Psalm 145:1-3 (NLT)..,

FROM TODAY'S READING (8/1/2014)...

Happy moments, praise God. Difficult moments, seek God. Quiet moments, worship God. Painful moments, trust God. Every moment, thank God.

- Anonymous

Psalm 145:1-3 (NLT) I will exalt you, my God and King, and praise your name forever and ever. I will praise you every day; yes, I will praise you forever. Great is the LORD! He is most worthy of praise! No one can measure his greatness. 

Psalm 122:6-9 (NLT)..,

FROM TODAY'S READING (7/31/2014)...

"No city in the world, not even Athens or Rome, ever played as great a role in the life of a nation for so long a time, as Jerusalem has done in the life of the Jewish people."

- David Ben-Gurion (first Prime Minister of Israel)

Psalm 122:6-9 (NLT) Pray for peace in Jerusalem. May all who love this city prosper. O Jerusalem, may there be peace within your walls and prosperity in your palaces. For the sake of my family and friends, I will say, “May you have peace.” For the sake of the house of the LORD our God, I will seek what is best for you, O Jerusalem. 

Genesis 18-19...

FROM TODAY'S READING (7/30/2014)...

PRAYER LESSONS OBSERVED WITHIN THE FRAMEWORK OF GOD'S SOVEREIGNTY...

Genesis 18-19 (Abraham prays for Sodom)

1. Embrace a sincere personal relationship with God.

2. Maintain intimate spiritual communion with God.

3. Be open and accepting of God's clearly revealed will.

4. Passionately pray for family and others in need of God's mercy and grace.

5. Patiently trust and accept the sovereign actions of God.

6. Continue to live out your faith guided by prayer and God's revealed will. 

NOTE - A reading of these two Genesis chapters reveal that (1) God communes with those that truly know Him (2) He hears our prayers (3) We should learn to accept His will in all matters...especially in matters of divine justice.  "...Thy will be done, on earth as it is in Heaven (Matthew 6:10)."

1 Peter 1:6-7 (NLT)...

FROM TODAY'S READING (7/30/2014)...

"There is no painless path to heaven. Why? Because Jesus said, 'Blessed are the pure in heart, for they shall see God.' And it is no more possible to become pure painlessly than it is to be burned painlessly. Purity comes through the refining fire."

- Pastor John Piper

1 Peter 1:6-7 (NLT) So be truly glad. There is wonderful joy ahead, even though you must endure many trials for a little while. These trials will show that your faith is genuine. It is being tested as fire tests and purifies gold—though your faith is far more precious than mere gold. So when your faith remains strong through many trials, it will bring you much praise and glory and honor on the day when Jesus Christ is revealed to the whole world. 

Genesis 9:12-15 (NLT)...

FROM TODAY'S READING (7/28/2014)...

Lot had lived so long and was so contented among ungodly people that he was no longer a believable witness for God. He had allowed his environment to shape him, rather than he shaping his environment. Do those who know you see you as a witness for God, or are you just one of the crowd, blending in unnoticed? Lot had compromised to the point that he was almost useless to God. When he finally made a stand, nobody listened. Have you, too, become useless to God because you are too much like your environment? To make a difference, you must first decide to be different in your faith and your conduct.

- Life Application Study Bible (Gen. 19:14)

Genesis 19:12-15 (NLT) Meanwhile, the angels questioned Lot. “Do you have any other relatives here in the city?” they asked. “Get them out of this place—your sons-in-law, sons, daughters, or anyone else. For we are about to destroy this city completely. The outcry against this place is so great it has reached the LORD, and he has sent us to destroy it.” 

So Lot rushed out to tell his daughters’ fiancés, “Quick, get out of the city! The LORD is about to destroy it.” But the young men thought he was only joking. 

At dawn the next morning the angels became insistent. “Hurry,” they said to Lot. “Take your wife and your two daughters who are here. Get out right now, or you will be swept away in the destruction of the city!” 

Psalm 33:6-9 (NLT)...

FROM TODAY'S READING (7/25/2014)...

"I was practically an atheist in my childhood. Science was what led me to the conclusion that the world is much more complex than we can explain. I can only explain the mystery of existence to myself by the Supernatural."

- Allan Sandage

Psalm 33:6-9 (NLT) The LORD merely spoke, and the heavens were created. He breathed the word, and all the stars were born. He assigned the sea its boundaries and locked the oceans in vast reservoirs. Let the whole world fear the LORD, and let everyone stand in awe of him. For when he spoke, the world began! It appeared at his command. 

Psalm 8:3-4 (NLT) When I look at the night sky and see the work of your fingers— the moon and the stars you set in place— what are mere mortals that you should think about them, human beings that you should care for them? 

Isaiah 37:15-16 (NLT)...

FROM TODAY'S READING (7/24/2014)...

"I have seen the eternal, infinite, omniscient, omnipotent God pass close by, and I knelt prostrate in adoration."

- Carl Linnaeus

Isaiah 37:15-16 (NLT) And Hezekiah prayed this prayer before the LORD : “O LORD of Heaven’s Armies, God of Israel, you are enthroned between the mighty cherubim! You alone are God of all the kingdoms of the earth. You alone created the heavens and the earth. 

SPECIAL NOTE...Linneus, Maine (my hometown): Linneus was incorporated in 1836. It was originally granted by Massachusetts to endow a professorship of botany; and was therefore named for the most renowned of botanists (Carl Linnaeus) The first settler was Daniel Neal, who removed hither from New Brunswick in 1826. In the following year it was surveyed into lots. Colonel Moses Burleigh, who settled here in 1830, was a captain in the militia of Maine in the war with Great Britain in 1812. He was stationed at Belfast with his campany when the British ascended the Penobscot to capture the United States cervette “Adams,” then undergoing repairs at Hampden. He represented his district in the Massachusetts Legislature several years, and, after the separation of Maine, was for several years in its legislature.

Hebrews 11:3 (NLT)...

FROM TODAY'S READING (7/23/2014)...

My utmost respect and admiration to all the engineers, especially the greatest of them all: God."

- Thomas A. Edison

Hebrews 11:3 (NLT) By faith we understand that the entire universe was formed at God’s command, that what we now see did not come from anything that can be seen. 

Revelation 4:11 (NLT).,.

FROM TODAY'S READING (7/22/2014)...

"The admirable arrangement and harmony of the universe could only have come from the plan of an omniscient and omnipotent Being."

- Isaac Newton

Revelation 4:11 (NLT) “You are worthy, O Lord our God, to receive glory and honor and power. For you created all things, and they exist because you created what you pleased.” 

Colossians 1:15-17 (NLT)...

FROM TODAY'S READING (7/21/2014...

"My Lord and my Creator! I would like to proclaim the magnificence of your works to men to the extent that my limited intelligence can understand."

- Johannes Kepler

Colossians 1:15-17 (NLT) Christ is the visible image of the invisible God. He existed before anything was created and is supreme over all creation, 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. He existed before anything else, and he holds all creation together. 

Philippians 1:27 (NLT)...

FROM TODAY'S READING (7/18/2014)...

If you are a Christian, you are not a citizen of this world trying to get to heaven; you are a citizen of heaven making your way through this world. 

- Vance Havner

Philippians 1:27 (NLT) Above all, you must live as citizens of heaven, conducting yourselves in a manner worthy of the Good News about Christ. Then, whether I come and see you again or only hear about you, I will know that you are standing together with one spirit and one purpose, fighting together for the faith, which is the Good News. 

Genesis 18:16, 20-23 (NLT)...

FROM TODAY'S READING (7/17/2014)...

Abraham knew more about Sodom than Lot did - and Lot was living in Sodom.

- Warren Wiersbe

Genesis 18:16, 20-23 (NLT) Then the men got up from their meal and looked out toward Sodom. As they left, Abraham went with them to send them on their way...

So the LORD told Abraham, “I have heard a great outcry from Sodom and Gomorrah, because their sin is so flagrant. I am going down to see if their actions are as wicked as I have heard. If not, I want to know.” The other men turned and headed toward Sodom, but the LORD remained with Abraham. Abraham approached him and said, “Will you sweep away both the righteous and the wicked?...

2 Peter 2:6-10 (NLT) Later, God condemned the cities of Sodom and Gomorrah and turned them into heaps of ashes. He made them an example of what will happen to ungodly people. But God also rescued Lot out of Sodom because he was a righteous man who was sick of the shameful immorality of the wicked people around him. Yes, Lot was a righteous man who was tormented in his soul by the wickedness he saw and heard day after day. So you see, the Lord knows how to rescue godly people from their trials, even while keeping the wicked under punishment until the day of final judgment. He is especially hard on those who follow their own twisted sexual desire, and who despise authority. These people are proud and arrogant, daring even to scoff at supernatural beings without so much as trembling. 

John 3:16-17 (NLT)...

FROM TODAY'S READING (7/16/2014)...

This is one of the best explanations of why God allows pain and suffering that I have seen. It's an explanation other people will understand. 

A man went to a barbershop to have his hair cut and his beard trimmed. As the barber began to work, they began to have a good conversation. They talked about so many things and various subjects. 

When they eventually touched on the subject of God, the barber said: "I don't believe that God exists." 

"Why do you say that?" asked the customer. 

"Well, you just have to go out in the street to realize that God doesn't exist. Tell me, if God exists, would there be so many sick people? Would there be abandoned children? If God existed, there would be neither suffering nor pain. I can't imagine a loving God who would allow all of these things." 

The customer thought for a moment, but didn't respond because he didn't want to start an argument. The barber finished his job and the customer left the shop. Just after he left the barbershop, he saw a man in the street with long, stringy, dirty hair and an untrimmed beard. He looked dirty and un-kept. 

The customer turned back and entered the barber shop again and he said to the barber: "You know what? Barbers do not exist." 

"How can you say that?" asked the surprised barber. "I am here, and I am a barber. And I just worked on you!" 

"No!" the customer exclaimed. "Barbers don't exist because if they did, there would be no people with dirty long hair and untrimmed beards, like that man outside." 

"Ah, but barbers DO exist! What happens is, people do not come to me." 

"Exactly!"- affirmed the customer. "That's the point! God, too, DOES exist! What happens, is, people don't go to Him and do not look for Him. That's why there's so much pain and suffering in the world."

- unknown

John 3:16-17 (NLT) “For this is how God loved the world: He gave his one and only Son, so that everyone who believes in him will not perish but have eternal life. God sent his Son into the world not to judge the world, but to save the world through him. 

Galatians 6:9-10 (NLT)...

FROM TODAY'S READING (7/15/2014)...

"You are doing so good this week."

"It's only the first day."

- One camp (BYC) counselor to another

Galatians 6:9-10 (NLT) So let’s not get tired of doing what is good. At just the right time we will reap a harvest of blessing if we don’t give up. Therefore, whenever we have the opportunity, we should do good to everyone—especially to those in the family of faith. 

1 Corinthians 13:5 (NLT)...

FROM TODAY'S READING (7/14/2014)...

"Examine Your Selfie."

- church sign

1 Corinthians 13:5 (NLT) Examine yourselves to see if your faith is genuine. Test yourselves. Surely you know that Jesus Christ is among you; if not, you have failed the test of genuine faith. 

Ephesians 3:14-19 (NLT)...

FROM TODAY'S READING (7/11/2014)...

Deepen spiritual roots prior to the storms of life. Be assured, storms will come and test the depth of those roots.

Ephesians 3:14-19 (NLT) When I think of all this, I fall to my knees and pray to the Father, the Creator of everything in heaven and on earth. I pray that from his glorious, unlimited resources he will empower you with inner strength through his Spirit. 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. 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. 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. 

Proverbs 27:6, 10 (NLT)..,

FROM TODAY'S READING (7/10/2014)...

"A false friend can do more damage than an open enemy." 

- Mona Charen 

Proverbs 27:6 (NLT) Wounds from a sincere friend are better than many kisses from an enemy. 

Proverbs 27:10 Never abandon a friend— either yours - or your father's...

Proverbs 17:17 (NLT) A friend is always loyal, and a brother is born to help in time of need. 

1 Corinthians 6:12 (NLT)..,

FROM TODAY'S READING (7/9/2014)..,

Free will is not the liberty to do whatever one likes, but the power of doing whatever one sees ought to be done, even in the very face of otherwise overwhelming impulse. There lies freedom, indeed.

-  George MacDonald

Romans 14:23 (NLT) But if you have doubts about whether or not you should eat something, you are sinning if you go ahead and do it. For you are not following your convictions. If you do anything you believe is not right, you are sinning. 

1 Corinthians 6:12 (NLT) You say, “I am allowed to do anything”—but not everything is good for you. And even though “I am allowed to do anything,” I must not become a slave to anything. 

Colossians 3:17 (NLT) And whatever you do or say, do it as a representative of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks through him to God the Father. 

1 Thessalonians 5:16-18 (NLT)...

FROM TODAY'S READING 7/8/2014)...

"So I close in saying that I might have been given a bad break, but I've got an awful lot to live for."

- Lou Gehrig

1 Thessalonians 5:16-18 (NLT) Always be joyful. Never stop praying. Be thankful in all circumstances, for this is God’s will for you who belong to Christ Jesus. 

Hebrews 13:5-6 (NLT).,,

FROM TODAY'S READING (7/72014)...

"A government big enough to give you everything you want is strong enough to take everything you have." 

- Thomas Jefferson

Hebrews 13:5-6 (NLT) Don’t love money; be satisfied with what you have. For God has said, “I will never fail you. I will never abandon you.” So we can say with confidence, “The LORD is my helper, so I will have no fear. What can mere people do to me?” 

Galatians 3:23-26 (NLT)...

FROM TODAY'S READING (7/3/2014)...

"There must be shedding of blood for sin. You have a mirror in your bathroom, which is a picture of the law, and there is a basin underneath the mirror. You do not wash yourself with the mirror; it only reveals the dirt. Just so, the law is the mirror that reveals our sin. And beneath that mirror there is a wash basin."

- J. Vernon McGee

Galatians 3:23-26 (NLT) Before the way of faith in Christ was available to us, we were placed under guard by the law. We were kept in protective custody, so to speak, until the way of faith was revealed. Let me put it another way. The law was our guardian until Christ came; it protected us until we could be made right with God through faith. And now that the way of faith has come, we no longer need the law as our guardian. For you are all children of God through faith in Christ Jesus. 

Ecclesiastes 12:13-14 (NLT)...

FROM TODAY'S READING (7/2/2014)...

“The meaning of earthly existence lies not, as we have grown used to thinking, in prospering but in the development of the soul.” 

― Aleksandr Solzhenitsyn

Ecclesiastes 12:13-14 (NLT)...Here now is my final conclusion: Fear God and obey his commands, for this is everyone’s duty. God will judge us for everything we do, including every secret thing, whether good or bad. 

Colossians 3:16, 17 NLT) Let the message about Christ, in all its richness, fill your lives. Teach and counsel each other with all the wisdom he gives. Sing psalms and hymns and spiritual songs to God with thankful hearts. And whatever you do or say, do it as a representative of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks through him to God the Father.