Daily Bread

[HeavenBesideYou]

My friend Shun at CC wrote: "Soo...all I need to do...to nail that Law...is to be GLAD...about every person...be hospitable...given to hospitality...make room for that Other...there was no room for him in the inn...Rahab was alternately an innkeeper or harlot, depending...make room...make room for daddy....and carve out a niche for oneself..."

August 12th

"I go to prepare a place for you....so he said."

God puts up with an awful lot from his creation. We turn ungrateful hands toward the Lord, always expecting more. We often insult him by the way we regard His world and all the wonderful things in it. Thankfully, He is slow to anger and plenteous in mercy, for we test Him constantly. We can learn from God's long-suffering patience with His children, and in turn we can share the same compassion and caring with those around us.

The Lord is merciful and gracious, slow to anger, and plenteous in mercy.

Psalm 103:8

Heaven

[HeavenBesideYou]

August 13th

"Does your mind run wild with worries and fears?"

God deals with His children with love and forgiveness. Often, we are much harder on ourselves than God will ever be. Many times we feel alone in our trials because we need to think of what is wrong with what we do. Our sins can be a great ground of learning, and though God waits willingly to forgive us, He wants us to benefit from our errors as much as we can. God will deal with us, not according to what we have done wrong, but according to our desire to make things right through repentance.

He hath not dealt with us after our sins; nor rewarded us according to our iniquities.

Psalm 103:10

The Message translation:

God makes everything come out right;
he puts victims back on their feet.
He showed Moses how he went about his work,
opened up his plans to all Israel.
God is sheer mercy and grace;
not easily angered, he's rich in love.
He doesn't endlessly nag and scold,
nor hold grudges forever.
He doesn't treat us as our sins deserve,
nor pay us back in full for our wrongs.
As high as heaven is over the earth,
so strong is his love to those who fear him.
And as far as sunrise is from sunset,
he has separated us from our sins.
As parents feel for their children,
God feels for those who fear him.
He knows us inside and out,
keeps in mind that we're made of mud.
Men and women don't live very long;
like wildflowers they spring up and blossom,
But a storm snuffs them out just as quickly,
leaving nothing to show they were here.
God's love, though, is ever and always,
eternally present to all who fear him,
Making everything right for them and their children
as they follow his Covenant ways
and remember to do whatever he said.

Heaven

[HeavenBesideYou]

August 14th

"Answer the door!"

It has always fascinated me that this verse has often been cited by those calling others to conversion when clearly in its context it's written to lukewarm Christians needing to rekindle their love relationship to the Lord. As believers, we need to ask the Lord Jesus into our hearts, our home, and lives. It's not that he's not there, it's just that he awaits our invitation, he will not barge in. He only inhabits hearts into which he has been invited!

These are the words of the Amen, the faithful and true witness, the ruler of God's creation. "Here I am! I stand at the door and knock. If anyone hears my voice and opens the door, I will come in and eat with him, and he with me."

Revelation 3:14,20

Heaven

[HeavenBesideYou]

August 15th

"We are given each day as a gift."

Once a day is gone, it can never be recaptured. Too often we live our lives as if they are going to go on forever just as they are. Lives change, and we need to be ready to change with them. God helps us to accept where we are and to grow to new levels of maturity. Before this day passes and is gone, call upon the Lord to help you make the most of it. Then, when the new day dawns, be ready for the challenges it brings.

As for man, his days are as grass: as a flower of the field, so he flourisheth.

Psalm 103:15

Heaven

[HeavenBesideYou]

August 16th

"Make no mistake..."

Some people can't understand how the raging, harsh God of the Old Testament can be the same God of love in the New Testament. Has God really changed? Of course not. God is the same in all times and in all places. What has changed is men and women's views of God. It is difficult to make sense of all that God does, and we all must do our best to understand Him. From the beginning of time until this day, God is the same. The righteousness He held forth for the children of Israel is the same righteousness He holds forth for us today. In a world where all else changes so quickly, we can find great security in knowing that our Lord never changes.

But the mercy of the Lord is from everlasting to everlasting upon them that fear him, and his righteousness unto children's children.

Psalm 103:17

Heaven

[HeavenBesideYou]

August 17th

"Sunset."

Watching the sunset yesterday, I noticed that the sky was painted with a hundred different colors and hues. Pinks, reds, oranges, blues, lavenders, and golds blended into a canvas of glory and light.

Awesome!!!

Time and again God offers us signs of His power and wonder. If we will just keep our eyes open, the truth of God's existence will present itself over and over. God gives graciously to His children. Relax and enjoy the show that God puts on. It is nothing less than perfection.

Bless the Lord, O my soul. O Lord my God, thou art very great; thou art clothed with hounour and majesty. Who coverest thyself with light as with a garment: who stretchest out the heavens like a curtain.

Psalm 104:1, 2

Heaven

[metalchris25]

don't know if you got that link, It is in my sig.

[HeavenBesideYou]

August 18th

"Simple and sweet."

The truth is often as simple as it is sweet... If Jesus is our life, then our life has no end.

To me, to live is Christ and to die is gain.

Philippians 1:21

Heaven

[HeavenBesideYou]

August 19th

"Use us to help others come to life in the Son!"

Father of all nations, resurrect in your people a desire to spread your grace to every language, tribe, nation, and people. Empower us with your Spirit so we will speak the Gospel of Jesus with boldness and respect to a world that does not know him. Amen...

He who has the Son has life; he who does not have the Son of God does not have life.

1 John 5:12

This statement is both a reminder of God's glorious grace and also of our need to share that grace with others.

Heaven

[HeavenBesideYou]

August 20th

"Which way do we go?"

Sometimes we're faced with several options, and we don't know which way to go. In Psalm 25, David asked God for guidance. Perhaps he remembered when, as a shepherd boy, he had to show the right path to his sheep who were wandering away. Just as he knew which path would lead to safety for his sheep, God knew the path that would lead to everlasting life. Just as those sheep that looked to him for direction were in the least danger, so David knew he needed to look to God for direction.

Today, God still leads us by his truth, his written Word and his Spirit, which helps us to understand it. Are you not sure which path to take? Pray as David did and read what God has already said in his written Word. He will show the right road to follow.

Show me the path where I should walk, O Lord; point out the right road for me to follow.
Lead me by your truth and teach me, for you are the God who saves me. All day long I put my hope in you.

Psalm 25:4-5

Pay attention and grow wise, for I am giving you good guidance. Don't turn away from my teaching.

Proverbs 4:1-2

I will teach you wisdom's ways and lead you in straight paths. If you live a life guided by wisdom, you won't limp or stumble as you run.

Proverbs 4:11-12

Heaven

[HeavenBesideYou]

August 21st

"Glorify Him."

Do we spend much time glorying in all that the Lord has done for us, or do we lament over what has yet to occur? So often we can find ourselves blaming God when things don't go right. The Hebrew people did it. The kings did it. Even early Christians did it. We should be careful to learn from their mistakes and fill our hearts and mouths with the praise that God surely deserves.

Remember his marvelous works that he hath done; his wonders, and the judgments of his mouth.

Psalm 105: 5

Heaven

[HeavenBesideYou]

August 22nd

"The high cost of removing our guilt."

Jesus paid a high price, his life, in order to remove our guilt before a holy God. While Jesus paid the price only he could pay, freedom from guilt is costly for us in other ways. The high price for us is the difficult task of admitting to God (and often others) that we were wrong and that we need forgiveness. This is called confession. As costly as confession is, the rewards are even greater: peace with ourselves and others, restored relationships, the removal of sin, and a renewed relationship with God.

"Only acknowledge your guilt. Admit that you rebelled against the Lord, your God and committed adultery against him by worshiping idols under every green tree. Confess that you refused to follow me. I, the Lord, have spoken!"

Jeremiah 3:13

Heaven

[RalphyS]

Quote: (Originally Posted by HeavenBesideYou)

August 22nd

"The high cost of removing our guilt."

Jesus paid a high price, his life, in order to remove our guilt before a holy God. While Jesus paid the price only he could pay, freedom from guilt is costly for us in other ways. The high price for us is the difficult task of admitting to God (and often others) that we were wrong and that we need forgiveness. This is called confession. As costly as confession is, the rewards are even greater: peace with ourselves and others, restored relationships, the removal of sin, and a renewed relationship with God.

"Only acknowledge your guilt. Admit that you rebelled against the Lord, your God and committed adultery against him by worshiping idols under every green tree. Confess that you refused to follow me. I, the Lord, have spoken!"

Jeremiah 3:13

Heaven

The Christian resolution to find the world ugly and bad has made the world ugly and bad.
Friedrich Nietzsche

Jesus died to save men--a small thing for an immortal to do, & didn't save many, anyway
Mark Twain

[SecretWeapon]

Quote: (Originally Posted by RalphyS)

The Christian resolution to find the world ugly and bad has made the world ugly and bad.
Friedrich Nietzsche

If he thinks that Christinas did that on their own, then this man is obviously ignorant of any ancient literature. Or any ancient anything for that matter.

Quote: (Originally Posted by RalphyS)

Jesus died to save men--a small thing for an immortal to do, & didn't save many, anyway
Mark Twain

Sadly true, not many are saved, but I'm dissapointed in Twain- anyone can imagine how much pain and humiliation would have been involed, especially if the Biblical account is accurate. That is NOT a small thing for ANYONE to do.

[RalphyS]

Yes, Nietsche, generally recognized as one of the greatest philosophers ever, was probably a literal ignoramus

Hey Jesus is God, isn't he? So doesn't he have the superpowers, that go along with that, if you can rise from the dead, what's a little pain? So I tend to agree with Twain. You always hear that HE died for us, where I come from the dead stay dead, what did he really sacrifice? He used to be in heaven, he came to earth, lived, died and now lives again in heaven, what especially was his sacrifice?