Bible Reading #185 - Prayer of Faith

Prayer of Faith

James 5

I pray blessings on you as you read.

(v. 13-15) "If any of you are having trouble, pray. If you are happy, sing psalms. If you are sick, call for the church leaders. Have them pray for you and anoint you with olive oil in the name of the Lord. (Prayers offered in faith will save those who are sick, and the Lord will cure them.) If you have sinned, you will be forgiven.

Bible Reading #183 - Jesus was Tempted

Jesus was Tempted

Matthew 4

I pray blessings on you as you read.

(v. 1) "Then the Spirit led Jesus into the desert to be tempted by the devil." (v. 10) "Jesus said to him, 'Go away, Satan! Scripture says, 'Worship the Lord your God and serve only him.' ' "

Bible Reading #182 - Friend of 'Sinners'

Friend of 'Sinners'

Luke 7

I pray blessings on you as you read.

(v. 34-35) "The Son of Man has come eating and drinking, and you say, 'Look at him!He's a glutton and a drunk, a friend of tax collectors and sinners!' 'Yet, wisdom is proved right by all its results.' " (v. 39) "The Pharisee who had invited Jesus saw this and thought, 'If this man really were a prophet, he would know what sort of woman is touching him. She's a sinner.' "

Bible Reading #171 - Conduct Yourself

Conduct Yourself

Philippians 1

I pray blessings on you as you read.

(v. 27-28) "Whatever happens, conduct yourselves in a manner worthy of the gospel of Christ. Then, whether I come and see you or only hear about you in my absence, I will know that you stand firm in one spirit, contending as one man for the faith of the gospel without being frightened in any way by those who oppose you. This is a sign to them that they will be destroyed, but that you will be saved--and that by God."

Bible Reading #164 - Follow the Example

Follow the Example

Job 29

I pray blessings on you as you read.

(v. 2-3) " 'If only my life could be like it used to be, in the days when God watched over me, when he made his lamp shine on my head, when I walked through the dark in his light."

Daily Bible Reading with DragoNate #144

Riding on a Donkey

Zechariah 9

I pray blessings on you as you read.

(v. 9) "Rejoice with all your heart, people of Zion! Shout in triumph, people of Jerusalem! Look! your King is coming to you: He is righteous and victorious. He is humble and rids on a donkey, on a colt, a young pack animal."

My Thoughts

This is a prophecy spoken by the prophet Zechariah about Jesus. It was specific that Jesus would be riding on a donkey. Why did that matter though? Couldn't anyone ride on a donkey? Well, they could yes, but unless they were a king, it wouldn't matter.

For a king to enter a city riding on a donkey meant the he was entering in peace and with the intention of peace. When a king rode a horse, he was going to war. It would not have been a very good feeling for the residents of a city if a king came riding in on a horse. They would have been frightened.

Jesus did fulfill this prophecy, like every other, but I want to focus on Zechariah's passage since that's where this comes from. Since this is before Jesus was even born yet, and it was I think hundreds of years before, that probably meant that the culture would have changed by the time Jesus was physically around. I don't know one hundred percent if that symbolism of riding a donkey meant the same thing in Jesus time as it did when Zechariah spoke.

So how do we apply what is written here in Zechariah to our own lives? We already know that Jesus is peaceful, so what more does this mean for us? Well, we can do the same thing. Be peaceful. Show people that we are not out to win arguments or be the best Christian or to convert as many people as we possibly can. Because we should not be doing those things.

I will probably say these same things when I get around to the part where we read about Jesus actually fulfilling this prophecy, but that may be a long time off, so it'll be a refresher. Anyway, that aside. What we should be focusing on is sharing the love Jesus has for us and for this world and making that known. Teaching is fine, and in fact good. Trying to be your best is also good. Just don't do these things without your heart being in the right place.

If someone has their information wrong about Jesus, by all means, correct them. Lovingly. Don't argue, but correct them. It may even open a door to talk more. Always try to be your best, stay far away from sin and do what is good and right. Do so because you want to and because you love God. Do not do so because you have to or for hopes of getting something out of it. Don't focus on converting people or changing their beliefs, but rather on relationships with them and loving them and sharing God's love. That way if they change, it is their own choice and not yours.

Prayer Time

Now you talk to God about what you read, and you can even read this chapter of the Bible for yourself before you do.

Let me know your thoughts on this reading as well.

Thank you for taking the time to read, I pray that what you have read blesses and inspires you! Godbless!

Daily Bible Reading with DragoNate #141

Let the Dead Bury Their Dead

Matthew 8

I pray blessings on you as you read.

(v. 21-22) "Another disciple said to him, 'Lord, first let me go and bury my father.' But Jesus told him, 'Follow me, and let the dead bury their own dead.' "

My Thoughts

What does Jesus mean to 'let the dead bury their own dead?' It doesn't make sense! Dead people can't do anything, let alone bury other dead people. They are not alive anymore; that's what 'dead' means, right? To not be alive?

Okay, so you have probably guessed or thought or realized by now that Jesus isn't necessarily speaking completely literally. I mean He is, but He's kinda not at the same time. Don't get lost on me. You remember about eternal life right? Also about being alive in Christ and dead in sin? Well, I believe this is more what Jesus is talking about.

He is referring to those who are dead in Him to bury their own dead. Those who are alive in Jesus have eternal life, so even when they die physically, they are not really dead. So why bury someone who isn't dead? Exactly, there is no need to because you don't bury living people.

Those who are alive in Jesus are dead in sin and they have eternal life with Jesus. Those who do not have eternal life are not alive in Jesus when they die, they die. So when Jesus says, "Follow me , and let the dead bury their own dead." He is saying the word 'dead' twice, but both have a different meaning.

The first time He says it, 'dead' refers to those who are dead in Him and do not have eternal life. The second time, 'dead' refers to someone who has become not alive at all. Those who are alive in Jesus have no need to be 'buried' when they die. I also believe that the word 'bury' used here doesn't necessarily mean to put in an actual grave, because it doesn't make sense not to, really.

I believe that bury here means more to forget or put completely behind you. If someone dies and they are not buried in the ground, it will be very unpleasant. That is why I think of this.

Prayer Time

Now you talk to God about what you read, and you can even read this chapter of the Bible for yourself before you do.

Let me know your thoughts on this reading as well.

Thank you for taking the time to read, I pray that what you have read blesses and inspires you! Godbless!

Daily Bible Reading with DragoNate #140

Storing Treasure

Luke 12

I pray blessings on you as you read.

(v. 32-34) " 'Sell your material possessions, and give the money to the poor. Make yourselves wallets that don't wear out! Make a treasure for yourselves in heaven that never loses its value! In heaven thieves and moths can't get close enough to destroy your treasure. Your heart will be where your treasure is."

My Thoughts

Jesus is talking to His disciples about not worrying, and this is where that section of this passage ends: with Jesus saying to store up treasure in heaven. Where your treasure is, there your heart will be also. Isn't that just so true? I mean, you don't normally put your heart into things that you don't care about, now do you? What you treasure is what you set your heart on.

So what kind of treasure is it that Jesus wants us to store up in heaven? You can''t take anything with you when you die, it all gets left behind. All your money, all your possessions, all stay behind when you die. Even your athletic ability or strength or appearance doesn't really matter when you get to heaven, that kind of stays here as well. Not even knowledge matters when we die.

Love is a treasure that stays with you. Your spirit is what goes to heaven, so the things of the Spirit are what you should treasure. Things like love and peace and hope and faith. 1 Corinthians 13 says that the greatest of these is love. Love for God, love for your friends and family, love for the world and for nature and animals, love for strangers and even your enemies.

That is the kind of treasure we should gather and hoard. Showing love to others can be done in a great number of ways. By helping, guiding, teaching, serving, protecting and standing up for them. Even just a smile or a kind word of encouragement or a hug. All that shows love and all of that makes a huge difference in the grand scheme of things, and matters to God greatly.

Love is the one treasure that I can think of that you cannot hoard for yourself. If you give away love, you get more back. Though if you try to keep it and never give it, you will lose it.

Prayer Time

Now you talk to God about what you read, and you can even read this chapter of the Bible for yourself before you do.

Let me know your thoughts on this reading as well.

Thank you for taking the time to read, I pray that what you have read blesses and inspires you! Godbless!

Daily Bible Reading with DragoNate #136

Finding Fault

John 8

I pray blessings on you as you read.

(v. 7) "When they persisted in asking him questions, he straightened up and said, 'The person who is sinless should be the first to throw a stone at her.' " (v. 10-11) "Jesus straightened up and ask her, 'Where did they go? Has anyone condemned you?' The woman answered, 'No one, sir.' Jesus said, 'I don't condemn you either. Go! From now on don't sin.' "

My Thoughts

Some teachers of the law and Pharisees came to Jesus with a woman who had been caught in adultery. They were going to use this woman to trap Jesus in His words. The law of Moses said that such a woman should be stoned. If Jesus said yes to stoning her, He would be saying yes also to killing her. If He said no, He is going against law of Moses.

So what does Jesus do? He bends down and starts writing in the dirt. What? Why? I still don't fully understand why Jesus did this, but I will leave that for another time. The people persisted in questioning Jesus, so Jesus said for one of them who is without sin to be the first to throw a stone. One by one they left until there was only the woman and Jesus.

They all knew that they had sinned at some point in their lives and none of them were without sin. So they left because there was nothing more they could do. Jesus didn't condemn the woman either, but instead gave her mercy and told her to leave and not sin anymore.

Each of those people who were there, ready to stone this woman, tried to find fault not only in Jesus, but in this woman as well. They wanted to use her to trap Jesus, and that itself is wrong. What I am focusing on is that thy were looking for fault in others but themselves. They each have their own faults as well, but they didn't care. Jesus put them in their place pretty quick.

Don't look for fault in others because you have your own faults. If you are going to look for fault, look at yourself. Find your own flaws and work on them so that they aren't flaws anymore. If you go around looking for flaws in other people, it's eventually going to come back on you. When you notice fault in others, you don't need to point it out or condemn them for it. Instead, depending on what it is, talk to them about it and try to help them if they will let you. Otherwise, just pray for them.

We all have our own faults and our flaws, so what is the point of looking for those in other people? There are much better things you can with your time and your life than look for and point out the mistakes others make. It's a complete waste of time to do so.

Prayer Time

Now you talk to God about what you read, and you can even read this chapter of the Bible for yourself before you do.

Let me know your thoughts on this reading as well.

Thank you for taking the time to read, I pray that what you have read blesses and inspires you! Godbless!

Daily Bible Reading with DragoNate #134

Change in the Law

Hebrews 7

I pray blessings on you as you read.

(v. 6-7) "Although Melchizedek was not from the tribe of Levi, he received a tenth of everything from Abraham. Then Melchizedek blessed Abraham who had God's promises. No one can deny that the more important person blesses the less important person." (v. 12) "When a different kind of priesthood is established, the regulations for those priests are different." (v. 26) "We need a chief priest who is holy, innocent, pure, set apart from sinners, and who has the highest position in heaven.

My Thoughts

So what I understand form Hebrews 7 is that, when it comes to chief priests or high priests, there can be only one at a time. When the high priest dies, another replaces him. Melchizedek was a high priest and received a tenth of everything from Abraham, as the Levitical priests did later on.

The high priest was, obviously, a very important person, someone of great status. When there is a new high priest, there is a change in the law because they can change it. That's where Jesus comes in. Jesus is the new high priest, and He is eternal and a priest forever.

Jesus has changed the law, in more than one way. We no longer need to offer sacrifices, we aren't bound by a bunch of rules that we need to live by, without which, we cannot know God. Jesus made Himself the final sacrifice and there are laws from God that we do have to follow. They are not hard to follow though, we don't have to go out of our way to follow them.

There will not be another priest to take Jesus' place as the high priest, because He is eternal. This means that what is in the Bible is what matters to us, and no person can take the Bible and add to it or subtract from it and make it truth. What is in the Bible is all that there is.

Prayer Time

Now you talk to God about what you read, and you can even read this chapter of the Bible for yourself before you do.

Let me know your thoughts on this reading as well.

Thank you for taking the time to read, I pray that what you have read blesses and inspires you! Godbless!

Daily Bible Reading with DragoNate #133

Peace be in this House

Luke 10

I pray blessings on you as you read.

(v. 5-6) "Whenever you go into a house, greet the family with the words, 'May there be peace in this house.' If a peaceful person lives there, your greeting will accepted. But if that's not the case, your greeting will be rejected." (v. 16) " 'The person who hears you hears me, and the person who rejects you rejects me. The person who rejects me rejects the one who sent me.' "

My Thoughts

When I read this chapter of Luke, verses 5 and 6 stuck in my head. I want to focus on just those two verses, without taking them out of the context in which they were written. So Jesus had sent out seventy-two people to the places which He was about to go to. He told them to say these words when they go into a house, and then to stay there.

That was a way that Jesus had told these people to greet the families which they were going to staying at. What came to my mind is that, why can't we do the same thing whenever we enter a place? Even if we just say it to ourselves, "May there be peace in this place." By saying that, we are declaring peace in the place we are in, which is a good thing.

Even if saying this only ends up giving us peace inside, and others are unaffected, that is still a great thing. Through each person's own actions, they affect the world around them, or rather the people, and can leave a positive impact.

This reminds me of something another pastor, who is a friend of mine, said at my church one time. He was saying that whenever we enter a room, we should invite Jesus into that room with us. He was talking to the children at the time, and it was a way for them to remember Jesus and to keep Him at the forefront. Whenever you ask Jesus to be with you, you can rest assured that He most definitely is.

Saying "May there be peace in this place." is a declaration, or a strong prayer, in God. It is also a blessing in that place which is, obviously, better than a curse. Asking Jesus to be with you wherever you are is not redundant. Yes, He already is with you, but when you ask Him to be, it helps you to focus on Him and remember know that He is there.

Prayer Time

Now you talk to God about what you read, and you can even read this chapter of the Bible for yourself before you do.

Let me know your thoughts on this reading as well.

Thank you for taking the time to read, I pray that what you have read blesses and inspires you! Godbless!

Daily Bible Reading with DragoNate #130

Feeling Alone?

Matthew 27

I pray blessings on you as you read.

(v. 22) "Pilate asked them, 'Then what shall I do with Jesus, who is called Christ?' 'He should be crucified!' they all said." (v. 28-29) "They took off his clothes and put a bright red cape on him. They twisted some thorns into a crown, placed it on his head, and put a stick in his right hand. They knelt in front of him and made fun of him by saying, 'Long live the king of the Jews!' (v. 39-40) "Those who passed by insulted him. They shook their heads and said, 'You were going to tear down God's temple and build it again in three days. Save yourself! If you're the Son of God, come down from the cross.' " (v. 46) "About three o'clock Jesus cried out in a loud voice, 'Eli, Eli, lema sabachthani?' which means, 'My God, my God, why have you abandoned me?' "

My Thoughts

Another large amount of verses for this post, huh? Each shows how Jesus was treated before He was actually crucified, and then even after. It was horrible, the things that people did! Jesus was completely forsaken by everyone. Pilate handed Him over, even though he didn't want to and knew that Jesus had done nothing wrong. He was in a position of power and authority and could have stopped it! Instead he gave in to the people's demands.

Have you ever felt alone? I am sure you probably have at some point. I have. Sometimes things get so bad that we just feel everyone is against us and we feel totally alone. Jesus knows what that feels like because He was in that place Himself. Everyone was against Him and people mocked and insulted Him. Even those who could have stopped it turned the other way. Yes, this was all part of God's plan, but that doesn't make it a good thing. It was a very bad thing that God turned into great good.

God turned away from Him because if Jesus hadn't died, He would have gone through all that He did for nothing. Jesus' sacrifice was the ultimate sacrifice for the rest of eternity. God's people used to need to make sacrifices to atone for their sins on a regular basis. Jesus took care of all that forever and He was the sacrifice that atoned for all of our sins, past, present and future.

Whenever you feel alone, know that Jesus is there with you. He went through so much more than you are, I am sure, so let Him comfort you. Talk to Him and tell Him what you are going through and how you feel. Even if everyone else actually is against you, even for a moment, Jesus won't be. Remember God's promise that He will never leave you or forsake you. It is a promise that God has kept for a long time and a promise that He will not break.

The reason why Jesus went through all that He did was because He loved us so greatly. Nothing was going to stand in the way of His love for us. Jesus has already gone through all that, so He can be there for us when we are as well. God can turn anything that is happening in your life into good. It may not be pleasant right now, but God can make it so.

Prayer Time

Now you talk to God about what you read, and you can even read this chapter of the Bible for yourself before you do.

Let me know your thoughts on this reading as well.

Thank you for taking the time to read, I pray that what you have read blesses and inspires you! Godbless!

Daily Bible Reading with DragoNate #99

In Jesus' Name

John 14

I pray blessings on you as you read.

(v. 12-14) "I tell you the truth, anyone who has faith in me will do what I have been doing. He will do even greater things than these, because I am going to the Father. An I will do whatever you ask in my name, so that the Son may bring glory to the Father. You may ask me for anything in my name, and I will do it."

My Thoughts

Jesus says that we can ask for anything in His name, and He will do it. So what does it mean to ask in His name? If you're thinking of how a lot of people, myself included, end their prayers with "In Jesus's name, amen," that is not quite right. You can pray about anything, even to die like Elijah did, but ending it with "In Jesus' name, amen" does make it so.

When we end our prayers with that, it is like a traditional thing, I think. We are praying to Jesus, or in Jesus. To actually pray for something in His name, your heart and your request need to be aligned with Jesus' heart. If your heart is not aligned with Jesus' heart, He is not going to do whatever you ask. If your request is not aligned with Jesus' heart, Jesus is not going to do it.

When you ask for something that will bring glory to the Father, that is when Jesus will do it. If we want Jesus to do what we ask of Him, we need to ensure that our hearts are aligned with His and that our request will bring glory to God. I won't give an examples here because that is really up to you to decide what it is you want to ask for.

I feel like this post is very short, and I cannot think of anything else to add. Just remember to keep your heart in line with that of Jesus. Remember that when you ask for something from Him, if you want Him to answer your request, make it a request that will glorify God.

Prayer Time

Now you talk to God about what you read, and you can even read this chapter of the Bible for yourself before you do.

Let me know your thoughts on this reading as well.

Thank you for taking the time to read, I pray that what you have read blesses and inspires you! Godbless!

Daily Bible Reading with DragoNate #94

Dead to Sin, Alive in Christ

Romans 6

I pray blessings on you as you read.

(v. 8) "Now if we died with Christ, we believe that we will also live with him." (v. 10-11) "The death he died, he died to sin once for all; but the life he lives, he lives to God. In the same way, count yourselves dead to sin but alive to God in Christ Jesus."

My Thoughts

When Jesus died on the cross, those of us who believe in Him also died with Him. A part of us died with Him. That part is that which is of this world. Not completely physically, but the sinful nature of us died with Him. Our spirits are very much alive in Him, with Him, because He rose from the dead. The bodies we live in are only temporary and will one day die as well, but our spirit will live on for eternity with God.

Once you accept Jesus, you are no longer a slave to sin, but you are bound to righteousness. God has great plans for us, to use us for His glory and bring blessings to us. We have inherited eternal life with God and our temporary lives on Earth will be much more joy filled for it.

Once Jesus died on the cross, Satan was completely disarmed. He no longer has any power over us, he is no longer a threat to us. The only way he can be a threat is if we allow him to. If we rearm him, we are allowing him to be a threat to us again. Think if Satan had a weapon in his hand and he was forever threatening you with it. This was no ordinary gun though. You never know what could happen if he pulled the trigger. Even if he misses you directly, he can still affect things around you, thereby affecting you, indirectly.

Jesus came along and disarmed Satan, and without that weapon in his hand, Satan is completely powerless. He still tries to harm us with words or by showing us things or other ways, but without that weapon, he can't actually cause anything to happen. The only way he has any power or could possibly harm us again is if we pick up that weapon and give it back to him. You wouldn't do that if someone pointing a gun at you in real life was disarmed, would you? So why would you do it here?

The truth is, we all do sometimes. When we call on Jesus, he comes and disarms him again, and He'll continue to. It's up to us to once and for all walk away. You can't destroy the weapon, but you can keep it away Satan. Don't give it back to him. Don't allow him to hurt you or affect you in any way. Walk away from Satan and follow after Jesus.

Prayer Time

Now you talk to God about what you read, and you can even read this chapter of the Bible for yourself before you do.

Let me know your thoughts on this reading as well.

Thank you for taking the time to read, I pray that what you have read blesses and inspires you! Godbless!

Daily Bible Reading with DragoNate #82

Empty Life Filled

1 Peter 1

I pray blessings on you as you read.

(v. 18-19) "For you know that it was not with perishable things such as silver or gold that you were redeemed from the empty way of life handed down to you from your forefathers, but with the precious blood of Christ, a lamb without blemish or defect."

My Thoughts

Life without Christ is an empty life. That's really harsh to say,now isn't it? It certainly is the way I feel. I feel that my life would have no meaning if I didn't have Christ, because what would happen when I die? I can't take anything with me, I go out the way I came in, essentially. Jesus is eternal and through Him, I have eternal life. You do as well, through Jesus.

People try to fill their lives with a great number of things. Emotions, people, things, activities, knowledge. The list could probably go on longer. Do any of these things, or anything you can think of that doesn't include Jesus, actually give you lasting joy? Oh, maybe, as long as the things themselves last. Jesus is the only one who can give me lasting joy.

Our lives can only be filled by Christ. No matter how much you try to fill your life with other things, they will never truly give you purpose, they will never fill you to the top. The reason why is because, if you lose any of it, it's gone. All purpose that it gave you, all meaning it had to you, everything to do with it would be lost. It's not possible to lose Jesus though, unless you choose to. Jesus will never leave and because of that, your life will never be empty with Him.

Jesus gives us purpose in life. A far greater purpose than we could ever know without Him. That purpose is to live like Him, join Him in life and in death, and to introduce Him to others so that they can share in all of this. That is my purpose in life and that is what I hope to gain above all.

Prayer Time

Now you talk to God about what you read, and you can even read this chapter of the Bible for yourself before you do.

Let me know your thoughts on this reading as well.

Thank you for taking the time to read, I pray that what you have read blesses and inspires you! Godbless!