verseoftheday

Don't be deceived, my dear brothers and sisters. Every good and perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of the heavenly lights, who does not change like shifting shadows. He chose to give us birth through the word of truth, that we might be a kind of firstfruits of all he created. James 1:16-18 NIV Chosen Chosen for a new life This new life comes thru the word if truth. Jesus is that word. To be a kind of first fruits...special...honoured....we have this unique position to represent God to the world...like the first orange off your tree, you'll proudly show it off to his friends and neighbours...look at this beautiful thing...taste the first fruits & see how good they are... We are those first fruits #special #somethingtochewon

Every good and perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of the heavenly lights, who does not change like shifting shadows. James 1:17 NIV My political views change, my thinking on things changes as I get more info, hear someone else's perspective, or my experience changes me...but our Heavenly Father does not change. Constant So when we read His story, creation, the fall, His desire to have relationship with His people, Jesus stepping in to make a way, be the way, love, kingdom  values...redemption ... And He promises...one day...all will be made new...the brokenness repaired... #sunday #worship #thisisourGod #constant #youaredearlyloved

When tempted, no one should say, "God is tempting me."For God cannot be tempted by evil, nor does he tempt anyone; but each person is tempted when they are dragged away by their own evil desire and enticed. Then, after desire has conceived, it gives birth to sin; and sin, when it is full-grown, gives birth to death. James 1:13-15 NIV I quite like blaming God for my weaknesses and where they can lead...but James is clear (as usual) that it's our own desires that start us on that slippery slope...so... Acknowledge it Nip it in the bud Avoid the temptation Get help or accountability Pray Confess Replace it with something good Make a change. If we're on that pathway...we started it...we've got to do something to get off it... #james #inthistogether

Friday! Proverbs :) A quarrelsome wife is like the dripping of a leaky roof in a rainstorm;  restraining her is like restraining the wind or grasping oil with the hand. Proverbs 27:15-16 NIV Leaky buildings are sometimes difficult to find the cause of the problem...but when you find the root cause, everything changes...why are we quarrelsome, or hurtful, or grumpy, or angry...often at the root in our heart or our experience is a lie...a lie that needs to be replaced with the truth. #thetruthwillsetyoufree Finding the leak in the building can take time, & lots of attempts...but it's worth it...so keep loving the people in your life as best you can You can't restrain the wind...but you can use it to sail... #proverbs #wisdom #somethingtochewon

...I will continue to rejoice, for I know that through your prayers and God's provision of the Spirit of Jesus Christ what has happened to me will turn out for my deliverance.  I eagerly expect and hope that I will in no way be ashamed, but will have sufficient courage so that now as always Christ will be exalted in my body, whether by life or by death. Philippians 1:18-20 NIV When tough times are upon us we often pray that our circumstances will change...Paul's view is different. He asks for courage. Sufficient courage to face in his case prison, persecution, and maybe death...and why? So that Jesus will be made known! Courage. Sufficient courage. No matter what we face...that's a good prayer right there #faith #ismycreedworthdyingfor

While this is not a Bible verse today, just want to share part of an article by Jon Foreman published in the Huffington Post...it's a response to what is going on in our world at the moment... We fight back by living the lives that they have attempted to destroy. With renewed fervor, let us attempt to give ourselves to those around us. Let their cowardice inspire me to be brave. Let their senseless murders arouse in me a deep compassion for my fellow man. Let their artless destruction inspire canvasses and songs filled with meaning and truth. Let their meaningless hatred remind me of what matters most in this life... Jesus said to love our enemies...love when it's what we don't want to do. #faith #hope #love

Then the Lord said to Moses I will rain down bread from heaven for you. The people are to go out each day and gather enough for that day. In this way I will test them and see whether they will follow my instructions. On the sixth day they are to prepare what they bring in, and that is to be twice as much as they gather on the other days. Exodus 16:4-5 NIV Sometimes God's instructions are as clear as this...he wanted to see if he could trust people in what was a simple thing...just gather twice as much and take the next day off... Yes there's obedience, but there's the underlying question...do these people love me enough to do what I ask...to do what's good for them? Do I love God enough to just do what He asks? #loveyourneighbour #whoismyneighbour

On one occasion an expert in the law stood up to test Jesus. Teacher, he asked, what must I do to inherit eternal life? What is written in the Law? he replied. How do you read it? He answered, Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength and with all your mind; and, Love your neighbour as yourself. You have answered correctly, Jesus replied. Do this and you will live. Luke 10:25-28 NIV Jesus didn't say Repent or Get Your Life In Order, but affirmed what this Bible scholar already knew...get to know God, choose to love Him, & choose to love people. Simple. What can I do today to get to know God better? How can I love people today? ##

...my imprisonment here has had the opposite of its intended effect...most of the followers of Jesus here have become far more sure of themselves in the faith than ever, speaking out fearlessly about God, about the Messiah. Philippians 1:12-14 MSG As well as the opportinity to witness in a unique place, imprisonment and hardship hadn't dented his faith, & this gave strength and courage to others...we love reading or hearing accounts of heroes of the faith...we take strength from them...you just don't know when you or I will be called to BE one. To stand when everything is on the line. To have courage in the face of the enemy To pray when all seems lost To look forward with hope  regardless of circumstances... Will we? #faith #ismycreedworthdyingfor?

I want to report to you, friends, that my imprisonment here has had the opposite of its intended effect. Instead of being squelched the Message has actually prospered. All the soldiers here and everyone else too found out that I'm in jail because of this Messiah. That piqued their curiosity and now they've learned all about Him... Philippians 1:12-14 MSG What others mean for evil, God used for good, because Paul was faithful to his calling That group of soldiers, his prison guards, Paul may have been the only person they could have heard about Jesus from. All of us will have one or more people in our lives that we are the only conduit of God's love, truth and grace...so be faithful to your calling... #youmightbetheonlyone #lovepeople

Friday! Proverbs! If anyone loudly blesses their neighbor early in the morning, it will be taken as a curse. Proverbs 27:14 NIV How good is this? When you give a loud boisterous morning greeting to the non-morning person in your flat/house...it just doesn't go down well...or maybe you're on the receiving end of such greetings - and really they're not! So love the people in your house, cut them some slack in the morning...don't engage til they've had their coffee...it's biblical :) #proverbs #wisdom #somethingtochewon #everydaygoodness

As he approached Jerusalem and saw the city, he wept over it and said, If you, even you, had only known on this day what would bring you peace - but now it is hidden from your eyes... Luke 19:41-42 NIV Jesus wept. Because of lost opportunity. The city had a chance to recognise and accept the Saviour but missed it... I wonder how he would feel looking over my town, my community...my home...? Would he weep at the lost opportunity for peace? Jesus cared. Really cared. Who do I care about enough to weep over that they might be missing the opportunity to meet the One who is peace..?

When Jesus saw her weeping, and the Jews who had come along with her also weeping, he was deeply moved in spirit and troubled. Where have you laid him? he asked. Come and see, Lord,they replied.  Jesus wept. John 11:33-35 NIV Jesus wept at the injustice of death. This is not how it's supposed to be...this was not how he'd made it in the beginning...this was not the life He wanted for Lazarus or for us. And he wept at the hurt his friends were feeling. So look out for your friends. Hang in there with them when life hurts And know that there's more to this life...there's another to come... #kingdomvalues #inthistogether

For the Lord is righteous, he loves justice; the upright will see his face. Psalm 11:7 NIV I think that injustice is when things don't go my way. But God's perspective is bigger...bigger than people not living how I think they should...injustice happens when people, us, are not living how God calls us to live. But he didn't just stand outside our world and make rules and complain, or come in by force and destroy, but launched a subversive new kingdom that chips away from the inside. God entered the story Himself. And in the end submitted himself completely to the injustice of the world AND to God's justice, to make a way, the way... #kingdomvalues #inthistogether

When Herod realized that he had been outwitted by the Magi, he was furious, and he gave orders to kill all the boys in Bethlehem and its vicinity who were two years old and under... Matthew 2:16 NIV Terror. Jesus was born into a world where terror and murder were used to try and influence and control populations of people and prop up those in power. The person at the cornerstone of our faith was born in the midst of this terrorist act. Not only should we support the people of France, but Lebanon, Nigeria, Kenya...and the list goes on...sadly the quest for power is nothing new...& neither is the answer Jesus was born into this crazy broken world to make a way...to be the way...it's His subversive love story that is the answer. #theway

In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. He was with God in the beginning. Through him all things were made; without him nothing was made that has been made. In him was life, and that life was the light of all mankind. The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness has not overcome it. John 1:1-5 NIV There's all kinds of crazy things happening in this world...the latest terror attacks are just another example...what we believe when things turn bad, who we look to, what we hang on to is important...darkness will not overcome the light #sunday #worship #jesusatthecentre

Your hands made me and fashioned me; Give me understanding, that I may learn Your commandments. Psalms 119:73 NASB Acknowledge God as creator, not just of the world around us, but of you and me! He's personal. And as we think about that, it makes sense that we need more insight from our Creator about how we should live. When we learn something,  we really only understand it when we apply it... Living out God's way... My prayer this morning: Thanks God that you made me. Show me today the thing I need to live out that reflects you better. Amen :) #psalms #psalm119 #inthistogether #theroad

Friday :)  Proverbs :) Take the garment of one who puts up security for a stranger; hold it in pledge if it is done for an outsider. Proverbs 27:13 NIV Proverbs is about wisdom & this is about being wise in business...get a deposit, or security if someone guarantees a debt. The "outsider" may not have the same moral code to repay what is owed, so be wise in how you do business. Good advice. But is there something more here? Jesus garment was taken  before he was crucified. He is our security, our deposit for what is to come, for us, the outsiders... #proverbs #wisdom #somethingtochewon #benefitofhindsight

And this is my prayer: that your love may abound more and more in knowledge and depth of insight, so that you may be able to discern what is best and may be pure and blameless for the day of Christ, filled with the fruit of righteousness that comes through Jesus Christ - to the glory and praise of God. Philippians 1:9-11 NIV For Paul it's all about making God known by word and deed whether he was free or in prison, rich or poor, healthy or sick...at the very core of who he was he knew God loved him, that he was right with God despite all the stuff he'd done, despite current today's circumstances or feelings. And the output of his life, the fruit, was to make Gods love known, in work, rest, play or even in prison. He loved God And People #letloveabound

And this is my prayer: that your love may abound more and more in knowledge and depth of insight, so that you may be able to discern what is best and may be pure and blameless for the day of Christ, filled with the fruit of righteousness that comes through Jesus Christ... Philippians 1:9-11 NIV Filled with the fruit of righteousness! Fruit is the produce that a tree produces. What fruit does righteousness produce then? Surely it's love joy peace patience kindness and self-control - the fruit of the Spirit Is that all there is? Maybe there's more but this is enough of a list Love is the driver and as we live our life in whatever place that is, God's Spirit works in us to produce the fruit that comes from life in Jesus #letloveabound

And this is my prayer: that your love may abound more and more in knowledge and depth of insight, so that you may be able to discern what is best and may be pure and blameless for the day of Christ... Philippians 1:9-10 NIV So that...we may be pure and blameless when we meet Jesus...it's love that makes us right, pure, blameless...love that gives us confidence for this life and hope for the next, & it is this love that comes from the Father, that found its expression in Jesus in making the way for us, this massive giving sacrificing love, that thru Gods work in us, abounds more and more... Being seen as pure and blameless gives us freedom to get on and live, give, love, without constraint or fear How good is that? #free #letloveabound

And this is my prayer: that your love may abound more and more in knowledge and depth of insight, so that you may be able to discern what is best... Philippians 1:9-10 NIV "so that" There are 4 things that follow the "so that", the reason why Paul wants our love to abound in depth & insight...the first is that we will be able to discern what is best. I'm not sure where I thought discernment came from, but it's linked here to a heart of love. In God's economy love drives everything. You want to know what's best? Love determines that. I wonder what would change if I allowed Love to work like that in my life...? #letloveabound 

And this is my prayer: that your love may abound more and more in knowledge and depth of insight... Philippians 1:9 NIV I wonder if this is a model for how I should pray for others...that your love would just grow bigger -  what happens when our love grows bigger? We see injustice in the world, we see the hurt in others, we see needs that can be met...and we are prompted to act This abounding love, knowledge and insight means we cannot sit still or quietly, but need to respond. That might be prayer, encouraging, writing, singing, helping, restoring, building, going...it might be standing with someone, beside them, or holding them up...it could look like lots of different things depending on who you are and the gifts God has given... #letloveabound

My suffering was good for me, for it taught me to pay attention to your decrees. Your instructions are more valuable to me than millions in gold and silver. Psalms 119:71-72 NLT Helen Keller said Character cannot be developed in ease and quiet. Only through experiences of trial and suffering can the soul be strengthened, vision cleared, ambition inspired and success achieved. Will we allow whatever pain, struggle, hurt, loss, disappointment we go through point us back to God and His truth? To the point that God's Word is the most valuable thing we have and strive for? That is deeply challenging. But encouraging too, for no matter what we are going thru we're not alone, that God is with us #faith #truth #inthistogether #theroad

Friday! Proverbs! The prudent see danger and take refuge, but the simple keep going and pay the penalty. Proverbs 27:12 NIV Sometimes the signs are literally there...when we're driving and there are signs about high accident areas...just not sure why we don't take that into other areas of life. Eg if 50% of marriage break ups are over money, get some advice on how to manage that. If your trusted friend warns you about someone your heading into a relationship with...stop & listen to them Maybe prioritising that study or rest or... Keep your head up and eyes open to what's going on, & if things are turning sour, take action. Don't just sit there. When could this proverb made a difference for you? What about now? #keepyoureyesopen #proverbs #wisdom

...whether I am in chains or defending and confirming the gospel, all of you share in God's grace with me. Philippians 1:7 NIV Paul knew that God's grace was not connected to his circumstances. God's grace was the same whether he was doing what he loved to do and was called to do - preaching & teaching - or whether he was in jail! How often do I slip into the trap of connecting my circumstances today with Gods grace towards me? Sickness, health, success, failure, pressure, rest, support or persecution, God's grace towards us is independent of all of that. #grace #somethingtochewon

...Every time I think of you, I give thanks to my God... And I am certain that God, who began the good work within you, will continue his work until it is finally finished on the day when Christ Jesus returns. Philippians 1:2-3, 5-6 NLT The good news? God isn't finished with us! He's started working on us from the inside but we're never done...and it's God who is at work in us...yes we need to do our bit, but we need to allow God to work in us, work on us... If your life is so full of activity, work, business, study, play, distractions, procrastinations...do we effectively shut down God's work in us? Yes there are times when life is a crazy and hectic, but busy-ness is not a fruit of the Spirit...just sayin #loveGod #lovepeople #inthistogether

Whenever I pray, I make my requests for all of you with joy, for you have been my partners in spreading the Good News about Christ from the time you first heard it until now. Philippians 1:4-5 NLT Paul is saying to the church..."you're awesome"!! There's so much arguing and posturing going on, but we're on the same page, heading in the same direction, & our joint goal is to make Jesus known. This is what church should be...! Paul was pretty excited...I wonder when my pastor or church leaders or ministry leaders think of me...would they say the same thing? Would they be pleased that I'm on their team? Paul wrote these people a letter...who are you grateful for? Maybe a word of encouragement wouldn't go astray today... #inthistogether 

Mordecai the Jew became the prime minister... He was very great among the Jews, who held him in high esteem, because he continued to work for the good of his people and to speak up for the welfare of all their descendants. Esther 10:3 NLT We may never make PM, but Mordecai was held in high esteem by his people not because of his position or his power, but because he kept working for the good of his people, & not just this generation but the ones following. Who am I working for? Am I doing something for others? Too busy? No resources? There's always a reason why not...we can all make a contribution into the lives of others along the way whether that's big or small...just got to keep our eyes, ears, & hearts open... #lovepeople #lessonsfromEsther

Don't you realize that in a race everyone runs, but only one person gets the prize? So run to win! All athletes are disciplined in their training. They do it to win a prize that will fade away, but we do it for an eternal prize. 1 Corinthians 9:24-25 Today we just needed something connected with sport :) Great to celebrate success, whether it's sport, business, education...& the things we learn about discipline & training & how that leads to success. Paul when he wrote this must have seen a lot of sporting contests...and then connects it to our life as Christians...it takes training, discipline, perseverance, struggle...while it must be gr8 to hold that RWC as champions, the prize we will win is one that will never fade...imagine that! #eternity