Scripture for Monday, January 23 (1/23)

The scripture for today, January 23, is Romans 1:23 as found in the New Testament of the Bible:

campbell-cover-kindle-lg-medium“….and exchanged the glory of the immortal God for images made to look like mortal man and birds and animals and reptiles.”

Do you ever wish you could see God, touch God, look God in the eye? Everyone has. And we may wonder why we can’t.

If this were the case, then God wouldn’t be God. He wouldn’t be omnipresent (present everywhere). He would only be able to listen to one prayer at a time, and the rest of the world’s prayers would go unheard.

Let us be grateful our God is so great that He cannot be limited. He is so great He cannot be pictured. He is so great that He fills heaven. He is so great that He fills our hearts and our souls.

#Omnipresent, #Omniscient, #GodIsEverywhere, #Prayer

Scripture for Thursday, January 9 (1/9)

 The scripture for today, January 19, is James 1:19a as found in the New Testament of the Bible:

00-COVER-KINDLE“Everyone should be quick to listen, slow to speak and slow to become angry, for man’s anger does not bring about the righteous life that God desires.”

There was a book published a few years ago entitled, Hurt People Hurt People. Have you ever wanted to say something like, “How dare you think you know how bad I feel!” or “How dare you think you understand the  ordeal I went through!” or “How dare you treat me like that!”?  Those are accusing words. And what do they accomplish?

We may feel justified in explaining how bad we were treated by someone. But, in reality, it makes the hurt keep going and going and going…. Perhaps this is a cycle you’ve been in for a long time with someone. Who is going to stop the cycle?

Satan is the accuser (Revelation 12:10).  God is the forgiver.  Even Jesus forgave his killers. When we have been hurt, let us be ready to listen to the other person’s hurt instead of accuse. And in the process, “bring about the righteous life that God desires.”

#Sympathy, #Anger, #Accusing, #Listening, #Hurt, #Forgiveness, #Humility

Scripture for Tuesday, January 17 (1/17)

The scripture for today, January 17, is James 1:17 as found in the New Testament of the Bible:

0-BOOK 4-FOLK HERO-COVER“Every good and perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of the heavenly lights, who does not change like shifting shadows.”

Do you sometimes feel slighted because other people get more gifts on special occasions (or even between special occasions) than you do?

No need to feel that way. Christians get the goods ones. Christians get the perfect ones. We get them all! And our heavenly Father will never stop showering us with those “good gifts,” those “perfect gifts.”

These gifts are good and perfect because they are forever gifts. And what can be better than that?

#gift, #present, #gratitude

Scripture for Monday, January 16 (1/16)

The scripture for today, January 16, is Ruth 1:16ff as found in the Old Testament of the Bible:

inside-cover-medium“Don’t urge me to leave you or to turn back from you. Where you go I will go, and where you stay I will stay. Your people will be my people and your God my God. Where you die I will die, and there I will be buried. May the Lord deal with me, be it ever so severely, if anything but death separates you and me.”

Although Ruth was talking to her mother-in-law after the death of her husband (Naomi’s son), this can be and sometimes is quoted by the bride and groom at their wedding. If only it were quoted more often. Not only at weddings, but at anniversaries. At birthdays of children and parents. During arguments, and low times and hard times and discouraging times.

These are the words of love ~ deep genuine, unselfish love. Let us so love one another that deeply.

#Love, #Marriage, #Family, #Friends, #Ruth, #Naomi, #Wedding, #Anniversary

Scripture for Saturday, January 14 (1/14)

The scripture for today, January 14, is Hebrews 1:14 as found in the New Testament of the Bible:

Letters-of-Apostles2-Cover-Kindle“Are not all angels ministering spirits, sent to serve those who will inherit salvation?”

Have you ever wondered if the Bible really mentions guardian angels? Well, here it is. But the angels do not minister to everyone ~ just to the saved who will inherit salvation.

As much as they minister to us, however, we are not to worship them and we are not to pray to them. For awhile, it was popular to collect pictures and statues of angels. Some people were saying there is no God, but there are guardian angels. Where did they think angels come from? We are not to adore, worship or pray to angels (Revelation 19:10; 22:9). We are just to be grateful for them.

Let us thank God that he loves us enough to send the angels to minister to us until we reach the safety of his home, heaven.

#Angels, #MinisteringSpirits, #Worship, #Prayer, #GuardianAngels, #Heaven

Scripture for Wednesday, January 11 (1/11)

The scripture for today, January 11, is 2nd Peter 1:11 as found in the New Testament of the Bible:

REV-Cover-Kindle“And you will receive a rich welcome into the eternal kingdom of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.”

How often do we forget that earth is not our home? As an old gospel song says, “We’re just traveling through.” Do we really believe that? If someone told us tomorrow that we were going to die, would we go into a panic? Would we beg God to let us live another ten or twenty years? Would we feel this was the beginning of the end?

To a Christian, our dying is the end of the beginning. We have a whole “life” ahead of us in heaven. A never-ending life. Do we live like we believe it? Will we die looking forward to it?

#Heaven, #Death, #Dying, #Earth, #Life

Scripture for Wednesday, January 4 (1/4)

The scripture for today, January 4, is Philippians 1:4 as found in the New Testament of the Bible:
 
FunWithBibleNumbers-Cover-Kindle“In all my prayers for all of you, I always pray with joy.”
 
Do our prayers consist mostly of give me this, help me with that? Let us begin today to keep an on-going list of our prayer requests for the year, and another one of thanksgiving for when those prayers are answered.
 
Let us begin today to tell God “Thank you.”
 
Let us also begin today to look around at our circumstances ~ whatever they may be ~ with joy. There can be some kind of joy in every circumstance if we look at it through eyes of joy.
 
A majority of the people in Philippi in northern Greece on the border of today’s Bulgaria (called Thrace in the first century) were barbarian-looking warrior Thracians. But these rough warriors also brought joy with their beautiful sculptures.
 
Philippians is a book about peace among warriors. This is the book that says, “And the peace of God which transcends all understanding will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus” (4:7)
 
This is also the book that says, “I can do everything through him who gives me strength” (4:13).
 
Let us say, ”thank you,” and in the process recognize our joy.
 
#joy, #fun, #peace, #prayer, #thankyou

Scripture for Monday, January 2 (1/2)

The scripture for today, January 2, is 3rd John 1:2 as found in the New Testament of the Bible:

inside-cover-medium“Dear friend, I pray that you may enjoy good health and that all may go well with you, even as your soul is getting along well.”

Our health may be bad, our finances in an upheaval, our home damaged by wind or water, our job about to be lost. But we can still smile.

We can still rejoice that our “soul is getting along well.”

When problems come into our life ~ and they do ~ remember the most important thing is your soul. No one and no thing can touch your soul as long as you are safe in the arms of Jesus.

So, when problems do come, you can still with confidence rejoice that your “soul is getting along well.”

#problems, #troubles, #soul

Scripture for Sunday, December 25 (12/25)

The scripture for today, December 25 is Proverbs 12:25 as found in the Old Testament of the Bible:

000-BOOK 1-STAR SONG-PRINT COVER-Small“An anxious heart weighs a man down, but a kind word cheers him up.”

Yesterday, did you see anyone sitting alone looking downcast? Go back there today. S/he may not be there, but someone else may be. It may be a gathering place for the lonely, the discouraged. Smile at them and whisper, “Jesus loves you.” Have a conversation with them and show them they are worthy of your time.  Listen to them. Share with them.

Do you periodically see “beggars” at a certain location? They may squander donations or use them to buy food. Either way, being a beggar isn’t people’s life’s goal. You do not know their story. Everyone has a story. Their hearts are anxious about something.

Give them a little change, maybe wrap it in a verse from the Bible.  Ask them if they have family and if their family would accept them back. If so, encourage them to “go home.” Tell them you will pray for them. Smile at them, and whisper, “Jesus loves you.”

Today, do you know of a place where travelers usually stay or gather? Are any of them there today, stranded and cannot get home? Go there, prepared to give each of them something special, or even invite them to your home for a Christmas feast.

Jesus encouraged and helped the downhearted. So can we. Dare to be a star shining on them in their darkness. Dare to show Jesus to the downhearted.

#Downhearted #Discouraged, #Beggars, #Sharing, #Cheering, #Loving

Scripture for Saturday, December 24 (12/24)

The scripture for today, December 24, is Luke 12:24 as found in the New Testament of the Bible:

“Consider the ravens: They do not sow or reap, they have no storeroom or barn, yet God feeds them. And how much more valuable you are than birds!”

In many nations right now, things are financially strained. Luxuries? No. To be able to live until tomorrow? Probably.

Which is more valuable? To impress men or impress God? A life dedicated to things impresses men. A life dedicated to doing good things impresses God.

Oh, Jesus. You had such a way of explaining the Father’s relationship God wants with us, his creation. He loves us so. Such love. Such undying, everlasting love.


PS ~ Those of you with children, and you cannot get them much for Christmas: Write IOU’s to them and put each one in a box. Wrap each with typing paper if you don’t have Christmas paper. And with a red or green crayon, draw a ribbon on top. What’s on the IOU’s? “One hour of coloring with you.” “One hour of playing ball with you.” “Three hours of hiking with you.” “Two hours of baking cookies with you.” Give yourself for Christmas!

#Blessings, #Life, #Poverty, #Thanksgiving, #Christmas, #Peace, #Nations, #Government, #JoyAnyway #GiftOfLife, #Value, #HeavenlyFather