Daily Bread_May 20, 2013

Title: The Joy of Being Free in Christ Jesus

Text:

Romans 8:1-2 (HCSB)
¹ Therefore, no condemnation now exists for those in Christ Jesus,
² because the Spirit's law of life in Christ Jesus has set you free from the law of sin and of death.

Observation:

The most important question you will ever answer is this; Am I in Christ Jesus, has the son of God set me free?

Paul gives us help in knowing whether or not we are in Christ Jesus. Think about this.

Romans 8:9 (HCSB)
⁹ You, however, are not in the flesh, but in the Spirit, since the Spirit of God lives in you. But if anyone does not have the Spirit of Christ, he does not belong to Him.

Romans 8:11 (HCSB)
¹¹ And if the Spirit of Him who raised Jesus from the dead lives in you, then He who raised Christ from the dead will also bring your mortal bodies to life through His Spirit who lives in you.

There may be groans in your present, but there is glory in your future if you are a blood bought child of God.

Romans 8:18 (HCSB)
¹⁸ For I consider that the sufferings of this present time are not worth comparing with the glory that is going to be revealed to us.

Prayer:

Our Father in heaven, my dear Father, the sweetest words that any ear can hear is the word of God that speaks to the children of God, and says "You are not guilty". Oh, how I love Jesus because He first loved me. Isn't God's grace so amazing?  And all God's children said, Amen.

--

Acts 6:4 (KJV)
⁴ But we will give ourselves continually to prayer, and to the ministry of the word.

 

My blog: Sharing the Word of God Daily:

 http://herbcotton.blogspot.com/

Daily Bread_May 17, 2013

Title: How to Find Contentment in a Troubled World

Text:

Proverbs 19:23 (NLT)
²³ Fear of the LORD leads to life, bringing security and protection from harm.

Observation:

It is comforting to know that those who fear the Lord don't have to fear evil people in the world who seek to harm God's people. In this world we can expect to have trouble.

John 16:33 (ESV)
³³ I have said these things to you, that in me you may have peace. In the world you will have tribulation. But take heart; I have overcome the world."

The contentment of God's people is in the Lord, and not in the world. The Prince of Peace is our peace.

· There is a place of quiet rest,
Near to the heart of God,
A place where sin cannot molest,
Near to the heart of God.

·         O Jesus, blest Redeemer,
Sent from the heart of God,
Hold us, who wait before Thee,
Near to the heart of God.

Source: http://www.hymnal.net/hymn.php/h/375#ixzz2T06yraZz

Prayer:

Father God, Sovereign Lord, I am so grateful that in this world with all of its trouble and turmoil that there is a place of quiet rest; a place where we can find contentment near to the heart of our Savior and our Lord. In Jesus name, Amen.

--

Acts 6:4 (KJV)
⁴ But we will give ourselves continually to prayer, and to the ministry of the word.

 

My blog: Sharing the Word of God Daily:

 http://herbcotton.blogspot.com/

Daily Bread_May 16, 2013

Title: The Power and Benefits of Forgiving Others

Text:

Matthew 18:21-22 (NLT)
²¹ Then Peter came to him and asked, "Lord, how often should I forgive someone who sins against me? Seven times?"
²² "No, not seven times," Jesus replied, "but seventy times seven!

To read the entire parable go here:

http://tinyurl.com/bgo65r6

Observation:

Before we get too hard on Peter for his question we might want to pause and think about how many times we ask for a rule; give me a rule that I can obey. If we get the principle, we don't need a rule for everything. Here is the principle to inform our attitude about forgiveness.

Romans 12:8-10 (NLT)
⁸ If your gift is to encourage others, be encouraging. If it is giving, give generously. If God has given you leadership ability, take the responsibility seriously. And if you have a gift for showing kindness to others, do it gladly.
⁹ Don't just pretend to love others. Really love them. Hate what is wrong. Hold tightly to what is good.
¹⁰ Love each other with genuine affection, and take delight in honoring each other.

Ephesians 4:32 (NLT)
³² Instead, be kind to each other, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, just as God through Christ has forgiven you.

If we genuinely love others we will have to learn how to forgive others; love and forgiveness are inseparable. We do ourselves a favor when we forgive others.

"He who cannot forgive breaks the bridge over which he himself must pass"

                George Herbert

Prayer:

Father God, give us a heart that is ready to forgive. Help us to love and forgive others in the manner that you have loved and forgiven us. In Jesus name I pray, Amen.

--

Acts 6:4 (KJV)
⁴ But we will give ourselves continually to prayer, and to the ministry of the word.

 

My blog: Sharing the Word of God Daily:

 http://herbcotton.blogspot.com/

Daily Bread_May 15, 2013

Title: God Cares About You

Text:

Psalm 91:10-11 (NLT)
¹⁰ no evil will conquer you; no plague will come near your home.
¹¹ For he will order his angels to protect you wherever you go.

Observation:

There are many perils that we face during our earthly journey; and, the longer we live the more troubles seem to show up at our dwelling place.

It is not possible to escape trouble in this fallen world. However, we are not helpless when troubles knock on our door.

John 16:33 (NLT)
³³ I have told you all this so that you may have peace in me. Here on earth you will have many trials and sorrows. But take heart, because I have overcome the world."

The goodnews for God's people is that God knows what we are going through; he knows our needs, and He cares about His people.

God has left us in this world; but, He has not left us alone. He has overcome the world, and so will His children.

John 14:1 (NLT)
¹ "Don't let your hearts be troubled. Trust in God, and trust also in me.

John 14:27 (NLT)
²⁷ "I am leaving you with a gift—peace of mind and heart. And the peace I give is a gift the world cannot give. So don't be troubled or afraid.

Prayer:

Father God, in the midst of all of the troubles in the world, it is comforting to know that you have overcome the world. Father, I thank you for the gift of peace of mind and heart. In Jesus name I pray, Amen.

--

Acts 6:4 (KJV)
⁴ But we will give ourselves continually to prayer, and to the ministry of the word.

 

My blog: Sharing the Word of God Daily:

 http://herbcotton.blogspot.com/

Daily Bread_May 14, 2013

 Title: Worship the Lord Every Day

Text:

Psalm 59:9-10 (HCSB)
⁹ I will keep watch for You, my strength, because God is my stronghold.
¹⁰ My faithful God will come to meet me; God will let me look down on my adversaries.

Observation:

Worship is so much more helpful when it is more than a weekly or occasional practice. To be most effective, worship should occur every day.

Why not avail yourself of the power that comes from a daily meeting with God. Why not access the exhaustive source of strength that He provides His people that are regular worshippers of the Most High God?

Is there ever a time when you do not need the Lord? Then, why not worship Him every day. He is waiting to hear from you. The hymn writer said, "I need Thee Every Hour". We are the ones who need worship; not God. And to that I say, Amen.

Psalm 100:4 (HCSB)
⁴ Enter His gates with thanksgiving and His courts with praise. Give thanks to Him and praise His name.

Prayer:

Our Father in heaven, my dear Father, I am so grateful for the daily access that I have to your throne room where I can find grace to help in my time of need.

Father God, I thank you for the help, hope, strength, and encouragement I get from being in Your presence. In Jesus name, Amen.

Psalm 145:1-2 (HCSB)
¹ I exalt You, my God the King, and praise Your name forever and ever.
² I will praise You every day; I will honor Your name forever and ever.

--

Acts 6:4 (KJV)
⁴ But we will give ourselves continually to prayer, and to the ministry of the word.

 

My blog: Sharing the Word of God Daily:

 http://herbcotton.blogspot.com/

Daily Bread_May 13, 2013

Title: The Word of the Lord is Eternal

Text:

1 Peter 1:22-25 (NLT)
²² You were cleansed from your sins when you obeyed the truth, so now you must show sincere love to each other as brothers and sisters. Love each other deeply with all your heart.
²³ For you have been born again, but not to a life that will quickly end. Your new life will last forever because it comes from the eternal, living word of God.
²⁴ As the Scriptures say, "People are like grass; their beauty is like a flower in the field. The grass withers and the flower fades.
²⁵ But the word of the Lord remains forever." And that word is the Good News that was preached to you.

Observation:

I was driving one day recently and a truck in front of me had 1 Peter 1:24-25 written on the rear wall of the truck. It was a nice motto for a lawn care company.

I am so glad and thankful for the promise and the hope of this verse.

1 Peter 1:25 (NLT)
²⁵ But the word of the Lord remains forever." And that word is the Good News that was preached to you.

I love this message of good news to start the week. It makes me want to breakout in a song of praise and thanksgiving to our great God.

1 Peter 1:3-5 (NLT)
³ All praise to God, the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ. It is by his great mercy that we have been born again, because God raised Jesus Christ from the dead. Now we live with great expectation,
⁴ and we have a priceless inheritance—an inheritance that is kept in heaven for you, pure and undefiled, beyond the reach of change and decay.
⁵ And through your faith, God is protecting you by his power until you receive this salvation, which is ready to be revealed on the last day for all to see.

Prayer:

Our Father in heaven, my dear Father, I exalt your name above every name; there is none like you, no not one.

Father, I thank you for the inheritance that you have stored up for me in heaven. Lord, I thank you for the protection you provide through your power to save and to keep.

As for me, I will trust in the Lord and the eternal word of God all the days of my life. In Jesus name, Amen.

--

Acts 6:4 (KJV)
⁴ But we will give ourselves continually to prayer, and to the ministry of the word.

 

My blog: Sharing the Word of God Daily:

 http://herbcotton.blogspot.com/

Daily Bread_May 10, 2013

Title: What is the Condition of Your Heart?

Text:

Jeremiah 24:1-7 (NLT)
¹ After King Nebuchadnezzar of Babylon exiled Jehoiachin son of Jehoiakim, king of Judah, to Babylon along with the officials of Judah and all the craftsmen and artisans, the LORD gave me this vision. I saw two baskets of figs placed in front of the LORD's Temple in Jerusalem.
² One basket was filled with fresh, ripe figs, while the other was filled with bad figs that were too rotten to eat.
³ Then the LORD said to me, "What do you see, Jeremiah?" I replied, "Figs, some very good and some very bad, too rotten to eat."
⁴ Then the LORD gave me this message:
⁵ "This is what the LORD, the God of Israel, says: The good figs represent the exiles I sent from Judah to the land of the Babylonians.
⁶ I will watch over and care for them, and I will bring them back here again. I will build them up and not tear them down. I will plant them and not uproot them.
⁷ I will give them hearts that recognize me as the LORD. They will be my people, and I will be their God, for they will return to me wholeheartedly.

Observation:

There is an important lesson to learn from this story of God's dealing with Israel. We don't have to have ideal circumstances to accomplish God's purpose for our life.

It's not what life does to us that matters most; rather, it is more about what life finds in us. The most important thing is not the circumstances that happen to us; rather, it is about the size of the God who lives within us.

The wisest thing for us to do is to heed the advice of the wisest man who ever lived. This is what he said about the heart.

Proverbs 4:23 (NLT)
²³ Guard your heart above all else, for it determines the course of your life.

The circumstances that we encounter during the course of life are often not under our control. However, they are under the control of God. It is comforting to know that there is a God in heaven who said to his people of old, "I will watch over and care for them". This is what he says to you and me.

Romans 8:28 (NLT)
²⁸ And we know that God causes everything to work together for the good of those who love God and are called according to his purpose for them.

Prayer:

Our Father in heaven, my dear Father, I am so thankful that I don't have to be fearful and fretful about the ups and downs of things that are happening around me, and even to me. Father, help me to guard my heart, and to wholly trust in you. Lord, thank you for being a God who cares and watches over your people. Father, I am comforted by the knowledge that you are sovereign over all things. In Jesus name, Amen.

--

Acts 6:4 (KJV)
⁴ But we will give ourselves continually to prayer, and to the ministry of the word.

 

My blog: Sharing the Word of God Daily:

 http://herbcotton.blogspot.com/