Daily devotion for August 16th The Joy Of The Lord Go and enjoy choice food and sweet drinks, and send some to those who have nothing prepared. This day is sacred to our Lord. Do not grieve, for the joy of the LORD is your strength. Nehemiah 8:10 Though weeping is necessary, it is not the final message God has for us. To show this, Nehemiah and Ezra speak up and correct the people. What a powerful statement of the effect of the Word of God! When people understand it, it brings joy. The joy of the LORD is your strength. What a great word for grieving people who see the evil in their lives and the lives of those around them and mourn over what it has produced! The word that brings joy is that of forgiveness. God can forgive! He does, and He will restore. That is what Jesus meant when He said, Blessed are those who mourn, for they will be comforted (Matthew 5:4). I don't think you will ever be comforted until you learn to mourn. When you see the hurt, pain, and despair that sin can produce and you grieve over it, then you are ready for the comfort of forgiveness. What does the joy of the LORD mean? It is the fact that God has found a solution to these problems of sin. He has provided a way back to sensible, sober, wise, helpful, wholesome living. How? By learning to think like He thinks. Begin to see the world from His point of view. Listen no longer to the clamoring voices of the media. Do not take your philosophy of life from what people are saying or the advice others are giving. Listen to the Word of God. That is the answer. It will heal your life. He sent forth his word and healed them, writes the psalmist (Psalm 107:20). The ministry of the Word of God is to heal us and create in us a desire to share that healing with others. Nehemiah urges the people to send portions of food to those who had nothing prepared. This is invariably the result in those who find their lives beginning to be healed by the Word of God. They start thinking of others who are hurting and want to share with them what they have learned. Thank You, Lord, for the joy of forgiveness and restoration. Thank You for paying for that gift with the precious blood of Your Son.

Immediately coming up to Jesus he said, Hail, Rabbi, and covered Him with kisses. But Jesus said to him, My friend, for what purpose art thou come? Matthew 26:49–50 ᴊɴᴅ At His last meal with His disciples before departing “out of this world to the Father” (Jn. 13:1–3), the Lord Jesus tells them that the scripture will be fulfilled: “He that eats bread with Me has lifted up his heel against Me” (v. 18; Ps. 41:9). He has lived with this prospect since choosing Judas as one of their number (Jn. 6:70–71), but now that it is about to happen, He is “troubled in spirit” (13:21). Soon He will taste the full sorrow of it in all its bitter reality. When our Lord is occupied with the work of love, God’s glory, and our blessing, Judas is busy betraying Him (Mt. 26:14–16; Jn. 13:27). He knows where to find Him, for he has been with Him there before (18:1–2). Intruding on His last moments of communion with His own, he salutes Him mockingly, “Rabbi, Rabbi” (Mk. 14:45); proffers Him his best wishes, saying “Hail,” literally “rejoice”; and kisses Him profusely to identify Him to the armed men who accompany him (v. 44). This act is one of the many things our Lord suffers from man that night and the following day that break His heart (Ps. 69:20). He is sensible to all its callousness, for His feelings are perfect, not diminished by sin like ours. He responds in the gentlest but most searching way, calculated to arrest the betrayer in his course even then: “My friend, for what purpose art thou come?” But it was to no avail. If you have been betrayed, you may have the tiniest sense of what our Lord suffered, but He sympathizes with you completely and can comfort and strengthen your heart (Heb. 4:15–16). May this aspect of His sorrows draw from all our hearts love for Him, and guard us from faithlessness to Him or heartlessness to one another. A lifetime of pain and regret can be caused by just a moment’s sinful behavior. Simon Attwood https://gbv-online.org/calendar/773/date/2026-07-18

Holy Wit — A Word Along the Way The Ministry of Showing Up There are mornings when the Christian life feels noble and purposeful. We rise with every intention of praying faithfully, reading Scripture carefully, encouraging the discouraged, feeding the hungry, forgiving our enemies, and perhaps understanding one of the minor prophets before breakfast. Then the kettle refuses to work. The dog brings something unpleasant into the house. A child cannot find one shoe. The electricity disappears. Someone telephones with a problem that began three years ago but has suddenly become urgent. By midday, our noble spiritual program has been reduced to finding the missing shoe and preventing the dog from eating it. It is easy to think that real Christian service happens somewhere else. Surely it happens in pulpits, mission fields, prayer meetings, hospitals, and places where people speak in quiet voices and nobody is carrying a leaking rubbish bag. Yet much of the Christian life consists simply of showing up. Showing up when someone needs to be heard. Showing up when there is no applause. Showing up when the work is ordinary, the room is hot, and the person we are helping has already told us the same story four times. Paul wrote: “And whatever you do, do it heartily, as to the Lord and not to men.” — Colossians 3:23, NKJV “Whatever you do” is a remarkably broad phrase. It includes preaching sermons, certainly. But it also includes washing dishes, keeping promises, answering patiently, repairing what is broken, visiting the lonely, caring for ageing parents, and resisting the temptation to explain to everyone how much more sensible the world would be if we were in charge of it. We often imagine faithfulness as something dramatic. Usually, it is not. Faithfulness is returning tomorrow. It is praying again after yesterday’s prayer seemed to receive no answer. It is opening the Bible when our mind feels dull. It is doing good without checking every few minutes to see whether anyone has noticed. The world celebrates people who arrive with trumpets. The kingdom of God is often served by people who arrive with a broom. Jesus did not only teach crowds. He noticed individuals. He welcomed children. He touched lepers. He washed feet. He gave His attention to people whom others had learned to overlook. We will not save the world. Christ has already taken responsibility for that. Our task is smaller and, in some ways, harder: to be faithful in the place where God has put us today. Perhaps this week will not contain a grand spiritual victory. Perhaps there will be no remarkable testimony, no sudden breakthrough, and no moment when heavenly light shines through the window while music plays softly in the background. Perhaps there will only be work to do, people to love, prayers to pray, and one missing shoe. That is enough. Show up. Do the next faithful thing. And do not underestimate what God can accomplish through a willing servant carrying a broom. Luke 16:10 https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Luke+16%3A10&version=NKJV Galatians 6:9–10 https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Galatians+6%3A9-10&version=NKJV

Isaiah 55:11 Everyday Life So will My word be which goes out of My mouth; "It will not return to Me void (useless, without result), Without accomplishing what I desire, And without succeeding in the matter for which I sent it. 2 Timothy 3:16-17 All Scripture is God-breathed [given by divine inspiration] and is profitable for instruction, for conviction [of sin], for correction [of error and restoration to obedience], for training in righteousness [learning to live in conformity to God's will, both publicly and privately--behaving honorably with personal integrity and moral courage]; so that the man of God may be complete and proficient, outfitted and thoroughly equipped for every good work. 2 Peter 1:19-21 So we have the prophetic word made more certain. You do well to pay [close] attention to it as to a lamp shining in a dark place, until the day dawns and light breaks through the gloom and the morning star arises in your hearts. But understand this first of all, that no prophesy of Scripture is a matter of or comes from one's own [personal or special] interpretation, for no prophesy was ever made by an act of human will, but men moved by the Holy Spirit spoke from God. How to hear and understand the Gospel Job 38:1-3 THEN THE Lord answered Job out of the whirlwind and said, "Who is this that darkens counsel [questioning my authority and wisdom] By words without knowledge? "Now gird up your loins like a man, And I will ask you, and you instruct Me! Job 40:6-7 Then the LORD answered Job out of the whirlwind, saying, "Now gird up your loins (prepare yourself) like a man, And I will ask you, and you instruct Me. Job 42:4-7 'Hear, please, and I will speak; I will ask You, and You instruct [and answer] me.' "I had heard of You [only] by the hearing of the ear, But now my [spiritual] eyes sees You. "Therefore I retract [my words and hate myself] And I repent in dust and ashes." It came about that after the LORD had spoken these words to Job, that the LORD said to Eliphaz the Temanite, "My wrath is kindled against you and against your two friends, for you have not spoken of Me what is right, as My servant Job has. Romans 10:14-17 But how will people call on Him in whom they have not believed? And how will they believe in Him of whom they have not heard? And how will they hear without a preacher (messenger)? And how will they preach unless they are commissioned and sent [for that purpose]? just as it is written and forever remains written, "HOW BEAUTIFUL ARE THE FEET OF THOSE WHO BRING GOOD NEWS OF GOOD THINGS!" But they did not all pay attention to the good news [of salvation]; for Isaiah says, "LORD, WHO HAS BELIEVED OUR REPORT?" So faith comes from hearing [what is told], and what is heard comes by the [preaching of the] message concerning Christ. Acts 26:17-18 [choosing you for Myself and] rescuing you from the Jewish people and from the Gentiles, to whom I am sending you, to open their [spiritual] eyes so that they may turn from darkness to light and from the power of Satan to God, that they may receive forgiveness and release from their sins and an inheritance among those who have been sanctified (set apart, made holy) by faith in me.' Romans 15:4-7 For whatever was written in earlier times was written for our instruction, so that through endurance and the encouragement of the Scriptures we might have hope and overflow with confidence in His promises. Now may the God who gives endurance and who supplies encouragement grant that you be of the same mind with one another according to Christ Jesus, so that with one accord you may with one voice glorify and praise and honor the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ. Therefore, [continue to] accept and welcome one another, just and Christ has accepted and welcomed us to the glory of [our great] God. Here is Today's Message 1 Thessalonians 5:5-11 Everyday Life 1 Thessalonians 5:5-11 for you are all sons of light and sons of day. We do not belong to the night nor to darkness. So then let us not sleep [in spiritual indifference] as the rest [of the world does], but let us keep wide awake [alert and cautious] and let us be sober [self-controlled, calm, and wise]. For those who sleep, sleep at night, and those who are drunk get drunk at night. But since we [believers] belong to the day, let us be sober, having put on the breastplate of faith and love, and as a helmet, the hope and confident assurance of salvation. For God has not destined us to [incur His] wrath [that is, He did not select us to condemn us], but to obtain salvation through our Lord Jesus Christ, who died [willingly] for us, so that whether we are awake (alive) or asleep (dead) [at Christ's appearing], we will live together with Him [sharing eternal life]. Therefore encourage and comfort one another and build up one another, just as you are doing. Ephesians 5:8-14 For once you were darkness, but now you are light in the Lord; walk as children of Light [live as those who are native-born to the Light] (for the fruit [the effect, the result] of the Light consists in all goodness and righteousness and truth), trying to learn [by experience] what is pleasing to the Lord [and letting your lifestyles be examples of what is most acceptable to Him--your behavior expressing gratitude to God for your salvation]. Do not participate in the worthless and unproductive deeds of darkness, but instead expose them [by exemplifying personal integrity, moral courage, and godly character]; for it is disgraceful even to mention the things that such people practice in secret. But all things become visible when they are exposed by the Light [of God's precepts], for it is light that makes everything visible. For this reason He says, "Awake, sleeper, And arise from the dead, And Christ will shine [as dawn] upon you and give you light." Matthew 25:1-13 "THEN THE kingdom of heaven will be like ten virgins, who took their lamps and went to meet the bridegroom. "Five of them were foolish [thoughts, silly, and careless], and five were wise [far-sighted, practical, and sensible]. "For when the foolish took their lamps, they did not take any [extra] oil with them, but the wise took flasks of oil along with their lamps. "Now while the bridegroom was delayed, they all began to nod off, and they fell asleep. "But at midnight there was a shout, 'Look! The bridegroom [is coming]! Go out to meet him.' "Then all those virgins got up and put their own lamps in order [trimmed the wicks and added oil and lit them]. "But the foolish virgins said to the wise, 'Give us some of your oil, because our lamps are going out.' "But the wise replied, 'No, otherwise there will not be enough for us and for you, too; go instead to the dealers and buy oil for yourselves.' "But while they were going away to buy oil, the bridegroom came, and those who were ready went in with him to the wedding feast; and the door was shut and locked. "Later the others also came, and said, 'Lord, Lord, open [the door] for us.' "But He replied, 'I assure you and most solemnly say to you, I do not know you [we have no relationship].' "Therefore, be on the alert [be prepared and ready], for you do not know the day nor the hour [when the Son of Man will come]. Luke 21:34-38 "But be on guard, so that your hearts are not weighed down and depressed with the giddiness of debauchery and the nausea of self-indulgence and the worldly worries of life, and then that day [when the Messiah returns] will not come on you suddenly like a trap; for it will come upon all those who live on the face of all the earth. "But keep alert at all times [be attentive and ready], praying that you may have the strength and ability [to be found worthy and] to escape all these things that are gong to take place, and to stand in the presence of the Son of Man [at His coming]." Now in the daytime Jesus was teaching in [the porches and courts of] the temple, but at night He would go out and spend the night on the mount that is called Olivet. And early in the morning all the people would come to Him in the temple to listen to Him. Ephesians 6:10-18 In conclusion, be strong in the Lord [draw your strength from Him and be empowered through your union with Him] and in the power of His [boundless] might. Put on the full armor of God [for His precepts are like the splendid armor of a heavily-armed soldier], so that you may be able to [successfully] stand up against all the schemes and the strategies and the deceits of the devil. For our struggle is not against flesh and blood [contending only with physical opponents], but against the rulers, against the powers, against the world forces of this [present] darkness, against the spiritual forces of wickedness in the heavenly (supernatural) places. Therefore, put on the complete armor of God, so that you will be able to [successfully] resist and stand your ground in the evil day [of danger], and having done everything [that the crisis demands], to stand firm [in your place, fully prepared, immoveable, victorious]. So stand firm and hold your ground, HAVING TIGHTENED THE WIDE BAND OF TRUTH (personal integrity, moral courage) AROUND YOUR WAIST AND HAVING PUT ON THE BREASTPLATE OF RIGHTEOUSNESS (an upright heart), and having strapped on YOUR FEET THE GOSPEL OF PEACE IN PREPARATION [to face the enemy with firm-footed stability and the readiness produced by the good news]. Above all, lift up the [protective] shield of faith with which you can extinguish all the flaming arrows of the evil one. And take THE HELMET OF SALVATION, and the sword of the Spirit, which is the Word of God. With all prayer and petition pray [with specific requests] at all times [on every occasion and in every season] in the Spirit, and with this in view, stay alert with all perseverance and petition [interceding in prayer] for all God's people. 2 Corinthians 5:12-21 We are not commending ourselves to you again, but are giving you an occasion to be [rightfully] proud of us, so that you will have an answer for those who take pride in [outward] appearances [the virtues they pretend to have] rather than what is [actually] in heart. If we are out of our mind [just unstable fanatics as some critics say], it is for God; if we are in our right mind, it is for your benefit. For the love of Christ controls and compels us, because we have concluded this, that One died for all, therefore all died; and He died for all, so that all those who live would no longer live for themselves, but for Him who died and was raised for their sake. So from now on we regard no one from a human point of view [according to worldly standards and values]. Though we have known Christ from a human point of view, now we no longer know Him in this way. Therefore if anyone is in Christ [that is, grafted in, joined to Him by faith in Him as Savior], he is a new creature [reborn and renewed by the Holy Spirit]; the old things [the previous moral and spiritual condition] have passed away. Behold, new things have come [because spiritual awakening brings a new life]. But all these things are from God, who reconciled us to Himself through Christ [making us acceptable to Him] and gave us the ministry of reconciliation [so that by our example we might bring others to Him], that is, that God was in Christ reconciling the world to Himself, not counting people's sins against them [but canceling them] . And He has committed to us the message of reconciliation [that is, restoration to favor with God]. So we are ambassadors for Christ, as though God were making His appeal through us; we [as Christ's representatives] plead with you on behalf of Christ to be reconciled to God. He made Christ who knew no sin to [judicially] be sin on our behalf, so that in Him we would become the righteousness of God [that is, we would be made acceptable to Him and placed in a right relationship with Him by His gracious lovingkindness].

Brenda Walsh Ministries Refuse to Be Offended. When someone is mean to you, it is human nature to want to retaliate, make them pay, or get even. But stooping to their level of meanness won’t make you feel better, nor will it change their behavior! The old expression, “Revenge is sweet,” simply is not true. It just fills your heart with evil. Look at the example Christ set when He was here on earth. He was judged, spied on, and gossiped and lied about, but He took it all in loving silence. Not once did he seek revenge or retaliation. He returned good for evil and was kind to those who mistreated Him. That’s what God wants us to do as well. When people ignore you, are rude or mean–refuse to be offended. Their bad actions don’t define you or say anything about you. Instead, their own character defects are revealed. How you respond to hate reveals your emotional and spiritual maturity. The Bible tells us in Proverbs 12:16, “A fool’s displeasure is known at once, but whoever ignores an insult is sensible.” Show respect to people who don’t deserve it; not as a reflection of their character, but as a reflection of yours. Remember, you can’t change what others say or think about you. All you can do is change how you react to it, so be an imitator of Christ and refuse to be offended. Text: Matthew 5:38-39, Proverbs 20:22, 1 Thessalonians 5:15, 1 Peter 3:8-10

July 6th, 2026 Read; John 13:34-35 How can you tell who follows Jesus? How can Christians be found? Jesus said that their love for each other should be the same as His love for the disciples. In the immediate context, this means that He is willing to give extravagantly and selflessly by dying for them on the cross, and He is also willing to love selflessly and practically by washing their feet. His ministry shows that He will do just about anything between being extravagant and being sensible. Imagine if we all read the Gospels and made a promise to love each other like Jesus loved His disciples. Prayer I am grateful to you, Father of Compassion and God of all Grace, for using the life of Jesus to teach me about love. May my words and deeds today, tomorrow, and until you bring us all back to you, reflect His love for your people. In Jesus' precious name, I pray. Amen.

Ephesians 5:8-21 TLB Self-Help Edition Tyndale 1984 For though once your heart was full of darkness, now it is full of light from the Lord, and your behavior should show it! Because of this light within you, you should do only what is good and right and true. Learn as you go along what pleases the Lord. Take no part in the worthless pleasures of evil and darkness, but instead, rebuke and expose them. It would be shameful even to mention here those pleasures of darkness which the ungodly do. But when you expose them, the light shines in upon their sin and shows it up, and when they see how wrong they really are, some of them may even become children of light! That is why God says in the Scriptures, "Awake, O sleeper, and rise up from the dead; and Christ shall give you light." So be careful how you act; these are difficult days. Don't be fools; be wise; make the most of every opportunity you have for doing good. Don't act thoughtlessly, but try to find out and do whatever the Lord wants you to. Don't drink too much wine, for many evils lie along that path; be filled instead with the Holy Spirit, and controlled by him. Talk with each other much about the Lord, quoting psalms and hymns and singing sacred songs, making music in your hearts to the Lord. Always give thanks for everything to our God and Father in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ. Honor Christ by submitting to each other. Ephesians 5:8-21 KJV Rice Reference Edition Nelson 875 1981 For ye were sometimes darkness, but now are ye light in the Lord; walk as children of light. (For the fruit of the Spirit is in all goodness and righteousness and truth;) Proving what is acceptable unto the Lord. And have no fellowship with the unfruitful works of darkness, but rather reprove them. For it is a shame even to speak of those things which are done of them on secret. But all things that are reproved are made manifest by the light; for whatever doth make manifest is light. Wherefore he saith, AWAKE THOU THAT SLEEPEST, AND ARISE FROM THE DEAD, AND CHRIST SHALL GIVE THEE LIGHT. See then that ye walk circumspectly, not as fools, but as wise, Redeeming the time, because the days are evil. Wherefore be ye not unwise, but understanding what the will of the Lord is. Be Filled with the Spirit And be not drunk with wine, wherein is excess; but be filled with the Spirit; Speaking to yourselves in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing and making melody in your heart to the Loes; Giving thanks always for all things unto God and the Father in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ; Relationship of Christian Husband and Wife Submitting yourselves one to another in the fear of God. Walk in Light Ephesians 5:8-21 NKJV Andrews SB 2010 For you were once darkness, but now you are light in the Lord. Walk as children of light (for the fruit of the Spirit is in all goodness, righteousness, and truth), finding out what is acceptable to the Lord. And have no fellowship with the unfruitful works of darkness,but rather expose them. For it is shameful even to speak of those things which are done by them in secret. But all things that are exposed are made manifest by the light, for whatever makes manifest is light. Therefore He says; "Awake, you who sleep, Arise from the dead, And Christ will give you light." Walk in Wisdom See then that you walk circumspectly, not as fools but as wise, redeeming the time, because the days are evil. Therefore do not be unwise, but understand what the will of the Lord is. And do not be drunk with wine, in which is dissipation; but be filled with the Spirit, speaking to one another in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing and making melody in your heart to the Lord, giving thanks always for all things to God the Father in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, submitting to one another in the fear of God. Ephesians 5:8-21 NIV Ryrie Red Letter SB Moody Press For you were once darkness, but now you are light in the Lord. Live as children of light (for the fruit of the light consists in all goodness, righteousness and truth) and find out what pleases the Lord. Having nothing to do with the fruitless deeds of darkness, but rather expose them. For it is shameful even to mention what the disobedient do in secret. But everything exposed by the light becomes visible, for it is light that makes everything visible. This is why it is said; "Wake up, O sleeper, rise from the dead, and Christ will shine on you." Be very careful, then, how you live--not as unwise but as wise, making the most of every opportunity, because the days are evil. Therefore do not be foolish, but understand what the Lord's will is. E. In Relation to the Holy Spirit Do not get drunk on wine, which leads to debachery. Instead, be filled with the Spirit. Speak to one another with psalms, hymns, and spiritual songs. Sing and make music in your heart to the Lord, always giving thanks to God the Father for everything, in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ. Submit to one another out of reverence for Christ. Ephesians 5:8-21 NASB Reference Edition Creation House Lockman Foundation 1973 for you were formerly darkness, but now you are light in the Lord, walk as children of light (for the fruit of the light consists in all goodness and righteousness and truth), trying to learn what is pleasing to the Lord. And do not participate in the unfruitful deeds of darkness, but instead even expose them; for it is disgraceful even to speak of the things which are done by them in secret. But all things become visible when they are exposed by the light, for everything that becomes visible is light. For this reason it says, "AWAKE, SLEEPER, AND ARISE FROM THE DEAD, AND CHRIST WILL SHINE ON YOU." Therefore be careful how you walk, not as unwise men, but as wise, making the most of your time, because the days are evil. So then do not be foolish, but understand what the will of the Lord is. And do not get drunk with wine, for that is dissipation, but be filled with the Spirit, speaking to one another in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing and making melody with your heart to the Lord; always giving thanks for all things in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ to God, even the Father; and be subject to one another in the fear of Christ. Ephesians 5:8-21 Amplified Zondervan Lockman Foundation 2015 For once you were darkness, but now you are Light in the Lord; walk as children of Light [live as those who are native-born to the Light] (for the fruit [the effect, the result] of the Light consists in all goodness and righteousnwss and truth). trying to learn [by experience] what is pleasing to the Lord [and letting your lifestyles be examples of what is most acceptable to Him--your behavior expressing gratitude to God for your salvation]. Do not participate in the worthless and unproductive deeds of darkness, but instead expose them [by exemplifying personal integrity, moral courage, and godly character]; for it is disgraceful even to mention the things that such people practice in secret. But all things become visible when they are exposed by the Light [of God's precepts], for it is light that makes everything visible. For this reason He says, "Awake, sleeper, And arise from the dead, And Christ will shine [as dawn] upon you and give you light. Therefore see that you walk carefully [living life with honor, purpose, and courage; shunning those who tolerate and enable evil, not as the unwise, but as wise [sensible, intelligent, discerning people], making the very most of your time [on earth, recognizing and taking advantage of each opportunity and using it with wisdom and diligence], because the days are [filled with] evil. Therefore do not be foolish and thoughtless, but understand and firmly grasp what the will of the Lord is. Do not get drunk with wine, for that is wickedness (corruption, stupidity), but be filled with the [Holy] Spirit and constantly guided by Him. Speak to one another in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, [offering praise by] singing and making melody with your heart to the Lord; always giving thanks to God the Father for all things, in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ; being subject to one another out of reverence for Christ.

A Living Sacrifice Romans 12:1-3 HCSB Red Letter Text Edition Lifeway Church Resources 2004 Therefore, brothers, by the mercies of God, I urge you to present your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and pleasing to God; this is your spiritual worship. Do not be conformed to this age, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, so that you may discern what is the good, pleasing, and perfect will of God. Many Gifts but One Body For by the grace given to me, I tell everyone among you not to think of himself more highly than he should think. Instead, think sensibly, as God has distributed a measure of faith to each one. Romans 12:1-3 NASB Text Edition Moody Press Lockman Foundation 1973 I URGE you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, to present your bodies a living and holy sacrifice, acceptable to God, which is your spiritual service of worship. And do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, that you may prove what the will of God is, that which is good and acceptable and perfect. For through the grace given to me. I say to every man among you not to think more highly of himself than he ought to think; but to think so as to have sound judgment, as God has allotted to each a measure of faith. Romans 12:1-3 KJV Spirit of Israel Berean First Edition 2014 I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that ye present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable unto God, which is your reasonable service. And be not conformed to this world; but be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind, that ye may prove what is that good, and acceptable, and perfect will, of God. For I say, through the grace given unto me, to every man that is among you, not to think of himself more highly that he ought to think; but to think soberly, according as God hath dealt to every man the measure of faith. Christ Brings New Life Romans 12:1-3 CEV Learning ABS 1995 Dear friends, God is good. So I beg you to offer your bodies to him as a living sacrifice, pure and pleasing. That's the most sensible way to serve God. Don't be like the people of this world, but let God change the way you think. Then you will know how to do everything that is good and pleasing to him. I realize how kind God has been to me, and so I tell each of you not to think you are better than you really are. Use good sense and measure yourself by the amount of faith that God has given you. Be Dead to Self Romans 12:1-3 Holy Scriptures TLV TOL Thinline Edition Bakerbooks Messianic Jewish Family Bible Society 2015 I urge you therefore, brothers and sisters, by the mercies of God, to present your bodies as a living sacrifice--holy, acceptable to God--which is your spiritual service. Do not be conformed to this world but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, so that you may discern what is the will of God--what is good and acceptable and perfect. For through the grace given me, I say to everyone among you not to think more highly of yourself than you ought to think--but to use sound judgment, as God has assigned to each person a measure of faith. Life in God's Service Romans 12:1-3 GNB TEV African American Jubilee Edition ABS 1993 So then, my friends, because of God's great mercy to us I appeal to you. Offer yourselves as a living sacrifice to God, dedicated to his service and pleasing to him. This is the true worship that you should offer. Do not conform yourselves to the standards of this world, but let God transform you inwardly by a complete change of your mind. Then you will be able to know the will of God--what is good and is pleasing to him and is perfect. And because of God's graciously gift to me I say to every one of you; do not think of yourself more highly than you should. Instead, be modest in your thinking, and judge yourself according to the amount of faith that God has given you. Romans 12:1-3 NIV God's Justice Zondervan Biblica 2016 Therefore, I urge you, brothers and sisters, in view of God's mercy, to offer your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and pleasing to God--this is your true and proper worship. Do not conform to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God's will is--his good, pleasing and perfect will. For by the grace given me I say to every one of you; Do not think of yourself more highly than you ought, but rather think of yourself with sober judgment, in accordance with the faith God has distributed to each of you. Romans 12:1-3 NRSV Access Updated Edition Oxford 2011 I appeal to you therefore, brothers and sisters, by the mercies of God, to present your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and acceptable to God, which is your spiritual worship. Do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your minds, so that you may discern what is the will of God--what is good and acceptable and perfect. For by the grace given to me I say to everyone among you not to think of yourself more highly than you ought to think, but to think with sober judgment, each according to the measure of faith that God has assigned. Life in God's Service Romans 12:1-3 GNB GNT Strength For the Street ABS 2016 So then, my friends, because of God's great mercy to us I appeal to you. Offer yourselves for a living sacrifice to God, dedicated to his service and pleasing to him. This is the true worship that you should offer. Do not conform yourselves to the standards of this world, but let God transform you inwardly by a complete change of your mind. Then you will be able to know the will of God--what is good and is pleasing to him and is perfect. And because of God's gracious gift to me I say to every one of you; Do not think of yourself more highly than you should. Instead, be modest in your thinking, and judge yourself according to the amount of faith that God has given you. Consecration of the Believer's Life Romans 12:1-3 NNET Thinline Biblical Studies Press LLC 2019 Therefore I exhort you, brothers and sisters, by the mercies of God, to present your bodies as a sacrifice--alive, holy, and pleasing to God--which is your reasonable service. Do not be conformed to this present world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, so that you may test and approve what is the will of God--what is good and well-pleasing and perfect. Conduct in Humility For by the grace given to me I say to every one of you not to think more highly of yourself than you ought to think, but to think with sober discernment, as God has distributed to each of you a measure of faith.

Good morning, brethren. 1. Morning devotion for today. MD.i. 😀🌺🌹🎁🎀💝MORNING TEA. THE WORD FOR TODAY. WEDNESDAY JUNE 24, 2026. "LESSONS FROM THE PRODIGAL SON (1)" '...I want my share...now.' Luke 15:12 NLT THE PRODIGAL Son made two mistakes: 1) he rejected his father's authority. The first step that gets you into trouble is the one that takes you away from God. Like the Prodigal Son, you leave home saying, ‘Give me.’ And if you’re fortunate enough to survive your own best thinking, you come back home saying, ‘Forgive me.’ God loves you. Everything you need, He has already provided! 2) he left his father’s house. The devil will do whatever it takes to get you out from under God’s influence and protection. He’ll put a restless spirit in you so that nothing makes you happy. Two areas he will work the hardest to generate discontent in are: a) your marriage. That’s why you constantly need to work on it. The reason there are weeds in your garden instead of roses is because you don’t spend enough time working there. Your marriage isn’t just a covenant before God, it’s a shelter for your passions and dysfunctions. Furthermore, that ‘other person’, who looks so attractive to you, has baggage, too. And when they move in, they’ll bring it with them! b) your church. Who feeds you spiritually? Who monitors your growth in God? Would you let your children stay home from school because they don’t like the teacher or don’t want to learn? Come on, be sensible! God says His Word is like ‘…a hammer that breaks the rock in pieces’ (Jeremiah 23:29 NKJV). When the hammer of God’s Word falls in church next Sunday morning—you need to be under it. You should say, ‘I was glad when they said unto me, “Let us go into the house of the Lord”’ (Psalms 122:1 NKJV). Bible In A Year: Jer 18-21; Matt 1:1-25; Ps 59:1-8; Pro14:21-22. Courtesy: Grace So Amazing Foundation. 🌹🎀 *To partner with us, kindly refer to page 9 of the hard copy edition or simply send us a WhatsApp message/call on +2348128000068.*🌹🌷🎀💝. MD.ii. DOES THE ANTICHRIST EXIST? "My son, do not forget my teaching, but keep my commands in your heart." - 1 John 4:3 'But every spirit that does not acknowledge Jesus is not from God. This is the spirit of the antichrist, which you have heard is coming and even now is already in the world.' - 1 John 4:3 John says here: 'Listen, you have heard that the antichrist will come, but wake up: through his spirit, he has already been busy here for a long time!' The only reason that the antichrist has not revealed himself to the world today is that his time has not yet come. The Bible assures us that when the antichrist comes and the time given to him on earth is over, God will deal with him. 2 Thessalonians 2:8 says: 'And then the lawless one will be revealed, whom the Lord Jesus will overthrow with the breath of His mouth and destroy by the splendor of His coming.' The Bible speaks about an antichrist, 'anti' means: against. He is the opponent of Christ. The name satan also means opponent. He revolts against everything that belongs to God. However, his spirit is already present on earth. Similarly to the Christian who is to be filled with the Holy Spirit, you have people who have the spirit of the antichrist! There is no middle ground here. This world consists of good and evil, light and darkness. Above Bible verse also states that every spirit who denies that Jesus has become a man of flesh and blood, comes from the antichrist. Both Peter and Judas point out that in the last days there will be people who mock everything. Jesus even says that they will do great miracles and signs. These mockers, these false prophets, will infiltrate the Church with a different message. They may even mention the name of Jesus, but they have the spirit of the antichrist. You will only be able to make this distinction if you are a Spirit-filled Christian. So, if you do not want to be misled, choose 100% for Jesus. https://www.theblessingdevotional.com 2. Morning Prayer for today. MP.i. Morning Prayer I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that ye present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable unto God, [which is] your reasonable service. ⏤ Romans 12:1 Let every step be a ministry for Him, every task a consecration. ⏤ J.R. Miller Almighty God, our heavenly Father, look upon us graciously as we wait at Your feet. Receive our thanks for the goodness of another night, and accept this consecration of our lives to You for another day. We are Your own children, and we will trust You for all that our lives need. We will strive to obey You. We shall need Your grace in order to do Your will—and we ask You to give us grace that we may be faithful and dutiful children. Enable us to do our simplest tasks for You as carefully as if they were the largest and most sacred ministries that mortal is ever set to do. May we find our Father's business . . . In our household chores, In our school duties, In our play and recreation, In our everyday jobs. May we learn to do all in the name of the Lord Jesus and for Him. All around us are those who need kindnesses which we can render. May You give us so much of the Spirit of Jesus, that we shall go about doing good all the day. Even while engaged at our ordinary work, may we be so filled with divine love, that we shall give help and cheer to all we meet by our cheerful manner, by our encouraging words, and by our thoughtful kindnesses. May our wayside ministry, as we move along at our work, be a ministry of continual blessing. Draw us now near to You, and give us the touch of Your hand before we go out. If we should never all come together again as a family, if death should call any of us home before the nightfall, let us not be separated in the heavenly home. Let us not fall by the way into any sin. Mercifully preserve us from all evil. And may grace, mercy, and peace be with us all forever. Amen. https://www.youdevotion.com/daily-prayer/miller/80/morning #taptapstudio #youdevotion.

Holy Wit – Reflections #4 (Walking in the Light: Studies Through 1 John) Scripture References: 1 John 2:7–11 There is a certain kind of household argument that can last so long nobody quite remembers how it began. It may have started over land, or money, or an insult at a wedding, or who failed to visit when somebody was sick, or who said what to whom after church while pretending not to say it. In some families, the quarrel becomes almost a member of the household. It sits at meals. It travels to funerals. It attends weddings dressed in respectable clothes and speaks to nobody except those who already agree with it. Children grow up hearing, “We do not visit them.” Nobody explains much. They just know there is a side of the family that exists somewhere beyond the river, beyond the road, beyond the market, beyond the village, beyond the church aisle, but not beyond memory. Never beyond memory. Memory, in such cases, is very well fed. The original offense may be thin as paper by now, but the bitterness has become strong as a tree root wrapped around a water pipe. Everyone agrees it would be better if it were gone, but nobody wants to dig. Then Sunday comes. The same people who have not spoken to one another in years stand to sing of grace. They bow their heads while prayer is offered. They hear Scripture read. They nod when the preacher speaks of forgiveness, though preferably forgiveness in general and not the costly local variety that has names, faces, histories, and perhaps a seat three rows away. This is where John walks into the room. John is not a man easily impressed by religious fog. He does not let us hide behind Christian language while we keep our private darkness carefully folded and stored away. He writes plainly: “He who says he is in the light, and hates his brother, is in darkness until now.” That is not a soft sentence. It is not padded for comfort. It does not arrive with cushions, footnotes, and an apology for disturbing the family system. John simply says that if a person claims to walk in the light while hating his brother, that person is still in darkness. A bitter Christian is a contradiction John refuses to soften. This does not mean Christians are commanded to pretend they have never been hurt. John is not asking the wounded to call evil good. Love is not foolishness wearing a holy expression. There are times when boundaries are necessary. There are sins that must be confronted. There are dangerous people from whom others must be protected. There are wrongs that require justice, repentance, and wisdom. But hatred is not wisdom. Hatred is what happens when pain is enthroned. It is what happens when an old wound becomes an altar and the wounded person becomes its priest. Hatred does not merely remember. It rehearses. It does not merely grieve. It feeds. It does not merely say, “That was wrong.” It says, “I hope they fall, and I would like a front-row seat when they do.” John calls that darkness. The commandment to love one another was not new in the sense that God had never commanded it before. From the beginning, God’s people were never free to be holy in doctrine and cruel in heart. The command to love our neighbor was already written in the Law. But in Christ, the old commandment became new with blazing clarity. Jesus did not merely command love. He showed us what love is. He loved without approving sin. He forgave without pretending evil was harmless. He served the proud, corrected the foolish, welcomed the weak, wept with the grieving, rebuked the self-righteous, and laid down His life for sinners who had not yet learned to love Him. In Christ, love was no longer only a command written on a page. Love had a face, hands, tears, wounds, and a cross. So when John says, “love your brother,” he is speaking first of fellow believers. Christians are commanded to love all people, even enemies, but John is pressing the family matter. If we claim to belong to the Father, then we cannot despise the Father’s children. We cannot say we love the Head while hating the body. We cannot praise Christ while quietly wishing ruin upon those He has redeemed. This is especially important because the church is not made up of imaginary Christians. Imaginary Christians are easy to love. They are polite, grateful, tidy, spiritually mature, and always available at convenient times. Actual Christians are more complicated. They misunderstand. They talk too much. They fail to notice obvious things. They arrive late. They need help. They say awkward sentences. They disappoint us. Sometimes they sin against us. Sometimes we sin against them and then discover that being the offender is less pleasant than being the righteous observer of other people’s failures. The commandment lives there, among actual believers. Love your brother means refusing to gossip when gossip would be delicious. It means praying for the person we are tempted to criticize. It means helping when help is needed and we would rather not be bothered. It means apologizing without delivering a courtroom speech in our own defense. It means forgiving because Christ has forgiven us, not because the other person has earned the right to be released from our bitterness. It means telling the truth, but not using truth as a club. It means correcting when correction is needed, but remembering that we also stand by grace. It means giving quietly, visiting the sick, encouraging the discouraged, making room for the awkward, bearing with the weak, and refusing to treat the church as a place where people must be useful to us before we will love them. It also means we stop calling bitterness by nicer names. Sometimes we call it discernment. Sometimes we call it being realistic. Sometimes we call it having standards. Sometimes we call it remembering the facts. But John says hatred blinds the eyes. That is a frightening truth, because blind people often do not know what they are not seeing. Hatred makes us confident in the dark. It convinces us that we understand the whole matter. It edits memory in our favor. It turns people into categories. It makes mercy look naïve and contempt look sensible. It lets us say, “I am walking in the light,” while stepping carefully around every command of Christ that would require us to put down the old grievance. But the true light is already shining. That is John’s hope. The darkness is passing away, not because human beings have improved themselves, but because Christ has come. His light exposes what we would rather keep hidden. It reveals not only our sins, but also our Savior. The same Lord who commands love also supplies grace. He does not merely point at our bitterness and condemn us. He calls us out of the darkness and teaches us to walk in the light. And so the question becomes wonderfully practical. Whom must I stop hating? Whom must I begin loving in obedience to Christ? What phone call, visit, apology, prayer, gift, silence, correction, forgiveness, or act of service would make the commandment visible in my life? John will not allow love to remain a decoration on Christian speech. It must become the furniture of Christian living. It must be found in homes, churches, markets, meals, hospital rooms, funeral gatherings, messages sent, messages not sent, words spoken, and words swallowed before they become poison. “He who loves his brother abides in the light.” That is where Christians belong. Not in the old room where the quarrel sits at the table and is fed like an honored guest, but in the light of Christ, where mercy has entered, truth has spoken, and love has work to do. #HolyWitBibleStudy #GordonMcGinnis #WalkingInTheLight #1John2