Quote from Forum Archives on September 9, 2003, 9:14 am

Posted by: masinick <masinick@...>

Dear friends,

Here is this week's collection of scripture verses, thoughts
about the verses, and short daily prayers. In this week's
edition, Phil Ware writes about the importance of God's grace,
the marvelous manner in which God has chosen to save all who will
believe, the everlasting nature of God's love (think about that
one for a moment before passing it by - what do you know of that
really lasts?

Most things are out of style before they're even in, computers
get obsolete, jobs come and go... but the Lord's love lasts).
Given that kind of certainty and stability, can we not trust
God? The scriptures argue that God is the One whom we can
really trust, the only one, in fact, whose word NEVER changes.
I can't say that my word never changes, it seems things change
not only ever so often, but even moment by moment.

The Word also says that God will come again. We're getting close
to the anniversary of the 9/11/2001 events. Given the turmoil
that's around all of us these days, isn't it believable that God
could come at any instant in time?

I pray that my attitudes, my words, and my actions would be
continually cleansed and refined so that I am ready for His
coming. My friends, I mean that. I long for and yearn for the
Lord, yet as I do so, I find more and more things in my life that
are ugly and need to be given over to the Lord. That's not a bad
thing, it's a good thing. I'm so grateful that God loves me
enough not to leave me where I am or where I've been. It gives
me the confidence to believe that when the time comes, His Spirit
that is within me will have me prepared. I just want to make
sure that for everything that God is calling me to in my life,
that I am listening and responding.

How DO we BEST shine our lights for Jesus Christ?

Yours in Christ,
Brian

____________________________________________________________

Weekly Verses
from Crosswalk.com
link.crosswalk.com/UM/T.asp?A1.23.14412.1.293748

September 8, 2003

These verses are taken from Heartlight Daily Verse, by Phil Ware
link.crosswalk.com/UM/T.asp?A1.23.14412.2.293748
~~~~~~~~~

MONDAY

I consider my life worth nothing to me, if only I may finish
the race and complete the task the Lord Jesus has given to me
-- the task of testifying to the gospel of God's grace.
--Acts 20:24
New International Version

THOUGHTS ABOUT TODAY'S VERSE...
How important is grace? Paul said it was more important
than his life! Telling about grace was more important to Paul
than his life! In fact, that was his life!

MY PRAYER...
Almighty God, Holy Father, thank you for your lavish grace
demonstrated and fully expressed in sending Jesus to die for
me. As your child, and in thanks to your sacrificial gift, I
pledge to you my life, my love, and my all. Through Jesus.
Amen.
~~~~~~~~~

TUESDAY

God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world,
but to save the world through him.
--John 3:17
New International Version

THOUGHTS ABOUT TODAY'S VERSE...
How do you view God? Is he someone looking for a way to
condemn you? Is he an out-of-touch old man who doesn't really
know what it's like in our modern world? Is he too holy to
soil himself with the concerns of mere mortals and has left it
up to us to work everything out for ourselves? No. NO. NO!
God chose to enter our world and experience it from the side of
mortality. God chose to enter our world, not to condemn us, or
it, but to redeem it. Jesus is the great reminder that God
longs to save us, not judge us. Thank God for God! Thank God
for Jesus who was God with us.

MY PRAYER...
Holy and Heavenly God, thank you that you live with those
who are contrite and repentant and who long for your presence.
You know we are only mortal, but you love us. You know that we
are flawed, but you redeemed us. You know that we are not
perfect, but you sent Jesus as the perfect sacrifice to save
us. Thank you. Through my Savior I offer my sincerest
gratitude and praise. Amen.
~~~~~~~~~

WEDNESDAY

>From everlasting to everlasting the Lord's love is with those
who fear him, and his righteousness with their children's
children -- with those who keep his covenant and remember to
obey his precepts.
--Psalm 103:17-18
New International Version

THOUGHTS ABOUT TODAY'S VERSE...
Forever love is talked about in dime store novels, but only
found in God. We tap that reservoir of eternal and divine love
through the Holy Spirit, who helps us receive it and share it.

MY PRAYER...
Everlasting Father, may your love fill your people so the
world may know we are Jesus' disciples. Through him I pray.
Amen.
~~~~~~~~~

THURSDAY

In God, whose word I praise, in God I trust; I will not be
afraid. what can mortal man do to me?
--Psalm 56:4
New International Version

THOUGHTS ABOUT TODAY'S VERSE...
One of the powerful things about having a Bible, a
repository of God's words, is that its age and varied countries
and cultures remind us how enduring God's truth actually is.
Yet it is God in whom we put our trust. His enduring presence
through cultures, centuries, and countries reminds us that
eternal is outside our grasp, but God holds us in his grasp.

MY PRAYER...
O Great and Eternal God, thank you that you are more stable
than the ground on which I stand, more enduring than the
mountain peaks I admire, and more constant than the waves upon
the oceans. I trust my life and my future and soul with you.
Please be pleased, but even more, help me to be constant in
faithfulness to you. Through Jesus I ask this prayer. Amen.
~~~~~~~~~

FRIDAY

The Lord himself will come down from heaven, with a loud
command, with the voice of the archangel and with the trumpet
call of God, and the dead in Christ will rise first. After
that, we who are still alive and are left will be caught up
together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air.
And so we will be with the Lord forever.
--1 Thessalonians 4:16-17
New International Version

THOUGHTS ABOUT TODAY'S VERSE...
What do you have that is forever? Most of everything we have
falls apart, breaks, or runs down in a short time. But we have
three things that last forever: God, our Christian friends, and
our praise of God. These are eternal.

MY PRAYER...
God, I look forward to the day of your next great surprise.
I join the angels in standing on tiptoe as I look to the clouds
to see my Lord, your Son, return in glory and receive the
welcome and honor he deserves. I praise you for that day now,
even though I see it only by faith. Until I see you on that
day, please know my heart's desire is to serve you, even when my
weakness gets in the way of showing it as fully as I should. My
thanks to you in Jesus name. Amen.
~~~~~~~~~

SATURDAY

I saw the Holy City, the new Jerusalem, coming down out of
heaven from God, prepared as a bride, beautifully dressed for
her husband. And I heard a loud voice from the throne saying,
"Now the dwelling of God is with men, and he will live with
them. They will be his people, and God himself will be with
them and be their God. He will wipe every tear from their
eyes. There will be no more death or mourning or crying or
pain, for the old order of thing has passed away.
--Revelation 21:2-4
New International Version

THOUGHTS ABOUT TODAY'S VERSE...
I don't know about you, but I'm kind of ready for that old
order stuff to go away. The end of tears, death, mourning,
crying and pain sounds pretty good to me! No wonder the early
Christians would say, "Marantha. Come Lord Jesus!" They couldn't
wait.

MY PRAYER...
Holy God, please help me as I try to continue serving you
faithfully. My desire is to be steadfast in my love and living
for you until the glorious day that so many of your children
have longed for over the centuries. I long to see you in your
glory and to share in your presence and to join with the saints
of all ages past praising you around your glorious throne.
Through Jesus, I pray. Amen.
~~~~~~~~~

SUNDAY

A gentle answer turns away wrath, but a harsh word stirs up
anger.
--Proverbs 15:1
New International Version

THOUGHTS ABOUT TODAY'S VERSE...
Why is it so hard to endure an unjust or unfair criticism?
Why do we always have to defend ourselves no matter how
ridiculous the charge? Often the problems we have with others
simply escalate because we do not choose to forgive and let
them go on in the Lord!

MY PRAYER...
Precious and Holy God, help me more carefully guard my speech
from things you despise, especially gossip, slander, and
innuendo. Thank you. Through Jesus' grace. Amen.

============= DOES YOUR LIFE HAVE PURPOSE? =============

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

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