Wait! Where is this book and how do I get in it? Try finding a reading plan and read the Bible from cover to cover in 2015. When I did, it changed my life. Overcome!

Revelation 20:15
And anyone not found written in the Book of Life was cast into the lake of fire.
Bible Gateway link: Revelation 20:15

Good idea.

Proverbs 30:32
If you have been foolish in exalting yourself,
Or if you have devised evil, put your hand on your mouth.
Bible Gateway link: Proverbs 30:32

Lies are everywhere. Start by finding the truth and then spread it around.

Revelation 12:9
So the great dragon was cast out, that serpent of old, called the Devil and Satan, who deceives the whole world; he was cast to the earth, and his angels were cast out with him.
Bible Gateway Passage: Revelation 12:9

These are the requirements. Are we up to them? Of course we are, He is walking with us.

Micah 6:8

He has shown you, O man, what is good;
And what does the Lord require of you
But to do justly,
To love mercy,
And to walk humbly with your God?
Bible Gateway link: Micah 6:8 (NKJV)

There are very few things we can count on in life. But God keeps his promises. Count on it.

Revelation 7:16-17
They shall hunger no more, neither thirst anymore;
the sun shall not strike them,
nor any scorching heat.
For the Lamb in the midst of the throne will be their shepherd,
and he will guide them to springs of living water,
and God will wipe away every tear from their eyes.”
Bible Gateway link: Revelation 7:16-17

A treat today. Click on the YouTube link below and you will see why I think this is so delightful.

Psalm 98:4
Shout joyfully to the Lord, all the earth;
Break forth in song, rejoice, and sing praises.

You Tube: Christmas Scale (Igniter.media.com)

OK when was the last time you heard a quote from Obadiah? If you are flying high without God, you are not going to like this. It's that pesky pride thing.

Obadiah 1:3-4
The pride of your heart has deceived you,
You who dwell in the clefts of the rock,
Whose habitation is high;
You who say in your heart, ‘Who will bring me down to the ground?’
Though you ascend as high as the eagle,
And though you set your nest among the stars,
From there I will bring you down,” says the Lord.
Bible Gateway link: Obadiah 1:3-4

I am usually my own persecutor and I make my own prisons. If I can be so damaging to myself I NEED God's refuge. It is a little better than it used to be, certainly He has dealt bountifully with me.

Psalm 142:5-7
I cry to you, O Lord;
I say, “You are my refuge,
my portion in the land of the living.”
Attend to my cry,
for I am brought very low!
Deliver me from my persecutors,
for they are too strong for me!
Bring me out of prison,
that I may give thanks to your name!
The righteous will surround me,
for you will deal bountifully with me.

http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=psalm142:5-7&version=ESV

It is daunting and fascinating. Have you read Revelation recently? I once avoided it like the plague, but with the blessing below, I can read, not understand, be afraid and tentatively hopeful, yet know I am blessed.

Revelation 1:3

Blessed is he that readeth, and they that hear the words of this prophecy, and keep those things which are written therein: for the time is at hand.
Bible Gateway link: Revelation 1:3 King James Version

Overcome with anxiety about that long to-do list for Christmas? Here's a prayer just for you.

Psalm 139:23-24

Search me, O God, and know my heart;
Try me, and know my anxieties;
And see if there is any wicked way in me,
And lead me in the way everlasting.
Bible Gateway link: Psalm 139:23-24

Do you think there is only one way to do things? There is, it is God's way. Save some time and agony, don't try to do it your way.

Hosea 10:12-13
Sow for yourselves righteousness;
Reap in mercy;
Break up your fallow ground,
For it is time to seek the Lord,
Till He comes and rains righteousness on you.

You have plowed wickedness;
You have reaped iniquity.
You have eaten the fruit of lies,
Because you trusted in your own way,
In the multitude of your mighty men.
Bible Gateway link: Hosea 10:12-13 (NKJV)

We think we conduct our secret lives in secret. We don't.

Psalm 139:7-10
Where can I go from Your Spirit?
Or where can I flee from Your presence?
If I ascend into heaven, You are there;
If I make my bed in hell, behold, You are there.
If I take the wings of the morning,
And dwell in the uttermost parts of the sea,
Even there Your hand shall lead me,
And Your right hand shall hold me.
Bible Gateway link: Psalm 139:7-10 (NKJV)

If we don't want the wide world to look at us and say in disgust "hypocrites" we might want to pay attention to this.

1 John 4:20-21

If someone says, “I love God,” and hates his brother, he is a liar; for he who does not love his brother whom he has seen, how can he love God whom he has not seen?
And this commandment we have from Him: that he who loves God must love his brother also.
Bible Gateway link: 1 John 4:20-21

So simple. So challenging.

1 John 3:18
My little children, let us not love in word or in tongue, but in deed and in truth.
Bible Gateway link: 1 John 3:18

I tell you it is amazing how this whole thing holds together. Here it is again, an Old Testament prophet predicting the coming of Christ.

Daniel 7:13-14

“I was watching in the night visions,
And behold, One like the Son of Man,
Coming with the clouds of heaven!
He came to the Ancient of Days,
And they brought Him near before Him.
Then to Him was given dominion and glory and a kingdom,
That all peoples, nations, and languages should serve Him.
His dominion is an everlasting dominion,
Which shall not pass away,
And His kingdom the one
Which shall not be destroyed.
Bible Gateway link: Danel 7:13-14

Hey, I found a letter to all of us in today's Bible reading.

Daniel 6:25-27
Then King Darius wrote:To all peoples, nations, and languages that dwell in all the earth:
Peace be multiplied to you.
I make a decree that in every dominion of my kingdom men must tremble and fear before the God of Daniel.
For He is the living God,
And steadfast forever;
His kingdom is the one which shall not be destroyed,
And His dominion shall endure to the end.
He delivers and rescues,
And He works signs and wonders in heaven and on earth, Who has delivered Daniel from the power of the lions. 
Bible Gateway link: Daniel 6:25-27 (NKJV)

Ever feel as if you are in a furnace? Are anxiety, pressure, fear and guilt burning away at you? Look around, the Son of God is right there asking you to walk out with Him whole.

Daniel 3:24-25
Then King Nebuchadnezzar was astonished; and he rose in haste and spoke, saying to his counselors, “Did we not cast three men bound into the midst of the fire?”They answered and said to the king, “True, O king.”
“Look!” he answered, “I see four men loose, walking in the midst of the fire; and they are not hurt, and the form of the fourth is like the Son of God.”
Bible Gateway Link: Daniel 3:24-25 (NKJV)

There is a river with trees growing along the bank. Think of the river as Christ and the trees as Christians. Together we can feed and heal the world. Maybe Ezekiel had this in mind.

Ezekiel 47:12
Along the bank of the river, on this side and that, will grow all kinds of trees used for food; their leaves will not wither, and their fruit will not fail. They will bear fruit every month, because their water flows from the sanctuary. Their fruit will be for food, and their leaves for medicine.”
Bible Gateway link: Ezekiel 47:12 (NKJV)

This is the only God. I am most thankful to Him and for Him!

Psalm 135:5-7
For I know that the Lord is great,
and that our Lord is above all gods.
Whatever the Lord pleases, he does,
in heaven and on earth,
in the seas and all deeps.
He it is who makes the clouds rise at the end of the earth,
who makes lightnings for the rain 
and brings forth the wind from his storehouses.
Bible Gateway link: Psalm 135:5-7 (ESV)

Are there any wanderers in your life? Brought any back recently? My God, being a full-time Christian is hard, although it does have its rewards.

James 5:19-20

My brothers, if anyone among you wanders from the truth and someone brings him back,
let him know that whoever brings back a sinner from his wandering will save his soul from death and will cover a multitude of sins.
Bible Gateway Link: James 5:19-20

Watch your mouth!

James 3:8-12
but no human being can tame the tongue. It is a restless evil, full of deadly poison.
With it we bless our Lord and Father, and with it we curse people who are made in the likeness of God.
From the same mouth come blessing and cursing. My brothers, these things ought not to be so.
Does a spring pour forth from the same opening both fresh and salt water?
Can a fig tree, my brothers, bear olives, or a grapevine produce figs? Neither can a salt pond yield fresh water.
Bible Gateway link: James 3:8-12 (ESV)

All we have to do is believe. Faith will grow. Increased faith pushes us to do something about it. Then the surge of peace that comes with authentic works increases faith and works and peace.

James 2:14-17
What good is it, my brothers, if someone says he has faith but does not have works? Can that faith save him?
If a brother or sister is poorly clothed and lacking in daily food,
and one of you says to them, “Go in peace, be warmed and filled,” without giving them the things needed for the body, what good is that?
So also faith by itself, if it does not have works, is dead.
Bible Gateway passage: James 2:14-17

It is remarkable how often my daily Bible passages are relevant to current news. The last two days these two passages were in my "1-Year Through the Bible" readings. Different Books different eras, same issue.

Psalm 129:5-6

Jerusalem Synagogue Attack  11-18-14
Kobi Gideon/Reuters

May all who hate Zion 
be put to shame and turned backward!
Let them be like the grass on the housetops,
which withers before it grows up,

Bible Gateway passage: Psalm 129:5-6 (ESV)

Masked Palestinians hold axes as they celebrate with others an attack on a Jerusalem synagogue.  Ibraheem Abu Mustafa/REUTERS

Ezekiel 28:25-26
“Thus says the Lord God: When I gather the house of Israel from the peoples among whom they are scattered, and manifest my holiness in them in the sight of the nations, then they shall dwell in their own land that I gave to my servant Jacob.
And they shall dwell securely in it, and they shall build houses and plant vineyards. They shall dwell securely, when I execute judgments upon all their neighbors who have treated them with contempt. Then they will know that I am the Lord their God.”
Bible Gateway passage: Ezekiel 28:25-26 ESV

Having a crisis of faith? Hang in there. Just believe He exists and you will be rewarded.

Hebrews 11:6

Image: John Steven Fernandez via Flickr

And without faith it is impossible to please him, for whoever would draw near to God must believe that he exists and that he rewards those who seek him.

Bible Gateway link: Hebrews 11:6 (ESV)

In AA they say, "Don't give up right before the miracle happens." Hebrews quotes God's promise through Habakkuk, the Old Testament Prophet: the miracle is about to happen in "yet a little while." "Live by faith," persevere, do not shrink back.

Hebrews 10:36-39
For you have need of endurance, so that when you have done the will of God you may receive what is promised.
For,“Yet a little while,
and the coming one will come and will not delay;
but my righteous one shall live by faith,
and if he shrinks back,
my soul has no pleasure in him.”
But we are not of those who shrink back and are destroyed, but of those who have faith and preserve their souls.
Bible Gateway link: Hebrews 10:36-39 (ESV)

Here's Hebrews explaining Christ by quoting one of my favorite verses, Jeremiah 31:33-34. Check out my previous post from Ezekiel, the New dovetailing beautifully with the Old.

Hebrews 10:15-18
And the Holy Spirit also bears witness to us; for after saying,

     “This is the covenant that I will make with them 
          after those days, declares the Lord:

Bible Gateway passage: Jeremiah 31:33-34 (ESV)

     I will put my laws on their hearts,
          and write them on their minds,”
then he adds,
     “I will remember their sins and their lawless deeds no more.”

Where there is forgiveness of these, there is no longer any offering for sin.
Bible Gateway Passage: Hebrews 10:15-18 (ESV)

There is still time. Read the Gospel for instructions.

Ezekiel 18:21-23

“But if a wicked person turns away from all his sins that he has committed and keeps all my statutes and does what is just and right, he shall surely live; he shall not die.
None of the transgressions that he has committed shall be remembered against him; for the righteousness that he has done he shall live.
Have I any pleasure in the death of the wicked, declares the Lord God, and not rather that he should turn from his way and live?
Bible Gateway Passage Ezekiel 18:21-23

When I am exploring the content of someone's character, I look to the way that person treats the "little people." God wants us to have a servant's heart and to look to Him. Being a hotshot is not what He had in mind.

Psalm 123:1-4
To you I lift up my eyes,
O you who are enthroned in the heavens!
Behold, as the eyes of servants
look to the hand of their master,
as the eyes of a maidservant 
to the hand of her mistress,
so our eyes look to the Lord our God,
till he has mercy upon us.
Have mercy upon us, O Lord, have mercy upon us,
for we have had more than enough of contempt.
Our soul has had more than enough 
of the scorn of those who are at ease,
of the contempt of the proud.
Bible Gateway link to Psalm 123:1-4 (ESV)

How simple is this? God speaks to his prophet Ezekiel and to us. Receive God's word in your heart. Hear Him.

Ezekiel 3:10

Moreover, he said to me, “Son of man, all my words that I shall speak to you receive in your heart, and hear with your ears.
Bible Gateway Link: Ezekiel 3:10 (ESV)

Does God seem far away? Are you paying attention to the enemy in your world? He may be prevailing.

Lamentations 1:16
“For these things I weep;

My eye, my eye overflows with water;
Because the comforter, 
who should restore my life,
Is far from me.
My children are desolate
Because the enemy prevailed.”
Bible Gateway Link: Lamentations 1:16 (NKJV)

Do you secretly think you might be going crazy? You may be listening to the world and not to God.

2 Timothy 1:7
For God has not given us a spirit of fear, but of power and of love and of a sound mind.

Over and over the Bible tells us to love one another. Think what the world would be like if everyone actually did this.

1 Timothy 5:1-2

Do not rebuke an older man but encourage him as you would a father, younger men as brothers, older women as mothers, younger women as sisters, in all purity.
Bible Gateway Link: 1 Timothy 5:1-2 (ESV)

Affliction was such a blessing for me. God once put a halt to my busyness with excruciating pain, then when he had my attention, He taught me amazing things.

Psalm 119:65-67
You have dealt well with your servant,
O Lord, according to your word.
Teach me good judgment and knowledge,
for I believe in your commandments.
Before I was afflicted I went astray,
but now I keep your word.
Bible Gateway Link: Psalm 119:65-67 (ESV)

The longer I live the more I realize everything is about the heart. The people I love and admire not only have good hearts, they have open, willing and giving hearts. I pray the Psalm below because I want a large heart. A heart large enough to obey God and do his will.

Psalm 119:29-32

Remove from me the way of lying,
And grant me Your law graciously.
I have chosen the way of truth;
Your judgments I have laid before me.
I cling to Your testimonies;
O Lord, do not put me to shame!
I will run the course of Your commandments,
For You shall enlarge my heart.
Bible Gateway link: Psalm 119:29-32 (NKJV)

Need instructions? Try this.

1 Thessalonians 5:16-18
Rejoice always,
pray without ceasing,
in everything give thanks; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you.

Bible Gateway Passage: 1 Thessalonians 5:16-18

Trust. We need not be anxious, we are blessed.

Jeremiah 17:7-8
“Blessed is the man who trusts in the Lord,
And whose hope is the Lord.
For he shall be like a tree planted by the waters,
Which spreads out its roots by the river,
And will not fear when heat comes;
But its leaf will be green,
And will not be anxious in the year of drought,
Nor will cease from yielding fruit.

Bible Gateway Passage: Jeremiah 17:7-8

What are you doing with this day? At the very least we should rejoice and be glad. The Psalms are such a great gift, the mortar that connects the Old and New Testaments. The Lord Jesus is the cornerstone. He holds us together.

Psalm 118:21-24
I will praise You,
For You have answered me,
And have become my salvation.
The stone which the builders rejected
Has become the chief cornerstone.
This was the Lord’s doing;
It is marvelous in our eyes.
This is the day the Lord has made;
We will rejoice and be glad in it.
Bible Gateway Passage: Psalm 118:21-24 (NKJV)

Paul says: "Continue steadfastly in prayer...that God may open to us a door for the word." The Washington Prayer Gathering was today (#dcprays.) Pray steadfastly with thanksgiving for a revival.

Colossians 4:2-3

Lincoln Memorial 10-13-14

Continue steadfastly in prayer, being watchful in it with thanksgiving.
At the same time, pray also for us, that God may open to us a door for the word, to declare the mystery of Christ, on account of which I am in prison—

Bible Gateway Passage: Colossians 4: 2-3

Try doing the grocery shopping for The Lord, the laundry, making dinner. I am amazed at how easy it is when I think of this work as an offering instead of a burden.

Colossians 3:17
And whatever you do, in word or deed, do everything in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through him.

Bible Gateway Passage: Colossians 3:17 (ESV)

Below is a clear cut explanation of who Christ is. It is not possible to overstate what a BIG deal this is. He is the one who holds everything together.

Colossians 1:15-17
He is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn of all creation.

For by him all things were created, in heaven and on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or dominions or rulers or authorities—all things were created through him and for him.
And he is before all things, and in him all things hold together.
Bible Gateway Link: Colossians 1:15-17

Flaming darts! Yes, that is exactly what communication from the evil one feels like. Reason enough to take up the armor that God freely gives us.

Ephesians 6:16-17
In all circumstances take up the shield of faith, with which you can extinguish all the flaming darts of the evil one;
and take the helmet of salvation, and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God,

Bible Gateway Link: Ephesians 6:16-17

Our job: praise, respect, obedience. Our reward: light dawns in the darkness.

Psalm 112:1-4
Praise the Lord!

Blessed is the man who fears the Lord,
who greatly delights in his commandments!
His offspring will be mighty in the land;
the generation of the upright will be blessed.
Wealth and riches are in his house,
and his righteousness endures forever.
Light dawns in the darkness for the upright;
he is gracious, merciful, and righteous.

Bible Gateway Link: Psalm 112:1-4

These are values on which America was built. Be merciful but be careful not to be pulled in, help each other, do not lie to yourself, do not boast, bear your own load. I think we have lost our way? You?

Galatians 6:1-5
Brothers, if anyone is caught in any transgression, you who are spiritual should restore him in a spirit of gentleness. Keep watch on yourself, lest you too be tempted.
Bear one another's burdens, and so fulfill the law of Christ.
For if anyone thinks he is something, when he is nothing, he deceives himself.
But let each one test his own work, and then his reason to boast will be in himself alone and not in his neighbor.
For each will have to bear his own load.

Bible Gateway Link:Galatians 6:1-5

Reasonable people can look at the bible and see that God is what He says and does what He says. If His promises have not yet come true in our lives, use logic. His guidance to us stands and all will happen at His pleasure.

Isaiah 46:8-10
“Remember this, and show yourselves men;
Recall to mind, O you transgressors.
Remember the former things of old,
For I am God, and there is no other;
I am God, and there is none like Me,
Declaring the end from the beginning,
And from ancient times things that are not yet done,
Saying, ‘My counsel shall stand,
And I will do all My pleasure,’

Bible Gateway Link: Isaiah 46:8-10

The Apostle Paul is quoting Isaiah 54:1 below. His point is far deeper than the literal meaning. But, I'm taking it literally today. I am barren, but I have been a "work" mother to many. More children than I would have had if I had borne my own.

Galatians 4:27
For it is written:
       “Rejoice, O barren,
         You who do not bear!
         Break forth and shout,
         You who are not in labor!
         For the desolate has many more children
         Than she who has a husband.”

Bible Gateway passage Galatians 4:27 (NKJV)