Proverbs 10:19-21 (NLT)...

FROM TODAY'S READING (1/30/2015)...

There are two kinds of people who don't say much, those who are quiet and those who talk a lot.

ANON

Proverbs 10:19-21 (NLT) Too much talk leads to sin. Be sensible and keep your mouth shut. The words of the godly are like sterling silver; the heart of a fool is worthless. The words of the godly encourage many, but fools are destroyed by their lack of common sense. 

Proverbs 17:27-28 (NLT) A truly wise person uses few words; a person with understanding is even-tempered. Even fools are thought wise when they keep silent; with their mouths shut, they seem intelligent. 

Proverbs 16:31 (NLT)..,

FROM TODAY'S READING (1/29/2015)...

You know you're getting older when...

Most of your dreams are reruns...

You sit down in a rocking chair and you can't get it started...

Your mind makes commitments your body can't keep...

The little gray-haired lady you help across the street is your wife...

Everything hurts and what doesn't hurt doesn't work...

You sink your teeth into a juicy steak and they stay there...

You watch a pretty girl go by and your pacemaker makes the garage door open.

- ANON

Proverbs 16:31 (NLT) Gray hair is a crown of glory; it is gained by living a godly life. 

Proverbs 90:12 (NLT) Teach us to realize the brevity of life, so that we may grow in wisdom. 

Titus 2:2-3 (NLT) Teach the older men to exercise self-control, to be worthy of respect, and to live wisely. They must have sound faith and be filled with love and patience. 

Similarly, teach the older women to live in a way that honors God. They must not slander others or be heavy drinkers. Instead, they should teach others what is good. 

2 Peter 1:5-11 (NLT)...

FROM TODAY'S READING (1/28/2015)...

What does your life say about your faith?

Peter wanted to rouse the complacent believers who had listened to the false teachers and believed that because salvation is not based on good deeds they could live any way they wanted. If you truly belong to the Lord, Peter wrote, your hard work will prove it. If you're not working to develop the qualities listed in 1:5-7, you may not belong to him. If you are the Lord's—and your hard work backs up your claim to be chosen by God—you will be able to resist the lure of false teaching or glamorous sin. What does your life say about your faith?

- Life Application Study note for 1 Peter 1

2 Peter 1:5-11 (NLT) In view of all this, make every effort to respond to God’s promises. Supplement your faith with a generous provision of moral excellence, and moral excellence with knowledge, and knowledge with self-control, and self-control with patient endurance, and patient endurance with godliness, and godliness with brotherly affection, and brotherly affection with love for everyone. 

The more you grow like this, the more productive and useful you will be in your knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ. But those who fail to develop in this way are shortsighted or blind, forgetting that they have been cleansed from their old sins. 

So, dear brothers and sisters, work hard to prove that you really are among those God has called and chosen. Do these things, and you will never fall away. Then God will give you a grand entrance into the eternal Kingdom of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. 

Ephesians 6:1-4 (NLT)...

FROM TODAY'S READING (1/27/2015)...

Cleaning your house while your kids are still growing is like shoveling the walk before it starts snowing. :-)

- Phyllis Diller

Ephesians 6:1-4 (NLT) Children, obey your parents because you belong to the Lord, for this is the right thing to do. “Honor your father and mother.” This is the first commandment with a promise: If you honor your father and mother, “things will go well for you, and you will have a long life on the earth.” 

Fathers, do not provoke your children to anger by the way you treat them. Rather, bring them up with the discipline and instruction that comes from the Lord. 

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

FROM TODAY'S READING (1/26/2015)..,

The birth of a giraffe gives insight to life's trials and hardships. When a calf is born, he falls ten feet and lands on his back. The mother momentarily hovers over the newborn before kicking the baby head over heels. If the calf doesn't get up, he gets another good kick. She repeats this process to stimulate his efforts. Finally, when the little giraffe gets up on his wobbly legs, the mother kicks him off his feet again. To an outsider such behavior seems cruel. To the mother it is an expression of love. This first lesson in life helps the newborn quickly develop the skills needed to move rapidly with the herd when predators are near. Sometimes we feel as though God has no sooner gotten us on our feet when he turns around and knocks us down. The next time that happens, think about the newborn giraffe. God may simply be strengthening you for your own protection in the future.

- Gary Richmond (A View From The Zoo)

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. 

Ephesians 2:8-10 (NLT)...

FROM TODAY'S READING (1/23/2015)...

100 POINTS - A man dies and goes to heaven. St. Peter meets him at the pearly gates. 

St. Peter says, "Here's how it works. You need 100 points to make it into heaven. You tell me all the good things you've done, and I give you a certain number of points for each item, depending on how good it was. When you reach 100 points, you get in." 

"Okay" the man says, "I attended church every Sunday" 
"That's good, says St. Peter, " that's worth two points" 

"Two points?" he says. "Well, I gave 10% of all my earnings to the church" 
"Well, let's see," answers Peter, "that's worth another 2 points. Did you do anything else?" 

"Two points? Golly. How about this: I started a soup kitchen in my city and worked in a shelter for homeless veterans."  
"Fantastic, that's certainly worth a point, " he says. 

"hmmm...," the man says, "I was married to the same woman for 50 years and never cheated on her, even in my heart."  
"That's wonderful," says St. Peter, "that's worth three points!" 

"THREE POINTS!!" the man cries, "At this rate the only way I get into heaven is by the grace of God!" 

"Come on in!" 

Ephesians 2:8-10 (NLT) God saved you by his grace when you believed. And you can’t take credit for this; it is a gift from God. Salvation is not a reward for the good things we have done, so none of us can boast about it. 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. 

Proverbs 12:16 (NLT)...

FROM TODAY'S READING (1/22/2015)...

Emotions Have No Brains

- Unknown

Proverbs 12:16 (NLT) A fool is quick-tempered, but a wise person stays calm when insulted

Proverbs 16:32 (NLT) Better to be patient than powerful; better to have self-control than to conquer a city. 

Proverbs 25:28 (NLT) A person without self-control is like a city with broken-down walls. 

Mark 7:20-23 (NLT)...

FROM TODAY'S READING (1/21/2015)...

“What lies behind us and what lies before us are tiny matters compared to what lies within us.”

- Ralph Waldo Emerson

Mark 7:20-23 (NLT) And then he added, “It is what comes from inside that defiles you. For from within, out of a person’s heart, come evil thoughts, sexual immorality, theft, murder, adultery, greed, wickedness, deceit, lustful desires, envy, slander, pride, and foolishness. All these vile things come from within; they are what defile you.” 

Philippians 4:6-8 (NLT)Don’t worry about anything; instead, pray about everything. Tell God what you need, and thank him for all he has done. 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. 

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.

2 Corinthians 4:16-18 (NLT).,,

FROM TODAY'S READING (1/20/2015)...

"Sometimes, when my 19-month-old daughter falls asleep in my arms, I pray for parents in Nigeria whose children have been slain in their beds by Muslim extremists. When my 4-yrar-old son cries after falling down, I'm reminded to send up a prayer for children in Somalia who cry out for mothers and fathers lost to murderous Islamists. 

A slight chill wind might lead me to pray for Christians in North Korean labor camps who suffer icy temperatures day and night without adaquate food, clothing, or medicines...

I pray God will draw close to orphans in Somalia, Nigeria, Egypt, Pakistan, Kenya, India, Iraq, Colombia, and other nations with the comfort of His presence and that those children will know the hope of embracing their parents anew on the other side.

- Jeff M. Sellers (editor of Morning Star News)

2 Corinthians 4:16-18 (NLT) We know that God, who raised the Lord Jesus, will also raise us with Jesus and present us to himself together with you. All of this is for your benefit. And as God’s grace reaches more and more people, there will be great thanksgiving, and God will receive more and more glory.

That is why we never give up. Though our bodies are dying, our spirits are being renewed every day. For our present troubles are small and won’t last very long. Yet they produce for us a glory that vastly outweighs them and will last forever! So we don’t look at the troubles we can see now; rather, we fix our gaze on things that cannot be seen. For the things we see now will soon be gone, but the things we cannot see will last forever. 

Romans 7:18-25 (NLT)...

FROM TODAY'S READING (1/16/2015)...

I think I've found a way for making sins more acceptable to God. Just ad "ish" to everything. That will make sinning more tolerable. 

- Jerral Rockwell (a thought while exceeding a 40 mph zone)

Romans 7:18-25 (NLT) And I know that nothing good lives in me, that is, in my sinful nature. I want to do what is right, but I can’t. I want to do what is good, but I don’t. I don’t want to do what is wrong, but I do it anyway. But if I do what I don’t want to do, I am not really the one doing wrong; it is sin living in me that does it. I have discovered this principle of life—that when I want to do what is right, I inevitably do what is wrong.

But there is another power within me that is at war with my mind. This power makes me a slave to the sin that is still within me. Oh, what a miserable person I am! Who will free me from this life that is dominated by sin and death? Thank God! The answer is in Jesus Christ our Lord. So you see how it is: In my mind I really want to obey God’s law, but because of my sinful nature I am a slave to sin. 

Psalm 19:1-6 (NLT)..,

FROM TODAY'S READING (1/15/2015)...

"If there is no God, nothing makes sense."

- Allan Sandage (A Scientist Reflects On Religious Belief)

Psalm 19:1-6 (NLT) The heavens proclaim the glory of God. The skies display his craftsmanship. Day after day they continue to speak; night after night they make him known. They speak without a sound or word; their voice is never heard. Yet their message has gone throughout the earth, and their words to all the world. God has made a home in the heavens for the sun. It bursts forth like a radiant bridegroom after his wedding. It rejoices like a great athlete eager to run the race. The sun rises at one end of the heavens and follows its course to the other end. Nothing can hide from its heat. 

Romans 1:18-20 (NLT) But God shows his anger from heaven against all sinful, wicked people who suppress the truth by their wickedness. They know the truth about God because he has made it obvious to them. For ever since the world was created, people have seen the earth and sky. Through everything God made, they can clearly see his invisible qualities—his eternal power and divine nature. So they have no excuse for not knowing God. 

1 Timothy 1:12-17 (NLT)...

FROM TODAY'S READING (1/14/2015)...

Alex Haley, the author of Roots, had an unusual picture hanging on his office wall. It was a picture of a turtle on top of a fence post. When asked, “Why is that there?” Alex Haley answered, “Every time I write something significant, every time I read my words and think that they are wonderful and begin to feel proud of myself, I look at the turtle on top of the fence post and remember that he didn’t get there on his own. He had help.” 

That is the basis of thankfulness—to remember that we got here with the help of God and that He is the provider of every blessing we have. 

- Melvin Newland

1 Timothy 1:12-17 (NLT) I thank Christ Jesus our Lord, who has given me strength to do his work. He considered me trustworthy and appointed me to serve him, even though I used to blaspheme the name of Christ. In my insolence, I persecuted his people. But God had mercy on me because I did it in ignorance and unbelief. Oh, how generous and gracious our Lord was! He filled me with the faith and love that come from Christ Jesus. This is a trustworthy saying, and everyone should accept it: “Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners”—and I am the worst of them all. But God had mercy on me so that Christ Jesus could use me as a prime example of his great patience with even the worst sinners. Then others will realize that they, too, can believe in him and receive eternal life. All honor and glory to God forever and ever! He is the eternal King, the unseen one who never dies; he alone is God. Amen. 

2 Corinthians 5:14-17 (NLT)..,

FROM TODAY'S READING (1/13/2013)...

We are not reformed, rehabilitated, or reeducated—we are re-created (new creations), living in vital union with Christ. At conversion we do not merely turn over a new leaf; we begin a new life under a new Master.

- LAB note

2 Corinthians 5:14-17 (NLT) ...Since we believe that Christ died for all, we also believe that we have all died to our old life. 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. 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! This means that anyone who belongs to Christ has become a new person. The old life is gone; a new life has begun! 

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! This means that anyone who belongs to Christ has become a new person. The old life is gone; a new life has begun! 

1 John 4:7-12 (NLT)..,

FROM TODAY'S READING (1/12/2015)...

All you need is love

All you need is love

All you need is love, love

All you need is love.

- John Lennon 

PS - ...and a loving Savior.

1 John 4:7-12 (NLT) Dear friends, let us continue to love one another, for love comes from God. Anyone who loves is a child of God and knows God. But anyone who does not love does not know God, for God is love. God showed how much he loved us by sending his one and only Son into the world so that we might have eternal life through him. This is real love—not that we loved God, but that he loved us and sent his Son as a sacrifice to take away our sins. Dear friends, since God loved us that much, we surely ought to love each other. No one has ever seen God. But if we love each other, God lives in us, and his love is brought to full expression in us. 

Colossians6:2-9 (NLT)...

FROM TODAY'S READING (1/9/2015)...

"A new religion could emerge in the next decade or two, perhaps based around the environment. Digital technology is the solvent leaching the glue out of our global structure - including shaking our belief systems to the core."

- Paul Saffo (NatGeo, January 2015)

Colossians 2:6-9 (NLT) And now, just as you accepted Christ Jesus as your Lord, you must continue to follow him. Let your roots grow down into him, and let your lives be built on him. Then your faith will grow strong in the truth you were taught, and you will overflow with thankfulness. 

Don’t let anyone capture you with empty philosophies and high-sounding nonsense that come from human thinking and from the spiritual powers of this world, rather than from Christ. For in Christ lives all the fullness of God in a human body. 

Ephesians 2:10 (NLT)...

FROM TODAY'S READING (1/8/2015)...

TODAY IS A GOOD DAY FOR A GOOD DAY

- Unknown

Ephesians 2:10 (NLT) 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. 

Ephesians 4:31-32 (NLT)..,

Lord help me be the person that my dog thinks me to be. 

- Bumper Sticker (SUV with Lab looking out passenger window)

PS - The Lab pictured in a police car, was rescued and returned to owners seventeen months after being lost during Hurricane Sandy. The happy reunion took place in April, 2013 after Princeton, NJ Officials scanned Wesley's microchip and determined his owner. 

Ephesians 4:31-32 (NLT) Get rid of all bitterness, rage, anger, harsh words, and slander, as well as all types of evil behavior. Instead, be kind to each other, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, just as God through Christ has forgiven you.

1 Corinthians 6:12-14 (NLT)...

FROM TODAY'S READING (1/6/2013)...

Freedom is a mark of the Christian faith—freedom from sin and guilt, and freedom to use and enjoy anything that comes from God. But Christians should not abuse this freedom and hurt themselves or others. Drinking too much leads to alcoholism; gluttony leads to obesity. Be careful that what God has allowed you to enjoy doesn't grow into a bad habit that controls you.

- Life Application Bible

1 Corinthians 6:12-14 (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. You say, “Food was made for the stomach, and the stomach for food.” (This is true, though someday God will do away with both of them.) But you can’t say that our bodies were made for sexual immorality. They were made for the Lord, and the Lord cares about our bodies. And God will raise us from the dead by his power, just as he raised our Lord from the dead. 

Colossians 1:4-9 (NLT)..,

FROM TODAY'S READING (1/5/2015)...

This new year, like every other year, will have its share of opportunities, trials, temptations, and challenges. How we respond to them is up to us. An article I read recently contained the following list of responses...

Joy or bitterness.

Forgiveness or anger.

Trust or unbelief.

Faith or fear.

Love or hatred.

Kindness or malice.

Temperance or self-indulgence.

Gentleness or stubbornness.

Mercy or revenge.

Peace or worry.

Hope or despair.

Colossians 1:9-14 (NLT) So we have not stopped praying for you since we first heard about you. We ask God to give you complete knowledge of his will and to give you spiritual wisdom and understanding. Then the way you live will always honor and please the Lord, and your lives will produce every kind of good fruit. All the while, you will grow as you learn to know God better and better. 

We also pray that you will be strengthened with all his glorious power so you will have all the endurance and patience you need. May you be filled with joy, always thanking the Father. He has enabled you to share in the inheritance that belongs to his people, who live in the light. For he has rescued us from the kingdom of darkness and transferred us into the Kingdom of his dear Son, who purchased our freedom and forgave our sins. 

Psalm 27:14 (NLT)...

FROM TODAY'S READING (1/2/2015)...

- Waiting tests our prayer resolve.

- Waiting reminds us of our dependency upon God.

- Waiting strengthens our faith.

- Waiting challenges us to refocus on God.

- Waiting serves to spiritually refine us as we await our eternal home. For now, we wait, pray, and watch.

- Waiting helps us prioritize the eternal over the temporal. American theologian Jonathan Edwards prayed, “Oh Lord, stamp eternity on my eyeballs.”

Psalm 27:14 (NLT) Wait patiently for the LORD. Be brave and courageous. Yes, wait patiently for the LORD. 

2 Corinthians 4:17-18 (NLT) For our present troubles are small and won’t last very long. Yet they produce for us a glory that vastly outweighs them and will last forever! So we don’t look at the troubles we can see now; rather, we fix our gaze on things that cannot be seen. For the things we see now will soon be gone, but the things we cannot see will last forever.