This verse is the last red letter promise of the year. While I wasn’t very faithful with my blog in 2017 I’m going to try again in 2018. I’ll be reading the Bible cover to cover for the 9th time. I hope you will join me in my journey and with God’s help Vine and Branch will be more consistent.

Revelation 22:12-13

“Behold, I am coming soon, bringing my recompense with me, to repay each one for what he has done.

I am the Alpha and the Omega, the first and the last, the beginning and the end.”

Bible Gateway link: Revelation 22:12-13

That little baby in Bethlehem was sent to reinforce the message from God in the verses below. As always the battle is between the goodness in our hearts and our stubornness. I promise if you open your ears to the Word of God the answer is there.

Zechariah 7:9-11

“Thus says the Lord of hosts, Render true judgments, show kindness and mercy to one another,

do not oppress the widow, the fatherless, the sojourner, or the poor, and let none of you devise evil against another in your heart.”

But they refused to pay attention and turned a stubborn shoulder and stopped their ears that they might not hear.

Bible Gateway link: Zechariah 7:9-11 (ESV)

My Angels come to me in human form, blessing and changing my life with a comment or gesture. It fills me with radiant gratitude and always makes me worship Him who made heaven and earth and Angels.

Revelation 14:6-7

Then I saw another angel flying directly overhead, with an eternal gospel to proclaim to those who dwell on earth, to every nation and tribe and language and people.

And he said with a loud voice, “Fear God and give him glory, because the hour of his judgment has come, and worship him who made heaven and earth, the sea and the springs of water.”

Bible Gateway link: Revelation 14:6-7 (ESV)

When I feel the weight of the world and I’m so overwhelmed I feel there is nothing I can do, OR I must to do something, anything. That’s when I open the Holy Bible and run across a verse such as this.

Psalm 138:7-8

Though I walk in the midst of trouble, you preserve my life; you stretch out your hand against the wrath of my enemies, and your right hand delivers me.

The Lord will fulfill his purpose for me; your steadfast love, O Lord, endures forever. Do not forsake the work of your hands.

http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=psalm138:7-8&version=ESV

Can it really be so simple? What a great New Year resolution.

Micah 6:8

He has told you, O man, what is good; and what does the Lord require of you but to do justice, and to love kindness, and to walk humbly with your God?

Micah 6:8 (ESV)

Think of all the chance encounters that lead to your existence. Generation after generation, so many things worked out perfectly for you to be here right now. God had a plan for Jesus, "Son of David." Is there any doubt you too are here for a reason?

DNA

Psalm 132:11-12

The Lord swore to David a sure oath from which he will not turn back: “One of the sons of your body I will set on your throne.

If your sons keep my covenant and my testimonies that I shall teach them, their sons also forever shall sit on your throne.”

Bible Gateway link: Psalm 132: 11-12 (ESV)

I just hold on, sometimes with a desperate grip. But I believe the promise. I also believe the flood of worldly concerns will drown me if I don’t obey this red letter command: “Hold fast” to Christ.

Revelation 2:25-26

Only hold fast to what you have until I come.

The one who conquers and who keeps my works until the end, to him I will give authority over the nations,

Bible Gateway link: Revelation 2:25-26 (ESV)

I remember the moment when my new life started. My fire for Christ was a piddling little spark, but gratefully the fire has grown and grown. What a good time of year to rekindle that first love of Christ. Be on fire!

Revelation 2:4-5

But I have this against you, that you have abandoned the love you had at first.

Remember therefore from where you have fallen; repent, and do the works you did at first. If not, I will come to you and remove your lampstand from its place, unless you repent.

Bible Gateway link: Revelation 2:4-5 (ESV)

Ripped from the headlines! I love it when my daily Bible reading coincides with the news of the day! Jerusalem, Oh Jerusalem.

Joel 3:17

“So you shall know that I am the Lord your God, who dwells in Zion, my holy mountain. And Jerusalem shall be holy, and strangers shall never again pass through it.

Bible Gateway link: Joel 3:17 (ESV)

Wow, there certainly is a lot of this going on. Last days or not, I think I’ll take the advice to be a “lover of God.”

2 Timothy 3:1-4

But understand this, that in the last days there will come times of difficulty.

For people will be lovers of self, lovers of money, proud, arrogant, abusive, disobedient to their parents, ungrateful, unholy,

heartless, unappeasable, slanderous, without self-control, brutal, not loving good,

treacherous, reckless, swollen with conceit, lovers of pleasure rather than lovers of God,

Bible Gateway link:2 Timothy 3:1-4 (ESV)

This, I'm happy to say, is my life now. On that long ago night He was there to rescue me. I chose life over death. I am so grateful.

Psalm 56:12-13
I will fulfill my vows to you, O God, and will offer a sacrifice of thanks for your help.
For you have rescued me from death; you have kept my feet from slipping. So now I can walk in your presence, O God, in your life-giving light.

http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=psalm56:12-13&version=NLT

I never wanted to get married. The only marriages I'd seen were disintegrating. When I needed to choose yes or no I asked God for help. He answered that I needed to trust one person in my life. That person is my husband now. He saved me, and I saved him.

1 Corinthians 7:16
For how do you know, wife, whether you will save your husband? Or how do you know, husband, whether you will save your wife?

Bible Gateway link: 1 Corinthians 7:16 (ESV)

Need I say more?😊

1 Corinthians 4:20
For the kingdom of God does not consist in talk but in power.

Bible Gateway link: 1 Corinthians 4:20 (ESV)

I think you need courage for the small decisions. For example, being kind when you don't want to, or, doing the next right thing instead of jumping into the breach because you 'feel' like it. I learned this by living with the consequences of thinking I could run my own life.

Psalm 27:14
Wait for the Lord;
be strong, and let your heart take courage;
wait for the Lord!

Bible Gateway link: Psalm 27:14 (ESV)

So many small decisions! It is easy not to notice which way you are turning. Let God speak to you. A moment of awareness will turn you toward the light. The payoff is armor, we need it in this world.

Rom 13:12

The night is far spent, the day is at hand. Therefore let us cast off the works of darkness, and let us put on the armor of light.


Bible Gateway link: Romans 13:12 (NKJV)

They broke his heart! In trying to keep Paul from harm, his fellow followers failed him. All of us of little faith, we DON'T know how to protect ourselves against the world. Only God knows.

Acts 21:13
Then Paul answered, “What do you mean by weeping and breaking my heart? For I am ready not only to be bound, but also to die at Jerusalem for the name of the Lord Jesus.”

Bible Gateway link: Acts 21:13 (NKJV)

Obviously our Founding Fathers took this ancient advice when forming the backbone of our great country. I pray we don't blow it now.

1 Chronicles 28:9

“And you, Solomon my son, know the God of your father and serve him with a whole heart and with a willing mind, for the Lord searches all hearts and understands every plan and thought. If you seek him, he will be found by you, but if you forsake him, he will cast you off forever.

Bible Gateway link: 1 Chronicles 28:9 (ESV)

Just before I was married I heard a biblical genealogy read at length in church. I found myself crying uncontrollably. Maybe I felt through marrying I was losing my identity. I suspect it was God telling me that I am a link in a very long chain. The chain will always be unbroken and my little life is both vital and unimportant.

1 Chronicles 1:1-4
Adam, Seth, Enosh;
Kenan, Mahalalel, Jared;
Enoch, Methuselah, Lamech;
Noah, Shem, Ham, and Japheth....

Bible Gateway link: 1 Chronicles 1-4 (ESV)

This is why people evangelize. It is part of the red letter commandment to love your neighbor. Don't be annoyed, be saved.

John 3:18
Whoever believes in him is not condemned, but whoever does not believe is condemned already, because he has not believed in the name of the only Son of God.

Bible Gateway link: John 3:18 (ESV)

The world seems so crazy. There are times I don't grasp anything. Then I reach for the Bible and find that the world has always been crazy and the one constant is that God is with us whether we grasp it or not.

Luke 18:34
But they understood none of these things. This saying was hidden from them, and they did not grasp what was said.

Bible Gateway link: Luke 18:34 (ESV)

Ignore this advice at your peril! Why wouldn't we align ourselves with the most powerful force there is?

Joshua 23:8
but you shall hold fast to the Lord your God, as you have done to this day.

Bible Gateway link: Joshua 23:8 (NKJV)

There is really only one answer to this problem. He is the red letter guy in the Holy Bible.

Luke 11:35
Therefore take heed that the light which is in you is not darkness.

Bible Gateway link:Luke 11:35 (NKJV)

It is always a good thing to humble yourself when you're desperately seeking help from God. But then you have to get up and do the thing that lines up with God's will for you. That requires both humility and action, not to mention getting out of your own way.

Joshua 7:10
So the Lord said to Joshua: “Get up! Why do you lie thus on your face?

Bible Gateway link: Joshua 7:10 (NKJV)

In my depths I was drawn to the Psalms. I never knew exactly why. Now I do. He heard my cry.

Psalm 40:1-3

I waited patiently for the Lord;
he inclined to me and heard my cry.

He drew me up from the pit of destruction,
out of the miry bog,
and set my feet upon a rock,
making my steps secure.

He put a new song in my mouth,
a song of praise to our God.
Many will see and fear,
and put their trust in the Lord.

Bible Gateway link: Psalm 40:1-3 (ESV)

Changing our actions can change our hearts. If that fire doesn't seem like a good alternative you might open your mind to the advice given by John, the guy who baptized Jesus.

 Luke 3:9-14

Even now the axe is laid to the root of the trees. Every tree therefore that does not bear good fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire.”
And the crowds asked him, “What then shall we do?”

And he answered them, “Whoever has two tunics is to share with him who has none, and whoever has food is to do likewise.”
Tax collectors also came to be baptized and said to him, “Teacher, what shall we do?”
And he said to them, “Collect no more than you are authorized to do.”
Soldiers also asked him, “And we, what shall we do?” And he said to them, “Do not extort money from anyone by threats or by false accusation, and be content with your wages.”

Bible Gateway link: Luke 3:9-14 (ESV)

We're not just talking about statues in ancient temples here. We're talking about status and pretty cars and the latest fashions and celebrities and addictions and victimhood and popularity and likes and retweets and big houses and the right schools and building yourself up to tear others down. It is about these things and anything else we worship. Take care!

Deuteronomy 11:16
Take care lest your heart be deceived, and you turn aside and serve other gods and worship them;

Bible Gateway link: Deuteronomy 11:16 (ESV)

When you are just about to give up, remember: "Don't leave 5 minutes before the miracle happens." (AA proverb)

Luke 1:37
For with God nothing will be impossible.”

Bible Gateway link: Luke 1:37 (NKJV)

Are you embarrassed? In this secular world is it just easier to keep your beliefs to yourself? This guy was like that too, but he came through in the end. Your courage encourages others. Don't be afraid to put Jesus on the scoreboard.

Mark 15:43
Joseph of Arimathea, a prominent council member, who was himself waiting for the kingdom of God, coming and taking courage, went in to Pilate and asked for the body of Jesus.

Bible Gateway link: Mark 15:43 (NKJV)

No wonder we weep. We are such cowards, and so messed up and weak, and yet, we are still forgiven. Look at St. Peter!

Mark 14:71-72
Then he began to curse and swear, “I do not know this Man of whom you speak!”

A second time the rooster crowed. Then Peter called to mind the word that Jesus had said to him, “Before the rooster crows twice, you will deny Me three times.” And when he thought about it, he wept.

Bible Gateway link: Mark 14:71-72 (NKJV)

I can do this! but only with God's help, and His forgiveness when I fail.

Psalm 34:13-14
Keep your tongue from evil
and your lips from speaking deceit.
Turn away from evil and do good;
seek peace and pursue it.

Bible Gateway link: Psalm 34:13-14 (ESV)

Whenever I imagine I'm a self-made woman I know I'm in trouble. Nothing I own, no one I know, no amount of discipline or will or determination can rescue me. He fashioned my heart and is my Savior.

Psalm 33:13-17
The Lord looks down from heaven;
 he sees all the children of man;
from where he sits enthroned
 he looks out on all the inhabitants of the earth,
he who fashions the hearts of them all
and observes all their deeds.

The king is not saved by his great army;
a warrior is not delivered by his great strength.
The war horse is a false hope for salvation,
and by its great might it cannot rescue.

Bible Gateway link: Psalm 33:13-17 (ESV)

Step back, give over, know you are perfectly loved. He created you perfectly for the purpose He has for you. That's faith.

Mark 11:22
And Jesus answered them, “Have faith in God.

Bible Gateway link: Mark 11:22 (ESV)

This is all we really need in life, ever.

Mark 10:16
And he took them in his arms and blessed them, laying his hands on them.

Bible Gateway link: Mark 10:16 (ESV)

Affliction, distress of the soul, deliverance. The six-word story of my life. I stand in a broad place now and am grateful daily for such grace.

Psalm 31:7-8

I will rejoice and be glad in your steadfast love, 
because you have seen my affliction; 
you have known the distress of my soul,
and you have not delivered me into the hand of the enemy; 
you have set my feet in a broad place.

Bible Gateway link: Psalm 31:7-8 (ESV)

Being open to the impossible has made my life possible. I'm so glad I heard these red letter words when I needed them most.

Mark 7:34
Then, looking up to heaven, He sighed, and said to him, “Ephphatha,” that is, “Be opened.”

Bible Gateway link: Mark 7:34 (NKJV)

Starving? Longing? Aching? Give over to God. Only He can satisfy your hunger.

Mark 6:42

So they all ate and were filled.

Bible Gateway link: Mark 6:42 (NKJV)

Despair was once a buddy of mine. By grace, I now walk hand in hand with hope.

Psalm 27:13

I would have lost heart, unless I had believed
That I would see the goodness of the Lord
In the land of the living.

Bible Gateway link: Psalm 27:13 (NKJV)

Every once in a while it occurs to me to shut up and listen. After all, it is a red letter command.

Mark 4:23
If anyone has ears to hear, let him hear.”

Bible Gateway link: Mark 4:23 (ESV)

There is a home for all of us if we just let go and let God. It is a red letter declaration.

Mark 3:35
For whoever does the will of God, he is my brother and sister and mother.”

Bible Gateway link: Mark 3:35 (ESV)

I have lifted up my soul to quite a few idols: alcohol, work, food, clothes, golf! Having a pure heart is such a challenge, but I need that blessing. Lord, I need that promised blessing.

Psalm 24:4-5
He who has clean hands and a pure heart, 
Who has not lifted up his soul to an idol, 
Nor sworn deceitfully.
He shall receive blessing from the Lord, 
And righteousness from the God of his salvation.

Bible Gateway link: Psalm 24:4-5 (NKJV)

Blood and guts, animal sacrifice, REALLY? It all seems so awful, irrelevant and archaic. Thank God, Jesus was the ultimate sacrifice who made all that other stuff meaningless.

Leviticus 3:7-8
If he offers a lamb for his offering, then he shall offer it before the Lord,
lay his hand on the head of his offering, and kill it in front of the tent of meeting; and Aaron's sons shall throw its blood against the sides of the altar.
Bible Gateway link: Leviticus 3:7-8 (ESV)

Feeling helpless? Don't. Just accept and ask. We can't even imagine the power Jesus has at his disposal. Here is just a taste of it in red letters.

Matthew 26:53
Do you think that I cannot appeal to my Father, and he will at once send me more than twelve legions of angels?

Bible Gateway link: Matthew 26:53 (ESV)

This 24/7 thing we're doing is not working out that well. We're running each other ragged. If everybody just gave it a rest on Sunday, maybe Monday wouldn't be so awful.

Exodus 23:12

Six days you shall do your work, and on the seventh day you shall rest, that your ox and your donkey may rest, and the son of your female servant and the stranger may be refreshed.
Bible Gateway link: Exodus 23:12 (NKJV)

Look what I found! Such interesting things pop up when you read the Holy Bible every day.

Exodus 22:28
“You shall not revile God, nor curse a ruler of your people.

Bible Gateway link: Exodus 22:28 (ESV)

Picking judges is a process as ancient as Moses. We didn't get the basics of our judicial system from nowhere. And happily we have the greatest book ever for reference.

Exodus 18:21

Moreover, look for able men from all the people, men who fear God, who are trustworthy and hate a bribe, and place such men over the people as chiefs of thousands, of hundreds, of fifties, and of tens.

Bible Gateway link: Exodus 18:21 (ESV)

Do you know any ridiculously stubborn idiots who just don't get it? Maybe God is using a negative to make a point. He kept hardening Pharaoh's heart despite Moses' ten plagues. You never know what He may be up to.

Exodus 9:16
But for this purpose I have raised you up, to show you my power, so that my name may be proclaimed in all the earth.
Bible Gateway link: Exodus 9:16 (ESV)

To all the people who are fearful now, the leader who is really in control has a red letter suggestion.

Matthew 17:7
But Jesus came and touched them and said, “Arise, and do not be afraid.”
Bible Gateway link: Matthew 17:7 (NKJV)

Words matter. You are free to test the words of the Lord but you will find that truth is truth, and it lasts.

Psalm 12:6-7

The words of the Lord are pure words, 
Like silver tried in a furnace of earth, 
Purified seven times.

You shall keep them, O Lord, 
You shall preserve them from this generation forever.

Bible Gateway link: Psalm 12:6-7 (NKJV)

What about me? When it feels as if you just give and give and give, make the time to be alone with God and pray. Jesus knew He couldn't do the work He'd been given on His own. We certainly can't.

Matthew 14:23

And when He had sent the multitudes away, He went up on the mountain by Himself to pray. Now when evening came, He was alone there.

Bible Gateway link: Matthew 14:23 (NKJV)

Dysfunctional family? Even in the most dysfunctional families God is at work. Joseph, spared by Judah, saved his family from famine. Judah's family eventually produced Jesus who saves anyone who believes.

Genesis 37:26-27
Then Judah said to his brothers, “What profit is it if we kill our brother and conceal his blood?

Come, let us sell him to the Ishmaelites, and let not our hand be upon him, for he is our brother, our own flesh.” And his brothers listened to him.
Bible Gateway link: Genesis 37:26-27 (ESV)