The Daily Word: Tuesday, August 21^st, 2018
Job 1:1-3:26
1 Corinthians 14:1-17
Psalm 37:12-29
Proverbs 21:25-26
For full text click here.
Join us on Facebook Live for the Daily Word Broadcast!

Commentary from Pastor Michael White:
Pursue love, and desire spiritual gifts, but especially that you may prophesy. – 1 Cor 14:1

Scripture encourages us to desire spiritual gifts. Gifts: plural. Not just one! Are you asking God for spiritual gifts? Are you crying out to Him to heal the sick, prophesy over those who need encouragement, and work miracles in the lives of the lost?

When it comes to spiritual gifts, it’s ok to get greedy. God wants to bless you with the gifts (plural) you desire (see 1 Cor 12:8-11). The Holy Spirit gives to each one as He wills (1 Cor 12:11); but if you want to receive, you first have to ask!

Do you truly desire spiritual gifts? Do you cry out for them with all your heart? Are you hungrier for the things of Heaven than the things of this world? Ask and you shall receive! There is no limit to the gifts God can bless you with when you cry out for more.

Prayer:

Father, bless me with spiritual gifts! I want to have words of knowledge. I want words of wisdom! I want the gift faith, gifts of healings, and the working of miracles! I want to prophesy, discern spirits, speak in tongues, and interpret tongues. I want everything Jesus died for me to have, in Jesus’ name!

Archives
See commentary from this day in 2014.
See commentary from this day in 2015.
See commentary from this day in 2016.
See commentary from this day in 2017.

© Michael D. White, 2018. All rights reserved.

The Daily Word: Monday, August 20^th, 2018
Esther 8:1-10:3
1 Corinthians 12:27-13:13
Psalm 37:1-11
Proverbs 21:23-24
For full text click here.
Join us on Facebook Live for the Daily Word Broadcast!

Commentary from Pastor Michael White:
“You yourselves write a decree concerning the Jews, as you please, in the king’s name, and seal it with the king’s signet ring; for whatever is written in the king’s name and sealed with the king’s signet ring no one can revoke.” – Esther 8:8

God had saved the Jewish people! Esther had permission from the king to do anything necessary to protect the people of God. But before anything could become law, Esther had to write it down.

What are you praying for? Write your declarations down! In order for the declaration to take effect, Esther had to write it down. She had to write it in the King’s name, and seal it with his authority. So whatever you are believing for: write it down, in the name of Jesus, and seal it with His blood!

“Write the vision and make it plain on tablets, that he may run who reads it.” – Hab 2:2

Prayer:

Father, thank You for vision! I know that when I write it down, it becomes permanent. I become committed! Help me to take Your promises for my life so seriously that I’m willing to write them own, in Jesus’ name!

Archives
See commentary from this day in 2014.
See commentary from this day in 2015.
See commentary from this day in 2016.
See commentary from this day in 2017.

© Michael D. White, 2018. All rights reserved.

The Daily Word: Sunday, August 19^th, 2018
Esther 4:1-7:10
1 Corinthians 12:1-26
Psalm 36:1-12
Proverbs 21:21-22
For full text click here.
Join us on Facebook Live for the Daily Word Broadcast!

Commentary from Pastor Michael White:
[Mordecai] also gave him a copy of the written decree for their destruction, which was given at Shushan, that he might show it to Esther and explain it to her, and that he might command her to go in to the king to make supplication to him and plead before him for her people. – Esther 4:8

Mordecai didn’t have an audience with the king. He didn’t have access to his presence! He needed Ester to “make supplication” and “plead before [the king]” on his behalf.

But you have an audience with the King. You have access to His presence! You don’t need anyone to go to Him for you. You can seek Him for yourself!

Asking other people to pray with you is good and noble; but asking people to pray for you instead of going to God yourself is a waste. Jesus died to purchase your access to God’s presence. Are you taking advantage of everything He died for you to have?

Prayer:

Father, I know my primary responsibility is to speak to You: to have intimate communion and relationship with You! You have blessed me with good friends who will go to You with me; but thank You I don’t have to ask someone else to go to You on my behalf.

Archives
See commentary from this day in 2014.
See commentary from this day in 2015.
See commentary from this day in 2016.
See commentary from this day in 2017.

© Michael D. White, 2018. All rights reserved.

The Daily Word: Saturday, August 18^th, 2018
Esther 1:1-3:15
1 Corinthians 11:17-34
Psalm 35:17-28
Proverbs 21:19-20
For full text click here.
Join us on Facebook Live for the Daily Word Broadcast!

Commentary from Pastor Michael White:
Then the king [spoke] to the wise men who understood the times (for this was the king’s manner toward all who knew law and justice, those closest to him being Carshena, Shethar, Admatha, Tarshish, Meres, Marsena, and Memucan, the seven princes of Persia and Media, who had access to the king’s presence, and who ranked highest in the kingdom)… – Esther 1:13-14

In earthly kingdoms, only those who rank highest have access to the king’s presence. But in the Kingdom of Heaven, even the lowest have access to the presence of the King!

Jesus died on the Cross to purchase you access into God’s presence. When you believe in Him, you now have access to the presence of the King! You don’t have to earn it; it is a free gift available to all who believe.

Are you using the access to the throne room of Heaven that Jesus died for you to have?

Let us therefore come boldly to the throne of grace, that we may obtain mercy and find grace to help in time of need. – Heb 4:16

Prayer:

Father, thank You for access to Your presence at all times! I pray I would enjoy Your presence more than anything else in the world. I want to live for Your presence, in Jesus’ name!

Archives
See commentary from this day in 2014.
See commentary from this day in 2015.
See commentary from this day in 2016.
See commentary from this day in 2017.

© Michael D. White, 2018. All rights reserved.

The Daily Word: Friday, August 17^th, 2018
Nehemiah 12:27-13:31
1 Corinthians 11:1-16
Psalm 35:1-16
Proverbs 21:17-18
For full text click here.
Join us on Facebook Live for the Daily Word Broadcast!

Commentary from Pastor Michael White:
Now I praise you, brethren, that you remember me in all things and keep the traditions just as I delivered them to you. – 1 Cor 11:2

Your relationship with Jesus is based on love; not tradition. You could skip church for the rest of your life; but as long as you confess Jesus as Lord, you will go to Heaven! Tradition without Jesus becomes lifeless religion. Yet Paul told the early church that traditions are still important!

God has given us traditions to celebrate His love. We should celebrate Jesus’ death and burial with communion. We should champion discipleship with baptism. We should honor God by gathering for corporate worship. Traditions enhance our love relationship with God, but they should never become a substitute!

Traditions play a role in our faith. Embrace Biblical traditions as a means to remember Christ; but never forget that His love is all you will ever need!

Prayer:

Father, help me to embrace traditions with healthy, Biblical balance. I know traditions are not everything; but they are important. Help me to celebrate traditions that increase Your presence in my life!

Archives
See commentary from this day in 2014.
See commentary from this day in 2015.
See commentary from this day in 2016.
See commentary from this day in 2017.

© Michael D. White, 2018. All rights reserved.

The Daily Word: Thursday, August 16^th, 2018
Nehemiah 11:1-12:26
1 Corinthians 10:14-33
Psalm 34:11-22
Proverbs 21:14-16
For full text click here.
Join us on Facebook Live for the Daily Word Broadcast!

Commentary from Pastor Michael White:
I speak as to wise men; judge for yourselves what I say. – 1 Cor 10:15

Paul expected his readers to search the Scriptures, and compare what he was saying to what God had said. Did you know it is Biblical and right for you to judge what you hear, whenever someone else speaks to you? Whenever a pastor preaches, does what you’re hearing from the pulpit agree with God’s word? When a friend or family member gives you advice, does their recommendation agree with the wisdom of God?

The Bereans did this well:

Then the brethren immediately sent Paul and Silas away by night to Berea. When they arrived, they went into the synagogue of the Jews. These were more fair-minded than those in Thessalonica, in that they received the word with all readiness, and searched the Scriptures daily to find out whether these things were so. – Acts 17:10-11

Whenever someone presented the Gospel, the Bereans did the work to find out if what they were hearing was true. They knew Scripture, and searched Scripture, to judge for themselves what Paul said!

God has given you discernment. His Holy Spirit lives in you! We live in a world full of false rumors, and our media is completely polarized; but thank God He has given you the ability to “judge for yourself!”

Prayer:

Father, thank You for helping me to judge for myself. Whenever someone speaks to me, help me to compare their words with the word of God. Give me a foundation of the word of God so I know if You would agree with what I hear, and with what I say!

Archives
See commentary from this day in 2014.
See commentary from this day in 2015.
See commentary from this day in 2016.
See commentary from this day in 2017.

© Michael D. White, 2018. All rights reserved.

The Daily Word: Wednesday, August 15^th, 2018
Nehemiah 9:22-10:39
1 Corinthians 9:19-10:13
Psalm 34:1-10
Proverbs 21:13
For full text click here.
Join us on Facebook Live for the Daily Word Broadcast!

Commentary from Pastor Michael White:
And in the time of their trouble, when they cried to You, You heard from heaven; and according to Your abundant mercies You gave them deliverers who saved them from the hand of their enemies. – Neh 9:27

God’s people were disobedient. They had experienced His goodness first-hand (v 25); yet still they rebelled (v 26)! God’s people were in trouble! Their enemies were overrunning them, and pushing them out of their homes.

So what did they do to stop the onslaught? They “cried to [God],” and He came to the rescue! They cried, and God heard; and He gave them deliverers to save them.

When you cry, God hears; and when God hears, He sends help. Are you going through something tougher than anything you’ve ever faced? Cry out to God! He will hear you, and He will send help.

Prayer:

Father, I know that when I cry to You, 1) You hear, and 2) You send help. Thank You for Your diving intervention, in Jesus’ name! Help me to never be too proud – or too busy – to stop and ask You for help.

Archives
See commentary from this day in 2014.
See commentary from this day in 2015.
See commentary from this day in 2016.
See commentary from this day in 2017.

© Michael D. White, 2018. All rights reserved.

The Daily Word: Tuesday, August 14^th, 2018
Nehemiah 7:73-9:21
1 Corinthians 9:1-18
Psalm 33:12-22
Proverbs 21:11-12
For full text click here.
Join us on Facebook Live for the Daily Word Broadcast!

Commentary from Pastor Michael White:
Our soul waits for the Lord; He is our help and our shield. – Ps 33:20

To “wait” is the Hebrew chakah (Strong’s H2442), which means to tarry or to long for. When we wait for God, we long for His intervention. We anticipate His deliverance with a confident hope and expectation that His goodness will come.

Waiting is part of the Christian life. Those who “wait on the Lord will renew their strength” (Is 40:31). “Blessed is he who waits” (Dan 12:12). Jesus told the disciples, “…not to depart from Jerusalem, but to wait for the Promise of the Father” (Acts 2:4). Good things come to those who wait!

When was the last time you prayed for patience? The more you get comfortable waiting, the more blessed you will become.

Prayer:

Father, help me to wait well in Jesus’ name! Bless me with supernatural patience, and help me to long for Your goodness, all of my days.

Archives
See commentary from this day in 2014.
See commentary from this day in 2015.
See commentary from this day in 2016.
See commentary from this day in 2017.

© Michael D. White, 2018. All rights reserved.

The Daily Word: Monday, August 13^th, 2018
Nehemiah 5:14-7:73
1 Corinthians 8:1-13
Psalm 33:1-11
Proverbs 21:8-10
For full text click here.
Join us on Facebook Live for the Daily Word Broadcast!

Commentary from Pastor Michael White:
…and he said, “Let us meet together in the house of God, within the temple, and let us close the doors of the temple, for they are coming to kill you; indeed, at night they will come to kill you.” And I said, “Should such a man as I flee? And who is there such as I who would go into the temple to save his life? I will not go in!” – Neh 6:10b-11

Nehemiah knew his enemies were trying to kill him. But Nehemiah would not run. He would not hide! He would not flee; because he knew God would protect him.

Take courage! You don’t have to hide from the enemy. God will protect you. You don’t have to back down from God’s work! He will strengthen you. Whatever you need – protection, provision, and supernatural favor – God will supply.

But my eyes are upon You, O God the Lord; in You I take refuge; do not leave my soul destitute. Keep me from the snares they have laid for me, and from the traps of the workers of iniquity. Let the wicked fall into their own nets, while I escape safely. – Ps 141:8-10

Prayer:

Father, thank You for divine protection! I know I don’t have to fear or flee from the enemy. He is already defeated, in Jesus’ name!

Archives
See commentary from this day in 2014.
See commentary from this day in 2015.
See commentary from this day in 2016.
See commentary from this day in 2017.

© Michael D. White, 2018. All rights reserved.

The Daily Word: Sunday, August 12^th, 2018
Nehemiah 3:15-5:13
1 Corinthians 7:25-40
Psalm 32:1-11
Proverbs 21:5-7
For full text click here.
Join us on Facebook Live for the Daily Word Broadcast!

Commentary from Pastor Michael White:
Beyond the Horse Gate the priests made repairs, each in front of his own house. – Neh 3:28

Day by day, the people of Jerusalem repaired the wall. The work was back-breaking, and the wall was long. But no one man was responsible to repair the entire wall himself. Each man had to play his part. Each man had to repair the wall in front of his own house; and as everyone worked side by side, the wall came together.

You are not responsible to save the world. Jesus already did that! You are simply responsible to share the Good News with people who are close to you: those who are “in front of your own house.” God put you in your workplace – and in your family, and your city – on purpose, to reach people no one else can reach! And He has surrounded you with friends and family, to remind you never to labor alone.

When we all do our part and share with the people God puts around us, His work will come together piece by piece. Everyone must do his share, but the reward is well worth the labor.

Prayer:

Father, thank You for my specific assignment. Help me to do my part by building where You’ve called me to build. I thank You for my brothers and sisters on every side, doing their part. As we work together, it will all come together, in Jesus’ name!

Archives
See commentary from this day in 2014.
See commentary from this day in 2015.
See commentary from this day in 2016.
See commentary from this day in 2017.

© Michael D. White, 2018. All rights reserved.