Posts from 2020 (Page 5)

Joshua 5:13-15  (NIV)  …Joshua… looked up and saw right in front of him a man standing,  holding his drawn sword.  Joshua stepped up to him and said,  “Whose side are you on—ours or our enemies?”  He said,  “Neither,  I’m commander of God’s army.  I’ve just arrived.”  Joshua fell,  face to the ground,  and worshiped.  “What orders does my Master have for his servant.”  Scholars consider this  “commander of God’s army”  to be a  “theophany”— a physical manifestation of Yahweh.  Notice…

Joshua 1:5  (NIV)  No one will be able to stand up against you all the days of your life.  As I was with Moses,  so I will be with you.  I will never leave you nor forsake you.   God’s primary promise to Joshua was His unfailing faithfulness.  Joshua had been Moses’  assistant.  Whenever Moses went into the Tent of Meeting to talk to God,  Joshua lingered just outside the doorway.  He hungered for God and had been a good…

Acts 27:23  (MSG)  “Last night God’s angel stood at my side, an angel of this God I serve,  saying to me,  ‘Don’t give up,  Paul.  You’re going to stand before Caesar yet—and everyone sailing with you is also going to make it.’”  Paul did not stand in the storm and rebuke the winds and the waves like Jesus did on the Galilee with his despairing disciples.  The Holy Spirit led Paul to a different action—to stand before the sailors in…

Acts 27:33-34 (MSG)  With dawn about to break,  Paul called everyone together and proposed breakfast…”I urge you to eat something now.  You’ll need strength for the rescue ahead.  You’re going to come out of this without even a scratch!”  Full of faith and confidence,  Paul declared that rescue was ahead and that they’d survive—but they needed to eat and get strength for the next hit from the storm.  He broke the bread, gave thanks to God, and passed it around…

Acts 27:25 (MSG—read the whole chapter)  So,  dear friends,  take heart.  I believe God will do exactly what He told me.  Paul was under arrest and being escorted by Roman soldiers via ship to Rome.  He was not in control of his life.  He was subject to the will and direction of the centurion.  Paul’s warning had been overruled and disregarded.  Soon the ship was caught in an unrelenting storm that blocked the sun and stars for many days and…

Isaiah 44:8 (NIV) – …You are my witnesses, is there any God besides me? No, there is no other Rock; I know not one.  One of the figurative names for God is Tsur,  a Hebrew word for  “rock.”  You will find this word used most frequently in the poetic books;  and Moses uses it as a name for God five times in his song (Deut. 32:4, 15, 18, 30, 31).  It describes His quality of reliability and unchangeableness,  stability and…

Daniel 4:34 (NIV) – …Then I praised the Most High… One of the names of God is Elyon,  and it refers to  “the Exalted One”  and literally means  “the most high God.”   He is high above all other beings and things.  King Nebuchadnezzar recognized God’s exalted state when he finally declared  (Daniel 4)  that the God of Daniel was the eternal,  sovereign God who rules in justice and sovereignty over the affairs of people.  No matter what problem fills…

Ephesians 2:4-5 (NIV) – But because of His great love for us,  God,  who is rich in mercy,  made us alive with Christ even when we were dead in transgressions—it is by grace you have been saved.  God is rich in mercy and grace toward us.  Mercy is God’s response of compassion and forbearance toward those who are in misery or distress.  Grace is His kindness toward those who are ill-deserving—it is unmerited favor.  When have God’s expressions of grace…

I John 4:8 (NLT) – But anyone who does not love does not know God for God is love. God’s love goes so far beyond human love,  and the Bible describes it this way:  This is love;  not that we loved God but that He loved us and sent his Son as an atoning sacrifice for our sins (I John 4:9-10).  While we were still sinners,  Christ died for us.  So much human love is rooted in what we get…

Psalm 89:14 (NIV) – Righteousness and justice are the foundation of your throne.  We can be sure that God will act fairly toward people,  because God is righteous and just.  He upholds those who live uprightly and helps them when they suffer oppression by judging the oppressors (Ps. 72:2-4;  94:14-23).  Jesus prayed to His  “Righteous Father” (John 17:25).  Daniel declared that  “the Lord our God is righteous in everything He does” (Daniel 9:14).  God always does the right thing.  “He…

Isaiah 6:3 (NLT) – And  (the seraphim)  were calling to one another:  “Holy,  holy,  holy is the LORD Almighty;  the whole earth is full of his glory.”  Isaiah saw the glory of God.  Much later John saw a throne in heaven and heard the same sound:  “Holy,  holy,  holy is the Lord God almighty,  who was,  and is,  and is to come”  (Rev. 4:2,8).  Holiness is a central quality of God’s being.  I don’t think we can even begin to…

Romans 11:33a (NIV)  Oh,  the depth of the riches of the wisdom and knowledge of God!  How unsearchable His judgments,  and His paths beyond tracing out!  We serve a rational God—creative and intelligent but also compassionate,  gracious,  slow to anger and abounding in love (Ps. 103:8).  He has an end in mind that is consistent with His character.  His motives toward us are always pure,  consistent with His nature and for our good.  Jesus is His  “express image”  (Heb. 1:30.) …

Exodus 15:11 (NLT)  Who is like you among the gods,  O LORD—glorious in holiness,  awesome in splendor,  performing great wonders?    What have we learned so far this week regarding the existence of God?  God has revealed Himself in creation.  Scripture assumes the existence of God but does not seek to prove it.  People’s innate belief in God’s existence and humanity’s moral nature all testify to God’s existence.  Remarkably,  God cared enough to reveal Himself to us so that we…

Romans 2:14-15 (MSG)  When outsiders who have never heard of God’s law follow it more or less by instinct,  they confirm its truth by their obedience.  They show that God’s law is not something alien,  imposed on us from without,  but woven into the very fabric of our creation.  There is something deep within them that echoes God’s yes and no,  right and wrong.  People are moral beings,  with a sense of right and wrong.  Conscience is inherent in every…

Romans 1:20 (NLT)  For ever since the world was created,  people have seen the earth and sky.  Through everything God made,  they can clearly see His invisible qualities—His eternal power and divine nature… A universal belief in a supreme being is innate or intuitive in people everywhere.  However,  this belief is not so universal in what that god is like.  Christians believe in one loving God who is interested in a personal relationship with them.  Those who believe in other…

Psalm 19:1 (NLT)  The heavens proclaim the glory of God.  The skies display His craftsmanship.  A remarkable interdependency exists between everything in the universe.  Vegetation depends on sun and soil and water.  Streams flow into rivers and oceans.  Animals depend upon nature’s multiple food sources.  People depend upon wood for fire.  Without sufficient rain,  crops die.  An intricate balance exists that gives us compelling evidence for God’s existence and is known as the cosmological argument.  The cosmos,  this orderly,  harmonious…

Hebrews 11:6 (NLT)  And it is impossible to please God without faith.  Anyone who wants to come to Him must believe that God exists and that He rewards those who sincerely seek Him.  The Bible makes no attempt to prove God’s existence.  The writers assume He exists and expect people to believe it by faith.  Anyone who comes to Him  “must believe that He exists.”  But people will not put their faith in someone in whom they don’t believe.  Read…

Psalm 16:11 –  …you will fill me with joy in your presence…  The lie is:  “I should not have to live with unfulfilled longings.”  Culture teaches this.  God’s Word does not teach this.  THE TRUTH is that we will always have some kind of unfulfilled longings on this side of Heaven.  God’s Word teaches us the importance of contentment.  The deepest longings of our heart cannot be filled by any person or thing.  People and circumstances will never make us…

Deuteronomy 30:19 (NLT) –  Today I have given you the choice between life and death,  between blessings and curses.  Now I call on heaven and earth to witness the choice you make.  Oh,  that you would choose life,  so that you and your descendants might live.  God has given us the power of choice.  When we say,  “I can’t help the way I am,”  we are believing a lie that keeps us in lifelong bondage.  We must take personal responsibility…

I Peter 2:9 (NIV) –  But you are a chosen people,  a royal priesthood,  a holy nation,  a people belonging to God… Did you know that 42% of women surveyed by Nancy DeMoss indicated that they had believed the lie:  “I’m not worth anything”?  “Our view of ourselves and our sense of worth are often determined by the input and opinions of others.”  The words  “stupid”  or  “fat”  get locked into our brains,  and instead of countering the lies with…

Psalm 45:1 (NIV) –  God is our refuge and strength,  an ever-present help in trouble.  THE TRUTH is that life is hard.  The lie is that  “God should fix my problems.”  God is not our cosmic genie.  He does not run to serve us when we ring the bell.  And the goal in life is NOT to be  “free from all problems—to get rid of everything that is difficult or unpleasant.  Our society is conditioned to think that we should…

Philippians 4:19 (NLT) –  And this same God who takes care of me will supply all your needs from His glorious riches,  which have been given to us in Christ Jesus.  THE TRUTH is that God is enough.  But when it comes down to it,  often we don’t really believe that God is sufficient to deal with our problems.  We need Him plus shopping,  food,  friends,  vacations,  our job,  our family.  When the pandemic hits and we are displaced from…

Romans 8:39 (NLT) –  No power in the sky above or in the earth below—indeed,  nothing in all creation will ever be able to separate us from the love of God that is revealed in Christ Jesus our Lord.  THE TRUTH is that God loves us.  A loveless marriage,  childhood abuse,  parental rejection- these contribute to feelings of loneliness and the lie that  “God doesn’t love me.”  Some of us produce and perform and serve in order to please God…

Psalm 119:68 –  You are good,  and what you do is good;  teach me your decrees.  “When turbulence,  disappointment,  or pain comes into our lives;  when we lose people we love;  when things don’t go as we had hoped or planned,  Satan tempts us to wonder,  “Is God really good?  If He were,  how could He have let this happen?”  In this fallen world where wars,  genocide,  famine and natural disasters are a reality,  that Deceiver tries to cast God…

John 8:32 (NIV) –  You will know the truth,  and the truth will set you free.  “Every lie must be encountered with corresponding Truth.  Where we have listened to,  dwelt on,  believed,  and acted on lies,  we must begin to listen to,  meditate on,  believe,  and act on the Truth.  That is how we will move from bondage to freedom,  by the power of the Spirit of God.  Jesus declared it:  The Truth  “will set you free.”  Get intentional with…

John 8:44b (NIV) – (the devil)  was a murderer from the beginning.  He has always hated the truth,  because there is no truth in him…he is a liar and the father of lies.  Yes,  Jesus was talking here about an evil force with a spirit personality,  not a corporeal being  (Eph 2:2;  Luke 24:39).  He is a created being and does NOT possess divine attributes.  He cannot read your mind.  He has intellect and emotion  (Rev. 12:12)  and power to…

Genesis 2:16 (MSG) –  God commanded the Man,  “You can eat from any tree in the garden except from the Tree-of-Knowledge-of-Good-and-Evil.  Don’t eat from it.  The moment you eat from that tree,  you’re dead.”  THE TRUTH here is that God is a generous God.  Only one tree had a  “Keep Off”  sign posted. And that was for the best interest of Adam and Eve.  Their obedience would guarantee long-term blessings and happiness.  It also provided them an opportunity to exercise…

Galatians 5:1 (MSG) –  Christ has set us free to live a free life.  So take your stand!  Never again let anyone put a harness of slavery on you.  Nancy DeMoss’s book,  “Lies Women Believe,”  addresses specific areas of deception that we operate under—both men and women.  Identifying them,  naming them for what they are,  and reaching for the Good Shepherd’s hand to guide us out of deception and into freedom is what Nancy’s book so beautifully unpacks.  We don’t…

John 10:10 (NIV) –  The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy;  I have come that they may have life and have it to the full.  From the moment we choose faith in Jesus Christ,  He begins leading us into increased measures of freedom.  Often,  we have immediate deliverance from debilitating habits;  but more often it is a gradual growth and discovery process that includes offloading fears and feelings of worthlessness,  and the compulsions that drive self-consumptive behaviors. …

Psalm 59:10 – My God  (Elohim)  in His lovingkindness  (Chaseddi)  will meet me;  God will let me look triumphantly upon my foes. ELOHE CHASEDDI – God of Mercy TODAY’S PRAYER:  You are Elohe Chaseddi,  my God of mercy.  Oh,  how I thank you for your favor and mercy in times when I have needed your forgiveness for thoughtless choices that reaped heartache and shame.  You have been merciful to me when I turned to you in repentance from my sin; …

Genesis 35:7 (NIV) – Jacob built an altar there and named the place El-bethel  (which means  “God of Bethel”),  because God had appeared to him there….  EL BETHEL – The God of the House of God TODAY’S PRAYER:  El Bethel,  set up your home within me.  Live in the depths of my soul.  Make me a clean house,  a pure and blameless place in which you can live.  Show me how to honor you through everything I do—from the entertainment…

Deuteronomy 3:24 (NIV) – O Lord  (Adonai)  God,  You have begun to show Your servant Your greatness and Your strong hand;  for what god is there in heaven or on earth who can do such works and mighty acts as Yours?  ADONAI – Master Over All TODAY’S PRAYER:  Who can calm a storm with one word?  Who can create a mountain?  You are Adonai,  Master over all and deserving of my highest praise.  I confess that there is nothing above…

Genesis 2:4 (NIV) – This is the account of the heavens and the earth when they were created.  When the Lord  (Jehovah)  God made the earth and the heavens…  JEHOVAH – The Relational God TODAY’S PRAYER:  Jehovah,  you rule over all the earth;  yet you seek a relationship with me.  Just like you walked with Adam and Eve in the garden,  you want to walk with me each day.  Forgive me when I have been too busy to open my…

Genesis 1:1 (NIV) – In the beginning God  (Elohim)  created the heavens and the earth. ELOHIM – The Strong Creator God TODAY’S PRAYER:  Elohim,  forgive me when I forget your creative power,  evidenced in this big,  beautiful world and everything in it.  I want to pause and be awed by your masterpiece.  Help me not to miss it.  Help me to luxuriate in it every day.  I am wonderfully made—my life and health.  You are my strong creator God,  and…

Psalm 18:10 (NIV) – The name of the Lord is a strong tower;  the righteous run to it and are safe.  God reveals himself by various names that relate to His ability to meet the needs of His people.  This week we will pray,  using the various names of God.  Each name reveals an aspect of His character that relates to a need—back then in Bible days,  but also today,  because He is the same yesterday,  today,  and forever (Hebrews…

II Peter 1:4 (NIV) – Through these He has given us His very great and precious promises,  so that through them you may participate in the divine nature and escape the corruption in the world caused by evil desires.  Resurrection power is not a one-time deal that happened those many years ago.  It reaches 2000 years down through history to you and me to offer us a connection to God that not only brings us personal spiritual transformation but also…

Ephesians 2:6 (NIV) – And God raised us up with Christ and seated us with Him in the Heavenly realms in Christ Jesus… Our salvation story is just the beginning.  Resurrection power enables us to overcome our personal limitations and go on to do amazing things with God.  We can experience spiritual growth,  connect to a divine calling,  and become a change agent in this world.  We get to reflect the vision of the final Kingdom that the Old Testament…

Romans 8:11 (NIV) – And if the Spirit of Him who raised Jesus from the dead is living in you,  He who raised Christ from the dead will also give life to your mortal bodies through His Spirit,  who lives in you…  We live in a world filled with death and disease.  In spite of having the best medical knowledge in the history of mankind,  only Jesus has power over death.  One day,  Christ will return and reset the world…

Hebrews 9:27 (MSG) – Everyone has to die once,  then face the consequences  (after that comes judgment – NLT).  The Resurrection validates Christ’s Message.  It means that all of Jesus’  “You-have-heard-but-I-tell you”  sermons were,  indeed,  true  (Matt. 5).  Without it,  we have no redeemer,  just another prophet.  Without it we have no definitive truth,  just another philosophy,  just another point of view.  The Resurrection unmasks false beliefs.  It warns you NOT to risk your eternity on them.  It proves that…

I Corinthians 15:13-22, focus verse 20 (NIV) – But Christ has indeed been raised from the dead…  The Resurrection validates Christ’s identity.  It was God’s giant exclamation point to the whole world that Jesus was,  indeed,  the Son of God.  Jesus does have power to take away sins.  Every aspect of our faith in Jesus is rooted,  connected,  catalyzed,  and proved through the events we remember during Easter.  The Resurrection proves that there is life after death and that Jesus…