Psalm 119:1-4
1 Joyful are people of integrity,
who follow the instructions of the Lord.
2 Joyful are those who obey his laws
and search for him with all their hearts.
3 They do not compromise with evil,
and they walk only in his paths.
4 You have charged us
to keep your commandments carefully.
Why is it so often that when people think about Christians or the bible that they think that they don’t or can’t have any fun? I know that having fun and being joyful are two different emotions but one does not think about being joyful without having fun. The Word does not put limitations on me like many people think. It actually frees me to live according to God’s plan for my life, which will have fun and be joyful while I do it. I think that version of fun is different than those who do not know Christ. Where those people get drunk on wine or other forms of alcohol I get drunk on the Holy Spirit. That is such a better way to get drunk. There are no negative side effects when doing that. The side effects include joy, peace, happiness, boldness and contentment just to name a few.
Verse 2 says “search for him with all their hearts”, which lets me know that my being joyful is directly connected with my level of wanting to know Him. Pastor Tim shared this weekend about having a more intimate relationship with Jesus and what effect that has had on his life, his marriage, his role as father and husband and for himself personally. My level of joy, or lack thereof, could be tied to my level of how I seek Him and His ways and His Word.
When I am doing verses 1 and 2, verse 3 is the next level of incorporation into my life. When I am seeking Him in His Word I will know what the truth is and will not compromise with evil. I will not sway to the left or the right on the path He has for me. When I do that I am not devoured by the devil, who is sneaking around like a lion looking for me so he might pounce on and devour me. Praise God for His plan for me.
He has given me instructions to follow. He has laid out His plan for me and for my life. I am not accountable to anyone else on what they do or how they do it. I am only responsible for my life, my level of desire to be in His Word and for His plan for my life. When I seek Him as I should, with all my heart, all my mind and all my strength, my level of joy goes up and my walk with Him becomes closer and closer. As that happens my level of joy increases exponentially. I thank God that I do not have to worry about what Jesus is saying about me to anyone because He only speaks good and not evil. Praise God!
Numbers 6:24-26 (AMP)
The Lord bless you and watch, guard, and keep you; The Lord make His face to shine upon and enlighten you and be gracious (kind, merciful, and giving favor) to you; The Lord lift up His [approving] countenance upon you and give you peace (tranquility of heart and life continually).
Published by Erik L. Vakula
Daily Bread From the Word
Copyright © 2009 Erik Vakula, All Rights Reserved
www.dailybreadfromtheword.blogspot.com
Tuesday, June 2, 2009
Wednesday, May 20, 2009
If He Wins I Win!
Psalm 110
1 The Lord said to my Lord,
“Sit in the place of honor at my right hand
until I humble your enemies,
making them a footstool under your feet.”
2 The Lord will extend your powerful kingdom from Jerusalem;
you will rule over your enemies.
3 When you go to war,
your people will serve you willingly.
You are arrayed in holy garments,
and your strength will be renewed each day like the morning dew.
4 The Lord has taken an oath and will not break his vow:
“You are a priest forever in the order of Melchizedek.”
5 The Lord stands at your right hand to protect you.
He will strike down many kings when his anger erupts.
6 He will punish the nations
and fill their lands with corpses;
he will shatter heads over the whole earth.
7 But he himself will be refreshed from brooks along the way.
He will be victorious.
For many years the start of verse 1 confused me. Was this saying that the Lord was talking to Himself? I didn't understand it. Then I looked at it in Hebrew and it became more clear. The Hebrew renders it this way,
יְהוָה - Hebrew written
ieue - Hebrew spelled
Yahweh - Hebrew in English
לַאדֹנִי - Hebrew written
l·adn·i - Hebrew spelled
to·lord-of·me - Hebrew in English
So what the Hebrew reads is Yahweh to Adonai. Yahweh is defined as follows:
Jehovah = "the existing One"
the proper name of the one true God
Adonai is defined as follows:
Lord, master, king, Lord of lords
This brings it into a more clear context. What David is saying here is that God, the Father, said to Jesus, David's Lord and master, to "Sit in the place of honor at my right hand until I humble your enemies, making them a footstool under your feet."
Verses 2 and 3 go on to talk about what God is going to do for Jesus by extending His kingdom from Jerusalem and that Jesus will rule over His enemies. When He needs to go to war He will have followers ready to serve Him.
Verse 4 confirms Jesus priestly ministry by showing that He is a priest forever in the order of Melchizedek. Praise God! Melchizedek received tithes and conferred blessings. That is what Jesus does today through His chosen pastors. Not all pastors fit this role. Only those who hold true to the teachings of Jesus and the Word as the final authority are able to fit that role for Jesus.
Verses 5 through 7 are a victorious battle cry for Jesus. He knows that God the Father has His back and that no enemy can stand in the presence of Him. He will confer judgment upon those who rebel and will bring the just punishment to the nations for their disobedience to His Word. Verse 7 lets us know that when all is said and done, Jesus wins! If Jesus wins then that means I win. Praise God!
Numbers 6:24-26 (AMP)
The Lord bless you and watch, guard, and keep you; The Lord make His face to shine upon and enlighten you and be gracious (kind, merciful, and giving favor) to you; The Lord lift up His [approving] countenance upon you and give you peace (tranquility of heart and life continually).
Published by Erik L. Vakula
Daily Bread From the Word
Copyright © 2009 Erik Vakula, All Rights Reserved
1 The Lord said to my Lord,
“Sit in the place of honor at my right hand
until I humble your enemies,
making them a footstool under your feet.”
2 The Lord will extend your powerful kingdom from Jerusalem;
you will rule over your enemies.
3 When you go to war,
your people will serve you willingly.
You are arrayed in holy garments,
and your strength will be renewed each day like the morning dew.
4 The Lord has taken an oath and will not break his vow:
“You are a priest forever in the order of Melchizedek.”
5 The Lord stands at your right hand to protect you.
He will strike down many kings when his anger erupts.
6 He will punish the nations
and fill their lands with corpses;
he will shatter heads over the whole earth.
7 But he himself will be refreshed from brooks along the way.
He will be victorious.
For many years the start of verse 1 confused me. Was this saying that the Lord was talking to Himself? I didn't understand it. Then I looked at it in Hebrew and it became more clear. The Hebrew renders it this way,
יְהוָה - Hebrew written
ieue - Hebrew spelled
Yahweh - Hebrew in English
לַאדֹנִי - Hebrew written
l·adn·i - Hebrew spelled
to·lord-of·me - Hebrew in English
So what the Hebrew reads is Yahweh to Adonai. Yahweh is defined as follows:
Jehovah = "the existing One"
the proper name of the one true God
Adonai is defined as follows:
Lord, master, king, Lord of lords
This brings it into a more clear context. What David is saying here is that God, the Father, said to Jesus, David's Lord and master, to "Sit in the place of honor at my right hand until I humble your enemies, making them a footstool under your feet."
Verses 2 and 3 go on to talk about what God is going to do for Jesus by extending His kingdom from Jerusalem and that Jesus will rule over His enemies. When He needs to go to war He will have followers ready to serve Him.
Verse 4 confirms Jesus priestly ministry by showing that He is a priest forever in the order of Melchizedek. Praise God! Melchizedek received tithes and conferred blessings. That is what Jesus does today through His chosen pastors. Not all pastors fit this role. Only those who hold true to the teachings of Jesus and the Word as the final authority are able to fit that role for Jesus.
Verses 5 through 7 are a victorious battle cry for Jesus. He knows that God the Father has His back and that no enemy can stand in the presence of Him. He will confer judgment upon those who rebel and will bring the just punishment to the nations for their disobedience to His Word. Verse 7 lets us know that when all is said and done, Jesus wins! If Jesus wins then that means I win. Praise God!
Numbers 6:24-26 (AMP)
The Lord bless you and watch, guard, and keep you; The Lord make His face to shine upon and enlighten you and be gracious (kind, merciful, and giving favor) to you; The Lord lift up His [approving] countenance upon you and give you peace (tranquility of heart and life continually).
Published by Erik L. Vakula
Daily Bread From the Word
Copyright © 2009 Erik Vakula, All Rights Reserved
Monday, May 18, 2009
Did Someone Say Something Bad About You?
Psalm 109:26-30
26 Help me, O Lord my God!
Save me because of your unfailing love.
27 Let them see that this is your doing,
that you yourself have done it, Lord.
28 Then let them curse me if they like,
but you will bless me!
When they attack me, they will be disgraced!
But I, your servant, will go right on rejoicing!
29 May my accusers be clothed with disgrace;
may their humiliation cover them like a cloak.
30 But I will give repeated thanks to the Lord,
praising him to everyone.
Has it ever seemed like people were talking bad about you and didn't know what they were saying, but you knew it wasn't good? That happens to all of us at time in our lives. Sometimes we find out what they were saying and sometimes we don't. Unfortunately this happens in churches with as much, if not more, fervor as it does in the secular world. I know this to have happened in both arenas about me. Do I let it affect me when it does happen? Sometimes. It depends on the source of the talking. I don't take much credence with someone who is not a Christian and they talk bad about me being a Christian. I don't worry about what someone else thinks about my duties for God in His plan for my life. I think I can use these verses to help me get over anyone talking about me because I know that if I am doing what God has directed me to do, then He will bless me and I get to rejoice in being obedient to Him.
I try myself not to get wrapped up in any of the gossip that goes on in any area of my life. When it does creep in I try not to get pulled in by it. If there are accusations made against someone I love, I will confront the person who had the accusations made, in love, and get their feedback before I would say anything to anyone else about it. I try to follow what is written in the follow verses:
Matthew 18:15-17
15 “If another believer sins against you, go privately and point out the offense. If the other person listens and confesses it, you have won that person back. 16 But if you are unsuccessful, take one or two others with you and go back again, so that everything you say may be confirmed by two or three witnesses. 17 If the person still refuses to listen, take your case to the church. Then if he or she won’t accept the church’s decision, treat that person as a pagan or a corrupt tax collector."
This method of action is prescribed by Jesus Himself so I know this the way to go. It is hard having to confront someone you love, especially if they are a believer, because you don't want to jeopardize the relationship. Jesus tells us here how to approach it and what to do. Praise God that He cares that much about us to give us direction in this area of our lives.
Heavenly Father I thank You for the wisdom and direction You have provided in Your Word. I thank You that the Word became flesh in the person of Jesus and that He spoke to many areas of my life that I can apply the right tools to any given situation. I thank You that You love me and direct my path so that I can follow Your plan for me. Amen.
Numbers 6:24-26 (AMP)
The Lord bless you and watch, guard, and keep you; The Lord make His face to shine upon and enlighten you and be gracious (kind, merciful, and giving favor) to you; The Lord lift up His [approving] countenance upon you and give you peace (tranquility of heart and life continually).
Published by Erik L. Vakula
Daily Bread From the Word
Copyright © 2009 Erik Vakula, All Rights Reserved
26 Help me, O Lord my God!
Save me because of your unfailing love.
27 Let them see that this is your doing,
that you yourself have done it, Lord.
28 Then let them curse me if they like,
but you will bless me!
When they attack me, they will be disgraced!
But I, your servant, will go right on rejoicing!
29 May my accusers be clothed with disgrace;
may their humiliation cover them like a cloak.
30 But I will give repeated thanks to the Lord,
praising him to everyone.
Has it ever seemed like people were talking bad about you and didn't know what they were saying, but you knew it wasn't good? That happens to all of us at time in our lives. Sometimes we find out what they were saying and sometimes we don't. Unfortunately this happens in churches with as much, if not more, fervor as it does in the secular world. I know this to have happened in both arenas about me. Do I let it affect me when it does happen? Sometimes. It depends on the source of the talking. I don't take much credence with someone who is not a Christian and they talk bad about me being a Christian. I don't worry about what someone else thinks about my duties for God in His plan for my life. I think I can use these verses to help me get over anyone talking about me because I know that if I am doing what God has directed me to do, then He will bless me and I get to rejoice in being obedient to Him.
I try myself not to get wrapped up in any of the gossip that goes on in any area of my life. When it does creep in I try not to get pulled in by it. If there are accusations made against someone I love, I will confront the person who had the accusations made, in love, and get their feedback before I would say anything to anyone else about it. I try to follow what is written in the follow verses:
Matthew 18:15-17
15 “If another believer sins against you, go privately and point out the offense. If the other person listens and confesses it, you have won that person back. 16 But if you are unsuccessful, take one or two others with you and go back again, so that everything you say may be confirmed by two or three witnesses. 17 If the person still refuses to listen, take your case to the church. Then if he or she won’t accept the church’s decision, treat that person as a pagan or a corrupt tax collector."
This method of action is prescribed by Jesus Himself so I know this the way to go. It is hard having to confront someone you love, especially if they are a believer, because you don't want to jeopardize the relationship. Jesus tells us here how to approach it and what to do. Praise God that He cares that much about us to give us direction in this area of our lives.
Heavenly Father I thank You for the wisdom and direction You have provided in Your Word. I thank You that the Word became flesh in the person of Jesus and that He spoke to many areas of my life that I can apply the right tools to any given situation. I thank You that You love me and direct my path so that I can follow Your plan for me. Amen.
Numbers 6:24-26 (AMP)
The Lord bless you and watch, guard, and keep you; The Lord make His face to shine upon and enlighten you and be gracious (kind, merciful, and giving favor) to you; The Lord lift up His [approving] countenance upon you and give you peace (tranquility of heart and life continually).
Published by Erik L. Vakula
Daily Bread From the Word
Copyright © 2009 Erik Vakula, All Rights Reserved
Sunday, May 17, 2009
Where is Your Confidence?
Psalm 108:1-5, 12-13
1 My heart is confident in you, O God;
no wonder I can sing your praises with all my heart!
2 Wake up, lyre and harp!
I will wake the dawn with my song.
3 I will thank you, Lord, among all the people.
I will sing your praises among the nations.
4 For your unfailing love is higher than the heavens.
Your faithfulness reaches to the clouds.
5 Be exalted, O God, above the highest heavens.
May your glory shine over all the earth.
12 Oh, please help us against our enemies,
for all human help is useless.
13 With God’s help we will do mighty things,
for he will trample down our foes.
What should my confidence or my faith be in these days? Should I rely on the stock market for my future? Should I have faith in the housing market for success? Should I rely on collection accounts to provide for my family? The answer to the first question is apparent in verse 1. The answer to the other three questions is...see the answer to the first question. My confidence, my faith, my reliance is on God and His Word and His direction for me. When I am following God's plans for me I wake up in the morning and sing His praises. What better way to live my life is there?
I "wake up" my music on my computer while I work that is praise and worship music. Sometimes I listen to a teaching series. I focus my energies on following Him throughout the day and rely on His wisdom and guidance to carry on my activities. When I try to rely on myself or have confidence is others I am often let down and disappointed. God never lets me down and never leaves me feeling unsatisfied.
I do thank You Lord for all that You have done for me, to me and through me. Your work is not yet complete within me and I will only become perfect in You when I see You face to face. I should just walk around with a big orange sign that says "Work in Progress" or "Construction Zone" because I will not be finished with what God is doing in me or through me until I am in His presence.
God's love is higher than anything we can experience here on earth. His love endures all things and covers all my sins with the expression of Jesus' sacrifice and His shed blood. Why wouldn't I want to follow His leading and His directions? Why would I put more confidence in what I can see than what is unseen with natural eyes but witnessed very clearly within my spirit? My answer is that only in Jesus and His shed blood can I see clearly what God has for me and what He says about me and what He will do for me. It's all written down in His Word for me to seek out and find.
Verse 12 confims what I just talked about. All human help is useless. I would add unreliable, deceitful, unrepentent, selfish, sinful, corrupt and greedy to the list. We do get things accomplished, but only with the help of God to we really see positive results. He does get His work accomplished on this world through us, but not because we are so great or so skilled. He does use our skills and talents He put into us to His advantage, if we submit to His leading. Praise God!
Father I thank You that You cared for me enough to die on the cross for me. I thank You that You care enough about me to lead me and guide me throughout my day. I praise Your name forever and ever! Amen.
Numbers 6:24-26 (AMP)
The Lord bless you and watch, guard, and keep you; The Lord make His face to shine upon and enlighten you and be gracious (kind, merciful, and giving favor) to you; The Lord lift up His [approving] countenance upon you and give you peace (tranquility of heart and life continually).
Published by Erik L. Vakula
Daily Bread From the Word
Copyright © 2009 Erik Vakula, All Rights Reserved
1 My heart is confident in you, O God;
no wonder I can sing your praises with all my heart!
2 Wake up, lyre and harp!
I will wake the dawn with my song.
3 I will thank you, Lord, among all the people.
I will sing your praises among the nations.
4 For your unfailing love is higher than the heavens.
Your faithfulness reaches to the clouds.
5 Be exalted, O God, above the highest heavens.
May your glory shine over all the earth.
12 Oh, please help us against our enemies,
for all human help is useless.
13 With God’s help we will do mighty things,
for he will trample down our foes.
What should my confidence or my faith be in these days? Should I rely on the stock market for my future? Should I have faith in the housing market for success? Should I rely on collection accounts to provide for my family? The answer to the first question is apparent in verse 1. The answer to the other three questions is...see the answer to the first question. My confidence, my faith, my reliance is on God and His Word and His direction for me. When I am following God's plans for me I wake up in the morning and sing His praises. What better way to live my life is there?
I "wake up" my music on my computer while I work that is praise and worship music. Sometimes I listen to a teaching series. I focus my energies on following Him throughout the day and rely on His wisdom and guidance to carry on my activities. When I try to rely on myself or have confidence is others I am often let down and disappointed. God never lets me down and never leaves me feeling unsatisfied.
I do thank You Lord for all that You have done for me, to me and through me. Your work is not yet complete within me and I will only become perfect in You when I see You face to face. I should just walk around with a big orange sign that says "Work in Progress" or "Construction Zone" because I will not be finished with what God is doing in me or through me until I am in His presence.
God's love is higher than anything we can experience here on earth. His love endures all things and covers all my sins with the expression of Jesus' sacrifice and His shed blood. Why wouldn't I want to follow His leading and His directions? Why would I put more confidence in what I can see than what is unseen with natural eyes but witnessed very clearly within my spirit? My answer is that only in Jesus and His shed blood can I see clearly what God has for me and what He says about me and what He will do for me. It's all written down in His Word for me to seek out and find.
Verse 12 confims what I just talked about. All human help is useless. I would add unreliable, deceitful, unrepentent, selfish, sinful, corrupt and greedy to the list. We do get things accomplished, but only with the help of God to we really see positive results. He does get His work accomplished on this world through us, but not because we are so great or so skilled. He does use our skills and talents He put into us to His advantage, if we submit to His leading. Praise God!
Father I thank You that You cared for me enough to die on the cross for me. I thank You that You care enough about me to lead me and guide me throughout my day. I praise Your name forever and ever! Amen.
Numbers 6:24-26 (AMP)
The Lord bless you and watch, guard, and keep you; The Lord make His face to shine upon and enlighten you and be gracious (kind, merciful, and giving favor) to you; The Lord lift up His [approving] countenance upon you and give you peace (tranquility of heart and life continually).
Published by Erik L. Vakula
Daily Bread From the Word
Copyright © 2009 Erik Vakula, All Rights Reserved
Saturday, May 16, 2009
He is Worthy to be Praised Forever!
Psalm 107
1 Give thanks to the Lord, for he is good!
His faithful love endures forever.
2 Has the Lord redeemed you? Then speak out!
Tell others he has redeemed you from your enemies.
3 For he has gathered the exiles from many lands,
from east and west,
from north and south.
4 Some wandered in the wilderness,
lost and homeless.
5 Hungry and thirsty,
they nearly died.
6 “Lord, help!” they cried in their trouble,
and he rescued them from their distress.
7 He led them straight to safety,
to a city where they could live.
8 Let them praise the Lord for his great love
and for the wonderful things he has done for them.
9 For he satisfies the thirsty
and fills the hungry with good things.
10 Some sat in darkness and deepest gloom,
imprisoned in iron chains of misery.
11 They rebelled against the words of God,
scorning the counsel of the Most High.
12 That is why he broke them with hard labor;
they fell, and no one was there to help them.
13 “Lord, help!” they cried in their trouble,
and he saved them from their distress.
14 He led them from the darkness and deepest gloom;
he snapped their chains.
15 Let them praise the Lord for his great love
and for the wonderful things he has done for them.
16 For he broke down their prison gates of bronze;
he cut apart their bars of iron.
17 Some were fools; they rebelled
and suffered for their sins.
18 They couldn’t stand the thought of food,
and they were knocking on death’s door.
19 “Lord, help!” they cried in their trouble,
and he saved them from their distress.
20 He sent out his word and healed them,
snatching them from the door of death.
21 Let them praise the Lord for his great love
and for the wonderful things he has done for them.
22 Let them offer sacrifices of thanksgiving
and sing joyfully about his glorious acts.
23 Some went off to sea in ships,
plying the trade routes of the world.
24 They, too, observed the Lord’s power in action,
his impressive works on the deepest seas.
25 He spoke, and the winds rose,
stirring up the waves.
26 Their ships were tossed to the heavens
and plunged again to the depths;
the sailors cringed in terror.
27 They reeled and staggered like drunkards
and were at their wits’ end.
28 “Lord, help!” they cried in their trouble,
and he saved them from their distress.
29 He calmed the storm to a whisper
and stilled the waves.
30 What a blessing was that stillness
as he brought them safely into harbor!
31 Let them praise the Lord for his great love
and for the wonderful things he has done for them.
32 Let them exalt him publicly before the congregation
and before the leaders of the nation.
33 He changes rivers into deserts,
and springs of water into dry, thirsty land.
34 He turns the fruitful land into salty wastelands,
because of the wickedness of those who live there.
35 But he also turns deserts into pools of water,
the dry land into springs of water.
36 He brings the hungry to settle there
and to build their cities.
37 They sow their fields, plant their vineyards,
and harvest their bumper crops.
38 How he blesses them!
They raise large families there,
and their herds of livestock increase.
39 When they decrease in number and become impoverished
through oppression, trouble, and sorrow,
40 the Lord pours contempt on their princes,
causing them to wander in trackless wastelands.
41 But he rescues the poor from trouble
and increases their families like flocks of sheep.
42 The godly will see these things and be glad,
while the wicked are struck silent.
43 Those who are wise will take all this to heart;
they will see in our history the faithful love of the Lord.
The first three verses here really set the stage for the rest of the chapter. We see attributes that worthy to give thanks for on a daily basis. Goodness, faithfulness, unconditional love, redemption from sin & protection for those who are cast off from others. What an awesome God! He is worthy to be praised forever and ever!
Verses 4 through 9 let us know that God cares for the homeless, lost, hungry and thirsty. When they cry to Him for help He rescues them. He will lead them to safety, a place where they can live, eat and drink. He does this with good things, not bad things. What an awesome God! He is worthy to be praised forever and ever!
Verses 10 through 16 show us that God will also help those who are in darkness, depressed & miserable. When they cry for help He will be there to lead them out of the darkness and depression. He will break the chains of their misery. What an awesome God! He is worthy to be praised forever and ever!
I like the way the Message Bible renders verses 17-18:
Some of you were sick because you'd lived a bad life,
your bodies feeling the effects of your sin;
You couldn't stand the sight of food,
so miserable you thought you'd be better off dead.
When these people cry for help God is there. Verse 20 says it best, "He sent out His Word and healed them". What an awesome God! He is worthy to be praised forever and ever!
Verses 23 through 32 depict how God interacts with the natural world. How He works with the oceans and wind and the waves. They can be stirred up to bring confusion, disorientation and distress. With one word He can calm any stormy seas and bring to peace any bad weather. What an awesome God! He is worthy to be praised forever and ever!
Verses 33 through 38 really show us a picture of God that lets us know that in any climate, in any weather, in any drought that He is in control. He can turn what looks like a famine into a return 100 times what was planted. Where on earth did I get that from? I will show you:
Genesis 26:1-6 & 12-15
1 A severe famine now struck the land, as had happened before in Abraham’s time. So Isaac moved to Gerar, where Abimelech, king of the Philistines, lived.
2 The Lord appeared to Isaac and said, “Do not go down to Egypt, but do as I tell you. 3 Live here as a foreigner in this land, and I will be with you and bless you. I hereby confirm that I will give all these lands to you and your descendants, just as I solemnly promised Abraham, your father. 4 I will cause your descendants to become as numerous as the stars of the sky, and I will give them all these lands. And through your descendants all the nations of the earth will be blessed. 5 I will do this because Abraham listened to me and obeyed all my requirements, commands, decrees, and instructions.” 6 So Isaac stayed in Gerar.
12 When Isaac planted his crops that year, he harvested a hundred times more grain than he planted, for the Lord blessed him. 13 He became a very rich man, and his wealth continued to grow. 14 He acquired so many flocks of sheep and goats, herds of cattle, and servants that the Philistines became jealous of him. 15 So the Philistines filled up all of Isaac’s wells with dirt. These were the wells that had been dug by the servants of his father, Abraham.
If God can do it for Isaac then He can do it for me and He can do it for you. What an awesome God! He is worthy to be praised forever and ever!
Verses 39 through 43 show us again that God will not allow His children to be wiped from the earth. It says that when they are low in number and are oppressed, troubled and sorrowful that He will cause those who are bringing this on His children to become confused and to wander about. He rescues the poor from trouble and bring increase to their household. What an awesome God! He is worthy to be praised forever and ever!
Father I thank You for Your everlasting love for me and for all who read this. I praise Your name forever because it is worthy to be praised! I thank You for all that You have done for me, in me and through me and I praise You that You are not done with me yet. I am truly honored to serve You and to be called one of Your children. What an awesome God! He is worthy to be praised forever and ever! Amen.
Numbers 6:24-26 (AMP)
The Lord bless you and watch, guard, and keep you; The Lord make His face to shine upon and enlighten you and be gracious (kind, merciful, and giving favor) to you; The Lord lift up His [approving] countenance upon you and give you peace (tranquility of heart and life continually).
Published by Erik L. Vakula
Daily Bread From the Word
Copyright © 2009 Erik Vakula, All Rights Reserved
1 Give thanks to the Lord, for he is good!
His faithful love endures forever.
2 Has the Lord redeemed you? Then speak out!
Tell others he has redeemed you from your enemies.
3 For he has gathered the exiles from many lands,
from east and west,
from north and south.
4 Some wandered in the wilderness,
lost and homeless.
5 Hungry and thirsty,
they nearly died.
6 “Lord, help!” they cried in their trouble,
and he rescued them from their distress.
7 He led them straight to safety,
to a city where they could live.
8 Let them praise the Lord for his great love
and for the wonderful things he has done for them.
9 For he satisfies the thirsty
and fills the hungry with good things.
10 Some sat in darkness and deepest gloom,
imprisoned in iron chains of misery.
11 They rebelled against the words of God,
scorning the counsel of the Most High.
12 That is why he broke them with hard labor;
they fell, and no one was there to help them.
13 “Lord, help!” they cried in their trouble,
and he saved them from their distress.
14 He led them from the darkness and deepest gloom;
he snapped their chains.
15 Let them praise the Lord for his great love
and for the wonderful things he has done for them.
16 For he broke down their prison gates of bronze;
he cut apart their bars of iron.
17 Some were fools; they rebelled
and suffered for their sins.
18 They couldn’t stand the thought of food,
and they were knocking on death’s door.
19 “Lord, help!” they cried in their trouble,
and he saved them from their distress.
20 He sent out his word and healed them,
snatching them from the door of death.
21 Let them praise the Lord for his great love
and for the wonderful things he has done for them.
22 Let them offer sacrifices of thanksgiving
and sing joyfully about his glorious acts.
23 Some went off to sea in ships,
plying the trade routes of the world.
24 They, too, observed the Lord’s power in action,
his impressive works on the deepest seas.
25 He spoke, and the winds rose,
stirring up the waves.
26 Their ships were tossed to the heavens
and plunged again to the depths;
the sailors cringed in terror.
27 They reeled and staggered like drunkards
and were at their wits’ end.
28 “Lord, help!” they cried in their trouble,
and he saved them from their distress.
29 He calmed the storm to a whisper
and stilled the waves.
30 What a blessing was that stillness
as he brought them safely into harbor!
31 Let them praise the Lord for his great love
and for the wonderful things he has done for them.
32 Let them exalt him publicly before the congregation
and before the leaders of the nation.
33 He changes rivers into deserts,
and springs of water into dry, thirsty land.
34 He turns the fruitful land into salty wastelands,
because of the wickedness of those who live there.
35 But he also turns deserts into pools of water,
the dry land into springs of water.
36 He brings the hungry to settle there
and to build their cities.
37 They sow their fields, plant their vineyards,
and harvest their bumper crops.
38 How he blesses them!
They raise large families there,
and their herds of livestock increase.
39 When they decrease in number and become impoverished
through oppression, trouble, and sorrow,
40 the Lord pours contempt on their princes,
causing them to wander in trackless wastelands.
41 But he rescues the poor from trouble
and increases their families like flocks of sheep.
42 The godly will see these things and be glad,
while the wicked are struck silent.
43 Those who are wise will take all this to heart;
they will see in our history the faithful love of the Lord.
The first three verses here really set the stage for the rest of the chapter. We see attributes that worthy to give thanks for on a daily basis. Goodness, faithfulness, unconditional love, redemption from sin & protection for those who are cast off from others. What an awesome God! He is worthy to be praised forever and ever!
Verses 4 through 9 let us know that God cares for the homeless, lost, hungry and thirsty. When they cry to Him for help He rescues them. He will lead them to safety, a place where they can live, eat and drink. He does this with good things, not bad things. What an awesome God! He is worthy to be praised forever and ever!
Verses 10 through 16 show us that God will also help those who are in darkness, depressed & miserable. When they cry for help He will be there to lead them out of the darkness and depression. He will break the chains of their misery. What an awesome God! He is worthy to be praised forever and ever!
I like the way the Message Bible renders verses 17-18:
Some of you were sick because you'd lived a bad life,
your bodies feeling the effects of your sin;
You couldn't stand the sight of food,
so miserable you thought you'd be better off dead.
When these people cry for help God is there. Verse 20 says it best, "He sent out His Word and healed them". What an awesome God! He is worthy to be praised forever and ever!
Verses 23 through 32 depict how God interacts with the natural world. How He works with the oceans and wind and the waves. They can be stirred up to bring confusion, disorientation and distress. With one word He can calm any stormy seas and bring to peace any bad weather. What an awesome God! He is worthy to be praised forever and ever!
Verses 33 through 38 really show us a picture of God that lets us know that in any climate, in any weather, in any drought that He is in control. He can turn what looks like a famine into a return 100 times what was planted. Where on earth did I get that from? I will show you:
Genesis 26:1-6 & 12-15
1 A severe famine now struck the land, as had happened before in Abraham’s time. So Isaac moved to Gerar, where Abimelech, king of the Philistines, lived.
2 The Lord appeared to Isaac and said, “Do not go down to Egypt, but do as I tell you. 3 Live here as a foreigner in this land, and I will be with you and bless you. I hereby confirm that I will give all these lands to you and your descendants, just as I solemnly promised Abraham, your father. 4 I will cause your descendants to become as numerous as the stars of the sky, and I will give them all these lands. And through your descendants all the nations of the earth will be blessed. 5 I will do this because Abraham listened to me and obeyed all my requirements, commands, decrees, and instructions.” 6 So Isaac stayed in Gerar.
12 When Isaac planted his crops that year, he harvested a hundred times more grain than he planted, for the Lord blessed him. 13 He became a very rich man, and his wealth continued to grow. 14 He acquired so many flocks of sheep and goats, herds of cattle, and servants that the Philistines became jealous of him. 15 So the Philistines filled up all of Isaac’s wells with dirt. These were the wells that had been dug by the servants of his father, Abraham.
If God can do it for Isaac then He can do it for me and He can do it for you. What an awesome God! He is worthy to be praised forever and ever!
Verses 39 through 43 show us again that God will not allow His children to be wiped from the earth. It says that when they are low in number and are oppressed, troubled and sorrowful that He will cause those who are bringing this on His children to become confused and to wander about. He rescues the poor from trouble and bring increase to their household. What an awesome God! He is worthy to be praised forever and ever!
Father I thank You for Your everlasting love for me and for all who read this. I praise Your name forever because it is worthy to be praised! I thank You for all that You have done for me, in me and through me and I praise You that You are not done with me yet. I am truly honored to serve You and to be called one of Your children. What an awesome God! He is worthy to be praised forever and ever! Amen.
Numbers 6:24-26 (AMP)
The Lord bless you and watch, guard, and keep you; The Lord make His face to shine upon and enlighten you and be gracious (kind, merciful, and giving favor) to you; The Lord lift up His [approving] countenance upon you and give you peace (tranquility of heart and life continually).
Published by Erik L. Vakula
Daily Bread From the Word
Copyright © 2009 Erik Vakula, All Rights Reserved
Friday, May 15, 2009
His Love Endures Forever!
Psalm 106:1-5, 47-48
1 Praise the LORD.
Give thanks to the LORD, for he is good;
his love endures forever.
2 Who can proclaim the mighty acts of the LORD
or fully declare his praise?
3 Blessed are they who maintain justice,
who constantly do what is right.
4 Remember me, O LORD, when you show favor to your people,
come to my aid when you save them,
5 that I may enjoy the prosperity of your chosen ones,
that I may share in the joy of your nation
and join your inheritance in giving praise.
47 Save us, O LORD our God,
and gather us from the nations,
that we may give thanks to your holy name
and glory in your praise.
48 Praise be to the LORD, the God of Israel,
from everlasting to everlasting.
Let all the people say, "Amen!"
Praise the LORD.
Wow! It has been too long since I last wrote anything down. I am ashamed of my lack of performance in getting into His Word. I praise God for His faithfulness to me even when I am not as faithful to Him. The verses between verse 5 and verse 47 are an accounting of areas that the children of Israel did not follow God like they should have. I was living in these verses the past 16 days. It seems like ages have past.
I am truly thankful that God does not hold my sins or lack of getting His Word out to others against me. I am righteous in His sight because of what Jesus did for me on the cross. Praise God! I can boldly come to you today and proclaim God's faithfulness will long outlast my faithfulness to Him. I do praise God because His love does endure forever. I may try to proclaim the mighty acts of God and what He has done, but none can do it quite like His own Word. Doing what is right is doing what God calls you to do.
God has called me to be in the businesses I am currently in and to start more as He leads. I am called to preach the Good News to the lost and to share the love of Jesus with everyone I meet. I am called to be the head and not the tail, to be above and not beneath, to be healthy, to be wise and to be prosperous. I am called to be a sower of the seed of the Word of God and to be generous with my sowing. I am called to love my wife like Christ loves the church. I am called to be a light in the darkness and to shine the light of God's love and not hide that light. I am called to be hungry for His Word and I am called to meditate on His Word day and night. I am called to not look back at what has happened, good or bad, but to look forward to what God has next for me.
Praise God for His faithfulness for His love endures forever! Praise God for His faithfulness for His love endures forever! Praise God for His faithfulness for His love endures forever! Amen.
Numbers 6:24-26 (AMP)
The Lord bless you and watch, guard, and keep you; The Lord make His face to shine upon and enlighten you and be gracious (kind, merciful, and giving favor) to you; The Lord lift up His [approving] countenance upon you and give you peace (tranquility of heart and life continually).
Published by Erik L. Vakula
Daily Bread From the Word
Copyright © 2009 Erik Vakula, All Rights Reserved
1 Praise the LORD.
Give thanks to the LORD, for he is good;
his love endures forever.
2 Who can proclaim the mighty acts of the LORD
or fully declare his praise?
3 Blessed are they who maintain justice,
who constantly do what is right.
4 Remember me, O LORD, when you show favor to your people,
come to my aid when you save them,
5 that I may enjoy the prosperity of your chosen ones,
that I may share in the joy of your nation
and join your inheritance in giving praise.
47 Save us, O LORD our God,
and gather us from the nations,
that we may give thanks to your holy name
and glory in your praise.
48 Praise be to the LORD, the God of Israel,
from everlasting to everlasting.
Let all the people say, "Amen!"
Praise the LORD.
Wow! It has been too long since I last wrote anything down. I am ashamed of my lack of performance in getting into His Word. I praise God for His faithfulness to me even when I am not as faithful to Him. The verses between verse 5 and verse 47 are an accounting of areas that the children of Israel did not follow God like they should have. I was living in these verses the past 16 days. It seems like ages have past.
I am truly thankful that God does not hold my sins or lack of getting His Word out to others against me. I am righteous in His sight because of what Jesus did for me on the cross. Praise God! I can boldly come to you today and proclaim God's faithfulness will long outlast my faithfulness to Him. I do praise God because His love does endure forever. I may try to proclaim the mighty acts of God and what He has done, but none can do it quite like His own Word. Doing what is right is doing what God calls you to do.
God has called me to be in the businesses I am currently in and to start more as He leads. I am called to preach the Good News to the lost and to share the love of Jesus with everyone I meet. I am called to be the head and not the tail, to be above and not beneath, to be healthy, to be wise and to be prosperous. I am called to be a sower of the seed of the Word of God and to be generous with my sowing. I am called to love my wife like Christ loves the church. I am called to be a light in the darkness and to shine the light of God's love and not hide that light. I am called to be hungry for His Word and I am called to meditate on His Word day and night. I am called to not look back at what has happened, good or bad, but to look forward to what God has next for me.
Praise God for His faithfulness for His love endures forever! Praise God for His faithfulness for His love endures forever! Praise God for His faithfulness for His love endures forever! Amen.
Numbers 6:24-26 (AMP)
The Lord bless you and watch, guard, and keep you; The Lord make His face to shine upon and enlighten you and be gracious (kind, merciful, and giving favor) to you; The Lord lift up His [approving] countenance upon you and give you peace (tranquility of heart and life continually).
Published by Erik L. Vakula
Daily Bread From the Word
Copyright © 2009 Erik Vakula, All Rights Reserved
Wednesday, April 29, 2009
Are You Speaking Out?
Psalm 107:1-2
1 Give thanks to the Lord, for he is good!
His faithful love endures forever.
2 Has the Lord redeemed you? Then speak out!
Tell others he has redeemed you from your enemies.
This seems pretty timely for me. I have been giving thanks to the Lord because He is so good to me. I know that His faithful love endures forever. His shed blood has redeemed me from my sins. Have I been speaking out? It depends. I have been posting faithfully on facebook, but I have not been sharing with others face to face. I need to tell others that Jesus has redeemed me and He can redeem them as well. I will be going out on the streets on Friday to share with the Hispanic community in St. Paul at the Cinco de Mayo festival. This is such a great time and I love going.
I know this verse is from the Old Testament, but are there any more verses that talk about sharing our faith with others in the New Testament? Let's see.
Mark 16:15-18
15 And then he [Jesus] told them, “Go into all the world and preach the Good News to everyone. 16 Anyone who believes and is baptized will be saved. But anyone who refuses to believe will be condemned. 17 These miraculous signs will accompany those who believe: They will cast out demons in my name, and they will speak in new languages. 18 They will be able to handle snakes with safety, and if they drink anything poisonous, it won’t hurt them. They will be able to place their hands on the sick, and they will be healed.”
Jesus then made these statements to them:
Acts 1:4-5, 8
4 Once when he was eating with them, he commanded them, “Do not leave Jerusalem until the Father sends you the gift he promised, as I told you before. 5 John baptized with water, but in just a few days you will be baptized with the Holy Spirit.”
8 But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes upon you. And you will be my witnesses, telling people about me everywhere—in Jerusalem, throughout Judea, in Samaria, and to the ends of the earth.”
Notice here that they were not supposed to tell others about Jesus until they were filled with the Holy Spirit. That must pretty important if Jesus told them to do it that way. What happened when they listened? After they were all filled with the Holy Spirit Peter preached the first sermon of the new church and about 3,000 people believed in Jesus and were baptized. Could Peter have accomplished this task without the Holy Spirit? I don't think he could. He was so wishy-washy that he would not have been bold enough nor would he have had the right words to say to be that effective. He couldn't even convice three people that he didn't know who Jesus was so how could he have been able to lead 3,000 to the saving knowledge of Jesus Christ as their Savior? Bottom line, he couldn't. There's evidence of this in the following:
Acts 4:13-14
13 The members of the council were amazed when they saw the boldness of Peter and John, for they could see that they were ordinary men with no special training in the Scriptures. They also recognized them as men who had been with Jesus. 14 But since they could see the man who had been healed standing right there among them, there was nothing the council could say.
Peter and John had been called in front of the council because a man was healed through the power of the Holy Spirit and then Peter boldly proclaimed to the council in whose authority they had done what they did for the man. You can see that there is a change because of the Holy Spirit. They were not that bold before they had Him in their lives.
Does having the Holy Spirit and proclaiming the saving grace of Jesus mean that everyone will love you? No. Here is an example of what they early apostles went through and were able to go through because of the Holy Spirit.
Acts 5:12-42
12 The apostles were performing many miraculous signs and wonders among the people. And all the believers were meeting regularly at the Temple in the area known as Solomon’s Colonnade. 13 But no one else dared to join them, even though all the people had high regard for them. 14 Yet more and more people believed and were brought to the Lord—crowds of both men and women. 15 As a result of the apostles’ work, sick people were brought out into the streets on beds and mats so that Peter’s shadow might fall across some of them as he went by. 16 Crowds came from the villages around Jerusalem, bringing their sick and those possessed by evil spirits, and they were all healed.
17 The high priest and his officials, who were Sadducees, were filled with jealousy. 18 They arrested the apostles and put them in the public jail. 19 But an angel of the Lord came at night, opened the gates of the jail, and brought them out. Then he told them, 20 “Go to the Temple and give the people this message of life!”
21 So at daybreak the apostles entered the Temple, as they were told, and immediately began teaching.
When the high priest and his officials arrived, they convened the high council—the full assembly of the elders of Israel. Then they sent for the apostles to be brought from the jail for trial. 22 But when the Temple guards went to the jail, the men were gone. So they returned to the council and reported, 23 “The jail was securely locked, with the guards standing outside, but when we opened the gates, no one was there!”
24 When the captain of the Temple guard and the leading priests heard this, they were perplexed, wondering where it would all end. 25 Then someone arrived with startling news: “The men you put in jail are standing in the Temple, teaching the people!”
26 The captain went with his Temple guards and arrested the apostles, but without violence, for they were afraid the people would stone them. 27 Then they brought the apostles before the high council, where the high priest confronted them. 28 “Didn’t we tell you never again to teach in this man’s name?” he demanded. “Instead, you have filled all Jerusalem with your teaching about him, and you want to make us responsible for his death!”
29 But Peter and the apostles replied, “We must obey God rather than any human authority. 30 The God of our ancestors raised Jesus from the dead after you killed him by hanging him on a cross. 31 Then God put him in the place of honor at his right hand as Prince and Savior. He did this so the people of Israel would repent of their sins and be forgiven. 32 We are witnesses of these things and so is the Holy Spirit, who is given by God to those who obey him.”
33 When they heard this, the high council was furious and decided to kill them. 34 But one member, a Pharisee named Gamaliel, who was an expert in religious law and respected by all the people, stood up and ordered that the men be sent outside the council chamber for a while. 35 Then he said to his colleagues, “Men of Israel, take care what you are planning to do to these men! 36 Some time ago there was that fellow Theudas, who pretended to be someone great. About 400 others joined him, but he was killed, and all his followers went their various ways. The whole movement came to nothing. 37 After him, at the time of the census, there was Judas of Galilee. He got people to follow him, but he was killed, too, and all his followers were scattered.
38 “So my advice is, leave these men alone. Let them go. If they are planning and doing these things merely on their own, it will soon be overthrown. 39 But if it is from God, you will not be able to overthrow them. You may even find yourselves fighting against God!”
40 The others accepted his advice. They called in the apostles and had them flogged. Then they ordered them never again to speak in the name of Jesus, and they let them go.
41 The apostles left the high council rejoicing that God had counted them worthy to suffer disgrace for the name of Jesus. 42 And every day, in the Temple and from house to house, they continued to teach and preach this message: “Jesus is the Messiah.”
Here is one of the most empowering statements in the whole bible, " 38 “So my advice is, leave these men alone. Let them go. If they are planning and doing these things merely on their own, it will soon be overthrown. 39 But if it is from God, you will not be able to overthrow them. You may even find yourselves fighting against God!” When you do what God instructs you to do in the way He instructs you to do it you will not be able to be overthrown by the devil or any human being used by the devil. The main reason is that Jesus has already defeated him and when we as born again, spirit filled believers know that and walk in that with confidence there is nothing the devil can do to us to disuade us from God's plan for us. The devil knows this to be true. Praise God forever!
My admonition to you today is to follow God's plan for your life. Share Jesus with those you come into contact with each day in the way God shows you to do it. It won't always be the same, but if you ask Him to show you who to share with He will give you the words to say. Praise God for His faithfulness and for His plan for each of you and for me. I leave you with the benediction:
Numbers 6:24-26 (AMP)
The Lord bless you and watch, guard, and keep you; The Lord make His face to shine upon and enlighten you and be gracious (kind, merciful, and giving favor) to you; The Lord lift up His [approving] countenance upon you and give you peace (tranquility of heart and life continually).
Published by Erik L. Vakula
Daily Bread From the Word
Copyright © 2009 Erik Vakula, All Rights Reserved
1 Give thanks to the Lord, for he is good!
His faithful love endures forever.
2 Has the Lord redeemed you? Then speak out!
Tell others he has redeemed you from your enemies.
This seems pretty timely for me. I have been giving thanks to the Lord because He is so good to me. I know that His faithful love endures forever. His shed blood has redeemed me from my sins. Have I been speaking out? It depends. I have been posting faithfully on facebook, but I have not been sharing with others face to face. I need to tell others that Jesus has redeemed me and He can redeem them as well. I will be going out on the streets on Friday to share with the Hispanic community in St. Paul at the Cinco de Mayo festival. This is such a great time and I love going.
I know this verse is from the Old Testament, but are there any more verses that talk about sharing our faith with others in the New Testament? Let's see.
Mark 16:15-18
15 And then he [Jesus] told them, “Go into all the world and preach the Good News to everyone. 16 Anyone who believes and is baptized will be saved. But anyone who refuses to believe will be condemned. 17 These miraculous signs will accompany those who believe: They will cast out demons in my name, and they will speak in new languages. 18 They will be able to handle snakes with safety, and if they drink anything poisonous, it won’t hurt them. They will be able to place their hands on the sick, and they will be healed.”
Jesus then made these statements to them:
Acts 1:4-5, 8
4 Once when he was eating with them, he commanded them, “Do not leave Jerusalem until the Father sends you the gift he promised, as I told you before. 5 John baptized with water, but in just a few days you will be baptized with the Holy Spirit.”
8 But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes upon you. And you will be my witnesses, telling people about me everywhere—in Jerusalem, throughout Judea, in Samaria, and to the ends of the earth.”
Notice here that they were not supposed to tell others about Jesus until they were filled with the Holy Spirit. That must pretty important if Jesus told them to do it that way. What happened when they listened? After they were all filled with the Holy Spirit Peter preached the first sermon of the new church and about 3,000 people believed in Jesus and were baptized. Could Peter have accomplished this task without the Holy Spirit? I don't think he could. He was so wishy-washy that he would not have been bold enough nor would he have had the right words to say to be that effective. He couldn't even convice three people that he didn't know who Jesus was so how could he have been able to lead 3,000 to the saving knowledge of Jesus Christ as their Savior? Bottom line, he couldn't. There's evidence of this in the following:
Acts 4:13-14
13 The members of the council were amazed when they saw the boldness of Peter and John, for they could see that they were ordinary men with no special training in the Scriptures. They also recognized them as men who had been with Jesus. 14 But since they could see the man who had been healed standing right there among them, there was nothing the council could say.
Peter and John had been called in front of the council because a man was healed through the power of the Holy Spirit and then Peter boldly proclaimed to the council in whose authority they had done what they did for the man. You can see that there is a change because of the Holy Spirit. They were not that bold before they had Him in their lives.
Does having the Holy Spirit and proclaiming the saving grace of Jesus mean that everyone will love you? No. Here is an example of what they early apostles went through and were able to go through because of the Holy Spirit.
Acts 5:12-42
12 The apostles were performing many miraculous signs and wonders among the people. And all the believers were meeting regularly at the Temple in the area known as Solomon’s Colonnade. 13 But no one else dared to join them, even though all the people had high regard for them. 14 Yet more and more people believed and were brought to the Lord—crowds of both men and women. 15 As a result of the apostles’ work, sick people were brought out into the streets on beds and mats so that Peter’s shadow might fall across some of them as he went by. 16 Crowds came from the villages around Jerusalem, bringing their sick and those possessed by evil spirits, and they were all healed.
17 The high priest and his officials, who were Sadducees, were filled with jealousy. 18 They arrested the apostles and put them in the public jail. 19 But an angel of the Lord came at night, opened the gates of the jail, and brought them out. Then he told them, 20 “Go to the Temple and give the people this message of life!”
21 So at daybreak the apostles entered the Temple, as they were told, and immediately began teaching.
When the high priest and his officials arrived, they convened the high council—the full assembly of the elders of Israel. Then they sent for the apostles to be brought from the jail for trial. 22 But when the Temple guards went to the jail, the men were gone. So they returned to the council and reported, 23 “The jail was securely locked, with the guards standing outside, but when we opened the gates, no one was there!”
24 When the captain of the Temple guard and the leading priests heard this, they were perplexed, wondering where it would all end. 25 Then someone arrived with startling news: “The men you put in jail are standing in the Temple, teaching the people!”
26 The captain went with his Temple guards and arrested the apostles, but without violence, for they were afraid the people would stone them. 27 Then they brought the apostles before the high council, where the high priest confronted them. 28 “Didn’t we tell you never again to teach in this man’s name?” he demanded. “Instead, you have filled all Jerusalem with your teaching about him, and you want to make us responsible for his death!”
29 But Peter and the apostles replied, “We must obey God rather than any human authority. 30 The God of our ancestors raised Jesus from the dead after you killed him by hanging him on a cross. 31 Then God put him in the place of honor at his right hand as Prince and Savior. He did this so the people of Israel would repent of their sins and be forgiven. 32 We are witnesses of these things and so is the Holy Spirit, who is given by God to those who obey him.”
33 When they heard this, the high council was furious and decided to kill them. 34 But one member, a Pharisee named Gamaliel, who was an expert in religious law and respected by all the people, stood up and ordered that the men be sent outside the council chamber for a while. 35 Then he said to his colleagues, “Men of Israel, take care what you are planning to do to these men! 36 Some time ago there was that fellow Theudas, who pretended to be someone great. About 400 others joined him, but he was killed, and all his followers went their various ways. The whole movement came to nothing. 37 After him, at the time of the census, there was Judas of Galilee. He got people to follow him, but he was killed, too, and all his followers were scattered.
38 “So my advice is, leave these men alone. Let them go. If they are planning and doing these things merely on their own, it will soon be overthrown. 39 But if it is from God, you will not be able to overthrow them. You may even find yourselves fighting against God!”
40 The others accepted his advice. They called in the apostles and had them flogged. Then they ordered them never again to speak in the name of Jesus, and they let them go.
41 The apostles left the high council rejoicing that God had counted them worthy to suffer disgrace for the name of Jesus. 42 And every day, in the Temple and from house to house, they continued to teach and preach this message: “Jesus is the Messiah.”
Here is one of the most empowering statements in the whole bible, " 38 “So my advice is, leave these men alone. Let them go. If they are planning and doing these things merely on their own, it will soon be overthrown. 39 But if it is from God, you will not be able to overthrow them. You may even find yourselves fighting against God!” When you do what God instructs you to do in the way He instructs you to do it you will not be able to be overthrown by the devil or any human being used by the devil. The main reason is that Jesus has already defeated him and when we as born again, spirit filled believers know that and walk in that with confidence there is nothing the devil can do to us to disuade us from God's plan for us. The devil knows this to be true. Praise God forever!
My admonition to you today is to follow God's plan for your life. Share Jesus with those you come into contact with each day in the way God shows you to do it. It won't always be the same, but if you ask Him to show you who to share with He will give you the words to say. Praise God for His faithfulness and for His plan for each of you and for me. I leave you with the benediction:
Numbers 6:24-26 (AMP)
The Lord bless you and watch, guard, and keep you; The Lord make His face to shine upon and enlighten you and be gracious (kind, merciful, and giving favor) to you; The Lord lift up His [approving] countenance upon you and give you peace (tranquility of heart and life continually).
Published by Erik L. Vakula
Daily Bread From the Word
Copyright © 2009 Erik Vakula, All Rights Reserved
Tuesday, April 28, 2009
Wisdom from the Word
Proverbs 28:3,6,8,10,11,13,19-22,24,25,27
3 A poor person who oppresses the poor
is like a pounding rain that destroys the crops.
6 Better to be poor and honest
than to be dishonest and rich.
8 Income from charging high interest rates
will end up in the pocket of someone who is kind to the poor.
10 Those who lead good people along an evil path
will fall into their own trap,
but the honest will inherit good things.
11 Rich people may think they are wise,
but a poor person with discernment can see right through them.
13 People who conceal their sins will not prosper,
but if they confess and turn from them, they will receive mercy.
19 A hard worker has plenty of food,
but a person who chases fantasies ends up in poverty.
20 The trustworthy person will get a rich reward,
but a person who wants quick riches will get into trouble.
21 Showing partiality is never good,
yet some will do wrong for a mere piece of bread.
22 Greedy people try to get rich quick
but don’t realize they’re headed for poverty.
24 Anyone who steals from his father and mother
and says, “What’s wrong with that?”
is no better than a murderer.
25 Greed causes fighting;
trusting the Lord leads to prosperity.
27 Whoever gives to the poor will lack nothing,
but those who close their eyes to poverty will be cursed.
Do you see the common thread through these verses? Each of these verses are meant to stand alone because they each hold a vast amount of wisdom within them. When put together the vastness of their wisdom comes through even more.
Verse 3 reminds me of the violence and crime that thrive in the poorest parts of our country. The people living in those areas are oppressing themselves even more by their actions, yet they don't see it because of their focus. If their focus is on the Lord they would not do those things and their lives would be dramatically better for it.
Verse 6 is one that speaks to some recent events that come to mind. How many high profile rich people have been caught not paying their taxes like they should or were caught doing ponzi schemes? This shows the temptations of being wealthy they world's way. I don't want to be wealthy in that way. I know that the wealth from the Lord has no sorrow with it and that is what I want.
Verse 8 gets me excited for the money that will come to those who follow the Lord from the credit card companies and the banks who have taken advantage of the simple by charging rates the way they do.
Verse 10 shows why we need to train up our children in the way they should go and not lead them into temptation. If you do that as a parent or a teacher you then qualify to fall into your own trap. I want to inherit good things.
Verse 11 shows that wisdom in the right hands will help you through those who try to take advantage of you because of your social or economic status. This reminds me of those "experts" who couldn't forsee the current financial crisis coming? Who are they kidding? They are like a cow looking at a new gate.
Verse 13 reminds me of why I need to confess my sins to the Father through Jesus so that I can qualify for His prosperity to come on my life and to receive His mercy.
Verse 19 gives insight into why playing the lottery, getting involved in ponzi schemes, going for the quick buck are never good things. It has been said that the first 20 winners of the Publishers Clearing House Sweepstakes prizes ended up with less than they started with prior to winning within 10 years after winning. That doesn't seem right, but that is the Word being proven.
Again, verse 20 shows why quick riches only lead to trouble. Being trustworthy, hardworking and honest are always a tried a true way to live. Remember the story of Joseph? If not you should read up on it and learn.
Why do you think verse 21 is so significant? If we do not follow the leading of the Holy Spirit and show partiality to those we want to we will miss out on the goodness of God. The second part of the verse also alludes back to verse 3. Most people in the poorest parts of our country will steal or eat from a garbage can just enough to feed themselves for one meal. I think there is an old saying that goes, "Take a person fishing and you feed them for a meal. Teach a person to fish and you feed them for a lifetime."
How many people would have gotten involved in the schemes of getting rich quick if there was a big sign that said it will lead to poverty? According to verse 22 that is what happens. Here is your big sign if you missed it.
Verse 24 brings to memory those who are looking for their inheritance or think something is owed to them by their parents. Paris Hilton is the poster child for this verse. She couldn't ever live on her own and work a normal job if her grandpa and her father hadn't been so successful. This verse should be called the Paris Hilton verse.
Verse 25 is what breaks most families apart when a parent or loved one dies and their is money to be received. I watched my wife's aunts and uncles fight amongst themselves over receiving $5,000.00 a piece when their mother died. What sense is there in that? There is still division because of it and all the money has been gone for many years. The only smart one in the whole deal was my mother-in-law who told both sides they were wrong and she kept out of it. The rest were the fools.
Verse 27 is why I love being propered by the Lord. He knows what I am going to do with what He brings to me and knows where my focus is at. Wherever He leads me to give and to whomever He wants me to give. That is why the Lord will use the same people to get His mission accomplished. Are you doing the same? If not, come join me and watch how God will use you to meed the needs of others. It is a great way to live.
Numbers 6:24-26 (AMP)
The Lord bless you and watch, guard, and keep you; The Lord make His face to shine upon and enlighten you and be gracious (kind, merciful, and giving favor) to you; The Lord lift up His [approving] countenance upon you and give you peace (tranquility of heart and life continually).
Published by Erik L. Vakula
Daily Bread From the Word
Copyright © 2009 Erik Vakula, All Rights Reserved
3 A poor person who oppresses the poor
is like a pounding rain that destroys the crops.
6 Better to be poor and honest
than to be dishonest and rich.
8 Income from charging high interest rates
will end up in the pocket of someone who is kind to the poor.
10 Those who lead good people along an evil path
will fall into their own trap,
but the honest will inherit good things.
11 Rich people may think they are wise,
but a poor person with discernment can see right through them.
13 People who conceal their sins will not prosper,
but if they confess and turn from them, they will receive mercy.
19 A hard worker has plenty of food,
but a person who chases fantasies ends up in poverty.
20 The trustworthy person will get a rich reward,
but a person who wants quick riches will get into trouble.
21 Showing partiality is never good,
yet some will do wrong for a mere piece of bread.
22 Greedy people try to get rich quick
but don’t realize they’re headed for poverty.
24 Anyone who steals from his father and mother
and says, “What’s wrong with that?”
is no better than a murderer.
25 Greed causes fighting;
trusting the Lord leads to prosperity.
27 Whoever gives to the poor will lack nothing,
but those who close their eyes to poverty will be cursed.
Do you see the common thread through these verses? Each of these verses are meant to stand alone because they each hold a vast amount of wisdom within them. When put together the vastness of their wisdom comes through even more.
Verse 3 reminds me of the violence and crime that thrive in the poorest parts of our country. The people living in those areas are oppressing themselves even more by their actions, yet they don't see it because of their focus. If their focus is on the Lord they would not do those things and their lives would be dramatically better for it.
Verse 6 is one that speaks to some recent events that come to mind. How many high profile rich people have been caught not paying their taxes like they should or were caught doing ponzi schemes? This shows the temptations of being wealthy they world's way. I don't want to be wealthy in that way. I know that the wealth from the Lord has no sorrow with it and that is what I want.
Verse 8 gets me excited for the money that will come to those who follow the Lord from the credit card companies and the banks who have taken advantage of the simple by charging rates the way they do.
Verse 10 shows why we need to train up our children in the way they should go and not lead them into temptation. If you do that as a parent or a teacher you then qualify to fall into your own trap. I want to inherit good things.
Verse 11 shows that wisdom in the right hands will help you through those who try to take advantage of you because of your social or economic status. This reminds me of those "experts" who couldn't forsee the current financial crisis coming? Who are they kidding? They are like a cow looking at a new gate.
Verse 13 reminds me of why I need to confess my sins to the Father through Jesus so that I can qualify for His prosperity to come on my life and to receive His mercy.
Verse 19 gives insight into why playing the lottery, getting involved in ponzi schemes, going for the quick buck are never good things. It has been said that the first 20 winners of the Publishers Clearing House Sweepstakes prizes ended up with less than they started with prior to winning within 10 years after winning. That doesn't seem right, but that is the Word being proven.
Again, verse 20 shows why quick riches only lead to trouble. Being trustworthy, hardworking and honest are always a tried a true way to live. Remember the story of Joseph? If not you should read up on it and learn.
Why do you think verse 21 is so significant? If we do not follow the leading of the Holy Spirit and show partiality to those we want to we will miss out on the goodness of God. The second part of the verse also alludes back to verse 3. Most people in the poorest parts of our country will steal or eat from a garbage can just enough to feed themselves for one meal. I think there is an old saying that goes, "Take a person fishing and you feed them for a meal. Teach a person to fish and you feed them for a lifetime."
How many people would have gotten involved in the schemes of getting rich quick if there was a big sign that said it will lead to poverty? According to verse 22 that is what happens. Here is your big sign if you missed it.
Verse 24 brings to memory those who are looking for their inheritance or think something is owed to them by their parents. Paris Hilton is the poster child for this verse. She couldn't ever live on her own and work a normal job if her grandpa and her father hadn't been so successful. This verse should be called the Paris Hilton verse.
Verse 25 is what breaks most families apart when a parent or loved one dies and their is money to be received. I watched my wife's aunts and uncles fight amongst themselves over receiving $5,000.00 a piece when their mother died. What sense is there in that? There is still division because of it and all the money has been gone for many years. The only smart one in the whole deal was my mother-in-law who told both sides they were wrong and she kept out of it. The rest were the fools.
Verse 27 is why I love being propered by the Lord. He knows what I am going to do with what He brings to me and knows where my focus is at. Wherever He leads me to give and to whomever He wants me to give. That is why the Lord will use the same people to get His mission accomplished. Are you doing the same? If not, come join me and watch how God will use you to meed the needs of others. It is a great way to live.
Numbers 6:24-26 (AMP)
The Lord bless you and watch, guard, and keep you; The Lord make His face to shine upon and enlighten you and be gracious (kind, merciful, and giving favor) to you; The Lord lift up His [approving] countenance upon you and give you peace (tranquility of heart and life continually).
Published by Erik L. Vakula
Daily Bread From the Word
Copyright © 2009 Erik Vakula, All Rights Reserved
Wednesday, April 22, 2009
God’s Got Your Back If You Follow Him
Psalm 105:1-45
1 Give thanks to the Lord and proclaim his greatness.
Let the whole world know what he has done.
2 Sing to him; yes, sing his praises.
Tell everyone about his wonderful deeds.
3 Exult in his holy name;
rejoice, you who worship the Lord.
4 Search for the Lord and for his strength;
continually seek him.
5 Remember the wonders he has performed,
his miracles, and the rulings he has given,
6 you children of his servant Abraham,
you descendants of Jacob, his chosen ones.
7 He is the Lord our God.
His justice is seen throughout the land.
8 He always stands by his covenant—
the commitment he made to a thousand generations.
9 This is the covenant he made with Abraham
and the oath he swore to Isaac.
10 He confirmed it to Jacob as a decree,
and to the people of Israel as a never-ending covenant:
11 “I will give you the land of Canaan
as your special possession.”
12 He said this when they were few in number,
a tiny group of strangers in Canaan.
13 They wandered from nation to nation,
from one kingdom to another.
14 Yet he did not let anyone oppress them.
He warned kings on their behalf:
15 “Do not touch my chosen people,
and do not hurt my prophets.”
16 He called for a famine on the land of Canaan,
cutting off its food supply.
17 Then he sent someone to Egypt ahead of them—
Joseph, who was sold as a slave.
18 They bruised his feet with fetters
and placed his neck in an iron collar.
19 Until the time came to fulfill his dreams,
the Lord tested Joseph’s character.
20 Then Pharaoh sent for him and set him free;
the ruler of the nation opened his prison door.
21 Joseph was put in charge of all the king’s household;
he became ruler over all the king’s possessions.
22 He could instruct the king’s aides as he pleased
and teach the king’s advisers.
23 Then Israel arrived in Egypt;
Jacob lived as a foreigner in the land of Ham.
24 And the Lord multiplied the people of Israel
until they became too mighty for their enemies.
25 Then he turned the Egyptians against the Israelites,
and they plotted against the Lord’s servants.
26 But the Lord sent his servant Moses,
along with Aaron, whom he had chosen.
27 They performed miraculous signs among the Egyptians,
and wonders in the land of Ham.
28 The Lord blanketed Egypt in darkness,
for they had defied his commands to let his people go.
29 He turned their water into blood,
poisoning all the fish.
30 Then frogs overran the land
and even invaded the king’s bedrooms.
31 When the Lord spoke, flies descended on the Egyptians,
and gnats swarmed across Egypt.
32 He sent them hail instead of rain,
and lightning flashed over the land.
33 He ruined their grapevines and fig trees
and shattered all the trees.
34 He spoke, and hordes of locusts came—
young locusts beyond number.
35 They ate up everything green in the land,
destroying all the crops in their fields.
36 Then he killed the oldest son in each Egyptian home,
the pride and joy of each family.
37 The Lord brought his people out of Egypt, loaded with silver and gold;
and not one among the tribes of Israel even stumbled.
38 Egypt was glad when they were gone,
for they feared them greatly.
39 The Lord spread a cloud above them as a covering
and gave them a great fire to light the darkness.
40 They asked for meat, and he sent them quail;
he satisfied their hunger with manna—bread from heaven.
41 He split open a rock, and water gushed out
to form a river through the dry wasteland.
42 For he remembered his sacred promise
to his servant Abraham.
43 So he brought his people out of Egypt with joy,
his chosen ones with rejoicing.
44 He gave his people the lands of pagan nations,
and they harvested crops that others had planted.
45 All this happened so they would follow his decrees
and obey his instructions.
Praise the Lord!
This is such an amazing set of scriptures. It recalls and shows that God's directions are sometimes confusing to us at the time we are going through them, but if we continue to follow His path for us and do what He tells us when He tells us we will see that He does what He does so we will follow Him and obey Him. Doing that will lead us to our own promised land He has set a side for us.
Lord I thank You that You have prepared a place for me to be, not only in heaven but here on earth. I thank You that by following Your direction I will end up in that place. I praise Your holy name and declare aloud all the good things You have done for me, to me and through me. I thank You that my race is not over and that You are my guide and my shield. Continue to reveal You plan for me through Your Word and through the leading of the Holy Spirit. Amen.
Numbers 6:24-26 (AMP)
The Lord bless you and watch, guard, and keep you; The Lord make His face to shine upon and enlighten you and be gracious (kind, merciful, and giving favor) to you; The Lord lift up His [approving] countenance upon you and give you peace (tranquility of heart and life continually).
Published by Erik L. Vakula
Daily Bread From the Word
Copyright © 2009 Erik Vakula, All Rights Reserved
1 Give thanks to the Lord and proclaim his greatness.
Let the whole world know what he has done.
2 Sing to him; yes, sing his praises.
Tell everyone about his wonderful deeds.
3 Exult in his holy name;
rejoice, you who worship the Lord.
4 Search for the Lord and for his strength;
continually seek him.
5 Remember the wonders he has performed,
his miracles, and the rulings he has given,
6 you children of his servant Abraham,
you descendants of Jacob, his chosen ones.
7 He is the Lord our God.
His justice is seen throughout the land.
8 He always stands by his covenant—
the commitment he made to a thousand generations.
9 This is the covenant he made with Abraham
and the oath he swore to Isaac.
10 He confirmed it to Jacob as a decree,
and to the people of Israel as a never-ending covenant:
11 “I will give you the land of Canaan
as your special possession.”
12 He said this when they were few in number,
a tiny group of strangers in Canaan.
13 They wandered from nation to nation,
from one kingdom to another.
14 Yet he did not let anyone oppress them.
He warned kings on their behalf:
15 “Do not touch my chosen people,
and do not hurt my prophets.”
16 He called for a famine on the land of Canaan,
cutting off its food supply.
17 Then he sent someone to Egypt ahead of them—
Joseph, who was sold as a slave.
18 They bruised his feet with fetters
and placed his neck in an iron collar.
19 Until the time came to fulfill his dreams,
the Lord tested Joseph’s character.
20 Then Pharaoh sent for him and set him free;
the ruler of the nation opened his prison door.
21 Joseph was put in charge of all the king’s household;
he became ruler over all the king’s possessions.
22 He could instruct the king’s aides as he pleased
and teach the king’s advisers.
23 Then Israel arrived in Egypt;
Jacob lived as a foreigner in the land of Ham.
24 And the Lord multiplied the people of Israel
until they became too mighty for their enemies.
25 Then he turned the Egyptians against the Israelites,
and they plotted against the Lord’s servants.
26 But the Lord sent his servant Moses,
along with Aaron, whom he had chosen.
27 They performed miraculous signs among the Egyptians,
and wonders in the land of Ham.
28 The Lord blanketed Egypt in darkness,
for they had defied his commands to let his people go.
29 He turned their water into blood,
poisoning all the fish.
30 Then frogs overran the land
and even invaded the king’s bedrooms.
31 When the Lord spoke, flies descended on the Egyptians,
and gnats swarmed across Egypt.
32 He sent them hail instead of rain,
and lightning flashed over the land.
33 He ruined their grapevines and fig trees
and shattered all the trees.
34 He spoke, and hordes of locusts came—
young locusts beyond number.
35 They ate up everything green in the land,
destroying all the crops in their fields.
36 Then he killed the oldest son in each Egyptian home,
the pride and joy of each family.
37 The Lord brought his people out of Egypt, loaded with silver and gold;
and not one among the tribes of Israel even stumbled.
38 Egypt was glad when they were gone,
for they feared them greatly.
39 The Lord spread a cloud above them as a covering
and gave them a great fire to light the darkness.
40 They asked for meat, and he sent them quail;
he satisfied their hunger with manna—bread from heaven.
41 He split open a rock, and water gushed out
to form a river through the dry wasteland.
42 For he remembered his sacred promise
to his servant Abraham.
43 So he brought his people out of Egypt with joy,
his chosen ones with rejoicing.
44 He gave his people the lands of pagan nations,
and they harvested crops that others had planted.
45 All this happened so they would follow his decrees
and obey his instructions.
Praise the Lord!
This is such an amazing set of scriptures. It recalls and shows that God's directions are sometimes confusing to us at the time we are going through them, but if we continue to follow His path for us and do what He tells us when He tells us we will see that He does what He does so we will follow Him and obey Him. Doing that will lead us to our own promised land He has set a side for us.
Lord I thank You that You have prepared a place for me to be, not only in heaven but here on earth. I thank You that by following Your direction I will end up in that place. I praise Your holy name and declare aloud all the good things You have done for me, to me and through me. I thank You that my race is not over and that You are my guide and my shield. Continue to reveal You plan for me through Your Word and through the leading of the Holy Spirit. Amen.
Numbers 6:24-26 (AMP)
The Lord bless you and watch, guard, and keep you; The Lord make His face to shine upon and enlighten you and be gracious (kind, merciful, and giving favor) to you; The Lord lift up His [approving] countenance upon you and give you peace (tranquility of heart and life continually).
Published by Erik L. Vakula
Daily Bread From the Word
Copyright © 2009 Erik Vakula, All Rights Reserved
Tuesday, April 21, 2009
Praise the Lord!
Psalm 104:1-35
1 Let all that I am praise the Lord.
O Lord my God, how great you are!
You are robed with honor and majesty.
2 You are dressed in a robe of light.
You stretch out the starry curtain of the heavens;
3 you lay out the rafters of your home in the rain clouds.
You make the clouds your chariot;
you ride upon the wings of the wind.
4 The winds are your messengers;
flames of fire are your servants.
5 You placed the world on its foundation
so it would never be moved.
6 You clothed the earth with floods of water,
water that covered even the mountains.
7 At your command, the water fled;
at the sound of your thunder, it hurried away.
8 Mountains rose and valleys sank
to the levels you decreed.
9 Then you set a firm boundary for the seas,
so they would never again cover the earth.
10 You make springs pour water into the ravines,
so streams gush down from the mountains.
11 They provide water for all the animals,
and the wild donkeys quench their thirst.
12 The birds nest beside the streams
and sing among the branches of the trees.
13 You send rain on the mountains from your heavenly home,
and you fill the earth with the fruit of your labor.
14 You cause grass to grow for the livestock
and plants for people to use.
You allow them to produce food from the earth—
15 wine to make them glad,
olive oil to soothe their skin,
and bread to give them strength.
16 The trees of the Lord are well cared for—
the cedars of Lebanon that he planted.
17 There the birds make their nests,
and the storks make their homes in the cypresses.
18 High in the mountains live the wild goats,
and the rocks form a refuge for the hyraxes.
19 You made the moon to mark the seasons,
and the sun knows when to set.
20 You send the darkness, and it becomes night,
when all the forest animals prowl about.
21 Then the young lions roar for their prey,
stalking the food provided by God.
22 At dawn they slink back
into their dens to rest.
23 Then people go off to their work,
where they labor until evening.
24 O Lord, what a variety of things you have made!
In wisdom you have made them all.
The earth is full of your creatures.
25 Here is the ocean, vast and wide,
teeming with life of every kind,
both large and small.
26 See the ships sailing along,
and Leviathan, which you made to play in the sea.
27 They all depend on you
to give them food as they need it.
28 When you supply it, they gather it.
You open your hand to feed them,
and they are richly satisfied.
29 But if you turn away from them, they panic.
When you take away their breath,
they die and turn again to dust.
30 When you give them your breath, life is created,
and you renew the face of the earth.
31 May the glory of the Lord continue forever!
The Lord takes pleasure in all he has made!
32 The earth trembles at his glance;
the mountains smoke at his touch.
33 I will sing to the Lord as long as I live.
I will praise my God to my last breath!
34 May all my thoughts be pleasing to him,
for I rejoice in the Lord.
35 Let all sinners vanish from the face of the earth;
let the wicked disappear forever.
Let all that I am praise the Lord.
Praise the Lord!
Lord, there is nothing I can add to these verses. I thank You for a reminder of just how awesome You are and why I love You more each day. Amen.
Numbers 6:24-26 (AMP)
The Lord bless you and watch, guard, and keep you; The Lord make His face to shine upon and enlighten you and be gracious (kind, merciful, and giving favor) to you; The Lord lift up His [approving] countenance upon you and give you peace (tranquility of heart and life continually).
Published by Erik L. Vakula
Daily Bread From the Word
Copyright © 2009 Erik Vakula, All Rights Reserved
1 Let all that I am praise the Lord.
O Lord my God, how great you are!
You are robed with honor and majesty.
2 You are dressed in a robe of light.
You stretch out the starry curtain of the heavens;
3 you lay out the rafters of your home in the rain clouds.
You make the clouds your chariot;
you ride upon the wings of the wind.
4 The winds are your messengers;
flames of fire are your servants.
5 You placed the world on its foundation
so it would never be moved.
6 You clothed the earth with floods of water,
water that covered even the mountains.
7 At your command, the water fled;
at the sound of your thunder, it hurried away.
8 Mountains rose and valleys sank
to the levels you decreed.
9 Then you set a firm boundary for the seas,
so they would never again cover the earth.
10 You make springs pour water into the ravines,
so streams gush down from the mountains.
11 They provide water for all the animals,
and the wild donkeys quench their thirst.
12 The birds nest beside the streams
and sing among the branches of the trees.
13 You send rain on the mountains from your heavenly home,
and you fill the earth with the fruit of your labor.
14 You cause grass to grow for the livestock
and plants for people to use.
You allow them to produce food from the earth—
15 wine to make them glad,
olive oil to soothe their skin,
and bread to give them strength.
16 The trees of the Lord are well cared for—
the cedars of Lebanon that he planted.
17 There the birds make their nests,
and the storks make their homes in the cypresses.
18 High in the mountains live the wild goats,
and the rocks form a refuge for the hyraxes.
19 You made the moon to mark the seasons,
and the sun knows when to set.
20 You send the darkness, and it becomes night,
when all the forest animals prowl about.
21 Then the young lions roar for their prey,
stalking the food provided by God.
22 At dawn they slink back
into their dens to rest.
23 Then people go off to their work,
where they labor until evening.
24 O Lord, what a variety of things you have made!
In wisdom you have made them all.
The earth is full of your creatures.
25 Here is the ocean, vast and wide,
teeming with life of every kind,
both large and small.
26 See the ships sailing along,
and Leviathan, which you made to play in the sea.
27 They all depend on you
to give them food as they need it.
28 When you supply it, they gather it.
You open your hand to feed them,
and they are richly satisfied.
29 But if you turn away from them, they panic.
When you take away their breath,
they die and turn again to dust.
30 When you give them your breath, life is created,
and you renew the face of the earth.
31 May the glory of the Lord continue forever!
The Lord takes pleasure in all he has made!
32 The earth trembles at his glance;
the mountains smoke at his touch.
33 I will sing to the Lord as long as I live.
I will praise my God to my last breath!
34 May all my thoughts be pleasing to him,
for I rejoice in the Lord.
35 Let all sinners vanish from the face of the earth;
let the wicked disappear forever.
Let all that I am praise the Lord.
Praise the Lord!
Lord, there is nothing I can add to these verses. I thank You for a reminder of just how awesome You are and why I love You more each day. Amen.
Numbers 6:24-26 (AMP)
The Lord bless you and watch, guard, and keep you; The Lord make His face to shine upon and enlighten you and be gracious (kind, merciful, and giving favor) to you; The Lord lift up His [approving] countenance upon you and give you peace (tranquility of heart and life continually).
Published by Erik L. Vakula
Daily Bread From the Word
Copyright © 2009 Erik Vakula, All Rights Reserved
Monday, April 20, 2009
All That I Am
Psalm 103:1-22
1 Let all that I am praise the Lord;
with my whole heart, I will praise his holy name.
2 Let all that I am praise the Lord;
may I never forget the good things he does for me.
3 He forgives all my sins
and heals all my diseases.
4 He redeems me from death
and crowns me with love and tender mercies.
5 He fills my life with good things.
My youth is renewed like the eagle’s!
6 The Lord gives righteousness
and justice to all who are treated unfairly.
7 He revealed his character to Moses
and his deeds to the people of Israel.
8 The Lord is compassionate and merciful,
slow to get angry and filled with unfailing love.
9 He will not constantly accuse us,
nor remain angry forever.
10 He does not punish us for all our sins;
he does not deal harshly with us, as we deserve.
11 For his unfailing love toward those who fear him
is as great as the height of the heavens above the earth.
12 He has removed our sins as far from us
as the east is from the west.
13 The Lord is like a father to his children,
tender and compassionate to those who fear him.
14 For he knows how weak we are;
he remembers we are only dust.
15 Our days on earth are like grass;
like wildflowers, we bloom and die.
16 The wind blows, and we are gone—
as though we had never been here.
17 But the love of the Lord remains forever
with those who fear him.
His salvation extends to the children’s children
18 of those who are faithful to his covenant,
of those who obey his commandments!
19 The Lord has made the heavens his throne;
from there he rules over everything.
20 Praise the Lord, you angels,
you mighty ones who carry out his plans,
listening for each of his commands.
21 Yes, praise the Lord, you armies of angels
who serve him and do his will!
22 Praise the Lord, everything he has created,
everything in all his kingdom.
Let all that I am praise the Lord.
How amazing are these verses? Can I really comprehend what it means to praise the Lord with ALL that I am? When the Word says all it means ALL. Praise God that He forgives all my sins and heals all my diseases. We just heard last week about how God healed our pastor. The Word says that God is no respecter of persons so if He can heal my pastor then he can heal me or anyone else! THAT is Good News!
He redeems me from death and crowns me with His love and tender mercy as well? What an awesome God! He fills my life with good things, nothing bad. He does not give me sickness or disease, he does not bring calamity upon me. The Lord is compassionate and merciful, thank God! He is slow to get angry and filled with unfailing love. He will not constantly accuse me, that is what the devil does. He lures me into sin and then turns around and condemns me for what I did. The Holy Spirit leads to the Father's love for me and I come to Him for forgiveness for making the decision to separate myself from Him.
God does not punish me for my sins and does not deal harshly with me, even though I deserve it. He removes my sins as far as the east is from the west and He remembers them no more! Praise God! Even though my time on earth is not for very long, in the scope of eternity, but I can have an impact on eternity by leading others to Christ. The Lord's salvation extends to my children's children. The Lord has made everything and He rules over everything. Praise the Lord! Praise the Lord! Let all that I am praise the Lord!
Heavenly Father I thank You that You will reveal to me how I can praise You with all that I am. I ask for more of Your love and mercy to me tomorrow and may I walk in Your love to those I meet. I thank You for the opportunity to serve You in any way You need me to. Reveal Yourself through me to others tomorrow and may I be a light in the darkness. Amen.
Numbers 6:24-26 (AMP)
The Lord bless you and watch, guard, and keep you; The Lord make His face to shine upon and enlighten you and be gracious (kind, merciful, and giving favor) to you; The Lord lift up His [approving] countenance upon you and give you peace (tranquility of heart and life continually).
Published by Erik L. Vakula
Daily Bread From the Word
Copyright © 2009 Erik Vakula, All Rights Reserved
1 Let all that I am praise the Lord;
with my whole heart, I will praise his holy name.
2 Let all that I am praise the Lord;
may I never forget the good things he does for me.
3 He forgives all my sins
and heals all my diseases.
4 He redeems me from death
and crowns me with love and tender mercies.
5 He fills my life with good things.
My youth is renewed like the eagle’s!
6 The Lord gives righteousness
and justice to all who are treated unfairly.
7 He revealed his character to Moses
and his deeds to the people of Israel.
8 The Lord is compassionate and merciful,
slow to get angry and filled with unfailing love.
9 He will not constantly accuse us,
nor remain angry forever.
10 He does not punish us for all our sins;
he does not deal harshly with us, as we deserve.
11 For his unfailing love toward those who fear him
is as great as the height of the heavens above the earth.
12 He has removed our sins as far from us
as the east is from the west.
13 The Lord is like a father to his children,
tender and compassionate to those who fear him.
14 For he knows how weak we are;
he remembers we are only dust.
15 Our days on earth are like grass;
like wildflowers, we bloom and die.
16 The wind blows, and we are gone—
as though we had never been here.
17 But the love of the Lord remains forever
with those who fear him.
His salvation extends to the children’s children
18 of those who are faithful to his covenant,
of those who obey his commandments!
19 The Lord has made the heavens his throne;
from there he rules over everything.
20 Praise the Lord, you angels,
you mighty ones who carry out his plans,
listening for each of his commands.
21 Yes, praise the Lord, you armies of angels
who serve him and do his will!
22 Praise the Lord, everything he has created,
everything in all his kingdom.
Let all that I am praise the Lord.
How amazing are these verses? Can I really comprehend what it means to praise the Lord with ALL that I am? When the Word says all it means ALL. Praise God that He forgives all my sins and heals all my diseases. We just heard last week about how God healed our pastor. The Word says that God is no respecter of persons so if He can heal my pastor then he can heal me or anyone else! THAT is Good News!
He redeems me from death and crowns me with His love and tender mercy as well? What an awesome God! He fills my life with good things, nothing bad. He does not give me sickness or disease, he does not bring calamity upon me. The Lord is compassionate and merciful, thank God! He is slow to get angry and filled with unfailing love. He will not constantly accuse me, that is what the devil does. He lures me into sin and then turns around and condemns me for what I did. The Holy Spirit leads to the Father's love for me and I come to Him for forgiveness for making the decision to separate myself from Him.
God does not punish me for my sins and does not deal harshly with me, even though I deserve it. He removes my sins as far as the east is from the west and He remembers them no more! Praise God! Even though my time on earth is not for very long, in the scope of eternity, but I can have an impact on eternity by leading others to Christ. The Lord's salvation extends to my children's children. The Lord has made everything and He rules over everything. Praise the Lord! Praise the Lord! Let all that I am praise the Lord!
Heavenly Father I thank You that You will reveal to me how I can praise You with all that I am. I ask for more of Your love and mercy to me tomorrow and may I walk in Your love to those I meet. I thank You for the opportunity to serve You in any way You need me to. Reveal Yourself through me to others tomorrow and may I be a light in the darkness. Amen.
Numbers 6:24-26 (AMP)
The Lord bless you and watch, guard, and keep you; The Lord make His face to shine upon and enlighten you and be gracious (kind, merciful, and giving favor) to you; The Lord lift up His [approving] countenance upon you and give you peace (tranquility of heart and life continually).
Published by Erik L. Vakula
Daily Bread From the Word
Copyright © 2009 Erik Vakula, All Rights Reserved
Monday, April 13, 2009
Live by Example
1 Thessalonians 1:1b-10
May God give you grace and peace.
2 We always thank God for all of you and pray for you constantly. 3 As we pray to our God and Father about you, we think of your faithful work, your loving deeds, and the enduring hope you have because of our Lord Jesus Christ.
4 We know, dear brothers and sisters, that God loves you and has chosen you to be his own people. 5 For when we brought you the Good News, it was not only with words but also with power, for the Holy Spirit gave you full assurance that what we said was true. And you know of our concern for you from the way we lived when we were with you. 6 So you received the message with joy from the Holy Spirit in spite of the severe suffering it brought you. In this way, you imitated both us and the Lord. 7 As a result, you have become an example to all the believers in Greece—throughout both Macedonia and Achaia.
8 And now the word of the Lord is ringing out from you to people everywhere, even beyond Macedonia and Achaia, for wherever we go we find people telling us about your faith in God. We don’t need to tell them about it, 9 for they keep talking about the wonderful welcome you gave us and how you turned away from idols to serve the living and true God. 10 And they speak of how you are looking forward to the coming of God’s Son from heaven—Jesus, whom God raised from the dead. He is the one who has rescued us from the terrors of the coming judgment.
I too want to offer you God's grace and peace today. I do thank God for you and pray for you. I pray that your faith will increase and your work with the faith will be evident to all. I pray for your love to show through your deeds all to the glory of God through Jesus Christ.
If you didn't know it, God does love you and has chosen you to be a part of His family. Again, I say that God loves you. He wants you to be a part of His family here on earth and in heaven. The Holy Spirit awaits your invitation to Him so He can bring you power and assurance of what the bible says about you and about your Savior, Jesus Christ. Receive this message with joy and thanksgiving. You will suffer attacks from the devil for accepting and walking in these truths. Count it all joy because Jesus Himself suffered these attacks as well. He will give you strength and endurance through the Holy Spirit to combat all the attacks of the enemy. As a result of your victories you will be an example to all the believers.
Your faith and the exploits of what God does through you will be told in far off lands and will hep encourage and strengthen other believers. They will be speaking of what the Lord has done for you and you will be an example to them. They will know that by your actions you are showing the love, grace and mercy of God the Father through Jesus Christ and in the power of the Holy Spirit. You are looking forward to Jesus coming again and are conducting your lives as such.
Father, this is my prayer for anyone who reads this today. If they don't know You and they don't know that You love them may they come to that knowledge. May they make a decision to follow You and accept the work of Jesus on the cross for their sins. May they confess this belief with their mouth and live their life for You. May they accept the power of the Holy Spirit to change their life and allow them to fully understand and follow what Your Word says about them. I thank You that You first loved us so that we could also love You. I praise You name today and will follow wherever You lead me. Amen.
Numbers 6:24-26 (AMP)
The Lord bless you and watch, guard, and keep you; The Lord make His face to shine upon and enlighten you and be gracious (kind, merciful, and giving favor) to you; The Lord lift up His [approving] countenance upon you and give you peace (tranquility of heart and life continually).
Published by Erik L. Vakula
Daily Bread From the Word
Copyright © 2009 Erik Vakula, All Rights Reserved
May God give you grace and peace.
2 We always thank God for all of you and pray for you constantly. 3 As we pray to our God and Father about you, we think of your faithful work, your loving deeds, and the enduring hope you have because of our Lord Jesus Christ.
4 We know, dear brothers and sisters, that God loves you and has chosen you to be his own people. 5 For when we brought you the Good News, it was not only with words but also with power, for the Holy Spirit gave you full assurance that what we said was true. And you know of our concern for you from the way we lived when we were with you. 6 So you received the message with joy from the Holy Spirit in spite of the severe suffering it brought you. In this way, you imitated both us and the Lord. 7 As a result, you have become an example to all the believers in Greece—throughout both Macedonia and Achaia.
8 And now the word of the Lord is ringing out from you to people everywhere, even beyond Macedonia and Achaia, for wherever we go we find people telling us about your faith in God. We don’t need to tell them about it, 9 for they keep talking about the wonderful welcome you gave us and how you turned away from idols to serve the living and true God. 10 And they speak of how you are looking forward to the coming of God’s Son from heaven—Jesus, whom God raised from the dead. He is the one who has rescued us from the terrors of the coming judgment.
I too want to offer you God's grace and peace today. I do thank God for you and pray for you. I pray that your faith will increase and your work with the faith will be evident to all. I pray for your love to show through your deeds all to the glory of God through Jesus Christ.
If you didn't know it, God does love you and has chosen you to be a part of His family. Again, I say that God loves you. He wants you to be a part of His family here on earth and in heaven. The Holy Spirit awaits your invitation to Him so He can bring you power and assurance of what the bible says about you and about your Savior, Jesus Christ. Receive this message with joy and thanksgiving. You will suffer attacks from the devil for accepting and walking in these truths. Count it all joy because Jesus Himself suffered these attacks as well. He will give you strength and endurance through the Holy Spirit to combat all the attacks of the enemy. As a result of your victories you will be an example to all the believers.
Your faith and the exploits of what God does through you will be told in far off lands and will hep encourage and strengthen other believers. They will be speaking of what the Lord has done for you and you will be an example to them. They will know that by your actions you are showing the love, grace and mercy of God the Father through Jesus Christ and in the power of the Holy Spirit. You are looking forward to Jesus coming again and are conducting your lives as such.
Father, this is my prayer for anyone who reads this today. If they don't know You and they don't know that You love them may they come to that knowledge. May they make a decision to follow You and accept the work of Jesus on the cross for their sins. May they confess this belief with their mouth and live their life for You. May they accept the power of the Holy Spirit to change their life and allow them to fully understand and follow what Your Word says about them. I thank You that You first loved us so that we could also love You. I praise You name today and will follow wherever You lead me. Amen.
Numbers 6:24-26 (AMP)
The Lord bless you and watch, guard, and keep you; The Lord make His face to shine upon and enlighten you and be gracious (kind, merciful, and giving favor) to you; The Lord lift up His [approving] countenance upon you and give you peace (tranquility of heart and life continually).
Published by Erik L. Vakula
Daily Bread From the Word
Copyright © 2009 Erik Vakula, All Rights Reserved
Sunday, April 12, 2009
He is Risen!
Matthew 28:1-10
1 Early on Sunday morning, as the new day was dawning, Mary Magdalene and the other Mary went out to visit the tomb.
2 Suddenly there was a great earthquake! For an angel of the Lord came down from heaven, rolled aside the stone, and sat on it. 3 His face shone like lightning, and his clothing was as white as snow. 4 The guards shook with fear when they saw him, and they fell into a dead faint.
5 Then the angel spoke to the women. “Don’t be afraid!” he said. “I know you are looking for Jesus, who was crucified. 6 He isn’t here! He is risen from the dead, just as he said would appen. Come, see where his body was lying. 7 And now, go quickly and tell his disciples that he has risen from the dead, and he is going ahead of you to Galilee. You will see him there. Remember what I have told you.”
8 The women ran quickly from the tomb. They were very frightened but also filled with great joy, and they rushed to give the disciples the angel’s message. 9 And as they went, Jesus met them and greeted them. And they ran to him, grasped his feet, and worshiped him. 10 Then Jesus said to them, “Don’t be afraid! Go tell my brothers to leave for Galilee, and they will see me there.”
Mark 16:1-7
1 Saturday evening, when the Sabbath ended, Mary Magdalene, Mary the mother of James, and Salome went out and purchased burial spices so they could anoint Jesus’ body. 2 Very early on Sunday morning, just at sunrise, they went to the tomb. 3 On the way they were asking each other, “Who will roll away the stone for us from the entrance to the tomb?” 4 But as they arrived, they looked up and saw that the stone, which was very large, had already been rolled aside.
5 When they entered the tomb, they saw a young man clothed in a white robe sitting on the right side. The women were shocked, 6 but the angel said, “Don’t be alarmed. You are looking for Jesus of Nazareth, who was crucified. He isn’t here! He is risen from the dead! Look, this is where they laid his body. 7 Now go and tell his disciples, including Peter, that Jesus is going ahead of you to Galilee. You will see him there, just as he told you before he died.”
Luke 24:1-12
1 But very early on Sunday morning the women went to the tomb, taking the spices they had prepared. 2 They found that the stone had been rolled away from the entrance. 3 So they went in, but they didn’t find the body of the Lord Jesus. 4 As they stood there puzzled, two men suddenly appeared to them, clothed in dazzling robes.
5 The women were terrified and bowed with their faces to the ground. Then the men asked, “Why are you looking among the dead for someone who is alive? 6 He isn’t here! He is risen from the dead! Remember what he told you back in Galilee, 7 that the Son of Man must be betrayed into the hands of sinful men and be crucified, and that he would rise again on the third day.”
8 Then they remembered that he had said this. 9 So they rushed back from the tomb to tell his eleven disciples—and everyone else—what had happened. 10 It was Mary Magdalene, Joanna, Mary the mother of James, and several other women who told the apostles what had happened. 11 But the story sounded like nonsense to the men, so they didn’t believe it. 12 However, Peter jumped up and ran to the tomb to look. Stooping, he peered in and saw the empty linen wrappings; then he went home again, wondering what had happened.
John 20:1-29
1 Early on Sunday morning, while it was still dark, Mary Magdalene came to the tomb and found that the stone had been rolled away from the entrance. 2 She ran and found Simon Peter and the other disciple, the one whom Jesus loved. She said, “They have taken the Lord’s body out of the tomb, and we don’t know where they have put him!”
3 Peter and the other disciple started out for the tomb. 4 They were both running, but the other disciple outran Peter and reached the tomb first. 5 He stooped and looked in and saw the linen wrappings lying there, but he didn’t go in. 6 Then Simon Peter arrived and went inside. He also noticed the linen wrappings lying there, 7 while the cloth that had covered Jesus’ head was folded up and lying apart from the other wrappings. 8 Then the disciple who had reached the tomb first also went in, and he saw and believed—9 for until then they still hadn’t understood the Scriptures that said Jesus must rise from the dead. 10 Then they went home.
11 Mary was standing outside the tomb crying, and as she wept, she stooped and looked in. 12 She saw two white-robed angels, one sitting at the head and the other at the foot of the place where the body of Jesus had been lying. 13 “Dear woman, why are you crying?” the angels asked her.
“Because they have taken away my Lord,” she replied, “and I don’t know where they have put him.”
14 She turned to leave and saw someone standing there. It was Jesus, but she didn’t recognize him. 15 “Dear woman, why are you crying?” Jesus asked her. “Who are you looking for?”
She thought he was the gardener. “Sir,” she said, “if you have taken him away, tell me where you have put him, and I will go and get him.”
16 “Mary!” Jesus said.
She turned to him and cried out, “Rabboni!” (which is Hebrew for “Teacher”).
17 “Don’t cling to me,” Jesus said, “for I haven’t yet ascended to the Father. But go find my brothers and tell them, ‘I am ascending to my Father and your Father, to my God and your God.’”
18 Mary Magdalene found the disciples and told them, “I have seen the Lord!” Then she gave them his message.
19 That Sunday evening the disciples were meeting behind locked doors because they were afraid of the Jewish leaders. Suddenly, Jesus was standing there among them! “Peace be with you,” he said. 20 As he spoke, he showed them the wounds in his hands and his side. They were filled with joy when they saw the Lord! 21 Again he said, “Peace be with you. As the Father has sent me, so I am sending you.” 22 Then he breathed on them and said, “Receive the Holy Spirit. 23 If you forgive anyone’s sins, they are forgiven. If you do not forgive them, they are not forgiven.”
24 One of the twelve disciples, Thomas (nicknamed the Twin), was not with the others when Jesus came. 25 They told him, “We have seen the Lord!”
But he replied, “I won’t believe it unless I see the nail wounds in his hands, put my fingers into them, and place my hand into the wound in 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. “Peace be with you,” he said. 27 Then he said to Thomas, “Put your finger here, and look at my hands. Put your hand into the wound in my side. Don’t be faithless any longer. Believe!”
28 “My Lord and my God!” Thomas exclaimed.
29 Then Jesus told him, “You believe because you have seen me. Blessed are those who believe without seeing me.”
Christ is risen! He has risen indeed! He has overcome death, hell and the grave. Because He lives He can live in me and through me as I follow Him. Satan has lost when he thought he had won. The devil is the biggest loser and today we celebrate because of what Jesus did for us to bring us victory. Thank You Jesus!
Numbers 6:24-26 (AMP)
The Lord bless you and watch, guard, and keep you; The Lord make His face to shine upon and enlighten you and be gracious (kind, merciful, and giving favor) to you; The Lord lift up His [approving] countenance upon you and give you peace (tranquility of heart and life continually).
Published by Erik L. Vakula
Daily Bread From the Word
Copyright © 2009 Erik Vakula, All Rights Reserved
1 Early on Sunday morning, as the new day was dawning, Mary Magdalene and the other Mary went out to visit the tomb.
2 Suddenly there was a great earthquake! For an angel of the Lord came down from heaven, rolled aside the stone, and sat on it. 3 His face shone like lightning, and his clothing was as white as snow. 4 The guards shook with fear when they saw him, and they fell into a dead faint.
5 Then the angel spoke to the women. “Don’t be afraid!” he said. “I know you are looking for Jesus, who was crucified. 6 He isn’t here! He is risen from the dead, just as he said would appen. Come, see where his body was lying. 7 And now, go quickly and tell his disciples that he has risen from the dead, and he is going ahead of you to Galilee. You will see him there. Remember what I have told you.”
8 The women ran quickly from the tomb. They were very frightened but also filled with great joy, and they rushed to give the disciples the angel’s message. 9 And as they went, Jesus met them and greeted them. And they ran to him, grasped his feet, and worshiped him. 10 Then Jesus said to them, “Don’t be afraid! Go tell my brothers to leave for Galilee, and they will see me there.”
Mark 16:1-7
1 Saturday evening, when the Sabbath ended, Mary Magdalene, Mary the mother of James, and Salome went out and purchased burial spices so they could anoint Jesus’ body. 2 Very early on Sunday morning, just at sunrise, they went to the tomb. 3 On the way they were asking each other, “Who will roll away the stone for us from the entrance to the tomb?” 4 But as they arrived, they looked up and saw that the stone, which was very large, had already been rolled aside.
5 When they entered the tomb, they saw a young man clothed in a white robe sitting on the right side. The women were shocked, 6 but the angel said, “Don’t be alarmed. You are looking for Jesus of Nazareth, who was crucified. He isn’t here! He is risen from the dead! Look, this is where they laid his body. 7 Now go and tell his disciples, including Peter, that Jesus is going ahead of you to Galilee. You will see him there, just as he told you before he died.”
Luke 24:1-12
1 But very early on Sunday morning the women went to the tomb, taking the spices they had prepared. 2 They found that the stone had been rolled away from the entrance. 3 So they went in, but they didn’t find the body of the Lord Jesus. 4 As they stood there puzzled, two men suddenly appeared to them, clothed in dazzling robes.
5 The women were terrified and bowed with their faces to the ground. Then the men asked, “Why are you looking among the dead for someone who is alive? 6 He isn’t here! He is risen from the dead! Remember what he told you back in Galilee, 7 that the Son of Man must be betrayed into the hands of sinful men and be crucified, and that he would rise again on the third day.”
8 Then they remembered that he had said this. 9 So they rushed back from the tomb to tell his eleven disciples—and everyone else—what had happened. 10 It was Mary Magdalene, Joanna, Mary the mother of James, and several other women who told the apostles what had happened. 11 But the story sounded like nonsense to the men, so they didn’t believe it. 12 However, Peter jumped up and ran to the tomb to look. Stooping, he peered in and saw the empty linen wrappings; then he went home again, wondering what had happened.
John 20:1-29
1 Early on Sunday morning, while it was still dark, Mary Magdalene came to the tomb and found that the stone had been rolled away from the entrance. 2 She ran and found Simon Peter and the other disciple, the one whom Jesus loved. She said, “They have taken the Lord’s body out of the tomb, and we don’t know where they have put him!”
3 Peter and the other disciple started out for the tomb. 4 They were both running, but the other disciple outran Peter and reached the tomb first. 5 He stooped and looked in and saw the linen wrappings lying there, but he didn’t go in. 6 Then Simon Peter arrived and went inside. He also noticed the linen wrappings lying there, 7 while the cloth that had covered Jesus’ head was folded up and lying apart from the other wrappings. 8 Then the disciple who had reached the tomb first also went in, and he saw and believed—9 for until then they still hadn’t understood the Scriptures that said Jesus must rise from the dead. 10 Then they went home.
11 Mary was standing outside the tomb crying, and as she wept, she stooped and looked in. 12 She saw two white-robed angels, one sitting at the head and the other at the foot of the place where the body of Jesus had been lying. 13 “Dear woman, why are you crying?” the angels asked her.
“Because they have taken away my Lord,” she replied, “and I don’t know where they have put him.”
14 She turned to leave and saw someone standing there. It was Jesus, but she didn’t recognize him. 15 “Dear woman, why are you crying?” Jesus asked her. “Who are you looking for?”
She thought he was the gardener. “Sir,” she said, “if you have taken him away, tell me where you have put him, and I will go and get him.”
16 “Mary!” Jesus said.
She turned to him and cried out, “Rabboni!” (which is Hebrew for “Teacher”).
17 “Don’t cling to me,” Jesus said, “for I haven’t yet ascended to the Father. But go find my brothers and tell them, ‘I am ascending to my Father and your Father, to my God and your God.’”
18 Mary Magdalene found the disciples and told them, “I have seen the Lord!” Then she gave them his message.
19 That Sunday evening the disciples were meeting behind locked doors because they were afraid of the Jewish leaders. Suddenly, Jesus was standing there among them! “Peace be with you,” he said. 20 As he spoke, he showed them the wounds in his hands and his side. They were filled with joy when they saw the Lord! 21 Again he said, “Peace be with you. As the Father has sent me, so I am sending you.” 22 Then he breathed on them and said, “Receive the Holy Spirit. 23 If you forgive anyone’s sins, they are forgiven. If you do not forgive them, they are not forgiven.”
24 One of the twelve disciples, Thomas (nicknamed the Twin), was not with the others when Jesus came. 25 They told him, “We have seen the Lord!”
But he replied, “I won’t believe it unless I see the nail wounds in his hands, put my fingers into them, and place my hand into the wound in 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. “Peace be with you,” he said. 27 Then he said to Thomas, “Put your finger here, and look at my hands. Put your hand into the wound in my side. Don’t be faithless any longer. Believe!”
28 “My Lord and my God!” Thomas exclaimed.
29 Then Jesus told him, “You believe because you have seen me. Blessed are those who believe without seeing me.”
Christ is risen! He has risen indeed! He has overcome death, hell and the grave. Because He lives He can live in me and through me as I follow Him. Satan has lost when he thought he had won. The devil is the biggest loser and today we celebrate because of what Jesus did for us to bring us victory. Thank You Jesus!
Numbers 6:24-26 (AMP)
The Lord bless you and watch, guard, and keep you; The Lord make His face to shine upon and enlighten you and be gracious (kind, merciful, and giving favor) to you; The Lord lift up His [approving] countenance upon you and give you peace (tranquility of heart and life continually).
Published by Erik L. Vakula
Daily Bread From the Word
Copyright © 2009 Erik Vakula, All Rights Reserved
Wednesday, April 8, 2009
Wisdom is Calling
Colossians 4:5-6
5 Live wisely among those who are not believers, and make the most of every opportunity. 6 Let your conversation be gracious and attractive so that you will have the right response for everyone.
These two verses really hit home with what God has been dealing with me on for some time now. He has lead me to read a Proverb a day and to share what I learn from that Proverb. Of course Proverbs is THE best place to find Wisdom. It's no surprise that what I shared today would be what He wanted me to share. Here it is for those who did not see it.
Proverbs 8
1 Listen as Wisdom calls out!
Hear as understanding raises her voice!
2 On the hilltop along the road,
she takes her stand at the crossroads.
3 By the gates at the entrance to the town,
on the road leading in, she cries aloud,
4 “I call to you, to all of you!
I raise my voice to all people.
5 You simple people, use good judgment.
You foolish people, show some understanding.
6 Listen to me! For I have important things to tell you.
Everything I say is right,
7 for I speak the truth
and detest every kind of deception.
8 My advice is wholesome.
There is nothing devious or crooked in it.
9 My words are plain to anyone with understanding,
clear to those with knowledge.
10 Choose my instruction rather than silver,
and knowledge rather than pure gold.
11 For wisdom is far more valuable than rubies.
Nothing you desire can compare with it.
12 “I, Wisdom, live together with good judgment.
I know where to discover knowledge and discernment.
13 All who fear the Lord will hate evil.
Therefore, I hate pride and arrogance,
corruption and perverse speech.
14 Common sense and success belong to me.
Insight and strength are mine.
15 Because of me, kings reign,
and rulers make just decrees.
16 Rulers lead with my help,
and nobles make righteous judgments.
17 “I love all who love me.
Those who search will surely find me.
18 I have riches and honor,
as well as enduring wealth and justice.
19 My gifts are better than gold, even the purest gold,
my wages better than sterling silver!
20 I walk in righteousness,
in paths of justice.
21 Those who love me inherit wealth.
I will fill their treasuries.
22 “The Lord formed me from the beginning,
before he created anything else.
23 I was appointed in ages past,
at the very first, before the earth began.
24 I was born before the oceans were created,
before the springs bubbled forth their waters.
25 Before the mountains were formed,
before the hills, I was born—
26 before he had made the earth and fields
and the first handfuls of soil.
27 I was there when he established the heavens,
when he drew the horizon on the oceans.
28 I was there when he set the clouds above,
when he established springs deep in the earth.
29 I was there when he set the limits of the seas,
so they would not spread beyond their boundaries.
And when he marked off the earth’s foundations,
30 I was the architect at his side.
I was his constant delight,
rejoicing always in his presence.
31 And how happy I was with the world he created;
how I rejoiced with the human family!
32 “And so, my children, listen to me,
for all who follow my ways are joyful.
33 Listen to my instruction and be wise.
Don’t ignore it.
34 Joyful are those who listen to me,
watching for me daily at my gates,
waiting for me outside my home!
35 For whoever finds me finds life
and receives favor from the Lord.
36 But those who miss me injure themselves.
All who hate me love death.”
I actually only shared verses 1-4 but the whole chapter is AWESOME! Can you see the picture here of what God is trying to tell us through these verses? Brother Keith Moore used an illustration to help bring the picture into more clarity. He talks about growing up in Mississippi as a young boy and where they lived they had panthers. One time at night he heard the yelps of a baby panther who was looking for its mother. A few seconds later he heard the mother panther call back. They were a long ways apart. He heard these calls go back and forth until they got close together and then stopped. Then he knew that momma and baby found each other. This is what the Word is telling us that Wisdom does for us. Wisdom is calling out to us. Wisdom wants us to find her and partake of what she knows and can reveal to us. Are you calling back to Wisdom's calls? I pray that you are.
Verse 6 in Colossians 4 instructs us to keep our conversations grace filled and attractive to unbelievers so they know that there is something different about us. If we are pursuing Wisdom and we find Wisdom we will have the language and speak out the truths that will reach the hardened hearts of the unbelievers. God will provide us the opportunities to share His plan of salvation to them and it will sink deep in their hearts and they will commit their lives to the Lord. That is what makes God so attractive to me. It doesn't just throw us to the wolves on our own. He's got our back and provides us with the right words to say that will change the other person's life for eternity. Praise God forever!
Heavenly Father I call out to Wisdom and I find her. In Wisdom I find good judgment and understanding. Everything I hear is right. I hear the truth and her advice is wholesome. She doesn't speak so that I can't understand her. What is taught is more precious than any amount of silver or gold or anything considered precious in this physical world. She lives with good judgment and she knows where to discover knowledge and discernment. She hates pride and arrogance, corruption and perverse speech. Common sense and success belong to her. Insight and strength are hers. She helps kings and rulers lead and make wise decisions. She has riches and honor, enduring wealth and justice. I love Wisdom and will inherit wealth and my treasuries will be filled. Wisdom was here before the world was formed. I am joyful because I follow her and when I find her I find life and receive favor from the Lord. Amen.
Numbers 6:24-26 (AMP)
The Lord bless you and watch, guard, and keep you; The Lord make His face to shine upon and enlighten you and be gracious (kind, merciful, and giving favor) to you; The Lord lift up His [approving] countenance upon you and give you peace (tranquility of heart and life continually).
Published by Erik L. Vakula
Daily Bread From the Word
Copyright © 2009 Erik Vakula, All Rights Reserved
5 Live wisely among those who are not believers, and make the most of every opportunity. 6 Let your conversation be gracious and attractive so that you will have the right response for everyone.
These two verses really hit home with what God has been dealing with me on for some time now. He has lead me to read a Proverb a day and to share what I learn from that Proverb. Of course Proverbs is THE best place to find Wisdom. It's no surprise that what I shared today would be what He wanted me to share. Here it is for those who did not see it.
Proverbs 8
1 Listen as Wisdom calls out!
Hear as understanding raises her voice!
2 On the hilltop along the road,
she takes her stand at the crossroads.
3 By the gates at the entrance to the town,
on the road leading in, she cries aloud,
4 “I call to you, to all of you!
I raise my voice to all people.
5 You simple people, use good judgment.
You foolish people, show some understanding.
6 Listen to me! For I have important things to tell you.
Everything I say is right,
7 for I speak the truth
and detest every kind of deception.
8 My advice is wholesome.
There is nothing devious or crooked in it.
9 My words are plain to anyone with understanding,
clear to those with knowledge.
10 Choose my instruction rather than silver,
and knowledge rather than pure gold.
11 For wisdom is far more valuable than rubies.
Nothing you desire can compare with it.
12 “I, Wisdom, live together with good judgment.
I know where to discover knowledge and discernment.
13 All who fear the Lord will hate evil.
Therefore, I hate pride and arrogance,
corruption and perverse speech.
14 Common sense and success belong to me.
Insight and strength are mine.
15 Because of me, kings reign,
and rulers make just decrees.
16 Rulers lead with my help,
and nobles make righteous judgments.
17 “I love all who love me.
Those who search will surely find me.
18 I have riches and honor,
as well as enduring wealth and justice.
19 My gifts are better than gold, even the purest gold,
my wages better than sterling silver!
20 I walk in righteousness,
in paths of justice.
21 Those who love me inherit wealth.
I will fill their treasuries.
22 “The Lord formed me from the beginning,
before he created anything else.
23 I was appointed in ages past,
at the very first, before the earth began.
24 I was born before the oceans were created,
before the springs bubbled forth their waters.
25 Before the mountains were formed,
before the hills, I was born—
26 before he had made the earth and fields
and the first handfuls of soil.
27 I was there when he established the heavens,
when he drew the horizon on the oceans.
28 I was there when he set the clouds above,
when he established springs deep in the earth.
29 I was there when he set the limits of the seas,
so they would not spread beyond their boundaries.
And when he marked off the earth’s foundations,
30 I was the architect at his side.
I was his constant delight,
rejoicing always in his presence.
31 And how happy I was with the world he created;
how I rejoiced with the human family!
32 “And so, my children, listen to me,
for all who follow my ways are joyful.
33 Listen to my instruction and be wise.
Don’t ignore it.
34 Joyful are those who listen to me,
watching for me daily at my gates,
waiting for me outside my home!
35 For whoever finds me finds life
and receives favor from the Lord.
36 But those who miss me injure themselves.
All who hate me love death.”
I actually only shared verses 1-4 but the whole chapter is AWESOME! Can you see the picture here of what God is trying to tell us through these verses? Brother Keith Moore used an illustration to help bring the picture into more clarity. He talks about growing up in Mississippi as a young boy and where they lived they had panthers. One time at night he heard the yelps of a baby panther who was looking for its mother. A few seconds later he heard the mother panther call back. They were a long ways apart. He heard these calls go back and forth until they got close together and then stopped. Then he knew that momma and baby found each other. This is what the Word is telling us that Wisdom does for us. Wisdom is calling out to us. Wisdom wants us to find her and partake of what she knows and can reveal to us. Are you calling back to Wisdom's calls? I pray that you are.
Verse 6 in Colossians 4 instructs us to keep our conversations grace filled and attractive to unbelievers so they know that there is something different about us. If we are pursuing Wisdom and we find Wisdom we will have the language and speak out the truths that will reach the hardened hearts of the unbelievers. God will provide us the opportunities to share His plan of salvation to them and it will sink deep in their hearts and they will commit their lives to the Lord. That is what makes God so attractive to me. It doesn't just throw us to the wolves on our own. He's got our back and provides us with the right words to say that will change the other person's life for eternity. Praise God forever!
Heavenly Father I call out to Wisdom and I find her. In Wisdom I find good judgment and understanding. Everything I hear is right. I hear the truth and her advice is wholesome. She doesn't speak so that I can't understand her. What is taught is more precious than any amount of silver or gold or anything considered precious in this physical world. She lives with good judgment and she knows where to discover knowledge and discernment. She hates pride and arrogance, corruption and perverse speech. Common sense and success belong to her. Insight and strength are hers. She helps kings and rulers lead and make wise decisions. She has riches and honor, enduring wealth and justice. I love Wisdom and will inherit wealth and my treasuries will be filled. Wisdom was here before the world was formed. I am joyful because I follow her and when I find her I find life and receive favor from the Lord. Amen.
Numbers 6:24-26 (AMP)
The Lord bless you and watch, guard, and keep you; The Lord make His face to shine upon and enlighten you and be gracious (kind, merciful, and giving favor) to you; The Lord lift up His [approving] countenance upon you and give you peace (tranquility of heart and life continually).
Published by Erik L. Vakula
Daily Bread From the Word
Copyright © 2009 Erik Vakula, All Rights Reserved
Tuesday, April 7, 2009
Living the New Life
Colossians 3:1-17
1 Since you have been raised to new life with Christ, set your sights on the realities of heaven, where Christ sits in the place of honor at God’s right hand. 2 Think about the things of heaven, not the things of earth. 3 For you died to this life, and your real life is hidden with Christ in God. 4 And when Christ, who is your life, is revealed to the whole world, you will share in all his glory.
5 So put to death the sinful, earthly things lurking within you. Have nothing to do with sexual immorality, impurity, lust, and evil desires. Don’t be greedy, for a greedy person is an idolater, worshiping the things of this world. 6 Because of these sins, the anger of God is coming. 7 You used to do these things when your life was still part of this world. 8 But now is the time to get rid of anger, rage, malicious behavior, slander, and dirty language. 9 Don’t lie to each other, for you have stripped off your old sinful nature and all its wicked deeds. 10 Put on your new nature, and be renewed as you learn to know your Creator and become like him. 11 In this new life, it doesn’t matter if you are a Jew or a Gentile, circumcised or uncircumcised, barbaric, uncivilized, slave, or free. Christ is all that matters, and he lives in all of us.
12 Since God chose you to be the holy people he loves, you must clothe yourselves with tenderhearted mercy, kindness, humility, gentleness, and patience. 13 Make allowance for each other’s faults, and forgive anyone who offends you. Remember, the Lord forgave you, so you must forgive others. 14 Above all, clothe yourselves with love, which binds us all together in perfect harmony. 15 And let the peace that comes from Christ rule in your hearts. For as members of one body you are called to live in peace. And always be thankful.
16 Let the message about Christ, in all its richness, fill your lives. Teach and counsel each other with all the wisdom he gives. Sing psalms and hymns and spiritual songs to God with thankful hearts. 17 And whatever you do or say, do it as a representative of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks through him to God the Father.
In the discipleship group that the Lord had me start we have discussed off and on the past few weeks a book by John Bevere entitled, "Driven by Eternity". These verses remind me of the idea in that book. Most Christians don't have an eternal perspective for their lives and what they are doing for the Lord. When we develop that eternal perspective that God has implanted on the inside of us we reveal the plan for our lives and can then seek wisdom and understanding from God on how to carry out His plan for us.
The first four verses here are really a powerful wake-up call to everyone who confesses to be a Christian, regardless of denominational ties. These verses aren't only speaking to catholics or lutherans or pentacostals. If you enjoy the new life in Christ by accepting His actions on the cross for your sins and have confessed that belief to someone else, then these verses apply to you.
Verses 5-9 really let us know what it is that our sinful nature desires to do so we can identify them and run from them. Notice that verse 7 tells us we don't have to give in to those desires. It says, "You USED to do these things". That means we do not have to be powerless to the flesh. Our spirit, if properly filled with the Holy Spirit, should be our guide and our benchmark for what we should do, how we should act, what we should say, etc. These five verses indicate just where our flesh wants to go and all of these directions lead to death and separation from God.
Verses 10 and 11 really hit home and let us know what we should do every second of every day. We should be putting on our new nature of living in the spirit and we will be renewed as we learn more and more about God and His plans for us and will become more and more like Him. In our new life as we do these things you see in verse 11 that this emphatically lets you know that this applies to everyone. Christ is all that matters and upon receiving Him as your Lord and Savior He lives in you. Your spirit man needs to be fed just like your body needs to be fed. I believe Jesus told us how we feed that spirit man in Matthew 4:4:
4 But Jesus told him, “No! The Scriptures say,
‘People do not live by bread alone,
but by every word that comes from the mouth of God.’”
Jesus was speaking to the devil in these verses. That is appropriate because it is from the devil that all of our evil desires come from. It is through his rebellion and disobedience that he led Adam and Eve to stray and give ownership of this physical world to the devil until Jesus comes back.
Luke 19:10 (AMP)
10For the Son of Man came to seek and to save that which was lost.
Notice here that Jesus cam to save THAT which was lost. What was lost through the sin of Adam and Eve? Communion, harmony, right living, closeness, fellowship and relationship with God the Father. Once they sinned they could not approach God anymore as they did prior to and until Jesus came to die for our sins man could not talk to God without going through a priest or a prophet. What Jesus came to earth and did for us was open up a dialogue between us and God directly because of Jesus' sacrifice. God sees us as He did Adam and Eve before their sin. He sees us as perfect and blameless when we accept Jesus and confess our sins. He forgets them as if they never happened. We can commune with Him on a personal level and get the direction and guidance we need to live in our Garden of Eden He has planned for us.
Verse 12 shows us the reality of what I was just discussing. God chose us to be holy people He loves! Praise God! We will clothe ourselves with mercy, kindness, humility, gentleness and patience when we follow His plan for us. Verse 13 is probably one of the biggest areas most Christians need to think about and really seek God's guidance and direction for in their lives. "Make allowance for each other’s faults, and forgive anyone who offends you. Remember, the Lord forgave you, so you must forgive others." I think that Jesus also has taught us this by His words:
Matthew 6:12 (AMP)
12And forgive us our debts, as we also have forgiven (left, remitted, and let go of the debts, and have given up resentment against) our debtors.
Matthew 6:12 (NLT)
12 and forgive us our sins,
as we have forgiven those who sin against us.
How can we expect God to forgive us our sins when we are not always ready to forgive others. We try to justify our unforgiveness by ranking the level of hurt that the sin against us caused. We feel that if someone hurt us so badly that they don't deserve to be forgiven for their actions. An example would be if someone murdered my son and I chose not to forgive the person who did it because of what they did to me and my family. That would be an issue between myself and God. God would not see me as righteous and would not commune with me or share His plan with me, other than His plan for me to forgive so I could be forgiven.
Matthew 6:14-15
14 “If you forgive those who sin against you, your heavenly Father will forgive you. 15 But if you refuse to forgive others, your Father will not forgive your sins."
Those are the word of Jesus Himself to let us know that unforgiveness on our part is a hindrance to our being forgiven by God for our sins. Verse 14 shows us the path to unforgiveness, love. Clothing ourselves in love allows us to forgive others. Love binds us together and lets the peace of Christ rule in our hearts. We are called to live in peace and the only way to accomplish that is if we have truly forgiven those who have sinned or hurt us. If we don't let go and forgive, then we harbor resentment, which turns to bitterness. That doesn't sound a whole lot like what God has planned for us.
Verses 16 and 17 are a great way to finish off today's journey into the Word. Let the message of Christ fill our lives. It is rich and wonderful to read about Jesus and to understand just what He did for us on the cross. We are to help others by teaching and counseling them with all the wisdom that God gives through His Word. We are to sing to god with thankful hearts and rejoice in His majesty and splendor. Verse 17 really sets the tone for us as to when we do all these things. Do we do them just on Sundays? Do we do them just when we are at church? No and no. "And whatever you do or say, do it as a representative of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks through him to God the Father." Whatever you do or say would tell me that it is wherever I am and whatever I am doing. 24/7/365. I should also be reminded about what the Word says on how I can do this.
Joshua 1:7-9
7 Be strong and very courageous. Be careful to obey all the instructions Moses gave you. Do not deviate from them, turning either to the right or to the left. Then you will be successful in everything you do. 8 Study this Book of Instruction continually. Meditate on it day and night so you will be sure to obey everything written in it. Only then will you prosper and succeed in all you do. 9 This is my command—be strong and courageous! Do not be afraid or discouraged. For the Lord your God is with you wherever you go.”
Let's strive to study the Word continually and meditate on it day and night so we will be sure to obey everything written in it. Only then will we prosper and succeed in everything we do and say. Praise God Forever!
Numbers 6:24-26 (AMP)
The Lord bless you and watch, guard, and keep you; The Lord make His face to shine upon and enlighten you and be gracious (kind, merciful, and giving favor) to you; The Lord lift up His [approving] countenance upon you and give you peace (tranquility of heart and life continually).
Published by Erik L. Vakula
Daily Bread From the Word
Copyright © 2009 Erik Vakula, All Rights Reserved
1 Since you have been raised to new life with Christ, set your sights on the realities of heaven, where Christ sits in the place of honor at God’s right hand. 2 Think about the things of heaven, not the things of earth. 3 For you died to this life, and your real life is hidden with Christ in God. 4 And when Christ, who is your life, is revealed to the whole world, you will share in all his glory.
5 So put to death the sinful, earthly things lurking within you. Have nothing to do with sexual immorality, impurity, lust, and evil desires. Don’t be greedy, for a greedy person is an idolater, worshiping the things of this world. 6 Because of these sins, the anger of God is coming. 7 You used to do these things when your life was still part of this world. 8 But now is the time to get rid of anger, rage, malicious behavior, slander, and dirty language. 9 Don’t lie to each other, for you have stripped off your old sinful nature and all its wicked deeds. 10 Put on your new nature, and be renewed as you learn to know your Creator and become like him. 11 In this new life, it doesn’t matter if you are a Jew or a Gentile, circumcised or uncircumcised, barbaric, uncivilized, slave, or free. Christ is all that matters, and he lives in all of us.
12 Since God chose you to be the holy people he loves, you must clothe yourselves with tenderhearted mercy, kindness, humility, gentleness, and patience. 13 Make allowance for each other’s faults, and forgive anyone who offends you. Remember, the Lord forgave you, so you must forgive others. 14 Above all, clothe yourselves with love, which binds us all together in perfect harmony. 15 And let the peace that comes from Christ rule in your hearts. For as members of one body you are called to live in peace. And always be thankful.
16 Let the message about Christ, in all its richness, fill your lives. Teach and counsel each other with all the wisdom he gives. Sing psalms and hymns and spiritual songs to God with thankful hearts. 17 And whatever you do or say, do it as a representative of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks through him to God the Father.
In the discipleship group that the Lord had me start we have discussed off and on the past few weeks a book by John Bevere entitled, "Driven by Eternity". These verses remind me of the idea in that book. Most Christians don't have an eternal perspective for their lives and what they are doing for the Lord. When we develop that eternal perspective that God has implanted on the inside of us we reveal the plan for our lives and can then seek wisdom and understanding from God on how to carry out His plan for us.
The first four verses here are really a powerful wake-up call to everyone who confesses to be a Christian, regardless of denominational ties. These verses aren't only speaking to catholics or lutherans or pentacostals. If you enjoy the new life in Christ by accepting His actions on the cross for your sins and have confessed that belief to someone else, then these verses apply to you.
Verses 5-9 really let us know what it is that our sinful nature desires to do so we can identify them and run from them. Notice that verse 7 tells us we don't have to give in to those desires. It says, "You USED to do these things". That means we do not have to be powerless to the flesh. Our spirit, if properly filled with the Holy Spirit, should be our guide and our benchmark for what we should do, how we should act, what we should say, etc. These five verses indicate just where our flesh wants to go and all of these directions lead to death and separation from God.
Verses 10 and 11 really hit home and let us know what we should do every second of every day. We should be putting on our new nature of living in the spirit and we will be renewed as we learn more and more about God and His plans for us and will become more and more like Him. In our new life as we do these things you see in verse 11 that this emphatically lets you know that this applies to everyone. Christ is all that matters and upon receiving Him as your Lord and Savior He lives in you. Your spirit man needs to be fed just like your body needs to be fed. I believe Jesus told us how we feed that spirit man in Matthew 4:4:
4 But Jesus told him, “No! The Scriptures say,
‘People do not live by bread alone,
but by every word that comes from the mouth of God.’”
Jesus was speaking to the devil in these verses. That is appropriate because it is from the devil that all of our evil desires come from. It is through his rebellion and disobedience that he led Adam and Eve to stray and give ownership of this physical world to the devil until Jesus comes back.
Luke 19:10 (AMP)
10For the Son of Man came to seek and to save that which was lost.
Notice here that Jesus cam to save THAT which was lost. What was lost through the sin of Adam and Eve? Communion, harmony, right living, closeness, fellowship and relationship with God the Father. Once they sinned they could not approach God anymore as they did prior to and until Jesus came to die for our sins man could not talk to God without going through a priest or a prophet. What Jesus came to earth and did for us was open up a dialogue between us and God directly because of Jesus' sacrifice. God sees us as He did Adam and Eve before their sin. He sees us as perfect and blameless when we accept Jesus and confess our sins. He forgets them as if they never happened. We can commune with Him on a personal level and get the direction and guidance we need to live in our Garden of Eden He has planned for us.
Verse 12 shows us the reality of what I was just discussing. God chose us to be holy people He loves! Praise God! We will clothe ourselves with mercy, kindness, humility, gentleness and patience when we follow His plan for us. Verse 13 is probably one of the biggest areas most Christians need to think about and really seek God's guidance and direction for in their lives. "Make allowance for each other’s faults, and forgive anyone who offends you. Remember, the Lord forgave you, so you must forgive others." I think that Jesus also has taught us this by His words:
Matthew 6:12 (AMP)
12And forgive us our debts, as we also have forgiven (left, remitted, and let go of the debts, and have given up resentment against) our debtors.
Matthew 6:12 (NLT)
12 and forgive us our sins,
as we have forgiven those who sin against us.
How can we expect God to forgive us our sins when we are not always ready to forgive others. We try to justify our unforgiveness by ranking the level of hurt that the sin against us caused. We feel that if someone hurt us so badly that they don't deserve to be forgiven for their actions. An example would be if someone murdered my son and I chose not to forgive the person who did it because of what they did to me and my family. That would be an issue between myself and God. God would not see me as righteous and would not commune with me or share His plan with me, other than His plan for me to forgive so I could be forgiven.
Matthew 6:14-15
14 “If you forgive those who sin against you, your heavenly Father will forgive you. 15 But if you refuse to forgive others, your Father will not forgive your sins."
Those are the word of Jesus Himself to let us know that unforgiveness on our part is a hindrance to our being forgiven by God for our sins. Verse 14 shows us the path to unforgiveness, love. Clothing ourselves in love allows us to forgive others. Love binds us together and lets the peace of Christ rule in our hearts. We are called to live in peace and the only way to accomplish that is if we have truly forgiven those who have sinned or hurt us. If we don't let go and forgive, then we harbor resentment, which turns to bitterness. That doesn't sound a whole lot like what God has planned for us.
Verses 16 and 17 are a great way to finish off today's journey into the Word. Let the message of Christ fill our lives. It is rich and wonderful to read about Jesus and to understand just what He did for us on the cross. We are to help others by teaching and counseling them with all the wisdom that God gives through His Word. We are to sing to god with thankful hearts and rejoice in His majesty and splendor. Verse 17 really sets the tone for us as to when we do all these things. Do we do them just on Sundays? Do we do them just when we are at church? No and no. "And whatever you do or say, do it as a representative of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks through him to God the Father." Whatever you do or say would tell me that it is wherever I am and whatever I am doing. 24/7/365. I should also be reminded about what the Word says on how I can do this.
Joshua 1:7-9
7 Be strong and very courageous. Be careful to obey all the instructions Moses gave you. Do not deviate from them, turning either to the right or to the left. Then you will be successful in everything you do. 8 Study this Book of Instruction continually. Meditate on it day and night so you will be sure to obey everything written in it. Only then will you prosper and succeed in all you do. 9 This is my command—be strong and courageous! Do not be afraid or discouraged. For the Lord your God is with you wherever you go.”
Let's strive to study the Word continually and meditate on it day and night so we will be sure to obey everything written in it. Only then will we prosper and succeed in everything we do and say. Praise God Forever!
Numbers 6:24-26 (AMP)
The Lord bless you and watch, guard, and keep you; The Lord make His face to shine upon and enlighten you and be gracious (kind, merciful, and giving favor) to you; The Lord lift up His [approving] countenance upon you and give you peace (tranquility of heart and life continually).
Published by Erik L. Vakula
Daily Bread From the Word
Copyright © 2009 Erik Vakula, All Rights Reserved
Monday, April 6, 2009
Freedom is Yours
Colossians 2:6-15
6 And now, just as you accepted Christ Jesus as your Lord, you must continue to follow him. 7 Let your roots grow down into him, and let your lives be built on him. Then your faith will grow strong in the truth you were taught, and you will overflow with thankfulness.
8 Don’t let anyone capture you with empty philosophies and high-sounding nonsense that come from human thinking and from the spiritual powers of this world, rather than from Christ. 9 For in Christ lives all the fullness of God in a human body. 10 So you also are complete through your union with Christ, who is the head over every ruler and authority.
11 When you came to Christ, you were “circumcised,” but not by a physical procedure. Christ performed a spiritual circumcision—the cutting away of your sinful nature. 12 For you were buried with Christ when you were baptized. And with him you were raised to new life because you trusted the mighty power of God, who raised Christ from the dead.
13 You were dead because of your sins and because your sinful nature was not yet cut away. Then God made you alive with Christ, for he forgave all our sins. 14 He canceled the record of the charges against us and took it away by nailing it to the cross. 15 In this way, he disarmed the spiritual rulers and authorities. He shamed them publicly by his victory over them on the cross.
Notice here in verse 6 that our decision to follow Christ by accepting the work He did for us on the cross is not the end, but the beginning. We are encouraged to continue to follow Him. Verse 7 expounds on that and it tells us that we need to not just follow Him, but we are to let our roots grow into Him. Plants don't grow deep roots if they are moved around alot. They can't develop a good root structure if they are and then they are succeptible to winds and storms. When we have deep roots in Christ we will grow strong in faith and our lives will overflow with thankfulness for what He did for us. Praise God!
Verse 8 is a reminder of what trap we can fall into if we are fully grounded on Christ and Christ alone. If you don't have deep roots in the way of truth through Christ you are then not going to be strong in your faith and can easily be persuaded by the teaching of man through the devil. Christ lived in a human body so we could have an example of how to live on this planet without sin and do what we do by following the Holy Spirit. In our union with Christ we are made complete and fall under His leadership and authority through the Holy Spirit.
I am so thankful that I went through spiritual circumcision when I accepted Christ and that my sinful nature does not control me to the extent it did before. It does rise up and I do battle it on a daily basis. Notice that we were buried with Christ through baptism and it is our faith that allows to be raised to new life. It's not a physical procedure nor is it something we can do by how we act or what we say. It is all by faith.
Verse 13 assures us that when we go through the circumcision of the spirit that all of our sins are forgiven. Verse 14 also goes on to say that our record of our sins in canceled when Jesus was nailed on the cross. PRAISE GOD FOREVER!
The devil and his angels have no power over us spiritually because of the actions of Jesus. They were publicly shamed by His victory over them on the cross. What they thought was their biggest victory was actually their largest defeat. The devil is the loser of losers. He always will be. We are the victorious through Christ and His actions for us. That is what I call true freedom!
Numbers 6:24-26 (AMP)
The Lord bless you and watch, guard, and keep you; The Lord make His face to shine upon and enlighten you and be gracious (kind, merciful, and giving favor) to you; The Lord lift up His [approving] countenance upon you and give you peace (tranquility of heart and life continually).
Published by Erik L. Vakula
Daily Bread From the Word
Copyright © 2009 Erik Vakula, All Rights Reserved
6 And now, just as you accepted Christ Jesus as your Lord, you must continue to follow him. 7 Let your roots grow down into him, and let your lives be built on him. Then your faith will grow strong in the truth you were taught, and you will overflow with thankfulness.
8 Don’t let anyone capture you with empty philosophies and high-sounding nonsense that come from human thinking and from the spiritual powers of this world, rather than from Christ. 9 For in Christ lives all the fullness of God in a human body. 10 So you also are complete through your union with Christ, who is the head over every ruler and authority.
11 When you came to Christ, you were “circumcised,” but not by a physical procedure. Christ performed a spiritual circumcision—the cutting away of your sinful nature. 12 For you were buried with Christ when you were baptized. And with him you were raised to new life because you trusted the mighty power of God, who raised Christ from the dead.
13 You were dead because of your sins and because your sinful nature was not yet cut away. Then God made you alive with Christ, for he forgave all our sins. 14 He canceled the record of the charges against us and took it away by nailing it to the cross. 15 In this way, he disarmed the spiritual rulers and authorities. He shamed them publicly by his victory over them on the cross.
Notice here in verse 6 that our decision to follow Christ by accepting the work He did for us on the cross is not the end, but the beginning. We are encouraged to continue to follow Him. Verse 7 expounds on that and it tells us that we need to not just follow Him, but we are to let our roots grow into Him. Plants don't grow deep roots if they are moved around alot. They can't develop a good root structure if they are and then they are succeptible to winds and storms. When we have deep roots in Christ we will grow strong in faith and our lives will overflow with thankfulness for what He did for us. Praise God!
Verse 8 is a reminder of what trap we can fall into if we are fully grounded on Christ and Christ alone. If you don't have deep roots in the way of truth through Christ you are then not going to be strong in your faith and can easily be persuaded by the teaching of man through the devil. Christ lived in a human body so we could have an example of how to live on this planet without sin and do what we do by following the Holy Spirit. In our union with Christ we are made complete and fall under His leadership and authority through the Holy Spirit.
I am so thankful that I went through spiritual circumcision when I accepted Christ and that my sinful nature does not control me to the extent it did before. It does rise up and I do battle it on a daily basis. Notice that we were buried with Christ through baptism and it is our faith that allows to be raised to new life. It's not a physical procedure nor is it something we can do by how we act or what we say. It is all by faith.
Verse 13 assures us that when we go through the circumcision of the spirit that all of our sins are forgiven. Verse 14 also goes on to say that our record of our sins in canceled when Jesus was nailed on the cross. PRAISE GOD FOREVER!
The devil and his angels have no power over us spiritually because of the actions of Jesus. They were publicly shamed by His victory over them on the cross. What they thought was their biggest victory was actually their largest defeat. The devil is the loser of losers. He always will be. We are the victorious through Christ and His actions for us. That is what I call true freedom!
Numbers 6:24-26 (AMP)
The Lord bless you and watch, guard, and keep you; The Lord make His face to shine upon and enlighten you and be gracious (kind, merciful, and giving favor) to you; The Lord lift up His [approving] countenance upon you and give you peace (tranquility of heart and life continually).
Published by Erik L. Vakula
Daily Bread From the Word
Copyright © 2009 Erik Vakula, All Rights Reserved
Sunday, April 5, 2009
Thankful
Colossians 1:3-6, 9-14
3 We always pray for you, and we give thanks to God, the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ. 4 For we have heard of your faith in Christ Jesus and your love for all of God’s people, 5 which come from your confident hope of what God has reserved for you in heaven. You have had this expectation ever since you first heard the truth of the Good News.
6 This same Good News that came to you is going out all over the world. It is bearing fruit everywhere by changing lives, just as it changed your lives from the day you first heard and understood the truth about God’s wonderful grace.
9 So we have not stopped praying for you since we first heard about you. We ask God to give you complete knowledge of his will and to give you spiritual wisdom and understanding. 10 Then the way you live will always honor and please the Lord, and your lives will produce every kind of good fruit. All the while, you will grow as you learn to know God better and better.
11 We also pray that you will be strengthened with all his glorious power so you will have all the endurance and patience you need. May you be filled with joy, 12 always thanking the Father. He has enabled you to share in the inheritance that belongs to his people, who live in the light. 13 For he has rescued us from the kingdom of darkness and transferred us into the Kingdom of his dear Son, 14 who purchased our freedom and forgave our sins.
This is my prayer for all who believe in Jesus Christ today and what He has completed for them on the cross so they might enjoy everlasting life in heaven with Him. I am so thankful for having faith in Him and for being a part of a church body that teaches the Word. Not only do we get the Word preached to us but we get it in a way that brings meat and potatoes to our lives when most preachers want to give you the appetizers that don't fill your soul. Our pastors reveal things to us through the Holy Spirit about how the Word can help us on our walk with the Lord on a daily basis. We get exposed to many different pastors from all over the country and they put deposits into our spiritual accounts that can't be measured except through the fruit that abounds when we apply that which we have learned.
I am so grateful that God cares enough about me to have sought me out before I even knew Him. He loved me enough to create me in a way so that the gifts He has given me can be used to reach others and they might know of His saving grace. Praise God!
Father I love You and look forward to spending time with You each day. I learn more from Your Word each day and love to share the insights You give to me about Your Word and how I can apply it to my life. Thank You for loving me and thinking of me when Jesus died on the cross for my sins. I confess those sins to You now and claim Your forgiveness through Jesus Christ's shed blood for me. I thank You that I can approach You and talk directly to You. I praise You today and want to see You exalted in everything I do. Amen.
Numbers 6:24-26 (AMP)
The Lord bless you and watch, guard, and keep you; The Lord make His face to shine upon and enlighten you and be gracious (kind, merciful, and giving favor) to you; The Lord lift up His [approving] countenance upon you and give you peace (tranquility of heart and life continually).
Published by Erik L. Vakula
Daily Bread From the Word
Copyright © 2009 Erik Vakula, All Rights Reserved
3 We always pray for you, and we give thanks to God, the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ. 4 For we have heard of your faith in Christ Jesus and your love for all of God’s people, 5 which come from your confident hope of what God has reserved for you in heaven. You have had this expectation ever since you first heard the truth of the Good News.
6 This same Good News that came to you is going out all over the world. It is bearing fruit everywhere by changing lives, just as it changed your lives from the day you first heard and understood the truth about God’s wonderful grace.
9 So we have not stopped praying for you since we first heard about you. We ask God to give you complete knowledge of his will and to give you spiritual wisdom and understanding. 10 Then the way you live will always honor and please the Lord, and your lives will produce every kind of good fruit. All the while, you will grow as you learn to know God better and better.
11 We also pray that you will be strengthened with all his glorious power so you will have all the endurance and patience you need. May you be filled with joy, 12 always thanking the Father. He has enabled you to share in the inheritance that belongs to his people, who live in the light. 13 For he has rescued us from the kingdom of darkness and transferred us into the Kingdom of his dear Son, 14 who purchased our freedom and forgave our sins.
This is my prayer for all who believe in Jesus Christ today and what He has completed for them on the cross so they might enjoy everlasting life in heaven with Him. I am so thankful for having faith in Him and for being a part of a church body that teaches the Word. Not only do we get the Word preached to us but we get it in a way that brings meat and potatoes to our lives when most preachers want to give you the appetizers that don't fill your soul. Our pastors reveal things to us through the Holy Spirit about how the Word can help us on our walk with the Lord on a daily basis. We get exposed to many different pastors from all over the country and they put deposits into our spiritual accounts that can't be measured except through the fruit that abounds when we apply that which we have learned.
I am so grateful that God cares enough about me to have sought me out before I even knew Him. He loved me enough to create me in a way so that the gifts He has given me can be used to reach others and they might know of His saving grace. Praise God!
Father I love You and look forward to spending time with You each day. I learn more from Your Word each day and love to share the insights You give to me about Your Word and how I can apply it to my life. Thank You for loving me and thinking of me when Jesus died on the cross for my sins. I confess those sins to You now and claim Your forgiveness through Jesus Christ's shed blood for me. I thank You that I can approach You and talk directly to You. I praise You today and want to see You exalted in everything I do. Amen.
Numbers 6:24-26 (AMP)
The Lord bless you and watch, guard, and keep you; The Lord make His face to shine upon and enlighten you and be gracious (kind, merciful, and giving favor) to you; The Lord lift up His [approving] countenance upon you and give you peace (tranquility of heart and life continually).
Published by Erik L. Vakula
Daily Bread From the Word
Copyright © 2009 Erik Vakula, All Rights Reserved
Saturday, April 4, 2009
Peace, What Peace?
Philippians 4:1, 4-9
1 Therefore, my dear brothers and sisters, stay true to the Lord. I love you and long to see you, dear friends, for you are my joy and the crown I receive for my work.
4 Always be full of joy in the Lord. I say it again—rejoice! 5 Let everyone see that you are considerate in all you do. Remember, the Lord is coming soon.
6 Don’t worry about anything; instead, pray about everything. Tell God what you need, and thank him for all he has done. 7 Then you will experience God’s peace, which exceeds anything we can understand. His peace will guard your hearts and minds as you live in Christ Jesus.
8 And now, dear brothers and sisters, one final thing. Fix your thoughts on what is true, and honorable, and right, and pure, and lovely, and admirable. Think about things that are excellent and worthy of praise. 9 Keep putting into practice all you learned and received from me—everything you heard from me and saw me doing. Then the God of peace will be with you.
Verse 1 is a cry from my heart as well to my friends. I do not get to see most of them as much as I would like to.
I like the Amplified version of verse 4, "Rejoice in the Lord always [delight, gladden yourselves in Him]; again I say, Rejoice!" Notice it says "always". It doesn't say when you are happy. It doesn't say when everything is going your way. It doesn't say when you feel like it. It says ALWAYS. That means ALWAYS! When we consider that no matter what happens to us on a daily basis or even over our entire lifetime, if we are in Christ we win in the end. Why not rejoice over that?
Verse 5 in the Amplified gives some more clarity, "Let all men know and perceive and recognize your unselfishness (your considerateness, your forbearing spirit). The Lord is near [He is coming soon]." Everyone should be able to witness, understand and acknowledge our unselfishness, considerateness and our forgiving spirit. If they can't see it in you, why should they listen to your words? A sermon is better caught than taught.
Verse 6 is a reminder again for those who are worry warts. When you worry about things you are focusing on the negative aspect of the circumstance that is contrary to God's Word. In other words, you don't believe God and choose to listen to what the devil is saying. Tell God what you need and thank Him for everything He has done for you in the past. When you develop this type of attitude you can then have what verse 7 talks about, God's peace. This would be the same peace that Jesus talks about in this verse:
John 14:27 (AMP)
Peace I leave with you; My [own] peace I now give and bequeath to you. Not as the world gives do I give to you. Do not let your hearts be troubled, neither let them be afraid. [Stop allowing yourselves to be agitated and disturbed; and do not permit yourselves to be fearful and intimidated and cowardly and unsettled.]
Notice that God's peace exceeds anything we can understand or contemplate on our own. His peace will guard our hearts and minds and protect us from the devil's schemes to get us into worry and despair.
What verse 8 is talking about can be summed up with these words, Think about God, think about His Word, think about Jesus. These are the things to keep in our hearts and our minds. If we truly love Him with ALL our heart, ALL our mind and ALL our strength, then that is what we will think about. That is what we will give our praise and worship to. That is the life we will live. Those are the benefits we will experience.
Verse 9 reminds us again that it is not only lip service to what we are taught in the Word. We must put into action what our faith is, otherwise our faith is dead. When we do those things then we know we will live in the peace of God and that peace will exceed anything we could ever hope to create for ourselves. Amen.
Numbers 6:24-26 (AMP)
The Lord bless you and watch, guard, and keep you; The Lord make His face to shine upon and enlighten you and be gracious (kind, merciful, and giving favor) to you; The Lord lift up His [approving] countenance upon you and give you peace (tranquility of heart and life continually).
Published by Erik L. Vakula
Daily Bread From the Word
Copyright © 2009 Erik Vakula, All Rights Reserved
1 Therefore, my dear brothers and sisters, stay true to the Lord. I love you and long to see you, dear friends, for you are my joy and the crown I receive for my work.
4 Always be full of joy in the Lord. I say it again—rejoice! 5 Let everyone see that you are considerate in all you do. Remember, the Lord is coming soon.
6 Don’t worry about anything; instead, pray about everything. Tell God what you need, and thank him for all he has done. 7 Then you will experience God’s peace, which exceeds anything we can understand. His peace will guard your hearts and minds as you live in Christ Jesus.
8 And now, dear brothers and sisters, one final thing. Fix your thoughts on what is true, and honorable, and right, and pure, and lovely, and admirable. Think about things that are excellent and worthy of praise. 9 Keep putting into practice all you learned and received from me—everything you heard from me and saw me doing. Then the God of peace will be with you.
Verse 1 is a cry from my heart as well to my friends. I do not get to see most of them as much as I would like to.
I like the Amplified version of verse 4, "Rejoice in the Lord always [delight, gladden yourselves in Him]; again I say, Rejoice!" Notice it says "always". It doesn't say when you are happy. It doesn't say when everything is going your way. It doesn't say when you feel like it. It says ALWAYS. That means ALWAYS! When we consider that no matter what happens to us on a daily basis or even over our entire lifetime, if we are in Christ we win in the end. Why not rejoice over that?
Verse 5 in the Amplified gives some more clarity, "Let all men know and perceive and recognize your unselfishness (your considerateness, your forbearing spirit). The Lord is near [He is coming soon]." Everyone should be able to witness, understand and acknowledge our unselfishness, considerateness and our forgiving spirit. If they can't see it in you, why should they listen to your words? A sermon is better caught than taught.
Verse 6 is a reminder again for those who are worry warts. When you worry about things you are focusing on the negative aspect of the circumstance that is contrary to God's Word. In other words, you don't believe God and choose to listen to what the devil is saying. Tell God what you need and thank Him for everything He has done for you in the past. When you develop this type of attitude you can then have what verse 7 talks about, God's peace. This would be the same peace that Jesus talks about in this verse:
John 14:27 (AMP)
Peace I leave with you; My [own] peace I now give and bequeath to you. Not as the world gives do I give to you. Do not let your hearts be troubled, neither let them be afraid. [Stop allowing yourselves to be agitated and disturbed; and do not permit yourselves to be fearful and intimidated and cowardly and unsettled.]
Notice that God's peace exceeds anything we can understand or contemplate on our own. His peace will guard our hearts and minds and protect us from the devil's schemes to get us into worry and despair.
What verse 8 is talking about can be summed up with these words, Think about God, think about His Word, think about Jesus. These are the things to keep in our hearts and our minds. If we truly love Him with ALL our heart, ALL our mind and ALL our strength, then that is what we will think about. That is what we will give our praise and worship to. That is the life we will live. Those are the benefits we will experience.
Verse 9 reminds us again that it is not only lip service to what we are taught in the Word. We must put into action what our faith is, otherwise our faith is dead. When we do those things then we know we will live in the peace of God and that peace will exceed anything we could ever hope to create for ourselves. Amen.
Numbers 6:24-26 (AMP)
The Lord bless you and watch, guard, and keep you; The Lord make His face to shine upon and enlighten you and be gracious (kind, merciful, and giving favor) to you; The Lord lift up His [approving] countenance upon you and give you peace (tranquility of heart and life continually).
Published by Erik L. Vakula
Daily Bread From the Word
Copyright © 2009 Erik Vakula, All Rights Reserved
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