy of honor and glory. I commit to living a holy life dedicated to you because it honors you, the one, true, living, and holy God! Through Jesus, I ask this. Amen.

If we live, we live to the Lord: and if we die, we die to the Lord. So, whether we live or die, we belong to the Lord. — Romans 14:8

Thoughts on Today’s Verse….

One of the incredible realizations we have as Christians is that our relationship with the Lord is eternal. As we seek after him, he is always there, and no one can separate us from his love (Romans 8:38-29). Even when we die, we go to be “with the Lord” (Philippians 1:23-24). When we sleep in death, we are still “in the Lord” (Revelation 14:13). When he returns in glory, we will go to “be with the Lord forever” (1 Thessalonians 4:17-18). Everything we have on earth is temporary except our love for the Lord Jesus, our praise of God through him, and our friends with whom we share that love and praise!

My Prayer…

Almighty God, thank you so much for binding yourself to our world in Jesus and binding me close to you through his lordship in my life. I look forward to the day when the Lord I kneel to worship today will be recognized by all those living and those who have died as the One True Lord (Philippians 2:9-11). I commit to live this day to honor him, and I know, dear Father, that by honoring him I honor you. I praise and thank you for the gift of Jesus’ eternal and abiding lordship in the name of the Christ, my Lord. Amen.

These are the words of the Amen, the faithful and true witness, the ruler of God’s creation. … “Here I am! I stand at the door and knock. If anyone hears my voice and opens the door, I will come in and eat with him, and he with me.” — Revelation 3:14, 20

Thoughts on Today’s Verse….

It has always fascinated me that this verse is often cited by those calling others to conversion when it is written to a lukewarm church and her members. These disciples, like many of us, need to rekindle their love-relationship with the Lord and demonstrate it by living passionately for Jesus. Along with those believers centuries ago, we need to ask the Lord Jesus into our hearts, lives, and churches today. It’s not that he’s not there; it’s just that he awaits our invitation to enter and take the lead. He will not barge in and dominate, but enters when we invite him into our lives and welcome him to take control. So, dear friend in Jesus, the Lord inhabits hearts into which he has been invited, so let’s open the door and invite him into our hearts and lives!

My Prayer…

Holy Lord and Savior, I know you long to share your presence and fellowship with me. I know you are nearby (Philippians 4:5), as I draw each breath. But I confess that I am often unaware, and sometimes even unappreciative, of your presence. I ask you this day to come into my heart and fill my life with your presence, comfort, guidance, holiness, and power. I want my life to be lived for you and with you. Thank you for providing Jesus as my Lord and Savior. In his name, I offer my thanks and praise. Amen.

We are God’s workmanship, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do. — Ephesians 2:10

Thoughts on Today’s Verse….

The Psalmist reminded us that we are fearfully and wonderfully made, and that God created us with something definite planned for us to do with our lives (Psalm 139:13-15). We display his craftsmanship, his artistry, his skill when we intentionally live for him and not like the rest of the world. Paul deepens this truth in our verse today as he writes about being saved by grace through faith (Ephesians 2:8-10). We have been recreated in Christ Jesus to continue the good work of Jesus as we become more and more JESUShaped (Colossians 1:28-29) and as the Holy Spirit continues God’s transformative work in us, making us more and more like Christ (2 Corinthians 3:18). So, let’s get about doing the work of Christ the Father created us to do!

My Prayer…

Master, Father, and Lord, please teach me to recognize your opportunities and your will when they come into my life. I want to live for you without reservation, doing the good work you created me to do. I pray for boldness to not be shy in sharing my faith. I pray for patience as I wait before I respond. I pray for your protection for those close to coming to Christ. I pray not for me but for your Kingdom to be displayed in my life by the way I live and the good things I do to your glory. In the name of Jesus, I pray. Amen.

Do you not know that your body is a temple of the Holy Spirit, who is in you, whom you have received from God? You are not your own; you were bought at a price. Therefore honor God with your body. — 1 Corinthians 6:19-20

Thoughts on Today’s Verse….

We are God’s temple! God lives in us! We are a holy dwelling of the living and almighty God! WOW!
We were made Holy by the price Jesus paid to redeem us (1 Peter 1:18-20). So, now what we do in our bodies is part of the worship we give to God just as much as what we do when we get together with other Christians in worship (Romans 12:1-2). We are called to not only abstain from impurity, but we are called to glorify God in our bodies and honor the sacrifice of Jesus by living holy lives each day. This is worship because we are where God lives through his Spirit. Holy living is not a burden, but a way to say “Thank you!” and offer praise to God for what he has done for us and what he has made in us! We are the temple of God in the Holy Spirit!

My Prayer…

Father, I confess to you that I sometimes lose sight of how precious my body is to you and how important what I do with my body is in giving you thanks and praise. With physical temptations so near, I easily forget that it is a holy temple, a place of honor and worship that I offer to you. With aging and the other challenges that daily remind me that my body is a vessel of decay (2 Corinthians 4:16-18), I find it hard to believe that I can glorify you with it. Please, through your indwelling Spirit, quicken me to a deeper reverence and appreciation for your presence in me as you renew my body, your temple, day by day. In the name of Jesus, I pray. Amen.

I rejoice in following your statutes as one rejoices in great riches. — Psalm 119:14

Thoughts on Today’s Verse….

Our treasure and our truth come from God’s holy Scriptures. The Scriptures are God’s guidance for us and his treasures, given to us as the Holy Spirit leads us to understand and apply them as we reach to become more like Jesus (1 Corinthians 2:10-12). They teach us how to avoid the evil one’s harmful traps and to live God’s blessed life (2 Timothy 3:14-17). Rather than seeing God’s Scriptures as limiting us in this life, we need to see them as a gift of love to bless us, to prevent us from falling into the traps of this life, and to lead us into life forever with God. We can come to value them more highly than riches, for in them we will find our great reward, both in this life and the life to come (Psalm 19:11).

My Prayer…

Holy God, thank you for your written Word, the Scriptures, and your “living” Word (Hebrews 4:12), also the Scriptures when used by the Holy Spirit. May your truth come alive in my life just as it does in my heart and mind. In the name of your Son Jesus, your living Word who fulfilled the Scriptures, I pray. Amen.

God is our refuge and strength, an ever-present help in trouble. — Psalm 46:1

Thoughts on Today’s Verse….

Where can we go when it seems as if all our walls have fallen, all the protection we have has vanished, and our hearts feel as if all hope is lost? We can go to the eternal God, who is also our Abba Father (Romans 8:15-17). He preserved ancient Israel miraculously through their most difficult times in their history, protected the Scriptures from hordes of those who tried to eradicate them, and has led his Church victoriously through all her troubles, trials, and triumphs throughout the centuries. He will do the same with us until he brings us home to himself. For “God is our refuge and strength, an ever-present help in trouble.”

My Prayer…

My Rock, My Hope and My Protector, I thank you for preserving my life. I thank you for hearing my cries for help and healing. I thank you for guiding my feet into ways that have been a blessing. Please, O God, stay close by as I face the stresses and challenges in my life. Through your Holy Spirit, enable me to grow and be an example to others as I pass through life’s storms. In the name of Jesus, my Savior and Lord, I ask for your presence and blessing. Amen.

Are not five sparrows sold for two pennies? Yet not one of them is forgotten by God. Indeed, the very hairs of your head are all numbered. Don’t be afraid; you are worth more than many sparrows. — Luke 12:6-7

Thoughts on Today’s Verse….

In a universe so vast, what is our little planet? On a planet so diverse and so full of life, what are simple, ordinary, and everyday people? Among all the billions of people alive and all those who have lived before us, what significance do I have among so many others?
Jesus reminds us that our significance is great-not because we are so important, but because we are known personally by God, who created us, has known us, and has had a purpose for us from the time of our conception (Psalm 139:13-16). We don’t have to be afraid; we are known and loved by the One who is and who was and who is to come! As born-of-God believers, we are God’s precious children (John 1:11-13, 3:3-7). He will never leave us or forsake us (Hebrews 13:5-6; Romans 8:38-39).

My Prayer…

Eternal God, Almighty Father, Tender Shepherd, and Abba Father, you already know my heart. You know where I struggle with sin. You know my struggles in life. You know my fears; please encourage and strengthen me. You know my immaturity; please nurture and mature me. You know my weakness and disease, please comfort and heal me. You also know my strengths, gifts, passions, and value. So, dear Father, please empower me, forgive me, and complete your transformation in me through the blessed Holy Spirit (2 Corinthians 3:18). Holy God, I am both awed and comforted that you know me and love me. Thank you! In Jesus’ name, I pray. Amen.

For the Lord takes delight in his people; he crowns the humble with salvation. — Psalm 149:4

Thoughts on Today’s Verse….

Jesus left heaven and made himself a servant. No wonder God could say to him, “You are my Son, whom I love; with you I am well pleased” (Luke 3:22). God expressed his delight to his Son as he lived as an example of a servant (Mark 10:45). He did so to enable the last of this world to be counted as first in the Kingdom of God (Matthew 20:16). Jesus declared that the servant of others is greater than those who are served (Luke 22:25-27). Jesus demonstrated that those often considered the least important in our world are the most important to him (Matthew 25:40, 45). The arrogant, the abusive, and the parading powerful have found it easy to reject the call of Christ for centuries – after all, Jesus died for the sinful and the weak. They consider themselves “important” and feel that they do not need a Savior. However, those who are humble find Jesus to be Savior, Conqueror, King, and Deliverer. The Lord delights in such people and is glad to share his salvation with them. “You are my children,” he says to the servants, “you bring me delight!”

My Prayer…

Precious Servant and Almighty King, Jesus, thank you for serving us at great cost and showing us that the humble will one day reign with you. I look forward to the day every other knee will join mine as I bow before you as my Lord because you were first a servant of all (Philippians 2:6-11). Until that day, I pray that you will use me to bless those so often forgotten by our busy and glamour-intoxicated world. In the holy name of Jesus, I offer you my praise and thanks. Amen.

The Lord is our judge, the Lord is our lawgiver, the Lord is our king; it is he who will save us. — Isaiah 33:22

Thoughts on Today’s Verse….

When we think about God as our Judge, we normally think of falling under judgment and receiving punishment. Isaiah reminds us that God’s being our Judge means he will judge us according to his will, rule, and grace. He is on our side and is looking to save us, not condemn us (John 3:16-17). His commands are rightfully given as our Creator and King, yet given to us to protect us and bless us. Using the New Testament idiom, when we stand before our Judge, we see our loving Father, and at his right hand is our Savior, who gave his life for us (Hebrews 1:3). As Paul so beautifully told us:

For all who are led by the Spirit of God are children of God. For you did not receive a spirit of slavery to fall back in fear, but you received a spirit of adoption. When we cry, “Abba! Father!” it is that very Spirit bearing witness with our spirit that we are children of God (Romans 8:14-16).

We don’t obey out of fear, we don’t fear the judge, but we obey because of loving appreciation for all that our Father has done to save us!

My Prayer…

Holy and Righteous Judge, I am glad that my fate, my future, and my life are in your hands. I know about your love for me because of the gift of Jesus. I know about your desire to save me because of your loving grace. I know your demand for holiness in me is met by the sacrifice of your Son. So God, I gladly and willingly trust my life, my soul, and my eternal future to you. I offer you my obedience in humble appreciation for all you have done for me. In Jesus’ name, I thank you. Amen.

All your words are true; all your righteous laws are eternal. — Psalm 119:160

Thoughts on Today’s Verse….

The requirements of morality and holiness are not temporary or fleeting because they reflect the nature of our Holy God, who is eternal. They don’t shift with the wishes of culture or the trends proposed by the so-called enlightened. God’s truth is true across cultures, times, and wishes. We do not adapt God’s will to our times, but we redeem our times by adapting our wills to his truth.

My Prayer…

Righteous God Almighty, may my life reflect your righteous character, gracious compassion, and faithful love and justice. You, your nature, and your values are forever, and I want to invest my life in what endures and is eternal. Please give me wisdom to see through the fleeting temptations of today, the fads of culture, and the degradations of morality, as I seek to do what honors you. In Jesus’ name, I pray. Amen.

The unfolding of your words gives light; it gives understanding to the simple. — Psalm 119:130

Thoughts on Today’s Verse….

Years ago, before GPS, driving to a distant place required a map, and sometimes several maps. As you journeyed to that place, the route became increasingly more straightforward as you unfolded the map and found your destination. Sometimes the right path is not so difficult to find; we need to know where to begin our search. We need to unfold our map by reading God’s words. As we unfold them, the way we should travel in life becomes increasingly clearer. The right way is very seldom just the property of the bright, wise, and scholarly; it can be very clear for any of us who choose to look for it in God’s words, and then unfold them so God can get us to his destination for us.

My Prayer…

O holy Father, thank you for making your will known through your words in Scripture. Bless me as I open your Word, as I listen to your words, and as I focus on your will. I ask that the Holy Spirit guide me in understanding those words and that the Spirit lead me as I seek to live your will. May I find not only the answer to my questions, but also find you and your precious will as I unfold your words. In Jesus’ precious name, I pray. Amen.

This is what the Lord says, he who made the earth, the Lord who formed it and established it — the Lord is his name: Call to me, and I will answer you and tell you great and unsearchable things you do not know. — Jeremiah 33:2-3

Thoughts on Today’s Verse….

In a universe of billions of stars, think of the power of God who made them and knows each of their names. Think of all he knows that we don’t. Think of all he has seen that is not in our history books. Think of all he has done and can do and will do. Add to this that he invites us to speak to him about the things of our hearts and understands what is in our hearts. He even allows us to ask him to reveal to us what we don’t know. And he invites each of us to come to know him (John 17:3) – not just know about him, but to know him! He invites us to become his children (John 1:12-13), and he promises to let us share in his glory (Colossians 3:2-4). Ah! This Lord is incredible, so let’s ask him the great and unsearchable things we do not know!

My Prayer…

Almighty God, there are so many things about which I am incredibly ignorant. There are so many things in my world that I can’t comprehend. There are so many things about you that I long to know, but I can’t even begin to imagine. Please, dear Father, give me more of you. Help me get to know you better so that I may know you more completely. Help me know what you would like me to know. I readily confess: you are beyond me, so please be gentle with my limitations as you reveal your majesty and greatness. I look forward with anticipation to knowing you – the Unsearchable and the Almighty God, my Abba Father, whom I will get to know face-to-face in glory. In Jesus’ name, I anticipate this day with great expectation. Amen.

The Lord does not look at the things man looks at. Man looks at the outward appearance, but the Lord looks at the heart. — 1 Samuel 16:7

Thoughts on Today’s Verse….

Have you ever wondered how many potentially good friends you may have lost simply by judging them on your first impression of them? And how many people that you looked at that seemed to be remarkable, ended up turning out to be not very good people? I’m amazed at how the first impression we have of many people very seldom tells us much about their substance. We’re not really going to be able to evaluate people properly until the Lord reveals what is really in their hearts at judgment. But we also know that what comes out of people’s mouths and what we see in their behavior emanate from their hearts (Matthew 15:18-19). Over time, we do get to see what their hearts are about: their hearts reveal the person inside them. So, don’t you think that we should give people time to reveal what is in their hearts before we decide about them? Let’s not judge people prematurely by their outward appearances; let’s give them time to reveal their hearts! And let’s remember that God knows and will judge each of us by our hearts, and not by our appearances (Proverbs 16:2, 17:3).

My Prayer…

Father, you alone know each heart. Please help me be more patient with others before forming an opinion about them. Please give me eyes to see them as Jesus does and treat them as I would love to be treated. Father, I don’t want to make preliminary judgments about people, good or bad. Please help me be patient as I wait to see their hearts come to light in the way they talk to others and in their behaviors. In Jesus’ name, I pray. Amen.

Do not merely listen to the word, and so deceive yourselves. Do what it says. — James 1:22

Thoughts on Today’s Verse….

What we know and what we believe are not all that significant if they do not show up in the way we live our daily lives. Unfortunately, most of us know more truth than we obey. Pure and simple, faith not lived out in everyday life is not genuine faith; it is a facade (James 2:14-15, 17, 18, 20). Just as Jesus had told us to put into practice what we have learned from him (Matthew 7:23-27), his brother James reminds us of the same thing: when we learn the truth of God’s word, there is only one thing left for us to do: obey it and put it into practice!

My Prayer…

Holy God, please help us put into practice what we know to be your will for us and the truth you have given to us. And please, dear Lord, help us do it with passion today, and to do it day after day, until we come into your presence in glory. In the name of the Lord Jesus, I pray. Amen.

You are my refuge and my shield; I have put my hope in your word. — Psalm 119:114

Thoughts on Today’s Verse….

Where can we go to remain secure from the onslaught of bad ideas, evil influences, and false hopes perpetrated by social media? We can go to God and his Word, the Scriptures, and to Jesus, who is the fulfillment of these Scriptures and is the Living Word (John 1:1-18). While people can be disloyal and misguided, God has proven his faithfulness through his word, in sending Jesus, and by keeping his loving promises. He promises never to leave us or forsake us (Hebrews 13:5-6; Romans 8:38-39), and his truth and his promises stand forever. God is our refuge, shield, fortress, strong foundation, and rock as we give our hearts to the Word of God.

My Prayer…

Almighty God, you alone are trustworthy. You keep your word and fulfill your promises. Forgive me when I trust my own insight and the wisdom of others rather than seeking your will in your Word. Please give me your wisdom as I seek your will and trust in your promises. In the name of Jesus, your ultimate Word, I pray. Amen.