Verse of the Day 11/30

Verse of the Day 11/30

 

Ephesians 1:11-12   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.  English Standard Version (ESV)

 

For today's verses we'll continue in Ephesians 1 with our thoughts directed to what we have "in Him", in Christ.   Verse 11 states that we have obtained an inheritance.  We have "obtained" it not through our own efforts but through His grace, His love, and His mercy as we have been adopted into His family.  I like the way The Message paraphrase translates the beginning of the verses:  "It's in Christ that we find out who we are and what we are living for."

 

"We've obtained an inheritance" made me think of John 14 and the place, the "mansion" being  prepared for us.   This led me to the old hymn "I've Got a Mansion Just Over the Hilltop"

Don't think me poor or deserted or lonely
I'm not discouraged I'm heaven bound
I'm but a pilgrim in search of the city
I want a mansion, a harp and a crown

I've got a mansion just over the hilltop
In that bright land where we'll never grow old
And some day yonder we will never more wander
But walk on streets that are purest gold

If you've been adopted into His family, praise Him for it today.   Thank Him that you know who you are, more  importantly "whose" you are, you have found what you're living for while still being a pilgrim, looking forward to that mansion in the heavenly city.

 

 

Blessings,

Mike

 

Ephesians 1:11-12The Message (MSG)

^11-12 It's in Christ that we find out who we are and what we are living for. Long before we first heard of Christ and got our hopes up, he had his eye on us, had designs on us for glorious living, part of the overall purpose he is working out in everything and everyone.

 

 

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Verse of the Day 11/28

Verse of the Day  11/28

 

Ephesians 1:7-8  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  English Standard Version (ESV)

 

This passage has been coming up on the "notes page" in my study Bible each day as I read through the New Testament reading since the passage came up in the read through the Bible plan.  I have highlighted the words "in him".  Take a minute, better yet, take several, or as much time as it will take to think of all that we have "in Him".  Read through the passage go get you going.  It is one of those passages that I need, we all need to be reminded of from time to time.

 

For today, I'd like to focus on forgiveness and what it means to be forgiven in Christ.

 

Charles Spurgeon writes, "What riches of grace does free forgiveness exhibit! To forgive at all, to forgive fully, to forgive freely, to forgive forever! Here is a constellation of wonders; and when I think of how great my sins were, how dear were the precious drops which cleansed me from them, and how gracious was the method by which pardon was sealed home to me, I am in a maze of wondering worshipping affection. I bow before the throne which absolves me, I clasp the cross which delivers me, I serve henceforth all my days the Incarnate God, through whom I am this night a pardoned soul. "

 

Through Jesus Christ we have forgiveness, redemption, the price, the penalty for our sin has been taken care of it and as The Message states below "we're a free people".  The weight of the sin and the penalties and punishments of them has been lifted.  We should live that way, free, abundantly free, in Christ.

 

In Christ I can do all things
In Christ I mount up on eagle's wings
In Christ I wait for a great reward
That I have in store
In Christ I have His righteousness
In Christ I have what I confess
In Christ I don't worry about all the rest
Cause everything I need to be is in Christ   (Big Daddy Weave)

 

 

Blessings,

Mike

 

Ephesians 1:7-10The Message (MSG)

^7-10 Because of the sacrifice of the Messiah, his blood poured out on the altar of the Cross, we're a free people—free of penalties and punishments chalked up by all our misdeeds. And not just barely free, either. Abundantly free! He thought of everything, provided for everything we could possibly need, letting us in on the plans he took such delight in making. He set it all out before us in Christ, a long-range plan in which everything would be brought together and summed up in him, everything in deepest heaven, everything on planet earth.

 

 

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Verse of the Day 11/26

Verse of the Day 111/26

Ephesians 1:4-5 even as he chose us in him before the foundation of the world, that we should be holy and blameless before him. In love ⁵ he predestined us for adoption to himself as sons through Jesus Christ, according to the purpose of his will,  (ESV English Standard Version)

Whenever you hear the word "predestined", especially in Christian circles, there will likely be a debate between predestination and free will as if they were diametrically opposed.  Today's verses have that word in them, at least in some translations, but the starting and ending point of any discussion should be and can be found at the beginning of verse 4, He chose us "in him", to be in Christ, before the foundation of the world.  God had and has a plan and we are part of it.

One of my former pastors, Bill Swanger perhaps handled the debate better than just about anyone else that I have heard.  It involves faith.  Predestination and free will, and our responsibility are both clearly taught in scripture.  They are not opposed to each other, but it is at the point of faith that we have to leave it to God, to trust Him in our lives and through any debate, no matter which side we personally hold to.

Charles Spurgeon addressed predestination in the following way, "remember that predestination is the counterpart of history, as an architectural plan, the carrying out of which we read in the facts that happen, they may perhaps obtain a slight clue to the unreasonableness of their hostility. I never heard any one among professors wantonly and wilfully find fault with God's dealings, yet I have heard some who would even dare to call in question the equity of his counsels. If the thing itself be right, it must be right that God intended to do the thing; if you find no fault with facts, as you see them in providence, you have no grounds to complain of decrees, as you find them in predestination, for the decrees and the facts are just the counterpart one of the other".    Whatever side of the debate you may hold to, I pray that you can agree with this from The Message, "Long, long ago he decided to adopt us into his family through Jesus Christ.  (What pleasure he took in planning this!) He wanted us to enter into the celebration of his lavish gift-giving by the hand of his beloved Son. (v. 5-6 The Message)    As this Thanksgiving weekend comes to a close, may we be thankful that God has adopted us into His family through Jesus, the author and finisher of our faith.    

Hebrews 12:1-2New King James Version (NKJV) Therefore we also, since we are surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses, let us lay aside every weight, and the sin which so easily ensnares us, and let us run with endurance the race that is set before us, ² looking unto Jesus, the author and finisher of our faith, who for the joy that was set before Him endured the cross, despising the shame, and has sat down at the right hand of the throne of God.

--   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    

Ephesians 1:4-6The Message (MSG)

The God of Glory

^3-6 How blessed is God! And what a blessing he is! He's the Father of our Master, Jesus Christ, and takes us to the high places of blessing in him. Long before he laid down earth's foundations, he had us in mind, had settled on us as the focus of his love, to be made whole and holy by his love. Long, long ago he decided to adopt us into his family through Jesus Christ. (What pleasure he took in planning this!) He wanted us to enter into the celebration of his lavish gift-giving by the hand of his beloved Son.

Verse of the Day 11/23

Verse of the Day 11/23

Psalm 100:4-5 Enter His gates with thanksgiving

and His courts with praise.
Give thanks to Him and praise His name.
⁵ For Yahweh is good, and His love is eternal;
His faithfulness endures through all generations.    Holman Christian Standard Bible (HCSB)

Happy Thanksgiving everyone!

Thanksgiving should be a time of giving thanks.  For us as Christians it should be more than that.  We should be thankful, but most of all we should give thanks to God who created all there is and has blessed us with so many things.

This year our family will be blessed to have four generations present for Thanksgiving.  One of the things I hope to do this week is to take the "boys" out to the shooting range and pull out my grandfather's single shot 22 rifle.  When my grandson shoots it he will be the fifth generation to shoot that gun.  It has been handed down from generation to generation and will soon be passed on to the next.

One of the things that we should do this Thanksgiving is to look back over the generations and see how our faith in God has been passed along from generation to generation.  Unlike the rifle which sits dormant in a corner of the closet for years at a time, our faith, that of our families should be "living and active", for it to be so, God's Word should be living and active in our hearts and most importantly in our actions, in our daily life.

Definitely take time today to give thanks, take time also to praise His name, for God is good and His faithfulness has endured and will endure to future generations.

Give thanks with a grateful heart
Give thanks to the Holy One
Give thanks because He's given Jesus Christ, His Son

Give thanks with a grateful heart
Give thanks to the Holy One
Give thanks because He's given Jesus Christ, His Son

And now let the weak say, "I am strong"
Let the poor say, "I am rich
Because of what the Lord has done for us"    (Give Thanks  - Don Moen)

--   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 100The Message (MSG)

A Thanksgiving Psalm

100 ^1-2 On your feet now—applaud God!
    Bring a gift of laughter,
    sing yourselves into his presence.

³ Know this: God is God, and God, God.
    He made us; we didn't make him.
    We're his people, his well-tended sheep.

⁴ Enter with the password: "Thank you!"
    Make yourselves at home, talking praise.
    Thank him. Worship him.

⁵ For God is sheer beauty,
    all-generous in love,
    loyal always and ever.

Verse of the Day 11/22

Verse of the Day 11/22

James 3:17-18 But the wisdom from above is first pure, then peaceable, gentle, open to reason, full of mercy and good fruits, impartial and sincere. ¹⁸ And a harvest of righteousness is sown in peace by those who make peace.    English Standard Version (ESV)

Today's verses came from the New Testament portion of the read through the Bible plan that I'm following.  It tied in well with a couple of other passages that I read and seemed fitting for today as many people will be traveling for Thanksgiving, dealing with traffic jams, restless kid (are we there yet?), and the normal interactions between some family members which will be anything but peaceful, let alone thankful.

The Bible Gateway verse of the day came from Colossians 3:15:

Colossians 3:15   And let the peace of the Messiah, to which you were also called in one body, control your hearts. Be thankful.    Holman Christian Standard Bible (HCSB)

That should be our goal in all of those situations described above.  Be thankful and may we show wisdom, God's wisdom from above and be peaceful, try to be the peacemakers in situations and not the coal adders, adding fuel to the fires.  I like the way The Message paraphrases verse 17:

Real wisdom, God's wisdom, begins with a holy life and is characterized by getting along with others. It is gentle and reasonable, overflowing with mercy and blessings,  James 3:17 The Message.

Happy Thanksgiving to everyone.  Remember to give thanks and to seek peace.

 And a harvest of righteousness is sown in peace by those who make peace.    James 3:18 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    

James 3:13-18The Message (MSG)

Live Well, Live Wisely

^13-16 Do you want to be counted wise, to build a reputation for wisdom? Here's what you do: Live well, live wisely, live humbly. It's the way you live, not the way you talk, that counts. Mean-spirited ambition isn't wisdom. Boasting that you are wise isn't wisdom. Twisting the truth to make yourselves sound wise isn't wisdom. It's the furthest thing from wisdom—it's animal cunning, devilish conniving. Whenever you're trying to look better than others or get the better of others, things fall apart and everyone ends up at the others' throats.

^17-18 Real wisdom, God's wisdom, begins with a holy life and is characterized by getting along with others. It is gentle and reasonable, overflowing with mercy and blessings, not hot one day and cold the next, not two-faced. You can develop a healthy, robust community that lives right with God and enjoy its results only if you do the hard work of getting along with each other, treating each other with dignity and honor.

Verse of the Day 11/21

Verse of the Day 11/21

Hebrews 12:1-2 Therefore, since we are surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses, let us also lay aside every weight, and sin which clings so closely, and let us run with endurance the race that is set before us, ² looking to Jesus, the founder and perfecter of our faith, who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is seated at the right hand of the throne of God.    English Standard Version (ESV)

Our Pastor Bob recently spoke at an event and had everyone stand and raise their arms.  Then he said, now raise them higher, stretch.  He did this to encourage us to stretch our faith.  Raising your arms doesn't take much effort but stretching requires going beyond the norm beyond the standard it is reaching for something.  It is about setting goals.

All too often in our lives, in just about any area of our lives we can become comfortable, complacent, satisfied with the status quo.  It may not necessarily be bad, but when this goes on for some time, it may be easy to drift.  This verse follows the hall of faith in Hebrews 11 which briefly describes the lives of so man of the heroes of the faith.  How they lived their lives by faith, how they "stretched" and were stretched in their pursuit of God and His kingdom.  They, and all those who have gone before us and those who have personally gone before us in our lives to bring us where we are, they are among the cloud of witnesses for us.  They are all looking to how we will "stretch our faith", reach for the goal to  win the prize.

We're in a marathon.  Training goes on every day and if we want to improve our standing in the race, our faith will require use, practice and part of that will be require stretching  our arms, legs and our hearts of faith for His kingdom.

Read the verse again and when you read of running the race with endurance, think about how you may better "stretch" your faith, reach a little higher or further to obtain the prize, keeping your eyes on Jesus, the author and perfector of our faith.  That perfecting involves and will include stretching.

--   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 12:1-4New Living Translation (NLT)

God's Discipline Proves His Love

12 Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a huge crowd of witnesses to the life of faith, let us strip off every weight that slows us down, especially the sin that so easily trips us up. And let us run with endurance the race God has set before us. ² We do this by keeping our eyes on Jesus, the champion who initiates and perfects our faith.^[a] Because of the joy^[b] awaiting him, he endured the cross, disregarding its shame. Now he is seated in the place of honor beside God's throne. ³ Think of all the hostility he endured from sinful people;^[c] then you won't become weary and give up. ⁴ After all, you have not yet given your lives in your struggle against sin.

Verse of the Day 11/6

Verse of the Day 11/6

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)

Yesterday we considered how by grace we've been given "power"  over "cancelled sin" by God's grace, and with it come life and health and peace.

My New Testament reading in the through the Bible plan was in Hebrews 11, one of my favorite chapters in the Bible.  It is all about faith and reading through it you see the grace the power that has been present in God followers through the ages.  He saves us and gives us power to go and "do". 

Acts 1:8  But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you, and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the end of the earth."

David Jeremiah writes, " Faith isn't just knowing something but doing something about it. The Lord speaks to us every day as we study His Word. Whenever God speaks to us, we must respond. If He tells us to stop worrying, that's what we do. If He tells us to tame our tempers, that's what we do. If He tells us to go to the ends of the earth with His message, we pack our bags. Christ is worthy of our faith, and faith always leads to obedience."

As you diligently seek Him, you too will receive power to do something.  Not all of us are called to go to the ends of the earth, but something done right here in our world, in our "pond" may send wripples that will reach to the other shores.  As you read through Hebrews 11 or any passage of the Bible, look for the verbs, the action words that are used to describe their actions, they are all about doing something.   That is our call, to do something.  It may not be to go somewhere, it may be something that needs to be done before we go somewhere.  It my start with to quit worrying or fretting and turning it over to God.

--   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 11:4-7The Message (MSG)

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.

⁷ By faith, Noah built a ship in the middle of dry land. He was warned about something he couldn't see, and acted on what he was told. The result? His family was saved. His act of faith drew a sharp line between the evil of the unbelieving world and the rightness of the believing world. As a result, Noah became intimate with God.

Verse of the Day 11/16

Verse of the Day 11/16

 

Romans 6:14 For sin will have no dominion over you, since you are not under law but under grace.  English Standard Version (ESV)

 

I've been fighting a cold or sinus infection for over a week and let it get a good hold on me.  My wife Jean encouraged me to see a doctor to get an antibiotic to knock it out.  I thought that I was feeling better and put it off only to have it get worse.  I finally went to the nurse, got a prescription and am now beginning to feel better.

 

While driving the other day I listened to a sermon by John Piper where he referenced today's verse.  He also referenced the old song in relation to it "O For A Thousand Tongues to Sing" and the line that stood out was "He breaks the power of cancelled sin, He sets the prisoner free".  We are towards sin, much like I was towards this sinus infection, thinking "it's not so bad, it will go away or I can rest, takes some cold pills and I'll feel better.  I may feel better for a while but it doesn't get to the root of my problem, the infection that is still there and will rear its head when the body gets worn down.  Then it takes over.

 

So it is with sin in our lives.   Guilt can hang over us like a cloud.  We may put it away for a time, but when we are run down it can rear its ugly head.  We have no power over  it on our own, but He can break that power, He has cancelled the debt and set us free.  With the weight and the guilt gone we then have a case of the "can't help it's", we can't help but tell others, we can't help but sing His praise.

 

Read the hymn and think of it in terms of sin and forgiveness and what it does for us.  I've changed the order from the original to go along with these thoughts.

 

1. He breaks the pow'r of canceled sin,
   He sets the pris'ner free;
   His blood can make the foulest clean,
   His blood availed for me.
2. Jesus! the name that charms our fears,
   That bids our sorrows cease—
   'Tis music in the sinner's ears,
   'Tis life, and health, and peace.
3.  
4. Oh, for a thousand tongues to sing
   My great Redeemer's praise,
   The glories of my God and king,
   The triumphs of His grace!
5. My gracious Master and my God,
   Assist me to proclaim,
   To spread through all the earth abroad,
   The honors of Thy name.
   I'm happy to be feeling better, regret that I was too stubborn,  likewise I'm happy that I've been forgiven, in both cases the power has been broken and I've been set free.
    
   Blessings,
    
   Mike
    
   Romans 6:12-18The Message (MSG)
   ^12-14 That means you must not give sin a vote in the way you conduct your lives. Don't give it the time of day. Don't even run little errands that are connected with that old way of life. Throw yourselves wholeheartedly and full-time—remember, you've been raised from the dead!—into God's way of doing things. Sin can't tell you how to live. After all, you're not living under that old tyranny any longer. You're living in the freedom of God.
    
    
    

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