Month: May 2016

Scripture for Saturday, May 21 (5/21)

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The scripture for today, May 21, is 2nd Corinthians 5:21 as found in the New Testament of the Bible:

0-BOOK 7-SHADOW OF DEATH-Cover“God made him [Jesus] who had no sin to be sin for us so that in him we might become the righteousness of God.”

A lot of people do not understand what Jesus’ death has to do with going to heaven. The key is in Romans 3:23 that says “The wages of sin is death.” When Adam and Eve sinned, immediately their souls died, and the bodies gradually died. It’s been happening to everyone since then.

But, during Old Testament times, God allowed people to make a perfect animal take their penalty, shed its blood and die in their place when they sinned.

This was only a temporary fix, however. Hebrews says the blood of animals cannot truly take away (take the substitute punishment for) sins; they are remembered again every year (Hebrews 10:3-4).

Finally, John the Baptist announced Jesus was “the Lamb of God” (John 1:29). In order to forever stop all the sacrificial substitute dying, God prepared his own perfect Lamb ~ Jesus, who never sinned. For 33 years,

God’s Word took human form in Jesus and became one of us. Then he had to shed his blood and die in our place. In so doing, he took the sin penalty forever.

Jesus did two things impossible for us to do: Live a perfect life without sin, and come back to life after he died ~ both physically and spiritually. Why? So we could do another thing that is impossible for us to do on our own: Enter heaven, the home of the perfect.

God invites us to his heaven if we will just follow Jesus. We don’t even have to be perfect ~ just forgiven. Jesus was perfect for us. What amazing love.

Scripture for Friday, May 20 (5/20)

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The Scripture for today, May 20, is 2nd Corinthians 5:20a as found in the New Testament of the Bible:

0-Luke-Slave&Physician KINDLE Cover“We are therefore Christ’s ambassadors, as though God were making his appeal through us.”

When we are in pain and long for reassurances that God is with us, one of the things we often want is to see God, feel God’s touch, look into God’s eyes.

This is where Christians come in. God says to Christians, “Go to those in pain. Let them see you, feel your touch, look into your eyes.”

Are you God’s ambassador? Is God doing anything through you?

Scripture for Thursday, May 19 (5/19)

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The scripture for today, May 19, is Ephesians 5:19 as found in the New Testament of the Bible:

Oldoldstory-COVER-KINDLE“Speak to one another with psalms, hymns, and spiritual songs. Sing and make music in your heart to the Lord.”

What is so interesting about this scripture is how we are to make music to the Lord. In the original Greek the New Testament of the Bible was written in, the term “make music” means to play on strings. But put with the rest of the verse, we see that it means to play on the strings of our heart.

How beautiful! In God’s ears, the strings of our heart are far superior to any musical instrument we can contrive. So, why would we want to use them as a substitute? Shall we not please the One we are worshiping? Let us be attuned, not to what we love, but to what God loves.

And so, let us sing! And in the process, let our singing by accompanied by the beautiful strings of our worshiping heart.

Scripture for Wednesday, May 18 (5/18)

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The scripture for today, May 18, is 1st Thessalonians 5:18 as found in the New Testament of the Bible:

0-BOOK 6-PROMISE KEEPER-Cover-Createspace“Give thanks in all circumstances, for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus.”

This is one of the most difficult verses in the Bible to follow. How can we rejoice with the loss of a loved one, of health, of a job, of a home, of a position? The Christians at Thessalonica, in Greece, had been suffering a lot of persecution for being Christians.

Satan will do all he can to cause bad to happen in your life in order to get you to blame God and forsake him. But the real blame belongs on Satan. It may sometimes seem like the harder you try to follow God, the worse things get in our life. In that case, apparently Satan is afraid of your strength in the Lord and is trying to weaken you and get you back on his side.

And sometimes God stands back and tells Satan, “Do your best. This person will grow stronger, not weaker.” Along with the Christians in Thessalonica, you can “become a model….your faith in God can become known everywhere” (1st Thessalonians 1:7-8).

So rejoice that Satan is so afraid of you. And at the same time, keep your eyes on Jesus who never gave in when Satan caused bad to happen to him. Rejoice that you are counted worthy.

Scripture for Tuesday, May 17 (5/17)

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The scripture for today, May 17 is John 5:17 as found in the New Testament of the Bible:

Campbell-Cover-KIMBLE“Jesus said to them, ‘My Father is always at his work to this very day, and I, too, am working.’ “

There are places in the Psalms that say God is thinking about us all the time. When we’re walking, riding, talking, doing, coming, going.

God is always working for us. A popular song a few years ago was, “He’s Got the Whole World In His Hands.”

But does he always keep us from harm? He gave us free will, and sometimes we don’t make good choices. Others around us have free will, and they sometimes don’t make good choices. Still God is there beside us if we fall, always holding out his hand to lift us up.

God is our Creator (Jesus was the creator too ~ John 1:1-2). We are the work of his “hands.” How he loves us and cherishes us and cares for us, always to this very day.

Scripture for Monday, May 16 (5/16)

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The scripture for today, May 16, is 1st Thessalonians 5:16 (KJV) as found in the New Testament of the Bible:

Oldoldstory-COVER-KINDLE“Rejoice evermore.”

But how can we rejoice when something terrible has happened? The Apostle Paul who wrote this knew that the Thessalonians were being persecuted (2nd Thessalonians 1:4), but he still said, “Rejoice evermore.” Sometimes we have to suffer so that the bad someone does can be revealed to others.

Just remember that, just as God was grieved when his Son suffered on the cross, he is grieved when we suffer. And just as God was able to bring something wonderful out of his Son’s suffering, he can bring something wonderful out of yours too.

In the mean time, chin up, shoulders back, stand straight, be brave, and smile. The world will ask you why.

Scripture for Sunday, May 15 (5/15)

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The scripture for today, May 15, is Ecclesiastes 5:15 as found in the Old Testament of the Bible:

0-BOOK EIGHT-COME FLY WITH ME-Cover“Naked a man comes from his mother’s womb, and as he comes, so he departs. He takes nothing from his labor that he can carry in his hand.”

As most people enter their senior years, they finally understand this verse. In their youth they struggled to get jobs and status and things. Some accomplished it and some didn’t. But in the senior years….

when health is gradually declining….
the world is passing them by….
and they are sitting in their chair most of the time

….the main thing people look back on is what difference they made in their world, and how they did or did not help people important to them.

Often in their senior years when their income goes down and they are….
living only on a small pension, and they are unable to keep their big house, and fancy car, and impressive stuff

….they realize they are still the same person inside regardless of what they own.

Ask a senior what they want for a birthday present. It is not likely to be things. It is likely to be time spent with a loved one.

Scripture for Saturday, May 14 (5/14)

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The scripture for today, May 14, is 2nd Corinthians 5:14a as found in the New Testament of the Bible:

00-Heroes-Alone-COVER-KINDLE“For Christ’s love compels us….”

Jesus died both physically and spiritually in our place! (Remember when he said God had forsaken him?) He knew we couldn’t come back from either one on our own, so he did it for us. Such terrible things he went through for us!

Love is powerful! It causes us to do things for someone we love that we never wanted to do and never dreamed we could do.

How powerful is your love for Christ? Do you share the love of Christ with others? 1st John 4:18 says, “Perfect love casts out fear.”

You must reach out to people who think Jesus will ruin their fun, or has too many rules, or could never forgive them, or wouldn’t stop a tragedy from happening to them. If not in person, tell them in a note, a phone call, email, even a song. There are ways. Reach out. You can and you will, for Christ’s love compels you!

Scripture for Friday, May 13 (5/13)

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The scripture for today, May 13, is 1st John 5:13f as found in the New Testament of the Bible:

FunWithBibleNumbers-Cover-Kindle“I write these things to you who believe in the name of the Son of God so that you may know that you have eternal life. This is the confidence we have in approaching God: That if we ask anything according to his will, he hears us.”

What a wonderful and comforting promise: The God of the universe, the Creator, the King of all kings hears you!

Of course, it must be “according to his will.” Well, how are you supposed to know God’s will? By a feeling deep in your heart? Feelings are fickle. But can there be another way? Of course. It’s simple. Just read his very words to you in the Bible.

The Bible is full of examples of people who did right and who did wrong, to help you see the consequences of good and bad decisions. The Bible is also full of God’s advice to you. Proverbs is one of the books that is full of such advice. Read the Bible.
You do not have to guess what God’s will is.

What about asking God’s will whether you should move to this place or that, whether you marry this person or that, whether you take this job or that? Perhaps all your choices are good. God has also given you free will. Always remember, “ALL things work together for good to those who love the Lord and called according to his purpose” (Romans 8:28).

Scripture for Thursday, May 12 (5/12)

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The scripture for today, May 12, is 1st Kings 5:12 as found in the Old Testament of the Bible:

Life-Changing-Scriptures-Cover-medium“The Lord gave Solomon wisdom, just as he had promised him.”

God makes a promise of wisdom to Christians today. James 1:5 says, “If any of you lacks wisdom, he should ask God who gives generously to all without finding fault, and it will be given to him.”

Amazing! God doesn’t sit around and tell certain people, “You really messed up. Your life is full of turmoil. Now you come to me expecting me to fix it for you.” No, God does not throw our faults in our face. It’s no use dwelling in the past; that is history. He is ready and willing to provide guidance for the present and future, the now and later.

How do we know God’s wisdom? We surely do not have to guess. He has everything he wants us to know in his word, the Bible ~ examples of people who did and did not mess up their lives, and words of advice. All we have to do is open it, and ask God to help us understand it and apply it.

God promised. And he keeps his promises.