Inside out
by Jeffrey Smith February 17th, 2016
Psalm 103:12: As far as east is from the west, So far has He removed our transgressions from us.
One of the favorite activities in our household is to put a puzzle together. We spread out all the pieces on the dining room table and we scan the many shapes and colors to determine which pieces fit together. The key in putting together a puzzle with a lot of pieces is to look for the edge...
Fill up
by Jeffrey Smith February 16th, 2016
Ezekiel 3:1-3: And He said to me, son of man, eat what is before you, eat this scroll; then go and speak to the house of Israel. So I opened my mouth, and He gave me the scroll to eat. Then He said to me, Son of man, eat this scroll I am giving you and fill your stomach with it. So I ate it, and it tasted as sweet as honey in my mouth.
Jeremiah 15:16: When your words came, I ate them; they were...
Don't Panic
by Jeffrey Smith February 15th, 2016
Isaiah 28:16- This is what the Sovereign Lord says: "See, I lay a stone in Zion, a tested stone, a precious cornerstone for a sure foundation; the one who relies on it will never be stricken with panic.
Ephesians 2: 19-20: Consequently, you are no longer foreigners and strangers, but fellow citizenswith God’s people and also members of his household, built on the foundationof...
The Good Shepherd
by Dion Todd February 13th, 2016
Jesus went about all the cities and the villages, teaching in their synagogues, and preaching the gospel of the kingdom, and healing every disease and every sickness among the people. But when he saw the multitudes, he was moved with compassion for them, because they were harassed and scattered, like sheep without a shepherd. Matthew 9:35 WEBWhen Jesus saw the crowds, He had compassion on them for...
Love
by Jeffrey Smith February 12th, 2016
1st Corinthians 13:2: If I have the gift of prophecy and can fathom all mysteries and all knowledge, and if I have a faith that can move mountains, but do not have love, I am nothing.
We all have amazing talents and gifts, things that we are better at than others. We can find that something may start out like a passion that fuels us into action based on those talents. What this scripture is...
Cup of Salvation
by Jeffrey Smith February 11th, 2016
Jeremiah 49:12- This is what the Lord says; If those who do not deserve to drink the cup must drink it, why should you go unpunished? You will not go unpunished, but must drink it.
Luke 22:42- Saying, Father, if you are willing, remove this cup from Me; yet not My will, but Yours be done.
Matthew: 26:27- Then he took the cup, gave thanks and offered it to them, saying, Drink from it, all of...
Choose Jesus
by Jeffrey Smith February 10th, 2016
Matthew 10:34-39: Do not suppose that I have come to bring peace to the earth. I did not come to bring peace, but a sword. For I have come to turn a man against his father, a daughter against her mother, a daughter-in-law against her mother-in-law a man's enemies will be the members of his own household. Anyone who loves his father or mother more than me is not worthy of me; anyone who loves his son...
RHM February 2016 Newsletter
by Dion Todd February 9th, 2016
For as the rain comes down and the snow from the sky, and doesn’t return there, but waters the earth, and makes it bring forth and bud, and gives seed to the sower and bread to the eater; so shall my word be that goes forth out of my mouth: it shall not return to me void, but it shall accomplish that which I please, and it shall prosper in the thing whereto I sent it. Isaiah 55:10–11 WEB
February...
For the team
by Jeffrey Smith February 8th, 2016
Matthew 12:48-49: He replied to him, "Who is my mother, and who are my brothers?" Pointing to his disciples, he said, "Here are my mother and my brothers.
I coach my children's basketball team. Over the last 3 years the Lord has blessed me with all wins, every game except one when we didn't have enough players. My focus is always on the team, and the unity of the team.
This year...
Nineveh is the Other Direction
by Dion Todd February 7th, 2016
Now Yahweh's word came to Jonah the son of Amittai, saying, 'Arise, go to Nineveh, that great city, and preach against it, for their wickedness has come up before me.' But Jonah rose up to flee to Tarshish from the presence of Yahweh. He went down to Joppa, and found a ship going to Tarshish; so he paid its fare, and went down into it, to go with them to Tarshish from the presence of Yahweh. Jonah...
Death to life
by Jeffrey Smith February 5th, 2016
1st Corinthians 15:54-55:But when this perishable will have put on the imperishable, and this mortal will have put on immortality, then will come about the saying that is written, "DEATH IS SWALLOWED UP in victory. "O DEATH, WHERE IS YOUR VICTORY? O DEATH, WHERE IS YOUR STING?"
When we experience a loss of a loved one, we can often go through trying times, questioning a lot of things in our own lives....
Letting go of control
by Jeffrey Smith February 4th, 2016
Revelation 12:11-They overcame him by the blood of the Lamb and by the word of their testimony, they did not love their lives so much as to shrink from death.
When I was a child, I went with friends and parents to an outdoor fun land. The place was touted as a total adventure. The whole underlying theme of the place was built on trust, yet there it was masked as fun and adventure for all of us to...
Go to the source
by Jeffrey Smith February 2nd, 2016
Ezekiel 47:9- Swarms of living creatures will live wherever the river flows. There will be large numbers of fish, because this water flows there and makes the salt water fresh; so where the river flows everything will live.
Jeremiah 2:13- My people have committed two sins; They have forsaken me, the spring of Living Water, and have dug their own cisterns, broken cisterns that cannot hold water.
If...
Irrevocable
by Jeffrey Smith February 1st, 2016
Romans 11:27-32: And this is my covenant with them when I take away their sins. As far as the gospel is concerned, they are enemies on your account; but as far as election is concerned, they are loved on account of the patriarchs, for God's gift's and his call are irrevocable.
In estate planning, the irrevocable trust is one of the most effective ways to pass along wealth, property, rights and whatever...
The Box
by Dion Todd February 1st, 2016
The donkey saw Yahweh's angel, and she lay down under Balaam. Balaam's anger burned, and he struck the donkey with his staff. Yahweh opened the mouth of the donkey, and she said to Balaam, 'What have I done to you, that you have struck me these three times?' Balaam said to the donkey, 'Because you have mocked me, I wish there were a sword in my hand, for now I would have killed you.' The donkey said...
The Mechanical Rabbit
by Dion Todd January 31st, 2016
For to the man who pleases him, God gives wisdom, knowledge, and joy; but to the sinner he gives travail, to gather and to heap up, that he may give to him who pleases God. This also is vanity and a chasing after wind. Ecclesiastes 2:26 WEBIn dog racing, they have a lure called a mechanical rabbit that runs along a rail. At the start of the race, the dogs line up and then chase this rabbit around the...
The Love Dare: Day 20
by Sylvia Todd January 30th, 2016
Day 20
Love is Jesus Christ
While we were still helpless, at the right time Christ died for the ungodly. –Romans 5:6
The previous day and dare lead to no other conclusion that this. Thankfully, it’s a conclusion you can live with—today, tomorrow, and forever.
Jesus has come “to seek and to save” you (Luke 19:10). Everything you’ve...
The Love Dare: Day 19
by Sylvia Todd January 30th, 2016
Day 19
Love is Impossible
Let us love one another, for love is from God; and everyone who loves is born of God and knows God. –I John 4:7
The Love Dare starts with a secret. And though it’s been an unspoken element throughout each day, you’ve likely grown more and more suspicious of it all the time. Now that you’re this far, it’s a secret...
The Love Dare: Day 18
by Sylvia Todd January 30th, 2016
Day 18
Love Seeks to Understand
How blessed is the man who finds wisdom, and the man who gains understanding. – Proverbs 3:13
We enjoy discovering as much as we can about the things we truly care about. If it’s our favorite football team, we’ll read any article that helps us keep up with how they’re doing. If it’s cooking, we’ll...
The Love Dare: Day 17
by Sylvia Todd January 30th, 2016
Day 17
Love Promotes Intimacy
He who covers over an offense promotes love, but whoever repeats the matter separates close friends. – Proverbs 17:9 NIV
You can be close to a good friend you’ve known since childhood or college days. You can be close to a sibling, your parents, or a cousin who’s about your same age. But nothing rivals the closeness...
The Love Dare: Day 16
by Sylvia Todd January 30th, 2016
Day 16
Love Intercedes
Beloved, I pray that in all respects you may prosper and be in good health, just as your soul prospers. – 3 John 2
You cannot change your spouse. As much as you may want to, you cannot play God and reach into their heart and mold them into what you want them to be. But that’s what most couples spend a large part of their time trying...
The Love Dare: Day 15
by Sylvia Todd January 30th, 2016
Day 15
Love is Honorable
Live with your wives in an understanding way … and show her honor as a fellow heir of the grace of life. – 1 Peter 3:7
There are certain words in our language that have powerful meanings. Whenever these words are used, an air of respect is associated with them. These words never lose their timeless quality, class, and...
The Love Dare: Day 14
by Sylvia Todd January 30th, 2016
Day 14
Love Takes Delight
Enjoy life with the wife you love all the days of your fleeting life. – Ecclesiastes 9:9 HCSB
One of the most important things you should learn on your Love Dare journey is that you should not just follow your heart. You should lead it. You don’t let your feelings and emotions do the driving. You put them in the back...
The Love Dare: Day 13
by Sylvia Todd January 30th, 2016
Day 13
Love Fights Fair
If a house is divided against itself, that house will not be able to stand. – Mark 3:25
Like it or not, conflict in marriage is simply inevitable. When you tied the knot as bride and groom, you joined not only your hopes and dreams but also your hurts, fears, imperfections, and emotional baggage. From the moment you unpacked from your...
The Love Dare: Day 12
by Sylvia Todd January 30th, 2016
Day 12
Love Lets the Other Win
Do not merely look out for your own personal interests, but also for the interests others. – Philippians 2:4
If you were asked to name three areas where you and your spouse disagree, you’d likely be able to do it without thinking very hard. You might even be able to produce a top ten list if given a few more minutes. And...
The Love Dare: Day 11
by Sylvia Todd January 30th, 2016
Day 11
Love Cherishes
Husbands ought also to love their own wives as their own bodies. – Ephesians 5:28
Consider these two scenarios.
A man’s older car begins having serious trouble, so he takes it to a mechanic. After an assessment is made, he is told it will need a complete overhaul, which would tax his limited budget. Because of the expensive...
He hears us
by Jeffrey Smith January 29th, 2016
1 John 5:15- And if we know that he hears us--whatever we ask--we know that we has what we ask of him. John 11:40-42- So they took away the stone, then Jesus looked up and said, Father, I thank you that you have heard me. I knew that you always hear me, but I said this for the benefit of the people standing here, that they may believe that you sent me.
We are all in Jesus as we believe and have received...
Feed the Spirit
by Jeffrey Smith January 28th, 2016
John 6:63: The Spirit gives life; the flesh counts for nothing, the words I have spoken to you--they are full of the Spirit and life.Romans 8:26: In the same way, the Spirit helps us in our weakness. We do not know what we ought to pray for, but the Spirit himself intercedes for us with groans and that words cannot express.
Running and cycling is tremendously demanding on the body. I had worked a...
Playing With Fire
by Dion Todd January 28th, 2016
Why do you call me, 'Lord, Lord,' and don't do the things which I say? Luke 6:46 WEBDad always warned us about playing with fire. One day my brother, who was only about three or four years old, got a hold of a pack of matches. He hid in the closet to play with them, sitting under the clothes that were hanging in there. It wasn't long before the closet was on fire, and then the entire house. By the...
The Apple Tree
by Dion Todd January 27th, 2016
For there is no good tree that brings forth rotten fruit; nor again a rotten tree that brings forth good fruit. For each tree is known by its own fruit. For people don't gather figs from thorns, nor do they gather grapes from a bramble bush. Luke 6:43 WEBWe find it humorous when we get cut off in traffic by a rude driver and they have a Christian fish symbol on their bumper. At other times, we see...