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 sinners to turn from their sins,
not to spend my time with those who think they are already good enough."
We've forgotten that this is who & what we're supposed to be all about.
Obviously, Jesus possessed such a Spirit & attitude that even the people who were considered "scum" wanted to be around Him.
As people who claim to follower Jesus & allow Him to morph us into is likeness, we have to ask ourselves if our attitude & actions communicate to all people His love & caring to the point that they naturally want to be around us.
Instead, we have adopted a role of moral police, whoring for power & political influence.
We should be ashamed.
Jesus explained over & over again during His brief 3 years of ministry that our task is to love people - pure & simple.
The essence of who we are & what we do is love.
It is embarrassing how far we have wandered away from that central reality.
Time & time again in all four gospels Jesus is portrayed as a powerhouse of love - someone that children & "scum" wanted to be around.
Maybe we should quit chasing after the things in this world to which we've sold our souls
& ask Jesus to channel that love of His through us to all people;
especially those who need it the most,
not the Pharisees who think they're already good enough.
Thursday, November 30, 2017
Wednesday, November 29, 2017
2 verses
I will never leave you nor forsake you. Hebrews 13:5b
Don't be afraid or discouraged,
for the Lord in the One Who goes before you.
He will be with you.
He will neither fail you or forsake you.
Deuteronomy 31:8
Who needs to hear that this today, besides me?
Who needs to hold on to that, besides me?
Who needs to be reminded that He goes before me, besides me?
If that's you, this reminder was for you...
Don't be afraid or discouraged,
for the Lord in the One Who goes before you.
He will be with you.
He will neither fail you or forsake you.
Deuteronomy 31:8
Who needs to hear that this today, besides me?
Who needs to hold on to that, besides me?
Who needs to be reminded that He goes before me, besides me?
If that's you, this reminder was for you...
Tuesday, November 28, 2017
the "rich"
Hey... all I know is all I know...
Here's what James wrote 2000+ years ago about rich people.
Btw, the rest of the world considers America a land of rich people.
And essentially, we are - our incomes, even among those of low income, are a whole lot more than than most in third world countries.
Just sayin'...
James 5
1 Look here, you rich people:
Weep and groan with anguish
because of all the terrible troubles ahead of you.
2 Your wealth is rotting away,
and your fine clothes are moth-eaten rags.
3 Your gold and silver have become worthless.
The very wealth you were counting on will eat away your flesh like fire.
This treasure you have accumulated will stand as evidence against you on the day of judgment.
4 For listen!
Hear the cries of the field workers whom you have cheated of their pay.
The wages you held back cry out against you.
The cries of those who harvest your fields have reached the ears of the LORD of Heaven's Armies.
5 You have spent your years on earth in luxury,
satisfying your every desire.
You have fattened yourselves for the day of slaughter.
6 You have condemned and killed innocent people,
who do not resist you.
Here's what James wrote 2000+ years ago about rich people.
Btw, the rest of the world considers America a land of rich people.
And essentially, we are - our incomes, even among those of low income, are a whole lot more than than most in third world countries.
Just sayin'...
James 5
1 Look here, you rich people:
Weep and groan with anguish
because of all the terrible troubles ahead of you.
2 Your wealth is rotting away,
and your fine clothes are moth-eaten rags.
3 Your gold and silver have become worthless.
The very wealth you were counting on will eat away your flesh like fire.
This treasure you have accumulated will stand as evidence against you on the day of judgment.
4 For listen!
Hear the cries of the field workers whom you have cheated of their pay.
The wages you held back cry out against you.
The cries of those who harvest your fields have reached the ears of the LORD of Heaven's Armies.
5 You have spent your years on earth in luxury,
satisfying your every desire.
You have fattened yourselves for the day of slaughter.
6 You have condemned and killed innocent people,
who do not resist you.
Monday, November 27, 2017
a pile of manure by any other name...
James 4
7 So humble yourselves before God.
Resist the devil,
and he will flee from you.
8 Come close to God,
and God will come close to you.
Wash your hands, you sinners;
purify your hearts,
for your loyalty is divided between God and the world.
9 Let there be tears for what you have done.
Let there be sorrow and deep grief.
Let there be sadness instead of laughter,
and gloom instead of joy.
10 Humble yourselves before the Lord,
and he will lift you up in honor.
I don't see a lot of "tears for what you have done" these days.
iow, we seem to be more than a little short on repentance...
we have been for a very, very long time.
we don't call things a sin anymore.
They have morphed into "mistakes"
or "misunderstandings"
or "a logical reaction to our own personal truth"
[that last one is my personal favorite ;-) ].
Sin is not in - it hasn't been for decades.
James quantified sin thus...
James 4:17 Remember, it is sin to know what you ought to do and then not do it.
Could it be that so much of our lives & our corporate experience stems from a lack of appreciation of what we are & what we do as sins against the God of the universes, coupled with an lack of regret for & repentance of those sins we've committed or omitted?
Just a thought...
7 So humble yourselves before God.
Resist the devil,
and he will flee from you.
8 Come close to God,
and God will come close to you.
Wash your hands, you sinners;
purify your hearts,
for your loyalty is divided between God and the world.
9 Let there be tears for what you have done.
Let there be sorrow and deep grief.
Let there be sadness instead of laughter,
and gloom instead of joy.
10 Humble yourselves before the Lord,
and he will lift you up in honor.
I don't see a lot of "tears for what you have done" these days.
iow, we seem to be more than a little short on repentance...
we have been for a very, very long time.
we don't call things a sin anymore.
They have morphed into "mistakes"
or "misunderstandings"
or "a logical reaction to our own personal truth"
[that last one is my personal favorite ;-) ].
Sin is not in - it hasn't been for decades.
James quantified sin thus...
James 4:17 Remember, it is sin to know what you ought to do and then not do it.
Could it be that so much of our lives & our corporate experience stems from a lack of appreciation of what we are & what we do as sins against the God of the universes, coupled with an lack of regret for & repentance of those sins we've committed or omitted?
Just a thought...
Sunday, November 26, 2017
XL
Psalm 40
1 I waited patiently for the LORD to help me,
and he turned to me and heard my cry.
2 He lifted me out of the pit of despair,
out of the mud and the mire.
He set my feet on solid ground
and steadied me as I walked along.
3 He has given me a new song to sing,
a hymn of praise to our God.
Many will see what he has done and be amazed.
They will put their trust in the LORD.
4 Oh, the joys of those who trust the LORD,
who have no confidence in the proud
or in those who worship idols.
5 O LORD my God, you have performed many wonders for us.
Your plans for us are too numerous to list.
You have no equal.
If I tried to recite all your wonderful deeds,
I would never come to the end of them.
6 You take no delight in sacrifices or offerings.
Now that you have made me listen, I finally understand*—
you don't require burnt offerings or sin offerings.
7 Then I said, "Look, I have come.
As is written about me in the Scriptures:
8 I take joy in doing your will, my God,
for your instructions are written on my heart."
9 I have told all your people about your justice.
I have not been afraid to speak out,
as you, O LORD, well know.
10 I have not kept the good news of your justice hidden in my heart;
I have talked about your faithfulness and saving power.
I have told everyone in the great assembly
of your unfailing love and faithfulness.
11 LORD, don't hold back your tender mercies from me.
Let your unfailing love and faithfulness always protect me.
12 For troubles surround me—
too many to count!
My sins pile up so high
I can't see my way out.
They outnumber the hairs on my head.
I have lost all courage.
13 Please, LORD, rescue me!
Come quickly, LORD, and help me.
14 May those who try to destroy me
be humiliated and put to shame.
May those who take delight in my trouble
be turned back in disgrace.
15 Let them be horrified by their shame,
for they said, "Aha! We've got him now!"
16 But may all who search for you
be filled with joy and gladness in you.
May those who love your salvation
repeatedly shout, "The LORD is great!"
17 As for me, since I am poor and needy,
but the Lord is thinking about me right now.
You are my helper and my savior.
O my God, do not delay.
1 I waited patiently for the LORD to help me,
and he turned to me and heard my cry.
2 He lifted me out of the pit of despair,
out of the mud and the mire.
He set my feet on solid ground
and steadied me as I walked along.
3 He has given me a new song to sing,
a hymn of praise to our God.
Many will see what he has done and be amazed.
They will put their trust in the LORD.
4 Oh, the joys of those who trust the LORD,
who have no confidence in the proud
or in those who worship idols.
5 O LORD my God, you have performed many wonders for us.
Your plans for us are too numerous to list.
You have no equal.
If I tried to recite all your wonderful deeds,
I would never come to the end of them.
6 You take no delight in sacrifices or offerings.
Now that you have made me listen, I finally understand*—
you don't require burnt offerings or sin offerings.
7 Then I said, "Look, I have come.
As is written about me in the Scriptures:
8 I take joy in doing your will, my God,
for your instructions are written on my heart."
9 I have told all your people about your justice.
I have not been afraid to speak out,
as you, O LORD, well know.
10 I have not kept the good news of your justice hidden in my heart;
I have talked about your faithfulness and saving power.
I have told everyone in the great assembly
of your unfailing love and faithfulness.
11 LORD, don't hold back your tender mercies from me.
Let your unfailing love and faithfulness always protect me.
12 For troubles surround me—
too many to count!
My sins pile up so high
I can't see my way out.
They outnumber the hairs on my head.
I have lost all courage.
13 Please, LORD, rescue me!
Come quickly, LORD, and help me.
14 May those who try to destroy me
be humiliated and put to shame.
May those who take delight in my trouble
be turned back in disgrace.
15 Let them be horrified by their shame,
for they said, "Aha! We've got him now!"
16 But may all who search for you
be filled with joy and gladness in you.
May those who love your salvation
repeatedly shout, "The LORD is great!"
17 As for me, since I am poor and needy,
but the Lord is thinking about me right now.
You are my helper and my savior.
O my God, do not delay.
Saturday, November 25, 2017
practical advice
Y'all know I believe in reading the Bible, every day, without fail?
RTBEDWF
;-)
Some of you have asked me where do ya start with something like that.
When I started in January, 2003, I included reading a Psalm every day. I'd heard Billy Graham does this. I figured if it was good enough for Billy, it was good enough for me! ;-)
So I read a psalm, sequentially - iow, I start in Psalm 1 & read the next one each day, until I get to the end - Psalm 150. Then I start all over again at Psalm 1.
Btw, Psalm 119 is LONG - like REALLY long - so I split it up & read it over about 4 or 5 days - just a thought...
Whenever I finish Psalms, I then add reading Proverbs 1 chapter a day, while restarting reading Psalms, until I finish that book. Did that explanation make sense?
I also read through the gospels (Matthew, Mark, Luke, & John), sequentially, one chapter a day.
If you're just starting out, I'd read them backward...
John first - it's just a real introduction into the heart of Jesus.
Luke second - Luke is a good story teller.
Mark third - I think Mark was ADHD, because his gospel moves so fast.
Matthew last - by the time you get Matthew you'll be used to reading about Jesus & you'll be ready for all that Jewish perspective, prophesy, & law.
I also read a chapter a day in the rest of the New Testament epistles. I start in Acts & go straight through to Jude, 1 chapter a day - Acts, then Romans, the 1 Corinthians, then 2 Corinthians - you get the idea.
I only read Revelation once a year - it has so much prophetic writing I kinda get lost in all that imagery, prophesy, allegory, & other stuff. Just sayin'...
And I finally read a chapter a day sequentially in the Old Testament - iow, I start in Genesis, & read straight through to Malachi.
A word of warning: Leviticus at the beginning of the OT, Job in the middle, & the Minor Prophets at the end will just kill ya. Leviticus is all law. Job is SO depressing, & the Minor Prophets will kill ya with all their doom & gloom. Just letting ya know.
So there ya have it: That's just 4 chapters a day (5, when I reading Proverbs).
How long will that take?
45 minutes, maybe.
I advocate getting a notebook or a list on your phone or something to keep a record of what you read. I can never remember where I read the day before. Trust me on this - write it down in a space dedicated to keeping a list.
Also, underline in your Bible verses that stand out to you. Now, don't get all hicky with me about writing in a Bible - God will understand ;-) And if a verse really speaks to you, maybe you could put a date by it. You'll be surprised how God will speak to you through a verse & then a few days later something will happen & you'll remember what God said to you about that kind of thing a few days earlier.
And you might want to write down in that notebook or phone document verses that God kinda nudges you to remember.
As I've said before, here's a word of warning...
If you start reading the Bible every day without fail GOD. WILL. MESS. WITH. YOU.
And He will start out messing with you in the very area or areas you do NOT want Him to touch.
And when He's through messing with you about those - iow, when you finally let Him do what He wants to do in those areas - He will move on to the NEXT TO LAST areas in your life you want Him to put His finger on.
But one thing will be for sure - if you RTBEDWF, God will speak to you.
Whenever I hear someone say they just can't seem to get God to talk to them or speak to them about a situation, I always wonder if they read the Bible every day without fail - sometimes I ask them - 9 times out of 10 they don't read every day.
Since I've started RTBEDWF, it seems I don't have any trouble getting God to clearly speak to me - I have trouble getting Him to shut up! ;-)
So, there you have it - 4 chapters a day, write down where you read, keep notes.
Don't expect the heavens to open, heavenly light to shine down on you, angels start to sing, with violins playing in the background - it may take a couple or 3 weeks to kinda settle in. Keep. at. it.
Ready?
Brace yourself - the God of the universes is gonna take you on the wildest ride of your life.
RTBEDWF
;-)
Some of you have asked me where do ya start with something like that.
When I started in January, 2003, I included reading a Psalm every day. I'd heard Billy Graham does this. I figured if it was good enough for Billy, it was good enough for me! ;-)
So I read a psalm, sequentially - iow, I start in Psalm 1 & read the next one each day, until I get to the end - Psalm 150. Then I start all over again at Psalm 1.
Btw, Psalm 119 is LONG - like REALLY long - so I split it up & read it over about 4 or 5 days - just a thought...
Whenever I finish Psalms, I then add reading Proverbs 1 chapter a day, while restarting reading Psalms, until I finish that book. Did that explanation make sense?
I also read through the gospels (Matthew, Mark, Luke, & John), sequentially, one chapter a day.
If you're just starting out, I'd read them backward...
John first - it's just a real introduction into the heart of Jesus.
Luke second - Luke is a good story teller.
Mark third - I think Mark was ADHD, because his gospel moves so fast.
Matthew last - by the time you get Matthew you'll be used to reading about Jesus & you'll be ready for all that Jewish perspective, prophesy, & law.
I also read a chapter a day in the rest of the New Testament epistles. I start in Acts & go straight through to Jude, 1 chapter a day - Acts, then Romans, the 1 Corinthians, then 2 Corinthians - you get the idea.
I only read Revelation once a year - it has so much prophetic writing I kinda get lost in all that imagery, prophesy, allegory, & other stuff. Just sayin'...
And I finally read a chapter a day sequentially in the Old Testament - iow, I start in Genesis, & read straight through to Malachi.
A word of warning: Leviticus at the beginning of the OT, Job in the middle, & the Minor Prophets at the end will just kill ya. Leviticus is all law. Job is SO depressing, & the Minor Prophets will kill ya with all their doom & gloom. Just letting ya know.
So there ya have it: That's just 4 chapters a day (5, when I reading Proverbs).
How long will that take?
45 minutes, maybe.
I advocate getting a notebook or a list on your phone or something to keep a record of what you read. I can never remember where I read the day before. Trust me on this - write it down in a space dedicated to keeping a list.
Also, underline in your Bible verses that stand out to you. Now, don't get all hicky with me about writing in a Bible - God will understand ;-) And if a verse really speaks to you, maybe you could put a date by it. You'll be surprised how God will speak to you through a verse & then a few days later something will happen & you'll remember what God said to you about that kind of thing a few days earlier.
And you might want to write down in that notebook or phone document verses that God kinda nudges you to remember.
As I've said before, here's a word of warning...
If you start reading the Bible every day without fail GOD. WILL. MESS. WITH. YOU.
And He will start out messing with you in the very area or areas you do NOT want Him to touch.
And when He's through messing with you about those - iow, when you finally let Him do what He wants to do in those areas - He will move on to the NEXT TO LAST areas in your life you want Him to put His finger on.
But one thing will be for sure - if you RTBEDWF, God will speak to you.
Whenever I hear someone say they just can't seem to get God to talk to them or speak to them about a situation, I always wonder if they read the Bible every day without fail - sometimes I ask them - 9 times out of 10 they don't read every day.
Since I've started RTBEDWF, it seems I don't have any trouble getting God to clearly speak to me - I have trouble getting Him to shut up! ;-)
So, there you have it - 4 chapters a day, write down where you read, keep notes.
Don't expect the heavens to open, heavenly light to shine down on you, angels start to sing, with violins playing in the background - it may take a couple or 3 weeks to kinda settle in. Keep. at. it.
Ready?
Brace yourself - the God of the universes is gonna take you on the wildest ride of your life.
read & heed
James 2
1 My dear brothers and sisters, how can you claim to have faith in our glorious Lord Jesus Christ if you favor some people over others?
2 For example, suppose someone comes into your meeting dressed in fancy clothes and expensive jewelry, and another comes in who is poor and dressed in dirty clothes. 3 If you give special attention and a good seat to the rich person, but you say to the poor one, "You can stand over there, or else sit on the floor"—well, 4 doesn't this discrimination show that your judgments are guided by evil motives?
5 Listen to me, dear brothers and sisters. Hasn't God chosen the poor in this world to be rich in faith? Aren't they the ones who will inherit the Kingdom he promised to those who love him? 6 But you dishonor the poor! Isn't it the rich who oppress you and drag you into court? 7 Aren't they the ones who slander Jesus Christ, whose noble name you bear?
8 Yes indeed, it is good when you obey the royal law as found in the Scriptures: "Love your neighbor as yourself." 9 But if you favor some people over others, you are committing a sin. You are guilty of breaking the law.
10 For the person who keeps all of the laws except one is as guilty as a person who has broken all of God's laws.11 For the same God who said, "You must not commit adultery," also said, "You must not murder." So if you murder someone but do not commit adultery, you have still broken the law.
12 So whatever you say or whatever you do, remember that you will be judged by the law that sets you free. 13 There will be no mercy for those who have not shown mercy to others. But if you have been merciful, God will be merciful when he judges you.
Read & heed, children...
All of us, read & heed...
1 My dear brothers and sisters, how can you claim to have faith in our glorious Lord Jesus Christ if you favor some people over others?
2 For example, suppose someone comes into your meeting dressed in fancy clothes and expensive jewelry, and another comes in who is poor and dressed in dirty clothes. 3 If you give special attention and a good seat to the rich person, but you say to the poor one, "You can stand over there, or else sit on the floor"—well, 4 doesn't this discrimination show that your judgments are guided by evil motives?
5 Listen to me, dear brothers and sisters. Hasn't God chosen the poor in this world to be rich in faith? Aren't they the ones who will inherit the Kingdom he promised to those who love him? 6 But you dishonor the poor! Isn't it the rich who oppress you and drag you into court? 7 Aren't they the ones who slander Jesus Christ, whose noble name you bear?
8 Yes indeed, it is good when you obey the royal law as found in the Scriptures: "Love your neighbor as yourself." 9 But if you favor some people over others, you are committing a sin. You are guilty of breaking the law.
10 For the person who keeps all of the laws except one is as guilty as a person who has broken all of God's laws.11 For the same God who said, "You must not commit adultery," also said, "You must not murder." So if you murder someone but do not commit adultery, you have still broken the law.
12 So whatever you say or whatever you do, remember that you will be judged by the law that sets you free. 13 There will be no mercy for those who have not shown mercy to others. But if you have been merciful, God will be merciful when he judges you.
Read & heed, children...
All of us, read & heed...
Friday, November 24, 2017
James 1
This speaks for itself - it doesn't need comment from me ;-)
James 1
2 Dear brothers and sisters, when troubles come your way, consider it an opportunity for great joy.
3 For you know that when your faith is tested, your endurance has a chance to grow.
4 So let it grow,
for when your endurance is fully developed, you will be perfect and complete, needing nothing.
5 If you need wisdom,
ask our generous God,
and he will give it to you.
He will not rebuke you for asking.
6 But when you ask him,
be sure that your faith is in God alone.
Do not waver,
for a person with divided loyalty is as unsettled as a wave of the sea that is blown and tossed by the wind.
7 Such people should not expect to receive anything from the Lord.
8 Their loyalty is divided between God and the world,
and they are unstable in everything they do.
9 Believers who are poor have something to boast about,
for God has honored them.
10 And those who are rich should boast that God has humbled them.
They will fade away like a little flower in the field.
11 The hot sun rises and the grass withers;
the little flower droops and falls,
and its beauty fades away.
In the same way, the rich will fade away with all of their achievements.
12 God blesses those who patiently endure testing and temptation.
Afterward they will receive the crown of life that God has promised to those who love him.
13 And remember, when you are being tempted, do not say,
"God is tempting me."
God is never tempted to do wrong,
and he never tempts anyone else.
14 Temptation comes from our own desires,
which entice us and drag us away.
15 These desires give birth to sinful actions.
And when sin is allowed to grow, it gives birth to death.
16 So don't be misled, my dear brothers and sisters.
17 Whatever is good and perfect comes down to us from God our Father, who created all the lights in the heavens.
He never changes or casts a shifting shadow.
18 He chose to give birth to us by giving us his true word.
And we, out of all creation, became his prized possession.
19 Understand this, my dear brothers and sisters:
You must all be quick to listen,
slow to speak,
and slow to get angry.
20 Human anger does not produce the righteousness God desires.
21 So get rid of all the filth and evil in your lives,
and humbly accept the word God has planted in your hearts,
for it has the power to save your souls.
22 But don't just listen to God's word.
You must do what it says.
Otherwise, you are only fooling yourselves.
23 For if you listen to the word and don't obey, it is like glancing at your face in a mirror.
24 You see yourself, walk away, and forget what you look like.
25 But if you look carefully into the perfect law that sets you free,
and if you do what it says and don't forget what you heard,
then God will bless you for doing it.
26 If you claim to be religious but don't control your tongue,
you are fooling yourself,
and your religion is worthless.
27 Pure and genuine religion in the sight of God the Father means
caring for orphans and widows in their distress
and refusing to let the world corrupt you.
James 1
2 Dear brothers and sisters, when troubles come your way, consider it an opportunity for great joy.
3 For you know that when your faith is tested, your endurance has a chance to grow.
4 So let it grow,
for when your endurance is fully developed, you will be perfect and complete, needing nothing.
5 If you need wisdom,
ask our generous God,
and he will give it to you.
He will not rebuke you for asking.
6 But when you ask him,
be sure that your faith is in God alone.
Do not waver,
for a person with divided loyalty is as unsettled as a wave of the sea that is blown and tossed by the wind.
7 Such people should not expect to receive anything from the Lord.
8 Their loyalty is divided between God and the world,
and they are unstable in everything they do.
9 Believers who are poor have something to boast about,
for God has honored them.
10 And those who are rich should boast that God has humbled them.
They will fade away like a little flower in the field.
11 The hot sun rises and the grass withers;
the little flower droops and falls,
and its beauty fades away.
In the same way, the rich will fade away with all of their achievements.
12 God blesses those who patiently endure testing and temptation.
Afterward they will receive the crown of life that God has promised to those who love him.
13 And remember, when you are being tempted, do not say,
"God is tempting me."
God is never tempted to do wrong,
and he never tempts anyone else.
14 Temptation comes from our own desires,
which entice us and drag us away.
15 These desires give birth to sinful actions.
And when sin is allowed to grow, it gives birth to death.
16 So don't be misled, my dear brothers and sisters.
17 Whatever is good and perfect comes down to us from God our Father, who created all the lights in the heavens.
He never changes or casts a shifting shadow.
18 He chose to give birth to us by giving us his true word.
And we, out of all creation, became his prized possession.
19 Understand this, my dear brothers and sisters:
You must all be quick to listen,
slow to speak,
and slow to get angry.
20 Human anger does not produce the righteousness God desires.
21 So get rid of all the filth and evil in your lives,
and humbly accept the word God has planted in your hearts,
for it has the power to save your souls.
22 But don't just listen to God's word.
You must do what it says.
Otherwise, you are only fooling yourselves.
23 For if you listen to the word and don't obey, it is like glancing at your face in a mirror.
24 You see yourself, walk away, and forget what you look like.
25 But if you look carefully into the perfect law that sets you free,
and if you do what it says and don't forget what you heard,
then God will bless you for doing it.
26 If you claim to be religious but don't control your tongue,
you are fooling yourself,
and your religion is worthless.
27 Pure and genuine religion in the sight of God the Father means
caring for orphans and widows in their distress
and refusing to let the world corrupt you.
Thursday, November 23, 2017
life verse
Hebrews 13:5b
I will never leave you, nor forsake you. (KJV)
I will never [under any circumstances] desert you [nor give you up nor leave you without support, nor will I in any degree leave you helpless], nor will I forsake or let you down or relax My hold on you [assuredly not]! (Amplified)
I will never leave you; I will never run away from you. (ERV)
I’ll never let you down, never walk off and leave you. (The Message)
Never will I leave you; never will I forsake you. (NIV)
I will never leave you or let you be alone. (NLV)
I will never fail you. I will never abandon you. (NLT)
I will never leave you alone, never! And I will not loosen my grip on your life! (TPT)
“I will never leave you; I will always be by your side. (The Voice)
I will never be away from you. I will never leave you alone. (WE)
There are dozens of English translations provided by the folks at Bible Gateway (Biblegateway.com).
It's one of the few times when translators treat a verse identically.
They all translate it pretty much with 2 basic paramount thoughts...
"I will not leave you nor will I abandon you."
This quote in Hebrews was taken by the author (probably Paul) from Deuteronomy 31:6 & 8, where Moses is quoting God to Joshua & the children of Israel as they going in to conquer the Promised Land after wandering in the wilderness for 40 years.
Hold the thoughts behind these verses in your heart today, even though all else in your life seems to point to otherwise.
I will never leave you, nor forsake you. (KJV)
I will never [under any circumstances] desert you [nor give you up nor leave you without support, nor will I in any degree leave you helpless], nor will I forsake or let you down or relax My hold on you [assuredly not]! (Amplified)
I will never leave you; I will never run away from you. (ERV)
I’ll never let you down, never walk off and leave you. (The Message)
Never will I leave you; never will I forsake you. (NIV)
I will never leave you or let you be alone. (NLV)
I will never fail you. I will never abandon you. (NLT)
I will never leave you alone, never! And I will not loosen my grip on your life! (TPT)
“I will never leave you; I will always be by your side. (The Voice)
I will never be away from you. I will never leave you alone. (WE)
There are dozens of English translations provided by the folks at Bible Gateway (Biblegateway.com).
It's one of the few times when translators treat a verse identically.
They all translate it pretty much with 2 basic paramount thoughts...
"I will not leave you nor will I abandon you."
This quote in Hebrews was taken by the author (probably Paul) from Deuteronomy 31:6 & 8, where Moses is quoting God to Joshua & the children of Israel as they going in to conquer the Promised Land after wandering in the wilderness for 40 years.
Hold the thoughts behind these verses in your heart today, even though all else in your life seems to point to otherwise.
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