December 27, 2011

Acts 17:28 NIV
‘For in Him we live and move and have our being.’ As some of your own poets have said, ‘We are His offspring.’

Encouraging Words...
How wonderful it is to go through life knowing that you are His offspring and that I live in Him and through Him my every move and my whole being is covered by His love.

December 26, 2011

John 10:10 NLT
The thief’s purpose is to steal and kill and destroy. My purpose is to give life in all its fullness.

Personal Challenge...
Have you ever been in a place in your life where everything is really going the way that it should, but you still have that void in your life, that bout of sadness and remorse, that pain from mistakes in your past. If so, it is definitely a time to hold even tighter onto our Lord for it is probably the enemy trying to steal the joy that God is giving you. God's purpose for us is to give us a full life. Jesus claimed all victory over death and that was not just the death that we encounter physically at the end of our life here on earth, but those daily deaths that try to turn us away from the Source of Life.

December 23, 2011

Proverbs 18:10 NASB
The name of the LORD is a strong tower; The righteous runs into it and is safe.

Encouraging Words...
No matter what is going on in our lives we always have a place that we can run to and be safe...it is into the arms of our LORD.

December 22, 2011

Psalm 62:5 NIV
Find rest, O my soul, in God alone; my hope comes from him.

Encouraging Words...
Even in those times when life gets me down I know that I can find rest and hope in my God. He is my refuge.

December 21, 2011

Deuteronomy 7:9-10 NASB
“Know therefore that the LORD your God, He is God, the faithful God, who keeps His covenant and His lovingkindness to a thousandth generation with those who love Him and keep His commandments; but repays those who hate Him to their faces, to destroy them; He will not delay with him who hates Him, He will repay him to his face.”

Encouraging Words...
Isn't it a blessing when you know that you are covered by His covenant and His lovingkindness? Doesn't this build that desire in your heart to love Him more and to keep His commandments?

December 20, 2011

1 John 2:4-6 NASB
The one who says, “I have come to know Him,” and does not keep His commandments, is a liar, and the truth is not in him; but whoever keeps His word, in him the love of God has truly been perfected. By this we know that we are in Him: the one who says he abides in Him ought himself to walk in the same manner as He walked.

Personal Challenge...
It is not enough to go through life saying that I am a Christian, because _______ (you fill in the blank). It is necessary for us to live our lives, every moment of them, being a lover of Him and those whom He has placed in our lives, obeying His commandments, and doing His work, not in order to earn His love but because of His love. Being a Christian is not a noun, it is an active verb.

December 19, 2011

James 1:5-6 NASB
But if any of you lacks wisdom, let him ask of God, who gives to all generously and without reproach, and it will be given to him. But he must ask in faith without any doubting, for the one who doubts is like the surf of the sea, driven and tossed by the wind.

Encouraging Words...
As I begin the trek through Proverbs I am reminded of how much that book talks about wisdom, Godly wisdom. Just as Solomon requested wisdom when he had the opportunity to ask for anything from God, we have the opportunity to ask God to give us wisdom. He will give it to us generously if we ask for it in faith and without any doubt. God is so good.

December 16, 2011

Romans 12:1-2 NIV
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.

Personal Challenge...
We Christians in the modern world have gotten so used to having our God conform to our desires, our society, our way of being. However, we are told to offer ourselves to Him as living sacrifices, to do what is holy and pleasing to Him (which is always different than what is pleasing to me and those in this world), to not conform to the pattern of this world, but transformed by Him. This is all definitely a personal challenge for me, but the results are so worth it...the ability to test and approve God's good, pleasing, and perfect will in and through my life.

December 15, 2011

Luke 18:27 NLT
He (Jesus) replied, “What is impossible from a human perspective is possible with God.”

Personal Challenge...
Once again I must be reminded that it is not up to me to do the impossible thing, whether it be raising support so that I can keep working in Haiti, or doing the work that I am called every day to do, or being loving to those whom God has put in my life, or being a good husband, father, grandparent, brother, friend, or neighbor. The sooner that I can embrace that all things are possible through God and that I must humble myself before Him and let Him do the impossible, the sooner I will see His hand in my life.

December 14, 2011

Proverbs 16:18 NIV
Pride goes before destruction, a haughty spirit before a fall.

Personal Challenge...
Isn't this the one sin that seems to be the root of most other sins? Pride...making it all about me, hearing things in conversations through a filter that is all about me, expressing what I express from the perspective of me. This is one of my ongoing personal challenges...eliminating the focus on me and putting the focus on others, with Love.

December 13, 2011

Psalm 133 NASB
Behold, how good and how pleasant it is For brothers to dwell together in unity! It is like the precious oil upon the head, Coming down upon the beard, Even Aaron’s beard, Coming down upon the edge of his robes. It is like the dew of Hermon Coming down upon the mountains of Zion; For there the LORD commanded the blessing--life forever.

Personal Challenge...
I always love it when new verses jump out at me during my reading times.

Unity amongst the brethren...isn't this what God wants for His children? So much so that Jesus prayed for it and Paul taught about it. Who are we in the church today that we believe we can generate disunity because we disagree with how our brothers worship the Lord or call upon His name. It is God who determines the condition of a person's heart, not me. Come Lord Jesus, Come!!

December 12, 2011

Psalm 46:10 NASB
Cease striving and know that I am God; I will be exalted among the nations, I will be exalted in the earth.

Personal Challenge...
Hmmm...Cease striving and know that I am God. I guess the psalmist is telling us that it is not about what I do, or what I know, but that God is who He is. He will be exalted and I have nothing to do with that exaltation. He wants me to stop trying to make it happen on my own accord and just rest in knowing that He is God and that He will be exalted.

December 9, 2011

‎1 Kings 8:22-24 NASB
Then Solomon stood before the altar of the LORD in the presence of all the assembly of Israel and spread out his hands toward heaven. He said, “O LORD, the God of Israel, there is no God like You in heaven above or on earth beneath, keeping covenant and showing lovingkindness to Your servants who walk before You with all their heart, who have kept with Your servant, my father David, that which You have promised him; indeed, You have spoken with Your mouth and have fulfilled it with Your hand as it is this day.

Words of Encouragement...
Have you ever had someone ask you why in the world would you be a Christian? I have and this proclamation by Solomon so many years ago is still as good today as it was then. I am a Christian because I am in a relationship with a God that is alive and constant. He has always been there for mankind (since He created us) and He always will be. He has redeemed us from death through His Son and established His Bride, His Church of which I am a part. All that the world has to offer is temporary and fleeting. Why would I not be a Christian? That is the real question.

December 8, 2011

‎2 Peter 1:5-7 NIV
For this very reason, make every effort to add to your faith goodness; and to goodness, knowledge; and to knowledge, self-control; and to self-control, perseverance; and to perseverance, godliness; and to godliness, brotherly kindness; and to brotherly kindness, love.

Personal Challenge...
Have you ever had someone call you a wimp, or weak, because you are a Christian? Well to be truthful, Christianity is not for the weak. I know that our strength does not come from us, but from God, but to live a life based on goodness, knowledge, self-control, perseverance, godliness, brotherly kindness, and most importantly love is to live a most difficult and challenging life. Oh how often I fail in all of these areas, but by the grace of God He is there to pick me up and help me start all over again.

December 7, 2011

Hebrews 4:9-10 NLT
So there is a special rest {Or Sabbath rest.} still waiting for the people of God. For all who enter into God’s rest will find rest from their labors, just as God rested after creating the world.

Encouraging Words...
Talk about having something to hope for...how wonderful it will be when that day arrives for me as I enter into God's rest. Thank goodness that we have a Sabbath rest, but it is only a shadow of an image of what it will be like when I finally enter into that permanent rest with Him.

December 6, 2011

‎1 Timothy 6:11-12 NASB
But flee from these things, you man of God, and pursue righteousness, godliness, faith, love, perseverance and gentleness. Fight the good fight of faith; take hold of the eternal life to which you were called, and you made the good confession in the presence of many witnesses.

Personal Challenge...
In this passage Paul is encouraging Timothy (and us) to flee from the things of the world and to pursue the things of God. We are commanded to pursue righteousness, godliness, faith, love, perseverance and gentleness. We are told that this will be a fight and a struggle, but it is a good fight, one that will allow us to grasp ahold of eternal life. Sometimes the struggle is within, our thoughts and desires for the world and the things of the world. Sometimes the struggle will be with those around us, our friends, our families, our acquaintances who want us to hold onto the things of the world rather than the things of God. It is good to know that we can fight the good fight because we have been called, and therefore equipped, to do it.

December 5, 2011

Philippians 4:8-9 NASB

Finally, brethren, whatever is true, whatever is honorable, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is of good repute, if there is any excellence and if anything worthy of praise, dwell on these things. The things you have learned and received and heard and seen in me, practice these things, and the God of peace will be with you.

Personal Challenge...
It is so easy to slip into a state of sadness, depression, and even anger when we receive bad news. In those times when our hopes and plans for the future seem to be blasted out of the water because of someone's decision it is important to remember that this call to dwell on what is true, honorable, right, pure, lovely, and of good repute is a call to hold onto those things that bring us peace. When we do this then we can begin to bless those in our lives who make decisions that impact our lives rather than lash out at them and cause more hurt. We are to do all that we do in love.

December 2, 2011

John 15:15-17 NASB
No longer do I call you slaves, for the slave does not know what his master is doing; but I have called you friends, for all things that I have heard from My Father I have made known to you. You did not choose Me but I chose you, and appointed you that you would go and bear fruit, and that your fruit would remain, so that whatever you ask of the Father in My name He may give to you. This I command you, that you love one another.

Words of Encouragement...
I recently had the opportunity to teach a class on cultural sensitivity to a team that is heading to Haiti in March. This is one of the passages that I share in the training as a reminder that we are not slaves in Christ, but His friends. He shares His love to us much more deeply than if we were slaves. As a matter of fact, as slaves, no love is required. He has picked me so that He can pour out His love on me and share His Father with me. He then commands me to pass this love on to those around me.

December 1, 2011

Luke 2:52 NIV
And Jesus grew in wisdom and stature, and in favor with God and men.

Words of Encouragement...
So many religions worship a concept or an idea...we however worship a living God that became a man. He did not instantly appear as the newest and latest guru, but was born of a poor family, in poor and desolate times. His hospital room was a manger surrounded by the farm animals of the day. He also grew up like everyone of us did, facing daily challenges, emotions, and situations. We worship and serve a God that has navigated the road of a normal human life so that in Him we can find life, joy, rest, peace, love, and eternity. He knows what we are going through because He went through it as well.

November 30, 2011

Hosea 2:20-21 NLT
I will be faithful to you and make you mine, and you will finally know me as LORD. “In that day,” says the LORD, “I will answer the pleading of the sky for clouds, which will pour down water on the earth in answer to its cries for rain.

Words of Encouragement...
Sometimes we go through long, dry periods in our lives waiting for the clouds to come and bring forth life giving rain. For some of us that waiting may be our entire lives. But the wonderful thing is that if we keep pursuing God and seeking His presence in our lives He will be faithful to us and hold us as His own. We will truly know Him and in that relationship the rain will come and we will be nourished and refreshed. It is the knowing Him as LORD, on His terms and not on ours, that is the difficult part.

November 29, 2011

Ecclesiastes 3:1-8, 11 NIV
There is a time for everything, a season for every activity under heaven. A time to be born and a time to die. A time to plant and a time to harvest. A time to kill and a time to heal. A time to tear down and a time to rebuild. A time to cry and a time to laugh. A time to grieve and a time to dance. A time to scatter stones and a time to gather stones. A time to embrace and a time to turn away. A time to search and a time to lose. A time to keep and a time to throw away. A time to tear and a time to mend. A time to be quiet and a time to speak up. A time to love and a time to hate. A time for war and a time for peace.

God has made everything beautiful for its own time.

Words of Encouragement...
I have posted this one before, but is is such a great reminder of the importance of events in our lives. We all have those times when we feel abandoned or attacked or just plain out of sorts. Life has its ups and its downs. What is important is how we view the entire journey and recognize that God is always there for us and that it is He who puts the people in our lives that will always stand by our side.

November 28, 2011

Psalm 9:1-2 NASB
I will give thanks to the LORD with all my heart; I will tell of all Thy wonders. I will be glad and exult in Thee; I will sing praise to Thy name, O Most High.

Word of Encouragement...
When in the midst of those times that it seems like your hopes are gone...give thanks to the LORD. When life seems to be throwing rotten tomatoes at you...give thanks to the LORD. In all that we do we are to give thanks to the LORD, for He is great, He is wonderful, He will see us through those dark and lonely time. Give thanks to the LORD will all of your heart.

November 22, 2011

Psalm 100 NASB <<A Psalm for Thanksgiving>>
Shout joyfully to the LORD, all the earth. Serve the LORD with gladness; Come before Him with joyful singing. Know that the LORD Himself is God; It is He who has made us, and not we ourselves; We are His people and the sheep of His pasture. Enter His gates with thanksgiving And His courts with praise. Give thanks to Him, bless His name. For the LORD is good; His lovingkindness is everlasting And His faithfulness to all generations.

Words of Encouragement...
This week of Thanksgiving seemed like a great time to post this Psalm. Happy Thanks Giving!!!

November 21, 2011

Philippians 3:12-14 NASB
Not that I have already obtained it or have already become perfect, but I press on so that I may lay hold of that for which also I was laid hold of by Christ Jesus. Brethren, I do not regard myself as having laid hold of it yet; but one thing I do: forgetting what lies behind and reaching forward to what lies ahead, I press on toward the goal for the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus.

Personal Challenge...
We often hear life described as a journey. Our Christian life is definitely a journey, and often one that can be filled with difficulty and challenges. It is those difficulties and challenges that better equip us for the work that our Lord has in store for us to do. No matter how far along we are in this journey we still have much further to go. And sometimes we must leave behind those things that might hold us back or distract us from our calling.

It is difficult to do this and yet it is so necessary. For me, sometimes the most challenging part of leaving these things behind is how much they try to pull me back. Sometimes its things, sometimes its people, sometimes its the institutions or organizations that we have left behind. Sometimes their need to keep us there is so strong to them that they will even do us harm to keep us where they are.

Our blessing, our prize, is at the end of the journey, but our Lord loves us so much that He will walk beside us, guide us, meet our needs along the way, blessing us as long as we stay true to Him and His calling.

November 18, 2011

Acts 17:28 NIV
‘For in him we live and move and have our being.’ As some of your own poets have said, ‘We are his offspring.’

Personal Challenge...
If we are truly a follower of Christ then He will permeate our entire life. It amazes me how easy it has become for us who claim to be Christians to compartmentalize our lives. We live one way on Sunday and another way at work, or at home, or in private. If we are a child of God then all of our life, all of our being is in Him.

This does take work when we live in a world that is also compartmentalized. I must constantly weigh what I think and do against His values, His plans, His truth and then choose to be obedient to Him. I am often sobered when at the end of the day I look back and ask the question, "Did people see Jesus today in my life?"

November 17, 2011

John 15:9-11 NASB
Just as the Father has loved Me, I have also loved you; abide in My love. If you keep My commandments, you will abide in My love; just as I have kept My Father’s commandments and abide in His love. These things I have spoken to you so that My joy may be in you, and that your joy may be made full.

Encouraging Words...
If we are followers of Christ then we are not on this journey through life alone. If we keep His commandments: love the Lord our God with all of our heart, soul, mind and strength, and love our neighbor as ourselves, then we will be abiding in His love. We will have lives that are filled with His joy and presence.

November 16, 2011

Proverbs 14:30 NASB
A tranquil heart is life to the body, But passion is rottenness to the bones.

Personal Challenge...
It is so much more valuable to us, to our health, to our well-being, to our life, to be at peace with what we have and where we are in our lives. This is having a tranquil heart. It does not mean that we do not keep trying to improve our lives or to do better, but it does mean that we do not desire these things to the point that they become our gods.

November 15, 2011

Psalm 5:11-12 NASB
But let all who take refuge in You be glad, Let them ever sing for joy; And may You shelter them, That those who love Your name may exult in You. For it is You who blesses the righteous man, O LORD, You surround him with favor as with a shield.

Encouraging Words...
If we are a child of God then we are never alone. We can take refuge in His mighty and loving arms and be glad. We can sing for joy and be sheltered. We can exult Him. He is the one who blesses us and surrounds us with His favor. These are His promises to His children...claim them and live within them.

November 14, 2011

Esther 4:13-16 NASB
Then Mordecai told them to reply to Esther, “Do not imagine that you in the king’s palace can escape any more than all the Jews. “For if you remain silent at this time, relief and deliverance will arise for the Jews from another place and you and your father’s house will perish. And who knows whether you have not attained royalty for such a time as this?” Then Esther told them to reply to Mordecai, “Go, assemble all the Jews who are found in Susa, and fast for me; do not eat or drink for three days, night or day. I and my maidens also will fast in the same way. And thus I will go in to the king, which is not according to the law; and if I perish, I perish.”

Personal Challenge...
As I have been reading through the Bible I came across this passage and it really jumped out at me. Here Esther is in the perfect place in the palace of the king where she can save her people from an impending disaster. Upon expressing her concern that if she does what she is being asked the law says that she could be put to death.

Mordecai's answer is what hit me so hard. He informs Esther that maybe God put her where she was for this very purpose, but that it was her choice whether or not she acted as needed. He also told her that if she did not do this then God would certainly raise up someone else to do it in her stead.

Esther's response also struck me...she chose to step out in faith and trust in God, and if the result was her death, then that was okay. She also stepped out in this act of faith fasting an praying for God's protection, as well as having everyone around her fast and pray as well.

November 11, 2011

‎1 Peter 3:8-12 NASB
To sum up, all of you be harmonious, sympathetic, brotherly, kindhearted, and humble in spirit; not returning evil for evil or insult for insult, but giving a blessing instead; for you were called for the very purpose that you might inherit a blessing. For, “LET HIM WHO MEANS TO LOVE LIFE AND SEE GOOD DAYS REFRAIN HIS TONGUE FROM EVIL AND HIS LIPS FROM SPEAKING GUILE. AND LET HIM TURN AWAY FROM EVIL AND DO GOOD; LET HIM SEEK PEACE AND PURSUE IT. FOR THE EYES OF THE LORD ARE UPON THE RIGHTEOUS, AND HIS EARS ATTEND TO THEIR PRAYER, BUT THE FACE OF THE LORD IS AGAINST THOSE WHO DO EVIL.”

Personal Challenge...
Whoever said that living the life of a Christian was easy was grossly mistaken. It is not just suggested that we live a certain way, but it is commanded. And what are some of the ways that we are commanded to live? Harmonious, sympathetic, brotherly, kindhearted, and humble in spirit; not returning evil for evil or insult for insult, but giving a blessing instead. We are to refrain our tongue from evil and our lips from guile, to turn away from evil and do good. We are to seek peace and pursue it. Only though the work of Jesus Christ and the power of the Holy Spirit can we ever hope to achieve this.

November 10, 2011

‎1 Thessalonians 2:3-4 NASB
For our exhortation does not come from error or impurity or by way of deceit; but just as we have been approved by God to be entrusted with the gospel, so we speak, not as pleasing men, but God who examines our hearts.

Personal Challenge...
God expects us to represent Him and His gospel without error, impurity, or deceit. This can be a difficult and sobering responsibility...especially when the world is so full of teachings such as the gospel according to Fox, or the gospel according to CNN, or the gospel according to my political party, or the gospel according to my own needs and desires, or the gospel according to ________ (fill in the blank). It is not my gospel, or the gospel of men, that we are called to share...it is His gospel.

November 9, 2011

Colossians 3:23-24 NASB
Whatever you do, do your work heartily, as for the Lord rather than for men, knowing that from the Lord you will receive the reward of the inheritance. It is the Lord Christ whom you serve.

Command with a Promise...
If we do all that we do, everything in life, heartily and as if we are doing it for the Lord (which we are) then we will receive His reward that He has in store for us. That reward may not measure up to worldly standards, but we are not to be striving after worldly perfection or rewards but spiritual perfection and rewards.

November 8, 2011

Mark 9:32-35 NASB
But they did not understand this statement, and they were afraid to ask Him. And they came to Capernaum; and when He was in the house, He began to question them, “What were you discussing on the way?” But they kept silent, for on the way they had discussed with one another which of them was the greatest. And sitting down, He called the twelve and *said to them, “If anyone wants to be first, he shall be last of all, and servant of all.”

Personal Challenge...
Servant? Who wants to be a servant? We are told all of our lives that we should strive to be in charge, to be in front, to be the leader and not the follower. But the greatest leader of all time, Jesus, chose the path of being a servant leader. He set the pattern for us to serve those in our lives and to put them first. This is so contrary to what the world (often including the the church) teaches and yet so rewarding when done with the intent to be more like Him.

November 7, 2011

Psalm 3:3-4 NASB
But You, O LORD, are a shield about me, My glory, and the One who lifts my head. I was crying to the LORD with my voice, And He answered me from His holy mountain.

Words of Encouragement...
It is so encouraging to know that we serve a God that is not some dead idol made out of wood or stone or precious metal, but a Living God, a caring God, the Creator of all. He hears our voices and He is present in our lives...especially when we follow and obey Him.

November 4, 2011

2 Kings 6:16 NASB
So he (Elisha) answered, "Do not fear, for those who are with us are more than those who are with them."

Words of Encouragement...
Have you ever had one of those days where it feels like you are standing all alone in the battle of life facing humongous odds against you? Well Elisha and his servant did. His servant was ready to run in fear until Elisha had his eyes opened up so that he could see the heavenly host that had been gathered together to take their side. Our battle is not against flesh and blood, but against the principalities of this world. We are not alone, we just need our eyes opened to see Who is really on our side...as long as we are on His.

November 3, 2011

‎1 John 1:5-7 NASB
This is the message we have heard from Him and announce to you, that God is Light, and in Him there is no darkness at all. If we say that we have fellowship with Him and yet walk in the darkness, we lie and do not practice the truth; but if we walk in the Light as He Himself is in the Light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus His Son cleanses us from all sin.

Personal Challenge...
We often think of walking in darkness as walking in sin... purposely choosing to live a life that we know that would be dishonoring to God. However, this also means doing those little things that we would not be considered sin by the measurement of the culture around us.

One that I can think of is in the language that we use about, or to, those around us. Do I build people up or tear them down? Do I offer grace in my words, even to those that I do not like or agree with, or do I offer criticism and cynicism? Do I speak with the love of Jesus or the malice of Jerry Seinfield? Do I show and speak love to those around me (physically and virtually in the Internet world) or do I tear them down?

November 2, 2011

Hebrews 4:14-16 NASB
Therefore, since we have a great high priest who has passed through the heavens, Jesus the Son of God, let us hold fast our confession. For we do not have a high priest who cannot sympathize with our weaknesses, but One who has been tempted in all things as we are, yet without sin. Therefore let us draw near with confidence to the throne of grace, so that we may receive mercy and find grace to help in time of need.

Words of Encouragement...
It amazes me that when you look at all the other religions and "non-religions" around the world you find that the god that is being pursued, or the end that is desired, is so far from human reach. It is never possible to know if you will "make it".

However, for true Christianity we are reminded that since we are inadequate and incapable to reach God on our own, God came to us through His Son Jesus Christ. Jesus lived a life as a man, like all of us. He was tempted, but never gave in to the temptation. He suffered, but always remained true to His Father. He laughed and cried and played with children. He knows what it is to be human...up close and personal. And because of Him and His sacrifice we who believe in Him have a means by which we can reach God. Now that is encouraging!

November 1, 2011

Ephesians 3:14-19
For this reason I bow my knees before the Father, from whom every family in heaven and on earth derives its name, that He would grant you, according to the riches of His glory, to be strengthened with power through His Spirit in the inner man, so that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith; and that you, being rooted and grounded in love, may be able to comprehend with all the saints what is the breadth and length and height and depth, and to know the love of Christ which surpasses knowledge, that you may be filled up to all the fullness of God.

Words of Encouragement...
How much does God love His children? He loves us so much that it is not possible to define it in our meager, finite human terms. If I am loved that much, then how can I not show love to those whom God has placed in my life?

October 31, 2011

Romans 12:9 NLT
Don’t just pretend that you love others. Really love them. Hate what is wrong. Stand on the side of the good.

Personal Challenge...
I love how the NLT presents this verse. It is so easy for me to act, or pretend, like I am loving others. But, God can see through that facade. If I am to be living out my relationship with Christ, my sonship through Christ, then my love for others must be real, it must be sacrificial, it must be for their good...even if it means giving up my desires to be right. This is how God wants me to shine His light in this dark and gloomy world.

October 28, 2011

Luke 11:17 NASB
He knew their thoughts, so he said, “Any kingdom at war with itself is doomed. A divided home is also doomed.

Personal Challenge...
I have always seen this verse used to defend Christ as the Son of God and the miracles that He performed. But couldn't it also be a warning to us in the church? A warning to stop being a divided church, arguing with each other over who has the "true" expression of the gospel and the "true" right to call themselves Christians.

October 27, 2011

Zechariah 7:9-10 NASB
“Thus has the LORD of hosts said, ‘Dispense true justice, and practice kindness and compassion each to his brother; and do not oppress the widow or the orphan, the stranger or the poor; and do not devise evil in your hearts against one another.’

Personal Challenge...
This is one message that is consistant throughout the Bible, both old testament and new testament. We are to love our neighbor and take care of those in need. I guess it is in there in so many places, so many different ways, because people like me need to be reminded about this a lot.

October 26, 2011

Proverbs 21:21
He who pursues righteousness and loyalty Finds life, righteousness and honor.

Command with a Promise...
Pursue righteousness and loyalty (NIV says "love") and you will find life, righteousness, and honor. This is so contrary to what the world teaches. We are told to pursue success and wealth, knowledge and power, self-gratification and instant everything. It is the pursuit of God and the love for those whom He has put in our lives that will yield a full and righteous life.

This is the doctrine that Jesus based His teaching on, "Jesus answered, “The foremost is, ‘HEAR, O ISRAEL! THE LORD OUR GOD IS ONE LORD; AND YOU SHALL LOVE THE LORD YOUR GOD WITH ALL YOUR HEART, AND WITH ALL YOUR SOUL, AND WITH ALL YOUR MIND, AND WITH ALL YOUR STRENGTH.’ The second is this, ‘YOU SHALL LOVE YOUR NEIGHBOR AS YOURSELF.’ There is no other commandment greater than these.”

October 25, 2011

Psalm 1:1-3 NASB
How blessed is the man who does not walk in the counsel of the wicked, Nor stand in the path of sinners, Nor sit in the seat of scoffers! But his delight is in the law of the LORD, And in His law he meditates day and night. And he will be like a tree firmly planted by streams of water, Which yields its fruit in its season, And its leaf does not wither; And in whatever he does, he prospers.

Words of Encouragement...
Have you ever had those times in your life when you wondered if all of the time spent going to church, reading the scripture, being silent in prayer was worth it. I can vaguely remember feeling this way in my younger years...but now as I get to ride the roller-coaster on the downhill side I can look back and say with JOY, "It has all been worth it, it has been wonderful to be planted by streams of living water, to be able to yield fruit, to not wither, and to be prosperous in Him. I cherish the opportunity to continue walk through life delighting in the law of the LORD and meditating upon Him."

October 24, 2011

‎1 Kings 22:5 NASB
Moreover, Jehoshaphat said to the king of Israel, “Please inquire first for the word of the LORD.”

Personal Challenge...
Have you every wondered what is the first step for any decision that you need to make...no mater how big or how small. Go to the Lord and see what He wants you to do. This is so much easier said than done, but it is the best way to walk through life.

October 21, 2011

‎1 John 4:10-12 NLT
This is real love. It is not that we loved God, but that he loved us and sent his Son as a sacrifice to take away our sins. Dear friends, since God loved us that much, we surely ought to love each other. No one has ever seen God. But if we love each other, God lives in us, and his love has been brought to full expression through us.

Personal Challenge...
Love...such a misunderstood word, concept and command. Oh, how often I slip into the mode of loving those around me according to the world's standard of love. Then I am reminded to go read 1 Corinthians 13. That is when I realize that the commandment by our Lord to love our neighbor is to not to love them the way the world loves, but the way that God loves. Definitely a lifelong challenge, but one that is worth pursuing.

October 20, 2011

‎1 Corinthians 10:24 NASB
Let no one seek his own good, but that of his neighbor.

Personal Challenge...
Here comes that age old question, "Who is my neighbor?" Well, that was answered two thousand years ago...anyone, everyone, those you love, those who are your enemies, those who think and act the same way that you do, those who don't, those who worship God the same way that you do, those who don't.

But then we ask, "What does it mean to seek their good?" It does not just mean being nice to them, but it means to love them, to put them and their needs before my own. It means not only avoiding calling them names or avoiding them altogether, but going out of your way to be the image of Christ to them. It means eliminating hurtful, cutting, snide, derogatory, insulting, cynical, sarcastic vocabulary from our language and speaking the truth in gentle, kind, loving ways.

October 19, 2011

Acts 5:40-42 NIV
His (Gamaliel) speech persuaded them. They called the apostles in and had them flogged. Then they ordered them not to speak in the name of Jesus, and let them go. The apostles left the Sanhedrin, rejoicing because they had been counted worthy of suffering disgrace for the Name. Day after day, in the temple courts and from house to house, they never stopped teaching and proclaiming the good news that Jesus is the Christ.

Personal Challenge...
Having grown up in the United States and in the church here I have never been really persecuted for my beliefs. I read of the apostles and the early fathers of the church and see how in the midst of vicious and life-taking persecution they receive the persecution joyfully and then go right back to sharing the good news of Jesus Christ knowing full well that they will be persecuted again. It makes me wonder...how will we as modern day Christians respond today to this kind of persecution. Are we (am I) able to separate our life in Christ from our politics, our worldly passions, our safe institutions and stand for Him alone?

October 17, 2011

Luke 6:41-42 NIV (Jesus speaking)
“Why do you look at the speck of sawdust in your brother’s eye and pay no attention to the plank in your own eye? How can you say to your brother, ‘Brother, let me take the speck out of your eye,’ when you yourself fail to see the plank in your own eye? You hypocrite, first take the plank out of your eye, and then you will see clearly to remove the speck from your brother’s eye."

Personal Challenge...
Oh how often I need to be reminded that it is my responsibility to take care of and discipline myself. When I forget this I start looking at those around me and start trying to take care of them and discipline them. That, howeever, is not my job or my responsibility.

October 12, 2011

Psalm 37:23-24 NLT
The steps of the godly are directed by the LORD. He delights in every detail of their lives. Though they stumble, they will not fall, for the LORD holds them by the hand.

Words of Encouragement...
It is so empowering to know that I am not on this journey of life alone.

October 11, 2011

James 2:1-4 NASB
My brethren, do not hold your faith in our glorious Lord Jesus Christ with an attitude of personal favoritism. For if a man comes into your assembly with a gold ring and dressed in fine clothes, and there also comes in a poor man in dirty clothes, and you pay special attention to the one who is wearing the fine clothes, and say, “You sit here in a good place,” and you say to the poor man, “You stand over there, or sit down by my footstool,” have you not made distinctions among yourselves, and become judges with evil motives?

Personal Challenge...
This passage reminds me that I must hold onto my faith in Jesus Christ as a gift from God. It is not for me to judge those around me whom have also been given this gift yet express it in ways different than me. I must be careful to not act as if my expression of this faith is the only right and true way and therefore treat my fellow brothers and sisters as inferior (unsaved) because they do not have my vocabulary or expressions of faith. It is God's responsibility to judge the hearts of His children. It is my responsibility to humble myself before Him and be His vessel used by Him and for Him.

October 10, 2011

‎2 Corinthians 5:20-21 NIV
We are therefore Christ’s ambassadors, as though God were making his appeal through us. We implore you on Christ’s behalf: Be reconciled to God. God made him who had no sin to be sin for us, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God.

Personal Challenge...
I must always remember that life is not about me or my desires anymore. As an ambassador I may be the only image that those around me have of those whom I am representing (God and His kingdom). It is through my living testimony that these people can have a glimpse into the glory of God and the salvation He provides through Jesus. What a powerful reminder to always be showing God's love to my "neighbor".

October 7, 2011

Luke 1:50 NIV
His mercy extends to those who fear him, from generation to generation.

Words of Encouragement...
It is so wonderful, so freeing, to know that we serve a merciful God.

October 6, 2011

Psalm 40:4-5 NLT
Oh, the joys of those who trust the LORD, who have no confidence in the proud, or in those who worship idols. O LORD my God, you have done many miracles for us. Your plans for us are too numerous to list. If I tried to recite all your wonderful deeds, I would never come to the end of them.

Personal Challenge...
I am so thankful that we are held in the hands of the God of eternity and that He is the one that determines everything. It is not the doctrines, systems, or works of myself or other men and women that determines our place in eternity, but God Himself. As we all look at death today because of so great a reminder we can know that God is in control in ways that we will never be able to imagine and that He is the one who discerns the righteous from the unrighteous. It is up to me to humble myself before Him and call out, "Lord have Mercy!!!"

October 5, 2011

Job 1:21 NASB
He said, “Naked I came from my mother’s womb, And naked I shall return there. The LORD gave and the LORD has taken away. Blessed be the name of the LORD.”

Personal Challenge...

Talk about having a real relationship with his Lord! Job has just lost everything that he had in his life and still he stands firm in his love for his Father. What a challenge this is for me. How easy it is to slip into that mode of blaming God or other people for the bad things that happen in my life when it is just life happening. "Blessed by the name of the LORD." needs to always be the first response on my lips.

October 4, 2011

‎1 John 3:18 NIV
Dear children, let us not love with words or tongue but with actions and in truth.

Personal Challenge...
It is so easy to talk about loving others, whether it be our family and dear ones, strangers, or even our enemies. It is an entirely different thing to love them with our actions. It is even more of a challenge to love them in truth, to truly love them and not do it because I think it makes me look good in God's (and everyone around us) eyes. This is not an option if I profess that I am a child of God, it is a command.

October 3, 2011

Galatians 2:20 NASB
“I have been crucified with Christ; and it is no longer I who live, but Christ lives in me; and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave Himself up for me."

Words of Encouragement...
Jesus loved us enough to give Himself up for us. But He did not stop there, as His child my life has been crucified with Him and He now lives within me. This is a mystery and I am okay with that. Through Him I can be transformed into the person that He desires me to be.

September 30, 2011

Matthew 26:41 NLT (Jesus speaking)
"Keep alert and pray. Otherwise temptation will overpower you. For though the spirit is willing enough, the body is weak!”

Personal Challenge...
Temptation, that terrible thing that creeps up on us and surprises us...leading us to do something that we really don't want to do. But here Jesus tells us how to defeat temptation. Keep alert and be constantly in prayer. Isn't one of the best defenses a good offense? I cannot be lazy in my life, I cannot let acedia (check out this old word) stake it's claim in my life, if I want to overpower temptation in my life.

September 29, 2011

Proverbs 9:9-12 NLT
Teach the wise, and they will be wiser. Teach the righteous, and they will learn more. Fear of the LORD is the beginning of wisdom. Knowledge of the Holy One results in understanding. Wisdom will multiply your days and add years to your life. If you become wise, you will be the one to benefit. If you scorn wisdom, you will be the one to suffer.

Personal Challenge...
I love reading through the Proverbs. There are so many tidbits of great wisdom there. Not the kind of wisdom that the world tries to impress upon us, but the wisdom that comes from the God of eternity. Oh that I would be a good pupil and soak it all in, then most importantly...live it out in my life.

September 28, 2011

Nehemiah 6:16 NASB
When all our enemies heard of it, and all the nations surrounding us saw it, they lost their confidence; for they recognized that this work had been accomplished with the help of our God.

Words of Encouragement...
The book of Nehemiah captures the story of the exiled children of God returning to Jerusalem to rebuild their city. While they are doing this all of the people and kings around them kept taunting them and trying to frighten them into stopping the work. However, under Nehemiah's guidance, and his commitment to listen to, and follow his God's leading, they completed the task in 52 days.

This story offers a powerful reminder to us who follow Jesus even today...listen to the leading of God, stay true to His teachings, do not listen to the taunts of those around us (sometimes from those whom sound like they might be representing God), and keep doing the tasks that He has given you. And the results...our enemies will loose their confidence, not because of anything that we have done, but because of what God has done through us.

September 27, 2011

‎1 Chronicles 28:9 NASB
As for you, my son Solomon, know the God of your father, and serve Him with a whole heart and a willing mind; for the LORD searches all hearts, and understands every intent of the thoughts. If you seek Him, He will let you find Him; but if you forsake Him, He will reject you forever.

Encouraging Words...
As David passed his kingship on to his son Solomon he admonished him to know God, to serve Him with a whole heart and a willing mind. He reminded him that God searches our hearts and knows our every thought and intent. This admonition works for us as well today...we are to seek our Lord with a whole heart and a willing mind and He will reveal Himself to us.

September 26, 2011

1 Peter 3:13-16 NASB
And who is there to harm you if you prove zealous for what is good? But even if you should suffer for the sake of righteousness, you are blessed. AND DO NOT FEAR THEIR INTIMIDATION, AND DO NOT BE TROUBLED, but sanctify Christ as Lord in your hearts, always being ready to make a defense to everyone who asks you to give an account for the hope that is in you, yet with gentleness and reverence; and keep a good conscience so that in the thing in which you are slandered, those who revile your good behavior in Christ may be put to shame. For it is better, if God should will it so, that you suffer for doing what is right rather than for doing what is wrong.

Personal Challenge...
Wow! There is so much that can be unpacked from this passage as well as the other ones that surround it. In essence we are being commanded to be willing to suffer for doing what is right, for what good is there in suffering for doing what is wrong. We are being commanded to be ready to stand and defend our faith, our hope, but not as we define defense in today's society (aggressive, mean spirited, underhanded, with the intent to eviscerate), but with gentleness and reverence and with a good conscience...again by doing what is right in the eyes of God. Once again it comes back to doing all that we do in love!

September 23, 2011

Luke 6:32-36 NIV
“If you love those who love you, what credit is that to you? Even ‘sinners’ love those who love them. And if you do good to those who are good to you, what credit is that to you? Even ‘sinners’ do that. And if you lend to those from whom you expect repayment, what credit is that to you? Even ‘sinners’ lend to ‘sinners’, expecting to be repaid in full. But love your enemies, do good to them, and lend to them without expecting to get anything back. Then your reward will be great, and you will be sons of the Most High, because he is kind to the ungrateful and wicked. Be merciful, just as your Father is merciful."

Personal Challenge...
Have you ever had someone tell you that being a Christian is for wimps? Reading a passage like this, which is Jesus speaking directly to His followers, certainly tells us that true Christianity is not for wimps. We are asked, actually commanded, to do the hard things, like love our enemies and do good to them, give out of our wealth...joyfully, forfeit our treasures (time, possessions, pride) to those who do not have, for our King. This is not a life of ease and comfort, but it is one that is full of rewards that we cannot put a price tag on.

September 22, 2011

Jeremiah 30:16-17 NIV
“‘But all who devour you will be devoured; all your enemies will go into exile. Those who plunder you will be plundered; all who make spoil of you I will despoil. But I will restore you to health and heal your wounds,’ declares the LORD, ‘because you are called an outcast, Zion for whom no-one cares.’"

Words of Encouragement...
As followers of Christ we are citizens of Zion. Here God tells His children that He will restore their health, He will heal their wounds. What a wonderful promise that we can hold on to.

September 21, 2011

Psalm 25:4-5 NASB
Make me know Your ways, O LORD; Teach me Your paths. Lead me in Your truth and teach me, For You are the God of my salvation; For You I wait all the day.

Personal Challenge...
No matter how much I know, how much training and education that I have, I still need to know His way, His path. I need my Lord to lead me in His truth, because I cannot do it on my own. The encouraging part of this journey is that He keeps His promises, He will lead me and teach me...if I wait upon Him.

September 20, 2011

‎1 Timothy 1:5 NASB
But the goal of our instruction is love from a pure heart and a good conscience and a sincere faith.

Personal Challenge....
Do I give instruction (teach, preach, share) what I know of God's truth from a pure heart, good conscience, and a sincere faith or do I do it to show others what I know? We are told that the goal of our instruction, the purpose of sharing, is to love my neighbor. Now that can be a real personal challenge in this day when knowledge is deemed as power.

September 19, 2011

Matthew 13:44 NASB
“The kingdom of heaven is like a treasure hidden in the field, which a man found and hid again; and from joy over it he goes and sells all that he has and buys that field."

Personal Challenge...
I can remember when the phrase, "Sold out for Jesus!" used to be popular and tossed around a lot. But this parable tells us what it really means to be sold out for our Lord. Is the kingdom of Heaven such a wonderful treasure to me that I am willing to sell everything, give up everything that I have here on earth, in order to have it?

September 16, 2011

Isaiah 43:18 NIV
Forget the former things; do not dwell on the past.

Personal Challenge...
There are several verses that remind us to not dwell in our past, but to look forward to what God is doing in our lives. We are not supposed to forget the lessons that we have learned, or we are doomed to repeat our failures. We are to look forward and live our lives to the fullest...beginning with today.

Transfer to a Blog

I have decided to transfer my Verse of the Day page to a Blog.  This first entry are the verses recorded to date.


September 15, 2011
Proverbs 3:3-4 NASB
Do not let kindness and truth leave you; Bind them around your neck, Write them on the tablet of your heart. So you will find favor and good repute In the sight of God and man.

Command with a Promise...
Hold onto, and live your life in kindness and truth, and you will find favor and a a good name amongst your fellow man and with God. What a way to live our lives...being kind to those around us and speaking/living His truth.

September 14, 2011
2 Chronicles 14:11 NASB
Then Asa called to the LORD his God and said, “LORD, there is no one besides You to help in the battle between the powerful and those who have no strength; so help us, O LORD our God, for we trust in You, and in Your name have come against this multitude. O LORD, You are our God; let not man prevail against You.”


Personal Challenge...
This prayer from Asa came after living a life that had been glorifying God. I must be careful that God is not treated as my butler who comes running at my every call. I must be living my life in a way where I am glorifying Him, I am in relationship with Him and His children, I am obeying Him, so that when I do call out to Him for His help then He and I are already walking together.


September 13, 2011
Ephesians 5:25-28 NASB
Husbands, love your wives, just as Christ also loved the church and gave Himself up for her, so that He might sanctify her, having cleansed her by the washing of water with the word, that He might present to Himself the church in all her glory, having no spot or wrinkle or any such thing; but that she would be holy and blameless. So husbands ought also to love their own wives as their own bodies. He who loves his own wife loves himself;


Words of Encouragement...
Four years ago, yesterday, I had my first conversation with my wife. It was a private message on the forum where we met. I am so thankful that God orchestrated our meeting and has been the center of our relationship since the beginning.


This passage has always meant so much to me, and yet is always so difficult to stay true to. Husbands, join me today in loving your wife as Christ loved the church.


September 12, 2011
John 15:12-13 NASB (Jesus speaking)
“This is My commandment, that you love one another, just as I have loved you. Greater love has no one than this, that one lay down his life for his friends."


Personal Challenge...
"Love"...such a misunderstood and misused word in our world today. Here Jesus is telling us to "agape" one another, to love unreservedly, expecting nothing in return, even when the recipient is un-lovely. Isn't this what He and the Father did for us? Then to top it off, this is not a suggestion, but a commandment. I am told to love one another, not just those who think the same way that I do, not just those who agree with me, not just those who love me in return, but to love everyone in His way. Definitely a personal challenge for me. But one worthy of taking up and trying...day after day, moment after moment.


September 9, 2011
Amos 5:14 NASB
Seek good and not evil, that you may live; And thus may the LORD God of hosts be with you, Just as you have said!


Command with a Promise...
If we seek good and not evil then we will be able to live. What kind of living will this be? We can live abundant lives in our Lord if we follow His teachings, His wisdom. And abundance does not necessarily mean lots of stuff, lots of money, lots of health, or lots of prestige. Abundance in Him means a life full of true joy, no matter what the circumstances, true peace, no matter what struggles we are going through. His command is to seek good, His good, in all that we do.


September 8, 2011
Proverbs 12:18 NIV
Reckless words pierce like a sword, but the tongue of the wise brings healing.


Personal Challenge...
Oh, how critical is it that I mind my tongue and how I speak to those that God has placed in my life. How many times do I speak before I think and therefore speak recklessly? How many times do I speak about God's truths recklessly and therefore pierce my fellow human with a sword. My prayer is that my tongue will be controlled by wisdom, God's wisdom, and bring healing.


September 7, 2011
2 Samuel 22:2-3 NASB King David speaking
He said, “The LORD is my rock and my fortress and my deliverer; My God, my rock, in whom I take refuge, My shield and the horn of my salvation, my stronghold and my refuge; My savior, You save me from violence.


Words of Encouragement... A rock, a fortress, a deliverer, a shield, a stronghold, a refuge. These are terms that we are not very familiar with in modern day America. But nonetheless, these are exciting terms to define who God is and what He does for His children. We can take comfort in knowing that in the battles of our day, whether they be physical, mental, emotional, or spiritual, our LORD is there to save us from our enemies.

September 6, 2011
Hebrews 11:13-16 NASB
All these died in faith, without receiving the promises, but having seen them and having welcomed them from a distance, and having confessed that they were strangers and exiles on the earth. For those who say such things make it clear that they are seeking a country of their own. And indeed if they had been thinking of that country from which they went out, they would have had opportunity to return. But as it is, they desire a better country, that is, a heavenly one. Therefore God is not ashamed to be called their God; for He has prepared a city for them.


Personal Challenge...
"What country am I seeking?" I have never thought about these verses from this perspective. Am I chasing after the countries of wealth and prosperity, popularity and relationship, being right and getting my opinion across, knowledge and correctness, or...you fill in the blank. My heart, soul, mind, and body are to be seeking after God's country, God's kingdom.


And if I do this I will also be seeking after what He deems important: Loving Him above all else, loving my neighbor as myself, loving my enemy and those who persecute me, building unity in the body of Christ, doing the will of my Father...and the list goes on. If these things sound foreign to me then it is because I am seeking the wrong country.


September 2, 2011
Galatians 3:28 NASB 
There is neither Jew nor Greek, there is neither slave nor free man, there is neither male nor female; for you are all one in Christ Jesus.

Words of Encouragement...
I have always loved this verse and how it speaks of the inclusiveness of our Lord. It goes along so well with His prayer for unity in His body. As we approach another weekend and a Sabbath day of celebration let us remember that around the world there will be many brothers and sisters in Christ worshiping the same God, the same King, the same Lord as we are.

September 1, 2011
I Corinthians 10:13 NASB 
No temptation has overtaken you but such as is common to man; and God is faithful, who will not allow you to be tempted beyond what you are able, but with the temptation will provide the way of escape also, so that you will be able to endure it.

Personal Challenge...
"I just can't help myself!" "I have always been this way!" How many times have I used variants of these two excuses when I have done something that I know God would not be happy with. There is no excuse...God has made it possible for His children to sin no more. I just need to stay focused on Him and He will reveal to me my escape from these temptations and old habits.

August 31, 2011
John 6:35 NASB 
Jesus said to them, “I am the bread of life; he who comes to Me will not hunger, and he who believes in Me will never thirst."

Words of Encouragement...
Jesus tells those around Him that if we come to Him we will no longer be hungry and if we believe in Him we will never thirst. This is a great passage...John 6:28-59. Read the whole thing to see this verse in it's context. It is not the doctrines of man that feed our hunger or quench our thirst. It is the work of Christ that does this.

August 30, 2011 Psalm 27:8 NLT 
My heart has heard you say, “Come and talk with me.” And my heart responds, “LORD, I am coming.”

Words of Encouragement...
It is so awesome to live life knowing a God that speaks into our hearts and says, "Come and talk with me." Have you heard His voice lately? My experience has shown that it is usually in a still, small voice. I usually need to be quieted and listening intently in order to hear it. Have you heard that voice? Was your response, "LORD, I am coming."?

August 29, 2011 
Hebrews 4:12 NASB 
For the word of God is living and active and sharper than any two-edged sword, and piercing as far as the division of soul and spirit, of both joints and marrow, and able to judge the thoughts and intentions of the heart.

Personal Challenge...
Here is something for you to try. Set aside any books or commentaries that you are reading "about" the Word of God and just pick up the Word of God and read it. Start with Genesis 1:1 and read it until you hit Revelation 22:21.

Don't study it! Don't try to interpret it! Don't go looking to see what someone else is saying about it! No precepts or any other styles of studying it either. Just read it and wait for God to speak to you through His living and active word.

If you read about four chapters a day you should be able to read it all in one year. And be sure to not skip through the genealogies or the laws or any other part of it because God will speak to you in those areas as well.

August 26, 2011 2 Corinthians 5:17 NASB 
Therefore if any man is in Christ, he is a new creature; the old things passed away; behold, new things have come.

Words of Encouragement...
If we are"in Christ", one of His redeemed children, then we are a new creature. Some versions actually say a new creation. Our lives can begin again because He has wiped away the old things, the old sin nature, and set us on a new path of life.

August 25, 2011
John 8:12 NIV 
When Jesus spoke again to the people, he said, “I am the light of the world. Whoever follows me will never walk in darkness, but will have the light of life.”

Command with a Promise...
If we follow Jesus (which is an action on our part) our lives will be filled with the light of life. Isn't it wonderful to know that we can go through life with all darkness removed.

August 24, 2011
Isaiah 60:1-2 
"Arise, shine; for your light has come, And the glory of the LORD has risen upon you. For behold, darkness will cover the earth, And deep darkness the peoples; But the LORD will rise upon you, And His glory will appear upon you."

Words of Encouragement...
Isn't wonderful to know that we who are held in the the hand of God through the redeeming work of Jesus are covered in this light that has come, that we no longer have to live in the darkness that has covered the earth, and that His glory appears upon us today.

July 28, 2011
Psalm 37:7 NIV
Be still before the LORD and wait patiently for him; do not fret when men succeed in their ways, when they carry out their wicked schemes.

Personal Challenge...
"Be still before the LORD..." Sometimes it is so difficult to live life waiting patiently for the Lord to do His work. I have known Him long enough to know that He always prevails, that His ways are always perfect...and yet I still wonder why people live their lives contrary to Him and yet succeed. But what am I doing, this wondering about other people, is taking my eyes off of Him. He is in control and if I am constantly looking to Him, being still before Him, waiting patiently for Him, all these other things, all that others are doing or not doing, really makes no difference to me.

July 27, 2011
2 Corinthians 4:7-10 NIV
But we have this treasure in jars of clay to show that this all-surpassing power is from God and not from us.

We are hard pressed on every side, but not crushed; perplexed, but not in despair; persecuted, but not abandoned; struck down, but not destroyed. We always carry around in our body the death of Jesus, so that the life of Jesus may also be revealed in our body.

Words of Encouragement...
"Jars of clay"...such a clear reminder that our journey in this mortal, physical life is so fleeting. In the last two and a half weeks I have dealt with an appendectomy, my mother's hospitalization with pancreatitis, the observation of my two parents dealing with life in their 80's and all of the family stuff that wraps around all of that. Add to this my youngest daughter's wedding in 11 days and I am clearly reminded that I do live now in a "jar of clay".

And yet the true life, the true joy of life, comes from the treasure that dwells within this "jar of clay", which is from God, my Father, and that it is most definitely an all-surpassing power. I am so blessed to be living eternal life now knowing that I am not crushed, I am not in despair, I am not abandoned, I am not destroyed. The life of Jesus is being revealed in my life regardless of what the world and those around me throws my way.

And I am so thankful to have a partner in this journey called life that loves God deeply and loves me with all of her heart. How much more blessed can a man be.

July 21, 2011
Romans 8:28 NASB 
And we know that God causes all things to work together for good to those who love God, to those who are called according to His purpose.

Personal Challenge...
I am slowly getting to that place in my life and my relationship with my Lord that I am no longer asking the question. "Why?" This verse is such a clear reminder that IF I am living my life "according to His purpose" following His calling for me then all of the things that happens in my life, and the lives of those in my life, work together for His good.

This last two weeks is definitely demonstrating this to us. Last week I get hit with appendicitis followed by an appendectomy...two weeks after I get back from Haiti and two days before I am stuck in a car for 36 hours driving to California. Then earlier this week my mother ends up in the hospital with pancreatitis...at the beginning of the two weeks that Laura and I are here to visit. We are able to be there for er and my father. His timing is always perfect! His reasons are always the best!

Instead of asking "Why?" I find myself asking "What?" What do You want me to learn from this? What do You want me to do in this? What are You seeking to refine in me through this? It is so good to know that it is not about me...

July 18, 2011
John 5:24 NLT Jesus speaking 
“I tell you the truth, whoever hears my word and believes him who sent me has eternal life and will not be condemned; he has crossed over from death to life."

Words of Encouragement...
Have you ever taken the time to consider what Jesus refers to when He talks about eternal life? In this verse He is clear that we are freed from death the very moment that we hear His words and believe in Him and His Father. "Salvation" is not about what might happen someday...after we die and go to heaven, it is about Jesus Christ totally and completely conquering death and ushering His children into life every day of our lives. How awesome it is to know that I am now alive in Christ, that death will never touch me, that I can live a life that was meant to be how God created it back in the days of Adam and Eve.

For an interesting perspective on this check out: "O Death, Where is Thy Sting?" by Alexander Schmemann.

July 13, 2011
Jeremiah 17:7-8 NIV
"But blessed is the man who trusts in the LORD, whose confidence is in him. He will be like a tree planted by the water that sends out its roots by the stream. It does not fear when heat comes; its leaves are always green. It has no worries in a year of drought and never fails to bear fruit.”

Words of Encouragement...
I love how God's timing is always perfect. Why in the world would He allow an appendectomy four days before I need to drive out to California? So that I would slow down for my lovely wife who needs a slower pace for a while, so that I would look to Him for all of my needs, so that I could watch His hand at work in our lives. It is all about Him and the people that He has put into my life...I constantly need these reminders.

July 11, 2011
Psalm 94:19 NLT 
When doubts filled my mind, your comfort gave me renewed hope and cheer.

Words of Encouragement...
Why do I post verses on Facebook? Why do I read through the Bible? Because God is real, He is alive, He cares for me...and you! His comfort renews my hope and cheer all the time and the comfort comes from spending time with Him and sharing Him with all of you.

July 8, 2011
2 Samuel 24:24 NASB 
However, the king said to Araunah, “No, but I will surely buy it from you for a price, for I will not offer burnt offerings to the LORD my God which cost me nothing.” So David bought the threshing floor and the oxen for fifty shekels of silver.

Personal Challenge...
"I will not offer burnt offerings to the LORD my God which cost me nothing.”

Where does that put me as a modern day Christian? Are the offerings that I am giving to the Lord my God costing me anything? Sometimes it is so easy to give my tithes and offerings out of my abundance, but am I really sacrificing or am I just paying another bill? God wants me to give in a way where it truly costs me...this is sacrificial giving. He did it when he gave up His Son. Jesus did it when He gave up His life.

How am I giving sacrificially with my resources, my time, my love and devotion? Am I giving when I have nothing "extra" to give? Am I fasting from those things of the world that draw me away from God? Am I spending time in prayer rather than doing the things that give me temporary joy and pleasure? Is it time for a major life adjustment for me in my relationship with my Lord and those whom He has brought into my life?

July 7, 2011
Deuteronomy 31:6 NASB
“Be strong and courageous, do not be afraid or tremble at them, for the LORD your God is the one who goes with you. He will not fail you or forsake you.”

Command with a Promise...
Have you ever noticed how often the Word of God tells us to do something and then follows it with what God will do because of that. This verse doesn't say, "God is going with you, so be strong." We are told to be strong and courageous, to not be afraid or tremble at whatever enemy or obstacle stands before us. If we live our life with faith in the living God then we step out and He will be with us, He will not fail us, He will not forsake us. We are called to a life of action and pressing forward with faith in the one who created us.

July 6, 2011 
I Corinthians 9:24-27 NASB 
Do you not know that those who run in a race all run, but only one receives the prize? Run in such a way that you may win. Everyone who competes in the games exercises self-control in all things. They then do it to receive a perishable wreath, but we an imperishable. Therefore I run in such a way, as not without aim; I box in such a way, as not beating the air; but I discipline my body and make it my slave, so that, after I have preached to others, I myself will not be disqualified.

Personal Challenge...
So...how is the race going? Life is a race for all of us, whether we want to be in it or not. God desires that we run the race of our life in a way that honors Him. The course of the race plays out differently for each one of us, but what is consistent is the need to run the race of our life with purpose, with aim, with discipline. Why? So that we can honor God and not be disqualified because we did not practice what we preached. Then when this life is over, this earthly race has been completed...we are prepared for the next race that He has planned for us as we continue through our journey of eternity. A true athlete never stops practicing, honing their skills, toning their muscles, striving for a better finish.

July 5, 2011
Romans 10:14-15 NASB 
How then will they call on Him in whom they have not believed? How will they believe in Him whom they have not heard? And how will they hear without a preacher? How will they preach unless they are sent? Just as it is written, “HOW BEAUTIFUL ARE THE FEET OF THOSE WHO BRING GOOD NEWS OF GOOD THINGS!”

Personal Challenge...
We are called upon to be active in sharing God's love with the people of the world. Some of us are preachers and teachers, some plant the seed, some harvest, some go and some of us send, but we are all to be involved in sharing God's Good News of redemption to a hurting and desperate world.

July 1, 2011
Luke 6:20-22 NASB 
And turning His gaze toward His disciples, He began to say, “Blessed are you who are poor, for yours is the kingdom of God. Blessed are you who hunger now, for you shall be satisfied. Blessed are you who weep now, for you shall laugh. Blessed are you when men hate you, and ostracize you, and insult you, and scorn your name as evil, for the sake of the Son of Man."

Personal Challenge...
And the question of the day is: "Am I blessed?" "Are you blessed?" Looks to me like Jesus has a simple explanation of what must be happening in our lives in order to be blessed in His eyes. Not necessarily the definition of "blessed" that we are familiar with is it?


June 30, 2011
Jeremiah 31:3 NLT 
Long ago the LORD said to Israel: “I have loved you, my people, with an everlasting love. With unfailing love I have drawn you to myself.

Words of Encouragement...
Down through eternity past and on to eternity future...the LORD, the Creator of all, our Redeemer, love His children with an unfailing love and drawn us to Himself. Awesome!!!

June 29, 2011
Psalm 39:7 NLT 
And so, Lord, where do I put my hope? My only hope is in you.

Personal Challenge...
Have you ever woken up with a heavy heart, pondering something that is going on in your life, and not knowing where to turn? The answer is so simple. Our only hope is in the Lord. Not in the world and what it has to offer...because it is so fleeting. Not in stuff and how good it makes us feel...because it perishes. Our hope needs to be the Lord and out of that hope will flow a desire to love God and to love others.

Have we. the "Church" of the modern day forgotten this? Do we put our hope in bigger buildings...hoping that if we build them God will fill them up? Do we put our hope in a snazzier delivery of "our" message...hoping that if can "Wow" the people around us so that God will bless us? Do we consider giving up one cup of designer coffee...hoping that God blesses that as a sacrifice for His greater cause...when in some parts of the world that one cup of coffee could feed a family for a day. Do we pursue knowledge about God rather than God Himself?

God forgive me for desiring this world, and the things of this world more than desiring You, and the things of You. God forgive me for ignoring the needs of those that you have filled my life with so that I can worry about the "needs" of my own life. God thank you for loving me so much that you sent your soon to redeem me from death so that you can use me for you. Help me to get out of your way.

June 28, 2011
Deuteronomy 8:2-6 NLT
Remember how the LORD your God led you through the wilderness for forty years, humbling you and testing you to prove your character, and to find out whether or not you would really obey his commands. Yes, he humbled you by letting you go hungry and then feeding you with manna, a food previously unknown to you and your ancestors. He did it to teach you that people need more than bread for their life; real life comes by feeding on every word of the LORD. For all these forty years your clothes didn’t wear out, and your feet didn’t blister or swell. So you should realize that just as a parent disciplines a child, the LORD your God disciplines you to help you. So obey the commands of the LORD your God by walking in his ways and fearing him.

Words of Encouragement...
It is a blessing to know that the living God, the Creator, Sustainer, cares for His children this much. It is a blessing to know that He is our Father.

June 20, 2011 
Ephesians 1:3-6 NASB
Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly places in Christ, just as He chose us in Him before the foundation of the world, that we would be holy and blameless before Him. In love He predestined us to adoption as sons through Jesus Christ to Himself, according to the kind intention of His will, to the praise of the glory of His grace, which He freely bestowed on us in the Beloved.

Words of Encouragement...
What can be added to this passage but a resounding, "Wow!" We are blessed with spiritual blessings, we have been chosen before the beginning of time, we are holy and blameless, we are adopted as sons and daughters...all because of Jesus Christ and is wonderful work of reconciliation, restoration and redemption. Thank You my Heavenly Father!!!
June 17, 2011
Luke 6:27-31 NASB
“But I say to you who hear, love your enemies, do good to those who hate you, bless those who curse you, pray for those who mistreat you. Whoever hits you on the cheek, offer him the other also; and whoever takes away your coat, do not withhold your shirt from him either. Give to everyone who asks of you, and whoever takes away what is yours, do not demand it back. Treat others the same way you want them to treat you."

Personal Challenge...
Does this passage tell you anything about God? Whenever I find a passage that totally contradicts what I think (and the world as well) is the right way to do things it reminds me that God operates in a way that I may never understand. My human impulse tells me to fight back, to eviscerate the person...God says to love them. God is God and I am not. That is why I need Him and need to do what He says...even if it doesn't make sense to my limited mind.

June 16, 2011
Jeremiah 31:25 NASB 
“For I satisfy the weary ones and refresh everyone who languishes.”

Words of Encouragement...
Have you ever been in that state where you are just weary, languishing away? There is hope. We can find true rest and peace in the arms of our Abba Father. This may not mean that all of a sudden life becomes a vacation. We are to be doing His work, living our lives for Him, and this will often mean hard, sacrificial times. But if we are doing His work, resting in Him, relying upon Him, even in the midst of our most difficult trials and challenges we will find satisfaction and refreshment.

June 15, 2011
Psalm 32:8 NLT
The LORD says, “I will guide you along the best pathway for your life. I will advise you and watch over you.



Words of Encouragement...
It is so awesome to be able to go through life knowing that I will be guided down the best pathway of life, that I will be advised by the Creator of all, and that He is watching over me.

June 14, 2011 Deuteronomy 5:29 NASB (God speaking) 
‘Oh that they had such a heart in them, that they would fear Me and keep all My commandments always, that it may be well with them and with their sons forever!'




Personal Challenge...
Time after time after time the people of Israel would run to their YHWH, their LORD, for protection and blessing. Then once they received it they would forget Him and return to living life their own way. How often do I do this as well? God desires that our heart will always be longing for Him, fearing (respecting) Him, keeping His commandments. God desires to pour out His blessings upon us...forever!

June 13, 2011
1 Corinthians 1:26-29 NASB 
For consider your calling, brethren, that there were not many wise according to the flesh, not many mighty, not many noble; but God has chosen the foolish things of the world to shame the wise, and God has chosen the weak things of the world to shame the things which are strong, and the base things of the world and the despised God has chosen, the things that are not, so that He may nullify the things that are, so that no man may boast before God.

Personal Challenge...
There it goes again...the Bible reminds me that it is not about me. It is all about Him and what He can do through people like me. I can do nothing without Him and I can do anything/everything through Him. This is a beautiful reminder that God will even use me in my brokenness and sinfulness to glorify Him and build His kingdom. Through Him I desire to be foolish, weak, base, despised, and not...so that He can use me His way.

June 3, 2011
John 7:37-38 NASB 
Now on the last day, the great day of the feast, Jesus stood and cried out, saying, “If anyone is thirsty, let him come to Me and drink. He who believes in Me, as the Scripture said, ‘From his innermost being will flow rivers of living water.’”

Personal Challenge...
Have you come to Jesus and drank the water that quenches all thirst? If so, are rivers of living water flowing from your innermost being? I know this is a personal challenge for me...to keep dwelling in Jesus and drinking of His water and most importantly to let those rivers of living water flow from me to all of those around me.

June 2, 2011
Isaiah 41:13 NLT
For I am the LORD, your God, who takes hold of your right hand and says to you, Do not fear; I will help you.

Words of Encouragement...
Isn't wonderful to know that we have a God that cares for us, that is able to hold our hand and walk through the dark valleys of life with us? I know that He cares for me because I am His.

June 1, 2011
Psalm 37:3-5 NLT 
Trust in the LORD and do good. Then you will live safely in the land and prosper. Take delight in the LORD, and he will give you your heart’s desires. Commit everything you do to the LORD. Trust him, and he will help you.

Command with a Promise...
Trust in the LORD, do good, and He will make it possible to live safely and prosperously in the the land. I must always remember that the land that I will live safely and prosperously in is the land that He has set aside for me. Commit everything that I do to Him, trust Him...and He will be there to help me. Once again it is all about Him for I can do nothing on my own without messing it up and hurting those around me.

May 31, 2011
Colossians 3:12-14 NASB
So, as those who have been chosen of God, holy and beloved, put on a heart of compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness and patience; bearing with one another, and forgiving each other, whoever has a complaint against anyone; just as the Lord forgave you, so also should you. Beyond all these things put on love, which is the perfect bond of unity.

Command with a Promise...
Unity...isn't that what we are all looking for. Whether it be unity in our homes, at our work, amongst our fellow believers, wherever we go, we have been given this command which will result in unity. How often do we look at the other person or group to be the agents of unity, and yet we are instructed here in what we must do to receive this perfect bond of unity. This is an action passage and the expectation is that I will act.

May 27, 2011
Matthew 6:30 NLT 
And if God cares so wonderfully for flowers that are here today and gone tomorrow, won’t he more surely care for you? You have so little faith!

Words of Encouragement...
God does care for each and everyone of us. I am constantly reminded of His faithfulness...especially through His people that listen to His voice and then act accordingly.

May 26, 2011 
Jeremiah 32:27 NASB 
“Behold, I am the LORD, the God of all flesh; is anything too difficult for Me?”

Personal Challenge...
As Laura and I live in this season of total dependence on God and His people I need this constant reminder that nothing is too difficult for God.

May 24, 2011
Psalm 27:13-14 NIV
I am still confident of this: I will see the goodness of the LORD in the land of the living. Wait for the LORD; be strong and take heart and wait for the LORD.

Command with a Promise...
Do you ever catch yourself wondering if God will ever do something in your life while you are still alive. The command here is to wait for the LORD. The promise is that He will show us His goodness. The problem is with the waiting. I often find myself wondering when God is going to show up. Then He reminds me that He is always there, that there is no showing up with Him.

On Sunday two of my dear friends in California woke up to find that there 4 month old daughter had been kidnapped out of her bed. The prayers went up, the law enforcement people went to work, and on Monday the child was found hundreds of miles away and returned to her parents. How can I wonder if God is ever showing me His goodness? He is always there, always showing me His goodness in my live. It is just me that is not really looking for it. Thank you Father for this wonderful reminder that you are always there in my life and the lives of your children.

May 23, 2011
Deuteronomy 4:31 NASB
“For the LORD your God is a compassionate God; He will not fail you nor destroy you nor forget the covenant with your fathers which He swore to them.“

Words of Encouragement...
God keeps His promises. He keeps His covenants. He is compassionate and will not fail His children.

May 20, 2011 
Hebrews 11:1 NASB 
Now faith is the assurance of things hoped for, the conviction of things not seen.

Words of Encouragement...
I have always loved the depth of this short verse in Hebrews. Faith is so much more than what I can logically and rationally explain using my knowledge and experience. If that is what I base my faith on then it is not faith in God, but faith in myself. True faith can only come from God working within us. It is truly unexplainable and yet can run so deep within us that nothing can convince us to believe otherwise.

May 19, 2011
Romans 8:35-39 
Who will separate us from the love of Christ? Will tribulation, or distress, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or peril, or sword? Just as it is written, “FOR YOUR SAKE WE ARE BEING PUT TO DEATH ALL DAY LONG; WE WERE CONSIDERED AS SHEEP TO BE SLAUGHTERED.” But in all these things we overwhelmingly conquer through Him who loved us. For I am convinced that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor principalities, nor things present, nor things to come, nor powers, nor height, nor depth, nor any other created thing, will be able to separate us from the love of God, which is in Christ Jesus our Lord.

Words of Encouragement
It is so easy to loose sight of this promise from God. Nothing, absolutely nothing, can separate us from the love of God poured out through Jesus Christ. He is the source of God's unending love being poured out upon us. Do I live my life knowing that God loves me that much, or do I forget this truth?

May 18, 2011
Luke 12:8-9 NIV 
“I tell you, whoever acknowledges me before men, the Son of Man will also acknowledge him before the angels of God. But he who disowns me before men will be disowned before the angels of God."

Personal Challenge...
I have read this verse so many times and always felt good that I do my best to acknowledge Jesus whenever I can...with my words. But as I read it this time I realized that there is one more way that I acknowledge or disown Jesus...in my actions. How I treat those around me speaks much louder than words. If my words are saying that Jesus is my Lord, but my actions are rude or dismissive or arrogant or... then my words mean nothing.

May 17, 2011
Lamentations 3:24 NLT 
I say to myself, “The LORD is my inheritance; therefore, I will hope in him!”

Words of Encouragement...
What more can be said? As we have been on this journey of raising our support so that we can serve with our brothers and sisters in Haiti, verses like this one have become my mainstay. God owns it all, He can and will direct that which is already His in our direction as He sees fit. My hope is truly in Him!

May16, 2011
Isaiah 57:15 NLT
The high and lofty one who inhabits eternity, the Holy One, says this: “I live in that high and holy place with those whose spirits are contrite and humble. I refresh the humble and give new courage to those with repentant hearts.

Personal Challenge...
Hmmm...God desires that we live our lives with contrite hearts and humble spirits.He really is not that interested in how much we know, how articulate we are in our doctrines or creeds, but how we live out our lives so that His light shines through us. If we live that way...humble and contrite...then He will refresh us and give us the courage we need.

May 13, 2011
Proverbs 1:7 NASB 
The fear of the LORD is the beginning of knowledge; Fools despise wisdom and instruction.
Personal Challenge...
It has always amazed me just how much the world, including many in the church, believes that knowledge is the end all. I love how the Proverbs iterate the importance of wisdom. Wisdom may include knowledge, but there is so much more to it than that. And what is at the root of real wisdom, real knowledge...the fear of the LORD. Not cowering in the corner type of fear, but awe and respect. Wisdom comes from God, not the pursuit of knowledge.

May 12, 2011
Psalm 23:6 NLT 
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.

Words of Encouragement...
I love the 23rd Psalm for it is full of encouragement. But this last verse is where the power is. God's goodness and unfailing love will pursue me all the days of my life. He desires me. When I feel detached from God it is not because He has left me, but because I have walked away from Him. I will dwell in the house of the LORD forever. When does forever begin? Not someday after I die, but beginning from the day that He grabbed me into His loving arms. I must always remember that I am living in that forever now...what am I doing to glorify Him?

May 11, 2011
Numbers 12:3 NASB
(Now the man Moses was very humble, more than any man who was on the face of the earth.)

Personal Challenge...
In my personal Bible study time I have been reading through the Bible. Not to "study" it, but just to read it and let the Spirit speak to me. This verse in Numbers struck me. Moses was such a mighty leader, a pillar in the church, one of God's right hand men. He even had the privilege to talk with God and be in His presence. And here in Numbers we find this parenthetical comment. Was it because of his humility that he was so close to God and so used by God? I believe so. I must always remember that the greater that a man or woman becomes in the eyes of man, the more humble he or she must become in the face of God. This will also promote humility before man.

May 10, 2011 Revelation 22:17 NASB 
The Spirit and the bride say, “Come.” And let the one who hears say, “Come.” And let the one who is thirsty come; let the one who wishes take the water of life without cost.

Words of Encouragement...
Talk about a wedding feast! We are reminded in Revelation, after the bride and the groom have been joined together, that all are invited to come to the wedding feast. All are encouraged to come and drink of the water of life that has already been paid for so that our thirst will be no more.

May 9, 2011
John 4:13-14 NASB
Jesus answered and said to her, “Everyone who drinks of this water will thirst again; but whoever drinks of the water that I will give him shall never thirst; but the water that I will give him will become in him a well of water springing up to eternal life.”

Words of Encouragement...
Water...one of the most important elements for us to live. Isn't it awesome to know that we can drink from the Well that not only quenches our thirst forever, but creates within us a well whereby living water can flow from us to those around us. Is your well of eternal life overflowing to those in your life today...or has it become stagnant?

May 6, 2011
Isaiah 30:15a NASB 
For thus the Lord GOD, the Holy One of Israel, has said, “In repentance and rest you will be saved, In quietness and trust is your strength.”

Command with a Promise...
Repentance and rest, quietness and trust...these are what are commanded to do in God's arms. Through this we will be saved and find our strength.

May 4, 2011
Psalm 9:10 NASB 
And those who know Your name will put their trust in You, For You, O LORD, have not forsaken those who seek You.

Personal Challenge...
God has not forsaken those who seek Him!!! As I read this verse it makes me reflect on those times that I feel forsaken, those times that life has gotten so overwhelming. And I am reminded, I am humbled, is it not because I am not seeking God? Forgive me Father for getting so caught up in the trappings of this world, the busy-ness of ministry and serving You, the seeking after false-gods that I cease to seek after You. It is only in You that I can find true life. It is only in You that I can truly love my wife, my children and my neighbors. I can do nothing apart from YOU.

May 3, 2011
Hebrews 10:23-25 NLT
Without wavering, let us hold tightly to the hope we say we have, for God can be trusted to keep his promise. Think of ways to encourage one another to outbursts of love and good deeds. And let us not neglect our meeting together, as some people do, but encourage and warn each other, especially now that the day of his coming back again is drawing near.

Command with a Promise...
Hold onto our hope in God, encourage one another, meet together for we know that God can be trusted. Our lives will be enriched by being in fellowship with our brothers and sisters and giving them encouragement.

May 2, 2011 Romans 15:1-4 NIV
We who are strong ought to bear with the failings of the weak and not to please ourselves. Each of us should please his neighbour for his good, to build him up. For even Christ did not please himself but, as it is written: “The insults of those who insult you have fallen on me.” For everything that was written in the past was written to teach us, so that through endurance and the encouragement of the Scriptures we might have hope.

Personal Challenge...
Our lives as believers is not just for ourselves. What God has done in the past before we existed, in and through our lives, and in and through the lives of others is not just for us. Our responsibility as believers is to be there for our neighbor, for his good, to build him up. We who are strong are to be there for those who are not because that is what Jesus did for us. We are to cherish those who have gone before us and what they have taught in the name of Jesus and hold onto the scriptures so that we can live a life of hope.

April 29, 2011
Matthew 7:24-25 NIV --- Jesus speaking 
“Therefore everyone who hears these words of mine and puts them into practice is like a wise man who built his house on the rock. The rain came down, the streams rose, and the winds blew and beat against that house; yet it did not fall, because it had its foundation on the rock."

Words of Encouragement...
What am I putting my hope, my trust in? How about you? Life is guaranteed to have those times of hard rains, strong winds, and deep floods. I am so thankful and blessed to have a strong and lasting Rock that I can set my foundation upon. Hope and faith by itself is not what is going to pull us through, but who we put that hope and faith in is what makes the difference.

April 28, 2011
Jeremiah 29:11-13 NLT 
For I know the plans I have for you,” says the LORD. “They are plans for good and not for disaster, to give you a future and a hope. In those days when you pray, I will listen. If you look for me in earnest, you will find me when you seek me.

Words of Encouragement... 
Doesn't a future of hope sound wonderful? A future filled with plans for good and not disaster? This is a promise of our future when we we walk day-by-day with our LORD. This future began the day that I became His.

April 27, 2011
Psalm 42:11 NLT 
Why am I discouraged? Why so sad? I will put my hope in God! I will praise him again--my Savior and my God!

Words of Encouragement... 
For those of you that are dealing with those difficult events in your lives...hold on to the One who can see you through it. He will be there with you and will bring others into your life that can walk beside you as well. Hope in God always prevails.

April 26, 2011
1 Corinthians 1:18 NLT 
I know very well how foolish the message of the cross sounds to those who are on the road to destruction. But we who are being saved recognize this message as the very power of God.

Words of Encouragement...
Now that we are on the other side of Resurrection Sunday life is totally different. It is all about the work that was done on the cross by Jesus. The life before the cross, the death on the cross, and the resurrection after the cross is the pivotal point of mankind and Go's entire creation. For those who do not know Jesus this makes no sense, but for those of us who know Him...this is the essence of our hope, the very power of God!!

April 25, 2011
Romans 5:1-5 NASB
Therefore, having been justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ, through whom also we have obtained our introduction by faith into this grace in which we stand; and we exult in hope of the glory of God. And not only this, but we also exult in our tribulations, knowing that tribulation brings about perseverance; and perseverance, proven character; and proven character, hope; and hope does not disappoint, because the love of God has been poured out within our hearts through the Holy Spirit who was given to us.

Words of Encouragement...
Hope!!! What a wonderful and powerful place to be in our lives. Through all that life throws at us, because of what Jesus has done for us, we can know that the tribulations of life will produce in us perseverance, which will produce character, which will produce a never disappointing hope. All this because of the love of God that has been poured out on us.

Here it is in the NLT (New Living Translation) 
Therefore, since we have been made right in God’s sight by faith, we have peace with God because of what Jesus Christ our Lord has done for us. Because of our faith, Christ has brought us into this place of highest privilege where we now stand, and we confidently and joyfully look forward to sharing God’s glory. We can rejoice, too, when we run into problems and trials, for we know that they are good for us--they help us learn to endure. And endurance develops strength of character in us, and character strengthens our confident expectation of salvation. And this expectation will not disappoint us. For we know how dearly God loves us, because he has given us the Holy Spirit to fill our hearts with his love.

April 24, 2011 Resurrection Sunday
Christ is Risen! Indeed He is Risen! 
Just got home from the most memorable celebration of the resurrection of Jesus that I have ever had the privilege to be a part of. Started at 11:30 PM and ended at 2:30 AM followed by a feast to break Lent.

English - Christ is Risen! Indeed He is Risen!
Haitian Creole - Kris ki leve pami mò! Li vre ki leve pami mò!
French - Le Christ est ressuscité! En effet, il est ressuscité!
Serbian - Христос Васкрсе! ВАИСТИНУ ВАСКРСЕ!
Greek – Christos Anesti! Aleithos Anesti!
Russian – Khristos Voskrese! Voistinu Voskrese!
Ethiopian – Christos Tenestaul! Awon Tenestaul!
Spanish - Cristo ha resucitado! Verdaderamente, ha resucitado!
Latin - Christus resurrexit! Resurrexit vere!
German - Christus ist auferstanden! Er ist wahrhaftig auferstanden!
Romanian - Hristos a înviat! Adevărat a înviat!
Arabic - Al-Masih-Qam! Hakkan Qam!
Korean - Kristo Gesso Buhwal ha sho sumnida! Chamuro Buhwal ha sho sumnida!
Hawaiian - Ua ala hou ´o kristo! Ua ala ´i ´o no ´oia!
Eskimo Aleut - Kristus aq ungwektaq! Pichinuq ungwektaq!
Georgian - Kriste aghsdga! Cheshmaritad aghsdga!
Swahili - Kristo Amefufukka! Kweli Amefufukka!

April 22, 2011 Good Friday
John 17:1-26 NASB 
Jesus spoke these things; and lifting up His eyes to heaven, He said,

“Father, the hour has come; glorify Your Son, that the Son may glorify You, even as You gave Him authority over all flesh, that to all whom You have given Him, He may give eternal life. This is eternal life, that they may know You, the only true God, and Jesus Christ whom You have sent. I glorified You on the earth, having accomplished the work which You have given Me to do. Now, Father, glorify Me together with Yourself, with the glory which I had with You before the world was.

I have manifested Your name to the men whom You gave Me out of the world; they were Yours and You gave them to Me, and they have kept Your word. Now they have come to know that everything You have given Me is from You; for the words which You gave Me I have given to them; and they received them and truly understood that I came forth from You, and they believed that You sent Me. I ask on their behalf; I do not ask on behalf of the world, but of those whom You have given Me; for they are Yours; and all things that are Mine are Yours, and Yours are Mine; and I have been glorified in them.

I am no longer in the world; and yet they themselves are in the world, and I come to You. Holy Father, keep them in Your name, the name which You have given Me, that they may be one even as We are. While I was with them, I was keeping them in Your name which You have given Me; and I guarded them and not one of them perished but the son of perdition, so that the Scripture would be fulfilled. But now I come to You; and these things I speak in the world so that they may have My joy made full in themselves. I have given them Your word; and the world has hated them, because they are not of the world, even as I am not of the world. I do not ask You to take them out of the world, but to keep them from the evil one. They are not of the world, even as I am not of the world.

Sanctify them in the truth; Your word is truth. As You sent Me into the world, I also have sent them into the world. For their sakes I sanctify Myself, that they themselves also may be sanctified in truth. I do not ask on behalf of these alone, but for those also who believe in Me through their word; that they may all be one; even as You, Father, are in Me and I in You, that they also may be in Us, so that the world may believe that You sent Me.  The glory which You have given Me I have given to them, that they may be one, just as We are one; I in them and You in Me, that they may be perfected in unity, so that the world may know that You sent Me, and loved them, even as You have loved Me.

Father, I desire that they also, whom You have given Me, be with Me where I am, so that they may see My glory which You have given Me, for You loved Me before the foundation of the world. O righteous Father, although the world has not known You, yet I have known You; and these have known that You sent Me; and I have made Your name known to them, and will make it known, so that the love with which You loved Me may be in them, and I in them.”

Good Friday Thoughts...
Throughout this weekend we will hear all sorts of messages about Easter when right here in the scripture is the best message that we could ever receive. This is the prayer that Jesus lifted up to His Father just before He was betrayed. Look closely and you will see that you are mentioned in here...if you believe in Him. Sometimes we do not need to expound upon His Word...just read it and cherish it.

April 21, 2011 Matthew 26:26-30 NASB
While they were eating, Jesus took some bread, and after a blessing, He broke it and gave it to the disciples, and said, “Take, eat; this is My body. And when He had taken a cup and given thanks, He gave it to them, saying, “Drink from it, all of you; for this is My blood of the covenant, which is poured out for many for forgiveness of sins. But I say to you, I will not drink of this fruit of the vine from now on until that day when I drink it new with you in My Father’s kingdom.” After singing a hymn, they went out to the Mount of Olives.

Personal Challenge...
Jesus...fully God and fully man, went into the upper room to share the Passover dinner with his disciples knowing that it would be His last meal. He knew the pain and humiliation that would be pressed upon Him in a few hours. And yet, He continued to press forward because He knew this is what He was here to do. Oh how often I shirk away from those things that I know that I am to do because it is easier and less painful. As we remember the events of this Holy Week we should also look for ways to live our lives in a way that honors Him.

April 20, 2011
Lamentations 3:25-26 NIV
The LORD is good to those whose hope is in him, to the one who seeks him; it is good to wait quietly for the salvation of the LORD.

Words of Encouragement...
Hoping, seeking, waiting quietly...is this what Holy Week reminds us of? Our hope is in Christ our Lord, He desires that we seek Him in all that we do, our salvation, our life, is in Him alone and we need to wait quietly as He does His work in us and in His creation.

April 19, 2011
Isaiah 61:1-3 NLT 
The Spirit of the Sovereign LORD is upon me, because the LORD has appointed me to bring good news to the poor. He has sent me to comfort the brokenhearted and to announce that captives will be released and prisoners will be freed. He has sent me to tell those who mourn that the time of the LORD’s favor has come, and with it, the day of God’s anger against their enemies. To all who mourn in Israel, he will give beauty for ashes, joy instead of mourning, praise instead of despair. For the LORD has planted them like strong and graceful oaks for his own glory.

Words of Encouragement...
As many of you know...this is one of my favorite passages. As we remember what happened during this Holy Week so many years ago, it is good to remember that these are the words that Jesus launched His ministry with. It is so wonderful to know that He forfeited His life so that His own creation could be redeemed from the ravages of death.

April 18, 2011 Numbers 6:24-26 NASB
The LORD bless you, and keep you;
The LORD make His face shine on you, And be gracious to you;
The LORD lift up His countenance on you, And give you peace.

Words of Encouragement... 
May you be blessed as you proceed through this Holy Week. This is the week that we remember the work of our Lord Jesus Christ and what He did for mankind and God's creation. Be in remembrance of Him as you walk through this week up to the day that we celebrate His resurrection and the redemption of life.

April 15, 2011
James 1:22-25 NASB
Do not merely listen to the word, and so deceive yourselves. Do what it says. Anyone who listens to the word but does not do what it says is like a man who looks at his face in a mirror and, after looking at himself, goes away and immediately forgets what he looks like. But the man who looks intently into the perfect law that gives freedom, and continues to do this, not forgetting what he has heard, but doing it--he will be blessed in what he does.

Command with a Promise...
Don't just listen to the word, do what it says...and you will be blessed. We (modern society and even the modern church) have become so accustomed to being told what we should be doing by those who are in positions of authority and then watching them do what is right in their own eyes that we have become numb to these kinds of passages. My mother in her wisdom would often say, "Practice what you preach!" Just because God has blessed me with the ability to be in a position of authority, whether in my home or in my work or in my church, that does not mean that I have the right to tell others to do something that I, myself, choose not to do. I have a responsibility to my Savior to live the way that He has called me to live and as I teach others to do the same to be diligent that I am not creating my own exceptions for myself. That is when we see His true blessings pour forth.

April 14, 2011 
Matthew 7:15-16 NLT Jesus Speaking 
Beware of false prophets who come disguised as harmless sheep, but are really wolves that will tear you apart. You can detect them by the way they act, just as you can identify a tree by its fruit. You don’t pick grapes from thorn bushes, or figs from thistles.

Personal Challenge...
Have we entered into an era where it is difficult to identify the false prophets, the false teachers? Are all false prophets out to destroy the church? Has the line between wolf and sheep been totally blurred? We were warned by Jesus to be aware that well intentioned people will begin to teach a gospel that is not His. Our personal challenge is to be Bereans, to look at the fruit, to compare what we hear to the truth of the Living Word. This is a big responsibility and sometimes the results are difficult to follow through with...but we are still commanded to be aware and to follow God's teachings, not mans.

April 13, 2011 
Isaiah 43:1-2 NLT 
But now, O Israel, the LORD who created you says: “Do not be afraid, for I have ransomed you. I have called you by name; you are mine. When you go through deep waters and great trouble, I will be with you. When you go through rivers of difficulty, you will not drown! When you walk through the fire of oppression, you will not be burned up; the flames will not consume you.

Words of Encouragement...
Life has it's way of pressing in on us and making us feel like the whole world is about to cave in on us. But the LORD, the Creator, the One who has called us by our name tells us to not be afraid. He reminds us that He has ransomed us, that we are His, and that when we go through those flood waters of life He will be there with us, not only as our life raft, but as our provider and caretaker. He desires us!!!

April 12, 2011 Proverbs 13:10 NLT
Pride only breeds quarrels, but wisdom is found in those who take advice.

Personal Challenge...
I wonder sometimes if it is just a "guy" thing or if both genders suffer from this as well. Oh how often we set our mind on doing something because we are convinced that it is "right".  And then when all the counsel comes in to not do it, or to do it different, we continue forward because we have already made up our minds. Wisdom...true wisdom...comes from fear of the LORD and listening to the advice that He provides through those whom He places in our lives. It is okay to recognize that our decision was wrong, or that the environment has change, and then to make a new and wiser decision.

April 11, 2011 Psalm 31:23-24 NLT
Love the LORD, all you faithful ones! For the LORD protects those who are loyal to him, but he harshly punishes all who are arrogant. So be strong and take courage, all you who put your hope in the LORD!

Command with a Promise...
Love the LORD, be loyal to Him, be strong and take courage...and the LORD will protect you, he will punish those who are arrogant. Put your hope in Him. True protection, true love, true fellowship comes from God and His living Word. How often does man, in his arrogance and pride try to put God in his box and teach from his perspective rather than God's. We must constantly reminding ourselves to be careful to not twist God's Word for our own good, our own agenda.

April 10, 2011
James 1:2-4 NASB
Consider it all joy, my brethren, when you encounter various trials, knowing that the testing of your faith produces endurance. And let endurance have its perfect result, so that you may be perfect and complete, lacking in nothing.

Words of Encouragement...
We always want our life to be easy and the road to be smooth, but God reminds us that trials in our lives are there to grow us into His likeness. As with an athlete, when we encounter resistance, we develop stronger endurance. If we keep pressing through there is a prize on the other end. Be encouraged...that trial that you are going through will make you a better, stronger person and draw you closer to your Maker.

April 8, 2011
James 1:2-4 NASB
Consider it all joy, my brethren, when you encounter various trials, knowing that the testing of your faith produces endurance. And let endurance have its perfect result, so that you may be perfect and complete, lacking in nothing.

Words of Encouragement...
We always want our life to be easy and the road to be smooth, but God reminds us that trials in our lives are there to grow us into His likeness. As with an athlete, when we encounter resistance, we develop stronger endurance. If we keep pressing through there is a prize on the other end. Be encouraged...that trial that you are going through will make you a better, stronger person and draw you closer to your Maker.

April 7, 2011
John 16:33 NASB --- Jesus speaking 
"These things I have spoken to you, so that in Me you may have peace. In the world you have tribulation, but take courage; I have overcome the world.”

Words of Encouragement...
We can have peace...in Jesus. In the midst of tribulation in the world, we can have peace...because Jesus has overcome the world.

April 6, 2011
Nahum 1:7 NLT
The LORD is good. When trouble comes, he is a strong refuge. And he knows everyone who trusts in him.

Words of Encouragement...
Isn't it great that being under God's care is so simple? Then why is it so difficult to do? For me it is often pride...I want to do it my way. The LORD is good...all the time. He is our strong refuge...all the time. All I need to do is trust in Him.

April 5, 2011 Psalm 113:3 NASB
From the rising of the sun to its setting The name of the LORD is to be praised.

Personal Challenge...
It is so easy to get caught up in the busy-ness of the day and forget that this is the day that the Lord has made. He wants me to be praising Him throughout the day. He definitely deserves it.

April 1, 2011
2 Corinthians 1:3-4 NASB
Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of mercies and God of all comfort, who comforts us in all our affliction so that we will be able to comfort those who are in any affliction with the comfort with which we ourselves are comforted by God.

Words of Encouragement...
Have you every wondered why you are going through that difficult situation in your life? I have learned to claim these two verses in the midst of those times. With God there is always a reason, always a purpose. One of those is so that some day we will be able to comfort someone in their time of difficulty because we can look back on how God comforted us during ours. Life is not about us, it is about Him and those whom He has brought into our lives. Live this day investing in the lives of those people God has brought into your life...while you have the opportunity.