Archives: Watchword

WATCHWORD:

²⁸ As they approached the village to which they were going, Jesus continued on as if he were going farther. ²⁹ But they urged him strongly, “Stay with us, for it is nearly evening; the day is almost over.” So he went in to stay with them. ³⁰ When he was at the table with them, he took bread, gave thanks, broke it and began to give it to them. ³¹ Then their eyes were opened and they recognized him, and he disappeared from their sight. ³² They asked each other, “Were not our hearts burning within us while he talked with us on the road and opened the Scriptures to us?”  Luke 24:28-32

²⁰ I have been crucified with Christ and I no longer live, but Christ lives in me. The life I now live in the body, I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me. ²¹ I do not set aside the grace of God, for if righteousness could be gained through the law, Christ died for nothing!” Galatians 2:20-21 Continue reading

WATCHWORD:

² Jesus answered, “Do you think that these Galileans were worse sinners than all the other Galileans because they suffered this way? ³ I tell you, no! But unless you repent, you too will all perish. ⁴ Or those eighteen who died when the tower in Siloam fell on them—do you think they were more guilty than all the others living in Jerusalem? ⁵ I tell you, no! But unless you repent, you too will all perish.” Luke 13:2-5 Continue reading

WATCHWORD:

²¹ About 5,000 men were fed that day, in addition to all the women and children! ²² Immediately after this, Jesus insisted that his disciples get back into the boat and cross to the other side of the lake, while he sent the people home. ²³ After sending them home, he went up into the hills by himself to pray. Night fell while he was there alone. ²⁴ Meanwhile, the disciples were in trouble far away from land, for a strong wind had risen, and they were fighting heavy waves. ²⁵ About three o’clock in the morning Jesus came toward them, walking on the water. ²⁶ When the disciples saw him walking on the water, they were terrified. In their fear, they cried out, “It’s a ghost!” ²⁷ But Jesus spoke to them at once. “Don’t be afraid,” he said. “Take courage. I am here!” Matthew 14:21-27 Continue reading

WATCHWORD:

He has shown you, O mortal, what is good. And what does the Lord require of you?
To act justly and to love mercy and to walk humbly with your God. Micah 6:8

⁴ Now he had to go through Samaria. ⁵ So he came to a town in Samaria called Sychar, near the plot of ground Jacob had given to his son Joseph. ⁶ Jacob’s well was there, and Jesus, tired as he was from the journey, sat down by the well. It was about noon. ⁷ When a Samaritan woman came to draw water, Jesus said to her, “Will you give me a drink?” ⁹ The Samaritan woman said to him, “You are a Jew and I am a Samaritan woman. How can you ask me for a drink?” (For Jews do not associate with Samaritans.) ¹⁰ Jesus answered her, “If you knew the gift of God and who it is that asks you for a drink, you would have asked him and he would have given you living water.” ¹¹ “Sir,” the woman said, “you have nothing to draw with and the well is deep. Where can you get this living water? ¹² Are you greater than our father Jacob, who gave us the well and drank from it himself, as did also his sons and his livestock?” ¹³ Jesus answered, “Everyone who drinks this water will be thirsty again, ¹⁴ but whoever drinks the water I give them will never thirst. Indeed, the water I give them will become in them a spring of water welling up to eternal life.” ¹⁵ The woman said to him, “Sir, give me this water so that I won’t get thirsty and have to keep coming here to draw water.” John 4:4-15 Continue reading

WATCHWORD:

No temptation has overtaken you except what is common to mankind. And God is faithful; he will not let you be tempted beyond what you can bear. But when you are tempted, he will also provide a way out so that you can endure it. 1 Corinthians 10:13

In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth. Genesis 1:1

For the LORD your God is God of gods and Lord of lords, the great God, mighty and awesome, who shows no partiality and accepts no bribes. Deuteronomy 10:17 Continue reading

WATCHWORD:

Whoever is patient has great understanding, but one who is quick-tempered displays folly. Proverbs 14:29

Be completely humble and gentle; be patient, bearing with one another in love. Ephesians 4:2

Wait for the Lord; be strong and take heart and wait for the Lord. Psalm 27:14

Now as for you, dear brothers who are waiting for the Lord’s return, be patient, like a farmer who waits until the autumn for his precious harvest to ripen. Yes, be patient. And take courage, for the coming of the Lord is near. James 5:7-8 Continue reading

WATCHWORD:

²⁴ One of the disciples, Thomas, “The Twin,” was not there at the time with the others. ²⁵ When they kept telling him, “We have seen the Lord,” he replied, “I won’t believe it unless I see the nail wounds in his hands—and put my fingers into them—and place my hand into his side.” ²⁶ Eight days later the disciples were together again, and this time Thomas was with them. The doors were locked; but suddenly, as before, Jesus was standing among them and greeting them. ²⁷ Then he said to Thomas, “Put your finger into my hands. Put your hand into my side. Don’t be faithless any longer. Believe!” ²⁸ “My Lord and my God!” Thomas said. John 20:24-28  TLB Continue reading

WATCHWORD:

¹ Therefore, rid yourselves of all malice and all deceit, hypocrisy, envy, and slander of grow up in your salvation … ³ now that you have tasted that the Lord is good. 1 Peter 2:1-3 Continue reading

WATCHWORD:

¹ Lord, our Lord, how majestic is your name in all the earth! You have set your glory in the heavens.
² Through the praise of children and infants, you have established a stronghold against your enemies, to silence the foe and the avenger.
³ When I consider your heavens, the work of your fingers the moon and the stars, which you have set in place, ⁴ what is mankind that you are mindful of them, human beings that you care for them? ⁵ You have made them a little lower than the angels and crowned them with glory and honor.
⁶ You made them rulers over the works of your hands; you put everything under their feet: ⁷ all flocks and herds, and the animals of the wild, ⁸ the birds in the sky, and the fish in the sea, all that swim the paths of the seas. ⁹ Lord, our Lord, how majestic is your name in all the earth! Psalm 8 NIV Continue reading

WATCHWORD:

For I know the plans I have for you, declares the LORD, plans for welfare and not for evil, to give you a future and a hope. Jeremiah 29:11

May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace in believing, so that by the power of the Holy Spirit you may abound in hope. Romans 15:13

Rejoice in hope, be patient in tribulation, be constant in prayer. Romans 12:12

Now faith is the assurance of things hoped for, the conviction of things not seen. Hebrews 11:1 Continue reading

WATCHWORD:

¹⁵ After breakfast, Jesus said to Simon Peter, “Simon, son of John, do you love me more than these?” “Yes, Master, you know I love you.” Jesus said, “Feed my lambs.” ¹⁶ He then asked a second time, “Simon, son of John, do you love me?” “Yes, Master, you know I love you.” Jesus said, “Shepherd my sheep.” ¹⁷ Then he said it a third time: “Simon, son of John, do you love me?” Peter was upset that he asked for the third time, “Do you love me?” so he answered, “Master, you know everything there is to know. You’ve got to know that I love you.” Jesus said, “Feed my sheep. John 21:15-17 The Message

Meditation:

Do You Love Me?

Peter has his hands full. Jesus knew the worth of Peter, but Peter didn’t understand his real worth. Peter, the impulsive one, whose words often got him into trouble. Peter whose heart was golden, but he had a lot to learn, and some of those lessons were painful. Can you relate? Peter loved Jesus in the same way that we love a truly good person – emotional love.

Jesus says to us: “Do you love Me?”.  Then in Luke 12:8 we read His words that define Love, “Whoever confesses Me before men [that is confesses his love by everything he does, not merely his words], him the Son of Man also will confess before the angels of God.” That is a definition of love that strips away all pretense, all deception, anything that interferes with the work of the Word of God in our lives.

How can we measure up to that? We can’t on our own. Jesus asks us. How do we answer? The unvarnished truth hurts too much because so much of our lives are out of whack with the evidence that we truly love Him.

Oswald Chambers sums it up this way: “When the Lord asks us this question, it is impossible to think and respond properly, because when the Lord speaks directly to us, the pain is too intense. It causes such a tremendous hurt that any part of our life which may be out of line with His Will, can feel the pain. There is never any mistaking the pain of the Lord’s word by His children, but the moment that pain is felt is the very moment at which God reveals his truth to us.”

We are like Peter, Jesus knows our true worth, but we don’t fully understand. We still have a lot to learn, regardless of our age. If divine pain is the marker where we divert from a life in Christ, then that is what we prayerfully bring to our Lord, and place at His feet in repentance. A hard lesson to be learned. Amen.

Tuesday’s Lenten Passage to Ponder:

Matthew 6:1: 1Be careful not to practice your righteousness in front of others to be seen by them. If you do, you will have no reward from your Father in heaven.

Bulletin Board:

Daily Scripture passages through next Tuesday –

Wednesday, Philippians 3:10-11  ✞  Thursday, Luke 13:3  ✞  Friday, 2 Corinthians 12:9-10  ✞   Saturday, Psalm 35:13  ✞  Monday, Psalm 42:1  ✞  Tuesday, Colossians 3:1-5a  ✞  Wednesday, 2 Corinthians 5:17

Lenten Prayer:

Lord, in these 40 days, help me to focus on you above all else. Show me how I can be your hands and feet in my community – may I live out my faith in this season in new ways that give you glory.  Thank you for not expecting perfection from me. You know I make mistakes, and that’s why you sent Jesus to save me from all my sins. Here I am, Lord, trying again, despite all the times I have fallen short. Thank you for your grace. Amen.