Tag: Bible

Scripture for Friday, October 7 (10/7)

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The scripture for today, October 7, is Joshua 10:7f as found in the Old Testament of the Bible:

Old Testament Survey-Cover-Kindle“So Joshua marched up from Gilgal with his entire army, including all the best fighting men. The Lord said to Joshua, ‘Do not be afraid of them; I have given them into your hand. Not one of them will be able to withstand you.’ “

We today cannot imagine a good God condoning violence, let alone promoting it. But think back. Mankind was quite barbaric in the centuries and millenniums before Christ. God never runs very far ahead of mankind, or else mankind would not understand, would get discouraged and then not even try to follow God. By the time Jesus came, God was saying, “No more violence.”

In this scripture for today, God was telling Joshua to attack people in the Promised Land ~ Canaan. This brings up another question: Why would a good God allow one group of people to kill off another group of people? God told Abraham centuries earlier, “In the fourth generation your descendants will come back here, for the sin of the Amorites has not yet reached its full measure” (Genesis 15:16).

However, in Leviticus 18:24, 28, God warned the Jews through Moses, “Do not defile yourselves in any of these ways because this is how the nations that I am going to drive out before you became defiled….And if you defile the land, it will vomit you out as it vomited out the nations that were before you.”

So God warned the Jews that, if they got as bad as the previous people in Canaan, he would drive them out too.

Further, in Old Testament times, God often punished people immediately. Why punish them? Partly to get them away from the good people. And God used armies of believers to do the punishing for him.

Today God does not expect us to do the punishing. Romans 12:19 says, “Do not take revenge, my friends, but leave room for God’s wrath, for it is written, ‘It is mine to avenge; I will repay’ says the Lord. On the contrary, If your enemy is hungry feed him….Do not be overcome by evil, but overcome evil with good.”

Thank God, he has taken the terrible task of vengeance away from us. We can just forgive our enemies and hand things over to God to take whatever steps need to be taken. In the meantime, we can read the Old Testament and learn that God takes notice when people are doing bad things to us.

God does take care of us. God does love his children.

#War, #Peace, #Bible, #OldTestament, #NewTestament

Scripture for Sunday, September 4 (9/4)

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

0-Cover-KINDLE“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 are 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’ commands, God considers us perfect by proxy. One of his commands is to be baptized in the name of God the Father, God the Son/Word, and God the Holy Spirit.

God treats us the way we treat him. If we don’t want God in our life, God doesn’t want us in his life. God never forces anyone to agree with him or spend time with him here on earth so they can live with him in his heaven.

DISCUSSION QUESTION: DESCRIBE WHAT IT IS LIKE TO ENDURE THE DEATH OF A LOVED ONE WHO NEVER WAS INTERESTED IN GOD.

#Bible, #GodsCommands, #baptism, #heaven

Scripture for Wednesday, August 31 (8/31)

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

0-Joseph-Cover-Kindle-Medium“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 or Christians. 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 and hold to them, THEN the truth will set us FREE.

DISCUSSION QUESTION: HOW MANY TIMES HAVE YOU READ THE NEW TESTAMENT OF THE BIBLE?

#Disciple, #Christian, #Bible

Scripture for Tuesday, August 30 (8/30)

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WORSHIP THE FIRST-CENTURY WAY-COVER-KINDLEThe scripture for today, August 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.

DISCUSSION QUESTION: TELL ABOUT SOMEONE YOU HELPED UNDERSTAND THE BIBLE BETTER.

#Bible, #Understanding

Scripture for Thursday, August 25 (8/25)

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The scripture for today, August 25, is John 8:25 as found in the New Testament of the Bible:

Cover-Kindle-small” ‘Who are you?’ they asked. ‘Just what I have been claiming all along,’ Jesus replied.”

Jesus and his apostles tell us certain things in the Bible, we read them over and over, and we still don’t see the point. Perhaps we have been blinded by well-meaning religious leaders or family or friends who tell us over and over, “It doesn’t mean what it says.”

Let us read the teachings of Jesus and his apostles with open eyes and open hearts. When we read something, let us accept it. Our souls are at stake. These are the words of the God of the universe. Do we prefer that God fit our mold, or we fit God’s mold?

DISCUSSION QUESTION: TELL ABOUT A SCRIPTURE YOU USED TO UNDERSTAND DIFFERENTLY THAN YOU DO TODAY.

#scriptures

Scripture for Tuesday, August 16 (8/16)

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The scripture for today, August 16, is Romans 8:16 as found in the New Testament of the Bible:

Life-Changing-Scriptures-Cover-medium“The Spirit himself testifies with our spirit that we are God’s children.”

This is so similar to the scripture of a few days ago on how to know if the Spirit is living in us. We can use the same approach to determined how the Spirit teaches us that we are God’s children.”

Once again, John 14:17 says the Comforter Jesus sent us was the Spirit of Truth. And Jesus said in John 17:17, God’s Word is Truth. So it is through God’s Word that we are taught how to become God’s children. We do not have to guess!

This is what is so wonderful about Christianity. The Hindu, Buddhist, Shinto, Shaminist and many other religions leave the followers to guess because their “god” has given them no instructions.

Ninety-nine percent of them believe they are not children of God and saved because they can’t be perfect, so have to be reincarnated thousands of times to try to be perfect.

The Muslim religion says followers are slaves, and they won’t know until the Day of Judgment if their good deeds outweigh their bad deeds. In all other world religions, followers never know if they are children of God and saved.

Praise God! He has given us The Map, the Way ~ the Holy Bible, God’s Word in written form. Such solace. Such comfort. Such reassurance.

DISCUSSION QUESTION: HOW MANY TIMES HAVE YOU READ THE BIBLE ALL THE WAY THROUGH?

#Bible, #ChildrenOfGod, #Slaves

Scripture for Sunday, August 14 (8/14)

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HS-COVER-KINDLE-GOLDThe scripture for today, August 14, is Romans 8:14 as found in the New Testament of the Bible.

“Those who are led by the Spirit of God are sons of God.”

Well, how are we supposed to know the Spirit is leading us? Is it guess work? Does it depend on our emotions and how we are feeling that day? It doesn’t seem fair of God to leave us guessing.

But God does not make us guess. Jesus said in John 14:16,17, “And I will ask the Father, and he will give you another Counselor to be with you forever ~ the Spirit of Truth.” And in John 17:17, praying to God the Father, Jesus said, “Sanctify them by the Truth; your Word is Truth.”

Jesus said we are sanctified by God’s Spirit, God’s Truth, God’s Word. How? Not by feelings. Not because someone else said so. Not by touching it or carrying it around in our pocket. But by reading it and following it. Romans 10:17 says, “Faith comes by hearing, and hearing by the Word of God”. That is how the Spirit leads us.

We don’t have to guess. We just follow it. Then we are sons of God ~ not slaves of God, but sons. How blessed we are.

DISCUSSION QUESTION: HOW MANY TIMES HAVE YOU READ THROUGH THE BIBLE?

#Holy Spirit, #Bible

Scripture for Friday, August 5 (8/5)

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The scripture for today, August 5, is Romans 8:5 as found in the New Testament of the Bible:

Life-Changing-Scriptures-Cover-medium“Those who live according to the sinful nature have their minds set on what that nature desires, but those who live in accordance with the Spirit have their minds set on what the Spirit desires.”

That makes sense to a Christian. But how are you supposed to know what the Spirit desires? Certainly, God doesn’t leave you to guessing.

Jesus said in John 14:17 that he was going to send the Comforter ~ the SPIRIT OF TRUTH. And in John 17:17, talking to the same people, he said, GOD’S WORD IS TRUTH. Amazingly simple.

If you want to know what the Spirit desires, then find out what the Word desires. God has given you the Bible full of examples of every possible circumstance and experience of life ~ what works and what doesn’t work.

Someone says, “Well, I shall let the Spirit move my heart.” However, by researching all verses in the Bible where someone’s heart was moved, it was always by God the Father, not God the Spirit. Isn’t that interesting? Not what most of us have been told.

You can always rely on what the Bible says, which is exactly what the Spirit says.

DISCUSSION QUESTION: HAVE YOU EVER BEEN TAUGHT SOMETHING ABOUT THE HOLY SPIRIT THAT DOES NOT MAKE SENSE TO YOU?

Scripture for Monday, August 1 (8/1)

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The scripture for today, August 1, is Romans 8:1 as found in the New Testament of the Bible:

CHANGES IN WORSHIP-COVER-KINDLE“Therefore, there is now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus.”

There are a lot of religious groups out there in the world who control their people with fear. If you don’t do such and such, it proves you aren’t spiritual enough. If you do such and such one second before you die, you’re going to hell.

They put burdens on you that just are not in the New Testament. By making you feel guilty, they make you depend on them for your salvation and that boosts their ego. The Apostle Paul wrote to the congregations in Galatia (today’s Turkey) and warned them with tears:

“I am astonished that you are so quickly deserting the one who called you by the grace of Christ and are turning to a different gospel ~ which is really no gospel at all. Evidently some people are throwing you into confusion and are trying to pervert the gospel of Christ. But even if we or an angel from heaven should preach a gospel other than the one we preached [past tense] to you, let him be eternally condemned!

“As we have already said, so now I say again: If anybody is preaching to you a gospel other than what you accepted, let him be eternally condemned! Am I now trying to win the approval of men or of God? Or am I trying to please men? ” (Galatians 1:6-10).

Are you sure you are IN Christ Jesus? Do your church leaders dance around scriptures they wish weren’t in the Bible and tell you they don’t really mean what they say? Or add things that the scriptures say nothing about?

Are you sure they aren’t people pleasers instead of God pleasers? What do they do with Romans 6:3-4? Look it up and compare.

Oh to be sure we are indeed IN Christ Jesus. This is our longing. Our hope. Our reason for being.

DISCUSSION QUESTION: WERE YOU EVER TOLD SOMETHING BY YOUR RELIGIOUS LEADER THAT TURNED OUT NOT TO BE TRUE?

Scripture for Tuesday, July 26 (7/26)

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The scripture for today, July 26, is John 7:26 as found in the New Testament of the Bible:

000-BOOK 1-STAR SONG-PRINT COVER-Small“Here he [Jesus] is speaking publicly [in the temple], and they are not saying a word to him. Have the authorities really concluded that he is the Christ? But we know where this man is from; when the Christ comes, no one will know where he is from.”

These people standing around the temple refused to believe in Jesus because they chose to disregard a scripture that all Jews knew about. They said no one would know where the Christ (the Messiah) would come from. But they did know. It was in their own scriptures ~ Micah 5:2

“But you, Bethlehem…out of you will come for me the one who will be ruler over Israel.”

Are you sometimes like all those people standing around in the temple? Do you sometimes make up your mind about something religious; and even if the Bible says something different, you refuse to acknowledge it? Does your ego sometimes get in the way? Or are you afraid of pressure from your friends?

As you read the Word of God, open wide your heart and mind. Indeed, sometimes your friends and your stubborn will get in the way of walking the beautiful path that God has created for you.

DISCUSSION QUESTION: DO YOU KNOW OF A BIBLE VERSE THAT YOUR FRIENDS TELL YOU DOESN’T MEAN WHAT IT SAYS? WHICH ONE?