Verse of the Day 6/30

Through the Bible - Job 21-23, Acts 10:9-48

 

Good morning,

Yesterday we ended with the first few lines to Horation Spafford's "It is Well With My Soul" and the peace like a river that attended his way.

 

One of the things that helps a Christian to see through the current situation is to focus on the future, the eternal future and what God has in store for those who are His own.

I read a couple of verses this morning in Revelation 22 and thought I'd share them as today's verses.

Revelation 22:1 (Amplified Bible)   THEN HE showed me the river whose waters give life, sparkling like crystal, flowing out from the throne of God and of the Lamb    ²Through the middle of the broadway of the city; also, on either side of the river was the tree of life with its twelve varieties of fruit, yielding each month its fresh crop; and the leaves of the tree were for the healing and the restoration of the nations.

Rivers that we know have their sources in the mountains or run off from the plains and smaller streams, tributaries.  The river that is depicted here flows from God's throne, from the heart of God.  It brings healing along with the peace that we considered yesterday.

 

The thoughts from yesterday along with these verses brought another old hymn to mind.  "Like a River Glorious".

 

1. Like a river glorious is God's perfect peace,
   Over all victorious, in its bright increase;
   Perfect, yet it floweth fuller every day
   Perfect, yet it groweth deeper all the way.
   • Refrain:
     Stayed upon Jehovah, hearts are fully blest
     Finding, as He promised, perfect peace and rest.
2. Hidden in the hollow of His blessed hand,
   Never foe can follow, never traitor stand;
   Not a surge of worry, not a shade of care,
   Not a blast of hurry touch the spirit there.
3. Every joy or trial falleth from above,
   Traced upon our dial by the Sun of Love;
   We may trust Him fully all for us to do;
   They who trust Him wholly find Him wholly true.

Isaiah 66:12 (Amplified Bible)  For thus says the Lord: Behold, I will extend peace to her like a river, and the glory of the nations like an overflowing stream; then you will be nursed, you will be carried on her hip and trotted [lovingly bounced up and down] on her [God's maternal] knees.

That's quite a picture.  Having recently bounced my grandson on my knee brings more meaning to me.  The joy of a father (or grandfather) and the smiles, love, and trust of the child towards the parent (or grandparent), quite a picture indeed..

 

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
Rev 22:1-5

 

The River of Life

 

22 And he showed me a pure river of water of life, clear as crystal, proceeding from the throne of God and of the Lamb. 2 In the middle of its street, and on either side of the river, was the tree of life, which bore twelve fruits, each tree yielding its fruit every month. The leaves of the tree were for the healing of the nations. 3 And there shall be no more curse, but the throne of God and of the Lamb shall be in it, and His servants shall serve Him. 4 They shall see His face, and His name shall be on their foreheads. 5 There shall be no night there: They need no lamp nor light of the sun, for the Lord God gives them light. And they shall reign forever and ever.
NKJV

Verse of the Day 6/29

Through the Bible - Job 18-20, Acts 9:32-10:8

 

Good morning,

In yesterday's devotional we considered Jesus Christ as the "Captain of our soul".  He is directing us along a course in this life.  I read the following excerpt from J.R.R. Tolkien's  "Lord of the Rings" a blog from Ray Ortlund , "The brave things in the old tales and songs, Mr. Frodo: adventures, as I used to call them.  I used to think that they were things the wonderful folk of the stories went out and looked for, because they wanted them, because they were exciting and life was a bit dull, a kind of sport, as you might say.  But that's not the way of it with the tales that really mattered, or the ones that stay in the mind.  Folk seem to have been just landed in them, usually — their paths were laid that way, as you put it.  But I expect they had lots of chances, like us, of turning back, only they didn't.  And if they had, we shouldn't know, because they'd have been forgotten. '"

 

So it is in our lives.  We don't look for those times to be brave, most often we fall into them or they happen to us.  How we react is what matters.  It wiil be remembered most when we react in faith and hope.

I've spent some time over the past few days thinking about Philippians 4 and the peace that passes understanding and songs like "It is Well With My Soul".  The peace of God ruling in our hearts is also a necessary component in those times.  It is a peace that is not stationary, it flows like a river.

Today's verse comes from Philippians chapter 4 and it is about putting into practice what we've learned from Jesus and from others who followed and depended upon God through the ages.

 

Philippians 4:9 Practice what you have learned and received and heard and seen in me, and model your way of living on it, and the God of peace (of untroubled, undisturbed well-being) will be with you,..  Amplified Bible

 

If Horatio Spafford had turned back, turned away from God in his trials we would have never heard the following words that have comforted and strengthened so many through the years.

 

When peace like a river, attendeth my way,
When sorrows like sea billows roll;
Whatever my lot, Thou hast taught me to say,
It is well, it is well, with my soul.

 

Blessings,
Mike

mikevw@bellsouth.net
mikesvotd.blogspot.com

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.

Verse of the Day 6/28

Through the Bible - Job 15-17, Acts 9:10- 31

Over the weekend my wife and I watched the movie "Invictus".  Powerful movie about Nelson Mandela and his influence on the nation through the national rugby team.  He attributed his inner strength to the difference this poem  by William Earnest Henley made in his life.

It matters not how strait the gate,
How charged with punishments the scroll.
I am the master of my fate:
I am the captain of my soul.

 

As Christians we realize that it is not our own inner strength that gets us through the storms and shipwrecks of life, but the power of Jesus Christ working in and through us.  A devotional this weekend from Gregg Laurie was fitting in that he pointed to Jesus as the Captain of our soul.  He referenced two passages, the first is when Jesus, preaching from the boat, told the disciples to head out to the deeper waters for a catch.

Luke 5:4 When he had finished speaking, he said to Simon, "Now go out where it is deeper, and let down your nets to catch some fish."

 

5 "Master," Simon replied, "we worked hard all last night and didn't catch a thing. But if you say so, I'll let the nets down again."  NLT

The word used for master is "epistates" which means "commander" or "captain".  Peter was submitting to Jesus as captain of the ship.  It went against his training, but because Jesus told him to, he changed course and the course of his life was changed.

 

The other passage was from Acts 27 where Paul was being transferred to face trial and the ship he was on ended up being shipwrecked.  The captain of the ship wouldn't change course but Paul was able to convince those on board that not a life would be lost.  The course of their lives was changed by God.  Not because of what he could do but because he had faith in God and that He was the true Captain of the boat and their souls.  We'll go there for today's verse:

Acts 27:25 So take courage! For I believe God. It will be just as he said. NLT

A stoic may get by having a strong will.  He may be captain of his life, his soul but does not truly know his destination.  A Christian realizes that he is not the captain of his soul, but knows who it is that is, Jesus Christ, and it is He that will bring him to his/her final destination.  He will bring us to the other side, where it will be "just as He said."

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
Acts 27:13-27

 

The Storm at Sea

 

13 When a light wind began blowing from the south, the sailors thought they could make it. So they pulled up anchor and sailed close to the shore of Crete. 14 But the weather changed abruptly, and a wind of typhoon strength (called a "northeaster") caught the ship and blew it out to sea. 15 They couldn't turn the ship into the wind, so they gave up and let it run before the gale.

 

16 We sailed along the sheltered side of a small island named Cauda, where with great difficulty we hoisted aboard the lifeboat being towed behind us. 17 Then the sailors bound ropes around the hull of the ship to strengthen it. They were afraid of being driven across to the sandbars of Syrtis off the African coast, so they lowered the sea anchor to slow the ship and were driven before the wind.

 

18 The next day, as gale-force winds continued to batter the ship, the crew began throwing the cargo overboard. 19 The following day they even took some of the ship's gear and threw it overboard. 20 The terrible storm raged for many days, blotting out the sun and the stars, until at last all hope was gone.

 

21 No one had eaten for a long time. Finally, Paul called the crew together and said, "Men, you should have listened to me in the first place and not left Crete. You would have avoided all this damage and loss. 22 But take courage! None of you will lose your lives, even though the ship will go down. 23 For last night an angel of the God to whom I belong and whom I serve stood beside me, 24 and he said, 'Don't be afraid, Paul, for you will surely stand trial before Caesar! What's more, God in his goodness has granted safety to everyone sailing with you.' 25 So take courage! For I believe God. It will be just as he said. 26 But we will be shipwrecked on an island."  NLT

 

Verse of the Day weekend 6/26

Through the Bible - Job 10-14, Acts 8:26- 9:9

 

Good morning,

For this weekend's verse we'll go to a verse that I read in a devotional this morning, I comes from 1 Chronicles and was made popular a few years ago in Bruce Wilkinson's book "The Prayer of Jabez".

 

1 Chronicles 4:9 Jabez was honorable above his brothers; but his mother named him Jabez [sorrow maker], saying, Because I bore him in pain.

¹⁰Jabez cried to the God of Israel, saying, Oh, that You would bless me and enlarge my border, and that Your hand might be with me, and You would keep me from evil so it might not hurt me! And God granted his request.  Amplified Bible

 

Many would read these verses and apply them to the prosperity, name it and claim it gospel.  But what Jabez is praying for is that his sphere of influence, that his "horizon"  may increase to carry out God's message and to do His will.

 

When our son Jeff suffered a traumatic brain injury in a car accident over ten years ago, in some ways, through the long and continuing recovery, it felt like we had lost our son and were given another.  In reading this verse today I could relate to Jabez' mother, that this new Jeff was born in sorrow.  At the time, no one knew what lied ahead for him or for us.

 

Over the years, we have seen where God has expanded, enlarged Jeff's territory, his "sphere of influence".  He has an impact on literally everyone that comes to know him.  I don't know anyone who has and shows as much joy for life, not to mention "the fruit of the Spirit" love, joy, peace, gentleness, meekness.......

 

When Jeff first had the accident I don't know if someone prayed this prayer for him or if it is in answer to Romans 8 where Paul says that God hears the groans of the heart.

 

Rom 8:26 Likewise the Spirit also helps in our weaknesses. For we do not know what we should pray for as we ought, but the Spirit Himself makes intercession for us with groanings which cannot be uttered. 27 Now He who searches the hearts knows what the mind of the Spirit is, because He makes intercession for the saints according to the will of God.   NKJV

Another verse I read this morning came from Philippians 4, one of Jeff's favorite and quoted passages.

 

Phil 4:4 Rejoice in the Lord always. Again I will say, rejoice!    NKJV  The verse goes hand in hand with the prayer of Jabez.  I see both of them in the new life given to our son Jeff.

 

If you see Jeff this weekend, sing the first few words of "Bless Me Indeed" by Mercy Me and Jeff will probably recite the following,

 

Bless me indeed
Open wide my horizons to share Your name
Bless me indeed

The Lord bless and keep you
May His face shine upon you
And be gracious and give you peace

"God of surprises, thank you that your horizons are always so much wider than ours".

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

Phil 4:4 Rejoice in the Lord always. I will say it again: Rejoice! 5 Let your gentleness be evident to all. The Lord is near. 6 Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. 7 And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.

 

8 Finally, brothers, whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable — if anything is excellent or praiseworthy — think about such things. 9 Whatever you have learned or received or heard from me, or seen in me — put it into practice. And the God of peace will be with you.   NIV

Verse of the Day 6/25

Through the Bible - Job 7-9, Acts 8:4-25

 

Good morning,

The grandfather of a friend of mine passed away earlier this week.  They had been close and I was told that he was like a father to my friend.   In reading the obituary there was comfort in reading that he was a Christian.  Still, the many loved ones mentioned would feel the loss.

 

The loss of loved ones is something we all must face, something that you realize more when you are a grandparent yourself.

 

Earlier in the week I was reading in 1 Corinthians 15 were Paul writes of how the dead in Christ will be raised and made whole.These are verses that have helped me, not only in the loss of loved ones but hope for the living that they will be made whole.

 1 Corinthians 15:52 (Amplified Bible)  In a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at the [sound of the] last trumpet call. For a trumpet will sound, and the dead [in Christ] will be raised imperishable (free and immune from decay), and we shall be changed (transformed).  ⁵³For this perishable [part of us] must put on the imperishable [nature], and this mortal [part of us, this nature that is capable of dying] must put on immortality (freedom from death).

 

Do you find comfort in these verses for your loved ones and friends?

 

If you do, you should also take notice of the last verse of the passage.  May we be steadfast, immovable, and be found abounding in the work of the Lord should He come today.

 

1 Cor. 15:58 Therefore, my beloved brethren, be firm (steadfast), immovable, always abounding in the work of the Lord [always being superior, excelling, doing more than enough in the service of the Lord], knowing and being continually aware that your labor in the Lord is not futile [it is never wasted or to no purpose].  Amplified Bible

 

MacArthur writes that "the hope of resurrection makes all the efforts and sacrifices in the Lord's work worthwhile.  No work done in His name is wasted in light of eternal glory and reward."

Blessings,
Mike

mikevw@bellsouth.net
mikesvotd.blogspot.com

1 Corinthians 15:51-58 (New Living Translation)

 ⁵¹ But let me reveal to you a wonderful secret. We will not all die, but we will all be transformed! ⁵² It will happen in a moment, in the blink of an eye, when the last trumpet is blown. For when the trumpet sounds, those who have died will be raised to live forever. And we who are living will also be transformed. ⁵³ For our dying bodies must be transformed into bodies that will never die; our mortal bodies must be transformed into immortal bodies.

 ⁵⁴ Then, when our dying bodies have been transformed into bodies that will never die, this Scripture will be fulfilled:

   "Death is swallowed up in victory.
 ⁵⁵ O death, where is your victory?
      O death, where is your sting?"

 ⁵⁶ For sin is the sting that results in death, and the law gives sin its power. ⁵⁷ But thank God! He gives us victory over sin and death through our Lord Jesus Christ.

 ⁵⁸ So, my dear brothers and sisters, be strong and immovable. Always work enthusiastically for the Lord, for you know that nothing you do for the Lord is ever useless.

Verse of the Day 6/24

Through the Bible - Job 3-6, Acts 7:35-8:3

 

Good morning,
Yesterday in Ezekiel we saw that God can take a heart of stone and make it pliable, bring it to life.

 

For today's verse we'll skip ahead in Acts to see an example of such a heart.  If you've been following the New Testament readings in Acts you've seen Saul standing by and watching the stoning of Stephen.  In the coming days you'll see how his heart was changed, how he served and ministered with others despite hardships and being persecuted.

Acts 14:21-22 (Amplified Bible)When they had preached the good news (Gospel) to that town and made disciples of many of the people, they went back to Lystra and Iconium and Antioch, 

 ²²Establishing and strengthening the souls and the hearts of the disciples, urging and warning and encouraging them to stand firm in the faith, and [telling them] that it is through many hardships and tribulations we must enter the kingdom of God.

We may not all be preachers and evangelists, or are we?  It may not be our profession, but we are putting out a message by the way we live our lives.  Read verse 22 in the Amplified version above.  Look at and consider the action words used "establishing, strengthening, urging, warning, and encouraging".  Are we proclaiming the gospel to others in this way?

 

Take notice also of the last statement.  It doesn't sound anything like the name it and claim it prospertiy gospel that is popular today.  It's popularity may be because it avoids hardships and tribulations along with the responsibilities outlined above.

 

John MacArthur writes that the kingdom of God as referred to at the end of verse 22 "refers to the sphere of salvation, the gracious domain of divine rule over believers hearts."  Paul, allowed God to rule in his heart and along with others throughout the Bible and outlined in Hebrews 11 would look at those hardships in life and tell us that it was "worth it all".

 

Blessings,
Mike

mikevw@bellsouth.net
mikesvotd.blogspot.com

Paul and Barnabas Return to Antioch of Syria

 ²¹ After preaching the Good News in Derbe and making many disciples, Paul and Barnabas returned to Lystra, Iconium, and Antioch of Pisidia, ²² where they strengthened the believers. They encouraged them to continue in the faith, reminding them that we must suffer many hardships to enter the Kingdom of God. ²³ Paul and Barnabas also appointed elders in every church. With prayer and fasting, they turned the elders over to the care of the Lord, in whom they had put their trust. ²⁴ Then they traveled back through Pisidia to Pamphylia. ²⁵ They preached the word in Perga, then went down to Attalia.

 ²⁶ Finally, they returned by ship to Antioch of Syria, where their journey had begun. The believers there had entrusted them to the grace of God to do the work they had now completed. ²⁷ Upon arriving in Antioch, they called the church together and reported everything God had done through them and how he had opened the door of faith to the Gentiles, too. ²⁸ And they stayed there with the believers for a long time.  NLT

Verse of the Day 6/23

Through the Bible - Esther 10 - Job 2, Acts 7:23-34

 

Good morning,

We've seen over the past couple of days how Jesus came to the world not to condemn but to save.  He's the God of the second chance and has the power to change a life, change the course, put the seeker on the right path.

 

Today's "Today in the Word" devotional was in Ezekiel 36 where we find a couple of my favorite verses in the Old Testament.  We'll go there for today's verse.

Ezekiel 36:26-27 (Amplified Bible) A new heart will I give you and a new spirit will I put within you, and I will take away the stony heart out of your flesh and give you a heart of flesh.   ²⁷And I will put my Spirit within you and cause you to walk in My statutes, and you shall heed My ordinances and do them.

In saving us, God gives us a new heart, a living pliable heart, replacing a cold dead heart.  John MacArthur writes,"The gift of the new heart signifies the new birth, which is regeneration by the Holy Spirit.  The heart stands for the whole nature.  The spirit indicates the governing power of the mind which directs thought and conduct.  A stony heart is stubborn and self willed.  A heart of flesh is pliable and responsive.  The evil inclination is removed and a new nature replaces it."

Verses like these cause us to examine our own hearts.

 

What has been governing your thoughts and actions lately?  May we be filled with the Spirit to govern our spirit to direct our thoughts and conduct today and may our hearts be pliable to do His will.

Blessings,
Mike

mikevw@bellsouth.net
mikesvotd.blogspot.com

 

Ezekiel 36: ²² "Therefore, give the people of Israel this message from the Sovereign Lord: I am bringing you back, but not because you deserve it. I am doing it to protect my holy name, on which you brought shame while you were scattered among the nations. ²³ I will show how holy my great name is—the name on which you brought shame among the nations. And when I reveal my holiness through you before their very eyes, says the Sovereign Lord, then the nations will know that I am the Lord. ²⁴ For I will gather you up from all the nations and bring you home again to your land.

 ²⁵ "Then I will sprinkle clean water on you, and you will be clean. Your filth will be washed away, and you will no longer worship idols. ²⁶ And I will give you a new heart, and I will put a new spirit in you. I will take out your stony, stubborn heart and give you a tender, responsive heart. ²⁷ And I will put my Spirit in you so that you will follow my decrees and be careful to obey my regulations.  NLT

Verse of the Day 6/22

Through the Bible - Esther 7-9, Acts 6:8 - 7:22

 

Good morning,

Last week while driving in the Chicago area, I listened to some of the old "rock and roll" stations that I used to listen to as well as some of the "oldies" that I had recorded on my blackberry.  One of the songs was "Stairway to Heaven".

I was actually struck by a couple of lines "yes there are two paths you can go by, but in the long run, there's still time to change the road you're on."

 

Yesterday I referenced John 3:16-17 that God so loved the world, and that Jesus didn't come to condemn but to save, to put people on a different road.  Our stairway to heaven doesn't "lie on the whispering wind" as the song stated, it rests on our faith and trust in Jesus Christ, living and abiding in Him.

 

For today's verse I'd like to go to 2 Corinthians 5.

2 Corinthians 5:15-21 (Amplified Bible) And He died for all, so that all those who live might live no longer to and for themselves, but to and for Him Who died and was raised again for their sake.

¹⁶Consequently, from now on we estimate and regard no one from a [purely] human point of view [in terms of natural standards of value]. [No] even though we once did estimate Christ from a human viewpoint and as a man, yet now [we have such knowledge of Him that] we know Him no longer [in terms of the flesh].

You've probably heard a pastor tell you that we are all eternal beings.  Everyone we see and know will spend an eternity somewhere.  Our desire is that they may spend it with Jesus Christ.  If we are to reach others with the gospel, part of it will be realizing that we cannot regard "anyone from a purely human point of view".  People are heading down one path or the other.  But as the song said "there's still time to change the road you're on."

 

John MacArthur in writing about verse 15 states, "Paul wanted them (the Corinthians) to know that his old self centered life was finished and that he had an all out desire to live righteously.  For all genuine believers, their death to Christ is not only death to sin, but a new life of righteousness."  Part of that new life is how we look at and relate to others. 

 

See how Paul describes this in verses 20-21.

2 Cor 5: 20 So we are Christ's ambassadors; God is making his appeal through us. We speak for Christ when we plead, "Come back to God!" 21 For God made Christ, who never sinned, to be the offering for our sin, so that we could be made right with God through Christ.  NLT

Do you realize, do you (and I) act like one of Christ's ambassador's?  May we today encourage someone to "come back to God", there's still time to change the road they're 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
2 Cor 5:11-6:1

 

We Are God's Ambassadors

 

11 Because we understand our fearful responsibility to the Lord, we work hard to persuade others. God knows we are sincere, and I hope you know this, too. 12 Are we commending ourselves to you again? No, we are giving you a reason to be proud of us, so you can answer those who brag about having a spectacular ministry rather than having a sincere heart. 13 If it seems we are crazy, it is to bring glory to God. And if we are in our right minds, it is for your benefit. 14 Either way, Christ's love controls us. Since we believe that Christ died for all, we also believe that we have all died to our old life. 15 He died for everyone so that those who receive his new life will no longer live for themselves. Instead, they will live for Christ, who died and was raised for them.

 

16 So we have stopped evaluating others from a human point of view. At one time we thought of Christ merely from a human point of view. How differently we know him now! 17 This means that anyone who belongs to Christ has become a new person. The old life is gone; a new life has begun!

 

18 And all of this is a gift from God, who brought us back to himself through Christ. And God has given us this task of reconciling people to him. 19 For God was in Christ, reconciling the world to himself, no longer counting people's sins against them. And he gave us this wonderful message of reconciliation. 20 So we are Christ's ambassadors; God is making his appeal through us. We speak for Christ when we plead, "Come back to God!" 21 For God made Christ, who never sinned, to be the offering for our sin, so that we could be made right with God through Christ.  NLT

Verse of the Day 6/21

Through the Bible - Esther 5-6. Acts 5:33-6:7   

 

Good morning,

I apologize for not putting together a "verse of the day" for the past few days.  Jean and I were in Chicago to be there for our grandson Tyler's dedication and also to see my mom and dad.

A fitting verse for the weekend and any day, for that matter comes from Proverbs 17.

 

Prov 17:6 Children's children are the crown of old men,
And the glory of children is their father.   NKJV

I guess I've moved into that stage in life of being an "annoying" (at least to some people) grandparent, ready at just about any moment to share a picture or story of one of our two grandchildren.

It's amazing how quick they grow and also amazing to see how much like their parents they are in looks and actions.

 

The weekend also was a time to think about and appreciate my dad, the times we've shared, the bond we've had and the love that has grown.

 

As we get back to work, may we take some time to remember our kids, grandkids and grandparents.  We may glory in them, but may we also, and moreso, glory in our Heavenly Father and what he has done for us.

 

John 3:16 For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life.  17 For God did not send His Son into the world to condemn the world, but that the world through Him might be saved.   NKJV

"God saw Abraham's sacrifice and said, 'Now I know that you love me, because you did not withhold your only son from me' [Gen. 22:12]. But how much more can we look at his sacrifice on the Cross, and say to God, 'Now, we know that you love us. For you did not withhold your son, your only son, whom you love, from us.' When the magnitude of what he did dawns on us, it makes it possible finally to rest our hearts in him rather than in anything else."

- Timothy Keller,

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

Verse of the Day 6/17

Through the Bible - Nehemiah 6-8, Acts 3:11- 4:22

 

Good morning,

Today we'll transition from the gospels to the book of Acts.  At the end of Matthew Jesus gave "the great commision, in John 21 Jesus commisioned the disciples with a breakfast on the shore.  The word for "dried fish" used would have brought images from the feeding of the 5 thousand and how miraculously the food was divided and spread.  Now they were to spread the gospel, but how would these men, this rag tag bunch be able to accomplish it.

For today's verse we'll go to Acts 1 where we read:

Acts 1:8 Amplified Bible  But you shall receive power (ability, efficiency, and might) when the Holy Spirit has come upon you, and you shall be My witnesses in Jerusalem and all Judea and Samaria and to the ends (the very bounds) of the earth.
 The Holy Spirit would be sent and they'd receive His power.  I like the way the Amplified version inserts the words to help capture the meaning of the word "power".  Often we may feel innefficient in ourselves, that we lack the ability to accomplish the mission with our weaknesses.  He gives us the ability, efficiency, and might.  It all comes from Him and will flow through us.

Strong's Greek/Hebrew dictionary puts it this way:

dunamis (doo'-nam-is); from NT:1410; force (literally or figuratively); specially, miraculous power (usually by implication, a miracle itself):

KJV - ability, abundance, meaning, might (-ily, -y, -y deed), (worker of) miracle (-s), power, strength, violence, mighty (wonderful) work.
Be thinking of this power and how it is displayed as we move into and through the book of Acts, often referred to as the "Acts of the Apostles" but may better be thought of as the "Acts of the Holy Spirit."

 

Blessings,
Mike

mikevw@bellsouth.net
mikesvotd.blogspot.com

Acts 1 (Amplified Bible)

Acts 1

 ¹IN THE former account [which I prepared], O Theophilus, I made [a continuous report] dealing with all the things which Jesus began to do and to teach

    ²Until the day when He ascended, after He through the Holy Spirit had instructed and commanded the apostles (special messengers) whom He had chosen.

    ³To them also He showed Himself alive after His passion (His suffering in the garden and on the cross) by [a series of] many convincing demonstrations [unquestionable evidences and infallible proofs], appearing to them during forty days and talking [to them] about the things of the kingdom of God.

    ⁴And while being in their company and eating with them, He commanded them not to leave Jerusalem but to wait for what the Father had promised, Of which [He said] you have heard Me speak.

    ⁵For John baptized with water, but not many days from now you shall be baptized with (placed in, introduced into) the Holy Spirit.

    ⁶So when they were assembled, they asked Him, Lord, is this the time when You will reestablish the kingdom and restore it to Israel?

    ⁷He said to them, It is not for you to become acquainted with and know what time brings [the things and events of time and their definite periods] or fixed years and seasons (their critical niche in time), which the Father has appointed (fixed and reserved) by His own choice and authority and personal power.

    ⁸But you shall receive power (ability, efficiency, and might) when the Holy Spirit has come upon you, and you shall be My witnesses in Jerusalem and all Judea and Samaria and to the ends (the very bounds) of the earth.

    ⁹And when He had said this, even as they were looking [at Him], He was caught up, and a cloud received and carried Him away out of their sight.

Verse of the Day 6/16

Through the Bible - Nehemiah 4-5, Acts 2:42-3:10

 

Good morning,

Men like to eat.  Over the years, at the various churches that I've been involved with, "men's breakfasts" have been organized to bring the men of the church together for fellowship.  It is often done to kick off a new study, push for small groups or as a follow up to an event such as Promise Keepers.  The idea is to bring some men "back to the fold" who may have been drawn away by work or other interests.

For today's verse we'll go to John 21.  The disciples had been told to go to Galilee to wait for Jesus.  While waiting they became restless or perhaps bored, unsure of just what they should do while they waited.  Peter decides to go back to fishing and others join him.   Jesus calls them from the boat to the first "men's breakfast".

John 21: 9 When they got there, they found breakfast waiting for them—fish cooking over a charcoal fire, and some bread.  NLT
Then Jesus gives them the invitation.

John 21:12 "Now come and have some breakfast!" Jesus said. None of the disciples dared to ask him, "Who are you?" They knew it was the Lord. 13 Then Jesus served them the bread and the fish.  NLT
Richard Burridge writes in his commentary, "this 'third appearance to the disciples' (John. 21:14) is a lovely picture of the risen Jesus coming to find Peter and the others when they have gone back to their old ways. He makes a meal for them, as he did in the good old days. But the smell of the charcoal fire and the bursting net hint that it is all different since the denial in the courtyard and the empty cross and tomb. They should be out fishing for people, bringing the whole universe to be completed in Jesus who feeds them with his risen life through loaves and fishes, bread and wine."

In our service and ministries we can get discouraged by lack of growth or interest.  We may get restless waiting for the Spirit's prompting for what is next.  When you feel this way, come, spend some time, start your day, spend breakfast with Jesus.

Read the chapter if you have time they symbolism is rich.  Jesus asks Peter three times if he loves Him reminding Peter and us of Peter's denials.  The fire is the same kind of fire that was used in the courtyard.  The fish on the fire are dried fish, like those that the little boy provided in the feeding of the five thousand.

After this and as we move into the book of Acts, we'll see how they truly became fishers of men, and how Peter and the other disciples truly loved Jesus.  It started with this men's breakfast.

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 21:1-15
Later, Jesus appeared again to the disciples beside the Sea of Galilee. This is how it happened. 2 Several of the disciples were there—Simon Peter, Thomas (nicknamed the Twin), Nathanael from Cana in Galilee, the sons of Zebedee, and two other disciples.

 

3 Simon Peter said, "I'm going fishing."

 

"We'll come, too," they all said. So they went out in the boat, but they caught nothing all night.

 

4 At dawn Jesus was standing on the beach, but the disciples couldn't see who he was. 5 He called out, "Fellows, have you caught any fish?"

 

"No," they replied.

 

6 Then he said, "Throw out your net on the right-hand side of the boat, and you'll get some!" So they did, and they couldn't haul in the net because there were so many fish in it.

 

7 Then the disciple Jesus loved said to Peter, "It's the Lord!" When Simon Peter heard that it was the Lord, he put on his tunic (for he had stripped for work), jumped into the water, and headed to shore. 8 The others stayed with the boat and pulled the loaded net to the shore, for they were only about a hundred yards from shore. 9 When they got there, they found breakfast waiting for them—fish cooking over a charcoal fire, and some bread.

 

10 "Bring some of the fish you've just caught," Jesus said. 11 So Simon Peter went aboard and dragged the net to the shore. There were 153 large fish, and yet the net hadn't torn.

 

12 "Now come and have some breakfast!" Jesus said. None of the disciples dared to ask him, "Who are you?" They knew it was the Lord. 13 Then Jesus served them the bread and the fish. 14 This was the third time Jesus had appeared to his disciples since he had been raised from the dead.  NLT

Verse of the Day 6/15

Through the Bible - Nehemiah 1-3, Acts 2:14-41

 

Good morning,

 

The other day I read one of my favorite verses from Ezekiel 22:

Ezek 22:30 "I looked for a man among them who would build up the wall and stand before me in the gap on behalf of the land so I would not have to destroy it, but I found none.   NIV

For those of you who are following the read through the Bible plan above, it is a fitting verse for that book.  In the book of Nehemiah God, through the prophet Nehemiah is shown to be the "rebuilder of broken walls and lives."

A man like Nehemiah is one of the true vine considered in John 15.  Abiding and trusting in God in all circumstances, standing in the gap for others, strengthening and encouraging them.

 

For today's verse we'll go back to the book of Deuteronomy where God describes the qualities and what it would take for  those who would abide and stand in the gap through the ages.

Deut 10:12 "And now, Israel, what does the Lord your God require of you? He requires only that you fear the Lord your God, and live in a way that pleases him, and love him and serve him with all your heart and soul. 13 And you must always obey the Lord's commands and decrees that I am giving you today for your own good.  NLT
The following verses describe what standing in the gap looks like.
Deut 10:18 He ensures that orphans and widows receive justice. He shows love to the foreigners living among you and gives them food and clothing. 19 So you, too, must show love to foreigners, for you yourselves were once foreigners in the land of Egypt. 20 You must fear the Lord your God and worship him and cling to him. Your oaths must be in his name alone. 21 He alone is your God, the only one who is worthy of your praise, the one who has done these mighty miracles that you have seen with your own eyes.  NLT
These qualities come from, spring out of a "circumcised heart" v.16.  John MacArthur writes, "Moses called the Israelites to cut away all the sin in their hearts, as the circumcision surgery cut away the skin.  This would leave them with a clean relationship to God."

Think about it, God is talking about spiritual heart surgery, cutting away the things that block the way of His life to flow through us, our sins.  It's very much like the image of the vinedresser pruning the vine.

Are you a bystander or a gapstander?  May you, may I pray that God would circumcize our hearts to serve Him with clean hearts that we may stand in the gap.

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
Deut 10:12-11:1

 

A Call to Love and Obedience

 

12 "And now, Israel, what does the Lord your God require of you? He requires only that you fear the Lord your God, and live in a way that pleases him, and love him and serve him with all your heart and soul. 13 And you must always obey the Lord's commands and decrees that I am giving you today for your own good.

 

14 "Look, the highest heavens and the earth and everything in it all belong to the Lord your God. 15 Yet the Lord chose your ancestors as the objects of his love. And he chose you, their descendants, above all other nations, as is evident today. 16 Therefore, change your hearts and stop being stubborn.

 

17 "For the Lord your God is the God of gods and Lord of lords. He is the great God, the mighty and awesome God, who shows no partiality and cannot be bribed. 18 He ensures that orphans and widows receive justice. He shows love to the foreigners living among you and gives them food and clothing. 19 So you, too, must show love to foreigners, for you yourselves were once foreigners in the land of Egypt. 20 You must fear the Lord your God and worship him and cling to him. Your oaths must be in his name alone. 21 He alone is your God, the only one who is worthy of your praise, the one who has done these mighty miracles that you have seen with your own eyes. 22 When your ancestors went down into Egypt, there were only seventy of them. But now the Lord your God has made you as numerous as the stars in the sky!   NLT

Verse of the Day 6/14

Through the Bible-Ezra 8-10, Acts 1:12- 2:13

 

Good morning,

Over the weekend my wife Jean and I watched a news program about a tragedy where 3 people lost their lives, dying  in a "sweat box" led by a "spiritual guru".  He was to lead them to a higher spiritual understanding which would help them find themselves and bring fulfillment to their personal and business lives.  They found something completely different.

 

I read the following in Deuteronomy 13 the next morning.  Moses told the people if someone else came along, directing them to follow other gods, dreamers or guru's if you will.... " you must not listen to the words of that prophet or dreamer. The Lord your God is testing you to find out whether you love him with all your heart and with all your soul. 4 It is the Lord your God you must follow, and him you must revere. Keep his commands and obey him; serve him and hold fast to him.  Deut 13:3 NIV"

 

As Christians, we realize that the Bible, both Old Testament and New, calls us to follow God, follow Jesus Christ.

For today's verse we'll go back to an Old Testament passage that carries New Testament advice for us.

Deut 8:3 So He humbled you, allowed you to hunger, and fed you with manna which you did not know nor did your fathers know, that He might make you know that man shall not live by bread alone; but man lives by every word that proceeds from the mouth of the Lord.    NKJV

Verse 2 starts out with " you shall remember that the Lord your God led you all the way these forty years in the wilderness, to humble you and test you, to know what was in your heart"   Looking back in our lives we should be able to identify a time when we hungered and thirsted for God.  We should also be able to identify how He fed us, lead us, and brought us to where we are today.

 

Commenting on verse 3, John MacArthur writes, "God sustained the people in the wilderness with a food previously unknown to them.  Israel's food in the wilderness was decreed to them by the Word of God.  They had manna because it came by God's command; therefore; it ultimately was not bread that kept them alive; but God's Word (Matt. 4:4, Luke 4:4)."

 

Luke 4:4 But Jesus answered him, saying, "It is written, 'Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word of God.'"   NKJV

John 4:34 Jesus said to them, "My food is to do the will of Him who sent Me, and to finish His work.   NKJV

What is it that sustains you?

 

Let us remember and be sure to praise Him for what He has given us.

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
Deut 8:1-10

 

8 "Be careful to obey all the commands I am giving you today. Then you will live and multiply, and you will enter and occupy the land the Lord swore to give your ancestors. 2 Remember how the Lord your God led you through the wilderness for these forty years, humbling you and testing you to prove your character, and to find out whether or not you would obey his commands. 3 Yes, he humbled you by letting you go hungry and then feeding you with manna, a food previously unknown to you and your ancestors. He did it to teach you that people do not live by bread alone; rather, we live by every word that comes from the mouth of the Lord. 4 For all these forty years your clothes didn't wear out, and your feet didn't blister or swell. 5 Think about it: Just as a parent disciplines a child, the Lord your God disciplines you for your own good.

 

6 "So obey the commands of the Lord your God by walking in his ways and fearing him. 7 For the Lord your God is bringing you into a good land of flowing streams and pools of water, with fountains and springs that gush out in the valleys and hills. 8 It is a land of wheat and barley; of grapevines, fig trees, and pomegranates; of olive oil and honey. 9 It is a land where food is plentiful and nothing is lacking. It is a land where iron is as common as stone, and copper is abundant in the hills. 10 When you have eaten your fill, be sure to praise the Lord your God for the good land he has given you.  NLT

Verse of the Day - weekend 6/12

 

Through the Bible - Ezra 3-7, John 21 - Acts 1:11

 

Good morning,

In our Pastor Bob's message this weekend he stated that the our mission and the mission of our church is "to make Jesus famous".  How do we go about accomplishing this?

It has a lot to do with the subject we've been considering, abiding.

Today's verses will come from Psalm 86 and have something to do with this as well.

 

Ps 86:11 Teach me your ways, O Lord,
that I may live according to your truth!
Grant me purity of heart,
so that I may honor you.
12 With all my heart I will praise you, O Lord my God.
I will give glory to your name forever,  NLT

 

Considering God's goodness, mercy and grace earlier in the week, an old hymn came to mind.  It fits in well with the them of abiding, giving glory to God and the desire to make Him famous.   (Not that He needs us to be famous).  If you know it, sing it in your mind or out loud and may it be from your heart.

 

Wonderful Grace of Jesus

 

Wonderful grace of Jesus,
Greater than all my sin;
How shall my tongue describe it,
Where shall its praise begin?
Taking away my burden,
Setting my spirit free;
For the wonderful grace of Jesus reaches me.


Wonderful the matchless grace of Jesus,
Deeper than the mighty rolling sea;
Wonderful grace, all sufficient for me, for even me.
Broader than the scope of my transgressions,
Greater far than all my sin and shame,
O magnify the precious Name of Jesus.
Praise His Name!


Wonderful grace of Jesus,
Reaching to all the lost,
By it I have been pardoned,
Saved to the uttermost,
Chains have been torn asunder,
Giving me liberty;
For the wonderful grace of Jesus reaches me.

Wonderful grace of Jesus,
Reaching the most defiled,
By its transforming power,
Making him God's dear child,
Purchasing peace and heaven,
For all eternity;
And the wonderful grace of Jesus reaches me.

 

O magnify the precious Name of Jesus.
Praise His Name!

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 86:11-87:1

 

11 Teach me your ways, O Lord,
that I may live according to your truth!
Grant me purity of heart,
so that I may honor you.
12 With all my heart I will praise you, O Lord my God.
I will give glory to your name forever,
13 for your love for me is very great.
You have rescued me from the depths of death.

 

14 O God, insolent people rise up against me;
a violent gang is trying to kill me.
You mean nothing to them.
15 But you, O Lord,
are a God of compassion and mercy,
slow to get angry
and filled with unfailing love and faithfulness.
16 Look down and have mercy on me.
Give your strength to your servant;
save me, the son of your servant.
17 Send me a sign of your favor.
Then those who hate me will be put to shame,
for you, O Lord, help and comfort me.   NLT

Verse of the Day 6/11

Through the Bible - John 20

Good morning,

A devotional I read this morning brought me to 1 Corinthians 13, the "love" chapter.  It is a chapter that we should read on a regular basis.  It helps to reveal to us the condition of our heart and our love.

The verse that "jumped" out at me this morning as I read it in the Amplified Bible was verse 5, we'll go there for today's verse.  It's a humbling verse to read, especially coming off of an anniversary.

1 Corinthians 13:5 - Amplified Bible - It is not conceited (arrogant and inflated with pride); it is not rude (unmannerly) and does not act unbecomingly. Love (God's love in us) does not insist on its own rights or its own way, for it is not self-seeking; it is not touchy or fretful or resentful; it takes no account of the evil done to it [it pays no attention to a suffered wrong].

This verse describes what love is not.  Unfortunately in reading this and examining my heart, it is easy to see where I fall short and where I need to improve.  The way to improve is through God's grace.

The other thing that came to mind was that the more that conceit, rudeness, arrogance, pride, and even fretting is present in our lives, the less love will be present or evident.

Read through the passage today.  May it inspire you to put aside the negatives and show love to your spouse, family, friends and those who you will meet this weekend.

Blessings,
Mike
mikevw@bellsouth.net

mikesvotd.blogspot.com

1 Corinthians 13 (Amplified Bible)

1 Corinthians 13

 ¹IF I [can] speak in the tongues of men and [even] of angels, but have not love (that reasoning, intentional, spiritual devotion such^[a]as is inspired by God's love for and in us), I am only a noisy gong or a clanging cymbal.

    ²And if I have prophetic powers (^[b]the gift of interpreting the divine will and purpose), and understand all the secret truths and mysteries and possess all knowledge, and if I have [sufficient] faith so that I can remove mountains, but have not love (God's love in me) I am nothing (a useless nobody).

    ³Even if I dole out all that I have [to the poor in providing] food, and if I surrender my body to be burned or ^[c] in order that I may glory, but have not love (God's love in me), I gain nothing.

    ⁴Love endures long and is patient and kind; love never is envious nor boils over with jealousy, is not boastful or vainglorious, does not display itself haughtily.

    ⁵It is not conceited (arrogant and inflated with pride); it is not rude (unmannerly) and does not act unbecomingly. Love (God's love in us) does not insist on its own rights or its own way, for it is not self-seeking; it is not touchy or fretful or resentful; it takes no account of the evil done to it [it pays no attention to a suffered wrong].

    ⁶It does not rejoice at injustice and unrighteousness, but rejoices when right and truth prevail.

    ⁷Love bears up under anything and everything that comes, is ever ready to believe the best of every person, its hopes are fadeless under all circumstances, and it endures everything [without weakening].

    ⁸Love never fails [never fades out or becomes obsolete or comes to an end]. As for prophecy (^[d]the gift of interpreting the divine will and purpose), it will be fulfilled and pass away; as for tongues, they will be destroyed and cease; as for knowledge, it will pass away [it will lose its value and be superseded by truth].

    ⁹For our knowledge is fragmentary (incomplete and imperfect), and our prophecy (our teaching) is fragmentary (incomplete and imperfect).

    ¹⁰But when the complete and perfect (total) comes, the incomplete and imperfect will vanish away (become antiquated, void, and superseded).

    ¹¹When I was a child, I talked like a child, I thought like a child, I reasoned like a child; now that I have become a man, I am done with childish ways and have put them aside.

    ¹²For now we are looking in a mirror that gives only a dim (blurred) reflection [of reality as ^[e]in a riddle or enigma], but then [when perfection comes] we shall see in reality and face to face! Now I know in part (imperfectly), but then I shall know and understand ^[f]fully and clearly, even in the same manner as I have been ^[g]fully and clearly known and understood [^[h]by God].

    ¹³And so faith, hope, love abide [faith--conviction and belief respecting man's relation to God and divine things; hope--joyful and confident expectation of eternal salvation; love--true affection for God and man, growing out of God's love for and in us], these three; but the greatest of these is love.

Verse of the Day 6/10

Through the Bible - 2 Chronicles 34-36, John 19:16-42

 

Good morning,

Stop and consider what God's Word means to you.  What is it doing in you, is it causing you to grow?

I recently read Luke 8 about the parable of the soils and the following verses brought those questions to my mind.

Luke 8:11  "This is the meaning of the parable: The seed is the word of God.  NIV
God's Word is the seed that causes, brings about growth, fruit in our lives.

Luke 8:15 But the good soil represents honest, good-hearted people who hear God's message, cling to it, and steadily produce a huge harvest.  NLT
We are to cling to it through thick and thin.  When we do, it will be productive in us.

Luke 8:21 Jesus replied, "My mother and my brothers are all those who hear the message of God and obey it."  NLT
In this verse Jesus tells the disciples that His family are those hear hear His Word, His message, and obey it.

For today's verse we'll go to today's New Testament reading in John 19.

John 19:35 The man who saw it has given testimony, and his testimony is true. He knows that he tells the truth, and he testifies so that you also may believe.   NIV
John saw how Jesus lived, recorded His life and words and expresses why he wrote this gospel, that you may believe and grow.

An example of some who came to Jesus, who came to faith and grew in faith is recorded after this event.  Joseph of Arimathea and Nicodemus.

John 19:38 Later, Joseph of Arimathea asked Pilate for the body of Jesus. Now Joseph was a disciple of Jesus, but secretly because he feared the Jews. With Pilate's permission, he came and took the body away.

39 He was accompanied by Nicodemus, the man who earlier had visited Jesus at night.    NIV
They had secretly followed but now they are out in the open showing their love for Him.

How can we apply these verses in our lives?

Blessings,
Mike

mikevw@bellsouth.net
mikesvotd.blogspot.com

John 19:31-20:1

31 Now it was the day of Preparation, and the next day was to be a special Sabbath. Because the Jews did not want the bodies left on the crosses during the Sabbath, they asked Pilate to have the legs broken and the bodies taken down.

32 The soldiers therefore came and broke the legs of the first man who had been crucified with Jesus, and then those of the other.

33 But when they came to Jesus and found that he was already dead, they did not break his legs.

34 Instead, one of the soldiers pierced Jesus' side with a spear, bringing a sudden flow of blood and water.

35 The man who saw it has given testimony, and his testimony is true. He knows that he tells the truth, and he testifies so that you also may believe.

36 These things happened so that the scripture would be fulfilled: "Not one of his bones will be broken,"  

37 and, as another scripture says, "They will look on the one they have pierced."  

38 Later, Joseph of Arimathea asked Pilate for the body of Jesus. Now Joseph was a disciple of Jesus, but secretly because he feared the Jews. With Pilate's permission, he came and took the body away.

39 He was accompanied by Nicodemus, the man who earlier had visited Jesus at night. Nicodemus brought a mixture of myrrh and aloes, about seventy-five pounds.  

40 Taking Jesus' body, the two of them wrapped it, with the spices, in strips of linen. This was in accordance with Jewish burial customs.

41 At the place where Jesus was crucified, there was a garden, and in the garden a new tomb, in which no one had ever been laid.

42 Because it was the Jewish day of Preparation and since the tomb was nearby, they laid Jesus there.   NIV

Verse of the Day 6/9

Through the Bible - 2 Chronicles 31-33, John 19:1-16

 

Good morning,

In this day and age there are many things striving for our attention, calling us to "try it, you'll like it" leading us down a new and different path.  This take place in corporations, churches and in our individual lives

I've served on a couple of church boards and been involved in committees in business. Many times, perhaps most often, it is hard to come to a consensus on what direction to take.  It  is refreshing when you hear from someone who has a clear vision for the path forward, for the decision that needs to be made, and then for that decision to ring true.

Today's verse comes from 1 Thessalonians 1 and speaks of the testimony ringing out from those who have cast aside the things of the world that were vying for their devotion, to follow Christ. 

1 Thess 1:8 And now the word of the Lord is ringing out from you to people everywhere, even beyond Greece, for wherever we go we find people telling us about your faith in God. We don't need to tell them about it,

9 for they themselves keep talking about the wonderful welcome you gave us and how you turned away from idols to serve the true and living God.   NLT

Ray Ortberg recently wrote this in his blog about the board room battle that goes on in our hearts. , "You and I are not integrated, unified, whole persons.  Our hearts are multi-divided.  There is a board room in every heart.  Big table.  Leather chairs.   Coffee.  Bottled water.  Whiteboard.  A committee sits around the table.  There is the social self, the private self, the work self, the sexual self, the recreational self, the religious self, and others.  The committee is arguing and debating and voting.  Constantly agitated and upset.  Rarely can they come to a unanimous, wholehearted decision.  We tell ourselves we're this way because we're so busy with so many responsibilities.  The truth is, we're just divided, unfocused, hesitant, unfree.

That kind of person can "accept Jesus" in either of two ways.   One way is to invite him onto the committee.  Give him a vote too.  But then he becomes just one more complication.  The other way to "accept Jesus" is to say to him, "My life isn't working.  Please come in and fire my committee, every last one of them.  I hand myself over to you.  Please run my whole life for me."   That is not complication; that is salvation.

"Accepting Jesus" is not just adding Jesus.   It is also subtracting the idols."

 Do you feel at times that "my life isn't working?  May we be willing to subtract the idols in our lives and let Jesus lead.

Blessings,
Mike

mikevw@bellsouth.net
mikesvotd.blogspot.com

1 Thess 1:1-2:1
The Faith of the Thessalonian Believers

2 We always thank God for all of you and pray for you constantly.

3 As we talk to our God and Father about you, we think of your faithful work, your loving deeds, and your continual anticipation of the return of our Lord Jesus Christ.

4 We know that God loves you, dear brothers and sisters, and that he chose you to be his own people.

5 For when we brought you the Good News, it was not only with words but also with power, for the Holy Spirit gave you full assurance that what we said was true. And you know that the way we lived among you was further proof of the truth of our message.

6 So you received the message with joy from the Holy Spirit in spite of the severe suffering it brought you. In this way, you imitated both us and the Lord.

7 As a result, you yourselves became an example to all the Christians in Greece.  

8 And now the word of the Lord is ringing out from you to people everywhere, even beyond Greece, for wherever we go we find people telling us about your faith in God. We don't need to tell them about it,

9 for they themselves keep talking about the wonderful welcome you gave us and how you turned away from idols to serve the true and living God.

10 And they speak of how you are looking forward to the coming of God's Son from heaven — Jesus, whom God raised from the dead. He is the one who has rescued us from the terrors of the coming judgment.   NLT

Verse of the Day 6/8

Through the Bible - 2 Chronicles 28-30, John 18

 

Good morning,

We've looked at and considered what it means to abide in Jesus for the last several days.  Before changing subjects, for today's verses I thought we'd go to Proverbs chapter 8.

Prov 8:34-36
Blessed the man, blessed the woman, who listens to me,
awake and ready for me each morning,
alert and responsive as I start my day's work.
When you find me, you find life, real life,
to say nothing of God's good pleasure.  

from The Message

Various translations such as the NKJV below, speak of watching and waiting daily at His doors or gates.  The picture is anxiously waiting for your Master, your King to bring word to you, being ready to go where He sends you and do what He tells you, joyfully.

 

I like the mornings, it's probably the best time of the day for me.  May we approach our days being ready, alert and responsive to the Word of the Lord and His promptings.  These verses tell us that it is in doing so, in abiding, that we will find real life and yes God's good pleasure.

 

James 1:22-25   Don't fool yourself into thinking that you are a listener when you are anything but, letting the Word go in one ear and out the other. Act on what you hear! Those who hear and don't act are like those who glance in the mirror, walk away, and two minutes later have no idea who they are, what they look like.

 

But whoever catches a glimpse of the revealed counsel of God — the free life! — even out of the corner of his eye, and sticks with it, is no distracted scatterbrain but a man or woman of action. That person will find delight and affirmation in the action.   - The Message

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

Prov 8:32-9:1

 

32 "Now therefore, listen to me, my children,
For blessed are those who keep my ways.
33 Hear instruction and be wise,
And do not disdain it.
34 Blessed is the man who listens to me,
Watching daily at my gates,
Waiting at the posts of my doors.
35 For whoever finds me finds life,
And obtains favor from the Lord;
36 But he who sins against me wrongs his own soul;
All those who hate me love death."   NKJV

Verse of the Day 6/7

Through the Bible - 2 Chronicles 24-27, John 17:6-26

 

Good morning,

For today's verse we'll turn back to Matthew 6:24-34 where we are told that we cannot serve two masters.  Verse 25 in the Amplified Bible, tells us "stop being perpetually uneasy (anxious and worried) about your life".

How many lives today could be described as "perpetually uneasy" or "anxious and worried".  I know for myself, that I fall into the anxious and worried portion all too often.

I know I've referenced verses 33 and 34 in previous devotionals, but I thought that it fit well with our look at abiding last week.

Matthew 6:33-34 (Amplified Bible)  But seek (aim at and strive after) first of all His kingdom and His righteousness (His way of doing and being right), and then all these things taken together will be given you besides.  ³⁴So do not worry or be anxious about tomorrow, for tomorrow will have worries and anxieties of its own. Sufficient for each day is its own trouble.

We are to live our lives by faith, abiding in and abiding by the words, teaching and life exemplified by Jesus as we saw in John 8 and 15.  We are to seek Christ (to aim at and strive after.  The verses speak of a goal, our aim is to be like Christ, pressing towards that goal.  It is a common thought in the gospels and in Paul's epistles.

Philippians 3:12 Not that I have already attained, or am already perfected; but I press on, that I may lay hold of that for which Christ Jesus has also laid hold of me. ¹³ Brethren, I do not count myself to have apprehended; but one thing I do, forgetting those things which are behind and reaching forward to those things which are ahead, ¹⁴ I press toward the goal for the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus.
¹⁵ Therefore let us, as many as are mature, have this mind; and if in anything you think otherwise, God will reveal even this to you. ¹⁶ Nevertheless, to the degree that we have already attained, let us walk by the same rule, let us be of the same mind.

 

"The new life in Christ, just like all natural life, must be nourished and strengthened. This is possible only in communion with Christ in the Holy Spirit and through the word of Scripture. Enlightened by the Spirit, believers gain a new knowledge of faith. The gospel is the food of faith and must be known to be nourishment. Salvation that is not known and enjoyed is no salvation. God saves by causing himself to be known and enjoyed in Christ."

- Herman Bavinck

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

 ²⁴ "No one can serve two masters. For you will hate one and love the other; you will be devoted to one and despise the other. You cannot serve both God and money.

 ²⁵ "That is why I tell you not to worry about everyday life—whether you have enough food and drink, or enough clothes to wear. Isn't life more than food, and your body more than clothing? ²⁶ Look at the birds. They don't plant or harvest or store food in barns, for your heavenly Father feeds them. And aren't you far more valuable to him than they are? ²⁷ Can all your worries add a single moment to your life?

 ²⁸ "And why worry about your clothing? Look at the lilies of the field and how they grow. They don't work or make their clothing, ²⁹ yet Solomon in all his glory was not dressed as beautifully as they are. ³⁰ And if God cares so wonderfully for wildflowers that are here today and thrown into the fire tomorrow, he will certainly care for you. Why do you have so little faith?

 ³¹ "So don't worry about these things, saying, 'What will we eat? What will we drink? What will we wear?' ³² These things dominate the thoughts of unbelievers, but your heavenly Father already knows all your needs. ³³ Seek the Kingdom of God above all else, and live righteously, and he will give you everything you need.

 ³⁴ "So don't worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will bring its own worries. Today's trouble is enough for today.