Verse of the Day 4/28

Verse of the Day 4/28

Psalm 33:1-2

New International Version

1 Sing joyfully to the Lord, you righteous;
    it is fitting for the upright to praise him.
2 Praise the Lord with the harp;
    make music to him on the ten-stringed lyre.

Our church hosted a concert on Tuesday night featuring Matthew West and Cain. It was a great night of praise and worship.  This morning's verses came up in my daily reading in the psalms and I was reminded of the concert.  We enjoyed the singing, the guitars, the piano and other instruments being played, but what was most important was that it was all being done to praise and honor the God of all creation who sent His Son Jesus Christ that we might live for and with Him eternally.

Verse 6 below states, "by the word of the Lord the heavens were made, and by the breath of His mouth the starry host was brought into being."  But He didn't just bring it into being and let it go. He stays. He is with us, He is in us and takes joy in our worship of Him.

One of Matthew West's songs was "The God Who Stays".

If I were You I would've given up on me by now
I would've labeled me a lost cause
'Cause I feel just like a lost cause
If I were You I would've turned around and walked away
I would've labeled me beyond repair
'Cause I feel like I'm beyond repair

Oh, but somehow You don't see me like I do
Somehow You're still here

You're the God who stays
You're the God who stays
You're the one who runs in my direction
When the whole world walks away
You're the God who stands
With wide open arms
And You tell me nothing I have ever done can separate my heart
From the God who stays

We worship the God who created it all, but more importantly, we worship the God who stays.

Blessings,

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 33:1-6

New International Version

Psalm 33

1 Sing joyfully to the Lord, you righteous;
    it is fitting for the upright to praise him.
2 Praise the Lord with the harp;
    make music to him on the ten-stringed lyre.
3 Sing to him a new song;
    play skillfully, and shout for joy.

4 For the word of the Lord is right and true;
    he is faithful in all he does.
5 The Lord loves righteousness and justice;
    the earth is full of his unfailing love.

6 By the word of the Lord the heavens were made,
    their starry host by the breath of his mouth.

Verse of the Day 4/27

Verse of the Day 4/27

1 Peter 1:8-9. New International Version

8 Though you have not seen him, you love him; and even though you do not see him now, you believe in him and are filled with an inexpressible and glorious joy, 9 for you are receiving the end result of your faith, the salvation of your souls.

Our Tuesday Men's Bible Study went through 1 Peter 1 yesterday and we once again considered "His great mercy" in verse 3 which "has caused us to be born again to a living hope", through Jesus' death and resurrection. That living hope is from Jesus and the power of the Holy Spirit living us.  It is at the root of our faith and it is something that we draw upon every day of our lives..  Our hope is alive and active in our hearts and minds.  It is not just wishful thinking or a far off hope, it is near and dear to us and grounds us in our faith.

The person who has received His great mercy, who has this hope of eternal salvation, and believe in Jesus as it's source can't help but celebrate, be joyous about it and likely respond in singing.

I'll share the words of a song that was sung in our worship service this past Sunday, "I 'Will Sing of the Goodness of God".

I love You, Lord
Oh Your mercy never fails me
All my days, I've been held in Your hands
From the moment that I wake up
Until I lay my head
Oh, I will sing of the goodness of God

Cause all my life You have been faithful
And all my life You have been so, so good
With every breath that I am able
Oh, I will sing of the goodness of God

I love Your voice
You have led me through the fire
And in darkest night You are close like no other
I've known You as a Father
I've known You as a Friend
And I have lived in the goodness of God, yeah

Read the passage below.  May this great salvation, these verses, and this song cause you to sing of the goodness of God.

Blessings,

Mikei

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 Peter 1:3-9

New International Version

Praise to God for a Living Hope

3 Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ! In his great mercy he has given us new birth into a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead, 4 and into an inheritance that can never perish, spoil or fade. This inheritance is kept in heaven for you, 5 who through faith are shielded by God's power until the coming of the salvation that is ready to be revealed in the last time. 6 In all this you greatly rejoice, though now for a little while you may have had to suffer grief in all kinds of trials. 7 These have come so that the proven genuineness of your faith—of greater worth than gold, which perishes even though refined by fire—may result in praise, glory and honor when Jesus Christ is revealed. 8 Though you have not seen him, you love him; and even though you do not see him now, you believe in him and are filled with an inexpressible and glorious joy, 9 for you are receiving the end result of your faith, the salvation of your souls.

Verse of the Day 4/26

Verse of the Day 4/26

Psalm 107:1-2

New International Version

1 Give thanks to the Lord, for he is good;
    his love endures forever.

2 Let the redeemed of the Lord tell their story—
    those he redeemed from the hand of the foe,

We've recently considered God's great grace, His great mercy and great salvation that is offered to us.  These are all things for which we can and should give our thanks and praise to God for.  As these verses remind us, He is good and His love endures forever.

Our son Jeff is probably one of the most thankful people that you could ever meet and he expresses his thanks to everyone he comes in contact with for the smallest things, blessings that most people would take for granted.  As His father it brings me joy to hear it.  Most mornings when I go in to give him his medications and to see to his needs to start the day, the first words out of his mouth are most often "thank you".  He humbles me.

We should have the same attitude towards God.  Not just before meals or at church or Bible studies, but many times a day we should find all kinds of reasons to thank God, realizing "that He is good" and that His love endures, it has and will last forever.

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)

.

Give thanks.

Blessings,

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

BOOK V

Psalms 107–150

Psalm 107

1 Give thanks to the Lord, for he is good;
    his love endures forever.

2 Let the redeemed of the Lord tell their story—
    those he redeemed from the hand of the foe,
3 those he gathered from the lands,
    from east and west, from north and south.[a]

4 Some wandered in desert wastelands,
    finding no way to a city where they could settle.
5 They were hungry and thirsty,
    and their lives ebbed away.
6 Then they cried out to the Lord in their trouble,
    and he delivered them from their distress.
7 He led them by a straight way
    to a city where they could settle.
8 Let them give thanks to the Lord for his unfailing love
    and his wonderful deeds for mankind,
9 for he satisfies the thirsty
    and fills the hungry with good things.

Verse of the Day 4/24

Verse of the Day 4/24

1 Peter 2:9

English Standard Version

9 But you are a chosen race, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people for his own possession, that you may proclaim the excellencies of him who called you out of darkness into his marvelous light.

It is a beautiful spring morning in North Carolina.  Looking out from my back screened in porch, the sunshine came streaming in through the red bud leaves and green leaves of other trees, birds were singing, flowers blooming and trees are blossoming.  I then read today's verse in my devotions and couldn't help but think of the marvelous light of the Gospel of Jesus Christ.

In contrast, the crawl space in our home is directly below the back porch.  In there, it is dark and damp, there are cob webs, spiders and who knows what else crawling around down there.  Who would choose to spend the day down there instead of out in the glorious light?  In spiritual terms, who knowingly would avoid the light of the Word but exchange it for the darkness that is rampant in our world?  Thankfully, we've been called out of darkness into His marvelous light "that we may proclaim it".

May we sing of His mercies and His marvelous light today.

I will sing of the mercies of the Lord forever, I will sing, I will sing; What a mercy that I am in the church forever; I will sing of the mercies of the Lord.
	With my mouth will I make known Thy faithfulness, Thy faithfulness, With my mouth will I make known Thy faithfulness to all generations.
2	I will sing of the mercies of the Lord forever, I will sing, I will sing; What a mercy that I am in the church forever; I will sing of the mercies of the Lord.

Blessings,

Mikei

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 Peter 2:9-12

New International Version

9 But you are a chosen people, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, God's special possession, that you may declare the praises of him who called you out of darkness into his wonderful light. 10 Once you were not a people, but now you are the people of God; once you had not received mercy, but now you have received mercy.

Living Godly Lives in a Pagan Society

11 Dear friends, I urge you, as foreigners and exiles, to abstain from sinful desires, which wage war against your soul. 12 Live such good lives among the pagans that, though they accuse you of doing wrong, they may see your good deeds and glorify God on the day he visits us.

Verse of the Day 4/22

Verse of the Day 4/22

Hebrews 2:3

English Standard Version

3 how shall we escape if we neglect such a great salvation? It was declared at first by the Lord, and it was attested to us by those who heard,

We've recently considered God's "great love" for us and His "great mercy" shown to us.  We've also considered the "marks of a true Christian" from Romans 12.  They can be viewed together, those who appreciate His great love and mercy will receive those gifts and follow Him, applying His principles in our lives.  

If we fail to do this we are neglecting our great salvation.  Verse one in the passage below tells us that we need to pay attention to God's Word so that we don't "drift away".  This drifting comes from neglect.  We've all driven past houses that have been neglected, which can lead to them being abandoned because they are beyond repair.  It doesn't take long for termites, mold, mildew and rot to take their toll.

So it is with our spiritual lives.  It won't take long for greed, addictions and selfishness to destroy lives.  But it doesn't have to happen.  Don't neglect your faith.  Listen to the Spirit's call drawing you back, seek Him while He may be found.

Isaiah 55:6-9

English Standard Version

6 "Seek the Lord while he may be found;

    call upon him while he is near;
7 let the wicked forsake his way,
    and the unrighteous man his thoughts;
let him return to the Lord, that he may have compassion on him,
    and to our God, for he will abundantly pardon.
8 For my thoughts are not your thoughts,
    neither are your ways my ways, declares the Lord.
9 For as the heavens are higher than the earth,
    so are my ways higher than your ways
    and my thoughts than your thoughts.

Blessings,

Mikei

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 2

English Standard Version

Warning Against Neglecting Salvation

2 Therefore we must pay much closer attention to what we have heard, lest we drift away from it. 2 For since the message declared by angels proved to be reliable, and every transgression or disobedience received a just retribution, 3 how shall we escape if we neglect such a great salvation? It was declared at first by the Lord, and it was attested to us by those who heard, 4 while God also bore witness by signs and wonders and various miracles and by gifts of the Holy Spirit distributed according to his will.

Verse of the Day 4/20

Verse of the Day 4/20

Romans 12:9-10

English Standard Version

Marks of the True Christian

9 Let love be genuine. Abhor what is evil; hold fast to what is good. 10 Love one another with brotherly affection. Outdo one another in showing honor.

Our Monday Men's Bible study covered this passage this week.  I posted the opening verses above from the English Standard Version along with the heading, "Marks of the True Christian".  I'd say that it is the most concise and complete description of how a "true Christian" should strive to live.  I say strive because it is such a tall order, and not one that can be accomplished solely by our own efforts.

The first two verses are broken up into a few short statements, if they had been written today, Paul probably would have used bullet points.  If you do so they stand out all the more.

• Let love be genuine
• Abhor what is evil
• Hold fast to what.is good
• Love one another with brotherly love
• Outdo one another in showing honor.

Before going on to read the rest of the passage below, how would you do with these if we were to post them on our refrigerator or the visor on our car?   ..

Our love should be genuine, authentic, true, nothing "fake" about it.  We are to abhor, hate, detest what is evil, we should shun it and never get too close to it or be comfortable around it.  Hold fast and cling to what is good.  There was a song out years ago, "hold on loosely, but don't let go".  That is not what this is talking about, hold on tight so that you can't let go, let no one pry it from your fingers. Love others with a brotherly love, caring, sharing and doing the best for them.  Lastly, outdoing one another in honor.  Wow!  Today's society is always quick to dishonor, slander and ridicule, and I'm not just talking about politicians.

Read the passage.  What other bullet points would you add to the list on your refrigerator or your mind?

Blessings,

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 12:9-21

English Standard Version

Marks of the True Christian

9 Let love be genuine. Abhor what is evil; hold fast to what is good. 10 Love one another with brotherly affection. Outdo one another in showing honor. 11 Do not be slothful in zeal, be fervent in spirit,[a] serve the Lord. 12 Rejoice in hope, be patient in tribulation, be constant in prayer. 13 Contribute to the needs of the saints and seek to show hospitality.

14 Bless those who persecute you; bless and do not curse them. 15 Rejoice with those who rejoice, weep with those who weep. 16 Live in harmony with one another. Do not be haughty, but associate with the lowly.[b] Never be wise in your own sight. 17 Repay no one evil for evil, but give thought to do what is honorable in the sight of all. 18 If possible, so far as it depends on you, live peaceably with all. 19 Beloved, never avenge yourselves, but leave it to the wrath of God, for it is written, "Vengeance is mine, I will repay, says the Lord." 20 To the contrary, "if your enemy is hungry, feed him; if he is thirsty, give him something to drink; for by so doing you will heap burning coals on his head." 21 Do not be overcome by evil, but overcome evil with good.

Verse of the Day 4/19

 Verse of the Day 4/19

1 Peter 1:3-4

New International Version

3 Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ! In his great mercy he has given us new birth into a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead, 4 and into an inheritance that can never perish, spoil or fade. This inheritance is kept in heaven for you,

I read today's verses this morning and thought that they were fitting having just celebrated Easter.  They serve as yet another reminder of what we have in Jesus through His resurrection.  It starts with His "great mercy".  Any time that another word is placed in front of His love and His mercy we should take notice.  Paul writes of His "great love" for us as does Daniel in the Old Testament.

The book of 1 Peter was written while Christians were being persecuted in Rome by the merciless Emperor Nero who would go on to have Peter and his wife crucified.  It is against this backdrop that Peter writes of God's mercy, living hope and the inheritance that can never be taken from us. The world hasn't changed and neither has God.  His goodness, His mercy, and love continue to show.

I have the following note in my Bible relating to His  "great mercy". "God's goodness is a spreading, imparting goodness. . . . God is more willing to bestow good than we are to ask it. He is so willing to bestow it that he becomes a suitor to us, 'Seek my face.' He seeks us, to seek him. It is strange that heaven should seek earth, and yet so it is." (author unknown)

As we receive His mercies every morning (Lamentations 3:22-23), may we seek His face today.

Lamentations 3:22-23 New International Version

22 Because of the Lord's great love we are not consumed,

    for his compassions never fail.
23 They are new every morning;
    great is your faithfulness.

Blessings,

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 Peter 1:3-9

New International Version

Praise to God for a Living Hope

3 Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ! In his great mercy he has given us new birth into a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead, 4 and into an inheritance that can never perish, spoil or fade. This inheritance is kept in heaven for you, 5 who through faith are shielded by God's power until the coming of the salvation that is ready to be revealed in the last time. 6 In all this you greatly rejoice, though now for a little while you may have had to suffer grief in all kinds of trials. 7 These have come so that the proven genuineness of your faith—of greater worth than gold, which perishes even though refined by fire—may result in praise, glory and honor when Jesus Christ is revealed. 8 Though you have not seen him, you love him; and even though you do not see him now, you believe in him and are filled with an inexpressible and glorious joy, 9 for you are receiving the end result of your faith, the salvation of your souls.