Reign Who or what claims authority over our life, claims our inner power.   Acknowledging the Lord’s reign will help us rely on His strength, and not rely on earthly powers for our salvation.  Trust in the Lord, our rock, and praise His eternal guidance.  To trust in anything else is a waste of time as there is no other power that can match that of the Creator of all. Satan hates God.  He wants life’s distractions, interruptions & disappointments […] The post Reign appeared first on Manchester Church of Christ ..read more

Sadness Are you grieving the loss of a loved one? The Bible lends its comfort by letting us read of Jesus’ experience with the loss of his close friend, Lazarus. His sorrow was summed up in two words;  “Jesus wept.” John 11:35  The people who were standing nearby said, “See how much he loved him!” John‬ ‭11‬:‭36  The Bible tells us we can encourage each other with these words when we feel sorrow and are sad over the loss of […] The post Sadness appeared first on Manchester Church of Christ ..read more

Mercy When we hide our sins, joy hides from us. Sin separates us from The Lord, and robs the mercy that He longs to give us.  The Evil one will tell you that you are not worthy of mercy, that you have messed up too greatly to receive it.  When he does this, he is speaking in his native tongue.  Jesus exposed Satan when he said, “He was a murderer from the beginning. He has always hated the truth, because […] The post Mercy appeared first on Manchester Church of Christ ..read more

Follow Determine in your mind now to follow what is good. “Dear friends, don’t let bad examples influence you. Follow only what is good. Remember that those who do good prove that they are God’s children, and those who do evil prove that they do not know God.” 3 John‬ ‭1‬:‭11‬  Test what you follow with God’s word and by the Spirit He has placed in you.  “It is God who enables us, along with you, to stand firm for […] The post Follow appeared first on Manchester Church of Christ ..read more

Understand To understand is to perceive the meaning of something; to grasp the idea of something, or to comprehend something.  Let’s perceive the meaning of what God wants us to understand about Psalm 139.  “O Lord, you have examined my heart and know everything about me. You made all the delicate, inner parts of my body and knit me together in my mother’s womb. You saw me before I was born. Every day of my life was recorded in your book. Every moment was laid out before a single day had passed. How precious are your thoughts about me, O God. They cannot be numbered!”  Psalms ‭1 ..read more

Praise It is the best gift we can offer God as His creation. “Come, let us tell of the Lord’s greatness; let us exalt his name together.”  Psalms‬ ‭34‬:‭3‬ ‭ God’s great power is cause for praise. We were created at His command.  Sit with this thought for a moment.  Can you get your mind around who God is, and what He did with merely the command of His voice? Let our response be; Praise the Lord! Praise the Lord from the skies. Let us praise the Lord, because we were created by his command. From Psalm 148: 1, 5 If God’s breath created the world into existence, why do we hesitate ..read more

Speaks  In the definition of speaking, we acknowledge it is something done in order to convey information, an opinion, or a feeling.   Pay close attention to the ways the Lord may speak to you. It can come to you through the reading of  His Word, through a spiritual song, through your prayer time with Him, through the encouragement of a trusted friend, through your thoughts, your dreams or your experiences. God speaks to us in many ways, and even though we may not understand it, we can recognize it when it happens.   “For God speaks again and again, thou ..read more

Joy Rejoice in God at all times, even when one is in bed. Praise the Lord at all times and know His angel encamps around those who fear Him; ready and capable to save.  “Let those who worship him rejoice in his glory. Let them sing for joy even in bed.” Psalm 149: 5 I will praise the Lord at all times; his praise is always on my lips. Psalm 34:1 “For the angel of the Lord is a guard; he surrounds and defends all who fear him.”  Psalms‬ ‭34‬:‭7‬ ‭ How does one express joy in the Lord at all times? Miriam and David danced. Exodus 15: 20-27  2 Samuel 6:14-22 Paul and Silas sang.&nb ..read more

Voice The voice of the Lord is meant to get our attention; from the whisper He used with Elijah to the thunder He uses over His creation, His powerful voice is intended to be heard. God’s voice is heard best when it is heard on a personal level.  God’s words to Elijah were whispered like one would call a child close and whisper in their ear covered by a cupped hand.  Can’t you see it?  Elijah came close and was actively listening to his God. Before the Lord used his quiet voice with His prophet, He told Elijah; “Go out and stand before me on the mountain,” and as Elijah stood th ..read more

Tears It comforts me that God collects our tears, stores them in His bottle, and records them in his mighty book. “You have kept count of my tossings; put my tears in your bottle. Are they not in your book?” Psalm 56:8 Jesus experiences this life with us and knows the “tear” well.  He held people who cried. He touched eyes. He wiped tears away.  He shed His tears.  His mighty heart ached with and for us; and He intercedes for us with His Father. “Jesus wept.” John‬ ‭11‬:‭35‬ ‭ Can you imagine this; Jesus leaning over to His Father from where He sits at His right side, ruling ove ..read more