Saturday, January 31, 2015

Water Miracles in the Bible - 6

Water as blood to Moabites

2 Kings 3:21-27 

21 Now all the Moabites had heard that the kings had come to fight against them; so every man, young and old, who could bear arms was called up and stationed on the border. 

22 When they got up early in the morning, the sun was shining on the water. To the Moabites across the way, the water looked red—like blood. 

23 “That's blood!” they said. “Those kings must have fought and slaughtered each other. Now to the plunder, Moab!”

24 But when the Moabites came to the camp of Israel, the Israelites rose up and fought them until they fled. And the Israelites invaded the land and slaughtered the Moabites. 

25 They destroyed the towns, and each man threw a stone on every good field until it was covered. They stopped up all the springs and cut down every good tree. Only Kir Hareseth was left with its stones in place, but men armed with slings surrounded it and attacked it as well.

26 When the king of Moab saw that the battle had gone against him, he took with him seven hundred swordsmen to break through to the king of Edom, but they failed. 

27 Then he took his firstborn son, who was to succeed him as king, and offered him as a sacrifice on the city wall. The fury against Israel was great; they withdrew and returned to their own land.

Healing of Namaan

Kindly read - 2 kings 5:1-19

Iron ax swimming

2 Kings 6:1-7 

1 The company of the prophets said to Elisha, “Look, the place where we meet with you is too small for us. 

2 Let us go to the Jordan, where each of us can get a pole; and let us build a place there for us to live.” And he said, “Go.”

3 Then one of them said, “Won't you please come with your servants?” “I will,” Elisha replied. 

4 And he went with them. They went to the Jordan and began to cut down trees. 

5 As one of them was cutting down a tree, the iron axhead fell into the water. “Oh, my lord,” he cried out, “it was borrowed!”

6 The man of God asked, “Where did it fall?” When he showed him the place, Elisha cut a stick and threw it there, and made the iron float. 

7 “Lift it out,” he said. Then the man reached out his hand and took it.

Small Prayers - 3

Repeat these Prayers.

Father of Mercies, I recognize that my plans and my ways are not necessarily your plans or your ways. Please help me as I dedicate myself to reading Scripture and listening for your will. I want to honor you in all I do and dedicate my efforts and myself to your glory, honor, and praise. In the name of Jesus, my Savior and Lord, I pray. Amen.

Holy Father, the Great I Am, thank you for being there tomorrow before I arrive there. Thank you for being there in my past when all others forsook me. Thank you for being there when I was unaware of your presence until I looked back and saw the evidences of your grace. Please give me courage to truly believe your promises, especially this one about always being there. Your promise has made "never" a very important word for me today! Thank you. In the name of your loving Son, Jesus, I pray. Amen.

Holy and Almighty Father, thank you for being with me as I begin this new year. Please empower me with your Spirit to greet it with passion and excitement for the opportunities ahead. Please forgive me when my own inadequacies and the unknown ahead of me make me fearful and indecisive. Give me courage to live boldly for you this year. In Jesus' name I pray. Amen.

Almighty and holy God, I want to glorify you and bring you praise in the choices that I make, the people that I influence, the words that I speak, and the actions that I take in this coming year. I know that I am not guaranteed a single new day, but I want each that I live to be a day I have lived for your glory and honor and praise. In the name of Jesus my Lord I pray. Amen.

Thank you, God, for giving me the victory through Jesus Christ my Lord. I greet the future with anticipation because I know each day brings me closer to you and the glorious future you have planned for all of your children. Until then, I pray that I may never lose sight of that victory and yearn for the day of its arrival! In the name of Jesus, the triumphant Rider on the white horse, I pray. Amen.

Promises and Scriptures on divine Protection

2 Chronicles 16:9 

For the eyes of the LORD range throughout the earth to strengthen those whose hearts are fully committed to him. You have done a foolish thing, and from now on you will be at war.”

Psalms 34:7 

The angel of the LORD encamps around those who fear him, and he delivers them.

Psalms 91:4 

He will cover you with his feathers, and under his wings you will find refuge; his faithfulness will be your shield and rampart.

Psalms 125:2 

As the mountains surround Jerusalem, so the LORD surrounds his people both now and forevermore.

Zechariah 2:5 

And I myself will be a wall of fire around it,’ declares the LORD, ‘and I will be its glory within.’

Proverbs 14:29

A patient man has great understanding, but a quick-tempered man displays folly.

Thoughts on Today's Verse....

Responding quickly to aggravation, threat, insult, or difficulty suggests strength to many folks today. However, responding hastily out of anger is foolish. This response seldom produces the desired long term effect and nearly always compounds the problems that need to be addressed. Patiently dealing with frustrating and painful situations shows understanding and is nearly always more fruitful in the long run.

Quotes on Worship 

We do not go to church to worship, but, already at worship, we join our brothers and sisters in continuing those actions that should have been going on-privately, familially, or even corporately – all week long.  Harold Best

What does God say to us about our worship? Surely, this is the toughest and most basic question to be asked, but curiously, it is often the last question we ask. If we think about our worship at all, usually we think in terms of, what do I want from our worship? Or, what do MY PEOPLE want from our worship? Without daring to be so bold as to ask, what does GOD want from our worship? -  William H. Willimon

Help me, Lord, to remember that religion (Christianity) is not to be confined to the church … nor exercised only in prayer and meditation, but that everywhere I am in Thy Presence.-  Susanna Wesley

Friday, January 30, 2015

Receiving Rest

 Mark 2:27  

Then he said to them, “The Sabbath was made for man, not man for the Sabbath.

Matthew 11:28-30  

28 “Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. 

29 Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. 

30 For my yoke is easy and my burden is light.”

Luke 10:42  

But only one thing is needed. Mary has chosen what is better, and it will not be taken away from her.”

Reflecting Jesus  

2 Corinthians 3:18  

And we, who with unveiled faces all reflect the Lord's glory, are being transformed into his likeness with ever-increasing glory, which comes from the Lord, who is the Spirit.

Remember Them 

Hebrews 11:36-40  

36 Some faced jeers and flogging, while still others were chained and put in prison. 

37 They were stoned; they were sawed in two; they were put to death by the sword. They went about in sheepskins and goatskins, destitute, persecuted and mistreated— 

38 the world was not worthy of them. They wandered in deserts and mountains, and in caves and holes in the ground.

39 These were all commended for their faith, yet none of them received what had been promised. 

40 God had planned something better for us so that only together with us would they be made perfect.

Remember What Jesus Said  

Luke 24:6  

He is not here; he has risen! Remember how he told you, while he was still with you in Galilee:

Rescued 

Exodus 3:7-8 

7 The LORD said, “I have indeed seen the misery of my people in Egypt. I have heard them crying out because of their slave drivers, and I am concerned about their suffering. 

8  So I have come down to rescue them from the hand of the Egyptians and to bring them up out of that land into a good and spacious land, a land flowing with milk and honey—the home of the Canaanites, Hittites, Amorites, Perizzites, Hivites and Jebusites.

Small Prayers - 2

Repeat these Prayers

Loving Father, please give me a more gracious and generous heart so that I might better demonstrate your love to a struggling brother or sister in Christ today. In Jesus' name I pray. Amen.

Almighty God, please forgive me for the times I have lost sight of what is essential and focused on what is peripheral. Please forgive me for the times when my interests and concerns were more important to me than loving service to others. Please give me eyes to see the people you would have me serve today so others may know Jesus' love. In Jesus' name I pray. Amen.

God of grace, thank you for the privilege of sharing your love with others. Thank you for saving me FROM my sin. Thank you for saving me FOR service to bless others for Jesus' sake. In the name of Jesus, my Savior, I pray. Amen.

Forgive me, Father, for the times that I have cheapened your grace with inappropriate speech and irresponsible behavior. You are God alone. You alone are worthy of praise. Thank you for not only being holy and mighty, but also being near and providing me a place of refuge and protection. Thank you, dear Father, for being God! In Jesus' name. Amen.
Holy and Almighty God, I praise you for your majesty and might. I praise you for your love and your grace. I praise you with my heart full of thanks. I praise you with my head bowed low in reverence, to honor and glorify you, the only true and living God. May honor and glory and praise be yours in my heart and in my life as long as I live on this earth. In Jesus' name. Amen.

The Thoughts and Prayer on Today's Verse are written by Phil Ware. You can email questions Abba Father, loving God, I place my hopes, dreams, and future in your hands. I trust that you are at work for my eternal good. I believe that you alone offer freedom from all that enslaves me. Thank you for your forgiveness of my sins and your promise of life forever with you. But most of all, dear Father, thank you for your unfailing love. In Jesus' name I pray. Amen.

Eternal Father and God of all peoples, help me see more clearly the spiritual, eternal, and real world of the unseen. I am not seeking novelty, nor am I on some quest for the bizarre. I only want to know you, your truth, and your character so I may more appropriately display them to others and help them come find you in the world of the unseen. Please grant me greater success at reaching others, to your glory. In the name of Jesus I pray. Amen.

God of glory, majesty, and might, I praise you for all the many works of your handiwork I see in nature. I praise you for the laws that hold our universe in place by your command. I praise you for the redeeming work of Jesus. So to you, God, I lift my heart, my hands, and my head and praise you for your grace and glory. In Jesus' name. Amen.

About Restoring Broken Relationships

Ephesians 4:3  

Make every effort to keep the unity of the Spirit through the bond of peace.

1 Peter 4:8-10  

8 Above all, love each other deeply, because love covers over a multitude of sins. 

9 Offer hospitality to one another without grumbling. 

10 Each one should use whatever gift he has received to serve others, faithfully administering God's grace in its various forms.

1 Thessalonians 5:15  

Make sure that nobody pays back wrong for wrong, but always try to be kind to each other and to everyone else.

About Resolving Resentment

Romans 14:10 

 You, then, why do you judge your brother? Or why do you look down on your brother? For we will all stand before God's judgment seat.

Proverbs 15:26  

The LORD detests the thoughts of the wicked, but those of the pure are pleasing to him.

Proverbs 17:9  

He who covers over an offense promotes love, but whoever repeats the matter separates close friends.

1 Peter 3:8-9  

8 Finally, all of you, live in harmony with one another; be sympathetic, love as brothers, be compassionate and humble. 

9 Do not repay evil with evil or insult with insult, but with blessing, because to this you were called so that you may inherit a blessing.

About Praying For Others

Matthew 18:19  

19 “Again, I tell you that if two of you on earth agree about anything you ask for, it will be done for you by my Father in heaven. 

20 For where two or three come together in my name, there am I with them.”

James 5:16  

Therefore confess your sins to each other and pray for each other so that you may be healed. The prayer of a righteous man is powerful and effective.

Luke 6:27  

“But I tell you who hear me: Love your enemies, do good to those who hate you, 

28 bless those who curse you, pray for those who mistreat you.

Romans 15:30  

I urge you, brothers, by our Lord Jesus Christ and by the love of the Spirit, to join me in my struggle by praying to God for me.

Thursday, January 29, 2015

Trustworthy Commitments - 2

Ephesians 5:1 

Be imitators of God, therefore, as dearly loved children

Ephesians 5:8 

For you were once darkness, but now you are light in the Lord. Live as children of light

Philippians 2:15 

so that you may become blameless and pure, children of God without fault in a crooked and depraved generation, in which you shine like stars in the universe

1 Thessalonians 5:5 

You are all sons of the light and sons of the day. We do not belong to the night or to the darkness.

1 Peter 5:5 

Young men, in the same way be submissive to those who are older. All of you, clothe yourselves with humility toward one another, because, “God opposes the proud but gives grace to the humble.”

1 Peter 5:14 

Greet one another with a kiss of love. Peace to all of you who are in Christ.

1 John 3:1-2 

1 How great is the love the Father has lavished on us, that we should be called children of God! And that is what we are! The reason the world does not know us is that it did not know him. 

2 Dear friends, now we are children of God, and what we will be has not yet been made known. But we know that when he appears, we shall be like him, for we shall see him as he is.

1 John 4:4 

You, dear children, are from God and have overcome them, because the one who is in you is greater than the one who is in the world.

2 John 1:4 

It has given me great joy to find some of your children walking in the truth, just as the Father commanded us.

Familiar verse from the Bible…

Romans 8:28 

And we know that in 

Foolish people in the Bible - 2

Proverbs 1:7 

The fear of the LORD is the beginning of knowledge, but fools despise wisdom and discipline.

Proverbs 10:21 

The lips of the righteous nourish many, but fools die for lack of judgment.

Proverbs 14:9 

Fools mock at making amends for sin, but goodwill is found among the upright.

Luke 11:40 

You foolish people! Did not the one who made the outside make the inside also?

Psalms 73:22 

I was senseless and ignorant; I was a brute beast before you.

Proverbs 21:20 

In the house of the wise are stores of choice food and oil, but a foolish man devours all he has.

Galatians 3:1 

You foolish Galatians! Who has bewitched you? Before your very eyes Jesus Christ was clearly portrayed as crucified.

Proverbs 12:23 

A prudent man keeps his knowledge to himself, but the heart of fools blurts out folly.

Proverbs 19:3 

A man's own folly ruins his life, yet his heart rages against the LORD.

Proverbs 24:9 

The schemes of folly are sin, and men detest a mocker.

Psalms 94:8 

Take heed, you senseless ones among the people; you fools, when will you become wise?

Proverbs 1:22 

“How long will you simple ones love your simple ways? How long will mockers delight in mockery and fools hate knowledge?

Wednesday, January 28, 2015

Loosing - 1

Infirmities

Luke 13:12-16

12 When Jesus saw her, he called her forward and said to her, “Woman, you are set free from your infirmity.” 

13 Then he put his hands on her, and immediately she straightened up and praised God.

14 Indignant because Jesus had healed on the Sabbath, the synagogue ruler said to the people, “There are six days for work. So come and be healed on those days, not on the Sabbath.”

15 The Lord answered him, “You hypocrites! Doesn't each of you on the Sabbath untie his ox or donkey from the stall and lead it out to give it water? 

16 Then should not this woman, a daughter of Abraham, whom Satan has kept bound for eighteen long years, be set free on the Sabbath day from what bound her?”

Mark 7:35 

At this, the man's ears were opened, his tongue was loosened and he began to speak plainly.

Satan and angels from chains

Revelation 9:14 

It said to the sixth angel who had the trumpet, “Release the four angels who are bound at the great river Euphrates.”

Revelation 20:3 

He threw him into the Abyss, and locked and sealed it over him, to keep him from deceiving the nations anymore until the thousand years were ended. After that, he must be set free for a short time.

Revelation 20:7 

When the thousand years are over, Satan will be released from his prison

Familiar verse from the Bible

Romans 12:1 

Your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and pleasing to God

John 10:10 

The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy; I have come that they may have life, and have it to the full.

God’s Love - 1

God’s Love seen throughout the ‘Bible’

Nehemiah 9:17 

They refused to listen and failed to remember the miracles you performed among them. They became stiff-necked and in their rebellion appointed a leader in order to return to their slavery. But you are a forgiving God, gracious and compassionate, slow to anger and abounding in love. Therefore you did not desert them,

Psalms 17:7 

Show the wonder of your great love, you who save by your right hand those who take refuge in you from their foes.

Psalms 33:18 

But the eyes of the LORD are on those who fear him, on those whose hope is in his unfailing love,

Psalms 36:5-9 

5 Your love, O LORD, reaches to the heavens, your faithfulness to the skies.

6 Your righteousness is like the mighty mountains, your justice like the great deep. O LORD, you preserve both man and beast.

7 How priceless is your unfailing love! Both high and low among men find refuge in the shadow of your wings.

8 They feast on the abundance of your house; you give them drink from your river of delights.

9 For with you is the fountain of life; in your light we see light.

Psalms 63:3 

Because your love is better than life, my lips will glorify you.

Psalms 66:20 

Praise be to God, who has not rejected my prayer or withheld his love from me!

Psalms 86:5 

You are forgiving and good, O Lord, abounding in love to all who call to you.

Psalms 103:11-13

11 For as high as the heavens are above the earth, so great is his love for those who fear him;

12 as far as the east is from the west, so far has he removed our transgressions from us.

13 As a father has compassion on his children, so the LORD has compassion on those who fear him;

Tuesday, January 27, 2015

Small Prayers - 1

Repeat these Prayers.

Father, I always need You. Forgive me for thinking I am sufficient in myself. Help me to follow You and Your ways whether life is easy or difficult. Thank You for caring for me.

Holy and Righteous Father, I thank you for your overwhelming love demonstrated to me in Jesus. I thank you for providing the atoning sacrifice for my sins and for adopting me into your family. Father, please cast all fear from my heart and help me walk confidently with you and for you, with character and purpose. In Jesus' name I pray. Amen.

Thank you, Mighty God, for your confidence in me. With your help, I won't be a "shrinker." I will stand for your truth, your character, and your will even if those around me do not. I believe you have great things ahead for your people, so I refuse to shrink back. Please empower me with your Spirit so that I can more completely serve you with confidence and integrity. In Jesus' name I pray. Amen.

Almighty Father, my Deliverer and Strength, with your help and presence I will not fear the days ahead. I praise you for sustaining your people Israel through history. I praise you for preserving your Word, the Scriptures, through persecutions and purges. I praise you and will not be afraid because my life and my future are in your hands. In the name of Jesus, my Lord, I pray. Amen.

Thank you, Father for loving me and personally knowing me. Thank you for the assurance that I won't have to face a day without you. Thank you for the comfort of knowing that I will never face my sorrows alone. Thank you for being the strength that sustains me when I don't have the strength to go on. Thank you that when tomorrow dawns, I will be with you no matter what happens during the night. In Jesus' name I pray. Amen.

God of glory and might, thank you for the stories of your great power in the Bible. They give me courage and hope when I face my problems. I believe Jesus can deliver me, sustain me, and uphold me through my difficulties today. Please forgive me for those times when I didn't turn to you and honestly talk to you about my struggles. O LORD, I need the strength, the comfort, and the presence of Christ today. In the name of my Savior Jesus, I pray. Amen.

Almighty God, I confess that I like getting older less and less, the older I get. I am thankful, however, that each day older I get, the closer I am to coming home to you. Please help me not to become cynical, negative, or bitter as I grow older. Instead, please renew me and use me to bless others who need to find their way home to you. In Jesus' mighty name I pray. Amen.

Faithful Father, thank you for your never ending love. Please fill me with your Holy Spirit and pour love into my heart so I can love others as Jesus has loved me. I need your help to love those who have disappointed and hurt me. O God, I don't want my bitterness or resentment to keep someone from serving you and knowing Jesus' grace. In the name of my loving Savior I pray. Amen.

Justification of Believers Is By:

God

Romans 3:26

He did it to demonstrate his justice at the present time, so as to be just and the one who justifies those who have faith in Jesus.

Christ’s resurrection

Romans 4:25

He was delivered over to death for our sins and was raised to life for our justification.

Holy Spirit

1 Corinthians 6:11

And that is what some of you were. But you were washed, you were sanctified, you were justified in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ and by the Spirit of our God.

Blood

Romans 3:24-28

24 and are justified freely by his grace through the redemption that came by Christ Jesus.

25 God presented him as a sacrifice of atonement, through faith in his blood. He did this to demonstrate his justice, because in his forbearance he had left the sins committed beforehand unpunished—

26 he did it to demonstrate his justice at the present time, so as to be just and the one who justifies those who have faith in Jesus.

27 Where, then, is boasting? It is excluded. On what principle? On that of observing the law? No, but on that of faith.

28 For we maintain that a man is justified by faith apart from observing the law.

Grace

Romans 3:24

And are justified freely by his grace through the redemption that came by Christ Jesus.

Titus 3:7


So that, having been justified by his grace, we might become heirs having the hope of eternal life.

Monday, January 26, 2015

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

Thought on this verse

Isn't it incredible! Even in those times that my words are blocked and my heart is heavy, God hears my prayers. It is not because I am articulate, wise, or faithful enough to pray as I should. No, it is because God has graciously placed his Spirit in our hearts to make known what my words cannot capture and my mind cannot verbalize. God hears my groanings, my yearnings, my heartbreaks, and my heart-cries. He knows what I cannot think, but only feel. Through the work of the Holy Spirit, he answers those unuttered prayers with his presence, grace, and power.

Proverbs 3:3-4  

3 Let love and faithfulness never leave you; bind them around your neck, write them on the tablet of your heart.

4 Then you will win favor and a good name in the sight of God and man.

Thought on this verse

Character is measured by the love and faithfulness we genuinely display in our daily lives. These are not simple virtues that we can fake. Merciful love is displayed when we have power over another but choose to treat them with kindness and genuine concern. Faithfulness is being a person of truth -- genuine and trustworthy in word and deed. These virtues need to be a part of our everyday life and permeate our very identity. When they do, others will notice and God will be pleased.

1 John 5:4  

For everyone born of God overcomes the world. This is the victory that has overcome the world, even our faith.

Thought on this verse

This is the companion passage to 1 John 2:17 -- "The world and its desires are passing away, but the one who does the will of God lives forever." Our destiny and future are not limited to the boundaries of existence tied to our little blue planet. Our future and our hope burst the boundaries of mortality and are tied to our faith in a resurrected and victorious Savior who is coming back to bring us to his eternal home. This faith is displayed by doing God's will even when the most in our contemporary culture choose to chase what is fleeting and transient.

Psalms 31:1  

In you, O LORD, I have taken refuge; let me never be put to shame; deliver me in your righteousness.

Thought on this verse

When all the clutter is stripped away, what is your real hope? When you push aside the diplomas, awards, accolades, and honors, what is the basis of your significance? Only one source for hope and only one basis of significance is trustworthy. Only One -- the LORD God -- endures forever! Only our Father in heaven guarantees that our life is significant. So let's place our hope in the LORD and have him be our refuge!

God the Son - 2

The Son

Psalms 2:12 

Kiss the Son, lest he be angry and you be destroyed in your way, for his wrath can flare up in a moment. Blessed are all who take refuge in him.

Hebrews 3:6 

But Christ is faithful as a son over God's house. And we are his house, if we hold on to our courage and the hope of which we boast.

Sanctuary - Stone of stumbling - Rock of offence

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.

Wonderful - Counselor - The mighty God - The everlasting Father - The Prince of Peace

Isaiah 9:6 

For to us a child is born, to us a son is given, and the government will be on his shoulders. And he will be called Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace.

Rod out of Jesse, 

Isaiah 11:1 

A shoot will come up from the stump of Jesse; from his roots a Branch will bear fruit.
The Branch

Isaiah 11:1 

A shoot will come up from the stump of Jesse; from his roots a Branch will bear fruit.

Zechariah 3:8 

“‘Listen, O high priest Joshua and your associates seated before you, who are men symbolic of things to come: I am going to bring my servant, the Branch.

Zechariah 6:12 

Tell him this is what the LORD Almighty says: ‘Here is the man whose name is the Branch, and he will branch out from his place and build the temple of the LORD.

An ensign of the people

Isaiah 11:10 

In that day the Root of Jesse will stand as a banner for the peoples; the nations will rally to him, and his place of rest will be glorious.

About Giving To God

Proverbs 3:9-10  

9 Honor the LORD with your wealth, with the first fruits of all your crops;

10 then your barns will be filled to overflowing, and your vats will brim over with new wine.

Malachi 3:10  

Bring the whole tithe into the storehouse, that there may be food in my house. Test me in this,” says the LORD Almighty, “and see if I will not throw open the floodgates of heaven and pour out so much blessing that you will not have room enough for it.

Luke 6:38  

Give and it will be given to you. A good measure, pressed down, shaken together and running over, will be poured into your lap. For with the measure you use, it will be measured to you.”

About Reading God’s Word

Hebrews 4:12  

For the word of God is living and active. Sharper than any double-edged sword, it penetrates even to dividing soul and spirit, joints and marrow; it judges the thoughts and attitudes of the heart.

James 1:25  

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.

1 Peter 2:2  

Like newborn babies, crave pure spiritual milk, so that by it you may grow up in your salvation,

About Obeying God

John 15:10-11  

10 If you obey my commands, you will remain in my love, just as I have obeyed my Father's commands and remain in his love. 

11 I have told you this so that my joy may be in you and that your joy may be complete.
Luke 6:47-48  

47 I will show you what he is like who comes to me and hears my words and puts them into practice. 

48 He is like a man building a house, who dug down deep and laid the foundation on rock. When a flood came, the torrent struck that house but could not shake it, because it was well built.

1 John 2:3-5  

3 We know that we have come to know him if we obey his commands. 

4 The man who says, “I know him,” but does not do what he commands is a liar, and the truth is not in him. 

5 But if anyone obeys his word, God's love is truly made complete in him. This is how we know we are in him:

Sunday, January 25, 2015

Gifts of God - 3

We must give thanks at all times:

1 Timothy 2:1 

I urge, then, first of all, that requests, prayers, intercession and thanksgiving be made for everyone—

Philippians 4:6 

Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God.

1 Thessalonians 5:8 

But since we belong to the day, let us be self-controlled, putting on faith and love as a breastplate, and the hope of salvation as a helmet.

Divine Gifts of a Spiritual Nature:

Jesus Christ:

John 3:16 

“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.

John 4:10 

Jesus answered her, “If you knew the gift of God and who it is that asks you for a drink, you would have asked him and he would have given you living water.”

John 6:32-33 

32 Jesus said to them, “I tell you the truth, it is not Moses who has given you the bread from heaven, but it is my Father who gives you the true bread from heaven.

33 For the bread of God is he who comes down from heaven and gives life to the world.”

2 Corinthians 9:15 

Thanks be to God for his indescribable gift!

Evangelism:

"If sinners be dammed, at least let them leap to Hell over our bodies. If they will perish, let them perish with our arms about their knees. Let no one GO there UNWARNED and UNPRAYED for." - Charles Spurgeon" 

Spiritual Death

Romans 6:23 

For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.

Colossians 2:13 

When you were dead in your sins and in the uncircumcision of your sinful nature, God made you alive with Christ. He forgave us all our sins,

Ephesians 2:1-3 

1 As for you, you were dead in your transgressions and sins, 

2 in which you used to live when you followed the ways of this world and of the ruler of the kingdom of the air, the spirit who is now at work in those who are disobedient. 

3 All of us also lived among them at one time, gratifying the cravings of our sinful nature and following its desires and thoughts. Like the rest, we were by nature objects of wrath.

Ephesians 5:8 

For you were once darkness, but now you are light in the Lord. Live as children of light

Proverbs 8:36 

But whoever fails to find me harms himself; all who hate me love death.”

John 3:36 

Whoever believes in the Son has eternal life, but whoever rejects the Son will not see life, for God's wrath remains on him.”

1 John 5:12 

He who has the Son has life; he who does not have the Son of God does not have life.

Ephesians 4:18 

They are darkened in their understanding and separated from the life of God because of the ignorance that is in them due to the hardening of their hearts.

Daily Thoughts.

- May our prayers not be mindless, but instead mindful of God’s will.

- The Bible: know it in your head, stow it in your heart, show it in your life, sow it the world.

- Loneliness comes when we forget about the One who is always with us.

- God is behind the scenes and controls the scenes He stands behind.

- No evil can penetrate the armor of God.

- We are to be channels of God’s truth--not reservoirs.

- As part of God’s flock, we’re protected by Him and by each other.

- If we don’t come apart and rest awhile, we may just plain come apart!

Saturday, January 24, 2015

Water Miracles in the Bible - 5

Crossing Jordan on dry ground

Kindly read - Josh 3:1-17

Divine supply to Samson

Judges 15:19 

Then God opened up the hollow place in Lehi, and water came out of it. When Samson drank, his strength returned and he revived. So the spring was called En Hakkore, and it is still there in Lehi.

Water licker up

1 Kings 18:38 

Then the fire of the LORD fell and burned up the sacrifice, the wood, the stones and the soil, and also licked up the water in the trench.

Drying of Jordan by Elisha

2 Kings 2:14 

Then he took the cloak that had fallen from him and struck the water with it. “Where now is the LORD, the God of Elijah?” he asked. When he struck the water, it divided to the right and to the left, and he crossed over.

Healing of waters

2 Kings 2:19-22 

19 The men of the city said to Elisha, “Look, our lord, this town is well situated, as you can see, but the water is bad and the land is unproductive.”

20 “Bring me a new bowl,” he said, “and put salt in it.” So they brought it to him.

21 Then he went out to the spring and threw the salt into it, saying, “This is what the LORD says: ‘I have healed this water. Never again will it cause death or make the land unproductive.’” 

22 And the water has remained wholesome to this day, according to the word Elisha had spoken.

Divine supply to Jehoshaphat

2 Kings 3:16-20 

16 and he said, “This is what the LORD says: Make this valley full of ditches. 

17 For this is what the LORD says: You will see neither wind nor rain, yet this valley will be filled with water, and you, your cattle and your other animals will drink.

18 This is an easy thing in the eyes of the LORD; he will also hand Moab over to you. 

19 You will overthrow every fortified city and every major town. You will cut down every good tree, stop up all the springs, and ruin every good field with stones.”

20 The next morning, about the time for offering the sacrifice, there it was—water flowing from the direction of Edom! And the land was filled with water.

Death (means a “separation”) - 6

Walk in newness of life:

Romans 6:3-4

3 Or don't you know that all of us who were baptized into Christ Jesus were baptized into his death? 

4 We were therefore buried with him through baptism into death in order that, just as Christ was raised from the dead through the glory of the Father, we too may live a new life.

Have received eternal life:

John 5:24 

“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.

1 John 5:11-13 

11 And this is the testimony: God has given us eternal life, and this life is in his Son. 

12 He who has the Son has life; he who does not have the Son of God does not have life.

13 I write these things to you who believe in the name of the Son of God so that you may know that you have eternal life.

Those who keep the word of Christ will never see death:

John 8:51 

I tell you the truth, if anyone keeps my word, he will never see death.”

John 11:25-26 

25 Jesus said to her, “I am the resurrection and the life. He who believes in me will live, even though he dies; 

26 and whoever lives and believes in me will never die. Do you believe this?”

Death cannot separate them from the love of God:

Romans 8:38-39 

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.

He who overcomes shall not be hurt by the second death:

Revelation 2:11 

He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches. He who overcomes will not be hurt at all by the second death.

Revelation 20:6 

Blessed and holy are those who have part in the first resurrection. The second death has no power over them, but they will be priests of God and of Christ and will reign with him for a thousand years.

The death of their bodies is called “sleepy” only:

1 Corinthians 15:58 

Therefore, my dear brothers, stand firm. Let nothing move you. Always give yourselves fully to the work of the Lord, because you know that your labor in the Lord is not in vain.

1 Thessalonians 4:13-14 

13 Brothers, we do not want you to be ignorant about those who fall asleep, or to grieve like the rest of men, who have no hope. 

14 We believe that Jesus died and rose again and so we believe that God will bring with Jesus those who have fallen asleep in him.

Friday, January 23, 2015

Bible verses on Intimacy with God

Job 22:25-26

25 then the Almighty will be your gold, the choicest silver for you.

26 Surely then you will find delight in the Almighty and will lift up your face to God.

Psalms 11:7 

For the LORD is righteous, he loves justice; upright men will see his face.

Psalms 16:2 

I said to the LORD, “You are my Lord; apart from you I have no good thing.”

Psalms 16:11 

You have made known to me the path of life; you will fill me with joy in your presence, with eternal pleasures at your right hand.

Psalms 17:14-15 

14 O LORD, by your hand save me from such men, from men of this world whose reward is in this life. You still the hunger of those you cherish; their sons have plenty, and they store up wealth for their children.

15 And I—in righteousness I will see your face; when I awake, I will be satisfied with seeing your likeness.

Psalms 25:14 

The LORD confides in those who fear him; he makes his covenant known to them.

Psalms 27:4 

One thing I ask of the LORD, this is what I seek: that I may dwell in the house of the LORD all the days of my life, to gaze upon the beauty of the LORD and to seek him in his temple.

Psalms 27:8 

My heart says of you, “Seek his face!” Your face, LORD, I will seek.

Psalms 31:19 

How great is your goodness, which you have stored up for those who fear you, which you bestow in the sight of men on those who take refuge in you.

Proverbs 1:23 

If you had responded to my rebuke, I would have poured out my heart to you and made my thoughts known to you.