Blog: “Discovering His Living Hope” – Page 4 – 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).

The sun’s light had failed, the whole earth became utterly dark, Jesus just cried out, “Father, I place my life in your faithful hands!” Luke 23:44-49

Luke 23:44-49 English Standard Version

The Death of Jesus

⁴⁴It was now about the sixth hour,^[a] and there was darkness over the whole land until the ninth hour,^[b] ⁴⁵while the sun’s light failed. And the curtain of the temple was torn in two. ⁴⁶Then Jesus, calling out with a loud voice, said, “Father, into your hands I commit my spirit!” And having said this he breathed his last. ⁴⁷Now when the centurion saw what had taken place, he began praising and honoring God, saying, “Certainly this Man was innocent.” ⁴⁸All the crowds who had gathered for this spectacle, when they saw what had happened, began to return home, beating their breasts [as a sign of mourning or repentance]. ⁴⁹And all His acquaintances and the women who had accompanied Him from Galilee were standing at a distance, watching these 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.

https://www.biblestudytools.com/dictionary/darkness/

https://biblehub.com/topical/d/darkness.htm

What do you think of when you hear the word “darkness”?

What do children think of when they hear the word “darkness”?

Children often think of darkness as scary, and when they grow up most of them still prefer the light.

From Genesis to Revelation, darkness is whatever space, time, or reality is separate from God.

Before creation there was darkness “over the surface of the deep” (Genesis 1:2).

In the last days, as described in the words of Revelation, darkness is one of the signs of separation from God.

When Jesus hung on the cross, darkness came over the land in the middle of the day, when the sun should have been at its brightest.

God had abandoned his Son, who was taking on himself all of the corruption and ugliness of the world’s sin and God’s awful judgment on it. As God had separated himself from his beloved Son, darkness descended and Jesus died.

Luke’s account of that day notes another amazing occurrence as well.

The curtain in the temple, which had long symbolized the separation of the holy God from his unholy people, was torn in two, miraculously, from top to bottom.

Our sin-generated separation from God was coming to an end.

That was good!

But it took an awful darkness to make that happen.

What is darkness scientifically?

Darkness travels at the speed of light.

More accurately, darkness does not exist by itself as a unique physical entity, but is simply the absence of light.

Any time you block out most of the light – for instance, by cupping your hands together – you get darkness.

What is the biblical definition of darkness?

If light symbolizes God, darkness connotes everything that is anti-God: the wicked (Proverbs 2:13-14 ; 1 Thessalonians 5:4-7 ), judgment ( Exodus 10:21 ; Matthew 25:30), and death ( Psalm 88:12 ).

What are the three types of darkness in the Bible?

Three different types of darkness are outlined in the EXPLORE text:

The darkness of shame and isolation, the darkness of enemy oppression and the darkness of hopelessness.

What does darkness represent spiritually?

Darkness, in a spiritual sense, is long associated with sin, despair, and also hopelessness, which seem to intensify under the cover of night.

The night, while a time for rest, frequently becomes a cloak for sin, as people believe their actions are hidden from sight.

Salvation brings light to those in darkness (Isaiah 9:2).

What does the Bible say about darkness?

https://www.biblegateway.com/quicksearch/?quicksearch=darkness&version=AMP

The Bible tells us the Lord Himself created darkness and light (Isaiah 45:7) and that God is light with no darkness in Him (1 John 1:5).

Psalm 18:11 Amplified Bible

¹¹
He made darkness His hiding place (covering); His pavilion (canopy) around Him,
The darkness of the waters, the thick clouds of the skies.

Therefore, as the Creator, He holds sovereignty over His creation.

Although darkness is opaque to man, it is transparent to God (Psalm 139:12 ).

Light was conquering darkness.

How can we define darkness?

Darkness is the condition resulting from a lack of illumination, or an absence of visible light.

Psalm 18:28 Amplified Bible

²⁸
For You cause my lamp to be lighted and to shine;
The Lord my God illumines my darkness.

and his people would be together again.

A new creation was forming!

Glory be to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit, As it was in the beginning is now and ever shall be, world without end. Amen.

Praying ….

Psalm 88 Complete Jewish Bible

88 ⁽⁰⁾A song. A psalm of the sons of Korach. For the leader. Set to “Sickness that Causes Suffering.” A maskil of Heiman the Ezrachi.

^2 (1)Adonai, God of my salvation,
when I cry out to you in the night,
^3 (2)let my prayer come before you,
turn your ear to my cry for help!
^4 (3)For I am oversupplied with troubles,
which have brought me to the brink of Sh’ol.
^5 (4)I am counted among those going down to the pit,
like a man who is beyond help,
^6 (5)left by myself among the dead,
like the slain who lie in the grave —
you no longer remember them;
they are cut off from your care.

^7 (6)You plunged me into the bottom of the pit,
into dark places, into the depths.
^8 (7)Your wrath lies heavily on me;
your waves crashing over me keep me down. (Selah)
^9 (8)You separated me from my close friends,
made me repulsive to them;
I am caged in, with no escape;
^10 (9)my eyes grow dim from suffering.

I call on you, Adonai, every day;
I spread out my hands to you.
^11 (10)Will you perform wonders for the dead?
Can the ghosts of the dead rise up and praise you? (Selah)
^12 (11)Will your grace be declared in the grave,
or your faithfulness in Abaddon?
^13 (12)Will your wonders be known in the dark,
or your righteousness in the land of oblivion?

^14 (13)But I cry out to you, Adonai;
my prayer comes before you in the morning.
^15 (14)So why, Adonai, do you reject me?
Why do you hide your face from me?

^16 (15)Since my youth I have been miserable, close to death;
I am numb from bearing these terrors of yours.
^17 (16)Your fierce anger has overwhelmed me,
your terrors have shriveled me up.
^18 (17)They surge around me all day like a flood,
from all sides they close in on me.
^19 (18)You have made friends and companions shun me;
the people I know are hidden from me.

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I went to his tomb to look, talking to God, while waiting for Resurrection. Matthew 28:1-6

Matthew 28:1-6 Christian Standard Bible

Resurrection Morning

28 After the Sabbath, as the first day of the week was dawning, Mary Magdalene and the other Mary went to view the tomb. ²There was a violent earthquake, because an angel of the Lord descended from heaven and approached the tomb. He rolled back the stone and was sitting on it. ³His appearance was like lightning, and his clothing was as white as snow. ⁴The guards were so shaken by fear of him that they became like dead men.

⁵The angel told the women, “Don’t be afraid, because I know you are looking for Jesus who was crucified. ⁶He is not here. For he has risen, just as he said. Come and see the place where he lay.

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.

That first Easter morning, the women were in for the surprise of their lives.

Instead of finding a sealed tomb, they had found an open grave, and an angel greeting them with the words

“Do not be afraid, for I know that you are looking for Jesus, who was crucified. He is not here; he has risen, just as he said.”

For them and for every follower of the Lord Jesus, life would never be the same.

The promised resurrection of Jesus from the dead altered the course of history.

The resurrection is God’s way of announcing our life does not have to be a one-way journey to the cemetery.

God is saying we don’t have to be stuck in our past.

The risen Savior has hit the delete button on our sins.

We don’t have to wonder who’s in charge, because this Savior has been given all authority in heaven and on earth.

And we don’t have to wonder what’s ahead, because nothing

“will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord” (Romans 8:38-39).

Romans 8:38-39 Christian Standard Bible

³⁸For I am persuaded that neither death nor life, nor angels nor rulers, nor things present nor things to come, nor powers, ³⁹nor height nor depth, nor any other created thing will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord.

The resurrection of Jesus Christ on the first Easter is a miracle that transcends our human understanding and shows God’s power at work in awe-inspiring ways.

The gravestone rolls away, not just revealing an empty tomb but tearing open the fabric of our reality. Jesus, who died through crucifixion and was entombed in a grave, is now resurrected – becoming a living testimony to the truth of his work as the world’s Savior.

Jesus’ resurrection is the greatest event in history, since it makes hope a reality for humanity.

It shows us that we truly can enjoy eternal life with God if we trust him.

Every part of the resurrection story from the Bible is full of wonder!

Let’s explore the miracle of Jesus’ resurrection so we can discover its profound significance and let the wonder of it draw us closer to our Savior.

The Miracle of the Empty Tomb

The Bible’s resurrection narrative begins with the discovery of Jesus’ empty tomb.

Matthew 28:5-6, an angel tells the women who are visiting Jesus’ grave: “‘Do not be afraid, for I know that you are looking for Jesus, who was crucified. He is not here; he has risen, just as he said. Come and see the place where he lay.”

The emptiness of the tomb is not a void but a testament to the fulfillment of Jesus’ promise to rise from the dead.

To embrace the miracle of the empty tomb is to step into a space where our finite understanding collides with the infinite power of God.

It requires us to shed preconceptions and enter with hearts open to the extraordinary.

Consider God’s words in Isaiah 55:8-9:

“‘For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways,’ declares 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.’”

We should approach the empty tomb with a willingness to be surprised by God.

The empty tomb echoes with the resonance of redemption so profound that it reverberates throughout all of history.

In Colossians 2:15, the Apostle Paul vividly describes the aftermath of the cross:

“And having disarmed the powers and authorities, he made a public spectacle of them, triumphing over them by the cross.”

The empty tomb is the culmination of this triumph – a resounding victory over sin and death.

In Romans 4:25, Paul points out that Jesus

“was delivered over to death for our sins and was raised to life for our justification.”

Jesus’ empty tomb represents not just the absence of a body but the fulfillment of God’s promise to save humanity from sin.

As we ponder the empty tomb, we can let the reality of our redemption from sin fill our hearts with awe and gratitude.

Jesus invites us to believe when we reflect on his empty tomb.

He challenges us to move beyond doubt and embrace a faith that transcends what our eyes can see.

John 20:24-29 reports how Jesus’ disciple Thomas refused to believe that Jesus has been resurrected until Jesus appeared and gave Thomas the opportunity to verify that it was really him.

John 20:27-29 records a conversation between Jesus and Thomas:

“Then he [Jesus] said to Thomas, ‘Put your finger here; see my hands. Reach out your hand and put it into my side. Stop doubting and believe.’ Thomas said to him, ‘My Lord and my God!’ Then Jesus told him, ‘Because you have seen me, you have believed; blessed are those who have not seen and yet have believed.”

We can’t physically see and touch the risen Jesus right now like Thomas did, since Jesus has already ascended to heaven.

But Jesus appeared to hundreds of different people during the 40 days he spent on Earth between his resurrection and his ascension (1 Corinthians 15:1-11 and Acts 1:1-11),

and his work from heaven as our living Savior is evident in each of our lives.

So, can we accept Jesus’ invitation to believe, with the confidence that God’s resurrection power is not confined to the past but is available to us now in relationships with Jesus?

Encountering the Risen Jesus

The heart of the resurrection miracle is our encounter with the risen Jesus.

When Jesus appeared to his disciples after his resurrection, John 20:20 says that “… The disciples were overjoyed when they saw the Lord.”

His resurrected presence defied laws of nature, ushering in a sense of wonder.

We also connect with the risen Jesus through spiritual practices that help us notice his presence with us throughout each day, such as prayer, meditation.

Jesus is the same God who encourages us that when we seek him, we will find him.

Jeremiah 29:13: “You will seek me and find me when you seek me with all your heart.”

Encountering the risen Jesus involves opening our hearts up to the miraculous.

It means looking for the wonder of God’s work in our lives with a strong faith that is ready to believe and trust.

That challenges us to suspend disbelief, set aside the limitations of our rational minds, open ourselves up to the possibility of a tangible encounter with Jesus.

Just as the disciples touched, beheld the risen Jesus, we can seek relationships with Jesus that are both personal and experiential.

Psalm 34:8 urges us to: “Taste and see that the Lord is good; blessed is the one who takes refuge in him.”

As we encounter the miracle of resurrection, we become hungry for closer relationships with him, eager to taste the goodness he can bring into our lives.

Jesus’ resurrection isn’t confined to the pages of history.

It’s a present reality in our lives, because we can enjoy relationships with the risen Jesus right now.

In Revelation 3:20, Jesus tells us:

“Here I am! I stand at the door and knock. If anyone hears my voice and opens the door, I will come in and eat with that person, and they with me.”

Jesus is not any distant figure from history, but a part of the living God, who knows and loves us completely and wants to have a close relationship with us.

We can invite Jesus into the everyday moments and ordinary spaces of our lives.

We can do that by praying about everything, as the Bible encourages us to do in Philippians 4:6 – keeping a constant mindset of expressing our thoughts to Jesus, listening for his guidance, and relying on him to provide what we need.

The resurrection gives us ultimate hope. That’s definitely something to celebrate by praising God!

In 1 Peter 1:3-4, the Bible declares:

“Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ! In his great mercy, he has given us new birth into a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead. and into an inheritance that can never perish, spoil or fade. This inheritance is kept in heaven for you,”.

The resurrection assures us that we can experience eternal life with God because of Jesus’ redemptive work.

In John 11:25-26, Jesus talks with Martha and says: “I am the resurrection and the life. The one who believes in me will live, even though they die; and whoever lives by believing in me will never die. Do you believe this?”

Jesus asks us the very same question: Do we believe this or dismiss this?

If we do, we can live forever with God.

The wondrous miracle of the resurrection gives us confidence that, when we implicitly trust Jesus, death is not the end but the gateway to everlasting life.

So, let’s immerse ourselves in the Bible’s resurrection stories.

We can read the reports and imagine ourselves personally witnessing the scenes they describe.

As we engage our emotions with what goes on, we let ourselves feel the shock and awe of the experience.

We become humbled by the wonder of God’s work saving humanity.

We allow God’s limitless love to wash over us.

Let’s embrace the mystery of something that can’t be logically explained.

Not everything needs to be neatly explained.

We can let the unknown spark our curiosity and motivate us to keep seeking God every day through lifelong learning.

As Romans 11:33 points out, there is so much that is valuable to learn about God’s mysteries:

“Oh, the depth of the riches and wisdom and knowledge of God! unsearchable his judgments, and his paths beyond tracing out!”

While we can’t logically understand the miracle of the resurrection, we can find inspiration from it every day as we place our hope in Jesus.

Whenever we need to renew our hope, we only have to read the Bible’s stories of the resurrection to remind ourselves of its reality.

We also enjoy slow wonder walks in nature and let creation remind us that our Creator brings us renewal – daily sunrises, fresh rains, blooming flowers, and more.

The physical renewal we will encounter can inspire us with gratitude for the spiritual renewal Jesus gives us.

In conclusion, the miracle of Jesus’ resurrection welcomes us into a powerful encounter with wonder.

It challenges us to consider the greatest event in history when God saved the world and proved that we could trust him completely.

explore the miracle of the resurrection, we open our hearts, minds to a deeper reverence for Jesus that inspires us to develop closer relationships with him.

We discover that God has given us ultimate hope!

As we encounter the reality of the risen Jesus in our lives, we’ll be so awestruck that we will exclaim along with Thomas in John 20:28: “My Lord and my God!”

So let’s celebrate today!

Will our church’s sing it out: “The King is Coming”

If you are not able to attend church, take some time to sing that Jesus is coming.

With Christians around the world sing,

Come, Thou Almighty King,
help us Thy name to sing;
help us to praise:
Father, all glorious,
o’er all victorious,
come, and reign over us,
Ancient of Days.

In the Name of the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit …

Praying ….

29 ^1-2Bravo, God, bravo!
    Gods and all angels shout, “Encore!”
In awe before the glory,
    in awe before God’s visible power.
Stand at attention!
    Dress your best to honor him!

³God thunders across the waters,
Brilliant, his voice and his face, streaming brightness—
God, across the flood waters.

⁴God’s thunder tympanic,
God’s thunder symphonic.

⁵God’s thunder smashes cedars,
God topples the northern cedars.

⁶The mountain ranges skip like spring colts,
The high ridges jump like wild kid goats.

^7-8God’s thunder spits fire.
God thunders, the wilderness quakes;
He makes the desert of Kadesh shake.

⁹God’s thunder sets the oak trees dancing
A wild dance, whirling; the pelting rain strips their branches.
We fall to our knees—we call out, “Glory!”

¹⁰Above the floodwaters is God’s throne
from which his power flows,
from which he rules the world.

¹¹God makes his people strong.
God gives his people 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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Decree from the Master, God himself; Today, shall we all gather to reclaim, to rededicate our homes back to God? Isaiah 56:6-8

Isaiah 56:6-8 Amplified Bible

⁶
“Also the foreigners who join themselves to the Lord,
To minister to Him, and to love the name of the Lord,
To be His servants, everyone who keeps the Sabbath without profaning it
And holds fast to My covenant [by conscientious obedience];
⁷
All these I will bring to My holy mountain
And make them joyful in My house of prayer.
Their burnt offerings and their sacrifices will ^[a]be accepted on My altar;
For My house will be called a house of prayer for all the peoples.”
⁸
The Lord God, who gathers the dispersed of Israel, declares:
“I will gather yet others to them (Israel), to those [already] gathered.”

Word of Word 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.

Today, can we gather to reclaim and rededicate our homes back to God?

The Power of Dedication

Dedication is a powerful act that can shape the spiritual atmosphere of a place.

When a home or property is dedicated to, mired, sinking inside, drowning in dysfunction (drugs, alcohol, domestic abuse and so on), it attracts significant negative energies into the home, leading to various forms of suffering, and loss.

However, by redirecting negativity to the seas of forgetfulness, into the positive empowering light of God, we can gradually transform the spiritual landscape of our homes and property.

A Step-by-Step Guide

To redirect the dedication of your home and property to God, follow these steps:

1. Renounce and Rebuke: Renounce any distractions, dysfunction or influences, and consign and rebuke those forces of darkness which are most surly present.

2. Cover with the Blood of Jesus: Pray! claim God’s power over your home and property with the blood of Jesus, declaring His protection and redemption.

3. Hedge of Protection: Pray for a hedge of thorns to encircle, envelop, surround your home and property, preventing any negative forces from entering.

4. Surrender everything to Jesus: Surrender your home, property, family and life unto Savior Jesus, acknowledging Him as your only true King and Savior.

God’s Blessings and Protection

By redirecting the dedication of your home and property to God, you can expect:

– Abundant blessings and favor

– God’s protection from evil forces

– Restoration of losses and sufferings

– A transformed spiritual atmosphere, conducive to peace, joy, and worship

Prayer of Rededication:

“Heavenly Father, I come before You today to rededicate my home to You. I now renounce any evil, idolatry, or sinful practices that have taken place within these walls. I claim this space for Your glory, Lord. Make my home a house of prayer, a sanctuary for Your presence, and a refuge for Your people. In Jesus’ name, Amen.”

Declaration:

“I declare my home is now a holy sanctuary, dedicated to God’s glory and purposes. I claim God’s presence, protection, and peace to fill every room, every corner, and for every heart which gathers within these walls.”

Actions

– Remove any idols, symbols, or objects associated with dysfunctional practices

– Cleanse and consecrate your home with prayer and anointing oil

– Establish a prayer altar or dedicated space for worship

– Invite God’s presence and glory to fill your home

Remember:

It will soon be Easter on April 5,2026 , a day of new beginnings in Christ, claim the cleansing blood of Jesus, redirect all that negativity unto the one true God.

By doing so, you’ll experience the transformative power of God’s blessings, protection, and redemption.

Your home can become a ray of hope, a place of refuge, a sanctuary for God’s presence.

Rededicate yourselves, your homes to Him today and watch His transformation and redemption unfold!

Here are supporting Bible verses for redirecting a home’s dedication to God:

Renounce and Rebuke

– “Renounce all sinful practices” (2 Timothy 2:19)

– “Rebuke the devil and he will flee” (James 4:7)

Cover with the Blood of Jesus

– “The blood of Jesus cleanses us from all sin” (1 John 1:7)

– “The blood of Jesus protects us from evil” (Exodus 12:13, Revelation 12:11)

Hedge of Thorns

– “God will surround you with a hedge of protection” (Job 1:10, Psalm 91:4)

Surrender to Jesus

– “Surrender your life to God” (Romans 12:1-2)

– “Jesus is the Lord of your life” (Romans 10:9-10)

God’s Blessings and Protection

– It is a great blessing
    when people are forgiven for the wrongs they have done,
    when their sins are erased.^[a]
²It is a great blessing
    when the Lord says they are not guilty,
    when they don’t try to hide their sins. (Psalm 32:1-2)

– “God will bless and protect you” (Psalm 91:1-2, 4-7)

– “God will restore what was lost” (Job 42:10, Joel 2:25-26)

– “God will transform your home” (Malachi 3:10, Psalm 107:30)

Declare, these verses over your home property as you redirect it back to God.

May God, Lord of Creation, truly bless, inhabit your home with His glory!

In the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit. Amen

Praying …..

2 Samuel 7:18-29 English Standard Version

David’s Prayer of Gratitude

¹⁸Then King David went in and sat before the Lord and said, “Who am I, O Lord God, and what is my house, that you have brought me thus far? ¹⁹And yet this was a small thing in your eyes, O Lord God. You have spoken also of your servant’s house for a great while to come, and this is instruction for mankind, O Lord God! ²⁰And what more can David say to you? For you know your servant, O Lord God! ²¹Because of your promise, and according to your own heart, you have brought about all this greatness, to make your servant know it. ²² Therefore you are great, O Lord God. For there is none like you, and there is no God besides you, according to all that we have heard with our ears. ²³And who is like your people Israel, the one nation on earth whom God went to redeem to be his people, making himself a name and doing for them^[a] great and awesome things by driving out before your people,^[b] whom you redeemed for yourself from Egypt, a nation and its gods? ²⁴And you established for yourself your people Israel to be your people forever. And you, O Lord, became their God. ²⁵ now, O Lord God, confirm forever the word that you have spoken concerning your servant and concerning his house, and do as you have spoken. ²⁶And your name will be magnified forever, saying, ‘The Lord of hosts is God over Israel,’ and the house of your servant David will be established before you. ²⁷For you, O Lord of hosts, the God of Israel, have made this revelation to your servant, saying, ‘I will build you a house.’ Therefore your servant has found courage to pray this prayer to you. ²⁸And now, O Lord God, you are God, and your words are true, and you have promised this good thing to your servant. ²⁹Now therefore may it please you to bless the house of your servant, so that it may continue forever before you. For you, O Lord God, have spoken, and with your blessing shall the house of your servant be blessed 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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It’s 2026, why is it not about the right moment in God’s time to reveal the kind of Christians we ought to be? By the grace of God start, rebuilding the foundation for our spiritual growth? 2 Peter 3:8-18

2 Peter 3:8-18 New International Version

⁸But do not forget this one thing, dear friends: With the Lord a day is like a thousand years, and a thousand years are like a day. ⁹The Lord is not slow in keeping his promise, as some understand slowness. Instead he is patient with you, not wanting anyone to perish, but everyone to come to repentance.

¹⁰But the day of the Lord will come like a thief. The heavens will disappear with a roar; the elements will be destroyed by fire, and the earth and everything done in it will be laid bare.^[a]

¹¹Since everything will be destroyed in this way, what kind of people ought you to be? You ought to live holy and godly lives ¹²as you look forward to the day of God and speed its coming.^[b] That day will bring about the destruction of the heavens by fire, and the elements will melt in the heat. ¹³But in keeping with his promise we are looking forward to a new heaven and a new earth, where righteousness dwells.

¹⁴So then, dear friends, since you are looking forward to this, make every effort to be found spotless, blameless and at peace with him. ¹⁵Bear in mind that our Lord’s patience means salvation, just as our dear brother Paul also wrote you with the wisdom that God gave him. ¹⁶He writes the same way in all his letters, speaking in them of these matters. His letters contain some things that are hard to understand, which ignorant and unstable people distort, as they do the other Scriptures, to their own destruction.

¹⁷Therefore, dear friends, since you have been forewarned, be on your guard so that you may not be carried away by the error of the lawless and fall from your secure position. ¹⁸But grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. To him be glory both now and forever! Amen.

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.

God graciously gives us faith to believe in Jesus.

And we want to keep going forward in faith and not become stagnant or slide backward.

But we have this assurance in God’s Word:

just as believing faith in Jesus comes to us as a gracious gift from God through the Holy Spirit, growing in faith also comes to us through God’s grace and the Spirit’s work.

Now, we can’t make ourselves grow spiritually, but that doesn’t mean we are totally passive either.

Somehow we participate with the Holy Spirit in growing spiritually.

In today’s verses, Peter urges his readers and us to make every effort to grow.

The Spirit works in us to rototill the sin hardened ground around our souls, to cultivate our faith when we listen to God’s Word, through our study, prayer and meditation and hearing it proclaimed in times of worship.

The Spirit works in our hearts when we turn to our Lord and Savior in prayer for our needs and for the needs of our world. The Spirit also constantly works in us to respond to opportunities to show God’s love and share our faith with others.

Encouragement and inspiration to grow in faith can’t be said any better than the Spirit has put it through Peter: “Grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. To him be glory both now and forever Amen!”

Soon and Very Soon?

2 Peter 3:8-9 Amplified Bible

⁸Nevertheless, do not let this one fact escape your notice, beloved, that with the Lord one day is like a thousand years, and a thousand years is like one day. ⁹The Lord does not delay [as though He were unable to act] and is not slow about His promise, as some count slowness, but is [extraordinarily] patient toward you, not wishing for any to perish but for all to come to repentance.

“Soon and very soon, we are going to see the King.”

We will soon sing that song at an upcoming worship service.

I pray the way the people sing it will leave no doubt they really believed it.

But how soon?

But how soon? are we going to see the King.”

Not any human King!!!

But “Our Heavenly King?”

Nearly two thousand years have passed since Jesus promised his disciples that he was going to come back.

For those two thousand years God’s people have been asking, shouting, crying “Lord, when will you return?”

But he has still not returned.

Already in the first century some believers doubted Jesus’ return.

They had believed the promise of his coming, but times were hard and persecution was severe.

Scoffers were asking, “Where is this ‘coming’ he promised?”

They had no answer.

Right now …. in this exact moment …. we also do not have an answer.

Mark 13:28-37 Amplified Bible

²⁸“Now learn this lesson from the fig tree: as soon as its branch becomes tender and it puts out its leaves, you recognize that summer is near. ²⁹Even so, you too, when you see these things happening, know [for certain] that He is near, right at the door. ³⁰I assure you and most solemnly say to you, this generation [the people living when these signs and events begin] will not pass away until all these things take place. ³¹Heaven and earth [as now known] will ^[a]pass away, but My words will not pass away. ³²But of that [exact] day or hour no one knows, not even the angels in heaven, nor the Son [in His humanity], but the Father alone.

³³“Be on guard and stay constantly alert ^[b][and pray]; for you do not know when the appointed time will come. ³⁴It is like a man away on a journey, who when he left home put his servants in charge, each with his particular task, and also ordered the doorkeeper to be continually alert. ³⁵Therefore, be continually on the alert—for you do not know when the master of the house is coming, whether in the evening, or at midnight, or when the rooster crows, or in the morning— ³⁶[stay alert,] in case he should come suddenly and unexpectedly, find you asleep, unprepared. ³⁷What I say to you I say to everyone, ‘Be on the alert [stay awake and be continually cautious]!’”

Sometimes we might wonder too.

We hear about persecution and ask, “Why doesn’t Jesus come to end it?”

We will constantly continuously read about war, conflict, poverty and hunger and deprivation, we will inevitably think and we will rage, “When will it end?”

We hear about natural disasters and tragedies, and we wonder why Jesus does not end it all by coming back.

2 Peter 3:8-9 Amplified Bible

The answer Peter gives is that Jesus has not forgotten about his promise to return. He is “not slow as some count slowness, in keeping his promises.”

Instead, he is [extraordinarily] patient!

not wishing for any to perish but for all to come to repentance.

Jesus’ description of the Good Life (The Be-attitudes) and considered as his remarkable description of WHO disciples of Jesus become as they follow him closely (salt and light)

Matthew 5:14-20 Amplified Bible

¹⁴“You are the light of [Christ to] the world. A city set on a hill cannot be hidden; ¹⁵nor does anyone light a lamp and put it under a basket, but on a lampstand, and it gives light to all who are in the house. ¹⁶Let your light shine before men in such a way that they may see your good deeds and moral excellence, and [recognize and honor and] glorify your Father who is in heaven.

¹⁷“Do not think that I came to do away with or undo the ^[a]Law [of Moses] or the [writings of the] Prophets; I did not come to destroy but to fulfill. ¹⁸For I assure you and most solemnly say to you, until heaven and earth pass away, not the smallest letter or stroke [of the pen] will pass from the Law until all things [which it foreshadows] are accomplished. ¹⁹So whoever breaks one of the least [important] of these commandments, and teaches others to do the same, will be called least [important] in the kingdom of heaven; but whoever practices and teaches them, he will be called great in the kingdom of heaven.

²⁰“For I say to you that unless your righteousness (uprightness, moral essence) is more than that of the scribes and Pharisees, you will never enter the kingdom of heaven.

Now we turn our thoughts to Jesus’ interpretation of a “greater righteousness”.
In Jesus’ day, hundreds of laws were built around interpreting the Torah.

The Jewish people under Roman occupation could not follow all of these requirements perfectly, and there was much confusion about what being faithful to the Law looked like, each Rabbi offering his own interpretations.

Jesus deals with this confusion by placing these requirements in their historical context, validating the importance of the Law and the Prophets, and offering clarity around how to understand and apply them to our day to day living.

In essence, he helps us see that his invitation to live in the Kingdom of GOD is the only reasonable strategy for understanding and living the BLESSED LIFE.

And today God wants his church to call people back to him.

In the Name of the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit …..

Praying …..

Psalm 15 Amplified Bible

Description of a Citizen of Zion.

A Psalm of David.

15 O Lord, who may lodge [as a guest] in Your tent?
Who may dwell [continually] on Your holy hill?
²
He who walks with integrity and strength of character, and works righteousness,
And speaks and holds truth in his heart.
³
He does not slander with his tongue,
Nor does evil to his neighbor,
Nor takes up a reproach against his friend;
⁴
In his eyes an evil person is despised,
But he honors those who fear the Lord [and obediently worship Him with awe-inspired reverence and submissive wonder].
He keeps his word even to his own disadvantage and does not change it [for his own benefit];
⁵
He does not put out his money at interest [to a fellow Israelite],
And does not take a bribe against the innocent.
He who does these things will never be shaken.

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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But when they said, “Give us a king to lead us …” the Lord said, “Listen to all that the people are saying to you; it is not you they have rejected, but they have rejected me as their king.” 1 Samuel 8

1 Samuel 8 New American Standard Bible

Israel Demands a King

8 Now it came about, when Samuel was old, that he appointed his sons as judges over Israel. ²The name of his firstborn was Joel, and the name of his second, Abijah; they were judging in Beersheba. ³His sons, however, did not walk in his ways but turned aside after dishonest gain, and they took bribes and perverted justice.

⁴Then all the elders of Israel gathered together and came to Samuel at Ramah; ⁵and they said to him, “Behold, you have grown old, and your sons do not walk in your ways. Now appoint us a king to judge us like all the nations.” ⁶But the matter was ^[a]displeasing in the sight of Samuel when they said, “Give us a king to judge us.” And Samuel prayed to the Lord. ⁷And the Lord said to Samuel, “Listen to the voice of the people regarding all that they say to you, because they have not rejected you, but they have rejected Me from being King over them. ⁸Like all the deeds which they have done since the day that I brought them up from Egypt even to this day—in that they have abandoned Me and served other gods—so they are doing to you as well. ⁹Now then, listen to their voice; however, you shall warn them strongly and tell them of the ^[b]practice of the king who will reign over them.”

Warning concerning a King

¹⁰So Samuel spoke all the words of the Lord to the people who had asked him for a king. ¹¹And he said, “This will be the ^[c]practice of the king who will reign over you: he will take your sons and put them in his chariots for himself and among his horsemen, and they will run before his chariots. ¹²He will appoint for himself commanders of thousands and commanders of fifties, and some to ^[d]do his plowing and to gather in his harvest, and to make his weapons of war and equipment for his chariots. ¹³He will also take your daughters and use them as perfumers, cooks, and bakers. ¹⁴He will take the best of your fields, your vineyards, and your olive groves, and give them to his servants. ¹⁵And he will take a tenth of your seed and your vineyards and give it to his high officials and his servants. ¹⁶He will also take your male servants and your female servants, and your best young men, and your donkeys, and ^[e]use them for his work. ¹⁷He will take a tenth of your flocks, and you yourselves will become his servants. ¹⁸Then you will cry out on that day because of your king whom you have chosen for yourselves, but the Lord will not answer you on that day.”

¹⁹Yet the people refused to listen to the voice of Samuel, and they said, “No, but there shall be a king over us, ²⁰so that we also may be like all the nations, and our king may judge us and go out before us and fight our battles.” ²¹Now after Samuel had heard all the words of the people, he ^[f]repeated them in the Lord’s hearing. ²²And the Lord said to Samuel, “Listen to their voice and appoint a king for them.” So Samuel said to the men of Israel, “Go, every man to his city.”

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.

Ultimatum … Give us a King to Judge Us …. or else …

1 Samuel 8:7-9 The Message

^7-9God answered Samuel, “Go ahead and do what they’re asking. They are not rejecting you. They’ve rejected me as their King. From the day I brought them out of Egypt until this very day they’ve been behaving like this, leaving me for other gods. And now they’re doing it to you. So let them have their own way. But warn them of what they’re in for. Tell them the way kings operate, just what they’re likely to get from a king.”

What kind of world did David enter into?

He entered a world built by Israel’s obsession to be like the nations around them.

They did not want the prophet Samuel to lead them anymore.

In their eyes, it was not enough to have God as their King, leading the people through his prophet, Samuel.

To be like other nations, they wanted to have a human king.

Samuel was worn-out and tired when the elders of Israel came to his place in Ramah.

Maybe he knew this day was coming.

His sons were not faithful to God or to the people.

The elders came with a demand: “Appoint a king to lead us, such as all the nations have.”

They saw other nations that were making a difference and gaining power.

Those nations all had a king who could make things happen and take over weaker nations. They wanted a king they could see, touch, hear, and follow.

Israel’s demand for a king would first give them King Saul.

Saul had all the visible features of success (tall, dark, and handsome), but he would soon turn against God and do things his own way (1 Samuel 9-15).

This was the world David entered—poisoned by a people who wanted a visible, untested king rather than the wise, loving, and faithful God they could not see.

Our challenge is to identify, highlight the importance of recognizing, honoring and glorifying God as our ultimate King, citing the example from the Israelites’ rejection of God’s kingship, inevitable prophetic consequences that followed.

Charles H. Spurgeon, the great preacher, once said,

“You will all be dreadful and eternal losers, whatever else you gain, if you lose the Lord. If you forget God as your King, you who are indeed his children, — and I am speaking only to such people just now, — it must be a terrible thing for you to be led into a condition in which you forget your Heavenly Father.”

How profoundly true this is!

The fear of man, craving for flawed human leadership, led the Israelites astray. And it’s a warning for us today, isn’t it? Let’s remember who our true King is.

The Rejection of God as King

The story of Israel’s demand for a human king is a sad poignant reminder of humanity’s tendency to reject God’s kingship.

This rejection is a pattern that recurs throughout human history and even in our personal lives.

It is a rejection that stems from our desire for tangible, human leadership, a desire to conform to societal norms, and a lack of trust in God’s sovereignty.

The Israelites’ demand for a human king was a clear rejection of God’s kingship.

They were not content with God’s invisible, divine rule; they wanted a tangible, human king.

This desire for a human king was not merely a desire for human leadership; it was a desire for a king who rule, would lead them into battle, a king who would provide them with a sense of security and protection.

This desire reveals lack of trust in God’s ability to protect and provide for them.

It reveals a near total collapse of faith and trust in God’s divine sovereignty and a desire to take matters into their own hands.

This rejection of God’s kingship was also a desire to conform to societal norms.

The Israelites wanted a king “like all the nations” (1 Samuel 8:5).

They wanted to fit in with the surrounding nations, to be like them.

This desire to conform to societal norms is a powerful force that can lead us to reject God’s unique plan for our lives.

It can lead us to compromising our faith, to conform to the world’s standards instead of God’s standards.

The rejection of God’s kingship has serious consequences.

God warned the Israelites a human king would take their sons and daughters, their best fields and vineyards, their servants and livestock (1 Samuel 8:10-17).

Despite these warnings, the Israelites insisted on having a human king.

They were willing to pay a high price for their rejection of God’s kingship.

This story serves as a warning for us today.

When we reject God’s kingship, we are also choosing to bear the consequences of our choices.

The Consequences of Rejecting God

When the Israelites demanded a human king, they were essentially rejecting God’s kingship over them.

This rejection led to a series of unfortunate consequences.

Firstly, it led to spiritual decline.

The Israelites, in their desire for a human king, were essentially saying that they wanted to be like the other nations around them.

They were rejecting their unique identity as God’s chosen people. This desire to conform to the world around them led them away from God and His commands.

Secondly, it led to oppression and hardship.

God, through Samuel, warned the Israelites a human king would take their sons and daughters, their best fields and vineyards, and a tenth of their grain and vineyards (1 Samuel 8:10-18).

Despite this warning, the Israelites insisted on having a king.

The result was exactly as God had warned – their kings led them into wars, took their best produce, and oppressed them.

Thirdly, it led to a vicious cycle of disobedience and punishment.

The kings that the Israelites so desired led them into idolatry and disobedience.

This disobedience led to punishment from God, which often took the form of defeat in battle and subjugation by their enemies and destruction of their lands.

The consequences of rejecting God’s kingship were severe, and serve as a warning for us today.

When we reject God’s authority in our lives, reject the resurrection of His Son, our Savior, King of all Kings, Jesus, we open ourselves up to a slippery slope of deep spiritual decline, hardship, and a cycle of disobedience and punishment.

Remembering God as King

Remembering God as our King is not just about acknowledging God as a distant, divine ruler but recognizing His active, intimate involvement in our lives.

When we remember God as our King, we are acknowledging His sovereignty over every aspect of our lives.

This means He has ultimate control over our circumstances, our future, and our very lives.

In the context of the Israelites, they had forgotten that God was their King.

They had seen the nations around them with their human kings and desired to be like them.

But in doing so, they rejected the unique relationship they had with God.

They traded divine, perfect leadership of God for the flawed, limited leadership of man.

For us today, remembering God as our King means resisting the temptation to place our trust in human leaders or systems.

Means not allowing the values of the world to dictate our actions and decisions.

Instead, we are to seek God’s will in all things, trusting that His ways are higher than ours.

Remembering God as our King also means acknowledging that our ultimate allegiance is to Him.

In a world where we are often pulled in different directions by various loyalties, we must remember that our primary loyalty is to God.

This doesn’t mean that we can’t respect and follow human leaders, but it does mean that our ultimate obedience is to God.

Furthermore, remembering God as our King should impact how we live our lives. If God is our King, then we are His servants.

This means that our lives are not our own; they belong to God. We are to live in a way that honors Him, seeking to do only His will and bring glory to His name.

Finally, remembering God as our King brings security, comfort and assurance.

In times of uncertainty or fear, take comfort knowing our King is in command.

He is not surprised by the events of our world or our lives.

He is working all things together for the good of those who love Him.

This assurance give us peace in the midst of turmoil, hope in the face of despair.

God is always and will forever stay in absolute command over His own Creation!

In the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit. Amen

Praying ….

Psalm 24 King James Version

24 The earth is the Lord’s, and the fulness thereof; the world, and they that dwell therein.

²For he hath founded it upon the seas, and established it upon the floods.

³Who shall ascend into the hill of the Lord? or who shall stand in his holy place?

⁴He that hath clean hands, and a pure heart; who hath not lifted up his soul unto vanity, nor sworn deceitfully.

⁵He shall receive the blessing from the Lord, and righteousness from the God of his salvation.

⁶This is the generation of them that seek him, that seek thy face, O Jacob. Selah.

⁷Lift up your heads, O ye gates; and be ye lift up, ye everlasting doors; and the King of glory shall come in.

⁸Who is this King of glory? The Lord strong and mighty, the Lord mighty in battle.

⁹Lift up your heads, O ye gates; even lift them up, ye everlasting doors; and the King of glory shall come in.

¹⁰Who is this King of glory? The Lord of hosts, he is the King of glory. Selah.

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God Re-creating His People: Worship No other gods, for I am unswervingly loyal unto the thousands who love me and will keep all my commandments. Exodus 20:1-6

Exodus 20:1-6 Names of God Bible

The Ten Commandments

20 Then Elohim spoke all these words:

²“I am Yahweh your Elohim, who brought you out of slavery in Egypt.

³“Never have any other god. ⁴Never make your own carved idols or statues that represent any creature in the sky, on the earth, or in the water. ⁵Never worship them or serve them, because I, Yahweh your Elohim, am El Kanna. I punish children for their parents’ sins to the third and fourth generation of those who hate me. ⁶But I show mercy to thousands of generations of those who love me and obey my commandments.

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 order of faithful obedience is always the same in Scripture: God reveals himself to us, blesses us with his grace, then asks us to respond with obedience.

In other words, God blesses us first and then asks us to obey – grace precedes the call to obedience!

God is all-powerful and supreme.

He could demand our obedience just because of who he is, but he doesn’t.

He has chosen to reveal himself through Scripture, nature, his acts of salvation, and most completely in Jesus.

He wants us to know him and respond to him.

Our obedience may be difficult.

Our call to obey will sometimes be hard for us to unswervingly wrap our souls around, unquestioningly trust because of our all too rock hard stubbornness.

However, we can overcome such stubbornness when we know such a summons comes to us from a Father who has paid an ultimate price to redeem and adopt us into his family and has repeatedly proven himself to be gracious and faithful.

Genesis 1:26-28 Names of God Bible

²⁶Then Elohim said, “Let us make humans in our image, in our likeness. Let them rule the fish in the sea, the birds in the sky, the domestic animals all over the earth, and all the animals that crawl on the earth.”

²⁷So Elohim created humans in his image.
In the image of Elohim he created them.
He created them male and female.

²⁸Elohim blessed them and said, “Be fertile, increase in number, fill the earth, and be its master. Rule the fish in the sea, the birds in the sky, and all the animals that crawl on the earth.”

God Re-creates His People ….

This is my story, this is my song … Our Implicit Trust vs. Our Implicit Distrust?

When we walk with the Lord

Author: John H. Sammis (1887)

1 When we walk with the Lord
in the light of his word,
what a glory he sheds on our way!
While we do his good will,
he abides with us still,
and with all who will trust and obey.

Refrain:
Trust and obey, for there’s no other way
to be happy in Jesus, but to trust and obey.

2 Not a burden we bear,
not a sorrow we share,
but our toil he doth richly repay;
not a grief or a loss,
not a frown or a cross,
but is blest if we trust and obey. [Refrain]

3 But we never can prove
the delights of his love
until all on the altar we lay;
for the favor he shows,
for the joy he bestows,
are for them who will trust and obey. [Refrain]

4 Then in fellowship sweet
we will sit at his feet,
or we’ll walk by his side in the way;
what he says we will do,
where he sends we will go;
never fear, only trust and obey. [Refrain]

When we seriously study, meditate, about the faithfulness of God, the Ten Commandments are probably not among the first things that come to mind.

After all, one of the main uses of God’s law is to show us that we are sinners.

The commandments help us to clearly envision we absolutely need God to save us from sin, that we need to confess our sins and ask the Lord for forgiveness.

When God first gave his law to his people, they had just been rescued from long years of brutal slavery in Egypt, they were still dealing with being slaves to sin.

God was calling them from generations of slavery to freedom, to live a new life in him that would serve as a blessing to all nations … they needed to learn that.

God’s Truth be Told … So do we.

John 8:31-32 Amplified Bible

The Truth Will Make You Free

³¹So Jesus was saying to the Jews who had believed Him, “If you abide in My word [continually obeying My teachings and living in accordance with them, then] you are truly My disciples. ³²And you will know the truth [regarding salvation], and the truth will set you free [from the penalty of sin].”

God’s commands are designed to be a guide for daily living, reminding us to love the Lord with all our heart, soul, strength, and mind, and to love all our neighbor as we love ourselves. The law ultimately points us to Jesus Christ for salvation and shows us how to live in gratitude to the one, true, faithful God.

God knew that his people who first heard the Ten Commandments would soon stray, wander from him and break their promises. But at the heart of their new creation is the faithful God who’ll always shepherd them and watch over them.

God is faithful from one generation to the next.

Just as he sought after and cared for his people in the desert, God still faithfully summons, seeks after, awaits our response, and always cares for us every day.

In the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit. Amen

Praying ….

Psalm 8

For the choir director; on the gittith;^[a] a psalm by David.

¹O Yahweh, our Adonay, how majestic is your name throughout the earth!

Your glory is sung above the heavens.^[b]
²From the mouths of little children and infants,
you have built a fortress against your opponents
to silence the enemy and the avenger.

³When I look at your heavens,
    the creation of your fingers,
    the moon and the stars that you have set in place—
⁴        what is a mortal that you remember him
            or the Son of Man that you take care of him?
⁵        You have made him a little lower than yourself.
        You have crowned him with glory and honor.
⁶        You have made him rule what your hands created.
        You have put everything under his control:
⁷            all the sheep and cattle, the wild animals,
⁸            the birds, the fish,
            whatever swims in the currents of the seas.

⁹O Yahweh, our Adonay, how majestic is your name throughout the earth!

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

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There Remains a Sabbath Rest? Yes! His promise of “arrival” and “rest” is still 100% valid for God’s people. Hebrews 4:8-11

Hebrews 4:8-11 Modern English Version

⁸For if Joshua had given them rest, He would not have later spoken of another day. ⁹Therefore a rest remains for the people of God. ¹⁰For whoever enters His rest will also cease from his own works, as God did from His. ¹¹Let us labor therefore to enter that rest, lest anyone fall by the same pattern of unbelief.

The Word of God for the People 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 Christian life from beginning to end is to be a life of faith and dependence on God and His grace provisions for us in Christ.

The fallen world we live in and the flesh undermines dependence on God making us think we are sufficient of ourselves.

The flesh is that indwelling spiritual principle, inclination, or force in all of us to operate out of our own provisions independent of God to meet our needs.

Living by the flesh is the opposite of trust in God. It is a spirit of independence and faith in self. Christians are not only saved by faith but are to live by faith.

Our faith allows us to depend on the power of God’s indwelling Spirit and our new nature to live in this fallen world (Galatians 5:17).

Galatians 5:16-18 The Message

^16-18My counsel is this: Live freely, animated and motivated by God’s Spirit. Then you won’t feed the compulsions of selfishness. For there is a root of sinful self-interest in us that is at odds with a free spirit, just as the free spirit is incompatible with selfishness. These two ways of life are contrary to each other, so that you cannot live at times one way and at times another way according to how you feel on any given day. Why don’t you choose to be led by the Spirit and so escape the erratic compulsions of a law-dominated existence?

Real faith is a rest where you are not struggling, frustrated, or anxious, but trusting in the finished work of God for man (which is His grace).

Christian’s rest comes out of the concepts of the Sabbath rest introduced in the Old Testament keeping in mind it was only a shadow of good things to come.

The reality would come with Jesus.

It is resting in faith based on a finished work like God’s Creation Rest (God ceased from His work Genesis 2:2,3), an advance provision made (rest on the seventh day because the Lord gave the bread of two days on the sixth day Exodus 16:23-30), and a defeated enemy (Joshua 21:43-45) all made available due to Jesus’ work in redemption.

It is not the potential of a Sabbath day of rest, but a Sabbath life of rest.

In the Sabbath under law, man was to cease from his own work for one day in seven.

In the Sabbath under grace, Believer is to cease from his own work, constantly, as he wholly yields to Jesus’ finished work in redemption every day Ephesians 1:7.

He is to rest in the advance provision of God who has already blessed us in advance with all spiritual blessings in Christ Ephesians 1:3.

He is to rest because our enemy has been defeated Colossians 2:15.

The Sabbath rest under grace is a life delivered from all works of the flesh, self-effort, struggle, striving, and free from every dependence on the flesh.

No burden was allowed to be borne on the Sabbath day under the law.

Under grace, every burden is to be cast on the Lord every day, producing a burden-free life.

The Sabbath of the law was a day of “rest for self.”

The Sabbath of grace is a life of “rest from self.”

It is a life lived to the praise and glory of another, which is Jesus and the work He did.

In Hebrews chapters 3 and 4 the writer declares five different times that the time to hear God’s voice is “Today” (Hebrews 3:7, 13, 15; 4:7 twice).

Why warn us of the dangers of unbelief and missing God’s rest if it not a possibility?

This potential rest is not entered into by being passive and it is not automatic as we can see from the following exhortations and warnings:

God’s grace must be entered into (Hebrews 4:9, 10).
God’s grace can be frustrated (Galatians 2:21).
We can come short of God’s grace (Hebrews 4:1).
We can fall from or fail God’s grace (Hebrews 12:15 and Galatians 5:4).
We must labor to enter into this rest (Hebrews 4:11; labor – Grk. “spoudazo” to make effort, give diligence, study; translated “study” in 2 Timothy 2:15).

The years Israel spent in the wilderness were a time of testing.

Would they learn to trust in God to provide for their every need?

Unfortunately, they often grumbled against Moses, God’s appointed leader.

They complained, “Why did you bring us up out of Egypt to make us and our children and livestock die of thirst?” (Exodus 17:3).

They continued to quarrel with one another to the point where they began to doubt whether God was with them at all (Exodus 17:7).

They became so angry that Moses began to fear for his life (Exodus 17:4).

Reflecting later on that experience, the psalmist wrote,

“Today, if only you would hear his voice, do not harden your hearts as you did … in the wilderness” (Psalm 95:7-8).

The writer of Hebrews wants us to know “Today” is still the day of God’s grace!

Don’t follow the example of the people in the wilderness whose hearts were hardened.

Enter into the Sabbath rest God has for you.

Salvation is not found through our own efforts or our own work.

We can rest because Jesus has won salvation for us through his sacrifice on the cross. We don’t need to bring anything to God other than our need for mercy.

What is the meaning of Hebrews 4 9?

The Sabbath in Hebrews

“’The Sabbath rest that remains for the people of God‘ (Heb 4:9)

is not only a physical cessation from work to commemorate God’s perfect creation but also a spiritual entering into God’s rest (Heb 4:10) made possible through Christ’s complete redemption.

How do I enter into God’s rest?

Trusting God means we give up worrying, reasoning, and anxiety and we enter into His rest with simple childlike faith—we live by grace through faith!

Mark 10:13-16 Modern English Version

Little Children Blessed

¹³They brought young children to Him, that He might touch them. But the disciples rebuked those who brought them. ¹⁴But when Jesus saw it, He was very displeased and said to them, “Allow the little children to come to Me, and do not forbid them, for of such is the kingdom of God. ¹⁵Truly I say to you, whoever does not receive the kingdom of God as a little child shall not enter it.” ¹⁶And He took them up in His arms, put His hands on them, and blessed them.

What does Mark 10 14 mean?

The kingdom is open to those who come humbly with no illusions that they belong there. Here, Jesus says that leaders in His ministry must not only accept the powerless, they must recognize that they are powerless, as well.

Alleluia! Alleluia! Alleluia! There remains a Sabbath rest for the people of God!

In the Name of the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit …..

Praying …..

Psalm 16

A Miktam of David.

¹Preserve me, O God,
for in You I take refuge.

²I have said to the Lord, “You are my Lord;
    my welfare has no existence outside of You.”
³For the holy ones who are in the land,
    they are the majestic ones; in them is all my delight.
⁴Those who chase after other gods,
    their sorrows will be multiplied;
their drink offerings of blood I will not offer,
    nor lift their names on my lips.

⁵The Lord is the portion of my inheritance and of my cup;
    You support my lot.
⁶The lines have fallen for me in pleasant places;
    yes, an inheritance is beautiful for me.
⁷I will bless the Lord who has given me counsel;
    my affections also instruct me in the night seasons.
⁸I have set the Lord always before me;
    because He is at my right hand,
    I will not be moved.

⁹Therefore my heart is glad, and my glory rejoices;
    my flesh also will rest in security.
¹⁰For You will not leave my soul in Sheol,
    nor will You suffer Your godly one to see corruption.
¹¹You will make known to me the path of life;
    in Your presence is fullness of joy;
    at Your right hand there are pleasures for evermore.

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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Our Walking with God, Working with God, Our Watching how God is doing it. An Open Invitation to Learning the Rhythm of Grace. Matthew 11:28-30

Matthew 11:28-30 Easy-to-Read Version

²⁸“Come to me all of you who are tired from the heavy burden you have been forced to carry. I will give you rest. ²⁹Accept my teaching.^[a] Learn from me. I am gentle and humble in spirit. And you will be able to get some rest. ³⁰Yes, the teaching that I ask you to accept is easy. The load I give you to carry is light.”

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.

Have you ever felt overwhelmed by your circumstances, when nothing you do seems to be enough? I have been there more times than I would like to admit.

You are facing a crisis situation at home, job, financial loss, worry about the long and short term future, mourning the loss of loved ones, a prodigal child, or an unfavorable medical diagnosis. Maybe people and commitments are tugging at you from all sides and you don’t know how to avoid letting people down.

Where do you turn when no answer is apparent?

The unforced rhythms of grace

What are the rhythms of grace?

“Unforced rhythms of grace” is like a lesson for walking in time with what God is calling us to do.

When looking at this phrase, we will see that God’s unforced rhythms of grace are really about our flowing with His current, His will, obeying God, following God, finding our place, finding new opportunities, doing the things that God summons us to and into ministries and missions that come naturally to us.

Matthew 11:28-30 (MSG) echoes in my soul,

“Are you tired? Worn out? Burned out on religion? Come to me. Get away with me and you’ll recover your life. I’ll show you how to take a real rest. Walk with me and work with me—watch how I do it. Learn the unforced rhythms of grace. I won’t lay anything heavy or ill-fitting on you. Keep company with me and you’ll learn to live freely and lightly.”

Verse 30 from the NIV says, “For My yoke is easy and My burden is light.”

I feel as if I have been wrestling with King Kong and Godzilla with these verses from the first moments following my Triple Bypass Heart Surgery July 17, 2023.

Recovering from that, how could His yoke be easy? His burden light? Nothing about my circumstances feels easy or light, but rather heavy and overwhelming, yet I need His grace. I want to live freely and lightly. I want to learn from Him.

God promises to be our refuge

Hebrews 6:18-19 reminds us, “So God has given both his promise and his oath. These two things are unchangeable because it is impossible for God to lie. Therefore, we who have fled to him for refuge can have great confidence as we hold on to the hope that lies before us. This hope is a strong and trustworthy anchor for our souls.”

We don’t have to have all the answers to learn the unforced rhythms of grace.

As we journey to Him for help, for refuge, for security. we can be confident in the hope from the promises discerned from His word.

This hope is an anchor for our souls.

Our God is unchangeable.

If He says it, we can believe it.

If He promised, it will come to pass.

When we are overwhelmed by our circumstances, the weight of our trials in this world, we can take Psalm 91 refuge in Him.

As we keep company with Him, He promises we’ll learn to live freely, lightly.

What are you struggling with today?

Are you willing to take refuge in Him and learn the unforced rhythms of grace?

How can I practice rhythms of grace daily?

Adherence to a daily routine of disciplined practices such as Sabbath, praying, meditating, reading God’s Word, and worshipping—are how Jesus breathes life into our days. They’re not another burden he places on our shoulders, but a narrow way he Himself illuminates, and relieves the burdens we already carry.

Jesus did a lot in His 3 1/2 years of ministry but He was never rushed.

He didn’t go from one miracle to the next.

He had time to preach, teach, heal etc, spend time with His father and eat.

Yes – He did get tired but Jesus lived in those unforced rhythms of grace. He knew what to do and how to do it. He knew who to heal and who to speak to.

Today, in our lives, consider Jesus’ example for us and learn to live in those unforced rhythms of grace.

Go to the Father and recover from your busyness then let it go and learn to live a different way.

This applies to me too.

So this week let’s learn from Jesus, evaluate our priorities ensuring they are truly from God and learn how to walk in the phrase that’s the title of this blog.

Your priorities will change and so will your life.

This is how you live the life God intended for you.

In the Name of the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit …..

Praying ….

Psalm 91 Names of God Bible

Psalm 91

¹Whoever lives under the shelter of Elyon
will remain in the shadow of Shadday.
²I will say to Yahweh,
“You are my Machseh and my Metsuda, my Elohim in whom I trust.”

³He is the one who will rescue you from hunters’ traps
    and from deadly plagues.
⁴He will cover you with his feathers,
    and under his wings you will find refuge.
        His truth is your shield and armor.

⁵You do not need to fear
    terrors of the night,
    arrows that fly during the day,
⁶plagues that roam the dark,
    epidemics that strike at noon.
⁷        They will not come near you,
            even though a thousand may fall dead beside you
                or ten thousand at your right side.

⁸You only have to look with your eyes
to see the punishment of wicked people.

⁹You, O Yahweh, are my Machseh!

You have made Elyon your home.
¹⁰No harm will come to you.
    No sickness will come near your house.
¹¹He will put his angels in charge of you
    to protect you in all your ways.
¹²They will carry you in their hands
    so that you never hit your foot against a rock.
¹³You will step on lions and cobras.
    You will trample young lions and snakes.

¹⁴Because you love me, I will rescue you.
    I will protect you because you know my name.
¹⁵When you call to me, I will answer you.
    I will be with you when you are in trouble.
    I will save you and honor you.
¹⁶I will satisfy you with a long life.
    I will show you how I will save you.

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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Say What!? Who would dare have the audacity to say that there is comfort for a troubled mind? 1 Peter 1:3–7

1 Peter 1:3-7 Amplified Bible

³Blessed [gratefully praised and adored] be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who according to His abundant and boundless mercy has caused us to be born again [that is, to be reborn from above—spiritually transformed, renewed, and set apart for His purpose] to an ever-living hope and confident assurance through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead, ⁴[born anew] into an inheritance which is imperishable [beyond the reach of change] and undefiled and unfading, reserved in heaven for you, ⁵who are being protected and shielded by the power of God through your faith for salvation that is ready to be revealed [for you] in the last time. ⁶In this you rejoice greatly, even though now for a little while, if necessary, you have been distressed by various trials, ⁷so that the genuineness of your faith, which is much more precious than gold which is perishable, even though tested and purified by fire, may be found to result in [your] praise and glory and honor at the revelation of Jesus 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.

In the normal course of life, setbacks happen. In anything worthwhile, whether it be a relationship, innovation, discovery, research, career, human experience dictates that setbacks are an indelible part of the process.

The good news is that setbacks can be overcome (John 16:33).

The bad news is we will rarely learn enough to put any good or bad lesson from that setback into any usable practical experience from which other’s can learn.

A common German folk saying says “We are too soon old and too late smart.”

This is often in reference that by midlife, we come to a realization we know very little about the world and that we aren’t actively seeking new knowledge.

What does that mean?

To me, it is all too true a statement. We get old faster than we get wise. If only we could become wise sooner and old later. The Tragedy, as Ben Franklin puts it, is that for the vast majority of us, age comes long before wisdom is realized.

To add to the tragedy, getting old is mandatory (to a certain extent, you can work to be healthy and active, but still…), however wisdom is always optional.

There are a great number of aged fools out there, just turn on the TV or Social media pages and it will not too take long before those fools reveal themselves.

This quote also has a hidden statement, urging us to become wiser at a younger age, in so doing, “jump in with both sides of our brain,” ease “Life’s Tragedy.”

1 Peter 1:3-5 Christian Standard Bible

A Living Hope

³Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ. Because of his great mercy he has given us new birth into a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead ⁴and into an inheritance that is imperishable, undefiled, and unfading, kept in heaven for you. ⁵You are being guarded by God’s power through faith for a salvation that is ready to be revealed in the last time.

1 Peter 1:3–5 teaches us about the living hope in Christ.

We are born again to a living hope that through the resurrection of Jesus, we have an inheritance that is kept in heaven for us.

Then verse five says, For us who by God’s power are being guarded through faith for a salvation ready to be revealed in the last time.

And I just want to encourage you as a Christian. So for anyone who has put their faith in Jesus as Savior Lord of your life, right now you are being 100% guarded. (Psalm 23 and Psalm 121)

That’s what 1 Peter 1:5 is saying.

You are being guarded by the power of God for a salvation which is not yet complete.

Like yes, you are forgiven of your sin.

Yes, you are a child of God through faith in Jesus.

At the same time you are waiting.

We pray about this in light of James 5:13-20.

Followers of Jesus are waiting for the fulfillment of all of God’s promises.

For the consummation of our salvation.

The completion, the day when we are with Jesus, face to face.

With no more sin and no more sorrow no more suffering and no more death.

1 Peter 1:3–5 teaches us about the security of our salvation.

Right now in this world where the adversary is coming at us from all kinds of angles, all kinds of sides trying to distract, discourage, dishearten, destroy us.

The incomparable power of God is guarding us.

And I just want to encourage you with that today.

No matter what this world is hurling at you, you are guarded by the power of God himself.

And he will keep you.

Just keep your eyes fixed on him, trusting in him, looking to him, leaning on him, and he will guard you.

You are protected on all sides by God and not just around you, but in you.

You have the Spirit of Christ in you and in words we read later in Scripture, greater is he who is in you than he who is in the world. (1 John 4:4)

So please pray, “God, according to your Word, in 1 Peter 1:5, guard us today.

Amidst temptation, guard us from all the temptations we will face today to sin against you, to turn from you, turn against you. Guard us, we pray.

We, grievous sinners’ though we are, praise you for your promise to do that.

What God tells us specifically in His Word, that God will provide a way out, that sin does not, will not, have mastery power over us.

God has saved us all not just from sins penalty, but sins power in our lives.

This verse points us towards the culmination of our salvation.

And as we walk through suffering and trials and difficulties, God guards us from adversaries attempts to bring us down in them, destroy, pull us away from Him.

Praise God, as our guardian, our protector, our provider in every way we need for today as we wait for a salvation ready to be revealed in the last time as we wait for the culmination of our salvation and the completion of our salvation.

No more sin, no more suffering, no more sorrow, no more death.

Long for that day, pray God would guard us every single day and every single moment until that far off day according to His Word.

Hebrews 4:12-13 Amplified Bible

¹²For the word of God is living and active and full of power [making it operative, energizing, and effective]. It is sharper than any two-edged ^[a]sword, penetrating as far as the division of the ^[b]soul and spirit [the completeness of a person], and of both joints and marrow [the deepest parts of our nature], exposing and judging the very thoughts and intentions of the heart. ¹³And not a creature exists that is concealed from His sight, but all things are open and exposed, and revealed to the eyes of Him with whom we have to give account.

We praise Him as our guardian.

We pray God would help us to lead others to you as their guard.

God alone can save people from the penalty and power of sin.

God alone saves people from ultimately suffering and death.

Our Triune God is our only authentic heavenly divine guard.

Acts 4:8-12 GOD’S WORD Translation

⁸Then Peter, because he was filled with the Holy Spirit, said to them, “Rulers and leaders of the people, ⁹today you are cross-examining us about the good we did for a crippled man. You want to know how he was made well. ¹⁰You and all the people of Israel must understand that this man stands in your presence with a healthy body because of the power of Jesus Christ from Nazareth. You crucified Jesus Christ, but God has brought him back to life. ¹¹He is the stone that the builders rejected, the stone that has become the cornerstone. ¹²No one else can save us. Indeed, we can be saved only by the power of the one named Jesus and not by any other person.”

Pray that Lord Savior Jesus Christ helps us to lead others to salvation today.

In the Name of the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit ….

Praying …..

Psalm 121 Complete Jewish Bible

121 ⁽⁰⁾A song of ascents:

⁽¹⁾If I raise my eyes to the hills,
from where will my help come?
²My help comes from Adonai,
the maker of heaven and earth.
³He will not let your foot slip —
your guardian is not asleep.
⁴No, the guardian of Isra’el
never slumbers or sleeps.

⁵Adonai is your guardian; at your right hand
Adonai provides you with shade —
⁶the sun can’t strike you during the day
or even the moon at night.

⁷Adonai will guard you against all harm;
he will guard your life.
⁸Adonai will guard your coming and going
from now on and 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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Grace’s view of vision: you meant evil against me, but God had meant it for good to produce, reveal, this present result, so to keep many people alive. Genesis 50:15-21

Genesis 50:15-21 New Revised Standard Version Updated Edition

Joseph Forgives His Brothers

¹⁵Realizing that their father was dead, Joseph’s brothers said, “What if Joseph still bears a grudge against us and pays us back in full for all the wrong that we did to him?” ¹⁶So they approached^[a] Joseph, saying, “Your father gave this instruction before he died, ¹⁷‘Say to Joseph: I beg you, forgive the crime of your brothers and the wrong they did in harming you.’ Now therefore please forgive the crime of the servants of the God of your father.” Joseph wept when they spoke to him. ¹⁸Then his brothers also wept,^[b] fell down before him, and said, “We are here as your slaves.” ¹⁹But Joseph said to them, “Do not be afraid! Am I in the place of God? ²⁰Even though you intended to do harm to me, God intended it for good, in order to preserve a numerous people, as he is doing today. ²¹So have no fear; I myself will provide for you and your little ones.” In this way he reassured them, speaking kindly to them.

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.

Joseph brought his father and all his brothers and their families to live in Egypt so that they would have plenty during the years of famine.

Their father, Jacob, died in Egypt, and after they buried him back at home in the land of Canaan, they all returned to Egypt (Genesis 46:1-50:14).

Now Joseph’s brothers began to worry that he still had a grudge against them.

While Jacob was alive, they thought they had a plausible line of defense to keep Joseph from seeking revenge for selling him as a slave, but now they wondered what would happen next – sold into a life of slavery or imprisonment or death .

The brothers sent a message to Joseph, in which they admitted their sins against him and pleaded for forgiveness.

Although they had been living near Joseph for several years now in Egypt, they were still not sure of his feelings toward them for their brazen act of betrayal .

Had he really forgiven them?

Had Joseph thought it through over the years?

Grudges?

Vengeance?

Proportional or disproportional Punishment?

God’s Unconditional Grace?

Joseph wept when he received their message.

Answer? He forgave his brothers, it took years for reconciliation to take shape.

When Joseph’s brothers came to him, he reassured them and helped them to see again that God had intended all of this for good.

Indeed, God was already working out his plan to make their family into a nation that would bring blessing to all others (Genesis 12:1-3).

This was a new, stunning kind of vision revealed by God to help all generations of people to testify to the amazing ways God works in our lives and in his world.

2 Corinthians 5:11-21 Common English Bible

Ministry of reconciliation

¹¹So we try to persuade people, since we know what it means to fear the Lord. We are well known by God, and I hope that in your heart we are well known by you as well. ¹²We aren’t trying to commend ourselves to you again. Instead, we are giving you an opportunity to be proud of us so that you could answer those who take pride in superficial appearance, and not in what is in the heart.

¹³If we are crazy, it’s for God’s sake. If we are rational, it’s for your sake. ¹⁴The love of Christ controls us, because we have concluded this: one died for the sake of all; therefore, all died. ¹⁵He died for the sake of all so that those who are alive should live not for themselves but for the one who died for them and was raised.

¹⁶So then, from this point on we won’t recognize people by human standards. Even though we used to know Christ by human standards, that isn’t how we know him now. ¹⁷So then, if anyone is in Christ, that person is part of the new creation. The old things have gone away, and look, new things have arrived!

¹⁸All of these new things are from God, who reconciled us to himself through Christ and who gave us the ministry of reconciliation. ¹⁹In other words, God was reconciling the world to himself through Christ, by not counting people’s sins against them. He has trusted us with this message of reconciliation.

²⁰So we are ambassadors who represent Christ. God is negotiating with you through us. We beg you as Christ’s representatives, “Be reconciled to God!” ²¹God caused the one who didn’t know sin to be sin for our sake so that through him we could become the righteousness of God.

Joseph and his brothers’ reconciliation is the heart of the text we read for today.

While they aren’t roommates at the beginning of their story, they were rivals.

Their actions left indelible marks on each other’s lives.

Today’s reading shows us the pivotal moment where they turn back towards each other, restoring the relationship the brothers had so easily sacrificed in the years before.

At the beginning of the story, it’s not clear that these siblings have been changed for the better either.

It is fascinating that Joseph tells them than the change has been for the good.

Joseph explained he felt God had turned what they intended for evil into good.

You see, in this story, God never says, “Joseph, I’m letting them do bad things to you so that you can one day do good things.”

That happens sometimes in other parts of the Bible.

Here, Joseph found meaning himself in the idea that God could help him work something deeply good out of the deeply troubling things that happened to him and also, the troubling things he did to other people.

In this case, Joseph saw that he had landed in a position that allowed him to save his family.

This act of re-membering , that is, putting the pieces of his life story together in a new way.

This new way points to a redemptive purpose, saving one’s family, and away from vengeance and more unnecessary death and destruction.

Joseph remembers his own story for the better, choosing to walk away from the vengeance that was so close at hand and likely so tempting, and to walk towards reconciliation and renewed relationship.

What stories are you remembering, not to rationalize, hide away the bad things, you did to others, but to find an authentic way towards reconciliation with God?

Psalm 37:3-4 Revised Standard Version

³Trust in the Lord, and do good;
so you will dwell in the land, and enjoy security.
⁴Take delight in the Lord,
and he will give you the desires of your heart.

How are you finding yourself being changed, transformed, both for the better and being changed for good?

This is a season with great potential for destruction and delicious vengeance.

What lessons are you learning from Joseph reconciling with his brother’s that is helping you remember to reconcile a relationship, your relationship, with God?

A cross forms a bridge over the cliff into a bright landscape.

In the Name of the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit ….

Praying ….

Ephesians 2:11-22 New King James Version

Brought Near by His Blood

¹¹Therefore remember that you, once Gentiles in the flesh—who are called Uncircumcision by what is called the Circumcision made in the flesh by hands— ¹²that at that time you were without Christ, being aliens from the commonwealth of Israel and strangers from the covenants of promise, having no hope and without God in the world. ¹³But now in Christ Jesus you who once were far off have been brought near by the blood of Christ.

Christ Our Peace

¹⁴For He Himself is our peace, who has made both one, and has broken down the middle wall of separation, ¹⁵having abolished in His flesh the enmity, that is, the law of commandments contained in ordinances, so as to create in Himself one new man from the two, thus making peace, ¹⁶and that He might reconcile them both to God in one body through the cross, thereby putting to death the enmity. ¹⁷And He came and preached peace to you who were afar off and to those who were near. ¹⁸For through Him we both have access by one Spirit to the Father.

Christ Our Cornerstone

¹⁹Now, therefore, you are no longer strangers and foreigners, but fellow citizens with the saints and members of the household of God, ²⁰having been built on the foundation of the apostles and prophets, Jesus Christ Himself being the chief cornerstone, ²¹in whom the whole building, being fitted together, grows into a holy temple in the Lord, ²²in whom you also are being built together for a dwelling place of God in the Spirit.

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 Death of Jesus

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Resurrection Morning

The Miracle of the Empty Tomb

Encountering the Risen Jesus

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David’s Prayer of Gratitude

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Soon and Very Soon?

Psalm 15 Amplified Bible

Description of a Citizen of Zion.

A Psalm of David.

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Israel Demands a King

Warning concerning a King

The Rejection of God as King

The Consequences of Rejecting God

Remembering God as King

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The Ten Commandments

When we walk with the Lord

The Truth Will Make You Free

Psalm 8

For the choir director; on the gittith;[a] a psalm by David.

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Little Children Blessed

A Miktam of David.

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The unforced rhythms of grace

God promises to be our refuge

Psalm 91

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A Living Hope

1 Peter 1:3–5 teaches us about the security of our salvation.

This verse points us towards the culmination of our salvation.

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Joseph Forgives His Brothers

Ministry of reconciliation

Brought Near by His Blood

Christ Our Peace

Christ Our Cornerstone

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For the choir director; on the gittith;^[a] a psalm by David.