A New Journey Through The Scriptures

The New Year is only a few days old. Let's commit ourselves afresh to reading the Word of God day-by-day. Here are some links which I hope you will find helpful.

Look up Scripture passage

Read a specific comment online

Print a booklet containing monthly readings


I hope you will visit the "Daily Devotional Readings" and receive a blessing from the Lord.
-----
"When you read God's Word, you must constantly be saying to yourself, 'It is talking to me, and about me.'" (Soren Kierkegaard).

Church Planting Rural Ghana


Here is a wonderful ministry that reaches out in the love of Christ. Stop by and visit Stuart and Cathy Greer at:
Mission Support Network

Cast Your Nets In Deeper Waters

In the summer of 1905, on the shores of central California, the fishing town of Monterey, suffered a very great economic blow.

Monterey is a picturesque community, 100 miles south of San Francisco. It is situated on the great Monterey Bay.

The Monterey Bay, gave to the city of Monterey all the bounty of the ocean. For decades Monterey fishermen brought back the fruit of the sea, the fish, that fed millions of people in America.

The backbone of this great fishery, and therefore of the economy in Monterey, was the annual catch of sardines.

These sardines were captured, brought to port, and then to Cannery Row – a row of fish canning operations lining the Monterey beach. There, of course, the sardines were packed into silver cans, wrapped in a red and black paper seal declaring them to be high-quality sardines from Monterey, California. They were then shipped throughout America and the world.

And the economy was good.

But, in the summer of 1905, something terrible happened. An economic disaster of unprecedented proportions happened to this bustling fishing town.

The disaster was this: the fishermen and their many boats, and many employees, simply over fished the sardine population. They did it to such a degree, that the sardines couldn't reproduce their stock – and, suddenly, sardines simply disappeared from the fisherman's nets! They were gone! And with them, were also, apparent to everyone, the good times for people in Monterey.

But – and this is a very important but – this was not the end of the story. A very great and ominous disaster had happened on their watch, but now something wondrous and hopeful, also took place on their watch.

Here is what, actually, happened: first, the people of Monterey and their churches, prayed. Now, whether you believe in prayer or not, that is secondary to the story. My duty is just to give hope and tell you how the story turned out, in actual history.

Most of the ship owners in Monterey doubled as their own ship captains. There were no big corporate fleets. It was mostly private fishermen who had built their fishing business to the level of having a ship or two, and going out daily and bringing the fish back. They worked hard at it, and they became better and better at what they did, and therefore became more and more successful.

But the sea had always helped them. Now that the sardines were gone, what next? What would happen to the economy, to the ship owners and captains, and to all the crews and their families?

The captains of the ships talked among themselves. As they talked, they told tales that they had heard long ago, about schools of great fish, that a Monterey fisherman and his ship and crew had once found.

But, these great fish, which were only known by the thin thread of perhaps a tall tale, were caught as far out as 200 miles from the shore! No Monterey fisherman and his crew, at least for decades, had gone beyond 20 miles!

No one ever dared to go that far! It had not yet entered the imagination of the people.

They had the vessels for it, and the crews. Now what they needed was some bold and intrepid captains, who would dare to go farther into deeper waters, than anyone ever had before.

And, in a true to life story, several believing captains, with their valiant ships and willing crews, set out to find out if the tales of these great fish had any truth to them.

They went fifty miles. Then eighty miles. Then over a hundred miles. But approximately one hundred and fifty miles out, they saw "boiling water" – a strange occurrence on the surface of the water that far out in the middle of the sea.

The captains and their crews, decided to fish these "boiling waters." For their efforts, they began to pull in yellowfin tuna anywhere from 100 to 300 pounds! And there was no end to them!

Now, dear reader, understand that until this date in history, no one in the entire world had ever eaten tuna. Well, maybe some long ago sea captain and his crew had. But for the most part, tuna had never been known before. It had never been seen or eaten!

So, the intrepid sea captains and their fishermen returned home to Monterey with great good news – and a big load of great fish!

Think about it. Sardines were only 4 to 8 inches long, and now the fishermen replaced them with tuna that were 4-8 feet long! The sardines weighed a half-pound at best, and the tuna weighed up to three hundred pounds. In fact, later, as fishermen found the will to go farther, they caught bluefin tuna, that weighed up to 1500 pounds!

Thus, by being willing to go further than anyone had gone before and by choosing to act in new ways rather than just sit and suffer, although the economy went down with the sardines – now it went up with the tuna! Following what might have been just a tall story by an old salt, turned out to give the people of Monterey a true, and much greater, story. They introduced tuna and tuna fishing to the world. Their ships got bigger. Their crews got paid more. More tourists came to Monterey. The little bustling fishing didn't go down with the sardines!

Somehow, the town, its people, and its economy all got a new lease on life. They grew. They prospered. And – they fed the whole world to a far greater degree.

In that summer day of 1905, when the sardine stock fell and the bottom dropped out of the sardine business, it shook everybody up. But, they said their prayers, decided to go further than ever before, chose to "seek a greater story" – and, however combined elements made it happen – tuna, much larger than sardines, and a tuna catch, much greater than the total sardine catch had ever achieved, was brought into the history, and to the palates, of the entire world.

The economy recovered and boomed.

My friends, could it be possible that right now, this very day, that even as you experience the loss of something you long felt secure and that you built your hopes on, just a little farther ahead, with a little willingness to keep your chin and morale up, exploring a little further, pursuing a greater, not lesser, story for you and yours, we might ourselves see our "sardines" not just gone, but our own kind of new, far greater, "tuna" right in front of us replacing our loss with something much better?

I believe that people with the American dream, don't just get better dreams. They get a better story. It comes complete with the faith, the new vision, the will to try, the solid meat of the fish, the adventures, and the tale to tell all our children about.

The measure of something great is that greater things still come out of it.

Say your prayers, stoke the embers of your dreams and visions. Listen to wise stories. Make your minds and ships go further into the ocean of the Spirit – and I believe either you yourself, or some intrepid captains, are going to come back with the equivalent of boatloads of silver tuna in our time – together with directions how you can get a lot more of them.

Copyright 2008 E.Zehnder
http://theeverlastingkingdom.blogspot.com

Learning To Live a Holy Life

2 Peter 1:1-4
As you explore the Word of God, never lose sight of the purpose for which God has given us His Word: "He has given us His very great and precious promises, so that through them you may participate in the divine nature and escape the corruption in the world caused by evil desires" (2 Peter 1:4).

'Renew My Life, O Lord, According To Your Word.'

Psalm 119:105-112
We begin the year with the words of verse 105: 'Your Word is a lamp to my feet and a light to my path'. This a great text with which to begin the year. It is a great starting-point as we give ourselves afresh to the study of God's Word. As we journey through life with God and His Word, we discover that there is a Word from the Lord for every part of life's journey. There is never a time when God has nothing to say to His people. Sometimes, He speaks to us from places which seem rather unlikely. As we explore His Word, we learn that He is the true and living God, ever ready to bring to us something new, something fresh, something that will send us on our way rejoicing, something that will strengthen our faith, something to deepen our commitment to Christ, something to increase our love for the Saviour. As we receive God's Word - 'a lamp to our feet and a light to our path' - we are to pray, 'renew my life, O Lord, according to Your Word' (107).

The Inhabiters Of The Earth

Rev 12:9 And the great dragon was cast out, that old serpent, called the Devil, and Satan, which deceiveth the whole world: he was cast out into the earth, and his angels were cast out with him.

Rev 12:10 And I heard a loud voice saying in heaven, Now is come salvation, and strength, and the kingdom of our God, and the power of his Christ: for the accuser of our brethren is cast down, which accused them before our God day and night.

Rev 12:11 And they overcame him by the blood of the Lamb, and by the word of their testimony; and they loved not their lives unto the death.

Rev 12:12 Therefore rejoice, ye heavens, and ye that dwell in them. Woe to the inhabiters of the earth and of the sea! for the devil is come down unto you, having great wrath, because he knoweth that he hath but a short time.

Revelation Chapter 12
inhisgloriousnameministriesonline.blogspot.com

The Birth Of Jesus Christ (4)

Luke 1:46-50; Luke 2:13-14; Luke 2:20

When we consider the miracle of Christ's holy birth, our hearts are to be filled with praise to God, sharing in Mary's song of joy: "My soul magnifies the Lord, and my spirit rejoices in God my Saviour" (Luke 1:46-47). We are to praise God, echoing the song of the angels: "Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace among men with whom He is pleased" (Luke 2:14). We are to join with the shepherds in "glorifying and praising God for all that we have heard" concerning our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ. From our hearts, we can truly say with the Apostle Paul: "Thanks be to God for His inexpressible gift!" (2 Corinthians 9:15).

The Birth Of Jesus Christ (3)

Luke 1:37-38

When worldly, unbelieving people read the words of the angel in Luke 1:35, they become uncomfortable. They are not too keen on all this talk about the Holy Spirit. We are to respond in faith to the Word of God, allowing the Holy Spirit to work in our lives the miracle of the new birth. As we remember Christ's miraculous and holy birth, we are saying to God, "For with God nothing is impossible." As we consider what God wants to do in our lives, here and now, we are saying to God, "Let it be to me according to Your Word."

The Birth Of Jesus Christ (2)

Luke 1:30-35

The baby was to be called Jesus - Saviour (Luke 1:31). He was to be called the Son of God (Luke 1:35). Jesus Christ is both God’s Son and our Saviour. If we are to have a true understanding of both who Christ is and what He has done for us, we must never forget these are the great features: He is God’s Son and He is our Saviour. Tthe Apostle Paul sums this up very well - “the Son of God loved me and gave himself for me” (Galatians 2:20).

The Birth Of Jesus Christ (1)

The Gospel is for the whole world. the story of the shepherds tells us that the Gospel is for the Jews. The story of the wise men tells us that the Gospel is for the Gentiles. The story of the shepherds tells us that the Gospel is for the poor. The story of the wise men tells us that the Gospel is for the rich. To every one, God says, “I bring you Good News of a great joy … “(Luke 2:10-11).
















http://picturemythoughts.blogspot.com

"The Word Of Our God Will Stand For Ever."

In Isaiah 40:8, we learn that "the Word of our God will stand for ever". Jesus says, "Heaven and earth will pass away, but My words will not pass away" (Mark 13:31). The Word which Jesus Christ speaks to us now is nothing less than the Word of God. We are born again through His Word (1 Peter 1:23-25). We grow in Christ through His Word (1 Peter 2:1-3). There must be no compromising of our faithfulness to His Word (2 John 7-11).

Jesus Christ - "God with us" (Matthew 1:23) - is truly God and truly Man (2).

Jesus Christ came down from heaven for us - men and women - and for our salvation. The personal name, "Jesus", means "Saviour" or "Jehovah (the God of Israel) helps." Jesus does not simply point to the God of salvation. Jesus is the God of salvation: "He is God the Saviour. He is Christ the Lord, ever to be worshipped, trusted and adored." If Jesus Christ was no more than the greatest man who ever lived, the greatest witness to God's salvation, it would be utterly blasphemous to call Him, "the Saviour." By calling Jesus "Saviour", we are not saying that man saves himself. We are saying that the Man, Jesus, is God the Saviour: "When we call Him Saviour, we call Him by His Name." When the Bible says, "Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ and you will be saved" (Acts 16:31), this is entirely different from a call to have the same faith which Jesus had. We are called to put our faith in the Lord Jesus Christ. Jesus Christ was not a sinner, who, like us, needed to receive salvation from God. Jesus Christ is the perfect Saviour from whom believing sinners receive eternal salvation.

Jesus Christ - "God With Us" (Matthew 1:23) - Is Truly God And Truly Man (1).

Jesus Christ is not merely the greatest man who ever lived. He is "God with us" - truly God and truly Man. God says, "I am who I am" (Exodus 3:14). Jesus says, "Before Abraham was, I am" (John 8:58). We cannot say how Jesus Christ can be "God with us". We cannot understand how He can be truly God and truly man. We do not, however, have the right to say, "A true man cannot at the same time be truly God." We must acknowledge the truth of God's Word which says, ""With God nothing will be impossible" (Luke 1:37). Looking at the Man, Jesus Christ, we have no right to say that His life began at Bethlehem. We must acknowledge the truth of Jesus' words, "Before Abraham was, I am" (John 8:58). These words indicate to us that Jesus Christ is the eternal God. We have no right to say that God cannot take on human form. Who are we to say what God can do and what God cannot do? If we believe that God is Almighty, how can we doubt His power to become Man in the person of Jesus Christ? Scripture makes it clear that Jesus Christ is more than a mere man since He is no less than God Almighty.

Wise Men (And Women) Still Seek Jesus (2).

Matthew 2:1-12

What a great difference there is between the wisdom of this world and the wisdom of God which is Jesus Christ! In Matthew 2, we see the wisdom of man. Herod thought he was smart (vs. 8, 12). God is not impressed by man’s wisdom - “I will destroy the wisdom of the wise, and the cleverness of the clever, I will thwart … Has not God made foolish the wisdom of the world” (1 Corinthians 1:19-20). The wisdom of God is very different from the wisdom of this world. God’s wisdom fills us with joy (Matthew 2:10). God’s wisdom leads us to worship Christ (Matthew 2:2, 11). The wise men brought costly gifts to Jesus. This runs counter to the wisdom of this world. Worldly wisdom tells us to acquire riches rather than giving them away to Jesus. When we give ourselves to Jesus, the world may say, “What a waste!” The Word of God assures us that giving our time, talents and money to the Lord is never a waste. When, in joyful worship, we give ourselves to Jesus, He saves us from wasting our lives on things that can never satisfy. Looking to Him, we become less attached to the things we cannot keep - material possessions - and we learn to treasure the one thing that remains forever - eternal life.

Wise Men (And Women) Still Seek Jesus (1).

Matthew 2:1-12 

The star, which lay ahead of the wise men, led them to Christ’s first coming. The “star”, which lies ahead of us leads us towards Christ’s Second Coming. If we are wise, we will keep the Second Coming of the Lord at the forefront of our attention. As the wise men were ready for Christ’s first coming, so we must be ready for His Second Coming. This is emphasized in the parable of the wise and foolish virgins (Matthew 25:1-13). The wise are ready for the Coming of the Lord. The foolish are not ready for His Coming. “Watch, therefore, for you know neither the day nor the hour” (v. 13). What was the “star” which led the wise men to Jesus? Was it not the same “star” which leads us towards His Second Coming ? - the “star” of Holy Scripture, the Word of God (Matthew 2:5). We must be guided by the Scriptures if we are to find our way to Jesus Christ. The Scriptures are “a lamp to our feet and a light to our path” (Psalm 119:105). The Scriptures will bring us wisdom. They lead us to Jesus. As we come to Christ, we will discover that He is our Wisdom (1 Corinthians 1:18-27a, 30a; 2:1-7, 10, 12-13).

The Name Of Jesus

‘There is a Name I love to hear... It tells me of a Saviour’s love, who died to set me free. It tells me of His precious blood, the sinner’s perfect plea... Jesus, the Name I love so well, the Name I love to hear! ... O how I love the Saviour’s Name, the sweetest Name on earth!’(Mission Praise, 672).

The Redeemed Of The Lord

Through faith in Christ, we have become ‘the Holy People’. Through Him, we are ‘the Redeemed of the Lord’. We have been ‘Sought After’ by the Lord. In Him, we are ‘the City No Longer Deserted’ (Isaiah 62:12; 1 Peter 2:9-9-10; 1:18-19; Luke 19:10; John 14:18).

The Love Of Christ

Christ loves us. He has given Himself for us. He calls us His ‘Bride’ (Ephesians 5:25-27; 2 Corinthians 11:2; Revelation 21:2, 9).

A New Name

God has given us ‘a new Name’. It is ‘the Name which is above every name’, the Name of our Lord and Saviour, Jesus Christ (Isaiah 62:2; Philippians 2:9-11).

Christmas Worship

Here are a few articles you may find helpful.

Preparing for Christmas: Learning from Mary, the mother of Jesus (Luke 1:26-38, 46-55)

Preparing for Christmas: Learning from John the Baptist (Luke 1:13-17; John 1:19-34)

Wise men (and women) still seek Jesus (Matthew 2:1-12)

Jesus Christ - “God with us” (Matthew 1:23) - is truly God and truly Man

Jesus: God with us, God for us, God in us

Invitation, Protection, Victory (Matthew 1-2)

A Journey with Christ (Matthew 1:5-6; John 8:1-11)

Matthew 1:1-25

The Virgin Birth - Believing the Fact and Receiving Its Message

Let us go to Bethlehem.

Looking back from Bethlehem, looking on from Bethlehem

We look back from Bethlehem - back to the very beginning.

First Sunday after Christmas Day: Isaiah 63:7-9; Psalm 148; Hebrews 2:10-18; Matthew 2:13-23

Season of Christmas: Nativity of the Lord (Christmas Day) II – Isaiah 62:6-12; Psalm 97; Titus 3:4-7; Luke 2: (1-7), 8-20

Season of Christmas: Nativity of the Lord (Christmas Day) I – Isaiah 9:2-7; Psalm 96; Titus 2:11-14; Luke 2:1-14, (15-20)

A Christmas Message

Jesus Christ - God with us: Readings in John, Matthew and Luke

Christ is born: Readings in Luke and Matthew

The Birth of Christ: Readings in Matthew and Luke

Encouraging One Another In The Lord

It's great that we are able to encourage one another in the Lord. Hebrews 10:25 speaks about "the assembling of ourselves together" and "exhorting one another." Each of us has a particular ministry of encouragement to those with whom we are gathered together to worship the Lord. It is a privilege to be able to share something of this ministry of encouragement with other people.

Adventure, Encouragement, Hope - Childrens Book

The Child Who Learned Dreams Come True is dedicated to children and the child deep within us all. That child who loves to dream, that loves adventure, that believes and hopes for great things.

You see, we all dream. Dreams are a part of our character. They encourage us, mentor us, help us to process life, and even help us to find greatness deep within.

However, there is more. This book is also dedicated to adults who have lost their desire to dream, who have lost that desire for adventure, and feel that life's dreams have passed them by.

Order it from the author through this site or get it online everywhere or at your local bookstore .
ISBN 9781603830980 - ISBN 1603830987

Learning From Stephen - A Man Filled With The Holy Spirit

Immediately before he was stoned, Stephen preached the Gospel of Christ. After he had finished speaking, we see Stephen - about to be stoned - facing death as a man full of the Holy Spirit, a man looking to Jesus Christ - "Now when they heard these things they were enraged and they ground their teeth against him. But he, full of the Holy Spirit, gazed into heaven and saw the glory of God, and Jesus standing at the right hand of God" (Acts 7:54-55). From Stephen, we learn this. Through the power of the Holy Spirit, we look away from ourselves to the Lord Jesus Christ. Looking to Christ, we catch a glimpse of the glory of God. Our lives are filled with the glory of the Lord.

Peace, Peace, Peace

To the storms of life. We all encounter them from time to time and life does come with difficulties. However let me encourage you to stay focused on Christ and His love for you. Stand in God's Word and His promises over your life and remember, all things are possible through God.

Blessings,
inhisgloriousnameministriesonline.blogspot.com

Witnessing For Christ In Today's World (5)

What are we to say about the distinction between “believing” and “belonging”? There may be people of ‘vague faith’ who do not have a feeling of belonging because they do not really want to move beyond a ‘vague faith.’ Surely, we must ask whether this kind of ‘vague faith’, which shows no real interest in becoming a life-changing faith in Christ, should be described as ‘believing’. There may also be people of a very strong faith who do not have a sense of belonging when they come to our congregations because they do not feel that Christ is at the centre of all that we do. Often, such people will go elsewhere, feeling that they must look for a fellowship of believers who seek to keep Christ at the centre of their worship and witness. Whatever else may be said about ‘believing’ and ‘belonging’, those who wish to focus attention on Jesus Christ must surely agree with the statement that “any attempt to promote the church as an institution, to ‘sell’ the church as a form of religious commitment is futile.” We do not promote the church. We “preach … Jesus Christ as Lord” (2 Corinthians 4:5). We do not ‘sell’ the church. We point people to the Saviour, emphasizing that “the free gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord” (Romans 6:23).

Witnessing For Christ In Today's World (4)

What do we mean when we use words like “evangelism” and “mission”? If “evangelism” means no more than bringing people to faith in God, have we taken them any further than the deist who sees ‘God’ as the most rational explanation of the mystery of life. Surely, evangelism takes us beyond this by focusing attention on our Lord and Saviour, Jesus Christ. When mission emphasizes the importance of being a “gracious neighbour”, we must surely take care to make it clear that being a gracious neighbour arises out of loving the Lord our God with all our heart and soul and mind and strength (Luke 10:27). If, in our understanding of our work for the Lord, we emphasize the importance of both our words and our actions, I don’t think there is any great need to say that evangelism is one thing and mission is something else. Both words describe our commitment to serving the Lord in the whole of life.

Witnessing For Christ In Today's World (3)

It’s often said that our theology should be an “answering theology.” We are to engage with the questions people are asking. Recognizing the importance of this approach, we should be aware of the danger that our theology can end up becoming a “questioning theology.” When we end up saying things like, “We have more questions than answers”, are we not losing the simplicity of the Gospel which tells us of God’s Answer to the problem of human sin? We don’t need to have “all the answers to all the questions”, but we can point to “Christ Jesus who came into the world to save sinners” (1 Timothy 1:15). “The courage to doubt” may help us to acknowledge that we don’t have all the answers. It is only the courage of faith that will enable us to confess Christ as our Saviour and call upon others to trust in Him.

Witnessing For Christ In Today's World (2)

It’s often said that people no longer understand Biblical and theological language. What are we to do about this? Are we to “demythologize” the Christian message? Can we share the Good News if we are dismissive of the facts on which the Gospel is based – “Christ died for our sins” and was “raised on the third day” (1 Corinthians 15:3-4)? By focusing on words such as suffering, social justice and mystery, we may find points of contact with people’s experience. This may lead to wide-ranging discussion of issues that are of general interest to people who might describe themselves as humanists. At what point do we speak of Christ? Sometimes, when we speak of dialogue, it can end up in a rambling type of discussion which never really gets very near to focusing attention on the Jesus Christ of the Bible. He always has more to say to us than simply calling us to love our neighbour. When we get people’s attention, what are we to say to them? If we are to get their attention for Jesus Christ, we must surely seek to move beyond a conversation about social issues.

Witnessing For Christ In Today's World (1)

Offering a theological analysis of contemporary society does not mean that we ‘curse’ the society within which we live. We must always bring the Good News of God’s love – “God so loved the world …” (John 3:16). That doesn’t mean that we become uncritical of the world. We must never forget these words: “Do not love the world or the things of the world” (1 John 2:15). How are we to “seek the welfare of the city”? Do we get so caught up in earthly city that we forget about “the city of God” – so wrapped in a this – worldly outlook that we lose sight of the eternal dimension – God’s eternal love, God’s eternal purpose, God’s eternal Kingdom? It’s often said that we can become too heavenly-minded to be any earthly-good. Have we reached the stage where we need to be reminded that we can become too earthly-minded to be any heavenly-good?

Teton Mountains

Just imagine spending 40 days and 40 nights in the Teton Mountains and surrounding areas. The beauty, nature, peace, wonderful moments, beautiful sunsets and endless hours of being far from the hustle bustle of life.

Author Eric Zehnder did just that. When Author Eric Zehnder traveled to the Teton Mountains in Wyoming something very profound happened. He started writing quality sayings.

Eric went on to write 4,000 sayings in just 40 days while in the mountains. He then went on to write 8,000 more sayings and has amassed a personal library of over 12,000 sayings.

This book is a collection of wise, fun and humorous sayings. If you read a few, you will be entertained. However, if you apply the sayings in this book to everyday life situations, they will help put you on the path to living a victorious life.

ISBN 9781603831109
Order your copy now on line at Amazon, Barnes & Nobles and other online bookstores
Or order it from the Author at: The Everlasting Kingdom