Monthly Archives: July 2015

Faithfulness to God pays off (2 Kings 19:1-19), July 21, 2015

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Today’s Podcast

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Today’s Scriptures

Today’s Bible reading plans include:

Ready – 2 Kings 19:1-19

Set – 2 Kings 19; James 5

Go! – 2 Kings 18-19; 2 Chronicles 32; James 5

2 Kings 19:1-19
1 King Hezekiah tore his clothes after he heard what had been said. He then covered himself with sackcloth and entered the Eternal’s temple. 2 Hezekiah dispatched the palace administrator, Eliakim, along with Shebna the lawyer and the priest-elders, to go meet with the prophet Isaiah (Amoz’s son). Eliakim, Shebna, and the elders all went wearing sackcloth.
Eliakim, Shebna, and the Elders (to Isaiah): 3 This is Hezekiah’s message: “Today is filled with hours of sorrow, pain, anxiety, and reproof. Children are ready to be born, but there is no strength to deliver them. 4 It may be that the Eternal One your God will disprove the words of Rabshakeh, whom Assyria’s king has sent to taunt the living God. So pray hard that your God, the Eternal One, will rebuke those words and save His few children who remain.”
5 King Hezekiah’s servants approached Isaiah, 6 and Isaiah spoke to them.
Isaiah: Go back and tell your master, “This is the Eternal’s urgent message: ‘Have no fear of the blasphemy which the servants of Assyria’s kings have spoken. They are merely empty words. 7 I am going to infect Assyria’s king with a spirit, and he will hear a rumor and go back to his homeland. There I will cause him to die by the sword.’”
8 Rabshakeh returned to the Assyrian king who was now battling against the city of Libnah because he had heard that the king had abandoned Lachish.
9-10 Sennacherib then received word about Tirhakah, Cush’s king: “He is preparing to fight you.” So Sennacherib sent a message again to Hezekiah.
Sennacherib’s Message: Hezekiah, king of Judah, I warn you not to be fooled by your God, on whom you rely, when He says, “Jerusalem will not be conquered by Assyria’s king.” 11 Surely you have heard about how the kings of Assyria demolished all the nations completely—every last one of them. Do you really think you will be rescued? 12 Were the people of those nations saved by their gods when my fathers attacked? Were Gozan, Haran, Rezeph, and Eden’s sons in Telassar ever rescued? No! 13 And what happened to the kings of Hamath, Arpad, Sepharvaim’s city, Hena, and Ivvah?”
14 Hezekiah took the letter from the messengers, read it, and then placed it before the Eternal in His temple.
Hezekiah (praying to the Lord): 15 O Eternal One, Israel’s God, who sits above the winged guardians, You alone are God of all the kingdoms on earth, the One who made heaven and earth. 16 Eternal One, open up Your ears and Your eyes so You may hear and see. Listen to the words Sennacherib uses to reject the living God. 17 Eternal One, I certainly know that the Assyrian kings have destroyed the nations and lands. 18 I know how they have thrown the gods of the nations into the flames of the fire and destroyed them, but those gods were created out of wood and stones by men. 19 Eternal One, our True God, I pray You save us now from Sennacherib’s conquest—the fate that all the other nations have suffered—so that every nation on earth will know that You alone, Eternal One, are God.

Today’s Devotional

From today’s background scripture God might say:

You’ve been hearing about faith and the need to take action to demonstrate your faith the last few days. Hezekiah’s story shows again the power faith with action can have against insurmountable obstacles. Sennacherib’s message was true. No other nation had stood against Assyria’s might. They were the dominant force in the world at the time. They took the idols of the nations they defeated and threw them into fires built with the wood of the altars and temples they destroyed. No one and no gods they came across could stand up to them.

But Sennacherib had not advanced against any who believed in Me. None of the nations he faced worshiped the One True God, Jehovah, the Eternal One, Commander of the angel armies. When I release My forces in defense of My people, I win. Period. When I brandish My sword, the mightest fall to the face in fear because they know the outcome of the fight.

Hezekiah had seen My power. He knew what I could do. Hezekiah did exactly what he should have done when he saw the threat of the Assyrians. He didn’t run. He didn’t cower. He just took immediate action. He went to the Temple and laid out his concern before Me. He asked for My protection for My people and for My glory to be seen amongst the rest of the nations of the world.

Hezekiah’s walk with Me was genuine. His love for Me was pure. His actions to try to purge the nation of the idols and shrines set up by his ancestors thrilled Me. He led the people by example in his worship of Me. So I wanted to show My people that I honored Hezekiah’s faithfulness. Sennacherib was in for a shock. Despite the message he sent back to Hezekiah, Sennacherib would never return to Jerusalem. Assyria would fall victim to the same fate they inflicted on the nations they conquered. They would become slaves to Babylon as a greater force would defeat them and take their people into captivity.

If only Hezekiah’s descendents would have mimicked his faithfulness Jerusalem could have been spared the tragic end it faced not many years later. But greed, lust, selfishness, injustice, pride, all those base carnal emotions crept into their lives and they failed to honor Me as their God. In not too many years, Israel would lose its identity as a self-governing nation for more than two millenia.

Faithfulness to Me pays off. Unfaithfulness carries dire consequences.

The Voice Bible Copyright © 2012 Thomas Nelson, Inc. The Voice™ translation © 2012 Ecclesia Bible Society All rights reserved.
In accordance with the requirements for FTC full disclosure, I may have affiliate relationships with some or all of the producers of the items mentioned in this post who may provide a small commission to me when purchased through this site.

Selfishness is the basis for sin (James 4:1-10), July 20, 2015

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Today’s Podcast

Subscribe in: iTunes|The Voice Bible Copyright © 2012 Thomas Nelson, Inc. The Voice™ translation © 2012 Ecclesia Bible Society All rights reserved. In accordance with the requirements for FTC full disclosure, I may have affiliate relationships with some or all of the producers of the items mentioned in this post who may provide a small commission to me when purchased through this site.

God’s wisdom makes you sure and fearless (James 3:13-18; Psalms 46), July 19, 2015

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Today’s Podcast

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Today’s Scriptures

Today’s Bible reading plans include:

Ready – James 3:13-18; Psalms 46

Set – 2 Chronicles 28; Psalms 46; James 3

Go! – 2 Kings 17; 2 Chronicles 28; Psalms 46; James 3

James 3:13-18; Psalms 46
13 Who in your community is understanding and wise? Let his example, which is marked by wisdom and gentleness, blaze a trail for others. 14 If your heart is one that bleeds dark streams of jealousy and selfishness, do not be so proud that you ignore your depraved state. 15 The wisdom of this world should never be mistaken for heavenly wisdom; it originates below in the earthly realms, with the demons. 16 Any place where you find jealousy and selfish ambition, you will discover chaos and evil thriving under its rule. 17 Heavenly wisdom centers on purity, peace, gentleness, deference, mercy, and other good fruits untainted by hypocrisy. 18 The seed that flowers into righteousness will always be planted in peace by those who embrace peace.

1 God is our shelter and our strength.
When troubles seem near, God is nearer, and He’s ready to help.
So why run and hide?
2 No fear, no pacing, no biting fingernails.
When the earth spins out of control, we are sure and fearless.
When mountains crumble and the waters run wild, we are sure and fearless.
3 Even in heavy winds and huge waves,
or as mountains shake, we are sure and fearless.
[pause]
4 A pure stream flows—never to be cut off—
bringing joy to the city where God makes His home,
the sacred site where the Most High chooses to live.
5 The True God never sleeps and always resides in the city of joy;
He makes it unstoppable, unshakable.
When it awakes at dawn, the True God has already been at work.
6 Trouble is on the horizon for the outside nations, not long until kingdoms will fall;
God’s voice thunders and the earth shakes.
7 You know the Eternal, the Commander of heavenly armies, surrounds us and protects us;
the True God of Jacob is our shelter, close to His heart.
[pause]
8 Come, gaze, fix your eyes on what the Eternal can do.
Amazing, He has worked desolation here on this battlefield, earth.
9 God can stop wars anywhere in the world.
He can make scrap of all weapons: snap bows, shatter spears,
and burn shields.
10 “Be still, be calm, see, and understand I am the True God.
I am honored among all the nations.
I am honored over all the earth.”
11 You know the Eternal, the Commander of heavenly armies, surrounds us and protects us;
the True God of Jacob is our shelter, close to His heart.

Today’s Devotional

From today’s background scripture God might say:

James talks about wisdom, the psalmist talks about being sure and fearless when others see trouble and inescapable danger. Both speak of the same thing. Jesus said you would face trouble in the world. But He didn’t stop there. He said, “Don’t worry, I have already overcome the world.” Wisdom begins with the fear of the Lord.

When you put your trust in Me and understand who I am, you find fear slips away in every circumstance. You can laugh in the face of danger because you know I am greater than your greatest enemy. I am better than your biggest obstacle. I’m in the business of doing the impossible. I am ready to show you My care and My wisdom. Listen to Me instead of the world and you will find joy in your life. You’ll find the baubles the world offers meaningless in the greater scheme of life. You’ll find My path full of the real treasures you seek, treasures that last a life time and beyond.

When you face enemies, you will stand sure and fearless as the psalmist says because you know the battles do not belong to you, but to Me. And I cannot be defeated. In fact, I have already been victorious and just await time to catch. You must understand, time is meaningless to Me. I exist yesterday, today, and forever. I created time for your benefit, not Mine. So, I know the end and in the end, I’m victorious. I win. I cannot lose because I’m God.

James understood that and could declare that if you need wisdom to make it through this world, just ask Me and I can tell you what you need to know. I can help you make the right turns through what looks like a maze from your perspective. When you see it from My perspective, I see every turn, every bend, every obstacle, everything that needs to be done to get you to the end.

My wisdom lets you face each day sure and fearless. All you need to do is trust Me. Put your faith in Me. Listen to Me and do what I ask you to do. It’s really that simple. I won’t tell you it’s always easy to follow Me because sometimes I’ll tell you to do some things that are hard. They will test your faith. But the tasks I give you will never be things beyond your ability with Me at your side. I will always see you through them. Just trust Me. You’ll be glad you did.

The Voice Bible Copyright © 2012 Thomas Nelson, Inc. The Voice™ translation © 2012 Ecclesia Bible Society All rights reserved.
In accordance with the requirements for FTC full disclosure, I may have affiliate relationships with some or all of the producers of the items mentioned in this post who may provide a small commission to me when purchased through this site.

Faith and works are meant to go together! (James 2:14-26), July 18, 2015

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Today’s Podcast

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Today’s Scriptures

Today’s Bible reading plans include:

Ready – James 2:14-26

Set – Isaiah 32; James 2

Go! – Isaiah 32-35; James 2

James 2:14-26
14 Brothers and sisters, it doesn’t make any sense to say you have faith and act in a way that denies that faith. Mere talk never gets you very far, and a commitment to Jesus only in words will not save you. 15 It would be like seeing a brother or sister without any clothes out in the cold and begging for food, and 16 saying, “Shalom, friend, you should get inside where it’s warm and eat something,” but doing nothing about his needs—leaving him cold and alone on the street. What good would your words alone do? 17 The same is true with faith. Without actions, faith is useless. By itself, it’s as good as dead. 18 I know what you’re thinking: “OK, you have faith. And I have actions. Now let’s see your faith without works, and I’ll show you a faith that works.”
19 Do you think that just believing there’s one God is going to get you anywhere? The demons believe that, too, and it terrifies them! 20 The fact is, faith has to show itself through works performed in faith. If you don’t recognize that, then you’re an empty soul. 21 Wasn’t our father Abraham made right with God by laying his son Isaac on the altar? 22 The faith in his heart was made known in his behavior. In fact, his commitment was perfected by his obedience. 23 That’s what Scripture means when it says, “Abraham entrusted himself to God, and God credited him with righteousness.” And living a faithful life earned Abraham the title of “God’s friend.” 24 Just like our father in the faith, we are made right with God through good works, not simply by what we believe or think. 25 Even Rahab the prostitute was made right with God by hiding the spies and aiding in their escape. 26 Removing action from faith is like removing breath from a body. All you have left is a corpse.

Today’s Devotional

From today’s background scripture God might say:

Listen carefully to what James says here. Faith always comes first. He doesn’t say faith is not necessary, it is. Faith is paramount in walking with Me. But understand that faith without works really isn’t faith. Faith demonstrates itself through the works you do. Faith without works only amounts to a bunch of words that does no one any good. And I placed you on earth to do good for others on My behalf.

Let Me use a simple metaphor. Suppose you tell Me you have faith in the electric company in your town. You believe they will supply power to your house and if you turn the light switch on your table lamp, light will flood your room. But you never turn the switch because in the back of your mind you’re afraid it might not work. Or you’re afraid if you use too much of the power coming through the lines it will use up the power and it will run out. Or if you turn on the switch someone else might see the light, come into your room and use it for their own benefit along with you.

Instead of turning the switch, you just sit in darkness and no one around you recognizes the light available because of the power that surges through the wires in your room. Do you really have faith in the power company? Aren’t you saying that you don’t have faith? You don’t believe the power will light the lamp or the power will be enough or if you share it, the power will run out? Aren’t you limiting and belittling the power of the dynamos the power company put at your disposal?

So it is with faith in Me. When you don’t act on your faith, you belittle My power in you. You tell the world around you that I’m limited in what I can do, that I’m not who you have proclaimed Me to be. You tell those around you that I’m not real. Otherwise, you would step out on your faith in Me and act. You would know I deal in the impossible and you wouldn’t hesitate to take the first step in acting on the things I want you to do. You wouldn’t walk past the naked and hungry and just pray for them, but would take them in, feed them and clothe them.

Faith is more than words. Like My servant James says, “Without actions, faith is useless.” Like the switch on the lamp, if you never turn the switch, you never light the room. How can you exercise your faith if you never act on it. 

The Voice Bible Copyright © 2012 Thomas Nelson, Inc. The Voice™ translation © 2012 Ecclesia Bible Society All rights reserved.
In accordance with the requirements for FTC full disclosure, I may have affiliate relationships with some or all of the producers of the items mentioned in this post who may provide a small commission to me when purchased through this site.

Put God’s word into action – love (James 1), July 17, 2015

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Today’s Podcast

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Today’s Scriptures

Today’s Bible reading plans include:

Ready – James 1

Set – Isaiah 31; James 1

Go! – Isaiah 29-31; James 1

James 1
1 James, a servant of God and the Lord Jesus, the Anointed One, to the twelve tribes of Israel who are spread across the earth: I send you my warmest welcome!
2-4 Don’t run from tests and hardships, brothers and sisters. As difficult as they are, you will ultimately find joy in them; if you embrace them, your faith will blossom under pressure and teach you true patience as you endure. And true patience brought on by endurance will equip you to complete the long journey and cross the finish line—mature, complete, and wanting nothing. 5 If you don’t have all the wisdom needed for this journey, then all you have to do is ask God for it; and God will grant all that you need. He gives lavishly and never scolds you for asking.
6 The key is that your request be anchored by your single-minded commitment to God. Those who depend only on their own judgment are like those lost on the seas, carried away by any wave or picked up by any wind. 7 Those adrift on their own wisdom shouldn’t assume the Lord will rescue them or bring them anything. 8 The splinter of divided loyalty shatters your compass and leaves you dizzy and confused.
9 If you are a brother of humble means, celebrate the fact that God has raised you up. 10 If you are rich and seemingly invincible, savor the humble reality that you are a mere mortal who will vanish like a flower that withers in the field. 11 The sun rises with a blazing heat that dries the earth and causes the flower to wither and fall to the ground and its beauty to fade and die. In the same way, the rich will fall and die in the midst of their busy lives.
12 Happy is the person who can hold up under the trials of life. At the right time, he’ll know God’s sweet approval and will be crowned with life. As God has promised, the crown awaits all who love Him.
13 No one who is tempted should ever be confused and say that God is testing him. The One who created us is free from evil and can’t be tempted, so He doesn’t tempt anyone. 14-15 When a person is carried away with desire, lured by lust, and when desire becomes the focus and takes control, it gives birth to sin. When sin becomes fully grown, it produces death.
16 My dearly loved brothers and sisters, don’t be misled. 17 Every good gift bestowed, every perfect gift received comes to us from above, courtesy of the Father of lights. He is consistent. He won’t change His mind or play tricks in the shadows. 18 We have a special role in His plan. He calls us to life by His message of truth so that we will show the rest of His creatures His goodness and love.
19 Listen, open your ears, harness your desire to speak, and don’t get worked up into a rage so easily, my brothers and sisters. 20 Human anger is a futile exercise that will never produce God’s kind of justice in this world. 21 So walk out on your corrupt liaison with smut and depraved living, and humbly welcome the word of truth that will blossom like the seed of salvation planted in your souls.
22 Put the word into action. If you think hearing is what matters most, you are going to find you have been deceived.
23-24 If some fail to do what God requires, it’s as if they forget the word as soon as they hear it. One minute they look in the mirror, and the next they forget who they are and what they look like. 25 However, it is possible to open your eyes and take in the beautiful, perfect truth found in God’s law of liberty and live by it. If you pursue that path and actually do what God has commanded, then you will avoid the many distractions that lead to an amnesia of all true things and you will be blessed.
26 If you put yourself on a pedestal, thinking you have become a role model in all things religious, but you can’t control your mouth, then think again. Your mouth exposes your heart, and your religion is useless. 27 Real, true religion from God the Father’s perspective is about caring for the orphans and widows who suffer needlessly and resisting the evil influence of the world.

Today’s Devotional

From today’s background scripture God might say:

James couldn’t have put it better. What I want you to do is put My word into action. Just listening to My word and doing nothing about it does nothing for you or anyone else. What does it mean to put My word into action? Love! Love Me with all your heart, soul, mind, and strength; and love your neighbor as you love yourself.

When you do those two things, you will take action to help the down and out. You will assist those in need. You will teach those that need assistance how to care for themselves and lend a hand until they get to the point that they can stand on their own feet. You will take care of My widows and orphans. You will recognize each person as a living soul instead of another mouth to feed or another need to be met. You will see others as I see them.

It’s a simple task when you let Me help you. Just love. That’s all. Everyone wants love. But to get the most love, you must be generous in giving it. So let your faith act out in love toward others. It will return to you as a harvest. I promise.

The Voice Bible Copyright © 2012 Thomas Nelson, Inc. The Voice™ translation © 2012 Ecclesia Bible Society All rights reserved.
In accordance with the requirements for FTC full disclosure, I may have affiliate relationships with some or all of the producers of the items mentioned in this post who may provide a small commission to me when purchased through this site.

Justice and wrath, the flip side of mercy and grace, it’s coming (Hebrews 12:14-29), July 16, 2015

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Today’s Podcast

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Today’s Scriptures

Today’s Bible reading plans include:

Ready – Hebrews 12:14-29

Set – Isaiah 24; Hebrews 12

Go! – Isaiah 22-24; Hebrews 12

Hebrews 12:14-29
14 Pursue peace with everyone, and holiness, since no one will see God without it. 15 Watch carefully that no one falls short of God’s favor, that no well of bitterness springs up to trouble you and throw many others off the path. 16 Watch that no one becomes wicked and vile like Esau, the son of Isaac, who for a single meal sold his invaluable birthright. 17 You know from the stories of the patriarchs that later, when he wished to claim his blessing, he was turned away. He could not reverse his action even though he shed bitter tears over it.
18 You have not come to the place that can be touched (as Israel did at Mount Sinai)—to a mountain crowned with blazing fire, darkness, gloom, and a windstorm— 19 or to the blast of a trumpet and the sound of a voice—a voice and message so harsh that the people begged not to hear another word. 20 (They could not bear the command that was given: that if even a beast touches the mountain, it must be stoned. 21 The sight was so terrible that even Moses said, “I am trembling with fear.”)
22 No, instead you have come to Mount Zion, to the city of the living God, to the heavenly Jerusalem, to heavenly messengers unnumbered, to a joyful feast, 23 to the assembly of the firstborn registered as heaven’s citizens, to God the righteous Judge of all, and to the spirits of all the righteous who have been perfected. 24 You have come to Jesus, the mediator of a new covenant between God and humanity, and to His sprinkled blood, which speaks a greater word than the blood of Abel crying out from the earth.
25 See that you don’t turn away from the One who is speaking; for if the ones who heard and refused the One who spoke on earth faced punishment, then how much more will we suffer if we turn away from the One speaking from heaven— 26 the One whose voice in earlier times shook the earth now makes another promise: “Yet once more I will shake not only the earth, but also the heavens”? 27 The phrase, “Yet once more,” means that those things that can be shaken will be removed and taken away, namely, the first creation. As a result, those things that remain cannot be shaken. 28 Therefore, let us all be thankful that we are a part of an unshakable Kingdom and offer to God worship that pleases Him and reflects the awe and reverence we have toward Him, 29 for He is like a fierce fire that consumes everything.

Today’s Devotional

From today’s background scripture God might say:

Have you every noticed what happens when My messengers, the angels come to visit the earth? People fall on their face. The ground shakes, earth trembles as they touch the ground. Fire consumes the things they touch. Armies find themselves defeated at the hands of a single messenger of Mine. Men and women are always awed by the power they wield and the magnificence of their presence.

My messengers, though, hold little power compared to Mine. I created each of them, just as I created all else in the universe. All in heaven and earth came about because I spoke it into place. The Israelites glimpsed My power at Mt Sinai in the fire and smoke and thundrous voice as I spoke to them in the desert. They saw a token of My power when I rescued them from their enemies and when I rescued some of My followers, like Daniel and David, from those who tried to destroy them.

Some saw Me create new eyes from a little mud. Some saw Me make limbs straight and whole. Some watched as I raised others from the dead. Some witnessed My power when they saw Me alive and communing with them after a brutal beating and death by cruel crucifixion. When I come again, the earth and heavens will tremble at My coming.

The demonstrations of My power are real. Some will try to tell you My word is only a collection of stories. But you’ll find that as archeologists make new discoveries to try to disprove My word, they only serve to find new evidence that My word is true. The things of the past being true, you can trust My promises for the future are just as true. I’m coming back. Until then, it’s best to do what I ask.

I am a God of mercy and grace, but a time will come, when you will see the other side of grace, justice. Those not for Me are against Me and will feel the wrath I have held back to extend My mercy as long as possible. I am a God of mercy and grace, but I am a holy God. As such, I will deal with those who have not set themselves apart for Me. Remember My words in Hebrews, without holiness, you will not see Me. Take advantage of this era of mercy and grace before I decide it’s time to unleash My wrath. It won’t be long.

The Voice Bible Copyright © 2012 Thomas Nelson, Inc. The Voice™ translation © 2012 Ecclesia Bible Society All rights reserved.
In accordance with the requirements for FTC full disclosure, I may have affiliate relationships with some or all of the producers of the items mentioned in this post who may provide a small commission to me when purchased through this site.

Indescribable perfect peace (Isaiah 26:1-19), July 15, 2015

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Today’s Podcast

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Today’s Scriptures

Today’s Bible reading plans include:

Ready – Isaiah 26:1-19

Set – Isaiah 26; Hebrews 13

Go! – Isaiah 25-28; Hebrews 13

Isaiah 26:1-19
1 When that time arrives, the people of this place called Judah will sing this song:
People: By the grace of God, our city is strong;
its structures and defenses He made secure.
2 Now open the gates to welcome the righteous,
so that those who keep faith may enter in.
3 You will keep the peace, a perfect peace, for all who trust in You,
for those who dedicate their hearts and minds to You.
4 So trust in the Eternal One forever,
for He is like a great Rock—strong, stable, trustworthy, and lasting.
5 He humbles the high and mighty.
Even the indomitable city falls before His strength, reducing it to dust.
6 The feet of the poor, the weak, the infirm and forgotten
will trample the dust of the formerly great.
7 The path of those who do right is straight and smooth.
O God, You who are upright, You make the way of the righteous level.
8 When we act in justice and righteousness—following Your laws—we wait for You.
We are eager to hear Your holy name and remember Your ways.
9 At night I long for You with all that is in Me.
When morning comes, I seek You with all my heart.
For when Your justice is done on earth,
then everyone in the world will learn righteousness.
10 If grace is extended to those who do wrong,
the perpetrators never learn what is right.
Even when surrounded by upright people, they gravitate to evil
and never even notice the awesome beauty of the Eternal.
11 O Eternal One, even when Your hand is raised against them, they do not see it.
When they finally do see how passionately
You act on the people’s behalf, they will be ashamed.
Ah, let the fire that consumes Your enemies consume them.
12 Eternal One, You are preparing peace for us;
in fact, everything we have accomplished has come from You.
13 Others have tried to rule over us,
but You, Eternal One, are our God.
At the end of the day, when all is done,
we acknowledge only You.
14 But now these would-be rulers are dead, never to live again;
these shadowy spirits will never rise.
You have punished and utterly destroyed them—
You erased every memory of them.
15 By contrast You have made this people great, Eternal One—
made this nation vital and strong. To you be all glory!
You have expanded the borders of this land.
16 When You corrected their wrongdoing, Eternal One,
they could hardly even whisper a prayer.
Weak with distress, they looked to You for help.
17 You witnessed us twist and turn before You, O Eternal,
like a birthing woman in agony of labor.
18 We were that woman, laboring to deliver,
but we gave birth only to futility and emptiness.
We couldn’t deliver the earth, save it, renew it.
We couldn’t make it teem with life.
19 But Your dead will live; their lifeless bodies will rise up again!
You who sleep in the dust, get up and shout for joy!
The dew of a new day will wash you glistening fresh,
and the earth will push forth those who had passed before.

Today’s Devotional

From today’s background scripture God might say:

This opening prayer from the book of Isaiah recognizes what I will do for those who trust Me. The people pray, “You will keep the peace, a perfect peace, for all who trust in You, for those who dedicate their hearts and minds to You. ” But what does this perfect peace mean? Certainly it doesn’t mean absence of war because My people have been at war since Cain killed Abel for My acceptace of Abel’s sacrifice and the rejection of Cain’s.

So what is this peace that Isaiah talks about? Every real Christian can tell you they have it, but few can describe it adequately. My peace doesn’t stop violence. Ask those giving their lives for My cause in places like Somalia, Lybia, Iraq, Iran, Syria, and other countries intolerant of Chritianity. Today there are more martyrs for the name of Christ than at any time in history. No, peace doesn’t mean the absence of violence.

Peace doesn’t mean freedom from financial catastrophe. Again, all you need to do is look at the world’s rich versus those who call on My name. Those with the most money seldom have the Chrisian character and faith you might expect I would want from My followers. So peace doesn’t come from worldly riches.

My followers, though, have an indescribable peace that lets them sleep soundly at night without fear. The peace I give lets My followers know I love them unconditionally and they can rest in Me. They know there is nothing between us that separates us because I have forgiven their sins and accepted them as My children. I am their God and can provide all they need.

The perfect peace I give brings an unrelenting joy no matter the circumstances surrounding My children. Peace prevails in the darkest hours of life, in the most hectic and difficult circumstances, in the times that disaster seems inescaspable. I am there and I bring My perfect peace. As many of My followers testify, My peace is indescribable, but it exists in the hearts of those who follow Me with their whole heart. 

The Voice Bible Copyright © 2012 Thomas Nelson, Inc. The Voice™ translation © 2012 Ecclesia Bible Society All rights reserved.
In accordance with the requirements for FTC full disclosure, I may have affiliate relationships with some or all of the producers of the items mentioned in this post who may provide a small commission to me when purchased through this site.

Faith is simple (Hebrews 11), July 14, 2015

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Today’s Podcast

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Today’s Scriptures

Today’s Bible reading plans include:

Ready – Hebrews 11

Set – Isaiah 21; Hebrews 11

Go! – Isaiah 19-21; Hebrews 11

Hebrews 11
1Faith is the assurance of things you have hoped for, the absolute conviction that there are realities you’ve never seen. 2 It was by faith that our forebears were approved. 3 Through faith we understand that the universe was created by the word of God; everything we now see was fashioned from that which is invisible.
4 By faith Abel presented to God a sacrifice more acceptable than his brother Cain’s. By faith Abel learned he was righteous, as God Himself testified by approving his offering. And by faith he still speaks, although his voice was silenced by death.
5 By faith Enoch was carried up into heaven so that he did not see death; no one could find him because God had taken him. Before he was taken up, it was said of him that he had pleased God. 6 Without faith no one can please God because the one coming to God must believe He exists, and He rewards those who come seeking.
7 By faith Noah respected God’s warning regarding the flood—the likes of which no one had ever seen—and built an ark that saved his family. In this he condemned the world and inherited the righteousness that comes by faith.
8 By faith Abraham heard God’s call to travel to a place he would one day receive as an inheritance; and he obeyed, not knowing where God’s call would take him. 9 By faith he journeyed to the land of the promise as a foreigner; he lived in tents, as did Isaac and Jacob, his fellow heirs to the promise 10 because Abraham looked ahead to a city with foundations, a city laid out and built by God.
11 By faith Abraham’s wife Sarah became fertile long after menopause because she believed God would be faithful to His promise. 12 So from this man, who was almost at death’s door, God brought forth descendants, as many as the stars in the sky and as impossible to count as the sands of the shore.
13 All these I have mentioned died in faith without receiving the full promises, although they saw the fulfillment as though from a distance. These people accepted and confessed that they were strangers and foreigners on this earth 14 because people who speak like this make it plain that they are still seeking a homeland. 15 If this was only a bit of nostalgia for a time and place they left behind, then certainly they might have turned around and returned. 16 But such saints as these look forward to a far better place, a heavenly country. So God is not ashamed to be called their God because He has prepared a heavenly city for them.
17 By faith Abraham, when he endured God’s testing, offered his beloved son Isaac as a sacrifice. The one who had received God’s promise was willing to offer his only son; 18 God had told him, “It is through Isaac that your descendants will bear your name,” 19 and he concluded that God was capable of raising him from the dead, which, figuratively, is indeed what happened.
20 By faith Isaac spoke blessings upon his sons, Jacob and Esau, concerning things yet to come.
21 By faith Jacob, when he was dying, blessed the sons of his son Joseph, bowing in worship as he leaned upon his staff.
22 By faith Joseph, at his life’s end, predicted that the children of Israel would make an exodus from Egypt; and he gave instructions that his bones be buried in the land they would someday reach.
23 By faith Moses’ parents hid him for three months after he was born because they saw that he was handsome; and they did not fear Pharaoh’s directive that all male Hebrew children were to be slain.
24 By faith Moses, when he was grown, refused to be identified solely as the son of Pharaoh’s daughter 25 and chose instead to share the sufferings of the people of God, not just living in sin and ease for a time. 26 He considered the abuse that he and the people of God had suffered in anticipation of the Anointed One more valuable than all the riches of Egypt because he looked ahead to the coming reward.
27 By faith Moses left Egypt, unafraid of Pharaoh’s wrath and moving forward as though he could see the invisible God. 28 Through faith, he instituted the Passover and the sprinkling of blood on the doorposts among the Hebrews so that the destroyer of the firstborn would pass over their homes without harming them. 29 By faith the people crossed through the Red Sea as if they were walking on dry land, although the pursuing Egyptian soldiers were drowned when they tried to follow.
30 By faith the walls of Jericho toppled after the people had circled them for seven days. 31 By faith the prostitute Rahab welcomed the Hebrew spies into her home so that she did not perish with the unbelievers.
32 I could speak more of faith; I could talk until time itself ran out. If I continued, I could speak of the examples of Gideon, Barak, Samson, and Jephthah, of David and Samuel and all the prophets. 33 I could give accounts of people alive with faith who conquered kingdoms, brought justice, obtained promises, and closed the mouths of hungry lions. 34 I could tell you how people of faith doused raging fires, escaped the edge of the sword, made the weak strong, and—stoking great valor among the champions of God—sent opposing armies into panicked flight.
35 I could speak of faith bringing women their loved ones back from death and how the faithful accepted torture instead of earthly deliverance because they believed they would obtain a better life in the resurrection. 36 Others suffered mockery and whippings; they were placed in chains and in prisons. 37 The faithful were stoned, sawn in two, killed by the sword, clothed only in sheepskins and goatskins; they were penniless, afflicted, and tormented. 38 The world was not worthy of these saints. They wandered across deserts, crossed mountains, and lived in the caves, cracks, and crevasses of the earth.
39 These, though commended by God for their great faith, did not receive what was promised. 40 That promise has awaited us, who receive the better thing that God has provided in these last days, so that with us, our forebears might finally see the promise completed.

Today’s Devotional

From today’s background scripture God might say:

This chapter of Hebrews gives a littany of heros of faith. But the truth is they were ordinary man and women. There was nothing special about them. They had no special powers or extraordinary traits. They had one distinction that set them apart from those around them. The believed what I told them.

The first words in today’s scriptures tell it all. “Faith is the assurance of things you have hoped for, the absolute conviction that there are realities you’ve never seen.” They believed enough to take action. They believed the promises I made to them. Faith is as simple as flipping the light switch and expecting the lights to come on. It’s just believing. So exercise so faith. Like the heroes mentioned here, believe in Me. 

The Voice Bible Copyright © 2012 Thomas Nelson, Inc. The Voice™ translation © 2012 Ecclesia Bible Society All rights reserved.
In accordance with the requirements for FTC full disclosure, I may have affiliate relationships with some or all of the producers of the items mentioned in this post who may provide a small commission to me when purchased through this site.

The covenant takes two parties (Hebrews 10:1-18), July 13, 2015

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Today’s Podcast

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Today’s Scriptures

Today’s Bible reading plans include:

Ready – Hebrews 10:1-18

Set – Isaiah 15-16; Hebrews 10

Go! – Isaiah 15-18; Hebrews 10

Hebrews 10:1-18
1We have seen how the law is simply a shadow of the good things to come. Since it is not the perfect form of these ultimate realities, the offering year after year of these imperfect sacrifices cannot bring perfection to those who come forward to worship. 2 If they had served this purpose, wouldn’t the repetition of these sacrifices have become unnecessary? If they had worked—and cleansed the worshipers—then one sacrifice would have taken away their consciousness of sin. 3 But these sacrifices actually remind us that we sin again and again, year after year. 4 In the end, the blood of bulls and of goats is powerless to take away sins. 5 So when Jesus came into the world, He said,
Sacrifices and offerings were not what You wanted,
but instead a body that You prepared for Me.
6 Burnt offerings and sin offerings
were not what pleased You.
7 Then I said, “See, I have come to do Your will, God,
as it is inscribed of Me in the scroll of the book.”
8 Now when it says that God doesn’t want and takes no real pleasure in sacrifices, burnt offerings, and sin offerings (even though the law calls for them), 9 and follows this with “See, I have come to do Your will,” He effectively takes away the first—animal sacrifice—in order to establish the second, more perfect sacrifice. 10 By God’s will, we are made holy through the offering of the body of Jesus the Anointed once and for all time.
11 In the first covenant, every day every officiating priest stands at his post serving, offering over and over those same sacrifices that can never take away sin. 12 But after He stepped up to offer His single sacrifice for sins for all time, He sat down in the position of honor at the right hand of God. 13 Since then, He has been waiting for the day when He rests His feet on His enemies’ backs, as the psalm says. 14 With one perfect offering, Jesus has perfected forever those who are being made holy, 15 as the Holy Spirit keeps testifying to us through the prophet Jeremiah. After he says,
16 “But when those days are over,” says the Eternal One, “I will make
this kind of covenant with the people of Israel:
I will put My laws in their hearts
and write them upon their minds,”
then He adds,
17 I will erase their sins and wicked acts out of My memory
as though they had never existed.
18 When there is forgiveness such as this, there is no longer any need to make an offering for sin.

Today’s Devotional

From today’s background scripture God might say:

Did you hear what Jeremiah told you in his prophecy? “I will put My laws in your hearts and write them upon your minds. I will erase your sins and wicked acts out of My memory as though they had never existed.” That’s what I want to do for you. I’ve done all that is necessary on My part to make that happen. But I created you with a free will. You get to choose whether you will accept My plan for your life. You get to choose whether I will erase your sins and wicked acts from My memory.

Covenants always involve at least two parties. I have done My part. You must do yours also for the terms of the covenant to be complete. Your part is to believe on Jesus, My Son, for the forgiveness of your sins. Believing, of course, is more than just saying He exists and died for you. It means acting on that belief. It means turning to Him for that forgiveness. It means repentance.

Almost everyone can quote John 3:16, “For God so loved the world, He gave His only Son.” Let Me give it to you in a more modern translation. “For God expressed His love for the world in this way: He gave His only Son so that whoever believes in Him will not face everlasting destruction, but will have everlasting life. Here’s the point. God didn’t send His Son into the world to judge it; instead, He is here to rescue a world headed toward certain destruction.”

That’s the point. Everything available to you from the world will never save you from everlasting destruction. It can offer no lifeboat, no lifesaver, no instant cure for sin. Sin leads to everlasting destruction and only I can cure it. But like any disease for which you go to the doctor, you must accept the cure. It the same with My cure for sin. The only cure is Jesus’ blood, but you must believe in His cure and accept it. It means following Him. It means giving up your past life and living the life I want you to live.

The new covenant makes the cure for sin possible. It took the sacrifice of My Son to enact My part of the covenant. It takes your acceptance of the gift and following after Him to enact your part. You won’t be sorry we enact the covenant together. 

The Voice Bible Copyright © 2012 Thomas Nelson, Inc. The Voice™ translation © 2012 Ecclesia Bible Society All rights reserved.
In accordance with the requirements for FTC full disclosure, I may have affiliate relationships with some or all of the producers of the items mentioned in this post who may provide a small commission to me when purchased through this site.

The role God plays (Hebrews 9:11-28), July 12, 2015

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Today’s Podcast

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Today’s Scriptures

Today’s Bible reading plans include:

Ready – Hebrews 9:11-28

Set – Isaiah 11; Hebrews 9

Go! – Isaiah 11-14; Hebrews 9

Hebrews 9:11-28
11 When the Anointed One arrived as High Priest of the good things that are to come, He entered through a greater and more perfect sanctuary that was not part of the earthly creation or made by human hands. 12 He entered once for all time into the most holy place—entering, not with the blood of goats or calves or some other prescribed animal, but offering His own blood and thus obtaining redemption for us for all time. 13 Think about it: if the blood of bulls or of goats, or the sprinkling of ashes from a heifer, restores the defiled to bodily cleanliness and wholeness; 14 then how much more powerful is the blood of the Anointed One, who through the eternal Spirit offered Himself as a spotless sacrifice to God, purifying your conscience from the dead things of the world to the service of the living God?
15 This is why Jesus is the mediator of the new covenant: through His death, He delivered us from the sins that we had built up under the first covenant, and His death has made it possible for all who are called to receive God’s promised inheritance. 16 For whenever there is a testament—a will—the death of the one who made it must be confirmed 17 because a will takes effect only at the death of its maker; it has no validity as long as the maker is still alive. 18 Even the first testament—the first covenant—required blood to be put into action. 19 When Moses had given all the laws of God to the people, he took the blood of calves and of goats, water, hyssop, and scarlet wool; and he sprinkled the scroll and all the people, 20 telling them, “This is the blood of the covenant that God has commanded for us.” 21 In the same way, he also sprinkled blood upon the sanctuary and upon the vessels used in worship. 22 Under the law, it’s almost the case that everything is purified in connection with blood; without the shedding of blood, sin cannot be forgiven.
23 Since what was given in the old covenant was the earthly sketch of the heavenly reality, this was sufficient to cleanse the earthly sanctuary; but in heaven, a more perfect sacrifice was needed. 24 The Anointed One did not enter into handcrafted sacred spaces—imperfect copies of heavenly originals—but into heaven itself, where He stands in the presence of God on our behalf. 25 There He does not offer Himself over and over as a sacrifice (as the high priest on earth does when he enters the most holy place each year with blood other than his own) 26 because that would require His repeated suffering since the beginning of the world. No, He has appeared once now, at the end of the age, to put away sin forever by offering Himself as a sacrifice.
27 Just as mortals are appointed to die once and then to experience a judgment, 28 so the Anointed One, our Liberating King, was offered once in death to bear the sins of many and will appear a second time, not to deal again with sin, but to rescue those who eagerly await His return.

Today’s Devotional

From today’s background scripture God might say:

I gave Moses a poor copy of the sacred spaces of My sanctuary. The tabernacle and all its implements held a special place in the lives of the Israelites as they wandered in the desert and in the young nation as it established itself in the promised land. The Temple Solomon built with all its grandeur still stood as a poor example of My throne room in heaven. But the plans and the space set aside for My worship did help people understand My holiness. The separate place for devotion to Me was cleaner than the rest of the city. Its water purer, the implements stronger and better made. The altar glittered from the bronze cleaned every morning and the gold within the enclosure reflected the brilliant rays of the sun wherever you gazed.

Even with all the bronze, silver, and gold in the tabernacle and Temple, the spaces were but poor examples of the glory of heaven. Nothing on earth compares to the beauty that surrounds Me continuously. A very few have glimpsed corners of heaven and are always unable to describe it. The colors, the sounds, the smells, the feelings, the beauty is absolutely beyond anything you can imagine.

That’s what I gave up to become your sacrifice. Nothing could atone for you like My blood. So I gave it freely so you could live. The imitation of the glories of heaven wouldn’t work. The imitation of pure and perfect sacrifices would work. The imitation of atonement wouldn’t work. So I gave myself. I came as the perfect sacrifice for your sins. I came as your high priest and gave myself. That’s the love I have for you. Only one Man could serve as the perfect high priest, Me, God wrapped in human flesh. Only one Man could be your perfect sacrifice, Me, God wrapped in human flesh. Only one God loves enough to become the One Man who would do it all for you. Me.

Think about the role I play in your salvation. What I gave up for you so you can be freed from the chains of sin. Then ask yourself if you have given yourself to Me as fully. If not, today can be the day you give yourself wholly to Me. I’ll take you just like you are. 

The Voice Bible Copyright © 2012 Thomas Nelson, Inc. The Voice™ translation © 2012 Ecclesia Bible Society All rights reserved.
In accordance with the requirements for FTC full disclosure, I may have affiliate relationships with some or all of the producers of the items mentioned in this post who may provide a small commission to me when purchased through this site.