#read the bible in 365 days

[harmonyhealinghub]

Hallow App: Elevate Your Meditation Practice to New Heights

Shaina Tranquilino

January 7, 2024

In today's fast-paced and digitally-driven world, finding moments of peace and tranquility can be challenging. However, thanks to technological advancements, we now have access to countless apps designed to help us improve our overall well-being. Among these remarkable offerings is the Hallow app – a powerful tool that aims to transform your meditation practice into a deeply enriching and transformative experience.

What is Hallow?

Hallow is an innovative meditation app specifically tailored for Christians, Catholics, or really anyone, seeking to deepen their spirituality through prayer and contemplation. This unique platform combines ancient Christian and Catholic traditions with modern technology to provide users with a comprehensive range of guided meditations, prayers, reflections, sleep stories, and more.

For some reason, I feel called to return to my roots and practice more "traditional" spirituality. At the beginning of this new year in 2024, I felt compelled to read the Bible, making it my New Year's resolution. Growing up Catholic and attending Catholic elementary and high school, I have previously read the Bible. However, at that time, I found it somewhat boring as it was not taught in an engaging manner suitable for children. Nevertheless, with the Hallow App, I find that they present passages from the Bible in a more comprehensible manner. Not only do they offer easy-to-understand explanations, but they also provide options like listening to the Bible or their teachings presented poetically or through meditation styles. This app is ideal for individuals who prefer a less traditional approach to learning about God, connecting with God, and reading the Bible as it offers a simpler and more accessible way.

Features and Benefits:

1. Guided Catholic Meditations: Hallow offers a vast library of guided meditations led by experienced Catholic priests, theologians, and spiritual directors. These meditations cover various themes such as gratitude, forgiveness, healing, discernment, anxiety relief, and many more. Each session incorporates scripture readings, personal reflections, and soothing music to guide users towards a deeper connection with God.

2. Daily Prayer Plans: To foster consistency and growth in one's spiritual journey, Hallow provides personalized daily prayer plans that cater to different needs and goals. Whether you're looking for assistance in developing a habit of prayer or seeking specific intentions like inner peace or strength during difficult times – Hallow has you covered.

3. Sleep Stories & Music: Recognizing the importance of quality sleep for overall well-being, Hallow includes calming sleep stories inspired by Christian spirituality that gently lull users into deep relaxation before bed. Additionally, the app offers peaceful instrumental music tracks ideal for meditation sessions or simply creating a serene ambiance throughout the day.

4. Community Support: One of the standout features of Hallow is its supportive community aspect. Users can connect with fellow Christians around the world, share their experiences, and offer encouragement. This sense of community fosters a supportive environment that helps users stay motivated and committed to their spiritual practice.

In a world filled with distractions and stress, finding moments of peace and connecting with our spirituality is essential for our overall well-being. The Hallow app provides an invaluable resource for Christians, Catholics, or really anyone, seeking to deepen their relationship with God through meditation, prayer, and reflection. With its extensive library of guided meditations, personalized prayer plans, sleep stories, and vibrant community support – Hallow empowers individuals to embark on a transformative journey towards spiritual growth and inner peace.

So why not take the first step toward enhancing your meditation practice today? Download the Hallow app and experience the profound benefits it has to offer – allowing yourself to be guided towards a more centred and fulfilling life rooted in Christian spirituality. https://hallow.com/

#hallow app #hallow #hallow app journey #meditation elevation #mindfulness mastery #zen elevated #spiritual ascent #higher state of mind #elevate your soul #meditation heights #read the bible #bible #read the bible in a year #read the bible in 365 days #inner peace soars #transcend with hallow

[justtrying-007]

Day 4:

My friends and family members have dedicated ourself to reading through the Bible this year. . . With the hopes that we’ll stir up the fire within ourselves, find truth, grow towards God and in God; and subsequently grow together as the body of Christ. ❤️

Cheers!

#365 days #god is love #christian blog #prayer #power of prayer #bible study #christian tumblr #bible reading #reading through the Bible #daily bible reading

[betterlifeinoverall-rethabilep]

24/7 Powerful Weapon Fourth Edition

To Be A Strong Christian, You Must Develop Spirituality, Zeal, Maturity, Holiness And Steadfastness In The Lord. By Bishop Dag Heward-Mills Like, Share And Follow Please don’t forget to comment

View On WordPress

#30 To 60 Minutes Of Morning Prayer #365 Days Daily Devotions #Daily Audio Series Sermon #Faith And Intimacy #Fasting And Prayer Works Miracles #How You Can Become A Strong Christian By Dag Heward-Mills #Memorize Holy Bible Verses #Pray Via Holy Bible Verses #Quiet Time #Quote Verses #Read Holy Bible Scriptures #Read Two Holy Books On Prayer #Take Prayer Walks #Tell Someone About Jesu Almost Daily #Unceasingly Pray 24/7 #When Happy-Pray #When SAD-Pray

[nyxronomicon]

Part i: Man of God

ex-husband!Geto x fem!reader

summary: Nearly a year and a half after your divorce, Suguru Geto still texts you. You stopped responding after he told you the ridiculous lie that he was a priest a year ago. When he sends a picture of himself in his priest robes, you feel a little guilty about ignoring him all this time. reader: she/her pronouns, wears a skirt/dress, tits & vagina pet names: my love note: I use MC in the place of y/n because I prefer it cw: religious themes, yandere!Geto

masterlist | ao3 mirror

The church bells chimed like clockwork. Geto continued to page through his bible. He wasn’t reading it, rather going through the motions. No one knew that when that book was open, he was replaying his memories of you rather than reading the contents. It didn’t matter. Ever since you left him, the words brought him no comfort. Not that they did before, but the way his parents always talked about religion felt like there might be some kind of salvation between the pages.

He’d gotten into the habit after filling in at their church. For some reason, they thought they’d raised him to be devout. They didn’t know about the tattoos that covered his arms or the piercings he’d gotten in places they’d never see. They were always telling their priests how kind and dedicated he was, so when they suddenly needed someone to step in, Geto somehow got roped into helping. It was all based on the lies he told them to appease them.

At the time, Geto was at rock bottom. You’d left him only a couple of months prior. Normally he would have said no, but he really needed the break from his old life. His natural charisma made him very popular, and even though he didn’t really know the bible like his parents claimed he did, he found it easy to pick out sermon topics because every day he felt like the Lord was testing him. Just knowing you were out in the world living your life without him killed him inside.

And so, paging through his bible, under the guise of preparing for today’s sermon, he was desperate for some kind of miracle to fall from the pages. Some way to get you back.

The bells chimed again. The church organ played a hymn. Geto sighed and snapped the worn bible closed. This marked one year. 365 days since your last interaction. He opened his phone, scrolling to the last text message from you. He’d just told you he had become a priest, hoping maybe you’d see he’s trying to be a better man. You didn’t believe him. He occasionally texted you even now, trying to keep the lines of communication open, but that was your last response.

One year ago, he started preaching. He felt like such a hypocrite. Not once did he even believe his own words about love and salvation. How could this room of fools listen to such a flawed man? He sighed, setting the bible down.

365 days later, but you were still right. He wasn’t a better man. Maybe he’d gone from a salary man to a priest, but he was certainly no man of God.

Geto walked down the church corridor to begin the sermon. He wore the basic regalia as he strolled down the aisle past the congregation. He might as well have had blinders on as he gave the sermon. It was always the same. He’d say some lofty God-fearing shit, and the congregation ate it up.

He was just going through the motions. In a lot of ways, nothing had changed. Not from a year ago. Not from four months before that when you first told him you wanted a divorce.

He certainly hadn't changed. His heart ached just as much as it did when you said those words. His love for you never faded. It was the only thing that didn't hurt. Or perhaps he'd just deluded himself into thinking that.

Immediately after the sermon, he disappeared into his office again, looking at that tattered bible that offered no salvation. No miracles. And not one way to win you back. He considered opening it. Paging through and thinking of you, like he always did. Like you were the god he’d been praying to all this time.

Instead, he opened his text messages to you again. He briefly looked through his fruitless attempts at conversation. Then he saw your last words again.

MC: You? A priest? That’s the funniest shit I’ve ever heard.

He sighed and typed one more message. Then he deleted it, typing something else. He agonized over what to send, but it just didn’t feel right to leave things like this. Like you were a stranger.

.

Your phone chimed at your Sunday brunch. Seeing who it was from, you immediately swiped the notification away. Geto didn’t text you often, and you hadn’t entertained the idea of replying since the last lie. You didn’t even remember what it was, truth be told. At any rate, you heard he went back to his hometown, so you didn’t know why he kept bugging you.

Just like every time he texted you, the memories came flooding back just from seeing his name. Good memories, sure, but the bad memories came with them. The manipulation. The lies. For all the shit he put you through, your heart still beat a little faster knowing he was thinking about you. It was unfair he still had this hold on you.

You were a little drunk after brunch when you got another text message from Geto. It was probably a bad idea to read it now, but you figured you should just get it over with so you could get him out of your head.

Geto: I guess a normal man would have given up on you a year ago. Sorry it’s a little late.

Attached to the first message was a selfie of him in his priest's robes. You laughed, thinking he looked so different from when you knew him. Although you asked for the divorce and you were the one pushing him away, it still stung a little to think that you didn’t really know him anymore. Then you scrolled down to the next text.

Geto: I have to resign, though. Last chance for a confessional.

You looked at the message, feeling a little melancholy that you missed the entirety of his priest arc. Or rather, you were about to. You glanced at the clock; it was still early. You wondered if you should reply. You didn’t really know what to say. Looking back at the last thing you said though, you felt he deserved a response since it turned out he was telling the truth.

MC: Forgive me, father, for I have sinned…

A silent chuckle escaped your lips as you hit send. Less than a couple of minutes later, your phone rang. You didn’t have to look to know who it was, but you stared in shock at the name on your screen, anyway. You were feeling drunk and nostalgic. If you were in your right mind, you would have ignored the call, but seeing him in his priest's robes made you want to make fun of him a little. You answered the call but immediately fell silent when it connected.

"... MC?" Geto said after a moment. His voice brought back so many memories. So many feelings. And your name… the way he said it didn’t seem to lose any of the tender affection you once remembered.

"Geto." Your voice did the same to him, although as long as it had been since he’d heard you speak, it had been even longer since you used his last name. The gravity of your decision to answer just hit you, and you wondered if this would snowball into something new. Or rather, something old. Something you spent all this time trying to forget. To erase.

"You know you don’t need to be formal with me." He tried to mask his excitement. Just hearing your voice had his heart racing, although you didn’t seem particularly thrilled to be speaking with him.

"I know." There was a pause as you both seemed stuck. You didn’t think he’d call, and he didn’t think you’d answer.

"Why did you call me?" You said after a while.

"Sorry." He chuckled nervously. "Honestly, I thought this would go to voicemail."

"I’m…" There was another pause as you thought about what you should say. Something that wouldn’t topple the walls you’d built between the two of you. "I’m just as surprised as you."

"You’re surprised you answered?" His voice was like the sweetest honey. His tone reminded you of late night pillow talks, the sweet nothings he’d string together as you fell asleep.

"Yeah… I was at brunch earlier, I’m not… sober…" You trailed off, feeling a little stupid now.

Geto laughed. "I miss getting brunch. That’s the first thing I’ll do once my Sundays are free." There was another pause as you waited for him to get to the point. "I, um... I’m moving back to the city."

"Here?" You responded, your heart thumping in your chest. You couldn’t place the emotion.

"Yeah." He sounded sad. "This was a nice detour, but it doesn’t pay much. Dating prospects aren’t any good, either." He laughed.

"Aww," you giggled, "No one wants to date a hot young priest like you anymore? Having an affair would be way more fun than just resigning." There was a silence that made you feel this joke was perhaps a little too much. Of course, he wouldn’t want to talk about dating with his ex.

"Unfortunately, the right person never came along." His tone was still lighthearted, but you had a weird feeling in your heart as he spoke. Like you were better off not knowing who he had in mind- because the "right person" was you.

"You never know. They could come in next week and throw themself at you." You wanted to change the subject, but you didn’t know how.

"That’s doubtful." He chuckled. "I guess fucking in a confessional was on my bucket list for a long time, though, huh?"

"I can’t believe you got the keys to the church and haven’t made it happen yet." You laughed. "You must be pretty rusty." There was another pause, this one longer.

"I was thinking," Geto finally gained the courage to break the silence. "I’d like to meet up when I move back. Just the two of us."

"Geto…" You sighed. You knew this was coming.

"Please, call me Suguru. Like you used to." He interrupted.

"I can’t… We can’t." Your heart ached having to reject him like this. But you’d put so much energy into forgetting the way he made you feel. Even just talking to him over the phone like this made you realize how weak the walls you built were. How easily he could topple them with three little words.

"I… miss you." And there they were, just a murmur from his lips. The silence afterward was deafening. Even so, he waited for a response. Every moment you made him wait was suffocating. Here he was, standing in the church’s office, door locked, talking to his ex just like the heathen he used to be. Like the heathen he still was, deep down.

"Don’t do this to me, Suguru." Your voice was soft. Tinged with a familiar sadness. The very same that consumed Geto. But when you said his first name, it made his heart jump in his chest, bringing him more happiness than your wedding day.

"Would it be too much to ask you to attend my final sermon?" He asked. One more rejection from you would be it. The nail in the coffin. There was another long pause.

"I’m guessing it’s your parents' church? Kinda far from here." You sighed. Just a few hours' travel, but you’d have to stay the night somewhere.

"I’ll get you a hotel." Geto offered. "Just think about it. You don’t have to answer now."

"Okay. I’ll think about it." You relented. It would be kind of funny to see him up there. Not that it was a good enough reason to go out of your way for your ex-husband.

"I’ll let you go, but…" Geto trailed off for a moment. "I just wanted you to know. There isn’t anyone else. There never was." And a short pause told you the words he left out- there never will be.

Your heart ached, if only because deep down you felt the same way. You wanted to give him another chance, but you knew how bad it could be for you.

"Goodbye, Geto." You hung up the phone without waiting for a response.

.

Three years ago.

"I feel bad." You sighed.

"Believe it or not, Nanami will have another birthday next year." Suguru stroked your head as you cuddled against his chest.

"Yeah, but I missed last year, too." You couldn’t even remember the last time you saw him, now that you were thinking about it. "I should text him."

"For what?" You heard your husband scoff. His scent was so comforting, your nude bodies tangled together after your early morning tryst.

"I just feel like I’m losing our friendship. I don’t know." As you spoke, your husband’s gentle touch put your worried mind at ease.

"He doesn’t need you." Suguru’s tone was cold. "You’re just an accessory to him. Something to make him feel less lonely." His grip around your waist tightened. "You don’t need to waste your time on someone like that."

"It’s not a waste." You refuted. "I enjoy spending time with him."

"More than me?" He ran his fingers up your back. There was a short pause. "It’s never just friendship with men. You know that, right? They always want something."

"What are you suggesting?" You looked up at your husband.

"Maybe he has a little crush, I don’t know." Suguru sighed, sitting up. "I don’t trust him. He’s too… persistent with you."

"You know, you could always come with me when I see my friends." You felt cold in the bed with his warmth gone.

"Why?"

So that he could watch you hug them? Fawn over them? Waste your undivided attention on them? No, if he was forced to choose, he’d rather be waiting for you at home. He didn’t want to waste his time on your stupid friends. Friendship was just temporary anyway. Nothing like the unshakeable bond he shared with you.

"It would make me happy," your voice was meek, "if you tried to get along with them."

There was a long pause and Geto smiled, looking back at you. "Of course, my love. I promise, I’ll try." Of course, these were just words to Suguru Geto.

tagging @suget

#jjk geto #geto suguru #geto x reader #jjk x reader #jujutsu geto

[4dkellysworld]

New book in my drive

I was never religious but they all point to the truth in their own way. I can feel so much beauty and love from the words in this book (Jesus Always) that's based off The Bible. The book Jesus Always is written from the perspective of Jesus speaking to you but you can think of it as Self/God/Infinite Beingness (although you can also think of it as from your preferred symbol too)! I think even reading one page a day would help comfort and uplift anyone. There's over 1000 pages there's one passage for each day of the year so 365 in total so it's up to you whether you read sporadically or use it as study material as that's fine too. The way it's written reminds me of the Bhagavad Gita, there's so much wisdom, love and compassion. Thank you to my friend who showed me this book 🤭

I suggest you all check the book out, I think having it there to read when you're going through a rough patch will help too 🩷

#update #resources

[blushcoloreddreams]

Good tidings! I'd like to ask about how you maintain time for prayer/worship while being a med student and likely very busy--it's so impressive you're doing everything at once and I've love some advice if you're willing! Thank you~ ദ്ദി ˉ͈̀꒳ˉ͈́ )✧

Hi! Thanks you so much for the kind words! I’d like to start this by saying that my routine is far from perfect, it’s not every day that I can accomplish everything I planned on and I have my bad days as well. Remember that what you see on the internet is only the portion of people’s lives they choose to share so please don’t compare yourself but here’s a list of things that help:

1. Consistency over perfection

In the modern world we have a lot going on, and sometimes we are not going to be able to do everything and that’s ok! I know that sometimes we see Christian influencers going to church multiple times a week, doing over and hour long bible studies and having this elaborate prayer routine and even if that is truly beautiful it’s not achievable for all of us. A little heartfelt prayer before bed or just an “Our Father” when you wake up is better than nothing at all. Also don’t let these days that you can’t do it feel like you are less worthy of God’s love or that you should just stray away from religion because you were not able to dedicate as much time as you wanted to. To quote St. Thérèse of Lisieux

Remember that nothing is small in the eyes of God. Do all that you do with love

2. Have a routine

Routines are the best way to build habits, open a space in your routine to pray. As stated before it doesn’t need to be something huge, as a kid I’d start my mornings with the triad of « Our Father », « Hail Mary » and the Guardian Angel’s prayer followed by a more personal prayer with the things I was thankful for and my intentions/ wishes for the day, and when I grew up I also added the Apostles creed. Its not as long as it seems and it’s enough to set the day. I like to do it in an morning because it’s a moment i have for myself without the rush of studying and my routine has started. Take your holy day seriously, if you are Catholic really go to church on Sundays, if you are Protestant it might be Saturdays, but this weekly moments with God will make a difference. When you have extra time longer prayers like praying the rosary and taking some time reading the Bible is great. You can find a lot of yearly bible reads planners, dividing it in 365 chunks makes it feel way more feasible than trying to speed run it, and already moving to the next top if you compromise to do it with someone it will also be easier and more fun.

3. Have Christian friends

One of the things that really helps me is one of my best friends, she’s not only very knowledgeable about theology but she introduced me to a other young people and also from other ages that shared the same faith as me. It’s great to have someone you can be with in your religious journey. I love going to mass, praying the rosary and doing bible studies with them or even just sharing silly Catholic memes, books (Catholic or not) and experiences. Having people around you that you can talk about more spiritual things and be with you when you are drifting away is one of the things that will really lighten that path for you. It in your personal life (school, work etc etc) you don’t have a lot of friends like that church groups are a way you can meet new people like you

#personal #level up #christian girl #christian faith #catholiscism #catholic #traditional femininity #femininity #personal development #feminine #tradwoman #feminine energy #religion #daily routine

[pickmeforjesus]

I think the reason every "Christmas is actually Christian" essay falls flat is because they inevitably make one of those those mistake:

- conflate "tradition" with actually "prescription from God". "Christians 200 years ago decided to put up trees and decorate them" explain to me why those "Christians" are rehashing the same rites as non Christians/heathens to worship their own gods. Is that a coincidence? Explain to me why a handful of European Christian doing stuff should suddenly become an approved Christian rite? If tomorrow I decide to wear read socks whenever I pray doesn't make red socks-wearing prayer time any more Christian.

- act like the birth of Jesus was the most important event for Christians. It's not. Jesus being born alone isn't what made Christianity. Jesus winning over sin and death did. If ~30 years after his birth Jesus abided to satan's temptation in the desert it would've be over for us all. That's why Jesus said "it is accomplished" just before blowing his last breath while nailed on the cross - not when he was a child, returning from his 40 days in the desert or after his baptism. The only reason Christians make a big deal out of Christmas is out of laziness because talking about the cute birth of Jesus in a barn is less demanding than talking about how his excruciating death on the cross is actually God biggest display of Love for Humanity

- "Christmas is the perfect time to evangelization" We should evangelize 365 days a year. Paul said we should do so under any circumstances, not those that are more favorable to us

- thinking that pagan = going against God. Doing something with God at heart doesn't mean that God approves it. Never forget that Saul went to see a necromancer to find support/advice to lead a battle he thought God would approve (fighting philistines). Intention doesn't give you credentials. And on the opposite, pagan do things thinking they worship God (ex : other religions) while they're still in bad favor to Him

- "Christmas can't be pagan because there's "Christ" in it 🤪" ...let me introduce you to the concept of non English languages. In french, Christmas is said "Noël" which interestingly can be read as "No El" which can be translated as "No God"....

- "aKtcHualLy Jesus was born on December 25th uwu" Cool story bro. Stil irrelevant to the fact that nothing in the Bible states we should celebrate his birthday. If God thought that day irrelevant enough to not put it out there, why are you hellbent investigating when it was and pull out whole ceremonials around it?

#rebuking fallacies

[watermeloncholycucumbersome]

Day 53 of Writing Something Everyday

(365 Day Challenge)

You were the only one who truly cared

about my writing,

Now without you it just seems like I'm forcing it.

Is this a waste of time, should I stop?

I miss you so much, how you encouraged me.

Our stupid goofy talks and made up songs we'd sing.

It's so quiet in this house without you,

And the child playing in the apartment upstairs seems louder than ever.

I'm trying to do things that we didn't do together so I have something different,

But the shitty part is that everything I do no matter what it is reminds me of you.

I think of what you'd say when I watch something or read something.

I think of what you'd say while I'm painting,

"Can I see when you're done?"

Waking up is the worst and going to sleep is harder.

The ghost of you lingers here and it's hard to ignore even though I know it isn't you.

I wish I could give you a hug,

I'd give anything to make you a tea again.

I don't use the kettle much now, it's just a decoration in the kitchen.

Reading the Bible is hard,

I read all five chapters alone instead of us taking turns,

I'd give anything for you to interrupt my reading to ask me a question about what we just read, to hear you ask my opinion or have someone to ask anything.

I keep expecting this to be a dream and I'll wake up and be able to tell you everything that's happened.

That they leave you hours on the floor when you die until the coroner comes.

That you have to clean up the mess, not them.

How coroner's are even weirder than they depict them to be in movies and they smell weird.

And that the people who cremate you are even weirder when you talk to them.

That every single movie and tv show seems to be about death or murder.

Even the cab driver on my way home from the cremation place was listening to a murder mystery audio book.

That when you give CPR to someone who's already gone it feels different, like when you've drank half a can of pop and poke the side of the can in only for it to pop back out.

Or the roof of an old car if you lean on it too much it indents and pops back out.

And the sound.....

That the officer that stayed with me looked like he was the missing character from Napoleon Dynamite, he had a badass 'stache.

That everyone around you tells you they are there for you, yet when you ask for help they act like you're speaking a foreign language and can't understand you.

How I called to sign myself in for treatment but called back to cancel it and I will call back again.

That the word "awww" should only be used when referring to an adorable puppy or baby...Not the loss of your mother.

That your empty hospital bed at home scares me but I don't know what to do.

That I have to take Melatonin and Tylenol hours before bed just to fall asleep as it's like my eyelids are forever stuck open.

That I heard a lady hysterically laughing on the side of the road and yelling at people and it freaked me out and everyone else on the street too I think.

That I bought two records and started my record collection again, that I found a cool shop that isn't that expensive and the people are nice.

That the neighbours don't know anything happened I don't think, they either don't know or don't care as nobody's said anything to me.

I just sit in the apartment and cry a lot now.

I miss you so much,

Sabbath is coming up and this will be my first Sabbath completely without you,

Your birthday after that will be harder.

I miss you so much Mom.

~Jenni

#i miss my mom #i miss you #grief #loss #anxiety #sadness #depression #bpd #thoughts #feelings #love #poetry #poem #spilled heart #mental health #spilled words #original poem #poets on tumblr #written word #original writing #creative writing #im lost without you #i need help #i love my mom #spilled tears #spilled thoughts #spilled ink #spiritual attacks #spilled writing #spilled poetry

[dailyaudiobible]

1/1/2024 DAB Transcript

Genesis 1:1-2:25, Matthew 1:1-2:12, Psalm 1:1-6, Proverbs 1:1-6

Today is the first day of January, welcome to the Daily Audio Bible. I am Brian, it is awesome to be here with you today, as we gather around a place that we will gather for the next 365 days around the Global Campfire, where we gather in a nice, peaceful, oasis each day, to allow the Scriptures to kind of wash into our lives, orient us to God, and give us the direction and clarity that we need. Sometimes that is the rescue that we need. Sometimes it is the word that we need. Sometimes it is the correction that we need, but it will always be what we need. So, it is great to be here with you today, as we embark on our 19th voyage around the sun, our 19th voyage through the Bible together. This begins year 19 of the Daily Audio Bible. So, that is exciting. It is exciting to be here with you, those of you who have been here all these years, those of you who’ve been here for maybe half of these years, those of you who have been here for a year and those of you who are brand-new today, welcome to the family. Over the next couple of months, as we can settle into the rhythm here, we will become that, a community, a family showing up for each other every day, loving one another, praying for one another and involving ourselves in each other's stories, as we find our story in the Bible. So, how this works, if this is brand-new for you, is that we will read a little bit of the Old Testament, a little bit of the New Testament. We’ll read from the Psalms and we’ll read from the Proverbs each day and we will make our way through the entire Bible, reading every book, every chapter, every verse as we move through and there's so much treasure for life out in front of us and we need to dive in. We need to set sail or whatever it is, we've all landed here. Here we are. So, let's begin.

Introduction to the Book of Genesis:

And obviously we have to begin every story at the beginning, and that's how the story begins in the book of Genesis, that we will begin in a minute. In the beginning and it's an important first step to us because it gives us the orientation about where we've come from and the context that we need to observe our lives and understand where it's going. In the beginning, God created the heavens and the earth, and that will launch us into this adventure. And we’ll travel through all the miles. We’re gonna meet so many fascinating people who will become friends of ours, our spiritual ancestors, their stories and their hearts will be revealed to us, and we’ll find ourselves in their stories. And since we’re about to begin, we need to orient ourselves to the territory that we encounter in the Old Testament. When we think about the book of Genesis, normally we think about the creation story. The irony is that Genesis covers more time than any other book in the Bible. So, there's the creation story and then about 2500 years pass within the pages of Genesis, which is more time than the rest of the Old Testament combined. So, as we begin Genesis, we have these first 11 chapters and we cover a couple thousand years and a couple thousand miles and then we’ll slow things down and we’ll meet specific generations of people and it's the family that we watch get shaped in the book of Genesis that influences the rest of the Bible and influences our world until today. And then also, Genesis is a part of a larger grouping of writings that encompass the first five books of the Bible. That's Genesis, Exodus, Leviticus, Numbers, and Deuteronomy. And this grouping is called the Torah. And so, we are beginning with the Torah or the Pentateuch, right now as we begin Genesis chapters 1 and two today.

Commentary:

Okay, so, this is day one of 365 days. And we’re just getting going and so, we talked about the book of Genesis. We probably noticed that we started four books, today, Matthew, Psalms and Proverbs as well. And it would just be a really, really long thing to try to orient ourselves to everything we’re reading all at once. And so, tomorrow we'll talk about Matthew, just give ourselves little birds eye view of what reading in Matthew. And then we’ll do the Psalms and then we’ll do the Proverbs. And after a couple days here, we’ll be moved in and we’ll be kind of out into the deep and setting sail. And we’ll just get oriented to the community here and all that's going on over the next few days. But on this first day, as we read in the beginning, we see that God was careful and intentional with His creation, and that our experience as human beings have been fashioned after the image of God. And that the life source within us is from the breath of God Himself. So, according to the Scriptures, we’re being told that this just didn’t all just happen by chance, this happened with intentionality. Each of us are supposed to be here. We each bare the image of God, who is, is intertwined as we'll see from the Scriptures, so deeply intertwined with our story, that it’s deeper than cells and atoms. And also also, as we're reading today, we got this amazing, rare view that will not last all the way. Like tomorrow, it's all going to change. And so, today, on day one, we get this rare view of how things were supposed to be for us. How humans were supposed to be before the story got shifted, a perfect world, perfect people, created in God's image. So, if we just take a small step back and look around us, then we get this sobering sense that the story somehow shifted over the last several thousand years. And we will get to that over the next few days.

Prayer:

But Father, we thank You for Your word, we invite Your Holy Spirit into this year, into every day, every verse, everything that we do and say, we invite You to lead us into all truth. This is what we have come for, to surrender, to orient ourselves to You, to get clarity and to fall in love with You, as You have loved us. So, come Holy Spirit into this year, into this community. Hover over us, lead us in the way that we should go. We ask in the name of Jesus. Amen.

Announcements:

Alright, so dailyaudiobible.com is the website, that's where you can find out what is going on around here. The Daily Audio Bible app is also available, and you can download that from whatever app store works with your device, just search for Daily Audio Bible, put that on your phone and you can kind of track your progress. All kinds of things are in the app, so check that out and stay connected.

There are places to get connected when you go to the website or the app. One of those is the Community Section, and I'll talk about that today. The Community Section is definitely where you can get connected on social media, but it is also the place where a very unique thing to this community lives and it's called the Prayer Wall. And that is always there and it is always on and always available. So, as we begin our journey through the year, we always have a place to reach, we’re not alone. And if the bottom falls out, we can go and share our story, and our brothers and sisters will come around us and encourage and pray for us. And if we are having a mountaintop experience and we remember what the deep valleys feel like, we can go pray for those who are in the valleys, holding each other up, building each other up, loving each other. As we literally stay on the same page as a community, because we’re going through the Bible, and that's what we’re here to do and that's pretty much what we do. And so, get connected, stay connected in any way that you can, in any way that you will.

If you want to partner with the Daily Audio Bible, you can do that at dailyaudiobible.com. There is a link on the homepage. If you’re using the app, you can press the Give button in the upper right-hand corner, and thank you, profoundly for your partnership. We wouldn't be here if we weren't in this together. So, thank you for that.

And let’s just take a deep breath, here we are. We have just left the dock like, we can still see the land if we go out and look. We’ll be out in the deep soon enough, where we won't see land for a long time, but we’re just leaving on this journey. And it's gonna be, it's going to be amazing because the Scriptures are alive, they tell us they’re alive and sharper than any two-edged sword, and that is true, they will become a mirror. They will force us to face ourselves and that is what we need, to face ourselves. We can go through the Scriptures and look at what everybody else should be doing, until we realize oh, this is about me. I should be making these changes. So, the Bible will challenge us to grow and so, I give the challenge on the 1st of January, go look in the mirror, give a good long look. Really look at yourself until maybe you want to look away. Just see where you are today, because this is where you are today. But if every day is immersed in the Scriptures, if you take that one-year journey every day, when we get to December 31st which was like yesterday. When we get there this year, you can look in the mirror again, and you will be looking at a different person. You will be shocked at how things have changed in the way that you view the world and your place in it. And so, I encourage you, buckle up. This is the adventure of a lifetime and I'm excited to be here. And it really doesn't matter where you are or where you are in life. You may think I'm here, like I’m around a bunch of spiritual people. You’re not. Some people have been believers and reading the Bible for their entire lives, and some of you have just stumbled here. You’re so hung over from last night, you can't believe what you've done. You can’t live with yourself as you go into the new year. So, you stumbled here looking for God for something, for someone, somewhere, for some kind of clarity. That’s great, you're right where you’re supposed to be. Welcome to the family. All of us are absolutely, completely broken and we've come here because these words show us that there is a path to wholeness, and it doesn't have to stay this way. And it doesn't have to be this way. And so, let's lock arms, let's lock hands, let's lock hearts, and let's do this together. We don't have to stay where we are. We can go forward from here, into a life that is beyond imaginable.

[officialyourdailyinspiration]

Devotional Hours Within the Bible

by James Russell Miller

The Story of Enoch (Genesis 5)

The history of the world is not told in detail in Genesis. We have only a glimpse here and there of the life of the first days. But a few names are preserved from antediluvian generations. The people seem to have lived long but not to much purpose. All we learn of most of them is that they lived so many hundreds of years, and then died. The good seed seemed to perish in the death of Abel but Seth was born in his place, and then men began to call upon the name of the Lord.

Some generations passed and in the scant record, we come upon one name that shines brightly in the story. “When Enoch had lived 65 years, he became the father of Methuselah. And after he became the father of Methuselah, Enoch walked with God 300 years and had other sons and daughters. Altogether, Enoch lived 365 years. Enoch walked with God; then he was no more, because God took him away.” Genesis 5:21-24

God and Enoch were good friends. Their relations were intimate and familiar. The meaning is not that God appeared to Enoch in any visible form and walked with him about the country, as a man would walk with his friend. A little child, however, told the story thus. She had been to Sunday School, and when she came home her mother asked her what she had learned that day. She answered, “Don’t you know, mother? we have been learning about a man who used to go for walks with God. His name was Enoch. He used to go for walks with God. And, mother, one day they went for an extra long walk, and they walked on, and on, and on, until God said to Enoch, ‘You are a long way from home; you would better just come in and stay.’ And he went in!”

The child’s idea of the story was very beautiful. It was true, too at least in a spiritual sense. The figure of a walk is used in the Bible many times for the course of life. When men are said to have walked in the ways of the Lord the meaning is that they lived righteously, keeping God’s commandments. When we read that the people walked in the way of Jeroboam, the thought is that they followed him in his idolatry. When it is said that Enoch walked with God, we are to understand that he obeyed God’s commandments, so far as they were revealed to him, and that he lived in communion with God.

It was a walk of faith. Enoch did not see God. We do not know how much he knew about God. We must remember that he lived before the Flood, only a few generations from Adam. The race was in its infancy then, and only a few revelations from God had been made. There was no Bible. It was long before Moses received the ten commandments on Mount Sinai. But in whatever way and to whatever extent Enoch had been taught about God he believed. God was as real to him as if He had walked with Enoch in human form!

We all walk with God in a sense, for all our life. We never can get away from His presence for a moment. He is closer to us than our nearest friend. Wherever we go He walks beside us. But the trouble with many of us is that we do not realize this presence. We never think of it. Faith is that exercise of the mind, which makes unseen things, real. God was real to Enoch. His walk with God was as real as if he had seen God’s face, and heard His voice and felt the touch of His hand!

We may walk with God as consciously and as familiarly as Enoch did, if we really desire. Christ told the disciples that He wished to make them His personal friends, opening His heart to them and giving them His full confidence. But how many of us are living in conscious communion with Christ ? We sing Bernard’s hymn,

“Jesus, the very thought of Thee With sweetness fills my breast; But sweeter far Your face to see, And in Your presence rest.”

But to how many of us, are the words really a true expression of our experience ? We talk a good deal about God but how many of us are actually walking with God? An eloquent preacher says, “A missing note of the religious life of today, is that of personal fellowship with the Creator. We are largely dependent on other people, not Christ for our spiritual experience.” Never have there been so many religious activities in which Christians take part, as at present. There are meetings, societies, brotherhoods, unions and all manner of organizations for the promotion of spiritual life and for the winning of souls. But is there not a lack of personal communion with Christ ? We are depending more for the quickening of our spirits and for our religious interest and earnestness, on outside activities and on the influence of other Christians upon us than on our own individual fellowship with Christ!

We need to learn anew to walk with God. We need to train ourselves to more personal communion with Christ, to be more alone with Him. We cannot get our religious life second - hand. None of us can give to another, what we have received from God, in our own communion with Him. The wise virgins could not give of their oil to their sisters whose lamps were going out, and whose vessels were empty. Sometimes it seems to us as we read the story, that these virgins were selfish, unkind, ungenerous, in refusing. But the incident is meant to teach that one cannot give the grace of God to another. Each must receive it directly from God for himself. If your friend walks with God then in his hour of trial or need, he will have the comfort and strength he requires. But if you follow God afar off then in your time of stress, you will find your lamp burning low and your vessel empty, and you cannot run to your friend for what you need. Each must know Christ for himself.

There are many blessings which come to him who walks with God. One is companionship with God. Human companionship is very sweet and refreshing. It makes the way seem shorter and easier. How could we live without friends? We never can be thankful enough for the companionships of our lives. It would be hard to live without our human friends. We need them, and they bring us cheer, comfort, strength, encouragement all along the way. But human companionships, as heart-filling as they may be are not enough. Then they drop away one by one we know not what morning, the dearest and most needed friend shall be missed from our side when we come out to begin our day’s walk.

What would you have done if the Great Companion had not been beside you on that dark day when the human friend you had leaned on so heavily, was called away? What will you do when those who now make the journey so pleasant for you, slip away and leave you if, when you lift up your eyes through your tears, you do not see the Master still by your side? Then, even with the happiest and gladdest earthly companionship crowding our path, we need God too. Without Him the dearest human love fails to satisfy.

But no words can fully tell of the joy and the blessing of Divine companionship. Think of the years when Christ walked with His personal friends, what His presence meant to them. And that short story of the Incarnation is not something past, which cannot be realized now. We may have those days over again, each one of us, with all their sweetness and helpfulness. Christ came down to earth, not to stay a few years only and then leave us but to stay unto the end, and to walk with each one of us all the way home.

Another blessing that comes from walking with God, is the transfiguration of our common life. Many of us miss much of the beauty and the glory of life, because we do not know that God is with us. Life is all dark and mysterious, sometimes full of sorrow and disaster, when we know nothing of the love of God. But when His love fills our hearts then all the world is changed. Even human love coming into a life, changes the aspect of all things. Only the other day a young friend came to tell of the coming of love, and the dear face was shining as if a holy lamp of heaven were burning within.

If human love brings such joy, the love of Christ brings infinitely more!

Enoch’s walking with God was not interrupted by the common experiences of his life. “Enoch walked with God 300 years and had other sons and daughters.” Some people suppose they could continue to walk with God if they were engaged all the time in ‘religious’ work; but they do not suppose it possible to maintain a life of unbroken communion with Him, when they have to be at work in the shop, in the office, or in the kitchen. But the truth is, we may stay near Christ just as easily when at our daily duties as when we are at our devotions.

There is a legend of a monk whose great desire was to see Christ and touch the hem of His divinity. At his monastery, he waited in prayer and penance before his crucifix. He had vowed that he would see no human face until his prayer was granted. One morning he seemed to hear a voice which told him that his wish would be fulfilled that day. With eager joy he watched. There came a gentle tap upon his door, and the plaintive cry of a child was heard, pleading to be taken in and fed. But the voice of the cold and hungry little one, was unheeded. The ‘saint’ was busy with his devotions, watching for the vision of the Master, and must not be disturbed. The candles burned low and the monk grew dismayed. Why did not the vision appear? All he heard was, “Unhappy monk, you may pray on forever. The answer to your prayer was sent today it lingered, then sobbed, then turned away.”

God is quite as sure to come to walk with us, in the doing of some common task of love and kindness as when we pray or sit at our Master’s communion table. “For I was hungry and you gave Me something to eat; I was thirsty and you gave Me something to drink; I was a stranger and you took Me in; I was naked and you clothed Me; I was sick and you took care of Me; I was in prison and you visited Me.” Matthew 25:35-36

To him who is walking with God all life has glory. We do not know what we miss when we fail to see the Great Companion who is ever by our side.

A little child was traveling with his mother over the sea. After a little while he asked, “Mother, where is the sea?” His mother said, “Why, we are on the sea. It is all around us.” The child replied, “I see the waves but where is the sea?”

Just so, we go through our days, all bright with the shining of God’s glory, and ask, “Where is God?”

You remember how the disciples, going to Emmaus, talked with the Stranger who walked with them, about Jesus, telling how bitterly they had been disappointed, not knowing, not dreaming, that He who was walking with them was the Master Himself for whom their hearts were breaking. So ofttimes, we walk on our ways in life with sadness, crying out for God, asking, “Where is He? Where can I find Him?” while all the time He is closer to us than our dearest friends. How a simpler faith would brighten all things for us and reveal the Master to us!

Another blessing from walking with God, is a heavenly atmosphere. We know the value of atmosphere even in human friendships and associations. Everyone has an atmosphere of his own. With some people we feel ourselves in an atmosphere that is sweet, exhilarating, inspiring. All our life is quickened by their influence. With others we find a depressing atmosphere about us, when we enter their presence. Dr. Arnold used to say, “We too much live, as it were, out of God’s atmosphere.”

They used to build observatories in the heart of cities but it was found that the atmosphere was unsuitable. It was not clear but was full of smoke and dust which obscured the vision. Now observatories are built on the highest points that can be found, where the air is pure, so that observations can be made without hindrance. God walks always on the high levels and those who walk with Him must leave the low valleys with their fogs and mists and go up to the mountain-tops!

Another blessing from walking with God, is the cleansing of our lives. The influence of pure and good companionship is always transforming. John lay on Christ’s bosom and became like Christ. When two live together in close and intimate association, they grow alike. Intimacy with God, can result only in becoming like God .

Sometimes we want to run ahead of God we cannot wait for Him. “Enoch walked with God.” He waited for God -was not impatient when God seemed slower than he wished. We must trust God when He delays to answer our prayers. He knows when to answer.

Then sometimes we hold back when God wants us to move quickly. Walking with God means that we must never parley nor dally when God moves on but must move promptly, never falling behind.

So let us walk with God wherever He leads us. The way may not be easy but that is not our concern; our concern is only to walk with Him without question, unfalteringly. He always leads in the right way He will lead us home !

That was the way He led Enoch. “Enoch walked with God; then he was no more, because God took him away.” People missed him one day and saw him no more but he was not lost. God had simply lifted him over the river of death, so that he missed dying, and had taken him home!

Christian life here is very sweet. It is a glorious thing to walk with God in this world. But only in heaven can we get the whole of anything good, which was begun here. We are going on into that land where all faith’s dreams shall be realized, where all love’s visions shall be fulfilled. Nothing beautiful shall be lost. We shall meet our Christian friends on the other side; dying is but parting for a little while.

A child, about to fall asleep, threw her tired arms around her father’s neck and said, “Good-night, dear father; I shall see you in the morning.”

She was right. When we die, we are only saying to our remaining Christian friends, “Good-night!” And in a fairer land, we shall say “Good-morning!”

#Devotional Hours Within the Bible #James Russell Miller #The Story of Enoch #Genesis 5 #January 4 #2023

[holy-mountaiin]

The Ultimate Bible Reading Plan

About

This list of resources and guided Bible Reading plan was compiled by Ryan Birk. It contains the scriptures to read daily as well as links to each scripture on the Bible App to make it easy for you. You will also see videos and helpful links. For more helpful resources, please visit HolyMountaiin.com

CLICK HERE to learn how to save this page to your phone as an app.

Introductions:

Click here for the: ABOUT VIDEO

Click here for the: FOUNDATIONS page

Click Here to join the: FB GROUP

Before you Begin:

here is a video on “reading/studying God’s Word”

Here is a video on “how to read the Psalms” (the psalms will be spread out throughout this reading plan)

Streetlights New Testament // Physical Copy

Breakdown of each Book of the Bible

"Each Day" our Daily Bread

1        2         3         4         5         6      

 7         8        9        10     11      12       

13      14        15       16        17     18   

19      20        21      22       23      24

25     26       27       28      29      30

31     32     33     34     35     36

37     38     39      40   41     42

43       44        45       46       47     48   

49       50  51      52        53    54

55      56       57      58       59      60    

61      62       63      64       65     66

67      68      69      70     71     72

73       74      75        76      77       

78       79        80        81      82 

83      84       85        86       87   

88       89     90      91      92     93

94     95      96       97     98     99 

100     101      102       103     104

105     106       107       108     109   

110   111      112      113      114    115

116   117     118     119     120    121

122    123    124    125      126    127

128     129      130       131      132

133       134     135     136     137

138      139    140    141     142    143

144       145       146     145       146

147       148     149      150    151

152      153      154      155      156         

153       154      155       156    157

158       159       160    161       162

163      164    165       166       167

168     169      170       171    172

173       174       175     176  

177    178    179     180     181

182     183     184    185    186

187    188    189     190    191    192

193    194     195     196    197    198

199     200     201    202     203    204

205      206     207    208     209     210

211    212    213    214    215     216

217    218    219     220     221     222

223     224     225     226     227    228

229     230      231      232     233

234    235     236     237      238

239     240     241     242      243

244      245     246    247      248

249      250     251     252

253   254     255      256      257     258

259     260      261     262    263    264

265     266    267    268     269     270

271     272     273     274      275     276

277      278     279     280     281    282

283      284     285      286     287

288      289      290      291      292

293     294       295     296     297

298     299     300

301      302     303    304     305     306

307    308     309    310     311     312

313   314      315     316     317    318

319    320     321    322    323    324

325    326    327    328    328    329

330    331    332    333    334     335

336     337    338     339    340    341

342    343     345     346    347    348

349     350     351    352    353    354

355    356     357    358    359    360

361    362    363    364    365

#the ultimate bible reading plan #the ultimate 1 year bible reading plan #1 year bible plan #thematic bible plan #streetlights bible #the bible project #ryan birk #thematic bible #read & rant #spirit andlife #spirit and life #spirit and truth #spirit & life #spirit && life #spirit && life collective

[betterlifeinoverall-rethabilep]

Let's Explore The Entire Kingdom

Let’s Explore The Entire Kingdom

To break the hidden ice, I have began a certain Monthly Routine which assisted me throughout the Month of August. Hence, it might help you as well if you take it into account, then sqeeze within your lifestyle. Fortunately, as August 2022 it is two minutes to end, I thought I should share this insightful Technique which enabled me to heal from certain mixed emotions and spirits of Heaviness I…

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#5am Yoga Meditation #60 Minutes Quiet Time In Dawn #90 Days Faithful Prayer #Daily Keys: A 365-Day Devotional Daily Keys By Dag Heward-Mills #Daily Readings #Daily Sermons #Died And God Living You #Good News Devotions from Holy Bible #Holy Christian Books #Holy Prayers Against Evil Spirits and Spirit of Heaviness #Makarios Books #Monthly Verse Dedications #More Happier In The Lord #Motivational Books #Motivational Unconditional Love Quotes #Personal Wellness Yoga Sessions #Philippians 4:6 #Prayer Against Spirit of Heaviness And Kinds of Depression #Quiet Time #Secret Prayers

[fabulousdowneybrothers]

365 Days of Sprix Records #346 Jungle by Fabulous Downey Brothers Music Video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YXohma-1RdA Official Selection of the 2016 San Diego Underground Film Festival Album: ~ • • released on Swoon Records Animations:Ben Wheele and Tristan Euglossine Director of Photography: Joshua G. Chin Song written by Chandra FarnsworthSean DowneyZiam Z Downey Lyrics: we move into a rule remaking a move out we jump into a pool and jungle all around we passing up the past and peeling off a pound we linger in the leaves and loose a lot of ground I'm going down i want to be a liquid running through your skin dark zolo image in your brain my jungle is a head we read the holy book and bleed a bible bush we need to nap on knees enable needle squeeze we put away the pain and paper made of planes we get a lot of juice and read a lot of news we talk a tattle tale and blamed it on the guys we sewed a saddle bag and gave it as a prize we danced a ditty we danced on all the lies we handled with your heart and never telling why Spotify Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/track/6YLfnvBpDGO6bTvuh7N8Oi?si=8514269dc1ab438e YouTube Music YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=am7fVLEfor0 LIVE at Laundry Room Studio (video): https://youtu.be/HUEJlQSfs5w Live on KEXP (audio): https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7lhMcx8WCI4 Live at Neumos by Ryan Worsley (video): https://youtu.be/jXmpmkw4jUU BandCamp Bandcamp: https://fabulousdowneybrothers.bandcamp.com/track/jungle

#youtube #jungle #fabulous downey brothers #fdb #music #art #artist #artwork #art of the day #live #live music #live streaming #stream #srteaming #streaming #band #bandcamp #seattle #sprixrecords #swoon records #sprix records #pop #pop music #new wave #new wave music #zolo #punk #electronic music #weird #weirdcore

[leonbloder]

When "Faith Over Fear" Isn't Helpful

Over the past few years, I've seen a lot of, shall we say, interesting things posted by people professing to be Christians on social media.  Aside from all of the conspiracy theories, thinly veiled racism, misogyny, homophobia, Christian nationalist rhetoric, and the like, I have seen a particular phrase more than a few times. The phrase is Faith over Fear. I first saw this phrase crop up during the pandemic as a great many Christians publicly opposed safety measures, vaccines, etc.  But it pops up occasionally on my social media feed whenever there is a calamity, tragedy, or worrisome event.  The intimation of how some people use this phrase is that true Christians should never be afraid.   This phrase is usually posted on social media, typically as a response to a political or social issue where the person posting has stated a position and is defending it in religious terms.  Interestingly, the Bible has 365 instances where God-fearers and Jesus-followers are encouraged not to "be afraid." The folks using Faith over Fear have a leg to stand on, as it turns out.  But the problem with a phrase like this is that it supports the notion that Faith and Fear cannot co-exist.  In other words, you won't be afraid if you have enough faith.  The fact of the matter is that people of faith are frequently afraid.  The exhortations in the Bible to not be afraid are directed at people of faith, who are, in fact, afraid.  These biblical exhortations are God's encouragement to the faithful, who naturally felt afraid when fear was warranted.  The biblical messages are reminders that we can be freed from fear, but they don't say we shouldn't ever fear.  You can have faith and still be afraid.  Not to mention, some fears are healthy.  I don't have to remind anyone reading this today that there is a lot to fear in our current culture, not to mention the many things in our lives that are also fear-worthy.   Millions of people suffer from anxiety in our world, most of whom have no control over it without counseling and/or medication.   To hear the phrase Faith over Fear is like a slap in the face to those who can't help their fears and require treatment to be able to function.   It's also a dangerous thing for some who need treatment but then think that if they just had enough faith, they would be able to overcome their fears without it.  In her book, Have a Beautiful, Terrible Day! author Kate Bowler wrote a variation of the Beatitudes that reflects the idea that we often hold faith and fear in the same space and why that's helpful: 

Blessed are we, the anxious,  with eyes wide open to the lovely and the awful.  Blessed are we, the aware,  knowing that the only sane thing to do in such a world is to admit the fear that sits in our peripheral vision.  Blessed are we, the hopeful, eyes searching for the horizon,  ready to meet the next miracle, the next surprise.  Yes, blessed are we, the grateful,  awake to this beautiful, terrible day. 

Here's something we all need to hear... 

We can have faith and still have fear, and we can also have hope in the midst of that tension.  Sometimes, being able to name the fear within us is powerful because it's there and needs to be confronted. 

Naming our fear also takes away some of its power and enables us to find the strength to look to the horizon for signs of hope.  

So consider yourself blessed today if you are anxious, aware, and afraid. It does not mean you don't have faith; quite the contrary.  It simply means embracing your current reality and reminding yourself that "this too shall pass." 

There are miracles and surprises aplenty if we are willing to lift our eyes and look beyond where we happen to be. 

May the grace and peace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with us all, now and always. Amen.  

#presbymusings #dailydevotion #leonbloder #dailydevotional #dailydevo #christian living #leon bloder #faith #spiritualgrowth #spirituality

[jdgo51]

 

How to Master the Bible So Well That the Bible Masters You

Today's inspiration comes from:

30 Days to Understanding the Bible

by Max Anders

There is a very close connection between God and His Word.

Jesus Himself is called the Word of God (John 1:1, John 1:14; Revelation 19:13). To know God, you must know His Word; to honor God, you must honor His Word; to be in touch with God, you must be in touch with His Word. Mighty promises are given to those who master the Bible so well that the Bible masters them.

We are promised spiritual stability, fruitfulness, and true prosperity as we meditate on His Word day and night (Psalm 1:1-3).

When the words of Jesus abide in us, our desires will be given to us, according to God’s will (John 15:7).

Meditating on God’s Word leads to prosperity and success in our endeavors (Joshua 1:8).

We will have more wisdom than our enemies, more insight than our teachers, and more understanding than the aged (Psalm 119:97-100).

We will have greater power over sin (Psalm 119:11).

We will have comfort in affliction (Psalm 119:50).

By drawing near to God, we have His promise that He will draw near to us (James 4:8).

These astonishing observations, these magnificent claims, these profound promises — they help us to realize how important the Bible is, and what remarkable potential we bring to our lives when we become serious students of Scripture. That’s why it’s so important that we commit ourselves to mastering the Bible so well that the Bible masters us.

There are four steps to mastering the Bible so well that the Bible masters you:

Read the Bible

Study the Bible

Memorize the Bible

Meditate on the Bible

Seems simple. Obvious, even, for those who have been Christians for a while. Yet very few people take all four steps. Many take one step. Some take two steps. A few take three steps. Very few take all four steps. As a result, very few people ever experience the full life transformation, the fellowship with God, the spiritual stability and strength, the power in ministry, the joy in worship, and the spiritual prosperity that the Bible promises to those who master it so well that it masters them.

READ THE BIBLE FOR BREADTH OF KNOWLEDGE.

To begin a mastery of the Bible, you must read the Bible. This may seem self-evident to some, but to others who have never developed the habit, it is groundbreaking. Some Christians do not read the Bible, or they only read snippets that are attached to daily devotionals. This will not get you where you want to go. You must begin to read the Bible widely.

It is only by covering a lot of territory in Scripture that you gain a breadth of knowledge. If you never read the Old Testament, you will never have a general knowledge of it. If you only read the Gospels, or the Epistles, you will never have a basic grasp of the other sections of the Bible. As a result, your life will be untouched by important truth, plus your ability to connect the dots from various different Scripture passages — a critical component of a mature Christian experience — will be limited.

The New Testament tells us that many stories in the Old Testament were “written for our instruction, upon whom the ends of the ages have come” (1 Corinthians 10:11). If we never read those Old Testament stories, we will never gain the insight, the power, or the freedom that become ours when we do.

The good news is that there is a simple way to read for breadth of knowledge. If you read the Bible for five minutes a day, you will read the Bible over thirty hours a year! (5 minutes × 365 days = 1,825 minutes divided by 60 minutes per hour = 30.4 hours!)

Think of it!! Thirty hours a year! Perhaps no other discipline will provide a breadth of Bible knowledge more easily. If you want to master the Word so well that the Word masters you, begin by reading it.

Very early in my Christian experience, I was challenged to read the Bible at least five minutes a day. I took that challenge, and have not missed my daily time in God’s Word in over forty years. As a result, I have read the Bible for a couple thousand hours! And it was all done at the manageable pace of five minutes a day. There is no easier way I could have gained and maintained the breadth of knowledge of Scripture than by taking this simple step. I urge you to take this first step, too.

Mighty promises are given to those who master the Bible so well that the Bible masters them.

Pick a readable translation.

To begin with, pick a translation that is easy for you to read. Many Christians have a New International Version of the Bible, which is a fairly readable translation. I study out of the New American Standard Bible, which is a good study Bible because the translation is very literal. However, for those times of just reading for the story and flow, and breadth of knowledge, I have found that more conversational translations sometimes allow the Bible to come alive in a way that the NASB does not. I experimented for years with more conversational Bibles and, frankly, was disappointed with them for two reasons. First, they often interpret unclear passages for you to make it more readable, and I didn’t always agree with the translators’ interpretation. Second, in their attempt to be conversational, they often dumb down the language so that it is unsatisfying to read.

However, I have found The New Living Translation to be an effective reading Bible. This version began as a paraphrase that author and publisher Ken Taylor wrote to help his young children understand the Bible better. In a paraphrase, you start with an English Bible and reword it to make it easier to understand. But in 1995, Taylor commissioned a team of translation experts to go back to the original Hebrew and Greek manuscripts and change whatever needed to be changed in order to bring the version up to the level of a translation. In my opinion, they did a commendable job.

All Bible versions have strengths and weaknesses. More literal translations have the strength of being closer to the original languages but the weakness of sometimes being more difficult to understand. More conversational translations are often easier to understand, but sometimes that clarity comes at the expense of accuracy, especially when a difficult passage may have two possible meanings in the original language.

For those reasons, I prefer having both a more literal translation for studying and a more conversational translation for reading. This way, I can compare both translations to gain a fuller understanding.

Pick a time to read.

I read before I go to sleep. By experimentation, I learned that I could always carve out five minutes before I go to sleep. But when I tried to read in the morning, sometimes I would get too busy and forget, and I would end up having to read in the evening, so I just switched to reading in the evening.

I found that I can always stay up an extra five minutes to read. No matter how late it is, another five minutes is not going to make or break my evening’s rest. There have been times I have been so tired I had to read standing up so I wouldn’t fall asleep, but I did it. I have been accused of being legalistic. I’m not. I’m being realistic and disciplined. I’ve learned that if I give myself an excuse one day, I am likely to give myself an excuse another day and another day. So, I have just not given myself an excuse. And more than two thousand hours of reading the Bible later, with a breadth of knowledge of Scripture I could never have gained or maintained any other way, I am glad I haven’t.

Others find that they must read first thing in the morning. It really doesn’t matter when you read. The bottom line is: read when it is best for you.

Read for understanding.

This was a recommendation given to me by the man who led me to the Lord. He said, “When you read, don’t get bogged down by anything you don’t understand. Just skip over it, and read for the things you do understand… and underline everything that seems especially important.” This counsel was extremely valuable to me, and it set me on a course of Bible-knowledge acquisition I’m not sure I would have taken any other way. Without that advice, whenever I would come to something in the text I didn’t understand, I would grind to a halt, or be forced to stop reading and start studying, both of which destroyed the original intent.

Read with a plan.

Many people are motivated by the goal of reading through the Bible in a year. I think it is something that everyone might want to do at least once, just to know that one has read the entire Bible. However, it is not an easy task, and many who start the project do not complete it. You might set a goal of reading through the Bible without committing to having to do it in a year. Just read five minutes a day, and let it take however long it takes to get through the entire Bible. Other reading plans can be found online.

If the Bible is new to you, I recommend what my mentor recommended to me when I first became a Christian. Read the Gospel of John six times in a row, not worrying about what you don’t understand but underlining everything that seems especially important. Then you might read the rest of the Gospels and then the New Testament. After that, you might read the first seventeen books of the Old Testament, known as the historical books. Or, there are eleven primary historical books that you might start with: Genesis, Exodus, Numbers, Joshua, Judges, 1 Samuel, 2 Samuel, 1 Kings, 2 Kings, Ezra, and Nehemiah. Those are the eleven books that tell the story of the Old Testament. The other Old Testament books give additional information, but do not advance the Old Testament story significantly. Then, reading Psalms and Proverbs is always a profitable experience.

On the other hand, if you are a more seasoned Christian and are generally familiar with the Bible, read what is interesting to you in your current circumstances… but be open to stretching yourself into other territory from time to time, remembering the importance of reading for breadth of knowledge.

STUDY THE BIBLE FOR DEPTH OF KNOWLEDGE.

Few of us can gain a depth of knowledge without sitting under skilled teachers. So, for most people, they must sit under effective preaching from the Bible and be involved in a Bible study taught by an effective teacher. For maximum benefit, Bible study must have assignments that get you studying and interacting with the Bible on your own. To gain a depth of knowledge, you cannot be passive. You must become active in the process of deepening your knowledge. Crawl before you walk, and walk before you run, but this should be your goal. That is the only way you will progress to a depth of knowledge.

If this is new to you, begin by attending a church that is committed to teaching the Bible, not only from the pulpit during sermons, but also in small groups or Sunday school classes. You might also find helpful information in Christian bookstores or online. More seasoned Christians might be able to give you helpful suggestions as well. If you are an avid reader, there is a wealth of knowledge available to you as well through good books available online or at Christian bookstores.

Excerpted with permission from 30 Days to Understanding the Bible by Max Anders, copyright Max Anders.

[scribeforchrist-blog]

The Miracle of Bethlehem

MEMORY VERSE OF THE WEEK

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+ Philippians 4:6 Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God

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VERSE OF THE DAY

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+ Luke 2:10-11 10 But the angel said to them, “Do not be afraid. I bring you good news that will cause great joy for all the people. 11 Today in the town of David a Savior has been born to you; he is the Messiah, the Lord.

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** SAY THIS BEFORE YOU READ; HERE’S SOME CHRISTIAN TRUTHS **

I AM PUSHING FORWARD

I AM CONFIRMED BY GOD

I AM NOT ALONE

I AM LISTENING TO THE HOLY SPIRIT

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THOUGHTS:

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     The birth of Jesus is a very incredible, so many actions were taken and shown in the bible stating his arrival and even how Mary found out she was going to carry Jesus and how the wise men were told too, all of this was done by angels , if you noticed in the verse the angels says do not be afraid this statemnet is used over 365 times in the bible which that alone should say something to us about fear ,God wants it out of our presence and he wants us to always know we dont have to fear no matter what because he is there , he’s there to always comfort us but never to harm us.

When he sent these angels to theses people he need them to know don’t be fearful, when people see angels they immediatly become fearful , but if you want to step into the ministry of angels that’s one thing you can not do is fear because when you fear their presence they won’t stay we must listen and trust they are never there to harm us but our topic today isn’t about ANGELS its about Jesus and how he came here .

Matthew , Mark and Luke  have a different way of explaining it, but one of the key ways they start off is with Mary , the mother must be mention because she was a virgin ,that was one of the unique things about mary,

•Isaiah 7:14  Therefore, the Lord himself will give you a sign. Behold, the virgin shall conceive and bear a son and shall call his name Immanuel.

•Luke 1:27 to a virgin pledged to be married to a man named Joseph, a descendant of David. The virgin’s name was Mary.

•Luke 1:34-35 And Mary asked the angel, “How will this be since I am a virgin?” And the angel answered her, “The Holy Spirit will come upon you, and the power of the Most High will overshadow you; therefore, the child to be born will be called holy—the Son of God.

  Yes, many scriptures display that Mary was a virgin. In this last verse, she says how can I ; I am a virgin, and the angel tells her The Holy Spirit will come upon you. The power of the highest will be upon you. You will have a child; all this was done with the Holy Spirit . She and Joseph haven't even been married or anything. A lot of people are in awe of how the Holy Spirit moved in this, but the Holy Spirit was there all alone; we can see that in many of the verses in the Old Testament, he plays a huge part in Jesus' life while he was here on earth, the thing is when Jesus died, he sent the Holy Spirit here to us to help us, he's wasn't just thought of the moment of his death no my friend the Holy Spirit has been here all along through many parts of the Bible.

  When Jesus was born, it was one man that was afraid of his birth he was so afraid he had a bunch of kids killed because he thought, if I kill all theses kids that’s around his age, I can kill him, and he couldn’t take the crown but what he didn't know that God had that even worked out, we don’t have to fret when we have problems all we do is believe that God has already orchestrated a plan in our favor and all we must do is walk in it. 

 "Matthew 2:16 Then Herod, when he saw that he had been tricked by the wise men, became furious, and he sent and killed all the male children in Bethlehem and in all that region who were two years old or under, according to the time that he had ascertained from the wise men"

  Herod thought he had outwitted the wise man and everyone else by killing every child in Bethlehem, when someone is doing evil towards God’s people and they think they can harm us , it won't work, because we are covered in the blood of Jesus. Herod didn't know who he was messing with; he couldn't because if he did, he wouldn't have tried to work against the plans of God. 

  When we wait on the lord through anything, he will always give us words of encouragement, or he will always let us know we are in the right direction; we sometimes can pray for those things, but when God's hand is over our life, all we have to do is sit and wait, and he will send people are way to let us know exactly what's happening. 

•Luke 2:34 And Simeon blessed them and said to Mary his mother, “Behold, this child is appointed for the fall and rising of many in Israel, and for a sign that is opposed 35 (and a sword will pierce through your own soul also), so that thoughts from many hearts may be revealed.”

•Luke 2:38  And coming up at that very hour she began to give thanks to God and to speak of him to all who were waiting for the redemption of Jerusalem.(ANNA)

   These two people confirmed it, not that they needed it, but they confirmed who Jesus was, what he must endure for his mission, and why he was here. Many of us do know what our calling is, and sometimes of us don’t , but Jesus, at a young age, did; he knew who he was and what he was called to do, and he didn't even let his parents stand in the way. God didn't allow anything to block him.

***Today we need to see in this story of Jesus' life is that he was  spoken about long ago, and even his ministry here on earth people didn't get it , some people did get it, and Jesus still push forward ,this alone should speak to us that as long as we got confirmation from God thats all we need, we dont need man to confirm it just Him our father from above . ©Seer~ Prophetess Lee

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PRAYER

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Heavenly Father we thank you for everything , we ask that you forgive us of the sins we done . Today we studied the birth of Jesus and we ask that whatever is in this lesson about Jesus that we can apply it to our lives. We are sorry if we done anything that’s wrong . Lord help us to wait for your confirmation about our life and whatever it may be that we seek you first. Help us to desire more in our walk with you , when we read please give us understanding , wisdom and knowledge. Lord we are so grateful and content with anything you do in Jesus Name Amen

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REFERENCES

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+ Luke 2:7 And she gave birth to her firstborn son and wrapped him in swaddling cloths and laid him in a manger, because there was no place for them in the inn.

+ Matthew 2:1 Now after Jesus was born in Bethlehem of Judea in the days of Herod the king, behold, wise men from the east came to Jerusalem,

+ Galatians 4:4 But when the fullness of time had come, God sent forth his Son, born of woman, born under the law,

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FURTHER READINGS

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PROVERBS 17

ISAIAH 7

MATTHEW 1

LUKE 1

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#bible #bible quotes #christian quote #daily devotion #daily devotional #inspiration #scripture #bible verse #christian life #christan life #birth of jesus #jesusitrustinyou #jesus loves you #jesusislord