For Reading and Meditation:      Malachi 3:13-18Although in Psalm 73 the psalmist is beset by doubt, he begins, nevertheless, on a triumphant note: "Surely God is good to Israel, to those who are pure in heart." Preachers usually leave their conclusion until the end of their sermon - but here the psalmist begins with it! It might seem strange to some that the psalmist should begin with a conclusion, but this is often seen in the book of Psalms. And the reason is this: the psalmist is so convinced of the fact that God is good that he decides to start right there. It is as if he is saying: "I want to tell you how I moved from doubt to faith, but the thing I want you to get right away is this: God is good." Some commentators believe that in the Temple services there was a time of open testimony and worship, similar to that which featured in the old Methodist class meetings, when individuals gave testimonies to their fellow believers of God's dealings with them. This is one of the most powerful ways of building the spiritual life of the Church, but regrettably it does not seem to be widely practised today. If this psalm was part of the psalmist's testimony during an open time of worship, one can imagine the impact it would have made upon the hearers as he related how he emerged from crippling doubt to renewed confidence in the goodness of God. I know of nothing more motivating in the Christian life than for believers to identify and share the spiritual principles which have enabled them to overcome attacks on their faith. When we ignore this principle we do so at our peril.O Father, show us clearly how sharing with each other what You are doing in our lives not only inspires and motivates us, but greatly strengthens the Body. Help us restore this lost emphasis wherever it is missing. In Jesus' Name. Amen.<div class="tl-lightgrey mt20 pt20 flexbox-row-wrap jc-around"><div><div class="fs-17 fg-mustard bold center-it">AdditionalVerses</div><ul style="margin-top:0px"><li>John 3:25-36</li><li>John 5:39</li><li>John 15:26</li><li>Acts 20:24</li></ul></div>

<div><div class="fs-17 fg-mustard bold center-it">Questions to Consider</div><ul style="margin-top:0px"><li>When was the last time you publicly testified to the goodness of God?</li><li>When will be the next time?</li></ul></div></div>

Let a little light into your soul every day with this wonderful devotional from English pastor Selwyn Hughes.

Every Day Light with Selwyn Hughes

"Then those who feared the Lord talked with each other " (v. 16) 

And he only; for "he that believeth not the Son shall not see life; but the wrath of God abideth on him." Several important matters loom upon us in this little statement. One of the most unintelligible things, to the world, is the declaration so constantly made in the Scriptures, that man is without life. At the very beginning of human history, Satan introduced, as a substitute for God's doctrine that man would die in the day of his transgression, his own opposing doctrine that man would not die. Adam believed Satan rather than God; and it has been the same with Adam's descendants until the present hour. Men refuse to believe that they are in any proper sense dead; that they need the breath of life to be breathed into their soul. And refusing to believe this, they give no heed to the offer of life made to them in the Gospel. " In the day thou eatest thereof thou shalt surely die." " He that believeth on the Son hath everlasting life - hath passed from death unto life.'' Not knowing themselves dead through transgression, they fail to live through faith. The death that passed upon Adam was not a visible death; and the life that comes to the believer is not a visible life; but the results of both are in due time sufficiently visible. You look upon the believer and upon yourself, and you say, "What has he that I have not?" Wherein is he richer than I am? I have physical and mental powers equal, if not superior, to his. Is he eloquent? Not more than I. Can he reason? Not better than I. Is he well informed? So am I. Is he respected? I am more so. Has he wealth? I have more. Is he generous? Men speak far more of my generosity than of his. Is he moral? I claim to be as much so. He has a hope of heaven. And have I none? I will tell you what he has that you have not. He has the knowledge that sin is death. He knows that, naturally, he, in common with all mankind, is under condemnation; is without the favor of God; is exposed to eternal wrath. While deeply sensible of the great goodness of God in bestowing upon him many admirable gifts, he knows that these gifts only increase the odiousness of his sins. He loathes his sins; his pride, selfishness, irreligion, insincerity. He is aware that no mere efforts of his own, with all the aid that he can obtain from man, are adequate to restore his diseased, his dead nature. It is life that he needs. And it is blasphemy to say that any finite power can bestow this. He believes on the Son of God; recognizing him to be morally and in respect to dignity, the express image of the Father. He beholds God manifest in the Son; and all the acts and words of Christ reveal to him the character of the omnipresent God. He sees his own sins expiated at the cross; and the broken body of Christ is the legacy of life to him. The ascension of Christ is the guarantee of his own entire emancipation from sin, sorrow, frailty, corruptibility. You have many things in common with him; but, unlike you, he glories only in the cross of Christ. You make many donations, and men praise you for them; but he performs actions that will be mentioned with approbation by Christ at the last day, in words like this: " You have done it unto me.'' In a word, he has faith in Christ; and you have not. Your faith is in yourself; and until you know yourself to be without life, Christ can be of no advantage to you.

A daily devotional written by a Baptist Missionary to India, Reverend George Bowen (1816-1888) over 150 years ago.

Bowen's Daily Meditations

" He that believeth on the Son hath everlasting life." - John 3:36. 

Their Redeemer is strong; the Lord of hosts is His name. § I will ransom them from the power of the grave; I will redeem them from death. O Death, I will be your plagues! O Grave, I will be your destruction! Inasmuch then as the children have partaken of flesh and blood, He Himself likewise shared in the same, that through death He might destroy him who had the power of death, that is, the devil, and release those who through fear of death were all their lifetime subject to bondage. He who believes in the Son has everlasting life; and he who does not believe the Son shall not see life, but the wrath of God abides on him. For you died, and your life is hidden with Christ in God. When Christ who is our life appears, then you also will appear with Him in glory. § When He comes, in that Day, to be glorified in His saints and to be admired among all those who believe.

Daily Light on the Daily Path or Daily Light is a Christian daily devotional scripture reading published by Bagster & Sons about 1875. It has been reprinted continually since then. It consists of brief groupings of scripture passages which speak to prominent Biblical themes—two themes (morning and evening) for each day of the year. It appends no commentary, but simply allows scripture to speak for itself.

Evening Daily Light

 Who redeems your life from destruction. 

For I have no pleasure in the death of one who dies,” says the Lord God. “Therefore turn and live!” § If I had not come and spoken to them, they would have no sin, but now they have no excuse for their sin. § That servant who knew his master’s will, and did not prepare himself or do according to his will, shall be beaten with many stripes. For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord. § He who believes in the Son has everlasting life; and he who does not believe the Son shall not see life, but the wrath of God abides on him. § Do you not know that to whom you present yourselves slaves to obey, you are that one’s slaves whom you obey, whether of sin leading to death, or of obedience leading to righteousness? If anyone serves Me, let him follow Me; and where I am, there My servant will be also. If anyone serves Me, him My Father will honor.

 I have set before you life and death, blessing  and cursing; therefore choose life. 

36 Whoever believes in the Son has eternal life, but whoever rejects the Son will not see life, for God’s wrath remains on them.

Whoever believes in the Son has eternal life,<cr>1</cr> but whoever rejects the Son will not see life, for God’s wrath remains on them.

John 3:36

 36 Whoever believes in the Son has eternal life,   but whoever rejects the Son will not see life, for God’s wrath remains on them.

From Wikipedia: 

The New International Version (NIV) is an English translation of the Bible first published in 1978 by Biblica (formerly the International Bible Society). The NIV was published to meet the need for a modern translation done by Bible scholars using the earliest, highest quality manuscripts available. Of equal importance was that the Bible be expressed in broadly understood modern English.

The NIV is published by Zondervan in the United States and Hodder & Stoughton in the UK. The NIV was updated in 1984 and 2011 and has become one of the most popular and best-selling modern translations.

OT: Biblia Hebraica Stuttgartensia; additional sources;
NT: UBS Greek New Testament; Novum Testamentum Graece; additional sources;

New International Version

 Whoever believes in the Son has eternal life, but whoever rejects the Son will not see life, for God’s wrath remains on them.

Whoever believes in the Son has eternal life, but whoever rejects the Son will not see life, for God’s wrath remains on them.

 Whoever believes in the Son has eternal life,   but whoever rejects the Son will not see life, for God’s wrath remains on them.

Bible Verse of the Day

May 2, 2023

John 3:36 NIV

Verse by Verse Bible Study

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