Thought for the Day

Thought for the day: "Our plans miscarry because they have no aim. When a man does not know what harbor he is making for, no wind is the right wind." SENECA
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The Hebrew word "Abram" (high father), taken from Genesis 12:1-4 NIV.

The LORD had said to Abram, "Leave your country, your people and your father's household and go to the land I will show you. I will make you a great nation and I will bless you; I will make your name great, and you will be a blessing. I will bless those who bless you, and whoever curses you I will curse; and all people on earth will be blessed through you."
So Abram left, as the LORD had told him; and Lot went with him. Abram was seventy-five years old when he set out from Haran.
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Abraham was the forefather of both the Jews and the Arabs. He was originally called Abram ("High Father") and left Ur in ancient Sumeria (Mesopotamia) to travel to Haran in Syria. He eventually migrated to Canaan where God promised him that his descendants would ultimately dwell. He lived to be 175 years old. He is pictured in the Bible as the father of faith in God because of his faithful obedience to God's call and subsequent commands. His greatest test came in his obedience regarding Isaac at Mount Moriah. The New Testament regards him as the ancestor of Israel, of the Levitical priesthood, and of the line of Christ. God's great promise to Abraham forms a key whereby all mankind may be blessed in Abraham's seed and principal Heir, Christ Jesus.
THE NELSON KING JAMES STUDY BIBLE
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Throughout His earthly life, Jesus was constantly exposed to personal criticism and rejection. At the beginning of His ministry, His own townsfolk at Nazareth tried to hurl Him down from the brow of the hill (Luke 4:29). The religious and political leaders constantly argued with Him and conspired to kill Him. At length He was arrested and brought to trial before Pilate and Herod. Even though He was guiltless of the accusations, He was denounced as an enemy of God and man, and not worthy to live.
How did He respond to criticism and rejection? First, with steadfastness. He did not tone down His message, nor did He stop doing what He knew was right. Second, with strength. Ahead of Him was the Cross, but He did not loose courage or shrink from what He knew was God's will. Third, with submission. When Herod prodded Him to defend Himself, "He answered him nothing" (Luke 23:9). Only one thing mattered: Fulfilling God's purpose for His life.
How will we meet criticism?

BILLY GRAHAM
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Today I choose peace. To live peacefully with my fellow man.
Today I choose friendship. To find someone who needs someone.
Today I choose honesty. To be transparent.
Today I choose to forgive. Because I have been forgiven.
Today I choose love. The sum of all.
.................JRE

Thought for the day: "An honest answer is like a kiss on the lips."
PROVERBS 24:26 NIV
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Words of Jesus, taken from Luke 6:37,38 NIV.

"Do not judge, and you will not be judged. Do not condemn, and you will not be condemned. Forgive, and you will be forgiven. Give, and it will be given to you. A good measure, pressed down, shaken together and running over, will be poured into your lap. With the measure you use, it will be measured to you."
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To keep it you've got to give it away. I have found this spiritual principle to be true in my life. I had to learn not to give foolishly which only enabled others to suffer more and did nothing on my end except to build up my ego. I have learned that when I share my experience, strength, and hope with others, I continue to have "good" experiences, "more" strength, and hopes that become "real".
There is a creek that runs outside my window. When the flow of water in, and the flow of water out are steady, the creek is clean. During the hot months of the summer when there is less water flowing in, it seems to collect in holes that become moss covered and stagnant. My desire is to keep my life flowing. And if and when the heat is applied may I continue to give and not grow stagnant...............JRE
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We need to accept the difficulties and disciplines of life so as to fully share the common life of other people. Many things that we must accept in life are not to be taken so much as being necessary for us personally, as to be experienced in order that we may share in the sufferings and problems of humanity. We need sympathy and understanding. We must share many of the experiences of life, in order to understand and sympathize with others. Unless we have been through the same experiences, we cannot understand other people or their makeup well enough to be able to help them.
HAZELDEN...............Twenty-Four Hours A Day
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The way I see it, the "whole ball of wax" is about forgiveness....JRE

Thought for the day: "I'm far more likely to have a positive attitude when God is on my mind." A NEW DAY
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The Greek word "deute" (follow), taken from Mark 1:16-20 NIV.

(16)As Jesus walked beside the Sea of Galilee, he saw Simon and his brother Andrew casting a net into the lake, for they were fishermen. (17)"COME FOLLOW ME," Jesus said, "AND I WILL MAKE YOU FISHERS OF MEN." (18)At once they left their nets and followed him.
(19)And when he had gone a little farther, he saw James son of Zebedee and his brother John in a boat, preparing their nets.
(20)Without delay he called them, and they left their father Zebedee in the boat with the hired men and followed him.

Strong's Ref. # 1205

Romanized deute
Pronounced dyoo'-teh

from GSN1204 and an imperative form of eimi (to go); come hither!:

KJV--come, X follow.
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1:17. With a command Jesus summons two to be disciples. Mark may preserve here Peter's vivid memory of this brief and direct appeal. Seen against its Old Testament background, Jesus' call is to the task of winning men in view of the impending judgment of God.
1:18-20. Jesus' call is not an enthusiastic shout of temporary appeal but a summons to all-encompassing, whole-life commitment. Jesus gains at least four dedicated adherents, who follow him to Capernaum.
The Nelson King James Study Bible
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BORROWED TROUBLES
Let your requests be made known to God; and the peace of God.....will guard your hearts and minds. PHILIPPIANS 4:7

No troubles distress the mind and wear upon the nerves like borrowed troubles. As someone has written, "Worry is an old man with bent head, carrying a load of feathers he thinks is lead."
Worry about what might happen makes even the smallest trouble seem huge. Nervously anticipating troubles that may never happen can crush our spirit.
Instead of "borrowing trouble" by constantly worrying about the future, listen instead to Jesus' promise: "Peace I leave with you, My peace I give to you; not as the world gives do I give to you. Let not your heart be troubled, neither let it be afraid" (John 14:27).
Whatever is worrying you right now, give it Jesus and trust Him to take care of it. Let His peace replace your worry.
BILLY GRAHAM
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At Fort Benning Georgia, home of the US Army Jump School, Ranger School, and Officer Candidate School, there is a statute of a combat infantry officer with his hand raised showing the way. The inscription on the statute is "Follow Me". Great leaders teach by example and lead the way. Jesus did not ask anything of us that he had not already experienced. I give praise to the Father for sending the Son to show me how to live a new life, and to light the way home...........JRE

Thought for the day: "Making the simple complicated is commonplace; making the complicated simple, awesomely simple, that's creativity."
CHARLES MINGUS
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The Greek word "arithmeo" (numbered), taken from Luke 12:6,7 NKJV.
Words of Jesus:
"ARE NOT FIVE SPARROWS SOLD FOR TWO COPPER COINS? AND NOT ONE OF THEM IS FORGOTTEN BEFORE GOD. BUT THE VERY HAIRS OF YOUR HEAD ARE ALL NUMBERED. DO NOT FEAR THEREFORE; YOU ARE OF MORE VALUE THAN MANY SPARROWS."

Strong's Ref. # 705

Romanized arithmeo
Pronounced ar-ith-meh'-o

from GSN0706; to enumerate or count:

KJV--number.
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DEPENDING WHOLLY ON GOD
Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.
Matthew 5:3

"Blessed are the poor in spirit." Not poor in substance, but spirit. This first beatitude has nothing to do with being materially destitute or financially bankrupt. Jesus is placing value on a humble spirit, on those who acknowledge a spiritual bankruptcy in and of themselves. Where there is an absence of well-polished pride and personal conceit, there is a wholesome dependence on the living God. Instead of, "No problem, I can handle it.......," there is a quick confession, acknowledging one's own inadequacies........
And the promised blessing for such a humble, dependent....attitude?
"Theirs is the kingdom of heaven," Jesus said. By living lives of such Simple Faith beneath our Father's sovereign, gracious care, we truly enter into what kingdom living is all about.
CHARLES SWINDOLL.................Simple Faith
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I must "surrender to win." I had come across this idea, concept, teaching or what ever it is, many years before I was forced to apply it toward my life. Because of some choices I made in my life I found myself completely exhausted spiritually, mentally, and physically. When I (old Jerry) gave up, I was able to look up. And with the help of God Family and Friends I am able to enter into kingdom living. To God be all the Glory.......................JRE

P.S. 53 days till spring

Thought for the day: "When the storm has swept by, the wicked are gone, but the righteous stand firm forever." PROVERBS 10:25 NIV
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The Greek word "prosopon" (face), taken from Acts 6:12-15 NIV.
SO THEY STIRRED UP THE PEOPLE AND THE ELDERS AND THE TEACHERS OF THE LAW. THEY SEIZED STEPHEN AND BROUGHT HIM BEFORE THE SANHEDRIN. THEY PRODUCED FALSE WITNESSES WHO TESTIFIED, "THIS FELLOW NEVER STOPS SPEAKING AGAINST THIS HOLY PLACE AND AGAINST THE LAW. FOR WE HAVE HEARD HIM SAY THAT THIS JESUS OF NAZARETH WILL DESTROY THIS PLACE AND CHANGE THE CUSTOMS MOSES HANDED DOWN TO US.
ALL WHO WERE SITTING IN THE SANHEDRIN LOOKED INTENTLY AT STEPHEN, AND THEY SAW THAT HIS FACE WAS LIKE THE FACE OF AN ANGEL.

Strong's Ref. # 4383

Romanized prosopon
Pronounced pros'-o-pon

from GSN4314 and ops (the visage, from GSN3700); the front (as being towards view), i.e. the countenance, aspect, appearance, surface; by implication, presence, person:

KJV--(outward) appearance, X before, contenance, face, fashion, (men's) person, presence.
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God permitted His glory to shine through the face of Stephen to convince all the people that what he had said was the truth. Thus everything in the establishment of the church was miraculous. It had to be, for everything that could prevent the establishment of the church was brought to bear against it. The men used in establishing it had neither might nor power except what came from God.
THE DAKE BIBLE
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A SURE SUPPLY
My God may supply all your need. PHILIPPIANS 4:19 NKJV

One lesson that Jesus would teach us is to have confidence that God answers every true petition. Skeptics may question it humanist may deny it, and intellectuals may ridicule it. Yet here is Christ's own promise: "If you abide in me, and My words abide in you, you will ask what you desire, and it shall be done for you" (John 15:7).
Does this mean God gives us a blank check (so to speak)when we pray? Does He promise to give us anything we want, if we just keep asking? No. God loves us too much to answer prayers that are foolish or might harm us. But the closer we get to Him, the more we abide in Him and His word abides in us, the more we will desire what He desires, and the more our prayers will reflect His will.
The Bible promises, "No good thing does he withhold from those whose walk is blameless" (Psalm 84:11 NIV). Trust that promise with all your soul.
BILLY GRAHAM
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As I look out this morning at the light snow on the ground, and the thermometer says 15 degrees. I am aware of the warmth I feel inside my heart. The reading of God's Word has sparked a fire, a fire that speaks to me and lets me know that no matter what I go through today God is with me and will supply all my needs. That is a foundation that I can stand on........................JRE

P.S. .....56 days till spring

Thought for the day: There are two kinds of people in the world: those who come into a room and say, "Here I am!" and those who come in and say, "Ah, there you are!"................ANONYMOUS
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Share this with me.....................JRE
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The cross. Can you turn any direction without seeing one? Perched atop a chapel. Carved into a graveyard headstone. Engraved in a ring or suspended on a chin. The cross is the universal symbol of Christianity. An odd choice, don't you think? Strange that a tool of torture would come to embody a movement of hope. The symbols of other faiths are more upbeat: the six-pointed star of David, the crescent moon of Islam, a lotus blossom for Buddhism. Yet a cross for Christianity? an instrument of execution?
Would you wear a tiny electric chair around your neck? Suspend a gold-plated hangman's noose on the wall? Would you print a picture of a firing squad on a business card? Yet we do so with the cross. Many even make the sign of the cross as they pray. Would we make the sign of say, a guillotine? Instead of the triangular touch on the forehead and shoulders, how about a karate chop on the palm? Doesn't quite have the same feel, does it?
Why is the cross the symbol of our faith? To find the answer look no farther than the cross itself. Its design couldn't be simpler. One beam horizontal, the other vertical. One reaches out, like god's love. The other teaches, up, as does God's holiness. One represents the width of His love; the other reflects the higth of His holiness. the cross is the intersection. The cross is where God forgave his children without lowering His standards.
MAX LUCADO......................He Chose the Nails
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May we be centered at the intersection of God's love and God's holiness.....the point of forgiveness. And may we be like God and demonstrate this "point" to others.
Thanks for sharing this with me.....................JRE

Thought for the day: Death is one way of God saying, "Your table is ready." ..........Cousin Chuck
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The Greek word "apokalupsis" (revealed-NIV, revelation-KJV) taken from 1Peter 1:13 NIV.

THEREFORE PREPARE YOUR MINDS FOR ACTION; BE SELF-CONTROLLED; SET YOUR HOPE FULLY ON THE GRACE TO BE GIVEN YOU WHEN JESUS CHRIST IS REVEALED.

Strong's Ref. # 602

Romanized apokalupsis
Pronounced ap-ok-al'-oop-sis

from GSN0601; disclosure:

KJV--appearing, coming, lighten, manifestation, be revealed, revelation.
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AMAZING GRACE
Imagine coming to the house of a friend who has invited you over to enjoy a meal. You finish the delicious meal and then listen to some fine music and visit for a while. Finally, you stand up and get your coat as you prepare to leave. But before you leave you reach into your pocket and say, "Now, how much do I owe you?" What an insult! You don't do that with someone who has graciously given you a meal.
Isn't it strange, though, how this world is running over with people who think there's something they must do to pay God back? Somehow they are hoping God will smile on them if they work real hard and earn His acceptance. But that's an acceptance on the basis of works. That's not the way it is with grace................
God smiles on us because of His Son's death and resurrection. It's grace my friend, amazing grace.
CHARLES SWINDOLL...................The Grace Awakening
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There is nothing today that I could do to earn or pay for this new life that has been given to me. It is a gift. Jesus is the gift and the giver. May my heart be grateful, and full of praise and worship for what was done for me that I could not do for myself........JRE

Thought for the day: "If you are willing and obedient, you will eat the best from the land." Isaiah 1:19 NIV
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The Greek word "eiserchomai" (entered, enter in), taken from Hebrews 6:18-20 NIV.
The writer of Hebrews is telling us of the certainty of God's promise to us. God told Abraham He would surely bless him, and since there was no one greater to swear by He swore by himself. His promise was of Jesus who would lead us into new life and into holiness......JRE

"God did this so that, by two unchangeable things in which it is impossible for God to lie, we who have fled to take hold of the hope offered to us may be greatly encouraged. We have this hope as an anchor for the soul, firm and secure. It enters the inner sanctuary behind the curtain, where Jesus, who went before us, has entered on our behalf. He has become a high priest forever, in the order of Melchizedek."
HEBREWS 6:18-20
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Starting at the end of verse 18, the author uses three pictures to demonstrate the security of being in Christ. First it is described as a safe retreat for the believer, as were the six cities of refuge in the Old Testament to those allowed their protection. Second, our hope is sure and steadfast as a well placed, unbending anchor. Our anchor is not located in the deepest sea but in the highest heaven. The third figure is that of a forerunner. Though the figure changes, the location does not. Our forerunner is likewise positioned in the sanctuary of heaven. As our forerunner, Jesus is far different from the Old Testament priests. In the sanctuary they could intercede for the people, but they could not lead the people in themselves. As our forerunner, Jesus has opened the way before us, that eventually (and certainly) we might enter in with Him.
NELSON KING JAMES STUDY BIBLE
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During my younger days, times of abundent energy, college, work, dating, parties, music, and times of thinking I had all the answers. During these time I thought it was possible to fellowship with God by meditation, drugs, and mental thoughts. I would sit and think how spiritual I was and how cool I was to be spiritual. The fellowship I thought I was having with God turned out to be my ego playing games with itself. I enjoyed this for some time, and if you were to ask me about God I had all the answers. Today all I need to know is Jesus and the finished work of the cross. By accepting Jesus the Son, He has lead me and allowed me to "enter in" to God the Father. Jesus is the Door. Before I was just hanging around outside the house............JRE

Thought for the day: "It is good to praise the LORD and make music to your name, O Most High, to proclaim your love in the morning."
PSALM 92:1,2 NIV
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The Greek word "sunetos" (prudent) taken from Matthew 11:25 KJV.

"At that time Jesus answered and said, I thank thee, O Father, Lord of heaven and earth, because thou hast hid these things from the wise and prudent, and hast revealed them unto babes."

Strong's Ref. # 4908

Romanized sunetos
Pronounced soon-et'-os

from GSN4920; mentally put (or putting) together, i.e. sagacious:

KJV--prudent. Compare GSN5429.
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JESUS REJOICES OVER SIMPLICITY OF TRUTH
Truth is always hid from the professing wise who reject it because of self-conceit and pride (Rom. 1:18-32). It is always revealed to the simple who accept and obey it. (1 Cor. 3:1-3). It is right that this be so (Matthew 11:26, "Even so, Father: for so it seemed good in thy sight." KJV).
THE DAKE BIBLE
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LIVING STONES
You also, as living stones, are being built up a spiritual house.
1 Peter 2:5 New King James Version

I have a friend who lost his job, a fortune, his wife, and his home. But he tenaciously held to his faith in Christ, the only thing he had left. Like Job in the Old Testament, he would not abandon God, no matter what happened. and yet like Job, he couldn't help but wonder why.
One day he stopped to watch some men doing stonework on a huge church. One of them was chiseling a triangular piece of stone.
"What are you going to do with that?" asked my friend.
The workman said, "See that little opening away up there near the spire? Well, I'm shaping this down here so it will fit in up there."
Tears filled my friends eyes as he walked away, for it seemed that God had spoken through the workman to explain the ordeal through which he was passing, "I'm shaping you down here so you'll fit in up there."
BILLY GRAHAM...............Hope for Each Day, Jan. 30th
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When I went to Vietnam in 1967, I did not believe in God. I did not believe in anything but myself and the U.S. military. By the grace of God, and prayers of many, I came home in June of 1968. Something had changed on the inside of me and I was starting to believe in something other than myself, but I had no direction to aim this new belief. I wandered many years through life with no direction. In 1983 I found myself "doing time" (again), and having hit bottom again had no where to turn. I praise God for a prison guard named Smith who told me of the Love of Jesus and how it had changed his heart. He gave me a Bible. I also praise God for a black Nazarene preacher who took the time to come and visit "Leads Farm", and show me how to worship and pray. Next month it will have been twenty years. My life has not been the same. I also give thanks to my grandparents Ben and Dorothy Dake who showed me the importance of church and Christian fellowship. May we encourage each other in the Lord today...................Jerry

Thought for the day: "Whoever watches the wind will not plant; whoever looks at the clouds will not reap." ECCLESIASTES 11:4 NIV
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SHEEP LED TO SLAUGHTER
I once saw a dramatic documentary film that featured a packinghouse where sheep were slaughtered. Huddled in pens were hundreds of nervous animals that seemed to sense danger in their unfamiliar surroundings. Then a gate was opened that led to a ramp and a door. In order to get the sheep to walk up the ramp, the workers used what is known as a "Judas goat." This is a goat that has been trained to lead sheep into the slaughterhouse.
The goat confidently walked to the bottom of the ramp and looked back. Then he took a few more steps and stopped again. The sheep looked at each other skittishly and began moving toward the ramp. Eventually they followed the confident goat to the top, where he went through a gate that closed behind him. This forced the sheep directly into the slaughterhouse. It was a dramatic illustration of behavior with deadly consequences.
There is a striking similarity between the sheep following the Judas goat and teenagers who succumb to peer pressure. those who are more confident and rebellious often lead the timid into trouble. Some inject themselves with heroin or get involved with cocaine; others engage in dangerous practices, such as driving while drinking and engaging in violent behavior. But why do they do such destructive things? Don't they care about their own lives and the future they are risking? Most of them do. But the pressure to conform, to follow the goat, is even stronger than the need for security and well-being.
Adults have a similar problem. The prophet Isaiah observed it when he wrote, "We all, like sheep, have gone astray" (Isaiah 53:6).
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My defense against the Judas goat is to "pick up the kit of spiritual tools that has been laid at my feet" (AA Big Book). I'm going to a noon meeting....love all of you..................JRE

Thought for the day: "Better a dry crust with peace and quiet than a house full of feasting, with strife." PROVERBS 17:1 NIV
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The Greek word "aphorizo" (set apart-NIV, separate KJV), taken from Acts 13:2,3 NIV.

While they were worshiping the Lord and fasting, the Holy Spirit said, "Set apart for me Barnabas and Saul for the work to which I have called them." So after they had fasted and prayed, they placed their hands on them and sent them off. Acts 13:2,3 NIV

Strong's Ref. # 873

Romanized aphorizo
Pronounced af-or-id'-zo

from GSN0575 and GSN3724; to set off by boundary, i.e. (figuratively) limit, exclude, appoint, etc.:

KJV--divide, separate, sever.
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The Greek word aphorizo is used as: to mark off from others by boundaries; to set apart for a specific purpose or work; and to live separated from sin. THE DAKE BIBLE
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There is a time for everything. We should learn to wait patiently until the right time comes. EASY DOES IT. We waste our energies in trying to get things before we are ready to have them, before we have earned the right to receive them. A great lesson we have to learn is how to wait with patience. We can believe that all our life is a preparation for something better to come when we have earned the right to it. We can believe that God has a plan for our lives and that this plan will work out in the fullness of time.
HAZELDEN...............Twenty-Four Hours A Day
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ABUNDANT PARDON
Blessed is he whose transgression is forgiven, whose sin is covered. Psalm 32:1

The story is told about a sensitive boy in the eighteenth century who joined the British Army, but when shots began to fly, he deserted.
Years later he became a great astronomer, even discovering a new planet. King George sent for him. He came, fearful the king would order his execution for being a deserter. But he was given an envelope, and inside was a royal pardon. the king said, "Now we can talk, and you shall come up and live at Windsor Castle." He was Sir William Herschel.
Herschel was guilty and deserved condemnation. But King George had mercy on him, and even made him a member of the royal household.
This is what God promises us. We are guilty and helpless. But God loves us, and "he saved us not because of righteous things we had done, but because of his mercy" (Titus 3:5 NIV). Never forget; "God did not send His Son into the world to condemn the world, but that the world through Him might be saved" (John 3:17).
BILLY GRAHAM
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God did not send Jesus to condemn the world.....This is a loving God of my understanding. May we be "set apart" today to encourage and build up one another..................JRE

Attitude

Thought for the day: "Character is much easier kept than recovered."
THOMAS PAINE
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The Greek word "phroneo" (let this mind-KJV, attitude-NIV), taken from Philippians 2:5-8 NIV.

"Your attitude should be the same as that of Christ Jesus: Who being in very nature God, did not consider equality with God something to be grasped, but made himself nothing, taking the very nature of a servant, being made in human likeness. And being found in appearance as a man, he humbled himself and became obedient to death, even death on a cross."
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ONE INCREDIBLE PLAN
When human hands fastened the divine hands to a cross with spikes, it wasn't the soldiers who held the hands of Jesus steady. It was God who held them steady. Those same hands that formed the oceans and built the mountains. Those same hands that designed the dawn and crafted each cloud. Those same hands that blueprinted one incredible plan for you and me.
Take a stroll out to the hill. Out to Clavary. Out to the cross where, with holy blood, the hand that placed you on the planet wrote the promise, "God would give up his only Son before he'd give up on you."
MAX LUCADO...............Six Hours One Friday
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ATTITUDE
The longer I live, the more I realize the impact of attitude on life. Attitude, to me, is more important than facts. It is more important than the past, than education, than money, than circumstances, than failure, than successes, than what other people think or say or do. It is more important than appearance, giftedness or skill. It will make or break a company.....a church.......a home. The remarkable thing is we have a choice everyday regarding the attitude we will embrace for that day. We cannot change the inevitable. The only thing we can do is play on the one string we have, and that is our attitude......I am convinced that life is 10% what happens to me and 90% how I react to it. And so it is with you.......we are in charge of our Attitudes.
CHARLES SWINDOLL
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This writing about attitude hangs on my wall. The first time I saw it was in 1997. At that time it gave me a revelation, it was as if a light came on in my heart and mind. I realized that how I felt each day was up to me and no one else. My reaction to circumstances in my life brings about how I feel. In understanding the 10%-90% concept, I have been able to "lighten up" on myself. I have gained peace in reading this statement many times. May we have the "Mind of Christ Jesus."
................................JRE

Everlasting

Thought for the day: "Wisdom is more precious than rubies, and nothing you desire can compare with her." Proverbs 8:11 NIV
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The Hebrew word "owlam" (everlasting), taken from Psalm 90:1,2 NIV.

A prayer of Moses the man of God.
LORD, YOU HAVE BEEN OUR DWELLING PLACE THROUGH OUT ALL GENERATIONS. BEFORE THE MOUNTAINS WERE BORN OR YOU BROUGHT FORTH THE EARTH AND THE WORLD, FROM EVERLASTING TO EVERLASTING YOU ARE GOD.

Strong's Ref. # 5769

Romanized `owlam
Pronounced o-lawm'

or `olam {o-lawm'}; from HSN5956; properly, concealed, i.e. the vanishing point; generally, time out of mind (past or future), i.e. (practically) eternity; frequentatively, adverbial (especially with prepositional prefix) always:

KJV--alway(-s), ancient (time), any more, continuance, eternal, (for, [n-])ever(-lasting, -more, of old), lasting, long (time), (of) old (time), perpetual, at any time, (beginning of the) world (+ without end). Compare HSN5331, HSN5703.
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This Psalm is the only one written by Moses and thus is the oldest in the Psalter. NELSON KING JAMES STUDY BIBLE
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THE PROMISE IS OURS
I am with you always, even to the end of the age. Matthew 28:20

When David Livingstone returned to his native Scotland after sixteen difficult years as a missionary and explorer in Africa, his body was emaciated by the ravages of some twenty-seven fevers that had coursed through his veins during the years of his service. His left arm hung useless at his side, the result of his being mangled by a lion.
Speaking to the students at Glasgow University, he said, "Shall I tell you what sustained me during the hardship and loneliness of my exile? It was Christ's promise, 'Lo, I am with you always, even to the end of the age.'"
That promise is ours as well. No matter what trials we face, Christ never leaves us. He is with us every step of the way! Keep that promise before you today, and always.
BILLY GRAHAM
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There have been times in my life when because of bad choices, I had nowhere to turn except to the Lord. All seemed lost except my Jesus who never left me. The Light of the Promise shines regardless of the circumstances.........I give thanks............JRE

Keep it simple

Thought for the day: Simple solutions work best for
"complicated" people.
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In character, in manners, in style, in all things, the supreme excellence is simplicity. HENRY WADSWORTH LONGFELLOW
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Cling to the belief that all things are possible with God. If this belief is truly accepted, it is the ladder upon which a human soul can climb from the lowest pit of despair to the sublimest heights of peace of mind. It is possible for God to change your way of living. When you see the change in another person through the grace of God, you cannot doubt that all things are possible in the lives of people through the strength that comes from faith in Him who rules us all.
HAZELDEN..........Twenty-Four Hours A Day
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GOD IS AWESOME
Be exalted, O God, above the heavens, and Your glory above all the earth. PSALM 108:5

When was the last time you took a glance at a mountain? You don't glance at pictures of Mount Everest and say, "Hmm, nice hill. Maybe a little taller than some mountains." You don't witness the glaciers i Alaska and say, "Oh yeah, that's a pretty nice glacier." You stand in silent awe.
I remember when my Marine battalion flew over Japan's Mount Fuji. Not one man on our plane, when they looked out and saw Fuji, said, "Sure, sure, that's nice." No indeed! I mean, it was click, click, click.......it was picture-taking time! This was picturesque, awesome Fuji!
Who made Fuji? God! And like that mountain, the rest of His creation is equally awesome. Consider the stars in space, for example. Though we were to study for a lifetime, we still could not fathom them. When God does it, it makes us stand back in respect. It puts all human achievements on the lowest level.
CHARLES SWINDOLL.............Living on the Ragged Edge
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I must remind myself to "keep it simple." The foundation for my understanding of this statement comes from what Paul wrote in Philippians 4:13 "I can do all things through Christ who strengtheneth me." At the present time I study the bass guitar under my friend Russell Lawson, and I am reminded of something he tells me, "sometimes less is more." ....................JRE

The gift of grace

Thought for the day: "Our grand business in life is not to see what lies dimly at a distance, but to do what lies at hand."
THOMAS CARLYLE
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The Greek word "charis" (grace) taken from Ephesians 2:8,9 KJV.

"For by grace are ye saved through faith: and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God: Not of works lest any man should boast."
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The grace of God is the expression of His goodness toward the undeserving. Grace means unmerited favor, and can be expressed by the acrostic "God's Riches At Christ's Expense." This grace is the basis of our salvation.
ILLUSTRATION: In salvation, men who deserve hell obtain heaven. This cannot be explained apart from God's grace. Every conversion in Scripture is an example of God's grace. When Paul (Saul) met the Lord on the Damascus Road, Paul was a persecutor of the church. Yet God made him one of the church's chief preachers.
APPLICATION: We need to remember that we are saved, given the Holy Spirit, and allowed to serve God, by His grace.
THE NELSON KING JAMES STUDY BIBLE
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Today I need to think of the "gift" of grace. When I try to work my way through this salvation and new life that has been given me I find myself on my knees asking for help. When I attend church, go to meetings, visit the elderly, tell others of the love of Jesus; when I do these things I begin to think I have done this great thing called salvation. The truth....I have done nothing to deserve what has been given. I give praise to the Father who sent his Son to show the way. May I be grateful .....................JRE
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WATCH THOSE CHOICES
Apply your heart to discipline and your ears to words of knowledge.
PROVERBS 23:12

Living in truth is making the right choices. Here's what I mean. In the light of truth, you and I are able to see both truth and lie, both light and darkness, that which is simple, pure, and clear and that which is deceptive.........
The secret, of course, is making the right choices every day. So? Watch those choices! Watch your decisions!
No married couple suddenly splits. Nobody becomes a cynic overnight. Nobody makes one leap from the pinnacle of praise to the swamp of carnality. Erosion is a slow and silent process based on secret choices. And isn't it remarkable? If you don't stop yourself in the downward process, last week's wrong choice doesn't seem quite so bad this week. In fact, in a month's time it seems like not that bad a choice at all!
CHARLES SWINDOLL...........Simple Faith
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The best choice I ever made was to accept the free gift given by grace..................JRE

EGO (ease God out)

Thought for the day: "IF YOU THINK YOU KNOW EVERYTHING, YOU HAVE A LOT TO LEARN." Our Daily Bread
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The Greek word "epaggelia" (message), taken from 1 John 1:5 KJV.

"This then is the message which we have heard of him, and declare unto you, that God is light and in him is no darkness."
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God is the source of wisdom, knowledge, holiness, and truth cannot have the least degree of ignorance, imperfection, sinfulness, and darkness. God is to man what the sun is to our world, hence the importance of the message that God is light and no darkness at all.
THE DAKE BIBLE
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A CLEAR CONSCIENCE

I myself always strive to have a conscience without offense toward God and men. ACTS 24:16

Benjamin Franklin composed this little rhyme: "Keep conscience clear, then never fear." George Bernard Shaw, the great Irish writer said, "Better keep yourself clean and bright; you are the window through which you must see the world."
If conscience was such a vital concept to these secular writers, how much more concerned should we as Christians be that our consciences are "without offense toward God and men"? Without conscience we would be like rudderless ships at sea, or missiles without a guidance system.
God has given our conscience to us. Its very presence is a reflection of God in the human soul. Sin however, can dull or even distort our conscience, silencing its voice and leading us astray. But God's Word can purify and sharpen our conscience, and when that happens, "He leads [us]in paths of righteousness for His name's sake" (Psalm 23:3). Is this happening in your life?
BILLY GRAHAM
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When I walk out of the light that has been given me, I stumble and fall. My ego (Ease-God-Out) is what takes off on it's own and ends up face down in the mud. When I come to God with stubbed toes and a broken heart, the light comes on and I get cleaned up, stand up, and walk again. The God of second chances.....I am grateful...........JRE

Shuwb (restore)

Thought for the day: "Teach us to number our day aright, that we may gain a heart of wisdom." PSALM 90:12 NIV
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The Hebrew word "shuwb" (restore), taken from Psalm 23:3 NIV

HE RESTORES MY SOUL. HE GUIDES ME IN PATHS OF RIGHTEOUSNESS FOR HIS NAME'S SAKE.

Strong's Ref. # 7725

Romanized shuwb
Pronounced shoob

a primitive root; to turn back (hence, away) transitively or intransitively, literally or figuratively (not necessarily with the idea of return to the starting point); generally to retreat; often adverbial, again:
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I am restored "One Day at a Time", and as the Hebrew dictionary puts it "not necessarily with the idea of return to the starting point." What an Awesome God we have who grants me strength each day to overcome through the Word of the LORD and the Blood of the Lamb.......JRE
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THE MASTER BUILDER

It's hard to see things grow old. The town in which I grew up is growing old.....Some of the buildings are boarded up. Some of the houses are torn down.....The old movie house where I took my dates has "For Sale" on the marquee......
I wish I could make it all new again. I wish I could blow the dust off the streets.....but I can't.
I can't. But God can. "He restores my soul," wrote the shepherd. He doesn't reform; he restores. He doesn't camouflage the old; he restores the new. the Master Builder will pull out the original plan and restore it. He will restore the vigor. He will restore the energy. He will restore the hope. He will restore the soul.
MAX LUCADO..............The Applause of Heaven
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Thanks for the prayers for my friend Wanda, she is home and is being restored. We give God praise...............JRE

Gan (garden)

Thought for the day: "When we are tired we are attacked by ideas we conquered long ago. NIETZSCHE
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The Hebrew word "gan" (garden), taken from Isaiah 58:10,11 NIV.

And if you spend yourselves in behalf of the hungry and satisfy the needs of the oppressed, then your light will rise in the darkness, and you night will become like the noonday.
The LORD will guide you always; he will satisfy your needs in a sun-scorched land and will strengthen your frame. You will be like a well-watered garden, like a spring whose waters never fail.

Strong's Ref. # 1588

Romanized gan
Pronounced gan

from HSN1598; a garden (as fenced):

KJV--garden.

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Your light will burst out in the midst of calamity, trials, and adversities, like the sun at midnight, and your darkness will be past.(verse 10). You will be supplied in tomes of drought and national disaster (verse 11). THE DAKE BIBLE
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GOD'S HAND ON YOUR LIFE
My frame was not hidden from You, when I was made in secret, and skillfully wrought in the depths of the earth. PSALM 139:15

Perhaps you never knew what it was to nestle securely in a parent's love. Your home life may have been strained or even fractured from your earliest memory. From a human point of view, your birth might have come at a difficult or awkward time in your parents' lives. It may be that you've never known the reassurance of a faithful mother and father who built their faith into your heart. When you think back on your growing up years, you realize you realize you don't have much to shout about.
I'd like to deliver a beautiful message to you, my friend. God's hand on your life may be just beginning to make it's mark. The steep hill you've been climbing for such a long time may be the ramp to a destiny beyond your dreams. I do not believe there is any such thing as an accidental or ill-timed birth. You may have arrived in a home that was financially strapped. You may have known brokenness, hurt, and insecurity since your earliest days, but please hear me on this: YOU WERE NOT AN ACCIDENT.
CHARLES SWINDOLL.....Moses: A Man of Selfless Dedication
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We are not here by accident, the very place where we stand is our garden. We must bloom where we are planted.....God will give us the nourishment for growth.
Please remember my friend Wanda in prayer. She went to the ER last night because of headaches and passing out......................JRE

Pneuma/Spirit

Thought for the day: "Every temptation is an opportunity to trust God."
OUR DAILY BREAD
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The Greek word "Pneuma" (spirit, mind), taken trom Mark 14:38 KJV.

WATCH YE AND PRAY LEST YE ENTER INTO TEMPTATION. THE SPIRIT TRULY IS READY, BUT THE FLESH IS WEAK.

Strong's Ref. # 4151

Romanized pneuma
Pronounced pnyoo'-mah

from GSN4154; a current of air, i.e. breath (blast) or a breeze; by analogy or figuratively, a spirit, i.e. (human) the rational soul, (by implication) vital principle, mental disposition, etc., or (superhuman) an angel, demon, or (divine) God, Christ's spirit, the Holy Spirit:

KJV--ghost, life, spirit(-ual, -ually), mind. Compare GSN5590.
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The Greek word pneuma, the mind, will; the part of man that knows (1 Cor. 2:11). Occurs 385 times (in New Testament..JRE): Spirit 133 times; spirit 153 times; Holy Ghost 89 times; Holy Spirit 4 times; ghost 2 times, and life, wind, spiritual, and spiritually 1 time each. It is used of God (John 4:24); Christ (1 Cor 6:17; 15:45); Holy Ghost (Mark 1:20); angels (Acts 8:29; Hebrews 1:14); demons (Mark 17:25-26; Luke 10:17,20); and the resurrection body (1 Cor. 15:44-45).
THE DAKE BIBLE
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As you can see the word pneuma is used many ways in Scripture. In the verse where Jesus says, "The spirit (no capital letters..JRE) truly is ready but the flesh is weak," I feel that Jesus is speaking of the mind. My own mind tells me that I need to not eat after 9pm in the evening. But at that time every evening, my body speaks very loud and over rules my mind when it says, "CRACKERS & CHEESE."......JRE
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AN UPSIDE DOWN WORLD

God is not ashamed to be called their God. HEBREWS 11:16

We live in an upside-down world. People hate when they should love, quarrel when they should be friendly, fight when they should be peaceful, wound when they should heal, steal when they should share, do wrong when they should do right.
I once saw a toy clown with a weight in its head. No matter how it was placed, it invariably assumed an upside-down position. It could be placed on its feet or on its side and when let go it flipped back on its head.
The Clown illustrates why the disciples seemed to be misfits to the world. To an upside-down man, a right-side-up man seems upside down. To the nonbeliever, the true Christian is an oddity and an abnormality.
Yet this isn't the whole picture, for all around us are people who sense something is wrong with their topsy-turvy lives, and they yearn to be right side up. Will you pray for them and ask God to help you point them to life's only solid foundation, Jesus Christ?
BILLY GRAHAM
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Way to go Mr. Graham, "To an upside-down man, a right-side-up man seems upside down."
Like a tree that's planted by the water, I shall not be moved off the foundation, Jesus Christ..........JRE

Pletho (filled)

Thought for the day: "The prudent see danger and take refuge, but the simple keep going and suffer for it." PROVERBS 27:12 NIV
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The Greek word "pletho" (filled), taken from Acts 2:4 NIV.
ALL OF THEM WERE FILLED WITH THE HOLY SPIRIT AND BEGAN TO SPEAK IN OTHER TONGUES AS THE SPIRIT ENABLED THEM.

Strong's Ref. # 4130

Romanized pletho
Pronounced play'-tho

a prolonged form of a primary pleo {pleh'-o} (which appears only as an alternate in certain tenses and in the reduplicated form pimplemi); to "fill" (literally or figuratively [imbue, influence, supply]); specifically, to fulfil (time):

KJV--accomplish, full (...come), furnish.
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Though verse 4 mentions only the filling with the Spirit, both the filling and the baptism occurred. Christ promised that the baptism would occur (Acts 1:4-5) and Peter later affirms that it did happen at Pentecost (Acts 11:15-16). The filling and baptism are two different works performed by the Holy Spirit.
Note their contrasts: (1)Following Pentecost every believer receives the baptism of the Spirit (1 Cor. 12:13); hence the New Testament never commands the Christian to receive it. But the filling of the Spirit is not experienced by all believers, and so is commanded (Eph. 5:18).
(2)The baptism is permanent, happening but once for all. The filling is ongoing, occurring continuously as seen in the present tense imperative of Eph. 5:18, that is, "Keep on being filled." The verse commands: "And be not drunk with wine, wherein is excess [riotousness]; but be filled with the Spirit." Since Paul compares the influences of wine and the filling of the Spirit, the word control can aptly express the idea of either. The filling of the Spirit is the controlling influence of the Spirit within the believer. Such control is neither universal nor unending, thus it must be commanded and does recur within the believer. The adjective full expresses the abiding character of a Spiritfilled man, but the participle form filled expresses an action performed at that moment. The baptism is the act by which Jesus, through the Spirit, at conversion brings the believer into relation with Himself and makes the believer a part of God's people, the church. The filling is the continuous experience with the Christian whereby the Spirit, who already indwells him, keeps control over his life.
NELSON KING JAMES STUDY BIBLE
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As I study the Word of God I find it to be a study of Hebrew, Greek, and the English language. It is also a study in grammar, punctuation, spelling, and word origin. I wish now that I had paid more attention in Mrs. Thelma Bowen's English class where the basics were taught. I never realized I would use them like I do today. My life depends on my relationship with God. How important these basics of language have turned out to be. What a great time this is to know and share Jesus with each other.......................JRE
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PEACE TREATIES OF LOVE
Jesus described for his followers what he came to do. He came to build a relationship with people. He came to take away enmity, to take away the strife, to take away the isolation that existed between God and man. Once he bridged that, once he overcame that, he said, "I will call you friends."
In repairing a relationship, it's essential to realize that no friendship is perfect, no marriage is perfect, no person is perfect. With the resolve that you are going to make a relationship work, you can develop peace treaties of love and tolerance and harmony to transform a difficult situation into something beautiful.
MAX LUCADO.....................Walking with the Savior