Daily Word of God - Matthew 22:37-40

Matthew 22:37-40 New Living Translation (NLT)

37 Jesus replied, “‘You must love the Lord your God with all your heart, all your soul, and all your mind.’[a] 38 This is the first and greatest commandment. 39 A second is equally important: ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’[b] 40 The entire law and all the demands of the prophets are based on these two commandments.”

Footnotes:
22:37 Deut 6:5.
22:39 Lev 19:18.

Daily Word of God - Isaiah 26:1-6

Isaiah 26:1-6 New Living Translation (NLT)

A Song of Praise to the Lord
26 In that day, everyone in the land of Judah will sing this song:

Our city is strong!
    We are surrounded by the walls of God’s salvation.
2 Open the gates to all who are righteous;
    allow the faithful to enter.
3 You will keep in perfect peace
    all who trust in you,
    all whose thoughts are fixed on you!
4 Trust in the Lord always,
    for the Lord God is the eternal Rock.
5 He humbles the proud
    and brings down the arrogant city.
    He brings it down to the dust.
6 The poor and oppressed trample it underfoot,
    and the needy walk all over it.

Daily Word of God - Psalm 85:10-13

Psalm 85:10-13 New Living Translation (NLT)

10 Unfailing love and truth have met together.
    Righteousness and peace have kissed!
11 Truth springs up from the earth,
    and righteousness smiles down from heaven.
12 Yes, the Lord pours down his blessings.
    Our land will yield its bountiful harvest.
13 Righteousness goes as a herald before him,
    preparing the way for his steps.

Daily Word of God - Deuteronomy 8:6-10

Deuteronomy 8:6-10 New Living Translation (NLT)

6 “So obey the commands of the Lord your God by walking in his ways and fearing him. 7 For the Lord your God is bringing you into a good land of flowing streams and pools of water, with fountains and springs that gush out in the valleys and hills. 8 It is a land of wheat and barley; of grapevines, fig trees, and pomegranates; of olive oil and honey. 9 It is a land where food is plentiful and nothing is lacking. It is a land where iron is as common as stone, and copper is abundant in the hills. 10 When you have eaten your fill, be sure to praise the Lord your God for the good land he has given you.

Daily Word of God - Isaiah 61:10-11

Isaiah 61:10-11 New Living Translation (NLT)

10 I am overwhelmed with joy in the Lord my God!
    For he has dressed me with the clothing of salvation
    and draped me in a robe of righteousness.
I am like a bridegroom dressed for his wedding
    or a bride with her jewels.
11 The Sovereign Lord will show his justice to the nations of the world.
    Everyone will praise him!
His righteousness will be like a garden in early spring,
    with plants springing up everywhere.

Daily Word of God - Psalm 139:1-6

Psalm 139:1-6 New Living Translation (NLT)

Psalm 139
For the choir director: A psalm of David.
1 O Lord, you have examined my heart
    and know everything about me.
2 You know when I sit down or stand up.
    You know my thoughts even when I’m far away.
3 You see me when I travel
    and when I rest at home.
    You know everything I do.
4 You know what I am going to say
    even before I say it, Lord.
5 You go before me and follow me.
    You place your hand of blessing on my head.
6 Such knowledge is too wonderful for me,
    too great for me to understand!

Daily Word of God - 1 John 5:11-12

1 John 5:11-12 New Living Translation (NLT)

11 And this is what God has testified: He has given us eternal life, and this life is in his Son. 12 Whoever has the Son has life; whoever does not have God’s Son does not have life.

Daily Word of God - Philippians 4:8-9

Philippians 4:8-9 New Living Translation (NLT)

8 And now, dear brothers and sisters, one final thing. Fix your thoughts on what is true, and honorable, and right, and pure, and lovely, and admirable. Think about things that are excellent and worthy of praise. 9 Keep putting into practice all you learned and received from me—everything you heard from me and saw me doing. Then the God of peace will be with you.

Mid-Week Message - No Condemnation

"Then Peter came to him and asked, “Lord, how often should I forgive someone who sins against me? Seven times?” No, not seven times,” Jesus replied, “but seventy times seven!"  Matthew 18:21-22 (NLT)

In 1970 a movie was released that starred Ali MacGraw and Ryan O'Neal.  The title was "Love Story."  This wildly popular movie contained a line that even now is occasionally quoted, "Love means never having to say you're sorry."  Audiences everywhere shed tears over this tragic tale and that line became the subject of much conversation in the religious circles.

When Peter asked Jesus how many times he should forgive someone that wrongs him, Jesus' answer of "seventy times seven" was a way of saying that there was no limit.  When someone causes us pain or harm and comes to seek forgiveness, we should grant it.  When we approach the Lord with a repentant heart and ask Him to forgive us, scripture assures us that He does just that. In fact, it says that our sins are cast as far as the east is from the west which means they are discarded and never remembered again.  

Recently I was recounting to my husband an incident that occurred thirty years ago with some former employers.  I continue to dream of them and each time I do I have the impulse to contact them to apologize.  I didn't actually do anything wrong meaning I didn't break any laws or do anything that would violate my conscience.  But there was a misunderstanding and some things were said that let me know that they were hurt.  Here's the quandary though, I did apologize and received their forgiveness.  Why then do I continue to feel that I need to set this right?

We have an adversary who draws great satisfaction from our feelings of condemnation.  If we feel guilty then our focus is on the guilt rather than on the grace we are given from others, or more importantly, from our Father.  Paul tells us in Romans 8:1, "So now there is no condemnation for those who belong to Christ Jesus."  Once we express our repentance and forgiveness is granted, we no longer have to carry the burden of the event.  It cannot make anything better and only creates a separation between us and the other person or the Lord.  It is His intention that we live in freedom through the mercy and grace provided to us through the sacrifice of Jesus.  

When we struggle with feeling that we need to continually atone for something we did then we have to ask ourselves why.  The next step is to ask the Lord for His help in accepting grace then lay the offense and our feelings about it at the foot of the cross.  Once we give it to Him, it needs to stay there.  I pray that each of us has a week free of needless guilt.  God bless.

Daily Word of God - Romans 4:20-25

Romans 4:20-25 New Living Translation (NLT)

20 Abraham never wavered in believing God’s promise. In fact, his faith grew stronger, and in this he brought glory to God. 21 He was fully convinced that God is able to do whatever he promises. 22 And because of Abraham’s faith, God counted him as righteous. 23 And when God counted him as righteous, it wasn’t just for Abraham’s benefit. It was recorded 24 for our benefit, too, assuring us that God will also count us as righteous if we believe in him, the one who raised Jesus our Lord from the dead. 25 He was handed over to die because of our sins, and he was raised to life to make us right with God.

Daily Word of God - Philippians 1:20-24

Philippians 1:20-24 New Living Translation (NLT)

Paul’s Life for Christ
20 For I fully expect and hope that I will never be ashamed, but that I will continue to be bold for Christ, as I have been in the past. And I trust that my life will bring honor to Christ, whether I live or die. 21 For to me, living means living for Christ, and dying is even better. 22 But if I live, I can do more fruitful work for Christ. So I really don’t know which is better. 23 I’m torn between two desires: I long to go and be with Christ, which would be far better for me. 24 But for your sakes, it is better that I continue to live.

Daily Word of God - Hebrews 7:23-25

Hebrews 7:23-25 New Living Translation (NLT)

23 There were many priests under the old system, for death prevented them from remaining in office. 24 But because Jesus lives forever, his priesthood lasts forever. 25 Therefore he is able, once and forever, to save[a] those who come to God through him. He lives forever to intercede with God on their behalf.

Footnotes:
7:25 Or is able to save completely.

Daily Word of God - Ephesians 2:8-10

Ephesians 2:8-10 New Living Translation (NLT)

8 God saved you by his grace when you believed. And you can’t take credit for this; it is a gift from God. 9 Salvation is not a reward for the good things we have done, so none of us can boast about it. 10 For we are God’s masterpiece. He has created us anew in Christ Jesus, so we can do the good things he planned for us long ago.

Daily Word of God - 1 Thessalonians 4:1-12

1 Thessalonians 4:1-12 New Living Translation (NLT)

Live to Please God
4 Finally, dear brothers and sisters,[a] we urge you in the name of the Lord Jesus to live in a way that pleases God, as we have taught you. You live this way already, and we encourage you to do so even more. 2 For you remember what we taught you by the authority of the Lord Jesus.

3 God’s will is for you to be holy, so stay away from all sexual sin. 4 Then each of you will control his own body[b] and live in holiness and honor— 5 not in lustful passion like the pagans who do not know God and his ways. 6 Never harm or cheat a fellow believer in this matter by violating his wife,[c] for the Lord avenges all such sins, as we have solemnly warned you before. 7 God has called us to live holy lives, not impure lives. 8 Therefore, anyone who refuses to live by these rules is not disobeying human teaching but is rejecting God, who gives his Holy Spirit to you.

9 But we don’t need to write to you about the importance of loving each other,[d] for God himself has taught you to love one another. 10 Indeed, you already show your love for all the believers[e] throughout Macedonia. Even so, dear brothers and sisters, we urge you to love them even more.

11 Make it your goal to live a quiet life, minding your own business and working with your hands, just as we instructed you before. 12 Then people who are not believers will respect the way you live, and you will not need to depend on others.

Footnotes:
4:1 Greek brothers; also in 4:10, 13.
4:4 Or will know how to take a wife for himself; or will learn to live with his own wife; Greek reads will know how to possess his own vessel.
4:6 Greek Never harm or cheat a brother in this matter.
4:9 Greek about brotherly love.

4:10 Greek the brothers.

Daily Word of God - Genesis 15:1-6

Genesis 15:1-6 New Living Translation (NLT)

The Lord’s Covenant Promise to Abram
15 Some time later, the Lord spoke to Abram in a vision and said to him, “Do not be afraid, Abram, for I will protect you, and your reward will be great.”

2 But Abram replied, “O Sovereign Lord, what good are all your blessings when I don’t even have a son? Since you’ve given me no children, Eliezer of Damascus, a servant in my household, will inherit all my wealth. 3 You have given me no descendants of my own, so one of my servants will be my heir.”

4 Then the Lord said to him, “No, your servant will not be your heir, for you will have a son of your own who will be your heir.” 5 Then the Lord took Abram outside and said to him, “Look up into the sky and count the stars if you can. That’s how many descendants you will have!”

6 And Abram believed the Lord, and the Lord counted him as righteous because of his faith.

Sunday Praise & Worship Message - The Virtues of the Heart

Before the advent of television or the Internet, there were serialized dramas that people listened to on the radio or read. My father would often share his memories of going to the Saturday morning movies with his friends to watch the serials and be entertained by the Silver Screen cowboys. One of the serials he remembered fondly was “The Shadow”. 

The Shadow was an invisible avenger who fought evil and learned from his travels in eastern Asia "the mysterious power to cloud men's minds, so they could not see him.” Each installment started out the same way. The narrator, actor Frank Readick Jr,, would say a line that remains to this day a part of Americana, “Who knows what evil lurks in the hearts of men? The Shadow knows!” The Shadow fought against evil and only he knew the hearts of men. At the end of each episode, the Shadow reminded listeners, “The weed of crime bears bitter fruit! Crime does not pay...The Shadow knows!"

As humans, we are unable to see into the hearts of others. We do not know if evil or goodness lurks in the inner chambers of the human heart. No one can tell what thoughts are being entertained in their minds. Is this person really as nice as he or she seems? We have no insight. But, there is one who is able not only to understand but also know the hearts of all. God is the only one who can know the heart of a person. 

A great example of this is the story of David. Samuel, charged by God to find the next king of Israel, is told by God not to judge people by their looks. A person’s looks can easily conceal what lies inside his or her heart. Just as an actor on stage can change from one character to another, a person can change his or her appearance to masquerade as another easily. An actor by merely changing makeup and a costume can easily assume the role of another person with ease. Humans can easily be swayed by a deceptive individual. Remember the old adage. You cannot judge a book by its cover. It is impossible for us to truly know even the closest of friends. Can we truly know what is going on in the heart of a person? It is impossible.

The only one who can judge a person’s heart and know, with certainty, whether that person is good or evil is God. In 1 Samuel 16, God tells Samuel after Samuel sees Eliab, one of Jesse’s sons, “7 Do not consider his appearance or his height, for I have rejected him. The Lord does not look at the things people look at. People look at the outward appearance, but the Lord looks at the heart.”

As Jesse brought out each of his seven sons, God rejected them all. Samuel then asked Jesse if these were all of his sons. Jesse replied, “There is still the youngest. He is tending the sheep.” Samuel asked to see him. The youngest, named David, was glowing with health and had a fine appearance and handsome features. God immediately told Samuel, “Rise and anoint him; this is the one.” God knew the heart of David and knew that he would lead His people by following God’s instructions.

In Acts 13, God says this of David, after removing Saul and replacing him, “I have found David son of Jesse, a man after my own heart. He will do everything I want him to do.“ Although David succumbs to temptation, he returns to the Lord, repents of his transgressions and continues to seek God’s will.  He continues to lead a righteous life. 

Jesus, in his parable about the shrewd manager in Luke 16, tells us, “10 If you are faithful in little things, you will be faithful in large ones. But if you are dishonest in little things, you won’t be honest with greater responsibilities. 11 And if you are untrustworthy about worldly wealth, who will trust you with the true riches of heaven? 12 And if you are not faithful with other people’s things, why should you be trusted with things of your own?”

The Pharisees, who loved money, became incensed and scoffed at Jesus and his teachings. Jesus responds, “You like to appear righteous in public, but God knows your hearts. What this world honors is detestable in the sight of God.”

Although people may seem honorable and forthright in public, their hearts may be filled with evil and hatred. In order to realize the praises of the people around them, they will publicly profess their goodness and do only those things that bring them glory and honor. They seek only worldly praise and do only those things that the world honors. 

As Christians, we do not live to seek the praise of others. Our goal is to live our lives in total dedication to the Lord and to give Him all praise and glory. Paul, in his epistle to the Colossians tells us in chapter 3, “17 And whatever you do or say, do it as a representative of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks through him to God the Father.”

As representatives of the Lord Jesus, we must only do and say those things that bring glory and honor to God. It is not our place to seek out rewards here on earth. Our reward is given to us by God and stored in our eternal home with the Father. The wealth, honor and glory of this world is fleeting and is subject to the elements. Over time, everyone forgets what we have done and the words of praise given to us by those around us soon become distant memories and footnotes. The Father never forgets our acts of kindness and sees what we do in private.

When we do things in righteousness, God sees the goodness in our hearts and knows that we are truly doing and saying those things that are good and pleasing to the Lord. Our acts and words of kindness are done for the right reasons and not for worldly praise or honor. Although the world cannot truly judge or see our hearts, they can see the fruits that we bear as we continue to serve the Lord. They see us as we truly are. We are not deceptive in nature. We do not seek worldly praise and honor. We live only for the Father.

Later in Colossians, Paul tells us, “23 Work willingly at whatever you do, as though you were working for the Lord rather than for people.” When we do this, we, once again, show the Father that we can handle great responsibilities in His kingdom. We are not here to serve our own vanity. We are here to serve God and do His will on earth. 

As you work and play during the rest of this week, think of your actions and words. Are you doing everything possible to bring praise and honor to God? Are you showing the world what truly is in your heart? Is it goodness or evil that lies in your heart? Men cannot truly know what lurks there, but God does. Make sure that your thoughts and actions are good and, as Paul in Philippians 4 tells us, “8 Fix your thoughts on what is true, and honorable, and right, and pure, and lovely, and admirable. Think about things that are excellent and worthy of praise.” When we do only those things, our hearts are pure before the Lord and it is only then we are able to stand firm in His grace.

May the Lord bless you and protect you. May the Lord smile on you and be gracious to you. May the Lord show you his favor and give you his peace.
~ Numbers 6:24-26 New Living Translation (NLT)

Daily Word of God - 1 Corinthians 6:19-20

1 Corinthians 6:19-20 New Living Translation (NLT)

19 Don’t you realize that your body is the temple of the Holy Spirit, who lives in you and was given to you by God? You do not belong to yourself, 20 for God bought you with a high price. So you must honor God with your body.

Daily Word of God - Galatians 2:17-21

Galatians 2:17-21 New Living Translation (NLT)

17 But suppose we seek to be made right with God through faith in Christ and then we are found guilty because we have abandoned the law. Would that mean Christ has led us into sin? Absolutely not! 18 Rather, I am a sinner if I rebuild the old system of law I already tore down. 19 For when I tried to keep the law, it condemned me. So I died to the law—I stopped trying to meet all its requirements—so that I might live for God. 20 My old self has been crucified with Christ.[a] It is no longer I who live, but Christ lives in me. So I live in this earthly body by trusting in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me. 21 I do not treat the grace of God as meaningless. For if keeping the law could make us right with God, then there was no need for Christ to die.

Footnotes:
2:20 Some English translations put this sentence in verse 19.

Daily Word of God - Habakkuk 2:4-5

Habakkuk 2:4-5 New Living Translation (NLT)

4 “Look at the proud!
    They trust in themselves, and their lives are crooked.
    But the righteous will live by their faithfulness to God.[a]
5 Wealth[b] is treacherous,
    and the arrogant are never at rest.
They open their mouths as wide as the grave,[c]
    and like death, they are never satisfied.
In their greed they have gathered up many nations
    and swallowed many peoples.

Footnotes:
2:3b-4 Greek version reads If the vision is delayed, wait patiently, / for it will surely come and not delay. / 4 I will take no pleasure in anyone who turns away. / But the righteous person will live by my faith. Compare Rom 1:17; Gal 3:11; Heb 10:37-38.
2:5a As in Dead Sea Scroll 1QpHab; other Hebrew manuscripts read Wine.
2:5b Hebrew as Sheol.

Daily Word of God - 1 Corinthians 16:13-14

1 Corinthians 16:13-14 New Living Translation (NLT)

13 Be on guard. Stand firm in the faith. Be courageous.[a] Be strong. 14 And do everything with love.

Footnotes:
16:13 Greek Be men.