October 9

Standing Firm - Truth Day Nine by SGLY Ministry

Only fear the LORD, and serve him in truth with all your heart: for consider how great things he hath done for you. 1 Samuel 12:24 KJV.

As you put on the Belt of Truth each day remind yourself that you are surrounding yourself with God’s word which is all powerful and with Jesus Christ Himself who is the Word of God. By wearing this piece of Armor you can surely stand firm and serve God faithfully because with God’s truth surrounding you will be able to recognize and refute the lies of the enemy easily.

Prayer: Dear God, “Lead me in Your truth and teach me, For You are the God of my salvation; On You I wait all the day. Psalm 25:5 KJV. As I walk through my little corner of the world today God I pray for Your guidance and instruction in order that I may proclaim your truth and serve You will all my heart. Thank You God for all the great things You have done, are now doing and will do for me in Jesus name. Amen.

Today: Sing psalms, hymns, and spiritual songs. Let the truth and Word of Christ dwell in you richly.

Blessings to you as you wear the full Armor of God today and serve the Lord with gladness and truth in your heart.

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A Bible Devotion

Always Be Thankful

1 THESSALONIANS 5:18 NLT 18 No matter what happens, always be thankful, for this is God's will for you who belong to Christ Jesus.

Bad things happen in life sometimes. There are times we don't understand what is happening or why. But we can always be thankful for many things:

God loves us.

Jesus died for us.

Our sins are forgiven.

Jesus has promised to never leave us.

God is our Father and He is faithful.

We have an eternal home in Heaven.

What we choose to focus on determines our attitude. While we may face problems, we don't have to let those problems become our focus. We can choose to give thanks and praise God for His goodness and faithfulness.

Imagine how discouraged that will make the devil feel!

Also, think of the pleasure it must bring our Father God when we stay in faith and focus on Him, instead of being distracted by the stuff the devil does trying to steal our faith.

If you are always thankful, the bad things that do happen to you will lose their ability to really harm you. For God will work in your life.

SAY THIS: I choose to always be thankful to God, no matter what happens.

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Mending The Rip

Heidi darted out of Samantha's house and headed for home. "Some friend she is!" fumed Heidi as she stomped up the steps to her own back door. But at the top step, she stumbled and fell. Getting up, she brushed herself off. "Oh, no!" moaned Heidi when she saw a rip in her shirt. Tears filled her eyes, and she ran into the house to find her mother. "Mom," she cried, "this is the worst day of my life! Samantha called me names, and just now I fell on the steps and tore my shirt."

"I'm sorry, honey," said Mom as she examined the shirt. "This isn't a very bad tear, though. I'll mend it right now before it gets worse. I'm sure I can fix it so no one will ever know it was torn."

Heidi changed her clothes, and as her mother got busy with needle and thread, Heidi told her about the quarrel with Samantha. "You should have heard what she called me," whined Heidi.

"And what did you call her?" asked Mom.

"Uh-well, I . . . I don't exactly remember what I said," stammered Heidi, "but I was pretty mad." She continued to grumble and complain while Mom worked on the shirt.

Soon the tear in the shirt was mended, and Mom showed it to Heidi. "I'm glad you showed me that rip right away," said Mom. "If it had gotten longer, it would have been much harder to fix."

Heidi inspected the shirt. "Awesome! Thanks!" she exclaimed. "I can't even see where it was ripped!" She smiled. "It's my favorite shirt," she added.

"And what about the rip in your friendship with Samantha-your favorite friend?" asked Mom. "Shouldn't that rip be mended today, too?"

Heidi looked at the floor in embarrassment. "But it wasn't my fault," she said, trying to excuse her part in the quarrel.

"Not entirely, perhaps," replied Mom, "but does that matter? Don't you think mending that ripped friendship is more important than fixing your ripped shirt?" Heidi hesitated. "Think about it," added Mom. "Mend it before it gets worse. You'll be glad you did."

HOW ABOUT YOU?
Have you quarreled with a friend or relative? Isn't your relationship with that person important enough for you to forgive and forget? Besides, you may need to be forgiven, too, since it takes two to quarrel. Mend torn friendships quickly. Perhaps that will be easier to do if you remember how much God has forgiven you.

TODAY'S KEY VERSE:
If anyone has a complaint against another; even as Christ forgave you, so you also must do. Colossians 3:13
Kid's Daily Devotional

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Exodus 15:13 'With Your unfailing love You lead the people You have redeemed. In Your might, You guide them to Your sacred home.'

- There are two things we can be sure of: His unfailing love and His mighty power.
- His unfailing love is here to lead you.
- His mighty power is here to guide you day by day.
- His faithfulness is your armor and protection.

PRAYER: Lord, thank You for Your unfailing love towards me. I pray that You will lead me and guide me every step so that my life can be lived in dependence on You. Amen.

Kind Regards
Pastor Andrew & Vanessa Roebert

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A Bible Devotion

Life Can Be Tough

JOHN 16:33 ICB 33 "I told you these things so that you can have peace in me. In this world you will have trouble. But be brave! I have defeated the world!"

Jesus never promised us that everything would be perfect here on earth. He recognized that we would encounter trouble. But His instructions were to be of good cheer -- not to let it get us down.

As we encounter difficulties in life, it will help us to remember the big picture. First, God is our Father and has a wonderful eternal plan for us. We are His children and He loves us. Second, this time is but a training period for our future life with God. We are supposed to be learning to trust God and to obey Him.

So, every problem we ever face is an opportunity to walk in faith and please God. Every problem is an opportunity to overcome with God's help. How can we expect to receive the blessings promised to the overcomer if we never have anything to overcome?

What is the answer when we seem overwhelmed with trouble? Look to Jesus. He has already won the victory. He has overcome and defeated the world. In Him is victory.

You may ask how you can look to Jesus. It is mostly a matter of focus -- what you choose to think on. What God says in His Word will set you free and give you peace. What the circumstances say is not the final word.

So, go to God's Word. Cling to the promises. Speak them. Sing them. Shout them. Rejoice over them. And thank God for them.

Also, you need to develop a closer relationship with the Lord. That is His desire and it should be yours. All relationships are based on communication, so you must talk to the Lord to deepen your relationship with Him. Develop the habit of talking with Him about everything. You can speak freely to Him -- after all He knows what you are thinking anyway.

SAY THIS: No matter what I face, the Lord is with me, and I can overcome because Jesus already won the victory.

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Twelve Signs of a Spiritual Awakening

An increased tendency to let things happen rather than make them happen.
Frequent attacks of smiling.
Feelings of being connected with others and nature.
Frequent overwhelming episodes of appreciation.
A tendency to think and act spontaneously rather than from fears based on past experience.
An unmistakable ability to enjoy each moment.
A loss of ability to worry.
A loss of interest in conflict.
A loss of interest in interpreting the actions of others.
A loss of interest in judging others.
A loss of interest in judging self.
Gaining the ability to love without expecting anything in return.

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Return To Him by Seek Ye First the Kingdom

Some people are tempted into believing they have strayed so far from God’s will that they cannot be forgiven and reconciled. This is a lie the devil puts in their minds.

God tells us through Isaiah 44:22, “I have swept away your sins like a cloud. I have scattered your offenses like the morning mist. Oh, return to me, for I have paid the price to set you free.”

We need only accept the gift of Grace that God has given, to return to him. He saves us. Paul tells us in Romans 8:39, ” nothing in all creation will ever be able to separate us from the love of God that is revealed in Christ Jesus our Lord.”

Dear Lord, Thank you for your Grace. Help those who feel beyond forgiveness to know that you are waiting for their return. We must only accept your gift. In Jesus’ name. Amen.

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Bible Verses

"They that wait upon the Lord shall renew their strength; they shall mount up with wings as eagles; they shall run, and not be weary; and they shall walk, and not faint" (Isaiah 40:31 KJV).

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1 Timothy 6:11-12 "But you, man of God, flee from all this {evil}, and pursue righteousness, godliness, faith, love, endurance and gentleness. Fight the good fight of the faith. Take hold of the eternal life to which you were called when you made your good confession in the presence of many witnesses."

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Psalm 34:8 – Taste and see that the Lord is good; blessed is the man who takes refuge in him.

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“God is our refuge and strength, a very present help in trouble. Therefore we will not fear though the earth gives way, though the mountains be moved into the heart of the sea” (Ps. 46:1–2)

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Submit yourselves for the Lord's sake to every authority instituted among men: whether to the king, as the supreme authority, or to governors, who are sent by him to punish those who do wrong and to commend those who do right. For it is God's will that by doing good you should silence the ignorant talk of foolish men. — 1 Peter 2:13-15

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Prayers

Prayer for the Day

Holy God, you have given me another day. Bring your Holy Spirit into my mind and my life, so that I may walk this day in your presence. Let me feel your presence throughout the day, remembering always that you sent your Spirit that you might be a living force in all I see and all I do. When I feel temptation or begin to stray, show me your path. Correct me, comfort me, let me live your will; that I may be happy in this life and blessed in the life to come. This I pray in the name of Christ, my Lord. Amen.

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Finally, may I go forth filled with the joy and confidence of your Spirit; and may everything I do this day, in word or deed, be done in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks through Him to God the Father. Amen.

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My Father, may I have an appreciation of the wonderful creations of the earth. Give me a discriminating eye, that I may know the precious things that thou art growing; and throughout my life may I love the beautiful, and choose that which will make my life worthy of growth. Amen.

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God our Father, may the vastness of your creation that we can begin to see through a telescope, remind us of the abundance of your love. May the lowliness of the smallest creatures and cells that we can see through a microscope, remind us of how insignificant - yet special - we appear to be. May our vision each day of the world around us remind us that you so loved the world that you sent Jesus, your Son, to be one of us. In all that we observe, open our eyes so that we may really see and grow in wonder and appreciation. Amen.

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They were standing by the sea of glass, holding harps that God had given them and singing the song of Moses, the servant of God, and the song of the Lamb: "Lord God Almighty, how great and wonderful are your deeds! King of the nations, how right and true are your ways! Who will not stand in awe of you, Lord? Who will refuse to declare your greatness? You alone are holy. All the nations will come and worship you, because your just actions are seen by all." Revelation 15:2b–4, TEV

O Lord God, we thank you that in our times we may feel and see that you are at work. This is a joy and comfort to us and we take heart, although the misery on earth sometimes brings us to tears. We find joy again because you are at work. You are carrying out your will, which includes your plan for our life and salvation. Grant that fruits may appear in our times, for our times are in your hands. Grant that many people from all nations may come to you. May they turn to you in their need and know the happiness of receiving your help. May your name be honored, your kingdom come, and your will be done on earth as in heaven. Amen.

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Dear Father, as I face this day give me the wisdom and courage to do the right thing, even when it is not easy.