- MONDAY -

Good morning forever family,

I just finished looking at John chapter 9. The entire chapter is about the healing of a man born blind. Jesus healed him. Worse, he healed him on the Sabbath. This blind man, now fully healed and seeing was brought before the Pharisees and Jewish leaders. Men who, it seems, would rather die themselves than give any credence to Jesus. This entire chapter is a valuable study into the resistance Jesus found from His own people. These religious leaders are like some today. They think they have all the answers. They tell you what to believe. We should be deeply into our bibles for ourselves. A solid knowledge of God's word has no substitute! Read the entire chapter for a better view.

¹ As he passed by, he saw a man blind from birth. ² And his disciples asked him, “Rabbi, who sinned, this man or his parents, that he was born blind?” ³ Jesus answered, “It was not that this man sinned, or his parents, but that the works of God might be displayed in him. ⁴ We must work the works of him who sent me while it is day; night is coming, when no one can work. ⁵ As long as I am in the world, I am the light of the world.” ⁶ Having said these things, he spit on the ground and made mud with the saliva. Then he anointed the man's eyes with the mud ⁷ and said to him, “Go, wash in the pool of Siloam” (which means Sent). So he went and washed and came back seeing. 

¹³ They brought to the Pharisees the man who had formerly been blind. ¹⁴ Now it was a Sabbath day when Jesus made the mud and opened his eyes. ¹⁵ So the Pharisees again asked him how he had received his sight. And he said to them, “He put mud on my eyes, and I washed, and I see.” ¹⁶ Some of the Pharisees said, “This man is not from God, for he does not keep the Sabbath.” But others said, “How can a man who is a sinner do such signs?” And there was a division among them.  John 9:1-7, 13-16 ESV 

These Pharisees had the law of God written down. They knew it said a Messiah was coming. Yet they completely (careful Randy) missed it. The statement "careful Randy" is because on closer study I think some did get it (Joseph of Arimathea and Nicodemus for two). The point is, for whatever reason, the religious elite became the religious fools when it came to the Messiah.

Folks, we are the blessed ones. We have a few things on our side.

1. God's word that we can study for ourselves.

2. God's Holy spirit to help us understand.

3. A direct (no veil) prayer-line to God Himself.

4. A risen Savior Who died for us that we might live.

Let all these things permeate your thoughts today!

 Be blessed, Be a blessing,

Randy

- TUESDAY -

Good morning forever family,

Jackie and I recently purchased an older aluminum fishing boat. Though it's quite old, it's very sea worthy and I decided to paint it and restore it to a good looking state. Part of that plan was to replace missing decals with new to restore it's vintage look. I placed the decals on yesterday and thinking they were simple stickers I got them wrong. I hadn't bothered to read the instructions. Failing to read the instructions is my mistake. I could joke and say it is a "man thing" and that is partially true. Yes, failing to read the instructions gets us all in trouble sooner or later.

It is no different when it comes to God. We want to please Him. We want to live according to His will. Just like putting decals on a vintage boat... we NEED to to read the instructions.

I have wondered many times what life would be like without the Bible to guide and direct me. One thing is sure. Without God's word to direct me the results would be far more devastating than misplaced stickers on an old boat!

¹⁰³ How sweet are your words to my taste,
    sweeter than honey to my mouth!
¹⁰⁴ Through your precepts I get understanding;
    therefore I hate every false way.

¹⁰⁵ Your word is a lamp to my feet
    and a light to my path.  Psalm 119:103-105 ESV 

The bible is God's manual for living life according to God's will. Just like keeping an old boat off the rocks, reading the Bible, utilizing God's Holy Spirit (not blocking it), and praying continuously will keep my life off the rocks.

Praise God from Whom all blessings flow!

Be blessed, be a blessing,

Randy

- WEDNESDAY -

Good morning forever family,

This Verse for Today was originally posted in the VFT on Oct 8th 2004...

In the Bible there are a few lists. One list is found in 2 Timothy chapter 3. This is a list we should strive to NOT be on! In the English Standard version of the Scripture this list is called "Godlessness in the Last Days". 

¹ But understand this, that in the last days there will come times of difficulty. ² For people will be lovers of self, lovers of money, proud, arrogant, abusive, disobedient to their parents, ungrateful, unholy, ³ heartless, unappeasable, slanderous, without self-control, brutal, not loving good, ⁴ treacherous, reckless, swollen with conceit, lovers of pleasure rather than lovers of God, ⁵ having the appearance of godliness, but denying its power. Avoid such people.  2 Timothy 3:1-5 ESV

Think about it. Just about every problem we see in our life is caused by someone on this list. Verse 5b explains how we are to react.

Of course the greatest thing we can do is make sure we are not on the list. We do that by studying and DOING God's word each day. Each negative "attribute" above has a positive opposite. Let's live out the positive opposite attributes. 

Be blessed, be a blessing,

Randy

- THURSDAY -

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- FRIDAY -

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