Biblical Shakers

Click on the Title for Video Intro for the week Click on this Link for Advent   https://youtu.be/k6xwTlOgelU Monday, Psalms Chapter 1       Also read an Advent Devotional Theme:  Life's two roads.  The life of the faithful person is contrasted with the life of the faithless person.  Psalms 1 Verses 3-4 Jane Jones Verse 3-4:  He is like a tree planted by streams of water, which yields its fruit in season and whose leaf does not wither. Whatever he does prospers. Not so the wicked! They are like chaff that the wind blows away. THOUGHT On Sunday afternoon TJ and I journeyed North on Hwy 63 for about an hour to New Hampton to attend a visitation. On the way home, not far from Allen Hospital, a huge tumble weed blew across the road in front of us. It was huge but blew so easily and freely and just disappeared.  TJ and I commented at the time how something so large could just blow so freely. Not so with God. I love how the Psalm...

  Click on Title for Video Introduction Monday, Isaiah Chapter 63 Isaiah 63 Verses 9-10 Matt Strayer Verses 9-10:  In all their distress he too was distressed, and the angel of his presence saved them.  In his love and mercy he redeemed them; he lifted them up and carried them all the days of old.  Yet they rebelled and grieved his Holy Spirit.  So he turned and became their enemy and he himself fought against them. THOUGHT I chose two verses today because I believe these two verses together illustrate a cycle that occurred over and over in the Old Testament. During our Bethel Bible study at Orchard this past year we studied the Old Testament. One thing that occurred over and over throughout was this notion that God loved His people so much that He was distressed when they were, and He lifted them up and carried them through times of trouble. And yet the people still disobeyed what God had commanded. Then God would have to set them straight time and time again. ...

Click on Title for Video Introduction Monday, Isaiah Chapter 59 Isaiah 59 Verse 2 Jane Jones Verse 2:  But your iniquities have separated you from your God; your sins have hidden his face from you, so that he will not hear you. THOUGHT I grew up in a family of three children. I was the middle child. I had an older brother who was very, very smart and was Dad’s favorite. I also had a younger sister who everyone wanted to have for a friend and was so fun loving. The jokester in the family.  The truth is the three of us had very loving and caring parents. I loved my Mom and Dad so much that I hated it when I disappointed them. I tried really hard all the time to please them. I can reminder one night when we sat down for the evening meal, the three of us kids started arguing and quarreling. Not sure what it was about now, but it got pretty bad. Mom attempted to stop it to no avail.  She just got up and left the kitchen and house and went and sat on the back step outside ...

  Click on Title for Video Intro Monday, Isaiah Chapter 55 Isaiah 55 Delores Little THOUGHT Verse 1:  Come, all you who are thirsty, come to the waters; and you who have no money, come, buy and eat!  Come, buy wine and milk without money and without cost. Hey, guys this is speaking of the Holy Spirit and God’s Word to us.  There is no money involved in this walk.  It is accepting Jesus into our heart and reading His Word to feed us spiritually. Isn’t that so cool? Verses 6-7:  Seek the Lord while He may be found; call on Him while He is near. Let the wicked forsake His way and the evil man His thoughts. Let him turn to the Lord, and He will have mercy on him, and to our God, for He will freely pardon. This is truly repenting of our sins, and He wants us seeking Him daily. We can call, and He will be there. His ways are not our ways and thoughts. HE IS GOD ALMIGHTLY!!! And I love the word pardon. He did it all on the cross because of His great love for us al...

  Click on Title for Video Introduction Monday, Isaiah Chapter 50 Isaiah 50 Verse 4 Mindy Strayer Verse 4:  The Servant of God says The Lord God has given me the tongue of a disciple and of one who is taught, that I should know how to speak a word in season to him who is weary. He wakens me morning by morning; He wakens my ear to hear as a disciple as one who is taught. THOUGHT I did some research on Isaiah 50:4 and came across a piece of writing which had some great things in it so I thought I would incorporate some of it into today’s devotion.  “When we enter turbulent times we must bring a word of grace, a word from God. It is required of every single one of us. We are called to speak words of life and truth. We are called not just to speak but to communicate with our lives, to authenticate the words that we speak by the consistent lifestyle we live out in submission to Jesus, the perfect Teacher. Jesus said to his disciples that they (and we) must be able to discern t...

Click on Title for Video Introduction Monday, Isaiah Chapter 45 Isaiah 45 Verse 7 Jane Jones Verse 7:  “I form the light and create darkness,               I bring prosperity and create disaster;                I, the Lord, do all these things.” THOUGHT God is ruler over light and darkness, over prosperity and disaster. Our lives are sprinkled with both types of experiences, and both are needed for us to grow spiritually. When good times come, thank God and use your prosperity for Him. When bad times come, don’t resent them, but ask what you can learn from this refining experience to make you a better servant of God. When bad times or hurts come, our first reaction is ‘why’ to God. We feel hurt, angry, depressed, and lonely.  Next time when that happens, let’s try to ask what we can learn from all of this, as hard as this is. Who knows, we may be surprised by the quick response from God. God isn’...

Click on the Title for a Video Introduction Monday, Isaiah Chapter 40 Isaiah 40 Verses 8, 11, 28b-29 Jeanie Boldt Verse 8: The grass withers and the flowers fall, but the word of our God stands forever. Verse 11: He tends his flock like a shepherd; He gathers the lambs in his arms and carries them close to his heart; He gently leads those that have young. Verse 28b – 29: He will not grow tired or weary, and his understanding no one can fathom. He gives strength to the weary and increases the power of the weak. THOUGHT – These verses spoke to me about the qualities of God the Father. Verse 8:  We have the knowledge that someday we will be with God. We need to appreciate the comfort and encouragement found in His Word and His presence. His Word is always there for us. It is His way to speak to us. Only in God’s eternal Word will we find lasting solutions to our problems and needs. Verse 11:  He is our Protector - Our Shepherd! The thing I like best about this verse is that it pi...