Showing posts with label ESV. Show all posts
Showing posts with label ESV. Show all posts
Monday, April 6, 2026
Thursday, February 18, 2021
CONSIDER THIS: COMMAND
"This book of the law shall not depart from your mouth, but you shall meditate on it day and night, so that you may be careful to do according to all that is written in it; for then you will make your way prosperous, and then you will have success….Joshua 1:8
CONSIDER THIS: The command from Joshua to the Israelites entering Canaan is for all people of all time. The book of the Law of God – Bible – is for all generations until He comes and we know this from several scriptures. Our calling is the following: NOT to let it depart from our mouths/hearts/minds; to meditate on it always and to walk carefully in Holiness! Is this easy? No, it is not. We are going to drop our phone or tablet and crack the screen. Subsequently, the urge to let out a four letter word is right there. If it slips out, repent immediately, but if the Bible is second nature to you, then recall the words of Isaiah who told God face to Face “I am a man of unclean lips”, and the Lord cleansed his mouth with a burning coal. Bringing Scripture to mind will avert almost ANY desire to react in sin and fury.
ACTION: Start memorizing Scripture. Apart from just reading over and over and memorizing that way, a good way is to write it out by hand. Using your prayer journal or ESV or other Journaling Bible, start by writing out Psalm 23. Be slow and intentional by focusing on every line which is written. When this is memorized, go to Psalm 34 and write only a portion per day. DO that for a month and watch the difference both in you and in your alone time with the Lord.
Heavenly Father, thank you for Jesus, Who is the Word Who became flesh. Your Word in the natural here on earth is all we need, after Salvation and to continue to fight that which lives accuses and attempt to deceive us. Wpsalm e thank You that Jesus shows us how to approach these less-than-ideal situations by the Sword of the Word – as in “It is written”. Help us to be so saturated by the Word of God that it becomes second nature and we can draw on the right verse, at the right time, for any occasion, for such a time as this, in Jesus Strong Name amen.
Monday, May 30, 2016
REMEMBER ....AND WAIT
In the path of your judgments, O LORD, we wait for You; Your Name and remembrance are the desire of our soul.....Isaiah 26:8 (ESV)
Most people not only have short memories but their concept of history begins and ends with their terms of reference. The majority alive today are unaware of the impact of past events in history and how their very existence is framed by it.
The wise remember, research and revisit the lessons of chronological events in order to learn from the unique circumstances of things which have altered the course of history. We are who we are, and where we are because of past decisions. It is said that whose who ignore the lessons of history, are doomed to repeat them. Those who manipulate the clueless at times, to go along with any philosophy - from cult to communism - know their audience...and the lack of historical perspective.
This is not so, for the authentic man or woman of God, who has been called, cleansed and classified as a Child of the Living Christ. The paths of the true believer should be different from the regular citizen because the Christian also possesses a future confirmed reservation in an Eternal Kingdom. Due to this very fact, the Ruler of this Eternal Kingdom expects certain things from every resident of this place called Heaven....and He gave those instructions almost 3500 years ago, when He gave the written record to Moses. He then had forty authors, over the next 1500 years, write inspired Scripture in their own style....with the same continuous message - #JesusIsLord!
The first thing we citizens of the Heavenly Realm need to do, according to His Word and His Holy Spirit abiding in us, is to Remember. Unfortunately, the corrupt culture of "self and selfie" has ingrained itself in the Body of Christ and we hear the chant universally almost, of "what have you done for me lately"?! It is not supposed to be like this for the Christian. WE, ABOVE ALL ELSE, ARE THE ONES WHO ARE SUPPOSED TO REMEMBER WHAT THE LORD HAS DONE FOR US, PERIOD.
We are supposed to be steeped in the Knowledge of the Holy Who is Good, Gracious, Forgiving, Compassionate, Loving, Full of Mercy, Miracles and Matchless Wonder! If we are not even aware of one third of any of this, we need to go back to the drawing board of the altar, fall on our faces, beg forgiveness and start all over again. Time and time again, the Lord exhorts us to remember Him, not just in the time of our youth but throughout our lives when we have both great success and failure. We need to remember Him, in ALL His attributes throughout our lifetime, in good times and bad. It is not wise the trivialize the absolute significance of Remembering DAILY just WHO God really is.
Which brings us to the second point - "wait". The "paths of Your Judgments" in terms of the Lord, is focal point of our spiritual growth and maturity. Maturing in the Ways and Wonders of God takes patience. Sanctification is the crockpot of true Wisdom and Grace and we have no choice but to wait, hold on and persevere through those times of trials, afflictions, even times of chastisement and Godly discipline because these are the paths God has chosen to keep us on the straight and narrow highway back to our heavenly abode. These times of patient endurance mold us into the type of solid believer, which God recommends anyone associated with Him become....for our own sakes!
This is the two legs of the one who loves, adores and pursues a closer walk with the Lord. This twofold daily exercise will not only reveal the work we still have to do, in order to attain to God's standards, but these simple straightforward steps are there for both the young and old in the Faith to grab on to and run with. Jesus has equipped us with His Spirit, the same Spirit Who raised Him on Resurrection Sunday, to enable us to accomplish this amazing task. The only thing holding anyone back, from grasping this baton with both hands and running with intention, is desire to proceed. May our desire be for the Great God of Heaven, and to be called a man or woman after His own Heart, in Jesus' Name, amen.
Friday, May 31, 2013
FEAR OR FAITH - YOU MAKE THE CALL
How many times, from the front of the Bible to the back of the Book, has God said "Fear not....!" FEAR NOT or some variation thereof. There is no more all encompassing promise from Father than what God said in Joshua 1:9 - "Have I not commanded you? Be strong and of good courage; do not be afraid, nor be dismayed, for the Lord your God is with you wherever you go.”
Even Christians would say something like "well sure, Joshua is God's General and leader of the Israelites!" That is true. But time and again, we are told and know instinctively (if you're a child of God") that the Bible was given for our instruction. We either believe it is "God-breathed" or it is a book of fairy tales! The choice is yours. But remember that if you and I make the wrong choice, the blessings are short-circuited!
If a nominal Christian would not accept the Old Testament word to Joshua above, how about the Word of Jesus in the New Testament? The most literal English Translations of the Bible are the New American Standard (NAS) and the English Standard Version (ESV). I use the ESV in my writings because it flows better. The New King James Version (NKJV) is closer to these two, than the perennial standard - the King James Bible. Depending on your preference in reading/study, the variations of "fear not" to "do not be afraid" to "do not fear" range from 129 in the NKJV to 127 times in the NAS to 137 in the ESV!
There are things you should fear in this life. It is normal to be afraid for our children's and grandchildren's future in the current American system, which is rapidly in decline. America and the World's best days are not ahead of us, unless everybody in the world has been born again and saved from their sin by the Lord Jesus Christ. For the majority of mankind, it is over...and they just don't know it yet! It is normal to worry about our kids lifetime Journey with Jesus; their provision, protection and careers. That would be classified as parental concern. However, the one thing all mankind should concern ourselves with is what Jesus says in our final passage today. Look at verse 28 in BLUE:
MATTHEW CHAPTER 10, VERSES 26-33
26 “So have no fear of them, for nothing is covered that will not be revealed, or hidden that will not be known. 27 What I tell you in the dark, say in the light, and what you hear whispered, proclaim on the housetops. 28 And do not fear those who kill the body but cannot kill the soul. Rather fear him who can destroy both soul and body in hell. 29 Are not two sparrows sold for a penny? And not one of them will fall to the ground apart from your Father. 30 But even the hairs of your head are all numbered. 31 Fear not, therefore; you are of more value than many sparrows. 32 So everyone who acknowledges me before men, I also will acknowledge before my Father who is in heaven, 33 but whoever denies me before men, I also will deny before my Father who is in heaven.
In the final analysis, the choice is ours. We are told to "FEAR GOD",because this it the beginning of Wisdom. The wise person will Fear God and Keep His Commandments. The wise person who does that, is not necessarily the one whom the world adores in its corrupt state. This one "FEAR" that is sound and Biblical. The majority of mankind is destined for fiery judgment because they have absolutely NO fear or respect or awe of the Holy One Who lives forever. This "Fear" is non-negotiable if you and I call ourselves a child of God.
What we have control over is whether to take Jesus at His Word. We can count how many times this word or that or this promise or that is in the Bible, but if we don't believe it, it is meaningless...a chasing after the wind. So what do you say? Jesus said in verse 31 above: 31 Fear not, therefore; you are of more value than many sparrows.
Do you believe that? Do you believe that He Who created everything in and around us is telling you the Truth? I do, do you? Jesus is PERFECT LOVE (1 John 4:18). Do you believe He can cast out all your fears? You make the Call!
Sunday, June 10, 2012
WHAT NOW?.........Part 3
A man gains validation from his work - even saved Christian men. We want to see the fruits of our labor and not just from the number on our paycheck (after tax), but from where we have progressed....where we came from.
A woman, and correct me if I am wrong, gains validation from the quality of her relationships; the ability to multi-task and their nurturing instincts...as well as work, whether she is a career professional or a kind receptionist at your local dentist.
A few years ago, in the capitol city of Illinois, a twenty something young man took off from a well-known popular downtown Springfield bar (name withheld) after spending hours drinking on St. Patrick's Day. He was driving a menacing Lincoln Navigator and blew out of the parking lot, heading west on Jefferson Street at speeds of over 90 miles an hour! After running several traffic lights and endangering several other motorists, this man came down the hill (about 4 miles later) at such a speed, where a busy four lane city highway crossed, that he would have been unable to stop....even if he knew how.
After flying across the intersection, with all traffic stopped as they noticed this pending disaster, this guy hit a curb and went airborne for a long time. He came crash landing upside down in a huge dip right next to a then busy strip mall and died instantly. While his family was mourning yet another wasted young life, no one seems to have learned the lesson about the brevity and the beat goes on.
Solomon wrote the following, at the end of HIS wasted life: All go to one place. All are from the dust, and to dust all return. Who knows whether the spirit of man goes upward and the spirit of the beast goes down into the earth? So I saw that there is nothing better than that a man should rejoice in his work, for that is his lot. Who can bring him to see what will be after him? (Ecclesiastes 3:20-22 ESV).
This is a sad commentary on his life and the lives of most alive today. The wisest man on earth did not know if a beast had a soul and seemed doubtful his own soul was heading up to be with the Lord. This is no different from those in pursuit of material happiness - whether men or women. Solomon's validation was in his work, which gave him the excuse and temporary release in extreme pleasure. More and more today are finding it in "working for the weekend" or working for that upcoming retirement or who knows what....when the meaningful life can only be found in a fulfilling walk with the Lord!
So what now? We see that Solomon knew how to blow it and why....and this young man in front of this famed city bar....and the teen who gets pregnant right before graduation....or the 51 year old grandma in the office having an affair with her car salesman....or....or....
Well, it would be better if we start taking stock of our lives right now - all of us. We may still have a few more quarters that we can plug into the parking meter of life, before time runs out. Each day is a day of grace and mercy that we are not standing before God in judgment. We still have time to make it right and so we won't have to ask "what now"? ....well....pray with me:
Father God, in the Name of Jesus, I come to you knowing that Life is so short and Eternity is a long time. Thank You for the lesson You provided us when Your Spirit allowed Solomon to write this passage into the Scriptures, that we may learn from his mistakes and apply these truths. Help us to know that we know that we know that our souls would either go UP to be with You or that those who reject You, will be made to depart from You forever. Help us to rejoice not in OUR work, but the WORK OF CHRIST on the Cross, Who gave all that we may have all - all this important, which is Eternal Life in Your Holy Presence! Lord we love You, adore You, worship You, surrender to You, ask forgiveness from You and seek You, even more now, that we know the days are both short and evil. Be with us this day and for as long as you gave us time on this earth, may we rejoice in You and glorify You to the praise and honor of Your Name, through Christ Jesus, our Lord, amen.
(images courtesy google)
Wednesday, May 2, 2012
DAY 2 - PRAY WITH MY SPIRIT....AND MIND
TODAY, DAY 2 OF OUR THREE DAY FOCUS, WE SEE WHAT GOD SAYS ABOUT THE MECHANISM OF PRAYER.
"What am I to do? I will pray with my spirit, but I will pray with my mind also; I will sing praise with my spirit, but I will sing with my mind also".(1 Corinthians 14:15 ESV)
What does the Lord mean, when He had the Apostle Paul teach that he (Paul) should not just pray with his spirit, but "mind also"? This statement alone shows that Christianity is THE Thinking Man's religion! While thinking about how to explain this briefly, yet accurately, the Spirit within me led me to the book of Job and chapters 38-42!
For almost 36 chapters, Job is afflicted with the worst possible diseases and health problems. He and his friends spend long periods of time making speeches and saying things about God which are totally WRONG and in fact, insulting to God! Finally in those final four chapters, God has had enough and speaks! From Chapters 38-41, He asks Job 77 questions about Creation and how it came about. Of course, Job (as do we) does not have a clue or an answer for the Creator!
Yet even after Job has exhibited that he is completely out of his league in debating God....and does not have an answer for ANY of those 77 questions....God still gives his Grace and Mercy. Even more, God told Job's three friends, whom He had every right to destroy for their heresy, that if they make the appropriate offering, then "Now therefore take seven bulls and seven rams and go to my servant Job and offer up a burnt offering for yourselves. And my servant Job shall pray for you, for I will accept his prayer not to deal with you according to your folly. For you have not spoken of me what is right, as my servant Job has.” (Job 42:8 ESV)
So here is the deal...and the process. God engages us with our minds first. He shows us how weak and small we are, and most of all, how much we are in need of a Savior. But He does it with love and gentleness and the rest is up to us. Do you know any other god who will say "“Come now, let us reason together, says the LORD: though your sins are like scarlet, they shall be as white as snow; though they are red like crimson, they shall become like wool (Isaiah 1:18)
He says "Come let us REASON"!!! God wants to REASON with us! That means HE IS A REASONABLE GOD, Who is capable to answering our questions, thereby engaging our minds in the True Worship of the type of saint God is looking for! Jesus Himself said ""But an hour is coming, and now is, when the true worshipers will worship the Father in spirit and truth; for such people the Father seeks to be His worshipers (John 4:23).
NOW, after He has reasoned with us and engaged our minds with His Righteousness and Holiness and Power, the proper response is to PRAY! Under the New Covenant, which Jesus instituted with this Death, Burial and Resurrection in 33 AD, we are to be like Job's three friends in Job 42:8 above and sacrifice. The difference is that OUR sacrifice is one of Praise, Surrender, Submission and Obedience to God. We will choose to do this willingly because of Who He is and What He has revealed of Himself. After we have offered up that Sacrifice on His Altar, we pray!
Yes! We pray! AND, prayers, which are offered up with this sacrificial attitude of gratitude for the New Covenant, as I have mentioned, will then be deemed acceptable to the LORD. Then, He Himself, will indeed then listen and respond, according to His Will.
This is how we pray with our minds and then respond in our spirit to the King of the Universe. Only those who HAVE the Spirit, can respond in kind....and that means, only those who are saved and rescued from "the dominion of darkness" by the Savior can approach Him with reason and worship. Is that you? Are you saved? Do you KNOW that you're saved? Are you washed in the Blood and has God shown Himself to you as the Lord of your life? If so, ask and you shall receive, believe and then pray.
In the Name of Jesus, amen.
Wednesday, January 18, 2012
THIRTY DAY PRAYER CHALLENGE - DAY 18
PRAY THE NAMES OF GOD
DAY 18
GOD IS MERCIFUL
A definition of Mercy I have seen describes it as "Compassion or forgiveness shown toward someone whom it is within one's power to punish or harm"!
This perfectly describes our Holy God! The great and wonderful favorite prophet of mine - Jeremiah wept over the destruction of Jerusalem when God sent the Babylonians to accomplish His Will at the time. For the first two and a half chapters, Jeremiah "lamented" the ruins and devastation which Judah's idolatry and paganism had wrought, but then he said these famous words:
"The steadfast love of the LORD never ceases;
his mercies never come to an end;
they are new every morning;
great is your faithfulness.
“The LORD is my portion,” says my soul,
“therefore I will hope in him.”
(Lamentations 3:22-24 ESV)
Over 2000 years later, these words led to the great hymn of the Faith "Great is Thy Faithfulness"!
Merciful is His Name! Almighty God is the God of Mercy!
Look again at the definition of Mercy .."compassion ..toward someone..." whom it is within One's power to punish! God is going to punish sin and whether we admit it or not, we are ALL sinners. Sin will either be punished or it can be paid for, and the penalty removed.
For the majority of the world, which lives in rebellion, they WILL be punished. That includes weak or fake Christians!
But if the Lord is YOUR portion. If He is YOUR Savior, the penalty will be removed. This penalty will be pardoned. In this life, the consequences of sin may linger, but God's Grace and Love will get you through it.
ACTION POINT TODAY, READ & PRAY THIS SHORT PASSAGE:
But from there you will seek the LORD your God and you will find him, if you search after him with all your heart and with all your soul. When you are in tribulation, and all these things come upon you in the latter days, you will return to the LORD your God and obey his voice. For the LORD your God is a merciful God. He will not leave you or destroy you or forget the covenant with your fathers that he swore to them.
(Deuteronomy 4:29-31 ESV)
CLAIM THIS PORTION OF THE PASSAGE:
For the LORD your God is a merciful God. He will not leave you or destroy you or forget the covenant with your fathers that he swore to them.
PLEASE PRAY WITH ME:
Father, in the Name of Jesus and most Merciful and Gracious God, thank You for Your love for sinners such as I. Lord, You saw us in our weakened estate, lost and drifting into oblivion as we are, yet You reached down through Christ and pulled us out of the muck and mire and put a new song in our heart, a hymn of Praise to our God - YOU, Abba Father!
You had every right to punish and destroy Jerusalem as Your servant Jeremiah saw and to send disasters all around us today, but still oh God, You have withheld Your Mighty Hand of Judgment against us, until that day, so that many will be saved and come to know You as God, as the One True God of Heaven!
Father, from the rising of the sun, to the going down of the same, the Name of the Lord is greatly to be praised and I praise Your Mercy. I praise Your Kindness. I praise Your Goodness. I praise Your Holiness. I praise Your Worthiness.
You, oh God are worthy to be praised! Your mercy endureth forever!
You, oh God are worthy of worship! Your Majesty shines over all the earth!
You, oh God are worthy of wonder! Your Rule over the universe is Sovereign!
You, oh God are worthy of fear! Your Justice will prevail in days to come!
You, oh God are worthy of respect! Your Truth is embedded through eternity!
You, oh God are worthy of surrender! Your Presence will make every knee bow!
You, oh God are worthy of ALL, Your mercy endureth forever!
Lord, You are my Portion in the Land of the Living, an oasis in a dry and thirsty land and I love only You and thank You, with all my heart and soul and mind, in the Name of my Savior and Lord, Jesus the Christ, amen and amen!
TOMORROW: GOD IS SOVEREIGN!
(IMAGE BY BING IMAGES)
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