Tuesday... He gives us great words of advice.

Jude, a brother of James and also an earthly brother of Jesus in his short, one chapter letter starts it off with some great advice. I love the Bible. No matter where you are in it you find something that will make a major difference in our day and in the way we live.

So let me ask you, how are you doing today? Are you facing some insurmountable problem? This Covid is and has been a problem. Russia invading the Ukraine is a problem. Maybe work is a problem or family relationships. Maybe your health.

Jude wrote this letter to some Christians who were facing some real problems. He starts off in verse 1 (MSG) by saying, "I, Jude, am a slave to Jesus Christ and brother to James, writing to those loved by God the Father, called and kept safe by Jesus Christ." Now we can't say we are a brother of James who was also an earthly brother of Jesus but we can say that we are loved and kept safe by Jesus Christ if we have given our lives over to Him. And if we have, the truth is, we are also a part of His family.

He goes on. Verse 2 says, "Relax, everything's going to be all right; rest, everything's coming together; open your hearts, love is on the way." Relax, rest, open your hearts. Rest, relax, open your hearts.

I was going through a time back when I was a young single, youth pastor that was a difficult time. Somewhere I had heard this phrase that seemed to be God speaking directly to me. The phrase was, relax, let me do it. Relax, let me do it. Well I wrote that phrase on paper and put it all over my small apartment so I could see it no matter what room I was in. Relax, let me do it. And that is what Jude is saying here. "Relax, everything's going to be all right; rest, everything's coming together; open up your hearts, love is on the way."

The NLT says it this way, "I am writing to all who have been called by God the Father, who loves you and keeps you safe in the care of Jesus Christ. May God give you more and more mercy, peace and love." And may that be so in your life today.

And he ends this short letter by saying this, verses 24-25 (MSB), "And now to him who can keep you on your feet, standing tall in his bright presence, fresh and celebrating - to our one God, our only Savior, through Jesus Christ, our Master, be glory, majesty, strength. and rule before all time, and now, and to the end of all times." 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...

Tuesday... Each one of us see and describe what we are going through differently but...

Tuesday... Each one of us see and describe what we are going through differently but... We each one have our own way of explaining what we are going through, don't we? Some of us are maximisers, other are minimizers and neither one is better. We each one are different and we see what we are facing differently but no matter what it is and how you see it and describe it, God can handle it! Now the writer of Psalm 46 shows the extremes. In verse 1 he states the basic reality and then he moves on into our fears and he maximizes them to make sure we really understand. Here is what Psalm 46:1-3 (NLT) says, "God is our refuge and strength, always ready to help in times of trouble. So we will not fear when earthquakes come and the mountains crumble into the sea. Let the oceans roar and foam. Let the mountains tremble as the waters surge!" So what do you fear? The Amplified Bible says verse 1 this way, "God is our refuge and strength [mighty and impenetrable], a very presen...

Wednesday... It didn't just happen.

Psalm 16;10 (NLT), "For you will not leave my soul among the dead or allow your holy one to rot in the grave." Wednesday... It didn't just happen. We are headed into a weekend of deep emotion. One that we really really love was killed and it didn't just happen. David in Psalm 16:10 (NLT) writes of this happening. He says about God, "For you will not leave my soul among the dead or allow your holy one to rot in the grave." We read over in the Gospels at the beginning of the New Testament in the Bible of the life of God's Son who came to earth to be our sacrifice so that our soul would not be left among the dead. Jesus came so that we wouldn't have to be buried at death and just left there. But he also shares that Jesus who was going to be killed as a sacrifice for our sins would not have to rot in a grave. David many generations before foretold this and that is what happened. Now that had to be a God thing. We can guess a lot about our future and we d...

Todays Beginning

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