2020 verses

 Here's all the verses I held on to this year - whew... was 2020 a doozie?!

Tomorrow I'll share the verses for 2021...

Hebrews 13:5 I will never leave you nor forsake you.


Deuteronomy 31:8 Do not be afraid or discouraged, for the Lord will personally go ahead of you. He will be with you; he will neither fail you nor abandon you.


Matthew 7:7-8, 9-11 “Keep on asking, and you will receive what you ask for.
Keep on seeking, and you will find.
Keep on knocking, and the door will be opened to you.
For everyone who asks, receives.
Everyone who seeks, finds.
And to everyone who knocks, the door will be opened.

“You parents—if your children ask for a loaf of bread, do you give them a stone instead?
Or if they ask for a fish, do you give them a snake? Of course not!
So if you sinful people know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your heavenly Father give good gifts to those who ask him.


I have 2 translations for this one...
2 Corinthians 12:9 My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.
My gracious favor is all you need. My power works best in your weakness.


Luke 15:27 what is impossible from a human perspective is possible with God.


Hebrews 10:35-36 So do not throw away this confident trust in the Lord. Remember the great reward it brings you! Patient endurance is what you need now, so that you will continue to do God’s will. Then you will receive all that he has promised.


1 Peter 5:6-7 So humble yourselves under the mighty power of God,
& in His good time He will honor you.
Give all your worries & cares to God,
For He cares about what happens to you.


1 Corinthians 1:8c (Jesus) will keep you strong right up to the end.


Matthew 10:39 if you cling to your life,
you will lose it;
but if you give it up for me,
you will find it.


Matthew 11:28 Then Jesus said,
Come to me,
all if you who are weary
& carry heavy burdens,
& I will give you rest.


2 Corinthians 4:8-10 We are pressed on every side by troubles,
but we are not crushed or broken.
We are perplexed
but we don't give up & quit.
We are hunted down,
but God never abandons us.
We get knocked down
but we get up again & keep going.
Through suffering, these bodies of ours constantly share in the death of Jesus,
so that the life of Jesus may also be seen in our bodies.


Proverbs 3:5-8 Trust in the Lord with all your heart;
do not depend on your own understanding.
Seek His will in all you do,
& He will direct your paths.
Don't be impressed w/ your own wisdom.
Instead, fear the Lord & turn your back on evil.
Then you will gain renewed health & vitality.

 

 

Ephesians 3:20 By His mighty power at work within us,

He is able to accomplish more than we would ever dare to ask or hope.

 

 

Psalm 73:24-26 You will keep on guiding me with Your counsel,

leading me to a glorious destiny.

Whom have I in heaven but you?

I desire You more than anything on earth.

My health may fail,

& my spirit may grow weak,

but God remains the strength of my heart;

He is mine forever.



And for the first time, I've been given a song for the year, sung by the Brooklyn Tabernacle Choir - here's the link...

 

My life is in Your hands
https://youtu.be/AS6tQYJVO80

 

read this at least 5 times

 John 15 

1“I am the true grapevine, and my Father is the gardener. 

2 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. 

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

4 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.

5 “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. 6 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. 7 But if you remain in me and my words remain in you, you may ask for anything you want, and it will be granted! 8 When you produce much fruit, you are my true disciples. This brings great glory to my Father.

9 “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.

don't be troubled

 John 14  

1“Don’t let your hearts be troubled. 

Trust in God, and trust also in me. 

2 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? 

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

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

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

6 Jesus told him, “I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one can come to the Father except through me. 7 If you had really known me, you would know who my Father is. From now on, you do know him and have seen him!”

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

9 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!

armor

 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.

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

Stay alert 

and be persistent in your prayers for all believers everywhere.

living in the light

 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.”

15 So be careful how you live. 

Don’t live like fools, 

but like those who are wise. 

16 Make the most of every opportunity in these evil days. 

17 Don’t act thoughtlessly, 

but understand what the Lord wants you to do. 

18 Don’t be drunk with wine, 

because that will ruin your life. 

Instead, 

be filled with the Holy Spirit, 

19 singing psalms 

and hymns 

and spiritual songs 

among yourselves, 

and making music to the Lord in your hearts. 

20 And give thanks for everything to God the Father in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ.

unity

 Ephesians 4 

1 Therefore I, a prisoner for serving the Lord, 

beg you to lead a life worthy of your calling, f

or 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 one God and Father of all,
who is over all, in all, and living through all.

and it came to pass...

 Luke 2 

1 At that time the Roman emperor, Augustus, decreed that a census should be taken throughout the Roman Empire. 2 (This was the first census taken when Quirinius was governor of Syria.) 3 All returned to their own ancestral towns to register for this census. 4 And because Joseph was a descendant of King David, he had to go to Bethlehem in Judea, David’s ancient home. He traveled there from the village of Nazareth in Galilee. 5 He took with him Mary, to whom he was engaged, who was now expecting a child.

6 And while they were there, the time came for her baby to be born. 7 She gave birth to her firstborn son. She wrapped him snugly in strips of cloth and laid him in a manger, because there was no lodging available for them.

The Shepherds and Angels

8 That night there were shepherds staying in the fields nearby, guarding their flocks of sheep. 9 Suddenly, an angel of the Lord appeared among them, and the radiance of the Lord’s glory surrounded them. They were terrified, 10 but the angel reassured them. “Don’t be afraid!” he said. “I bring you good news that will bring great joy to all people. 11 The Savior—yes, the Messiah, the Lord—has been born today in Bethlehem, the city of David! 12 And you will recognize him by this sign: You will find a baby wrapped snugly in strips of cloth, lying in a manger.”

13 Suddenly, the angel was joined by a vast host of others—the armies of heaven—praising God and saying,

14 “Glory to God in highest heaven,
    and peace on earth to those with whom God is pleased.”

15 When the angels had returned to heaven, the shepherds said to each other, “Let’s go to Bethlehem! Let’s see this thing that has happened, which the Lord has told us about.”

16 They hurried to the village and found Mary and Joseph. And there was the baby, lying in the manger. 17 After seeing him, the shepherds told everyone what had happened and what the angel had said to them about this child. 18 All who heard the shepherds’ story were astonished, 19 but Mary kept all these things in her heart and thought about them often. 20 The shepherds went back to their flocks, glorifying and praising God for all they had heard and seen. It was just as the angel had told them.

worry

 Matthew 6

25 “That is why I tell you not to worry about everyday life—whether you have enough food and drink, or enough clothes to wear. Isn’t life more than food, and your body more than clothing? 26 Look at the birds. They don’t plant or harvest or store food in barns, for your heavenly Father feeds them. And aren’t you far more valuable to him than they are? 27 Can all your worries add a single moment to your life?

28 “And why worry about your clothing? Look at the lilies of the field and how they grow. They don’t work or make their clothing, 29 yet Solomon in all his glory was not dressed as beautifully as they are. 30 And if God cares so wonderfully for wildflowers that are here today and thrown into the fire tomorrow, he will certainly care for you. Why do you have so little faith?

31 “So don’t worry about these things, saying, ‘What will we eat? What will we drink? What will we wear?’ 32 These things dominate the thoughts of unbelievers, but your heavenly Father already knows all your needs. 33 Seek the Kingdom of God[a] above all else, and live righteously, and he will give you everything you need.

34 “So don’t worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will bring its own worries. Today’s trouble is enough for today.

onetwoone

Psalm 121

1 I look up to the mountains—
    does my help come from there?
2 My help comes from the Lord,
    who made heaven and earth!

3 He will not let you stumble;
    the one who watches over you will not slumber.
4 Indeed, he who watches over Israel
    never slumbers or sleeps.

5 The Lord himself watches over you!
    The Lord stands beside you as your protective shade.
6 The sun will not harm you by day,
    nor the moon at night.

7 The Lord keeps you from all harm
    and watches over your life.
8 The Lord keeps watch over you as you come and go,
    both now and forever.

reaping & sowing

 Galatians 6

2 Share each other’s burdens, and in this way obey the law of Christ. 3 If you think you are too important to help someone, you are only fooling yourself. You are not that important.

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. 5 For we are each responsible for our own conduct.

6 Those who are taught the word of God should provide for their teachers, sharing all good things with them.

7 Don’t be misled—you cannot mock the justice of God. You will always harvest what you plant. 8 Those who live only to satisfy their own sinful nature will harvest decay and death from that sinful nature. But those who live to please the Spirit will harvest everlasting life from the Spirit. 9 So don't get tired of doing what is good. Don't get discouraged and give up, for we will reap a harvest of blessing at the appropriate time. 10 Therefore, whenever we have the opportunity, we should do good to everyone—especially to those in the family of faith.

fruits

 When the Holy Spirit controls our lives,

He will produce this kind of fruit in us:

love

joy,

peace, 

patience, 

kindness, 

goodness, 

faithfulness, 

gentleness, 

& self-control.

Well... show of hands who demonstrates just 1 on these traits, let alone multiple ones.

And no, I'm not sure I demonstrate any of them in a consistent, ongoing basis.

So, what does that say about me & whether the Holy Spirit controls my life?

God blesses

 Matthew 5

3 “God blesses those who are poor and realize their need for him,
    for the Kingdom of Heaven is theirs.
4 God blesses those who mourn,
    for they will be comforted.
5 God blesses those who are humble,
    for they will inherit the whole earth.
6 God blesses those who hunger and thirst for justice,
    for they will be satisfied.
7 God blesses those who are merciful,
    for they will be shown mercy.
8 God blesses those whose hearts are pure,
    for they will see God.
9 God blesses those who work for peace,
    for they will be called the children of God.
10 God blesses those who are persecuted for doing right,
    for the Kingdom of Heaven is theirs.

11 “God blesses you when people mock you and persecute you and lie about you and say all sorts of evil things against you because you are my followers. 12 Be happy about it! Be very glad! For a great reward awaits you in heaven. And remember, the ancient prophets were persecuted in the same way.

John 4:24

John 4:24 (This is Jesus speaking to the Samaritan woman by the well.)

For God is Spirit, so those who worship Him must worship Him in spirit & in truth. (NLT, 1st ed.)

God is a Spirit (a spiritual Being) and those who worship Him must worship Him in spirit and in truth (reality). (Amplified)

God is Spirit, and only by the power of his Spirit can people worship him as he really is. (GNT)

God is spirit, and those who worship him can only worship in spirit and in reality. (J B Phillips)

For God is Spirit, and we must have his help to worship as we should. (TLB)

God is sheer being itself—Spirit. Those who worship him must do it out of their very being, their spirits, their true selves, in adoration. (The Message)

 For God is a Spirit, and he longs to have sincere worshipers who worship and adore him in the realm of the Spirit and in truth. (TPT)

The Father is spirit, and He is seeking followers whose worship is sourced in truth and deeply spiritual as well. (The Voice)

Jesus' chat w/ Nicodemus

 John 3 

1-2 There was a man of the Pharisee sect, Nicodemus, a prominent leader among the Jews. Late one night he visited Jesus and said, “Rabbi, we all know you’re a teacher straight from God. No one could do all the God-pointing, God-revealing acts you do if God weren’t in on it.”

3 Jesus said, “You’re absolutely right. Take it from me: Unless a person is born from above, it’s not possible to see what I’m pointing to—to God’s kingdom.”

4 “How can anyone,” said Nicodemus, “be born who has already been born and grown up? You can’t re-enter your mother’s womb and be born again. What are you saying with this ‘born-from-above’ talk?”

5-6 Jesus said, “You’re not listening. Let me say it again. Unless a person submits to this original creation—the ‘wind-hovering-over-the-water’ creation, the invisible moving the visible, a baptism into a new life—it’s not possible to enter God’s kingdom. When you look at a baby, it’s just that: a body you can look at and touch. But the person who takes shape within is formed by something you can’t see and touch—the Spirit—and becomes a living spirit.

7-8 “So don’t be so surprised when I tell you that you have to be ‘born from above’—out of this world, so to speak. You know well enough how the wind blows this way and that. You hear it rustling through the trees, but you have no idea where it comes from or where it’s headed next. That’s the way it is with everyone ‘born from above’ by the wind of God, the Spirit of God.”

9 Nicodemus asked, “What do you mean by this? How does this happen?”

10-12 Jesus said, “You’re a respected teacher of Israel and you don’t know these basics? Listen carefully. I’m speaking sober truth to you. I speak only of what I know by experience; I give witness only to what I have seen with my own eyes. There is nothing secondhand here, no hearsay. Yet instead of facing the evidence and accepting it, you procrastinate with questions. If I tell you things that are plain as the hand before your face and you don’t believe me, what use is there in telling you of things you can’t see, the things of God?

13-15 “No one has ever gone up into the presence of God except the One who came down from that Presence, the Son of Man. In the same way that Moses lifted the serpent in the desert so people could have something to see and then believe, it is necessary for the Son of Man to be lifted up—and everyone who looks up to him, trusting and expectant, will gain a real life, eternal life.

16-18 “This is how much God loved the world: He gave his Son, his one and only Son. And this is why: so that no one need be destroyed; by believing in him, anyone can have a whole and lasting life. God didn’t go to all the trouble of sending his Son merely to point an accusing finger, telling the world how bad it was. He came to help, to put the world right again. Anyone who trusts in him is acquitted; anyone who refuses to trust him has long since been under the death sentence without knowing it. And why? Because of that person’s failure to believe in the one-of-a-kind Son of God when introduced to him.

19-21 “This is the crisis we’re in: God-light streamed into the world, but men and women everywhere ran for the darkness. They went for the darkness because they were not really interested in pleasing God. Everyone who makes a practice of doing evil, addicted to denial and illusion, hates God-light and won’t come near it, fearing a painful exposure. But anyone working and living in truth and reality welcomes God-light so the work can be seen for the God-work it is.”

2020 verses

 Just a reminder of the verses I feel like God gave me in late 2019 to hold on to during this year of 2020...

Hebrews 13:5 I will never leave you nor forsake you.


Deuteronomy 31:8 Do not be afraid or discouraged, for the Lord will personally go ahead of you. He will be with you; he will neither fail you nor abandon you.


Matthew 7:7-8, 9-11 “Keep on asking, and you will receive what you ask for.
Keep on seeking, and you will find.
Keep on knocking, and the door will be opened to you.
For everyone who asks, receives.
Everyone who seeks, finds.
And to everyone who knocks, the door will be opened.

“You parents—if your children ask for a loaf of bread, do you give them a stone instead?
Or if they ask for a fish, do you give them a snake? Of course not!
So if you sinful people know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your heavenly Father give good gifts to those who ask him.


I have 2 translations for this one...
2 Corinthians 12:9 My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.
My gracious favor is all you need. My power works best in your weakness.


Luke 15:27 what is impossible from a human perspective is possible with God.


Hebrews 10:35-36 So do not throw away this confident trust in the Lord. Remember the great reward it brings you! Patient endurance is what you need now, so that you will continue to do God’s will. Then you will receive all that he has promised.


1 Peter 5:6-7 So humble yourselves under the mighty power of God,
& in His good time He will honor you.
Give all your worries & cares to God,
For He cares about what happens to you.


1 Corinthians 1:8c (Jesus) will keep you strong right up to the end.


Matthew 10:39 if you cling to your life,
you will lose it;
but if you give it up for me,
you will find it.


Matthew 11:28 Then Jesus said,
Come to me,
all if you who are weary
& carry heavy burdens,
& I will give you rest.


2 Corinthians 4:8-10 We are pressed on every side by troubles,
but we are not crushed or broken.
We are perplexed
but we don't give up & quit.
We are hunted down,
but God never abandons us.
We get knocked down
but we get up again & keep going.
Through suffering, these bodies of ours constantly share in the death of Jesus,
so that the life of Jesus may also be seen in our bodies.


Proverbs 3:5-8 Trust in the Lord with all your heart;
do not depend on your own understanding.
Seek His will in all you do,
& He will direct your paths.
Don't be impressed w/ your own wisdom.
Instead, fear the Lord & turn your back on evil.
Then you will gain renewed health & vitality.

 

 

Ephesians 3:20 By His mighty power at work within us,

He is able to accomplish more than we would ever dare to ask or hope.

 

 

Psalm 73:24-26 You will keep on guiding me with Your counsel,

leading me to a glorious destiny.

Whom have I in heaven but you?

I desire You more than anything on earth.

My health may fail,

& my spirit may grow weak,

but God remains the strength of my heart;

He is mine forever.



And for the first time, I've been given a song for the year, sung by the Brooklyn Tabernacle Choir - here's the link...

 

My life is in Your hands
https://youtu.be/AS6tQYJVO80