“The steadfast of mind You will keep in perfect peace, because he trusts in You.” (NASB)
STRONGS HEBREW/GREEK ORIGINS
“The steadfast (camak: upheld, put, sustained, established, supported) of mind (yester: imagination, purpose, intellectual framework) You will keep in perfect peace (shalowm or shalom: well, welfare, prosperity, safe, health, completeness, tranquility, contentment), because he trusts (batach: confidence, secure, bold, careless, hopes) in You.”
SUMMARY
The one who is established and steadfast of mind You will keep in perfect safety, health and peace, because he has placed his confidence in You.
MEDITATION
I must confess, when I read this verse, I immediately see that I do not completely trust in the LORD. My mind is not completely established and upheld and I don’t walk 24/7 in perfect peace. In fact, at times I question things like healing and prosperity. Now don’t get me wrong, I’m not interested in becoming a millionaire. However, sometimes my mouth has to tell my thoughts what is Truth. With that being said, it should be our goal to completely place our security and confidence in the LORD. He is faithful. He is sure. He alone is the Giver of perfect peace.
Monday, February 16, 2009
Sunday, February 15, 2009
Acts 13:12
“Then the (man) believed when he saw what had happened, being amazed at the teaching of the Lord.” (NASB)
STRONGS HEBREW/GREEK ORIGINS
“Then the (man) believed (pisteuo: committed unto, put in trust with, to think to be true, to be persuaded of, to credit, place confidence in) when he saw (eido: behold, look, perceive, notice, discern, discover) what had happened, being amazed (ekplesso: astonished, to strike with panic, shock) at the teaching (did ache: doctrine, that which is taught, instruction) of the Lord.”
SUMMARY
Then the man believed and was persuaded when he saw and perceived what had happened, because he was astonished and shocked at the teaching and instruction of the Lord.
MEDITATION
What was it that caused people to be amazed at the teachings of Jesus? Do you think Jesus had the hottest name brand clothes from the local market? Was it the light show and color coordinated worship team that warmed the crowd before He stepped behind a pulpit? Perhaps He had PowerPoint and movie clips at His disposal? I don’t think so. Jesus spoke of things that went right to the heart of people. His intent was not to just address their emotions and get them all excited. He didn’t just teach the Gospel, He was the Gospel. You and I, today, must be and do likewise. Let’s lay aside the bells and whistles and allow the Holy Spirit alone to power and fuel every word that we speak. The reality of the Word is enough - period.
STRONGS HEBREW/GREEK ORIGINS
“Then the (man) believed (pisteuo: committed unto, put in trust with, to think to be true, to be persuaded of, to credit, place confidence in) when he saw (eido: behold, look, perceive, notice, discern, discover) what had happened, being amazed (ekplesso: astonished, to strike with panic, shock) at the teaching (did ache: doctrine, that which is taught, instruction) of the Lord.”
SUMMARY
Then the man believed and was persuaded when he saw and perceived what had happened, because he was astonished and shocked at the teaching and instruction of the Lord.
MEDITATION
What was it that caused people to be amazed at the teachings of Jesus? Do you think Jesus had the hottest name brand clothes from the local market? Was it the light show and color coordinated worship team that warmed the crowd before He stepped behind a pulpit? Perhaps He had PowerPoint and movie clips at His disposal? I don’t think so. Jesus spoke of things that went right to the heart of people. His intent was not to just address their emotions and get them all excited. He didn’t just teach the Gospel, He was the Gospel. You and I, today, must be and do likewise. Let’s lay aside the bells and whistles and allow the Holy Spirit alone to power and fuel every word that we speak. The reality of the Word is enough - period.
Saturday, February 14, 2009
Deuteronomy 6:5
“You shall love the LORD your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your might.” (NASB)
STRONGS HEBREW/GREEK ORIGINS
“You shall love ('ahab: friend, beloved, lovely, lover, lovely, have an appetite for) the LORD your God with all your heart (lebab: seat of emotions, understanding, inner man, mind, inner parts) and with all your soul (nephesh: life, person, mind, heart, body, will, desire) and with all your might (me`od: greatly, exceeding, force, abundance, to a great degree).”
SUMMARY
You shall have an appetite for your lover, the LORD your God, with all you emotions and inner parts, and with all your mind, soul and it’s desires and with all of your great abundance.
MEDITATION
On this Valentine’s Day that is set aside for couples to show their love for one another, a great parallel became quite obvious to me. Some may errantly see it as arrogance or misinterpret what I’m about to say as prideful, but that’s OK. Today is just another day in my wonderful marriage with my beautiful wife! How can I say such a thing? Because I love her daily! I continually strive to lavish my love on her. I don’t wait for some special occasion when I supposedly have to. Here is where the great parallel comes in. My “love life” with the LORD must be likewise. He is not looking for a one-night stand where I pop in and out to get to know Him or love Him out of obligation - this is not love. He desires me to cultivate an ongoing relationship that never misses a day or even a moment! Am I in need of growth in this relationship? Could I give even more and love Him more deeply? You’d better believe it – and in my marriage as well! But I rest in the fact that I am in love and I am loved. I daily see my marriage reflect the relationship that I have with my Husband, The Christ. Today, lavish your love on your spouse and on your LORD, but be sure that tomorrow (and every day after) is no different than today, for everyday, we “shall love”.
STRONGS HEBREW/GREEK ORIGINS
“You shall love ('ahab: friend, beloved, lovely, lover, lovely, have an appetite for) the LORD your God with all your heart (lebab: seat of emotions, understanding, inner man, mind, inner parts) and with all your soul (nephesh: life, person, mind, heart, body, will, desire) and with all your might (me`od: greatly, exceeding, force, abundance, to a great degree).”
SUMMARY
You shall have an appetite for your lover, the LORD your God, with all you emotions and inner parts, and with all your mind, soul and it’s desires and with all of your great abundance.
MEDITATION
On this Valentine’s Day that is set aside for couples to show their love for one another, a great parallel became quite obvious to me. Some may errantly see it as arrogance or misinterpret what I’m about to say as prideful, but that’s OK. Today is just another day in my wonderful marriage with my beautiful wife! How can I say such a thing? Because I love her daily! I continually strive to lavish my love on her. I don’t wait for some special occasion when I supposedly have to. Here is where the great parallel comes in. My “love life” with the LORD must be likewise. He is not looking for a one-night stand where I pop in and out to get to know Him or love Him out of obligation - this is not love. He desires me to cultivate an ongoing relationship that never misses a day or even a moment! Am I in need of growth in this relationship? Could I give even more and love Him more deeply? You’d better believe it – and in my marriage as well! But I rest in the fact that I am in love and I am loved. I daily see my marriage reflect the relationship that I have with my Husband, The Christ. Today, lavish your love on your spouse and on your LORD, but be sure that tomorrow (and every day after) is no different than today, for everyday, we “shall love”.
Friday, February 13, 2009
1 John 5:5
“Who is the one who overcomes the world, but he who believes that Jesus is the Son of God.” (NASB)
STRONGS HEBREW/GREEK ORIGINS
"Who is the one who overcomes (nikao: conquers, prevails, gets the victory, victorious over all His foes, holding fast faith even unto death against the power of foes, temptations and persecutions) the world (cosmos: constitution, order, government), but he who believes (pisteuo: commit to trust, be committed unto, to think to be true, to be persuaded of, place confidence in) that Jesus is the Son of God.”
SUMMARY
The one who is committed to and places his trust in Jesus Christ being the Son of God prevails and gets the victory over the powers of this world.
MEDITATION
In a world that is full of intimidating people and situations, overcomers must arise. How do we face trials? How do we face trying times? How do we approach people who seek to overcome us? We must be found with our confidence in the lordship of Jesus Christ. We live in world that lives in resistance to the government of God. We will either be overcomers or we will be overcome. There are only two possible results. Today, declare with your mouth that in Christ, victory is sure!
STRONGS HEBREW/GREEK ORIGINS
"Who is the one who overcomes (nikao: conquers, prevails, gets the victory, victorious over all His foes, holding fast faith even unto death against the power of foes, temptations and persecutions) the world (cosmos: constitution, order, government), but he who believes (pisteuo: commit to trust, be committed unto, to think to be true, to be persuaded of, place confidence in) that Jesus is the Son of God.”
SUMMARY
The one who is committed to and places his trust in Jesus Christ being the Son of God prevails and gets the victory over the powers of this world.
MEDITATION
In a world that is full of intimidating people and situations, overcomers must arise. How do we face trials? How do we face trying times? How do we approach people who seek to overcome us? We must be found with our confidence in the lordship of Jesus Christ. We live in world that lives in resistance to the government of God. We will either be overcomers or we will be overcome. There are only two possible results. Today, declare with your mouth that in Christ, victory is sure!
Thursday, February 12, 2009
Luke 6:22
“Blessed are you when men hate you, and ostracize you, and insult you, and scorn your name as evil, for the sake of the Son of Man.” (NASB)
STRONGS HEBREW/GREEK ORIGINS
“Blessed (makarios: happy) are you when men hate (miseo: detest) you, and ostracize (aphorize: separate, divide, to exclude as disreputable, sever) you, and insult (oneidizo: reproach, revile) you, and scorn (ekballo: cast out, pull out, drive out with notion of violence, expel, banish, leave out) your name as evil (poneros: wicked, causing pain and trouble), for the sake (heneka or heneken: on account of, cause) of the Son of Man.”
SUMMARY
Happy and blessed are you when men detest you, and exclude you as disreputable, and revile you, and drive you away as one who is causing pain and trouble, on the account of the Son of Man.
MEDITATION
It’s important to know the context of this verse as it is not encouraging us to go out and look for trouble. It is however saying, for those who are being scorned and hated for the sake of Christ, that they should consider it as joy. How contradicting this is to what is often told to us, even from pulpits and many other Christian avenues. We are to be foreigners and aliens of this carnal world! I just can’t understand how such a beautifully offensive Gospel that demands you forsake everything could ever be deemed as “relevant”. It is it’s irrelevance that calls all men out of their fleshly desires and sets them free. It is it’s irrelevance that will be clearly seen as different! So today, may we all strive to lay aside pleasing men and seeking worldly recognition. When ostracizing, scorn and insults come, may we rejoice, for the Son, Jesus The Christ, has called us blessed!
STRONGS HEBREW/GREEK ORIGINS
“Blessed (makarios: happy) are you when men hate (miseo: detest) you, and ostracize (aphorize: separate, divide, to exclude as disreputable, sever) you, and insult (oneidizo: reproach, revile) you, and scorn (ekballo: cast out, pull out, drive out with notion of violence, expel, banish, leave out) your name as evil (poneros: wicked, causing pain and trouble), for the sake (heneka or heneken: on account of, cause) of the Son of Man.”
SUMMARY
Happy and blessed are you when men detest you, and exclude you as disreputable, and revile you, and drive you away as one who is causing pain and trouble, on the account of the Son of Man.
MEDITATION
It’s important to know the context of this verse as it is not encouraging us to go out and look for trouble. It is however saying, for those who are being scorned and hated for the sake of Christ, that they should consider it as joy. How contradicting this is to what is often told to us, even from pulpits and many other Christian avenues. We are to be foreigners and aliens of this carnal world! I just can’t understand how such a beautifully offensive Gospel that demands you forsake everything could ever be deemed as “relevant”. It is it’s irrelevance that calls all men out of their fleshly desires and sets them free. It is it’s irrelevance that will be clearly seen as different! So today, may we all strive to lay aside pleasing men and seeking worldly recognition. When ostracizing, scorn and insults come, may we rejoice, for the Son, Jesus The Christ, has called us blessed!
Wednesday, February 11, 2009
Genesis 1:16
“God made the two great lights, the greater light to govern the day, and the lesser light to govern the night; He made the stars also.” (NASB)
STRONGS HEBREW/GREEK ORIGINS
“God made (`asah: wrought, executed, prepared, performed, fashioned) the two great lights (ma'owr or ma'or: luminaries), the greater light to govern (memshalah: dominion, rule) the day, and the lesser light to govern the night; He made the stars also.”
SUMMARY
God fashioned the two great luminaries, the great one to rule the day and the lesser one to rule the night; He made the stars also.
MEDITATION
Quite often I’m enamored with the sky. I love the clouds, parhelion (look it up if you’re unfamiliar), the sun, moon and stars – I love it all. Many do not realize that our sky, the visible atmosphere immediately over our heads, is one of the biblically defined “heavens”. Do you ever just stop and praise God for His faithfulness throughout His Creation? Each and every day, without question or concern, the sun rises and sets. As it exits the sky, the moon begins its cycle right on schedule. Time and time again the Word references God’s greatness being seen in the heavens. I too will praise Him for His incredible Creation. Will you join with me today?
STRONGS HEBREW/GREEK ORIGINS
“God made (`asah: wrought, executed, prepared, performed, fashioned) the two great lights (ma'owr or ma'or: luminaries), the greater light to govern (memshalah: dominion, rule) the day, and the lesser light to govern the night; He made the stars also.”
SUMMARY
God fashioned the two great luminaries, the great one to rule the day and the lesser one to rule the night; He made the stars also.
MEDITATION
Quite often I’m enamored with the sky. I love the clouds, parhelion (look it up if you’re unfamiliar), the sun, moon and stars – I love it all. Many do not realize that our sky, the visible atmosphere immediately over our heads, is one of the biblically defined “heavens”. Do you ever just stop and praise God for His faithfulness throughout His Creation? Each and every day, without question or concern, the sun rises and sets. As it exits the sky, the moon begins its cycle right on schedule. Time and time again the Word references God’s greatness being seen in the heavens. I too will praise Him for His incredible Creation. Will you join with me today?
Tuesday, February 10, 2009
Proverbs 10:24
“What the wicked fears will come upon him, but the desire of the righteous will be granted.” (NASB)
STRONGS HEBREW/GREEK ORIGINS
“What the wicked (rasha`: ungodly, guilty one, guilty of sin) fears (megowrah: terror) will come upon him, but the desire (ta'avah: wish, longings of one's heart, objects of desire) of the righteous (tsaddiyq: just, lawful) will be granted (nathan: given, delivered, set, up appointed, bestowed, to be put upon).”
SUMMARY
What the guilty and ungodly one fears will come upon him, but the longings of the lawful and just will be bestowed upon him.
MEDITATION
The key in this verse is the distinguishing attributes of each man. One is in defiance of God’s laws, in need of vindication and is found fearful. The other is just, keeping the laws of God and his desires are granted. Interestingly, they both get what their hearts are set on. So my question for you is this – are you a confident son or daughter of God that lives righteous before God and men or are you a fearful worrier that is enamored with what horrible thing might await you around each corner? The Body of Christ is to be teeming with overcomers! It is time for those who are in Christ to rise up and see their victory! Today, long for His Kingdom to be released on earth as it is in Heaven, through you! Your future is in your hands.
STRONGS HEBREW/GREEK ORIGINS
“What the wicked (rasha`: ungodly, guilty one, guilty of sin) fears (megowrah: terror) will come upon him, but the desire (ta'avah: wish, longings of one's heart, objects of desire) of the righteous (tsaddiyq: just, lawful) will be granted (nathan: given, delivered, set, up appointed, bestowed, to be put upon).”
SUMMARY
What the guilty and ungodly one fears will come upon him, but the longings of the lawful and just will be bestowed upon him.
MEDITATION
The key in this verse is the distinguishing attributes of each man. One is in defiance of God’s laws, in need of vindication and is found fearful. The other is just, keeping the laws of God and his desires are granted. Interestingly, they both get what their hearts are set on. So my question for you is this – are you a confident son or daughter of God that lives righteous before God and men or are you a fearful worrier that is enamored with what horrible thing might await you around each corner? The Body of Christ is to be teeming with overcomers! It is time for those who are in Christ to rise up and see their victory! Today, long for His Kingdom to be released on earth as it is in Heaven, through you! Your future is in your hands.
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