Daily Verses
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Matthew 24:35
Heaven and earth will pass away, but my words will never pass away. (Spoken by Jesus.)
Thoughts on today's verse
What do you have that will last? Not much -- the love you have for God and his children, the praise you offer him, and the Word he has spoken to use through his Spirit, the prophets, and his Son, Jesus. Invest in these things and you will never be without lasting profit!
Prayer:
Eternal God and loving Father, give me wisdom to discern what is truly lasting and invest my life in those things that will never suffer decay. Thank you for sending Jesus to teach me truth that will last. I want to be obedient to his words and his life. Bless me in ways that help me live a life that is true. Through Jesus, my eternal Savior I pray. Amen. -
Psalm 18:30
As for God, his way is perfect; the word of the Lord is flawless. he is a shield for all who take refuge in him.
Thoughts on today's verse
A shield whose word can be trusted. But we must take refuge in him if his flawless word for us is to be a blessing and his presence a shield.
Prayer:
God of the Fathers Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, I trust my soul and future to you. You are my strength and shield and I pray that your name will be exalted in my life. Please protect and guard me and my family and my church from the Evil One and keep us physically safe and whole as we serve you. In Jesus name. Amen. -
Freedom Through Restriction
2 Kings 15:19-38; 2 Chronicles 27; Isaiah 5, 6
"Having been freed from sin, you became slaves of righteousness. . . . Now having been freed from sin and enslaved to God, you derive your benefit. . .the outcome, eternal life" (Romans 6:18, 22).
As the directors of a child care center watched the children playing outside, they noticed them staying quite close to the building, even though the yard itself was quite large. It was evident that the busy intersection and passing cars had frightened the children into huddling together in one spot.
One of the directors suggested putting up a fence, and the day after it was erected the children were seen playing happily all over the yard. The fence represented security and, consequently, freedom. Knowing their limits expanded the children's sense of freedom and their capacity to enjoy it.
If God's love did not provide fences in our lives, the result would be chaos, disorder, and unhappiness. God's restraints produce freedom, which brings satis faction and fulfillment.
What fences do you think God has provided for you in order to avoid unhappiness?
Job, during his predicament said, "He has walled up my way so that I cannot pass; and He has put darkness on my paths" (Job 91:8 ). But we read later in Job: "And the Lord restored the fortunes of Job when he prayed for his friends" (Job 42:10).
So, no matter what your situation is now, no matter how many "fences" you think there are in your way, trust the Lord to remove them at the right time. -
Amen to that brother. Thanks for the encouragement so early in the morning. As i shared in the other thread... that i could have perceived that God had 'taken away' the one i love from me. But in actual fact, i learnt from God that loving is letting go... loving is trusting that God knows best for me!Originally posted by sillyme:Freedom Through Restriction
2 Kings 15:19-38; 2 Chronicles 27; Isaiah 5, 6
"Having been freed from sin, you became slaves of righteousness. . . . Now having been freed from sin and enslaved to God, you derive your benefit. . .the outcome, eternal life" (Romans 6:18, 22).
May God bless you all
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Continue to have faith and do what you know is right. Some people have rejected this, and their faith has been shipwrecked.
1 TIMOTHY 1:19
He Kept the Faith
I sit a few feet from a man on death row. Jewish by birth. Tentmaker by trade. Apostle by calling. His days are marked. IÂ’m curious about what bolsters this man as he nears his execution. So I ask some questions.
Do you have family, Paul? I have none.
What about your health? My body is beaten and tired....
Any awards? Not on earth.
Then what do you have, Paul? No belongings. No family... . What do you have that matters?
I have my faith. ItÂ’s all have. But itÂ’s all need. I have kept the faith.
Paul leans back against the wall of his cell and smiles. -
Ephesians 3:20-21
Now to him who is able to do immeasurably more than all we ask or imagine, according to his power that is at work within us, to him be glory in church and in Christ Jesus throughout all generations, for ever and ever! Amen.
Thoughts on today's verse
Of all the names for God in the Bible, this is my favorite: Him who is able to do immeasurably more. Our God is the same God who parted the Red Sea and fed 5,000 on a green hillside with only a couple of sardine sandwiches. He longs to do more than we ask and imagine, but most of us haven't really given him much of a challenge. Dream big dreams for God. Then hang on!
Prayer:
Almighty and awesome God, do in our day what you did in past days. Give us faith to believe and then amaze us at the smallness of our faith. Give us vision to see your plan and do greater things. We ask this, not for ourselves or our experience, but for your glory and the salvation of our world. In Jesus name. Amen. -
Philippians 1:6
He who began a good work in you will carry it on to completion until the day of Christ Jesus.
Thoughts on today's verse
God made the world in 6 days. Now he sustains it with his powerful word. But in each of us, he is still at work and will continue to work to his glory (see Philippians 2:12-13) until Christ comes to take us home!
Prayer:
Thank you Father, for being at work in my life. I confess that at times you seem distant, but looking back over the crucial moments where things were held in the balance, I can see your fingerprints and your grace leading me to where I am today. Please make your presence more powerfully known in my life as I seek your will and live to your glory. Through Jesus I pray. Amen. -
2 Corinthians 6:17-18
"Therefore come out from them and be separate, says the Lord.
Touch no unclean thing, and I will receive you."
"I will be a Father to you, and you will be My sons and daughters, says the Lord Almighty."
To be separate from unclean thing and be consecrated holy unto Him is a Christian way of life. It does not imply total isolation from all unbelievers and live in a world of ours. Holiness as our Lord Jesus demonstrated is to sit and dine with tax collectors and harlots but Himself remains changless. True holiness is contagious and is able to influence the people surrounding it. Make it your prayer today to be set apart for God's holy service...you cannot cling on to the righteous robe of Christ and at the same time wallow in the filthy mud.....come out now. -
Ephesians 5:1,2
Be imitators of God, therefore, as dearly beloved children and live a life of love, just as Christ loved us and gave Himself as a fragrant offering and sacrifice to God.
To be called children of God is a wonderful, heaven-sent priviledge. As much we enjoy to be called a child of God, we need to consider ourselves whether do we live like one? Like Father like son as often we hear is very applicable in this case. We need to imitate what our Abba Father say, do and think. We imitate God not in the same wickedness of Lucifer, but rather we follow His good examples and holiness because we belong to Him. A sacrifice in the Old Testament days are carefully selected, animals without blemish and whole. Every details of the sacrifice has to be perfect and looks good....when we say we offer to God our lives as a fragrant offering to God, are we in that condition of perfection? In our own ways its impossible, but with Jesus Christ we who are sinful and full of defects can be made whole and presented to Him in holiness and righteousness! -
Jeremiah 32:17
Ah, Sovereign Lord, you have made the heavens and the earth by your great power and outstretched arm. Nothing is too hard for you.
Thoughts on today's verse
In the immense expanse of our universe, with its billions upon billions of stars, where our own tiny blue planet is only a small speck of sand on an inestimable seashore, God knows us each personally. Such knowledge it too wonderful to be true, and yet it is. God has shown us his love in Jesus to remind us that he not only knows us, but he cares for us.
Prayer:
O Great God of the heavens, thank you for caring for me even though I am such a small part of your great work in the universe. Your love is beyond my comprehension, and yet it thrills me to know that in your grace one day I will see you face-to-face. Through Jesus I praise you. Amen. -
Matthew 4:4
Jesus answered, "It is written: 'Man does not live on bread alone, but on every word that comes from the mouth of God.'"
Thoughts on today's verse
Like Esau, we get so diverted by the mundane things of life, the growling of our bellies, we forget the longer-range view of things. God's word, his written word the Bible, his demonstrated Word in Jesus, and his proclaimed word in the Gospel, are what can sustain us eternally.
Prayer:
True and Faithful God, through your Holy Spirit create in me a hunger for your word that is much more demanding of life than my hunger for food. I confess that at times I have been distracted by the mundane things of life and have not sought your word and have not nourished my soul. Please forgive me as I pledge myself to be more attentive to your leading and your truth through your word. Through Jesus I pray. Amen. -
Those who see the Son and believe in him have eternal lifeÂ…. This is what my Father wants.
JOHN 6:40
Knowing God's Will
We learn GodÂ’s will by spending time in his presence. The key to knowing GodÂ’s heart is having a relationship with him. A personal relationship. God will speak to you differently than he will speak to others. Just because God spoke to Moses through a burning bush, that doesnÂ’t mean we should all sit next to a bush waiting for God to speak. God used a fish to convict Jonah. Does that mean we should have worship services at Sea World? No. God reveals his heart personally to each person.
For that reason, your walk with God is essential. His heart is not seen in an occasional chat or weekly visit. We learn his will as we take up residence in his house every single day.
Walk with him long enough and you come to know his heart. -
Philippians 2:9-11
God exalted him (Jesus) to the highest place and gave him the name that is above every other name, that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, in heaven and on earth and under the earth, and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.
Thoughts on today's verse
When Jesus is exalted, when his name is praised and his glory confessed, rather than being insulted or blasphemed, God is honored. Praise be the glorious name of Jesus and the grace of our God!
Prayer:
Precious Savior, Jesus Christ my Lord, your name is wonderful! Your sacrifice for my sin was so loving and generous. I am so thankful that our Father raised you from the dead and that through you I will be able to be with God and worship you all of eternity! You are glorious, Jesus my Lord! -
[Jesus said,] "'If you obey my commands, you will remain in my love, just as I have obeyed my Father's commands and remain in his love.'" -- John 15:10
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-THE VERSE-
Romans 12:17-21 "Do not repay anyone evil for evil. Be careful to do what is right in the eyes of everybody. If it is possible, as far as it depends on you, live at peace with everyone. Do not take revenge, my friends, but leave
room for God's wrath, for it is written: "It is mine to avenge; I will repay," says the Lord. On the contrary:"If your enemy is hungry, feed him; if he is thirsty, give him something to drink. In doing this, you will heap burning coals on his head." Do not be overcome by evil, but overcome evil with good."
-THE BREAD-
A rod in my hands will keep away a wild animal.
A rod in Moses' hands will part the mighty sea.
It depends Whose hands it's in.
A sling shot in my hands is a kid's toy.
A sling shot in David's hand is a mighty weapon.
It depends Whose hands it's in.
Two fish and 5 loaves of bread in my hands is a couple of fish sandwiches.
Two fish and 5 loaves of bread in God's hands will feed thousands.
It depends Whose hands it's in.
Nails in my hands might produce a birdhouse.
Nails in Jesus Christ's hands will produce salvation for the entire world.
It depends Whose hands it's in.
-COMMENTS-
When we try to do everything ourselves, we are bound for failure. He tells us that in our weakness, His strength is perfect. Learning to lean on His strength is an essential step to take in your spiritual walk. There maybe that secret sin that you are hard-pressed to deny. When our human nature, which has been corrupted, takes over, we must rely on Him to steer us through the turbulence. Give up your control to God the Father, and ask Him to deliver you when you are
overwhelmed.
-PRAYER-
Praise God for being your Savior and your Outlet for life.
Confess to Him the times when you have not plugged into Him for your energy.
Thank Him for always giving you another chance to show Him your love.
Ask Him to show you ways in which you can share His grace with others and use the love and wisdom He's given you today. -
James 1:21
Get rid of all moral filth and the evil that is so prevalent and humbly accept the word planted in you, which can save you.
Thoughts on today's verse
Isn't it true! When we find ourselves caught in the clutches of the moral filth of our culture, we find the word of God boring and irrelevant. Yet even in those moments when Satan uses sin to harden our hearts, God's Spirit calls us to change at a level deeper than just the mere understanding of the words of Scripture. Thank God for his Spirit, which can use his word like a surgeons scalpel on our hearts.
Prayer:
Holy God, I pledge to you today to willingly and decisively give up the immoral habits in my life. I recognize that these not only offend your holiness and grace, but also harden me to your will, pull me away from your character, and blunt my witness to others. Please forgive me and then sustain me as I seek to live a life wholly pleasing to you. In Jesus I pray. Amen. -
I Peter 4:1-2
Therefore, since Christ suffered in His body, arm yourselves also with the same attitude, because he who has suffered in his body is done with sin. As a result, he does not live the rest of his earthly life for evil human desires, rather for the will of God. -
John 15:10
(Jesus said) "If you obey my commands, you will remain in my love, just as I have obeyed my Father's commands and remain in his love."
Thoughts on today's verse
Love is not just a feeling, but it is action. For us as believers, the action that most shows our love for Jesus is for us to be obedient to his words and his example.
Prayer:
Father, thank you for showing your love in Jesus. Thank you, Jesus, for showing us how to love our Father by being obedient to his will and word. Today I pledge to conciously try to live in obedience to your will. Please receive my actions, words, and thoughts today as an offering of praise to you. In Jesus name. Amen. -
"Faith, if it has no works, is dead, being by itself" (James 2:17).
I heard a Christian teacher one time say that he wished the book of James had never been written. He felt the book emphasized works and not faith. I don't agree with his conclusion at all.
If you'll read James, you'll see that the point he was making is that if you are saved you have made Jesus the Lord of your life; therefore, you will have works in your life.
After saying that faith without works is useless, James uses the example of Abraham, who was "justified by works, when he offered up Isaac his son on the altar" (James 2:21). Abraham's faith "was working with his work, and as a result of the works, faith was perfected" (verse 22).
We are not saved by our works. The apostle Paul tells us in Ephesians 2:8-9 that we are saved by grace, through faith, and it is not a results of works.
Then in 2 Timothy 1:9 Paul says that the power of God has saved us and called us, "not acc ording to our works, but according to His own purpose and grace which was granted us in Christ Jesus."
I believe that James was saying that if we are saved, our lives will show it by our works. The works are evidence that the Holy Spirit is residing within us. -
Amen to that!
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One God
2 Kings 18:1-8; 2 Chronicles 29, 30, 31
"One Lord, one faith, one baptism, one God and Father of all who is over all and through all and in all" (Ephesians 4:5-6).
God is sovereign. He is the omnipotent (all powerful), omniscient (all wise), omnipresent (present everywhere at once) creator of all things and the absolute authority.
Sometimes we live our lives as if God were a genie in a bottle. We go about doing what we please until we need help. Then we uncork the bottle and ask the "genie" to come out and solve our problems. Then when things are running smoothly, we just put Him back into the bottle and put the cork back in.
Unfortunately, that's not the way it works. Our responsibility as followers of the sovereign God is to obey His instructions on a day-by-day basis, knowing that He will guide us.
"You will call, and the Lord will answer; . . . 'Here I am.' . . . The Lord will continually guide you" (Isaiah 58:9, 11).
The great joy we have is that God is also a loving, caring, comforting Father. All He wants is our fellowship with Him. He likes doing good things for us.
With our finite thinking, it is hard for us to grasp the immensity of a sovereign God. When we pass from this life into the next life, we will understand the sovereignty of God and His love, because He is waiting with open arms to welcome us.
How much fellowship with the Lord do you experience? What can you do to make it better? -
He said, "Who are You, Lord?
—Acts 9:5
Through the miracle of redemption, Saul of Tarsus was instantly changed from a strong-willed and forceful Pharisee into a humble and devoted bondservant of the Lord Jesus.
There is nothing miraculous or mysterious about the things we can explain. We control what we are able to explain, consequently it is only natural to seek an explanation for everything. It is not natural to obey, yet it is not necessarily sinful to disobey. There can be no real disobedience, nor any moral virtue in obedience, unless a person recognizes the higher authority of the one giving the orders. If this recognition does not exist, even the one giving the orders may view the other personÂ’s disobedience as freedom. If one rules another by saying, "You must do this," and, "You will do that," he breaks the human spirit, making it unfit for God. A person is simply a slave for obeying, unless behind his obedience is the recognition of a holy God.
Many people begin coming to God once they stop being religious, because there is only one master of the human heart—Jesus Christ, not religion. But "Woe is me" if after seeing Him I still will not obey ( Isaiah 6:5 , also see Isaiah 6:1 ). Jesus will never insist that I obey, but if I don’t,I have already begun to sign the death certificate of the Son of God in my soul. When I stand face to face with Jesus Christ and say, "I will not obey," He will never insist. But when I do this, I am backing away from the recreating power of His redemption. It makes no difference to God’s grace what an abomination I am, if I will only come to the light. But "Woe is me" if I refuse the light (see John 3:19-21 ). -
Isaiah 41:10
[The Lord says,] "Do not fear, for I am with you; do not be dismayed, for I am your God. I will strengthen you and help you; I will uphold you with my righteous right hand."
Thoughts on today's verse
Fear saps our will power and leaves us feeling depleted and hopeless. Yet very few of us have ever experienced a defeat so complete and bitter as the one God's people faced when Isaiah shared this message of hope. The preservation of Israel to the time of Jesus, the resurrection of Jesus from the dead, the triumph of the Church through centuries of persecution and opposition are powerful reminders that underneath us are the everlasting arms of a mighty and loving God.
Prayer:
Almighty and Eternal Father, it is such sweet comfort to know that you are always there. Thank you! In Jesus name. Amen. -
If we say we have no sin, we are fooling ourselves, and the truth is not in us.
1 JOHN 1:8
Why Deny?
We do ourselves no favors in justifying our deeds or glossing over our sins. Some time ago my daughter Andrea got splinter in her finger. I took her to the restroom and set out some tweezers, ointment, and a Band-Aid.
She didn’t like what she saw. “I just want the Band-Aid, Daddy.”
Sometimes we are just like Andrea. We come to Christ with our sin, but all we want is a covering. We want to skip the treatment. We want to hide our sin. And one wonders if God, even in his great mercy, will heal what we conceal.
How can God heal what we deny? How can God touch what we cover up?
-Max Lucado -
Wherever You Are
2 Kings 17, 18:9-37; 2 Chronicles 32:1-19; Isaiah 36
"Walk in a manner worthy of the calling with which you have been called, with all humility and gentleness, with patience, showing forbearance to one another in love" (Ephesians 4:1-2).
An evangelist, speaking at a church on the subject of loving people and being a witness for Christ, went to buy a pair of shoes the next day. Little did he know that the shoe clerk, an antagonistic unbeliever, had been in his meeting the night before.
She recognized the evangelist and did everything she could to be rude to him, to see how he would react. She even insulted him, but he responded politely. He thought to himself, She must be having a rough day.
He bought a pair of shoes and that evening, when he started to put them on, he discovered that one was two sizes smaller than the other. He knew the ones he tried on were the same size, so he was sure she had switched the shoe deliberately.
When he returned to the store, the woman argued with him and was insulting , but again he was polite.
That evening when the evangelist gave the invitation, the first person down the aisle to accept Jesus was the shoe clerk. You see, his witness to her was not what he had said from the pulpit; it was said by his actions at the store. That was the message she needed to win her to Christ.
I think that, we need to treat with love and kindness our next-door neighbours, the people who work on our cars, the store clerks-everyone with whom we come in contact.
Our actions are our witness to the world.