Scripture of the Day

Proverbs 10

10. He that winketh with the eye causeth sorrow: but a prating fool shall fall.
11. The mouth of a righteous man is a well of life: but violence covereth the mouth of the wicked.
12. Hatred stirreth up strifes: but love covereth all sins.
13. In the lips of him that hath understanding wisdom is found: but a rod is for the back of him that is void of understanding.
14. Wise men lay up knowledge: but the mouth of the foolish is near destruction.

Scripture of the Day

Proverbs 8

4. Unto you, O men, I call; and my voice is to the sons of man.
5. O ye simple, understand wisdom: and, ye fools, be ye of an understanding heart.
6. Hear; for I will speak of excellent things; and the opening of my lips shall be right things.
7. For my mouth shall speak truth; and wickedness is an abomination to my lips.
8. All the words of my mouth are in righteousness; there is nothing froward or perverse in them.
9. They are all plain to him that understandeth, and right to them that find knowledge.
10. Receive my instruction, and not silver; and knowledge rather than choice gold.
11. For wisdom is better than rubies; and all the things that may be desired are not to be compared to it.
12. I wisdom dwell with prudence, and find out knowledge of witty inventions.
13. The fear of the LORD is to hate evil: pride, and arrogancy, and the evil way, and the froward mouth, do I hate.

Wisdom

Proverbs 3

27. Withhold not good from them to whom it is due, when it is in the power of thine hand to do it.
28. Say not unto thy neighbour, Go, and come again, and to morrow I will give; when thou hast it by thee.
29. Devise not evil against thy neighbour, seeing he dwelleth securely by thee.
30. Strive not with a man without cause, if he have done thee no harm.
31. Envy thou not the oppressor, and choose none of his ways.
32. For the froward is abomination to the LORD: but his secret is with the righteous.
33. The curse of the LORD is in the house of the wicked: but he blesseth the habitation of the just.
34. Surely he scorneth the scorners: but he giveth grace unto the lowly.
35. The wise shall inherit glory: but shame shall be the promotion of fools.

Pray Christ is Revealed During Ramadan

Learn more at http://www.OpenDoorsUSA.org/PrayerApp

As we are in the last week of Ramadan, please continue to pray with believers who often face increased persecution during this Muslim holy month and also for seeking Muslims to find the one true God.

Ramadan is often a time that can put even more pressures on secret Christ-followers as they spend time with family, friends and their community. It is also a time where those who follow Jesus stand out even more than usual as their communities observe the Muslim holy month.

At the same time, Ramadan is a unique time for seeking Muslims to encounter Christ as they seek God. There are many stories of Muslims coming to Christ during Ramadan as faithful Christians share—often at great risk to themselves—their stories of encountering Christ.

As the Body of Christ, Ramadan gives us the opportunity to intercede and pray for the world’s 1.8 billion Muslims—asking Jesus to reveal Himself to seeking Muslims.

We can also stand with our brothers and sisters in Christ around the world in prayer—asking God to protect and bless them.

And we can pray against attacks from Islamic extremists who often use Ramadan as an opportunity to call their followers to violence.

*Representative names and photos are sometimes used to protect identity.

Scripture of the Day

Matthew 13

3. And he spake many things unto them in parables, saying, Behold, a sower went forth to sow;
4. And when he sowed, some seeds fell by the way side, and the fowls came and devoured them up:
5. Some fell upon stony places, where they had not much earth: and forthwith they sprung up, because they had no deepness of earth:
6. And when the sun was up, they were scorched; and because they had no root, they withered away.
7. And some fell among thorns; and the thorns sprung up, and choked them:
8. But other fell into good ground, and brought forth fruit, some an hundredfold, some sixtyfold, some thirtyfold.
9. Who hath ears to hear, let him hear.

Scripture of the Day

Psalms 149
1. Praise ye the LORD. Sing unto the LORD a new song, and his praise in the congregation of saints.
2. Let Israel rejoice in him that made him: let the children of Zion be joyful in their King.
3. Let them praise his name in the dance: let them sing praises unto him with the timbrel and harp.
4. For the LORD taketh pleasure in his people: he will beautify the meek with salvation.
5. Let the saints be joyful in glory: let them sing aloud upon their beds.
6. Let the high praises of God be in their mouth, and a twoedged sword in their hand;
7. To execute vengeance upon the heathen, and punishments upon the people;
8. To bind their kings with chains, and their nobles with fetters of iron;
9. To execute upon them the judgment written: this honour have all his saints. Praise ye the LORD.

Scripture of the Day

Psalm 147
1. Praise ye the LORD: for it is good to sing praises unto our God; for it is pleasant; and praise is comely.
2. The LORD doth build up Jerusalem: he gathereth together the outcasts of Israel.
3. He healeth the broken in heart, and bindeth up their wounds.
4. He telleth the number of the stars; he calleth them all by their names.
5. Great is our Lord, and of great power: his understanding is infinite.
6. The LORD lifteth up the meek: he casteth the wicked down to the ground.
7. Sing unto the LORD with thanksgiving; sing praise upon the harp unto our God:
8. Who covereth the heaven with clouds, who prepareth rain for the earth, who maketh grass to grow upon the mountains.
9. He giveth to the beast his food, and to the young ravens which cry.
10. He delighteth not in the strength of the horse: he taketh not pleasure in the legs of a man.
11. The LORD taketh pleasure in them that fear him, in those that hope in his mercy.
12. Praise the LORD, O Jerusalem; praise thy God, O Zion.
13. For he hath strengthened the bars of thy gates; he hath blessed thy children within thee.
14. He maketh peace in thy borders, and filleth thee with the finest of the wheat.
15. He sendeth forth his commandment upon earth: his word runneth very swiftly.
16. He giveth snow like wool: he scattereth the hoarfrost like ashes.
17. He casteth forth his ice like morsels: who can stand before his cold?
18. He sendeth out his word, and melteth them: he causeth his wind to blow, and the waters flow.
19. He sheweth his word unto Jacob, his statutes and his judgments unto Israel.
20. He hath not dealt so with any nation: and as for his judgments, they have not known them. Praise ye the LORD.

Scripture of the Day


A Song of degrees of David.

1. If it had not been the LORD who was on our side, now may Israel say;
2. If it had not been the LORD who was on our side, when men rose up against us:
3. Then they had swallowed us up quick, when their wrath was kindled against us:
4. Then the waters had overwhelmed us, the stream had gone over our soul:
5. Then the proud waters had gone over our soul.
6. Blessed be the LORD, who hath not given us as a prey to their teeth.
7. Our soul is escaped as a bird out of the snare of the fowlers: the snare is broken, and we are escaped.
8. Our help is in the name of the LORD, who made heaven and earth.

Scripture of the Day

2nd Peter 2

18. For when they speak great swelling words of vanity, they allure through the lusts of the flesh, through much wantonness, those that were clean escaped from them who live in error.
19. While they promise them liberty, they themselves are the servants of corruption: for of whom a man is overcome, of the same is he brought in bondage.
20. For if after they have escaped the pollutions of the world through the knowledge of the Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ, they are again entangled therein, and overcome, the latter end is worse with them than the beginning.
21. For it had been better for them not to have known the way of righteousness, than, after they have known it, to turn from the holy commandment delivered unto them.
22. But it is happened unto them according to the true proverb, The dog is turned to his own vomit again; and the sow that was washed to her wallowing in the mire.

Scripture of the Day

James 4
1. From whence come wars and fightings among you? come they not hence, even of your lusts that war in your members?
2. Ye lust, and have not: ye kill, and desire to have, and cannot obtain: ye fight and war, yet ye have not, because ye ask not.
3. Ye ask, and receive not, because ye ask amiss, that ye may consume it upon your lusts.
4. Ye adulterers and adulteresses, know ye not that the friendship of the world is enmity with God? whosoever therefore will be a friend of the world is the enemy of God.
5. Do ye think that the scripture saith in vain, The spirit that dwelleth in us lusteth to envy?
6. But he giveth more grace. Wherefore he saith, God resisteth the proud, but giveth grace unto the humble.
7. Submit yourselves therefore to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you.
8. Draw nigh to God, and he will draw nigh to you. Cleanse your hands, ye sinners; and purify your hearts, ye double minded.
9. Be afflicted, and mourn, and weep: let your laughter be turned to mourning, and your joy to heaviness.
10. Humble yourselves in the sight of the Lord, and he shall lift you up.
11. Speak not evil one of another, brethren. He that speaketh evil of his brother, and judgeth his brother, speaketh evil of the law, and judgeth the law: but if thou judge the law, thou art not a doer of the law, but a judge.
12. There is one lawgiver, who is able to save and to destroy: who art thou that judgest another?
13. Go to now, ye that say, To day or to morrow we will go into such a city, and continue there a year, and buy and sell, and get gain:
14. Whereas ye know not what shall be on the morrow. For what is your life? It is even a vapour, that appeareth for a little time, and then vanisheth away.
15. For that ye ought to say, If the Lord will, we shall live, and do this, or that.
16. But now ye rejoice in your boastings: all such rejoicing is evil.
17. Therefore to him that knoweth to do good, and doeth it not, to him it is sin.

Scripture of the Day

James 1

2. My brethren, count it all joy when ye fall into divers temptations;
3. Knowing this, that the trying of your faith worketh patience.
4. But let patience have her perfect work, that ye may be perfect and entire, wanting nothing.
5. If any of you lack wisdom, let him ask of God, that giveth to all men liberally, and upbraideth not; and it shall be given him.
6. But let him ask in faith, nothing wavering. For he that wavereth is like a wave of the sea driven with the wind and tossed.
7. For let not that man think that he shall receive any thing of the Lord.
8. A double minded man is unstable in all his ways.

Scripture of the Day

Hebrews 10

8. Above when he said, Sacrifice and offering and burnt offerings and offering for sin thou wouldest not, neither hadst pleasure therein; which are offered by the law;
9. Then said he, Lo, I come to do thy will, O God. He taketh away the first, that he may establish the second.
10. By the which will we are sanctified through the offering of the body of Jesus Christ once for all.
11. And every priest standeth daily ministering and offering oftentimes the same sacrifices, which can never take away sins:
12. But this man, after he had offered one sacrifice for sins for ever, sat down on the right hand of God;
13. From henceforth expecting till his enemies be made his footstool.
14. For by one offering he hath perfected for ever them that are sanctified.
15. Whereof the Holy Ghost also is a witness to us: for after that he had said before,
16. This is the covenant that I will make with them after those days, saith the Lord, I will put my laws into their hearts, and in their minds will I write them;
17. And their sins and iniquities will I remember no more.
18. Now where remission of these is, there is no more offering for sin.
19. Having therefore, brethren, boldness to enter into the holiest by the blood of Jesus,
20. By a new and living way, which he hath consecrated for us, through the veil, that is to say, his flesh;
21. And having an high priest over the house of God;
22. Let us draw near with a true heart in full assurance of faith, having our hearts sprinkled from an evil conscience, and our bodies washed with pure water.

How Far

Driving to MN this Easter weekend, I noticed along the way at fuel stops on the Turnpike in PA,IN, & IL that not one person, employed or traveller, none said, mentioned, or even inferred it was Easter. No bunnies, nothing Biblical, nothing but a prevading sense of emptiness emanating from everyone.

I finally asked one cashier if she was allowed to say Happy Easter, her response was they’re not suppose to offend anyone. I gave a snort, shook my head & left.

In St. Cloud, at a minimart, I asked a young lady in her twenties, (I’m assuming), if she is allowed to say happy easter, she replied yes so I wished her such. She smirked, glanced around, looked down & whispered “happy easter”… I grunted, what the crap was that then laughed. She raised her voice with, ” ok HAPPY EASTER,” turned away & said how’s that.

Observing the nuances of how people act & speak can be very revealing about their character, sometimes even their spiritual condition. We read in Matthew 15:18. But those things which proceed out of the mouth come forth from the heart; and they defile the man.
What is said comes from the heart, what isn’t said can oftentimes be just as revealing.

This age, like every age before it, has its problems. War, hunger, misery, hate, lies, wickedness galore. Today though, what happens in Bangkok is seen instantly in Seattle, information acceleration makes it seem as if our age of iniquity is more profound than ages past. When in fact it may be, but simply put, its warfare. Spiritual war shadowing warfare in our world. Although we may not preceive it the battles of the ages are still being fought for mens souls, good versus evil, right versus wrong; not in how the world veiws the fight, but Biblically, how GOD views the war.

Death was defeated with the resurrection, but battles will happen until our Christ returns to rule. Whether personal, mental, physical or what, Christians are going to have to stand & fight. In prayer, in ministry, in giving, or even if nessary physical confrontations.

We are to put on the whole armor of GOD, for all its spiritual, for others it includes the physical. Whichever it is for you, please be prepared.

God Bless.