<p><span class="fs-17 fg-mustard bold">For Reading and Meditation:</span><br><span class="italic">     <span class="scriptRef" ref="eph+1:1-14">Ephesians 1:1-14</span></span></p><p>What is it in the heart of most men and women that rejects the idea of God's free and generous offer of salvation? It is pride, the deadliest of all the deadly sins. Bernard Shaw, an example of a modern-day thinker, said: "Forgiveness is a beggar's refuge. We must pay our debts." But we cannot pay our debts. As our spiritual fathers saw so clearly, the only language we can use in the presence of a God who demands so much and whose demands we are unable to meet is: Just as I am without one plea But that Thy blood was shed for me, And that Thou bidd'st me come to Thee, O Lamb of God, I come, I come. In response to our coming, the free unmerited favor of God flows down to us, cancels our debt, imputes and imparts Christ's righteousness to us. How can Christ's righteousness be imputed and imparted to us? It's His righteousness, not ours. A simple illustration may help to illuminate this point. A dull little boy came home from school one day and said to his mother: "We've won a holiday." The truth was another boy had come top of the region in the examinations and the head teacher decided to give the whole school a holiday. Yet the dull little lad said: "We've won a holiday." Grace is like that. God permits the righteousness of Jesus to cover us and then, as we open ourselves to it - to enter us. He did it, but we benefit from it. Isn't grace really amazing?</p><p class="center-it italic bold mlr40 mtb20">O Father, as I contemplate still further the "riches" of Your grace, once again I have to confess it's truly amazing. No wonder men and women use that term to describe Your grace. No other adjective will do! Amen.</p><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><span class="scriptRef" ref="php+4:1-19">Philippians 4:1-19</span></li><li><span class="scriptRef" ref="1ti+1:14">1 Timothy 1:14</span></li><li><span class="scriptRef" ref="tit+3:6">Titus 3:6</span></li></ul></div>

<div><div class="fs-17 fg-mustard bold center-it">Questions to Consider</div><ul style="margin-top:0px"><li>What has God promised?</li><li>What did Paul testify to Timothy?</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

"In him we have  the forgiveness of sins, in accordance with the riches of God's grace " (v. 7)

<p><span class="fs-17 fg-mustard bold">For Reading and Meditation:</span><br><span class="italic">     <span class="scriptRef" ref="php+4:2-9">Philippians 4:2-9</span></span></p><p>We continue to look at the dramatic change in the life of the psalmist when he entered into the sanctuary. It is important to realise that it was not merely the physical act of entering the sanctuary that brought about change. That was important, but something else happened that was even more important. Listen again to how he puts it: "[When] I entered the sanctuary  then I understood their final destiny"  (<span class="scriptRef" ref="ps+73:17">Psalm 73:17</span>). The word to note is "understood". In the presence of God the psalmist was given clear understanding. This is an extremely important point and one which cannot be emphasised too strongly: what he found in the sanctuary was not merely a nice feeling but a new understanding. He was put right in his thinking. He did not merely forget his problem for a little while - he found a solution. The idea that many Christians have of the house of God or Christian fellowship is that it is a good place to go in order to forget one's troubles for a while. They are soothed by the music and the singing, or perhaps, in some churches, by the beauty of the architecture, and they come away saying, "What a lovely feeling I get whenever I go to church." There is nothing wrong with that as far as it goes, of course, but the real issue is this: has anything happened to their minds? The psalmist was not changed by the architecture of the Temple; he was changed when his thinking was put right: "Then I understood their final destiny." If the practice of our faith does nothing more than excite our emotions and fails to give us a better understanding of God and His ways, then we will be lop-sided Christians. </p><p class="center-it italic bold mlr40 mtb20">O Father, save me from becoming a lop-sided Christian. Give me not only joy to thrill my emotions but understanding to guide my intellect. In Jesus' Name I ask it. Amen.</p><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><span class="scriptRef" ref="ps+48:1-9">Psalm 48:1-9</span></li><li><span class="scriptRef" ref="ps+119:59">Psalm 119:59</span></li><li><span class="scriptRef" ref="1sa+12:24">1 Samuel 12:24</span></li></ul></div>

<div><div class="fs-17 fg-mustard bold center-it">Questions to Consider</div><ul style="margin-top:0px"><li>What did the psalmist meditate on in the Temple?</li><li>What are we to consider?</li></ul></div></div>

" if anything is excellent or praiseworthy - think about such things." (v. 8)

<p>As we approach the end of the age, it is predictable that many will abandon the hope of Christ's any-moment return. But the truth is still there whether men hold it or not.</p><p>The fact is that the Lord Jesus may come at any time. We do not know the day or hour of the Bridegroom's return for His bride; this means that He could come today. There is no prophecy that needs to be fulfilled before we hear His shout, the voice of the archangel and the trump of God. True, the church expects to experience tribulation throughout its time on earth, but the horrors of the Tribulation period are not part of its destiny. If the church has to go through, the Tribulation, that would mean that the Lord couldn't come for at least seven years, because we certainly are not in the Tribulation now, and when it does come, it will last for seven years.</p><p>There is a large body of Scripture texts that teach us to be ready at all times for the Savior to appear. Notice the following: "…nearer than when we believed" (<span class="scriptRef" ref="ro+13:11">Romans 13:11</span>).</p><p>"The night is far spent, the day is at hand" (<span class="scriptRef" ref="ro+13:12">Romans 13:12</span>).</p><p>"The Lord is at hand" (<span class="scriptRef" ref="php+4:5">Philippians 4:5</span>).</p><p>"For yet a little while, and He that shall come will come, and will not tarry" (<span class="scriptRef" ref="heb+10:37">Hebrews 10:37</span>).</p><p>"…the coming of the Lord draweth nigh" (<span class="scriptRef" ref="jas+5:8">James 5:8</span>).</p><p>"…the judge standeth before the door" (<span class="scriptRef" ref="jas+5:9">James 5:9</span>).</p><p>"But the end of all things is at hand'"(<span class="scriptRef" ref="1pe+4:7">1 Peter 4:7</span>). These verses seem designed to create the impression on the mind that the Lord's coming is imminent. It is an event for which we should be watching and waiting. We should be busy in His service, faithfully carrying out our stewardship.</p><p>R. A. Torrey once said, "The imminent return of our Lord is the great Bible argument for a pure, unselfish, devoted, unworldly, active life of service. In much of our preaching we urge people to live holy and work diligently because death is swiftly coming, but this is never the Bible argument. The Bible argument always is, Christ is coming; be ready when He comes."</p><p>Our responsibility is clear. Our loins should be girded, our lights should be burning, and we should be like those who wait for their Lord (see <span class="scriptRef" ref="lu+12:35-36">Luke 12:35-36</span>). Let us not succumb to those who teach that we have no right to expect Him at any moment. Rather let us believe in His imminent return, teach it enthusiastically, and let the truth shine out in our lives. </p><p> </p>

With reverence, humor and skill, William MacDonald wove a daily devotional tapestry that challenges the reader to think deeply and Biblically, and apply God's Word to their lives.

Truths to Live By - One Day at a Time

"Surely I come quickly." (Revelation 22:20)

<p>The Lord Himself will descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of an archangel, and with the trumpet of God. And the dead in Christ will rise first. Then we who are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air. And thus we shall always be with the Lord. Therefore comfort one another with these words. § He who testifies to these things says, “Surely I am coming quickly.” Amen. Even so, come, Lord Jesus!<br><br>Therefore, beloved, looking forward to these things, be diligent to be found by Him in peace, without spot and blameless. § Abstain from every form of evil. Now may the God of peace Himself sanctify you completely;and may your whole spirit, soul, and body be preserved blameless at the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ. He who calls you is faithful, who also will do it.<br><br>You also be patient. Establish your hearts, for the coming of the Lord is at hand.</p>

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.

Morning Daily Light

 The Lord is at hand. 

<p><span class="bible-text "> <sup class="verse-num ">5 </sup>Let your gentleness be evident to all. The Lord is near.   </span></p>

Let your gentleness be evident to all. The Lord is near.<cr>1</cr> 

Philippians 4:5

 5 Let your gentleness be evident to all. The Lord is near.  

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

 Let your gentleness be evident to all. The Lord is near.

<p><span class="bible-text ">Let your gentleness be evident to all. The Lord is near.   </span></p>

 Let your gentleness be evident to all. The Lord is near.  

Bible Verse of the Day

December 19, 2024

Philippians 4:5 NIV

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