Romans 15:4 "For whatever was written in earlier times was written for our instruction, so that through perseverance and the encouragement of the Scriptures we might have hope."
Glory be to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Ghost; as it was in the beginning, is now, and ever shall be, world without end. Amen, amen.
Perhaps the most basic truth about the God of Scripture is He is the only one.
There is no other.
This truth ought to simplify things for us because it teaches us that there is only one who is the worthy object of our love, loyalty, and devotion. But the hearts of men and women are not so easily instructed.
And so it is necessary for God to give us the first commandment: “You shall have no other gods before me.” The danger is not that there are actual other gods for us to worship but that we have a proclivity for making them.
On first glance, this first command is straightforward.
To live for a god other than the true God would be like taking a second spouse while your first spouse is still alive and still happy to be your spouse.
Worse, it would be like taking a second spouse who is in truth a figment of your imagination. It would be a breach of an exclusive relationship.
We must not kid ourselves that we are immune from the possibility of breaking this commandment.
Many of us read it and picture people bowing down before statues or going through elaborate rituals, and those mental images assure us that we’re not in danger of violating it.
Yet the commandments are not restricted to outward actions but also relate to the disposition of our minds and hearts.
From this perspective, we may not be as far from those mental images as we assume. We may not have statues to which we bow down, but maybe we have segments of our lives that we keep away from God, preserving them under the authority of some other little “deity”—ourselves, perhaps.
Ask yourself: “Do I joyfully acknowledge God’s comprehensive claim on my life? Is God in charge of my family, my work, my relationships, my money, my dating, my use of time?” Take a close and honest look to see if there are portions of life you try to keep from Him.
In addition to keeping things away from God, another form of danger is functionally replacing Him.
When we put our family, our job, our hobbies, or anything else in the place that is God’s alone, we violate the first commandment.
To the degree that we allow anyone or anything besides obedience to God to direct our course day to day, we defy His law.
So we are not so safe from the possibility of breaking this commandment as we may think!
While we must acknowledge the truth that there is one God, we must also beware our own ability to put things in His place.
If we do not daily submit ourselves to Him and entrust the entirety of our lives to Him, something will take His place.
We are made to worship.
The question is, are you going to worship the living God or are you going to pretend there is another?
In the name of God, the father, God the Son and God the Holy Spirit,
Pray,
Psalm 23 Revised Standard Version
The Divine Shepherd
A Psalm of David.
23 The Lord is my shepherd, I shall not want; 2 he makes me lie down in green pastures. He leads me beside still waters;[a] 3 he restores my soul.[b] He leads me in paths of righteousness[c] for his name’s sake.
4 Even though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death,[d] I fear no evil; for thou art with me; thy rod and thy staff, they comfort me.
5 Thou preparest a table before me in the presence of my enemies; thou anointest my head with oil, my cup overflows. 6 Surely[e] goodness and mercy[f] shall follow me all the days of my life; and I shall dwell in the house of the Lord for ever.[g]
Glory be to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Ghost; as it was in the beginning, is now, and ever shall be, world without end. Amen, amen.
9 Be gracious to me, Lord, for I am in distress; My eye is wasted away from grief, my soul and my body too. 10 For my life is spent with sorrow And my years with sighing; My strength has failed because of my guilt, And my [a]body has wasted away.
The Word of God for the Children of God
Glory be to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Ghost; as it was in the beginning, is now, and ever shall be, world without end. Amen, amen.
Within the Christian community, grief can be a topic put on the back burner.
Many of us are taught that as Christians, we should always be happy—no matter what.
Even if a parent, sibling, or spouse has suffered greatest loss, has passed away, we should still be happy all the time. Anything less would be fully unbiblical, right? This, as a 100% wrong mentality, needs to be vigorously challenged, eradicated from the church, and the body of the Christian community itself.
Nowhere in the Bible are we told we must be happy all the time. We should always be joyful, but joy and happiness are not the same thing. Even though many people use these words as synonyms, they are not the same. With Jesus as our Lord, joy is always present in our hearts because it is based on him not us.
Happiness, on the other hand, is fleeting and is based on our circumstances.
Grief is a very authentic something that can take a lifetime to fully process.
If the church cannot help Christians when they first experience the death of a loved one, then how will they, are they going to be able to support someone who is chronically managing grief?
Seeing things from the other person’s perspective can definitely help cultivate some very deep measures of compassion, care, and understanding for others.
Even if someone has never experienced grief of their own, they need to try to do their best to truly connect with their fellow brothers and sisters in Christ who are going through this troubling time.
Instead of insensitive comments, such as “Oh, you’re still not over that?” We need to truly begin to understand others and truly meet them where they are.
It is essential for us to be a shoulder to cry on, a support system, and a safe place for them.
As someone who struggled with chronic grief, I can share with you that it is not an easy journey. Some days are better than others, but the bad days are severe.
I developed grief after the close together passing (4 1/2 month) of my mother and father, and I had great difficulty truly moving forward from their passing.
I don’t have much in common with people my own age because most of them haven’t witnessed the death of both their parent coming so tightly together.
While everyone my age had gotten married, started families, and moved into their own homes, I was sitting on my bed in a dark room, crying myself to sleep.
If you find yourself in a similar position, know you are not alone. There are Christians across the world who can relate to what you are going through, and Yeah! God understands your pain. Take solace in His love, comfort, and grace.
One Day We Will Rejoice
The Lord tells us, “So with you: Now is your time of grief, but I will see you again and you will rejoice, and no one will take away your joy” (John 16:22).
Jesus is referring to His own death and how His disciples will see Him again. We experience grief over many things, yet the most common is the death of a loved one. Take your rest in the Lord’s words that there will be rejoicing in the future.
Now is our time of grief, but our grief will not last forever. While we might struggle with grief for our entire lives, we will not suffer from it for all eternity.
One day, our grief will be taken, God will welcome us home with open arms.
In the name of God, the father, God the Son and God the Holy Spirit,
In all humility, Pray …
Psalm 42 Complete Jewish Bible
Book II: Psalms 42–72
42 (0) For the leader. A maskil of the descendants of Korach:
2 (1) Just as a deer longs for running streams, God, I long for you. 3 (2) I am thirsty for God, for the living God! When can I come and appear before God?
4 (3) My tears are my food, day and night, while all day people ask me, “Where is your God?” 5 (4) I recall, as my feelings well up within me, how I’d go with the crowd to the house of God, with sounds of joy and praise from the throngs observing the festival.
6 (5) My soul, why are you so downcast? Why are you groaning inside me? Hope in God, since I will praise him again for the salvation that comes from his presence. 7 (6) My God, when I feel so downcast, I remind myself of you from the land of Yarden, from the peaks of Hermon, from the hill Mizar. 8 (7) Deep is calling to deep at the thunder of your waterfalls; all your surging rapids and waves are sweeping over me. 9 (8) By day Adonai commands his grace, and at night his song is with me as a prayer to the God of my life. 10 (9) I say to God my Rock, “Why have you forgotten me? Why must I go about mourning, under pressure by the enemy? 11 (10) My adversaries’ taunts make me feel as if my bones were crushed, as they ask me all day long, ‘Where is your God?’ ”
12 (11) My soul, why are you so downcast? Why are you groaning inside me? Hope in God, since I will praise him again for being my Savior and God.
Glory be to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Ghost; as it was in the beginning, is now, and ever shall be, world without end. Amen, amen.
37 And as He spoke, a certain Pharisee asked Him to dine with him. So He went in and sat down to eat. 38 When the Pharisee saw it, he marveled that He had not first washed before dinner.
39 Then the Lord said to him, “Now you Pharisees make the outside of the cup and dish clean, but your inward part is full of [a]greed and wickedness. 40 Foolish ones! Did not He who made the outside make the inside also? 41 But rather give alms of [b]such things as you have; then indeed all things are clean to you.
42 “But woe to you Pharisees! For you tithe mint and rue and all manner of herbs, and pass by justice and the love of God. These you ought to have done, without leaving the others undone. 43 Woe to you Pharisees! For you love the [c]best seats in the synagogues and greetings in the marketplaces. 44 Woe to you, [d]scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! For you are like graves which are not seen, and the men who walk over them are not aware of them.”
45 Then one of the lawyers answered and said to Him, “Teacher, by saying these things You reproach us also.”
46 And He said, “Woe to you also, lawyers! For you load men with burdens hard to bear, and you yourselves do not touch the burdens with one of your fingers. 47 Woe to you! For you build the tombs of the prophets, and your fathers killed them. 48 In fact, you bear witness that you approve the deeds of your fathers; for they indeed killed them, and you build their tombs. 49 Therefore the wisdom of God also said, ‘I will send them prophets and apostles, and some of them they will kill and persecute,’ 50 that the blood of all the prophets which was shed from the foundation of the world may be required of this generation, 51 from the blood of Abel to the blood of Zechariah who perished between the altar and the temple. Yes, I say to you, it shall be required of this generation.
52 “Woe to you lawyers! For you have taken away the key of knowledge. You did not enter in yourselves, and those who were entering in you hindered.”
53 [e]And as He said these things to them, the scribes and the Pharisees began to assail Him vehemently, and to cross-examine Him about many things, 54 lying in wait for Him, [f]and seeking to catch Him in something He might say, [g]that they might accuse Him.
The Word of God for the Children of God.
Glory be to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Ghost; as it was in the beginning, is now, and ever shall be, world without end. Amen, amen.
The religious leaders’ role was to explain the Scriptures to those with limited access and literacy.
However, they made Scripture difficult to understand and impossible to apply.
The Amplified Bible adds, “by your flawed interpretation of God’s word and your man-made tradition.”
The critical role of Clergy, Pastors and Teachers is to diligently study the Holy Scriptures, to make God’s Word easy to understand and apply without adding unnecessary traditions and using complex jargon that isn’t so widely known.
In our Gospel Narrative from Luke, Jesus spoke pointedly and critically against the leaders of God’s people in that day. Instead of helping their people to draw near to God and enjoy his blessings, the leaders put up significant, erroneous barriers through their traditional legalistic, self-serving practices.
Sadly, throughout history, some churches and church leaders, Seminaries have taken liberties with their interpretation, translation, instruction of the Word of God, and blocked access to spiritual life for people and have even abused people.
End-Times and Woke Institutions
As we approach the end of the ages, we know from Scripture that faith will grow cold (Matthew. 24:2) and that there will also be an increasing number of false teachers saying what our itching ears want to hear (2 Timothy. 4:3).
In that regard, if we believe we are truly in the end-times, then logically one should be extra cautious about the latest views on Biblical Christian theology.
Are seminaries, like other educational institutions, becoming more radical and extreme in their views? Are some of the esoteric discussions centered around a culturally based reinterpretation of Scripture resulting in a weakening of its relevance or application in today’s deteriorating society? Are seminaries prone to the same “wokeness” that is infecting other institutions of higher learning?
We often hear of such cases in the news today. Corrupt leaders put big cultural barriers instead of biblical bridges in front of people. As God’s people who make up the church today, we must stay diligent educated in the Word if God, teach and admonish and correct each other, repent of these errors and sins, being sure we have measures in place to prevent them from happening again, and be agents of reconciliation, prayer and healing unto people who have been hurt.
Know someone? Have you been hurt by the church or its leaders? If so, you may be big time hesitant to participate in the life of a church. That’s understandable.
What can you do?
Here are some suggestions:
2 Timothy 2:14-19 Amplified Bible
An Unashamed Workman
14 Remind the people of these facts, and solemnly charge them in the presence of God to avoid petty controversy over words, which does no good, and [upsets and undermines and] ruins [the faith of] those who listen. 15 Study and do your best to present yourself to God approved, a workman [tested by trial] who has no reason to be ashamed, accurately handling and skillfully teaching the word of truth. 16 But avoid all irreverent babble and godless chatter [with its profane, empty words], for it will lead to further ungodliness, 17 and their teaching will spread like gangrene. So it is with Hymenaeus and Philetus, 18 who have deviated from the truth. They claim that the resurrection has already taken place, and they undermine the faith of some. 19 Nevertheless, the firm foundation of God [which He has laid] stands [sure and unshaken despite attacks], bearing this seal: “The Lord knows those who are His,” and, “Let everyone who names the name of the Lord stand apart from wickedness and withdraw from wrongdoing.”
(1) Keep your focus on God, Jesus Holy Spirit himself, especially through prayer and Bible reading.
(2) Ask God to provide a few caring Christians with whom you can fellowship and grow spiritually; they can be a helpful bridge.
(3) Through a Christian counselor, seek healing and strength to forgive.
(4) Remain open to a time when you can fully participate in a healthy church again.
(5) Study … Study …. Study …. Study ….
Unfortunately, some who are new to Christianity have the genuineness of their faith squelched, watered down by a group desire to be religiously superior.
Rather than encouraging, helping, and blessing those who are newer in the faith, these folks seeking superiority turn faith into legalism and corrupt the Good News message of Jesus. The way they live their religion on their college background drives away people who are seeking God and breaks the Good News message of those who are new to the faith or corrupts the faith of the matured.
Let’s always make sure that we don’t impose demands God doesn’t require.
Even more, when folks have areas where they need to grow in their obedience to God, let’s be there to help, not to criticize.
In the name of God, the father, and God the Son and God the Holy Spirit,
Pray together …
Psalm 119:1-16 English Standard Version
Your Word Is a Lamp to My Feet
Aleph
119 [a] Blessed are those whose way is blameless, who walk in the law of the Lord! 2 Blessed are those who keep his testimonies, who seek him with their whole heart, 3 who also do no wrong, but walk in his ways! 4 You have commanded your precepts to be kept diligently. 5 Oh that my ways may be steadfast in keeping your statutes! 6 Then I shall not be put to shame, having my eyes fixed on all your commandments. 7 I will praise you with an upright heart, when I learn your righteous rules.[b] 8 I will keep your statutes; do not utterly forsake me!
Beth
9 How can a young man keep his way pure? By guarding it according to your word. 10 With my whole heart I seek you; let me not wander from your commandments! 11 I have stored up your word in my heart, that I might not sin against you. 12 Blessed are you, O Lord; teach me your statutes! 13 With my lips I declare all the rules[c] of your mouth. 14 In the way of your testimonies I delight as much as in all riches. 15 I will meditate on your precepts and fix my eyes on your ways. 16 I will delight in your statutes; I will not forget your word.
Glory be to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Ghost; as it was in the beginning, is now, and ever shall be, world without end. Amen, amen.
(1) In Adonai I find refuge. So how can you say to me, “Flee like a bird to the mountains! 2 See how the wicked are drawing their bows and setting their arrows on the string, to shoot from the shadows at honest men. 3 If the foundations are destroyed, what can the righteous do?”
4 Adonai is in his holy temple. Adonai, his throne is in heaven. His eyes see and test humankind. 5 Adonai tests the righteous; but he hates the wicked and the lover of violence. 6 He will rain hot coals down on the wicked, fire, sulfur and scorching wind will be what they get to drink. 7 For Adonai is righteous; he loves righteousness; the upright will see his face.
The Word of God for the Children of God.
Glory be to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Ghost; as it was in the beginning, is now, and ever shall be, world without end. Amen, amen.
We live in a day and age when the foundations of our biblical faith and the fabric of godly living are being systematically attacked by every quarter of society and dismantled in all areas of life. The unalterable truth of God’s Scriptures is now too easily discarded, modified by liberal ‘Christians’ and evolving atheists alike.
Governments in general, and our society at large, are systematically smashing down all the cornerstones, all the strongest foundations of truth and the time-honored institutions of God.
They are being replaced with rational relativism, a hatred of all that is good, a distortion of all that is true, a celebration of all that is evil, a contempt for our Heavenly Father, a rejection of the Lord Jesus Christ, a dismissing of the Holy Spirit, a disdain for salvation, and an insatiable desire to relegate the glorious gospel of grace into the furthest anonymity and annals of a forgotten history.
Often, good men despair as the floodgates of apostasy sweeps through the Church worldwide and the destruction of all godly foundations and biblical truths are being successfully dismantled and systematically destroyed by a God-hating, Christ-rejecting, Holy Spirit dismissive, lustful sinful world.
Often, the desperate, despairing, defeated cry of the righteous is: “If the strongest, truest foundations are destroyed, what can the righteous do?”
However, that is to take this verse out of context and to superimpose our own flawed, unscriptural, human viewpoint and fallen imagination over the eternal truth of God’s Word.
The message of this Psalm is confidence in God and an unshakable faith in the eternal plans and purposes that He Himself ordered in the council chambers of heaven before the world began, and the Word of God is settled in heaven.
We are not to: “Flee as a bird into the mountain,” but to place of refuge, trust in God. We are not to fly in to despair when the wicked flourish, secretly fire their satanically inspired arrows of destruction at the heart and minds of the upright.
We are not to tremble at what man can to do, for our hope is in the Lord Who made heaven and earth and Who has already determined that the wicked will receive their just portion at the hand of a just God, and a righteous Judge.
The Lord is in His holy temple and He tests each one of us in the furnace of affliction so that when we have been tried we will come forth as pure gold.
David reminds us that the Lord is righteous, He loves righteousness, and He watches over the upright in heart.
And in His grace, He uses all things together for our eternal good and for His greater glory, even the disruptive terrible things happening in the world today.
We must never forget the Lord hates wicked and prideful men who celebrate evil through satanic violence and gross ungodliness, and the day is coming when they too will all stand before His Great White Throne of judgement and each will receive “the just fruits of their labors” according to their work.
The Lord alone knows how to deliver the righteous from trials, but He also, exclusively reserves the day of judgement for all the wicked to be punished.
No matter what circumstance we face in life, our hope is in God and our trust is in His unshakable Word of truth.
When our hearts start running straight to fear of what is coming on the world or we continually shout out in despair: “If the foundations are destroyed, what can the righteous do?” Let us bring back to mind the unchangeable Word of God and the many faithful precious promises that are ‘yes’ and ‘amen’ in Christ.
Let us stand fast on the eternal truth of the glorious gospel of grace in these increasingly evil days, and let us remember that the sufferings of this present time are not worthy to be compared with the glory which shall be revealed in us.
In the name of God, the Father, and God the Son, and God, the Holy Spirit.
Pray,
Psalm 46 Authorized (King James) Version
Psalm 46
To the chief Musician for the sons of Korah, A Song upon Alamoth.
1 God is our refuge and strength, a very present help in trouble. 2 Therefore will not we fear, though the earth be removed, and though the mountains be carried into the midst of the sea; 3 though the waters thereof roar and be troubled, though the mountains shake with the swelling thereof. Selah. 4 There is a river, the streams whereof shall make glad the city of God, the holy place of the tabernacles of the most High. 5 God is in the midst of her; she shall not be moved: God shall help her, and that right early. 6 The heathen raged, the kingdoms were moved: he uttered his voice, the earth melted. 7 The Lord of hosts is with us; the God of Jacob is our refuge. Selah. 8 Come, behold the works of the Lord, what desolations he hath made in the earth. 9 He maketh wars to cease unto the end of the earth; he breaketh the bow, and cutteth the spear in sunder; he burneth the chariot in the fire.
10 Be still, and know that I am God: I will be exalted among the heathen, I will be exalted in the earth. 11 The Lord of hosts is with us; the God of Jacob is our refuge. Selah.
Glory be to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Ghost; as it was in the beginning, is now, and ever shall be, world without end. Amen, amen.
34 When He had called the people to Himself, with His disciples also, He said to them, “Whoever desires to come after Me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross, and follow Me. 35 For whoever desires to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for My sake and the gospel’s will save it. 36 For what will it profit a man if he gains the whole world, and loses his own soul? 37 Or what will a man give in exchange for his soul? 38 For whoever is ashamed of Me and My words in this adulterous and sinful generation, of him the Son of Man also will be ashamed when He comes in the glory of His Father with the holy angels.”
The Word of God for the Children of God.
Glory be to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Ghost; as it was in the beginning, is now, and ever shall be, world without end. Amen, amen.
In Mark 8:38, after sharply rebuking Peter, Jesus speaks directly about the cost of being ashamed of Him. He warns those in listening distance that if we deny Him, if we are embarrassed by Him in this life, we will face denial in eternity.
Jesus was on his way to Jerusalem, knowing that he would be crucified there. And Peter had rebuked him, earning Jesus’ harsh reprimand: “Get behind me, Satan!” (Mark 8:31-33).
Now Jesus had gathered a crowd along with his disciples, and he challenged everyone to self-denial, to “take up their cross” and follow him.
For to have full life, he explained, we need to give our whole life to God. This means not simply letting go of all we’re tempted to hold on to, but also giving over 100% oneself cheerfully to others and for others in our gratitude to God.
I read about a French soldier who was so seriously wounded in World War I that his left arm had to be amputated. The surgeon was utterly grieved that this young man would have to go through the rest of his life maimed.
He wanted to break the news personally, so he made sure to be at the man’s bedside when he awoke.
“I’m so sorry,” the doctor said, “but you’ve lost your arm.” The soldier’s response was startling: “I did not lose my arm, doctor; I gave it for France.”
A Bold Unashamed Faith in the Gospel – in a Broken World
Today, we are focusing on a powerful and, quite frankly, sobering verse in Mark’s gospel. Jesus speaks directly about the cost of being ashamed of Him.
He warns that if we deny Him in this life, we will face denial in eternity.
This is a call to live a life that’s bold, unwavering, and unashamed of our Savior.
Together, we will explore what it means to stand for Christ in a world that often stands against Him.
1. Understanding the Call:
Being Unashamed of Christ and His Message (Mark 8:38)
In Mark 8:38, Jesus says, “If anyone is ashamed of me and my message in these adulterous and sinful days, the Son of Man will be ashamed of that person when he returns in the glory of his Father with the holy angels.”
The Greek word used here for “ashamed” (epaischynomai) means to experience a sense of shame or embarrassment.
Jesus places this warning in the context of the “adulterous and sinful” days—meaning times filled with rampant spiritual unfaithfulness and sin.
Jesus is calling us to a life that’s different from the world, one where we openly live our faith and share His truth without embarrassment or fear.
This is echoed in Romans 1:16 (NLT), where Paul boldly declares,
“For I am not ashamed of this Good News about Christ. It is the power of God at work, saving everyone who believes.” Here, Paul reminds us that the gospel is mightily transformative; it’s not something to hide but something to proclaim.
Think of a tall lighthouse that stands tall against the crashing waves, its light shining for for miles around for all to see. Like that lighthouse, we are meant to brightly shine, not to be hidden or ashamed, regardless of the pressure we face.
“We are not called to blend in but to stand out for Christ. When we understand the power of the gospel, there is no room for embarrassment.” – Rev. Francis Chan
2. The Consequences of Denying Christ (Mark 8:38; Matthew 10:33)
The second part of Mark 8:38 is challenging: “…the Son of Man will be ashamed of that person when he returns in the glory of his Father with the holy angels.”
Jesus is referring to His second coming, where He will return as Judge.
He warns that if we are ashamed of Him, He will be ashamed of us on that day.
This parallels Matthew 10:33(NLT), “But everyone who denies me here on earth, I will also deny before my Father in heaven.”
The warning is crystal clear:
our relationship with Christ should be public and vocal and steadfast.
Mark 4:21-25 New King James Version
Light Under a Basket
21 Also He said to them, “Is a lamp brought to be put under a basket or under a bed? Is it not to be set on a lampstand? 22 For there is nothing hidden which will not be revealed, nor has anything been kept secret but that it should come to light. 23 If anyone has ears to hear, let him hear.”
24 Then He said to them, “Take heed what you hear. With the same measure you use, it will be measured to you; and to you who hear, more will be given. 25 For whoever has, to him more will be given; but whoever does not have, even what he has will be taken away from him.”
If we reject or hide Him now, we risk being separated from Him for eternity.
This is not a call to perfection but to commitment—to live as His followers, even when it’s challenging.
If there are areas in your life where you’ve been reluctant to share your faith or to live boldly for Christ, now is the time to seek courage.
Pray for strength to be a witness. Embrace every opportunity to reflect Christ in your actions and words.
Imagine standing before a crowd and being asked, “Are you with Him?”
In that moment, our answer reflects where our hearts truly lie—are we proud to stand with our Savior, or are we too ashamed, too fearful to proclaim His name?
“To deny Jesus with our words or actions is to deny the One who gave His life for us. We must choose daily to stand for Him.” – David Platt
3. Living Boldly in a World Opposed to Christ (Romans 12:2; Philippians 1:27)
Living unashamed means standing out. Romans 12:2 (NLT) reminds us, “Don’t copy the behaviour and customs of this world, but let God transform you into a new person by changing the way you think.”
As believers, we’re called to be different—not conformed to the world but transformed by the Word.
Philippians 1:27 (NLT) tells us, “Above all, you must live as citizens of heaven, conducting yourselves in a manner worthy of the Good News about Christ.”
Our citizenship is not of this world, and our lives should reflect our heavenly home.
As ambassadors for Christ, we have the privilege and responsibility of representing Him.
This boldness isn’t just about words; it’s about how we live.
It’s showing integrity when no one else is.
It’s choosing love when the world chooses hate.
Living unashamed of Christ is as much about actions as it is about proclamations.
Think about soldiers who represent their nation.
They stand tall and proud, bearing their country’s emblem with honour. As Christians, we bear the name of Christ—let’s wear it with courage and integrity.
“Faith is not believing in spite of evidence; it is obeying in spite of consequence.” – Dr. John MacArthur
Conclusion: The Reward of a Life Lived Unashamed
Jesus doesn’t call us to a safe or easy faith but a courageous one.
Mark 8:38 reminds us of the weight and beauty of this call—to live unashamed for Him, knowing that one day soon, we will stand before Him. The rewards of faithful obedience far outweigh any worldly consequence.
Call to Action:
Let’s commit to living boldly, embracing the gospel in every area of our lives. Let’s share it openly, love without fear, and live unashamed of our Savior.
Invitation:
If you haven’t yet placed your faith in Jesus, today is the day to start. He invites you into a relationship that is eternal and unbreakable.
Accept Him as your Lord and Savior, live a life marked by His courage and love.
In the Name of God, the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit,
Let’s Pray,
Psalm 119:105-112 Authorized (King James) Version
נ Nun
105 Thy word is a lamp unto my feet, and a light unto my path. 106 I have sworn, and I will perform it, that I will keep thy righteous judgments. 107 I am afflicted very much: quicken me, O Lord, according unto thy word. 108 Accept, I beseech thee, the freewill offerings of my mouth, O Lord, and teach me thy judgments. 109 My soul is continually in my hand: yet do I not forget thy law. 110 The wicked have laid a snare for me: yet I erred not from thy precepts. 111 Thy testimonies have I taken as an heritage for ever: for they are the rejoicing of my heart. 112 I have inclined mine heart to perform thy statutes always, even unto the end.
Glory be to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Ghost; as it was in the beginning, is now, and ever shall be, world without end. Amen, amen.
15 It’s true that some are preaching out of jealousy and rivalry. But others preach about Christ with pure motives. 16 They preach because they love me, for they know I have been appointed to defend the Good News. 17 Those others do not have pure motives as they preach about Christ. They preach with selfish ambition, not sincerely, intending to make my chains more painful to me. 18 But that doesn’t matter. Whether their motives are false or genuine, the message about Christ is being preached either way, so I rejoice. And I will continue to rejoice.
The Word of God for the Children of God.
Glory be to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Ghost; as it was in the beginning, is now, and ever shall be, world without end. Amen, amen.
The March of the Gospel
In this missionary letter to the Philippian church, Paul gets real. Though he shares encouraging news, the whole picture is not all rosy. The motivations some people had for sharing the gospel were downright bad—were driven not by good will so much as by rivalry and a desire to stir up trouble for the apostle.
The wrong motives of other people didn’t become the determining element in Paul’s attitude, however. Their selfishly motivated preaching did not keep him awake at night nor mar his true commitment to seeing the kingdom advance.
He passionately wanted the true gospel to be preached, so he wasn’t primarily concerned about the reasons others had for preaching, as long as they were still preaching Christ. His concern was for the Lord’s glory to be paramount, not for his own stature or even for his safety.
Perhaps we find ourselves relating to Paul, surrounded by those who share God’s Word, who share stories, their witness, their faith, out of false motives.
Then we will spend a ridiculous amount of time and effort and resources trying to debate, nit pick, critique, criticize whether or not their Christianity is valid.
But if we allow these failings to determine our own attitude or actions, we will risk spiritually crippling ourselves.
We will spend too much of our time and energy either constantly questioning the intentions of others or continually refuting, rebutting what they’re doing.
That would be to give the devil a great gain, in that we would then be distracted from our own covenant summons to proclaiming the good news of Jesus Christ.
It’s a huge temptation!
But Paul didn’t fall into that trap.
It is true that “where God sends reformation, Satan works deformation.”
What God builds, Satan seeks to destroy.
When God leads people forward in his grace, Satan tries to push them back into misery.
Yet this truth also remains: The forward march of the gospel cannot be stopped!
The assaults against the gospel are many.
For Paul, they included his imprisonment, and envy and rivalry among fellow missionaries, and the use of Jesus’ name for self-promotion.
For us, it may be the rejection of Christ as the only true Savior, or it may be a matter of giving in to the mixed-up moralities of our time.
But there is good news. The forward march of the gospel cannot be stopped!
Satan’s goal is to push us back into the cesspool of shame, the dungeon of guilt, the prison of fear.
But, to paraphrase a line from a Hollywood movie, that’s a “whole lot of ugly coming from a parade of stupid.”
The forward march of the gospel announces that Jesus bore our human shame, removed our guilt, and freed us from sin’s punishment.
He daily parades his love in order to nourish life.
Nothing can ultimately stop the forward march of the gospel.
There is great joy, then, for all who keep in step with Jesus.
Alternatively, you and I may wrestle with our own wrong motives for sharing the gospel.
One of the most significant challenges we all face is the potential for dreadful self-centeredness and pride.
Even in hard core, hot button, contentious matters of our faith, we will often wrongly want others to recognize us, and so we do the right thing but for all of the wrong motives, reasons (or, more usually, a mix of right, wrong reasons).
At the same time, we would find that envy prevents us from rejoicing in the fruitfulness of another’s life and ministry. But thanks be to God: He still uses broken vessels like us to carry forth the great gift of His Gospel message.
So, like Paul, fix your eyes on the goodness of Jesus and the advancement of His gospel, no matter the circumstances surrounding you or the flawed motives you suspect in others or see in yourself.
Seek to set aside your own pride and ambition so that your greatest concern will be the Lord’s glory—and as you do so, continue to share Him with those around you. What matters most is that Christ is preached, and in that we can all rejoice.
In the name of God, the Father and God the Son and God the Holy Spirit,
Let us Pray,
Psalm 119:105-112 The Message
105-112 By your words I can see where I’m going; they throw a beam of light on my dark path. I’ve committed myself and I’ll never turn back from living by your righteous order. Everything’s falling apart on me, God; put me together again with your Word. Adorn me with your finest sayings, God; teach me your holy rules. My life is as close as my own hands, but I don’t forget what you have revealed. The wicked do their best to throw me off track, but I don’t swerve an inch from your course. I inherited your book on living; it’s mine forever— what a gift! And how happy it makes me! I concentrate on doing exactly what you say— I always have and always will.
Glory be to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Ghost; as it was in the beginning, is now, and ever shall be, world without end. Amen, amen.
13 Consider God’s work! Who can straighten what God has made crooked? 14 When times are good, enjoy the good; when times are bad, consider: God has made the former as well as the latter so that people can’t discover anything that will come to be after them.
15 I have seen everything in my pointless lifetime: the righteous person may die in spite of their righteousness; then again, the wicked may live long in spite of their wickedness. 16 Don’t be too righteous or too wise, or you may be dumbfounded.[a]17 Don’t be too wicked and don’t be a fool, or you may die before your time. 18 It’s good that you take hold of one of these without letting go of the other because the one who fears God will go forth with both.
19 Wisdom makes a wise person stronger than ten rulers who are in a city. 20 Remember: there’s no one on earth so righteous as to do good only and never make a mistake.[b]
The Word of God for the Children of God.
Glory be to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Ghost; as it was in the beginning, is now, and ever shall be, world without end. Amen, amen.
Severe weather events across the USA, unrelenting severe flooding wiping out roads, homes, businesses, severe snow storms, white outs, and ice, blizzards.
Roadways are impassable or completely shut down. Airplanes are grounded.
Commerce is effected, goods are indeterminably delayed getting to the stores.
Suddenly, untold numbers of government workers have been fired and laid off in masse – so as if the weather events have not caused enough grief, the loss of a job, the loss of income, threatening a family’s health, housing, well-being.
All kinds of rapid fire changes are occurring – rules and regulations, routines.
Who can keep up with it all?
Whose praying their prayers with an explicit yearning they stay unaffected?
Disappointment is knocking on too many doors, trying to kick down doors, in the hope it may take up a long term residence or become a parasitic squatter.
Disappointment is a natural part of living-it is not meant, was never meant to become an all encompassing life draining malignancy. However, circumstances can arise where such severe feelings of disappointments become all too real.
There are not too many places in the bible where disappointment is absent.
Ways to Recover After Disappointment
Matthew 11:28-30 New King James Version
28 Come to Me, all you who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. 29 Take My yoke upon you and learn from Me, for I am [a]gentle and lowly in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. 30 For My yoke is easy and My burden is light.”
There are many things in this world that can cause us to feel disappointed. Maybe you applied for your dream job and didn’t get it. Or maybe your significant other called off your engagement. Things such as these can cause heartache. Not only this, but it can also create depression, hopelessness, and feelings of failure. If you have struggled with disappointment and don’t know how to deal with it, know that you aren’t alone.
While many people want you to normalize feeling disappointment, it is also helpful to know how to recover in the aftermath of it all. Disappointment can cause us to feel bad about ourselves, especially if an employer, our spouse, or a friend rejects us. These things can ignite negative thoughts inside our minds. Rather than allowing these negative feelings and thoughts to drain us, we need to know how to properly recover after something disappointing happens.
Here are five ways to recover after disappointment:
1. Pour Your Feelings Out to God
One way to recover after disappointment is to pour out your feelings to God.
The first person we need to go to when we are feeling disappointed is God. He understands all of our feelings and none of our feelings will ever turn God away from us. The Lord knows what we are feeling and wants to help you process them. Right away, after you have witnessed the disappointment, go to God.
Every time when I face disappointment, I do not face it on my own, and neither should you. We can go to God. Tell Him about how you are disappointed, the pain you are feeling, and how it weighs heavy on your heart and mind.
Recently, I have been badly disappointed by my ability to stay healthy. I had caught Covid for the second time, and it stole my appetite for over a week , I lost 10 plus pounds in less than 10 days, miserable all over, on top of my diabetes and my triple bypass (total weight loss of fifty pounds since July 17, 2023.)
Then my wife caught the Covid and flu viruses and the two of us have been down for almost a month now. We are both excruciatingly tired, worn out.
But, still we prayed with and for each other.
I was proud of my courage to pray despite my fears and doubts; however, after all the time and energy I put into my getting healthy, getting the wife healthy.
We still felt crestfallen, hurt, tired, at the slower that slow recovery process.
We went to God with our feelings. We told Him how disappointed we were and how much grief we were going through. If you are experiencing these feelings too, know you are not alone. We live in a high stress difficult world and will not achieve all the consecutive days of perfect health we try to do. When faced with disappointments, we just need to turn to God and trust Him with our feelings.
2. Get Your Mind Off Things
A second way to recover after disappointment is to get your mind off things.
This can be done by yourself or with others. If you choose the former, go for a walk, listen to an interesting podcast, or curl up with your favorite book.
If you choose the latter, spend some time with a loved one who will be there for you and knows how to get your mind off things.
This could be a sibling, your spouse, or a friend. These people know you well and understand what will help best to get your mind off the disappointment.
By getting your mind off things, you will stop dwelling on the disappointing situation. As mentioned earlier, if we dwell on disappointment, it will only make us feel worse about ourselves and fill our minds with many bad thoughts.
Even though this disappointment was difficult, that does not mean everything you put your hand to will end in disappointment.
Trust God with the process of healing and restoration and use the present time to distract yourself from the issue. There is nothing wrong with taking some good time for self-care, recharging, relaxation—away from your problems.
3. Remember Your Worth in Christ
Third way to recover after disappointment is to remember your worth in Christ.
The world will try to teach us our worth is found in other things, this is not true.
Our worth is not tied to our appearance, our paycheck, or the car we drive.
Rather, our worth is in Christ alone.
Remind yourself of this truth when you are recovering after a disappointing situation. Even if you didn’t land the job you wanted or get accepted into your dream college or job or home, know that you are still worthy just as you are.
Your worth does not change based on your financial status, where you live, or your appearance. Your worth stays the same because it is found only in Christ.
In Christ, you are 100% worthy, loved, valuable, and cherished. None of these qualities will ever be taken from you because you are a redeemed child of God.
When disappointments are ever-abounding, remind yourself of your worth in Christ. No matter what else does happen, you are still more than enough.
4. Talk It Out with a Loved One
A fourth way to recover after disappointment is to talk it out with a loved one.
This is something that can be beneficial in affirming your feelings as well as getting things off your chest.
Talk with your spouse, your sibling, or a parent about these feelings.
Don’t bottle these feelings up or try to push them down into your heart.
You need to allow these feelings to be expressed, your thoughts to be heard, and your pain to be validated.
Your loved one will be able to do all these things for you as they will be a source of encouragement.
Loved ones have a way of bringing us back to reality and reminding us of all the positive qualities we have.
Disappointment can make us feel as though we are failures, hopeless, and lost causes. Our loved ones will be able to help us change the narrative and get our minds focused on the truth that we are beloved by God, we are still more than enough, and we are great at many things.
When your loved ones tell you these things, don’t shrug them off. Accept them and allow them to comfort your heart.
5. Allow Yourself to Grieve
A fifth way to recover after disappointment is to allow yourself to grieve.
As mentioned earlier, I was trying to get healthy for a long time. I had to take time to grieve after this instance because it was a very hart time for me.
I felt as though my health was taking too long to achieve health and wellness.
In other words, I had to have time to mourn the loss of what good health I had hoped for. This is true for you also—you have to give yourself time to grieve.
You cannot reasonably expect yourself to instantly bounce back after a hard disappointing situation. Instead, you need to give yourself permission, extend extravagant grace to yourself and not push yourself beyond your boundaries.
Try to allow yourself to grieve and don’t pass judgment on yourself as it seems to drag on. We often think grieving is okay only after the death of a loved one, but you can grieve for any reason that has brought pain, heartache, and tears.
Dealing with disappointment is difficult, but it is possible. Do your best to recover from the disappointment rather than letting it eat away at your heart.
Pour your feelings out to God, get your mind off things, remember your worth in Christ, talk it out with a loved one, and allow yourself to grieve. It’s more than okay to take all the time you need to recover after a disappointment.
Be ever so extra gentle with yourself and treat yourself as you would a friend.
In the name of God, the Father and God the Son and God the Holy Spirit,
Let us Pray,
Psalm 80 Complete Jewish Bible
80 (0) For the leader. Set to “Lilies.” A testimony. A psalm of Asaf:
2 (1) Shepherd of Isra’el, listen! You who lead Yosef like a flock, you whose throne is on the k’ruvim, shine out! 3 (2) Before Efrayim, Binyamin and M’nasheh, rouse your power; and come to save us. 4 (3) God, restore us! Make your face shine, and we will be saved.
5 (4) Adonai, God of armies, how long will you be angry with your people’s prayers? 6 (5) You have fed them tears as their bread and made them drink tears in abundance. 7 (6) You make our neighbors fight over us, and our enemies mock us. 8 (7) God of armies, restore us! Make your face shine, and we will be saved.
9 (8) You brought a vine out of Egypt, you expelled the nations and planted it, 10 (9) you cleared a space for it; then it took root firmly and filled the land. 11 (10) The mountains were covered with its shade, the mighty cedars with its branches; 12 (11) It put out branches as far as the sea and shoots to the [Euphrates] River.
13 (12) Why did you break down [the vineyard’s] wall, so that all passing by can pluck [its fruit]? 14 (13) The boar from the forest tears it apart; wild creatures from the fields feed on it.
15 (14) God of armies, please come back! Look from heaven, see, and tend this vine! 16 (15) Protect what your right hand planted, the son you made strong for yourself. 17 (16) It is burned by fire, it is cut down; they perish at your frown of rebuke. 18 (17) Help the man at your right hand, the son of man you made strong for yourself.
19 (18) Then we won’t turn away from you — if you revive us, we will call on your name. 20 (19) Adonai, God of armies, restore us! Make your face shine, and we will be saved.
Glory be to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Ghost; as it was in the beginning, is now, and ever shall be, world without end. Amen, amen.
12 I want you to know, brothers,[a] that what has happened to me has really served to advance the gospel, 13 so that it has become known throughout the whole imperial guard[b] and to all the rest that my imprisonment is for Christ. 14 And most of the brothers, having become confident in the Lord by my imprisonment, are much more bold to speak the word[c] without fear.
15 Some indeed preach Christ from envy and rivalry, but others from good will. 16 The latter do it out of love, knowing that I am put here for the defense of the gospel. 17 The former proclaim Christ out of selfish ambition, not sincerely but thinking to afflict me in my imprisonment. 18 What then? Only that in every way, whether in pretense or in truth, Christ is proclaimed, and in that I rejoice.
The Word of God for the Children of God.
Glory be to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Ghost; as it was in the beginning, is now, and ever shall be, world without end. Amen, amen.
As we read through our bibles, do we notice how our God uses the most absurd equipment, seemingly inappropriate, barely noticeable objects, circumstances as the catalyst to spread the gospel of Christ in the most unexpected places?
Just as He used Abraham’s tent, the Walls of Jericho, David’s sling, Gideon’s pots, Balaam’s donkey, and the staff of Moses, God used the chains that bound Paul and his imprisonment in Rome as the most effective tool to spread the good news of the death and Resurrection of our Savior Jesus Christ to many Roman guards. Paul’s witness even invaded the household of Caesar himself.
God is able to bring down every stronghold, rebuild any wall, open any prison door as well as anyone else’s heart when a man or woman is ready and willing and committed to becoming a prisoner in chains for Jesus Christ and become a living sacrifice, ready and willing to witness to the truth of the gospel of God.
One benefit of the various imprisonments to which Paul was subjected were the numbers and varieties of people with whom he was able to share the good news of salvation (Roman guards and soldiers, every day to day ordinary citizens).
And of course, the various ‘prison’ epistles he wrote during his detentions, are all profitable for our own instruction, reproof, doctrine, correction, discipline, godly obedience, discipleship, training in righteousness (2 Timothy 3:10-17).
But one amazing and exciting by-product of Paul’s imprisonment was the effect that it had on most of his Christian brothers and sisters.
Rather than causing them to become shy, timid, fearful and faint-hearted, they were inspired, empowered, gathered themselves together, courage and began to speak out boldly about their faith in Christ. They started to live increasingly confident, as they fearlessly and confidently shared the message of God’s grace.
Certainly, in these contemporary technology driven times, we each live in increasingly changeable , discouraging and distressing and war like times and none of us know what life tomorrow may bring to our home or to our country,
However, never should we forget that the Triune God is in ultimate control and can use the most absurd equipment and seemingly inappropriate circumstances as catalyst to spread wide the gospel of Christ in His most unexpected places.
Let us be ready to board that unstoppable Gospel Train, willing to be a prisoner in chains for Christ and become a living sacrifice, to the glory of God the Father.
In the name of God, the Father and God the Son and God the Holy Spirit,
Let us Pray,
Psalm 91 Complete Jewish Bible
91 You who live in the shelter of ‘Elyon, who spend your nights in the shadow of Shaddai, 2 who say to Adonai, “My refuge! My fortress! My God, in whom I trust!” — 3 he will rescue you from the trap of the hunter and from the plague of calamities; 4 he will cover you with his pinions, and under his wings you will find refuge; his truth is a shield and protection.
5 You will not fear the terrors of night or the arrow that flies by day, 6 or the plague that roams in the dark, or the scourge that wreaks havoc at noon. 7 A thousand may fall at your side, ten thousand at your right hand; but it won’t come near you. 8 Only keep your eyes open, and you will see how the wicked are punished.
9 For you have made Adonai, the Most High, who is my refuge, your dwelling-place. 10 No disaster will happen to you, no calamity will come near your tent; 11 for he will order his angels to care for you and guard you wherever you go. 12 They will carry you in their hands, so that you won’t trip on a stone. 13 You will tread down lions and snakes, young lions and serpents you will trample underfoot. 14 “Because he loves me, I will rescue him; because he knows my name, I will protect him. 15 He will call on me, and I will answer him. I will be with him when he is in trouble. I will extricate him and bring him honor. 16 I will satisfy him with long life and show him my salvation.”
Glory be to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Ghost; as it was in the beginning, is now, and ever shall be, world without end. Amen, amen.
17 A friend is always loyal, and a brother is born to help in time of need.
The Word of God for the Children of God.
Glory be to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Ghost; as it was in the beginning, is now, and ever shall be, world without end. Amen, amen.
Saint Valentine’s life is a powerful example of what it means to love at all times.
In the third century, when Roman Emperor Claudius II outlawed marriages for young men — believing that single strong men made for much better soldiers — Valentine, instead, chose to act out of love rather than fear.
As a priest, Valentine defied this unjust rule by marrying people in secret.
But this led to him going to prison.
Valentine befriended his jailer, Asterious, and Asterious became impressed by Valentine’s wisdom.
So, Asterious asked Valentine to help educate his blind daughter, Julia.
Valentine quickly agreed, and he became a friend and mentor to Julia as well, as he read to her and guided her studies. Valentine’s character as a true friend intrigued Emperor Claudius so much that he offered to free Valentine from prison if he would publicly renounce Christianity and embrace Roman gods.
However, Valentine refused. He shared the Gospel with Claudius instead.
Unfortunately, Claudius responded to Valentine’s loving choice by sentencing Valentine to death for his faith.
Before his execution, Valentine wrote a note to Julia, urging her to remain strong in her faith and thanking her for their friendship.
He signed the note simply, “From your Valentine.”
That loving note from a friend during a time of intense adversity inspired the tradition of exchanging loving messages on February 14, the day of Valentine’s martyrdom.
Eventually, that tradition grew to become the St. Valentine’s Day holiday we know today.
Are you willing to love sacrificially, as Valentine did?
As Proverbs 17:17 rightly points out, true friends stand by one another in every situation – even the most challenging circumstances that are full of adversity.
True friends inspire hope and draw one another closer to God at all times.
If you’re authentically willing to love your friends no matter what, God’s love will flow through your friendships, strengthening you all.
Two famous friends from the Bible – David and Jonathan – showed what this looks like. Jonathan risked his own life to protect David. He gave David his loyal friendship even when he had to openly defy his father, King Saul, to do so.
In the end, by remaining friends even through tragedies, all worked out for the best for their faith. Just like Valentine’s friendships, the friendship between David and Jonathan revealed a BFF friend is 100% loyal in all circumstances, BFFs loves at all times – even when a friendship is tested during difficult times.
Here are some key ways you can love at all times in your own friendships.:
Pray for your friends. When you lift your friends to God in prayer, God will answer your prayers and bless your friends with whatever is best for them.
Be fully present when your friends are going through challenges. Being there for your friends when they need you the most shows them that you truly care. Ask them what you can do for them, and then go beyond your best to give them whatever you can, whenever you can – such as practical help – running errands, grocery shopping, preparing meals careful listening, and encouragement.
Don’t let adversity distance you from your friends. If you’re going through a challenge, don’t neglect your friendships. Stay in touch and be honest with your friends about what you need. If you encounter a conflict with a friend, please do whatever you can to resolve the conflict and forgive each other for mistakes. Try your best to understand each other and care for each other, so you can enjoy friendship and peace between you. Always seek God’s best for each other.
Celebrate good times together as well as helping each other during difficult times. Cheer each other on when you and your friends should experience God’s blessings, and congratulate each other on your successes. Encourage each other continuously, constantly, to find joy every day in your relationships with God.
Friendships are too often superficial in this fallen world.
This Valentine’s Day, choose to pursue friendships that reflect God’s deep love.
True friendship will sometimes require you to make sizable sacrifices, but those sacrifices are worth it, because God will bring something that has eternal value out of your efforts. Choose to be a friend who loves at all times. When you do, you can look forward to God’s love flowing through your life in powerful ways!
Intersecting Faith and Life:
As you consider how to be a friend, how to be a Proverbs 17:17 friend, who loves at all times, reflect on these questions:
Are you present and supportive when your friends face challenges (however serious, however severe, or do you shy away from uncomfortable situations?
Do you verbally forgive your friends, ask forgiveness from God when they make mistakes, when you make mistakes and try to resolve conflicts between you? Do you have humility to ask your friends to forgive you when you make mistakes?
How can you show more sacrificial love in your friendships when your friends need you?
In what ways can you better encourage your friends’ faith, spiritual growth?
In the name of God, the Father and God the Son and God the Holy Spirit,
Let us Pray,
Psalm 23 Authorized (King James) Version
Psalm 23
A Psalm of David.
1 The Lord is my shepherd; I shall not want. 2 He maketh me to lie down in green pastures: he leadeth me beside the still waters. 3 He restoreth my soul: he leadeth me in the paths of righteousness for his name’s sake. 4 Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil: for thou art with me; thy rod and thy staff they comfort me. 5 Thou preparest a table before me in the presence of mine enemies: thou anointest my head with oil; my cup runneth over. 6 Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life: and I will dwell in the house of the Lord for ever.
Glory be to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Ghost; as it was in the beginning, is now, and ever shall be, world without end. Amen, amen.
11 He has made everything suited to its time; also, he has given human beings an awareness of eternity; but in such a way that they can’t fully comprehend, from beginning to end, the things God does. 12 I know that there is nothing better for them to do than to be happy and enjoy themselves as long as they live. 13 Still, the fact that everyone can eat and drink and enjoy the good that results from all his work, is a gift of God.
The Word of God for the Children of God.
Glory be to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Ghost; as it was in the beginning, is now, and ever shall be, world without end. Amen, amen.
There are so many profound truths throughout the book of Ecclesiastes, and Ecclesiastes 3:11 is a great reminder of God’s perfect timing. So often in life, we put a prayer in motion for exactly how we want and envision things to work out.
We think we’ve got things figured out, like we know what’s best for our future.
We pray and we pray!
We wait and we wait!
We are good and pious Christians and we believe we have a strong relationship, a strong connection to God, the Father and God the Son and God the Holy Spirit.
Except … How long are we actively, patiently, genuinely ‘waiting for the Lord’ before our prayers begin to sound like: “Lord, exactly how long is eternity?”
In our frail humanity, it’s easy to forget that God’s perfect timing for our lives can turn out to be completely different from what we imagine as being right.
In Isaiah 55:8-9, we’re told,
“For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways, saith the LORD. For as the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways, and my thoughts than your thoughts.”
Our thoughts and ways are always vastly different from our Lord’s, aren’t they?
I also really like how Ecclesiastes 11:5 talks about the wonders of God: “Just as you do not know the path of the wind, or how the body is formed in a mother’s womb, so you cannot understand the work of God, the Maker of all things.”
How many times have you and I been in a fluid situation, prayed and prayed, anticipated how circumstances would work out, as though we were in control?
How many times do you and I think that we are the one who’s in control, that we can climb any mountain with your own joy and our own strength, that we can persevere better and change someone’s heart through your own actions?
Faith Under Pressure
2-4 Consider it a sheer gift, friends, when tests and challenges come at you from all sides. You know that under pressure, your faith-life is forced into the open and shows its true colors. So don’t try to get out of anything prematurely. Let it do its work so you become mature and well-developed, not deficient in any way.
5-8 If you don’t know what you’re doing, pray to the Father. He loves to help. You’ll get his help, and won’t be condescended to when you ask for it. Ask boldly, believingly, without a second thought. People who “worry their prayers” are like wind-whipped waves. Don’t think you’re going to get anything from the Master that way, adrift at sea, keeping all your options open.
9-11 When down-and-outers get a break, cheer! And when the arrogant rich are brought down to size, cheer! Prosperity is as short-lived as a wildflower, so don’t ever count on it. You know that as soon as the sun rises, pouring down its scorching heat, the flower withers. Its petals wilt and, before you know it, that beautiful face is a barren stem. Well, that’s a picture of the “prosperous life.” At the very moment everyone is looking on in admiration, it fades away to nothing.
12 Anyone who meets a testing challenge head-on and manages to stick it out is mighty fortunate. For such persons loyally in love with God, the reward is life and more life.
13-15 Don’t let anyone under pressure to give in to evil say, “God is trying to trip me up.” God is impervious to evil, and puts evil in no one’s way. The temptation to give in to evil comes from us and only us. We have no one to blame but the leering, seducing flare-up of our own lust. Lust gets pregnant, and has a baby: sin! Sin grows up to adulthood, and becomes a real killer.
16-18 So, my very dear friends, don’t get thrown off course. Every desirable and beneficial gift comes out of heaven. The gifts are rivers of light cascading down from the Father of Light. There is nothing deceitful in God, nothing two-faced, nothing fickle. He brought us to life using the true Word, showing us off as the crown of all his creatures. (The Message)
The reality is, if we are 1% patient enough to accept that God is in control, it’s a real reality check for us that only through Him we accomplish anything at all!
In Matthew Henry’s commentary, he says the following about Ecclesiastes 3:11:
“Every thing is as God made it; not as it appears to us. We have the world so much in our hearts, are so taken up with thoughts and cares of worldly things, that we have neither time nor spirit to see God’s hand in them. The world has not only gained possession of the heart, but has formed thoughts against the true beauty of God’s works.”
When I find myself getting impatient or experiencing disappointment, or when things don’t work out as I think they should, it’s a great reminder to look at verses such as Ecclesiastes 3:11 about God’s promise of His perfect timing.
It may not make sense right now, but try praying, believing, God’s got a reason.
Our task, like Job, is to continue praising Him even when things don’t make sense, and to continue trusting Him and growing our Faith. “Who does great and unsearchable things, Wonders without number.” [Job 5:9]
Job experienced more echelons beyond hardcore testing circumstances and situations throughout his life, yet he never once questioned what God was doing. He knew God had a plan and would work every thing out in His timing.
Job 19:13-29 The Message
I Know That God Lives
13-20 “God alienated my family from me; everyone who knows me avoids me. My relatives and friends have all left; houseguests forget I ever existed. The servant girls treat me like a deadbeat off the street, look at me like they’ve never seen me before. I call my attendant and he ignores me, ignores me even though I plead with him. My wife can’t stand to be around me anymore. I’m repulsive to my family. Even street urchins despise me; when I come out, they taunt and jeer. Everyone I’ve ever been close to abhors me; my dearest loved ones reject me. I’m nothing but a bag of bones; my life hangs by a thread.
21-22 “Oh, friends, dear friends, take pity on me. God has come down hard on me! Do you have to be hard on me, too? Don’t you ever tire of abusing me?
23-27 “If only my words were written in a book— better yet, chiseled in stone! Still, I know that God lives—the One who gives me back my life— and eventually he’ll take his stand on earth. And I’ll see him—even though I get skinned alive!— see God myself, with my very own eyes. Oh, how I long for that day!
28-29 “If you’re thinking, ‘How can we get through to him, get him to see that his trouble is all his own fault?’ Forget it. Start worrying about yourselves. Worry about your own sins and God’s coming judgment, for judgment is most certainly on the way.”
Wherever you are today, however like Job you feel like, whether you’re waiting, wondering, or worrying, or anxious take heart. God’s perfect timing is worth the wait! God is in control, and He hath made every thing beautiful in His time.
Restoration will come to you …
An over and above abundance of Blessings will shower down upon your life … (Job 42:7-17)
In the name of God, the Father and God the Son and God the Holy Spirit,
Let us Pray,
Psalm 27 New King James Version
An Exuberant Declaration of Faith
A Psalm of David.
27 The Lord is my light and my salvation; Whom shall I fear? The Lord is the strength of my life; Of whom shall I be afraid? 2 When the wicked came against me To eat[a] up my flesh, My enemies and foes, They stumbled and fell. 3 Though an army may encamp against me, My heart shall not fear; Though war may rise against me, In this I will be confident.
4 One thing I have desired of the Lord, That will I seek: That I may dwell in the house of the Lord All the days of my life, To behold the [b]beauty of the Lord, And to inquire in His temple. 5 For in the time of trouble He shall hide me in His pavilion; In the secret place of His tabernacle He shall hide me; He shall set me high upon a rock.
6 And now my head shall be [c]lifted up above my enemies all around me; Therefore I will offer sacrifices of [d]joy in His tabernacle; I will sing, yes, I will sing praises to the Lord.
7 Hear, O Lord, when I cry with my voice! Have mercy also upon me, and answer me. 8 When You said, “Seek My face,” My heart said to You, “Your face, Lord, I will seek.” 9 Do not hide Your face from me; Do not turn Your servant away in anger; You have been my help; Do not leave me nor forsake me, O God of my salvation. 10 When my father and my mother forsake me, Then the Lord will take care of me.
11 Teach me Your way, O Lord, And lead me in a smooth path, because of my enemies. 12 Do not deliver me to the will of my adversaries; For false witnesses have risen against me, And such as breathe out violence. 13 I would have lost heart, unless I had believed That I would see the goodness of the Lord In the land of the living.
14 Wait[e] on the Lord; Be of good courage, And He shall strengthen your heart; Wait, I say, on the Lord!
Glory be to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Ghost; as it was in the beginning, is now, and ever shall be, world without end. Amen, amen.
Loving God, Living God, Loving Hope, Living Hope, Loving Living Life His Way! "Many things are possible for the person who has hope. Even more is possible for the person who has faith. And still more is possible for the person who knows how to love. But everything is possible for the person who practices all three virtues." - Brother Lawrence (1605-1691), Practicing the Presence of God (1692). 