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February 14 Out of the Driver's Seat "Do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own." Matthew 6:34 (NIV) Since the beginning of time, people have been intrigued with the future. It's human nature to want to know what's going to happen before it actually does. Some even hire fortune tellers who claim to know the future. But only God knows the end from the beginning and what is to come! Because of His great love for His children, He puts blinders on our eyes so that we can't see. He really wants our complete trust. There's a beautiful song titled, "If We Could See Beyond Today," and the words of the last verse go like this: "If we could see, if we could know, we often say. But God in love a veil doth throw across our way. We cannot see what lies before, and so we cling to Him the more. He leads us till this life is o'er. Trust and obey, yes trust and obey." Trusting Jesus is what it all boils down to! If you knew what would happen next week, next month, or several years ahead you probably wouldn't be leaning on Jesus! There's no need to fear the future if you allow God to control your life. Consult with Him on all your decisions and plans! Jeremiah 29:11 (NIV) says that He has "plans to prosper you and not to harm you." God is the only One who absolutely knows your future, and He's excited about guiding you through it. All you need to do is get out of the driver's seat, move on over to the passenger side, and allow God to do the driving! Ctto:Devotional #togodbetheglory #glorytogod #mamctagalogmissiongroup #mamctagalogmissioncompany

Standard of Perfection "Repent therefore and be converted, that your sins may be blotted out, so that times of refreshing may come from the presence of the Lord." Acts 3:19 (NKJV) No one is perfect! The Bible says in Romans 3:23 (NKJV), "For all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God." We would be eternally lost except for Christ's incredible sacrifice on Calvary where He paid the price for our sins! In return, He wants us to commit our lives to Him. God has given us a standard of perfection to live by in John 14:15 (NKJV): "If you love Me, keep My commandments." There's no mistaking how God wants us to live! He knows we are human, and there are times when we will make mistakes, so He has made provision for us. We can claim His promise in 1 John 1:9 (NKJV): "If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness." That doesn't mean go and sin all we want, and as long as we ask God to forgive us, we can sin the same sins over and over again with no consequences! No, not at all! God knows our hearts, and He wants us to come to Him, truly sorry for what we've done with a deep desire not to commit that sin again! Ctto:Video Ctto:Devotional #togodbetheglory #glorytogod #mamctagalogmissiongroup #mamctagalogmissioncompany

📖Exodus 20:8-11 [8]“Remember the Sabbath day, to keep it holy. [9]Six days you shall labor and do all your work, [10]but the seventh day is the Sabbath of the Lord your God. In it you shall do no work: you, nor your son, nor your daughter, nor your male servant, nor your female servant, nor your cattle, nor your stranger who is within your gates. [11]For in six days the Lord made the heavens and the earth, the sea, and all that is in them, and rested the seventh day. Therefore the Lord blessed the Sabbath day and hallowed it. 📖Genesis 2:2-4 [2]And on the seventh day God ended His work which He had done, and He rested on the seventh day from all His work which He had done. [3]Then God blessed the seventh day and sanctified it, because in it He rested from all His work which God had created and made. [4]This is the history of the heavens and the earth when they were created, in the day that the Lord God made the earth and the heavens, 📖Isaiah 66:22-23 [22]“For as the new heavens and the new earth Which I will make shall remain before Me,” says the Lord, “So shall your descendants and your name remain. [23]And it shall come to pass That from one New Moon to another, And from one Sabbath to another, All flesh shall come to worship before Me,” says the Lord. #togodbetheglory #glorytogod #mamctagalogmissiongroup #mamctagalogmissioncompany

February 13 Busy, Busy, Busy Commit your works to the Lord, and your thoughts will be established. Proverbs 16:3 (NKJV) Being busy... is not a sin! Jesus was busy and so were His disciples. Nothing is accomplished without effort, hard work, and persistence. But what we are busy doing is what's important. If we are busy in endless pursuit of things in this world, it will leave us empty, hollow, and broken inside. Worldly pleasures are fleeting and will not bring lasting happiness. All too often, we fill every second of our day trying to earn enough money to buy things that we forget about laying up treasure in Heaven, and lose sight of our highest priority. Nothing here on earth compares to eternal life with Jesus! All the money in our bank accounts will be worthless when Jesus comes. Money that could have been spent on evangelism and winning souls for the kingdom is sadly wasted. A Christian's life should be busy filled with the Holy Spirit leading, guiding, and keeping us focused on our heavenly goal! Pray for God to keep you busy working for Him! Ctto:Devotional #togodbetheglory #glorytogod #mamctagalogmissiongroup #mamctagalogmissioncompany

Doing the Right Thing God wants us to obey Him and do His will, regardless of the consequences. And the truth is, doing the right thing is not always easy. Sometimes, as Christians, we have the false expectation that if we are doing what God wants us to do, then everything will be easy in our lives! But that could not be further from the truth. Jesus set a wonderful example for all of us to follow, for when He was here on earth, He was ridiculed, made fun of, spied on, and lied about, but He kept doing the will of “His Father”! There will be times when we are doing what we “know” God wants us to do, and yet we will suffer rejection, persecution, and hardship. Just because we are “uncomfortable,” or we don’t like being tormented for something we don’t deserve, should not deter us for even a moment from doing God’s will. Jesus warned us that there would be troublesome times in John 16:33, where He says, “These things I have spoken to you, that in Me you may have peace. In the world you will have tribulation; but be of good cheer, I have overcome the world.” We need not worry or fear when we are “doing the right thing,” because God will stand by our side - even in the midst of our toughest trial! Text: 1 Peter 3:14-17, Psalm 27:1, Proverbs 2:8, James 4:17 Ctto:Video Ctto:Devotional #glorytogod #togodbetheglory #mamctagalogmissiongroup #mamctagalogmissioncompany

February 12 God's Holy Word Your word is a lamp to my feet and a light to my path. Psalm 119:105 (NKJV) Most of us own at least one Bible. In fact, we probably have more than one, but few treat it as if it were precious or important. Far too often, it sits dusty on a shelf or coffee table, never even opened. But when we make God first in our lives, prayer, worship, and Bible study become our priorities-not an afterthought or something we put off because we are too tired or too busy. Instead, we are anxious to hear what God has to say! Before making any decision, large or small, we should go to God's Word for guidance and allow the Holy Spirit to lead and direct. We can hold on to God's promises and claim them for our own. When we pray and study God's Word, we can expect answers and experience the peace that will wash over us even before we've received His answer! The Bible is holy and should be treated with the utmost respect, for God is speaking to us on every page! The Bible says in John 6:63 (NKJV), "The words that I speak to you are spirit, and they are life." Ctto:Video #togodbetheglory #glorytogod #mamctagalogmissiongroup #mamctagalogmissioncompany

Attitude Adjustment Even the most positive person will have a day now and then when they wake up, and nothing seems to go “quite right.” Perhaps something trivial sent their day spiraling downward, such as stepping on a child’s toy while getting out of bed, burning the toast for breakfast, or being late for an appointment because they forgot their cell phone and had to race back home to get it. None of those scenarios are life-threatening events, but they can easily start your day off in a funk. It is then that you need to send an SOS to heaven for an “attitude adjustment,” for without it, not only will your whole day go wrong, but chances are that you’ll cause others to have a bad day too! The Bible tells us in Philippians 2:14-15, “Do everything without grumbling or arguing, so that you may become blameless and pure, ‘children of God without fault in a warped and crooked generation.’ Then you will shine among them like stars in the sky.” The good news is that God loves you even when you’re grumpy. He will give you what you need to “shine for Him like the stars.” He is only a prayer away, so cling to Him for strength and guidance. Isaiah 55:12 says, “You will go out in joy and be led forth in peace; the mountains and hills will burst into song before you, and all the trees of the field will clap their hands.” On those days when you’re tempted to stand under your own personal dark cloud of grumpiness, ask God to give you an attitude adjustment and fill your heart with His joy, so you can step out of the darkness and into the sunshine of His love. Text: James 5:9, Psalm 50:15, Psalm 34:18, Nahum 1:7 Ctto:Video Ctto:Devotional #glorytogod #togodbetheglory #mamctagalogmissiongroup #mamctagalogmissioncompany

February 11 All Who Are Weary Because of the Lord's great love we are not consumed, for his compassions never fail. Lamentations 3:22 (NIV) Many people have an image of God that depicts Him as a stern judge, just waiting for them to make a mistake so He can condemn them. But God is not like that at all! He is a loving God, full of grace and mercy. He wants everyone to have eternal life, desiring that no one should perish! When you pray, take your troubles to Jesus. Visualize God with His loving arms around you, whispering, "I love you. It's going to be okay. Relax and trust that I can take care of you." Picture a tender, loving Father who hears the cries of His child and then allow God's holy presence to fill you with His peace. With God's strength, you will be able to handle your problems according to His will. Jesus invites those who are weary to come to Him, and He will give them rest! He will never turn away anyone who comes to Him! You can trust your problems to Jesus, knowing He will never throw them in your face, call you a failure, or betray your confidence. He is a loving, tender, and merciful God who loves you with an everlasting love and will always be in your corner! Ctto:Devotional #togodbetheglory #glorytogod #mamctagalogmissiongroup #mamctagalogmissioncompany

A Humble Heart Have you ever felt that there are some people who are just plain difficult to “love”? Perhaps you’ve encountered a demanding diner at a restaurant who yells at the waiter, commanding that his food be prepared to his liking. Usually, the person sitting across that table is cringing with embarrassment and would like to be anywhere but there! And then there is that person in line at the checkout counter who is loudly making known her displeasure that she must stand in line. I’m sure the clerk can’t bag up her purchases fast enough just to get her out of the store. Sometimes it’s more comfortable to write a check for the needy than to get sweaty, dirty, and tired helping those less fortunate. Let’s be honest - some people are easier to like than others, and it’s much more difficult to be gracious when you are serving someone who thinks they are too good to get their hands dirty. But Jesus performed the ultimate act of humility when He knelt down and washed the feet . . . the ‘dirty feet’ of His disciples - and in doing so, became the best example of how to serve. Jesus said in John 13:14, “Now that I, your Lord and Teacher, have washed your feet, you also should wash one another’s feet.” There is no better example than that of truly having a “servant’s heart.” Let no job be so demeaning that you feel it is beneath you to help others. If the toilet needs unclogging - plunge it! If the floor is dirty, scrub it; if the garbage is overflowing, throw it out! Never feel you are too good to work hard, too smart for common folk, or too talented to associate with the lower class. Instead, shine for Jesus and always maintain a humble heart! Text: Romans 12:16, Philippians 2:3, Proverbs 29:23, James 3:13 Ctto:Devotional Ctto:Video #togodbetheglory #glorytogod #mamctagalogmissiongroup #mamctagalogmissioncompany

February 10 Listening to Gossip Keep your tongue from evil, and your lips from speaking deceit. Psalm 34:13 (NKJV) We hear a lot about the sin of spreading gossip. But did you know that it is equally sinful to listen to gossip, even if you are not commenting or adding to it? When we take in what others are saying about another person, it influences how we feel about them-many times without us even being aware. We should never condemn someone based on something someone told us, even if the person telling the story is someone we trust or hold in high esteem! Remember, there's always more to the story! Form your opinions based on your own personal experience, not what others are telling you! The Bible could not be any plainer about the consequences of gossip. In Matthew 12:36 -37 (ISV) we're told, "On Judgment Day people will give an account for every thoughtless word they have uttered, because by your words you will be acquitted, and by your words you will be condemned." Wow! Killing someone's reputation is not only wrong it is a sin that will receive the ultimate death sentence! Ctto:Devotional #glorytogod #togodbetheglory #mamctagalogmissiongroup #mamctagalogmissioncompany

Yield Not to Temptation Temptation and sin are not the same thing. Being tempted is not a sin, but yielding to it is. Temptation is merely a trial of your faith. The Bible tells us in James 1:13-15, “Let no one say when he is tempted, ‘I am tempted by God’; for God cannot be tempted by evil, nor does He Himself tempt anyone. But each one is tempted when he is drawn away by his own desires and enticed. Then, when desire has conceived, it gives birth to sin; and sin, when it is full-grown, brings forth death.” Once you yield to that evil thought in your mind, you have sinned. Romans 6:23 says, "For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord." No one is forced to sin; it’s a choice. That’s why it’s so important to pray for strength to resist temptation, as this example found in Matthew 6:13: “And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from the evil one.” God has promised in 1 Corinthians 10:13 that we will not be tempted beyond what we can endure: "No temptation has overtaken you that is not common to man. God is faithful, and He will not let you be tempted beyond your ability, but with the temptation, He will also provide the way of escape, that you may be able to endure it." What a beautiful promise! No matter what enticement the devil dangles before you, God will give you the power to resist and say, “Get thee behind me, Satan!” Pray for God’s strength and Holy Spirit's power to resist any temptation that comes your way. Don’t be arrogant and underestimate Satan’s power, or foolishly think that you don’t need to worry. The devil is cunning. He knows exactly what your weaknesses are and has no problem exploiting them to do whatever it takes to entice you to sin. Don’t give the devil any reason to gloat. The first instant that an evil thought comes to your mind, pray for God’s strength and deliverance, for He will give it to you. Temptation will always follow you as long as you keep giving Satan your forwarding address. Don’t flirt with the evil one. Instead, follow God’s advice in James 4:7: “Submit yourselves, then, to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you.” A Christian author, Francis Chan, wrote, “I have one good reason why you should walk away from temptation right now. One reason–God is better.” Text: Proverbs 6:28, Matthew 26:41, Galatians 5:16-17, James 4:7 Ctto:Video Ctto:Devotional #glorytogod #togodbetheglory #mamctagalogmissiongroup #mamctagalogmissioncompany

February 9 He Holds My Hand "Fear not, for I am with you; be not dismayed, for I am your God. I will strengthen you, yes, I will help you, I will uphold you with My righteous right hand." Isaiah 41:10 (NKJV) There's a battle going on between good and evil, and make no mistake, it's a fierce one that Satan intends to win. But as Christians, we have nothing to fear! We know with absolute certainty that God wins the war! When life seems frustrating, wrong, and unfair, remember that it's not the end of the story, just the end of a chapter. The book God is writing has many, many chapters. So when the days seem dark and dreary, and our hearts are heavy with sadness, remember that this world is temporary! We don't have much longer on this earth-Jesus is coming soon! There's a song that gives encouragement to those who have grown weary, and the words go like this: "I don't know about tomorrow, I just live from day to day. I don't borrow from its sunshine, for its skies may turn to gray. I don't worry about my future, for I know what Jesus said. And today He walks beside me, for He knows what lies ahead. Many things about tomorrow, I don't seem to understand, but I know who holds tomorrow, and I know who holds my hand." Ctto:Devotional #togodbetheglory #glorytogod #mamctagalogmissiongroup #mamctagalogmissioncompany

World Without Hate Imagine for a moment what a beautiful world this would be if “hatred” did not exist. People would actually be kind to one another, judgment and biases would be abolished, and everyone would love each other. But sadly, because of sin, “hate” is not only existent but prevalent in the world today. One of the worst forms of hatred is judging people because of the color of their skin. It’s mind-boggling to think that you could actually hate another human being whom God created, based solely on their genetic makeup or country they happened to be born in! Just imagine how this makes God feel. He created man to be equal - no one is better than anyone else, and that includes whatever skin color they have. Generations of people have experienced unfair suffering and persecution from people filled with hatred towards them - all because of skin color! The Bible says in 1 John 4:20, “If anyone says, 'I love God,' and hates his brother, he is a liar; for he who does not love his brother whom he has seen, cannot love God whom he has not seen.” The bottom line is this - God wants everyone to love each other as He loves us! This popular children’s song says it all: “Jesus loves the little children, all the children of the world. Red and yellow, black and white, all are precious in His sight.” Ask God to fill your heart with more love for your fellow man, regardless of skin color, and live a life without hate! Text: Proverbs 10:12, 1 John 3:15, Leviticus 19:17, John 13:34-35 Ctto:Video Ctto:Devotional #glorytogod #togodbetheglory #mamctagalogmissiongroup #mamctagalogmissioncompany

Walls of Deceit There are some people in this world who pretend to be someone they’re not, intentionally putting on a false face to hide their true motives and intentions. But sooner or later, the truth will emerge. Being dishonest will not only keep you from living a true, godly life - it will separate you from Jesus. The Bible says in Numbers 32:23, “But if you fail to keep your word, then you will have sinned against the LORD, and you may be sure that your sin will find you out.” When you are not presenting your true self to others, you are, in essence, lying about who you are. And God calls that “sin.” There is an old expression that goes like this, “You can fool some of the people some of the time - but you can’t fool all of the people all of the time.” As cunning and sly as you might be, you won’t be able to deceive everyone, and sooner or later, the walls of deceit will start closing in. There is someone that you will never be able to fool, and that is God. He knows your heart and sees through you. He knows you better than anyone else - even better than you know yourself! There is no room in heaven for hypocrites! God wants you to tear down those walls of deceit and stop pretending to be a Christian - and just “BE a Christian!” Allow God to come into your heart and life and take over! You will live a happier life, walking with Jesus - and allowing the world to see the amazing person God created - “the real you” - shining for Him! Text: Colossians 3:9, Psalm 37:5, 37, 2 Corinthians 8:21, 2 Timothy 2:15 Ctto:Video Ctto:Devotional #togodbetheglory #glorytogod #mamctagalogmissiongroup #mamctagalogmissioncompany

February 7 Praise God for Hope The hope of the righteous will be gladness, but the expectation of the wicked will perish. Proverbs 10:28 (NKJV) Hope is as important to our lives as breathing, for without it, we die. People without hope lose their dreams of a better future and just give up! We must have hope to survive in this world, and trusting in Jesus gives us new life and hope for eternity! Sometimes, if our prayers don't get answered the way we want them to or when we want them to, we give up on God But the good news is God never gives up on us! He is waiting right there beside us, calling us to come back to Him because He loves us with an unconditional, everlasting love! When we are waiting for that big promotion, a miracle of healing, the perfect mate, or some other great need in our lives, don't give up hope. Trust in Jesus! He knows better than we do exactly what we need. He loves answering our prayers and giving good gifts to His children. He also loves it when His children have faith in Him, knowing that He knows what is best! So put your hope in Jesus, because without Him, there is no hope! Ctto:Devotional #glorytogod #togodbetheglory #mamctagalogmissiongroup #mamctagalogmissioncompany