CLEAVING TO GOOD

IN THE BEGINNING...THE WORD
DAILY DEVOTIONAL FOR TODAY, AUGUST 26.2014

CLEAVING TO GOOD

 Let love be without dissimulation. Abhor that which is evil; cleave to that which is good.  ROMANS 12:9 KJV

 Love must be completely sincere. Hate what is evil, hold on to what is good. ROMANS 12:9 GOOD NEWS

 Let love be without deceit. Be haters of what is evil; keep your minds fixed on what is good.ROMANS 12:9 BASIC ENGLISH

CORRUPT

IN THE BEGINNING...THE WORD
DAILY DEVOTIONAL FOR TODAY, AUGUST 25, 2014

CORRUPT

That ye put off concerning the former conversation the old man, which is corrupt according to the deceitful lusts; And be renewed in the spirit of your mind;
And that ye put on the new man, which after God is created in righteousness and true holiness.
Wherefore putting away lying, speak every man truth with his neighbour: for we are members one of another. EPHESIAN 4:22-25 KJV

You were told that your foolish desires will destroy you and that you must give up your old way of life with all its bad habits. 

Let the Spirit change your way of thinking 

and make you into a new person. You were created to be like God, and so you must please him and be truly holy EPHESIANS 4:22-24.CONTEMPORARY ENGLISH VERSION 

For you ought to put off the old man (according to your way of living before) who is corrupt according to the deceitful lusts, and be renewed in the spirit of your mind. 

 And you should put on the new man, who according to God was created in righteousness and true holiness. 

Therefore putting away lying, let each man speak truth with his neighbor, for we are members of one another. EPHESIAN 4:22-25

 that you take off, according to your former way of life, the old man, who is being destroyed according to deceitful desires, 

 be renewed in the spirit of your mind, 

 and put on the new man (in accordance with God), who is created in righteousness and holiness from the truth. 

 Therefore, putting aside the lie, speak truth each one of you with his neighbor, because we are members of one another. EPHESIAN 4:22-25 LEXHAM ENGLISH BIBLE

TWO SEPARATE PATHS

IN THE BEGINNING...THE WORD
DAILY DEVOTIONAL FOR TODAY, AUGUST 25, 2014

TWO SEPARATE PATHS

 But the path of the just is as the shining light, that shineth more and more unto the perfect day.
 The way of the wicked is as darkness: they know not at what they stumble. PROVERBS 4:18, 19 KJV

  But the path of the righteous is as the light of dawn, that shineth more and more unto the perfect day.
 The way of the wicked is as darkness; they know not at what they stumble. PROVERBS 4:18,19 JEWISH PUBLICATION SOCIETY

  The road the righteous travel is like the sunrise, getting brighter and brighter until daylight has come. 

 The road of the wicked, however, is dark as night. They fall, but cannot see what they have stumbled over. PROVERBS 4:18,19 GOOD NEWS

WHEN THE SUN IS TURNED INTO DARKNESS

IN THE BEGINNING...THE WORD
DAILY DEVOTIONAL FOR TODAY, AUGUST 25, 2014

WHEN THE SUN IS TURNED INTO DARKNESS

  And it shall come to pass afterward, that I will pour out my spirit upon all flesh; and your sons and your daughters shall prophesy, your old men shall dream dreams, your young men shall see visions:
  And also upon the servants and upon the handmaids in those days will I pour out my spirit.
  And I will shew wonders in the heavens and in the earth, blood, and fire, and pillars of smoke.
  The sun shall be turned into darkness, and the moon into blood, before the great and the terrible day of the LORD come.
  And it shall come to pass, that whosoever shall call on the name of the LORD shall be delivered: for in mount Zion and in Jerusalem shall be deliverance, as the LORD hath said, and in the remnant whom the LORD shall call. JOEL 2:28-2:32

 For in very deed, as the LORD God of Israel liveth, which hath kept me back from hurting thee, except thou hadst hasted and come to meet me, surely there had not been left unto Nabal by the morning light any that pisseth against the wall. I SAMUEL 25:34

  And Abigail came to Nabal; and, behold, he held a feast in his house, like the feast of a king; and Nabal's heart was merry within him, for he was very drunken: wherefore she told him nothing, less or more, until the morning light. I SAMUEL 25:36

LET NOT YOUR HANDS BE SLACK

IN THE BEGINNING.,..THE WORD
DAILY DEVOTIONAL FOR TODAY, AUGUST 21, 2014

LET NOT YOUR HANDS BE SLACK

He becometh poor that dealeth with a slack hand: but the hand of the diligent maketh rich. PROVERBS 10:4

 Sing, O daughter of Zion; shout, O Israel; be glad and rejoice with all the heart, O daughter of Jerusalem.
The LORD hath taken away thy judgments, he hath cast out thine enemy: the king of Israel, even the LORD, is in the midst of thee: thou shalt not see evil any more.
In that day it shall be said to Jerusalem, Fear thou not: and to Zion, Let not thine hands be slack.
The LORD thy God in the midst of thee is mighty; he will save, he will rejoice over thee with joy; he will rest in his love, he will joy over thee with singing. ZEPHANIAH 3:14-17

HOW BEAUTIFUL!

IN THE BEGINNING...THE WORD
DAILY DEVOTIONAL FOR TODAY, AUGUST 20, 2014

HOW BEAUTIFUL!

How beautiful upon the mountains are the feet of him that bringeth good tidings, that publisheth peace; that bringeth good tidings of good, that publisheth salvation; that saith unto Zion, Thy God reigneth! ISAIAH 52:7

GIVE HIM NO REST

IN THE BEGINNING...THE WORD
DAILY DEVOTIONAL FOR TODAY, AUGUST 19, 2014

 GIVE HIM NO REST

Don't give him any rest until he rebuilds Jerusalem and makes it a place that everyone on earth will praise.

ISAIAH 62:7

And give him no silence till he establish, and till he make Jerusalem a praise in the earth. ISAIAH 62:7 DRB

  I have posted watchmen on your walls, Jerusalem. They will never be silent day or night. Whoever calls on the LORD, do not give yourselves any rest,
 and do not give him any rest until he establishes Jerusalem and makes it an object of praise throughout the earth. ISAIAH 62:6,7 GOD'S WORD VERSION

"Upon your walls, Jerusalem, I have posted watchmen; all day and all night they won't remain silent. You who make mention of the LORD, take no rest, 

 and give him no rest until he prepares, establishes and makes Jerusalem a song of praise throughout the earth. ISAIAH 62:6,7 ISV

A NEW COVENANT OF LOVE

IN THE BEGINNING...THE WORD
DAILY DEVOTIONAL FOR TODAY, AUGUST 18, 2014

A NEW COVENANT

  In that he saith, A new covenant, he hath made the first old. Now that which decayeth and waxeth old is ready to vanish away. HEBREWS 8:13 KING JAMES VERSION

By speaking of a new covenant, God has made the first one old; and anything that becomes old and worn out will soon disappear. HEBREWS 8:13 GOOD NEW BIBLE

"For this is the covenant that I will make with the house of Israel after those days, says the Lord: I will put My Laws into their mind and write them in their hearts, and I will be their God, and they shall be My people.
  And they shall not each man teach his neighbor, and each man his brother, saying, Know the Lord, for all shall know Me, from the least to the greatest.
  For I will be merciful to their unrighteousness, and their sins and their iniquities I will remember no more."
  In that He says, A new covenant, He has made the first one old. Now that which decays and becomes old is ready to vanish away. HEBREWS 8:10-13 MODERN KING JAMES VERSION

 In that he saith, A new covenant he hath made the first old. But that which is becoming old and waxeth aged is nigh unto vanishing away.HEBREWS 8:13 AMERICAN STANDARD VERSION

Heb 8:13  When he says, A new agreement, he has made the first agreement old. But anything which is getting old and past use will not be seen much longer. HEBREWS 8:13 BIBLE IN BASIC ENGLISH

ZION, COMFORTS AND SHALL BE COMFORTED

IN THE BEGINNING...THE WORD
DAILY DEVOTIONAL FOR TODAY, AUGUST 18, 2014

ZION, COMFORTS AND SHALL BE COMFORTED

 Look to Abraham your father, and to Sarah who bore you; for I called him alone, and blessed him, and increased him.
 For Jehovah shall comfort Zion; He will comfort all her waste places; and He will make her wilderness like Eden, and her desert like the garden of Jehovah. Joy and gladness shall be found in it, thanksgiving and the voice of melody. ISAIAH 51:2,3 MODERN KING JAMES VERSION

  Look to Abraham your father, and to Sarah who gave you birth. For when he was only one person I called him, but I made him fruitful and made him many.
 For the LORD will have compassion on Zion, have compassion on all her ruins. He will make her wilderness like Eden, and her deserts like the garden of the LORD. Joy and gladness will be found in her, thanksgiving, and the sound of singing. Sorrow and sighing will flee away. ISAIAH 51:2,3 ISV

  Abraham is your father, so look at him. Look at Sarah, who gave birth to you. Abraham was alone when I called him. Then I blessed him, and he began a great family with many descendants."
  In the same way, the LORD will bless Zion. He will feel sorry for her and her people, and he will do something great for her. He will turn the desert into a garden. It will be like the Garden of Eden. The land was empty, but it will become like the LORD'S garden. People there will be very happy. They will sing victory songs to thank God for what he did. ISAIAH 51:2.3 EASY TO READ

  Rejoice ye with Jerusalem, and be glad with her, all ye that love her: rejoice for joy with her, all ye that mourn for her:
 That ye may suck, and be satisfied with the breasts of her consolations; that ye may milk out, and be delighted with the abundance of her glory.
  For thus saith the LORD, Behold, I will extend peace to her like a river, and the glory of the Gentiles like a flowing stream: then shall ye suck, ye shall be borne upon her sides, and be dandled upon her knees.
  As one whom his mother comforteth, so will I comfort you; and ye shall be comforted in Jerusalem. ISAIAH 66:10-13

"Rejoice with Jerusalem, and be glad for her, all you who love her; rejoice with her in joy, all you who mourn over her;
 that you may nurse and be satisfied from her consoling breast; that you may drink deeply with delight from her glorious abundance."
 For thus says the LORD: "Behold, I will extend peace to her like a river, and the glory of the nations like an overflowing stream; and you shall nurse, you shall be carried upon her hip, and bounced upon her knees.
As one whom his mother comforts, so I will comfort you; you shall be comforted in Jerusalem.
ISAIAH 66:10-13

TOUCH NOT MINE ANOINTED

IN THE BEGINNING...THE WORD
DAILY DEVOTIONAL FOR TODAY, AUGUST 18, 2014

TOUCH NOT MINE ANOINTED

Saying, Touch not mine anointed, and do my prophets no harm.
Sing unto the LORD, all the earth; shew forth from day to day his salvation.
Declare his glory among the heathen; his marvellous works among all nations.
For great is the LORD, and greatly to be praised: he also is to be feared above all gods.
For all the gods of the people are idols: but the LORD made the heavens.
Glory and honour are in his presence; strength and gladness are in his place.
Give unto the LORD, ye kindreds of the people, give unto the LORD glory and strength.
Give unto the LORD the glory due unto his name: bring an offering, and come before him: worship the LORD in the beauty of holiness.
Fear before him, all the earth: the world also shall be stable, that it be not moved.
Let the heavens be glad, and let the earth rejoice: and let men say among the nations, The LORD reigneth.
I CHRONICLES 16:22-31

  Seek the LORD, and his strength: seek his face evermore. 

  Remember his marvellous works that he hath done; his wonders, and the judgments of his mouth; 

  O ye seed of Abraham his servant, ye children of Jacob his chosen. 

  He is the LORD our God: his judgments are in all the earth. 

  He hath remembered his covenant for ever, the word which he commanded to a thousand generations. 

 Which covenant he made with Abraham, and his oath unto Isaac; 

  And confirmed the same unto Jacob for a law, and to Israel for an everlasting covenant: 

  Saying, Unto thee will I give the land of Canaan, the lot of your inheritance: 

  When they were but a few men in number; yea, very few, and strangers in it. 

  When they went from one nation to another, from one kingdom to another people; 

  He suffered no man to do them wrong: yea, he reproved kings for their sakes; 

  Saying, Touch not mine anointed, and do my prophets no harm. PSALM 105:4-15

My beloved is mine, and I am his: he feedeth among the lilies. SONG OF SOLOMON 2:6

HIS LOVE IS BETTER THAN WINE

IN THE BEGINNING...THE WORD
DAILY DEVOTIONAL FOR TODAY, AUGUST 17, 2014

HIS LOVE IS BETTER THAN WINE

  Let him kiss me with the kisses of his mouth: for thy love is better than wine.
 Because of the savour of thy good ointments thy name is as ointment poured forth, therefore do the virgins love thee. SONG OF SOLOMON 1:2,3

How fair is thy love, my sister, my spouse! how much better is thy love than wine! and the smell of thine ointments than all spices! 

Thy lips, O my spouse, drop as the honeycomb: honey and milk are under thy tongue; and the smell of thy garments is like the smell of Lebanon. 

 A garden inclosed is my sister, my spouse; a spring shut up, a fountain sealed. 

Thy plants are an orchard of pomegranates, with pleasant fruits; camphire, with spikenard, 

Spikenard and saffron; calamus and cinnamon, with all trees of frankincense; myrrh and aloes, with all the chief spices: 

A fountain of gardens, a well of living waters, and streams from Lebanon.  Awake, O north wind; and come, thou south; blow upon my garden, that the spices thereof may flow out. Let my beloved come into his garden, and eat his pleasant fruits. SONG OF SOLOMON 4:10-16

ESTABLISHED IN RIGHTEOUSNESS

IN THE BEGINNING...THE WORD
DAILY DEVOTIONAL FOR TODAY, AUGUST 12, 2014

ESTABLISHED IN RIGHTEOUSNESS

  For thy Maker is thine husband; the LORD of hosts is his name; and thy Redeemer the Holy One of Israel; The God of the whole earth shall he be called.
  For the LORD hath called thee as a woman forsaken and grieved in spirit, and a wife of youth, when thou wast refused, saith thy God.
  For a small moment have I forsaken thee; but with great mercies will I gather thee.
 In a little wrath I hid my face from thee for a moment; but with everlasting kindness will I have mercy on thee, saith the LORD thy Redeemer.
For this is as the waters of Noah unto me: for as I have sworn that the waters of Noah should no more go over the earth; so have I sworn that I would not be wroth with thee, nor rebuke thee.
  For the mountains shall depart, and the hills be removed; but my kindness shall not depart from thee, neither shall the covenant of my peace be removed, saith the LORD that hath mercy on thee.
  O thou afflicted, tossed with tempest, and not comforted, behold, I will lay thy stones with fair colours, and lay thy foundations with sapphires.
  And I will make thy windows of agates, and thy gates of carbuncles, and all thy borders of pleasant stones.
  And all thy children shall be taught of the LORD; and great shall be the peace of thy children.
 In righteousness shalt thou be established: thou shalt be far from oppression; for thou shalt not fear: and from terror; for it shall not come near thee.
  Behold, they shall surely gather together, but not by me: whosoever shall gather together against thee shall fall for thy sake.
  Behold, I have created the smith that bloweth the coals in the fire, and that bringeth forth an instrument for his work; and I have created the waster to destroy.
  No weapon that is formed against thee shall prosper; and every tongue that shall rise against thee in judgment thou shalt condemn. This is the heritage of the servants of the LORD, and their righteousness is of me, saith the LORD. ISAIAH 54:5-17

A NEW THING ON THE EARTH

IN THE BEGINNING...THE WORD
DAILY DEVOTIONAL FOR TODAY, AUGUST 12. 2014

A NEW THING ON THE EARTH

0 Listen, nations, to the word of Yahweh. On the farthest coasts and islands proclaim it, say, 'He who
scattered Israel is gathering him, will guard him as a shepherd guarding his flock.'
 For Yahweh has ransomed Jacob, rescued him from a hand stronger than his own.
They will come, shouting for joy on the heights of Zion, thronging towards Yahweh's lavish gifts, for
wheat, new wine and oil, sheep and cattle; they will be like a well-watered garden, they will sorrow no more.
 The young girl will then take pleasure in the dance, and young men and old alike; I shall change their
mourning into gladness, comfort them, give them joy after their troubles;
 I shall refresh my priests with rich food, and my people will gorge themselves on my lavish gifts,
Yahweh declares.
 Yahweh says this: A voice is heard in Ramah, lamenting and weeping bitterly: it is Rachel weeping for
her children, refusing to be comforted for her children, because they are no more.
Yahweh says this: Stop your lamenting dry your eyes, for your labour will have a reward, Yahweh
declares, and they will return from the enemy's country.
 There is hope for your future after all, Yahweh declares, your children will return to their homeland.
 I have indeed heard Ephraim's grieving, 'You flogged me, I took a flogging, like a young, untrained
bull. Bring me back, let me come back, for you are Yahweh my God!
 For, since I turned away, I have repented; having understood, I beat my breast. I was deeply
ashamed, I blushed, aware of the disgrace incurred when I was young.'
Is Ephraim, then, so dear a son to me, a child so favoured, that whenever I mention him I remember
him lovingly still? That is why I yearn for him, why I must take pity on him, Yahweh declares.
Set up your signposts, raise yourself landmarks, fix your mind on the road, the way by which you
went. Come home, Virgin of Israel, come home to these towns of yours.
Jer 31:22 How long will you hesitate, rebellious daughter? For Yahweh is creating something new on earth: the Woman sets out to find her Husband again.
Yahweh Sabaoth, the God of Israel, says this, 'In the country of Judah and in its towns, they will use
these words once more, when I bring their captives home: "Yahweh bless you, home of saving justice, holy
mountain!"  And in this country, Judah and all its towns, the ploughmen and those who wander with their flocks,will live together,
 for I shall give the weary all they need and satisfy all those whose strength has gone.'
 At this, I awoke and saw that my sleep had been sweet to me.
 'Look, the days are coming, Yahweh declares, when I shall sow the House of Israel and the House of
Judah with the seed both of people and of cattle.
And as I once watched over them to uproot, to knock down, to overthrow, destroy and bring disaster,
so now I shall watch over them to build and to plant, Yahweh declares.
 'In those days people will no longer say: "The fathers have eaten unripe grapes; the children's teeth
are set on edge."
 But each will die for his own guilt. Everyone who eats unripe grapes will have his own teeth set on
edge.  'Look, the days are coming, Yahweh declares, when I shall make a new covenant with the House of
Israel (and the House of Judah),
 but not like the covenant I made with their ancestors the day I took them by the hand to bring them out
of Egypt, a covenant which they broke, even though I was their Master, Yahweh declares.
 No, this is the covenant I shall make with the House of Israel when those days have come, Yahweh
declares. Within them I shall plant my Law, writing it on their hearts. Then I shall be their God and they will be my people.There will be no further need for everyone to teach neighbour or brother, saying, "Learn to know
Yahweh!" No, they will all know me, from the least to the greatest, Yahweh declares, since I shall forgive their
guilt and never more call their sin to mind. JEREMIAH 31:10-34 (NEW JERUSALEM VERSION)

THE GODHEAD

IN THE BEGINNING...THE WORD
DAILY DEVOTIONAL FOR TODAY, AUGUST 10, 2014

THE GODHEAD

 For the invisible things of him from the creation of the world are clearly seen, being understood by the things that are made, even his eternal power and Godhead; so that they are without excuse: ROMANS 1;20

 Forasmuch then as we are the offspring of God, we ought not to think that the Godhead is like unto gold, or silver, or stone, graven by art and man's device. ACTS 17:29

 Beware lest any man spoil you through philosophy and vain deceit, after the tradition of men, after the rudiments of the world, and not after Christ. 

For in him dwelleth all the fulness of the Godhead bodily. 

And ye are complete in him, which is the head of all principality and power: COLOSIANS 2:8-10

For Christ also hath once suffered for sins, the just for the unjust, that he might bring us to God, being put to death in the flesh, but quickened by the Spirit:
 By which also he went and preached unto the spirits in prison;
Which sometime were disobedient, when once the longsuffering of God waited in the days of Noah, while the ark was a preparing, wherein few, that is, eight souls were saved by water.
 The like figure whereunto even baptism doth also now save us (not the putting away of the filth of the flesh, but the answer of a good conscience toward God,) by the resurrection of Jesus Christ:  Who is gone into heaven, and is on the right hand of God; angels and authorities and powers being made subject unto him. I PETER 3:18-22

THE RESTORATION OF ALL THINGS

IN THE BEGINNING...THE WORD
DAILY DEVOTIONAL FOR TODAY, AUGUST 4, 2014

THE RESTORATION OF ALL THINGS

  Repent ye therefore, and turn again, that your sins may be blotted out, that so there may come seasons of refreshing from the presence of the Lord;
  and that he may send the Christ who hath been appointed for you, even Jesus:
  whom the heaven must receive until the times of restoration of all things, whereof God spake by the mouth of His holy prophets that have been from of old.
  Moses indeed said, A prophet shall the Lord God raise up unto you from among your brethren, like unto me. To him shall ye hearken in all things whatsoever he shall speak unto you.
  And it shall be, that every soul that shall not hearken to that prophet, shall be utterly destroyed from among the people.
Yea and all the prophets from Samuel and them that followed after, as many as have spoken, they also told of these days.
 Ye are the sons of the prophets, and of the covenant which God made with your fathers, saying unto Abraham, And in thy seed shall all the families of the earth be blessed.
  Unto you first God, having raised up his Servant, sent him to bless you, in turning away every one of you from your iniquities. ACTS 3:19-26 ASV (AMERICAN STANDARD VERSION)


 Repent ye therefore, and be converted, that your sins may be blotted out, when the times of refreshing shall come from the presence of the Lord;
 And he shall send Jesus Christ, which before was preached unto you:
  Whom the heaven must receive until the times of restitution of all things, which God hath spoken by the mouth of all his holy prophets since the world began.
 For Moses truly said unto the fathers, A prophet shall the Lord your God raise up unto you of your brethren, like unto me; him shall ye hear in all things whatsoever he shall say unto you.
  And it shall come to pass, that every soul, which will not hear that prophet, shall be destroyed from among the people.
  Yea, and all the prophets from Samuel and those that follow after, as many as have spoken, have likewise foretold of these days.
  Ye are the children of the prophets, and of the covenant which God made with our fathers, saying unto Abraham, And in thy seed shall all the kindreds of the earth be blessed.
  Unto you first God, having raised up his Son Jesus, sent him to bless you, in turning away every one of you from his iniquities. ACTS 3:19-26 KJV


 And they also, if they abide not still in unbelief, shall be graffed in: for God is able to graff them in again.
  For if thou wert cut out of the olive tree which is wild by nature, and wert graffed contrary to nature into a good olive tree: how much more shall these, which be the natural branches, be graffed into their own olive tree?
  For I would not, brethren, that ye should be ignorant of this mystery, lest ye should be wise in your own conceits; that blindness in part is happened to Israel, until the fulness of the Gentiles be come in.
And so all Israel shall be saved: as it is written, There shall come out of Sion the Deliverer, and shall turn away ungodliness from Jacob:
 For this is my covenant unto them, when I shall take away their sins. ROMANS 11:23-27

BE HEAVENLY

IN THE BEGINNING...THE WORD
DAILY DEVOTIONAL FOR TODAY, AUGUST 4, 2014

BE HEAVENLY

Who is a wise man and endued with knowledge among you? let him shew out of a good conversation his works with meekness of wisdom.
But if ye have bitter envying and strife in your hearts, glory not, and lie not against the truth.
This wisdom descendeth not from above, but is earthly, sensual, devilish.
For where envying and strife is, there is confusion and every evil work.  But the wisdom that is from above is first pure, then peaceable, gentle, and easy to be intreated, full of mercy and good fruits, without partiality, and without hypocrisy. And the fruit of righteousness is sown in peace of them that make peace. JAMES 3:13-18