Category: Inspirational

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

CHANGES IN WORSHIP-COVER-KINDLE“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!

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

Header-Jesus' Hands In Clouds“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! What inexpressible and glorious joy!

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

Cover-Bible Women-Createspace“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? 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).

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The scripture for today, January 6, is Titus 1:6f as found in the New Testament of the Bible:

CHANGES IN WORSHIP-COVER-KINDLE“An elder must be blameless, the husband of but one wife, a man whose children believe and are not open to the charge of being wild and disobedient. Since an overseer is entrusted with God’s work, he must be blameless ~ not overbearing, not quick tempered, not given to drunkenness, not violent, nor pursuing dishonest gain.”

This is quite interesting. God does not leave us to guess what the qualifications of a church leader are. We don’t have to have conferences or synods to decide on qualifications for this office, because God has already given them.

Something surprising here is that the word elder is used interchangeably with the word overseer (sometimes also translated bishop). The word elder comes from the Greek word presbyter. The word overseer/bishop is from the Greek word episcopos. Elder and overseer and bishop all are the same in this passage referring to the same office!

Here’s something else interesting about the elder/overseer/bishop: The word pastor comes from the Greek word for shepherd. In Acts 20:17, Paul sent for the elders of the church in Ephesus to talk to them. When they arrived, he said, “Keep watch over yourselves and all the flock of which the Holy Spirit has made you overseers. Be shepherds [pastors] of the church of God which he bought with his own blood.”

Do you see the overlapping of the same office being called by different names? It’s kind of like father and papa being the same.

Titus 1:6f uses elder and overseer for the same office. Overseer is the same in Greek as bishop.
Acts 20:17 uses elder, overseer, shepherd (pastor) for the same office.

In our daily life we have different words meaning the same person; such as, father, parent, head of the house, dad, bread winner, papa ~ all names for the same position in the family.

So, too, for the family of God ~ the church ~ all words overlap as names for the same office! And the qualifications for this office are found in our scripture for today, Titus 1:6f. Indeed, how interesting!

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Sun Rays on Road-greenThe scripture for today, January 5, is Colossians 1:5 as found in the New Testament of the Bible:

“…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 love.

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.

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The scripture for today, January 4, is Philippians 1:4 as found in the New Testament of the Bible:

HS-COVER-KINDLE-GOLD“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 and joy. 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.

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The scripture for today, January 3 is 1st Corinthians 1:3 as found in the New Testament of the Bible:

REV-Cover-Kindle“Grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ.”

The apostle Paul began most of his letters like this. In every letter he had something to give. When you are around other people, do you have something to give them? Or do you take? Do you give them your favor, no matter how good or bad they may be, or do you take favor from them by withholding compliments and blessings? Do you give them peace, or do you take peace from them by talking about the bad they do?

There is both good and bad in everyone. What do we concentrate on regarding other people? Do we concentrate on their bad traits or do we concentrate on their good traits? First Corinthians 13:5 says love does not keep track of wrongs, but concentrates on the good others do.

Remember, God treats us the way we treat others. If we want to receive grace and peace from God, we must give grace and peace to everyone (not just some) we meet. This, then, will prove we are like God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ.

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

New Testament Parchment“In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. He was with God in the beginning.,,,The Word became flesh and made his dwelling among us.”

Genesis 3:8 says God walked on earth in the Garden of Eden. When Jesus came, God once again walked with us. But when Jesus left, did he leave us with no one to walk with?

Jesus said in John 14:17 that he was going to send another Comforter ~ the Spirit of Truth. And in John 17:17 he said God’s Word is Truth. So, just as Jesus was the Word that people could watch, the Spirit is the Word that people can read.

We do not have to guess what God is wanting us to do. We have it written down to read, and consider, and contemplate, and re-read as many times as we want.

If you have a Bible in your home, why not read it through in a year beginning today? There are suggested schedules on the internet. Or you could even divide up the number of pages in your Bible by 365 to know how many pages to read each day.

Just remember, every time you get out your Bible and read it, once again God is walking with you.

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The scripture for today, December 31, is Luke 12:31 as found in the New Testament of the Bible:

cropped-tb260710541.jpg“But seek his kingdom and these things will be given to you as well.”

Do we actively seek God’s kingdom? Or do we drift and feel like God should feel obligated to take us into his kingdom and into his heaven? Do we feel like we’re “not so bad”, so God would be bad to not take us into his kingdom and into his heaven?

Heaven is God’s home, not ours. God has a door into his home, just like we have a door into our home. God is not required to open that door to just anyone, just like we are not required to open our door to just anyone. We cannot just show up at the door and smile and assume he will let us in, any more than people who knock on our door and smile can assume we will let them in.

We let people into our home who we have gotten to know and whose motives we trust. Have you given God a chance to get to know you and trust your motives? Are your motives to enter heaven selfish ones? Do you even like God?

This life we live on earth is not our permanent life or residence. This is just the foyer to our eternal home. Do we live like the earthly is all there is?

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The Scripture for today, December 30, is Matthew 12:30, as found in the New Testament of the Bible:

Cover-Bible Women-Createspace“He who is not with me is against me, and he who does not gather with me scatters.”

You mean we can’t just drift along just showing up at church services and that is all? We must gather people to him. It’s important that we do so. Are we doing it? Or are we too afraid?

Deep down inside, most people fear that, if we bring Jesus into a conversation, people will do us great harm and become dangerous enemies. Although in some countries of the world this is true, in most it is not. But still we quake at the thought of bringing up Jesus to our friends, and even to strangers.

It can be done. Give it a try. If it were your soul, would you want someone to at least try to save you? Dare to be a gatherer today.