Scripture Sunday

"Go home to your family and tell them how much
the Lord has done for you,
and how He has had mercy on you." 

~  Jesus

Mark 5.19 (NIV)

Thank you to the Notgrass Company for sharing this picture and verse in a weekly email.

Blessings,

     Ellen

The Bible in 90 Days

Reading God's Word daily has been amazing!  I am more able to string together the events in the Old Testament.  This week I have read from Isaiah 14 through to Jeremiah 32, so many "nuggets" of familiar passages and God's teachings.  Here are a few highlights....

Isaiah 43.1-3a, 5a, 25

¹ But now, this is what the LORD says—
he who created you, Jacob,
he who formed you, Israel:
“Do not fear, for I have redeemed you;
I have summoned you by name; you are mine.
² When you pass through the waters,
I will be with you;
and when you pass through the rivers,
they will not sweep over you.
When you walk through the fire,
you will not be burned;
the flames will not set you ablaze.
³ For I am the LORD your God,
the Holy One of Israel, your Savior;

⁵ Do not be afraid, for I am with you;
I will bring your children from the east
and gather you from the west.

 ²⁵ “I, even I, am he who blots out
your transgressions, for my own sake,
and remembers your sins no more.

I love this part of Scripture!  See how God keeps reminding us He is with us.  Life can't get any better than that!  We will go through trials, but we will never be alone.  Also, how many people do you know that will remember your sins NO more?  None, right?  Well God does.  Thank you Lord!

Isaiah 61.1-3, 10-11

 ¹ The Spirit of the Sovereign LORD is on me,
because the LORD has anointed me
to proclaim good news to the poor.
He has sent me to bind up the brokenhearted,
to proclaim freedom for the captives
and release from darkness for the prisoners,^[a]
2 to proclaim the year of the LORD’s favor
and the day of vengeance of our God,
to comfort all who mourn,
³ and provide for those who grieve in Zion—
to bestow on them a crown of beauty
instead of ashes,
the oil of joy
instead of mourning,
and a garment of praise
instead of a spirit of despair.
They will be called oaks of righteousness,
a planting of the LORD
for the display of his splendor.

 ¹⁰ I delight greatly in the LORD;
my soul rejoices in my God.
For he has clothed me with garments of salvation
and arrayed me in a robe of his righteousness,
as a bridegroom adorns his head like a priest,
and as a bride adorns herself with her jewels.
¹¹ For as the soil makes the sprout come up
and a garden causes seeds to grow,
so the Sovereign LORD will make righteousness
and praise spring up before all nations.

I first memorized Isaiah 61.1-3 while working through a Beth Moore Bible study.  It brought me peace then, and still does.  I've been the poor whom He has sent His people to help and lift-up; I was once the "broken-hearted," and God was there to bind my wounds;  God has comforted me in mourning and has shown me the way to healing, so I can dance every morning; He has released me from the darkness of my own sinful past and has clothed me with His salvation!  GOD gives me HOPE every day. 

If you are also reading the Bible in 90 Days, how are you doing? Are you struggling with finding the time to read or what God is showing you? There are times I'm not liking what He is showing me about myself. I'm praying for us all!

Blessings,

     Ellen

Scripture Sunday

Psalm 1

(NIV)

 ¹ Blessed is the one
   who does not walk in step with the wicked
or stand in the way that sinners take
   or sit in the company of mockers,
² but whose delight is in the law of the LORD,
   and who meditates on his law day and night.
³ That person is like a tree planted by streams of water,
   which yields its fruit in season
and whose leaf does not wither—
   whatever they do prospers.

 ⁴ Not so the wicked!
   They are like chaff
   that the wind blows away.
⁵ Therefore the wicked will not stand in the judgment,
   nor sinners in the assembly of the righteous.

 ⁶ For the LORD watches over the way of the righteous,
   but the way of the wicked leads to destruction.

 

    

Scripture Sunday

 

"For you have been born again, not of perishable seed, but of imperishable, through the living and enduring word of God.  For,

 

   'All people are like grass,
   and all their glory is like the flowers of the field;
the grass withers and the flowers fall,
 but the word of the Lord endures forever.'"

1 Peter 1.23-25

    

Sunday Scripture

"Her children rise up and bless her;

Her husband also, and he praises her, saying:

“Many daughters have done nobly,

But you excel them all.”

Charm is deceitful and beauty is vain,

But a woman who fears the LORD, she shall be praised.

Give her the product of her hands,

And let her works praise her in the gates."

Proverbs 31:28-31


I remember my mother's prayers
and they have always followed me.
They have clung to me all my life.

~ Abraham Lincoln

Happy Mother’s Day!

    

Hebrews 11.6

"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."

 

     

Scripture Sunday - Easter

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Easter

Luke 24.1-12

Jesus Has Risen

 ¹ "On the first day of the week, very early in the morning, the women took the spices they had prepared and went to the tomb. ² They found the stone rolled away from the tomb, ³ but when they entered, they did not find the body of the Lord Jesus. ⁴ While they were wondering about this, suddenly two men in clothes that gleamed like lightning stood beside them. ⁵ In their fright the women bowed down with their faces to the ground, but the men said to them, “Why do you look for the living among the dead? ⁶ He is not here; he has risen! Remember how he told you, while he was still with you in Galilee: ⁷ ‘The Son of Man must be delivered over to the hands of sinners, be crucified and on the third day be raised again.’ ” ⁸ Then they remembered his words.  ⁹ When they came back from the tomb, they told all these things to the Eleven and to all the others. ¹⁰ It was Mary Magdalene, Joanna, Mary the mother of James, and the others with them who told this to the apostles. ¹¹ But they did not believe the women, because their words seemed to them like nonsense. ¹² Peter, however, got up and ran to the tomb. Bending over, he saw the strips of linen lying by themselves, and he went away, wondering to himself what had happened."

Hallelujah, He is risen;

He is risen indeed, Hallelujah!

    

Good Friday Scripture

Good Friday

Mark 15.16-47

The Soldiers Mock Jesus

 ¹⁶ The soldiers led Jesus away into the palace (that is, the Praetorium) and called together the whole company of soldiers. ¹⁷ They put a purple robe on him, then twisted together a crown of thorns and set it on him. ¹⁸ And they began to call out to him, “Hail, king of the Jews!” ¹⁹ Again and again they struck him on the head with a staff and spit on him. Falling on their knees, they paid homage to him. ²⁰ And when they had mocked him, they took off the purple robe and put his own clothes on him. Then they led him out to crucify him.

The Crucifixion of Jesus

 ²¹ A certain man from Cyrene, Simon, the father of Alexander and Rufus, was passing by on his way in from the country, and they forced him to carry the cross. ²² They brought Jesus to the place called Golgotha (which means “the place of the skull”). ²³ Then they offered him wine mixed with myrrh, but he did not take it. ²⁴ And they crucified him. Dividing up his clothes, they cast lots to see what each would get.
 ²⁵ It was nine in the morning when they crucified him. ²⁶ The written notice of the charge against him read: THE KING OF THE JEWS.
 ²⁷ They crucified two rebels with him, one on his right and one on his left. ^{[28] [a] 29} Those who passed by hurled insults at him, shaking their heads and saying, “So! You who are going to destroy the temple and build it in three days, ³⁰ come down from the cross and save yourself!” ³¹ In the same way the chief priests and the teachers of the law mocked him among themselves. “He saved others,” they said, “but he can’t save himself! ³² Let this Messiah, this king of Israel, come down now from the cross, that we may see and believe.” Those crucified with him also heaped insults on him.

The Death of Jesus

 ³³ At noon, darkness came over the whole land until three in the afternoon. ³⁴ And at three in the afternoon Jesus cried out in a loud voice, “Eloi, Eloi, lema sabachthani?” (which means “My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?”).^[b]
 35 When some of those standing near heard this, they said, “Listen, he’s calling Elijah.”
 ³⁶ Someone ran, filled a sponge with wine vinegar, put it on a staff, and offered it to Jesus to drink. “Now leave him alone. Let’s see if Elijah comes to take him down,” he said.
 ³⁷ With a loud cry, Jesus breathed his last.
 ³⁸ The curtain of the temple was torn in two from top to bottom. ³⁹ And when the centurion, who stood there in front of Jesus, saw how he died,^[c] he said, “Surely this man was the Son of God!”
 ⁴⁰ Some women were watching from a distance. Among them were Mary Magdalene, Mary the mother of James the younger and of Joseph,^[d] and Salome. ⁴¹ In Galilee these women had followed him and cared for his needs. Many other women who had come up with him to Jerusalem were also there.

The Burial of Jesus

 ⁴² It was Preparation Day (that is, the day before the Sabbath). So as evening approached, ⁴³ Joseph of Arimathea, a prominent member of the Council, who was himself waiting for the kingdom of God, went boldly to Pilate and asked for Jesus’ body. ⁴⁴ Pilate was surprised to hear that he was already dead. Summoning the centurion, he asked him if Jesus had already died. ⁴⁵ When he learned from the centurion that it was so, he gave the body to Joseph. ⁴⁶ So Joseph bought some linen cloth, took down the body, wrapped it in the linen, and placed it in a tomb cut out of rock. Then he rolled a stone against the entrance of the tomb. ⁴⁷ Mary Magdalene and Mary the mother of Joseph saw where he was laid."


Dear Father,

Thank you for sending Jesus to die in my place and accepting His perfect sacrifice so I may be reconciled to You.

Amen



    

Scripture Sunday

Palm Sunday

Matthew 21.1-11

Jesus Comes to Jerusalem as King

 ¹ As they approached Jerusalem and came to Bethphage on the Mount of Olives, Jesus sent two disciples, ² saying to them, “Go to the village ahead of you, and at once you will find a donkey tied there, with her colt by her. Untie them and bring them to me. ³ If anyone says anything to you, say that the Lord needs them, and he will send them right away.”

 ⁴ This took place to fulfill what was spoken through the prophet:
 ⁵ “Say to Daughter Zion,
   ‘See, your king comes to you,
gentle and riding on a donkey,
   and on a colt, the foal of a donkey.’”^[a]
 6 The disciples went and did as Jesus had instructed them. ⁷ They brought the donkey and the colt and placed their cloaks on them for Jesus to sit on. ⁸ A very large crowd spread their cloaks on the road, while others cut branches from the trees and spread them on the road. ⁹ The crowds that went ahead of him and those that followed shouted,
   “Hosanna^[b] to the Son of David!”
   “Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord!”^[c]
   “Hosanna^[d] in the highest heaven!”
 ¹⁰ When Jesus entered Jerusalem, the whole city was stirred and asked, “Who is this?”
 ¹¹ The crowds answered, “This is Jesus, the prophet from Nazareth in Galilee.”

Luke 19.41-44

⁴¹ "As he approached Jerusalem and saw the city, he wept over it ⁴² and said, “If you, even you, had only known on this day what would bring you peace—but now it is hidden from your eyes. ⁴³ The days will come upon you when your enemies will build an embankment against you and encircle you and hem you in on every side. ⁴⁴ They will dash you to the ground, you and the children within your walls. They will not leave one stone on another, because you did not recognize the time of God’s coming to you.”

Dear Father,

Draw me closer to You not only during this season of Lent, but all the time.  Make it my desire to know You better and follow You more closely.

Amen

    

Scripture Sunday

Holiness

As each day brings us closer to Easter, I am focusing on becoming holy as Jesus is holy.  I know I will  never achieve perfect holiness this side of heaven, but each step I take brings me closer to my Lord and Savior.

"God did not call us to be impure, but to live a holy life."

~ 1 Thessalonians 4.7

"What does the Lord your God ask of you but to fear the Lord your God, to walk in all his ways, to love him, to serve the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul."

~ Deuteronomy 10.12

"Serve Him with wholehearted devotion and with a willing mind, for the Lord searches every heart and understands every motive behind the thoughts.  If  you seek Him, He will be found by you."

~ 1 Chronicles 28.9

Dear Father,

Draw me closer to You not only during this season of Lent, but all the time.  Make it my desire to know You better and follow You more closely.

Amen

    

Scripture Sunday

Holiness

As each day brings us closer to Easter, I am focusing on becoming holy as Jesus is holy.  I know I will  never achieve perfect holiness this side of heaven, but each step I take brings me closer to my Lord and Savior.

"Offer your bodies as living sacrifices, holy and pleasing to God - this is your spiritual act of worship.  Do not conform any longer to the the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind.  Then you will be able to test and approve what God's will is - His good, pleasing and perfect will."

~ Romans 12.1-2

"Make every effort to live in peace with all men and to by holy; without hiliness no one will see the Lord."

~ Hebrews 12.14

Dear Father,

Draw me closer to You not only during this season of Lent, but all the time.  Make it my desire to know You better and follow You more closely.

Amen

    

Scripture Sunday

"I delight greatly in the Lord; my soul rejoices in my God.  For he has clothed me with garments of salvation and arrayed me in a robe of righteousness, as a bridegroom adorns his head like a priest, and as a bride adorns herself with her jewels."

~ Isaiah 61.10

"Jesus said: 'I will see you again and you will rejoice, and no one will take away your joy.'"

~ John 16.22

"The Lord is my strength and my shield; my heart trusts in him, and I am helped.  My heart leaps for joy and I will give thanks to him in song."

~ Psalm 28.7

Blessings,

Ellen



Scripture Sunday

"Consider it pure joy, by brothers, whenever you face trials of many kinds, because you know that the testing of  your faith develops perseverance."

~ James 1.2-3

"Rejoice in the Lord always.  I will say it again: Rejoice!"

~ Philippians 4.4

"Be joyful always; pray continually; give thanks in all circumstances,

for this is God's will for you in Christ Jesus."

~ 1 Thessalonians 5.16-18

Blessings,

Ellen

Scripture Sunday

"I rejoice in following your statutes as one rejoices in great riches."

~ Psalm 119.14

"You will go out in joy and be led forth in peace; the mountains and hills will burst into song before you, and all the trees of the field will clap their hands."

~ Isaiah 55.12

"Rejoice in the Lord your God, for he has given you the autumn rains in righteousness.  He sends you abundant showers, both autumn and spring rains, as before."

~ Joel 2.23

Blessings,

Ellen

Scripture Sunday

"He will fill your mouth with laughter and your lips with shouts of joy."

~ Job 8.21

"His favor lasts a lifetime; weeping may remain for a night, but rejoicing comes in the morning."

~ Psalm 30.5

"Shout for joy to the Lord, all the earth.  Worship the Lord with gladness; come before him with joyful songs."

~ Psalm 100.1-2

Blessings,

Ellen

Scripture Sunday

"Keep on loving each other."

~ Hebrews 13.1 (NIV)

"God so loved the world that He gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in Him shall not perish but have eternal life."

~ John 3.16 (NIV)

"Live in harmony with one another; be sympathetic, love as brothers, be compassionate and humble.  Do not repay evil with evil or insult with insult, but with blessing, because to this you were called so that you may inherit a blessing."

~ 1 Peter 3.8-9 (NIV)

Blessings,

Ellen

Scripture Sunday

"Love is patient, love is kind.  It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud.  It does not dishonor others, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs.  Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth.  It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres. 

Love never fails."

~  1 Corinthians 13.4-8a (NIV)

Blessings,

Ellen

Scripture Sunday

Jesus said, "My command is this: Love each other as I have loved you."

~ John 15.12

"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."

~ 1 John 4.7-8

"We love because God first loved us."

1 John 4.19

"Live a life of love, just as Christ loved us and gave himself up for us as a fragrant offering and  sacrifice to God."

~ Ephesians 5.2

Dear Father,

Help me to love everyone you have placed in my sphere of influence.

Amen.

Blessings,

Ellen

Scripture Sunday

"I have learned to be content whatever the circumstances.  I know what it is to be in need, and I know what it is to have plenty.  I have learned the secret of being content in any and every situation, whether well fed or hungry, whether living in plenty or in want."

~  Philippians 4.11-12

Dear Lord,

Please make the above prayer reality in my life.  Help me to seek after You, and You alone.

Amen

Blessings,

Ellen

Scripture Sunday

"Do nothing out of selfish ambition or vain conceit, but in humility consider others better than yourselves."  ~  Philippians 2.3