Bible Verse of the Day Saturday May 11th 2024

 2 Corinthians 1:5 For just as we share abundantly in the sufferings of Christ, so also our comfort abounds through Christ.

Most people are very concerned about being comfortable. For example, you may have had the worst day of your life and need to find comfort. For some, it may be to curl up on the couch with a good book. For others, it may be the perfect pair of pajamas, sheets, or even a meal that helps you overcome a bad day.

Our human nature is to love comfort. We often do our best to avoid things that take us out of our comfort zone, such as steering clear of conversations that could lead to uncomfortable situations. But life is filled with awkward moments. The trials and circumstances of life can leave us uncomfortable in many ways. As the verse here starts, God reminds us that the sufferings of Christ abound in us. In other words, we will have moments where we suffer things like Jesus did, even at the expense of following Him. It can be uncomfortable for even the strongest of people in those circumstances.

But we do not have to endure our lives without any solace. The verse continues and reminds us that our solace is abundant through Christ. Through Christ, a plentiful measure of comfort is bestowed upon us. In other words, even though we might suffer, He has comforting mercy and grace to guide us through! Our comfort comes through our surrender to Christ. The comfort the Father brought to the Son in His sufferings; He will do for every believer that is surrendered to Christ.

The comfort we receive from God coincides with the depth of our suffering. There is a chain reaction of comfort from God, through other Christians, to the individual. This equation also comes down to the support of other believers. God sovereignly superintends our suffering; He only allows what we should receive and disregards what we do not need. The confidence that God's loving hand works in every believer to do what is best for them is at the core of our trust in Him. This reiteration of God's sovereign control over suffering should instill confidence and faith in us, knowing He is always seeking our best interests.

Paul saw his sufferings of many persecutions for Christ's sake as worth the trouble. There is no comparison between heaven's glory, the ultimate reward and the force of our suffering.  That is the reason that all followers of Christ should persevere in suffering with a sense of hope (Romans 8:18). In this passage we see what the old hymn said: "Oh what a foretaste of glory divine!" This concept of divine glory should inspire a sense of hope and anticipation in us, knowing that our suffering is not in Vain, 

What is causing your discomfort today? Are you grappling with life's challenges? The trials and circumstances have become overwhelming. Maybe you are anxious about what the future holds. Don't resign yourself to discomfort. There is solace in Christ waiting for you. Instead of trying to manage it alone, surrender it to Him and let Him comfort you today!

 

Bible Verse of the Day Friday May 10th 2024

Romans 1:17 For in the gospel the righteousness of God is revealed—a righteousness that is by faith from first to last, just as it is written: “The righteous will live by faith.

We believe in miracles and in a God who is not physically visible, and some may interpret this as a sign of our gullibility. However, my friend, there is nothing 'gullible' about believing in the Lord. The Bible emphasizes that we approach Christ by faith and navigate our Christian journey with joy and gladness. As Hebrews 11:6 reminds us, faith is the cornerstone of our Christian existence. It is the key that unlocks the door to certainty and eternity.

Recently, I came across an interesting story about an elderly lady who was overwhelmed by her real and imagined troubles. Despite her family's best efforts, they could only offer one solution, 'Grandma, you must place your faith and trust in God for the rest.' A look of desperation crossed her face as she responded, 'Oh, dear, has it come to that?' The truth is, it always comes to that, and it is in those moments that we must begin with faith and trust in God!

The righteousness of God is not earned but given to us through faith. This is the essence of the Good News. If all we understand is that Christ is righteous and we are not, that is very good news, the bad news is when we don't have faith in this truth. God's righteousness is offered to us only if we exercise our faith to receive it. The Bible teaches that this righteousness comes to us by faith from first to last. Faith is not just a means, but a powerful force that transforms us, allowing us to receive the righteousness of Christ and walk in that righteousness. It is this transformative power of faith that should inspire and motivate us in our spiritual journey. 

By faith, we are not only granted Christ's righteousness, but we also live our lives in and through Christ's rightfulness every day. Our faith journey does not end with our initial trust in Christ for salvation, it continues as we trust Christ with every aspect of our lives. Faith is not a one-time entry point into a right relationship with God; it is a constant, unwavering companion that guides our actions and decisions, providing us with the reassurance and guidance we need in our daily lives.

Bible Verse of the Day Thursday May 9th 2023

 Acts 4:18-20 Then they called them in again and commanded them not to speak or teach at all in the name of Jesus.  But Peter and John replied, “Which is right in God’s eyes: to listen to you, or to him? You be the judges!  As for us, we cannot help speaking about what we have seen and heard.”

When a person becomes indwelled with the Holy Spirit of God and surrenders themselves completely and totally to Christ, there can be only one result. The servant of Christ Jesus will desire to tell as many people as possible of God's saving power. 

As the Holy Spirit manifests in and through someone, and as they persist in daily study of God's Word in the presence of Jesus, a remarkable transformation occurs. They are infused with a boldness and courage that surpasses human understanding, a supernatural faith that propels them to accomplish great deeds in and out of the Kingdom of God, guided by the Holy Spirit. However this transformation makes us a formidable adversary to the devil and his kingdom. They will attempt to hinder your progress, break you down and halt your mission. But Remember you are not alone in the Battle. The devil and his cohorts will use their human agents and any other people who are weak enough for them to influence and use, then begin a scheme to stop us from what we are doing.

As many of you know, Facebook has banned our Verse of the Day from its platform. I am not sure of the precise reason Facebook has given for putting a stop to a daily gospel message from God. However, all children of God know that Satan will do anything he can and use anyone willing to listen to him to try to stop God's message from reaching the world. Google has not yet attempted to stop the Verse of the Day from going out on its platform, so we will still send the Verse of the Day out on this platform. I encourage any of you that desire to forward it to as many as possible. 

We will not allow Satan to put a stop to the glorious message of our Lord and Savior, Christ Jesus, getting out to as many people as possible. 

Bible Verse of the Day Wednesday May 8th, 2024

 John 20:30-31 Jesus performed many other signs in the presence of his disciples, which are not recorded in this book. But these are written that you may believe that Jesus is the Messiah, the Son of God, and that by believing you may have life in his name.

A miracle is an event in the natural world brought about by the simple will of God.” The miracle occurs to demonstrate that the power behind it is not restrained by natural laws or human effort, as it interposes fixed laws of nature and is employed supernaturally quite accurately. Consequently, a miracle is a supreme act of the Lord; it comes from the mighty hand of God. 

Miracles, surpassing the force of nature, are not just acts of God but also involve the participation of humans. In Joshua 10:13, the sun moves from west to east or stands still, and the Waters of the Jordan stand still in Joshua 3:16. These are instances where men of God, empowered by God Himself, ordered the natural forces to change their regular course. This shows that God can work through us, empowering us to show the extremity of Godliness through performing miracles.

Christians are miracle-believing people. All life as we know it came into being through a series of divine miracles, some extraordinary beyond human comprehension. Jesus allowed the blind to see, the lame to walk again, the mute to speak, and the lost to come to him for eternal life. All believers have an exciting miracle to look forward to. Everyone, both dead and alive, who has accepted Jesus and experienced the present miracle of the ‘new birth’ will see firsthand His glorious banquet.

 Sadly, many will never experience this miracle because they have refused to accept the new birth through repenting of their sins and faith in Christ Jesus. When the new birth is received, Jesus works a miracle in our life by allowing the Holy Spirit to come and fill us up. We may not all see burning bushes or parted seas, but everyone born of the spirit can honestly say, "I have experienced a miracle form God." When God works miraculously, He does not deny the human side of the event. His goal is not spectacular special effects but supernatural deliverance from pain and suffering. 

Bible Verse of the Day Tuesday May 7th 2024

Luke 17:19 Then he said to him, “Rise and go; your faith has made you well.”

 

As Jesus was traveling near the border that separates Galilee and Samaria, heading for Jerusalem, he came upon a village where ten men were suffering from Leprosy. Having heard of His healing powers, these men came to Jesus and asked him to heal them. There was no known cure for Leprosy in that day and age. Leprosy was repulsive; it was disgusting and was considered proof positive that those afflicted were the vilest of sinners. If someone came down with leprosy, those around them were sure that God was punishing them in the most extreme way possible.  These men must have believed that Jesus's healing power was the only way out of this life sentence they found themselves in. If Jesus did not heal them, their life was sure to be spent in suffering, pain, and isolation from the rest of society. Moreover, there would be constant pain that no medicine of the day could alleviate. We can only imagine the tension that filled the air among the people of that village that day as their very lives hung on the words of this man from Galilee. Ten lepers were placing their lives in the hands of the one that formed the earth from nothing. There can be a picture of Jesus in our mind's eyes of Him performing this great miracle.  When Jesus removed this Leprosy from their bodies, they began to run and jump for joy. Only one returned to give thanks to the one who freed them from a life of misery and isolation. The other nine only received an outward cure; however, the one who returned received a spiritual blessing along with his physical blessing. Humanity has narrowed the term miracle to the physical instead of the spiritual. There is much excitement surrounding physical healing; however, the physical element is only a dim shadow compared to the spiritual healing that Jesus is ready, willing, and able to bring forth to anyone willing to surrender to Him and accept Him as their Lord and Savior.  I ran into an old fable about two grasshoppers who inadvertently fell into a bowl of cream. One of the grasshoppers complained and grew enraged over the unfortunate circumstance he found himself in. He eventually sank to the bottom of the bowl and drowned. The other grasshopper began to sing and kick his feet around in the bowl of cream. Eventually, the cream turned to butter, and the cheerful grasshopper hopped away to freedom.  Life is what we make of it; we can follow the ways of Satan or Christ Jesus. An old Swedish proverb states: Anyone who desires to sing can always discover a song.

Bible Verse of the Day Monday May 6th , 2024

Luke 8:5-8 “A farmer went out to sow his seed. As he was scattering the seed, some fell along the path; it was trampled on, and the birds ate it up.  Some fell on rocky ground, and when it came up, the plants withered because they had no moisture.  Other seed fell among thorns, which grew up with it and choked the plants. Still other seeds fell on good soil. It came up and yielded a crop, a hundred times more than was sown.”

With very few possible exceptions, most of us are happy to see winter's end and spring's breaking. Most of us are not fond of winter's deep, cold days. We look forward to the day when the temperature is high enough that we don't need a coat to go out in the morning. One of the first signs of spring is the white blooms on the Bradford pear trees and the forsythia beginning to bloom out. These natural signs from God mean we have come to the end of a dark period and the beginning of something new. 

It is extraordinary to get the ground ready, plant seeds, and watch the new plants poke their heads out of the ground, looking for the growing power of the sun and warm weather. This process takes a determined spirit, a lot of work, and an intense focus on growing our own food. I am not very good at that at that. Having lived in the city most of my life, I pick my beans and gather my fruit at the local Food Lion or Wal-Mart.  

There are multiple avenues to reading and understanding this great parable. Many will view this from the prospect of sharing the Word of God with the lost souls of this world. But today, we should take an internal look. When we study God's Word, whether our personal study, attending a Bible Study class, a Sunday School class, or listening to a sermon, there is one critical question we must face. Are our hearts surrendered to Christ Jesus and prepared to receive the message that God has prepared for us? Are we prepared to accept God's message when entering His Holy Word? Are our hearts truly prepared? Or does God's Holy Word find our hearts in a place where they cannot genuinely mature into fruit?

Just periodically reading the Bible, to say we read the Bible today, will not help us grow and mature as strong Christians. We must intake those words, meditate on them, and open our hearts and souls so that God's message will become the seed that grows into a mature plant in our hearts, minds, spirits, and souls. 

The Holy Word of God can help us grow into the mature Christians our Lord and Savior, Christ Jesus, desires us to become. We must surrender ourselves to God, heart, mind, body, soul, and spirit, asking Him to open and prepare ourselves to receive His message. Let us ask God to help us prepare our hearts and minds to periodically read His word and allow Him to plant His message deep into our spirits and souls. Also, let us ask God to give us the desire to read His Word and spread it to this lost, dark, and dying world.

Bible Verse of the Day Sunday May 5th 2024

John 13:34-35 “A new command I give you: Love one another. As I have loved you, so you must love one another. By this everyone will know that you are my disciples if you love one another.”

The love of Christ is supernatural, divine and comes to us directly from the heart of God because God is Love. Christ Jesus was presently going to demonstrate how deep that love was for all who accepted Him as their savior, placing their faith and trust in Him and not in any worldly ways or good works and deeds that we might carry out. 

Self-sacrificing love is the new normal for believers and the totality of genuine Christianity. As Christians, we live in a hostile world. We need the support of one another to operate correctly in a worldly environment focused on laying up treasures of this world. We live in a society that gauges the worth of people by the quality and quantity of worldly treasures in our hope chest. The best way for us, as followers and believers in Christ Jesus, to demonstrate God's love to this lost, dark, and dying world is to love each other unconditionally. The world will know we are Christians, followers, and believers in Christ Jesus by demonstrating our love for all people. People will not see the love of God by our material success, by the number of people that attend our worship services, or by all the things we work so hard to accumulate. 

The more we grasp the concept and depth of our sins, the better we will comprehend the love of Christ Jesus for all people of the world. His norm for loving others was very high. This concept is an entirely different economy for Christians. The idea of "love" is randomly used today. Professional sports stars and politicians say they love their teams or people, however, this is not biblical love. Many speak of love in a romantic perception; this has nothing to do with biblical love, nor is it a warm fuzzy feeling. Biblical love is both the commitment and the execution of sacrificial love for others. It must align with what is best for our neighbor.

As Jesus exemplified and characterized the Father's love, we are to represent His love as His followers. The sole distinguishing characteristic of being a Christian is loving others; love is the emblem of being a Christian. Our distinctiveness as Christians is our love for other people, not how much knowledge, educational level, or how we serve.

Much of the Epistle of First John deals with Christians' love for one another. In that book, John argues that believers should sacrifice self-interest for others. This concept is a love of action and personal cost. Those who harbor ill feelings towards others or have the slightest malice toward other people undermine what Christianity is all about. Love for our Christian Brothers and Sisters does not suggest we are to love those without Christ any less.