United In Love and Faith (Page 19)

John 12:1-9 (NLT) Six days before the Passover celebration began, Jesus arrived in Bethany, the home of Lazarus—the man he had raised from the dead. 2 A dinner was prepared in Jesus’ honor. Martha served, and Lazarus was among those who ate with him. 3 Then Mary took a twelve-ounce jar of expensive perfume made from essence of nard, and she anointed Jesus’ feet with it, wiping his feet with her hair. The house was filled with the fragrance. 4 But Judas Iscariot, the disciple who would…

John 11:45-53 (NLT) 45 Many of the people who were with Mary believed in Jesus when they saw this happen. 46 But some went to the Pharisees and told them what Jesus had done. 47 Then the leading priests and Pharisees called the high council together. “What are we going to do?” they asked each other. “This man certainly performs many miraculous signs. 48 If we allow him to go on like this, soon everyone will believe in him. Then the Roman army will come and destroy both…

Exodus 34: 29 (NLT)  When Moses came down Mount Sinai carrying the two stone tablets inscribed with the terms of the covenant, he wasn’t aware that his face had become radiant because he had spoken to the Lord.  “Spending time in the presence of God imparts the glory of God which is reflected to others.” Draw near to God and you will experience transformation. People will notice something different about you. Wisdom and discernment, compassion and understanding, so many of…

Exodus 33:14 (MSG)  God said (to Moses), “My presence will go with you. I’ll see the journey to the end.”  Moses unburdened his heart to the Lord. Leading so many people into the Promised Land was a God-sized task that needed more than good ideas and efficient leadership skills. This was God’s work and Moses needed God’s Presence to go before Him every step of the journey. God has a task for each one of us. Our spiritual gifts will…

Exodus 20:21 (MSG)  The people kept their distance while Moses approached the think cloud where God was.  The people stood far away from the “thick darkness” (KJV) where God was because of their guilt but Moses drew near because of his confidence. Some people are so afraid of God because they have not met Jesus, “the image of the invisible God” (Col. 1:15) who loved us so much that He died on the cross to purchase our freedom from sin.…

Exodus 19:8 (NIV)  And all the people responded together, “We will do everything the Lord has commanded.”  The Children of Israel did not know the true state of their hearts. Though they declared their consecration, their actions throughout their wilderness journey revealed a never-ending tendency to disobey the Lord and complain about everything. Nevertheless, the Lord led them and kept them and protected them like a father for his children listening for faith to take root and transform them into…

Exodus 17:6b (NIV)  So Moses struck the rock as he was told, and water gushed out as the elders look on.  Moses called that place Massah (which means “test”) because the people tested the Lord by saying, “Is the Lord here with us or not?” (vs 17:7). What comes out of your mouth in tough times? Do you question whether God is with you or not? When our emotions are devoid of feeling and our heads cannot find solutions, remember…

Exodus 16:4a (NIV)  “Look, I’m going to rain down food from heaven for you.”  Only one month into their desert journey to the Promised Land and “the whole community of Israel complained about Moses and Aaron” (vs 2). How quickly we move from celebration and praise to murmuring and complaining! But God did not retaliate against their discontent. Instead He promised an adequate supply for all: meat in the evening and bread (manna) in the morning. God did His part…

Proverbs 17:22 (MSG)  A cheerful disposition is good for your health; gloom and doom leave you bone-tired.  Researchers affirm this scriptural admonition and tell us that 20 seconds of a good, hardy belly laugh is worth three minutes on the rowing machine! Kids laugh an average of 400 times a day, while adults laugh about 15 times a day. The physical body experiences a “natural recuperation” when we laugh—it is able to heal itself and return to a state of…

Psalm 127:1  (NLT)  Unless the Lord builds the house, its builders labor in vain. Unless the Lord watches over the city, the watchmen stand guard in vain.   What foundation do you rest your life upon? Is Jesus the center of it all? Or do you depend primarily on your own resources and abilities in the various areas of your life? If God is your source for wisdom and understanding, then you can rest in knowing that your life is…

Proverbs 13:20 (NIV)  He who walks with the wise grows wise, but a companion of fools suffers harm. Who are your life-long traveling companions? These should be the people who encourage you, speak the truth, and impart wisdom and build your faith. But unsafe people (i.e. “fools”) drain us, are needy and dependent and unstable. The person who does life with fools is a person who will eventually be impacted by the behavior of the fool. The fool is the…

Mark 3:14a (NIV)  (Jesus) appointed twelve—designating them apostles—that they might be with Him….  In God’s Kingdom, our personal relationship with Christ (i.e. being “with Him”) takes precedence over our service to Him. “If we want to keep going in effectiveness, we must keep coming in devotedness.”  That means learning to be alone and stand still (I Sam. 9:27). In addition, God’s people must understand the need for their spiritual leaders to spend time alone with God (Ex. 32:1; Ex. 24:12-16)…

Matthew 11:30 (NIV)  For my yoke is easy and my burden is light.  What are the signs that we might have a burnout problem? Here are some indicators: anger, impatience, lack of compassion, and insomnia. There are more, of course. The core issue is that we must tend to our souls. Jesus clearly delineated between His type of burden and all others. Keep company with me and you’ll learn to live freely and lightly (The Message). We must receive life…

Exodus 17:8, 11-12 (NIV)  While the people of Israel were still at Rephidim, the warriors of Amalek attacked them. As long as Moses held up the staff in his hand, the Israelites had the advantage. But whenever he dropped his hand, the Amalekites gained the advantage. Moses’ arms soon became so tired he could no longer hold them up. So Aaron and Hur found a stone for him to sit on. Then they stood on each side of Moses, holding…

Exodus 17:1-4 (NIV)  …They camped at Rephidim, but there was no water for the people to drink…Then Moses cried out to the Lord “What should I do with these people?”  The perpetual conflict between the will of man and the will of God makes the “School of Submission” one of the most difficult and necessary schools of Divine Providence. Persistent refusal to submit to the sovereignty of God involves the risk of eventual open rebellion against God. Such submission may…

Exodus 16:23-36  (NLT)  He told them, “This is what the Lord commanded: tomorrow will be a day of complete rest, a holy Sabbath day set apart for the Lord…”  Obedience to God is not only expressed by consecrated activity, but also by ceasing from the efforts of self; and devotion is not only expressed by serving, but also by sitting in active contemplation and quiet worship. God gives us rest from works (Heb. 3:7-4:11), and rest in devotion (Luke 10:38-42;…

Exodus 18:3 (NLT)  Then the Lord said to Moses, “Look, I’m going to rain down food from heaven for you.”  Nobody wants to go through the “School of Need,” but God leads us into places of need so we will learn how to suffer want for the glory of God (Phil. 4:12). It can take place in the realm of the material (Matt. 6:25-34; I Kings 17:2-15), or the realm of the spiritual (Psa. 42:1-2; Isa. 44:3), or the occupational…

Exodus 15:27 (NLT)  Then they came to Elim, where there were twelve springs and seventy palm trees, and they camped there near the water.  The same God who matures us through times of disappointment and tests the reality of our profession of faith also leads us into the “School of Prosperity” where we experience the Lord’s abundance. There He teaches us humility and gratitude in regard to material things (Deut. 8:6-14; II Chron . 32:22-31), spiritual things (II Cor. 12:1-10;…

Ephesians 6:13-14 (NIV)  Therefore,  put on the full armor of God,  so that when the day of evil comes,  you may be able to stand your ground,  and after you have done everything,  to stand.  The  “stand”  in one verse refers to the end of the conflict, whereas in the other verse it refers to the beginning.  “There must be a firm stand in the beginning if there is to be one at the end.  The necessary posture toward the…

Luke 22:31 (NIV)  “Simon,  Simon,  Satan has asked to sift you as wheat…”   Satan  “sifts”—i.e.  “he seeks to put a believer through the sieve of the pressure of circumstances and  temptation and thus bring to light any inherent propensities to failure.”  Our problem is that we usually don’t recognize that some pressures are clearly subversive attempts to lead us to abandon our faith,  our calling,  our God-given mission.  “This warfare cannot be fought in the weakness of the flesh…

Daniel 7:25  (NLT)  (Satan) will defy the Most High and oppress the holy people…”  Spiritual warfare is real.  It was real in Daniel’s day,  and it is real today.  And as we move into an increasingly  “post-Christian”  culture,  we must be aware  (and prepared)  because evil will  “by means of many instrumentalities and circumstances,  endeavor to wear out the saints.  The heart of the Christian warrior tends to faint and,  craving for peace and rest,  is tempted to a cessation…

Hebrews 10:36 (NLT)  Patient endurance is what you need now,  so that you will continue to do God’s will.  Then you will receive all that He has promised.  We live in a quick-fix and easy-answer society.  Patient endurance is not a high value when we can pick up our phone and get instant answers.  We want to fix the problem and jump back into life as usual.  But where,  then,  does patient endurance get developed?  How quickly does our faith…

Hebrews 10:23 (NLT)  Let us hold tightly without wavering to the hope we affirm,  for God can be trusted to keep His promise.  What is the reason this verse gives us for holding firmly onto our faith?  Simply this:  God is faithful.  He can be trusted.  When you walk through a segment of your life journey that feels like the  “valley of the shadow” (Ps. 23)  and it seems like you will never get back into the light of day, …

Hebrews 10:25 (NLT)  And let us not neglect our meeting together,  as some people do,  but encourage one another,  especially now that the day of His return is drawing near.  Why do Christians need to meet  together regularly?  The synergy created by corporate worship has power to lift us into Heaven’s throne room where we can catch a fresh glimpse of our omnipotent God and be reenergized in our spirits.  Everyday challenges have a way of draining our joy.  On…

Romans 8:5 (NLT)  Those who are dominated by the sinful nature think about sinful things, but those who are controlled by the Holy Spirit think about things that please the Spirit   Consider your fixations. What do you tend to obsess over? What fears tend to take the reins in your heart and mind? You don’t have to be a slave to those thoughts and fears. Through Jesus you have power to interrupt your thoughts and redirect them. Christ has…

II Corinthians 10:5 (NIV)  We demolish arguments and every pretension that sets itself up against the knowledge of God, and we take captive every thought to make it obedient to Christ.  We have about 30,000 thoughts a day. What if we took just one thought captive? “What if one thought held the power to interrupt our downward spirals and bring peace to our mental chaos?” What if we lived aware of the power of Christ in us? What if we…

Romans 12:2  (NKJV)  And do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind; that you may prove what is that good and acceptable and perfect will of God.   In her new book, “Get Out of Your Head,” Jennie Allen says: “The danger of toxic thinking is it produces an alternate reality, one in which distorted reasoning actually seems to make sense.”  We have an enemy that Jesus labeled “the father of lies”…

Hebrews 12:1 (NIV)  …let us throw off everything that hinders and the sin that so easily entangles…  How we think shapes how we live. Bad habits and troublesome patterns of living are usually rooted in ways of thinking that sabotage a healthy, Christ-centered life. We break free through the redeeming power of Jesus Christ. We throw off anything that hinders or entangles us by applying the truth of God’s Word. With more than 30,000 thoughts passing through our minds daily,…

Hebrews 10:22 (NIV)  …let us draw near to God with a sincere heart in full assurance of faith….  When life tries to beat us down with discouragement there are things that we can do. Hebrews is replete with “let us” phrases meant to teach us how to rightly respond to hardships. Do you draw near to God or isolate yourself? What is your default coping skill? Is it helpful or does it make things worse? Have you learned how to…

Hebrews 4:14 (NIV)  Therefore, since we have a great high priest who has gone through the heavens, Jesus the Son of God, let us hold firmly to the faith we profess.  The writer of Hebrews wrote to encourage the persecuted new believers who faced such hardships that they wondered if their faith in Jesus Christ was worth it. When life hits us with crushing blows and there seems to be no answer, Hebrews reminds us that Jesus is our advocate.…

Matthew 6:13 (KJVS)  …For thine is the kingdom… God’s Kingdom is both future and present  (Luke 12:32).  The fullest expression is coming;  but the Spirit is at work today as we submit to God’s rule in our lives.  Do you live for Him on Sunday alone or does He rule in your heart every day of the week?  Begin and end your day by praying:  “Jesus be the Lord of every Kingdom of my heart.”

I Peter 5:6 (NLT)  So humble yourselves under the mighty power of God,  and at the right time He will lift you up in honor.  When we have prayed in faith we can rest firm in our confidence that God has heard us.  He will attend to all the issues;  and even when we don’t see our preferred timing in the answer,  keep in mind that His purposes are not being lost.  Human nature rests in the power of the…

II Peter 2:9  (NLT)  The Lord knows how to rescue godly people from their trials…  “A clear translation of Matthew 6:13 shows that Jesus actually directed us to pray:  Father,  should we at any point be led into any temptation,  test or trial,  we want to come out delivered and victorious.”  Any circumstances designed to lead us astray obviously do not come from the Lord  (James 1:13-14).  But the reality of everyday life confronts us with challenges and trials,  which…

Mark 11:25 (NIV)  And when you stand praying,  if you hold anything against anyone,  forgive him,  so that your Father in heaven may forgive you your sins.  Those who have received forgiveness need to be forgiving toward others.  Christ asks us to go the extra mile and take on the role of reconciler—just as He did for us when He reconciled us to the Father.  “The effects of sin and Satan’s discord in our lives makes us all terribly vulnerable…

I John 1:9 (NLT)  But if we confess our sins to Him,  He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all wickedness.  Not one of us is flawless.  Selfishness and pride grow all too easily in our hearts.  “Sin is an inherited inclination in us all,  and it needs to be forgiven.”  Jesus taught us to pray for forgiveness—not to remind us of our sinful nature as much as to  “keep us from…

Matthew 6:12 (NLT)  …and forgive us our sins,  as we have forgiven those who sin against us.   Jesus teaches us that if we do not live in  “God’s dimension of release and forgiveness toward others,  we will inevitably become an obstruction to our own life,  growth and fruitfulness.”  Forgiving faith works both ways.  We must confess our own violations against God,  and we must forgive others who we believe have violated us.  Forgiveness is a primary,  essential truth to…

Deuteronomy 33:25 (NIV)  As your days,  so shall your strength be.  When we pray,  “Give us this day our daily bread,”  we find in the Lord a strength proportionate to each day’s needs.  “Whatever challenges a day holds—confrontations,  difficulties,  even tragedies—we will receive the strength to face them.  Just as we derive physical strength and nourishment from eating daily bread,  so we will gain spiritual strength and nourishment when we learn the wisdom of acknowledging our dependency upon the Father—and…

Matthew 6:11(NIV)  Give us today our daily bread.  This supplication shows our need to learn an accountability for each day’s hours and events.  Jesus is teaching us to ask for the Father’s direction and provision in every event and during each hour of our day.  “Committing each day’s details to God in prayer—requesting today’s bread—can deliver us from pointless pursuits and wasted time.”  Such prayer paves the way to victorious days.  “Daily bread”  prayer is  “daily victory”  and  “daily overcoming” …

Psalm 90:12  (NLT)  Teach us to realize the brevity of life,  so that we may grow in wisdom.   This is a  “sound-minded request for wisdom to recognize how few days we have and how much we need to employ them wisely.  The psalmist also says,  My times are in Your hand;  deliver me from the hand of my enemies  (Ps. 31:15).  What wisdom!  When we put our day in God’s hands,  any enemy we face can be conquered.  Whether…

Matthew 4:4 (NIV)  Jesus answered,  “It is written:  ‘Man does not live on bread alone,  but on every word that comes from the mouth of God.’ ” When Jesus prayed,  “Give us this day our daily bread,”  He was talking about more than having enough food or having our physical needs met.  He was inviting us to come to the Father daily for refreshing,  renewal and nourishment for both soul and body.  We must recognize our dependency on the Lord…