1 Corinthians 7–9 16:1 When the Sabbath was past, Mary Magdalene, Mary the mother of James, and Salome bought spices, so that they might go and anoint him. 2 And very early on the first day of the week, when the sun had risen, they went to the tomb. 3 And they were saying to one another, “Who [...]
‘…Sharper than any double–edged sword…’ Hebrews 4:12 NIV Does reading the Bible sometimes make you uneasy? Does the sermon feel like it’s directed at you? ‘…the Word of God is…sharper than any double–edged sword…it penetrates even to dividing soul and spirit…Nothing in all creation is hidden from God’s sight. Everything is uncovered…before…Him to whom we [...]
2 Timothy 1–2:23 43 And immediately, while he was still speaking, Judas came, one of the twelve, and with him a crowd with swords and clubs, from the chief priests and the scribes and the elders. 44 Now the betrayer had given them a sign, saying, “The one I will kiss is the man. Seize him and [...]
Micah 5–7 27 And Jesus said to them, “You will all fall away, for it is written, ‘I will strike the shepherd, and the sheep will be scattered.’ 28 But after I am raised up, I will go before you to Galilee.” 29 Peter said to him, “Even though they all fall away, I will not.” 30 And Jesus [...]
‘He who…forgives an offence seeks love, but he who…harps on a matter separates…friends.’ Proverbs 17:9 AMP Countless friendships are destroyed because one person gets offended by something the other one said or did. A mark of spiritual growth is how quickly you get over slights and insults; the more mature you are, the less time [...]
Rosh Hashana - The Feast of Trumpets and the Jewish New Year A small Shofar made from a Ram's horn.©Olve Utne Rosh Hashana is the Jewish New Year. There are 7 Feasts of the Lord and Rosh Hashana is the 5th. The Hebrew Calendar has several ‘new years’ in it, which can be very confusing until you get [...]
Micah 1–4:11 12 And on the first day of Unleavened Bread, when they sacrificed the Passover lamb, his disciples said to him, “Where will you have us go and prepare for you to eat the Passover?” 13 And he sent two of his disciples and said to them, “Go into the city, and a man carrying a [...]
‘…all these things shall be added unto you.’ Matthew 6:33 KJV Pray: ‘Heavenly Father, Your Word says, “Seek ye first the kingdom of God, and His righteousness; and all these things shall be added unto you.” You are well able to take care of my financial situation; You know what needs to be done. Direct [...]
‘…your heavenly Father already knows all your needs.’ Matthew 6:32 NLT Donna Savage writes: ‘In my husband’s first years as a pastor our mortgage payment gobbled up half his income… I learned to replace panic with peace by praying for: Clarity. Money is linked to our self–esteem. It can trigger feelings of shame, fear, pride, [...]
Nehemiah 11–13 14:1 It was now two days before the Passover and the Feast of Unleavened Bread. And the chief priests and the scribes were seeking how to arrest him by stealth and kill him, 2 for they said, “Not during the feast, lest there be an uproar from the people.” 3 And while he was at Bethany [...]
‘…secret things belong to the Lord… things revealed belong to us…’ Deuteronomy 29:29 NIV When you don’t understand what’s happening in your life, start with what you know for sure; namely, that God is good all the time, and His ‘…love for those who respect Him continues forever…’ (Psalm 103:17 NCV) He’s not fickle. He [...]
Nehemiah 8–10 24 “But in those days, after that tribulation, the sun will be darkened, and the moon will not give its light, 25 and the stars will be falling from heaven, and the powers in the heavens will be shaken. 26 And then they will see the Son of Man coming in clouds with great power and [...]
Numbers 29:1–6 24:1 Jesus left the temple and was going away, when his disciples came to point out to him the buildings of the temple. 2 But he answered them, “You see all these, do you not? Truly, I say to you, there will not be left here one stone upon another that will not be thrown [...]
‘Those who look to Him are radiant…’ Psalm 34:5 NIV It’s said, ‘Beauty is in the eye of the beholder’, but you can waste your life trying to please the wrong beholder. Kristin Armstrong says: ‘When it comes to beauty, each of us carries baggage from childhood… I’ve fretfully hung clothes of every size in [...]
2 Kings 6:8–20 15 For this reason, because I have heard of your faith in the Lord Jesus and your love toward all the saints, 16 I do not cease to give thanks for you, remembering you in my prayers, 17 that the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of glory, may give you the Spirit [...]
‘…He will see the blood…and…not permit the destroyer to enter your houses…’ Exodus 12:23 NIV When the angel of death visited Egypt, only those whose doorposts were painted with lamb’s blood were protected from ‘the destroyer’. And the blood of Jesus [the Lamb of God] is still your best protection from the enemy who ‘…prowls [...]
Nehemiah 5–7 12 And brother will deliver brother over to death, and the father his child, and children will rise against parents and have them put to death. 13 And you will be hated by all for my name’s sake. But the one who endures to the end will be saved. 14 “But when you see the abomination [...]
‘Where there is no counsel, the people fall…’ Proverbs 11:14 NKJV The only thing that’s worse than making a mistake is concealing it and allowing pride to lock us in to it. Why do we do that? Insecurity! Low self–esteem! We’re all prone to being defensive from time to time. But if you find that [...]
‘…God is love. Whoever lives in love lives in God, and God in them.’ 1 John 4:16 NIV When Dr E Stanley Jones preached a sermon on love in India, a church leader told him how a layman, whom he loved and had helped, was making trouble and threatening to split the church. The frustrated [...]
Nehemiah 1–4 13:1 And as he came out of the temple, one of his disciples said to him, “Look, Teacher, what wonderful stones and what wonderful buildings!” 2 And Jesus said to him, “Do you see these great buildings? There will not be left here one stone upon another that will not be thrown down.” 3 And as [...]
‘…I was afraid and went out and hid your talent in the ground…’ Matthew 25:25 NIV One of the most familiar parables Jesus told illustrates how things work in God’s Kingdom: ‘Then he who had received one talent came. “Master,” he said, “…I was afraid and went out and hid your talent in the ground.”…His [...]
Colossians 3–4 1:1 Paul, a prisoner for Christ Jesus, and Timothy our brother, To Philemon our beloved fellow worker 2 and Apphia our sister and Archippus our fellow soldier, and the church in your house: 3 Grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ. 4 I thank my God always when I remember [...]
I am continually humbled and inspired by your faithfulness. These are challenging and uncertain times but your generous practical support enables the Lord’s message of hope and encouragement to be broadcast day after day. Your prayers and encouragement also help keep us strong in the faith. “Take care, brothers, lest there be in any of [...]
Rembrandt's famous painting of Abraham and Isaac (public domain) Names Of God: Jehovah Jireh Genesis 22:10-14, 'Abraham stretched out his hand and took the knife to slay his son. But the angel of the Lord called to him from heaven and said, "Abraham, Abraham!" And he said, "Here I am." He said, "Do not stretch out [...]
‘He will call upon Me, and I will answer him…’ Psalm 91:15 NIV When we try to spend an extended period of time in prayer, our minds tend to wander. When that happens, is God upset with us? No, when your mind wanders—God’s Spirit is still with you. Sometimes your wandering thoughts can actually guide [...]