Lent 2023 Day 29 “Delighted to Serve”

Posted on March 22, 2023 by livebigministries

Daily Scriptures: https://lectionary.library.vanderbilt.edu/texts.php?id=328

Psalm 40:5-10
40:5 You have multiplied, O LORD my God, your wondrous deeds and your thoughts toward us; none can compare with you. Were I to proclaim and tell of them, they would be more than can be counted. 40:6 Sacrifice and offering you do not desire, but you have given me an open ear. Burnt offering and sin offering you have not required. 40:7 Then I said, “Here I am; in the scroll of the book it is written of me. 40:8 I delight to do your will, O my God; your law is within my heart.” 40:9 I have told the glad news of deliverance in the great congregation; see, I have not restrained my lips, as you know, O LORD. 40:10 I have not hidden your saving help within my heart, I have spoken of your faithfulness and your salvation; I have not concealed your steadfast love and your faithfulness from the great congregation.

Delighted To Serve

Have YOU ever been on the grind? Have YOU lived daily going from one thing YOU had to do to survive to another? Living life scrambling from one hustle and bustle to the next. Few things exciting YOU and fewer things to look forward to. This is the grind. Living from paycheck to paycheck, scraping by if at all. This is the grind. The grind is not a bad thing when placed in context. There is a proverb that says when you get off your knees get on your feet. Grinding is so much better than giving up, and yet the grind can and will exhaust YOU. When all YOU do is what YOU “got” to do, YOU miss the joy and delight of what YOU get to do. Take a moment and think about what delights YOU.

Our text from Psalm 40:5-10 speaks of the deeds and actions that YHWH has done for the people of YHWH. These actions are multiplying exponentially. In return, YHWH does not ask for sacrifices or offerings. The blessings of YHWH do not come with strings attached. Being blessed is not a response to work put in, that would be a payment. Being blessed is not something we can pay for with anything money or status can buy. There is nothing the CREATOR needs from the creation that the CREATOR could not create. There is a response however that YHWH honors. Not one born from duty or obligation but from a loving caring heart. The writer of this Psalm responds to the wondrous acts of YHWH by saying, “I delight to do your will, O my God; your law is within my heart.” The writer encourages the reader and us to serve YHWH out of a desire not out of duty. To look forward to expressing the goodness of the CREATOR. To not hold back in sharing what YHWH has done and is doing. GOD does not need our stuff. Whenever GOD asks something of us it is not because GOD needs it but because we need to want to give it. Our giving and response is a status check on our heart. Where our treasure is our heart will be also, and still giving all our money and none of our hearts will not please GOD.

Lent 2023 continues to be a time to challenge us to grow beyond a transactional relationship with YHWH to a transformational one. We are called to respond with delight, excitement, vibrancy. Serving YHWH is not about the grind that is grueling but about the grace that is gratifying. Delight YOURSELF in the LORD and the LORD will give YOU the desires of YOUR heart.

Points to Ponder: What effect is the grind having on YOUR faith? Health? Happiness? How many blessings can YOU name in 30 seconds? Try it now………………. Now tell someone else about YOUR blessings and only share because YOU care.

Palm Sunday 2020 “You Are Needed”

Posted on April 6, 2020 by livebigministries

Daily Scriptures: Psalm 118:1-2, 19-29 John 12:12-16 Luke 19:28-40 Matthew 21:1-17
http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Matthew+21%3A1-17&version=NIV

https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Psalm+118%3A1-2%2C+19-29%2C+John+12%3A12-16%2C+Luke+19%3A28-40&version=NIV

You Are Needed

Its Palm Sunday. We have arrived at the end of our 40 Days of Lenten Devotions. I am grateful for all who have followed or read these devotions over the last 40 days. I will continue to post up to Resurrection Sunday and then as the spirit leads.

Have you ever recognized the gap between where you are and where you want to be? Have you examined yourself honestly and recognized your blemishes and flaws. IN short have you ever in the presence of GOD felt, awkward, unworthy, even ugly? After forty days of reflecting and drawing closer to GOD, repenting of my past wrongs, I now see how much further I have to go. Whenever we draw closer to the light, we are able to see more details. We have a tendency to only see the gaps but miss the glimpses of grace and glory. What I am driving at is even though we may not yet be all we can be, after forty days of discipline we are better than we would have been. The triumphal entry of Jesus on a donkey is an example of how GOD can use the ordinary to fulfill an extraordinary purpose.

In our text we have the Master preparing to enter Jerusalem for what would be the last time. He prepares by asking two disciples to run ahead and get a donkey and a colt to ride on. There is no indication that Jesus was anticipating the crowds gathering yet they did. As Jesus rides in on the donkey, a beast of burden, Marcus Borg and John Dominic Crossan in THE LAST WEEK, indicate there was another procession on the other side of town. The sense is Pilate was also arriving around the same time. The contrast between these two arrivals is stark. Pilate would have arrived with military guards on Stallions with pomp and circumstance and the show of power and authority was intentional, for all to see. On the other side of town, arriving through an olive grove on what would have been a side street, Jesus arrives, with a crowd that seems to gather and they start a commotion, shouting Hosanna. Now Hosanna literally means save us. As we say Hosanna today we will be saying save us. The question is, save us from what? From the oppression of external pressures? From sexism, racism, ageism, or any other ism? Or save us from what we have learned about ourselves over the last 40 days. How we can be cranky or prone to acting out on our worst desires? What are we asking to be saved from and saved to?

As Jesus arrives a few things come to my mind. First he chooses a donkey. Donkeys are low to the ground, they are generally, beasts of burden, and rarely have you ever heard that’s a fine looking donkey you have there. They may resemble horses but they aren’t admired of adored like horses. I believe Jesus chooses to enter like this and even say the LORD has need of the donkey to remind us, no matter how scarred we may be, no matter how ignored we may be, no matter what our past may be, The LORD still has need of us. GOD can use us no matter what we look like. GOD can use us despite the gaps in our life or the gaps in our teeth. The LORD has need of you.

Today and as we continue into this Holy Week, be encouraged. GOD can use you to do a mighty work for the kingdom. The challenge is for us not to simply get caught up in crowd celebrations because as we follow the story throughout the week, crowds can be fickle. One moment they cheer and the next they jeer. One moment they can say Hosanna and the next they say hang him up and kill him. Beyond the crowd check the core of your heart. Save us from us and from others. Live In Victory Everyday, Believing In GOD. LIVEBIG.

PRAYER: LORD you have revealed yourself in so many ways. Unfortunately our vision has been obscured and we have not noticed you. Open our eyes that we may see your royalty on a donkey. Guide our footsteps on the pathways that our praises are sincere and we resist the pull of the crowd. Grant us courage and compassion. AMEN

Point To Ponder: How many times have we missed the presence of GOD in our midst because he didn’t meet our expectations? How will you look in the unfamiliar places for the faces of Yeshua in our midst?

Lent 2020 Day 31 “Turn Around”

Posted on March 28, 2020 by livebigministries

Daily Scriptures: https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Psalm%20130;%20Ezekiel%2033:10-16;%20Revelation%2011:15-19

Ezekiel 33:10-16

⁰“Son of man, say to the Israelites, ‘This is what you are saying: “Our offenses and sins weigh us down, and we are wasting away because of^[a] them. How then can we live?”’ ¹¹Say to them, ‘As surely as I live, declares the Sovereign Lord, I take no pleasure in the death of the wicked, but rather that they turn from their ways and live. Turn! Turn from your evil ways! Why will you die, people of Israel?’

¹²“Therefore, son of man, say to your people, ‘If someone who is righteous disobeys, that person’s former righteousness will count for nothing. And if someone who is wicked repents, that person’s former wickedness will not bring condemnation. The righteous person who sins will not be allowed to live even though they were formerly righteous.’ ¹³If I tell a righteous person that they will surely live, but then they trust in their righteousness and do evil, none of the righteous things that person has done will be remembered; they will die for the evil they have done. ¹⁴And if I say to a wicked person, ‘You will surely die,’ but they then turn away from their sin and do what is just and right— ¹⁵if they give back what they took in pledge for a loan, return what they have stolen, follow the decrees that give life, and do no evil—that person will surely live; they will not die. ¹⁶None of the sins that person has committed will be remembered against them. They have done what is just and right; they will surely live.

Turn Around

Have YOU ever been weighed down by the things going on in your life? Have you ever faced an obstacle so large that you were intimidated and felt there was nothing you could do? Have YOU ever missed the mark so bad that YOU saw no way to fix it and that thought made you feel like YOU were wasting away? I’m sure most of us have. This is the sin effect. We mess up and know we’ve messed up. We aimed right but went left. We knew better but we missed the mark anyway. We fear we may have fallen so far that not even YHWH can reach us. Our thoughts turn inward and we start getting distressed and depressed. This is followed by low energy and bad choices to make us feel better. We forget that we can turn around. Just because we have fallen does not mean we cannot get back up.

The text today from Ezekiel addresses the Israelite community who have started to recognize they have messed up. They are consumed by their thoughts of failure, feel weighed down, and wonder how can they live. The prophecy comes to them “‘As surely as I live, declares the Sovereign Lord, I take no pleasure in the death of the wicked, but rather that they turn from their ways and live. Turn! Turn from your evil ways! Why will you die, people of Israel?’” In essence the writer is saying, Why would you choose death when you can be alive? To choose to live is to choose to turn back from evil. This verb, “to turn” is used repeatedly in this passage as a reminder of the physical understanding of repentance. YHWH offers the opportunity to get it right from here on. No matter what we have done, we did it in the past. We do not have to be defined by who we were and what we’ve done. We can turn around. YHWH recognizes where we have been and what we have done and offers the opportunity to move on. We can get on the right track and the choice is up to us.

The Lenten season is helping us to connect to the complexities of being a believer. On one hand we must be accountable for our actions and inactions and on the other we must embrace the fact that we can be forgive. Our destination is not destroyed by our current situation. We can get it right, but we will need help. Jesus and the Holy Spirit is that help. Whatever has caused you to miss the mark, BUild a bridge and get over it. Live In Victory Every Day.

Point to Ponder: What action from your past are you allowing to crash into your present? What does repentence mean to YOU? How will YOU grow from here?

Lent 2020 Day 29 “Delighted”

Posted on March 26, 2020 by livebigministries

Daily Scriptures: https://lectionary.library.vanderbilt.edu/texts.php?id=328

Delighted

Have YOU ever been on the grind? Have YOU lived daily going from one thing YOU had to do to survive to another? Living life scrambling from one hustle and bustle to the next. Few things exciting YOU and fewer things to look forward to. This is the grind. Living from paycheck to paycheck, scaping by if at all. This is the grind. The grind is not a bad thing when placed in context. There is a proverb that says when you get off your knees get on your feet. Grinding is so much better than giving up, and yet the grind can and will exhaust YOU. When all YOU do is what YOU “got” to do, YOU miss the joy and delight of what YOU get to do. Think about what excites and delights YOU.

Lent 2020 continues to be a time to challenge us to grow beyond a transactional relationship with YHWH to a transformational one. We are called to respond with delight, excitement, vibrancy. Serving YHWH is not about the grind that is grueling but about the grace that is gratifying. Delight YOURSELF in the LORD and the LORD will give YOU the desires of YOUR heart.

Points to Ponder: What effect is the grind having on YOUR faith? How many blessings can YOU name in 30 seconds? Try it now………………. Now tell someone else about YOUR blessings and only share because YOU care.

Lent 2020 Day 23 “Led and Fed”

Posted on March 20, 2020 by livebigministries

Daily Scriptures: https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Psalm%2023;%201%20Samuel%2015:10-21;%20Ephesians%204:25-32

Psalm 23 Cooper version

I am a sheep. My needs are many and my resources few. I need a shepherd to look after me. I have been blessed with a great shepherd. I call my Shepherd LORD. The LORD, MY Shepherd makes sure all my needs are met.

Alone I would stray, but with The LORD I am nurtured. Always provided food and drink. When I am weak, The LORD gives me special attention and makes sure I am distinguished as The LORDS property.

Even when tough times come and the natural predators of life would seek to devour me, I will not be scared because my SHEPHERD never leaves me alone.

Even when I wander off, MY SHEPHERD prods me and redirects me for my own good. Though others all around me seek to harm me, I am so protected that I eat without missing a meal. I am so blessed I have more than I need. In fact, I AM confident that as long As my SHEPHERD leads me the good things will follow me forever, and I will be the property of the GOOD SHEPHERD for eternity.

Led and Fed

Oops, I did it again. I wish I hadn’t but it did. Somehow, someway, when I try to live this life on my own, I go astray. Often this departure is not an intentional act but one that occurs gradually over time. Small acts of forgetfulness and grand rationalizations. Like a rock being gradually worn away by moving water, I don’t know the exact moment I started to stray but Suddenly I look up and can’t figure out how I got here. Yup, Oops I did it again. Many of us have a tendency to get lackadaisical in our spiritual disciplines and like sheep grazing in the field, we lose perspective of where we are. We can’t pinpoint when we turned because we were so focused on what we were doing. We can get locked into routines that after time lose their value. Even our spiritual disciplines can lose their meaning when we just do them on auto-pilot.

In our very familiar text, the Psalmist says, “The LORD is my shepherd”. Another way to say this would be I am like a sheep. Like a sheep without guidance I will make a mess of my life. Like a sheep, I am not able to focus on much beyond my immediate needs. I don’t plan ahead and I would drown chasing after water from fast-moving streams. The Psalmist recognizes that unless we are lead by GOD we will follow the wide, well-worn road to destruction. This path of least resistance leads to fear and destruction. On the other when the LORD is my shepherd, I shall not want. I can rest and refresh with green pastures and still waters. This rest and refreshment restores my soul. With GOD as my shepherd even when I go through the alleys and the valleys of the shadow of death, I don’t have to fear what happens. I am able to focus on how BIG my Shepherd is and not how big my problem may be. With GOD as my shepherd when I stray there is a rod and staff of love to redirect me. Not only will I have enough, but my cup will also run over. As long as we follow GOD will lead us into eternity.

The Lenten season gives us an opportunity to bring meaning to our routines. We are able to see where we may have been going through the motions assuming we were going in the right direction without checking in with the Divine Navigator. Today I encourage you to bring added attention to the routine things you do. Chew your food more slowly, tasting and appreciating each bite. Look your loved ones in the eye a second longer and listen. Seek to understand before you seek to be understood. By doing this you can yield the control of your life to the only one truly able to provide goodness and mercy all the days of your life.

Point to Ponder: How would YOU rewrite Psalm 23 from a personal perspective? What measures will YOU take to be fully engaged in each moment? How difficult is it for YOU to identify as a sheep?

Lent 2020 Day 2 “Cleaning Up”

Posted on February 27, 2020 by livebigministries

Scriptures for Today February 27, 2020 https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Psalm%2051;%20Jonah%203:1-10;%20Romans%201:1-7

Psalm 51

¹Have mercy on me, O God, according to your unfailing love;
according to your great compassion blot out my transgressions.
²Wash away all my iniquity
and cleanse me from my sin.

³For I know my transgressions,
    and my sin is always before me.
⁴Against you, you only, have I sinned
    and done what is evil in your sight;
so you are right in your verdict
    and justified when you judge.
⁵Surely I was sinful at birth,
    sinful from the time my mother conceived me.
⁶Yet you desired faithfulness even in the womb;
    you taught me wisdom in that secret place.

⁷Cleanse me with hyssop, and I will be clean;
    wash me, and I will be whiter than snow.
⁸Let me hear joy and gladness;
    let the bones you have crushed rejoice.
⁹Hide your face from my sins
    and blot out all my iniquity.

¹⁰Create in me a pure heart, O God,
    and renew a steadfast spirit within me.
¹¹Do not cast me from your presence
    or take your Holy Spirit from me.
¹²Restore to me the joy of your salvation
    and grant me a willing spirit, to sustain me.

¹³Then I will teach transgressors your ways,
    so that sinners will turn back to you.
¹⁴Deliver me from the guilt of bloodshed, O God,
    you who are God my Savior,
    and my tongue will sing of your righteousness.
¹⁵Open my lips, Lord,
    and my mouth will declare your praise.
¹⁶You do not delight in sacrifice, or I would bring it;
    you do not take pleasure in burnt offerings.
¹⁷My sacrifice, O God, is^[b] a broken spirit;
    a broken and contrite heart
    you, God, will not despise.

¹⁸May it please you to prosper Zion,
    to build up the walls of Jerusalem.
¹⁹Then you will delight in the sacrifices of the righteous,
    in burnt offerings offered whole;
    then bulls will be offered on your altar.

Footnotes:

Psalm 51:1 In Hebrew texts 51:1-19 is numbered 51:3-21.
Psalm 51:17 Or The sacrifices of God are

Jonah 3

—AMU—
AMU

—AR—
ERV-AR
NAV

—AWA—
ERV-AWA

—BG—
BG1940
BULG
ERV-BG
CBT
BOB
BPB

—CCO—
CCO

—CEB—
APSD-CEB

—CHR—
CHR

—CKB—
KSS

—CKW—
CKW

—CS—
B21
SNC

—CY—
BWM

—DA—
BPH
DN1933

—DE—
HOF
LUTH1545
NGU-DE
SCH1951
SCH2000

—EN—
KJ21
ASV
AMP
AMPC
BRG
CSB
CEB
CJB
CEV
DARBY
DLNT
DRA
ERV
EHV
ESV
ESVUK
EXB
GNV
GW
GNT
HCSB
ICB
ISV
PHILLIPS
JUB
KJV
AKJV
LEB
TLB
MSG
MEV
MOUNCE
NOG
NABRE
NASB
NCV
NET
NIRV
NIV
NIVUK
NKJV
NLV
NLT
NMB
NRSV
NRSVA
NRSVACE
NRSVCE
NTE
OJB
TPT
RGT
RSV
RSVCE
TLV
VOICE
WEB
WE
WYC
YLT

—ES—
LBLA
DHH
JBS
NBLA
NBV
NTV
NVI
CST
PDT
BLP
BLPH
RVA-2015
RVC
RVR1960
RVR1977
RVR1995
RVA
SRV-BRG
TLA

—FI—
R1933

—FR—
BDS
LSG
NEG1979
SG21

—GRC—
TR1550
WHNU
TR1894
SBLGNT
THGNT

—HE—
HHH
WLC

—HI—
ERV-HI
SHB

—HIL—
HLGN

—HNE—
NCA

—HR—
HNZ-RI
CRO

—HT—
HCV

—HU—
KAR
ERV-HU
NT-HU

—HWC—
HWP

—IS—
ICELAND

—IT—
BDG
CEI
LND
NR1994
NR2006

—JA—
JLB

—JAC—
JAC

—KEK—
KEK

—KO—
KLB

—LA—
VULGATE

—LG—
LCB

—MI—
MAORI

—MK—
MNT

—MR—
ERV-MR

—MVC—
MVC

—MVJ—
MVJ

—NDS—
REIMER

—NE—
ERV-NE

—NGU—
NGU

—NL—
BB
HTB

—NO—
DNB1930
LB

—NY—
CCL

—OR—
ERV-OR

—PA—
ERV-PA

—PL—
NP
SZ-PL
UBG

—PPL—
NBTN

—PT—
ARC
NTLH
NVT
NVI-PT
OL
VFL

—QU—
MTDS

—QUT—
QUT

—RO—
RMNN
NTLR

—RU—
NRT
CARS
CARST
CARSA
ERV-RU
RUSV

—SK—
NPK

—SO—
SOM

—SQ—
ALB

—SR—
NSP
ERV-SR

—SV—
NUB
SV1917
SFB
SFB15
SVL

—SW—
SNT

—TA—
ERV-TA

—TH—
TNCV
ERV-TH

—TL—
FSV
ABTAG1978
ABTAG2001
ADB1905
SND
MBBTAG
MBBTAG-DC

—TWI—
NA-TWI

—UK—
UKR
ERV-UK

—UR—
ERV-UR

—USP—
USP

—VI—
BD2011
NVB
BPT

—YO—
BYO

—ZH—
CCB
CCBT
ERV-ZH
CNVS
CNVT
CSBS
CSBT
CUVS
CUV
CUVMPS
CUVMPT
RCU17SS
RCU17TS

—Amuzgo de Guerrero (AMU)—
Amuzgo de Guerrero (AMU)

—العربية (AR)—
Arabic Bible: Easy-to-Read Version (ERV-AR)
Ketab El Hayat (NAV)

—अवधी (AWA)—
Awadhi Bible: Easy-to-Read Version (ERV-AWA)

—Български (BG)—
1940 Bulgarian Bible (BG1940)
Bulgarian Bible (BULG)
Bulgarian New Testament: Easy-to-Read Version (ERV-BG)
Библия, нов превод от оригиналните езици (с неканоничните книги) (CBT)
Библия, синодално издание (BOB)
Библия, ревизирано издание (BPB)

—Chinanteco de Comaltepec (CCO)—
Chinanteco de Comaltepec (CCO)

—Cebuano (CEB)—
Ang Pulong Sa Dios (APSD-CEB)

—ᏣᎳᎩ ᎦᏬᏂᎯᏍ (CHR)—
Cherokee New Testament (CHR)

—كوردی سۆرانی (CKB)—
Kurdi Sorani Standard (KSS)

—Cakchiquel Occidental (CKW)—
Cakchiquel Occidental (CKW)

—Čeština (CS)—
Bible 21 (B21)
Slovo na cestu (SNC)

—Cymraeg (CY)—
Beibl William Morgan (BWM)

—Dansk (DA)—
Bibelen på hverdagsdansk (BPH)
Dette er Biblen på dansk (DN1933)

—Deutsch (DE)—
Hoffnung für Alle (HOF)
Luther Bibel 1545 (LUTH1545)
Neue Genfer Übersetzung (NGU-DE)
Schlachter 1951 (SCH1951)
Schlachter 2000 (SCH2000)

—English (EN)—
21st Century King James Version (KJ21)
American Standard Version (ASV)
Amplified Bible (AMP)
Amplified Bible, Classic Edition (AMPC)
BRG Bible (BRG)
Christian Standard Bible (CSB)
Common English Bible (CEB)
Complete Jewish Bible (CJB)
Contemporary English Version (CEV)
Darby Translation (DARBY)
Disciples’ Literal New Testament (DLNT)
Douay-Rheims 1899 American Edition (DRA)
Easy-to-Read Version (ERV)
Evangelical Heritage Version (EHV)
English Standard Version (ESV)
English Standard Version Anglicised (ESVUK)
Expanded Bible (EXB)
1599 Geneva Bible (GNV)
GOD’S WORD Translation (GW)
Good News Translation (GNT)
Holman Christian Standard Bible (HCSB)
International Children’s Bible (ICB)
International Standard Version (ISV)
J.B. Phillips New Testament (PHILLIPS)
Jubilee Bible 2000 (JUB)
King James Version (KJV)
Authorized (King James) Version (AKJV)
Lexham English Bible (LEB)
Living Bible (TLB)
The Message (MSG)
Modern English Version (MEV)
Mounce Reverse-Interlinear New Testament (MOUNCE)
Names of God Bible (NOG)
New American Bible (Revised Edition) (NABRE)
New American Standard Bible (NASB)
New Century Version (NCV)
New English Translation (NET Bible)
New International Reader’s Version (NIRV)
New International Version (NIV)
New International Version – UK (NIVUK)
New King James Version (NKJV)
New Life Version (NLV)
New Living Translation (NLT)
New Matthew Bible (NMB)
New Revised Standard Version (NRSV)
New Revised Standard Version, Anglicised (NRSVA)
New Revised Standard Version, Anglicised Catholic Edition (NRSVACE)
New Revised Standard Version Catholic Edition (NRSVCE)
New Testament for Everyone (NTE)
Orthodox Jewish Bible (OJB)
The Passion Translation (TPT)
Revised Geneva Translation (RGT)
Revised Standard Version (RSV)
Revised Standard Version Catholic Edition (RSVCE)
Tree of Life Version (TLV)
The Voice (VOICE)
World English Bible (WEB)
Worldwide English (New Testament) (WE)
Wycliffe Bible (WYC)
Young’s Literal Translation (YLT)

—Español (ES)—
La Biblia de las Américas (LBLA)
Dios Habla Hoy (DHH)
Jubilee Bible 2000 (Spanish) (JBS)
Nueva Biblia de las Américas (NBLA)
Nueva Biblia Viva (NBV)
Nueva Traducción Viviente (NTV)
Nueva Versión Internacional (NVI)
Nueva Versión Internacional (Castilian) (CST)
Palabra de Dios para Todos (PDT)
La Palabra (España) (BLP)
La Palabra (Hispanoamérica) (BLPH)
Reina Valera Actualizada (RVA-2015)
Reina Valera Contemporánea (RVC)
Reina-Valera 1960 (RVR1960)
Reina Valera Revisada (RVR1977)
Reina-Valera 1995 (RVR1995)
Reina-Valera Antigua (RVA)
Spanish Blue Red and Gold Letter Edition (SRV-BRG)
Traducción en lenguaje actual (TLA)

—Suomi (FI)—
Raamattu 1933/38 (R1933)

—Français (FR)—
La Bible du Semeur (BDS)
Louis Segond (LSG)
Nouvelle Edition de Genève – NEG1979 (NEG1979)
Segond 21 (SG21)

—Κοινη (GRC)—
1550 Stephanus New Testament (TR1550)
1881 Westcott-Hort New Testament (WHNU)
1894 Scrivener New Testament (TR1894)
SBL Greek New Testament (SBLGNT)
Tyndale House Greek New Testament (THGNT)

—עברית (HE)—
Habrit Hakhadasha/Haderekh (HHH)
The Westminster Leningrad Codex (WLC)

—हिन्दी (HI)—
Hindi Bible: Easy-to-Read Version (ERV-HI)
Saral Hindi Bible (SHB)

—Ilonggo (HIL)—
Ang Pulong Sang Dios (HLGN)

—Chhattisgarhi (HNE)—
New Chhattisgarhi Translation (नवां नियम छत्तीसगढ़ी) (NCA)

—Hrvatski (HR)—
Hrvatski Novi Zavjet – Rijeka 2001 (HNZ-RI)
Knijga O Kristu (CRO)

—Kreyòl ayisyen (HT)—
Haitian Creole Version (HCV)

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Jonah 3 New International Version (NIV)

Jonah Goes to Nineveh

3 Then the word of the Lord came to Jonah a second time: ²“Go to the great city of Nineveh and proclaim to it the message I give you.”

³Jonah obeyed the word of the Lord and went to Nineveh. Now Nineveh was a very large city; it took three days to go through it. ⁴Jonah began by going a day’s journey into the city, proclaiming, “Forty more days and Nineveh will be overthrown.” ⁵The Ninevites believed God. A fast was proclaimed, and all of them, from the greatest to the least, put on sackcloth.

⁶When Jonah’s warning reached the king of Nineveh, he rose from his throne, took off his royal robes, covered himself with sackcloth and sat down in the dust. ⁷This is the proclamation he issued in Nineveh:

“By the decree of the king and his nobles:

Do not let people or animals, herds or flocks, taste anything; do not let them eat or drink. ⁸But let people and animals be covered with sackcloth. Let everyone call urgently on God. Let them give up their evil ways and their violence. ⁹Who knows? God may yet relent and with compassion turn from his fierce anger so that we will not perish.”

¹⁰When God saw what they did and how they turned from their evil ways, he relented and did not bring on them the destruction he had threatened.

Romans 1:1-7

Romans 1:1-7 New International Version (NIV)

1 Paul, a servant of Christ Jesus, called to be an apostle and set apart for the gospel of God— ²the gospel he promised beforehand through his prophets in the Holy Scriptures ³regarding his Son, who as to his earthly life^[a] was a descendant of David, ⁴and who through the Spirit of holiness was appointed the Son of God in power^[b] by his resurrection from the dead: Jesus Christ our Lord. ⁵Through him we received grace and apostleship to call all the Gentiles to the obedience that comes from^[c] faith for his name’s sake. ⁶And you also are among those Gentiles who are called to belong to Jesus Christ.

⁷To all in Rome who are loved by God and called to be his holy people:

Grace and peace to you from God our Father and from the Lord Jesus Christ.

Lent 2019 Day 7 “Hard Headed”

Posted on March 13, 2019 by livebigministries

hardheaded

Mar 12

am: 45
pm: 47, 48

Deut 9:4-12

Heb 3:1-11

John 2:13-22

Click Link for scriptures.

https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=psalm+45%2C+47%2C+48%2C+Deuteronomy+9%3A4-12%2C+hebrews+3%3A1-11%2C+John+2%3A13-22&version=NIV

Hard Headed

^{Deuteronomy 9:6}Understand, then, that it is not because of your righteousness that the Lord your God is giving you this good land to possess, for you are a stiff-necked people.

A hard head makes a soft behind. These words echo in my head from childhood. The feeling was conveyed that we have two eyes and two ears but only one mouth. For this reason we should look and listen twice as much as we speak. Knowing this I have still a tendency to speak too freely. It is then that the consequence for my chattiness has to be experienced. The Isrealite community was warned in our teext not to get too cocky. They are warned not to act like they are better than the people in the land they are possesing. The promised land was not earned by goodness but granted by grace. Through this Lenten season let us be reminded of the grace we hae received and be careful not to take it for granted because in the end, a hard head does make a soft beind.

Point to Ponder: In what ways have I overlooked grace? How can I “grace” people in my life? Today what role will I play when idols are being built all around me?

Lent 2019 Day 4 “Morning Joy”

Posted on March 10, 2019 by livebigministries

morning joy

Sat
Mar 9

Psalm 30, 32
Psalm 42, 43

Deut 7:17-26

Titus 3:1-15

John 1:43-51

Psalm 30 (NIV)

¹I will exalt you, Lord, for you lifted me out of the depths
and did not let my enemies gloat over me.
²Lord my God, I called to you for help, and you healed me.
³You, Lord, brought me up from the realm of the dead;
you spared me from going down to the pit.

⁴Sing the praises of the Lord, you his faithful people;
praise his holy name.
⁵For his anger lasts only a moment, but his favor lasts a lifetime;
weeping may stay for the night, but rejoicing comes in the morning.

Psalm 32 (NIV)

¹Blessed is the one whose transgressions are forgiven,
whose sins are covered.
²Blessed is the one whose sin the Lord does not count against them
and in whose spirit is no deceit.

³When I kept silent, my bones wasted away
through my groaning all day long.
⁴For day and night your hand was heavy on me;
my strength was sapped as in the heat of summer.^[b]

⁵Then I acknowledged my sin to you and did not cover up my iniquity.
I said, “I will confess my transgressions to the Lord.”
And you forgave the guilt of my sin.

⁶Therefore let all the faithful pray to you while you may be found;
surely the rising of the mighty waters will not reach them.
⁷You are my hiding place; you will protect me from trouble
and surround me with songs of deliverance.

¹⁰Many are the woes of the wicked, but the Lord’s unfailing love
surrounds the one who trusts in him. ¹¹Rejoice in the Lord and be glad, you righteous;

sing, all you who are upright in heart!

Morning Joy

I once read of an experiment done by a college professor. The professor had students carry around a 5-pound sack of potatoes with them everywhere they went for a week. The first day, although awkward was pretty easy. The potatoes remained intact and the students recorded little difficulty. As the week wore on the bag began to feel heavier and heavier and on top of that the potatoes began to carry an odor from all the rubbing and moving. By the end of the week, the students were carrying around dead smelly weight that not only they were affected by but so was everyone else they encountered. Sin and transgressions can be very much like the potatoes in this experiment. At first, we handle it with little effect. But as we keep going without confessing the burden gets heavier. The thoughts about our transgressions start to weigh us down and we begin to export our internal misery to others through being short-tempered and irritable.

The writer of these two Psalms shares the experience of guilt and relief. In Psalm 30 the verse I focus on today is, weeping may stay for the night, but rejoicing comes in the morning. This verse reminds me that the night may be long but it does not last forever. The hurt and the pain, the guilt, and the shame do not have to remain. The faithfulness of YHWH overrides the foolishness of humanity. Rejoicing comes in the morning after we finally confess the ways we miss the mark. In the church I pastor each week we have a confession of sin in the worship service. This provides an opportunity to be real with ourselves and GOD. In the same way, Lent is a season in which we become more intentional about cleaning our spiritual house. We are encouraged to leave the stinky bag of sin potatoes we have been carrying and open our lives to receive the blessing of a breakthrough. When we are free of the burden of guilt we can rejoice in the songs of deliverance reserved for the forgiven.

Points to Ponder: What sins are you carrying in your potatoe sack? In what ways are you weighed down. Think of a regret or guilt, address it, confess it, and watch GOD bless your life.

Palm Sunday 2018 “You Are Needed”

Posted on March 25, 2018 by livebigministries

Matthew 21:1-17 (NIV)

21 As they approached Jerusalem and came to Bethphage on the Mount of Olives, Jesus sent two disciples, ²saying to them, “Go to the village ahead of you, and at once you will find a donkey tied there, with her colt by her. Untie them and bring them to me. ³If anyone says anything to you, say that the Lord needs them, and he will send them right away.” ⁴This took place to fulfill what was spoken through the prophet: ⁵“Say to Daughter Zion, ‘See, your king comes to you, gentle and riding on a donkey, and on a colt, the foal of a donkey.’”[a] ⁶The disciples went and did as Jesus had instructed them. ⁷They brought the donkey and the colt and placed their cloaks on them for Jesus to sit on. ⁸A very large crowd spread their cloaks on the road, while others cut branches from the trees and spread them on the road.⁹The crowds that went ahead of him and those that followed shouted, “Hosanna[b] to the Son of David!” “Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord!”[c] “Hosanna[d] in the highest heaven!” ¹⁰When Jesus entered Jerusalem, the whole city was stirred and asked, “Who is this?” ¹¹The crowds answered, “This is Jesus, the prophet from Nazareth in Galilee.” ¹²Jesus entered the temple courts and drove out all who were buying and selling there. He overturned the tables of the money changers and the benches of those selling doves. ¹³“It is written,” he said to them, “‘My house will be called a house of prayer,’^[e] but you are making it ‘a den of robbers.’^[f]” ¹⁴The blind and the lame came to him at the temple, and he healed them. ¹⁵But when the chief priests and the teachers of the law saw the wonderful things he did and the children shouting in the temple courts, “Hosanna to the Son of David,” they were indignant. ¹⁶“Do you hear what these children are saying?” they asked him. “Yes,” replied Jesus, “have you never read, “‘From the lips of children and infants you, Lord, have called forth your praise’[g]?” ¹⁷And he left them and went out of the city to Bethany, where he spent the night.

Its Palm Sunday. Have you ever recognized the gap between where you are and where you want to be? Have you examined yourself honestly and recognized your blemishes and flaws. In short have you ever in the presence of GOD felt, awkward, unworthy, even ugly? After forty days of reflecting and drawing closer to GOD, repenting of my past wrongs, I now see how much further I have to go. Whenever we draw closer to the light, we are able to see more details. We have a tendency to only see the gaps but miss the glimpses of grace and glory. What I am driving at is even though we may not yet be all we can be, after forty days of discipline we are better than we would have been. The triumphal entry of Jesus on a donkey is an example of how GOD can use the ordinary to fulfill an extraordinary purpose.

As Jesus arrives a few things come to my mind. First, he chooses a donkey. Donkeys are low to the ground, they are generally, beasts of burden, and rarely have you ever heard that’s a fine looking donkey you have there. They may resemble horses but they aren’t admired of adored like horses. I believe Jesus chooses to enter like this and even say the LORD has need of the donkey to remind us, no matter how scared we may be, no matter how ignored we may be, no matter what our past may be, The LORD still has need of us. GOD can use us no matter what we look like. GOD can use us despite the gaps in our life or the gaps in our teeth. The LORD has need of you.

PRAYER: LORD you have revealed yourself in so many ways. Unfortunately, our vision has been obscured and we have not noticed you. Open our eyes that we may see your royalty on a donkey. Guide our footsteps on the pathways that our praises are sincere and we resist the pull of the crowd. Grant us courage and compassion. AMEN

Lent 2018 Day 38 “Nevertheless”

Posted on March 25, 2018 by livebigministries

Jeremiah 33:1-9 (NIV)

Promise of Restoration

33 While Jeremiah was still confined in the courtyard of the guard, the word of the Lord came to him a second time: ²“This is what the Lord says, he who made the earth, the Lord who formed it and established it—the Lord is his name: ³‘Call to me and I will answer you and tell you great and unsearchable things you do not know.’ ⁴For this is what the Lord, the God of Israel, says about the houses in this city and the royal palaces of Judah that have been torn down to be used against the siegeramps and the sword ⁵in the fight with the Babylonians^[a]: ‘They will be filled with the dead bodies of the people I will slay in my anger and wrath. I will hide my face from this city because of all its wickedness.

⁶“‘Nevertheless, I will bring health and healing to it; I will heal my people and will let them enjoy abundant peace and security. ⁷I will bring Judah and Israel back from captivity^[b] and will rebuild them as they were before. ⁸I will cleanse them from all the sin they have committed against me and will forgive all their sins of rebellion against me. ⁹Then this city will bring me renown, joy, praise and honor before all nations on earth that hear of all the good things I do for it; and they will be in awe and will tremble at the abundant prosperity and peace I provide for it.’

Philippians 2:12-18 New International Version (NIV)

Do Everything Without Grumbling

¹²Therefore, my dear friends, as you have always obeyed—not only in my presence but now much more in my absence—continue to work out your salvation with fear and trembling, ¹³for it is God who works in you to will and to act in order to fulfill his good purpose.

¹⁴Do everything without grumbling or arguing, ¹⁵so that you may become blameless and pure, “children of God without fault in a warped and crooked generation.”^[a] Then you will shine among them like stars in the sky ¹⁶as you hold firmly to the word of life. And then I will be able to boast on the day of Christ that I did not run or labor in vain. ¹⁷But even if I am being poured out like a drink offering on the sacrifice and service coming from your faith, I am glad and rejoice with all of you. ¹⁸So you too should be glad and rejoice with me.

Nevertheless

Outdoor life can be unpredictable. One experience the outdoors produces occurs when you start turning over rocks. Rocks can be obstacles and at other times they are stepping stones. They can also be hiding places for creepy crawlies. When we start moving rock we reveal the unseen hidden things in our midst. They were there all along, but we easily overlooked them because they were covered. Moving rocks can expose snakes. In similar ways that moving rocks can reveal snakes so too can moving the illusions we may be living with. We often look out the window and we can see all that is right and wrong with the world. The window is about others. The mirror, on the other hand, is about us. When we look close enough into the mirror we see our blemishes. We see the things we wish could be hidden but honest reflection exposes inconvenient truths. The truths have consequences we may be dealing with, and until the source is addressed we may feel powerless, fragile, and broken. Nevertheless…

In our text from Jeremiah the Prophet is addressing the exiled Israelite community. The prophet himself is writing from confinement. In other words he is not free to come and go as he pleases. He is on lockdown. From this state the prophecy goes forth, in verse 3 “‘Call to me and I will answer you and tell you great and unsearchable things you do not know.’ We may be exiled from our land but not from our LORD. GOD is saying I am available to share with my people in pain things that they have long wondered about. If the text stopped here it would be encouraging. But it doesn’t stop there. In verse 5 after describing the fate of the city, broken down and filled with rubble, the prophet says, “I will hide my face from this city because of all its wickedness.” The mirror will reveal levels of wickedness and inconsistencies we thought were hidden. Like turning over the rocks, the mirror lets the snakes come out. Most of us don’t like the snakes. The snakes are our bad habits. The snakes are the lies we tell ourselves about ourselves. The snakes are the jealousies we harbor. The snakes are the sins we have covered up and now they are out. Thankfully, the prophecy continues with the most exciting word I have heard. The word is, Nevertheless. Even though we have been wicked, even though we have been treacherous, even though we have been unloving, even though we have been bathing in mud and are covered head to toe in our mess, Nevertheless, I will bring healing and health to the land. That is a shouting cue for me. When we get exposed for who we are, it is good to know that GOD is a healer. GOD will look past our faults and meet our needs. GOD will fix us even when our illness is self-inflicted. Nevertheless.

As our season of Lent may have revealed the snakes in our lives, when we cry out to GOD for help, GOD will hear us. The CREATOR is able to make all things new. If we are hurting, there is a healing. Not only will there be healing there will also be health. Healing is situational, health is long term. From our brokenness, there will come a blessedness that sustains us and makes us better. Let us call for hope with the confidence of knowing our past has not disqualified us from the promises of GOD. Live In Victory Every Day BIG. LIVEBIG.

Points to Ponder: Think about the rocks in your life. What are they hiding? What does it mean to you to call on GOD? The Israelites were in their situation due to their own disobedience and the bad behavior of others. How do you acknowledge your role in your demise without becoming hopeless and totally consigning yourself to the consequences? Who do you need to forgive to free yourself from mental bondage?

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40 Days of Lenten Meditations

Live In Victory Everyday Believing In GOD

Category Archives: joy

Lent 2023 Day 29 “Delighted to Serve”

Palm Sunday 2020 “You Are Needed”

Lent 2020 Day 31 “Turn Around”

Ezekiel 33:10-16

Lent 2020 Day 29 “Delighted”

Lent 2020 Day 23 “Led and Fed”

Psalm 23 Cooper version

Lent 2020 Day 2 “Cleaning Up”

Psalm 51

Footnotes:

Jonah 3

Jonah 3 New International Version (NIV)

Jonah Goes to Nineveh

Romans 1:1-7

Romans 1:1-7 New International Version (NIV)

Lent 2019 Day 7 “Hard Headed”

Lent 2019 Day 4 “Morning Joy”

Psalm 30 (NIV)

Psalm 32 (NIV)

Palm Sunday 2018 “You Are Needed”

Matthew 21:1-17 (NIV)

Lent 2018 Day 38 “Nevertheless”

Jeremiah 33:1-9 (NIV)

Promise of Restoration

Philippians 2:12-18 New International Version (NIV)

Do Everything Without Grumbling

Nevertheless