Leviticus 18:22 NASB "You shall not sleep with a male as one sleeps with a female; it is an abomination."Can we throw that one out?! Today's verse is one that most will not want to talk about but it's in His Word! While working on my vehicle, I decided not to put all the parts back. I thought I could get away without it but I was sadly mistaken. When I tried to start it back up, I realized that it need all the parts to work properly. Taking part of God's Word out, leaving the parts we don't like to talk about, is only getting part of what God wants to speak to us. Sure, it's a challenge to stand up for all of God's Word, rather than removing those verses we don't like, but then it going to lead to problems! Remember to speak the Truth with love and that means all the Truth, not just the ones we like! peace, tom
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Isaiah 30:21 NASB "Your ears will hear a word behind you, saying, “This is the way, walk in it,” whenever you turn to the right or to the left."It funny but true! Today's verse shares with us about the Holy Spirit's leading, we just need to listen! There's a funny story about a man who goes to a marriage counselor and begins by saying "she's always pushing me, always talking behind my back, it never stops whenever we are together!" where the counselor responds, "it's ok - she does it because she's pushing you in your wheelchair!" Let that sink it! The Holy Spirit is always there to help us walk straight in our walk with Christ, we just need to learn to listen to His Voice and follow where He leads us. Not everyone who is behind us, is out to get us!!! Let that sink in too! peace, tom
1 Peter 5:8 NASB "Be of sober spirit, be on the alert. Your adversary, the devil, prowls around like a roaring lion, seeking someone to devour."It would be crazy if I wasn't prepared! Today's verse speaks of being alert and ready for the battle! I know it's coming and I would be just foolish if I didn't prepare for it! Winter is fast approaching and where I live that means snow! I need to prepare now by getting the generator ready the shovels, and snowblower so I will not be caught off guard. The temptations will come, and we would be just plain foolish to think that they won't come after us so we need to be prepared, be battle ready as they say, cause the devil is looking for someone to devour! The attacks by satan will be fierce and without mercy but we can remain strong by being prepared. So the question is... are we prepared, do we have a battle plan, a plan of attach when they come... well, do we? peace, tom
Romans 15:13 NASB "Now may the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace in believing, so that you will abound in hope by the power of the Holy Spirit."I've never kept count but I am sure there were more good days than bad! Today's verse shares about being fulled with hope, joy and peace! We never really kept count of how may days we went fishing together and didn't catch a thing, but we always came away blessed. What kept us going back each time was the hope of catching fish so even though we may have gotten skunked the last time, we would go again. The power of hope is an amazing thing, it can keep us expecting when we may not see the results of our prayers. God is still the God of hope and will fill us with joy and peace in believing if we have hope in Him rather than ourselves. Hope keeps us moving forward despite the failures of our past. Hope in Christ, and believe! peace, tom
James 1:4 NASB "And let endurance have its perfect result, so that you may be perfect and complete, lacking in nothing." It had fallen off somewhere!! Today's verse shares with us about endurance and letting it have its perfect result! Each time my toy train went around the track, it kept falling off and I couldn't figure out why! As I began to look at the engine, I noticed that a certain screw had come loose and must have fallen on the track somewhere. With so much track on my layout, I needed to take my time and go slowly over each part of it. It was painstaking, but I knew if I was steadfast in my search, I would get the train running again! Life will throw things at us that will cause us to fall off the track of staying focused on Christ. The key is to look closely at our lives and see what's missing or what has fallen by the wayside. Let's find the part that's missing so we can lack nothing when it comes to our walk with Christ! peace, tom
Matthew 24:13 NASB "But the one who endures to the end is the one who will be saved." The report came in that someone was trapped in the building! Today's verse speaks to us about endurance and remaining faithful! As we entered the fire building, my officer and I encountered heavy fire and smoke but we kept moving forward for the family told us that the man was inside but didn't know where. As the fire, smoke and heat grew, we kept searching, and searching. We could have given up but we took an oath the people of the city to be firefighters so we kept searching and then, in the last room, we found him and got him and ourselves out! The journey to the end may be filled with obstacles that will make us want to turn back but if we endure to the end, we will see the glory of the Lord! Remain faithful to Christ for He is faithful in His Love for us! peace, tom
1 John 4:19 NASB "We love, because He first loved us."Sure, I told her I loved her but never did I think I could love her this much and more! Today's verse, while short, speaks about love and who loved who first! 38 years, not all good ones but we made it through the rough patches, the struggles, the ups and downs and along the way, our love has grown stronger each day because of Him! Carolyn and I celebrate our love, our commitment to each other but there was always another person involved, and that person is Jesus Christ! He comes first and then each other and by putting Him first in our relationship, we can love each other more! Yes we live a storybook life where we do live "happily ever after" - after saying I do to each other, we have but only through the strength and love of Jesus Christ. Our prayer is that you find that kind of love because He loves you first! Happy Anniversary My love! peace, tom
John 15:2 NASB "Every branch in Me that does not bear fruit, He takes away; and every branch that bears fruit, He prunes it so that it may bear more fruit." I have been waiting! Today's Word speaks about fruit and pruning and bearing more fruit! Our holly plant has grown in a way that it needs to be trimmed back, for it no longer grows bearing fruit. I had to wait till the fall in order to trim it back so that next year the plant will grow healthier and stronger. In life, there will be things in our own life that do not bear fruit of any kind, those things must be pruned away. God will do the pruning whether we like it our not when we seek to bear fruit for HIs Kingdom. The key of course is bearing fruit and bearing more fruit for His Kingdom! The question for today is whether we are a branch in Him? And if so, we need to take a good look at the fruit we are producing. Maybe it's time to get pruned! peace, tom
1 Corinthians 16:13 "Be on the alert, stand firm in the faith, act like men, be strong."It happened so fast, I didn't have time to think! Today's Word, my favorite verse, speaks to us and shares some great points on how to live for Christ! I watched them stop and as I proceeded through the intersection, they pulled out. I slammed on the breaks and they went past us! They never saw us and pulled right out! If I had not be alert and watching the road rather than my phone or something else, I would have hit them. Being on alert means just that, ready in a split second to the dangers around us but it also means having our eyes opened! There are things in this world that can pull our attention off Christ causing us to get into dangerous places but being alert, standing firm and acting like men can keep us from getting into a serious accident in life. Let's be careful out there and keep focus on Christ! peace, tom
Matthew 9:37 NASB "Then He *said to His disciples, “The harvest is plentiful, but the workers are few."They are everywhere! Today's verse speaks that the harvest is ready to be picked, but those who will do the picking are few! As we celebrate Labor Day, a holiday for the American Workers of old, I couldn't help but think of all the "Help Wanted" signs around town. There are jobs to be had but sadly the American Work Force is not there. I didn't get to the tomato plant in time and a few of the tomatoes that had ripened fell off the vine and rotted on the ground. I was sad that there was wasted due to my lack of being attentive and getting them picked. I wonder if we have the same feeling of those who are ready to receive Christ, but no worker there to lead them to Christ?! Oh the harvest is plenty, we just need to answer God's help wanted sign! Enjoy the day but let's get ready to work come Tuesday! peace, tom
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Tom SEmberAuthor of Daily Devotions Archives
April 2024
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