Tag: faith

Just some Biblical thoughts about our bonding with our families, friends, at times bonding isn’t our first thought neither Thanksgiving nor Christmas. 1 Thessalonians 5:16-18

1 Thessalonians 5:16-18Amplified Bible

16 Rejoice always and delight in your faith; 17 be unceasing and persistent in prayer; 18 in every situation [no matter what the circumstances] be thankful and continually give thanks to God; for this is the will of God for you in Christ Jesus.

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.

Happiness(?!?) of the United Family

One of the greatest blessings we have is our family. A happy marriage is worth more than any fortune; a united family is worth more than any wealth. A family that honors God is a valuable testimony to the richness of God’s blessing in life.

A family dedicated to serving the Lord and is devoted to each other in all things and at all times and during all seasons and under all circumstances, is a family that at all times, during all seasons, under all circumstances knows happiness.

The husband who fears the Lord and wants to live God’s way works with all his energy for a safe and well behaved godly home for all of his family members.

He loves his wife “just as Christ loved the church and gave himself up for her” (Ephesians 5:25); he is united to and faithful to his wife, who is “like a fruitful vine.” They love, respect, show open affection and care for one another too.

And if they are blessed with children, their children are “like olive shoots,” fruitful in bringing more blessing into their lives. Godly parents teach their children in the ways of the Lord so that they may be blessed all the days of their lives. Mothers and fathers are not antagonizing nor provoking their children.

And if God wills it, as long as he tarries, they may live to see their children’s children, receiving even more abundant blessings and joys from God’s hand.

With blessing the Lord brings prosperity, peace, and joy to families who seek to honor him. Coming together as a family is a wondrous time of faith, fellowship.

When you each honor God in your home, you will always have him as an ally.

The Word of God for the Children of God, for the Body of Christ, our own church family and our neighbors is neatly set before each one of us on our meal tables.

1 Thessalonians 5:16-18 Amplified Bible

16 Rejoice always and delight in your faith; 17 be unceasing and persistent in prayer; 18 in every situation [no matter what the circumstances] be thankful and continually give thanks to God; for this is the will of God for you in Christ Jesus.

But we know that in the Kingdom of God, not all is always going so “ideally.”

Grateful When You Aren’t Where You Want to Be …

November and December are months we see lots of pictures and quotes and Bible verses about thanksgiving appearing all across social media platforms.

But for all too many years my heart on those November and December days and nights in the dark, emptiness and quiet of my apartment and currently my own home would 100% suffer mightily to be acknowledged, recognized as thankful.  

This wasn’t how life was supposed to go. I wasn’t at all where I wanted to be.

For years I struggled with giving thanks. Family tragedies occurring in too close a proximity. My heart wanted to praise and be joyful in these circumstances, but I knew that I wasn’t happy with where God was leading our family at the time.

In fact, it felt like God wasn’t leading us at all. The quietness and the lack of direction from God was disheartening, further magnifying my thanklessness.

In my head I “knew” God had not left me, and this was part of His perfect plan. I even told people that I was thankful just to be “home.” But deep down I wasn’t.

One day, I read those verses in 1 Thessalonians 5:16-18.

“16 Be rejoicing always, 17 be praying unceasingly, 18 be giving-thanks in everything. For this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you.“

Paul was writing to the church in Thessalonica.

If you were to read Acts 17, you would see the hostile environment in which this church was founded.

Their circumstances hadn’t much improved since Paul had left them.

Maybe some of the believers felt like I did.

Maybe they thought to themselves, “I don’t really like it here… this isn’t where I thought I would be.”

In the middle of those hard situations, Paul writes and tells the believers always to give thanks. Not only just a general “Hi, give thanks”-but a specific covenant call to give thanks in all circumstances. 

Even the hard, harder and hardest ones.

Paul tells the church to give thanks because first this is the will of God.

We give thanks because God commands it. We don’t have to feel joyful when we do, but we can rejoice in God despite how we feel. Paul also tells the church to “pray without ceasing.” (1 Thessalonians 5:17) Prayer has a way of aligning our hearts, connecting our minds to the truth of who God is, His plan for our lives.

Prayer connects us to God and that is a great reason to give thanks.

In verse twenty-four of that chapter, Paul says, “He who calls you is faithful; he will surely do it.”

Paul also says something similar in Philippians 1:6. He says,

“And I am sure of this, that he (meaning God) who began a good work in you will bring it to completion at the day of Jesus Christ.”

God will work out our lives according to His plan.

Those plans include His glory and our good. 

Romans 8:28-29 tells us this. Paul tells the Romans that they can trust that all things are for their good, which is to be conformed into the image of Christ.

The truth is God is always working and we can give thanks that He never leaves us. We can come to Him in prayer, and He is shaping us to be more like Christ.

Although the circumstances might not be good, we can give thanks to a God who has a purpose even when we find ourselves in a place we don’t want to be.

Today, I have come to the Throne of God to thank God for changing my plans.

These truths from the Bible help me give thanks.

I’ve been told by God to give thanks, that God has a definite direction, purpose, for my life, God will never leave me nor misguide me.  I have learned that being grateful isn’t about our surroundings, but about the God who surrounds us all.

Intersecting Faith & Life:

Paul also talks about giving thanks in Philippians 4:6. It says,

“Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God.”

How are we to not be anxious?

The answer is prayer.

Two types of prayer are mentioned here in Philippians 4.

The first is supplications. These are the prayers we pray on behalf of others and for ourselves. They are the prayers we pray when asking God to meet our needs.

Maybe you are not in a place you want to be, so ask God to change things.

Who better to ask to intervene in a bad situation than God Himself?

After asking God to help you, the next phrase says, “with thanksgiving…”.

As we ask God to help us we also give thanks.

This is the second type of prayer. If you are struggling to give thanks, look up the additional scriptures and find reasons even today to give thanks to God!

What about your current situation feels less than joyful?

How has God shown up in your life recently?

Take your cares and concerns to God, thanking Him for being with you.

Enjoy your Thanksgiving casting your burdens and cares upon the Lord!

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

Let us Pray,

Psalm 84 English Standard Version

My Soul Longs for the Courts of the Lord

To the choirmaster: according to The Gittith.[a] A Psalm of the Sons of Korah.

84 How lovely is your dwelling place,
    O Lord of hosts!
2 My soul longs, yes, faints
    for the courts of the Lord;
my heart and flesh sing for joy
    to the living God.

3 Even the sparrow finds a home,
    and the swallow a nest for herself,
    where she may lay her young,
at your altars, O Lord of hosts,
    my King and my God.
4 Blessed are those who dwell in your house,
    ever singing your praise! Selah

5 Blessed are those whose strength is in you,
    in whose heart are the highways to Zion.[b]
6 As they go through the Valley of Baca
    they make it a place of springs;
    the early rain also covers it with pools.
7 They go from strength to strength;
    each one appears before God in Zion.

8 O Lord God of hosts, hear my prayer;
    give ear, O God of Jacob! Selah
9 Behold our shield, O God;
    look on the face of your anointed!

10 For a day in your courts is better
    than a thousand elsewhere.
I would rather be a doorkeeper in the house of my God
    than dwell in the tents of wickedness.
11 For the Lord God is a sun and shield;
    the Lord bestows favor and honor.
No good thing does he withhold
    from those who walk uprightly.
12 O Lord of hosts,
    blessed is the one who trusts in you!

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

https://translate.google.com/

What if someone had asked us for all the ways which God’s Gentleness has the Greatest Impact on all our Lives? Psalm 18:31-42

Psalm 18:31-42 English Standard Version

31 For who is God, but the Lord?
    And who is a rock, except our God?—
32 the God who equipped me with strength
    and made my way blameless.
33 He made my feet like the feet of a deer
    and set me secure on the heights.
34 He trains my hands for war,
    so that my arms can bend a bow of bronze.
35 You have given me the shield of your salvation,
    and your right hand supported me,
    and your gentleness made me great.
36 You gave a wide place for my steps under me,
    and my feet did not slip.
37 I pursued my enemies and overtook them,
    and did not turn back till they were consumed.
38 I thrust them through, so that they were not able to rise;
    they fell under my feet.
39 For you equipped me with strength for the battle;
    you made those who rise against me sink under me.
40 You made my enemies turn their backs to me,[a]
    and those who hated me I destroyed.
41 They cried for help, but there was none to save;
    they cried to the Lord, but he did not answer them.
42 I beat them fine as dust before the wind;
    I cast them out like the mire of the streets.

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 the early Christian church a man named Marcion pitted the “God of the Old Testament” against Jesus, the “God of the New Testament.” He said that the Old Testament God was hard fierce and demanding and that the New Testament Jesus was merciful, loving, and gentle.

The church rightly rejected that idea as a contradiction of the Bible’s teaching.

In more recent contemporary times, the reverse has taken place. Among people who want rapid social change, the gentleness of Jesus is treated with scorn, as if he was a mere weakling, easily manipulated, used by the corrupt establishment.

However, the careful and diligent reading of the Bible teaches that God is both.

He is full of wrath against evil, unconvinced by lame excuses, demanding true justice and goodness.

At the same time he is gentle, humble, and mild toward all who become his disciples, because he empathizes “with our weaknesses” (Hebrews 4:15).

“Because he himself suffered when he was tempted, he is able to help those who are being tempted” (Hebrews 2:18).

He is the perfect Teacher for us, if we authentically, seriously take his yoke on our shoulders to sit still. to learn, understand and grow into how to be godly.

We have a lot to learn from this God we worship, for we often tend to be angry when we should be gentle, and gentle when we should be fierce enemies of evil.

What we could be learning of God’s Gentleness …

David in Psalm 18:35 wrote,

“thou hast also given me the shield of thy salvation: and thy right hand hath holden me up, and thy gentleness hath made me great.”

David had full recognition of the vast mercies provided by the Lord.

The provisions, protection, and empowerments were full contemplations and gentle manifestations of a righteous and sovereign God. As we inspect our own lives, we can see that the Lord’s gentleness has indeed made all the difference. 

1. He Is Our Sure Defense

The gentleness of our God has the attributes of love, grace, mercy as well as judgment. He can exercise each office concurrently while at the same time not neglecting any of the other attributes.

Certainly, God would have been justified in allowing the enemies of David to prevail against him as judgment for his indiscretions.

He was an adulterer, murderer, and bad father.

No doubt he was punished for the consequences of his sins, but the providence of our Lord had a greater eternal plan for the life of David.

His testimony was one of a lowly shepherd boy who was most unlikely to wear the most powerful crown in the world.

He was anointed and trained for over ten years before he was fully equipped, however, to reign over the land.

The patience of this process exhibited God’s gentleness as David was not thrusted into the position prior to the “fullness of time.”

In the first section of Psalm 18, David wrote about the strategies and ways of his enemies and Saul.

Notice in verse one that “enemies” and Saul were separated, contemplating certain respect endowed to the fellow king irrespective of his evil motives and tendencies. David painted a hopeless picture of being compassed about with “sorrows of death” and being afraid of the “floods of ungodly men.”

Even worse than death, David describes the “sorrows of hell” and the “snares of death.”

Immediate and eternal death would certainly be a more desirable position than being tortured and tormented by the prospect of hell and vices capable of death but falling short.

David called upon the Lord in his condition from the temple.

It was not in the plan of God for David to succumb to the throws of his enemies or especially Saul as he was promised as much.

Today, we have the same promise about the snares and the evils of the day. 

Isaiah 54:14-17 reminds us that “in righteousness shalt thou be established: thou shalt be far from oppression; for thou shalt not fear: and from terror, for it shall not come near thee. No weapon that is formed against thee shall prosper.”

Indeed, we give Him all the praise because “this is the heritage of the servants of the Lord, and their righteousness is of me, saith the Lord.”

2. Our Prayers to Our Gentle Savior Make It “Even into His Ears”

Not only did David’s plea for help make it to the throne of Heaven, but “even into his ears” indicating the plea penetrated the being of the Lord.

The same can be said about our pleas, prayers and petitions summoning the attention from the Most High.

Until the enmity between us and the throne of heaven was removed by our mediator Jesus Christ, cries could not reach the heights necessary for action.

1 Peter 3:12 assures the New Testament saint that, “the eyes of the Lord are over the righteous, and his ears are open until their prayers: but the face of the Lord is against them that do evil.”

Thus, we cannot neglect the privilege of reaching the ears of our Savior by crying out with our prayers and concerns.

3. God Is Gentle to His Children, but Powerful to Their Enemies

In verses 7-15, David reflected the sheer force and might of a covenant God when in defense of His covenant man.

The Lord God made “the earth shook and tremble” to such a degree that “the foundations also of the hills moved and were shaken.” His person blew out “smoke out of his nostrils and fire out of his mouth devoured.”

The Creator “bowed the heavens also, and came down: and darkness was under his feet.” Even though the consequences of His power reached the earth severely, “he rode upon a cherub, and did fly” “upon the wings of the wind.”

Certainly, the creator of creation and the maker of man has the power to call upon His creation in subserviency.

Jesus is quoted in Matthew 12:29, “or else how can one enter into a strong man’s house, and spoil his good, except he first bind the strong man?”

When we are being opposed, we view our enemies as mighty and strong.

Thanks be to our Heavenly Father, however, the believer has access to that “stronger man” who is able to bind the “powers of this dark world” and the “spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms.” (Ephesians 6:12.)

4. His Gentleness Is Our Deliverance

The strength of the enemy was so great David fully recognized it was the Lord who “delivered [him] from [his] strong enemy” because “they were too strong for [me].”

The gentleness of Lord preached messages of love, forgiveness, and a need for spiritual cleansing to the masses despite a world who hated Him.

Regardless of his unpopularity, His gentleness led Him to a cross on Calvary.

He had access to the highest throne in heaven, but His gentleness permitted our sins to be thrusted into His skin.

Even with His innocence, His gentleness died upon this cross of judgment.

Despite physical death, His gentleness fought the grave and delivered unto us our salvation.

The strength of man’s sin was too much of an enemy for our meager will power and great desires of the flesh.

It was the gentleness of our Lord and Savior who had convicted our soul of our lost and defeated condition.

5. His Gentleness Guides Us to Obedience

David understood the importance of obedience and the cleanliness.

He wrote in verse 20, “the Lord rewarded me according to my righteousness; according to the cleanness of my hands.”

Even our obedience is not glory attributable to us via our own abilities.

The cleansing and empowerment of the Holy Ghost gives us the desire and the instruction necessary for obedience.

Thus, our obedience is nothing of ourselves and is effortless from our own hands.

In Hebrews 5:8, we see that “though [Jesus Christ] were a Son, yet learned he obedience by the things which he suffered.”

Therefore, through Jesus’s suffering obedience we are granted with the gentleness of His guide.

6. His Gentleness Gives Us a Strong Footing

David understood the importance of a foundation for strong and agile footing when we wrote in verse 31, “who is a rock save our God?”

He gave us the strength and safe passage upon the journey because

“He maketh my feet like a [feet] hinds’ feet, and setteth me upon my high places.”

It is the position of the high places that we can fully appreciate our ascension through the power of Christ.

Just as the church, our foundation is established in the sure footing through Christ.

By the provisions of His Word and the Holy Spirit, “thou has also given [us] the shield of thy salvation.”

These armaments “teacheth my hands to war, so that a bow of steel is broken by mine arms.”

Our feet may physically progress, but it is He that “hast enlarged my steps under me, that my feet did not slip.”

When we take a position in accord with the Word of God, it is “He [who] gives power to the faint, and to him who has no might he increases strength.”

Thus, not only does our Lord have all power, but He has the ability and desire to bestow power.

The gentleness from both His mercy and grace culminates from the gift of “the shield of salvation.”

Our reliance is His righteousness as it is His “right hand [that] hath holden me up.”

David writes about his greatness solely because of what the Lord did throughout his life.

All of our greatness and righteousness is found from Jesus Christ and His work on the cross.

His gentleness is what “hath made me great.”

7. His Gentleness Guarantees Our Victory

The Psalmist then changes tone from being mired against prey unto a state of victorious enablement.

Such as us when we were neck-deep living in a lost sin dominated life and without hope.

Paul in Romans 8:37 declared us “more than conquerors through [Jesus Christ] that loved us.”

In Psalm 18 verse 37, David wrote that he pursued his enemies and overtook them because his “feet did not slip.”

He was not fatigued by the fight but was given persistence unto victory until the enemy was consumed.

Accordingly, the Holy Spirit seals us until the time of redemption until our ultimate realization of salvation and the glorification of our bodies.

In this ultimate victory, we will be able to declare just as Paul wrote in 1 Corinthians 15:55, “O death, where is thy sting? O grave, where is thy victory?”

Our daily spiritual victories upon this earth in this fleshly body will pale in the comparison to the victory over death as our “vile body” will be “fashioned like unto his glorious body.”

8. His Gentleness Is Our Praise

David concludes with verses 49 and 50 by giving “thanks unto thee, O Lord, among the heathen, and sing praises unto thy name.”

The psalm began with a desperate plea for help but ends with the singing of “praises unto thy name.” The praise is personal as David wrote, “great deliverance giveth he to his king; and sheweth mercy to his anointed.”

Indeed as our Savior, Lord, and King, Jesus is due all of our praise and adoration.

He did not forcibly enter the chamber of our heart in order to procure our salvation.

As a prerequisite to salvation, he did not place the onerous burden of abiding the law upon us by requiring its recantation and its physical manifestation adorning our clothing as a constant reminder.

God forbid.

No, it was His worldly paradoxical power of might combined with His greatest gentleness that performed the greatest miracle by the twain of two opposite forces of perfection and sin into “one new man, so making peace” as Paul wrote in Ephesians 2:15.

By this witness, we can testify that truly “thy gentleness hath made me great!”

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

Let us Pray,

Psalm 5 English Standard Version

Lead Me in Your Righteousness

To the choirmaster: for the flutes. A Psalm of David.

5 Give ear to my words, O Lord;
    consider my groaning.
2 Give attention to the sound of my cry,
    my King and my God,
    for to you do I pray.
3 O Lord, in the morning you hear my voice;
    in the morning I prepare a sacrifice for you[a] and watch.

4 For you are not a God who delights in wickedness;
    evil may not dwell with you.
5 The boastful shall not stand before your eyes;
    you hate all evildoers.
6 You destroy those who speak lies;
    the Lord abhors the bloodthirsty and deceitful man.

7 But I, through the abundance of your steadfast love,
    will enter your house.
I will bow down toward your holy temple
    in the fear of you.
8 Lead me, O Lord, in your righteousness
    because of my enemies;
    make your way straight before me.

9 For there is no truth in their mouth;
    their inmost self is destruction;
their throat is an open grave;
    they flatter with their tongue.
10 Make them bear their guilt, O God;
    let them fall by their own counsels;
because of the abundance of their transgressions cast them out,
    for they have rebelled against you.

11 But let all who take refuge in you rejoice;
    let them ever sing for joy,
and spread your protection over them,
    that those who love your name may exult in you.
12 For you bless the righteous, O Lord;
    you cover him with favor as with a shield.

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

https://translate.google.com/

God, our Great Provider; “Don’t ever be fearful nor ever be worried about how you’ll defend yourselves or what you will say, for the Holy Spirit will be teaching you at that hour what you should say.” Luke 12:11-12

Luke 12:11-12 New American Standard Bible 1995

11 When they bring you before the synagogues and the rulers and the authorities, do not worry about how or what you are to speak in your defense, or what you are to say; 12 for the Holy Spirit will teach you in that very hour what you ought to say.”

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.

Luke 12:11 (KJV) states, “And when they bring you unto the synagogues, and unto magistrates, and powers, take ye no thought how or what thing ye shall answer, or what ye shall say.”

Today I went to the movie theatre with my wife to watch the Bonhoeffer film.

https://www.britannica.com/biography/Dietrich-Bonhoeffer

I was inspired and stirred up by a quote “Silence in the face of evil is evil itself.“

Faced with such a horrific circumstance as he was, he could have chosen to have remained quiet, safe, not stirred up a lethal level of trouble with the authorities.

But, with the heavy burden of conscience which comes with the indelible reality of living into and through the sacrifice of our Lord and Savior Jesus at the cross, he chose to stand above those who chose silence and safety over to be a martyr.

I searched for a scriptural basis for the enormous measure of holy courage he displayed before everybody, tried to contemplate; “would I have been so vocal?”

This verse from chapter 12 comes from the Gospel narrative of Luke, which was written by Luke, a Physician and faithful mission companion of Apostle Paul.

This particular passage is part of a larger discourse in which Jesus is instructing his disciples about the hard challenges they’ll face as they spread his message.

In this verse, Jesus is preparing his disciples for the inevitable persecution and opposition they will encounter as they go out far and wide to share the gospel.

The verse begins with the phrase “And when they bring you unto the synagogues, and unto magistrates, and powers…”

This indicates the various levels of authority and opposition the disciples will encounter in their mission – the hardcore brutal reality that Bonhoeffer faced.

Luke’s message is as we willingly walk into the Great Commission, we also do acknowledge the highest risks, the highest accountability, responsibility before God, which we will risk, as we could be brought before religious leaders in the synagogues, civil authorities such as magistrates, and even powerful rulers.

This foreshadows the highest risks of lethality, trials and tribulations the early Christians faced as they journeyed through Rome, spread the teachings of Jesus.

The next part of the verse states, “take ye no thought how or what thing ye shall answer, or what ye shall say.”

This is a powerful message that encourages the disciples to innately set aside their fears, to trust in the Holy Spirit to guide them in their words and actions.

They are not to worry or be anxious or be fearful about how to respond when they are arrested, brought before these authorities. Instead, they are to rely on the wisdom and guidance of the Holy Spirit to speak God’s truth through them.

This verse also speaks to the broader theme of trust and faith in God’s provision and guidance. The disciples are being instructed to surrender their own worries and fears, in times of highest risks and to trust in the leading of the Holy Spirit.

This theme of trust and reliance on God’s wisdom and strength is a central message throughout the New Testament, and speaks to the 100% unyielding importance of faith in all degrees of circumstances in the life of a believer.

The context of this verse is also important to consider.

At the time of Jesus, the very early Christians faced intense persecution and opposition from both the religious and secular authorities.

They were often grabbed off the streets and from their homes, brought before the synagogues, Roman officials to give an account for their beliefs and actions.

In the face of this hair triggered hostility, Jesus’s words would prayerfully have been a highly valuable, highly valued source of great comfort, empowerment, and encouragement for his followers as they became called to defend the faith.

The powerful symbolism in this verse can be seen in the imagery of being brought before synagogues and powers.

This represents the conflict and opposition Christians may face when they are faithful to their beliefs. The synagogues represent the religious establishment, while the powers and magistrates symbolize the ruling secular authorities.

The message here is that followers of Jesus should expect to encounter a whole lot of hardened resistance, challenges as they live out their faith in the world.

In conclusion, Luke 12:11 is a powerful and timely reminder for Christians to trust in the guidance of the Holy Spirit in the face of opposition, persecution.

The verse speaks to the themes of trust, reliance on God’s wisdom, and the reality of encountering life threatening challenges for the sake of the gospel.

It provides encouragement for believers to stand firm in their faith, knowing that God will empower them to speak boldly and act in ways that honor him.

This verse continues to be a source of comfort and strength for believers facing opposition and hostility for their beliefs even today in the face of cancel culture.

About Taking Up Our Scriptures, Speak truth to Power

I am convinced that there is a common misunderstanding in many churches.

Many Christians think there is a big difference between proclaiming God’s Word from a pulpit and sharing his truth in a conversation.

Similarly, lots of “Christians” believe the apex of evangelism happens on a Sunday morning in a sanctuary and not in a coffee shop or in a car ride to work.

As Christians, we often think that to share the gift of salvation with someone, we first have to be qualified academically or be trained in some special way. As a result, we can get tangled up in our inabilities, bogged down by our insecurities, and overwhelmed with fears of failing ourselves, others, or—even worse—God.

But you and I aren’t called because we are qualified; we are qualified because we have been called by God into a lifetime of love everyone by sacrifice and service.

My life and your life, regardless of secular vocation or secular or too religious education or ability to speak in public, is a “as iron sharpens iron” testimony in itself. It’s the story of God’s relentless redemption and restoration plan in you.

God knew you even before he established the foundations of the earth.

He created you, wired you, and walked into your life, called you by name.

Luke 24:13-35 New American Standard Bible 1995

The Road to Emmaus

13 And behold, two of them were going that very day to a village named Emmaus, which was [a]about seven miles from Jerusalem. 14 And they were talking with each other about all these things which had taken place. 15 While they were talking and discussing, Jesus Himself approached and began traveling with them. 16 But their eyes were prevented from recognizing Him. 17 And He said to them, “What are these words that you are exchanging with one another as you are walking?” And they stood still, looking sad. 18 One of them, named Cleopas, answered and said to Him, “Are You [b]the only one visiting Jerusalem and unaware of the things which have happened here in these days?” 19 And He said to them, “What things?” And they said to Him, “The things about Jesus the Nazarene, who was a prophet mighty in deed and word in the sight of God and all the people, 20 and how the chief priests and our rulers delivered Him to the sentence of death, and crucified Him. 21 But we were hoping that it was He who was going to redeem Israel. Indeed, besides all this, it is the third day since these things happened. 22 But also some women among us amazed us. When they were at the tomb early in the morning, 23 and did not find His body, they came, saying that they had also seen a vision of angels who said that He was alive. 24 Some of those who were with us went to the tomb and found it just exactly as the women also had said; but Him they did not see.” 25 And He said to them, “O foolish men and slow of heart to believe in all that the prophets have spoken! 26 Was it not necessary for the [c]Christ to suffer these things and to enter into His glory?” 27 Then beginning [d]with Moses and [e]with all the prophets, He explained to them the things concerning Himself in all the Scriptures.

28 And they approached the village where they were going, and He acted as though He were going farther. 29 But they urged Him, saying, “Stay with us, for it is getting toward evening, and the day [f]is now nearly over.” So He went in to stay with them.  30 When He had reclined at the table with them, He took the bread and  He blessed it, and breaking it, He began giving it to them. 31 Then their eyes were opened and they recognized Him; and He vanished from [g]their sight. 32 They said to one another, “[h]Were not our hearts burning within us while He was speaking to us on the road, while He was [i]explaining the Scriptures to us?” 33 And they got up that very hour and returned to Jerusalem, and found gathered together the eleven and those who were with them, 34  saying, “The Lord has really risen and has appeared to Simon.” 35 They began to relate [j]their experiences on the road and how He was recognized by them in the breaking of the bread.

God has adopted you as his child into his eternal family, and he has entrusted you with his kingdom work, which simply means courageously sharing with someone the good news of forgiveness from sin, of new life in Christ forever.

So share the good news today!

Do not worry if you have the right words – the Holy Spirit will provide them!

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

Let us Pray,

Psalm 40 New American Standard Bible 1995

God Sustains His Servant.

For the choir director. A Psalm of David.

40 I waited [a]patiently for the Lord;
And He inclined to me and heard my cry.
2 He brought me up out of the pit of destruction, out of the [b]miry clay,
And He set my feet upon a rock making my footsteps firm.
3 He put a new song in my mouth, a song of praise to our God;
Many will see and fear
And will trust in the Lord.

4 How blessed is the man who has made the Lord his trust,
And has not [c]turned to the proud, nor to those who lapse into falsehood.
5 Many, O Lord my God, are the wonders which You have done,
And Your thoughts toward us;
There is none to compare with You.
If I would declare and speak of them,
They would be too numerous to count.

6 [d]Sacrifice and meal offering You have not desired;
My ears You have [e]opened;
Burnt offering and sin offering You have not required.
7 Then I said, “Behold, I come;
In the scroll of the book it is [f]written of me.
8 I delight to do Your will, O my God;
Your Law is within my heart.”

9 I have proclaimed glad tidings of righteousness in the great congregation;
Behold, I will not restrain my lips,
O Lord, You know.
10 I have not hidden Your righteousness within my heart;
I have spoken of Your faithfulness and Your salvation;
I have not concealed Your lovingkindness and Your truth from the great congregation.

11 You, O Lord, will not withhold Your compassion from me;
[g]Your lovingkindness and Your truth will continually preserve me.
12 For evils beyond number have surrounded me;
My iniquities have overtaken me, so that I am not able to see;
They are more numerous than the hairs of my head,
And my heart has [h]failed me.

13 Be pleased, O Lord, to deliver me;
Make haste, O Lord, to help me.
14 Let those be ashamed and humiliated together
Who seek my [i]life to destroy it;
Let those be turned back and dishonored
Who delight [j]in my hurt.
15 Let those be [k]appalled because of their shame
Who say to me, “Aha, aha!”
16 Let all who seek You rejoice and be glad in You;
Let those who love Your salvation say continually,
“The Lord be magnified!”
17 Since I am afflicted and needy,
[l]Let the Lord be mindful of me.
You are my help and my deliverer;
Do not delay, O my 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.

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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:

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

The God-Given Task

9 What gain has the worker from his toil?

10 I have seen the business that God has given to the sons of men to be busy with. 11 He 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. 12 I know that there is nothing better for them than to be happy and enjoy themselves as long as they live; 13 also that it is God’s gift to man that every one should eat and drink and take pleasure in all his toil. 14 I 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!
2 Blessed be the name of Adonai
from this moment on and forever!
3 From sunrise until sunset
Adonai’s name is to be praised.
4 Adonai is high above all nations,
his glory above the heavens.
5 Who is like Adonai our God,
seated in the heights,
6 humbling himself to look
on heaven and on earth.

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

9 He 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

6 So then, just as you received Christ Jesus as Lord, continue to live your lives in him, 7 rooted 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

6 Therefore 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], 7 having 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.
2 O Lord my God, I cried to thee for help,
    and thou hast healed me.
3 O Lord, thou hast brought up my soul from Sheol,
    restored me to life from among those gone down to the Pit.[a]

4 Sing praises to the Lord, O you his saints,
    and give thanks to his holy name.
5 For 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.

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

8 To 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?
10 Hear, O Lord, and be gracious to me!
    O Lord, be thou my helper!”

11 Thou hast turned for me my mourning into dancing;
    thou hast loosed my sackcloth
    and girded me with gladness,
12 that 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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Then David said unto his heart, “Now I shall perish one day by the hands of Saul.” As our own very thoughts are fast becoming our bitterest enemies. 1 Samuel 27:1-4

1 Samuel 27:1-4 New International Version

David Among the Philistines

27 But David thought to himself, “One of these days I will be destroyed by the hand of Saul. The best thing I can do is to escape to the land of the Philistines. Then Saul will give up searching for me anywhere in Israel, and I will slip out of his hand.”

2 So David and the six hundred men with him left and went over to Achish son of Maok king of Gath. 3 David and his men settled in Gath with Achish. Each man had his family with him, and David had his two wives: Ahinoam of Jezreel and Abigail of Carmel, the widow of Nabal. 4 When Saul was told that David had fled to Gath, he no longer searched for him.

The Word of God for the Children of God.

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

The sad story of 1 Samuel 27 begins with something David said in his heart.

He may have never said it out loud; he may have never said it to anyone else; he may have never said it to God.

But David said it in his heart.

Now I shall be destroyed someday by the hand of Saul:

This is what David said in his heart.

That was a powerful thought of greatest discouragement coming from a heart tired of running, hiding from King Saul, losing sight of his trust in God for His continued deliverance. In his discouragement he forgot God’s past deliverance.

What we say to ourselves, what we repeat to ourselves inside our hearts has a tremendous power to shape our thinking, our actions, even our whole destiny.

Reverend Charles Haddon Spurgeon once said …

 “I remember on one occasion, to my shame, being sad and doubtful of heart, and a kind friend took out a paper and read to me a very short extract from a discourse upon faith. I very soon detected the author of the extract; my friend was reading to me from one of my own sermons. Without saying a word he just left it unto my own conscience, for he had convicted me of committing the very fault against which I had so earnestly declaimed.” (Spurgeon)

1 Samuel 27:1 (KJV) reads, “And David said in his heart, I shall now perish one day by the hand of Saul: there is nothing better for me than that I should speedily escape into the land of the Philistines; and Saul shall despair of me, to seek me any more in any coast of Israel: so shall I escape out of his hand.”

This verse marks a significant turning point in the life of David, who is being pursued relentlessly by King Saul.

It is a moment of great desperation for David as he contemplates his future and the constant threat to his life. In this verse, we are a witness to David’s struggle with fear and his hardened decision to seek refuge among the enemies of Israel.

The context of this verse is crucial to understanding its significance.

David was anointed as the future king of Israel by the prophet Samuel, but despite this, he found himself on the run from King Saul, driven by hate, jealousy and paranoia, seeking to eliminate David as a threat to his throne.

Young David, on the other hand, the man after God’s own heart, remained loyal to Saul and refused to harm him despite those multiple opportunities to do so.

Despite his loyalty, unable to communicate with Saul. convince Saul of his true intent, David realized staying in Israel meant he would continue to be hunted.

This realization led him to deeply consider seeking refuge with the Philistines, traditional enemies of Israel.

This decision was a dangerous one, as it could have potentially placed David in a deadly, vulnerable position as a non-combatant in the midst of enemy territory.

The verse begins with David’s internal struggle.

He reflects on his situation and recognizes the gravity of his predicament.

His continuous fear of Saul’s relentless pursuit and the constant threat to his life weigh heavily on him.

Despite his faith and trust in God, David’s humanity and vulnerability are on display here.

His decision to flee to the land of the Philistines is a clear indication of his desperation and the extremes to which he feels compelled to go in order to secure his safety.

It’s important to note here that this verse does not explicitly depict David considering, making motions, mentioning, ruminating over seeking God’s guidance or approval for his decision.

It shows the inner turmoil and desperation that led David to make this decision.

This is a reminder of David’s humanity and his capacity for fear and doubt, even after being identified as a man after God’s own heart. It also serves to remind us that even the strongest of faith can falter in the face of overwhelming adversity.

Where to Turn When our Thoughts Turn to Darkness

We all have to confess that sometimes our thoughts are our greatest enemy.

However difficult his circumstance, David had always placed his confidence in God. Indeed, in the final conversation that ever took place between King Saul and David, David declared to Saul that although he didn’t know what would happen, he knew God would deliver him from his troubles (1 Samuel 26:23-24).

David had good reason for such confidence: deliverance had been a theme throughout his life. Whether it was from the lion, the bear, or the Philistine giant (1 Samuel 17:37), or, later, from Saul’s murderous pursuit of him, David was generally very quick turn his fear away and to attest unto God’s rescue.

It is surprising, then, having just avowed his commitment to the delivering hand of God, he convinced himself in his heart Saul would eventually kill him.

Rather than reflecting on God’s goodness and faithfulness, he allowed his thoughts to go to dark places.

His confidence gave way to depression and his faith gave way to fear, and so he went to seek security in the company of the enemy (1 Samuel 27:2)—a decision that would inevitably lead to a dangerous mess of deceit and difficulty (v 8-11).

Our thoughts really matter; they give rise to our actions.

An old saying reminds us of this principle: Sow a thought, reap an action. Sow an action, reap a habit. Sow a habit, reap a character. Sow a character, reap a destiny.

We may be able to look back on chapters in our own lifetime when, like David, you began to talk a continuous stream of discouragement into yourself, made foolish choices, and found yourself trapped.

Perhaps you are struggling with finances, or health, you may be in that place right now, struggling to stop your thoughts spiraling inward and downwards, leading you into a course of action you know, deep down, is unwise or wrong.

David didn’t just need saving from threats to his life; he needed saving from  himself—and so do you and I.

But the good news is that we can’t exhaust God’s compassion, kindness and forgiveness and mercy, even if our thoughts have gone in the wrong direction and even if our actions have taken us off course, lowered our faith’s threshold.

As God rescued David, so He has rescued us through the cross of Christ.

When you find your thoughts turning to dark places, then, remind yourself of the immeasurable magnitude of God’s goodness, deliverance, and faithfulness, and let that shape your heart’s response to the difficulties you face, and shape, transition into the new course you will take as you do navigate them with God.

You do not have to walk or run into the hands of your enemy the Philistines!

You are absolutely free to choose to run to God – Father, Son and Holy Spirit!

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

Let us Pray,

Psalm 121 Authorized (King James) Version

Psalm 121

A Song of degrees.

1 I will lift up mine eyes unto the hills,
from whence cometh my help.
2 My help cometh from the Lord,
which made heaven and earth.
3 He will not suffer thy foot to be moved:
he that keepeth thee will not slumber.
4 Behold, he that keepeth Israel
shall neither slumber nor sleep.

5 The Lord is thy keeper:
the Lord is thy shade upon thy right hand.
6 The sun shall not smite thee by day,
nor the moon by night.
7 The Lord shall preserve thee from all evil:
he shall preserve thy soul.
8 The Lord shall preserve thy going out and thy coming in
from this time forth, and even for evermore.

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

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Deal with your servant in accordance with your grace, and teach me your laws. I am your servant; pray, give me understanding, give me discernment so that I can know your instruction. Psalm 119: 121-128

Psalm 119:121-128 New American Standard Bible

Ayin

121 I have done justice and righteousness;
Do not leave me to my oppressors.
122 Be a guarantor for Your servant for good;
Do not let the arrogant oppress me.
123 My eyes fail with longing for Your salvation,
And for Your righteous [a]word.
124 Deal with Your servant according to Your graciousness,
And teach me Your statutes.
125 I am Your servant; give me understanding,
So that I may know Your testimonies.
126 It is time for the Lord to act,
For they have broken Your Law.
127 Therefore I love Your commandments
Above gold, yes, above pure gold.
128 Therefore I carefully follow all Your precepts concerning everything,
I hate every false way.

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 this section of Psalm 119 we find some of the most memorable words in the entire psalm, as the writer declares that he loves God’s Word “more than gold, more than pure gold.”

But if we lift this Psalmist’s beautiful confession out of its context, we miss a more subtle truth in these verses: the psalmist’s plea to understand God’s Word.

In declaring how he deeply treasures all of God’s Word, the psalmist is not merely offering a beautiful senti­ment. He offers this like evidence in a court of law, as if he is testifying like a plaintiff. Because he loves God’s words above all else and seeks to follow them all, God should rescue him from his oppressors.

Knowing that we sinfully tend to see only our own point of view and that we often fall short, most of us would hesitate to put God on trial in a way like this.

Nevertheless, we can learn so very much from the psalmist’s wise request. He acknowledges his 100% need for help in understanding God’s precious Word.

Though we may not all dare to call God to account in pleading for his help, we all 100% need guidance in discerning the authentic truth of God’s Word. We hear God’s voice most clearly when we wholeheartedly ask him to remove our distractions and as far as the east is from west, reveal himself and his will to us.

And when God does speak to us through his Word—as he certainly will—we must then strive to wholeheartedly apply God’s teaching unto our daily lives.

Hiding God’s Word In Our Hearts

The first half of this stanza showed one reason that the psalmist was certain that God would deliver him. The rest of this passage gives two more reasons.

 Take a look at this passage in Psalm 119:125-128:

God is a loving God. Of course, that goes hand in hand with his holiness and the need for righteousness in our lives. As the psalmist has discovered and revealed in this stanza of Psalm 119, God will deliver his people because of his love; and, in fact, God will deliver the psalmist because of that love.

The psalmist definitely has enemies, and his enemies are the enemies of God.

When we consider the whole of this Psalm, this is perhaps the lowest point in the entirety of Psalm 119, and we see the writer cry out for deliverance. His first reason for requesting that deliverance is because of God’s love, in verse 124.

The second reason the psalmist gives here is because he is God’s servant. The writer is basically declaring, “I belong to you, God! Help me because of that!”

And like any good earthly master, who cares deeply for that which belongs to him, should God do any less than completely care for those who belong to him?

The psalmist also seems to understand that God’s deliverance can be seen in the Word. He asks for deliverance, and he asks for it in the form of discernment to understand God’s statutes completely. You can see this clearly in verse 125.

Finally, the third reason the psalmist gives, in verse 126, is simply because it is time for God to act.

This has nothing to do with the writer’s timeline, or because time is somehow running out before the psalmist will be overwhelmed by those who are against him. No, here, the writer is more concerned with God’s reputation than his own temporary needs. His cry is that God should act because his law is being broken.

This is a quality that is rare in our world.

We tend to place our own needs and values ahead of all else.

But the writer here has shown in what order the priorities should be.

Our desire should be for God, and for his Word, above our own needs.

In the closing verses of this stanza, the writer gives a contrasting statement, one that depicts a deep hatred of what is wrong against a love for what is right.

In our age of relativism, this is a hard statement for many to accept.

We would rather believe that what is right for you may not necessarily be right for me.

We would rather not have a definitive right and wrong, a moral, ethical absolute because it brings with them guilt and conviction.

But that is what the writer gives us here. He states that there is a definite right path and a definite wrong one. There is the whole truth and there is the whole lie. There are things that God detests, that we should detest as well. And there are definitely things that God deeply loves that we should seek after to love also.

There is an absolute truth, and we must hold to it firmly. We must avoid every wrong path and cling to the one thing that is true above all else. We must hate what God hates, or we will never learn to love God fully. And the best way to know what God hates and what God values can be found by reading his Word.

I strongly encourage you the reader to 100% take the time daily to invest in the pursuit of God’s heart. I strongly urge you to spend quality time in his Word on a daily basis. It’s the only way that we can discover the truth and grow in it fully.

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

Let us Pray,

Psalm 19 New American Standard Bible

The Works and the Word of God.

For the music director. A Psalm of David.

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

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

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

https://translate.google.com/

For our whole heart rejoices in Him, because we trust in, lean on, rely on, and are confident, in His holy name. Psalm 33:18-22

Psalm 33:18-22 Names of God Bible

18 Yahweh’s eyes are on those who fear him,
    on those who wait with hope for his mercy
19 to rescue their souls from death
    and keep them alive during a famine.

20 We wait for Yahweh.
    He is our help and our Magen.
21 In him our hearts find joy.
    In his holy name we trust.
22 Let your mercy rest on us, O Yahweh,
    since we wait with hope for you.

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.

How well do we know that God authentically cares deeply about our emotions?

Your heavenly Father truly 100% longs for your life to be marked by emotional joy, fulfillment, satisfaction, and peace. He longs for your emotions to be rooted and grounded in his steadfast love and goodness. Our God is an emotional God.

He is not void of feelings.

We feel because he feels.

We have emotions because we are made in his image.

For much of my Christian life I thought my emotions had to be based on my circumstances. I felt happy or sad or mad or depressed solely based on others’ opinions of me, the pressures of life, and opportunities I had or didn’t have.

As a result I was on a constant emotional roller coaster following the ups and downs of this shaky world. I found myself controlled by the things of the world rather than the foundation of love laid before me by the sacrificial love of Jesus.

Scripture continually describes a link between emotional health and trust.

Isaiah 26:3-4 says, “You keep him in perfect peace whose mind is stayed on you, because he trusts in you. Trust in the Lord forever, for the Lord God is an everlasting rock.” 

Psalm 56:3-4 says, “When I am afraid, I put my trust in you. In God, whose word I praise, in God I trust; I shall not be afraid. What can flesh do to me?” 

Psalm 33:21 says, “For our heart is glad in him, because we trust in his holy name.”

We are robbed of having our emotions rooted in God whenever we take on more pressure than we are meant to carry.

Our emotional health is directly linked to our level of trust.

We feel pressure at work when we look to our job and co-workers for our bosses assurances, provision, identity, purpose, and fulfillment.

We feel pressure in our relationships when our worth isn’t based on God’s perspective but the opinions of others.

We are robbed of peace whenever we try and plan our own steps rather than our efforts at following our Good Shepherd into the green pastures and still waters.

Trust is something we are not created to give away very lightly. We value trust as deeply as we value our own lives, constantly scrutinizing others to see if they’re worthy of our trust. But still we are created, shaped, to do life with help.

We are made to place our trust in that which will provide us with more life, joy, and peace. I pray that this week you and I will discover how trustworthy our heavenly Father is. I pray that we will willingly hand over control of our lives to a capable, loving, and near God. And I pray we will experience the abundant life that only comes through placing our trust in a God who gives up everything for true 100% authentic abiding relationship with us. I pray for the sun to be still.

John 14:27 says, “Peace I leave with you; my peace I give to you. Not as the world gives do I give to you. Let not your hearts be troubled, neither let them be afraid.”

God’s heart is to fill you with peace. He longs for you to have all the fruit of the Spirit dwelling within you. He has consistent, constant peace available to you.

But you must trust him in every area of your life.

You must hand over the reins of your relationships, job, identity, and plans to your Good Shepherd.

You must trust that he will guide you perfectly into an abundant life.

Look to your heavenly Father for peace.

Find rest in his abundant love.

Find your self-worth in the fact that God so desired relationship with you that he laid down his own life to have it.

Your Father counts you worthy of the death of his only Son.

Trust him today.

Place your entire life in his capable hands.

Experience abundant life in the area of your emotions, rooting and grounding yourself in his unconditional, available love.

May your life be marked by increasing emotional health as you grow in trust.

Guided Prayer:

1. Meditate on the link between trust and emotional health. Allow Scripture to stir up your desire and willingness to trust God with every area of your life.

“For our heart is glad in him, because we trust in his holy name.” Psalm 33:21

“When I am afraid, I put my trust in you. In God, whose word I praise, in God I trust; I shall not be afraid. What can flesh do to me?” Psalm 56:3-4

2. Where are you not experiencing abundant life in your emotions? 

Where are you void of peace, joy, passion, and purpose?

3. Ask God to help you discern what part of your life you are not trusting to him. Hand over that area to him and find peace and rest in his trustworthiness.

“You keep him in perfect peace whose mind is stayed on you, because he trusts in you. Trust in the Lord forever, for the Lord God is an everlasting rock.” Isaiah 26:3-4

“Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God. And the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.” Philippians 4:6-7

“Peace I leave with you; my peace I give to you. Not as the world gives do I give to you. Let not your hearts be troubled, neither let them be afraid.” John 14:27

Don’t settle for less than Jesus died to give you.

Your life can be completely wrapped up in God’s presence, unconditional love, and ability to guide you.

You can be filled with the emotions of God.

You don’t have to settle for pressure, stress, anger, and frustration.

You don’t have to settle for sadness, insecurity, or depression.

Place your trust in God, open your heart, and receive the peace that can only come from your life being hidden in the heart of your perfect heavenly Father.

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

Let us Pray,

Psalm 23 Names of God Bible

Psalm 23

A psalm by David.

1 Yahweh is my Roeh.
    I am never in need.
2         He makes me lie down in green pastures.
        He leads me beside peaceful waters.
3         He renews my soul.
        He guides me along the paths of righteousness
            for the sake of his name.
4 Even though I walk through the dark valley of death,
    because you are with me, I fear no harm.
        Your rod and your staff give me courage.

5 You prepare a banquet for me while my enemies watch.
    You anoint my head with oil.
    My cup overflows.

6 Certainly, goodness and mercy will stay close to me all the days of my life,
    and I will remain in Yahweh’s house for days without end.

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

https://translate.google.com/

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’ —
5 I had heard about you with my ears,
but now my eye sees you;
6 therefore 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

11 The 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

23 Adonai 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

7 Only 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. 8 Yes, 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.  9 Haven’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!
2 How happy are those who observe his instruction,
who seek him wholeheartedly!
3 They do nothing wrong
but live by his ways.
4 You laid down your precepts
for us to observe with care.
5 May my ways be steady
in observing your laws.
6 Then I will not be put to shame,
since I will have fixed my sight on all your mitzvot.
7 I thank you with a sincere heart
as I learn your righteous rulings.
8 I will observe your laws;
don’t completely abandon me!

ב (Bet)

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

ג (Gimel)

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

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