For I am not ashamed of the gospel,
because it is the power of God
that brings salvation to
EVERYONE
who believes:
first to the Jew,
then to the Gentile.
Romans 1:16
I think God's Word is specific.
Wednesday, July 17, 2013
Tuesday, July 16, 2013
Camp Time--Time to Celebrate
I will always praise the Lord
With all my heart,
I will praise the Lord.
Let all who are helpless,
listen and be glad.
I will praise the Lord.
Let all who are helpless,
listen and be glad.
Honor the LORD with me!
Celebrate his great name.
Psalm 34: 1-3
(Contemporary English Version)
It's Children's Music Camp week and I feel a little helpless teaching 1-2 and 3-5 class piano. Some have experience and some...well, this is their first time to have a piano lesson. It's a challenge to teach both in one class in 20 minute classes, two a day, but I have a great assistant. Another teacher at the Community Music Center is handling the newbies and doing a great job.
One thing I do know--I will honor the Lord with what I do this week and I will celebrate His great name for allowing me this opportunity.
Monday, July 15, 2013
The Seedling
Therefore, get rid of all moral filth
and the evil that is so prevalent
and humbly accept the word
planted in you,
which can save you.
James 1:21
Seeds can sprout in a wet paper towel or sand, like the ones above. What they need to grow into healthy plants is fertile soil.
So many seeds of the gospel have been sown but people have neglected their growth by not heeding the planter..."Now, attach yourself to a Bible believing church that can nurture you and help you grow in the faith. Read God's Word and take it into your life. Seek other believers as friends and become accountable to them. Pray and seek guidance from the one who made you...." So many seedlings, so few trees.
Saturday, July 13, 2013
True Bread
Jesus answered,
“It is written:
‘Man shall not live on bread alone,
but on every word
that comes from the mouth of God."
Matthew 4:4
I am a glutinous person. There...I've said it. Maybe not all the time but enough to still wear larger clothes than my height and age say I should. Our whole society (and others) think about food A LOT and we're swept up with specials and super-sizes. If only we were as excited about fattening our souls with true bread instead of the kind that makes our bellies hang out.
Thursday, July 11, 2013
The Heavens and The Earth
Ah, Sovereign LORD, you have made
the heavens and the earth
by your great power and outstretched arm.
Nothing is too hard for you.
Jeremiah 32:17
I'm praising you today, O Lord, for all of your creations (yes, even spiders). You have made everything by your order and in your time and I am grateful. I thank you for your vast love and your mercy for the things you have created and I look forward to the wonders of eternity with you.
You are the one and only Sovereign LORD.
Wednesday, July 10, 2013
His Way In The Whirlwind
The LORD is slow to anger but great in power;
the LORD will not leave the guilty unpunished.
His way is in the whirlwind and the storm,
and clouds are the dust of his feet.
Nahum 1:3
I love the imagery in the Bible but reading this and finding this photograph...wow, it's scary. The real scary thing is doing something that requires punishment by the LORD. We then deserve the whirlwind He can cause.
He's so powerful and we're so small.
Blessed be the name of the LORD.
Tuesday, July 9, 2013
Paths
Teach me to follow, Lord,
and lead me on the right path.
Psalm 27:11
[Contemporary English Version (CEV)
Copyright (C) 1995 American Bible Society]
Which path would you choose?
Without consulting the Maker of the Paths, I would probably and unknowingly (or not) choose the steepest one and then a quarter of the way up, I'd wish I had followed the other one. Why do we take off on our own when God wants us to go a different way?
Why are we so arrogant to not seek advice for our journeys?
Monday, July 8, 2013
Resting in the Shadow
Whoever dwells in the shelter of the Most High
will rest in the shadow of the Almighty.
Psalm 91:1
It took a while to find a photo that fit the scripture today but I think this one does.
From the time Jesus was born to the time He died, He was in the shadow of the Almighty.
God was holding Him up through all His trials on earth so He could provide for us a way to eternity with Him. He was showing us how to depend on Him through it all.
He holds us now.
(Can you figure out from where the shadow is coming in the photo above?)
Sunday, July 7, 2013
Rain That Sparkles
A ruler who obeys God and does right
is like the sunrise on a cloudless day.
or like rain that sparkles on the grass.
2 Samuel 23:3b-4
(Contemporary English Version®
Copyright © 1995 American Bible Society. All rights reserved.)
This version of the Bible is so expressive.
We need this from all our leaders...political,corporate and religious.
Saturday, July 6, 2013
God's Word Forever
Heaven and earth
will pass away,
but my words
will never pass away.
Matthew 24:35
It is comforting to know that God's Word stands forever...no matter what.
Friday, July 5, 2013
Thursday, July 4, 2013
Feeling Patriotic
Blessed is the nation
whose God
is the Lord,
the people he chose
for his inheritance.
Psalm 33:12
The nation spoken here by the Psalmist was Israel but when Jesus entered the scene, the word "nation" extended to the Gentiles, anyone other than Israel. That message of salvation, rightness with God, eternal hope rested in the belief in Jesus, God's Son, and is offered today to anyone who believes in Him. Our nation is missing out on the blessings God can offer us if we don't take this scripture seriously.
Look what happened to Israel.
Wednesday, July 3, 2013
Mind and Heart
The heart is deceitful above all things
and beyond cure.
Who can understand it?
“I the Lord search the heart
and examine the mind,
to reward each person according to their conduct,
according to what their deeds deserve.”
Jeremiah 17:9-10
...and we wonder why things go wrong, why our plans fail, why the world is the way it is, why we are scared, lonely or hurting.
Our minds are full of everything but God and our hearts are stone-cold.
Yes, we live in a fallen world and bad things happen to good people. When that happens, first examine your heart and mind and see whether you deserve anything but what you are being given. I don't.
I'm thankful that God sees fit to allow me one more day because my heart and mind many times have not given God the place He deserves.
Tuesday, July 2, 2013
Hiding Again?
Who can hide in secret places
so that I cannot see them?”
declares the Lord.
“Do not I fill heaven and earth?”
declares the Lord.
Jeremiah 23:24
Why do we do it? We know better. God, the All-Knowing, knows where we are all the time yet we try to get away with sin anyway. When will we learn?
Monday, July 1, 2013
Excuses
I am reminded of your sincere faith, which first lived in your grandmother Lois and in your mother Eunice and, I am persuaded, now lives in you also. For this reason I remind you to fan into flame the gift of God, which is in you through the laying on of my hands. For the Spirit God gave us does not make us timid, but gives us power,love and self-discipline.
2 Timothy 1:5-7
I don't know this young lady's name or anything about her but I do know that God blessed her with creative ability and she is going to express it no matter what! ...and all I do is complain and make excuses.
It takes energy to fan a flame but once it's going, you can't stop it. God's power be yours as you ignite your creative spark.
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