Daily Bible Verses And Religious Posts

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1 Peter 5:8 - “Be self-controlled and alert. Your enemy the devil prowls around like a roaring lion looking for someone to devour.”

The story is told of an apprentice demon that was soon to be sent on his first assignment. He decided to focus his efforts on neutralizing the effectiveness of Christians.

In discussing his strategy with Satan, the apprentice said, "I'll try to convince Christians that there is no such thing as sin!" Satan replied, "That cannot be your main objective, because most of our enemies know the reality of sin. You will confuse some Christians but most will not fall for it."

"Well then," the apprentice responded, "I'll convince the Christians that there is no hell." "Good thinking," said Satan. "But the idea of judgment is so ingrained in Christians that most will see through the deception. What we need is a strategy to effectively neutralize Christians from witnessing to friends, family and co-workers."

The young apprentice thought for a moment; then a look of devilish glee slowly spread across his face. "I've got it!" he said, with a wicked smile. "I'll convince Christians young and old that there is no hurry! I'll whisper in their ears, 'You are awfully busy today. Of course you will witness for Christ but it will be fine to put it off until next week when things slow down.' For the vast majority of those good intentioned Christians --- next week will never come."

"You have done well," said Satan. "You will see great success with that strategy. Many millions will be secured in my kingdom forever, simply because their Christian friends plan to share Christ tomorrow --- but for most tomorrow will never come."

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Galatians 5:22-23a - “The fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control.” NIV

Today as every day I have choices to make in my Christian walk. Thanks to the Bible I have good targets to keep in my sights. So here is my top ten list when making choices.

10. Joy
9. Peace
8. Patience
7. Kindness
6. Goodness
5. Faithfulness
4. Forgiveness
3. Gentleness
2. Self-control

And the number one choice to make today

1. Love

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Matthew 11:10b - “Look, I am sending my messenger” NLT

The story is told of a woman at work when she received a phone call that her daughter was very sick with a fever. She left work and stopped by the pharmacy to get some medication.

When returning to her car she found that she had locked her keys in the car. She was in a hurry to get home to her sick daughter and didn't know what to do. So she called her home and told the baby sitter what had happened. The baby sitter told her that her daughter was getting worse. She said, "You might find a coat hanger and use that to open the door."

The woman looked around and found an old rusty coat hanger that had been thrown down on the ground, possibly by someone else who at some time or other had locked their keys in their car. Then she looked at the hanger and said, "I don't know how to use this."

So she bowed her head and asked God to send her some help. Within five minutes an old rusty car pulled up, with a dirty, greasy, bearded man who was wearing an old biker skull rag on his head. The woman thought, "Great God. This is what you sent to help me?" But, she was desperate, so she was also very thankful.

The man got out of his car and asked her if he could help.

She said "Yes, my daughter is very sick --- I stopped to get her some medication and I locked my keys in my car, I must get home to her. Please, can you use this hanger to unlock my car?"

He said, "SURE." He walked over to the car and in less than one minute the car was opened.

She hugged the messenger and through her tears she said, "THANK YOU SO MUCH --- You are a very nice man."

The man replied, "Lady, I am not a nice man. I just got out of prison today. I was in prison for car theft and have only been out for about an hour."

The woman hugged the man again very appreciative of the messenger God had sent with sobbing tears and cried out loud:

"THANK YOU, GOD, FOR SENDING ME A PROFESSIONAL."

[TakinMyLyfeBack]

Love Always - Jesus

Ruth went to her mailbox and there was only one letter. She picked it up and looked at it before opening, but then she looked at the envelope again. There was no stamp, no postmark, only her name and address. She read the letter:

Dear Ruth:

I'm going to be in your neighborhood Saturday afternoon and I would like to visit.

Love Always,

Jesus

Her hands were shaking as she placed the letter on the table. "Why would the Lord want to visit me? I'm nobody special. I don't have anything to offer." With that thought, Ruth remembered her empty kitchen cabinets. "Oh my goodness, I really don't have anything to offer. I'll have to run down to the store and buy something for dinner." She reached for her purse and counted out its contents, five dollars and forty cents. "Well, I can get some bread and cold cuts, at least." She threw on her coat and hurried out the door. A loaf of French bread, a half-pound of sliced turkey, and a carton of milk...leaving Ruth with grand total of twelve cents to last her until Monday. Nonetheless, she felt good as she headed home, her meager offerings tucked under her arm.

"Hey lady, can you help us, lady?" Ruth had been so absorbed in her dinner plans, she hadn't even noticed two figures huddled in the alleyway. A man and a woman, both of them dressed in little more than rags. "Look lady, I ain't got a job, ya know, and my wife and I have been living out here on the street, and, well, now it's getting cold and we're getting kinda hungry and, well, if you could help us, lady, we'd really appreciate it." Ruth looked at them both. They were dirty, they smelled bad and frankly, she was certain that they could get some kind of work if they really wanted to.

"Sir, I'd like to help you, but I'm a poor woman myself. All I have is a few cold cuts and some bread, and I'm having an important guest for dinner tonight and I was planning on serving that to Him."

"Yeah, well, okay lady, I understand. Thanks anyway."

The man put his arm around the woman's shoulders, turned and he headed back into the alley. As she watched them leave, Ruth felt a familiar twinge in her heart. "Sir, wait!" The couple stopped and turned as she ran down the alley after them. "Look, why don't you take this food. I'll figure out something else to serve my guest."

She handed the man her grocery bag. "Thank you lady. Thank you very much!" "Yes, thank you!" It was the man's wife, and Ruth could see now that she was shivering.

"You know, I've got another coat at home. Here, why don't you take this one." Ruth unbuttoned her jacket and slipped it over the woman's shoulders. Then smiling, she turned and walked back to the street... without her coat and with nothing to serve her guest.

"Thank you lady! Thank you very much!"

Ruth was chilled by the time she reached her front door, and worried too. The Lord was coming to visit and she didn't have anything to offer Him. She fumbled through her purse for the door key. But as she did, she noticed another envelope in her mailbox. "That's odd. The mailman doesn't usually come twice in one day." She took the envelope out of the box and opened it.

Dear Ruth:

It was so good to see you again. Thank you for the lovely meal. And thank you, too, for the beautiful coat.

Love Always,

Jesus

The air was still cold, but even without her coat, Ruth no longer noticed.

[TakinMyLyfeBack]

The Pastor’s Son

Every Sunday afternoon, after the morning service at their church, the Pastor and his 11-year-old son would go out into their town and hand out Gospel tracts. This particular Sunday afternoon, as it came time for the Pastor and his son to go to the streets with their tracts, it was very cold outside as well as pouring down rain.

The boy bundled up in his warmest and driest clothes and said "Okay Dad, I'm ready."

His Pastor Dad asked, "Ready for what?

"Dad, it's time we gather our tracts together and go out."

Dad responds, "Son, it's very cold outside and it's pouring down rain."

The boy gives his Dad a surprised look, asking, "But Dad, aren't people still going to Hell, even though it's raining?"

Dad answers, "Son, I am not going out in this weather."

Despondently the boy asks, "Dad, can I go -- Please?" His father hesitated for a moment then said, "Son, you can go. Here's the tracts; be careful son." "Thanks, Dad!" And with that he was off and out into the rain.

This 11-year-old boy walked the streets of the town going door-to-door and handing everybody he met in the street a Gospel tract. After 2-hours of walking in the rain he was soaking bone-chilled wet and down to his very last tract. He stopped on a corner and looked for someone to hand a tract to but the streets were totally deserted. Then he turned toward the first home he saw and started up the sidewalk to the front door and rang the doorbell. He rang the bell -- but nobody answered. He rang it again and again bit still no one answered. He waited but still no answer.

Finally this 11-year-old trooper turned to leave but something stopped him. Again, he turned to the door and rang the bell and knocked loudly on the door with his fist. He waited, something holding him there on the front porch. He rang again, and this time the door slowly opened.

Standing in the doorway was a very sad looking elderly lady. She softly asked, "What can I do for you, son?" With radiant eyes and a smile that lit up her world, this little boy said, "Ma'am, I'm sorry if I disturbed you, but I just want to tell you that JESUS REALLY DOES LOVE YOU! I came to give you my very last Gospel tract which will tell you all about Jesus and His great love." With that he handed her his last tract, and turned to leave. She called to him as he departed, "Thank you, son! And God bless you!"

Well, the following Sunday morning in church, Pastor Dad was in the pulpit and as the service began he asked, "Does anybody have a testimony or want to say anything?"

Slowly, in the back row of the church, an elderly lady stood to her feet. As she began to speak, a look of glorious radiance came from her face.

"None of you in this church know me. I've never been here before. You see, before last Sunday I was not a Christian. My husband has passed on, some time ago, leaving me totally alone in this world.

Last Sunday, being a particularly cold and rainy day, it was even more so in my heart . . . as I came to the end of the line where I no longer had any hope or will to live. "So I took a rope and a chair and ascended the stairway into the attic of my home. I fastened the rope securely to a rafter in the roof then stood on the chair and fastened the other end of the rope around my neck. "Standing on that chair, so lonely and brokenhearted, I was about to leap off when suddenly the loud ringing of my doorbell downstairs startled me. I thought, 'I'll wait a minute, and whoever it is will go away.'

"I waited and waited -- but the ringing doorbell seemed to get louder and more insistent and then the person ringing also started knocking loudly. I thought to myself again, 'Who on earth could this be? Nobody ever rings my bell or comes to see me!' I loosened the rope from my neck and started for the front door, all the while the bell rang louder and louder. When I opened the door and looked I could hardly believe my eyes! There on my front porch was the most radiant and angelic little boy I had ever seen in my life! His smile! Oh, I could never describe it to you! And the words that came from his mouth caused my heart, that had long been dead, to leap to life as he exclaimed with cherub-like voice, 'Ma'am, I just came to tell you that JESUS REALLY DOES LOVE YOU.'

"Then he gave me this Gospel tract that I now hold in my hand. As the little angel disappeared back out, into the cold and rain, I closed my door and read slowly every word of this Gospel tract. Then I went up to my attic to get my rope and chair. I wouldn't be needing them any more. You see, I am now a happy child of the KING, and since the address of your church was on the back of this Gospel tract I have come here to personally say, 'Thank you to God's little angel who came just in the nick of time, and by so doing, spared my soul from an eternity in Hell.'"

There were now no dry eyes in the church. As shouts of praise and honor to the KING resounded off the very rafters of the building, Pastor Dad descended from the pulpit to the front pew where the little angel was seated. He took him in his arms and sobbed uncontrollably. Probably no church has had a more glorious moment and probably this Universe has never seen a Papa that was more filled with love and honor for his son, except for one: This Father, God, also allowed His Son, Jesus, to go out into a cold and dark world. He received His Son back with joy unspeakable, and as all of Heaven shouted praises and honor to the King, the Father sat His beloved Son on a throne far above all principality and power and every name that is named.

There may be someone, reading this, who is also going through a dark, cold and lonely time in your soul. You may be a Christian, for we are not without problems, or you may not yet know the King. Whatever the case, and whatever the problem or situation you find yourself in, and no matter how dark it may seem, I want you to know that, "JESUS REALLY DOES LOVES YOU"

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Luke 23:43 - “And Jesus said unto him, Verily I say unto thee, Today shalt thou be with me in paradise” KJV

When you read this, I’ll be dead. But don’t be alarmed at hearing from a dead man. For now, as I begin this story, I’m very much alive. It’s September 9, 1947 --- Tuesday. Midnight Thursday I am scheduled to die for murder. Sitting here in my cell in Cook County Jail, I’ve been doing lots of thinking. Some of my thoughts --- a warning to criminals --- were published in “A note to tough guys” in today’s Chicago Tribune.

My story lies in the fact that I don’t mind talking about dying. I’m just 23 years of age, but I’m ready to go you see. Why, I am ready to meet God. I’m really happy. Just this week I had a dream that I will carry with me to the chair. I was on my way to Heaven. Jesus was with me. But I was taking four steps to His two. He asked me why I was going so fast. I told Him I was eager to get there. Then I was there, surrounded by numerous angels.

Some folks might think that’s strange talk from a man who came to jail an atheist. But that’s just the way I feel. You’ll understand better when I tell you how I met God early one morning.

But first, take a glance at my past. Seven years ago I was a stickup man, head of my own gang of tough guys. There were eight of us. One was Earle Parks, dubbed Smiley, because he would kill you with a smile on his face. Another was Charles Jones known as Pretty Boy because he was a nice looking guy. The others: Herbert Liggins, known as Hop-a-long because he had a bad leg. William Lee was called “Wild Bill” and Charles Hill was known as the Colorado Kid. Clyde Bradford was called Blue. Percy Bellmar was nick-named Wheeler because he was a good driver. All are in prison --- except for Parks --- he died for murder.

They called me “Little Gaither the Money Waster and Woman Chaser.” I tried to act the “big shot,” always flashing a big roll --- sometimes two or three grand.

I started all this when I was just a kid. My folks tried to get me to go to Sunday School and church. More than once they paid me to go with my younger sisters. But I never went. Instead I’d make them promise not to tell, and then I’d go to a movie. I’d stay in the show most of the day and tell my folks that I’d gone to church. They didn’t know the difference.

Crime was in me and the movies I saw helped give me ideas. I got some good tips on “how to do it.” I remember when I saw the movie, “I Stole a Million,” I sat there wishing I’d been the guy who got the million.

Part 2 tomorrow!

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Romans 6:23 - “Work hard for sin your whole life and your pension is death. But God's gift is real life, eternal life, delivered by Jesus, our Master” MSG

I decided on a boxing career because I thought I was tough and could care for myself. It would beat working, I figured. I was one of the best fighters in my class for a while. I turned pro in 1938 and fought a middleweight, and ended up in the light-heavy division. Jimmy Bevins was the only man ever to knock me out.

At 18 I was in the Illinois State Training School for Boys, for armed robbery. In Octo¬ber 1941 eight of us made a break but the following month I found myself re-sentenced to Joliet penitentiary. I got life for a Chicago park murder, but was out on parole in 1946. It looks as if that would have been a lesson to me, but it wasn’t.

Within six months, after I was out, I was leading another gang. That lasted until last February 9. That night three of us held up Max Baren, 49, in his liquor store on Chicago’s West Side. Baren reached for a gun. I yelled at him to put the gun down, but he meant business. I knew it was us or him. So I shot Baren and killed him. We ran out with the money, only $300 which I later gave to the other guys. I went to New York, then to Atlanta, where police nabbed me.

Then weeks later I stood in a Chicago court. “I sentence you to die” the judge said sternly. And thus I went to Death Row.

Not long after I was placed behind bars and last March 23, a woman named
Flora Jones of Olivet Baptist Church invited me to attend a prisoners’ gospel service. I was playing cards with some other fellows at the time, and laughed at her. “Why, I don’t even believe there’s a God” I boasted. I went on playing cards with the woman still pleading with me. Actually I felt so sinful, that I didn’t want to know about God even if He existed. So I ignored her.

Suddenly something she was saying caught my attention. “If you don’t believe in God,” she called from outside the bars, “just try this little experiment. Before you go to sleep tonight ask Him to awaken you at any time; then ask Him to forgive you of your sin.” She had real faith. It got hold of me.

to be continued ...

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Zechariah 13:9a - “I will bring that group through the fire and make them pure.” NLT

I didn’t go to the service, but I decided I would try the experiment that night. “God,” I mumbled as I lay on my cot, “Wake me up at 2:45AM, if you’re real.”

Outside it was wintry. Windows on the inside were frosted. For the first few hours I slept soundly, and then my sleep became restless. Finally I was wide awake. I was warm and sweating, although the cell was cool. All was quiet except for the heavy breathing of several prisoners and the snoring of a man nearby. Then I heard footsteps outside my cell. It was a guard, making his regular check. As he was passing, I stopped him. “What time is it?” I asked.

He looked at his pocket watch, “Fifteen to three.” “That’s the same as 2:45AM, ain’t it?” I asked, my heart taking a sudden leap.

The guard grunted and passed on. He didn’t see me climb from my cot and sink to my knees, I don’t remember just what I told God, but I asked Him to be merciful to me --- an evil murderer and sinner. He saved me that night, I know. I’ve believed in His Son Jesus ever since. Later it was whispered around that I was putting on an act, trying to get out of going to the chair.

My case did later come up before the Illinois Supreme Court, but they upheld the death sentence. Sure, that jolted me some, but I haven’t lost faith in God. I know He will go with me. So, you see, I’m really not afraid.

Before I die I want to leave one last message for the young people:

Start serving the Lord while you’re young. Grow up this way and it’ll keep you straight. Once crime gets hold of you, it’s hard to stop. Just like the habits of smoking and drinking: if they once get hold of you, you can’t quit.

Yes, I’ll be dead when you read this, but please take my advice --- I found out the hard way that Romans 6:23 is true. “Work hard for sin your whole life and your pension is death. But God's gift is real life, eternal life, delivered by Jesus, our Master.” MSG

to be continued ...

[TakinMyLyfeBack]

A Thankful Wife

By Melanie Chitwood



“Rejoice always; pray without ceasing; in everything give thanks; for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus.” 1 Thessalonians 5:16-18 (NAS)



Devotion:

Can you remember the last time you poured out your heart thanking God for your marriage and thanking God for your husband? Sometimes just the routine of everyday life can rob us of having a grateful perspective when it comes to our husbands. As life gets busy and stressful, it’s easy just not to take the time to let our husbands know they’re appreciated.



Think about the little and big things your husband does. Is he great with the kids? Does he help around the house? Does he work steadily and consistently? Does he have a great sense of humor? Is he good with the finances? Pray for God to show you one specific quality for which you can tell your husband ‘thank you.”



One area where my husband really needs to hear my thanks is in the area of his work. My husband needs to know I do not take for granted his hard work each day. I need to verbalize my thanks over and over and over. I also need to teach my children to be thankful for his hard work. They need to hear me thanking my husband, and they need to realize it is because of his hard work that we have many of the material comforts that we have.



Sometimes I’m surprised when my husband has told me he feels unappreciated. Inside I feel thankful for him, but I just haven’t done a very good job of expressing it. A man who feels unappreciated is like a balloon whose air has escaped. When he feels unappreciated, he might also feel defeated and unmotivated. These feelings then lead to a man who feels like he leads a life of drudgery. A wife can help “fill his balloon” with her words of appreciation.



Let’s take time this month to be purposeful about having thankful hearts for our husbands. Let’s take time to thank God in prayer and to thank our husbands in ways that will encourage them. Check out the application steps below and put one into practice today.



Dear Lord, thank You for giving me my husband. Give me Your perspective of him. Help me to fill him up with verbal thanks and affirming actions which will fill him up with encouragement. Give me grace to overlook his faults and shortcomings, just the way You do for me. Help me to partner with You in loving my husband. In Jesus’ Name, Amen.

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Philippians 1:21,23 - “For to me, to live is Christ and to die is gain. I am torn between the two: I desire to depart and be with Christ, which is better by far” NIV

Pete Tanis, a prison missionary accompanied Ernest Gaither to the electric chair. His description of the prisoner’s last hours follows.

I was admitted to Ernest’s cell about an hour before midnight. The atmosphere seemed charged. As I entered, Ernest smiled and greeted me. A chaplain was reading to him from the Bible. He gave me the Book and asked me to read. I selected the first chapter of Philippians. Ernest leaned forward intently as I read.

About 11:30PM we had a song service. Ernest said he’d like to sing “When the Roll is Called Up Yonder” and soon the corridors rang with music as a high tenor voice rang out above the off-key voices of the guards. As the last strains of the song were dying away, guards came with clippers to give a hair cut to the man with the tenor voice.

Just before midnight Ernest prayed, “God,” he began softly, “when I first came here, I hated these guards. But now, God, I love ‘em --- O God, I love everybody.” Then he prayed for people he’d made suffer: for his mother, that the Lord would bless her. “And, Lord,” he concluded, “I’m not going to die of electrocution --- I’m just going to sit in the chair and go to sleep.”

Now 75 witnesses looked on as unsteady hands strapped the hooded figure into the big black chair, accentuated against a stainless steel floor. The first of the three electrical shocks flashed through his body.

to be continued ...