6-30-07 John 1:1-4

John 1:1-4 (BBE)
From the first he was the Word, and the Word was in relation with God and was God. This Word was from the first in relation with God. All things came into existence through him, and without him nothing was. What came into existence in him was life, and the life was the light of men.
John 1:1-4 (NAS)
In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. He was in the beginning with God.All things came into being by Him, and apart from Him nothing came into being that has come into being.In Him was life, and the life was the light of men.
John 1:1-4 (Philips)
At the beginning God expressed himself. That personal expression, that word, was with God, and was God, and he existed with God from the beginning. All creation took place through him, and none took place without him. In him appeared life and this life was the light of mankind.

Usually when people first begin to communicate, they use sounds or words. The Lord God originated this precedent; from the very beginning, His Word dwelt with Him. That Word was God's living voice that embodied all that you could conceive of your Creator. The Word contains of all of Adonai's thoughts, declarations, and sayings. He is the One who reveals all of His Father's wisdom, power, and intentions.

That Word was made flesh in Jesus, the Only Begotten Son of Almighty God. Yeshua is the One who governs the universe, ministering God's essence in creation. He is the embodiment of God's divine reason and plan. He has existed from eternity past and is the active cause of all of creation. He was present in the Trinity from the beginning, for He not only existed with God, but He also was God.

Through Him all other things came into existence, receiving being from Himself and His word. He is the Maker and Creator of all. Nothing exists apart or separate from Him. He is the One who gives vitality and animation to His creation, breathing life into each being.

His life makes you strong, vital, and fresh. He is the Light of your life, causing you to shine with His splendor. He makes your way bright and establishes you in His Truth and knowledge. Through Him you receive clarity of vision. He gives you power to understand moral and spiritual truth. By and in Him your life is blessed and endless.

6-29-07 Isaiah 41:15

Isaiah 41:15 (JPS)
Behold, I make thee a new threshing-sledge having sharp teeth; thou shalt thresh the mountains, and beat them small, and shalt make the hills as chaff.

Isaiah 41:15 (NAS)
Behold, I have made you a new, sharp threshing sledge with double edges; You will thresh the mountains, and pulverize them, And will make the hills like chaff.

Isaiah 41:15 (NIVUS)
"See, I will make you into a threshing sledge, new and sharp, with many teeth. You will thresh the mountains and crush them, and reduce the hills to chaff.

In your natural man, you may feel weak and helpless at times. However, in the Kingdom of God, you are anything except weak and helpless. When you take your weaknesses to the Lord your God, He takes them and exchanges them for His strength.

You may have felt dull and unable to accomplish anything for His kingdom; however, Jehovah completely transforms you, repairing and making you new. In His hands you are an instrument that He has appointed and ordained to carry out His will. He has made you sharp and decisive, calling you to thresh in His fields, treading out His wheat. Through you, He has begun to reap His harvest.

He uses your mouth to shatter the strongholds of the enemy, casting them down. He has given you His two edged sword, His word, which crushes and pulverizes every scheme that comes against you. No mountain or hill can continue to stand in your way. You grind them into fine dust, chaff that is blown away with the wind of His Spirit.

6-27-07 John 17: 6

John 17: 6 (NAS)
I manifested Thy name to the men whom Thou gavest Me out of the world; Thine they were, and Thou gavest them to Me, and they have kept Thy word.

John 17: 6 (NIVUS)
I have revealed you to those whom you gave me out of the world. They were yours; you gave them to me and they have obeyed your word.

John 17: 6 (Philips)
I have shown your self to the men whom you gave me from the world. They were your men and you gave them to me, and they have accepted your word.

Jesus Christ, the Word made flesh, is our Emmanuel--God with us. Through His words and actions, He manifested and made Adonai visible to men, so that mankind could plainly recognize and understand what God is like. Yeshua brought the hidden things of the Almighty to light, revealing all that His Name entails. When you look to and observe Jesus, you see God.

You originally belonged to our Father God. However, He then committed and entrusted mankind to His Son Jesus, giving you into His care. Now the Son is responsible to supply everything necessary for your welfare. You are His possession and the object of His saving care. He is your Master and Lord, for He has delivered you from the spirit of this age.

He has taught you God's word and you have been attentive to what He said. Now you are responsible to keep watchful care over it. You must take that word as your very own possession. You cannot be a mere spectator, who looks at God's word, but does not appropriate that word for yourself. You must pay careful attention to every detail. As you look at it with your eyes, you must also perceive it with your mind. As you become acquainted with God's word, you must experience it, giving heed to all that it says

6-26-07 John 15:16

John 15:16 (Philips)
It is not that you have chosen me; but it is I who have chosen you. I have appointed you to go and bear fruit that will be lasting; so that whatever you ask the Father in my name, he will give it to you.

John 15:16 (NAS)
You did not choose Me, but I chose you, and appointed you, that you should go and bear fruit, and that your fruit should remain, that whatever you ask of the Father in My name, He may give to you.

John 15:16 (NIVUS)
You did not choose me, but I chose you and appointed you to go and bear fruit— fruit that will last. Then the Father will give you whatever you ask in my name.

You may think that you have chosen Jesus to be your Lord and Savior, but He actually picked you out and chose you first. He selected you to be His disciple and to stand before Him in righteousness. He has separated you to be His very own: He watches over you continually with His gracious oversight.

The Lord Jehovah has set and placed you where He purposed. You are fixed where He has established you. In your ordained position, He leads and guides you to the place where you can bear fruit, which brings you a harvest and profit. Your produce will remain, not perishing but lasting.

Being in the center of His will, you are free to ask God for whatever you desire and require. When you call out to your Heavenly Father for what you need or what you want, you must do so in the name of Jesus, for His name contains all of His authority, His rank, His interests, His commands, and His excellence. Then God is free to give you what you ask. He will supply and furnish everything that you need. He will speak and it will come forth.

6-25-07 1 Peter 3: 16

1 Peter 3: 16 (NAS)
and keep a good conscience so that in the thing in which you are slandered, those who revile your good behavior in Christ may be put to shame.

1 Peter 3: 16 (NIVUS)
keeping a clear conscience, so that those who speak maliciously against your good behavior in Christ may be ashamed of their slander. .

1 Peter 3: 16 (Philips)
Make sure that your conscience is perfectly clear, so that if men should speak slanderously of you as rogues they may come to feel ashamed of themselves for abusing you for your good Christian behavior.

When you decided to make Jesus Christ your Lord, your spirit was born anew of the Holy Spirit of the Most High God. Now you are sensitive to His will and desires. You have a good and excellent conscience allowing you to distinguish between the moral and immoral and pointing you to the things that God approves. Therefore, it is your necessary duty to make good moral decisions, based on the Word of God.

Even if you discipline and align your life with God's word, you will not be free of slanderous and demeaning words. Some people will speak against you, trying to incriminate you and to defame your reputation. They will declare you to be an evildoer and malefactor, with a wicked and destructive nature.
However, your accusers will be dishonored, disgraced and put to shame; for the Lord Jehovah knows that their accusations are false. Their insults and threatenings are baseless.

Although at one time you did have a sinful nature, that is not longer true. Now your manner of life and the words you speak are good, pleasant and excellent. Your life has been completely turned around and your behavior reveals the anointing of the Messiah, the Anointed One.

6-24-07 Psalms 18:20, 21

Psalms 18:20, 21 (NIVUS)
The LORD has dealt with me according to my righteousness; according to the cleanness of my hands he has rewarded me. For I have kept the ways of the LORD; I have not done evil by turning from my God.

Psalms 18:20, 21 (NLT)
The LORD rewarded me for doing right; he compensated me because of my innocence. For I have kept the ways of the LORD; I have not turned from my God to follow evil.

Psalms 18:20, 21 (NRSV)
The LORD rewarded me according to my righteousness; according to the cleanness of my hands he recompensed me. For I have kept the ways of the LORD, and have not wickedly departed from my God.

Psalms 18:20, 21 (NAS)
The LORD has rewarded me according to my righteousness; According to the cleanness of my hands He has recompensed me. For I have kept the ways of the LORD, And have not wickedly departed from my God.

When someone treats you well, your natural instinct is to reciprocate in like manner. It is always easier to bless those who bless you. It is likewise with the Lord your God. Although Jehovah's desire is to bless everyone abundantly, He does plan rewards for those who are more deserving.

You, for example, have been made righteous through the blood of the Lamb of God. You have been cleansed and purified and Jesus' blood settled once and for all time what justice demanded from you. Careful examination shows that your life has been purged of sin. Therefore, the Lord your God has selected and chosen you to be treated with bountiful benefits. Your fruit ripens and produces a great yield.

The Almighty is always building your life and He brings you continual refreshment, for you continually attend to the Lord's customs and manners. You travel a well-trodden path to the throne of God. Even you conversation reflects His will and His ways. The last thing that you want to do is to act wickedly. It would disturb you greatly to depart from the righteous path that you have chosen. You know that to do so would bring you condemnation and trouble, instead of the deliverance, salvation, and restoration that you now enjoy.