Day 365 Where do we end our journey through the Bible?

We began this journey through the Bible with the awe of creation! Our final chapter is also about a tree but this one bears fruit..."Then the angel showed me the river of the water of life, as clear as crystal, flowing from the throne of God and of the Lamb down the middle of the great street of the city. On each side of the river stood the tree of life, bearing twelve crops of fruit, yielding its fruit every month. And the leaves of the tree are for the healing of the nations. No longer will there be any curse. The throne of God and of the Lamb will be in the city, and his servants will serve him. They will see his face, and his name will be on their foreheads. There will be no more night. They will not need the light of a lamp or the light of the sun, for the Lord God will give them light. And they will reign for ever and ever." What a finish a tree of fruit for every month and a light that needs no lamp or sun! We finish as we began in the awe of the Almighty God! May the awesome God from Genesis to Revelation bless you all!

Day 364 What good does grumbling do?

One of the ways we end our read through the Bible is with the thought..."grumbling does no good." Here is what the one chapter Book of Jude writes..."They said to you, "In the last times there will be scoffers who will follow their own ungodly desires." These are the men who divide you, who follow mere natural instincts and do not have the Spirit." Have we ever considered that grumbling not only does no good but is also a sign of not following the leading of the God's Spirit? As I recall Israel, God did not bless the grumbling against Moses in the desert either!

Day 363 Who do we imitate?

Who do we imitate? Have we ever considered there is both good and bad behavior that we imitate? The Book of Third John writes about this in saying..."Dear friend, do not imitate what is evil but what is good. Anyone who does what is good is from God. Anyone who does what is evil has not seen God." Who do we imitate? Hopefully we imitate the good. May our prayer be to follow after Jesus!

Day 362 What is another obvious teaching?

John 4 is another obvious teaching in the Bible...Love is of God and validates everything we do..." Dear friends, let us love one another, for love comes from God. Everyone who loves has been born of God and knows God. Whoever does not love does not know God, because God is love. This is how God showed his love among us: He sent his one and only Son into the world that we might live through him. This is love: not that we loved God, but that he loved us and sent his Son as an atoning sacrifice for our sins. Dear friends, since God so loved us, we also ought to love one another. No one has ever seen God; but if we love one another, God lives in us and his love is made complete in us. We know that we live in him and he in us, because he has given us of his Spirit. And we have seen and testify that the Father has sent his Son to be the Savior of the world. If anyone acknowledges that Jesus is the Son of God, God lives in him and he in God. And so we know and rely on the love God has for us. God is love. Whoever lives in love lives in God, and God in him. In this way, love is made complete among us so that we will have confidence on the day of judgment, because in this world we are like him. There is no fear in love. But perfect love drives out fear, because fear has to do with punishment. The one who fears is not made perfect in love. We love because he first loved us." How obvious is this message and how needed is this message today!

Day 361 What is the most dangerous danger?

In reaching back to previous reading, I wanted to reflect one of the greatest negative forces in the world. What is this dangerous force in the world? War? Weapons? Hate? These are imposing. James teaches the tongue is deadly with it[s poison. No one can tame the tongue! Loose lips sink ships as the saying goes. How true. How true.

Day 360 Does John state the obvious?

God loves us in sending Jesus. How do we respond to the love of Jesus? By serving others in need! John writes..."This is how we know what love is: Jesus Christ laid down his life for us. And we ought to lay down our lives for our brothers. If anyone has material possessions and sees his brother in need but has no pity on him, how can the love of God be in him?" A question that may not have an answer other than appropriate action.

Day 359 What to do if we sin?

What do we do if we sin? John writes..."If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive our sins." In chapter two he writes..."If anyone does sin we have an advocate with the Father." This message bridges all sinners to the Cross. What would we do without this good news?

Day 358 How should we use our gifts?

I Peter teaches as Paul did about using gifts..."Therefore be clear minded and self-controlled so that you can pray. Above all, love each other deeply, because love covers over a multitude of sins. Offer hospitality to one another without grumbling. Each one should use whatever gift he has received to serve others, faithfully administering God's grace in its various forms. If anyone speaks, he should do it as one speaking the very words of God. If anyone serves, he should do it with the strength God provides, so that in all things God may be praised through Jesus Christ. To him be the glory and the power for ever and ever. Amen." I had not noticed this passage before. The message...do what you do well!

Day 357..."My goodness! A witness of Godliness?

Can we convince others to follow Christ through being good even in the face of mistreatment? Jesus taught this in the Sermon on the Mount. Paul would say "yes" in Romans 12. Paul writes of overcoming evil by doing good. I Peter also makes the claim in today's reading..."Live such good lives among the pagans that, though they accuse you of doing wrong, they may see your good deeds and glorify God on the day he visits us."

Day 356...Who receives grace?

Who will receive grace and who will not? Anyone can receive grace if they humble themselves before the Lord. The proud will receive grace. This is what James writes...""God opposes the proud but gives grace to the humble." Submit yourselves, then, to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you. Come near to God and he will come near to you. Wash your hands, you sinners, and purify your hearts, you double-minded. Grieve, mourn and wail. Change your laughter to mourning and your joy to gloom. Humble yourselves before the Lord, and he will lift you up." Humility is always the way to go.

Day 355 "Which is better faith or works?"

Which is better faith or works? The answer is which one you did last. Here is James expanation..."What good is it, my brothers, if a man claims to have faith but has no deeds? Can such faith save him? Suppose a brother or sister is without clothes and daily food. If one of you says to him, "Go, I wish you well; keep warm and well fed," but does nothing about his physical needs, what good is it? In the same way, faith by itself, if it is not accompanied by action, is dead." Balanced Christianity.

Day 354 Why be kind to strangers?

Being kind to strangers takes very little effort and could hold Kingdom of God potential....Why are we to be kind to strangers? You never know who it might be is one reason. Hebrews says..."Keep on loving each other as brothers. Do not forget to entertain strangers, for by so doing some people have entertained angels without knowing it. Remember those in prison as if you were their fellow prisoners, and those who are mistreated as if you yourselves were suffering."