GuineaField

Take a Leap! Does believing in Christianity taking a blind leap of faith? I would say absolutely not! Now, believing always take an element of faith. But the Christian worldview is the best way to make good sense of all the data that we have in front of us as humans. Well documented first hand witnesses recorded Jesus’ claims as the Son of God Who takes away the sin of the world. And life experience corroborates those claims as legit. So, it is faith. But it is a reasonable step of faith. NOT A blind leap. So let me encourage you to take that step of faith this LEAP YEAR day. "Now Jesus did many other signs in the presence of the disciples, which are not written in this book;   but these are written so that you may believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God, and that by believing you may have life in his name" (John 20:30-31).

Psalm 145 is my favorite Psalm to use as I walk slowly through each phrase praising God for each new truth it shares about Him. They are each a beam of glory from His character! And verse 3 points out that this glory in each case is - "unsearchably great." So I never would be able to fathom even part of its depth. What a joy that is! What an overwhelmingly great God we serve! I will extol You, my God, O King, And I will bless Your name forever and ever. Every day I will bless You, And I will praise Your name forever and ever. Great is the LORD, and highly to be praised, And His greatness is unsearchable. (Psalm 145:1–3) Wednesday, February 28 - Leviticus 22:17-23:44; Mark 9:30-10:12; Psalm 44:1-8; Proverbs 10:19 Thursday, February 29 - LEAP YEAR - CATCH UP Friday, March 1 - Leviticus 24:1-25:46; Matthew 10:13-31; Psalm 44:9-26; Proverbs 10:20-21 Saturday, March 2 - Leviticus 25:47-27:13; Mark 10:32-52; Psalm 45:1-17; Proverbs 10:22 Sunday, March 3 - Leviticus

God is... A God of ALL Comfort! What an encouraging truth. The Lord helps us today with comfort and consolation in all of our affliction because He can. He can do so in our diverse afflictions because He is a God of all comfort. He has no limit to the ways in which HE can provide comfort and the ability and power to provide comfort. Come to Him today in all your affliction and find help and comfort in Him! IN this case, Paul needed comfort because he was afflicted and distressed even of life. He had come to an end and didn't know where to turn. Are you there today? Then turn to Christ. He can provide all comfort for you. "Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of mercies and God of all comfort, who comforts us in all our affliction so that we will be able to comfort those who are in any affliction with the comfort with which we ourselves are comforted by God" (2 Corinthians 1:3-4).  Sunday, February 25 - Leviticus 16:29-18:30; Mark 7:24-8:10; P

One of the illustrations of the Gospel that communicates Christ's sacrifice so well is that of the bridge. Jesus laid down His life that we might enter through Him into eternal life. He stated it this way: “I am the way, and the truth, and the life; no one comes to the Father but through Me" (John 14:6). Bible Reading Schedule: Saturday, February 24 - Leviticus 15:1-16:28; Mark 7:1-23; Psalm 40:11-17; Proverbs 10:13-14 Sunday, February 25 - Leviticus 16:29-18:30; Mark 7:24-8:10; Psalm 41:1-13; Proverbs 10:15-16 Monday, February 26 - Leviticus 19:1-20:21; Mark 8:11-38; Psalm 42:1-11; Proverbs 10:17 Tuesday, February 27 - Leviticus 20:22-22:16; Mark 9:1-29; Psalm 43:1-5; Proverbs 10:18 Wednesday, February 28 - Leviticus 22:17-23:44; Mark 9:30-10:12; Psalm 44:1-8; Proverbs 10:19

  Stand firm in spiritual warfare! How? We stand firm, not in our own strength. We stand firm in the strength God provides in HIs armory for victory. What is in His armor? So many vital spiritual truths. And yet only one of them is offensive. It is a dagger-like sword. And that is the Sword of God's Spirit which is the Word of God. Don't go into battle this week my friend with out God's Word! Take it, read it, study it! #Bible Bible Reading Schedule: Saturday, February 24 - Leviticus 15:1-16:28; Mark 7:1-23; Psalm 40:11-17; Proverbs 10:13-14 Sunday, February 25 - Leviticus 16:29-18:30; Mark 7:24-8:10; Psalm 41:1-13; Proverbs 10:15-16

Life is filled with chasms slippery sliding narrow spots and there's really no way to know how to navigate that spot safely without the Lord. He provides grace... and the Psalmist says it this plainly. He holds your hand. This is how, when we fall, we get back up. It is God and His strength alone.

Does this donut defile? Jesus clarified our understanding with this. It's not what goes in but what comes out. Now if my heart cannot say no to my mouth and this is all I eat, that’s a heart problem. If I overcharge everyone selling these… that’s a heart problem. If I throw these at others eyes … that’s a heart problem. But the donut isn’t the defiling influence. We need someone who will not cleanse our food but cleanse our heart. And Jesus does just that. He cleanses from the inside out. "And He said to them, 'Are you so lacking in understanding also? Do you not understand that whatever goes into the man from outside cannot defile him, because it does not go into his heart, but into his stomach, and is eliminated?' (Thus He declared all foods clean.) 20 And He was saying, 'That which proceeds out of the man, that is what defiles the man. 21 For from within, out of the heart of men, proceed the evil thoughts, fornications, thefts, murders, adulteries, 22 deeds of c

Many things, agencies, people, and systems cry out to provide lasting security, safety... hope. But there is really only one source of lasting hope for this life and the next. Follow the Psalmists example in finding hope and security in God today. "My soul, wait in silence for God only, For my hope is from Him. He only is my rock and my salvation, My stronghold; I shall not be shaken" (Psalm 62:5–6)

Life is filled with slippery spots. How do we keep from falling? And if we slip a bit, how do we keep from falling hard? Psalm 37 speaks about that. Follow God's path and His leading and your way will be established. As you stay close to the Lord in this way, the text states a beautiful thing. He will hold your hand! "The steps of a man are established by the Lord, And He delights in his way. When he falls, he will not be hurled headlong, Because the Lord is the One who holds his hand" (Psalm 37:23–24). Scripture Reading Wednesday, February 21 - Leviticus 9:7- 10:20 ; Mark 4:26 - 5:20 ; Psalm 37:30 -40; Proverbs 10:6-7 Thursday, February 22 - Leviticus 11:1-12:8; Mark 5:21 -43; Psalm 38:1-22; Proverbs 10:8-9 Friday, February 23 - Leviticus 14:1-57; Mark 6:30-56; Psalm 40:1-10; Proverbs 10:11-12 Saturday, February 24 - Leviticus 15:1-16:28; Mark 7:1-23; Psalm 40:11-17; Proverbs 10:13-14

  Another ploy of the devil that the Bible exposes is that he prowls. He sits behind, biding his time to attack at the opportune moment when you are by yourself or at your weakest. So, be sure to be with other christians in the pack. Don't find yourself alone. And when you feel weakest, be sure to stay closest to your Lord and Shepherd! He will make the enemy flee from you! "Be of sober spirit, be on the alert. Your adversary, the devil, prowls around like a roaring lion, seeking someone to devour. But resist him, firm in your faith, knowing that the same experiences of suffering are being accomplished by your brethren who are in the world" (1 Peter 5:8–9) Scripture Reading Wednesday, February 21 - Leviticus 9:7- 10:20 ; Mark 4:26 - 5:20 ; Psalm 37:30 -40; Proverbs 10:6-7 Thursday, February 22 - Leviticus 11:1-12:8; Mark 5:21 -43; Psalm 38:1-22; Proverbs 10:8-9

Who is this Jesus!? His disciples cried as Jesus awoke in a life threatening storm and rebuked the wild waves of the sea. They obeyed. He moves on to tame the demon possessed man by commanding the demons from him. This is our great God, Jesus Christ. And He is still with us to calm our seas and conquer satan's mightiest spirits. With one Word of Christ they cease and are still. So we trust Him and we obey Him. We trust His strength in the storms of life. And we follow the storm tossed sea to follow HIs every word in obedience. What a joy to know that Jesus controls it all! "And there arose a fierce gale of wind, and the waves were breaking over the boat so much that the boat was already filling up. Jesus Himself was in the stern, asleep on the cushion; and they woke Him and said to Him, 'Teacher, do You not care that we are perishing?' And He got up and rebuked the wind and said to the sea, 'Hush, be still.' And the wind died down and it became perfectly calm.

One of the most diabolical and deadly tactics of the devil is exposed in 2 Corinthians 11. Paul confronts false teachers and states that they disguise themselves as ministers of righteousness. And so we must be careful not to consider appearances in determining if someone is standing for truth. How a person looks, what their titles or degrees are do not factor in to whether or not they stand for the Lord. We must base their standing with God on what they teach... Do they stand for the truth? And their lifestyle. Does there manner of life back up the truth the teach? "No wonder, for even Satan disguises himself as an angel of light. Therefore it is not surprising if his servants also disguise themselves as servants of righteousness, whose end will be according to their deeds" (2 Corinthians 14:10-11). Scripture Reading Schedule Tuesday Feb 20th - Leviticus 9:7-10:20; Mark 4:26-5:20; Psalm 37:30-40; Proverbs 10:6-7 Wednesday Feb 21st - Leviticus 11:1-12:8; Mark 5:21-43; Psalm 3

Today's Psalm tells us how to plan in life in a successful way. Bring your plans before the Lord most. "Commit your way to the LORD, Trust also in Him, and He will do it" (Psalm 37:5). Trust God with presenting your plans to God today - and follow His paths completely. Bible Reading Schedule Sunday February 18th - Leviticus 6:1-7:27; Mark 3:7-30; Psalm 37:1-11; Proverbs 10:3-4 Monday, February 19th Leviticus 7:28-9:6; Mark 3:31-4:25; Psalm 37:12-29; Proverbs 10:5

  Perhaps your guilt cries louder than the Gospel. At those times, you need to consider passages like Isaiah 1:18. Here the Lord calls Israel to repent of sin and trust in His forgiveness. This forgiveness is given by God through Jesus Christ our Lord!   “'Come now, and let us reason together,' Says the LORD, 'Though your sins are as scarlet, They will be as white as snow; Though they are red like crimson, They will be like wool'" (Isaiah 1:18).

Are you truly blessed? That word blessed is thrown around quite a bit. It would be good to look at where it comes up in biblical settings. Let's not think about what you have or don't have in possessions, but consider your state before God. David put it this way: How blessed is he whose transgression is forgiven, Whose sin is covered! 2 How blessed is the man to whom the LORD does not impute iniquity, And in whose spirit there is no deceit! 3 When I kept silent about my sin, my body wasted away Through my groaning all day long. 4 For day and night Your hand was heavy upon me; My vitality was drained away as with the fever heat of summer. Selah. 5 I acknowledged my sin to You, And my iniquity I did not hide; I said, “I will confess my transgressions to the LORD”; And You forgave the guilt of my sin. Selah." (Psalm 32:1–5 NASB95)   Confess your sin to God today and request the forgiveness that comes once and for all through the blood of Jesus Christ. Bible Reading Schedule F

Most Holy Object Ever Destroyed The most holy relic ever destroyed… astoundingly was ripped in two by God Himself. The thick curtain 30 feet high was ripped from top to bottom at the death of Jesus on the cross.  This signifies that the entrance into God’s holy presence would be open to all who come in prayer through Jesus! Enter into His holy presence today through the Gospel of His Son!  And Jesus cried out again with a loud voice, and yielded up His spirit. And behold, the veil of the temple was torn in two from top to bottom; and the earth shook and the rocks were split (Matthew 27:50–51).  Daily Bible Reading Schedule:  Tuesday, Feb 13th - Exodus 35:10-36:38; Matthew 27:32-66; Psalm 34:1-10; Proverbs 9:7-8  Wednesday, Feb 14th - Exodus 37:1-38:31; Matthew 28:1-20; Psalm 34:11-22; Proverbs 9:9-10  Thursday, Feb 15th - Exodus 39:1-40:38; Mark 1:1-28; Psalm 35:1-16; Proverbs 9:11-12  Friday, Feb 16th - Exodus

Although God is able to forgive. He cannot let the guilty go unpunished. So He had to place our guilt upon an innocent One. Yes, Jesus took our sin upon Him and was punished in our place. This is the glorious truth of the Gospel. Our sin was not swept under a rug in heaven. It was nailed to the Old Rugged cross. And Jesus let us go free because He became guilty. Praise God for His mercy! The Lord passed in front of Moses, calling out, “Yahweh! The Lord! The God of compassion and mercy! I am slow to anger and filled with unfailing love and faithfulness. 7I lavish unfailing love to a thousand generations. I forgive iniquity, rebellion, and sin. But I do not excuse the guilty. I lay the sins of the parents upon their children and grandchildren; the entire family is affected— even children in the third and fourth generations.” (Exodus 34:6–7 NLT) Sunday Bible Reading Schedule - Exodus 32:1-33:23; Matthew 26:69-27:14; Psalm 33:1-11; Proverbs 8:33-36 Monday Bible Reading Schedule - Exodus 34

There are several different words in the Greek language that all could be translated by the English word Love. The two most common were Agape and Phileo… The other two Storge and Eros not so much.  Let’s take a brief overview of these to help us direct our attention to developing love in every relationship we have!    Loving Book is available free here: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B01LZS7RJ5

God is… "full of Loving Kindness."  - חֶ֫סֶד This word has to do with God’s covenant-loyal-love. This is encouraging in the context because the Children of Israel have just totally broken all His covenant. And we know that we can’t obey perfectly. But their disobedience was extreme.  And yet, God reveals to Moses that His character is to uphold His end of the Covenant. In fact, He will come and die in our place to bear under our unfaithfulness. He will ALWAYS uphold His end of the bargain.  The Lord will keep His covenant loyalty because He is filled with Covenant love. That is Who He is to you and to me in Christ. The Lord descended in the cloud and stood there with him as he called upon the name of the Lord. Then the Lord passed by in front of him and proclaimed, “The Lord, the Lord God, compassionate and gracious, slow to anger, and abounding in lovingkindness and truth... (Exodus 34:5–6 NASB95)

The Second of 8 glorious beams of God’s character that He proclaims to Moses on Mt. Sinai. God is Gracious. Listen to God preaching His kindness to Moses . . . and to you. The Lord descended in the cloud and stood there with him as he called upon the name of the Lord. Then the Lord passed by in front of him and proclaimed, “The Lord, the Lord God, compassionate and gracious , slow to anger, and abounding in lovingkindness and truth... (Exodus 34:5–6 NASB95) The word "gracious" has reference to being kind and good. God’s goodness extends to all who follow Him as His people. He extends this grace in Christ Jesus. It is unmerited by us, but merited by His Son through a perfect life and a sacrificial death. Praise God for His Grace!

God's way is perfect... even in saying no to our pleading. We find Jesus, God the Son's, very natural reaction to recoiling at separation from the Father and wrath through the coming cup of the cross. And yet, He submits His will in that prayer to their better will. Let us learn to do this in prayer. We wrestle in prayer, yes, but we wrestle against the prince of darkness. When our Heavenly Father directs to what is best, we delight to do His will rather than our own. We bend our will and our prayer as we bend our knees in prayer to His best will. Scripture Reading Schedule: Thursday, February 8th Scripture Reading: Exodus 28:1-43; Matthew 25:31-26:13; Psalm 31:9-18; Proverbs 8:12-13 Friday, February 9th Scripture Reading: Exodus 29:1-30:10; Matthew 26:14-46; Psalm 31:19-24; Proverbs 8:14-26 Saturday, February 10th: Exodus 30:11-31:18; Matthew 26:47-68; Psalm 32:1-11; Proverbs 8:27-32

Nature gives so many great pictures and illustrations of spiritual truths. I love the message of the tree. It seems they are always offering praise in that they are always doing what they are supposed to do. They are faithful standing as God created them to stand. Shade, bear fruit, give air for us all to breathe… and then in dying proving structure and fertilizer for soil. They stand daily doing what they are made to do. Always faithful. “Lord, please give us grace to stay faithful to you, diving our roots deep into Your Word that we may be a well planted spiritually strong tree for Your Glory.” Psalm 1:1–3 1 How blessed is the man who does not walk in the counsel of the wicked, Nor stand in the path of sinners, Nor sit in the seat of scoffers! 2 But his delight is in the law of the Lord, And in His law he meditates day and night. 3 He will be like a tree firmly planted by streams of water, Which yields its fruit in its season And its leaf does not wither; And in whateve

One amazing scene from yesterday's Bible reading is when God prepares a meal for Israel’s 70-80 leaders on top of Mt Sinai. The meal celebrates the Old Covenant. And God Himself prepares the meal and they eat it with Him… In His presence! Now, this is Jesus because they see Him and do not die. But it gives us a glimpse into God’s nature. He delights to dine with His people! Take some time today to fellowship with the Father, the Son and the Spirit. He wants to hear from you and want you to listen to them in His Word! Then Moses, Aaron, Nadab, Abihu, and the seventy elders of Israel climbed up the mountain. 10 There they saw the God of Israel. Under his feet there seemed to be a surface of brilliant blue lapis lazuli, as clear as the sky itself. 11And though these nobles of Israel gazed upon God, he did not destroy them. In fact, they ate a covenant meal, eating and drinking in his presence! (Exodus 24:9-11) February 6th Bible Reading: Exodus 23:14-25:40 Matthew 24:29-51 Psalm 30:1-

Praise God for His mercy! What does mercy mean and what is the best picture of God's mercy? The Lord proclaimed to Moses on Mount Sinai that He was merciful. But He demonstrated it in the clearest way on the cross. When we were yet sinners, Christ died for us! February 5th Bible Reading: Exodus 21:22-23:13 Matthew 24:1-28 Psalm 29:1-11 Proverbs 7:6-23 February 6th Bible Reading: Exodus 23:14-25:40 Matthew 24:29-51 Psalm 30:1-12 Proverbs 7:24-27 February 7th Bible Reading: Exodus 26:1-27:21Matthew 25:1-30 Psalm 31:1-8 Proverbs 8:1-11

God is compassionate. This week I’d like us us to consider 8 beautiful beams of God’s glory that God proclaimed to Moses on Mt. Sinai as He declared, described Who He is at His core. What is God’s glory?  First God is compassionate. God has pity concern He sympathizes with us. Of course, God does this in Christ as He is tried and tested in all points like you. He knows what you are going through and is empathetic toward you. Praise God for His compassion! “The Lord passed in front of Moses, calling out, “Yahweh! The Lord! The God of compassion and mercy! I am slow to anger and filled with unfailing love and faithfulness” (Exodus 34:6, NLT) February 5th Bible Reading Exodus 21:22-23:13 Matthew 24:1-28 Psalm 29:1-11 Proverbs 7:6-23 February 6th Bible Reading Exodus 23:14-25:40 Matthew 24:29-51 Psalm 30:1-12 Proverbs 7:24-27 February 7th Bible Reading Exodus 26:1-27:21 Matthew 25:1-30 Psalm 31:1-8 Proverbs 8:1-11

  Dodging the Devils Doubt Darts is only achieved by taking up the shield of faith. As we grow in faith through the Word of God, our mindset and worldview are equipped to handle his arrows. Without God's Word strengthening us, we are sure to fail. May the Lord use the Word of the Spirit to build you up in your most holy faith today! Ephesians 6:16 –18 (NLT) 16In addition to all of these, hold up the shield of faith to stop the fiery arrows of the devil. 17Put on salvation as your helmet, and take the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God. 18Pray in the Spirit at all times and on every occasion. Stay alert and be persistent in your prayers for all believers everywhere.

God is… Yahweh Nissi, our Banner or Flag. As God delivered Moses from an invading army, he set up an altar and named it God is our banner declaring God’s name as Yahweh Nissi, The Lord, my Banner. The Lord was the rallying cry for Israel that brought them together and went before them to victory. He is the same for us today. What unites us is more than language or political ideology. We have unity in the Lord. After the victory, the Lord instructed Moses, “Write this down on a scroll as a permanent reminder, and read it aloud to Joshua: I will erase the memory of Amalek from under heaven.” Moses built an altar there and named it Yahweh-nissi (which means “the Lord is my banner”). He said, “They have raised their fist against the Lord’s throne, so now the Lord will be at war with Amalek generation after generation” (Exodus 17:14-16, NLT). Daily Scripture Reading February 3rd, 2024 Exodus 17:8-19:15 Matthew 22:34-23:12 Psalm 27:7-14 Proverbs 6:27-35 February 4th Exodus 19:16-21:21 Matthe

Perhaps you have come across a difficulty this week. I guess most weeks we do. But some weeks the difficulties go from pot holes in front of us to grand canyons... What should our perspective be when we face rough roads. Why does God allow those?! Well, consider God's leading the Children of Israel out of Egypt. First, He led them the long way around because they were not ready to take the short cut yet. They still had to grow in faith before they were able to fight the battles they would need to later. At times, the Lord leads us the long way around in life because He knows we are not yet ready for the fight (Exodus 13:17-18). "When Pharaoh finally let the people go, God did not lead them along the main road that runs through Philistine territory, even though that was the shortest route to the Promised Land. God said, 'If the people are faced with a battle, they might change their minds and return to Egypt.' So God led them in a roundabout way through the wilderness t

They gathered the Manna morning by morning. Be sure you follow that example and feed on the Word of Christ every morning! He is the Manna from heaven that gives us spiritual life as we feed upon His Word day by day! "After this the people gathered the food morning by morning, each family according to its need. And as the sun became hot, the flakes they had not picked up melted and disappeared" (Exodus 16:21). “I tell you the truth, anyone who believes has eternal life. Yes, I am the bread of life! Your ancestors ate manna in the wilderness, but they all died. Anyone who eats the bread from heaven, however, will never die. I am the living bread that came down from heaven. Anyone who eats this bread will live forever; and this bread, which I will offer so the world may live, is my flesh" (John 6:47-51). Friday, February 2nd Scripture Reading Exodus 15:19-17:7 Matthew 22:1-33 Psalm 27:1-6 Proverbs 6:20-26 Saturday, February 3rd Scripture Reading Exodus 17:8-19:15 Matthew 22

There are so many valuable lessons in the Exodus account. God delivers His people! But He allows them to face difficulties along the way. And in one case, He led them up to a difficult time in order to display His strong hand in delivering them. And so, we can find too that there are times when we face difficulties it is to demonstrate God's power and glory in delivering us. Praise Him for His glorious power today! And consider back to His deliverances of the past. Exodus 14:15–18 (NLT) "Then the Lord said to Moses, 'Why are you crying out to me? Tell the people to get moving! Pick up your staff and raise your hand over the sea. Divide the water so the Israelites can walk through the middle of the sea on dry ground. And I will harden the hearts of the Egyptians, and they will charge in after the Israelites. My great glory will be displayed through Pharaoh and his troops, his chariots, and his charioteers. When my glory is displayed through them, all Egypt will see my glory