Daily Verses
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true...very very true. so early you post liao?? hhaa
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had an early day ahead.. so came in to post before i left house..
Originally posted by NeonTetra:true...very very true. so early you post liao?? hhaa -
PERCEPTIONS AND EMOTIONS
Lamentations 3:22, 23
The LORD's lovingkindnesses indeed never cease, for His compasssions never fail. They are new every morning; great is Thy faithfulness
In a general sense, your emotions are a product of your thought life. If you are not thinking right, if your mind is not being renewed, if you are not perceiving God and His Word properly, it will be reflected in your emotional life.
One of the best scriptural illustrations of the relationship between perceptions and emotions is found in Lamentations 3. In verses 1-6, Jeremiah expresses despair as he wrongly perceives that God is against him and that He is the cause of his physical problems. In verses 7-11, 18, he vents his feelings of entrapment and fear. If your hope was in God, and these words were a correct portrayal of God, you would probably feel bummed out too.
What was Jeremiah's problem? His perception of God was way off center. God wasn't the cause of his affliction. God isn't a wild beast waiting to chew people up. But Jeremiah wasn't thinking right, perceiving right, or interpreting his circumstances right, so he wasn't feeling right or responding right either.
Suddenly, Jeremiah's countenance changes: "This I recall to my mind, therefore I have hope. The LORD's lovingkindnesses indeed never cease, for His compassions never fail. They are new every morning; great is Thy faithfulness" (verses 21-23). What a turnaround! Did God change? Did Jeremiah's circumstances change? No. His perception of God changed and his emotions followed suit.
You are not shaped so much by your environment as you are by your perception of your environment. Life's events don't determine who you are; God determines who you are, and your interpretation of life's events determines how well you will handle the pressures of life. In reality we have very little control over our emotions, but we do have control over our thoughts, and our thoughts determine our feelings and our responses. That's why it is so important that you fill your mind with the knowledge of God and His Word. You need to see life from God's perspective and respond accordingly.
Prayer:
Lord, continually adjust my perception of my environment to match Your perspective found in Your Word. -
Psalm 119:30
I have chosen the way of truth; I have set my heart on your laws.
Thoughts on today's verse
Jesus reminded us to "pick up your cross daily and follow" him. The way of truth is a daily choice. To not choose God's way, to not intentionally seek to put him at the center of our life and as the top priority in all of our decisions, is to slip a little bit further away from the life he calls us to lead. Lack of a decision is a decision to not follow.
Prayer:
Heavenly Father, I choose to follow you and your truth today. Open my eyes so I may see your truth and open my heart that I may live it. I decide today, again, to follow, you with all my heart, soul, mind, and strength. In Jesus name I pray. Amen. -
Law or Grace
Isaiah 41, 42, 43
"Sin shall not be master over you, for you are not under law, but under grace" (Romans 6:14).
It's interesting as we look back into the time of the apostles and see how many of the Jews who had accepted Christ tried to apply both law and grace at the same time.
They required the Jewish converts to Christianity to adhere to all the ritualistic laws of the Old Testament and, to a large degree, subjugated grace to a secondary role.
The apostle Paul writes about this issue in Romans. Following the Scripture verse for today, he said, "Shall we sin because we are not under law but under grace? May it never be!" (Romans 6:15).
What Paul was saying to his generation is, "We are not controlled by the law; it is not the governing force over your life. God's grace is."
However, because we are saved by grace (see Ephesians 2:8-9) and live under grace, we don't have a license to do whatever we want when we want to do it. We are bound by God's Word, and it tea ches that we should abstain from anything that would bring dishonor or disservice to God's name.
Therefore, under grace we have a greater responsibility to live in a purer way than anyone ever did under the Law.
"The higher a man is in grace, the lower he will be in his own esteem." --Charles Spurgeon -
1 Peter 2:12
Live such good lives among the pagans that, though they accuse you of doing wrong, they may see your good deeds and glorify God on the day He visits us.
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THE POWER TO CHOOSE
Joshua 24:15
Choose for yourselves today whom you will serve. . . . As for me and my house, we will serve the LORD
Adam and Eve's sin also affected the area of their will. Do you realize that in the Garden of Eden they could only make one wrong choice? Everything they wanted to do was okay except eating from the tree of the knowledge of good and evil (Genesis 2:16, 17). They had the possibility of making a myriad of good choices and only one bad choice-- only one !
Eventually, however, they made that one bad choice. As a result, you and I are confronted every day with a myriad of good and bad choices. You can choose to pray or not pray, read your Bible or not read your Bible, go to church or not go to church. You can choose to walk according to the flesh or according to the Spirit. You and I face countless choices like that every day, and we eventually make some bad ones.
Other than the Holy Spirit in your life, the greatest power you possess is the power to choose. Someone has said that pure Christianity lies in the exercise of the will. The animal kingdom operates out of divine instinct. But we are created in the image of God, which means we have a self- operated, independent will. The essence of temptation is to function independently of God. The basis for temptation is legitimate needs.
Sinful behavior is often a wrong attempt at meeting your basic needs. The real issue here is are you going to get your needs met by the world, the flesh and the devil, or are you going to allow God to meet your needs "according to His riches in glory in Christ Jesus" (Philippians 4:19)? It's an issue of identity and maturity. The more you understand your identity in Christ, the more you will grow in maturity. And the more mature you become, the easier it will be for you to choose to live your life in dependence on your heavenly Father.
Prayer:
Lord, I determine to exercise my great power of choice to live in moment-by- moment dependence on You today. -
1 Samuel 15:22-23
"Does the LORD delight in burnt offerings and sacrifices as much as in obeying the voice of the LORD?
To obey is better than sacrifice, and to heed is better than the fat of rams.
For rebellion is like the sin of divination, and arrogance like the evil of idolatry...."
In the context of this passage, King Saul was commanded by prophet Samuel to totally destroy the Amalekites for their sin, not leaving a single living thing(all means all). As usual, the king carried out the order put to death the whole dwelling place of the enemies BUT spared the best of sheep and cattle. The reason being that these best animals can make a good sacrifice offering to the LORD. The end remaining of the chapter tells us that because Saul rejected the word of the God of Israel, He has rejected him as king.
It is so easy for us to replace our disobedience with excuses. We tend to cover up our wrong doings with some good-sounding arguements. "We steal money because we want to build a nicer church for You Lord"....."We murder that blasphemer for You"....the list goes on and i dare not imagine what other excuses we can give to God. God told Saul to totally destroy the Amalekites but Saul kept the king and the animals alive thinking that by this he will please God with the offerings. Does God delight in these burnt offerings? Certainly not when it is does in contrary to His ways. When we think we are doing something that pleases God, ask for His instructions...we can never please God when we do the very opposite of what He calls us to do. Without faith, it is impossible to please Him. neontetra -
Moral Law/God's Law
"The Law is holy, and the commandment is holy and righteous and good. . . . The Law is spiritual; . . . I agree with the Law, confessing that it is good" (Romans 7:12, 14, 16).
There is no way to separate moral law from God's Law, unless it's through the situational ethics that we see in our generation.
God established the moral laws. The Ten Commandments are simple, straightforward, and absolute. If you follow those, you will follow moral law.
C. S. Lewis wrote, "Morality is indispensable: but the Divine life, which gives itself to us and which calls us to be gods, intends for us something in which morality will be swallowed up. We are to be remade."
In our society we have adopted situational ethics. Basically that means that the times and the situations dictate morality. Therefore, if everyone believes that abortion is okay, then it is. Or if everyone says that homosexuality is acceptable, it is.
When it comes to morality, God's Word is piercingly clear. Right is right, and wrong is wrong. God is an absoulte god. I grieve that the many have given in to "situational ethics."
Pray that the Holy Spirit will guide you to be morally and spiritually pure. -
God can do all things.
MATTHEW 19:26
What Size Is God?
Nature is GodÂ’s workshop. The sky is his resume. The universe is his calling card. You want to know who God is? See what he has done. You want to know his power? Take a look at his creation. Curious about his strength? Pay a visit to his home address: 1 Billion Starry Sky Avenue.
He is untainted by the atmosphere of sin, unbridled by the time line of history, unhindered by the weariness of the body.
What controls you doesnÂ’t control him. What troubles you doesnÂ’t trouble him. What fatigues you doesnÂ’t fatigue him. Is an eagle disturbed by traffic? No, he rises above it. Is the whale perturbed by a hurricane? Of course not, he plunges beneath it. Is the lion flustered by the mouse standing directly in his way? No, he steps over it.
How much more is God able to soar above, plunge beneath, and step over the troubles of the earth! -
Hebrews 11:1
Faith is being sure of what we hope for and certain of what we do not see.
Thoughts on today's verse
While the road ahead of us may be filled with questions and concerns, we can look back and see the many ways God has acted in our behalf to get us to the places we need to be. We see his work through history and we can take assurance that his promises are true and his victory in us is assured.
Prayer:
Almighty God, I believe that before there was a world, you existed. I trust that even now you sustain our world with your word of grace. I am confident that before the future arrives you are already there preparing it for us. Help me when I worry to remember my faith and to press on trusting that you are there. In Jesus name I pray. Amen. -
Hebrews 12:1
Since we are surrounded by such a great cloud of witnesses, let us throw off everything that hinders and the sin that so easily entangles, and let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us.
Thoughts on today's verse
Like the great heroes of the Bible, both big and small, we can do God's work with confidence. But to boldly go where he wants us to go, we must first be willing to let go of the sin that entangles our lives, distorts our vision, and robs us of spiritual vitality and stamina.
Prayer:
Holy Father, forgive me for my sin. Not just my blatant sins, but my willingness to dabble in things that are not holy, to flirt with things that are spiritually dangerous, and to expose myself to things that leave a residue of Satan's world. Give me strength to say no to the things that distract me from you and to embrace with passion those things that make me more like you. Through Jesus my Lord I pray. Amen. -
There is one God, and one mediator between God and men, the man Christ Jesus.
1 Timothy 2:5 -
The Powerful Word
"So shall My word be which goes forth from My mouth; it shall not return to Me empty, without accomplishing what I desire" (Isaiah 55:11).
We know that God is all powerful (omnipotent), and His Word is as powerful as He is.
The Bible says that Christ spoke the world into existence, so we know how powerful the voice of God (His Word) is. The apostle Paul tells us, "He [Jesus] is the image of the invisible God, the first- born of all creation, for by Him all things were created. . . all things have been created by Him and for Him" (Colossians 1:15-16).
God says that His Word will not return to Him without accomplishing what it says it will.
If you are just beginning to read the Bible, you have a great treat ahead. If you've read it for years, you can testify to how rich it is and what a comfort. If you don't read it every day, you are cheating yourself (that's my opinion, of course).
When David wrote about God's Word he said, "The precepts of t he Lord are right, rejoicing the heart; the commandment of the Lord is pure, enlightening the eyes. . . . The judgments of the Lord are true. . . . They are more desirable than gold. . . sweeter also than honey. . . . In them is great reward" (Psalm 19:7-11).
Martin Luther said, "The Bible is alive, it speaks to me; it has feet, it runs after me; it has hands, it lays hold on me."
How much does your Bible mean to you? -
Foreordained
Jeremiah 1, 2, 3
"[God] paid for you with the precious lifeblood of Christ. . . . God chose him for this purpose long before the world began" (1 Peter 1:18-19 TLB).
Predestination is a concept that has been argued for a long time. It came into focus during the ministry of John Calvin and has many followers. Are the events in the lives of human beings foreordained by God: predetermined and can't be changed under any circumstances?
If Christ had asked His Father to save Him from death on the cross, God could have sent a legion of angels. But Jesus chose to do the Father's will.
The omnipotent creator of the universe could have done anything He wanted. But when Jesus was arrested He told the soldiers to put away their swords and said, "Don't you realize that I could ask my Father for thousands of angels to protect us, and he would send them instantly? But if I did, how would the Scriptures be fulfilled that describe what is happening now?" (Matthew 26:53-54 TLB).
God h as always been here and always will be. Time is irrelevant to Him. He exists in the past, the present, and the future. Did God know that Christ was going to the cross? Read today's Scripture verse again for the answer to that.
When Adam sinned God could have destroyed the whole creation and started again. But He is a loving, caring, kind, and gracious Creator. He was willing to do whatever it took to redeem us-even allowing His Son to become the sinless sacrifice for all sin.
Jesus paid the price for you and for me. There's a hymn that says, "Jesus paid it all, all to Him I owe. Sin has left a crimson stain; He washed it white as snow." -
Holiness
Jeremiah 4, 5, 6
"Walk in a manner worthy of the calling with which you have been called" (Ephesians 4:1).
D. L. Moody said, "Next to the might of God, the serene beauty of a holy life is the most powerful influence for good."
The scribes and Pharisees of Jesus' day were hypocrites who concentrated on appearing holy, even though they were neglecting real holiness: of their hearts.
There's a saying that sometimes people are so busy being religious they fail to be spiritual. Outward acts of goodness can never make up for hearts that are cold or empty.
"Whoever believes in Him should not perish, but have eternal life" (John 3:16). After we accept Jesus as Lord and Savior of our lives, how can we have clean hearts? "If we confess our sins, He is faithful and righteous to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness" (1 John 1:9).
To be holy, we must have pure hearts. James says "Purify your hearts. . . . Humble yourselves in the presence of the Lord" (Jam es 4:8, 10).
Oswald Chambers said, "Holiness is not only what God gives me, but what I manifest that God has given."
Have you had your heart checked lately? Imagine you are strapped into a machine that can see into your heart and measure the holiness there. What would the diagnosis be?
Holiness just means being separated to God. It's what you do with your life every day; it's ordering your conduct according to the Word of God and being of one mind with God. No one ever said it would be easy. But it is possible. -
"Seek Me and live."
Amos 5:4 -
Running Ahead
Jeremiah 7, 8, 9
"Hagar bore Abram a son; and Abram called the name of his son, whom Hagar bore, Ishmael" (Genesis 16:15).
Have you ever run ahead of God because you became impatient with His timing? You probably know how much pain that can bring and you quickly learned why it is so important to do things in God's timing.
God's covenant with Abraham included the fact that he would be the father of nations. God took him outside, showed him the heavens, and told him to see how many stars there were. Then He said, "So shall your descendants be" (Genesis 15:5).
But perhaps childless Sarah got impatient, or maybe she didn't have Abraham's faith. She suggested that Abraham go in to her handmaiden; he did and Hagar bore him a son. As a result, Hagar's son grew up to be in competition with Isaac, Sarah's son and rightful heir of the covenant.
God did bless Abraham and Sarah, but they always remembered that they had attempted to go around His plan.
If or when you have that kind of experience-of running ahead of God-- you should realize that you've made a mistake and ask God's forgiveness. Since you can't undo what has been done, forgiveness is the most important thing-not guilt.
Ask God to help you know His timing in everything you do. "The Lord is not slow about His promise, as some count slowness, but is patient toward you" (2 Peter 3:9). -
Psalm 112:5
Good will come to him who is generous and lends freely, who conducts his affairs with justice.
Thoughts on today's verse
We are pushed by our culture, and often by our own greed, to look for an angle, to get the upper hand, to try to use others for our own benefit. We are reminded today that our benefit is only found when we benefit and bless others.
Prayer:
Oh God, you have been so gracious to me. May I reflect your graciousness to others today in all I say and do. Through Jesus I ask it. Amen. -
Micah 7:18-19
Who is a God like You, who pardons sin and forgives the trangression of the remnant of his inheritance?
You do not stay angry forever but delight to show mercy.
You will again have compassion on us;You will tread our sins underfoot and hurl all our iniquities into the depths of the sea.
Merciful Father, we thank You for who You are. You are a forgiving God who pardons all our sinful ways and purifies us from all that is unclean. Help us each day to experience more and more of Your compassion and grace and after so doing, choose to live holy lives that bring delight to Your heart. Through Jesus Christ our Saviour, together with You and the Holy Spirit who lives and reigns in Unity, One God now and forever. Amen. -
Communing with God
"The God of peace, who brought up from the dead the great Shepherd. . . even Jesus our Lord, equip you in every good thing to do His will, working in us that which is pleasing in His sight" (Hebrews 20-21).
Oswald Chambers says that when you stay in contact with God so much that you never need to ask Him to show you His will, you have gotten close to the final stages of being disciplined in the life of faith.
When you stay in constant communion with God, you develop a delightful friendship with Him. You read His Word, pray without ceasing; then go ahead and make the everyday, commonsense decisions, assured that He will let you know if what you plan to do isn't what is best for you.
Have you ever decided to do something but felt a sort of scratchy feeling in your spirit? That's a sure sign you may not have made the right decision. Listen to that inner voice. It can save you a lot of heartache.
God never gets tired of hearing you call out to Him. He promises good things for those who seek Him. Your fellowship with Him through your faith in Jesus Christ opens the door to communication.
Father, thank You for being so accessible to me at all times. -
Thanks brother....this sounds so close to heart for meOriginally posted by sillyme:Communing with God
"The God of peace, who brought up from the dead the great Shepherd. . . even Jesus our Lord, equip you in every good thing to do His will, working in us that which is pleasing in His sight" (Hebrews 20-21).
Oswald Chambers says that when you stay in contact with God so much that you never need to ask Him to show you His will, you have gotten close to the final stages of being disciplined in the life of faith.
When you stay in constant communion with God, you develop a delightful friendship with Him. You read His Word, pray without ceasing; then go ahead and make the everyday, commonsense decisions, assured that He will let you know if what you plan to do isn't what is best for you.
Have you ever decided to do something but felt a sort of scratchy feeling in your spirit? That's a sure sign you may not have made the right decision. Listen to that inner voice. It can save you a lot of heartache.
God never gets tired of hearing you call out to Him. He promises good things for those who seek Him. Your fellowship with Him through your faith in Jesus Christ opens the door to communication.
Father, thank You for being so accessible to me at all times. -
No One Is Perfect
"In Him we have redemption through His blood, the forgiveness of our trespasses, according to the riches of His grace" (Ephesians 1:7).
Committing sin has its consequences. One the best examples of that is the story of David and Bathsheba. They committed adultery and a child was born. However, the child didn't live, even after David pleaded with God to spare the life of his baby.
David knew he had sinned and he was consumed with guilt and remorse. He didn't try to deny his sin or makes excuses for it by claiming the temptation was too great. Instead David owned up to his sin and sought God's forgiveness.
Because you are human, you are going to sin, but you don't have to live with your guilt. If you truly repent of your sin, God will readily forgive you and restore you to His favor. That's what grace is all about.
Just open your heart to His forgiveness and allow Him to deal with you right where you are. What we have done isn't as important a s what we are going to do about it.
God knows you aren't perfect and He doesn't love you any less when you sin. When Jesus shed His blood on the cross and died in our place, He opened the door to full redemption. The only criteria for forgiveness is true repentance.
"Our Redeemer, the Lord of hosts is His name" (Isaiah 47:4). -
Finally, be strong in the Lord and in His mighty power.
Ephesians 5:10
(last entry) -
Only You Will Do
2 Kings 22:1-23:28; 2 Chronicles 34:8-35:19
"I have known you by name, and you have also found favor in My sight" (Exodus 33:12).
Did you ever audition for a play or for a chorus? Usually you have to do a bit of acting or singing--whatever is required- -and then leave, hoping to get chosen and called back. You have to be absolutely perfect for the role you tried out for.
You have a role in life that only you can fill. You don't have to audition for it, because you are the only one who can do exactly what it calls for. God has chosen you to do a specific thing. And, the best part is, you aren't in competition with anyone else for the "part." No one could be as good a YOU as you can be.
You could follow Billy Graham around for weeks or months, study his preaching, mannerisms, talents, and learn to sound just like he does. But you could never be a better Billy Graham than he is. That's because God called him to be just who he is.
The same is true of you. You don't need to be jealous of anyo ne else, because when God calls for you there is nobody else who can answer your call. You have no contenders. You are the "star." You won the "audition."
You are a unique individual. God's Word says, "The very hairs of your head are all numbered" (Matthew 10:30).
If God calls you to the task that is specifically yours and you don't accept His call, your blessings will go to someone else. Pay close attention to the prompting of the Holy Spirit so you won't miss your blessings.