Verses to read and be encouraged.

There are days when we all feel inadequate and not worthy.  Here are some Verses for you to read but change the 'You' to I.
1.  Matthew 5:13-14  You [I]  am the salt of the salt of the earth.
2.Matthew 6:26.  Look to the birds of the air;.......your heavenly Father keeps feeding them.  are you not worth much more than they?  [ I am worthy.]
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3. John 14:20  .......
I am in my Father, and you are in Me and I in you.
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4. John 15:5.  I am the Vine; you are the branches [I am a branch]  Whoever lives in Me and I in him bears much fruit......[I live in Christ and He in me.] [I am[ you are attached to the Vine[Jesus].


5. John 15:15-16.  I do not call you servants any longer. 
[  I am free.] [ You are free.] .....But I have called you My friends.[ I

am His friend]......
6.Romans 5:9-10   Therefore since we [I am] are now justified[ acquitted,made righteous and brought into right relationship with God.]  V.10.......We[I am] are reconciled with God........
                           ------------------------------------------
7. Romans 8:2 For the law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus has freed me from the law of sin and death.[I have been freed from sin and death.[You have been freed].           --------------------------------
-----------    ---------------------------
8. Romans 8:17.  And if we are[ His] children, then we are His heirs also; heirs of God and fellow heirs of Christ..... [I am His child and heir.]  V.37.  Yet amid all these things we are more than conquerors, and gain a surpassing  victory through Him who loved us. [We are conquerors.]
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With my soul I have desired You.[A verse for each day]

Isaiah 26:9
With my soul I have desired You in the night.  Yes, by my spirit within me I will seek You early:  For when Your judgments are in the earth.  The inhabitants of the world will learn righteousness.

Teaching our children to follow God.

For I know the plans I have for you.

Feed your enemy.

God will guide you.

Christ died for us.

Todays Verse 30 August. Let us love one another.

1John 4:7-8
Beloved, let us love one another, for love is from God
and whoever loves has been born of God and knows God.
Anyone who does not love does not know God; because 
God is love.

Todays Verse 29 August

Revelation 21:4
He will wipe away every tear from their eyes, and death shall be no more, neither shall there be mourning, nor crying, nor pain any more, for the former things have passed away.

Todays verse [28 August]

1 John 5:14
And this is the confidence that we have toward him, that if we
ask anything according to his will he hears us.

A love that no one but God will ever match.

John 3:16
'' For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life.

Romans 5:8
But God demonstrates His own love toward us, in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us.


May we never forget.

MERCY.

Psalm 100:5  For the Lord is good:  His mercy is everlasting.  And His truth endures to all generations.

God Cares even for the birds.

I stand at the door and knock

Revelation 3:20

Salvation is found only in God.

Resting in God.

Isaiah 30:15
For thus  said the Lord, the Holy One of Israel:  In returning (to Me) and resting (in Me) you shall be saved; in quietness and in (trusting) confidence shall be your strength. 
(Amplified Bible)


God is my Saviour.  He alone saved me, and He alone can save you.  Put your trust in him and in doing so be confident that He will give you strength, and in that strength you will find peace.

Testimony

I was brought up to go to the Church of Scotland, both attending church and Sunday School.  By the time I was Fifteen and left school, I stopped going to church apart from Weddings and Funerals,  I had no interest in God, and went my own way.  This was away back in the fifty's and sixty's, in fact it wasn't until nineteen eighty five things changed.  I had been going through some terrible times and was nearly at the end of my tether, so one night I walked out of my house leaving my husband and family.  I was only going for a walk just to get away and think and in these moments  I thought ' Help me, please help me.'  I went back home.  A few weeks later a friend mentioned that she went to Church, and straight away I decided that I wanted to go.  Time passed and I continued to go to Church.I had had a Bible when I was young but no longer had one, but now I wanted a Bible I wanted to learn more about God, I wanted to search the Scriptures.  I still hadn't asked Jesus in to my life at that moment in time, little did I know what was about to happen.  Little did I know that God had plans for me.

One night I had a dream, this dream was so real. It was a dream  of God and Satan in battle this dream was so intensified, over and over the words 'Jesus is Lord,'  'Jesus Saves' came, and although I tried to put it out of my mind I could not.  The following day I still could not put that dream and these words out of my mind.  I phoned my friend and told her what had happened, I think part of me thought that she would think I was going bonkers but she didn't.  She got in touch with the minister and he came to see me.  I knew then that Christ was calling me to himself and that I needed to ask him forgiveness to my sins and ask Him into my life.  That was in nineteen eighty five.  I was Baptized not long after and Jesus has been my Lord and my Saviour ever since.  Yes, in these years there have been times when I have fallen back, and although in these times I have turned my back on him, God has never turned away from me.  He knew I would be back and come back even stronger.
Jesus is my Lord and my Saviour and I could not do without Him.

Do you Listen?

Proverbs 1:33
But whoever listens to me will dwell safely.  And will be secure without fear of evil.


Do you listen when someone speaks to you?   I mean truly listen?
Or does it go in one ear and out the other?  Do you listen to God when he speaks to you, but not only listen, do you act upon what he tells you or requires you to do?  One morning God spoke to me giving me only one word, and that word was 'Listen,' that word was
forever coming to mind.  Sunday morning arrived and went to Church the preacher for that morning spoke on the subject of 'Listening.'  Do we truly listen to the quiet word of God speaking to us?  Do we listen and take heed when the preacher teaches us the Word of God, or do we forget as soon as we leave the Church? 

These are questions that maybe we should think about and apply to our daily lives.  God tells us in Proverbs 1:33 :  'Whoever listens to me will dwell safely.  And will be secure without fear of evil.'

Those of us who listens and truly trusts in God need not fear when problems arise.

Let each one of us learn to listen, not only on a Sunday when the preacher is speaking on God's Holy Word, but' also listen to others.
Listen, whether  be family or friends, people at work.  Do not be quick to interrupt.  James 1:19  says......' Everyone should be quick to listen, slow to speak and slow to become angry.

Let us follow in God's ways  who listens to each one of us and pours out  compassion to each and everyone of us.

                                                                                                                                  

We can do it.

'I can do anything through Him who gives me strength.'
(Philippians 4:13)

With God's help we can rise above circumstances that ordinarily 
spell failure.

A Quote from John Wesley

''Nay, if there be any mistakes in the Bible, there may as well be a thousand.  If there be one falsehood in that book, it did not come from the God of truth.''

(John Wesley)

Praise God in all things

Colossians 3:16
Let the Word of Christ dwell in you richly in all wisdom, teaching and admonishing one another in psalms and hymns and spiritual sons, singing with grace in your hearts to the Lord.

Psalm 67:3
Let the peoples praise You, O God. Let all the peoples praise You.

Praise the Lord, O my soul.  Praise his Holy name.

A Prayer.

Psalm 20 :1

May the Lord answer you when you are in distress; may the name of the God of Jacob protect you.

Rebuked

Revelation 3:19
Those whom I love I rebuke and discipline.  So be earnest, and repent.

As a parent, when my children did something wrong I disciplined them.  God also disciplines whom he loves as I love mine.  But in this verse he is talking to the Church in Laodicea.  The church in Laodicea was lukewarm towards their worshipping to God.  God intended to discipline that church unless it turned from it's ways.

God's discipline is not to punish, but to bring people back to him. He also does it to help you, and because he loves you.

The Lord is close to the broken-hearted.

Psalm 34:18-19
The Lord is close to the broken-hearted and saves those who are crushed in spirit.  A righteous man may have many troubles but the
Lord delivers him from them all.

We often wish we could escape troubles, the pain of grief, loss, sorrow and failure or even the small daily frustrations that constantly wear us down.  God promises to be ' close to the broken
hearted,' to be our source of power, courage and wisdom, helping us 
through our problems.  When trouble strikes, don't get frustrated with God, instead admit that you need Go's help and thank him for 
being by your side.

Memory and Meditation Verse.

Micah 6:8
' What does the Lord require of you but to do justly, to love
mercy, and to walk humbly with your God.'

A Memory and Meditation Verse.

Don't be afraid.
Psalm 50:15
Call upon me in the day of trouble; I will deliver you, and you shall
glorify Me.'

God is with us.

Psalm 147: 3
The Lord heals the broken hearted and binds up their wounds.

Have you ever felt that God is so far away that you can't reach him?  no matter how hard you try, you just feel so empty inside.  You call out to him in despair, but you think he's not listening.

I think that most of us at some point have had these feelings. But God is always there for you.  He will never turn his back on you.  He will always stand beside you and comfort you in your darkest
moments.  God will guide you and he will help you, do not despair.
God is always near.  Reach out to Him.  He hears your cries.  He sees your tears.  Trust in Him.  Have faith in Him.

God's Love

Ephesians 3:17- 19
...........And I pray that you, being rooted and established in love, may have power, together with all the saints, to grasp how wide and long and high and deep is the love of Christ, and to know this love
that surpasses knowledge that you may be filled to the measure of all the fullness of God.

When I read these verses I am reminded of the children's hymn 'Wide, wide as the ocean, high as the

heavens above.  Deep, deep as the deepest sea is my Saviours love.  God's love reaches in to every corner of our being, and experience and it reaches out to the whole world.  His love is with us always.  His love is with us
in our discouragements, despair and our grief.  His love is real and true.

I know that He loves me and He loves you too.  Praise His holy name.

Meditation and Memory Verse.

Psalm 118:1
Oh,give thanks to the Lord for He is good!  For His mercy endures forever.

Psalm 100:5
For the Lord is good; His mercy is everlasting.  And His truth endures to all generations.

Service

Matthew 9:35
Then Jesus went about all the cities and villages, teaching in their 
synagogues, preaching the gospel of the kingdom and healing every
sickness and every disease among the people.

Why did God choose us?  Have you ever wondered why?  He chose us to serve Him.  He chose us to tell those who do not know him, or have not asked him in to their lives, the Good News.  To tell them of how Jesus died for us, and of how he loves us so much that he took upon himself our sins.  He was crucified upon a cross.  He suffered an agonizing death, and he did that for us. He was buried and three days later he arose and sits at God's right hand.  We can call upon God any time of day and night.  It is important for us to share love with others, after all God gave us His one and only Son.

 

Serving the Lord with fear.

Psalm 2:11
Serve the Lord with fear and rejoice with trembling.

What do we define as fear?  Well that answer would have to
be something or someone we are frightened off.  fear can also mean that it is something in which we do not understand or know
about.  Ignorance can bring on fear because we don't understand.  To fear God is entirely different, the meaning of fear here is to respect Him, and to want to obey Him.  It is a desire to those of
us who have accepted God in our lives.  To serve God in fear is to
respect him, and to follow him, also to obey him with all our being.

Jesus our Saviour

1 John 2:1
My dear children, I write this to you so that you will not sin.  But if anybody does sin, we have the one who speaks to the Father in our
defence- Jesus Christ, the Righteous One.

There are many times when I fail my Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ, by saying, doing and thinking wrong things that must hurt
him.  In other words I have sinned.  I am human, but that does not
give me the excuse to do what I like, or to disobey in any way.  I am guilty of the sin I have committed.  Have you thought, said or
done something this week that you know are wrong in the eyes of
God?  Do you feel guilty, seriously guilty?  If your answer is yes,
then you have the best defence lawyer to defend you, Our Lord
and Saviour Jesus Christ.  He sits at the right hand side of God, and when you go before him to ask forgiveness for the sin you have committed, He will speak to the Father in your defence.

He is the atoning sacrifice for our sins. (1 John 2:2)

For Memory and Meditation

Psalm 34:1
I will extol the Lord at all times; his name will  always be
on my lips.

Planning Ahead, Not Always Right.

James 4:13-15
Now listen, you who say.  'Today or tomorrow we will go to this or
that city, spend a year there, carry on business and make money.
Why, you do not even know what will happen tomorrow.  What is
your life?  You are a mist that appears for a little while and then vanishes.  Instead you ought to say, '' If it is the Lord's will, we will
live and do this or that.''

There is nothing wrong with planning ahead.  We all have these times when we think of the future ahead of us, and what we would
like to do.  But what is the point of that if God is not in these plans.
We must remember that it is God who holds our future in His hands.  When you make plans, do you ask God if that is His will for
you?  Or do you go on, regardless to what He wants you to do.  None of us know what is going to happen tomorrow, or the day
after and so on.  Remember if we plan ahead and it is not in God's
will He can change your plans.  If He does, then it is for the best.
He will not disappoint you.

I have come to the conclusion that it is best to take a day at a time,
and ask God what he wants me to do.

Do Not Be Ashamed.

1 Peter 4:15-16
If you suffer, it should not be as a murderer or thief or any other
kind of criminal, or even as a meddler.  However, if you suffer as a
Christian,do not be ashamed, but praise God that you bear that
name.

Psalm 25:3
Indeed let no one who waits on You be ashamed:  Let those be ashamed who deal treacherously without cause.

Being a Christian is not always easy, in fact we often find ourselves
being ridiculed and so often by family and friends who do not 
believe in God.  But if we have Jesus as our Lord and Saviour, and if we have faith and trust in Him to guide us then we need not be
ashamed to do the work God has called us to do.  We must continue
even though through doing so may bring us trouble or suffering.  Do not despair, let us bring glory to God.

Reading God's Holy Word.

2 Timothy 3:16
All Scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for
doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness.
(N.K.J.V)
2 Chronicles 34:31
The King stood by his pillar and renewed the covenant in the presence of the Lord, to follow the Lord and keep His commands,
regulations and decrees with all his heart and all his soul, and to obey the words of the covenant written in this book.  (N.I.V)

The Bible is God's Holy Word revealed to us.  It is not a book meant for casual reading, as if we were reading some fictional
story.  God's Word is very important in every way, to every
Christian believer and shows the way between right and wrong.
In Hebrews 4:12 it says, that it is ' Living and Active.'  But how can we know what God wants us to do if we don't read it, and even that
in itself is not enough.  We must be willing to do what it says, we need to apply it in our every day lives.  It is a safeguard against
all false teaching and a guidance to the way we should live.  How 
much time do you spend reading God's Word?  If we read it
regularly we will discover God's truth and become confident in 
life and faith.

Let God's Word, fill your memory, rule your heart and guide your
steps.

No One Can Snatch Them.

John 10: 28
Jesus said, 'I give them eternal life, and they shall never
perish; no one can snatch them out of my hand.

For those of us who are a child of God, and who place their
trust and life in His hand; no one can snatch or steal us away.

Praise

Hebrews 2:12
'I will declare Your name to My brethren.  In the midst of the
assembly I will sing praise to You.

We have been set apart for God's service, those of us who believe,
and have asked Jesus in to our lives.  We have been made holy, and
we now have the same Father that Jesus has.  Oh, let us praise Him,
let us praise His Holy name.

He Comforts

Isaiah 51:12
' I, even I, am He who comforts you.  Who are you that you should
be afraid of a man who will die.  And of the son of man who will
be made like grass?

There are times in our lives when we may have a fear of someone
or something.  But God's power is greater, as is His comfort, and mercy.  Let us draw close to God.  Let us feel His comforting arms
around us.

Peace

John 14:27
'Peace I leave with you.  My peace I give to you.  Let not your heart
be troubled, neither let it be afraid.'

The peace of the world will never match the wonderful peace
that our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ gives to us.

Creation

G

enesis 1:1
In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth.

The simple statement that God created the heavens and the earth is
one of the most challenging, confronting the mind.

Let us Persevere

Matthew 24 :13
....but he who stands firm to the end will be saved.

As followers of Christ we will go through many trials and persecutions, and some of these will come from family or friends
who do not believe or have Jesus in their lives.  But let us stand firm.  Let us persevere and not turn our backs on our Saviour and Lord, and continue to live for Christ to the end.

Love

John 15:12 "This is my commandment, that you love one another as I have
loved you.

Truth

2Peter 1:16
We do not follow cleverly invented stories when we told you about
the power and coming of our Lord Jesus Christ, but we were eye-
witnesses of his majesty.

In a changing world, we can trust the unchanging Word of God.

Live a day at a time.

Matthew 6;34
''Therefore do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry
about it's own things. Sufficient for the day is it's own trouble.

Living a day at a time keeps us from being consumed with worry.

Do not Worry

Matthew 6:25
''Therefore I say to you do not worry about your life, what you will eat or what you will drink; nor about your body, what you will put on.  Is not life more than food and the body more than clothing?

The same God who created life in you can be trusted with every detail in your life.

Put your trust in the Lord.

Proverbs 3:5-6
Trust in the Lord with all your heart.  and lean not
on your own understanding.  In all your ways acknowledge
Him.  And He shall direct your paths.

Leaning has the sense of putting your weight on someone or something, trusting on or resting also has that meaning of putting
your faith in that person.  Sometimes when we have an important
decision to make we don't always feel that we can trust anyone.
One person we can trust completely is God.  One person who 
will help and guide us is God.

A time to Escape

Psalm 55:6
I said, ' O, that I had wings of a dove!  I would fly away and be at rest.

Even those who are very close to God has moments when they
want to escape from their trials and pressures.

Blessings

1 Corinthians 2:9
The eye has not seen....the things which God has prepared for
those who love Him.

Belonging to God brings endless blessings.

God gives us Courage.

Joshua 1:9
Be strong and courageous.  Do not be terrified, do not be
discouraged,for the Lord your God will be with you wherever
you go.

God will give us the courage.  We need to let Him guide us.