FOCUS OF THE MONTH
Starting over again with the God of another chance
SCRIPTURE OF THE WEEK
But the Lord said unto him, Go thy way: for he is a chosen vessel unto me, to bear my name before the Gentiles, and kings, and the children of Israel: Acts 9:15 (KJV) (ESV)
HAPPY BIRTHDAY
We do not have any birthdays this week.
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Overview:
Sunday – In this world, we will have trials and tribulations. However, the God of heaven and earth does not want us to be fixated on our problems. Instead, He wants us to look to Him to help us overcome the obstacles in our lives.
Monday – Take the time to lift our eyes and open our hearts to the beauty of God’s creation. Despite our problems, we will begin to declare the glory of God and give Him the praises that He deserves.
Tuesday – Come out of self and let’s follow the ways of Jesus, despite what others may say or think. We now have a new identity in Christ which shapes our view of ourselves. We are no longer condemned with the world and we will always be the children of God. Therefore, allow the Holy Spirit to transform us more into the image of Christ. He will also guide us into all truth and empower us in the things of God.
Wednesday – Let’s not be ignorant of our old nature that wants to rear up from time to time. Don’t allow ourselves to be obsessed with pleasing the flesh at the expense of violating God’s laws. Instead, safe guard our hearts and purpose to please God rather than man.
Thursday – Putting self last is a big deal to God. As we follow Jesus’ example of fasting and showing compassion to those who are blind and lost, let us give of our time, talent and treasures generously to help lighten their burdens.
Friday – In doing so, this shows that we have been chosen and we are the children of light. We are the redeemed of the Lord who should want to see others saved. As we look through the lens of God’s Word that tells us that Jesus came to His own creation to deliver whosoever out of darkness into His marvelous light, let all the people united in the faith sing praises to His name!
***The English Standard Version (ESV) stands in the classic mainstream of English Bible translations over the past half-millennium. The fountainhead of that stream was William Tyndale’s New Testament of 1526; marking its course were the King James Version of 1611 (KJV), the English Revised Version of 1885 (RV), the American Standard Version of 1901 (ASV), and the Revised Standard Version of 1952 and 1971 (RSV). In that stream, faithfulness to the text and vigorous pursuit of accuracy were combined with simplicity, beauty, and dignity of expression. Our goal has been to carry forward this legacy for a new century.
To this end each word and phrase in the ESV has been carefully weighed against the original Hebrew, Aramaic, and Greek, to ensure the fullest accuracy and clarity and to avoid under-translating or overlooking any nuance of the original text. The words and phrases themselves grow out of the Tyndale-King James legacy, and most recently out of the RSV, with the 1971 RSV text providing the starting point for our work. Archaic language has been brought to current usage and significant corrections have been made in the translation of key texts. But throughout, our goal has been to retain the depth of meaning and enduring language that have made their indelible mark on the English-speaking world and have defined the life and doctrine of the church over the last four centuries.
The ESV is an “essentially literal” translation that seeks as far as possible to capture the precise wording of the original text and the personal style of each Bible writer. It seeks to be transparent to the original text, letting the reader see as directly as possible the structure and meaning of the original. More about the ESV translation philosophy….***
Monday, January 21, 2019 – Creation’s Song – Psalm 19:1-6
Focus: Heaven and earth declares the glory of God. We too, were created to lift our eyes and open our hearts to give God the praises that He deserves.
Scripture(s): Psalm 150; Psalm 148:1-6
Tuesday, January 22, 2019 – Always a Child of God – Romans 8:9-17
Focus: Step out of our comfort zone and follow Jesus despite what others say or think. We have a new identify as a child of God and are led by the Holy Spirit.
Scripture(s): Galatians 3:26-29; John 1:12, 13
Wednesday, January 23, 2019 – Trying to Impress – Matthew 15:1-11, 16-20
Focus: Let’s not be obsessed with pleasing ourselves or others at the expense of violating God’s laws. Instead, guard our hearts with all diligence.
Scripture(s): 1 Thessalonians 2:4; Proverbs 4:23
Thursday, January 24, 2019 – A Big Deal – Isaiah 58:6-9
Focus: Helping others in need is a big deal to God. Follow Jesus’ example and give generously as we fast to lighten the burdens of those who are lost and blind.
Scripture(s): Micah 6:8; Luke 6:30-38
Friday, January 25, 2019 – The Wide Shot – 1 Peter 2:1-10
Focus: Jesus came to His own creation to deliver us out of darkness. We, the redeemed must see ourselves united through the lens of God’s word and sing praises to His name.
Scripture(s): Revelation 7:9; Deuteronomy 7:6; Psalm 33:1-4
Thoughts from Sister Clovia Thompson –
We are Precious in God’s Sight
Sometimes in the overall scheme of things it seems that our contributions are small and the difference we may make in someone else’s life is insignificant. Let’s face it, it is a big world, and only a few important people make a difference. That’s what Satan would like for us to believe. But the truth is that each one of us has something we can contribute and each one of us is special in the eyes of God who created us. God has given us a very special gift. It is a gift of love. A gift of making us like Himself and giving us His very own son, the Lord Jesus.
If you feel you do not matter, read David’s word in Psalms 8. David was overwhelmed with the fact that in light of the whole creation, God still was mindful of man. David looked at all creation and said “God it is amazing to me that in all of this you have made me the most special and put all things under my dominion!”
Yes, we are special because we are God’s creation and when you begin to think you do not matter to anyone else please remember you matter to God. You are special in His sight!
“My friends, make time for God every day because He always has time for you.” — Sister Clovia