Wednesday, February 29, 2012

The Book of Isaiah with New Testament Books…Part 2


Emmanuel

Isaiah 7:14  

Therefore the Lord himself will give you a sign: The virgin will be with child and will give birth to a son, and will call him Emmanuel.

Matthew 1:21-23  

21 She will give birth to a son, and you are to give him the name Jesus, because he will save his people from their sins.”

22 All this took place to fulfill what the Lord had said through the prophet:

23 “The virgin will be with child and will give birth to a son, and they will call him Immanuel”—which means, “God with us.”

Sanctify

Isaiah 8:12-13  

12 “Do not call conspiracy everything that these people call conspiracy; do not fear what they fear, and do not dread it.

13  The LORD Almighty is the one you are to regard as holy, he is the one you are to fear, he is the one you are to dread,

1 Peter 3:15  

But in your hearts set apart Christ as Lord. Always be prepared to give an answer to everyone who asks you to give the reason for the hope that you have. But do this with gentleness and respect,

Stumbling

Isaiah 8:14  

And he will be a sanctuary; but for both houses of Israel he will be a stone that causes men to stumble and a rock that makes them fall. And for the people of Jerusalem he will be a trap and a snare.

Romans 9:32-33

32 Why not? Because they pursued it not by faith but as if it were by works. They stumbled over the “stumbling stone.”

33 As it is written: “See, I lay in Zion a stone that causes men to stumble and a rock that makes them fall, and the one who trusts in him will never be put to shame.”

Children

Isaiah 8:17-18  

17 I will wait for the LORD, who is hiding his face from the house of Jacob. I will put my trust in him.

18 Here am I, and the children the LORD has given me. We are signs and symbols in Israel from the LORD Almighty, who dwells on Mount Zion.

Hebrews 2:13  

And again, “I will put my trust in him.” And again he says, “Here am I, and the children God has given me.”


Reason to Boast


2 Corinthians 10:12  

We do not dare to classify or compare ourselves with some who commend themselves. When they measure themselves by themselves and compare themselves with themselves, they are not wise.

Receiving God's Grace in Vain

2 Corinthians 6:1-2  

1 As God's fellow workers we urge you not to receive God's grace in vain.

2 For he says, “In the time of my favor I heard you, and in the day of salvation I helped you.” I tell you, now is the time of God's favor, now is the day of salvation.

Recognizing Jesus A series of 4 devotionals on

John 20:14

 At this, she turned around and saw Jesus standing there, but she did not realize that it was Jesus.

John 20:15  

“Woman,” he said, “why are you crying? Who is it you are looking for?” Thinking he was the gardener, she said, “Sir, if you have carried him away, tell me where you have put him, and I will get him.”

John 21:4  

Early in the morning, Jesus stood on the shore, but the disciples did not realize that it was Jesus.

Luke 24:12-22  

12 Peter, however, got up and ran to the tomb. Bending over, he saw the strips of linen lying by themselves, and he went away, wondering to himself what had happened.

13 Now that same day two of them were going to a village called Emmaus, about seven miles from Jerusalem.

14 They were talking with each other about everything that had happened.

15 As they talked and discussed these things with each other, Jesus himself came up and walked along with them;

16 but they were kept from recognizing him.

17 He asked them, “What are you discussing together as you walk along?” They stood still, their faces downcast.

18 One of them, named Cleopas, asked him, “Are you only a visitor to Jerusalem and do not know the things that have happened there in these days?”

19 “What things?” he asked. “About Jesus of Nazareth,” they replied. “He was a prophet, powerful in word and deed before God and all the people.

20 The chief priests and our rulers handed him over to be sentenced to death, and they crucified him;

21 but we had hoped that he was the one who was going to redeem Israel. And what is more, it is the third day since all this took place.

22 In addition, some of our women amazed us. They went to the tomb early this morning


Appearances of Angels to Men


Moses

Exodus 3:2  

There the angel of the LORD appeared to him in flames of fire from within a bush. Moses saw that though the bush was on fire it did not burn up.

Joshua

Exodus 23:20-23  

20 “See, I am sending an angel ahead of you to guard you along the way and to bring you to the place I have prepared.

21 Pay attention to him and listen to what he says. Do not rebel against him; he will not forgive your rebellion, since my Name is in him.

22 If you listen carefully to what he says and do all that I say, I will be an enemy to your enemies and will oppose those who oppose you.

23 My angel will go ahead of you and bring you into the land of the Amorites, Hittites, Perizzites, Canaanites, Hivites and Jebusites, and I will wipe them out.

Elisha and servant

2 Kings 6:16-17 

16 “Don't be afraid,” the prophet answered. “Those who are with us are more than those who are with them.”

17 And Elisha prayed, “O LORD, open his eyes so he may see.” Then the LORD opened the servant's eyes, and he looked and saw the hills full of horses and chariots of fire all around 

Elisha.

Matthew 28:1-5  

1 After the Sabbath, at dawn on the first day of the week, Mary Magdalene and the other Mary went to look at the tomb.

2 There was a violent earthquake, for an angel of the Lord came down from heaven and, going to the tomb, rolled back the stone and sat on it.

3 His appearance was like lightning, and his clothes were white as snow.

4 The guards were so afraid of him that they shook and became like dead men.

5 The angel said to the women, “Do not be afraid, for I know that you are looking for Jesus, who was crucified. 

Daniel

Daniel 6:22  

My God sent his angel, and he shut the mouths of the lions. They have not hurt me, because I was found innocent in his sight. Nor have I ever done any wrong before you, O king.”

Paul

Acts 27:23

 Last night an angel of the God whose I am and whom I serve stood beside me



Fresh Heart, Fresh Start


By Jon Walker

“Create in me a pure heart, O God, and renew a steadfast spirit within me.” (Psalms 51:10)

God creates my pure heart, not me. It is his spirit within me that cleanses and “re-creates” my heart. It is his power, his grace, his hand, his works, his abilities, his strength that creates this pure heart. My heart becomes pure not because of what I can do, but because of what God has done through the blood of Jesus Christ – and what God can do in transforming my heart into what he wants it to be.

God speaks my pure heart into existence; this is a Genesis moment, where God speaks into the chaos, the darkness, the void, and from this creates a pure heart within me (Psalm 51). God can create something from nothing; he can take a heart that is broken, impure, failed and create in its place a heart that is whole, pure, and purposeful.

God loves me and wants to pour his grace into my heart. He wants to see me pure, and he wants to see me succeed – so much so, that he takes an active role in creating my new, cleansed heart. My role – my job – is to submit, humble myself before him, ask for his help.

Think like this: God is the one who purifies my heart. My heart is not purified by me, by my noble efforts, by my good thoughts, by my ability to follow the rules. Rather –

• My heart is purified by God creating a pure heart within me.

• My heart is cleansed by the living water flowing through me.

• My heart is cleansed by the blood of Christ scrubbing away the stains of my sin.

• My heart is cleansed by God breathing his spirit into me.

• My heart is purified solely, and wholly, by the power of God – and not by anything extra that I can do.

That is why the only path to a pure heart is to confess my sin and acknowledge my need.
The heart God creates, then, is no longer cynical or distrustful. It is no longer damaged or broken. It is a pure heart.

So what?

• A pure heart produces faith – “I tell you the truth, if anyone says to this mountain, 'Go, throw yourself into the sea,' and does not doubt in his heart but believes that what he says will happen, it will be done for him.’” (Mark 11:23)

• A pure heart matches God’s heart – Syncing with God’s heartbeat means you focus your heart on those things that matter most to God (Colossians 3:1-2) and you let go of anything that hinders your ability to align with God's heart (Hebrews 12:1). Jesus matched his heart with the Father's heart (John 5:23; 6:38; 16:17-18).

• A pure heart is undivided – God wants your whole heart committed wholly to him: “To love him with all your heart, with all your understanding, and with all your strength, and to love your neighbor as yourself is more important than all burnt offerings and sacrifices.” (Mark 12:33)

• A pure heart is a fresh start – Ask God to create in you a fresh start. (Psalm 51:10).

Tuesday, February 28, 2012

Things to Avoid


Trouble makers

Romans 16:17  

I urge you, brothers, to watch out for those who cause divisions and put obstacles in your way that are contrary to the teaching you have learned. Keep away from them.

Profane and vain babblings

1 Timothy 6:20  

Timothy, guard what has been entrusted to your care. Turn away from godless chatter and the opposing ideas of what is falsely called knowledge,

False science

1 Timothy 6:20  

Timothy, guard what has been entrusted to your care. Turn away from godless chatter and the opposing ideas of what is falsely called knowledge,

Unlearned questions

2 Timothy 2:23  

Don't have anything to do with foolish and stupid arguments, because you know they produce quarrels.

Genealogies

Titus 3:9  

But avoid foolish controversies and genealogies and arguments and quarrels about the law, because these are unprofitable and useless.

Arguments about law

Titus 3:9  

But avoid foolish controversies and genealogies and arguments and quarrels about the law, because these are unprofitable and useless.

Thought

Success

How do you define success?

A common response is "achieving predetermined goals." Scripture's definition, however, is different. The Lord desires that we discover His plan, obey, and become all that He intended. In other words, for success in the biblical sense, God sets the goals.


Surviving Information Overload


By Rick Warren

"But, My son, be warned: there is no end of opinions ready to be expressed. Studying them can go on forever and become very exhausting!" (Ecclesiastes 12:12 LB).

We live in the Information Age, where more and more people in the labor force are becoming "knowledge workers" involved in collecting, analyzing, organizing, storing, retrieving, or communicating information.

Getting the right information is vital to your success. But do you ever feel overwhelmed by the information you're already bombarded with each day? You have good reason: We have produced more information in the last forty years than in the previous five thousand.

Just within the U.S., nearly fifty thousand books and ten thousand magazines are published each year; every single day, researchers and scientists produce seven thousand new scientific papers; and the average person is confronted with about one hundred forty advertising messages a day, or about fifty thousand a year.

We are drowning in information. In one day, we are bombarded with more information than a typical person in the sixteenth century might have encountered in a lifetime! What's more, it's getting worse! The amount of information available to you now doubles every five years; that means five years from today, there will be twice as much known in your field as there is today.

Solomon, whom the Bible called the wisest man ever, understood this problem. While speaking about the many books being published just in his time, he said, "Be warned: there is no end of opinions ready to be expressed. Studying them can go on forever and become very exhausting!" (Ecclesiastes 12:12 LB). Here are three skills for surviving information overload.

1. You need to know what's worth knowing and what isn't. Selection is the first key to survival.

2. You need to understand the meaning of what you know. This comes from seeing the big picture. Perspective enables you to see how things relate.

3. You need to know what to do with what you know.

When you possess these three skills it is called having wisdom! Wisdom is even more critical to your success than knowledge. Wisdom turns information into power. How do I get more wisdom?

First, ask God for wisdom. He wants to help you: "If any of you lack wisdom, you should pray to God, who will give it to you; because God gives generously and graciously to all" (James 1:5 TEV).

Second, read the Bible and follow God's instructions: "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" (James 1:25 NIV).
               
                

Monday, February 27, 2012

Final commands to Christians


Build up yourselves on your most holy faith

Jude 1:20  

But you, dear friends, build yourselves up in your most holy faith and pray in the Holy Spirit.

1 Timothy 1:4  

nor to devote themselves to myths and endless genealogies. These promote controversies rather than God's work—which is by faith.

Pray in the Holy Ghost

Jude 1:20  

But you, dear friends, build yourselves up in your most holy faith and pray in the Holy Spirit.

Ephesians 6:18  

And pray in the Spirit on all occasions with all kinds of prayers and requests. With this in mind, be alert and always keep on praying for all the saints.

Romans 8:26  

In the same way, the Spirit helps us in our weakness. We do not know what we ought to pray for, but the Spirit himself intercedes for us with groans that words cannot express.

Keep yourselves in the love of God

2 Timothy 1:14  

Guard the good deposit that was entrusted to you—guard it with the help of the Holy Spirit who lives in us.

Romans 8:35-39  

35 Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? Shall trouble or hardship or persecution or famine or nakedness or danger or sword?

36 As it is written: “For your sake we face death all day long; we are considered as sheep to be slaughtered.”

37 No, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him who loved us.

38 For I am convinced that neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither the present nor the future, nor any powers,

39 neither height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord.

Look for the mercy of our Lord Jesus Christ

Hebrews 12:15  

See to it that no one misses the grace of God and that no bitter root grows up to cause trouble and defile many.

Hate even the garment spotted by the flesh

James 1:27  

Religion that God our Father accepts as pure and faultless is this: to look after orphans and widows in their distress and to keep oneself from being polluted by the world.

Ephesians 5:27  

And to present her to himself as a radiant church, without stain or wrinkle or any other blemish, but holy and blameless.





200 Miscellaneous Commands from the Bible


(160 to 168 out of 200)

160

Show charity to other ministers

Luke 9:49-50  

49 “Master,” said John, “we saw a man driving out demons in your name and we tried to stop him, because he is not one of us.”

50 “Do not stop him,” Jesus said, “for whoever is not against you is for you.”

161

Show self a pattern

Titus 2:7 

In everything set them an example by doing what is good. In your teaching show integrity, seriousness

            162

Show 4 things of

Titus 2:7-8  

7 In everything set them an example by doing what is good. In your teaching show integrity, seriousness

8 and soundness of speech that cannot be condemned, so that those who oppose you may be ashamed because they have nothing bad to say about us.

163

Sin not

1 Corinthians 15:34  

Come back to your senses as you ought, and stop sinning; for there are some who are ignorant of God—I say this to your shame.

            164

Sing with grace in heart

Colossians 3:16  

Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly as you teach and admonish one another with all wisdom, and as you sing psalms, hymns and spiritual songs with gratitude in your hearts to God.

            165

Shun vain babblings

2 Timothy 2:16  

Avoid godless chatter, because those who indulge in it will become more and more ungodly.

            166

Speak and do things in view of judgment

James 2:12  

Speak and act as those who are going to be judged by the law that gives freedom,

            167

Speak truth

Ephesians 4:25  

Therefore each of you must put off falsehood and speak truthfully to his neighbor, for we are all members of one body.

            168

Speak sound doctrine

Titus 2:1  

You must teach what is in accord with sound doctrine.

Sunday, February 26, 2012

About making the right Choices


About making the right Choices

Proverbs 3:5-6  

5 Trust in the LORD with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding;

6 in all your ways acknowledge him, and he will make your paths straight.

Ephesians 4:22-24 

22 You were taught, with regard to your former way of life, to put off your old self, which is being corrupted by its deceitful desires;

23 to be made new in the attitude of your minds;

24 and to put on the new self, created to be like God in true righteousness and holiness.

1 Peter 1:14-15  

14 As obedient children, do not conform to the evil desires you had when you lived in ignorance.

15 But just as he who called you is holy, so be holy in all you do;

About Jesus the Savior

John 3:16  

16 “For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life.

17 For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but to save the world through him.

Romans 10:9  

That if you confess with your mouth, “Jesus is Lord,” and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved.

1 John 4:14  

And we have seen and testify that the Father has sent his Son to be the Savior of the world.

Thought

Ask yourself the following three questions:

What kind of life do I want to live?

What do I want my character to be like?

Who do I want to become years from now?

Let the Holy Spirit speak to you about your choices--past, present and future--and His plans for you.


Ways of Backsliders…3


Permit cares of world, deceitfulness of riches, and lusts of other things to choke the Word

Mark 4:18  

18 Still others, like seed sown among thorns, hear the word;

19 but the worries of this life, the deceitfulness of wealth and the desires for other things come in and choke the word, making it unfruitful.

Become ashamed of Christ

Mark 8:38  

If anyone is ashamed of me and my words in this adulterous and sinful generation, the Son of Man will be ashamed of him when he comes in his Father's glory with the holy angels.”

Look back to old life

Luke 9:62  

Jesus replied, “No one who puts his hand to the plow and looks back is fit for service in the kingdom of God.”

Become defeated by Satan

Luke 11:21  

“When a strong man, fully armed, guards his own house, his possessions are safe.

Are overcome by sin

2 Peter 2:20

If they have escaped the corruption of the world by knowing our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ and are again entangled in it and overcome, they are worse off at the end than they were at the beginning.

Lust offer evil things

1 Corinthians 10:6  

Now these things occurred as examples to keep us from setting our hearts on evil things as they did.

Are idolaters

1 Corinthians 10:7  

Do not be idolaters, as some of them were; as it is written: “The people sat down to eat and drink and got up to indulge in pagan revelry.”






Muscle Words of the Kingdom of God


Power – the dunamis of God’s Kingdom.

Harvest – the worldwide reaping of souls into heaven.

Holy Spirit – the agent of God’s power on the earth today.

Prosperity – the resources for the last day harvest.

Healing – the strength of God for the bodies of the saints.

Miracles – the validation of Word of God by suspending natural law.

Tongues – the beautiful languages of intercession.

Authority – the enforcement of the kingdom of God.

Discipleship – the process of building the Church.

Deliverance – the inner freedom from all oppression.

Holiness – the heart purity necessary for reigning.

Charisma – the energy of the Spirit for service.

Revival – the passionate desire of every true believer.

Joy – the sweet strength of the people of God.

Faith – the single key to everything in the kingdom of God.

Evangelism

"One of our troubles is we are not willing to humble ourselves. We are not willing to give up our opinions as to how things should be done. We want a revival to come just in our way. You never saw two revivals come just alike. We must let them come in God's way. People are ashamed to admit they need a revival. If you are not willing to take the shame on yourself, you then let it remain on Jesus Christ. You must bear the reproach of your sinful state of indifference, or the cause of our Master must bear it." - Mordecai Ham