Blog: “Discovering His Living Hope”

Have I learned to be content whatever the circumstances? Or am I too good at faking it, until I think I believe it? Philippians 4:10-14

Philippians 4:10-14 The Message

Content Whatever the Circumstances

10-14 I’m glad in God, far happier than you would ever guess—happy that you’re again showing such strong concern for me. Not that you ever quit praying and thinking about me. You just had no chance to show it. Actually, I don’t have a sense of needing anything personally. I’ve learned by now to be quite content whatever my circumstances. I’m just as happy with little as with much, with much as with little. I’ve found the recipe for being happy whether full or hungry, hands full or hands empty. Whatever I have, wherever I am, I can make it through anything in the One who makes me who I am. I don’t mean that your help didn’t mean a lot to me—it did. It was a beautiful thing that you came alongside me in my troubles.

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.

What Is Contentment? 

Merriam-Webster defines being contented as “feeling or showing satisfaction with one’s possessions, status, or situation.”

But for Christians, contentment goes beyond mere satisfaction; it roots itself in a deep trust in God’s provision and sovereignty. Contentment means aligning your desires with God’s will and finding joy and peace in His plans for your life. 

The Role of Faith in Contentment 

Faith plays a crucial role in finding and maintaining contentment. Trusting in God’s goodness, His provision, His timing can help you rest in the assurance He is in control. When challenges arise, lean on your faith and remember this: God works all things together for the good of those who love Him (Romans 8:28).  

Biblical Perspective on Contentment 

The Bible offers numerous insights into finding contentment: 

  1. Trusting in God’s Provision: Philippians 4:11-12 says, “I have learned to be content whatever the circumstances. I know what it is to be in need, and I know what it is to have plenty. I have learned the secret of being content in any and every situation, whether well fed or hungry, whether living in plenty or in want.” Paul’s words here highlight that we learn contentment through trust in God’s provision. 
  2. Avoiding Materialism: Hebrews 13:5 advises, “Keep your lives free from the love of money and be content with what you have, because God has said, ‘Never will I leave you; never will I forsake you.’” This verse teaches that true contentment comes from knowing God is always with you, rather than acquiring material wealth. 
  3. Embracing God’s Plan: Psalm 33:11 reassures us, “But the plans of the Lord stand firm forever, the purposes of his heart through all generations.” Contentment involves trusting that God is good, He can’t be anything but good, and therefore His plans for you are always good. Rest in that truth to find contentment. 
Finding Contentment: Six Practical Steps 

So now that we’ve addressed the big question of “what is contentment and how do I find it,” here are practical steps to help us to embrace contentment in our daily life: 

1. Practice Gratitude 

Gratitude is a powerful antidote to discontentment. Take time each day to list things you are thankful for. This simple practice can shift your focus from what you lack to what you already have, fostering a sense of satisfaction and peace.

They don’t have to be big things.

I’m often thankful for a good tall glass of cold Coke Zero or dog’s wagging tail.  

2. Deepening our Relationship with God 

Contentment is closely tied to our relationship with God.

Spend time in prayer, study the Bible, and seek to understand God’s character and promises.

The more we grow in our knowledge and love for God, the more we will trust Him with our whole heart and mind, leading unto our greater contentment. 

3. Simplify our Life 

In our consumer-tech driven society, it is easy to get caught up in the pursuit of more—more possessions, more achievements, more experiences. Simplifying our lives by decluttering our homes, setting boundaries, and prioritizing what truly matters, all of which can help us focus upon what brings true satisfaction. 

4. Serve Others 

Acts of service can bring to us immense joy and satisfaction. When we focus on helping others, it takes our mind off our own wants and needs. Plus, our serving others is a tangible way to live out our faith, our hope and reflecting God’s love.

5. Set Realistic Goals 

While ambition is not inherently wrong, setting unrealistic goals can lead to constant striving and discontent. Align your goals with God’s will for your life and set realistic, achievable steps to reach them. Celebrate small victories along the way. 

6. Reflect on Your Purpose 

Understanding your God-given purpose can bring immense contentment. Reflect on your talents, passions, and opportunities to serve God and others. Pursue activities and goals that align with this purpose, trusting that God has a unique plan for your life. 

Contentment in Community 

Finally, remember we are not alone in your journey to answer the question, “what is contentment?” Engage with our church communities, share of our struggles and victories, encourage one another. Accountability and support from fellow believers will make a significant difference in your journey. 

I want to clarify having dreams and desires does not mean you feel discontent.

Even as my wife continues to savor pictures from our vacations, dreaming of the day we’ll leave on our as yet a still to be planned long distance, we’ll bloom where we are. We’re heavily involved in our church, have deep friendships, and care about our community. God has us here, and we will walk in His purposes. 

Sometimes we have the pleasure of meeting a Christian couple  who exudes calm, peace, and contentment even though they are living with limitations or ailments that are difficult and painful.

Or maybe they have faced heart-wrenching tragedy in the past—and yet there they are, almost too serene in their faith and so utterly joyful on every level.

When we see such people, we sometimes conclude that God must have wired them really well. We figure that such people must have been born sunny-side up with a personality and disposition that lends itself to a contented nature.

But if we think that way, we are usually wrong.

Talk to such folks long enough, and you will discover what Paul wrote to the Philippians: contentment is a learned behavior. You are not born with it.

It does not come easily for anyone. But by grace we grow, we learn, we mature.

And as we do, contentment becomes a way of life.

But it is not inevitable.

Many of us know someone who got trapped by their suffering long ago.

They turned inward and curdled into an angry, judging, resentful person.

None of us can avoid some ­level of pain, hardship, or deprivation in lives.

Our prayer is that when we face difficult times, we can learn what Paul learned over the long haul: a long lasting contentment firmly anchored in Savior Christ.

The tenth commandment— Do not covet (Exodus 20:17)— points the way to contentment.

If we always have a roving eye, hankering for our neighbor’s house, car, or spouse, there will be no end to feeling unsettled.

But with the Holy Spirit living in our hearts, filling the void that would otherwise drive us to distraction, we have peace and contentment within.

In the name of God, the Father the Son and the Holy Spirit ….

Psalm 27 New American Standard Bible

A Psalm of Fearless Trust in God.

A Psalm of David.

27 The Lord is my light and my salvation;
Whom should I fear?
The Lord is the [a]defense of my life;
Whom should I dread?
2 When evildoers came upon me to devour my flesh,
My adversaries and my enemies, they stumbled and fell.
3 If an army encamps against me,
My heart will not fear;
If war arises against me,
In spite of this I am confident.

4 One thing I have asked from the Lord, that I shall 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 [c]meditate in His temple.
5 For on the day of trouble He will conceal me in His [d]tabernacle;
He will hide me in the secret place of His tent;
He will lift me up on a rock.
6 And now my head will be lifted up above my enemies around me,
And I will offer sacrifices in His tent [e]with shouts of joy;
I will sing, yes, I will sing praises to the Lord.

7 Hear, Lord, when I cry with my voice,
And be gracious to me and answer me.
8 When You said, “Seek My face,” my heart said to You,
“I shall seek Your face, Lord.”
9 Do not hide Your face from me,
Do not turn Your servant away in anger;
You have been my help;
Do not abandon me nor forsake me,
God of my salvation!
10 [f]For my father and my mother have forsaken me,
But the Lord will take me up.

11 Teach me Your way, Lord,
And lead me on a level path
Because of my enemies.
12 Do not turn me over to the [g]desire of my enemies,
For false witnesses have risen against me,
And the violent witness.
13 I certainly believed that I would see the goodness of the Lord
In the land of the living.
14 Wait for the Lord;
Be strong and let your heart take courage;
Yes, wait for 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.

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A Love that will always continue to keep growing maturing, flourishing because God will always be working on Me. Philippians 1:3-6

Philippians 1:3-6 Amplified Bible

3 I thank my God in every remembrance of you, 4 always offering every prayer of mine with joy [and with specific requests] for all of you, 5 [thanking God] for your participation and partnership [both your comforting fellowship and gracious contributions] in [advancing] the good news [regarding salvation] from the first day [you heard it] until now. 6 I am convinced and confident of this very thing, that He who has begun a good work in you will [continue to] perfect and complete it until the day of Christ Jesus [the time of His return].

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 are all a work in progress!

When reflecting on Philippians 1:6, I’m reminded of a song we used to sing in children’s church called “He’s still Working on Me.” It went like this-

“He’s still working on me to make me what I ought to be. It took Him just a week to create the moon and stars, the sun and the earth, and Jupiter and Mars. How loving and patient He must be, He’s still working on me.” 

I love, appreciate, this song applies not just to children, but to us as parents.

It’s easy to get frustrated when kids or other adults make mistakes or when relationships feel strained.

This text reminds us that God’s work in us is not random or incomplete, yet He is always, continually, steadily shaping our hearts and lives one day at a time.

We must be constantly reminded of his unrelenting faithfulness.

The best way to do this is recall the places, moments God has met us in the past.

As families, friends, neighborhoods and communities, we can then confidently, faithfully, fully rely upon God’s past faithfulness to finish what He started.

We often want to reach the finish line without going through the process.

By submitting ourselves to go step by step through the process, the work He started will create a culture of grace, hope, patience and perseverance in our home, rather than one of frustration or division or despair. We are a ‘want it exactly now’ society, with much at our fingertips —the microwave generation.

Spiritual and emotional growth, however, is rarely instant; it happens over time.

This text solidly encourages us to celebrate progress, trust in His timing, and remain committed to showing grace towards one another.

Back to our original Kids Church song- I had moments where I was extremely frustrated with God, along with some unrealistic expectations on my own part.

I began to sing verse two of ‘He’s Still Working on Me’- it went like this-

“There really ought to be a sign upon my heart, don’t judge me yet, there’s an unfinished part. But I’ll be perfect just according to His plan, fashioned by the Master’s loving hands.”

Yikes! What do you say to that?

The only thing I knew to do was smile, and say, ‘You are so right, Father.’ And he’s still working on me today, too!

God is working on all of us.

Let our homes be places of grace.

Places where we are fully aware God is shaping us and making us more into His image through our life experiences and journeys, He has us on.

Next time you feel impatient with how fast He’s working and perfecting you, remember, He’s always, forever still working on you- and it’s going to be good!

Growth Is Guaranteed by God!

We hear a lot about lifetime guarantees in our world today.

Sometimes people are promised a guaranteed return on money they invest.

Gadgets for the kitchen are guaranteed to reduce the time needed for meal preparation, and golf training equipment is guaranteed to fix the dreaded slice.

But there are really very few guarantees in life.

As Benjamin Franklin put it, “In this world nothing can be said to be certain except death and taxes.”

Thankfully, there is more we can add to that short list.

Jesus promised, “If you remain in me and I in you, you will bear much fruit” (John 15:5).

That’s why when Paul prays for the Philippians, he asks God to fill them “with the fruit of righteousness that comes through Jesus Christ.” Paul knows that “he who began a good work in [them] will carry it on to completion.”

How reassuring these promises are, especially in times of discouragement. It may take a long time before fruit appears, and sometimes it may take painful experiences to produce it, but fruit will grow.

Here’s a rich blessing to conclude our devotion for today:

“May … the God of peace, sanctify you through and through. May your whole spirit, soul and body be kept blameless at the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ. The one who calls you is faithful, and he will do it” (1 Thessalonians 5:23-24).

In the name of God, the Father the Son and the Holy Spirit ……

Praying …..

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.

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Staying at our Post; Companions as we are in this work with you, we beg you, please don’t squander one bit of this marvelous life God has given us. 2 Corinthians 6:1-10

2 Corinthians 6:1-10 New King James Version

Marks of the Ministry

6 We then, as workers together with Him also plead with you not to receive the grace of God in vain. 2 For He says:

“In an acceptable time I have heard you,
And in the day of salvation I have helped you.”

Behold, now is the accepted time; behold, now is the day of salvation.

3 We give no offense in anything, that our ministry may not be blamed. 4 But in all things we commend ourselves as ministers of God: in much [a]patience, in tribulations, in needs, in distresses, 5 in stripes, in imprisonments, in tumults, in labors, in sleeplessness, in fasting’s; 6 by purity, by knowledge, by longsuffering, by kindness, by the Holy Spirit, by [b]sincere love, 7 by the word of truth, by the power of God, by the armor of righteousness on the right hand and on the left, 8 by honor and dishonor, by evil report and good report; as deceivers, and yet true; 9 as unknown, and yet well known; as dying, and behold we live; as chastened, and yet not killed;  10 as sorrowful, yet always rejoicing; as poor, yet making many rich; as having nothing, and yet possessing all things.

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.

Mission: To encourage believers to let go of unbiblical traditions, embrace God’s provision in the present moment, and to move forward with urgency, recognizing that “now IS the favorable time” according to God’s timing.

Good day, church family!

Today, we are going to drive square into a ministry that’s both challenging and liberating. We are talking about our leaving behind unbiblical traditions, and instead, embracing God’s abundant provision as God embraces the fruits of our “abundant” provision, moving the Gospel message forward with His urgency.

It’s a message drawn from a powerful verse in 2 Corinthians, chapter 6, verse 2:

“For He says, ‘In a favorable time I listened to you, and in a day of salvation I have helped you.’ Behold, now is the favorable time; behold, now is the day of salvation.”

Have you ever thought about what “now is the favorable time” really means?

It’s about God’s timing, not ours.

It’s about increasing the measure of our resolve, for embracing what God has for us in this very moment, not clinging to the past, worrying about the future.

Christian author, Francis Chan, once said, “Our greatest fear should not be of failure but of succeeding at things in life that don’t really matter.”

This quote challenges us to finally release unbiblical traditions that may feel comfortable but aren’t leading us any closer to God or furthering His kingdom.

Leaving Behind Unbiblical Traditions

Leaving behind unbiblical traditions involves a thorough examination of our beliefs, practices, and traditions, and a willingness to let go of those that are not rooted in the teachings of the Bible.

This is not to say that all traditions are bad.

On the contrary, many traditions can be beautiful expressions of our faith, as long as they righteously align with the Word of God and lead us closer to Him.

However, unbiblical traditions will often creep into our lives and churches, subtly, not so subtly, leading us far far away from the truth of God’s Word.

These can take many forms, from practices which have been passed down through generations without them being biblically challenged, rigorously questioned, to beliefs that are more influenced by culture than by Scripture.

They can even be worship traditions we do with good intentions, yet lack any biblical basis and can ultimately distract us from our relationship with God.

The danger of these unbiblical traditions lies in their ability to become idols in our lives.

When we hold onto them too tightly, we can end up prioritizing them over our relationship with God. They can become the rose colored lenses through which we were raised to view our faith, rather than the Bible being our only true guide.

This can lead to a badly distorted understanding of God, His will for our lives.

Psalm 139:23-24 New American Standard Bible

23 Search me, God, and know my heart;
Put me to the test and know my anxious thoughts;
24 And see if there is any [a]hurtful way in me,
And lead me in the everlasting way.

Leaving behind unbiblical traditions requires humility and a willingness to be corrected. It involves coming before God with an open heart, asking Him to reveal any areas where we may be clinging to traditions that are not of Him.

It involves studying the Bible diligently, seeking to more thoroughly grasp, to understand its contextual teachings and meanings, and apply them to our lives.

This process can be divisive, most certainly, uncomfortable and challenging.

It may involve letting go of practices that we have held onto for a long time as “family tradition,” or confronting beliefs that we have never questioned before. Yet, it is a journey that leads unto freedom and a deeper relationship with God.

1 Peter 1:13-16 New American Standard Bible

13 Therefore, [a]prepare your minds for action, [b]keep sober in spirit, set your hope completely on the grace to be brought to you at the revelation of Jesus Christ. 14 As [c]obedient children, do not [d]be conformed to the former lusts which were yours in your ignorance, 15 but [e]like the Holy One who called you, [f]be holy yourselves also in all your behavior; 16 because it is written: “You shall be holy, for I am holy.”

When we discipline ourselves let go of unbiblical traditions, we make room for God to work in new and powerful ways in our lives.

We open ourselves to His leading, we align ourselves more closely with His will.

This can lead to a more vibrant faith, a much deeper understanding of God’s character, and a far more effective testimony and witness to those around us.

Leaving behind unbiblical traditions isn’t about legalism, following set of rules.

It’s about raising the measure of our resolve, pursuing a relationship with God as based on His Word and led by His Spirit. It’s about seeking to honor Him in all that we do, and being willing to let go of anything that hinders that pursuit.

Seize the Moment! Embrace God’s Provision in This Time Period

Embracing God’s provision in this time period is a multifaceted concept that requires us to implicitly trust in God’s sovereignty, acknowledge His goodness, and actively seek His will in our lives.

You probably have heard the ancient saying “Carpe diem.”

It’s a Latin aphorism that can be translated as “Seize the day.”

Sayings with similar meanings can be found in many cultures.

The Bible also tells us about the urgency of making our commitment to God.

The apostle Paul urges us not to delay when it comes to our salvation.

We are privileged to live in an age of grace, when the gospel is proclaimed throughout the world.

That is something to be thankful for.

But it may not be that way forever.

We never know when our life on this earth will end—whether by illness or accident—slowly or suddenly.

But it will definitely end—when we die or when Christ returns.

So I urge you to believe in Jesus, find peace with God today, before it’s too late!

In the name of God, the Father the Son and the Holy Spirit ….

Praying …..

Ecclesiastes 3:1-15 Complete Jewish Bible

3 For everything there is a season,
a right time for every intention under heaven —
2 a time to be born and a time to die,
a time to plant and a time to uproot,
3 a time to kill and a time to heal,
a time to tear down and a time to build,
4 a time to weep and a time to laugh,
a time to mourn and a time to dance,
5 a time to throw stones and a time to gather stones,
a time to embrace and a time to refrain,
6 a time to search and a time to give up,
a time to keep and a time to discard,
7 a time to tear and a time to sew,
a time to keep silent and a time to speak,
8 a time to love and a time to hate,
a time for war and a time for peace.

9 What does the worker gain from his efforts? 10 I have seen the task God has given humanity to keep us occupied. 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. 14 I know that

whatever God does will last forever;
there is nothing to add or subtract from it;
and God has done it so that people will fear him.

15 That which was is here already;
and that which will be has already been,
but God seeks out what people chase after.

17 I said to myself, “The righteous and the wicked God will judge, because there is a right time for every intention and for every action.”

18 Concerning people, I said to myself, “God is testing them, so that they will see that by themselves they are just animals. 19 After all, the same things that happen to people happen to animals, the very same thing — just as the one dies, so does the other. Yes, their breath is the same; so that humans are no better than animals; since nothing matters, anyway. 20 They all go to the same place; they all come from dust, and they all return to dust. 21 Who knows if the spirit of a human being goes upward and the spirit of an animal goes downward into the earth?” 22 So I concluded that there is nothing better for a person to do than take joy in his activities, that that is his allotted portion; for who can enable him to see what will happen after him?

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.

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The truth is that everyone who does become a citizen of Christ’s kingdom is caught up, snared, inside a cosmic conflict of high eternal significance. 1 John 3:7-10

1 John 3:7-10 English Standard Version

7 Little children, let no one deceive you. Whoever practices righteousness is righteous, as he is righteous. 8 Whoever makes a practice of sinning is of the devil, for the devil has been sinning from the beginning. The reason the Son of God appeared was to destroy the works of the devil. 9 No one born of God makes a practice of sinning, for God’s[a] seed abides in him; and he cannot keep on sinning, because he has been born of God. 10 By this it is evident who are the children of God, and who are the children of the devil: whoever does not practice righteousness is not of God, nor is the one who does not love his brother.

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.

From this text John is saying that we definitely need a reality check—regularly.

Do we say we are children of God?

What fruit do we have to show for it!

Are we saying what is right but doing what is wrong?

Are we talking about love but acting out in anger and bitterness?

Sadly, what we do is the reality, not what we say.

What is the proof that we are children of God?

Matthew 5:43-48 English Standard Version

Love Your Enemies

43 “You have heard that it was said, ‘You shall love your neighbor and hate your enemy.’ 44 But I say to you, Love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you,  45 so that you may be sons of your Father who is in heaven. For he makes his sun rise on the evil and on the good, and sends rain on the just and on the unjust.  46 For if you love those who love you, what reward do you have? Do not even the tax collectors do the same? 47 And if you greet only your brothers,[a] what more are you doing than others? Do not even the Gentiles do the same? 48 You therefore must be perfect, as your heavenly Father is perfect.

Is it this: Do we act in love toward all of our brothers and sisters? (Matthew 5:43-48

Ouch.

I admit there are always few people I don’t think much of, not to mention loving them.

This text can even make me question whether I am truly God’s child.

So in the face of this question, I must cry out for grace:

“No, Lord, I must confess that I do not always do what is right, nor do I always love my brother or sister. Please forgive me. Give me Christ’s righteousness and love.”

And this is what John is writing about.

Earlier in this letter John says:

“My dear children, I write this to you now so that you will not sin. But if anybody does sin, we have an advocate with the Father—Jesus Christ, the Righteous One. He is the atoning sacrifice for our sins, and not only for ours but also for the sins of the whole world” (1 John 2:1-2).

The reason the Son of God appeared was to destroy the works of the devil. 1 John 3:8

The Devil Defanged …

By grace alone, every believer in Christ has been transferred from the domain of darkness into the kingdom of God’s beloved Son (Colossians 1:13).

We live in the world now as children of light and endeavor to bear the fruit of that light (Ephesians 5:8-9).

Yet as glorious as this may be, we know that darkness is not yet fully eradicated from our lives.

The truth is that everyone who becomes a citizen of Christ’s kingdom is caught up in a cosmic conflict of eternal significance.

Praise and honor unto the Lord, the Evil One has been powerless to prevent God’s adopted children from knowing salvation—but having tasted that measure of defeat, he now vigorously seeks to do everything in his power to prevent us from living as true heirs of our Father’s eternal kingdom.

He is totally committed to disrupting and destroying what it means for us to “be imitators of God” (Ephesians 5:1) and to “walk as children of light” (v 8).

His one great aim is to stop you and I from implicitly trusting in Christ—to deviate, to knock you off the narrow road before you reach the gates of glory.

We should not ignore the alarming terms which Scripture uses to describe the devil and the urgent terms in which we are urged to withstand him.

Peter urges us to “be sober-minded” and “watchful” because our “adversary the devil prowls around like a roaring lion, seeking someone to devour” (1 Peter 5:8).

Satan is a real and merciless vicious enemy. He trades in doubt, division, and destruction, continually, relentlessly, without hesitation, coming at us both ethically, morally and intellectually. With the high ferocity of a supernaturally empowered beast, he prowls, seeks to maul us and shred our faith to pieces.

What is a Christian to do when faced with such a vicious enemy?

The good news for us is this: “The reason the Son of God appeared was to destroy the works of the devil.”

Though he may still prowl, his defanging has already begun, and ultimately, he will be cast into the lake of fire (Revelation 20:10).

Defeat is certain for the devil and his minions—and, through Christ, victory over him is yours, Christian.

In Christ, God has given you the spiritual power to “stand against the schemes of the devil” (Ephesians 6:11).

He offers you indestructible armor in the gospel and His very word as your sword (v 11-17).

When you fall, you are forgiven. The devil has no power over you. James puts our charge succinctly: “Resist the devil, and he will flee from you” (James 4:7).

So, where is the battle for you?

Is it against a particular sin or in a certain trial?

Take up the means of grace God offers you in Christ—including your company of fellow soldiers—and, simply believing the gospel of God, force the prowling lion to retreat!

In the name of God, the Father the Son and the Holy Spirit ….

Praying ….

I Will Bless the Lord

Of David.

26 Vindicate me, O Lord,
    for I have walked in my integrity,
    and I have trusted in the Lord without wavering.
2 Prove me, O Lord, and try me;
    test my heart and my mind.[a]
3 For your steadfast love is before my eyes,
    and I walk in your faithfulness.

4 I do not sit with men of falsehood,
    nor do I consort with hypocrites.
5 I hate the assembly of evildoers,
    and I will not sit with the wicked.

6 I wash my hands in innocence
    and go around your altar, O Lord,
7 proclaiming thanksgiving aloud,
    and telling all your wondrous deeds.

8 O Lord, I love the habitation of your house
    and the place where your glory dwells.
9 Do not sweep my soul away with sinners,
    nor my life with bloodthirsty men,
10 in whose hands are evil devices,
    and whose right hands are full of bribes.

11 But as for me, I shall walk in my integrity;
    redeem me, and be gracious to me.
12 My foot stands on level ground;
    in the great assembly I will bless 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.

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God’s love is meteoric, his loyalty is astronomic, His purpose titanic, his verdicts oceanic. Yet in his largeness nothing gets lost; Not a man, not a mouse, a soul, ever slips through his righteous right hand. Psalm 36:5-6

Psalm 36 New American Standard Bible

Wickedness of Humanity and Goodness of God.
For the music director. A Psalm of David the servant of the Lord.

36 [a]Wrongdoing speaks to the ungodly within [b]his heart;
There is no fear of God before his eyes.
2 For it flatters him in his own eyes
Concerning the discovery of his wrongful deed and the hatred of it.
3 The words of his mouth are wickedness and deceit;
He has ceased to [c]be wise and to do good.
4 He plans wickedness on his bed;
He sets himself on a path that is not good;
He does not reject evil.

5 Your mercy, Lord, [d]extends to the heavens,
Your faithfulness reaches to the skies.
6 Your righteousness is like the [e]mountains of God;
Your judgments are like the great deep.
Lord, You [f]protect mankind and animals.
7 How precious is Your mercy, God!
And the sons of mankind take refuge in the shadow of Your wings.
8 They drink their fill of the [g]abundance of Your house;
And You allow them to drink from the river of Your delights.
9 For the fountain of life is with You;
In Your light we see light.

10 Prolong Your mercy to those who know You,
And Your righteousness to the upright of heart.
11 May the foot of pride not come upon me,
And may the hand of the wicked not drive me away.
12 Those who do injustice have fallen there;
They have been thrust down and cannot rise.

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.

What happens when only one person in a relationship is faithful?

The one who’s committed might be able to hold some kind of relationship together, but there won’t be the sort of closeness and trust they long for.

There will be heartbreak and conflict, distrust and disunity.

It’s pretty obvious faithfulness has to go both ways for human relationships to work well.

And we don’t, we wont, approve of the sort of people who would say, “You have to be faithful to me but I don’t have to be faithful to you.”

But have we ever thought something similar in our relationship with God?

We anticipate, we expect God to always be faithful to us and keep His promises to shower us with blessings, never forsake us, and welcome us into eternal life.

But do we anticipate, expect, ourselves to be equally faithful in return?

We should.

Psalm 121 The Message

121 1-2 I look up to the mountains;
    does my strength come from mountains?
No, my strength comes from God,
    who made heaven, and earth, and mountains.

3-4 He won’t let you stumble,
    your Guardian God won’t fall asleep.
Not on your life! Israel’s
    Guardian will never doze or sleep.

5-6 God’s your Guardian,
    right at your side to protect you—
Shielding you from sunstroke,
    sheltering you from moonstroke.

7-8 God guards you from every evil,
    he guards your very life.
He guards you when you leave and when you return,
    he guards you now, he guards you always.

God Keeps All His Promises

God is faithful. He is Ehyeh Asher Ehyeh — I AM who I AM. We can count on Him existing forever as Himself, the faithful one who does not change (Malachi 3:6).

Psalm 89:30-34 New American Standard Bible

30 “If his sons abandon My Law
And do not walk in My judgments,
31 If they [a]violate My statutes
And do not keep My commandments,
32 Then I will punish their wrongdoing with the rod,
And their guilt with [b]afflictions.
33 But I will not [c]withhold My favor from him,
Nor deal falsely in My faithfulness.
34 I will not [d]violate My covenant,
Nor will I alter [e]the utterance of My lips.

God is never going to break the promises He’s made or stop trying to restore broken relationships. But His promises include ominous consequences if we are unfaithful to Him. We can’t just go about living however we want and assume it does not, or will not, matter 1% to God. Our actions affect our relationship with God, even mightily damage destroy it, though His commitment doesn’t change.

We Have To Love Him Back ….

John 14:20-24 Amplified Bible

20 On that day [when that time comes] you will know for yourselves that I am in My Father, and you are in Me, and I am in you. 21 The person who has My commandments and keeps them is the one who [really] loves Me; and whoever [really] loves Me will be loved by My Father, and I will love him and reveal Myself to him [I will make Myself real to him].” 22 Judas (not Iscariot) asked Him, “Lord, what has happened that You are going to reveal Yourself to us and not to the world?” 23 Jesus answered, “If anyone [really] loves Me, he will keep My word (teaching); and My Father will love him, and We will come to him and make Our dwelling place with him. 24 One who does not [really] love Me does not keep My words. And the word (teaching) which you hear is not Mine, but is the Father’s who sent Me.

We cannot be in a true relationship with God if He’s the only one trying to make things work. Just as you and I want the people you, and I, love to love us all back and demonstrate their love through their actions, does God want that from us.

He will always love us whether or not we love Him (John 3:16-21), but we can only have an intimate relationship with Him if we’re doing, fulfilling. our part.

Loving Jesus results in faithful actions. If we’re not keeping His words and walking in His footsteps, then we don’t have a relationship with Him.

And people who do claim to have fellowship with Jesus yet don’t follow His teachings are liars (1 John 1:6).

Keep Returning To Faithfulness

Hebrews 11:5-6 The Message

5-6 By an act of faith, Enoch skipped death completely. “They looked all over and couldn’t find him because God had taken him.” We know on the basis of reliable testimony that before he was taken “he pleased God.” It’s impossible to please God apart from faith. And why? Because anyone who wants to approach God must believe both that he exists and that he cares enough to respond to those who seek him.

Faithfulness must go both ways. God promises faithfulness and He’s seeking relationship with people “whose heart is fully devoted to him” (2 Chr. 16:9).

He highly values those who promise to be faithful to Him and then diligently, sincerely, studiously, prayerfully, step by step follow-through on that promise.

God knows all to well we are human. He does not expect 100% faithfulness from us in the exact same way He gives 100% faithfulness to us. But He does expect that when we miss the mark we will come back and recommit ourselves to Him.

We want a God who is faithful to us.

But we don’t always want the hard parts of the relationship — the things that rest square on our full cooperation.

Yet faithfulness on our parts is undeniably essential if we 100% want to have a relationship with the faithful One who always calls for us to come back to Him.

In Luke’s gospel, Jesus shares a parable to teach we “must always pray and not give up.” He teaches God hears us and can be relied on to respond (Luke 18:1-6).

Then He asks a distinctly pointed question …

“When (not if) I come back will there be faithful people on earth?” verse 8

He is going to come back.

That’s a promise.

But He wonders what He’ll find.

Will there be people who are eagerly awaiting Him?

People who’ve been following Him, glorifying His Father by producing good fruits (John 15:8)?

Philippians 2:5-11 New Revised Standard Version Updated Edition

5 Let the same mind be in you that was[a] in Christ Jesus,

6 who, though he existed in the form of God,
    did not regard equality with God
    as something to be grasped,
7 but emptied himself,
    taking the form of a slave,
    assuming human likeness.
And being found in appearance as a human,
8     he humbled himself
    and became obedient to the point of death—
    even death on a cross.

9 Therefore God exalted him even more highly
    and gave him the name
    that is above every other name,
10 so that at the name given to Jesus
    every knee should bend,
    in heaven and on earth and under the earth,
11 and every tongue should confess
    that Jesus Christ is Lord,
    to the glory of God the Father.

People who were faithful to the point of death (Heb. 11:32-40; Rev. 2:10)?

I don’t know whether or not we are going to be alive or in the grave when Jesus comes back looking for “faithful” people. But we have humble ourselves to live as if He’ll be back tomorrow, and we have to pass on his example of faithfulness to the next generation as if He will tarry another few months, decades or more.

In the name of God, the Father the Son and the Holy Spirit …

Praying ….

Psalm 19 The Message

19 1-2 God’s glory is on tour in the skies,
    God-craft on exhibit across the horizon.
Madame Day holds classes every morning,
    Professor Night lectures each evening.

3-4 Their words aren’t heard,
    their voices aren’t recorded,
But their silence fills the earth:
    unspoken truth is spoken everywhere.

4-5 God makes a huge dome
    for the sun—a superdome!
The morning sun’s a new husband
    leaping from his honeymoon bed,
The daybreaking sun an athlete
    racing to the tape.

6 That’s how God’s Word vaults across the skies
    from sunrise to sunset,
Melting ice, scorching deserts,
    warming hearts to faith.

7-9 The revelation of God is whole
    and pulls our lives together.
The signposts of God are clear
    and point out the right road.
The life-maps of God are right,
    showing the way to joy.
The directions of God are plain
    and easy on the eyes.
God’s reputation is twenty-four-carat gold,
    with a lifetime guarantee.
The decisions of God are accurate
    down to the nth degree.

10 God’s Word is better than a diamond,
    better than a diamond set between emeralds.
You’ll like it better than strawberries in spring,
    better than red, ripe strawberries.

11-14 There’s more: God’s Word warns us of danger
    and directs us to hidden treasure.
Otherwise how will we find our way?
    Or know when we play the fool?
Clean the slate, God, so we can start the day fresh!
    Keep me from stupid sins,
    from thinking I can take over your work;
Then I can start this day sun-washed,
    scrubbed clean of the grime of sin.
These are the words in my mouth;
    these are what I chew on and pray.
Accept them when I place them
    on the morning altar,
O God, my Altar-Rock,
    God, Priest-of-My-Altar.

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.

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Comfort, O’ Comfort My People, says your God as My loyal love cannot run out, My merciful love cannot dry up. They are created new every morning. Pray! How great is My faithfulness? Lamentations 3:22-24

https://www.jasonruis.com/p/comfort-comfort-my-people

Lamentations 3:1-24 Complete Jewish Bible

3 I am the man who has seen affliction
under the rod of his fury,
2 He has led me and made me walk
in darkness and not in light.
3 Against me alone he turns his hand
again and again, all day.

4 He has worn away my skin and flesh,
he has broken my bones.
5 He has besieged and surrounded me
with bitterness and hardship.
6 He has made me live in darkness,
like those who are long dead.

7 He has walled me in, so I can’t escape;
he has weighed me down with chains.
8 Even when I cry out, pleading for help,
he shuts out my prayer.
9 He has barred my way with blocks of stone,
he has made my paths crooked.

10 He lies in wait for me like a bear,
like a lion in hiding.
11 He has forced me aside and torn me to pieces,
leaving me stunned.
12 He has bent his bow and used me
as a target for his arrows.

13 He has pierced my vital organs
with shafts from his quiver.
14 I’m a laughingstock to all my people,
the butt of their taunts all day long.
15 He has filled me with bitterness,
sated me with wormwood.

16 He has broken my teeth with gravel
and pressed me down into ashes.
17 I have been so deprived of peace,
I have so forgotten what happiness is,
18 that I think, “My strength is gone,
and so is my hope in Adonai.”

19 Remember my utter misery,
the wormwood and the gall.
20 They are always on my mind;
this is why I am so depressed.

21 But in my mind I keep returning to something,
something that gives me hope —
22 that the grace of Adonai is not exhausted,
that his compassion has not ended.
23 [On the contrary,] they are new every morning!
How great your faithfulness!
24 “Adonai is all I have,” I say;
“therefore I will put my hope in him.

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.

How much good news, bad news, worse news can any human being take before they just launch up every single white flag within a fifty thousand mile radius?

The book of Lamentations is situated in a most disquieting and uncomfortable setting, for it is the reflections of the prophet Jeremiah upon the circumstances of God’s people when Jerusalem was taken by Babylon and carried off into exile.

Lamentations is exactly what its title suggests: a long hard series of poems that explicitly express those people’s most intimate sorrow for what’s taken place.

Lamentations begins in absolute desolation: “How lonely sits the city that was full of people!” (Lamentations 1:1).

In the face of such prolonged hardcore catastrophe, it’s common to think that evil has defeated good or that God has washed His hands, given up on sinners.

But in the case of Jerusalem’s fall, nothing could be further from the truth.

God was still in charge.

It was He who allowed the powers of Babylon to rise up that His people would become aware their sinfulness and neediness and cry out to God in repentance.

The Lord afflicted His people “on the day of his fierce anger” (Lamentations 1:12).

Yet in the midst of their deep sorrow, He also brought a deeply comforting word. His people may have been brought low, but they had not been forsaken.

Psalm 56:8-9 English Standard Version

8 You have kept count of my tossing’s;[a]
    put my tears in your bottle.
    Are they not in your book?
9 Then my enemies will turn back
    in the day when I call.
    This I know, that[b] God is for me.

They had experienced the ending of many things: the end of peace, the end of security, and the end of home. But two things they would never experience the end of: God’s always abundant, steadfast love and God’s undeserved mercies.

Those were always new, and always sufficient, every single morning.

The people would learn far, experience far more, about their God’s faithfulness in their place of exile than they ever had acknowledged in the comfort of home.

Jeremiah 29:4-7 Amplified Bible

4 “So says the Lord of hosts, the God of Israel, to all the captives whom I have sent into exile from Jerusalem to Babylon, 5 ‘Build houses and live in them; plant gardens and eat their fruit. 6 Take wives and have sons and daughters; take wives for your sons and give your daughters in marriage, that they may bear sons and daughters; multiply there and do not decrease [in number]. 7 Seek peace and well-being for the city where I have sent you into exile, and pray to the Lord on its behalf; for in its peace (well-being) you will have peace.’

Indeed, it is often in our darkest moments that the faithful character of God shines most brightly to us. When things are going well, we’re tempted to think we’re sufficient on our own. But in moments of despair, we can always cling to God’s faithfulness, and in times of failure, we can always appreciate His mercy.

You may someday find yourself in a similar situation to that of the citizens of the ransacked Jerusalem—a situation in which all the wheels have come off and you feel bereft of joy. Perhaps, with scripture we find our place of Shalom today.

In moments like these, when our life is set in a badly out of tune minor key, you will always need this deeply comforting reminder: the faithful steadfast love of the Lord never ceases. His mercy will never run dry. Psalms 23, 121 are forever!

His faithfulness toward you will never fail.

In those hard harsh moments when we have lost much, we can always rely on this: we’ll never be forsaken, lose His love, and we will never lose His mercy.

In the name of God, the Father the Son and the Holy Spirit ….

Praying ….

Psalm 29 AKJV

A Psalm of David.

1 Give unto the Lord, O ye mighty,
give unto the Lord glory and strength.
2 Give unto the Lord the glory due unto his name;
worship the Lord in the beauty of holiness.

3 The voice of the Lord is upon the waters:
the God of glory thundereth: the Lord is upon many waters.
4 The voice of the Lord is powerful;
the voice of the Lord is full of majesty.
5 The voice of the Lord breaketh the cedars;
yea, the Lord breaketh the cedars of Lebanon.
6 He maketh them also to skip like a calf;
Lebanon and Sirion like a young unicorn.
7 The voice of the Lord divideth the flames of fire.
8 The voice of the Lord shaketh the wilderness;
the Lord shaketh the wilderness of Kadesh.
9 The voice of the Lord maketh the hinds to calve,
and discovereth the forests:
and in his temple doth every one speak of his glory.

10 The Lord sitteth upon the flood;
yea, the Lord sitteth King for ever.
11 The Lord will give strength unto his people;
the Lord will bless his people with peace.

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.

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Wisdom from the Apostle Paul unto Today’s 21st Century Church: There is a Strong Heartbeat inside Healthy Churches. 1 Thessalonians 5:12-22

1 Thessalonians 5:12-22 Christian Standard Bible

Exhortations and Blessings

12 Now we ask you, brothers and sisters, to give recognition to those who labor among you and lead you[a] in the Lord and admonish you, 13 and to regard them very highly in love because of their work. Be at peace among yourselves. 14 And we exhort you, brothers and sisters: warn those who are idle,[b] comfort the discouraged, help the weak, be patient with everyone. 15 See to it that no one repays evil for evil to anyone, but always pursue what is good for one another and for all. 16 Rejoice always, 17 pray constantly, 18 give thanks in everything; for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus. 19 Don’t stifle the Spirit. 20 Don’t despise prophecies, 21 but test all things.  Hold on to what is good. 22 Stay away from every kind of evil.

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.

Just to breakdown Paul’s minimum expectations for a heart healthy church …

to give recognition to those who labor among you and lead you[a] in the Lord

to regard them who labor among you very highly in love because of their work.

Be at peace among yourselves. 

14 And we exhort you, brothers and sisters: warn those who are idle,[b] comfort the discouraged, help the weak, be patient with everyone.

 See to it that no one repays evil for evil to anyone, but always pursue what is good for one another and for all. 

Rejoice always, 17 pray constantly, 18 give thanks in everything; for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus. 

Don’t stifle the Spirit. 20 Don’t despise prophecies, 21 but test all things.  Hold on to what is good.

What does the Bible say about a healthy church?

A Healthy Church Glorifies God

Scripture says, “Whatever you do, do all to the glory of God” (1 Corinthians 10:31). To glorify God means to magnify, elevate, and draw attention to His radiance. This is the primary purpose of the church and of individual Christians.

What does the heartbeat of the church mean?

Prayer is the heartbeat of the church.

Even though it may appear to be successful and doing well, if the activities of a church aren’t anchored in prayer or the emphasis on prayer time wanes, those activities will lose impact, the church will risk appearing, becoming, lifeless.

The heartbeat of God’s Word.

Healthy churches exist for Christ and his honour, and therefore place God’s word at the center, seeking to live under it. They have faithful preaching that legitimately explains what the Bible says (1 Timothy 1:3-11). Small groups gather to study God’s word (2 Timothy 3:10-17), one of the marks of the early church (Acts 2:42).

What are the 8 essential qualities of a healthy church?

  • Empowering Leadership. …
  • Gift-based Ministry. …
  • Passionate Spirituality. …
  • Effective Structures. …
  • Inspiring Worship. …
  • Holistic Small Groups. …
  • Need-oriented Evangelism. …
  • Loving Relationships.

How to define a healthy church?

The research identified four key features of a healthy church culture:

(1) it is led by a courageous leader,

(2) it values the role of people,

(3) it shares a common vision, and

(4) it is committed to the biblical mission.

What is the heart of a church? (Philippians 2:1-13)

The heart of the church starts with the gospel, which simply put, is God’s desire to bring redemption to our lives. He did this by stepping far out of His glory and coming to Earth into our brokenness. We can find restoration and riches in Him.

These characteristics define what a healthy culture looks like, but how do our divided churches get there?

  1. Establish a gospel identity. A church’s culture must be rooted in its love for and commitment to the gospel of Jesus Christ. Without this gospel foundation, a healthy culture cannot thrive.
    1. Let the Bible shape everything. God’s Word provides the blueprint for healthy churches. By aligning with God’s plan, churches can foster a culture that pleases Him.
    2. Foster a sense of community. A church is a family of Jesus-followers, and healthy cultures work hard to build genuine relationships and community among their people.
    3. Be marked by humility. Arrogance will poison a healthy culture. Church leaders and key influencers must be driven by humility, following the example of Jesus, who was humble and selfless.
    4. Leaders must model the desired culture. Leaders set the tone. If they don’t live out the cultural values they preach, it sends a message that they don’t truly believe in them.
    5. Train the congregation in cultural values. Church members often desire a healthy culture but may not know how to contribute to it. Wise leaders help their people understand their role in shaping and sustaining a healthy culture.
    6. Empower the congregation. Healthy culture isn’t built by leaders alone; it’s a collective effort. Leaders should empower their people to participate in shaping and sustaining the culture through leadership, feedback, service, prayer, and more.
    7. Prioritize the biblical model for the church. Above all else, healthy churches consistently return to the biblical model of the church. My research confirmed that Scripture provides the clearest path to a healthy culture.

Whether you and I realize it or not, our church’s culture is shaping every aspect of its life and ministry.

For a church to be healthy, it must have a healthy culture.

These eight practices provide a great starting point.

Remember, God is good, and

He can transform any church—including its culture.

What does a healthy church look like?

Healthy churches seek to be holy as God is holy (1 Peter 1:15-16).

What matters most are not innovative programs or spectacular spiritual gifts, but demonstrates its true Christ-like character that loves God and neighbor and displays the fruit of the Spirit through song, gratitude, prayer and deed.

In the name of God, the Father the Son and The Holy Spirit ….

Praying ….

Psalm 127

The Blessing of the Lord
A song of ascents. Of Solomon.

1 Unless the Lord builds a house,
its builders labor over it in vain;
unless the Lord watches over a city,
the watchman stays alert in vain.
2 In vain you get up early and stay up late,
working hard to have enough food—
yes, he gives sleep to the one he loves.[a]

3 Sons are indeed a heritage from the Lord,
offspring, a reward.
4 Like arrows in the hand of a warrior
are the sons born in one’s youth.
5 Happy is the man who has filled his quiver with them.
They will never be put to shame
when they speak with their enemies at the city gate.

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.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=62ig6FVtz0c

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Is There a Way He Always Wants Us to Live? Are We In This World for Good, Bad or Always Living Indifferently? 1 Thessalonians 5:12-18

1 Thessalonians 5:12-18 New American Standard Bible

Christian Conduct

12 But we ask you, brothers and sisters, to recognize those who diligently labor among you and [a]are in leadership over you in the Lord, and give you  [b] instruction, 13 and that you regard them very highly in love because of their work. Live in peace with one another. 14 We urge you, brothers and sisters, admonish the [c]unruly, encourage the fainthearted, help the weak, be patient with everyone. 15 See that no one repays another with evil for evil, but always seek what is good for one another and for all people.

16 Rejoice always, 17 pray without ceasing, 18 in everything give thanks; for this is the will of God for you in Christ Jesus.

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.

1 Thessalonians 1:2-5 New American Standard Bible

2 We always give thanks to God for all of you, making mention of you in our prayers; 3 constantly keeping in mind your work of faith and labor of love and [a] perseverance of hope [b]in our Lord Jesus Christ in the presence of our God and Father, 4 knowing, brothers and sisters, beloved by God, His choice of you; 5 for our  gospel did not come to you in word only, but also in power and in the Holy Spirit and with full conviction; just as you know what kind of men we proved to be among you for your sakes.

1 Thessalonians 2:14-16 New American Standard Bible

14 For you, brothers and sisters, became imitators of the churches of God in Christ Jesus that are in Judea, for you also endured the same sufferings at the hands of your own countrymen, even as they did from the Jews, 15 who both killed the Lord Jesus and the prophets, and [a]drove us out. [b]They are not pleasing to God, [c]but hostile to all people, 16 hindering us from speaking to the Gentiles so that they may be saved; with the result that they always [d]reach the limit of their sins. But wrath has come upon them [e]fully.

1 Thessalonians 3:1-8 New American Standard Bible

Encouragement of Timothy’s Visit

3 Therefore, when we could no longer endure it, we thought it best to be left behind, alone at Athens, 2 and we sent Timothy, our brother and God’s fellow worker in the gospel of Christ, to strengthen and encourage you for the benefit of your faith, 3 so that no one would be [a]disturbed by these afflictions. For you yourselves know that we have been destined for this. 4 For even when we were with you, we kept  telling you in advance that we were going to suffer affliction; [b]and so it happened, [c]as you know. 5 For this reason, when I could no longer endure it, I also sent to [d] find out about your faith, for fear that the tempter might have tempted you, and our labor would be for nothing.

6 But now that Timothy has come to us from you, and has brought us good news of your faith and love, and that you always think kindly of us, longing to see us just as we also long to see you, 7 for this reason, brothers and sisters, in all our distress and affliction we were comforted about you through your faith; 8 for now we really live, if you stand firm in the Lord.

1 Thessalonians 4:13-18 New American Standard Bible

Those Who Died in Christ

13 But we do not want you to be uninformed, brothers and sisters, about those who [a]are asleep, so that you will not grieve as indeed the rest of mankind do, who have no hope. 14 For if we believe that Jesus died and rose from the dead, so also God will bring with Him those who have fallen asleep [b]through Jesus.  15  For we say this to you by the word of the Lord, that we who are alive [c]and remain until the coming of the Lord will not precede those who have fallen asleep. 16 For the Lord Himself will descend from heaven with a [d]shout, with the voice of the archangel and with the trumpet of God, and the dead in Christ will rise first. 17 Then we who are alive, who remain, will be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air, and so we will always be with the Lord. 18 Therefore, [e]comfort one another with these words.

1 Thessalonians 5:15-18 New American Standard Bible

15 See that no one repays another with evil for evil, but always seek what is good for one another and for all people. 16 Rejoice always, 17 pray without ceasing, 18  in everything give thanks; for this is the will of God for you in Christ Jesus.

What message was Paul trying so hard to convey to the Thessalonian church he planted with his constant repetition and implications, of the word “always?”

https://www.blueletterbible.org/lexicon/g3842/esv/mgnt/0-1/

First Question … What does always from 1 Thessalonians 5:12-18 mean?

Paul says that we must always seek after that which is good for them.

This word “always” tells us that we cannot pick and choose when or to whom we will do this. It doesn’t distinguish from who did or did not commit an evil act against you. It doesn’t depend on how many times they did it. It doesn’t depend on how much it hurt or how much it may have blessed, healed or rewarded you.

Do you ever think the Bible’s commands seem impossibly all-encompassing?

Paul’s first letter to the Thessalonians is chock-full of such directives:

“Rejoice always” (1 Thessalonians 5:16).

“Pray without ceasing” (v 17).

Sometimes verses like these seem to raise far more rhetorical questions than provide authentic true biblical answers for.

A bit of detail or a few caveats couldn’t hurt, could they?

And what about the command in verse 15? “Seek to do good.”

For whom? “Everyone.”

When? “Always.” That’s a whole lot of good to a whole lot of people for a whole lot of applied effort, a whole lot of sacrifices of time and material resources!

But perhaps instead of thinking of a command like this as impossibly general, a better way to think of it is that it is abundantly generous.

We have a God who gives and gives and keeps on giving.

No matter how many times we fail Him, He still meets us with both guidance, inspiration, kindness and sometimes fatherly discipline (Hebrews 12:4-11).

Along with Paul, we should ask ourselves,

“What do you have that you did not receive?” (1 Corinthians 4:7).

The answer, of course, is absolutely nothing. It is simply in God’s nature and disposition to overflow with kindness, mercy, and grace—and as His children, we should be always, continually, learning to imitate Him as best we can.

We all have bad days, of course.

Inevitably, we will displease, or even hurt, someone at some point.

But what if we went through today or tomorrow with the aim of always seeking to do good to everyone?

What do you think would change?

How would others respond?

Perhaps instead of seeing others as obstacles or roadblocks, we’d see them more as men and women with dignity, who are worthy of love and respect?

Or perhaps instead of us treating some people like enemies, we would begin to try to understand their positions and even genuinely begin to appreciate them.

Whatever the specific situations we encounter, God has placed us in this world for good.

It is our privilege and our good pleasure to share His always abundant kindness and His always abundant goodness with anyone and everyone we possibly can.

Gratitude in Community

1 Thessalonians 5:12-18 The Message

The Way He Wants You to Live

12-13 And now, friends, we ask you to honor those leaders who work so hard for you, who have been given the responsibility of urging and guiding you along in your obedience. Overwhelm them with appreciation and love!

13-15 Get along among yourselves, each of you doing your part. Our counsel is that you warn the freeloaders to get a move on. Gently encourage the stragglers, and reach out for the exhausted, pulling them to their feet. Be patient with each person, attentive to individual needs. And be careful that when you get on each other’s nerves you don’t snap at each other. Look for the best in each other, and always do your best to bring it out.

16-18 Be cheerful no matter what; pray all the time; thank God no matter what happens. This is the way God wants you who belong to Christ Jesus to live.

One of the most gratifying experiences in life, I believe, is to see all of Christ’s followers living as Christ’s followers.

I often get glimpses when I visit a person who is sick and I see the many cards they have received, about a meal someone brought the night before, learn that another church member will be bringing them to an appointment the next day.

I get glimpses when I see Christ’s followers teaching Sunday school, sharing their resources with people in need, leading Bible studies in prisons, serving meals to people who are struggling to pay for their next meals for themselves or homeless, or working ­toward justice and peace in our world. I could go on.

As Paul describes the way we should live and serve and be the church together, I feel both challenged and thankful and regretful I didn’t try harder to help them.

I’m challenged in realizing that living for Jesus is hard work. Perhaps the Lord’s hardest instruction is to live peacefully together and to always strive to do good to others, including, those with whom we deeply disagree. (Matthew 5:38-48)

It must be why Paul calls us to always remember our rootedness in Christ.

Jeremiah 17:8 New American Standard Bible

8 For he will be like a tree planted by the water
That extends its roots by a stream,
And does not fear when the heat comes;
But its leaves will be green,
And it will not be anxious in a year of drought,
Nor cease to yield fruit.

like a tree planted by the water That extends its roots by a stream, always rejoice and always pray and always be thankful, always and continually to honor God.

To be clear, ‘continually’ isn’t about skipping through life with our head buried in the ground or so haughty that we can smell and taste and touch the clouds.

It’s about remembering, in all we do, the sacrificial love and grace we’ve been shown in Christ.

Carrying gratitude around with us daily, as Christ carried his Cross, helps to shape our testimony and our witness of Christ’s true saving love to the world.

In the name of God, the Father the Son and the Holy Spirit ……

Praying ….

The Excellency of Brotherly Unity.

A Song of Ascents, of David.

133 Behold, how good and how pleasant it is
For brothers to live together in unity!
2 It is like the precious oil on the head,
Running down upon the beard,
As on Aaron’s beard,
The oil which ran down upon the edge of his robes.
3 It is like the dew of Hermon
Coming down upon the mountains of Zion;
For the Lord commanded the blessing there—life forever.

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.

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Precious Pearls From Proverbs: The Blessings of a Calm, Tranquil Heart. Proverbs 14:29-30

Proverbs 14:29-30 Amplified Bible

29 
He who is slow to anger has great understanding [and profits from his self-control],
But he who is quick-tempered exposes and exalts his foolishness [for all to see].
30 
A calm and peaceful and tranquil heart is life and health to the body,
But passion and envy are like rottenness to the bones.

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.

A tranquil heart is life to the body, But passion is rottenness to the bones. Proverbs 14:30

Proverbs 14:29-30 The Message

29 Slowness to anger makes for deep understanding;
    a quick-tempered person stockpiles stupidity.

30 A sound mind makes for a robust body,
    but runaway emotions corrode the bones.

The heart is physically one of the most important organs of our body.

If the heart is stopped the body will die.

But what we read in today’s proverb is not dealing with the physical heart.

It speaks of the heart as the innermost region of our lives. The Hebrew mind looked at the heart as the central, spiritual, inward aspect of our souls.

So when we examine today at the issue of the heart and whether it is tranquil and strong – or whether it is tossed about and weak – means everything to the blessedness of the individual who struggles with issues of the heart.

The tranquil heart is the quiet one.

What God is saying here is that this person’s heart is strong and quiet.

Their inner life is like the clear, mirror-like, state of the water in the early morning on a lake.

This person’s peace and calm is not disturbed by things that happen around it.

The “soul-life” is strong and they can deal with problems and difficulties.

There is an ultimate sense of peace here, because this one knows that God is sovereign over all things.

They know they are in God’s hand no matter what their circumstances look like.

The Word of God is their comfort – they’ll hold to it no matter what information in life seems to contradict it.

Psalm 32 New American Standard Bible

Blessedness of Forgiveness and of Trust in God.

A Psalm of David. A [a]Maskil.

32 How blessed is he whose wrongdoing is forgiven,
Whose sin is covered!
2 How blessed is a person whose guilt the Lord does not take into account,
And in whose spirit there is no deceit!

3 When I kept silent about my sin, my [b]body wasted away
Through my [c]groaning all day long.
4 For day and night Your hand was heavy upon me;
My [d]vitality failed as with the dry heat of summer. Selah
5 I acknowledged my sin to You,
And I did not hide my guilt;
I said, “I will confess my wrongdoings to the Lord”;
And You forgave the guilt of my sin. Selah
6 Therefore, let everyone who is godly pray to You [e]in a time when You may be found;
Certainly in a flood of great waters, they will not reach him.
7 You are my hiding place; You keep me from trouble;
You surround me with [f]songs of deliverance. Selah

8 I will instruct you and teach you in the way which you should go;
I will advise you with My eye upon you.
9 Do not be like the horse or like the mule, which have no understanding,
Whose trappings include bit and bridle to hold them in check,
Otherwise they will not come near to you.
10 The sorrows of the wicked are many,
But the one who trusts in the Lord, goodness will surround him.
11 Be glad in the Lord and rejoice, you righteous ones;
And shout for joy, all you who are upright in heart.

On the other hand there is a person who has “passion” in his life.

The proverb tells us that this passion is like a rottenness in his bones.

Things like jealousy, anger, over-zealousness, and envy run rampant in this one’s heart.

As a result there is no stability in him.

These things run roughshod over his peace and contentment.

There is a constant passion running wild within this man – almost pushing and pulling him, as in a tug-of-war, from one extreme to another.

And like a rottenness in his bones – he feels more and more like all stability and peace is gone from him.

Isaiah 43:1-4 The Message

When You’re Between a Rock and a Hard Place

43 1-4 But now, God’s Message,
    the God who made you in the first place, Jacob,
    the One who got you started, Israel:
“Don’t be afraid, I’ve redeemed you.
    I’ve called your name. You’re mine.
When you’re in over your head, I’ll be there with you.
    When you’re in rough waters, you will not go down.
When you’re between a rock and a hard place,
    it won’t be a dead end—
Because I am God, your personal God,
    The Holy of Israel, your Savior.
I paid a huge price for you:
    all of Egypt, with rich Cush and Seba thrown in!
That’s how much you mean to me!
    That’s how much I love you!
I’d sell off the whole world to get you back,
    trade the creation just for you.

One might wonder the source of such a peace.

John 14:25-27 The Message

25-27 “I’m telling you these things while I’m still living with you. The Friend, the Holy Spirit whom the Father will send at my request, will make everything plain to you. He will remind you of all the things I have told you. I’m leaving you well and whole. That’s my parting gift to you. Peace. I don’t leave you the way you’re used to being left—feeling abandoned, bereft. So don’t be upset. Don’t be distraught.

It’s our knowledge of the gospel, our experiences, our disciplined prayer life, that quickens us moves us, guides us, brings us to that place of peace with God.

James 5:16-18 The Message

16-18 Make this your common practice: Confess your sins to each other and pray for each other so that you can live together whole and healed. The prayer of a person living right with God is something powerful to be reckoned with. Elijah, for instance, human just like us, prayed hard that it wouldn’t rain, and it didn’t—not a drop for three and a half years. Then he prayed that it would rain, and it did. The showers came and everything started growing again.

If there is peace between us and our God, then we are at peace with Him – and we know there is peace in our souls.

I’ve watched, witnessed, as strong believers have gone through the most trying of times, but they do so with tranquility.

That is what the gospel of Jesus Christ looks like – even more what it produces.

James 5:16-18 The Message

16-18 Make this your common practice: Confess your sins to each other and pray for each other so that you can live together whole and healed. The prayer of a person living right with God is something powerful to be reckoned with. Elijah, for instance, human just like us, prayed hard that it wouldn’t rain, and it didn’t—not a drop for three and a half years. Then he prayed that it would rain, and it did. The showers came and everything started growing again.

If our sovereign God holds us and holds all the universe – we can trust Him.

In the name of God, the Father the Son and the Holy Spirit ….

Praying …

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.

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Professor Rabbi Apostle Paul: “that people throughout the province of Asia – both Jews and Greeks – heard the word of the Lord.” Acts 19:8-10

Acts 19:8-10 Amplified Bible

8 And he went into the synagogue and for three months spoke boldly, reasoning and  arguing and persuading them about the kingdom of God. 9 But when some were becoming hardened and disobedient [to the word of God], discrediting and speaking evil of [a]the Way (Jesus, Christianity) before the congregation, Paul left them, taking the disciples with him, and went on holding [b]daily discussions in the lecture hall of Tyrannus [instead of in the synagogue]. 10 This continued for two years, so that all the inhabitants of [the west coast province of] Asia [Minor], Jews as well as Greeks, heard the word of the Lord [concerning eternal salvation through faith in Christ].

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.

Acts 19:8 in the King James Version (KJV) of the Bible reads:

“And he went into the synagogue, and spake boldly for the space of three months, disputing and persuading the things concerning the kingdom of God.”

This verse comes from the book of Acts, which is the fifth book in the New Testament.

It was written by Luke, the same author of the Gospel of Luke, and it follows the spread of the early Christian church and the ministry of the apostles after the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ.

The verse specifically focuses on the missionary work of the apostle Paul in Ephesus.

In historical context, Paul’s visit to the synagogue in Ephesus represents his total commitment to spreading the message of Jesus Christ to both Jews and Gentiles.

The synagogue was a central place of worship and teaching and fellowship for the Jewish community. Paul’s decision to speak boldly there for three months shows his unyielding dedication to sharing the gospel with those who were familiar with the Old Testament scriptures and Jewish religious traditions.

The theme of boldness and perseverance in the face of opposition is prominent in this verse. Paul’s willingness to engage in such disputes and debates about the kingdom of God demonstrates his strong conviction, passion for spreading the message of salvation through Jesus Christ.

This passage serves as a reminder for all us contemporary Christians to boldly proclaim the truth of the gospel, even when faced with resistance or skepticism.

The phrase “the things concerning the kingdom of God” refers to the central message of Jesus’ ministry and the early Christian church.

The kingdom of God encompasses God’s sovereign rule and reign over all of creation, as well as the establishment of righteousness, peace, and salvation for humanity through faith in Jesus Christ.

Paul’s preaching and persuasion about the kingdom of God would have included teachings about Jesus’ identity as the Messiah, his death and resurrection, and the persistent call to repentance and faith in him for salvation.

The symbolism of Paul’s three-month ministry in the synagogue also carries significance as well.

In biblical numerology, the number three is often associated with divine completeness, such as the Trinity (Father, Son, and Holy Spirit) and the three days of Jesus’ burial before his resurrection.

Paul’s extended time in the synagogue demonstrates his thorough and his comprehensive approach to teaching and explaining the kingdom of God to the Jewish community in Ephesus.

Overall, Acts 19:8 from the King James Version captures the boldness, and the persistence, and commitment of the early apostles in proclaiming the message of Jesus Christ.

It also highlights the importance of engaging with different audiences and communities, regardless of any resistance or opposition encountered.

This verse serves as a powerful example and inspiration for contemporary Christians to boldly and faithfully share the gospel of the kingdom of God in their own spheres of influence.

Preaching the Kingdom of God

It was impossible to be in Paul’s company for very long without hearing from him about one subject: the kingdom of God.

When he arrived at a new city and, as was his custom, sought out a Jewish synagogue in which to begin his proclamation of Jesus Christ, it was the kingdom that was his theme.

When he was under house arrest in Rome, he welcomed visitors and seized the opportunity to talk to them (Acts 28:30-31).

In this, Paul was following his Lord, who, when He began His public ministry, preached, “The kingdom of God is at hand; repent and believe in the gospel” (Mark 1:15).

But what is the “kingdom of God”?

When thinking about this kingdom, the Jewish mind looked for the overthrow of their Roman oppressors, the rebuilding of the Jerusalem temple, and the establishing of justice.

Yet Paul knew that wasn’t the story.

He knew that the kingdom of God had been realized in the kingship of the Lord Jesus Christ. The oppressor He had defeated was far worse than the Romans.

The access to God He had secured was far more wonderful than that enjoyed at the temple. The justice He guaranteed was greater than anything yet seen in this world, and it lay in the future, awaiting His return to make all things new.

Yet the kingdom was and remains not only a future reality but a present one in the lives of those who have bowed the knee to its King.

Paul routinely spoke about the kingdom of God to people who were concerned about oppression and justice.

If we’re not careful, we can present people with the claims of Jesus in such a way that we give the impression that we don’t, and He doesn’t, actually care about any of the issues of our day.

But people should have real questions about the troubles of this world—and we should have answers.

When faced with such questions, we shouldn’t respond with superficial, triumphalist statements.

Simplistic Christianese platitudes aren’t going to cut it.

Our answer should be to say,

“Yes, I am concerned about oppression.

Yes, I am concerned that people in the world are subjugated.

Yes, I am concerned about justice.

The Bible has a lot to say about these things.”

Then we need to show people the answer to our world’s frictions and fractures is ultimately found in King Jesus,

who overturns oppression and sets captives free and abolishes the dividing wall of hostility and makes a new people who are committed to justice in this world without forgetting that there is a world to come

—one of perfect justice and one that has only one entry point: faith in Jesus Christ.

Is our view of the kingdom big enough?

How well do we see that it is not just as a future reality but also as a present one, changing everything as it moves, transforms what men and women believe and how men and women live?

Will we live as members of that kingdom, proclaim that kingdom, as Paul did?

In the name of God, the Father the Son and the Holy Spirit …..

Praying ……

Psalm 40

Thanksgiving and a Cry for Help
For the choir director. A psalm of David.

1 I waited patiently for the Lord,
and he turned to me and heard my cry for help.
2 He brought me up from a desolate[a] pit,
out of the muddy clay,
and set my feet on a rock,
making my steps secure.
3 He put a new song in my mouth,
a hymn of praise to our God.
Many will see and fear,
and they will trust in the Lord.

4 How happy is anyone
who has put his trust in the Lord
and has not turned to the proud
or to those who run after lies!
5 Lord my God, you have done many things—
your wondrous works and your plans for us;
none can compare with you.
If I were to report and speak of them,
they are more than can be told.

6 You do not delight in sacrifice and offering;
you open my ears to listen.[b]
You do not ask for a whole burnt offering or a sin offering.
7 Then I said, “See, I have come;
in the scroll it is written about me.
8 I delight to do your will, my God,
and your instruction is deep within me.”

9 I proclaim righteousness in the great assembly;
see, I do not keep my mouth closed[c]—
as you know, Lord.
10 I did not hide your righteousness in my heart;
I spoke about your faithfulness and salvation;
I did not conceal your constant love and truth
from the great assembly.

11 Lord, you do not[d] withhold your compassion from me.
Your constant love and truth will always guard me.
12 For troubles without number have surrounded me;
my iniquities have overtaken me; I am unable to see.
They are more than the hairs of my head,
and my courage leaves me.
13 Lord, be pleased to rescue me;
hurry to help me, Lord.

14 Let those who intend to take my life
be disgraced and confounded.
Let those who wish me harm
be turned back and humiliated.
15 Let those who say to me, “Aha, aha!”
be appalled because of their shame.

16 Let all who seek you rejoice and be glad in you;
let those who love your salvation continually say,
“The Lord is great!”
17 I am oppressed and needy;
may the Lord think of me.
You are my helper and my deliverer;
my God, do not delay.

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.

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