Daily Bread_January 14, 2014

Title: The Faith to Walk with God All the Way

Text:

Genesis 17:1 (HCSB)
¹ When Abram was 99 years old, the LORD appeared to him, saying, "I am God Almighty. Live in My presence and be blameless.

Isaiah 50:10-11 (AMP)
¹⁰ Who is among you who [reverently] fears the Lord, who obeys the voice of His Servant, yet who walks in darkness and deep trouble and has no shining splendor [in his heart]? Let him rely on, trust in, and be confident in the name of the Lord, and let him lean upon and be supported by his God.
¹¹ Behold, all you [enemies of your own selves] who attempt to kindle your own fires [and work out your own plans of salvation], who surround and gird yourselves with momentary sparks, darts, and firebrands that you set aflame!—walk by the light of your self-made fire and of the sparks that you have kindled [for yourself, if you will]! But this shall you have from My hand: you shall lie down in grief and in torment.

Observation:

When God speaks into our heart through His Word and by His Spirit we need to learn how to trust in Him, and to wait on Him.

Abram is an excellent example of why we should wait on God, and not take matters into our own hands. Darkness is not a sign of defeat; rather, it is a sign of our need for discipline to fit us for God's divine purpose for our life.

Genesis 15:12 (AMP)
¹² When the sun was setting, a deep sleep overcame Abram, and a horror (a terror, a shuddering fear) of great darkness assailed and oppressed him.

When God speaks to you and you feel this overwhelming sense of darkness; recognize that God is at work to empty you of the self-directed life, and to fit you for the God-directed life.

This is the time of growing in the School of Faith; it's a time to examine if your confidence is in the blessings from the hand of God, or if your confidence is in the giver of the blessings?

Don't fail the faith test; have faith in God, and base your confidence in the Blessor, not the blessing. God knows what He is doing; you can trust Him.

Prayer:

Our Father in heaven, my dear Father, I am so glad that You are a God in whom I can trust with my whole heart. Father, my understanding often fails me, but praise God, Jesus has never failed me, and He never will. Lord, I believe in Jesus, O for grace to trust Him more. Amen and Amen.

" 'Tis so sweet to trust in Jesus,
Just to take Him at His word;
Just to rest upon His promise;
Just to know, Thus saith the Lord.

• Jesus, Jesus, how I trust Him,
  How I've proved Him o'er and o'er,
  Jesus, Jesus, Precious Jesus!
  O for grace to trust Him more."

Source: http://www.hymnal.net/en/hymn.php/h/568#ixzz2qN7ZAkZP

--

Psalm 119:105 (HCSB)
¹⁰⁵ Your word is a lamp for my feet and a light on my path.

Psalm 2:8 (HCSB)
⁸ Ask of Me, and I will make the nations Your inheritance and the ends of the earth Your possession.

My blog: Sharing the Word of God Daily:

http://herbcotton.blogspot.com/

 

Daily Bread_January 13, 2014

Title: Are You Building Fences or Bridges?

Text:

Acts 2:44 (HCSB)
⁴⁴ Now all the believers were together and held all things in common.

Acts 2:46-47 (HCSB)
⁴⁶ Every day they devoted themselves [to meeting] together in the temple complex, and broke bread from house to house. They ate their food with a joyful and humble attitude,
⁴⁷ praising God and having favor with all the people. And every day the Lord added to them those who were being saved.

Ecclesiastes 4:9-10 (HCSB)
⁹ Two are better than one because they have a good reward for their efforts.
¹⁰ For if either falls, his companion can lift him up; but pity the one who falls without another to lift him up.

Observation:

I like divine appointments; that is the case with the verses list above. They fit so neatly with the area in which God has been leading me in this New Year. The keyword for me for this New Year is relationships. When I set this goal in December the scripture that supports my goal is the passage from Ecclesiastes.

For over 40 years I have been a member of a Christian business and professional men's association. We closed our meetings in a circle of fellowship, and sang the fellowship hymn listed below. I experienced some of the sweetest relationships this side of heaven praying, fellowshipping, and sharing the word of God around the world with these men.

I recall being with just one brother at breakfast; we were on our knees praying before eating breakfast at a local restaurant. I was praying this prayer, "Lord, add to our number one by one men of Your own choosing".  As I was praying those words Gordon walked in, and joined George and me on our knees. O how sweet to walk together with brothers united in prayer, purpose and passion. My goal is bridge building in 2014.

"Blest be the tie that binds
Our hearts in Christian love;
The fellowship of kindred minds
Is like to that above.

When we asunder part,
It gives us inward pain;
But we shall still be joined in heart,
And hope to meet again."

Source: http://www.hymnal.net/en/hymn.php/h/860#ixzz2qCgBGvmG

Prayer:

Our Father in heaven, my dear Father, I am so blessed and grateful for the tie that binds our heart to Your heart, and to one another. In the name of Jesus I pray, Amen.

Proverbs 17:17 (HCSB)
¹⁷ A friend loves at all times, and a brother is born for a difficult time.

--

Psalm 119:105 (HCSB)
¹⁰⁵ Your word is a lamp for my feet and a light on my path.

Psalm 2:8 (HCSB)
⁸ Ask of Me, and I will make the nations Your inheritance and the ends of the earth Your possession.

My blog: Sharing the Word of God Daily:

http://herbcotton.blogspot.com/

 

Daily Bread_January 10, 2014

Title: A Sure Hope in a Trouble Filled World

Text:

1 Corinthians 15:50-58 (ESV)
⁵⁰ I tell you this, brothers: flesh and blood cannot inherit the kingdom of God, nor does the perishable inherit the imperishable.
⁵¹ Behold! I tell you a mystery. We shall not all sleep, but we shall all be changed,
⁵² in a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trumpet. For the trumpet will sound, and the dead will be raised imperishable, and we shall be changed.
⁵³ For this perishable body must put on the imperishable, and this mortal body must put on immortality.
⁵⁴ When the perishable puts on the imperishable, and the mortal puts on immortality, then shall come to pass the saying that is written: "Death is swallowed up in victory."
⁵⁵ "O death, where is your victory? O death, where is your sting?"
⁵⁶ The sting of death is sin, and the power of sin is the law.
⁵⁷ But thanks be to God, who gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ.
⁵⁸ Therefore, my beloved brothers, be steadfast, immovable, always abounding in the work of the Lord, knowing that in the Lord your labor is not in vain.

Observation:

You don't have to have lived long to come to the realization that this world is filled with trouble. The twin enemies of sin and death are lethal. To deny that they are real is to live in denial, and to live without hope for a better future. This does not have to be your destiny. The Lord Jesus Christ has conquered sin and death.

John 11:25-26 (ESV)
²⁵ Jesus said to her, "I am the resurrection and the life. Whoever believes in me, though he die, yet shall he live,
²⁶ and everyone who lives and believes in me shall never die. Do you believe this?"

Can you say this prayer; can you shout this praise to our heavenly Father?

1 Corinthians 15:57 (ESV)
⁵⁷ But thanks be to God, who gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ.

If your answer is yes, then you can rest in this hope and blessed assurance.

1 Corinthians 15:58 (ESV)
⁵⁸ Therefore, my beloved brothers, be steadfast, immovable, always abounding in the work of the Lord, knowing that in the Lord your labor is not in vain.

Prayer:

Our Father in heaven, my dear Father, I am so thankful that in this troubled world that I can live with the blessed assurance that the best is yet to come; that this world is not my home. Father, I am so grateful that in my Savior's arms I am happy and blest. Lord, this is my story, and I love to tell it; in Jesus name I pray with thanksgiving. Amen.

"Blessed assurance, Jesus is mine;
Oh, what a foretaste of glory divine!
Heir of salvation, purchase of God,
Born of His Spirit, washed in His blood.

• This is my story, this is my song,
  Praising my Savior all the day long.
  This is my story, this is my song,
  Praising my Savior all the day long."

Source: http://www.hymnal.net/en/hymn.php/h/308#ixzz2pznaTZq0

--

Psalm 119:105 (HCSB)
¹⁰⁵ Your word is a lamp for my feet and a light on my path.

Psalm 2:8 (HCSB)
⁸ Ask of Me, and I will make the nations Your inheritance and the ends of the earth Your possession.

My blog: Sharing the Word of God Daily:

http://herbcotton.blogspot.com/

 

Daily Bread_January 9, 2014

Title: The Reasons Why I Can Face the Future Confidently

Text:

Isaiah 43:1-2 (HCSB)
¹ Now this is what the LORD says— the One who created you, Jacob, and the One who formed you, Israel— "Do not fear, for I have redeemed you; I have called you by your name; you are Mine.
² I will be with you when you pass through the waters, and [when you pass] through the rivers, they will not overwhelm you. You will not be scorched when you walk through the fire, and the flame will not burn you.

Observation:

I love reading the whole Bible; the reason why is because even in the promises of the Old Testament to God's people of old I can find hope and encouragement for God's people of every stripe. Notice what Paul said about the Old Testament scriptures.

Romans 15:4 (HCSB)
⁴ For whatever was written in the past was written for our instruction, so that we may have hope through endurance and through the encouragement from the Scriptures.

The message I hear today is a message for believers of every age; God says to you and me, "Do not fear".

Whatever you are going through do not fear; thus says the God who created you, and the God who redeemed you. When you go through troubled waters you will not drown. When you walk through the fire He will not allow the flames to burn you. If God has been good to you, you ought to say so.

Psalm 107:2 (ESV)
² Let the redeemed of the LORD say so, whom he has redeemed from trouble.

Prayer:

Our Father in heaven, my dear Father, I am so grateful for the precious promises that You gave to Your people of old, and the promises that You give to all of those who You have redeemed by the precious and royal blood of Your only begotten Son, Jesus our Savior and Lord. Amen.

My Soul Sings:

I Am Redeemed – Jessy Dixon

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rAZopRroDt8

--

Psalm 119:105 (HCSB)
¹⁰⁵ Your word is a lamp for my feet and a light on my path.

Psalm 2:8 (HCSB)
⁸ Ask of Me, and I will make the nations Your inheritance and the ends of the earth Your possession.

My blog: Sharing the Word of God Daily:

http://herbcotton.blogspot.com/

 

Daily Bread_January 8, 2014

Title: The Importance of First Things

Text:

Genesis 1:1 (HCSB)
¹ In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth.

John 1:1 (HCSB)
¹ In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.

Observation:

I ended the year reflecting upon the life of Jesus, and the importance He placed on staying connected to His Father in heaven through His prayer life. If Jesus had to pray, then surely I need to pray. Prayer is the life blood of the Church; it is the key that unlocks our lives to the Lord Jesus Christ. Let's do what Jesus did.

Mark 1:35 (HCSB)
³⁵ Very early in the morning, while it was still dark, He got up, went out, and made His way to a deserted place. And He was praying there.

The Bible opens with this declaration, "In the beginning God". The Gospel of John goes back even further in its declaration of the one who existed before Genesis 1:1.  It says in John 1:1, "In the beginning was the Word". Oh, how I love Jesus; here is why.

John 1:14 (HCSB)
¹⁴ The Word became flesh and took up residence among us. We observed His glory, the glory as the One and Only Son from the Father, full of grace and truth.

As my late mother-in-love used to say, "Who wouldn't serve a God like this?" I am determined and committed to putting first things first in 2014. I want to know more of God, and give Him more of me; it's the most I can do.

Matthew 6:33 (HCSB)
³³ But seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness, and all these things will be provided for you.

Prayer:

Our Father in heaven, my dear Father, I am so thankful for the Book of Genesis; the book of beginnings. Father, I thank You for Your faithfulness as demonstrated from Genesis to Revelation that shows how You patiently work with Your people to make them what You want them to be.

Father, I am so glad that You are not finished with me yet. So blessed and thankful to be your son. In the name of Your only begotten Son, I pray, Amen.

Philippians 1:6 (HCSB)
⁶ I am sure of this, that He who started a good work in you will carry it on to completion until the day of Christ Jesus.

--

Psalm 119:105 (HCSB)
¹⁰⁵ Your word is a lamp for my feet and a light on my path.

Psalm 2:8 (HCSB)
⁸ Ask of Me, and I will make the nations Your inheritance and the ends of the earth Your possession.

My blog: Sharing the Word of God Daily:

http://herbcotton.blogspot.com/

 

Daily Prayer_January 7, 2014

Title: The Futility of Resolutions by Self-Reliant People

Text:

Matthew 26:33-35 (HCSB)
³³ Peter told Him, "Even if everyone runs away because of You, I will never run away!"
³⁴ "I assure you," Jesus said to him, "tonight, before the rooster crows, you will deny Me three times!"
³⁵ "Even if I have to die with You," Peter told Him, "I will never deny You!" And all the disciples said the same thing.

Observation:

When we make resolutions we need to do an internal checkup to see if we are relying upon self or relying upon God. We need to remember the lesson of Peter; notice it was not just Peter, but "All of the disciples said the same thing".

Notice how their resolution turned out:

Matthew 26:69-75 (HCSB)
⁶⁹ Now Peter was sitting outside in the courtyard. A servant approached him and she said, "You were with Jesus the Galilean too."
⁷⁰ But he denied it in front of everyone: "I don't know what you're talking about!"
⁷¹ When he had gone out to the gateway, another woman saw him and told those who were there, "This man was with Jesus the Nazarene!"
⁷² And again he denied it with an oath, "I don't know the man!"
⁷³ After a little while those standing there approached and said to Peter, "You certainly are one of them, since even your accent gives you away."
⁷⁴ Then he started to curse and to swear with an oath, "I do not know the man!" Immediately a rooster crowed,
⁷⁵ and Peter remembered the words Jesus had spoken, "Before the rooster crows, you will deny Me three times." And he went outside and wept bitterly.

However, we are not without hope and without help; Jesus is the answer, put your trust in Him, and you will not be fruitless. You were made to be fruitful, but not by being self-reliant.

John 15:5 (HCSB)
⁵ "I am the vine; you are the branches. The one who remains in Me and I in him produces much fruit, because you can do nothing without Me.

Prayer:

Our Father in heaven, my dear Father, I am so thankful for the divine hope and help that we have in You, and the Savior that You sent. Lord, I trust in Him, and grant me the grace to trust Him more. In the name of Jesus the Christ of God I pray, Amen.

--

Psalm 119:105 (HCSB)
¹⁰⁵ Your word is a lamp for my feet and a light on my path.

Psalm 2:8 (HCSB)
⁸ Ask of Me, and I will make the nations Your inheritance and the ends of the earth Your possession.

My blog: Sharing the Word of God Daily:

http://herbcotton.blogspot.com/

 

Daily Bread_January 6, 2014

Title: How You Love Defines Who You Are At the Core

Text:

1 John 4:7-11 (HCSB)
⁷ Dear friends, let us love one another, because love is from God, and everyone who loves has been born of God and knows God.
⁸ The one who does not love does not know God, because God is love.
⁹ God's love was revealed among us in this way: God sent His One and Only Son into the world so that we might live through Him.
¹⁰ Love consists in this: not that we loved God, but that He loved us and sent His Son to be the propitiation for our sins.
¹¹ Dear friends, if God loved us in this way, we also must love one another.

Observation:

It's good to return to writing after taking a break for two weeks. I'm glad to be back, and I can see light at the end of the tunnel for this nagging cold. After two weeks of self-treatment, at the encouragement of loved ones, I made an appointment to see the doctor today.

I woke up this morning with the thought in my head of relationships. The more I pondered the subject the more it gripped my soul. Relationships can cause pleasure or pain; that comes with being "people".

The next thought that gripped my soul was the importance of love. The only genuine love is love that is unconditional. However, even unconditional love has boundaries. Jesus links love and obedience.

John 15:9-10 (HCSB)
⁹ "As the Father has loved Me, I have also loved you. Remain in My love.
¹⁰ If you keep My commands you will remain in My love, just as I have kept My Father's commands and remain in His love.

This is my highest goal for 2014. I want there to be no doubt that I belong to God, and that He abides in me.

1 John 4:7 (HCSB)
⁷ Dear friends, let us love one another, because love is from God, and everyone who loves has been born of God and knows God.

Prayer:

Our Father in heaven, my dear Father, I pray that in this New Year that I will be a person who will show by my life how much I love You, love Your Word, love Your will, and love one another. In the name of Jesus I pray, Amen.

--

Psalm 119:105 (HCSB)
¹⁰⁵ Your word is a lamp for my feet and a light on my path.

Psalm 2:8 (HCSB)
⁸ Ask of Me, and I will make the nations Your inheritance and the ends of the earth Your possession.

My blog: Sharing the Word of God Daily:

http://herbcotton.blogspot.com/