SHARING BIBLE VERSES

[Joe Sperling]

But do not let this one fact escape your notice, beloved, that with the Lord one day is like a thousand years, and a thousand years like one day. 2 Pet. 3:8

We view time so differently than the Lord, since he is not confined by it in any way. 2000 years seems like ages
to us----will Jesus EVER return?  Yet, to the Lord, 2000 years are like a couple of days, or no time at all. In his scheme of things, he's barely been gone any time at all!

[Christine]

Revelation 3:21
To him that overcometh will I grant to sit with me in my throne, even as I also overcame, and am set down with my Father in his throne.



I like this verse, in my daily busy-ness and difficulties--heres something to look forward to.


Reposted from earlier. Thanks Joe for pointing out my mistake.

[Joe Sperling]

And my God will meet all your needs according to his glorious riches in Christ Jesus. (Phil. 4:19)

I've been noticing a lot lately as I have been reading the Bible that God likes to use the word "all"
A LOT!!   

[Joe Sperling]

The funniest thing happened today (at least it was funny for me). I had heard on the news that honey bees have been disappearing dramatically, and bee-keepers and farmers are afraid due to this.  Honey bees pollinate many crops, especially fruit trees, and without them many of the fruit trees would fail to produce crops.

At lunch time I was sitting out in my car near a hillside full of flowers.  I didn't even see a bee in sight. I thought, and asked,  "Lord, where are all the bees going?" I kind of thought upon the subject a bit, even wondering if terrorists could do something like that----take something we all take for granted, and begin to erradicate them, knowing it will cause a failure of crops and vegetables.  Most likely no, but I thought upon it.  Often, when I say "Lord?" and ask a question, I guess I don't really think he is REALLY listening at all. I hate to admit that, but I believe often it is the case.  What would the Lord care about my infantile brain, and my ridiculous thoughts?       And thoughts about bees--would he even be interested in my thoughts on that matter at all??    

So, not seeing any bees, yet still dwelling on the subject a bit in my mind, I went inside into the lunchroom to eat a Subway sandwich I had just bought. I sat and talked to some people, and a half hour later got up, and began to walk to the office.  The janitor, a very nice man named "Mario", said "Hey Senor(in a spanish accent), wait a minute..I need to get something for you".  I stopped, and he fiddled with my collar in the back (I thought he was going to straighten it out or something). He said "There you go Senor, I wouldn't want you to get stung".  And he held a bee by it's wings in front of my face.  He had literally taken a bee off of my collar right next to my hair in the back.  I had sat through lunch with a bee crawling on me---a bee of all things!!  When I got back to my desk I started laughing.   God does hear our thoughts, and he has an excellent sense of humor also!!  Coincidence? Maybe. But I've never had a bee crawling on me in the lunchroom before---and most especially after I had just been asking the Lord where all the bees are?? Reminds me of when it says the Lord "prepared a worm for Jonah".      Today, the Lord prepared a bee for me.


1 O LORD, you have searched me
       and you know me.
 2 You know when I sit and when I rise;
       you perceive my thoughts from afar.

 3 You discern my going out and my lying down;
       you are familiar with all my ways.

 4 Before a word is on my tongue
       you know it completely, O LORD. (Psalm 139)

[Joe Sperling]

But to which of the angels said he at any time, Sit on my right hand, until I make thine enemies thy footstool?

Are they not all ministering spirits, sent forth to minister for them who shall be heirs of salvation?(Heb. 1:14)

It's nice to know we are surrounded by invisible helpers, sent forth by the Lord himself! 

[Joe Sperling]

3 Trust in the LORD and do good;
       dwell in the land and enjoy safe pasture.

 4 Delight yourself in the LORD
       and he will give you the desires of your heart.

 5 Commit your way to the LORD;
       trust in him and he will do this:

 6 He will make your righteousness shine like the dawn,
       the justice of your cause like the noonday sun.

 7 Be still before the LORD and wait patiently for him;
       do not fret when men succeed in their ways,
       when they carry out their wicked schemes.

 8 Refrain from anger and turn from wrath;
       do not fret—it leads only to evil.

 9 For evil men will be cut off,
       but those who hope in the LORD will inherit the land.

(Psalm 37)

[Joe Sperling]

And he said, Go forth, and stand upon the mount before the LORD. And, behold, the LORD passed by, and a great and strong wind rent the mountains, and brake in pieces the rocks before the LORD; but the LORD was not in the wind: and after the wind an earthquake; but the LORD was not in the earthquake:
And after the earthquake a fire; but the LORD was not in the fire: and after the fire a still small voice.

(1 Kings 19:11,12)

Are you listening?

[Joe Sperling]

When he was at the table with them, he took bread, gave thanks, broke it and began to give it to them. Then their eyes were opened and they recognized him, and he disappeared from their sight. 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?" (24:30-32)

[Joe Sperling]

19  Oh how great is thy goodness,
         which thou hast laid up for them that fear thee;
which thou hast wrought for them that trust in thee
before the sons of men!
20  Thou shalt hide them in the secret of thy presence
         from the pride of man:
thou shalt keep them secretly in a pavilion
from the strife of tongues.
21  Blessed be the LORD:
         for he hath showed me his marvelous kindness in a strong city. 
22  For I said in my haste,
         I am cut off from before thine eyes:
nevertheless thou heardest the voice of my supplications
when I cried unto thee. 
23  O love the LORD, all ye his saints:
         for the LORD preserveth the faithful,
and plentifully rewardeth the proud doer.
24  Be of good courage, and he shall strengthen your heart,
         all ye that hope in the LORD. (Psalm 31)
 
 

[Joe Sperling]

  The LORD looketh from heaven;
         he beholdeth all the sons of men.
  From the place of his habitation he looketh
         upon all the inhabitants of the earth. 
  He fashioneth their hearts alike;
         he considereth all their works. (Psalm 33:13-15)

The Lord is looking upon each of us, and considering each of us right now.

"I will instruct you and teach you in the way you should go;
       I will counsel you and watch over you". (Psalm 32-8 NIV)

[Joe Sperling]

"For troubles without number surround me;
my sins have overtaken me, and I cannot see.
They are more than the hairs of my head,
and my heart fails within me". (Psalm 40:12)

"Indeed, the very hairs of your head are all numbered. Do not fear,
You are more valuable than many sparrows". (Luke 12:7)

The psalmist is exaggerating when he says his troubles are "more than the hairs
of my head". But even if our troubles could even come close to the amount of hairs on our heads,
the Lord knows about everyone of them! The very hairs of our heads are all numbered. 
Put everything in the Lord's hands. I need to remind myself of this constantly--we have a tendency to exaggerate our problems, and to limit what God can do, and how much He cares about us!!!

"Humble yourselves therefore under the Mighty hand of God, and He will exalt you in due
time. Cast all your cares upon Him, because He cares for you" (1 Pet. 5:7)

[Joe Sperling]

Why art thou cast down, O my soul?
And why art thou disquieted in me?
Hope thou in God:
for I shall yet praise him for the help of his countenance.

O my God, my soul is cast down within me:
therefore will I remember thee from the land of Jordan,
and of the Her'monites, from the hill Mizar. (PS. 42:5,6)

It's always a good thing, when "feeling" cast down, or irritated, and feeling hopeless
inside, to remember what God has done for us in the past. We all have specific things we
can remember as believers that were "miracles", or "true answers" to prayer in our lives. It
is good to begin to recount them, and remember that the Lord has ALWAYS come through
for us---many times not in the time frame or the way WE want Him to(we are so impatient)--but He
has come through!!  And as the psalmist says "I will yet praise Him", because he knows, that
even though he is feeling so helpless and hopeless, the LORD will help him once again---so he
forces himself to "remember" all  God has done for him before!  How often I need to do the same---many
times after I have complained for a while first    But the Lord is so good and so faithful to us!!!

 

[Joe Sperling]

The people of the land practice extortion and commit robbery; they oppress the poor and needy and mistreat the alien, denying them justice.
I looked for a man among them who would build up the wall and stand before me in the gap on behalf of the land so I would not have to destroy it, but I found none. So I will pour out my wrath on them and consume them with my fiery indignation.(Ezekiel 22:31-32)

Thank God we are in the Day of Grace, but the above verses do make one think of how important it is for us to pray for the lost, and ask God to have mercy on those all around us. In the above scripture the Lord was "looking for someone to stand in the gap and pray"--so that He didn't have to inflict His own justice, but "found none"--therefore he went on with the judgment he had pronounced.

Abraham comes to mind, when he asked the Lord that if there were 50 righteous men in Sodom would the Lord have mercy on the city? The Lord said, yes, that if there were 50 righteous, he would not destroy the city. Then Abraham proceeded to ask if there were 40, and then 30, and then 20, and then even if there were only 10 righteous men, would the Lord still have mercy? He was pleading with God to withold his judgement--"standing in the gap"---unfortunately only one righteous man could be found, Lot, and the Lord sent him out of the city before destroying it. Our prayers of intercession are very important to the Lord.   "The effectual, fervent prayer of a righteous man avails much".  Thank the Lord again though, we are living in an age of Grace, and his mercy is extended at all times to any who will receive it!

[Joe Sperling]

He that overcometh shall inherit all things; and I will be his God, and he shall be my son. But the fearful, and unbelieving, and the abominable, and murderers, and whoremongers, and sorcerers, and idolaters, and all liars, shall have their part in the lake which burneth with fire and brimstone: which is the second death  (Rev. 21:7-8)

Blessed are they who wash their robes so as to have the right to the tree of life and enter the city through its gates.
Outside are the dogs, the sorcerers, the unchaste, the murderers, the idol-worshipers, and all who love and practice deceit. (Rev. 22:14, 15)

Wait a minute!  Each one of these verses only references (2) classes of people. In Rev. 21 it speaks of "overcomers" inheriting all things, and then those who are thrown into the "Lake of Fire".
Then, in Rev. 22 it speaks of those who wash their robes and enter the city, and then those who are "outside"--and these ones who are "outside" are the same ones listed as being in the "Lake of Fire" in Rev. 21.

Where are the 3rd class of people? I mean the believers who are "saved" but didn't "overcome"?    Are they in the Heavenly city, or are they in the Lake of Fire? Have they "inherited all things", or are they in the Lake of Fire?

The verses above don't list a third class--either you are an "overcomer" or you are outside the city in the Lake of Fire.  Unless, perchance, the third class have to stand on the walls around the city for eternity and watch either the people inside the city, or the people in the Lake of Fire. It appears "overcomer theology" isn't really scriptural. Why would someone want to make a third class of people when the Bible doesn't teach that?  Hmmmm...  Very interesting indeed. 

"Who is he that overcomes the world, but he that believes that Jesus is the Son of God?" (1 John 5). Every believer is an overcomer. "We are more than conquerors through Him that loved us". We overcome only because he overcame!  I wasn't "worthy" when he left his throne and came to earth to be crucified.  I wasn't "worthy" when the Gospel was first presented to me.  And there is no way I will be "worthy", through anything I have done , to enter the city, or to "inherit all things" either!! We are worthy only because He is worthy and has made us worthy through his death and resurrection.  It is all of Grace!!!  Praise the Lord!!

[Germany98]

the fearful are also listed in the group of people that are not overcomers... sadly enough, sometimes i am fearful in troubles.    but still it is God who helps me out  i can't help myself, praise HIM forever