"Do for others what you want them to do for you.

This is the teaching of the laws of Moses in a nutshell."

~ Matthew 7:12 LAB

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Bible Commentary:  "This is commonly known as the Golden Rule. In many religions, it is stated negatively, 'Don't do to others what you don't want done to you.' By stating it positively, Jesus made it more significant. It is not so hard to refrain from harming others; it is much more difficult to take the initiative in doing something good for them. The Golden Rule as Jesus formulated it is the foundation of active goodness and mercy----the kind God wants to show to us every day."

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YOU WERE MADE FOR THE PART

"Listen to the way described the builder, Bezalel, 'I have filled him with the Spirit of God, giving him great wisdom, intelligence and skill in all kinds of crafts......' (Exodus 31:3 - 5). Can you hear the pleasure in God's voice?

"When you do the most what you do the best, you pop the pride buttons off the vest of God. In the movie, Chariots of Fire, Eric Liddell defended his devotion to running by telling his sister, 'God made me fast and when I run, I feel his pleasure.'  When do you feel God's pleasure? When do you look up into the heavens and say, 'I was made to do this?' When it comes to being you, you were made for the part. So speak your lines with confidence!"

~ By Max Lucado

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A short excerpt from "The Heaven Answer Book" by Billy Graham.

The chapter heading is "Why Must We Die?"

"Death is the penalty for sin---because we are all infected with the disease of sin, we are all subject to death. The Bible says, 'For the wages of sin is death' (Romans 6:23).

"Death is the common lot of every living thing; people, plants, and animals. Death afflicts all creation. From the moment a child is born, the dying process -- and the fight against it -- begins. But God, in His great love, made it possible for us to have victory over death, in spite of the fact that we must walk through it. The Bible tells us that death cannot separate believers in Jesus Christ from the love of God (Romans 8:38 - 39). The Bible also says, 'I have set before you life and death, blessings and curses. Now choose life, so that you and your children may live.....For the Lord is your life' (Deuteronomy 30:19 - 20).

The death of the righteous is not to be feared or shunned. It is the shadowed threshold to Heaven---the palace of God."

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Our minister has asked us to read through I John as many times as we can for an upcoming sermon series. So I am on my way!

Today I read a verse in chapter 4 that I thought was a good one and I am sharing it with you this morning:

"For though we have never yet seen God,

when we love each other God lives in us

and His Love grows ever stronger."

~ I john 4:12 LAB

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Bible Commentary:  "Some people love to be with others. They befriend strangers easily and always are surrounded by many friends. Other people are shy or reserved. They have a few friends, but they are uncomfortable talking with people they don't know or mingling in crowds. Shy people don't need to become extroverts in order to love others. John isn't telling us HOW MANY people to love, but HOW MUCH to love the people we already know. Our job is to faithfully love the people God has given us to love, whether there are two or two hundred of them. If God sees we are ready to love others, he will bring them to us. No matter how shy we are, we don't need to be afraid of the love commandment. God never leads us beyond the sufficiency of his strength."

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Rarely, if ever, do I use something in Karen's Korner two days in a row. But I really liked today's entry from Sarah Young and her "Jesus Calling:  Enjoying Peace in His Presence". Here you go:

"I want you to experience the riches of your salvation:  The Joy of being loved constantly and perfectly. You make a practice of judging yourself, based on how you look or behave or feel. If you like what you see in the mirror, you feel a bit more worthy of My Love. When things are going smoothly and your performance seems adequate, you find it easier to believe you are My beloved child. When you feel discouraged, you tend to look inward so you can correct whatever is wrong.

"Instead of trying to 'fix' yourself, 'fix your gaze on Me, the Lover of your soul'. Rather than using your energy to judge yourself, redirect it to praising Me. Remember that I see you clothed in My righteousness, radiant in My perfect Love."

~ Ephesians 2:7 - 8; Hebrews 3:1; Psalm 34:5

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Today's entry by Sarah Young's 'Jesus Calling, Enjoying Peace in His Presence"

"Whenever you feel distant from Me, whisper My Name in loving trust. This simple prayer can restore your awareness of My Presence.

"My Name is abused in the world, where people use it as a curse word. The verbal assault reaches all the way to heaven; every word is heard and recorded. When you trustingly whisper My Name, My aching ears are soothed. The grating rancor of the world's blasphemies cannot compare with a trusting child's utterance:  'Jesus'. The power of My Name to bless both you and Me is beyond understanding."

~ Taken from Acts 4:12; John 16:24

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Jesus teaching:

"Then I, the King, shall say to those at my right hand,

'Come, blessed of my Father,

into the Kingdom prepared for you from the founding of the world,

For I was hungry and you fed me,

I was thirsty and you gave me water;

I was a stranger and you invited me into your homes,

naked and you clothes me,

sick and in prison, and you visited me'.

Then these righteous ones will reply,

'Sir, when did we ever see you hungry and feed you?

Or thirsty and give you anything to drink?

Or a stranger, and help you?

Or naked and clothe you?

When did we ever see you sick or in prison and visit you?'

And I, the King will tell them,

'When you did it to these my brothers you were doing it to me!'"

~ Matthew 25:34 - 40 LAB

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Bible Commentary:  "This parable describes acts of mercy we all can do every day. These acts are not dependent on wealth, ability, or intelligence; they are simple acts freely given and freely received. We have no excuse to neglect those who have deep needs, and we cannot hand over responsibility to the church or government. Jesus demands personal involvement in caring for others' needs."

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JUST TURN ON THE LIGHT!

"You were once darkness, but now you are light in the Lord.

Walk as children of light."

~ Ephesians 5:8 NKJV

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"I live in the southern part of the United States. During the warmer months in particular, if I leave the porch light on at night, all sorts of moths and insects swarm to it. The variety can be fascinating. Everything from large luna moths to beetles to strange green crawly things, beat and flutter their way to the light. I have never stood at the door and called these insects to come or set out bait for them. All I have to do is to turn on the light and they come of their own volition -- by the hundreds. Moths, in the midst of darkness, are not attracted to more darkness. They are attracted to the light.

"People today, living in the midst of 'darkness,' are not attracted to more darkness; they are attracted to the Light. So let your Light shine! Lift it high! You don't have to have a clever presentation to your witness or learn evangelistic formulas or take a course on communicating to postmodern man. For heaven's sake, just turn on the Light!"

~ By Ann Graham Lotz

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A couple of quotes shared at an ecumenical gals' Bible study led by Carolyn Bowman recently; taken from a November 2017 Guideposts magazine:

"Sometimes God makes better choices for us

than we could ever made for ourselves."

~  author Jennifer Hudson Taylor

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"Positive thinking is not about expecting the best to happen every time

but accepting that whatever happens is the best for the moment."

~ Lori Schneider,

first woman with multiple sclerosis to summit Mount Everest

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* Faith is a firm trust and conviction that sometimes

if God doesn't give you what you think you want,

it's not because you don't deserve it,

but because you deserve better."

~ David A.R. White

movie producer, from his book

'Between Heaven and Hollywood, Chasing Your God-Given Dream

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"O Lord, hear me praying:  listen to my plea,

O God my King,

for I will never pray to anyone but you.

Each morning I will look to you in heaven and lay my requests before you,

praying earnestly."

~ Psalm 5:1 - 3 LAB

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Bible Commentary:  "The secret of a close relationship with God is to pray to Him earnestly each morning. Regular communication is fundamental to any friendship and is certainly necessary for a strong relationship with God. We need to communicate with Him daily. Do we have a regular time to pray and read God's Word?"

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