10/22/12 - Matthew 15; Mark 7

S - Matthew 15:10 - And he called the people to him and said to them, "Hear and understand:  11 it is not what goes into  the mouth that defiles a person, but what comes out of the mouth; this defiles a person." 12 Then the disciples came and said to him, "Do you know that the Pharisees were offended when they heard this saying?"  13 He answered, "Every plant that my heavenly Father has not planted will be rooted up.  14 Let them alone; they are blind guides.  And if the blind lead the blind, both will fall into a pit."  15 But Peter said to him, "Explain the parable to us." 16 And he said, "Are you also still without understanding?  17 Do you not see that whatever goes into the mouth passes into the stomach and is expelled?  18 But what comes out of the mouth proceeds from the heart, and this defiles a person.  19 For out of the heart come evil thoughts, murder, adultery, sexual immorality, theft, false witness, slander.  20 These are what defile a person.  But to eat with unwashed hands does not defile anyone."

O - My child whom I love, today I want to tell you . . . watch the things that come out of your mouth.  Think before you speak.  The things that you say define who you are.  People will listen to you and repeat the things that they hear.  Yes, you will be misquoted very often.  So don't even say anything close to the things that can get you into trouble.  if you let me guide your speech, you will have no problem.  Just make sure that you do not lose control of your tongue.

A - I must be careful.  I am in a position to be heard by many people and they do not always like me so they are going to interpret the things that I say in the way that they want.  So I must be very careful of the thing that I say at all times.  

P - Heavenly Father, guide my speech.  Help me to look to you for guidance at all times, especially when it comes to the things that I say.  Help me to stop and think before I speak so I do not say things that I should not say.

10/21/12 - John 6

S - John 6:35 - Jesus said to them, "I am the bread of life; whoever comes to me shall not hunger, and whoever believes in me shall never thirst.  36 But I said to you that you have seen me and yet do not believe.  37 All that the Father gives me will come to me, and whoever comes to me I will never cast out.  38 For I have come down from heaven, not to do my own will but the will of him who sent me.  39 And his is the will of him who sent me, that I should lose nothing of all that he has given me, but raise it up on the last day.  40 For this is the will of my Father, that everyone who looks on the Son and believes in him should have eternal life, and I will raise him up on the last day."

O - My child whom I love, today I want to tell you . . . this is the message you are to be spreading.  I am the savior.  Whoever believes in me will never die.  Whoever believes in me will be saved on the last day, with you.  I will never lose those that come to me.  They may forsake me but I will never forsake them.  Tell as many as you can while you are here.  If they want to spend eternity with me, they have to make that decision now while they still can.  Tell them!

A - I must be about spreading the word of God and bringing people to him.  There is no second chance!  If they do not decide while they are here on earth, it is too late.  I do not want anyone else going to hell because I was afraid to talk to them about my Jesus who saved me and who I will be spending my eternity with.

P - Heavenly Father, forgive me for the times when I have been afraid to talk about you because of what I thought people would say or I was afraid of what they would think.  Help me to be about spreading your gospel here on earth just as you did while you were here.  Help me to not be ashamed of the gospel!

10/20/12 - Matthew 14; Mark 6; Luke 9

S - Matthew 14: 25 And in the fourth watch of the night he came to them, walking on the sea.  26 But when the disciples saw him walking on the sea, they were terrified, and said, "It is a ghost!" and they cried out in fear.  27 But immediately Jesus spoke to them saying, "Take heart; it is I.  Do not be afraid."  28 And Peter answered him, "Lord, if it is you, command me to come to you on the water."  29 he said, "Come."  So Peter got out of the boat and walked on the water and came to Jesus.  30 But when he saw the wind, he was afraid, and beginning to sink he cried out, "Lord, save me."  31 Jesus immediately reached out his hand and took hold of him, saying to him, "O you of little faith, why did you doubt?"  32 And when they got into the boat, the wind ceased.  33 And those in the boat worshiped him, saying, "Truly you are the Son of God."

O - My child whom I love, today I want to tell you . . . get out of your boat!  Have faith in me that you can do the things that you do not believe that you can do.  Trust in me.  Look into my face, have faith and get out of the boat and do miraculous things.

A - I'm not exactly sure what this is referring to but I know that I must rely on Jesus to take care of me.  I know that he has my finances in his hand.  I know that he has my family in his hand.  I know that he controls my job, my relationships, and my health.  If I just trust in him and live my life with my face towards him.  I know that I will be fine.

P - Heavenly Father, forgive me for the times when I doubt you.  Forgive me for the time when I look into the wind and get afraid.  Help me to keep my focus on you.  And give me the faith to rely fully on you for everything in my life, from my health and finances to my job and my family.  Thank you for the promises in your word that you will always take care of me.

10/19/12 - Matthew 10

S - Matthew 10:26 - "So have no fear of them, for nothing is covered that will not be revealed, or hidden that will not be known.  27 What I tell you in the dark, say in the light, and what you hear whispered, proclaim on the housetops.  28 And do not fear those who kill the body but cannot kill the soul.  Rather fear him who can destroy both soul and body in hell.  29 Are not two sparrows sold for a penny?  And not one of them will fall to the ground apart from your father.  30 But even the hairs of your head are all numbered.  31 Fear not, therefore; you are of more value then many sparrows.  32 So everyone who acknowledges me before me, I also will acknowledge before my Father who is in heaven,  33 but whoever denies me before men, I also will deny before my Father who is in heaven.

O - My child whom I love, today I want to tell you . . . do not worry about those things that cannot hurt you physically.  Trust in me to take care of them.  Worry about those things that will damage your soul.  Live your life for me and you will be blessed by the Father who is watching you from heaven.  

A - I must not worry about the cars of this world.  I must live my life, doing the things that I am doing for work, home, family, etc. but making sure that my focus is on the Lord my God.  I must be a living example of a life that has been changed for him.

P - Heavenly Father, help me to fully rely on you every day for the things that I need.  Help me to live my life for you every day and in every circumstance.  Than you for caring for me.

10/18/12 - Mark 4 - 5

S - Mark 4:35 - On that day, when evening had come, he said to them, "Let us go across to the other side."  36 And leaving the crowd, they took him with them in the boat, just as he was.  And other boats were with him.  37 And a great windstorm arose, and the waves were breaking into the boat, so that the boat was already filling.  38 But he was in the stern, asleep on the cushion.  And they woke him and said to him, "Teacher, do you not care that we are perishing?"  39 And he awoke and rebuked the wind and said to the sea, "Peace! Be still!"  And the wind ceased, and there was a great calm.  40 He said to them, "Why are you so afraid?  Have you still no faith?"  41 And they were filled with great fear and said to one another, "Who then is this, that even the wind and the sea obey him?"

O - My child whom I love, today I want to tell you . . . when the storms of this life hit you, don't worry.  I am here to help you.  All you have to do is ask.  Have faith in and trust that I can calm the wind and the sea.  You know who I am so it should not amaze or confuse you when I make the wind stop and the seas calm.  But you do have to call on me and ask me to take care of things for me.  I will be resting in the stern, just come get me when things get a little rough.

A - Jesus is always with me.  He is there watching over things, even when it seems that he isn't or that he doesn't care.  He wants to take care of me but he wants me to come to him and ask him to help me.  I must remember to come to him whenever I am feeling like the storms of this life are going to overwhelm me.  

P - Heavenly Father, forgive me for the times when I forget that you are there with me.  Forgive me for trying to calm the storm on my own.  Help me to remember that you are always there with me, just waiting for me to come get you and ask you to take care of things.  Calm the storms of my life right now.  Help me to have the strength to do the things that are asked of me and to be the best teacher that I can be.  Thank you for always being there for me.

10/17/12 - Matthew 13; Luke 8

S - Luke 8:16 - "No one after lighting a lamp covers it with a jar or puts is under a bed, but puts it on a stand, so that those who enter may see the light.  17 For nothing is hidden that will not be made manifest, nor is anything secret that will not be known and come to light.  18 Take care then how you hear, for to the one who has, more will be given, and from the one who has not, even what he thinks that he has will be taken away."

O - My child whom I love, today I want to tell you . . . you are the lamp that has been lit.  You are now to shine within your area of influence.  You shall shine on your campus and around your neighborhood.  You are my light in the darkness of the world.  The things that you do make a difference.  People see how you act, they hear what you say, they are paying attention.  So live like you mean it!

A - I must live my life to glorify my Lord at all times.  Remembering that people are watching my every move, I must act in a way that is pleasing to the Lord my God.  I will remember to bow my head and say a prayer before I have my lunch.  I will remember to do the same when I hear of someone who is struggling.  I will act with love towards my fellow teachers.

P - Heavenly Father, forgive me for the times when my life did not reflect you.  Forgive me for the times when I said I would pray for someone and then just went on my way.  Help me to glorify you with my life at all times.

10/16/12 - Luke 11

S - Luke 11:9 - "And I tell you, ask and it will be given to you; seek, and you will find; knock and it will be opened to you.  10 For everyone who asks receives, and the one who seeks finds, and to the one who knocks it will be opened.  11 What father among you, if his son asks for an fish, will instead of a fish give him a serpent;  12 or if he asks for an egg, will give him a scorpion?  13 If you then, who are evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will the heavenly Father give the Holy Spirit to those who ask him!"

O - My child whom I love, today I want to tell you . . . ask of me what you will.  I know what you want, but I want more than anything to hear you ask for it.  Just as you, as a father, love it when your children come to you for help or for advice, I love to hear you come and ask for the things that you wand and need.  I want to take care of you but, even more, I want you to want me and to need me.  It means so much when you get down on your knees and cry out to me for help.  And remember, I will always be there for you when you call on me.

A - I must remember that, not only does God want to take care of me, but he wants me to want him.  He wants me to need him.  When I get to the point that I need him so much that I am down on my knees crying out to him, then he will definitely hear me and answer my prayers.  But if I would just call on him continually throughout the day I would probably not get to that point.

P - Heavenly Father, forgive me for the times when I forget to call on you.  Forgive me for the times when I try to go it alone.  Remind me that you want me to call out to you on a regular basis so that you can answer my prayers.   Help me to remember to thank you for those times when you rescued me and to ask for the things that I need, even though I know that you already know what I need.

10/15/12 - Matthew 11

S - Matthew 11:25 - At that time Jesus declared, "I thank you, Father, Lord of heaven and earth, that you have hidden these things from the wise and understanding and revealed them to little children;  26 yes, Father, for such was your gracious will.  27 All things have been handed over to me by my Father, and no one knows the Son except the Father, and no one knows the Father except the Son and anyone to whom the Son chooses to reveal him.  28 Come to me, all you who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest.  29 Take my yoke upon you, and learn from me, for I am gentle and lowly in heart, and you will find rest for your souls.  30 For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light."

O - My child whom I love, today I want to tell you . . . I know that you are carrying a heavy burden right now.  I know that you are feeling overwhelmed and stressed.  I know what that is like.  I struggled with people who did not appreciate me also.  I fought with people who did not listen.  Believe me, I know what you are feeling right now.  Lay your burden on my back, let me take care of it for you for a while.  I want to take care of you.  I love you and care about you and how you are feeling.  But, at the same time, you are in the process of growing.  Let me stretch you.  Let me refine you.  Please allow me to cover you with my love and let me carry you for a little while.  I know it is a struggle right now, but you won' believe what you will be like when you come through this.  Trust me!

A - While I feel like giving up sometimes, I must just rely on my Heavenly Father to take care of me and rest in his big, loving arms.  He wants what is best for me and would not let me struggle with things that he knew I could not handle.  I know that I am in a learning stage right now.  I know that he is making me stronger through all of this.  Sometimes it is hard to hang on but, at those times, I just have to lay back and let the Father carry me through.  It is not easy but I have to trust him.  He promised that he would never leave me, and I believe him!

P - Heavenly Father, forgive me for those times when I feel like I just can't take it any more and I want to just quit.  Forgive me for not coming to you right away and turning everything over to you at that time.  You know that I am struggling right now.  I turn my struggles over to you this very moment.  I trust you to take care of me and lead me through this time of my life.  I know that you are teaching me a lesson, help me to learn it to the best of my ability.  Help me to learn it well.  Make me stronger than I have ever been before.  Wrap your beautiful arms of love around me and guide me through.  I love you and want to serve you.  Grow me into the man that you want me to be.

10/14/12 - Matthew 9; Luke 7

S - And Jesus went throughout all the cities and villages, teaching in their synagogues and proclaiming the gospel of the kingdom and healing every disease and every affliction.  36 When he saw the crowds, he had compassion for them, because they were harassed and helpless, like sheep without a shepherd.  37 Then he said to his disciples, "The harvest is plentiful, but the laborers are few;  38 therefore pray earnestly to the Lord of the harvest to send out laborers into his harvest."

O - My child whom I love, today I want to tell you . . . you are one of those laborers.  You are being sent into the fields that are ready for harvest.  Spread the word.  Love them like I did when I was here.  Have compassion like I did.  Be ready to speak up for my name.

A - I must be ready to speak the name of Jesus Christ at any moment.  I must spread the word of God in my workplace and on the streets.  I am to be a witness for him at all times.

P - Heavenly Father, help me to know what to say and when to speak.  Give me the courage to be a witness for you at all times.  

10/13/12 - Matthew 5 - 7

S - Matthew 5:13 - "You are the salt of the earth, but if salt has lost its taste, how shall its saltiness be restored?  It is not longer good for anything except to be thrown out and trampled under people's feet.  14 "You are the light of the world.  A city set on a hell cannot be hidden.  15 Nor do people light a lamp and put it under a basket, but on a stand, and it gives light to all in the house.  16 In the same way, let your light shine before others, so that they may see your good works and give glory to your Father who is in heaven.

O - My child whom I love, today I want to tell you . . . you are the lamp that I have lit in Sanger.  You are a city set on a hill.  Let your light shine so that all may see your good works.  Live your life so that it brings glory to your Father who is in heaven.

A - I must live my life in such a way that it will bring glory to my Father in heaven.  All are watching me.  If I live in such a way that it does not bring glory to the Father, not only have I lost my light but I am also dimming the lights of my brothers and sisters on campus.

P - Heavenly Father, forgive me for the times when I do not glorify you with my life.  Help me to live in such a way that, not only do people see you in me, but you are pleased.  I want to hear, someday, "Well done, good and faithful servant!"

10/12/12 - Matthew 12; Mark 3; Luke 6

S - Matthew 12:33 - "Either make the tree good and its fruit good, or make the tree bad and its fruit bad, for the tree is known by its fruit.  34 You brood of vipers!  How can you speak good, when you are evil?  For out of the abundance of the heart the mouth speaks.  35 The good person out of his good treasure brings forth good, and the evil person out of his evil treasure brings forth evil.  36 I tell you, on the day of judgement people will give an account for every careless word the speak,  37 for by your words you will be justified, and by your words you will be condemned."

Luke 6:43 - "For no good tree bears bad fruit, nor again does a bad tree bear good fruit,  44 for each tree is known by its own fruit.  For figs are not gathered from thorn bushes, nor are grapes picked from a bramble bush.  45 The good person out of the good treasure of his heart produces good, and the evil person out of his evil treasure produces evil, for out of the abundance of the heart his mouth speaks.

O - My child whom I love, today I want to tell you . . . your heart will reveal the true you.  You must guard your heart against all evil.  If you do this, you can be a child of mine.  For my children love me in their hearts and out of this love comes their actions and their words.  If you truly love me, then your actions and your words will be pure, spoken out of true love.  If you do not have pure and true love for me in your heart, if you are hiding even an ounce of evil, hatred, anger, or lust in your heart, this will be made known through your actions and your words.  Love me with all of your heart and put away the rest of the evil that is in your heart and I will bless you.

A - I must put all evil, hatred, anger, and lust out of my heart.  I can not do this by myself.  I need to call on God to help me.  I must pray to him every day to cleanse my heart so that it will be pure and true to him.

P - Heavenly Father, cleanse my heart of all that is not pure and holy.  Fill me with a pure and true love for you.  Help me to be good in your eyes.  I want to be known for my works for you and my words of love and truth.  Help me to know when I need to call on you for help and help me to stop and think about every word that leaves my mouth.  I want to be known as your child at all times.

10/11/12 - John 5

S - John 5:39 - You search the Scriptures because you think that in them you have eternal life; and it is they that bear witness about me, 40 yet you refuse to come to me that you may have life.  41 I do not receive glory from people.  42 But I know that you do not have the love of God within you.  43 I have come in my Father's name, and you do not receive me.  If another comes in his own name, you will receive him.  44 How can you believe, when you receive glory from one another and do not seek the glory that comes from the only God?

O - My child whom I love, today I want to tell you . . . do not seek glory from man.  Do not do things here on earth to earn yourself earthly rewards.  The only rewards that matter are those that I, your Father in heaven, will give you when this life is over.  Live your life to glorify me, not to please any man here on earth.

A - I must live my life in such a way that my Father in heaven will be proud of me.  I must do things here on earth that will gain me recognition in heaven, not to get rewards here on earth.  I will do what I can to please my heavenly Father in everything that I accomplish while I am living here on earth.

P - Heavenly Father, forgive me for my selfishness.  Forgive me for those times when I have lived to serve me, rather than you.  Help me to have the desire to serve you.  Give me a selfless heart and a willingness to give up everything to serve you to the utmost.

10/10/12 - Matthew 8; Mark 2

S - Matthew 8:18 - Now when Jesus saw a crowd around him, he gave orders to go over to the other side.  19 And a scribe came up and said to him, "Teacher, I will follow you wherever you go."  20 And Jesus said to him, "Foxes have holes, and birds of the air have nests, but the Son of Man has nowhere to lay his head."  21 Another of the disciples said to him, "Lord, let me first go and bury my father."  22 And Jesus said to him, "Follow me, leave the dead to bury their own dead."

Mark 2:13 - He went our again beside the sea, and all the crowd was coming to him, and he was teaching them.  14 And as he passed by, he saw Levi the son of Alphaeus sitting at the tax booth, and he said to him, "Follow me."  And he rose and followed him.

O - My child whom I love, today I want to tell you . . . the cost of following me is high.  You must give up everything that you hold dear.  If I am not worth more than all of that, then you do not love me enough to be one of my disciples.  When I called my disciples on earth, they gave up everything to follow me, and it cost them everything in the end.  Each one was committed to me enough to die for me.  Are you willing to give up just a fraction of what they did.  You probably will not have to die for me, but you will suffer the humiliation of being called names, of being ridiculed, possibly of being hated.  Are you tough enough to stand up for me in those situations.  If you are, then, "Follow me."

A - I must be willing to follow the Lord my God in every situation.  I must be willing to admit, proudly, to anyone who asks, that I am a follower of Jesus Christ.  I must be willing to bow my head and pray in public, now matter what it costs me.  I must be willing to die for my Lord.

P - Heavenly Father, forgive me for the times when I have denied you.  Forgive me for the times when I did not have the strength to stand up for you, and I should have.  Help me to be willing to do what ever it takes to be a disciple of yours.  I commit my life to you and ask that you use me in any way that you want.  I want to serve you with my entire life.

10/09/12 - John 2 - 4

S - John 2:23 - Now when he was in Jerusalem at the Passover Feast, many believed in his name when they saw the signs that he was doing.  24 But Jesus on his part did not entrust himself to them, because he knew all people  25 and needed no one to bear witness about man, for he himself know what was in man.

O - My child whom I love, today I want to tell you . . . I know the heart of man.  I know what men are thinking.  I know when someone truly believes in me.  I know when someone is doing good because he truly believes in me and wants to serve me and when they are doing it because they are trying to earn something, like their "ticket" into heaven.  If you are serving me because you truly love me and want to follow my commands, then you will develop a personal relationship with me.  If you are just trying to earn your way into heaven, then you will not be going there.  Until your heart is right and your motives are pure, you will not have a relationship with me and will not be able to get into the gates of heaven

A - I must check my motives for everything that I do.  Am I serving the Lord because I want to follow his commands and develop my own personal relationship with him.  Or am I trying to earn something.  I must do the things that I do because of my relationship with Jesus, not expect a relationship because of the things that I do.

P - Heavenly Father, forgive me for the times when my motives were not pure.  Forgive me for the times when I thought I could "buy" your love.  Help me to keep my motives right with you.  Help me to have the desire to serve you because it is what I want to do, not because I want something from you. Thank you for all of the blessings that you have given me, blessing that I do not deserve.

10/08/12 - Matthew 4; Luke 4 - 5

S - Matthew 4:1 - Then Jesus was led up by the Spirit in to the wilderness to be tempted by the devil.  2 And after fasting forty days and forty nights, he was hungry.  3 And the tempter came and said to him, "If you are the Son of God, command these stones to become loaves of bread."  4 But he answered, "It is written, 'Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that comes from the mouth of God.'"  5 Then the devil took him to the holy city and set him on the pinnacle of the temple  6 and said to him, "If you are the Son of God, throw yourself down, for it is written, 'He will command his angels concerning you,' and 'On their hands they will bear you up, lest you strike your foot against a stone.'"  7 Jesus said to him, "Again it is written, 'You shall not put the Lord your God to the test.'"  8 Again, the devil took him to a very high mountain and showed him all the kingdoms of the world and their glory.  9 And he said to him, "All these I will give you, if you will fall down and worship me."  10 Then Jesus said to him, "Be gone, Satan!  For it is written, 'You shall worship the Lord your God and him only shall you serve.'"  11 Then the devil left him, and behold, angels came and were ministering to him.

O - My child whom I love, today I want to tell you . . . I have been where you are.  I have been tempted.  I struggled through it.  And I had been fasting for forty days before it came on me.  So I know what kind of strength it takes to overcome those temptations.  But, the good news is, if I can do it, so can you.  And, not only that, but I am here to help you through it.  So when you feel the devil coming in to your space and telling you to do something that you know you shouldn't, all you have to do is call on me and then, in my name, tell him to leave.  Say it with authority and in my name and he knows that he has to leave you alone.  I promise that I will always be there for you.

A - So, knowing that Jesus was tempted and he did not sin.  He had been fasting for forty days and was exhausted and tired, and yet he resisted the devil and his temptations.  I can surely call on him to help me at any time.  Having been through it himself, I know that he will understand my struggles.  So, when I feel the call of temptation, I will call on the Lord my God to strengthen me and help me defeat the devil, as he once did.

P - Heavenly Father, forgive me for the times when I give in to the temptations of this world.  Forgive me for the sins that that leads me to commit.  Give me the strength to defeat the devil when he comes to me and tempts me with the desires of the world.  Help me to remember to come to you seeking strength and guidance when this happens.  Give me the desire to seek you rather than those things.

10/07/12 - Matthew 3; Mark 1; Luke 3

S - Matthew 3:11 - "I baptize you with water for repentance, but he who is coming after me is mightier than I, whose sandals I am not worthy to carry.  He will baptize you with the Holy Spirit and fire.

Mark 1:4 - John appeared, baptizing in the wilderness and proclaiming a baptism of repentance for the forgiveness of sins.  5 And all the country of Judea and all Jerusalem were going out to him and were baptized by him in the river Jordan, confessing their sins.  6 Now John was clothed with camel's hair and wore a leather belt around his waist and ate locusts and wild honey.  7 And he preached, saying, "After me comes he who is mightier than I, the strap of whose sandals I am not worthy to stoop down and untie.  8 I have baptized you with water, but he will baptize you with the Holy Spirit."

Luke 3:15 - As the people were in expectation, and all were questioning in their hearts concerning John, whether he might be the Christ,  16 John answered then all, saying, "I baptize you with water, but he who is mightier than I is coming, the strap of whose sandals I am not worthy to untie.  He will baptize you with the Holy Spirit and fire.

O - My child whom I love, today I want to tell you . . . just as John preached the coming of Jesus Christ, the King, so you must be preaching the coming of Jesus Christ, the return.  This time though, the people need to be ready.  There is no second chance this time.  If they are not ready, they do not go with me.  That is why it is so necessary for you to be telling people now that it is really time to repent and be saved of their sins.

A - I must be diligent about telling people what I am about.  I must continue to tell people that Christ is going to return to take those of us that have a personal relationship with him back to heaven with him.  Those that do not will not be saved from the eternal doom that has been planned from before time.  Now is the time to make a decision for Christ.

P - Heavenly Father, forgive me for my apathy where your children are concerned.  I should be proclaiming your word from the mountain tops.  Give me the courage to speak up in my workplace.  Help me to have the boldness to speak your name where ever I go.  

10/06/12 - Matthew 2

S - Matthew 2:5 - They told him, "In Bethlehem of Judea, for so it is written by the prophet:  6 "'And you, O Bethlehem, in the land of Judah, are by no means least among the rulers of Judah; for from you shall come a ruler who will shepherd my people Israel.'"

14 And he rose and took the child and his mother by night and departed to Egypt  15 and remained there until the death of Herod.  This was to fulfill what the Lord has spoken by the prophet, "Out of Egypt I called my son."

17 Then was fulfilled what was spoken by the prophet Jeremiah:  18 "A voice was heard in Ramah, weeping and loud lamentation, Rachel weeping for her children; she refused to be comforted, because they are no more."

23 And he went and lived in a city called Nazareth, so that what was spoken by the prophets might be fulfilled, the he would be called a Nazarene.

O - My child whom I love, today I want to tell you . . . I have the whole thing planned out.  If I could plan out my own sons entire birth and life, don't you think that I could plan out yours.  I have known what will happen from before the time when you were born.  And I took care of my son, saving him from being killed by Herod.  Don't you think I can take care of your needs.  Trust in me.  I have everything under control.

A - If Gd can plan his sons birth, save him from being killed by a very powerful king and prophecy things about him, I am sure that my trivial needs are no problem for him.  I just have to turn everything over to him and trust that he will take care of everything.

P - Heavenly Father, forgive me for not trusting in you when I have problems.  Forgive me for my lack of faith.  Help me to trust you with everything.  I now relinquish, into your hands, my finances, my family, and my future.  I trust you to take care of everything.

10/05/12 - Matthew 1; Luke 2

S - Matthew 1:22 - All this took place to fulfill what the Lord had spoken by the prophet:  23 "Behold, the virgin shall conceive and bear a son, and they shall call his name Immanuel!" (which means, God with us).

Luke 2:25 - Now there was a man in Jerusalem, whose name was Simeon, and this man was righteous and devout, waiting for the consolation of Israel, and the Holy Spirit was upon him.  26 And it had been revealed to him by the Holy Spirit that he would not see death before he had seen the Lord's Christ.  27 And he came in the Spirit into the temple, and when the parents brought in the child Jesus, to do for him according to the custom of the law,  28 he took him up in his arms and blessed God and said,  29 "Lord, now you are letting your servant depart in peace, according to your word;  30 for my eyes have seen your salvation  31 that you have prepared in the presence of all peoples,  32 a light for revelation to the Gentiles, and for glory to your people Israel."  33 And his father and his mother marveled at what was said about him.  34 And Simeon blessed them and said to Mary his mother, "Behold, this child is appointed for the fall and rising of many in Israel, and for a sign that is opposed  35 (and a sword will pierce through your own soul also), so that thoughts from many hearts may be revealed."

O - My child whom I love, today I want to tell you . . . I have spoken the world into being.  I have given it life and have predicted the rise and fall of mankind.  I have put many prophecies into my Word.  If you will study it, you will find many treasures.  I promise that you will grow in me and will learn many things that you will marvel at.  Dig into it and don't stop until you see me face to face.  Then I will make all things clear to you.

A - There is so much in the Bible that we do not understand.  We are just to continue reading and learning.  If I will but pray for wisdom and guidance as I read it, I believe that many of those things will become clear to me.  It will draw me closer to Him and give me a better relationship with people around me.

P - Heavenly Father, reveal your mysteries to me as I get into your Word and continue to read.  Help me to understand those things that were written to me.  Help me to continue to grow in you and to increase in my understanding of you.

10/03/12 - Malachi 1 - 4

S - Malachi 4:1 - "For behold, the day is coming, burning like an oven, when all the arrogant and all evil doers will be stubble.  The day that is coming shall set them ablaze, says the Lord of hosts, so that it will leave them neither root nor branch.  2 But for you who fear my name, the sum of righteousness shall rise with healing in its wings.  You shall go out leaping like calves from the stall.  3 And you shall tread down the wicked, for they will be ashes under the soles of your feet, on the day when I act, says the Lord of hosts.

O - My child whom I love, today I want to tell you . . . I will take care of the arrogant and the proud.  I will deal with the evil doers.  I know that it bothers you to see that there are people who are not my children, who are not following my commandments, who do not have a relationship with me, that are becoming successful.  I know that you are trying to remain true to my Word and love me and my ways.  Don't worry about it.  By staying true to me, by following my commandments, you are becoming successful in my eyes.  I will continue to watch over you and take care of you.  I will be your guide and will make sure that your future is secure.  Don't worry about those other people.  Love them as I would, because that is what I would do.  Lead them to me if you can, and I will take care of the rest.

A - I must see to my own relationship with Jesus Christ.  I must make sure that I am following his commandments.  I must make sure that I am living right and doing my own part to take care of me.  When I see those people who do not have a personal relationship with Jesus Christ and are still successful in their current lives, I must not judge them.  When I see people sinning, I must not worry about it.  It is not my responsibility to take care of them.  That is up the the Lord of hosts.  My responsibility is to introduce them to Jesus and let him take it from there.  When people do things against me, my response should be to pray for them and tell them about the Lord.  He will handle it from there.

P - Heavenly Father, forgive me for trying to take things into my own hands when I should just be leaving things up to you.  Help me to learn to ignore those people that tend to make me angry.  Help me to learn to pray for those people that I can tell don't know you.

10/02/12 - Nehemiah 11 - 13; Psalm 126

S - Psalm 126:1 - When the Lord restored the fortunes of Zion, we were like those who dream.  2 Then our mouth was filled with laughter, and our tongue with shouts of joy; then they said among the nations, "The Lord has done great things for them."  3  The Lord has done great things for us; we are glad.  4 Restore our fortunes, O Lord, like streams in the Negeb!  5 Those who sow in tears shall reap with shouts of joy!  6 He who goes out weeping, gearing the seed for sowing, shall come home with shouts of joy, bringing this sheaves with him.

O - My child whom I love, today I want to tell you . . . when you come to me and restore your relationship with me, I celebrate, you will celebrate and the angels celebrate.  I will do great things for you.  I want you to sow seeds for me.  If you will do that, you will see the fruit of your labor.

A - I will sow seeds for my Lord.  I will constantly strive to strengthen my relationship with him.  I will come back to him when I have strayed.  I will look to him for my strength and for him to do great things for me when my relationship is right with him.

P - Heavenly Father, help me to maintain a right relationship with you.  But when I do stray, help me to recognize my errors and come back to you.  Thank you for the blessings that you have already given me.  And thank you for the blessings that you are longing to give me.  I pray that as I speak your name to the people around me, that it does not come back void.  May I one day, see the fruit of my labor here.

10/01/12 - Nehemiah 8 - 10

S - Nehemiah 10:35 - We obligate ourselves to bring the firstfruits of our ground and the firstfruits of all fruit of every tree, tear by year, to the house of the Lord;  36 also to bring to the house of our God, to the priests who minister in the house of our God, the firstborn of our sons and of our cattle, as it is written in the Law, and the firstborn of our herds and of our flocks;  37 and to bring the first of our dough, and our contributions, the fruit of every tree, the wine and the oil, to the priests, to the chambers of the house of our God; and to bring to the Levites the tithes from our ground, for it is the Levites who collect the tithes in all our towns where we labor.

O - My child whom I love, today I want to tell you . . . I want your firstfruits.  I want your tithe to come off of the top of your paycheck.  I want that time in morning when you haven't gotten bogged down with all of the busyness of the day yet.  I want your dedication to me to be so great that you trust me completely to take care of everything else after you have blessed me with that first ten percent.

A - I must give to the Lord my tithe as soon as the paycheck is deposited.  That amount must come out first.  I must trust him and believe that he will make the rest of the paycheck stretch out through the rest of the month.

P - Heavenly Father, forgive me for the times when I have held back because I didn't think I would have enough for the rest of the month.  Forgive me for not trusting in you enough to give you the firstfruits and rely on  you for the rest of the month.  Give me the faith to trust you to provide for me when I give to your work first.

09/30/12 - Nehemiah 6 - 7

S - Nehemiah 6:15 - So the wall was finished on the twenty-fifth day of the month of Elul, in fifty-two days.  16 And when all our enemies heard of it, all the nations around us were afraid and fell greatly in their own esteem, for they perceived that this work had been accomplished with the help of our God.

O - My child whom I love, today I want to tell you . . . build a wall around your heart.  Let your enemies believe that it was accomplished with the help of your God.  Let them be afraid that they will not be able to conquer you.  I will be your wall and your fortress.  I will be your strength and your shield.  Just continue to believe in me and seek after my face.

A - I must continue to build a wall around my heart by reading the Word of my God and seeking after his face and coming to him for my strength and guidance.  I will seek him on a daily basis and will strengthen my stand against the enemy by reading and praying to my God daily.

P - Heavenly Father, you are my strength and my fortress.  Guide me and continue to strengthen me as I come to you on a daily basis and seek your face.

09/29/12 - Nehemiah 1 - 5

S - Nehemiah 1:5 - And I said, "O Lord God of heaven, the great and awesome God who keeps covenant and steadfast love with those who love him and keep his commandments,  6 let your ear be attentive and your eyes open, to hear the prayer of your servant that I now pray before you day and night for the people of Israel your servants, confessing the sins of the people of Israel, which we have sinned against you.  Even I and my father's house have sinned.  7 We have acted very corruptly against you and have not kept the commandments, the statutes, and the rules that you commanded your servant Moses.

11 O Lord, let your ear be attentive to the prayer of your servant, and to the prayer of your servants who delight to fear your name, and give success to your servant today, and grant him mercy in the sight of this man."

O - My child whom I love, today I want to tell you . . . I enjoy hearing a prayer like this one.  It makes me glad to hear someone who will come to me humble and confessing the sins of the people.  I know that his heart is right because he is also confessing that he and his father's house have sinned and is begging for forgiveness for them all.  This is the kind of prayer that I want to answer and to bless him.

A - I must continually pray for the nation in which I live.  We have all sinned against God and have not followed the commands of Moses, which were also to us in the form of the Word of God, which includes more than just the commands of Moses.  It includes all of the letters of Paul, Peter, John, and others who wrote on how we should be living.  We have strayed far away from these instructions as a nation and the Lord is punishing us right now.

P - Heavenly Father, God of heaven and earth, the great and awesome God who keeps covenant and steadfast love with those who love him and keep his commandments, let your ear be attentive and your eyes be open, to hear the prayer of your servant that I now pray before you day after day for the people of America.  I confess that we have sinned against you.  We have acted corruptly and continue to act corruptly in spite of the plagues that you continue to allow to happen to our country.  Even I and my father's house have sinned.  O Lord, forgive us now and come to the aid of those who love you.  I pray that your hand of mercy will be on this next election.  I pray that you will work things out the way that you want them to be.  For you raise up kings and you depose kings.  I pray that you will rise up a group  of God fearing men in our government this year.

09/28/12 - Ezra 7 - 10

S - Ezra 7:6 - This Ezra went up from Babylonia.  He was a scribe skilled in the Law of Moses that the Lord, the God of Israel, had given, and the king granted him all that he asked, for the hand of the Lord his God was on him.

9 For on the first day of the first month he began to go up from Babylonia, and on the first day of the fifth month he came to Jerusalem, for the good hand of his God was on him.  10 For Ezra had set his heart to study the Law of the Lord and to do it and to teach his statutes and rules in Israel.

O - My child whom I love, today I want to tell you . . . my hand is on you, also.  You have chosen to study my law and to teach it in your church.  I would like to people through you.  All you have to do is ask and I will put words in your mouth.  Speak to the people at your school.  Speak to people at your church.  Speak to people in your family.  But speak my words everywhere.

A - I must continue to study the Bible, the word of the Lord.  I must know what it says and I must obey and teach others the commands and statutes of the Lord my God.  I must teach everyone I come in contact with, who will listen.  I trust that the Lord my God will speak through me if I remain true to him.

P - Heavenly Father, forgive me for the times when I feel like I am on my own.  Forgive me for the times when I study and do not ask for your wisdom in preparing lessons for my church.  Help me to gain more knowledge of your word as I continue to read it.  Help me to have the courage to speak your words to people who I come in contact with.

09/27/12 - Esther 6 - 10

S - Esther 8:10 - And he wrote in the name of King Ahasuerus and sealed it with the king's signet ring. Then he sent the letters by mounted couriers riding on swift horses that were used in the king's service, bred from the royal stud,  11 saying that the king allowed the Jews who were in every city to gather and defend their lives, to destroy, to kill, and to annihilate any armed force of any people or province that might attack them, children and women included, and to plunder their goods,  12 on one day throughout all the provinces of King Ahasuerus, on the thirteenth day of the twelfth month, which is  the month of Adar.  13 A copy of what was written was to be issued as a decree in every province, being publicly displayed to all peoples, and the Jews were to be ready on that day to take vengeance on their enemies.  14 So the couriers, mounted on their swift horses that were used in the king's service, rode out hurriedly, urged by the king's command.  And the decree was issued in Susa the citadel.

O - My child whom I love, today I want to tell you . . . a decree has been issued by the King, me!  You have the right to defend yourself against your enemy, the devil.  And you may call on my name to help you do this.  I have given you free reign over the devil on earth.  He is trying to annihilate all of my people using any trick and scheme that he can come up with and he is a crafty one so look out.  I have sent you a helper though, my Holy Spirit, and he will give you strength and courage.  All you have to do is call on my name and he will be there to assist you in any what that he can.  Have courage and boldness in my name.  Take strength and daring from my Word.  You will conquer if you trust in me.

A - I know that the devil wants to come and take everyone that he can get his hands on.  It is up to us, the Army of the Lord, to fight him with everything that we have.  We have God on our side and he is fighting for us.  But we must challenge every person who is not a believer yet to come over to our side and fight with us or the devil will win their souls.  We must pray boldly!  We must speak with courage and daring!  We must win this battle.  The fate of people's eternal souls is at stake, SERIOUSLY!

P - Heavenly Father, thank you for all that you have done for me.  Thank you for the courage to speak your name boldly in the "city square" of my school.  Thank you for the challenge to fight for you in all that I do.  Give me strength to fight the devil everyday.  Help me to remember that it is your children taht I am fighting for and that you are on my side as I go into battle daily.  

09/26/12 - Esther 1 - 5

S - Esther 4:12 - And they told Mordecai what Esther had said.  13 Then Mordecai told them to reply to Esther, "Do not think to yourself that in the king's palace you will escape any more than all the other Jews.  14 For if you keep silent at this time, relief and deliverance will rise for the Jews from another place, but you and your father's house will perish.  And who knows whether you have not come to the kingdom for such a time as this?"  15 Then Esther told them to reply to Merdecai,  16 "Go, gather all the Jews to be found in Susa, and hold a fast on my behalf, and do not eat or drink for three days, night or day.  I and my young women will also fast as you do. Then I will go to the king, though it is against the law, and if I perish, I perish."  17 Mordecai then went away and did everything as Esther had ordered him.

O - My child whom I love, today I want to tell you . . . you are in the position that you are in so that you might serve me in that place.  What I am asking of you is that you follow my commands, live in such way that people know that you belong to me.  Serve me gladly.  Do your job as if you were doing it for me.  Do not do the things that the world does.  Be in the world, but not of it.

A - I must serve the Lord where I am.  I have been put in my position as teacher and PLC leader "for such a time as this."  I am not sure what that time is or what I am supposed to do but I want to serve him all the same.  I must obey the commands that I read in the Bible and live my life according to his Word.  I must continue to come to him daily to listen for his commands.

P - Heavenly Father, thank you for the position that you have put me in.  Help me to serve you gladly in that position.  Speak to me on a regular basis and let me know how I may serve you in my school.

09/25/12 - Zechariah 10 - 14

S - Zechariah 10:1 - Ask rain from the Lord in the season of the spring rain, from the Lord who makes the storm clouds, and he will give them showers of rain, to everyone the vegetation in the field.  2 For the household gods utter nonsense, and the diviners see lies; they tell false dreams and give empty consolation.  Therefore the people wander like sheep; they are afflicted for lack of a shepherd.

O - My child whom I love, today I want to tell you . . . ask for whatever you need.  I will make it rain on you  when my children come to me and ask for things that they need, this makes me happy.  I want to bless my children.  Too many times people think I am too big to ask small things of, yet, that is what I want.  Whatever is on your heart is what I want you to ask for.  Nothing is too big for me, but nothing is too small for me either.  So, ask whatever you will, and I will answer you.

A - I must remember that God is the God of large issues and he is the God of small problems.  There is no problem that is too large that God cannot solve it.  But there is no problem too small that God will not take the time to deal with it.  So any time I am facing some decision or some form of challenge, I must remember to go to God with it.

P - Heavenly Father, forgive me for not coming to you with every decision that I have to make.  Forgive me for thinking that something is too small for you to worry about.  Help me to remember that you want me to come to you with every little issue that is going on in my life.  Help me to remember that I am on earth to please you and it pleases you when I come to you with a problem.  Just like when my children come to me with an issue that they cannot solve and they want my help, it pleases me and it pleases you in the same way.

09/24/12 - Zechariah 5 - 9

S - Zechariah 7:8 - And the word of the Lord came to Zechariah, saying,  9 "Thus says the Lord of hosts, Render true judgments, show kindness and mercy to one another,  10 do not oppress the widow, the fatherless, the sojourner, or the poor, and let none of you devise evil against another in your heart."  11 But they refused to pay attention and turned a stubborn shoulder and stopped their ears that they might not hear.  12 They made their hearts diamond-hard lest they should hear the law and the words the that Lord of hosts had sent by his Spirit through the former prophets.  Therefore great anger came from the Lord of hosts.

O - My child whom I love, today I want to tell you . . . do not be like the people of this time.  I am still saying the same things, even to you.  Do not harden your heart to the things that I am saying to you.  

A - I must listen to the Lord when He speaks.  I must follow his commands.  

P - Heavenly Father, forgive me for the times when I do not listen to you.  I pray that you will continue to speak to me and that you will give me a soft heart to listen to what you are telling me.  

09/23/12 - Zechariah 1 - 4

S - Zechariah 3:1 - Then he showed me Joshua the high priest standing before the angel of the Lord, and Satan standing at his right hand to accuse him.  2 And the Lord said to Satan, "The Lord rebuke you, O Satan!  The Lord who has chosen Jerusalem rebuke you!  Is not this a brand plucked from the fire?"  Now Joshua was standing before the angel, clothed with filthy garments.  4 And the angel said to those who were standing before him, "Remove the filthy garments from him."  And to him he said, "Behold, I have taken your iniquity away from you, and I will clothe you with pure vestments."  5 And I said, "Let them put a clean turban on his head."  So they put a clan turban on his head and clothed him with garments.  And the angel of the Lord was standing by.

O - My child whom I love, today I want to tell you . . . you have come to me in filthy rags.  But I removed them and placed you in clean clothes.  I have restored you to the cleanness that you once were and have washed you.  Now go and live like you are one of my children, who belongs to me and obeys my commands.  

A - The Lord has cleansed me from all of my sins and transgressions.  The least I can do is obey him and follow his commands.  I should want to tell others of what he has done for me so they will want the same for themselves.  

P - Heavenly Father, thank you for all that you have done for me.  Thank you for rescuing me from my sin.  Forgive me for those times when I forget all of this and try to live my own way.  Help me to want to share you with others.  

09/22/12 - Haggai

S - Haggai 1:12 - Then Zerubbabel the son of Shealtiel, and Joshua the son of Jehozadak, the high priest, with all the remnant of the people, obeyed the voice of the Lord their God, and the words of Haggai the prophet, as the Lord their God had sent him. And the people feared the Lord.  13 Then Haggai, the messenger of the Lord, spoke to the people with the Lord's message, "I am with you, declared the Lord."  14 And the Lord stirred up the spirit of Zerubbabel the son of Shealtiel, governor of Judah, and the spirit of Joshua the son of Jehozadak, the high priest, and the spirit of all the remnant of the people.  And they came and worked on the house of the Lord of hosts, their God,  15 on the twenty-fourth day of the month, in the sixth month, in the second year of Darius the king.

O - My child whom I love, today I want to tell you . . . I am with you also.  Just as I was with my people back then as they rebuild the temple, I am with you as you rebuild your temple.  it is my desire that your temple be just as glorious as my temple was back then.  Each time you serve me, each time you follow my commands, each time you share my name with others, you are laying precious stones in your temple.  As you serve me longer and longer and you are more and more faithful to me, your temple becomes more and more glorious and more and more beautiful to me.

A - It is my desire that my temple become more beautiful and more glorious all the time.  I want to serve my Lord and follow his commands.  I want to tell others of the joy that he has brought me.  I want to celebrate him each and every day.

P - Heavenly Father, thank you for all that you do for me.  Forgive me for the times when I have chosen to not follow your commands.  Forgive me for the times when I have chosen not to speak your name in the presence of my friends.  Help me to continue to choose to follow your commands and to continue to gather with people to pray to you for the community that I work in, for my school, the teachers and the students.