(August 31, 2002 6:48 AM CDT)
Jesus summoned the crowd with his disciples
Follow Jesus.
and said to them:
"If a man wishes to come after me,
he must deny his very self,
take up his cross,
and follow in my steps."
Mark 8:34
Follow in his steps.
He will lead you to the promised land.
Accept suffering in your life.
Offer it up to Jesus.
Deny yourself things that are distractions.
Do you really need the latest thing to be marketed?
These things keep you from seeing Jesus.
Jesus, show us the way that leads to life eternal.
Keep us close to you.
(August 30, 2002 6:11 AM CDT)
"God had made a better plan,
You are part of the plan.
a plan which included us."
Hebrews 11:40
God has included you.
He has included all of us.
It is a great plan to save all of us.
We need to pay attention.
Listen to the Lord.
We must seek the Lord with all that we are.
Focus on Jesus.
He is the truth that will save us.
Be part of the plan.
(August 29, 2002 6:10 AM CDT)
"When the kindness and love of God our Savior appeared,
God is full of mercy.
he saved us;
not because of any righteous deeds we had done,
but because of his mercy.
He saved us through the baptism of new birth
and renewal by the Holy Spirit."
Titus 3:4-5
He will forgive us, if we ask.
It is not you --- it is him.
He will do it.
You cannot do it by yourself.
Jesus, forgive our sins.
We are sinners.
We call on you for help.
Forgive us and change us by your new birth.
Send your Holy Spirit to give us new life.
We ask this in the precious name of Jesus.
(August 28, 2002 6:23 AM CDT)
"He will strengthen you to the end,
Go to Jesus for your strength.
so that you will be blameless
on the day of our Lord Jesus Christ."
1 Corinthians 1:8
He will help you in your journey.
He is your inspiration to greatness.
Look to him.
He will lift you up.
He will show you new things.
He will call you to holiness.
The day of the Lord is coming.
Be prepared.
(August 27, 2002 6:10 AM CDT)
"Since the creation of the world, invisible realities,
You look at what God has made.
God's eternal power and divinity, have become visible,
recognized through the things he has made.
Therefore these men are inexcusable."
Romans 1:20
You look up at all the stars at night.
You see the beautiful flowers and mountains.
You walk along an ocean or lake.
You see a new born baby.
There is no excuse.
God made them all.
He is there behind it all.
His signature is there for all to see.
Just look all around you.
He made all things.
Recognize God.
He is visible.
(August 26, 2002 5:59 AM CDT)
"They shouted back, 'Crucify him, crucify him!'
Jesus was innocent.
Pilate said to them for the third time,
'What wrong is this man guilty of?
I have not discovered anything about him
that calls for the death penalty.'"
Luke 23:21-22
He was sinless.
He took our place.
He stood in line for us and died.
He did that for us.
That is love.
That is concern.
He is the Holy One.
He deserves all our praise.
Praise you, Lord Jesus.
Thanks for dying for us.
Thanks for taking on all our sins and guilt.
We praise you, Lord.
(August 25, 2002 6:27 AM CDT)
I'd like to thank the people yesterday
"People brought Jesus all the afflicted,
Jesus, I ask you today to heal the sick.
that washed my car for free just before 1 PM.
I tried to pay them and they would not take the money.
It was a car wash in the church parking lot
at 90th and Pacific in Omaha.
They wanted me to vote Yes on August 26th
for the District 66 Levy Override.
The only problem is that I don't live in District 66.
God bless them and their families.
Pray for Mickey who runs the hardware store
south of there at 90th and West Center Road.
He had bypass surgery recently.
I stopped in there to have a key on my front door duplicated and
saw this big Get Well card and I signed it.
with the plea that he let them
do no more than touch the tassel of his cloak.
As many as touched it were fully restored to health."
Matthew 14:35-36
Touch them and restore them to health.
All power is yours.
We acknowledge your greatness.
We worship you will all our hearts.
You are our divine physician.
You know what is wrong with us.
You see our afflictions.
Heal our brokenness.
We want to touch you, Lord.
We ask this all in the name of Jesus.
You are our wonderful Savior.
(August 24, 2002 6:41 AM CDT)
"Keep me as the apple of your eye;
You are a sparkle in the eye of God.
hide me in the shadow of your wings
from the wicked who use violence against me."
Psalms 17:8-9
You are precious in his sight.
He is your protector.
You are safe in knowing Jesus.
You are his child.
(August 23, 2002 6:10 AM CDT)
We are getting rain almost every day now.
"This Son is the reflection of the Father's glory,
Jesus is the Son of God.
It will help in this drought.
The parks around town are turning green again.
Thank the Lord.
the exact representation of the Father's being,
and he sustains all things by his powerful word."
Hebrews 1:3
He is God.
He is one with the Father and Holy Spirit.
There are 3 persons in the Trinity.
They are all equal, all God.
They reflect each other.
Their words are most powerful.
They sustain the universe.
They are God.
(August 22, 2002 6:14 AM CDT)
"May the Lord rule your hearts
God is love.
in the love of God and the constancy of Christ."
2 Thessalonians 3:5
Invite the Lord into your life.
He will teach you how to love.
He will consistently draw you near.
Let your heart be changed by Christ.
(August 21, 2002 6:16 AM CDT)
"Brothers (and sisters),
God will bless you.
may the favor of our Lord Jesus Christ
be with your spirit.
Amen."
Galatians 6:18
You are special to him.
If you seek him, you will be one with his Spirit.
You will find favor.
If you need help with work or school or anything, ask him.
You will be surprised.
(August 20, 2002 6:08 AM CDT)
"Even those members of the body
Everyone is important.
which seem less important
are in fact indispensable."
1 Corinthians 12:22
All people are needed and have a purpose.
God made us all.
We are here for a reason.
We are all called to serve him in our own unique way.
No one else can do what God asks of you.
It just will not get done.
Do your part.
(August 19, 2002 6:19 AM CDT)
"I trust in the Lord;
Let a new day dawn.
my soul trusts in his word.
My soul waits for the Lord
more than sentinels wait for the dawn."
Psalms 130:5-6
Let the sun rise in your life.
Look toward the east.
Come, Jesus, into our lives.
Drive the darkness away.
Brighten our lives.
Give us hope.
We trust in you.
(August 18, 2002 6:29 AM CDT)
Jesus disregarded the report that had been brought
Do you live in fear?
and said to the official:
"Fear is useless.
What is needed is trust."
Mark 5:36
Are you worried about many thing?
You need to trust Jesus.
He has things under control.
Go to him.
Ask him to calm your fears.
Ask him to perform a miracle in your life.
Trust Jesus.
(August 17, 2002 6:39 AM CDT)
"Meanwhile throughout all Judea, Galilee, and Samaria
The church is there.
the church was at peace.
It was being built up and
making steady progress in the fear of the Lord;
at the same time it enjoyed
the increased consolation of the Holy Spirit."
Acts 9:31
It is not perfect.
Christ is the head of the church.
It will survive through all the ups and downs.
The Holy Spirit is with us.
We have peace in knowing the Lord.
We will make steady progress until Jesus returns.
(August 16, 2002 6:11 AM CDT)
Fiesch, Switzerland
looks like an airport today
"For this I work and struggle,
Work for the Lord Jesus.
with all kinds of hand gliders.
If you missed it, I
captured the image
.
impelled by that energy of his
which is so powerful a force within me."
Colossians 1:29
Offer up all your efforts today to the Lord.
Call on him for energy.
He is your power.
He is the force to move mountains.
He is within you.
He will lift you on high.
(August 15, 2002 6:01 AM CDT)
"At that, Peter and the other disciple
The other disciple is John.
started out on their way to the tomb.
They were running side by side,
but the other disciple outran Peter
and reached the tomb first.
He did not enter but bent down to peer in,
and saw the wrappings lying on the ground."
John 20:3-5
He does not come right out and say "John" for some reason.
He was a good runner, maybe he was younger and in good shape,
but he respected his elder Peter.
He waited for him to arrive.
We are all at different walks (or runs) in our lives.
Some are farther along than others.
Respect that.
Be patient with others.
All of us are unique and different.
God loves us all and calls each of us to come to him.
Run (or walk) for your life.
Do your exercises (physical and spiritual).
Stay in good shape for when God calls.
(August 14, 2002 6:06 AM CDT)
I downloaded the software from
openoffice.org
"A strong and heavy wind was rending the mountains
The Lord is very interesting.
yesterday to my PC and installed it.
It's free.
I'm testing it out to see what it can do.
I used it to spell check all these words today.
It doesn't look too bad.
and crushing rocks before the Lord ---
but the Lord was not in the wind.
After the wind there was an earthquake ---
but the Lord was not in the earthquake.
After the earthquake there was fire ---
but the Lord was not in the fire.
After the fire there was a tiny whispering sound."
1 Kings 19:11-12
He is something to behold.
He is a mystery of unbelievable power and love.
He is Lord of the universe.
Let him surprise you.
(August 13, 2002 6:09 AM CDT)
We received significant rainfall last evening.
Upon hearing this, Jesus said:
Lararus died.
The yards are coming back to life.
Thank the Lord.
"This sickness is not to end in death;
rather it is for God's glory,
that through it the Son of God may be glorified."
John 11:4
He was dead for 4 days.
Jesus brought him back to life.
Jesus has that power.
He has control over life and death.
Do not die without knowing him.
Let the glory be yours in Jesus.
(August 12, 2002 6:00 AM CDT)
"Once more, on his return,
Stay with the Lord.
he found them asleep;
they could not keep their eyes open."
Matthew 26:43
Stay awake.
Pray with the Lord.
Keep your eyes open.
Be alert.
(August 11, 2002 6:20 AM CDT)
It snowed in
Switzerland
over night.
"Hearken, O God, to my prayer;
Prayer is very important.
Already?
turn not away from my pleading;
give heed to me, and answer me."
Psalms 55:2
It is conversation with God who made you.
Find a quiet place.
He is a quiet whisper.
Talk to him.
Listen to him.
Do this every day.
You need that contact with the infinite.
It helps to keep things in perspective.
He shows you what is really important in this life.
It is Sunday.
Go to church and pray with others.
This is very powerful.
Many blessings are poured out on God's people
when they gather together.
Go and be blessed today.
(August 10, 2002 6:27 AM CDT)
Today I was reading about the
"The word of God continued to spread,
The word of God is active.
Cosmic Ray Observatory Project
in the state of Nebraska.
A friend of my niece is working on this project.
while at the same time the number of disciples
in Jerusalem enormously increased."
Acts 6:7
Even today in 2002 it continues to spread.
The word of God is needed today more than ever.
Many people are confused and live in fear.
Where do they turn to for help?
Only Jesus can help them.
He will console them.
He is the ray of hope that they need.
(August 9, 2002 6:07 AM CDT)
"By faith the Israelites crossed the Red Sea
Is there a way out?
as if it was dry land,
but when the Egyptians attempted
the same thing they were drowned."
Hebrews 11:29
Is there a path to safety?
It is Jesus that shows you the way.
Follow his directions.
He is very powerful.
If he made the universe,
he can solve any problem that you have.
He is very generous.
Ask for what you need.
He will help you.
Have faith.
(August 8, 2002 6:05 AM CDT)
Yesterday in class our teacher told us about
openoffice.org
.
"Beloved, grow strong in your holy faith
The Holy Spirit is very important.
This is a free version of something similar to Microsoft Office.
I tried it out and called up a spreadsheet from work
and exported a tab-delimited text file.
It worked.
through prayer in the Holy Spirit.
Persevere in God's love,
and welcome the mercy of our Lord Jesus Christ
which leads to life eternal.
Correct those who are confused;
the others you must rescue,
snatching them from the fire."
Jude 1:20-22
Pray to the Spirit.
Be led by the Spirit.
Learn to love from the Spirit.
Then you will find life eternal.
Mercy will be yours.
You will rescue others from the fire.
(August 7, 2002 6:09 AM CDT)
"You can depend on this:
Have faith in Jesus.
If we have died with him
we shall also live with him;
If we hold out to the end
we shall also reign with him."
2 Timothy 2:11-12
Live for Jesus.
Die for Jesus.
Depend on him.
In the end you will be with him forever.
(August 6, 2002 6:05 AM CDT)
"Faith comes through hearing,
Pray for your pastor.
and what is heard is the word of Christ."
Romans 10:17
Pray for all those giving sermons.
The word of Christ must be proclaimed.
Hearing the word is very important.
It will build the faith of the church.
Lord, inspire your preachers.
Give them a heart that is in tune with yours.
Give them wisdom from above.
Be with them, Lord.
(August 5, 2002 6:06 AM CDT)
All this week I am taking a class on
Linux
.
"During the meal Jesus took bread, blessed and broke it,
The Lord has given us Holy Communion.
The class is at 44th and Douglas in Omaha.
God bless our teacher and all in the class.
and gave it to them.
'Take this,' he said, 'this is my body.'"
Mark 14:22
It is a gift from God.
We receive it with great joy.
It is a tremendous blessing.
We remember him as the bread is broken.
He was broken for us.
Jesus is our bread.
He feeds us.
He is the bread of life.
(August 4, 2002 6:03 AM CDT)
We are getting rain this morning in Omaha.
"Be my rock of refuge,
Do you turn to the rock?
Thank the Lord.
Praise the Lord.
He is our provider.
a stronghold to give me safety,
for you are my rock and my fortress."
Psalms 71:3
Jesus is your rock of refuge.
You will have many troubles, but he is there.
He is your fortress of strength.
Go to him.
(August 3, 2002 6:20 AM CDT)
"Grace and peace be yours
I'm praying for you today to have peace.
from God our Father
and from the Lord Jesus Christ!"
Philippians 1:2
I wish for you abundant grace from God the Father.
I pray for you to have hope in Jesus Christ.
(August 2, 2002 6:08 AM CDT)
"Reflect on what I am saying,
Think about the Lord.
for the Lord will make my meaning fully clear."
2 Timothy 2:7
Dwell on him.
Think about what he has said.
Ponder what he has done.
He is something to behold.
(August 1, 2002 6:04 AM CDT)
"Confident of your compliance, I write you,
The Lord writes to you.
knowing that you will do more than I say."
Philemon 1:21
Do you read his letters?
He has much to say to you.
Will you comply with his requests?
Do you do just what is expected of you
or do you do even more?
The Lord will bless your efforts.
He is right beside you.
