Category Archives: Christian

Listen to God’s Spirit’s guidance (Romans 14/1-12) December 3, 2015

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Today’s Podcast

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Today’s Scriptures

Today’s Bible reading plans include:

Ready – Romans 14:1-12

Set – Romans 13-14

Go! – Romans 13-16

Romans 14:1-12
1 It’s high time that you welcome all people weak in the faith without debating and disputing their opinions.
2 Here’s the issue: One person believes that nothing’s off the menu; he’ll eat any food put before him. But there’s another believer—we’ll call him the weaker—who eats only vegetables because the meat is tainted through contact with an idol. 3 If you are an eater of all things, do not be condescending to your vegetarian brother or sister. In turn, those who abstain from certain foods on religious principles should not judge your brothers and sisters who eat meat—if God has accepted them, you have no reason to reject them. 4 How could you think for a moment that you have the right to judge another person’s servant? Each servant answers to his own Master, and he will either stand or fall in His presence. The good news is that he will stand because the Master is able to make it so.
5 There may be a believer who regards one day as more sacred than any other, while another views every day as sacred as the next. In these matters, all must reach their own conclusions and satisfy their own minds. 6 If someone observes a day as holy, he observes it in honor of the Lord. If another eats a particular diet, he eats in honor of the Lord since he begins by giving thanks! If yet another abstains from that same food, he abstains out of respect for the Lord and begins his meal by thanking God too. 7 The truth is that none of us live for ourselves, and none die for ourselves. 8 For if we live, we live for the Lord. If we die, we die for the Lord. So in both life and death, we belong to the Lord. 9 The Anointed One, the Liberating King, died and returned to life to make this a reality: through His death and resurrection, He became Lord of the living and the dead.
10 So how is it that you continue to judge your brother? How is it possible for you to look down on a sister? We will all stand before the judgment seat of God. 11 For it is written,
“As I live, so I promise,” says the Lord, “every knee will bow down to Me.
Every tongue will confess to God.”
12 So every one of us, regardless of our eating habits, should expect to give an account for our own lives to God.

Today’s Devotional

From today’s background scripture God might say:

You know that My word tells you some things are flat wrong – stealing, murder, sexual immorality, lying, and so forth. There are many things that you’ll come across day by day, though, that My word doesn’t say anything about. Some churches hold firm views on certain activities and others will tell you those activities are okay. So what’s the truth? What is the real story? What do I say?

I say, listen to My spirit within you.The concepts within My word do not change. So first listen to them and judge your actions according to the concepts and precepts within My word. But often I will give you personal convictions and commands to follow that I do not give to others. I do it for a reason. I know your weaknesses just like Satan knows your weaknesses. But when you give your life to Me, I protect you from the evil one, just as you ask Me to do.

So, I give you personal convictions around your area of weakness to keep you from falling to the temptations that Satan might put in your path. For instance, I might know that because of your genetic makeup you have a predisposition to addictive behaviors. My spirit might tell you I don’t want you to drink alcoholic beverages because I know you would become an alcoholic. I give you that conviction to protect you. Or suppose you have difficulty with handling money. I won’t give you a lot to handle to tempt you. I won’t necessarily make you poverty stricken, but I probably will keep you from being wealthy to keep you from falling into Satan’s money traps.

I will ask you to do things to keep you out of trouble and avoid your weak areas if you’ll listen to Me. I’ll give you personal instructions and guide you through this life in ways that will keep your heart pure and away from the snares the tempter lays out for you. I’ll put you on a path of righteousness fit just for you. Your convictions will not fit anyone else, so don’t try to impose them on anyone. They will be yours. And other’s convictions may not fit you. So live by My spirit and let Me guide your path. My word will tell you many things to do and not do, but My spirit will guide you if you listen. Trust Him to lead you well.

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.

Use your gifts well (Romans 12:1-8) December 2, 2015

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Today’s Podcast

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Today’s Scriptures

Today’s Bible reading plans include:

Ready – Romans 12:1-8

Set – Romans 11-12

Go! – Romans 9-12

Romans 12:1-8
1 Brothers and sisters, in light of all I have shared with you about God’s mercies, I urge you to offer your bodies as a living and holy sacrifice to God, a sacred offering that brings Him pleasure; this is your reasonable, essential worship. 2 Do not allow this world to mold you in its own image. Instead, be transformed from the inside out by renewing your mind. As a result, you will be able to discern what God wills and whatever God finds good, pleasing, and complete.
3 Because of the grace allotted to me, I can respectfully tell you not to think of yourselves as being more important than you are; devote your minds to sound judgment since God has assigned to each of us a measure of faith. 4 For in the same way that one body has so many different parts, each with different functions; 5 we, too—the many—are different parts that form one body in the Anointed One. Each one of us is joined with one another, and we become together what we could not be alone. 6 Since our gifts vary depending on the grace poured out on each of us, it is important that we exercise the gifts we have been given. If prophecy is your gift, then speak as a prophet according to your proportion of faith. 7 If service is your gift, then serve well. If teaching is your gift, then teach well. 8 If you have been given a voice of encouragement, then use it often. If giving is your gift, then be generous. If leading, then be eager to get started. If sharing God’s mercy, then be cheerful in sharing it.

Today’s Devotional

From today’s background scripture God might say:

The words I gave Paul to share with you tell you so much about how I want you to live. Today everyone wants to think they are independent and can do everything themselves. But you can’t. Just admit it. You can’t do everything. In fact, you can’t do most things. I gave you a few gifts and talents that I want you to share with the world. I gave others skills and talents you need.

I separated the talents and skills necessary for successful living to different people for a reason. I want you to need each other. I want you to become interdependent just as the parts of your body are interdependent. Your brain cannot operate outside your body, nor can your body operate without your brain. You can live without your limbs, but considered handicapped when you do because your body can’t do the things it is designed to do. Each of your internal organs serve vital functions that when they cease to function, you cease to function well and often you die.

So it is with My church. I designed you to be interdependent as people. For My church to operate effectively and efficiently, I need all My church’s members to use the skills and talents I gave them to pull together for a common purpose – to spread the good news of My salvation. I want each of you to understand the importance of bringing others into My church. Each person coming into the community of My fellowship adds to the effectiveness of the spread of My message to the world. As the right skills add to the spreading of the message, more and more will come to the saving knowledge of My sacrifice for them. But I need you.

Also, I want you to know I don’t need spectators. I didn’t give you the skills and talents you have to just sit and watch. I want you engaged in the mission I gave My church. I intend for all participate in that mission. When I made Adam, his job satisfied him, but it wasn’t easy. He cared for every plant and every creature I created. Not an easy job, but a satisfying one. Only after the fall did the job become unsatisfying to him because of his disobedience.

The mission I give you as a part of My church will satisfy you when you work at it with the skills and talents I entrusted to you when I made you. When you do the tasks I give you to do, you will wonder at the joy you experience. You will know the kind of satisfaction Adam had when he fulfilled the tasks I gave him to do at the end of My creation.

So use what I give you. Be satisfied with the gifts, skills, and talents I give you. Then use them well. As Paul says, if I give you the gift of teach, teach well. If the voice of encouragement, use it often. Use whatever I have given you to build My kingdom. You won’t be disappointed. 

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.

Choose Christ (Romans 6:15-23) December 1, 2015

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Today’s Podcast

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Today’s Scriptures

Today’s Bible reading plans include:

Ready – Romans 6:15-23

Set – Romans 6-7

Go! – Romans 5-8

Romans 6:15-23
15 So what do we do now? Throw ourselves into lives of sin because we are cloaked in grace and don’t have to answer to the law? Absolutely not! 16 Doesn’t it make sense that if you sign yourself over as a slave, you will have to obey your master? The question before you is, What will be your master? Will it be sin—which will lead to certain death—or obedience—which will lead to a right and reconciled life? 17 Thank God that your slavery to sin has ended and that in your new freedom you pledged your heartfelt obedience to that teaching which was passed on to you. 18 The beauty of your new situation is this: now that you are free from sin, you are free to serve a different master, God’s redeeming justice.
19 Forgive me for using casual language to compensate for your natural weakness of human understanding. I want to be perfectly clear. In the same way you gave your bodily members away as slaves to corrupt and lawless living and found yourselves deeper in your unruly lives, now devote your members as slaves to right and reconciled lives so you will find yourselves deeper in holy living. 20 In the days when you lived as slaves to sin, you had no obligation to do the right thing. In that regard, you were free. 21 But what do you have to show from your former lives besides shame? The outcome of that life is death, guaranteed. 22 But now that you have been emancipated from the death grip of sin and are God’s slave, you have a different sort of life, a growing holiness. The outcome of that life is eternal life. 23 The payoff for a life of sin is death, but God is offering us a free gift—eternal life through our Lord Jesus, the Anointed One, the Liberating King.

Today’s Devotional

From today’s background scripture God might say:

So once you thought you were free to do whatever you wanted but found you were slaves to your selfish desires that led to nowhere. Fulfilling those base desires in sinful ways are the road to death and you know it. They might bring temporary pleasure, but you know the pleasure doesn’t last and in the end you fall further into a pit of guilt and sorrow and slavery to those selfish desires. That path always leads to misery and death. But I give you a different path.

I offer you the path of righteousness and holiness. I offer you My sacrifice to cover the penalty for your sins. I offer you the free gift of eternal life. Paul talks in these words about slavery to one of two masters. You can choose slavery to self and sin which leads to eternal death or you can choose slavery to Me which leads to peace and eternal life.

The problem with the terms Paul uses in today’s culture is the negative connotation the word slavery brings. The term is correct, but remember in Paul’s day, most slaves volunteered their service to their masters as a permanent means of survival. There existed the aristocracy and the poor with not much in between. There was no middle class. You were rich or poor. You had fairly significant assets or lived in poverty hoping to eat the next day. And unlike today in the west, there existed few ways to break out of the caste in which you were born. The rich and their children remained rich, the poor and their children remained very poor.

Slavery indentured an individual and sometimes a family to the aristocracy, but it meant a home to live in, clothes to wear, and food to eat every day. In return, the family labored. Sometimes the labor was in fields, sometimes in homes, sometimes in the manufacture of goods or bookkeeping or through other varied skills. But in a time when bartering in the economy played as great a role as exchanging coins, slaves exchanged their labor for the necessities of life in a society in which jobs were often scarce.

Were some masters harsh to their slaves and servants? Yes. Most were not. Slavery existed as a way of life. Did I want slavery to be the means by which humankind existed? No. But neither did I want sin to exist in My world, but it does. In a flawed, sinful world slavery has existed as long as you have existed. And ultimately, you are slaves to your own selfish desires, sin, or you are slaves to a higher power, Me. One leads to death, the other leads to eternal life. Which sounds like the better deal to you?

So if eternal life is the better choice, why do so many think they know better than Me and choose to live by their own selfish path instead of living according to My will? The wise will choose the path to eternal life. Choose 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.

Believe in God (Romans 3:21-31) November 30, 2015

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Today’s Podcast

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Today’s Scriptures

Today’s Bible reading plans include:

Ready – Romans 3:21-31

Set – Romans 3-4

Go! – Romans 1-4

Romans 3:21-31
21 But now for the good news: God’s restorative justice has entered the world, independent of the law. Both the law and the prophets told us this day would come. 22 This redeeming justice comes through the faithfulness of Jesus, the Anointed One, the Liberating King, who makes salvation a reality for all who believe—without the slightest partiality. 23 You see, all have sinned, and all their futile attempts to reach God in His glory fail. 24 Yet they are now saved and set right by His free gift of grace through the redemption available only in Jesus the Anointed. 25 When God set Him up to be the sacrifice—the seat of mercy where sins are atoned through faith—His blood became the demonstration of God’s own restorative justice. All of this confirms His faithfulness to the promise, for over the course of human history God patiently held back as He dealt with the sins being committed. 26 This expression of God’s restorative justice displays in the present that He is just and righteous and that He makes right those who trust and commit themselves to Jesus.
27 So is there any place left for boasting? No. It’s been shut out completely. And how? By what sort of law? The law of works perhaps? No! By the law of faith. 28 We hold that people are justified, that is, made right with God through faith, which has nothing to do with the deeds the law prescribes.
29 Is God the God of the Jews only? If He created all things, then doesn’t that make Him the God of all people? Jews and non-Jews, insiders and outsiders alike? Yes, He is also the God of all the outsiders. 30 So since God is one, there is one way for Jews and outsiders, circumcised and uncircumcised, to be right with Him. That is the way of faith. 31 So are we trying to use faith to abolish the law? Absolutely not! In fact, we now are free to uphold the law as God intended.

Today’s Devotional

From today’s background scripture God might say:

No one is exempt from the fall. Everyone fails to reach Me in their attempts at righteousness. Since Adam and Eve, all have been born with the propensity toward wanting your own way. But I came into the world to pay the penalty for your sinful ways. I came as the perfect sacrifice for your sins. All you need to do is believe in Me for your salvation. The law points out your sin, I redeem you from it. I give you real freedom from the law.

Many think I abolished the law, but that really isn’t true. What I really do for you is make it possible for you to live as the law intended. The law gave you guidelines and pointed out your wickedness, but couldn’t do anything to redeem you because you couldn’t keep the law. But with Me in you, covering your sin by the sacrifice I made for you, you can keep the law the way I intend you to keep it.

I gave My life so you may live in freedom. Not freedom to do anything you want as many sometimes think, but freedom from the guilt and penalty of sin. Freedom from the prison chains that hold you fast because of the selfish ways you live because of the heritage that comes by way of Adam’s sin. Freedom to live the life I intend for humankind.

The simplicity of becoming one of My children rests in believing. It’s that simple. It’s not always easy to live for Me, but it is simple. Coming to Me is so simple a child can do it. Just believe that I am who I say. Just believe I came to save you from your sins. Just believe I died for you and I rose from the grave because death cannot hold Me. Just believe that I can redeem you from the evil one that tries to hold you to this wicked world. Believe that I can free you from his death grip. Believe I have a better way for you.

It’s not hard to believe. Just look around. Look at the universe I created for you. Examine the order of all I made. How can you not believe in Me? How can you not believe in the Creator of all things when you see the perfect design of the universe and all within it. How can you not believe in Me when you see the majesty of the mountains and the seas, the stars and the galaxies above you.

So just believe in Me and you will be saved. It is faith and nothing else that saves you. But when you are saved you will do good things for those around you because of your love for Me. Your good actions will demonstrate the faith you have in Me. So just believe in Me and get ready for a great ride for the rest of your eternal life. 

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.

To please God, love (1 Thessalonians 4:1-12) November 29, 2015

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Today’s Podcast

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Today’s Scriptures

Today’s Bible reading plans include:

Ready – 1 Thessalonians 4:1-12

Set – 1 Thessalonians 4; 2 Thessalonians 3

Go! – 1 Thessalonians 4-5; 2 Thessalonians 1-3

1 Thessalonians 4:1-12
1So finally, brothers and sisters, in the name of our Lord Jesus, we ask you, we beg you to remember what we have taught you: live a life that is pleasing to God as you are already doing. Yes, we urge you to keep living and thriving in that life! 2 For you know the instructions we gave you, instructions that came through the Lord Jesus. 3 Now this is God’s will for you: set yourselves apart and live holy lives; avoid polluting yourselves with sexual defilement. 4 Learn how to take charge over your own body, maintaining purity and honor. 5 Don’t let the swells of lustful passion run your life as they do the outsiders who don’t know God. 6 Don’t violate or take advantage of a fellow believer in such matters. As we told you before and warned you: the Lord will settle the score with anyone who does these things. 7 Here’s why: God does not call us to live impure, adulterous, scandalous lives, but to seek holiness and purity. 8 If you ignore this message, then you’re not only rejecting us but you’re rejecting God, the One who has given His Holy Spirit to live in you.
9 Now there’s no need for us to send you instructions on caring for your faith family because God Himself has already taught you how to love outside yourselves. 10 And it’s evident you learned that lesson well by the way you love all the people of Macedonia. Brothers and sisters, we urge you to love even more 11 and make it your goal to lead a peaceful life, mind your own business, and keep your hands busy in your work, as we have instructed you. 12 That way you will live peacefully with those on the outside, and all your needs will be met without depending on others.

Today’s Devotional

From today’s background scripture God might say:

Paul summed up his teaching with a good motto you should remember. Live a life that is pleasing to Me. He goes on to tell give you a few examples of what that means, but the bottom line rests in that simple motto. Live a life that is pleasing to Me. Too many times I see people trying to live their lives to please other people instead of pleasing Me. They look to make other people happy.

The problem is that it doesn’t work. You can make a few people happy, but when you make one person happy you make others mad. You can never please everyone. People are too fickle in their emotions, wants, and wishes. No matter what you do to please them, it will never be enough. People will always want something more. So you cannot please people. You’ll find yourself disappointed and frustrated in your efforts.

Pleasing people won’t matter in the end, anyway. It’s not people who will judge your actions when you give an account of yourself at the end of time. I will be the one to judge you, not them. People cannot judge fairly. Only I can. So you will give an account of yourself to Me and Me alone. So if that is true, then why would you want to please people instead of pleasing Me. Wouldn’t you want to please the one who will judge your performance in the end?

So, there we are. Paul’s summation. He got it absolutely right. Please Me and your life will be on the right path. You will love others if you live to please Me. You will live a holy life if you please Me. You will live a moral life to please Me. To please Me, you will live generously and care for the needs of others. You will avoid sexual immorality and learn how to take charge of your own body. You will do all those things Paul talks about if you live a life to please Me.

In doing all those things, though, you’ll find it won’t be a burden to you, because in pleasing Me you’ll find you do it because of love, not duty. You’ll find love the driving factor in your life as you love Me and others. It’s a life of love that pleases Me, you see, not a life of rules and duty. So as you do the things I’ve talked about, you’ll love unconditionally. You’ll love Me and you’ll love others. You’ll love more than you can dream you can. You’ll please Me in doing so because I am love. And that’s it. Love to please 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.

God’s guarding your heart (Matthew 28:1-10) November 28, 2015

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Today’s Podcast

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Today’s Scriptures

Today’s Bible reading plans include:

Ready – Matthew 28:1-10

Set – Matthew 28; 1 Thessalonians 3

Go! – Matthew 28; 1 Thessalonians 1-3

Matthew 28:1-10
1 After the Sabbath, as the light of the next day, the first day of the week, crept over Palestine, Mary Magdalene and the other Mary came to the tomb to keep vigil. 2 Earlier there had been an earthquake. A messenger of the Lord had come down from heaven and had gone to the grave. He rolled away the stone and sat down on top of it. 3 He veritably glowed. He was vibrating with light. His clothes were light, white like transfiguration, like fresh snow. 4 The soldiers guarding the tomb were terrified. They froze like stone.
5 The messenger spoke to the women, to Mary Magdalene and the other Mary.
Messenger of the Lord: Don’t be afraid. I know you are here keeping watch for Jesus who was crucified. 6 But Jesus is not here. He was raised, just as He said He would be. Come over to the grave, and see for yourself. 7 And then go straight to His disciples, and tell them He’s been raised from the dead and has gone on to Galilee. You’ll find Him there. Listen carefully to what I am telling you.
8 The women were both terrified and thrilled, and they quickly left the tomb and went to find the disciples and give them this outstandingly good news. 9 But while they were on their way, they saw Jesus Himself.
Jesus (greeting the women): Rejoice.
The women fell down before Him, kissing His feet and worshiping Him.
Jesus: 10 Don’t be afraid. Go and tell My brothers to go to Galilee. Tell them I will meet them there.

Today’s Devotional

From today’s background scripture God might say:

There is a dimension of life you seldom see in your everyday life. It’s all around you and when you read My word you become aware of its existence, but often people do not acknowledge the importance of the realm I speak of. There is a spiritual realm where a battle between good and evil takes place. Sometimes the spiritual realm’s beings break in upon the physical realm you see with your five senses. When it does the reaction is always the same – fear, terror.

When you see My warriors, you tremble in their presence. Look through My word at the experiences of every those who have seen My messengers. They all fell on their face or froze in place at the sight of one of My angels. Fearsome warriors with powers beyond human measure. Yet they are nothing compared to Me. On that first Easter morning, one came to visit the empty tomb. He rolled away the stone so those who came to finish the burial preparation could see that I was not there.

My messenger just sat casually on the stone while all who saw him cowed in his presence. Just the touch of his foot cause the ground beneath it to quake. The light of his clothing shone like the sun. The soldiers froze and trembled. These soldiers, feared by all who saw them, fell to the ground and cried like babies. The women trebled in fear. All who witnessed the scene remembered it forever just because of the fear the sight of this one figure brought to mind.

Now imagine the scene when My heavenly armies appear. Imagine a vast army of those warriors too numerous to count filling the hillsides and the sky coming to fight My battles. Imagine the power that army holds in their hands. If one messenger can cause the world’s best fighters to fall silent before him, imagine what an army of My warriors can do.

I have legions of armies at My disposal ready to do My bidding, one at a time or armies at a time. They operate in a dimension outside your sight, but they are there nonetheless. They fight for Me and for those who have faith in Me every moment. They keep the evil one at bay. They defeat Satan’s minions and ensure My plans succeed. They act as My hands and feet in the spiritual realm just as you act as My hands and feet in the physical realm.

Occasionally, I allow My messengers to cross over to be seen by you. Sometimes I let them interact personally with you. There are times they act as recipents of your grace and mercy as, unaware, you minister to My angels. So when you minister to them, I disguise them such that you do not recognize them. When they minister to you, they terrify you in their angelic form. Still, none compare to the power and majesty of the triune Godhead. When My messengers see Me, they fall on their face in honor and praise.

Why do I tell you all these things today? Because today you might need to know that you’re not alone. You might not see My messengers at work with you, but they are there at your side. They are working with you to keep you safe from the evil one, guarding your 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.

Unmoved, enduring, eternal (Psalm 125) November 27, 2015

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Today’s Podcast

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Today’s Scriptures

Today’s Bible reading plans include:

Ready – Psalms 125

Set – Psalms 125; Matthew 27

Go! – Psalms 125; Matthew 26-27

Psalms 125
1 All who have faith in the Eternal stand as Mount Zion:
unmoved, enduring, eternal.
2 Just as the mountains around Jerusalem embrace her,
the Eternal, too, wraps around those who belong to Him—
for this moment and for every moment to come.
3 For wickedness will not get the upper hand;
it shall not rule the land where righteous people live
Lest good people go bad
and do what is wrong.
4 Be good, Eternal One, to those who are good,
to those who are filled with integrity.
5 The Eternal will send all the wicked away
along with those who pervert what’s good and twist it in their own crooked way.
May peace be with Israel.

Today’s Devotional

From today’s background scripture God might say:

David wrote his song before you built your monster machines. He would probably still write that those who have faith in Me are unmoving, enduring, and eternal like Mount Zion. But I know that you are more solid and eternal than even Mount Zion. Monster machines can cut through the rock and soil that constitutes Mount Zion and eventually it could move the mountain from one place to another. But it would take years to do it with all of the equipment currently available on earth.

For all intents and purposes Mount Zion is immovable to you. It will last forever as far as you’re concerned. But it won’t. A day will come, sooner than you think, when Mount Zion will be crushed. It will melt away in My wrath as the world as you know it disappears. But you, your immortal soul will endure with Me forever. It is eternal, unmovable, enduring, just as David says.

It might seem that now the wicked have the upper hand as you look around the world and see the graft and corruption in society. You might think they have the pleasures of life and you are left with nothing when you follow My commands and live the life I ask you to live. But the truth dispels such lies. Wealth does not bring satisfaction. Wealth and riches do not bring joy or peace. The temporary pleasures of this life are just that, temporary. There comes a day of reckoning at which the wicked must account for their ways and they too endure forever, but so does their punishment.

For those who have faith in Me, I am eternally good to them. They endure for ever, too. My goodness lasts forever as they live with Me in My home. Those who put their faith in Me enjoy My presence and My eternal rewards. I’ve been preparing them a long time. I know what pleases you, but what will please you most is just being in My presence, rejoicing in the company of the other saints, praising Me throughout eternity.

The only ones who will be there are those who follow Me. Only those obedient to My will make it to My home. The wicked will never cross its threshold. I will not allow the wicked into My presence and they will never bother you again when you join Me in paradise. What a glorious time we will have together. You must make the decision now, though. Today is the day of salvation. 

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.

Get up and get at it (Matthew 25:14-30) November 26, 2015

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Today’s Podcast

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Today’s Scriptures

Today’s Bible reading plans include:

Ready – Matthew 25:14-30

Set – Matthew 24-25

Go! – Matthew 23-25

Matthew 25:14-30
Jesus: 14 This is how it will be. It will be like a landowner who is going on a trip. He instructed his slaves about caring for his property. 15 He gave five talents to one slave, two to the next, and then one talent to the last slave—each according to his ability. Then the man left.
16 Promptly the man who had been given five talents went out and bartered and sold and turned his five talents into ten. 17 And the one who had received two talents went to the market and turned his two into four. 18 And the slave who had received just one talent? He dug a hole in the ground and buried his master’s money there.
19 Eventually the master came back from his travels, found his slaves, and settled up with them. 20 The slave who had been given five talents came forward and told his master how he’d turned five into ten; then he handed the whole lot over to his master.
Master: 21 Excellent. You’ve proved yourself not only clever but loyal. You’ve executed a rather small task masterfully, so now I am going to put you in charge of something larger. But before you go back to work, come join my great feast and celebration.
22 Then the slave who had been given two talents came forward and told his master how he’d turned two into four, and he handed all four talents to his master.
Master: 23 Excellent. You’ve proved yourself not only clever but loyal. You’ve executed a rather small task masterfully, so now I am going to put you in charge of something larger. But before you go back to work, come join my great feast and celebration.
24 Finally the man who had been given one talent came forward.
Servant: Master, I know you are a hard man, difficult in every way. You can make a healthy sum when others would fail. You profit when other people are doing the work. You grow rich on the backs of others. 25 So I was afraid, dug a hole, and hid the talent in the ground. Here it is. You can have it.
26 The master was furious.
Master: You are a pathetic excuse for a servant! You have disproved my trust in you and squandered my generosity. You know I always make a profit! 27 You could have at least put this talent in the bank; then I could have earned a little interest on it! 28 Take that one talent away, and give it to the servant who doubled my money from five to ten.
29 You see, everything was taken away from the man who had nothing, but the man who had something got even more. 30 And as for the slave who made no profit but buried his talent in the ground? His master ordered his slaves to tie him up and throw him outside into the utter darkness where there is miserable mourning and great fear.

Today’s Devotional

From today’s background scripture God might say:

You can interpret the parable I gave that day many ways. Some will think the master cruel for the way he treated the one who did not multiply the talent he intrusted to him. Some will look at the parable as an encouragement toward capitalism and an indictment of socialism. Some will think the master unfair in giving the unused talent to the one who had ten and think it should go to the one with four so he could have a better chance of gain.

None of those interpretations are right. You see, the master cares about working within the servants’ capabilities. That’s all. He gave each of his servants talents within their specific capability to handle and multiply their means. He expected them to use what he gave them to do just that. Two of the three worked hard and did what he expected. The third, lazy servant, did nothing. He buried the talent and let it lay dormant in the ground.

And why did he give the extra talent to the one who already had ten? Because he knew it was easier for the one with ten to add a single talent to his portfolio and manage it than for the one who had four to add one to his. He knew the people who worked for him. He knew their skills and gave them what they could handle. Unfortunately, the one who could handle the single talent failed to do what he could and just sat by doing nothing.

I never expect you to just sit around and do nothing. I always have a task for you. Sometimes it requires some waiting for things to happen around you, but seldom does that mean you are idle in the process of waiting. Even in waiting, I expect you to be busy doing good for others. I never expect you to just sit by and watch the grass grow and the clouds drift by. My children never retire. I may change their tasks from time to time, but they never retire from My service.

So take a few lessons from the story. Don’t find yourself in the place of the servant with one talent. He wasn’t condemned for the fact that he had only one talent. He found himself condemned because he failed to use the one talent I had given him. Use what I give you for My glory. It will multiply. Never retire. Never quit. Never sit on the side lines. I have work for you to do. Get up and get at 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.

God has work for you to do (Matthew 21:23-32) November 25, 2015

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Today’s Podcast

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Today’s Scriptures

Today’s Bible reading plans include:

Ready – Matthew 21:23-32

Set – Matthew 21-22

Go! – Matthew 20-22

Matthew 21:23-32
23 Jesus returned to the temple and began to teach. The chief priests and elders came to Him and wanted to know who had given Him permission to disturb the temple precincts and to teach His crazy notions in this most sacred of spots.
Chief Priests and Elders: Who gave You the authority to do these things?
Jesus: 24 I will answer your question if first you answer one of Mine: 25 You saw John ritually cleansing people through baptism for the redemption of their sins. Did John’s cleansing come from heaven, or was he simply washing people of his own whim?
The elders knew that this question was tricky; there was no simple answer. If they acknowledged that John’s ritual cleansing was from heaven, Jesus would ask why they had not accepted John’s authority. 26 But if they said he had dipped people simply by his own accord, they would outrage the people who believed John was a prophet.
Chief Priests and Elders: 27 We don’t know.
Jesus: Then neither will I tell you about the authority under which I am working. 28 But I will tell you a story, and you can tell Me what you make of it: There was a man who had two sons. He said to his first son,
Father: Go and work in the vineyard today.
First Son: 29 No, I will not.
But later the first son changed his mind and went. 30 Then the father went to his second son.
Father: Go and work in the vineyard today.
Second Son: Of course, Father.
But then he did not go. 31 So which of the sons did what the father wanted?
Chief Priests and Elders (answering at once): The first.
Jesus: I tell you this: the tax collectors and prostitutes will enter the kingdom of God ahead of you. 32 John came to show you the straight path, the path to righteousness. You did not believe him, but the tax collectors and the prostitutes did. Even as you saw the prostitutes and the tax collectors forgiven and washed clean, finding their footing on the straight path to righteousness, still you did not change your ways and believe.

Today’s Devotional

From today’s background scripture God might say:

Saying the right words doesn’t go very far with Me. A lot of people know the right words to say. They’ve practiced them a long time. They know how to fool those around them with their pious words and for a short time they act the part well. With their knowledge, they fool those around them into thinking they know Me, but they don’t. They are far from Me.

I attempted to point out the same problem with the story I told the chief priests and elders in the temple that day. Those leaders taught their disciples all the right words. They knew the rituals. They practiced the forms and recitations and could point out the smallest deviations when someone failed to perform them perfectly. It’s not the recitations that builds relationships with Me. It’s not the words you know or the rituals you practice. I want you to know Me.

Knowing Me only comes through letting Me live in you. That comes through faith. Believe in Me for salvation. Believe that I can teach you. Believe that I love you more that you can ever imagine. Then ask Me into your life. Then just talk with Me. I will talk with you through My word, through pastors and other believers, and through My Spirit speaking to you. You can know Me, not just about Me.

Then as in the story I told the chief priests and elders that day, do what I ask you to do. Don’t just say you will obey, but really obey. Don’t be like the second son who told his father he would work in the field but didn’t. Be the first son who obeyed his father and went into the field and worked. Your heavenly Father will bless you when you obey His call. He has work for you to do.

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.

Follow, whatever the cost (Matthew 18:1-11) November 24, 2015

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Today’s Podcast

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Today’s Scriptures

Today’s Bible reading plans include:

Ready – Matthew 18:1-11

Set – Matthew 18-19

Go! – Matthew 17-19

Matthew 18:1-11
1Around that same time, the disciples came to Jesus and questioned Him about the kingdom of heaven.
A Disciple: In the kingdom of heaven, who is the greatest?
2 Jesus called over a little child. He put His hand on the top of the child’s head.
Jesus: 3 This is the truth: unless you change and become like little children, you will never enter the kingdom of heaven. 4 In that kingdom, the most humble who are most like this child are the greatest. 5 And whoever welcomes a child, welcomes her in My name, welcomes Me. 6 And do not lead astray one of the weak and friendless who believes in Me. If you do, it would be better for you to be dragged down with a millstone and drowned in the bottom of the sea.
7 Beware indeed of those in a world filled with obstacles and temptations that cause people to turn away from Me. Those temptations are woven into the fabric of a world not yet redeemed, but beware to anyone who lures righteous women and men off the narrow path. 8 If your hand constantly grasps at the things of this world rather than serves the Kingdom—cut it off and throw it away. If your foot is always leading you to wander, then cut it off and throw it away; it is better for you to hobble, crippled, into the kingdom of life than to burn in hell with two hands and two feet. 9 And if your eye always focuses on things that cause you to sin, then pull your eye out and throw it away. It is better for you to see the kingdom of life with one eye than to see the fires of hell with perfect sight.
10 Make sure that you do not look down on the little ones, on those who are further behind you on the path of righteousness. For I tell you: they are watched over by those most beloved messengers who are always in the company of My Father in heaven. 11 The Son of Man has come to save all those who are lost.

Today’s Devotional

From today’s background scripture God might say:

My words might sound harsh when I tell you it’s better to cut off your hand or foot or pluck out your eye than to keep on sinning. But My words are true. Don’t let anything keep you from entering the Kingdom of Heaven. You don’t want to be on the outside at the end of time. Satan will try to tell you it isn’t real. He’ll try to persuade you My truth is a façade, but Satan is the father of lies. Just look around and listen with your heart. My Spirit will guide you to the truth if you will let Him.

Being outside My kingdom means being alone. You might find some temporary pleasures for a time, but you’ll find yourself alone more often than not. In My kingdom, you’re never alone. You always have Me with you and you’ll find brothers and sisters will come beside you in times of need to bear your burdens with you because that’s what love does. My children learn to love and they will come along side you in this life just like I will.

Sometimes you might feel alone in this world, but you’re not. I will always be in you when you come to Me and My children around the world will lift you in their prayers. Some will call your name. Others will lift you up to the Father because I put them on their mind even though they’ve never met you and don’t know you. But you will never be alone as long as you are part of My kingdom.

Not so with those who fail to come to Me in repentance and allow Me to live in them. They may have people surround them that call them friend. But when the money runs out or the times get hard, those friends disappear. When you really need them, they are gone. At when the end of time comes, you are truly alone. You find yourself away from Me, away from God, isolated from everyone and everything. Truly alone with no means of comfort. No means of support. No one who cares for you. Only eternal torment – alone.

Do My words seem harsh? Not when you think of the alternative. Do whatever it takes to make it into My kingdom. Don’t let anything keep you from Me. Sacrifice anything you need to sacrifice to remain true to My word and remain on the path I lay out in front of you. The suffering you endure here will seem as nothing compared to the incomprehensible riches you receive when you come into My glory at the end of the age. Trust Me, you won’t be sorry with your decision to follow Me at all costs.

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.