Verse of the Day 11/29

John 14:5-6  Thomas said to him, "Lord, we do not know where you are going. How can we know the way?" ⁶ Jesus said to him, "I am the way, and the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.  English Standard Version (ESV)

John 14:6 is one of the key verses in this gospel.  You will notice that Jesus us saying "the way" and not "a way".  Everything goes through Him.

Last Sunday I was supposed to pick up my son Jason and his family from the airport for Thanksgiving.  His flight  was delayed so I decided to stop at a hotel near the airport and do some reading and prepare for our men's monday morning Bible study.  We were covering John 14:1-5 and I printed a John Piper sermon on the passage which included verse 6.  Verse six was the heading of the message.  I printed it off and had it beside me while still reading online.  A man sat down next to me looked at the heading the verse and responded "I had not seen that verse in 30 years".  This led to a 45 minute conversation about religion and the difference with Christianity.  It is more than "religion" it is about Jesus as "the way, the truth, and the life".  Hopefully, God's Word and the memories from childhood will bring this man back to his roots.  Looking at the world around us he realized that the world would be a better place if more people would follow Jesus' example.

Thomas a Kempis wrote, "Follow me, I am the way, and the truth and the life.  Without the way there is no going; without the truth  there is no knowing; without the life there is no living.  I am the way which thou must follow; the truth which thou must believe; the life for which thou must hope. I am the inviolable way; the infallible truth; the never ending life.  I am  the straightest way; the sovereign truth;  life true, life blessed, life uncreated."

As we complete this Thanksgiving weekend.  Let us take some time to reflect on and be thankful that Jesus Christ has shown us and that He still is and forever will be, "the way, the truth and the 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    

John 14:1-7The Message (MSG)

The Road

14 ^1-4 "Don't let this throw you. You trust God, don't you? Trust me. There is plenty of room for you in my Father's home. If that weren't so, would I have told you that I'm on my way to get a room ready for you? And if I'm on my way to get your room ready, I'll come back and get you so you can live where I live. And you already know the road I'm taking."

⁵ Thomas said, "Master, we have no idea where you're going. How do you expect us to know the road?"

^6-7 Jesus said, "I am the Road, also the Truth, also the Life. No one gets to the Father apart from me. If you really knew me, you would know my Father as well. From now on, you do know him. You've even seen him!"

Verse of the Day 11/20

2 Corinthians 9:8  And God is able to make all grace abound to you, so that having all sufficiency in all things at all times, you may abound in every good work.  English Standard Version (ESV)

As I read the Bible, for some time, when I come across the words "in all things" I tend to stop and take notice.  Yesterday we considered from Hebrews 12 how God provides the grace, to power to accomplish His will for us in our lives.  In today's verse Paul encourages that this grace abounds, it overflows and that it is not limited to one area of our lives, it can be in all things.  It even goes  beyond that, think about it  all grace... all sufficiency.....in all things... at all times for every good work.

We should also know that this is not simply referring to spiritual things.  John MacArthur writes, "God possesses an infinite amount of grace, and He gives it lavishly, without holding back (1 Chronicles 29:14).  Here, grace does not refer to spiritual graces, but to money and material needs.  When the believer generously- and wisely- gives of his material resources, God graciously replenishes them so he always has plenty and will not be in need".  

This brings to mind the opening statement of Psalm 23, "The Lord is my Shepherd, I shall not want", literally, I'll lack no good thing.

Do you have this kind of confidence?  If you do, you won't hold back.  If you lack it, pray for it, ask that His grace would abound to you and back it up in your actions.  May you realize that "God can pour on the blessings in astonishing ways so that you're ready for anything and everything" (The Message).

Read the verses from The Message below, let them 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    

2 Corinthians 9:8-11The Message (MSG)

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

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

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

Verse of the Day 11/19

Hebrews 12:28-29   Therefore, since we are receiving a kingdom which cannot be shaken, let us have grace, by which we may^[a] serve God acceptably with reverence and godly fear. ²⁹ For our God is a consuming fire.   New King James Version (NKJV)

When I was younger and before  I had back issues I enjoyed running , for a time I would run 3 to 5 miles several days a week.  I also liked finishing with a kick, saving up some strength to finish with a sprint, giving it my all.  There was a certain satisfaction being exhausted and out of breath yet still feeling a sense of exhilaration.

Hebrews 12 begins  with the call, the challenge to "run the race with endurance" it is the picture of running a marathon.  So are our Christian lives to be.  Max Lucado writes, "the word race is from the Greek agon from which we get the word agony.  The Christian's race is not a jog but rather a demanding and grueling, sometimes agonizing race.  It takes massive effort to finish strong."  But we can ran and we can run this race by giving up the rat race (which no one wins), and following the course that God has set before us, with its ups and downs, knowing that He will provide the grace, the power to persevere in this sometimes agonizing race..  And as the runner leaves something for the end, so should we.  We'd like to finish strong and win the crown.

What do you think about the statement "our God is a consuming fire"?  In the context of this chapter and these verses, I get the picture of God burning up all the useless things that can slow us down in the race, many of which others are chasing after in their rat race.  Let us serve the Lord, running His race in reverence towards Him while looking to the finish line where He will be waiting for us.

For God is not an indifferent bystander. He's actively cleaning house, torching all that needs to burn, and he won't quit until it's all cleansed. God himself is Fire!  Hebrews 12:29 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    

Hebrews 12:25-29The Message (MSG)

^25-27 So don't turn a deaf ear to these gracious words. If those who ignored earthly warnings didn't get away with it, what will happen to us if we turn our backs on heavenly warnings? His voice that time shook the earth to its foundations; this time—he's told us this quite plainly—he'll also rock the heavens: "One last shaking, from top to bottom, stem to stern." The phrase "one last shaking" means a thorough housecleaning, getting rid of all the historical and religious junk so that the unshakable essentials stand clear and uncluttered.

^28-29 Do you see what we've got? An unshakable kingdom! And do you see how thankful we must be? Not only thankful, but brimming with worship, deeply reverent before God. For God is not an indifferent bystander. He's actively cleaning house, torching all that needs to burn, and he won't quit until it's all cleansed. God himself is Fire!

Verse of the Day 11/18

Romans 10:17   So faith comes from hearing, and hearing through the word of Christ.  English Standard Version (ESV)

Yesterday we considered the lives of those listed in the Hall of Faith, the heroes of the faith, described in Hebrew 11 where we were also told in verse 6 that "without faith it is impossible to please God."  Today's verse from Romans 10 ties in with that and tells us that faith come from hearing, and hearing from the word of Christ."  The Message paraphrase does a good job of putting it in today's language "before you trust you have to listen".

It points again to learning God's Word.  If you're not sure where to start you can definitely learn from the Word of Christ preached in Matthew 5-7, Jesus' sermon on the mount.  If you can go through  that and apply what you've heard you will have faith.  You couldn't do it on your own.

As we spend  time in His Word and hear others teach and preach from His Word and trust in it, applying it in our lives we will change and our love for Christ will grow.  Blackaby writes, "As you continue your personal study of God's Word, you'll see your love for the Lord growing - and  your faith in Him, along with it.  Fill your heart and mind with God's Word, and watch your faith grow."

God causes all things to grow
Through every season we know
He will guard the life
That He's planted in our souls
And when we feel the cold winds blow
We'll hold to what we know
God causes all things to grow  (Steve Green - God Causes All Things to Grow")

I'll close with some advice from Hebrews 12, today's New Testament through the Bible passage.  Take a new grip on your life, strengthen it in God's Word and let it mark out your path, a path of faith.

Hebrews 12:12-13  So take a new grip with your tired hands and strengthen your weak knees.¹³ Mark out a straight path for your feet so that those who are weak and lame will not fall but become strong.  New Living Translation (NLT)

--   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    

Romans 10:17The Message (MSG)

^14-17 But how can people call for help if they don't know who to trust? And how can they know who to trust if they haven't heard of the One who can be trusted? And how can they hear if nobody tells them? And how is anyone going to tell them, unless someone is sent to do it? That's why Scripture exclaims,

A sight to take your breath away!
Grand processions of people
    telling all the good things of God!

But not everybody is ready for this, ready to see and hear and act. Isaiah asked what we all ask at one time or another: "Does anyone care, God? Is anyone listening and believing a word of it?" The point is: Before you trust, you have to listen. But unless Christ's Word is preached, there's nothing to listen to.

Verse of the Day 11/17

Hebrews 11:6 But without faith it is impossible to please Him, for he who comes to God must believe that He is, and that He is a rewarder of those who diligently seek Him.  New King James Version (NKJV)

Do you want to please God?  It is a question that God follower's, Christ followers should ask of ourselves on a regular basis.  Today's verse tells us that if we want to please Him, we must have, we must exhibit faith in our lives.  There are times when faith may waver, but if the foundation is there, it will hold, He will see to it and He will see you through.

Hebrews 11 was scheduled as my "read through the Bible" New Testament reading.  It is one of my favorite chapters in the Bible.  It is one that I have turned to as a reminder of those who have shown faith.  It was a chapter that I read on what would be the most challenging day of my life.  Some would want to avoid reminders of such a day, but for me, it is a reminder of God's faithfulness and will forever be a passage that I will go to, that I will ponder as I look for the new city which is to come (v.16).

Max Lucado writes, "Faith is the belief that God is real and that God is good.... It is a choice to believe that the One who made it all hasn't left it all and that He still sends light into  the shadows and responds to gestures of faith..... Faith is the belief that God will do what is right."
 
There will be days when we find ourselves in the shadows, with darkness closing in.  This chapter, and the Bible as a whole challenge us to have faith that God is good and He will do what  is right, and He will send light.  The key is in those situations that we "come to God" believing that He is, and that He Himself is faithful.

The fundamental fact of existence is that this trust in God, this faith, is the firm foundation under everything that makes life worth living.  Hebrews 11:1 The Message

God sent His son, they called Him, Jesus;
He came to love, heal and forgive;
He lived and died to buy my pardon,
An empty grave is there to prove my Savior lives!

Because He lives, I can face tomorrow,
Because He lives, all fear is gone;
Because I know He holds the future,
And life is worth the living,
Just because He lives!      - Bill Gaither

--   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    

Hebrews 11:1-6The Message (MSG)

Faith in What We Don't See

11 ^1-2 The fundamental fact of existence is that this trust in God, this faith, is the firm foundation under everything that makes life worth living. It's our handle on what we can't see. The act of faith is what distinguished our ancestors, set them above the crowd.

³ By faith, we see the world called into existence by God's word, what we see created by what we don't see.

⁴ By an act of faith, Abel brought a better sacrifice to God than Cain. It was what he believed, not what he brought, that made the difference. That's what God noticed and approved as righteous. After all these centuries, that belief continues to catch our notice.

^5-6 By an act of faith, Enoch skipped death completely. "They looked all over and couldn't find him because God had taken him." We know on the basis of reliable testimony that before he was taken "he pleased God." It's impossible to please God apart from faith. And why? Because anyone who wants to approach God must believe both that he exists and that he cares enough to respond to those who seek him.

Verse of the Day 11/15

Isaiah 45:22  "Turn to me and be saved,

    all the ends of the earth!
    For I am God, and there is no other.  English Standard Version (ESV)

   

As we considered yesterday, where we turn in times of trouble will show who peoples "gods" are.  We believe in the one true God and as Isaiah affirms here and Peter and John affirm in Acts 4:12, " nor is there salvation in any other , for there is no other name, given among men by which we must be saved".   Through the ages, these verses have led to the salvation of many.

Carl Sagan, probably most famous for the show "Cosmos" had said,"the cosmos is all that is or was, or ever will be."   Long before Sagan came along, Charles Spurgeon was struck by this verse in Isaiah.  In a sermon on this passage he related it back to Genesis, to creation and the God who created all things.  "There was a season when as yet the sun had never run his race, nor commenced flinging his golden rays across space, to gladden the earth.  There was an era when no stars sparkled in the firmament, for there was no sea of azure in which they might float. There was a time when all that we behold now of God's great universe was yet unborn, slumbering within the mind of  God, as yet uncreated and nonexistent, yet there was God, and He was "overall and blessed forever".

In 1882 Nietsche wrote and others have espoused the the statement that god is dead and that within 100 years the Bible would be irrelevant and fade from existence.  Yet today, God's Word is more powerful, more known and more published than ever.  To take a few words from the Newsboys "God's not dead, He's surely alive, He's living on the inside roaring like a lion."

He roared like a lion from Spurgeon's sermons, He roars today from pulpits and huts across the world today calling "turn to me and be saved", and He is saving.

One thing that we as Christians know for sure that God was, God is and God ever will be.  Read the passage from The Message below, and then consider which viewpoint that you will hold to.  "So tell me what you think. Look at the evidence.   Put your heads together. Make your case."  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    

Isaiah 45:22-24The Message (MSG)

^18-24 God, Creator of the heavens—
    he is, remember, God.
Maker of earth—
    he put it on its foundations, built it from scratch.
He didn't go to all that trouble
    to just leave it empty, nothing in it.
    He made it to be lived in.
    This God says:

"I am God,
    the one and only.
I don't just talk to myself
    or mumble under my breath.
I never told Jacob,
    'Seek me in emptiness, in dark nothingness.'
I am God. I work out in the open,
    saying what's right, setting things right.
So gather around, come on in,
    all you refugees and castoffs.
They don't seem to know much, do they—
    those who carry around their no-god blocks of wood,
    praying for help to a dead stick?
So tell me what you think. Look at the evidence.
    Put your heads together. Make your case.
Who told you, and a long time ago, what's going on here?
    Who made sense of things for you?
Wasn't I the one? God?
    It had to be me. I'm the only God there is—
The only God who does things right
    and knows how to help.
So turn to me and be helped—saved!—
    everyone, whoever and wherever you are.
I am God,
    the only God there is, the one and only.
I promise in my own name:
    Every word out of my mouth does what it says.
    I never take back what I say.
Everyone is going to end up kneeling before me.
    Everyone is going to end up saying of me,
    'Yes! Salvation and strength are in God!'"

Verse of the Day 11/14

Colossians 3:12-13  Put on then, as God's chosen ones, holy and beloved, compassionate hearts,kindness, humility, meekness, and patience, ¹³ bearing with one another and, if one has a complaint against another, forgiving each other; as the Lord has forgiven you, so you also must forgive.  English Standard Version (ESV)

Our hearts go out this morning to those in Paris who have lost loved ones and friends, and to the country as a whole in the senseless terrorist actions that were taken  out on the people of Paris under the cloak of a religion.

The other day we considered how we are to be overcomers.   We cannot  overcome evil on our own but we can do something and in the end, evil will be overcome.  Our mission is to daily "put on" the love of Christ.  We do not participate or act upon a religion, we believe, put our faith and trust in Jesus, the only begotten Son of God, and it is through His power that evil will be overcome.

Pastor Rick Warren writes, "Notice the word clothe. The Greek word literally means "put on." What Paul is saying here is that when we wake up in the morning, we ought to get dressed spiritually and emotionally as well as physically. When we wake up in the morning and decide what to wear, we should also ask ourselves, "What kind of attitude am I going to wear today?"

Determine  this day who you will serve.  Remember that as Christians we are to put on, clothe ourselves with the compassion,  kindness, humility, meekness, patience, and love of Christ, bearing each others burdens and overcoming  evil in the process.

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    

Colossians 3:12-14The Message (MSG)

^12-14 So, chosen by God for this new life of love, dress in the wardrobe God picked out for you: compassion, kindness, humility, quiet strength, discipline. Be even-tempered, content with second place, quick to forgive an offense. Forgive as quickly and completely as the Master forgave you. And regardless of what else you put on, wear love. It's your basic, all-purpose garment. Never be without it.

Verse of the Day 3/13

1 Samuel 2:1-2Then Hannah prayed:

"My heart rejoices in the Lord!
    The Lord has made me strong^.]
Now I have an answer for my enemies;
    I rejoice because you rescued me.
² No one is holy like the Lord!
    There is no one besides you;
    there is no Rock like our God.  New Living Translation (NLT)

In the previous chapter Hannah prays to God from the depth of her soul.  She lays her heart out to God and He answered her prayer.  Now she is offering a prayer of thanksgiving and praise for who He is and for the blessing of answered prayer. 

In times of desperation people reveal who their god is, it is where they turn, any other god is really no god at all.  Often they are gods which are created in one's own mind and for their benefit, to help them feel better about themselves.  But these gods have no power over adversity.  Henry Blackaby writes, "realize that whatever you instinctively turn to in times of trouble is an idol.  The idol of the psalmist's day were powerless and unable to provide practical assistance (Psalm 119:5).  Likewise, many modern idols appear to offer strength and joy, but those who trust in them soon discover that the idol's image of strength is merely a facade."

We recently toured Warner Brother's studio in California.  We drove down streets that were actually sets for TV shows and movies.  The buildings were only facades, many had nothing behind this facade.  From the street these houses gave the appearance of strength or security, but if you ran to one for shelter in a storm you would not find it.

We have the Creator of the universe to turn to.  He has the power to rescue, to deliver, to redeem and to save.  "He knows what's going on, He takes measure of all that happens."  (The Message)  There is no other like Him, there is no other true god.  Turn your heart to Him and keep it there.  Hannah is an example of someone whose heart was "stayed on" God.

Isaiah 26:3English Standard Version (ESV)

³ You keep him in perfect peace
    whose mind is stayed on you,
    because he trusts in you.

--   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 Samuel 2:1-5The Message (MSG)

2 Hannah prayed:

I'm bursting with God-news!
    I'm walking on air.
I'm laughing at my rivals.
    I'm dancing my salvation.

^2-5 Nothing and no one is holy like God,
    no rock mountain like our God.
Don't dare talk pretentiously—
    not a word of boasting, ever!
For God knows what's going on.
    He takes the measure of everything that happens.