Verse of the Day 10/30

Through the Bible - Jeremiah 29-30, Titus 3   Good morning, A friend responded to yesterday's reference to John 21 by saying that it reminded him that Jesus was encouraging Peter and the other disciples to "get back in the game". Consider again the scene. The disciples had been told to go to Galilee to wait for him. In the waiting they turned back to fishing. Jesus met them and the ended up sitting around the fire where Jesus told Peter to teach, to feed, and to follow Him. He fanned into flame the gift that He had given them and they were never the same. For today's verse we'll go to 2 Timothy 1 where Paul's goal is to do the same thing to Timothy and all of us who read these verses and this chapter. 2 Tim 1:6 This is why I remind you to fan into flames the spiritual gift God gave you when I laid my hands on you. 7 For God has not given us a spirit of fear and timidity, but of power, love, and self-discipline.  NLT I love campfires and fires (real wood fires in the fireplace in our previous home). I especially like going back, after the fire had gone out and the embers were smoldering, drawing the scattered embers together and blowing on them and seeing them ignite, burning until there was nothing left to burn. That's the picture that I get from this chapter. He told Timothy "do not be ashamed" of the gospel just as he had not been ashamed, just as Peter, James and John were not ashamed of the gospel from that time when Jesus fanned into flame the gift that God gave the disciples. It goes back to what we started looking at this week from Ephesians 4, "imparting grace". Jesus got the disciples "back in the game", Paul got Timothy "into the game", and if we're in the game we should be challenged to take "our game" to a higher level.  You've probably heard it said by someone playing in the Super Bowl or World Series that they "left it all on the field", that's what it means to have "nothing left to burn."   What do we need to get back in the game and fan into flame the gift that is in us that others might "get back in the game."?   Thanks Bob. In Christ, Mike   2 Tim 1:3-2:1 Encouragement to Be Faithful 3 Timothy, I thank God for you—the God I serve with a clear conscience, just as my ancestors did. Night and day I constantly remember you in my prayers. 4 I long to see you again, for I remember your tears as we parted. And I will be filled with joy when we are together again. 5 I remember your genuine faith, for you share the faith that first filled your grandmother Lois and your mother, Eunice. And I know that same faith continues strong in you. 6 This is why I remind you to fan into flames the spiritual gift God gave you when I laid my hands on you. 7 For God has not given us a spirit of fear and timidity, but of power, love, and self-discipline. 8 So never be ashamed to tell others about our Lord. And don't be ashamed of me, either, even though I'm in prison for him. With the strength God gives you, be ready to suffer with me for the sake of the Good News. 9 For God saved us and called us to live a holy life. He did this, not because we deserved it, but because that was his plan from before the beginning of time—to show us his grace through Christ Jesus. 10 And now he has made all of this plain to us by the appearing of Christ Jesus, our Savior. He broke the power of death and illuminated the way to life and immortality through the Good News. 11 And God chose me to be a preacher, an apostle, and a teacher of this Good News. 12 That is why I am suffering here in prison. But I am not ashamed of it, for I know the one in whom I trust, and I am sure that he is able to guard what I have entrusted to him until the day of his return. 13 Hold on to the pattern of wholesome teaching you learned from me—a pattern shaped by the faith and love that you have in Christ Jesus. 14 Through the power of the Holy Spirit who lives within us, carefully guard the precious truth that has been entrusted to you. 15 As you know, everyone from the province of Asia has deserted me—even Phygelus and Hermogenes. 16 May the Lord show special kindness to Onesiphorus and all his family because he often visited and encouraged me. He was never ashamed of me because I was in chains. 17 When he came to Rome, he searched everywhere until he found me. 18 May the Lord show him special kindness on the day of Christ's return. And you know very well how helpful he was in Ephesus.  NLT

Verse of the Day 10/29

Through the Bible - Jeremiah 27-28, Titus 2   Good morning, I was reading this morning in John 21 where Jesus asked Peter 3 times "do you love me".  Each time Peter responded by saying that he did love Jesus.  Each time Jesus responded with a different answer, a different command.  Jesus said to him, "feed my lambs", "tend my sheep", and "follow me".   These words weren't meant just for Peter.  In effect we are all asked these same questions.  Recalling yesterday's veres from 2 Timothy 3 we are told that the Word of God  will "prepare and equip his people to do every good work." NLT   Think of that.  What are we doing in these areas?  What examples can you think of?  First of all, teaching our kids and those "younger in the faith" about God's Word,   The tending involves caring for others in any number of ways, be a "good Samaritan", the third is to follow Him, to emulate Him, to live our lives in the power, the grace He provides to live for Him. In today's New Testament reading in Titus 2 Paul is encouraging Titus in these same areas.  We'll go there for today's verse. Titus 2:6 In the same way, encourage the young men to live wisely. 7 And you yourself must be an example to them by doing good works of every kind. Let everything you do reflect the integrity and seriousness of your teaching.  NLT It's a tall order and one that should be taken seriously.  We are told to be an example to those around us and to imitate Christ while doing so.  The teaching involves more than doctrine it involves every aspect of living.   I've heard it said before that our children don't learn about our faith in direct teaching to them but it is caught by them in seeing how we live..  They learn to imitate us.  It is sobering, in fact the words for "live wisely" here in the NLT are translated "sober minded" in the NKJV.   What opportunities will you have today to teach, to tend, and to follow Christ today?   In Christ, Mike Titus 2:1-3:1 Promote Right Teaching 2 As for you, Titus, promote the kind of living that reflects wholesome teaching. 2 Teach the older men to exercise self-control, to be worthy of respect, and to live wisely. They must have sound faith and be filled with love and patience. 3 Similarly, teach the older women to live in a way that honors God. They must not slander others or be heavy drinkers. Instead, they should teach others what is good. 4 These older women must train the younger women to love their husbands and their children, 5 to live wisely and be pure, to work in their homes, to do good, and to be submissive to their husbands. Then they will not bring shame on the word of God. 6 In the same way, encourage the young men to live wisely. 7 And you yourself must be an example to them by doing good works of every kind. Let everything you do reflect the integrity and seriousness of your teaching. 8 Teach the truth so that your teaching can't be criticized. Then those who oppose us will be ashamed and have nothing bad to say about us. 9 Slaves must always obey their masters and do their best to please them. They must not talk back 10 or steal, but must show themselves to be entirely trustworthy and good. Then they will make the teaching about God our Savior attractive in every way. 11 For the grace of God has been revealed, bringing salvation to all people. 12 And we are instructed to turn from godless living and sinful pleasures. We should live in this evil world with wisdom, righteousness, and devotion to God, 13 while we look forward with hope to that wonderful day when the glory of our great God and Savior, Jesus Christ, will be revealed. 14 He gave his life to free us from every kind of sin, to cleanse us, and to make us his very own people, totally committed to doing good deeds. 15 You must teach these things and encourage the believers to do them. You have the authority to correct them when necessary, so don't let anyone disregard what you say.  NLT

Verse of the Day 10/28

Through the Bible - Jeremiah 24-26, Titus 1   Good morning,  While driving to the conference/retreat that Jean and I attended last weekend we enjoyed the full color of the North Carolina mountains.  Whether it was under drizzly,cloudy skies or bright sunshine they showed the glory and majesty of God's creation.   From what I understand, deer and other animals are color blind.  As we were driving I was thankful that I could see the full color.  The deer, living in the woods every day, are right there yet cannot see or appreciate what we do.   It made me think of those who don't "see" or understand the gospel of Jesus Christ even though it is all around them or even when it is clearly presented to them.   We sing the praise song "Open the Eyes of My Heart" expressing the desire to see God in all His glory (or at least in as much as we comprehend).   Ps 119:18 Open my eyes, that I may see Wondrous things from Your law.   NKJV Sometimes we read through the Bible but don't slow down to dig.  I've heard it said that simply reading through the Bible is "like raking leaves.  You rake  the ground and all you get are the leaves but if you dig, you may find treasure."   The conference we attended brought that home.  We reviewed passages that we had read many times but found new meaning, sometimes the correct meaning of the passages.  It was because someone had dug, someone whose eyes had been opened, who was able to pass that on to us.   Today's verse comes from 2 Timothy 3.  It should encourage us to dig, so that we may be taught and able to teach from God's Word.   2 Tim 3:16 All Scripture is inspired by God and is useful to teach us what is true and to make us realize what is wrong in our lives. It corrects us when we are wrong and teaches us to do what is right. 17 God uses it to prepare and equip his people to do every good work.  NLT   "I pray earnestly that God will raise up today a new generation of Christian apologists or Christian communicators, who will combine an absolute loyalty to the biblical gospel and an unwavering confidence in the power of the Spirit with a deep and sensitive understanding of the contemporary alternatives to the gospel; who will relate the one to the other with freshness, authority, and relevance; and who will use their minds to reach other minds for Christ"  - John Stott   May the Lord open our eyes that God may use us as instruments to teach and equip others to live for Christ.   In Christ, Mike 2 Tim 3:16-4:6 16 All Scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness, 17 that the man of God may be complete, thoroughly equipped for every good work. Preach the Word 4 I charge you therefore before God and the Lord Jesus Christ, who will judge the living and the dead at His appearing and His kingdom: 2 Preach the word! Be ready in season and out of season. Convince, rebuke, exhort, with all longsuffering and teaching. 3 For the time will come when they will not endure sound doctrine, but according to their own desires, because they have itching ears, they will heap up for themselves teachers; 4 and they will turn their ears away from the truth, and be turned aside to fables. 5 But you be watchful in all things, endure afflictions, do the work of an evangelist, fulfill your ministry. NKJV

Verse of the Day 10/27

Through the Bible - Jeremiah 21-23, 2 Timothy 4   Good morning, As I mentioned yesterday, Sunday was my son Jeff's 27th birthday.  I had signed him up on Facebook, but since he is unable to access it himself, I have the notes that are sent to him directed to me.  With the wonder of technology I am able to forward e-mails from my personal address to my Blackberry.  Because of this, all day long, starting from early morning to late at night I was receiving birthday wishes for Jeff.  Some simply said Happy Birthday, while others included a note for Jeff.  It encouraged me to know how many people were and are thinking of him.   Prayer was the topic of the weekend, and the thought of these messages brought me to a verse that I had quoted a few weeks ago, Ephesians 4:29 reads:   Eph 4:29 Let no corrupt word proceed out of your mouth, but what is good for necessary edification, that it may impart grace to the hearers.  NKJV At that time I primarily focused on the "let no corrupt word" portion of the verse.  Today I'd like you to consider "that it may impart grace to the hearers".  The verse isn't specifically referring to prayer here but it does apply.   People often think of grace as God's forgiveness, but it is much more, it also has to do with God's enabling power to overcome sin, temptation, depression, fear and a host of other things.   OK, how can we impart grace?  There are many ways.  One would be going back and applying this to the facebook messages; what if instead of saying happy birthday to someone, we told them "I'm praying for you".   It could be a facebook post, a simple e-mail or even a text messagae "I'm prayin 4 U", but follow through and pray for them, pray for this grace.  It might be enough to "see the person through" a tough situation just to know that others are thinking and praying for them.  The song "Somebody's Prayin Me Through" written by Darrell Brown and Ty Lacy came to mind.  Here are a few lines.   It may be my Mother, it might be my Dad Or an old friend I've forgot I had But whoever it is I'm so glad that Somebody's praying me through Somebody's praying me through Through the tears, through the rain Through the sorrow, through the pain It keeps bringing me through Over and over again So when you're drowning in a sea of hurt And it feels like life couldn't get any worse There's a blessing waiting to push back the curse 'Cause somebody's praying you through Somebody's praying you through I've read that verse in Ephesians many times but never really considered that part about imparting grace.  It goes to show that God continues to reveal new things new mercies every morning in our personal studies or through someone else who is "rightly dividing the Word of Truth".  For me all of these thoughts flowed out of some messages that I heard this weekend. Today's verse comes from 2 Timothy 2: 2 Tim 2:15 Be diligent to present yourself approved to God, a worker who does not need to be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth.   NKJV If you have had grace "imparted" to you, if you hope to impart grace to others, it is likely to flow from time spent in and meditating upon God's Word and prayerfully applying what you learn. In Christ, Mike 2 Tim 2:11-15 11 Here is a trustworthy saying: If we died with him, we will also live with him; 12 if we endure, we will also reign with him. If we disown him, he will also disown us; 13 if we are faithless, he will remain faithful, for he cannot disown himself. 14 Keep reminding them of these things. Warn them before God against quarreling about words; it is of no value, and only ruins those who listen. 15 Do your best to present yourself to God as one approved, a workman who does not need to be ashamed and who correctly handles the word of truth.  NIV

Verse of the Day 10/26

Through the Bible - Jeremiah 18-20, 2 Timothy 3   Good morning, This past weekend was a special one for several reasons.  For one, Sunday marked our son Jeff's 27th birthday, and it was celebrated by many of his friends over a couple of days who made it special for him.   It was also special for me because Jean and I went on a retreat, the focus of which was prayer.  We had fellowship with good friends and heard excellent teaching on prayer.  We also had time to reflect on it.   During a break in the sessions, we were able to visit the chapel at the Cove, Billy Graham's retreat and conference center in North Carolina.  We heard a talk about the facility, viewed pictures of Billy Grahams crusades and life and spent a few minutes in the chapel.  The last place we visited was the prayer room which was at the highest point inside the chapel. It sat directly under the 80 foot steeple, under the cross which stood atop it.  The tour guide said that it reminded her that we laid our prayers at the foot of the cross.   Their was a scripture verse that you saw on the wall as you entered the prayer room.  It was from Philippians 4.   Phil 4:6 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.   NKJV Jeff was born at 5:05 AM on 10/25.  I always thought that it was cool.  5 plus 5 equals 10, and 5 times 5 equals 25.  As I've mentioned recently, it's been 10 years now since Jeff's accident which left him disabled and changed our lives forever.  On that morning 10 years ago I felt for sure that God would do something for Jeff on that morning.  Jeff had been in a coma and back then we were encouraged if he opened his eyes even slightly.  I was hoping for a miracle that day.  I got up and made the drive of over an hour to get to the hospital by 5:05.  I walked in to find the doctors feverishly working on Jeff.  He had bit through his tongue, there was blood all over but they were able to stitch it back up.    I had been praying for something special and hoped and believed something would.  It was not the kind of special I was thinking about.  Jeff's tongue was "stitched" in another way.  For two years he couldn't speak, but God, in His timing, released Jeff's tongue, and some of his words are the most encouraging, uplifting and challenging words that I hear.  He says thing like "I am proud to be your son", "thank you for having me", "thank you for this wonderful life".  Another one that he has said to both Jean and I at different times and in different circumstances came from today's verse.   One morning I was in helping Jeff and was not in the greatest mood myself.  Jeff was his usual happy self.  I asked him why he was always so happy.  Here is a disabled young man who can hardly do anything for himself, and he responds to me "I have the peace that passes understanding."   I have been on both ends of this verse.  I've been anxious time and time again.  And I've seen this peace that passes understanding in Jeff.  I'm still trying to achieve both things, to be anxious for nothing and to have peace.  I see both of them embodied by my son daily.   Father thank you for Your Son, thank You that we can bring our prayers and lay them at the foot of the cross from wherever we are, thank You for Jeff and how you are using him to teach me and others some of the qualities that I desperately need, thank you for answering that prayer of doing something special in Jeff, for Your honor and glory.    I hope you had a special birthday son.   In Christ, Mike   Phil 4:4-10 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. Meditate on These Things 8 Finally, brethren, whatever things are true, whatever things are noble, whatever things are just, whatever things are pure, whatever things are lovely, whatever things are of good report, if there is any virtue and if there is anything praiseworthy — meditate on these things. 9 The things which you learned and received and heard and saw in me, these do, and the God of peace will be with you. NKJV

Verse of the Day 10/23

Through the Bible - Jeremiah 12-13, 1 Timothy 6

 

Good morning,

In the book of 1 Timothy the apostle Paul has been teaching the basics to this young pastor Timothy.  Basically, he has been telling him to preserve, to pass on the Christian faith by teaching sound doctrine and being an example in right living.  He had to take a stand against the "false teachers" of his day who were trying to lead the church down the wrong path, a path which woulld actually lead away from God.

 

We too must know the truth and defend it.  And the truth is that God came to save us, from our sins and from ourselves and from those who would twist the words of the Bible for their own purposes their own gain.

J. R. Miller writes,"Many people only half read their Bibles. They skim the surface, and fail to get the full, deep meaning of the golden words. They get but half-truths, and half-truths ofttimes are misleading. Even inspired sentences standing alone, do not always give the full and final word on the doctrine or the duty which they present. Frequently it is necessary to bring other inspired sentences, and set them side by side with the first, in order to get the truth in its full-rounded completeness. "

 

We need to know the Bible, the gospel in it's " full rounded completeness " so that we will know when someone is twisting the message.

Today's verses conclude this first letter to Timothy and focus on this message.

1 Tim 6:20 O Timothy! Guard what was committed to your trust, avoiding the profane and idle babblings and contradictions of what is falsely called knowledge —  21 by professing it some have strayed concerning the faith.   NKJV
or from the NLT

1 Tim 6:20 Timothy, guard what God has entrusted to you. Avoid godless, foolish discussions with those who oppose you with their so-called knowledge. 21 Some people have wandered from the faith by following such foolishness.

The NLT calls these "babblings" of the false teachers "godless, foolisht discussions".  What do you think some of them are?  The prosperity gospel would be one.  Take a look at some of the other verses in this final chapter.

 

1 Tim 6:6 Now godliness with contentment is great gain. 7 For we brought nothing into this world, and it is certain we can carry nothing out. 8 And having food and clothing, with these we shall be content.   NKJV

1 Tim 6:10 For the love of money is the root of all kinds of evil. And some people, craving money, have wandered from the true faith and pierced themselves with many sorrows.  NLT

 

1 Tim 6:11 But you, Timothy, are a man of God; so run from all these evil things. Pursue righteousness and a godly life, along with faith, love, perseverance, and gentleness. 12 Fight the good fight for the true faith.  NLT

1 Tim 6:17 Teach those who are rich in this world not to be proud and not to trust in their money, which is so unreliable. Their trust should be in God, who richly gives us all we need for our enjoyment. 18 Tell them to use their money to do good. They should be rich in good works and generous to those in need, always being ready to share with others.  NLT

 

There is a commercial that you may have seen on TV recently, the salesman stands and tells us that "the dollar is unrealiable", that we should invest in gold.  He's got it half right.  The dollar is unreliable, but the gold that we are to invest in isn't a precious metal.  It is the gold that comes from leading a godly life with contentment, a life that has been secured by the precious blood of Christ.

In closing, going back to verse 10, money can be useful, but it is the love of money, of things, that is the root of evil.  A key factor in knowiing where you stand in regards to what you have is your contentment in verse 6.

 

What have you been taught?  What are you teaching to the next generation in doctrine and in actions? 

 

In Christ,
Mike
mikevw@bellsouth.net
http://mikesvotd.blogspot.com
Eph 1:7 In him we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of sins, in accordance with the riches of God's grace  NIV

1 Tim 6:11-21

 

Paul's Final Instructions

 

11 But you, Timothy, are a man of God; so run from all these evil things. Pursue righteousness and a godly life, along with faith, love, perseverance, and gentleness. 12 Fight the good fight for the true faith. Hold tightly to the eternal life to which God has called you, which you have confessed so well before many witnesses. 13 And I charge you before God, who gives life to all, and before Christ Jesus, who gave a good testimony before Pontius Pilate, 14 that you obey this command without wavering. Then no one can find fault with you from now until our Lord Jesus Christ comes again. 15 For at just the right time Christ will be revealed from heaven by the blessed and only almighty God, the King of all kings and Lord of all lords. 16 He alone can never die, and he lives in light so brilliant that no human can approach him. No human eye has ever seen him, nor ever will. All honor and power to him forever! Amen.

 

17 Teach those who are rich in this world not to be proud and not to trust in their money, which is so unreliable. Their trust should be in God, who richly gives us all we need for our enjoyment. 18 Tell them to use their money to do good. They should be rich in good works and generous to those in need, always being ready to share with others. 19 By doing this they will be storing up their treasure as a good foundation for the future so that they may experience true life.

 

20 Timothy, guard what God has entrusted to you. Avoid godless, foolish discussions with those who oppose you with their so-called knowledge. 21 Some people have wandered from the faith by following such foolishness.

 

May God's grace be with you all.  NLT

Verse of the Day 10/22

Through the Bible - Jeremiah 10-11, 1 Timothy 5

 

Good morning,

 

What do you "glory in", take pride in?  For some it may be career accomplishments, for many of us it may be our children our our spouse, having a "P-31 wife, (Proverbs 31), while for others it may be cars or a hobby.

If it is a person, the joy or pride is often magnified if they've accomplished something against the odds; whether it be disabilities, illness, or even being of small stature.  Sometimes we come to realize that it was the very impediments that lead or inspired them to achieve their goals.  We've seen this in our kids lives.

 

For today's verse we'll return to Jeremiah 9 where we finished yesterday.

 

Jer 9:23 This is what the Lord says:
"Don't let the wise boast in their wisdom,
or the powerful boast in their power,
or the rich boast in their riches.
24 But those who wish to boast
should boast in this alone:
that they truly know me and understand that I am the Lord
who demonstrates unfailing love
and who brings justice and righteousness to the earth,
and that I delight in these things.
I, the Lord, have spoken!  NLT

 

When you look back through the Bible to those who "boast in the Lord" you see people like Abraham, Job, David, and Paul.   All of them faced numerous trials and testing, but few "gloried" more in God and in the coming Messiah.  David was a "man after God's own heart".  Think about what God Himself said about Job, Job 2:3 "Have you considered my servant Job? There is no one on earth like him; he is blameless and upright, a man who fears God and shuns evil. "  NIV  He said this before and after Jobs trials.

J.R. Miller writes, "There are many who never saw the beauty of Christ, and never knew the intimacy of a personal friendship, until they saw him, and learned to talk to him as friend with friend - in the hour of sorrow's darkness.  When the lamps of earth went out, Christ's face appeared."

 

Consider a few words from the Third Day song , "Mountain of God"

 

Even though the journey's long,
and I know the road is hard.
Well the one who's gone before me,
He will help me carry on.
And after all that I've been through,
now I realize the truth
that I must go through the valley
to stand upon the Mountain of God.

My wife and I recently hiked up Sharp Top at the Peaks of Otter in Virginia.  The sign for the trail said that it was a strenuous 1.5 miles.  I must admit it that it was strenuous and that we did stop a few times on the way up.  But reaching the top, the view of God's creation was inspiring.  That's how our journey through the trials along the trail of life can be, especially with the one that we love.  All the other things "that charmed us most" are cast aside.  We gain strength from each other and our common faith in God.  Life is more precious, conversations with our children are more precious, and it's because Christ is more precious having made the climb - actually going before us.

 

Are you facing a mountain right now?  Rely on Christ, glory in Christ as He will help you "carry on."

In Christ,
Mike
mikevw@bellsouth.net
http://mikesvotd.blogspot.com
Eph 1:7 In him we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of sins, in accordance with the riches of God's grace  NIV
Jer 9:23-10:7

 

God's Message:
"Don't let the wise brag of their wisdom.Don't let heroes brag of their exploits.Don't let the rich brag of their riches. If you brag, brag of this and this only:That you understand and know me.I'm God, and I act in loyal love.I do what's right and set things right and fair,and delight in those who do the same things.These are my trademarks."God's Decree.
 
"Stay alert! It won't be long now" — God's Decree! — "when I will personally deal with everyone whose life is all outside but no inside: Egypt, Judah, Edom, Ammon, Moab. All these nations are big on performance religion — including Israel, who is no better."
The Stick Gods
10 Listen to the Message that God is sending your way, House of Israel. Listen most carefully:
"Don't take the godless nations as your models.Don't be impressed by their glamour and glitz,no matter how much they're impressed. The religion of these peoplesis nothing but smoke.An idol is nothing but a tree chopped down,then shaped by a woodsman's ax. They trim it with tinsel and balls,use hammer and nails to keep it upright. It's like a scarecrow in a cabbage patch — can't talk!Dead wood that has to be carried — can't walk!Don't be impressed by such stuff.It's useless for either good or evil."
All this is nothing compared to you, O God.You're wondrously great, famously great. Who can fail to be impressed by you, King of the nations?It's your very nature to be worshiped!L
The Message

Verse of the Day 10/21

Through the Bible - Jeremiah 8-9, 1 Timothy 4

 

Good morning,

I just started reading a short book written by J.R. Miller in 1886 "Silent Times -  A Book to Help in Reading the Bible into Life".  It deals with the devotional life and stresses that the Bible's doctrines should be "transmuted" incorporated into our lives.

 

Miller writes,  "Every true Christian life needs its daily "silent times," when all shall be still, when the busy activity of other hours shall cease, and when the heart, in holy hush, shall commune with God. One of the greatest needs in Christian life in these days, is more devotion. Ours is not an age of prayer so much as an age of work. The tendency is to action rather than to worship; to busy toil rather than to quiet sitting at the Savior's feet to commune with him. The key-note of our present Christian life is consecration, which is understood to mean dedication to active service. On every hand we are incited to work. Our zeal is stirred by every inspiring incentive. The calls to duty come to us from a thousand earnest voices."

 

For today's verse we'll go to today's New Testament reading in 1 Timothy 4 in a passage where we are told to "give attention" to and "take heed " to the doctrines that we are taught in the Word.  Today's verses tell us to apply these to our lives.

 

1 Tim 4:11-15  Get the word out. Teach all these things. And don't let anyone put you down because you're young. Teach believers with your life: by word, by demeanor, by love, by faith, by integrity. Stay at your post reading Scripture, giving counsel, teaching. And that special gift of ministry you were given when the leaders of the church laid hands on you and prayed — keep that dusted off and in use.   The Message

 

Paul was instructing Timothy, a young pastor, but it doesn't matter how old we are or how young in the faith we are, we can apply what we learn and "teach others with our life".

 

Nietzsche made a true and convicting statement when he said, "You will have to look more redeemed if I am to believe in your Redeemer."

Yesterday we considered  in Jeremiah "Plow your unplowed fields, but then don't plant weeds in the soil! "   Combining yesterday's thoughtss with today's I go back to J.R. Miller  "All the noble things that fall from your hands, as you travel along life's paths, are seeds, and will not die. The good things we do, with the true words we speak, with the faithful example we show, with all the influences of our life that are Christlike, are living seeds which we sow in the lives of others. They will not fall into the ground and perish. They will stay where they drop, and you will find them again after many days. They will germinate and grow, and yield a harvest!

Go on doing the little things, no matter how small, only making sure that you breathe love into them. Let them fall where they may, no matter into what heart, no matter how silently, no matter how hopeless may seem the soil into which they drop, no matter how you yourself may appear to be forgotten or overlooked as you do your deeds of kindness, and speak your words of love. These words and deeds and influences of yours are living seeds, and not one of them shall perish!"

 

As we travell along life's path, we should be "getting the word out" in word and deed, scattering seeds of kindness and words of love.  Maybe someone with the outlook of Nietzsche would be more convinced of our Redeemer.

 

I'll close with a verse from today's Old Testament reading in Jeremiah:

Jer 9:23 Thus says the Lord:

"Let not the wise man glory in his wisdom,
Let not the mighty man glory in his might,
Nor let the rich man glory in his riches;
24 But let him who glories glory in this,
That he understands and knows Me,
That I am the Lord, exercising lovingkindness, judgment, and righteousness in the earth.
For in these I delight," says the Lord.   NKJV

 

Use some silent time each day to get to know Him and then live accordingly day by day.

In Christ,
Mike
mikevw@bellsouth.net
http://mikesvotd.blogspot.com
Eph 1:7 In him we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of sins, in accordance with the riches of God's grace  NIV
1 Tim 4:6-5:1

 

A Good Servant of Christ Jesus

 

6 If you explain these things to the brothers and sisters, Timothy, you will be a worthy servant of Christ Jesus, one who is nourished by the message of faith and the good teaching you have followed. 7 Do not waste time arguing over godless ideas and old wives' tales. Instead, train yourself to be godly. 8 "Physical training is good, but training for godliness is much better, promising benefits in this life and in the life to come." 9 This is a trustworthy saying, and everyone should accept it. 10 This is why we work hard and continue to struggle, for our hope is in the living God, who is the Savior of all people and particularly of all believers.

 

11 Teach these things and insist that everyone learn them. 12 Don't let anyone think less of you because you are young. Be an example to all believers in what you say, in the way you live, in your love, your faith, and your purity. 13 Until I get there, focus on reading the Scriptures to the church, encouraging the believers, and teaching them.

 

14 Do not neglect the spiritual gift you received through the prophecy spoken over you when the elders of the church laid their hands on you. 15 Give your complete attention to these matters. Throw yourself into your tasks so that everyone will see your progress. 16 Keep a close watch on how you live and on your teaching. Stay true to what is right for the sake of your own salvation and the salvation of those who hear you.  NLT

Verse of the Day 10/20

Through the Bible - Jeremiah 6-7, 1 Timothy 3

 

Good morning,

When things break down we need something to hold our life together, for Christians it is the power of Christ.  Yesterday in Jeremiah 2:13, we saw that when people reject God, they turn to something else to hold things together.  Unfortunately those things are broken cisterns or cracked pots that don't hold anything of value.

 

Turning once again to the letter from Dietrich Bonhoeffer from yesterday, he wrote, "The fact is that historical success creates a basis for the continuance of life, and it is still a moot point whether it is ethically more responsible to take the field like a Don Quixote against a new age, or to admit ones defeat, accept the new age and agree to serve it.  In the last resort success makes history; and the ruler of history repeatedly brings good out of evil over the heads of the history makers......   We will not and must not be either outraged critics or opportunists, but must take our share of responsibility for the moulding of history in every situation and at every moment, whether we are the victors of the vanquished."

 

As Christians, we are to know and realize that God the Father is the Ruler of history.

 

For today's verse from Jeremiah 4 we'll see just how we are to "take our share of responsibility" in our own lives, in our society as in Jeremiah's day.

 

Jer 4:3-Here's another Message from God
to the people of Judah and Jerusalem:
"Plow your unplowed fields,
but then don't plant weeds in the soil!
Yes, circumcise your lives for God's sake.
Plow your unplowed hearts,
all you people of Judah and Jerusalem.
Prevent fire — the fire of my anger —
for once it starts it can't be put out.
Your wicked ways
are fuel for the fire.      (from THE MESSAGE)

Reading these verses bring several other scripture passages to mind.  The parable of the sower for one, Jesus' teaching in Matthew 16 on what is required to "follow Him", and 1 Corinthians 13.

We are not going to break up the "hard ground" around us until our hearts are first softened by God's Word which can then be put into action.  Read the following verses.

 

Matt 16:24 Then Jesus said to his disciples, "If any of you wants to be my follower, you must turn from your selfish ways, take up your cross, and follow me. 25 If you try to hang on to your life, you will lose it. But if you give up your life for my sake, you will save it.   NLT

In Jesus' time, if you saw someone carrying a cross you would identify him as a walking dead man.  In this verse Jesus paints the picture of a Christian as a walking dead man.  Dead to their old ways, dead to self, but very much alive in Christ.  The apostle Paul, Martin Luther, and Bonhoeffer were good examples of this.  They took responsibility in the toughest situations.

 

The other point about the hard ground, in others it can be softened turned by the Word of God, but must be done in love.

 

1 Cor 13:1-7 Though I speak with the tongues of men and of angels, but have not love, I have become sounding brass or a clanging cymbal. 2 And though I have the gift of prophecy, and understand all mysteries and all knowledge, and though I have all faith, so that I could remove mountains, but have not love, I am nothing. 3 And though I bestow all my goods to feed the poor, and though I give my body to be burned, but have not love, it profits me nothing.

 

4 Love suffers long and is kind; love does not envy; love does not parade itself, is not puffed up; 5 does not behave rudely, does not seek its own, is not provoked, thinks no evil; 6 does not rejoice in iniquity, but rejoices in the truth; 7 bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things.    NKJV

Without love it all amounts to nothing.

In Christ,
Mike
mikevw@bellsouth.net
http://mikesvotd.blogspot.com
Eph 1:7 In him we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of sins, in accordance with the riches of God's grace  NIV
Jer 4:1-5

 

4 1 "O Israel," says the Lord,
"if you wanted to return to me, you could.
You could throw away your detestable idols
and stray away no more.
2 Then when you swear by my name, saying,
'As surely as the Lord lives,'
you could do so
with truth, justice, and righteousness.
Then you would be a blessing to the nations of the world,
and all people would come and praise my name."

 

Coming Judgment against Judah

 

3 This is what the Lord says to the people of Judah and Jerusalem:

 

"Plow up the hard ground of your hearts!
Do not waste your good seed among thorns.
4 O people of Judah and Jerusalem,
surrender your pride and power.
Change your hearts before the Lord,
or my anger will burn like an unquenchable fire
because of all your sins.  NLT

Verse of the Day 10/19

Through the Bible - Jeremiah 4-5, 1 Timothy 2

 

Good morning,

What is one of the more outrageous excuses or rationalizations that you've heard recently?  Was if from the personal sphere or did it come from government/politics?

 

More and more we see that personal and societal issues are being decided with little or no concern with how they match up with God's principles outlined in the Bible.

 

Over the weekend, the Bible reading plan outlined above, moved us into the book of Jeremiah, who some theologians refer to as the "weeping prophet".   What he weeped or lamented over was how far the nation had fallen away from God.

 

For today's verse we'll go to Jeremiah chapter 2.

Jer 2:11 Has a nation changed its gods,
Which are not gods?
But My people have changed their Glory
For what does not profit. ......

Jer 2:13 'For My people have committed two evils:
They have forsaken Me, the fountain of living waters,
And hewn themselves cisterns — broken cisterns that can hold no water.    NKJV

In Biblical times and today there are times when peoples, nations have forsaken God for more self or should I selfish rule.

 

Dietrich Bonhoeffer, much like the prophet Jeremiah took a stand for God against Nazi rule in Germany in the late 30's and 40's.  He was executed for his stand shortly before the end of World War II.  In a letter from prison he wrote, "For evil to appear disguised as light, charity, historical necessity, or social justice is quite bewildering to anyone brought up on our traditional ethical concepts, while for the Christian who bases his life on the Bible it merely confirms the fundemental wickedness of evil."

If we have a Christian "worldview", we should be filtering what is going on around us with God's Word, and see through what what is disguised as light for what it is.  History shows us examples of what happens when a society doesn't.

 

In our country, it's not that we have forgotten God (is it?), but we do see people trying to eradicate God from every aspect of the public arena.  God is being replaced by government programs and legislations.  Can you see the similarities with the verses above?  What are the cisterns, the modern cisterns that we see the can hold no water, no life giving water?

 

Consider the two evils mentioned in Jer 2:13 forsaking, turning from God, and carving out broken cisterns or systems that hold now water, or possibly which leak and waste money.

 

What should a history lesson on God's dealings with His people inspire in us?

"And, insomuch as we know that, by His divine law, nations like individuals are subjected to punishments and chastisements in this world, may we not justly fear that the awful calamity of civil war, which now desolates the land, may be but a punishment, inflicted upon us, for our presumptuous sins, to the needful end of our national reformation as a whole People? We have been the recipients of the choicest bounties of Heaven. We have been preserved, these many years, in peace and prosperity. We have grown in numbers, wealth and power, as no other nation has ever grown. But we have forgotten God. We have forgotten the gracious hand which preserved us in peace, and multiplied and enriched and strengthened us; and we have vainly imagined, in the deceitfulness of our hearts, that all these blessings were produced by some superior wisdom and virtue of our own. Intoxicated with unbroken success, we have become too self-sufficient to feel the necessity of redeeming and preserving grace, too proud to pray to the God that made us!

It behooves us then, to humble ourselves before the offended Power, to confess our national sins, and to pray for clemency and forgiveness."  Abraham Lincoln

In Christ,
Mike
mikevw@bellsouth.net
http://mikesvotd.blogspot.com
Eph 1:7 In him we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of sins, in accordance with the riches of God's grace  NIV

Jer 2:4-14

 

4 Hear the word of the Lord, O house of Jacob and all the families of the house of Israel. 5 Thus says the Lord:

 

"What injustice have your fathers found in Me,
That they have gone far from Me,
Have followed idols,
And have become idolaters?
6 Neither did they say, 'Where is the Lord,
Who brought us up out of the land of Egypt,
Who led us through the wilderness,
Through a land of deserts and pits,
Through a land of drought and the shadow of death,
Through a land that no one crossed
And where no one dwelt?'
7 I brought you into a bountiful country,
To eat its fruit and its goodness.
But when you entered, you defiled My land
And made My heritage an abomination.
8 The priests did not say, 'Where is the Lord?'
And those who handle the law did not know Me;
The rulers also transgressed against Me;
The prophets prophesied by Baal,
And walked after things that do not profit.

 

9 "Therefore I will yet bring charges against you," says the Lord,
"And against your children's children I will bring charges.
10 For pass beyond the coasts of Cyprus and see,
Send to Kedar and consider diligently,
And see if there has been such a thing.
11 Has a nation changed its gods,
Which are not gods?
But My people have changed their Glory
For what does not profit.
12 Be astonished, O heavens, at this,
And be horribly afraid;
Be very desolate," says the Lord.
13 'For My people have committed two evils:
They have forsaken Me, the fountain of living waters,
And hewn themselves cisterns — broken cisterns that can hold no water.   NKJV

Verse of the Day - weekend 10/17

Through the Bible - Isaiah 65- Jeremiah 3, 2 Thessalonians 3 - 1 Timothy 1

 

Good morning,

Yestereday we considered hope and being prepared to share the reason for the hope that is in us.

 

Sometimes, we become so busy in our lives that we hardly have or take the time to share this hope.  As you reflect on Jesus life you realize that he was a busy person but many of his miracles were performed, many of his greatest lessons were taught when he was interrupted by someone with a need.  He didn't blow them off, I don't recall ever hearing him say, "I'm too busy" come back later.

 

Helmut Thielicke made the following sobering statement, "anybody who loves must also be prepared to have his plans interrupted".  

 

Think about that.  1 Peter 3:15 told us that we were to be prepared to share the hope that is in us, but are we ready, are we prepared to have our plans interrupted?

 

You are probably familiar with the parable of the good Samaritan.  Who was willing to have his plans interrupted?  Who did Jesus say was the neighbor, not the local people of the town, but someone else on a journey, a despised Samaritan.  Jesus continues to ask the same question of us every time we read the parable, every time we have the opportunity to be interrupted with an opportunity to show compassion.

Luke 10:36 "Now which of these three would you say was a neighbor to the man who was attacked by bandits?" Jesus asked.

37 The man replied, "The one who showed him mercy."

Then Jesus said, "Yes, now go and do the same."   NLT

In a sermon on this parable Thielicke stated, "Who Jesus Christ is you learn from your imprisoned, hungry, distressed brothers.  For it is in them that he meets us. He is always in the depths.  And we shall draw near to these brethren only if we open our eyes to see the misery around us.  And we can open our eyes only when we love.  But we cannot go and do and love, if we stop and ask first "Who is my neighbor?".  The devil has been waiting for us to ask the question; and he will always whisper into your ears only the most convenient answers.  We human beings always fall for the easiest answers.  No, we can love only if we have the mind of Jesus and turn the lawyer's question around.  Then we shall ask not "who is my neighbor?" but "to whom am I a neighbor?.  Who is laid at my door?  Who is expecting help from me and looks upon me as his neighbor?  This reversal of questions is precisely the point of this parable."

 

If I am honest, I must admit that I've accepted, I've chosen the most convenient and easiest answers all too often in my life.  But if we are willing to go into the depths with someone, in the midst of their need, our eyes will be opened, and we will see Jesus, and hopefully they will see Jesus.   We will have the opportunity to see Him at work in the situation.

 

My hope and prayer this morning is that we would be prepared to be interrupted.  Be ready to serve, to consider "to whom am I a neighbor?"  May we realize:

 

Everyone needs compassion,
Love that's never failing;
Let mercy fall on me.

Everyone needs forgiveness,
The kindness of a Saviour;
The Hope of nations.

Saviour, He can move the mountains,
My God is Mighty to save,
He is Mighty to save.

Read the parable below.  How does it speak to you this weekend?  How is Jesus speaking to you?

 

Notice also that this parable leads right into the account of Jesus meeting Martha and Mary, another lesson on being "too busy".

In Christ,
Mike
mikevw@bellsouth.net
http://mikesvotd.blogspot.com
Eph 1:7 In him we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of sins, in accordance with the riches of God's grace  NIV

Luke 10:30-38

 

Parable of the Good Samaritan

 

30 Jesus replied with a story: "A Jewish man was traveling on a trip from Jerusalem to Jericho, and he was attacked by bandits. They stripped him of his clothes, beat him up, and left him half dead beside the road.

 

31 "By chance a priest came along. But when he saw the man lying there, he crossed to the other side of the road and passed him by. 32 A Temple assistant walked over and looked at him lying there, but he also passed by on the other side.

 

33 "Then a despised Samaritan came along, and when he saw the man, he felt compassion for him. 34 Going over to him, the Samaritan soothed his wounds with olive oil and wine and bandaged them. Then he put the man on his own donkey and took him to an inn, where he took care of him. 35 The next day he handed the innkeeper two silver coins, telling him, 'Take care of this man. If his bill runs higher than this, I'll pay you the next time I'm here.'

 

36 "Now which of these three would you say was a neighbor to the man who was attacked by bandits?" Jesus asked.

 

37 The man replied, "The one who showed him mercy."

 

Then Jesus said, "Yes, now go and do the same."   NLT

Verse of the Day 10/16

Through the Bible - Isaiah 62-64, 2 Thessalonians 2   Good morning,  Are you hopeful?  As Christians we should be.  Just about anybody can have hope, but it is important to know what that hope is based upon.   The apostle Peter wrote in 1 Peter: 1 Peter 3:15 "you must worship Christ as Lord of your life. And if someone asks about your Christian hope, always be ready to explain it." NLT We should be known as hopeful people.  If an unbeliever watches you for a while and asks you about the hope that you have and show, possibly during a trial, we should be prepared to answer him.  Our hope should show in joy, love, endurance through difficult times, and boldness to hope against the odds.   Is this hope irrational?  Think of David standing before Goliath, Abraham being told he would be the father of many nations when at 90 years old he was still waiting for a son, or Elijah challenging the 400 prophets of Baal, or perhaps Peter stepping out of the boat in the storm.  The list goes on and on.   What was their hope based on, what is our hope based on?  We see it in today's verse from 2 Thessalonians 2 - hope by grace. 2 Thess 2:16 Now may our Lord Jesus Christ Himself, and our God and Father, who has loved us and given us everlasting consolation and good hope by grace, 17 comfort your hearts and establish you in every good word and work.    NKJV   John Piper writes, "Our hope is rooted in the grace of God. It is based on the grace of God. If God were not a gracious God, we would have no hope. We could cross our fingers. We could have strong desires and wishes. We could even perhaps decide, by sheer dint of will-power, to be positive thinkers and thus make the best of our brief and uncertain lives. But there could be no talk of moral certainty about good things in the future. There could be no confident expectation that all things will work out in a wonderfully happy way for us. The foundation of that confidence—that biblical hope—is the grace of God." It is a firm foundation.  I'm reminded of the old hymn:   My Hope Is Built (The Solid Rock)   My hope is built on nothing less Than Jesus' blood and righteousness. I dare not trust the sweetest frame, But wholly trust in Jesus' Name. Refrain On Christ the solid Rock I stand, All other ground is sinking sand; All other ground is sinking sand.   When darkness seems to hide His face, I rest on His unchanging grace. In every high and stormy gale, My anchor holds within the veil.. Refrain His oath, His covenant, His blood, Support me in the whelming flood. When all around my soul gives way, He then is all my Hope and Stay. Read the preceeding verses (below).  Piper concludes, "The reason we have eternal comfort and good hope is that our salvation is a great work of God. He elected, he called, he sanctifies, and he preserves us for glory. This is the truth in which we believe and rest. This is an eternal comfort and this is a good hope. And I pray that you accept it for yourself and experience its sweetness."   May you experience this hope today.  May you be willing to share with others the "hope that is in you."   In Christ, Mike   2 Thess 2:13-3:1 Believers Should Stand Firm 13 As for us, we can't help but thank God for you, dear brothers and sisters loved by the Lord. We are always thankful that God chose you to be among the first to experience salvation—a salvation that came through the Spirit who makes you holy and through your belief in the truth. 14 He called you to salvation when we told you the Good News; now you can share in the glory of our Lord Jesus Christ. 15 With all these things in mind, dear brothers and sisters, stand firm and keep a strong grip on the teaching we passed on to you both in person and by letter. 16 Now may our Lord Jesus Christ himself and God our Father, who loved us and by his grace gave us eternal comfort and a wonderful hope, 17 comfort you and strengthen you in every good thing you do and say.  NLT

Verse of the Day 10/15

Through the Bible - Isaiah 59-60, 2 Thessalonians 1   Good morning, In keeping with the sustainabilty theme we'll return once again to Isaiah 55, this time looking to the Word of God as the means by which God sustains us.   These verses are one of the reasons that I send out these devotionals.  It's not anything that I say or write, or other comments or song lyrics that I quote, but if anything is to be accomplished it is the power of His Word.   TJohn Piper points out that these verses reveal at least three things about the Word of God, three "S's" - a Span from heaven to earth, it is a "seed" of life, and it is "sovereign" and triumphant. Isa 55:10 "For as the rain comes down, and the snow from heaven, And do not return there, But water the earth, And make it bring forth and bud, That it may give seed to the sower And bread to the eater, 11 So shall My word be that goes forth from My mouth; It shall not return to Me void, But it shall accomplish what I please, And it shall prosper in the thing for which I sent it.   NKJV Let's go through this, first there is a span, a distance between us and God, between heaven and earth that show us how helpless our situation is without God, without His Word.  But He sends His Word down.  As the rain and snow comes down, sometimes in storms sometimes in gentle showers and some times in the quiet solitude of snow (I love that quietness) he comes down to us and speaks to us.  And with the rain come blessings.  I won't quote the song lyrics here but think of the words to "Grace Like Rain".   Second God's Word is a seed of life.  Piper points out that it waters the earth, makes it bring forth, makes it sprout, it gives seed to the sower, and it gives bread to the eater. "In other words God wants you this morning when you read these two verses to believe with all your heart that his Word is a SEED OF LIFE. When he draws near to you in his Word, he wants you to feel the way your brown backyard would feel when the rain starts to fall on it. He wants you to feel the way a Minnesota cornstalk would feel when the moisture starts coursing up through the stem and pushing out plump, yellow kernels of corn, or the way the farmer would feel when there is plenty of corn for feed and for planting next year's crop. And he wants you to remember those cool, fall mornings at the breakfast table with the smell of fresh toast whetting your appetite. In other words God wants his Word to be eaten with joy and hope and satisfaction."   Third, His word proves, reveals, that He is sovereign, He is in control and He will accomplish His purposes, and it will stand forever.   Isa 40:8 The grass withers, the flower fades, But the word of our God stands forever."   NKJV Think of the praise song "Lord I Lift Your Name on High"- You came from heaven to earth to show the way, from the earth to the cross - my debt to pay, from the cross to the grave from the grave to the sky, Lord I lift your name on high.   What does His Word mean to you today? In Christ, Mike   Isa 55:6-56:1 6 Seek the Lord while He may be found,Call upon Him while He is near. 7 Let the wicked forsake his way,And the unrighteous man his thoughts;Let him return to the Lord,And He will have mercy on him;And to our God,For He will abundantly pardon. 8 "For My thoughts are not your thoughts,Nor are your ways My ways," says the Lord. 9 "For as the heavens are higher than the earth,So are My ways higher than your ways,And My thoughts than your thoughts. 10 "For as the rain comes down, and the snow from heaven,And do not return there,But water the earth,And make it bring forth and bud,That it may give seed to the sowerAnd bread to the eater, 11 So shall My word be that goes forth from My mouth;It shall not return to Me void,But it shall accomplish what I please,And it shall prosper in the thing for which I sent it. 12 "For you shall go out with joy,And be led out with peace;The mountains and the hillsShall break forth into singing before you,And all the trees of the field shall clap their hands. 13 Instead of the thorn shall come up the cypress tree,And instead of the brier shall come up the myrtle tree;And it shall be to the Lord for a name,For an everlasting sign that shall not be cut off." NKJV

Verse of the Day 10/14

Through the Bible - Isaiah 56-58, 1 Thessalonians 5   Good morning, This morning we'll continue our "green" series on God's sustainability..   For years gasoline and energy in general seemed abundant, that there was almost a limitless supply.  It wasn't until we ran into shortages and experienced long lines at the gas pumps, brown outs with electricity and other things that made it clear that conventional power isn't limitless. In the "green" movement we are encourage to turn to renewable resources such as solar and wind power.   In the Old Testament there were times when the resources ran short. Times of famine in while the Israelites were in Egypt or wandering in the desert.  In the desert God provided manna, day after day.  Elijah retreated to the wilderness and was fed by ravens..  Eventually the creek ran dry and God provided sustenance for Elijah and the widow and her son, renewing the supply of oil and bread daily.   Sometimes it takes the wandering in our own deserts, run low on our own resources, and come to the point where we must trust in God to provide before we'll turn to him.  Sometimes in the midst of this we question God's ways.   For today's verse we'll return to Isaiah 55 to a couple of verses which speak of God's ways.   Isa 55:8 "For My thoughts are not your thoughts, Nor are your ways My ways," says the Lord. 9 "For as the heavens are higher than the earth, So are My ways higher than your ways, And My thoughts than your thoughts.   NKJV We tend to think of sustenance in terms of physical needs, but the same thing applies to our spiritual needs.  All too often we become self sufficient and something needs to be done to brought us back.    Sometimes it is finding ourselves in a physical or spiritual desert that bring us coming face to face with the Saviour.   Helmut Thielicke in his book "The Waiting Father" writes, "Anybody who has gone through something hard with Jesus holding his hand, anybody who has had him as the companion of his anguish when he went through the bitterness of prison camp, when he was driven from house and home, when he was dragged from the smoking ruins of a bombed cellar - that person would not for all the world would have missed these experiences.  He does not say - in any case I have never yet heard anyone say - "because of all the hardships I have had to undergo, God must surely give me a higher place in heaven".  What he does say is this, "Not until I went down into the depths of hunger, fear, and loneliness did I experience the nearness of the Lord..  There is where I first learned who Jesus is and how he can save and comfort and sustain a man.  For the rest of my life I shall live by the blessings of those hours of 'burden and heat'.  I had to be sent down those rough roads in order that I might see that he really does know the way.  I had to go through the valley of the shadow to know the shepherd.  Otherwise I would never have experienced all this."   Look back through the Bible to Joseph, Moses, David, Paul; I think that they'd agree with this statement.  Looking back through the valleys of your life can you say the same?   Matt Redman captures the heart of this in the lyrics to one of the popular praise songs "Blessed Be Your Name".  Here are a few lines.   Blessed be Your name When the sun's shining down on me When the world's 'all as it should be' Blessed be Your name Blessed be Your name On the road marked with suffering Though there's pain in the offering Blessed be Your name Every blessing You pour out I'll turn back to praise When the darkness closes in, Lord Still I will say Blessed be the name of the Lord Blessed be Your name Do you feel like you're in a desert place today.  Call on Him, keep calling on Him day by day.   In Christ, Mike   Isa 55:8-56:1 8 "For My thoughts are not your thoughts,Nor are your ways My ways," says the Lord. 9 "For as the heavens are higher than the earth,So are My ways higher than your ways,And My thoughts than your thoughts. 10 "For as the rain comes down, and the snow from heaven,And do not return there,But water the earth,And make it bring forth and bud,That it may give seed to the sowerAnd bread to the eater, 11 So shall My word be that goes forth from My mouth;It shall not return to Me void,But it shall accomplish what I please,And it shall prosper in the thing for which I sent it. 12 "For you shall go out with joy,And be led out with peace;The mountains and the hillsShall break forth into singing before you,And all the trees of the field shall clap their hands. 13 Instead of the thorn shall come up the cypress tree,And instead of the brier shall come up the myrtle tree;And it shall be to the Lord for a name,For an everlasting sign that shall not be cut off." NKJV

Verse of the Day 10/13

Through the Bible - Isaiah 54-55, 1 Thessalonians 4

 

Good morning,

Yesterday we considered sustainability.  All of us need to be fed to sustained day by day, as a Christian we need spiritual food.  Fortunately, we have the Lord as our unlimited resource, but we need to seek Him.  I'm reminded of Psalm 42 where David gives us a picture of the deer that daily returns to the brook for the water that is necessary for life.

 

Ps 42:1 As the deer pants for the water brooks,
So pants my soul for You, O God.
2 My soul thirsts for God, for the living God.   NKJV

Everyone thirsts for what Jesus has to offer, sad to say, far to few will go to Him for it even though He is calling out.  Today's Old Testament reading brings us to Isaiah 55 where we see this call.

As you read the verses consider these three questions:  1.) Who are invited, 2) What are they offered, and 3) What are they to do in order to get it?

 

Isa 55:1-3
 "Ho! Everyone who thirsts,
Come to the waters;
And you who have no money,
Come, buy and eat.
Yes, come, buy wine and milk
Without money and without price.
2 Why do you spend money for what is not bread,
And your wages for what does not satisfy?
Listen carefully to Me, and eat what is good,
And let your soul delight itself in abundance.   NKJV

There are two kinds of people that are invited; the thirsty who are broke and cannot pay; and the thirsty who think they can pay and work their way to satisfaction.

 

They are offered that their thirst can be quenched, they can be refreshed, they can be nourished.  When you are thirsty, whether it is hiking up a mountain or hiking in the desert you need to be hydrated.  Water is what we need at these times, I can't recall craving a milk shake at these times.Ps 23:2 "He leads me beside the still waters. "
 

Milk represents the need for nourshment.  John Piper writes, "Milk corresponds to the need for ongoing nourishment. When someone is gasping for life, you give them water. But when you want a little baby to grow day after day, you give it milk again and again. God is not just for emergencies and mountain peaks. He is for health in the long haul. He invites you not only to come alive with water, but also to be stable and strong with milk.

Wine corresponds to the need for exhilaration. We want to live and not die. We want to be strong and stable instead of weak and wavering. But that is not all we need in life. No matter how stoic, unemotional, phlegmatic, laid-back, or poker-faced we may seem to others, there is a child inside of every one of us that God made for exhilaration—for shouting and singing and dancing and playing and skipping and running and jumping and laughing. "

So what are we to do to get it, John Piper points out 12 commands that are found within these verses:

There are 12 imperatives in these three verses. The most pleasant, most inviting, 12 commandments you will ever hear. I'll point them out as we read it together.

1) Ho, every one who thirsts, come to the waters [#1]; and he who has no money, come [#2], buy [#3] and eat [#4]! Come [#5], buy wine and milk [#6] without money and without price. 2) Why do you spend your money for that which is not bread, and your labor for that which does not satisfy? Hearken diligently to me [#7] and eat what is good [#8], and delight yourselves in fatness [#9]. 3) Incline your ear [#10], and come to me [#11]; hear [#12] that your soul may live; and I will make with you an everlasting covenant, my steadfast, sure love for David.

When you ponder these 12 commandments for a moment, they fall into a natural pattern. First there are three commands to listen carefully to what God is saying (one in verse 2 and two in verse 3). So I urge you, as we close, take heed how you hear. Are you leaning into God's Word? God pleads this morning: don't let the advertisements for the world drown out this invitation to heaven!

In summary, we are to come to Him, buy, eat, and enjoy.   Will you do so today?  What will this look like?  What changes will it bring to your day, to your life if you do?

Read the last few lines of the Steve Green song "A Chasing of the Wind"

Why do we live without Jesus?

Why do we waste another day?

He is the life that sustains us

The only hope for us today

So tell me, why do we live

Why do we live without Him?

In Christ,
Mike
mikevw@bellsouth.net
http://mikesvotd.blogspot.com
Eph 1:7 In him we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of sins, in accordance with the riches of God's grace  NIV
Isa 55:1-10

 

An Invitation to Abundant Life

 

55 "Ho! Everyone who thirsts,
Come to the waters;
And you who have no money,
Come, buy and eat.
Yes, come, buy wine and milk
Without money and without price.
2 Why do you spend money for what is not bread,
And your wages for what does not satisfy?
Listen carefully to Me, and eat what is good,
And let your soul delight itself in abundance.
3 Incline your ear, and come to Me.
Hear, and your soul shall live;
And I will make an everlasting covenant with you —
The sure mercies of David.
4 Indeed I have given him as a witness to the people,
A leader and commander for the people.
5 Surely you shall call a nation you do not know,
And nations who do not know you shall run to you,
Because of the Lord your God,
And the Holy One of Israel;
For He has glorified you."

 

6 Seek the Lord while He may be found,
Call upon Him while He is near.
7 Let the wicked forsake his way,
And the unrighteous man his thoughts;
Let him return to the Lord,
And He will have mercy on him;
And to our God,
For He will abundantly pardon.   NKJV

Verse of the Day 10/12

Through the Bible - Isaiah 51-53, 1 Thessalonians 3:6-13

 

Good morning,

I'm sure that each of us has heard something about the "green movement" and sustainability.  Going to Wikopedia (I know it isn't an official definition) you find this:

Sustainability, in a broad sense, is the capacity to endure. In eology,  the word describes how biological systems remain diverse and productive over time. For humans it is the potential for long-term maintenance of wellbeing, which in turn depends on the wellbeing of the natural world and the responsible use of natural resources .

 

In our High School Bible study class this week we were looking at John chapter 6 where we'll go for today's verse.

John 6:26 Jesus answered, "I tell you the truth, you are looking for me, not because you saw miraculous signs but because you ate the loaves and had your fill. 27 Do not work for food that spoils, but for food that endures to eternal life, which the Son of Man will give you. On him God the Father has placed his seal of approval."   NIV

The word that struck me was that word endures.  Never ending, an endless supply, that is available every day, is new every morning. 

 

As we went through the chapter we consideded the feeding of the 5000, we considered the manna that God gave to the Israelites in the desert.  They were resources that came from God.  God is the ulitmate authority of being "green".  He sustains us every day, we can be renewed every day from his abundant limitless supply.

 

We concluded our class with the following verses from that chapter.

 

John 6:66 From that time many of His disciples went back and walked with Him no more. 67 Then Jesus said to the twelve, "Do you also want to go away?"

 

68 But Simon Peter answered Him, "Lord, to whom shall we go? You have the words of eternal life. 69 Also we have come to believe and know that You are the Christ, the Son of the living God."   NKJV

 

If you have some time read through the chapter.  Perhaps a portion each day for the next several days.  Look for God's formula "sustainability" seeking Him for the strength for the day, for each passing moment.  I was reminded of the old hymn "Day by Day and with Each Passing Moment.

 

1. Day by day, and with each passing moment,
   Strength I find to meet my trials here;
   Trusting in my Father's wise bestowment,
   I've no cause for worry or for fear.
   He, whose heart is kind beyond all measure,
   Gives unto each day what He deems best,
   Lovingly its part of pain and pleasure,
   Mingling toil with peace and rest.
2. Every day the Lord Himself is near me,
   With a special mercy for each hour;
   All my cares He fain would bear and cheer me,
   He whose name is Counsellor and Pow'r.
   The protection of His child and treasure
   Is a charge that on Himself He laid;
   "As thy days, thy strength shall be in measure,"
   This the pledge to me He made.
3. Help me then, in every tribulation,
   So to trust Thy promises, O Lord,
   That I lose not faith's sweet consolation,
   Offered me within Thy holy Word.
   Help me, Lord, when toil and trouble meeting,
   E'er to take, as from a father's hand,
   One by one, the days, the moments fleeting,
   Till with Christ the Lord I stand.

The strength that God supplies endures.  It is for today, he will provide it tomorrow and it will endure to eternity.  All the other things that we strive for will pass away.  But His love, mercy, and compassion will endure forever.  What other verses or passages come to your mind to reinforce this?

 

In Christ,
Mike
mikevw@bellsouth.net
http://mikesvotd.blogspot.com
Eph 1:7 In him we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of sins, in accordance with the riches of God's grace  NIV

John 6:22-41

 

The Bread from Heaven

 

22 On the following day, when the people who were standing on the other side of the sea saw that there was no other boat there, except that one which His disciples had entered, and that Jesus had not entered the boat with His disciples, but His disciples had gone away alone —  23 however, other boats came from Tiberias, near the place where they ate bread after the Lord had given thanks —  24 when the people therefore saw that Jesus was not there, nor His disciples, they also got into boats and came to Capernaum, seeking Jesus. 25 And when they found Him on the other side of the sea, they said to Him, "Rabbi, when did You come here?"

 

26 Jesus answered them and said, "Most assuredly, I say to you, you seek Me, not because you saw the signs, but because you ate of the loaves and were filled.  27 Do not labor for the food which perishes, but for the food which endures to everlasting life, which the Son of Man will give you, because God the Father has set His seal on Him."

 

28 Then they said to Him, "What shall we do, that we may work the works of God?"

 

29 Jesus answered and said to them, "This is the work of God, that you believe in Him whom He sent."

 

30 Therefore they said to Him,"What sign will You perform then, that we may see it and believe You? What work will You do? 31 Our fathers ate the manna in the desert; as it is written, 'He gave them bread from heaven to eat.'"

 

32 Then Jesus said to them, "Most assuredly, I say to you, Moses did not give you the bread from heaven, but My Father gives you the true bread from heaven.  33 For the bread of God is He who comes down from heaven and gives life to the world."

 

34 Then they said to Him, "Lord, give us this bread always."

 

35 And Jesus said to them, "I am the bread of life. He who comes to Me shall never hunger, and he who believes in Me shall never thirst.  36 But I said to you that you have seen Me and yet do not believe.  37 All that the Father gives Me will come to Me, and the one who comes to Me I will by no means cast out.  38 For I have come down from heaven, not to do My own will, but the will of Him who sent Me.  39 This is the will of the Father who sent Me, that of all He has given Me I should lose nothing, but should raise it up at the last day.  40 And this is the will of Him who sent Me, that everyone who sees the Son and believes in Him may have everlasting life; and I will raise him up at the last day."

 

NKJV

Verse of the Day - weekend 10/10

Through the Bible - Isaiah 45-50, 1 Thessalonians 2:1-3:5

 

Good morning,

I've mentioned before that Helmut Thielicke's sermons on the Lord's Prayer were delivered in war torn Germany amid the bombings of the Allied forces.  His sermon on "Thy Kingdom Come" was delivered in the choir of a church that had been reduced to ruins in a previous air raid.  In this sermon he stated , "The greatest mysteries of God are always enacted in the depths; and therefore it is the cry from the depths that always has the greatest promise".

 

Thielicke shared how he felt when he returned to his church which had been bombed and reduced to rubble, he felt utterly stricken.  He shared the following story:

"On one occasion when I was absorbed in these gloomy thoughts I was looking down into the concrete pit of a cellar which had been shattered by a bomb and in which more than 50 people had been killed.  A woman came up to me and asked whether I was so and so, since she was not sure who I was in the clothes I wore.  Then she said, "my husband died down there.  His place was right under that hole.  The clean up squad was unable to find a trace of him, all that was left was his cap.  We were there the last time you preached in the cathedral church.  And here before this pit I want to thank you for preparing him for eternity."

 

Two people returning to a place of catastrophe, where the worlds of two people seemingly had collapsed.  But their meeting, by God's grace, brought about a change in their hearts a change in their outlook. 

 

They were speechless at the time but he later said that "God can take our very lack of words and make it a praise.......  That's how God can comfort; that's how he can let His kingdom come."

Having this experience helped them both to press on.

 

This episode was brought to mind this morning as I read Psalm 27, it's where we'll go for this weekend's verse.

Ps 27:1 The Lord is my light and my salvation;
Whom shall I fear?
The Lord is the strength of my life;
Of whom shall I be afraid?

3 Though an army may encamp against me,
My heart shall not fear;
Though war may rise against me,
In this I will be confident.    NKJV

At some point in our personal tragedies and trials we to must come to Him.  We may find that at the same time that God is bringing others to the same place so that we may receive and give comfort to one another.  This may not happen immediately, we may have even walked away from God at some point along the way.  We may not have been the prodigal from Luke chapter 15, but we still come to our senses, and return to the Father, to a place where He is waiting for us.  I was reminded of the song A Place Called Grace.  It's a song that's spoken to my heart over the last several years.

 

A Place Called Grace

So many years I heard it told
The story of compassion
A prodigal son who left the fold
And found no satisfaction
On my knees, Lord, I cried out to You
"I'm so alone
But if there's room in Your house for one more
I'm ready to come back home"

I know there is a place
Where arms of compassion welcome me home
Sweet mercy falls like rain
I know there's a place called grace

So many days I've trusted grace
Yet I have to wonder
How many times my human strength
Has kept me from surrender
The more I learn just to lean on the cross
The more I see
When I fall, I will fall to the place
Where mercy reaches me

If it seems that my courage is strong
There's just one reason
He's my rock when my faith is all gone
He holds me in His arms
Gives me strength to carry on

I'll close with a few verses from the end of Psalm 27:

Ps 27:13 I am still confident of this:
I will see the goodness of the Lord
in the land of the living.
14 Wait for the Lord;
be strong and take heart
and wait for the Lord.    NIV

In Christ,
Mike
mikevw@bellsouth.net
http://mikesvotd.blogspot.com
Eph 1:7 In him we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of sins, in accordance with the riches of God's grace  NIV
Ps 27:1-9

 

27 The Lord is my light and my salvation;
Whom shall I fear?
The Lord is the strength of my life;
Of whom shall I be afraid?
2 When the wicked came against me
To eat up my flesh,
My enemies and foes,
They stumbled and fell.
3 Though an army may encamp against me,
My heart shall not fear;
Though war may rise against me,
In this I will be confident.

 

4 One thing I have desired of the Lord,
That will I seek:
That I may dwell in the house of the Lord
All the days of my life,
To behold the beauty of the Lord,
And to inquire in His temple.
5 For in the time of trouble
He shall hide me in His pavilion;
In the secret place of His tabernacle
He shall hide me;
He shall set me high upon a rock.

 

6 And now my head shall be lifted up above my enemies all around me;
Therefore I will offer sacrifices of joy in His tabernacle;
I will sing, yes, I will sing praises to the Lord.

 

7 Hear, O Lord, when I cry with my voice!
Have mercy also upon me, and answer me.
8 When You said, "Seek My face,"
My heart said to You, "Your face, Lord, I will seek."

 

NKJV