The Daily Word: Tuesday, December 31^st, 2019
Malachi 3:1-4:6
Revelation 22:1-21
Psalm 150:1-6
Proverbs 31:25-31
For full text click here.

Commentary from Pastor Michael White:
He who testifies to these things says, “Surely I am coming quickly.” Amen. Even so, come, Lord Jesus! – Rev. 22:20

Jesus is coming “quickly.” He is ready to move! The stage has been set. God has given you the condition for eternal life: belief in Jesus as Lord. You know all that is required and expected. So how will you respond?

John’s response was, “Come!” He was ready for more of Jesus! Whether Jesus tarried in Heaven, or rushed to the Earth, John was excited. John had the presence of Jesus because he was filled with His Holy Spirit; and John was promised the presence of Jesus for all eternity because Jesus had made a place for him in Heaven. So whatever God wanted to do – and however long it took – John was ready!

Make 2020 the year you cry out for more of Jesus in your life. The Holy Spirit responds to invitations! Come, Lord Jesus! Do what you want to do! Have Your way in my life, in Jesus’ name!

Prayer:

Come, Lord Jesus! Lord, I’m asking You to move through my life like never before. I’m ready, and I’m excited, in Jesus’ name!

© Michael D. White, 2019. All rights reserved.

The Daily Word: Monday, December 30^th, 2019
Malachi 1:1-2:17
Revelation 21:1-27
Psalm 149:1-9
Proverbs 31:10-24
For full text click here.

Commentary from Pastor Michael White:
“I have loved you,” says the Lord. “Yet you say, ‘In what way have You loved us?’ Was not Esau Jacob’s brother?” Says the Lord. “Yet Jacob I have loved…” – Mal. 1:2

God has loved you! He gave you life. He formed you in your mother’s womb. He put breath in your lungs! He fashioned the days of your life for you, “…when as yet there were none of them” (Ps. 139:16).

Yet our default condition is to forget that He loves us. We complain, saying, “In what way have You loved us?” (v 2), even though the evidence of His love is all around. We quickly lose sight of everything He has done, and fix our eyes on only the things that seem undone in our lives. Then we cry out to God, asking Him why they aren’t done yet!

But thanksgiving (grateful praise!) is the key to answered prayer:

“Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication, with thanksgiving, let your requests be made known to God…” (Phil. 4:6)

Take a moment today to thank God first. Thank Him for what you have before asking Him for more! He loves you! And He always has. He proved it when He sent Jesus to die in your place, so that you could live with God for all eternity. If you want to see answered prayer, start by acknowledging everything He has already done.

Prayer:

Father, make me grateful! I pray You would humble me as necessary until I am in a place where I can give You honest, thankful praise. I am so grateful, in Jesus’ name!

© Michael D. White, 2019. All rights reserved.

The Daily Word: Sunday, December 29^th, 2019
Zechariah 14:1-21
Revelation 20:1-15
Psalm 148:1-14
Proverbs 31:8-9
For full text click here.

Commentary from Pastor Michael White:
And I saw the dead, small and great, standing before God, and books were opened. And another book was opened, which is the Book of Life. And the dead were judged according to their works, by the things which were written in the books. The sea gave up the dead who were in it, and Death and Hades delivered up the dead who were in them. And they were judged, each one according to his works. – Rev. 20:12-13

Are you a perfect person? Me neither. The truth is, we’ve all made some mistakes. But Scripture says you will stand before God on Judgment Day and be, “…judged, each one according to his works.” Are you ready to answer for the things you’ve done?

On Judgment Day, you won’t be judged compared to a serial killer or Bernie Madoff. You will be judged compared to Jesus: the spotless, sinless Lamb of God. You are either perfect, or you’re not! If you’re perfect (hint: you’re not!), you get to go to Heaven. But if you’ve ever done anything wrong (hint: you have!), you will be, “…cast into the lake of fire…[and] tormented day and night forever and ever.”

The only way to survive Judgment Day is to be, “…hidden with Christ in God” (Col. 3:3). When you receive Jesus, you are no longer judged according to your works; you are judged according to His works! You get the reward that comes with Jesus’ perfect track record. Don’t you see that the only way out of Hell is to be hidden with Christ?

Prayer:

Father, I am saying YES to Jesus! I don’t want to go into Judgment Day naked and alone. I want to go hidden with Christ! I say yes to Jesus; and I say goodbye to all my sins, in Jesus’ name!

© Michael D. White, 2019. All rights reserved.

The Daily Word: Saturday, December 28^th, 2019
Zechariah 12:1-13:9
Revelation 19:1-21
Psalm 147:1-20
Proverbs 31:1-7
For full text click here.

Commentary from Pastor Michael White:
“Thus says the Lord, who stretches out the heavens, lays the foundation of the earth, and forms the spirit of man within him…” – Zech. 12:1

God “forms the spirit of man within him.” Your spirit is the real you. You are a spirit, you have a soul and you live in a body. Your spirit is what really matters. It’s what makes you tick. It’s who you are, and whom you will be for all eternity.

And God is the one who forms your spirit. So, what type of person do you want to become? Do you need genuine change to taken place in your life? Don’t try to change yourself. Rely on God to change you!  Ask Him to form you into the person you want to be.

God can cause more change in an instant than you can force in a lifetime. Trust God! He will make it quick, and He will make it last.

Prayer:

Father, thank You for forming my spirit within me. I trust You to make genuine change happen. I can’t do it myself! But You can form it within me, in Jesus’ name!

© Michael D. White, 2019. All rights reserved.

The Daily Word: Friday, December 27^th, 2019
Zechariah 10:1-11:17
Revelation 18:1-24
Psalm 146:1-10
Proverbs 30:33
For full text click here.

Commentary from Pastor Michael White:
Ask the Lord for rain in the time of the latter rain. The Lord will make flashing clouds; He will give them showers of rain, grass in the field for everyone. – Zech. 10:1

There are two keys to proper prayer illustrated in this verse: 1) making the proper request and 2) proper timing.

1) Proper Request. Are you asking for the right thing? God will tell you what to ask for if you let Him! The simple test here is: does what you’re asking of God line up with the Word of God? If you can’t find a precedent to ask for it in Scripture, don’t ask. When you pray according to His will, He hears you (1 Jn. 5:14); but if you ask according to your will, you’re out of line.

2) Proper Timing. Are you asking at the right time? There is such a thing as the timing of God. The people of Judah and Israel had to, “Ask the Lord for rain, in the time of the latter rain.” If they had asked for the right thing at the wrong time, they would have received nothing! Will getting what you’re asking for now bring you closer to God, or push you further from Him? If God satisfied your request here and now, would it make you rely on Jesus more or less? If the answer is less: wait. God forbid He would ever grant you a request that would make you rely on Jesus less!

Prayer:

Father, I pray Your Holy Spirit would pray powerful prayers through me. Help me to ask for the right things, at the right time. And as I do, I know that You hear me. You always hear me! I pray that You would cause me to pray prayers that draw me closer to Jesus, every single day.

© Michael D. White, 2019. All rights reserved.

The Daily Word: Thursday, December 26^th, 2019
Zechariah 9:1-17
Revelation 17:1-18
Psalm 145:1-21
Proverbs 30:32
For full text click here.

Commentary from Pastor Michael White:
I will camp around My house because of the army, because of him who passes by and him who returns. No more shall an oppressor pass through them, for now I have seen with My eyes. – Zech. 9:8

God protects His people. When we come into His house, He will camp around us to protect us from our enemies. Even if there is an “army” (v 8) outside, He will make sure we are safe and sound. If you come into His house, no enemy will be able to pass through the protection He provides!

When God speaks of Israel’s physical enemies in the Old Testament, He is telling us how to deal with our spiritual enemies under the New Testament. As New Testament Christians, we don’t necessarily fight against foreign nations; but we do war, “…against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this age” (Eph. 6:12). The nature of the enemy has changed; but the strategy to defend ourselves has not!

No matter what Satan is up to in and around your life: God will protect you. Run to Him! He is your, “…shelter…a strong tower from the enemy” (Ps. 61:3). When you draw near to God, your enemy will have no power over you. You will be shielded and protected, in Jesus’ name.

Prayer:

Father, thank You for protecting me! When things are going well, I will run to You. When things are going wrong, I will run to You! No matter what, I want to be in Your house and under the shelter of Your wings, in Jesus’ name.

© Michael D. White, 2019. All rights reserved.

The Daily Word: Wednesday, December 25^th, 2019
Zechariah 8:1-23
Revelation 16:1-21
Psalm 144:1-15
Proverbs 30:29-31
For full text click here.

Commentary from Pastor Michael White:
“Thus says the Lord of hosts: ‘I am zealous for Zion with great zeal; with great fervor I am zealous for her.”’ – Zech. 8:2

God is zealous for His people. He is, “…zealous…with great zeal!” God spared no expense to redeem you: mind, body, spirit and soul! God sent His Only Son, born in a manger, to live a perfect life and die in your place; “…that whoever believes in [Jesus] should not perish but have everlasting life” (Jn. 3:16)!

God is fiercely in love with you. Are you ready to love Him back?

For unto us a Child is born,
Unto us a Son is given;
And the government will be upon His shoulder.
And His name will be called
Wonderful, Counselor, Mighty God,
Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace.
Of the increase of His government and peace
There will be no end,
Upon the throne of David and over His kingdom,
To order it and establish it with judgment and justice
From that time forward, even forever.
The zeal of the Lord of hosts will perform this. – Is. 9:6-7

Prayer:

Father, thank You for the gift of Your Son Jesus Christ. Thank You for being zealous for me! Help me to be zealous back: to give my life fully and completely to You, in Jesus’ name!

© Michael D. White, 2019. All rights reserved.

The Daily Word: Tuesday, December 24^th, 2019
Zechariah 6:1-7:14
Revelation 15:1-8
Psalm 143:1-12
Proverbs 30:24-28
For full text click here.

Commentary from Pastor Michael White:
And He called to me, and spoke to me… – Zech. 6:8

God is calling to you. God is speaking to you! No matter how much you want to hear from Him; He wants you to hear Him so much more. Isn’t it amazing that the God of the Universe wants to talk with you? That He created you for intimate conversation with Him?

Take a moment this morning to quiet your soul and listen to God. He is calling. He is speaking! And as you make time to block at distractions, you will hear what He has to say.

Prayer:

Father, thank You for speaking to me! I am so grateful to worship a God who not only has spoken, but also is speaking. Help me to make time to listen, in Jesus’ name.

© Michael D. White, 2019. All rights reserved.

The Daily Word: Monday, December 23^rd, 2019
Zechariah 4:1-5:11
Revelation 14:1-20
Psalm 142:1-7
Proverbs 30:21-23
For full text click here.

Commentary from Pastor Michael White:
I cried out to You, O Lord: I said, “You are my refuge, my portion in the land of the living”. – Psalm 142:5

If Jesus is all you ever get, will He be enough? Jesus is your “portion in the land of the living.” He is your reward! He is your refuge. Whatever you need, Jesus provides! And when we have Him, we shouldn’t feel like we need anything else.

Jesus is not a means to an end. He is the Beginning and the End (Rev. 22:13)! He is not to be used and manipulated for personal gain as you try and accomplish your own endeavors. He is to be worshipped and served as the King of glory! We are to lay down our own agendas and take up His!

I pray that God would bless you abundantly and materially in this life! But even more than that, I pray that you would realize just how blessed you already are. Jesus is your portion. He is all you could ever hope for, and all you will ever need!

Prayer:

Father, thank You for satisfying me. Because I have Jesus, I don’t need anyone or anything else. Help me to be perfectly content, in Jesus’ name!

© Michael D. White, 2019. All rights reserved.

The Daily Word: Sunday, December 22^nd, 2019
Zechariah 2:1-3:10
Revelation 13:1-18
Psalm 141:1-10
Proverbs 30:18-20
For full text click here.

Commentary from Pastor Michael White:
And there was the angel who talked with me, going out; and another angel was coming out to meet him… – Zech. 2:3

Angels are real. They exist! Zechariah experienced visions from God in which angels talked to him. He saw angels “going out” and “coming in!” Scripture says angels are, “…ministering spirits sent forth to minister for those who will inherit salvation” (Heb. 1:14). God will send angels before you to prepare the atmosphere before you arrive! He will send ministering angels to protect you from death and destruction when you need Divine assistance.

Don’t make the mistake of thinking the activity around you is limited to what you see with your eyes. There is an invisible spiritual realm that is more “real” than the world in which we live! Ask God to open your eyes so you can see what He is doing, and He will show you!

And Elisha prayed, and said, “Lord, I pray, open his eyes that he may see.” Then the Lord opened the eyes of the young man, and he saw. And behold, the mountain was full of horses and chariots of fire all around Elisha. – 2 Kings 6:17

Prayer:

Lord, open my eyes that I may see. I know You are real; and I know You are constantly with me! Help me to focus on the spiritual side of life more than the natural side of life, in Jesus’ name!

© Michael D. White, 2019. All rights reserved.