For You are Dust, and to Dust You Shall Return

Gen.3:19 ESV By the sweat of your face you shall eat bread, till you return to the ground, for out of it you were taken; for you are dust, and to dust you shall return."
Gen.2:7 ESV then the LORD God formed the man of dust from the ground and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life, and the man became a living creature.
Ps.103:14 ESV For he knows our frame; he remembers that we are dust.
Ecc.3:20 ESV All go to one place. All are from the dust, and to dust all return.
Did you ever stop to think about these statements? We are just plain old dirt! God, in his majesty, made us from what we walk on everyday! If that does not humble you, then you have a real problem!
Ps.104:29 ESV When you hide your face, they are dismayed; when you take away their breath, they die and return to their dust.
Take heart, God cares for us!
Ps.8:3-5 ESV When I look at your heavens, the work of your fingers, the moon and the stars, which you have set in place, what is man that you are mindful of him, and the son of man that you care for him? Yet you have made him a little lower than the heavenly beings and crowned him with glory and honor.
Ps.8:6-8 ESV You have given him dominion over the works of your hands; you have put all things under his feet, all sheep and oxen, and also the beasts of the field, the birds of the heavens, and the fish of the sea, whatever passes along the paths of the seas. Even though we are born into sin, God made a way for us to be reconciled to Him through Jesus Christ who is our sinless sacrifice.Matt.2:4-6 and assembling all the chief priests and scribes of the people, he inquired of them where the Christ was to be born. They told him, "In Bethlehem of Judea, for so it is written by the prophet:  "'And you, O Bethlehem, in the land of Judah, are by no means least among the rulers of Judah; for from you shall come a ruler who will shepherd my people Israel.'" Lord, thank You for caring for us even while we are in rebellion against You. Forgive us and have mercy on us for You are our creator. Amen

God Spoke the World into Existence

Gen.1:1-5 In the beginning, God created the heavens and the earth. The earth was without form and void, and darkness was over the face of the deep. And the Spirit of God was hovering over the face of the waters. And God said, "Let there be light," and there was light. And God saw that the light was good. And God separated the light from the darkness. God called the light Day, and the darkness he called Night. And there was evening and there was morning, the first day.
Can we grasp the power of a holy God? He said it and it was!!! Lord God, You did not even need light because You are The Light! You created water, land, the seas, heaven, earth, green grass, trees, light, darkness, animals and man. And God blessed the seventh day and called it holy and a day of rest.
Gen.1:26-27 Then God said, "Let us make man in our image, after our likeness. And let them have dominion over the fish of the sea and over the birds of the heavens and over the livestock and over all the earth and over every creeping thing that creeps on the earth." So God created man in his own image, in the image of God he created him; male and female he created them.
Did you notice that God said"Let us make man in our own image"? It is clear that He is acknowledging Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. Lord, reveal Yourself to us. Amen

January Bible Reading

Date                 Old Testament      New Testament

January 1         Genesis 1, 2                Matthew 1

January 2         Genesis 3, 4, 5            Matthew 2

January 3         Genesis 6, 7, 8            Matthew 3

January 4         Genesis 9, 10, 11        Matthew 4

January 5         Genesis 12, 13, 14      Matthew 5:1-26

January 6         Genesis 15, 16, 17      Matthew 5:27-48

January 7         Genesis 18, 19            Matthew 6

January 8         Genesis 20, 21, 22      Matthew 7

January 9         Genesis 23, 24            Matthew 8

January 10       Genesis 25, 26            Matthew 9: 1-17

January 11       Genesis 27, 28            Matthew 9:18-38

January 12       Genesis 29, 30            Matthew 10:1-23

January 13       Genesis 31, 32            Matthew 10:24-42

January 14       Genesis 33, 34, 35      Matthew 11

January 15      Genesis 36, 37             Matthew 12:1-21

January 16      Genesis 38, 39, 40       Matthew 12:22-50

January 17      Genesis 41                   Matthew 13:1-32

January 18      Genesis 42, 43            Matthew 13:33-58

January 19      Genesis 44, 45            Matthew 143:1-21

January 20      Genesis 46, 47, 48       Matthew 14:22-36

January 21      Genesis 49, 50            Matthew 15:1-20

January 22      Exodus 1, 2, 3           Matthew 15:21-39

January 23      Exodus 4, 5, 6           Matthew 16

January 24      Exodus 7, 8               Matthew 17

January 25      Exodus 9, 10             Matthew 18:1-20

January 26      Exodus 11, 12           Matthew 18:21-35

January 27      Exodus 13, 14, 15     Matthew 19:1-15

January 28     Exodus 16, 17, 18      Matthew 19:16-30

January 29     Exodus 19, 20, 21      Matthew 20:1-16

January 30     Exodus 22, 23, 24      Matthew 20:17-34

January 31     Exodus 25, 26           Matthew 21:1-22

God's Word Everyday

Lord, I pray that You will open Your word to us. Teach us so that we may teach others!  Reveal Yourself to us!  Place Your word on our hearts. Amen
Tomorrow is a new day if the Lord wills it for us! Take time to know the Lord whom you hopefully have confessed your sin to and have asked for His forgiveness. You must repent for your eternity will be determined by your rebellion or your obedience. Tomorrow, if You will allow us, we are going to read through Your word and learn as You teach. We give You all the glory for You are our Creator.
Ps.119:41-42 Let your steadfast love come to me, O LORD, your salvation according to your promise; then shall I have an answer for him who taunts me, for I trust in your word.

From God's Breath, Scripture and Jesus

2 Tim.3:16-17  All Scripture is breathed out by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, and for training in righteousness, that the man of God may be competent, equipped for every good work.
1 Tim.4:13 Until I come, devote yourself to the public reading of Scripture, to exhortation, to teaching.
2 Pet.1:19-21 And we have something more sure, the prophetic word, to which you will do well to pay attention as to a lamp shining in a dark place, until the day dawns and the morning star rises in your hearts, knowing this first of all, that no prophecy of Scripture comes from some one's own interpretation. For no prophecy was ever produced by the will of man, but men spoke from God as they were carried along by the Holy Spirit.
John 5:37-40 And the Father who sent me has himself borne witness about me. His voice you have never heard, his form you have never seen, and you do not have his word abiding in you, for you do not believe the one whom he has sent. You search the Scriptures because you think that in them you have eternal life; and it is they that bear witness about me, yet you refuse to come to me that you may have life.
We are to live on God's word! God's word is supreme among us! God's word is sanctifying in us! God's word is sufficient for us! God's word is satisfying to us!
Deut.8:3 And he humbled you and let you hunger and fed you with manna, which you did not know, nor did your fathers know, that he might make you know that man does not live by bread alone, but man lives by every word that comes from the mouth of the LORD.
Lord, reveal Yourself to us through Your holy word. Let us become faithful in word and deed by your power. Help us to teach Your word and to show the hope that is found in You and You alone. Forgive us! Amen

Out of the Fire!!!

Jude 1:22-23  And have mercy on those who doubt; save others by snatching them out of the fire; to others show mercy with fear, hating even the garment stained by the flesh.
I am convinced that if we keep this thought, about snatching unbelievers out of the fire, we would always share the gospel. Why is it sometimes uncomfortable to share the gospel? What could keep us from showing the love of Christ to others? They are waiting to hear! God has called all to repentance! We are here for His purpose to glorify His name!
 Lord, help us to be bold in Your name. Place around us the ones who need You. And if we fail to speak of the hope that is in You, shake us awake! Amen

The Piercing of My Heart

When I read God's word, my heart is pierced by the truth of His words. I want to be like Him but am not always successful. I identify with Paul when he says, what I don't wish to do, I do and what I wish to do, I don't do.
Romans 7:15-20 ESV For I do not understand my own actions. For I do not do what I want, but I do the very thing I hate. Now if I do what I do not want, I agree with the law, that it is good.  So now it is no longer I who do it, but sin that dwells within me. For I know that nothing good dwells in me, that is, in my flesh. For I have the desire to do what is right, but not the ability to carry it out.  For I do not do the good I want, but the evil I do not want is what I keep on doing. Now if I do what I do not want, it is no longer I who do it, but sin that dwells within me.
Deut.11:18 ESV You shall therefore lay up these words of mine in your heart and in your soul
1 Sam.16:7  For the LORD sees not as man sees: man looks on the outward appearance, but the LORD looks on the heart."
Ps.51:10 ESV Create in me a clean heart, O God, and renew a right spirit within me.
Ps.119:37 ESV Turn my eyes from looking at worthless things; and give me life in your ways.
2 Cor.3:3 ESV And you show that you are a letter from Christ delivered by us, written not with ink but with the Spirit of the living God, not on tablets of stone but on tablets of human hearts.
Most high God, we cry out to You for mercy. We have nothing to give, we strive to be obedient but we often fail. We are just plain sinners who need Your forgiveness. Lord, expose our sin. Give us faith to follow You in all things. Create in us a clean heart and a right spirit. Teach us to love the unlovable in Your name even when it seems impossible. Amen