Scripture for Saturday, April 15 (4/15)

The scripture for today, April 15, is 1st John 4:15 as found in the New Testament of the Bible:

Cover-Kindle-small“And we have seen and testify that the Father has sent his Son to be the Savior of the world.”

The New Testament was written by people who walked and talked with Jesus. They saw his miracles, they heard his amazing words. They were eye witnesses.

Several first- and second-century manuscripts still exist that were passed down from some who actually knew the eyewitnesses. A few were even written during the late lifetime of the last living apostle, John. The Bible has more existing ancient manuscripts (over 5000) than any historical writing in the world. Read the New Testament. It was written by inspired men with a passion that would not let them stop talking about this Jesus. He consumed their life when he was on earth, and consumed their spirit after he left.

Through the centuries, men and women have given their lives so that we today may have the writings (New Testament) of those eye witnesses in our own language and read it for ourselves. Many were ridiculed and tortured terribly and then died a long excruciating death so that the apostles’ testimony could live on.

Do not take for granted the words of Jesus’ eyewitnesses. Jesus lived and died for you. Those witnesses, in a sense, also lived and died for you. Read what they testified to. Then, if necessary, live and die for it.

 

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Scripture for Friday, April 14 (4/14)

The scripture for today, April 14, is Esther 4:14b as found in the Old Testament of the Bible:

00-cover-kindle-medium-new“And who knows but that you have come to the kingdom for such a time as this?”

Today’s scripture is about a reluctant young lady who won a beauty contest and was chosen to be the queen of Persia. Time has passed, and now a command had just gone out to kill all Jews. Queen Esther was a Jewess but had not told anyone at the royal court. She could continue to hide her nationality and let all her people die, or she could intervene with the king. She was the only Jew the king would have listened to. So she took the chance that she, too, would be killed, and spoke on behalf of her people. They were saved.

There are always situations in life in which you are the only one who can accomplish something very needed. Perhaps you are the only adult standing near a strange child who is about to run out into a busy road. Perhaps you are tall and a short person needs to reach something at the store. Perhaps you know a particular language and others around you need you to explain something to them. Perhaps someone called a wrong number on the telephone and reached you instead.

As we go through life, there are situations in which you are the only one who can handle them. Do you? Do you watch for those situations, or do you walk around in your own little world?

Listen! It’s the silent cries of people only you can help. Do you hear them?

 

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Scripture for Thursday, April 13 (4/13)

The scripture for today, April 13, is Philippians 4:13 as found in the New Testament of the Bible:

0-Stephen-Cover-Kindle-Medium“I can do everything through him who gives me strength.”

Life is not easy. Plans are scattered, dreams are shattered, and even predictable every-day things sometimes give way to the unknown and unpredictable. Maybe you have made bad decisions, or you weren’t prepared for emergencies, or you are an innocent victim of someone else’s problems.

But there is Someone who knows everything that is happening to you and who will walk beside you down whatever path you find yourself. Further, even if you lose faith in Him, He will not lose faith in you.

When you don’t feel like it, reach out to God. Pray, even if all you can think of to talk about is how terrible things are right now. At least you’re talking. And read the Bible, for that is God talking to you. Keep the two-way communication going. Amidst your weeping when you fall, God will give you strength and once again lift you up.

 

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Scripture for Wednesday, April 12 (4/12)

The scripture for today, April 12, is Colossians 4:12 as found in the New Testament of the Bible:

inside-cover-medium“He is always wrestling in prayer for you.”

Do you have fast-food prayers? Drive in, ask for something for yourself, and drive out two minutes later?

How about trying gourmet prayers ~ where you gather many ingredients, not just one? They take longer but are very special and rewarding.

Your menu is your prayer list. People on your list don’t even have to be people who know personally. They can be from the newspaper, teachers at a local school, government officials, your neighbors, your congregation. List people by name. Pray for them by name.

Then tell these people you are praying for them. You may think you’ll get some strange looks, but mostly, even from the unreligious, you will get a smile and a whispered thank you. Some will actually reply, “No one before has ever told me they were praying for me.” After awhile, you will begin receiving word from some of them, “I am praying for you too.”

Prayer is wonderful. It is most wonderful when it centers, not on yourself, but on struggling in prayer for others.

One by one you will begin seeing amazing answers in the lives of those you pray for. And that’s a promise!

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Scripture for Tuesday, April 11 (4/11)

The scripture for today, April 11, is Exodus 4:11 as found in the Old Testament of the Bible:

0-Mefiboset-KINDLE Medium“Who gave man his mouth? Who makes him deaf or mute? Who gives him sight or makes him blind? Is it not I, the Lord?”

This is a dynamic verse, for it helps answer questions of, “If God is so good, why did he allow me/my relative to become deaf/blind? or crippled, or deaf?”.

God gives each of us an assignment in life. Everyone has something to overcome. The challenge is for us to do it with the smile of faith on our lips.

Paul said in 2nd Corinthians 12:10, “For Christ’s sake, I delight in weaknesses….For when I am weak, then I am strong!” If God did not believe you or your relative or friend could handle your affliction, he would not allow you to have it. It’s almost as if the more affliction you have, the more faith God is showing in you. And the more we have to rely on God, the more faith we can show in God.

After all, 2nd Corinthians 6:1 says we are workers together with God. This is your assignment. What a privilege!

 

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Scripture for Monday, April 10 (4/10)

The scripture for today, April 10, is Zechariah 4:10 as found in the Old Testament of the Bible:

00-Heroes-Alone-COVER-KINDLE“Who despises the day of small things?”

We tend to admire big things ~ big buildings, big empires, big trees, big causes.  Sometimes it is difficult to remember that those things started out small.

Have you been wanting to accomplish something big? All buildings started out with one board or one stone. All empires started out with one person. All big trees started out as one seed. All big causes started out with one dream.

Perhaps your desire in life started out small, but stayed small. That doesn’t mean it will always be small. It may become big years from now, or even in someone else’s lifetime. Don’t despise what you have now.

Or, if you have been putting off trying to do something big for a long time, make today the day of your beginning. Let no one despise your day of small things.

 

 

 

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Scripture for Friday, April 7 (4/7)

The scripture for today, April 7, is Proverbs 4:7 as found in the Old Testament of the Bible:

Acts of the Apostles-Cover-Kindle

“Wisdom is supreme; therefore get wisdom. Though it cost you all you have, get understanding.”

The verse just before this says, “Do not forsake wisdom, and she will protect you; love her, and she will watch over you.” And the verse just after today’s says, “Esteem her and she will exalt you; embrace her, and she will honor you.”

How do we get wisdom? The Bible is full of it. Proverbs was written by Solomon, the wisest man in the world. Just reading and applying Proverbs would give a person wisdom. And the entire Old Testament gives examples of numerous people through the centuries who did or did not do right, and the result of their decisions.  

Many religious people neglect the Old Testament. It is not always pleasant reading. But by reading it, we can avoid the mistakes made by many, and perhaps gain the courage to imitate the courageous ones who made the right choices.

How about reading the Bible through every year? To read both the Old and New Testament through in a year would take about 20 minutes a day. Some people have read the entire Bible front to back forty or fifty times. Make this a priority in your life. It will give you wisdom.

 

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Scripture for Wednesday, April 5 (4/5)

The scripture for today, April 5, is Micah 4:5 as found in the Old Testament of the Bible:

0-Stephen-Cover-Kindle-Medium“All the nations may walk in the name of their gods; we will walk in the name of the Lord our God forever and ever.”

Nations rise and fall. Nations come and go. Nations are founded upon terror and aggression, or peace and democracy. Some nations follow religions which declare that peasants are peasants as punishment for previous lives, so must remain peasants. Some nations follow religions chosen by their national governments and must be followed upon pain of death.

But as strong as various nations seem to be, as much power as they use on their citizens, they do not last forever.

Instead, there is a forever nation ~ the nation of God, the kingdom of God. No matter what nation someone lives in, they can have “dual citizenship”. And by being a citizen of God’s forever kingdom, they will walk in it forever and ever.

 

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Scripture for Tuesday, April 4 (4/4)

Update on our brother being threatened for his faith.  He received a phone call from the one who has been threatening him, this time demanding $50,000.  This happened to him four years ago when he was cornered in an alley and threatened with imprisonment for becoming a Christian if he did not pay $50,000.

He sent his family into hiding where they changed locations every night. (Kidnapping children and demanding $50,000 is common there among the Taliban, Al Quida, ISIS, etc. If you do not pay, they either kill the child or make them slaves the rest of their life.) He went to yet another province to hide and draw attention away from his family. He sold his house and they escaped to India. He could not find a job, so their only choice was to finish raising their children in a UN immigration camp or return home.  They returned to a different city and I think he paid them a periodic bribe after that.

He had only been a Christian a year at that time. This time he has been a Christian five years. When they called and demanded $50,000 yesterday, he refused to talk to them and hung up the phone.

Keep praying for this mighty warrior for the Lord.

BTW, his son has had to drop out of university and go into hiding with the rest of the family, so he has asked me for many Bible materials to study.  About a year ago when he was 19, he told his father, “I want to be a preacher some day. I know they will kill me, but that’s what I want to do.”


 

HS-COVER-KINDLE-GOLDThe scripture for today, April 4, is Psalm 4:4 as found in the Old Testament of the Bible:

“In your anger do not sin.”

This seems like an impossibility. After all, when people get angry, don’t they lash out at other people? And yell and call them names? And show their temper? Maybe even throw a few things? After all, that’s the only way to get across to the other person that you are really angry.

Not so. If a child, for instance, does what s/he was just told not to do, we become angry. Angry at the dangerous consequence of their action. Angry at not doing something to make that child a better person.

We can choose to lash out at the child wildly so that our emotions mask our words. Or we can choose to talk calmly and explain the dangers that child was put in because of that action, or the missed opportunities. We can even punish a child without losing our temper. We can calmly but firmly tell them what their punishment is.

It is the same way with adults. If we lose our temper and shoot daggers with our eyes and rant and rave, all these things distract people from our words. Are we wanting to punish them or reconcile? Aren’t our words of explanation more important than the emotionalism and yelling? If we were hurt, just say so. If they hurt themselves, just say so.

While we’re at it, not all words help. Name calling does not help. Name calling is done when we choose not to explain how we feel.

Name calling locks the other person in and sets them up for future failures between us and them. Losing our temper during anger gets us off the issue and into sin.

Let us try to remain calm and then explain the problem in tones that the person who has angered us can truly listen to and learn from. If you have trouble doing this, practice when you’re alone. It will teach us to remain calm when we’re angry so we can explain how we feel, not how bad the other person is. When we are angry, we must not sin.

 

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Scripture for Sunday, April 2 (4/2)

UPDATE ON OUR BROTHER WHOSE LIFE HAS BEEN THREATENED: 

In March, another brother in Iraq was threatened with imprisonment for being anti-Islamic. He was summoned to court and asked us, “Pray that I do not denounce Jesus, my Lord.” Hundreds of Christians prayed for him.  The judge threw the case out. (Prayer is so powerful.)

I asked that brother if he had any advice for his brother in Afghanistan. Among other things, he said, “You must also know that the one who defends you is Christ himself and that all those who confront you will be afraid of you. And you should know that the prayer that Mum Katheryn and all of us will make miracles. Therefore, Rejoice, then rejoice and rejoice. Because you will prevail.”

So, John Mark, though still very frightened, decided to face the jaws of the lion head on. He decided to go back to work and try to act normal (though his family is still in hiding). He wrote me last night, “Dear Mum I am fine and went to work today.  No one catches me.”

Keep praying. Prayer is so powerful.


 

00-Heroes-Alone-COVER-KINDLEThe scripture for today, April 2, is Exodus 4:2f as found in the Old Testament of the Bible:

“Then the Lord said to him, ‘What is that in your hand?’ ‘A staff,’ he replied.”

God had just called Moses to go to Egypt and free his people from their slavery ~ one man against an entire nation. Moses objected that he couldn’t do it. Five times In Exodus 3 and 4 he argued with God. “BUT I’m not famous,” “BUT they won’t believe I come from the God of their ancestors,” “BUT they won’t believe God sent me, “BUT I’m not a good speaker,” “JUST send someone else.”

Then God replied, “What is that in your hand?”.

Moses had a staff. God showed him how to use it to perform miracles. Today, are you using excuses to claim there is nothing you can do for the cause of God and salvation? God challenges you: “What is that in your hand?” It is a steering wheel, a shovel, thread, a computer, a spoon, a wrench, a cookbook, a band aid, a Bible? Whatever is in your hand, God can use to bless people through you.

You are God’s hands and feet and mouth.  Use them.  Today.

 

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