writonautics

Blood or Wine

2023-02-18T11:04:00.000+08:00

The Lord God who turned water into blood is the same Savior who turned water into wine.

God's first act of public judgment against Egypt was turning water into blood.

But our Lord Jesus' first miracle on record was turning water into wine, and it's about blessing a social event.

How do I want my Miracle Worker to come to me, with a sword or with some sweets?

I'd rather run to the Father of grace and mercy, live a holy life, and receive His bountiful blessings for me.

I choose not to be a wandering star. I stay in my orbit.

2022-08-03T18:44:00.001+08:00

(Jude 1:13) The Lord God is my center, and this is expressed thru my local church.

I evolve and revolve in and around my church family.

#2Kings3v17

2022-03-22T02:29:00.000+08:00

For this is what the LORD says:

You will see neither

wind nor rain,

yet this valley of vows,

pit of payments, and

ditches of debt

will be filled with

water

and you, your responsibilities,

and your other obligations will DRINK.

Our FATHER Prevents Infertility And Miscarriages

2022-03-17T11:38:00.000+08:00

You are to worship the Lord your God, and He will bless your food and water. I will make sure none of you fall sick. No woman will have a miscarriage or be without children. I will make sure you live long lives. ^[^{Exodus
23:25-26 FBV]}

A wonder of Worship: a God-given baby!

What incredible promises! God commits to doing the following:

- Bless our food and water to abundance

- Remove sicknesses

- Prevent miscarriages

- Every married woman to have their own baby

But these vows come with a call to action: To be in service to God. The word ‘worship’ in this text means ‘work’ and ‘serve.’ ^* So this is not your mediocre once-a-week, go-to-church Sunday worship. This is toiling for righteousness. It’s being a love slave to our kind and benevolent Master, Christ Jesus.

In what capacity did the Lord ask you to serve Him? It’s not our own terms or personal preferences, but God’s choice. ^{[see
2 Kings 17:25-28]} How do you express your love to the Lord by helping His people? What volunteer ministry are you involved in? What church helps are you committed to?

…P R A Y E R…

Father God,

Thank You for You are committed to our prosperity. Thank You for protecting our water supply, and our food sources. You help us not get sick, and even though we get to, You heal us and make us stronger.

We thank You for being committed to giving us our own baby. And when we conceive, You also protect the baby in the womb.

Thank You, Lord, for You always see us through. Thank You for Your baby promise. We will have a baby.

In Jesus' name,

Amen.

*Other translations

-Taken from: Expectant Parents By Faith

[#amazon #ad]

*This website is a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a way for websites to earn advertising revenues by advertising and linking to Amazon.com*

My Top 3 Life Principles

2022-03-15T22:45:00.001+08:00

Once, a scholar asked, “Mentor, which is the greatest principle of life?” The Master replied, “You must love the Lord your God with all your heart, all your soul, and all your mind. This is the first and greatest principle. And the second is like it: 'Love others as yourself.' All life-giving principles are based on these two.” ^{(see Matthew 22:36-40)}

Love God, Love self and others, and Obey God.

This metonymy was derived from the Lifebook, the Book of Principles – the Holy Bible. Who has a better say on life principles than the Author of life Himself?

King Solomon’s take was this: Fear God and keep His commands, for this is the whole duty of man. ^{(see Ecclesiastes 12:13)}

So now, my Top 3 List of Life Principles is complete:

Love God,

Love myself and others, and

Obey God.

Life begins and ends with God.

My life principle #1: Love God with all that I am.

How do I love God? By spending time with Him. I have learned that God loved me first, and I just love Him back. As one spends time with God through the Word – by reading the Bible every single day, the information on how to love Him back gets clearer and deeper.

My life principle #2: Love myself and others.

Loving myself is instinctively easy. But sometimes, I tend to be narcissistic – I could love myself more than I love God. Note to self: Refer back to life principle #1. Love God above self. Love God before self.

When life gets hard and I fail, or I stumble and fall and hurt myself, life principle #2 gets very useful. I could just get up, love myself for I am loved, and move on.

But its twin principle can really be bothersome: Love others as I love myself. How could I express a top-level love for others when that is already reserved for myself? I have learned that God’s love for me is so big, that I could give it away and still have so much for myself. Self-less love.

It gets really challenging when I need to forgive those who ask forgiveness. Loving myself would mean freeing myself from debilitating and crippling bitterness. Loving, forgiving, and forgetting.

My life principle #3: Obey God.

This simple statement can keep me busy my whole life. For instance, when I feel like sleeping all day on a Sunday, or working instead for money, I’ll remember an eternal life goal: Go to church. The Ten Commandments did say to keep the Sabbath, and to keep it holy. I have learned that it doesn’t really benefit the Commander, but me. It’s for me.

Once more, a scholar asked, “Who are ‘the others’ in my life?” The Embodiment of Life Principles replied, “You’re already looking at them! Knowledge is good, but good actions are best. Go and do right.”^{(see Luke 10:29-37)}

R.E.L.I.G.I.O.N.

2022-03-14T22:53:00.001+08:00

We all have religion, but we are not all religious. Just because we have a form of religion does not mean we are spiritual - even atheists have a devotion, a denial of deity. ⁽^{Psalm 14:1}⁾

A reputable dictionary¹ traces this relic of a word to Latin, having the meaning "obligation" and "reverence." It is like opening a door to a room full of closed doors, an answer that stirs up a hornet's nest of questions: "Obligation to whom? Reverence for whom?"

Help the helpless, and stay clean and free

Research shows that the subject of religion and its derivatives appeared around the 11th century, like religio, religiun, religioun, and religare.² Furthermore, deeper etymology³ brings it around the 5th century. We are now confronted with a realization: Is it the word itself, or the substance that it brings? The spelling changes over time, and even definitions vary, but concepts and intentions remain.

The big R is a sacred term, so sacred that the Bible is its ultimate source, truth and all. Human intelligence has its place, but the wisdom of God supersedes everything - He is always ahead, each and every time. The Holy Scriptures recorded the concept of true religion in plain language around 45-50 AD,⁴ written in the book of St. James the Apostle, the brother of our Lord Jesus:

"Pure and undefiled religion before our God and Father is this: to care for orphans and widows in their distress, and to keep oneself from being polluted by the world." ^{(James 1:}^{27 BSB}⁾

Accordingly, religion is what we can do, the human effort. It is our good works. But then again, no matter how good we are, religion cannot save us, for redemption is of no earthly strategy. "This is something that people cannot do. But God can do anything." ^{(Matthew 19:26 ERV)}

Moreover, based on the text (and we can take God's Word for it!), religion is two-fold: to one's self, and to others. It is an act of service to help the helpless - our accomplishment towards others. It is also an effort to stand up for righteousness - a practice of self-denial.

As always, biblical religion is defined best by the Master Himself: "Love your neighbor as much as you love yourself." ^{(Matthew 22:39 TLB)} It is rather interesting to note that this is the second greatest commandment. The first one is the most important, and that is, "You must love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your being, and with all your mind." ^{(Matthew 22:37 CEB)} Please acknowledge also that the first one is not a religion, but a relationship. The Lover of our souls prioritizes our heart for Him first before self and others.

And thus, religion is the result of our knowledge of God. The more we know Him, the more we are in a relationship with Him, and vice versa - the more we spend time with Him, the more we get to know Him. Because God is Eternal, then it's a life-long pursuit; the thrill never ends! The stronger He means the whole world to us, the better we define true religion in this world with our lives and day-to-day living. Nevertheless, at the end of the day, our personal walk with the Lord is the finale. We bow down to Him, not to man.

Endnotes:

1 https://www.oed.com/view/Entry/161944?v

2 http://dictionary.reference.com/browse/religion

3 https://www.etymonline.com/search?q=religion

4 https://www.biblegateway.com/resources/encyclopedia-of-the-bible/Epistle-James

Our FATHER Heals Us Of Infertility

2022-03-13T00:06:00.001+08:00

Abraham prayed to God, and God healed Abimelech, and his wife, and his female servants, and they bore children. For God had made every woman infertile in the household of Abimelech, because of Sarah, Abraham's wife. ^{[Genesis
20:17-18 NHEB]}

The Lord God is the True Healer of the Womb.

In this chapter, it was wrong for Abraham to make his wife a shield to protect his own life by saying they're just siblings, and not as married couples. With this lie and outright deceit, the king of the land, Abimelech, took Sarah into his harem. As it was, God’s judgment had fallen over the land, affecting a lot of innocent people. For that period of time, the Lord's judgment was about infertility. The king wanted to increase his royal family, but the Lord did the opposite; He opposed it – all the women stopped getting pregnant. This was all because Abimelech took a married woman, and he was about to violate a marriage covenant sealed by God.

But God is faithful; He didn’t let Sarah be defiled, and also because Abimelech acted out in innocence and integrity of heart. The Lord also removed infertility in all of Abimelech’s rule.

We worship the God of Miracles – the First and Real God of Fertility and the Lord of Conception! The Lord God is the True Healer of the Womb.

…P R A Y E R…

Father God,

We pray to You; please heal our bodies for a baby. We will also pursue a man of God to pray over us. Please help us bear a child. Please make us fertile.

If there is anything, or anyone, that is causing us to be at the receiving end of Your judgment, please help us be made aware and to make things right. We are willing to make amends. We submit to restitution.

Thank You, oh Lord, for being faithful to tell us. It’s not our ability to hear, but Your ability to speak. We will hear Your still small voice. By Your grace and mercy, please remove infertility from us and open our womb.

Thank You, Lord, for Your baby promise over us.

In Jesus' name,

Amen.

-Taken from: Expectant Parents By Faith

[#amazon #ad]

Being On God’s Side: The Nonpartisan Obedience And Submission of The Elect

2022-03-12T00:55:00.000+08:00

My choice of candidate is only as good as when I vote. My vote is only as good as when it is counted. But when the tally comes, my choice is irrelevant – God decides who is king.

Every person is to be subject to the governing authorities. For there is no authority except from God, and those which exist are established by God. ^{(Romans 13: 1 NASB)}

Our future does not depend on the person who gets elected, but on the One who sits on the Throne.

If God has already decided, then why do I need to vote? This sounds like the clay who talks back to the Potter, “Why did you make me this way?” ^{[see Romans 9:19-20]}

Let’s admit it: Though we vote according to our conscience, our conscience is formed by information made available to us. We can only know so much about a candidate, but God knows all things. In choosing, our sense of compatibility and personal preference are at work. We like a certain candidate because we feel that we like something about them, or with what they have done, or promised to do. Apparently, we wouldn’t choose someone we don’t agree with.

This is also our God-given free will. The Lord wants us to decide, and then to trust Him in His decision. He weaves ^{[see Romans 8:28]} the preferences of all the voting population, and from these, He causes to emerge the victor – the ruler of His choice. ^{[see 1 Samuel 16:1]}

For those who voted for the would-be winner, their hearts are at peace. But for the rest, they undergo the next step: submission and obedience.

And with obedience, everybody is involved - even those who voted for the declared winner will find themselves, sooner or later, with situations where their choice is challenged and even regretted.

But it won't matter by then – we should all obey. Obedience is the key part. Submission is what’s important. It spans the rest of our lives in comparison to a one-day event called “elections.” The Scriptures is clear: All governing authorities are empowered by God. ^{(see John 19:11)}

The trap is this: How can we be so consumed about a specific candidate, that we defame and blackwash the others? And when we find ourselves on the losing side, just how then can we stand before God’s people and command ^{(see Titus 3:1)} them to submit to the governing authorities?

God says that we pray for the peace of the land because when it prospers, we also prosper. ^{(see
Jeremiah 29:11)} And note that the Lord addressed this message to the Israelites in a land of captivity. So when we speak evil of leaders we do not like, we have already stumbled even before we have walked. We have smeared our spiritual authority, and we have poisoned the minds of God’s people against the rulers of whose hearts are in His hands. ^{[see Proverbs 21:1]}

Our future does not depend on the person who gets elected, but on the One who sits on the Throne. He is still, and always will be the King of kings and Lord of lords. God does not take sides; He is only on His side. It’s either we’re with Him, or against Him.

“…Are You for us or for our adversaries?” So He said, “No, but as Commander of the army of the Lord I have now come.” ^{[Joshua 5:13-14
NKJV]}

So the next time you vote, just do your part with wisdom, and let God do what He does best – lead the leaders. Everyone answers to Him. ^{HBU}

Our FATHER Grants Us A Baby To Teach

2022-03-11T22:09:00.001+08:00

I've chosen him so that he will teach his sons and their families to follow the way of the Lord by doing what is right and good, so that I, the Lord, can do for Abraham what I promised. ^{[Genesis 18:19 FBV]}

The Lord does more than just fulfill His baby promise, He also plans ahead for these children and the generations afterward to be taught concerning the things of God. There is a proper way to worship Him, and that established structure is needed to be taught. The Sovereign Lord will always have His way.

The God-given promise is not just for a baby, but to bless us entirely. The Lord can only accomplish this when we do our part to obey Him. God's wonderful covenant of blessings is a partnership with us; He can only complete His part when we have done our share of the promise.

The parent is always God’s choice to teach their own kids. We lead by example. Our words of instruction lose their power when we don’t practice what we preach.

God’s promises are conditional. We do our part, and God does what He can only do – and He does it best!

…P R A Y E R…

Father God,

Please choose us to teach children to follow Your ways. We volunteer to help and teach in Children’s Church and Sunday School. May You give us our own child to teach as well. We will lead by example; we will do what is right and good for them to follow. We will carefully instruct them in the ways of the Lord, and together, we will be strong in our walk with You. We will walk before You as a family.

Thank You, Lord, for Your baby promise over us. Thank you for building our family.

In Jesus' name,

Amen.

-Taken from: Expectant Parents By Faith

[#amazon #ad]

Our FATHER Can Easily Bless Us With A Baby

2022-03-10T17:14:00.003+08:00

Then the LORD said, “I will surely return to you at this time next year, and your wife Sarah will have a son!”

So she laughed to herself, saying, “After I am worn out and my master is old, will I now have this pleasure?” And the LORD asked Abraham, “Why did Sarah laugh and say, ‘Can I really bear a child when I am old?’ Is anything too difficult for the LORD? At the appointed time I will return to you—in about a year—and Sarah will have a son.”

^[^{Genesis 18:10, 12-14 BSB]}

Nothing Is Too Hard For The Lord

This is the first time that God declared the statement “Nothing is too hard for the Lord,” and it involved having a baby. The Lord repeated Himself in this same way to Mary concerning Elizabeth’s pregnancy, and it was also about having a baby. ^{(see
Luke 1:36-38)} It’s amazing to know that God measured His ability in this way – in the manner of granting babies.

The Lord does not treat it lightly when we laugh at what He is able to do. For God to grant a baby is not a difficult task. Because God is so kind, we now have laughing parents and a son of joy!

…P R A Y E R…

Father God,

Come back for us, oh Lord, and give us a baby. You don't leave us behind; please don't leave us childless.

We are not old and way past child-bearing, and we won't be worn out asking. Please give us this pleasure of having a baby.

We will not laugh at Your baby promise, but we will laugh with joy as You fulfill them. We rehearse in our thoughts and our hearts that nothing is too difficult for You, O Lord. Return to us, and fulfill Your baby promise; appoint the time, and we will have a baby.

Thank You, oh Lord, for nothing is hard for You. No matter what our circumstances are, nothing is ever a challenge to You, for absolutely nothing is impossible for You.

We will have a baby.

In Jesus' name,

Amen.

-Taken from: Expectant Parents By Faith

[#amazon #ad]

Our FATHER Calls Us Expectant Parents

2022-03-09T11:34:00.002+08:00

No longer will you be called Abram, but your name will be Abraham, for I have made you a father of many nations. I will make you exceedingly fruitful; I will make nations of you, and kings will descend from you.

^[^{Genesis 17:5-6
BSB]}

Then God said to Abraham, “As for Sarai your wife, do not call her Sarai, for her name is to be Sarah. And I will bless her and will surely give you a son by her. I will bless her, and she will be the mother of nations; kings of peoples will descend from her.”

^{[Genesis
17:15 BSB]}

Live a Life of Expectancy. More than just optimism; it’s hope and faith in the God of Miracles.

God's baby promise is within the marriage covenant. The Lord is not pleased if we fulfill this promise in our own capacity, and sinfully, outside our wedding vows. God values the “one flesh” of every husband and wife because the blessing includes our better half.

The Lord also changes how we are called or named to reflect the future that He has for us. The name ‘Abram’ already means ‘exalted father.’* However, this human pursuit didn’t result in any child born to Abram and Sarai; they were still childless. But God came to their rescue! The Lord renewed their identities to expand their vision of not just a handful of children, but of nations. This revival happened to the Couple of Promise. The renewed covenant is for the marriage that God has promised to bless. God raised their hopes again, and this time, it was very high and way up there. Once again, the Lord confirmed that out of their bodies will come the Promised Child. The Promise-Keeper wanted them to live a life of expectancy.

…P R A Y E R…

Father God,

Because we have no baby all through the years, we've been called some names and labels. But thank You, Lord, for You call us Parents. By Your grace, we will father and mother a child.

We embrace our future identity as parents. We will soon embrace a baby in our arms. We hold on to Your baby promise. We will soon hold our baby’s hand.

In Jesus' name,

Amen.

* https://biblehub.com/hebrew/87.htm

-Taken from: Expectant Parents By Faith

[paid link]

Our FATHER Helps Us Visualize A Baby

2022-03-08T15:06:00.000+08:00

The Lord took Abram outside and said to him, “Look up at the sky. See if you can count the stars! That's how many descendants you will have!” Abram trusted what the Lord said, and so the Lord counted Abram as being in a right relationship with him. ^{[Genesis
15:5-6 FBV]}

And he brought him forth abroad, and said, Look now toward heaven, and tell the stars, if thou be able to number them: and he said unto him, So shall thy seed be. ^[KJV]

The Power Of Visualization

If you've been looking at the small confines of your own little world for too long, then it's about time to look up and look out to where God displays His splendor. It is always good to look and think out of the box, but we have to always align that with God's Word. In Abram's case, he had a specific Word and promise directly from God: Descendants that are as many as the stars.

There’s something about the act of ‘telling’ and ‘counting’ that exercises and builds our faith. Go ahead and tell the stars – the angels of praise, that there’s a baby promised to you. Count the innumerable stars, and recount God’s blessings.

…P R A Y E R…

Father God,

You have inspired us to look away from our lack of a baby, and directed us to look outside of our box, outside of our own little world, so that we can see and visualize how much Your creation displays Your baby promises over our lives. You have given Abraham countless and innumerable descendants, and we are confident that You can and will give to us, too - at least, one. We will tell the stars that there is a baby fulfillment for us, at least, one baby - for us.

We believe You, Lord. We trust in Your baby promise. We put our faith in Your Word.

In Jesus' name,

Amen.

-Taken from: Expectant Parents By Faith

[#amazon #ad]

Lead, Laugh, Learn

2022-03-08T14:34:00.002+08:00

Hey Dads! How about making your kids laugh, while you show them by example how to walk in the ways of the Lord?

#Eph6v4 Fathers, do not irritate and provoke your children to anger [do not exasperate them to resentment], but rear them [tenderly] in the training and discipline and the counsel and admonition of the Lord. (AMPC)

Our FATHER Confirms His Baby Promise

2022-03-05T20:57:00.001+08:00

But Abram replied, “O Lord GOD, what can You give me, since I remain childless, and the heir of my house is Eliezer of Damascus?” Abram continued, “Behold, You have given me no offspring, so a servant in my household will be my heir.”

Then the word of the LORD came to Abram, saying, “This one will not be your heir, but one who comes from your own body will be your heir.” ^[^{Genesis
15:2-4 BSB]}

Right here and now, we remind ourselves again that having a baby is all dependent on God's grace and mercy. We cannot make any of this happen on our own. In this stage of Abram's life, he has no child, and no parental obligation. His nephew, Lot, had just parted ways from him. It could have been Lot as an heir apparent. But with Lot gone, Abram was then left with a non-relative, who was next in line to be an heir prospect.

Abram was willing to adopt Eliezer (or his son) and treat him as his own. Adoption, in itself, is good and godly. The whole Bible is filled with substantial evidence that adoption is also an act of faith. The Lord, in His Sovereignty and Divine Providence, also blesses this righteous act of parental responsibility, and it is also a means to fulfill God’s baby promises.

However, in Abram's case, the Lord intervened; adoption was not God's specific plan for him. It’s not always like that, and we don’t decide when. In the Father’s graciousness, He then confirmed His baby promise through him and his wife: A child born to you will continue your name...

…P R A Y E R…

Father God,

You are so gracious and kind, and You keep on giving us blessings. We are forever grateful.

But we also admit that all these blessings do not satisfy until You give us the gift of a baby. Oh Father, our hearts are crying out, "What good are Your blessings if we don't have a baby?"

Please confirm, oh Lord, Your baby promise to us. Please take away this cry from our hearts for lack of a child. May the Word of the Lord be spoken to us and declare Your baby promise over our lives.

Thank You, Lord, for You will come and confirm Your baby promise.

In Jesus' name,

Amen.

-Taken from: Expectant Parents By Faith

[paid link]

John 4

2022-03-04T18:17:00.002+08:00

the king version

Therefore, when the Lord knew how the Pharisees had heard that Jesus made and baptized more disciples than John, ²(though Jesus Himself baptized not, but His disciples),³He left Judea and departed again into Galilee, ⁴and He must and needs^# to go through Samaria.

⁵Then He comes^# to a city of Samaria, which is called Sychar, near to the parcel of ground that Jacob gave to his son Joseph. ⁶Now Jacob’s well was there. Jesus, therefore, being wearied with His journey, sat thus on the well; and it was about the sixth (6^th) hour.

⁷There comes^# a woman of Samaria to draw water. Jesus says^# to her, “Give Me some to drink.” ⁸(For His disciples had gone away to the city to buy meat.)[1]

⁹Then says^# the woman of Samaria to Him, “How is it that You, being a Jew, ask to drink from me, who is a woman of Samaria?” For the Jews have no dealings with the Samaritans.

¹⁰Jesus answered and said to her, “If you knew the gift of God and who it is that says to you, ‘Give Me some to drink,’ you would have asked of Him, and He would have given you living water.”

¹¹The woman says^# to Him, “Sir, You have nothing to draw with, and the well is deep. From where[2] then have You had[3] that living water? ¹²Are You greater than our father Jacob, who gave us the well and drank from[4] it himself, and his children and his cattle?”

¹³Jesus answered and said to her, “Whoever drinks of this water shall thirst again, ¹⁴but whoever drinks of the water that I shall give him shall never thirst; but the water that I shall give him shall be in him a well of water springing up into everlasting life.”

¹⁵The woman says^# to Him, “Sir, give me this water, that I thirst not, neither come here[5] to draw.”

¹⁶Jesus says^# to her, “Go, call your husband, and come here.” [6]

¹⁷The woman answered and said, “I have no husband.”
Jesus said to her, “You have answered[7] well, ‘I have no husband’; ¹⁸for you have had five (5) husbands, and he whom you now have is not your husband. In that, you said it true.” [8]

¹⁹The woman says^# to Him, “Sir, I perceive that You are a prophet. ²⁰Our fathers worshiped on this mountain, and You^* say that in Jerusalem is the place where men ought to worship.”

²¹Jesus says^# to her, “Woman, believe Me, the hour comes when you^* shall neither worship the Father on this mountain, nor[9] _` at Jerusalem. ²²You^* worship what you^* know not; we know what we worship, for salvation is from the Jews. ²³But the hour comes and is now, when the true worshipers shall worship the Father in spirit and in truth; for the Father seeks such to worship Him. ²⁴God is a Spirit, and they that worship Him must worship Him in spirit and in truth.”

²⁵The woman says^# to Him, “I know that Messiah comes, who is called Christ. When He has come, He will tell us all things.”

²⁶Jesus says^# to her, “I who speak to you am He.”

²⁷And upon this His disciples came and marveled that He talked with the woman; yet no one[10] said, “What[11] do You seek?” or, “Why[12] talk[13] _` with her?”

²⁸The woman then left her waterpot, and went her way into the city and says^# to the men, ²⁹“Come, see a Man who told me all the things that I ever did. Is this not the Christ?” ³⁰Then they went out of the city and came to Him.

³¹In the meanwhile, His disciples requested[14] Him, saying, “Master, eat.”

³²But He said to them, “I have meat to eat that you^* know not of.”

³³Therefore, the disciples said to one another, “Has anyone brought Him anything[15] to eat?”

³⁴Jesus says^# to them, “My meat is to do the will of Him who sent Me, and to finish His work. ³⁵Do you^* not say, ‘There are yet four (4) months and then comes the harvest’? Behold, I say to you, lift up your eyes and look on the fields, for they are already white for harvest. ³⁶And he who reaps receives wages and gathers fruit to life eternal, that both he who sows and he who reaps may rejoice together. ³⁷And in here is that saying true, ‘One sows and another reaps.’ ³⁸I sent you to reap that for which you^* did[16] no labor; other men labored, and you^* have entered into their labors.”

³⁹And many of the Samaritans of that city believed in Him because of the saying of the woman who testified, “He told me all that I ever did.” ⁴⁰So when the Samaritans had come to Him, they asked[17] Him that He would stay[18] with them; and He remained[19] there two (2) days.

⁴¹And many more believed because of His own word, ⁴²and they said to the woman, “Now we believe, not because of your talk,[20] for we have heard Him ourselves and know that this is indeed the Christ, the Savior of the world.”

⁴³Now after two (2) days He departed from there[21] and went into Galilee. ⁴⁴For Jesus Himself testified that a prophet has no honor in his own country. ⁴⁵Then when He had come into Galilee, the Galileans received Him, having seen all the things that He did at Jerusalem at the feast; for they also went to the feast.

⁴⁶So Jesus came again into Cana of Galilee where He made the water wine. And there was a certain nobleman, whose son was sick at Capernaum. ⁴⁷When he heard that Jesus had come out of Judea into Galilee, he went to Him and asked[22] Him that He would come down and heal his son, for he was at the point of death.

⁴⁸Then Jesus said to him, “Except you^* see signs and wonders, you^* will not believe.”

⁴⁹The nobleman says^# to Him, “Sir, come down before[23] my child dies!”

⁵⁰Jesus says^# to him, “Go your way; your son lives.”
And the man believed the word that Jesus had spoken to him, and he went his way. ⁵¹And as he was now going down, his servants met him and told him, saying, “Your son lives!” ⁵²Then he inquired of them the hour when he began to get well.[24] And they said to him, “Yesterday at the seventh (7^th) hour the fever left him.”

⁵³So the father knew that it was at the same hour in _` which Jesus said to him, “Your son lives.” And he himself believed, and his whole house.

⁵⁴This is again the second (2^nd) miracle that Jesus did when He had come out of Judea into Galilee. {KING}

Note:

# - Historic Present

* - Plural you (ye)

` - (omitted)

Endnotes:

[1] 7 Or food, also v.32,34

[2] 11 whence

[3] 11 #2192. echó: to have, hold, possess (Strong’s)

[4] 12 thereof

[5] 15 hither

[6] 16 hither

[7] 17 said; #2036: answer, bid, bring word, command (Strong’s)

[8] 18 truly

[9] 21 nor yet

[10] 27 man

[11] 27 5101. tis: who, which, what, why (Strong's)

[12] 27 5101. tis: who, which, what, why (Strong's)

[13] 27 talk thou

[14] 31 prayed

[15] 33 aught

[16] 38 bestowed. 2872. kopiaó: to grow weary, toil. (Strong’s) Bestowed and labor have the same Gk. word.

[17] 39 besought

[18] 40 tarry

[19] 40 abode. Tarry and abode have the same GK. word

[20] 42 saying

[21] 43 thence

[22] 47 besought

[23] 49 ere (archaic)

[24] 52 amend #2866. kompsoteron: well-dressed

Read the Whole Bible in 0ne Year.
See Other Bible Versions for Fresh Insight.

Our FATHER Helps Us To Have A Baby

2022-03-03T21:31:00.002+08:00

And Adam had relations with his wife Eve, and she conceived and gave birth to Cain. “With the help of the LORD I have brought forth a man,” she said. ^{[Genesis 4:1 BSB]}

The first mother, Eve, recognized that the creation of another human being inside her body was God's work, a moment of God's help. We also recognize that we can’t make this happen; it has got to be God’s help.

On our part, we ask for help. Just because we need help doesn’t mean it’s automatic – that help will just come. He who needs help asks for help.

…P R A Y E R…

Father God,

May it be that simple for us, too. My spouse and I will be intimate, and we will just conceive. With Your help, oh Lord, we will have a baby. With Your help, oh Lord, we will receive Your baby promise. Just as You have done with other married couples, please do so in our bodies. Please also create this baby-life in us.

Only You can help us. Only You can do this. Oh Creator of our bodies, please help us.

Thank You, Lord, for Your baby promise. Thank you, Lord, for Your help.

In Jesus' name,

Amen.

-Taken from: Expectant Parents By Faith

[paid link]

Our FATHER Designed Us To Procreate

2022-02-25T01:00:00.003+08:00

And God blessed them, saying, "Be fruitful, and multiply, and fill the earth, and subdue it, and have dominion over the fish of the sea, and over the flying creatures of the sky, and over all the tame animals, and over all the wild animals of the earth, and over all the creatures that crawl on the earth. ^{[Genesis 1:28 NHEB]}

God blessed them and told them, “Reproduce, increase, and spread throughout the earth and control it; exercise authority over the fish of the sea and the birds of the air and every creature that moves on the earth.” ^{[Genesis 1:28 FBV]}

A Pattern In Creation

In the beginning, God created and multiplied. The Lord had set the example by declaring things and speaking life into existence. We also follow this pattern: We speak life based on God’s Word. We confess Bible verses, and we repeat His truths as we agree with Him. We do our part, and God will do what only He can do.

Creation came about into existence with a spoken command: “Let there be light!” We follow that pattern when we pray. Each time we pray should be a repetition of His Word, a speaking out of God’s written promises.

…P R A Y E R…

Father God,

We recognize You as the only Life-Giver and Creator. Please hover over our emptiness, and speak the Words that will spark life in our womb. Please give us a baby to take care of.

Thank You, Lord, for You are the Author of fertility and conception. You have already commanded us to have a baby, so we will conceive, just because You fulfill Your gracious promises.

In Jesus' name,

Amen.

-Taken from: Expectant Parents By Faith

[paid link]

Strap On Your Bible-Sword

2022-02-11T22:59:00.001+08:00

There was the true story of Aaron when

· he casted a golden calf, and the

· the people had gone wild - much to the shame of their enemies.

And Moses asked who was on the Lord's side. And to the Levites who rallied to him, he commanded to strap on their swords. ^{(see Exo 32)}

Today, in our world, we still strap on our swords, that is, the Bible. In this age of grace, it is not a letter that kills, but one that brings life. We have new marching orders: restoration and reconciliation in the Lord.

Yes, strap your swords - wield the Bible wisely, and win the erring brother over from the dark side.

Our Lord Jesus puts it this way:

If your brother sins against you, go and confront him privately. If he listens to you, you have won your brother over. But if he will not listen, take one or two others along, so that ‘every matter may be established by the testimony of two or three witnesses.’ If he refuses to listen to them, tell it to the church. And if he refuses to listen even to the church, regard him as you would a pagan or a tax collector. ^{(Mt 18:15-17 BSB)}

The goal is restoration and reconciliation. At the first onset, we don’t use the Bible to divide and separate relationships. No, not just yet. We try to win them over, and we keep on trying.

But yes, we confront their sin, and try to snatch them out of the fire. We can only try, but it's still the Holy Spirit's job to convict them of their sins. And so we pray.

And yes, we confront them, we go to them and show them they're wrong, in all gentleness and graciousness. ^{(Gal 6:1)}

We wound them as a friend ^{(Pro 27:6)}; we strike them in righteousness. ^{(Psa 141:5)}

But then again, a sword is sharp. The Bible is double-bladed. ^{(Heb 4:12)} It will cut and divide. It will hurt and produce pain. It can also hurt those who are holding it. You know you've done it right when you bleed. But it will be worth it.

We brace ourselves to the other possible end: separation, severing relationships. We will feel sorry and sad, but we have to move on because loyalty goes up to God. Otherwise, it's a compromise.

So strap on your Bible-swords. Be armed with the truth. Be seasoned with the salt of loyalty. Have gracious lips. Be Christ-like and reconcile…

John 3

2022-02-10T23:15:00.002+08:00

the king version

There was a man of the Pharisees named Nicodemus, a ruler of the Jews. ²The same came to Jesus by night and said to Him, “Rabbi, we know that you are a teacher come from God; for no man can do these miracles that you do, except God be with him.”

³Jesus answered and said to him, “Truly,[1] truly, I say to you, except a man be born again, he cannot see the Kingdom of God.”

⁴Nicodemus says^# to Him, “How can a man be born when he is old? Can he enter a second time into his mother’s womb and be born?”

⁵Jesus answered, “Truly, truly, I say to you, except a man be born of water and of the Spirit, he cannot enter into the Kingdom of God. ⁶That which is born of the flesh is flesh; and that which is born of the Spirit is spirit. ⁷Marvel not that I said to you, ‘You^* must be born again.’ ⁸The wind blows where it wishes[2], and you hear the sound thereof, but cannot tell where it comes from and where it goes: so is everyone who is born of the Spirit.”

⁹Nicodemus answered and said to Him, “How can these things be?”

¹⁰Jesus answered and said to him, “Are you a master of Israel, and know not these things? ¹¹Truly, truly, I say to you, we speak that we know and testify that we have seen; and you^* receive not our witness.

¹²If I have told you earthly things and you^* believe not, how shall you^* believe if I tell you of heavenly things? ¹³And no man has ascended up to Heaven, but He who came down from Heaven, even the Son of Man who is in Heaven. ¹⁴And as Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness, even so must the Son of Man be lifted up, ¹⁵that whoever believes in Him should not perish, but have eternal life.[3]

¹⁶For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish, but have everlasting life. ¹⁷For God sent not His Son into the world to condemn the world, but that the world through Him might be saved. ¹⁸He who believes in Him is not condemned; but He who believes not is condemned already, because he has not believed in the name of the only begotten Son of God.

¹⁹And this is the condemnation: that Light has come into the world, and men loved darkness rather than Light, because their deeds were evil. ²⁰For everyone who does evil hates the Light, neither comes to the Light, lest his deeds should be reproved. ²¹But he who does the truth comes to the light, that his deeds may be made manifest, that they are done[4] in God.”

²²After these things, Jesus and His disciples came into the land of Judea, and there He tarried with them, and baptized.

²³And John was also baptizing at Aenon near Salim, because there was much water there. And they came and were baptized, ²⁴for John had not yet been cast into prison.

²⁵Then there arose a question between some of John’s disciples and the Jews about purification. ²⁶And they came to John and said to him, “Rabbi, He who was with you beyond the Jordan, to whom you bore[5] witness — behold, the same baptizes and all men come to Him.”

²⁷John answered and said, “A man can receive nothing, except it be given him from Heaven. ²⁸You^* yourselves bear me witness that I said, ‘I am not the Christ,’ but that ‘I am sent before Him.’ ²⁹He who has the bride is the bridegroom; but the friend of the bridegroom, who stands and hears him, rejoices greatly because of the bridegroom’s voice. Therefore this, my joy, is fulfilled. ³⁰He must increase, but I must decrease.

³¹“He who comes from Above is above all; he that is of the earth is earthly and speaks of[6] the earth. He who comes from Heaven is above all. ³²And what He has seen and heard, to that He testifies, and no man receives His testimony. ³³He who has received His testimony has set to his seal that God is true. ³⁴For He whom God has sent speaks the words of God, for God gives not the Spirit by measure to Him.

³⁵The Father loves the Son and has given all things into His hand. ³⁶He who believes in the Son has everlasting life; and he who believes not the Son shall not see life, but the wrath of God abides on him.” {KING}

Notes:

# Historic Present

* Plural you (ye)

Endnotes:

[1] verily, also v.5,11

[2] Listeth: #2309. Theló - to will, wish

[3] Other translations end the direct quote of Jesus here. While others continue until v.21

[4] Wrought - #2038. ergazomai

[5] Barest, archaic form of bare; archaic past form of bear. (https://www.thefreedictionary.com/barest, https://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/barest)

[6] “earthly” and “of” is #1537, ek or ex: from, from out of (Strong’s)

Read the Whole Bible in 0ne Year.

See Other Bible Versions for Fresh Insight.

John 2

2022-01-21T17:28:00.000+08:00

the king version

And on the third day, there was a marriage in Cana of Galilee, and the mother of Jesus was there; ²and both Jesus and his disciples were called to the marriage. ³And when they wanted wine, the mother of Jesus says^* to Him, “They have no wine.”

⁴Jesus says^* to her, “Woman, what have I to do with you? My¹ hour has² not yet come.”

⁵His mother says^* to the servants, “Whatever He says to you, do it.”

⁶And there were set there six waterpots of stone, after the manner of the purifying of the Jews, containing two or three measures³ apiece. ⁷Jesus says^* to them, “Fill the waterpots with water.”
And they filled them up to the brim.

⁸And He says^* to them, “Draw some out now, and carry⁴ it to the governor of the feast.”
And they carried⁵ it. ⁹When the ruler of the feast had tasted the water that was made into wine, and knew not from where⁶ it was (but the servants who drew the water knew), the governor of the feast called the bridegroom ¹⁰and says^* to him, “Every man at the beginning does set forth good wine, and when the men have drunk well, then that which is worse; but you have kept the good wine until now.”

¹¹This is the beginning of miracles that Jesus did in Cana of Galilee, and He manifested forth His glory; and His disciples believed in Him.

¹²After this, He went down to Capernaum: He, and His mother, and His brethren, and His disciples; and they continued there not many days.

¹³And the Jews’ Passover was at hand, and Jesus went up to Jerusalem, ¹⁴and found in the Temple those who sold oxen, and sheep, and doves, and also the moneychangers⁷, sitting there. ¹⁵And when He had made a scourge of small cords, He drove them all out of the Temple, and the sheep, and the oxen, and poured out the changers’⁸ money, and overthrew the tables. ¹⁶And He said to those who sold doves, “Take these things out of here⁹! Make not My Father’s house a house of merchandise!” ¹⁷And His disciples remembered that it was written: “The zeal of Your house has eaten me up.” _{(Psa 69:9)}

¹⁸Then the Jews answered and said to Him, “What sign do You show to us, seeing that You do these things?”

¹⁹Jesus answered and said to them, “Destroy this Temple, and in three (3) days I will raise it up.”

²⁰Then the Jews said, “Forty and six (46) years was this Temple in building, and will You raise¹⁰ it up in three (3) days?” ²¹But He spoke of the temple of His body. ²²When therefore He had risen from the dead, His disciples remembered that He had said this to them. And they believed the Scripture and the Word which Jesus had said.

²³Now when He was in Jerusalem at the Passover on the feast day, many believed in His name when they saw the miracles which He did. ²⁴But Jesus did not commit Himself to them, because He knew all men, ²⁵and needed not that any should testify of man, for He knew what was in man. _{KING}

NOTES:

*Historic Present

Footnotes:

¹ mine

² is

³ firkins: twenty to thirty gallons

⁴ bear

⁵ bare

⁶ whence

⁷ 2773. Kermatistés, a changer of large into smaller coins /Strong’s

⁸ 2855. Kollubistes, a money-changer, who changed heathen into Jewish money, for payment into the Temple treasury. /Strong’s

⁹ hence

¹⁰ rear

Read the Whole Bible in 0ne Year. See Other Bible Versions for Fresh Insight.

God's Suddenly Is Greater!

2022-01-07T23:16:00.000+08:00

The storms of life can come suddenly. But no worries! When our Lord Jesus speaks the Word, these storms will suddenly be calm. Be it a COVID surge, a financial fallout, or both and more, our Savior can save us from them all.

“Suddenly, a fierce storm struck the lake, with waves breaking into the boat. But Jesus was sleeping. The disciples went and woke him up, shouting, “Lord, save us! We’re going to drown!”

Jesus responded, “Why are you afraid? You have so little faith!” Then he got up and rebuked the wind and waves, and suddenly there was a great calm.” ^{[Matthew
8:24-26 NLT]}

I Will Pray Until I Become Prayer Itself

2022-01-07T03:06:00.000+08:00

I was reading a self-help book when I got to this part: "To write a book, become the book itself." [1] But then I remembered the verse:

"Though I love them, they stand accusing me like Satan for what I’ve never done. I will pray until I become prayer itself." ^{[Psalm 109:4
TPT]}

By then, I realize, my reading is not self-helping me very much. I found myself spitting more bones than chewing meat.

What I needed was grace-help all along. Grace upon grace ^{[John 1:16]}The grace to say 'No' to sin. ^{[Titus 2:12]}

I will again attempt to read that book. But warn you, someone famous once said, "If you're too open-minded; your brains will fall out." [2]

I accept correction. I admit the need for self-discipline.

For God did not give us a spirit of timidity or cowardice or fear, but [He has given us a spirit] of power and of love and of sound judgment and personal discipline [abilities that result in a calm, well-balanced mind and self-control]. ^{[2 Timothy
1:7 AMP]}

Well, the Bible is all that.

The Lord is my shepherd; I have all that I need. ^{[Psalm 23:1 NLT]}

And mind you, the Bible is not a book reading for the brain, it's for the heart.

“You search the Scriptures because you think they give you eternal life. But the Scriptures point to me! Yet you refuse to come to me to receive this life." ^{[John 5:39-40 NLT]}

So the change of habits for a well-organized lifestyle is in my Savior. The Lord saved me from indiscipline, too.

And yes, I will still try to read that book, and see for myself:

How non-Christians want to be good without depending on a good God - so I can reach out to them in that area.
How Christians identify principles for "successful living" and yet miss out on the unreferenced Bible verses - so I can share to them that only God's word sustains, ^{[Hebrews
1:3]} and not the wisdom of man.

I'll get back to that book, as soon as I recover from the bone stuck in my throat.

[1] Quoted by Naval Ravikant

[2] Quoted by Lawrence Ferlinghetti

Even If

2022-01-07T00:23:00.000+08:00

#Hab3v17-18 my harvest has not yet come…yet I will rejoice in the Lord; I will be joyful in the God who saves me.

#Dan3v18 But even if He does not, let it be known, that I will not bow down to compromise…

This Is How I Fight My Life's Battles

2022-01-05T21:13:00.000+08:00

#2Chro20v22

NOW

when

they began

to sing

to praise God,

the LORD set ambushes

against the people

who had come against Judah;

and the enemy was defeated.

Judah means praise.

Now life comes with storms and hurdles that challenge our ability to praise God. They come against our worship. But we fight to maintain our ground to praise the Lord. We just have to praise God all the more.

We've heard the story: King Jehoshaphat appointed singers to lead the army in praise and worship - right in front of the battle-clad army. What a battle plan. What a battle cry!

So this is how we fight our life's battles: On our knees, in prayer and with songs of victory.

Start As Early As Now!

2022-01-04T20:21:00.001+08:00

#1Ki20v22

The prophet

came to the king

of Israel and said,

“Go,

strengthen yourself

and prepare,

and see what you do,

for next year

the king of Aram

will come up against you.”

[MEV]