The Daily Word: Sunday, February 28^th, 2021
Leviticus 22:17-23:44
Mark 9:30-10:12
Psalm 44:1-8
Proverbs 10:19
For full text click here.

Commentary from Pastor Michael White:
And if your eye causes you to sin, pluck it out. It is better for you to enter the kingdom of God with one eye, rather than having two eyes, to be cast into hell fire–where “Their worm does not die, and the fire is not quenched.” – Mk. 9:47-48

There is a place called hell. It will be full of fire. Jesus does not mince words as He explained to His disciples what is at stake here. If anything in your life causes you to sin, pluck it out. Get rid of it! Even if it means losing your own eye (v 47), foot (v 45) or hand (v 43). You must do everything you possibly can to avoid this place called hell. Because suffering for the lost will not be for a moment or a time; it will be forever.

And this is why you need Jesus. You are far from perfect. You have things in your life that cause you to sin! And even if you tried your whole entire life, you couldn’t pluck them all out. So Jesus – the Son of God – lived a perfect life in your place. And when you receive His sacrifice, you are “hidden” in Him (Col. 3:3). God will no longer look at you and see your sin! He will look at you and see His Son.

Receive Jesus. Be washed clean: as “white as snow” (Isa. 1:18)! He will remove a lifetime of sin in one moment, and you will be with Him in paradise (Lk. 23:43).

Prayer:

Father, thank You for making me clean: as white as snow. Jesus, thank You for saving me from hell! Not only did You spare me from hell fire; You also welcomed me with open arms into Heaven. And I will spend the rest of my life telling all the world just how amazing You are!

© Michael D. White, 2021. All rights reserved.

The Daily Word: Saturday, February 27^th, 2021
Leviticus 20:22-22:16
Mark 9:1-29
Psalm 43:1-5
Proverbs 10:18
For full text click here.

Commentary from Pastor Michael White:
And you shall be holy to Me, for I the Lord am holy, and have separated you from the peoples, that you should be Mine. – Lev. 20:26

This is why God did it. This is why He sent Jesus to die on the Cross! He didn’t have to. He chose to. God wants you. He not only loves you; He wants you! He wants you be separate so that you can be His. He wants to redeem you to himself so badly that He sent His only Son, Jesus Christ, to die on the Cross in your place. How amazing is our God?!

As much as you want to be closer to God, He wants to be closer to you all the more. He created you, that you should be His. Open your heart. Let Him in! When you call, He will answer. You will be His people, and He will be your God.

“Call to Me, and I will answer you, and show you great and mighty things, which you do not know.” – Jer. 33:3

Prayer:

Father, thank You for choosing to redeem me! I was so lost, but You found me. You restored my soul! You made me whole. You made a way for me to be with You for all eternity, in Jesus’ name.

© Michael D. White, 2021. All rights reserved.

The Daily Word: Friday, February 26^th, 2021
Leviticus 19:1-20:21
Mark 8:11-38
Psalm 42:1-11
Proverbs 10:17
For full text click here.

Commentary from Pastor Michael White:
And the Lord spoke to Moses, saying, “Speak to all the congregation of the children of Israel, and say to them: ‘You shall be holy, for I the Lord your God am holy.’” – Lev. 19:1-2

You can only be holy because God is holy! You can only be holy when you make the Lord your God. When you receive Jesus as Lord over your life, His holiness becomes your holiness. You are “hidden with Christ in God” (Col. 3:3)!

Heaven requires holiness. After all, would you really want to spend eternity in a Heaven where sin and wickedness were allowed? Of course not. So if you want to be in Heaven, you have to be holy! But God’s instruction that “You shall be holy” is not only an imperative; it is also an invitation. Don’t try to do it on your own; simply trust that Jesus has already done it for you! And as you trust in Him more than you trust in yourself, He will make you into the person you were created to be.

Apart from Jesus, you don’t have a shot at holiness. You can never live up to God’s standard on your own. But when you receive Him, you become His righteousness! When you rest in Him, His holiness will rest in you.

For He made Him who knew no sin to be sin for us, that we might become the righteousness of God in Him. – 2 Cor. 5:21

Prayer:

Father, thank You for making me holy! I am holy because You – my God – are holy. I am hidden in You! And that is enough. Help me to rest in Your righteousness, instead of trying to earn my own, in Jesus’ name.

© Michael D. White, 2021. All rights reserved.

The Daily Word: Thursday, February 25^th, 2021
Leviticus 16:29-18:30
Mark 7:24-8:10
Psalm 41:1-13
Proverbs 10:15-16
For full text click here.

Commentary from Pastor Michael White:
Then they brought to Him one who was deaf and had an impediment in his speech, and they begged Him to put His hand on him. And He took him aside from the multitude, and put His fingers in his ears, and He spat and touched his tongue. Then, looking up to heaven, He sighed, and said to him, “Ephphatha,” that is, “Be opened.” – Mk. 7:32-34

Jesus healed everywhere He went. But notice how Jesus prayed every time healing happened. In this verse, healing happened when Jesus “said” (v 34). Jesus spoke, and this man “who was deaf and had an impediment in his speech” (v 32) was completely healed: his ears were opened and his tongue was loosed. Jesus commanded the man to be healed, and he was!

Whenever Jesus heals in Scripture, He isn’t asking God to heal. He is commanding the body of the sick person to be healed. Do you see the difference? He doesn’t have to ask God to make provision for something God has already provided. Healing is the children’s bread (Matt. 15:26)![1] It is part of our Covenant with God (Ps. 103:3).[2] So Jesus didn’t need to ask; He just needed to command. “Ephphatha,” he said! And “…immediately his ears were opened, and the impediment of his tongue was loosed, and he spoke plainly” (v 35).

When Jesus commanded, healing happened. And do you know what? You have His authority. He gave it to you. He started with all authority (Matt. 28:18).[3] And then He distributed it to His disciples: first the twelve (Lk. 9:1),[4] then another “seventy others also” (Lk. 10:1),[5] and finally to all believers (Mk. 16:17).[6] You have His authority, and you are filled with His Spirit (Rom. 8:11)![7] And that means you get to command sickness to leave, just like Jesus, and expect exactly the same results.

Jesus never commanded you to pray for the sick. He told you to heal them.

“Heal the sick, cleanse the lepers, raise the dead, cast out demons. Freely you have received, freely give.” – Matt. 10:8

Prayer:

Father, help me to command with the heavenly authority I have been given, just like Jesus did. When He commanded, healing happened! And I know I have been given His authority and His Spirit. I will be faithful to command! And I thank You, God, that You are faithful to heal.

© Michael D. White, 2021. All rights reserved.

[1] “But He answered and said, ’It is not good to take the children’s bread and throw it to the little dogs.’” – Matt. 15:26

[2] “Bless the Lord, O my soul; and all that is within me, bless His holy name! Bless the Lord, O my soul, and forget not all His benefits: Who forgives all your iniquities,

Who heals all your diseases…” – Ps. 103:1-3

[3] “And Jesus came and spoke to them, saying, ‘All authority has been given to Me in heaven and on earth.’” – Matt. 28:18

[4] “Then He called His twelve disciples together and gave them power and authority over all demons, and to cure diseases.” – Lk. 9:1

[5] “After these things the Lord appointed seventy others also, and sent them two by two before His face into every city and place where He Himself was about to go.” – Lk. 10:1

[6] “And these signs will follow those who believe…” – Mk. 16:17

[7] “But if the Spirit of Him who raised Jesus from the dead dwells in you, He who raised Christ from the dead will also give life to your mortal bodies through His Spirit who dwells in you.” – Rom. 8:11

The Daily Word: Wednesday, February 24^th, 2021
Leviticus 15:1-16:28
Mark 7:1-23
Psalm 40:11-17
Proverbs 10:13-14
For full text click here.

Commentary from Pastor Michael White:
He shall put the holy linen tunic and the linen trousers on his body; he shall be girded with a linen sash, and with the linen turban he shall be attired. These are holy garments. Therefore he shall wash his body in water, and put them on. – Lev. 16:4

Aaron had to wash his body in water before he entered the presence of God. What does this mean for us under the New Covenant? Do we have to take a bath or shower before we go to pray?

No! Being washed with water on this side of the Cross means studying God’s Word:

Husbands, love your wives, just as Christ also loved the church and gave Himself for her, that He might sanctify and cleanse her with the washing of water by the word… – Eph. 5:25-26

New Covenant cleaning happens with the Word of God! And here is why that’s important. If you go into God’s presence without understanding what His Word says, you will not pray correctly. You will pray according to your own, fleshly desires, instead of according to the desires of the Lord. But if you bring the Word of God into prayer with you and pray it out, you are guaranteed to pray the will of God – and not the will of man! – over your life.

Base your prayers on the Word of God. Don’t pray what you think you need! Pray what God says you need. And as you bring His Word back to Him in prayer, it will bear eternal fruit.

So shall My word be that goes forth from My mouth;
It shall not return to Me void,
But it shall accomplish what I please,
And it shall prosper in the thing for which I sent it. – Isa. 55:11

Prayer:

Father, thank You for Your Word! Thank You for giving me an incredibly powerful Guide so I know I am praying according to Your will. I am going to base my prayers in and on Your Word – now and forever – in Jesus’ name.

© Michael D. White, 2021. All rights reserved.

The Daily Word: Tuesday, February 23^rd, 2021
Leviticus 14:1-57
Mark 6:30-56
Psalm 40:1-10
Proverbs 10:11-12
For full text click here.

Commentary from Pastor Michael White:
…and he shall take the cedar wood, the hyssop, the scarlet, and the living bird, and dip them in the blood of the slain bird and in the running water, and sprinkle the house seven times. – Lev. 14:51

Our church is located in Manhattan’s East Village. We often have members and attenders who approach me after service and ask me to pray for their home. Many say they feel a “dark presence” in their home, often like someone is watching them. The neighborhood has a history of witchcraft and bruhería, which means that someone who lived there before them (or someone in their own household!) may have invited a demonic presence inside that shouldn’t be there.

My counsel in these cases is usually the same: anoint your house! This is what God told Moses: whenever there was a “leprous plague in a house” (Lev. 14:34), the priest was to sprinkle the house with the blood of an offering. On this side of the Cross, that means we plead the blood of Jesus over our house! We declare that because the blood has been applied, no plague can dwell within. We cast out every dark force and invite the Holy Spirit to come and fill our home with His presence.

I also recommend anointing every doorway in your home with oil. Take some olive oil, pour it in a bowl, and bless it in the name of Jesus. Then take some on the tip of your finger and use it to paint a cross over the entryway to your home, as well as the entryway to every single room in your home. As you do it, you are making the declaration that the only spirit allowed in your home is the Holy Spirit.

Are you experiencing trouble of any sort in your dwelling? Anoint your house! Plead the blood of Jesus over it, and anoint the doorposts with oil. As you do, your whole household will be healed.

Prayer:

Father, thank You for my anointed house! I am so grateful that You have given me authority over my home. I plead the blood of Jesus over my house, and I declare that the only spirit allowed in my home is Your Holy Spirit. My house is a house of peace and of healing, in Jesus’ name!

© Michael D. White, 2021. All rights reserved.

The Daily Word: Monday, February 22^nd, 2021
Leviticus 13:1-59
Mark 6:1-29
Psalm 39:1-13
Proverbs 10:10
For full text click here.

Commentary from Pastor Michael White:
I said, “I will guard my ways, lest I sin with my tongue; I will restrain my mouth with a muzzle, while the wicked are before me.” – Ps. 39:1

David had wicked men all around him. We know from Psalm 38 that David’s enemies were “vigorous” and “strong” (Ps. 38:19). People both in and outside Israel were constantly trying to take David down! David said, “Those also who seek my life lay snares for me; those who seek my hurt speak of destruction, and plan deception all the day long” (Ps. 38:12).

So how did David respond? What was the most urgent tool he employed in the face of a hostile enemy? He watched his mouth! The key to avoiding destruction at the hands of his enemies wasn’t some new military strategy or defensive maneuver; it was simply to guard his ways, and avoid “sinning with [his] tongue” (v 1, above).

What you say is incredibly important. What you refuse to say is endlessly important too! The enemy’s #1 goal is to sabotage God’s promises in your life by convincing you to cancel them with your own mouth. Selah. Satan can’t cancel your destiny! But you can:

“Death and life are in the power of the tongue, and those who love it will eat its fruit.” – Prov. 18:21

Your survival depends in large part on what you say. Will you speak doubt and unbelief? Or will you boldly declare God’s word and wait in faith for every word to come to pass? Will you open the door to the enemy by saying silly things like “FML?” Or will you slam the door to destruction shut by canceling Satan’s plans in the name of Jesus, and activating God’s destiny over your life with joyful praise?!

Use your tongue for good! Your very life depends on it.

Prayer:

Father, I am going to speak life over myself! I am going to speak life over my family. I will not be tricked into canceling my destiny by saying silly things that should not be said. I will not allow the enemy to convince me that what I say – whether joking or serious – does not matter! I will speak life and not death, in Jesus’ name.

© Michael D. White, 2021. All rights reserved.

The Daily Word: Saturday, February 20^th, 2021
Leviticus 9:7-10:20
Mark 4:26-5:20
Psalm 37:30-40
Proverbs 10:6-7
For full text click here.

Commentary from Pastor Michael White:
And Moses said to Aaron, “Go to the altar, offer your sin offering and your burnt offering, and make atonement for yourself and for the people. Offer the offering of the people, and make atonement for them, as the Lord commanded.” – Lev. 9:7

Your life is not just about you; it’s about others. Aaron’s responsibility was to make an offering for God’s people so they could be forgiven from their sin! But first he had to make atonement for himself. He had to get right with God before he could be any help to others.

Help other people! But never allow your desire to help others to negate your responsibility to cultivate your own personal relationship with Jesus. Lead other people to Him! But first enjoy communion with Him for yourself. If you want to be any good to others, you have to foster intimacy with Jesus in your own life first.

It’s not selfish to take care of yourself. Spend some time with Jesus today. You need it; and the people around you need it too.

Prayer:

Father, thank You for intimacy with Jesus! Help me never to lost sight of the importance of a living, active relationship with Him. I know that I can only have something to pour out to others when I allow You to pour into me first.

© Michael D. White, 2021. All rights reserved.

The Daily Word: Friday, February 19^th, 2021
Leviticus 7:28-9:6
Mark 3:31-4:25
Psalm 37:12-29
Proverbs 10:5
For full text click here.

Commentary from Pastor Michael White:
This is the consecrated portion for Aaron and his sons, from the offerings made by fire to the Lord, on the day when Moses presented them to minister to the Lord as priests. – Lev. 7:35

Aaron and his sons were consecrated as priests unto the Lord. Their responsibilities were sacred and holy! They would offer sacrifices to God on behalf of Israel so that God’s people could atone for (i.e. be forgiven for) their sin. This was a full time job! Moses and Aaron would spend all day, every day, fulfilling their responsibilities as priests. So in return, God would provide for them.

He would provide their food (v 35). He would provide their clothes (Lev. 8:7)! He would give them everything they needed so that they could devote their lives fully and completely to God. And He will do the same for you.

Do not let concern for material needs stop you from serving God. He will give you what you need to you can spend all day, every day in His presence! After all, that is where He created you to be.

So the Lord spoke to Moses face to face, as a man speaks to his friend. And he would return to the camp, but his servant Joshua the son of Nun, a young man, did not depart from the tabernacle. – Ex. 33:11

Prayer:

Father, thank You that I never have to leave Your presence. I am going to live my life at Your feet! And I thank You that as I do, You will provide for my every need. I am so grateful, in Jesus’ name.

© Michael D. White, 2021. All rights reserved.