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Friday, 17 May 2013
Peter, an apostle of Jesus Christ, To God's elect, exiles scattered throughout the provinces of Pontus, Galatia, Cappadocia, Asia and Bithynia, who have been chosen according to the foreknowledge of God the Father, through the sanctifying work of the Spirit, to be obedient to Jesus Christ and sprinkled with his blood: Grace and peace be yours in abundance. -- 1 Peter 1:1-2 tniv
Wednesday, 15 May 2013
But I am trusting you, O Lord, saying, "You are my God!" ~ Psalm 31:14, NLT
Sunday, 12 May 2013
"Now faith is the assurance of things hoped for, the conviction of things not seen. Indeed, by faith our ancestors received approval. By faith we understand that the worlds were prepared by the word of God, so that what is seen was made from things that are not visible." - Hebrews 11:1-3, NRSV
Thursday, 09 May 2013
Peter said, "Lord, did you tell this story for us or for all people?" The Lord said, "Who is the wise and trusted servant? The master trusts one servant to give the other servants their food at the right time. Who is the servant that the master trusts to do that work? When the master comes and finds that servant doing the work he gave him, that servant will be very happy. I tell you the truth. The master will choose that servant to take care of everything the master owns. But what will happen if that servant is evil and thinks that his master will not come back soon? That servant will begin to beat the other servants, men and women. He will eat and drink and get drunk. Then the master of that servant will come when that servant is not ready. It will be a time when that servant is not expecting the master. Then the master will punish that servant. The master will send him away to be with the other people that don't obey. That servant knew what his master wanted him to do. But that servant did not make himself ready or try to do what his master wanted. So that servant will be punished very much! But what about the servant that does not know what his master wants? The servant does things that deserve punishment. But he will get less punishment than the servant that knew what he should do. Any person that has been given much will be responsible for much. Much more will be expected from the person that has been given more." -- Luke 12:41-48 (ERV)
Tuesday, 07 May 2013
"For just as the body without the spirit is dead, so faith without works is also dead." - James 2:26, NRSV
Sunday, 05 May 2013
"Be ready! Be fully dressed and have your lights shining. Be like servants that are waiting for their master to come home from a wedding party. The master comes and knocks. The servants open the door for the master. Those servants will be blessed when their master comes home, because he sees that his servants are ready and waiting for him. I tell you the truth. The master will dress himself for work and tell the servants to sit at the table. Then the master will serve them. Those servants might have to wait until midnight or later for their master. But they will be happy when their master comes in and finds them still waiting. Remember this: If the owner of the house knew what time a thief was coming, then the owner would not allow the thief to enter his house. So you also must be ready! The Son of Man will come at a time when you don't expect him!" ~ Jesus, Luke 12:35-40 (ERV)
Saturday, 04 May 2013
God's redemptive revelation in Scripture is necessary to saving faith and peace with God. Faith in a risen Savior is necessary if the vague stirrings toward immortality are to bring us to restful and satisfying communion with God. -- A. W. Tozer
Friday, 03 May 2013
"Sell the things you have and give that money to people that need it. The riches of this world don't continue. So get the kind of riches that continue. Get the treasure of heaven. That treasure continues forever. Thieves can't steal your treasure in heaven, and moths can't destroy it. Your heart will be where your treasure is." ~ Jesus, Luke 12:33-34 (ERV)
Thursday, 02 May 2013
"Look at the wild flowers. See how they grow. They don't work or make clothes for themselves. But I tell you that even Solomon, the great and rich king, was not dressed as beautifully as one of these flowers. God clothes the grass in the field like that. That grass is living today, but tomorrow it will be thrown into the fire to be burned. So you know that God will clothe you much more. Don't have so little faith! So don't always think about what you will eat or what you will drink. Don't worry about it. All the people that don't know God try to get those things. Your Father (God) knows that you need those things. The thing you should want is God's kingdom. Then all these other things you need will be given to you. Don't fear, little flock (group). Your Father (God) wants to give you the kingdom." ~ Jesus, Luke 12:27-32 (ERV)
Wednesday, 01 May 2013
One of the men in the crowd said to Jesus, "Teacher, {our father just died}. Tell my brother to share with me the things our father owned." But Jesus said to him, "Who said that I should be your judge or decide how to divide your father's things between you two?" Then Jesus said to them. "Be careful and guard against all kinds of greed. A person does not get life from the many things he owns." -- Luke 12:13-15 (ERV)
Tuesday, 30 April 2013
People were bringing little children to Jesus to have him touch them, but the disciples rebuked them. When Jesus saw this, he was indignant. He said to them, "Let the little children come to me, and do not hinder them, for the kingdom of God belongs to such as these." -- Mark 10:13-14
Monday, 29 April 2013
Jesus said to his followers, "So I tell you, don't worry
about the food you need to live. Don't worry about the
clothes you need for your body. Life is more important than
food. And the body is more important than clothes. Look at
the birds. They don't plant or harvest. Birds don't save food
in houses or barns. But God takes care of them. And you are
worth much more than birds. None of you can add any time to
your life by worrying about it. If you cannot do the little
things, then why worry about the big things?" -- Luke 12:22-26 (ERV)
Sunday, 28 April 2013
"I tell you, if any person stands before other people and is willing to say that he believes in me, then I will say that person belongs to me. I will say this before the angels of God. But if any person stands before people and says he does not believe in me, then I will say that person does not belong to me. I will say this before the angels of God." ~ Jesus, Luke 12:8-9 (ERV)
Saturday, 27 April 2013
"I therefore, the prisoner in the Lord, beg you to lead a life worthy of the calling to which you have been called, with all humility and gentleness, with patience, bearing with one another in love, making every effort to maintain the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace." - Ephesians 4:1-3 NRSV
Wednesday, 24 April 2013
"When birds are sold, five small birds cost only two pennies. But God does not forget any of them. Yes, God even knows how many hairs you have on your head. Don't be afraid. You are worth much more than many birds." ~ Jesus, Luke 12:6-7 (ERV)
Monday, 22 April 2013
"Enter through the narrow gate; for the gate is wide and the road is easy that leads to destruction, and there are many who take it. For the gate is narrow and the road is hard that leads to life, and there are few who find it." ~ Jesus, Matthew 7:13-14 NRSV
Wednesday, 17 April 2013
"But it will be bad for you Pharisees! You give God one-tenth of {everything you own}--even your mint, your rue, and every other little plant in your garden. But you forget to be fair to other people and to love God. These are the things you should do. And you should also continue to do those other things--{like giving one-tenth}." ~ Jesus, Luke 11:42 (ERV)
Tuesday, 16 April 2013
Lift up your eyes to the heavens, look at the earth beneath; the heavens will vanish like smoke, the earth will wear out like a garment and its inhabitants die like flies. But my salvation will last forever, my righteousness will never fail. ~ Isaiah. 51:6, NIV
Saturday, 13 April 2013
Be self-controlled and alert. Your enemy the devil prowls around like a roaring lion looking for someone to devour. 1 Peter 5:8, NIV
Friday, 12 April 2013
No, O people, the Lord has told you what is good, and this is what he requires of you: to do what is right, to love mercy, and to walk humbly with your God. ~ Micah 6:8, NLT
Tuesday, 02 April 2013
"No person takes a light and puts it under a bowl or hides it. Instead, a person puts the light on a lamp table so that the people that come in can see. Your eye is a light for the body. If your eyes are good, then your whole body will be full of light. But if your eyes are bad, then your whole body will be full of darkness (sin). So be careful! Don't let the light in you become dark. If your whole body is full of light, and none of it is dark, then it will be all bright. It will be like you have the light of a lamp shining on you."
Jesus, Luke 11:33-36 (ERV)
Thursday, 28 March 2013
"Be careful of false prophets. They come to you and look {gentle} like sheep. But they are really dangerous {like} wolves. You will know these people because of the things they do. Good things don't come from bad people, the same as grapes don't come from thorn bushes. And figs don't come from thorny weeds. In the same way, every good tree makes good fruit. And bad trees make bad fruit. A good tree cannot make bad fruit. And a bad tree cannot make good fruit. Every tree that does not make good fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire. You will know these false people by the fruit they make (things they do)." — Matthew 7:15-20 (ERV)
Monday, 18 February 2013
Jesus said to them, "There are many, many people to harvest (save). But there are only a few workers to help harvest them. God owns the harvest (people). Pray to God that he will send more workers to help gather his harvest." -- Luke 10:2 (ERV)
Saturday, 16 February 2013
Another man said, "I will follow you, Lord, but first let me go and say good-bye to my family." Jesus said, "If any person begins to plow a field, but looks back, he is not prepared for the kingdom of God." -- Luke 9:61-62 (ERV)
How does this Scripture speak to us in our day?
What are your thoughts on Kingdom commitment?
Please comment below and share.
Friday, 15 February 2013
"Thus says the Lord of hosts: Render true judgements, show kindness and mercy to one another; do not oppress the widow, the orphan, the alien, or the poor; and do not devise evil in your hearts against one another." - Zechariah 7:9-10
What are your thoughts on this Scripture? How is it relevant to us? In what ways can we obey it in our day?
Please leave your comment below.
Tuesday, 12 February 2013
Jesus knew what they were thinking. So Jesus took a little child and stood the child beside him. Then Jesus said to the followers, "If a person accepts a little child like this in my name, then that person accepts me. And when a person accepts me, that person accepts the One (God) that sent me. The person among you that is the most humble--that person is a great (important) person."
-- Luke 9:47-48 (ERV)
Friday, 25 January 2013
It is not that we keep His commandments first, and that then He loves; but that He loves us, and then we keep His commandments. This is that grace, which is revealed to the humble, but hidden from the proud.
-- St. Augustine of Hippo
Wednesday, 23 January 2013
And Peter said to them, "Repent and be baptized every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins, and you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit. For the promise is for you and for your children and for all who are far off, everyone whom the Lord our God calls to himself." -- Acts 2:38-39 esv
Saturday, 19 January 2013
Then the devil took Jesus and showed him all the kingdoms of the world in a moment of time. The devil said to Jesus, "I will make you king over all these places. You will have power over them and will get all the glory. It has all been given to me. I can give it to any person I want. I will give it all to you, if you will only worship me." Jesus answered, "It is written {in the Scriptures }: 'You must worship the Lord your God. Serve only him!'" -- Luke 4:5-8 (ERV)
Monday, 14 January 2013
"And God said, 'Let the earth bring forth living creatures of every kind: cattle and creeping things and wild animals of the earth of every kind.' And it was so. God made the wild animals of the earth of every kind, and the cattle of every kind, and everything that creeps upon the ground of every kind. And God saw that it was good." - Genesis 1:24-25, NRSV
Tuesday, 08 January 2013
The man that Jesus healed begged to go with Jesus. But Jesus sent the man away, saying, "Go back home and tell people what God did for you." So the man went all over town telling what Jesus had done for him. -- Luke 8:38-39 (ERV)
Wednesday, 19 December 2012
Jesus' mother and brothers came to visit him. There were so many people that Jesus' mother and brothers could not get close to him. Someone said to Jesus, "Your mother and your brothers are standing outside. They want to see you." Jesus answered them, "My mother and my brothers are those people that listen to God's teaching and obey it!" -- Luke 8:19-21 (ERV)
Wednesday, 12 December 2012
The next day, Jesus traveled through some cities and small towns. Jesus told the people a message from God, the Good News about God's kingdom. The twelve apostles were with him. There were also some women with him. Jesus had healed these women of sicknesses and evil spirits {from the devil}. One of the women was named Mary Magdalene. Seven demons had come out of her. Also with these women were: Joanna, the wife of Chuza (Herod's helper), Suzanna, and many other women. These women used their own money to help Jesus and his apostles. -- Luke 8:1-3 (ERV)
Tuesday, 11 December 2012
Then Jesus turned to the woman and said to Simon, "Do you see this woman? When I came into your house, you gave me no water for my feet. But she washed my feet with her tears and dried my feet with her hair. You did not greet me with a kiss, but she has been kissing my feet since I came in! You did not honor me with oil for my head, but she rubbed my feet with her sweet-smelling oil. I tell you that her many sins are forgiven. This is clear, because she showed great love. But the person that feels only a little need to be forgiven will feel only a little love when he is forgiven." -- Luke 7:44-47 (ERV)
Monday, 10 December 2012
"The Spirit of the LORD is upon me, for he has anointed me to bring Good News to the poor. He has sent me to proclaim that captives will be released, that the blind will see, that the oppressed will be set free, and that the time of the LORD's favor has come" (Luke 4:18-19 nlt).
Thursday, 06 December 2012
For while we were still weak, at the right time Christ died for the ungodly. For one will scarcely die for a righteous person--though perhaps for a good person one would dare even to die-- but God shows his love for us in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us. Since, therefore, we have now been justified by his blood, much more shall we be saved by him from the wrath of God. For if while we were enemies we were reconciled to God by the death of his Son, much more, now that we are reconciled, shall we be saved by his life. More than that, we also rejoice in God through our Lord Jesus Christ, through whom we have now received reconciliation.
(Romans 5:6-11 ESV)
Wednesday, 05 December 2012
Therefore, since we have been justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ. Through him we have also obtained access by faith into this grace in which we stand, and we rejoice in hope of the glory of God. More than that, we rejoice in our sufferings, knowing that suffering produces endurance, and endurance produces character, and character produces hope, and hope does not put us to shame, because God's love has been poured into our hearts through the Holy Spirit who has been given to us.
(Romans 5:1-5 ESV)
Tuesday, 20 November 2012
Just as at sea those who are carried away from the direction of the harbor bring themselves back on course by a clear sign, so Scripture may guide those adrift on the sea of life back into the harbor of the divine will.
-- St. Gregory of Nyssa
Thursday, 15 November 2012
"A good tree does not give bad fruit. Also, a bad tree does not give good fruit. Each tree is known by the fruit it gives. People don't gather figs from thorny weeds. And they don't get grapes from bushes! A good person has good things saved in his heart. And so he brings good things out of his heart. But an evil person has evil things saved in his heart. So he brings out bad things. A person speaks the things that are in his heart."
-- Luke 6:43-45 (ERV)
Wednesday, 31 October 2012
And I will give them singleness of heart and put a new Spirit within them. I will take away their stony, stubborn heart and give them a tender, responsive heart, so they will obey my decrees and regulations. Then they will truly be my people, and I will be their God.
-- Ezekiel 11:18-19 nlt
Saturday, 27 October 2012
For we know that the whole creation has been groaning together in the pains of childbirth until now. And not only the creation, but we ourselves, who have the firstfruits of the Spirit, groan inwardly as we wait eagerly for adoption as sons, the redemption of our bodies.
-- Romans 8:22-23 esv
Thursday, 18 October 2012
"But [Jesus] said to them, 'The kings of the Gentiles lord it over them; and those in authority over them are called benefactors. But not so with you; rather the greatest among you must become like the youngest, and the leader like one who serves.'"
- Luke 22:25-26, NRSV
Wednesday, 10 October 2012
"I'm telling you to love your enemies and do good to them. Lend to people without expecting to get anything back. If you do these things, you will have a great reward. You will be children of the Most High (God). Yes, because God is good even to the people that are full of sin and not thankful."
-- Luke 6:35 (ERV)
Friday, 28 September 2012
"[Jesus] looked up and saw rich people putting their gifts into the treasury; he also saw a poor widow put in two small copper coins. He said, 'Truly I tell you, this poor widow has put in more than all of them; for all of them have contributed out of their abundance, but she out of her poverty has put in all she had to live on.'"
- Luke 21:1-4, NRSV
Wednesday, 26 September 2012
The law of Moses was unable to save us because of the weakness of our sinful nature. So God did what the law could not do. He sent his own Son in a body like the bodies we sinners have. And in that body God declared an end to sin's control over us by giving his Son as a sacrifice for our sins. He did this so that the just requirement of the law would be fully satisfied for us, who no longer follow our sinful nature but instead follow the Spirit.
-- Romans 8:3-4 nlt
Sunday, 23 September 2012
When you reap your harvest in your field and forget a sheaf in the field, you shall not go back to get it; it shall be left for the alien, the orphan, and the widow, so that the Lord your God may bless you in all your undertakings.
- Deuteronomy 24:19, NRSV
Friday, 21 September 2012
And we have received God's Spirit (not the world's spirit), so we can know the wonderful things God has freely given us. When we tell you these things, we do not use words that come from human wisdom. Instead, we speak words given to us by the Spirit, using the Spirit's words to explain spiritual truths.
-- 1 Corinthians 2:12-13 nlt
Wednesday, 12 September 2012
"Is not this the fast that I choose: to loose the bonds of injustice, to undo the thongs of the yoke, to let the oppressed go free, and to break every yoke? Is it not to share your bread with the hungry, and bring the homeless poor into your house; when you see the naked, to cover them, and not to hide yourself from your own kin?"
- Isaiah 58:6-7, NRSV
Friday, 07 September 2012
"People will hate you because you belong to the Son of Man. They will make you leave their group. They will insult you. They will think it is wrong even to say your name. When these things happen, know that God will bless you. At that time you can be happy and jump for joy, because you have a great reward in heaven. Their fathers were mean to the prophets in the same way that these people are mean to you."
-- Luke 6:22-23 (ERV)
Friday, 31 August 2012
After this Jesus went out and saw a tax collector sitting at his place for collecting taxes. His name was Levi. Jesus said to him, "Follow me!" Levi got up, left everything, and followed Jesus. Then Levi gave a big dinner for Jesus. The dinner was at Levi's house. At the table there were many tax collectors and some other people too. But the Pharisees and those men that taught the law for the Pharisees began to complain to the followers of Jesus, "Why do you eat and drink with tax collectors and other bad people?" Jesus answered them, "Healthy people don't need a doctor. It is the sick people that need a doctor. I have not come to ask good people to change. I have come to ask bad people to change their hearts and lives!"
-- Luke 5:27-32 (ERV)
Tuesday, 28 August 2012
"There is a vanity that takes place on earth, that there are righteous people who are treated according to the conduct of the wicked, and there are wicked people who are treated according to the conduct of the righteous. I said that this also is vanity."
- Ecclesiastes 8:14, NRSV
Wednesday, 22 August 2012
When the sun went down, the people brought their sick friends to Jesus. They had many different kinds of sickness. Jesus put his hands on each sick person and healed them. Demons came out of many people. The demons shouted, "You are the Son of God." But Jesus gave a strong command for the demons not to speak, because they knew Jesus was the Christ.
-- Luke 4:40-41 (ERV)
Sunday, 19 August 2012
Peter replied, "Repent and be baptized, every one of you, in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins. And you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit. The promise is for you and your children and for all who are far off -- for all whom the Lord our God will call."
-- Acts 2:38-39 tniv
Saturday, 11 August 2012
While we live in these earthly bodies, we groan and sigh, but it's not that we want to die and get rid of these bodies that clothe us. Rather, we want to put on our new bodies so that these dying bodies will be swallowed up by life. God himself has prepared us for this, and as a guarantee he has given us his Holy Spirit.
-- 2 Corinthians 5:4-5 msg
Friday, 10 August 2012
The Jewish teachers of the law and the Pharisees thought to themselves, "Who is this man (Jesus)? He is saying things that are against God! Only God can forgive sins." But Jesus knew what they were thinking. He said, "Why do you have these questions in your minds? The Son of Man has power on earth to forgive sins. But how can I prove this to you? Maybe you are thinking it was easy for me to say, 'Your sins are forgiven.' {No one could see if it really happened.} But what if I say to the man, 'Stand up and walk'? Then you will be able to see that I really have this power." So Jesus said to the paralyzed man, "I tell you, stand up! Take your mat and go home!" Then the man stood up before the people there. He picked up his mat and walked home, praising God. All the people were fully amazed. They began to praise God. The people were filled with much respect {for God's power}. They said, "Today we saw amazing things!"
-- Luke 5:21-26 (ERV)
Wednesday, 08 August 2012
Whenever, though, they turn to face God as Moses did, God removes the veil and there they are -- face to face! They suddenly recognize that God is a living, personal presence, not a piece of chiseled stone. And when God is personally present, a living Spirit, that old, constricting legislation is recognized as obsolete. We’re free of it! All of us! Nothing between us and God, our faces shining with the brightness of his face. And so we are transfigured much like the Messiah, our lives gradually becoming brighter and more beautiful as God enters our lives and we become like him.
-- 2 Corinthians 3:16-18 msg
Thursday, 02 August 2012
But I am afraid that just as Eve was deceived by the serpent's cunning, your minds may somehow be led astray from your sincere and pure devotion to Christ. For if someone comes to you and preaches a Jesus other than the Jesus we preached, or if you receive a different spirit from the Spirit you received, or a different gospel from the one you accepted, you put up with it easily enough.
-- 2 Corinthians 11:3-4 tniv
Saturday, 21 July 2012
It is not that we think we are qualified to do anything on our own. Our qualification comes from God. He has enabled us to be ministers of his new covenant. This is a covenant not of written laws, but of the Spirit. The old written covenant ends in death; but under the new covenant, the Spirit gives life.
-- 2 Corinthians 3:5-6, NLT
Thursday, 19 July 2012
Remember how you were when you didn't know God, led from one phony god to another, never knowing what you were doing, just doing it because everybody else did it? It's different in this life. God wants us to use our intelligence, to seek to understand as well as we can. For instance, by using your heads, you know perfectly well that the Spirit of God would never prompt anyone to say "Jesus be damned!" Nor would anyone be inclined to say "Jesus is Master!" without the insight of the Holy Spirit.
-- 1 Corinthians 12:2-3 msg
Tuesday, 17 July 2012
For there is one body and one Spirit, just as you have been called to one glorious hope for the future. There is one Lord, one faith, one baptism, and one God and Father, who is over all and in all and living through all.
-- Ephesians 4:4-6 nlt
Thursday, 05 July 2012
"Get up and pray for help all through the night. Pour out your feelings to the Lord, as you would pour water out of a jug. Beg [the Lord] to save your people, who are starving to death at every street crossing."
- Lamentations 2:19, NRSV
Thursday, 17 May 2012
"When you give a luncheon or a dinner, do not invite your friends or your brothers or your relatives or rich neighbours, in case they may invite you in return, and you would be repaid. But when you give a banquet, invite the poor, the crippled, the lame, and the blind. And you will be blessed, because they cannot repay you, for you will be repaid at the resurrection of the righteous."
- Luke 14:12-14, NRSV
Monday, 23 April 2012
"Remember those who are in prison, as though you were in prison with them; those who are being tortured, as though you yourselves were being tortured."
- Hebrews 13:3, NRSV
Sunday, 25 March 2012
"The eye is the lamp of the body. So, if your eye is healthy, your whole body will be full of light; but if your eye is unhealthy, your whole body will be full of darkness. If then the light in you is darkness, how great is the darkness!"
- Matthew 6:22-23, NRSV
Tuesday, 14 February 2012
"As the [Lord] has loved me, so I have loved you; abide in my love. If you keep my commandments, you will abide in my love, just as I have kept my [Lord's] commandments and abide in [God's] love. I have said these things to you so that my joy may be in you, and that your joy may be complete."
~ Jesus, John 15:9-11, NRSV
Sunday, 15 January 2012
I tell you the truth. When you were young, you tied your own belt and went where you wanted. But when you are old, you will put out your hands and another person will tie you. That person will lead you where you don't want to go." (Jesus said this to show how Peter would die to give glory to God.) Then Jesus said to Peter, "Follow me!"
-- John 21:18-19 (ERV)
Monday, 09 January 2012
Jesus said, "Everyone who drinks this water will get thirsty again and again. Anyone who drinks the water I give will never thirst -- not ever. The water I give will be an artesian spring within, gushing fountains of endless life."
-- John 4:13-14 msg
Saturday, 07 January 2012
"Do not store up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust consume and where thieves break in and steal; but store up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust consumes and where thieves do not break in and steal. For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also."
- Matthew 6:19-21, NRSV
Thursday, 05 January 2012
The day was Sunday. That same evening the followers were together. The doors were locked, because they were afraid of the Jewish leaders. Then Jesus came and stood among them. Jesus said, "Peace be with you!" After Jesus said this, he showed the followers his hands and his side. The followers were very happy when they saw the Lord.
-- John 20:19-20 (ERV)
Tuesday, 03 January 2012
Jesus said to her, "Don't hold me. I have not yet gone back up to the Father. But go to my brothers (followers) and tell them this: 'I am going back to my Father and your Father. I am going back to my God and your God.'" Mary Magdalene went to the followers and told them, "I saw the Lord!" And she told them the things Jesus said to her.
-- John 20:17-18 (ERV)
Sunday, 01 January 2012
May God grant you and yours a prosperous NEW YEAR, filling it full of His love, grace, and peace.
"Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation. The old has passed away; behold, the new has come" (2 Corinthians 5:17 ESV).
Wednesday, 21 December 2011
The angel said to [Mary], "Do not be afraid, you have found favor with God. You will be with child and give birth to a son, and you are to give him the name Jesus. He will be great and will be called the Son of the Most High. The Lord God will give him the throne of his father David, and he will reign over the house of Jacob forever."
- Luke 1:30-33 NASB
Friday, 16 December 2011
Then the Angel showed me Water-of-Life River, crystal bright. It flowed from the Throne of God and the Lamb, right down the middle of the street. The Tree of Life was planted on each side of the River, producing twelve kinds of fruit, a ripe fruit each month. The leaves of the Tree are for healing the nations.
-- Revelation 22:1-2, msg
Thursday, 15 December 2011
He said to me: "It is done. I am the Alpha and the Omega, the Beginning and the End. To the thirsty I will give water without cost from the spring of the water of life."
-- Revelation 21:6, tniv
Wednesday, 14 December 2011
On the last day, the climax of the festival, Jesus stood and shouted to the crowds, "Anyone who is thirsty may come to me! Anyone who believes in me may come and drink! For the Scriptures declare, 'Rivers of living water will flow from his heart.'" (When he said "living water," he was speaking of the Spirit, who would be given to everyone believing in him. But the Spirit had not yet been given, because Jesus had not yet entered into his glory.)
-- John 7:37-39, nlt
Tuesday, 13 December 2011
In the past God spoke to our forefathers through the prophets at many times and in various ways, but in these last days he has spoken to us by his Son, whom he appointed heir of all things, and through whom he made the universe.
-- Hebrews 1:1-2, NASB
Wednesday, 07 December 2011
The time came for them to eat the Passover meal. Jesus and the apostles were together at the table. Jesus said to them, "I wanted very much to eat this Passover meal with you before I die. I will never eat another Passover meal until it is given its true meaning in the kingdom of God." Then Jesus took a cup of wine. He gave thanks to God for it. Then he said, "Take this cup and give it to everyone here. I will never drink wine again until God's kingdom comes." Then Jesus took some bread. He thanked God for the bread and divided it. He gave it to the apostles. Then Jesus said, "This bread is my body that I am giving for you. Eat this to remember me." In the same way, after supper, Jesus took the cup of wine and said, "This wine shows the new agreement from God to his people. This new agreement begins with my blood (death) that I am giving for you."
-- Luke 22:14-20 (ERV)
Tuesday, 06 December 2011
"Like good stewards of the manifold grace of God, serve one another with whatever gift each of you has received. Whoever speaks must do so as one speaking the very words of God; whoever serves must do so with the strength that God supplies, so that God may be glorified in all things through Jesus Christ."
- 1 Peter 4:10-11a NRSV
Monday, 05 December 2011
Later the apostles began to argue about which one of them was the most important. But Jesus said to them, "The kings of the world rule over their people. Men who have authority over other people make the people call them 'great helpers of the people.' But you must not be like that. The greatest person should become like the youngest person! Leaders should be like servants. Who is more important: the person sitting at the table or the person serving him? You think the person sitting at the table is more important. But I am like a servant among you!"
-- Luke 22:24-27 (ERV)
Friday, 02 December 2011
"Be careful! Don't spend your time drinking and getting drunk. Or don't be too busy with worldly things. If you do that, you will not be able to think right. And then the end might come when you are not ready. It will come like a surprise to all people on earth. So be ready all the time. Pray that you will be strong enough to continue safely through all these things that will happen. And pray that you will be able to stand before the Son of Man." -- Luke 21:34-36 (ERV)
Tuesday, 29 November 2011
Do all things without grumbling or questioning, that you may be blameless and innocent, children of God without blemish in the midst of a crooked and twisted generation, among whom you shine as lights in the world, holding fast to the word of life, so that in the day of Christ I may be proud that I did not run in vain or labor in vain.
(Philippians 2:14-16 ESV)
Monday, 28 November 2011
Then Jesus told this story: "Look at all the trees. The fig tree is a good example. When it becomes green (grows buds), you know that summer is near. It is the same with these things I told you would happen. When you see all these things happening, then you will know that God's kingdom is coming very soon. "I tell you the truth. All these things will happen while people of this time are still living! The whole world, earth and sky, will be destroyed; but the words I have said will never be destroyed!"
-- Luke 21:29-33 (ERV)
Tuesday, 22 November 2011
All the people listened to Jesus. Jesus said to his followers, "Be careful of the teachers of the law. They like to walk around wearing clothes that look important. And they love for people to show respect to them in the market places. They love to get the most important seats in the synagogues. And they love to get the most important seats at the feasts. But they are mean to widows and steal their homes. Then they try to make themselves look good by saying long prayers. God will punish these people very much." -- Luke 20:45-47 (ERV)
Thursday, 17 November 2011
Let love be genuine. Abhor what is evil; hold fast to what is good. Love one another with brotherly affection. Outdo one another in showing honor. Do not be slothful in zeal, be fervent in spirit, serve the Lord. Rejoice in hope, be patient in tribulation, be constant in prayer. Contribute to the needs of the saints and seek to show hospitality. (Romans 12:9-13 ESV)
Sunday, 06 November 2011
Whatever you do, work at it with all your heart, as working for the Lord, not for men, since you know that you will receive an inheritance from the Lord as a reward. It is the Lord Christ you are serving.
Colossians 3:23-24, New International Version
Friday, 30 September 2011
Rid yourselves of all malice, and all guile, insincerity, envy, and all slander. Like newborn infants, long for the pure, spiritual milk, so that by it you may grow into salvation -- if indeed you have tasted that the Lord is good.
- 1 Peter 2:1-2
Thursday, 29 September 2011
Little children, let us love, not in word or speech, but in truth and action. And by this we will know that we are from the truth and will reassure our hearts before [God] whenever our hearts condemn us; for God is greater than our hearts, and knows everything.
- 1 John 3:18-20
Saturday, 24 September 2011
“Sirs, what must I do to be saved?” They replied, “Believe in the Lord Jesus, and you will be saved—you and your household.” Then they spoke the word of the Lord to him and to all the others in his house. At that hour of the night the jailer took them and washed their wounds; then immediately he and all his family were baptized. -- Acts 16:30-32
Thursday, 15 September 2011
You were called to freedom, brothers and sisters; only do not use your freedom as an opportunity for self-indulgence, but through love become slaves to one another. For the whole law is summed up in a single commandment, "You shall love your neighbor as yourself."
- Galatians 5:13-14
Tuesday, 06 September 2011
For what the law was powerless to do in that it was weakened by the sinful nature, God did by sending his own Son in the likeness of sinful man to be a sin offering. And so he condemned sin in sinful man, in order that the righteous requirements of the law might be fully met in us, who do not live according to the sinful nature but according to the Spirit. -- Romans 8:3-4
Wednesday, 31 August 2011
The law of the Lord is perfect,
reviving the soul;
the decrees of the Lord are sure,
making wise the simple;
the precepts of the Lord are right,
rejoicing the heart;
the commandment of the Lord is
clear,
enlightening the eyes;
the fear of the Lord is pure,
enduring forever;
the ordinances of the Lord are
true
and righteous altogether.
- Psalm 19:7-9
Friday, 26 August 2011
For though we live in the world, we do not wage war as the world does. The weapons we fight with are not the weapons of the world. On the contrary, they have divine power to demolish strongholds. We demolish arguments and every pretension that sets itself up against the knowledge of God, and we take captive every thought to make it obedient to Christ.
-- 2 Corinthians 10:3-5
Monday, 22 August 2011
Why do you pass judgment on your brother or sister? Or you, why do you despise your brother or sister? For we will all stand before the judgment seat of God. For it is written, "As I live, says the Lord, every knee shall bow to me, and every tongue shall give praise to God." So then, each of us will be accountable to God.
- Romans 14:10-12
Saturday, 20 August 2011
If there is among you anyone in need, a member of your community in any of your towns within the land that the Lord your God is giving you, do not be hard-hearted or tight-fisted toward your needy neighbor. You should rather open your hand, willingly lending enough to meet the need, whatever it may be ... Since there will never cease to be some in need on the earth, I therefore command you, "Open your hand to the poor and needy neighbor in your land."
- Deuteronomy 15:7-11
Tuesday, 19 July 2011
Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Giver of mercies and the God of all consolation, who consoles us in all our affliction, so that we may be able to console those who are in any affliction with the consolation with which we oursleves are consoled by God. For just as the sufferings of Christ are abundant for us, so also our consolation is abundant through Christ.
- 2 Corinthians 1:3-5
Friday, 15 July 2011
For as the rain and the snow come
down from heaven,
and do not return there until
they have watered the earth,
making it bring forth and sprout,
giving seed to the sower and
bread to the eater,
so shall my word be that goes out
from my mouth;
it shall not return to me empty,
but it shall accomplish that which
I purpose,
and succeed in the thing for
which I sent it.
- Isaiah 55:10-11
Thursday, 14 July 2011
So I find it to be a law that when I want to do what is good, evil lies close at hand. For I delight in the law of God in my inmost self, but I see in my members another law at war with the law of my mind, making me captive to the law of sin that dwells in my members. Wretched person that I am! Who will rescue me from this body of death? Thanks be to God through Jesus Christ our Lord!
- Romans 7:21-25
Saturday, 02 July 2011
If you love those who love you, what credit is that to you? For even sinners love those who love them. If you do good to those who do good to you, what credit is that to you? For even sinners do the same. If you lend to those from whom you hope to receive, what credit is that to you? Even sinners lend to sinners, to receive as much again. But love your enemies, do good, and lend, expecting nothing in return.
- Luke 6:32-35
Tuesday, 28 June 2011
With joy you will draw water from the wells of salvation. And you will say in that day:
Give thanks to the Lord,
call on the Lord's name;
make known the Lord's deeds among the nations;
proclaim that the Lord's name is exalted.
- Isaiah 12:3-4
Friday, 17 June 2011
"As I began to speak," Peter continued, "the Holy Spirit fell on them, just as he fell on us at the beginning. Then I thought of the Lord's words when he said, 'John baptized with water, but you will be baptized with the Holy Spirit.' And since God gave these Gentiles the same gift he gave us when we believed in the Lord Jesus Christ, who was I to stand in God's way?" -- Acts 11:15-17
Monday, 13 June 2011
Let the same mind be in you that was in Christ Jesus,
who, though he was in the form of God,
did not regard equality with God
as something to be exploited,
but emptied himself,
taking the form of a slave,
being born in human likeness.
- Philippians 2:5-7
Sunday, 12 June 2011
Listen to my voice in the morning, Lord. Each morning I bring my requests to you and wait expectantly. ~ Psalm 5:3, NLT
Friday, 10 June 2011
I have chosen the way of truth; I have set my heart on your laws.
-- Psalm 119:30
Thursday, 09 June 2011
O Lord, be gracious to us;
we wait for you.
Be our arm every morning,
our salvation in the time of trouble.
- Isaiah 33:2
Saturday, 04 June 2011
Happy are those whose transgression is forgiven,
whose sin is covered.
Happy are those to whom the Lord imputes no iniquity,
and in whose spirit there is no deceit.
- Psalm 32:1-2
Tuesday, 31 May 2011
Therefore, I urge you, brothers, in view of God's mercy, to offer your bodies as living sacrifices, holy and pleasing to God -- this is your spiritual act of worship. Do not conform any longer to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God's will is -- his good, pleasing and perfect will. -- Romans 12:1-2
Thursday, 26 May 2011
Christ demands that the driving force in your life must be love. All other things, although important, are secondary. Love is the sign of true discipleship. -- Solly Ozrovech
Wednesday, 25 May 2011
For the word of God is living and active. Sharper than any double-edged sword, it penetrates even to dividing soul and spirit, joints and marrow; it judges the thoughts and attitudes of the heart. -- Hebrews 4:12
Tuesday, 24 May 2011
Jesus came to Simon Peter. But Peter said to Jesus, "Lord, you should not wash my feet." Jesus answered, "You don't know what I am doing now. But later you will understand." Peter said, "No! You will never wash my feet." Jesus answered, "If I don't wash your feet, then you cannot be one of my people." Simon Peter answered, "Lord, after you wash my feet, wash my hands and my head too!" -- John 13:6-9 (ERV)
Monday, 23 May 2011
Jesus said, "After a person has a bath, his whole body is clean. He needs only to wash his feet. And you men are clean, but not every one of you." Jesus knew who would turn against him. That is why Jesus said, "Not every one of you is clean." -- John 13:10-11 (ERV)
Sunday, 22 May 2011
For his Spirit joins with our spirit to affirm that we are God's children. And since we are his children, we are his heirs. In fact, together with Christ we are heirs of God's glory. But if we are to share his glory, we must also share his suffering. Yet what we suffer now is nothing compared to the glory he will reveal to us later. -- Romans 8:16-18 nlt
Friday, 13 May 2011
Jesus finished washing their feet. Then he put on his clothes and went back to the table. Jesus asked, "Do you understand what I did for you? You call me 'Teacher.' And you call me 'Lord.' And this is right, because that is what I am. I am your Lord and Teacher. But I washed your feet {like a servant}. So you also should wash each other's feet. I did this as an example for you. So you should do {for each other} like I did for you." -- John 13:12-15 (ERV)
Thursday, 12 May 2011
[Stephen said] "And you continue, so bullheaded! Calluses on your hearts, flaps on your ears! Deliberately ignoring the Holy Spirit, you're just like your ancestors. Was there ever a prophet who didn't get the same treatment? Your ancestors killed anyone who dared talk about the coming of the Just One. And you've kept up the family tradition -- traitors and murderers, all of you. You had God's Law handed to you by angels -- gift-wrapped! -- and you squandered it!"
-- Acts 7:51-53, msg
Tuesday, 10 May 2011
Blessed is the one who reads the words of this prophecy, and blessed are those who hear it and take to heart what is written in it, because the time is near. ~ Revelation 1:3, New International Version
Monday, 09 May 2011
[Jesus said,] "I tell you the truth. The person that accepts anyone I send also accepts me. And the person that accepts me also accepts the One who sent me." After Jesus said these things, he felt very troubled. Jesus said openly, "I tell you the truth. One of you will be against me." Jesus' followers all looked at each other. They did not understand who the person was that Jesus was talking about. -- John 13:20-22 (ERV)
Thursday, 05 May 2011
Just think how much worse the punishment will be for those who have trampled on the Son of God, and have treated the blood of the covenant, which made us holy, as if it were common and unholy, and have insulted and disdained the Holy Spirit who brings God's mercy to us.
-- Hebrews 10:29 nlt
Wednesday, 04 May 2011
Don't grieve God. Don't break his heart. His Holy Spirit, moving and breathing in you, is the most intimate part of your life, making you fit for himself. Don't take such a gift for granted.
-- Ephesians 4:30 msg
Tuesday, 03 May 2011
When Judas was gone, Jesus said, "Now the Son of Man receives his glory. And God receives glory through the Son of Man. If God receives glory through him, then God will give glory to the Son through himself. God will give him glory quickly."
-- John 13:31-32 (ERV)
Monday, 02 May 2011
Do nothing out of selfish ambition or vain conceit, but in humility consider others better than yourselves. Each of you should look not only to your own interests, but also to the interest of others. -- Philippians 2:3-4
Sunday, 01 May 2011
Jesus said, "My children, I will be with you only a short time more. You will look for me. And what I told the Jewish leaders, I tell you now: Where I am going you cannot come. I give you a new command: Love each other. You must love each other like I loved you." -- John 13:33-34 (ERV)
Friday, 29 April 2011
Do not let any unwholesome talk come out of your mouths, but only what is helpful for building others up according to their needs, that it may benefit those who listen.
-- Ephesians 4:29
Wednesday, 27 April 2011
"All people will know that you are my followers if you love each other." ~ Jesus, John 13:35 (ERV)
Tuesday, 26 April 2011
Simon Peter asked Jesus, "Lord, where are you going?" Jesus answered, "Where I am going you cannot follow now. But you will follow later." Peter asked, "Lord, why can't I follow you now? I am ready to die for you!" Jesus answered, "Will you really give your life for me? I tell you the truth. Before the rooster crows, you will say three times that you don't know me." -- John 13:36-38 (ERV)
Monday, 25 April 2011
"I will not leave you all alone like children without parents. I will come back to you. In a very short time the people in the world will not see me any more. But you will see me. You will live because I live. On that day you will know that I am in the Father. You will know that you are in me and I am in you." ~ Jesus, John 14:18-20 (ERV)
Monday, 25 April 2011
Now there was a man in Jerusalem called Simeon, who was righteous and devout. He was waiting for the consolation of Israel, and the Holy Spirit was on him. It had been revealed to him by the Holy Spirit that he would not die before he had seen the Lord’s Messiah. Moved by the Spirit, he went into the temple courts. When the parents brought in the child Jesus to do for him what the custom of the Law required, Simeon took him in his arms and praised God, saying ...
-- Luke 2:25-28 nlt
Friday, 22 April 2011
"The Father loves me because I give my life. I give my life so that I can get it back again. No person takes my life away from me. I give my own life freely. I have the right to give my life. And I have the right to get it back again. This is what the Father told me." ~ Jesus
-- John 10:17-18 (ERV)
Tuesday, 19 April 2011
Then He said to me, "Prophesy to the breath, prophesy, son of man, and say to the breath, 'Thus says the Lord GOD, "Come from the four winds, O breath, and breathe on these slain, that they come to life."' So I prophesied as He commanded me, and the He said to me, "Prophesy to the breath. Prophesy, son of man. Tell the breath, 'GOD, the Master, says, Come from the four winds. Come, breath. Breathe on these slain bodies. Breathe life!'" So I prophesied, just as he commanded me. The breath entered them and they came alive! They stood up on their feet, a huge army.
-- Ezekiel 37:9-10 msg
Monday, 18 April 2011
Everyone who does evil hates the light, and will not come into the light for fear that his deeds will be exposed. But whoever lives by the truth comes into the light, so that it may be seen plainly that what he has done has been done through God.
-- John 3:20-21
Sunday, 17 April 2011
"But the person that does not love me does not obey my teaching. This teaching that you hear is not really mine. It is from my Father who sent me. "I have told you all these things while I am with you. But the Helper will teach you everything. The Helper will cause you to remember all the things I told you. This Helper is the Holy Spirit that the Father will send in my name." ~ Jesus
-- John 14:24-26 (ERV)
Saturday, 16 April 2011
[God said through Ezekiel] "I will put my Spirit in you and you will live, and I will settle you in your own land. Then you will know that I the LORD have spoken, and I have done it, declares the LORD."
-- Ezekiel 37:14 tniv
Friday, 15 April 2011
This is also why you pay taxes, for the authorities are God's servants, who give their full time to governing. Give everyone what you owe him: If you owe taxes, pay taxes; if revenue, then revenue; if respect, then respect; if honor, then honor.
-- Romans 13:6
Friday, 15 April 2011
"I leave you peace. It is my own peace I give you. I give you peace in a different way than the world does. So don't be troubled. Don't be afraid. You heard me say to you, 'I am leaving, but I will come back to you.' If you loved me, then you would be happy that I am going back to the Father. Why? Because the Father is greater than I am."
-- John 14:27-28 (ERV)
Thursday, 14 April 2011
When tempted, no one should say, "God is tempting me." For God cannot be tempted by evil, nor does he tempt anyone; but each one is tempted when, by his own evil desire, he is dragged away and enticed.
~ James 1:13-14, New International Version
Wednesday, 13 April 2011
Don't be misled: No one makes a fool of God. What a person plants, he will harvest. The person who plants selfishness, ignoring the needs of others -- ignoring God! -- harvests a crop of weeds. All he'll have to show for his life is weeds! But the one who plants in response to God, letting God's Spirit do the growth work in him, harvests a crop of real life, eternal life.
-- Galatians 6:7-8 msg
Tuesday, 12 April 2011
"He cuts off every branch of mine that does not make fruit. And he trims and cleans every branch that makes fruit, so that it will make even more fruit. You are already clean because of the teaching I have told you." ~ Jesus
-- John 15:2-3 (ERV)
Monday, 11 April 2011
This letter is from John to the seven churches in the province of Asia. Grace and peace to you from the one who is, who always was, and who is still to come; from the sevenfold Spirit before his throne; and from Jesus Christ. He is the faithful witness to these things, the first to rise from the dead, and the ruler of all the kings of the world. All glory to him who loves us and has freed us from our sins by shedding his blood for us.
-- Revelation 1:4 NLT
Saturday, 09 April 2011
"Continue in me and I will continue in you. No branch can make fruit alone. It must continue in the vine. It is the same with you. You cannot make fruit alone. You must continue in me. "I am the vine and you are the branches. If a person continues in me and I continue in that person, then that person will make much fruit. But without me that person can do nothing." ~ Jesus
-- John 15:4-5 (ERV)
Friday, 08 April 2011
"If a person does not continue in me, then he is like a branch that is thrown away. That branch dies. People pick up dead branches, throw them into the fire, and burn them. "Continue in me and follow my teachings. If you do this, then you can ask for anything you want, and it will be given to you."
-- John 15:6-7 (ERV)
Thursday, 07 April 2011
Then I saw a Lamb that looked as if it had been slaughtered, but it was now standing between the throne and the four living beings and among the twenty-four elders. He had seven horns and seven eyes, which represent the sevenfold Spirit of God that is sent out into every part of the earth.
-- Revelation 5:6
Tuesday, 05 April 2011
"You should make much fruit and show that you are my followers. This brings glory to my Father." ~ Jesus
-- John 15:8 (ERV)
Monday, 04 April 2011
O God, you are my God, earnestly I seek you; my soul thirsts for you, my body longs for you, in a dry and weary land where there is no water.
-- Psalm 63:1
Sunday, 03 April 2011
"I loved you like the Father loved me. Now continue in my love. I have obeyed my Father's commands, and I continue in his love. In the same way, if you obey my commands, you will continue in my love." ~ Jesus
-- John 15:9-10 (ERV)
Thursday, 31 March 2011
"I, even I, am the Lord, and apart from me there is no savior. I have revealed and saved and proclaimed -- I, and not some foreign God among you. You are my witnesses," declares the Lord, "that I am God."
-- Isaiah 43:11-12
Wednesday, 30 March 2011
"I have told you these things so that you can have the true happiness that I have. I want you to be completely happy. This is what I command you: Love each other like I have loved you. The greatest love a person can show is to die for his friends. You are my friends if you do the things I tell you to do." ~ Jesus
-- John 15:11-14 (ERV)
Tuesday, 29 March 2011
I correct and discipline everyone I love. So be diligent and turn from your indifference. ~ Jesus
~ Revelation 3:19, NLT
Sunday, 27 March 2011
Do not get drunk on wine, which leads to debauchery. Instead, be filled with the Spirit, speaking to one another with psalms, hymns and songs from the Spirit. Sing and make music from your heart to the Lord, always giving thanks to God the Father for everything, in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ. Submit to one another out of reverence for Christ.
-- Ephesians 5:18-21 tniv
Saturday, 26 March 2011
It is the Lord your God you must follow, and him you must revere. Keep his commands and obey him; serve him and hold fast to him. -- Deuteronomy 13:4
Friday, 25 March 2011
"I don't call you servants now. A servant does not know what his master is doing. But now I call you friends because I have told you everything I heard from my Father. You did not choose me; I chose you. And I gave you this work: to go and make fruit. I want this fruit to continue {in your life}. Then the Father will give you anything you ask for in my name. This is my command: Love each other." ~ Jesus
-- John 15:15-17 (ERV)
Tuesday, 22 March 2011
Deep calls to deep
at the thunder of your cataracts;
all your waves and your billows
have gone over me.
By day the Lord commands his steadfast love,
and at night his song is with me,
a prayer to the God of my life.
- Psalm 42:7-8
Sunday, 20 March 2011
Even though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil, for you are with me; your rod and your staff, they comfort me.
- Psalm 23:4
Saturday, 19 March 2011
For we are not peddlers of God's word like so many; but in Christ we speak as persons of sincerity, as persons sent from God and standing in his presence.
- 2 Corinthians 2:17
Friday, 11 March 2011
Jesus' mother stood near his cross. His mother's sister was also standing there with Mary the wife of Clopas, and Mary of Magdala. Jesus saw his mother. He also saw the follower that he loved very much standing there. He said to his mother, "Dear woman, here is your son." Then Jesus said to the follower, "Here is your mother." So after that, this follower took Jesus' mother to live in his home.
- John 19:25-27 (ERV)
Thursday, 10 March 2011
Listen to advice and accept instruction and in the end you will be wise. Many are the plans in a man's heart, but it is the Lord's purpose that prevails. -- Proverbs 19:20-21
Tuesday, 08 March 2011
"If the world hates you, remember that the world hated me first. If you belonged to the world, then the world would love you like it loves its own people. But I have chosen you out of the world. So you don't belong to the world. That is why the world hates you. Remember the lesson I told you: A servant is not greater than his master. If people did wrong to me, then they will do wrong to you too. And if people obeyed my teaching, then they will obey yours too." ~ Jesus
-- John 15:18-20 (ERV)
Monday, 07 March 2011
"I will send you the Helper from the Father. The Helper is the Spirit of truth who comes from the Father. When he comes, he will tell about me. And you will tell people about me too, because you have been with me from the beginning."
-- John 15:26-27 (ERV)
Saturday, 05 March 2011
[Jesus said,] "But the time is coming -- indeed it's here now -- when true worshipers will worship the Father in Spirit and in truth.”
-- John 4:23 nlt
Friday, 04 March 2011
Every part of Scripture is God-breathed [Spirit-inspired] and useful one way or another -- showing us truth, exposing our rebellion, correcting our mistakes, training us to live God’s way. Through the Word we are put together and shaped up for the tasks God has for us.
-- 2 Timothy 3:16-17 msg
Thursday, 03 March 2011
"I have many more things to say to you. But those things are too much for you to accept now. But when the Spirit of truth comes, he will lead you into all truth. The Spirit of truth will not speak his own words. He will speak only what he hears. He will tell you the things that will happen. The Spirit of truth will bring glory to me. How? He will get things from me and tell them to you. All the things that the Father has are mine. That is why I said that the Spirit will get things from me and tell them to you."
-- John 16:12-15 (ERV)
Monday, 28 February 2011
"After a short time you won't see me. Then after another short time you will see me again." Some of the followers said to each other, "What does Jesus mean when he says, 'After a short time you won't see me. Then after another short time you will see me again'? And what does he mean when he says, 'Because I am going to the Father'?" The followers asked, "What does he mean by 'a short time'? We don't understand what he is saying." Jesus saw that the followers wanted to ask him about this. So Jesus said to the followers, "Are you asking each other what I meant when I said, 'After a short time you won't see me. Then after another short time you will see me again'? I tell you the truth. You will cry and be sad, but the world will be happy. You will be sad, but your sadness will change to happiness. When a woman gives birth to a baby, she has pain, because her time has come. But when her baby is born, she forgets the pain. She forgets because she is so happy that a child has been born into the world. It is the same with you. Now you are sad. But I will see you again and you will be truly happy. You will have a happiness that no one can take away."
-- John 16:16-22 (ERV)
Saturday, 26 February 2011
Whoever has ears, let them hear what the Spirit says to the churches. Those who are victorious will not be hurt at all by the second death.
-- Revelation 2:11 tniv
Friday, 25 February 2011
"In that day you will not ask me for anything. I tell you the truth. My Father will give you anything you ask for in my name. You have never asked for anything in my name. Ask and you will receive. And you will be truly happy. "I have told you these things, using words that hide the meaning. But the time will come when I will not use words like that to tell you things. I will speak to you in plain words about the Father. In that day you will ask the Father for things in my name. I am saying that I will not need to ask the Father for you. No! The Father himself loves you. He loves you because you have loved me. And he loves you because you have believed that I came from God."
~ Jesus, John 16:23-27 (ERV)
Thursday, 24 February 2011
But the day of the Lord will come like a thief. The heavens will disappear with a roar; the elements will be destroyed by fire, and the earth and everything in it will be laid bare. Since everything will be destroyed in this way, what kind of people ought you to be? You ought to live holy and godly lives as you look forward to the day of God and speed its coming. That day will bring about the destruction of the heavens by fire, and the elements will melt in the heat.
2 Peter 3:10-12, New International Version
Tuesday, 22 February 2011
Whoever has ears, let them hear what the Spirit says to the churches. To those who are victorious, I will give some of the hidden manna. I will also give each of them a white stone with a new name written on it, known only to the one who receives it.
-- Revelation 2:17 tniv
Monday, 21 February 2011
We put no stumbling block in anyone’s path, so that our ministry will not be discredited. Rather, as servants of God we commend ourselves in every way: ... in purity, understanding, patience and kindness; in the Holy Spirit and in sincere love; ...
-- 2 Corinthians 6:3-6 tniv
Sunday, 20 February 2011
After Jesus said these things he looked toward heaven. Jesus prayed, "Father, the time has come. Give glory to your Son so that the Son can give glory to you. You gave the Son power over all people so that the Son could give eternal life to all those people you have given to him. And this is eternal life: that people can know you, the only true God, and that people can know Jesus Christ, the One you sent."
-- John 17:1-3 (ERV)
Thursday, 17 February 2011
[Jesus said] "The Spirit can make life. Sheer muscle and willpower don't make anything happen. Every word I've spoken to you is a Spirit-word, and so it is life-making."
-- John 6:63 msg
Wednesday, 16 February 2011
For this reason I remind you to fan into flame the gift of God, which is in you through the laying on of my hands. For the Spirit God gave us does not make us timid, but gives us power, love and self–discipline.
-- 2 Timothy 1:6-7 tniv
Tuesday, 15 February 2011
The word of God is living and active. Sharper than any double-edged sword, it penetrates even to dividing soul and spirit, joints and marrow; it judges the thoughts and attitudes of the heart.
-- Hebrews 4:12
Monday, 14 February 2011
[Jesus Prayed] Departing Prayer "Now I am coming to you. I will not stay in the world now. But these men are still in the world. Holy Father, keep them safe. Keep them safe by the power of your name (the name you gave me), so that they will be one, the same as you and I are one." -- John 17:11 (ERV)
Friday, 11 February 2011
"Write this letter to the angel of the church in Sardis. This is the message from the one who has the sevenfold Spirit of God and the seven stars: 'I know all the things you do, and that you have a reputation for being alive -- but you are dead. Wake up! Strengthen what little remains, for even what is left is almost dead. I find that your actions do not meet the requirements of my God.'"
-- Revelation 3:1-2 nlt
Tuesday, 08 February 2011
Blessed is the one who reads the words of this prophecy, and blessed are those who hear it and take to heart what is written in it, because the time is near.
Revelation 1:3, New International Version
Monday, 07 February 2011
[Jesus Prayed] "I have given them your teaching. And the world has hated them. The world hated these men, because they don't belong to the world, the same as I don't belong to the world. I am not asking you to take them out of the world. But I am asking that you keep them safe from the Evil One (the devil)." -- John 17:14-15 (ERV)
Sunday, 06 February 2011
[Jesus Prayed] "They don't belong to the world, the same as I don't belong to the world. Make them ready for your service through your truth. Your teaching is truth." -- John 17:16-17 (ERV)
Saturday, 05 February 2011
[Jesus said] "I tell you, whoever publicly acknowledges me, the Son of Man will also acknowledge before the angels of God. ... When you are brought before synagogues, rulers and authorities, do not worry about how you will defend yourselves or what you will say, for the Holy Spirit will teach you at that time what you should say." -- Luke 12:8-12 tniv
Friday, 04 February 2011
"I have sent them into the world, the same as you sent me into the world. I am making myself ready to serve. I do this for them, so that they can truly be ready for your service." -- John 17:18-19 (ERV)
Thursday, 03 February 2011
While they were praying, the place where they were meeting trembled and shook. They were all filled with the Holy Spirit and continued to speak God’s Word with fearless confidence. -- Acts 4:31 msg
Sunday, 30 January 2011
"I pray for these men. But I am also praying for all people that will believe in me because of the teaching of these men. Father, I pray that all people that believe in me can be one. You are in me and I am in you. I pray that these people can also be one in us, so that the world will believe that you sent me." -- John 17:20-21 (ERV)
Thursday, 27 January 2011
"I have given these people the glory that you gave me. I gave them this glory so that they can be one, the same as you and I are one. I will be in them, and you will be in me. So they will be completely one. Then the world will know that you sent me. And the world will know that you loved these people the same as you loved me." -- John 17:22-23 (ERV)
Wednesday, 26 January 2011
Everyone must submit himself to the governing authorities, for there is no authority except that which God has established. The authorities that exist have been established by God. -- Romans 13:1
Tuesday, 25 January 2011
"Father, I want these people that you have given me to be with me in every place I am. I want them to see my glory. This is the glory you gave me because you loved me before the world was made."
-- John 17:24 (ERV)
Monday, 24 January 2011
You realize, don’t you, that you are the temple of God, and God himself is present in you? No one will get by with vandalizing God’s temple, you can be sure of that. God’s temple is sacred -- and you, remember, are the temple.
-- 1 Corinthians 3:16-17 msg
Saturday, 22 January 2011
Together, we are his house, built on the foundation of the apostles and the prophets. And the cornerstone is Christ Jesus himself. We are carefully joined together in him, becoming a holy temple for the Lord. Through him you Gentiles are also being made part of this dwelling where God lives by his Spirit.
-- Ephesians 2:20-22 nlt
Friday, 21 January 2011
Put to death, therefore, whatever belongs to your earthly nature: sexual immorality, impurity, lust, evil desires and greed, which is idolatry.
Colossians 3:5, New International Version
Monday, 03 January 2011
Simon Peter had a sword. He took out the sword and struck the servant of the high priest. Peter cut off the servant's right ear. (The servant's name was Malchus.) Jesus said to Peter, "Put your sword back in its place! I must accept the cup {of suffering} the Father has given me." -- John 18:10-11 (ERV)
Saturday, 01 January 2011
The grace of God that brings salvation has appeared to all men. It teaches us to say "No" to ungodliness and worldly passions, and to live self-controlled, upright and godly lives in this present age. -- Titus 2:11-12
Thursday, 30 December 2010
When it comes down to being a provider of God's love, there is really only one provider, who sends us out with nothing at all and with everything we need: healing, forgiveness, restoration, resurrection. Those are the only things we really have to share with the world, which is just as well, since they are the only things the world really needs.
- Barbara Brown Taylor, from her book Bread of Angels
Tuesday, 28 December 2010
The Spirit immediately drove him out into the wilderness. He was in the wilderness forty days, tempted by Satan; and he was with the wild beasts; and the angels waited on him. - Mark 1:12-13
Sunday, 26 December 2010
Simeon took him [Jesus] in his arms and praised God, saying: "Sovereign Lord, as you have promised, you now dismiss your servant in peace. For my eyes have seen your salvation, which you have prepared in the sight of all people, a light for revelation to the Gentiles and for glory to your people Israel." -- Luke 2:28-32
Saturday, 25 December 2010
For to us a child is born, to us a son is given, and the government will be on his shoulders. And he will be called Wonderful, Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace. -- Isaiah 9:6
Friday, 24 December 2010
[The shepherds] hurried off and found Mary and Joseph, and the baby [Jesus], who was lying in the manger. When they had seen him, they spread the word concerning what had been told them about this child, and all who heard it were amazed ... But Mary treasured up all these things and pondered them in her heart. The shepherds returned, glorifying and praising God for all the things they had heard and seen, which were just as they had been told. -- Luke 2:16-20
Tuesday, 21 December 2010
Look! The virgin will conceive a child! She will give birth to a son, and they will call him Immanuel, which means 'God is with us.' ~ Matt 1:23, NLT
Wednesday, 15 December 2010
But if serving the Lord seems undesirable to you, then choose for yourselves this day whom you will serve, ... But as for me and my household, we will serve the Lord. -- Joshua 24:15
Tuesday, 14 December 2010
As for man, his days are like grass, he flourishes like a flower of the field; the wind blows over it and it is gone, and its place remembers it no more. But from everlasting to everlasting the Lord's love is with those who fear him, and his righteousness with their children's children-- with those who keep his covenant and remember to obey his precepts. Psalm 103:15-18, New International Version
Saturday, 11 December 2010
Do not love the world or anything in the world. If anyone loves the world, the love of the Father is not in him. For everything in the world - the cravings of sinful man, the lust of his eyes and the boasting of what he has and does - comes not from the Father but from the world. -- 1 John 2:15-16
Thursday, 09 December 2010
It is written, "As surely as I live," says the Lord, "every knee will bow before me; every tongue will confess to God." -- Romans 14:11
Tuesday, 07 December 2010
In the past God spoke to our forefathers through the prophets at many times and in various ways, but in these last days he has spoken to us by his Son, whom he appointed heir of all things, and through whom he made the universe. -- Hebrews 1:1-2
Saturday, 04 December 2010
The day of the Lord will come like a thief. The heavens will disappear with a roar; the elements will be destroyed by fire, and the earth and everything in it will be laid bare. Since everything will be destroyed in this way, what kind of people ought you to be? You ought to live holy and godly lives.
-- 2 Peter 3:10-11
Friday, 03 December 2010
My dear friends, don't believe everything you hear. Carefully weigh and examine what people tell you. Not everyone who talks about God comes from God. There are a lot of lying preachers loose in the world. Here's how you test for the genuine Spirit of God. Everyone who confesses openly his faith in Jesus Christ -- the Son of God, who came as an actual flesh-and-blood person -- comes from God and belongs to God. And everyone who refuses to confess faith in Jesus has nothing in common with God. This is the spirit of antichrist that you heard was coming. Well, here it is, sooner than we thought!
-- 1 John 4:1-3 msg
Thursday, 02 December 2010
Whatever God has promised gets stamped with the Yes of Jesus. In him, this is what we preach and pray, the great Amen, God’s Yes and our Yes together, gloriously evident. God affirms us, making us a sure thing in Christ, putting his Yes within us. By his Spirit he has stamped us with his eternal pledge -- a sure beginning of what he is destined to complete.
-- 2 Corinthians 1:20-20 msg
Sunday, 28 November 2010
Then I heard a voice from heaven say, "Write: Blessed are the dead who die in the Lord from now on." "Yes," says the Spirit, "they will rest from their labor, for their deeds will follow them." -- Revelation 14:13
Saturday, 27 November 2010
Again he said, "Peace be with you. As the Father has sent me, so I am sending you." Then he breathed on them and said, "Receive the Holy Spirit." -- John 20:21-22 nlt
Friday, 26 November 2010
Let us not give up meeting together, as some are in the habit of doing, but let us encourage one another--and all the more as you see the Day approaching. Hebrews 10:25, New International Version
Join LGF and Christ followers around the world who love God and People on Facebook. Let's encourage one another!
Meet with LGF online at www.LGFinternetChurch.org . Our doors are always open and no one is exluded!
Wednesday, 24 November 2010
When Jesus said this, one of the guards standing there hit him. The guard said, "You should not talk to the high priest like that!" Jesus answered, "If I said something wrong, then tell everyone here what was wrong. But if the things I said are right, then why do you hit me?" -- John 18:22-23 (ERV)
Monday, 22 November 2010
Jesus said "Behold, I come like a thief! Blessed is he who stays awake and keeps his clothes with him, so that he may not go naked and be shamefully exposed." Revelation 16:15, New International Version
Saturday, 20 November 2010
The high priest asked Jesus questions about his followers. He asked Jesus questions about the things Jesus taught. Jesus answered, "I have always spoken openly to all people. I always taught in the synagogues and in the temple area. All the Jews come together there. I never said anything in secret. So why do you question me? Ask the people that heard my teaching. They know what I said." -- John 18:19-21 (ERV)
Saturday, 13 November 2010
Do not love the world or anything in the world. If anyone loves the world, the love of the Father is not in him. For everything in the world - the cravings of sinful man, the lust of his eyes and the boasting of what he has and does - comes not from the Father but from the world. -- 1 John 2:15-16
Friday, 12 November 2010
The trouble is that I'm in a hurry, but God isn't. -- Phillips Brooks
Thursday, 11 November 2010
"God's voice thunders in marvelous ways; he does great things beyond our understanding. He says to the snow, 'Fall on the earth,' and to the rain shower, 'Be a mighty downpour.'"
-- Job 37:5-6
Thursday, 04 November 2010
Those who listen to instruction will prosper; those who trust the Lord will be joyful.
~ Proverbs 16:20, NLT
Tuesday, 02 November 2010
Therefore, let us offer through Jesus a continual sacrifice of praise to God, proclaiming our allegiance to his name.
~ Hebrews 13:15, NLT
Monday, 01 November 2010
Many seek the favor of a ruler, but it is from the Lord that one gets justice.
- Proverbs 29:26
Friday, 29 October 2010
As for you, the anointing you received from him [the Spirit] remains in you, and you do not need anyone to teach you. But as his anointing teaches you about all things and as that anointing is real, not counterfeit — just as it has taught you, remain in him.
-- 1 John 2:27
Thursday, 28 October 2010
Then his mother and his brothers came to him, but they could not reach him because of the crowd. And he was told, "Your mother and your brothers are standing outside, wanting to see you." But he said to them, "My mother and my brothers are those who hear the word of God and do it."
- Luke 8:19-21
Tuesday, 26 October 2010
Let love and faithfulness never leave you; bind them around your neck, write them on the tablet of your heart. Then you will win favor and a good name in the sight of God and man. -- Proverbs 3:3-4
Monday, 25 October 2010
Yes, I am the vine; you are the branches. Those who remain in me, and I in them, will produce much fruit. For apart from me you can do nothing.
~ John 15:5, NLT
Thursday, 21 October 2010
When many of his disciples heard it, they said, "This teaching is difficult; who can accept it?" But Jesus, being aware that his disciples were complaining about it, said to them, "Does this offend you? Then what if you were to see the Son of Man ascending to where he was before? It is the spirit that gives life; the flesh is useless. The words that I have spoken to you are spirit and life."
- John 6:60-63
Tuesday, 19 October 2010
[Jesus] unrolled the scroll and found the place where it was written: "The Spirit of the Lord is upon me, because he has anointed me to bring good news to the poor. He has sent me to proclaim release to the captives and recovery of sight to the blind, to let the oppressed go free, to proclaim the year of the Lord's favor."
- Luke 4:17-19
Friday, 15 October 2010
The Lord himself will come down from heaven, with a loud command, with the voice of the archangel and with the trumpet call of God, and the dead in Christ will rise first. After that, we who are still alive and are left will be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air. And so we will be with the Lord forever.
-- 1 Thessalonians 4:16-17
Wednesday, 13 October 2010
God has called us to live holy lives, not impure lives.
~ 1 Thessalonians 4:7, NLT
Saturday, 09 October 2010
Just then a lawyer stood up to test Jesus. "Teacher," he said, "what must I do to inherit eternal life?" He said to him, "What is written in the law? What do you read there?" He answered, "You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, and with all your soul, and with all your strength, and with all your mind; and your neighbor as yourself." And he said to him, "You have given the right answer; do this, and you will live."
- Luke 10:25-28
Thursday, 07 October 2010
Surely your goodness and unfailing love will pursue me all the days of my life, and I will live in the house of the Lord forever.
~ Psalm 23:6, NLT
Wednesday, 06 October 2010
And if the Spirit of him who raised Jesus from the dead is living in you, he who raised Christ from the dead will also give life to your mortal bodies through his Spirit, who lives in you.
-- Romans 8:11
Monday, 04 October 2010
When justice is done, it is a joy to the righteous, but dismay to evildoers.
- Proverbs 21:15
Wednesday, 29 September 2010
Do not rejoice over me, O my enemy; when I fall, I shall rise; when I sit in darkness, the Lord will be a light to me.
- Micah 7:8
Tuesday, 28 September 2010
If your enemies are hungry, give them bread to eat; and if they are thirsty, give them water to drink; for you will heap coals of fire on their heads, and the Lord will reward you. - Proverbs 25:21-22
Sunday, 26 September 2010
"If you love me, then you will do the things I command. I will ask the Father, and he will give you another Helper. He will give you this Helper to be with you forever. The Helper is the Spirit of truth. The world cannot accept him. Why? Because the world does not see him or know him. But you know him. He lives with you, and he will live in you." -- John 14:15-17 (ERV)
Saturday, 25 September 2010
"You know the way to the place where I am going." Thomas said, "Lord, we don't know where you are going. So how can we know the way?" Jesus answered, "I am the way. I am the truth and the life. The only way to the Father is through me. If you really knew me, then you would know my Father too. But now you know the Father. You have seen him." -- John 14:4-7 (ERV)
Friday, 24 September 2010
We also rejoice in our sufferings, because we know that suffering produces perseverance; perseverance, character; and character, hope.
-- Romans 5:3-4
Monday, 20 September 2010
What, then, shall we say in response to this? If God is for us, who can be against us? He who did not spare his own Son, but gave him up for us all--how will he not also, along with him, graciously give us all things?
-- Romans 8:31-32
Sunday, 19 September 2010
The Spirit of the Sovereign LORD is on me, because the LORD has anointed me to preach good news to the poor. He has sent me to bind up the brokenhearted, to proclaim freedom for the captives and release from darkness for the prisoners, to proclaim the year of the LORD's favor and the day of vengeance of our God, to comfort all who mourn ...
-- Isaiah 61:1-2a
Friday, 17 September 2010
No one after lighting a lamp hides it under a jar, or puts it under a bed, but puts it on a lampstand, so that those who enter may see the light. For nothing is hidden that will not be disclosed, nor is anything secret that will not become known and come to light.
- Luke 8:16-17
Wednesday, 15 September 2010
For I desire steadfast love and not sacrifice, the knowledge of God rather than burnt offerings.
- Hosea 6:6
Monday, 13 September 2010
Then turning toward the woman, [Jesus] said to Simon, "Do you see this woman? I entered your house; you gave me no water for my feet, but she has bathed my feet with her tears and dried them with her hair. You gave me no kiss, but from the time I came in she has not stopped kissing my feet. You did not anoint my head with oil, but she has anointed my feet with ointment. Therefore, I tell you, her sins, which were many, have been forgiven; hence she has shown great love. But the one to whom little is forgiven, loves little."
- Luke 7:44-47
Saturday, 11 September 2010
Keep my steps steady according to your promise, and never let iniquity have dominion over me. Redeem me from human oppression, that I may keep your precepts.
- Psalm 119:133-134
Thursday, 09 September 2010
"When you pass through the waters, I will be with you; and when you pass through the rivers, they will not sweep over you. When you walk through the fire, you will not be burned; the flames will not set you ablaze. For I am the LORD, your God, the Holy One of Israel, your Savior ..."
-- Isaiah 43:2-3
Tuesday, 07 September 2010
At daybreak he departed and went into a deserted place. And the crowds were looking for him; and when they reached him, they wanted to prevent him from leaving them. But he said to them, "I must proclaim the good news of the kingdom of God to the other cities also; for I was sent for this purpose."
- Luke 4:42-43
Sunday, 05 September 2010
The faithful have disappeared from the land,
and there is no one left who is upright;
they all lie in wait for blood,
and they hunt each other with nets.
Their hands are skilled to do evil;
the official and the judge ask for a bribe,
and the powerful dictate what they desire;
thus they pervert justice.
The best of them is like a brier,
the most upright of them a thorn hedge.
- Micah 7:2-4
Saturday, 04 September 2010
Spouting off before listening to the facts is both shameful and foolish.
~ Proverbs 18:13, NLT
Friday, 03 September 2010
Do not merely listen to the word, and so deceive yourselves. Do what it says.
-- James 1:22
Saturday, 28 August 2010
A gentle answer deflects anger, but harsh words make tempers flare.
~ Proverbs 15:1, NLT
Thursday, 26 August 2010
Every seventh year you shall grant a remission of debts. And this is the manner of the remission: every creditor shall remit the claim that is held against a neighbor, not exacting it of a neighbor who is a member of the community, because the Lord's remission has been proclaimed.
- Deuteronomy 15:1-2
Tuesday, 17 August 2010
No slave can serve two masters; for a slave will either hate the one and love the other, or be devoted to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve God and wealth.
- Luke 16:13
Monday, 16 August 2010
train yourself for godliness; for while bodily training is of some value, godliness is of value in every way, as it holds promise for the present life and also for the life to come.
1 Timothy 4:7, 8
Thursday, 12 August 2010
You shall not withhold the wages of poor and needy laborers, whether other Israelites or aliens who reside in your land in one of your towns. You shall pay them their wages daily before sunset, because they are poor and their livelihood depends on them; otherwise they might cry to the Lord against you, and you would incur guilt.
- Deuteronomy 24:14-15
Wednesday, 11 August 2010
[Jesus said] "Enter through the narrow gate. For wide is the gate and broad is the road that leads to destruction, and many enter through it. But small is the gate and narrow the road that leads to life, and only a few find it.
-- Matthew 7:13-14
Tuesday, 10 August 2010
And let us consider how to stir up one another to love and good works...
Hebrews 10:24
Monday, 09 August 2010
"I baptize with water those who repent of their sins and turn to God. But someone is coming soon who is greater than I am -- so much greater that I'm not worthy even to be his slave and carry his sandals. He will baptize you with the Holy Spirit and with fire."
-- Matthew 3:11 nlt
Saturday, 07 August 2010
Joseph, chagrined but noble, determined to take care of things quietly so Mary would not be disgraced. While he was trying to figure a way out, he had a dream. God's angel spoke in the dream: "Joseph, son of David, don't hesitate to get married. Mary's pregnancy is Spirit-conceived. God's Holy Spirit has made her pregnant.
-- Matthew 1:19-20 msg
Friday, 06 August 2010
Look carefully how you walk, not as unwise, but as wise, making the best use of the time, because the days are evil.
Ephesians 5:15, 16
Thursday, 05 August 2010
All the people had enough to eat. When they finished, Jesus said to his followers, "Gather the pieces of fish and bread that were not eaten. Don't waste anything." So the followers gathered up the pieces that were left. The people had started eating with only five loaves of barley bread. But the followers filled twelve large baskets with the pieces of food that were left.
-- John 6:12-13 (ERV)
Wednesday, 04 August 2010
Jesus said to them,..."The Father loves the Son and shows him all that he himself is doing; and he will show him greater works than these, so that you will be astonished. Indeed, just as the Father raises the dead and gives them life, so also the Son gives life to whomever he wishes. The Father judges no one but has given all judgement to the Son, so that all may honor the Son just as they honor the Father. Anyone who does not honor the Son does not honor the Father who sent him. Very truly, I tell you, anyone who hears my word and believes him who sent me has eternal life, and does not come under judgement, but has passed from death to life."
John 5:19-24
Tuesday, 03 August 2010
This is how Jesus the Messiah was born. His mother, Mary, was engaged to be married to Joseph. But before the marriage took place, while she was still a virgin, she became pregnant through the power of the Holy Spirit.
-- Matthew 1:18 nlt
Monday, 02 August 2010
The commandments, "Do not commit adultery," "Do not murder," "Do not steal," "Do not covet," and whatever other commandment there may be, are summed up in this one rule: "Love your neighbor as yourself." Love does no harm to its neighbor. Therefore love is the fulfillment of the law.
-- Romans 13:9-10
Sunday, 01 August 2010
Thus says the LORD of hosts: "Do not listen to the words of the prophets who prophesy to you, filling you with vain hopes. They speak visions of their own minds, not from the mouth of the LORD. They say continually to those who despise the word of the LORD, 'It shall be well with you'; and to everyone who stubbornly follows his own heart, they say, 'No disaster shall come upon you.'"
Jeremiah 23:16, 17
Saturday, 31 July 2010
Now there are different gifts, but the same Spirit. There are different ministries, but the same Lord. And there are different activities, but the same God is active in everyone and everything. A manifestation of the Spirit is given to each person to produce what is beneficial.
1 Corinthians 12:4-7 HCSB
Friday, 30 July 2010
Then he began to teach them that the Son of Man must undergo great suffering, and be rejected by the elders, the chief priests, and the scribes, and be killed, and after three days rise again. He said all this quite openly. And Peter took him aside and began to rebuke him. But turning and looking at his disciples, he rebuked Peter and said, "Get behind me, Satan! For you are setting your mind not on divine things but on human things." - Mark 8:31-38
Follow Jesus and don't try to get Him to follow you!
Thursday, 29 July 2010
Let those who love the Lord hate evil, for he guards the lives of his faithful ones and delivers them from the hand of the wicked.
-- Psalm 97:10
Monday, 26 July 2010
Go on your way. See, I am sending you out like lambs into the midst of wolves. Carry no purse, no bag, no sandals; and greet no one on the road. Whatever house you enter, first say, 'Peace to this house!' And if anyone is there who shares in peace, your peace will rest on that person; but if not, it will return to you.
- Luke 10:3-6
Saturday, 24 July 2010
by Rev. Sean Lawrence
1 Thessalonians 2:4-7 & 4:9-12 Instead, just as we have been approved by God to be entrusted with the gospel, so we speak, not to please men, but rather God, who examines our hearts. For we never used flattering speech, as you know, or had greedy motives--God is our witness-- and we didn't seek glory from people, either from you or from others. Although we could have been a burden as Christ's apostles, instead we were gentle among you, as a nursing mother nurtures her own children.
About brotherly love: you don't need me to write you because you yourselves are taught by God to love one another. In fact, you are doing this toward all the brothers in the entire region of Macedonia. But we encourage you, brothers, to do so even more, to seek to lead a quiet life, to mind your own business, and to work with your own hands, as we commanded you, so that you may walk properly in the presence of outsiders and not be dependent on anyone. (eSword HCSB © 2005)
Paul says that it is not leadership, but the church as a body, that is about God’s business. This defies the conventional model that tells us that leadership is the church and the rest are but laborers. It is the body that indeed defines the church, not a handful of managers. If it is a cult of personality, known only by its senior pastorate, then it is honoring self, not God. That would make such a model [potentially] a pagan worship center with a false god at its helm. Avoid this. Do not be tempted.
One concept of the new church model is the upside-down pyramid with the base (now the top) being made up of the body. Another approach would be the hub and spoke model where leaders are at the center and the body radiates out like spokes. Either way, the burden of the church is born by the body, where the real strength is, not by a handful of designated leadership types. Our strength is in God, not men.
Primary mission: pleasing God, not men, as Christ’s disciples.
Paul speaks to the activities, and the examples of the body, more than he ever discusses leadership. There is a good reason for that. Leadership in the Christ-like model serves and does not glorify itself above the body. Christ pointed to God, not to Himself. We would do well to remember that deliberate focus.
Yes, leadership has the distinct duty to direct and facilitate, and has a specific calling to help mobilize; but they are also held accountable for that calling. Such a calling is not for everyone, but everyone has a specific calling.
Paul suggests: love one another, be gentle, strive to please God not men, do not be greedy, lead a quiet life, tend to your own business, work with your hands, walk the walk, and do not be a burden to others.
_______________
Rev. Sean Lawrence is a credentialed minister with Loving God Fellowship. He ministers and resides in Middletown, Ohio, with his wife Rebecca.
Friday, 23 July 2010
You thrill me, Lord, with all you have done for me! I sing for joy because of what you have done.
~ Psalm 92:4, NLT
Monday, 19 July 2010
It's hard to believe that July is here and half the year has already passed us by. I guess before we know it Christmas will be here. Wow I don't even want to think about that yet do you?
As I have been considering what to write on this month, I feel compelled to share with you Hebrews 12:1-3:NIV: "Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a great cloud of witnesses, let us throw off everything that hinders and the sin that so easily entangles, and let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us. Let us fix our eyes on Jesus, the author and perfecter of our faith, who for the joy set before Him endured the cross, scorning its shame, and sat down at the right hand of the throne of God. Consider him who endured such opposition from sinful men, so that you will not grow weary and lose heart." These three verses are what help me make it through yet another day in this sinful world we live in.
With the world's economy in such bad shape and all the natural disasters let alone the manmade ones, we as a world people are facing tough times. Many have lost just about everything one could possibly lose along with their self esteem and dignity. We truly are facing troubling times. But one thing I do know for sure is that God is still in control. He knows what you are going through and He will never leave you nor will He forsake you. So keep your eyes fixed on Jesus the author and perfecter of your faith no matter what your circumstances look like. Run the race marked out for you with perseverance and consider Jesus who endured such opposition from sinful men, so that YOU will not grow weary and lose heart. So be encouraged today the best is yet to come!
We thank God for all those who send in donations that allows us to minister the love of Christ to people all around the world. Please keep me, my family and the worldwide ministry of LovingGodFellowship.org in your prayers as we keep you in ours.
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Partners in the Faith,
Rev. Becky Johnson
Co-founder
LovingGodFellowship.org
Friday, 16 July 2010
"If my people, who are called by my name, will humble themselves and pray and seek my face and turn from their wicked ways, then will I hear from heaven and will forgive their sin and will heal their land."
-- 2 Chronicles 7:14
Wednesday, 14 July 2010
Give us this day our daily bread. And forgive us our debts, as we also have forgiven our debtors.
- Matthew 6:11-12
Tuesday, 13 July 2010
Unless the LORD builds the house, its builders labor in vain. Unless the LORD watches over the city, the watchmen stand guard in vain.
-- Psalm 127:1
Sunday, 11 July 2010
Blessings crown the head of the righteous, but violence overwhelms the mouth of the wicked.
-- Proverbs 10:6
Thursday, 08 July 2010
For six years you shall sow your land and gather in its yield; but the seventh year you shall let it rest and lie fallow, so that the poor of your people may eat; and what they leave the wild animals may eat. You shall do the same with your vineyard, and with your olive orchard.
- Exodus 23:10-11
Tuesday, 06 July 2010
Of course, there is great gain in godliness combined with contentment; for we brought nothing into the world, so that we can take nothing out of it; but if we have food and clothing, we will be content with these.
- 1 Timothy 6:6-8
Sunday, 04 July 2010
He gives power to the weak and strength to the powerless.
~ Isaiah 40:29, NLT
Friday, 02 July 2010
So I said, "Wisdom is better than might; yet the poor man's wisdom is despised, and his words are not heeded." The quiet words of the wise are more to be heeded than the shouting of a ruler among fools. Wisdom is better than weapons of war, but one bungler destroys much good.
- Ecclesiastes 9:16-18
Thursday, 01 July 2010
...His brilliant splendor fills the heavens, and the earth is filled with his praise.
~ Habakkuk 3:3, NLT
Tuesday, 29 June 2010
Moreover I saw under the sun that in the place of justice, wickedness was there, and in the place of righteousness, wickedness was there as well. I said in my heart, God will judge the righteous and the wicked, for he has appointed a time for every matter, and for every work.
- Ecclesiastes 3:16-17
Monday, 28 June 2010
Anyone can count the seeds in an apple... but only God can count the apples in a seed.
-- Author Unknown
Sunday, 27 June 2010
As we pray to our God and Father about you, we think of your faithful work, your loving deeds, and the enduring hope you have because of the Lord Jesus Christ.
~ 1 Thessalonians 1:3, NLT
Friday, 25 June 2010
When you come upon your enemy's ox or donkey going astray, you shall bring it back. When you see the donkey of one who hates you lying under its burden and you would hold back from setting it free, you must help to set it free.
- Exodus 23:4-5
Wednesday, 23 June 2010
...Only in returning to me and resting in me will you be saved. In quietness and confidence is your strength.
~ Isaiah 30:15, NLT
Thursday, 17 June 2010
You shall not oppress a resident alien; you know the heart of an alien, for you were aliens in the land of Egypt.
- Exodus 23:9
Tuesday, 15 June 2010
No one can serve two masters. For you will hate one and love the other; you will be devoted to one and despise the other.
~ Matthew 6:24, NLT
Monday, 14 June 2010
Dear children, let us not love with words or tongue but with actions and in truth.
-- 1 John 3:18
Saturday, 12 June 2010
[If one] does not oppress anyone, but restores to the debtor his pledge, commits no robbery, gives his bread to the hungry and covers the naked with a garment, does not take advance or accrued interest, withholds his hand from iniquity, executes true justice between contending parties, follows my statutes, and is careful to observe my ordinances, acting faithfully—such a one is righteous; he shall surely live, says the Lord God.
- Ezekiel 18:7-9 NRSV
Monday, 07 June 2010
Do not offer the parts of your body to sin, as instruments of wickedness, but rather offer yourselves to God, as those who have been brought from death to life; and offer the parts of your body to him as instruments of righteousness.
-- Romans 6:13
Sunday, 06 June 2010
After this he went out and saw a tax collector named Levi, sitting at the tax booth; and he said to him, "Follow me." And he got up, left everything, and followed him. Then Levi gave a great banquet for him in his house; and there was a large crowd of tax collectors and others sitting at the table with them. The Pharisees and their scribes were complaining to his disciples, saying, "Why do you eat and drink with tax collectors and sinners?" Jesus answered, "Those who are well have no need of a physician, but those who are sick; I have come to call not the righteous but sinners to repentance."
- Luke 5:27-32 NRSV
Wednesday, 02 June 2010
The mouths of the righteous utter wisdom,
and their tongues speak justice.
The law of their God is in their hearts;
their steps do not slip.
- Psalm 37:30-31
Monday, 31 May 2010
As [Jesus] came near and saw the city, he wept over it, saying, "If you, even you, had only recognized on this day the things that make for peace! But now they are hidden from your eyes."
- Luke 19:41-42
Saturday, 29 May 2010
The people of the land have practiced extortion and committed robbery; they have oppressed the poor and needy, and have extorted from the alien without redress. And I sought for anyone among them who would repair the wall and stand in the breach before me on behalf of the land, so that I would not destroy it; but I found no one.
- Ezekiel 22:29-30 NRSV
Friday, 28 May 2010
... Make me truly happy by agreeing wholeheartedly with each other, loving one another, and working together with one mind and purpose.
~ Philippians 2:1-2, NLT
Thursday, 27 May 2010
He has shown you, O man, what is good. And what does the LORD require of you? To act justly and to love mercy and to walk humbly with your God.
-- Micah 6:8
Tuesday, 25 May 2010
He will declare to his friends, I have sinned and twisted the truth, but it was not worth it.
~ Job 33:27, NLT
Sunday, 23 May 2010
You will keep in perfect peace all who trust in you, all whose thoughts are fixed on you!
~ Isaiah 26:3, NLT
Friday, 21 May 2010
But blessed are your eyes, for they see, and your ears, for they hear. Truly I tell you, many prophets and righteous people longed to see what you see, but did not see it, and to hear what you hear, but did not hear it. ~ Jesus
- Matthew 13:16-17
Thursday, 20 May 2010
Very truly, I tell you, you will weep and mourn, but the world will rejoice; you will have pain, but your pain will turn into joy. When a woman is in labor, she has pain, because her hour has come. But when her child is born, she no longer remembers the anguish because of the joy of having brought a human being into the world. So you have pain now; but I will see you again, and your hearts will rejoice, and no one will take your joy from you.
- John 16:20-22
Tuesday, 18 May 2010
If there is among you anyone in need, a member of your community in any of your towns within the land that the Lord your God is giving you, do not be hard-hearted or tight-fisted toward your needy neighbor. You should rather open your hand, willingly lending enough to meet the need, whatever it may be.
- Deuteronomy 15:7-8 NRSV
Monday, 17 May 2010
Live in harmony with each other. Don't be too proud to enjoy the company of ordinary people. And don't think you know it all!
~ Romans 12:16, NLT
Saturday, 15 May 2010
[Jesus] left that place and entered their synagogue; a man was there with a withered hand, and they asked him, "Is it lawful to cure on the sabbath?" so that they might accuse him. He said to them, "Suppose one of you has only one sheep and it falls into a pit on the sabbath; will you not lay hold of it and lift it out? How much more valuable is a human being than a sheep! So it is lawful to do good on the sabbath." Then he said to the man, "Stretch out your hand." He stretched it out, and it was restored, as sound as the other. But the Pharisees went out and conspired against him, how to destroy him.
- Matthew 12:9-14 NRSV
Thursday, 13 May 2010
What shall we say, then? Shall we go on sinning so that grace may increase? By no means! We died to sin; how can we live in it any longer?
-- Romans 6:1
Tuesday, 11 May 2010
So then, since Christ suffered physical pain, you must arm yourselves with the same attitude he had, and be ready to suffer, too.
~ 1 Peter 4:1, NLT
Sunday, 09 May 2010
When you beat your olive trees, do not strip what is left; it shall be for the alien, the orphan, and the widow. When you gather the grapes of your vineyard, do not glean what is left; it shall be for the alien, the orphan, and the widow. Remember that you were a slave in the land of Egypt; therefore I am commanding you to do this.
- Deuteronomy 24:20-22
Thursday, 06 May 2010
This was the guilt of your sister Sodom: she and her daughters had pride, excess of food, and prosperous ease, but did not aid the poor and needy.
- Ezekiel 16:49
Monday, 03 May 2010
But those who want to be rich fall into temptation and are trapped by many senseless and harmful desires that plunge people into ruin and destruction. For the love of money is a root of all kinds of evil, and in their eagerness to be rich some have wandered away from the faith and pierced themselves with many pains. But as for you, man of God, shun all this; pursue righteousness, godliness, faith, love, endurance, gentleness.
- 1 Timothy 6:9-11 NRSV
Saturday, 01 May 2010
Meanwhile the disciples were urging him, "Rabbi, eat something." But he said to them, "I have food to eat that you do not know about." So the disciples said to one another, "Surely no one has brought him something to eat?" Jesus said to them, "My food is to do the will of him who sent me and to complete his work."
- John 4:31-34
Thursday, 29 April 2010
For you have been a refuge to the poor,
a refuge to the needy in their distress,
a shelter from the rainstorm
and a shade from the heat.
- Isaiah 25:4
Tuesday, 27 April 2010
About midnight Paul and Silas were praying and singing hymns to God, and the other prisoners were listening to them. -- Acts 16:25
Monday, 26 April 2010
Very truly, I tell you, unless a grain of wheat falls into the earth and dies, it remains just a single grain; but if it dies, it bears much fruit. Those who love their life lose it, and those who hate their life in this world will keep it for eternal life.
- John 12:24-25 NRSV
Friday, 23 April 2010
Justice, and only justice, you shall pursue, so that you may live and occupy the land that the Lord your God is giving you.
- Deuteronomy 16:20
Wednesday, 21 April 2010
Pursue peace with everyone, and the holiness without which no one will see the Lord.
- Hebrews 12:14
Monday, 19 April 2010
Let the sea roar, and all that fills it;
the world and those who live in it.
Let the floods clap their hands;
let the hills sing together for joy
at the presence of the Lord,
for he is coming to judge the earth.
He will judge the world with righteousness,
and the peoples with equity.
- Psalm 98:7-9
Saturday, 17 April 2010
Then Jesus said to the Jews who had believed in him, "If you continue in my word, you are truly my disciples; and you will know the truth, and the truth will make you free."
- John 8:31-32 NRSV
Friday, 16 April 2010
I know that through your prayers and the help given by the Spirit of Jesus Christ, what has happened to me will turn out for my deliverance.
-- Philippians 1:19
Wednesday, 14 April 2010
How beautiful on the mountains are the feet of the messenger who brings good news.
~ Isaiah 52:7, NLT
Tuesday, 13 April 2010
The way of the LORD is a refuge for the righteous, but it is the ruin of those who do evil.
-- Proverbs 10:29
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