(January 31, 2001 6:00 AM CST)
It is there.
"God plays no favorites..."
God loves us all.
I just checked my garage downstairs.
I got a newer car yesterday.
It is a
1997 Lexus ES300
.
It looks like a brand-new car.
The color? Ruby Red with Ivory interior.
It is nice.
It is too nice.
I feel uncomfortable.
But when God blesses you...you get blessed!
He is so good to me.
It has been 8 years, since I bought a car.
Pat Wallace sold it to me.
He works at Lexus of Omaha at 132nd and Dodge.
He is a great guy.
He even followed me to my house.
He drove the new car and I drove the 1991 Camry.
God bless him and his family.
You know me...
I'm going to buy him a gift certificate to some restaurant
to thank him.
Galatians 2:6
We all get blessed each day.
He gives us what we need.
He has surprises for us.
He wants us to be happy.
When you receive a gift accept it.
Yes, you will feel uncomfortable or unworthy.
All good gifts come from heaven above.
Share your gift(s) with others.
Then thank the Lord for his goodness.
(January 30, 2001 6:42 AM CST)
It is sooooo beautiful outside this morning.
Jesus said,
If you love Jesus and follow his ways, people will notice.
It is a winter wonderland.
All the tree branches are accented by snow.
It reflects the awesome beauty of God.
"You are the light of the world.
A city set on a hill cannot be hidden."
Matthew 5:14
They will wonder why you are so happy.
They will see the integrity of doing the right things.
They see you are truthful and ethical.
You are thoughtful and help others.
They will one day ask you why you are that way.
Be ready to share.
Jesus means everything to you.
He is your best friend forever and ever.
He is more than you ever dreamed of.
God loves
you.
(January 29, 2001 6:28 AM CST)
I have to talk to the Credit Union for a home equity loan.
"You shall love the Lord your God
God bless that Garth.
At 6 PM I'm getting a newer car (year 1997).
So pray for me.
Thanks for all the prayers.
They are really helping me.
with all your heart,
with all your soul,
with all your strength,
and with all your mind;
and your neighbor as yourself."
Luke 10:27
He is someone that has "heart."
I am so sorry to hear of his recent divorce.
If Garth with his heart can't make it at marriage, who can?
That does scare/trouble/worry me.
It is hard to explain.
His songs can bring tears to your eyes.
Jesus has heart.
He shed all the blood in his heart for you.
Now that is love.
That brings a tear to my eyes.
He is something else.
Would you take a chance and get to know Jesus?
Do you know who Jesus is?
He is awesome!
Give Jesus a chance.
(January 28, 2001 7:02 AM CST)
"For the Lord, your God,
As you draw closer to God you will change.
is a consuming fire."
Deuteronomy 4:24
You are drawn in.
He is a fire.
He is total love.
The sins must go.
They are a distraction.
They put the fire out.
He wants your total attention.
Ask him to forgive your sins today.
Ask and it shall be done for you.
It is simple.
Come closer.
You will feel the fire of his love.
(January 27, 2001 6:13 AM CST)
"Even though I walk in the dark valley
Maybe that is you.
I fear no evil;
for you are at my side
with your rod and your staff
that give me courage."
Psalms 23:4
You have been hurt.
The Lord is there in that dark valley.
He knows your pain.
He will take your fear away.
He will protect you.
He is at your side to catch you if you stumble.
He gives you courage to continue your life.
To be continued...
(You get to finish this with your life and how you live.)
(January 26, 2001 6:04 AM CST)
I woke up this morning and did not know what day it was.
"There is cause for rejoicing here.
You will have trials.
I have no sense of time at all.
You may for a time have to suffer
the distress of many trials..."
1 Peter 1:6
It will be difficult.
You will be hurt emotionally,
but hang in there.
The Lord will give you strength to endure.
He will protect you.
He will guide you.
Stand up for what you believe.
It is not easy.
You need to do it.
You must do it.
Speak the truth in love.
In the end there will be rejoicing.
God be with you.
(January 25, 2001 6:06 AM CST)
Mark Tuesday, March 27th on your calendar.
"The grace of God has appeared,
We have been blessed.
That is the day there will be a special insert
in the local Omaha World-Herald.
It will reach 115,000 homes.
It will be a Christian Family Section.
It will be 8 pages long and cost around $11K.
It will be paid for by advertisers (like Parables).
I will contribute a revised version of
"To Be A Success in 1996"
for 2001.
So pray for me, as I rewrite it.
Thanks.
Now there is an answer to prayer!
offering salvation to all men (and women).
It trains us to reject godless ways and worldly desires,
and live temperately, justly and devoutly in this age
as we await our blessed hope,
the appearing of the glory of the great God
and of our Savior Christ Jesus."
Titus 2:11-13
We have received grace.
We have been changed.
Our souls have been lifted.
Our spirits soar.
The godless ways have been pushed aside.
We live a life of joy.
We look forward to the glory of God.
Grace has appeared.
(January 24, 2001 6:05 AM CST)
Rev. Tom went home to heaven yesterday at 3 AM.
Paul instructed them in the Lord:
Be a light today.
If there ever was a "saint" in this life, it was Tom.
I used to tell people he was St. Paul.
I would see him all over Omaha
visiting the sick at hospitals.
Rejoice today in a life well lived
for the glory and service of God.
May the angels take him home.
There is sadness, but also joy.
Pray for me and all that will dearly miss him.
"I have made you a light to the nations,
a means of salvation to the ends of the earth."
Acts 13:47
Be a joy to behold.
Share the love of God.
...until your last day.
(January 23, 2001 6:09 AM CST)
Randy called yesterday from the Omaha World-Herald.
Jesus said,
I pray for you today.
They are planning a Christian family piece in the paper
and he wanted to know if I was interested in writing
something for it.
Yes!
Of course.
I will call him later today.
Now that is an answer to prayers.
I am excited.
Pray for me to write what the Lord wants me to say
to the people here and around Omaha.
"All this I tell you
that my joy may be yours
and your joy may be complete."
John 15:11
I pray that you receive joy.
This is joy from heaven above.
It is a joy that starts here on earth and never ends.
It is the joy of pure love from God our Father.
Receive this joy today.
It is yours.
(January 22, 2001 5:55 AM CST)
Lately I've been thinking about
Yesterday afternoon I was driving east on Dodge Street
"For to his angels he has given command about you,
We thank the Lord today for his protection.
the earthquake in El Salvador on January 13th, 2001
.
I'm sending them a donation this morning to help rebuild.
Maybe you would like to help, also.
Some have lost family and friends.
Some have lost their houses.
Please, pray for them in their suffering and pain.
at about 73rd by the Crossroads Mall.
The car to my right changed lanes cutting right in front of me.
I had no time to honk my horn.
It happened that fast.
I turned my wheel to the left to avoid them and hit the brakes.
The screeching tires sound was my "horn."
The left turn lanes were right there so I had room to avoid them.
Thank God.
The things on my passenger seat flew to the floor.
Somehow I missed them by inches it seemed.
I glanced at their license plate as they drove away
and they were from out of town.
Pray for them.
Thank God for protecting me.
You know what? It did not bother me at all.
I was not upset with them.
I was in their blind spot.
It was my fault.
I had just changed lanes myself.
I was moving around and they lost track of me.
that they guard you in all your ways."
Psalms 91:11
We thank him for his angels.
I have never had a car accident.
That is because of the protection of God.
Call on the Lord today to protect you from all harm.
(January 21, 2001 6:15 AM CST)
I have not been sleeping well lately.
"The Lord God will wipe away
Are you sad today?
the tears from all faces."
Isaiah 25:8
Are you tossing and turning at night?
Are you confused?
The gentle Lord comes to comfort you.
He is your friend.
He is concerned.
He knows all your hundreds of thoughts.
Confide in him.
He will wipe your tears away.
He loves you.
(January 20, 2001 6:16 AM CST)
Welcome to
Inauguration Day, 2001
.
Please, pray for my aunt
"The Lord bless you and keep you!
That is my prayer for you today.
God bless our new president.
who is having heart surgery on Monday.
Thanks.
The Lord let his face shine upon you,
and be gracious to you!
The Lord look upon you kindly and give you peace!"
Numbers 6:24-26
Maybe you are sick or in pain.
Maybe it is someone you love.
I pray for God's blessings on them today.
I ask for God to bless you.
May your day be bright.
Lord Jesus, hear my prayer.
(January 19, 2001 6:14 AM CST)
Jesus said,
I have a little picture of Jesus next to my front door.
"As you enter his (or her) home bless it.
If the home is deserving,
your blessing will descend on it.
If it is not,
your blessing will return to you."
Matthew 10:12-13
It is a prayer for a blessing on my house
and all those who enter.
I pray for blessings on your house or apartment today.
May the Lord be there with you.
May he watch over you and your loved ones.
God bless you!
(January 18, 2001 6:12 AM CST)
"When you pass through the water,
We thank the Lord for watching over us.
I will be with you;
in the rivers you shall not drown."
Isaiah 43:2
(January 17, 2001 6:09 AM CST)
"For he knows the secrets of the heart."
God sees your heart.
Psalms 44:22
He knows your thoughts.
He reaches out to you in love.
Do you respond?
Do you hear his invitation?
He says come and see.
He wants to share his heart with yours.
Will you open up?
Will you let him in?
Share your hopes and dreams with the Lord.
(January 16, 2001 6:06 AM CST)
For some reason this morning
"I wish their hearts to be strengthened
I'm praying for you today.
I want to go buy a volleyball and paint it.
and themselves to be closely united in love,
enriched with full assurance
by their knowledge of the mystery of God ---
namely Christ --- in whom every treasure
of wisdom and knowledge is hidden."
Colossians 2:2-3
I want you to know how much God loves you.
He loves you completely.
He knows you inside out and upside down.
He cares for you.
He wants the very best for you.
He is the treasure you seek.
He is true love.
He is love that never ends.
Take a chance...open your heart to him.
Your life will never be the same.
(January 15, 2001 6:10 AM CST)
Dave and Sue are getting married Saturday, April 21st, 2001.
"On the third day
Invite Jesus to be part of your wedding.
I work with Dave.
God bless them.
Pray for them.
there was a wedding at Cana in Galilee,
and the mother of Jesus was there.
Jesus and his disciples had likewise
been invited to the celebration."
John 2:1-2
It is a celebration.
It is a time of great joy.
Pray together every day.
Ask the Lord to teach you to love.
It is a time to grow.
It is a time to serve each other.
(January 14, 2001 6:32 AM CST)
I look at the date and can't believe it.
"During the night
Do you have a vision?
I never expected to see 2001...no way.
I did not expect to live this long.
It's like living on borrowed time or I'm in overtime.
I just stare at that number.
The way I looked at the future from years ago was inaccurate.
I was wrong.
I was short-sighted.
I have lived beyond my vision...beyond my dreams.
the mystery was revealed to Daniel in a vision,
and he blessed the God of heaven:
'Blessed be the name of God forever and ever,
for wisdom and power are his.'"
Daniel 2:19-20
What does God have in store for you?
What are God's plans for your life?
He is calling you.
He says to come close to him.
Trust him.
Walk with him.
He has much to teach you.
He loves you.
The future, your future is in his hands.
Bless the Lord.
The best is yet to come.
(January 13, 2001 6:17 AM CST)
"You heard of this hope
There is hope!
through the message of truth, the gospel,
which has come to you, has borne fruit,
and has continued to grow in your midst,
as it has everywhere in the world."
Colossians 1:5-6
There is truth!
It is the good news in the Bible.
The word of God is a seed.
You plant it in your heart and mind.
Then it grows.
You change.
You see new things.
You grow.
It spreads to others.
It is the message of truth.
It is hope that the world desperately needs.
It is in your midst.
It is for you.
(January 12, 2001 6:13 AM CST)
"He has granted peace in your borders;
What more could you ask for?
with the best of wheat he fills you."
Psalms 147:14
Peace in your land.
What a precious thing that is!
To have peace in your town and
peace in your house...
that is worth a lot.
And to have peace in your soul...
to be at peace with God...
now that is something.
That is a blessing.
Ask Jesus to forgive your sins.
Be free of sin.
Be at peace.
(January 11, 2001 6:07 AM CST)
"Stand fast,
Take a stand.
with the truth as the belt around your waist,
justice as your breastplate,
and zeal to propagate the gospel of peace as your footgear."
Ephesians 6:14-15
It will not be popular.
Stand up for the truth.
Do what is right.
Talk to your friends
about why you can't do something that is wrong.
Yes, you will be left behind.
It will hurt.
There are so many anti-Christian things around us.
There is much evil.
You need to dress properly.
Wear your gospel gear.
If you are left alone, Jesus is there beside you.
In the end you will win your friends for Christ.
Your example and your prayers will change their hearts.
(January 10, 2001 6:12 AM CST)
"All men (and women) are now undeservedly justified
We have been given a gift,
by the gift of God,
through the redemption wrought in Christ Jesus."
Romans 3:24
but we don't deserve it.
We did not earn it.
It is a gift given to us with great love.
Jesus died on the cross for us.
He did it because he loves us.
Thank Jesus today for what he has done.
Receive this gift with open arms.
Praise the Lord for his goodness to us.
He loves us.
(January 9, 2001 6:07 AM CST)
Jesus said,
We want things that last.
"The heavens and the earth will pass away
but my words will not pass."
Mark 13:31
We buy diamonds to symbolize love that never ends.
We build monuments of stone to honor people
for hundreds of years.
We bury our treasures in a safe hiding place
like a vault or secret underground location.
We freeze things to preserve them.
We write down words in books and make hundreds of copies.
Our best efforts will fail.
All this will pass away.
All that you see will be gone.
What will last?
What will survive?
The words of God will last.
They are eternal.
Read them.
Treasure them.
They are diamonds waiting for you to discover them.
Read the Bible.
Read a chapter each day.
(January 8, 2001 6:08 AM CST)
Jesus began to teach them:
Jesus spoke to the people.
"How blest are the poor in spirit:
the reign of God is theirs.
Blest too are the sorrowing;
they shall be consoled.
Blest are the lowly;
they shall inherit the land."
Matthew 5:2-5
Great crowds followed him.
He healed many people.
He taught them many things.
He taught them what is important in this life.
Be humble.
Be lowly.
Live that simple life.
Your reward is not in this life.
The "land" you inherit is heaven.
You live a life of service.
There will be times of sorrow,
but he is there to console you.
Read all of Matthew Chapter 5 on the link above.
There is much to learn.
You need to study what Jesus has said.
(January 7, 2001 7:23 AM CST)
Yesterday I talked to Barb and Josephine.
"I consider the sufferings of the present
Yes, you will suffer.
They both had surgery recently and are in pain,
so pray for them.
Thanks.
I met them a year ago in
January, 2000
.
I gave them flowers which helps a little.
They are beautiful.
I was really sad when I drove back home.
It kind of knocked the wind out of me...
two at once.
It is hard to see those you love suffer.
And then you step back in a sense...
you don't want to be too close.
You don't want to get blown away.
It does hurt.
to be as nothing
compared with the glory to be revealed in us."
Romans 8:18
It will not be easy.
It will hurt.
Call on the strength of the Lord.
Call on his power.
Pray for courage to face your pain.
The Lord be with you.
See the glory of God.
Maybe you are in good health.
Thank the Lord.
You could go visit someone who is sick
or send them a Get Well card or flowers or call them.
(January 6, 2001 6:17 AM CST)
Did you see the
picture of the monolith
Please, pray for Jim
"All are one in Jesus Christ."
You have many brothers and sisters.
in Seattle on January 2, 2001?
It's related to the movie
2001: A Space Odyssey
.
I remember seeing the film on October 12, 1968 (I think)
at the Indian Hills Theater in Omaha (which is now closed).
Cool (but we didn't have that word to use then).
that broke an arm and a leg on December 27th
in a fall off a stairway with no railing.
He was not watching what he was doing
and stepped off into thin air.
Thanks.
Galatians 3:28
We all have one Father in heaven.
Jesus is our brother.
The Holy Spirit leads us to the truth.
Pray with other Christians.
Maybe they don't attend your church.
Maybe they are of a different denomination.
Pray with them.
Take a step of faith.
Let us be one in Jesus Christ.
(January 5, 2001 6:06 AM CST)
Happy Birthday, Joe!
"Do you not know that we are to judge angels?"
An interesting statement by St. Paul, isn't it?
God bless you.
1 Corinthians 6:3
What does it mean?
We are higher in importance than angels.
Angels are here to serve us.
We are a judge in some instances.
It takes a study of the Bible to understand this.
That is why you need Bible studies.
You need books of those who have studied these questions
over the centuries before you.
You need others to help bring all the information together.
You need the Holy Spirit to lead this whole process
to find the meaning of these words.
(January 4, 2001 6:11 AM CST)
Yes, it got above freezing yesterday.
"For if you confess with your lips
You need help.
The snow is starting to melt, but has a long way to go.
It's a melt down here in Omaha.
that Jesus is Lord,
and believe in your heart
that God raised him from the dead,
you will be saved."
Romans 10:9
You need to say something.
Your life is in danger.
Call out to the Lord.
Lord, save me.
Raise me up.
Change (melt) my cold heart.
I need you.
Teach me how to love.
(January 3, 2001 6:02 AM CST)
"They" changed the
Zermatt camera
.
"At sunset,
Is it the sunset of your life?
They moved it to another location.
How could they do that?
I was studying that street and got to know it very well.
Change is difficult, isn't it?
Did you see how they spell January in Italian on this link?
all who had people sick with a variety of diseases
took them to Jesus,
and he laid hands on each of them and cured them."
Luke 4:40
Is your health failing?
Call on Jesus.
He will come and lay blessings on you.
He will cure you.
Last week I had an earache in my left ear.
I prayed to Jesus and it is gone.
Is that unusual?
Your prayers will be answered.
I think it should be part of your normal Christian life.
Jesus heals today.
Go to him at sunset (or anytime).
(January 2, 2001 6:04 AM CST)
It's a new year.
"The Lord is faithful in all his words
The Lord has said many things.
It's a new start.
What will you do different this year?
Will you start reading the Bible?
Will you pray every day?
Will you join a Bible study?
Will you go to church each week?
and holy in all his works."
Psalms 145:13
He has done many things.
Study the ways of the Lord.
Learn about him.
Follow him.
He will change your life.
You have much to learn.
(January 1, 2001 6:48 AM CST)
Happy New Year!
"My prayer is that your love may more and more abound,
Start the new year with prayer.
Last night I watched the fireworks from
Heartland of America Park
in downtown Omaha.
This picture is from a year ago on December 31, 1999.
The fireworks were left of center in this picture
on the east side of the lake.
We were on the far right side off the picture
on the southwest side of the lake.
We had a front-row seat from a Con-Agra building porch.
It was an unobstructed view.
We saw everything perfectly.
We heard and felt everything.
What more could you ask for to start a new millenium?
It was cool.
The fireworks of all different colors
would light up the snow-covered lake.
It was about a 10-minute show with music
which we could actually hear.
Con-Agra knows how to put on a good show.
Last year I was about a half mile away west of the park.
You miss all the low-level fireworks
because of buildings in the way.
Where I was on 14th Street you could not hear the music either.
both in understanding and wealth of experience,
so that with a clear conscience and blameless conduct
you may learn to value the things that really matter,
up to the very day of Christ."
Philippians 1:9-10
Pray that your eyes will be opened.
See the Lord with an unobstructed view.
Start the year with love.
Pray for an open heart.
Learn what really matters.
Pray that you will hear the Lord.
You will know his will.
Be blameless.
Be clear.
It is a new day.
It is a new year.
It is a time to live for Christ.
