| Our verse to DATE the Word on January 21 (1/21) |
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| Some verses to DATE the Word on January 21 (1/21) start with Philippians 1:21 “For to me, to live is Christ, and to die is gain.” |
| Our DATE THE WORD approach will be a little different today as I am on a study tour in Israel and as I looked at the various verses that are available to be the verse for the date there are several that connect with Israel, even connecting to some of the things I experienced and saw this very day. So we will highlight several verses with short thoughts. The first verse is Philippians 1:21. To ask the Apostle Paul what he was living for in this present world would bring about an immediate answer are you living for CHRIST? What are you living for? What goes in the blank when you state that for you to live is ________________. Is it Christ? Yesterday I was in Bethlehem and part of the tour was to see the living quarters of Jerome. Jerome came to Bethlehem and did the hard work of translating the Hebrew Bible into Latin and gave us the version called the Latin Vulgate. In the courtyard was a statue of him and at his feet was a skull. Immediately questions started coming about why there was a human skull at his feet. The guide told us it was there because Jerome understood that death was sure to come, and he needed to work with urgency and leave something for future generations. He needed a symbol, and the skull was a symbol of the transience of human existence. Jerome had a mindset of living every moment for Christ and making a difference that would carry on long after he was in heaven. How about you? A verse for January 21 (1/21) is Philippians 1:21 “For to me, to live is Christ, and to die is gain.” Another verse for January 21 (1/21) is Deuteronomy 1:21 ‘Look, the LORD your God has set the land before you; go up and possess it, as the LORD God of your fathers has spoken to you; do not fear or be discouraged.’ Being in Israel has been a reminder of what God told the Israelites to do and how they were not to live in fear nor be discouraged. Are you stepping out by faith daily to do what God has called you to do? Another verse for January 21 (1/21) is Judges 1:21 But the children of Benjamin did not drive out the Jebusites who inhabited Jerusalem; so the Jebusites dwell with the children of Benjamin in Jerusalem to this day. Reviewing the history of Israel, one has to acknowledge that they did not do what they were supposed to do and they ended up letting the enemy “hang around.” A spiritual principle that can be drawn here is to ask if we are letting some temptations hang around. Another verse for January 21 (1/21) is Ruth 1:21. Naomi says, “I went out full, and the LORD has brought me home again empty. Why do you call me Naomi, since the LORD has testified against me, and the Almighty has afflicted me?” Being in Bethlehem meant we considered the various stories related to Bethlehem and one of the major stories is the story of Ruth. One of the tough verses of the book of Ruth is Ruth 1:21 where Naomi laments that she has come back to Bethlehem EMPTY and her evaluation of her life is God has afflicted her. Yet knowing the full story we know that Naomi had made a bad evaluation because she did not return empty. Returning with her was RUTH and Ruth was one of the greatest blessings Naomi would have. Let us make sure we are evaluating our present circumstances carefully. Let us not miss the blessings God is putting in our lives! Another verse for January 21 (1/21) is Matthew 1:21 “And she will bring forth a Son, and you shall call His name JESUS, for He will save His people from their sins.” Being in Bethlehem we were minded why He came and Matthew 1:21 lays out clearly what His purpose was. Matthew 1:21 states it so beautifully, “And she will bring forth a Son, and you shall call His name JESUS, for He will save His people from their sins.” On Thursday we were in Nazareth, and we pointed out that by 12 Jesus said that He must be about His Father’s business. (Luke 2:49). On the coming Tuesday we will tour where Jesus died and then rose again fulfilling the words of Matthew 1:21. He died to SAVE! He died to save you! Continue Strong And remember to DATE THE WORD |