Tag Archives: God

Daily Bible Reading “Parable of the Wedding Feast” (Matthew 22:1-22)

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Parable of the Wedding Feast

Today’s Daily Bible Reading is from Matthew 22:1-22. In this Scripture, Jesus tells a parable saying the kingdom of heaven is like a king who made a marriage for his son. He sent his servants to gather the people who were invited to the marriage and they wouldn’t come. He sent out more servants telling the people the wedding feast was ready, but they still wouldn’t come, then he took his servants and slew them. This made the king angry so he sent his armies to destroy them and burned up their city.

He tells his servants that the wedding feast is ready, but the ones who were invited weren’t worthy, so “Go into the street, and ask anybody you see to come.” The servants went into the streets and gathered as many as they could so the wedding was full of guests.

When the king saw the guests there was one man who didn’t have wedding garments on, and the king asked him how he got in without his wedding garments? Back in this day and time, the wedding garments were provided by the person giving the wedding. The man was speechless. The king had his servants bind his hands and feet and cast him into outer darkness. Then he says, “Many are called, but few are chosen.” This is a picture of those who are lost without God.

The father is a picture of God. The son is a picture of Jesus. The wedding guests are a picture of Israel. They were the first ones to be invited, but they rejected Jesus. Romans 1:16 says, “For I am not ashamed of the gospel of Christ: for it is the power of God unto salvation to every one that believeth; to the Jew first, and also to the Greek.” Everyone is invited, but not everyone will accept the invitation to come to the Lord Jesus Christ.

The Pharisees tried to trick Jesus by asking Him if it was lawful to pay taxes. Jesus tells them to render to Caesar what was Caesar’s and to God what is God’s. Have you given your life to God? He wants you to give your heart and life to Him.

 

Daily Bible Reading:

Matthew 22:1-22

1 And Jesus answered and spake unto them again by parables, and said,
2 The kingdom of heaven is like unto a certain king, which made a marriage for his son,
3 And sent forth his servants to call them that were bidden to the wedding: and they would not come.
4 Again, he sent forth other servants, saying, Tell them which are bidden, Behold, I have prepared my dinner: my oxen and my fatlings are killed, and all things are ready: come unto the marriage.
5 But they made light of it, and went their ways, one to his farm, another to his merchandise:
6 And the remnant took his servants, and entreated them spitefully, and slew them.
7 But when the king heard thereof, he was wroth: and he sent forth his armies, and destroyed those murderers, and burned up their city.
8 Then saith he to his servants, The wedding is ready, but they which were bidden were not worthy.
9 Go ye therefore into the highways, and as many as ye shall find, bid to the marriage.
10 So those servants went out into the highways, and gathered together all as many as they found, both bad and good: and the wedding was furnished with guests.
11 And when the king came in to see the guests, he saw there a man which had not on a wedding garment:
12 And he saith unto him, Friend, how camest thou in hither not having a wedding garment? And he was speechless.
13 Then said the king to the servants, Bind him hand and foot, and take him away, and cast him into outer darkness; there shall be weeping and gnashing of teeth.
14 For many are called, but few are chosen.
15 Then went the Pharisees, and took counsel how they might entangle him in his talk.
16 And they sent out unto him their disciples with the Herodians, saying, Master, we know that thou art true, and teachest the way of God in truth, neither carest thou for any man: for thou regardest not the person of men.
17 Tell us therefore, What thinkest thou? Is it lawful to give tribute unto Caesar, or not?
18 But Jesus perceived their wickedness, and said, Why tempt ye me, ye hypocrites?
19 Shew me the tribute money. And they brought unto him a penny.
20 And he saith unto them, Whose is this image and superscription?
21 They say unto him, Caesar’s. Then saith he unto them, Render therefore unto Caesar the things which are Caesar’s; and unto God the things that are God’s.
22 When they had heard these words, they marvelled, and left him, and went their way.

 

Things to think about:

  • Who is invited to the wedding feast?
  • Who will attend?
  • Who won’t attend? Why?

 

Prayer of the Day:

Dear Heavenly Father,

Thank You that You are preparing the wedding feast for us today. We pray You will help those who haven’t accepted Christ as their Savior yet that they’ll accept Him as Savior and come to know You. Help us to do what is right in all things, render to Caesar what is Caesar’s and to God what is God’s. In Jesus’ name, we pray. We love You, LORD. Amen.

Daily Bible Verse:

The kingdom of heaven is like unto a certain king, which made a marriage …

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for his son, And sent forth his servants to call them that were bidden to the wedding: and they would not come. – Matthew 22:2-3

The Book of Matthew: Life of Jesus Christ

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PS. Thank you for coming to DeborahHBateman.com to study the Bible with us. Please come back again tomorrow and invite your friends and family to join us for Bible Study.

 

Featured Book:

Matthew

The Book of Matthew: Life of Jesus Christ
by Deborah H. Bateman

About the book:

The Book of Matthew: Life of Jesus Christ is a Daily Bible Reading Study by Deborah H. Bateman, which takes you through the life of Jesus Christ. The book of Matthew is the first book in the New Testament of the Bible. It begins with the genealogy of Jesus Christ and His birth.

The Book of Matthew also goes into Jesus’ ministry on earth, including the Sermon on the Mount, Jesus’ parables, and Jesus’ final days, including His death, burial, and resurrection. The book concludes with the great commission.

The Book of Matthew: Life of Jesus Christ includes fifty-seven daily devotionals which contain a brief commentary, the Daily Bible Reading Scripture, a few questions to think about, and a prayer of the day. It is a great book for individual daily devotions or a group Bible study.

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Have a blessed day,

Deborah

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Daily Bible Reading “God Does Not Give Us the Spirit of Fear” (2 Timothy 1:7)

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God Does Not Give Us the Spirit of Fear

Today’s Daily Bible Reading is from 2 Timothy 1:7. Second Timothy 1:7 reminds us, “For God hath not given us the spirit of fear; but of power, and of love, and of a sound mind.”

Have you ever been afraid of something? What is your greatest fear? Has there ever been a time in your life that you were crippled by fear?

I had a time like that in my life when I was overcome with fear about the future. As Christians, we shouldn’t have that problem. But when we take our eyes off of God and put them on our circumstances it is easy to be overcome by fear.

I was a corporate employee for more than twenty-two years. When I found out I was going to lose my job due to a surplus situation I became fearful. The enemy tried to tell me we were not going to make it. My salary was about half of our household income at the time. Even though I had been a Christian for many years I let this fear overtake me for a while. Finally, with the Lord’s help, I began to quote this Scripture where Paul reminds Timothy it is not God who gives us the spirit of fear. God gives us the spirit of power, love, and a sound mind.

As I began to use this Scripture and others from the Bible to reassure myself that God was in control and any doubt or fear I had was not from Him, I gradually overcame the fear in my life through applying God’s Word. I learned to trust God and realized He could provide for me in any way He chose. You see, I had been trusting in my strength and my power to make a living and provide for myself. I had to put my trust in God completely.

Have you ever had a circumstance like this in your life? When the enemy tries to make you afraid, remind yourself of this Scripture. He’ll try to do anything he can to defeat you and bring you down. You can’t let him win; you have to proclaim the promises in God’s Word. Quote this Scripture to yourself over and over until you get it in your spirit.

God doesn’t give you the spirit of fear. If you are fearful, that fear comes from the enemy. Remind yourself the spirit that comes from God is of power, love, and a sound mind. God empowers you through His love.

 

 Things to think about:

  • What are you afraid of right now? What often makes you feel afraid?
  • Who gives us the spirit of fear?
  • What kind of things does God’s Spirit give us?
  • Who should we trust?
  • How can we overcome fear?

 

Prayer of the Day:

Dear God,

Thank You for this Scripture which reminds us that You don’t make us afraid. Help us to have feelings of love, power, and good thoughts. Forgive us for letting the enemy try to make us fearful. Help us to claim the promises of Your Word. In Jesus’ name, we pray. Amen.

 

Daily Bible Verse:

For God hath not given us the spirit of fear; but of power, and of love, and of a sound mind.– 2 Timothy 1:7

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–Excerpt from God Is Love ~ Deborah H. Bateman

 

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Featured Book:

godislove25

God Is Love

by Deborah H. Bateman

About the book:

God is Love is a Daily Bible Reading Study by Deborah H. Bateman. It contains 19 daily devotionals on Scriptures about love from the Bible: including God’s love for us, the love relationship between a husband and wife, love and honoring our parents, and much more.

This devotional would be great for either a personal daily devotions or group Bible studies, including small groups, and Sunday school classes. Each devotional contains a brief commentary by the author, the daily Bible Scripture, a prayer of the day, and several questions for personal reflection or group discussion.

In God is Love, Deborah strives to show you not only what love is, but that love comes from God, as well as the love of God surpasses all imagination. Her goal for you as you read this book is that you would realize how much God loves you.

Benefits of reading God is Love
• You will learn what love is
• You will learn about different kinds of love
• You will learn how much God loves you
• You will learn of the sacrifice made by God because of His love for you

Available on Amazon

Get your copy now!

 

Have a blessed day,

Deborah

Recipe for Life

Like Deborah H. Bateman on Facebook

Daily Bible Reading “Know the Love of Christ” (Ephesians 3:13-21)

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Know the Love of Christ

Today’s Daily Bible Reading is from Ephesians 3:13-21. In this Scripture Paul told the Ephesians not to be discouraged because he was in prison, as it was for their honor and glory that he was suffering. Would you be discouraged if your leader was in prison?

Paul says, “For this cause I bow my knees to the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who is the creator of everything in heaven and earth.” This shows Paul’s humility and his reverence for God.

Paul’s desire for the church members was that God would give them inner strength by His Spirit through the riches of His glory. Paul hoped that Christ would dwell in their hearts by faith as they put their trust in Him. Paul wanted them to be rooted and grounded in love. His prayer for them was that they would be able to understand, as all Christians should, how high, how wide, how long, and how deep God’s love is for us. He also desired that they would know the love of Christ, which passes all knowledge and be filled with the fullness of God.

Paul gives glory to God who is able to do more than we could ever imagine by His power that is at work in us. His desire was that God be given glory in the church forever through Jesus Christ our Lord.

Paul didn’t try to take glory or honor for anything he did. He made sure that whatever he did he gave the glory to God and to Jesus Christ. Paul realized that without God he was nothing, and he could do nothing without the power of God living in him. Paul loved the Ephesians, but he knew that God loved them even more and he wanted them to understand and know the love of God.

I love this Scripture. As you read it, Paul’s prayer is also my prayer for you. Read the Scripture as if Paul were talking to you. I pray that it will help you to understand and know how deep, how wide, how long, and how high God’s love is for you. May you always give God all the honor, glory, and praise for all He has done.

 

Daily Bible Reading:

Ephesians 3:13-21

13 Wherefore I desire that ye faint not at my tribulations for you, which is your glory.

14 For this cause I bow my knees unto the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ,

15 Of whom the whole family in heaven and earth is named,

16 That he would grant you, according to the riches of his glory, to be strengthened with might by his Spirit in the inner man;

17 That Christ may dwell in your hearts by faith; that ye, being rooted and grounded in love,

18 May be able to comprehend with all saints what is the breadth, and length, and depth, and height;

19 And to know the love of Christ, which passeth knowledge, that ye might be filled with all the fulness of God.

20 Now unto him that is able to do exceeding abundantly above all that we ask or think, according to the power that worketh in us,

21 Unto him be glory in the church by Christ Jesus throughout all ages, world without end. Amen.

 

Things to think about:

  • What are some ways we can find strength for our “inner selves” through Christ?
  • What are some ways we can know the love of God?
  • In what ways have you experienced the immeasurable love of God?

 

 Prayer of the Day:

Dear Heavenly Father,

Thank You for this Scripture in the book of Ephesians where Paul is praising and glorifying You. Help us to get a glimpse into how much You love us. We give You praise, honor, and glory for all You have done for us and for the wonderful plan that You had for us from the beginning of time. We love You, LORD. Amen.

 

Daily Bible Verse:

And to know the love of Christ, which passeth knowledge, that ye might …

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be filled with all the fulness of God.

– Ephesians 3:19

 

Featured Book:

The Book of Ephesians: Paul’s Letter to the Church at Ephesus

by Deborah H. Bateman

The Book of Ephesians: Paul’s Letter to the Church at Ephesus is a Daily Bible Reading Study by Deborah H. Bateman. It is a study of the book of Ephesians from the New Testament of the Bible. Ephesians is one of the Apostle Paul’s letters, which was written to the church at Ephesus.

In the book of Ephesians Paul reminds us that we are chosen of God. He encourages us to walk in unity in the church. He talks about our various relationships including our relationship with Christ, with each other, the husband-wife relationship and others. He also exhorts us to put on the full armor of God so that we are clothed for battle against the enemy.

The Book of Ephesians: Paul’s Letter to the Church at Ephesus consists of twelve lessons, which can be used for an individual daily Bible study or a group Bible study. Each lesson consists of a brief commentary, the Daily Bible Reading Scripture, a few questions for contemplation called, “Things to think about,” and a prayer for the day.

For those of you interested in Bible journaling, may I suggest you pick your favorite Bible verse from each lesson and journal about it. This will be a great reminder of the lessons you learn as you read and study this book.

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Get your copy now!

 

Subscribe to Deborah H. Bateman to receive
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Have a blessed day,

Deborah

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Recipe for Life

Daily Bible Reading “He Loved Us” (Ephesians 2:4-9)

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He Loved Us

Today’s Daily Bible Reading is from Ephesians 2:4-9. In Ephesians 2:4, Paul says, “But God, who is rich in mercy, for his great love wherewith he loved us,” God is merciful, He loves us so much He demonstrated His great love for us while we were still dead in our sins He made us alive in Christ.

God showed His compassion toward us by giving us a way to have forgiveness for our sins. If it wasn’t for His love and compassion for us, we would all be on our way to hell. Thank God for His love, grace, and mercy toward us.

By His grace we are saved. Only through God’s unmerited favor can we be saved. God raised us up with Christ to sit in heavenly places, so He could show His abundant grace and compassion to us through Jesus Christ. It is by grace we are saved through faith. It is a precious gift of God. It is not anything we can do by ourselves or by our own works, so we have no reason to boast in ourselves. We can only boast about God and His great love for us, which He expressed through His Son, Jesus Christ.

When someone gives you a gift, do you open it right away? Are you excited to see what is inside the package? What would happen if someone offered you a gift, but you never opened it? It would be there for you to enjoy, if you would open it and take advantage of the gift inside. That is often how we look at God’s gift of salvation. It is there for us to receive if we are willing to accept it. God is not going to force it on us. We have to receive it willingly. Have you accepted God’s gift of salvation for your life?

 

Daily Bible Reading:

Ephesians 2:4-9

4 But God, who is rich in mercy, for his great love wherewith he loved us,

5 Even when we were dead in sins, hath quickened us together with Christ, by grace ye are saved;

6 And hath raised us up together, and made us sit together in heavenly places in Christ Jesus:

7 That in the ages to come he might shew the exceeding riches of his grace in his kindness toward us through Christ Jesus.

8 For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God:

9 Not of works, lest any man should boast.

 

Things to think about:

  • Are you thankful for God’s mercy?
  • What does the Scripture mean when it says, “By grace we are saved?”
  • Have you accepted God’s gift of salvation?

 

Prayer of the Day:

Dear God,

We thank You for this Scripture which reminds us how much You love us. It tells us about Your grace and mercy toward us. Help us to realize what a precious gift You gave us through Your Son. Help those who haven’t accepted this gift of salvation to do so today. Help those of us who know Jesus as our Savior to appreciate the gracious gift You gave us. In Jesus’ precious name, we pray. Amen.

 

Daily Bible Verse:

But God, who is rich in mercy, for his great love wherewith he loved us,- Ephesians 2:4

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–Excerpt from God Is Love ~ Deborah H. Bateman

 

Christian Music Video: Reckless Love

 

Featured Book:

godislove25

God Is Love

by Deborah H. Bateman

About the book:

God is Love is a Daily Bible Reading Study by Deborah H. Bateman. It contains 19 daily devotionals on Scriptures about love from the Bible: including God’s love for us, the love relationship between a husband and wife, love and honoring our parents, and much more.

This devotional would be great for either a personal daily devotions or group Bible studies, including small groups, and Sunday school classes. Each devotional contains a brief commentary by the author, the daily Bible Scripture, a prayer of the day, and several questions for personal reflection or group discussion.

In God is Love, Deborah strives to show you not only what love is, but that love comes from God, as well as the love of God surpasses all imagination. Her goal for you as you read this book is that you would realize how much God loves you.

Benefits of reading God is Love
• You will learn what love is
• You will learn about different kinds of love
• You will learn how much God loves you
• You will learn of the sacrifice made by God because of His love for you

Available on Amazon

Get your copy now!

 

Have a blessed day,

Deborah

Recipe for Life

Like Deborah H. Bateman on Facebook

 

PS. Thank you for coming to DeborahHBateman.com to study the Bible with us. Please come back again tomorrow and invite your friends and family to join us for Bible Study.

If you haven’t already, be sure to subscribe to Deborah H. Bateman to receive the Daily Bible Reading Lessons in your inbox.

Daily Bible Reading “God Loves Us” ( John 3:16-17)

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God Loves Us

Today’s Daily Bible Reading is from John 3:16-17. In this Scripture, we are told of the greatest love of all. We can’t possibly imagine how much God loves us. Think about the sacrifice He made when He gave His only Son, Jesus Christ, to die on the cross for us.

We find this in John 3:16-17, “For God so loved the world that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life. For God sent not his Son into the world to condemn the world; but that the world through him might be saved.”

For those of you who are parents, can you imagine giving your only son’s life for people you didn’t even have a relationship with? I know this was part of God’s plan, but I hope as we think about it as parents we can see what an awesome sacrifice this was. Both Jesus and God made this sacrifice so we could have eternal life.

There may be some parents who may relate to this better than most of us, those who have lost their children fighting in combat to give freedom to the rest of us. I recently went to a funeral of a soldier that I knew from my hometown. It was so sad for me. I can’t imagine how grieved the parents must have been. I am sure it grieved God’s heart to sacrifice His Son’s life.

God didn’t send His Son into this world to condemn us of our sins, but to save us from our sins. See, God knows us better than anybody and He knew we would never be able to keep the laws of God in our own human nature. So He gave His Son, Jesus, as the sacrifice for our sins.

God showed His love for us, because while we were still sinners He sent His Son, Jesus Christ to die for us. Romans 5:8 tell us, “But God commendeth his love toward us, in that, while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us.”

Because of Adam and Eve’s fall, back in the Garden of Eden, we were all born into sin. God acclaimed His love for us by having Christ die for us before we were ever born so He could take our place and pay the price for our sins. Have you accepted this love gift of salvation God provided for you?

 

Things to think about:

  • Where would we be if it weren’t for Jesus’ sacrifice on the cross?
  • Are you thankful for Jesus’ sacrifice?
  • Do you thank God for loving us so much?
  • Do you share God’s love with others?

 

Prayer of the Day:

Dear God,

We thank You for this Scripture in the Bible that tells us how much You love us. We realize it was an awesome sacrifice for You to give Your only Son Jesus’ life for our sins. We thank You for the sacrifice You made on our behalf. We thank You for having a plan for us. In Jesus’ name, we pray. Amen.

 

Daily Bible Verse:

For God so loved the world that he gave his only begotten Son, that …

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whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life.

– John 3:16

–Excerpt from God Is Love ~ Deborah H. Bateman

 

Christian Music Video:

 

Featured Book:

godislove25

God Is Love

by Deborah H. Bateman

About the book:

God is Love is a Daily Bible Reading Study by Deborah H. Bateman. It contains 19 daily devotionals on Scriptures about love from the Bible: including God’s love for us, the love relationship between a husband and wife, love and honoring our parents, and much more.

This devotional would be great for either a personal daily devotions or group Bible studies, including small groups, and Sunday school classes. Each devotional contains a brief commentary by the author, the daily Bible Scripture, a prayer of the day, and several questions for personal reflection or group discussion.

In God is Love, Deborah strives to show you not only what love is, but that love comes from God, as well as the love of God surpasses all imagination. Her goal for you as you read this book is that you would realize how much God loves you.

Benefits of reading God is Love
• You will learn what love is
• You will learn about different kinds of love
• You will learn how much God loves you
• You will learn of the sacrifice made by God because of His love for you

Available on Amazon

Get your copy now!

 

Have a blessed day,

Deborah

Recipe for Life

Like Deborah H. Bateman on Facebook

 

PS. Thank you for coming to DeborahHBateman.com to study the Bible with us. Please come back again tomorrow and invite your friends and family to join us for Bible Study.

If you haven’t already, be sure to subscribe to Deborah H. Bateman to receive the Daily Bible Reading Lessons in your inbox.