hold on

Psalm 73:24 You will keep on guiding me with Your counsel, leading me to a glorious destiny.

25 Whom have I in heaven but You?

I desire you more than anything on earth.

26 My health may fail,

my spirit may grow weak,

but God remains the strength of my heart;

He is mine forever.


Sometimes,when we're at the end of our rope, we just need to tie a knot in it with some scripture, & hold on.

Someone out there needs these verses today besides me. Will you let me know if that's you?

holy & blameless

Colossians 1

15 Christ is the visible image of the invisible God.

  He existed before anything was created and is supreme over all creation,

16 for through him God created everything in the heavenly realms and on earth.

He made the things we can see

  and the things we can't see...

     such as thrones, kingdoms, rulers, and authorities in the unseen world.
 
Everything was created through him and for him.



17 He existed before anything else,

  and he holds all creation together.

18 Christ is also the head of the church,

  which is his body.

He is the beginning,

  supreme over all who rise from the dead.

  So he is first in everything.

19 For God in all his fullness was pleased to live in Christ,

20 and through him God reconciled everything to himself.

He made peace with everything in heaven and on earth

  by means of Christ's blood on the cross.



  21 This includes you who were once far away from God.

You were his enemies,

     separated from him by your evil thoughts and actions.

22 Yet now he has reconciled you to himself through the death of Christ in his physical body.

As a result, he has brought you into his own presence,

and you are holy and blameless as you stand before him without a single fault.



  23 But you must continue to believe this truth and stand firmly in it.

Don't drift away from the assurance you received when you heard the Good News.



"...you are holy and blameless as you stand before him without a single fault."

iow, because of Jesus, God doesn't see our sinfulness or sins - quite actually, God sees us as just the opposite: holy & blameless.

Can we let that sink in?!

Think about all the sins you've done...

Never mind, that would take too much time for you or me!

Anyway, think about it - thru Jesus' sacrificial death & resurrection, God doesn't see all those sins - just doesn't see them - and what's more, sees us as holy & blameless!

Amazing!

It's the scandal of grace.



So if He can forgive & forget all those sins, what is the only reasonable response to such love & grace?

just try it

Philippians 4

6 Don't worry about anything;

     instead, pray about everything.

     Tell God what you need,

          and thank him for all he has done.

     7 Then you will experience God's peace,

           which exceeds anything we can understand.

His peace will guard your hearts and minds as you live in Christ Jesus.



  8 And now, dear brothers and sisters, one final thing.

Fix your thoughts on what is true,

     and honorable,

     and right,

     and pure,

     and lovely,

     and admirable.

Think about things that are excellent and worthy of praise.

think about this today

Philippians 2
1 Is there any encouragement from belonging to Christ?

     Any comfort from his love?

     Any fellowship together in the Spirit?

     Are your hearts tender and compassionate?

2 Then make me truly happy by agreeing wholeheartedly with each other,

     loving one another,

     and working together with one mind and purpose.



  3 Don't be selfish;

don't try to impress others.

Be humble,

     thinking of others as better than yourselves.

4 Don't look out only for your own interests,

     but take an interest in others, too.

  5 You must have the same attitude that Christ Jesus had.



6 Though he was God,

  he did not think of equality with God

  as something to cling to.

7 Instead, he gave up his divine privileges;

  he took the humble position of a slave

  and was born as a human being.

When he appeared in human form,

8   he humbled himself in obedience to God

  and died a criminal's death on a cross.



9 Therefore, God elevated him to the place of highest honor

  and gave him the name above all other names,

10 that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow,

  in heaven and on earth and under the earth,

11 and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord,

  to the glory of God the Father.

harsh words

Luke 19

26 To those who use well what they are given,

        even more will be given.

But from those who are unfaithful,

        even what little they have will be taken away.



There is a responsibility to make available all that God has made us to be & dreamed for us to do.

protection

If you've never read Ephesians, or if it's been a while, read it again, one chapter at a time.

It's just so chock full of all kinds of good stuff, amazing stuff, stuff that you hear every day.

It would just be good to know where those things we heard all the time come from! ;-)



Ephesians 6:10 A final word: Be strong in the Lord and in his mighty power.

11 Put on all of God's armor so that you will be able to stand firm against all strategies of the devil.

12 For we are not fighting against flesh-and-blood enemies,

        but against evil rulers and authorities of the unseen world,

        against mighty powers in this dark world,

        and against evil spirits in the heavenly places.


  13 Therefore, put on every piece of God's armor so you will be able to resist the enemy in the time of evil.

      Then after the battle you will still be standing firm.

14 Stand your ground,

        putting on the belt of truth

        and the body armor of God's righteousness.

        15 For shoes, put on the peace that comes from the Good News so that you will be fully prepared.

        16 In addition to all of these, hold up the shield of faith to stop the fiery arrows of the devil.

        17 Put on salvation as your helmet,

        and take the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God. (dan note: iow, READ THE BIBLE EVERY DAY!!!)


  18 Pray in the Spirit at all times and on every occasion.

Stay alert and be persistent in your prayers for all believers everywhere.

right living

Ephesians 5:1 Imitate God, therefore, in everything you do,

        because you are his dear children.

2 Live a life filled with love, following the example of Christ.

He loved us and offered himself as a sacrifice for us, a pleasing aroma to God.



  3 Let there be no sexual immorality, impurity, or greed among you.

       Such sins have no place among God's people.

4 Obscene stories, foolish talk, and coarse jokes—these are not for you.

     Instead, let there be thankfulness to God.

5 You can be sure that no immoral, impure, or greedy person will inherit the Kingdom of Christ and of God.

      For a greedy person is an idolater, worshiping the things of this world.
 


6 Don't be fooled by those who try to excuse these sins,

     for the anger of God will fall on all who disobey him.

7 Don't participate in the things these people do.

8 For once you were full of darkness, but now you have light from the Lord.

So live as people of light!

9 For this light within you produces only what is good and right and true.



  10 Carefully determine what pleases the Lord.

11 Take no part in the worthless deeds of evil and darkness;

        instead, expose them.

12 It is shameful even to talk about the things that ungodly people do in secret.

13 But their evil intentions will be exposed when the light shines on them,

     14 for the light makes everything visible.

This is why it is said,

"Awake, O sleeper,
  rise up from the dead,
  and Christ will give you light."

one

Ephesians 4:1 Therefore I, a prisoner for serving the Lord, beg you to lead a life worthy of your calling,

     for you have been called by God.

2 Always be humble

       and gentle.

Be patient with each other,

     making allowance for each other's faults

        because of your love.

3 Make every effort to keep yourselves united in the Spirit,

     binding yourselves together with peace.

4 For there is one body

     and one Spirit,

         just as you have been called to one glorious hope for the future.

5 There is one Lord,

one faith,

one baptism,

6 and one God and Father,

     who is over all

     and in all

     and living through all.

wow!

Ephesians 3:

12 Because of Christ and our faith in him, we can now come boldly and confidently into God's presence.



14 When I think of the wisdom & scope of God's plan, I fall to my knees and pray to the Father, 15 the Creator of everything in heaven and on earth.

16 I pray that from his glorious, unlimited resources he will empower you with inner strength through his Spirit.

17 Then Christ will make his home in your hearts as you trust in him.

Your roots will grow down into God's love and keep you strong.

18 And may you have the power to understand, as all God's people should,

     how wide,
     how long,
     how high,
     and how deep his love is.

19 May you experience the love of Christ, though it is too great to understand fully.

              Then you will be made complete with all the fullness of life and power that comes from God.



  20 Now all glory to God, who is able, through his mighty power at work within us, to accomplish infinitely more than we might ask or think or hope.

21 Glory to him in the church and in Christ Jesus through all generations forever and ever!

powerful stuff

Ephesians2:4 But God is so rich in mercy,

     and he loved us so much,

  5 that even though we were dead because of our sins, he gave us life when he raised Christ from the dead.

            (It is only by God's grace that you have been saved!)

6 For he raised us from the dead along with Christ and seated us with him in the heavenly realms because we are united with Christ Jesus.

7 So God can point to us in all future ages as examples of the incredible wealth of his grace and kindness toward us,

     as shown in all he has done for us who are united with Christ Jesus.



  8 God saved you by his grace when you believed.

And you can't take credit for this;

     it is a gift from God.

9 Salvation is not a reward for the good things we have done,

        so none of us can boast about it.

10 For we are God's masterpiece.

He has created us anew in Christ Jesus,

          so we can do the good things he planned for us long ago.

some verses

Here's some verses that stood out this morning.They're all for me. But some may be for you, too


Luke 12: The time is coming when everything that is covered up will be revealed,

     and all that is secret will be made known to all.

3 Whatever you have said in the dark will be heard in the light,

     and what you have whispered behind closed doors will be shouted from the housetops for all to hear!


Hmmmmmm.....



vs 22 ...don't worry about everyday life...



vs 30b ...your Father already knows your needs. 31 Seek the Kingdom of God above all else, and he will give you everything you need.



vs 32a  ...don't be afraid



vs 48b  Much is required from those to whom much is given,

     & much more is required from those to whom much more is given.




Galatians 6:4 Pay careful attention to your own work,

     for then you will get the satisfaction of a job well done,

        and you won't need to compare yourself to anyone else.



vs 7 Remember you can't ignor God & get away with it. You will always reap what you sown!



vs 9 Don't get tired of doing what is good. Don't get discouraged & give up, for we will reap a harvest of blessing at the appropriate time.

Ive been claiming this verse for 2 people in my life. Haven't seen a flicker of change in either. One particularly seems to be moving in the other direction. I've accepted the fact that I may not see this verse fulfilled until I get to heaven. But it's a promise for both. We shall see what we shall see.

go

Luke 10:2 The harvest is great, but the workers are few.

So pray to the Lord who is in charge of the harvest;

     ask him to send more workers into his fields.

3 Now go,

     and remember that I am sending you out as lambs among wolves.

4 Don't take any money with you,

     nor a traveler's bag,

     nor an extra pair of sandals.


Roman 11:29

For God's gifts and his call can never be withdrawn. (NLT)

God’s gifts and God’s call are under full warranty—never canceled, never rescinded. (The Message)
For God’s gifts and His call are irrevocable. [He never withdraws them when once they are given, and He does not change His mind about those to whom He gives His grace or to whom He sends His call.] (Amplified)

For the gifts and the calling of God are irrevocable. (ESV)



Sometimes we're not released from a call to go, no matter if it doesn't make any sense.

let go of your life

Luke 9:23 Then Jesus said to the crowd,

     "If any of you wants to be my follower,

          you must turn from your selfish ways, your selfish ambition,

          take up your cross daily,

          and follow me.

24 If you try to keep your life for yourself, you will lose it.

         But if you give up your life for Me, you will find true life.


25 And what do you benefit if you gain the whole world but are yourself lost or destroyed?

Don't be afraifd. Just trust Me...

Luke 8:40 On the other side of the lake the crowds welcomed Jesus, because they had been waiting for him.

41 Then a man named Jairus, a leader of the local synagogue, came and fell at Jesus' feet, pleading with him to come home with him.

      42 His only daughter, who was about twelve years old, was dying.



 As Jesus went with him, he was surrounded by the crowds. 43 A woman in the crowd had suffered for twelve years with constant bleeding, and she could find no cure. 44 Coming up behind Jesus, she touched the fringe of his robe. Immediately, the bleeding stopped.

  45 "Who touched me?" Jesus asked.

  Everyone denied it, and Peter said, "Master, this whole crowd is pressing up against you."

  46 But Jesus said, "Someone deliberately touched me, for I felt healing power go out from me." 47 When the woman realized that she could not stay hidden, she began to tremble and fell to her knees in front of him. The whole crowd heard her explain why she had touched him and that she had been immediately healed. 48 "Daughter," he said to her, "your faith has made you well. Go in peace."

 

  49 While he was still speaking to her, a messenger arrived from the home of Jairus, the leader of the synagogue.

     He told him, "Your daughter is dead. There's no use troubling the Teacher now."

  50 But when Jesus heard what had happened, he said to Jairus,

            "Don't be afraid. Just trust me, and she will be healed."


  51 When they arrived at the house, Jesus wouldn't let anyone go in with him except Peter, John, James, and the little girl's father and mother.

52 The house was filled with people weeping and wailing,

            but he said, "Stop the weeping! She isn't dead; she's only asleep."


  53 But the crowd laughed at him because they all knew she had died.

54 Then Jesus took her by the hand and said in a loud voice, "My child, get up!"

55 And at that moment her life returned, and she immediately stood up!

Then Jesus told them to give her something to eat.

56 Her parents were overwhelmed, but Jesus insisted that they not tell anyone what had happened.



How many of us (besides me) need to hear Jesus saying to us "Don't be afraid. Just trust Me..."

How many of us think on a daily basis that the overwhelming nature of our stuff makes us think we're gonna lose our minds?

How many of us feel like they've stepped out of God's will for their lives & suddenly that daily communication from Him is very, very silent?

How many of us are so tormented in our lives it's difficult to think straight, let alone cope?


This morning, I'm reading along, & there's those words toward the end of the chapter...

Don't worry. Just trust Me...

Can Jesus be saying that to you this morning?

I really, really hope that He's saying that to me.

Sit quietly & listen w/ your spirit. Ask Him if that's what He's wanting to say to you this morning.

And trust me, if it is, you'll know it.

what I got

Psalm 56:3 when I am afraid, I put my trust in You


http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qtZX7a44fMI

4 passages

Here's what stood out this morning in the areas I read...



1 Samuel 2:9b No one will succeed by strength alone.




Psalm 54:4 God is my helper.

     The Lord is the One Who keeps me alive.




Luke 5:27 Later, as Jesus left the town, he saw a tax collector named Levi sitting at his tax collector's booth.

 "Follow me and be my disciple," Jesus said to him.

28 So Levi got up, left everything, and followed him.



  29 Later, Levi held a banquet in his home with Jesus as the guest of honor.

Many of Levi's fellow tax collectors and other guests also ate with them.

30 But the Pharisees and their teachers of religious law complained bitterly to Jesus' disciples,

 "Why do you eat and drink with such scum?"



  31 Jesus answered them, "Healthy people don't need a doctor—sick people do.

32 I have come to call not those who think they are righteous,

     but those who know they are sinners and need to repent."

(dan note: what would happen if we hung out w/ "such scum" & loved them w/ the love of Jesus?)



2 Corinthians 12:9 "My grace is all you need.

     My power works best in weakness."

So now I am glad to boast about my weaknesses, so that the power of Christ can work through me.

10 That's why I take pleasure in my weaknesses, and in the insults, hardships, persecutions, and troubles that I suffer for Christ.

For when I am weak, then I am strong.

so, how was your week, Paul

2 Corinthians 11:23b I have worked harder,

     been put in prison more often,

     been whipped times without number,

     and faced death again and again.

24 Five different times the Jewish leaders gave me thirty-nine lashes.

25 Three times I was beaten with rods.

Once I was stoned.

Three times I was shipwrecked.

Once I spent a whole night and a day adrift at sea.

26 I have traveled on many long journeys.

I have faced danger from rivers and from robbers.

I have faced danger from my own people, the Jews, as well as from the Gentiles.

I have faced danger in the cities, in the deserts, and on the seas.

And I have faced danger from men who claim to be believers but are not.

27 I have worked hard and long, enduring many sleepless nights.

I have been hungry and thirsty and have often gone without food.

I have shivered in the cold, without enough clothing to keep me warm.



  28 Then, besides all this, I have the daily burden of my concern for all the churches.

29 Who is weak without my feeling that weakness?

Who is led astray, and I do not burn with anger?



  30 If I must boast, I would rather boast about the things that show how weak I am.

31 God, the Father of our Lord Jesus, who is worthy of eternal praise, knows I am not lying.

32 When I was in Damascus, the governor under King Aretas kept guards at the city gates to catch me.

33 I had to be lowered in a basket through a window in the city wall to escape from him.



Our faith is so prissy, so puny, compared to this.

How many of us would continue to be Christ followers in America if just one of those things happened to us?

And we think we have it so rough sometimes, "enduring persecution" at home, at work, or just out & about.

Yeah, riiiiiight...

Like I said... prissy... puny...

all I got

Psalm 32:8 The Lord says, "I will guide you in the best pathway for your life.

   I will advise you, & watch over you."


Some mornings all I've got is the verse I hold on to for the year. This year is Psalm 32:8.

I didn't know how it would impact my life back in November, 2012 when I felt like God led me to claim it for the year 2013.

giving

1 Corinthians 9:6 Remember this - a farmer who plants only a few seeds will get a small crop.

     But the one who plants generously will get a generous crop.

7 You must each decide in your heart how much to give.

And don't give reluctantly or in response to pressure.

"For God loves a person who gives cheerfully."

8 And God will generously provide all you need.

     Then you will always have everything you need

              and plenty left over to share with others.

no ace in the hole

Psalm 50:15 Trust Me in your times of trouble,

     & I will rescue you,

     & you will give Me glory.


We all have "times of trouble" when life just doesn't go like we thought it would, or that we'd like it to.


God says "trust Me".


How many of us have ever put ourselves in such a role as a servant that the only things we had was to trust God because there was nothing we could do about our situation?


Not many of us do that.


We like to have "an ace in the hole" or "a backup plan".


I wonder what our lives would be like, & I wonder what our world would be like if more of us trusted God at that level.


Think about it...

guiding

Psalm 48:14 For that is what God s like.

     He is our God forever & ever,

     & He will be our guide until we die.



According to dictionary.com, this is what a guide does...

1. to assist (a person) to travel through, or reach a destination in, an unfamiliar area, as by accompanying or giving directions to the person: He guided us through the forest.

2. to accompany (a sightseer) to show points of interest and to explain their meaning or significance.

3. to force (a person, object, or animal) to move in a certain path.

4. to supply (a person) with advice or counsel, as in practical or spiritual affairs.

5. to supervise (someone's actions or affairs) in an advisory capacity.


And the psalmist says this is what God wil be & do for us until we die - iow, until we go to live with Him.


Hmmmmmm...

what we got

1 Corinthians 5:14 Since we believe that Christ died for all, we also believe that we have all died to our old life.

15 He died for everyone so that those who receive his new life will no longer live for themselves.

          Instead, they will live for Christ, who died and was raised for them.



  16 So we have stopped evaluating others from a human point of view.

At one time we thought of Christ merely from a human point of view.

     How differently we know him now!

17 This means that anyone who belongs to Christ has become a new person.

       The old life is gone;

         a new life has begun!



  18 And all of this is a gift from God, who brought us back to himself through Christ.

     And God has given us this task of reconciling people to him.

19 For God was in Christ, reconciling the world to himself, no longer counting people's sins against them.

   And he gave us this wonderful message of reconciliation.

20 So we are Christ's ambassadors;

     God is making his appeal through us.

     We speak for Christ when we plead, "Come back to God!"

21 For God made Christ, who never sinned, to be the offering for our sin,

         so that we could be made right with God through Christ.

just sayin'

Before we begin to think we're "all that & a bag of chips"...

before we think we're the ones who "make things happen...

before we think the lives, jobs, & glittering ministries we all are a part are due to our cleverness & personal holiness...

read these 5 verses from Psalm 44...

just sayin'...



Psalm 44

3 They did not conquer the land with their swords;

  it was not their own strong arm that gave them victory.

It was by Your mighty power

  that they succeeded;

 it was because You favored them

  & smiled on them.


4 You are my King and my God.

  You command victories for Israel.

5 Only by your power can we push back our enemies;

  only in your name can we trample our foes.

6 I do not trust in my bow;

  I do not count on my sword to save me.

7 You are the one who gives us victory over our enemies;

  you disgrace those who hate us.

8 O God, we give glory to you all day long

  and constantly praise your name.