Scripture for Monday, January 9 (1/9)

The scripture for today, January 9, is Joshua 1:9 as found in the Old Testament of the Bible:
 
0-Mefiboset-KINDLE Medium“Have I not commanded you? Be strong and courageous. Do not be terrified; do not be discouraged, for the Lord your God will be with you wherever you go.”

God does not give us commands that are impossible to keep. Many require fortitude, but they are not impossible. Still, we fear we cannot keep them. Maybe we fear our co-workers because they do not keep certain commands. Maybe we fear our neighbors, our family, or even our church friends because they do not keep certain commands.

Fear can paralyze us. But God gives us strength and courage. Therefore, when challenged to keep a commandment of God, regardless of what others are saying and doing, remember the Lord your God is with you wherever you are.

Hold fast! Stand firm! Do the right thing!

#Fear, #Courage, #Strength, #KeepCommendments, #God

 

Scripture for Sunday, January 8 (1/8)

The scripture for today, January 8, is 1st Peter 1:8 as found in the New Testament of the Bible:

0-BOOK 4-FOLK HERO-COVER“Though you have not seen him, you love him! And even though you do not see him now, you believe in him! And are filled with an inexpressible and glorious joy!”

This was written by Peter, one of Jesus’ apostles, when he was old. Peter had seen Jesus for himself. He was an eye-witness.

After Jesus returned to heaven, it was the job of the apostles to tell people about him and repeat his words. They spent the rest of their lives doing just that. Oh, the joy they found when people believed, even though they had not seen him; and not only believed, but loved.

Thank God, these apostles wrote the New Testament so we would never have to guess what Jesus was like and never have to guess what his words were, even after the apostles died. In fact, we have the advantage because we do not have to wait for an apostle to come visit us and tell us. We can read about Jesus for ourselves over and over as many times as we like right in our home.

Yes, we have not seen Jesus. Yet, with his life and words before us, we believe. And we love. What inexpressible and glorious joy!

#Faith, #JesusUnseen, #Witnesses, #Apostles, #Gospel, #NewTestament, #Bible, #Love, #Joy

Scripture for Saturday, January 7 (1/7)

The scripture for today, January 7, is 2nd Timothy 1:7 as found in the New Testament of the Bible:

0-Luke-Slave&Physician KINDLE Cover“For God did not give us a spirit of timidity, but a spirit of power, of love, and of self-discipline.”

Have you discovered some new truth in the Bible (new to you)? People fear the unknown. Do not fear it. Embrace it. Then share with others this new-found truth. The word “timidity” is sometimes translated “fear.” Remind your friends of that new truth enough times that it is no longer an unknown and no longer something to be feared.

Do we fear reprisal among our church friends or leaders if we stand up for some new truth we have found in the Bible? God can help you.

God can give you the courage to speak out with power, with love, and with self-discipline as you explain that new-found truth.

Then be patient. God said, “My word will not return to me void” (Isaiah 55:11).

#Bible, #Scripture, #Truth, #Courage, #Fear, #Persecution. #Power, #Love, #SelfDiscipline

Scripture for Thursday, January 5 (1/5)

The scripture for today, January 5, is Colossians 1:5 as found in the New Testament of the Bible:

Life-Changing-Scriptures-Cover-medium“…the faith and love that spring from the hope that is stored up for you in heaven and that you have already heard about in the Word of Truth, the gospel.”

Does your faith have its ups and downs? Is it strong sometimes and weak sometimes? Do things sometimes go so wrong that you have trouble having faith in God? You can still hope. Do you grow angry at God sometimes?  You can still hope. During such low times when faith does not come easy, you can still hope. Hope is the springboard of faith.

And stay close to the Word of Truth, for John 14:17 says the Comforter is the Spirit of Truth, and John 17:17 says Truth is the Word of God.

When your emotions are pulling you down, rely for a little awhile on only your logic, your intellect, until your emotions heal. Some day they will.

So keep on hoping ~ the springboard. And some day it will return to being faith.

#Faith, #Hope, #Doubt, #Emotions, #Logic, #

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

Scripture for Friday, December 23 (12/23)

The scripture for today, December 23, is 1st Samuel 12:23 as found in the Old Testament of the Bible:


HS-COVER-KINDLE-GOLD“As for me, far be it from me that I should sin against the Lord by failing to pray for you. And I will teach you the way that is good
 and right.”

It’s a sin not to pray for others!

Do your prayers get bogged down in the mire of me’s? Do you wonder why you can’t pray for more than a couple minutes ~ five on a good day? Satan gets you to do this; he is the enemy of prayer because he knows how powerful it is.

Who is on your prayer list? Pray for people by name. Your neighbors. People you work with. Your government officials ~ both good and bad. People in a nursing home. People in your congregation. People in the military. People being persecuted, imprisoned and even killed because they are Christians. Missionaries. Children in an orphan home. Sales people at the store. Local school teachers.

Pray for 15 minutes a day. Half an hour. An hour. It’s oh so easy when we stop praying only for self and pray for others.

Pray for them by name. And tell them that you do. Some people have never been told, “I am praying for you”.

Let us not sin by praying only for “me”.

#Prayer, #Selfishness, #GoodWill, #Love, #Power

Scripture for Wednesday, December 21 (12/21)

The scripture for today, December 21, is Matthew 12:21 as found in the New Testament of the Bible:

000-BOOK 1-STAR SONG-PRINT COVER-Small“In his name the nations will put their hope.”

Revelation 21:2, 9, & 26 says something similar regarding the New Jerusalem which is the Bride of Christ which is the Church: “The glory and honor of the nations will be brought into it.”

The nation you live in may not be in good hands right now, or it may be thriving with high morals, or it may be diving into poverty. But your nation can hope ~ hope in Jesus, the Prince of Peace and King of kings.

Never lose hope. You are just one person, but there is great power in one. Jesus came to provide that hope. In your own way, in your own life, use your power of one. 

Show your nation how it can hope, how it can have glory, how it can have honor. 

#Nations, #Government, #Corruption, #Hope, #PrinceOfPeace, #KingOfKings, #Morality, #Poverty, #Faith

Scripture for Saturday, December 12 (12/12)

  
#Anger, #Satan, #SpiritualWarfare, #ApostlePaul

Scripture for Tuesday, December 13 (12/13)

The scripture for today, December 12, is 2nd Corinthians 12:12 as found in the New Testament of the Bible:

PAUL COVER-KINDLE-“The things that mark an Apostle ~ signs, wonders and miracles ~ were done among you with great perseverance.”

This is so interesting. These are not things that mark Christians in general, but the Apostles. (Acts 1 lists qualifications of an apostle.)

Jesus told his Apostles that, when they taught the world about Jesus and baptized them, miracles and signs would accompany the believers (Mark 16:17). The miracles and signs followed conversions of believers by the Apostles to whom he was speaking.

Acts 3:6f and 9:40f involved healing by the Apostle Peter, and Acts 20:9f involved healing by the Apostle Paul which they performed to prove their words were the Words of God. 

In Acts 6:5-6, the Apostles laid their hands on seven men to serve the church in a special way. Of those men, Stephen performed miracles (6:8) and Philip performed miracles (8:5-7), both to prove their words were the Words of God.

In Romans 1:1,11, the Apostle Paul said he wanted to visit the Christians in Rome so he could impart some spiritual gift. In 1st Corinthians 1:6-7 the Apostle Paul said he imparted spiritual gifts to Christians in Corinth. 

We have no examples in the New Testament of anyone other than an Apostle passing on the power to perform miracles. Even the writings of the “Apostolic Fathers” in the late 1st and early 2nd century say things like “Even down to those times there were a few miracles being performed including raising the dead.” 

Yes, the reason for the miracles was to prove the words of the miracle performer were the Words of God (which had not yet been written down). It was this way with Jesus, and this way with his Apostles. Now that we have the New Testament (Jesus’ and his Apostles’ teachings in written form) we no longer need the miracles. 

They were “marks of an Apostle.” The miracles including, healing, renewing the maimed (making limbs grow back), and bringing people back to life. All of them. 

Interesting, isn’t it?

(We sent you the scripture for the 13th yesterday, so today is the scripture for the 12th.)

#Miracles, #Apostles

Scripture for Sunday, December 11 (12/11)

The scripture for today, December 11, is Romans 12:11 as found in the New Testament of the Bible:

00-Heroes-Alone-COVER-KINDLE“Never be lacking in zeal, but keep your spiritual fervor, serving the Lord.”

Sometimes we get physically tired and our spiritual zeal wanes along with it. We just want to rest. Well, while we rest, we can always become prayer warriors. 

When you see friends, ask them, “How was your week/day/month?” Don’t ask them how they are, for they will probably reply, “Fine.” But if you ask how their week has been, that gives them something to talk about. They’ll tell you of things they have been doing. Regardless of  what they say, reply, “May I pray for your success in….” or “I’d like to pray for your….”

What the world needs is prayer. Many people have never in their entire life heard someone tell them, “I am praying for you.” Be the first. Open up their lives to the love of God.

Prayer is powerful, especially when you are not praying for yourself all the time, but rather are praying for others. Do you have a prayer list? How many are on it besides yourself? Ten? Fifty? A hundred? Five hundred? Is that too many to cover? Not at all. How long does it take to read 500 names in earnest, sincere prayer? 

You may say, “But just mentioning a name is so meaningless; it’s too simple. God expects me to explain all I know about this person’s problem and then do some begging.” No, he doesn’t; not with everyone. Prayer is so very, very powerful, that just mentioning a person’s name will bring this person before the very throne of God.

Then, even when you are tired and lack physical zeal, your soul can rise up with spiritual fervor to heaven itself.

#Prayer, PrayerWarrior, #PrayerList, #PrayerTime