You determined all the boundaries of the earth. You created summer and winter.
(Psalm 74:17 -- GW)

"Blessed are you when people hate you and when they exclude you and revile you and spurn your name as evil, on account of the Son of Man! ²³ Rejoice in that day, and leap for joy, for behold, your reward is great in heaven; for so their fathers did to the prophets."

(Luke 6:22-23 -- ESV)

So change the way you think and act, and turn to God to have your sins removed.

(Acts 3:19 -- GW)

And not only that, but we also glory in tribulations, knowing that tribulation produces perseverance;
(Romans 5:3 -- NKJV)

You know the times in which we are living. It’s time for you to wake up.  Our salvation is nearer now than when we first became believers.

(Romans 13:11 -- GW)

The god of this age has blinded the minds of unbelievers, so that they cannot see the light of the gospel that displays the glory of Christ, who is the image of God.

(2 Corinthians 4:4 -- NIV)

Faith convinces us that God created the world through his word. This means what can be seen was made by something that could not be seen.
⁴ Faith led Abel to offer God a better sacrifice than Cain’s sacrifice. Through his faith Abel received God’s approval, since God accepted his sacrifices. Through his faith Abel still speaks, even though he is dead.
⁵ Faith enabled Enoch to be taken instead of dying. No one could find him, because God had taken him. Scripture states that before Enoch was taken, God was pleased with him. ⁶ No one can please God without faith. Whoever goes to God must believe that God exists and that he rewards those who seek him.
⁷ Faith led Noah to listen when God warned him about the things in the future that he could not see. He obeyed God and built a ship to save his family. Through faith Noah condemned the world and received God’s approval that comes through faith.
⁸ Faith led Abraham to obey when God called him to go to a place that he would receive as an inheritance. Abraham left his own country without knowing where he was going.
⁹ Faith led Abraham to live as a foreigner in the country that God had promised him. He lived in tents, as did Isaac and Jacob, who received the same promise from God. ¹⁰ Abraham was waiting for the city that God had designed and built, the city with permanent foundations.

²⁰ Faith enabled Abraham to become a father, even though he was old and Sarah had never been able to have children. Abraham trusted that God would keep his promise. Faith led Isaac to bless Jacob and Esau.
²¹ While Jacob was dying, faith led him to bless each of Joseph’s sons. He leaned on the top of his staff and worshiped God.
²² While Joseph was dying, faith led him to speak about the Israelites leaving Egypt and give them instructions about burying his bones.
²³ Faith led Moses’ parents to hide him for three months after he was born. They did this because they saw that Moses was a beautiful baby and they were not afraid to disobey the king’s order.
²⁴ When Moses grew up, faith led him to refuse to be known as a son of Pharaoh’s daughter. ²⁵ He chose to suffer with God’s people rather than to enjoy the pleasures of sin for a little while. ²⁶ He thought that being insulted for Christ would be better than having the treasures of Egypt. He was looking ahead to his reward.
²⁷ Faith led Moses to leave Egypt without being afraid of the king’s anger. Moses didn’t give up but continued as if he could actually see the invisible God.
²⁸ Faith led Moses to establish the Passover and spread the blood on the doorposts so that the destroying angel would not kill the firstborn sons.
²⁹ Faith caused the people to go through the Red Sea as if it were dry land. The Egyptians also tried this, but they drowned.
³⁰ Faith caused the walls of Jericho to fall after the Israelites marched around them for seven days.
³¹ Faith led the prostitute Rahab to welcome the spies as friends. She was not killed with those who refused to obey God.

(Hebrews 11:3-11 & 20-31 -- GW)

John to the seven churches that are in Asia:
Grace to you and peace from him who is and who was and who is to come, and from the seven spirits who are before his throne, ⁵ and from Jesus Christ the faithful witness, the firstborn of the dead, and the ruler of kings on earth.  To him who loves us and has freed us from our sins by his blood

(Revelation 1:4-5 -- ESV)

Immediately, Jesus said, “Calm down!  It’s me.  Don’t be afraid!”
²⁸ Peter answered, “Lord, if it is you, order me to come to you on the water.”
²⁹ Jesus said, “Come!” So Peter got out of the boat and walked on the water toward Jesus. ³⁰ But when he noticed how strong the wind was, he became afraid and started to sink.  He shouted, “Lord, save me!”
³¹ Immediately, Jesus reached out, caught hold of him, and said, “You have so little faith!  Why did you doubt?”
³² When they got into the boat, the wind stopped blowing. ³³ The men in the boat bowed down in front of Jesus and said, “You are truly the Son of God.”

(Matthew 14:27-33 -- GW)

Get rid of your bitterness, hot tempers, anger, loud quarreling, cursing, and hatred.
(Ephesians 4:31 -- GW)

After he had said this, he was taken to heaven.  A cloud hid him so that they could no longer see him.
¹⁰ They were staring into the sky as he departed. Suddenly, two men in white clothes stood near them. ¹¹ They asked, “Why are you men from Galilee standing here looking at the sky?  Jesus, who was taken from you to heaven, will come back in the same way that you saw him go to heaven.”

(Acts 1:9-11 -- GW)

The Son of Man will come again just as lightning flashes from east to west.
(Matthew 24:27 -- GW)

God's Word is our great heritage
And shall be ours forever;
To spread its light from age to age
Shall be our chief endeavor.
Through life it guides our way,
In death it is our stay.
Lord, grant, while worlds endure,
We keep its teachings pure.

Throughout all generations.

(By Nikolai F. S. Grundtvig, translated by Ole G. Belsheim)

As a father has compassion for his children, so the Lord has compassion for those who fear him.
(Psalm 103:13 -- GW)

Even though I walk through the dark valley of death, because you are with me, I fear no harm.  Your rod and your staff give me courage.

(Psalm 23:4 -- GW)

CAREtoons & CAREpixx collection (1201-1300) videos on YouTube . . .
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=adXvk46GgcM&feature=youtu.be

(1-100) https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3H_iO...
(101-200) https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pgUBc...
(201-300) https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BCp6B...
(301-400) https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CnRTO...
(401-500) https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8NBhv...
(501-600) https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Jyoi7...
(601-700) https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LHm77...
(701-800) https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=95zix...
(801-900) https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VXdA3...
(901-1000) https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dInLG...
(1001-1100) https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gALOiicJg0o
(1101-1200) https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6ZSdU...

(Christmas) https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GEhQm...
(Easter) https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yTaiB...
(Jesus is Here) https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5gJYvnQnIhA

 

 

2. Jesus, Savior, wash away
All that has been wrong today;
Help me every day to be
Good and gentle, more like Thee.

3. Let my near and dear ones be
Always near and dear to Thee.
Oh, bring me and all I love
To Thy happy home above.

4. Now my evening praise I give;
Thou didst die that I might live.
All my blessings come from The;
Oh, how good Thou art to me!

5. Thou, my best and kindest Friend,
Thou wilt love me to the end.
Let me love Thee more and more,
Always better than before.

(By Frances Ridley Havergal)

The day and the night are yours.  You set the moon and the sun in their places.

(Psalm 74:16 -- GW)

A cheerful heart is good medicine, but a crushed spirit dries up the bones.

(Proverbs 17:22 -- NIV)


Happy Friday . . .

2. When through the woods and forest glades I wander
And hear the birds sing sweetly in the trees,
When I look down from lofty mountain grandeur,
And hear the brook and feel the gentle breeze:

Then sings my soul, my Savior God, to thee:
How great thou art! How great thou art!
Then sings my soul, my Savior God, to thee:
How great thou art! How great thou art!

(by Stuart K. Hine from Carl G. Boberg)

There are neither Jews nor Greeks, slaves nor free people, males nor females.  You are all the same in Christ Jesus.

(Galatians 3:28 -- GW)

Jesus answered him, “‘Love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your mind.’ ³⁸ This is the greatest and most important commandment. ³⁹ The second is like it: ‘Love your neighbor as you love yourself.’ ⁴⁰ All of Moses’ Teachings and the Prophets depend on these two commandments.”

(Matthew 22:37-40 -- GW)

"You killed the author of life, but God raised him from the dead.  We are witnesses of this."

(Acts 3:15 -- NIV)

In 1865, a group of Frenchmen came up with the idea of building the Statue of Liberty and giving it to the United States as a gift.  The United States was a new country with a democratic government for the people and by the people.  At this time, the French were ruled by an emperor and they looked to the United States for inspiration.

The statue was meant to celebrate democracy, but at the same time, it was meant to celebrate the friendship between France and The United States, a friendship that was formed during the American Revolutionary war.

(from the American Immigration Center)


Note:  The "yearning to breathe free" poem wasn't added to the base of the statue until 1903. 

The Church's one foundation
Is Jesus Christ, her Lord;
She is His new creation
By water and the Word.
From heaven He came and sought her
To be His holy bride;
With His own blood He bought her,
And for her life He died.

(by Samuel J. Stone)

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=t1GQVX4J8d4

Whoever has the Son has life; whoever does not have the Son of God does not have life.

(1 John 5:12 -- ESV)

Happy Groundhog Day . . . www.StevertS.com

Take the helmet of salvation and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God.

(Ephesians 6:17 -- NIV)