Saturday, February 17, 2007

Proclaim

"Go home to your people and tell them all the Lord in his mercy has done for you.' So the man went off and proceeded to proclaim in the Decapolis all that Jesus had done for him. And everyone was amazed." (Mark 11: 19 – 20)

"I will be a witness to you in the world, O Lord. I will spread the knowledge of your name among my brothers." (Psalm 18:50; 21:23)

Lord, will you help me do this? I know the answer. Thank you Jesus.

Friday, February 16, 2007

Babel

"The Lord came down to see the city and tower that they had built. Then the Lord said: "If now, while they are one people, all speaking the same language, they have started to do this, nothing will later stop them from doing whatever they presume to do. Let us then go down and there confuse their language, so that one will not understand what another says." Thus the Lord scattered them from there all over the earth, and they stopped building the city. That is why it was called Babel, because there the Lord confused the speech of all the world. It was from this place that he scattered them all over the earth." (Genesis 11: 5 – 9)

God shows in this story that he is in control of events and not man. He is the Lord of history who brings low the pride of man whenever he wishes. God's loving providence governs everything.

"The Lord brings to nought the plans of nations;

he foils the designs of peoples.

But the plan of the Lord stands forever,;

the design of his heart, through all generations."

(Psalm 33: 10-11)

Wednesday, February 14, 2007

The Power of Faith

"These were men who through faith conquered kingdoms, did what was upright and earned the promises. They could keep a lion's mouth shut, put out blazing fires and emerged unscathed from battle. They were weak people who were given strength to be brave in war and drive back foreign invaders." (Hebrews 11: 33)

I too can overcome through faith.

Through faith, we overcome the world. (1 John 5: 4-5)

"And this is the victory that has overcome the world – our faith. Who can overcome the world but the one who believes that Jesus is the Son of God."

Tuesday, February 13, 2007

Light and Guidance

The Lord will guide me always (Isaiah 58:11)

You will guide me (Psalm 31:3)

Let your good Spirit lead me (Psalm 143:10)

Lead me in the everlasting way (Psalm 139:24)

Lead me in your truth (Psalm 25:5)

The Lord will guide me continually (Isaiah 58:11)

With your counsel you will guide me (Psalm 73: 24)

I will lead the blind by a way they do not know (Isaiah 42: 16)

He will lead them to springs of water (Isaiah 49:10)


 

I lead them with cords of love (Hosea 11:4)

I lead you in the way you should go (Isaiah 48: 17)

The Lord directs his steps (Proverbs 16:9)

The Lord has guided me (Genesis 24: 27, 48)

However far away I go, your hand leads me (Psalm 139: 10)

You lead them to your holy habitation (Exodus 15: 13)

(Roget's Thesaurus of the Bible)

Monday, February 12, 2007

Waiting for the Lord / Expectation

  1. Wait for the Lord (Psalm 27: 14; 37:34)
  • Wait patiently for him (Psalm 37: 7)


     

  1. I wait for you (Psalm 25: 21)
  • For you I wait all day (Psalm 25: 5);


     

  1. I wait for the Lord more than a watchman wait for the morning (Psalm 130: 5-6);
  • I wait for God my savior (Micah 7:7)
  • I wait patiently for the Lord (Psalm 40: 1)
  • I wait in silence for God (Psalm 62: 1, 5)
  • We wait for you (Isaiah 26: 8, 33: 2)


     

  1. Those who wait for the Lord renew their strength (Isaiah 40: 31)
  • Those who wait for the Lord will inherit the land (Psalm 37: 9)
  • Blessed are those who wait for him (Isaiah 30: 18)
  • May those who wait for you not be ashamed through me (Psalm 69:6)
  • This is our God for whom we have waited (Isaiah 25:9)
  • The Lord is good to those who wait for him (Lamentation 3: 25)


     

  1. Be like men waiting for their Master (Luke 12: 36)
  2. Saul was told to wait 7 days for Samuel (1 Samuel 10: 8; 13:8)
  3. David will wait until word came (2 Samuel 15; 28)


 

(Roget's Thesaurus of the Bible)

Sunday, February 11, 2007

Spirit of fear

"God hath not given us the spirit of fear; but of power and of love, and of a sound mind." (2 Timothy 1: 7)

Very often in his ministry, Jesus Christ tells us: "Do not be afraid." The truth is that when we look around us, we see so many things to cause us fear. We live our human condition in an environment of insecurity and fear inducing events. Let us consider some of these for a moment:

  • Family
  • Money
  • Health
  • Job
  • Food
  • Tools

These are things that cause us worry and fear. Why did Jesus tell us so often not to be afraid? First, God's loving providence provides and protects us in every situation. And the naked truth is that there is nothing we can do to change the situation that causes us fear. Then consider the Holy Spirit that God has given us – "the spirit of power and of love, and of a sound mind."