Weekly Verse and Song for Tonight Weeks 577 - 585
January 22, 2025
Week 566
Matthew 18:15-18
15 “If your brother or sister sins, go and point out their fault, just between the two of you. If they listen to you, you have won them over. 16 But if they will not listen, take one or two others along, so that ‘every matter may be established by the testimony of two or three witnesses.’17 If they still refuse to listen, tell it to the church; and if they refuse to listen even to the church, treat them as you would a pagan or a tax collector.
18 “Truly I tell you, whatever you bind on earth will be bound in heaven, and whatever you loose on earth will be loosed in heaven.
This week it's been a bit difficult, and now to write about this seems to be just as difficult. The short story is I had a friend who started to go wayward regarding a particular scam she has fallen victim to. She shared the details with me and at first I trusted she was strong enough to not enter into this scam. But shortly it became very clear that she did, as she told me she gave money to the alleged scam artist. Despite my exhaustive effort this week she will not listen and wants to continue conversing and will give more money. In tonight's verse we come to the pages of Matthew 18:15-18:
15 “If your brother or sister sins, go and point out their fault, just between the two of you. If they listen to you, you have won them over. 16 But if they will not listen, take one or two others along, so that ‘every matter may be established by the testimony of two or three witnesses.’17 If they still refuse to listen, tell it to the church; and if they refuse to listen even to the church, treat them as you would a pagan or a tax collector.
18 “Truly I tell you, whatever you bind on earth will be bound in heaven, and whatever you loose on earth will be loosed in heaven.
We grew up poor, we did not have a lot but mom made every effort for us to not feel this way. However, mom I know had inward struggle with money and wanting more at times of weakness. Mom encountered a scam one day. Mom left the grocery store, no doubt feeling less as mom had to pull a shopping cart home after spending money on food for us. Well a scam occured and mom fell victim, to it and wound up with an envelope full of torn paper instead of money. This set me on an unknown trajectory to want to help others not fall victim to scams of any magnitude. I wrote "unknown trjectory" because I had almost no idea I felt this way until I was an adult.
Well regarding my friend she will not listen to me. As the verse tonight states bring others along, and if it fails to tell it to the Church and if this still refuses to listen the importance is to put them out. The verse states this is Church discipline but the principles can still apply to a person who is sinning. This verse has comforted me in the midst of my exhaustion and turmoil.
I'm utterly devasted by my friend's actions, but the actions I am taking are clear. Even if this means she is no longer a friend.
As Christians we can seek the Bible for answers. The imporant part is that we do our part and trust God to do the rest.
Be Blessed
Love you mom and I love you, Lord.
Home with the One we Live for.
Turn your eyes upon Jesus - Estera Bretan
Week 566
Matthew 18:15-18
15 “If your brother or sister sins, go and point out their fault, just between the two of you. If they listen to you, you have won them over. 16 But if they will not listen, take one or two others along, so that ‘every matter may be established by the testimony of two or three witnesses.’17 If they still refuse to listen, tell it to the church; and if they refuse to listen even to the church, treat them as you would a pagan or a tax collector.
18 “Truly I tell you, whatever you bind on earth will be bound in heaven, and whatever you loose on earth will be loosed in heaven.
This week it's been a bit difficult, and now to write about this seems to be just as difficult. The short story is I had a friend who started to go wayward regarding a particular scam she has fallen victim to. She shared the details with me and at first I trusted she was strong enough to not enter into this scam. But shortly it became very clear that she did, as she told me she gave money to the alleged scam artist. Despite my exhaustive effort this week she will not listen and wants to continue conversing and will give more money. In tonight's verse we come to the pages of Matthew 18:15-18:
15 “If your brother or sister sins, go and point out their fault, just between the two of you. If they listen to you, you have won them over. 16 But if they will not listen, take one or two others along, so that ‘every matter may be established by the testimony of two or three witnesses.’17 If they still refuse to listen, tell it to the church; and if they refuse to listen even to the church, treat them as you would a pagan or a tax collector.
18 “Truly I tell you, whatever you bind on earth will be bound in heaven, and whatever you loose on earth will be loosed in heaven.
We grew up poor, we did not have a lot but mom made every effort for us to not feel this way. However, mom I know had inward struggle with money and wanting more at times of weakness. Mom encountered a scam one day. Mom left the grocery store, no doubt feeling less as mom had to pull a shopping cart home after spending money on food for us. Well a scam occured and mom fell victim, to it and wound up with an envelope full of torn paper instead of money. This set me on an unknown trajectory to want to help others not fall victim to scams of any magnitude. I wrote "unknown trjectory" because I had almost no idea I felt this way until I was an adult.
Well regarding my friend she will not listen to me. As the verse tonight states bring others along, and if it fails to tell it to the Church and if this still refuses to listen the importance is to put them out. The verse states this is Church discipline but the principles can still apply to a person who is sinning. This verse has comforted me in the midst of my exhaustion and turmoil.
I'm utterly devasted by my friend's actions, but the actions I am taking are clear. Even if this means she is no longer a friend.
As Christians we can seek the Bible for answers. The imporant part is that we do our part and trust God to do the rest.
Be Blessed
Love you mom and I love you, Lord.
Home with the One we Live for.
Turn your eyes upon Jesus - Estera Bretan
January 29, 2025
Week 567
Acts 17:11
11 Now the Berean Jews were of more noble character than those in Thessalonica, for they received the message with great eagerness and examined the Scriptures every day to see if what Paul said was true.
Blind Faith
Last week we spoke about "Sinning Against Others" where I mentioned a friend was getting into something that was a scam. My friend who started to go wayward regarding a particular scam she had fallen victim to. Despite my exhaustive effort last week she did not listen and wanted to continue conversing and gave more money. I cited verse Matthew 18:15-18 as a way to deal with this friend. I started this process and it seemingly caused a dent in my friend's thinking. In the process of following Matthew 18, my friend made a comment, "love is blind". As I think through this I like to look through the eyes of scripture. The question is what does the Bible say about "Blind Faith". In tonight's verse we come to the pages of Acts 17:11:
11 Now the Berean Jews were of more noble character than those in Thessalonica, for they received the message with great eagerness and examined the Scriptures every day to see if what Paul said was true.
When I was younger my mom always taught me to read the Bible, and pray, I started to make one of my first prayers before I read God's word is "please Father help me to read and understand your word". As mom taught me this over the years I realize that there is something else, that God calls us to do as Christians. God never calls us to just accept what He says without Him first showing us who He is. For example Moses encountered the burning Bush (Exodus 3), David saw how God empowered him to defeat those attacking his sheep (1 Samuel 17), Jesus Himself showed who He was through miracles (John 2 and various other verses through Matthew, Mark, Luke and John).
If there is any question about this, the verse tonight shows that the Berean Jews questioned Paul who was visiting the region of Berea to preach the good news of Jesus Christ. In this the Bereans questioned Paul, and examined the scriptures intently to see if what Paul was saying is true. The idea therefore is does God want us to accept Him blindly. The answer is no. God shows us who He is through many means, scriptures, creation (Psalm 19:1), through His faithful people, through prayer, and so much more. However when we come to the agreement that God is who He says He is there is the concept of faith as Hebrews 11:1 states that we must have.
So today as you encounter various circumstances in life, follow scriptures and test, test people who come into your life in the case of my friend, which will help avoid hurtful outcomes.
Be Blessed
Love you mom, and I love you Lord.
Home with the One we trust.
Clara Faithwood - ONLY JESUS (Lyric Video) | New Christian Music
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=r0jUrNtkL28
Week 567
Acts 17:11
11 Now the Berean Jews were of more noble character than those in Thessalonica, for they received the message with great eagerness and examined the Scriptures every day to see if what Paul said was true.
Blind Faith
Last week we spoke about "Sinning Against Others" where I mentioned a friend was getting into something that was a scam. My friend who started to go wayward regarding a particular scam she had fallen victim to. Despite my exhaustive effort last week she did not listen and wanted to continue conversing and gave more money. I cited verse Matthew 18:15-18 as a way to deal with this friend. I started this process and it seemingly caused a dent in my friend's thinking. In the process of following Matthew 18, my friend made a comment, "love is blind". As I think through this I like to look through the eyes of scripture. The question is what does the Bible say about "Blind Faith". In tonight's verse we come to the pages of Acts 17:11:
11 Now the Berean Jews were of more noble character than those in Thessalonica, for they received the message with great eagerness and examined the Scriptures every day to see if what Paul said was true.
When I was younger my mom always taught me to read the Bible, and pray, I started to make one of my first prayers before I read God's word is "please Father help me to read and understand your word". As mom taught me this over the years I realize that there is something else, that God calls us to do as Christians. God never calls us to just accept what He says without Him first showing us who He is. For example Moses encountered the burning Bush (Exodus 3), David saw how God empowered him to defeat those attacking his sheep (1 Samuel 17), Jesus Himself showed who He was through miracles (John 2 and various other verses through Matthew, Mark, Luke and John).
If there is any question about this, the verse tonight shows that the Berean Jews questioned Paul who was visiting the region of Berea to preach the good news of Jesus Christ. In this the Bereans questioned Paul, and examined the scriptures intently to see if what Paul was saying is true. The idea therefore is does God want us to accept Him blindly. The answer is no. God shows us who He is through many means, scriptures, creation (Psalm 19:1), through His faithful people, through prayer, and so much more. However when we come to the agreement that God is who He says He is there is the concept of faith as Hebrews 11:1 states that we must have.
So today as you encounter various circumstances in life, follow scriptures and test, test people who come into your life in the case of my friend, which will help avoid hurtful outcomes.
Be Blessed
Love you mom, and I love you Lord.
Home with the One we trust.
Clara Faithwood - ONLY JESUS (Lyric Video) | New Christian Music
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=r0jUrNtkL28
February 05, 2025
Week 569
Colossians 3:13
13 Bear with each other and forgive one another if any of you has a grievance against someone. Forgive as the Lord forgave you.
Apologizing Regardless
This weekend was a nice one in which I was able to get a lot of things and I felt very productive. Well on Monday morning I got up early and I received a text from a friend that a friend had passed away. It took me a little while to process what I was reading. As I processed it my friend who had texted sent me a pic of our friend and it shocked me. Suddenly a flood of emotions came over me and my day was left with sadness, one of the reasons for this sadness is because the friend who had passed away was a nice person to me. However, we had gotten into an argument and though I knew we had spoken afterwards I wasn't sure if I had done the right thing and apologized. In tonight's verse, we come to the pages of Colossians 3:13:
"13 Bear with each other and forgive one another if any of you has a grievance against someone. Forgive as the Lord forgave you."
One of the things I recall about my mom is that when mom would be upset as I got older, mom was distraught. The one thing however I knew I could do was apologize to my mom and mom would forgive me. I know this is a trait that God commands for us as Paul wrote this to the Church in Colossae.
Well as I was processing that my friend had passed away, my last memory was we had got into a fight I know we talked after it albeit it was years later, but I didn't know if I ever apologized. The argument was something silly it was that I asked her about a game she used to play, and she replied "I don't play that anymore I am too old. I asked her OK, well why are you always angry, and she said she wasn't and why would I even say that?" That resulted in me saying "OK, and take care". Such a silly way to argue with someone. Then today I was looking through some messages and found an old message I had sent through a Social media platform. In it, I apologized to her. Then I confirmed that she read my message. I did not know how much I needed to know that I apologized to her and that she knew I was sorry until I found it. I felt a sense of relief though not huge but I did exclaim to myself that "this is what I needed to know".
This lesson has taught me that in life, we never know what can truly happen from one day to the next. A week ago my friend was here, and a week later, she is not. It is important to look after the people God puts in front of you. When there is a wrong, it's OK. It's better to just apologize and move on and be heartfelt because you never know. My friendship with my friend was never the same, but I knew we were OK.
Today, if you have someone you should say sorry to, someone you might have gotten into an argument with, it's not worth it to hold onto things. It's better to free yourself, apologize, and move on. You never know what the next day brings. Honor the Lord.
Be blessed in Heaven, my friend.
Be Blessed.
Love you Mom and I love you, Lord.
Home with the One we honor
The below song is from my friend's SoundCloud account, I discovered it today.
Love & The Outcome - He Is With Us
Week 569
Colossians 3:13
13 Bear with each other and forgive one another if any of you has a grievance against someone. Forgive as the Lord forgave you.
Apologizing Regardless
This weekend was a nice one in which I was able to get a lot of things and I felt very productive. Well on Monday morning I got up early and I received a text from a friend that a friend had passed away. It took me a little while to process what I was reading. As I processed it my friend who had texted sent me a pic of our friend and it shocked me. Suddenly a flood of emotions came over me and my day was left with sadness, one of the reasons for this sadness is because the friend who had passed away was a nice person to me. However, we had gotten into an argument and though I knew we had spoken afterwards I wasn't sure if I had done the right thing and apologized. In tonight's verse, we come to the pages of Colossians 3:13:
"13 Bear with each other and forgive one another if any of you has a grievance against someone. Forgive as the Lord forgave you."
One of the things I recall about my mom is that when mom would be upset as I got older, mom was distraught. The one thing however I knew I could do was apologize to my mom and mom would forgive me. I know this is a trait that God commands for us as Paul wrote this to the Church in Colossae.
Well as I was processing that my friend had passed away, my last memory was we had got into a fight I know we talked after it albeit it was years later, but I didn't know if I ever apologized. The argument was something silly it was that I asked her about a game she used to play, and she replied "I don't play that anymore I am too old. I asked her OK, well why are you always angry, and she said she wasn't and why would I even say that?" That resulted in me saying "OK, and take care". Such a silly way to argue with someone. Then today I was looking through some messages and found an old message I had sent through a Social media platform. In it, I apologized to her. Then I confirmed that she read my message. I did not know how much I needed to know that I apologized to her and that she knew I was sorry until I found it. I felt a sense of relief though not huge but I did exclaim to myself that "this is what I needed to know".
This lesson has taught me that in life, we never know what can truly happen from one day to the next. A week ago my friend was here, and a week later, she is not. It is important to look after the people God puts in front of you. When there is a wrong, it's OK. It's better to just apologize and move on and be heartfelt because you never know. My friendship with my friend was never the same, but I knew we were OK.
Today, if you have someone you should say sorry to, someone you might have gotten into an argument with, it's not worth it to hold onto things. It's better to free yourself, apologize, and move on. You never know what the next day brings. Honor the Lord.
Be blessed in Heaven, my friend.
Be Blessed.
Love you Mom and I love you, Lord.
Home with the One we honor
The below song is from my friend's SoundCloud account, I discovered it today.
Love & The Outcome - He Is With Us
February 12, 2025
Week 570
Matthew 5:4
4 Blessed are those who mourn,
for they will be comforted.
Grieving With Others
This past week was the funeral for my friend. I was not able to attend, and I was OK with coming to terms with that. However, something happened the following day, unbeknownst to me: the family and Church posted the funeral of my friend online, I didn't know. I noticed a new posting under my friend's name, and I went to click on it, and I was taken to her funeral. As I watched with the volume down, I saw her husband, who looked so visibly distraught. An amount of sadness, unbelief, and seemingly confusion swept across his face as he was greeted by fellow friends and family who were there to comfort him. In my mind as I saw this, I was left with a similar sadness, unbelief, and confusion. In tonight's verse, we encounter the Beatitudes as spoken by Jesus in the pages of Matthew 5:4:
4 Blessed are those who mourn,
for they will be comforted.
After seeing the funeral, a flood of thoughts came to me, and one of the things I always remember my mom telling me is to pray and talk to someone when you are going through something. My attitude was just that. The next day, I messaged my friend to tell her I needed to talk about how I was feeling about this funeral and all. We spoke, and as we did, I realized that God was using this to comfort me and, in turn, perhaps to comfort my friend, who also had a flood of emotions. Essentially, we were bearing each other's burdens (Galatians 6:2).
I thanked my friend and told her that I appreciate her listening to me and that we are sharing in this grief.
Today, as Christians, we are not immune to problems, including grief. When you are facing something, be aware, recognize the problems, and trust what the Bible says when needed to seek other godly people in your life. It's what we are commanded to do.
Be Blessed
Love you, Mom and I love you, Lord.
Home with the One we follow.
The link is from my friend's SoundCloud account:
Third-Day - Third Day "Your Love is Like a River"
Week 570
Matthew 5:4
4 Blessed are those who mourn,
for they will be comforted.
Grieving With Others
This past week was the funeral for my friend. I was not able to attend, and I was OK with coming to terms with that. However, something happened the following day, unbeknownst to me: the family and Church posted the funeral of my friend online, I didn't know. I noticed a new posting under my friend's name, and I went to click on it, and I was taken to her funeral. As I watched with the volume down, I saw her husband, who looked so visibly distraught. An amount of sadness, unbelief, and seemingly confusion swept across his face as he was greeted by fellow friends and family who were there to comfort him. In my mind as I saw this, I was left with a similar sadness, unbelief, and confusion. In tonight's verse, we encounter the Beatitudes as spoken by Jesus in the pages of Matthew 5:4:
4 Blessed are those who mourn,
for they will be comforted.
After seeing the funeral, a flood of thoughts came to me, and one of the things I always remember my mom telling me is to pray and talk to someone when you are going through something. My attitude was just that. The next day, I messaged my friend to tell her I needed to talk about how I was feeling about this funeral and all. We spoke, and as we did, I realized that God was using this to comfort me and, in turn, perhaps to comfort my friend, who also had a flood of emotions. Essentially, we were bearing each other's burdens (Galatians 6:2).
I thanked my friend and told her that I appreciate her listening to me and that we are sharing in this grief.
Today, as Christians, we are not immune to problems, including grief. When you are facing something, be aware, recognize the problems, and trust what the Bible says when needed to seek other godly people in your life. It's what we are commanded to do.
Be Blessed
Love you, Mom and I love you, Lord.
Home with the One we follow.
The link is from my friend's SoundCloud account:
Third-Day - Third Day "Your Love is Like a River"
December 18, 2024
Week 562
Job 12:7-10
7 “But ask the animals, and they will teach you,
or the birds in the sky, and they will tell you;
8 or speak to the earth, and it will teach you,
or let the fish in the sea inform you.
9 Which of all these does not know
that the hand of the Lord has done this?
10 In his hand is the life of every creature
and the breath of all mankind.
Our Pets
Last night I had a conversation with a friend. We were speaking and talking about a pet she wanted to get, the conversation steered into the pets I had, and then a question came up. The question was when our pets pass do they go to be with the Lord? In tonight's verse, we come to the pages of Job 12:7-10:
7 “But ask the animals, and they will teach you,
or the birds in the sky, and they will tell you;
8 or speak to the earth, and it will teach you,
or let the fish in the sea inform you.
9 Which of all these does not know
that the hand of the Lord has done this?
10 In his hand is the life of every creature
and the breath of all mankind.
My mom was surrounded by three dogs, one of them was my sister's Sheltie, one was a German Shepherd mixed which my other sister took care of, and one was a Pomeranian. My mom took care of the Pomeranian. The Pomeranian was so smart and provided company for my mom when I left the house. Mom took care of her, and in return, the Pomeranian took care of Mom. When my mom passed the Pomeranian was safely outside in the backyard. The Pomeranian knew my mom had passed when we brought her inside, as she did not seem to whimper or feel sad. Years later when the Pomeranian passed the thought I had and even before was what happens when these pets of ours leave this life.
The verse for tonight gives us a glimpse of how our Heavenly Father views these animals. The verse tells us that these animals know God and in His hands is their life. When I view this verse, read it, and study it my view is that these creatures are not lost by God, when they pass from this life their essence (their spirit) is with God. You see the animals teach us about God in a way that we know Him. The book of Job refers to the animals and their ability to be tamed by humans, what we learn is that we to them are a higher life form, and much the same for the proud human heart to be tamed it takes a higher life form, God. Since their life is in God's hands and used by God to teach us of Him, they are with the Lord when their time on earth is complete.
Sometimes we may think or even wonder if ur pets are lost when they pass from this life, it is my view and understanding from the verse in Job that our pets specifically are not lost when they leave this life, but they go to be with God, and one day we'll meet them again. However, the ultimate destination for us is to know Jesus and to place our trust in Him and Him alone, everything else is sub to spending eternity with Him.
Be Blessed.
Love you Mom and I love you, Lord.
Home with the One we long for.
Hark! The Herald Angels Sing - The Crosby Family
Week 562
Job 12:7-10
7 “But ask the animals, and they will teach you,
or the birds in the sky, and they will tell you;
8 or speak to the earth, and it will teach you,
or let the fish in the sea inform you.
9 Which of all these does not know
that the hand of the Lord has done this?
10 In his hand is the life of every creature
and the breath of all mankind.
Our Pets
Last night I had a conversation with a friend. We were speaking and talking about a pet she wanted to get, the conversation steered into the pets I had, and then a question came up. The question was when our pets pass do they go to be with the Lord? In tonight's verse, we come to the pages of Job 12:7-10:
7 “But ask the animals, and they will teach you,
or the birds in the sky, and they will tell you;
8 or speak to the earth, and it will teach you,
or let the fish in the sea inform you.
9 Which of all these does not know
that the hand of the Lord has done this?
10 In his hand is the life of every creature
and the breath of all mankind.
My mom was surrounded by three dogs, one of them was my sister's Sheltie, one was a German Shepherd mixed which my other sister took care of, and one was a Pomeranian. My mom took care of the Pomeranian. The Pomeranian was so smart and provided company for my mom when I left the house. Mom took care of her, and in return, the Pomeranian took care of Mom. When my mom passed the Pomeranian was safely outside in the backyard. The Pomeranian knew my mom had passed when we brought her inside, as she did not seem to whimper or feel sad. Years later when the Pomeranian passed the thought I had and even before was what happens when these pets of ours leave this life.
The verse for tonight gives us a glimpse of how our Heavenly Father views these animals. The verse tells us that these animals know God and in His hands is their life. When I view this verse, read it, and study it my view is that these creatures are not lost by God, when they pass from this life their essence (their spirit) is with God. You see the animals teach us about God in a way that we know Him. The book of Job refers to the animals and their ability to be tamed by humans, what we learn is that we to them are a higher life form, and much the same for the proud human heart to be tamed it takes a higher life form, God. Since their life is in God's hands and used by God to teach us of Him, they are with the Lord when their time on earth is complete.
Sometimes we may think or even wonder if ur pets are lost when they pass from this life, it is my view and understanding from the verse in Job that our pets specifically are not lost when they leave this life, but they go to be with God, and one day we'll meet them again. However, the ultimate destination for us is to know Jesus and to place our trust in Him and Him alone, everything else is sub to spending eternity with Him.
Be Blessed.
Love you Mom and I love you, Lord.
Home with the One we long for.
Hark! The Herald Angels Sing - The Crosby Family
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December 25, 2024
Week 563
John 3:16
“For God so loved the world, that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life.
Jesus Our Hero
Today is Christmas, I see posts all over Facebook about people taking pics with their families, wishing others a Merry Christmas. While this is very nice, I noticed that Christmas is changing slowly into something else. Now I know there are a lot of people who insist that Christmas is a pagan holiday, Jesus was not born on December 25th, others say Merry Xmas, etc. However, there is something to be said about the meaning of Christ-Mas. In tonight's verse, we come to the pages of John 3:16:
“For God so loved the world, that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life.
When I was younger, my mom always made Christmas special. One of the things my mom always did was make sure the tree had a Nativity scene. We still have that, and it's very nice to see how Mom made sure that amongst everything, we would not forget about the true meaning of Christmas, which is Jesus.
This week I was reflecting on a movie trailer I saw, Superman in the trailer you see Superman beat up and not in so great of a shape. Well,l Superman mustered up the strength to withstand and called on his faithful friend Kryptos his dog. Krypto came and rescued Superman in his distress. When I review the scene, a drama of snow blowing everywhere off in the distance,e and out of that came Krypto running to Superman's aid. Krypto was the hero in this scene.
God in our distress and sin comes to rescue us from the "comforts" of Heaven to be our Savior to do what we could never do, pay the price for sin, which is to give His life for us. When you understand who Jesus truly is, it makes the meaning of Christmas more special. Jesus is our hero, He rescues us from the peril and doom we would encounter if it wasn't for Him, we would perish.
Today on Christmas day and every day make it a point to understand that Christ is our hero.
Be Blessed.
Love you Mom and I love you, Lord.
Home with the One who rescues us.
Celtic Woman - O Holy Night
Week 563
John 3:16
“For God so loved the world, that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life.
Jesus Our Hero
Today is Christmas, I see posts all over Facebook about people taking pics with their families, wishing others a Merry Christmas. While this is very nice, I noticed that Christmas is changing slowly into something else. Now I know there are a lot of people who insist that Christmas is a pagan holiday, Jesus was not born on December 25th, others say Merry Xmas, etc. However, there is something to be said about the meaning of Christ-Mas. In tonight's verse, we come to the pages of John 3:16:
“For God so loved the world, that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life.
When I was younger, my mom always made Christmas special. One of the things my mom always did was make sure the tree had a Nativity scene. We still have that, and it's very nice to see how Mom made sure that amongst everything, we would not forget about the true meaning of Christmas, which is Jesus.
This week I was reflecting on a movie trailer I saw, Superman in the trailer you see Superman beat up and not in so great of a shape. Well,l Superman mustered up the strength to withstand and called on his faithful friend Kryptos his dog. Krypto came and rescued Superman in his distress. When I review the scene, a drama of snow blowing everywhere off in the distance,e and out of that came Krypto running to Superman's aid. Krypto was the hero in this scene.
God in our distress and sin comes to rescue us from the "comforts" of Heaven to be our Savior to do what we could never do, pay the price for sin, which is to give His life for us. When you understand who Jesus truly is, it makes the meaning of Christmas more special. Jesus is our hero, He rescues us from the peril and doom we would encounter if it wasn't for Him, we would perish.
Today on Christmas day and every day make it a point to understand that Christ is our hero.
Be Blessed.
Love you Mom and I love you, Lord.
Home with the One who rescues us.
Celtic Woman - O Holy Night
January 1, 2025
Week 564
Hebrews 13:16
16 Do not neglect to do good and to share what you have, for such sacrifices are pleasing to God.
Is Giving Over?
It's the first of the year, and every year around Christmas there are tons of places trying to meet their year-end contributions, charities especially, seek out more people to give even just a "one-time gift". There are even opportunities where what you give gets matched. Now that the "holidays" are over, does the giving stop? A better question to ask is what is God's purpose in our giving? In tonight's verse, we come to the pages of Hebrews 13:16:
"16 Do not neglect to do good and to share what you have, for such sacrifices are pleasing to God."
I spoke about this before, my Mom was observant and aware of Mom's surroundings. The neighbors just had a kid and mom somehow found a way to give clothes to the family, I had no idea mom was doing this, but mom found a way. Mom was showing them godly love and care. Mom was a Christian who believed in Jesus and in Mom's heart this is something Mom wanted to do, to show God's love.
As I grew older I wanted to give to people even when scared. I knew giving was important and something God wanted me to do, but I never really understood, why. God's purpose in giving is straightforward so that through us people may know Jesus. The writer of Hebrews talks about this, God is pleased with our giving, and by giving the receiver may come to know Christ, as they will see beyond our simple gesture and see Jesus, who gave His life and thereby coming to a saving knowledge of Him.
Though the Holidays are over, know that we are on the road to the 2025 Holiday season. Also, our giving should not stop because as we give, others will know Christ and ultimately be saved.
Be Blessed
Love you Mom and I love you, Lord.
Home with the One who is the ultimate giver.
Susan Boyle - Auld Lang Syne (Official Audio)
Week 564
Hebrews 13:16
16 Do not neglect to do good and to share what you have, for such sacrifices are pleasing to God.
Is Giving Over?
It's the first of the year, and every year around Christmas there are tons of places trying to meet their year-end contributions, charities especially, seek out more people to give even just a "one-time gift". There are even opportunities where what you give gets matched. Now that the "holidays" are over, does the giving stop? A better question to ask is what is God's purpose in our giving? In tonight's verse, we come to the pages of Hebrews 13:16:
"16 Do not neglect to do good and to share what you have, for such sacrifices are pleasing to God."
I spoke about this before, my Mom was observant and aware of Mom's surroundings. The neighbors just had a kid and mom somehow found a way to give clothes to the family, I had no idea mom was doing this, but mom found a way. Mom was showing them godly love and care. Mom was a Christian who believed in Jesus and in Mom's heart this is something Mom wanted to do, to show God's love.
As I grew older I wanted to give to people even when scared. I knew giving was important and something God wanted me to do, but I never really understood, why. God's purpose in giving is straightforward so that through us people may know Jesus. The writer of Hebrews talks about this, God is pleased with our giving, and by giving the receiver may come to know Christ, as they will see beyond our simple gesture and see Jesus, who gave His life and thereby coming to a saving knowledge of Him.
Though the Holidays are over, know that we are on the road to the 2025 Holiday season. Also, our giving should not stop because as we give, others will know Christ and ultimately be saved.
Be Blessed
Love you Mom and I love you, Lord.
Home with the One who is the ultimate giver.
Susan Boyle - Auld Lang Syne (Official Audio)
January 8, 2025
Week 565
Psalms 139:13-14
13 For you created my inmost being; you knit me together in my mother’s womb.
14 I praise you because I am fearfully and wonderfully made; your works are wonderful, I know that full well.
Having Confidence
I recently had opportunities to meet people, and many times when I do so my confidence is lower for some reason. As I think through this and even talk with others this lower confidence comes through. In tonight's verse, we take a look at why we need to have confidence in every situation through: Psalms 139:13-14
"13 For you created my inmost being; you knit me together in my mother’s womb.
14 I praise you because I am fearfully and wonderfully made; your works are wonderful, I know that full well."
One thing that amazed me about my mom was the confidence that mom had. Mom was from India, and English was mom's second language, these factors in my mind would make my mom more shy or hinder my mom's ability to talk to others. Yet one specific time I was at Church withMomm and the pastor asked for prayer requests. My mom boldly stood up and said "Please pray for my children...". Seeing my mom do that reminded me that mom had confidence, which was from the Lord. Mom was not afraid.
The Bible tells us that we are His. God created us. Think about the God who created the universe, and He made you to be who you are. That alone should give us the confidence we need to boldly proclaim His name and to be confident when we interact with others.
For me knowing this helps me to remember I wasn't just created by the Lord on accident, He specifically made me, my confidence is in Him, which makes me confident in myself. This is my goal to be confident when I speak to others no matter, how I look or feel because of God. Today if you are struggling with confidence remember the verse from Psalms 139:13-14, re-read it make it a part of your life, knowing that the Creator of all you see, created you, and be confident because of this as you live day to day.
Be Blessed
Love you Mom and I love you, Lord.
Home with the One who created us.
Mom sings "Goodness Of God" with her son and daughter | The Protsenko Family
Week 565
Psalms 139:13-14
13 For you created my inmost being; you knit me together in my mother’s womb.
14 I praise you because I am fearfully and wonderfully made; your works are wonderful, I know that full well.
Having Confidence
I recently had opportunities to meet people, and many times when I do so my confidence is lower for some reason. As I think through this and even talk with others this lower confidence comes through. In tonight's verse, we take a look at why we need to have confidence in every situation through: Psalms 139:13-14
"13 For you created my inmost being; you knit me together in my mother’s womb.
14 I praise you because I am fearfully and wonderfully made; your works are wonderful, I know that full well."
One thing that amazed me about my mom was the confidence that mom had. Mom was from India, and English was mom's second language, these factors in my mind would make my mom more shy or hinder my mom's ability to talk to others. Yet one specific time I was at Church withMomm and the pastor asked for prayer requests. My mom boldly stood up and said "Please pray for my children...". Seeing my mom do that reminded me that mom had confidence, which was from the Lord. Mom was not afraid.
The Bible tells us that we are His. God created us. Think about the God who created the universe, and He made you to be who you are. That alone should give us the confidence we need to boldly proclaim His name and to be confident when we interact with others.
For me knowing this helps me to remember I wasn't just created by the Lord on accident, He specifically made me, my confidence is in Him, which makes me confident in myself. This is my goal to be confident when I speak to others no matter, how I look or feel because of God. Today if you are struggling with confidence remember the verse from Psalms 139:13-14, re-read it make it a part of your life, knowing that the Creator of all you see, created you, and be confident because of this as you live day to day.
Be Blessed
Love you Mom and I love you, Lord.
Home with the One who created us.
Mom sings "Goodness Of God" with her son and daughter | The Protsenko Family
January 15, 2025
Week 566
Matthew 28:19-20
19 Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, 20 and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age.”
Discipling Others
Last night I was doing my Bible Study in BSF (Bible Study Fellowship) and one of the questions struck me so much that I had to share it with others. In tonight's verse, we come to the pages of Matthew 28:19-20:
"19 Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, 20 and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age.
One of the main things I always noticed about my mom was that mom was big on people. Mom at times liked talking to people and having conversations with them. Mom also liked helping people. I recall one time after my mom passed I was delivering something to someone. They knew my mom and commented "Your mom was always sweet and nice, never causing a problem..."
In this context mom was essentially living the Christian life without necessarily speaking but by the way mom lived, so that others would see mom and perhaps wonder. The others would wonder why my mom is like this and in turn, perhaps come to know Christ.
The BSF question asked us to read the above verse and then asked: "If you are a follower of Jesus Christ, what has He told you to do in these passages? What promise does He connect to this command?"
It was the second part of the question that got me. It told me not only that Jesus says to make disciples and we know that can be done with our words and actions. The Lord promises to be with us when we do. He will never leave us, our part as Christians is to do the work, and this can be with both our words and actions as mentioned. By doing so people will see our hearts and come to know Jesus Christ. So how we speak and live - including how we treat others can lead someone to Him.
Be Blessed
Love you Mom and I love you, Lord.
Home with the One We Live for.
El-Shaddai
Week 566
Matthew 28:19-20
19 Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, 20 and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age.”
Discipling Others
Last night I was doing my Bible Study in BSF (Bible Study Fellowship) and one of the questions struck me so much that I had to share it with others. In tonight's verse, we come to the pages of Matthew 28:19-20:
"19 Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, 20 and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age.
One of the main things I always noticed about my mom was that mom was big on people. Mom at times liked talking to people and having conversations with them. Mom also liked helping people. I recall one time after my mom passed I was delivering something to someone. They knew my mom and commented "Your mom was always sweet and nice, never causing a problem..."
In this context mom was essentially living the Christian life without necessarily speaking but by the way mom lived, so that others would see mom and perhaps wonder. The others would wonder why my mom is like this and in turn, perhaps come to know Christ.
The BSF question asked us to read the above verse and then asked: "If you are a follower of Jesus Christ, what has He told you to do in these passages? What promise does He connect to this command?"
It was the second part of the question that got me. It told me not only that Jesus says to make disciples and we know that can be done with our words and actions. The Lord promises to be with us when we do. He will never leave us, our part as Christians is to do the work, and this can be with both our words and actions as mentioned. By doing so people will see our hearts and come to know Jesus Christ. So how we speak and live - including how we treat others can lead someone to Him.
Be Blessed
Love you Mom and I love you, Lord.
Home with the One We Live for.
El-Shaddai