verseoftheday

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

Hebrews 6:12 NIV ...imitate those who through faith and patience inherit what has been promised. Through. Faith and patience.  But I want answers and action! I want it now. God answer me, bring healing, change,  revenge (!)... Through. Faith and Patience. I'd never seen those two things together before...keep the faith, reinforce God's truth in your life, and be prepared to wait... and "Imitate those..." those who have been before us, learn from the experience of others, ask, read,  search... #through #wasn'texpectingthat #keepthefaith #bazinga

Ephesians 4:1 NLT ...I, a prisoner for serving the Lord... This Sunday there is a baptism at our church, and I will do my best to be there because amongst other things a baptism is about facing our fears. We are afraid of all kinds of things. Spiders, small spaces...etc...but when we choose to face those fears they often shrink away...but the fear of rejection, that those we care about will think less of us, our family,  friends will think us weird,  that is a much harder fear to face, and when someone i know is baptised they are often facing that head on, a reminder of how important my faith is Paul was actually in jail for his faith We can and should take courage from that, even jail didn't diminish Pauls faith but strengthened it #faith #keepthefaith

Isaiah 43:10 NLT ...You have been chosen to know me, believe in me, and understand that I alone am God... All around us we see attempts to put other things in place of God...often it's our own picture #selfie Or education, work, family, spouse, house,  money, sport, fame... But we have been chosen...chosen to know God and understand that he alone is God (and worthy of our worship) #chosen #loveGod #faith #keepthefaith

When peace Like a river Attendeth my soul When sorrow like sea billows roll Whatever my lot Thou hast taught me to say It is well It is well with my soul Whatever happens,  whatever life throws at me, how can I say it's well with my soul? "Thou hast taught me..." It is only by spending time with God, in the word, in prayer, in community,  relying on his unchanging character that we learn this. #itiswellwithmysoul #keepthefaith Check out the writers story http://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Horatio_Spafford

Psalms 27:3 NLT Though a mighty army surrounds me, my heart will not be afraid. I've never been in a war, but the picture here is like a town under seige...with the enemy blocking you in, waiting for you to make a mistake, waiting for you to give up...sometimes it feels that way, that everything seems against us, just waiting on a misstep, our surrender...but David has faith in a God who is bigger than the enemy camped at the gate, &  hope of a future beyond these walls...and is not afraid. #keepthefaith #nofear #hope

Matthew 5:4 MSG You’re blessed when you feel you’ve lost what is most dear to you. Only then can you be embraced by the One most dear to you. When we are hurting, turn your eyes to Jesus, cast your cares on him...seek Him in the midst of your loss and He will take your hand...maybe in your spirit, through other people in your life, or through the power of his Word... #keepthefaith

The last couple of days we have looked forward to the hope of restoration and things being made new...but what if we are hurting now? Feeling the pain of loss now? 1 Thessalonians 4:13 NLT ...so you will not grieve like people who have no hope... Grieve, cry, cry out...but keep the Hope that you have in your heart as well, knowing that restoration will one day come, all will be made new... #hope #keepthefaith

Psalms 57:7 NIV My heart, O God, is steadfast...  stead·fast - adjective 1. fixed in place 2. firm in purpose or loyalty Even tho this psalm is about being in the midst of trouble and difficulty, David still comes back to his faith in God #keepthefaith #besteadfast