We must have Integrity – Peace and Truth towards our neighbour

Zechariah 8:16-17
16 “These are the things that you shall do: speak every man the truth with his neighbour; render the truth and pronounce the judgment or verdict that makes for peace in [the courts at] your gates.”
17 “And let none of you think or imagine or devise evil or injury in your hearts against his neighbour, and love no false oath, for all these things I hate, says the Lord.”
• Acting with integrity and peace and for the good of our neighbours is important to God, as we see in [Zechariah 8:16-17]
• Do you know who your neighbours are?
• Take an opportunity to reach out to a neighbour with a word of encouragement or an act of kindness.
• Ask God to show you how to be a good neighbour and pray for those in your neighbourhood to be blessed.
Prayer
Father God, I thank You that I can do what Your Word says and that is to have integrity, peace and truth towards my neighbour. Help me to walk in peace and goodwill to others so that I can be a blessing and give encouragement when needed.
Father God, I pray for our whole neighbourhood that You keep them all safe [I plead the Blood of Jesus over them all], keep them safe, and I ask that You meet all their needs. May there be none sick, I pray for healing for them. Or if anyone is hungry and has no means, may You send someone across their path to meet their needs, this I ask in Jesus’ Almighty name.
Amen

God’s Power and Desire to Cleanse us

Zechariah 3:3-5

3 “Now Joshua was clothed with filthy garments and was standing before the Angel [of the Lord].”
4 “And He spoke to those who stood before Him, saying, Take away the filthy garments from him. And He said to [Joshua], Behold, I have caused your iniquity to pass from you, and I will clothe you with rich apparel.”
5 “And I [Zechariah] said, Let them put a clean turban on his head. So they put a clean turban on his head and clothed him with [rich] garments. And the Angel of the Lord stood by.”
• Zechariah 3:3-5 is a brief illustration of God’s Power and desire to cleanse us from sin.
• Have you ever had a piece of clothing ruined by a stain that would not come out? Our lives are stained by sin, and there is nothing we can do on our own to cleanse that stain.
• Yet God removed the stain of sin in our lives through the sacrifice of His Son, Jesus.
• If you have not already done so, acknowledge that your life is stained by sin and ask God for forgiveness.
• Rejoice that He will remove the stain of sin and clothe you with righteousness.
Prayer
Father God, we ask You to forgive us of our sins. Thank You for removing our filthy garments and causing our iniquity to pass from us, and You clothe us with rich apparel, through the Sacrifice of Your Son Jesus. Thank You in Jesus’ Almighty name. Thank You, Jesus, for Your Great Sacrifice. You paid the price for our sins with Your Blood. You are Magnificent, words cannot describe Your Awesomeness.
Amen

The Golden Key to God’s Best

Matthew 7:12 AMPC
12 So then, whatever you desire that others would do to and for you, even so do also to and for them, for this is (sums up) the Law and the Prophets.

  • I was awake for a couple of hours one night and as I lay in the darkness, the words of Jesus came to mind, “Do unto others as you would have them do unto you.” I thought about them until I fell asleep and the following morning, I continued to ponder them.
  • When I opened my Bible and studied this passage along with the surrounding Scriptures, I received fresh insight. I began to see a connection between this teaching and answered prayer.
  • Before Jesus speaks about how we should treat others, He gives us a powerful invitation. He tells us to ask and keep on asking, to seek and keep on seeking, and to knock and keep on knocking. He promises that we will receive, we will find and doors will be opened to us. Matthew 7:7–8
  • He reassures us of His goodness and His willingness to help us and then He says, “So then…”

This shows that there is a connection between answered prayer and how we treat others.
I believe we would be amazed at the difference in our lives if we truly treated others the way we want to be treated. It would change how we respond, how we speak and how we live. In fact, it could change the world. I have decided to be more intentional each day in living this way and I pray that you will join me.
This Scripture is often called the Golden Rule, but I like to think of it as the *Golden Key,*a key that unlocks and releases God’s best in our lives.

Prayer
Father God, help me treat others as I want to be treated. Fill my heart with kindness, compassion, love and let my actions reflect Your goodness each day, in Jesus’ Name.
Amen

Your Identity Is in Him

John 8:14 AMPC
14 Jesus answered, Even if I do testify on My own behalf, My testimony is true and reliable and valid, for I know where I came from and where I am going; but you do not know where I come from or where I am going.

  • Many people struggle emotionally because they do not truly know who they are. They are not grounded in their identity and as a result, they often feel lacking or insecure.
  • Our identity is shaped by what we choose to identify with. If we base it on people and their opinions, we will eventually find ourselves unsettled and uncertain. But when we identify with Jesus and embrace what He says about us, we find stability and freedom from confusion.
  • In today’s scripture, Jesus demonstrated complete confidence in who He was because He knew where He came from and where He was going. The Pharisees, the religious leaders of the time, were offended by His confidence. Yet no matter what others said, Jesus did not allow their opinions to define Him. He identified only with what His heavenly Father said about Him.
  • Identification with Christ is a foundational truth of our faith. As believers, we belong to God. Our identity is found in Him and in Him we are made complete.
  • This truth gives us confidence to walk through life with assurance, no matter who we encounter or what we face. It frees us to follow God’s leading without becoming shaken when others disagree with us or misunderstand our choices.
  • The more firmly you are rooted in your identity in Christ, the more you will realise that you are not lacking in any way.
  • You have everything and you are complete in Him.

Prayer
Father God, thank You that my identity is found in You.
Help me to grow deeper in the truth of who I am in Christ and to live with confidence in the identity You have given me, in Jesus’ Name.