Verse of the Day 6/29

 

Verse of the Day 6/29

 

Acts 9:15   But the Lord said to him, "Go, for he is a chosen vessel of Mine to bear My name before Gentiles, kings, and the children of Israel. New King James Version (NKJV)

 

I read today's verse in my read through the Bible plan.  As I read it and  the  comment below from my NKJV "Apply the Word Study Bible" caught  my attention.   "This account of Ananias invites us to ask who God might want us to approach with the message of His grace. It challenges us to search out people we consider least likely to respond to Christ. Maybe they too simply need us to reach out in faith and obedience."  As I read it, I couldn't  help but  think of Billy Graham and the chain of people who answered  God's call which led  to his salvation. 

 

I've shared the  story before of Edward Kimble as told by Greg Laurie, I can't help but share it again as I considered today's verse and  passage.

 

When it comes to contemporary heroes of the Christian faith, we are familiar with names like Billy Graham. But what about Edward Kimble or Mordecai Ham?

Edward Kimble was a shoe salesman who worked alongside a guy named Dwight. Edward shared the gospel with Dwight, and Dwight accepted Christ. It was 1858, and Dwight's last name was Moody. We know him as D. L. Moody, who was one of the greatest evangelists in history.

Years later when Moody was preaching, a pastor named Frederick D. Meyer was deeply stirred, and as a result, he went into his own nationwide preaching ministry. On one occasion when Meyer was preaching, a college student named J. Wilbur Chapman heard him and accepted Christ. He went out and began to share the gospel, and he employed a young baseball player named Billy Sunday. Billy Sunday ended up being the greatest evangelist of his generation.

When Billy Sunday preached the gospel in Charlotte, North Carolina, it was such a great meeting that he was invited back. But when he couldn't be there, Sunday recommended a preacher named Mordecai Ham. Ham went to Charlotte and preached, but not many people responded to his invitation to accept Christ. But on one of the last nights, a tall, lanky boy who worked on the local dairy farm walked forward. Everyone knew him as Billy Frank, and we know him today as Billy Graham.

So Edward Kimble reached D. L. Moody, who touched Frederick Meyer, who reached Wilbur Chapman, who helped Billy Sunday, who reached businessmen in Charlotte, who invited Mordecai Ham, who ultimately reached Billy Graham. And it all began with the simple witness of Edward Kimble.

 

Has God placed someone  upon  your  heart with whom He wants you  to share the gospel, the  good news?  The Message paraphrase for the  verse starts by saying "But the Master said,  "Don't argue, go!".

It was a tall task for Ananias to go and talk to Saul.  I doubt that our situation carries such risk, but what about a co-worker.  Think of the example  of  Edward Kimble  and  D.L. Moody, who  knows what God has in  store if we "don't  argue" but just go?

 

Blessings,

 

Mike

 

Acts 9:10-19The Message (MSG)

¹⁰ There was a disciple in Damascus by the name of Ananias. The Master spoke to him in a vision: "Ananias."

"Yes, Master?" he answered.

^11-12 "Get up and go over to Straight Avenue. Ask at the house of Judas for a man from Tarsus. His name is Saul. He's there praying. He has just had a dream in which he saw a man named Ananias enter the house and lay hands on him so he could see again."

^13-14 Ananias protested, "Master, you can't be serious. Everybody's talking about this man and the terrible things he's been doing, his reign of terror against your people in Jerusalem! And now he's shown up here with papers from the Chief Priest that give him license to do the same to us."

^15-16 But the Master said, "Don't argue. Go! I have picked him as my personal representative to non-Jews and kings and Jews. And now I'm about to show him what he's in for—the hard suffering that goes with this job."

^17-19 So Ananias went and found the house, placed his hands on blind Saul, and said, "Brother Saul, the Master sent me, the same Jesus you saw on your way here. He sent me so you could see again and be filled with the Holy Spirit." No sooner were the words out of his mouth than something like scales fell from Saul's eyes—he could see again! He got to his feet, was baptized, and sat down with them to a hearty meal.

 

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Verse of the Day 6/28

Verse of the Day 6/28

Ephesians 4:26-27

　"In your anger do not sin":　Do not let the sun go down while you are still angry,　²⁷and do not give the devil a foothold. New International Version (NIV)

This past Sunday Pastor Bob referenced verse 27 in his sermon. Earlier in the week I had read a devotional from David Jeremiah on the same verse. Both of them quoted the NIV for the same reason.

 

David Jeremiah writes, "In the New Testament topos is translated "place," "locale," or "opportunity." When it occurs in Ephesians 4:27, it means not to give the devil a place or opportunity. The New International Version translates that verse as "Do not give the devil a foothold." That works—a "foothold" being a "place" where a climber can insert his foot when scaling a cliff. A foothold was needed by soldiers seeking to gain entrance to an enemy stronghold or fort. …. Keep short accounts; fill in the footholds; erase the sinful places from the map of your heart. Give the devil no opportunity. If the emotion of anger appears, make sure it has a godly purpose."

The picture of a rock climber is a good one. You've seen the rock climbing walls in shopping malls and other places. Even kids can scale the walls if there are enough "footholds". You place your foot on one level, reach up with your hands to pull yourself up to the next level. That's what Satan does with the sin that takes a foothold in our lives. He secures that level and then reaches for the next. A mountain climber drives a stake in to secure that foothold. It is not easily removed, neither is sin in our lives.

There can be many things in our lives that can be a foothold in our lives, places where and from which Satan has an opportunity to expand his influence and control in our lives. They can be addictions to drugs or alcohol, they can be things such as our speech or uncontrolled anger, or unwillingness to forgive. If not dealt with they can lead to other things.

The way to squash these things, the way to eliminate them, remove those footholds, those stakes, is to turn them over to Jesus, count on His grace, grace that is greater than all our sin, and Satan's footholds.

Marvelous grace of our loving Lord,
Grace that exceeds our sin and our guilt!
Yonder on Calvary's mount outpoured,
There where the blood of the Lamb was spilled.
• Refrain:
  Grace, grace, God's grace,
  Grace that will pardon and cleanse within;
  Grace, grace, God's grace,
  Grace that is greater than all our sin!
Sin and despair, like the sea waves cold,
Threaten the soul with infinite loss;
Grace that is greater, yes, grace untold,
Points to the refuge, the mighty cross.
Marvelous, infinite, matchless grace,
Freely bestowed on all who believe!
You that are longing to see His face,
Will you this moment His grace receive?

"All sin can do is threaten us with death, and that's the end of it. Grace, because God is putting everything together again through the Messiah, invites us into life—a life that goes on and on and on, world without end."  Romans 5:21 The Message

Blessings,

Mike

Ephesians 4:25-29 The Message (MSG)

25　What this adds up to, then, is this: no more lies, no more pretense. Tell your neighbor the truth. In Christ's body we're all connected to each other, after all. When you lie to others, you end up lying to yourself.

26-27　Go ahead and be angry. You do well to be angry—but don't use your anger as fuel for revenge. And don't stay angry. Don't go to bed angry. Don't give the Devil that kind of foothold in your life.

28　Did you use to make ends meet by stealing? Well, no more! Get an honest job so that you can help others who can't work.

29　Watch the way you talk. Let nothing foul or dirty come out of your mouth. Say only what helps, each word a gift.

　

 

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Verse of the Day 6/23

Verse of the Day 6/23

1 John 1:2-3

2　the life　was made manifest, and we have seen it, and　testify to it and proclaim to you the eternal life,　which was with the Father and　was made manifest to us—　³that which we have seen and heard we proclaim also to you, so that you too may have fellowship with us; and indeed　our fellowship is with the Father and with his Son Jesus Christ. English Standard Version (ESV)

If your week has been anything like mine, you are probably looking forward to the weekend. Looking forward to fellowship with friends and family, especially other believers. That fellowship may be in the form of worship services, Bible studies or small group meetings, or possibly just a dinner with Christian friends. It is a time when we share our experiences and give testimony of what we've learned what we've experienced from and about God in our lives, our interactions with others, and our interaction with God in His Word.

Ephesians 5:15 in the NKJV tells us that we are to "walk circumspectly", with our eyes wide open and aware of what is going on around us, to see God's hand, His work in it, to "open the eyes of our hearts" to it and in keeping with today's verses, be ready to share with any that will listen, what God is doing.

Pastor Greg Laurie writes, "Fellowship is praying together. It is serving together. It is giving together. It is aging together. These are the fibers of fellowship. Fellowship with God and with His people go together. And if you find yourself out of fellowship with God, you will soon find yourself out of fellowship with other believers as well."

Whether it is praying together, serving together, studying together, giving together or just spending time and "aging together" may you experience true fellowship this weekend with fellow believers, and more importantly with God in three persons, the Trinity this weekend. Praise Him for His love, as Fanny Crosby put it "unbounded,wonderful, deep and strong."

Praise Him! Praise Him! Jesus, our blessed Redeemer!
Sing, O Earth, His wonderful love proclaim!
Hail Him! Hail Him! Highest archangels in glory;
Strength and honor give to His holy Name!
Like a shepherd, Jesus will guard His children,
In His arms He carries them all day long.
• Refrain:
  Praise Him! Praise Him! Tell of His excellent greatness;
  Praise Him! Praise Him! Ever in joyful song!
Praise Him! Praise Him! Jesus, our blessed Redeemer!
For our sins He suffered, and bled, and died.
He our Rock, our hope of eternal salvation,
Hail Him! Hail Him! Jesus the Crucified.
Sound His praises! Jesus who bore our sorrows,
Love unbounded, wonderful, deep and strong.

　

　

　

　

Blessings,

Mike

1 John 1:2-4The Message (MSG)

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

3-4　We saw it, we heard it, and now we're telling you so you can experience it along with us, this experience of communion with the Father and his Son, Jesus Christ. Our motive for writing is simply this: We want you to enjoy this, too. Your joy will double our joy!

　

 

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Verse of the Day 6/22

 

Verse of  the Day 6/22

 

Ephesians 1:18-19  having the eyes of your hearts enlightened, that you may know what is the hope to which he has called you, what are the riches of his glorious inheritance in the saints, ¹⁹ and what is the immeasurable greatness of his power toward us who believe, according to the working of his great might  English Standard Version (ESV)

,

Several years  ago Michael W. Smith came  out with the  song "Open  the Eyes of  My Heart" which was sung for quite some time in a lot of  churches.  Any time  I read these verses the  song  comes  to  mind and any time  that I hear the  song these  verses come  to mind.  They serve as a call, as a reminder that  if we seek the peace  with God that we considered yesterday, which is obtained by grace through  faith, we  will need  to look to Him, seek Him in His  word, and  through  His Spirit.  It is through spending  time, seeking  to know  Him that  we will  know  Him and  experience more  of  His  love  day by day.

 

John  Piper writes, "We should aim in all our seeing to savor his excellence above all things. Seeing the glory of God as we read the Bible should never be an end in itself. We read in order to see in order to savor. We seek insight in order to enjoy. We seek knowledge in order to love. We seek doctrine for the sake of delight. The eyes of the heart serve the affections of the heart. "

 

We should be in God's word regularly, daily but we must  come to  it not  as an end to  itself,  something that we do for  the  sake  of checking it  off  the  list of things,  even "spiritual things" to  do.

 

Piper  reminds us  to:

Read… in  order to  savor

Seek insight… in order  to  enjoy

Seek  knowledge … in order  to love

Seek doctrine…. in  order  to take delight

 

"so that you can see exactly what it is he is calling you to do, grasp the immensity of this glorious way of life he has for his followers, oh, the utter extravagance of his work in us who trust him—endless energy, boundless strength!"  v.19 The  Message

 

Open the eyes of my heart, Lord
Open the eyes of my heart
I want to see You

To see You high and lifted up
Shinin' in the light of Your glory
Pour out Your power and love
As we sing holy, holy, holy

 

 

Blessings,

 

Mike

 

Ephesians 1:18-19  The Message (MSG)

^15-19 That's why, when I heard of the solid trust you have in the Master Jesus and your outpouring of love to all the followers of Jesus, I couldn't stop thanking God for you—every time I prayed, I'd think of you and give thanks. But I do more than thank. I ask—ask the God of our Master, Jesus Christ, the God of glory—to make you intelligent and discerning in knowing him personally, your eyes focused and clear, so that you can see exactly what it is he is calling you to do, grasp the immensity of this glorious way of life he has for his followers, oh, the utter extravagance of his work in us who trust him—endless energy, boundless strength!

 

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Verse of the Day 6/21

Verse  of the  Day 6/22

 

Romans 5:1-2

Therefore, since we have been justified by faith, we^[a]have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ.² Through him we have also obtained access by faith^[b] into this grace in which we stand, and we^[c] rejoice^[d] in hope of the glory of God.  English Standard Version (ESV)

As  you  watch or  read  the  news  these  days  you see  very little evidence  of  peace in the  world or  even  peace in the  hearts of  individuals.  There  is  so much hate and anger  in the hearts of  people, sometimes  even  within families and churches, let alone  governments that  it  is  hard  to believe  that there could  be  peace.  I had  read Romans 3:17 in  a  devotional  this  morning  which states, "and  the way of peace they have not  known", sadly it  is a true statement not  only in the society of  Paul's   time  but  also  in ours  and  in  just  about  every time  in history.

 

The glorious  truth is that we can have peace,  it  is available  to  us and  it  is  only available  through faith and trust  in Jesus Christ.  I had intended on quoting  only verse  1 as the "verse of  the  day" but  I could not avoid  or  ignore including verse 2 in the  post because it shows how  it is obtained and what it brings to us.  It is by His  grace "accessed by faith".  If  we  have  this  we should  be able  to "rejoice", praise God in  joy and hope of and  for  the  glory of God.

 

I heard it said somewhere and it is  fitting to share it here in relation to this passage.  No Jesus, No Peace.  Know  Jesus,  Know  Peace.  Both are true.  Which would you  rather  have, which do you need to face the  day, which  do  you have?  His peace is  available to you.

 

Read the passage from The Message below,  may it  cause you to seek this peace in Christ through  faith today.

 

"In alert expectancy such as this, we're never left feeling shortchanged. Quite the contrary—we can't round up enough containers to hold everything God generously pours into our lives through the Holy Spirit!" verse 5 The  Message

 

 

 

Blessings,

 

Mike

 

Romans 5:1-5The Message (MSG)

Developing Patience

5 ^1-2 By entering through faith into what God has always wanted to do for us—set us right with him, make us fit for him—we have it all together with God because of our Master Jesus. And that's not all: We throw open our doors to God and discover at the same moment that he has already thrown open his door to us. We find ourselves standing where we always hoped we might stand—out in the wide open spaces of God's grace and glory, standing tall and shouting our praise.

^3-5 There's more to come: We continue to shout our praise even when we're hemmed in with troubles, because we know how troubles can develop passionate patience in us, and how that patience in turn forges the tempered steel of virtue, keeping us alert for whatever God will do next. In alert expectancy such as this, we're never left feeling shortchanged. Quite the contrary—we can't round up enough containers to hold everything God generously pours into our lives through the Holy Spirit!

 

 

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