Biblical Shakers

Click on Title for Video Introduction Monday, Isaiah Chapter 10 Isaiah 10 Verse 3 Jane Jones Verse 3:  What will you do on the day of reckoning, when disaster comes from afar? To whom will you leave your riches? To who will you run for help? Where will you leave your riches? THOUGHT Are we accountable to God for what we do, or are we more concerned about being accountable for what we have? Are we concentrating on how to serve God or do we concentrate too much on what we have and are accumulating? Our perspective can become distorted by our accomplishments of our material things if we fail to recognize God working his purpose through us.  When we think we are strong enough for anything, we are bound to fail because pride has blinded us to the reality that God is ultimately in control. The key to being set apart by God is faith in Him. I heard a story in Church today about a very wealthy man who was going to take everything he owned to Heaven with him. So he melted everything he...

Click on Title for Video Intro   Monday, Isaiah Chapter 5 Isaiah 5 Verse 1 Jeanie Boldt Verse 1:  “1 will sing for the one I love a song about his vineyard:   My loved one had a vineyard on a fertile hillside.” THOUGHT Sometimes I feel the Lord must be frustrated with us so much of the time. We fail Him daily and time and time again of the same sin. This verse somehow helps me picture GOD the Father singing for His chosen people and the gifts that He had given them. It is such a beautiful verse until the rest of the chapter shows the love, admiration, honor, respect and a genuine caring being completely lost in the sin of these His chosen people. When they took their eyes off their Lord and giver of life, everything was made dirty and no longer lovely.  Remember as you work and interact with family, coworkers, friends and strangers, our actions need to be of HIM. Salt Shakers, keep a loving and intimate song of God in your heart so that your world may be kept as...

Click on Title for Video Introduction Monday, Isaiah Intro Isaiah Intro Tanya Ruden THOUGHT I am really excited to sit and read Isaiah. It seems this book is referenced so often in the other books of the Bible. I am hoping as I read some of the prophecies that I will recall the actual story when it occurred. It says Isaiah was in the ministry for 60 years. Can you imagine delivering messages for that long? Also, so often what you said was not well received by those you talk too. I was thinking of Daniel, talking about those dreams.  It couldn’t have been easy telling the king his kingdom was going to falter, or that he would be in the wilderness for years. I would assume this would be how Isaiah felt at times, having to tell news not well received. He was given the news of the Messiah, and if he could hold his audience till the end, the story ended with an upbeat ending. PRAYER Lord, guide us as we begin to study Isaiah. Help us to learn from this prophet.  Help our knowledge ...

  Click on the Title for the Video Intro Monday, Jonah Introduction Jonah Introduction Jeanie Boldt THOUGHT Jonah wrote this book to show the extent of God’s grace-the message of salvation is for all people. The book of Jonah tells the story of this prophet’s flight and how God stopped him and turned him around. Jonah’s story is a profound illustration of God’s mercy and grace. No one deserved God’s favor less than the people of Nineveh, Assyria’s capital. Jonah hated the Assyrians, and he wanted vengeance, not mercy. So he ran. In the end, God confronted Jonah about his self-centered values and lack of compassion. Like Jonah, we may have to do things in life that we don’t want to do. Sometimes we find ourselves wanting to turn and run, but it is better to obey God than to defy Him or run away.  Often, in spite of our defiance, God in His mercy will give us another chance to serve Him when we return to Him. God wants His people to proclaim His love in words and actions to the ...

  Click on Title for Video Introduction Monday, Matthew Chapter 27A (Verses 1-31) Matthew 27A Verses 28-31 Matt Strayer Verses 28-31:  They stripped him and put a scarlet robe on him, and then twisted together a crown of thorns and set it on his head. They put a staff in his right hand and knelt in front of him and mocked him.  “Hail, king of the Jews” they said.  They spit on him, and took the staff and struck him on the head again and again.  After they had mocked him, they took off the robe and put his own clothes on him.  Then they led him away to crucify him.  THOUGHT (Written in December during Advent) I can’t help but notice that the week before Christmas, we are studying the death and resurrection of Jesus.  I think the death of Jesus reminds us of the following things, which add meaning to Christmas: 1) Jesus is the ultimate gift! As we give and receive Christmas gifts, we need to remember that Jesus has given us the best gift ever. It is...

  Click on the Title for Video Introduction                                                                                  Monday, Matthew Chapter 26A (Verses 1-30) Matthew 26A Verse 24 Bart Strayer Verse 24:  “The Son of Man will go just as it is written about him.  But woe to that man who betrays the Son of Man! It would be better for him if he had not been born.” THOUGHT The older I get the more I understand the power of conviction.  Remember all the time we spent in our education years cramming things into memory, and sometimes it would stick and sometimes it would never stick?  When the Holy Spirit brings about conviction, do you have trouble understanding or remembering?  No way Jose!  Conviction is a highly underestimated power that God uses ...

  Click on the Title for Video Intro Monday, Matthew Chapter 23 Matthew 23 Verse 26 Jane Jones Verse 26:  First clean the inside of the cup and dish, and then the outside also will be clean. THOUGHT Jesus condemned the Pharisees and religious leaders for outwardly appearing saintly and holy but inwardly remaining full of corruption and greed.  Living our Christianity merely as a show for others is like washing a cup on the outside only.  When we are clean on the inside, our cleanliness on the outside won’t be a sham. In Luke we also read, “You foolish people!  Did not the one who made the outside make the inside also?  But give what is inside the dish to the poor, and everything will be clean for you.” How good are you at cleaning the inside of that cup out?  How do you use the resources God has entrusted to you?  Are you generous in meeting the needs around you?  Your generosity reveals much about the purity of your heart and of your cup. It...