labor and greet

Romans 16

v12

Salute Tryphena and Tryphosa, who labour in the Lord. Salute the beloved Persis, which laboured much in the Lord.

It's important to salute (greet) people, and we should labor much in the Lord.

From: When the Roll Is Called Up Yonder

By James Black, 1893

Let us labor for the Master from the dawn till setting sun,
Let us talk of all His wondrous love and care;
Then when all of life is over, and our work on earth is done,
And the roll is called up yonder, I’ll be there.

When the roll, is called up yon-der,
When the roll, is called up yon-der,
When the roll, is called up yon-der,
When the roll is called up yonder I’ll be there.

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make a contribution

Romans 15

v26

For it hath pleased them of Macedonia and Achaia to make a certain contribution for the poor saints which are at Jerusalem.

It's good to join with other people to send money to believers who are in need, even when they're in a different city.

From: Count Your Blessings

By Johnson Oatman, 1897 and Edwin Excell

When you look at others with their lands and gold,
Think that Christ has promised you His wealth untold;
Count your many blessings. Wealth can never buy
Your reward in heaven, nor your home on high.

Count your blessings, name them one by one,
Count your blessings, see what God hath done!
Count your blessings, name them one by one,
And it will surprise you what the Lord hath done.

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Holidays

Romans 14

v5

One man esteemeth one day above another: another esteemeth every day [alike]. Let every man be fully persuaded in his own mind.

I don't celebrate Christmas or New Years, but if other people want to, I don't have to stop them.

don't talk too much

Job 35

v16

Therefore doth Job open his mouth in vain; he multiplieth words without knowledge.

One problem Job had was multiplying words without knowledge. If I don't know about something, I shouldn't talk about it too much. One saying is, "If you don't know, don't say." I'd like to add to that, "If you don't know too much, don't say too much."

From: Take My Life and Let It Be

By Frances Havergal, 1874 and Hen­ri Ma­lan, 1827

Take my life, and let it be consecrated, Lord, to Thee.
Take my moments and my days; let them flow in ceaseless praise.
Let them flow in ceaseless praise.

Take my hands, and let them move at the impulse of Thy love.
Take my feet, and let them be swift and beautiful for Thee.
Swift and beautiful for Thee.

Take my voice, and let me sing always, only, for my King.
Take my lips, and let them be filled with messages from Thee.
Filled with messages from Thee.

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Job 34

v9

For he hath said, It profiteth a man nothing that he should delight himself with God.

We shouldn't consider the things of the Lord, like praying and studying the Bible, to be a weariness.

When we pray, we should ask the Lord for what would delight us (within what is right). We should believe that our praying will make a difference, instead of thinking it will profit nothing.

From: Sweet Hour of Prayer

By William Walford, 1845 and William Bradbury, 1861

Sweet hour of prayer! sweet hour of prayer!
That calls me from a world of care,
And bids me at my Father’s throne
Make all my wants and wishes known.
In seasons of distress and grief,
My soul has often found relief
And oft escaped the tempter’s snare
By thy return, sweet hour of prayer!

Sweet hour of prayer! sweet hour of prayer!
Thy wings shall my petition bear
To Him whose truth and faithfulness
Engage the waiting soul to bless.
And since He bids me seek His face,
Believe His Word and trust His grace,
I’ll cast on Him my every care,
And wait for thee, sweet hour of prayer!

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not slothful in business

Romans 12

v11

Not slothful in business; fervent in spirit; serving the Lord;

I found this convicting because I've been slothful (lazy) with doing my work. The way I need to redeem the time is by serving the Lord with my work, instead of being lazy with it.

From: Rescue the Perishing

By Fanny Crosby, 1869 and Howard Doane, 1870

Rescue the perishing, duty demands it;
Strength for thy labor the Lord will provide;
Back to the narrow way patiently win them;
Tell the poor wand’rer a Savior has died.

Rescue the perishing, care for the dying,
Jesus is merciful, Jesus will save.

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God finishes His work

Romans 11

v29

For the gifts and calling of God [are] without repentance.

I have a friend, and the Lord has started a good work in him. I'm going to pray for that friend, because the Lord will finish what He has started in him.

From: Our God, Our Help in Ages Past

By Isaac Watts, 1719 and William Croft, 1708

Our God, our help in ages past,
Our hope for years to come,
Our shelter from the stormy blast,
And our eternal home.

Before the hills in order stood,
Or earth received her frame,
From everlasting Thou art God,
To endless years the same.

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faith by the Word

Romans 10

v17

So then faith [cometh] by hearing, and hearing by the word of God.

Faith is like believing the Lord. That belief comes from hearing the Word of God, which is the Bible. If you have doubts, like thoughts that the story of Jesus might just be a made-up story, you can deal with those doubts and believe the Lord more, by listening to the Bible.

From: Standing on the Promises

By Russell Car­ter in 1886

Standing on the promises that cannot fail,
When the howling storms of doubt and fear assail,
By the living Word of God I shall prevail,
Standing on the promises of God.

Standing, standing,
Standing on the promises of God my Savior;
Standing, standing,
I’m standing on the promises of God.

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to not be ashamed

Romans 9

v33

As it is written, Behold, I lay in Sion a stumblingstone and rock of offence: and whosoever believeth on him shall not be ashamed.

Who likes to be ashamed? Not me. Let's believe on Jesus, so we won't be.

From: Faith Is the Victory

By John Yates, 1891 and Ira Sank­ey

To him that overcomes the foe,
White raiment shall be giv’n.
Before the angels he shall know
His name confessed in Heav’n.
Then onward from the hill of light,
Our hearts with love aflame,
We’ll vanquish all the hosts of night,
In Jesus’ conqu’ring Name.

Faith is the victory! Faith is the victory!
O glorious victory, that overcomes the world.

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be spiritually minded

Romans 8

v6

For to be carnally minded [is] death; but to be spiritually minded [is] life and peace.

In order to be spiritually minded, I should continue memorizing the Bible in Romans.

From: I Am Thine, O Lord

By Fan­ny Cros­by in 1875 and William Doane

Consecrate me now to Thy service, Lord,
By the power of grace divine;
Let my soul look up with a steadfast hope,
And my will be lost in Thine.

Draw me nearer, nearer blessèd Lord,
To the cross where Thou hast died.
Draw me nearer, nearer, nearer blessèd Lord,
To Thy precious, bleeding side.

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Job 33

v27

He looketh upon men, and [if any] say, I have sinned, and perverted [that which was] right, and it profited me not;

We should confess our sins, and that way things can be made right.

From: I Am Thine, O Lord

By Fan­ny Cros­by in 1875 and William Doane

I am Thine, O Lord, I have heard Thy voice,
And it told Thy love to me;
But I long to rise in the arms of faith
And be closer drawn to Thee.

Draw me nearer, nearer blessèd Lord,
To the cross where Thou hast died.
Draw me nearer, nearer, nearer blessèd Lord,
To Thy precious, bleeding side.

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tell how God is just

Job 32

v2

Then was kindled the wrath of Elihu the son of Barachel the Buzite, of the kindred of Ram: against Job was his wrath kindled, because he justified himself rather than God.

We shouldn't speak like we're the people who have done what's right. We shouldn't justify ourselves. God is the one who is just, not us. Our speech needs to show that.

From: Joy to the World

By Isaac Watts, 1719 and arranged by Lowell Mason, 1836

Joy to the world, the Lord is come!
Let earth receive her King;
Let every heart prepare Him room,
And Heaven and nature sing,
And Heaven and nature sing,
And Heaven, and Heaven, and nature sing.

He rules the world with truth and grace,
And makes the nations prove
The glories of His righteousness,
And wonders of His love,
And wonders of His love,
And wonders, wonders, of His love.

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stop sinning

Romans 6

v16

Know ye not, that to whom ye yield yourselves servants to obey, his servants ye are to whom ye obey; whether of sin unto death, or of obedience unto righteousness?

As Christians, we must make sure to stop sinning, because by continuing to sin, we would make ourselves slaves to that.

From: Revive Us Again

By William Mackay, 1863 and John Husband, 1815

Revive us again;
Fill each heart with Thy love;
May each soul be rekindled
With fire from above.

Hallelujah! Thine the glory.
Hallelujah! Amen.
Hallelujah! Thine the glory.
Revive us again.

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peace and patience

Romans 5

v1

Therefore being justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ:

My experience has been that if we don't have peace with God, that's often because we need to repent and apologize for sin we have done. Maybe we're distracted by our troubles and using other people's sin as an excuse to not repent from our own. In that case, we need to repent.

v3

And not only [so], but we glory in tribulations also: knowing that tribulation worketh patience;

As you read this, do you feel like you have many troubles? When we have trouble, we need to be patient, believe the Lord, and hope in Him.

From: Count Your Blessings

By Johnson Oatman, Jr., 1897 and Edwin Excell

When upon life’s billows you are tempest tossed,
When you are discouraged, thinking all is lost,
Count your many blessings, name them one by one,
And it will surprise you what the Lord hath done.

Count your blessings, name them one by one,
Count your blessings, see what God hath done!
Count your blessings, name them one by one,
And it will surprise you what the Lord hath done.

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give God glory

Romans 4

v20

He staggered not at the promise of God through unbelief; but was strong in faith, giving glory to God;

We should give glory to God. One way to do that is by singing.

From: To God Be the Glory

By Fan­ny Cros­by in 1875 and W. How­ard Doane

To God be the glory, great things He has done;
So loved He the world that He gave us His Son,
Who yielded His life an atonement for sin,
And opened the life gate that all may go in.

Praise the Lord, praise the Lord,
Let the earth hear His voice!
Praise the Lord, praise the Lord,
Let the people rejoice!
O come to the Father, through Jesus the Son,
And give Him the glory, great things He has done.

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to be justified, believe Jesus

Romans 3

v26

To declare, [I say], at this time his righteousness: that he might be just, and the justifier of him which believeth in Jesus.

We can be justified by believing in Jesus. We could get so caught up with other things, but we need to consider this. Jesus is the important thing. The important thing is being made right with God by believing in Him. I know I say this same kind of thing all the time, but we need to concentrate on believing in Jesus.

From: Turn Your Eyes upon Jesus

By Hel­en Lem­mel, 1922

O soul, are you weary and troubled?
No light in the darkness you see?
There’s a light for a look at the Savior,
And life more abundant and free!

Turn your eyes upon Jesus,
Look full in His wonderful face,
And the things of earth will grow strangely dim,
In the light of His glory and grace.

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don't brag

Romans 2

v23

Thou that makest thy boast of the law, through breaking the law dishonourest thou God?

We shouldn't boast, like bragging about how we keep some of God's law.

v16

In the day when God shall judge the secrets of men by Jesus Christ according to my gospel.

We should be truly doing what's right, even in secret, not just looking like we're doing what's right on the outside.

v29

But he [is] a Jew, which is one inwardly; and circumcision [is that] of the heart, in the spirit, [and] not in the letter; whose praise [is] not of men, but of God.

We should be looking for God's approval, not looking for other people to say good things about us. Let's truly do what's right, and not brag or look for other people's approval.

From: There’s Not a Friend Like the Lowly Jesus

By John­son Oat­man, 1895 and George Hugg

No friend like Him is so high and holy,
No, not one! No, not one!
And yet no friend is so meek and lowly,
No, not one! No, not one!

Jesus knows all about our struggles,
He will guide till the day is done;
There’s not a friend like the lowly Jesus,
No, not one! No, not one!

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Job 31

v5

If I have walked with vanity, or if my foot hath hasted to deceit;

Deceitfulness is a serious problem. As I do business, I'll try to be as honest as I can.

From: Standing on the Promises

By R. Kel­so Car­ter in 1886

Standing on the promises I cannot fall,
Listening every moment to the Spirit’s call
Resting in my Savior as my all in all,
Standing on the promises of God.

Standing, standing,
Standing on the promises of God my Savior;
Standing, standing,
I’m standing on the promises of God.

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Westroads: Von Maur Tragedy

On Wednesday, December 5th, 2007 (one week before yesterday), a murderer shot and killed 8 people with a machine gun. This happened in a high class department store called Von Maur at the Westroads Mall shopping center, here in my city of Omaha, Nebraska.

Some people seem to have been shocked that something like this could happen in a city like ours. Located near the middle of the conterminous United States, Omaha is a great city. It is the headquarters of several large and high technology firms, and the home of the billionaire Warren Buffet. However, most people seem to feel like Omaha is a safe, peaceful, friendly city, like a small town.

This should make us think about our lives, and about the world. We shouldn't go around with a false sense of safety and security. We shouldn't consider everything to be fine when there are serious problems. Most importantly, everything should be right between us and God. We should be ready for the end of our lives. We need to reevaluate our priorities and consider what is really important. How are we spending our time and money? What are we thinking about and doing all the time? We never know when we walk out the front door to go somewhere, whether it's the last day we have in our lives.

When you die, are you ready to face the judgment of God? Jesus Christ is the Lord and Master. He suffered and died on the cross to save us from our sins, and then He came back to life. Whoever will believe these things, and pray and ask Him to save them, will be saved. That means you will be able to go to heaven with joy and pleasure forever after you die, instead of having to suffer torture and destruction forever in Hell. It also means much more, including that Jesus will always be with you to help you in your life. Listen to what the Bible says about it.

That if you confess the Lord Jesus with your mouth, and believe in your heart that God has raised Him from the dead, you will be saved.

(Romans 10:9 in my own words)

We should remember the people who died, and extend our condolences. We should pray for their families and friends, the people who were injured, and everybody else who was involved. We should pray for comfort and encouragement. We should also examine ourselves.

Please use this memorial in your web page, blog, email and more:
<p align="center"><a href="http://www.findmercy.com/2007/12/westroads-von-maur-tragedy.html"><img src="http://home.findmercy.com/home/remember.png" title="Memorial Picture" border="0" alt="We Remember" width="320" height="68" /></a></p>

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Job 30 - pray patiently

v20

I cry unto thee, and thou dost not hear me: I stand up, and thou regardest me [not].

Sometimes I feel like I keep praying and the Lord isn't hearing my prayers. When I think that, I can remember the story of Job. I need to be patient.

From: Standing on the Promises

By R. Kel­so Car­ter in 1886

Standing on the promises of Christ the Lord,
Bound to Him eternally by love’s strong cord,
Overcoming daily with the Spirit’s sword,
Standing on the promises of God.

Standing, standing,
Standing on the promises of God my Savior;
Standing, standing,
I’m standing on the promises of God.

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receive and assist

Romans 16

v2

That ye receive her in the Lord, as becometh saints, and that ye assist her in whatsoever business she hath need of you: for she hath been a succourer of many, and of myself also.

We should receive and assist saints which have aided and relieved many people.

succour

succor. to go to the aid of : relieve

From Merriam-Webster Online Dictionary Copyright © 2005 by Merriam-Webster, Incorporated. Used by Fair Use, in a limited way for educational purposes.

From: Standing on the Promises

By R. Kel­so Car­ter in 1886

Standing on the promises I now can see
Perfect, present cleansing in the blood for me;
Standing in the liberty where Christ makes free,
Standing on the promises of God.

Standing, standing,
Standing on the promises of God my Savior;
Standing, standing,
I’m standing on the promises of God.

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Luke 1:39-80 - Key

v45

And blessed [is] she that believed: for there shall be a performance of those things which were told her from the Lord.

Earlier in this chapter, Gabriel said things that would also be fulfilled (v20), but Zacharias became mute because he didn't believe them. Mary's response was different. She was willing to let the things happen to her just like the angel's words said they would (v38). The things the Lord told Mary would also be performed, just like the words to Zacharias would be fulfilled, but Zacharias became mute because he didn't believe, and Mary was blessed because she did believe.

Application

When the Lord tells us something, we should believe Him, because His Words will be performed and fulfilled whether we believe Him or not. We will be blessed if we believe.

What I'm going to do about it, is that I'm going to work on redeeming the time. I think that when I waste time for fun instead of dong what I should, it's because of unbelief. It's because I don't believe that the Lord is real and good, and that He will reward me for doing what He wants me to do.

From: Standing on the Promises

By R. Kel­so Car­ter in 1886

Standing on the promises that cannot fail,
When the howling storms of doubt and fear assail,
By the living Word of God I shall prevail,
Standing on the promises of God.

Standing, standing,
Standing on the promises of God my Savior;
Standing, standing,
I’m standing on the promises of God.

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Luke 1:39-80 - Outline

v39-45

Elisabeth spoke. We are blessed if we believe. The Lord will do what He promised (v45).

v46-55

Mary spoke. The Lord has mercy (v50,54) and lifts up people who are low (v48,52).

v56-63

his name is John (v63)

v64-79

Zacharias spoke, praised God, (v64) and prophesied (v67)

v80

the way John the baptizer started out

From: Standing on the Promises

By R. Kel­so Car­ter in 1886

Standing on the promises of Christ my King,
Through eternal ages let His praises ring,
Glory in the highest, I will shout and sing,
Standing on the promises of God.

Standing, standing,
Standing on the promises of God my Savior;
Standing, standing,
I’m standing on the promises of God.

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pray for these things

Romans 15

v13

Now the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace in believing, that ye may abound in hope, through the power of the Holy Ghost.

We should pray this for each other.

From: O for a Thousand Tongues to Sing

By Charles Wesley, 1739 and Carl Gläser, 1828

Hear Him, ye deaf; His praise, ye dumb,
Your loosened tongues employ;
Ye blind, behold your Savior come,
And leap, ye lame, for joy.

See all your sins on Jesus laid:
The Lamb of God was slain,
His soul was once an offering made
For every soul of man.

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distribute to saints' needs

Romans 12

v13

Distributing to the necessity of saints; given to hospitality.

If we have more than we personally need (and I mean need), as the Lord's people, we should be giving to each other. If we aren't sure whether to give to certain people, or if we don't know who we should give to, we need to find out.

From: O for a Thousand Tongues to Sing

By Charles Wesley, 1739 and Carl Gläser, 1828

Jesus! the name that charms our fears,
That bids our sorrows cease;
’Tis music in the sinner’s ears,
’Tis life, and health, and peace.

He breaks the power of canceled sin,
He sets the prisoner free;
His blood can make the foulest clean,
His blood availed for me.

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Job 29

v13

The blessing of him that was ready to perish came upon me: and I caused the widow's heart to sing for joy.

I should help out other people that need help. One way to do that is praying for them.

From: O for a Thousand Tongues to Sing

By Charles Wesley, 1739 and Carl Gläser, 1828

O for a thousand tongues to sing
My great Redeemer’s praise,
The glories of my God and King,
The triumphs of His grace!

My gracious Master and my God,
Assist me to proclaim,
To spread through all the earth abroad
The honors of Thy name.

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Job 28

v28

And unto man he said, Behold, the fear of the Lord, that [is] wisdom; and to depart from evil [is] understanding.

If we want to have wisdom, we should realize the scary judgment the Lord would have on us, and we should go away from doing evil things.

From: There Is Power in the Blood

By Lew­is Jones, 1899

Would you be free from the burden of sin?
There’s power in the blood, power in the blood;
Would you o’er evil a victory win?
There’s wonderful power in the blood.

There is power, power, wonder working power
In the blood of the Lamb;
There is power, power, wonder working power
In the precious blood of the Lamb.

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burden for others

Romans 9

v2

That I have great heaviness and continual sorrow in my heart.

Our desires shouldn't be for our own selfish ambitions. The thing we should care about is righteousness in people's lives.

From: God Is So Good

(Tra­di­tion­al)

I love Him so,
I love Him so,
I love Him so,
He’s so good to me!

I praise His Name,
I praise His Name,
I praise His Name,
He’s so good to me!

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Luke 1:1-38 Key

v13

But the angel said unto him, Fear not, Zacharias: for thy prayer is heard; and thy wife Elisabeth shall bear thee a son, and thou shalt call his name John.

Zacharias was supposed to not fear because his prayer had been heard. Sometimes I've gotten all upset about situations because they're not going the way I want, or because I'm not sure what to do.

Instead I should stop and consider how the Lord has been hearing my prayers. For example, I prayed for the Lord to help me preach the gospel to people, and He did.

From: God Is So Good

(Tra­di­tion­al)

God is so good,
God is so good,
God is so good,
He’s so good to me!

He cares for me,
He cares for me,
He cares for me,
He’s so good to me!

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Luke 1:1-38 Outline

v1-4

the reason for the book of Luke, and the order of it

v5-17

fear not, Zacharias (from v13)

v18-25

Zacharias wasn't able to speak because he didn't believe the words of Gabriel (from v20)

v26-30

fear not, Mary (from v30)

v31-38

with God nothing shall be impossible (from v37)

don't worry, be godly

Romans 8

v35

Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? [shall] tribulation, or distress, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or peril, or sword?

If other people treat us the wrong way we shouldn't get angry, hold grudges, or think bad things about them.

When we have trouble (like tribulation, distress, or persecution) we should just Love God and do what's right without worrying because He will keep loving us and work everything together for good.

a battle inside of me

Romans 7

v19

For the good that I would I do not: but the evil which I would not, that I do.

There's a battle inside of me for me to sin, but I need to remember that the Lord has shown me to wait on Him, and I need to wait on the Lord whole-heartedly.