Category: Mindful Bible Reads

Does God want us to worry about the future?

Consequently, He lovingly cares for His people and their future. God tells us not to fear throughout the entire Bible. … He knew fear would be common to us and he doesn’t want us wasting time worrying. He has better plans for our time and it is not His will that our joy and peace be diminished by fear.

We often worry about many different activities of daily life, such as home, work, finances, family, health, and the future.

Philippians 4:6-7 “Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God. And the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.”

Isaiah 35
God Will Comfort His People

The dry desert will rejoice. The desert will be glad and blossom. It will be covered with flowers and dance with joy. It will be as beautiful as the forest of Lebanon, the hill of Carmel, and the Sharon Valley. This will happen because all people will see the Glory of the Lord. They will see the beauty of our God.
Make the weak arms strong again. Strengthen the weak knees. People are afraid and confused. Say to them, “Be strong! Don’t be afraid!” Look, your God will come and punish your enemies. He will come and give you your reward. He will save you. Then the eyes of the blind will be opened so that they can see, and the ears of the deaf will be opened so that they can hear. Crippled people will dance like deer, and those who cannot speak now will use their voices to sing happy songs. This will happen when springs of water begin to flow in the dry desert. Now people see mirages[a] that look like water, but then there will be real pools of water. There will be wells in the dry land where water flows from the ground. Tall water plants will grow where wild animals once ruled.
There will be a road there. This highway will be called “The Holy Road.” Evil people will not be allowed to walk on that road. No fools will walk on it. Only good people will walk there. There will be no dangers on that road. There will be no lions there to hurt people or any dangerous animals on it. That road will be for the people God saves.
The Lord will make his people free, and they will come back to him. They will come into Zion rejoicing. They will be happy forever. Their happiness will be like a crown on their heads. Gladness and joy will fill them completely. Sorrow and sadness will be far, far away.

Isaiah 60
God Is Coming

“Jerusalem, get up and shine! Your Light is coming The Glory of the Lord will shine on you. Darkness now covers the earth, and the people are in darkness. But the Lord will shine on you, and his glory will appear over you. Then the nations will come to your light. Kings will come to your bright sunrise. Look around you! See all the people gathering around. Those are your sons coming from far away, and your daughters are there beside them. “At that time you will see your people, and your faces will shine with happiness.
First, you will be afraid, but then you will be excited All the riches from across the seas will be set before you.
The riches of the nations will come to you. Herds of camels from Midian and Ephah will cross your land.
Long lines of camels will come from Sheba. They will bring gold and incense People will sing praises to the Lord.
7 People will collect all the sheep from Kedar and give them to you. They will bring you rams from Nebaioth.
You will offer those animals on my altar, and I will accept them.
I will make my wonderful Temple even more beautiful. Look at the people. They are rushing toward you like clouds quickly crossing the sky. They are like doves flying to their nests. The faraway lands are waiting for me. The great cargo ships are ready to sail. They are ready to bring your children from faraway lands. They will bring silver and gold with them to honor the Lord your God, the Holy One of Israel. He has done wonderful things for you. Children from other lands will rebuild your walls. Their kings will serve you. “When I was angry, I hurt you, but now I want to be kind to you. So I will comfort you. Your gates will always be open. They will not be closed, day or night. Nations and kings will bring their wealth to you. Any nation or kingdom that does not serve you will be destroyed. All the great things of Lebanon will be given to you. People will bring pine trees, fir trees, and cypress trees to you.
These trees will be used for lumber to make my Holy Place[b] more beautiful.
This place is like a stool in front of my throne, and I will honor it. In the past, people hurt you, but they will bow down before you. In the past, people hated you, but they will bow down at your feet.
They will call you ‘The City of the Lord’s,’ ‘Zion of the Holy One of Israel.’ “People hated you. You were left all alone with no one passing through.
But I will make you great from now on. You will be happy forever and ever. Nations will give you what you need like a child drinking milk from its mother. But you will ‘drink’ riches from kings. Then you will know that it is I, the Lord, who saves you. You will know that I, the Great God of Jacob, protect you. “You now have copper, but I will bring you gold. You now have iron, but I will bring you silver.
I will change your wood into copper and your rocks into iron.
I will change your punishment into peace. And those who punished you will be replaced with those who are kind to you. There will never again be news of violence in your country. People will never again attack your country and steal from you. You will name your walls, ‘Salvation and your gates, ‘Praise.’

“The sun will no longer be your light during the day. The light from the moon will no longer be your light at night. The Lord will be your light forever. Your God will be your glory. Your sun will never go down again. Your moon will never again be dark. That’s because the Lord will be your light forever, and the dark days of mourning will end. “All your people will be good. They will get the land forever. They are the young plant in my garden that will grow to be wonderful trees. I made them with my own hands. The smallest family will become a large family group. The smallest tribe will become a powerful nation.
When the time is right,
I, the Lord, will come quickly.
I will make these things happen.”

Jeremiah 29:10-14
This is what the Lord says: “Babylon will be powerful for 70 years. After that time, I will come to you people who are living in Babylon. I will keep my good promise to bring you back to Jerusalem. I say this because I know the plans that I have for you.” This message is from the Lord. “I have good plans for you. I don’t plan to hurt you. I plan to give you hope and a good future. Then you will call my name. You will come to me and pray to me, and I will listen to you. You will search for me, and when you search for me with all your heart, you will find me. I will let you find me.” This message is from the Lord. “And I will bring you back from your captivity. I forced you to leave this place. But I will gather you from all the nations and places where I have sent you,” says the Lord, “and I will bring you back to this place.”

1 Peter 1:3-5
A Living Hope

Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ. God has great mercy, and because of his mercy, he gave us a new life. This new life brings us a living hope through Jesus Christ’s resurrection from death. Now we wait to receive the blessings God has for his children. These blessings are kept for you in heaven. They cannot be ruined or be destroyed or lose their beauty. God’s power protects you through your faith, and it keeps you safe until your salvation comes. That salvation is ready to be given to you at the end of time.

See, the home of God is among mortals. He will dwell with them; they will be his peoples, and God himself will be with them; he will wipe every tear from their eyes. Death will be no more; mourning and crying and pain will be no more; for the first things have passed away.

Revelation 21:1-8
The New Jerusalem

Then I saw a new heaven and a new earth. The first heaven and the first earth had disappeared. Now there was no sea. And I saw the holy city, the new Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God. It was prepared like a bride dressed for her husband. I heard a loud voice from the throne. It said, “Now God’s home is with people. He will live with them. They will be his people. God himself will be with them and will be their God. He will wipe away every tear from their eyes. There will be no more death, sadness, crying, or pain. All the old ways are gone.”
The one who was sitting on the throne said, “Look, I am making everything new!” Then he said, “Write this because these words are true and can be trusted.” The one on the throne said to me, “It is finished! I am the Alpha and the Omega, the Beginning and the End. I will give free water from the spring of the water of life to anyone who is thirsty. All those who win the victory will receive all this. And I will be their God, and they will be my children. But those who are cowards, those who refuse to believe, those who do terrible things, those who kill, those who sin sexually, those who do evil magic, those who worship idols, and those who tell lies—they will all have a place in the lake of burning sulfur. This is the second death.”

And without faith, it is impossible to please God, because anyone who comes to him must believe that he exists and that he rewards those who earnestly seek him.” Jesus says “Don’t worry” because pleasing God and worrying are mutually exclusive. He is worthy of our trust.

So let’s rejoice every moment by following Christ Jesus’ teachings and Commandments.

God Bless All. Amen

DO YOU KNOW THAT, CHRIST JESUS IS OUR BEST FRIEND

Being a friend

(Proverbs 17:17, Luke 10:25-37, John 15:11-17, Romans 16:1-2)

A friend loves at all times. The Bible has much to say about friendship. The Psalms mention friends, friendship, and friendliness often. The Book of Proverbs also speaks of friends. We can read about a friendship in the Old Testament and the New Testament.

Think of Proverbs 18:24: A man of many companions may come to ruin, but there is a friend who sticks closer than a brother. This is the friend, the kind of friend, mentioned in Proverbs 17:17 – A friend loves you in the midst of deepest troubles. A friend stands by you in difficult times. Friendship is a covenant. It is a relationship bound up in promises and obligations. It is a relationship of both commitment and action. Friendship is shown in this: undying loyalty, faithfulness to death. It is embodied in steadfast faithfulness and abiding love.

Jesus has performed many miracles, one of the miracles that relate to this topic is the parable of the Good Samaritan is told by Jesus in the Gospel of Luke 10:25-37. The compassion and actions of the Samaritan in the parable are surprising. He reflects the lengths to which love will go. He treats the injured man not as an enemy but as a neighbor, as one of his own. You will understand the genuine love from the example of a person he would regard as his enemy. Jesus indicates that a person truly acts as a neighbor through love. Jesus shows how authentic love will seek out, even in the unlikeliest of places, neighbors to receive compassion and care. So, when we get help from a stranger when we are in need, is a real and a true friend to us.

God’s love towards Jesus is so amazing that Jesus had followed all the commands given by God and always remained in his Love. Jesus has shared the same love with us, so by following his commands, we remain in him (John 15:9-13). Jesus says ‘By doing what he commands is an indication that we love him’ in John 15:14-15. Servants obey because they have to. Friends obey because they want to. (If you go to work at a shoe store, you are taught how to fit shoes to people’s feet. But if you are the owner’s son, then you are taught every aspect of the shoe business. And, dear friends, Jesus’ family business is the Kingdom of God). Jesus always treats us as his friend and not servants, because a servant does not know his master’s business. But Jesus as a friend to us has shared everything that he had learned from his Father have made known to us.

Jesus’ friends have the privilege of sitting down with the Master and understanding his Kingdom we can see it in John 15:16-17. Yes, he is King, but he is inviting them to share in his Kingdom, to be part of his administration, to “rule and reign with Christ” (2 Timothy 2:12; Revelation 5:10; 20:4). Jesus chose 12 disciples as his friends to bear fruit by sharing the word of God to “Accept” Christ “Receive” him and be “Born Again.” The Twelve became the foundation for the Church that mushroomed in the first century and beyond. Jesus showed his ultimate love by laying down his life for those loves. Amazingly, Paul reminds us, “While we were yet sinners, Christ died for us” (Romans 5:8). Jesus loved us so much that he died for us; we should also show our Love to one other and follow his teachings to become Jesus’ friend.

Apostle Paul in his Epistle to the Romans, verses 16:1-2 speaks about Sister Phoebe, a notable woman in the church of Cenchreae, she was trusted by Paul to deliver his letter to the Romans. Paul refers to her both as a “servant” or “deacon” (Greek diakonos) and as a helper or patron of many (Greek prostatis) as well as Paul in sharing Jesus’ teachings.

We are all Jesus’ friends, so we get to share in his joy and plans for the future. We get to be a participant in advancing his kingdom. What a wonderful privilege. Please value it!

Thank God for giving us, good friends, let’s introduce them to Jesus Christ.

Are you Looking for God’s Help?

Ask God specifically for what you want.

Tell God what you want or need and ask Him to provide that for you. Be specific about your request. Even though God knows what you want and need, He wants you to ask Him for it. God can answer vague prayers, but being specific creates a deeper bond between you and Him.

God hears your prayers, but he doesn’t always give you exactly what you ask for. It’s important to praise God and seek forgiveness for sins before you ask Him to give you what you want. Ask God to work the way He wants. Also, be honest and specific when you ask Him for what you want.

God will often withhold blessings that will pull us away from glorifying him. So one sign that God is about to bless you with a godly relationship is if you are maturing to a place in your heart where you are truly able to not idolize this relationship but rather glorify God through this relationship.

In the Old Testament, King David inspires us with his faith, seeking God’s help.
David’s trust in God allowed him to rescue sheep from the mouths of lions, defeat Goliath, the nine-foot giant, with only a handful of stones, and conquer countless enemies as king of Israel.

Why was King David so special to God?
Because he was hungry for God, he sought after God, he had a passion for spiritual things, and he tried to please God despite his failures. His actions proved he was a God chaser: He penned 73 Psalms of worship. … He loved God’s presence so much he wanted to be as close to it as possible.

Psalm 5, A song of David,
“Lord, listen to me and understand what I am trying to say. My God and King listen to my prayer.
Every morning, Lord, I lay my gifts before you and look to you for help. And every morning you hear my prayers.
God, you don’t want evil people near you. They cannot stay in your presence. Fools cannot come near you.
You hate those who do evil. You destroy those who tell lies. Lord, you hate those who make secret plans to hurt others. But by your great mercy, I can enter your house. I can worship in your holy Temple with fear and respect for you. Lord, show me your right way of living and make it easy for me to follow.
People are looking for my weaknesses, so show me how you want me to live. My enemies never tell the truth.
They only want to destroy people Their words come from mouths that are like open graves.
They use their lying tongues to deceive others. Punish them, God! Let them be caught in their own traps.
They have turned against you, so punish them for their many crimes. But let those who trust in you be happy forever. Protect and strengthen those who love your name. Lord, when you bless good people, you surround them with your love, like a large shield that protects them.”

Psalm 57, when David escaped from Saul and went into the cave.
“God, be merciful to me. Be kind because my soul trusts in you. I have come to you for protection, while the trouble passes. I pray to God Most High for help, and he takes care of me completely! From heaven, he helps me and saves me. He will punish the one who attacks me. God will remain loyal to me and send his love to protect me.
My life is in danger. My enemies are all around me.
They are like man-eating lions, with teeth like spears or arrows and tongues like sharp swords. God, rise above the heavens! Let all the world see your glory. My enemies set a trap for my feet to bring me down.
They dug a deep pit to catch me, but they fell into it. God, I am ready, heart and soul, to sing songs of praise.
Wake up, my soul! Harps and lyres, wake up, and let’s wake the dawn!
My Lord, I will praise you before all people. I will sing praises about you to every nation.
Your faithful love is higher than the highest clouds in the sky! Rise above the heavens, God.
Let all the world see your glory.”

Psalm 86, A Prayer of David.
“I am a poor, helpless man. Lord, please listen to me and answer my prayer! I am your follower, so please protect me. I am your servant, and you are my God. I trust in you, so save me. My Lord, be kind to me. I have been praying to you all day. My Lord, I put my life in your hands. I am your servant, so make me happy. My Lord, you are good and merciful. You love all those who call to you for help, Lord, hear my prayer. Listen to my cry for mercy.
I am praying to you in my time of trouble. I know you will answer me. My Lord, there is no God like you. No one can do what you have done. My Lord, you made everyone. I wish they all would come to worship you and honor your name.
You are great and do amazing things. You and you alone are God. Lord, teach me your ways, and I will live and obey your truth, Help me make worshiping your name, the most important thing in my life.
My Lord God, I praise you with all my heart. I will honor your name forever! You have such great love for me. You save me from the place of death. Proud people are attacking me, God. A gang of cruel men is trying to kill me.
They don’t respect you. My Lord, you are a kind and merciful God. You are patient, loyal, and full of love.
Show that you hear me and be kind to me. I am your servant, so give me strength. I am your slave, as my mother was, so save me! Lord, show me a sign that you care for me. My enemies will see it and be disappointed because you helped and comforted me.”

Psalm 130, A song for going up to the Temple
“Lord, I am in deep trouble, so I am calling to you for help. My Lord, listen to me. Listen to my cry for help.
Lord, if you punished people for all their sins, no one would be left alive. But you forgive people, so they fear and respect you. I am waiting for the Lord to help me. My soul waits for him. I trust what he says. I am waiting for my Lord like a guard waiting and waiting for the morning to come. Israel, trust in the Lord. The Lord is the one who is faithful and true He saves us again and again, and he is the one who will save the people of Israel from all their sins.”

God promises to love and care for his people; we promise to love and obey him. He steadfastly fulfills his promise; we frequently fail. But God always remains faithful.

Psalm 119:169-176,
“Lord, listen to my cry for help. Make me wise, as you promised. Listen to my prayer. Save me, as you promised. I will burst into songs of praise because you have taught me your laws. Let my voice sing about your word because all your commands are good. I have chosen to follow your instructions, so reach out and help me! Lord, I want you to save me. Your teachings make me happy. Let me live to praise you. Let me find the help I need in your laws. I have wandered away like a lost sheep. Come and find me. I am your servant, and I have not forgotten your commands.”

Chapter Matthew, consequently emphasizes Christ’s fulfillment of Old Testament prophecies and his role as a new lawgiver whose divine mission was confirmed by repeated miracles. Matthew records Jesus as Messiah, Son of God, Son of David, Son of Man, and supremely as God returning to Jerusalem as judge and redeemer.

As we seek the kingdom of God and his righteousness, we find all of God’s promises to be true. We find purpose and fulfillment in life. God’s gift to us is discernment and wisdom. He helps us to manage our lives so we can always know that our needs are being supplied.

Matthew 7:7-11
” Continue to ask, and God will give to you. Continue to search, and you will find. Continue to knock, and the door will open for you. Yes, whoever continues to ask will receive. Whoever continues to look will find. And whoever continues to knock will have the door opened for them. Do any of you have a son? If he asked for bread, would you give him a rock? Or if he asked for a fish, would you give him a snake? Of course not! You people are so bad, but you still know how to give good things to your children. So surely your heavenly Father will give good things to those who ask him.

A Very Important Rule
“Do for others what you would want them to do for you. This is the meaning of the Law of Moses and the teaching of the prophets.

The Gospel message is to believe in Christ and to love others.

God Bless All, Amen.

In our prayers, we often ask God for the things that we want. But what does God want, from us?
What kind of lives does He want us to live? What kind of people does He want us to be?

Psalm 15
lists some of the qualities God looks for in His people:
‘Who may worship in your sanctuary, Lord?
Who may enter your presence on your holy hill?
Those who lead blameless lives and do what is right,
speaking the truth from sincere hearts.
Those who refuse to gossip or harm their neighbors
or speak evil of their friends.
Those who despise flagrant sinners,
honor the faithful followers of the Lord
and keep their promises even when it hurts.
Those who lend money without charging interest,
and who cannot be bribed to lie about the innocent.
Such people will stand firm forever.’

Micah 6:6-8 says:
‘What can we bring to the Lord?
Should we bring Him burnt offerings?
Should we bow before God Most High
with offerings of yearling calves?
Should we offer Him thousands of rams
and ten thousand rivers of olive oil?
Should we sacrifice our firstborn children
to pay for our sins?

No, O people, the Lord has told you what is good,
and this is what He requires of you:
to do what is right, to love mercy,
and to walk humbly with your God.’

Romans 13:8–14 tells us more about the kind of lives God wants us to live.
‘Pay all your debts, except the debt of love for others. You can never finish paying that! If you love your neighbor, you will fulfill all the requirements of God’s law. The commandments against adultery and murder and stealing and coveting – and any other commandment – are all summed up in this one commandment: “Love your neighbor as yourself.” Love does no wrong to anyone, so love satisfies all of God’s requirements.
Another reason for right living is that you know how late it is; time is running out. Wake up, for the coming of our salvation is nearer now than when we first believed. The night is almost gone; the day of salvation will soon be here. So don’t live in darkness. Get rid of your evil deeds. Shed them like dirty clothes. Clothe yourselves with the armor of right living, as those who live in the light. We should be decent and true in everything we do so that everyone can approve of our behavior. Don’t participate in wild parties and getting drunk, or in adultery and immoral living, or in fighting and jealousy. But let the Lord Jesus Christ take control of you, and don’t think of ways to indulge your evil desires.’

2 Peter 1:3–11 says: ‘As we know Jesus better, His divine power gives us everything we need for living a godly life. He has called us to receive His own glory and goodness! And by that same mighty power, He has given us all of His rich and wonderful promises. He has promised that you will escape the decadence all around you caused by evil desires and that you will share in His divine nature.
So make every effort to apply the benefits of these promises to your life. Then your faith will produce a life of moral excellence. A life of moral excellence leads to knowing God better. Knowing God leads to self-control. Self-control leads to patient endurance, and patient endurance leads to godliness. Godliness leads to love for other Christians, and finally, you will grow to have a genuine love for everyone. The more you grow like this, the more you will become productive and useful in your knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ. But those who fail to develop these virtues are blind or, at least, very shortsighted. They have already forgotten that God has cleansed them from their old life of sin. So, dear brothers and sisters, work hard to prove that you really are among those God has called and chosen. By doing this, you will never stumble or fall away. And God will open wide the gates of heaven for you to enter into the eternal Kingdom of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.’

1 John 4:20–21 also reminds us that God wants His people to love one another.
‘If someone says “I love God,” but hates a Christian brother or sister, that person is a liar; for if we don’t love people we can see, how can we love God, whom we have not seen? And God Himself has commanded that we must love not only Him but our Christian brothers and sisters, too.’

And in Matthew 5:14-16, Jesus tells His disciples:
“You are the light of the world — like a city on a hilltop that cannot be hidden. No one lights a lamp and then puts it under a basket. Instead, a lamp is placed on a stand, where it gives light to everyone in the house. In the same way, let your good deeds shine out for all to see so that everyone will praise your heavenly Father.”

God’s will for our lives is more important than our own desires and plans.
God – who knows all things, including the past, present, and future – knows what is best for us and what we really need, far better than we (with our limited human understanding) can possibly know.

Jesus explained this in Matthew 6:32–33 when He said: “Your heavenly Father already knows all your needs, and He will give you all you need from day to day if you live for Him and make the Kingdom of God your primary concern.”

Jesus also said in Luke 9:23–26: “If any of you wants to be my follower, you must put aside your selfish ambition, shoulder your cross daily, and follow me. If you try to keep your life for yourself, you will lose it. But if you give up your life for me, you will find true life. And how do you benefit if you gain the whole world but lose or forfeit your own soul in the process? If a person is ashamed of me and my message, I, the Son of Man, will be ashamed of that person when I return in my glory and in the glory of the Father and the holy angels.”

Proverbs 3:5-7 tells us: ‘Trust in the Lord with all your heart; do not depend on your own understanding. Seek His will in all you do, and He will direct your paths. Don’t be impressed with your own wisdom. Instead, fear the Lord and turn your back on evil.’

Trying to do God’s will and live a Christian life will not always be easy, but we should not give up.
In 2 Timothy 3:12, Paul warns us that ‘everyone who wants to live a godly life in Christ Jesus will suffer persecution.’

He also writes in Romans 8:16–18: ‘For His Holy Spirit speaks to us deep in our hearts and tells us that we are God’s children. And since we are His children, we will share His treasures – for everything God gives to His Son, Christ, is ours, too. But if we are to share His glory, we must also share His suffering.’

The Bible offers great comfort and encouragement to Christians who are prepared to suffer for the sake of doing God’s will.
In Matthew 5:11–12, Jesus gives us this promise: “God blesses you when you are mocked and persecuted and lied about because you are my followers. Be happy about it! Be very glad! For a great reward awaits you in heaven. And remember, the ancient prophets were persecuted, too.”

Peter writes in 1 Peter 4:12–19: ‘Dear friends, don’t be surprised at the fiery trials you are going through, as if something strange were happening to you. Instead, be very glad – because these trials will make you partners with Christ in His suffering, and afterward you will have the wonderful joy of sharing His glory when it is displayed to all the world. Be happy if you are insulted for being a Christian, for then the glorious Spirit of God will come upon you. If you suffer, however, it must not be for murder, stealing, making trouble, or prying into other people’s affairs. But it is no shame to suffer for being a Christian. Praise God for the privilege of being called by His wonderful name! For the time has come for judgment, and it must begin first among God’s own children … So if you are suffering according to God’s will, keep on doing what is right, and trust yourself to the God who made you, for He will never fail you.’

And as Paul says in 2 Corinthians 4: ‘We are pressed on every side by troubles, but we are not crushed and broken. We are perplexed, but we don’t give up and quit. We are hunted down, but God never abandons us. We get knocked down, but we get up again and keep going. Through suffering, these bodies of ours constantly share in the death of Jesus so that the life of Jesus may also be seen in our bodies …That is why we never give up. Though our bodies are dying, our spirits are being renewed every day. For our present troubles are quite small and won’t last very long. Yet they produce for us an immeasurably great glory that will last forever! So we don’t look at the troubles we can see right now; rather, we look forward to what we have not yet seen. For the troubles we see will soon be over, but the joys to come will last forever.’

God bless all, Amen.