Tag: life

Scripture for Friday 12/8 ~ Why Am I Here?

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The scripture for today, December 8 (12/8), is Ecclesiastes 12:8 as found in the Old Testament of the Bible:

0-REV-Cover-No Logo-KINDLE-medium” ‘Meaningless! Meaningless!’ says the teacher. ‘Everything is meaningless!’ “

Several years ago some Christians in England did a sidewalk survey in the downtown of a major city. One of their inquiries was: “What question about your life do you ask the most?”. The answer almost always was, “Why am I here? What is life all about?”.

The entire book of Ecclesiastes is about all the things the richest and most powerful man in the world did in order to have an enjoyable and fulfilling life: He built mansions and grand temples, he cultivated great gardens, he brought in gold and precious stones and fabrics from around the globe, he had numerous wives and mistresses, he built the largest army and navy in the world, he studied every possible subject. At the end, he said it was all meaningless.

The meaning of our life is that we were born to die. This life is temporary. This life is the foyer of the life we will have eternally ~ a life in heaven or hell. We were not put here just to have fun, but rather to take as many people with us to heaven as possible.

How do we do that? By continually studying and following our manual the Bible that our Creator gave to guide us through this temporary life and into our eternal life ~ our final destination ~ and encouraging others to do the same. Then applying it to our everyday life.

That is the meaning of life.

 

Scripture for Monday, October 23 (10/23)

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The scripture for today, October 23 (10/23) is Jeremiah 10:23 as found in the Old Testament of the Bible:

inside-cover-medium“I know, O Lord, that a man’s life is not his own; it is not for man to direct his steps.”

Just how are we supposed to know what steps God has directed us to take? Do we have to guess, rely on a feeling, depend on the movement of our heart, a vision? Actually, we have a guide, a roadmap.

Jesus said in John 14:16-17 that after he left, the Father would send another Counselor ~ the Spirit of Truth. In John 16:13 Jesus said The Spirit of Truth will guide us into all truth.” In John 17:17, Jesus said, “Your Word is truth.”

Yes, the Holy Spirit, the Spirit of Truth, guides us through the Word of God, the Bible.

We don’t have to guess! We don’t have to wonder! We don’t have to get discouraged! God has given us his Word to direct our steps. All we have to do is open his Word and read the map.

 

Scripture for Wednesday, August 23 (8/23)

On By Northern Lights Publishing HouseIn Daily, death, good works, Inspirational, judgingLeave a comment

The scripture for today, August 23 (8/23), is 2nd Kings 8:23 as found in the Old Testament of the Bible:

0-BK 2-DreamMakerChildsCartoonMedium“As for the other events of Jehoram’s reign, and all he did, are they not written in the book of the annals of the kings of Judah?”

All the years of this great king’s life were reduced to a few pages in a book. When you die, what will there be to write about? Will people list only the date and place of your birth, marriage, and death ~ your statistics? What will you be remembered for? What will be in your obituary?

Better still, what is God writing about you in his books? “And I saw the dead, great and small, standing before the throne and books were opened. Another book was opened which is the book of life. The dead were judged according to what they had done as recorded in the books” (Revelation 12).

Will your book be thin with not a lot worth writing about? Will it be thick and full of all you’ve accomplished for good and God in this life ~ even in secret? What will be in your book?

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#life, #memories, #memorial, #obituary, #BookOfLife, #JudgmentDay, #legacy, #GraveStone, #descendants, #statistics, #BirthMarriageDeath

Scripture for Monday, August 21 (8/21)

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The scripture for today, August 21 (8/21), is Ezra 8:21a as found in the Old Testament of the Bible:

00-Heroes-Alone-COVER-KINDLE“There, by the Ahava Canal, I proclaimed a fast, so that we might humble ourselves before our God.”

In our modern society, does anyone fast anymore? Not drinking our food (juice) for a day and calling that a fast, but a true fast where we drink only water to stay hydrated, but that’s all. And we turn off all computers, phones, radios, and televisions for the day.

Jesus said in his sermon on the mount, “When you fast….” (Matthew 6:16). He didn’t say, “If you fast….” No, he assumed his followers would fast. Do we?

If we do, do we do it as a group? Fasting is an act of self-restraint. It belongs to the sphere of humble self-discipline and deep inner understanding. It is strictly a personal and private matter. All moral and bodily restraint, all humbleness of body and spirit are represented by fasting, and it is a complete failure of self-restraint to want to show the world our self-restraint. An unknown author wrote this:

  • Let us keep our fast within,
  • Till heaven and we are quite alone;
  • Then let the grief, the shame, the sin,
  • Before the mercy-seat be thrown.

Fasting is a way of facing our true deep-down selves.  When we starve ourselves temporarily, we are saying, “God, I would sacrifice all my food and more for you; I would die for you.” Or, “God, I would trade lives with this person I am fasting for to give them rest if it were possible. I would even die for this person.” It is a deep expression to God that goes beyond words.   Take the challenge.

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#fasting, #food, #restraint, #sacrifice, #self-examination, #love, #martyrdom, #life, #death #relief

Scripture for Friday, August 11 (8/11)

On By Northern Lights Publishing HouseIn Bible, death, Death of Jesus Christ, forgiveness, Heaven, Holy Spirit, Inspirational, Saved from hell, Scripture, truth2 Comments

The scripture for today, August 11 (8/11), is Romans 8:11 as found in the New Testament of the Bible:

0-Stephen-Cover-Kindle-Medium“And if the Spirit of him who raised Jesus from the dead is living IN YOU, he who raised Christ from the dead will also give life to your mortal bodies through his Spirit, who lives IN YOU.”

But how do we know the Spirit is IN US? Death literally means separation. Physical death means separation from this body on earth. Spiritual death means separation of our soul from God who is Life. Whenever we sin, our soul dies. It happened to Adam and Eve who didn’t think God meant it when he said, “In the day you eat of the fruit, you will die.” They could no longer walk and talk with God in the garden because they were now separated from him, spiritually dead. With that eventually also came physical death.

There are certain spiritual laws that cannot be broken. For example, it is impossible for God to lie. It is also impossible for God to sin. Therefore, God cannot co-exist with sin. We sin. Another law is that sin demands death. For centuries, God allowed mankind to sacrifice an animal in their place to take their death punishment. But it was just a temporary fix. Finally, he sent the Word in bodily form to be sacrificed in our place and take our death punishment. Now, all we have to do is be IN JESUS which is accomplished by baptism: Galatians 3:26 says this.

What is the role of our spirit? When we die, we say our spirit has left our body. So, as long as we are alive, it means our spirit is still IN US We are not conscious of our spirit being in us; we just know it is because we are still alive. In the same way, when we become Christians God’s way (not man’s way), God’s Holy Spirit enters us and is IN US; Acts 2:38 says so. This is when we become spiritually alive; Romans 6:3-4 says so.

We are not overtly conscious of God’s Spirit being IN US, but we know it is true because our soul is now alive. Forever alive.

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#HolySpirit, #SpiritOfGod, #SpiritOfChrist, #HumanSpirit, #spirit,  #life, #death, #sacrifice, #substitute, #EternalLife, #baptism, #punishment, #sin, #soul, #body, #heaven, #resurrection

Scripture for Wednesday, June 21 (6/21)

On By Northern Lights Publishing HouseIn death, Death of Jesus Christ, forgiveness, Inspirational, Life of Christ, Satan, Saved from hellLeave a comment

The scripture for today, June 21 (6/21), is Romans 6:21ff as found in the New Testament of the Bible:

0-BK 7-ShadowOfDeath-Cover-new-Medium“What benefit did you reap at that time from the things you are now ashamed of? Those things result in death. But now that you have been set free from sin and have become slaves to God, the benefit you reap leads to holiness, and the result is eternal life. For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.”

Sometimes we do things we are ashamed of and decide God would be too ashamed of us to accept us as his child. But God can get rid of the shame, for he can forgive so completely that it is as though we never did those things.

Some people bristle from the phrase “slaves to God” or even slavery at all. But we’re all slaves to something ~ a big car, high position, beauty, a hobby, chasing after the opposite gender, reading, eating, music, sports, etc.  

In the Garden of Eden, God said the moment we sin, we die.  Death means “separation”, and in the case of sin, it means separation from God. God allowed us in Old Testament times to kill a perfect animal in our place, but we had to keep doing it throughout life. Then Jesus came as our perfect Lamb of God and allowed himself to be killed in our place.

The wages—death—were collected by Jesus, then he threw those wages away by coming back to life. We earn death, but eternal life is a gift.

Have you claimed your gift?

 

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#sin, #slave, #child, #wages, #earnings, #death, #Satan, #life, #gift, #crucifixion, #Jesus, #Savior, #separation, #eternity, #soul

Scripture for Saturday, May 13 (5/13)

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The scripture for today, May 13(5/13), is 1st John 5:13f as found in the New Testament of the Bible:

0-BK 8-ComeFlyWithMe-Cover-Medium-New“I write these things to you who believe in the name of the Son of God so that you may know that you have eternal life. This is the confidence we have in approaching God: That if we ask anything according to his will, he hears us.”

What a wonderful and comforting promise: The God of the universe, the Creator, the King of all kings hears you!

Of course, it must be “according to his will.” Well, how are you supposed to know God’s will? By a feeling deep in your heart? Feelings are fickle. But can there be another way? Of course. It’s simple. Just read his very words to you in the Bible.

The Bible is full of examples of people who did right and who did wrong, to help you see the consequences of good and bad decisions. The Bible is also full of God’s advice to you. Proverbs is one of the books that is full of such advice. Read the Bible. You do not have to guess what God’s will is.

What about asking God’s will whether you should move to this place or that, whether you marry this person or that, whether you take this job or that? Perhaps all your choices are good. God has also given you free will. Always remember, no matter what you choose, “ALL things work together for good to those who love the Lord and called according to his purpose” (Romans 8:28).

 

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#Eternity, #Life, #Confidence, #Bible, #Scriptures, #Examples, #Truth, #God’sWill, #Providence, #Prayer, #Decisions

Scripture for Tuesday, May 9 (5/9)

On By Northern Lights Publishing HouseIn blessings, death, Death of Jesus Christ, forgiveness, healing, Inspirational, judging, prayer, Satan, Saved from hell, ThanksgivingLeave a comment

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

00-cover-kindle-medium-new“Blessed are the peacemakers, for they will be called the sons of God.”

Jesus, the only begotten Son of God (Christians are adopted sons) was a peacemaker. He came to earth to help us make peace with God. After all, “all have sinned and come short of the Glory of God” (Romans 3:23). It only takes one sin to be a sinner. And God cannot dwell with sin. What was the solution?

Romans 6:23 says the wages we collect for sinning is death. In Old Testament times, God let people kill a perfect animal in their place. But they kept having to do it. Finally, Jesus came to earth and lived that perfect life that is impossible for us to live as the perfect Lamb of God. Then he allowed himself to take our punishment for our (not his) sins and be killed in our place (collected the wages we earn). His was the final sacrifice. Now, by following Jesus, God adopts us and makes us his children. Jesus was a peacemaker between God and man.

You, too, can be a peacemaker. You can help people be at peace with themselves. You can help them be at peace with each other. And you can help them be at peace with God. Thereby, you can share in what God’s begotten Son was ~ a peacemaker.

Do some peacemaking today.

 

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#peace, #turmoil, #enemies, #arguments, #shakehands, #sacrifice, #wages, #payment, #crucifixion, #death, #life, #sin, #perfection, #purity, #peacemaker

Scripture for Monday, May 1 (5/1)

On By Northern Lights Publishing HouseIn death, Death of Jesus Christ, faith, forgiveness, good works, Inspirational, Satan, Saved from hell, truthLeave a comment

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

0-Luke-Slave&Physician KINDLE Cover“Therefore, since we have been justified through faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ.”

Of course, if we do not have faith in Jesus, we will not obey any of his commands. He said in John 15:14, “You are my friends IF you do what I command.”

Some people say we are not saved by works, and this is true in the sense that we have all sinned and fallen short of the glory of God (Romans 3:23) and the wages we earn for sinning is soul death (Romans 6:23).

But faith does lead to works. In fact, Jesus himself said that faith/belief itself is a work (John 6:29). And James 2:18 says we prove our faith by works.

Yes, it is a beautiful thing that we are saved by the Grace of God and the Death of Jesus. That was their part. Our part is to believe it, accept it, and actively follow it.

That, too, is beautiful.

 

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#just, #unjust, #holy, #unholy, #faith, #grace, #works, #death, #life, #heaven, #hell, #salvation, #condemed

Scripture for Saturday, April 29 (4/29)

On By Northern Lights Publishing HouseIn Bible, Daily, faith, Heaven, Inspirational, prayer, Scripture, Thanksgiving, truth, worshipLeave a comment

The scripture for today, April 29, is  Deuteronomy 4:29  as found in the Old Testament of the Bible:

Bible Puzzles for Young And Old-Cover“But if from there you seek the Lord your God, you will find him if you look for him with all your heart and with all your soul.”

God is always nearby, but we do not always acknowledge it. He will not force himself on us. So he waits.

There is an old expression, “To know him is to love him.” This is true also of God. God is talking to you in his Bible, explaining what he is like and how he reacts to every possible situation in life. Seek him there. He is telling you some interesting things there.

The conversation turns the other way when we talk to him in response to what we have read, or what we are trying to apply to our lives or our concern for others.  

This mutual conversation with God is the with-all-your-heart-and-soul kind.

And it is good.

 

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#seek, #look, #search, #LordYourGod, #find, #AllYourSoul, #Bible, #Scriptures, #WordOfGod, #truth, #prayer, #petitions, #gratitude, #thankfulness, #inspiration, #undersanding, #love, #knowledge, #fulfillment, #life