FROM TODAY’S READING (5/29/2020)...

“Some Christians are so obsessed with the last days that they are oblivious to these days. Others are just the opposite. They’ll tell you Jesus is coming. But they live like he never will. One is too panicky, the other too patient. Isn’t there a balance?”

Max Lacado

2 Peter‬ ‭3:11-14‬ ‭(NLT‬‬) Since everything around us is going to be destroyed like this, what holy and godly lives you should live, looking forward to the day of God and hurrying it along. On that day, he will set the heavens on fire, and the elements will melt away in the flames. But we are looking forward to the new heavens and new earth he has promised, a world filled with God’s righteousness. 

And so, dear friends, while you are waiting for these things to happen, make every effort to be found living peaceful lives that are pure and blameless in his sight.

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James 5:7-8 (NLT)

FROM TODAY’S READING (5/28/2020)...

“We need double vision. We need to be ever watchful, simultaneously looking with one eye toward the end times and the other on the meantime.”

Pastor/Author Mark Hitchcock 

James‬ ‭5:7-8‬ ‭(NLT‬‬) Dear brothers and sisters, be patient as you wait for the Lord’s return. Consider the farmers who patiently wait for the rains in the fall and in the spring. They eagerly look for the valuable harvest to ripen. You, too, must be patient. Take courage, for the coming of the Lord is near.

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Luke 21:8-11, 26

FROM TODAY’S READING (5/27/2020)...

“In all this, we need to remember that God told us about the future not to scare us but to prepare us, not to make us anxious but to make us aware.”

Mark Hitchcock (Pastor/Author)

Luke‬ ‭21:8-11, 26‬ ‭(NLT‬‬) He replied, “Don’t let anyone mislead you, for many will come in my name, claiming, ‘I am the Messiah,’ and saying, ‘The time has come!’ But don’t believe them. And when you hear of wars and insurrections, don’t panic. Yes, these things must take place first, but the end won’t follow immediately.” Then he added, “Nation will go to war against nation, and kingdom against kingdom. There will be great earthquakes, and there will be famines and plagues in many lands, and there will be terrifying things and great miraculous signs from heaven...People will be terrified at what they see coming upon the earth, for the powers in the heavens will be shaken.”

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Titus‬ ‭2:12-14‬ ‭(NLT‬‬) ...We should live in this evil world with wisdom, righteousness, and devotion to God, while we look forward with hope to that wonderful day when the glory of our great God and Savior, Jesus Christ, will be revealed. He gave his life to free us from every kind of sin, to cleanse us, and to make us his very own people, totally committed to doing good deeds.

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1 Corinthians 16:13 (NLT)

FROM TODAY’S READING (5/26/2020)...

“It’s well known that President Ronald Reagan was extremely nearsighted. Reagan’s eyesight was so bad that it affected his military service in World War II, keeping him from combat duty. For many years he wore glasses and later contact lenses. As he aged, he still needed correction for his nearsightedness but also needed help to see up close. He wore a lens to correct nearsightedness on his right eye and a lens for farsightedness on his left eye. So he would read his speeches with his right eye and look out at the audience with his left eye. President Reagan was a man focused on the near and the far.”

Philip De Courcy, “Take Cover: Finding Peace in God’s Protection” (Washington, DC: Salem Books, 2018), 67.

I Corinthians‬ ‭16:13‬ ‭(NKJV‬) Watch, stand fast in the faith, be brave, be strong.

Colossians‬ ‭4:2‬ ‭(NIV‬‬) Devote yourselves to prayer, being watchful and thankful.

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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.

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James 1:2-4 (NLT)

FROM TODAY’S READING (5/25/2020)...

MEMORIAL DAY 2020

“...and especially during the many challenges that all of us face in life...I think that important lesson is that no matter what we go through, if we look for things that are able to be positive, things we can see as strength...those things can help us get through those challenges. And then we will live rather than just survive through the challenge.”

Sergeant Gary Beikirch

US Army (1967-71)

5th Special Forces Group

Vietnam War veteran

Medal of Honor recipient 

Author of “Blaze of Light”

James‬ ‭1:2-4‬ ‭(NLT‬‬) Dear brothers and sisters, when troubles of any kind come your way, consider it an opportunity for great joy. For you know that when your faith is tested, your endurance has a chance to grow. So let it grow, for when your endurance is fully developed, you will be perfect and complete, needing nothing.

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2 Corinthians 4:17-18 (NLT)

FROM TODAY’S READING (5/22/2020)...

“For people of many faiths, and even none at all, it can feel lately like the end of the world is near. Not only is there a plague, but hundreds of billions of locusts are swarming East Africa. Wildfires have ravaged Australia, killing an untold number of animals. A recent earthquake in Utah even shook the Salt Lake Temple to the top of its iconic spire, causing the golden trumpet to fall from the angel Moroni’s right hand.”

Elizabeth Dias, (“The Apocalypse as an ‘Unraveling’: What Religion Teaches Us About The End Times,” New York Times, April 2, 2020)

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.

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John 1:1, 3-5, 10-13 (NLT)

FROM TODAY’S READING (5/21/2020)...

“The same One who supplied us with life is also the light of men. He provides the guidance and direction necessary for man. It is one thing to exist, but quite another to know how to live, to know the true purpose of life, and to know the way to heaven. The same One who gave us life is the One who provides us with light for the pathway we travel...The entrance of sin brought darkness to the minds of men. It plunged the world into darkness in the sense that men in general neither knew God nor wanted to know Him. Into this darkness the Lord Jesus came—a light shining in a dark place.”

William MacDonald (1917-2007)

 John‬ ‭1:1, 3-5, 10-13‬ ‭(NLT‬‬) In the beginning the Word already existed. The Word was with God, and the Word was God...

God created everything through him, and nothing was created except through him. The Word gave life to everything that was created, and his life brought light to everyone. The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness can never extinguish it...

He came into the very world he created, but the world didn’t recognize him. He came to his own people, and even they rejected him. But to all who believed him and accepted him, he gave the right to become children of God. They are reborn—not with a physical birth resulting from human passion or plan, but a birth that comes from God.

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Isaiah 41:10 (NLT)

FROM TODAY’S READING (5/20/2020)...

“F.E.A.R. has two meanings: ‘Forget Everything And Run’ or ‘Face Everything And Rise.’ The choice is yours.” 

Zig Ziglar (1926-2012)

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.

Psalms‬ ‭56:3‬ ‭(NLT‬‬) But when I am afraid, I will put my trust in you.

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Galatians 1:10 (NLT)

FROM TODAY’S READING (5/19/2020)...

“I was never one who sought to make the small man tall by cutting off the legs of a giant. I wanted to drag no man down to my size. Only to preserve a way of life which might make it possible for me, one day, to elevate myself until I at least partly matched his size.”
Paul Harvey

Galatians‬ ‭1:10‬ ‭(NLT‬‬) Obviously, I’m not trying to win the approval of people, but of God. If pleasing people were my goal, I would not be Christ’s servant.

Philippians‬ ‭2:3‬ ‭(NLT‬‬) Don’t be selfish; don’t try to impress others. Be humble, thinking of others as better than yourselves.

Galatians‬ ‭6:4-5‬ ‭(NLT‬‬) 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. For we are each responsible for our own conduct.
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Lamentations 3:22-24 (NLT)

FROM TODAY’S READING (5/18/2020)...

“When we are in distress we should, for the encouragement of our faith and hope, observe what makes for us as well as what makes against us. Things are bad but they might have been worse, and therefore there is hope that they may be better...That God's compassions fail not; they do not really fail, no, not even when in anger he seems to have shut up his tender mercies. These rivers of mercy run fully and constantly, but never run dry. No; they are new every morning; every morning we have fresh instances of God's compassion towards us; he visits us with them every morning; every morning does he bring his judgment to light. When our comforts fail, yet God's compassions do not.”

Matthew Henry (1662-1714)

Lamentations‬ ‭3:22-24‬ ‭(NLT‬‬) The faithful love of the Lord never ends! His mercies never cease. Great is his faithfulness; his mercies begin afresh each morning. I say to myself, “The Lord is my inheritance; therefore, I will hope in him!”

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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.

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Philippians 4:8-9 (NLT)

FROM TODAY’S READING (5/15/2020)...

There are a few simple rules that, if followed, will produce happiness...

1) Keep your mind stored with constructive thoughts.

2) Look for the beautiful and pleasant things in life.

3) Adjust yourself to whatever happens in life so as to make the best of it.

4) Have no regrets — live in the present instead of the past.

5) Give every person a square deal, whether he be prince or pauper.

6) Do your job, no matter how humble it may be, with the best efforts you can give.

7) Do something for someone every day.

8) Have faith in yourself, your fellows and God.

Author Unknown

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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2 Corinthians 4:16-18 (NLT)

FROM TODAY’S READING (5/14/2020)...

When sorrows come into your life

And threaten to destroy

The very things you treasure most,

Your happiness and joy;

And when that crushing power

Threatens everything worth while,

And clouds of darkness gather

And you find it hard to smile;

Then lift your head and let the world

Hear every word you say.

With faith undaunted say to them:

“This too, shall pass away.”

When you are over-burdened

With life’s toil and earthly care;

When life becomes so dreary

It seems more than you can bear;

When weariness o’ercomes you

And you yearn for peaceful rest,

And trials of the day leave you

Discouraged and depressed;

There is no song within your heart;

You feel you cannot pray;

Then turn your thoughts to gladness for

“This too, shall pass away.”

When fortune smiles upon you,

And your cup of joy is full;

When everything you want is yours,

And life seems wonderful;

When days and weeks go flitting by

With happiness replete;

And you desire nothing more

To make your life complete;

Beware lest all these treasures

Of this earth lead you astray,

And hear again these truthful words:

“This too, shall pass away.”

And so remember well these words,

Whate’er your lot may be,

For life is ever changing–

With such rapidity.

Our gladness turns to sadness

When the sunshine disappears,

And sorrows change to happiness

When God has calmed our fears.

Compared with all eternity,

This life is but one day.

We cling to life, and yet we know

“This too, shall pass away.”

H.L. Frisby

PS: Phrase taken from ancient Persian fable.

2 Corinthians‬ ‭4:16-18‬ ‭(NLT‬‬) 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.

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1 Corinthians 6:19-20 (NLT)

FROM TODAY’S READING (5/13/2020)...

“Many people say they have the right to do whatever they want with their own bodies. Although they think that this is freedom, they are really enslaved to their own desires. When we become Christians, the Holy Spirit comes to live in us. Therefore, we no longer own our bodies. That God bought us ‘with a high price’ refers to slaves purchased at an auction. Christ's death freed us from sin but also obligates us to his service. If you live in a building owned by someone else, you try not to violate the building's rules. Because your body belongs to God, you must not violate his standards for living.”

Life Application Bible (LAB) note

1 Corinthians‬ ‭6:19-20‬ ‭(NLT‬‬) Don’t you realize that your body is the temple of the Holy Spirit, who lives in you and was given to you by God? You do not belong to yourself, for God bought you with a high price. So you must honor God with your body.

1 Corinthians‬ ‭7:23‬ ‭(NLT‬‬) God paid a high price for you, so don’t be enslaved by the world.

2 Corinthians 5:17 (NLT) 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.

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2 Corinthians 1:8-11 (NLT)

FROM TODAY’S READING (5/12/2020)...

"Our prayers may be awkward. Our attempts may be feeble. But since the power of prayer is in the one who hears it and not in the one who says it, our prayers do make a difference." 

Max Lucado

"Rather than set aside daily time for prayer, I pray constantly and spontaneously about everything I encounter on a daily basis. When someone shares something with me, I'll often simply say, 'let's pray about this right now.'" 

Thomas Kinkade

2 Corinthians‬ ‭1:8-11‬ ‭(NLT‬‬) We (Apostle Paul and companions) think you ought to know, dear brothers and sisters, about the trouble we went through in the province of Asia. We were crushed and overwhelmed beyond our ability to endure, and we thought we would never live through it. In fact, we expected to die. But as a result, we stopped relying on ourselves and learned to rely only on God, who raises the dead. And he did rescue us from mortal danger, and he will rescue us again. We have placed our confidence in him, and he will continue to rescue us. And you are helping us by praying for us. Then many people will give thanks because God has graciously answered so many prayers for our safety.

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Romans 5:6-11 (NLT)

FROM TODAY’S READING (5/11/2020)...

“You see, the truth is, all of us are where we are as a result of decisions we’ve made, how much we’ve trusted God and how much we’ve doubted Him. He’s provided the best for us. He loves us unconditionally.”

Charles Stanley 

Romans‬ ‭5:6-11‬ ‭(NLT‬‬) When we were utterly helpless, Christ came at just the right time and died for us sinners. Now, most people would not be willing to die for an upright person, though someone might perhaps be willing to die for a person who is especially good. But God showed his great love for us by sending Christ to die for us while we were still sinners. And since we have been made right in God’s sight by the blood of Christ, he will certainly save us from God’s condemnation. For since our friendship with God was restored by the death of his Son while we were still his enemies, we will certainly be saved through the life of his Son. So now we can rejoice in our wonderful new relationship with God because our Lord Jesus Christ has made us friends of God.

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2 Samuel 7:18-29 (NLT)

FROM TODAY’S READING (5/8/2020)...

“After God revealed His will through Nathan the prophet, David responded by praying in harmony with what God had said. Prayer indeed is a divine mystery. It’s clear that we are to pray, but we are to pray according to God’s will.”

Gene Getz (Life Essentials Study Bible)

2 Samuel‬ ‭7:18-29‬ ‭(NLT‬‬) Then King David went in and sat before the Lord and prayed, “Who am I, O Sovereign Lord, and what is my family, that you have brought me this far? And now, Sovereign Lord, in addition to everything else, you speak of giving your servant a lasting dynasty! Do you deal with everyone this way, O Sovereign Lord? 

What more can I say to you? You know what your servant is really like, Sovereign Lord. Because of your promise and according to your will, you have done all these great things and have made them known to your servant. 

How great you are, O Sovereign Lord! There is no one like you. We have never even heard of another God like you! What other nation on earth is like your people Israel? What other nation, O God, have you redeemed from slavery to be your own people? You made a great name for yourself when you redeemed your people from Egypt. You performed awesome miracles and drove out the nations and gods that stood in their way. You made Israel your very own people forever, and you, O Lord, became their God. 

And now, O Lord God, I am your servant; do as you have promised concerning me and my family. Confirm it as a promise that will last forever. And may your name be honored forever so that everyone will say, ‘The Lord of Heaven’s Armies is God over Israel!’ And may the house of your servant David continue before you forever. 

O Lord of Heaven’s Armies, God of Israel, I have been bold enough to pray this prayer to you because you have revealed all this to your servant, saying, ‘I will build a house for you—a dynasty of kings!’ For you are God, O Sovereign Lord. Your words are truth, and you have promised these good things to your servant. And now, may it please you to bless the house of your servant, so that it may continue forever before you. For you have spoken, and when you grant a blessing to your servant, O Sovereign Lord, it is an eternal blessing!”

1 John‬ ‭5:14-15‬ ‭(NLT‬‬) And we are confident that he hears us whenever we ask for anything that pleases him. And since we know he hears us when we make our requests, we also know that he will give us what we ask for.

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2 Corinthians 1:13-14 (NLT)

FROM TODAY’S READING (5/7/2020)...

“Some folk say that the Bible is hard to understand. The Bible’s basic truths are not hard to understand...in my humble opinion. However, one may find them challenging to spiritually grasp, accept and faithfully live by.”

Rocky

2 Corinthians‬ ‭4:3-4‬ ‭(NLT‬‬) If the Good News we preach is hidden behind a veil, it is hidden only from people who are perishing. Satan, who is the god of this world, has blinded the minds of those who don’t believe. They are unable to see the glorious light of the Good News. They don’t understand this message about the glory of Christ, who is the exact likeness of God.

2 Corinthians‬ ‭1:13-14‬ ‭(NLT‬) Our letters have been straightforward, and there is nothing written between the lines and nothing you can’t understand. I hope someday you will fully understand us, even if you don’t understand us now. Then on the day when the Lord Jesus returns, you will be proud of us in the same way we are proud of you.

2 Timothy‬ ‭3:15-17‬ ‭(NLT‬‬) You have been taught the holy Scriptures from childhood, and they have given you the wisdom to receive the salvation that comes by trusting in Christ Jesus. All Scripture is inspired by God and is useful to teach us what is true and to make us realize what is wrong in our lives. It corrects us when we are wrong and teaches us to do what is right. God uses it to prepare and equip his people to do every good work.

Psalms‬ ‭119:11-12‬ ‭(NLT‬‬) I have hidden your word in my heart, that I might not sin against you. I praise you, O Lord; teach me your decrees.

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Romans 8:28 (NLT)

FROM TODAY’S READING (5/6/2020)...

“God often does not spare us from the most horrendous illnesses, tragedies, and adversities that sin on this earth brings. Nor does He usually tell us why He allows awful things to happen to us. When we go through tragedy, we often question God’s love for us...

All afflictions are allowed by God for ‘His purpose.’ Nothing happens outside God’s plan, and what happens is for our ultimate ‘good.’ God is sovereign over every event in a Christian’s life.”

David M. Levy (Israel My Glory, Jan/Feb 2020, pg.23)

 Romans‬ ‭8:28‬ ‭(NLT‬‬) And we know that God causes everything to work together for the good of those who love God and are called according to his purpose for them.

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Isaiah‬ ‭46:9-11‬ ‭(NLT‬‬) Remember the things I have done in the past. For I alone am God! I am God, and there is none like me. Only I can tell you the future before it even happens. Everything I plan will come to pass, for I do whatever I wish. I will call a swift bird of prey from the east— a leader from a distant land to come and do my bidding. I have said what I would do, and I will do it.

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2 Corinthians 1:12 (NLT)

FROM TODAY’S READING (5/5/2020)...

“Have the courage to say no. Have the courage to face the truth. Do the right thing because it is right. These are the magic keys to living your life with integrity.”

W. Clement Stone

“Integrity is keeping my commitments even if the circumstances when I made those commitments have changed.”

David Jeremiah

“Integrity... does not mean sinless, but it does describe a person who by God's grace "sin less."

Sam Storms

2 Corinthians‬ ‭1:12‬ ‭(NLT‬‬) We can say with confidence and a clear conscience that we have lived with a God-given holiness and sincerity in all our dealings. We have depended on God’s grace, not on our own human wisdom. That is how we have conducted ourselves before the world, and especially toward you.

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Philippians 2:5-11 (NLT)

FROM TODAY’S READING (5/4/2020)...

“As Christians, we know too much about the world and sin to be optimistic, but we know too much about God’s purposes to be pessimistic. The Christian mode is not optimism or pessimism that can wax and wane with our mood. Instead, our attitude must be one of hope. And that hope is Jesus. Hope has a Name!”

Dr. Albert Mohler

Philippians‬ ‭2:5-11‬ ‭(NLT‬‬) You must have the same attitude that Christ Jesus had. 

Though he was God, he did not think of equality with God as something to cling to. Instead, he gave up his divine privileges; he took the humble position of a slave and was born as a human being. When he appeared in human form, he humbled himself in obedience to God and died a criminal’s death on a cross. 

Therefore, God elevated him to the place of highest honor and gave him the name above all other names, that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, in heaven and on earth and under the earth, and every tongue declare that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.

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