“So be careful how you live. Don’t live like fools, but like those who are wise. Make the most of every opportunity in these evil days. Don’t act thoughtlessly, but understand what the Lord wants you to do.”
‭‭Ephesians‬ ‭5:15-17‬ ‭NLT‬‬
Do you know the purpose of your life? Do you understand that every minute counts? How you spend your time is vital. Time is a resource that cannot be renewed in the natural. You can make more money but you can’t make more time.
Each of us have the same amount of seconds, minutes, and hours in a single day. How we spend that time is the issue. What we spend it doing determines the investment factor. Just like money, we must utilize it as a means to an end. We can squander it on frivolous living or we can invest it in something that will last.
We MUST consider, carefully, how we are harnessing the time we have. None of us know how much time we have. Yesterday is gone and tomorrow isn’t here. What we do in the moment is directly linked to our future. We can’t expect to reap a harvest in the future if we haven’t planted good seed in the present. We reap what we sow (see Galatians 6:7). All of us are faced with the responsibility of making our time count. God has given each of us life. He is the author of it and He is the One to whom we are accountable. Living life in light of this fact is critical to living with purpose in each second. The clock doesn’t stop for any of us and we desperately need to ask God for wisdom and understanding about how we should spend the life He’s given us.
Take this moment to contemplate how you are spending your time. Stop long enough to do an honest analysis of your daily schedule or routine. Do you watch too much television, spend too much time playing video games, phone games, social media, talking, etc.. Our time can get out hand quickly and we can get trapped in a routine that is self destructive. The next thing you know, a crisis comes and we are ill prepared. Our time has been squandered and we look back in regret. If only we had more time! I see this regularly in ministry. If only we could have known then what we know now.
The simple truth of the matter is that none of us know how much time we have in this natural world. However, we can live forever through Jesus Christ. When we live life in light of eternity it brings our natural life into focus. When we live for the moment we squander our time. May God help us see the value of every moment and every day. Let’s ask Him to open our spiritual eyes to reveal His will and way to us. Let’s yield ourselves to Him and live to honor His name in everything we do. If we will do this, we will reap eternal reward and He will redeem the time of our lives. Only God can redeem time! Don’t let Satan steal your time and destroy your life.
“The thief’s purpose is to steal and kill and destroy. My purpose is to give them a rich and satisfying life.”
‭‭John‬ ‭10:10‬ ‭NLT‬‬
Let God redeem your life. No matter how you’ve lived until this moment, God can redeem your past, give you power in the present, and give promise of the future. Trust your time into His hands and live a holy life! Live to live again!

Curtis R. Norris

“Then Jesus said, “Let’s go off by ourselves to a quiet place and rest awhile.” He said this because there were so many people coming and going that Jesus and his apostles didn’t even have time to eat.”
‭‭Mark‬ ‭6:31‬ ‭NLT‬‬
How busy are you? What are you busy about? Are you spending your time on what is pressing but not really important?
Many of us are busy with matters of life. In the midst of all the hustle and bustle there is a tendency to neglect what is important - finding a quiet place to rest! Rest is much deeper than just the physical. Rest for our souls is also crucial. Our mind, will, and emotion are, all three, vital parts of our person. Let's not forget our spirit! The whole person (spirit, soul, and body) needs appropriate and adequate rest. God has created us as a three component individual.
“Now may the God of peace make you holy in every way, and may your whole spirit and soul and body be kept blameless until our Lord Jesus Christ comes again.”
1 Thessalonians 5:23
The Holy Spirit lists the spirit of man first in the order, not last. The scriptures do not place the order as we do: body, soul, and spirit. No, God puts the important emphasis on the spirit first. Then, in succession, He has ordered the soul and body.
Physical sleep can rejuvenate the body but is insufficient in restoring the inner man. Yes, sleep can help but there must be more. You see, good physical sleep is also dependent upon the rest that we have in our inner person. Have you ever had a restless night because of things weighing on your heart and mind? Have you ever felt unfulfilled in your daily living? If so, it is likely that things are out of sorts in the interior. Inner peace and rest can only come from one place - a right relationship with God! He is the manufacturer of life itself and we must learn to appreciate the structure He has placed in the order of life. We cannot neglect the most important without paying a price in every other area of our lives. Is your spirit empty? Does your soul long for rest? Are you physically tired all the time? Do you only wish you could fly away and find a place of solitude and satisfaction? Has life beaten you down and left you empty and exhausted? Come away from the fray and find the rest that only Jesus can give!
“Then Jesus said, “Come to me, all of you who are weary and carry heavy burdens, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you. Let me teach you, because I am humble and gentle at heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy to bear, and the burden I give you is light.””
‭‭Matthew‬ ‭11:28-30‬ ‭NLT‬‬
Cast your cares upon the shoulders of the only One who has ever won this race of life - Jesus!!! Stop trying and start trusting! Stop existing and start living! When we keep "trying" to fix things we only succeed in failure. When we trust and rest in Jesus, He succeeds!
“Give all your worries and cares to God, for he cares about you.”
‭‭1 Peter‬ ‭5:7‬ ‭NLT‬‬
Life is too much to handle without the rest we have in our Creator! Only He can bring peace in the midst of trouble, joy in the midst of sorrow, and hope in the midst of despair. Let Gods love give you all that you need! Let everything you do flow from the energy you find in Him. Let the Holy Spirit breathe life into you! Only then will you be able to sustain and navigate this perilous world with true success!
Just like you need daily physical sleep, you, correspondingly, need daily spiritual renewal. Find a quiet place with God every day and learn the foundational discipline of spending time in the restful bedroom of the Almighty! There you will find the intimacy that will impregnate your life with life!

Curtis R. Norris

“Guard your heart above all else, for it determines the course of your life.”
‭‭Proverbs‬ ‭4:23‬ ‭NLT‬‬
“Guard your heart” - this is an interesting statement! The idea given is to “watch” or “stand vigil in protecting”. The word “heart” is not the muscle that that pumps the blood in our body. The actual meaning is the “ruling center” of our whole person. Here is where our lives are determined. Our heart is the place where information is received, processed, and acted upon. Deep within our lives, beyond the physical level, lies our spirit and soul. Mankind cannot physically touch these components of our being but they are the core of our lives. How we guard these two (spirit and soul) determines how we behave and what we become in physical life. Out of these flow life giving water or poison. How we order our personal life is the issue! We cannot allow just anything or everything to flow into our spirit and soul and expect a holy result. You’ve probably heard it this way - “Garbage in, garbage out”! This is true. We are what we eat (spiritually, psychologically, and physically). What we allow into our private quarters is paramount. We cannot go to bed with the devil and expect a holy lineage. Our society is paying an awful price because most of us (human beings) are completely oblivious to this truth. We must remember that our lives directly impact others. Who we are, what we are like, and how we behave have far reaching consequences. Our lives affect so many other people. How we order our personal lives (our habits and disciplines) directly determine the course of our lives. Properly ordering our lives, in the most private, intimate things, prepares us for the moments that sorely try us. Have you ever seen someone who completely fell apart when the unexpected happened? Storms of life are going to come!! How we are rooted makes all the difference!! We can build our lives with superficial materials (things that look and feel comfortable) or we can set them upon the bedrock of Jesus Christ! The storm will certainly test the quality of our lives. Anyone can live inside a house made of straw when the weather is good but not when the hurricane comes.
We must build our lives upon the eternal, rock solid foundation of God’s Word!
“Anyone who listens to my teaching and follows it is wise, like a person who builds a house on solid rock. Though the rain comes in torrents and the floodwaters rise and the winds beat against that house, it won’t collapse because it is built on bedrock.”
‭‭Matthew‬ ‭7:24-25‬ ‭NLT‬‬
What is your life being built upon? What do you do in your private time? What is your thought life like? What television programs do you allow to feed your heart? What music do you listen to? What books do you read? How much time do you spend on social media? Who are your closest friends? What are they like? Do they curse, gossip, tell dirty jokes, or have habits that are unholy? How about you? Do you pray regularly, study God’s Word, and attend church regularly or are you carelessly chasing the wind, pursuing the path of least resistance? What kind of fruit are you yielding? Is your life contributing to the good of others or is it contributing to their demise? Fathers and mothers need to especially consider this! Our children pay a terrible price when we don’t guard our heart.
Bottom line: We MUST guard our heart!! How we protect our heart determines the issues of our lives! How guarded is your heart??
Prayer for today: Father, in Jesus name, give me Your heart! May my life be under the command of your Lordship! Help me walk in the presence and power of Your Holy Spirit! In Jesus name! Amen!!!

Curtis R. Norris

“Don’t let the excitement of youth cause you to forget your Creator. Honor him in your youth before you grow old and say, “Life is not pleasant anymore.” Remember him before the light of the sun, moon, and stars is dim to your old eyes, and rain clouds continually darken your sky. Remember him before your legs—the guards of your house—start to tremble; and before your shoulders—the strong men—stoop. Remember him before your teeth—your few remaining servants—stop grinding; and before your eyes—the women looking through the windows—see dimly. Remember him before the door to life’s opportunities is closed and the sound of work fades. Now you rise at the first chirping of the birds, but then all their sounds will grow faint. Remember him before you become fearful of falling and worry about danger in the streets; before your hair turns white like an almond tree in bloom, and you drag along without energy like a dying grasshopper, and the caperberry no longer inspires sexual desire. Remember him before you near the grave, your everlasting home, when the mourners will weep at your funeral. Yes, remember your Creator now while you are young, before the silver cord of life snaps and the golden bowl is broken. Don’t wait until the water jar is smashed at the spring and the pulley is broken at the well.”
‭‭Ecclesiastes‬ ‭12:1-6‬ ‭NLT‬‬
Solomon is now at the end of his years looking back in retrospect over his life. His body is aged and less capable. The years of feebleness and fragility are setting in. As he looks back over his life, things become a lot more focused. He has spent his years in luxury, learning, liquor, and lust. He has know wine, women, and song. The book of Ecclesiastes is the final book of three that Solomon wrote (Song of Solomon and Proverbs are the other two) that are recorded in Holy Scripture! In Ecclesiastes Solomon describes his life in this book. He is old now! He realizes that he should have lived his life in devotion to the LORD! The reality of death is ebbing at his feet and regret is harshly sitting upon his chest. If only he could go back and redeem those wasted years. He now knows what he should have done but he is incapable of putting it into practice. His body is no longer a cooperative partner in his pursuits. Solomon has plenty in his purse but nothing in his person, plenty in his head but nothing in his heart, political power but physical weakness, popularity but personal loneliness. However, one thing is positive: he has returned to the right perspective of life and the Lord is his focus. He knows that he must check in shortly at the gates of eternity. Perhaps he steps out on his veranda with his diamond studded robe glistening in the midday sun. Although he has everything a man could ask for, materially, he now recognizes that he is bankrupt spiritually. He has given the flower of his life to selfish endeavors and he can only hand a stem to God. The smoke of a misfit life rises before God. If only he could have seen this before!
How about you? How are you living your life? Is the Creator your epicenter? Does everything in life resonate from your relationship with Him? Have you lived the best years of your life in pursuit of things that really don't matter? Are you beginning to understand life in focus? Are there regrets? Is your body manifesting it's mortal condition? Perhaps you are young and vibrant. PLEASE hear this call to consider your values, your priorities, your choices, and your character! What is the meaning of life, you may ask? Life is simply defined in one word: GOD! Everything is about Him and how we live beneath that realization. A life lived in rebellion to Him will end in insignificance and eternal damnation. A life lived in obedience to Him will never end! Eternity awaits us all. The destination is dependent upon our relationship with the Creator! There are two destinations: Heaven and Hell! Where do you want to go?
Jesus Christ is the Creator!
(see John 1:1-3, 10; Colossians 1:15-17; and Hebrews 1:1-2).
Do you know Him and are you living in surrender to His Lordship? (see Romans 3:23; 6:23; 10:8-10; and I John 1:9 to receive Him). Whether you are young and in the early stage of life, in your middle years, or in your senior years, please look to Jesus in utter focus and ask Him to help you live the rest of your life as the best of your life, for His glory! Let Him, by His Holy Spirit, call you to Himself. Life will, then, come into focus as you submit to His call. Don't wait until you have nothing to give. Don't give leftovers to the One who prepared the table! Give Him the pleasure of your fellowship as you dine with Him!!!

Curtis R. Norris

“For everything there is a season, a time for every activity under heaven. A time to be born and a time to die. A time to plant and a time to harvest. A time to kill and a time to heal. A time to tear down and a time to build up. A time to cry and a time to laugh. A time to grieve and a time to dance. A time to scatter stones and a time to gather stones. A time to embrace and a time to turn away. A time to search and a time to quit searching. A time to keep and a time to throw away. A time to tear and a time to mend. A time to be quiet and a time to speak. A time to love and a time to hate. A time for war and a time for peace.”
‭‭Ecclesiastes‬ ‭3:1-8‬ ‭NLT‬‬
This scripture may be familiar to you. In fact, it may ring so familiar because it is the lyric of an international hit song by the Byrds in 1965 called “Turn, Turn, Turn” (To Everything There Is A Season). The song was written by Peter Seeger in the late 1950’s and was recorded in 1959. Then, in 1962, it was released on an album by the folk group “The Limeliters”. Several months later, Pete Seeger released it himself. However, the song did not get the widespread fame it now has until the “Byrd’s” recorded and released it in 1965. The song was a direct lyric from Ecclesiastes 3:1-8 and it’s purpose was to call the world to peace (the last line of verse 8).
Getting back to the idea I wanted to convey today:
Indeed there are seasons to life! Just like the natural changes that come on earth (Fall, Winter, Spring, and Summer) there are circumstantial and situational seasons that come as well. The world we live in is under a curse from sin. Until Jesus Christ returns and sets things in proper order, once and for all, we will have to trust our lives into His protection, provision, and the promise of salvation to those who are saved. Life here is uncertain and unstable. Life in Christ is certain! His grace forgives our past, sustains us in the present, and promotes us into the future. We can depend on God! The seasons of life may change, but He does not!!!
“I am the Lord, and I do not change. That is why you descendants of Jacob are not already destroyed.”
‭‭Malachi‬ ‭3:6‬ ‭NLT‬‬
“Jesus Christ is the same yesterday, today, and forever.”
‭‭Hebrews‬ ‭13:8‬ ‭NLT‬‬
Just as God never changes, neither does His Word!!!
“Your eternal word, O Lord, stands firm in heaven.”
‭‭Psalms‬ ‭119:89‬ ‭NLT‬‬
“Heaven and earth will disappear, but my words will never disappear.”
‭‭Luke‬ ‭21:33‬ ‭NLT‬‬
“For you have been born again, but not to a life that will quickly end. Your new life will last forever because it comes from the eternal, living word of God. As the Scriptures say, “People are like grass; their beauty is like a flower in the field. The grass withers and the flower fades. But the word of the Lord remains forever.” And that word is the Good News that was preached to you.”
‭‭1 Peter‬ ‭1:23-25‬ ‭NLT‬‬
Trust in God and His Word in a changing world!!

Curtis R. Norris

“In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth.”
‭‭Genesis‬ ‭1:1‬ ‭NLT‬
I believe in God! The scripture says that the fool has said that there is no God.
“Only fools say in their hearts, “There is no God.” They are corrupt, and their actions are evil; not one of them does good!”
‭‭Psalms‬ ‭14:1‬ ‭NLT‬‬
This same verse is found in Psalm 53:1. Both chapters are almost identical.
To deny the existence of God is like a house denying the existence of an architect or a builder, like a car denying its engineer, like a product denying its manufacturer, like a song denying its composer, and like a book denying its author. Nonsense! All of these are directly dependent upon, and a result of, someone's creative ability. We are like our Creator in that sense.
A story was once told about a boy who attended science class at public school. The teacher was an avowed atheist. In the class, the teacher hammered away at the theory of evolution. This young boy was reared in a Christian home and was, himself, a follower of Jesus. The class had been given a science fair project as an assignment. The young boy wanted to make a statement of his belief in God as the Creator of the world, without having to argue with his teacher. He decided to spend his every free moment sculpting a model of the planet earth. After a lot of work and meticulous detail he placed the model in the classroom during after school hours so no one would know who had placed it there. The next morning the teacher addressed the class and sought to determine who had created this masterpiece. When no one claimed the work he frustratingly stated "I know someone created this masterpiece because it didn't get here by itself". The boy then spoke up and said "that's what I wanted you to realize".
This world is here because God created it. To believe otherwise is to insult ones own proper reasoning. To believe in evolution as the means of our existence is utter ignorance!! Take a piece of freshly manufactured steel and place it outside in the yard. Will it improve itself or will it begin to rust? If evolution were true, wouldn't it improve its state rather than decline? This is called "entropy". Sin has caused corruption and has eroded our existence.
Does anyone seriously think that we came from a line of monkeys?
Has an explosion ever created a masterpiece with complex order? Imagine retrieving many auto parts from a salvage yard and placing dynamite among the pile. Do you think that exploding the dynamite will create a car? Of course not!!
Why is it so hard for man to humbly admit that there is a God? Because of his sinful, arrogant pride! His heart is wicked and foolish!
“The human heart is the most deceitful of all things, and desperately wicked. Who really knows how bad it is? But I, the Lord, search all hearts and examine secret motives. I give all people their due rewards, according to what their actions deserve.”
‭‭Jeremiah‬ ‭17:9-10‬ ‭NLT‬‬
Consider the comprehensive and complex nature of the world we live in. Look at all of the things that are so precise. The distance of the earth from the sun (93 million miles). This is the precise distance needed for life to exist. Any closer, we would burn up. Any further away, we would freeze. Consider the axis of the earth. Precisely what it needs to be for equal global distribution of the rays of the sun, which allows the food chain to exist. The moon controls the tide of the ocean. Look at the beauty and grandeur of the world. What about the sheer complexity of the human body? The human body is God's apex (peak) of all creation. Billions of cells, miles of blood vessels, and many organs that work in sync to perform the necessary task for life to be given to the body. Take a step or two further than just the body. What about the soul? Why do we think and process information and feel emotion? Why do we yearn for relationship? What about the simple realization that we have a will? We can choose, act, etc.
What about the spirit? Why is there a longing for eternity? Why do we hate dying? The answer is simple: God made us to live eternally, not die.
“Yet God has made everything beautiful for its own time. He has planted eternity in the human heart, but even so, people cannot see the whole scope of God’s work from beginning to end.”
‭‭Ecclesiastes‬ ‭3:11‬ ‭NLT‬‬
Sin has corrupted our lives and we desperately long to be free. In our struggle, we either deny Gods existence or we blame Him for the evil that is in this fallen world.
God wants us to look to Him for redemption, not reject Him. He has given us redemption in His Son - Jesus Christ the Lord! He is the Creator and the Re-Creator!
“For this is how God loved the world: He gave His one and only Son, so that everyone who believes in Him will not perish but have eternal life.”
‭‭John‬ ‭3:16‬ ‭NLT‬‬
I choose to believe!! I am Re-Created. I find my recreation in the Re-Creation. I am born again! Eternal life awaits me and all who have been called by the Holy Spirit, responded in faith in the Lord Jesus, repented of their sins, and received salvation in His name!
Do you know the Creator and Re-Creator? Let Him have the time of your life and you will have the time of eternal life!!

Curtis R. Norris

“We proclaim to you the one who existed from the beginning, whom we have heard and seen. We saw him with our own eyes and touched him with our own hands. He is the Word of life. This one who is life itself was revealed to us, and we have seen him. And now we testify and proclaim to you that he is the one who is no eternal life. He was with the Father, and then he was revealed to us. We proclaim to you what we ourselves have actually seen and heard so that you may have fellowship with us. And our fellowship is with the Father and with his Son, Jesus Christ. We are writing these things so that you may fully share our joy.”
‭‭1 John‬ ‭1:1-4‬ ‭NLT‬‬
The Apostle John makes such a clear statement of faith here. Jesus is the pre-incarnate, eternal God!
1. He existed from the beginning.
2. We have heard and seen Him - John and the other apostles, as well as other people saw Him with their own eyes and heard Him speak with their own ears.
3. Touched Him with our own hands - Jesus was a real human being. He was touchable and lived among society. Jesus identifies with our human experiences.
“This High Priest of ours understands our weaknesses, for he faced all of the same testings we do, yet he did not sin.”
‭‭Hebrews‬ ‭4:15‬ ‭NLT
4. He is the Word of Life!
Jesus is the One that speaks and creates life! His very nature and character are life itself. There is no life apart from Him!
5. He was with the Father in the beginning! He has always been!!! He didn’t begin His life on earth. He is life itself that created everything that exists.
“In the beginning the Word already existed. The Word was with God, and the Word was God. He existed in the beginning with God. God created everything through him, and nothing was created except through him. The Word gave life to everything that was created, and his life brought light to everyone.”
‭‭John‬ ‭1:1-4‬ ‭NLT‬‬
“Christ is the visible image of the invisible God. He existed before anything was created and is supreme over all creation, for through him God created everything in the heavenly realms and on earth. He made the things we can see and the things we can’t see— such as thrones, kingdoms, rulers, and authorities in the unseen world. Everything was created through him and for him. He existed before anything else, and he holds all creation together.”
‭‭Colossians‬ ‭1:15-17‬ ‭NLT‬‬
Jesus was no mere man. He was God in human flesh! Through Him creation came to be. He is the mastermind of all that life is. Without Him there is no life. Sure, some may think they are living but, in actuality,  they are only existing and awaiting judgment if they are apart from Him.
Don’t delay, receive Him today!
My prayer:  Holy Spirit, convict the one who reads this today and bring them to the knowledge of the Perfect Son of God - Jesus! Cause them to understand their sinfulness and draw them to You in repentance. Save them from their wretchedness and birth them into the family of God! In Jesus name!!! Amen!

Curtis R. Norris

“So Jesus came to Jerusalem and went into the Temple. After looking around carefully at everything, he left because it was late in the afternoon. Then he returned to Bethany with the twelve disciples".
"When they arrived back in Jerusalem, Jesus entered the Temple and began to drive out the people buying and selling animals for sacrifices. He knocked over the tables of the money changers and the chairs of those selling doves, and he stopped everyone from using the Temple as a marketplace. He said to them, “The Scriptures declare, ‘My Temple will be called a house of prayer for all nations,’ but you have turned it into a den of thieves.””
‭‭Mark‬ ‭11:11, 15-17‬ ‭NLT‬‬
As I read this scripture last night it struck me as very interesting that Jesus purposely went to the Temple so He could examine the activities that were taking place. My thoughts immediately moved to the  present state of affairs within the church of our time. What if Jesus attended our church to examine the activity as well? What would be His reaction? Would He be pleased or would He be appalled? What would He say and/or do? Would He tell us that we have made His place of worship a social club, a playhouse, a politically correct organization, a funeral home, or a puppet of the culture? Would He tell us that we are seeking His face, striving to be the light of the world, salt of the earth, and a sweet aroma to His nostrils? Which would it be?
In many churches, across America, the pulpit has become a podium of powerlessness and the pews have become a place of personal preference. Too many of our churches are sold out to simple tradition or cultural relevance. Both of these have some value but they are not foundational to the purpose of the church. The church is supposed to be the place where God's Word is the foundation, and the proclamation of it, the priority. Springing forth from that will come a wellspring of life giving water that our families, communities, and country truly need! The church holds the light of the world. We are to be a candlestick standing firm in the midst of the darkness, not a dead stump sitting in the wilderness. When Satan gets the church to play games and pander to the populous rather than preach the truth, he renders it powerless and pointless. The church should be the conscience of the nation, not the playground and endorser of our sin. When the church endorses what God calls abomination, we know the nation is in deep trouble!
God has not changed His mind and He hasn't rewritten His Word for a modern culture! His Word is still the same as it always has been!
“Heaven and earth will disappear, but my words will never disappear.”
‭‭Luke‬ ‭21:33‬ ‭NLT‬‬
It's time for the church to repent of its sin and return to the Book, Blood, and Blessed Hope of the Lord Jesus Christ!!!
“For the time has come for judgment, and it must begin with God’s household. And if judgment begins with us, what terrible fate awaits those who have never obeyed God’s Good News? And also, “If the righteous are barely saved, what will happen to godless sinners?”
‭‭1 Peter‬ ‭4:17-18‬ ‭NLT‬‬
Before our nation can be set right we must realize that the church holds the key to that door swinging open. Where are you men of God? Where are you church? Are you working hard to have harvest sales and dinner feasts or are you working hard at preaching the gospel, harvesting souls, and passing the torch to the next generation?
Our desire should be the pleasure of our Heavenly Father, not "mother earth"! Yes, earth is our responsibility to tend and keep but it isn't our God! God will, one day, renew heaven and earth and we will dwell upon it in holy fashion (See Isaiah 65; 2 Peter 3; and Revelation 21 and 22). Until that time, let's be about our Father's business!! (See Luke 2:49).
I pray that Jesus will make a spiritual whip and drive out the wickedness within His church! His Church!! Not ours!
Prayer for the day:
Father, in Jesus name, purge and purify Your church! Baptize us with the Holy Spirit and set us ablaze with Your Holiness! Let this be our finest hour! Awaken the sleeping giant! May You come again and find Your church faithfully worshipping and serving! May Your Kingdom come and May Your will be done on earth as it is in heaven!In Jesus Name!! Amen!

Curtis R. Norris

“Listen to my voice in the morning, Lord. Each morning I bring my requests to you and wait expectantly.”
‭‭Psalms‬ ‭5:3‬ ‭NLT‬‬
Morning time is a great time to talk to God. The day is fresh and the noise of life is minimal. The rest from the night has rejuvenated the body and the mind is fresh as well. Opportunity rises like the morning sun. We can squander it by rushing into the rat race of daily living or we can seize the moment as a time of fueling our spiritual man at the filling station of the Almighty! Many of us rise to the start of a new day with the routine of getting dressed physically and heading into the fray. A cup of coffee, a glass of milk (or something else that’s preferential), and something to feed our appetite for breakfast and we are on our way. Some don’t even make the bed or do any other chores before they rush out the door. Others have a discipline of certain accomplishments before the day begins. If you have children, the challenges are higher. Preparing breakfast, packing lunches for school, getting them out of bed, making sure they are dressed and ready for school, catching the bus, or heading out to drop them off is a daily challenge. I’ve been there! Traffic is always heavy (unless you are the early bird) and each day has its own unique challenges.
If you home school, things are similar but also a bit different. Either way, the day presents its challenges and responsibilities. Life, sometimes, can get monotonous and drown us in its tasks. Jumping into the fray of each day without the spiritual nourishment of God’s Word and the calming assurance of His presence can take its toll and we can easily lose our way. Without realizing it, our lives are being eroded by our devotion to the tasks rather than to God.
When we view every day as another opportunity to work as a servant of God and we embrace every responsibility as an assignment from Him, we can face it with the knowledge that there is a greater purpose at work. Our toil isn’t mundane and menial, it is marvelous and miraculous. None of us can keep our hearts beating in our chest, manufacture the air we breathe, or cook up the health we need to live this life. All of this is from the hand of God! Shouldn’t we be living life beneath this very recognition?
Are you? Have you taken time to quiet your noisy world and spend time with the Master? Turn off the radio, get your nose out of your social media, get off the game on your phone, turn off the T.V., and get quiet for a bit. Take the time to do what’s best and God will help you take care of the rest!

Curtis R. Norris