Friday... So, what will be our response to this New Year?

Friday... We really wonder about this New Year, don't we? So, what will be our response?

There are two ways to look at it. One is in fear. I mean, look at what happened. We've been in a pandemic and yes, that is true. But the second is, yes we've been in a pandemic and yes, we have made it through. So, what is there now for us to conquer? I happen to like, through God's help, that response the best.

Now the Apostle John in writing the book of Revelation said in Chapter 2 verse 10 (AMP), "Fear nothing that you are about to suffer." Then verse 11b says, "To him who overcomes [the world through believing that Jesus is the Son of God], I will grant [the privilege] to eat [the fruit] from the tree of life, which is in the Paradise of God."

Now this tree was one of two trees in the Garden of Eden that Adam and Eve had a choice to eat. This one would give then eternal life if they had access to eat from it. That is, if they didn't eat from the other one which He commanded them not eat from, but they did and they were banished from the garden so they couldn't eat from the tree of life.

Our choices about living this New Year are very clear. Yes living in fear is a very real possibility but that is no way to live, is it?

Psalm 121:3-8 (NLT) says, "He will not let you stumble; the one who watches over you will not slumber... The Lord himself watches over you! The Lord stands beside you as your protective shade. The sun will not harm you by day, nor the moon by night. The Lord keeps watch over you as you come and go, both now and forever."

He also says in James 5:16b, "The earnest prayer of a righteous person has great power and produces wonderful results." The Amplified Bible says it this way, "The heartfelt and persistent prayer of a righteous man (believer) is able to accomplish much [when put into action and made effective by God-it is dynamic and can have tremendous power]."

Now that is the way I want to head into this New Year! Yes, yes! #todaysbeginning

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Friday... Yes, we need them. We really do

Psalm 8:3-4 (NLT), "When I look at the night sky and see the work of your fingers - the moon and the stars you set in place - what are mere mortals that you should think about them, human beings that you should care for them?" Friday... Yes, we need them. We really do. No, not the fact that I can go out my front door and look out at night at the marvels of the sky. I can do that and it is amazing and it takes my breath away each time I see it. Yes, that is a fact but the reality of who did that and the wisdom and the faith that I have to believe that and to marvel that the one who did that cares about me makes such a difference in how I live my life. Yes, God really does. That is so wonderful for us to believe. And that is why faith and wisdom are so important. Now whatever belief you have at how that marvel happened must also be believed through faith. And the sad thing to me is that more and more people have been taught that there is no God and therefore he did not have a h...

Monday... Three ifs and two thens. They go together!

Monday... Three ifs and two thens. They go together! They really do. And this is what caught my attention this morning as I was reading Proverbs 2. Verse 1 (NRSVUE) says, "My child, if you accept my words and treasure my commands within you." Verse 3 (NIV), "Indeed i f you call out for insight and cry aloud for understanding, Verse 4, and if you look for it as for silver and search for it as for hidden treasure, Verse 5, then you will understand the fear of the Lord and find the knowledge of God." And verses 9-11, " Then you will understand what is right and just and fair - every good path. For wisdom will enter your heart, and knowledge will be pleasant to your soul. Discretion will protect you, and understanding will guard you." There will always be some effort we must do, some ifs for the thens to be realized in our lives. So many of us want to understand without the ifs. But the thens are so worth, so very worth the effort. Verses 5-6 in the Ampli...

Wednesday... Our unless can turn into useless.

Wednesday... Our unless can turn into useless. It really can. I have found that unless I give the correct email of my wife then I can't get what I wanted. I put an extra i in her email and I have been working for 5 days to get it changed. Unless has been useless. The writer of Psalm 94 uses this word and shows how important it is. Verses 17-19 (NLT) says, "Unless the Lord had helped me, I would have soon settled in the silence of the grave. I cried out, 'I'm slipping!' but your unfailing love, O Lord, supported me. When doubts filled my mind, your comfort gave me renewed hope and cheer." "Unless the Lord had helped me." So many people go on and on and on striving to live their life on their own but they keep slipping and doubting and living without hope and cheer. Yes the Lord has such unfailing love for us, he really does but unless we have a relationship with him and we turn to him and ask him for help then the unless turns in to useless because h...

Todays Beginning

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