the good news john 316

Oct. 24, 2023

Here are my reflections and comments from today’s scripture from Our Daily Inspirations App.

My brothers and sisters in Christ, before I read or comment on God’s word, I pray that He prepares my heart to receive his guidance and ask that He uses me as his vessel to comment on His word.

The scripture is from Deuteronomy 31:7: “Moses called to Joshua, and said to him in sight of all Israel, ‘Be strong and courageous, for you shall go with this people into the land which the Lord has sworn to their fathers to give them; and you shall cause them to inherit it.’”

The devotion is titled You Can Be the Cause by John Michalak. To sum up this devotion, The author talked about the word cause. He states that every effect has a cause. No inheritance has been given that wasn’t cause, or given by someone else. Joshua was to go into the Promised Land and build something that can be passed down for future generations. God promised this inheritance, but Joshua had to make them inherit it. John states that God granted us His Holy Spirit and new life in His Son, but we are charged with passing this inheritance on to others by sharing the Gospel and make disciples in His name. With God’s help, we can be the very reason (cause) someone receives it.

Reflections, Questions, and Challenges for Us: Are there people you have been waiting for god to reach with the message of salvation?

Here is my response, yours may be different: I will pray for you to have the courage to answer God’s call to share the message of salvation with them.

My Personal Prayer for us: Holy Lord, please help us be strong and courageous for You. Make us the cause of blessing and salvation in the lives of others. In Jesus’ name we pray, Amen.

Inspirations (2023/24/10) retrieved from Website: Daily Bible. You Can Be the Cause by John Michalak.

Oct. 23, 2023

Here are my reflections and comments from today’s scripture from Our Daily Inspirations App.

My brothers and sisters in Christ, before I read or comment on God’s word, I pray that He prepares my heart to receive his guidance and ask that He uses me as his vessel to comment on His word.

The scripture is from 2 Corinthians 12:9: “He said to me, ‘’My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.’ Most gladly therefore I will rather glory in my weakness, that the power of Christ may rest in me.”

The devotion is titled When I am Weak by Heather Tietz. To sum up this devotion, The author talked about woman named Charlotte Elliott. When she was 30. she contracted an illness that kept her bedridden. An evangelist visited her, counseled her out from her depression and into Jesus’ arms. She gave what strength she had left to God. She wrote over 150 songs for Christ throughout her life. “Just As I am” is one of her most loved songs, today. She lay in bed for nearly fifty years, but her spirit grew stronger. In her weakness, others found Jesus.

Reflections, Questions, and Challenges for Us: What weakness do you have? How can God use them for His kingdom?

Here is my response, yours may be different: I have a chronic physical ailment with my right ankle. As a result, my right leg is smaller, and I have painful ulcers. God has used this aliment and me to have an online blog to spread the gospel, and through playing tennis when I am able.

My Personal Prayer for us: Dear God, Your grace is more sufficient for all our needs. We are weak, but You are strong. Please fill us with Your love and power. In Jesus’ name we pray, Amen.

Inspirations (2023/23/10) retrieved from Website: Daily Bible. When I am Weak by Heather Tietz.

Oct. 19, 2023

Here are my reflections and comments from today’s scripture from Our Daily Inspirations App.

My brothers and sisters in Christ, before I read or comment on God’s word, I pray that He prepares my heart to receive his guidance and ask that He uses me as his vessel to comment on His word.

The scripture is from Joshua 1:9: “Haven’t I command you? Be strong and courageous. Don’t be afraid. Don’t be dismayed, for the Lord your God is with you wherever you go.”

The devotion is titled Wherever You Go by Ami Hendrickson. To sum up this devotion, The author talked about the Israelites failure to cross the Jordan river because of their fear. God made them walk in the wilderness until all that generation perished. Now Joshua is the new leader. God tells him to be strong and courageous and that He will be with him multiple times. God makes the same promise to us today. The author assures us that when God gives a command, He will provide the strength to follow it.

Reflections, Questions, and Challenges for Us: What command is God giving you? What is your response?

Here is my response, yours may be different: I believe that God has given a command to use my writing skills to spread the Gospel.

My Personal Prayer for us: Dear God, we are often afraid. Sometimes this world makes us want to hide away. But we know that when You call us to Your service, You give us the strength and courage to succeed. Thank You for seeing our potential. We resolve to always live for You. We pray this in Jesus’ name, Amen.

Inspirations (2023/19/10) retrieved from Website: Daily Bible.com Wherever You Go by Ami Hendrickson.

Oct. 18, 2023

Here are my reflections and comments from today’s scripture from Our Daily Inspirations App.

My brothers and sisters in Christ, before I read or comment on God’s word, I pray that He prepares my heart to receive his guidance and ask that He uses me as his vessel to comment on His word.

The scripture is from romans 5:15: “But the free gift isn’t like the trespass. For if by the trespass of the one the many died, much more did the grace of God and gift by the grace of the one man, Jesus Christ, abound to many.”

The devotion is titled Free gift of Grace by Darla Noble. To sum up this devotion, The author talked about Karl Plagge who was a German officer. He was eventually in charge of slaughtering Lithuanian Jews. However, he choose to issue permits that kept them out of concentration camps and provide decent food for them. He risked his life for those he was supposed to hate. Darla wants us to imagine what our living God, who created us will do to save us when we let Him.

Reflections, Questions, and Challenges for Us: Take a few moments to focus your thoughts solely on the cross and the sacrifice made on your behalf. How does that make you feel.

Here is my response, yours may be different: I am overwhelmed with emotions that Jesus sacrificed His life for me a total sinner.

My Personal Prayer for us: Dear God, thank you for the free gift of grace Jesus offered us. Please help us to fully understand the sacrifice You made for our salvation. Thank You for loving us ad for setting us free from sin’s bondage. In Jesus’ name we pray, Amen.

Inspirations (2023/18/10) retrieved from Website: Daily Bible.com Free gift of Grace by Darla Noble.

Oct. 17, 2023

Here are my reflections and comments from today’s scripture from Our Daily Inspirations App.

My brothers and sisters in Christ, before I read or comment on God’s word, I pray that He prepares my heart to receive his guidance and ask that He uses me as his vessel to comment on His word.

The scripture is from Luke 17:5-6: “The apostles said to the Lord, ‘Increase our faith,’ the Lord said, ‘If you had faith like a grain of mustard seed, you would tell this sycamore tree, ‘Be uprooted, and be planted in the sea, ‘and it would obey you.”

The devotion is titled Do You Really Believe? by John Michalak. To sum up this devotion, The author said that when we ask Jesus to increase our faith, the real issue is the type of faith we have in the first place. It is about quality, not quantity. We are really implying that we don’t believe. True belief in God comes from developing an intimate relationship with God. We have to stay close to His word and make our prayers as much about connecting with Him as about wish fulfillment. Remember what mountains God has moved in your life. If your problem is belief, start trusting Him again. Turn your life over to Him to guide you.  

Reflections, Questions, and Challenges for Us: What are some areas in your life where your faith in God may be lacking? How will you seek God anew? How can you walk in the newness of faith?

Here is my response, yours may be different: The big area in my life where my faith is lacking is finances. The numbers aren’t adding up. I need to step up in faith that God got us.

My Personal Prayer for us: Dear Lord, show us the areas where we need to trust you more fully. Show us how to trust You again. Please increase our faith. Make the seeds of faith we have sprout and grow to Your glory. In Jesus’ name we pray, Amen.

Inspirations (2023/17/10) retrieved from Website: Daily Bible.com Do You Really Believe? by John Michalak.

Oct. 16, 2023

Here are my reflections and comments from today’s scripture from Our Daily Inspirations App.

My brothers and sisters in Christ, before I read or comment on God’s word, I pray that He prepares my heart to receive his guidance and ask that He uses me as his vessel to comment on His word.

The scripture is from Psalm 100:3: “Know that the Lord, he is God. It is he who has made us, and we are his. We are his people, and the sheep of his pasture.”

The devotion is titled Jesus Our Shepherd by Heather Tietz. To sum up this devotion, The author starts with talking about sheep and how forgetful and defenseless they can be.  Shepherds guarded them day and night. Sheep are a valuable community. They provided food, drink, clothing, and vital part of temple sacrifice. Jesus calls himself our shepherd. He knows we (like sheep) can forget and wander into unsafe territory. Like sheep, we get confused about which way to go. We may head to greener pastures and stumble into life’s ditches and forget to call on Him. God sees a great value in us. He is still pursuing us, picking us up, listening to our prayers, sending angelic warriors on our behalf, and providing all our needs. God wants to spend time caring for us who have little to offer back to Him. We are so blessed to be His flock.

Reflections, Questions, and Challenges for Us: In what ways are we like sheep? How has god shepherded us.

Here is my response, yours may be different: Like sheep, I get tempted by greener pastures and fell into danger. God being the good shepherd protects and leads me out.  

My Personal Prayer for us: Thank you, Jesus for your great patience with us. Nothing compares to Your kindness and love. In Your name we pray, Amen.

Inspirations (2023/16/10) retrieved from Website: Daily Bible.com Jesus Our Shepherd by Heather Tietz.

Oct. 13, 2023

Here are my reflections and comments from today’s scripture from Our Daily Inspirations App.

My brothers and sisters in Christ, before I read or comment on God’s word, I pray that He prepares my heart to receive his guidance and ask that He uses me as his vessel to comment on His word.

The scripture is from 2 Corinthians 1;19-20: “For the Son of God, Jesus Christ. Who was preached among you by us-by me, Silvanus, and Tmothy-was not ‘Yes and no,’ but in him is ‘Yes.’ For however many are the promises of God, in him is the ‘Yes.’ Therefore also through him is the ‘Amen’, to the glory of God through us.”Please help us to live up to our “amen’s”

The devotion is titled So Be It by Darla Noble. To sum up this devotion, The author explains to us the word “Amen” means so be it or let it be said. When we end our prayers with “Amen” we are promising, committing ourselves, to do the things we said we will do. “Amen” confirms our desire to have God work in the lives of who we prayed for. Darla goes on to say that Jesus is the keeper of His promises. He promised to never leave us on our own, He will love us forever, His death was payment for our sins, He would come back to take those who have been faithful and obedient to heaven, and those who deny and reject Him will suffer eternal separation from God. He kept everyone of His promises except His returning, but that will come. We can count on it. Jesus is a man of His word. When He says “Amen” He means it. Darla questioned us if our “Amen” can be counted on by Jesus.

Reflections, Questions, and Challenges for Us: Jesus’ death, burial, and resurrection is God’s ultimate promise to you. How will we let Him Keep that promise in our lives?

Here is my response, yours may be different: I will make sure my promises I make to Jesus are kept.

My Personal Prayer for us: Dear Jesus, thank you for being faithful to Your promises. As today’s verse reminds us: “You are the God of ‘yes.’” Please help us to live up to our “amens.” We long for your glory to shine through us. In Your precious name we Pray, Amen.

Inspirations (2023/13/10) retrieved from Website: Daily Bible.com God’s Ultrasound by Heather Tietz

Oct. 12, 2023

Here are my reflections and comments from today’s scripture from Our Daily Inspirations App.

My brothers and sisters in Christ, before I read or comment on God’s word, I pray that He prepares my heart to receive his guidance and ask that He uses me as his vessel to comment on His word.

The scripture is from Psalm 139:16 “Your eyes saw my body. In your book they were all written, the days that were ordained for me, when as yet there were none of them.”

The devotion is titled God’s Ultrasound by Heather Tietz. To sum up this devotion, The author started with the analogy of the ultrasound. Ultrasound has many uses. One was to aid parents to see what sex their baby will be. However, there were times that the ultrasound was wrong. Also in the case of humans the ultrasound couldn’t predict the baby’s talents, interest, subjects it would struggle to learn, or their temperament, or throughout its life unforeseen health problems, accidents, a raving success or what appears to be an untimely death. However, God can see all these and more. When life shock us, we can fall back in God’s arms and know He has a plan for us. God’s “ultrasound” pierces through all life’s issues and see a bright future for us if we only believe in Him.

Reflections, Questions, and Challenges for Us: What significant event in life has been a shock to you? Have you let God help you work through it?

Here is my response, yours may be different: The most significant event in our lives that was a shock to us was our daughter’s attempted suicide. We turned this event over to God to help us work through it. Even though it ended with her death, we came out of this more blessed and stronger.

My Personal Prayer for us: Dear Lord, thank you for seeing us as we truly are, flaws and all. Nothing we do can surprises You. Thank You for calling us Your children We pray In Jesus’ name, Amen.

Inspirations (2023/12/10) retrieved from Website: Daily Bible.com God’s Ultrasound by Heather Tietz.

Oct. 11, 2023

Here are my reflections and comments from today’s scripture from Our Daily Inspirations App.

My brothers and sisters in Christ, before I read or comment on God’s word, I pray that He prepares my heart to receive his guidance and ask that He uses me as his vessel to comment on His word.

The scripture is from Ephesians 1:18-19 “Having the eyes of your hearts enlightened, that you may know what is the hope of His calling, and what are the riches of the glory of His inheritance in the saints, and what is the exceeding greatness of His power toward us who believed, according that working of the strength of His might.”

The devotion is titled Full Potential by Darla Noble and Joyverse. To sum up this devotion, The authors start with a story about their friend, an old woman, receiving a new iPad from her son. He explained to her how she can do many things on it. She replied that she had a computer and didn’t need it. She further stated that all she wanted to do was to play Mahjong while sitting on her deck. The authors go on to say that like their friend, we are guilty of not allowing God’s full potential to shine through us. We are often busy trying to do things on our own and fail to exhibit the full impact of God’s power and experience all He wants for us. The authors don’t want us to do that. They say don’t let life get in the way of living. They want us to experience God’s glory, power, blessings, and strength in mighty ways. We are created for a purpose and wants us to follow willingly to where He leads to discover His plan for us.

Reflections, Questions, and Challenges for Us: Do we regularly trust in the full power of God? If so. What have we come to expect from Him? If not, how can we change this way of thinking in our own lives?

Here is my response, yours may be different: Now, I regularly trust in the full power of God.

My Personal Prayer for us: Dear God, please work in us. Open our hearts to the truth of Your power and love. Let us experience the joys of Your rich glory. In Jesus’ name we pray, Amen.

Inspirations (2023/11/10) retrieved from Website: Daily Bible.com Full Potential by Darla Noble and Joyverse.

Oct. 10, 2023

Here are my reflections and comments from today’s scripture from Our Daily Inspirations App.

My brothers and sisters in Christ, before I read or comment on God’s word, I pray that He prepares my heart to receive his guidance and ask that He uses me as his vessel to comment on His word.

The scripture is from Lamentations 3:20-23 “My soul still remembers them, and is bowed down within me. This I recall to my mind; therefore I have hope. It is because of the Lord’s loving kindness that we are not consumed, because his mercies don’t fail. They are new every morning. Great is your faithfulness.”

The devotion is titled Let Grief Do Its Work by John Michalak. To sum up this devotion, John starts this devotion with the example of Israel turning away from God and the consequence of their act. Lamentations reveals the importance of grief. Grief has a purpose and needs tome to do its work. Israel lamented over their turning away from God. Like Israel, our reliance on God’s grace it most honestly pursued through a heart of true repentance. Like Israel, if we don’t truly grieve the consequences of turning away from God, how can we truly surrender ourselves to God and benefit from His great faithfulness? John remind us that only God can turn our grief into hope.  

Reflections, Questions, and Challenges for Us: Have you ever tried to rush through grief or regret when you sin? Will you ask God for strength to experience true regret when you sinned against Him and a heart to renew your hope in Him?

Here is my response, yours may be different: After I turned my life over to Christ, I committed two gravely sins. I regretted both of these incidents and prayed to God for forgiveness and to restore my relationship with Him.

My Personal Prayer for us: Dear Lord, give us strength borne of our grief. Make us genuinely repentant and aware of Your infinite compassion, so we can enjoy the hope of Yor saving grace. In Jesus’ name, we pray, Amen

Inspirations (2023/10/10) retrieved from Website: Daily Bible.com Let Grief Do Its Work by John Michalak.