I am sure Christians of the first century who heard the teachings of the original apostles expected to see Jesus’ return in their lifetimes. I imagine they would be surprised if they knew at the time that we would be reading the teachings of Paul, Peter, and the other apostles 2000 years later, and still be waiting anxiously for Jesus’ return.

I sometimes wonder why we don’t have prophets like Isaiah, Jeremiah, Ellijah and John, today. But in 1 Thessalonians 5:19-21 Paul writes, “Do not smother the Holy Spirit. Do not scoff at those who prophesy, but test everything that is said to be sure it is true, and if it is, then accept it.” Maybe we do have prophets today; we just call them teachers, pastors, and authors.

John describes a test for prophets in 1 John 4 1,2. He writes “Dear friends, do not believe everyone who claims to speak by the Spirit. You must test them to see if the spirit they have comes from God, for there are many false prophets in the world. This is how we know if they have the Spirit of God: If a person claiming to be a prophet acknowledges that Jesus Christ came in a real body, that person has the Spirit of God.”

Dear Lord, thank you for those who teach us your word and help us in our walk with you. Help us to be wise to know your truth when it is taught. In Jesus’ name we pray. Amen.

Do you exercise regularly and read about health and fitness routines to keep yourself healthy? And do you take vitamins and manage what you eat? These are good things to do, as it says in 1 Corinthians 6 that our bodies are the Lord’s temple, and we should, as it says in verse 20, “glorify God in our bodies.”

But even more important than our health and fitness routine, is trusting in God’s wisdom and doing what he tells us. Proverbs 3:7,8 says, “Don’t be impressed with your own wisdom. Instead, fear the Lord and turn away from evil. Then you will have healing for your body and strength for your bones.” NLT

Dear Lord, help us turn away from evil, those things we know we should avoid, and follow your will in our lives. Help us look to your word in the bible, and in response to our prayers and believe for the healing and strength you promise. In Jesus’ name we pray. Amen.

There is an important difference between belief and faith. Particularly between belief in God and Christian Faith.

James writes in James 2:19,20, “Are there still some among you who hold that “only believing” is enough? Believing in one God? Well, remember that the demons believe this too—so strongly that they tremble in terror! Fool! When will you ever learn that “believing” is useless without doing what God wants you to? Faith that does not result in good deeds is not real faith.” TLB

Paul defines Faith in Hebrews 11:1, “What is faith? It is the confident assurance that something we want is going to happen. It is the certainty that what we hope for is waiting for us, even though we cannot see it up ahead.”

So as Christians, yes we believe there is a God, but much more than that we have faith, “the confident assurance,” in Jesus Christ who saved us from the consequences of our sins, by coming to earth, being crucified, and returning from the dead. Because of that faith, we have eternal life, and because of that faith, we submit ourselves Christ and strive to do His will.

Dear Lord, help us to put our faith in action every day; submitting ourselves to your rules that we find in our conscience and in your word, and by doing good. In Jesus’ name we pray. Amen.

The more we study the bible and God’s plan, the more we realize the gaps in our understanding. Jesus tells us however in Mark 4:22, “For everything that is hidden will eventually be brought into the open, and every secret will be brought to light.”

In order to learn and understand, we need to take the time and effort to study. Jesus continues in Mark 4:25, “To those who listen to my teaching, more understanding will be given. But for those who are not listening, even what little understanding they have will be taken away from them.”

Dear Lord, Thank you for the understanding of your plan that you have given us. Help us continue to listen to your teaching by reading and meditating on your word. In Your name we pray. Amen.

You have heard people say how they love this thing or that, like “I love my IPhone,” or “I love my new car.” Of course this is just a figure of speech, but we need to be careful where we place our focus.

John writes in 1 John 3:17-18 “If someone has enough money to live well and sees a brother or sister in need but shows no compassion—how can God’s love be in that person? Dear children, let’s not merely say that we love each other; let us show the truth by our actions.”

The expression, “Love people and use things, not the other way around,” is a good reminder of God’s direction for us.

Dear Lord, we thank you for all the wonderful things we have. Help us remember, however, to put people before things, and show our love in our actions. In Jesus’ name we pray. Amen.