December 25

Luke 2:12
"This will be a sign for you: you will find a baby wrapped in cloths and lying in a manger."


I have never thought about this before, but we see manger scenes all over at Christmas, but who has one in their house at Christmas to represent what Christmas is all about. Maybe as Christians we should place a manger right beside our Christmas tree and leave it empty till Christmas morning. Then we everybody gets up to get their gifts, they can see the greatest gift that we could ever receive, that baby in a manger. May we all be challenged to start a new tradition and let others that come into our houses see what we truly believe!

December 24

 John 1:9
There was the true Light which, coming into the world, enlightens every man.


In all the anticipation of Christmas coming, we have that anticipation also found in the Bible of the Hope that is for us. We must remember that Christmas is celebrating the birth of Christ. In this verse we were reminded that the true Light was coming, and this Light was Jesus. He came to us in the human form, born of a virgin and also born in a lonely stable, a simple birth but  a not so simple Savior! He deserved a glorious telecast of just how great and magnificent this birth was going to be, that this was true royalty, but to the world he came at the right time, unannounced to most. Today we still see people walking around that still don't even know that He exists. What are we to do about it? We are to let others know that there is a true Light, His name is Jesus and He is here just for them. Be the lighthouse to shine so that others may be drawn to the Light. Introduce them to the Light so that they can understand and find that Hope that was sent to them.

December 23

 Revelation 21:20
the fifth onyx, the sixth ruby, the seventh chrysolite, the eighth beryl, the ninth topaz, the tenth turquoise, the eleventh jacinth, and the twelfth amethyst.

This is another example of God's Jewelry Box, but in more detail. The Bible is full of gems just waiting to be discovered. These jewels were created by God to remind us of His glory, I think showing just how majestic He really is. As beautiful as all of these stones may be, they will be nothing compared to Him. May you enjoy the creations around you and realize that this is just a taste of what is to come!

December 22

Ecclesiasted 6:1
There is an evil which I have seen under the sun and it is prevalent among men--

So often I think people forget about this verse, almost like saying, if we can't see it, then we don't believe it. Well people Satan is alive and well and he walks around using the "Christians" and the non-Christians both. There are times that the easiest way I can explain to others is - don't get mad at the person who has offended you, realize that the enemy is Satan and he is using that person to steal your joy. The sad thing is that Satan is using everybody that he can get his claws in to, and yes sometimes that is Christians. We just always have to remember who the enemy is, it makes it alot easier to handle this way. The sad thing is that many churches are filled with people who are letting the enemy use them, and sadly, they don't even recognize it! So be aware that the enemy is real. He will do his best to get his claws in you and use you for his glory. Stand firm and remember to call upon the name of the Lord, Satan cannot stand in HIS presence.

December 21

Proverbs 4:4
Then he taught me and said to me, "Let your heart hold fast my words; Keep my commandments and live;

These are words from a father to a son, but this applies us all and they are words from our Heavenly Father! As Christians, our heart should want to hold fast to His words, we should want to keep His commandments, because He has given us a promise when doing so - we LIVE! Of course one day we will physically die, but we will live eternally with Him. When we hear our father speaking, we should strive to listen to Him and do as He says, so that we may bring honor to His name. When we go against what He says, we are disobedient and disrespectful to Him. Keep this in mind in all that you do.

December 20

 I Thessalonians 4:17
Then we who are alive and remain will be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air, and so we shall always be with the Lord.


This is one of those verses that gets me excited. This talks about the coming of Christ! We have hope in this world, that there will come a day that we will get to see the Lord, that is if we have placed our faith in Him and trusted Him as our Lord and Savior! If we are living when He comes back this is going to be a glorious sight! My favorite part is we shall always be with the Lord. We need to think about that a little more sometimes, how will it be then? We were created to worship. What do we do here on earth? How often do we worship? Yes, not often enough. It's time we start practicing a bit more in our worshipping! So take time, crank up the radio, listen to His words and sing them back to Him, yes that is worship. When you see something that makes you smile, let Him know, that is worship. Pick up that Bible and listen to His words, yes that is worship. Don't just expect your worship to be on Sunday or Wednesday, make it happen every day of the week!

December 19

Jonah 3:5
"Then the people of Nineveh believed in God; and they called a fast and put on sackcloth from the greatest to the least of them."

In Jonah we know that he spent time in the belly of the whale for being disobedient to God. Now we see that Jonah has gone to Nineveh and is doing what God told him to do. Because of him being obedient, the people believed in God. This makes me wonder about us, are we doing what God has called us to do? Are we sharing Jesus with others so that they are believing in Him? We must do what God has called us to do and spread His word so that others will come to know Him. This verse shows that when we are obedient to do what He has called us to do, we will see results!

December 18

Titus 2:5
"to be sensible, pure, workers at home, kind, being subject to their own husbands, so that the word of God will not be dishonored."


Sensible - having, using, or showing good sense or sound judgment
Pure - untainted with evil; innocent
Kind - of a good or benevolent nature or disposition, as a person
Subject - being under dominion, rule, or authority, as of a sovereign, state, or some governing power; owing allegiance or obedience
Dishonored - disgrace; ignominy; shame
I know that as women sometimes we just don't want to be told what to do, but these are wise words given to us. To be sensible, we need to think before we speak. I know how easy it is to say something before you think about it and it will get you in trouble. Workers at home, I don't think it means that we are to stay at home, I do think that if we can we should, yes sometimes we have to work, but we do have a role at home to do so that we can show our children what their responsiblities are in the home also. To be pure, we need to not be vicious, spiteful or hateful (and we all can be). To be kind, well that goes back to the pure, be need to learn to treat others as we want to be treated. Being subject to their own husband, its a tough one to take when looking at definition, but I will stick with allegiance, we are subject to the authority of our husband, but it is when he loves us like Christ loves the church is when it will be natural to us. God's plan is that our husband is the leader of the home, and that is what we are to let him do, don't fight him for this right that God gave to the husband. When we say I do, our husband is the man that we have allegiance to, I think that it goes deeper in this verse when it says to their own husband, stay with yours and don't look to line up with somebody else's husband! Dishonored, again, I think that if we go back and think about everything we do before we say or act upon it, we will think twice about it. If we truly say that word, "Would Jesus do what I am about to" before we did it, then we would not dishonor the name of the Lord.

Wise words are given to use for a reason. We need to act upon them so that we can be pleasing in the sight of the Lord.

December 17

Revelation 3:19
Those whom I love, I reprove and discipline; therefore be zealous and repent.


I think we forget that we do get disciplined by the Lord because He does love us. We often think it could be just punishment for the wrong we have done, but that is not all of it. If He didn't love us, He wouldn't care. He wants us to do right, and when we are doing anything but that, then He can do only what is best for us, to discipline us. How else are we going to learn? When He does discipline us the next part is clear in this verse, repent. Let God know that you are sorry for what you have done, but to repent doesn't mean just saying your sorry, it means to turn from that sin and don't turn back to it! Thank God for showing you His ways, don't get mad at him for getting caught. God has called us to a life that is different from those around us, it's time to start living like Jesus is your Lord and Savior.

December 16

Proverbs 30:33
For the churning of milk produces butter,
And pressing the nose brings forth blood;
So the churning of anger produces strife.
 
My thoughts are sometimes when things are "pressed" we see good results, such as the butter from milk, and sometimes it's not so good, as the nosebleed. We have to be careful in all things, so that when we are pressed, we don't see the strife. Yes I know (personally) that anger will creep into your life, but you have to learn to get beyond that or you will have turmoil in your life, you will spill out things into others lives that are not good. Sometimes you are going to have to learn to forgive even when that person has hurt you doesn't ask for it.  So the best way to handle "being pressed" is trust in God! Sometimes He can press us to - He wants to see what will come out of us. So think about it, and be careful of what you are letting come out. First think about how you are coming across to God - are you making Him smile or frown? Next think about how you are coming across as a Christian, would anybody else want to be like you?  Great things can come from your life, it's what you choose to "spill" out.

December 15

2 Chronicles 17:14
This was their muster according to their fathers' households: of Judah, commanders of thousands, Adnah was the commander, and with him 300,000 valiant warriors;


I had never heard the word muster before my son went into the Navy. After that I would be talking to him and he say, gotta go, have to muster. So he explained - take roll, give account for. So now when you read this verse you will know what muster is. They were giving account. It even neater to me to see that this verse is talking about warriors, so now I need to dig deeper and see if they just applies to a term used only for those in the military...
as found on Dictionary.com...

mus·ter   /ˈmʌstər/ Show Spelled

–verb (used with object)
1. to assemble (troops, a ship's crew, etc.), as for battle, display, inspection, orders, or discharge.
2. to gather, summon, rouse (often fol. by up ): He mustered all his courage.
–verb (used without object)
3. to assemble for inspection, service, etc., as troops or forces.
4. to come together; collect; assemble; gather.

–noun
5. an assembling of troops or persons for formal inspection or other purposes.
6. an assemblage or collection.
7. the act of mustering.
8. Also called muster roll . (formerly) a list of the persons enrolled in a military or naval unit.

—Verb phrases
9. muster in, to enlist into service in the armed forces.
10. muster out, to discharge from service in the armed forces: He will be mustered out of the army in only two more months

Very neat to see a term that given in the Bible used for the terms of today. Awesome seeing the Bible in everyday life!

December 14

 Joshua 4:6
That this may be a sign among you, that when your children ask their fathers in time to come, saying, What mean ye by these stones?


What comes to mind even more for me, is what are our stones in our lives that our children may ask about. Can they see something evident in our lives that they will ask us, what does this mean? I want my children to see my faith so evident and strong, that they will ask, what makes you like you are? So my reply can be - I am different because of Jesus Christ. I serve the Lord, I don't apologize for my convictions and I will stand strong (like the stones) for what I believe in. They did not get to see the old me, but the people who knew me before knew that I lived to please me and me alone. I am no longer that person because I placed my faith in Jesus Christ and I have trusted Him as my Lord and Savior. I heard Him say, "Old things are passed away, you are a new creation". I do not want people to see me doing the things that I did before, because they would see the old me. There is something different in my life and His name is Jesus. I want to introduce my friends to Him, so that they can now have the peace and joy that I have because of Him. I know that if I died right now that I would spend my eternity in Heaven. Believe me, the night I gave my life to Christ, I was fully aware that if I had died right then, I would have busted hell wide open. My prayer is that you know where you stand with Christ and you have a stone that others will see and ask, What does that stand for?

December 13

Ephesians 1:6:
"to the praise of the glory of His grace, which He freely bestowed on us in the Beloved."

How many times do we truly think about Christ? Just who He is, just what He means to us? He was God's Son, His Beloved. For those of us who have children, we understand that bond, our flesh and blood. We don't think about how awesome God is, He gave His Son for us. We definitely don't deserve to be snatched out of the pits of hell, because without Christ we were headed straight there, but God loved us so much He sent His Son to die for us. I don't know if I could give any of my children for somebody else. I don't know that I would die for anybody outside my family. We need to be more thankful and praise God more because we take what we have way too lightly. I hope you can wrap your head around how much God loves you. As His child, we too are a treasure to Him. Today may you feel His presence, His arms wrapped around you and hear His voice saying - my child, I love you too, please don't ever doubt that!

December 12

Luke 2:12
"This will be a sign for you: you will find a baby wrapped in cloths and
lying in a manger."

Today we went to see Ethan's Christmas play at school, and this was what the play was about, The birth of Christ. I am so thankful that I live in an area that has a principal that says, share Jesus until we have to stop! The play brought in Mary, Joseph and baby Jesus. Ethan sang the second verse of Away in a Manger. Then the shepherds came in, a star, the angels and the wise men. After they were all in place two of the little angels came to the front and Mary, Joseph and baby Jesus also stood in front and the angels sang, "Happy Birthday Jesus". I just cried! A little boy then came front the back with a birthday cake and set it in front of them. It was incredible.

My prayer is that others who were there will see the read meaning of Christmas. That God sent His Son to be the Savior of the world. He sent Jesus by the way of Mary and placed Him in a manger for us! Remember that if it had only been you or me, God would have still sent His Son just for us.

Share the meaning of Christmas with others, and this year, buy a birthday cake for Jesus and sing to Him! This Christmas can mean more to you than ever before.

December 11

James 1:19
This you know, my beloved brethren But everyone must be quick to hear, slow to speak and slow to anger;

Great words for us to listen, ponder and act upon. For me this is probably the hardest. I always have something to say about the subject of converstation. I am trying to apply this verse more often. Quick to hear and slow to speak. Sometimes I may not be saying anything at all, because I am also working on that slow to anger bit.

When somebody is speaking to you, what are they really trying to say? Sometimes we may need to look deeper into what is being said. You know what general converstaions are, but sometimes people can be crying out for help or saying one thing hoping that you will see the real truth behind it. I think that is why we need to be quick to hear, to really listen. Often we just half way hear, speak what we think and go on.

I think that we need to be slow to speak because when you say something, that is it. You can always apologize for what you have said, but the damage can already be done. You really can't undo! So again, be slow to speak - what are the words of your mouth going to do to the person in front of you? Sure it may make you feel better for getting it out, but don't be damaging - some things are better left not said.

Slow to anger...that is one to work on. Again listen to what is being said to you. Is that person just trying to make you mad? Sometimes yes, and why? Because Satan wants to steal your joy and he will use other people to do that. Take a look at the person, don't get mad at them - just let the devil know - it will not work! He cannot have your joy and you don't have to get mad (at least not at the person). Ask God to rebuke Satan and place your thoughts back to Christ so that you can be a reflection of Him. Then when your words do come out, others can see the Jesus in you!

December 10

Acts 7:9 "The patriarchs became jealous of Joseph and sold him into Egypt. Yet God was with him,"

I seem to talk about bad things happening to people alot. But why I do this is to remind them to remember that no matter what you go through and sometimes it seems really bad, that God is with you. I just want you to always remember that He is here! I know that sometimes we feel far away, but that is because we have taken our eyes off of God. We must turn and look back and see that He has been there all the time. Something bad may be happening right now and you don't understand why. Just know that God is here, He knows what you are going through, and we may not like it, but He is allowing it to happen. Sometimes He wants to see just how much we are going to trust Him and count on Him to get us through. Thank Him for another opportunity for Him to show Himself to you! You have been chosen and He is with you!

December 9

Jeremiah 17:5
Thus says the LORD,"Cursed is the man who trusts in mankind And makes flesh his strength, And whose heart turns away from the LORD."

This just makes me sad. We know that we serve a loving and just God and for those who choose to live a life separated from Him, their life will be cursed, and they will receive the penalty from living that way. That penalty is hell. The great news is that you don't have to be cursed. You can turn from that cursed life and turn to Jesus. Placing your faith in Him and trusting in Him as your Lord and Savior will keep you from that separation, giving you an eternal home. My prayer is that we will be able to recognize who those people and we will share the Good News with them so that their names won't be the ones that come to mind when we read this verse.

December 8

Psalm 21:11 Though they intended evil against You And devised a plot, They will not succeed.

For me this is where we are reminded that as God's children, we are going to be okay. We know that things may come against us, but it will be okay. Just remember that even Jesus had people plotting against Him. We may not be put on the cross and hung for it, but there will be times that we probably feel that way. Do not get discouraged! Thank God that He has chosen you to walk through this trial and know and believe that He will get you through it. He wants to grow you and use you, even when we don't feel like we need to grow any more, we must trust that He will make us better and stronger! Hold on to His Word and know "They will not succeed!"

December 7

Proverbs 1:6
To understand a proverb and a figure, The words of the wise and their riddles.

This makes me smile, after all this is sort of what blogging these verses are for me. It's reading it and trying to figure out what it says to me, then I share with you. There are times that it may be clear and others times that you have to dig a little deeper. Glad that God made it that way - we don't need plain and simple all the time! We should all be looking at these verses and seeking to understand them better, I would love for you to share with me what each verse you read means to see you. Sometimes you may see it completely different from me, I would love to know!

December 6

Proverbs 12:5
The thoughts of the righteous are just, But the counsels of the wicked are deceitful.

Oh how this verse hits home to me. I now that when those thoughts are running through my head that are positive, uplifting and encouraging, that they are coming from the Lord. I also recognize that those negative thoughts that are coming through my head are not from the Lord, which means only one thing, they are from Satan! I was even sharing with Chris that sometimes when we are talking that I get quiet just because of that. The thoughts that are processing in my head are not always what they should be, and I know that if they flow out of my mouth, that they will do damage that can't be taken back. I can apologize, but the damage will still be done! I always flash back to the Lord telling me "Old things are passed away, you are a new creature in Christ." So when negative words are spewing out of my mouth, I am not a reflection of Christ, Who is now in me. Do you get where I am going? There will always be a battle, we must focus on Christ, which will therefore allow us to have the mind of Christ and we will be a reflection of Him. When we feel the not so nice thoughts and feelings start to arise, that should be a sign immediately to change our thoughts to the Lord, so we can get refocused and reflect Him. What are others seeing in you?

December 5

Galatians 3:28
There is neither Jew nor Greek, there is neither slave nor free man, there is neither male nor female; for you are all one in Christ Jesus.

I truly believe that some people are going to be shocked when they get to heaven, and I even question that when and say if they get to heaven. Yes we have many denominations, and several may worship in a way that we may not agree with, but who are we to say that they are wrong? All I know is that a religion will not get you to heaven. It's placing your faith in Jesus Christ and trusting Him as your Lord and Savior is what gets you there. Just because you are a member of a church will not get you to heaven. I think many people are banking on their name being on the church roll, when they need to realize that if your name is not written in the Lambs book of Life, then you are not going! We have a lot to learn and the best way to learn is to get in the Bible. The truth is written in His Word!

December 4

2 Corinthians 5:6
Therefore, being always of good courage, and knowing that while we are at home in the body we are absent from the Lord--

While we are here on this earth we are absent from the presence of God, but we must always remember that the Lord is with us in Spirit. He is here to guide us, comfort us and walk with us, but we must let Him do just that. He doesn't come to us unless invited. So take that time to make sure He is with you wherever you go. Don't just say "I know He is with Him, invite Him, talk to Him, take time and spend with Him". Thank God for the time you have here on earth to be with your earthly family, but make sure that you know when you pass from here, that you will spend your eternity with God! Even though you may think you are going through hell right now on earth, if you do not know Jesus, then this may be the only heaven that you get to experience.

December 3

2 John 1:12 Though I have many things to write to you, I do not want to do so with paper and ink; but I hope to come to you and speak face to face, so that your joy may be made full.

Sometimes a letter just will not cut it, you need to see a person face to face so that you can see their expression or even know that they are getting what you tell them. I know that when my mom was going through her cancer and I disagreed with how she was not making lifestyle changes, I wrote her a letter, because at that time, she was not listening to my words face to face, but oh what joy to see her face when she realized that the words I had been writing about were so true. Seeing her face to face when she came to know Christ, definately made my joy full. Share good news with others, even in writing, but take that time for a personal touch too. Not only does God want to bless the other person, He wants to bless you too!

December 2

Daniel 6:5
Then these men said, "We will not find any ground of accusation against this Daniel unless we find it against him with regard to the law of his God."
Wouldn't be wonderful if this was the only fault that somebody could find against us, that there was nothing wrong with us but that we loved God so much that we served Him and Him alone! Oh to be a Daniel. But how many times do we let "stuff" get in our way of serving? Very often, if we answer honestly. May we today be like Daniel and let others see Who it is that we serve, and may we show them God in all that we do!

December 1

Genesis 1:11
Then God said, “Let the land produce vegetation: seed-bearing plants and trees on the land that bear fruit with seed in it, according to their various kinds.” And it was so.

I think I forgot to look up the first verse that started with a T last month, so you have it now. It is incredible to think about God's creation. That He made it to not only reproduce as humans, but in all other things, plants, trees, animals... He gave us so much to enjoy that I think sometimes we overlook just what He has done for us. We should get excited when we see new growth, we should be reminded of the great things that God is creating for us, and we should also remember that we too can be like a seed. We should grow and produce fruit that is pleasant to others too. We can give that fruit back to God and let Him bless us again, and help us to spring forth later. As you eat something, think about where it all came from, where it started from, realizing that it all started in the garden with God. He created it just for you and for me, so that we could enjoy. Take time to thank Him for what He created just for us and what He has given us and blessed us with.