Proverbs 16:24 (NLT)...

FROM TODAY’S READING (4/30/2019)...

“Treat people as if they were what they ought to be and you help them to become what they are capable of being.”

Goethe

‭‭1 Peter‬ ‭3:9‬ ‭(NLT‬‬) Don’t repay evil for evil. Don’t retaliate with insults when people insult you. Instead, pay them back with a blessing. That is what God has called you to do, and he will grant you his blessing.

Proverbs‬ ‭16:24‬ ‭(NLT‬‬) Kind words are like honey— sweet to the soul and healthy for the body.

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Matthew 22:36-40 (NLT)...

FROM TODAY’S READING (4/29/2019)...

“Someone has tabulated that we have 35 million laws on the books to enforce the Ten Commandments.”

Bert Masterson

Matthew‬ ‭22:36-40‬ ‭(NLT‬‬) “Teacher, which is the most important commandment in the law of Moses?” Jesus replied, “‘You must love the LORD your God with all your heart, all your soul, and all your mind.’ This is the first and greatest commandment. A second is equally important: ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’ The entire law and all the demands of the prophets are based on these two commandments.”

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1 Peter 5:8-9 (NLT)...

FROM TODAY’S READING (4/26/2019)...

“Wherever God erects a house of prayer,

The devil always builds a chapel there;

And ‘twill be found, upon examination,

The latter has the largest congregation.”

Daniel Defoe

1 Peter‬ ‭5:8-9‬ ‭(NLT‬‬) Stay alert! Watch out for your great enemy, the devil. He prowls around like a roaring lion, looking for someone to devour. Stand firm against him, and be strong in your faith. Remember that your family of believers all over the world is going through the same kind of suffering you are.

James‬ ‭4:7-8‬ ‭(NLT‬‬) So humble yourselves before God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you. 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.

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1 Corinthians 2:9 (NLT)...

FROM TODAY’S READING (4/25/2019)...

“Work for the Lord. The pay is small, but the retirement benefits are out of this world.”

Ralph Waldo Emerson

1 Corinthians‬ ‭2:9‬ ‭(NLT‬‬) That is what the Scriptures mean when they say, “No eye has seen, no ear has heard, and no mind has imagined what God has prepared for those who love him.”

John‬ ‭14:1-4‬ ‭(NLT‬‬) Don’t let your hearts be troubled. Trust in God, and trust also in me. 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? When everything is ready, I will come and get you, so that you will always be with me where I am. And you know the way to where I am going.

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James 12:1-15 (NLT)...

FROM TODAY’S READING (4/24/2019)...

“Temptations are sure to ring your doorbell, but it is your fault if you invite them in for dinner.”

Megiddo Message

James‬ ‭1:12-15‬ ‭(NLT‬‬) 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. 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. Temptation comes from our own desires, which entice us and drag us away. These desires give birth to sinful actions. And when sin is allowed to grow, it gives birth to death.

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Proverbs 22:3, 5 (NLT)...

FROM TODAY’S READING (4/23/2019)...

“The world is full of cactus, but we don’t have to sit on it.”

Will Foley

Proverbs‬ ‭22:3, 5‬ ‭(NLT‬‬) A prudent person foresees danger and takes precautions. The simpleton goes blindly on and suffers the consequences...Corrupt people walk a thorny, treacherous road; whoever values life will avoid it.

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Colossians 1:9-10 (NLT)...

FROM TODAY’S READING (4/22/2019)...

We may be known by the following...

1. What we want most.
2. What we think about most.
3. How we use our money.
4. What we do with our leisure time.
5. The company we keep.
6. Who and what we admire.
7. What we laugh at.

by A. W. Tozer

Colossians‬ ‭1:9-10‬ ‭(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.

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Philippians‬ ‭4:8-9‬ ‭(NLT‬‬) 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. Keep putting into practice all you learned and received from me—everything you heard from me and saw me doing. Then the God of peace will be with you.

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Matthew 28:1-7 (NLT)...

FROM TODAY’S READING (4/19/2019)...

EASTER WEEK...

On the Easter just before he died, D. William Sangster painfully printed a short note to his daughter. A deeply spiritual Methodist, he had been spearheading a renewal movement in the British Isles after World War II. Then his ministry, except for prayer, was ended by a disease which progressively paralyzed his body, even his vocal cords. But the last Resurrection Sunday he spent on earth, still able to move his fingers, he wrote: "How terrible to wake up on Easter and have no voice to shout, ’He is risen!’ Far worse, to have a voice and not want to shout."

James S. Hewett, “Illustrations Unlimited” (Wheaton: Tyndale House Publishers, Inc, 1988) p. 167.

Matthew‬ ‭28:1-7‬ ‭(NLT‬‬) Early on Sunday morning, as the new day was dawning, Mary Magdalene and the other Mary went out to visit the tomb. 

Suddenly there was a great earthquake! For an angel of the Lord came down from heaven, rolled aside the stone, and sat on it. His face shone like lightning, and his clothing was as white as snow. The guards shook with fear when they saw him, and they fell into a dead faint. 

Then the angel spoke to the women. “Don’t be afraid!” he said. “I know you are looking for Jesus, who was crucified. He isn’t here! He is risen from the dead, just as he said would happen. Come, see where his body was lying. And now, go quickly and tell his disciples that he has risen from the dead, and he is going ahead of you to Galilee. You will see him there. Remember what I have told you.”

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Luke 1:1-4; 24:38-49 (NLT)...

FROM TODAY’S READING (4/18/2019)...

EASTER WEEK...

“...few devote more than ten percent of their pages to the subject’s death – including biographies of men like Martin Luther King Jr. and Mahatma Gandhi, who died violent and politically significant deaths. The Gospels, though, devote nearly a third of their length to the climatic last week of Jesus’ life. Matthew, Mark, Luke and John saw death as the central mystery of Jesus.”

Philip Yancey, “The Jesus I Never Knew” (1995, p.188)

Luke‬ ‭1:1-4‬ ‭(NLT‬‬) Many people have set out to write accounts about the events that have been fulfilled among us. They used the eyewitness reports circulating among us from the early disciples. Having carefully investigated everything from the beginning, I also have decided to write an accurate account for you, most honorable Theophilus, so you can be certain of the truth of everything you were taught.

Luke‬ ‭24:38-49‬ ‭(NLT‬‬) “Why are you frightened?” he asked. “Why are your hearts filled with doubt? Look at my hands. Look at my feet. You can see that it’s really me. Touch me and make sure that I am not a ghost, because ghosts don’t have bodies, as you see that I do.” As he spoke, he showed them his hands and his feet. 

Still they stood there in disbelief, filled with joy and wonder. Then he asked them, “Do you have anything here to eat?” They gave him a piece of broiled fish, and he ate it as they watched. 

Then he said, “When I was with you before, I told you that everything written about me in the law of Moses and the prophets and in the Psalms must be fulfilled.” Then he opened their minds to understand the Scriptures. And he said, “Yes, it was written long ago that the Messiah would suffer and die and rise from the dead on the third day. It was also written that this message would be proclaimed in the authority of his name to all the nations, beginning in Jerusalem: ‘There is forgiveness of sins for all who repent.’ You are witnesses of all these things. 

“And now I will send the Holy Spirit, just as my Father promised. But stay here in the city until the Holy Spirit comes and fills you with power from heaven.”

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1 John 1:1-4 (NLT)...

FROM TODAY’S READING (4/17/2019)...

EASTER WEEK...

“The most powerful historical proof of the resurrection is the ‘resurrected’ disciples. Dull, defeated people became fearless, adventuresome leaders. Cowards became courageous; the timid became triumphant; the inept did the impossible. ‘He is risen!’ became the joyous chant of a new life without limits.”

Lloyd Ogilvie (Life without Limits, p. 283).

Acts 2:32-33‬ ‭(NLT‬‬) God raised Jesus from the dead, and we are all witnesses of this. Now he is exalted to the place of highest honor in heaven, at God’s right hand. And the Father, as he had promised, gave him the Holy Spirit to pour out upon us, just as you see and hear today.

1 John‬ ‭1:1-4‬ ‭(NLT‬‬) We proclaim to you the one who existed from the beginning, whom we have heard and seen. We saw him with our own eyes and touched him with our own hands. He is the Word of life. This one who is life itself was revealed to us, and we have seen him. And now we testify and proclaim to you that he is the one who is eternal life. He was with the Father, and then he was revealed to us. We proclaim to you what we ourselves have actually seen and heard so that you may have fellowship with us. And our fellowship is with the Father and with his Son, Jesus Christ. We are writing these things so that you may fully share our joy.

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1 Peter 1:3-7 (NLT)...

FROM TODAY’S READING (4/16/2019)...

EASTER WEEK...

“No matter how devastating our struggles, disappointments, and troubles are, they are only temporary. No matter what happens to you, no matter the depth of tragedy or pain you face, no matter how death stalks you and your loved ones, the Resurrection promises you a future of immeasurable good.”

Josh McDowell

‭‭1 Peter‬ ‭1:3-7‬ ‭(NLT‬‬) All praise to God, the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ. It is by his great mercy that we have been born again, because God raised Jesus Christ from the dead. Now we live with great expectation, and we have a priceless inheritance—an inheritance that is kept in heaven for you, pure and undefiled, beyond the reach of change and decay. And through your faith, God is protecting you by his power until you receive this salvation, which is ready to be revealed on the last day for all to see. 

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.

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Colossians 3:9-10 (NLT)...

FROM TODAY’S READING (4/12/2019)...

“In England, nearly 300 years ago, there was a merchant commander named Captain Fudge. This historical figure became famous for his lies and exaggerations about adventures on the high seas. His crew members were so accustomed to his tales that they would call each other ‘Fudge’ when one was straying from the truth. By the mid 1800s, children in America were readily referring to cheating as ‘fudging.’ Today many people still use the term when dealing with deception. Exaggerations are just as deceptive as blatant lies.”

Lee Stobel, Seeds Tape Ministry, (11/7/93)

Colossians‬ ‭3:9-10‬ ‭(NLT‬‬) Don’t lie to each other, for you have stripped off your old sinful nature and all its wicked deeds. Put on your new nature, and be renewed as you learn to know your Creator and become like him.

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Ephesians‬ ‭4:25‬ ‭(NLT) So stop telling lies. Let us tell our neighbors the truth, for we are all parts of the same body.

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2 Timothy 2:23-24 (NLT)...

FROM TODAY’S READING (4/11/2019)...

“Just about everyone has heard of the feud between the Hatfields and the McCoys. What they might not know is how it all started. In 1878 they had a dispute over the ownership of a hog. That led to a 12-year war which resulted in the deaths of 3 Hatfields, 7 McCoys, and 2 outsiders. Disagreement over that one hog stole 12 years and 12 lives. Most family feuds today are equally ridiculous.”

Houston Post (4/3/95, p.D-3)

2 Timothy‬ ‭2:23-24‬ ‭(NLT‬‬) Again I say, don’t get involved in foolish, ignorant arguments that only start fights. A servant of the Lord must not quarrel but must be kind to everyone, be able to teach, and be patient with difficult people.

James‬ ‭4:1-3‬ ‭(NLT‬‬) What is causing the quarrels and fights among you? Don’t they come from the evil desires at war within you? You want what you don’t have, so you scheme and kill to get it. You are jealous of what others have, but you can’t get it, so you fight and wage war to take it away from them. Yet you don’t have what you want because you don’t ask God for it. And even when you ask, you don’t get it because your motives are all wrong—you want only what will give you pleasure.

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Psalm 54:4 (NLT)...

FROM TODAY’S READING (4/10/2018)...

“Behold, God is my helper…”

“There is no situation too great for God. There is no heart too hard for God. There is no budget too tight for God. There is no boss too difficult for God. God is your helper! He is my helper! Those four words change every situation.

Do you need wisdom today? God is your helper. 

Do you need strength today? God is your helper. 

Do you need patience today? God is your helper. 

If God is your helper, that changes everything.”

by Pastor at Sovereign Grace Church of Indiana, PA

Psalms‬ ‭54:4‬ ‭(ESV‬‬) Behold, God is my helper; the Lord is the upholder of my life.

Image: Creative Commons (Thewmatt)

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1 Peter 4:14-16 (NLT)...

FROM TODAY’S READING (4/9/2019)...

"Eighty-six years I have served Christ, and he has done me no wrong; how can I blaspheme my king who saved me?" 

Polycarp (69-156 AD) 

NOTE: Polycarp was burned at the stake and was pierced with a spear for refusing to burn incense to the Roman Emperor. On his farewell, he said "I bless you Father for judging me worthy of this hour, so that in the company of the martyrs I may share the cup of Christ." 

1 Peter 4:14-16 (NLT) If you are insulted because you bear the name of Christ, you will be blessed, for the glorious Spirit of God rests upon you. If you suffer, however, it must not be for murder, stealing, making trouble, or prying into other people’s affairs. But it is no shame to suffer for being a Christian. Praise God for the privilege of being called by his name!

Romans 14:8-9 (NLT) If we live, it’s to honor the Lord. And if we die, it’s to honor the Lord. So whether we live or die, we belong to the Lord. Christ died and rose again for this very purpose—to be Lord both of the living and of the dead.

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

FROM TODAY’S READING (4/5/2019)...

“Manned space flight is an amazing achievement, but it has opened for mankind thus far only a tiny door for viewing the awesome reaches of space. An outlook through this peephole at the vast mysteries of the universe should only confirm our belief in the certainty of its Creator.

I find it as difficult to understand a scientist who does not acknowledge the presence of a superior rationality behind the existence of the universe as it is to comprehend a theologian who would deny the advance of science.”

Wernher von Braun (1912-1977) Director of NASA and U.S. guided missile program

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.”

Apollo 8

Proverbs 4:23 (NLT)...

FROM TODAY’S READING (4/4/2019)...

“Our great object in time is not to waste our passions and gifts on the things external that we must leave behind, but that we cultivate within us all that we can carry into the eternal progress beyond.”

Bulwer

Proverbs 4:23 (NLT) Guard your heart above all else, for it determines the course of your life.

Proverbs 23:26 (NLT) O my son, give me your heart. May your eyes take delight in following my ways.

Psalms 73:24-26 (NLT) You guide 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, and my spirit may grow weak, but God remains the strength of my heart; he is mine forever.

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1 Corinthians 10:31 (NLT)...

FROM TODAY’S READING (4/3/2019)...

“He who wishes to fulfill his mission in the world must be a man of one idea, that is, of one great overmastering purpose, overshadowing all his aims, and guiding and controlling his entire life.”

Julius Bate

1 Corinthians 10:31 (NLT) So whether you eat or drink, or whatever you do, do it all for the glory of God.

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.

Ecclesiastes 12:12-14 (The Message) 

The last and final word is this: 

Fear God. 

Do what he tells you. 

And that’s it. 

Eventually God will bring everything that we do out into the open and judge it according to its hidden intent, whether it’s good or evil.

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Colossians 3:12-13 (NLT)...

FROM TODAY’S READING (4/2/2019)...

“You can easily judge the character of a man by how he treats those who can do nothing for him.”

Unknown

Colossians 3:12-13 (NLT) Since God chose you to be the holy people he loves, you must clothe yourselves with tenderhearted mercy, kindness, humility, gentleness, and patience. Make allowance for each other’s faults, and forgive anyone who offends you. Remember, the Lord forgave you, so you must forgive others.

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Matthew 16:24-26 (NLT)...

FROM TODAY’S READING (4/1/2019)...

APRIL FOOLS DAY...

“He is no fool who gives what he cannot keep to gain that which he cannot lose.”

Jim Elliot

Matthew 16:24-26 (NIV) Then Jesus said to his disciples, “Whoever wants to be my disciple must deny themselves and take up their cross and follow me. For whoever wants to save their life will lose it, but whoever loses their life for me will find it. What good will it be for someone to gain the whole world, yet forfeit their soul? Or what can anyone give in exchange for their soul?”

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