Tag: christianity

Finish what you started in me, God. Your love is eternal—don’t quit on me now. Do not let me quit on You! Psalm 138

Psalm 138 Complete Jewish Bible

138 (0) By David:

(1) I give you thanks with all my heart.
Not to idols, but to you I sing praise.
2 I bow down toward your holy temple
and give thanks to your name for your grace and truth;
    for you have made your word [even] greater
    than the whole of your reputation.
3 When I called, you answered me,
you made me bold and strong.

4 All the kings of the earth will thank you, Adonai,
when they hear the words you have spoken.
5 They will sing about Adonai’s ways,
“Great is the glory of Adonai!”
6 For though Adonai is high, he cares for the lowly;
while the proud he perceives from afar.

7 You keep me alive when surrounded by danger;
you put out your hand when my enemies rage;
with your right hand you save me.
8 Adonai will fulfill his purpose for me.
Your grace, Adonai, continues forever.
Don’t abandon the work of your hands!

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.

Most of us get excited to start something new.

Keeping that excitement in the middle of that project as it grows in complexity, is what potentially wears us down – then to keep on going and reach that goal of a finished product becomes less a priority and we put it away for another day.

Usually, there may be at least one unfinished project somewhere in our lives.

Undoubtedly, confession or no confession, many of us have too many to count.

God’s not like that.

He finishes what He begins, no matter how much time it will take.

That includes each of us.

Philippians 1:3-6 Christian Standard Bible

Thanksgiving and Prayer

3 I give thanks to my God for every remembrance of you,[a] 4 always praying with joy for all of you in my every prayer, 5 because of your partnership in the gospel from the first day until now. 6 I am sure of this, that he who started a good work in you[b] will carry it on to completion until the day of Christ Jesus.

He will ‘bring to an end’ – which is what ‘perfect’ means i n the Hebrew – work and labor which is about what His Plan desires from us to grow His Kingdom on earth, spread the Gospel, and He will not forsake the work He has started in us.

Of course, you can also highly desire those things outside of God’s will for you.

He does not help with those things, but works either around them, or though them, to bring you closer to Himself.

That is always His goal – to bring us closer to Himself, either here in this life, and certainly, in the eternal life.

God created humanity to labor in His Garden, harvest the first fruits of His love and when our work is accomplished on earth to go and live with Him in heaven.

Sin, because of our selfish human desires, complicated that original goal, but God has worked so His original goal is still possible – our eternal life with Him.

We are always major works in progress, but we will not be unfinished projects—because His love endures forever. Jesus’s life, death and resurrection shows that God keeps going in the middle of this project that is us seeing Him face-to-face.

You don’t have to worry – God will fulfill His purpose for you!

The Lord will fulfill His purpose for me – Psalm 138:8

Read Psalm 138:8: (Click on the verse to read it in various translations.)

“The Lord will fulfill his purpose for me; your steadfast love, O Lord, endures forever. Do not forsake the work of your hands.” ESV

What a powerful declaration!

The psalmist acknowledges that God has a specific purpose for his life, and he expresses his unwavering faith that the Lord will see it through to completion.

This verse reminds us; each of us has a unique purpose and calling in this world.

Our lives have meaning and significance in the grand tapestry of God’s plan, and because God’s great love for us endures forever, we can have confidence that faithfully, He will never forsake that sacred work He has begun in our lives.

It is important to note that God’s purpose for our lives may not always match up with our own expectations or desires.

Sometimes, we may face challenges, setbacks, or detours along the way.

But even in those moments, don’t worry, you can take heart in the truth that God’s purpose remains unshakable.

He is not limited by our circumstances or hindered by our failures.

In fact, He often works through them to shape you and me, teach us, and ultimately bring His vision of our future reality which is His perfect plan.

This past year I have wrestled with the idea that God accomplishes His purpose and His plan, His way, without my help.

I thought my labor was to help Him achieve His plan for me and my family.

But He clearly showed me that is not the case!

1 Corinthians 15:58 Amplified Bible

58 Therefore, my beloved brothers and sisters, be steadfast, immovable, always excelling in the work of the Lord [always doing your best and doing far more than is needed], being continually aware that your labor [even to the point of exhaustion] in the Lord is not futile nor wasted [it is never without purpose].

We labor in His fields tilling up those soils which are classed as impossible.

No matter how long it will take to do it, new ground will be made ready for planting, previously impossible will transformed into new opportunities.

Do you ever wrestle with this notion too?

Matthew 9:35-38 Christian Standard Bible

The Lord of the Harvest

35 Jesus continued going around to all the towns and villages, teaching in their synagogues, preaching the good news of the kingdom, and healing every[a]  disease and every sickness.[b][c] 36 When he saw the crowds, he felt compassion for them, because they were distressed and dejected, like sheep without a shepherd. 37 Then he said to his disciples, “The harvest is abundant, but the workers are few. 38 Therefore, pray to the Lord of the harvest to send out workers into his harvest.”

Do you find it hard to remain still, plant yourself in your brand new Lazy Boy recliner, as the God of the universe (Elohim) works out His purpose in your life?

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

Praying …..

Psalm 16
Confidence in the Lord
A Miktam of David.

1 Protect me, God, for I take refuge in you.
2 I[a] said to the Lord, “You are my Lord;
I have nothing good besides you.”[b]
3 As for the holy people who are in the land,
they are the noble ones.
All my delight is in them.
4 The sorrows of those who take another god
for themselves will multiply;
I will not pour out their drink offerings of blood,
and I will not speak their names with my lips.

5 Lord, you are my portion[c]
and my cup of blessing;
you hold my future.
6 The boundary lines have fallen for me
in pleasant places;
indeed, I have a beautiful inheritance.

7 I will bless the Lord who counsels me—
even at night when my thoughts trouble me.[d]
8 I always let the Lord guide me.[e]
Because he is at my right hand,
I will not be shaken.

9 Therefore my heart is glad
and my whole being rejoices;
my body also rests securely.
10 For you will not abandon me to Sheol;
you will not allow your faithful one to see decay.
11 You reveal the path of life to me;
in your presence is abundant joy;
at your right hand are eternal pleasures.

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://translate.google.com/

Surly His Word shall not fail you–He promised; Believe Him, and all will be well: Then go to a world that is dying, His perfect salvation forever to tell! Hebrews 12:1-3

Hebrews 12:1-3 Lexham English Bible

The Example of Jesus’ Suffering

12 Therefore, since[a] we also have such a great cloud of witnesses surrounding us, putting aside every weight and the sin that so easily ensnares us[b], let us run with patient endurance the race that has been set before us, 2 fixing our eyes on Jesus, the originator and perfecter of faith, who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross, disregarding the shame, and has sat down at the right hand of the throne of God. 3 For consider the one who endured such hostility by sinners against himself,[c] so that you will not grow weary in your souls and give up.

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.

Eyeballing The Example of Jesus’ Suffering

How many of us know and love the famous hymn, Turn Your Eyes Upon Jesus?

There really is a sense of purity and weightiness to many of the hymns we sing.

But this one strikes a particularly intimate chord, beckoning us to look up and out beyond our distractions, disappointments, and even our despair.

Not only is it calling us to shift our perspective, but to fix our gaze on the face of our Lord.

It is there that all of the cares of this world dim and fade in the light of His love and glory.

This hymn truly is one of my absolute favorites.

I actually wasn’t exposed to it until a bit later in life, but it was so influential that decades later, I still have a vivid memory of the first time I heard it.

I was driving my car to Gatlinburg Tennessee when Michael W. Smith first shared a beautiful rendition of these beloved lyrics. 

“Turn your eyes upon Jesus, Look full in His wonderful face,
And the things of earth will grow strangely dim,
In the light of His glory and grace.”

There is so much in our world that clamors for our attention.

In such a time of turbulent and volatile days as we are embroiled in right now, it is difficult to know exactly what or who we should be looking at or looking for.

Our challenges, our worries, our incessant need to be busy, and our constant pursuit of “happiness.”

All of which depletes our faith, steals our peace, and leaves us feeling lost, anxious, and hopeless.  

This is the slippery slope that can so easily lead us astray.  

Often, our distance from the Lord is not due to intentional rebellion but rather to a slow fading of affection.

As famously quoted by Corrie ten Boom,

“If the devil can’t make you bad, he’ll make you busy.”

True satisfaction can only be found in Him.

Nothing else will ever satisfy. 

In preparation for sharing about this hymn in today’s devotional, I conducted a little research to learn more about its origin and authorship.

The hymn was penned by Helen Lemmel in 1922.

Her own words were inspired by the life and poetry of a female missionary named Lilias Trotter, who encouraged those around her to

“turn your soul’s vision to Jesus, and look and look at Him… for ‘He is worthy’ to have all there is to be had in the heart that He has died to win.”

Jesus was, is, and always will be the answer to our questions, the treasure to our pursuit of riches, and the fulfillment of our innermost desires.

The God-shaped hole in each of our hearts will never be satisfied by the lesser things of this world.

The struggle truly is real.

The noise and allure of all that surrounds us will constantly bombard our hearts and minds. It will never go away while we remain in this fallen world. As such, it requires focused intentional effort on our part to break free of earthly bonds. 

But when we really think about it, the effort is so minimal.

All we have to do is look up and gird ourselves for what our Savior presents.

Just set down our phones, walk away from our planners, close our computers, or turn off the TV, and simply shift our gaze from the temporal to the eternal.

The Lord has already done all the hard work for us. 

“For the joy set before him he endured the cross, scorning its shame, and sat down at the right hand of the throne of God.” – Hebrews 12:2 (NIV)

The thing He is asking of us is to turn our eyes upon Him. As soon as we do, the things of this world will grow strangely dim in the light of His glory and grace.

Hebrews 8:6-13 The Message

6-13 But Jesus’ priestly work far surpasses what these other priests do, since he’s working from a far better plan. If the first plan—the old covenant—had worked out, a second wouldn’t have been needed. But we know the first was found wanting, because God said,

Heads up! The days are coming
    when I’ll set up a new plan
    for dealing with Israel and Judah.
I’ll throw out the old plan
    I set up with their ancestors
    when I led them by the hand out of Egypt.
They didn’t keep their part of the bargain,
    so I looked away and let it go.
This new plan I’m making with Israel
    isn’t going to be written on paper,
    isn’t going to be chiseled in stone;
This time I’m writing out the plan in them,
    carving it on the lining of their hearts.
I’ll be their God,
    they’ll be my people.
They won’t go to school to learn about me,
    or buy a book called God in Five Easy Lessons.
They’ll all get to know me firsthand,
    the little and the big, the small and the great.
They’ll get to know me by being kindly forgiven,
    with the slate of their sins forever wiped clean.

By coming up with a new plan, a new covenant between God and his people, God put the old plan on the shelf. And there it stays, gathering dust. 

The New Covenant of Grace

I can still remember the first time I really understood the gift of God’s grace.

I had been used to the idea of “earning” favor and approval from people, and that extended into ultimately seeking that everlasting approval from God.

It was a familiar pattern: Perform well, and you will be rewarded. Fail, and you are left with guilt and consequences. 

But grace is not like that.

It depends not on our performance but on God’s promises—sealed through Jesus. 

The writer of Hebrews contrasts the old covenant, which was based on laws and rituals, with the new covenant of grace established by the sacrifice of Jesus.

The old covenant required continuous sacrifices for sin, but Jesus, through his sacrifice of himself once for all, has made it possible for us to draw near to God, being loved and forgiven. 

The new covenant means that we no longer need to fear God’s judgment.

We are invited into an intimate relationship with God, marked not by our obedience but by God’s perfect love.

No matter what our mistakes are, God’s grace is always greater.

This is the good news of salvation—the new covenant in our Savior Jesus. 

As we reflect on all this, let’s envision the freedom that comes with His grace.

No longer bound by old rules, we can live, love and move in His hope and peace, knowing God has established a new way for us to be fully loved and forgiven.

Do you feel overwhelmed, distracted, or lost?

If so, how do you attempt to comfort yourself or ease your worries?

I encourage you to take some time today to listen to the timeless truths of this hymn.

I pray it ministers to your aching or anxious soul as we finally lift our sin laden, sin poisoned human eyes to ultimately cast your gaze upon Him and Him alone.

And may we all remove our blinders to behold Him in His light, love, and grace. 

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

Praying ….

Psalm 19 New American Standard Bible

The Works and the Word of God.

For the music director. A Psalm of David.

19 The heavens tell of the glory of God;
And their expanse declares the work of His hands.
2 Day to day pours forth speech,
And night to night reveals knowledge.
3 There is no speech, nor are there words;
Their voice is not heard.
4 Their [a]line has gone out into all the earth,
And their words to the end of the world.
In them He has placed a tent for the sun,
5 Which is like a groom coming out of his chamber;
It rejoices like a strong person to run his course.
6 Its rising is from [b]one end of the heavens,
And its circuit to the [c]other end of them;
And there is nothing hidden from its heat.

7 The Law of the Lord is [d]perfect, restoring the soul;
The testimony of the Lord is sure, making wise the simple.
8 The precepts of the Lord are right, rejoicing the heart;
The commandment of the Lord is pure, enlightening the eyes.
9 The fear of the Lord is clean, enduring forever;
The judgments of the Lord are true; they are righteous altogether.
10 They are more desirable than gold, yes, than much pure gold;
Sweeter also than honey and drippings of the honeycomb.
11 Moreover, Your servant is warned by them;
In keeping them there is great reward.
12 Who can discern his errors? Acquit me of hidden faults.
13 Also keep Your servant back from presumptuous sins;
Let them not rule over me;
Then I will be innocent,
And I will be blameless of great wrongdoing.
14 May the words of my mouth and the meditation of my heart
Be acceptable in Your sight,
Lord, my rock and my Redeemer.

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://translate.google.com/

What’s in a name anyway? Therefore God has highly exalted him, bestowed upon him the only name that is above every other name. Philippians 2:5-11

Philippians 2:5-11 Modern English Version

5 Let this mind be in you all, which was also in Christ Jesus,

6 who, being in the form of God,
    did not consider equality with God something to be grasped.
7 But He emptied Himself,
    taking upon Himself the form of a servant,
    and was made in the likeness of men.
8 And being found in the form of a man,
    He humbled Himself
    and became obedient to death,
        even death on a cross.
9 Therefore God highly exalted Him
    and gave Him the name which is above every name,
10 that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow,
    of those 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.[a]

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 famous passage about Christ in Philippians 2:5-11 is usually described as a “hymn,” and is usually taken to celebrate the inverted parabola of Christ’s descent from heaven, his incarnation as man, nadir of his death on the cross, followed by his return to heaven and exaltation to a position equal to or perhaps higher than the one he left.

The phrase “being in the form of God” is understood to be a reference to his pre-existent divinity, though scholars disagree wildly over how exactly en morphē theou would express that idea. Perhaps the commonest views would be that morphē somehow refers either to the inner nature of God or to his glory.

Christ made the decision not to exploit his pre-existent status—not to hold on to the equality with God that he had by virtue of being in the form of God.

Instead, he emptied himself of at least some part of his divinity and became incarnate as a man.

At the lowest point of his cosmic journey, he was crucified, as though of no more value than a slave.

God, however, raised him from the dead, and restored him to his former heavenly position and status.

The “name” given to him has been variously interpreted (Lord? God?), but there is general agreement Jesus now receives the worship to which only YHWH was entitled according to Isaiah:

Turn to me and be saved, all the ends of the earth! For I am God, and there is no other. By myself I have sworn; from my mouth has gone out in righteousness a word that shall not return: “To me every knee shall bow, every tongue shall swear allegiance.” (Is. 45:22–23)

In a very real sense the best summary of the message of the Bible and the most fundamental truth in this universe is simply this: Jesus Christ is Lord.

Most theologians agree that “the name” that Paul refers to in verse 9 can only be “Lord” (Philippians 2:11).

Here, the Greek word for “Lord” is kyrios, which is also used as the translation of God’s divine name, Yahweh, over 6,000 times in the Septuagint (the Greek translation of the Old Testament)—the name that is rendered in most English Bibles today as Lord.

Paul’s implied use of God’s divine name emphasizes Jesus’ divinity, just after he has reminded us about Jesus’ humiliation during His time on earth.

Comprising four consonants (YHWH), Yahweh is basically unpronounceable in Hebrew—and purposefully so, for Jews did not dare take this divine name of God upon their lips.

Yet Yahweh, the indescribable God, came to earth as the incarnate Christ and revealed Himself to men and women.

He humbly went to the cross, and then He was raised to the highest place—His rightful place—and given this name “above every name.”

Says one commentator, “He has changed the ineffable name, into a name uttered by man and desirable by all the world.”

In the one who bears this name, God’s majesty “is all arrayed in robes of mercy.”

Old Testament prophecy reinforces this idea again and again.

In Isaiah 45, God gives a description that applies exclusively to Himself: “There is no other god besides me, a righteous God and a Savior; there is none besides me” (Isaiah 45:21).

Paul, once an aggressive opponent of Christ and His followers, applies this very description to Christ, making an impressive declaration of His deity.

He points out that Jesus has been publicly exalted to the position that was rightfully His even before He came to earth to suffer humiliation on our behalf.

He is now seated at the Father’s right hand.

His majesty is there for all who know Him as Savior to see.

His identity is unclouded and undoubted.

God is the only Savior—and Jesus is that Savior, of whom it was said, “You shall call his name Jesus, for he will save his people from their sins” (Matthew 1:21).

Years after Paul first had his eyes opened to the truth about who Jesus is, we can still catch a sense of awed reverence and love in his words to the Philippians.

Jesus Christ is LORD.

He possesses the name above all names.

Paul never allowed familiarity with this truth to breed complacency about it.

Neither must we.

Pause now and allow each word to prompt you to an awed praise of this man: Jesus, the Savior of His people… Christ, the long-promised King… is LORD, the indescribable, revealed God. And you get to call Him “brother” (Hebrews 2:11).

The Higher Glory

We have been talking about having the mindset of Christ and following his example of ­humility.

When it comes to humility, no one can be humbler than Christ, who gave up his own life so that all who call on his name can be saved to have new life forever.

And because Jesus did that, God also raised him from the grave and “­exalted him to the highest place.”

He started out as the Son of God in heaven,

Then he willingly became a suffering servant who swooped down to the lowest of depths by dying on a cross for our sake. Then God reversed it all and swung Jesus upward to rule in heaven over everything.

The words Paul uses to ­describe this position have to do with the power of the highest name: “God . . . gave him the name that is above every name.”

And what is that name?

It is Jesus (meaning “Savior”), and it is Christ (meaning “Anointed One”).

Jesus Christ is the Lord, the sovereign ruler, over all things.

His name is so glorious the day will come when every knee will bow to honor him, every tongue will sing songs to “acknowledge that Jesus Christ is Lord.”

Jesus Christ, who died and rose again, is Lord of the cosmos.

All glory be to him forever and ever!

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

Praying ….

Psalm 19

For the Music Director. A Psalm of David.

1 The heavens declare the glory of God,
    and the firmament shows His handiwork.
2 Day unto day utters speech,
    and night unto night declares knowledge.
3 There is no speech and there are no words;
    their voice is not heard.
4 Their line has gone out through all the earth,
    and their words to the end of the world.

In them has He set a tent for the sun,
5     which is like a bridegroom coming out of his chamber;
    it rejoices as a strong man to run a race.
6 Its going forth is from one end of the heavens,
    and its circuit extends to the other end,
    and there is nothing hidden from its heat.

7 The law of the Lord is perfect,
    converting the soul;
the testimony of the Lord is sure,
    making wise the simple;
8 the statutes of the Lord are right,
    rejoicing the heart;
the commandment of the Lord is pure,
    enlightening the eyes;
9 the fear of the Lord is clean,
    enduring forever;
the judgments of the Lord are true
    and righteous altogether.

10 More to be desired are they than gold,
    yes, than much fine gold;
    sweeter also than honey and the honeycomb.
11 Moreover by them is Your servant warned,
    and by keeping them comes great reward.
12 Who can understand his errors?
    Cleanse me from secret faults.
13 Keep back Your servant also from presumptuous sins;
    may they not rule over me.
Then I will be upright
    and innocent from great transgression.

14 Let the words of my mouth and the meditation of my heart
    be acceptable in Your sight,
    O Lord, my strength and my Redeemer.

https://translate.google.com/

Bucket list Ultimate Adrenaline Rush; Being, Going, on an once in a lifetime Adventure with God. Psalm 139:7-12

Psalm 139:7-12 Modern English Version

7 Where shall I go from Your spirit,
    or where shall I flee from Your presence?
8 If I ascend to heaven, You are there;
    if I make my bed in Sheol, You are there.
9 If I take the wings of the morning
    and dwell at the end of the sea,
10 even there Your hand shall guide me,
    and Your right hand shall take hold of me.
11 If I say, “Surely the darkness shall cover me,
    and the light shall be as night about me,”
12 even the darkness is not dark to You,
    but the night shines as the day,
    for the darkness is like light to You.

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’s a new adventure you hope to experience this year?

Is there a place you’re excited about traveling to visit, a new skill you’d like to learn, or a project or role you desperately want to start at work or at church? 

No matter what kind of adventure it is, you probably feel a mix of both excitement and fear because of all the responsibility, uncertainty involved.

The fear may be causing you to hesitate, but don’t let fear take over.

If you have prayed for God’s guidance to make the best decisions, and you sense God leading you to go on that adventure, you can move forward with confidence even while still feeling afraid. 

Psalm 139:9-10 vividly describes why you can be confident: God will go with you, God will be with you, God will shield you all time anytime and anywhere! 

There’s no time of day or night when God won’t be with you.

There’s no place you can go where God won’t be with you.

What are the five extreme environments?

Examples of extreme environments include the geographical poles, very arid deserts, volcanoes, deep ocean trenches, upper atmosphere, outer space, and the environments of every planet in the Solar System except the Earth.

https://www.sciencefocus.com/planet-earth/earths-most-extreme-towns

Psalm 139:7-12Expanded Bible

7 Where can I go to get away from your Spirit?
    Where can I ·run [flee] from you?
8 If I ·go [climb] up to the heavens, you are there.
    If I ·lie down [spread out; make my bed] in ·the grave [L Sheol; C the grave or the underworld], you are there.
9 If I rise with the ·sun in the east [L wings of the dawn]
    and settle in the ·west beyond [L back of] the sea,
10 even there ·you [L your hand] would guide me.
    With your right hand you would ·hold [grab; seize] me.

11 I could say, “The darkness will ·hide [cover] me.
    Let the light around me turn into night.”
12 But even the darkness is not dark to you.
    The night ·is as light as [shines like] the day;
darkness and light are the same to you.

As these verses point out, even if you leave as soon as the dawn of a new day or go somewhere far away like overseas, you will always still be in God’s hands. 

Adventures are vital for your spiritual growth.

Any trip or class you want to take, any professional or volunteer opportunity to serve in new ways, Acts 1:8 spread the Gospel to all points of a compass, is truly worth praying over and planning for the day God leads you to move forward.

Staying in your comfort zone won’t help you grow closer to God, but adventures will! When you step into an adventure, you realize you cannot do it alone, which motivates you to look for, seek after, God’s own presence to connect with him. 

An adventure stretches your faith so it can become more resilient.

As you travel somewhere new, you can see the vastness of the world God created and discover more about how unlimited God’s love and power are.

If you take on a new project at work, you can discover talents God tucked away inside you that never would have surfaced if you hadn’t worked on that project.

If you serve people, your neighbor’s, in a new way at church, you can experience the blessings of experiencing God’s love flow through your life in fresh ways. 

Whenever you start a new adventure – whenever you “rise on the wings of the dawn” – you can count on God to show up on time to meet you.

Wherever “the far side of the sea” is for you, you don’t have to worry about what might happen there, because God will go there with you.

An adventure may lead you to a new schedule or take you to a new place on a map, but God doesn’t just give you a schedule and a map and then leave you alone to figure it out.

These verses promise that God’s hand will “hold you fast.”

God isn’t watching you from a distance. 

God is walking beside you as your personal guide, no matter when and where you go. 

So, pray on an adventure with God sometime soon!

If you take a risk and feel like an impostor, don’t worry, because God will hold you fast.

If you start a new journey and feel afraid of what might happen along the way, God will hold you fast.

You can afford to be brave because you have your loving and powerful Heavenly Father right beside you.

Don’t let the fear of the “far side of the sea” keep you stuck on the shore.

The dawn is rising, and God is already there, waiting to guide you on a new adventure that will bless you!

Intersecting Faith & Life:

As you consider why it’s important to go on adventures and to trust God to go with you, reflect on these questions:

  • What’s one adventure (like a trip or a project) you’ve been putting off because of fear of what might happen if you moved forward? 
  • Looking back at a past challenge, how can you see now that God was holding your hand when you were in the middle of that challenge? 
  • In what ways do you find it easier to trust yourself rather than trusting God when your circumstances are comfortable? 
  • How does the idea that God will be there for you anytime and anywhere change your perspective on taking risks? 
  • What’s one step you can take this week to move toward the next adventure God is calling you to go on? 

Psalm 139:1-6 is a profound declaration of God’s complete and intimate knowledge of us.

The psalmist, David, acknowledges that God sees every aspect of our lives—our actions, thoughts, and even our unspoken words.

It is awe-inspiring to think that God knows us so thoroughly; not just the surface level but the innermost depths of our hearts and minds.

There is no place in our lives where God’s gaze does not reach.

This all-knowing nature of God reminds us that we cannot hide from Him, yet it also assures us of His constant presence and care.

This recognition of God’s omniscience invites us to approach Him with sacred humility.

We don’t need to pretend or hide parts of ourselves.

There is comfort in knowing that God understands us fully, even when we struggle to understand ourselves.

His perfect knowledge of us is an important reminder that we can trust Him completely with our lives. The psalmist’s declaration also shows us that God is actively involved in every detail of our lives—nothing escapes His attention.

This brings us (John 14:27) Shalom, knowing we are never alone in our journey.

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

Praying …..

God’s Works and Word

For the director of music. A psalm of David.

19 The heavens ·declare [recount; narrate] the glory [C the manifest presence] of God,
    and the ·skies [firmament; dome; Gen. 1:6] ·announce [speak out] ·what his hands have made [L the works of his hands].
2 Day after day they ·tell the story [L bubble/pour forth speech];
    night after night they ·tell it again [L declare knowledge].
3 They have no speech or words;
    they have no voice to be heard.
4 But their ·message [L line] goes out through all the world;
    their words go ·everywhere on [L to the ends of the] earth.
·The sky [Heaven; L In them] is like a ·home [L tent] for the sun.
5 The sun comes out like a bridegroom from his ·bedroom [L wedding chamber].
    It rejoices like an ·athlete [strong man] eager to run a race.
6 The sun rises at one end of the ·sky [heavens]
    and ·follows its path [L its circuit is] to the other end.
Nothing hides from its heat.

7 The ·teachings [laws; instructions] of the Lord are perfect;
    they ·give new strength [T revive the soul].
The ·rules [testimonies] of the Lord ·can be trusted [are faithful/sure];
    they make ·plain [simpleminded; immature] people wise [Prov. 1:4].
8 The orders of the Lord are ·right [virtuous];
    ·they make people happy [L rejoicing the heart].
The commands of the Lord are pure;
    ·they light up the way [L giving light to the eyes].
9 ·Respect [Fear] for the Lord [Prov. 1:7] is ·good [pure];
    it will ·last [endure] forever.
The judgments of the Lord are true;
    they are ·completely [altogether] ·right [righteous].
10 They are ·worth [desired; coveted] more than gold,
    even ·the purest [fine] gold.
They are sweeter than honey,
    even the ·finest honey [L droppings of the honeycomb].
11 By them your servant is warned.
    ·Keeping [Observing] them brings great reward.

12 ·People cannot [L Who can…?] ·see [detect; L understand] their own ·mistakes [errors].
    ·Forgive [Clear] me for my ·secret [hidden] sins.
13 ·Keep me [L Restrain your servant] from ·the sins of pride [proud thoughts];
    don’t let them ·rule [dominate] me.
Then I can be pure
    and innocent of the greatest of sins.

14 ·I hope my ·words [L The words of my mouth] and ·thoughts [meditations of my heart] ·please [L be before] you.
Lord, you are my Rock, ·the one who saves me [L and my redeemer].

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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I wish I could see God’s will for a decision I have to make. I wish I could just see Jesus face-to-face. Luke 24:28-31

Luke 24:28-31 Amplified Bible

28 Then they approached the village where they were going, and He acted as if He were going farther. 29 But they urged Him [not to go on], saying, “Stay with us, because it is almost evening, and the day has just about ended.” So He went inside to stay with them. 30 And it happened that as He reclined at the table with them, He took the bread and blessed it, and breaking it, He began giving it to them. 31 Then their eyes were [suddenly] opened [by God] and they [clearly] recognized Him; and He vanished from their sight.

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.

I often wish I could see better.

I wish I could see Jesus face-to-face.

I wish I could see God’s will for a decision I have to make.

I wish I could see God’s power so clearly that I have courage to do what is right even when the risks seem immense.

I am reminded of a quote by Alister McGrath, who once said,

“Within each of us exists the image of God, however disfigured and corrupted by sin it may presently be. God is able to recover this image through grace as we are conformed to Christ.”

The two followers of Jesus in our text for today received the gift of seeing how the Old Testament Scriptures pointed to Jesus and his resurrection—and they even saw the resurrected Jesus himself!

What an miraculous day for them!

Ironically, just as they began to see that the person breaking the bread before them was actually the Lord himself, Jesus disappeared.

So they had to continue to believe and act faithfully even when they didn’t see Jesus face to face.

For all of us: We all have moments when we fail to recognize Jesus in our lives.

We get caught up in our problems and worries. We feel lost and hopeless. But Jesus is always there. He is always ready to reveal Himself to us.

All we need to do is open our eyes and recognize Him.

It’s about understanding: It is about knowing Jesus personally.

It is about having a relationship with Him.

When we recognize Jesus, we acknowledge His presence in our lives.

We accept His love and grace.

It’s about understanding: It is about knowing Jesus personally.

It is about having a relationship with Him.

When we recognize Jesus, we acknowledge His presence in our lives.

We accept His love and grace.

We commit to following His teachings.

This recognition brings us closer to Jesus.

It deepens our faith.

It gives us hope and peace.

We commit to following His teachings.

This recognition brings us closer to Jesus.

It deepens our faith. It gives us hope and peace.

It’s a joy to see those two disciples respond by making a faith-filled run back to Jerusalem to report to the other disciples what, who, they had seen and heard.

Truth be told, Jesus invites all of us who don’t see him to live in his presence anyway, as if he is with us, breaking the bread.

He does promise, after all, that he is with us always (Matthew 28:20).

And as we live in his presence, by the power of God’s Spirit, we can testify to the authentic reality of God’s new creation in us, launched with Jesus’ resurrection.


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

Praying ….

Psalm 16 Complete Jewish Bible

16 (0) Mikhtam. By David:

(1) Protect me, God,
for you are my refuge.
2 I said to Adonai, “You are my Lord;
I have nothing good outside of you.”
3 The holy people in the land are the ones
who are worthy of honor; all my pleasure is in them.

4 Those who run after another god
multiply their sorrows;
To such gods I will not offer
drink offerings of blood
or take their names on my lips.

5 Adonai, my assigned portion, my cup:
you safeguard my share.
6 Pleasant places were measured out for me;
I am content with my heritage.

7 I bless Adonai, my counselor;
at night my inmost being instructs me.
8 I always set Adonai before me;
with him at my right hand, I can never be moved;
9 so my heart is glad, my glory rejoices,
and my body too rests in safety;
10 for you will not abandon me to Sh’ol,
you will not let your faithful one see the Abyss.
11 You make me know the path of life;
in your presence is unbounded joy,
in your right hand eternal delight.

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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Praying and Preparing our hearts for Easter truth; Jesus Christ has been raised up, the first in a long legacy of those going to leave their cemeteries. 1 Corinthians 15:16-23

1 Corinthians 15:16-23 Authorized (King James) Version

16 For if the dead rise not, then is not Christ raised: 17 and if Christ be not raised, your faith is vain; ye are yet in your sins. 18 Then they also which are fallen asleep in Christ are perished. 19 If in this life only we have hope in Christ, we are of all men most miserable. 20 But now is Christ risen from the dead, and become the firstfruits of them that slept. 21 For since by man came death, by man came also the resurrection of the dead. 22 For as in Adam all die, even so in Christ shall all be made alive. 23 But every man in his own order: Christ the firstfruits; afterward they that are Christ’s at his .

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.

Each Easter Sunday, we rejoice in the resurrection of Jesus from death to life.

We recognize His resurrection isn’t just a miracle for Him, it’s a miracle for us, too.

Because He rose from the grave, we will also rise.

Too often, though, we will miss the hope His resurrection and the celebration of Easter bring into our lives.

We will focus so much on Jesus rising from the dead that we will also forget to rejoice in what it means for us and our eternal futures.

Savior Jesus, the first to rise from the grave, freed from sin and death to live forevermore, is also the first in history to be raised to life in a glorified body.

As the Apostle Paul explained,

“But our citizenship is in heaven. And we eagerly await a Savior from there, the Lord Jesus Christ, who, by the power that enables Him to bring everything under His control, will transform our lowly bodies so that they will be like His glorious body” (Philippians 3:20-21).

In Biblical days, believers set aside the firstfruits of their harvest as an offering to God.

This act of sacrifice symbolized and consecrated the entire harvest to come.

Scripture records others being raised from the dead before Jesus, Colossians 1:18 describes Him as the beginning and the firstborn from among the dead.

Those raised before Him eventually died again, but Jesus lives forever, never to die again:

“And He is the head of the body, the church; He is the beginning and the firstborn from among the dead, so that in everything He might have the supremacy.”

Paul explains to us in Romans 6:9, “For we know that since Christ was raised from the dead, He cannot die again; death no longer has mastery over Him.”

Jesus Is the Promise 

Because Jesus now lives in His glorified body, He is the promise of our own glorified bodies to come.

Through His life, His death, and resurrection comes the promise of a harvest of living souls who will also be raised from death to life.

Jesus is the firstborn from the dead—the Son of God who rose victorious from the grave, overcoming, destroying death, breaking its power, and conquering it forever.

The Apostle John wrote,

“And from Jesus Christ, who is the faithful witness, the firstborn from the dead, and the ruler of the kings of the earth. To Him who loves us and has freed us from our sins by His blood” (Revelation 1:5).

Jesus Defeated Death

Matthew 27:50-53 describes Jesus defeating death once and for all, as well as the extraordinary events that took place at His crucifixion and resurrection:

“And when Jesus had cried out again in a loud voice, He gave up His spirit. At that moment the curtain of the temple was torn in two from top to bottom. The earth shook, the rocks split and the tombs broke open. The bodies of many holy people who had died were raised to life. They came out of the tombs after Jesus’ resurrection and went into the holy city and appeared to many people.”

Although they would physically die again, they would live forevermore.

As 1 Corinthians 15:54 explains it, “When the perishable has been clothed with the imperishable, and the mortal with immortality, then the saying that is written will come true: ‘Death has been swallowed up in victory.’”

Should Christians Be Afraid of Death?

While visiting an elderly member of our church, I read the passage in John 14:1-6 where Jesus promises to prepare a place for us.

When I was finished reading, she said she did not understand why it should take the Lord so long to get her place ready.

She added, “I don’t need anything fancy.” Instead of being afraid of death, she could not wait to be with the Savior.

But not every Christian faces death without fear.

Shortly before he died, my dad asked,

“Will God accept me when I die? So much has gone wrong in my life.” Someone else asked me, “Will everything be all right when I die?”

If you are afraid of death, be willing to admit it.

The apostle Paul calls death “our last enemy.”

We have been created to live.

It was the fall into sin that brought death into our lives.

It’s natural for us to want to live and keep on living.

So it’s also natural to fear death, which can be painful and a bit scary—even terrifying. But Jesus came to free us from sin and from the threat of death.

He gave up his own life for our sake, and then he rose from the dead, so “death has been swallowed up in victory” (1 Corinthians 15:54).

Only the Lord can take away our fear of death.

We have the guarantee that even as we near death, we don’t have to be afraid because God will be there with us and will take us to live with him!

He said it Himself in John 11:25: “Jesus said to her, ‘I am the resurrection and the life. The one who believes in Me will live, even though they die.’”

But also asked this ….

John 11:25-26 Amplified Bible

25 Jesus said to her, “[a]I am the Resurrection and the Life. Whoever believes in (adheres to, trusts in, relies on) Me [as Savior] will live even if he dies; 26 and everyone who lives and believes in Me [as Savior] will never die.

Do you believe this?”

Psalm 27 English Standard Version

The Lord Is My Light and My Salvation

Of David.

27 The Lord is my light and my salvation;
    whom shall I fear?
The Lord is the stronghold[a] of my life;
    of whom shall I be afraid?

2 When evildoers assail me
    to eat up my flesh,
my adversaries and foes,
    it is they who stumble and fall.

3 Though an army encamp against me,
    my heart shall not fear;
though war arise against me,
    yet[b] I will be confident.

4 One thing have I asked of the Lord,
    that will I seek after:
that I may dwell in the house of the Lord
    all the days of my life,
to gaze upon the beauty of the Lord
    and to inquire[c] in his temple.

5 For he will hide me in his shelter
    in the day of trouble;
he will conceal me under the cover of his tent;
    he will lift me high upon a rock.

6 And now my head shall be lifted up
    above my enemies all around me,
and I will offer in his tent
    sacrifices with shouts of joy;
I will sing and make melody to the Lord.

7 Hear, O Lord, when I cry aloud;
    be gracious to me and answer me!
8 You have said, “Seek[d] my face.”
My heart says to you,
    “Your face, Lord, do I seek.”[e]
9     Hide not your face from me.
Turn not your servant away in anger,
    O you who have been my help.
Cast me not off; forsake me not,
    O God of my salvation!
10 For my father and my mother have forsaken me,
    but the Lord will take me in.

11 Teach me your way, O Lord,
    and lead me on a level path
    because of my enemies.
12 Give me not up to the will of my adversaries;
    for false witnesses have risen against me,
    and they breathe out violence.

13 I believe that I shall look[f] upon the goodness of the Lord
    in the land of the living!
14 Wait for the Lord;
    be strong, and let your heart take courage;
    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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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

44 It was now about the sixth hour,[a] and there was darkness over the whole land until the ninth hour,[b] 45 while the sun’s light failed. And the curtain of the temple was torn in two. 46 Then Jesus, calling out with a loud voice, said,  “Father, into your hands I commit my spirit!” And having said this he breathed his last. 47 Now when the centurion saw what had taken place, he began praising and honoring God, saying, “Certainly this Man was innocent.” 48 All 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]. 49 And 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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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

8 But 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. 9 The 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.

10 But 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]

11 Since everything will be destroyed in this way, what kind of people ought you to be? You ought to live holy and godly lives 12 as 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. 13 But in keeping with his promise we are looking forward to a new heaven and a new earth, where righteousness dwells.

14 So then, dear friends, since you are looking forward to this, make every effort to be found spotless, blameless and at peace with him. 15 Bear 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. 16 He 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.

17 Therefore, 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. 18 But 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

8 Nevertheless, 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. 9 The 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. 29 Even so, you too, when you see these things happening, know [for certain] that He is near, right at the door. 30 I 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. 31 Heaven and earth [as now known] will [a]pass away, but My words will not pass away. 32 But 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. 34 It 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. 35 Therefore, 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. 37  What 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

8 Nevertheless, 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. 9 The 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.

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; 15 nor 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. 16 Let 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. 18 For 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. 19 So 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. 2 The name of his firstborn was Joel, and the name of his second, Abijah; they were judging in Beersheba. 3 His sons, however, did not walk in his ways but turned aside after dishonest gain, and they took bribes and perverted justice.

4 Then all the elders of Israel gathered together and came to Samuel at Ramah; 5 and 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.” 6 But 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. 7 And 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. 8 Like 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. 9 Now 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

10 So Samuel spoke all the words of the Lord to the people who had asked him for a king. 11 And 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. 12 He 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. 13 He will also take your daughters and use them as perfumers, cooks, and bakers. 14 He will take the best of your fields, your vineyards, and your olive groves, and give them to his servants. 15 And he will take a tenth of your seed and your vineyards and give it to his high officials and his servants. 16 He 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. 17 He will take a tenth of your flocks, and you yourselves will become his servants. 18  Then 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.”

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

7-9 God 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.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

10 Who 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. 4 Never make your own carved idols or statues that represent any creature in the sky, on the earth, or in the water. 5 Never 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. 6 But 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

26 Then 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.”

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

28 Elohim 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

31 So 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. 32 And 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.

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

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

3 When 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.

9 O 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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