Day 272 Bible Readings – Zephaniah 3:1-2 (ESV

Zephaniah 1-3, Philippians 1, Psalm 150

Zephaniah 3:1-2 (ESV)

“Woe to her who is rebellious and defiled, the oppressing city! She listens to no voice; she accepts no correction. She does not trust in the Lord; she does not draw near to her God.”

As I read today’s Bible readings, I was struck by verses 1 and 2 from Zephaniah 3. The prophet Zephaniah was prophesying to the people of Judah about the judgment that would come from Father-God for their past disobedience. Zephaniah talks about the coming destruction of Jerusalem because the city was full of corrupt oppressors, who were in rebellion against Father-God’s commands for justice and righteousness. Zephaniah tells us that the city of Jerusalem did not listen to the Lord. When the people of Jerusalem finally heard the Lord’s calls for repentance, they did not accept correction. The people of Jerusalem did not trust in the Lord or draw near to him.

The description of the people of Jerusalem reminded me of my past self. Father-God has always been in my life, but I was often rebellious. I ignored the voice of the Holy Spirit and resisted any corrections from Him regarding my behavior. A friend of mine advised me that my inability to trust Father-God prevented me from drawing near to Him. I knew she was right, but I didn’t know how to begin trusting the Lord. I blamed Father-God for everything that had gone wrong in my life. It wasn’t until I let go of my anger towards Father-God that I was able to develop a relationship with Him. When I was born again, the Holy Spirit helped me process my anger and surrender it to Father-God. Now, I wake up every morning feeling enveloped by His love, and I feel truly blessed.

If you found encouragement in my reflections on these Bible verses, and through your faith in Jesus Christ, you want to wake up every morning to feel the love of Father-God surrounding you and blessing you, then I invite you to pray the following prayer aloud:

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 that 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 271 Bible Readings – Nahum 1:7 (ESV)

Nahum 1-3, Ephesians 6, Psalm 149

Nahum 1:7 (ESV)

“The LORD is good, a stronghold in the day of trouble; he knows those who take refuge in him.

In the book of Nahum, the Old Testament prophet Nahum delivered Father-God’s message of judgment against Nineveh, the capital of Assyria. After first describing Father-God in various ways in Nahum 1, Nahum concludes the description in verse 7, telling us that Father-God is good. Father-God is a stronghold for us when we are in trouble, and he knows those who have a relationship with him and who trust him.

Nahum's verse lets us know that if we have a relationship with Father-God, we will find protection because he is our stronghold, which in ancient times meant a fortified place offering refuge from danger. As believers, we need to turn to Father-God first in times of trouble rather than relying only on ourselves or on other people. We also need to develop a relationship with Father-God through our faith in Jesus Christ, so we can trust in him to always have our best interests at heart, even in times or seasons of trouble. We can seek refuge in Father-God because we know he will offer us refuge from danger and from our enemies.  

If you found encouragement in my reflections on these Bible verses, and through your faith in Jesus Christ, you want a Father-God who is your stronghold in times of trouble, then I invite you to pray the following prayer aloud:

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 that Jesus is my Lord and Savior. Right now, I receive forgiveness through 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 270 Bible Readings – Ephesians 5: 15-16 (ESV)

Isaiah 65: 17-25, Isaiah 66, Ephesians 5, Psalm 148: 7-14

Ephesians 5: 15-16 (ESV)

“Look carefully then how you walk, not as unwise but as wise, making the best use of the time, because the days are evil.”

In verses 5 and 6 from Ephesians 5, Paul writes to the church of Ephesus that believers need to be intentional in their life and live a life that reflects Father-God’s will. We need to read the Bible so we can learn how to make wise choices, because the Bible is replete with how to live wisely. We can learn to live according to Father-God’s principles as laid out in the Bible. Paul tells us we need to also make the best use of our time and become stewards of it. Time is a gift from Father-God, and we need to manage it wisely. We need to make the most of every opportunity that is given to us to do Father-God's will, because the world is full of challenges that are moral and spiritual. We need to make sure our time is spent in daily activities that align with our faith and values.

I like Paul’s concept that since time is a gift from Father-God, we need to be good stewards of it and make sure we are using it to do Father-God’s will on earth. I also like that Paul tells us to be wise, because the concept of wisdom is mentioned so much in the Bible. Lastly, Paul reminds us that the world we live in is characterized by sin and full of things that are in opposition to the principles in the Bible. I am grateful that I have the help and guidance of the Holy Spirit to live an intentional life that is dedicated to doing the will of Father-God for my life.

If you found encouragement in my reflections on these Bible verses, and through your faith in Jesus Christ, you want to live an intentional life focused on doing the will of Father-God for your life, then I invite you to pray the following prayer aloud:

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 that 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 269 Bible Readings for September 27 – Ephesians 4: 31-32 (ESV)

Isaiah 63-64, Isaiah 65: 1-16, Ephesians 4: 17-32, Psalm 148: 1-6

Ephesians 4 31-32 (ESV)

“Let all bitterness and wrath and anger and clamor and slander be put away from you, along with all malice. Be kind to one another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, as God in Christ forgave you.”

In verses 31 and 32, Paul writes to the church at Ephesus that when you are born again and become a new person, your behavior changes. The “new person” who is born again controls their emotions, especially the negative ones, and their subsequent behaviors. We need to let go of bitterness, wrath, anger, clamor or disruptive angry expressions, slander, and malice. And when we do experience these negative emotions, we can ask the Holy Spirit for help in dealing with them. Paul also writes that we treat each other the way Father-God has treated us. We need to be kind to one another and tender-hearted. And most importantly, we need to forgive each other the way Father-God has forgiven us for all our sins. Forgiveness doesn’t mean we forget or justify someone’s behavior, but that we extend to each other the kind of grace and pardon that Father-God showed to us.

I love this explanation of what will happen to a believer when we become born again and become a “new person” in Christ. With the help of the Holy Spirit, we can let go of negative emotions and their often-destructive behavior. We can treat people the way Father-God treated us and forgive them with the same grace that Father-God showed towards us.

If you found encouragement in my reflections on these Bible verses, and through your faith in Jesus Christ, you want to let go of your negative emotions and become a new person, then I invite you to pray the following prayer aloud:

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 that 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.