Weekly Memory Verse

It's time for this week's memory verse!! These weeks are flying by and bringing with them a lot of change in my life--some I embrace readily and quickly--some I'm sitting back and watching unfold--taking in the changes, talking with God about them, and awaiting His decision and answer to me.

In all of the changes that have been brought into my life within the recent months, I've been absent from "Blog World" quite frequently. I hope to be back soon--though I can't tell you when--whenever the opening appears in my life to allow me the time and energy.

I do want to say that I have missed all of you--your valuable input and insights--and I appreciate your prayers and thoughts more than you could ever begin to imagine.

So--here we go--last week's verse:

Therefore, confess your sins to one another, and pray for one another so that you may be healed. The effective prayer of a righteous man can accomplish much. James 5:36 (NASB)

As I pondered on this verse throughout this week, God showed me several places in my heart that were dark--not opened to Him yet--that I needed to confess and heal through Him. And so, I did--through prayer.

I do not believe that James, in this verse, is telling us to stand up and confess our sins to everyone in the room--say at a church service. But, we do need a close confidante--perhaps a spiritual mentor or adviser, an accountability partner, a close friend that we can trust--a fellow believer to steer us in the right direction, someone who is willing to pray for us.

I feel that some of the most important words in this verse are "pray for one another". This does not involve the pointing out of others' flaws to another person. This involves you personally praying for that person.

Suppose I see a person that I know in distress--obvious distress--either through their words or actions. I may not know the reason for their distress. But, I can intercede for them, through the power of prayer, to God--to bring them peace in their lives, to help them through this time, for God to point them in the right direction, guide and lead them.

I read once (and I can't remember where or I would give them the credit--just know this is not mine):

He who prays surrounds his house with a wall stronger than iron.

Through prayer and faith, we have power through God to change our lives, change the lives of others, and a difference can be made for ourselves and others. This is where the healing begins--the pointing out of our flaws by God--perhaps through others--and allowing Him into those dark recesses of our hearts and minds which He has not touched yet. Then, and only then can the healing and changing begin.

Only God has the power, strength and might to see us through our everyday small problems, our very large burdens, our hidden flaws that He wants us to change.

As James points out in this verse, we need to pray for one another so that we can be healed--healed of our sorrows and shames, and prayer is tapping into the incredible power of God so that all of this can occur.

I'm anxious to see what everyone else has to say about this verse. So, please link up and I'll be back later today to read and comment.

And here is the verse for next week--the 10 of hearts from the "Embracing the Word" cards:

Therefore there is now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus....Romans 8:1 (NASB)

Beth

Weekly Memory Verse

Before I begin this week's verse, I want to apologize to everyone for not posting last week. Thankfully, Peggy came through for me.

To say that my life has been overwhelming lately is putting things mildly. But, I've surrendered the entire situation to God over and over again, until finally I'm not stressing about things. Everything is in God's control, God's hands, and I'm going to sit back and listen for His voice directing my every word and move.

Thanks for hanging in there with me, and thank you to everyone who sent notes asking about my well being.

Now--last week's verse:

By this all men will know that you are my disciples, if you have love for one another....John 13:35 (NASB)

This verse strikes a chord in me. This does not say that people will know that we are Christ followers by our religious doctrines, our "good deeds", or even how we show our love for God.

This verse clearly states that people will know we are followers of Jesus by the way we love one another--which is the way God loves us--unconditionally.

Is it hard to love some people unconditionally? Yes, it certainly is. And this is something that God has been showing me in my day to day interactions with others.

Am I judging people? Am I making assumptions about them before I even begin to know them?

Or am I loving them as Jesus would?

This is truly something to pray over--asking God to show me how to love others unconditionally--even when they don't return my love.

We'll move on to next week's verse which is the 10 of clubs from the "Embracing the Word" cards:

Therefore, confess your sins to one another, and pray for one another so that you may be healed. The effective prayer of a righteous man can accomplish much......James 5:16 (NASB)

I'm not sure if "Mr. Linky" is working or not. If not and you are participating, please let me know in the comment section so I can stop by and visit your Weekly Memory Verse.

Beth

WEEKLY MEMORY VERSE

It's time for our Weekly Memory Verse

The verse from this last week is my life verse and prayer that I vowed to Jesus when I began my relationship with Him in sixth grade and I had no idea where it was in the Bible. I have not done very well with the second part but I am improving

"Embracing the Word" Verses for last week and this week:

Last week for today by memory:
[Jack of diamonds]
Week 16

And He said to him, ‘You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, all your soul, and with all your mind.’ This is the great and foremost commandment. The second is like it, ‘You shall love your neighbor as yourself.’

Matthew 22:37-39 (NASB)
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Now this is the one for this week:
Week 17

By this all men will know that you are My disciples, if you have love for one another.

John 13:35 (NASB)
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Basic Instructions Before Leaving Earth (B.I.B.L.E.)

This is the plan of how we hope to do this:
Memorize the verse, then come back the following week with this:
1) Write our verse by memory, and remember to memorize the reference (where it's found)
2) Comment on how God spoke to you through this verse, and then move on to the new verse.
Each week while you are memorizing, allow God to speak to you personally & share a little of what you learn or receive on each verse the following week, when you type it by memory. It's fine to just be accountable and share your progress but it becomes more meaningful when we share about the verse together or apply it to ourselves of what we think God meant.

I'm not sure where Beth is, but Monday's are busy for her, so though this is late it is the best I can do with my limited service and time! If you are commiting to memory these verses each week, I wanted to at least give you the verses. Just add your name in the comments because Mr. Linky does not work for me. Thanks...let's encourage each other and say a prayer for Beth.

Remember, you can memorize the verse in any version you are comfortable with--or look at several version to grasp the full meaning.

Let's BE HIS DISCIPLES, and show LOVE for one another! See you next Monday with John 13:35.

He alone is worthy of praise

This song brings me into His presence in awe and wonder. I've chosen a video with words so you can sing along and worship He Who Is worthy! May you be blessed as you adore Him. HisFireFly

Weekly Memory Verse

It's time for our Weekly Memory Verse!!

Remember, last week's verse was an easy one to memorize:

Remember the Sabbath day, to keep it holy....Exodus 20:8 (NASB)

This is actually one of the Ten Commandments--right there with idolatry, murder, adultery, taking the Lord's name in vain.

And so, as I committed this verse to memory, I know that I do not keep the Sabbath day as God intends me to.

The Sabbath Day--God created the Sabbath Day when He created the universe:

By the seventh day God had finished the work He had been doing; so on the seventh day He rested from all His work. And God blessed the seventh day and made it holy, because on it He rested from all the work of creating that He had done....Genesis 2:2-3 (NIV)

God rested on the seventh day. And why did God rest? Was He tired? That was a lot of work creating the entire universe. I certainly could understand if He were tired.

No, because God does not become weary.

God created the Sabbath day of rest for His creation--us. We are simple human beings, and yes, we do become tired and weary.

So, we are back to the original commandment: Remember the Sabbath day, to keep it holy.

Our Sabbath day of rest doesn't necessarily mean Sunday as the seventh day. Some of us have jobs that require us to work on Sunday. What God is saying here is that ONE day a week--ONE day out of the SEVEN that He created, we are to cease our labors, rest, keep this day holy in His Name.

I can honestly say that sometimes I use my Sabbath day of rest as a catch up day--trying to accomplish all the things that I haven't done through the other six. But, this is not the way God wants this. It is so important that He made a commandment regarding this.

How about you? Are you able to follow this commandment easily? Can you just rest on your Sabbath day, keep it holy and consecrated to the Lord?

Oh, I thought this was an easy verse to remember, and it is. But, this verse has also opened my eyes to yet another area where I am falling short. I realize that I need to work on resting!

We'll move on to the next week of the Embracing The Word cards--Week 16 which is the Jack of Diamonds:

And He said to him, "You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, all your soul, and with all your mind. This is the great and foremost commandment. The second is like it, You shall love your neighbor as yourself.".....Matthew 22:37-39 (NASB)

Remember, you can memorize the verse in any version you are comfortable with--or look at several version to grasp the full meaning.

The important thing is to remember the verse, where it is located in the Bible and its meaning for easy recall--for yourself or others.

We're again using Mr. Linky--so if you are participating, please link up!!

Beth

Weekly Memory Verse

It's Monday again!! I don't know where the week and especially the weekends go, but they go by so quickly. When I was younger, I was always wishing for a "new age"....when I was 11, I wanted to be 13; when I was 13, I wanted to be 16; when I was 16, I wanted to be 21. My grandmother always told me, "Stop wishing your life away--it will go quickly enough." And how right she was!!

So, how did everyone do with last week's memory verse? I had a little bit of difficulty in the beginning of the verse--kept reversing words--but I have the majority of this memorized, and the important thing is what God spoke to me regarding this verse as well as the fact that I remember where it came from for future reference--either for myself or someone else.

If this is your first time visiting "The Weekly Memory Verse" please stop by here where the basic format for our memorization is detailed.

Here we go:

Then Jesus again spoke to them, saying, "I am the Light of the world, he who follows Me will not walk in the darkness, but will have the Light of life.".....John 8:12 (NASB)

Yes!! I have it down!! YEAH!!!

My thoughts on this verse:

God is truly speaking to me through this verse. Jesus is in the temple court addressing the Pharisees in this passage. They are questioning Him--time and time again they question Him. If we read a little further beyond this single verse, this is what we find:

The Pharisees challenged Him, "Here you are, appearing as your own witness; your testimony is not valid."

Jesus answered, "Even if I testify on my own behalf, my testimony is valid, for I know where I came from and where I am going. But you have no idea where I come from or where I am going.

You judge by human standards; I pass judgment on no one. But if I do judge, my decisions are right, because I am not alone. I stand with the Father, who sent me.

In your own Law it is written that the testimony of two men is valid. I am one who testifies for myself; my other witness is the Father, who sent me."

Then they asked him, "Where is your father?"

"You do not know me or my Father," Jesus replied.

"If you knew me, you would know my Father also."

He spoke these words while teaching in the temple area near the place where the offerings were put. Yet no one seized him, because his time had not yet come.

John 8:13-20 (NIV)

As I read further along in the Book of John, we come to Chapter 9, where Jesus heals the blind man--a man blinded from birth--a man walking in darkness.

As he (Jesus) went along, he saw a man blinded from birth. His disciples asked him, "Rabbi, who sinned, this man or his parents, that he was born blind?"

"Neither this man nor his parents sinned," said Jesus, "but this happened so that the work of God might be displayed in his life. As long as it is day, we must do the work of Him who sent me. Night is coming, when no one can work. While I am in the world, I am the light of the world." John 9:1-5 (NIV)

If you know me personally, you more than likely know my testimony. If you haven't had the chance to read my testimony, I would encourage you to read it here.

While I knew of God, believed that--yes, there is a God--I did not have a relationship with Him. I was walking in spiritual darkness. I was not close to God, did not believe in the power of prayer. My life was so dark that I could not see the light. Others could see this in me while I could not. Many tried to lead me to the light, but I was resistant--resistant until the darkness became so dark that there was no where for me to turn, no one to turn to--only God could fill the emptiness inside me.

As Jesus was speaking to the Pharisees, He was referring to the conditions of their hearts. They were concerned--concerned with the "keeping of the laws" of the day and loved to show everyone how important and pious they were in their "law-keeping". But, the condition of their hearts was far from the love of Jesus. Yes, they were also walking in spiritual darkness.

It is important for me to realize that I will continue to have "storms" in my life. Just because I have accepted Jesus as MY SAVIOR does not mean that my life will be easy and calm for the rest of my time here on earth. This is far from the truth.

But these times--these times of "storms"--need no longer be totally dark--me feeling my way in the darkness--because I have found my Light of Life--Jesus--and He will keep the darkness from being totally black. He will lead me on with His Light--the Light that only He can offer.

Instead of walking in the darkness, I will follow His Light, and He will lead me through the "storms", always following His Light, until I am with Him.

What are your thoughts on this verse? Did God speak to you through the week as you were memorizing this verse? What is the condition of your heart? Are you walking in the light?

I would love to read your comments and your own blog post. So, please link up and I'll stop by after work today (as long as my internet cooperates!).

Next week's verse from the "Embracing The Word" cards is the Jack of Hearts. Oh, it is an easy one to remember--easy to always follow?

Remember the Sabbath day, to keep it holy....Exodus 20:8 (NASB)

Beth

Just an addition--after I posted this I received this quote from Heartlight in an e-mail, and I wanted to share it with you:

In darkness there is no choice. It is light that enables us to see the differences between things; and it is Christ who gives us light.

-- Mrs. C. T. Whitemell

Two Wolves

I received this in an email from a dear friend. The message is powerful and true. Be blessed and remember His Word -- "Now the works of the flesh are obvious: sexual immorality, impurity, promiscuity, idolatry, witchcraft, hatred, rivalry, jealously, outbursts of anger, quarrels, conflicts, factions, envy, murder, drunkenness, wild partying, and things like that. I am telling you now, as I have told you in the past, that people who practice such things will not inherit the kingdom of God. But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control. There is no law against such things." Galatians 5:19-23
HisFireFly

One evening an old Cherokee told his grandson about a battle that goes on inside people. He said, 'My son, the battle is between two 'wolves' inside us all.

One is Evil. It is anger, envy, jealousy, sorrow, regret, greed, arrogance, self-pity, guilt, resentment, inferiority, lies, false pride, superiority, and ego.

The other is Good. It is joy, peace, love, hope, serenity, humility, kindness, benevolence, empathy, generosity, truth, compassion and faith.'

The grandson thought about it for a minute and then asked his grandfather: 'Which wolf wins?'

The old Cherokee simply replied, 'The one you feed.'