Bible reference (New Testament) Romans 2:5-11

Some day God will judge humankind. There will be trouble and calamity on those who  refuse to obey God’s truth. And there will be glory, honor and peace for those who follow Him!

Romans 2:

5 But because you are stubborn and refuse to turn from your sin, you are storing up terrible punishment for yourself. For a day of anger is coming, when God’s righteous judgment will be revealed. 6 He will judge everyone according to what they have done. 7 He will give eternal life to those who keep on doing good, seeking after the glory and honor and immortality that God offers. 8 But he will pour out his anger and wrath on those who live for themselves, who refuse to obey the truth and instead live lives of wickedness. 9 There will be trouble and calamity for everyone who keeps on doing what is evil—for the Jew first and also for the Gentile. 10 But there will be glory and honor and peace from God for all who do good—for the Jew first and also for the Gentile. 11 For God does not show favoritism.

Bible reference (OldTestament)~ Deuteronomy 7:9, 1 Chronicles 16:15-17

God keeps His promises to those who honor and live for Him to a thousand generations!  Why did God say 1000 generations? I don’t know! But I rest in in that truth, His care and blessings for myself and the future generations of our family and follow Him each day of my life!

Deuteronomy 7

9 Understand, therefore, that the Lord your God is indeed God. He is the faithful God who keeps his covenant for a thousand generations and lavishes his unfailing love on those who love him and obey his commands.

1 Chronicles 16

15 Remember his covenant forever—
the commitment he made to a thousand generations.
16 This is the covenant he made with Abraham
and the oath he swore to Isaac.
17 He confirmed it to Jacob as a decree,
and to the people of Israel as a never-ending covenant:

Bible reference (Old Testament)~1 Chronicles 16:28-30

Thank God today for all His greatness!  He sustains the world. His name should be proclaimed in all the world, in all the nations!

When the Ark of the Covenant was brought to Jerusalem, King David made a great celebration. He gave a song to the leaders of worship for them to play on their instruments. Here is part of that song~

28 O nations of the world, recognize the Lord,
recognize that the Lord is glorious and strong.
29 Give to the Lord the glory he deserves!
Bring your offering and come into his presence.
Worship the Lord in all his holy splendor.
30 Let all the earth tremble before him.
The world stands firm and cannot be shaken.

Had some hard times in your life? Look to God for help. Here is the Jabez Prayer. Live for God and pray this prayer everyday for awhile. Trust God for what happens.

I’m thankful. My Grand Am car broke down with damages beyond its worth. I needed a new one. So instead of stressing I prayed with my family and spoke God’s Word. My favorite go-to verse in time of need is~ My God shall supply all of our needs according to His riches in glory. (Philippians 4:19). I also prayed the Jabez prayer found in the Old Testament. I wrote a blog post about it a few days back.

God has been gracious, within three days, I have a better car now with a reasonable payment and insurance.   I trusted and rested in God with friends and family and am thankful for the quick response. I plan to use it to honor God.

New Testament Bible reference~Romans 1:16-17

God is very powerful. His power is talked about many times in the Bible. One way God has revealed His power is through the life, death and rising from death of Jesus, His son. Jesus’ death gives us the opportunity to choose to go to Heaven when we die.

New Testament Bible reference~Acts 28:7-10 Continue reading →

Old Testament Reference~Psalm 8:3-4

How many times have you looked at the peaceful sky on a clear and bright, starry night and thought about God? God made all those many individual beacons of light. The vastness of the universe is hard to comprehend.

Now imagine looking at the stars and talking about them with David. Think of the setting. Probably around a fire. Maybe he had a handheld harp to strum. The peace of God is all around and is comforting. God said David was a man after His own heart. He was a shepherd to sheep in his youth and then he became the king to God’s people. We contemplate together why God made the stars. 

David is credited with writing Psalm 8. Verses 3 and 4 make me wonder why God is so mindful of humans.  Why does He desire us to spend time with Him? Why did He send His only son, Jesus, who never did wrong, to cover for all the wrongdoing we do.

New Testament Bible reference Acts 26:19-32

Paul, the Apostle told everyone he could about Christ. From the least, seemingly unimportant person to the greatest ruler that crossed his path.  When he became a Christian he was on his way to persecute and possibly kill Christians but Jesus personally stopped Him. The conversation was so powerful Paul quickly called him Lord and was blinded from the presence of Jesus. Jesus told him he would tell all kinds of people about Christianity. Paul zealously fulfilled this command. He traveled and told everyone he met. He even told rulers like Festus and King Agrippa of the hope eternal found in Jesus. 

Acts 26

15 “‘Who are you, lord?’ I asked.

“And the Lord replied, ‘I am Jesus, the one you are persecuting. 16 Now get to your feet! For I have appeared to you to appoint you as my servant and witness. Tell people that you have seen me, and tell them what I will show you in the future. 17 And I will rescue you from both your own people and the Gentiles. Yes, I am sending you to the Gentiles 18 to open their eyes, so they may turn from darkness to light and from the power of Satan to God. Then they will receive forgiveness for their sins and be given a place among God’s people, who are set apart by faith in me.’

19 “And so, King Agrippa, I obeyed that vision from heaven. 20 I preached first to those in Damascus, then in Jerusalem and throughout all Judea, and also to the Gentiles, that all must repent of their sins and turn to God—and prove they have changed by the good things they do. 21 Some Jews arrested me in the Temple for preaching this, and they tried to kill me. 22 But God has protected me right up to this present time so I can testify to everyone, from the least to the greatest. I teach nothing except what the prophets and Moses said would happen— 23 that the Messiah would suffer and be the first to rise from the dead, and in this way announce God’s light to Jews and Gentiles alike.”

24 Suddenly, Festus shouted, “Paul, you are insane. Too much study has made you crazy!”

25 But Paul replied, “I am not insane, Most Excellent Festus. What I am saying is the sober truth. 26 And King Agrippa knows about these things. I speak boldly, for I am sure these events are all familiar to him, for they were not done in a corner! 27 King Agrippa, do you believe the prophets? I know you do—”

28 Agrippa interrupted him. “Do you think you can persuade me to become a Christian so quickly?”

29 Paul replied, “Whether quickly or not, I pray to God that both you and everyone here in this audience might become the same as I am, except for these chains.”

30 Then the king, the governor, Bernice, and all the others stood and left. 31 As they went out, they talked it over and agreed, “This man hasn’t done anything to deserve death or imprisonment.”

32 And Agrippa said to Festus, “He could have been set free if he hadn’t appealed to Caesar.”

New Testament Bible reference Acts 26:1-23

In order to stop the spread of Christianity after the death and resurrection of Jesus, Paul, a well-studied Pharisee of the Jewish religion went about searching for Christians to kill them. But, then as he was traveling the road to Damascus he encountered the powerful one he was against…Christ Jesus! In Acts 26 Paul acted as his own lawyer and told King Agrippa about his life.

Acts 26

Then Agrippa said to Paul, “You may speak in your defense.”

So Paul, gesturing with his hand, started his defense: 2 “I am fortunate, King Agrippa, that you are the one hearing my defense today against all these accusations made by the Jewish leaders, 3 for I know you are an expert on all Jewish customs and controversies. Now please listen to me patiently!

4 “As the Jewish leaders are well aware, I was given a thorough Jewish training from my earliest childhood among my own people and in Jerusalem. 5 If they would admit it, they know that I have been a member of the Pharisees, the strictest sect of our religion. 6 Now I am on trial because of my hope in the fulfillment of God’s promise made to our ancestors. 7 In fact, that is why the twelve tribes of Israel zealously worship God night and day, and they share the same hope I have. Yet, Your Majesty, they accuse me for having this hope! 8 Why does it seem incredible to any of you that God can raise the dead?

9 “I used to believe that I ought to do everything I could to oppose the very name of Jesus the Nazarene. 10 Indeed, I did just that in Jerusalem. Authorized by the leading priests, I caused many believers there to be sent to prison. And I cast my vote against them when they were condemned to death. 11 Many times I had them punished in the synagogues to get them to curse Jesus. I was so violently opposed to them that I even chased them down in foreign cities.

12 “One day I was on such a mission to Damascus, armed with the authority and commission of the leading priests. 13 About noon, Your Majesty, as I was on the road, a light from heaven brighter than the sun shone down on me and my companions. 14 We all fell down, and I heard a voice saying to me in Aramaic, ‘Saul, Saul, why are you persecuting me? It is useless for you to fight against my will.’

15 “‘Who are you, lord?’ I asked.

“And the Lord replied, ‘I am Jesus, the one you are persecuting. 16 Now get to your feet! For I have appeared to you to appoint you as my servant and witness. Tell people that you have seen me, and tell them what I will show you in the future. 17 And I will rescue you from both your own people and the Gentiles. Yes, I am sending you to the Gentiles 18 to open their eyes, so they may turn from darkness to light and from the power of Satan to God. Then they will receive forgiveness for their sins and be given a place among God’s people, who are set apart by faith in me.’

19 “And so, King Agrippa, I obeyed that vision from heaven. 20 I preached first to those in Damascus, then in Jerusalem and throughout all Judea, and also to the Gentiles, that all must repent of their sins and turn to God—and prove they have changed by the good things they do. 21 Some Jews arrested me in the Temple for preaching this, and they tried to kill me. 22 But God has protected me right up to this present time so I can testify to everyone, from the least to the greatest. I teach nothing except what the prophets and Moses said would happen— 23 that the Messiah would suffer and be the first to rise from the dead, and in this way announce God’s light to Jews and Gentiles alike.