June 29th

June 29^th – Matthew 5:17-30 (http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Matthew%205:17-30&version=NLT)

Law, anger, and lust; three things (among many others) that often become taboo topics even when brought up among a church family.
Law, I am admittedly not going to comment on, only because I don’t want to step on anyone’s toes, and really the law is God’s word, not mine, so if anyone’s curious about that, I’d go right back to Him for that – I don’t want to be messing any up. Though I will say that it is points out that saying Jesus came to complete them doesn’t excuse us from them. Murder, or even disobedience towards your parents is not suddenly excusable because Jesus came – the laws are still laws.

Anger. Well, I think this is one that I talked about in a previous post, where Jesus became angry in the temple when he saw that it had been turned into a market, essentially. Now, here, Jesus is saying that anger towards another person is like having murdered them – he levels them out and says they have the same consequences, essentially making them seem like one-and-the-same. He actually insists that (since this was back when they still made sacrifices) they don’t sacrifice unless/until they don’t have anger in their hearts against anyone and they don’t have any business with someone they know that they haven’t settled. Jesus was angry, though, right? Well, different types of anger. Jesus’ was righteous, but ours is often selfish. Also, when someone else has something against us, it’s not because we wronged God, but because we wronged them, which means we need to ensure we are truly sorry for that. If we only sinned against God, then we take it up with Him. However, we need to focus on ensuring that we are not a cause of anger, and that our own is only righteous.

Lust… this is a topic I don’t know that I can say too much on. Everyone struggles with it differently. But make no mistake that I think everyone does struggle with it. We just all struggle in our owns ways. Some people are also more tempted in this area of sin than others. This is why I’m hesitant to say too much on it – I don’t want anyone thinking that I would think less of them just because they struggled with pornography instead of just being a compulsive liar or something, for example. All sin is sin in God’s eyes - I will not judge anyone’s area of struggle just because it may not be mine. However, I will say, as I said before, I think everyone struggles with lust in some way or another. Some people are just far more tempted than others, and some are able to resist because they are not strongly tempted. Jesus speaks very strongly on this matter, saying if your hand causes you to sin, cut it off. He says losing one part is better than losing it all to hell. Now, I’m not going to attempt to make any comments on how literally or metaphorically this is all meant to be taken. I just want to say the extremes are a matter of urgency and attempt to emphasize a point. Jesus knew that this area of sin is one that I can be fallen into quickly and easily, but is incredibly hard to get out of. It’s better to stop it right away, even if it only seems minor, before it grows and becomes all-but-impossible to get rid of. If you don’t pull a weed before it grows, when you try and pull it out after it’s grown you’ll wish you pulled it out when it was still small. Sin is a lot like that. So just be careful in the area of lust. I think it’s basically impossible to avoid, but do try your best to all the same.

 

That will be all! God bless! Shalom!

 

(Yes, this is late. I was away and had no internet so I did this and typed it and just had to wait to post it)

June 28th

June 28^th – Matthew 5:1-16 (http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Matthew%205:1-16&version=NLT)

Two things I want to briefly touch on.
1) Verses 11-12. WE SHOULD BE HAPPY WHEN WE ARE PERSECUTED FOR OUR FAITH. Yes, I did just say that. Take a moment for it to sink in…………. good? Okay. Be happy about it. You’re probably like “Well, why should I be happy if people are persecuting me for my faith?” Wanna’ know? That means it’s showing. In this world, I think we all know talk is often cheap, and actions are worth a million words. We could all go around and say all we wanted. Many people may not agree, but they won’t call you out for it if they see it as all just talk. They won’t call you out on it unless or until they see some evidence in some actions that follow up the talk. So if people are calling you out for your faith, then that’s because they know, because they can see the evidence, that it is real. And when your faith is being proven as real, that is plenty of reason to be happy, because we are supposed to not just believe it but live it out.
Not just believing but also living it out leads us to…
2) Verses 13-16. WE NEED TO BE THE SALT AND LIGHT OF THE EARTH. So, salt. Doesn’t seem to make much sense right? Well, back then it was used to preserve things and keep them from spoiling/rotting. We are meant to be the salt of the earth. We have to try and keep this world from becoming rotten/evil. It has sin, but it is still good. Creation is inherently good, as it was created. It has merely been tainted with sin. We need to help stop that spread. Then light. Well, light shines into and penetrates darkness. This world has so much darkness, and we need to shine God’s light into it. But lights aren’t good if we hide them. They can be giving off lots of light but there’s no point to that if nobody sees it. We need to make sure our light isn’t hidden, but able to be seen by all and any. Our lights need to shine – and brightly – for God. We need to be the salt and the light. Not just slow evil, like salt slows decay, but also cast out evil, like light casts out dark. Salt and light. Us.

 

That shall be all for today! God bless! Shalom!

(Yes, this is late. I was away and had no internet so I did this and typed it and just had to wait to post it)

June 27th

June 27th – Mark 2:23-3:19 (http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Mark%202:23-3:19&version=NLT)

You know how people say not to give in to peer pressure? Well, there’s often good reason for it. Normally this is because your peers are encouraging you to do the wrong thing, going against what you know to be right. Or maybe they honestly see what you’re doing as wrong, even though you know it’s not. Either way, it’s some tough shoes to be put in. You don’t have a way to validate yourself because you know even if you tried all you could to prove to them that you are right, they are so set on believe you are wrong that they would never listen. Jesus was in those shoes. He knew if he healed the man’s hand, the Pharisees would be furious, because it would be seen a work on the Sabbath, which was forbidden. However, Jesus knew it was right by God. That’s all that mattered. I think sometimes we get too caught up in listening to our own “Pharisees”. We’ll allow ourselves to begin to doubt what we know as God’s truth, just because it’s so easy to hear the loud voices of those around us over His calm, quiet voice. But we need to remember that our main priority is not doing right by man, but doing right by God. If you know God has stated it as true, don’t let anyone convince you it’s not, or vice versa. We often remember God’s word is true but I think we sometimes forget it is also final. NOBODY has more say than God – His word is the last and the only. So focus on His word, and don’t let those around you sway you from it, for He will bless you for doing right by Him first.

 

Well, that’s all! God bless! Shalom!

(Yes, this is late. I was away and had no internet so I did this and typed it and just had to wait to post it)

June 26th

June 26th -- John 5 (http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=John%205&version=NLT)

Go read the passage, please!

This passage has some interesting thoughts at the end. Jesus calls out the Pharisees for putting faith in men who pointed to Jesus, but not putting faith in Jesus. He explains that that's obviously why they cannot have faith in him - their faith is in other people.
How many times do we place faith in the wrong things? How often do we trust the wrong things? Monthly? Weekly? Try daily. More likely multiple times each day.. or perhaps hour sometimes. We so often look to the wrong things for something/someone to put faith in. This can be putting faith in money to sustain us, family to support us no matter what we do, friends to never make a mistake or let us down, or even the weather to hold out for us. We are often stupid about placing faith. Seldom do we actually manage to hold faith in God and God alone all day long. Just like the Pharisees being unable to really see the truth about putting faith in Jesus, we become unable to see the truths about putting our faith in God and building a relationship with Him. We become so distracted by all the other things we put fleeting faith in that we teach ourselves not to put faith in things too long, or they'll let you down. From birth, we teach ourselves that faith is hard to place and seldom rewarded when it is. So, when we are given a chance to place faith in God, of course we often turn from that chance. Though we should see that all we have placed faith in leads back to Him, we don't. We see it as putting faith in someone we cannot see, touch, or hear, when the things we CAN do those to have let us down. So we wonder why this someone would be different and we doubt and we hold our faith back. Holding back your faith fro God is the BIGGEST MISTAKE A PERSON WILL EVER MAKE. Yes, it`s hard to take that leap of faith, but yes, it is so rewarding. Don't be like the Pharisees, getting caught up in putting faith in the wrong things (this includes false gods from other religions), but instead, realize everything points back to God, and He's worth putting faith in.

Well, that will be all. God bless! Shalom!

June 25th

June 25th -- Luke 5:1-39 (http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Luke%205:1-39&version=NLT)

Please go read the passage!

This passage has probably one of my favorite Biblical reminders ever in it. Verses 31-31 say "Jesus answered them, 'Healthy people don't need a doctor - sick people do. I have come to call not those who think they are righteous, but those who know they are sinners and need to repent." This was in response to his being accused because he was hanging out with people like tax collectors, who were seen as obvious sinners. See, I like that he compares himself to a doctor, and sinners to sick people. When sick people go in to the doctor's, they see the doctor, and they are around each other as they determine the illness and how to fix it. However, after the ill person leaves, nobody accuses the doctor of being ill. The doctor is sort of seen as untouchable in a way - no matter who he is around he's always fine. Yet, he's always around those we'd often choose not to be around, because they are sick. Jesus is a lot like the doctor in this case. We are the sick, due to our sin, and therefore all need Jesus. Jesus was meant to be around us, so that he could heal us. However, no matter how much he is around us, he's "untouchable" - he's always clean and healthy and fine no matter how long he spends with us. I think we also need to understand, sometimes, that as God's light to the world we need to be a bit like that. We should still take precaution, and obviously still avoid some people, so as to ensure they don't rub off on us, because we're not perfect like Jesus. However, we still need to be like his nurses, and do what we can for people. We just try and help, and when we no longer can, hope they'll listen to us and head to the doctor. Basically, it's our job not to do it all, but to help at the very least. So don't be afraid if you are judged for your friends - remember that so long as they aren't putting out your light for God, you're shining God's light into their lives, and that could very well change them.

That's all for tonight! God bless! Shalom!

June 24th

June 24th -- Mark 1:16-39 (http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Mark%201:16-39&version=NLT)

Go read the passage, please!

Now, out of all the whole passage, there's one minor thing that I noticed, that I want to point out. At the end of verse 34 it says "But because the demons knew who he was, he did not allow them to speak." He didn't let the demons talk because they would say who he is. So the question is, why did he not want them to know? I mean, you'd figure he'd want everyone to know so that they'd believe him, right? Anyone who heard it from the lips of a demon that he had cast out would probably believe in an instant at that. That wasn't the point, though. Jesus wants us to believe because of faith - NOT because we have seen soooooo much proof, that we've seen it as validly "proven" in our own eyes as the truth. If you have "proof" then where's the faith? Not so important anymore. And that's a problem - we NEED that faith. Also, I mean, Jesus wanted to be our MESSIAH, NOT our town magician-type guy. He didn't want to be some sort of spectacle for anything, because he wanted to come to offer us salvation. If he was casting out demons who were calling him the son of God and the Messiah, then he would have ended up with a huge fan club instead of the loyal followers he got. Essentially, we weren't yet meant to know his identity, and the devil was trying to use his demons to mess that up. Fortunately God's greater than the devil EVERY time, and so Jesus was able to silence those demons. So yes, Jesus wanted it to stay a secret, but yes, it was for a reason. Yes, though, it is still cool that he was casting out demons... or I think it's cool, anyways.

That's all! God bless! Shalom!

June 23rd

June 23rd -- Luke 4:16-30 (http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Luke%204:16-30&version=NLT)

Go ahead and read the passage, please!

Imagine growing up and ending up in a job that required you to travel. You travel lots of different places marketing a product. Finally, though, you're sent back to your home, where you're trying to market this product to people who watched you grow up. Imagine if all these people, once friends and neighbors, suddenly rejected you, calling you a fraud, or a scammer, or a con-man. You'd be pretty upset, right? Well, think of Jesus. He wasn't conning anyone - he offered salvation and faith. They responded by trying to push him off a cliff. HIS NEIGHBORHOOD TRIED TO PUSH HIM OFF A CLIFF. Okay. Now that we have that established, I'd just like to point out Jesus did NOT have an easy job. He was NOT easily accepted. He was even rejected in his hometown. Yet, he kept going. He brushed off the crowd and carried on. Sometimes, we gotta' be more like that. We often get so caught up trying to please every person all the time that we lose focus of the big picture. We plant the spiritual seeds and God grows them. If we spend all our time, though, on a few people who just won't have any of it, then we're wasting that time that we could spend trying to show the truth to others. We have to realize sometimes it's not our job to witness to that certain person. God places different people in different lives at different times. Just try and plant where He has called you to. He just wants you to do that - shake off the rejection, pick your self back up, and keep trying.
Well that will be all! God bless! Shalom!

June 22nd

June 22nd -- John 4:43-54 (http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=John%204:43-54&version=NLT)

Please go and read the passage!

I really love this passage. I think sometimes we need to realize that all we need is faith. This man was obviously quite a ways away from where he found Jesus. It suggests that if he met his servants after a day and a half, it was a three day journey, meaning the son was a pretty big distance from Jesus. Yet, the son was still healed as Jesus said he would be. Now, the son was not healed because Jesus said he would live. The distance did not matter. All that mattered was that this man heard Jesus tell him that the son would live and had enough faith to turn around and start home, even though if he had gotten home and the son had not been healed, the son would die for sure. The man still turned around and started home. Why? He had faith. He had faith that his son would live, as Jesus had said. This momentary faith brought him and his whole house to believe in Jesus/God. In Matthew 17:20, Jesus talks about faith the size of a mustard seed being able to move mountains. Now, I bring that up only because I want to emphasize just how important and also powerful faith is. I also want to point out that sometimes you just need to put a bit of faith into God, and He will lead you to give it all, as He will never let you down. This is what the man did - though he did not believe, he had faith in Jesus' words, and this led him to faith later when his faith in Jesus' promise was rewarded. So yeah, having faith is hard, but when we invest it in God, we get so much more back than what we ever could have hoped to give. Take the leap of faith. Go all out. Really, truly put some faith into God's promises (they're basically all found in the Bible) - He won't let you down.

That's all for today! God bless! Shalom!

June 21st

June 21st -- John 4:1-42 (http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=John%204:1-42&version=NLT)

Please go read the passage! Link or Bible is fine! :)

I like the comparison, here, between the Spirit and a well/spring. Basically it connects the Spirit with the same idea as being like water in a lot of ways. I really like this comparison. I find it totally effective, and I'd have to agree.
1) When you really have it, it is like a spring, because it just bubbles up and you can't contain it. You have no real control over it bubbling. However, like a spring, you can cover it up entirely, or it will keep bubbling, and if you uncover it, it will always be there still to bubble again.
2) Water seems weak and ineffective, but over time it can wear away stone. The spirit sometimes may seem to move slowly, but it is powerful. Sometimes it will take a long time to accomplish what we wanted to see, but it can get it done and will if it is in God's plan for that to be done.
3) Water is something that's satisfying to have. The spirit satisfies. Now, it's also something we need not just want. If we tried to replace plain water, we could feel sort of okay for a while, but we'd eventually die without it. We try using so many things so fill the whole in our heart meant for God and His spirit, but if we don't figure it out before our time's up, we die.
So, I guess we really should look at the spirit like that. If it's something we want/have dwelling in us, we have to make sure we're letting it bubble like a spring, and if not, we gotta' fix it so it is.

Well, that shall be all! God bless! Shalom!

June 20th

June 20th -- John 3:22-36 (http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?s=O&utm_expid=13466113-5&search=John%203:22-36&version=NLT&utm_referrer=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.biblegateway.com%2F)

Please go read the passage!

I think we all need to be a bit more like John the Baptist in a lot of ways. I'm not talking the whole camel hair clothes and locusts with honey meals... *shudder* I think I'll keep my cotton clothes and ice cream, thanks...   I'm talking about, specifically for this passage, the (where 'He' refers to God) "He must become greater and greater, and I must become less and less." It's so easy to, in this world, get caught up in ourselves. I mean, our own egos are egged on constantly. This can be by friends, family, or even commercials that assure you "you deserve the best". May I just remind you plainly and simply that we are all broken, messed up, underserving sinners, and what we deserve is to burn eternally in the fires of Hell? Yeah. Puts things back into perspective a bit, right? We're not all that great. We're really not great at all. But you know who is? Well, the reason we're not burning eternally in Hell - God. God is great - so great He is beyond our understanding. He is seriously beyond words. So He needs to be greater, and we need to be less, because we are not great, and should not try and make people think we are - He is great and we need to show people that. We are image-bearers of God. How have you been bearing His?

That song "This little light of mine". Yeah, well, think on it. "I'm gonna' let it shine!" You need to. Let it shine. Let it shine so brightly. And never let anyone put it out. You're the only one who can cover it in the end, so don't. LET. THAT. LIGHT. SHINE.

That shall be all for tonight, folks. Enjoy having "This Little Light of Mine" stuck in your head all night. :) God bless! Shalom!

June 19th

June 19th -- John 3:1-21 (http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=John%203:1-21&version=NLT)

Okay, I REALLY love the last part of this passage - more specifically how it ends. I mean, when you get towards the end, it talks about the light of God coming into the world. Then it talks about how some shy away/hide from it, while others come into it. Now, in verse 20, at the beginning, it says "All who do evil hate the light and refuse to go near it for fear their sins will be exposed." It then goes to talk about the ones who do come to the light. Now, it's set up as if to make it seem like verse 21 would be something like "All who do not do evil come into the light, for they have nothing to hide and are not ashamed." Guess what: in that case, not one person (except Jesus) could walk into that light - we'd all be running from that light as fast as and far as we could. The thing is, it says "But those who do what is right come into the light so others can see that they are doing what God wants." Now, notice it says "who do what is right" and NOT EVER, ANYWHERE "who are blameless", "who do not sin", "who have not sinned", or even "who are no longer sinners". We are all sinners. That's why we come to the light. We will be stepping up and honestly all those secret sins we keep will start to be revealed, but that's the point. God asks us to do it, and we're doing it - that's why it's "those who do right" who come to the light. When we come into that light, we expose our sin, yes, but we also open ourselves to be washed clean of them - and isn't that really what we all want in the end?

That's all for today, folks! God bless! Shalom!

June 18th

June 18th -- John 2:1-25 (http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=John%202:1-25&version=NLT)

Please go and read the passage!

The passage about Jesus in the temple is one of my top passages in terms of the ones I like. Honestly, I just appreciate the fact that we see Jesus become angry. Everyone, I think, always goes, "No, he wasn't angry.. anger is sin so he could not have been angry." Here's the thing - he WAS angry. The key thing, though, is that it was a RIGHTEOUS anger. He wasn't angry because of any selfish reason -  he was angry because His father's house was being defiled. WE ARE SUPPOSED TO BECOME ANGRY WHEN GOD IS WRONGED. Not when we are wronged - when God is wronged. When you really come into relationship with God, and you love Him, then it only makes sense. When you see people you love getting hurt, you get mad at the person(s) hurting them. So it should go with God. When you see Him being wronged, you should not be able to sit complacently and just accept it, but should instead be so moved that you feel the need to do something (within God's laws, of course). So yes, sometimes we are supposed to get mad - when that anger burns from a desire for righteousness that should reside in followers of God.

Well, that shall be all! God bless! Shalom!

June 17th

June 17th -- John 1:35-51 (http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=John%201:35-51&version=NLT)

Go read, please!

This passage makes me think, again, of the passage where people were getting baptized before Jesus showed up on earth. These men just up and followed Jesus, based on word-of-mouth that he was who he claimed to be. Admittedly, though, these guys did get a bit more proof. Jesus already knows about Nathanael and he saw him from way farther than any normal person would have been able to. When Nathanael is shocked at this Jesus promises him he will see many greater things, including angels going up and down between heaven and earth. So, yeah, they maybe had some proof and promises. You know what? SO. DO. WE. Promises first. Well, just look at the Bible folks. Two of my favorites are Jeremiah 29:11 and Psalm 121:1-2 (yes, it is kind of a promise, that the God who made Heaven and earth is the One who will help me). Proof? HAVE YOU LOOKED OUT THE WINDOW? We live in an amazingly complex world, and the idea it came about by chance is insane - it was all handcrafted by an almighty God. I mean, do we need more proof than the fact that we have bodies that wake us up refreshed after a good sleep, and go on to continue working day-by-day with billions of complex things happening inside of it? I'd hope not. We just have to talk it all at face value, and accept it. Like children, as Jesus later says - we have to be child-like (I'll discuss that when I get there, don't worry).

That's all for tonight! God bless! Shalom!

June 16th

June 16th -- John 1:19-34 (http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=John%201:19-34&version=NLT)

Go read!

Y'know, I sometimes feel bad for John. People thought he was crazy. Then he began talking about a Messiah, and they thought he was even crazier. Then he tells the Pharisees he watched the Holy Spirit descend from the sky as a dove, and land on Jesus. He wasn't really making himself a very popular guy. But that's not the point. He was doing his job - preparing the way for Jesus' coming. Now, our job isn't to prepare the way for Jesus' coming... but it is to prepare the way for Jesus' return. So, it's not about to make us popular or liked... in fact it probably won't even make us respected. We need to do it anyways. Why? That's our job. That's the job God gave us. We could argue forever with Him, but it's still gonna' be our job at the end of each day. We need to prepare the way for his return, because I don't know about anyone else, but the thought of a single family member or friend spending eternity in hell because I never shared God with them rather horrifies me. Suddenly popularity doesn't seem so important. In the end, the only thing that will matter, is what you and God will be saying when you face Him after it all. Personally, I'd like to hear a "Good job, my child, for spreading my Good News."

God bless y'all! Shalom!

June 15th

June 15th -- Mark 1:1-13 (http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Mark%201:1-13&version=NLT)

Go read!
Notice people were getting baptized even before Jesus came? They came and confessed, were baptized, and rose as children of Christ. Christ who had not yet come. That's some pretty strong faith. Especially seeing as they were following the word of a man who lived in the wilderness, and probably thought to be crazy by most people at the time. That is faith. That is what God wants from us. He wants us not to need the promise to happen before we believe it, but instead wait on it, knowing it is coming. His word is FINAL. TRUSTWORTHY. RIGHT. We need to know that, and trust it based on faith. The faith that those people showed when they trusted without proof? That's the type we need. It won't be easy, but it'll be easier than they had it. They had the word of a man who lived alone in the wild, wore camel hair, and ate locusts. We have the word of the living God. We've got an easy job next to them, so if they could pull it off, so can we.

That's all! God bless! Shalom!

P.S. Yes this was a day late. I finally got a fast enough internet for my online gaming yesterday, so I got sidetracked and forgot to do this. Done now, though! :)

June 14th

June 14th -- Luke 2:41-52 (http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Luke%202:41-52&version=NLT)

Go ahead and please read!

Okay, I think I've probably gotten lost a few times in stores and such, because my mom said to follow her but I was too busy looking at a toy, or something shiny. However, have I ever intentionally stayed behind and not said anything to her? Not that I can ever remember. Then we have Jesus, who just didn't head home with his parents, causing them to panic and search for him for three whole days. Why did he do this? He didn't just wanna' give Mary some early grey hair (if you haven't had your mom tell you you're the cause of her grey... just wait). He wanted to learn more about his Dad (the Heavenly one, I mean), so he stayed to ask questions and talk with the biblical teachers in the Temple. He didn't mean any disrespect to his parents - he just dropped everything to hear more about God. We need to be more like that. We need to have such a great desire to learn about God that we don't even think about everything else - our one and only focus becomes God, and we drop it all to focus on Him. This can be when it comes to learning about Him in church, learning through His word, growing closer in prayer, or giving back to Him in worship - but we need to make sure we let the rest of life become the background, so God can be front and center in those times. Like Jesus, drop everything, and just focus on God. If even his son could do that, with his already deep connection, then surely we all can stand to do that more often than we do.

God bless! Shalom!

June 13th

June 13th -- Matthew 2:13-23 (http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Matthew%202:13-23&version=NLT)

Please go read the passage!

So, a BUNCH of prophecies are fulfilled in these passages. It's really neat, I think, that God set all that up like that. He knew people would be needing signs that Jesus was their Savior. From AGES before, He set up prophecies. This was all so that when Jesus came along, those would be fulfilled, and people would be able to more easily recognize him for who he is - our Lord and Savior. God knew His people would want signs, and so He gave us some. He didn't need to, but He still did. I think that's awesome.

Sorry, but that'll be all tonight. Not sure what else I can say on this particular passage.... so God bless! Shalom!

June 12th

June 12th -- Matthew 2:1-12 (http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Matthew%202:1-12&version=NLT)

Please go read!

So these wise men are told by Herod to tell him where Jesus is, so he can "worship him, too!" Now, if you've read on, you know this isn't true - Herod wanted, in fact, to kill Jesus, because he thought Jesus was a threat to his being king. Now, the wise men obviously would have had no way to know this, and therefore would have probably been jumping at the chance to tell the king, like he asked, where Jesus was, so the king could worship Jesus, too. The wise men almost walked right into this set up, which would have brought about Jesus' being killed as an infant. Can you imagine being the cause of an early death of Jesus? It's brutal to even imagine... However, God of course had different plans. He recognized that the wise men were not trying to have Jesus killed, but were just walking into Herod's scheme unknowingly. He doesn't want that sort of thing to happen to us, so He will give us direction, just like He gave the wise men. Now, with the wise men, it was very clear - they had a dream that warned them not to go back to Herod. Often it's not as clear for us. However, He does not let us walk blindly into the devil's lies and traps. Sometimes, though, the question is not if He's giving us a sign, but if we're looking and listening for it...

That's all! God bless! Shalom!

June 11th

June 11th -- Luke 2:21-39 (http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Luke%202:21-39&version=NLT)

Gooooo ahead and read!

PROPHECIES! I love them. A lot. As stated in many posts before them. Seriously, though, they're awesome. Now, sometimes they're good, sometimes bad, and other times a little bit of both. Simeon said the child would bring joy to many, but also cause many to fall. This we now know as truth. Jesus is the savior to many, but for many others he becomes a stumbling block in their worldly life - he gets in the way of them sinning as they wish to carry on how they want to. However, it's just neat to see two more people who knew just by looking at Jesus that he was the son of God, come to be our savior. They didn't hesitate, but they just knew. When they knew, too, they praised God. I mean, it's like knowing Jesus will return soon for sure (nobody but God knows when, but humor me) and when he comes, you just could look at him and say "I KNOW WHO YOU ARE!". You'd be pretty excited, right? (or, at least, if you're a believer you would be...). Samuel and Anna must have felt the same - just over the coming, not the return. So, just like how they knew of his coming, and where excited for it, we should know we have been promised of Jesus' return (we just don't know when) and should be excited for it (and also trying to bring as many people to Christ as we can before he comes back).

That's all I can really think to say today, sorry. God bless! Shalom!

June 10th

June 10th -- Luke 2:1-20 (http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Luke%202:1-20&version=NLT)

Jesus is born. Go read. Or, well, you probably know the story anyways.

We have the king of everything. Son of God. Son of the God of everything. Fully God yet fully man. He could come down here and rule like a king. Instead, he is born to a peasant girl as a feeble child. He's also born in a manger, where he slept in a feeding trough for animals. He could have been attended by nobles and kings, but instead his onlookers were shepherds. It's almost, really, fitting. He was first praised by shepherds (after angels, but talking human-wise here, shepherds came first) and he would go on to be the shepherd for every single human. He did not want to come down to be our king and rule with an iron fist like he could have. Then we would follow out of strict loyalty or even fear - or perhaps the hope he would take out our enemies. He came down instead as a 'nobody' - just a carpenter's son with a knack for religion. Why? Probably because then those who followed would follow because they wanted to. They would want to because they would believe he was the son of God. They would know he was the son of God not because he ruled like a rich king, or because he struck down people with lightning for sinning, or anything else like that. He wanted belief based on love, not anything else. So he came as one of us, to be loved as one of us by those of us who would have him. He is our shepherd and we are his sheep - we follow because we know he wants only the best for us.
That's all. God bless! Shalom!

June 9th

June 9th -- Matthew 1:1-25 (http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Matthew%201:1-25&version=NLT)

Head on over to read it. I won't be making comments on Jesus' genealogy, though.

So imagine for a moment you're a guy (or if you're a guy, well, just forget that). You're engaged to a girl who you actually really love. You're planning the wedding together when she gets back from a vacation overseas. When she comes back, though, she's got a clear tell-tale baby bump. You, of course, know it's not yours. She then tries to tell you she didn't break her promise to you - she's still a virgin. So, you quietly break off the engagement. That's what Joseph did... until an angel showed up. The angel told him the whole story, then. Would you believe him or no? We'd all like to say yes, but it wouldn't be easy to believe him. Much less that first part - "Do not worry...". People worry so much. We all do it over lots of things. If Joseph was expected not to worry in that situation, we have to not worry in all ours. We need to have faith - faith strong enough to overcome worry no matter what is going on. God can and will always come through on His promises. He's always gonna' hold up His end. We have to hold up ours, though. Don't worry. Do as He says and don't worry. That's all you have to do, and He will do the rest when you do your part. It's easier said than done, but what are you waiting for? Do your part, then, and leave the rest to God - doing it yourself would mess it up, but when we give it to Him He cannot mess it up.

God bless! Shalom!

June 8th

June 8th -- Luke 1:57-80 (http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Luke%201:57-80&version=NLT)

Go on over and give it a read!

Two things (in order of the passage):

1) Though God punishes us for doubt and He us for obedience. Zechariah was made mute (and possibly also deaf - that seems translation-based) because he doubted what the angel said about his wife becoming pregnant and bearing a child. They were both too old, realistically. Yet, sure enough, Elizabeth has a child. Back then it was normal to name your child after someone in your family - a parent, grandparent, aunt/uncle, etc. But this time, Elizabeth said he would be John. People argued and said to ask Zechariah. He of course, as the angel had told him, said to call him John. That was obedience. Despite the doubt of the child happening, there was obedience in naming him as told to. The moment of this obedience, the punishment for the doubt was removed. God blesses us for obedience.

2) The moment that Zechariah could speak again he prophesied about Jesus' coming. I just adore prophecies in the Bible. I think they're the coolest (yes, I've said this in like 3 posts before this one - it's still true). What better way to show how involved and caring our God is than for Him to prove to us that He has a plan and He's so certain of it He'll even tell some of it to us. He wasn't just keeping secrets and playing us like pawns - He never has and never will do that - but instead was treating us as friends and letting us in on the plan a bit. Also, He was giving us reason to rejoice for the coming of a savior. Those of nowadays can instead rejoice for the return of the savior.

Well that will be all! God bless! Shalom!

June 7th

June 7th -- Luke 1:26-56 (http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Luke%201:26-56&version=NLT)

Read, please.
Okay, so, I'm a teenage girl. Not married, obviously, and I don't even have a boyfriend. I think if I vanished somewhere for like 3 months and came back pregnant, I'd be in a heck of a lot of trouble. If someone told me that was gonna' happen I'd probably be like "haha no I am NOT dealing with that." Basically put, it's not a pleasant situation for a teen girl. Now this is even so in modern days, where it's becoming, sadly, more and more common. In Mary's time, if you were pregnant and unmarried, you were stoned publicly. Yet still, when she hears from an angel she is to have the son of God, while she's currently engaged to someone, she accepts it. Not only does she accept it, but she rejoices. It seems a little like maybe she went off the deep end, right? Wrong. She was fine. In fact, she should have been rejoicing. Even Elizabeth can see how blessed Mary is that she was whom God chose to bear His son. She also knew yes, it would cause her trouble, but if God wanted her to have this child, and this child were to make a difference, then obviously He was going to ensure this happened. She knew she was in no danger because it was a promise from God, really. We have so many promises from God - one of these being a hope and a future. Yet, we so often doubt. We don't even have lives put at risk by this, but we still can't seem to hold onto it in faith. We need to. God doesn't break promises. If a young unmarried girl could make it through all that in her times just by holding on to God, we can make it through whatever we may be going through, too, just by holding on to God.

Well, that's all! God bless! Shalom!

P.S. Yes, this is a day late. I wish I had a valid-sounding reason, but not majorly. I was playing an MMORPG for a long time last night with some friends and lost track of time talking with them. So the post is here today.

June 6th

June 6th -- Luke 1:1-25 (http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Luke%201:1-25&version=NLT)

God sent an angel to tell Zechariah that his wife, Elizabeth, was going to have a son who would do incredible work for God. Now, this is an ANGEL telling him. This isn't just some guy who showed up. Even if the angel looked like a person, Zechariah should have known it was an angel, as only one person was allowed in the sanctuary of the Lord at a time, so nobody would have entered. Basically, I'm saying Zechariah's doubt cannot be attributed to not thinking the angel was, well, an angel. If he knew that the angel was in fact an angel, why did he doubt? Well, he was old, as was his wife  - for them to have children should have been impossible. Yet, Elizabeth still became pregnant and gave birth to a son, as the angel had said. Until that time, though, Zechariah is mute,`(possibly also deaf) as punishment for doubting/questioning God. God is able to do all things- including the "impossible". We need to ensure we do not doubt that. Often I think that because our problems feel so overwhelming to us, we assume any solution is impossible. However, we need to realize there is no impossible solution with God. So, we don't often get an angel dropping in to let us know God said ____ or ______. However, we do have God's many promises to us in the Bible.  One of these is that He has a future for us that will prosper us, not harm us (Jeremiah 29:11) - thinking escape from our bad circumstances just shows doubt to God. It's sometimes like we think that unless we have a clear sign, we are allowed to doubt, because for all we know He won't come through on it. WRONG. We have all the signs we need, all in the Bible. So the next time you need an "impossible" solution, remind yourself we are loved and cared for impossibly by and "impossible" God and trust Him instead to work all our circumstances into what will be best for us.

That's all! God bless! Shalom!

June 5tth

June 5th -- John 1:1-18 ( http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=John%201:1-18&version=NLT)

Please go read!

"He came into the very world he created, but the world didn't recognize him. He came to his own people, and even they rejected him."
Imagine you are a parent. Now, you're at home, and your kid gets home from school. You are excited to see them because you just bought them that toy they've wanted for ages. But when you approach your child with the gift, they stop, and look at you as if afraid. You keep going, but they back away. When you ask what's wrong, they look at you and say "You're not my mommy... she's blonde and you have brown hair... she's tall and you're too short to be her... she is a business woman with lots of money and you don't look like you came from work anywhere...." Your child does not know who you are. You have this gift you so badly want to give them, but they insist you are not their mother. They in fact take the gift and throw it, then turn and run to the neighbours down the street. They refuse to accept you, and are taken by social workers to be talked to, as you are helplessly left to watch this.
It sounds horrible, doesn't it? Your own child not knowing who you are, and not just that but rejecting you. Well, that's what happened to Jesus, really. He came with the gift of salvation, ready and wanting to give it to all of us. We, however, did not recognize him, refusing to believe his truths that he was God as man. We did not believe him when He said he was the only way to heaven, nor did we believe he was the son of God. Instead, we rejected him. We not only rejected him, but some of us basically took his gift and threw it as far away from us as we could, saying it was false and worthless and we wanted no part of it because there had to be some hidden price. As we turn and run from God, the devil steps in and takes over by default - as we run from God, we run to the devil. So just imagine the pain of being a parent and watching your child run from you. Then realize we put God through that every time we turn from Him, refusing to recognize Him truly by focusing on Him. It's hard, and we will all sin many times before we die, but the more conscious an effort we make to keep our eyes fixed on God, the easier it will be to keep a steady path to Him.

That's all for tonight! God bless! Shalom!

June 4th

June 4th -- Jonah 3:1-4:11 (http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Jonah%203:1-4:11&version=NLT)

Go read this passage, please!

This passage is fascinating. It takes a situation and brings out something unexpected, using that to teach us. Nineveh, upon being warned, repents and is not punished. God forgives them and lets it go. Jonah is furious about that. Suddenly now his prediction won't happen, rendering him incorrect. He also wonders why he had to come all the way out there to be a good example just to see them not get punished, as he feels they should. Then the whole thing with the tree and worm happens. This leaves God to remind Jonah he has nothing to be mad over, since it was never something he put anything into or was in control of.
Do you ever have times where you act good, and go and tell somebody they shouldn't be doing something, because you, as the "good kid" have to tell them they're gonna' end up in the office, for example, if they don't stop. They get caught, though, still. However, they immediately apologize and seem genuinely upset when they apologize. They seem sincere, so the person who caught them lets them off the hook. It can be frustrating, right? You wonder why you can't just get off the hook like they did. That's sort of like Jonah's situation. He was frustrated they didn't get the punishment that he  felt they deserved, like we can be frustrated when they don't get punishment we  feel they deserve. However, like Jonah we need to remember that it's not our decision and not up to us - they are God's children not ours, so we need to recognize He has final say, and it is not to be questioned by us. We need to remember, sometimes, I think, that without mercy, we'd all be condemned to hell, so we should want for others to receive mercy as we have received mercy.

That's all for tonight! God bless! Shalom!

June 3rd

June 3rd -- Jonah 1:1-2:10 (http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Jonah%201:1-2:10&version=NLT)

Please go read!

Jonah was thrown overboard for his sin of running from God. Why? It was causing trouble for people who had done nothing to deserve it. Often, we don't realize the trouble it may bring to those around us when we secretly, or more so openly, involve them in something that wrongs God (such as running from Him, or any other sin). Let's say you're someone who would NEVER go near drugs or alcohol. You get invited to a party, and figure it's fine because they didn't say any would be there, and even if there was to be, you'd avoid it - you're underage and it seems gross anyways. So you show up and you're friend's happy to see you and glad you came. You're given what looks and smells like punch. You drink some and it seems to taste a bit off, but you think maybe it's a different way than you make it. You keep drinking. 2 hours later you're puking it up in the bathroom. You'd immediately ask your friend why they gave you alcohol. As you leave the bathroom, you are just in time to discover the police have showed up. You get charged for drinking underage. You plead with the cops but they don't listen - until your friend admits they spiked the punch as a joke. See? Stormy seas - being charged - to nothing - your friend fessed up. You did nothing wrong, but almost got caught in hot water because your friend didn't but didn't tell you. Now, would you ever wanna' be the one to do that to someone? Not necessarily spike punch, of course, but anything. Gossip to them? Suddenly they know things they shouldn't and accidentally let it slip and get in trouble for it. Talk to them about the steamy romance movie you watched? Well, for all you know they struggle with temptation and you just pushed them so far they broke their clean streak. Lie to them? Guess who's gonna' end up hurt, now, and not being able to trust as well? Your friend. Now, we don't want to do it to friends, but why not strangers? 1) (less important but yeah) all friends were strangers once and 2) We are ALL God's children and ALL equal to Him - let's act like it. Love your neighbour as yourself. Don't drag them into something that should be between you and God alone.

That will be all! God bless! Shalom!

June 2nd

June 2nd -- Daniel 6 (http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Daniel%206&version=NLT)

Go read, please.

Daniel gets thrown in the lions' den basically because someone was manipulated and he was gossiped about so fault could be found with him. I think sometimes we often find ourselves in our own "lions' dens". Maybe it's not so much even that we have been falsely accused and wronged - or maybe it is, of course - but it could also be that we are doing right by God and end up, somehow, in a bad place. Sometimes when we are serving God we still manage to end up in situations we would rather not be in. For example, I serve where I can in my school, church, and community. This means, however, that I become exceptionally busy. I often have little to no time for family much less time for me to just be on my own (we all need tie to our selves). But, like Daniel was out after a night, I was out after a bit. This weekend I had a chance to play some Minecraft with my fam, and I also got to spend some time on my own just to myself. This was mostly just because a meeting I had for church ended up being one I didn't have to go to. So, I got that extra time.
My point is, I think we often wonder why we reach rough places even when we are doing right/not doing wrong. Sometimes, it's just because others are out to get us. In Daniel's case, it's the men who want his position. In our case, though, it's the devil. He is relentless, like those men, and will do all he can to make us suffer. He hates us, and he will never stop hating us. So when you feel like you're in a metaphorical lions' den, be brave and remember God will send angels to shut the lions' jaws - you did nothing to deserve it and will be brought out safely!

God bless! Shalom!

June 1st

June 1st -- Daniel 5:1-30 (http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Daniel%205:1-30&version=NLT)

Head on over to the link destination, or pull out your Bible, and read!

I only have two small points to make on this:
1) Yet again, Daniel could have easily taken all credit and been prideful about his God-given gifts. Instead, though, he actually tried to refuse King Belshazzar's gifts, telling him to keep them or give them to another. Daniel got the gifts anyway, in the end. It makes me think a bit of Solomon, who asked not for riches and fame, but wisdom, and because that honored God, God gave him wisdom AND riches and fame. I'm not saying if we do the God-honoring thing we'll also get all the riches and stuff. What I'm saying is, when we do the God-honoring thing He blesses us, and that may be physically, emotionally, or spiritually, but He will bless us. We just need to make sure we are always sending the glory and praise back to Him not ourselves.

2) God will punish those who know the truth but turn their back on it. Belshazzar knew, from Nebuchadnezzar, how great and powerful God is, but he was ignorant to it. He continued on worshipping pagan gods, and disrespected the items of the Temple of the Lord. This was blatantly disrespectful to a God he had heard all about, meaning he knew of His power, yet did all the thing to disrespect him anyways. It wasn't even that he was intentionally trying to disrespect God, but rather that he was not trying to respect Him. God knew Belshazzar knew of Him yet carried on in his ways, and therefore finally out an end to it. Now, we may not all know it so well or the same way as Belshazzar but it can be seen in all of creation. Evidence of God is everywhere. In a way, that probably counts as being just as ignorant to not see God by what He has made.

That's all. God bless! Shalom!

May 31st

May 31st -- Daniel 3 (http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Daniel%203&version=NLT)

Feel free to go read. Basically, though it's the story of Nebuchadnezzar's idol and Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego's refusal to bow so they're thrown into a furnace.

The men who threw in S, M & A (that's what I'm gonna' call Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego to save typing it out and taking up that much space whenever they are mentioned) died because the fire was so hot. These men were only at the edge, but S, M, &A were thrown right into the heart of the furnace, all tied up. Yet, the king saw four people in there, unbound and walking. One was an angel and the other three were S, M. & A. They survived. It should have been impossible, but God brought them out. When he did, and the king saw this, the king said that anyone who speaks against their God will be torn apart and their houses will be ruined. God uses bad circumstances for good things. I mean, being thrown into a fire is certainly not a good thing. Yet, God turned that situation around. Not only did He save them, but they were a testimony to Nebuchadnezzar  of His existence, and they were also promoted to higher positions in the province to top it all off. They could  and should have died. But, God took that impossibly circumstance of living and made it possible. He can do all things. He also will often take bad situations and turn them for the good. Yet, normally we end up in the fire before He takes us out. Just remember that.

God bless! Shalom!