D DAY IS COMING
Malachi 4

“For behold, the day is coming, burning like an oven, and all the proud, yes, all who do wickedly will be stubble. And the day which is coming shall burn them up,” Says the LORD of hosts, “ That will leave them neither root nor branch.”” (Malachi 4:1) The day is coming, is what the Word is saying here for those who have an ear to hear. The proud are the wicked, and the wicked are the proud. The proud and the wicked are one; they are like birds of the same feather. Have you been identified as wicked lately? Do you consider yourself wicked? Who are the proud, and who are the wicked? Inside of the complaint of Jeremiah before God, the identity of the wicked is revealed, “…Why does the way of the wicked prosper? Why are those happy who deal so treacherously? 2 You have planted them, yes, they have taken root; they grow, yes, they bear fruit. You are near in their mouth but far from their mind.” (Jeremiah 12:1-2) All men that have the Word of God in their mouth, but their lifestyle is far from the Word of God that they profess, are identified as wicked. Jeremiah’s complaint is indicated that the wicked are well in their standing because they have roots, they grow, and they bear fruit. The wicked ones are the ones with the Word near their mouth, but far from their mind. Is that you in anyway? Be warned because the Word of the Lord has said it all, that the proud, the ones that do wickedly will be stubble, the days that are coming shall burn them up. After being burnt, they will have no roots or branches remaining. The days ahead are not good for the wicked or the proud. It is possible to pretend before man, but the Lord God cannot be deceived. The proud can be eloquent and very conversant in the Word of God, but that will not deliver any of the wicked or proud. “The fear of the LORD is the beginning of wisdom.” (Psalm 111:10) It is wisdom to know that the Lord God does not overlook sin, and He will do what He said He would do to the wicked and the proud. In your daily life, let hatred, deception, manipulation, and all other evidence of pride not be your portion. The day is coming, that is what the Lord said concerning the proud and the wicked. Avoid getting burn. Be born in truth, and indeed, and you shall have life.  
Prayer for today: My Lord, and my Father, help me just as Peter was helped by the Lord’s prayer that kept his faith from failing. Let my faith not fail in Jesus’ name.

TRUE WAY
John 6:22-29

Jesus, on top of a mountain with His disciples, sat and opened His mouth, and taught from beatitudes to the law. He taught about fasting, about false, and true, teachings. In that series of teaching, Jesus also taught about the true way into the Kingdom. Jesus said, “Not everyone who says to Me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ shall enter the kingdom of heaven, but he who does the will of My Father in heaven.” (Matthew 7:21) Indeed many are saying to Him, ‘Lord, Lord,’ today and they are saying it with more eloquence, but He is not evident in their life. What the Lord was saying here was that those that are calling on God without doing the will of the Father are bound not to enter the Kingdom of heaven. For so many years you have been saying, ‘Lord, Lord,’ can you sincerely declare that you have been doing the will of the Father? Doing the will of the Father is not only in going to church, prayer meetings, and every other function or church activities. Doing the will of the Father was pointed out by Jesus when He stated in Luke 6:46-47, ““But why do you call Me ‘Lord, Lord,’ and not do the things which I say? 47 Whoever comes to Me, and hears My sayings and does them, I will show you whom he is like.” Doing the will of Jesus is in coming to Him, hearing what he has to say, and doing what He says. So many have come to Him, so many are still coming to Him, but almost none are doing what He says. If the numbers that are doing what He says was high, then the world would be a better place to live. Among all the believers, if anyone truly believes in the purpose of why Jesus came, the ones that believe are supposed to be true to the word of God. Claiming to be a believer is not enough, but aiming to be like Him is. Following His word is what believing in Him is all about. Jesus was asked in John 6:28-29, “Then they said to Him, “What shall we do, that we may work the works of God?” 29 Jesus answered and said to them, “This is the work of God, that you believe in Him whom He sent.” The will of God is for all to work the works. To work the works of God is to believe in whom that sent Jesus. All the acclaimed believers that have been coming without doing the words are not doing the will. However, not doing the will is not walking in line with God.
Prayer for today: Father, I ask toady that you take my moments, and let me follow all Your word as they locate me in every area of my life.

TRUST AND EXPECTATION
Joshua 1:1-9

“After the death of Moses the servant of the LORD, it came to pass that the LORD spoke to Joshua the son of Nun, Moses’ assistant, saying: 2 “Moses My servant is dead. Now therefore, arise, go over this Jordan, you and all this people, to the land which I am giving to them—the children of Israel. 3 Every place that the sole of your foot will tread upon I have given you, as I said to Moses.” (Joshua 1:1-3) God spoke to the children of Israel through Joshua about what He was going to do. God had a plan to bless them and it was a done deal if they were going to trust only on the promises of God. God’s promise was that every place that the sole of their feet would tread upon would be their own, but they had to move by trusting the Lord for what He said He was going to do. All the promises of God are set to become a manifestation wherever there is expectation in place. Expectation is rooted in trusting God for what He is and what He can do. All of the promises of God will come to pass when the trust invested is making man live by the Word of God. Often times believers quote, “Every place that sole of your foot tread upon has be given to them”. Indeed God has done what He said He will do before it becomes a physical manifestation. Only when the required trust is in place. Isaiah 57:13, “…But he who puts his trust in Me shall possess the land, and shall inherit My holy mountain.” God spoke again to confirm only those whose trust will rest in His promises. Has the Lord spoken and you have heard Him but didn’t trust Him? There is nothing to loose in trusting God, but there is so much to gain. Joshua’s experience after spying on the land was enough for him not to falter in hearing and abiding by whatever the Lord promised him. Joshua and Caleb survived among all the generations that perished in the wilderness because of the demonstration of the lack of faith to trust God for His promises. God has so many promises for His creations, none that can be achieved just by the word of mouth, but by consciously living in the Word of God. Knowing that trusting God is wisdom is not enough, but knowing how to live by the Word of God will bring to pass the manifestation of what the Lord promised to do.
Prayer for today: Father, all I am asking for this day is the grace to be able to live every single moment of my life in trusting Your gracious and merciful name.

DISPLEASING GOD
Genesis 38:1-12

The Word of God testified in Genesis 38:7, “But Er, Judah’s firstborn, was wicked in the sight of the LORD, and the LORD killed him.” After the death of Er, by Law, the brother of Er, Onan, was to marry the widow of Er. Deuteronomy 25:5 stated the Law, “If brothers dwell together, and one of them dies and has no son, the widow of the dead man shall not be married to a stranger outside the family; her husband’s brother shall go in to her, take her as his wife, and perform the duty of a husband’s brother to her.” Judah was aware of the law, and Onan, the brother of Er, knew what the law commanded. Onan abandon the command that was in the law. He did not want to go by what the law said. Onan knew what to be done and why it has to be done. Genesis 38:8-9, “And Judah said to Onan, “Go in to your brother’s wife and marry her, and raise up an heir to your brother.” 9 But Onan knew that the heir would not be his; and it came to pass, when he went in to his brother’s wife, that he emitted on the ground, lest he should give an heir to his brother.” Judah played the role of father by asking Onan to do what was right, that he was to marry Er’s wife. Clearly, as it is written above from verse 9, Onan had his own agenda and it was not in doing what the Word commanded. Onan wanted to follow the law in his own way. Every Word and command requires a full response, and it is not to be changed, or to be compromised. Onan knew what was right, but failed, by not doing the right thing. Genesis 38:10, “And the thing which he did displeased the LORD; therefore He killed him also.” Onan died because his action displeased God. Displeasing God is to know what to do in the Word and not do it. God is the same yesterday, today, and tomorrow. God has not changed or lowered the standard of His Word. Having an agenda to compromise the Word of God is a life threatening issue. God is a merciful God and He is also gracious. Romans 6:1-2, “What shall we say then? Shall we continue in sin that grace may abound? 2 Certainly not! How shall we who died to sin live any longer in it?” The command of God remains the same and that is, it cannot, and should not be violated. Displeasing God in anyway can take life. Have life by pleasing God, and do not be deleted before Him.
Prayer for today: Father, have mercy on me, and let me not take any step towards displeasing Your gracious holy name. 

PLEASING HIM
John 6:1-14

When Jesus got himself and His disciples to the place that called for the feeding of five thousand, there was no food physically in place. John 6:5-6, “Then Jesus lifted up His eyes, and seeing a great multitude coming toward Him, He said to Philip, “Where shall we buy bread, that these may eat?” 6 But this He said to test him, for He Himself knew what He would do.” How could Jesus, the One that is in charge of meeting needs in the presence of lack, not know what He would do? Jesus knows the end from the beginning, and the beginning from the end. Jesus knew what He would do and He had answer in His hand before questioning the disciples. As a believer that claims the grace of salvation, do you know what to do to come out of a dead end position? There were five thousand and Jesus was asking what could be done. Without any hesitation, Philip answered Jesus, “…Two hundred denarii worth of bread is not sufficient for them, that every one of them may have a little.”(John 6:7) Philip was responding based on the physical, and he could not see the way Jesus was seeing. The reason why Jesus knew what He would do is evident in His testimony in John 8:29, “And He who sent Me is with Me. The Father has not left Me alone, for I always do those things that please Him.” Jesus was doing what pleased the Father, and the Father’s presence was always there with Him. When God’s presence becomes constant and consistent in the life of a believer, knowing what to do, and what not to do, will become the believer’s portion. The Word of God is written for our learning and it should be a clear lesson that pleasing God is what will make a difference in the life of one believer from another believer. What does it take to please God? Hebrew 11:6, “But without faith it is impossible to please Him, for he who comes to God must believe that He is, and that He is a rewarder of those who diligently seek Him.” The Word of God made it clear that it is not possible to please God without faith. As a result of this, it will be right to say that it is possible to please God when there is faith. Do you have the faith that takes to please God? What does it take for faith to be built up? Romans 10:17, “So then faith comes by hearing, and hearing by the word of God.” Spending time in the word of God will no doubt build up faith in the life of a believer. As the word increases, faith will also increase and pleasing Him will become a reality.
Prayer for today: Enable me not fail in walking, standing, and living in your Word, O Lord, my God, and my King.