Day 247 Bible Readings – Isaiah 7: 14 (ESV)

Isaiah 5-7, 2 Corinthians 7, Psalm 135: 1-12

Isaiah 7: 14 (ESV)

“Therefore the Lord himself will give you a sign. Behold, the virgin shall conceive and bear a son, and shall call his name Immanuel.”

Verse 14 from Isaiah 7 is one of the most famous prophecies in the Bible regarding the birth of Jesus Christ. Isaiah was a prophet during the time of King Ahaz, who was the King of Judah. Ahaz was known for his lack of faith and reliance on alliances with foreign kings, instead of trusting fully in the promises of Father-God. But Father-God gave to Isaiah a prophecy for Ahaz of his commitment to the house of David and the covenant he made with Abraham and his descendants. Father-God’s promises to his people are not dependent upon their faithfulness to him. Father-God promises through the birth of Jesus Christ, that God’s presence will always be with us. Even when we are in times of trouble and doubt like Ahaz, Father-God promises that he will always with us. Isaiah reminds us we need to trust in Father-God’s promises and his timing.

I love finding the prophecies of the birth of Jesus Christ in the Old Testament, because it tells me that Father-God has a plan for all of us long before we are born. He has a plan and purpose for all his people, and we can trust that Father-God in his timing even when everything around us seems to be in a dire situation.

If you enjoyed reading my thoughts on this Bible verse and you want to trust that Father-God has a plan for you and the world through your faith in Jesus Christ, please pray this prayer out loud:

Heavenly Father, I want to give you my Life. Forgive me of all of my sins. Wash me in your blood. I believe in my heart You raised Jesus from the dead. I confess with my mouth Jesus is my Lord and Savior. Right now, I receive forgiveness by the blood of Jesus. I am saved, I am forgiven, I am clean, in Jesus’ name, Amen.

If you prayed this prayer, welcome to the family of Father-God! Do yourself a favor and find and join a Holy Spirit filled, full Gospel, Bible-based church where you can hear the words of Father-God preached and experience signs, wonders, and miracles in your life.

Day 246 Bible Readings – 2 Corinthians 6: 14 (ESV)

Isaiah 3-4, 2 Corinthians 6, Psalm 134

2 Corinthians 6: 14 (ESV)

“Do not be unequally yoked with unbelievers. For what partnership has righteousness with lawlessness? Or what fellowship has light with darkness?”

In verses 14 from 2 Corinthians 6, Paul writes to the church of Corinth that their closest relationship needs to be with people who share the same faith in Jesus Christ. Paul reminds believers that different spiritual values can lead to conflict and compromise. As Christians, we are called to lead lives that are set apart for Father-God. Leading a life for Father-God can be difficult with a partner who could lead us away from following his will. As believers in Jesus Christ, relationships will work better if you are with someone with whom you can have mutual encouragement, and you can both grow together in your relationship with Jesus Christ. This principle may also involve looking at your friendships and business partnerships. We may also need to look at books we read, movies we watch, and other entertainment choices to make sure they align with our faith and values.

I find that the deeper my relationship grows with the Holy Spirit, the more I need to assess my friendships. I still have a few close friends who aren’t saved, and I find it harder to now travel with them on vacation. I know that discussing my relationship with the Lord and the Holy Spirit is something my friends won’t understand, so I never bring it up. My unsaved friends don’t know that part of me; they only know a part of me. One of my friends smoked marijuana casually while we were on a trip together, and while they knew it bothered me, they still smoked anyway because they consider marijuana smoking the same as cigarette smoking. I’ve had this friendship for a long time, and it’s sad for me that we are drifting apart. I pray for them to be saved, but I never seem to get a sign from the Holy Spirit that I can have a discussion with them about Jesus Christ.  I trust that the Holy Spirit will guide my friendship with my unsaved friends, so I know that it will all work out according to Father-God’s plans. I know from experience that having any partnership with someone of the same faith is so much better, than being partnered with someone who has no faith in Jesus Christ.

If you enjoyed reading my thoughts on this Bible verse and you want to have relationships with people who have the same faith through your faith in Jesus Christ, please pray this prayer out loud:

Heavenly Father, I want to give you my Life. Forgive me of all of my sins. Wash me in your blood. I believe in my heart You raised Jesus from the dead. I confess with my mouth Jesus is my Lord and Savior. Right now, I receive forgiveness by the blood of Jesus. I am saved, I am forgiven, I am clean, in Jesus’ name, Amen.

If you prayed this prayer, welcome to the family of Father-God! Do yourself a favor and find and join a Holy Spirit filled, full Gospel, Bible-based church where you can hear the words of Father-God preached and experience signs, wonders, and miracles in your life.

Day 245 Bible Readings – 2 Corinthians 5: 17 (ESV)

Isaiah 1-2, 2 Corinthians 5: 11-21, Psalm 33

2 Corinthians 5: 17 (ESV)

“Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation. The old has passed away; behold, the new has come.”

In verse 17 from 2 Corinthians 5, Paul writes to the church in Corinth reminding them of the promises that come from faith in Jesus Christ. If you have faith in Jesus Christ, your race/ethnicity, your social status, your language, your level of intelligence, or your past sins no longer matter. Anyone can become a new creation through their faith in Jesus Christ. Your sins are not just forgiven and forgotten, you are regenerated into a new person. You have been and will be continually transformed by the power of the Holy Spirit. Your former way of life will no longer be your identity and has passed away. Your new identity will now be defined by your relationship with Father-God, Jesus Christ, and the Holy Spirit. Through your love of Father-God, you will grow in the fruits of the Holy Spirit. You will turn away from the life of your past sins and old identity.

These are the promises of faith in Jesus Christ. We do not need to be defined by our past, but instead we can forge a new identity through the transformative power of the Holy Spirit. I love the promises that faith in Jesus Christ brings. Every time I think of the old me and my former life, Holy Spirit reminds me that I have become a new creation through my faith in Jesus Christ. That old me is dead, and Father-God now sees me as his child and has forgotten all of my sins. I wake up every morning knowing that I am loved by Father-God because I became his child through my faith in Jesus Christ, and I am entitled to all the promises in the Bible that Father-God gave to his people.

If you enjoyed reading my thoughts on this Bible verse, and through your faith in Jesus Christ you want to wake up knowing you are a new person and can forge a new identity, please pray this prayer out loud:

Heavenly Father, I want to give you my Life. Forgive me of all of my sins. Wash me in your blood. I believe in my heart You raised Jesus from the dead. I confess with my mouth Jesus is my Lord and Savior. Right now, I receive forgiveness by the blood of Jesus. I am saved, I am forgiven, I am clean, in Jesus’ name, Amen.

If you prayed this prayer, welcome to the family of Father-God! Do yourself a favor and find and join a Holy Spirit filled, full Gospel, Bible-based church where you can hear the words of Father-God preached and experience signs, wonders, and miracles in your life.

Day 244 Bible Readings – Micah 7: 18-19 (ESV)

Micah 5-7, 2 Corinthians 5: 1-10, Psalm 132

Micah 7: 18-19 (ESV)

“Who is a God like you, pardoning iniquity and passing over transgression for the remnant of his inheritance? He does not retain his anger forever, because he delights in steadfast love. He will again have compassion on us; he will tread our iniquities underfoot. You will cast all our sins into the depths of the sea.”

Verses 18 and 19 from Micah 7 tell us of Father-God’s ability to forgive his people and show mercy. The prophet Micah was prophesying to people who were repeatedly unfaithful to Father-God, yet he promised to always restore them. Micah reminds believers that Father-God does not hold on to his anger forever because he has great mercy, love, and forgiveness for his people. The Lord continually offers compassion to his people and when we repent, Father-God will remove the guilt and consequences of our sin and offers us complete forgiveness by casting our sins into the sea. Our sins will be forgotten and no longer held against us. Father-God’s compassion and mercy is revealed through the crucifixion and resurrection of Jesus Christ, who died for our sins so we would no longer have to offer sacrifices to the Lord for forgiveness. Jesus Christ offers believers grace, redemption, and forgiveness through his sacrifice of himself on the cross.

These verses from the prophet Micah reminds us that there is no sin too great for Father-God’s mercy and compassion, and that we have hope for restoration and renewal through the death and resurrection of his son Jesus Christ.

If you enjoyed reading my thoughts on these Bible verses, and through your faith in Jesus Christ you want to have hope for restoration and renewal no matter how sinful you feel your life has been, please pray this prayer out loud:

Heavenly Father, I want to give you my Life. Forgive me of all of my sins. Wash me in your blood. I believe in my heart You raised Jesus from the dead. I confess with my mouth Jesus is my Lord and Savior. Right now, I receive forgiveness by the blood of Jesus. I am saved, I am forgiven, I am clean, in Jesus’ name, Amen.

If you prayed this prayer, welcome to the family of Father-God! Do yourself a favor and find and join a Holy Spirit filled, full Gospel, Bible-based church where you can hear the words of Father-God preached and experience signs, wonders, and miracles in your life.