There is always time for everything, a time and season for endless vanities, chasing the wind with a net, a season for every activity under the heavens. Is there any time being left for God? Ecclesiastes 3:1-14

Ecclesiastes 3:1-14 Revised Standard Version

Everything Has Its Time

3 For everything there is a season, and a time for every matter under heaven:

²a time to be born, and a time to die;
a time to plant, and a time to pluck up what is planted;
³a time to kill, and a time to heal;
a time to break down, and a time to build up;
⁴a time to weep, and a time to laugh;
a time to mourn, and a time to dance;
⁵a time to cast away stones, and a time to gather stones together;
a time to embrace, and a time to refrain from embracing;
⁶a time to seek, and a time to lose;
a time to keep, and a time to cast away;
⁷a time to rend, and a time to sew;
a time to keep silence, and a time to speak;
⁸a time to love, and a time to hate;
a time for war, and a time for peace.

The God-Given Task

⁹What gain has the worker from his toil?

¹⁰I have seen the business that God has given to the sons of men to be busy with. ¹¹He has made everything beautiful in its time; also he has put eternity into man’s mind, yet so that he cannot find out what God has done from the beginning to the end. ¹²I know that there is nothing better for them than to be happy and enjoy themselves as long as they live; ¹³also that it is God’s gift to man that every one should eat and drink and take pleasure in all his toil. ¹⁴I know that whatever God does endures for ever; nothing can be added to it, nor anything taken from it; God has made it so, in order that men should fear before him.

The Word of God for the Children of God.

Glory be to the Father,
and to the Son, and to the Holy Ghost;
as it was in the beginning,
is now, and ever shall be,
world without end. Amen, amen.

God, the Eternity Setter

I can still remember the sound of the little tiny bird that popped out of the old cuckoo clock on the back wall at the now gone clock store. Every hour, on the hour, a red faded bird would announce the time. I also recall that when the bird was quiet, I could yet hear the second hand ticking away the seconds of the day.

It’s often said that you can’t get time back, you cannot reset time to the better life you had however many years ago you had them, you can’t return to the days when you first saw your spouse, so it’s best to make use of the time you have.

And you certainly cannot go back to the first days of creation when God spoke and there was light, there was dark, there were the first stars, first life on earth.

You cannot return to the days of David and Goliath and witness that victory.

You cannot interview any of the ancient heroes of the faith, Moses, Abraham, Joshua, Gideon or Samuel or Elijah or Elisha, the psalmists or all the prophets for your school essays, master’s thesis, college dissertations, next sermons.

There will be no eye witness accounts of Mary’s encounter with Angel or the virgin birth, the shepherds being shocked in the middle of the night by angels.

As much as we would certainly welcome the opportunity, we will never hear our names really being spoken out loud by an itinerant Master Rabbi named Jesus.

There is no chance we will witness the miraculous healings, stilling of the great storm from the Gospel of Mark chapter 4:35-41, nor encounter the one named legion before and after his encounter with Jesus. We will not observe their faces.

There is no way we will see Lazarus walk out of his tomb or hear those words which were spoken by Jesus which called Lazarus back to the land of living.

Who would not want to be in that Upper Room when Jesus celebrated that last Passover, to see him wash all those feet, break his body the bread, pour out his blood from the central cup? Walk with him to the Garden of Gethsemane to be witnesses to his tears of blood shed as he prayed to his Father for his release?

His betrayal? Everyone running away naked into the night to avoid arrest? If we were on the scene with all those disciples, would our devotion to Jesus’ own life be enough for us to stay and get between him, the mob of Temple authorities?

Would we have done anything to intervene, intercede, to start a great riot to somehow stop the life threatening injustices being perpetrated upon Jesus?

What about stopping the meeting with Pilate – would we step forward to be Jesus’ advocate, speak for him who did not speak one word to defend himself?

Would we have willingly helped Jesus carry his cross as Simon of Cyrene did?

Would we have done anything at Golgotha to save Jesus’ broken body, would we have rushed forward, whatever weapon was available, overpower the guards?

All of these biblical moments which we can only interpret with our 21st century eyes, act for benefit of all – take Jesus away, heal him, so he keeps ministering?

The bible is so very full of exciting and miraculous moments and words which seek to draw us into those excited moments penned by the original narrators who had their own on the scene at the exact moment of its first occurrences.

No, there is no time for anyone in the present to do anything fantastic to go back into time and bring back to us all today, an actual eye witness account.

I am writing this devotion today. though the author of Ecclesiastes didn’t write those words , they sound like something he might have said. In Ecclesiastes we hear the words of a person who has had the opportunity to look back on his life and recall the joys, concerns, victories, and defeats he has experienced. We hear someone who reflects how important each season was to our 21st century time.

Notably, wise King Solomon, who penned Ecclesiastes, ends his short detailed reflection by commenting that God makes all things beautiful in their time and sets eternity in the human heart (v. 11). That brings me back to those days in an old clock makers store with the cuckoo clocks, and I remember stories that they shared around the jewelers cabinets with clocks ticking and birds singing away.

I can’t get that precious time back, can almost remember the clock makers face but the beauty of those memories lives on, and thoughts of reuniting with those moments in God’s presence in eternity brings me 1000% joy, now and forever!

Take some special time today and through Thanksgiving and Christmas, and New Years to dig deep into the stories of the Bible, mine them for truths they reveal, to get rich on the presence of God, the Father, the Son and Holy Spirit.

Precious Memories … How they Linger … How they ever Flood my Soul … In the stillness, of the midnight … Precious Sacred Scenes unfold … Alleluia! Amen!

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

Let us Pray,

Psalm 113 Complete Jewish Bible

113 Halleluyah!

Servants of Adonai, give praise!
Give praise to the name of Adonai!
²Blessed be the name of Adonai
from this moment on and forever!
³From sunrise until sunset
Adonai’s name is to be praised.
⁴Adonai is high above all nations,
his glory above the heavens.
⁵Who is like Adonai our God,
seated in the heights,
⁶humbling himself to look
on heaven and on earth.

⁷He raises the poor from the dust,
lifts the needy from the rubbish heap,
⁸in order to give him a place among princes,
among the princes of his people.

⁹He causes the childless woman
to live at home happily as a mother of children.

Halleluyah!

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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So Overflowing With Thankfulness, Transformed by the Truth; Planted, Rooted, Watered, Built Up In Christ. Colossians 2:6-7

Colossians 2:6-7 New International Version

Spiritual Fullness in Christ

⁶So then, just as you received Christ Jesus as Lord, continue to live your lives in him, ⁷rooted and built up in him, strengthened in the faith as you were taught, and overflowing with thankfulness.

The Word of God for the Children of God.

Glory be to the Father,
and to the Son, and to the Holy Ghost;
as it was in the beginning,
is now, and ever shall be,
world without end. Amen, amen.

If we walk around with a full glass of water, and someone ‘accidently’ bumps into us unexpectedly, whatever water is inside it will come flying, spilling out.

The same principle also applies to our Christian character: if we are filled with water flavored with hair triggered bitterness, ingratitude, envy, or jealousy too, then it won’t take much (.001%) of a “bump” for what is within us to overflow.

As Paul wrote to the Colossian Christians, whom he has never seen or interacted with in on the ground ministry, he encouraged them in his writings, instead to be marked by a grateful, thankful heart, a key characteristic of the Christian life.

The word Paul uses to describe this thankfulness, “abounding,” comes from a fairly common Greek word, perisseuo.

https://www.blueletterbible.org/kjv/col/2/6-7/t_conc_1109007

https://www.blueletterbible.org/lexicon/g4052/kjv/tr/0-1/

In other places in Scripture and in other English translations, its root is translated as “overflowing.” Paul’s meaning is clear: when people “bumped into” these believers, the overspill, he instructed, was to be thankfulness.

When men and women have not been transformed by Christ, ingratitude—along with its resulting bitterness, complaining, anger, and malice—often marks their lives. In Christ Jesus, however, believers trade ingratitude for abounding, overflowing thanksgiving, bitterness for joy, and anger for peace.

Having heard of God’s grace in all its truth and having turned to Him in Psalm 51 repentance and faith, we have all of our sins forgiven. We have the Holy Spirit dwelling in us. We have a new family in the church of God. We have eternal life ahead of us. We have complete access to the heavenly throne room in prayer.

In other words, we have so very much to be grateful to God for. Abounding, Overflowing Thankfulness becomes the song, the overflow, of the Christian.

This kind of gratitude has significant effects. It turns our gaze to God and away from ourselves and our circumstances. It defends us against the devil’s wiles, whispers, which incites us to despair and to distrust what God has said.

It also protects us from pride, eradicating from our vocabulary phrases like “I deserve more than this” or “I don’t deserve this.”

And it allows us to rest in the knowledge God works out His loving purpose not only in pleasant and encouraging experiences but also in unsettling and painful ones. It is only by grace alone we all learn how to “give abounding, overflowing thanks in literally all circumstances” (1 Thessalonians 5:18, emphasis added).

The antidote to thanklessness is found only in union with Christ. Do you see in yourself any lingering ingratitude over what God has chosen not to give you?

Bring it to the foot of the cross, seek Christ’s forgiveness, and ask for His help to see all that you have been freely given in His gospel. Set aside a time each day to write down and recount to yourself the blessings from God you have received.

Then you will authentically, truly, abound and overflow with thanks be to God.

Overflowing with Gratitude

Colossians 2:6-7 Amplified Bible

⁶Therefore as you have received Christ Jesus the Lord, walk in [union with] Him [reflecting His character in the things you do and say—living lives that lead others away from sin], ⁷having been deeply rooted [in Him] and now being continually built up in Him and [becoming increasingly more] established ^[a]in your faith, just as you were taught, and overflowing in it with gratitude.

Here is a biblical guide to living an exciting, zestful life: Obey him, follow him, converse with him, draw upon his grace, lean on him, look to him for comfort.

That is how to continue to live in him.

Three things have happened to you, says Paul.

You have been rooted in Christ.

Like a deeply rooted tree, you have been planted in Christ and those strong roots will hold you.

Secondly, you have been built up in him. Not only are the roots going deep, but you are growing up as well. You are increasing in faith and experience.

And thirdly, you have been strengthened in the faith.

You have tested it, put it to work in your home, in your neighborhood.

You have had to face problems which were tests, your faith was strengthened by them.

As these three things take place, we are to add one more:

we are to be overflowing with thankfulness.

Be grateful to God for everything he has given you, no matter what it is.

Have you learned yet to be thankful in everything?

That means you do not grumble, complain and criticize.

You cannot have it both ways.

To be thankful means to find something in every situation for which you can genuinely be grateful.

The great Bible commentator, Dr. Matthew Henry, once was robbed as he walked along a highway.

Afterwards, he told his friends there were four things for which he gave thanks.

First, he was grateful that he had never been robbed before.

Secondly, he said, Though they took all my money, I am glad they did not get very much. That was something to be thankful for.

Thirdly, he said, Though they took my money, they did not take my life, and I am grateful for that.

Finally, he suggested, I am thankful it was I who was robbed, not I who robbed.

There was a man who had learned how to be overflowing with thankfulness!

Have you ever learned to talk to yourself and ask yourself questions?

If you read the Psalms, you will often find you are listening to a man talking to himself.

Why are you cast down, O my soul? And why are you so disquieted within me?

The psalmist is standing at a mirror shaving, feeling blue, and asking himself, What’s the matter with you? Why are you like this? That is a good thing to do.

When you ask yourself questions about yourself you must also ask, why didn’t worse things happen?

Look beyond what has occurred and realize it could have been much worse.

Then discover all the things which God has supplied and which you have been taking for granted: his care, his love, the shelter of your home (whatever fits your situation), and begin to give an over abundance of thanks for those.

If you do, expect something will happen: you will find yourself turned on, not turned off about everything. You will find your life filled with zest, vitality and excitement. You will have discovered the answer to abundant boredom is God!

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

Let us Pray,

Psalm 30 Revised Standard Version

Thanksgiving for Recovery from Grave Illness

A Psalm of David. A Song at the dedication of the Temple.

30 I will extol thee, O Lord, for thou hast drawn me up,
    and hast not let my foes rejoice over me.
²O Lord my God, I cried to thee for help,
    and thou hast healed me.
³O Lord, thou hast brought up my soul from Sheol,
    restored me to life from among those gone down to the Pit.^[a]

⁴Sing praises to the Lord, O you his saints,
    and give thanks to his holy name.
⁵For his anger is but for a moment,
    and his favor is for a lifetime.
Weeping may tarry for the night,
    but joy comes with the morning.

⁶As for me, I said in my prosperity,
    “I shall never be moved.”
⁷By thy favor, O Lord,
    thou hadst established me as a strong mountain;
thou didst hide thy face,
    I was dismayed.

⁸To thee, O Lord, I cried;
    and to the Lord I made supplication:
⁹“What profit is there in my death,
    if I go down to the Pit?
Will the dust praise thee?
    Will it tell of thy faithfulness?
¹⁰Hear, O Lord, and be gracious to me!
    O Lord, be thou my helper!”

¹¹Thou hast turned for me my mourning into dancing;
    thou hast loosed my sackcloth
    and girded me with gladness,
¹²that my soul^[b] may praise thee and not be silent.
    O Lord my God, I will give thanks to thee for ever.

Glory be to the Father,
and to the Son, and to the Holy Ghost;
as it was in the beginning,
is now, and ever shall be,
world without end. Amen, amen.

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What shall I say of God’s Sovereignty and my empty library inside the most hallowed honored, humbled halls of wisdom? Job 42:1-6

God is sovereign (42:2b) His will is always accomplished. No purpose of God can be removed. God is omniscient (42:3) While our knowledge is limited, God knows all things at all times. God is independent (42:4) He does not need anything from us. We are the dependent party! God has revealed himself (42:5) God has revealed himself to us through His creation, and His Word. God is holy (42:6) He expects us to come before him in humility and repentance.

Job 42:1-6 Complete Jewish Bible

42 Then [at last,] Iyov gave Adonai this answer:

²“I know that you can do everything,
that no purpose of yours can be thwarted.

³“[You asked,] ‘Who is this, hiding counsel,
without having knowledge?’
Yes, I spoke, without understanding,
of wonders far beyond me, which I didn’t know.

⁴“Please listen, and I will speak.
[You said,] ‘I will ask questions; and you, give me answers’ —
⁵I had heard about you with my ears,
but now my eye sees you;
⁶therefore I detest [myself]
and repent in dust and ashes.”

The Word of God for the Children of God.

Glory be to the Father,
and to the Son, and to the Holy Ghost;
as it was in the beginning,
is now, and ever shall be,
world without end. Amen, amen.

Sovereignty is a tough concept to wrap our heads around, especially in today’s highly influenceable culture.

Without exception, everyone answers to someone.

Public figures change their stances based on the feedback they get. Politicians are swayed by high powered well financed lobbyists, donors.

Corporations react to economic pressures both at home and abroad, stock market changes, world events such as war and changes in leadership at the top of their government’s respective food chains and their ‘partisan’ legislative actions, world banks set their interest rates on loans, those sudden boycotts.

In contrast to the famous sign on Harry Truman’s desk, the buck doesn’t seem to stop anywhere, there is always somebody higher up in the decision making food chain who push agendas. There is no ultimate authority, no sovereignty.

Except with God.

Job just barely scratched the surface of God’s sovereignty when he said to God, “I know that you can do anything, and no one can stop you” (Job 42:2 NLT).

In fact, God will do what He pleases with whomever He chooses whenever He wishes. That’s God’s absolute power. God answers to absolutely no one.

He is not swayed by public opinion or conventional wisdom.

He doesn’t have to ask anyone’s permission or worry about anyone’s reaction.

He doesn’t seek approval, likes, or popularity.

God cannot be second-guessed because everything He does is perfect. His ways are right—always and forever and absolutely without fail.

Psalm 115:3 says, “Our God is in the heavens, and he does as he wishes” (NLT).

Some people challenge His sovereignty by asking, “What about the bad things that happen in life? Are they part of what He wishes?” And the answer is yes.

Evil, suffering, and tragedy aren’t arguments against a sovereign God. They are all firmly under His control. Whatever happens in this life, good or bad, is either caused by God or allowed by God. I know it’s truly 100% hard for some of us to chew on and digest. That’s because we’re limited in our present circumstances.

Can there be an ‘up’ without a ‘down?’

Can there be a ‘left’ without a ‘right?’

Can there be ‘light’ without ‘darkness?’

Can there be ‘life’ without ‘death?’

Not according the God’s own Created Order – Genesis 1

Chaos would abound unchecked…and God will have no part of that – (Genesis 1)

God detests unbalanced scales …

Proverbs 11:1 Complete Jewish Bible

11 False scales are an abomination to Adonai,
but accurate weights please him.

Proverbs 16:11 Complete Jewish Bible

¹¹The balance and scales of justice have their origin in Adonai;
all the weights in the bag are his doing.

Proverbs 20:23 Complete Jewish Bible

²³Adonai detests a double standard in weights,
and false scales are not good.

Someday, we will better understand the wisdom and purpose of God’s plan.

In the meantime, we take the word of the psalmist who wrote this about God:

“Your faithfulness extends to every generation, as enduring as the earth you created. Your regulations remain true to this day, for everything serves your plans” (Psalm 119:90-91 NLT).

Everything serves God’s plans.

The apostle Paul wrote, “And we know that God causes everything to work together for the good of those who love God and are called according to his purpose for them” (Romans 8:28 NLT).

Everything is part of God’s good plan.

In Paul’s words, we find the most amazing truth about God’s sovereignty.

The English historian Lord Acton wrote that absolute power corrupts absolutely.

But he was referring to human authorities, none of whom ever possessed “absolute power.”

The amazing truth is that God, who does possess absolute power, uses His max power to accomplish authentic, genuinely good things in the lives of His people.

God’s sovereignty can’t be separated from His love.

That means we can trust Him to care for us.

We may not always understand what that care looks like or why certain things happen, but we can be confident that God will work all things for our good. No one and nothing can thwart His will. We can rest assured in His sovereignty.

Be the Swiftest to Listen and the Slowest to Speak …

Job 42:1-3 Amplified Bible

Job’s Confession

42 Then Job answered the Lord and said,

²
“I know that You can do all things,
And that no thought or purpose of Yours can be restrained.
³
“[You said to me] ‘Who is this that darkens and obscures counsel [by words] without knowledge?’
Therefore [I now see] I have [rashly] uttered that which I did not understand,
Things too wonderful for me, which I did not know.

Some time ago, while reading Job 42 for my devotions, I had a scary thought:

sometimes we do what Job did when he was trying to make God accountable for his actions (see Job 38-41). Sometimes we talk of things we don’t understand.

Sometimes we try to explain a Bible passage we don’t comprehend. At other times we offer cheap words of comfort or give glib answers to life’s problems.

Job asked for God’s forgiveness for speaking without really understanding.

He repented of speaking up too hastily. At one point Job said, “I [must] put my hand over my mouth” (Job 40:4).

Those of us who are in the habit of being quick to speak may need to literally put our hand over our mouth.

Some of us need to be forgiven for the times we spoke of things we did not understand or for giving answers when there were none.

James 1:19 tells us to be quick to listen and slow to speak.

We have to stop talking and start listening.

Years ago a seminar speaker told us that if we hoped to be effective in our service for Christ we had to put James’s warning into vigorous practice.

Unfortunately some of us are not only slow to listen; we are also slow to learn.

We need to ask the intercession of Holy Spirit to help us become slow to speak.

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

Let us Pray,

Psalm 19 Amplified Bible

The Works and the Word of God.

To the Chief Musician. A Psalm of David.

19 The heavens are telling of the glory of God;
And the expanse [of heaven] is declaring the work of His hands.
²
Day after day pours forth speech,
And night after night reveals knowledge.
³
There is no speech, nor are there [spoken] words [from the stars];
Their voice is not heard.
⁴
Yet their voice [in quiet evidence] has gone out through all the earth,
Their words to the end of the world.
In them and in the heavens He has made a tent for the sun,
⁵
Which is as a bridegroom coming out of his chamber;
It rejoices as a strong man to run his course.
⁶
The sun’s rising is from one end of the heavens,
And its circuit to the other end of them;
And there is nothing hidden from its heat.

⁷
The law of the Lord is perfect (flawless), restoring and refreshing the soul;
The statutes of the Lord are reliable and trustworthy, making wise the simple.
⁸
The precepts of the Lord are right, bringing joy to 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 fine gold;
Sweeter also than honey and the drippings of the honeycomb.
¹¹
Moreover, by them Your servant is warned [reminded, illuminated, and instructed];
In keeping them there is great reward.
¹²
Who can understand his errors or omissions? Acquit me of hidden (unconscious, unintended) faults.
¹³
Also keep back Your servant from presumptuous (deliberate, willful) sins;
Let them not rule and have control over me.
Then I will be blameless (complete),
And I shall be acquitted of great transgression.
¹⁴
Let the words of my mouth and the meditation of my heart
Be acceptable and pleasing in Your sight,
O Lord, my [firm, immovable] 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.

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“Only be strong, very courageous; be careful, vigilant, to do everything in accordance with the entire law which Moses My servant commanded you; do not turn from it to the right or to the left, so that you may all prosper and be successful wherever you go.” Joshua 1:7-9

Joshua 1:7-9 Complete Jewish Bible

⁷Only be strong and very bold in taking care to follow all the Torah which Moshe my servant ordered you to follow; do not turn from it either to the right or to the left; then you will succeed wherever you go. ⁸Yes, keep this book of the Torah on your lips, and meditate on it day and night, so that you will take care to act according to everything written in it. Then your undertakings will prosper, and you will succeed. ⁹Haven’t I ordered you, ‘Be strong, be bold’? So don’t be afraid or downhearted, because Adonai your God is with you wherever you go.”

The Word of God for the Children of God.

Glory be to the Father,
and to the Son, and to the Holy Ghost;
as it was in the beginning,
is now, and ever shall be,
world without end. Amen, amen.

Moses had led Israel for forty long and sometimes difficult years (Joshua 5:6).

The people had known no other leader. Now they would be going into their new land without Moses to guide them. What would Joshua the new leadership do?

As God appoints Joshua, he does not say, “It’s time for fresh ideas; it’s time to do things differently than Moses did. Be creative.” Rather, God says the words of Moses are still 100% relevant. They were right for Israel’s life with God in the desert, and they will be right for the people’s life with God in the promised land.

It was not that Moses had such good ideas, but Moses had spoken the words which God Himself had given him to lead and teach Israel. To listen to Moses to the words of Moses in the desert was to hear the Word of God. And now, though Moses had died, God was promising that the Word of God would not pass away.

So God said to Joshua: “Be careful to obey all the law my servant Moses gave you… Be strong and VERY courageous. Do not stray either to the right or to the left from the Word’s God gives you, by this you will be prosperous. Do not be afraid; nor be discouraged, for the LORD your God will be with you wherever you go.”

The setting of Joshua 1:7-9 was when Joshua was to succeed Moses as the leader of the Israelites to capture the promised land.

So what was God’s promise to Joshua and also to every believer?

It’s simple- the Book of the Law can only refer to one thing- God’s very own words recorded in the Bible.

The instruction for success in the Christian life is based on the Bible which has also been spelled out as “Basic Instructions Before Leaving Earth.”

How true it is.

Joshua was told to always put the Book of the Law seriously because it contains God’s very own words and that, obedience to the Bible guarantees long term success not with the world but with God.

It’s always Bible first before everything else- and seriously I want to be more consistent with it.

Everything else comes next, Bible comes first.

God commanded Joshua to really put the Bible in mind.

That is, to study the Bible diligently and to take it in context, not out of context.

It’s always about context.

This is similar to the command in 2 Timothy 2:15 saying, “Study to shew thyself approved unto God, a workman that needeth not to be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth.”

As said, the best way to study the Bible is to never let it out of mind.

However this does not mean that a person should be reading the Bible all the time without ceasing. The rather practical application is that one must always consider what the Bible says before doing anything else lest they fall into temptation.

As said, Ephesians 6:17 says, “And take the helmet of salvation, and the Sword of the Spirit, which is the Word of God:”

One must know the Scriptures as Jesus quoted Scriptures when He fought against the Devil who misused the Scriptures.

So what is the prosperity here?

It’s not about becoming ultra billionaires like Elon Musk, Jeff Bezos, Bill Gates, and so on, it’s not that kind of material prosperity.

No, this is not the prosperity gospel of the charismatics and conspiracy theorists.

This prosperity is based on the Bible.

Rather this is prosperity in doing what God wants to be done from good works to soulwinning.

When one by God’s grace prays to God to help him/her apply Scripture, they will succeed even when oppression, persecution comes and goes and comes again… it’s definitely a cycle that cannot be avoided.

A good example would be how the prophets and apostles withstood persecution and succeeded in doing what God asked them to do- whenever they were rooted upon the Word of God.

Now that’s real prosperity.

The money of the world will pass away, the money a Christian has is but merely entrusted but the riches of Heaven cannot compare because they are eternal.

Today the Lord God still promises to be with us—always. Jesus, the Son of God, came and fulfilled the law of Moses, and do not stray either to the right or to the left, now we know God through the Holy Spirit, who comes to live in our hearts.

The Spirit helps us understand, walk upon the straight and narrow, the words of Moses, all the rest of he Bible, which gives us the boldness and the courage, the truest Christian experience, proclaim true, trustworthy, the Word of God.

Except which one of us who calls themselves “Truly Christian” has the boldness and the very real courage to not stray to the left (liberal, progressive) or to the right (traditional, conservative) but to stay true and centered on the message of God, the Father and God the Son and God the Holy Spirit – God loves everyone!

Get to know God as much as He knows us? (Psalm 139)

Get to know the Word of God as the Word of God knows us? (Hebrews 4:12)

Made an authentic, bold, concerted, courageous genuine effort to live into and out from the Word of God – Matthew 28:16-20?

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

Let us Pray,

Psalm 119:1-24 Complete Jewish Bible

א (Alef)

119 How happy are those whose way of life is blameless,
who live by the Torah of Adonai!
²How happy are those who observe his instruction,
who seek him wholeheartedly!
³They do nothing wrong
but live by his ways.
⁴You laid down your precepts
for us to observe with care.
⁵May my ways be steady
in observing your laws.
⁶Then I will not be put to shame,
since I will have fixed my sight on all your mitzvot.
⁷I thank you with a sincere heart
as I learn your righteous rulings.
⁸I will observe your laws;
don’t completely abandon me!

ב (Bet)

⁹How can a young man keep his way pure?
By guarding it according to your word.
¹⁰I seek you with all my heart;
don’t let me stray from your mitzvot.
¹¹I treasure your word in my heart,
so that I won’t sin against you.
¹²Blessed are you, Adonai!
Teach me your laws.
¹³I proclaim with my mouth
all the rulings you have spoken.
¹⁴I rejoice in the way of your instruction
more than in any kind of wealth.
¹⁵I will meditate on your precepts
and keep my eyes on your ways.
¹⁶I will find my delight in your regulations.
I will not forget your word.

ג (Gimel)

¹⁷Deal generously with your servant;
then I will live and observe your word.
¹⁸Open my eyes, so that I will see
wonders from your Torah.
¹⁹Though I’m just a wanderer on the earth,
don’t hide your mitzvot from me.
²⁰I am continually consumed
with longing for your rulings.
²¹You rebuke the proud, the cursed,
who stray from your mitzvot.
²²Remove scorn and contempt from me,
because I observe your instruction.
²³Even when princes sit and plot against me,
your servant meditates on your laws.
²⁴Also your instructions are my delight;
they are my counselors.

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The law of the Lord is 100% perfect, refreshing the soul. The statutes of the Lord are trustworthy, making wise the simple. The precepts of the Lord are right, giving joy to the heart. Psalm 19:7-9

Psalm 19:7-9 Revised Standard Version

⁷The law of the Lord is perfect,
    reviving the soul;
the testimony of the Lord is sure,
    making wise the simple;
⁸the precepts of the Lord are right,
    rejoicing the heart;
the commandment of the Lord is pure,
    enlightening the eyes;
⁹the fear of the Lord is clean,
    enduring for ever;
the ordinances of the Lord are true,
    and righteous altogether.

The Word of God for the Children of God.

Glory be to the Father,
and to the Son, and to the Holy Ghost;
as it was in the beginning,
is now, and ever shall be,
world without end. Amen, amen.

Christians usually don’t like the word “law” because they think and believe it means an endless array of strict and pointless rules we are all expected to obey.

But Torah, the word we use to mean “law,” has a very different meaning and focus in Hebrew. Torah comes from the root word yarah, which means “to flow like water.” Figuratively, it means to show, teach, tell, inform, or point out.

https://www.blueletterbible.org/net/zec/7/12/t_conc_918012

A better translation is the word instruction.

https://www.blueletterbible.org/lexicon/h8451/net/wlc/0-1/

Just as loving parents establish rules, boundaries to protect, guide, and nurture their children, God, our Heavenly Father, provides us with commandments to ensure our spiritual well-being and to help guide, direct us, lead fulfilling lives.

Instruction

Torah means “instruction” in English, which means “God’s instruction to man.”

Whatever God teaches us, we must follow to enjoy a good life here on earth.

Torah reminds us that God is not just a lawmaker or a police officer ready to arrest, punish judge us. God is also the loving parent who teaches His children how to live. Jesus was just exactly reflecting His Father when He taught all His disciples and the people how to have life and have it more abundantly.

No One Can Keep the Law

No one, no matter how many or how few, or how wise or clever or smart or how manipulative, can properly keep all the laws (Ecclesiastes 7:20; Romans 3:23).

In truth, no one can keep all ten commandments properly.

The Law exposes our wickedness (Romans 7:7).

The Law was given by God to identify sin and highlight our need for a Savior.

The only person who has perfectly obeyed the Law is Jesus. He fulfilled all of God’s righteous commands via His life, death, and resurrection.

A Stream of Water

We should view God’s law as a source of wisdom and learning, an invitation to grow, flourish under His direction, like a plant thriving by a stream of water.

In Hebrew, ‘Torah’ comes from the root word ‘yarah,’ which intriguingly means “to flow like water.”

This imagery is far removed from the rigid connotations often associated with the word ‘law.’

Instead, it suggests something way more organic, dynamic, and life-giving.

‘Torah’ encompasses showing, teaching, informing, and pointing – it is a guiding principle rather than a set of restrictive rules.

Thus, a more accurate translation of ‘Torah’ might be ‘instruction’ rather than ‘law.’ This shift in understanding transforms the perception of God’s law from a list of do’s and don’ts into a form of divine guidance, akin to a flowing stream or river that nurtures and directs rather than confines.

I will put my law in their minds and write it on their hearts. I will be their God, and they will be my people. Jeremiah 31:33

On Mount Sinai, God gave his people the Torah covenant.

On the Feast of Pentecost, Christ sent his Spirit to seal a new covenant of sin-forgiveness.

The Spirit, like the Torah, reveals God’s truth, instructs us, and convicts us of sin. However, unlike the Torah, the Spirit enables us to live in communion with God by changing our hearts from within, which the law could not do (Romans 8:5-7).

Summary of the Law

Jesus said the most important commands are summed up in loving the Lord your God with all your heart and loving your neighbor as yourself.

He didn’t say the entire Law was replaced by loving God and your neighbor.

He literally meant it as a summary- the main idea. Just as the summary of Constitution of the USA is the right to life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness, but is does not actually replace the entire Constitution nor the amendments.

The Law is Eternal

Jesus explained the law is eternal. Our Torah continues to be a source of guidance, direction, and instruction for people of faith.

“Do not think that I have come to abolish the Law or the Prophets;
I have not come to abolish them but to fulfill them.
For truly, I say to you, until heaven and earth pass away,
not an iota, not a dot, will pass from the Law until all is accomplished.

Matthew 5:17-18

Not only did Jesus fulfill the law, but the law will remain unchanged until heaven and earth disappear (i.e., until the end of the era).

Not even the slightest detail, not even the smallest stroke of a pen, shall be spared from God’s law.

The statement of Jesus confirms the full authority of every word and letter of Scripture.

613 Laws

God gave 613 commandments to show us how to live here on earth.

The Ten Commandments are the first ten of the 613 commandments. God gave the Law to disclose His standard of absolute righteousness, to convince us all of our true sin before Him, and to show us the need for the gospel.

There are many different laws in the Bible. The law of sin and death was nailed to the cross. The laws dealing with sacrifices were only for the Temple period.

The New Testament verses concerning God’s law explain that those who love God will follow God’s instructions—His ways, His paths (Romans 2:23; Ephesians 6:2-3; Exodus 20:12; Deuteronomy 5:16; Hebrews 10:16; James 1:25; 2:11; 8-26; 1 John 2:3-4, 24; 3:22; 5:2,3; 2 John 6; Revelation 22:14).

The Law is Written on Our Hearts

I will put my law in their minds and write it on their hearts. I will be their God, and they will be my people. Jeremiah 31:33

On Mount Sinai, God gave his people the Torah covenant.

On the Feast of Pentecost, Christ sent his Spirit to seal a new covenant of sin-forgiveness. The Spirit, like the Torah, reveals God’s truth, instructs us, and convicts us of sin.

However, unlike the Torah, the Spirit enables us to live in communion with God by changing our hearts from within, which the law could not do (Romans 8:5-7).

Summary of the Law

Jesus said the most important commands are summed up in loving the Lord your God with all your heart and loving your neighbor as yourself.

He didn’t say the entire Law was replaced by loving God and your neighbor.

The Intention of the Law

The intention of laws is to bring holiness to God’s people. “And the Lord spoke unto Moses and said, ‘Speak to all the congregation of the children of Israel and say to them; You shall be holy, for I the Lord you God am holy.’”

God established moral and ceremonial regulations to assist people in loving him with all of their hearts and minds. However, by Jesus’ time, religious leaders had twisted God’s laws into a jumbled mess of rules. When Jesus spoke about a new way to comprehend the law, he was attempting to return people to its original purpose. Jesus did not criticize the law in and of itself, but rather the abuses and excesses to which it had been subjected.

Under the Law of Christ

Jesus became the ultimate sacrifice–no more sacrifices needed (Hebrews 8). The Old Testament law has not been repealed, but it must now be reinterpreted and used in light of Jesus. God never changes his mind.

We are not without the law but under “the law of Christ” (Gal. 6:2). There are laws that apply to believers today that deal with our relationships with other people. The law is good and just and perfect–there is a problem with the law–there is a problem with man. Man, with his sin nature, is unable to keep the law.

Freedom is not absence of law; absence of law is anarchy.

The law was never meant to save—only to guide.

Without God’s instruction, it would be impossible for people to live together. Without God’s law, there could be no grace.

As David said in Psalm 119, God laid down precepts that are to be obeyed.

He said he meditated on God’s precepts and ways, and if we walk in God’s paths our hearts are set free.

The Law is Never Earning Salvation

The Jews never believed that anyone could earn their way to salvation.

They know salvation is only by grace through Messiah (and we are praying they will have their eyes opened to see the Y’shua (Jesus) is the Messiah).

Neither Jesus nor Paul ever taught God’s law was “done away with.”

Obedience to God’s Law was a show of trust in God, and only those who offered such to God were truly His people.

Paul’s letters to the Gentiles speak against upset with those who twisted the law–those who abused it such as making it a prerequisite for salvation.

Paul made it clear the Gentiles did not have to live by the law to attain salvation.

He did encourage the Jewish believers to keep the law–but never made it a condition of salvation.

Paul never implied that believers in Christ were to start a “new religion” that did away with the Old Testament.

In fact, Paul explains we should thank God for His mercy that by faith we are grafted into Israel and we are not to boast for their eyes are blinded, in part, until the fullness of the Gentiles– see Romans 11:16-36.

Did Grace Replace the Law?

The idea that grace replaced the law began in the second century. The first section of this book explains how the Early Church left their Hebraic roots.

During the second century, Marcion, a heretic who twisted Paul’s writings, caused a radical opposition between the Law and the Gospels.

What do the Marcionites believe?

Marcionites held the God of the Hebrew Bible is inconsistent, jealous, wrathful and genocidal, and that the material world he created was defective, a place of suffering; the God who made such a world is a bungling or malicious demiurge.

Marcion suggested the entire Old Testament be omitted from the canon.

He broke away from the Roman church in 144 and set up his own very successful group.

Polycarp referred to Marcion as the Son of Satan.

Marcion believed the God described in the Old Testament was cruel, so he refused to acknowledge the God of the Old Testament but embraced the portions of the New Testament that expressed God’s love.

Marcion created a reduced version of the New Testament consisting of Luke and parts of Paul’s letters–purposely leaving out all Jewish interpolations.

Marcion’s legacy lives on.

A study of Marcion and his immense influence on Christian leaders in church history is highly advisable to anyone truly serious about studying God’s law.

Nine-Fold Purpose of the Law

To teach the believer how to serve, worship and please God [Psalm 19:7-9; Acts 18:13, 14].
To instruct the believer how to treat his fellow man and have healthy relationships with him [Leviticus 19:18; Galatians 5:14; Galatians 6:2].
To teach believers how to be happy and prosper here on earth by manifesting the power and authority of God’s reign in their lives [Joshua 1:8; Psalm 1:1-3; Luke 12:32].
The Law was given, not to save, but to measure man’s deeds both toward God and his fellow man, straightening out all matters contrary to sound doctrine [I Timothy 1:8-10; II Timothy 2:5; I Corinthians 6: 1- 12; I Corinthians 3:13; Romans 2:12; Revelation 20:12, 13].
The Law is a schoolmaster showing that we are guilty and then leading us to Christ our Messianic justification [Galatians 3:21-24; Romans 3:19].
The Law gives us both the knowledge and depth of our sin [Romans 3:20; Romans 4:15; Romans 7:7, 8; Luke 20:47 – greater damnation].
The Law reveals the good, holy, just, and perfect nature of God and serves as the visible standard for God’s will [Romans 2:17, 18; Romans 7:12; II Peter 1:4].
The Law is to be established or accomplished by our faith, therefore, it is called the Law of faith [Romans 3:27; Romans 3:31].
The same Law today is written on our hearts, and through God’s Spirit we can delight and serve the Law of God [Romans 7:6-25] (Mosley 1996).

We fulfill the law when we love one another and God, and God rejoices over us!

So, by all means, let us “Rejoice in the Law” alongside Israel.

It is part of our inheritance in Jesus, doing so is consistent with New Testament teaching and acknowledges the loving heavenly Father who gave us the law.

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

Let us Pray,

Psalm 29 Authorized (King James) Version

Psalm 29

A Psalm of David.

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

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

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

Glory be to the Father,
and to the Son, and to the Holy Ghost;
as it was in the beginning,
is now, and ever shall be,
world without end. Amen, amen.

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“Have faith in God?” “Whatever you ask in prayer, believe that you have received it, and it will be yours?” The seeds of faith to move the mountains. Mark 11:20-25

Mark 11:20-25 Revised Standard Version

The Lesson from the Withered Fig Tree

²⁰As they passed by in the morning, they saw the fig tree withered away to its roots. ²¹And Peter remembered and said to him, “Master,^[a] look! The fig tree which you cursed has withered.” ²²And Jesus answered them, “Have faith in God. ²³Truly, I say to you, whoever says to this mountain, ‘Be taken up and cast into the sea,’ and does not doubt in his heart, but believes that what he says will come to pass, it will be done for him. ²⁴Therefore I tell you, whatever you ask in prayer, believe that you have received^[b] it, and it will be yours. ²⁵And whenever you stand praying, forgive, if you have anything against any one; so that your Father also who is in heaven may forgive you your trespasses.”^[c]

The Word of God for the Children of God.

Glory be to the Father,
and to the Son, and to the Holy Ghost;
as it was in the beginning,
is now, and ever shall be,
world without end. Amen, amen.

As Jesus and his disciples walked along toward Jerusalem, they came across an unexpected surprise: a fig tree in full leaf.

This was a surprise because it was too early in the year for figs.

But where there was a fig tree in leaf, you could expect figs.

So Jesus and the disciples went over to the tree to see if it had any fruit.

It had none.

What seemed at first to be a remarkable tree turned out to be a disappointment.

So Jesus said to the tree: “May no one ever eat fruit from you again.”

And he walked away.

The next day, as they left Jerusalem and passed by the same tree, the disciples were astonished to find the tree totally withered.

When Peter expressed his surprise about the tree, Jesus used the opportunity to teach two lessons.

The first lesson was about failure. The empty tree serves as a stern hardcore warning we cannot pretend to be spiritually alive, for we won’t bear any fruit.

The second lesson is about faith. Jesus says, “Have faith in God.” We are to 100% trust in him for all the life and strength we need in order to serve him.

When we are rooted in Jesus through sincere prayer, our faith will bear fruit.

Our faith in Christ will be strong enough to help move people to believe in Jesus and enter his kingdom. Through his strength in us, we will show he is alive!

Probable or Improbable: Faith to Move Mountains

In reading our Bibles, we will come across verses that seem straightforward and easy to understand immediately.

On the other hand, there are also verses like this one!

“Whatever you ask in prayer, believe that you have received it, and it will be yours,” says Jesus.

We are tempted essentially to sidestep what these words say.

We try to bury them under a hundred qualifications.

The misapplication of such verses has scared some of us so much that we hardly give any attention to the sheer encouragement and the challenges they contain.

In this bold command, Jesus reminded His followers to trust God, because it is actually faith’s foundation in God that gives that faith significance. We should not have faith in faith or faith in ourselves, but 100% faith in God, God alone.

The metaphor that Jesus employed—that of someone commanding a mountain to be thrown into the sea—was perhaps familiar to the disciples; it was similar to a common rabbinic figure of speech for accepting an impossible challenge to then, with all effort accomplishing something that was seemingly impossible.[1]

1 Alfred Edersheim, The Life and Times of Jesus the Messiah (Longmans, Green, and Co., 1898), Vol. 2, p 376 (footnote).

The way to get real-life results in prayer is to seek God with an attitude that says, “No matter how long it takes, or whatever I have to do, I will not be denied.”

This is not arrogance; it is Godly hunger. It is not about pushing God to give us what we want and how and when we want it, but about pushing yourself into God. It is not praying for the sake of praying. It is praying to see the hand of God move. It is desperate hardcore praying. It is the type of prayer that gets answers.

The disciples would not have misunderstood Jesus as suggesting that they can literally hurl the Mount of Olives into the Dead Sea over 4,000 feet below them.

They would have understood his words as a proverbial statement indicating God wants to do extraordinary things through His children, for His children.

We discover vivid proof of Jesus’ teaching on faith and prayer throughout the book of Acts.

Early on, when a lame beggar asked Peter and John for money, Peter told him instead to look up, to stand up and walk in the name of Jesus Christ(Acts 3:6).

Perhaps as he spoke to this man, Peter was remembering Jesus’ words and he was thinking to himself, “Whatever you ask in my (Jesus) name … believe…”

When God is the object of our faith, we can have an audacious faith—a faith that believes the impossible to be possible with Him.

We can know that we are speaking to someone who is able to do far more than we can even imagine (Ephesians 3:20-21), we can do even greater works than Jesus (John 14:12-14).

¹²“Truly, truly, I say to you, he who believes in me will also do the works that I do; and greater works than these will he do, because I go to the Father. ¹³ Whatever you ask in my name, I will do it, that the Father may be glorified in the Son; ¹⁴if you ask^[a] anything in my name, I will do it.

Jesus essentially says to us, I want you to pray in a way that says you actually truly believe in One God who is too wise to make mistakes, who is too kind to be cruel, and who is too powerful, unchangeable to be subdued by the great forces of the universe.

Don’t set aside these verses with hundred impossible improbable qualifications.

Just let them sit there in your spirit for a minute – preferably a whole lot longer.

Enjoy the truth that God is able to do things beyond anything you can imagine.

Rest secure in the indelible reality Father, Son, Spirit, know no impossibility.

And then ….

Pray Until Something Happens!

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

Psalm 20 Revised Standard Version

Prayer for Victory

To the choirmaster. A Psalm of David.

20 The Lord answer you in the day of trouble!
    The name of the God of Jacob protect you!
²May he send you help from the sanctuary,
    and give you support from Zion!
³May he remember all your offerings,
    and regard with favor your burnt sacrifices! Selah

⁴May he grant you your heart’s desire,
and fulfil all your plans!
⁵May we shout for joy over your victory,
and in the name of our God set up our banners!
May the Lord fulfil all your petitions!

⁶Now I know that the Lord will help his anointed;
    he will answer him from his holy heaven
    with mighty victories by his right hand.
⁷Some boast of chariots, and some of horses;
    but we boast of the name of the Lord our God.
⁸They will collapse and fall;
    but we shall rise and stand upright.

⁹Give victory to the king, O Lord;
answer us when we call.^[a]

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 families are a circle of strength founded on faith, joined in love kept by God forever. Genesis 2:21-24

Genesis 2:21-24 Authorized (King James) Version

²¹And the Lord God caused a deep sleep to fall upon Adam, and he slept: and he took one of his ribs, and closed up the flesh instead thereof; ²²and the rib, which the Lord God had taken from man, made he a woman, and brought her unto the man. ²³And Adam said, This is now bone of my bones, and flesh of my flesh: she shall be called Woman, because she was taken out of Man. ²⁴ Therefore shall a man leave his father and his mother, and shall cleave unto his wife: and they shall be one flesh.

The Word of God for the Children of God.

Glory be to the Father,
and to the Son, and to the Holy Ghost;
as it was in the beginning,
is now, and ever shall be,
world without end. Amen, amen.

In Genesis 2:21-24 we find a close-up of the first wedding ever celebrated.

It took place in Paradise at the beginning of history, and it was one of the most impressive events ever.

The setting was more beautiful than at any other wedding.

The first bride and groom, Adam and Eve, were surrounded by the unstained, breathtaking beauty of God’s creation.

No modern-day florist or outdoor photographer could begin to capture the beauty of that setting.

Most impressive about that first wedding, though, was that God himself conducted the ceremony:

“the LORD God made a woman … and he brought her to the man.” This is the Bible’s way of telling us that marriage is from God, established as a creation ordinance. Marriage was not invented by a human being; it was instituted by God when he created us “male and female” (Genesis 1:27) and brought Adam and Eve together.

Marriage, then, is sacred.

All who marry receive a special gift from God’s own hands.

And because marriage is from God, we need to listen carefully to God’s expectations for marriage.

Many people see the outcome of their marriage as a toss-up.

Some see their marriage as a reason, as an opportunity, to start a reality television show to gain their fame and fortune and celebrity recognition.

Then to protect themselves and their individual estates, they sign complicated prenuptial agreements spelling out in greatest legalese, detailing their assets.

Consider that the wisest of the wise Kings Solomon had 600 wives and 300 concubines – and while God clearly held greatest relevance to Solomon in the beginning of his reign, by the time his reign concluded – it was a marital mess.

Who really knows if love truly exists in those relationships?

Who knows if God is even .01% relevant in that relationship?

But marriage has the God-given potential to be a powerful source of blessings, unity to all who choose to follow the instructions of the One who ordained it.

What Is God’s Purpose for Our Family?

Families. We all have one, whether it’s a biological family or an adopted family.

Families change when babies are born or adopted, and when marriages and deaths occur.

When one gets married, it’s normal to accept their spouse’s family as their own.

And there are times when, after the death of a spouse, the widow or widower maintains familial relationships with the family of their deceased spouse.

If one re-marries, the family increases.

Family is an important concept in the Bible.

God instituted family when He created Eve as a helpmeet for Adam.

The rest of the Bible speaks of family in its various roles, and most important is the church as God’s family.

What Does the Bible Say about Family?

The Bible defines the family as do we – those of the same household, that being the pairing of a husband (man) and wife (woman), along with their children.

Because God created the family, He is intimately involved with each one.

Scripture is our great instructor of monogamy—the lifetime union of one man and one woman in marriage as the foundation of the family (Genesis 2:21-24).

Throughout the Bible, the institution of family as the model God created it to be is prevalent; all other relationships are to stem from the family, God’s building block of society.

If we regard the Ten Commandments, we see the first four of them concern our relationship to and with God, the other 6 speak to our relationship with others.

Three are directly related to the family.

The fifth commandment says to honor one’s father and mother (the family foundation) (Exodus 20:12).

The seventh commandment says, “You shall not commit adultery” (Exodus 20:14), thus preserving the sacred nature of the family.

The tenth commandment, “you shall not covet,” (Exodus 20:17) speaks to God’s command for fidelity of heart. For within a family, it is not good nor godly to covet what others have, including a different family.

Jesus said in Matthew 15:19, “out of the heart come evil thoughts, murder, adultery, sexual immorality, theft, false witness, slander.”

Actions proceed from the heart’s intent, and God is all about preserving the family as He created it. He therefore gets the glory (Ephesians 3:14-21).

The New Testament includes historical narratives and epistles which include instruction (and reiterations from the Old Testament and Jesus’ teachings) as to what the family is to be according to God.

Paul spoke to them when he said, “Children, obey your parents in the Lord, for this is right” (Ephesians 6:1) and “Children, obey your parents in everything, for this pleases the Lord” (Colossians 3:20).

Why Is Family So Important in the Bible?

God uses families throughout history to enact His will.

The promise God made to Abraham in Genesis 15:5 involves family.

“‘Look toward heaven, and number the stars, if you are able to number them.’ Then He said to him, ‘So shall your offspring be.’”

A later unfolding of the Abrahamic Covenant reveals more details as God tells Abraham He has made him “the father of a multitude of nations…I will make you into nations, and kings shall come from you.”

God established His everlasting covenant with Abraham and his progeny (Genesis 17:4-7). Thus began a family too large to number.

And within the family of Abraham, offshoots came.

The most significant is the progression of families which led to the birth of Jesus Christ, Savior of the world.

We can trace His genealogy at Matthew 1:1-17 (a possible trace of Joseph’s side of the family) and Luke 3:23-38 (a possible trace of Mary’s side of the family).

Not an insignificant aside is God used all sorts of people, including a Moabite woman (Ruth in Ruth 4:18-22), a prostitute (Rahab in Joshua 6:23-25 and Matthew 1:5), and an adulteress (Bathsheba in 2 Samuel 12:24).

The point is God shows no partiality, and He will use families for His purposes in His perfect timing (Isaiah 55:8; Acts 10:34; Romans 2;11; Galatians 4:4).

Who Is Our Family, according to the Bible?

Mark 3:31-35 Authorized (King James) Version

³¹There came then his brethren and his mother, and, standing without, sent unto him, calling him. ³²And the multitude sat about him, and they said unto him, Behold, thy mother and thy brethren without seek for thee. ³³And he answered them, saying, Who is my mother, or my brethren? ³⁴And he looked round about on them which sat about him, and said, Behold my mother and my brethren! ³⁵For whosoever shall do the will of God, the same is my brother, and my sister, and mother.

Is our family only biological?

Happily, no.

As Christians, we gain a two-fold family life when we accept and proclaim Jesus as our Lord and Savior.

In one sense, we do have biological families (those who belong to us in the way God intended), for example mother, father, and siblings.

In a second sense, as people belonging to Jesus, we have been adopted into the family of God (Romans 8:16-17).

Christians who have been adopted by other families here on earth are part of a three-fold family (biological, adopted, and God’s family).

We can consider the family as a model for who we (as believers) are as God’s children. Each Christian is a child of God (Romans 8:16; 1 John 3:1).

And, according to God’s design, we each have a father, mother, and siblings (usually).

Each part of a person’s biological family is to act as God has mandated in His word.

And each spouse is to be one with the other (Matthew 19:5), just as we are one in Christ (Galatians 3:28).

As far as the three possibilities, only one will endure forever, and that is the family of God.

We are indeed to love our biological family, yet we will spend eternity worshiping the Lord with our church family (which may indeed include members of our biological families).

Jesus, in Matthew 10:37, “Whoever loves father or mother more than Me is not worthy of Me, and whoever loves son and daughter more than Me is not worthy of Me” (See also Matthew 12:50; Luke 14:26).

What Is God’s Purpose for the Family?

The Lord spelled out His reason for a family in Genesis 1:28 when He said,

“Be fruitful and multiply and fill the earth and subdue it, and have dominion over the fish of the sea and over the birds of the heavens and over every living thing that moves on the earth.”

Families are to be fruitful and multiply and fill the earth, just as God said would happen to Abraham’s family.

God uses each one born to continue that process through the means of families.

In the end, however, each family member’s purpose is to,

“Fear God and keep His commandments” (Ecclesiastes 12:13); God’s ultimate purpose for us is to bring Him the glory He so rightfully deserves.

We are to seek His kingdom 1st as individuals, teach our families to do the same.

We are, as families, to grow in Christ and be witnesses to the world.

A cord of three strands is not easily broken; Ecclesiastes 4:9-12

we stand united in Christ to worship Him and enact His will, edify His Kingdom.

Yes, we are all born into a family.

Yet what matters, in the end, is to have been born again into the family of God (John 3:3).

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

Let us Pray,

Psalm 45 Complete Jewish Bible

45 ⁽⁰⁾For the leader. Set to “Lilies.” By the descendants of Korach. A maskil. A lovesong:

^2 (1)My heart is stirred by a noble theme;
I address my verses to the king;
My tongue is the pen of an expert scribe.

^3 (2)You are the most handsome of men;
gracious speech flows from your lips.
For God has blessed you forever.
^4 (3)Warrior, strap your sword at your thigh;
[gird on] your splendor and majesty.
^5 (4)In your majesty, succeed, ride on
in the cause of truth, meekness and righteousness.
May your right hand teach you awesome things.
^6 (5)Your arrows are sharp. The people fall under you,
as they penetrate the hearts of the king’s enemies.
^7 (6)Your throne, God, will last forever and ever;
you rule your kingdom with a scepter of equity.
^8 (7)You have loved righteousness and hated wickedness.
Therefore God, your God, has anointed you
with the oil of joy in preference to your companions.
^9 (8)Your robes are all fragrant with myrrh, aloes and cassia;
from ivory palaces stringed instruments bring you joy.
^10 (9)Daughters of kings are among your favorites;
at your right stands the queen in gold from Ofir.

^11 (10)Listen, daughter! Think, pay attention!
Forget your own people and your father’s house,
^12 (11)and the king will desire your beauty;
for he is your lord, so honor him.
^13 (12)Then the daughter of Tzor, the richest of peoples,
will court your favor with gifts.

^14 (13)Inside [the palace], the king’s daughter looks splendid,
attired in checker-work embroidered with gold.
^15 (14)In brocade, she will be led to the king,
to you, with the virgins in her retinue.
^16 (15)They will be led in with gladness and joy,
they will enter the king’s palace.
^17 (16)You will have sons to succeed your ancestors;
you will make them princes in all the land.
^18 (17)I will make your name known through all generations;
thus the peoples will praise you forever and ever.

Glory be to the Father,
and to the Son, and to the Holy Ghost;
as it was in the beginning,
is now, and ever shall be,
world without end. Amen, amen.

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Spurring one Another On, Bringing Out The Best In Others: How Well Does Anyone Really Recognize The Truest Urgency of Encouragement? Hebrews 10:19-25

Hebrews 10:19-25 Christian Standard Bible

Exhortations to Godliness

¹⁹Therefore, brothers and sisters, since we have boldness to enter the sanctuary through the blood of Jesus— ²⁰he has inaugurated^[a] for us a new and living way through the curtain (that is, through his flesh)— ²¹and since we have a great high priest over the house of God, ²²let us draw near with a true heart in full assurance of faith, with our hearts sprinkled clean from an evil conscience and our bodies washed in pure water. ²³Let us hold on to the confession of our hope without wavering, since he who promised is faithful. ²⁴And let us consider one another in order to provoke love and good works, ²⁵not neglecting to gather together, as some are in the habit of doing, but encouraging each other, and all the more as you see the day approaching.

The Word of God for the Children of God.

Glory be to the Father,
and to the Son, and to the Holy Ghost;
as it was in the beginning,
is now, and ever shall be,
world without end. Amen, amen.

The word for “encouraging” here means literally “to stand alongside.”

https://www.blueletterbible.org/lexicon/g3870/kjv/tr/0-1/

It has to do with assuring someone that you care, strengthening them by just being there, by coming alongside of them. It’s also similar to a word used to describe the Holy Spirit—parakletos, which means “counselor, advocate.”

Is there anyone out there who does not need to be encouraged today?

There is a high probability that the answer to that question is a resounding NO!

We all do!

Anyone who says they never need encouragement is probably a hurting person.

There’s nothing wrong with desiring or needing encouragement. Jesus did.

His Father encouraged him, saying, “You are my Son, whom I love; with you I am well pleased” (Luke 3:22). An angel encouraged him as he struggled alone one night, knowing he would soon be arrested and crucified (Luke 22:43).

In the Upper Room as they were all together celebrating their Passover, Jesus mightily stirred them up by declaring as he broke the bread – “this is my body which is broken for you, then declaring as he raised the cup – this is my blood which is being shed for you, then getting up he shed his tunic and he stated to wash everyone’s feet – John 13:6-8

⁶He came to Simon Peter, who asked him, “Lord, are you going to wash my feet?”

⁷Jesus answered him, “What I’m doing you don’t realize now, but afterward you will understand.”

⁸“You will never wash my feet,” Peter said.

Jesus replied, “If I don’t wash you, you have no part with me.”

The disciples were completely stunned, disoriented by these declarations.

Jesus could easily sense this disorientation and moved quickly to encourage.

John 14:1-6 Amplified Bible

Jesus Comforts His Disciples

14 “Do not let your heart be troubled (afraid, cowardly). Believe [confidently] in God and trust in Him, [have faith, hold on to it, rely on it, keep going and] believe also in Me. ²In My Father’s house are many dwelling places. If it were not so, I would have told you, because I am going there to prepare a place for you. ³And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come back again and I will take you to Myself, so that where I am you may be also. ⁴And [to the place] where I am going, you know the way.” ⁵Thomas said to Him, “Lord, we do not know where You are going; so how can we know the way?” ⁶Jesus said to him, “^[a]I am the [only] Way [to God] and the [real] Truth and the [real] Life; no one comes to the Father but through Me.

How well do we recognize when our neighbors need anyone’s encouragement?

One may be a student leaving home for college. Another may be a tired, frazzled mother facing the stress of child care and a strained marriage. Another may be a new widow or widower or new mother whose young child is now facing a severe life threatening medical diagnosis and facing long, lonely and uncertain days, an addict or an alcoholic who is burning one bridge after the other in their days of active use and abuse – they are just about to become unsupported, homeless.

Or perhaps there’s someone you have not seen at worship in a while. When that person is contacted, you discover their life has been put on notice when words like marital separation or divorce are being showered by tears all around them, or their house is being foreclosed, sudden loss of job, and any other countless and diverse reasons for tears. People who need encouragement are not far away.

Our children’s teachers, our worship leaders, pastors, elders—all of these folks need encouragement. Elderly members of our congregations going through a time of transition, moving into senior or assistive living, having to surrender their driver’s license. Being available, a daily encourager can be an addictive but healthy habit. Loving by encouraging, by exhorting, can bring energy and joy.

Will you ask for it?

Will you give it?

Will you do it?

Will you receive it?

Transformation Through Exhortation

2 Timothy 4:1-5 Amplified Bible

“Preach the Word”

4 I solemnly charge you in the presence of God and of Christ Jesus, who is to judge the living and the dead, and by His appearing and His kingdom: ²preach the word [as an official messenger]; be ready when the time is right and even when it is not [keep your sense of urgency, whether the opportunity seems favorable or unfavorable, whether convenient or inconvenient, whether welcome or unwelcome]; correct [those who err in doctrine or behavior], warn [those who sin], exhort and encourage [those who are growing toward spiritual maturity], with inexhaustible patience and [faithful] teaching. ³For the time will come when people will not tolerate sound doctrine and accurate instruction [that challenges them with God’s truth]; but wanting to have their ears tickled [with something pleasing], they will accumulate for themselves [many] teachers [one after another, chosen] to satisfy their own desires and to support the errors they hold, ⁴and will turn their ears away from the truth and will wander off into myths and man-made fictions [and will accept the unacceptable]. ⁵But as for you, be clear-headed in every situation [stay calm and cool and steady], endure every hardship [without flinching], do the work of an evangelist, fulfill [the duties of] your ministry.

Some of us need to be told to get off the sofa and be productive. Sometimes we just need to receive an order. That’s why there are many commands in the Bible.

Paul motivates Timothy through exhortations, such as Preach, be prepared, correct, rebuke, encourage.

Paul says, “You’ve got an important job to do. I have encouraged you; I have equipped you; I have given you an example; and now I charge you to get down to God’s business.”

The more I get to know myself, the more I realize that I often need a push to volunteer for service in God’s army. I need God himself as my drill sergeant.

We are all born with different personalities.

Hearing a command motivates some while frustrating others.

Prohibitions against disgraceful behavior can actually stir up a desire to disobey.

Something I frequently heard in my more mischievous youth; “Tell that child to stay away from the cookie jar,” and soon Mom would hear its lid rattling open.

Similarly, a “KEEP OFF THE GRASS” sign will actually prompt some soul to deliberately walk on the grass. But although commands might not work for all, most of us needed several stout words from our parents authority in our lives.

God is the ultimate authority in all of our lives.

We follow his commands because He has ultimate authority.

In awe, fear and deep reverence, we know he cares for us, has our best in mind, and acts from an eternal perspective and God’s criticism is always constructive.

And his exhortations are priceless advice. He charges us to hear, listen, obey.

Unswervingly Spur others to Greater Works …

John 14:12-13 Amplified Bible

¹²I assure you and most solemnly say to you, anyone who believes in Me [as Savior] will also do the things that I do; and he will do even greater things than these [in extent and outreach], because I am going to the Father. ¹³And I will do whatever you ask in My name [^[a]as My representative], this I will do, so that the Father may be glorified and celebrated in the Son.

Unswervingly, in generic English translation it means to follow a direct path, to never turn aside and to be steadfast and loyal.

In Greek, the word is anthistemi, which means to set against or withstand without giving up or letting go. We are to withstand without giving up on the hope we profess. We cannot turn or be turned aside from that hope.

We must hold tightly to it with a single-minded belief that this hope we have in Jesus, that which we profess is based on God’s promises which are unfailing.

The second word that grabbed me here was, spur.

When I hear or see the word spur I think of an attachment to a cowboy’s boots which is meant to get their horses moving forward with a bit more urgency…

Spur also means to provoke or stir up, to goad in to action or to incite.

It also means to urge or encourage to action, to move in vigorous pursuit of an object, to stimulate, to impel, to drive.

We are to spur each other on toward love and good deeds and not to neglect meeting together.

Spur does not mean suggest, imply, or consider.

It does not mean that we should think about it or wait for the right time or even to hold off till it’s convenient.

The sense of urgency here is clear.

We are to stand firm without turning aside, setting ourselves against all that comes at us in the hope of God’s promises.

Additionally, we are to drive and incite each other toward love and good deeds.

This is action! As I read this scripture with new eyes, I don’t see it as the warm fuzzy that I once did, encouraging me to remember God’s promises and to make sure I remain disciplined enough to continue to meet together with the Body.

This is a call to action.

A call for us to stand firm in the living Word of God, and the promises of God in our beliefs, our faith, to encourage one another to act as Christ has taught us.

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

Let us Pray,

Psalm 20 Complete Jewish Bible

20 ⁽⁰⁾For the leader. A psalm of David:

^2 (1)May Adonai answer you in times of distress,
may the name of the God of Ya‘akov protect you.
^3 (2)May he send you help from the sanctuary
and give you support from Tziyon.
^4 (3)May he be reminded by all your grain offerings
and accept the fat of your burnt offerings. (Selah)
^5 (4)May he grant you your heart’s desire
and bring all your plans to success.

^6 (5)Then we will shout for joy at your victory
and fly our flags in the name of our God.
May Adonai fulfill all your requests.

^7 (6)Now I know that Adonai
gives victory to his anointed one —
he will answer him from his holy heaven
with mighty victories by his right hand.

^8 (7)Some trust in chariots and some in horses,
but we praise the name of Adonai our God.
^9 (8)They will crumple and fall,
but we will arise and stand erect.

¹^0 (9)Give victory, Adonai!
Let the King answer us the day we call.

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 world offers so little guidance on finding real and lasting truth, but the Word of God has much to say about it. 2 Timothy 2:14-19

2 Timothy 2:14-18 Complete Jewish Bible

¹⁴Keep reminding people of this, and charge them solemnly before the Lord not to engage in word-battles. They accomplish nothing useful and are a catastrophe for the hearers! ¹⁵Do all you can to present yourself to God as someone worthy of his approval, as a worker with no need to be ashamed, because he deals straight forwardly with the Word of the Truth. ¹⁶But keep away from godless babbling, for those who engage in it will only become more ungodly, ¹⁷and their teaching will eat away at people like gangrene. Hymenaeus and Philetus are among these; ¹⁸they have missed the mark, as far as the truth is concerned, by saying that our resurrection has already taken place; and they are overturning some people’s faith. ¹⁹Nevertheless, God’s firm foundation stands, stamped with these words:

“The Lord knows his own,”^[a]

and,

“Let everyone who claims he belongs to the Lord
stand apart from wrongdoing.”^[b]

The Word of God for the Children of God.

Glory be to the Father,
and to the Son, and to the Holy Ghost;
as it was in the beginning,
is now, and ever shall be,
world without end. Amen, amen.

A recent blog I read celebrated the idea of a “never-ending vacation.”

Faced with the prospects of an unfulfilling rehabilitation from open heart surgery and the constant demands of everyday life, many people (me) dream of simply “leaving it all behind” and heading for a place with no responsibilities.

While it can definitely be good to have a change of pace in life, the temptation to run away from all our responsibilities will inevitably lead into so much trouble and will damage the relationships in our lives.

In 2 Timothy 2 the apostle Paul mentions two individuals who ran away from home spiritually. Apparently they got caught up in false teachings about the resurrection and undermined the hope that believers had in Christ.

The false teachers had painted an erroneous picture that misled the people to wander from the good news of Jesus—that we are saved by grace through faith in Christ, who died for our sins and rose again so we can live forever with him.

2 Timothy 2:11-15 Disciples’ Literal New Testament

If We Endure, We Will Reign With Him. He Will Be Faithful To Us

¹¹The saying is trustworthy— for if we died-with Him, we will also live-with Him; ¹²if we are enduring, we will also reign-with Him; if we shall deny Him, that One also will deny us; ¹³if we are faithless^[a], that One remains faithful, for He cannot deny Himself. ¹⁴Be reminding them of these things, solemnly-warning in the sight of God not to battle-about-words for nothing useful^[b], to^[c] the overthrow^[d] of the ones hearing.

Be Diligent To Present Yourself As an Approved Worker of The Word of Truth

¹⁵Be diligent to present yourself approved to God, a worker not-needing-to-be-ashamed, cutting-straight^[e] the word of truth.

No matter how much we might enjoy learning new things in life, we need the “solid unshakeable indelible foundation” of truth through Jesus Christ that we can 100% depend on to provide us with our spiritual home. We need a place where we are known, accepted in grace. And that’s what God gives us in Christ.

Let’s be careful about the stories we tell and the “chatter” we might engage in.

In all that we say and do, we should rigorously ask ourselves, “Does it line up with the truth as revealed by the Word of God “Does it point people to Christ?”

How to Use the Bible to Discover What Is Truth?

We live in a world that increasingly values subjectivity over objective truth.

The World preaches and teaches in academia what is true for one person, may not be true for someone else.

Culture encourages people to discover their own truth, make conclusions solely based on their own personal experiences, promotes the message each person is empowered, entitled to create and envision, then make and take significantly transformational (irreversible) actions upon their bodies minds and spirits to go forth, live by their own set of truths.

The world in its current vast departure from what we have always been taught to be truth by our parents, of male and female, reproduction, offers very little guidance on finding real, lasting truth, but the Bible has much to say about it.

Believers, therefore, are given a most precious gift through God’s word that leads, guides, directs us to discover God’s truth in the midst of dishonesty, miscommunication, and confusion in the broken world in which we reside.

John 14:6 Amplified Bible

⁶Jesus said to him, “^[a]I am the [only] Way [to God] and the [real] Truth and the [real] Life; no one comes to the Father but through Me.

The world is constantly changing, but God remains the same. His truth has endured the history of humanity and is still true and valid. The Bible says that Jesus is the truth, and that truth is found in who God is, the ways of God, and the rhythms of the world around us which declare the glory of God.

What Is Truth?

There are many proven scientific and social facts that have been passed along throughout the history of humankind. Information is gained and shared. Truth, however, is far richer than facts or knowledge which the secular world values.

Scripture declares boldly that truth is tightly bound to God.

God is the God of truth (see Psalm 31:5), Jesus is the truth (see John 14:6), and the Holy Spirit is described as the Spirit of truth that was sent to guide believers (see John 16:13).

Truth is found within all three persons of the Trinity, and truth is found in the Word of God.

2 Timothy 3:16-17 Amplified Bible

¹⁶All Scripture is God-breathed [given by divine inspiration] and is profitable for instruction, for conviction [of sin], for correction [of error and restoration to obedience], for training in righteousness [learning to live in conformity to God’s will, both publicly and privately—behaving honorably with personal integrity and moral courage]; ¹⁷so that the ^[a]man of God may be complete and proficient, outfitted and thoroughly equipped for every good work.

John 17:15-18 Amplified Bible

¹⁵I do not ask You to take them out of the world, but that You keep them and protect them from the evil one. ¹⁶They are not of the world, just as I am not of the world. ¹⁷Sanctify them in the truth [set them apart for Your purposes, make them holy]; Your word is truth. ¹⁸Just as You commissioned and sent Me into the world, I also have commissioned and sent them (believers) into the world.

Truth sanctifies us; making us holy and set apart. Truth sets us free; no longer bound by sin, death, and lies. Biblical truth does not change over time, it does not trend, and it cannot become less true.

Biblical truth is not dependent on anyone believing it to be the truth. Truth is what we find in Scripture, truth is who God is, truth is the way of God, and truth is ultimately that which aligns with who God is and what He does.

What Does the Bible Say Is True?

John 3:31-36 Amplified Bible

³¹“He who comes from [heaven] above is above all others; he who is of the earth is from the earth and speaks [about things] of the earth [his viewpoint and experience are earthly]. He who comes from heaven is above all. ³²What He has [actually] seen and heard, of that He testifies; and yet no one accepts His testimony [as true]. ³³ Whoever receives His testimony has set his seal [of approval] to this: God is true [and he knows that God cannot lie]. ³⁴For He whom God has sent speaks the words of God [proclaiming the Father’s own message]; for God gives the [gift of the] Spirit without measure [generously and boundlessly]! ³⁵The Father loves the Son and has given and entrusted all things into His hand. ³⁶He who believes and trusts in the Son and accepts Him [as Savior] has eternal life [that is, already possesses it]; but he who does not believe the Son and chooses to reject Him, [disobeying Him and denying Him as Savior] will not see [eternal] life, but [instead] the wrath of God hangs over him continually.”

God himself is true.

There is nothing false or deceitful about God.

His very nature is truthful.

God is faithful, God is pure, and God is honest.

God is good in every way possible.

It is the very nature of God that makes Him trustworthy and worthy of all honor and praise.

Scripture teaches that God is true.

All God does is true. Just as God himself is true, so too are the works of His hands. All that God has done, is doing, and will do is true. The works of His hands, all of creation, and His continued involvement in humanity is true.

God’s ways are true.

Throughout Scripture, the ways and commands of the Lord are taught as they are woven into the narratives of God and His people. God invites us to set our heart on His truth. The Lord’s path is true and should be what guides believers in how we live, think, and act. God’s way of truth determines our steps when we set the fullness of our hearts on His laws rather than following our own desires.

The word of the Lord is true.

All Scripture is God-inspired (see 2 Timothy 3:16) and therefore, fully true.

We have full confidence that what we read in the Bible is true and reliable as it teaches us all about a wide variety of aspects in relation to God and humanity.

We can read the Bible knowing that it is a dependable source and entirely true.

How Can We Use the Bible to Determine What Is True?

The Bible teaches us that God is true, and that the word of the Lord and His ways are true. The Bible helps us to discern what is true when something is consistent with who God is, the ways of God, and what the Bible teaches.

“Then Jesus said to those Jews who believed Him, ‘If you abide in My word, you are My disciples indeed. And you shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free’” (John 8:31-32).

The sobering reality is we have an enemy who is the father of lies, and there is no truth in him (see John 8:44).

The enemy tries to distract people with his lies and attempts at distorting the truth to lead people away from God and what is true. In Jesus we find truth.

When we face situations in life, have decisions to make, or are trying to find clarity, we can use Scripture to determine if something is true when it aligns with the teachings, ways, and works of the Lord as He laid out in the Bible.

We Follow a God of Truth

God is not the God of confusion, rather, He is the God of truth.

Followers of Jesus are to live truthfully and honestly, and aligning their lives, thoughts, and actions with the ways of God.

Jesus invites us to know Him, and to know the God of truth.

In the world around us, we are tempted to believe truth is something each of us can construct, or that truth is somehow unattainable.

The Bible, however, demonstrates that truth is found in God alone.

We cannot know truth apart from knowing God.

When one finds and knows Jesus, they have indeed found truth.

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

Let us Pray,

Psalm 111 Amplified Bible

The Lord Praised for His Goodness.

111 Praise the Lord! (Hallelujah!)
I will give thanks to the Lord with all my heart,
In the company of the upright and in the congregation.
²
Great are the works of the Lord,
Studied by all those who delight in them.
³
Splendid and majestic is His work,
And His righteousness endures forever.
⁴
He has made His wonderful acts to be remembered;
The Lord is gracious and merciful and full of loving compassion.
⁵
He has given food to those who fear Him [with awe-inspired reverence];
He will remember His covenant forever.
⁶
He has declared and made known to His people the power of His works,
In giving them the heritage of the nations.

⁷
The works of His hands are truth and [absolute] justice;
All His precepts are sure (established, reliable, trustworthy).
⁸
They are upheld forever and ever;
They are done in [absolute] truth and uprightness.
⁹
He has sent redemption to His people;
He has ordained His covenant forever;
Holy and awesome is His name—[inspiring reverence and godly fear].
¹⁰
The [reverent] fear of the Lord is the beginning (the prerequisite, the absolute essential, the alphabet) of wisdom;
A good understanding and a teachable heart are possessed by all those who do the will of the Lord;
His praise endures 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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When the kindness and love of God our Savior appeared, He saved us … He Revealed the Father to Us … He Extended God’s Kindness onto Us! Titus 3:1 – 8

Titus 3:3-8 Amplified Bible

³For we too once were foolish, disobedient, deceived, enslaved to various sinful desires and pleasures, spending and wasting our life in malice and envy, hateful, hating one another. ⁴But when the goodness and kindness of God our Savior and His love for mankind appeared [in human form as the Man, Jesus Christ], ⁵He saved us, not because of any works of righteousness that we have done, but because of His own compassion and mercy, by the cleansing of the new birth (spiritual transformation, regeneration) and renewing by the Holy Spirit, ⁶whom He poured out richly upon us through Jesus Christ our Savior, ⁷so that we would be justified [made free of the guilt of sin] by His [compassionate, undeserved] grace, and that we would be [acknowledged as acceptable to Him and] made heirs of eternal life [actually experiencing it] according to our hope (His guarantee). ⁸This is a faithful and trustworthy saying; and concerning these things I want you to speak with great confidence, so that those who have believed God [that is, those who have trusted in, relied on, and accepted Christ Jesus as Savior,] will be careful to participate in doing good and honorable things. These things are excellent [in themselves] and profitable for the people.

The Word of God for the Children of God.

Glory be to the Father,
and to the Son, and to the Holy Ghost;
as it was in the beginning,
is now, and ever shall be,
world without end. Amen, amen.

While doing my morning studies I discovered The Greek word that is translated as “kindness” in Galatians 5:22 sounds similar to the Greek word for “Christ.”

https://www.blueletterbible.org/esv/gal/5/22/s_1096022

https://www.blueletterbible.org/lexicon/g5544/esv/mgnt/0-1/

chrēstotēs

https://www.blueletterbible.org/esv/gal/5/24/s_1096024

https://www.blueletterbible.org/lexicon/g5547/esv/mgnt/0-1/

christos

In the days of the early 1st Century church, that sometimes led to confusion among unbelievers. They weren’t always sure if Christians actually believed in a person called Christ, or if they practiced a religion that focused on kindness.

When one sets their mind to it, when you think about it, that confusion was actually quite a compliment to the first Christians!

How wonderful it would be if the Spiritual Gift kindness stood out as the predominant impression that we Christians gave to unbelievers today.

Unfortunately, kindness may not always be the first impression that comes to mind when people think of Christians being Christians daily and the church.

This is why we must be diligent in our prayers that the Holy Spirit produce the fruit of kindness in us.

As Paul writes in today’s Scripture reading, the kindness of God was the only thing strong enough to conquer our foolishness, disobedience, and bondage to sin, spending and wasting our life in malice, envy, hateful, hating one another.

The Bible verse Titus 3:4-5 from the King James Version (KJV) states, “But after that the kindness and love of God our Savior toward man appeared, Not by works of righteousness which we have done, but according to his mercy he saved us, by the washing of regeneration, and renewing of the Holy Ghost.”

This verse is taken from the book of Titus, which is one of the pastoral epistles written by the apostle Paul.

In this letter, Paul addresses Titus, a trusted co-worker, and fellow missionary, giving him instructions for overseeing the churches in Crete and encouraging the believers there to live godly lives.

In Titus 3:4-5, Paul specifically emphasizes the kindness and love of God our Savior, and how it is not by our own works of righteousness that we are saved, but according to His mercy. This passage is packed with profound theological truths that speak to the heart of the Christian faith.

The first part of the verse highlights the kindness and love of God our Savior toward man. This demonstrates God’s surest loving and compassionate nature towards humanity. Despite our sin, malice and rebellion, God freely extends His kindness and love to us, ultimately through the person and work of Jesus Christ.

This is a central theme in the Christian message, emphasizing God’s love and grace are still freely extended to all people, regardless of their past or present circumstances.

Titus 3:4-5 is a powerful and profound passage that captures the heart of the Christian gospel. It specifically emphasizes the kindness and love of God our Savior, the centrality of His mercy in our salvation, and the transformative ever-ongoing work of the Holy Spirit in the lives of believers, unbelievers too.

These truths are foundational to the Christian faith, and they remind us of the amazing grace and love that God has shown toward us, despite our disgusting sinfulness, ultimately leading us to respond in humble obedience and gratitude.

We must pray that the power of God’s kindness that saved us will also be the power that is revealing Jesus Christ, continually transforming our character.

This is what the ministry of the Holy Spirit is all about.

He wants to make kindness flourish, like the trillions of stars of heaven in our lives so when others notice our abundance, they will naturally think of Christ.

The Kindness of God Saved Us (Titus 3:4-6)

God Saved Us!

Those Three, uncomplicated easy to understand but not accept, words.

That’s what we should take away from this passage.

Three simple words that form the grand slam summary of what it means that God’s goodness and loving kindness have appeared. Three words: He saved us.

God showed up in grace. This isn’t a new line, it’s a new act. The lock box of our condemnation was invaded with the light of God’s glory. The radiance of His majesty has beamed forth onto the stage of history in the Person of Jesus Christ our Savior and things are not the same anymore. God came. And God saved us.

God: the one and only true God, the Sovereign of all things, holy beyond our comprehension, righteous in unapproachable purity.

And then us: creatures with open malice against our Maker, our own neighbors, hyper valuing our goods more than our God, degrading, diminishing, devaluing our neighbors, thereby ourselves, serving our cravings instead of our Creator.

That God would save us. Save. Not disintegrate. Not damn. Not punish. But save.

He saved us.

We cannot fathom the wonder here.

We conspired against him.

We took money to betray him.

We openly, publicly, humiliated him.

We openly, publicly put him on trial, a sham trial that would only lead to one outcome – by deliberately perjuring ourselves against him, to his crucifixion.

This is His action towards us:

An Empty Tomb!

for us …

His Resurrection!

for us …

His Ascension!

for us …

He was still incomprehensively kind to us.

He saved us.

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

Let us Pray,

Psalm 8 Amplified Bible

The Lord’s Glory and Man’s Dignity.

To the Chief Musician; set to ^[a]a Philistine lute [or perhaps to a particular Hittite tune]. A Psalm of David.

8 O Lord, our Lord,
How majestic and glorious and excellent is Your name in all the earth!
You have displayed Your splendor above the heavens.
²
Out of the mouths of infants and nursing babes You have established strength
Because of Your adversaries,
That You might silence the enemy and make the revengeful cease.

³
When I see and consider Your heavens, the work of Your fingers,
The moon and the stars, which You have established,
⁴
What is man that You are mindful of him,
And the son of [earthborn] man that You care for him?
⁵
Yet You have made him a little lower than ^[b]God,
And You have crowned him with glory and honor.
⁶
You made him to have dominion over the works of Your hands;
You have put all things under his feet,
⁷
All sheep and oxen,
And also the beasts of the field,
⁸
The birds of the air, and the fish of the sea,
Whatever passes through the paths of the seas.

⁹
O Lord, our Lord,
How majestic and glorious and excellent is Your name in all 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, amen.

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Ecclesiastes 3:1-14 Revised Standard Version

Everything Has Its Time

The God-Given Task

God, the Eternity Setter

Psalm 113 Complete Jewish Bible

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Colossians 2:6-7 New International Version

Spiritual Fullness in Christ

Overflowing with Gratitude

Thanksgiving for Recovery from Grave Illness

A Psalm of David. A Song at the dedication of the Temple.

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Job 42:1-6 Complete Jewish Bible

Be the Swiftest to Listen and the Slowest to Speak …

Job’s Confession

The Works and the Word of God.

To the Chief Musician. A Psalm of David.

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Joshua 1:7-9 Complete Jewish Bible

א (Alef)

ב (Bet)

ג (Gimel)

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Psalm 19:7-9 Revised Standard Version

Instruction

No One Can Keep the Law

A Stream of Water

Summary of the Law

The Law is Eternal

613 Laws

The Law is Written on Our Hearts

Summary of the Law

The Intention of the Law

Under the Law of Christ

Freedom is not absence of law; absence of law is anarchy.

The Law is Never Earning Salvation

Psalm 29 Authorized (King James) Version

Psalm 29

A Psalm of David.

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The Lesson from the Withered Fig Tree

Probable or Improbable: Faith to Move Mountains

Pray Until Something Happens!

Prayer for Victory

To the choirmaster. A Psalm of David.

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Genesis 2:21-24 Authorized (King James) Version

What Is God’s Purpose for Our Family?

What Does the Bible Say about Family?

Why Is Family So Important in the Bible?

Who Is Our Family, according to the Bible?

What Is God’s Purpose for the Family?

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Hebrews 10:19-25 Christian Standard Bible

Exhortations to Godliness

Jesus Comforts His Disciples

Transformation Through Exhortation

“Preach the Word”

Unswervingly Spur others to Greater Works …

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2 Timothy 2:14-18 Complete Jewish Bible

If We Endure, We Will Reign With Him. He Will Be Faithful To Us

Be Diligent To Present Yourself As an Approved Worker of The Word of Truth

John 14:6 Amplified Bible

What Is Truth?

How Can We Use the Bible to Determine What Is True?

We Follow a God of Truth

The Lord Praised for His Goodness.

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Titus 3:3-8 Amplified Bible

The Kindness of God Saved Us (Titus 3:4-6)

The Lord’s Glory and Man’s Dignity.

To the Chief Musician; set to [a]a Philistine lute [or perhaps to a particular Hittite tune]. A Psalm of David.

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To the Chief Musician; set to ^[a]a Philistine lute [or perhaps to a particular Hittite tune]. A Psalm of David.