verseoftheday

Matthew 6:3-4 ESV But when you give to the needy, do not let your left hand know what your right hand is doing, so that your giving may be in secret. And your Father who sees in secret will reward you. It's not if you give, but when...about now we have all kinds of introspection about what 2014 was like and what we want to change or do differently in 2015...I don't think I've made or heard a new year resolution to give more. Time, skills, money, resources, "gifts", care, experience, compassion, forgiveness...Love... Could I be more generous in 2015? #givealittle #lovepeople #beattitudes #wordsofJesus

Matthew 6:1 ESV Beware of practicing your righteousness before other people in order to be seen by them, for then you will have no reward from your Father... Oh. But I want to be seen to be doing good, church, giving...the key words here "in order to be seen..." this is about our heart attitude and motivation rather than is what we do public and obvious It's when we structure things or do things or give things SO THAT others can see and be impressed How easy it is to slip into that, esp as we are asked about what we've been doing, what our plans are for 2015 and it's so easy to look for accolades As I look to 2015 may I do what's right because it's right, whether others know about it or not, thank me, or not #heartchallenge #beattitudes #wordsofJesus

Matthew 2:19-22 ESV But when Herod died...an angel appeared in a dream to Joseph in Egypt, saying take the child and his mother and go to the land of Israel, for those who sought the child's life are dead...But when he heard that Archelaus was reigning over Judea in place of his father Herod, he was afraid to go there... Living in fear, displaced refugees, despotic rulers using terror tactics, passing on their cruel kingdom to their sons...could be parts of the world today This is the Christmas season that Jesus was born into. He was then rejected by his family, abandoned by his friends, slandered by the church, was single, broke, had no home, & was humiliated and murdered by foreign troops. He understands our pain, loss, grief, hurt... #christmas

Matthew 2:16 ESV Then Herod, when he saw that he had been tricked by the wise men, became furious, and he sent and killed all the male children in Bethlehem and in all that region who were two years old or under, according to the time that he had ascertained from the wise men This is not part of the nativity scene or the guys on camels bringing gifts...this is a family running for their lives in the middle of the night with a cruel ruler prepared to kill chasing them down...in the face of the greatest gift man's inhumanity is a stark contrast...to retain his power Herod brought terror to a village...how often has this been repeated where innocents suffer and die at the whim of others...is our world today in any less need of a saviour? #christmas

Matthew 2:13-14 ESV ...an angel of the Lord appeared to Joseph in a dream and said Rise, take the child and his mother, and flee to Egypt, and remain there until I tell you, for Herod is about to search for the child, to destroy him. And he rose and took the child and his mother by night and departed to Egypt Why didn't God just send more angels to protect this baby? Surely there were other ways of keeping Jesus safe than getting up in the middle of the night & gapping it to Egypt? Did they walk? Get the donkey going again? It all seems really hard...but God set things in motion and then his intervention was a dream...something small & easily missed... We love the big unmissable signs...but mostly God doesn't seem to work like that... #smallthings

Boxing Day! What's that about? It's origins may be in alms boxes in church's collecting money for the poor, or maybe where the wealthy gave their staff the day off after Christmas and gave them a box of presents...but whatever it was its origins seem to be in giving... Christmas is a great time for giving, although we often get distracted by the receiving...as it's Boxing Day, maybe today is a good day to be generous and give...give to a charity, church, someone you know, a random person you meet, someone who you know has a need...give a little money, love, forgiveness, grace... Proverbs 19:17 ESV Whoever is generous to the poor lends to the Lord , and he will repay him for his deed. #christmas #boxingday #givealittle

Luke 1:22, 26-31 NIV They realized he had seen a vision in the temple...God sent the angel Gabriel... Greetings, you who are highly favored! The Lord is with you Mary was greatly troubled at his words and wondered what kind of greeting this might be... Visions...angels...messages from God...I get the impression that meeting the angel Gabriel is not something you'd forget... The creator was getting ready to enter creation, to make a way for us in the only way possible, a saver, redeemer... May we this Christmas not just be thankful for what God did, but why...because He loves. Loves you. #christmas #youaredearlyloved #dearlyloved

Luke 1:19 ESV And the angel answered him, I am Gabriel. I stand in the presence of God, and I was sent to speak to you and to bring you this good news. I don't know much about angels, but just reading this passage suggests that angels are not soft fluffy creatures who are only good for singing carols in a choir...but they are strong. Gabriel is strong enough to stand in the presence of God. For a moment the wall between heaven and earth is removed and we get a glimpse of more...heaven...mystery... angels...strength...and they're on our side...somehow this just makes me feel good... #christmas #didntexpectthat

Luke 1:13, 18 ESV But the angel said to him, Do not be afraid, Zechariah, for your prayer has been heard... And Zechariah said to the angel, How shall I know this? For I am an old man, and my wife is advanced in years... Zech & Liz were old. They'd been faithful and praying for decades...and finally God answered... Tim Keller says "God will only give you what you've asked for if you knew everything he knew" God's perspective is different. Sometimes we just have to remain faithful... #keepthefaith #christmas

Luke 1:5-7 ESV ...there was a priest named Zechariah... And he had a wife from the daughters of Aaron...Elizabeth. And they were both righteous before God, walking blamelessly in all the commandments and statutes of the Lord. But they had no child, because Elizabeth was barren, and both were advanced in years. He was a pastor, she was from an important church family & they were both faithfully traveling with God...yet...no children (in the culture this would have been a big thing) Being faithful to God doesn't mean everything will be easy, that success will always come, that everything will work out as we want or plan or hope. When others succeed Sometimes it's hard to be faithful When God is silent #befaithfulanyway #inthistogether #christmas

Genesis 13:14, 17-18 ESV The Lord said to Abram... Lift up your eyes and look from the place where you are... Arise, walk... So Abram moved his tent and came and settled by the oaks of Mamre, which are at Hebron, and there he built an altar to the Lord . Lift up your eyes Arise...get moving...Make the change Worship. Abram built an alter to God. Worship might include getting to church...I don't know what it was like at the oaks of Mamre at Hebron, just that it wasn't the best area, as Lot had the best land. Let's thank God anyway, let's praise Him regardless of our location, position, situation... #liftupyoureyes #takeastep #worship

Proverbs 10:27-28 NIV The fear of the Lord adds length to life, but the years of the wicked are cut short.   The prospect of the righteous is joy, but the hopes of the wicked come to nothing. In Proverbs things are often black and white. There are 2 teams The righteous. Those who have put their faith and trust in God, & the wicked - those who have chosen to be their own god. I have placed my faith in the redeeming love of Jesus. That is where these Proverbs are pointing...my hope, my eternal future...this is not a promise that bad things won't happen to those whose faith is in God, but that in the end, all will be made new...the prospect will become reality #whichteamareyouon #faith #hope #future #home

Genesis 13:14-17 ESV The Lord said to Abram, after Lot had separated from him, Lift up your eyes and look from the place where you are... Arise, walk through the length and the breadth of the land... Lift up your eyes...and get up and get moving! Getting a better view of the things in front of us is a good start, but then we need to get moving. Take some action Make a change Move Abram was called to walk the length and breadth of the land, & while its all a bit of a cliché every journey starts with the first step... #liftupyoureyes #takeastep #iknowitsfridayproverbstomorrow

Genesis 13:14, 17-18 ESV The Lord said to Abram, after Lot had separated from him, "Lift up your eyes and look from the place where you are..." You get the feeling that Abram was a bit down after events with Lot. Conflict Family arguments Resolution Separation God said to Abram "Lift up your eyes" There is more to this life than the big things in front of you, the barriers, hurts, disappointments, issues...if you're in a tough place right now...lift up your eyes and look from the place where you are...there is a future, an opportunity, a solution...maybe that's God's call for you today... #liftupyoureyes

Psalm 119:36-37 ESV Incline my heart to your testimonies, and not to selfish gain!   Turn my eyes from looking at worthless things; and give me life in your ways. With so much marketing material arriving in my mailbox everyday...piles of worthless things...or maybe the worthless things are the distractions, FBook, gaming...the psalmist here is asking God to change his heart and orientation from self, stuff I want, to God, his ways...asking nd what are they? #loveGod #lovepeople I like presents, but they aren't as important as people...are we willing to pray these verses today? Incline my heart to your testimonies, and not to selfish gain!   Turn my eyes from looking at worthless things; and give me life in your ways.

Psalm 119:29-30 MSG Barricade the road that goes Nowhere; grace me with your clear revelation. I choose the true road to Somewhere, I post your road signs at every curve and corner The Message captures something here...asking God to barricade that road we know is destructive or hurtful, to remove that temptation, that habit... & through His word, help me to choose the true road, with a better destination. Road signs tell us about dangers ahead, about how far we have to travel, & features of where we are. Markers of God's grace in our lives, his blessing now, & the hope we have in him down the road Put those markers on your wall, on your fridge, in your phone, reminders of God's goodness and love for you #choose #markers #remember

Genesis 13:10-13  ESV And Lot lifted up his eyes and saw that the Jordan Valley was well watered everywhere like the garden of the Lord , like the land of Egypt...So Lot chose for himself all the Jordan Valley...Abram settled in the land of Canaan, while Lot settled among the cities of the valley and moved his tent as far as Sodom Now the men of Sodom were wicked... Lot had the choice of the best land, he had it all, yet, it wasn't enough. He was enticed by the bright lights of the city. Cities are often the places where ideas, art, trades, professions, people develop and thrive...but in this case Sodom was not a good place, but rather than avoid it, Lot chose to move there. What creates discontent in you? #dontbeenticed #makegoodchoices #becontent

Matthew 5:46-48 NLT If you love only those who love you, what reward is there for that? Even corrupt tax collectors do that much.  If you are kind only to your friends, how are you different from anyone else? Even pagans do that.  But you are to be perfect, even as your Father in heaven is perfect. What is this perfection? Loving people who are against us...being kind to people who are not our friends...simple...but...Jesus knows that perfection is not able to be attained by us...but just calls us to keep lifting the bar in our own lives...who can i show kindness to today? Let's start with the person who cut me off in traffic... #wordsofJesus #beattitudes #choose #lovepeople #worship

Genesis 13:8-9 NLT Finally Abram said to Lot, Let's not allow this conflict to come between us...The whole countryside is open to you. Take your choice of any section of the land you want, and we will separate. If you want the land to the left, then I'll take the land on the right. If you prefer the land on the right then I'll go to the left Conflict. It happens, in this case in the family. Abram wants to find a solution & the one he finds is based on generosity...be generous in the way you accommodate people, don't be afraid to give up what might seem the best, or even your right, to find peace with others #livegenerously #findawaytomakepeace

Friday!! Proverbs 10:26 AMP As vinegar to the teeth and as smoke to the eyes, so is the sluggard to those who employ and send him. Oh. Don't be that person. Not that I've tried vinegar as a mouthwash...doesn't sound good...so if you are an employee, don't be the lazy one - work hard In the middle of verses about the fear of the Lord, the storms of life, we get this little gem about not being lazy at work...maybe we represent God at work in the same way we do at church or anywhere else... #somethingtochewon #proverbs #wisdom

Psalm 119:26 AMP I have declared my ways and opened my griefs to You, and You listened to me; teach me Your statutes. Be honest with God. He can handle it. Tell him how it actually is, not how you think it should be or some sanitised, christianised version...the reality. I have declared my ways This is how it is for me I've opened my griefs...this is what hurts, what I've lost, how I'm feeling... And when David did that, when he peeled back the veneer of culture, the way he was supposed to be, & laid it out, expressed it to God...He listened. Not condemned, rejected, told off...just listened. And David's response to being really honest & being listened to? Teach me...God please teach me what's right in your sight #behonest #inthistogether

Matthew 5:44-45 ESV But I say to you, Love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you,  so that you may be sons of your Father who is in heaven. For he makes his sun rise on the evil and on the good, and sends rain on the just and on the unjust. This is really tough. 2 weeks ago we looked at the "so that", that we represent God to those around us God showed his love and grace for us while we were still against him, his giving and sacrifice He says love people even when it's hard, even when they're against you - because I do - my love is there in the everyday, sun, rain, on all, that's how I work. I love people. All people. & give everyone the freedom to choose how to respond but - no matter what - I love God is Love Jesus calls us to be the same

Ephesians 5:1-2 AMP THEREFORE BE imitators of God [copy Him and follow His example], as well-beloved children [imitate their father]. And walk in love... His example is the one to follow...we can do no better than to copy Him. Creative Giving Sustaining Sacrificing Redeeming Loving #walkinlove #choose

Hebrews 12:2 NASB ...fixing our eyes on Jesus, the author and perfecter of faith... Last night at Church we said goodbye to our Pastor...change can be hard, whether we choose it, or it happens to us, but this verse came up a couple of times as he always pointed us to Jesus. The Author & Perfector He was there in the beginning, the agent of creation He was there in the middle of time, when he took on the sin of the world & made the way He'll be there at the end when all will be made new If you're facing change, contemplating it, worried about it...first...fix your eyes on Jesus It's in Him, in His story, that gives us perspective...and peace #turnyoureyesuponJesus

Ephesians 4:31-32 NLT Get rid of all bitterness, rage, anger, harsh words, and slander, as well as all types of evil behavior. Instead, be kind to each other, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, just as God through Christ has forgiven you. Instead. Replace. ...don't just try & remove the negative, but actively replace it, focus on being; kind tenderhearted forgiving Sometimes these are easy words, but they require action...as we forgive, there is less room for bitterness, anger...as we are kind, there is less room for harsh words, gossip... Jesus is at the centre of it. He forgave. He is our model. His kindness. His forgiveness. Maybe today you just need to be a little kind on yourself... #sunday #worship #forgiveness

Psalms 119:25, 28 NLT I lie in the dust; revive me by your word...I weep with sorrow; encourage me by your word... I lie in the dust, I weep with sorrow...what's it all about...whats the point...there are days when we all feel like the psalmist...but what is his response? That God's word is still true. The word is "true north" for us. It is with God that our heart and spirit will come back to life,  be revived,  to have courage put back in it...even if it doesn't feel like it...so hide God's word in your heart so that in days of sorrow, when days are dark, you & I will have a way, a road, a path back to life... #hidethewordinyourheart  #theroad #word

Friday! Proverbs 10:25 NIVUK When the storm has swept by, the wicked are gone, but the righteous stand firm for ever. The wicked The righteous Proverbs is pretty clear that there are only 2 teams...I'm not sure what this storm is here, my guess is its connected to Jesus words in Matthew 7, the end of the sermon on the mount, where he talks about building your house on shifting sand, or the solid rock that is Him. Where do we build? Jesus is that rock, and it's on his righteousness that we stand, on the work He has done on our behalf that allows us to stand firm forever... #proverbs #wisdom #somethingtochewon #firmfoundation #everythingelseistoast

Genesis 12:13 ESV Say you are my sister, that it may go well with me because of you, and that my life may be spared for your sake. Abram thought he could save himself In a spiritual sense we can fall into that thinking as well...I have to be busy for God, I've gotta do...if I'm good enough I'll be good enough for God. To be accepted. But unlike Abram who threw Sarah under the bus to save himself, Jesus sacrificed himself for us. He made the way. Out of love. For us. For me. Loved Accepted Belong When the pressure comes in this life we, just like Abram, can lose sight of that... #dearlyloved #belong #turnyoureyesuponJesus

Genesis 12:12-13 ESV and when the Egyptians see you, they will say... ...then they will... Abram was busy making assumptions about another culture, and was focused on himself, how this impacted on him, & seemed quite prepared to use those closest to him to save himself. Failure isn't final. Abram's story doesn't end here. We all make missteps, have poor judgement, get it wrong. But that's not the end. Abram made assumptions. Often our biggest mistakes come when we assume things about others. We can't get it right all the time...give yourself some grace, because God does...when the prodigal son returns in disgrace the father runs to him...that's a picture of our heavenly Father who runs to us when we need His grace... #dearlyloved

Psalm 119:19 AMP I am a stranger and a temporary resident on the earth; hide not Your commandments from me. At home...but not quite...There is more to this life than just the here and now; it's a bit like being in a new town, or a different country...interesting, exciting, scary...but not quite home...one day we'll go home... The second part of this verse...hide not; sometimes God's word is not clear - perhaps we should pray this more often - hide not Your truth, wisdom, direction... #onedayallwillbemadenew #home #hope #future #hidenot