Who is Jesus Christ?

This is one of the most important questions you can ever ask because, you need Jesus.

God loves you. He desires to have a living relationship with you and give you salvation, purpose and eternal life. It is an important decision that only you can make, but you need to make it!

1. You have a past

Scripture states clearly that everyone in the world is guilty of sin — and that includes you and me. Romans 3:23 says: ‘For all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God.’

2. Sin has its price

Romans 6:23 tells us: ‘For the wages of sin is death.’ The wage we earn from work is money, but the wages of sin is death. Death means separation from God forever. But there is good news.

3. Christ paid for your sin

Even though we are sinners, Christ loves us so much that He died in our place to pay for our sin. ‘But God demonstrated His own love for us in this while we were still sinners, Christ died for us.’ (Romans 5:8)

4. You must believe

To become a Christian and have assurance of eternal life is a personal decision only you can make. Romans 10:9 says: ‘if you confess with your mouth, Jesus is Lord, and believe in your heart that God raised Him from the dead, you will be saved.’ The word ‘believe’ here means to entrust your life completely over to Jesus Christ. That’s what real faith is, asking Jesus Christ to be Lord of your Life.

If You’d like to begin a personal relationship with Jesus today, please pray this prayer.

Dear Lord Jesus, I believe You died for me and that Your blood paid for my sins. Please forgive me for my sin. I want You to be my Lord. Thank You for dying for me, forgiving my sin and giving me the gift of eternal life. I wish to turn away from sin and I acknowledge You as my Lord and Saviour. Lead and guide me in Your way, Amen.

You have just made an important and very wise decision. We encourage you to now contact your local Christian church for regular, ongoing fellowship and guidance in becoming a disciple. Anytime you would like us to pray for you, either now or in the future, you can always contact the team at Vision Christian Prayer.

We’d love you to send us an email to tell us the story behind your decision.

We’d also love to send you a complimentary copy of our devotional, The Word for Today to help you search the Scriptures daily, know Jesus better and follow Him more closely. Give us a call if you’d like a copy.

1 John 5:11-12 tells us there are two groups of people. ‘He who has the Son has life’ and ‘He who does not have the Son of God does not have life.’ Because you have prayed and believed in the Son you have life!

Problem Solving (1)

‘When we are knocked down, we get up again.’ 2 Corinthians 4:9 CEV

Every problem you face in life introduces you to yourself. It shows you how you think and what you’re made of. People basically respond to problems in three ways:

(1) they refuse to accept them

(2) they accept them and then endure [put up with] them, or

(3) they accept them and try to improve things.

Which of the three people are you?

Paul was a problem solver. He knew that with God on his side, he would prevail. ‘We are like clay jars in which this treasure is stored. The real power comes from God and not from us. We often suffer, but we are never crushed. Even when we don’t know what to do, we never give up. In times of trouble, God is with us, and when we are knocked down, we get up again.’ (2 Corinthians4:7 –9 CEV)

So when it comes to having problems, what should you do?

(1) Anticipate them. Since problems are unavoidable, prepare for them spiritually, mentally, and emotionally. If you pray for God’s best and anticipate Satan’s worst, you will find yourself in a good position to solve the problems that come your way.

(2) See the big picture. You can’t afford to be overcome by emotion or get bogged down and lose sight of what’s important.

(3) Handle one thing at a time. Richard Sloma said, ‘Never try to solve all the problems at once—make them line up for you one-by-one.’ And if you’re facing lots of problems, try to solve the one you’re working on before moving on to the next one.

SoulFood: Eph 4:17 – 6:24, John 3:22-36, Ps 89:15-37, Pro 23:15-18

It Happens in Stages

‘…first the blade, then the head, after that the full grain…’ Mark 4:28 NKJV

If God has given you a promise and you’re waiting for to be fulfilled, observe the words of Jesus: ‘The Kingdom of God is as if a man should scatter seed on the ground, and should sleep by night and rise by day, and the seed should sprout and grow, he himself does not know how. For the earth yields crops by itself: first the blade, then the head, after that the full grain in the head. But when the grain ripens, immediately he puts in the sickle, because the harvest has come.’ (Mark 4:26–29 NKJV) Before you receive what God has promised, you often go through certain stages. Let’s look at them:

First, there’s the ‘I don’t know’ stage. Your seed is in the ground; when it will produce a harvest is entirely up to God. But His Word assures you it will. Next comes ‘the blade’ stage. It’s just a tiny blade blowing in the breeze but it’s enough to encourage you and let you know that the answer is on the way. Next comes ‘the head’ stage. Now it’s starting to look like what you prayed for. Hopefully you’ve been watering it with prayer, fertilising it with God’s Word and protecting it from any negative force that would try to uproot it. Finally you enter ‘the full grain’ stage. This is when God says: ‘Put in the sickle, because your harvest has come.’ At this point it’s crucial to recognise your harvest and begin to reap it. Whatever stage you’re at today, stand on God’s promise and keep trusting Him. He will not disappoint you.

SoulFood: 1 Chr 6:1–7:19, John 9:13–23, Ps 115, Pro 25:23–25

Keep Building Up Your Faith

‘But without faith it is impossible to please Him.’ Hebrews 11:6 NKJV

We usually think of faith in terms of getting answers to our prayers and receiving from God the things that He alone can provide. And that’s ok. But there’s a more important reason for building up your faith.

Faith is about pleasing God! ‘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.’ What pleases God? Your faith! What displeases God? Your lack of faith!

In the past, Christians sometimes described praying passionately as ‘storming the gates of Heaven’. It was a sincere sentiment, but it wasn’t completely accurate. The battle isn’t between you and Heaven! You have a red-carpet welcome to approach God at any time. ‘Let us therefore come boldly to the throne of grace, that we may obtain mercy and find grace to help in time of need.’ (Hebrews 4:16 NKJV) If there’s a battle, it’s between you and the forces of hell (see Ephesians 6:12–18).

Why are our prayers sometimes not effective? The Bible says, ‘The Word which they heard did not profit them, not being mixed with faith in those who heard it.’ (Hebrews 4:2 NKJV) Yes, God is moved by your needs, but He responds to your faith. That is why nothing is more important than building up your faith. And how do you do that? ‘Faith comes by hearing, and hearing by the Word of God.’ (Romans 10:17 NKJV) It works like this: get into God’s Word, get God’s Word into you, pray, and things will begin to change for the better in your life.

SoulFood: 2 Cor 9:1–11:15, Luke 22:24–38, Ps 24, Pr 21:1–2

The Case For God (4)

‘They began to think up foolish ideas of what God was like. As a result, their minds became dark and confused.’ Romans 1:21 NLT

Contemplating the amazing design of our universe, physicist and Nobel Peace Prize winner, Arno Penzias, tries to explain it this way: ‘Astronomy leads us to a unique event, a universe…created out of nothing, one with the very delicate balance needed to provide exactly the conditions required to permit life. In the absence of an absurdly improbable accident, the observations of modern science seem to suggest an underlying, one might say, supernatural plan.’

Harvard biologist Stephen Jay Gould describes humans as ‘a glorious accident’ of evolution which needed [a series of] 60 trillion contingent events. Cosmologists estimate the earth to be 4.55 billion years old. So, to accomplish those 60 trillion events would require more than 36 essential events every day for 4.55 billion years—just to get Homo sapiens. And conveniently, each of these 36 new events would have to occur in the right place, at the right time, in the right sequence. And this doesn’t take into account the astronomical number of ‘accidents’ required to form the tens, possibly hundreds of thousands of individual ecosystems.

Ray Comfort put it this way: ‘The odds would be better of getting hit by lightning at the moment you won the Power-ball lottery while dying in the crash of a plane that got struck by a meteor.’ Dr Francis Collins, director of the Human Genome Project, a believer himself, describes exploring nature as ‘a way of getting a glimpse of God’s mind’, and observes, ‘All truth is God’s truth, and therefore God can hardly be threatened by scientific discoveries.’

God is real, and when you reach for His help, you will get it.

SoulFood: Isa 34-37, Luke 2:21-33, Ps 71:17-24, Pro 2:3-5

When Your Child Seems Out Of Control

‘Great shall be the peace of your children.’ Isaiah 54:13 NKJV

Few things in life can break your heart like a child addicted to alcohol or drugs, or realising they’re hanging out with the wrong crowd and are involved in activities that can destroy their lives. As a parent, what can you do?

First and foremost, pray for them and speak God’s promises over them. You may not be able to change them, but God can. His Word says, ‘All your children shall be taught by the Lord, and great shall be the peace of your children.’

What if your child is out of control and living at home? Then you have a big challenge that requires God’s help. Sometimes your ‘problem child’ is a child of destiny with a great future, and Satan knows that. God has a calling on their life, and that’s what the battle is all about!

As a parent, you need God’s wisdom when it comes to:

(1) Setting clear boundaries with appropriate and consistent consequences. The Bible says, ‘All children are foolish, but firm correction will make them change.’ (Proverbs 22:15 CEV)

(2) Overcoming the fear that your child will reject you when you make an unpopular, but wise decision. Satan will try to convince you that you’ll lose them if you discipline them. The truth is that you’ll lose them if you don’t! Remember: ‘God has not given us a spirit of fear and timidity, but of power, love, and self-discipline.’ (2 Timothy 1:7 NLT)

Prayer and standing firmly on His Word are two of the greatest weapons God has provided when it comes to engaging Satan over your child’s future. And if you stay true to God—you’ll win.

SoulFood: 2 Kings 4:18–6:33, Mark 14:53–65, Ps 48, Pr 13:2–3

The Power Is In God’s Word

‘All Scripture is God-breathed and is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting and training in righteousness…’ 2 Timothy 3:16–17 NIV

As you read this devotional, always remember that the power doesn’t lie in the writer’s thoughts or comments, but in the written Word of God. Paul tells us, ‘All Scripture is God-breathed.’ It’s impregnated with divine seeds of life, and those seeds will spring to life within you, producing the fruit of the Spirit, and ‘delivering on’ the promises of God. View this devotional as a gateway rather than a goal. See it as the little book that whets your appetite for the Big Book! When you read each day’s devotion, have your Bible beside you and turn to the Scriptures that are referenced. As you deposit the Word of God within you every day, wonderful things will begin to happen in your life.

The psalmist writes: ‘Oh, the joys of those who do not follow the advice of the wicked, or stand around with sinners, or join in with mockers. But they delight in the law of the Lord, meditating on it day and night. They are like trees planted along the riverbank, bearing fruit each season. Their leaves never wither, and they prosper in all they do.’ (Psalm 1:1–3 NLT) Note the words ‘they prosper in all they do.’

As you renew your mind with Scripture, your faith will grow, your outlook will be altered, and every area of your life will start to change for the better. ‘All Scripture is God-breathed and is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting and training in righteousness, so that the servant of God may be thoroughly equipped for every good work.’

SoulFood: 2 Kings 4:42–44, Mark 6:30–44

Forgive Your Parents (2)

‘Forgive others, and you will be forgiven.’ Luke 6:37 NLT

Once you understand that some parents aren’t capable of giving their kids what they didn’t get themselves—namely love, nurturing, acceptance, and physical affection—it becomes easier to forgive them.

Stormie Omartian says: ‘Sometimes what one parent didn’t do hurts as bad as what the abusing one did. A parent’s uninvolvement or unwillingness to step in and rescue you feels like a betrayal. Unforgiveness for that uninvolved parent is more difficult to recognise but is more common than we think. Ask God to show you any unforgiveness towards a parent who didn’t come to your rescue. If it’s there, you have to deal honestly with your feelings…We can’t go back in time and get someone to hold and nurture us, and we mustn’t demand it from a spouse or friends because they can’t do it. It [must] come from our heavenly Father…The first step…is to receive [His] forgiveness and let its reality penetrate the deepest part of our being. When we realise how much we have been forgiven…we have no right to pass judgment on…another. Being forgiven and released from everything we’ve ever done is such a miraculous gift, how could we refuse to obey God when He asks us to forgive others? Forgiveness is a two-way street. God forgives you, and you forgive others…We base our decision not on what we feel like doing but on what we know is right. ’

Jesus said, ‘Do not judge… and you will not be judged… Forgive… and you will be forgiven.’ (Luke 6:37 NLT) Choosing to forgive and not let somebody else’s sin dictate what you feel or do frees you to live in peace.

SoulFood: Job 11-14, Luke 19:22-40, Ps 116:12-19, Pro 8:10-13

Blending Two Families (2)

‘…My conduct will be faultless…in my house…’ Psalm 101:2 GNT

Blended families are becoming increasingly common. If you’re living in one, here are some things you need to consider. (1) Every child is unique. Small children accept step-parents more easily than teenagers. Your authority won’t carry the same weight with older children. You need to approach them with wisdom and grace, while toddlers need nurture and security. (2) Create new family systems. Each family has its own system: ‘The way we do things in our house is…’ It’s what makes family members feel part of an intimate group. Things like attending church together, sharing mealtimes, playing games or just enjoying a good laugh, help to establish that important sense of bonding and belonging. (3) Unless there’s danger, don’t deny children access to their biological parent. The Bible says, ‘God blesses those…who make peace…’ (Matthew 5:9 CEV) So don’t demean [speak badly of] your ex in front of your kids, and don’t use them as messengers. Research confirms that children who spend time with both parents adjust better. It also decreases the possibility of their getting caught in the crossfire and wounded. (4) Always work in the children’s best interests. There will be holidays and events where you’ll have to meet with your ex, so get used to it—for your children’s sake. They need your love and understanding, especially when emotions run high and everybody is adjusting. Respect what’s gone before. Don’t try to force your idealised idea of what a family should be. Parenting requires maturity—lots of it. PS If you haven’t been praying, now would be a good time to start!

SoulFood: Rev 19:11–16, Acts 3:1–16, Phil 2:5–11

How To Handle Disappointment (1)

‘The godly may trip seven times, but they will get up again.’ Proverbs 24:16 NLT

For the next few days, let’s look at five different types of disappointment.

Disappointment in yourself. This is the most energy sapping kind of disappointment because it can put you into a downward spiral that’s hard to recover from. Peter experienced it. He swore loyalty to Christ saying, ‘Everyone else may abandon You but not me. I’m Yours until death!’ (see Matthew 26:33). Yet he denied Christ three times. Later he remembered Christ’s words: ‘Before the rooster crows, you will disown Me three times.’ (Matthew 26:34 NIV) Peter, heartbroken by his failure, ‘went outside and wept bitterly.’ (Luke 22:62 NIV)

Is that how you feel today? Are you thinking, ‘Lord, how could You possibly use someone like me?’ Jesus wasn’t shocked. He was well aware of Peter’s flaws when He called him. But He also knew that His outspoken disciple had a tender heart, so He chose to extend grace to him rather than cast him aside. When Christ gave His post-resurrection orders to ‘tell His disciples and Peter’ to meet Him in Galilee, He reaffirmed His choice of His failed disciple (see Mark 16:7). The rest of Peter’s story is one of victory.

So when you sin, or fail and disappoint yourself, what should you do?

(1) Humble yourself and repent. Confess your sin; don’t excuse, rationalise, or blame circumstances and people.

(2) Receive God’s grace and forgiveness by faith, not feelings. Don’t let Satan convince you that you are beyond God’s reach and grace. You’re not.

(3) Don’t add insult to injury by letting disappointment trap you in hopelessness and despair.

(4) Get whatever help you need to get back on track —sooner, not later.

SoulFood: Est 4:13 – 5:3, Matt 6:16-21, Mark 2:18-22

God Wants You To Succeed (2)

‘I pray that you may prosper in all things and be in health, just as your soul prospers.’ 3 John 1:2 NKJV

Jesus said, ‘What will it profit a man if he gains the whole world, and loses his own soul?’ (Mark 8:36 NKJV) And to drive home His point, He told the story of a rich man who died and went to hell, while a poor man on his doorstep went to Heaven. Bottom line: nothing is more important than your salvation!

But God also has a plan for your life, and He wants you to succeed. John writes, ‘I pray that you may prosper in all things and be in health, just as your soul prospers.’ Note the phrase ‘in all things’. That includes your health, your mental and emotional well-being, your family and relationships, your career and finances.

‘All things’ means—all things! There’s not an area of your life that God is not interested in or that He won’t get involved in when you seek Him, obey Him, and honour Him. In the Old Testament, He said, ‘Keep the words of this covenant, and do them, that you may prosper in all that you do.’ (Deuteronomy 29:9 NKJV) And in the New Testament, Jesus said, ‘But seek first the Kingdom of God and His righteousness, and all these things shall be added to you.’ (Matthew 6:33 NKJV)

Aren’t you totally invested in the success of your children? When they succeed in life, don’t you celebrate with them? Well, as His redeemed child, your heavenly Father is invested in your success and celebrates it with you. So start praying and believing Him today for success in all your endeavours.

SoulFood: 2 Cor 11:16–13:14, Luke 22:39–53, Ps 19, Pr 21:3

Doing Church During Lockdown

Radio Voz received more positive reactions from listeners. Especially to the Sunday morning service which we broadcast live from the Church during Timor-Leste’s lockdown.

It is evident from the many listeners who called in reacting that they were blessed with connecting to the live broadcast convention.

This is a miracle baby

Seven years ago Elisa was a die-hard listener for Laif FM. She called me telling me she needs prayer cause her husband is threatening to get another wife because she can’t bear him a child. “Wow” I told her all things are possible to God in Mark 10:27. So, I invited her to my home.

We agreed in prayer trusting God for a miracle baby boy. We prayed, “God we know Your Word tells us,You will make the impossible to become possible. Now God both of us are standing on Your Word, and Your Word must not return void, but it must accomplish its purposes. God the husband must know You are the impossible God.”

This was the agreement prayer with Elisa seven years ago. Now!!! It was a tears of Joy, to meet them both. The miracle baby boy & mom hugged me saying thank you. She has also been a The Word for Today reader since the day we prayed together.

Julie

Source of Encouragement

I am grateful to Message of Hope Nepal for this wonderful media ministry. I really enjoying and blessed to read ‘The Word for Today’ every day.

This devotional book becomes one of the sources of encouragement in my life. I am a student so I don’t have much time to prepare the Word of God but from this devotional book, I encourage Christian youth in my circle. I belong to the Chaudhary community where fewer people are educated so the audio version of the daily devotional helps much to listen to all age groups in my community. So, every morning I share
YouTube links to my circle. I really thank you and pray to God for this ministry for sustainability.

Prasanna Chaudhary
Western Nepal

Practical

Jaimashi team of Message of Hope Nepal.

Since one year I’m the regular listener of Message of Hope Nepal. In which day I heard about Message of Hope Nepal, from that day I use to listen “The Word for Today” which is broadcast from YouTube and Nepal Television every Saturday morning. From this program I’m able to know more about Him love, power, blessing etc.

The explanation of Bible verse is presented in different way, which makes me to understand easily. I also found that this “The Word for Today” is very practical in our life. That’s why I also share about this program to my family members, friends, church members. Thank you God for this opportunities, I’m so blessed by this program.

Prabin
Dhungedhara, Kathmandu

Inspiration For His Sermons

Seorang pastor bernama Elias dari Pulau Atauro merasa sangat diberkati oleh Renungan harian ini. Kata pastor bahwa buku ini membantu dia untuk dia bisa bagikan lagi ke jemaatnya melalui kotbahnya.

Speaking about Renungan Hari Ini

A priest named Elias from Atauro Island feels very blessed by this daily Reflection. The pastor said that this book helped him to be able to share it again with his congregation through his sermons.

Where is Atauro Island?

Just off the coast of Dili, the capital of Time-Leste.

Finding Motivation

I am a regular listener of this daily The Word for Today. I work in a faith-based organization where we daily do devotion from this Book. We are glad to start our day after reading this devotional book with prayers. This motivates and encourages us in our daily life. Seems like this devotional message is prepared for me, every day message is directly related to my life’s situation. Thank you so much Message of Hope Nepal for this blessed Message every day.

Rebika Tamang
Kusunti Lalitpur. Nepal

To find out more about the work of MoH Nepal with Christian radio and The Word for Today visit their website www.mohnepal.org

Kornelio and Jina Leorema

Kornelio and Jina Leorema are a married couple and avid listeners on Radio Voz. They live in a mountainous area called Remisiu and Leorema. They decided to visit Radio Voz to see it live.

Another purpose of the visit was to ask for a chance to be given and give ideas to solve the problems they face. And asked to pray for them to continue their relationship as husband and wife because their relationship was having problems due to intervention from the family. And my team and I are committed to praying for them.

Rio
Station Manager – Radio Voz
Timor-Leste

Encouragement in Loss

Milia Pino is a The Word for Today reader in Papua New Guinea. Her husband was a police chaplain but he recently passed on leaving Milia a widow.

Due to loneliness, she was left alone and The Word for Today was her best friend.

Tragically, her house burnt down and she lost her power sewing machine. But she read in last year’s The Word for Today a similar story and that story encouraged her. It quoted Isaiah 43:19-20.

Forget the former things, do not dwell on the past, see I am doing a new thing.

Amen. She felt like God was talking to her. She immediately felt God’s peace. She is now trusting God for new things to happen in her life.

Thankfulness and Appreciation

Frank is a senior member and Congregation Treasurer at a Church in Honiara, Solomon Islands.

TWFT 2023 Solomon Islands On two separate occasions, he expressed his thankfulness and appreciation for The Word for Today.

This is what he said in one of the occasions..

“Since the day I received a copy of The Word for Today, I use it as my daily devotion. Everyday I read it..I enjoyed reading it. It speaks to me and uplift me in every situation I go through in life.

I find good encouragement and motivation each day by having devotion through this book.”

Honiara
Solomon Islands

God’s Word through Facebook

I have been fulfilling some of the responsibilities of my church, such as leading youth groups, Sunday school, Sisters fellowship, etc

Due to the burden of family’s responsibility and future, I went out for this job. At the same time, I used to go to church in a hurry due to my busy schedule. Thus day by day I began to weaken in prayer and spiritually and the habit of reciting the Word of God gradually disappeared. As I tried to move closer to God, I began to feel uneasy, frustrated, and depressed.

One day I found out the Facebook page of The Word for Today Daily Devotion that is being broadcast from Message of Hope through social media and started listening to it day after day. From this daily devotional book, I found great excitement and inspiration in my life. Finally, I realized that according to Jeremiah 29:11, God’s plan is greater than my plan and will. Eventually, I changed my mind. So I would like to thank God and Message of Hope Nepal from the bottom of my heart.

Rachan – Kailali, Nepal

+61 7 3387 7300