Thursday, October 10, 2019

THURSDAY, 10TH OCTOBER, 2019-DON'T FORGET US






















Don’t Forget!

Bible in a Year:
He was taken up before their very eyes, and a cloud hid him from their sight.

Acts 1:9

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Today's Scripture & Insight:

My niece, her four-year-old daughter Kailyn, and I had a wonderful Saturday afternoon together. We enjoyed blowing bubbles outside, coloring in a princess coloring book, and eating peanut butter and jelly sandwiches. When they got in the car to leave, Kailyn sweetly called out the opened window, “Don’t forget me, Auntie Anne.” I quickly walked toward the car and whispered, “I could never forget you. I promise I will see you soon.”
In Acts 1, the disciples watched as Jesus was “taken up before their very eyes” into the sky (v. 9). I wonder if they thought they might be forgotten by their Master. But He’d just promised to send His Spirit to live in them and empower them to handle the persecution that was to come (v. 8). And He’d taught them He was going away to prepare a place for them and would come back and take them to be with Him (John 14:3). Yet they must have wondered how long they would have to wait. Perhaps they wanted to say, “Don’t forget us, Jesus!”
For those of us who have put our faith in Jesus, He lives in us through the Holy Spirit. We still may wonder when He will come again and restore us and His creation fully. But it will happen—He won’t forget us. “Therefore encourage one another and build each other up” (1 Thessalonians 5:11).
By:  Anne Cetas


Reflect & Pray

How do you sense God’s presence in your life? What are you looking forward to the most in eternity?
We enjoy walking with You now, but we look forward to the day when all things will be fully restored. Come soon, Lord Jesus.
























https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=c-96b1rlhgg

Wednesday, October 9, 2019

WEDNESDAY, 9TH OCTOBER, 2019- HANG IN THERE




Hang in There

Bible in a Year:


I will strengthen you and help you; I will uphold you with my righteous right hand.

Isaiah 41:10





Today's Scripture & Insight:

My father-in-law turned seventy-eight recently, and during our family gathering to honor him, someone asked him, “What’s the most important thing you’ve learned in your life so far?” His answer? “Hang in there.”   
Hang in there. It might be tempting to dismiss those words as simplistic. But my father-in-law wasn’t promoting blind optimism or positive thinking. He’s endured tough things in his nearly eight decades. His determination to press on wasn’t grounded in some vague hope that things might get better, but in Christ’s work in his life.  
“Hanging in there”—the Bible calls it perseverance—isn’t possible through mere willpower. We persevere because God promised, over and over, that He’s with us, that He’ll give us strength, and that He’ll accomplish His purposes in our lives. That’s the message He spoke to the Israelites through Isaiah: “So do not fear, for I am with you; do not be dismayed, for I am your God. I will strengthen you and help you; I will uphold you with my righteous right hand” (Isaiah 41:10).
What does it take to “hang in there”? According to Isaiah, the foundation for hope is God’s character. Knowing God’s goodness allows us to release our grip on fear so we can cling to the Father and His promise that He will provide what we need each day: strength, help, and God’s comforting, empowering, and upholding presence.
By:  Adam Holz

Reflect & Pray

How have you experienced God’s provision for you in moments of fear? How can the support of other believers help you to hang on?  
Father, Your love gives us everything we need to “hang in there.” Help us to remember Your promise of strength and to rely upon it each day.

Classic Gospel Songs - Jim Reeves, Statler Brothers, Tennessee Ernie Ford & The Jordanaires w/ Hymns



Today's Scripture



Insight

In the prophecies of Isaiah, chapters 1–39 are like an ever-darkening night anticipating a catastrophic consequence to Jerusalem’s love affair with idols (Isaiah 39:6–7). When the warnings come to pass, chapters 40–55 follow like a dawning light. According to the prophet, God would once again show His people the mercy He had shown Jacob—the lying, scheming father of their nation. He would call them from the streets of Babylon as He had led Abraham, the father of their faith, out of idolatrous Ur. In a way no one could have anticipated, He would rescue them by a foreign king who didn’t even know Him (45:1–13). Cyrus, king of Persia, would crush Babylon and offer the Jewish people their right of return. With words of hope and a hint of His greater plans for the world, He urges them not to be afraid of returning to Him (41:13).



Tuesday, October 8, 2019

TUESDAY, 8TH OCTOBER, 2019-GOD'S HEART FOR HYPOCRITES-GYAMPOO AND NYANTAKYI

God’s Heart for Hypocrites

Bible in a Year:
She is more righteous than I.

Genesis 38:26

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Today's Scripture & Insight:

“I’d be very disappointed if one of our team members did that,” said a cricket player, referring to a South African cricketer who’d cheated in a match in 2016. But only two years later, that same player was caught in a nearly identical scandal.
Few things rankle us more than hypocrisy. But in the story of Judah in Genesis 38, Judah’s hypocritical behavior nearly had deadly consequences. After two of his sons died soon after marrying Tamar, Judah had quietly abandoned his duty to provide for her needs (vv. 8–11). In desperation, Tamar disguised herself by wearing a prostitute’s veil, and Judah slept with her (vv. 15–16).
Yet when Judah learned that his widowed daughter-in-law was pregnant, his reaction was murderous. “Bring her out and have her burned to death!” he demanded (v. 24). But Tamar had proof that Judah was the father (v. 25).
Judah could have denied the truth. Instead he admitted his hypocrisy, and also accepted his responsibility to care for her, saying, “She is more righteous than I” (v. 26).
And God wove even this dark chapter of Judah and Tamar’s story into His story of our redemption. Tamar’s children (vv. 29–30) would become ancestors of Jesus (Matthew 1:2–3).
Why is Genesis 38 in the Bible? One reason is because it’s the story of our hypocritical human hearts—and of God’s heart of love, grace, and mercy.


Reflect & Pray

How do you react when you become aware of your hypocrisy? What would happen if we all became truly transparent with each other?
Help me to see, Father, that at the heart of the matter, we’re all hypocrites who need Your forgiveness.


Monday, October 7, 2019

MONDAY, 7TH OCTOBER, 2019-SHELTER FROM THE STORM-THE STORY BEHIND THE ROCK OF AGES SONG

Shelter from the Storm

Bible in a Year:
When my glory passes by, I will put you in a cleft in the rock and cover you with my hand until I have passed by.

Exodus 33:22
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Today's Scripture & Insight:
As the story goes, in 1763, a young minister, traveling on a cliffside road in Somerset, England, ducked into a cave to escape the flashes of lightning and pounding rain. As he looked out at Cheddar Gorge, he pondered the gift of finding shelter and peace in God. Waiting there, he began to write a hymn, “Rock of Ages,” with its memorable opening lines: “Rock of Ages, cleft for me, let me hide myself in thee.”
We don’t know if Augustus Toplady thought about Moses’s experience in the cleft of a rock while writing the hymn (Exodus 33:22), but perhaps he did. The Exodus account tells of Moses seeking God’s reassurance and God’s response. When Moses asked God to reveal His glory to him, God answered graciously, knowing that “no one may see me and live” (v. 20). He tucked Moses into the rocks when He passed by, letting Moses only see His back. And Moses knew that God was with him.
We can trust that just as God said to Moses, “My Presence will go with you” (v. 14), so too we can find refuge in Him. We may experience many storms in our lives, as did Moses and the English minister in the story, but when we cry out to Him, He will give us the peace of His presence.

Reflect & Pray

As you look back at various seasons of your life, how do you see God’s loving presence during the storms? How do you experience His presence today?
Father God, help me to trust that You’re with me, even during the storms of life.





Sunday, October 6, 2019

SUNDAY, 6TH OCTOBER, 2019-DO WHAT THE BIBLE SAYS

Do What It Says

Bible in a Year:



Blessed rather are those who hear the word of God and obey it.

Luke 11:28
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Today's Scripture & Insight:
Brian was scheduled to be an usher at his brother’s wedding, but he was a no-show. Understandably, family members were disappointed, including his sister Jasmine who was the Scripture reader for the occasion. At the ceremony she flawlessly read from the well-known Scripture passage about love in 1 Corinthians 13. But after the wedding when her father asked her to deliver a birthday gift to Brian, she hesitated. She found it harder to live the words about love than to read them. Before the evening was over, however, she had a change of mind and admitted, “I can’t stand and read Scripture about love and not practice it.”
Have you ever been convicted by Scripture that you read or heard but found it difficult to carry out? You’re not alone. It’s easier to read and listen to God’s Word than to obey it. That’s why James’s challenge is so fitting: “Do not merely listen to the word, and so deceive yourselves. Do what it says” (James 1:22). His mirror illustration makes us smile because we know what it means to observe something about ourselves that needs attention. But we’re deceived if we think that observing alone is enough. When James nudges us to “[look] intently into” and “[continue] in” God’s truth (v. 25), he encourages us to do what Jasmine was compelled to do—live it. God’s Word calls for it, and He deserves nothing less.


Reflect & Pray

When did you make a change in your life after looking intently into the Scriptures? How was your life enriched?
Heavenly Father, help me to better understand what it means to look intently into Your Word and live out what I read.




Saturday, October 5, 2019

SATURDAY, 5TH OCTOBER, 2019-TRUST YOUR ARMOR-HE WILL SAVE YOU

Trust Your Armor

Bible in a Year:
Go, and the Lord be with you.

1 Samuel 17:37
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Today's Scripture & Insight:
As a young writer I was often unsure of myself when I was in writing workshops. I would look around and see rooms filled with giants, if you will—people with formal training or years of experience. I had neither. But what I did have was an ear formed by the language and tone and cadences of the King James Version of the Bible. It was very much my armor, so to speak, what I was used to, and allowing it to inform my writing style and voice has become a joy to me, and I hope to others.
We don’t get the impression that David the young shepherd was unsure of himself when it came to wearing Saul’s armor to fight Goliath (1 Samuel 17:38–39). He simply couldn’t move around in it. David realized one man’s armor can be another man’s prison—“I cannot go in these” (v. 39). So he trusted what he knew. God had prepared him for that moment with just what was needed (vv. 34–35). The sling and stones were what David was used to, his armor, and God used them to bring joy to the ranks of Israel that day.
Have you ever felt unsure of yourself, thinking If I just had what someone else has, then my life would be different? Consider the gifts or experiences God has given specifically to you. Trust your God-given armor.
By:  John Blase


Reflect & Pray

What’s an example of someone else’s armor that’s been a matter of comparison or even jealousy for you? How might your armor be just what’s needed for this day?
Sovereign God, at times it’s easy to feel unsure of myself, especially in situations where challenges feel like giants. Help me to trust that You’ve given me just what I need. You’ve crafted my life’s story.


Uplifting Gospel Hymns - Alan Jackson with Instrumental Hymns



FRIDAY, 4TH OCTOBER, 2019-STAY FOCUS, DONT BE AFRAID

He Calms the Storms

Bible in a Year:


But Jesus immediately said to them: “Take courage! It is I. Don’t be afraid.”

Matthew 14:27
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Today's Scripture & Insight:
Jim was frantically sharing about problems he was encountering with his work team: division, judgmental attitudes, and misunderstandings. After an hour of patiently listening to his concerns, I suggested, “Let’s ask Jesus what He would have us do in this situation.” We sat quietly for five minutes. Then something amazing happened. We both felt God’s peace cover us like a blanket. We were more relaxed as we experienced His presence and guidance, and we felt confident to wade back into the difficulties.
Peter, one of Jesus’s disciples, needed God’s comforting presence. One night he and the other disciples were sailing across the Sea of Galilee when a strong storm arose. All of a sudden, Jesus showed up walking on water! Naturally, this took the disciples by surprise. He reassured them: “Take courage! It is I. Don’t be afraid” (Matthew 14:27). Peter impulsively asked Jesus if he could join Him. He stepped out of the boat and walked toward Jesus. But he soon lost focus, became aware of the dangerous and humanly impossible circumstance he was in, and started sinking. He cried out, “Lord, save me!” and Jesus lovingly rescued him (vv. 30–31).
Like Peter, we can learn that Jesus, the Son of God, is with us even in the storms of life!

Reflect & Pray

What storm of life are you going through today? What can you do to shift your focus from the storm to the One who can calm it?
Jesus, thank You that You have the power and authority to calm the storms in our lives. Help us to trust You.



THURSDAY, 3RD OCTOBER, 2019-LOVE'S LONG REACH- THE LIMITATION OF TECHNOLOGY

Love’s Long Reach

Oh, the depths of the riches of the wisdom and knowledge of God!

Romans 11:33
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Today's Scripture & Insight:
Mary Lee is a sixteen-foot, 3,500-pound great white shark tagged by oceanographers off the east coast of the US in 2012. The transmitter attached to her dorsal fin would be tracked by satellite when she surfaced. For the next five years Mary Lee’s movements were observed online by everyone from researchers to surfers, up and down the coast. She was tracked for nearly 40,000 miles until one day her signal stopped—probably because the battery on her transmitter expired.           
Human knowledge and technology reach only so far. Those “following” Mary Lee lost track of her, but you and I can never evade God’s awareness throughout every moment of our lives. David prayed, “Where can I go from your Spirit? Where can I flee from your presence? If I go up to the heavens, you are there; if I make my bed in the depths, you are there” (Psalm 139:7–8). “Such knowledge is too wonderful for me,” he exclaims gratefully (v. 6).
God chooses to know us because He loves us. He cares enough not only to observe our lives but also to enter into them and make them new. He drew near through Christ’s life, death, and resurrection, so we could know Him in return and love Him for eternity. We can never go beyond the reach of God’s love.
By:  James Banks


Reflect & Pray

How does the thought that God knows and loves us completely encourage you? How will you reach out to others with His love today?
Thank You for always seeing me, Father! Help me to live today with a growing awareness of Your presence and perfect love.


Today's Scripture


Insight

A simple definition of the word theology is “the study of God.” In Psalm 139, David didn’t set out to write a mini-course on theology, but his prayer-filled composition is just that. Verses 1–18 include three unique characteristics of the God of the Bible: He is omniscient (all-knowing, vv. 1–6), omnipresent (always present, vv. 7–12), and omnipotent (all-powerful, vv. 13–18). It’s staggering when we think of God in the way Psalm 139 depicts Him. The psalmist’s writing is very personal (notice the number of first-person pronouns). David doesn’t leave us with abstract thoughts about a distant God, but his reflections lead to personal application: “Search me, God, and know my heart; test me and know my anxious thoughts. See if there is any offensive way in me, and lead me in the way everlasting” (vv. 23–24).
To learn more about basic Christian beliefs visit christianuniversity.org/ST101.

Wednesday, October 2, 2019

WEDNESDAY, 2ND OCTOBER, 2019-CATCHING FOXES-RELATIONSHIP COUNSELLING

Catching Foxes

Catch for us the foxes, the little foxes that ruin the vineyards.

Song of Songs 2:15
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Today's Scripture & Insight:
The first time a bat invaded our home we dismissed it as a fluke. But after a second nighttime visit, I read up on the little critters and discovered they don’t need much of an opening to pay humans a visit. In fact, if they find a gap as small as the side of a coin they’ll let themselves in.
So I loaded up my caulk gun and went on a mission. I went around the house and closed up every tiny opening I could find.
In Songs of Songs 2:15, Solomon mentions another troublesome mammal. He writes of the danger of “little foxes,” which can “ruin the vineyards.” Symbolically, he’s speaking of threats that can enter a relationship and ruin it. Now I don’t mean to offend bat-lovers or fox-lovers, but keeping bats out of the house and foxes out of the vineyard is a bit like dealing with sin in our lives (Ephesians 5:3). By the grace of God, the Holy Spirit works within us so that we don’t have to “live according to the flesh but according to the Spirit” (Romans 8:4). By the Spirit’s power we can resist the temptation to sin.
Praise God that, in Christ, we’re now “light in the Lord” and can live in a way that “pleases” Him (Ephesians 5:8–10). The Spirit helps us catch those little foxes.
By:  Dave Branon


Reflect & Pray

When you’re tempted to sin, how can you lean into the Holy Spirit’s power to resist it? What little foxes can the Spirit help you deal with today?
God, use Your power to give me the strength to resist sinning and damaging my relationship with You and others.

Today's Scripture


Insight

Today’s passage flows seamlessly out of chapter 4, in which Paul tells us how to live our lives in Christ. First he notes the futile thinking of those who live apart from God. “They are darkened in their understanding” (Ephesians 4:18) and so “indulge in every kind of impurity” (v. 19). But we’re to “put on the new self, created to be like God” (v. 24). This means a lifestyle of honesty and integrity, usefulness and generosity (vv. 25–28). Above all, it’s marked by kindness, compassion, and forgiveness (v. 32). Such Christlike behavior starkly contrasts with the darkness we once lived in. “As children of light” (5:8) we reflect the One who is the Light (see 1 John 1:5–7).







Tuesday, October 1, 2019

Tuesday 1st October 2019-EAT AND REPEAT





Eat and Repeat

Bible in a Year:



We have lost our appetite; we never see anything but this manna!

Numbers 11:6
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Today's Scripture & Insight:
When Kerry and Paul got married, neither one knew how to cook. But one night Kerry decided to try her hand at spaghetti—making so much that the couple had it for dinner again the next day. On the third day, Paul volunteered to cook, doubling the amount of pasta and sauce, hoping the huge pot would last through the weekend. As the couple sat down for dinner that night, however, it was Kerry who confessed, “I’m sick of spaghetti.”
Just imagine eating the same meal as the Israelites did—for forty years. Each morning they gathered the sweet “super food” God supplied and cooked it (no leftovers unless the next day was the Sabbath, Exodus 16:23–26). Sure, they got creative—baking it, boiling it (v. 23). But, oh, how they missed the good food they had enjoyed in Egypt (v. 3; Numbers 11:1–9), even though that nourishment had come at the high cost of cruelty and enslavement!
We too may sometimes resent that our life isn’t what it once was. Or perhaps the “sameness” of life has caused us to be discontent. But Exodus 16 tells of God’s faithful provision to the Israelites, causing them to trust and depend on His care each day.
God promises to give us everything we need. He satisfies our longings and fills up our soul with “good things” (Psalm 107:9 esv). 





Reflect & Pray

In what ways has God provided for you in the past? What longing is keeping you from trusting Him more?
Father, thank You for Your promise to faithfully care for me and provide what I need.






Today's Scripture


Insight

The Hebrew word for manna means “what is it?” Manna looked like white flakes of frost on the ground and tasted “like wafers made with honey” (Exodus 16:14, 31). The poetic language of Psalm 78:24 tells us, “[God] rained down manna for the people to eat, he gave them the grain of heaven.” This image of manna as bread is picked up in the New Testament. In John 6, the people said it was “bread from heaven” (v. 31), then Jesus lifted this bread up to its highest level as a picture of Himself (vv. 32–33)! Christ called Himself “the bread that came down from heaven” (v. 41). Jesus said, “Your ancestors ate the manna in the wilderness, yet they died. But here is the bread that comes down from heaven, which anyone may eat and not die” (vv. 49–50).