Verse of the Day 9/30

 

Psalm 15:2-3 Only those who are innocent
       and who do what is right.
    Such people speak the truth from their hearts
 3 and do not tell lies about others.
    They do no wrong to their neighbors
       and do not gossip.  (NCV)

 

 

Today's verses begin the answer to the questions in verse one which apply to all people.  Who may enter His tent, fellowship, tabernacle with Him.  It it a picture of living with God, dwelling with Christ in our hearts day to day.  Who may live on His mountain may speak of our eternal dwelling.  The answers in today's verses and following reveal "life and lip" qualities of life.  Words and actions.  Speaking the truth and doing the right things.

 

The psalm is one that we can take to heart, hold up to our lives, and remind us of our witness.

 

The other thing that struck me, is holding these words up to all of the political wrangling that is going on.  The politicians (I believe) try to avoid telling outright lies, but the words of the campaigns are full of "half truths", twisting things to line up with their agenda.

 

We should not be this way, instead we should be "speaking the truth in love".

 

Teaching the Truth in Love - (from the group - Accapella)

 

Are we teaching the truth in love
Telling it like it is
While holding pure motives
And showing that we care
Are we teaching the truth in love?

 

Sometimes it's hard to know exactly how we are to share
With our Master's words of confidence, directly, do we dare?
Should we water down the message, should we tell them only parts?
Will they see Him in our message, will they see Him in our heart?

 

Are we speaking, teaching the truth in love?

 

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
Psalm 15  New International Version (NIV)

A psalm of David.

 

1 Lord, who may dwell in your sacred tent?
    Who may live on your holy mountain?
2 The one whose walk is blameless,
    who does what is righteous,
    who speaks the truth from their heart;
3 whose tongue utters no slander,
    who does no wrong to a neighbor,
    and casts no slur on others;
4 who despises a vile person
    but honors those who fear the Lord;
who keeps an oath even when it hurts,
    and does not change their mind;
5 who lends money to the poor without interest;
    who does not accept a bribe against the innocent.
Whoever does these things
    will never be shaken.

Verse of the Day 9/29

 

Ephesians 3:18-19 And I pray that you and all God's holy people will have the power to understand the greatness of Christ's love—how wide, how long, how high, and how deep that love is. 19 Christ's love is greater than anyone can ever know, but I pray that you will be able to know that love. Then you can be filled with everything God has for you.  (ERV)

Today's read through the Bible passage was in Ephesians 3 which happens to be one of my favorite prayers in the New Testament.  Paul is praying for the church and praying for us.  It is a model prayer that we can pray for others.

 

Paul prays for "inner power", not something that is of ourselves, it is God's power living in and through us.  When you read through verse 16-19 you will notice that he asks that believers would be strengthened, rooted and filled.  We need His strength every day, strength to stand and withstand, strength to endure and to overcome.  We need to be rooted and grounded in His Word, His love, grace and peace.  And we need to be filled, as my HCSB study Bible states "via the work of the three persons of the Trinity, Spirit, Christ and God the Father.

 

How Deep is the Love of Christ - Wes King

 

Incomparable kindness to less than the least
To the broken, the battered, and weak
To all who are hungry there comes a call
To be filled with the fullness of God
It's beyond all you can see
Farther than you'd believe
It's a mystery
My prayer for you is that you would know

 

CHORUS:
How wide, and how long, and how high, how deep is the love
How deep is the love of Christ

 

The width of two arms outstretched on a tree
The length of the road to Calvary
The height of the crown on a cruel cross
The depth of the pain is the cost
All for you, all for me
All for love did He bleed
All to set us free

My prayer for you is that you would know

 

How deep is the love of Christ.

 

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

Ephesians 3:14-19  Holman Christian Standard Bible (HCSB)
Prayer for Spiritual Power

 

14 For this reason I kneel before the Father 15 from whom every family in heaven and on earth is named. 16 I pray that He may grant you, according to the riches of His glory, to be strengthened with power in the inner man through His Spirit, 17 and that the Messiah may dwell in your hearts through faith. I pray that you, being rooted and firmly established in love, 18 may be able to comprehend with all the saints what is the length and width, height and depth of God's love, 19 and to know the Messiah's love that surpasses knowledge, so you may be filled with all the fullness of God.

Verse of the Day 9/28

 Ephesians 2:4-5  But God, being rich in mercy, because of the great love with which he loved us, ⁵ even when we were dead in our trespasses, made us alive together with Christ—by grace you have been saved— (ESV) 

 

Today's New Testament reading in my read through the Bible plan brought me to Ephesians chapter two where we go for today's verses.  The preceding verses describe how were were dead in our sins and trespasses and the verses above start with two little words that have great importance, ultimate importance, "but God".  We were dead as it were, but God had other plans for us, His grace brought us to life, spiritually.

 

Reading this passage I thought of Lazarus being called out of the grave, still having the grave cloths wrapped around him like a mummy.  Looking back to the past few days we considered Solomon.  You might say that he was all wrapped up in seeking worldly pleasures, but as the book of Ecclesiastes shows, God called him out of that and by His grace showed him that there was more to this life.

 

Has He called you out, released you from your grave clothes?  Do these verses make you want to sing in your heart of the "Matchless 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.

2. 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.

3. 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;
For the wonderful grace of Jesus reaches me.

Chorus:
Wonderful the matchless grace of Jesus,
Deeper than the mighty rolling sea;
Higher than the mountain, sparkling like a fountain,
All sufficient grace 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!

Blessings,

Mike
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Ephesians 2:1-5  English Standard Version (ESV)   By Grace Through Faith

2 And you were dead in the trespasses and sins ² in which you once walked, following the course of this world, following the prince of the power of the air, the spirit that is now at work in the sons of disobedience— ³ among whom we all once lived in the passions of our flesh, carrying out the desires of the body^[a] and the mind, and were by nature children of wrath, like the rest of mankind.^{[b] 4} But^[c] God, being rich in mercy, because of the great love with which he loved us, ⁵ even when we were dead in our trespasses, made us alive together with Christ—by grace you have been saved—

Verse of the Day 9/27

Ecclesiastes 3:11-12 He has made everything beautiful in its time. Also, he has put eternity into man's heart, yet so that he cannot find out what God has done from the beginning to the end. ¹² I perceived that there is nothing better for them than to be joyful and to do good as long as they live;   (ESV)

King Solomon had definitely spent years in "vanity and pride" when his worldview was all about himself and filling his life with all the "stuff" that he could.  As he got older, and wiser Ecclesiastes reveals that a change has taken place.  A much greater emphasis is placed on joy and enjoying life, the life that God has given each of us no matter our lot in life.

 

People like to solve puzzles and mysteries.  They play all kinds of games on their computers and i-phones, and play Sudoku while flying on airplanes.  Not being able to solve something can be frustrating.  Today's verses reveal something else about the biblical worldview.  It is that God is sovereign, He is in control, He knows the beginning and the end and knows the answer to our lifes questions.  He reveals them to us a little at a time, not to frustrate us but for us to enjoy, to find joy in the journey.  He has aslo put eternity in our hearts so that we will seek Him and when we find Him we can have peace, joy, and receive comfort and assurance that in eternity all our mysteries will be solved. May He give us His peace in all of life's ebb and flow.

 

There's within my heart a melody
Jesus whispers sweet and low
Fear not, I am with thee, peace, be still
In all of life's ebb and flow

Blessings,
Mike
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Ecclesiastes 3:10-12  New King James Version (NKJV)

¹⁰ I have seen the God-given task with which the sons of men are to be occupied. ¹¹ He has made everything beautiful in its time. Also He has put eternity in their hearts, except that no one can find out the work that God does from beginning to end.

¹² I know that nothing is better for them than to rejoice, and to do good in their lives,

 

Verse of the Day 9/26

 Ecclesiastes 2:24-25  There is nothing better for man than to eat, drink, and enjoy his work. I have seen that even this is from God's hand, ²⁵ because who can eat and who can enjoy life apart from Him? (HCSB)
 

I am truly thankful that there are days, (many in fact but not all), that I enjoy my work.  I feel blessed that God has provided it for me.

 

Ecclesiastes 2 is saturated with Solomon speaking of vanity.  The opening, closing and middle verses touch on the subject.  In reading chapter two you can see that Solomon lived a good portion of his life, as the old hymn said, living "years spent in vanity and pride", where all he cared about was himself and seeking pleasure.  He built, bought and gathered for himself.  But without God, he found that all of this seeking, finding and acquiring to be empty.

 

Solomon has a strong view of God's sovereignty and shows thanks to God for bringing the correct perspective back to his life. 

 

What is at the core of our work our toil?  Is it to accumulate things or are we striving to please Him?  It is the pathway of blessing.  Verse 25 points out that we will not truly enjoy life "apart from Him".

 

All achievements, all possessions
All with time return to dust
Only God can be our reason
For deep and quiet trust

He will guard us from the dangers
That gladly make men fools

Apart from Him and all His meaning
All things fail as they begin
And hearts deceived
Can only know
A chasing of the wind   (from A Chasing of the Wind - Steve Green)

 

Blessings,
Mike
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Ecclesiastes 2:22-25  Amplified Bible (AMP)

²² For what has a man left from all his labor and from the striving and vexation of his heart in which he has toiled under the sun?

²³ For all his days are but pain and sorrow, and his work is a vexation and grief; his mind takes no rest even at night. This is also vanity (emptiness, falsity, and futility)!

²⁴ There is nothing better for a man than that he should eat and drink and make himself enjoy good in his labor. Even this, I have seen, is from the hand of God.

²⁵ For who can eat or who can have enjoyment any more than I can—^[apart from Him?

Verse of the Day 9/25

 Galatians 5:1 In [this] freedom Christ has made us free [and completely liberated us]; stand fast then, and do not be hampered and held ensnared and submit again to a yoke of slavery [which you have once put off].    (AMP)

 

My read through the Bible plan brought me to Galatians 5 this morning, boy did I need it.  After a day (and evening)  of being grumpy, achy,frustrated and short tempered I needed something to snap me out of it and get back on track.  This passage put me in the right direction. 

 

We have been set free from the cares and entrapments of the world if we choose to stand in the power of Christ and draw on His power.  The world can keep us captive, push us around, ensnare us, bind us and tie us up in knots if we let it.  I'm telling you as I'm telling myself, don't submit to it.  There is power in Christ Jesus.

 

Would you be free from the burden of sin?
There's pow'r in the blood, pow'r in the blood;
Would you o'er evil a victory win?
There's wonderful pow'r in the blood.

 

Would you be free from your passion and pride?
There's pow'r in the blood, pow'r in the blood;
Come for a cleansing to Calvary's tide;
There's wonderful pow'r in the blood.

Refrain:
There is pow'r, pow'r, wonder-working pow'r
In the blood of the Lamb;
There is pow'r, pow'r, wonder-working pow'r
In the precious blood of the Lamb.

The chapter ends with encouraging verses that tell us of the work and power of the Spirit in our lives.  May we exhibit this fruit of the Spirit  in our lives today.

 

 Galatians 5:22-23 (HCSB)  But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faith, ²³ gentleness, self-control. Against such things there is no law.

Blessings,
Mike
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Galatians 5:1-13  Holman Christian Standard Bible (HCSB)Freedom of the Christian

5 Christ has liberated us to be free. Stand firm then and don't submit again to a yoke of slavery. .....

⁵ For through the Spirit, by faith, we eagerly wait for the hope of righteousness. ⁶ For in Christ Jesus neither circumcision nor uncircumcision accomplishes anything; what matters is faith working through love.

⁷ You were running well. Who prevented you from obeying the truth? ⁸ This persuasion did not come from the One who called you. ⁹ A little yeast leavens the whole lump of dough. ¹⁰ I have confidence in the Lord you will not accept any other view. But whoever it is that is confusing you will pay the penalty. ¹¹ Now brothers, if I still preach circumcision, why am I still persecuted? In that case the offense of the cross has been abolished. ¹² I wish those who are disturbing you might also get themselves castrated!

¹³ For you were called to be free, brothers; only don't use this freedom as an opportunity for the flesh, but serve one another through love.

Verse of the Day 9/23

 Psalm 150:1-2 Praise the Lord!
Praise God in his sanctuary;
    praise him in his mighty heavens!
² Praise him for his mighty deeds;
    praise him according to his excellent greatness!   (ESV)

 

I read Psalm 150 recently and it has stayed on my mind for some time, for several reasons.  The first thing that came to mind was verse two which speaks of God's "excellent greatness" which immediately brought to mind a favorite old hymn.  The familiar refrain goes like this.

 

Praise Him! Praise Him!
Tell of His excellent greatness.
Praise Him! Praise Him!
Ever in joyful song!

Praising him transcends time.  Through the ages God has ordained praise and from antiquity people have used various instruments, stringed, wood, and cymbals to praise Him, in joyful song.

 

Our  Worship Pastor, Jeromy Acton "modernized" the old hymn "Oh the Deep Deep Love of Jesus" in his work "The Deep".  In it he used some of today's instruments to bring some new "depth" to the already deep words of the hymn.  http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lQe2AvZjtFg

 

O the deep, deep love of Jesus, vast, unmeasured, boundless, free!
Rolling as a mighty ocean in its fullness over me!
Underneath me, all around me, is the current of Thy love
Leading onward, leading homeward to Thy glorious rest above!

 

O the deep, deep love of Jesus, spread His praise from shore to shore!
How He loveth, ever loveth, changeth never, nevermore!
How He watches o'er His loved ones, died to call them all His own;
How for them He intercedeth, watcheth o'er them from the throne!

 

O the deep, deep love of Jesus, love of every love the best!
'Tis an ocean full of blessing, 'tis a haven giving rest!
O the deep, deep love of Jesus, 'tis a heaven of heavens to me;
And it lifts me up to glory, for it lifts me up to Thee!

 

May we praise Him today and forever for the depths of His love.

 

Blessings,
Mike
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Psalm 150   English Standard Version (ESV)

Let Everything Praise the Lord

150 Praise the Lord!
Praise God in his sanctuary;
    praise him in his mighty heavens!
² Praise him for his mighty deeds;
    praise him according to his excellent greatness!

³ Praise him with trumpet sound;
    praise him with lute and harp!
⁴ Praise him with tambourine and dance;
    praise him with strings and pipe!
⁵ Praise him with sounding cymbals;
    praise him with loud clashing cymbals!
⁶ Let everything that has breath praise the Lord!
Praise the Lord!

Verse of the Day 9/21

Isaiah 40:1 "Comfort, comfort My people,"
says your God.   (HCSB)

Many people today would think of comfort in terms of health and wealth, a life of ease, even extravagance, being pampered with every conceivable pleasure.

 

This is not the biblical picture.  Today's verse begins one of the great chapters in the Bible on comfort, and ends with verses 28 to 31 which have lifted our family through times of grief, pain and sorrow.  Comfort, for the Christian involves some of the things we've considered over the past few days - hope, faith, love.  You can also add encouragement, trust and assurance.  All of these things come from our great God, oftentimes bestowed upon us by His followers.  It comes from knowing that we have a loving God and heavenly Father who isn't far off as some would have us believe.

 

John Stott writes in his book "Basic Christianity" - "Many people imagine God sitting comfortably on a distant throne, remote, aloof, uninterested, a God who doesn't really care for our needs and has to be badgered into taking action on our behalf. Such a view is completely wrong. The Bible reveals a God who, long before it even occurs to men and women to turn to him, while they are still lost in darkness and sunk in sin, takes the initiative, rises from his throne, lays aside his glory, and stoops to seek until he finds them. "  
 

Isaiah was called to comfort the people.  We who have received comfort from Isaiah 40, from Christian friends, ultimately from God are called to comfort others.  May we do so for someone who needs it today.

 

2 Corinthians 1:4 He comforts us in all our affliction, so that we may be able to comfort those who are in any kind of affliction, through the comfort we ourselves receive from God.  (HCSB)

 

Blessings,
Mike
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Isaiah 40:1-2

Holman Christian Standard Bible (HCSB)

God's People Comforted

40 "Comfort, comfort My people,"
says your God.
² "Speak tenderly to Jerusalem,
and announce to her
that her time of forced labor is over,
her iniquity has been pardoned,  ...

 

Isaiah 40:28-31

²⁸ Do you not know?
Have you not heard?
Yahweh is the everlasting God,
the Creator of the whole earth.
He never grows faint or weary;
there is no limit to His understanding.
²⁹ He gives strength to the weary
and strengthens the powerless.
³⁰ Youths may faint and grow weary,
and young men stumble and fall,
³¹ but those who trust in the Lord
will renew their strength;
they will soar on wings like eagles;
they will run and not grow weary;
they will walk and not faint.

Verse of the Day 9/20

Matthew 22:37-39  And he said to him, "You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind. ³⁸ This is the great and first commandment. ³⁹ And a second is like it: You shall love your neighbor as yourself.  (ESV)

In regards to this verse John Calvin wrote," Jesus says that "love is the first and great thing that God demands from us, and therefore the first and great thing that we should devote to him.  We learn from this, that God does not rest satisfied with the outward appearance of works, but chiefly demands the inward feelings, that from a good root good fruits may grow".

 

Back in 1976 I was a freshman in college, had purchased a 1973 Dodge Charger and met Jean, who would later become my wife.  My favorite song that year, and for years was Boston's "More Than a Feeling".  There were times when I would have said that I loved going to school, I loved that song and I loved my Dodge Charger.  Those things such as school or my favorite car didn't last, at least not in my heart, true love, the love for Jean has continued and grows as has my love for the Lord.

 

True love involves feelings, but it is more than a feeling, it grows and endures and is borne out in our actions and are proved in our lives, in our love towards others and to our God.  Love goes beyond feelings.  Feelings, emotions, are not always present when we do acts of love, but if they are there, all the better.  May our actions be a result of the love that we possess.

1 Corinthians 13:7-8 Love 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].  ⁸ Love never fails [never fades out or becomes obsolete or comes to an end].   (AMP)

 

Blessings,
Mike
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Matthew 22:37-40  English Standard Version (ESV)

³⁷ And he said to him, "You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind. ³⁸ This is the great and first commandment. ³⁹ And a second is like it: You shall love your neighbor as yourself. ⁴⁰ On these two commandments depend all the Law and the Prophets."

Verse of the Day 9/18

 1 Thessalonians 5:8  But since we belong to the day, we must be serious and put the armor of faith and love on our chests, and put on a helmet of the hope of salvation.  (HCSB)

I had another verse planned for today, but the events of yesterday caused me to change course.  My wife Jean lost a dear friend yesterday and this brought tears to my eyes as I considered the "keys in life".

 

The HCSB states that we must be serious.  Other translations use "sober".  Both are fitting.  Being sober involves thinking clearly, not being overtaken or being overcome by outside influences that can bring us, bring our lives down. 

 

Be serious.  You've probably heard some one say "seriously?" when questioning someones actions that don't line up with what they believe or profess.  It is saying, you're not actually thinking of doing that are you or you didn't really do that did you?

 

We must put on the full armor of God daily (Eph. 6:11-18).  Today's verse points out that armor is built upon faith, hope and love.

 

May we face the day seriously, soberly and let the peace of God rule in our hearts even in trying, or should I say, especially in challenging times.

 

, 1 Thessalonians 5:4-5 But you, brothersare not in the dark, for this day to overtake you like a thief. ⁵ For you are all sons of light and sons of the day.   (HCSB)... ¹¹ Therefore encourage one another and build each other up as you are already doing.

 

Blessings,
Mike
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1 Thessalonians 5:4-11  Holman Christian Standard Bible (HCSB)

⁴ But you, brothers, are not in the dark, for this day to overtake you like a thief. ⁵ For you are all sons of light and sons of the day. We do not belong to the night or the darkness. ⁶ So then, we must not sleep, like the rest, but we must stay awake and be serious. ⁷ For those who sleep, sleep at night, and those who get drunk are drunk at night. ⁸ But since we belong to the day, we must be serious and put the armor of faith and love on our chests, and put on a helmet of the hope of salvation. ⁹ For God did not appoint us to wrath, but to obtain salvation through our Lord Jesus Christ, ¹⁰ who died for us, so that whether we are awake or asleep, we will live together with Him. ¹¹ Therefore encourage one another and build each other up as you are already doing.

Verse of the Day 9/18

Hebrews 3:7-8 Therefore, as the Holy Spirit says:

Today, if you hear His voice,
⁸ do not harden your hearts as in the rebellion,
on the day of testing in the wilderness,   (HCSB)

In yesterday's passage in 1Kings 19, God called out to Elijah twice.  The second time in a gentle whisper to show him that He was not to be found in the events themselves.   God demonstrated His power in the events but spoke to Elijah quietly and directly.  In each instanceGod was teaching Elijah and after each instance He told him to go out.  Faith involves acting on God's promptings.

 

In today's passage in Hebrews the writer of the book quotes Psalm 95 and twice calls for his readers, his listeners "if you hear His voice, do not harden your hearts" but to respond to His promptings.  We have the choice.  Will we obey and follow or will we harden our hearts?

 

Both passages remind us of the consequences of rebellion.  The readers, including us today, are challenged not to let history, our own, or theirs repeat itself.

 

Blessings,
Mike
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Hebrews 3:7-11  Holman Christian Standard Bible (HCSB)

Warning against Unbelief

⁷ Therefore, as the Holy Spirit says:

Today, if you hear His voice,
⁸ do not harden your hearts as in the rebellion,
on the day of testing in the wilderness,
⁹ where your fathers tested Me, tried Me,
and saw My works ¹⁰ for 40 years.
Therefore I was provoked with that generation
and said, "They always go astray in their hearts,
and they have not known My ways."
¹¹ So I swore in My anger,
"They will not enter My rest."

Verse of the Day 9/16

1 Kings 19:9 He entered a cave there and spent the night.  Then the word of the Lord came to him, and He said to him, "What are you doing here, Elijah?"

 

I've read through this passage in 1Kings 19 many, many times over the years but had never really stopped and considered today's verse and its question in detail before.

 

Elijah had just come through one of the greatest victories and visible demonstrations of the power of God in His victory vs. the prophets of Baal and yet where do we find Elijah.  Hiding in a cave.  God literally call him out.  First, to teach him a needed lesson, and secondly to reveal that things are not what they seem to be.  God gives a personal demonstration of His power in the whirlwind and in an earthquake but the real message came in a gentle whisper, a "still small voice" (v13).

 

God was calling Elijah out.  To make him alive again, in the power that only He can provide.

 

Last night our church hosted a concert given by Matt Maher.  It was a great concert with powerful words to motivate Christians.  I'll share some of the words of his song "I'm Alive Again".

 

I woke up in darkness
surrounded by silence
oh where, where have I gone?
I woke to reality
losing its grip on me
oh where, where have I gone?

 

Cause I can see the light,
before I see the sunrise

 

You called and you shouted
broke through my deafness
now I'm breathing in
and breathing out
I'm alive again!

 

You shattered my darkness
washed away my blindness
now I'm breathing in
and breathing out
I'm alive again!

 

Perhaps you're in a situation where you've withdrawn, pulled back, hid yourself in a cave as it were.  Perhaps God is asking you "what are you doing here" and calling you to make you "alive again".  Maybe it is a quiet whisper that is needed to break you out of "deafnesss".

 

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 Kings 19:8-10  Holman Christian Standard Bible (HCSB)
8 So he got up, ate, and drank. Then on the strength from that food, he walked 40 days and 40 nights to Horeb, the mountain of God. 9 He entered a cave there and spent the night.

 

Elijah's Encounter with the Lord

 

Then the word of the Lord came to him, and He said to him, "What are you doing here, Elijah?"

 

10 He replied, "I have been very zealous for the Lord God of Hosts, but the Israelites have abandoned Your covenant, torn down Your altars, and killed Your prophets with the sword. I alone am left, and they are looking for me to take my life."

Verse of the Day 9/15

Jeremiah 29:13  You will seek me and find me, when you seek me with all your heart.  (ESV)

Eight years ago today we officially moved into our home in North Carolina.  We pulled up roots and relocated from Illinois.  It was not easy to do, but looking back, we can see where God helped us right away, surrounding us with new friends and a church family to help us establish roots.

 

In this passage Jeremiah was calling on the people to "set roots" in the city where He had placed them, to "seek the welfare of the city" and to pray to God for the people of the city on its behalf.  (v.7).  Wherever God sends us, wherever we find ourselves, we need to trust Him.  Even when we are not sure of what He is doing, He does, as is revealed in the preceding verses.

 

Jeremiah 29:11-12  For I know the plans I have for you, declares the Lord, plans for welfare and not for evil, to give you a future and a hope. 12 Then you will call upon me and come and pray to me, and I will hear you.  (ESV)

 

You may find yourself in a new place, physically, emotionally or spiritually today.  Perhaps you are facing a move, a change in your life.  The call today from Jeremiah still holds true in our lives today.  If we seek Him with all our heart, we will find Him and He will ultimately give us the desires of our heart.

 

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

Jeremiah 29:10-13  Holman Christian Standard Bible (HCSB)
10 For this is what the Lord says: "When 70 years for Babylon are complete, I will attend to you and will confirm My promise concerning you to restore you to this place. 11 For I know the plans I have for you"—this is the Lord's declaration—"plans for your welfare, not for disaster, to give you a future and a hope. 12 You will call to Me and come and pray to Me, and I will listen to you. 13 You will seek Me and find Me when you search for Me with all your heart.

Verse of the Day 9/13

 2 Corinthians 8:11  Now finish the work, so that your eager willingness to do it may be matched by your completion of it, according to your means.   (NIV)
 

Yesterday we considered how easy it is to drift away, to stray from the path.  It is fairly easy to fall into a pattern of "wandering",  Prone to wander, Lord I feel it, prone to leave the God I love.

 

The read through the Bible plan that I'm following through the New Testament brought me to today's verse.  It's a call to finish the work.  This may involve getting back in the game, back in the race.  Paul looks at life as a race, a marathon.  In a marathon, unlike a 100 yard dash, a runner may fall, but still be able to be picked up and complete and even win the race.

 

In his blog, Ray Ortlund posted the words to the song "Let Me Rediscover You".  It goes along with these thoughts of getting back on the path, in the game, or getting back on course.

 

You see my weakness, my pride, my blindness
You wield your power through them all
Of all the mysteries, still, the greatest to me
Is that you're faithful when I fall
How can I say I know you
When what I know is still so small?

 

Let me rediscover you
And breathe in me your life anew
Tell me of the God I never knew
And let me rediscover you

 

Let me cry "Holy, holy, holy"
Let me awaken to your majesty
And see a glimmer of your glory
Let me abide in you

 

Let me rediscover you
And by your grace I'll follow through
Reveal to me the God I thought I knew

 

Have you been drifting?  Perhaps you could say the words to this song as a prayer to get back on track.

 

Blessings,
Mike
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2 Corinthians 8:10-12 New International Version (NIV)

¹⁰ And here is my judgment about what is best for you in this matter. Last year you were the first not only to give but also to have the desire to do so. ¹¹ Now finish the work, so that your eager willingness to do it may be matched by your completion of it, according to your means. ¹² For if the willingness is there, the gift is acceptable according to what one has, not according to what one does not have.

Verse of the Day 9/12

 Hebrews 2:1 We must, therefore, pay even more attention to what we have heard, so that we will not drift away.  (HCSB)

 

One of my favorite songs as an early teen was "Drift Away" by Dobie Gray.   The key line was "I wanna get lost in your rock'n rolll and just drift away".  Reading this verse in my devotions yesterday made me think of that song.  Dick France in his commentary on the verse writes, "drift away - translates a verb which more literally means to flow past, a very passive, casual, undemanding sort of movement."

 

It is a sobering thought.  How many of us, at least in some point in our lives, took this attitude towards faith, belief in God, belief in Christ.  Opportunities to hear, to listen and to respond to His promptings just slipped away.  There is a feeling of indifference.   We don't realize, at the time, the consequences of our neglect. 

 

The song "Drift Away" speaks of how music can move us and soothe us.  But they aren't our hope, they are not our source of strength.  Read the following stanza from the song and replace the thoughts directed towards music to that of our God.

 

Thanks for the joy that you've given me
I want you to know I believe in your song
And rhythm and rhyme and harmony
You help me along
Makin' me strong

  Jesus can put rhythm and harmony in our lives, help us along and make us strong.  May we be diligent to remember what we've learned and in all our ways, all our "songs", acknowledge Him and He will direct our paths.  May we place our hope and faith in Him.

 

Blessings,
Mike
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Hebrews 2:1-4(NLT) A Warning against Drifting Away

2 So we must listen very carefully to the truth we have heard, or we may drift away from it. ² For the message God delivered through angels has always stood firm, and every violation of the law and every act of disobedience was punished. ³ So what makes us think we can escape if we ignore this great salvation that was first announced by the Lord Jesus himself and then delivered to us by those who heard him speak? ⁴ And God confirmed the message by giving signs and wonders and various miracles and gifts of the Holy Spirit whenever he chose.

 

Verse of the Day 9/9

Psalm 119:33-34 Teach me, Lord, the meaning of Your statutes,
and I will always keep them.
34 Help me understand Your instruction,
and I will obey it
and follow it with all my heart.    (HCSB)

As we head out to church today or spend time in God's Word on our own, may this be the attitude of our hearts.  It should be the attitude every day.  May we go to church and approach God's Word to listen, to understand what we are being taught and apply it to our lives.

 

In this day and age we have not only the statutes from the Old Testament but also the New Testament which testify of our Lord and Savior.  Jesus was the example, He fulfilled the scriptures.  He taught, demonstrated and set tone of what following the Father should look like.  It was not only knowledge but the attitude of the heart, perhaps best displayed in the Beatitudes.

 

These verses reminded me of what Paul was teaching in 2 Corinthians 4.  He warned of not being blinded by the god of this age, worthless things (v.37) but to proclaim Christ as Lord and let His light shine through.

 

2 Corinthians 4:4-6  In their case, the god of this age has blinded the minds of the unbelievers so they cannot see the light of the gospel of the glory of Christ, who is the image of God. 5 For we are not proclaiming ourselves but Jesus Christ as Lord, and ourselves as your slaves because of Jesus. 6 For God who said, "Let light shine out of darkness," has shone in our hearts to give the light of the knowledge of God's glory in the face of Jesus Christ.  (HCSB)

 

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

Psalm 119:33-40  Holman Christian Standard Bible (HCSB)

 

33 Teach me, Lord, the meaning of Your statutes,
and I will always keep them.
34 Help me understand Your instruction,
and I will obey it
and follow it with all my heart.
35 Help me stay on the path of Your commands,
for I take pleasure in it.
36 Turn my heart to Your decrees
and not to material gain.
37 Turn my eyes
from looking at what is worthless;
give me life in Your ways.
38 Confirm what You said to Your servant,
for it produces reverence for You.
39 Turn away the disgrace I dread;
indeed, Your judgments are good.
40 How I long for Your precepts!
Give me life through Your righteousness.

Verse of the Day 9/8

Nehemiah 1:11 Please, Lord, let Your ear be attentive to the prayer of Your servant and to that of Your servants who delight to revere Your name. Give Your servant success today, and have compassion on him in the presence of this man.

 

At the time, I was the king's cupbearer.   (HCSB)

 

While we've been considering prayers to be bold, be strong, and to be rooted I've my Old Testament reading has been in the book of Nehemiah.  He is a great Old Testament example of one who prayed such prayers and modeled them in his life.  The elements of his prayer in chapter one should be noteworthy for us.  He praises God for who He is (v.5), seeks forgiveness of his sins and for the nation (v.6), reminds God (as if He needed a reminder) of His promises, and in today's verses seeks God's mercy and compassion and expresses his servants heart in desiring success as God's servant.

 

He knew something of service.  He was the cupbearer to the king, tasted his food and drink, in part to make sure that it had not been poisoned.  His life was on the line every day for the king.  He was expressing to God that he realized also that his life was on the line for his King, his God.

 

May our prayers today be like that of Nehemiah, may we share his attitude in worship this weekend in "delighting to revere God's name, may we desire success as individuals and for our churches in serving Him, knowing that we will need His mercy and compassion in our lives if we are to be successful. 

 

In the book of Nehemiah God is shown to be the one to rebuild broken walls and lives.  May He do the same in our generation.

 

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

Nehemiah 1:10-11  Holman Christian Standard Bible (HCSB)
10 They are Your servants and Your people. You redeemed them by Your great power and strong hand. 11 Please, Lord, let Your ear be attentive to the prayer of Your servant and to that of Your servants who delight to revere Your name. Give Your servant success today, and have compassion on him in the presence of this man.

 

At the time, I was the king's cupbearer.

Verse of the Day 9/7

Ephesians 3:17-18  May Christ through your faith [actually] dwell (settle down, abide, make His permanent home) in your hearts! May you be rooted deep in love and founded securely on love, ¹⁸ That you may have the power and be strong to apprehend and grasp with all the saints [God's devoted people, the experience of that love] what is the breadth and length and height and depth [of it];    Amplified Bible (AMP)

We've considered and have been challenged from God's Word for the last couple of days to "be bold" and "be strong".  Today's verse continues in that theme.  We see the words "be strong" in today's verses.  Some translations say be strengthened, which gives you more of the idea that it is an ongoing or continual process.  The Amplified also calls and challenges us to "be rooted", rooted and founded securely on love.

 

James Smith writes," The love of Christ is an infinite love --its heights and depths, its breadths and lengths--surpass our knowledge! The whole of His nature and perfections are thrown into His love, therefore He is said to BE LOVE. He cannot love His people more than He does--nor will He love them less! Until we can comprehend infinity and measure eternity--we cannot know the love of Christ to perfection." 

If we are to love, truly love, we need to have a grasp of the breadth, length, height and depth of His love.  If we have this we can do this because He is with us and gives us "inner reinforcement" (see Phillips translation below).  I am reminded of a chorus that I believe that we sang at Promise Keepers years ago.

 

Be bold, be strong
For the Lord your God is with you.
Be bold, be strong,
For the Lord your God is with you.
I am not afraid,
I am not dismayed,
Because I'm walking in faith and victory,
Come on and walk in faith and victory,
For the Lord your God is with you.

 

Blessings,
Mike
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Ephesians 3:14-19  J.B. Phillips New Testament (PHILLIPS)

I pray that you may know God's power in practice

^14-19 When I think of the greatness of this great plan I fall on my knees before God the Father (from whom all fatherhood, earthly or heavenly, derives its name), and I pray that out of the glorious richness of his resources he will enable you to know the strength of the spirit's inner re-inforcement—that Christ may actually live in your hearts by your faith. And I pray that you, firmly fixed in love yourselves, may be able to grasp (with all Christians) how wide and deep and long and high is the love of Christ—and to know for yourselves that love so far beyond our comprehension. May you be filled though all your being with God himself!

Verse of the Day 9/6

 Ephesians 6:10-11   Finally, my brethren, be strong in the Lord and in the power of His might. ¹¹ Put on the whole armor of God, that you may be able to stand against the wiles of the devil.  (NKJV)

 

Yesterday we considered Paul and John's boldness and their prayer for more boldness in the face of opposition.

 

I woke up this morning with today's verses in my mind and Paul's call to "be strong".  His call is not to be strong in ourselves, based on our previous accomplishments and confidence in ourselves.  It is a call to be strong in our faith, in the strength and power that God, only God can provide.  Power from the One who created all things and holds all things together.

 

John MacArthur points out that the Bible and Paul in his writing "pictures the Christian life as a war, a race, and a fight.  We depend on God's energy, power and strength, but we are by no means passive.  We're commanded to apply ourselves to good deeds, resist the Devil, bring our bodies under submission, walk in wisdom, press toward the prize, cleanse ourselves from all filthiness of flesh and spirit, work out our salvation with fear and trembling, and perfect holiness in the fear of God.  Those are calls to fervent action."

 

Those are tall orders, not possible in our own strength, but in the power that He is willing to provide.   Read the two verses again.  See that God supplies the resources, we supply the effort.

 

Blessings,
Mike
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Ephesians 6:10-13 Holman Christian Standard Bible (HCSB)  -  Christian Warfare

¹⁰ Finally, be strengthened by the Lord and by His vast strength. ¹¹ Put on the full armor of God so that you can stand against the tactics of the Devil. ¹² For our battle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the world powers of this darkness, against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavens. ¹³ This is why you must take up the full armor of God, so that you may be able to resist in the evil day, and having prepared everything, to take your stand.

Acts 4:13 Now when they saw the boldness of Peter and John, and perceived that they were uneducated, common men, they were astonished. And they recognized that they had been with Jesus.   English Standard Version (ESV)

It is a common thing to hear prayers for God to "keep us safe".  You may hear it in church services, in your small group, youth group meetings and in family and personal prayers.  It is not wrong to pray for safety, we should be concerned about it.  However, when was the last time you heard a prayer for boldness, when was the last time you prayed for boldness.

 

Acts chapter 4 is a wonderful example of what God accomplishes through those who pray for and put this boldness into practice.  In front of their persecutors, Peter and John had just proclaimed:   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."Acts 4:12 (ESV)

 

Oh that we would have such boldness in today's politically and religiously correct society.  This boldness came at a price.  They were thrown in jail.  Were they depressed, did they then pray for safety?  No, they prayed for more boldness.  "And now, Lord, look upon their threats and grant to your servants^[a] to continue to speak your word with all boldness,"Acts 4:29 (ESV)

 

The next time you pray for or hear a prayer for safety at the end of a meeting or service, would you say a prayer, be willing to pray a prayer for such boldness?  Imagine what God could do.

 

Blessings,
Mike
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Acts 4:12-14 Amplified Bible (AMP)

¹² And there is salvation in and through no one else, for there is no other name under heaven given among men by and in which we must be saved.

¹³ Now when they saw the boldness and unfettered eloquence of Peter and John and perceived that they were unlearned and untrained in the schools [common men with no educational advantages], they marveled; and they recognized that they had been with Jesus.

¹⁴ And since they saw the man who had been cured standing there beside them, they could not contradict the fact or say anything in opposition.

Verse of the Day 9/4

Colossians 1:17  And he is before all things, and in him all things hold together.   English Standard Version (ESV)

 

Atheists would have us believe that there is no God.  Others would have us believe in a creator, but one who stands very far off who created the world and then stood back and let things go.  In yesterday's verse and the Third Day song "Mountain of God" we considered, our God, the only true God who has been here, has been with us every step of our journey. 

 

Today's passage and the passage in Romans chapter 8 are two of my favorite passages in the Bible.  A recurring phrase in both of them is "all things".  Today's verse reminds us that He is before all things, He has existed, was not created.  He, in fact, created all things.  He didn't create and then let things go like a watchmaker.  Old watches were hand crafted in great detail.  But once the work was finished the watchmaker would wind it up and let it go, most likely never to see it or touch it again.  Not so with our God.  He got things going and keeps things going.  He holds it all together.

 

It is that way in the world and more importantly for us in our very lives.  As we go down into and come out of our valley's, through our trials and tribulations, when our would may seem like it is falling apart, He is the one who holds it all together.

 

If you need some encouragement today, read the passage below or turn to Romans 8:26-39.  Pay attention to "all things" as they relate to these passages.  How do they speak to you today

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

Colossians 1:15-20  English Standard Version (ESV)
The Preeminence of Christ

 

15 He is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn of all creation. 16 For by him all things were created, in heaven and on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or dominions or rulers or authorities—all things were created through him and for him. 17 And he is before all things, and in him all things hold together. 18 And he is the head of the body, the church. He is the beginning, the firstborn from the dead, that in everything he might be preeminent. 19 For in him all the fullness of God was pleased to dwell, 20 and through him to reconcile to himself all things, whether on earth or in heaven, making peace by the blood of his cross.

Verse of the Day 9/3

Isaiah 48:17  This is what the Lord says—
    your Redeemer, the Holy One of Israel:
"I am the Lord your God,
    who teaches you what is best for you,
    who directs you in the way you should go.

 

My wife and I have a walking route that we take through the neighborhood.  At one point  you can see a panorama of one portion of the neighborhood which looks up to the high point of the walk.  To get to this high point you must go down before you can go back up and make it to the top.  As I walked that route yesterday morning while pushing our son Jeff in his wheelchair, I was on may way out of the "valley" and approached the summit, the Third Day song "Mountain of God".  Here are a few of the lines.

 

As I travel on the road
That You have lead me down
You are here with me
Yes, You are here with me
I have need for nothing more
Oh, now that I have found
That You are here with me
Yes, You are here with me

 

I confess from time to time
I lose my way
But You are always there
To bring me back again

 

Even though the journey's long
And I know the road is hard
Well, the One who's gone before me
He will help me carry on
After all that I've been through
Now I realize the truth
That I must go through the valley
To stand upon the mountain of God

There are times in our lives where things are going well but news or a diagnosis comes where we realize that a rough road lies ahead and that we must go down, go through the treatments, the job search, or go through therapy before we can come out of it again.  Often times, as it is in pushing up that final hill, the road out of the valley can be just as hard or more difficult than the road down.  But we can, we must press on, knowing the One who has gone before us before, will do so again.  We are on an "upward way" that doesn't reach the end here on earth.

 

So if you are on that road, whether it is looking down into into a valley and the road you must travel, or at the bottom looking up, or pressing on during the climb out, let the Lord lead you and teach you at whichever point you find yourself along the way.

 

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

Isaiah 48:16-18 Holman Christian Standard Bible (HCSB)

16 Approach Me and listen to this.
From the beginning I have not spoken in secret;
from the time anything existed, I was there."
And now the Lord God
has sent me and His Spirit.
17 This is what the Lord, your Redeemer, the Holy One of Israel says:

 

I am Yahweh your God,
who teaches you for your benefit,
who leads you in the way you should go.
18 If only you had paid attention to My commands.
Then your peace would have been like a river,
and your righteousness like the waves of the sea.

Verse of the Day 9/2

Ephesians 1:13 In Him you also who have heard the Word of Truth, the glad tidings (Gospel) of your salvation, and have believed in and adhered to and relied on Him, were stamped with the seal of the long-promised Holy Spirit.  Amplified Bible (AMP)

On Friday we considered some of the things that we have "in Christ".  We'll continue that theme this weekend as we consider today's verse and passage which starts off by telling us that in Christ we have "redemption" and the forgiveness of our sins by the riches of His grace.  Today's verse tells us of the Word of Truth, the Gospel, God's Word of our salvation, and that His grace provides the means to believe in, adhere to and rely on Him. 

 

Think for a moment to think of what it means to have His "seal' on you.  It is His identifying mark, in our hearts and minds, that is seen by others as the evidence of His grace in our lives.  This "identifying mark" can be seen as others see more of what we have "in Christ", the peace which passes understanding giving us the confidence of our eternal well being.

 

Continuing John Piper's list from Friday:

In Christ Jesus the peace of God will guard your heart and mind. Philippians 4:7, "The peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus."

In Christ Jesus you have eternal life. Romans 6:23, "For the wages of sin is death, but the free gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord."

And in Christ Jesus you will be raised from the dead at the coming of the Lord. 1 Corinthians 15:22, "For as in Adam all die, so also in Christ shall all be made alive." All those united to Adam in the first humanity die. All those united to Christ in the new humanity rise to live again.

 

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

Ephesians 1:7-13  English Standard Version (ESV)
7 In him we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of our trespasses, according to the riches of his grace, 8 which he lavished upon us, in all wisdom and insight 9 making known to us the mystery of his will, according to his purpose, which he set forth in Christ 10 as a plan for the fullness of time, to unite all things in him, things in heaven and things on earth.

 

11 In him we have obtained an inheritance, having been predestined according to the purpose of him who works all things according to the counsel of his will, 12 so that we who were the first to hope in Christ might be to the praise of his glory. 13 In him you also, when you heard the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation, and believed in him, were sealed with the promised Holy Spirit,