Day 194

Matthew 24:36, 38, 39, 42, 44
“But about that day or hour no one knows, not even the angels in heaven, nor the Son, but only the Father. For in the days before the flood, people were eating and drinking, marrying and giving in marriage, up to the day Noah entered the ark;and they knew nothing about what would happen until the flood came and took them all away. That is how it will be at the coming of the Son of Man. “Therefore keep watch, because you do not know on what day your Lord will come. So you also must be ready, because the Son of Man will come at an hour when you do not expect him.

Day 193

Romans 7:15,17-25
I do not understand what I do. For what I want to do I do not do, but what I hate I do. As it is, it is no longer I myself who do it, but it is sin living in me. For I know that good itself does not dwell in me, that is, in my sinful nature. For I have the desire to do what is good, but I cannot carry it out. For I do not do the good I want to do, but the evil I do not want to do—this I keep on doing. Now if I do what I do not want to do, it is no longer I who do it, but it is sin living in me that does it. So I find this law at work: Although I want to do good, evil is right there with me. For in my inner being I delight in God’s law; but I see another law at work in me, waging war against the law of my mind and making me a prisoner of the law of sin at work within me. What a wretched man I am! Who will rescue me from this body that is subject to death? Thanks be to God, who delivers me through Jesus Christ our Lord! So then, I myself in my mind am a slave to God’s law, but in my sinful nature a slave to the law of sin.

Sin is by no means being excused here. Rather, the power and great recognition of it is being spoken. I'd much rather be a slave to God than to the devil. Besides, we are no longer called slaves or servants but called friends. For a servant does not know his master's business, however, God has made Himself known to us. Grace and peace to you from our Everlasting Father Nd Lord Jesus Christ. Amen.

Day 192

It's been a while. Sorry about that.

Romans 11:30-32 Just as you who were at one time disobedient to God have now received mercy as a result of their disobedience, so they too have now become disobedient in order that they too may now receive mercy as a result of God's mercy to you. For God had bound all men over to disobedience so that he may have mercy on them all.

God knew the fall would come and that His own people would turn away from Him. But God still let it happen so He could pour out His love and mercy and grace to us--His children, His creations.
Prayer requests?

day 191

When I Say I Am A Christian by Carol Wimmer

When I say, “I am a Christian”
I’m not shouting, “I’ve been saved!”
I’m whispering, “I get lost!
That’s why I chose this way”

 

When I say, “I am a Christian”
I don’t speak with human pride
I’m confessing that I stumble -
needing God to be my guide

 

When I say, “I am a Christian”
I’m not trying to be strong
I’m professing that I’m weak
and pray for strength to carry on

 

When I say, “I am a Christian”
I’m not bragging of success
I’m admitting that I’ve failed
and cannot ever pay the debt

 

When I say, “I am a Christian”
I don’t think I know it all
I submit to my confusion
asking humbly to be taught

 

When I say, “I am a Christian”
I’m not claiming to be perfect
My flaws are far too visible
but God believes I’m worth it

 

When I say, “I am a Christian”
I still feel the sting of pain
I have my share of heartache
which is why I seek God’s name

 

When I say, “I am a Christian”
I do not wish to judge
I have no authority
I only know I’m loved

Day 190

Psalm 119:18 Open my eyes that I may see  wonderful things in your law.
Romans 13:10 Love does no harm to its neighbor. Therefore love is the fulfillment of the law.

The first and greatest commandment from Jesus is to love God with all your heart, soul and mind. The second is to love your neighbor as yourself. God IS love. There are countless wonders in God's abundant love--countless! We've all seen or heard the verse in 1 Corinthians that says what love is. True love is an amazing thing. Yet God's love is so far beyond that! You want to know how to be like God--how to follow in Jesus' footsteps? Love.
Any prayer requests?

Day 189

Romans 6:19-23
I put this in human terms because you are weak in your natural selves. Just as you used to offer the parts of your body in slavery to impurity and to ever-increasing wickedness, so now offer them in slavery to righteousness leading to holiness. When you were slaves to sin, you were free from the control of righteousness. What benefit did you reap at the time from the things you are now ashamed of? Those things result in death! But now that you have been set free from sin and have become slaves to God, the benefit you reap leads to holiness, and the result is eternal life. For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Jesus Christ our Lord.
"Open Thou mine eyes, that I should see. Incline my heart and I shall desire. Order my steps and I shall walk in the ways of Thy commandments."
Prayer requests?

Day 188

**Spiritual abortion**

Jeremiah 10:23

I know, O Lord, that a man's life is not his own; it is not for man to direct his steps. 

Abortion. We're all familiar with it somehow, on different levels. Christians believe life begins at conception. Others say it begins when the baby is born. Abortion is ending life before it much of a chance to start. The opportunities cease. In a way, everyone has an abortion, multiple times a day. Multiple? If t was just once, some would say, "Yeah, people get murdered or they commit suicide." There can also be emotional and mental murders. But how can someone die multiple times and still be living? As said previously, abortion is basically taking a life before it has really started. Opportunities are gone. Don't we do that with God? The answer is absolutely. Yes we do. When He communicates something to us that we don't like for whatever reason, we're quick to jump in and say, "no, no, that's not what I meant", "no, I didn't agree to that", "I'm not doing this", "stop right there, it is not going to happen." You never know what could come after the rough part of something. Never. Besides, the bad stuff is just a side effect. The result is SO worth it. You miss 100% of the shots you never take. If you want the rainbow, you've got to put up with the rain, right? You can't just jump forward to what YOU see fit . . . You'll be bounced back to square one in a heart beat. 

Jeremiah 29:11

"For I know the plans I have for you," declares the Lord, "plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future."

Day 187

James 1:5-6 If any of you lacks wisdom, let him ask God, who gives generously to all without reproach, and it will be given him. But let him ask in faith, with no doubting, for the one who doubts is like a wave of the sea that is driven and tossed by the wind.
Nothing is impossible with God. Nothing. What reason is there to doubt Him? Ask and it will be given to you, right? Yeah. It never says you will get the answer you want. Ask in faith. Ask in God's name--that HIS will shall be done. God WILL give. He will give according to his perfect plan for you. What's better than that?

Prayer requests?

Day 186

Isaiah 32:17 And the effect of righteousness will be peace, and the result of righteousness, quietness and trust forever.
This is just calming to me. I love how the verse separates it into the EFFECT and the RESULT. The result is more long term. The effect is an added bonus. God gives those a lot--extra things. God just fills our cups to their fullest and keeps on pouring! Lord, we thank you. <3
Any prayer requests?

Day 185

Romans 3:30
Since there is only one God, who will justify the circumcised by faith and the uncircumcised by that same faith.
God judges/will judge everyone in the SAME WAY--by faith. There's no difference among people. Everybody is a sinner. Some ask for forgiveness and try to fix it; others put forth no effort and see nothing wrong with they've done.
Romans 3:23
For all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God.
Prayer requests?

Day 184

Matthew 11:16-19 “To what can I compare this generation? They are like children sitting in the marketplaces and calling out to others: “ ‘We played the pipe for you, and you did not dance; we sang a dirge, and you did not mourn.’ For John came neither eating nor drinking, and they say, ‘He has a demon.’ The Son of Man came eating and drinking, and they say, ‘Here is a glutton and a drunkard, a friend of tax collectors and sinners.’ But wisdom is proved right by her deeds.”
Humans are never satisfied. We are quick to talk and quick to judge. If people kept quiet and listened first, imagine the changes that would happen in our world! Endless possibilities. Wow.
Prayer requests?

Day 183

"I've made mistakes

I've let my hope fail

My soul feels crushed

By the weight of this world

And I know that you can give me rest

So I cry out with all I have left

Let me see redemption win

Let me know the struggles end

That you can mend a heart that's frail and torn" -Tenth Avenue North

Yes, come to God and He'll give you rest. His yoke is easy and his burden is light. Take the yoke of Christ upon you and learn from Him. 

Hebrews 1:3 The Son is the radiance of God's glory and the exact representation of his being, sustaining all things by his powerful word. 

Psalms 18:35 You give me your shield of victory, and your right hand sustains me; you stoop down to make me great. 

Any prayer requests?

Day 182

John 4:13-14 Jesus said to her, "Everyone who drinks of this water will be thirsty again, but whoever drinks of the water that I will give him will never be thirsty again. The water that I will give him will become in him a spring of water welling up to eternal life."
Nobody likes going hungry. Sometimes people forget to eat or they simply "have no time". Well, food keeps you alive. The bare minimum won't get you anywhere. You need Christ and the spiritual food God's Word brings to survive. It's vitally important. Strive for God. He's waiting for you. Whatever it is holding you back, push through it and run to God. After all, we are in a Great Race.

Day 181:

Romans 4:25, 5:18-19
He was delivered over to death for our sins and was raised to life for our justification. Consequently, just as the result of one trespass was condemnation for all men, so also the result of one act if righteousness was justification that brings life for all men. For just as through the disobedience of the one man the many were made sinners, so also through the obedience of the one man the many will be made righteous.

This is just one of those "wow" passages. Sometimes being reminded if the obvious is beautiful and reassuring. Simple terminology works wonders :) Prayer requests?

Day 180

"All that are in hell choose it. All God does in the end with people is give them what they most want." -C.S. Lewis
Romans 6:11-14
In the same way, count yourselves dead to sin but alive to God in Christ Jesus. Therefore do not let sin reign in your mortal body so that you obey its evil desires. Do not offer the parts of your body to sin, as instruments of wickedness, but rather offer yourselves to God, as those who have been brought from death to life; and offer the parts of your body to him as instruments of righteousness. For sin shall not be your master, because you are not under law, but under grace.
Any prayer requests?