Verse of the Day 10/30

 

2 Peter 1:5-7   For this very reason, make every effort to supplement your faith with goodness, goodness with knowledge, ⁶ knowledge with self-control, self-control with endurance, endurance with godliness, ⁷ godliness with brotherly affection,and brotherly affection with love.  Holman Christian Standard Bible (HCSB)

In today's society we see advertisements and people take various vitamins and all kinds of other supplements in their diets in the hope that they will help strengthen them, to maintain their health or even become healthier.  They will also exercise and follow all kinds of regimens to look better and to hopefully live longer more complete lives.

Our faith is not something that should be taken for granted.  Faith is not to be dormant, stagnant, buried somewhere to be dug up when we face sudden trials in our lives.  Today's verse remind us that we are to build on our faith, to add to it, supplement it by putting these actions into place - goodness, learning, self control, right living,  and brotherly love.  If we see these traits put into action in our lives you can be sure that your faith will grow. 

These are "character traits".  Henry Blackaby writes, "Christians are to be content with their circumstances, but not with their character. Until we are like Christ, we ought  to hunger for God to do more in our lives.  Here Peter promises that the Spirit will keep adding Christ-like qualities into our lives."

As The Message puts it, "don't lose a minute in building on what you've been given".  The Apostle Paul shared the same sentiment in Galatians 5.  As we experience His "gifts" and apply them in our lives, the added supplements will strengthen our faith.

Galatians 5:22-24The Message (MSG)

^22-23 But what happens when we live God's way? He brings gifts into our lives, much the same way that fruit appears in an orchard—things like affection for others, exuberance about life, serenity. We develop a willingness to stick with things, a sense of compassion in the heart, and a conviction that a basic holiness permeates things and people. We find ourselves involved in loyal commitments, not needing to force our way in life, able to marshal and direct our energies wisely.

--   In Christ,  Mike    Folllow the Verse of the Day blog at http://mikesvotd.blogspot.com  Ephesians 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 Peter 1:5-9The Message (MSG)

^5-9 So don't lose a minute in building on what you've been given, complementing your basic faith with good character, spiritual understanding, alert discipline, passionate patience, reverent wonder, warm friendliness, and generous love, each dimension fitting into and developing the others. With these qualities active and growing in your lives, no grass will grow under your feet, no day will pass without its reward as you mature in your experience of our Master Jesus. Without these qualities you can't see what's right before you, oblivious that your old sinful life has been wiped off the books.

Verse of the Day 10/29

Psalm 119:36-37Incline my heart to your testimonies,

    and not to selfish gain!
³⁷ Turn my eyes from looking at worthless things;
    and give me life in your ways.   English Standard Version (ESV)

In yesterday's passage in 1 Timothy Paul instructed Timothy and  us that the "love of money" is the root of evil and that we should flee from evil  and pursue, godliness, follow Jesus' example.  In today's passage the psalmist  asks God "teach me", give me understanding, guide my steps, to turn my heart, to help to turn his eyes from worthless things, and to revive him.

His prayer reveals the heart of someone who wants to be a true God follower.  As we considered yesterday, it requires putting on the full armor of God including the Sword of the Spirit which is the Word of God.  We wouldn't consider constructing a building without a plan without a blueprint.  God's Word reveals the plans, the blueprint of a life that follows after Jesus.

Pastor James MacDonald writes, "God wrote the blueprint for human life. God Himself authored all the manufacturer's specifications for your happiness. He knows how you're put together. He knows how you work. He knows what will make you happy or miserable. He knows what will satisfy you and bring you joy. He wrote the blueprint for your complete happiness: the Bible.

The blueprint protects us. When we're confronted with a temptation, we should immediately reference the blueprint. "I feel tempted to do _______________, but God's Word says I should do _______________. I choose to follow the blueprint." The power to say no to temptation is the power of the Word of God. If you find yourself in a situation where some temptation is being pressed upon you, don't even try to stand against it yourself. You don't have the power to resist it in your own strength. Use the only offensive weapon in your arsenal: "the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God."

May we hunger for His counsel (V.40 The Message), let His Word be our blueprint to divert our eyes from "toys and trinkets" (The Message) and guide us down   the right path.  May we "love travelling this freeway".   Read the passage from Psalm 119 in The Message below, may it speak to you today.      --   In Christ,  Mike    Folllow the Verse of the Day blog at http://mikesvotd.blogspot.com  Ephesians 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 119:33-40The Message (MSG)

^33-40 God, teach me lessons for living
    so I can stay the course.
Give me insight so I can do what you tell me—
    my whole life one long, obedient response.
Guide me down the road of your commandments;
    I love traveling this freeway!
Give me a bent for your words of wisdom,
    and not for piling up loot.
Divert my eyes from toys and trinkets,
    invigorate me on the pilgrim way.
Affirm your promises to me—
    promises made to all who fear you.
Deflect the harsh words of my critics—
    but what you say is always so good.
See how hungry I am for your counsel;
    preserve my life through your righteous ways!

Verse of the Day 10/28

1 Timothy 6:11-12 But as for you, O man of God, flee these things. Pursue righteousness, godliness, faith, love, steadfastness, gentleness. ¹² Fight the good fight of the faith. Take hold of the eternal life to which you were called and about which you made the good confession in the presence of many witnesses.   English Standard Version (ESV)

The heading of this passage in my ESV study Bible says "fight the good fight of faith".  The things that we are to flee are pointed out in verse 10, the love of money and all of  the  "evils" associated with it.  You wouldn't think that the first command in fighting would be to flee, but it is about walking away from or running from those things that would drag us down and actually prevent us from getting into the battle.

The "fight" involves, first of all, taking hold of eternal life, grasping the salvation that we have in Christ, accepting it and growing in it.  Once again, it involves putting on that  spiritual armor outlined in Ephesians 6.  It involves pursuing , righteousness -  those things that put us in right standing before God, not being self righteous, but right in God's eyes which will involve godly living, exhibiting faith and love.  Steadfastness involves holding on in trying circumstances, in the trials of life.  Love and gentleness round out the character traits that Paul outlines for Timothy and for us.

The fight also involves encouraging and challenging others do the  same - flee and pursue, as we see later in the chapter, as The Message puts in modern language:

1 Timothy 6:18-19 Tell those rich in this world's wealth to quit being so full of themselves and so obsessed with money, which is here today and gone tomorrow. Tell them to go after God, who piles on all the riches we could ever manage—to do good, to be rich in helping others, to be extravagantly generous. If they do that, they'll build a treasury that will last, gaining life that is truly life.   The Message (MSG)

How may we be "extravagantly generous" with our time and our possessions?  Read the passage from The Message below, may it inspire you today to live a life of "wonder, faith, love, steadiness and courtesy." (v.11 The Message).

--   In Christ,  Mike    Folllow the Verse of the Day blog at http://mikesvotd.blogspot.com  Ephesians 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 Timothy 6:10-16The Message (MSG)

^9-10 But if it's only money these leaders are after, they'll self-destruct in no time. Lust for money brings trouble and nothing but trouble. Going down that path, some lose their footing in the faith completely and live to regret it bitterly ever after.

Running Hard

^11-12 But you, Timothy, man of God: Run for your life from all this. Pursue a righteous life—a life of wonder, faith, love, steadiness, courtesy. Run hard and fast in the faith. Seize the eternal life, the life you were called to, the life you so fervently embraced in the presence of so many witnesses.

^13-16 I'm charging you before the life-giving God and before Christ, who took his stand before Pontius Pilate and didn't give an inch: Keep this command to the letter, and don't slack off. Our Master, Jesus Christ, is on his way. He'll show up right on time, his arrival guaranteed by the Blessed and Undisputed Ruler, High King, High God. He's the only one death can't touch, his light so bright no one can get close. He's never been seen by human eyes—human eyes can't take him in! Honor to him, and eternal rule! Oh, yes.

Verse of the Day 10/27

John 12:26 If anyone serves me, he must follow me; and where I am, there will my servant be also. If anyone serves me, the Father will honor him.   English Standard Version (ESV)

Our men's Bible study group is currently going through John, at the moment John chapter 12.  We are proceeding slowly, passage by passage.  In slowing down, you "see" things that previously you may have overlooked.  Such was the case in today's verse.  One of the members said that he had never noticed the small phrase in today's verse "if anyone serves me, he must follow me".

Jesus is coming under increased scrutiny in the chapter as He has and will continue to have "run ins" with the Pharisee's who are out to discredit and if possible, destroy Him.  With that background, He makes the statement in today's verse to His disciples.

In his devotional yesterday, James MacDonald wrote, "The ultimate test of lordship is not the crisis of your deciding that you believe this but the process of submitting your will to His at the point of pressure, the place where He and you disagree on what to choose. Whose will wins: yours or His? "Jesus is Lord" is chosen in a dozen daily decisions, each one taking your life to a better place.

• If I were in charge, I would do __________ with my life. But Jesus is Lord, so I choose His plan for my life.
• If I were in charge, I would do __________ with my finances. But Jesus is Lord, so I choose to give, save, and spend according to His priorities.
• If I were in charge, I would do __________ right now in my marriage, but I'm not in charge. He is Lord, and I will do what His Word says.
• If I were in charge, I'd storm into work and tell my boss __________. But Jesus Christ is Lord, and as His representative, I'll only say what my Master wants me to say."
  

It is a sobering verse and MacDonald's "fill in the blanks" should catch our attention and cause us to ask the question, just who is in charge of my life, who do I serve?  Are we doing the things that show "I am in charge of my life"?  There is time to change, there is time to follow.  It involves a choice.

Joshua 24:15 And if it is evil in your eyes to serve the Lord, choose this day whom you will serve, whether the gods your fathers served in the region beyond the River, orthe gods of the Amorites in whose land you dwell. But as for me and my house, we will serve the Lord."  English Standard Version (ESV)

--   In Christ,  Mike    Folllow the Verse of the Day blog at http://mikesvotd.blogspot.com  Ephesians 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 12:24-26The Message (MSG)

^24-25 "Listen carefully: Unless a grain of wheat is buried in the ground, dead to the world, it is never any more than a grain of wheat. But if it is buried, it sprouts and reproduces itself many times over. In the same way, anyone who holds on to life just as it is destroys that life. But if you let it go, reckless in your love, you'll have it forever, real and eternal.

²⁶ "If any of you wants to serve me, then follow me. Then you'll be where I am, ready to serve at a moment's notice. The Father will honor and reward anyone who serves me.

Verse of the Day 10/25

Verse of the Day 10/25   

Mark 3:5-6  And he looked around at them with anger, grieved at their hardness of heart, and said to the man, "Stretch out your hand." He stretched it out, and his hand was restored. ⁶ The Pharisees went out and immediately held counsel with the Herodians against him, how to destroy him.  English Standard Version (ESV)

As I read this passage this morning in my devotions I thought how unfathomable it was for the Pharisees to have held the healing of this man against Jesus   as if it were sin.  The man with a "withered" hand, I'm sure had been relegated to being an outsider in society, unable to function in many normal  capacities.  Jesus showed him mercy.  It seems that the greater the thing that Jesus did, the more it riled the pharisees.    My son Jeffrey has hands that don't function and I don't care what day of the week it would be, if he were to be healed, all I, our family and friends   would do would be to praise God for His mercy.  After his accident we have prayed for years for healing and it continues to come and while he is still   disabled and bound to a wheel chair, we can praise God for answers to prayer and for his mercy extended to Jeff.  Jeff's speech is just one of those   mercies that we never thought we'd have.    My wife just posted on Facebook what she experienced the other day while driving to a doctor's appointment, Jeff heard a song and began singing these   lyrics to a Jason Gray song at the top of his lungs:   Hold on,    Is this really the life I'm living?  Cause I don't feel like I deserve it.  Every day that I wake, every breath that I take you've given,   so right here, right now while the sun is shining down    I want to live like there's no tomorrow love like I'm on borrowed time it's good to be alive, yeah...    Day by day, Jeff praises God for this life, "this wonderful life" in his words.  I'm sure not matter what the Pharisees said, the man with the withered  hand would have sang those same words had the song been written it his time.      Today, be thankful that you're alive and live "like there's no tomorrow love like I'm on borrowed time" to the praise and glory of the merciful God  who has given us this wonderful life.     --   In Christ,  Mike    Folllow the Verse of the Day blog at http://mikesvotd.blogspot.com  Ephesians 1:7 In him we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of sins,  in accordance with the riches of God's grace.  NIV    

Mark 3The Message (MSG)

Doing Good on the Sabbath

3 ^1-3 Then he went back in the meeting place where he found a man with a crippled hand. The Pharisees had their eyes on Jesus to see if he would heal him, hoping to catch him in a Sabbath infraction. He said to the man with the crippled hand, "Stand here where we can see you."

⁴ Then he spoke to the people: "What kind of action suits the Sabbath best? Doing good or doing evil? Helping people or leaving them helpless?" No one said a word.

^5-6 He looked them in the eye, one after another, angry now, furious at their hard-nosed religion. He said to the man, "Hold out your hand." He held it out—it was as good as new! The Pharisees got out as fast as they could, sputtering about how they would join forces with Herod's followers and ruin him.

Verse of the Day 10/23

Verse of the Day 10/23

Daniel 10:12 Then he said to me, "Fear not, Daniel, for from the first day that you set your heart to understand and humbled yourself before your God, your words have been heard, and I have come because of your words.  English Standard Version (ESV)

As you can tell by several recent posts, prayer has been on my mind a lot lately.  It is an area of my life, of my spiritual live that needs improvement and the best way to do that is to read, study, learn and apply what I learn about prayer.  For today's verse and personal lesson we go to the book of Daniel.  Daniel was a man of courage facing a foreign king, standing up to opposition and persecution and scheming enemies.  His was not an easy life, but he prayed daily and God was with Him and as today's verse indicates, He heard his prayers.

Verse 2 in the  chapter indicates that he had been "mourning three full weeks".  Daniel knew what it was like not to receive immediate answers and to have to deal with the hand that was dealt him.  Still he persevered in life, and I would have to say, in prayer.  He is a model for us.

In today's "Grace Gems" I read the following quote from Mary Winslow, "O what a mercy to be persuaded that whatever may be our circumstances, God is with us, directing and overruling the whole for our good and for His own glory. To know that He is ours--and that we are His. To draw near in faith, telling Him all that is in our hearts, conscious of having the ear and heart of Jehovah towards us. Is not this true, substantial happiness?" .   

"Cast all your care on Him, because He cares for you!" 1 Peter 5:7    

Her feelings line up with Daniel's, who trusted that God was directing and orchestrating our circumstances, and Daniel brought all of those circumstances before the Lord and the Lord delivered him from his enemies and from the mouths of hungry lions in the lions den.

Call on Him today and every day.  At some point, in this life or in the life to come God will say to you, "from the first day you set your heart to understand and humbled yourself (in prayer) before God, your words have been heard."  He will come to you and one day bring you home.

Blessings,

Mike

Daniel 10:12-14The Message (MSG)

12-14 "'Relax, Daniel,' he continued, 'don't be afraid. From the moment you decided to humble yourself to receive understanding, your prayer was heard, and I set out to come to you. But I was waylaid by the angel-prince of the kingdom of Persia and was delayed for a good three weeks. But then Michael, one of the chief angel-princes, intervened to help me. I left him there with the prince of the kingdom of Persia. And now I'm here to help you understand what will eventually happen to your people. The vision has to do with what's ahead.'

Verse of the Day 10/22

Psalm 145:18-19 The Lord is near to all who call on him,

    to all who call on him in truth.
¹⁹ He fulfills the desire of those who fear him;
    he also hears their cry and saves them.   English Standard Version (ESV)

As I read the verses below from Psalm 145 this morning the word "all", which is repeated several times through the verses, caught my attention.  Verse 17 starts the the Lord is righteous or as The Message puts it "does it right" in all He does, to all who truthfully call on Him.  Truthfully, from the heart, they may be well thought out words or a cry of desperation, but they are honestly what are on the heart and mind.  God fulfills, He hears and saves them when they cry to Him in truth.

Verse 20 shows the contrast between those who call in trust and those that ignore God.  He does what's best for those who trust Him, "He sticks by all who love Him" (The Message) but "it's all over for those who don't".  The psalmist praises God from his heart with thanksgiving.

We're a couple of months from Christmas when we celebrate God's great gift to us in the form of His only begotten Son, Jesus, but as I read this psalm the last stanza to the Christmas hymn came to mind.

Be near me, Lord Jesus, I ask Thee to stay
Close by me forever, and love me, I pray;
Bless all the dear children in Thy tender care,
And fit us for Heaven to live with Thee there.

The cry of David, the man after God's own heart, is for God to be near him and stay near him all his days.  May we draw close to Him as He fits us for  heaven, to live with Him, praising Him through endless days.  What is the cry of your heart today?  May we "pray and mean it" (The Message).    1--   In Christ,  Mike    Folllow the Verse of the Day blog at http://mikesvotd.blogspot.com  Ephesians 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 145:17-21The Message (MSG)

¹⁷ Everything God does is right—
    the trademark on all his works is love.

¹⁸ God's there, listening for all who pray,
    for all who pray and mean it.

¹⁹ He does what's best for those who fear him—
    hears them call out, and saves them.

²⁰ God sticks by all who love him,
    but it's all over for those who don't.

²¹ My mouth is filled with God's praise.
    Let everything living bless him,
    bless his holy name from now to eternity!

Verse of the Day 10/21

2 Thessalonians 3:3 But the Lord is faithful. He will establish you and guard you against the evil one^.   English Standard Version (ESV)

I enjoy baseball and this time of year I enjoy watching the playoffs and seeing how players perform at "crunch time", who will step up there game and make a difference.  Managers will try to set their pitching rotation so that they'll have their ace, their best, their most established pitchers set up to pitch in the decisive games.  Those established players are ones that have proven themselves throughout the year and now when things are on the line the coaches, players and fans trust in them.

Reading these verses also made me think of Ephesians 6:10-18 and putting on the full armor of God in order to stand, to stand established in Christ before the evil one and the challenges that he throws our way.  As with a pitcher, the ace of a team, he doesn't just go out there and throw his best fastball every pitch of the game.  He studies the competition, has an idea of how he is going to pitch against every player on the opposing team.  He has become established by studying and applying what he knows  and using his skills using the best pitch for the situation, whether it be the first pitch or a full count with the bases loaded.  When he has command, control of his pitches he will likely succeed.

In this passage Paul is like the coach here encouraging and challenging his readers while having confidence in the Lord about them, "that they are doing and will do" (v.4 ESV)  what the Lord wills.  He has faith not only in his fellow Christians, but more importantly in God, who has proven Himself, as John MacArthur notes, "in regard to creation, His promises, salvation, temptation, suffering and here faithful to strengthen and to protect from Satan."

The  Master never lets us down. He'll stick by you and protect you from evil (The Message), establish and guard you today.  Do your part and put on the full armor.

--   In Christ,  Mike    Folllow the Verse of the Day blog at http://mikesvotd.blogspot.com  Ephesians 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 Thessalonians 3:1-5The Message (MSG)

Those Who Are Lazy

3 ^1-3 One more thing, friends: Pray for us. Pray that the Master's Word will simply take off and race through the country to a groundswell of response, just as it did among you. And pray that we'll be rescued from these scoundrels who are trying to do us in. I'm finding that not all "believers" are believers. But the Master never lets us down. He'll stick by you and protect you from evil.

^4-5 Because of the Master, we have great confidence in you. We know you're doing everything we told you and will continue doing it. May the Master take you by the hand and lead you along the path of God's love and Christ's endurance.