Verse of the Day 4/5

Through the Bible - Judges 18-19, Luke 11:1-36

 

Good morning,

One of the things that the world desparately needs is peace.  We yearn for peace when battling illness, in strained relationships, in finances, and just about every area of our lives.  It is something that can only truly be found in a right relationship in Jesus and through what He accomplished on the cross.

For today's verse we'll go to Luke chapter 10 which was the reading over the weekend in the read through the Bible plan above.  Jesus is sending out His followers with the gospel of peace.  It is the first thing that should come out of their mouths.  How much can we learn from this?

Luke 10: 5 Whatever house you enter, first say, Peace be to this household! [Freedom from all the distresses that result from sin be with this family].

    ⁶And if anyone [worthy] of peace and blessedness is there, the peace and blessedness you wish shall come upon him; but if not, it shall come back to you.  - Amplified Bible

 In a commentary on this passage Henry Wansbrough writes, "The first words of the missioners are to be "Peace to this house", and they are to bring peace to those who will receive it.  This is more than the conventional Jewish greeting (still used today) of Shalom.  Luke sees the gospel importantly as "the good news of peace", as Peter announces to Cornelius and his household in Acts.  Right from the beginning of the gospel the angels at the nativity sing "On earth peace' and Zacharias canticle starts "Now, Master, you are letting your servant go in peace" when he received the child Jesus.  The sinful woman who weeps on Jesus' feet is told to go in peace with her sins forgiven.  The Gospel of John will give this concept an even greater depth, for the peace of Christ is part of the indwelling of Christ in His followers: "My peace I bequeath to you, my peace I give you".  Peace is the final blessing of Jesus in the discourses at the Last Supper, and again His greeting to them in the upper room after the resurrection.  In a world of unrest, turbulence, malice and agression, the Christian gift of peace is beyond value.  So each of Paul's letters begins with the greeting of peace and many of them end in it too.  Peace must be founded on respect for others and their needs, avoiding the temptation to domineer or insist on one's own interest."

 

If we are trying to reach others for Christ, are words of peace the first words out of our mouths and hearts?  You don't have to look for in the news today to see that this is not the case.

 

How is this possible?  It is not of or from ourselves, it comes from a heart fixed on Christ and what He accomplished.  Only He can give us the "peace that passes understanding" (Philippians 4:7).

 

Isa 26:3 You will keep in perfect peace
all who trust in you,
all whose thoughts are fixed on you!  NLT

Blessings,
Mike

mikevw@bellsouth.net
mikesvotd.blogspot.com

Luke 10:1-10

The Seventy Sent Out

10 After these things the Lord appointed seventy others also, and sent them two by two before His face into every city and place where He Himself was about to go. 2 Then He said to them, "The harvest truly is great, but the laborers are few; therefore pray the Lord of the harvest to send out laborers into His harvest.  3 Go your way; behold, I send you out as lambs among wolves.  4 Carry neither money bag, knapsack, nor sandals; and greet no one along the road.  5 But whatever house you enter, first say, 'Peace to this house.'  6 And if a son of peace is there, your peace will rest on it; if not, it will return to you.  7 And remain in the same house, eating and drinking such things as they give, for the laborer is worthy of his wages. Do not go from house to house.  8 Whatever city you enter, and they receive you, eat such things as are set before you.  9 And heal the sick there, and say to them,'The kingdom of God has come near to you.'
NKJV

Verse of the Day - weekend 4/3

Through the Bible - Judges 13-17, Luke 10

 

Good morning,

Yesterday I referenced Luke about taking up our cross daily to follow Him.

Many of you over that past couple of days in reading or at a service followed Christ on His path to the cross.  Tomorrow we will be celebrating what He accomplished.

One of the first songs sung Thursday night at St. Marks was in Christ alone.  Here is the last stanza.

 

No guilt in life, no fear in death,
This is the power of Christ in me;
From life's first cry to final breath.
Jesus commands my destiny.
No power of hell, no scheme of man,
Can ever pluck me from His hand;
Till He returns or calls me home,
Here in the power of Christ I'll stand.

It's in the power of Christ that we'll stand.

 

The verses that  we were given to consider in preparation for communion were from Psalm 51, written by a repentant David.  You may not consider it in relation to good Friday or preparation for Easter, but verse 7 brings things together.

Ps 51:7 Cleanse me with hyssop, and I will be clean; wash me, and I will be whiter than snow.   NIV

Hyssop was the plant used to apply the blood to the doorframes of the Israelites homes in the actual event of the Passover.  David is asking for ceremonial cleansing of his heart.

 

The hyssop plant was also used to offer Jesus the sour wine on the cross.  After He took it He said "it is finished".  He had accomplished what He had been sent to do, the sacrifice was complete.

John 19:29 A jar of sour wine was sitting there, so they soaked a sponge in it, put it on a hyssop branch, and held it up to his lips. 30 When Jesus had tasted it, he said, "It is finished!" Then he bowed his head and released his spirit.  NLT
For today's verse we'll go to the same passage in Psalm 51 where David asks for a clean heart.

 

Psalm 51:10 Create in me a clean heart, O God, and renew a right, persevering, and steadfast spirit within me.  Amplified Bible

 

The words from the Amplified Bible brought it together for me.  The desire for a persevering and steadfast spirit.  If we are to take up our cross daily to follow Him through life's struggles and triumphs it will require the steadfast spirit of Christ.

Towards the end of the service we sang "Amazing Love", here are some of the lyrics.

 

I'm forgiven because You were forsaken,
I'm accepted, You were condemned.
I am alive and well, Your spirit is within me,
Because You died and rose again.

Amazing love,
How can it be
That You, my King, should die for me?
Amazing love,
I know it's true.
It's my joy to honor You,
In all I do, I honor You.

May the desire our hearts be that of David in Psalm 51 of a "persevering spirit" along with the final words to Amazing Love, may it be our joy to honor Him in all we do.

 

In Christ,
Mike
mikevw@bellsouth.net
http://mikesvotd.blogspot.com
Eph 1:7 In him we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of sins, in accordance with the riches of God's grace  NIV
Ps 51:7-13

 

7 Cleanse me with hyssop, and I will be clean;
wash me, and I will be whiter than snow.
8 Let me hear joy and gladness;
let the bones you have crushed rejoice.
9 Hide your face from my sins
and blot out all my iniquity.

 

10 Create in me a pure heart, O God,
and renew a steadfast spirit within me.
11 Do not cast me from your presence
or take your Holy Spirit from me.
12 Restore to me the joy of your salvation
and grant me a willing spirit, to sustain me.   NIV

Verse of the Day 4/2

Through the Bible - Judges 11-12, Luke 9:28-62

 

Good morning,

If you've been following the read through the Bible plan above, you read the following verse yesterday.  It was very fitting leading up to a Maundy Thursday or Good Friday service.

Luke 9:23 Then He said to them all, "If anyone desires to come after Me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross daily, and follow Me.  NKJV

 

Whether you went to a service last night or you'll go this evening you will be reminded of Jesus journey to the cross and the things that he suffered for you and me.  You may be overwhelmed by emotions of guilt but also of deliverance.

Some will read that verse and think that it means that they must pick up the burdens of their lives and carry them dutifully.  But in Jesus' day when someone was seen carrying a cross they were looked upon as a walking dead man.  For Christians, taking up the cross is signifying to the world that we are dead to the world and alive with and for Christ.

 

For today's verse we'll go to 1 Peter 2.  Keep in mind that the author, Peter, had been an eye witness to the events.  Think also of his failures, his denials, and also of the change, the power that he received after the resurrection.

How should we react when we realize, when remember what Christ has done, what He accomplished for us on the cross?

 

1 Peter 4:1  Therefore, since Christ suffered for us in the flesh, arm yourselves also with the same mind, for he who has suffered in the flesh has ceased from sin, 2 that he no longer should live the rest of his time in the flesh for the lusts of men, but for the will of God.   NKJV
or from the Amplified Bible

 ¹SO, SINCE Christ suffered in the flesh for us, for you, arm yourselves with the same thought and purpose [patiently to suffer rather than fail to please God]. For whoever has suffered in the flesh [having the mind of Christ] is done with [intentional] sin [has stopped pleasing himself and the world, and pleases God], 

 ²So that he can no longer spend the rest of his natural life living by [his] human appetites and desires, but [he lives] for what God wills.

 

R. C. Sproul writes, "God has met us face to face in Jesus, and we can be assured that He will never leave the temple that He is building in His Son with us as living stones (1 Peter 2:1-11).  Let us not take this truth for granted but draw near to Him in repentance and faith, asking Him to empower us for service.  As we meet with others for worship, let us urge them to do the same that we might be a part of the holy temple that God is making His church to be."

 

1 Peter 4: 8 Most important of all, continue to show deep love for each other, for love covers a multitude of sins. 9 Cheerfully share your home with those who need a meal or a place to stay.

10 God has given each of you a gift from his great variety of spiritual gifts. Use them well to serve one another.   NLT

In Christ,
Mike
mikevw@bellsouth.net
http://mikesvotd.blogspot.com

 

Learn to Think Like Him

 

4 Since Jesus went through everything you're going through and more, learn to think like him. Think of your sufferings as a weaning from that old sinful habit of always expecting to get your own way. Then you'll be able to live out your days free to pursue what God wants instead of being tyrannized by what you want.

 

You've already put in your time in that God-ignorant way of life, partying night after night, a drunken and profligate life. Now it's time to be done with it for good. Of course, your old friends don't understand why you don't join in with the old gang anymore. But you don't have to give an account to them. They're the ones who will be called on the carpet — and before God himself.

 

Listen to the Message. It was preached to those believers who are now dead, and yet even though they died (just as all people must), they will still get in on the life that God has given in Jesus.

 

Everything in the world is about to be wrapped up, so take nothing for granted. Stay wide-awake in prayer. Most of all, love each other as if your life depended on it. Love makes up for practically anything. Be quick to give a meal to the hungry, a bed to the homeless — cheerfully. Be generous with the different things God gave you, passing them around so all get in on it: if words, let it be God's words; if help, let it be God's hearty help. That way, God's bright presence will be evident in everything through Jesus, and he'll get all the credit as the One mighty in everything — encores to the end of time. Oh, yes!
(from THE MESSAGE)

Verse of the Day 4/1

Through the Bible - Judges 8-10, Luke 9:1-27

 

Good morning,

For today's verse we'll go to Mark 14 where we find Jesus on trial, being questioned by the High Priest.  Up to this point several had given false testimony against Him and asked Him questions about His actions and previous statements like "I will destroy the temple and rebuild it in three days".  Jesus breaks the silence when asked the following question point blank.

 

Mark 14:61 But He kept still and did not answer at all. Again the high priest asked Him, Are You the Christ (the Messiah, the Anointed One), the Son of the Blessed? 

 ⁶²And Jesus said, I AM; and you will [all] see the Son of Man seated at the right hand of Power (the Almighty) and coming on the clouds of heaven.  Amplified Bible

 

When confronted by Jesus' response the High Priest had two choices, to accept what Jesus said or reject it.  The high priests reaction were pure "theatre", he tore his garments in disgust, rejecting the One that he should have been looking for, the only one that could bring him into a right relationship with God.  He not only took a pass on what Jesus had to offer and joined others in condemning Him.

John Calvin gives us and idea of what it was the high priest was passing up.  Every one that still rejects Him passes up these same things.

"Every good thing we could think or desire is to be found in this same Jesus Christ alone. For he was sold, to buy us back; captive, to deliver us; condemned, to absolve us. He was made a curse for our blessing, sin offering for our righteousness; marred that we may be made fair.

He died for our life; so that by him fury is made gentle, wrath appeased, darkness turned into light, fear reassured, despisal despised, debt canceled, labor lightened, sadness made merry, misfortune made fortunate, difficulty easy, disorder ordered, division united, ignominy ennobled, rebellion subjected, intimidation intimidated, ambush uncovered, assaults assailed, force forced back, combat combated, war warred against, vengeance avenged, torment tormented, damnation damned, the abyss sunk into the abyss, hell transfixed, death dead, mortality made immortal."

We all have to make the choice to accept or reject His Words.  But we will all, like the high priest, see Him when He returns "coming on the clouds of heaven".  It will be a day of celebration and of judgment based on what you do with His Words.

 

In Christ,
Mike
mikevw@bellsouth.net
http://mikesvotd.blogspot.com
Eph 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 14:53-66

 

Jesus Faces the Sanhedrin
(Matt 26:57-68; Luke 22:66-71; John 18:12-14,19-24)

 

53 And they led Jesus away to the high priest; and with him were assembled all the chief priests, the elders, and the scribes. 54 But Peter followed Him at a distance, right into the courtyard of the high priest. And he sat with the servants and warmed himself at the fire.

 

55 Now the chief priests and all the council sought testimony against Jesus to put Him to death, but found none. 56 For many bore false witness against Him, but their testimonies did not agree.

 

57 Then some rose up and bore false witness against Him, saying, 58 "We heard Him say,'I will destroy this temple made with hands, and within three days I will build another made without hands.'" 59 But not even then did their testimony agree.

 

60 And the high priest stood up in the midst and asked Jesus, saying, "Do You answer nothing? What is it these men testify against You?" 61 But He kept silent and answered nothing.

 

Again the high priest asked Him, saying to Him, "Are You the Christ, the Son of the Blessed?"

 

62 Jesus said, "I am. And you will see the Son of Man sitting at the right hand of the Power, and coming with the clouds of heaven."

 

63 Then the high priest tore his clothes and said, "What further need do we have of witnesses? 64 You have heard the blasphemy! What do you think?"

 

And they all condemned Him to be deserving of death.

 

65 Then some began to spit on Him, and to blindfold Him, and to beat Him, and to say to Him, "Prophesy!" And the officers struck Him with the palms of their hands.    NKJV

Verse of the Day 3/31

Through the Bible - Judges 6-7, Luke 8:40-56

 

Good morning,

Today's verse comes from yesterday's New Testament reading.

 

Luke 8:16 "No one lights a lamp and then covers it with a bowl or hides it under a bed. A lamp is placed on a stand, where its light can be seen by all who enter the house. NLT
or from The Message:

Luke 8:16-17  "No one lights a lamp and then covers it with a washtub or shoves it under the bed. No, you set it up on a lamp stand so those who enter the room can see their way. We're not keeping secrets; we're telling them. We're not hiding things; we're bringing everything out into the open.
(from THE MESSAGE)

The verse reminded me of "Shine" by the Newsboys.  It was and still is one of my son Jeff's favorite songs.  The thought of the song brought back a flood of memories.  As we were preparing to move to North Carolina we went to our church for what would be our last service there.  We were surprised to hear the song being played in the sanctuary prior to the service.  (It's not the type of song typically played in preparing hearts for worship but maybe it should be).  Jeff's youth leader had arranged for it to be played.  It brought tears to my eyes then and now for different reasons.

Hear is the main chorus:

shine
make ´em wonder what you´ve got
make ´em wish that they were not
on the outside looking bored
shine
let it shine before all men
let´em see good works, and then
let ´em glorify the Lord

Jeff has made much progress since that time, in fact you might say that "he shines".  One of the major things is that the love of the Lord, the love of live, the love for others "shines through" him.  He just about comes out of his wheelchair when he sees Pastor Bob and other friends and family members when he sees them.  I believe that the "joy of the Lord is his strength".  It is the power of Christ shining through him.

 

Do you let your light shine or hide it under a bushel (or a frown)?  Read the words of the song again, may we be able to make others "wonder what we've got, make em wish that  they were not, on the outside looking bored."  The heading for the passage in the Message is "Misers of What You Hear".  Don't be a miser, let his light shine.  It won't burn out.

 

Matt 5:16 In the same way, let your light shine before men, that they may see your good deeds and praise your Father in heaven.   NIV

Blessings,
Mike

mikevw@bellsouth.net
mikesvotd.blogspot.com

 

Luke 8:16-19

Misers of What You Hear

"No one lights a lamp and then covers it with a washtub or shoves it under the bed. No, you set it up on a lamp stand so those who enter the room can see their way. We're not keeping secrets; we're telling them. We're not hiding things; we're bringing everything out into the open. So be careful that you don't become misers of what you hear. Generosity begets generosity. Stinginess impoverishes."   (from THE MESSAGE)

Verse of the Day 3/30

Through the Bible - Judges 4-5, Luke 8:4-39

 

Good morning,

Yesterday's "Daily Bread" devotional (www.rbc.org) was in Psalm 105.  In reading that Psalm there was a correlation with yesterday's verse.  We'll go there for today's verse but focus on a different ones than the "Daily Bread" did.

 

Psalm 105:3 Glory in His holy name; let the hearts of those rejoice who seek and require the Lord [as their indispensable necessity].  

⁴Seek, inquire of and for the Lord, and crave Him and His strength (His might and inflexibility to temptation); seek and require His face and His presence [continually] evermore.  Amplified Bible

 

I am not sure who the writer of this psalm was but I'm sure that David could have related to it.  He knew what it was like to be on the receiving end of barbs (and literally as Saul hurling a spear at him). insults, slander, and gossip from a number of sources (including wives and sons)  and to face persecution from those who feared his success and what it might mean to them.

 

David was able to overcome them because he trusted in the Lord as the Amplifiied version here describes as his "indespensible necessity".  Stop and think about that for a minute.  How would you describe how important the Lord and His Word are to you in your life?  Are they indispensible to you?  I pray that they would be.

 

Verse 4 says "seek, inquire of and for the Lord.  It is not just for ourselves, it is for His glory.  It is about the gathering that Jesus was talking about yesterday.  If we seek Him, inquire of Him, crave Him and His strenght we will be able to withstand the temptation to use words and actions that would hurt others and destroy our witness and be involved in gathering instead. 

 

May we all "seek His face" and presence "continually" evermore.

 

May this be our prayer today.   Ps 19:14 Let the words of my mouth and the meditation of my heart, Be acceptable in Your sight, O Lord, my strength and my Redeemer.   NKJV

In Christ,
Mike
mikevw@bellsouth.net
http://mikesvotd.blogspot.com
Eph 1:7 In him we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of sins, in accordance with the riches of God's grace  NIV
Ps 105:1-8

 

105 Give thanks to the Lord, call on his name;
make known among the nations what he has done.
2 Sing to him, sing praise to him;
tell of all his wonderful acts.
3 Glory in his holy name;
let the hearts of those who seek the Lord rejoice.
4 Look to the Lord and his strength;
seek his face always.

 

5 Remember the wonders he has done,
his miracles, and the judgments he pronounced,
6 O descendants of Abraham his servant,
O sons of Jacob, his chosen ones.
7 He is the Lord our God;
his judgments are in all the earth.    NIV

Verse of the Day 3/29

Through the Bible - Judges 1-3, Luke 7:36-8:3

 

Good morning,

When I was a boy I spent a lot of time with my father and grandfather fishing and became quite proficient at it at an early age.  (It's not one of those "big fish" stories I have the pictures to prove it).  I'm thankful for those times and the lessons learned.  One of the first lessons in fishing is that boys that are fishing don't throw rocks while fishing, you'll scare, scatter the fish.

 

That thought came to mind as I read today's verse from Matthew 12.

Matt 12:30 "He who is not with me is against me, and he who does not gather with me scatters.   NIV

 

It's a fairly simple verse but it is another which can be convicting if we take some time to think about it.  Jesus called us to be fishers of men.  All too often our hurtful words and actions towards others may be seen and heard by those that know that we are professed Christians.  What is the result of course jokes, gossip, and words of judgment and condemnation that come from out mouths?  We are throwing stones, scarring the "fish" when we should be fishing.

John MacArthur writes, "Jesus made clear to His supposedly sophisticated but rebellious critics that a relationship with Him includes no neutral ground.  "He who does not gather with me scatters."  It is not necessary to overly oppose or actively interfere with the Lord's ministry to be His enemy.  Even the most passive believer is the rebellious enemy of God."

 

What do you think of MacArthur's statement that "even the most passive believer is the rebellious enemy of God"?  Aside from speaking or doing the wrong things, being passive, doing nothing in situations that call for action can have the same impact.

 

I think Paul was trying to communicate the same idea when he wrote these words.

 

Eph 4:1  I, therefore, the prisoner of the Lord, beseech you to walk worthy of the calling with which you were called, 2 with all lowliness and gentleness, with longsuffering, bearing with one another in love, 3 endeavoring to keep the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace.  NKJV

Read the verse below and the passage that immediately follow about our spoken words.  May we pay more attention to the things that we say, remembering our calling.

In Christ,
Mike
mikevw@bellsouth.net
http://mikesvotd.blogspot.com
Eph 1:7 In him we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of sins, in accordance with the riches of God's grace  NIV

Matt 12:30-38

 

"This is war, and there is no neutral ground. If you're not on my side, you're the enemy; if you're not helping, you're making things worse.

 

"There's nothing done or said that can't be forgiven. But if you deliberately persist in your slanders against God's Spirit, you are repudiating the very One who forgives. If you reject the Son of Man out of some misunderstanding, the Holy Spirit can forgive you, but when you reject the Holy Spirit, you're sawing off the branch on which you're sitting, severing by your own perversity all connection with the One who forgives.

 

"If you grow a healthy tree, you'll pick healthy fruit. If you grow a diseased tree, you'll pick worm-eaten fruit. The fruit tells you about the tree.

 

"You have minds like a snake pit! How do you suppose what you say is worth anything when you are so foul-minded? It's your heart, not the dictionary, that gives meaning to your words. A good person produces good deeds and words season after season. An evil person is a blight on the orchard. Let me tell you something: Every one of these careless words is going to come back to haunt you. There will be a time of Reckoning. Words are powerful; take them seriously. Words can be your salvation. Words can also be your damnation."     (from THE MESSAGE.)