a word from The Sponsor ~ February 18

Resolution 4: Praise Christ

Is anyone among you in trouble? Let them pray. Is anyone happy? Let them sing songs of praise.
~James 5:13

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a word from The Sponsor ~ February 11, 2024

Resolution 4: Praise Christ

23 I will also praise you with the harp

    for your faithfulness, O my God;

I will sing praises to you with the lyre,

    O Holy One of Israel.

23 My lips will shout for joy,

    when I sing praises to you;

    my soul also, which you have redeemed.

24 And my tongue will talk of your righteous help all the day long, for they have been put to shame and disappointed who sought to do me hurt. ~Psalm 71:22-24

 

 

 

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a word from The Sponsor ~ January 28

Resolution 3: Remember to Focus on Christ~ 

He calls us Friends…

“No longer do I call you servants, for the servant does not know what his master is doing; but I have called you friends, for all that I have heard from my Father I have made known to you.” ~John 15:15 (ESV)

 

 

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a word from The Sponsor ~ January 21

Resolution 3: Remember to Focus on Christ~

“O our God… We are powerless before this great multitude who are coming against us; nor do we know what to do, but our eyes are on You.” ~ 2 Chronicles 20:12

https://wellspringchristianministries.org/2-chronicles-2012/

 

 

***There are over 350 prophecies, some from 800 years prior, that were fulfilled through the life, death, and resurrection of Jesus.

 

 

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Bible Verses Featuring the word “Happy” or “Happiness”

Bible Verses Featuring the word “Happy” or “Happiness”

For awhile, a cultural emphasis has been to admonish and encourage each other to “Be Happy.” What does that mean and how does one achieve the “Be Happy” state?

In Scripture, both the state of “Happy” and “Happiness” appears to be related to an action or the result of an effort.

Here are some Bible verses that communicate that active (rather than passive receivership) of Happy and Happiness.
Please share your Bible verses in the comments! 

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Psalm 68:3
But may the righteous be glad and rejoice before God; may they be happy and joyful.

Psalm 113:9
He settles the childless woman in her home as a happy mother of children. Praise the Lord.

Psalm 144:15
Happy are the people whose God is the Lord!

Proverbs 15:13
A happy heart makes the face cheerful, but heartache crushes the spirit.

Proverbs 16:20
He who heeds the word wisely will find good, and whoever trusts in the  Lord, happy is he.

Proverbs 29:18
Where there is no revelation, the people cast off restraint; but happy is he who keeps the law.

Ecclesiastes 2:26
To the person who pleases him, God gives wisdom, knowledge and happiness, but to the sinner he gives the task of gathering and storing up wealth to hand it over to the one who pleases God. This too is meaningless, a chasing after the wind.

Ecclesiastes 3:12
I know that there is nothing better for people than to be happy and to do good while they live.

Ecclesiastes 5:19
Moreover, when God gives someone wealth and possessions, and the ability to enjoy them, to accept their lot and be happy in their toil—this is a gift of God.

Ecclesiastes 7:14
When times are good, be happy; but when times are bad, consider this: God has made the one as well as the other. Therefore, no one can discover anything about their future.

Ecclesiastes 9:6-8
Go, eat your bread with joy, and drink your wine with a happy heart; for God has already accepted your works.

Matthew 25:21
{Jesus speaking in a parable said,} “His master replied, ‘Well done, good and faithful servant! You have been faithful with a few things; I will put you in charge of many things. Come and share your master’s happiness!’

James 5:13
Is anyone among you in trouble? Let them pray. Is anyone happy? Let them sing songs of praise.

a word from The Sponsor ~ January 14

Resolution 2: Remember Christ’s Promise of Life~

(Jesus said,) “I have come in order that you might have life—life in all its fullness.” ~John 10:10 

 

 

***There are over 350 prophecies, some from 800 years prior, that were fulfilled through the life, death, and resurrection of Jesus.

 

 

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a word from The Sponsor ~ January 7, 2024

Resolution 1: Remember Christ’s Promise of Nearness and Salvation ~“The Lord is close to the brokenhearted and saves those who are crushed in spirit.” ~Psalm 34:18

***There are over 350 prophecies, some from 800 years prior, that were fulfilled through the life, death, and resurrection of Jesus.

 

 

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a word from The Sponsor ~ December 31

Because of Grace, there are eternal promises that span the continuum of one year to the next…

(Jesus said,) “Do not let your hearts be troubled. Trust in God ^[1] ; trust also in me.2In my Father’s house are many rooms; if it were not so, I would have told you. I am going there to prepare a place for you.3And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come back and take you to be with me that you also may be where I am. And you know the way to where I am going.” ~John 14:1-4

Happy New Year!

 

***There are over 350 prophecies, some from 800 years prior, that were fulfilled through the life, death, and resurrection of Jesus.

 

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Mangers

Mangers

Luke’s gospel explained that Mary “brought forth her firstborn Son, and wrapped Him in swaddling cloths, and laid Him in a manger, because there was no room for them in the inn” (Luke 2:7).

This is a photograph of a manger used in the stables of King Ahab at Megiddo. This photo of a manger is different from the usual, contemporary representations depicted of the manger scene.

In ancient times mangers served as a feeding trough for animals, carved from rock or constructed from a stiff mixture of clay and straw, or mud and stones (Mahoney, 2018; Padfield, 2022). This design is used today too.

Shepherds used mangers for the newborn lambs of their flock. Priests would tightly wrap perfect, unblemished lambs in cloth and these lambs were placed in a manger to keep them safe (Padfield, 2022).

The gospel of Luke 2:7-18 retold the message given to shepherds who were with their sheep on the night of Jesus’ birth. These verses contain this clue of the location of Jesus, Mary, and Joseph,

“This will be a sign for you, you will find a baby wrapped in cloth and lying in a manger.” ~Luke 2:12.

A manger in Jesus’ birth story is only mentioned in the instructions to the shepherds. Shepherds would have understood this powerful parallel!

“When our Lord was born, He who was destined to sit on the throne of His father David (Luke 1:32) was placed in a simple feed trough.” ~David Padfield

Merry Christmas!

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During Christmas and the New Year of 2024, I hope you encounter the humble, authentic, and quiet expressions of peace, faith, hope, and Love that are meant just for you!

                                                                     References

Mahoney, L. (1996). 5,000 years of Architecture in Malta. Valletta Publishing

Padfield, D. (2022). Away in a manger. https://www.padfield.com/1999/away-in-a-manger.html

a word from The Sponsor ~ December 24

(Jesus said,) “When the Son of Man comes in His glory, and all the angels with Him, then He will sit on His glorious throne. Before him will be gathered all the nations, and He will separate people one from another as a shepherd separates the sheep from the goats. And he will place the sheep on His right, but the goats on the left.
Then the King will say to those on His right, ‘Come, you who are blessed by my Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world. For I was hungry and you gave me food, I was thirsty and you gave me drink, I was a stranger and you welcomed me, I was naked and you clothed me, I was sick and you visited me, I was in prison and you came to me.’” ~Matthew 25:31-36

***There are over 350 prophecies, some from 800 years prior, that were fulfilled through the life, death, and resurrection of Jesus.

 

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a word from The Sponsor ~ December 17

(Jesus said,) “Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest.” ~Matthew 11:28

Image Link from https://www.bible.com/verse-of-the-day/MAT.11.28/83998?version=111

 

Additional insights about Matthew 11:28 at this link.

 

***There are over 350 prophecies, some from 800 years prior, that were fulfilled through the life, death, and resurrection of Jesus.

 

 

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a word from The Sponsor ~ December 10

An important verse for the end of the current graduate term…

“Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy and my burden is light.” Matthew 11:29-30 (NIV)

Image Source: https://achristianpilgrim.wordpress.com/2020/07/16/matthew-1129-todays-gospel-reading-matthew-1128-30/

 

From Rick Warren’s post: “Are you feeling overloaded? You may be trying to control things too much. We do it all the time, sometimes without realizing it. Even when we don’t try to, we act subconsciously as if it all depends on us. We have to hold everything together. We have to make it all happen.

The greater your need to control things, the more overloaded, stressed, and empty you’re going to be in life. You have to learn to give up control!”

 

 

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a word from The Sponsor ~ December 3

It is during this time of year that I begin to look for theme verses for the coming  year…
Romans 5:8 is one of the theme verses for the upcoming year of 2024. 

“…but God shows His love for us in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us.” ~ Romans 5:8 (ESV)

Cloud Photo by Helen, 20,000 feet over the Pacific Ocean

 

 

 

It would be great if you shared your theme verse(s) for the upcoming New Year (choosing theme verses is much more satisfying than New Year’s Resolutions, imo) :)  Comments are moderated and your privacy is protected.

 

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a word from The Sponsor ~ November 26

 “…for God gave us a spirit not of fear but of power and love and self-control.” ~2 Timothy 1:7

 

 

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a word from The Sponsor ~ November 19

In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.  He was with God in the beginning. Through him all things were made; without him nothing was made that has been made.  In him was life, and that life was the light of all mankind.  The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness has not overcome it.

There was a man sent from God whose name was John.  He came as a witness to testify concerning that light, so that through him all might believe. He himself was not the light; he came only as a witness to the light.

The true light that gives light to everyone was coming into the world. He was in the world, and though the world was made through him, the world did not recognize him. He came to that which was his own, but his own did not receive him.  Yet to all who did receive him, to those who believed in his name, he gave the right to become children of God— children born not of natural descent, nor of human decision or a husband’s will, but born of God.

The Word became flesh and made his dwelling among us. We have seen his glory, the glory of the one and only Son, who came from the Father, full of grace and truth. ~John 1:1-14

 

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a word from The Sponsor ~ November 4

“Rejoice in the Lord always; again I will say, rejoice. 

Let your reasonableness be known to everyone. The Lord is at hand; 

do not be anxious about anything,

but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving

let your requests be made known to God. 

And the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding,

will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.”
~Philippians 4:4-7

 

 

 

 

 

 

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a word from The Sponsor ~ October 29

Peace and Law from Scripture are connected.

“Great Peace have those who love your law, and nothing can make them stumble.” ~ Psalm 119:165

 

Psalm 119 inspired Isaac Watts in 1719 to write the famous hymn which was set to music by Beethoven (Coffman, 1974; Great Songs of the Church, Hymn #104).

Law and its connection to Peace is referenced and included in both the Old Testament and the New Testament (Jesus’ teaching and the Apostle Paul’s writings- see John 15:25, 1 Corinthians 14:21)

 

 

 

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                                                        References

Coffman, James Burton (1974). “Commentary on Psalm 85.” Coffman’s Commentaries on the Bible.  Abilene Christian University Press, Abilene, Texas, USA. 1974-1999. ISBN-13 ‏ : ‎ 978-0891120797
Available online https://www.studylight.org/commentaries/eng/bcc/psalms-85.html.

Jorgenson, E.L. (1926). Great Songs of the Church. The Word and Work publishers. Image scanned by Abilene Christian University Digital Commons. https://digitalcommons.acu.edu/crs_books/194/

Trail Reeves (2020). How Shall the Young Secure Their Hearts? [Video file]. YouTube. https://youtu.be/ZgZoCNynrgk?feature=shared

 

 

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a word from The Sponsor ~ October 22

“You keep him in perfect peace whose mind is stayed on you, because he trusts in you. ” ~Isaiah 26:3 (ESV)

“You will keep in perfect peace those whose minds are steadfast, because they trust in you. ~Isaiah 26:3 (NIV)

The word for Keep in both of these Bible verse translations conveys a translation of “barricade or fortress wall.”

Based on this verse, Peace is a complete place, not just a fleeting feeling.

 

 

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a word from The Sponsor ~ October 15

Righteousness and Peace are connected.

“I will listen to what God the Lord says; He promises Peace to His people, His faithful servants~but let them not turn to folly. Surely His salvation is near those who fear Him, that His glory may dwell in our land.
Love and faithfulness meet together; righteousness and Peace kiss each other.” ~Psalm 85: 8-10

 

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Note: This psalm, Psalm 85, was written after the miraculous ending of the Babylonian captivity (Coffman, 1974). The authorship of the psalm is credited to the sons of Korah, the great-grandson of Levi (Numbers 16). Korah led a rebellion against Moses in the wilderness and was immediately punished together with the other traitors. Some of Korah’s sons were spared and served in the Tabernacle and later the Temple (1 Chronicles 6:31, 37; 9:19). Because they were spared God’s wrath that day in the wilderness and their gratitude for that grace continued down through the generations.

                                                                           References

Coffman, James Burton (1974). “Commentary on Psalm 85.” Coffman’s Commentaries on the Bible.  Abilene Christian University Press, Abilene, Texas, USA. 1974-1999. ISBN-13 ‏ : ‎ 978-0891120797
Available online https://www.studylight.org/commentaries/eng/bcc/psalms-85.html. 

 

 

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a word from The Sponsor ~ October 8

Peace is both present and future tense

“a future awaits those who seek Peace.” ~Psalm 37:37 (NIV)

“Mark the blameless and behold the upright,  for there is a future for the man of Peace.” ~Psalm 37:37 (ESV)

     

 

 

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