verseoftheday

Jesus came and told his disciples,  "I have been given all authority in heaven and on earth. Therefore, go and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit. Teach these new disciples to obey all the commands I have given you.  And be sure of this:  I am with you always, even to the end of the age." Matthew 28:18-20 NLT This is the last words of Matthew's gospel, the last words he gives us of what Jesus said, a final reminder that Jesus is who he said he is, that he is sending his people, his team, to represent him to the world, and the final promise that he is With them (Matthew nor Jesus tell us how that works but it's written here). Perhaps one of those reminders is what you and I need today: Jesus is who he said he is.  Confidence.  He has something for us to do.  Purpose.  He is with us. Comfort. He chooses to be with us because we are the object of His Love. Beloved. #wordsofJesus #red...

Friday! Proverbs! My child,  if sinners entice you, turn your back on them! They may say,  "Come and join us. Let's hide and kill someone! Just for fun, let's ambush the innocent! Let's swallow them alive, like the grave; let's swallow them whole, like those who go down to the pit of death. Think of the great things we'll get!  We'll fill our houses with all the stuff we take. Come, throw in your lot with us; well all share the loot." My child, don't go along with them!  Stay far away from their paths. They rush to commit evil deeds. They hurry to commit murder. If a bird sees a trap being set, it knows to stay away. But these people set an ambush for themselves; they are trying to get themselves killed. Such is the fate of all who are greedy for money; it robs them of life.  Proverbs 1:10-19 NLT Seem familiar? Sometimes it is others who are calling us, and sometimes it's our own desires, and sometimes it's the promises that "the world...

Then Jesus said to them,  "Don't be afraid!  Go tell my brothers to leave for Galilee,  and they will see me there."  Matthew 28:10 NLT After Jesus cry of abandonment and despair from the cross, these are the next words of Jesus that Matthew records for us: "Don't be afraid" Don't be afraid. Don't be afraid. The women Jesus was talking to had experienced their world tipped over. They too had experienced abandonment, loss, despair. And here is Jesus with strength, comfort, hope and love; Don't be afraid. Don't be afraid, there actually is more. Don't be afraid death has been defeated. Don't be afraid, out of despair and hopelessness new life can be found, not when, or what you expected it to be. Don't be afraid, and I have something for you to do... #wordsofJesus #redletterBible #weareBeloved  #dontbeafraid #hopeishere  #thereismore 

Matthew 27:46 NLT At about three o'clock, Jesus called out with a loud voice,  "Eli, Eli, lema sabachthani?" which means  "My God, my God,  why have you abandoned me?" Matthew 27:46 NLT While the circumstances around Jesus saying this are unique and extraordinary, and the significance of Jesus expressing this has layers of mystery to them, there's a humanness here that here that we can relate to: We feel that God has abandoned us. It feels like what we have lost sight of God, that what seemed like solid ground is dissolving, and we feel lost. Abandoned. In this moment Jesus couldn't seem any further away from being the Messiah, Saviour, Lord. He is dying, being crucified, immobile, and expresses his heart in this way: "My God, my God,  why have you abandoned me?" Jesus question doesn't give an answer, but it does give us permission to ask the same question if we need to.  When we feel powerless, that the world is against us, that God is sil...

Matthew 27:11 NLT Now Jesus was standing before Pilate, the Roman governor. "Are you the king of the Jews?" the governor asked him.  Jesus replied,  "You have said it." Matthew 27:11 NLT If there is one thing that remains firm when the world seems shaky, one thing we can hold onto when it feels like we cannot stand, when the things we face require courage that we do not have, it is that Jesus is who he said he is. And he faced what was unfaceable, stood when no one else could, for one reason: Love. Our God so loved the world. So loved. Love. And we are the objects of God's love. Some days it may not feel like it, we may not even want to be. We might be full of sorrow, despair, loss. We might be full of joy, hope, wonder, or we might be holding some mixed up combination of all the things at the same time, and in that, the truest of true things remains: Jesus is who he said he is. He entered the story because Love compelled him. We are Beloved. Hold on. #wordsofJe...

1 Timothy 5:1-2 NLT Never speak harshly to an older man, but appeal to him respectfully as you would to your own father.  Talk to younger men as you would to your own brothers. Treat older women as you would your mother, and treat younger women with all purity as you would your own sisters. 1 Timothy 5:1-2 NLT Why would Paul think he needed to write this to Timothy? Isn't this just common courtesy, manners, how people should see one another and care for one another? Since this letter is to help Timothy stand against false teachers in the church then that false teaching must've been infiltrating every part of people's lives...a bit like the influence of social media and the ideas that seem to so easily gain traction, or the insidious way that viewing pornography changes the way we see people. Whatever was going on in Timothy's world, Paul needed to set or reset this baseline. I'm wondering where my baseline needs to be reset? Is there language, thoughts, ideas, that ...

Sunday Psalms; Heth. Lord, you are mine!  I promise to obey your words! With all my heart I want your blessings.  Be merciful as you promised.  I pondered the direction of my life, and I turned to follow your laws. ...  Evil people try to drag me into sin, but I am firmly anchored to your instructions. ... O Lord, your unfailing love fills the earth;  teach me your decrees.  Psalms 119: 59-64 NLT  This part of Ps119 starts with a thing I've said to God plenty of times too "I promise to obey your words, I want your blessings". And then there's some self reflection: "I pondered the direction of my life, and I turned to follow your laws". I want God's blessing,  yet when I sit back and think about my choices, I can see I need to change some of the things I'm choosing. Then there's the choices of others, those who would try to "drag me into sin". That might be friends, colleagues, family members, social media influencers, the music, shows I...