Revelation 3:1-22 "And unto the angel of the church in..." KJV - Online Bible Study

Revelation 3:1-22 "And unto the angel of the church in..." KJV - Online Bible Study

¹ And unto the angel of the church in Sardiswrite ; These things saith he that hath the seven Spirits of God, and the seven stars; I know thy works, that thou hast a name that thou livest , and art dead. ² Be watchful , and strengthen the things which remain, that are ready to die : for I have not found thy works perfect before God. ³ Remember therefore how thou hast received and heard , and hold fast , and repent . If therefore thou shalt not watch , I will come on thee as a thief, and thou shalt not know what hour I will come upon thee. ⁴ Thou hast a few names even in Sardis which have not defiled their garments; and they shall walk with me in white: for they are worthy. ⁵ He that overcometh , the same shall be clothed in white raiment; and I will not blot out his name out of the book of life, but I will confess his name before my Father, and before his angels. ⁶ He that hath an ear, let him hear what the Spirit saith unto the churches. ⁷ And to the angel of the church inPhiladelphia write ; These things saith he that is holy, he that is true, he that hath the key of David, he that openeth , and no man shutteth ; and shutteth , and no man openeth ; ⁸ I know thy works: behold , I have set before thee an open door, and no man can shut it: for thou hast a little strength, and hast kept my word, and hast not denied my name. ⁹ Behold , I will make them of the synagogue of Satan, which say they are Jews, and are not, but do lie ; behold , I will make them to come and worship before thy feet, and to know that I have loved thee. ¹⁰ Because thou hast kept the word of my patience, I also will keep thee from the hour of temptation, which shall come upon all the world, to try them that dwell upon the earth. ¹¹ Behold , I come quickly: hold that fast which thou hast , that no man take thy crown. ¹² Him that overcometh will I make a pillar in the temple of my God, and he shall go no more out: and I will write upon him the name of my God, and the name of the city of my God, which is new Jerusalem, which cometh down out of heaven from my God: and I will write upon him my new name. ¹³ He that hath an ear, let him hear what the Spirit saith unto the churches. ¹⁴ And unto the angel of the church of the Laodiceans write ; These things saith the Amen, the faithful and true witness, the beginning of the creation of God; ¹⁵ I know thy works, that thou art neither cold nor hot: I would thou wert cold or hot. ¹⁶ So then because thou art lukewarm, and neither cold nor hot, I will spue thee out of my mouth. ¹⁷ Because thou sayest , I am rich, and increased with goods , and have need of nothing; and knowest not that thou art wretched, and miserable, and poor, and blind, and naked: ¹⁸ I counsel thee to buy of me gold tried in the fire, that thou mayest be rich ; and white raiment, that thou mayest be clothed , and that the shame of thy nakedness do not appear ; and anoint thine eyes with eyesalve, that thou mayest see . ¹⁹ As many as I love , I rebuke and chasten : be zealous therefore, and repent . ²⁰ Behold , I stand at the door, and knock : if any man hear my voice, and open the door, I will come in to him, and will sup with him, and he with me. ²¹ To him that overcometh will I grant to sit with me in my throne, even as I also overcame , and am set down with my Father in his throne. ²² He that hath an ear, let him hear what the Spirit saith unto the churches.

Nehemiah 4:1-23

¹ But it came to pass, that when Sanballat heard that we builded the wall, he was wroth , and took great indignation , and mocked the Jews. ² And he spake before his brethren and the army of Samaria, and said , What do these feeble Jews? will they fortify themselves? will they sacrifice ? will they make an end in a day? will they revive the stones out of the heaps of the rubbish which are burned ? ³ Now Tobiah the Ammonite was by him, and he said , Even that which they build , if a fox go up , he shall even break down their stone wall. ⁴ Hear , O our God; for we are despised: and turn their reproach upon their own head, and give them for a prey in the land of captivity: ⁵ And cover not their iniquity, and let not their sin be blotted out from before thee: for they have provoked thee to anger before the builders . ⁶ So built we the wall; and all the wall was joined together unto the half thereof: for the people had a mind to work . ⁷ But it came to pass, that when Sanballat, and Tobiah, and the Arabians, and the Ammonites, and the Ashdodites, heard that the walls of Jerusalem were made up , and that the breaches began to be stopped , then they were very wroth , ⁸ And conspired all of them together to come and to fight against Jerusalem, and to hinder it. ⁹ Nevertheless we made our prayer unto our God, and set a watch against them day and night, because of them. ¹⁰ And Judah said , The strength of the bearers of burdens is decayed , and there is much rubbish; so that we are not able to build the wall. ¹¹ And our adversaries said , They shall not know , neither see , till we come in the midst among them, and slay them, and cause the work to cease . ¹² And it came to pass, that when the Jews which dwelt by them came , they said unto us ten times, From all places whence ye shall return unto us they will be upon you. ¹³ Therefore set I in the lower places behind the wall, and on the higher places , I even set the people after their families with their swords, their spears, and their bows. ¹⁴ And I looked , and rose up , and said unto the nobles, and to the rulers, and to the rest of the people, Be not ye afraid of them: remember the Lord, which is great and terrible , and fight for your brethren, your sons, and your daughters, your wives, and your houses. ¹⁵ And it came to pass, when our enemies heard that it was known unto us, and God had brought their counsel to nought , that we returned all of us to the wall, every one unto his work. ¹⁶ And it came to pass from that time forth, that the half of my servants wrought in the work, and the other half of them held both the spears, the shields, and the bows, and the habergeons; and the rulers were behind all the house of Judah. ¹⁷ They which builded on the wall, and they that bare burdens, with those that laded , every one with one of his hands wrought in the work, and with the other hand held a weapon. ¹⁸ For the builders , every one had his sword girded by his side, and so builded . And he that sounded the trumpet was by me. ¹⁹ And I said unto the nobles, and to the rulers, and to the rest of the people, The work is great and large, and we are separated upon the wall, one far from another. ²⁰ In what place therefore ye hear the sound of the trumpet, resort ye thither unto us: our God shall fight for us. ²¹ So we laboured in the work: and half of them held the spears from the rising of the morning till the stars appeared . ²² Likewise at the same time said I unto the people, Let every one with his servant lodge within Jerusalem, that in the night they may be a guard to us, and labour on the day. ²³ So neither I, nor my brethren, nor my servants, nor the men of the guard which followed me, none of us put off our clothes, saving that every one put them off for washing.

Psalm 98:1-9

¹ O sing unto the LORD a new song; for he hath done marvellous things : his right hand, and his holy arm, hath gotten him the victory . ² The LORD hath made known his salvation: his righteousness hath he openly shewed in the sight of the heathen. ³ He hath remembered his mercy and his truth toward the house of Israel: all the ends of the earth have seen the salvation of our God. ⁴ Make a joyful noise unto the LORD, all the earth: make a loud noise , and rejoice , and sing praise. ⁵ Sing unto the LORD with the harp; with the harp, and the voice of a psalm. ⁶ With trumpets and sound of cornet make a joyful noise before the LORD, the King. ⁷ Let the sea roar , and the fulness thereof; the world, and they that dwell therein. ⁸ Let the floods clap their hands: let the hills be joyful together ⁹ Before the LORD; for he cometh to judge the earth: with righteousness shall he judge the world, and the people with equity.

Daily Word Dr. James A. Lee

Home | Daily WordJOY

One with God and all life, I radiate pure joy!

The expression of joy is often contagious. A genuine smile or an honest burst of laughter can inspire joy within the hearts of everyone nearby.

Joy is one of the great rewards of my connection with God, with others and with all life. As I give in joy, I receive joyously. When I share a tender moment with another, watch an inspiring movie, or simply think about the people I love, joy often arises.

Turning within, I discover the great joy of God's gentle presence and the simple pleasure of being one with God. My time in the silence of prayer brings me a sense of soul satisfaction as joy wells up within me. Returning to the world around me, I radiate pure joy.

May God be gracious to us and bless us and make his face to shine upon us.--Psalm 67:1

Our Daily Bread The Joy of Jesus

Our Daily Bread

In Search Of Silence

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October 2, 2011 — by Julie Ackerman Link

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Our Daily Bread Radio is hosted by Les Lamborn

Read: Mark 1:35-45

I have calmed and quieted my soul. —Psalm 131:2

Bible in a year:
Isaiah 14-16; Ephesians 5:1-16

My next record should be 45 minutes of silence,” said singer Meg Hutchinson, “because that’s what we’re missing most in society.”

Silence is indeed hard to find. Cities are notoriously noisy due to the high concentration of traffic and people. There seems to be no escape from loud music, loud machines, and loud voices. But the kind of noise that endangers our spiritual well-being is not the noise we can’t escape but the noise we invite into our lives. Some of us use noise as a way of shutting out loneliness: voices of TV and radio personalities give us the illusion of companionship. Some of us use it as a way of shutting out our own thoughts: other voices and opinions keep us from having to think for ourselves. Some of us use noise as a way of shutting out the voice of God: constant chatter, even when we’re talking about God, keeps us from hearing what God has to say.

But Jesus, even during His busiest times, made a point of seeking out places of solitude where He could carry on a conversation with God (Mark 1:35). Even if we can’t find a place that is perfectly quiet, we need to find a place to quiet our souls (Ps. 131:2), a place where God has our full attention.

For Further Study
For more on this topic, read the online booklet
Mary & Martha: Balancing Life’s Priorities
at www.discoveryseries.org/hp021

Don’t let the noise of the world
keep you from hearing the voice of the Lord.

Revelation 2:1-29 "Unto the angel of the church of Ephesus write..." KJV - Online Bible Study

Revelation 2:1-29 "Unto the angel of the church of Ephesus write..." KJV - Online Bible StudyUnto the angel of the church of Ephesuswrite ; These things saith he that holdeth theseven stars in his right hand, who walketh in the midst of the seven golden candlesticks; ² I know thy works, and thy labour, and thy patience, and how thou canst not bear them which are evil: and thou hast tried them which say they are apostles, and are not, and hast found them liars: ³ And hast borne , and hast patience, and for my name's sake hast laboured , and hast not fainted . ⁴ Nevertheless I have somewhat against thee, because thou hast left thy first love. ⁵ Remember therefore from whence thou art fallen , and repent , and do the first works; or else I will come unto thee quickly, and will remove thy candlestick out of his place, except thou repent . ⁶ But this thou hast , that thou hatest the deeds of the Nicolaitans, which I also hate . ⁷ He that hath an ear, let him hear what the Spirit saith unto the churches; To him that overcometh will I give to eat of the tree of life, which is in the midst of the paradise of God. ⁸ And unto the angel of the church in Smyrna write ; These things saith the first and the last, which was dead, and is alive ; ⁹ I know thy works, and tribulation, and poverty, (but thou art rich) and I know the blasphemy of them which say they are Jews, and are not, but are the synagogue of Satan. ¹⁰ Fear none of those things which thou shalt suffer : behold , the devil shall cast some of you into prison, that ye may be tried ; and ye shall have tribulation ten days: be thou faithful unto death, and I will give thee a crown of life. ¹¹ He that hath an ear, let him hear what the Spirit saith unto the churches; He that overcometh shall not be hurt of the second death. ¹² And to the angel of the church in Pergamos write ; These things saith he which hath the sharp sword with two edges; ¹³ I know thy works, and where thou dwellest , even where Satan's seat is: and thou holdest fast my name, and hast not denied my faith, even in those days wherein Antipas was my faithful martyr, who was slain among you, where Satan dwelleth . ¹⁴ But I have a few things against thee, because thou hast there them that hold the doctrine of Balaam, who taught Balac to cast a stumblingblock before the children ofIsrael, to eat things sacrificed unto idols, and to commit fornication . ¹⁵ So hast thou also them that hold the doctrine of the Nicolaitans, which thing I hate . ¹⁶ Repent ; or else I will come unto thee quickly, and will fight against them with the sword of my mouth. ¹⁷ He that hath an ear, let him hear what the Spirit saith unto the churches; To him that overcometh will I give to eat of the hidden manna, and will give him a white stone, and in the stone a new name written , which no man knoweth saving he that receiveth it. ¹⁸ And unto the angel of the church inThyatira write ; These things saith the Son of God, who hath his eyes like unto a flame of fire, and his feet are like fine brass; ¹⁹ I know thy works, and charity, and service, and faith, and thy patience, and thy works; and the last to be more than the first. ²⁰ Notwithstanding I have a few things against thee, because thou sufferest that woman Jezebel, which calleth herself a prophetess, to teach and to seduce my servants to commit fornication , and to eat things sacrificed unto idols. ²¹ And I gave her space to repent of her fornication; and she repented not. ²² Behold , I will cast her into a bed, and them that commit adultery with her into great tribulation, except they repent of their deeds. ²³ And I will kill her children with death; and all the churches shall know that I am he which searcheth the reins and hearts: and I will give unto every one of you according to your works. ²⁴ But unto you I say , and unto the rest in Thyatira, as many as have not this doctrine, and which have not known the depths of Satan, as they speak ; I will put upon you none other burden. ²⁵ But that which ye have already hold fast till I come . ²⁶ And he that overcometh , and keepeth my works unto the end, to him will I give power over the nations: ²⁷ And he shall rule them with a rod of iron; as the vessels of a potter shall they be broken to shivers : even as I received of my Father. ²⁸ And I will give him the morning star. ²⁹ He that hath an ear, let him hear what the Spirit saith unto the churches.

Nehemiah 3:1-32

¹ Then Eliashib the high priest rose up with his brethren the priests, and they builded the sheep gate; they sanctified it, and set up the doors of it; even unto the tower of Meah they sanctified it, unto the tower of Hananeel. ² And next unto him builded the men ofJericho. And next to them builded Zaccur the son of Imri. ³ But the fish gate did the sons of Hassenaah build , who also laid the beams thereof, and set up the doors thereof, the locks thereof, and the bars thereof. ⁴ And next unto them repaired Meremoth the son of Urijah, the son of Koz. And next unto them repaired Meshullam the son of Berechiah, the son of Meshezabeel. And next unto them repaired Zadok the son of Baana. ⁵ And next unto them the Tekoites repaired ; but their nobles put not their necks to the work of their Lord. ⁶ Moreover the old gate repaired Jehoiada the son of Paseah, and Meshullam the son of Besodeiah; they laid the beams thereof, and set up the doors thereof, and the locks thereof, and the bars thereof. ⁷ And next unto them repaired Melatiah the Gibeonite, and Jadon the Meronothite, the men of Gibeon, and of Mizpah, unto the throne of the governor on this side the river. ⁸ Next unto him repaired Uzziel the son of Harhaiah, of the goldsmiths . Next unto him also repaired Hananiah the son of one of the apothecaries, and they fortified Jerusalem unto the broad wall. ⁹ And next unto them repaired Rephaiah the son of Hur, the ruler of the half part of Jerusalem. ¹⁰ And next unto them repaired Jedaiah the son of Harumaph, even over against his house. And next unto him repaired Hattush the son of Hashabniah. ¹¹ Malchijah the son of Harim, and Hashub the son of Pahathmoab, repaired the other piece, and the tower of the furnaces. ¹² And next unto him repaired Shallum the son of Halohesh, the ruler of the half part of Jerusalem, he and his daughters. ¹³ The valley gate repaired Hanun, and the inhabitants of Zanoah; they built it, and set up the doors thereof, the locks thereof, and the bars thereof, and a thousand cubits on the wall unto the dung gate. ¹⁴ But the dung gate repaired Malchiah the son of Rechab, the ruler of part of Bethhaccerem; he built it, and set up the doors thereof, the locks thereof, and the bars thereof. ¹⁵ But the gate of the fountain repaired Shallun the son of Colhozeh, the ruler of part of Mizpah; he built it, and covered it, and set up the doors thereof, the locks thereof, and the bars thereof, and the wall of the pool of Siloah by the king's garden, and unto the stairs that go down from the city of David. ¹⁶ After him repaired Nehemiah the son of Azbuk, the ruler of the half part of Bethzur, unto the place over against the sepulchres of David, and to the pool that was made , and unto the house of the mighty. ¹⁷ After him repaired the Levites, Rehum the son of Bani. Next unto him repaired Hashabiah, the ruler of the half part of Keilah, in his part. ¹⁸ After him repaired their brethren, Bavai the son of Henadad, the ruler of the half part of Keilah. ¹⁹ And next to him repaired Ezer the son of Jeshua, the ruler of Mizpah, another piece over against the going up to the armoury at the turning of the wall. ²⁰ After him Baruch the son of Zabbai earnestly repaired the other piece, from the turning of the wall unto the door of the house of Eliashib the high priest. ²¹ After him repaired Meremoth the son of Urijah the son of Koz another piece, from the door of the house of Eliashib even to the end of the house of Eliashib. ²² And after him repaired the priests, the men of the plain. ²³ After him repaired Benjamin and Hashub over against their house. After him repaired Azariah the son of Maaseiah the son of Ananiah by his house. ²⁴ After him repaired Binnui the son of Henadad another piece, from the house of Azariah unto the turning of the wall, even unto the corner. ²⁵ Palal the son of Uzai, over against the turning of the wall, and the tower which lieth out from the king's high house, that was by the court of the prison. After him Pedaiah the son of Parosh. ²⁶ Moreover the Nethinims dwelt in Ophel, unto the place over against the water gate toward the east, and the tower that lieth out . ²⁷ After them the Tekoites repaired another piece, over against the great tower that lieth out , even unto the wall of Ophel. ²⁸ From above the horse gate repaired the priests, every one over against his house. ²⁹ After them repaired Zadok the son of Immer over against his house. After him repaired also Shemaiah the son of Shechaniah, the keeper of the east gate. ³⁰ After him repaired Hananiah the son of Shelemiah, and Hanun the sixth son of Zalaph, another piece. After him repaired Meshullam the son of Berechiah over against his chamber. ³¹ After him repaired Malchiah the goldsmith's son unto the place of the Nethinims, and of the merchants , over against the gate Miphkad, and to the going up of the corner. ³² And between the going up of the corner unto the sheep gate repaired the goldsmiths and the merchants .

Psalm 97:1-12

¹ The LORD reigneth ; let the earth rejoice ; let the multitude of isles be glad thereof. ² Clouds and darkness are round about him: righteousness and judgment are the habitation of his throne. ³ A fire goeth before him, and burneth up his enemies round about. ⁴ His lightnings enlightened the world: the earth saw , and trembled . ⁵ The hills melted like wax at the presence of the LORD, at the presence of the Lord of the whole earth. ⁶ The heavens declare his righteousness, and all the people see his glory. ⁷ Confounded be all they that serve graven images, that boast themselves of idols: worship him, all ye gods. ⁸ Zion heard , and was glad ; and the daughters of Judah rejoiced because of thy judgments, O LORD. ⁹ For thou, LORD, art high above all the earth: thou art exalted far above all gods. ¹⁰ Ye that love the LORD, hate evil: he preserveth the souls of his saints; he delivereth them out of the hand of the wicked. ¹¹ Light is sown for the righteous, and gladness for the upright in heart. ¹² Rejoice in the LORD, ye righteous; and give thanks at the remembrance of his holiness.

Daily Word Dr. James A. Lee

Home | Daily Word: "GUIDANCE
The answers I seek are found within.
When I read an instruction manual or guidebook, I learn what steps to take and the order in which to take them. Sometimes, however, there are no clear guidelines or guidebooks.

When I am challenged by my finances, a relationship or a major life decision, my judgment may be clouded by doubt or confusion. Yet I know the answers are available to me when I get worry and fear out of the way.

I go within and ask indwelling Spirit, "What is mine to do?" As I listen for the answer, I may receive it as an inner knowing or a quiet whisper. I know it is divine because it is uplifting and loving. The more I follow this guidance, the clearer the inner voice becomes. My faith and confidence grow as I rely on the guidance of Spirit.

Let us also be guided by the Spirit.--Galatians 5:25"

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Revelation 1:1-20 "The Revelation of Jesus Christ, which God..." KJV - Online Bible Study

Revelation 1:1-20 "The Revelation of Jesus Christ, which God..." KJV - Online Bible Study ¹ The Revelation of Jesus Christ, which God gave unto him, to shew unto his servants things which must shortly come to pass ; and he sent and signified it by his angel unto his servant John: ² Who bare record of the word of God, and of the testimony of Jesus Christ, and of all things that he saw . ³ Blessed is he that readeth , and they that hear the words of this prophecy, and keep those things which are written therein : for the time is at hand. ⁴ John to the seven churches which are in Asia: Grace be unto you, and peace, from him which is , and which was , and which is to come ; and from the seven Spirits which are before his throne; ⁵ And from Jesus Christ, who is the faithful witness, and the first begotten of the dead, and the prince of the kings of the earth. Unto him that loved us, and washed us from our sins in his own blood, ⁶ And hath made us kings and priests unto God and his Father; to him be glory and dominion for ever and ever. Amen. ⁷ Behold , he cometh with clouds; and every eye shall see him, and they also which pierced him: and all kindreds of the earth shall wail because of him. Even so, Amen. ⁸ I am Alpha and Omega, the beginning and the ending, saith the Lord, which is , and which was , and which is to come , the Almighty. ⁹ I John, who also am your brother, and companion in tribulation, and in the kingdom and patience of Jesus Christ, was in the isle that is called Patmos, for the word of God, and for the testimony of Jesus Christ. ¹⁰ I was in the Spirit on the Lord's day, and heard behind me a great voice, as of a trumpet, ¹¹ Saying , I am Alpha and Omega, the first and the last: and, What thou seest , write in a book, and send it unto the seven churches which are in Asia; unto Ephesus, and unto Smyrna, and unto Pergamos, and unto Thyatira, and untoSardis, and unto Philadelphia, and unto Laodicea. ¹² And I turned to see the voice that spake with me. And being turned , I saw seven golden candlesticks; ¹³ And in the midst of the seven candlesticks one like unto the Son of man, clothed with a garment down to the foot, and girt about the paps with a golden girdle. ¹⁴ His head and his hairs were white like wool, as white as snow; and his eyes were as a flame of fire; ¹⁵ And his feet like unto fine brass, as if they burned in a furnace; and his voice as the sound of many waters. ¹⁶ And he had in his right hand seven stars: and out of his mouth went a sharp twoedged sword: and his countenance was as the sun shineth in his strength. ¹⁷ And when I saw him, I fell at his feet as dead. And he laid his right hand upon me, saying unto me, Fear not; I am the first and the last: ¹⁸ I am he that liveth , and was dead; and, behold , I am alive for evermore , Amen; and have the keys of hell and of death. ¹⁹ Write the things which thou hast seen , and the things which are , and the things which shall be hereafter ; ²⁰ The mystery of the seven stars which thou sawest in my right hand, and the seven golden candlesticks. The seven stars are the angels of the seven churches: and the seven candlesticks which thou sawest are the seven churches.

Nehemiah 1:1-11

¹ The words of Nehemiah the son of Hachaliah. And it came to pass in the month Chisleu, in the twentieth year, as I was in Shushan the palace, ² That Hanani, one of my brethren, came , he and certain men of Judah; and I asked them concerning the Jews that had escaped, which were left of the captivity, and concerning Jerusalem. ³ And they said unto me, The remnant that are left of the captivity there in the province are in great affliction and reproach: the wall of Jerusalem also is broken down , and the gates thereof are burned with fire. ⁴ And it came to pass, when I heard these words, that I sat down and wept , and mourned certain days, and fasted , and prayed before the God of heaven, ⁵ And said , I beseech thee, O LORD God of heaven, the great and terrible God, that keepeth covenant and mercy for them that love him and observe his commandments: ⁶ Let thine ear now be attentive, and thine eyes open , that thou mayest hear the prayer of thy servant, which I pray before thee now, day and night, for the children of Israel thy servants, and confess the sins of the children of Israel, which we have sinned against thee: both I and my father's house have sinned . ⁷ We have dealt very corruptly against thee, and have not kept the commandments, nor the statutes, nor the judgments, which thou commandedst thy servant Moses. ⁸ Remember , I beseech thee, the word that thou commandedst thy servant Moses, saying , If ye transgress , I will scatter you abroad among the nations: ⁹ But if ye turn unto me, and keep my commandments, and do them; though there were of you cast out unto the uttermost part of the heaven, yet will I gather them from thence, and will bring them unto the place that I have chosen to set my name there. ¹⁰ Now these are thy servants and thy people, whom thou hast redeemed by thy great power, and by thy strong hand. ¹¹ O Lord, I beseech thee, let now thine ear be attentive to the prayer of thy servant, and to the prayer of thy servants, who desire to fear thy name: and prosper , I pray thee, thy servant this day, and grant him mercy in the sight of this man. For I was the king's cupbearer .

Nehemiah 2:1-20

¹ And it came to pass in the month Nisan, in the twentieth year of Artaxerxes the king, that wine was before him: and I took up the wine, and gave it unto the king. Now I had not been beforetime sad in his presence. ² Wherefore the king said unto me, Why is thy countenance sad, seeing thou art not sick ? this is nothing else but sorrow of heart. Then I was very sore afraid , ³ And said unto the king, Let the king live for ever: why should not my countenance be sad , when the city, the place of my fathers' sepulchres, lieth waste, and the gates thereof are consumed with fire? ⁴ Then the king said unto me, For what dost thou make request ? So I prayed to the God of heaven. ⁵ And I said unto the king, If it please the king, and if thy servant have found favour in thy sight, that thou wouldest send me unto Judah, unto the city of my fathers' sepulchres, that I may build it. ⁶ And the king said unto me, (the queen also sitting by him,) For how long shall thy journey be? and when wilt thou return ? So it pleased the king to send me; and I set him a time. ⁷ Moreover I said unto the king, If it please the king, let letters be given me to the governors beyond the river, that they may convey me over till I come into Judah; ⁸ And a letter unto Asaph the keeper of the king's forest, that he may give me timber to make beams for the gates of the palace which appertained to the house, and for the wall of the city, and for the house that I shall enter into . And the king granted me, according to the good hand of my God upon me. ⁹ Then I came to the governors beyond the river, and gave them the king's letters. Now the king had sent captains of the army and horsemen with me. ¹⁰ When Sanballat the Horonite, and Tobiah the servant, the Ammonite, heard of it, it grieved them exceedingly that there was come a man to seek the welfare of the children of Israel. ¹¹ So I came to Jerusalem, and was there three days. ¹² And I arose in the night, I and some few men with me; neither told I any man what my God had put in my heart to do at Jerusalem: neither was there any beast with me, save the beast that I rode upon . ¹³ And I went out by night by the gate of the valley, even before the dragon well , and to the dung port, and viewed the walls of Jerusalem, which were broken down , and the gates thereof were consumed with fire. ¹⁴ Then I went on to the gate of the fountain, and to the king's pool: but there was no place for the beast that was under me to pass . ¹⁵ Then went I up in the night by the brook, and viewed the wall, and turned back , and entered by the gate of the valley, and so returned . ¹⁶ And the rulers knew not whither I went , or what I did ; neither had I as yet told it to the Jews, nor to the priests, nor to the nobles, nor to the rulers, nor to the rest that did the work. ¹⁷ Then said I unto them, Ye see the distress that we are in, how Jerusalem lieth waste, and the gates thereof are burned with fire: come , and let us build up the wall of Jerusalem, that we be no more a reproach. ¹⁸ Then I told them of the hand of my God which was good upon me; as also the king's words that he had spoken unto me. And they said , Let us rise up and build . So they strengthened their hands for this good work. ¹⁹ But when Sanballat the Horonite, and Tobiah the servant, the Ammonite, and Geshem the Arabian, heard it, they laughed us to scorn , and despised us, and said , What is this thing that ye do ? will ye rebel against the king? ²⁰ Then answered I them, and said unto them, The God of heaven, he will prosper us; therefore we his servants will arise and build : but ye have no portion, nor right, nor memorial, in Jerusalem.

Psalm 96:1-13

¹ O sing unto the LORD a new song: sing unto the LORD, all the earth. ² Sing unto the LORD, bless his name; shew forth his salvation from day to day. ³ Declare his glory among the heathen, his wonders among all people. ⁴ For the LORD is great, and greatly to be praised : he is to be feared above all gods. ⁵ For all the gods of the nations are idols: but the LORD made the heavens. ⁶ Honour and majesty are before him: strength and beauty are in his sanctuary. ⁷ Give unto the LORD, O ye kindreds of the people, give unto the LORD glory and strength. ⁸ Give unto the LORD the glory due unto his name: bring an offering, and come into his courts. ⁹ O worship the LORD in the beauty of holiness: fear before him, all the earth. ¹⁰ Say among the heathen that the LORD reigneth : the world also shall be established that it shall not be moved : he shall judge the people righteously. ¹¹ Let the heavens rejoice , and let the earth be glad ; let the sea roar , and the fulness thereof. ¹² Let the field be joyful , and all that is therein: then shall all the trees of the wood rejoice ¹³ Before the LORD: for he cometh , for he cometh to judge the earth: he shall judge the world with righteousness, and the people with his truth.

The King James Version is in the public domain.

Our Daily Bread

Our Daily Bread

Tone Check

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October 1, 2011 — by Bill Crowder

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Our Daily Bread Radio is hosted by Les Lamborn

Read: Colossians 4:2-6

Let your speech always be with grace, seasoned with salt, that you may know how you ought to answer each one. —Colossians 4:6

Bible in a year:
Isaiah 11-13; Ephesians 4

Driving home from work, I heard a radio advertisement that got my attention. It was for a computer program that checks e-mails as they are written. I was familiar with “spell check” and “grammar check” programs, but this was different. This was “tone check.” The software monitors the tone and wording of e-mails to make certain they are not overly aggressive, unkind, or mean-spirited.

As I listened to the announcer describe the features of this software, I wondered what it would be like to have something like that for my mouth. How many times have I reacted harshly instead of listening first—and later regretted the words I had spoken? Certainly a tone check would have protected me from responding so foolishly.

Paul saw the need for us as believers to check our speech—especially when talking to those who are not Christians. He said, “Let your speech always be with grace, seasoned with salt, that you may know how you ought to answer each one” (Col. 4:6). His concern was that our speech be graceful, reflecting the beauty of our Savior. And it must be inviting to others. Talking with the right tone to unbelievers is vital to our ability to witness to them. Colossians 4:6can be our tone check.

Tone of voice can be effective
If our spirit’s calm and meek;
Let us watch our words and actions,
Always careful how we speak. —Hess

Every time we speak, our heart is on parade.