Ask God and expect an answer. Put your confidence in Him alone and you will not be disappointed. Let patience do its perfect work in you by absorbing the lessons inherent in your trials. Don’t expect the answer to go along with the wisdom of the world but of the Spirit. Don’t expect the answer to be easy but it will have eternal benefits.
The wisdom God gives is not necessarily information on how to get out of trouble but rather insight on how to learn from one’s difficulties. The wisdom of God begins with a genuine reverence for the Almighty and a steadfast confidence that God controls all circumstances, guiding them to His good purposes. Double-minded is literally “two souls.” If one part of a person is set on God and the other is set on this world, there will be constant conflict within.
James 1:5-8
5 If any of you lacks wisdom, let him ask of God, who gives to all liberally and without reproach, and it will be given to him. 6 But let him ask in faith, with no doubting, for he who doubts is like a wave of the sea driven and tossed by the wind. 7 For let not that man suppose that he will receive anything from the Lord; 8 he is a double-minded man, unstable in all his ways.
Thursday, September 30, 2010
Wednesday, September 29, 2010
Philippians 1:9-11
My daily prayer is that I can love everyone without reservation knowing God’s great love for all of His creation. Is it easy to love those who offend you or are so far from your ideology? No, but with the help of the Holy Spirit I strive each day to overcome this earthly body and live in Him.
The love that Paul sought for the believers is the highest form of Christian love, based on a lasting, unconditional commitment, not on an unstable emotion. The Greek word for discernment means moral or ethical understanding based on both the intellect and the senses. The word implies perception or insight into social situations. The purpose of increasing in love, controlled by knowledge, is to be able to evaluate people and situations correctly. Christ died to free the church from every blemish. Paul conveys the sense of not striking out at someone or leading others into sin by one’s own behavior.
Philippians 1:9-11
9 And this I pray, that your love may abound still more and more in knowledge and all discernment, 10 that you may approve the things that are excellent, that you may be sincere and without offense till the day of Christ, 11 being filled with the fruits of righteousness which are by Jesus Christ, to the glory and praise of God.
The love that Paul sought for the believers is the highest form of Christian love, based on a lasting, unconditional commitment, not on an unstable emotion. The Greek word for discernment means moral or ethical understanding based on both the intellect and the senses. The word implies perception or insight into social situations. The purpose of increasing in love, controlled by knowledge, is to be able to evaluate people and situations correctly. Christ died to free the church from every blemish. Paul conveys the sense of not striking out at someone or leading others into sin by one’s own behavior.
Philippians 1:9-11
9 And this I pray, that your love may abound still more and more in knowledge and all discernment, 10 that you may approve the things that are excellent, that you may be sincere and without offense till the day of Christ, 11 being filled with the fruits of righteousness which are by Jesus Christ, to the glory and praise of God.
Tuesday, September 28, 2010
1 Corinthians 2:9-12
God’s agape love is unconditional. He mourns for the children who do not know Him or refuse to accept Him like we would mourn the loss of a child. He longs to take the wreckage of our life and change it inside and out to be the life that He created for us to live in. The only way to understand this kind of love is through the Holy Spirit. The Holy Spirit will reveal His heart to those who choose to open their heart to Him. He wants people to love Him back in relationships that resemble our relationships here on earth only without the baggage that comes with our human existence. We can trust God to love us in a way that we do not deserve nor have ever experienced! God takes trash and He is an expert recycler!!
We could never have discovered the mysteries of God or the benefits of Christ’s death by ourselves. But we can know them by experience because they have been freely given to us by God.
1 Corinthians 2:9-12
9 But as it is written:
“Eye has not seen, nor ear heard,
Nor have entered into the heart of man
The things which God has prepared for those who love Him.”
10 But God has revealed them to us through His Spirit. For the Spirit searches all things, yes, the deep things of God. 11 For what man knows the things of a man except the spirit of the man which is in him? Even so no one knows the things of God except the Spirit of God. 12 Now we have received, not the spirit of the world, but the Spirit who is from God, that we might know the things that have been freely given to us by God.
We could never have discovered the mysteries of God or the benefits of Christ’s death by ourselves. But we can know them by experience because they have been freely given to us by God.
1 Corinthians 2:9-12
9 But as it is written:
“Eye has not seen, nor ear heard,
Nor have entered into the heart of man
The things which God has prepared for those who love Him.”
10 But God has revealed them to us through His Spirit. For the Spirit searches all things, yes, the deep things of God. 11 For what man knows the things of a man except the spirit of the man which is in him? Even so no one knows the things of God except the Spirit of God. 12 Now we have received, not the spirit of the world, but the Spirit who is from God, that we might know the things that have been freely given to us by God.
Monday, September 27, 2010
Revelation 14:14-16
The Son will judge humankind as one who shares human nature. A sharp flint or iron sickle was the primary tool for an ancient grain harvest. Since the 144,000 have been received by God as the firstfruits (v. 4) of His harvest, the rest of the harvest of the earth is surely ripe for salvation, as well as judgment. The power of the Son of Man (Jesus Christ) is shown in that, with one thrust of His sickle, the harvest of the earth is reaped.
Revelations 14:14-16
14 Then I looked, and behold, a white cloud, and on the cloud sat One like the Son of Man, having on His head a golden crown, and in His hand a sharp sickle. 15 And another angel came out of the temple, crying with a loud voice to Him who sat on the cloud, “Thrust in Your sickle and reap, for the time has come for You to reap, for the harvest of the earth is ripe.” 16 So He who sat on the cloud thrust in His sickle on the earth, and the earth was reaped.
Revelations 14:14-16
14 Then I looked, and behold, a white cloud, and on the cloud sat One like the Son of Man, having on His head a golden crown, and in His hand a sharp sickle. 15 And another angel came out of the temple, crying with a loud voice to Him who sat on the cloud, “Thrust in Your sickle and reap, for the time has come for You to reap, for the harvest of the earth is ripe.” 16 So He who sat on the cloud thrust in His sickle on the earth, and the earth was reaped.
Friday, September 24, 2010
John 1:14-17
The very Word of God made flesh because God loved us so much that He could not leave us to our own destruction. The Father made a way where none existed for us to come home to His truth and grace through the cleansing blood of Jesus Christ. Even then He did not leave us alone here on earth but gave us His Holy Spirit to dwell with us in our hearts. What a glorious God we serve!
God became human. As God manifested His glory in the tabernacle, so Jesus displayed His divine presence before the apostles. All who trust Christ are born of God. In the Gospel of John, these “born ones” are called children of God , but Jesus Christ is the unique Son of God. He is the only Son who is fully God. He is also full of grace and truth. When God revealed Himself to Moses, He proclaimed Himself to be “abounding in goodness and truth”. As applied to Jesus Christ, this phrase marks Him as the author of perfect redemption and perfect revelation.
John 1:14-17
14 And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us, and we beheld His glory, the glory as of the only begotten of the Father, full of grace and truth.
15 John bore witness of Him and cried out, saying, “This was He of whom I said, ‘He who comes after me is preferred before me, for He was before me.’ ”
16 And of His fullness we have all received, and grace for grace. 17 For the law was given through Moses, but grace and truth came through Jesus Christ. 18 No one has seen God at any time. The only begotten Son, who is in the bosom of the Father, He has declared Him.
God became human. As God manifested His glory in the tabernacle, so Jesus displayed His divine presence before the apostles. All who trust Christ are born of God. In the Gospel of John, these “born ones” are called children of God , but Jesus Christ is the unique Son of God. He is the only Son who is fully God. He is also full of grace and truth. When God revealed Himself to Moses, He proclaimed Himself to be “abounding in goodness and truth”. As applied to Jesus Christ, this phrase marks Him as the author of perfect redemption and perfect revelation.
John 1:14-17
14 And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us, and we beheld His glory, the glory as of the only begotten of the Father, full of grace and truth.
15 John bore witness of Him and cried out, saying, “This was He of whom I said, ‘He who comes after me is preferred before me, for He was before me.’ ”
16 And of His fullness we have all received, and grace for grace. 17 For the law was given through Moses, but grace and truth came through Jesus Christ. 18 No one has seen God at any time. The only begotten Son, who is in the bosom of the Father, He has declared Him.
Thursday, September 23, 2010
Mark 3:27-30
If we look for evil in every church doctrine and in every pew we will never see the goodness and mercy that fills God’s churches and those who place their trust in Him. The Holy Spirit fills believers and guides them into all truth. Jesus ate with, healed and comforted sinners because He knew of God’s great agape love for His creation that would draw man to Him. Shouldn’t we do the same? The Church is the work of the Holy Spirit. We must be very careful not to call good evil and evil good.
While the prophets cited the authority of the Lord, Christ’s words rest on His own authority. While Jesus does not say that anyone in the crowd has actually committed the sin He describes, He nonetheless stresses the hopelessness of such a condition. Anyone who blasphemes against the Holy Spirit places himself or herself outside the redeeming grace of God. It is apparently not a single act of defiant behavior, but a continued state of opposition entered into willfully. The tense of they said indicates a continued action, not a onetime event. The words and works of Christ were spoken and performed by the power of the Holy Spirit. To attribute them to Satan is to call the work of heaven a work of hell. For such perverse belief there is no remedy.
Mark 3:27-30
22 And the scribes who came down from Jerusalem said, “He has Beelzebub,” and, “By the ruler of the demons He casts out demons.”
23 So He called them to Himself and said to them in parables: “How can Satan cast out Satan? 24 If a kingdom is divided against itself, that kingdom cannot stand. 25 And if a house is divided against itself, that house cannot stand. 26 And if Satan has risen up against himself, and is divided, he cannot stand, but has an end. 27 No one can enter a strong man’s house and plunder his goods, unless he first binds the strong man. And then he will plunder his house.
28 “Assuredly, I say to you, all sins will be forgiven the sons of men, and whatever blasphemies they may utter; 29 but he who blasphemes against the Holy Spirit never has forgiveness, but is subject to eternal condemnation”— 30 because they said, “He has an unclean spirit.”
While the prophets cited the authority of the Lord, Christ’s words rest on His own authority. While Jesus does not say that anyone in the crowd has actually committed the sin He describes, He nonetheless stresses the hopelessness of such a condition. Anyone who blasphemes against the Holy Spirit places himself or herself outside the redeeming grace of God. It is apparently not a single act of defiant behavior, but a continued state of opposition entered into willfully. The tense of they said indicates a continued action, not a onetime event. The words and works of Christ were spoken and performed by the power of the Holy Spirit. To attribute them to Satan is to call the work of heaven a work of hell. For such perverse belief there is no remedy.
Mark 3:27-30
22 And the scribes who came down from Jerusalem said, “He has Beelzebub,” and, “By the ruler of the demons He casts out demons.”
23 So He called them to Himself and said to them in parables: “How can Satan cast out Satan? 24 If a kingdom is divided against itself, that kingdom cannot stand. 25 And if a house is divided against itself, that house cannot stand. 26 And if Satan has risen up against himself, and is divided, he cannot stand, but has an end. 27 No one can enter a strong man’s house and plunder his goods, unless he first binds the strong man. And then he will plunder his house.
28 “Assuredly, I say to you, all sins will be forgiven the sons of men, and whatever blasphemies they may utter; 29 but he who blasphemes against the Holy Spirit never has forgiveness, but is subject to eternal condemnation”— 30 because they said, “He has an unclean spirit.”
Wednesday, September 22, 2010
1 Corinhians 15:3-8
There is but one way to the Father through the blood of Jesus Christ. He gave up His sinless life in exchange for our life. The last barrier caused by sin is death and to all who believe in Him death will have no hold. As in one man, Adam, all came under the curse of the law now in one man, Jesus, all who choose to believe in Him will be raised up in God’s grace.
Paul did not originate the proclamation of Jesus that he delivered to the Corinthians; he simply gave the Corinthians what he himself had received. He viewed himself as a link in a long chain of witnesses to the truth of the death and resurrection of Christ. Christ’s death dealt decisively with our sins. He suffered in our place to endure the just wrath of God against us. The Resurrection verifies the fact that Christ’s death paid the full price for sin. The Greek term translated rose here is in the perfect tense, emphasizing the ongoing effects of this historical event. Christ is a risen Savior today.
1 Corinthians 15:3-8
3 For I delivered to you first of all that which I also received: that Christ died for our sins according to the Scriptures, 4 and that He was buried, and that He rose again the third day according to the Scriptures, 5 and that He was seen by Cephas, then by the twelve. 6 After that He was seen by over five hundred brethren at once, of whom the greater part remain to the present, but some have fallen asleep. 7 After that He was seen by James, then by all the apostles. 8 Then last of all He was seen by me also, as by one born out of due time.
Paul did not originate the proclamation of Jesus that he delivered to the Corinthians; he simply gave the Corinthians what he himself had received. He viewed himself as a link in a long chain of witnesses to the truth of the death and resurrection of Christ. Christ’s death dealt decisively with our sins. He suffered in our place to endure the just wrath of God against us. The Resurrection verifies the fact that Christ’s death paid the full price for sin. The Greek term translated rose here is in the perfect tense, emphasizing the ongoing effects of this historical event. Christ is a risen Savior today.
1 Corinthians 15:3-8
3 For I delivered to you first of all that which I also received: that Christ died for our sins according to the Scriptures, 4 and that He was buried, and that He rose again the third day according to the Scriptures, 5 and that He was seen by Cephas, then by the twelve. 6 After that He was seen by over five hundred brethren at once, of whom the greater part remain to the present, but some have fallen asleep. 7 After that He was seen by James, then by all the apostles. 8 Then last of all He was seen by me also, as by one born out of due time.
Tuesday, September 21, 2010
Romans 16:17-20
We are to be united under the direction of the Holy Spirit. Division focuses attention away from Jesus and onto man. Know nothing but the simple truth of the Gospel of Jesus Christ and His birth, death and resurrection. In Him who died and rose again for our sins is our hope and salvation.
Strife and rivalry cause dissension, which eventually leads to divisions in a church. Such dissension causes offenses—that is, it becomes a snare or stumbling block to others. Contentious, divisive people can cause others to stumble, so they should be avoided. Divisive people destroy the peace and unity of the church, but God, who is the source of peace, will crush this work of Satan through the wisdom and obedience of believers. Ultimately, God will totally defeat Satan and bring peace to the whole church.
Romans 16:17-20
17 Now I urge you, brethren, note those who cause divisions and offenses, contrary to the doctrine which you learned, and avoid them. 18 For those who are such do not serve our Lord Jesus Christ, but their own belly, and by smooth words and flattering speech deceive the hearts of the simple. 19 For your obedience has become known to all. Therefore I am glad on your behalf; but I want you to be wise in what is good, and simple concerning evil. 20 And the God of peace will crush Satan under your feet shortly.
Strife and rivalry cause dissension, which eventually leads to divisions in a church. Such dissension causes offenses—that is, it becomes a snare or stumbling block to others. Contentious, divisive people can cause others to stumble, so they should be avoided. Divisive people destroy the peace and unity of the church, but God, who is the source of peace, will crush this work of Satan through the wisdom and obedience of believers. Ultimately, God will totally defeat Satan and bring peace to the whole church.
Romans 16:17-20
17 Now I urge you, brethren, note those who cause divisions and offenses, contrary to the doctrine which you learned, and avoid them. 18 For those who are such do not serve our Lord Jesus Christ, but their own belly, and by smooth words and flattering speech deceive the hearts of the simple. 19 For your obedience has become known to all. Therefore I am glad on your behalf; but I want you to be wise in what is good, and simple concerning evil. 20 And the God of peace will crush Satan under your feet shortly.
Monday, September 20, 2010
Romans 15:1-6
As Christians we are to support one another by standing beside each other, forgetting our differences, in unity for God. Hope springs eternal!
Christ is the ultimate model for the strong believer. He renounced self-gratification so that He could clearly represent God and His cause. Through patience (endurance) and the comfort (or encouragement) of Scripture, believers learn that they have hope. In this case, if strong believers are patient with the scruples of the weak, they have hope of being rewarded. Paul prays for the unity of all believers.
Romans 15:1-6
We then who are strong ought to bear with the scruples of the weak, and not to please ourselves. 2 Let each of us please his neighbor for his good, leading to edification. 3 For even Christ did not please Himself; but as it is written, “The reproaches of those who reproached You fell on Me.” 4 For whatever things were written before were written for our learning, that we through the patience and comfort of the Scriptures might have hope. 5 Now may the God of patience and comfort grant you to be like-minded toward one another, according to Christ Jesus, 6 that you may with one mind and one mouth glorify the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ.
Christ is the ultimate model for the strong believer. He renounced self-gratification so that He could clearly represent God and His cause. Through patience (endurance) and the comfort (or encouragement) of Scripture, believers learn that they have hope. In this case, if strong believers are patient with the scruples of the weak, they have hope of being rewarded. Paul prays for the unity of all believers.
Romans 15:1-6
We then who are strong ought to bear with the scruples of the weak, and not to please ourselves. 2 Let each of us please his neighbor for his good, leading to edification. 3 For even Christ did not please Himself; but as it is written, “The reproaches of those who reproached You fell on Me.” 4 For whatever things were written before were written for our learning, that we through the patience and comfort of the Scriptures might have hope. 5 Now may the God of patience and comfort grant you to be like-minded toward one another, according to Christ Jesus, 6 that you may with one mind and one mouth glorify the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ.
Friday, September 17, 2010
Genesis 1:26-27
We are made in the image of our Creator to be caretakers of the living creatures that He created. What an awesome responsibility. When I think about the love that God has for mankind, for God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son’s life in exchange for mans’, I am overwhelmed. To be commanded to go out and draw others to Him by the love that we show one to another is hard in a world that doesn’t always value brotherly love. I am comforted by the truth that alone we can do nothing but with Him all things are possible!
Let Us make emphasizes the majesty of the speaker and allows for the later revelation of the Trinity. God placed humankind as living symbols of Himself on earth to represent His reign. This interpretation fits well with the command that follows—to reign over all that God has made. We are His images; it is we who are in His likeness. This is the reason God values people so much: We are made to reflect His majesty on earth.
Genesis 1:26-27
26 Then God said, “Let Us make man in Our image, according to Our likeness; let them have dominion over the fish of the sea, over the birds of the air, and over the cattle, over all the earth and over every creeping thing that creeps on the earth.” 27 So God created man in His own image; in the image of God He created him; male and female He created them.
Let Us make emphasizes the majesty of the speaker and allows for the later revelation of the Trinity. God placed humankind as living symbols of Himself on earth to represent His reign. This interpretation fits well with the command that follows—to reign over all that God has made. We are His images; it is we who are in His likeness. This is the reason God values people so much: We are made to reflect His majesty on earth.
Genesis 1:26-27
26 Then God said, “Let Us make man in Our image, according to Our likeness; let them have dominion over the fish of the sea, over the birds of the air, and over the cattle, over all the earth and over every creeping thing that creeps on the earth.” 27 So God created man in His own image; in the image of God He created him; male and female He created them.
Thursday, September 16, 2010
Matthew 2:13
Power and privilege corrupts. Scripture warns of us this time and again. Our only line of defense is to humble ourselves before God and realize that we are nothing in ourselves but with God nothing is impossible. We need to listen for the voice of the Holy Spirit who will guide us in all things.
Dreams of divine guidance emphasize God’s orchestration of these perilous events.
Matthew 2:13
13 Now when they had departed, behold, an angel of the Lord appeared to Joseph in a dream, saying, “Arise, take the young Child and His mother, flee to Egypt, and stay there until I bring you word; for Herod will seek the young Child to destroy Him.”
Dreams of divine guidance emphasize God’s orchestration of these perilous events.
Matthew 2:13
13 Now when they had departed, behold, an angel of the Lord appeared to Joseph in a dream, saying, “Arise, take the young Child and His mother, flee to Egypt, and stay there until I bring you word; for Herod will seek the young Child to destroy Him.”
Wednesday, September 15, 2010
Luke 10:25-28
How easy it is to love the mind, body and heart of God, whom we have never seen. How much harder it is to love the mind, body and heart of those people that are in our everyday lives. We are without excuse and it is commanded of us to love God with every fiber of our being and to love all people as much as we do ourselves. Only then can we draw others into the love that God wants all to share.
To inherit something is to receive it. In other words, the man was asking, “What must I do to share in the reward at the resurrection of the righteous at the end?” Jesus countered the lawyer’s test by having him answer his own question. The lawyer responded to Jesus’ questions by quoting Deut. 6:5, a text that was recited twice a day by every faithful Jew. The basis of the man’s response is an expression of allegiance and devotion that also can be seen as the natural expression of faith, since the total person, heart, soul, strength, and mind, is involved. Jesus develops the theme of love for one’s neighbor. Jesus was not saying that righteousness is the result of works. Rather He was saying that love for and obedience to God will be a natural result of placing one’s faith in the Lord. Those who believe in Jesus and follow Him will receive eternal rewards.
Luke 10:25-28
25 And behold, a certain lawyer stood up and tested Him, saying, “Teacher, what shall I do to inherit eternal life?”
26 He said to him, “What is written in the law? What is your reading of it?”
27 So he answered and said, “‘You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, with all your strength, and with all your mind,’ and ‘your neighbor as yourself.’”
28 And He said to him, “You have answered rightly; do this and you will live.
To inherit something is to receive it. In other words, the man was asking, “What must I do to share in the reward at the resurrection of the righteous at the end?” Jesus countered the lawyer’s test by having him answer his own question. The lawyer responded to Jesus’ questions by quoting Deut. 6:5, a text that was recited twice a day by every faithful Jew. The basis of the man’s response is an expression of allegiance and devotion that also can be seen as the natural expression of faith, since the total person, heart, soul, strength, and mind, is involved. Jesus develops the theme of love for one’s neighbor. Jesus was not saying that righteousness is the result of works. Rather He was saying that love for and obedience to God will be a natural result of placing one’s faith in the Lord. Those who believe in Jesus and follow Him will receive eternal rewards.
Luke 10:25-28
25 And behold, a certain lawyer stood up and tested Him, saying, “Teacher, what shall I do to inherit eternal life?”
26 He said to him, “What is written in the law? What is your reading of it?”
27 So he answered and said, “‘You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, with all your strength, and with all your mind,’ and ‘your neighbor as yourself.’”
28 And He said to him, “You have answered rightly; do this and you will live.
Tuesday, September 14, 2010
Matthew 5:3
God hates pride and arrogance. When we come to the realization that we can do nothing but with Him nothing is impossible and we humble ourselves before Him He will show us life and that life will be blessed.
Matthew 5:3
3 “Blessed are the poor in spirit,
For theirs is the kingdom of heaven.
blessed: This Greek word is derived from the root mak, which means “large” or “lengthy,” and means “fortunate” or “happy.” The Greek word was used in Greek literature, in the Septuagint (the Greek translation of the OT), and in the NT to describe the kind of happiness that comes from receiving divine favor. The word can be rendered happy. In the NT it is usually passive; God is the One who is blessing or favoring the person.
Matthew 5:3
3 “Blessed are the poor in spirit,
For theirs is the kingdom of heaven.
Monday, September 13, 2010
1 John 4:7-11
Love alone shows the world that we are true believers. Could you love your neighbor enough to give the life of your only son to save them? God loves everyone that much and He wants everyone to have the gift of life that He gives in Christ Jesus, everyone! Your loving kindness may be the only touch of the Master’s hand that someone will ever feel…….show His love to everyone that you meet.
It is impossible to know God intimately without loving others, for God is love. Anyone in whom God dwells reflects His character. To claim to know God while failing to love others is to make a false claim. The love of God for His children was visibly demonstrated through Jesus’ work on the Cross on our behalf.
1 John 4:7-11
7 Beloved, let us love one another, for love is of God; and everyone who loves is born of God and knows God. 8 He who does not love does not know God, for God is love. 9 In this the love of God was manifested toward us, that God has sent His only begotten Son into the world, that we might live through Him. 10 In this is love, not that we loved God, but that He loved us and sent His Son to be the propitiation for our sins. 11 Beloved, if God so loved us, we also ought to love one another.
It is impossible to know God intimately without loving others, for God is love. Anyone in whom God dwells reflects His character. To claim to know God while failing to love others is to make a false claim. The love of God for His children was visibly demonstrated through Jesus’ work on the Cross on our behalf.
1 John 4:7-11
7 Beloved, let us love one another, for love is of God; and everyone who loves is born of God and knows God. 8 He who does not love does not know God, for God is love. 9 In this the love of God was manifested toward us, that God has sent His only begotten Son into the world, that we might live through Him. 10 In this is love, not that we loved God, but that He loved us and sent His Son to be the propitiation for our sins. 11 Beloved, if God so loved us, we also ought to love one another.
Friday, September 10, 2010
John 3:14-19
If Christ is lifted up and His mercy and grace shown to those around us all men will be drawn to the love that He gives. His salvation changes the man that society says he is into the man God created him to be.
When Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness, those who looked at it lived. So it is with the Son of Man. When a person trusts Christ, he or she is born again and receives eternal and spiritual life, God’s kind of life. God’s love is not restricted to any one nation or to any spiritual elite. At His first coming, Jesus came so that the world through Him might be saved. When Jesus comes again, He will come in judgment upon those who refused His offer of salvation. A person who does not believe not only misses life, but is condemned already.
John 3:14-20
4 And as Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness, even so must the Son of Man be lifted up, 15 that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have eternal life. 16 For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life. 17 For God did not send His Son into the world to condemn the world, but that the world through Him might be saved.
18 “He who believes in Him is not condemned; but he who does not believe is condemned already, because he has not believed in the name of the only begotten Son of God. 19 And this is the condemnation, that the light has come into the world, and men loved darkness rather than light, because their deeds were evil.
When Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness, those who looked at it lived. So it is with the Son of Man. When a person trusts Christ, he or she is born again and receives eternal and spiritual life, God’s kind of life. God’s love is not restricted to any one nation or to any spiritual elite. At His first coming, Jesus came so that the world through Him might be saved. When Jesus comes again, He will come in judgment upon those who refused His offer of salvation. A person who does not believe not only misses life, but is condemned already.
John 3:14-20
4 And as Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness, even so must the Son of Man be lifted up, 15 that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have eternal life. 16 For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life. 17 For God did not send His Son into the world to condemn the world, but that the world through Him might be saved.
18 “He who believes in Him is not condemned; but he who does not believe is condemned already, because he has not believed in the name of the only begotten Son of God. 19 And this is the condemnation, that the light has come into the world, and men loved darkness rather than light, because their deeds were evil.
Thursday, September 9, 2010
Philippians 4:4-6
Be thankful for all that God has provided for you. Enjoy the sights, sounds and colors that He has created for man and let your praise shine forth for all to see! Remember He will never leave you nor forsake you so don’t forget to talk to Him in the good times not only in the bad.
A person who is gentle is willing to sacrifice his or her own personal rights to show consideration to others. Paul exhorts the Philippians to pray about their circumstances instead of worrying over them. Instead they are to commit their problems to God in prayer, trusting that He will provide deliverance.
Philippians 4:4-6
4 Rejoice in the Lord always. Again I will say, rejoice!
5 Let your gentleness be known to all men. The Lord is at hand.
6 Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication, with thanksgiving, let your requests be made known to God; 7 and the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus.
A person who is gentle is willing to sacrifice his or her own personal rights to show consideration to others. Paul exhorts the Philippians to pray about their circumstances instead of worrying over them. Instead they are to commit their problems to God in prayer, trusting that He will provide deliverance.
Philippians 4:4-6
4 Rejoice in the Lord always. Again I will say, rejoice!
5 Let your gentleness be known to all men. The Lord is at hand.
6 Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication, with thanksgiving, let your requests be made known to God; 7 and the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus.
Wednesday, September 8, 2010
2 Corinthians 5:20-21
What an amazing responsibility that fallible, corruptible men have been given the gift of bringing the mercy of Christ Jesus to any who will listen and believe. The power in His name is sufficient to accomplish all that He purposes through us.
Ambassadors are more than messengers. They are representatives of the sovereign who sent them. Christians have been called by their King to serve as ambassadors in a world that is in rebellion against Him. However, God has given His representatives a message of peace and of reconciliation. Jesus never did anything wrong. Yet He died for our sins, so that we could be declared righteous, that is to say, justified.
2 Corinthians 5:20-21
20 Now then, we are ambassadors for Christ, as though God were pleading through us: we implore you on Christ’s behalf, be reconciled to God. 21 For He made Him who knew no sin to be sin for us, that we might become the righteousness of God in Him.
Ambassadors are more than messengers. They are representatives of the sovereign who sent them. Christians have been called by their King to serve as ambassadors in a world that is in rebellion against Him. However, God has given His representatives a message of peace and of reconciliation. Jesus never did anything wrong. Yet He died for our sins, so that we could be declared righteous, that is to say, justified.
2 Corinthians 5:20-21
20 Now then, we are ambassadors for Christ, as though God were pleading through us: we implore you on Christ’s behalf, be reconciled to God. 21 For He made Him who knew no sin to be sin for us, that we might become the righteousness of God in Him.
Tuesday, September 7, 2010
2 Corinthians 1:3-4
God is always with us He never leaves us nor turns His back on us. In the low times of our life He is always there to comfort and sustain us. We need to be His hands and comfort others in their suffering.
God comforts us not only to make us comfortable but also to make us comforters. The comfort that God gives to us becomes a gift we can give to others. Our willingness to share it reflects the sincerity of our faith
2 Corinthians 1:3-4
3 Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of mercies and God of all comfort, 4 who comforts us in all our tribulation, that we may be able to comfort those who are in any trouble, with the comfort with which we ourselves are comforted by God.
God comforts us not only to make us comfortable but also to make us comforters. The comfort that God gives to us becomes a gift we can give to others. Our willingness to share it reflects the sincerity of our faith
2 Corinthians 1:3-4
3 Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of mercies and God of all comfort, 4 who comforts us in all our tribulation, that we may be able to comfort those who are in any trouble, with the comfort with which we ourselves are comforted by God.
Friday, September 3, 2010
Daniel 10:12
From the moment that we get over ourselves and seek to understand God and His ways He sends the Holy Spirit to guide us into the truth of the salvation given in Christ Jesus and His infinite love for man. He wants that no one perish, no not one!
God loves everyone yet some, because of their special relationship to God, are objects of unusual divine love.
Daniel 10:12
12 Then he said to me, “Do not fear, Daniel, for from the first day that you set your heart to understand, and to humble yourself before your God, your words were heard; and I have come because of your words.
God loves everyone yet some, because of their special relationship to God, are objects of unusual divine love.
Daniel 10:12
12 Then he said to me, “Do not fear, Daniel, for from the first day that you set your heart to understand, and to humble yourself before your God, your words were heard; and I have come because of your words.
Thursday, September 2, 2010
Hebrews 8:10-12
God’s final Covenant with man was planned before their existence. The all knowing, all seeing, all powerful Creator of heaven and of earth knew man would fail and loved them still. In His plan of salvation based upon His own bodily sacrifice and in the indwelling of His own Spirit in man He would teach man His ways. In His mercy and grace He forgets our past and gives us a future. To the mind, body and heart of the Godhead be all the glory.
There are four provisions of the new covenant: (1) God’s law will be written on believers’ minds and hearts. This is in contrast to the Mosaic Law which was written on tablets of stone. (2) Believers will have a relationship with God fulfilling the promise of Lev. 26:12. (3) All will know God. No longer will Pharisees and scribes have to teach the intricacies of the Law to the people. (4) God will forgive the sins of believers and remember them no more. The continual sacrifice of animals for the atonement of sin will cease.
Hebrews 8:10-12
10 For this is the covenant that I will make with the house of Israel after those days, says the Lord: I will put My laws in their mind and write them on their hearts; and I will be their God, and they shall be My people. 11 None of them shall teach his neighbor, and none his brother, saying, ‘Know the Lord,’ for all shall know Me, from the least of them to the greatest of them. 12 For I will be merciful to their unrighteousness, and their sins and their lawless deeds I will remember no more.”
There are four provisions of the new covenant: (1) God’s law will be written on believers’ minds and hearts. This is in contrast to the Mosaic Law which was written on tablets of stone. (2) Believers will have a relationship with God fulfilling the promise of Lev. 26:12. (3) All will know God. No longer will Pharisees and scribes have to teach the intricacies of the Law to the people. (4) God will forgive the sins of believers and remember them no more. The continual sacrifice of animals for the atonement of sin will cease.
Hebrews 8:10-12
10 For this is the covenant that I will make with the house of Israel after those days, says the Lord: I will put My laws in their mind and write them on their hearts; and I will be their God, and they shall be My people. 11 None of them shall teach his neighbor, and none his brother, saying, ‘Know the Lord,’ for all shall know Me, from the least of them to the greatest of them. 12 For I will be merciful to their unrighteousness, and their sins and their lawless deeds I will remember no more.”
Wednesday, September 1, 2010
1st Peter 2:4-5
We are called by God in faith into His word made flesh, Jesus Christ. We are each living building material who when joined together make up the Body of Christ, God’s Church, of which He is the head. We were created to worship God for His majesty, mercy and grace shown to us in Christ.
The new building of God, of which Jesus is the Cornerstone, is living: it is the assembly of all believers, the church. Christians are part of God’s great spiritual building project. Unlike the OT priesthood, in which only those who were born into a certain tribe could be priests, all who are reborn into God’s family, that is, all believers, are priests who have the privilege and responsibility of offering spiritual sacrifices to God
1st Peter 2:4-5
4 Coming to Him as to a living stone, rejected indeed by men, but chosen by God and precious, 5 you also, as living stones, are being built up a spiritual house, a holy priesthood, to offer up spiritual sacrifices acceptable to God through Jesus Christ.
The new building of God, of which Jesus is the Cornerstone, is living: it is the assembly of all believers, the church. Christians are part of God’s great spiritual building project. Unlike the OT priesthood, in which only those who were born into a certain tribe could be priests, all who are reborn into God’s family, that is, all believers, are priests who have the privilege and responsibility of offering spiritual sacrifices to God
1st Peter 2:4-5
4 Coming to Him as to a living stone, rejected indeed by men, but chosen by God and precious, 5 you also, as living stones, are being built up a spiritual house, a holy priesthood, to offer up spiritual sacrifices acceptable to God through Jesus Christ.
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