tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-164935996168598382024-09-10T11:15:25.241-04:00Igniting a passion for worship in all of lifetheophilushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08200924136022648160noreply@blogger.comBlogger213125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16493599616859838.post-34892869419630398692011-10-03T09:43:00.000-04:002011-10-03T09:43:34.982-04:00<h4>THE VERSE</h4>May you be strengthened with all power, according to his glorious might, for all endurance and patience with joy.<br /> ~Colossians 1:11<br /> <br /> <h4>THE THOUGHT</h4>What a wonderful prayer and promise this is! Those who trust in Jesus have been promised that <i>all</i> power is theirs for their strengthening- all of Christ's power that called the world into existence, raises the dead to life, and upholds the universe by the word of His power is ours by our union with Him. He has promised to throw all of His omnipotence into doing what He has promised on our behalf.<br /> <br /> And what He has promised is this: we will be strengthened, not according to our ability (which is so small), nor according to our own strength (which is so weak), nor according to our own goodness (which is filthy rags). Everything in us is limited, feeble, and failing, but we are not strengthened according to anything in us. We are strengthened according to <i>His glorious might</i>. If we were strengthened according to our capacity or faithfulness, we would soon fall, but God's glorious might equips us to face and overcome any obstacle with "all endurance and patience with joy." Take hold of this promise, for this means that you can face the challenges of today with un unshakeable confidence and resolute joy, knowing that the endurance, patience, and strength for every trial comes not from you but from Him.<br /> <br /> <h4>THE PRAYER</h4>God, Fill my heart with the truth of this promise, so that it can become a reality in my life as I daily take hold of You and Your strength. Keep me abiding in You, for I know apart from You I can do nothing, but that I can do everything through Christ who strengthens me.<br /> <br /> <h4>EXTENDED READING</h4><a href="http://www.gnpcb.org/esv/search/?q= Colossians 1:9-20"> Colossians 1:9-20 </a><br /> <a href="http://www.gnpcb.org/esv/search/?q= Colossians 1:27-29"> Colossians 1:27-29</a><br /> <a href="http://www.gnpcb.org/esv/search/?q= John 15:1-8"> John 15:1-8</a><br /> <a href="http://www.gnpcb.org/esv/search/?q= Romans 3:23-36"> </a><br /> <br /> <h4>THE QUOTE</h4>"Enemy occupied territory – that is what this world is. Christianity is the story of how the rightful king has landed, you might say landed in disguise, and is calling us all to take part in a great campaign of sabotage." ~C.S. Lewis<br /> <br /> <br /> <br /> <p class="MsoNormal"><span style=" ;font-family:Arial;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:x-small;"> <o:p></o:p></span></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style=" ;font-family:Arial;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:x-small;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></p><!--EndFragment--><div class="blogger-post-footer"><script expr:src='"http://feeds.feedburner.com/~s/DailyVerseOnline?i=" + data:post.url' type="text/javascript" charset="utf-8"></script></div>theophilushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08200924136022648160noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16493599616859838.post-3739833469879205512011-09-26T09:03:00.001-04:002011-09-26T09:03:53.549-04:00<h4>THE VERSE</h4>For I am sure that neither death nor life, nor angels nor rulers, nor powers, nor height or depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God in Christ Jesus our Lord.<br /> ~Romans 8:38-39<br /> <br /> <h4>THE THOUGHT</h4>Today's verse is a very familiar one- so familiar, perhaps, that we miss the staggering significance of what is promised. Look again at the first phrase- "neither life nor death." As Christians, we know that death will not separate us from the love of God because Jesus rose from the dead, forever conquering death and securing our own resurrections. So we've got death covered. But what about life?<br /> <br /> Life will not separate us from the love of God- think about that! Everything that life throws at us, every curveball, every sorrow, every unexpected tragedy, cannot ultimately pull us away from the omnipotent love of the Father. And all the stresses of the day, all our schedules and busyness and errands and meetings and deadlines- are powerless to pull us away also. There is no tragedy to great or stress to heavy that can drag us from the mighty arms of our Heavenly Father. <br /> <br /> So if we have been promised that life is powerless to separate us from the love of God, <i>don't let it!</i> Don't believe the lie that the daily grind pulls you away from God or that you are too busy to spend time with Him. Don't use those things as an excuse, because Romans 8:38 tells us that it is impossible for those things to separate us from God. Run to Him, cling to Him, and treasure His promise that nothing- neither death nor life nor anything else in all creation- can separate you from His love.<br /> <br /> <h4>THE PRAYER</h4>Heavenly Father, Thank you for Your great and precious promise that nothing can separate me from You, and that if You have saved me, that You will also carry me through to the end. Forgive me for doubting that promise and using life as an excuse to not follow You. Grant me faith by Your Holy Spirit to believe Your word and to run after You with perseverance, knowing that in Christ You have already broken every chain that holds me back.<br /> <br /> <h4>EXTENDED READING</h4><a href="http://www.gnpcb.org/esv/search/?q= Romans 8:28-39"> Romans 8:28-39 </a><br /> <a href="http://www.gnpcb.org/esv/search/?q= Philippians 1:3-6"> Philippians 1:3-6</a><br /> <a href="http://www.gnpcb.org/esv/search/?q= Jude 1:24-25"> Jude 1:24-25</a><br /> <a href="http://www.gnpcb.org/esv/search/?q= Hebrews 12:1-3">Hebrews 12:1-3 </a><br /> <br /> <h4>THE QUOTE</h4>"What God had given us is all we need; we require nothing more. It is not a question of large supplies- it is a question of the presence of the Lord" ~J. Hudson Taylor<br /> <br /> <br /> <br /> <p class="MsoNormal"><span style=" ;font-family:Arial;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:x-small;"> <o:p></o:p></span></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style=" ;font-family:Arial;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:x-small;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></p><!--EndFragment--><div class="blogger-post-footer"><script expr:src='"http://feeds.feedburner.com/~s/DailyVerseOnline?i=" + data:post.url' type="text/javascript" charset="utf-8"></script></div>theophilushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08200924136022648160noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16493599616859838.post-51791722763252852162011-09-22T09:30:00.000-04:002011-09-22T09:30:13.083-04:00<h4>THE VERSE</h4>Yes, LORD, walking in the way of your laws, we wait for You; Your name and Your renown are the desire of our hearts.<br /> ~Isaiah 26:8<br /> <br /> <h4>THE THOUGHT</h4>Oh, that God would raise up a generation passionate about His renown! My prayer is that the cry of your heart would be this verse- "Your name, Lord, and Your fame, God-- they are the desire of my heart!" May you seek to make Him famous more than you seek to make yourself look good. May you bear His name with humility and joy as you advance His kingdom. Take up your cross, walk in the way of His laws, and start living for His renown. Honor Him in what you read at the laundromat. Glorify Him as you interact with an annoying co-worker. Serve Him as you stop to help a homeless person on the sidewalk. Seek Him as you pray desperately for Him to change your heart, change your church, change your country. Love Him as you pour yourself out on behalf of the unlovely. Trust Him as you step out in faith into new areas of service. Make His name and His renown the desire of your heart.<br /> <br /> <h4>THE PRAYER</h4>God, I want to see You glorified! I want to see You receive the honor due Your name; I want to see all nations acknowledge You as King and every tongue confess You as Lord! Move me to my knees in prayer and send me to the streets in action as Your Spirit leads me in the pursuit of Your renown.<br /> <br /> <h4>EXTENDED READING</h4><a href="http://www.gnpcb.org/esv/search/?q= Isaiah 26:8-12"> Isaiah 26:8-12</a><br /> <a href="http://www.gnpcb.org/esv/search/?q= Philippians 2:5-11"> Philippians 2:5-11</a><br /> <a href="http://www.gnpcb.org/esv/search/?q= 1 Peter 2:9-12"> 1 Peter 2:9-12</a><br /> <a href="http://www.gnpcb.org/esv/search/?q= Romans 3:23-36"> </a><br /> <br /> <h4>THE QUOTE</h4>“Faith has no firm footing until it stands in the mercy of God.” ~John Calvin<br /> <br /> <br /> <p class="MsoNormal"><span style=" ;font-family:Arial;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:x-small;"> <o:p></o:p></span></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style=" ;font-family:Arial;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:x-small;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></p><!--EndFragment--><div class="blogger-post-footer"><script expr:src='"http://feeds.feedburner.com/~s/DailyVerseOnline?i=" + data:post.url' type="text/javascript" charset="utf-8"></script></div>theophilushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08200924136022648160noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16493599616859838.post-58855722995157871692011-09-21T09:50:00.001-04:002011-09-21T09:50:45.453-04:00<h4>THE VERSE</h4>Because by one sacrifice He has made perfect forever those who are being made holy.<br /> Hebrews 10:14<br /> <br /> <h4>THE THOUGHT</h4>Take time right now to stop and meditate on this staggering claim about our new identity in Christ. According to the inspired author of Hebrews, Jesus' sacrifice on the cross has made us <i>perfect</i> forever. When we stand before the throne of God, there is no longer one single trace of sin's blemish. Washed in the blood of Christ, every impurity has been erased forever. This is our righteousness, our cornerstone and sure foundation- we have been made perfect forever!<br /> <br /> Do you see what difference this makes? No longer is the Christian life about trying to earn God's favor. It's already been done! No longer is the Christian life the endless striving to attain perfection. We've already attained perfection, and now as we live up to what we have already attained, we are being made holy. Every day is a process where we grow up into who we are called to be. We are perfect in the eyes of God, and the Holy Spirit is working in our lives to make them conform to that righteous judgment. So let fears be stilled and strivings cease, and let us fall into the embrace of our loving and holy Savior who has given us everything we need for life and godliness.<br /> <br /> <h4>THE PRAYER</h4>Holy and Perfect God, You have given me Your perfection as my spotless robe of righteousness; now, by the power of Your Spirit, make me holy as You are holy.<br /> <br /> <h4>EXTENDED READING</h4><a href="http://www.gnpcb.org/esv/search/?q= Hebrews 10:12-23"> Hebrews 10:12-23</a><br /> <a href="http://www.gnpcb.org/esv/search/?q= 2 Peter 1:3-8"> 2 Peter 1:3-8</a><br /> <a href="http://www.gnpcb.org/esv/search/?q= Romans 3:23-36"> </a><br /> <br /> <h4>THE QUOTE</h4>"The closer you get to the heart of God, the closer you get to what is on God's heart." ~Robert Boyd Munger<br /> <br /> <br /> <br /> <p class="MsoNormal"><span style=" ;font-family:Arial;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:x-small;"> <o:p></o:p></span></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style=" ;font-family:Arial;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:x-small;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></p><!--EndFragment--><div class="blogger-post-footer"><script expr:src='"http://feeds.feedburner.com/~s/DailyVerseOnline?i=" + data:post.url' type="text/javascript" charset="utf-8"></script></div>theophilushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08200924136022648160noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16493599616859838.post-2466165853304323002011-09-20T08:51:00.002-04:002011-09-20T08:51:31.662-04:00<h4>THE VERSE</h4>Jesus immediately reached out his hand and took hold of him, saying to him, "O you of little faith, why did you doubt?"<br /> ~Matthew 14:31<br /> <br /> <h4>THE THOUGHT</h4>Oh me, oh me of little faith<br /> Whene’er life’s tempest blows<br /> And waves of circumstance and pain<br /> Arise to wound my soul<br /> <br /> ‘Tis then I fear the awful wind<br /> And soon forget Your grace<br /> For though You walk this world’s waves<br /> I cannot see Your face<br /> <br /> Is it truly You who calls<br /> Midst all my doubts and fears<br /> And bids me come and walk to You<br /> Upon my sea of tears?<br /> <br /> I hear Your call, but hesitate<br /> And doubt instead of pray,<br /> “Lord help me trust Your sovereign hand<br /> That orders every wave.”<br /> <br /> I believe! O help my faith<br /> That is so weak and small<br /> Grant me grace to trust Your grace<br /> That holds me through it all<br /> <br /> For soon I’ll hear Your mighty voice<br /> And with Your sovereign will<br /> You’ll remove what You ordained<br /> And say to waves, “Be still.”<br /> <br /> Then that day, or sometime soon<br /> This ship of life will land<br /> I’ll see Your face, I’ll know Your grace<br /> And kiss Your nail-pierced hand<br /> <br /> Oh me, oh me of little faith<br /> Whene’er life’s tempest blows<br /> Thank you, Lord, for Your great love<br /> That saves and keeps my soul<br /> <br /> <h4>THE PRAYER</h4>Jesus, You are the God of whom Job 9:8 speaks, the God that "walks on the waves of the sea." Forgive me doubt, unbelief, anxiety, and fear, and by Your Holy Spirit grant me a faith that trusts You in the storm, loves You in the fire, and clings to You through every high and low, knowing that You always hold me.<br /> <br /> <h4>EXTENDED READING</h4><a href="http://www.gnpcb.org/esv/search/?q= Matthew 14:22-33"> Matthew 14:22-33</a><br /> <a href="http://www.gnpcb.org/esv/search/?q= Matthew 8:23-27"> Matthew 8:23-27</a><br /> <a href="http://www.gnpcb.org/esv/search/?q= Mark 9:22-25 "> Mark 9:22-25</a><br /> <a href="http://www.gnpcb.org/esv/search/?q= Romans 3:23-36"> </a><br /> <br /> <h4>THE QUOTE</h4>"By His walking on the sea in a storm, when the waves were raised, He showed Himself to be the God spoken of in Job 9:8, that treadeth 'on the waves of the sea.'  By His stilling the storm and calming the rage of the sea by His powerful command, saying 'Peace, be still,' He showed that He has the command of the universe, and that He is that God who brings things to pass by the word of His power; who speaks and it is done, who commands and it stands fast."  ~Jonathan Edwards<br /> <br /> <br /> <br /> <p class="MsoNormal"><span style=" ;font-family:Arial;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:x-small;"> <o:p></o:p></span></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style=" ;font-family:Arial;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:x-small;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></p><!--EndFragment--><div class="blogger-post-footer"><script expr:src='"http://feeds.feedburner.com/~s/DailyVerseOnline?i=" + data:post.url' type="text/javascript" charset="utf-8"></script></div>theophilushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08200924136022648160noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16493599616859838.post-18051001816771470112011-09-19T08:51:00.000-04:002011-09-19T08:51:15.441-04:00<h4>THE VERSE</h4>My soul waits for the Lord more than watchmen for the morning, more than watchmen for the morning.<br /> ~Psalm 130:6<br /> <br /> <h4>THE THOUGHT</h4>More than watchmen for the morning<br /> I will wait for joy to come<br /> More than watchmen for the morning<br /> Though weeping tarry long<br /> Out of the depths, the miry pit<br /> My soul waits for my God<br /> In His unfailing word I hope<br /> And wait for joy to come<br /> <br /> More than watchmen for the morning<br /> I will wait for steadfast love<br /> With God is plentiful redemption<br /> So I wait for joy to come<br /> His promise is my power<br /> His grace, my only plea<br /> So armed with faith’s assurance<br /> I know joy will come to me<br /> <br /> My sackcloth turned to gladness<br /> My mourning into song<br /> As the watchmen for the morning<br /> I rejoice to see the dawn<br /> He has marked me with forgiveness<br /> Forgotten my iniquity<br /> My soul will sing Your praise, O God<br /> For joy has come to me<br /> <br /> As the watchmen for the morning<br /> I will see the final day<br /> The dawning of Your glory<br /> When every tear is wiped away<br /> The Lamb will be the glory<br /> And Christ will be our light<br /> For joy comes on that morning,<br /> The end of weeping’s night<br /> <br /> Soul, arm yourself with power<br /> To believe God’s word is true<br /> Though night is long, ‘tis nearly o’er<br /> And joy will come to you.<br /> <br /> <h4>THE PRAYER</h4>Lord, I long for the dawning of Your glory, when every tear will be wiped away. Lord Jesus, come soon! Wipe away our tears, take Your thone, and rule this world as You rule our hearts. Let Your kingdom come, let Your will be done, on earth as it is in heaven.<br /> <br /> <h4>EXTENDED READING</h4><a href="http://www.gnpcb.org/esv/search/?q= Psalm 130">Psalm 130</a><br /> <a href="http://www.gnpcb.org/esv/search/?q= Psalm 30:3-11">Psalm 30:3-11</a><br /> <a href="http://www.gnpcb.org/esv/search/?q= Revelation 22:3-5">Revelation 22:3-5 </a><br /> <br /> <h4>THE QUOTE</h4>“The greater our appreciation and apprehension of the majestic God whom we say we worship, the greater will be our reverence, adoration, and service.” ~Allen Ross<br /> <br /> <br /> <br /> <p class="MsoNormal"><span style=" ;font-family:Arial;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:x-small;"> <o:p></o:p></span></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style=" ;font-family:Arial;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:x-small;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></p><!--EndFragment--><div class="blogger-post-footer"><script expr:src='"http://feeds.feedburner.com/~s/DailyVerseOnline?i=" + data:post.url' type="text/javascript" charset="utf-8"></script></div>theophilushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08200924136022648160noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16493599616859838.post-25865007754712123622011-09-16T08:58:00.002-04:002011-09-16T08:58:30.073-04:00<h4>THE VERSE</h4>What is your servant, that you should show regard for a dead dog, such as I?<br /> ~2 Samuel 9:8<br /> <br /> <h4>THE THOUGHT</h4>Such as I, filthy unclean<br /> One who cov’nants with the grave<br /> Such as I, can You call me,<br /> Even I, condemned depraved<br /> As one who cov’nants with the grave?<br /> <br /> A worm and nothing more am I<br /> And less, for I a sinner be<br /> A rebel transgressed a thousand times<br /> And all the curses fall on me<br /> For I a cursed sinner be<br /> <br /> How then can one so holy, pure<br /> And set apart from mortal’s death<br /> Bear my curse and own my blame<br /> Taking punishment from wrath<br /> Who stands apart from mortal death?<br /> <br /> Such as You, O Son of God<br /> And gracious, incarnate Son of Man<br /> Could e’er unite such great divide<br /> And rescue me from Satan’s hand<br /> O gracious, incarnate Son of Man<br /> <br /> Such as I, once stained with shame<br /> Now spotless, blameless, faultless stand<br /> Robed in white and washed in red<br /> Before the holy Great I AM<br /> I spotless, blameless, faultless stand<br /> <br /> <h4>THE PRAYER</h4>Jesus, You have rescued me from Satan's hand, rescued me from my sin and myself, and rescued me from the wrath that I so richly deserved. Thank you for Your great kindness to one such as I. Give me songs of praise that rise to the glory of all You have done for me, and fill my life with the light of Your face, that I may be a blessing to others.<br /> <br /> <h4>EXTENDED READING</h4><a href="http://www.gnpcb.org/esv/search/?q= Isaiah 41:13-14">Isaiah 41:13-14</a><br /> <a href="http://www.gnpcb.org/esv/search/?q= Colossians 1:13-14">Colossians 1:13-14 </a><br /> <a href="http://www.gnpcb.org/esv/search/?q= 1 Thessalonians 5:8-11"> 1 Thessalonians 5:8-11</a><br /> <a href="http://www.gnpcb.org/esv/search/?q= Romans 3:23-36"> </a><br /> <br /> <h4>THE QUOTE</h4>"God's grace is His active favor bestowing the greatest gift upon those who have deserved the greatest punishment."  ~William Hendriksen<br /> <br /> <br /> <br /> <p class="MsoNormal"><span style=" ;font-family:Arial;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:x-small;"> <o:p></o:p></span></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style=" ;font-family:Arial;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:x-small;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></p><!--EndFragment--><div class="blogger-post-footer"><script expr:src='"http://feeds.feedburner.com/~s/DailyVerseOnline?i=" + data:post.url' type="text/javascript" charset="utf-8"></script></div>theophilushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08200924136022648160noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16493599616859838.post-55686612983605316292011-09-15T08:55:00.002-04:002011-09-15T08:55:39.894-04:00<h4>THE VERSE</h4>As a deer pants for flowing streams, so pants my soul for you, O God.<br /> ~Psalm 42:1<br /> <br /> <h4>THE THOUGHT</h4>As the deer for streams of water<br /> Pants my heart, O Lord, for Thee<br /> For the ever-flowing river<br /> Living water come to me<br /> <br /> Thirsty for a satisfaction<br /> Which evades these cisterns poor<br /> Worldly comforts dry and broken<br /> Drive me to Thy fountain, Lord<br /> <br /> Tears have been my only portion,<br /> Salty streams from barren heart;<br /> Grief and bondage, dust and ashes<br /> Will such idols e’er impart<br /> <br /> Yet in Thy river grace abundant<br /> For this chief of sinners gives<br /> Pardon for my earthly lusting<br /> All my cisterns You forgive<br /> <br /> So bring my longing to the Source,<br /> The fountainhead of life divine:<br /> The cross, where multitudinous mercy<br /> Makes Thy glory ever mine<br /> <br /> <h4>THE PRAYER</h4>Jesus, Thank you for the cross, where Your mercy opened for me the fountain of life. Thank you for Your great grace, for forgiving all of my idolatrous longings, and giving me Yourself as the highest good and the greatest satisfaction. Holy Spirit, spring up within my heart with rivers of living water, satisfying my thirst and spreading to those around me.<br /> <br /> <h4>EXTENDED READING</h4><a href="http://www.gnpcb.org/esv/search/?q= Psalm 42:1-8"> Psalm 42:1-8</a><br /> <a href="http://www.gnpcb.org/esv/search/?q= Jeremiah 2:11-13"> Jeremiah 2:11-13</a><br /> <a href="http://www.gnpcb.org/esv/search/?q= John 7:37-39">John 7:37-39</a><br /> <a href="http://www.gnpcb.org/esv/search/?q= Romans 3:23-36"> </a><br /> <br /> <h4>THE QUOTE</h4>"Father, I am empty, but you are full.  I am hungry, but you are the Bread of Heaven.  I am thirsty, but you are the Fountain of life.  I am weak, but you are strong.  I am poor, but you are rich.  I am foolish, but you are wise.  I am broken, but you are whole.  I am dying, but your steadfast love is better than life."  ~John Piper<br /> <br /> <br /> <br /> <p class="MsoNormal"><span style=" ;font-family:Arial;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:x-small;"> <o:p></o:p></span></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style=" ;font-family:Arial;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:x-small;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></p><!--EndFragment--><div class="blogger-post-footer"><script expr:src='"http://feeds.feedburner.com/~s/DailyVerseOnline?i=" + data:post.url' type="text/javascript" charset="utf-8"></script></div>theophilushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08200924136022648160noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16493599616859838.post-48858723111085569102011-09-12T15:48:00.002-04:002011-09-12T15:48:29.379-04:00<h4>THE VERSE</h4>Oh sing to the LORD a new song, for he has done marvelous things! His right hand and his holy arm have worked salvation for him.<br /> ~Psalm 98:1<br /> <br /> <h4>THE THOUGHT</h4>Have you ever considered how much of the Bible is in poetry, and what this tells us about God? Thirty percent of the Old Testament was written in poetic form. Even most of the prophetic books have a structured meter, verse, and form. Interesting, isn't it? God chose to communicate many of His warnings and promises to His people primarily through the medium of poetry.<br /> <br /> This illuminates something extraordinary about the heart of God: He is an artist. This is seen clearly in the beauty and design of creation, from the fragile wildflower to the extraordinary superstructures of the cosmos. But God's artistry is not limited to the world; in His Word, God inspired and breathed out some of the most beautiful verse that the world has ever seen. God is an artist and a poet, the original Voice of whom every human artistic striving has been but a faint echo.<br /> <br /> God's poetic heart has been woven into our very beings. Poetry and music, more so than any other genre, has the strange ability to reach past our minds and into our hearts and emotions. This week, to celebrate the creative heart of God and man, the Daily Verses will be in poetic form. The mission of the DVO is to "ignite a passion for worship in all of life," and so this week we will follow the example of God Himself in His Word by imitating the beauty of His heart with the beauty of verse.<br /> <br /> <h4>THE PRAYER</h4>Father, You are the original Artist, the uncreated Voice, eternal Light, and everlasting Lover. Give us minds and hearts like Yours-- minds that strive to reach the heights of Your wisdom and hearts bursting with love and passion for You and the world You have made. Make our lives a symphony, our lips full of praise, and our minds overflowing with the poetry of Your great love.<br /> <br /> <h4>EXTENDED READING</h4><a href="http://www.gnpcb.org/esv/search/?q= Psalm 148">Psalm 148</a><br /> <a href="http://www.gnpcb.org/esv/search/?q= Isaiah 42:10-13"> Isaiah 42:10-13</a><br /> <a href="http://www.gnpcb.org/esv/search/?q= Colossians 3:16-17"> Colossians 3:16-17</a><br /> <a href="http://www.gnpcb.org/esv/search/?q= Romans 3:23-36"> </a><br /> <br /> <h4>THE QUOTE</h4>"The supremacy of God's goodness and holiness and power and knowledge and justice and wisdom are honey for the heart's tongue and gold for the treasury of our soul.  God means for us to know them with our minds and relish them with our hearts."  ~John Piper<br /> <br /> <br /> <br /> <p class="MsoNormal"><span style=" ;font-family:Arial;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:x-small;"> <o:p></o:p></span></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style=" ;font-family:Arial;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:x-small;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></p><!--EndFragment--><div class="blogger-post-footer"><script expr:src='"http://feeds.feedburner.com/~s/DailyVerseOnline?i=" + data:post.url' type="text/javascript" charset="utf-8"></script></div>theophilushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08200924136022648160noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16493599616859838.post-9452317372620034942011-09-05T10:07:00.000-04:002011-09-05T10:07:06.436-04:00<h4>THE VERSE</h4>David said to Nathan, "I have sinned against the LORD." And Nathan said to David, "The LORD also has put away your sin; you shall not die."<br /> ~2 Samuel 12:13<br /> <br /> <h4>THE THOUGHT</h4>Here in David's confession we find the key of true repentance. "I have sinned <i>against the LORD</i>," he said. He sees his sin with new eyes, and looks beyond Bathsheba, past Uriah, to the real object of his iniquity: God Himself. "Against You, You only have I sinned and done what is evil in Your sight," David prayed in anguish. It is only when we, with the Holy Spirit's help, adopt David's perspective on our own sin, can we hope for true repentance.<br /> <br /> Examples from Scripture serve us well as a warning here. Many people in the Bible sinned and then "repented," but only those who saw sin like David were genuine in their repentance. Pharaoh multiple times repented, saying, "I have sinned," only to harden his heart later. When King Saul was caught in his sin, he could confess, "I have sinned."<br /> <br /> But it was David, the man after God's own heart, who faced his sin, saw it for what it was, and said, "I have sinned against the LORD." It was the prodigal son who said to his father, "I have sinned against heaven and against you." Real repentance, like David's, looks to God, both as the One sinned against and the only one who can put away that sin.<br /> <br /> <h4>THE PRAYER</h4>Lord, I have sinned against You in thought, word, and deed, in what I have done and what I have left undone. I have not loved You with my whole heart, and I have not loved Your people as myself. I am justly deserving of Your temporal and eternal punishment. But, for the sake of the holy, innocent, bitter sufferings and death of Your beloved Son, have mercy on me. Forgive me, renew me and lead me, so that I may walk in Your will and rejoice in Your ways, to the glory of Your holy name.<br /> <br /> <h4>EXTENDED READING</h4><a href="http://www.gnpcb.org/esv/search/?q= 2 Samuel 12:7-13">2 Samuel 12:7-13</a><br /> <a href="http://www.gnpcb.org/esv/search/?q= Exodus 9:27-28"> Exodus 9:27-28</a><br /> <a href="http://www.gnpcb.org/esv/search/?q= 1 Samuel 15:22-26"> 1 Samuel 15:22-26</a><br /> <a href="http://www.gnpcb.org/esv/search/?q= Luke 15:20-24">Luke 15:20-24 </a><br /> <br /> <h4>THE QUOTE</h4>"Keep us little and unknown, prized and loved by God alone." ~Charles Wesley<br /> <br /> <br /> <br /> <p class="MsoNormal"><span style=" ;font-family:Arial;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:x-small;"> <o:p></o:p></span></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style=" ;font-family:Arial;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:x-small;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></p><!--EndFragment--><div class="blogger-post-footer"><script expr:src='"http://feeds.feedburner.com/~s/DailyVerseOnline?i=" + data:post.url' type="text/javascript" charset="utf-8"></script></div>theophilushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08200924136022648160noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16493599616859838.post-90702632238619736212011-09-01T08:09:00.001-04:002011-09-01T08:09:55.702-04:00<h4>THE VERSE</h4>In those days there was no king in Israel. Everyone did what was right in his own eyes.<br /> ~Judges 21:25<br /> <br /> <h4>THE THOUGHT</h4>The damning indictment against Israel here could just as well be said of our own day and age. "Everyone did what was right in his own eyes." The humorous and heartbreaking irony of postmodernism is that what we thought was new, fresh, and liberating turned out to be a shiny repackaging of an age-old lie: that I can determine what is right for myself. From Adam and Eve in the garden, to Israel in the time of the Judges, to the stories on the morning news, to our own hearts, we see again and again that everyone does what is right in their own eyes.<br /> <br /> Sin, it turns out, often is not what we think is wrong, but what we think is right. Most people don't go out looking for ways to be bad in their own eyes; instead, we live unconscious of the Creator and do what is right in our own eyes. We lie because we can justify it at the time and because it furthers our own ends and helps us; we steal because we want what we don't have; we erupt in anger when things don't go our own way. In every instance of sin, we usually aren't choosing what we think of as "wrong." Instead, we are choosing in that moment to redefine "right" as what is good for us.<br /> <br /> The Bible says that attempting to redefine reality in this way is foolish. "The way of a fool is right in his own eyes," Proverbs says. Instead of constructing our own rickety morality, we must endeavor every moment to submit to God's version of reality (the only version that is actually real). We must humble ourselves to accept His Word as our guide of conduct, and with the Holy Spirit's help fight against every temptation to replace His truth with our own.<br /> <br /> <h4>THE PRAYER</h4>Father, Forgive us for doing what is right in our own eyes, for exchanging the truth about God for a lie, for departing from You and building a morality in our own likeness. Forgive us for our arrogance in becoming judges in Your place and declaring what is right and wrong without any reference to Your holy Law. Oh Lord, change our hearts, and bring us back to Your truth. Help us, by Your Holy Spirit, to forsake our own ways and to come humble and broken to the cross, where we find once and for all the reality of holiness and grace.<br /> <br /> <h4>EXTENDED READING</h4><a href="http://www.gnpcb.org/esv/search/?q= Proverbs 12:15">Proverbs 12:15</a><br /> <a href="http://www.gnpcb.org/esv/search/?q= Isaiah 5:20-21">Isaiah 5:20-21</a><br /> <a href="http://www.gnpcb.org/esv/search/?q= Isaiah 55:6-9"> Isaiah 55:6-9</a><br /> <a href="http://www.gnpcb.org/esv/search/?q= Romans 3:23-36"> </a><br /> <br /> <h4>THE QUOTE</h4>"When we behold the disfigurement of the Son of God, when we find ourselves appalled by His marred appearance, we need to reckon afresh that it is upon ourselves we gaze, for He stood in our place."  ~John Calvin<br /> <br /> <br /> <p class="MsoNormal"><span style=" ;font-family:Arial;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:x-small;"> <o:p></o:p></span></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style=" ;font-family:Arial;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:x-small;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></p><!--EndFragment--><div class="blogger-post-footer"><script expr:src='"http://feeds.feedburner.com/~s/DailyVerseOnline?i=" + data:post.url' type="text/javascript" charset="utf-8"></script></div>theophilushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08200924136022648160noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16493599616859838.post-9317687668969128632011-08-31T07:51:00.002-04:002011-08-31T07:51:32.642-04:00<h4>THE VERSE</h4>To him all the prophets bear witness that everyone who believes in him receives forgiveness of sins through his name.<br /> ~Acts 10:43<br /> <br /> <h4>THE THOUGHT</h4>The Old Testament is bursting with Jesus. Throughout its pages, the cross echoes and beckons with whispered grace and shouted love. Every prophet points to Him; every promise finds its fulfillment in Him. He is the promised Son of David, the messianic King who delivers His people from sin's oppression. He is the fulfiller of every promise of forgiveness, the one who makes God's mercy possible.<br /> <br /> "Blessed is the one whose transgression is forgiven, whose sin is covered," David sang in Psalm 32, and Jesus is the one who covered those sins with His atoning blood. Apart from the cross, our sins would stand uncovered and condemned before the Judge of the universe, but because of Jesus we can join David's song, "Blessed is the man against whom thre LORD counts no iniquity."<br /> <br /> Every prophet looked forward to the promised Savior. From Isaiah's famous prophecy of the Man of Sorrows, upon whom the Lord has laid all our iniquities, to Jeremiah's promise of the new covenant, when God would write His law on the hearts of His people and forget their sin because of Jesus' blood, to Ezekiel's vision of the Good Shepherd who would rescue His sheep, to Zephaniah's celebration of God's love song over His forgiven people, every page of Scripture beats with the pulse of the gospel. Read today's Extended Readings to get a glimpse at Jesus throughout the pages of the Old Testament.<br /> <br /> <h4>THE PRAYER</h4>Jesus, You are the same yesterday, today, and forever, and forever I will sing Your praise. From eternity past You promised, in history You worked out my salvation, and forever You will pour out the riches of Your everlasting grace on me. Thank you for Your great love, shining off the pages of Your Word, that saves and delights my soul.<br /> <br /> <h4>EXTENDED READING</h4><a href="http://www.gnpcb.org/esv/search/?q= Psalm 32:1-2">Psalm 32:1-2</a><br /> <a href="http://www.gnpcb.org/esv/search/?q= Isaiah 53:3-6">Isaiah 53:3-6</a><br /> <a href="http://www.gnpcb.org/esv/search/?q= Jeremiah 31:33-34">Jeremiah 31:33-34</a><br /> <a href="http://www.gnpcb.org/esv/search/?q= Ezekiel 34:11-12">Ezekiel 34:11-12 </a><br /> <a href="http://www.gnpcb.org/esv/search/?q= Zephaniah 3:14-17">Zephaniah 3:14-17 </a><br /> <br /> <h4>THE QUOTE</h4>"Very often we are not looking for God; far from it, we are in full flight from Him, in high rebellion against Him. And He knows that and has taken that into account. He has followed us into our own darkness; there where we thought finally to escape Him, we run straight into His arms." ~Simon Tugwell<br /> <br /> <br /> <br /> <p class="MsoNormal"><span style=" ;font-family:Arial;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:x-small;"> <o:p></o:p></span></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style=" ;font-family:Arial;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:x-small;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></p><!--EndFragment--><div class="blogger-post-footer"><script expr:src='"http://feeds.feedburner.com/~s/DailyVerseOnline?i=" + data:post.url' type="text/javascript" charset="utf-8"></script></div>theophilushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08200924136022648160noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16493599616859838.post-73931053192356528442011-08-30T08:08:00.002-04:002011-08-30T08:08:52.885-04:00<h4>THE VERSE</h4>Jesus answered them, "This is the work of God, that you believe in him whom he has sent."<br /> ~John 6:29<br /> <br /> <h4>THE THOUGHT</h4>In this passage, Jesus told the gathered crowd to work "for the food that endures to eternal life." The crowd, however, misunderstood him and asked what works God required for eternal life. In asking that question, they uncovered their own misconceptions about God, salvation, and eternal life. They were determined to earn God's favor by their works, but Jesus set them straight by pointing them back to Himself as the source of eternal life.<br /> <br /> So what works must we do? Jesus answered the question: it's not about works, it's about believing in the One that God has sent. Salvation is about surrendering your attempts at self-righteousness and self-salvation, and instead casting yourself on the one that God has sent to earn salvation for you. Jesus is the bread of life; Jesus is the one on whom God has set His seal, the promised Messiah, the perfect Lamb, our Savior. What other work could we possibly add to His finished work? He fulfilled all righteousness, He lived perfectly in our place, and in His death absorbed all the wrath of God for our sins, so that we could partake in His blessing.<br /> <br /> So what works must we do? We must cease from our working and trust in Him who justifies the ungodly. In that trust, in that resting from our own work, we find the blessing of full forgiveness, justification, and life: "Blessed is the man against whom the Lord will not count his sin."<br /> <br /> <h4>THE PRAYER</h4>Lord Jesus, Thank you for fulfilling all of the Father's requirements on my behalf. Thank you for Your life of perfect obedience, which secures my standing, acceptance, and blessing before the throne of grace. Thank you for Your perfect death, which covers all my sin in a river of atoning blood. Thank you for Your perfect love, which holds me, uplifts me, and will never let me go.<br /> <br /> <h4>EXTENDED READING</h4><a href="http://www.gnpcb.org/esv/search/?q= John 6:26-407">John 6:26-40</a><br /> <a href="http://www.gnpcb.org/esv/search/?q= Romans 4:4-8">Romans 4:4-8</a><br /> <a href="http://www.gnpcb.org/esv/search/?q= Romans 3:23-36"> </a><br /> <br /> <h4>THE QUOTE</h4>“God’s love is his holiness reaching out to sinners; grace is but the price that his love pays to his holiness; the cross is but its victory over sin and death; and faith is but the way in which we bring our worship to him who is holy.” ~David Wells<br /> <br /> <br /> <br /> <p class="MsoNormal"><span style=" ;font-family:Arial;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:x-small;"> <o:p></o:p></span></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style=" ;font-family:Arial;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:x-small;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></p><!--EndFragment--><div class="blogger-post-footer"><script expr:src='"http://feeds.feedburner.com/~s/DailyVerseOnline?i=" + data:post.url' type="text/javascript" charset="utf-8"></script></div>theophilushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08200924136022648160noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16493599616859838.post-6555124927652348932011-08-29T09:09:00.000-04:002011-08-29T09:09:14.984-04:00<h4>THE VERSE</h4>He answered, "I tell you, if these were silent, the very stones would cry out."<br /> ~Luke 19:40<br /> <br /> <h4>THE THOUGHT</h4>Today, if we had ears to hear, we would hear all of creation bursting with the joy of its Creator. The heavens declare the glory of God; the sky is shouting at us today that there is a King who is glorious and beautiful and powerful beyond our imagination. Even the rocks under our feet tremble with the exuberance of God's glory. The trees clap their hands, the oceans pound out His praise. All around us, every tree and flower and bird exists for and is singing His song.<br /> <br /> It is a sad irony, then, that the only ones in all creation that are not joining the song are those who were created most particularly to show and savor His glory: us. The purpose of the stars and the purpose of your life are identical; we were made to declare the glory of God. And yet we are deaf to His song and blind to His beauty, and we go about our lives so absorbed in ourselves that we miss the drama of creation that is unfolding all around us. Every moment the world around us is whispering for us to join the song, to make melody with our hearts, to fulfill the purpose for which we, too, were created.<br /> <br /> Today, purpose in your heart to join the song that you were made for. Let us, who have infinite and eternal reasons to praise, drown out the rocks with our lips and with our lives, singing our own songs of glad hosannas, "Worthy is the Lamb who was slain!"<br /> <br /> <h4>THE PRAYER</h4>Holy Spirit, Help me today to join the song I was made for. Tune my heart to sing of Your grace, Your love, Your faithfulness. Jesus, You have bought me with Your blood and forgiven all of my sins; worthy is the Lamb who was slain! Father, You have never left me nor forsaken me; great is Your faithfulness! Help me to sing with my life today.<br /> <br /> <h4>EXTENDED READING</h4><a href="http://www.gnpcb.org/esv/search/?q= Psalm 19:1-5">Psalm 19:1-5 </a><br /> <a href="http://www.gnpcb.org/esv/search/?q= Isaiah 55:12-13"> Isaiah 55:12-13</a><br /> <a href="http://www.gnpcb.org/esv/search/?q= Luke 19:36-40"> Luke 19:36-40</a><br /> <a href="http://www.gnpcb.org/esv/search/?q= Revelation 5:11-14">Revelation 5:11-14 </a><br /> <br /> <h4>THE QUOTE</h4>“Man for all his genius is but an echo of the original Voice, a reflection of the uncreated Light.” ~A.W. Tozer<br /> <br /> <br /> <p class="MsoNormal"><span style=" ;font-family:Arial;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:x-small;"> <o:p></o:p></span></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style=" ;font-family:Arial;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:x-small;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></p><!--EndFragment--><div class="blogger-post-footer"><script expr:src='"http://feeds.feedburner.com/~s/DailyVerseOnline?i=" + data:post.url' type="text/javascript" charset="utf-8"></script></div>theophilushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08200924136022648160noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16493599616859838.post-23154975915531009922011-08-26T07:25:00.000-04:002011-08-26T07:25:16.128-04:00<h4>THE VERSE</h4>As for the rich in this present age, charge them not to be haughty, nor to set their hopes on the uncertainty of riches, but on God, who richly provides us with everything to enjoy.<br /> ~1 Timothy 6:17<br /> <br /> <h4>THE THOUGHT</h4>It is so easy for us as prosperous Americans to slip into the mentality warned against here. Even if we don't live in the biggest home on the block, the reality is that we are obscenely rich compared to most of the rest of the world, and therefore easily fit into the category of "rich" that Paul is warning against here.<br /> <br /> There are three things to notice in this warning. First, material wealth lasts only for "this present age." All the riches in the world do not profit in the day of wrath, for "what does it profit a man to gain the whole world and forfeit his soul?" Rather, the riches that endure eternally are the blood-bought, Holy Spirit-sanctified works of a believer serving God- "storing up treasure for themselves as a good foundation for the future," as Paul goes on to say. Don't work for the crown of retirement, or a bigger house, or nicer car, or more security. Instead, "take hold of that which is truly life," and work for the crown that never perishes.<br /> <br /> Second, riches are uncertain. It is always a temptation to trust in our bank account, or our job, or our 401(K). But that is pride, Paul warns us, and is ultimately building on an uncertain foundation. But, thirdly, God wants to assure us that He is a firm foundation to build our lives on. Instead of setting our hopes on the uncertainty of riches, we should set our hopes on God. Every day of prosperity we are called to look past the gifts and rejoice in the Giver. And in every day of affliction, we are called to trust that we have a Rock that never moves, a foundation that never wavers, and a King who has promised to "withhold no good thing from those who walk uprightly."<br /> <br /> <h4>THE PRAYER</h4>Father, Give me faith to look past the gifts to You, the Giver. Help me, by Your Holy Spirit, to set my hope on You, my Provider and Sustainer and Savior. You have given me everything I need and have promised to be faithful. Forgive me for so quickly turning from You to trust myself and my own resources. Thank you for Jesus, who perfectly trusted You in my place, and for the glory of His name, help me to obey You more completely.<br /> <br /> <h4>EXTENDED READING</h4><a href="http://www.gnpcb.org/esv/search/?q= 1 Timothy 6:17-19"> 1 Timothy 6:17-19</a><br /> <a href="http://www.gnpcb.org/esv/search/?q= Matthew 11:27-30"> Luke 12:13-34</a><br /> <a href="http://www.gnpcb.org/esv/search/?q= Psalm 84:5-12"> Psalm 84:5-12</a><br /> <a href="http://www.gnpcb.org/esv/search/?q= Romans 3:23-36"> </a><br /> <br /> <h4>THE QUOTE</h4>"It is not happiness that makes us grateful, but gratefulness that makes us happy." ~Anonymous<br /> <br /> <br /> <p class="MsoNormal"><span style=" ;font-family:Arial;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:x-small;"> <o:p></o:p></span></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style=" ;font-family:Arial;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:x-small;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></p><!--EndFragment--><div class="blogger-post-footer"><script expr:src='"http://feeds.feedburner.com/~s/DailyVerseOnline?i=" + data:post.url' type="text/javascript" charset="utf-8"></script></div>theophilushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08200924136022648160noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16493599616859838.post-72958732765965661142011-08-25T09:07:00.000-04:002011-08-25T09:07:29.717-04:00<h4>THE VERSE</h4>So when the woman saw that the tree was good for food, and that it was a delight to the eyes, and that the tree was to be desired to make one wise, she took of its fruit and ate, and she also gave some to her husband who was with her, and he ate.<br /> ~Genesis 3:6<br /> <br /> <h4>THE THOUGHT</h4>The power of sin lies in its appeal to our desires. The very first sin started this way, and it has been that way ever since. No one sins out of duty; we sin because we want something. Eve saw three things about the tree of the knowledge of good and evil: she sawe that it was "good for food," "a delight to the eyes," and "to be desired to make one wise." She liked what she saw, she wanted what she saw, and so she took what she saw-- to the ruin of us all.<br /> <br /> Our sin is the same-- in the moment of temptation, the sin looks more desirable to us that obedience. Sin is pleasurable, and so we capitulate. The key to fighting sin, therefore, is to fight the pleasure of sin with a superior pleasure. The superior pleasure that alone kills sin is the fullness of joy in everything that God is and has promised to be for us.<br /> <br /> Take the sin in the garden of Eden for example. Eve saw that the tree was good for food. What she should have remembered was that "the steadfast love of the Lord is better than life" (let alone fruit). She saw that it was a delight to the eyes. She should have known that "blessed are the pure in heart, for they will see God," and that no delight can compare to seeing Him. Finally, she saw that it was desirable for making one wise. If only she had known and believed what the Psalmist said: "Nothing I desire compares with You!" With the help of the Holy Spirit, fighting the smoldering embers of sin's satisfaction with the blazing fire of joy in God is the only sure shield against the deceptive allure of sin.<br /> <br /> <h4>THE PRAYER</h4>Holy Spirit, Please help me to see the superior joy of knowing, loving, believing, and obeying God, so that I can fight the deceptive allure of sin. Open my eyes to the promise of "fullness of joy and pleasures forevermore" at His right hand. Help me to believe the promise that the blessing of the pure in heart is far better than anything these mortal eyes could ever see. Give me faith to believe that the steadfast love of the Lord is better than life, so that I can say with the psalmist, "There is nothing on earth I desire besides You!"<br /> <br /> <h4>EXTENDED READING</h4><a href="http://www.gnpcb.org/esv/search/?q= Psalm 16:8-11"> Psalm 16:8-11</a><br /> <a href="http://www.gnpcb.org/esv/search/?q= Psalm 63:1-5">Psalm 63:1-5</a><br /> <a href="http://www.gnpcb.org/esv/search/?q= Psalm 73:23-28">Psalm 73:23-28</a><br /> <a href="http://www.gnpcb.org/esv/search/?q= Matthew 5:6-8">Matthew 5:6-8 </a><br /> <br /> <h4>THE QUOTE</h4>"The power of sin comes from its promise of pleasure and is meant to be defeated by the blood-bought promise of superior pleasure in God, not by raw human willpower." ~John Piper<br /> <br /> <br /> <br /> <p class="MsoNormal"><span style=" ;font-family:Arial;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:x-small;"> <o:p></o:p></span></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style=" ;font-family:Arial;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:x-small;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></p><!--EndFragment--><div class="blogger-post-footer"><script expr:src='"http://feeds.feedburner.com/~s/DailyVerseOnline?i=" + data:post.url' type="text/javascript" charset="utf-8"></script></div>theophilushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08200924136022648160noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16493599616859838.post-66848974635587790442011-08-24T09:09:00.002-04:002011-08-24T09:09:10.588-04:00<h4>THE VERSE</h4>My soul continually remembers it and is bowed down within me. But this I call to mind, and therefore I have hope: the steadfast love of the LORD never ceases; His mercies never come to an end.<br /> ~Lamentations 3:20-22<br /> <br /> <h4>THE THOUGHT</h4>Jeremiah, sitting in the ruins of Jerusalem, viewing the destruction that God had brought because of the people's sin, had every reason to despair. As he looked at the hopelessness around him and remember his own afflictions, he said, "I have forgotten what happiness is; my endurance has perished, and so has my hope from the LORD." He despaired.<br /> <br /> But what Jeremiah did next is incredibly instructive to each of us in the midst of trials. He lifted his head, looked past his circumstances, and reminded himself of what was still true. He reminded himself of the steadfast love and mercy of God. Even though his circumstances had changed, God's love for Him had not, and so Jeremiah fixed his heart on that.<br /> <br /> This is called "preaching the Gospel to yourself" and it is one of the greatest comforts, blessings, and privileges that God has given to His children. In the midst of affliction, trial, or discouragement, God has set forth His promises as a beacon in the dark, calling us back to the cross where the steafast love and never-ending mercy of God was put on display for us. In our trials, God still demonstrates His love for us in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us. So turn your eyes to Calvary, call to mind His mercies, and say to your soul, "Why are you downcast, O my soul? Hope in God, for I will yet praise Him, my salvation and my God!"<br /> <br /> <h4>THE PRAYER</h4>Lord, Thank you for Your steadfast love. When everything else is lost, Your steadfast love is better than life. Thank you for Your never-ending mercies, new every morning. Every day You have provided, through Jesus, new grace to cover my sin and give me strength. Thank you for Your great and enduring faithfulness. When everything falls, Your faithfulness remains unshaken, and when I am faithless, You remain faithful, for You cannot deny Yourself.<br /> <br /> <h4>EXTENDED READING</h4><a href="http://www.gnpcb.org/esv/search/?q= Lamentations 3:16-25">Lamentations 3:16-25</a><br /> <a href="http://www.gnpcb.org/esv/search/?q= Psalm 42:3-6">Psalm 42:3-6</a><br /> <a href="http://www.gnpcb.org/esv/search/?q= Romans 3:23-36"> </a><br /> <br /> <h4>THE QUOTE</h4>"There have been times when I think we do not desire heaven; but more often I find myself wondering whether, in our heart of hearts, we have ever desired anything else...It is the secret signature of each soul, the incommunicable and unappeasable want, the thing we desired before we met our wives or made our friends or chose our work...All your life an unattainable ecstasy has hovered just beyond the grasp of your consciousness."  ~C.S. Lewis<br /> <br /> <br /> <br /> <p class="MsoNormal"><span style=" ;font-family:Arial;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:x-small;"> <o:p></o:p></span></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style=" ;font-family:Arial;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:x-small;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></p><!--EndFragment--><div class="blogger-post-footer"><script expr:src='"http://feeds.feedburner.com/~s/DailyVerseOnline?i=" + data:post.url' type="text/javascript" charset="utf-8"></script></div>theophilushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08200924136022648160noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16493599616859838.post-80205680183195185772011-08-23T09:15:00.002-04:002011-08-23T09:15:56.868-04:00<h4>THE VERSE</h4>Now therefore the sword shall never depart from your house, because you have despised me and have taken the wife of Uriah the Hittite to be your wife.<br /> ~2 Samuel 12:10<br /> <br /> <h4>THE THOUGHT</h4>David, the man after God's own heart, fell into grievous sin with the rape of Bathsheba and the murder of Uriah, her husband and his long-time friend. His unconscionable abuse of his authority and subsequent cover-up were horrible sins against many people. But how God describes his sin three times in this passage is perhaps the most sobering of all. God calls David's sin "despising the word of the LORD," "despising Me," and "utterly scorning the LORD."<br /> <br /> God's words here struck David to the heart and cut him down to size, and they should have the same effect on us. Any sin-- from David's violent lust to our "respectable" sins of lust and arrogance and anxiety-- is serious because it is committed against an infinitely holy, perfect, and glorious God. All sin is "despising" and "utterly scorning" the Lord who has rescued us, paid a great price to redeem us, and given us His Holy Spirit to combat the evil that we so quickly and easily wallow in. Every time we turn from God and indulge our sinful desires, we are "utterly scorning the LORD."<br /> <br /> How this should cut us down to size! In view of God's holiness and love, in view of the cross, our response to our own sin should be the same as David's: "Against You, You only, have I sinned and done what is evil in Your eyes."<br /> <br /> <h4>THE PRAYER</h4>Lord, Have mercy on me; I have utterly scorned You countless times today. I have walked away from Your love and indulged the cravings of my flesh. I have not trusted You and have instead leaned on my own wisdom and cleverness and strength. I have boasted in myself and trusted in myself. I have scorned You in how I have treated others, thought about others, used others for my own selfish gain. Oh Father, for the sake of Your Son Jesus who bore my sin and earned my righteousness, cover me again in Your mercy. Create in me a clean heart, and make me fully Yours.<br /> <br /> <h4>EXTENDED READING</h4><a href="http://www.gnpcb.org/esv/search/?q= 2 Samuel 12:1-14">2 Samuel 12:1-14</a><br /> <a href="http://www.gnpcb.org/esv/search/?q= Psalm 51"> Psalm 51</a><br /> <a href="http://www.gnpcb.org/esv/search/?q= Romans 3:23-36"> </a><br /> <br /> <h4>THE QUOTE</h4>"We are full of sin, but the Savior bids us lift our eyes to Him; and as we gaze upon His streaming wounds, each drop of blood, as it falls, cries, 'It is finished; I have made an end of sin; I have brought in everlasting righteousness.'"  ~Charles Spurgeon<br /> <br /> <br /> <br /> <p class="MsoNormal"><span style=" ;font-family:Arial;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:x-small;"> <o:p></o:p></span></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style=" ;font-family:Arial;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:x-small;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></p><!--EndFragment--><div class="blogger-post-footer"><script expr:src='"http://feeds.feedburner.com/~s/DailyVerseOnline?i=" + data:post.url' type="text/javascript" charset="utf-8"></script></div>theophilushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08200924136022648160noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16493599616859838.post-50350919353086064812011-08-22T10:21:00.002-04:002011-08-22T10:21:22.560-04:00<h4>THE VERSE</h4>Show yourself in all respects to be a model of good works, and in your teaching show integrity, dignity, and sound speech that cannot be condemned, so that an opponent may be put to shame, having nothing evil to say about us.<br /> ~Titus 2:7-8<br /> <br /> <h4>THE THOUGHT</h4>In Titus 2, Paul lays out some basic principles for godly living, applying them variously to older men, older women, younger women, younger men, pastors and slaves-- basically, cutting across the entire spectrum of human life and laying claim to all of it for Jesus.<br /> <br /> What we see clearly in Titus 2 is that the Christian life is lived out in the mundane details of life, and it is in the mundane details that Christ will either be reviled or revered. How wives act toward their husbands and children in the daily drudgery of home life, Paul says, has the potential to commend or discredit the word of God (verse 5). The relentless godliness of men of integrity will remove all of the enemy's occasion for slander (verse 8). And even slaves (or in our day, employees) have the opportunity to "adorn the doctrine of God our Savior" in such little matters as being "well-pleasing, not argumentative."<br /> <br /> At the end of the day, the Christian life is not about grand gestures of sacrifice or emotional mountaintop experiences. God calls us to both and blesses us with both, but where the rubber really meets the road is in the daily grind of daily life-- when the alarm clock goes off, when someone irritates us, when we are running late, when pressures loom, when temptations whisper. These are the opportunities God has given us to put Christ on display in our lives, to adorn the doctrine of our Savior.<br /> <br /> <h4>THE PRAYER</h4>Holy Spirit, Please help me today to live a life of relentless godliness that puts Jesus on display in the mundane details of my life. I want Him to be praised, and I want my life to belong to Him, redeemed from lawlessness, purified by grace, zealous for good works.<br /> <br /> <h4>EXTENDED READING</h4><a href="http://www.gnpcb.org/esv/search/?q= Isaiah 41:10-14"> Titus 2:1-15</a><br /> <a href="http://www.gnpcb.org/esv/search/?q= Romans 3:23-36"> </a><br /> <br /> <h4>THE QUOTE</h4>"The purpose of Christianity is not to avoid difficulty, but to produce a character adequate to meet it when it comes. It does not make life easy; rather it tries to make us great enough for life." ~James L. Christensen
 <br /> <br /> <br /> <br /> <p class="MsoNormal"><span style=" ;font-family:Arial;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:x-small;"> <o:p></o:p></span></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style=" ;font-family:Arial;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:x-small;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></p><!--EndFragment--><div class="blogger-post-footer"><script expr:src='"http://feeds.feedburner.com/~s/DailyVerseOnline?i=" + data:post.url' type="text/javascript" charset="utf-8"></script></div>theophilushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08200924136022648160noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16493599616859838.post-72497871287793900822011-07-27T07:45:00.001-04:002011-07-27T07:45:09.548-04:00<h4>THE VERSE</h4>We give thanks to God always for all of you, constantly mentioning you in our prayers, remembering before our God and Father your work of faith and labor of love and steadfastness of hope in our Lord Jesus Christ.<br /> ~1 Thessalonians 1:2-3<br /> <br /> <h4>THE THOUGHT</h4>Yesterday we started unpacking Paul's "faith, hope, and love" statement here by looking at how faith works. Today, we will turn our attention to the next virtue, love. Love, described here in 1 Thessalonians, is more than a feeling, more than an emotion. According to today's verse, <i>love labors.</i><br /> <br /> Love labors. It is not content to simply sit back and feel warm fuzzy feelings for another. It is not an inclination to be kind, or a desire for another person's wellbeing. It is an action, working for another person's wellbeing, stooping low to be kind, and putting warm feelings into concrete action. Love gets up early, goes to bed late, holds open doors, washes dishes, goes out of its way, inconveniences itself, and little by little lays down its life. The word "labor" suggests hard work, a continual effort.<br /> <br /> Love is a labor because it goes against our natural inclinations. We are by nature proud and self-centered, and it takes Holy Spirit-enabled obedience to truly delight in stooping down to wash another's feet, to put them in front of us. We need the model of Jesus blazed into our souls, who did not love us from afar but <i>demonstrated</i> his love by laying down his life and dying for us while we were still sinners. That is what a labor of love looks like, and that is the kind of lifestyle that believers are called to.<br /> <br /> <br /> <h4>THE PRAYER</h4>Jesus, Thank you for Your labor of love on my behalf. Thank you for demonstrating Your love, for laying down Your life. Thank you for every day of Your earthly life, living and dying to earn my righteousness and buy my pardon. Thank you for every day of Your heavenly life since then, pleading my cause, interceding for Your bride. Fill me with Your Spirit so that I can love like You do.<br /> <br /> <h4>EXTENDED READING</h4><a href="http://www.gnpcb.org/esv/search/?q= 1 Thessalonians 1:1-6"> 1 Thessalonians 1:1-6</a><br /> <a href="http://www.gnpcb.org/esv/search/?q= Romans 5:6-8">Romans 5:6-8</a><br /> <a href="http://www.gnpcb.org/esv/search/?q= John 15:12-17">John 15:12-17</a><br /> <a href="http://www.gnpcb.org/esv/search/?q= 1 John 3:16-18">1 John 3:16-18</a><br /> <br /> <h4>THE QUOTE</h4>"Grace is God's willingness not only to condescend to our creaturely finitude even to the point of assuming our flesh, but to give His life for us 'while we were still enemies.'"  ~Michael Horton<br /> <br /> <br /> <br /> <p class="MsoNormal"><span style=" ;font-family:Arial;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:x-small;"> <o:p></o:p></span></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style=" ;font-family:Arial;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:x-small;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></p><!--EndFragment--><div class="blogger-post-footer"><script expr:src='"http://feeds.feedburner.com/~s/DailyVerseOnline?i=" + data:post.url' type="text/javascript" charset="utf-8"></script></div>theophilushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08200924136022648160noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16493599616859838.post-38932149610408501052011-07-26T10:03:00.002-04:002011-07-26T10:03:52.868-04:00<h4>THE VERSE</h4>We give thanks to God always for all of you, constantly mentioning you in our prayers, remembering before our God and Father your work of faith and labor of love and steadfastness of hope in our Lord Jesus Christ.<br /> ~1 Thessalonians 1:2-3<br /> <br /> <h4>THE THOUGHT</h4>Paul's famous expression "faith, hope, and love" from 1 Corinthians 13 is well-known and well-loved. But faith, hope, and love were more than just an expression to Paul; they were the essence of the Christian life, and they crop up over and over again in his letters. Here, in his first letter to the church at Thessalonica, we gain valuable insight into what "faith, hope, and love" are all about and what they look like in the life of a believer. We will spend the next three days looking at each of those three virtues and what is said about them here.<br /> <br /> First, faith. In our age of easy believism, it sometimes seems that we have reduced faith to the barest intellectual assent to a list of facts about Jesus. But biblical faith is deeper and richer than that. God wants to remind us here that <i>faith works.</i> A faith that does not prove itself in tangible ways is no faith at all. I can say I trust this chair to hold me, but if I refuse to sit in it, I don't really trust it. In the same way, if we claim to have faith in Christ, but live a lifestyle opposed to him, our statement of faith is a sham.<br /> <br /> We are saved, praise God, by grace through faith, no works involved. Our standing with God is based solely on grace, on the merits of Christ, ours through faith. But we dare not misunderstand the nature of saving faith. We are saved by faith alone, but faith is never alone; it is a living, trusting, grasp on Christ that expresses itself in tangible deeds. Faith works.<br /> <br /> <br /> <h4>THE PRAYER</h4>Lord, help me to have a living, breathing faith in You. Forgive me for my times of dead faith, when I claim to trust You but deny You by my actions. Make my deeds correspond more to the gospel I love, so that You might be honored by my working faith.<br /> <br /> <h4>EXTENDED READING</h4><a href="http://www.gnpcb.org/esv/search/?q= 1 Thessalonians 1:1-6"> 1 Thessalonians 1:1-6</a><br /> <a href="http://www.gnpcb.org/esv/search/?q= James 2:14-26">James 2:14-26</a><br /> <a href="http://www.gnpcb.org/esv/search/?q= Romans 3:23-36"> </a><br /> <br /> <h4>THE QUOTE</h4>"The greatest single cause of atheism in the world today is Christians who acknowledge Jesus with their lips, then walk out the door and deny Him by their lifestyle. That is what an unbelieving world simply finds unbelievable." ~Brennan Manning<br /> <br /> <br /> <br /> <p class="MsoNormal"><span style=" ;font-family:Arial;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:x-small;"> <o:p></o:p></span></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style=" ;font-family:Arial;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:x-small;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></p><!--EndFragment--><div class="blogger-post-footer"><script expr:src='"http://feeds.feedburner.com/~s/DailyVerseOnline?i=" + data:post.url' type="text/javascript" charset="utf-8"></script></div>theophilushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08200924136022648160noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16493599616859838.post-39229605354178603102011-07-19T08:20:00.001-04:002011-07-19T08:20:26.972-04:00<h4>THE VERSE</h4>And a woman named Martha welcomed him into her house. And she had a sister called Mary, who sat at the Lord's feet and listened to his teaching. But Martha was distracted with much serving.<br /> ~Luke 10:39-40<br /> <br /> <h4>THE THOUGHT</h4>How often, in our Christian lives, are we like Martha! The busyness of life, even the busyness of ministry or church involvement, can turn our attention away from what matters more. We can begin to find ourselves like Martha, who "was distracted with much serving." <br /> <br /> Good things like serving become a distraction when they keep us away from better things. In Martha's case, the good thing of serving was keeping her away from the very best thing- sitting at Jesus' feet. After all, Martha was serving <i>Jesus</i>. She was seeing that His needs were met, that He was comfortable, so that His teaching time could run smoothly. Nevertheless, Jesus corrected Martha's attitude, but commended Mary's. This teaches us an invaluable lesson: there is something more important than a servant's heart.<br /> <br /> A servant's heart is a vital characteristic of a Christian. Serving Christ and serving others should always be a priority in our lives, our hearts, and our schedules. However, <i>servanthood is not what is most important.</i> More important that serving is <i>worshipping.</i> Jesus commands us to serve Him and to serve others, but more important to Him is a heart like Mary's- a heart that loves to sit at His feet and listen to Him. Cultivate a heart like Mary's-- a love for His Word, a love for His presence-- and service will flow naturally out of that.<br /> <br /> Who are you like more- Mary, or Martha?<br /> <br /> <h4>THE PRAYER</h4>Lord, Forgive me for my distraction. I confess that even the good things in my life keep me away from the best thing, You. Even my service can become sin when it pulls me away from fellowship with You. Forgive me for serving You without You, for relying only on myself and my resources to try to serve others, when I should first be sitting at Your feet listening to You. Holy Spirit, change my heart and give me a heart like Mary's.<br /> <br /> <h4>EXTENDED READING</h4><a href="http://www.gnpcb.org/esv/search/?q= Luke 10:38-42"> Luke 10:38-42</a><br /> <a href="http://www.gnpcb.org/esv/search/?q= Psalm 27:1-4"> Psalm 27:1-4</a><br /> <a href="http://www.gnpcb.org/esv/search/?q= Romans 3:23-36"> </a><br /> <br /> <h4>THE QUOTE</h4>"Obedience is really not as burdensome as it seems at first blush. We are doing nothing more than falling head over heels in love with the everlasting Lover of our souls." ~Richard Foster<br /> <br /> <br /> <p class="MsoNormal"><span style=" ;font-family:Arial;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:x-small;"> <o:p></o:p></span></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style=" ;font-family:Arial;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:x-small;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></p><!--EndFragment--><div class="blogger-post-footer"><script expr:src='"http://feeds.feedburner.com/~s/DailyVerseOnline?i=" + data:post.url' type="text/javascript" charset="utf-8"></script></div>theophilushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08200924136022648160noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16493599616859838.post-48677435885048970862011-07-15T08:27:00.001-04:002011-07-15T08:27:12.150-04:00<h4>THE VERSE</h4>How much more will the blood of Christ, who through the eternal Spirit offered himself without blemish to God, purify our conscience from dead works to serve the living God.<br /> ~Hebrews 9:14<br /> <br /> <h4>THE THOUGHT</h4>What does it mean that the blood of Christ "purifies our conscience?" Or, as Hebrews 10 says, to be "sprinkled clean from an evil conscience?" What makes our consciences evil? I thought that the conscience was a good thing, right?<br /> <br /> Another passage of Scripture illuminates this issue for us. In 1 Corinthians 8, Paul is talking about weaker believers being tripped up by food sacrificed to idols. He says, "Some, through former association with idols, eat food as really offered to an idol, and their conscience, being weak, is defiled." What defiles the conscience here is <i>guilt.</i> A defiled or evil conscience is a conscience loaded down with condemnation, with guilt.<br /> <br /> Now take that definition back to illuminate Hebrews 9, and something amazing emerges. Christ, who offered His perfect, unblemished work to the Father, purifies the guilt of our dead works, <i>so that we can serve the living God.</i> Often our feelings of guilt and condemnation keep us away from God or keep us from being fruitful in His work. Either we are too discouraged to approach Him, or we can be so aware of our sin that we despair of doing anything that can please Him. To those who struggle with condemnation, Hebrews 9 and 10 are like a bomb going off, blowing away the darkness of guilt. It is Christ's blood and perfect work that purifies the guilt of our dead works, so that we really truly can serve the living God. It is Christ's blood and perfect work that cleanses our guilt so that we can approach the throne of grace with confidence.<br /> <br /> Today, take hold of the grace that is yours in Christ, and press on to serve God with boldness and joy.<br /> <br /> <h4>THE PRAYER</h4>Father, Thank you for sending Your Son to take away the guilt of my dead works. Thank you for the work of Your Spirit in my heart, applying the blood and righteousness of Christ to my defiled conscience. Lord, grant me faith to believe all the good news of the gospel, faith to be free of condemnation, so that I can rejoice in Your goodness and serve you with all of my flawed serving, knowing that in Christ you are pleased with me.<br /> <br /> <h4>EXTENDED READING</h4><a href="http://www.gnpcb.org/esv/search/?q= Hebrews 9:11-14"> Hebrews 9:11-14</a><br /> <a href="http://www.gnpcb.org/esv/search/?q= Hebrews 10:19-23"> Hebrews 10:19-23</a><br /> <a href="http://www.gnpcb.org/esv/search/?q= 1 Corinthians 8:4-7"> 1 Corinthians 8:4-7</a><br /> <a href="http://www.gnpcb.org/esv/search/?q= Romans 8:1-4">Romans 8:1-4 </a><br /> <br /> <h4>THE QUOTE</h4>“They that are full of the joy of the Lord never find life grow weary. Getting near to Christ, you will partake in his joy, and that joy shall be your strength, your freshness, the newness of your life. God grant us to drink of the eternal founts, that we may for ever overflow.” ~Charles Spurgeon<br /> <br /> <br /> <p class="MsoNormal"><span style=" ;font-family:Arial;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:x-small;"> <o:p></o:p></span></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style=" ;font-family:Arial;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:x-small;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></p><!--EndFragment--><div class="blogger-post-footer"><script expr:src='"http://feeds.feedburner.com/~s/DailyVerseOnline?i=" + data:post.url' type="text/javascript" charset="utf-8"></script></div>theophilushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08200924136022648160noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16493599616859838.post-39127077364639961452011-07-14T06:41:00.001-04:002011-07-14T06:41:07.983-04:00<h4>THE VERSE</h4>Jesus came and said to them, "All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you. And behold, I am with you always, to the end of the age." <br /> ~Matthew 28:18-20<br /> <br /> <h4>THE THOUGHT</h4>"Baptize them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit." Have you ever noticed that while there are three names mentioned, it is only one Name that we are told to baptize in? God has revealed Himself here in three Persons- Father, Son, and Spirit- and one God, with one Name. <br /> <br /> The Trinitarian implications for missions are staggering. The Father is the Author of missions, having launched this grand eternal plan to bring His Son glory by the manifestation of His mercy among the nations. The Son paid the full ransom for the lost sheep scattered throughout the world and is now exercising His authority in sending missionaries and glorifying His Father. And the Spirit is the empowering agent of missions; He is the One who gives the sacrificial faith that forsakes all to follow the call, and He is now calling people from every tribe and nation and language to repentance and faith in Christ.<br /> <br /> The most amazing thing, however, is that the almighty Triune God has stooped to include us in His plan to bring glory to Himself. Here in Matthew 28, we have God the Son opening the doors for us to be co-laborers with Him for His glory. Will you answer His call? <br /> <br /> <h4>THE PRAYER</h4>Triune God, Your glory will fill the world as waters fill the sea, and I am humbled that You have invited and commanded me to join You in that cosmic endeavor. Show me where to go, what to say, and give me faith to obey.<br /> <br /> <h4>EXTENDED READING</h4><a href="http://www.gnpcb.org/esv/search/?q= John 16:7-15"> John 16:7-15</a><br /> <a href="http://www.gnpcb.org/esv/search/?q= Romans 15:8-9"> Romans 15:8-9</a><br /> <a href=http://www.gnpcb.org/esv/search/?q= 1 Corinthians 3:6-9”> 1 Corinthians 3:6-9 </a><br /> <a href=http://www.gnpcb.org/esv/search/?q= Revelation 7:9-12”> </a><br /> <br /> <h4>THE QUOTE</h4>“There can be no small sins against a great God.” ~J.I. Packer<br /> <br /> <br /> <br /> <p class="MsoNormal"><span style=" ;font-family:Arial;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:x-small;"> <o:p></o:p></span></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style=" ;font-family:Arial;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:x-small;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></p><!--EndFragment--><div class="blogger-post-footer"><script expr:src='"http://feeds.feedburner.com/~s/DailyVerseOnline?i=" + data:post.url' type="text/javascript" charset="utf-8"></script></div>theophilushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08200924136022648160noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16493599616859838.post-14574437505048328862011-07-13T08:01:00.001-04:002011-07-13T08:01:18.279-04:00<h4>THE VERSE</h4>If in this life only we have hoped in Christ, we are of all people most to be pitied.<br /> ~1 Corinthians 15:19<br /> <br /> <h4>THE THOUGHT</h4>If someone asked you, “If at the end of your life it turns out that Christianity is a lie and there is no God, would your life have been a waste?” how would you respond? Many people would say, “No, it wouldn’t have been a waste, because a life invested in serving other people and pursuing peace is worth it even if there is no heaven.” That kind of answer makes sense, and there is some truth in it, but I suspect that the apostle Paul would answer differently. In fact, his answer would look something like 1 Corinthians 15:19.<br /> <br /> There definitely is a real reward in the here and now in living for others, but the Christian life as set forth in Scripture is about a lot more than that. The real Christian life is a life firmly rooted in eternity, and in the eternal promises of God. The hope of heaven is the motivation that the Bible holds out for all of our deeds of sacrificial love. The life that Jesus calls His followers to is too costly, too hard, to ever pay back for itself in this life. Loving those who hate you is too painful, serving without recognition is too draining, leaving home and family to preach the gospel to the nations is too hard, standing up for your faith is too humiliating, and dying for Jesus is too costly, to ever be founded upon merely temporal promises. Without the hope of heaven, the Christian life as it is meant to be lived truly is foolish. If in this life only we have hoped in Christ and lived the life He calls us to, then we really are of all people most to be pitied.<br /> <br /> But we haven’t hoped in Christ only in this life. There are banks beyond earth, there is treasure in heaven. We can take up our cross, knowing that those who lose their lives for Christ will find their lives forever. We can accept the plundering of our possessions with joy, knowing that our heavenly possession is real and ours eternally. We can, with Jesus, fix our eyes on the joy set before us and find there all the strength we need to bear our crosses and make Jesus known.<br /> <br /> <h4>THE PRAYER</h4>God, Help me to look to eternity for all the resources I need to serve You today. Thank you for Your indescribably great promises that give me everything I need for life and godliness. Help me to trust You and to live my life with abandon for the fame of Jesus Christ.<br /> <br /> <h4>EXTENDED READING</h4><a href="http://www.gnpcb.org/esv/search/?q= 1 Corinthians 15:14-26">1 Corinthians 15:14-26</a><br /> <a href="http://www.gnpcb.org/esv/search/?q= Hebrews 10:32-36">Hebrews 10:32-36</a><br /> <a href="http://www.gnpcb.org/esv/search/?q= 2 Peter 1:3-4">2 Peter 1:3-4</a><br /> <a href="http://www.gnpcb.org/esv/search/?q= Mark 8:34-36">Mark 8:34-36</a><br /> <br /> <h4>THE QUOTE</h4>"Abiding in Jesus is nothing but the giving up of oneself to be ruled and taught and led, and so resting in the arms of Everlasting Love."  ~Andrew Murray<br /> <br /> <br /> <br /> <p class="MsoNormal"><span style=" ;font-family:Arial;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:x-small;"> <o:p></o:p></span></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style=" ;font-family:Arial;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:x-small;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></p><!--EndFragment--><div class="blogger-post-footer"><script expr:src='"http://feeds.feedburner.com/~s/DailyVerseOnline?i=" + data:post.url' type="text/javascript" charset="utf-8"></script></div>theophilushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08200924136022648160noreply@blogger.com0