Verse of the Day 9/30

 

Hebrews 4:16  Let us then fearlessly and confidently and boldly draw near to the throne of grace (the throne of God's unmerited favor to us sinners), that we may receive mercy [for our failures] and find grace to help in good time for every need [appropriate help and well-timed help, coming just when we need it].   Amplified Bible (AMP)

 

In what area of your life do you need help, today, right now?  It could be in relationships, finances, work or possibly health issues.  If we are honest with ourselves we do need help, we can't solve all of our problems ourselves, at least not as they should be solved.  We serve a God who sees.  He knows where we're at and He knows how to help, guide and direct us in our need.

 

Perhaps the bigger question right now is, where or to whom have you been turning to for help?  Too many steer clear of God's Word.  Verses 12  and 13 in Hebrews 4 show us some reasons why.  God's Word is sharper than a sword.  It cuts and separates.  There may be some pain in the cutting, but it is for our good.  Others things may bring us temporary relief, like taking a couple of aspirin, but they  don''  get to the heart of the issue.

 

The other thing that I'd like for us to take away from today's verse is the attitude that the writer has approaching God.  Notice, he doesn't say to "sheepishly" or hesitantly come before God, but fearlessly, confidently and boldly.  Why is that?  Because we know that He has the ability to deliver.

 

As I was writing this, the old Beatles song "Help" came to mind.  I won't go through all of the words but one line said "help me if you can, I'm feeling down".  We may feel the same sentiment as the song, but if we truly know Him we won't be saying "if", rather, that attitude is help me because I know you can.  

 

Take that area of life that you are struggling with and fearlessly, confidently and boldly bring it to the throne of grace today, for the help in your time of need.

 

In Christ,
Mike

 

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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

 

Hebrews 4:12-16The Message (MSG)

^12-13 God means what he says. What he says goes. His powerful Word is sharp as a surgeon's scalpel, cutting through everything, whether doubt or defense, laying us open to listen and obey. Nothing and no one is impervious to God's Word. We can't get away from it—no matter what.

The High Priest Who Cried Out in Pain

^14-16 Now that we know what we have—Jesus, this great High Priest with ready access to God—let's not let it slip through our fingers. We don't have a priest who is out of touch with our reality. He's been through weakness and testing, experienced it all—all but the sin. So let's walk right up to him and get what he is so ready to give. Take the mercy, accept the help.

Verse of the Day 9/25

 

1 John 1:1-2   That which was from the beginning, which we have heard, which we have seen with our eyes, which we looked upon and have touched with our hands, concerning the word of life— ² the life was made manifest, and we have seen it, and testify to it and proclaim to you the eternal life, which was with the Father and was made manifest to us—   English Standard Version (ESV)

 

We've recently considered from John 1 how the apostle revealed Jesus as the Word (John 1:1), relating it to Genesis 1:1 and that Jesus was there at the beginning and in John 1:14 the Word became flesh in the form of Jesus Christ.  Yesterday we considered salvation, life here now and eternal life in the future is offered to us.

 

John Piper writes, "Our physical life is created and upheld by the Word of God, and our spiritual life is quickened and sustained by the Word of God. How many stories could be gathered to bear witness to the life-giving power of the Word of God!  Indeed, the Bible is "no empty word for you" — it is your life! The foundation of all joy is life. Nothing is more fundamental than sheer existence — our creation and our preservation."

 

The apostle John believed in Jesus and believed in the Word.  He had seen, heard, looked at and been touched by the Word of life as made manifest in Jesus and his mission in life became to pass that along to his readers then and now, to testify and proclaim of the salivation, the life available through faith in Him.  Truly wonderful words of life, it is your life!

 

 

        Christ, the blessed one, gives to all   	wonderful words of life;   	sinner, list to the loving call,  	wonderful words of life;   	all so freely given,   	wooing us to heaven.   	   	Sweetly echo the gospel call,   	wonderful words of life;   	offer pardon and peace to all,   	wonderful words of life;   	Jesus, only Savior,   	sanctify forever. 

        Beautiful words, wonderful words,   	wonderful words of life.   	Beautiful words, wonderful words,   	wonderful words of life.   

In Christ,
Mike

 

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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 John 1:1-2The Message (MSG)

1 ^1-2 From the very first day, we were there, taking it all in—we heard it with our own ears, saw it with our own eyes, verified it with our own hands. The Word of Life appeared right before our eyes; we saw it happen! And now we're telling you in most sober prose that what we witnessed was, incredibly, this: The infinite Life of God himself took shape before us.

Verse of the Day 9/24

Verse of the Day 9/24

 

 

Acts 4:12 And there is salvation in no one else, for there is no other name under heaven given among men^[a] by which we must be saved." English Standard Version (ESV)

Some may read today's verse and think of is solely  of speaking of the salvation referenced as speaking of heaven of the after life.  The disciples lives, their actions, their testimony give evidence of such salvation impacting the way they live their lives in the here and now.  It is with boldness, it is lived in a way that even their detractors have to stop and take notice.

 

George W. Peters writes, "The Bible does not teach that Christ has salvation and dispenses it like a benevolent master giving gifts to his servants that obey him.  Christ is our salvation and gives Himself to us as our salvation.  He is our life; He is our strength; He is our peace; He is our joy; He is our wisdom; righteousness, sanctification and redemption."

 

The fact that Peter and John stood before the Council with boldness that was noticed showed that they had this salvation, they had His strength, peace, and joy in spite of an through challenging circumstances.

 

Do we give evidence of the salvation that we have in Jesus?  May we have a faith that will cause others to take notice that Jesus is with us.

 

Blessings,
Mike
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Acts 4:11-14The Message (MSG)

^8-12 With that, Peter, full of the Holy Spirit, let loose: "Rulers and leaders of the people, if we have been brought to trial today for helping a sick man, put under investigation regarding this healing, I'll be completely frank with you—we have nothing to hide. By the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth, the One you killed on a cross, the One God raised from the dead, by means of his name this man stands before you healthy and whole. Jesus is 'the stone you masons threw out, which is now the cornerstone.' Salvation comes no other way; no other name has been or will be given to us by which we can be saved, only this one."

^13-14 They couldn't take their eyes off them—Peter and John standing there so confident, so sure of themselves! Their fascination deepened when they realized these two were laymen with no training in Scripture or formal education. They recognized them as companions of Jesus, but with the man right before them, seeing him standing there so upright—so healed!—what could they say against that?

Verse of the Day 9/23

Verse of the Day 9/23

 

2 Corinthians 13:5Examine yourselves, to see whether you are in the faith. Test yourselves. Or do you not realize this about yourselves, that Jesus Christ is in you?—unless indeed you fail to meet the test!  English Standard Version (ESV)

Today's comes from yesterday's New Testament read through the Bible plan and comes under the heading "Final Warnings".  This passage is drawing this letter to the Corninthian Church to a close and Paul wants to be sure that his readers will be staying the course.  He does this by challenging them to "examine" and "test" themselves to see if they are truly in the faith.

In preparing for our men's Bible study in John I've read several statements by Jesus where he challenged his disciples.  After saying "I am the resurrection and the life" He asked do you believe this?  He asked Peter 3 times in John 21 - do you love me?  In essence, do you love me more than just a buddy or friend?

The examining of ourselves, the testing, will involve asking ourselves those questions as we read, study and meditate and consider His Word.  If we are not in His Word, will we be asking those questions of ourselves?  When we do ask them we will realize that we need Him.  Don't just "drift along taking everything for granted" (The Message), acknowledge that you need Him.

Lord, I come, I confess
Bowing here I find my rest
Without You I fall apart
You're the One that guides my heart

Lord, I need You, oh, I need You
Every hour I need You
My one defense, my righteousness
Oh God,how I need you.

 

Blessings,
Mike
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2 Corinthians 13:5-9The Message (MSG)

^5-9 Test yourselves to make sure you are solid in the faith. Don't drift along taking everything for granted. Give yourselves regular checkups. You need firsthand evidence, not mere hearsay, that Jesus Christ is in you. Test it out. If you fail the test, do something about it. I hope the test won't show that we have failed. But if it comes to that, we'd rather the test showed our failure than yours. We're rooting for the truth to win out in you. We couldn't possibly do otherwise.

We don't just put up with our limitations; we celebrate them, and then go on to celebrate every strength, every triumph of the truth in you. We pray hard that it will all come together in your lives.

Verse of the Day 9/20

 

John 11:25-26 Jesus said to her, "I am the resurrection and the life. The one who believes in Me,even if he dies, will live. ²⁶ Everyone who lives and believes in Me will never die—ever.Do you believe this?"  Holman Christian Standard Bible (HCSB)

 

I had mentioned the other day that our men's Bible study will start a study in John next week.  The book begins with "In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God."  Towards the end of the book in chapter 20, John wrote that the book was written "so that you may believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God.. and by believing you may have life in his name."  Today's verses come from the middle of the book and we have one of the foundational "I am" statements, but this one comes with a question at the end of it, "do you believe this?".  It was a question for the disciples, to those whom Jesus preached to, and for us today.  When we read this gospel, whether at the beginning, at the end or sandwiched here in the beginning, the question should continually hit the reader of this book as it is being read - do you believe this?

 

I read the following quote from one of my favorite authors of last century, A.W. Tozer in relation to "I am".  The I Am which is God is underived and self existent; the I am which is man is derived from God and dependent every moment upon His creative fiat for its continued existence.  One is the Creator, high and over all, ancient of days, dwelling in light unapproachable.  The other is a creature, a pensioner of God's bounty and a suppliant before His throne."

 

With our inflated egos, we can become very proud of the I am that is us.  But when we consider the majesty of God, the love of Jesus and the power of the Holy Spirit, we should come to the conclusion that He is the resurrection and the life.  As we read John or any other part of the Bible, may the question come to our minds "do you believe this?".   May the answer be a resounding YES!  If that is our answer we will enjoy "life in His name".

 

We Believe - (Steve Green)

 

We believe in the Father, who created all that is 
And we believe the universe and all therein is His 
As a loving heavenly Father, He yearned to save us all 
To lift us from the fall . . . We believe 

We believe in Jesus the Father's only Son 
Existing uncreated before time had begun 
A sacrifice for sin, He died then rose again 
To ransom sinful men, We believe 

We believe in the spirit who makes believers one 
Our hearts are filled with His presence 
The Comforter has come 
The kingdom unfolds in His plan 
Unhindered by quarrels of man 
His church upheld by His hand . . . We believe 

 

In Christ,
Mike

 

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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 11:24-26The Message (MSG)

²⁴ Martha replied, "I know that he will be raised up in the resurrection at the end of time."

^25-26 "You don't have to wait for the End. I am, right now, Resurrection and Life. The one who believes in me, even though he or she dies, will live. And everyone who lives believing in me does not ultimately die at all. Do you believe this?"

Verse of the Day 9/18

 

1 Chronicles 16:8-9Oh give thanks to the Lord; call upon his name;
    make known his deeds among the peoples!

9 Sing to him, sing praises to him;
    tell of all his wondrous works! English Standard Version (ESV)

In this passage from 1 Chronicles, the are of the covenant has just been brought to Jerusalem and David is giving instructions on how the Lord God is to be worshiped.  What constitutes true worship hasn't changed.

 

Read the passage below.  Note that it starts with giving thanks, calling upon Him - praying, and telling of His deeds, the great things He has done.  From there, who could stop themselves from wanting to sing!  This is the next point that David makes, sing to the Lord, glory in His name and rejoice!  David then calls on the people to seek His strength and His presence - continually.  Finally, He calls on the people to remember, look back,  it brings you full circle into giving thanks.

 

Worship is not something that we do on Sunday's.  It should be evident in our life "continually"and have an effect on every aspect of our live.

 

1. Praise Him! Praise Him! Jesus, our blessed Redeemer!
   Sing, O Earth, His wonderful love proclaim!
   Hail Him! Hail Him! Highest archangels in glory;
   Strength and honor give to His holy Name!
   Like a shepherd, Jesus will guard His children,
   In His arms He carries them all day long.
   • Refrain:
     Praise Him! Praise Him! Tell of His excellent greatness;
     Praise Him! Praise Him! Ever in joyful song!   - Fanny Crosby

 

How may we tell of His excellent greatness today?

 

Blessings,
Mike
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1 Chronicles 16:7-19The Message (MSG)

⁷ That was the day that David inaugurated regular worship of praise to God, led by Asaph and his company.

^8-11 Thank God! Call out his Name!
    Tell the whole world who he is and what he's done!
Sing to him! Play songs for him!
    Broadcast all his wonders!
Revel in his holy Name,
    God-seekers, be jubilant!
Study God and his strength,
    seek his presence day and night;
Remember all the wonders he performed,
    the miracles and judgments that came out of his mouth.
Seed of Israel his servant!

Verse of the Day 9/17

Verse of the Day 9/17

 

2 Corinthians 9:8 And God is able to make every grace overflow to you, so that in every way, always having everything you need, you may excel in every good work.  Holman Christian Standard Bible (HCSB)

 

Today's verse comes from 2 Corinthians 9 which is today's New Testament passage in the read through the Bible plan and speaks of God's great grace.

 

I don't think that any of us would want to be thought of as "stingy" by others, whether family, friends or strangers.  We'd rather be looked on as being big hearted, generous and kind.   Reading from The Message below reminds us that the God we serve is not a stingy God, a miser, being very stingy or thrifty in handing out grace that will be used for His glory.  No! He makes grace abound (other translations) and overflow like a fountain or a spring.  Like a spring, it doesn't run dry.  He keeps giving day after day.

 

These thoughts brought me back to John chapter one which I have been studying in preparation for an upcoming Bible study.  Once again, take a look at this passage from The Message:

 

John 1:16-18The Message (MSG)  We all live off his generous bounty,
        gift after gift after gift.
    We got the basics from Moses,
        and then this exuberant giving and receiving,
    This endless knowing and understanding—
        all this came through Jesus, the Messiah.

Based on the gifts that we have received, gift after gift, may we use those gifts of God's grace to excel in the opportunities that He has for us today to give and serve others.

 

Blessings,
Mike
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2 Corinthians 9:7-11The Message (MSG)

^6-7 Remember: A stingy planter gets a stingy crop; a lavish planter gets a lavish crop. I want each of you to take plenty of time to think it over, and make up your own mind what you will give. That will protect you against sob stories and arm-twisting. God loves it when the giver delights in the giving.

^8-11 God can pour on the blessings in astonishing ways so that you're ready for anything and everything, more than just ready to do what needs to be done. As one psalmist puts it,

He throws caution to the winds,
    giving to the needy in reckless abandon.
His right-living, right-giving ways
    never run out, never wear out.

This most generous God who gives seed to the farmer that becomes bread for your meals is more than extravagant with you. He gives you something you can then give away, which grows into full-formed lives, robust in God, wealthy in every way, so that you can be generous in every way, producing with us great praise to God.

Verse of the Day 9/16

 

John 1:1 In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.  English Standard Version (ESV)

 

Reading this verse, I can't help but have the  images from Genesis 1:1 "In the beginning God".  Both verses are foundational to our faith and our belief in God.  Our men's Bible study group's next study will be in the Gospel of John.  It is good to go back to those foundations or perhaps for some, for the first time to learn more of what we believe. 

 

In preparation for that I've been reading a couple of commentaries on the book, one from R.C. Sproul and another from F.F. Bruce.  They help me to take a closer look at God's Word, to dig deeper, and ultimately be awed by and inspired by His Word.

 

F.F. Bruce writes, "The Word of God is distinguished from God himself, and yet exists in a close personal relation with him; moreover, the Word shares the very nature of God, for the 'Word was God'....What is meant is that the Word shared the nature and being of God, (or to use a piece of modern jargon) was an expression of the personality of God.....  John intends that the whole of his gospel shall be read in the light of this verse.  The deeds and words of Jesus are the deeds and words of God;...

 

In studying His Word, we gain a better understanding of "the personality of God".  I can't think of a better book of the Bible to learn more about the personality of God than this one that was written by someone who was so close to Jesus, who was inspired by the Triune God. 

 

John 20:31 But these are written so that you may believe Jesus is the Messiah, the Son of God and by believing you may have life in His name. Holman Christian Standard Bible (HCSB)May we believe and "have life in His name".

Blessings,
Mike
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John 1:1-2The Message (MSG)

The Life-Light

1 ^1-2 The Word was first,
the Word present to God,
    God present to the Word.
The Word was God,
    in readiness for God from day one.

 

Verse of the Day 9/14

 

Isaiah 43:25 "I, I am he
    who blots out your transgressions for my own sake,
    and I will not remember your sins.  English Standard Version (ESV)

 

Yesterday we read in Psalm 56 that God records, He takes note of and remembers our tears and our sorrows.  Today's verse goes to the opposite end of the spectrum.  For those who will come and put their faith and trust in Him, He will not remember our sins.  He is the great eraser, He blots them out, covers them.  It is just another example of God's great grace.

 

I read the following quote some time ago in placed it in my Bible with today's verse:.  "[Grace is] my favorite word in the lexicon of the English language. It's a word I'm depending on. The universe operates by Karma, we all know that. For every action there's an equal and opposite reaction. There is some atonement built in: an eye for an eye, a tooth for a tooth. Then enters Grace and turns that upside down. I love it. I'm not talking about people being graceful in their actions but just covering over the cracks. Christ's ministry really was a lot to do with pointing out how everybody is a screw-up in some shape or form, there's no way around it. But then He was to say, well, I am going to deal with those sins for you. I will take on Myself all the consequences of sin. Even if you're not religious, I think you'd accept that there are consequences to all the mistakes we make. And so Grace enters the picture to say, I'll take the blame, I'll carry the cross. It is a powerful idea. Grace interrupting Karma."   Bono, in U2 by U2 (London, 2006), page 300.

 

Reading that statement we should be thankful that while "for every action there is an equal and opposite reaction" may apply to physics, it does not apply go God's grace. 

 

The context of this verse is also worthy of note.  In spite of empty worship and arguing against God, trying to make a case against Him.  God offers forgiveness and grace to those who will turn to Him, who will listen to the call from His Word.

 

From the creation to the cross
There from the cross into eternity
Your grace finds me
Yes, Your grace finds me

It's the same for the rich and poor
The same for the saint and for the sinner
Enough for this whole wide world
Your great grace
Oh, such grace  (Matt Redman - Your Grace Finds Me)

 

In Christ,
Mike

 

Follow the Verse of the Day blog at 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

 

Isaiah 43:24-28The Message (MSG)

^22-24 "But you didn't pay a bit of attention to me, Jacob.
    You so quickly tired of me, Israel.
You wouldn't even bring sheep for offerings in worship.
    You couldn't be bothered with sacrifices.
It wasn't that I asked that much from you.
    I didn't expect expensive presents.
But you didn't even do the minimum—
    so stingy with me, so closefisted.
Yet you haven't been stingy with your sins.
    You've been plenty generous with them—and I'm fed up.

²⁵ "But I, yes I, am the one
    who takes care of your sins—that's what I do.
    I don't keep a list of your sins.

^26-28 "So, make your case against me. Let's have this out.
    Make your arguments. Prove you're in the right.
Your original ancestor started the sinning,
    and everyone since has joined in.
That's why I had to disqualify the Temple leaders,
    repudiate Jacob and discredit Israel."