BibleTrekToday.com

Year: 2019

  • Faith in Jesus’ Name

    Scripture reading for May 8th:  Acts 3, Psalm 92, Proverbs 30

    Key Scriptures:  Acts 3:6-10 “But Peter said, “I have no silver and gold, but what I do have I gave to you.  In the Name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth, rise up and walk!”  And he took him by the right hand and raised him up, and immediately his feet and ankles were made strong.  And leaping up, he stood and began to walk, and entered the temple with them, walking and leaping and praising God.  And all the people saw him walking and praising God, and recognized him as the one who sat at the Beautiful Gate of the temple asking for alms.  And they were filled with wonder and amazement at what had happened to him.”  

    Peter and John were going to the temple for prayer when they were met by a beggar asking for alms.  They did not have money, but gave him more than he asked for.  They spoke a word of faith in the Name of Jesus and reached out for his hand.  As they did, God worked a miracle of healing and the man leaped up and began to walk and praise God.  The miracle brought awe and wonder to all!

    Faith Confession:  I  am a believer in Jesus Christ.  I believe that through the Name of Jesus I have authority and power to confront sickness, disease, and demonic power and to trust God for results.  (Action Step:  In faith step out to help someone the Lord puts in your path.  Trust Jesus for results)

    Psalm 92:4  “For You, O Lord, have made me glad by Your work; at the works of Your hands I sing for joy.”  

     

  • Repentance, baptism and the Holy Spirit

    Scripture reading for May 7th:  Acts 2, Psalm 91, Proverbs 29

    Key Scriptures: Acts 2:36-39  “Let all the house of Israel therefore know for certain that God has made Him both Lord and Christ, this Jesus whom you crucified.  Now when they heard this they were cut to the heart and said to Peter and the rest of the apostles, “Brothers, what shall we do?”  And Peter said to them, “Repent and be baptized every one of you in the Name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins, and you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit.  For the promise is for you and for your children and for all who are far off, everyone whom the Lord our God calls to Himself.”  

    As Peter preached the Gospel message of Jesus’ death, burial and resurrection to the crowd gathered in Jerusalem for Pentecost, the Holy Spirit brought conviction on many in the congregation.  They asked Peter what they could do, having taken part in this event.  Peter told them plainly to repent–change their mind and their ways and identify with the crucified and risen Savior through water baptism (immersion).  After that, they must receive the gift of the Holy Spirit, available to all who would believe and receive.

    Faith Confession:  I believe that the Holy Spirit convicts those who hear the Gospel and brings them to repentance.  Those who hear must respond by repentance and faith, receiving the Holy Spirit and testifying by water baptism if possible.

    Proverbs 29:25  “The fear of man lays a snare, but whoever trusts in the Lord is safe.”   

     

  • The promise of power!

    Scripture reading for May 6th:  Acts 1, Psalm 90, Proverbs 28

    Key Scriptures:  Acts 1:6-9  “So when they had come together, they asked Him, “Lord, will you at this time restore the kingdom to Israel?”  He said to them, “It is not for you to know times and seasons that the Father has fixed by His own authority.  But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you, and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the end of the earth.”  And as He had said these things, as they were looking on, He was lifted up, and a cloud took Him out of their sight.”

    Jesus’ disciples asked Him, right before He ascended to heaven, if He was going to restore the kingdom to Israel.  They were expecting Jesus to soon establish His kingdom.  Jesus told them not to be concerned.  The Father had fixed them time and that was His to know.  Their main need would to received the infilling of the Holy Spirit and be empowered to share the gospel with the world.

    Faith Confession:  Lord Jesus, thank You for the gift of the Holy Spirit and  power to be a witness to the world.  Teach me to treat each day as an opportunity to work for You and Your kingdom.

    Psalm 90:11, 17 “So teach us to number our days that we may get a heart of wisdom.”  . . .”Let the favor of the Lord our God be upon us, and establish the work of our hands upon us; yes, establish the work of our hands!” 

  • Following faithfully!

    Scripture reading for May 3rd: John 21, Psalm 89, Proverbs 27

    Key Scriptures:  John 21:17-19  “He said to him the third time, “Simon, son of John, do you love Me?”  Peter was grieved because He said to him the third time, “Do you love Me?” and he said to Him, “Lord, You know everything; You know that I love You.”  Jesus said to him, “Feed My sheep.  Truly, truly, I say to you, when you were young, you used to dress yourself and walk wherever you wanted, but when you are old, you will stretch out your hands, and another will dress you and carry you where you do not want to go.”  “This He said to show by what kind of death he was to glorify God.)  And after saying this He said to him, “Follow Me.””

    Jesus lovingly restored Peter after his three denials after Jesus’ arrest by asking him three times if he loved Him.  Jesus used this occasion to also reveal that Peter would suffer a death as a martyr.  After the loving restoration and plain revelation of future suffering, Jesus still invited Peter to demonstrate his love by following Him.  Tradition says Peter was also crucified, but at his own insistence, upside down because he did not feel worthy to die as His Lord did.

    Faith Confession:  Lord Jesus, I say along with Peter, Lord I love You.  Lord, You do know all things.  Help me to follow You in faith all the days of this life and to demonstrate my love through obedience.

    Proverbs 27:1  “Do not boast about tomorrow, for you do not know what a day may bring.”

  • Believing without seeing!

    Scripture reading for May 2nd:  John 20, Psalm 88, Proverbs 26

    Key Scriptures:  John 20:27-29  “Then He said to Thomas, “Put your finger here, and see My hands; and put out your hand, and place it in My side.  Do not disbelieve, but believe.”  Thomas answered Him, “My Lord and My God!”  Jesus said to him, “Have you believed because you have seen Me?  Blessed are those who have not seen and yet believed.”  

    Eight days after the resurrection, Jesus again came to His disciples through locked doors and greeted them with “Peace be with you.”  He had missed Thomas the first time He appeared and Thomas had stated that unless he could see Jesus alive and place his hands in his wounds, he could not believe.  Jesus met him where he was and offered His wounds for his touching.  Thomas cried out in a faith confession:  “My Lord and my God!”  Jesus pronounced a blessing on all who would believe though they did not see.

    Faith confession:  I receive Your blessing, Jesus, by believing in Your death, burial and resurrection from the dead.  You are my Lord and my God!

    Psalm 88:1  “O Lord, God of my salvation; I cry out day and night before you.”  

  • Authority is from Heaven!

    Scripture reading for May 1st:  John 19, Psalm 87, Proverbs 25

    Key Scriptures:  John 19:7-11 “The Jews answered him, “We have a law, and according to that law He ought to die because He has made Himself the Son of God.”  When Pilate heard this statement, he was even more afraid.  He entered his headquarters again and said to Jesus, “Where are You from?”  But Jesus gave him no answer.  So Pilate said to Him, “You will not speak to me?   Do You not know that I have authority to release You and authority to crucify You?”  Jesus answered him, “You would have no authority over Me at all unless it had been given you from above.  Therefore he who delivered Me over to you has the greater sin.”  

    Pilate was the Roman governor over Jerusalem and he alone had the power to execute someone who broke Roman law.  When he heard that Jesus had stated that He was the Son of God, he was fearful for this did not break Roman law.    But Herod feared the people and had also been warned by his own wife to not have anything to do with Jesus.  He tried a final time to get Jesus to speak but Jesus remained silent.  He threatened Jesus with his authority to execute Him.  Jesus reminded him that any authority he possessed was give to him by God.

    Faith Confession:  I understand that all authority comes from God alone and that I must always obey Jesus, Son of God, the source of all authority and not fear man.

    Proverbs 25:2  “It is the glory of God to conceal things, but the glory of kings is to search things out.”  Vs. 11 “A word fitly spoken is like apples of gold in a setting of silver.”  

  • Jesus is the Truth!

    Scripture reading for April 30th:  John 18, Psalm 86, Proverbs 24

    Key Scriptures:  John 18:36-38  “Jesus answered, “My kingdom is not of this world.  If My kingdom were of this world, My servants would have been fighting, that I might not be delivered over to the Jews.  But My kingdom is not from the world.”  Then Pilate said to Him, “So Your are a king?”  Jesus answered, “You say that I am a king.  For this purpose I was born and for this purpose I have come into the world–to bear witness to the truth.  Everyone who is of the truth listens to My voice.”  Pilate said to Him, “What is truth?”” 

    One of the charges against Jesus was the charge that He was proclaiming Himself king over the Jews.  The Jews sent Him to Pilate accusing Jesus of sedition.  As Pilate questioned Jesus, he asked him directly if He was indeed ‘King of the Jews?’  Jesus answered in a wise manner, stating that Pilate and others had said so.  But then He stated that He had come into the world to bear witness to the truth.  He stated that all who listened to His voice is of the truth.  This brought Pilate to the pivotal question:  “What is truth?”

    Faith Confession:  I believe that Jesus Christ is the Truth and is not only King of the Jews, but King of all Kings.  Jesus is the Truth!

    Psalm 86:10-11 “For You are great and do wondrous things; You alone are God.  Teach me your way, O Lord, that I may walk in Your truth.”  

  • Beholding Christ’s Glory

    Scripture reading for April 29th:  John 17, Psalm 85, Proverbs 23

    Key Scriptures:  John 17:24-26 “Father, I desire that they also, whom You have given Me, may be with Me where I am, to see My glory that You have given Me because You loved Me before the foundation of the world.  O righteous Father, even though the world does not know You, I know You, and these know that You have sent Me.  I made known to them Your Name, and I will continue to make it known, that the love with which You have loved Me may be in them, and I in them.”

    As we listen to Jesus’ prayer to His Father for us and His disciples, we note that He desired that they would be with Him in the Father’s presence.  There the disciples would be able to behold Christ’s glory and experience ultimate joy and fullness of life in God’s love.  Christ’s prayer is pulling all believers towards the throne of God and the fullness of our joy, glory, and eternal life.

    Faith Confession:  Amen!  Let it be according to Your prayer for me and all disciples!  I desire to be with You where You are and see Your glory!  Thank You for the Holy Spirit that is a down payment on the fullness to come!

    Proverbs 23:17-18  “Let not your heart envy sinners, but continue in the fear of the Lord all the day.  Surely there is a future, and your hope will not be cut off.”

     

  • From tears to everlasting joy!

    Scripture reading for April 26th:  John 16, Psalm 84, Proverbs 22

    Key Scriptures:  John 16:20-22  “Truly, truly, I say to you, you will weep and lament, but the world will rejoice.  You will be sorrowful, but your sorrow will turn into joy.  When a woman is giving birth, she has sorrow because her hour has come, but when she has delivered the baby, she no longer remembers the anguish, for joy that a human being has been born into the world.  So also you have sorrow now, but I will see you again and your hearts will rejoice and no one will take your joy from you.” 

    Jesus plainly told the disciples that they would experience a time of great anguish and sorrow as He was crucified and died.  He likened it to a woman at the time of giving birth.  He told them that the world would rejoice as they were in anguish.  But that sorrow was not the end, they would see Him again and then they would have joy that no one could ever take away

    Faith confession:  Thank You Lord for the comfort of Your word!  Even the times of sorrow that we have here while the world rejoices will soon be turned around.  No one can take my joy away!

    Psalm 84:5-7  “Blessed are those who dwell in Your house, ever singing Your praise!  As they go through the Valley of Baca (tears), they make it a place of springs; the early rain also covers it with pools.  They go from strength to strength; each one appears before God in Zion.” 

  • Abiding in Christ’s Love and Word

    Scripture reading for April 25th:  John 15, Psalm 83, Proverbs 21

    Key Scriptures:  John 15:7-11  “If you abide in Me, and My words abide in you, ask whatever you wish, and it will be done for you.  By this My Father is glorified, that you bear much fruit and prove to be My disciples.  As the Father has loved Me, so have I loved you.  Abide in My love.  If you keep My commandments, you will abide in My love, just as I have kept My Father’s commandments and abide in His love.  These things I have spoken to you, that My joy may be in you, and that your joy may be full.”  

    Jesus encouraged His disciples with a parable of a vine and its branches and ability to produce fruit.  Jesus was the vine and His disciples were the branches.  The Father was the vine-dresser.  The sap in the vine was God’s word.  Each disciple must abide in the vine and be filled with the sap in order to produce fruit.  Abiding meant a close relationship of love and faith that asked for needs and claimed God’s word in faith. All fruit is to His glory!

    Faith Confession:  I am abiding in Jesus Christ, God’s Son, and allowing the Word of God to abide in me and resting in His love.  I ask Him for what I need and expect to receive in order to produce fruit.

    Proverbs 21:20 “Precious treasure and oil are in a wise man’s dwelling, but a foolish man devours it.”