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| Today |  | August 2 - August 8 2026 |  |
Aug2
Believe And Get Going
Matt 8:13 | |
| 13 | Then Jesus said to the centurion, "Go your way; and as you have believed, so let it be done for you." And his servant was healed that same hour. NKJV Go you way! As you have believed, let it be done for you. Jesus said this at an amazing time. He had met a Roman centurion. This guy wasn’t even from the area, but he had heard about the signs and wonders. He had heard about the feeding of the thousands. No doubt he had heard about the turning of the water to wine at the wedding. But it was those healings that had stuck in the back of his mind. He knew that what Jesus was doing was real. He knew that King Jesus taught with such authority that there was no way that he was just some local boy. That military commander knew that there was authority behind Jesus and he mentioned it as he said in Matthew 8:8 |
| 8 | The centurion answered and said, Lord, I am not worthy that thou shouldest come under my roof: but speak the word only, and my servant shall be healed. KJV When you have authority all you have to do is speak the word, and everything else will come into line. When Jesus left, He made it clear that he gave that authority to us in Matthew 28:18. saying, |
| 18 | "All authority has been given to Me in heaven and on earth...” NKJV Then right after that He told us to go into all the world, making followers of Him. If we look back at Matthew 8:13, we see that He told the commander to go as well. Why? Because he could see that the guy was believing. When you are believing and have faith in God’s Word, that thing that you have been believing is going to come to pass. But you’ve got to get going. That is when you are going to be able to go places with Jesus. Hallelujah! So many people live down and defeated lives because they forget to believe. They think they are believing but they have just become religious. That just is not good enough. It is not good enough just to go to church. You’ve got to get there and be a part of the worship, contribute. Help at your church. As you put your faith to action, your faith will grow. I repented and turned to Jesus in 1978, but I really started to see God working in my life and I started really hungering for more and more of Him in 1988. I think, if I wouldn’t have started seeking Him, I could still be floating around doing next to nothing. But when I got hungry, God started putting people of strong faith across my path. That changed me. His Word changed me and I wanted more and more. I learned to walk in health, I learned to walk in His power, and most importantly I learned that as I share what King Jesus has done for me in my life with others, my faith grows. It also reminds me of what God has done for me. He is so good! King Jesus repeatedly told people who had faith in Him to ‘go and you will have what you believe’. He told the Syrian woman who wanted her daughter delivered from the enemy (demon), He told the lepers, He told the blind, and many others. When they believed and when they went, that is when they got their miracle. I think a story in John 4 sums it up perfectly. A nobleman’s son was sick and near death. He also had heard of Jesus and His miracles. He went to meet the Messiah. Jesus saw his faith and told him, “Your son lives!” On the way home, his employees came to him and confirmed that indeed the son was risen up. The word says in John 4:53 |
| 53 | So the father knew that it was at the same hour in which Jesus said to him, "Your son lives." And he himself believed, and his whole household. NKJV That is what is all about! The nobleman went home with faith, and that is exactly when he got his miracle. Hallelujah! Are you believing? Then it is time to get going! Today’s Reading- |
James 2 | |
Proverbs 27 | |
Aug3
Looking For A Sign
Judg 6:37 | |
| 37 | look, I shall put a fleece of wool on the threshing floor; if there is dew on the fleece only, and it is dry on all the ground, then I shall know that You will save Israel by my hand, as You have said." NKJV A girl working at a clothing shop saw the good looking guy walking in. He was tall with brown hair and blue eyes. He was dressed nicely and was confident as he walked into the clothing store there at the mall. Kathy was a believer and as she had just graduated from high school, she was thinking about meeting the ‘right guy’ as she got ready to go off to University. Kathy had seen many people come and go from the store that she had been working at since she was a sophomore in high school. She was excited about a change but knew she really needed to focus on getting off to university and start work on that medical degree she had been dreaming about. As the guy came into the store, she said to herself, “ I’ll go over and asking him if there is anything he is looking for. If he says, ‘I am looking for a striped shirt’, then maybe this is a guy I am supposed to date”. Kathy knew that dating was usually a dead end and she also knew the Word told her to marry only believers. But she thought it doesn’t hurt just to date around a bit. She was looking for a sign to do something she knew was questionable. Kathy was setting herself up to get fleeced! Growing up, I heard many believers talking about ‘putting out a fleece’. What does that mean? It means someone putting out some type of sign to confirm that the someone needed to do. Just like Kathy did with the customer coming into her store. She knew if she spent time with guys that were unbelievers she would be compromising, but oh if there were a sign, that would tell her different. I think all of us have been guilty of putting out a fleece or looking for a sign, but we must realize that is not how God works. Putting out a fleece is usually done because people are not really trusting God. Instead of talking to God, people tell themselves things like, “If I get a scholarship at that University then I will know it is God’s will for me to go there (even though there is this other school on my heart)”, “If she accepts my offer for a date, then I will know she is the one I am to marry (even though I don’t know if she knows Jesus)”, “If the owner accepts my offer on that house, or “I will know it is God’s will (even though it is a bit more than I can afford right now)”. Gideon knew exactly what he was supposed to do, but he was trying to confirm things. Gideon was wasting his time, but God was faithful and gracious to work with him. Gideon was looking for a sign. We see people doing this from the Old Testament, but when you are looking for a sign it is usually because you are wanting to do something you know you shouldn’t do. It is compromise. What you compromise to get, you are going to have to compromise to keep. God does not lead us in this way. Especially as New Testament followers of Jesus the last thing we want to do. We are to be led by our spirits that are in tune with the Holy Spirit. Romans 8:5 says |
| 5 | For those who live according to the flesh set their minds on the things of the flesh, but those who live according to the Spirit, the things of the Spirit. NKJV When you are asking for a sign, you are walking by your physical senses. Your flesh. When you are living by how you feel, you are going to get in trouble. Galatians 5:16 says, |
| 16 | I say then: Walk in the Spirit, and you shall not fulfill the lust of the flesh. NKJV Live your life according to the Spirit. |
Rom 8:14 | |
| For as many as are led by the Spirit of God, these are sons of God. NKJV When you are led by the Spirit of God, you are like a mobile phone that is connected to the Holy Spirit mobile phone carrier. As you read, study, pray His Word; as you pray in tongues, you are led by the Spirit of God. You know exactly what to do and you know exactly God’s will because He will reveal it to you by His Word. Then you be like Ananias who listened to the Spirit and went to meet this persecutor of the followers of Jesus who was blinded. Ananias didn’t ask for a sign. Ananias listened to the Spirit of God with his spirit and in Damascus he prayed for Saul. Saul received his sight. Saul became Paul and rose up as a passionate world-changing follower of Jesus. Wanting to know God’s will for you? Want to better understand God’s ways? Spend time in His Word each day this week and spend time with Him. As you do this every day, your spirit will become sensitive to His. Today’s Reading- James 3-5 | |
Proverbs 29 | |
Aug4
But He Talked About God?
2 Thess 2:3-4 | |
| 3 | Let no one deceive you by any means; for that Day will not come unless the falling away comes first, and the man of sin is revealed, the son of perdition, 4 who opposes and exalts himself above all that is called God or that is worshiped, so that he sits as God in the temple of God, showing himself that he is God. NKJV Just because someone talks about God doesn’t mean they know Him. I find the easiest way to see the spiritual state of someone is to ask them what they think about Jesus. Things in the world are changing so quickly. We know from the Word of God the things that will happen as enter into the last days. For me, one of the most revealing verses is 2 Timothy 3:1-5, |
| 1 | But know this, that in the last days perilous times will come: 2 For men will be lovers of themselves, lovers of money, boasters, proud, blasphemers, disobedient to parents, unthankful, unholy, 3 unloving, unforgiving, slanderers, without self-control, brutal, despisers of good, 4 traitors, headstrong, haughty, lovers of pleasure rather than lovers of God, 5 having a form of godliness but denying its power. And from such people turn away! NKJV From this scripture we learn a lot about how people become. As we look at the violent films and music, the sexual sin, the abuse of people; we see more and more that the world we live in is really going in this direction. As a believer, our spiritual lights are getting brighter and brighter, as the world gets darker. The world needs Jesus! Many people know that Revelations reveals a lot to us about the last days. The book of Thessalonians also reveals what will happen in the last days and really fills us in more on who is going to be doing what, and when. You see we have politicians and world leaders that say they are ‘Christians’. You look at their lifestyles where they do not regularly fellowship with other believers, misinterpret the Word of God, and completely disregard the importance of human life and know that they are just branding themselves ‘Christian’ to win votes. In many cases, these people are anti-christs. They are against Christ (the Messiah Jesus) and will be judged for their deception and lies. But there is someone worse coming. First Thessalonians 2 tells us about a “the man of sin... the son of perdition...” Who is this person? This person is the anti-Christ. A person who will likely come on the scene as a world leader, who will deceive many. How are we going to know who this person is? Many people have guessed the former leader of communist Russia, the US president, and even the Pope could be this anti-Christ. How will we know? We will know the anti-Christ when we see the Jewish temple rebuilt in Jerusalem and a world leader who proclaims himself as God. However if you read the first part of Thessalonians you will notice that there is going to be a great falling away. What is this? This falling away is the time when people will be deceived and fall away from God. The Messiah Jesus told us to be careful saying |
Matt 24:4-5 | |
| 4 | And Jesus answered and said to them: "Take heed that no one deceives you. 5 For many will come in My name, saying, 'I am the Christ,' and will deceive many. NKJV What do we do? Do we sit around and just watch things happen? Absolutely not! You and I are to pray and be diligent. We are to fight the enemy because hell is the backer of this anti-Christ. We should not be deceived. |
Eph 5:6 | |
| 6 | Let no one deceive you with empty words, for because of these things the wrath of God comes upon the sons of disobedience. NKJV For me, I am not concerned or worried about these last days. I will focus on Jesus, the author and finisher of our faith, so that when deceivers come, I will know them. We can all know Him. There is only one who is lost with absolutely no hope. Jesus prayed for us in John 17:12 saying, |
| 12 | While I was with them in the world, I kept them in Your name. Those whom You gave Me I have kept; and none of them is lost except the son of perdition, that the Scripture might be fulfilled. NKJV You have a hope and a future. Pray for your nation, your church, your family, pray that the Holy Spirit will draw people you meet by His divine appointment each day. Be a light to the people in your life. There is not much time left. Jesus is coming back soon! Today’s Reading- |
1 Peter 1 | |
Proverbs 30 | |
Aug5
Getting Higher
Acts 2:13 | |
| 13 | “...Others mocking said, "They are full of new wine." NKJV A few years ago, I decided not to drink. What hastened this decision was a sip of a glass of champagne at a birthday ‘party’ for an employee at my British friend’s company. I had stopped by with one of my guys to say hello at lunchtime at their office in Tokyo. My friend was the president and had earlier had someone purchase a small cake and had a bottle of champagne to commemorate the birthday of one of the ladies in his office. When we arrived, he was very cordial and showed us around his office capped off by offering us a piece of cake and a glass of that alcohol. I just took a sip thinking it was no big deal and put it down. That sip led to a nagging headache. I later decided in a discussion with my wife at home that drinking alcohol was expensive, dangerous because you many times do things you regret later, and generally bad for your health. From that day, I have avoided even a sip of alcohol. Although, I never was much of a drinker, it gets you thinking, why does drinking booze appeal to people? There are probably three reasons why people drink. Many people drink to forget their pain and past. Others drink as a way to be social. The third group do it because they are trying to feel good. If you are trying to forget, this drug called alcohol can help you do it for a time. But eventually, you are going to come to your senses and remember that pain. The book of Proverbs is the book of wisdom. It has a lot to say on the subject of drinking. It refers to alcohol as wine. Proverbs 20:1 says, |
| 1 | Wine is a mocker, Strong drink is a brawler, And whoever is led astray by it is not wise. NKJV Some very good advice from Proverbs on drinking and it’s merits. then Proverbs 21:17 says, |
| 17 | ...He who loves wine and oil will not be rich. NKJV I want to prosper and create an inheritance for my children’s children as the Word says, that is what a good person does. To me, it sounds like beer, wine, whiskey, or any type of fermented drink has the potential to mess you up. Earlier on, I remember one night at my father and mother in laws house. My sister in law had got a fruity wine from a friend and brought that with her for that dinner. I had one glass thinking, “Even Timothy was told a bit of wine is healthy”. With that second glass, I was swishing the wine in the glass in my hand and watching in swirl in the glass. As I watched it sparkle, the Holy Spirit spoke to me and reminded me of Proverbs 23:31-32, which says, |
| 31 | Do not look on the wine when it is red, When it sparkles in the cup, When it swirls around smoothly; |
| 32 | At the last it bites like a serpent, And stings like a viper. NKJV If you read on in Proverbs, you will see how dangerous alcohol really is. As I sat there swirling the wine in my glass, the Holy Spirit had spoken to me. I put it down and asked Yahweh for forgiveness for being so foolish. Praise God for His Word. I have learned that there is something even better if you want to be social, forget your pain, or even get happy. Receiving the baptism of the Holy Spirit is a must for every believer. Why? When you are baptized in the Spirit, you receive the gift of tongues that helps you to pray when you don’t know how to pray. But it doesn’t stop there. When you read the Word, the Holy Spirit teaches you and shows you insights on how that scripture applies to your life. One of my favorites part of the baptism of the Holy Spirit is that joy. The Word says, “the joy of the Lord is my strength”. How true that is! With the baptism of the Spirit, no matter what is happening you can have joy. A Tokyo real estate agent asked me one day, “Spencer, why are you always happy?” With a quick prayer for the Holy Spirit to draw him I replied, “Because I am a follower of Jesus, I have nothing to worry about.” You can meet up with believers and friends who know Jesus from all over the world and even without drinking, you can have such joy and laugh and joke and just have a fun time. And there are no hangovers to deal with the next day! That is exactly what happened when the first people in the world were baptized in the Holy Spirit. In Acts 2:13, we see that people were so happy and full of joy that people mocked the new believers who were baptized in the Holy Spirit. I don’t drink, and people know I decided not to touch the stuff but people have commented many times to me. “You are so happy, playful and full of joy and you didn’t have a drink!” That’s right, I am happy and full of joy because I have been baptized in the Holy Spirit. Whatever comes at me, I will have the victory by the authority of the powerful Name of Jesus the Messiah, whom I serve. Do you serve Him? Are you full of joy? If you don’t know Him, turn to Him now. If you aren’t filled with His joy, get to a Bible-believing Spirit-filled church and get prayed for to receive the baptism of the Holy Spirit. You can never get higher. Today’s Reading- |
| 1 | Peter 1-3 |
Proverbs 31 | |
Aug6
Avoiding The Mess
Romans 5:15 | |
| 15 | But the free gift is not like the offense. For if by the one man's offense many died, much more the grace of God and the gift by the grace of the one Man, Jesus Christ, abounded to many. NKJV I can’t imagine living in the world without Jesus. Enduring power is not physical, it is spiritual. However, if you want to access the power, the potential that you have in life, you need to tap into the spiritual. The only way to tap into real power, which is based in on the authority of King Jesus, you’ve got to know Him. However, remember sin separates and will keep you from that authority you have as a believer. I was on the train on the way back out of central Tokyo. A young mother was standing there with a baby strapped to her front side. The child must have been 6 months old and was a bit big for the carrying harness. The little boy was fussing and whining. For Japanese, they normally don’t want to be a nuisance to the people around so the mother was quite embarrassed there standing near the door on the train. She must have just fed him.... Just a few moments later I heard the familiar sound of the baby spitting up his food... all over his mama. I felt so sorry for his mama, she must have been so embarrassed, frustrated, and at lost for what to do. She was a mess. It reminded me of sin. Sin, our imperfections, our wrongs, are something that we think of as being personal or private. However, we’ve got to realize when we sin it hurts others. When we drink alcohol and drive intoxicated people get killed, when the spouse runs off with some other person their mate and children suffer, when we curse and swear our children start to mimic us. Just like that mother with spit up all over her, when you willingly sin you are getting muck all over you spiritually. By the sin of Eve and Adam, we were separated from God. However, by the work of Jesus we are made right before Him! Hallelujah! |
Isaiah 53:11 | |
| 11 | He shall see the labor of His soul, and be satisfied. By His knowledge My righteous Servant shall justify many, For He shall bear their iniquities. NKJV Isaiah, the Israeli man from thousands of years ago, predicted that the Messiah Jesus would come and make us all right to correct the wrong of Adam and Eve. What is that like? It is like the mother in the train with spit up, but it didn’t stick. The work of Jesus keeps you clean, pure and completely holy before the Father. If you mess up, you pray 1 John 1:8,9 and get yourself clean immediately. So who did Jesus die for? Who did He raise from the dead for? He came back to life for you and me, but not only us believers, but also every person on this earth. The only beings with no hope are the demons. They are lost because they already made their choice. But as long as there is breath the human body, there is hope for that person. |
1 John 2:2 | |
| 2 | And He Himself is the propitiation for our sins, and not for ours only but also for the whole world. NKJV Pray for the people around you today. Pray the Holy Spirit draw them. Pray that they will hunger and thirst for righteousness. Changing this world starts with you, believing God, and praying for those around you. Today’s Reading- |
| 1 | Peter 1-4 |
Proverbs 4 | |
Aug7
The Way, Can A Believer Lose It?
Rom 12:21 | |
| 21 | Do not be overcome by evil, but overcome evil with good. NKJV Wow! We live in a vile world. People tend to put themselves first above others. If they think if something does not affect them, then they don’t care. Films, music, videos, television shows all become more and more foul as people vie for the attention and advertising cash. If you go along with the world, you will be swept into darkness. However, there is no future for foul language, sexual sin, pornographic and sleazy materials. This is all wicked before our perfect and awesome Almighty Yahweh. Our era is not the first time the world has become evil or wicked. Remember the times of Noah? |
Gen 6:5-6 | |
| 5 | Then the Lord saw that the wickedness of man was great in the earth, and that every intent of the thoughts of his heart was only evil continually. 6 And the Lord was sorry that He had made man on the earth, and He was grieved in His heart. NKJV In the Old Testament, we see the term, ‘the Lord’ a lot. This is translated from the Hebrew original Adonai that does mean ‘Lord’. The Israeli people of the time didn’t like to write Yahweh’s name because they held it in high reverence. Of course, we hold the Name of Yahweh in high reverence also, but as we have a lot of things pretending to be ‘God’, I like to make it clear that Yahweh is the Almighty God. There is no other. I replace ‘the Lord’ with Yahweh when I read the Word of God. God is personal and He is loving to me. Romans tell us not to be overcome with evil. To understand the context of the Word, I like to ask myself, “Was this passage written to believers or unbelievers?” Romans was written to believers. That means that even after we have repented and turned to Jesus, we must remain diligent to protect our hearts each day. Remember being a follower of Jesus is a lifestyle. You’ve got to guard yourself! You’ve got to make sure you are not overcome by evil. Where does evil start? It starts in your head and comes through the gateway of feelings. What are you thinking? There is a way to go and you have to guard yourself in The Way. |
Proverbs 22:5 | |
| 5 | Thorns and snares are in the way of the perverse; He who guards his soul will be far from them. NKJV |
Proverbs 23:19 | |
| 19 | Hear, my son, and be wise; And guide your heart in the way. NKJV Oh pastor! But I will just follow my gut feeling. I don’t need this Jesus you talk about. Well there is one for you as well. Proverbs 28:26 says, |
| 26 | He who trusts in his own heart is a fool, But whoever walks wisely will be delivered. NKJV You can’t trust you ‘gut feeling’ you need to be led by the Spirit of God. Remember in the garden before Jesus was arrested, He told his friends, in Mark 14:38, |
| 38 | Watch and pray, lest you enter into temptation. The spirit indeed is willing, but the flesh is weak." NKJV So this brings up the question. If you have repented and turned to Jesus, is it possible to fall away from God and lose your salvation and your relationship with Him? I met an American pastor the other day, who said that it is impossible to lose your salvation. But if my wife stops loving me and making and an effort to have a relationship with me, will she lose her relationship with me? Absolutely! We must be careful and we must be diligent. |
Hebrews 12:15 | |
| 15 | looking carefully lest anyone fall short of the grace of God; lest any root of bitterness springing up cause trouble, and by this many become defiled; NKJV According to Hebrews we can fall short of the grace of God. What is this grace? Well, the Word says by faith we are saved through grace. Simply put, no grace, no salvation. As a believer, you have a relationship with the most High Yahweh, the god of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. If you want to have a relationship with someone, you have to make an effort to talk with them, keep up with them, to spend time with them. Make time today to get into God’s presence! Today’s Reading- |
1 Peter 5 | |
Proverbs 5 | |
Aug8
Flowing Together
Romans 12:5-8 | |
| 5 | so we, being many, are one body in Christ, and individually members of one another. 6 Having then gifts differing according to the grace that is given to us, let us use them: if prophecy, let us prophesy in proportion to our faith; 7 or ministry, let us use it in our ministering; he who teaches, in teaching; 8 he who exhorts, in exhortation; he who gives, with liberality; he who leads, with diligence; he who shows mercy, with cheerfulness. NKJV I was recently impressed by the church family I have the pleasure to serve King Jesus with in Japan. One of our brothers wanted to arrange a special event. Weeks before we called meetings with him and church leadership, we started talking about what we wanted to accomplish and how we could help him complete what he wanted to do. Much of the church family pitched in to make the event. Three people had stayed late the Sunday before cleaning and organizing to make space for the event. Extra chairs were brought in the night before. That next Sunday morning, people were at the church early to make sure everything was in order. People were at the station to assure that guests could find our building. The worship team had arrived early to practice the songs they had decided on via instant messenger and mobile phone. The prayer team was praying for hours weeks before the event so that the message of the Word would be heard, that people would meet Jesus and that others would have signs and wonders. Much prayer and preparation was put into the message to assure that we would have the word for the people for that day and that hour. Many other preparations were made for food, special music, the order of the service, and other things that needed to be done for the service. It turned out to be a huge success. Why? Our church family flowed together. We are all serving Yahweh, the God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. We were not looking to promote any individuals. At the end of that service that day, people heard about Jesus, people got a Word from the Lord, people were charged by anointed worship, people were able to find themselves to the building, and people were helped to find a seat. It was very good! I was so impressed and honored to be a part of such a wonderful family. Who is my family? It is not the kids my parents adopted or those who were born from the same womb. I’ll follow King Jesus’ comment on that. Matthew 12:50 says, |
| 50 | For whoever does the will of My Father in heaven is My brother and sister and mother." NKJV My family is those who do His will, hallelujah! We were doing the will of the Father as a church even more that Sunday because we flowed together. People heard about healing, people were in encouraged in their believing, people were lifted up in worship, most importantly people heard that they needed Jesus and they responded. it was a powerful time. It is a lot of work pastoring a church, but sometimes people get jealous of the authority and the power that flows from a pastor as he flows in the Holy Spirit. There is no reason for that, but the pastors do have to protect their hearts to make sure what they are on the stage is what they are off the stage. Worship leaders have a wonderful opportunity to lead believers into the presence of God through song, and sometimes people get jealous of them. But they do not see the work behind that Sunday and weekday worship. The roles of the associate pastors, ushers, security, intercessors in prayer, children’s ministers, child care, worship band musicians, artists, media specialists, audio video engineers, power group leaders, evangelists, greeters... all these roles are so important. By themselves, they have some impact, however flowing together as the body of Christ they have even more power. More is going to happen in the kingdom of God when we work together than by ourselves. From today, I encourage you to see yourself as more than just an individual in your church. See yourself as a part of the orchestra of faith. What good is an orchestra with only strings (violins, violas and other stringed instruments)? What good is that orchestra with only percussion (drums), or just horns? Of course, you can listen to them for a while, but when all the instruments come together they make beautiful music together. Discover your gifting and apply it at your church from this Sunday. There is a lot of good information in Romans 12 but also in 1 Corinthians 12. We are all the body of Christ but we have different callings. If the right foot says I don’t want to run, then the body is just as handicapped as if the mouth says I don’t want to preach. We’ve got to flow together as one body. If we do this, nothing can stop us. It is all about love. |
Eph 4:15-16 | |
| 15 | but, speaking the truth in love, may grow up in all things into Him who is the head — Christ — 16 from whom the whole body, joined and knit together by what every joint supplies, according to the effective working by which every part does its share, causes growth of the body for the edifying of itself in love. NKJV Today’s Reading- |
2 Peter 1 | |
Proverbs 6 | |
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