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| Today |  | October 11 - October 17 2026 |  |
Oct11
From the Dark Ages To The Mountain Tops
John 16:23 | |
| 23 | "And in that day you will ask Me nothing. Most assuredly, I say to you, whatever you ask the Father in My name He will give you. NKJV As kids I remember seeing television programs and reading stories about mythical people with magical powers called genies. If a person discovered a genie you could supposedly ask them three wishes of whatever you wanted and you could have those wishes come true. In real life, we know that no one can just give you anything based on what you wish for because no one has that power. If you are a follower of Jesus there are some costs, but there are also some amazing benefits. 1 Timothy 4:8 says godliness, following Jesus, is profitable. That means there are great benefits to really knowing Jesus. |
| 8 | For bodily exercise profits a little, but godliness is profitable for all things, having promise of the life that now is and of that which is to come. NKJV When you read John 16:23, we see that Yahweh wants us to have what we need. He does not want us to suffer and struggle to get by. I have met so many religious people who have what I call a “Dark Ages Mentality”. That is, they believe the lies of the Roman church hundreds of years ago that told the masses that “poverty is next to godliness”, “Everything that happens to you is God’s will”, “and “God teaches you through suffering”. This lie went through many churches. The Dark Ages Mentality will lead you to the wrong place, and try to keep you longer than you want to stay. Jesus came that we might have life, an overflowing life (John 10:10)! The powers of hell want to take that away and get you bound up in sin, sickness and death. Don’t listen to them! In John 16:23, what did Jesus the Messiah say you could ask for? Whatever! You see previously people had to ask God through priests. In Old Testament times the priests’ sins had been covered by the blood of the animals, but they still weren’t forgiven. When Jesus died and rose from the dead we were cleansed from our sins. Everyone who believes on the Name of Jesus and turns to Him is white as fresh snow. There are still groups that try to communicate to God through priests. These groups are living in confusion, submit yourself to them and you will be in confusion as well. King Jesus said, ‘Ask the Father in my name’. That’s right! You don’t have to ask some guy to ask God for you. You don’t have to go to some particular person to get forgiveness. Go to God right NOW in Jesus’ name and ask Him to forgive you of the sins and wash you clean of all your wrongs and mistakes. Then start ask Him for what you need. A spouse, a better job, a healthy body, physical protection, a good place to live, a car... whatever. That’s right, whatever! But Spencer, what are the guidelines? How do I know what to ask? The answer lies in 1 John 5:14 which says, |
| 14 | Now this is the confidence that we have in Him, that if we ask anything according to His will, He hears us. NKJV So whatever you ask for, ask according to His will, that is the Word of God. Whatever you ask for needs to be supported by the Word of God. Like all the items mentioned above. But for example, if you ask for someone else’s spouse to be your spouse you know that is against the Word because God hates divorce. If you ask to rule the world, you know that is not in line with the Word because Jesus was given all authority and He gave that to all believers. It’s pretty straight forward, when you pray you can have pretty much whatever you need. Not to just fill your garage with cars, buy big houses, or get fat. God wants you to have whatever so that you can be a blessing to others. Believers have to learn to flow. Flowing is giving, when you give it comes back to you. Why is our God so good? If you continue on in John 16 you can see what Jesus said right after saying you can pray for anything. |
John 16:24 | |
| 24 | Until now you have asked nothing in My name. Ask, and you will receive, that your joy may be full. NKJV God has a full life planned for you. Are you walking in it? If not, get yourself to a spirit-filled church that preaches the uncompromising Word, read the Word, pray it, and meditate on it. Then make sure you are a blessing and encourage the family of God as well as tell people about Jesus. Do these things and every day you will be on the mountain top and watch what you have prayed for come to pass. Hallelujah! Today’s Reading- |
Proverbs 21 | |
| Annual Bible Reading Plan at www.vwc.jp | |
Oct12
The Covenant & The House
Ezekiel 20:12 | |
| 12 | Moreover I also gave them My Sabbaths, to be a sign between them and Me, that they might know that I am the Lord who sanctifies them. NKJV Someone may say, “Ah, I am tired I had a hard week. I am going to sleep late on Sunday.” Others may say, “You know that pastor, I don’t like what he said in his message a few weeks back. I am offended and am not going to go to church.” There are all sorts of excuses for not being in church on Sunday, but if you want to go deeper with God, you’ve got to be in His house every Sunday. You are going for YOU, not for the people there. You need to be there, on time and ready to enjoy an anointed message and powerful Spirit-filled music. There is nothing that can substitute for getting into the Lord’s house. Nothing. As a matter of fact, Sunday is the Lord’s day. It is not only the time that you set aside to head to church, it is also a sign of the covenant you have with your heavenly Father. Ezekiel 20:12 confirms that. Going to be in God’s house on Sunday not only refreshes you and uplifts you, but it also a demonstration, a testimony, to yourself and all around you that you serve Him first. It shows your neighbors and friends why you are blessed with great health, wealth, and godly wisdom. You know Hebrews 10:24-25 says, |
| 24 | And let us consider one another in order to stir up love and good works, 25 not forsaking the assembling of ourselves together, as is the manner of some, but exhorting one another, and so much the more as you see the Day approaching. NKJV Sunday is important and being in His house is a must to being a follower of Jesus. It demonstrates our relationship with God almighty but there is more to the story. It stirs you up spiritually. Sunday is your day to be refreshed and uplifted. It is your day to be spiritually rejuvenated. It is also a sign that God has created and rejuvenated you, His people and you have a covenant with Him. You are His child. You are the sons of God by faith in Jesus the Messiah. Sunday is not meant to be some burdensome obligation. It is a sign that we are God’s people. It is also an example of how we are to work. Remember God created the environment we live in in 6 says (the earth as we know it, the stars, the vegetation, the animal life, and man), but what did He do on the 7th day? He rested. Was God tired? No, He was showing us by example how we are to live. We are to work, and on the 7th day we are to rest. Resting doesn’t mean just sleeping. It also means refreshing yourself so you are ready for the new week. Experts say your body needs 8 hours of sleep each night to be refreshed and ready for the new day. Weight lifters usually sleep 10 hours plus because they have been aggressively training their bodies. What humans need more than anything is we need to refresh ourselves spiritually. How do you truly refresh yourself? Acts 3:19 says, |
| 19 | Repent therefore and be converted, that your sins may be blotted out, so that times of refreshing may come from the presence of the Lord... NKJV Get to God’s house, get clean from all the mistakes, worries, and concerns of the week before and renew yourself in your spirit first. If you are spiritually fit, then the physical fitness part is easy. It is great to exercise. They say getting your heart rate up doing some vigorous exercise for more than 20 minutes, at least three days a week, is essential to good health. That is important for your physical body... your shell. That Bible says physical exercise profits a bit. But for your spirit you’ve got to get to God’s House every week. It is more important than anything else. Look forward to getting into God’s house this weekend and be ready to be uplifted and refreshed by the power of the Holy Spirit. Today’s Reading- |
Proverbs 24 | |
| Annual Bible Reading Plan at www.vwc.jp | |
Oct13
Green With God
Jeremiah 17:7-8 | |
| 7 | "Blessed is the man who trusts in the Lord, And whose hope is the Lord. |
| 8 | For he shall be like a tree planted by the waters, Which spreads out its roots by the river, And will not fear when heat comes; But its leaf will be green, And will not be anxious in the year of drought, Nor will cease from yielding fruit. NKJV In Psalm 1 we read about how a believer is like a tree that is planted by the rivers of living water. I call it ‘tree faith’. Faith is not like a meal, you don’t just eat it once and think you are going to be good for the next hundred years. You don’t repent and turn to Jesus and just go back to what you are doing. Faith is a lifestyle. Faith is like a healthy tree. You have to be connected to the river of the Holy Spirit. The river of the Holy Spirit is fresh and new. That river makes sure you stay spiritually fit if you remain connected. If you think about root system of a tree, there is not just one root that connects the tree to the river. There is a system of roots that are all spreading out and daily bringing nourishment of water and minerals to that tree. If the roots below the ground are healthy, then the tree itself will be healthy as well. For a believer, it is not just going to church once a week, it is what you are doing every day the rest of the week. Are you feeding and reading the Word, are you spending time in His presence, are you telling people about what Jesus did for you, are you praying for the sick or people that come to mind during the week? Psalm 1:1-3 is beautiful on this. If you are actively trusting Yahweh each day, then I would say you have tree faith. But one thing in Jeremiah 17:7-8 notes is something we should also notice as well. It is the last part of verse 8 that says, |
| 8 | And will not fear when heat comes; But its leaf will be green, And will not be anxious in the year of drought, Nor will cease from yielding fruit. See, sometimes trials come because we live in a corrupt world. You may not always feel that spiritual high when you wake up in the morning. The heat comes, but what does the person with tree faith do? You don’t fear! Don’t shrivel up, turn brown, or die. You are not anxious about the mess the world has got themselves in around them. It’s leaves are green and healthy! This is the way you and I have to be. Green and healthy like a tree connected to a flowing river. After working in one of Asia’s largest cities, I flew to my birthplace and went to visit my parents, as we drove from the airport to their home my eyes were in shock. I was so used to the grays of concrete buildings and shiny glass. But my eyes were getting beautiful views of the green trees and the brown forest along the road all highlighted by the gorgeous weather that day. Isaiah 58:11 says, |
| 11 | The Lord will guide you continually, And satisfy your soul in drought, And strengthen your bones; You shall be like a watered garden, NKJV Yahweh will guide you continually! What a great promise to those who are spiritually connected to the continual flow of the river of the Holy Spirit. Uplifted and refreshed for a new day. What great benefits to the Spirit-filled believer. Today’s Reading- |
Proverbs 25 | |
| Annual Bible Reading Plan at www.vwc.jp | |
Oct14
Talking & Drawing
Isaiah 65:24 | |
| 24 | "It shall come to pass That before they call, I will answer; And while they are still speaking, I will hear. NKJV Every so often run into someone at the store or station or some other public place that you haven’t seen for a long time. Most the time you end the conversation with, “Let’s keep in touch”. Occasionally you’ll get the person who tells you, “Give me a call once in a while and we’ll keep in touch”. When someone tells you to contact them, it evokes this feeling that they are talking down to you. That said, the other person usually gets turned off and not only doesn’t contact them again, but they actually stay away from them because they get the impression that person is arrogant. Why? Friendship and communication is a two way thing. It is equal. If people want to keep up with each other then they have to both make an effort. God wants to have a personal relationship with us. Can you believe that? The Creator of all that is, and was, and ever will be, wants to converse with you! He wants to know you! That is amazing. So many times we are so physically minded we only seem to think about what we can see. We don’t think deeply about things and see the purpose. If you have ever looked down from a jetliner at the landscape or even ocean below you, you realize who huge this creation we live on is, and how well it is set up. The world is in corruption until Jesus comes back, but it is still so amazing to look at the mountains, trees, rivers, and even the beauty of the stars when you get out away from all the big city lights. James tells us to draw near to God, then He will draw near to us. God wants to give us a free choice to draw near to Him. I think that might be why the Word sometimes calls us the “Bride of Christ”, because we have to respond. We have to do the draw near to Him first because He doesn’t want to force Himself on us. Ps 73:28 says, |
| 28 | But it is good for me to draw near to God; I have put my trust in the Lord God, That I may declare all Your works. NKJV We’ve got to make the first step to God. In most cases, He is not going to chase us down. I remember sitting in a coffee shop in Seoul with a guy from London. He sat there demanding that God reveal Himself to him otherwise ‘God must not exist’. I prayerfully planted some seeds with Him, but realized he was not open so I let him continue briefly and gracefully finished the meeting. You’ve got to make the effort to go deeper with God. You’ve got to do it. You’ve got to talk to Him and listen to what He has to say to your spirit (that is prayer). In Isaiah 65:24, I like the image I get when I study that verse. God already knows what I am going to pray. He wants to answer our prayers that are in line with His Word. He wants us blessed so we can be a blessing. But we have to pray in faith. We have to pray expecting in faith to see the response. Expect nothing and that is what you will get. Expect great things and that is what you will get. Hallelujah! Talk to God today. Tell Him your hearts desires. He so wants to have a relationship with you. Don’t let your relationship with God end each Sunday when you walk out of church. Talk to Him when you are walking, working, exercising, eating... whatever and wherever you are. Learn to glory as His child. After all, glory is the power and presence of the most high God. The better you know Him, the better you will flow with Him. Just as a husband and wife know what the other is thinking before they speak it because of their close relationship, you too can be connected to the almighty Yahweh knowing Him and He you. Today’s Reading- |
Proverbs 26 | |
| Annual Bible Reading Plan at www.vwc.jp | |
Oct15
Becoming A Champion- Faith Professionals
Prov 27:17 | |
| 17 | As iron sharpens iron, So a man sharpens the countenance of his friend. NKJV Fellowship, when you look at the word itself you see that ‘fellow’ is a big part of the word. ‘Fellow’ meaning another person. Of course, we see ‘fellow’ as a male in human terms, but to God male and female are equal in His site. (Actually, if you think about it, God is probably neither male or female). However fellowship is being with other fellows, or people. Individuals who withdraw themselves from society or being around other people are heading for trouble. Being around good people is important. Proverbs 27:17 shows us that ‘fellowship’ sharpens you. I say, ‘If you want to be a champion, you have to run with the champions’. If you have ever sharpened a knife you will know that you have to have something harder than the knife to be able to get a good edge for your knife. You have to have a sharpening stone to get that dull thing sharp and ready to cut the veggies, open those boxes and be useful again. You cannot sharpen a knife with something softer than itself. You will never see anyone sharpen a knife with rubber, paper, or even a sponge. The knife needs something at least about the same or more solid than itself to get a good edge again. It is same with believers. Strong believers are strong because they are around strong believers. I can’t tell you how many times I have heard of people “having church at home” when they are not going to any Spirit-filled church. That is lame and is not church at all. Why? There is no fellowship. If you want to be a strong believer you have to weekly get into God’s presence, being encouraged and reminded of who you are and what you’ve got, and fellowship with other victors. Hebrews 10:24 says |
| 24 | And let us consider one another in order to stir up love and good works, NKJV Fellowship stirs each other up. We’ve got to stir each other up and strengthen each other up. If you have ever purchased exercise equipment for home, in most cases, you know what it is like to waste money. Well, most the time people buy something to use at home, they end up not using it at all. I remember wife and I bought a treadmill in Korea. We brought it back and plugged it in... and never really used it. The best way to get exercise is to go where other people of like-mind are going to do the same thing. When you go to the gym and see other people on that treadmill working hard to stay fit, you are inspired to do the same. Although Ecclesiastes was written by Solomon when he was out of fellowship with God. There is a good little piece of wisdom there in Eccl 4:9 that says, |
| 9 | Two are better than one, Because they have a good reward for their labor. NKJV Remember Jesus sent out His followers two by two to go out and preach the good news of the Kingdom of God. There is no reason that you should be the ‘lone wolf’ Christian. There are believers out there that are the same or stronger than you and you need to make sure you get yourself regularly around them. If not, you will find yourself slipping into the darkness of the world. That is what happens to most of these people that supposedly “have church at home”. You can’t effectively have church at home unless you have a bunch of people coming there and have that fellowship that Hebrews 10:25 tells us not to forsake doing. If you are just doing Sunday worship now, challenge yourself to do something more during the week. Start a breakfast meeting or an evening Bible study. Do something that will connect you with other believers that can help you build your faith up. |
1 John 5:4 | |
| For whatever is born of God overcomes the world. And this is the victory that has overcome the world — our faith. NKJV Run with spiritual winners and you can become spiritual champions for the Kingdom. Today’s Reading- | |
Proverbs 27 | |
| Annual Bible Reading Plan at www.vwc.jp | |
Oct16
Good Teachers, Good Students
2 Thess 2:1-2 | |
| 1 | Now, brethren, concerning the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ and our gathering together to Him, we ask you, 2 not to be soon shaken in mind or troubled, either by spirit or by word or by letter, as if from us, as though the day of Christ had come. NKJV JESUS is coming back soon. Are you ready? He is coming back for a church that is without spot or wrinkle. Are you ready? This is something we have to be thinking about, but we shouldn’t be worried. We should be seeking Him and His Kingdom first, then all the other things will come. However, Thessalonians says we should not be ‘shaken in mind or troubled’. We shouldn’t be worried about Jesus’ return. But we should be anxiously anticipating His return. While we are here we do need to be vigilant. There are people on this earth that are anti-Christ. We pity them because rather than going to the light, they are going to the darkness. As you read on in Thessalonians, we see what we need to be vigilant for. |
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 We are to make sure that we are not deceived. What does that mean? That means that when you are listening to teaching, make sure it is in line with the Word of God. If someone teaches something contrary, then you should be wary. Some teachers do err but are not necessarily anti-Christ, they have sometimes just made mistakes. But our responsibility as the listener is to make sure we are not just blindly following them into error. If they are deceivers you will know because there are multiple instances of error being taught, when you see that you need to act. Don’t just sit there. My wife and I used to go to one particular minister’s conference every year. It was fun and it was encouraging. Then we went to a revival meeting in Florida that helped us to see the need for holiness, purity, and a white-hot heart hungering the things of God. It changed us. When we went back to the minister’s conference we noticed they talked a lot about prosperity which was good. But when you have 12 speakers covering the same thing and you are hungry for God, you want more. There was no deception there. Just maybe a bit of over-emphasis or a need for variation. As a follower of Jesus, you are called to “study to show yourself approved”. You can’t just blindly follow some person. It is “Follow me as I follow Jesus. If I fail, keep following Jesus because He is the reason we live”. As you go about your day today, think about how you can show Jesus to the people around you. They will know us by our love, so we need to show love. At the same time, they will know us by our teaching. As a Spirit-filled, tongue-talking, Bible-believing person, people will know the truth you are sharing from the lies of this world (even if it is in “Christian” packaging). You can tell the power churches from the DAM (dark ages mentality) churches. People know. Remember the people observed Jesus in Mark 1:22 as it says, |
| 22 | And they were astonished at His teaching, for He taught them as one having authority, and not as the scribes. NKJV Make an effort to be a great student. The best students always become the best teachers, especially when they are filled with the purity and the power of the Holy Spirit. Today’s Reading- |
Proverbs 28 | |
| Annual Bible Reading Plan at www.vwc.jp | |
Oct17
Blessings From What You’ve Got
2 Kings 4:2-4 | |
| 2 | So Elisha said to her, "What shall I do for you? Tell me, what do you have in the house?" And she said, "Your maidservant has nothing in the house but a jar of oil." |
| 3 | Then he said, "Go, borrow vessels from everywhere, from all your neighbors — empty vessels; do not gather just a few. 4 And when you have come in, you shall shut the door behind you and your sons; then pour it into all those vessels, and set aside the full ones." NKJV “Pastor, if only I win the lottery I will give more to God’s house and do more ministry related work” is probably not what most people are saying, but it is definitely something many people are thinking. We think that when (or more like “if”) we come into some great resources suddenly, then we are going to do something more for the Kingdom. It is a nice thought, but it is not the way the Kingdom of God actually works. God’s Kingdom expands based on what you do, your faith in action. If you do nothing, then nothing is going to happen. But faith is like a seed, you have to use what you’ve got. That’s right, your blessings don’t come from some winning of some prize, your blessings come from using what you’ve got. Elisha met a woman who had nothing. Apparently, her husband was dead and she had two sons to care for. Worse yet, she was in debt and someone was coming to collect. If she couldn’t pay, her sons were going to be sold into slavery. Her situation looked pretty bad. Along came a follower of the Kingdom, Elisha. She knew she needed a miracle in her life so she got around people of strong faith. He asked what she had and she told him all she had was a jar of oil. From the reading, we aren’t sure what kind of oil it was, but from what we read it was probably oil used to light the small lamps in the houses of that day. It had value as everyone needed light in their dark earthen houses of the day. The faith man told her to borrow containers from anyone she could and start pouring her jar of oil out into the containers. With the help of her two sons, they got as many as they could get and began to poor that one jar of oil out. Miraculously, the oil kept coming out of that jar. They brought more containers, and the oil kept flowing and flowing, container after container. Finally, they ran out of containers and then the oil stopped. We don’t know how many containers they filled, but obviously it must have been quite a few. By selling the oil that they had, the woman was able to pay off her debts and have enough money left over to support herself and her sons from that time on. Hallelujah! What have we got to learn from this? Don’t expect God to drop cash from heaven, although He could surely do it. But use what you’ve got. Remember the story of the ten talents? Matthew 25:11-27 is where Jesus the Messiah gives us these insights on how the Kingdo mof God works. He says in Matt 25:14,15, |
| 14 | "For the kingdom of heaven is like a man traveling to a far country, who called his own servants and delivered his goods to them. 15 And to one he gave five talents, to another two, and to another one, to each according to his own ability; and immediately he went on a journey. NKJV You know the story of the various guys with various amounts of money. The point is the guy with no money had no money because he didn’t use it. While the guy with 5 talents was able to double what he had. How are you using what you’ve got today? In faith, how many new containers are you bringing? What are you expecting? Use what you have for the Kingdom today. Don’t expect God to do things He doesn’t do. Look at what you’ve got and begin to become faithful with what you’ve got. If you aren’t tithing to your local church (giving 10% of your income) and you want to, that is when you are going to start seeing God’s laws begin to work in your finances. If you can’t give your full tithe, start with what you can do. If you don’t start, you are not going to see God’s blessings in your life. When you start to use your finances, your giftings, and your natural talents for the Kingdom of God, that is the time you will start to see things multiply. That is just the beginning. Today’s Reading- |
Proverbs 31 | |
| Annual Bible Reading Plan at www.vwc.jp | |
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