Quote from Forum Archives on April 8, 2002, 5:28 pm

Posted by: masinick <masinick@...>

Dear friends,

As we begin a new work week, it is frequently my practice to include a
compilation of Phil Ware's Weekly Verses, which I subscribe to by
Email from Crosswalk.com. In this week's edition, Phil examines some
of the ways in which people have denied God, denied the work of
Christ, yet how God, in His graciousness, has given us His Presence,
His Word, His great plan, which accounts for our weakness and our
tendency to wander.

I don't know about you, but God's faithfulness really captivates me,
and it draws me back to God. I occasionally wander. Sometimes I grow
impatient, and I say or do things that I should not do. Other times,
I fail to do the things that I should do. But when I remember God's
goodness, I am drawn to Him. I confess my weakness, I turn away from
my thoughtless attitudes and actions, and I turn back to Him.

At church yesterday, our last chorus we sang was a reminder to
earnestly seek God:

Turn your eyes upon Jesus
Look full in His Wonderful face
And the things of earth
Will grow strangely dim
In the light of His glory and grace!

Now my friends, that is a comforting and catchy song, and those of us
who are church attenders swoon and croon those words. But the real
beauty of it is not the physical appearance of Jesus Christ. I have
no idea what His face actually looks like. I do know that the Bible
records that He had nothing particularly special about His appearance
that would draw people to Him, but His NATURE - being in very essence
God, the person of God, the very essence of life and love - now THAT
is what draws! Jesus Christ had EVERTHING, but He gave it all away
with nothing tangible in return, for our sake, for obedience to God
the Father, and for His ultimate glory. That, I can seek. That, I
can identify with.

I'm not looking for any glory at all, except for the eternal glory
that God will grant me as one of His own. Now that means that I need
to fix my eyes on Him, (See Wednesday's verse). Thanks to Him, I am
redeemed, and I will have that opportunity! Praise be to God, the One
who provides ALL good gifts!

Your Brother in Christ,
Brian

Weekly Verses
from Crosswalk.com
www.crosswalk.com
4/8/02

These verses are taken from TODAY'S VERSE, by Phil Ware
< devotionals.crosswalk.com/TodaysVerse >

~~~~~~~~~
MONDAY

The fool says in his heart there is no God.

--Psalm 14:1
New International Version

THOUGHTS ABOUT TODAY'S VERSE...
We have raised an angry fist to fate, cursed the darkness,
and denied there is a God. Each of these is equally
ineffective. To rob heaven of God is only to rob ourselves of
grace, hope, and a future. How foolish indeed to forget that
behind a creation of wonder, order, variety, beauty, ferocity,
and pattern is the Creator who is far greater than his
handiwork.

MY PRAYER...
O Lord God Almighty, Creator and Sustainer, thank you for
being there, but for being with me today. In Jesus name I
pray. Amen.

~~~~~~~~~

TUESDAY

Now as Jesus was going up to Jerusalem, he took the twelve
disciples aside and said to them, "We are going up to
Jerusalem, and the Son of Man will be betrayed to the chief
priests and the teachers of the law. They will condemn him to
death and will turn him over to the Gentiles to be mocked and
flogged and crucified. On the third day he will be raised to
life!"

--Matthew 20:17-19
New International Version

THOUGHTS ABOUT TODAY'S VERSE...
One thing the Gospels (Matthew, Mark, Luke and John) make
clear is that Jesus' death on the cross was no accident. Jesus
knew the challenge that awaited him in Jerusalem, and he walked
into it to deliver us from the same fate.

MY PRAYER...
Holy God and Loving Father, thank you for your plan to cover
my sin with your grace by the death of your Son. May I live
today aware of his sacrifice and confident of his victory over
sin and death so my life may reflect your victory. Through
Jesus, my precious Savior, I pray. Amen.

~~~~~~~~~

WEDNESDAY

Let us fix our eyes on Jesus, the author and perfecter of our
faith, who for the joy set before him endured the cross,
scorning its shame, and sat down at the right hand of the
throne of God.

--Hebrews 12:2
New International Version

THOUGHTS ABOUT TODAY'S VERSE...
"He drives where he looks, he drives where he looks!" That
statement by a disgruntled elderly wife about her husband
really spoke the truth. But then it's true of all of us. We
"live like where we look" That's why it's important to fix our
eyes on Jesus!

MY PRAYER...
Almighty and holy God, without your grace and the gift of
your salvation I could not approach you with confidence. Thank
you for sending Jesus! Thank you for his life, his death, his
resurrection, his exaltation and his intercession. I pledge
this day to keep my eyes on him! Through him I pray. Amen.

~~~~~~~~~

THURSDAY

In Christ we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness
of sins, in accordance with the riches of God's grace.

--Ephesians 1:7
New International Version

THOUGHTS ABOUT TODAY'S VERSE...
Forgiveness. What a sweet and precious gift. What we could
not fix, make up, or pay for, God did for us in Jesus. With
him each day is a fresh start and rebirth of springtime. But
my what a cost!

MY PRAYER...
Thank you, Father, for your anguish it cost to forgive my
sins by the blood of your Son. I pledge today that I will not
take lightly the cost of my sin and will live to your glory in
appreciation of your grace. Through him who sacrificed all for
my salvation I pray. Amen.

~~~~~~~~~

FRIDAY

Christ's love compels us, because we are convinced that one
died for all, and therefore all died. And he died for all,
that those who live should no longer live for themselves but
for him who died for them and was raised again.

--2 Corinthians 5:14-15
New International Version

THOUGHTS ABOUT TODAY'S VERSE...
"What am I living for?" While that is an important
question, the most important question of all is, "Who am I
living for?" Only one person I can live for insures that I
will never die, because he has already died for me and
conquered death!

MY PRAYER...
Victorious Lord, thank you for giving me triumph over death
through Jesus my Lord. Thank you for giving me victory over
sin through his sacrificial death. Thank you for giving me
victory today in my life as I live it for him. Through Jesus I
pray. Amen.

~~~~~~~~~

SATURDAY

This is how we know love is: Jesus Christ laid down his life
for us. And we ought to lay down our lives for our brothers.

--1 John 3:16
New International Version

THOUGHTS ABOUT TODAY'S VERSE...
What does it mean to lay down our lives for our brothers?
Sounds pretty extravagant, but the next verse in 1 John 3
reminds us that most often it's very simple: if we have a
brother or sister in Christ with needs, we give up what we have
to fill that need!

MY PRAYER...
Lord God Almighty, I am convicted by your sacrifice and ask
for eyes to see and grace to act when my brothers and sisters
are in need. Through the name of Jesus I ask this. Amen.

~~~~~~~~~

SUNDAY

I have been crucified with Christ and I no longer live, but
Christ lives in me. The life I live in the body, I live by
faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me.

--Galatians 2:20
New International Version

THOUGHTS ABOUT TODAY'S VERSE...
When we are baptized into Christ, we share in his
crucifixion and we are raised up to be new people. Christ is
alive in us. The real challenge is for us to be "Christ
alive!" Our motivation? Not to earn salvation, which has
already been given us by grace, but to honor him who sacrificed
all to save us. (See Romans 6:1-14)

MY PRAYER...
Thank you, God, for loving me and sending Jesus to redeem me
from my sin. I promise you today that I will live by faith in
your Son who gave himself so I can spend eternity with you. I
ask that by your Spirit, you help Jesus' life be seen in me.
Through him I pray. Amen.

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____________________________________________________________

=====
--
Brian Masinick, "The Mas", mailto:masinick@yahoo.com
Home page: www.geocities.com/masinick/

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