VERSE: Ezra 3:11–They sang, praising and giving thanks to the Lord, saying, “For He is good. His lovingkindness is upon Israel forever.” And all the people shouted with a great shout then they praised the Lord because the foundation of the house of the Lord was laid. TRUTH: As we see God’s work done, we are to praise Him. He is indeed good and He is worthy of our praise. The people could see all that the Lord had done and they were excited to see what else would be done as a result of having the house of the God. As we look at our lives today, do we…

VERSE: Ezra 2:69–According to their ability they gave to the treasury for the work 61,000 gold drachmas and 5,000 silver minas and 100 priestly garments. TRUTH: Out of love and devotion to God, we are to give gifts to God to help the work of God. The people in Ezra’s day gave gifts to see the temple restored. They gave according to their ability. Are we giving according to our ability? Do we seek to give as much as we can to the work that God is doing? What is our ability to give? Are we measuring our giving based on others or based on our own ability? RESPONSE: Father,…

VERSE: Ezra 1:2–Thus says Cyrus, king of Persia, “The Lord, the God of heaven, has given me all the kingdoms of the earth and He has appointed me to build Him a house in Jerusalem, which is in Judah.” TRUTH: Cyrus, a foreign king, felt impressed by God to do something for One who had given Him such success. Cyrus followed God and as a result, listened and obeyed the commands of God. No matter who we are or where we’re from, God can use us to bring about His will. If we are being obedient to Him, we are always in the right position to be used for God’s…

VERSE: Mark 16:15–And He said to them, “Go into all the world and preach the gospel to all creation.” TRUTH: Jesus, after He rose from the dead, gave His followers a mandate. They were to go and share with all creation the message of salvation through Jesus Christ. It’s so easy to talk about doing this or discuss Jesus with our other Christian friends. Instead, God is indicating that we are to have an excitement for what God is doing in our life that compels us to share with everyone we come into contact with. The disciples may have thought it odd that Jesus gave them this mandate, after all,…

VERSE: Mark 15:12–Answering again, Pilate said to them, “Then what shall I do with Him whom you call the King of the Jews?” TRUTH: Pilate asked the question; the most important question any of us can ever ask. “What should I do with Jesus?” Each one of us must eventually answer that question for ourselves. Our lives are centered around what we ultimately decide the answer is. What are you going to do with Jesus? RESPONSE: Father, I accept that Jesus is the Christ. You are over all things. I choose to believe in You and trust in You and I have accepted Jesus into my life to live the…

VERSE: Mark 14:31–But Peter kept saying insistently, “Even if I have to die with You, I will not deny You!” And they all were saying the same thing also. TRUTH: How often do we make promises to God? It seems that we have no problem promising God all kinds of things, just like Peter did. However, God is not interested in our promises, He is interested in our obedience. Peter did not keep His promise to God and many times we don’t either. We must focus on God and on Him alone. We are to be doing what He has for us every second of every day. If we get…

VERSE: Mark 13:33–Take heed, keep on the alert; for you do not know when the appointed time will come. TRUTH: Jesus is speaking about His second coming when He will return to earth. The disciples have questioned him, trying to get more information about this event. Jesus gives several signs to watch for, but ultimately tells them that they will not know the exact day or time, so they should always be ready. We should continue in that same state of readiness. Are we ready to see Jesus today? RESPONSE: Father, no one knows Your time schedule. You are over all and I want to live being ready and alert.…