datethewordtest

Category: Verse to DATE

  • Responding Very Differently

    Luke 6:27 “But I say to you who hear: Love your enemies, do good to those who hate you,”

    As Jesus teaches about relationships, He gives one of the most “on the contrary” responses we will learn.  Instead of returning hatred toward those who hate you – hate even to the point of being an enemy – we are called to show love, showing love with tangible actions.  This is a very different response as we don’t look to do good to those who do bad things to us.  Those who hurt us should be hurt back.  Our thinking is we don’t get mad we get even.  But as a believer seeking to follow and obey the teachings of Christ our response to those who hurt us and hate us is to go through the filter of Luke 6:27 and we now respond to hate with love and meanness with kindness.  

    At this point, you might be ready to say, “You have to be kidding.”  You might even go so far as to say this is totally ridiculous.  You are probably replying inwardly that “If someone hurts me, I am going to hurt them back.  If they hate me, I am going to hate them back.”  This is the natural response. Yet as we listen and learn from Jesus we learn He wants us to treat our enemies differently than they are treating us.  

    As believers, the expected response is to do good to those who are doing evil to us.

    Going a little deeper, the Apostle Paul would later write in Romans 12:21 “Do not be overcome by evil, but overcome evil with good (doing good them).”  Verse 21 is the conclusion to his teaching which is definitely a very different response to those doing us harm.  Romans 12:17 says, “Repay no one evil for evil but give thought to do what is honorable in the sight of all.”  Romans 12:20 says, “To the contrary, “if your enemy is hungry, feed him; if he is thirsty, give him something to drink;”  

    I state again, as believers, the expected response is doing good to those who are doing evil to us.

    So, Luke 6:27 calls us to respond very differently.

    Challenging? You better believe it! But then, living differently always is.

    Let us remember that the time a person needs love the most is when they deserve it the least. 

    Continue Strong Putting Into Practice The Teachings Of Christ,
    And remember to DATE the Word

  • Become a Bird Watcher

    Matthew 6:26 “Look at the birds of the air, for they neither sow nor reap nor gather into barns; yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not of more value than they?”

    Do you take time daily to look at the birds?  Are you a bird watcher? Did you know that is a question on the census and as of May 2023 45 million Americans identify themselves as “birders” or birdwatchers?  Based on our verse of Matthew 6:26 for June 26 today should be national bird watchers day!  And based on today’s verse, everyone, especially those who are prone to worrying, should be a bird watcher! 

    We should recall the reason Jesus points us to look at birds is because He has told us not to worry about anything, even saying not to worry about the very necessities of life.  Matthew 6:25 says, “Therefore I say to you, do not worry about your life, what you will eat or what you will drink; nor about your body, what you will put on. Is not life more than food and the body more than clothing?”  To calm the worrier down that they really don’t have to worry, Jesus says, look at the birds to see how God cares for them.  His point is that if He cares for birds then He surely will care for you!  As one looks at birds one will NOT see birds planting a field of grain to harvest at a later date.  They will see birds constantly finding food provided by God!

    I like visuals so I have a bird feeder outside where I can see birds. It is my Matt. 6:26 reminder that if His eye is on the sparrow, I know He watches me!! 

    Just a reminder; Too much concentration (worrying) on the personal cares of life can choke out your commitment to Christ. (Luke 8:14).  Fear and worrying lead to unfruitfulness. 

    One last thought on bird watching.  I encourage you to mark in your Bible Psalm 147:9 for it says about God that “He gives to the beast its food, and to the young ravens that cry.”

    So, for June 26 do some bird watching and remember you are more valuable to God than the bird!

    Continue Strong Knowing How Valuable You Are To God,
    And remember to DATE the Word

  • Praying Blessings On Others

    Numbers 6:25 “The LORD make His face shine upon you, and be gracious to you;”

    What are your desires, hopes, and prayers for others? Numbers 6:23-27 is the Aaronic blessing or the priestly blessing.  It says, “Speak to Aaron and his sons, saying, ‘This is the way you shall bless the children of Israel. Say to them: 24 “The LORD bless you and keep you; 25 The LORD make His face shine upon you, and be gracious to you; 26 The LORD lift up His countenance upon you, And give you peace.” 27 “So shall they put my name upon the people of Israel, and I will bless them.” 

    Breaking the blessing down one sees requests for God to provide and protect. 

    There is the request for God’s provision as one asks for His blessing, and His anointing, and His grace, and of His favor.  It is a reminder to the one being blessed that apart from the Lord one cannot do anything.  

    There is the request for God’s protection as one asks God to keep them.  This is a reminder of how God watches over His children.  And there is the request for God to give them peace.  Peace is what a heart longs for.  This peace comes from setting their mind upon the Lord for Isaiah 26:3 says, “You will keep him in perfect peace, Whose mind is stayed on You, Because he trusts in You.”

    Please pray Numbers 6:24-26 for family and friends.  Ask God to bless them, providing what they need and protecting them from the evil one and most of all bless them with a peace that passes all understanding.  

    Being a blessing to others by asking God to bless them!

    Continue Strong with God’s Favor
    And Remember to Date the Word

  • Choose This Day Whom You Will Serve

    Matthew 6:24 “No one can serve two masters, for either he will hate the one and love the other, or he will be devoted to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve God and money.”

    Jesus is preaching/teaching in Matthew 6.  The chapters of Matthew 5, 6, and 7 are called the Sermon on the Mount.  There will be several times in His sermon that He will bring the message to a decision point.  As we get to this portion of Matthew 6, He is headed to a call for each person to seek the kingdom of God first.  (Matthew 6:33 says, “But seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness, and all these things shall be added to you.”

    As Jesus preaches, He knows there is tremendous competition for our hearts.  We can easily be LOVING a lot of things, a lot of wrong things!  For Jesus, our relationship with God is to be preeminent – supreme – above everything else. Knowing that one of the greatest competitors of our hearts is money, Jesus gets really personal and direct.  He says we must know that money and things can control and even consume us.  The love of and the desire to have more and more money causes a person to have wrong priorities.  Rather than seeking God, this love for money will squeeze God and God’s desires out of one’s life.  

    Personal and direct Jesus says you can not serve two masters!

    So, which will it be?  Who will be first?  The Lord? Or your family? Your finances? Your personal needs?  Your personal freedom?  Your recreation? Your work?  And the list can go on and on, can it not?   As Elijah said in 1 Kings 18:21 “How long will you waver between two opinions? If the LORD is God, follow Him; but if Baal is God, follow him.”  Who will be first?

    Maybe you need to realign your priorities as you cannot serve two masters! First things must be first. and if you are a believer then Jesus is to be first!  

    What adjustments do you need to make based on the teaching from Matthew 6:24?

    I hope you know that money makes a horrible master.

    Continue Strong with Jesus First,
    And remember to DATE the Word

  • From The Worst News To The Best News! 

    Romans 6:23 “For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life through Christ Jesus our Lord.”

    Romans 6:23!  What a verse of contrast!! One will hardly find a verse in the Bible that has more contrast. This is the “John 3:16” of Romans.  Here we read of a sinner (and that would be you and me) facing a penalty – and unending punishment – death – spiritual separation from God. This is the worst news one can ever hear. We have all sinned and fallen short of God’s glory (Romans 3:23) is bad news (the bad news is we are bad) but now we learn the penalty – the punishment. The wages of sin is death. Let that sink in.  Death – Eternal separation from God.   

    For a moment ponder what if nothing else is written in Romans 6:23.  The bad news of Romans 3:23 has moved to telling the worst news ever from Romans 6:23a.  Can you imagine if there was nothing else?  

    But! 

    But that is not all that is written. There is the word but in this verse.  “But” starts a contrast that brings to us good news. There is a gift – a gift from God – the gift of God is eternal life rather than eternal damnation. The gift has been made available because Jesus Christ died for us. (Romans 5:8) There has been a provision made for the penalty!! Christ Jesus paid the penalty at Calvary! Three days later He arose from the dead and is alive!  

    Friend, what a Savior!! What a salvation!! Romans 6:23 moves a person from the worst news to the good news! And the more you think about it I believe you will say it is the best news ever!

    Have you received God’s gift to you?  It is life’s greatest decision for you will either pay for your sins in a place called Hell or you will accept what Christ has done in paying for your sins and enjoy eternal life with Him in Heaven.

    If you have not accepted Jesus, call on Him today as Romans 10:13 says, “Whosoever shall call upon the Lord shall be saved.”

    Today is a great day to share the good news!

    Continue Strong Grateful For The Free Gift Of Salvation,
    And Remember to DATE The Word

  • What a Testimony of Triumph

    Daniel 6:22 “My God sent His angel and shut the lions’ mouths so that they have not hurt me, because I was found innocent before Him; and also, O king, I have done no wrong before you.”

    The story of Daniel in the lion’s den is one of the first thoughts one has when you hear his name. Recalling this story means remembering why he is there. Daniel was a man described as a man of firm convictions (we know this from Chapter 1) and he had a conviction that he was to pray, openly pray to God three times a day.  Wicked men would use that against him, and he finds himself sentenced to die a gruesome death by ferocious lions. 

    Our verse tells us of his response to the king who had sentenced him to die as to whether Daniel’s God had saved him. I have always found it interesting that the king believed that Daniel would survive being thrown to the lions, believing it so much he came to the lion’s den and asked.  Daniel 6:20 says, “As the king came near to the den where Daniel was, he cried out in a tone of anguish. The king declared to Daniel, “O Daniel, servant of the living God, has your God, whom you serve continually, been able to deliver you from the lions?”  To this question comes the answer “My God sent His angel and shut the lions’ mouths so that they have not hurt me, because I was found innocent before Him; and also, O king, I have done no wrong before you.” (Daniel 6:22) The short answer is, “You better believe HE did!” (my paraphrase)

    Daniel’s response shows us how Daniel’s trial was turned into a testimony of triumph.

    You know, without a doubt, Daniel would rather not had to face the lions, but wicked men had wicked intentions bringing about this trial.  One can imagine the fear Daniel must have had yet one might also consider the faith Daniel had.  It is clear from his testimony that as he faced the lions he was not alone.  I wondered if Daniel uttered a prayer as he entered the lion’s den based on Psalm 35:17. Psalm 35:17 says, “How long, O Lord, will you look on? Rescue me from their destruction, my precious life from the lions!” Maybe or maybe not?  What we do know is God sent His angel to shut the lion’s mouths!

    Because of what God did for Daniel the king heard Daniel’s testimony of God’s amazing work and protection!!  

    Friend, you may not be treated right for doing right as the world is bound to hate you. With their persecution comes God’s presence and protection!  Their attacks provide opportunities for you to stand firm for your faith as well as share your faith.  Their wickedness provides you an opportunity to witness. 

    So, your newest trial allows you an opportunity to make His story known. Let us be reminded that God is in the business of turning trials into triumphal testimonies!

    Continue Strong Knowing God Turns Your Trials Into Triumphal Testimonies,
    And remember to DATE the Word

  • What Has Your Heart?

    Matthew 6:21 “For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.”

    To grasp the meaning of Matthew 6:21 we need to read verses 19 and 20.  Matthew 6:19-20 says, “Do not lay up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust destroy and where thieves break in and steal; 20 “but lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust destroys and where thieves do not break in and steal.”

    While we do ask what is in a person’s heart, we also must ask what has a person’s heart.

    What has your heart?  Is it something temporal?  The temptation of the temporal screams at us for our time and treasure.  The temporal demands instant gratification and consumes us with a grip on our hearts.

    Is it something worldly? The Bible tells how Demas forsook serving the Lord because of his love for this present world.  Our hearts can be so in love with finances, fitness, fun, even family and friends, that we have no desire for God.  

    What has your heart?  Is your heart desiring God?   Are your affections on the things ABOVE as Colossians 3:1-4 teaches?  As a reminder it says, “Since you were raised with Christ, seek those things which are above, where Christ is, sitting at the right hand of God. 2 Set your mind on things above, not on things on the earth. 3 For you died, and your life is hidden with Christ in God. 4 When Christ who is our life appears, then you also will appear with Him in glory.”  

    The Bible tells of David being a man after God’s own heart.  Acts 13:22 says, “God raised up David as king, to whom also He gave testimony and said, ‘I have found David a man after My own heart, who will do all My will.”

    So what has your heart? There is an old saying that says follow the money.  In my early years as a new Christian, I was told you can know much about a person by looking at their calendar and at their checkbook. The calendar and checkbook reveal what is really important to a person.   What is your calendar and checkbook revealing about what is most important to you?

    Are your affections toward temporal things on earth or on heavenly things that are eternal? 

    Application – When you give to God and His work you become more mindful of God and His work!

    Continue Strong Focused On The Eternal,
    And remember to DATE the Word

  • The Top Priority is to Glorify God

    1 Corinthians 6:20 “For you were bought at a price; Therefore, glorify God in your body and in your spirit, which are God’s.”

    Throughout life, we will have a variety of decisions to make and there will be some that are easy as the Bible says you shall or you shall not.  Then there are some that will be challenging as there does not seem to be a clear-cut “do” or “do not do.”  I was fortunate to have been discipled to have a filter for making decisions.  At the top of the filter was the question does it glorify God?   

    1 Corinthians 6:20, and later 1 Corinthians 10:31 (Therefore, whether you eat or drink, or whatever you do, do all to the glory of God) makes it clear that all of our actions – behavior – conduct – attitude – words – should glorify God!  We have been called – listen – into His kingdom and GLORY (I Thessalonian 2:12) thus we are to “walk worthy of God.”  Our ambition should be to please Him. We are to honor Him.  We are to obey Him.  We glorify God when we live like Him.

    1 Corinthians 6:20 reminds us that we have been purchased, bought at a price, a very high price. As one who has been purchased by the precious blood of Jesus Christ, we must commit and dedicate our entire lives doing only what glorifies Him! Thus, every decision is to be filtered with will this bring glory to God!!!

    There are 5 major areas that we are to steward and be found faithful. These are areas to GLORIFY GOD. They are: 
    1.  Our temple
    2.  Our time
    3.  Our treasure
    4.  Our talents
    5.  Our testimony

    Ponder – evaluate – examine yourself with the question of am I truly glorifying God with what I am doing with my temple?  My time? My treasure? My talents? My testimony?

    Continue Strong Doing Everything to His Glory,
    And remember to DATE the Word

  • New Ownership

    1 Corinthians 6:19 “Or do you not know that your body is the temple of the Holy Spirit who is in you, whom you have from God, and you are not your own?”

    The subject of sexual purity is a common theme for the Apostle Paul as in almost every letter he writes he addresses the necessity of abstaining from immorality. As the Apostle Paul makes the case for living sexually pure here in 1 Corinthians 6 (v18 says “flee sexual immorality”) he brings up a major reminder that our bodies are now to be regarded as a temple.  This temple is the residence of the Holy Spirit.  It is the home of the Holy Spirit. When you got saved the Holy Spirit moved into your body.  In verse 13 he wrote, “Now the body is not for sexual immorality but for the Lord, and the Lord for the body.” 

    With the Christian’s body being a temple and not just any temple but the temple of the Holy Spirit then the believer is not to defile the temple! Sexual immorality defiles the temple of the Holy Spirit. 

    In a world where there are no boundaries for morality, the Christian does live by God’s boundaries.  Becoming a Christian and living out the Christian life means without question the Christian lives differently. We are a new person and now we have new standards. One of the most defining new standards is our view of and our behavior regarding morality. Living a life of sexual purity is a mark of the believer. In Acts 15:29 the apostles sent word to the new Gentile believers about how they were to live and one of the standards was to abstain from sexual immorality. 

    A few questions:
    Are you aware, as a believer, that you have a new resident in your life?
    Are you aware, as a believer, that the Holy Spirit of God lives in you?
    Are you aware, as a believer that your body no longer belongs to you? 
    As you define your convictions on purity 1 Cor. 6:19 is a verse to have for why you practice purity.

    Continue Strong Keeping the Temple of God Pure.
    And remember to DATE The Word

  • Action Items For The Rich

    1 Timothy 6:18 “Let them do good, that they be rich in good works, ready to give, willing to share,”

    The Apostle Paul has several very pointed and direct words for the rich. His very direct instructions come in the context of his teaching on true contentment. Knowing there is a restlessness to always be getting more as we are prone to believe money brings satisfaction and status, even security, Paul confronts this thinking by telling several essential messages to the rich and those who want to be rich.

    He tells the rich not to be in love with money as it is the root of all kinds of evil.  (1 Tim. 6:10)

    He tells the rich to stay humble.  (1 Timothy 6:17a)

    He tells the rich to forget about trusting in money as it is very unstable.  (1 Timothy 6:17b

    As he continues to instruct, he now tells the rich to do good and to have a mindset of giving to others and sharing with others at a moment’s notice.  The rich are to be ready to give.  As one acquires the means to take care of oneself they also look to see how to help others on their journey. 

    You make a living by what you get.  You make a life by what you give.  Winston Churchill 

    Do you have a good grip on your money or does money have a grip, maybe a strong, tight grip on you?  Are you more prone to generosity or to being greedy?  Are you prone to be stingy (holding tight for yourself) or to be a sower of your money (sharing with others as an investment)? 

    In the story of the Good Samaritan (Luke 10), we have those who were takers, keepers, and then a giver. The hero of the story is the one who said what is mine is mine but I am going to share it. 

    So, getting personal, are you using your money for good? Are you looking for opportunities to invest in others?  Are you ready to share?  Do you live to give?
    From a good friend – “I have never missed anything that I gave away!”

    Continue Strong Blessing Others As You Have Been Blessed,
    And remember to DATE the Word