(February 28, 2006 Tue 6:14 AM CST)
"Forsake me not, O Lord;
The Lord is near.
my God, be not far from me!
Make haste to help me,
O Lord my salvation!"
Psalms 38:21-22 (or 22-23)
Call to him.
He hears your prayers.
He is your salvation.
Jesus, help me today.
(February 27, 2006 Mon 6:13 AM CST)
"By the might of his glory
Stand fast.
you will be endowed with
the strength needed to stand fast,
even to endure joyfully whatever may come,
giving thanks to the Father
for having made you worthy to share
the lot of the saints in light.
He rescued us from the power of darkness
and brought us into the kingdom
of his beloved Son.
Through him we have redemption,
the forgiveness of our sins."
Colossians 1:11-14
Be strong in the Lord.
He has rescued you from darkness.
He has shown you the light of his glory.
Forgiveness is yours in Jesus.
Jesus, forgive my sins.
(February 26, 2006 Sun 8:21 AM CST)
It took me a while,
"Christ has delivered us
Jesus died on a tree.
but I finally read the book
"The Sword in the Tree" yesterday.
I have had it since October 27, 2005.
It's a kid's book.
It took about an hour to read.
It even has a happy ending.
from the power of the law's curse
by himself becoming a curse for us,
as it is written:
'Accursed is anyone
who is hanged on a tree.'
This has happened
so that through Christ Jesus
the blessing bestowed on Abraham
might descend on the Gentiles in Christ Jesus,
thereby making it possible for us
to receive the promised Spirit through faith."
Galatians 3:13-14
He died on the cross for us.
He took all the blame.
He became sin.
He took our sins on himself.
He was sinless.
He was innocent.
From him came the blessing.
The Spirit is given to us.
Thank you, Jesus, for dying on the cross.
Thank you for the Holy Spirit.
(February 25, 2006 Sat 8:41 AM CST)
"My brothers and sisters,
May your faith be alive.
what good is it
to profess faith without practicing it?
Such faith has no power
to save one, has it?
If a brother or sister has nothing to wear
and no food for the day,
and you say to them,
'Good-bye and good luck!
Keep warm and well fed.'
but do not meet their bodily needs,
what good is that?
So it is with the faith
that does nothing in practice.
It is thoroughly lifeless."
James 2:14-17
Think of others.
Help them today.
Be aware of the needs of others.
Have an active faith.
(February 24, 2006 Fri 6:23 AM CST)
"The message of the cross
What do you see when you look at the cross?
is complete absurdity
to those who are headed for ruin,
but to us who are experiencing salvation
it is the power of God."
1 Corinthians 1:18
Do you see something of hope for the whole world?
Jesus died for all of us.
There is power in the cross.
It is the power to change lives.
(February 23, 2006 Thu 6:17 AM CST)
"Jesus was led away, and
Jesus died for us.
carrying the cross by himself,
went out to what is called
the Place of the Skull (in Hebrew, Golgotha).
There they crucified him,
and two others with him:
one on either side, Jesus in the middle."
John 19:16-18
He did not have to do this,
but he loves us very much.
He came to save us from our sins.
He is our Savior.
We are set free because of him.
Thank you, Jesus, for dying for us.
(February 22, 2006 Wed 6:21 AM CST)
"This explains why we work
Work for the Lord.
and struggle as we do;
our hopes are fixed on the living God
who is the savior of all men,
but especially of those who believe."
1 Timothy 4:10
Offer today up to him.
Do it for the Lord.
We hope in him.
We believe in him.
(February 21, 2006 Tue 6:16 AM CST)
"Finally, draw your strength from the Lord
The Lord is our strength.
and his mighty power.
Put on the armor of God
so that you may be able to stand firm
against the tactics of the devil.
Our battle is not against human forces
but against the principalities and powers,
the rulers of the world of darkness,
the evil spirits in regions above.
You must put on the armor of God
if you are to resist on the evil day;
do all that your duty requires
and hold your ground.
Stand fast,
with the truth as the belt around your waist,
justice as your breastplate,
and zeal to propagate the gospel of peace
as your footgear.
In all circumstances hold faith up
before you as your shield;
it will help you extinguish
the fiery darts of the evil one.
Take the helmet of salvation and
the sword of the spirit,
the word of God."
Ephesians 6:10-17
Call on him and his power.
He is our protection from evil.
He is the holy one.
Be dressed to win.
(February 20, 2006 Mon 6:17 AM CST)
Jesus said,
Guard your mind and soul.
"How can anyone enter a strong man's house
and make off with his property
unless he first ties him securely?
Only then can he rob his house.
He who is not with me is against me,
and he who does not gather with me scatters."
Matthew 12:29-30
Be strong in the Lord.
Defend yourself against attack.
Gather with the Lord.
Don't be scattered.
He is your protection.
(February 19, 2006 Sun 8:34 AM CST)
"When Jacob awoke from his sleep, he exclaimed,
The Lord is here.
'Truly, the Lord is in this spot,
although I did not know it!'
In solemn wonder he cried out:
'How awesome is this shrine!
This is nothing else but an abode of God,
and that is the gateway to heaven!'"
Genesis 28:16-17
He is here in your midst.
He is not far away.
He is the gateway to heaven.
He has made himself known to you.
Awake from your sleep and see the living God.
He is the gate.
(February 18, 2006 Sat 9:09 AM CST)
Jesus told his disciples:
Trust in Jesus.
"Put your trust in God.
I solemnly assure you,
whoever says to this mountain,
'Be lifted up and thrown into the sea,'
and has no inner doubts but believes
that what he says will happen,
shall have it done for him.
I give you my word,
if you are ready to believe
that you will receive
whatever you ask for in prayer,
it shall be done for you.
When you stand to pray,
forgive anyone against whom
you have a grievance
so that your heavenly Father
may in turn forgive you your faults."
Mark 11:22-26
Trust in his word.
This is called expectant faith.
Believe that the Lord can do it.
Have faith and no doubts.
Ask and believe.
Forgive others.
The Lord will forgive you.
(February 17, 2006 Fri 6:15 AM CST)
Jesus said to his disciples,
The Lord sees you just as you are.
"There is nothing concealed
that will not be revealed,
nothing hidden that will not be made known.
Everything you have said in the dark
will be heard in the daylight;
what you have whispered in locked rooms
will be proclaimed from the rooftops."
Luke 12:2-3
He loves you.
You are his child.
He made you.
He wants the best for you.
Ask him to forgive your sins.
Jesus, forgive me.
I ask you to come into my heart.
I want to see the daylight.
(February 16, 2006 Thu 6:20 AM CST)
"The testimony is this:
Believe in Jesus.
God gave us eternal life,
and this life is in his Son.
Whoever possesses the Son possesses life;
whoever does not possess the Son of God
does not possess life.
I have written this to you
to make you realize
that you possess eternal life ---
you who believe in the name
of the Son of God."
1 John 5:11-13
He is life.
He is all that you need.
He is the one.
He is eternal life.
Jesus, I give my life to you.
I need you.
Come into my life.
(February 15, 2006 Wed 6:18 AM CST)
"God once more set a day, 'today,'
It is today.
when long afterward he spoke through David
the words we have quoted:
'Today, if you should hear his voice,
harden not your hearts.'"
Hebrews 4:7
For 24 hours you are alive this day.
Listen.
Open your heart and listen to the Lord.
He will come and comfort you.
Today is the day.
(February 14, 2006 Tue 6:14 AM CST)
"My purpose in leaving you in Crete
We pray for the leaders of the church.
was that you might accomplish
what had been left undone,
especially the appointment of presbyters
in every town."
Titus 1:5
May they be holy.
May they be led by the Holy Spirit.
May they be an inspiration to the people.
God be with them.
(February 13, 2006 Mon 6:14 AM CST)
"But God,
When you are down the Lord picks you up.
who gives heart to those
who are low in spirit,
gave me strength with the arrival of Titus."
2 Corinthians 7:6
He is your strength for this day.
I get up and say:
I can do all things through Jesus Christ
who strengthens me.
The Lord sends people to help us.
Thank the Lord and praise him.
(February 12, 2006 Sun 8:28 AM CST)
This is from the latest sermon (2/05/06)
"In him we live and move
Jesus is life.
I listened to yesterday from
TC
.
and have our being."
Acts 17:28
You want to get in touch with him.
You want to be connected to him.
He is the one.
He keeps us truly alive.
(February 11, 2006 Sat 8:52 AM CST)
It's snowing here in Omaha.
"Out of the depths I cry to you, O Lord;
Speak to the Lord.
I just got done shoveling the snow.
We have not had to do that for a long time.
Lord, hear my voice!
Let your ears be attentive
to my voice in supplication.
If you, O Lord, mark iniquities,
Lord, who can stand?
But with you is forgiveness,
that you may be revered.
I trust in the Lord;
my soul trusts in his word.
My soul waits for the Lord
more than sentinels wait for the dawn."
Psalms 130:1-6
Tell him what is on your mind.
Prayer is conversation.
He will listen and respond.
He made you.
He will listen to you.
He hears your voice.
Ask him to forgive your sins.
He will help you.
Trust in the Lord.
(February 10, 2006 Fri 6:17 AM CST)
"When the companions of Jesus saw
They came to arrest Jesus in the night.
what was going to happen, they said,
'Lord, shall we use the sword?'
One of them went so far
as to strike the high priest's servant
and cut off his right ear.
Jesus said in answer to their question,
'Enough!'
Then he touched the ear and healed the man."
Luke 22:49-51
There were many of them.
They came in darkness to the garden.
It is interesting that Jesus performs a miracle
in this situation.
No matter how dark it was Jesus was still the light.
He healed the injured man.
That must have left quite an impression on him
for the rest of his life.
You wonder what happened to the man.
(February 9, 2006 Thu 6:14 AM CST)
"Once when Peter was making numerous journeys,
I saw a license place on a car the other day "MIRACLS."
he went --- among other places ---
to God's holy people living in Lydda.
There he found a man named Aeneas,
a paralytic who had been bedridden for 8 years.
Peter said to him,
'Aeneas, Jesus Christ cures you!
Get up and make your bed.'
The man got up at once.
All the inhabitants of Lydda and Sharon,
upon seeing him, were converted to the Lord."
Acts 9:32-35
Miracles do happen.
God is still alive.
There are still signs and wonders.
God is among his people.
He heals us.
(February 8, 2006 Wed 6:17 AM CST)
"...all depends on faith,
Have faith in God.
everything is grace."
Romans 4:16
Trust him.
Trust his words to you.
He wants the best for you.
He gives you grace for today.
He wants to bless you.
(February 7, 2006 Tue 6:13 AM CST)
Lately on the bus I have been reading
The earth is not our home.
"The Purpose Driven Life."
On Day 6 it talks about
life is a temporary assignment.
"...'Be holy, for I am holy.'
In prayer you call upon a Father
who judges each one justly
on the basis of his actions.
Since this is so,
conduct yourselves reverently
during your sojourn in a strange land."
1 Peter 1:16-17
This is just a temporary place to stay.
Our true home is heaven.
We will never be at rest until we make it there.
Be holy.
(February 6, 2006 Mon 6:15 AM CST)
Jesus said:
Jesus likes to flip things on us.
"For everyone who exults himself
shall be humbled and
he who humbles himself
shall be exalted."
Luke 14:11
The first shall be last.
We think we know what is important.
We look up to the wrong people.
We say how great we are.
Jesus tells us to be humble.
Will we listen to him?
(February 5, 2006 Sun 8:31 AM CST)
"Pray perseveringly,
Prayer is important.
be attentive to prayer,
and pray in a spirit of thanksgiving.
Pray for us, too,
that God may provide us with an opening
to proclaim the mystery of Christ,
for which I am a prisoner.
Pray that I may speak it clearly,
as I must.
Be prudent in dealing with outsiders;
make the most of every opportunity.
Let your speech be always gracious
and in good taste,
and strive to respond properly
to all who address you."
Colossians 4:2-6
You need daily prayer.
You need contact with God.
He is there to help you.
Be always ready to share your faith.
Don't just talk to Christians.
Respond properly.
Proclaim the mystery of Christ.
He is the hope of the world.
(February 4, 2006 Sat 10:05 AM CST)
"But God is rich in mercy;
God gives us the free gift of salvation.
because of his great love of us
he brought us to life with Christ
when we were dead in sin.
By this favor you were saved.
Both with and in Christ Jesus
he raised us up and
gave us a place in the heavens,
that in the ages to come
he might display
the great wealth of his favor,
manifested by his kindness
to us in Christ Jesus.
I repeat,
it is owing to his favor
that salvation is yours through faith.
This is not your own doing,
it is God's gift;
neither is it a reward
for anything you have accomplished,
so let no one pride himself on it.
We are truly his handiwork,
created in Christ Jesus
to lead the life of good deeds
which God prepared for us in advance."
Ephesians 2:4-10
We can't earn it.
He saves us from our sins.
He is the holy one who died in our place.
He calls us to a life of good deeds.
He changes us.
Thank you, Jesus, for your goodness and grace.
Thank you for your gifts to us.
(February 3, 2006 Fri 6:14 AM CST)
"When the disturbance was over,
There was almost a riot in Ephesus,
Paul brought his disciples together
to encourage them.
Then he said goodbye and
set out on his journey to Macedonia.
He traveled throughout its regions,
providing as he went
many words of encouragement
for the Christians there."
Acts 20:1-2
but the town clerk quieted the mob.
Paul had an impact on the people there.
He changed their lives.
They had new values.
He gave them encouragement.
He traveled and gave others encouragement.
He changed their lives through faith in Jesus.
(February 2, 2006 Thu 6:17 AM CST)
"The people were full of anticipation,
Ask Jesus for the baptism of the Holy Spirit.
wondering in their hearts
whether John might be the Messiah.
John answered them all by saying:
'I am baptizing you in water,
but there is one to come
who is mightier than I.
I am not fit to loosen his sandal strap.
He will baptize you
in the Holy Spirit and in fire.'"
Luke 3:15-16
You need the fire of the Spirit.
He will change your heart.
Jesus, send your Holy Spirit to me.
I ask you for this baptism.
Come, Holy Spirit, into my life.
I need you.
(February 1, 2006 Wed 6:26 AM CST)
Last night at
SFH
"Truly you have formed my inmost being;
You are made by God.
we had some students from Creighton University's
Swanson Hall help serve dinner.
Also, there were people there from
the St. James Bible Study group.
They have 4 shifts now instead of 3.
And they had all the guests sign
3 thank you cards.
God bless all the people at SFH last night.
you knit me in my mother's womb.
I give you thanks
that I am fearfully,
wonderfully made;
wonderful are your works."
Psalms 139:13-14
You are unique.
You are special.
You are one of a kind.
God bless you today.
You are wonderfully made.
Thank the Lord.
