Friday, July 18, 2025

selected verses

2 Timothy 1 

For God has not given us a spirit of fear and timidity, 

but of power, 

love, 

and self-discipline.

So never be ashamed to tell others about our Lord. 

For God saved us 

and called us to live a holy life. 

He did this, 

not because we deserved it, 

but because that was his plan 

from before the beginning of time;

to show us his grace through Christ Jesus. 

10 And now he has made all of this plain to us by the appearing of Christ Jesus, our Savior. 

He broke the power of death 

and illuminated the way to life and immortality 

through the Good News. 

12 I know the one in whom I trust, 

and I am sure that he is able to guard what I have entrusted to him 

until the day of his return.

13 Hold on to the pattern of wholesome teaching you learned from me;

a pattern shaped by the faith and love that you have in Christ Jesus. 

14 Through the power of the Holy Spirit who lives within us, 

carefully guard the precious truth that has been entrusted to you.

Thursday, July 17, 2025

the rich

 Paul was writing here in his first letter to his son in the faith, Timothy.

Paul was supposedly writing from Macedonia.

He had left Timothy in Ephesus to look after the followers of Jesus.

Maybe Paul's words about the rich are applicable today?


1 Timothy 6

17 Teach those who are rich in this world not to be proud 

and not to trust in their money, 

which is so unreliable. 

Their trust should be in God, 

who richly gives us all we need for our enjoyment. 

18 Tell them to use their money to do good. 

They should be rich in good works 

and generous to those in need, 

always being ready to share with others. 

19 By doing this 

they will be storing up their treasure as a good foundation for the future 

so that they may experience true life.

Wednesday, July 16, 2025

vines & branches

Remember what Jesus is saying here 

He said to the disciples just a few hours before He was arrested & killed...


John 15 

“I am the true grapevine, 

and my Father is the gardener. 

He cuts off every branch of mine that doesn’t produce fruit, 

and he prunes the branches that do bear fruit 

so they will produce even more. 

You have already been pruned and purified by the message I have given you. 

Remain in me, 

and I will remain in you. 

For a branch cannot produce fruit if it is severed from the vine, 

and you cannot be fruitful unless you remain in me.

“Yes, I am the vine; 

you are the branches. 

Those who remain in me, 

and I in them, 

will produce much fruit. 

For apart from me you can do nothing. 

Anyone who does not remain in me 

is thrown away like a useless branch 

and withers. 

Such branches are gathered into a pile to be burned. 

But if you remain in me 

and my words remain in you, 

you may ask for anything you want, 

and it will be granted! 

When you produce much fruit, 

you are my true disciples. 

This brings great glory to my Father.

“I have loved you even as the Father has loved me. 

Remain in my love. 

10 When you obey my commandments, 

you remain in my love, 

just as I obey my Father’s commandments 

and remain in his love. 

11 I have told you these things so that you will be filled with my joy. 

Yes, your joy will overflow! 

12 This is my commandment: 

Love each other 

in the same way I have loved you. 

13 There is no greater love than to lay down one’s life for one’s friends. 

14 You are my friends 

if you do what I command. 

15 I no longer call you slaves, 

because a master doesn’t confide in his slaves. 

Now you are my friends, 

since I have told you everything the Father told me. 

16 You didn’t choose me. 

I chose you. 

I appointed you to go and produce lasting fruit, 

so that the Father will give you whatever you ask for, 

using my name. 

17 This is my command: 

Love each other.

Tuesday, July 15, 2025

all of 14

This is Jesus talking to His disciples a few hours before He was arrested & killed.


John 14 

“Don’t let your hearts be troubled. 

Trust in God, 

and trust also in me. 

There is more than enough room in my Father’s home. 

If this were not so, would I have told you that I am going to prepare a place for you? 

When everything is ready, I will come and get you, so that you will always be with me where I am. 

And you know the way to where I am going.”

“No, we don’t know, Lord,” Thomas said. “We have no idea where you are going, so how can we know the way?”

Jesus told him, “I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one can come to the Father except through me. If you had really known me, you would know who my Father is. From now on, you do know him and have seen him!”

Philip said, “Lord, show us the Father, and we will be satisfied.”

Jesus replied, “Have I been with you all this time, Philip, and yet you still don’t know who I am? Anyone who has seen me has seen the Father! So why are you asking me to show him to you? 10 Don’t you believe that I am in the Father and the Father is in me? The words I speak are not my own, but my Father who lives in me does his work through me. 11 Just believe that I am in the Father and the Father is in me. Or at least believe because of the work you have seen me do.

12 “I tell you the truth, anyone who believes in me will do the same works I have done, and even greater works, because I am going to be with the Father. 13 You can ask for anything in my name, and I will do it, so that the Son can bring glory to the Father. 14 Yes, ask me for anything in my name, and I will do it!


15 “If you love me, obey my commandments. 16 And I will ask the Father, and he will give you another Advocate, who will never leave you. 17 He is the Holy Spirit, who leads into all truth. The world cannot receive him, because it isn’t looking for him and doesn’t recognize him. But you know him, because he lives with you now and later will be in you. 18 No, I will not abandon you as orphans—I will come to you. 19 Soon the world will no longer see me, but you will see me. Since I live, you also will live. 20 When I am raised to life again, you will know that I am in my Father, and you are in me, and I am in you. 21 Those who accept my commandments and obey them are the ones who love me. And because they love me, my Father will love them. And I will love them and reveal myself to each of them.”

22 Judas (not Judas Iscariot, but the other disciple with that name) said to him, “Lord, why are you going to reveal yourself only to us and not to the world at large?”

23 Jesus replied, “All who love me will do what I say. My Father will love them, and we will come and make our home with each of them. 24 Anyone who doesn’t love me will not obey me. And remember, my words are not my own. What I am telling you is from the Father who sent me. 25 I am telling you these things now while I am still with you. 26 But when the Father sends the Advocate as my representative—that is, the Holy Spirit—he will teach you everything and will remind you of everything I have told you.

27 “I am leaving you with a gift—peace of mind and heart. And the peace I give is a gift the world cannot give. So don’t be troubled or afraid. 28 Remember what I told you: I am going away, but I will come back to you again. If you really loved me, you would be happy that I am going to the Father, who is greater than I am. 29 I have told you these things before they happen so that when they do happen, you will believe.

30 “I don’t have much more time to talk to you, because the ruler of this world approaches. He has no power over me, 31 but I will do what the Father requires of me, so that the world will know that I love the Father.

Monday, July 14, 2025

loving

This is Jesus talking here, a few hours before he was arrested & killed.


"So now I am giving you a new commandment: 

Love each other. 

Just as I have loved you, you should love each other.

Your love for one another will prove to the world that you are my disciples."

John 13:34-35


I would say that we Christians are known for a number of things by the general public,

but I'm not all together sure that being thought of as loving is one of them.

Sunday, July 13, 2025

trust

John 12 

44 Jesus shouted to the crowds, 

“If you trust me, 

you are trusting not only me, 

but also God who sent me. 

45 For when you see me, 

you are seeing the one who sent me. 

46 I have come as a light to shine in this dark world, 

so that all who put their trust in me will no longer remain in the dark. 

47 I will not judge those who hear me but don’t obey me, 

for I have come to save the world 

and not to judge it. 

48 But all who reject me and my message will be judged on the day of judgment 

by the truth I have spoken. 

49 I don’t speak on my own authority. 

The Father who sent me has commanded me what to say 

and how to say it. 

50 And I know his commands lead to eternal life; 

so I say whatever the Father tells me to say.”

Saturday, July 12, 2025

Lazarus

 Many of us have heard about the raising of Lazarus, but many have never read the whole account.

Well, here it is...

********

John 11 

A man named Lazarus was sick. He lived in Bethany with his sisters, Mary and Martha. This is the Mary who later poured the expensive perfume on the Lord’s feet and wiped them with her hair. Her brother, Lazarus, was sick. So the two sisters sent a message to Jesus telling him, “Lord, your dear friend is very sick.”

But when Jesus heard about it he said, “Lazarus’s sickness will not end in death. No, it happened for the glory of God so that the Son of God will receive glory from this.” So although Jesus loved Martha, Mary, and Lazarus, he stayed where he was for the next two days. Finally, he said to his disciples, “Let’s go back to Judea.”

But his disciples objected. “Rabbi,” they said, “only a few days ago the people in Judea were trying to stone you. Are you going there again?”

Jesus replied, “There are twelve hours of daylight every day. During the day people can walk safely. They can see because they have the light of this world. 10 But at night there is danger of stumbling because they have no light.” 11 Then he said, “Our friend Lazarus has fallen asleep, but now I will go and wake him up.”

12 The disciples said, “Lord, if he is sleeping, he will soon get better!” 13 They thought Jesus meant Lazarus was simply sleeping, but Jesus meant Lazarus had died.

14 So he told them plainly, “Lazarus is dead. 15 And for your sakes, I’m glad I wasn’t there, for now you will really believe. Come, let’s go see him.”

16 Thomas, nicknamed the Twin, said to his fellow disciples, “Let’s go, too—and die with Jesus.”

17 When Jesus arrived at Bethany, he was told that Lazarus had already been in his grave for four days. 18 Bethany was only a few miles down the road from Jerusalem, 19 and many of the people had come to console Martha and Mary in their loss. 20 When Martha got word that Jesus was coming, she went to meet him. But Mary stayed in the house. 21 Martha said to Jesus, “Lord, if only you had been here, my brother would not have died. 22 But even now I know that God will give you whatever you ask.”

23 Jesus told her, “Your brother will rise again.”

24 “Yes,” Martha said, “he will rise when everyone else rises, at the last day.”

25 Jesus told her, “I am the resurrection and the life. Anyone who believes in me will live, even after dying. 26 Everyone who lives in me and believes in me will never ever die. Do you believe this, Martha?”

27 “Yes, Lord,” she told him. “I have always believed you are the Messiah, the Son of God, the one who has come into the world from God.” 28 Then she returned to Mary. She called Mary aside from the mourners and told her, “The Teacher is here and wants to see you.” 29 So Mary immediately went to him.

30 Jesus had stayed outside the village, at the place where Martha met him. 31 When the people who were at the house consoling Mary saw her leave so hastily, they assumed she was going to Lazarus’s grave to weep. So they followed her there. 32 When Mary arrived and saw Jesus, she fell at his feet and said, “Lord, if only you had been here, my brother would not have died.”

33 When Jesus saw her weeping and saw the other people wailing with her, a deep anger welled up within him, and he was deeply troubled. 34 “Where have you put him?” he asked them.

They told him, “Lord, come and see.” 35 Then Jesus wept. 36 The people who were standing nearby said, “See how much he loved him!” 37 But some said, “This man healed a blind man. Couldn’t he have kept Lazarus from dying?”

38 Jesus was still angry as he arrived at the tomb, a cave with a stone rolled across its entrance. 39 “Roll the stone aside,” Jesus told them.

But Martha, the dead man’s sister, protested, “Lord, he has been dead for four days. The smell will be terrible.”

40 Jesus responded, “Didn’t I tell you that you would see God’s glory if you believe?” 41 So they rolled the stone aside. Then Jesus looked up to heaven and said, “Father, thank you for hearing me. 42 You always hear me, but I said it out loud for the sake of all these people standing here, so that they will believe you sent me.” 43 Then Jesus shouted, “Lazarus, come out!” 44 And the dead man came out, his hands and feet bound in graveclothes, his face wrapped in a headcloth. Jesus told them, “Unwrap him and let him go!”