Monthly Archives: August 2015

The Lamb is worthy (Revelation 5), August 31, 2015

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Today’s Podcast

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Today’s Scriptures

Today’s Bible reading plans include:

Ready – Revelation 5

Set – Ezekiel 14; Revelation 5

Go! – Ezekiel 12-14; Revelation 5

Revelation 5
¹ And then I saw a scroll in the right hand of the One seated upon the throne, a scroll written both on the inside and on the outside. It had been sealed with seven seals. ² Then a mighty heavenly messenger proclaimed with a loud voice,
Mighty Messenger: Who is worthy to break the seals and open the scroll?
³ No creature of creation in all heaven, on all the earth, or even under the earth could open the scroll or look into its mysteries. ⁴ Then I began to mourn and weep bitterly because no creature of creation was found who was worthy to open the scroll or to look into its mysteries. ⁵ Then one of the elders consoled me.
One of the 24 Elders: Stop weeping. Look there—the Lion of the tribe of Judah, the Root of David. He has conquered and is able to break its seven seals and open the scroll.
⁶I looked, and between the throne and the four living creatures and the twenty-four elders stood a Lamb who appeared to have been slaughtered. The Lamb had seven horns and seven eyes (the eyes are the seven Spirits of God sent out over all the earth).
⁷ The Lamb came and took the scroll from the right hand of the One seated upon the throne. ⁸ And when He took it, the four living creatures and twenty-four elders fell prostrate before the Lamb. They worshiped Him, and each one held a harp and golden bowls filled with incense (the prayers of God’s holy people). ⁹ Then they sang a new song.
Four Living Creatures and 24 Elders: You are worthy to receive the scroll,
to break its seals,
Because You were slain. With Your blood, You redeemed for God
people from every tribe and language, people from every race and nation.
¹⁰ You have made them a kingdom; You have appointed them priests to serve our God,
and they will rule upon the earth.
¹¹ When I looked again, I heard the voices of heavenly messengers (numbering myriads of myriads and thousands of thousands). They surrounded the throne, the living creatures, and the elders.
¹² Thousands of Messengers (with a great voice): Worthy is the Lamb who was slain.
Worthy is the Lamb to receive authority and wealth and wisdom and greatness
And honor and glory and praise.
¹³ Then I heard every creature in heaven and on earth and beneath the earth and in the sea and all things in them echoing the messengers.
Every Creature: To the One who sits on the throne and to the Lamb
Be blessing and honor and glory and power
Throughout the ages.
¹⁴ And the four living creatures kept on repeating:
Four Living Creatures: Amen. Amen.
And the elders fell down and worshiped [Him who lives forever].

Today’s Devotional

From today’s background scripture God might say:

John saw in great symbolism the role I played as the Lion of Judah and the Lamb slain for the salvation of the world. As the Lion of Judah, I am conqueror of all the kingdoms of the earth. I am the King of kings and Lord of lords. I reign over all nations and every leader is allowed to rule only by My permission. I am the final authority for all that takes place throughout the earth. The Father has given that authority to His Son.

As the Lamb, slaughtered as the perfect sacrifice for the forgiveness of your sins, I stand between you and the Father to cover your sins with My blood. He sees My blood, not your sin when you come through Me for forgiveness. As the perfect sacrifice, you no longer required the annual sacrifice of lambs and goats to atone for your sins. I have completed the acts for you. I have done all that is required. All you need to do is believe in Me enough to follow Me and do what I ask.

John also saw all of heaven bowing to both the Lamb and the Father as one because we are one – Father, Son, and Spirit. John heard all creation in heaven and earth singing praises to the Lamb and bowing to Him because of who He is and what He has done for all creation. The praise never stops. The singing never ends. The adoration grows beyond measure. The worship goes on and on because the One who sits on the throne and the Lamb are worthy of blessing and honor and glory and power.

Why don’t you stop for a few moments and share in the celebration.

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.

Heaven is waiting (Revelation 4), August 30, 2015

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Today’s Podcast

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Today’s Scriptures

Today’s Bible reading plans include:

Ready – Revelation 4

Set – Ezekiel 11; Revelation 4

Go! – Ezekiel 8-11; Revelation 4

Revelation 4
¹ After I wrote down these messages, I saw a door standing open in heaven and heard again the first voice that sounded like a trumpet.
A Voice: Come up here, and I will show you what must happen after this.
² Immediately I was caught up in the Spirit, and I saw a throne that stood in heaven and One seated on the throne. ³ The One enthroned gleamed like jasper and carnelian, and a rainbow encircled the throne with an emerald glow. ⁴ Encircling that great throne were twenty-four smaller thrones with twenty-four elders clothed in white robes with wreaths fashioned of gold on their heads. ⁵ Out of the great throne came flashes of lightning, sounds of voices, and peals of thunder. In front of the great throne, seven torches were ablaze, which are the seven Spirits of God. ⁶ Also in front of the throne was a glassy sea of shimmering crystal.
In the midst of the throne and encircling the throne were four living creatures, covered all over with eyes, front to back. ⁷ The first living creature was like a lion, the second creature was like an ox, the third creature had a face like the face of a human, and the fourth creature was like an eagle in full flight. ⁸ These four living creatures, each of which had six wings and was covered with eyes—eyes on the outside and on the inside—did not cease chanting. All day and night they were singing.
Four Living Creatures: Holy, holy, holy
Is the Lord God who is the All Powerful,
who was, and who is, and who is coming.
⁹ And when the living creatures declared glory and honor and thanksgiving to the One seated on the throne, the One who lives throughout all the ages, ¹⁰ the twenty-four elders fell prostrate before the One seated on the throne, worshiped the One who lives throughout all the ages, cast their golden wreaths before the throne, and chanted to Him.
¹¹ 24 Elders: Worthy are You, O Lord; worthy are You, O God,
to receive glory and honor and power.
You alone created all things,
and through Your will and by Your design, they exist and were created.

Today’s Devotional

From today’s background scripture God might say:

John got a glimpse of what was to come at the end of time. He saw a part of heaven few have witnessed. I allowed him to see My throne so he could share with My children some of their future. I wanted to give you a small vision of the future I have in store for you to give you hope in the desparate times you might face because of your faith. You see, I promised you will face trouble and misunderstanding and persecution as long as you live in this world. But in the world to come, the blessings are so far beyond your imagination, you will find your sufferings as nothing compared to those riches.

The first thing people see when they see My throne is the creature surrounding Me singing praises to Me. They can’t help it. It’s the natural response to who I am. John saw it when he peeked into heaven. He saw the flying creatures singing “Holy, holy, holy is the Lord God Almighty, who was and is and is to come.” The 24 elders seated around My throne also sang praises to Me. They, too, couldn’t do anything else. All who see Me burst out in praise.

The throneroom is filled with sounds and sights that are impossible to describe with words. John tried, but fell short. The rainbow of colors he describes doesn’t give it justice. The sound of voices and peel of thunder fails to give an adequate representation of what he saw. There are lots of stories about heaven. They give people hope about what is to come. The best source, though, is My word. Listen to what John says about it. Listen to what David says about it. Read what Daniel and Ezekiel say about it. Listen to My words about heaven as I spoke to My disciples.

Heaven is a special place. It’s My home and I want you to share it with Me. How do you get there? Obey Me. That’s it. It’s as simple as that. I’ve been preparing it for you for a long time. It’s your decision whether to come or not. Admission is by reservation only and reservations come through obedience. I want to see you there.

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.

Two letters, two paths (Revelation 3:7-22), August 29, 2015

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Today’s Podcast

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Today’s Scriptures

Today’s Bible reading plans include:

Ready – Revelation 3:7-22

Set – Ezekiel 5; Revelation 3

Go! – Ezekiel 4-7; Revelation 3

Revelation 3:7-22
⁷ Write down My words, and send them to the messenger of the church in Philadelphia. “These are the words of the holy One, the true One, and the One who possesses the key of David, which opens the possibilities so that no one can shut them. The One who closes all options so that no one can open:
⁸ “I know your deeds. See, I have placed before you an open door, which no one can shut. I have done this because you have limited strength, yet you have obeyed My word and have not denied My name. ⁹ Watch, and I will make those of the congregation of Satan—those who call themselves ‘Jews’ but are not because they lie—come before you penitent, falling at your feet. Then they will know how much I have loved you. ¹⁰ Because you have obeyed My instructions to endure and be patient, I will protect you from the time of trial which will come upon the whole earth and put everyone in it to the test. ¹¹ I will soon return. Hold tight to what you have so that no one can take away your victor’s wreath.
¹² “As for the one who conquers through faithfulness even unto death, I will plant that person as a pillar in the temple of My God, and that person will never have to leave the presence of God. Moreover, I will inscribe this person with the name of My God and the name of the city of My God, New Jerusalem—which descends out of heaven from My God—and My own new name.
¹³ “Let the person who is able to hear, listen to and follow what the Spirit proclaims to all the churches.”
Letter to Laodicea
¹⁴ Write down My words, and send them to the messenger of the church in Laodicea. “These are the words of the Amen, the Faithful and True Witness, the Beginning of God’s creation:
¹⁵ “I know your works. You are neither cold with apathy nor hot with passion. It would be better if you were one or the other, but you are neither. ¹⁶ So because you are lukewarm, neither cold nor hot, I will vomit you out of My mouth. ¹⁷ You claim, ‘I am rich, I have accumulated riches, and I need nothing’; but you do not realize that you are miserable, pathetic, poor, blind, and naked. ¹⁸ So here is what I suggest you do: buy true gold from Me (gold refined by fire so that you can be truly rich), white garments (to cover you so that you can keep the shame of your nakedness from showing), and eye ointment (to treat your eyes so that you may see clearly).
¹⁹“Those I love I also correct and discipline. Therefore, be shamelessly committed to Me, and turn back.²⁰ Now pay attention; I am standing at the door and knocking. If any of you hear My voice and open the door, then I will come in to visit with you and to share a meal at your table, and you will be with Me.
²¹ “The one who conquers through faithfulness even unto death I will place next to Me on My throne, just as I Myself conquered and took a place of honor with My Father on His throne.
²² “Let the person who is able to hear, listen to and follow what the Spirit proclaims to all the churches.”

Today’s Devotional

From today’s background scripture God might say:

The two letters, one to Philadephia and one to Laodicea, provide contrasts in the churches and in the choices you can make. The letters also give the two different outcomes for the choices you make. Those in Philadelphia chose to obey My commands and were commended for their faithfulness. Consequently, they will find themselves protected from the trials to come to all humanity at My final coming. They will escape the wrath I will bring on the world. They will find themselves transported to My temple in heaven to be in My presence forever.

The other choice looks like the church in Laodicea. You can, like them, choose a lukewarm life. Not quite the cold of apathy or the heat of passion, but just hanging around playing church. Attending. Pretending to love Me by saying the right words. Giving of a little of your time and treasure, but never so much at it would inconvenience you. Pretending to know Me, but only knowing about Me. Those I will spew out of My mouth. Those will have no part in My kingdom.

You can make those around you think everything is alright between us, but you and I know the real state of our relationship. Which choice have you made? Do you obey like those in Philadelphia or are you lukewarm like those in the church at Laodicea? You choose your path, your path determines your destiny. Two letters, two paths, two destinies. Make the right choice.

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.

Stay on track (Ezekiel 3:1-15), August 28, 2015

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Today’s Podcast

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Today’s Scriptures

Today’s Bible reading plans include:

Ready – Ezekiel 3:1-15

Set – Ezekiel 3; Revelation 2

Go! – Ezekiel 1-3; Revelation 2

Ezekiel 3:1-15
The Voice (to Ezekiel): ¹ Son of man, eat what you find here—consume the scroll you see before you. Then go and preach to the people of Israel.
² So I opened my mouth, and He fed me the scroll.
The Voice: ³ Son of man, swallow this scroll I am giving you, and let it fill your stomach.
So I ate it, and these words of God tasted as sweet as honey in my mouth.
The Voice: ⁴ Son of man, go to the people of Israel and preach My message to them. ^5-6 You are not being sent to a far away nation with an unintelligible language. I am sending you to the people of Israel. But if I had sent you to foreign peoples with unintelligible languages, surely they would listen to you. ⁷ But the people of Israel will refuse to listen to you because they refuse to listen to Me. As I told you, the Israelites are a hard-headed, stubborn-hearted people. ⁸ But I have set your jaw just as tightly and furrowed your brow just as deeply as theirs. ⁹ I have made your head as hard as any rock. Do not be scared or intimidated by them, even though they are a rebellious lot.
¹⁰ Son of man, take to heart all the words I am speaking to you. Listen carefully to what I am saying. ¹¹ Now go to your people, the exiles in Babylonia, and give them My message. Proclaim to them, “This is what the Eternal Lord has to say.” It doesn’t matter whether they listen to you.
¹² Suddenly the Spirit picked me up, and I heard a loud rumbling sound behind me—it seemed to say, “May the glory of the Eternal One be praised in His holy place!” ¹³ The sound I heard was the sound made by the wings of the four living creatures brushing up against one another and the rumble made by the spinning wheels beside them. ¹⁴ The Spirit picked me up and carried me away. I was at once resentful and impassioned, but I couldn’t escape because the hold the Eternal had on me was strong.
¹⁵ The Spirit took me to a group of the exiles who lived by the Chebar Canal at Tel-abib. I sat there among them in a daze for seven days.

Today’s Devotional

From today’s background scripture God might say:

Have you ever thought I’ve given you a mission too hard for you? Think again. I’ll never do that. When you think I’ve given you a difficult task just think about what I asked Ezekiel to do. I sent him to prophesy to the exiles stipped away from their homes and taken into captivity by the Assyrians. I told him in advance the people I told him to speak to would not listen. They wouldn’t pay attention to him. Even though I gave Ezekiel the right message, they would never listen to him.

I told Ezekiel he would preach to a group of people who were rebellious, hard-headed, and would not change. But his mission was to tell them My truth. He was not responsible for their decisions, but was responsible to give them My message. Those Ezekiel spoke to would ridicule him for the visions he shared with them. They would call him foolish. They would think him insane. They would think he had lost his mind. The vision I gave Ezekiel would not make sense to them or to Ezekiel. But it was My message to the people to whom I would send him .

Only years later would the prophecies Ezekiel gave to the exiles make sense. Only as they came to fruition would the prophecies and the visions begin to take hold and Ezekiel know the honor he deserved. But it wouldn’t be in his lifetime.

I might give you tasks that won’t make sense to you, too. That doesn’t mean I don’t know what I’m doing. Years later the exiles and My people who saw My prophecies fulfilled understood that Ezekiel spoke the truth and My message became clear to them. The same may happen with the task I give you. Those around you may not understand at the moment, but one day all will make sense. One day you will look back and know that all I’ve asked you to do had a purpose that brings glory to Me.

Don’t worry if people don’t understand you. Don’t worry if they don’t make the decisions you think are right. Don’t worry if they ridicule you or think you foolish. Don’t worry if they persecute you, throw you into prison, or even take your life. Many have gone before you under such extremes and discovered My rewards are well worth it. As Paul told you, you cannot imagine the glory before you. The sufferings of this life will seem as nothing compared to the riches that await you.

Just continue to do what I ask you to do. Stay on track and keep the faith.

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.

Learn from David’s prayer (Psalm 144), August 27, 2015

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Today’s Podcast

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Today’s Scriptures

Today’s Bible reading plans include:

Ready – Psalms 144

Set – Psalms 144; Revelation 1

Go! – Jeremiah 52; Psalms 143-144; Revelation 1

Psalms 144
¹ Blessed be the Eternal, my rock.
He trains my hands for war, gives me the skills I need for battle.
² He is my unfailing love and my citadel.
He is my tower of strength and my deliverer.
He is my shield of protection and my shelter;
He holds my people in check under me.
³ O Eternal One, what is man, that You even care to know him?
or the son of man, that You are mindful of him?
⁴ Humans are like a passing breath;
their time on earth is like a shadow that passes over us during the day and soon is gone.
⁵ Eternal One, stretch out an opening in the heavens, and descend.
Touch the mountains, and make them smoke.
⁶ Send forth bolts of lightning, and scatter my enemies.
Shoot Your fiery arrows, and rout the enemy.
⁷ Reach down from Your high place;
save me out of the great waters;
rescue me from the grasp of these foreigners
⁸ Who speak only lies
and don’t have truth in their deeds.
⁹ To You, my God, I will sing a new song;
I will sing Your sweet praises to the sound of a ten-stringed harp,
¹⁰ For You deliver kings from their enemies
and You rescue Your servant, David, from the sword of evil.
¹¹ Rescue me,
and save me from the grasp of these foreigners
Who speak only lies
and don’t have truth in their deeds.
¹² May our sons be like healthy plants
as they grow and mature,
And may our daughters be like the corner pillars
that decorate a palace.
¹³ May our storehouses be full
with abundant supplies of every crop,
And may the flocks of our fields
multiply into thousands and tens of thousands!
¹⁴ May our cattle be strong and productive,
without miscarriage, without loss,
and may there be no riots or protests in our streets!
¹⁵ Happy are the people for whom all this is true;
happy are the people whose God is the Eternal!

Today’s Devotional

From today’s background scripture God might say:

Did you notice David’s pattern of prayer in his psalm? He recognized who I am. He asked for protection. He praised Me again. He asked for protection. He gives a blessing to My people. That’s not a bad way to think about prayer. Praise and blessings need to outweigh your petitions. But then, when you focus your attention on Me, it will.

As you walk with Me, you’ll find your prayers turning that direction. It’s not that I’m not interested in your petitions. I am. I’m interested in every aspect of your life. But you’ll find that the closer you walk with Me, you’ll become more interested in My plans than yours. You’ll want to know more about what I want from you than what you want from Me. You’ll begin to see the world around you from a whole new perspective. You begin to see with kingdom eyes.

I told you that you would be in the world but not of the world. You’ll see the world with My eyes. You’ll see it’s needs. You’ll see it’s evil. You’ll see it’s false wisdom. You’ll see it’s idolatry. You’ll see it’s selfishness. You’ll see it running toward hell.

You will see My tears as I cry for My creation and long for souls to listen to My followers. You’ll see My tears as those who say they believe in Me sit on the side lines and watch passively as thousands around them race past them oblivious to the fact that they are destined for destruction. You’ll see why I sorrow as you observe the spiritual state of humankind. And you’ll long to do something about it.

Like David and My prophets you will pray. You will ask Me to intervene and praise Me for what I’ve done for you. You will recognize My power to save and sing praises because of it. You will ask Me to help you stop the flood of people rushing toward destruction and praise Me for using you in whatever way I choose to do so. You will ask Me to bless all who are part of My plan to share the message of salvation and pour out your heart to Me in thanksgiving because of who I am and what I do for you each day.

Walk with Me and watch your prayer life change. David’s did. All My followers change because I won’t let you stay the way you are. I want you to become more like Me. Dig in and learn from 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.

Be careful how you treat God’s children (Jeremiah 51:1-19), August 26, 2015

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Today’s Podcast

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Today’s Scriptures

Today’s Bible reading plans include:

Ready – Jeremiah 51:1-19

Set – Jeremiah 51; 3 John

Go! – Jeremiah 50-51; 3 John

Jeremiah 51:1-19
¹The Eternal has this to say regarding Babylon:
Eternal One: Watch as I stir up a destroying wind
against Babylon and the people of Chaldea.
² I will send outsiders to sift through this nation,
separating the wheat from the chaff, laying waste this land.
They will fight her from every side
on that fateful day of Babylon’s reckoning.
³ Do not let the archers draw back their bows.
Do not let them put on their armor!
Do not spare the life of one young soldier.
Destroy her army completely.
⁴ They will all fall dead in the land of the Chaldeans;
her streets will be full of the dead and dying.
⁵ For Israel and Judah have not been forsaken
by their God, the Eternal One, Commander of heavenly armies,
Even though their land is awash with the guilt of their sins
against the Holy One of Israel.
⁶ Get out of Babylon! Escape with your lives!
Do not be caught up in Babylon’s punishment,
For this is the time for the Eternal to avenge His people.
He will pay Babylon what she deserves.
⁷ Babylon has been a golden cup in the Eternal’s hand,
intoxicating the whole earth.
Yes, the nations drank her wine,
which is why they went mad.
⁸ But now Babylon—cup of God’s wrath—has fallen and shattered.
Weep for her, if you can!
Give her something for her pain;
perhaps she may still be healed.
⁹ Exiles: We would like to have healed Babylon,
but she was beyond our help.
It is time to leave her and go home before it is too late,
before we get caught in her coming judgment.
Look, even now it fills the skies, rising up to the clouds.
¹⁰ The Eternal has vindicated us;
come, we must tell those in Jerusalem
What the Eternal our God has done!
¹¹ Enemies of Babylon, sharpen your arrows
and fill your quivers. Get ready to attack!
For the Eternal has stirred up the spirit of the kings of the Medes
to accomplish His purpose against Babylon.
He will exact His vengeance for what the Chaldeans did to His temple.
¹² Raise up the battle flags around the walls of Babylon!
Reinforce the guard. Station watchmen along the way.
Prepare to make a surprise attack, for the Eternal will see His plan carried through
against the people of Babylon.
¹³ You who live by the great river
with the comforts of your abundant treasure,
The end has come, and you will lose it all.
Your time has run out.
¹⁴ The Eternal, Commander of heavenly armies, has sworn by Himself.
Eternal One: I will cover your land with enemy troops
the way a swarm of locusts covers a field.
And they will shout victory over you.
¹⁵ God alone is powerful enough to create the earth.
He alone is wise enough to put the world together.
He alone understands enough to stretch out the heavens.
¹⁶ His voice thunders through the heavens, and the waters gush from the sky.
He summons the clouds to build up over the earth.
As the rain falls, the lightning flashes at His command;
the wind rushes in from where He alone can store it.
¹⁷ All of humanity is stupid and bankrupt of knowledge.
Those who make idols are shamed by their creations.
What they fashion out of gold are imposters—breathless, lifeless frauds.
¹⁸ Their idols are worthless, the work of their hands an embarrassing mockery.
They are doomed to perish under God’s judgment.
¹⁹ The portion of Jacob is not like any of these.
He was not fashioned by human hands.
Instead, it was He who made all things and appointed Israel to inherit it all.
His name is the Eternal, Commander of heavenly armies.

Today’s Devotional

From today’s background scripture God might say:

I used Babylon to punish the nations who turned against Me. I enabled them to conquer every nation they came against. Judah was one of those nations because My people forgot Me. They turned to idols instead of worshiping Me, so I used Babylon to destroy the kingdom they thought so mighty and important. Babylon came in and crushed Judah and their capital city of Jerusalem in short order.

Babylon became arrogant, though. They became drunk with their power and thought their power came from their hand instead of Mine. Nebuchadnezzar thought himself king of creation because of his exploits. So I had Jeremiah remind him that I was still in charge. I reminded him I would rule over creation and all the nations of the world as I see fit. The Babylonians would find themselves defeated and destroyed the same way they destroyed others.

The great cities would fall. Nebuchadnezzar’s enemies would trample his great wonders into dust. Just as he carried off prize possessions and the healthiest and wisest into captivity, so would the Medes and Persians carry away all the spoils they chose and put into chains anyone they decided. Because Babylon and its leaders thought themselves more important than Me, they would feel the brunt of My wrath.

So you might ask, “What’s the point of this story for us today? Why include these verses for our study?” My answer is, be careful how you treat My children. Who are My children? All My creation. Everyone I breathe life into has a living soul I long to answer My call for salvation. I know that not all will, but you don’t know who will and who will not. Be careful how you treat My children. All of them are Mine. I don’t want you to end up like the Babylonians.

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.

John still tells us to love (2 John), August 25, 2015

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Today’s Podcast

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Today’s Scriptures

Today’s Bible reading plans include:

Ready – 2 John

Set – Psalms 79; 2 John

Go! – Jeremiah 37-39; Psalms 79; 2 John

2 John
¹ I, the elder, to you, a lady chosen by God along with her children. I truly love all of you and am confident that all who know the truth share in my love for you. ²The truth, which lives faithfully within all of us and will be with us for all eternity, is the basis for our abounding love. ³ May grace, mercy, and peace from God the Father and Jesus the Anointed, the Father’s own Son, surround you and be with you always in truth and love.
⁴ I was so filled with joy to hear stories about your children walking in truth, in the very way the Father called us to live. ⁵ So now, dear lady, I am asking you to live by the command that we love one another. I’m not writing to you some new commandment; it’s one we received in the beginning from our Lord. ⁶ Love is defined by our obedience to His commands. This is the same command you have known about from the very beginning; you must live by it. ⁷ The corrupt world is filled with liars and frauds who deny the reality that Jesus the Anointed has come into the world as a man of flesh and blood. These people are deceivers and antiChrists. ⁸ Ensure that you do not lose what we have worked for so that you will be fully rewarded.
⁹ Any person who drifts away and fails to live in the teachings of the Anointed One, our Liberating King, does not have God. But the person who lives in this teaching will have both the Father and the Son. ¹⁰ If any person comes to you with a teaching that does not align with the true message of Jesus, do not welcome that person into your house or greet him as you would a true brother. ¹¹ Anyone who welcomes this person has become a partner in advancing his wicked agenda.
¹² I have so much more to tell you, but I would rather meet with you personally than try to capture these sentiments by ink on paper. I hope to come and see you so that our joy will be complete.
¹³ The children of your chosen sister send you warm greetings.

Today’s Devotional

From today’s background scripture God might say:

This isn’t the only personal letter John wrote to prominent people in the early churches, but it is typical. John wants to make sure individuals, including you, understand My commands. John got it. He learned well from Me as he walked with Me for those three years as one of My faithful disciples. He figured out that God is love, something taught to every child in Sunday School class.

Throughout all My teachings to all the crowds across all those towns we visited, the message was the same. Love. Sometimes it came with different words and with different expressions. Sometimes it came through healing. Sometimes it came through feeding thousands with the gift of a boy’s lunch. Sometimes it was showing pity at the funeral of a widow’s only son and raising him to life again. I expressed My love for others in a lot of different ways, but always I showed My love to those around Me. Even as I addressed the Pharisees with harsh words about their wrong teaching, it was because of My love for them and wanting to show them the falacy of their teaching and My desire to bring them back to a right relationship with the Father.

John understood My command to love Me and to love others. So in all his letters he emphasizes the need to live in a constant state of love. He admonishes his readers to be wary of anyone who doesn’t recognize Me as coming from the Father because My message and My life personifies the Father and shows that He and I are One. The false teachers alive in John’s day have not gone silent, either. Still their voices cry out.

Today false prophet declare that I am not one with the Father. Some will say I am God but not man. They will tell you I never walked in the flesh and that all flesh is corrupt and cannot possibly live in this world without sin. They cannot believe I could have lived a sinless life in this world for thirty-three years, so I must not have been a real man, only spirit. Others will say I was a real man, but only a prophet, a good man, a good teacher, but not God.

John clears the air in his letter to the chosen lady and makes clear hear and in his other writings that I am both fully God and fully Man. You cannot understand how it works because you are not God. It is beyond your understand how I managed to make it happen. But you can trust that I did. My word is true. Everything I have said would happen has or will happen. All the archeologists are uncovering all those facts that naysayers said never happened. Believe Me. I am who I say. Just trust Me. Listen to My commands and love.

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 word is always true (Jeremiah 33), August 24, 2015

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Today’s Podcast

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Today’s Scriptures

Today’s Bible reading plans include:

Ready – Jeremiah 33

Set – Jeremiah 33; 1 John 5

Go! – Jeremiah 33-34; Psalms 74; 1 John 5

Jeremiah 33
^1-2 For a second time the message of the Eternal came to Jeremiah as he was being held in the court of the guard. The Eternal who made the earth, who formed and fashioned it, the One whose name is the Eternal, has this to say:
Eternal One: ³ Call to Me, and I will answer you. I will tell you of great things, things beyond what you can imagine, things you could never have known. ⁴ I, the Eternal God of Israel, tell you that all these public buildings and royal palaces have been dismantled in vain. You thought you could strengthen the city walls with the scraps of those buildings, but it is a useless defense against the siege ramps and swords ⁵ of the Chaldeans. In this fight, the city will be filled with the dead whom I will destroy in My anger and wrath, for I have hidden My face from this city because of their wickedness. ⁶ Nevertheless, keep watching! I will restore this city and heal the wounds of My people. I will lavish them with peace and stability. ⁷ I will bring both Judah and Israel back from captivity, and I will rebuild their land to what it was before. ⁸ I will cleanse them from all the sins they committed against Me and forgive all the wrongs they have done and all the ways they rebelled against Me. ⁹ Jerusalem will have a sweet-sounding name once again. The good I do for her will bring Me joy, praise, and honor among all nations of the earth, for they will be in awe and tremble at the peace and prosperity I give to this city.
¹⁰ Listen to Me, Jeremiah. You say this place will become a desolate wasteland with no people and no animals, but it will not always be so. The towns of Judah and the streets of Jerusalem may indeed become lifeless, but I, the Eternal One, promise you the silence will be broken. Once again you will hear ¹¹ the sounds of laughter and joy, the sweet words of the bride and bridegroom at a wedding, and voices of those who bring thank offerings to the temple singing,
Give thanks to the Eternal, Commander of heavenly armies,
for He is good. His faithful love endures forever.
All of this will happen because I will restore the riches of this land to what they once were.
¹² I, the Eternal, Commander of heavenly armies, promise: even this desolate place—with no people and no animals—and all of its ruined cities will once again have pastures where shepherds will rest their flocks. ¹³ In the towns of the hill country, in the villages of the western hills, in the cities of the Negev, in the territory of Benjamin, in the vicinity around Jerusalem, and in the cities of Judah, once again flocks will be cared for by a faithful shepherd who will count each and every one of his sheep.
¹⁴ Look! The days are coming when I will fulfill the promise I made to the people of Israel and Judah. ¹⁵ In those days, when the time is right, I will cause a righteous Branch to sprout from the old stump of David’s lineage; He will do what is right and just in the land. ¹⁶ In those days, Judah will be liberated, and Jerusalem will live in safety. And the city will be called by His name, The Eternal Is Our Righteousness. ¹⁷ I tell you, the royal dynasty of David will not cease; the throne of Israel still belongs to his family. Remember this, even as other kings rule over you. ¹⁸ Remember also that the line of Levitical priests will not cease; for all time they will stand before Me offering burnt offerings, grain offerings, and making sacrifices.
^19-20 Again, the word of the Eternal came to Jeremiah.
Eternal One: If you can figure out a way to break My covenant with the day and with the night so they do not always arrive on schedule, the very rhythm of life on this earth, ²¹ only then will My covenant with My servant David be broken and his son not rule from his throne. Only then will My covenant with the Levitical priests who minister before Me be null and void. ²² I will make David’s descendants, along with the Levitical priests who minister before Me, so numerous they will seem like the stars of the skies that cannot be counted and the sands of the seashore that can never be measured.
²³ The word of the Eternal came to Jeremiah again.
Eternal One: ²⁴ Have you noticed what some people are saying? “The Eternal chose these two families, Israel and Judah, but He has now rejected them.” They clearly despise My people—they don’t even consider them a nation any longer! ²⁵ But again, this is what the Eternal promises: “Just as I am not about to stop ruling the universe with fixed laws so that the day and the night become confused, ²⁶ I will likewise keep My promise to the descendants of Jacob and David, My servant; I will not reject them. I will not forget the covenant I made with David that one of his descendants will rule over the descendants of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. I will restore their fortunes and have mercy on them.

Today’s Devotional

From today’s background scripture God might say:

After Jeremiah’s prophecies, many of My people began to lose hope. Thousands found themselves in exile in strange lands. They knew they would likely never return to their homeland. Others saw the might of Nebuchadnezzar’s army assembled outside the walls of Jerusalem and everything pointed toward the destruction of the city and the death of all who remained within the walls. Despair and hopelessness seemed to make up the fabric of people’s lives everywhere they turned.

But Jeremiah gave them My promise that David’s descendants would continue to sit on the throne. They would not understand how after the exile and destruction of the nation, but it would come to pass through the birth of Jesus, My Son, with both Joseph, His earthly father and Mary, His mother, descedants of David. Jeremiah believed but didn’t understand. He faithfully carried My message without knowing what it would mean for all humankind.

My kingdom would burst upon the scene in the form of a small seemingly insignificant baby. But what a difference He would make. God in human flesh. The Anointed One showing the world My love for them. Becoming a living sacrifice while He walked alongside them and the sacrifice for all sins when He died upon the cross for all humankind. Jeremiah saw a glimpse of what was to come. You know the rest of the story. Rejoice with all My believers then and now knowing My word is always true.

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 is love (1 John 4:7-21), August 23, 2015

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Today’s Podcast

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Today’s Scriptures

Today’s Bible reading plans include:

Ready – 1 John 4:7-21

Set – Jeremiah 32; 1 John 4

Go! – Jeremiah 31-32; 1 John 4

1 John 4:7-21
⁷ My loved ones, let us devote ourselves to loving one another. Love comes straight from God, and everyone who loves is born of God and truly knows God. ⁸ Anyone who does not love does not know God, because God is love.
⁹ Because of this, the love of God is a reality among us: God sent His only Son into the world so that we could find true life through Him. ¹⁰ This is the embodiment of true love: not that we have loved God first, but that He loved us and sent His unique Son on a special mission to become an atoning sacrifice for our sins. ¹¹ So, my loved ones, if God loved us so sacrificially, surely we should love one another. ¹² No one has ever seen God with human eyes; but if we love one another, God truly lives in us. Consequently God’s love has accomplished its mission among us.
¹³ How can we be sure that He truly lives in us and that we truly live in Him? By one fact: He has given us His Spirit. ¹⁴ We have watched what God has done, and we stand ready to provide eyewitness testimonies to the reality that the Father sent the Son to be the Savior of the world. ¹⁵ If anyone unites with our confession that Jesus is God’s own Son, then God truly lives in that person and that person lives in God. ¹⁶ We have experienced and we have entrusted our lives to the love of God in us.
God is love. Anyone who lives faithfully in love also lives faithfully in God, and God lives in him. ¹⁷ This love is fulfilled with us, so that on the day of judgment we have confidence based on our identification with Jesus in this world. ¹⁸ Love will never invoke fear. Perfect love expels fear, particularly the fear of punishment. The one who fears punishment has not been completed through love.
¹⁹ We love because He has first loved us. ²⁰ If someone claims, “I love God,” but hates his brother or sister, then he is a liar. Anyone who does not love a brother or sister, whom he has seen, cannot possibly love God, whom he has never seen. ²¹ He gave us a clear command, that all who love God must also love their brothers and sisters.

Today’s Devotional

From today’s background scripture God might say:

As children, the first thing you probably learned about Me was “God is love.” John learned it well as he walked with Me in My human form. He is sometimes called the disciple I loved. I think it’s probably turned the other way as well because John truly learned what love means as he poured his heart into his letters to the churches.

John recognized all My commands could be boiled down into the single directive to love. Love Me. Love your brother and sister believers. Love you enemies. Love those in authority over you. Love those you might not agree with. Just love. I am the very essence of love. As you learned as a child, I am love.

John got it right. You can’t love Me if you don’t love those you see around you. If you don’t love those around you, you don’t love Me. How can you love someone you haven’t see and not those around you that you have seen? John’s right, it’s not possible. My love isn’t in you if you don’t have real love for those around you. If My love is in you, you’ll see others the way I see them. You’ll see them as eternal souls with eternal destinies. You’ll see others as My highest creation and you’ll know that My desire is that all should know My saving grace.

You will know that not everyone will accept My grace and salvation, but My desire is that they do. I won’t force Myself on you or anyone else. As much as I want you to be with Me throughout eternity, it will always be your choice. You can accept My salvation or refuse it. You choose your action, I choose the consequences.

The consequences were set in motion before time. Those who accept My will spend eternity with Me. Those who don’t will be separated from Me eternally. The book of Revelations describes what it will be like for those who choose not to follow Me. The contrast is there for all to read and study. The choice is yours. The consequences of your choice is laid out before you. Choose wisely. Choose to love as I love.

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 is waiting (Jeremiah 29:1-23), August 22, 2015

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Today’s Scriptures

Today’s Bible reading plans include:

Ready – Jeremiah 29:1-23

Set – Jeremiah 29; 1 John 3

Go! – Jeremiah 28-30; 1 John 3

Jeremiah 29:1-23
¹ The prophet Jeremiah wrote a letter from Jerusalem to the elders, priests, prophets, and all the rest who had been taken to Babylon by Nebuchadnezzar. ² (This was after King Jeconiah of Judah and his mother had been taken into exile, along with servants of the court, officials of Judah and Jerusalem, and many of the craftsmen and artisans.) ³ The letter was hand-carried by Elasah (son of Shaphan) and Gemariah (son of Hilkiah), whom Zedekiah king of Judah dispatched to Babylon on a diplomatic mission to Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon.
Jeremiah’s Letter: ⁴ This is what the Eternal, Commander of heavenly armies and God of Israel, says to those He exiled from Jerusalem to Babylon: ⁵ “Build houses—make homes for your families because you are not coming back to Judah anytime soon. Plant gardens, and eat the food you grow there. ⁶ Marry and have children; find wives for your sons, and give your daughters in marriage, so that they can have children. During these years of captivity, let your families grow and not die out. ⁷ Pursue the peace and welfare of the city where I sent you into exile. Pray to Me, the Eternal, for Babylon because if it has peace, you will live in peace.”
⁸ This is what the Eternal, Commander of heavenly armies and God of Israel, says to you: “Do not be fooled by the false prophets and fortune-tellers among you. Do not listen to dreamers or their interpretations of dreams, ⁹ for I did not send them to you. They are prophesying lies in My name!” So says the Eternal. ¹⁰ If you want the truth, this is what the Eternal has to say: “You will remain in Babylon for 70 years. When that time is over, I will come to you, and I will keep My promise of bringing you back home. ¹¹ For I know the plans I have for you,” says the Eternal, “plans for peace, not evil, to give you a future and hope—never forget that. ¹² At that time, you will call out for Me, and I will hear. You will pray, and I will listen. ¹³ You will look for Me intently, and you will find Me. ¹⁴ Yes, I will be found by you,” says the Eternal, “and I will restore your fortunes and gather you from all the nations where you’ve been scattered—all the places where I have driven you. I will bring you back to the land that is your rightful home.”
¹⁵ Now you might say, “The Eternal has raised up prophets here in Babylon who tell us other things.” ^16-17 This is what the Eternal, Commander of heavenly armies, has to say about the king who currently sits on David’s throne and all those who remain in Jerusalem and were not taken into exile: “Watch, for I will send war, famine, and disease on them. I will make them like figs so rotten they cannot be eaten. ¹⁸ I will pursue them with war, famine, and disease. I will make them a horror to the watching world, an object of cursing and terror, of scorn and blame wherever I scatter them ¹⁹ because they have not listened to Me,” says the Eternal. “They ignored the warnings I sent to them again and again through My servants, the prophets. And you who are in exile are no better, for you have not listened either.” ²⁰ Therefore, hear now the word of the Eternal, all you who have been exiled from Jerusalem to Babylon. ²¹ This is what the Eternal, Commander of heavenly armies and God of Israel, says about your so-called prophets, Ahab (son of Kolaiah) and Zedekiah (son of Maaseiah), who are telling lies in My name: “Watch, for I will hand them over to King Nebuchadnezzar of Babylon, and he will execute them right in front of you. ²² Even their names will be used as a curse by those in exile from Judah when they say, ‘May the Eternal treat you like Zedekiah and Ahab who were burned alive by Babylon’s king.’ ²³ These men have engaged in disgraceful acts among My people Israel. They have committed adultery with their neighbors’ wives and told lies in My name, prophesying when I never gave them a message. I know this because I am a witness to all they have done,” so says the Eternal.

Today’s Devotional

From today’s background scripture God might say:

Many like to quote Jeremiah 29:11 and use it as a promise of peace and prosperity. When they do, they have taken what I’ve said out of context. My promise to the exiles was they would remain in exile for 70 years. Then some of them would return just as I said…in 70 years. Most would not. Many did not want to hear the first part of Jeremiah’s letter.

He shared My command to build houses, plant gardens, buy land, have families. They didn’t want to stay in Babylon, but most would never return to Jerusalem or Judah. Most would remain scattered around the world and raise their families in other countries because of their failure to obey Me in the first place. Some would return to Judah and restore the land, but it would never have the glory it had when I gave it to them in the first place.

The verses that follow the statement of My plans for them are also important, though, and also rarely mentioned. Remember what it says? “At that time, you will call out for Me, and I will hear. You will pray, and I will listen. You will look for Me intently, and you will find Me.” The problem today, many expect Me to just show up. But I want you to desire Me. Call out to Me. Pray to Me. Look intently for Me. I won’t stay away. I’ll hear you, I’ll listen, I’ll let you find Me, but it does take some effort on your part, too. I want you to want Me.

When you do. I’ll be here. Until then, I’m patiently waiting for you.

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.