Daily Reflection Verses

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Tuesday – 03 December 2013

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Verses:           

Isaiah 11:1-10

Psalm 72:1-2, 7-8, 12-13, 17

Luke 10:21-24

Isaiah 11:1-10

The Branch From Jesse

11 A shoot will come up from the stump of Jesse;
    from his roots a Branch will bear fruit.
² The Spirit of the Lord will rest on him—
    the Spirit of wisdom and of understanding,
    the Spirit of counsel and of might,
    the Spirit of the knowledge and fear of the Lord—
³ and he will delight in the fear of the Lord.

He will not judge by what he sees with his eyes,
    or decide by what he hears with his ears;
⁴ but with righteousness he will judge the needy,
    with justice he will give decisions for the poor of the earth.
He will strike the earth with the rod of his mouth;
    with the breath of his lips he will slay the wicked.
⁵ Righteousness will be his belt
    and faithfulness the sash around his waist.

⁶ The wolf will live with the lamb,
    the leopard will lie down with the goat,
the calf and the lion and the yearling together;
    and a little child will lead them.
⁷ The cow will feed with the bear,
    their young will lie down together,
    and the lion will eat straw like the ox.
⁸ The infant will play near the cobra’s den,
    and the young child will put its hand into the viper’s nest.
⁹ They will neither harm nor destroy
    on all my holy mountain,
for the earth will be filled with the knowledge of the Lord
    as the waters cover the sea.

¹⁰ In that day the Root of Jesse will stand as a banner for the peoples; the nations will rally to him, and his resting place will be glorious.

Psalm 72:1-17

Of Solomon.

¹ Endow the king with your justice, O God,
    the royal son with your righteousness.
² May he judge your people in righteousness,
    your afflicted ones with justice.

⁷ In his days may the righteous flourish
    and prosperity abound till the moon is no more.

⁸ May he rule from sea to sea
    and from the River to the ends of the earth.

¹² For he will deliver the needy who cry out,
    the afflicted who have no one to help.
¹³ He will take pity on the weak and the needy
    and save the needy from death.

¹⁷ May his name endure forever;
    may it continue as long as the sun.

Then all nations will be blessed through him,
    and they will call him blessed.

 

Luke 10:21-24

²¹ At that time Jesus, full of joy through the Holy Spirit, said, “I praise you, Father, Lord of heaven and earth, because you have hidden these things from the wise and learned, and revealed them to little children. Yes, Father, for this is what you were pleased to do.

²² “All things have been committed to me by my Father. No one knows who the Son is except the Father, and no one knows who the Father is except the Son and those to whom the Son chooses to reveal him.”

²³ Then he turned to his disciples and said privately, “Blessed are the eyes that see what you see. ²⁴ For I tell you that many prophets and kings wanted to see what you see but did not see it, and to hear what you hear but did not hear it.”

INSIGHTFUL WISDOM

SEEING JESUS

“Blessed are the eyes that see what you see!” – Luke 10:23

Only a few witnessed the birth of Jesus, the King of kings and Lord of lords. Of course, there were His parents, Joseph and Mary, and the lowly animals that were in the stable where they were. Then there were the Magi, led by the star of Bethlehem from a faraway land, and the shepherds that heeded the angels’ declaration. But Bethlehem and the rest of Judea were busy making preparations for the census that Herod ordered. Each person had to go to his hometown so many reunions were being celebrated in Jewish homes.

So few were able to behold Jesus. It was so easy to miss Him, the Lord of History, tucked away in a manger on His birthday. And it’s so easy to miss Him even today. Amidst the electric lanterns, the decorations, the gift shopping and the family reunions, the traditional practices of the season can take our eyes off of the Person who is the Christ of Christmas.

Let us seek to behold Jesus this season. Let us endeavor to see Him everyday. And in doing so, many others see Jesus in us as well. – Ferdie 

Prayer:

Lord, open my eyes to see to see You. Open my eyes to hear You, today . Amen.

Wise Words:

“You can see God from anywhere if your mind is set to love and obey Him.” AW Tozer

Source:

New International Version (NIV)

Living Water 2013

Daily Reflection Verses

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Monday – 02 December 2013

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Verses:           

Isaiah 4:2-6

Psalm 122:1-4, 8-9

Matthew 8:5-11

Isaiah 4:2-6

The Branch of the Lord

² In that day the Branch of the Lord will be beautiful and glorious, and the fruit of the land will be the pride and glory of the survivors in Israel. ³ Those who are left in Zion, who remain in Jerusalem, will be called holy, all who are recorded among the living in Jerusalem. ⁴ The Lord will wash away the filth of the women of Zion; he will cleanse the bloodstains from Jerusalem by a spirit of judgment and a spirit of fire. ⁵ Then the Lord will create over all of Mount Zion and over those who assemble there a cloud of smoke by day and a glow of flaming fire by night; over everything the glory will be a canopy. ⁶ It will be a shelter and shade from the heat of the day, and a refuge and hiding place from the storm and rain.

Psalm 122:1-4, 8-9

A song of ascents. Of David.

¹ I rejoiced with those who said to me,
    “Let us go to the house of the Lord.”
² Our feet are standing
    in your gates, Jerusalem.

³ Jerusalem is built like a city
    that is closely compacted together.
⁴ That is where the tribes go up—
    the tribes of the Lord—
to praise the name of the Lord
    according to the statute given to Israel.
⁸ For the sake of my family and friends,
    I will say, “Peace be within you.”
⁹ For the sake of the house of the Lord our God,
    I will seek your prosperity.

Matthew 8:5-11

The Faith of the Centurion

⁵ When Jesus had entered Capernaum, a centurion came to him, asking for help. ⁶ “Lord,” he said, “my servant lies at home paralyzed, suffering terribly.”

⁷ Jesus said to him, “Shall I come and heal him?”

⁸ The centurion replied, “Lord, I do not deserve to have you come under my roof. But just say the word, and my servant will be healed. ⁹ For I myself am a man under authority, with soldiers under me. I tell this one, ‘Go,’ and he goes; and that one, ‘Come,’ and he comes. I say to my servant, ‘Do this,’ and he does it.”

¹⁰ When Jesus heard this, he was amazed and said to those following him, “Truly I tell you, I have not found anyone in Israel with such great faith. ¹¹ I say to you that many will come from the east and the west, and will take their places at the feast with Abraham, Isaac and Jacob in the kingdom of heaven.

INSIGHTFUL WISDOM

STRETCHED

“Thus says God, the Lord, who created the heavens and stretched them out.” – Isaiah 42:5

December 2011. I yearned for something different that Christmas. Our family always had Christmas lunch together and opened gifts afterwards. This year, I wanted to celebrate differently, though I didn't know how. A few days after, I got my answer, but not in the way I expected. A minor accident caused a fracture in my smallest toe, and a splint had to be put. I walked with a cane for five weeks. There go my Christmas shopping and parties, I thought

For the first few days, all I could see were the limitations caused by the fracture. I wanted to be healed immediately. But I later realized that the splint was necessary. There was no medicine, just a natural course of healing. During those weeks, God stretched me. I grew in gratitude, patience and joy. I experienced the extra care and love of family and friends. More than the physical healing, a spiritual healing took place. This was truly a different Christmas.

May we value the lessons that the Lord will teach us this season! – Alex 

Prayer:

My Saviour, thank You for Your unending work of salvation in my life. Amen.

Wise Words:

“Adversity is not simply a tool. It is God’s most effective tool for the advancement of our spiritual lives. The circumstances and events that we see as setbacks are oftentimes the very things that launch us into periods of intense spiritual growth.” – Charles Stanley

Source:

New International Version (NIV)

Living Water 2013

FIRST SUNDAY OF ADVENT

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Sunday – 01 December 2013

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Verses:           

Isaiah 2:1-5

Psalm 122:1-9

Romans 13:11-14

Matthew 24:37-44

FIRST READING: A Reading from the Prophet Isaiah (Isaiah 2:1-5)

‘The Lord Gathers All Nations Into the Eternal Peace of God’s Kingdom’

2 This is what Isaiah son of Amoz saw concerning Judah and Jerusalem:

² In the last days

the mountain of the Lord’s temple will be established
    as the highest of the mountains;
it will be exalted above the hills,
    and all nations will stream to it.

³ Many peoples will come and say,

“Come, let us go up to the mountain of the Lord,
    to the temple of the God of Jacob.
He will teach us his ways,
    so that we may walk in his paths.”
The law will go out from Zion,
    the word of the Lord from Jerusalem.
⁴ He will judge between the nations
    and will settle disputes for many peoples.
They will beat their swords into plowshares
    and their spears into pruning hooks.
Nation will not take up sword against nation,
    nor will they train for war anymore.

⁵ Come, descendants of Jacob,
    let us walk in the light of the Lord.

 
RESPONSORIAL PSALM (Psalm 122:1-2, 4-5, 6-9)

‘Let Us Go To God’s House’

¹ I rejoiced with those who said to me,
    “Let us go to the house of the Lord.”
² Our feet are standing
    in your gates, Jerusalem.

 ⁴ That is where the tribes go up—
    the tribes of the Lord—
to praise the name of the Lord
    according to the statute given to Israel.
⁵ There stand the thrones for judgment,
    the thrones of the house of David.

⁶ Pray for the peace of Jerusalem:
    “May those who love you be secure.
⁷ May there be peace within your walls
    and security within your citadels.”
⁸ For the sake of my family and friends,
    I will say, “Peace be within you.”
⁹ For the sake of the house of the Lord our God,
    I will seek your prosperity.

SECOND READING: A Reading from the Letter of Saint Paul to the Romans (Romans 13:11-14)

‘Our Salvation is Near’

¹¹ And do this, understanding the present time: The hour has already come for you to wake up from your slumber, because our salvation is nearer now than when we first believed. ¹² The night is nearly over; the day is almost here. So let us put aside the deeds of darkness and put on the armor of light. ¹³ Let us behave decently, as in the daytime, not in carousing and drunkenness, not in sexual immorality and debauchery, not in dissension and jealousy. ¹⁴ Rather, clothe yourselves with the Lord Jesus Christ, and do not think about how to gratify the desires of the flesh.

 
GOSPEL: A Reading from the Holy Gospel According to Matthew (Matthew 24:37-44)

‘Stay Awake So That You May Be Ready’

³⁷ As it was in the days of Noah, so it will be at the coming of the Son of Man. ³⁸ For in the days before the flood, people were eating and drinking, marrying and giving in marriage, up to the day Noah entered the ark; ³⁹ and they knew nothing about what would happen until the flood came and took them all away. That is how it will be at the coming of the Son of Man. ⁴⁰ Two men will be in the field; one will be taken and the other left. ⁴¹ Two women will be grinding with a hand mill; one will be taken and the other left.
⁴² “Therefore keep watch, because you do not know on what day your Lord will come. ⁴³ But understand this: If the owner of the house had known at what time of night the thief was coming, he would have kept watch and would not have let his house be broken into. ⁴⁴ So you also must be ready, because the Son of Man will come at an hour when you do not expect him.

INSIGHTFUL WISDOM

WAKE UP!

“It is now the moment for you to wake from sleep. For salvation is nearer to us now than when we became believers.” – Romans 13:11

As of this writing, I am three months pregnant makes me sleepy. So sometimes, when my toddler sons want to play with me and they find me asleep, they pry my eyes open and loudly sing, “Wake up, wake up! It’s time to get up!”

For us Christians, now that we are in the season of Advent, all of creation seems to want to do the same for us – wake us up to the reality that our salvation is nearer than we think! Romans 13:12 says, “The night is far gone, the day is near. Let us then lay aside that works of darkness and put on the armour of light.”

The light of Jesus shines ever so brightly this Christmas. His gift of Himself, of hope, of promise, of newness, of life and of joy awaits all those who look to Him with great longing!

Let us make the effort to be fully awake and aware of Jesus and what His coming means to us. Like the shepherds on that first Christmas, let us make the journey to find Jesus that we may worship Him and rejoice at this wonderful discovery. - PY

Prayer:

Dearest Savior, please let me be fully awake to witness Your glory and goodness this season. Amen.

Wise Words:

“Three things are necessary for the salvation of man: to know what he ought to believe, to know what he ought to desire and to know what he ought to do.” – St Thomas Aquinas

Source:

New International Version (NIV)

Living Water 2013

Daily Reflection Verses

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Saturday – 30 November 2013

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Verses:           

Romans 10:9-18

Psalm 19:8-11

Matthew 4:18-22

Romans 10:9-18

⁹ If you declare with your mouth, “Jesus is Lord,” and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved. ¹⁰ For it is with your heart that you believe and are justified, and it is with your mouth that you profess your faith and are saved. ¹¹ As Scripture says, “Anyone who believes in him will never be put to shame.” ¹² For there is no difference between Jew and Gentile—the same Lord is Lord of all and richly blesses all who call on him, ¹³ for, “Everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved.”

¹⁴ How, then, can they call on the one they have not believed in? And how can they believe in the one of whom they have not heard? And how can they hear without someone preaching to them? ¹⁵ And how can anyone preach unless they are sent? As it is written: “How beautiful are the feet of those who bring good news!”

¹⁶ But not all the Israelites accepted the good news. For Isaiah says, “Lord, who has believed our message?” ¹⁷ Consequently, faith comes from hearing the message, and the message is heard through the word about Christ. ¹⁸ But I ask: Did they not hear? Of course they did:

“Their voice has gone out into all the earth,
    their words to the ends of the world.”

Psalm 19:8-11

⁸ The precepts of the Lord are right,
    giving joy to the heart.
The commands of the Lord are radiant,
    giving light to the eyes.
⁹ The fear of the Lord is pure,
    enduring forever.
The decrees of the Lord are firm,
    and all of them are righteous.

¹⁰ They are more precious than gold,
    than much pure gold;
they are sweeter than honey,
    than honey from the honeycomb.
¹¹ By them your servant is warned;
    in keeping them there is great reward.

Matthew 4:18-22

Jesus Calls His First Disciples

¹⁸ As Jesus was walking beside the Sea of Galilee, he saw two brothers, Simon called Peter and his brother Andrew. They were casting a net into the lake, for they were fishermen. ¹⁹ “Come, follow me,” Jesus said, “and I will send you out to fish for people.” ²⁰ At once they left their nets and followed him.

²¹ Going on from there, he saw two other brothers, James son of Zebedee and his brother John. They were in a boat with their father Zebedee, preparing their nets. Jesus called them, ²² and immediately they left the boat and their father and followed him.

INSIGHTFUL WISDOM

PROCLAIM THE WORD

“Their voice has gone out to all the earth, and their words to the ends of the world.” – Romans 10:18

Prague was as they said it would be – breathtakingly beautiful and postcard perfect. My husband and I, and our son were excited to be in this ancient city which was a part of the Roman Empire, its old world grandeur preserved despite the ravages of two world wars.

As a student of the Word and a servant in the missions, what interested me most were the many cathedrals that magnificently marked each passing era. To me, they served as a glorious tribute to the missionary zeal of the apostles who spread the faith to the Gentile world. Every time I see these magnificent, old churches  in the places I have been blessed to visit, I am reminded of the courageous faith of the early proclaimers of the Word that inspired the artistic and cultural pursuits of generations past, each lofty spire and buttress heralding the work of the Holy Spirit.

Romans 10:15 says, “How beautiful are the feet of those who bring the good news!” Let us continue that work of these holy men and women, and proclaim the Good News to the ends of the world. – Cindy 

Prayer:

Lord, may I faithfully obey Your divine commission to spread the Gospel wherever You send me. Amen.

Wise Words:

“We are not to be a terminus point for the gospel, but rather a way station in its progress to the ends of the earth. God intends that everyone who has embraced the gospel become a part of the great enterprise of spreading the gospel.” – Jerry Bridges

Source:

New International Version (NIV)

Living Water 2013

Daily Reflection Verses

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Friday – 29 November 2013

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Verses:           

Daniel 7:2-14

Daniel 3:75-81

Luke 21:29-33

Daniel 7:2-14

² Daniel said: “In my vision at night I looked, and there before me were the four winds of heaven churning up the great sea. ³ Four great beasts, each different from the others, came up out of the sea.

⁴ “The first was like a lion, and it had the wings of an eagle. I watched until its wings were torn off and it was lifted from the ground so that it stood on two feet like a human being, and the mind of a human was given to it.

⁵ “And there before me was a second beast, which looked like a bear. It was raised up on one of its sides, and it had three ribs in its mouth between its teeth. It was told, ‘Get up and eat your fill of flesh!’

⁶ “After that, I looked, and there before me was another beast, one that looked like a leopard. And on its back it had four wings like those of a bird. This beast had four heads, and it was given authority to rule.

⁷ “After that, in my vision at night I looked, and there before me was a fourth beast—terrifying and frightening and very powerful. It had large iron teeth; it crushed and devoured its victims and trampled underfoot whatever was left. It was different from all the former beasts, and it had ten horns.

⁸ “While I was thinking about the horns, there before me was another horn, a little one, which came up among them; and three of the first horns were uprooted before it. This horn had eyes like the eyes of a human being and a mouth that spoke boastfully.

⁹ “As I looked,

“thrones were set in place,
    and the Ancient of Days took his seat.
His clothing was as white as snow;
    the hair of his head was white like wool.
His throne was flaming with fire,
    and its wheels were all ablaze.
¹⁰ A river of fire was flowing,
    coming out from before him.
Thousands upon thousands attended him;
    ten thousand times ten thousand stood before him.
The court was seated,
    and the books were opened.

¹¹ “Then I continued to watch because of the boastful words the horn was speaking. I kept looking until the beast was slain and its body destroyed and thrown into the blazing fire. ¹² (The other beasts had been stripped of their authority, but were allowed to live for a period of time.)

¹³ “In my vision at night I looked, and there before me was one like a son of man, coming with the clouds of heaven. He approached the Ancient of Days and was led into his presence. ¹⁴ He was given authority, glory and sovereign power; all nations and peoples of every language worshiped him. His dominion is an everlasting dominion that will not pass away, and his kingdom is one that will never be destroyed.

Daniel 3:75-81

Mountains and hills, praise and exalt him for ever. Everything that sprouts on the earth, praise and exalt him for ever. Springs of water, praise and exalt him for ever. Seas and rivers, praise and exalt him for ever. Whales and fishes, praise and exalt him for ever. All the birds of heaven, praise and exalt him for ever. Animals wild and tame, praise and exalt him for ever.

Luke 21:29-33

²⁹ He told them this parable: “Look at the fig tree and all the trees. ³⁰ When they sprout leaves, you can see for yourselves and know that summer is near. ³¹ Even so, when you see these things happening, you know that the kingdom of God is near.

³² “Truly I tell you, this generation will certainly not pass away until all these things have happened. ³³ Heaven and earth will pass away, but my words will never pass away.

INSIGHTFUL WISDOM

LET’S GO

“You know that the kingdom of God is near.” – Luke 21:31

Whenever I ask people what first comes to mind about heaven, the number one answer is peace. The next is joy. Then love. And all want to go to heaven.

Heaven is defined as the abode of God and where God resides. So how do we get to heaven? We don't have to look far. Luke 17:21 (Douay Rheims translation) tells us in that “the kingdom of God is within you.” And despite all our sins, which the first chapter of John describes as darkness, “the light shines. . .and the darkness did not overcome it” (John 1:15)

How then do we penetrate that darkness to get to the light? Jesus said, we must be “born from above” (John 3:3). The Catechism of the Catholic Church (782) describe this as being “born anew,” “a birth of water and the Spirit” and having Jesus as our “head.”

The Holy Spirit convicts us all our sins and gives us the grace of life-giving repentance. Through the Holy Spirit, we penetrate the darkness of sin and come to the light within us. Are you ready to go to heaven? Let’s go! – Ad

Prayer:

Abba, I want to experience heaven and be with You. I ask for Your Holy Spirit to dwell in me. Amen!

Wise Words:

“Men full of the Spirit can look right into heaven.” – Dwight L Moody

Source:

New International Version (NIV)

Christian Community Bible (CCB)

Living Water 2013