The scripture for today, September 7 (9/7) is 2nd Corinthians 9:7 as found in the New Testament of the Bible:

“Each man should give what he has decided in his heart to give, not reluctantly or under compulsion, for God loves a cheerful giver.”

There are many religious leaders who insist that Christians tithe. But that was part of the Law of Moses, and Jesus nailed that written law to the cross (Colossians 2:14).

Actually, the Jews were required to give more than a tenth. (1) Deuteronomy 26:12 said the Jews had to give an extra tithe every three years for their welfare program. So, if someone tithed $900 a year, s/he would have to tithe an average of $300 more per year for the welfare program, equaling $1,200 year. If the yearly income was $9000, this would take it up to 13.3% a year. (2) Also, according to Leviticus 27, they had to pay for their vows, which in many cases were really special prayer requests. (3) They also had to buy animals for sacrifices for intentional sins, unintentional sins and sins requiring restitution. (4) If they wanted to thank God for anything, they had to buy grain for a sacrifice (Leviticus 1-5). If they didn’t have to buy the animals or grain, they had to take them out of their own supply, thus depleting their own “pay check.” (5) And every time one of their flocks or herds had a first-born, they had to sacrifice it ~ another depleting
of the “pay check.”

So the good Jew under the Law of Moses did not just tithe. He ended up giving about one third of his income. Galatians 5:3 says that, if we keep one part of the Law, we have to keep all of it. There were over 600 burdensome commandments in the Law of Moses!

In today’s scripture, Christians are being released from this burden. Instead, they are being told to decide in their own heart. Christians
are released from serving and giving through obligation, and set free to serve and give through love.

The scripture for today, September 6 (9/6), is Isaiah 9:6 as found in the Old Testament of the Bible:

“For to us a child is born! To us a son is given! And the government will be on his shoulders. And he will be called Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace!”

Notice the Godhead is represented in this one child.

Wonderful Counselor: John 14:16f says, “I will ask the Father, and he will give you another Counselor to be with you forever ~ the Spirit of Truth” ~ God the Spirit.

Everlasting Father: This is God the Father. Many scriptures substantiate this.

Prince of Peace: Matthew 2:6 says, “But you, Bethlehem, in the land of Judah, are by no means least among the rulers [KJV says princes) of Judah; for out of you will come a ruler….”

In summary, Colossians 2:9 says, “For in Christ all the fullness of the Deity (KJV says Godhead) lives in bodily form.”

They are like a coin. The top looks one way, the bottom looks different, and the edge looks still different. The coin has three looks, but is one. If you try to take away one of the three, you take away the entire coin. Why? Because it is three in one.

This is so amazing. And we have been so blest.

The scripture for today, September 5 (9/5), is Nehemiah 9:5a as found in the Old Testament of the Bible:

“And the Levites ~ Jeshua, Kadmiel, Bani, Hashabneiah, Sherabiah, Hodiah, Shebaniah and Pethahiah ~ said ‘Stand up and praise the Lord your God, who is from everlasting to everlasting.’ “

Here are eight men who probably none of us has ever heard of. We know nothing about them before this event, and nothing about them after this event. But they are forever memorialized in the Bible because, on this one day, within this one hour, in this one moment in time they “stood on the steps of the temple…and called with a loud voice” (Nehemiah 9:4) for the people to “stand up and praise the Lord”.

Can we do that? Can we stand and shout to people around us, “Stand up and praise the Lord your God”? Yes, we can. We can write letters to the editor, we can encourage other students of the Bible, we can start Bible studies in our homes or even the internet for adults or children, we can take scripture tray favors to a hospital or nursing home.

In what way can you tell people around you “Stand up and praise the Lord your God”? Write down some ideas. Then act on one of them.

The scripture for today, September 4 (9/4), is Daniel 9:4 as found in the Old Testament of the Bible:

“I prayed to the Lord my God and confessed: ‘O Lord, the great and awesome God, who keeps his covenant of love with all who love him and obey his commands….’ “

A lot of people in the world think that God should feel obligated to take them to heaven. After all, they were fairly good, and better than some. God couldn’t possibly in all good conscience turn them away.

Yet, their entire life they resent God. Mostly they don’t like his commands; they don’t want anyone telling them what to do or not do. Or they claim to love God, but create their own commands that just aren’t in the Bible, making themselves God.

Ultimately, heaven is God’s home, not ours. He is not obligated to invite anyone into His home. Besides, only perfection can live with God who is perfect. It only takes one sin to make us an imperfect sinner.

So how do we become perfect? That’s where God’s awesomeness is demonstrated. By following Jesus who was perfect and never sinned, and obeying Jesus’ few commands, God considers us perfect by proxy.

God never forces anyone to agree with him or spend time with him here on earth.

The scripture for today, September 3 (9/3), is 1st Kings 9:3 as found in the Old Testament of the Bible:

The New Testament builds spiritual concepts on the basic material patterns of the Old Testament. For example, “Don’t you know that you yourselves are God’s temple and that God’s Spirit lives in you?” (1st Corinthians 3:16). This is the temple God wants now, not the old material temple of the Old Testament.

Just as there was just one material temple of God in the Old Testament, God looks upon each Christian as though we are the only temple; for he is with us constantly and hears our every word, our every song, our every prayer.

Is your heart troubled today? Is your heart joyful today? Are you at peace with everything around you? Do you see conflicts that you do not know how to solve?

As God’s temple, then God’s eyes and heart are with you. God sees and watches out for you in everything you do! He knows your cares, your heart’s desires, you joys, your worries. God’s eyes and heart are always with you, for you are God’s temple!

The scripture for today, September 1, is Psalm 9:1 as found in the Old Testament of the Bible:

“I will praise you, O Lord, with all my heart; I will tell of all your wonders.”

I knew a lady many years ago who talked to God all day as though he were sitting or standing beside her, whether she was cleaning floors, washing dishes, going shopping, or just received a telephone call. She talked to God about everything she was doing. God was her constant companion.

What opportunities we miss to talk to God during the day. Every time we do, we are praising Him. How? By acknowledging His concern with everything we do, and in the process acknowledging His omnipresence. And what a wonder His omnipresence is!

Does this include times when everything in our life is going wrong? You bet! On some days, the wonders of God are about the only positive things we can find in our life.

Praising God for his wonders amidst your frustrations, tears, fears and helplessness can lift you out of the mire. It can remind you that you are not alone; for God sees what is happening to you, and in his own way he will perform a wonder for you too.

The scripture for August 31 (8/31) is John 8:31f as found in the New Testament of the Bible:

“To the Jews who had believed him, Jesus said, ‘If you hold to my teachings, you are really my disciples. Then you will know the truth, then the truth will set you free.’ “

Myriads of people call themselves believers in or disciples of Christ. What is Jesus’ definition of a believer or disciple? He explained, IF we hold to his TEACHINGS, then we are his disciples.

It’s not automatic? So being born into a Christian family doesn’t automatically make us a Christian? Being born in a Christian nation doesn’t automatically make us a Christian? Owning a Bible doesn’t automatically make us a Christian? Believing Jesus is the Son of God doesn’t automatically make us a Christian? (Demons believe that and aren’t Christians.)

“But, Jesus,” we might say, “I really feel like I’m a Christian.” And Jesus replies, “Hold to my teachings, then you are really my disciple.”

So if we learn Jesus’ teachings, then hold to them, THEN the truth will set us FREE.

The scripture for today, August 30 (8/30), is Acts 8:30 as found in the New Testament of the Bible:

“Then Philip ran up to the chariot and heard the man reading Isaiah the prophet. ‘Do you understand what you are reading?’ Philip asked.”

Our friends, family and neighbors will continue riding their chariots and understanding little of the Bible unless someone asks, “Do you understand?”.

“Do you understand why you are here?” “Do you understand why Jesus had to die?” “Do you understand that Jesus nailed the Old Law to the cross?” “Do you understand the Bible can be proven true?” “Do you understand how much God loves you?”

People are afraid to ask us questions because they think we will make fun of their ignorance. We’ll probably never know what they don’t understand unless we do the asking. Let us go up to their chariots and offer to help them so that they, too, can understand.

The scripture for today, August 29 (8/29), is Matthew 8:29 as found in the New Testament of the Bible:

” ‘What do you want with us, Son of God?’ they shouted. ‘Have you come here to torture us before the appointed time?’ “

If you are not familiar with this passage, these are the words of a demon. If you have ever studied demons in the Bible, you will find that they never tried to spook or scare people. They never made dishes rattle or lamps fall over.

All they did was cause physical problems during the lifetime of Jesus and his apostles. There is no evidence of demons doing this in the Old Testament before Jesus, nor after his apostles died, either in the Bible or in the writings of the apostolic fathers. It is as though the demons were loosed for a season so Jesus could show his power over them also ~ Ephesians 1:20-21.

Notice, demons never said bad things. If they talked at all, it was out of fear and honesty. James 2:19 says all demons believe in Jesus. In the book of Matthew they knew who Jesus was. They called him the Son of God.

Jesus told them to be quiet. Why? He didn’t want evil beings telling people who he was; he wanted goodness to tell people who he was.

The movies have warped our understanding of demons. Let us search the scriptures to find out their true nature. Then we no longer have to guess. We can know.

The scripture for today, August 28 (8/28), is Romans 8:28 as found in the New Testament of the Bible:

“And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose.”

This is a favorite verse of many people. Notice, God can make all things work together for good. ALL things. That means bad things, disappointing things, unfulfilled things. It doesn’t say God will make them all work together for the best, but he will bring some kind of good out of them, no matter how terrible they are.

What has been your most recent disappointment or tragedy? Things that just did go the way they should have. Believe what God told you who are living according to his purpose. Believe that God can take anything and turn it in to some kind of good for you. Will you let him?