Joshua 1:8-9 (NLT)

FROM TODAY’S READING (12/31/2019)...

HAPPY NEW YEAR

“Take your eyes off the mountain that is before you; climb it, stand on it, dominate it, and place your eyes on the one who created all things… If we constantly contemplate the enormous mountains we face versus our Savior; it will make you shrink and feel obsolete. You were created to conquer it and worship your Father from it.”

Mily (His Word-My Life blog)

Joshua‬ ‭1:8-9‬ ‭(NLT‬‬) Study this Book of Instruction continually. Meditate on it day and night so you will be sure to obey everything written in it. Only then will you prosper and succeed in all you do. This is my command—be strong and courageous! Do not be afraid or discouraged. For the Lord your God is with you wherever you go.

Image: Creative Commons (Unsplash.com)

Philippians 3:12-14 (NLT)

FROM TODAY’S READING (12/30/2019)...

HAPPY NEW YEAR

“Go as far as you can see; when you get there, you’ll be able to see farther.” 

J. P. Morgan

Philippians‬ ‭3:12-14‬ ‭(NLT‬‬) I don’t mean to say that I have already achieved these things or that I have already reached perfection. But I press on to possess that perfection for which Christ Jesus first possessed me. No, dear brothers and sisters, I have not achieved it, but I focus on this one thing: Forgetting the past and looking forward to what lies ahead, I press on to reach the end of the race and receive the heavenly prize for which God, through Christ Jesus, is calling us.

‭‭

Image: Creative Commons (pxhere.com)

Isaiah 41:10 (NLT)

FROM TODAY’S READING (12/27/2019)...

HAPPY NEW YEAR

“Nobody can go back and start a new beginning, but anyone can start today and make a new ending.”

Maria Robinson

Isaiah‬ ‭41:10‬ ‭(NLT‬‬) Don’t be afraid, for I am with you. Don’t be discouraged, for I am your God. I will strengthen you and help you. I will hold you up with my victorious right hand.

‭‭

2 Timothy‬ ‭1:7‬ ‭(NLT‬‬) For God has not given us a spirit of fear and timidity, but of power, love, and self-discipline.

Image: Creative Commons (pxhere.com)

Ecclesiastes 3:10-13 (NLT)

FROM TODAY’S READING (12/26/2019)...

HAPPY NEW YEAR

“You must learn, you must let God teach you, that the only way to get rid of your past is to make a future out of it. God will waste nothing.” 

Phillips Brooks (1835-1893)

Ecclesiastes‬ ‭3:10-13‬ ‭(NLT‬‬) I have seen the burden God has placed on us all. Yet God has made everything beautiful for its own time. He has planted eternity in the human heart, but even so, people cannot see the whole scope of God’s work from beginning to end. So I concluded there is nothing better than to be happy and enjoy ourselves as long as we can. And people should eat and drink and enjoy the fruits of their labor, for these are gifts from God.

Ephesians‬ ‭4:21-24‬ ‭(NLT‬‬) Since you have heard about Jesus and have learned the truth that comes from him, throw off your old sinful nature and your former way of life, which is corrupted by lust and deception. Instead, let the Spirit renew your thoughts and attitudes. Put on your new nature, created to be like God—truly righteous and holy.

Image: Creative Commons (pxhere.com)

‭‭

2 Corinthians 4:7 (NLT)

FROM TODAY’S READING (12/20/2019)...

“In Japan, broken objects are often repaired with gold. The flaw is seen as a unique piece of the object's history, which adds to its beauty. Consider this when you feel broken.”

Emily McDowell

Matthew‬ ‭2:1-2, 11‬ ‭(NLT‬‬) Jesus was born in Bethlehem in Judea, during the reign of King Herod. About that time some wise men from eastern lands arrived in Jerusalem, asking, “Where is the newborn king of the Jews? We saw his star as it rose, and we have come to worship him...

They entered the house and saw the child with his mother, Mary, and they bowed down and worshiped him. Then they opened their treasure chests and gave him gifts of gold, frankincense, and myrrh.

‭‭

2 Corinthians‬ ‭4:7‬ ‭(NLT‬‬) We now have this light shining in our hearts, but we ourselves are like fragile clay jars containing this great treasure. This makes it clear that our great power is from God, not from ourselves.

Image: Creative Commons (commons.wikimedia.org)

2 Corinthians 4:5-7 (NLT)

FROM TODAY’S READING (12/19/2019)...

MERRY CHRISTMAS 

“We draw people to Christ not by loudly discrediting what they believe, by telling them how wrong they are and how right we are, but by showing them a light that is so lovely that they want with all their hearts to know the source of it.”

Madeleine L'Engle

‭‭2 Corinthians‬ ‭4:5-7‬ ‭(NLT‬‬) You see, we don’t go around preaching about ourselves. We preach that Jesus Christ is Lord, and we ourselves are your servants for Jesus’ sake. For God, who said, “Let there be light in the darkness,” has made this light shine in our hearts so we could know the glory of God that is seen in the face of Jesus Christ. 

We now have this light shining in our hearts, but we ourselves are like fragile clay jars containing this great treasure. This makes it clear that our great power is from God, not from ourselves.

Image: Creative Commons (pixabay.com) 

Matthew 1:18-21 (NLT)

FROM TODAY’S READING (12/18/2019)...

MERRY CHRISTMAS

“Infinite, and an infant. Eternal, and yet born of a woman. Almighty, and yet hanging on a woman’s breast. Supporting a universe, and yet needing to be carried in a mother’s arms. King of angels, and yet the reputed son of Joseph. Heir of all things, and yet the carpenter’s despised son.” 

Charles Haddon Spurgeon (1834-1982)

Matthew‬ ‭1:18-21‬ ‭(NLT‬‬) This is how Jesus the Messiah was born. His mother, Mary, was engaged to be married to Joseph. But before the marriage took place, while she was still a virgin, she became pregnant through the power of the Holy Spirit. Joseph, to whom she was engaged, was a righteous man and did not want to disgrace her publicly, so he decided to break the engagement quietly. 

As he considered this, an angel of the Lord appeared to him in a dream. “Joseph, son of David,” the angel said, “do not be afraid to take Mary as your wife. For the child within her was conceived by the Holy Spirit. And she will have a son, and you are to name him Jesus, for he will save his people from their sins.”

Image: Creative Commons (Google)

‭‭

Proverbs 12:25 (NLT)

FROM TODAY’S READING (12/17/2019)...

“Anything that’s human is mentionable, and anything that is mentionable can be more manageable. When we can talk about our feelings, they become less overwhelming, less upsetting, and less scary. The people we trust with that important talk can help us know that we are not alone.”

Mister (Fred) Rogers

 ‭1 Thessalonians‬ ‭5:11‬ ‭(NLT‬‬) So encourage each other and build each other up, just as you are already doing.

Proverbs‬ ‭12:25‬ ‭NLT‬‬) Worry weighs a person down; an encouraging word cheers a person up.

Image: Creative Commons (pxhere.com)

Proverbs 14:7-8, 15-16 (NLT)

FROM TODAY’S READING (12/16/2019)...

“The difference between stupidity and genius is that genius has its limits.”

Albert Einstein 

Proverbs‬ ‭14:7-8, 15-16‬ ‭(NLT‬‬) Stay away from fools, for you won’t find knowledge on their lips. The prudent understand where they are going, but fools deceive themselves...Only simpletons believe everything they’re told! The prudent carefully consider their steps. The wise are cautious and avoid danger; fools plunge ahead with reckless confidence.”

‭‭

Image: Creative Commons (pxhere.com)

Ecclesiastes‬ ‭3:9-13‬ ‭(NLT‬‬)

FROM TODAY’S READING (12/12/2019)...

Note to self...

I don’t have to take this day all at once, but rather, one step, one breath, one moment at a time. I am only one person. Things will get done when they get done.

Unknown origin

Psalms‬ ‭127:2‬ ‭(NLT‬‬) It is useless for you to work so hard from early morning until late at night, anxiously working for food to eat; for God gives rest to his loved ones.

Ecclesiastes‬ ‭3:9-13‬ ‭(NLT‬‬) What do people really get for all their hard work? I have seen the burden God has placed on us all. Yet God has made everything beautiful for its own time. He has planted eternity in the human heart, but even so, people cannot see the whole scope of God’s work from beginning to end. So I concluded there is nothing better than to be happy and enjoy ourselves as long as we can. And people should eat and drink and enjoy the fruits of their labor, for these are gifts from God.

Image: Creative Commons (pxhere.com)

Genesis 1:1 (NLT)...

FROM TODAY’S READING (12/13/2019)...

“The simplest living organism has more moving parts than the most complex machine that man has ever made; over a hundred thousand moving parts in a single cell working thousands of operations every second. The intricate workings of the simplistic living machine are mind-boggling, and the design only gets more exponentially complex from there. As an engineer, as someone who designs things, I stand in awe of life, and I honestly believe it is an insult to the designer to say a machine like that was an accident.”

Kris Langham (mechanical engineer and pastor)

Genesis‬ ‭1:1‬ ‭(NLT‬‬) In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth.

Colossians‬ ‭1:15-16‬ ‭(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.

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.

‭‭

Image: Public Domain (simple.wikipedia.org)

Matthew 5:17-19 (NLT)...

FROM TODAY’S READING (12/11/2019)...

“Not many people think of the Ten Commandments these days, unless some group is trying to fight a legal battle to place them on public property.

Still, these laws of God, which may be familiar to some only through the Cecil B. De Mille classic film starring Charlton Heston as Moses, contain worthy guidelines that are applicable to today.”

Cal Thomas

Matthew‬ ‭5:17-19‬ ‭(NLT‬‬) Don’t misunderstand why I (Jesus) have come. I did not come to abolish the law of Moses or the writings of the prophets. No, I came to accomplish their purpose. I tell you the truth, until heaven and earth disappear, not even the smallest detail of God’s law will disappear until its purpose is achieved. So if you ignore the least commandment and teach others to do the same, you will be called the least in the Kingdom of Heaven. But anyone who obeys God’s laws and teaches them will be called great in the Kingdom of Heaven.

‭

Romans‬ ‭6:15-18‬ ‭(NLT‬‬) Well then, since God’s grace has set us free from the law, does that mean we can go on sinning? Of course not! Don’t you realize that you become the slave of whatever you choose to obey? You can be a slave to sin, which leads to death, or you can choose to obey God, which leads to righteous living. Thank God! Once you were slaves of sin, but now you wholeheartedly obey this teaching we have given you. Now you are free from your slavery to sin, and you have become slaves to righteous living.

Image: courtesy of (usif.net)

2 Peter 1:10-11 (NLT)...

FROM TODAY’S READING (12/10/2019)...

“We not new to this. We true to this!

Diamond & Silk

‭‭2 Peter‬ ‭1:10-11‬ ‭(NLT‬‬) 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.

1 John 2:22-24 (NLT) So you must remain faithful to what you have been taught from the beginning. If you do, you will remain in fellowship with the Son and with the Father. And in this fellowship we enjoy the eternal life he promised us.

Image: Creative Commons (Unsplash.com)

Psalm 27:14 (NLT)...

FROM TODAY’S READING (12/9/2019)...

AND GOD SAID NO!

I asked God to take away my pride, and God said "NO". 

He said it was not for Him to take away, but for me to give up.

I asked God to make my handicapped child whole, and God said "NO".

He said her spirit is whole, her body is only temporary.

I asked God to grant me patience, and God said "NO".

He said that patience is a by-product of tribulation, 

it isn't granted, it's earned.

I asked God to give me happiness, and God said "NO".

He said He gives blessings, happiness is up to me.

I asked God to spare me pain, and God said "NO".

He said suffering draws you apart from worldly cares

and brings yo closer to me.

I asked God to make my spirit grow, and He said "NO".

He said I must grow on my own, but He will prune me to make me fruitful.

I asked God to help me love others as much as He loves me,

And God said "Ah, finally you have the idea"!

Author: Claudia Minden Weisz

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

‭‭

Psalms‬ ‭33:20-22‬ ‭(NLT‬‬) We put our hope in the Lord. He is our help and our shield. In him our hearts rejoice, for we trust in his holy name. Let your unfailing love surround us, Lord, for our hope is in you alone.

‭‭

Image: Creative Commons (Unsplash.com)

James 1:22-25 (NLT)...

FROM TODAY’S READING (12/6/2019)...

“We want a god who gives us life, but not one who tells us how to live it.”

Pastor Wayne Bray (First Baptist Church, Simpsonville, SC)

James‬ ‭1:22-25‬ ‭(NLT‬‬) But don’t just listen to God’s word. You must do what it says. Otherwise, you are only fooling yourselves. For if you listen to the word and don’t obey, it is like glancing at your face in a mirror. You see yourself, walk away, and forget what you look like. 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.

Image: Creative Commons (pxhere.com)

Daniel 11:32-33a (NLT)...

FROM TODAY’S READING (12/5/2019)...

“The gutsiest people in the world are the ones who know their God, whose God is the Lord...In a time when evil rules the day, the wise are desperately needed.”

Kris Langham

NOTE: This Daniel passage makes historic reference to the Greek King Antiochus lV Epiphanies and prophetic reference to a coming world leader referenced as Antichrist in Scripture (2 Thessalonians 2).

Daniel‬ ‭11:32‬-33a (NLT‬‬) He will flatter and win over those who have violated the covenant. But the people who know their God will be strong and will resist him. Wise leaders will give instruction to many...

2 Thessalonians‬ ‭2:15-17‬ ‭(NLT‬‬) With all these things in mind, dear brothers and sisters, stand firm and keep a strong grip on the teaching we passed on to you both in person and by letter. 

Now may our Lord Jesus Christ himself and God our Father, who loved us and by his grace gave us eternal comfort and a wonderful hope, comfort you and strengthen you in every good thing you do and say.

Image: Creative Commons (mocah.org)

Romans 15:13 (ESV)...

FROM TODAY’S READING (12/4/2019)...

“Believe you can and you’re halfway there.”

Theodore Roosevelt

Romans‬ ‭15:13‬ ‭(ESV‬‬) May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace in believing, so that by the power of the Holy Spirit you may abound in hope.

Image: Creative Commons (Unsplash.com)

‭‭

Psalm 119:5 (NLT)...

FROM TODAY’S READING (12/3/2019)...

Attract what you expect.

Reflect what you desire.

Become what you respect.

Mirror what you admire.

Anonymous 

 ‭Psalms‬ ‭119:5‬ ‭(NLT‬‬) Oh, that my actions would consistently reflect your decrees!

Psalms‬ ‭119:15‬ ‭(NLT‬‬) I will study your commandments and reflect on your ways.

 ‭Titus‬ ‭2:1‬ ‭(NLT‬‬) As for you, Titus, promote the kind of living that reflects wholesome teaching.

Image: Creative Commons (pxhere.com)

Psalm 1:1-2 (NLT)...

FROM TODAY’S READING (12/2/2019)...

“Our minds are God’s invention...they’re his creation. When we meditate we trust God to help our minds to grasp, unpackage and unravel the truth of God’s Word. A truly happy person is shaped by the Word, not colored by the world.”

Pastor Sandy Adams

Psalms‬ ‭1:1-2‬ ‭(NLT‬‬) Oh, the joys of those who do not follow the advice of the wicked, or stand around with sinners, or join in with mockers. But they delight in the law of the Lord, meditating on it day and night.

 ‭Psalms‬ ‭19:14‬ ‭(NLT‬‬) May the words of my mouth and the meditation of my heart be pleasing to you, O Lord, my rock and my redeemer.

Image: Creative Commons (pxhere.com)

Proverbs 14:23 (NLT)...

FROM TODAY’S READING (11/14/2019)...

“Make your life a mission – not an intermission.” 

Anonymous

Proverbs‬ ‭14:23‬ ‭(ESV‬‬) In all toil there is profit, but mere talk tends only to poverty.

Image: Creative Commons (pxhere.com)

Psalm 90:12 (NLT)...

FROM TODAY’S READING (11/13/2019)...

“It is only when we truly know and understand that we have a limited time on earth and that we have no way of knowing when our time is up that we will begin to live each day to the fullest, as if it were the only one we had” 

St Augustine

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

Ephesians‬ ‭5:15-17‬ ‭(NLT‬‬) So be careful how you live. Don’t live like fools, but like those who are wise. Make the most of every opportunity in these evil days. Don’t act thoughtlessly, but understand what the Lord wants you to do.

Image: Creative Commons (pxhere.com)

Luke 5:1-4 (NLT)...

FROM TODAY’S READING (11/12/2019)...

“You can’t cross the sea merely by standing and staring at the water.” 

Rabindranath Tagore

Luke‬ ‭5:1-4‬ ‭(NLT‬‬) One day as Jesus was preaching on the shore of the Sea of Galilee, great crowds pressed in on him to listen to the word of God. He noticed two empty boats at the water’s edge, for the fishermen had left them and were washing their nets. Stepping into one of the boats, Jesus asked Simon, its owner, to push it out into the water. So he sat in the boat and taught the crowds from there. 

When he had finished speaking, he said to Simon, “Now go out where it is deeper, and let down your nets to catch some fish.”

Image: Creative Commons (pxhere.com)

1 Peter 4:16 (NLT)...

FROM TODAY’S READING (11/8/2019)...

When I say, “I am a Christian”

I’m not shouting, “I’ve been saved!”

I’m whispering, “I get lost!

That’s why I chose this way.”

When I say, “I am a Christian”

I don’t speak with human pride,

I’m confessing that I stumble –

Needing God to be my guide.

When I say, “I am a Christian”

I’m not trying to be strong,

I’m professing that I’m weak

And pray for strength to carry on.

When I say, “I am a Christian”

I’m not bragging of success,

I’m admitting that I’ve failed

And cannot ever pay the debt.

When I say, “I am a Christian”

I don’t think I know it all,

I submit to my confusion

Asking humbly to be taught.

When I say, “I am a Christian”

I’m not claiming to be perfect,

My flaws are all too visible

But God believes I’m worth it.

When I say, “I am a Christian”

I still feel the sting of pain,

I have my share of heartache,

Which is why I seek His name.

When I say, “I am a Christian”

I do not wish to judge,

I have no authority…

I only know I’m loved

by Carol Wimmer

1 Peter‬ ‭4:16‬ ‭(NLT‬‬) But it is no shame to suffer for being a Christian. Praise God for the privilege of being called by his name!

Image: Creative Commons (pxhere.com)