10 Hopeful Bible Verses for the New Year

Posted on December 29, 2017 by KD Manes under Uncategorized

What better way to begin the New Year than focusing on Bible verses that inspire a fresh walk with God and a deeper commitment to living the Christian faith?

The following post is written by Mary Fairchild and can be found here: 10 Hopeful Bible Verses for the New Year.

NEW BIRTH – A LIVING HOPE

Salvation in Jesus Christ represents new birth — a transformation of who we are. The start of a new year is a great time to reflect on the new and living hope we have in this life and in the life to come:

Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ! In his great mercy he has given us new birth into a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead. (1 Peter 1:3, NIV)

HOPE FOR THE FUTURE

(www.biblestudytools.com)

We can trust God in the year ahead, for he has good plans for our future:

Jeremiah 29:11
“For I know the plans I have for you,” says the LORD. “They are plans for good and not for disaster, to give you a future and a hope. (NLT)

A NEW CREATION

This passage describes a transformation that will eventually lead to the full enjoyment of eternal life in the new heavens and new earth. Christ’s life, death, and resurrection introduce followers of Jesus Christ to a foretaste of the new world to come.

Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; old things have passed away; behold, all things have become new. (2 Corinthians 5:17, NKJV)

A NEW HEART

Believers are not merely changed externally, they undergo a radical renewal of heart. This total cleansing and transformation reveal the holiness of God to an unholy world:

Then I will sprinkle clean water on you, and you will be clean. Your filth will be washed away, and you will no longer worship idols. And I will give you a new heart with new and right desires, and I will put a new spirit in you. I will take out your stony heart of sin and give you a new, obedient heart. And I will put my Spirit in you so you will obey my laws and do whatever I command. (Ezekiel 36:25-27, NLT)

FORGET THE PAST – LEARN FROM MISTAKES

Christians aren’t perfect. The more we grow in Christ, the more we realize how far we have to go. We can learn from our mistakes, but they are in the past and need to stay there. We look forward toward the resurrection. We keep our eyes on the prize. And by maintaining our focus on the goal, we are pulled heavenward.

Both discipline and perseverance are required to accomplish this objective.

No, dear brothers and sisters, I am still not all I should be, but I am focusing all my energies on this one thing: Forgetting the past and looking forward to what lies ahead, I strain to reach the end of the race and receive the prize for which God, through Christ Jesus, is calling us up to heaven. (Philippians 3:13-14, NLT)

Our fathers disciplined us for a little while as they thought best; but God disciplines us for our good, that we may share in his holiness. No discipline seems pleasant at the time, but painful. Later on, however, it produces a harvest of righteousness and peace for those who have been trained by it. (Hebrews 12:10-11, NIV)

WAIT ON THE LORD – GOD’S TIMING IS PERFECT

We can be content and wait for God’s timing, for it is sure to be the right time. By waiting and trusting patiently, we gain quiet strength:

Be still in the presence of the LORD, and wait patiently for him to act. Don’t worry about evil people who prosper or fret about their wicked schemes. (Psalm 37:7, NLT)

Yet those who wait for the LORD will gain new strength; they will mount up with wings like eagles, they will run and not get tired, they will walk and not become weary. (Isaiah 40:31, NASB)

He has made everything beautiful in its time. He has also set eternity in the hearts of men; yet they cannot fathom what God has done from beginning to end. (Ecclesiastes 3:11, NIV)

EACH NEW DAY IS SPECIAL

We can count on God’s never-ending love and faithfulness with each new day:

The unfailing love of the LORD never ends! By his mercies we have been kept from complete destruction. Great is his faithfulness; his mercies begin afresh each day. I say to myself, “The LORD is my inheritance; therefore, I will hope in him!” (Lamentations 3:22-24, NASB)

The Magi Visit the Messiah, Matthew 2

Posted on December 22, 2017 by KD Manes under Bible Study

After Jesus was born in Bethlehem in Judea, during the time of King Herod, Magi from the east came to Jerusalem and asked, ‘Where is the one who has been born king of the Jews? We saw his star when it rose and have come to worship him.’” –Matthew 2:1-2

I realize most of us have heard this story many times. But I thought I’d share a short summary of what stands out the most to me at this time. You may read Matthew 2 here: Bible Gateway.

The wise men—after traveling thousands of miles to see the king of the Jews—responded with worship and costly gifts. They gave of their best. Bible students see their gifts as a symbol of Christ’s identity and what He would accomplish:

Gold – a gift for a king
Incense – a gift for deity
Myrrh – a spice for a person who was going to die

The Magi’s approach to simply worship God for who He is stands in stark contrast to many people’s approach today. Our culture tends to breed expectations of God that center around us: our comfort and convenience. How often do we expect God to seek us, explain and prove Himself, and then bless us with gifts?

Joseph received divine guidance to take Mary and Jesus to Egypt so Herod couldn’t kill Jesus. Like Joseph, are we receptive to God’s guidance? Are we preparing our hearts to discern God’s leading by spending daily time in His Word and in prayer?

The following music video is for all my drummer friends (and those of you who just like drums) Merry Christmas!

Does Jesus’ Genealogy Matter? (Matthew 1:1-17)

Posted on December 15, 2017 by KD Manes under Bible Study

“Thus there were fourteen generations in all from Abraham to David, fourteen from David to the exile to Babylon, and fourteen from the exile to the Christ.” – Matthew 1:17

I’m beginning the book of Matthew during my devotional times, which seems appropriate with Christmas around the corner. This Gospel book links the Old and New Testaments by referencing many links to Jesus as the fulfillment of Old Testament prophecy. While 400 years had passed since the last Old Testament prophecies, faithful Jews were still waiting for the Messiah.

Because a Jewish family line proved whether or not a man or woman was chosen as God’s own, Matthew’s opening presentation of Jesus’ genealogy would have held a fascination for his Jewish readers. The first of many proofs to connect Jesus as the Messiah is evidenced with Jesus Christ being a descendant of both King David and Abraham, as the Old Testament had predicted. But Matthew takes it a step further by writing that God did not send His Son to be an earthly king—as the Jews hoped—but a heavenly king. Unlike King David’s kingdom, Christ’s kingdom would never end (Isaiah 11:1-5).

Forty-six people whose lifetimes span 2,000 years—all ancestors of Jesus—are listed in the first 17 verses of Matthew, chapter one. Here is the record of Jesus’ Genealogy: Matthew 1:1-17.

What I love about this record is the fact that all of Jesus’ ancestors were different in their experience, spirituality, and personality. The Life Application Study Bible notes: “Some were heroes of faith—like Abraham, Isaac, Ruth, and David. Some had shady reputations—like Rahab and Tamar. Many were very ordinary—like Hezron, Ram, Nahshon, and Akim. And others were evil— like Manasseh and Abijah.”

Reflect

God is not limited by human sin and failures. Just as He used a variety of people to bring His Son into the world, He continues to work out His purposes through all kinds of people. How has God used you in the past? How does He want to use you now?

2017 Update

Posted on December 8, 2017 by KD Manes under Uncategorized

It’s been awhile since I’ve written an update. The clock keeps ticking as our oldest child, Cameron, is now a Senior in high school and checking out potential colleges.

Cam and Jon on a recent dirt bike trip in Nevada, along with my husband.

Our Jonny boy is a Sophomore. Along with his brother, he loves being involved in our school’s sports programs.

Annie (Jr. High), our animal lover and social butterfly, not only loves hanging out with friends, but also enjoys playing basketball, volleyball, and softball. My husband and I stay busy going to lots of games. But it has definitely been a blessing watching their progress, along with their teammates. I love the valuable life lessons they learn through sports.

Enjoying a girls’ night out 🙂

I have been working on setting up an online store, which I’m calling L & L Abode, and hope to launch soon. The products consist of home decor and some miscellaneous products (mugs, totes, etc.) that I merge with my photographs. When brainstorming for an appropriate shop name, the word “abode” kept floating through my head. So I looked it up in the dictionary and realized that abode is associated with “home”. But I later learned while combing through my Exodus study that this meaning only scratches the surface. The Hebrew word translated “abode” (Exodus 40:35) is transliterated shekinah in English. This word expresses the glory and presence of God.

This made me think about some of the people who have been a big influence in my growing up years of my perception and knowledge of God. Although they’re not alone, both of my Grandmas—Lucile and Lenore (L & L)—exemplified this kind of abode. They were huge blessings to my family and me as they creatively expressed God’s character in their homes through their love, generosity, hospitality, compassion, faithfulness and forgiveness.

I plan on continuing this blog, but will keep you posted when my store—L & L Abode—launches. The following photograph, which I’m experimenting with on canvas and mugs, was taken last Sunday near my home.

This moment reminds me that God is in control from sunrise to sunset. He marks the days and seasons of our lives. We can rest knowing that He loves us, knows what we need before we even ask, and has good plans for those who love Him.

In this busy Christmas season I hope we all find the needed time to soak in the meaning of Christmas and find rest in God’s presence. Blessings!

Jesus Is Our Light

Posted on December 1, 2017 by KD Manes under Salvation

“The light of the righteous rejoices” (Proverbs 13:9). We thank You, Lord, that Jesus is our Light. He’s “the Light of the world” (John 8:12). In Him, we rejoice (Romans 5:11) – “the blood Of Jesus, Your Son, cleanses us from all sin” (1 John 1:7). We thank You that, through Jesus, You have “called […]