Tag: God

When does a fool seriously consider the authentic God value of their soul? Luke 12:15-21

Luke 12:15-21 New American Standard Bible

15 But He said to them, “Beware, and be on your guard against every form of greed; for not even when one is affluent does his life consist of his possessions.” 16 And He told them a parable, saying, “The land of a rich man was very productive. 17 And he began thinking to himself, saying, ‘What shall I do, since I have no place to store my crops?’ 18 And he said, ‘This is what I will do: I will tear down my barns and build larger ones, and I will store all my grain and my goods there. 19 And I will say to  [a] myself, “You have many goods stored up for many years to come; relax, eat, drink,  and enjoy yourself!”’ 20 But God said to him, ‘You fool! This very night [b]your soul is demanded of you; and as for all that you have prepared, who will own it now?’ 21  Such is the one who stores up treasure for himself, and is not rich in relation to God.”

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 Value of Our Soul

Foolishness and Wickedness of People.

14 The fool has said in his heart, “There is no God.”
They are corrupt, they have committed detestable acts;
There is no one who does good.

Psalm 38:5New American Standard Bible
5 My [a]wounds grow foul and fester
Because of my foolishness.

Psalm 85:8 New American Standard Bible

8 [a]I will hear what God the Lord will say;
For He will speak peace to His people, to His godly ones;
And may they not turn back to [b]foolishness.

A certain ungodly tavern-keeper who liked music decided to attend one of John Wesley’s meetings to hear the singing.

He had resolved however, not to listen to the sermon.

He sat with his head down and fingers in his ears.

But when God wants to speak to a man’s soul, He has His ways.

A fly flew on the man’s nose and when he attempted to drive it away, he heard nine words that changed his life.

He heard Mr. Wesley say,

“He that hath ears to hear, let him hear.”

From that moment the ungodly tavern-keeper had no rest in his soul.

He returned the next night, listened intently and was converted.

Jesus said in the Gospel of Matthew,

“For what profit is it to a man if he gains the whole world, and loses his own soul? Or what will a man give in exchange for his soul?” Matthew 16:26

Matthew 16:24-26 The Message

24-26 Then Jesus went to work on his disciples. “Anyone who intends to come with me has to let me lead. You’re not in the driver’s seat; I am. Don’t run from suffering; embrace it. Follow me, I’ll show you how. Self-help is no help at all. Self-sacrifice is the way, my way, to finding yourself, your true self. What kind of deal is it to get everything you want but lose yourself? What could you ever trade your soul for?

The human soul is a priceless treasure; it is the real you.

In fact, the Bible teaches that your soul is more valuable than the whole world!

Yet, far too many people “sell their souls” for what surely are petty bargains, and temporary wealth.

We are far far more than just material beings and science and psychology has proposed; the Bible teaches that we are body, soul and spirit.

We also see that a great price was paid for the soul, but not in an earthly sense.

1 Peter 1:18-19 says,

“you were not redeemed with corruptible things, like silver or gold,… but with the precious blood of Christ, as of a lamb without blemish and without spot.”

Jesus Christ allowed himself to die on a cross for your soul.

His death pays the penalty for the sins of those who believe on Him by faith.

But just as the man in this parable neglected and lost his soul.

It is possible for you to lose your soul forever.

I want to share with you 3 reasons why many people lose their soul in the end.

Three reasons why many people lost their souls:

I. WRONG PREPARATION (v. 16-18)

This man’s life was far too busy in pursuing the comforts of this life and not on pursuing God.

The farmer cares was about to BUILD BIGGER BARNS, but God brought in a new perspective.

The farmer won’t live to see them.

In fact, he won’t live to BUILD BIGGER BARNS. He made plans only for this life but not what comes after. God was not in his life. He did not consider God at all.

Jesus wants us to see things in the right perspective.

He told the young man who came to Him:

“Watch out! Be on your guard against all kinds of greed; a man’s life does not consist in the abundance of his possessions.” (12:15)

12:24 “Consider the ravens: They do not sow or reap, they have no storeroom or barn; yet God feeds them.”

12:27 “Consider how the lilies grow. They do not labour or spin…” and look how God clothes them.

You can lose your soul if you plan for yourself alone.

You were created to pursue a relationship with God; riches or sin can never satisfy your soul. (Mt. 6:33)

In the parable, God called this man a fool. He had amassed great wealth, but was poor toward God.

“Nothing is wrong in seeking great things. But it is wrong to seek great things for only yourself” – Oswald Sanders

Jesus reminds us of the need to remember God – the Source of all our blessings.

God wants us to invest in things that has eternal value.

We must invest our life – time, talent, knowledge – in the work of His Kingdom.

Lay up “treasures in heaven..” (cf.12:33).

Live life in the light of eternity and we shall be greatly blessed.

All that the farmer has – will not go to him, and will not go with him.

Life without God is meaningless.

Man finds true fulfilment in this world – we want to have “plenty of good things laid up for many years” and then we can “take life easy; eat, drink and be merry” (v.19)

Jesus says true fulfillment can only come through a relationship with our God.

“Security in life does not lie with barns but with God.”

II. WRONG INTENTION (v. 19)

The chairman of the community charity called on a notorious miser.

“Sir,” said the fund-raiser, “our records show that despite your wealth, you’ve never once given to our drive.”

“Do your records show that I have an elderly mother who was left penniless when my father died?” fumed the tightwad.

“Do your records show that I have a disabled brother who is unable to work?

Do your records show I have a widowed sister with four small children who can barely make ends meet?”

“No, sir,” replied the embarrassed volunteer.

“Our records don’t show those things.”

“Well,” said the miser. “I don’t give to any of them, so why should I give anything to you?”

This man’s heart was filled with pride and self-reliance – He was a self-made man read (verse 19)

There are 2 sins of a man that are bred in the bone: one is self-dependence and the other is self-exultation—Spurgeon

I Timothy 6:17-18 

“Tell those who are rich not to be proud and not to trust in their money, which will soon be gone, but their pride and trust should be in the living God who always richly gives us all we need for our enjoyment. Tell them to use their money to do good. They should be rich in good works and should give happily to those in need, always being ready to share with others whatever God has given them” (Living)

“All day long the wicked covets, but the righteous gives and does not hold back.”  Proverbs 21:26 (RSV)

The real issue here is not your possession (rich or poor), the issue here is your focus—self?

The command is general=“Do not neglect to do good and to share what you have, for such sacrifices are pleasing to God.” Hebrews 13:16 (RSV)

The problems today is perhaps, probably, most certainly, definitely…the church is poor because Christians do not give to the Lord???

Illustration: A pastor stood before his church and said,

“I’ve got some good news and some bad news. The good news is that the church has all the money it needs… The bad news is that it’s all still locked inside your wallets.”

Remember this:

“At the close of life, the question will not be how much have you got, but how much have you given. Not how much have you won, but how much have you done. Not how much have you saved, but how much have you sacrificed. Not how much have you honored, but how much have you served.”

Mark 10:35-45 New American Standard Bible

35 [a]James and John, the two sons of Zebedee, *came up to [b]Jesus, saying to Him, “Teacher, we want You to do for us whatever we ask of You.” 36 And He said to them, “What do you want Me to do for you?” 37 They said to Him, “[c] Grant that we may sit, one on Your right and one on Your left, in Your glory.”  38 But Jesus said to them,  “You do not know what you are asking. Are you able to drink the cup that I drink, or to be baptized with the baptism with which I am baptized?” 39 They said to Him, “We are able.” And Jesus said to them, “The cup that I drink you shall drink; and you shall be baptized with the baptism with which I am baptized. 40 But to sit on My right or on My left is not Mine to give; but it is for those for whom it has been prepared.”

41 Hearing this, the other ten began to feel indignant with [d]James and John.  42 Calling them to Himself, Jesus *said to them, “You know that those who are recognized as rulers of the Gentiles domineer over them; and their [e]people in high position exercise authority over them. 43 But it is not this way among you;  rather, whoever wants to become [f]prominent among you shall be your servant; 44 and whoever wants to be first among you shall be slave of all. 45 For even the Son of Man  did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give His [g] life as a ransom for many.”

III. WRONG VISION (v. 20)

This man had made good vision assuming that he would be around to enjoy his wealth – not knowing that that night would be his last. (James 4:13-14)

The pastor was invited to dinner in the home of a very wealthy man in Texas.

After the meal, the host led him to a place where they could get a good view of the surrounding area.

Pointing to the oil wells, he boasted, “Twenty-five years ago I had nothing. Now, as far as you can see, it’s all mine.”

Looking in the opposite direction at his sprawling fields of grain, he said, “That’s all mine.”

Turning east toward huge herds of cattle, he bragged, “They’re all mine.” Then pointing to the west and a beautiful forest, he exclaimed, “That too is all mine.”

He paused, expecting the pastor to compliment him on his great success.

The pastor, placing one hand on the man’s shoulder and pointing heavenward with the other, simply said, “How much do you possess in that direction?”

The man stared blankly for a moment, then hung his head and confessed, “I never thought of that.”

Most of us don’t realize we are just one breath away, one heartbeat away, or one accident away from eternity.

No one is ever prepared for that moment until they have made peace with God…

“We are always complaining that our days are few” – Seneca the Younger

Mark 8:36 – “For what shall it profit a man, if he shall gain the whole world, and lose his own soul?”

Mark 8:34-37 New American Standard Bible

34 And He summoned the crowd together with His disciples, and said to them,  “If anyone wants to come after Me, he must deny himself, take up his cross, and follow Me. 35 For whoever wants to save his [a]life will lose it, but whoever loses his [b]life for My sake and the gospel’s will save it. 36 For what does it benefit a person to gain the whole world, and forfeit his soul? 37 For what could a person give in exchange for his soul?

What if you just heard those words: “Today, you will die.”

Are you ready for that?

Proverbs 9:1-6 New American Standard Bible

Wisdom’s Invitation

9 Wisdom has built her house,
She has carved out her seven pillars;
2 She has [a]prepared her food, she has mixed her wine;
She has also set her table;
3 She has sent out her attendants, she calls out
From the tops of the heights of the city:
4 “Whoever is naive, let him turn in here!”
To him who lacks [b]understanding she says,
5 “Come, eat of my food
And drink of the wine I have mixed.
6 [c]Abandon your foolishness and live,
And proceed in the way of understanding.”

Are you ready to give an account for the way you’ve raised or are raising your family?

Are you ready to give an account for what you’re doing with your talent and abilities?

Are you ready to give an account for the way you’re spending your time and energy?

Are you ready to give an account for what you’ve done with the money and wealth that God has blessed you with?

Are you ready to give an account for the way you’re using your body and managing your appetites?

Some day, there’s going to be a knock at your life’s door.

Death will be waiting outside.

The music will suddenly stop.

The frantic whirling of the dancers will cease.

And you and I must answer the door.

Soon thereafter, what we did with the gift of life will be required of us.

Heb. 9:27 “ It is appointed for a man to die once but after this the judgment.”

Hebrews 9:27-28 New American Standard Bible

27 and just as it is destined for people to die once, and after this comes judgment, 28 so Christ also, having been offered once to bear the sins of many, will appear a second time for salvation without reference to sin, to those who eagerly await Him.

A popular musician-songwriter of the early seventies was Jim Croce.

One of his most famous recordings was ‘Time in a Bottle,’ a love song about his desire to save time in a bottle in order to spend it later with someone he loved.

The eerie thing about that piece was that by the time it hit the airwaves, Jim Croce was dead.

When God enters, this farmer realized that there was ONE THING he did not prepare.

He made good plan to store his crop, made good plan to save up for the future, he made plan to enjoy himself.

In fact, he has done many things good but he did not prepare for his own soul.

Death was not in his planning book.

A person does not know when his or her time is coming.

You can avoid being one of those people who lost their souls by:

· Admitting to God you are a sinner (Rom. 3:10 & 23)

· Believing that Jesus died for your sins (1 Peter 3:18)

· Fully Committing your life to Him as Savior and Lord (Acts 4:8-12)

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

Praying …

Proverbs 3:1-12 The Message

Don’t Assume You Know It All

3 1-2 Good friend, don’t forget all I’ve taught you;
    take to heart my commands.
They’ll help you live a long, long time,
    a long life lived full and well.

3-4 Don’t lose your grip on Love and Loyalty.
    Tie them around your neck; carve their initials on your heart.
Earn a reputation for living well
    in God’s eyes and the eyes of the people.

5-12 Trust God from the bottom of your heart;
    don’t try to figure out everything on your own.
Listen for God’s voice in everything you do, everywhere you go;
    he’s the one who will keep you on track.
Don’t assume that you know it all.
    Run to God! Run from evil!
Your body will glow with health,
    your very bones will vibrate with life!
Honor God with everything you own;
    give him the first and the best.
Your barns will burst,
    your wine vats will brim over.
But don’t, dear friend, resent God’s discipline;
    don’t sulk under his loving correction.
It’s the child he loves that God corrects;
    a father’s delight is behind all this.

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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Protecting our Life and our Future: Paying close attention, to what your father tells you; never forget what you learned at your mother’s knee. Proverbs 1:8-19

Proverbs 1:8-19 New American Standard Bible

The Enticement of Sinners

8 Listen, my son, to your father’s instruction,
And do not ignore your mother’s teaching;
9 For they are a graceful wreath for your head
And necklaces for your neck.
10 My son, if sinners entice you,
Do not consent.
11 If they say, “Come with us,
Let’s lie in wait for blood,
Let’s ambush the innocent without cause;
12 Let’s swallow them alive like Sheol,
Even whole, like those who go down to the pit;
13 We will find all kinds of precious wealth,
We will fill our houses with plunder;
14 Throw in your lot [a]with us;
We will all have one money bag,”
15 My son, do not walk on the way with them.
Keep your feet from their path,
16 For their feet run to evil,
And they are quick to shed blood.
17 Indeed, it is [b]useless to spread the baited net
In the sight of any [c]bird;
18 But they lie in wait for their own blood;
They ambush their own lives.
19 Such are the ways of everyone who makes unjust gain;
It takes away the life of its possessors.

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.

These opening verses from Proverbs remind us how important it is to be wise and careful about the choices we make.

Our current lives and our future lives are gifts from God.

It is up to us to steward, to protect them by listening to His guidance and staying away from things that can hurt us.

As we learn from this part of God’s Word, we will find simple, helpful ideas to keep our hearts and minds safe so we can live in a way that pleases God and gives us hope for the future.

In this writing, we will see how God’s wisdom can help us stay away from temptation and bad influences.

The Bible warns us about hanging around people who try to lead us into doing wrong. It also teaches us to listen to both our parents and God’s instructions.

When we understand, take heed of these warnings and trust in God’s wisdom, we can make better choices and live a happy, meaningful life.

Let’s open our hearts to God’s Word today and ask Him to help us stay safe and wisely follow His way.

Proverbs 1:8-9

You protect your life when you…

1. Heed your parent’s wisdom.

This tells us to listen to our parents’ advice because it helps protect our lives and future.

Spiritually, this shows God’s plan for families and how important it is to respect the authority He has given to them as our parents.

When we follow their guidance, we are choosing prudence, wisdom and safety, which can keep us from making harmful choices.

In everyday life, this means really listening to our parents, respecting what they say, and using their advice when making decisions.

When we do this, we can avoid dangers like bad friends, reckless actions, or wrong choices that may hurt us physically, emotionally, or spiritually.

Practically, this teaches us to be humble and willing to learn from our parents’ experience.

It also reminds us that respecting our parents is a way of showing respect to God, since He put them in our lives to help guide us.

When we obey, honor our parents, we protect ourselves from many problems and open the way for God’s blessings. In the end, honoring our parents is a way of honoring God, helping us stay safe and make good choices for our future.

Proverbs 1:10-15

You protect your life when you…

2. Reject foolish and sinful influences.

The writer of Proverbs warns us not to give in to foolish and sinful influences that try to lure us away.

Spiritually, this shows us that obeying God’s wisdom and rules is the best way to stay safe and live fully.

Sinful influences can lead us away from God’s good path, causing harm to our hearts, minds, and even our bodies.

When we choose to resist these temptations, we are choosing God’s way, which promises protection, guidance, and a life full of purpose.

In everyday life, this means setting boundaries, establish clear limits, avoiding bad peer pressure, and being careful about what influences us, (media, friends, or environments) so we don’t fall into harmful behaviors that could hurt us now or in the future.

To put this into practice, rejecting wrong influences requires us to be rigorously intentional and disciplined.

It helps to read and study the Bible, pray regularly, and stay accountable to mature Christians who can guide us.

It also means choosing friends and activities that encourage us to do what is right, instead of those that tempt us to do wrong.

When we do this, we protect ourselves not just today; but also in the future- Spiritually, emotionally, and physically.

Living this way helps us stay true to God’s plan for our lives, leading us to a safe and meaningful future.

Proverbs 1:16-19

You protect your life when you…

3. Choose wisdom over violence and rebellion.

The writer warns us not to give in to the temptation of violence and rebellion because they only lead to trouble and destruction.

Spiritually, God teaches us to seek wisdom and do what is right instead of fighting or rebelling.

This aligns with God’s desire for us to live peacefully, justly, and to value life.

In practical ways, this means that when we face problems or conflicts, we should respond with patience, prayer, and wise choices instead of trying to get revenge or fighting back.

Doing so helps protect our spiritual life and future, saving us from the harm that rebellion and violence can cause.

To put this into practice, we need to pray, read God’s Word, and ask for advice when we’re unsure what to do.

We should resist the urge to escalate conflicts or handle problems on our own, trusting that God will bring justice in His perfect time.

When we choose wisdom instead of violence or rebellion, we not only protect our physical lives but also keep our hearts healthy spiritually.

This shows we trust God’s plan and love, leading to a more peaceful and secure life that follows God’s purpose for us.

Conclusion:

Our text teaches us that it is very important to protect our lives and future by staying away from temptation and bad choices.

It reminds us to listen carefully to the wisdom of our parents and God’s Word, which help us make good decisions.

When we choose to walk in honesty and wisdom, we can have a life full of purpose, safety, and God’s blessing.

Remember, the decisions, the choices we make today will shape our tomorrow, so we need to stay alert and stay connected to God’s truth.

Now, I want to invite you to respond to God’s call today.

If you feel you need His help, protection, or guidance, open your heart to Him.

Jesus offers balance, forgiveness, fresh starts, strength to live wisely and safely.

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

Praying ….

Psalm 119:9-24 Complete Jewish Bible

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.

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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Some impressions, some thoughts: wrestling all day and all night with God, instead of going toe to toe with Man for a change? Genesis 32:24-30

Genesis 32:24-30 New American Standard Bible

Jacob Wrestles

24 Then Jacob was left alone, and a man wrestled with him until daybreak. 25 When the man saw that he had not prevailed against him, he touched the socket of [a] Jacob’s hip; and the socket of Jacob’s hip was dislocated while he wrestled with him.  26 Then he said, “Let me go, for the dawn is breaking.” But he said, “I will not let you go unless you bless me.” 27 So he said to him, “What is your name?” And he said, “Jacob.” 28 Then he said, “Your name shall no longer be Jacob, but [b]Israel; for you have contended with God and with men, and have prevailed.” 29 And Jacob asked him and said, “Please tell me your name.” But he said, “Why is it that you ask my name?” And he blessed him there. 30 So Jacob named the place [c]Peniel, for he said, “I have seen God face to face, yet my [d]life has been [e]spared.”

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.

Life will often present moments when transformation requires intense engagement with God.

Jacob should have known better.

He knew what it was like to have a brother whom his father loved more than him (Genesis 25:27-28), but he favored his youngest son Joseph over his other sons anyway. Sadly, it led to jealousy and resentment among Joseph’s brothers.

When Joseph’s older brothers looked at him, blood pressures went up, hatred and jealousy filled their hearts. Still, they should have kept their emotions in check if Joseph hadn’t stirred the pot with notions about the dreams he had had.

God had provided the dreams, but Joseph took pride in them. He interpreted those dreams as showing he was better than his brothers, and even his father rebuked him for the self-centered nature of those interpretations.

The meaning of those dreams became clear later (Genesis 41-47), but all that the brothers knew now was that they didn’t want anything to do with Joseph!

In this story we eventually see God can take the human failings of these broken family members to bring about something good, despite the sinful attitudes locked inside each individual’s heart.

We also learn in life God intercedes, leads, guides, directs and works through the troubles in our world and in our hearts to make something new and better.

He is faithful to the purpose and plan that he holds and creates for us.

Jacob’s night-long struggle at Peniel illustrates that change is not always passive; sometimes we must wrestle spiritually to experience breakthrough.

This struggle can be with fear, destiny delays, or internal limitations.

Wrestling with God is not about overpowering Him but about encountering Him in a way that reshapes identity, perspective, and purpose.

It is in the intensity of confrontation, prayer, and dependence that God’s power brings transformation.

The encounter at Peniel shows that the most significant changes often occur during periods of discomfort, vulnerability, and persistence.

By wrestling with God, we are prepared for new identity, divine favour, and renewed purpose in life.

1. RECOGNISING THE NEED FOR DIVINE CHANGE

Transformation begins when we acknowledge areas where God’s intervention is essential.

a) Facing Fear (Genesis 32:7-8)

Jacob recognized the imminent threat of Esau wanting payback and felt fear.

Change often starts with confronting realities beyond our control.

b) Acknowledging Weakness (Genesis 32:9-10)

Jacob admitted his inadequacy and appealed to God’s mercy.

True change begins with humility and dependence on divine power.

c) Seeking Divine Intervention (Genesis 32:11)

Prayer becomes the arena where change is negotiated and requested.

d) Desire for Transformation (Genesis 32:12)

Jacob’s plea reveals that longing for God’s intercession initiates spiritual struggle.

Hannah’s desperate prayer for a child after years of barrenness and scorn in Shiloh demonstrates that determined self-same recognition of need and her persistent pleading lead to divine response (1 Samuel 1:10-20).

2. ENGAGING IN SPIRITUAL STRUGGLE

Spiritual breakthrough often requires persistence, discipline, and resilience in prayer and obedience.

a) Wrestling through the Night (Genesis 32:24)

Jacob physically wrestled with the angel, illustrating the highest intensity of Jacob’s spiritual struggle.

b) Refusing to Let Go (Genesis 32:26)

Persistence at all costs is essential; intercession is often released to those who remains steadfast and refuses to relent in faith.

c) Painful Transformation (Genesis 32:25)

Change can be minimally or hardcore uncomfortable; divine intervention often requires painful surrender and enduring pressure.

d) Seeking God’s Favour (Genesis 32:27)

Jacob’s insistence shows that breakthroughs require intentional engagement with God’s presence.

Moses wrestled in prayer and intercession for Israel, advocating persistently for mercy during rebellion (Exodus 32:11-14).

3. RECEIVING NEW IDENTITY

Transformation brings a redefinition of purpose and identity.

a) Name Change (Genesis 32:28)

Jacob became Israel, meaning “he wrestled with God.”

Divine encounters redefine identity.

b) Empowered for Destiny (Genesis 32:28)

New identity equips for new responsibilities and challenges.

c) Recognition of Divine Authority (Genesis 32:29)

Encounter teaches reverence and dependence on God’s sovereignty.

d) Witness of the Change (Genesis 32:30)

Jacob called the place Peniel, acknowledging God’s transformative power.

Saul of Tarsus became Paul after encountering Christ on the road to Damascus, receiving a new identity and purpose (Acts 9:1-19).

4. WALKING IN THE RESULTS OF STRUGGLE

Breakthrough demands action in alignment with the transformation received.

a) Living with Courage (Genesis 32:31)

Despite being limping from the encounter, Jacob walked forward strengthened in faith.

b) Pursuing Destiny (Genesis 33:1-4)

The struggle prepared him for reconciliation with Esau, illustrating that divine change impacts relationships and destiny.

c) Strengthened Faith (Romans 5:3-5)

Endurance through struggle produces character, hope, and spiritual maturity.

d) Continuous Dependence (Philippians 3:12-14)

Even after breakthrough, persistent faith is necessary to run the race of destiny.

Biblical Example: Daniel’s perseverance in the lions’ den demonstrates walking in faith and victory after trusting God through testing (Daniel 6:16-23).

CONCLUSION

Wrestling with God is not about confrontation in anger but persistent seeking, humility, and surrender.

Jacob’s night long struggle at Peniel resulted in new identity, empowerment, and readiness for destiny.

Believers are encouraged to embrace spiritual struggle, trusting that God meets intensity with transformation. Every heavenly encounter with divine struggle can redefine identity, establish faith, and prepare for destiny fulfilment.

 “highly suggested” PRAYER POINTS

1. Father, give me the strength to persist in prayer until breakthrough is achieved in Jesus name.

2. Lord, help me confront areas of my life that require divine transformation in Jesus name.

3. Father, teach me to wrestle with You in faith and humility in Jesus name.

4. Lord, redefine my identity according to Your purpose and glory in Jesus name.

5. Father, empower me to walk forward courageously after every spiritual encounter in Jesus name.

6. Lord, release divine blessings that result from persistence and struggle in Jesus name.

7. Father, help me endure trials with patience and perseverance in Jesus name.

8. Lord, strengthen my faith through every wrestling season in Jesus name.

9. Father, prepare me for destiny fulfillment through divine encounters in Jesus name.

10. Lord, let every struggle result in victory and testimony in Jesus name.

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

Praying …..

Psalm 16 New King James Version

The Hope of the Faithful, and the Messiah’s Victory
A Michtam of David.

16 Preserve[a] me, O God, for in You I put my trust.

2 O my soul, you have said to the Lord,
“You are my Lord,
My goodness is nothing apart from You.”
3 As for the saints who are on the earth,
“They are the excellent ones, in whom is all my delight.”

4 Their sorrows shall be multiplied who hasten after another god;
Their drink offerings of blood I will not offer,
Nor take up their names on my lips.

5 O Lord, You are the portion of my inheritance and my cup;
You [b]maintain my lot.
6 The lines have fallen to me in pleasant places;
Yes, I have a good inheritance.

7 I will bless the Lord who has given me counsel;
My [c]heart also instructs me in the night seasons.
8 I have set the Lord always before me;
Because He is at my right hand I shall not be moved.

9 Therefore my heart is glad, and my glory rejoices;
My flesh also will [d]rest in hope.
10 For You will not leave my soul in [e]Sheol,
Nor will You allow Your Holy One to [f]see corruption.
11 You will show me the path of life;
In Your presence is fullness of joy;
At Your right hand are pleasures forevermore.

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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Forgiveness Forgiven and Forgiving LOL! Mercy for Me but Not for Thee. Matthew 18:21-35

Matthew 18:21-35 New International Version

The Parable of the Unmerciful Servant

21 Then Peter came to Jesus and asked, “Lord, how many times shall I forgive my brother or sister who sins against me? Up to seven times?”

22 Jesus answered, “I tell you, not seven times, but seventy-seven times.[a]

23 “Therefore, the kingdom of heaven is like a king who wanted to settle accounts with his servants. 24 As he began the settlement, a man who owed him ten thousand bags of gold[b] was brought to him. 25 Since he was not able to pay, the master ordered that he and his wife and his children and all that he had be sold to repay the debt.

26 “At this the servant fell on his knees before him. ‘Be patient with me,’ he begged, ‘and I will pay back everything.’ 27 The servant’s master took pity on him, canceled the debt and let him go.

28 “But when that servant went out, he found one of his fellow servants who owed him a hundred silver coins.[c] He grabbed him and began to choke him. ‘Pay back what you owe me!’ he demanded.

29 “His fellow servant fell to his knees and begged him, ‘Be patient with me, and I will pay it back.’

30 “But he refused. Instead, he went off and had the man thrown into prison until he could pay the debt. 31 When the other servants saw what had happened, they were outraged and went and told their master everything that had happened.

32 “Then the master called the servant in. ‘You wicked servant,’ he said, ‘I canceled all that debt of yours because you begged me to. 33 Shouldn’t you have had mercy on your fellow servant just as I had on you?’ 34 In anger his master handed him over to the jailers to be tortured, until he should pay back all he owed.

35 “This is how my heavenly Father will treat each of you unless you forgive your brother or sister from your heart.”

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.

Whenever I read Jesus’ parable of the unforgiving servant, my blood begins to boil.

I think,

“How cold, anti-social, ruthless, ungrateful, mean, and greedy this man is. There isn’t a kind bone in his body!”

Here was a man who owed more money than he could ever repay.

But after he was forgiven of his huge debt, he punished another man for owing him just a small amount.

The forgiven man had received mercy, but he did not show mercy to the other man.

It is not wrong to be angry about this.

In fact, this is the response Jesus is looking for.

But we must not stop there.

Jesus designed this story to help us think and act faithfully as children of God.

How should we respond to the kindness God has shown us?

God has forgiven our huge debt of sin; will we do the same for others who have sinned against us?

It is easy for us to ask for God’s forgiveness and yet carry grudges and ill will toward others.

It is easy to remember and resent what others have said and done against us.

But if we unconditionally accept God’s forgiveness and yet fail to forgive others, our Christianity is no different from the cold, ungrateful man in Jesus’ parable.

Jesus teaches us to forgive and to keep forgiving so we cannot remember how many times we have forgiven.

When we walk with the Spirit, we are changed.

God’s kindness begins to flow from us to others.

Forgiveness Forgiven and Forgiving

Matthew 18:26-35 New Living Translation

26 “But the man fell down before his master and begged him, ‘Please, be patient with me, and I will pay it all.’ 27 Then his master was filled with pity for him, and he released him and forgave his debt.

28 “But when the man left the king, he went to a fellow servant who owed him a few thousand dollars.[a] He grabbed him by the throat and demanded instant payment.

29 “His fellow servant fell down before him and begged for a little more time. ‘Be patient with me, and I will pay it,’ he pleaded. 30 But his creditor wouldn’t wait. He had the man arrested and put in prison until the debt could be paid in full.

31 “When some of the other servants saw this, they were very upset. They went to the king and told him everything that had happened. 32 Then the king called in the man he had forgiven and said, ‘You evil servant! I forgave you that tremendous debt because you pleaded with me. 33 Shouldn’t you have mercy on your fellow servant, just as I had mercy on you?’ 34 Then the angry king sent the man to prison to be tortured until he had paid his entire debt.

35 “That’s what my heavenly Father will do to you if you refuse to forgive your brothers and sisters[b] from your heart.”

A forgiven person should be a forgiving person—and, since forgiveness does not come so easily or naturally to us, we need to hear this again and again.

In other words, we forgive because God, through Jesus, forgives us.

The Bible makes it perfectly clear that forgiveness doesn’t spring from any human merit and is not the result of our own endeavors to be gracious and forgiving towards others; rather it comes from the grace of God.

One of the chief evidences that someone has truly repented of their sins, therefore, is a forgiving spirit.

Conversely, if we continually harbor enmity, grudges, and bitterness in our hearts, we not only harm our own lives and jeopardize our relationships, but frankly we also call into question whether we have ever truly discovered or grasped the authentic nature of God’s forgiveness at all.

It’s impossible to extend genuine forgiveness unless we have experienced it ourselves, and impossible not to do so if we have.

It will only flow outward from our hearts once we have been changed by God’s grace and have considered the true enormity of our many offenses against Him.

When such a transformation takes place, the sin of others against us will carry less weight as God enables us to forgive as often as we have been forgiven.

This is the principle behind Jesus’ parable of the servant in Matthew 18, who, having been forgiven a debt that was the first-century equivalent of $8 billion, then harshly refused to forgive a debt of $20,000.

Jesus wants us to see the depths of unreasonableness of the servant who had been forgiven an enormous debt in refusing to forgive the debt owed to him.

Viewed on its own, that debt was substantial; set against the amount he himself had been forgiven, it was tiny.

Likewise, it is inconceivable that we, who have been forgiven such a vast debt of offense against God, should ever fail to reciprocate and callously fail to forgive.

If we have experienced God’s mercy, then we must certainly not neglect the exercise of forgiveness.

In forgiving others, we enjoy the fullness of God’s pardon.

Give up the records of sins that you’re tempted to hold on to.

When this is hard because the wrong you’re being called to forgive was serious, look at the debt for which God has forgiven you, and look at what He gave up to do so—and that will enable you to extend mercy in your turn.

Surely, God has forgiven you through His Son, our Savior, Jesus Christ. He will pour out His grace and mercy to help you walk in truest harmony with others.

Talking about forgiveness and mercy in the kingdom of God.

Forgiveness and mercy are very important to God.

How do I know this?

Because Jesus said so!

Forgiveness and mercy are not natural reactions when we get wronged or hurt.

But they are core values in Jesus’ kingdom.

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

Praying ….

Our Father, who art in heaven,
hallowed be thy name;
thy kingdom come;
thy will be done;
on earth as it is in heaven.
Give us this day our daily bread.
And forgive us our trespasses,
as we forgive those who trespass against us.
And lead us not into temptation;
but deliver us from evil.
For thine is the kingdom,
the power and the glory,
for ever and ever.
Amen.

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Fact or Fiction? God’s reputation is of the most purest, most absolute, most valuable twenty-four-carat gold with the most faithful lifetime guarantee. Psalm 19

Psalm 19 The Message

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Word of God for the Children of God.

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

We are going to talk about the perfection of God’s law, our search for moral values, and how we need to submit ourselves to God’s moral absolutes.

Navigating this world, it’s easy to lose sight of what truly matters in the chaos and noise, but as Christians, we have a perfect guide in the form of God’s law.

Lee Strobel once wrote, “If Jesus sets the divine standard for morality, I could now have an unwavering foundation for my choices and decisions, rather than basing them on the ever-shifting sands of expediency and self-centeredness.”

And that’s exactly what we will be digging into today.

We’ll be delving into Psalm 19, a beautiful passage that can enlighten us all.

Psalm 19:10 The Message

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

The Perfection of God’s Law

The perfection of God’s law is a testament to the divine wisdom and absolute righteousness of our Creator.

The law of the Lord, as described in Psalm 19, is perfect, trustworthy, right, radiant, pure, enduring, firm, and righteous. Each of these descriptors paints a deliciously vivid picture of the divine perfection that is inherent in God’s law.

God’s law is perfect:

We are acknowledging that it is complete, flawless, and without any deficiency.

It is a holistic guide for our lives, addressing every aspect of human existence.

It is not a set of arbitrary rules, but a comprehensive blueprint for righteous living. It is perfect because it originates from a perfect God.

It is a reflection of His character and His will for humanity.

It is a law that refreshes the soul, as it is aligned with our true purpose and the ultimate truth of the universe.

The trustworthiness of God’s law:

In a world where falsehoods and deceptions abound, the law of the Lord stands as the surest beacon of truth.

It is reliable and dependable, providing a solid foundation for our lives. It makes the simple wise, illuminating the path of righteousness for those who seek it. It is a law that we can stake our lives on, knowing that it will never lead us astray.

The righteousness of God’s law:

It is not just a set of rules, but a moral compass that guides us towards what is right and just.

It gives joy to the heart, as it aligns us with the divine will and leads us towards a life of righteousness and virtue.

It is a law that radiates light, dispelling the darkness of sin and ignorance.

The purity of God’s law:

It is untainted by sin, corruption, or any form of evil.

It is a law that endures forever, unchanging and eternal, just like God Himself.

It is firm and unyielding, standing as a bulwark against the shifting sands of moral relativism.

It is a law that’s righteous in all decrees, reflecting the absolute righteousness of God.

It’s a law we should strive to understand and obey, as it is the shortest route to spiritual perfection.

Our Search for Moral Values

Our search for moral values is a lifelong journey that begins the moment we become aware of the difference between right and wrong.

It’s a quest that requires us to constantly evaluate our actions, decisions, and attitudes in light of God’s perfect law.

This search is not just about knowing what is right or wrong, but also about understanding why certain actions are deemed right or wrong according to God’s law.

Acknowledge that our morality is not self-derived:

It is not something we create or decide upon ourselves, but rather, it is something that is given to us by God.

This is a crucial point to understand because it establishes the basis for our moral values.

As Christians, we believe that our moral values are not subjective or relative, but are absolute, unchanging because they are rooted in the character of God.

The Bible:

Matthew 7:12 The Message

12 “Here is a simple, rule-of-thumb guide for behavior: Ask yourself what you want people to do for you, then grab the initiative and do it for them. Add up God’s Law and Prophets and this is what you get.

This is our primary source of moral values.

It provides us with clear guidelines on how we should live our lives, how we should treat others, and how we should relate to God.

It teaches us about love, justice, mercy, forgiveness, humility, and many other virtues that form the foundation of our moral values.

Not always easy:

We live in a world that often promotes values that are contrary to God’s law.

We are constantly bombarded with messages that encourage selfishness, greed, pride, and other sinful behaviors.

In such a world, it can be challenging to stay true to our Christian moral values.

The importance of community:

As Christians, we are not meant to navigate this world alone.

We are part of a community of believers who can support, encourage, and hold each other accountable in our continuous search for moral values.

We need to be surrounded by a community of people who live the Christian life, who encourage us, rebuke us, teach us, guide us in our search for moral values.

A continuous process:

It requires constant reflection, prayer, and study of God’s word.

It requires us to be humble, to admit when we are wrong, and to seek God’s forgiveness and guidance.

It requires us to strive to be more like Jesus, who is the perfect embodiment of God’s moral values.

Our ultimate goal:

It’s not just to know what is right or wrong, but to live in a way that honors and glorifies God.

As Paul wrote in Colossians 3:15-17,

15-17 Let the peace of Christ keep you in tune with each other, in step with each other. None of this going off and doing your own thing. Cultivate thankfulness. Let the Word of Christ—the Message—have the run of the house. Give it plenty of room in your lives. Instruct and direct one another using good common sense. And sing, sing your hearts out to God! Let every detail in your lives—words, actions, whatever—be done in the name of Jesus, thanking God the Father every single step of the way.

Submission to God’s Moral Absolutes

Submission to God’s moral absolutes is the conscious decision to align our lives with the standards and principles outlined in the Bible, God’s holy word.

This submission is not about losing our freedom or individuality, but rather about our gaining true freedom and peace in the knowledge that we are living according to God’s divine blueprint for our lives.

Not arbitrary rules designed to restrict us:

They are loving guidelines given by a wise and caring Creator who knows what is best for us.

They are the boundaries within which we can live, love, and serve in the most fulfilling and meaningful way.

They are the standards that help us to distinguish right from wrong, good from evil, and truth from falsehood.

Requires humility:

Isaiah 55:8-11 The Message

8-11 “I don’t think the way you think.
    The way you work isn’t the way I work.”
        God’s Decree.
“For as the sky soars high above earth,
    so the way I work surpasses the way you work,
    and the way I think is beyond the way you think.
Just as rain and snow descend from the skies
    and don’t go back until they’ve watered the earth,
Doing their work of making things grow and blossom,
    producing seed for farmers and food for the hungry,
So will the words that come out of my mouth
    not come back empty-handed.
They’ll do the work I sent them to do,
    they’ll complete the assignment I gave them.

It requires acknowledging that God’s wisdom is greater than ours, that His understanding is beyond our comprehension, and that His ways are higher than our ways. It requires trusting in His goodness and love, even when we do not fully understand His commands or when obeying them seems difficult or costly.

Requires a commitment to ongoing spiritual growth and transformation:

It involves daily reading and meditating on God’s word, seeking to understand His commands and principles, and asking the Holy Spirit to help us apply them in our lives.

It involves regular self-examination and repentance, as we recognize and confess our failures and shortcomings, seek God’s forgiveness and help to change.

A lifelong journey:

It is a process of growing in obedience and faithfulness, as we learn to love what God loves, hate what He hates, and value what He values.

It is a journey marked by challenges and struggles, but also by joy and peace, as we experience, we live the blessing of living in harmony with God’s perfect law.

Let’s strive to understand and obey God’s perfect laws.

Let’s seek His wisdom and guidance in our search for moral values. And most importantly, let’s submit ourselves to His moral absolutes. Remember, His laws are not burdensome, rather they are the narrow path to true freedom and joy.

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

Praying …

119 1-8 You’re blessed when you stay on course,
    walking steadily on the road revealed by God.
You’re blessed when you follow his directions,
    doing your best to find him.
That’s right—you don’t go off on your own;
    you walk straight along the road he set.
You, God, prescribed the right way to live;
    now you expect us to live it.
Oh, that my steps might be steady,
    keeping to the course you set;
Then I’d never have any regrets
    in comparing my life with your counsel.
I thank you for speaking straight from your heart;
    I learn the pattern of your righteous ways.
I’m going to do what you tell me to do;
    don’t ever walk off and leave me.

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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Whether during the light of daytime, darkest of all nights, how disciplined, our gift of observing Christ loving us. Ephesians 5:1-10

Ephesians 5:1-10 New Living Translation

Living in the Light

5 Imitate God, therefore, in everything you do, because you are his dear children. 2 Live a life filled with love, following the example of Christ. He loved us[a]  and offered himself as a sacrifice for us, a pleasing aroma to God.

3 Let there be no sexual immorality, impurity, or greed among you. Such sins have no place among God’s people. 4 Obscene stories, foolish talk, and coarse jokes—these are not for you. Instead, let there be thankfulness to God. 5 You can be sure that no immoral, impure, or greedy person will inherit the Kingdom of Christ and of God. For a greedy person is an idolater, worshiping the things of this world.

6 Don’t be fooled by those who try to excuse these sins, for the anger of God will fall on all who disobey him. 7 Don’t participate in the things these people do. 8  For once you were full of darkness, but now you have light from the Lord. So live as people of light! 9 For this light within you produces only what is good and right and true.

10 Carefully determine what pleases the Lord.

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.

Apostle Paul calls his fellow Christians to imitate God in order to live up to the reputation of God’s family.

He challenges believers to “walk in the way of love,” as Christ did.

This is about loving the way Jesus loved.

And Jesus always acted in line with the Father’s will.

The love of Jesus embraced outcasts, pardoned sinners, healed the hopeless, challenged the complacent, and willingly sacrificed everything so we sinners could be reconciled with God.

Sacrificial love is our most visible and defining family trait.

The only reason we are in the family of God in the first place is because of God’s extravagant love.

As Paul calls us to imitate God’s love, he reminds us that we are all ultimately defined by it—we are “dearly loved children.”

Our own love emerges from the depths of that eternal love.

Our love is an overflow of the love God has personally shown to each of us.

Love is the DNA test that determines paternity with our Father God (1 John 4:7-8). God loves you because you are his child, and you are his child because he loves you. Children of God are caught up into the infinite circle of God’s love.

We are most like our Father, most godly, when we allow that love to flow from us into the lives of others.

Colossians 1:10-12 The Message

9-12 Be assured that from the first day we heard of you, we haven’t stopped praying for you, asking God to give you wise minds and spirits attuned to his will, and so acquire a thorough understanding of the ways in which God works. We pray that you’ll live well for the Master, making him proud of you as you work hard in his orchard. As you learn more and more how God works, you will learn how to do  your work. We pray that you’ll have the strength to stick it out over the long haul—not the grim strength of gritting your teeth but the glory-strength God gives. It is strength that endures the unendurable and spills over into joy, thanking the Father who makes us strong enough to take part in everything bright and beautiful that he has for us.

Christians are to manifest the light of what glorifies the Lord.

Christians must constantly test the standards for pleasing the Lord.

The Christians is to ascertain by testing what pleases the Lord.

We need to know what and how scripture applies to the Christian walk.

The supreme end of the believer’s life is to glorify God.

The ultimate standard for testing what pleases the Lord, or what is His will, is the Word of God.

2 Corinthians 5:9-10 The Message

9-10 But neither exile nor homecoming is the main thing. Cheerfully pleasing God is the main thing, that’s what we aim to do, regardless of our conditions. Sooner or later we’ll all have to face God, regardless of our conditions. We will appear before Christ and take what’s coming to us as a result of our actions, either good or bad.

How do we prove what is pleasing to the Lord?

God is pleased when we put the entirety of our trust in Him and walk by faith.

He is pleased when we believe His Word, preach His Truth and His promises, live out our days acknowledging He is present with us and He is Lord over all.

However …. to avoid some of the debates

Intriguing Things that Make God Angry …..

This week I came across an intriguing phrase about Jesus in Mark 3:5: “He looked around at them with anger.”

This wasn’t the scene where Jesus throws over tables in the temple.

It was in the midst of a conversation about healing.

It got me wondering what other surprising references to God’s anger I might find in the Bible.

  • Pride and thinking oneself is better than another person (Isaiah 13:11-13)
  • Injustice – God tells the prophet, Amos (5:21-24), that God hates worship and worship services when God’s people don’t also act outside of worship with justice and righteousness.
  • Stubbornness about religious rules. The Mark 3:5 verse I mentioned at the beginning says that Jesus got angry with Pharisees – religious leaders – when they would not even engage in a conversation about whether it was right to heal someone (legal good work) on a Sabbath day (when the law said to do no work).
  • Complaining about misfortune that comes when following God (Numbers 11:1). This reminded me of Jesus telling his followers to expect (Matthew 5:11) and even seek (Luke 9:23) misfortune as part of following him.
  • Failing to trust God. In Numbers 32:11-13, God expresses anger that the people “have not unreservedly followed me.”

Jesus taught that he and the Father (God) are one (John 10:30).

Jesus then summarized what pleases the Lord this way:

“‘Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind.’ This is the first and greatest commandment. And the second is like it: ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’” (Matthew 22:37-39)

So, there you have it.

Love God above all else, and love your neighbor as yourself.

But what if you don’t feel like loving God or others?

Worse, what if you don’t feel lovable? How do we please the Lord, then?

Fortunately for us, the kind of love Jesus looks for is not a feeling.

Don’t get me wrong!

It can be a feeling, but it doesn’t have to be.

Having a bad day?

Feeling down?

Do you feel sorry for yourself today because of _____ (fill in the blank)?

God understands.

He made our emotions.

He doesn’t want us to feel bad, but he understands if we do.

After all, we live in a corrupted world.

Worse, we live in corrupted bodies (See Genesis 2-3).

Anytime we take our eyes off Jesus, we see only our hurts, wants and needs.

In Jesus, we see solutions.

Without him, we see emptiness and frustration.

John 13:34-35 Amplified Bible

34 I am giving you a new commandment, that you [a]love one another. Just as I have loved you, so you too are to love one another. 35 By this everyone will know that you are My disciples, if you have love and unselfish concern for one another.”

What pleases the Lord?

Trusting him with His Truth, acknowledging our wants and needs pleases him.

Trusting him to take care of us.

Trusting him to decide what is important.

We are not the superheroes we aspire to be.

We are human, often with “feet of clay.”

Jesus is the superhero.

He is the one who stood up to the bullies, who called their bluff, and who let them try to call him.

Only Jesus wasn’t bluffing.

He died. Yes, that is true.

They killed him for standing up to them.

They killed him for being honest about who he is.

They killed him because he threatened the darkness they used to cover what they were really like.

Yes, Jesus died on a cross, crucified and humiliated.

And he was buried. And then … he rose from the dead.

What pleases the Lord?

Acts 4:8-12 New American Standard Bible

8 Then Peter, [a]filled with the Holy Spirit, said to them, “[b]Rulers and elders of the people, 9 if we are [c]on trial today for a benefit done to a sick man, as to [d] how this man has been made well, 10 let it be known to all of you and to all the people of Israel, that [e]by the name of Jesus Christ the Nazarene, whom you crucified, whom God raised from the dead—[f]by [g]this name this man stands here before you in good health. 11 [h]He is the stone which was rejected by you, the builders, but which became the chief cornerstone. 12 And there is salvation in no one else; for there is no other name under heaven that has been given among mankind by which we must be saved.”

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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Final Exhortation: Strongly resolve that for toughest times; watch, stand fast in the faith, be brave, be strong. 1 Corinthians 16:13-14

1 Corinthians 16:13-14 New American Standard Bible

13 Be on the alert, stand firm in the faith, act like men, be strong. 14 All that you do must be done in love.

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.

Minimal Daily exhortation … In the fullest Presence of God and our neighbors, emphasize our need to live, love and move knowing that Jesus’ return is near.

Minimal Acceptable Standard of Excellence

1 Corinthians 16:13-14 Amplified Bible

13 Be on guard; stand firm in your faith [in God, respecting His precepts and keeping your doctrine sound]. Act like [mature] men and be courageous; be strong. 14 Let everything you do be done in love [motivated and inspired by God’s love for us].

1. Be on guard.

2. Stand firm in the faith.

3. Be courageous.

4. Be strong.

These robust commands urge our readiness for warfare against Satan and his angels of darkness. 

The battle is at hand.

We must prepare!

But, were you a little surprised with that fifth command?

5. And do everything with love. motivated and inspired by God’s love for us.

And, notice the command to live with love isn’t just pointed in the direction of the people on “our side”! 

Everything we do should be done with love!

Satan, the roaring lion looking to devour people and their eternal futures, is on the prowl.  

He is our enemy.

People are not.

Unbelievers are not.

Those who believe in other religious ideologies, other theologies are not.

Unbelievers and those who hate us are the most important target for our love because they don’t have the hope we have.

Notice what Peter said to early believers facing persecution for their faith:

1 Peter 3:13-20 New King James Version

Suffering for Right and Wrong

13 And who is he who will harm you if you become followers of what is good? 14 But even if you should suffer for righteousness’ sake, you are blessed. “And do not be afraid of their threats, nor be troubled.” 15 But [a]sanctify [b]the Lord God in your hearts, and always be ready to give a defense to everyone who asks you a reason for the hope that is in you, with meekness and fear; 16 having a good conscience, that when they defame you as evildoers, those who revile your good conduct in Christ may be ashamed. 17 For it is better, if it is the will of God, to suffer for doing good than for doing evil.

Christ’s Suffering and Ours

18 For Christ also suffered once for sins, the just for the unjust, that He might bring [c]us to God, being put to death in the flesh but made alive by the Spirit, 19 by whom also He went and preached to the spirits in prison, 20 who formerly were disobedient, [d]when once the Divine longsuffering waited in the days of Noah, while the ark was being prepared, in which a few, that is, eight souls, were saved through water.

Love is our most disarming weapon against our real enemy, Satan.

Our love for God is essential.

Our love for our neighbors is also essential. 

And, our love for each other is crucial to our survival and our witness. 

So, don’t think that Paul went soft all of a sudden in his list of key preparations to triumph over Satan.

He didn’t.

The battle over lies, hatred, and murder – the key attributes of the evil one -is going to be won by our love.

Specifically, won by our loving relationships with others, whether brothers and sisters in God’s family, neighbors around us who have not come to faith, or too those who hate us, even if they long to see us dead.

Remember, the greatest missionary in the history of Christianity began as a hater of Jesus and his followers.

but his heart was turned by the example of someone he had killed  and the grace of a man on his probable hit list who came and shared Christ with him. 

All of the preparations and weapons Paul listed are important for us as we face challenging times and battle the hosts of hell.

However, building loving relationships is our greatest weapon against evil and our most remarkable testimony to goodness!

Remember what the apostle Paul said:

1 Corinthians 13:13 Amplified Bible

13 And now there remain: faith [abiding trust in God and His promises], hope [confident expectation of eternal salvation], love [unselfish love for others growing out of God’s love for me], these three [the choicest graces]; but the greatest of these is love.

And, Paul didn’t know this because the Holy Spirit inspired this truth in him.

He had personally experienced this powerful weapon of grace at work in his life from the examples of those he persecuted!

Borrowing from Coach John Wooden’s words, I urge you to care more about your character than your reputation as you invest your energies.

I think strong resolutions will help make that happen.

If we plan to be a positive influence for righteousness in a world losing its way, we cannot wander through these years without a compass of commitment.

I promise to make these my resolutions from now on.

I challenge you to do the same.

To be alert to the presence of evil and the strategy of the adversary. 

Our adversary wants nothing more than to demoralize, discourage, discredit every one of us. He is the original murderer, the first deceiver. We cannot afford the luxury of ignorance. We must know our enemy and be alert to his presence.

To stay fervent in prayer. 

Let’s fight our best battles on our knees.

Rather than becoming better at debate and more clever in our sarcasm, let’s quickly drop to our knees and do our best work there.

To refuse to retaliate in the energy of the flesh. 

Revenge is a dead-end street.

But when we are swung at, the great tendency is to swing back.

What a time-wasting effort. And worst of all, our adversary loves it when we take him on in our own flesh.

Every time we make that mistake, we lose.

To refuse to slacken, surrender, or quit the path of obedience no matter how intense the pressure. 

It’s time to embrace strong resolve, encourage all in our family to do the same.

Let’s stop the thinking that says

if it’s uncomfortable, then don’t pursue;

if it might offend someone, then don’t make waves.

Obedience is a lonely path so we need to walk it together.

Finally, To seek to glorify the Lord God and to trust the Word of God, regardless.

The glory of God ultimately becomes the major filter of one’s life.

What a way to live!

No one has a freer conscience than one whose conscience has been cleansed and whose heart has been washed by the blood of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.

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

Praying …

Psalm 26 Complete Jewish Bible

26 (0) By David:

(1) Vindicate me, Adonai,
for I have lived a blameless life;
unwaveringly I trust in Adonai.
2 Examine me, Adonai, test me,
search my mind and heart.
3 For your grace is there before my eyes,
and I live my life by your truth.
4 I have not sat with worthless folks,
I won’t consort with hypocrites,
5 I hate the company of evildoers,
I will not sit with the wicked.

6 I will wash my hands in innocence
and walk around your altar, Adonai,
7 lifting my voice in thanks
and proclaiming all your wonders.
8 Adonai, I love the house where you live,
the place where your glory abides.

9 Don’t include me with sinners
or my life with the bloodthirsty.
10 In their hands are evil schemes;
their right hands are full of bribes.
11 As for me, I will live a blameless life.
Redeem me and show me favor.
12 My feet are planted on level ground;
in the assemblies I will bless Adonai.

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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Ash Wednesday Insights: Truths that remind us it is never too late for us to remember the Passover, then change. Ezra 6:19-22

Ezra 6:19-22 Complete Jewish Bible

19 The people from the exile kept Pesach on the fourteenth day of the first month.  20 For the Cohanim and L’vi’im had purified themselves together; all of them were pure. So they slaughtered the Pesach lambs for all the people from the exile and for their kinsmen the Cohanim and for themselves. 21 The people of Isra’el who had returned from the exile and all those who had renounced the filthy practices of the nations living in the land in order to seek Adonai the God of Isra’el, ate [the Pesach lamb] 22 and joyfully kept the feast of matzah for seven days; for Adonai had filled them with joy by turning the heart of the king of Ashur toward them, so that he assisted them in the work of the house of God, the God of Isra’el.

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.

With the new Temple comes renewed and remembered celebrations.

The timing could not be more perfect as in the time of Moses, there is time to remember, time to recall the ancient instructions, prepare for Passover again.

The Temple is finally finished and dedicated.

“And this house was finished on the third day of the month of Adar, in the sixth year of the reign of Darius the king” (verse 14).

The next month in the calendar is Nissan, which God proclaimed as the first month of the year for the Torah. Passover is to be observed on the 14th of Nisan.

Following the Jewish calendar can be confusing to those of us who do not use it in our daily lives.

There are actually two calendars for the Jews.

The religious calendar and the secular one. In the religious calendar, as stated earlier, Nisan is the first month.

In their secular one Nissan is the seventh or eighth month.

It changes depending on if there is another month added to realign the calendar with the phases of the moon.

The point here is that their Temple was dedicated less than a month ago.

The priests and Levites had just completed their ceremonial cleansing for the dedication so they have little to do to be clean for the upcoming Passover, other than staying ‘clean.’

This year there will be no need to delay Passover as Hezekiah had to.

Israel also invited others who wanted to celebrate the Passover with them.

There would be no exceptions this year for those who were not clean.

Hezekiah, his first year to renew Passover, asked God to pardon all those who attended who had not taken the time to cleanse themselves prior to the event.

They were allowed to eat the Passover with Israel that year.

This year ALL were clean that partook of the meal.

There was also a smaller crowd so the priests and Levites could keep up with the demand.

This would be the first of many Passover celebrations observed in the new Temple.

Gone were pomegranates and ornate chains but here was a new commitment to the Lord.

This temple would serve as a place for the people of Israel to meet with their God up until the time of Jesus.

He Himself would grace its courts.

Check out GotQuestions.org regarding Zerubbabel.

God doesn’t require that His people exhibit the greatest outward decorations and appeal. He only requires that they focus their hearts on Him.

He can use the beggar on the street as easily as He can use the executive in the boardroom.

All He asks for is their willingness to submit to Him, in whatever He calls you to.

Truths That Remind Us It’s Never Too Late to Change

Hebrews 13:5-9 Complete Jewish Bible

5 Keep your lives free from the love of money; and be satisfied with what you have; for God himself has said, “I will never fail you or abandon you.”[a] 6 Therefore, we say with confidence,

“Adonai is my helper; I will not be afraid —
what can a human being do to me?”[b]

7 Remember your leaders, those who spoke God’s message to you. Reflect on the results of their way of life, and imitate their trust — 8 Yeshua the Messiah is the same yesterday, today and forever.

9 Do not be carried away by various strange teachings; for what is good is for the heart to be strengthened by grace, not by foods. People who have made these the focus of their lives have not benefited thereby.

With every botched career move, failed relationship, and deferred hope, we hear that same old familiar, accusatory whisper. “It’s way too late now.”

Did you go through a killer divorce?

Good luck finding someone at 40 with three kids in tow.

Didn’t get that promotion?

Just be happy where you’re at.

Another loan rejection?

Did you really think this time would be different?”

Death to that voice.

It’s never too late to overcome.

To think and act differently.

To see that dream become reality or overturn long years of regret.

There are no time constructs or limits in God’s Kingdom, so we need to stop believing the symphony of lies and focus on His truth.

Beginning with the best one.

#1: God Never Gives Up

God is the giver of second, third, and 1,000 chances.

He never stops believing in us, and time is irrelevant for Him.

He knows our dreams because He’s the one who imparted them within our minds and hearts when He created us.

The most important truth to remember when being tempted to quit going after a dream or goal is that God never quits on us.

He’s always working for our good, always there for strength, and never gets discouraged by our failures, setbacks, or snail-like progress.

Whether you’re attempting to finally get healthy, rebuild your marriage, or to restore a broken part of yourself, He won’t give up on your efforts, so don’t let the enemy convince you otherwise!

Consider asking God to increase your faith that He can and will finish a good work in you.

Psalm 138:7-8 Complete Jewish Bible

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

Whether it’s an entrepreneurial venture you’ve been chipping away at for years or a bad habit you have been half-kicking for decades, it’s simply not too late.

Choose to believe that every morning brings new mercies, pressing in with prayer, trust that God’s timing will always be just exactly right.

Lamentations 3:21-24 Complete Jewish Bible

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

This truth leads us to the next truth.

#2 Sometimes the Wait Feels Like Eternity

In today’s instantly gratified world, we want quick results.

We’ve prayed every day for a year now, Lord.

What’s the holdup?

But sometimes God’s “slowness” can be a blessing.

He may be allowing us to sit in the pain or growing process (think cocooned caterpillar) until we’re refined, prepared, and positioned for the right time.

Take relationship struggles, for example.

Heart lessons can be learned, and revelations can be had during the long process of working through a difficult marriage.

When it comes to personal ambitions, what if we’re not quite mature enough for the influence/following/success we have been praying for and working towards…just yet?

It’s easy to mistake God’s slower pace for ambivalence or even abandonment.

It can feel utterly defeating when we still haven’t seen a dream or years of toil come to fruition, but God is faithfully working in the meantime.

When struggling to believe God’s ability or even desire to help us change, the enemy would love for us to believe one of three lies:

God’s forgotten about us.

He’s punishing us.

Or he’s just plain ambivalent towards us.

Maybe God’s trying to “test us” to see if we’ll crack, backslide, complain, etc.

All lies.

Consider viewing perceived delays and elongated struggles as His desire for perfectionism instead.

Crow’s feet and laugh lines aside, one of the truest perks to aging is seeing so many “waits,” and unanswered prayers come to fruition in ways I would never expected in a million years.

Hebrews 11:1-2 Complete Jewish Bible

11 Trusting[a] is being confident of what we hope for, convinced about things we do not see. 2 It was for this that Scripture attested the merit of the people of old.

Romans 15:1-6 Complete Jewish Bible

15 So we who are strong have a duty to bear the weaknesses of those who are not strong, rather than please ourselves. 2 Each of us should please his neighbor and act for his good, thus building him up. 3 For even the Messiah did not please himself; rather, as the Tanakh says, ‘The insults of those insulting you fell on me.’[a] 4 For everything written in the past was written to teach us, so that with the encouragement of the Tanakh we might patiently hold on to our hope. 5 And may God, the source of encouragement and patience, give you the same attitude among yourselves as the Messiah Yeshua had, 6 so that with one accord and with one voice you may glorify the God and Father of our Lord Yeshua the Messiah.

When you’re tempted to feel like it’s just too late, try to shift your focus to expectation, thanking God ahead of time for the change you’re believing and striving for. This will increase your faith and convert anxiousness to hope.

#3 Our Mistakes Cannot Hinder God’s Plan

Romans 8:28-30 Complete Jewish Bible

28 Furthermore, we know that God causes everything to work together for the good of those who love God and are called in accordance with his purpose; 29  because those whom he knew in advance, he also determined in advance would be conformed to the pattern of his Son, so that he might be the firstborn among many brothers; 30 and those whom he thus determined in advance, he also called; and those whom he called, he also caused to be considered righteous; and those whom he caused to be considered righteous he also glorified!

Sometimes, it’s tempting (and easier) to give up rather than endlessly hoping and praying for change.

I’m not sure about you, but the cumulative sum of my bad decisions, lack of discernment, and utter life failures could carpet the largest of planets.

Even so.

God causes everything to work together for those who love him, whether we deserve it or not.

If this truth is good enough for heroes of the faith like Paul, who had killed a Christian or two before writing most of the New Testament, it’s good enough for me.

Lamentations 3:22 says, “His mercies are new every morning.”

Translation:

It doesn’t matter if you’ve now accrued two divorces under your belt: You can become relationally whole.

If you’ve crawled back to that vice, God isn’t keeping count of your slip-ups.

Lost your temper with our kids (again) after you swore you’d be more patient?

God can and will give you the spirit of self-control.

Galatians 5:22-23 Complete Jewish Bible

22 But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, 23 humility, self control. Nothing in the Torah stands against such things.

It just takes your allotment of God’s time.

Yes, there are instances when God instantly delivers us or brings an answer, but most times, it’s one baby step-by-baby step experience with Jesus at our sides.

#4 If We’re Not Dead Yet, It’s Not Too Late

In this youth-obsessed culture, it’s common to feel pressured to achieve, overcome, and accomplish all our life’s goals before age 40 or even 30.

I remember hitting 35 and feeling so disappointed that I hadn’t fulfilled my dream of marriage before 40.

I eventually did, eight years later, but I remember wondering why on Earth I felt so panicked.

I often reflect on Joel 2:28-32,

“In the last days, I will pour out my Spirit on all people; your sons and daughters will prophesy, your young men will see visions, your old men will dream dreams.”

Why would God bless older people with dreams if it’s ever too late for dreams to be realized?

Think of all the people who were legitimately old, let alone past 30, when God had just started his “good work” in them.

Sarah had a baby at 90 after she’d given up hope.

Hannah and Elizabeth’s barren wombs dry as desert sands until God gifted her with a baby, and Ruth is estimated to be 40 years old (very old for the time) when she married Boaz and conceived a son, and we all know about Abraham.

We shouldn’t allow this frenetic, achievement-based culture convince us it’s ever too late to experience change.

Not knowing if we’ll ever become better versions of ourselves can be scary and unsettling.

But God knows the struggle, and he’s faithful.

And from all I observe about Jesus in the Bible, He was never in a rush.

God’s in it for the long haul.

He sees the big picture and understands what it really takes to grow.

He wants the best for us, is 100 percent committed and invested in our growth.

After all, He’s the one who imparted our talents, abilities, and passions in the first place.

Why wouldn’t He see them to fruition?

When we learn to trust God completely, we will be more confident and more peaceful while we allow Him control to work everything for your good.

You are not the exception to Philippians 1:6: “…He who began a good work in you will carry it on to completion until the day of Christ Jesus.” Amen!

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

Praying …

Psalm 19 Complete Jewish Bible

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

2 (1) The heavens declare the glory of God,
the dome of the sky speaks the work of his hands.
3 (2) Every day it utters speech,
every night it reveals knowledge.
4 (3) Without speech, without a word,
without their voices being heard,
5 (4) their line goes out through all the earth
and their words to the end of the world.

In them he places a tent for the sun,
6 (5) which comes out like a bridegroom from the bridal chamber,
with delight like an athlete to run his race.
7 (6) It rises at one side of the sky,
circles around to the other side,
and nothing escapes its heat.

8 (7) The Torah of Adonai is perfect,
restoring the inner person.
The instruction of Adonai is sure,
making wise the thoughtless.
9 (8) The precepts of Adonai are right,
rejoicing the heart.
The mitzvah of Adonai is pure,
enlightening the eyes.
10 (9) The fear of Adonai is clean,
enduring forever.
The rulings of Adonai are true,
they are righteous altogether,
11 (10) more desirable than gold,
than much fine gold,
also sweeter than honey
or drippings from the honeycomb.
12 (11) Through them your servant is warned;
in obeying them there is great reward.

13 (12) Who can discern unintentional sins?
Cleanse me from hidden faults.
14 (13) Also keep your servant from presumptuous sins,
so that they won’t control me.
Then I will be blameless
and free of great offense.

15 (14) May the words of my mouth
and the thoughts of my heart
be acceptable in your presence,
Adonai, my Rock and 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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Well done, good and faithful servant! God’s Kingdom will always have need for more empowered, inspired people with an active, quiet and steady faith. Matthew 25:19-21

Matthew 25:14-21 Christian Standard Bible

The Parable of the Talents

14 “For it is just like a man about to go on a journey. He called his own servants and entrusted his possessions to them. 15 To one he gave five talents,[a] to another two talents, and to another one talent, depending on each one’s ability. Then he went on a journey. Immediately 16 the man who had received five talents went, put them to work, and earned five more. 17 In the same way the man with two earned two more. 18 But the man who had received one talent went off, dug a hole in the ground, and hid his master’s money.

19 “After a long time the master of those servants came and settled accounts with them. 20 The man who had received five talents approached, presented five more talents, and said, ‘Master, you gave me five talents. See, I’ve earned five more talents.’

21 “His master said to him, ‘Well done, good and faithful servant! You were faithful over a few things; I will put you in charge of many things. Share your master’s joy.’

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.

Remember God’s Faithful People?

One morning I gathered with some people from a group of small churches in a fairly rural area for breakfast, bible study and worship, I could not help but be impressed by the faithfulness of God’s people.

The people who came were volunteers, some of them from churches that I know were struggling to keep going.

There was little opportunity for growth because of limited resources, limited congregants – mostly elderly with travel concerns from far remote locations.

But these people did not come for recognition.

They were not looking to be thanked.

They came because they love the Lord and his church.

They came for they are faithful to the God who has always been faithful to them.

And someday these faithful members will hear the words

“Well done, good and faithful servants! You have been faithful with a few things; I will put you in charge of many things.”

Why Our World Needs More People with an Active, Quiet, Steady Faith?

Since the advent of social media and YouTube, our culture has become obsessed with the idea of instant fame.

In our new world, the lottery is just a few clicks away!

We can gain riches and fame as easily as having a post go viral.

The allure is so compelling that it eats away at our ability to focus on what really matters, which is a quiet, simple, and faithful life.

The idea that we need to document all we do, continuously strive to gather influence, and obtain the lifestyle of the rich and famous distracts us from the real-life important stuff God has for us to do.

Unfortunately, many times when believers gain the riches, influence, and fame of this world, moral failings are common.

We must be cautious of the great temptations that so easily lure our souls towards destruction when we have more power than others around us.

Why Faithful Presence Matters More Than Ever

Faithful living happens in the day-to-day, unglamorous showing up.

Our world is in desperate need of people willing to faithfully show up for their families, for their friends, at their jobs, churches and in their communities.

The research shows that our world is struggling to remain faithful to its goals and commitments; fewer of us are remaining steady.

The percentage of U.S. kids growing up in single-parent households nearly tripled between 1960 and 2023.

There are 360,531 kids in foster care in the United States.

About 17% of us are leaving or losing jobs rather than staying put.

The divorce rate remains between 40 and 50% of all first marriages.

About 40% of college students have not completed their degrees within eight years of starting.

As a culture, we have a serious problem sticking with it.

Why Does Faithful Living Matter to Us as Christians?

Much of the Christian faith is centered on being faithful, steady, and present in daily life. The Bible emphasizes how God desires for us to live humbly, given to self sacrifice for the service of others and to the Lord.

Here are a few Scriptures that point us towards a quiet, steady faith:

“Only fear the Lord and serve him faithfully with all your heart. For consider what great things he has done for you” (1 Samuel 12:24).

“One who is faithful in a very little is also faithful in much, and one who is dishonest in a very little is also dishonest in much” (Luke 16:10).

“A faithful man will abound with blessings, but whoever hastens to be rich will not go unpunished” (Proverbs 28:20).

“Because of your little faith,” he told them. “For truly I tell you, if you have faith the size of a mustard seed, you will tell this mountain, ‘Move from here to there,’ and it will move. Nothing will be impossible for you.” (https://biblia.com/bible/nkjv/matthew/17/20)

“His master said to him, ‘Well done, good and faithful servant. You have been faithful over a little; I will set you over much. Enter into the joy of your master’” (Matthew 25:21).

“And to aspire to live quietly, and to mind your own affairs, and to work with your hands, as we instructed you, so that you may walk properly before outsiders and be dependent on no one” (1 Thessalonians 4:11-12).

“First of all, then, I urge that supplications, prayers, intercessions, and thanksgivings be made for all people, for kings and all who are in high positions, that we may lead a peaceful and quiet life, godly and dignified in every way” (1 Timothy 2:1-2).

Why Obedience in the Quiet Moments Matters Most

Matthew 6:5-8 Christian Standard Bible

How to Pray

5 “Whenever you pray, you must not be like the hypocrites, because they love to pray standing in the synagogues and on the street corners to be seen by people. Truly I tell you, they have their reward. 6 But when you pray, go into your private room, shut your door, and pray to your Father who is in secret. And your Father who sees in secret will reward you.[a] 7 When you pray, don’t babble like the Gentiles, since they imagine they’ll be heard for their many words. 8 Don’t be like them, because your Father knows the things you need before you ask him.

The quiet, simple, private and unseen moments matter to the Lord.

I’d venture to say they even matter the most to Him.

One day, he allows you to speak his word to the crowds, but that opportunity does not come without him seeing you show some grit with the little tasks.

Truly, when we meet God in Heaven, his assessment of who we are and how we have used the life we have been given has almost nothing to do with the actions we might have taken in the limelight; we are almost solely judged on the things we did when no one was looking.

How did we shepherd our children?

Did we continue to forgive our spouse, or did we shut them out?

Were we willing to serve others at work, or were we only looking out for ourselves?

Did we guard our hearts from lust, addiction, pride, and other temptations, or did we let secret sins fester in our lives?

Did we pray loudly for all to see, or were we willing to quietly seek the Lord for the strength required for life?

Are our actions defined by the fruits of the spirit or do we let anger, resentment, wrath, jealousy and selfishness dominate our lives?

These are the questions that matter for a believer.

None of them has anything to do with going viral, owning a mansion, or even having a large ministry.

That’s not to say God never uses those things, but when they happen, they are still things to be faithfully stewarded.

What God cares about most is how you are faithfully engaging those outlets.

They do not define you, and they definitely are not your ticket to Heaven or even to a good life.

The life we are called to seek after is a life willing to daily take up our cross and follow Him (Matthew 16:24).

Suffering and Service

James and John, the sons of Zebedee, approached him and said, “Teacher, we want you to do whatever we ask you.”

“What do you want me to do for you?” he asked them.

They answered him, “Allow us to sit at your right and at your left in your glory.”

Jesus said to them, “You don’t know what you’re asking. Are you able to drink the cup I drink or to be baptized with the baptism I am baptized with?”

“We are able,” they told him.

Jesus said to them, “You will drink the cup I drink, and you will be baptized with the baptism I am baptized with. But to sit at my right or left is not mine to give; instead, it is for those for whom it has been prepared.”

When the ten disciples heard this, they began to be indignant with James and John. Jesus called them over and said to them, “You know that those who are regarded as rulers of the Gentiles lord it over them, and those in high positions act as tyrants over them. But it is not so among you. On the contrary, whoever wants to become great among you will be your servant, and whoever wants to be first among you will be a slave to all. For even the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many.” (https://biblia.com/bible/esv/mark/10/35-45)

A life that encourages others (1 Thessalonians 5:11).

We are to live as lights in the darkness (1 John 1:7).

We are called to serve one another in love (Galatians 5:13).

The people that need to see this from you are the ones that live in your home, work alongside you, attend church with you, and live in your neighborhood.

When we are so distracted from the example we set for the people who know us, the world starts falling apart.

You are where you are on purpose and for a purpose.

Don’t forget that.

Your child, your neighbor, your pastor, and your friend needs you.

When we are faithful to the lives we’ve been given, God wins.

His light shines brightly through us through the love we offer our communities.

Don’t let the world distract you from the true Holy work ahead of you today.

Let me invite you to gather with God’s church this coming Sunday.

Take a good look around at your fellow worshipers, and thank God for the willing people who give of their time, talents, and resources.

You are part of a growing congregation, remember to pray for smaller churches that faithfully continue to serve their Lord wherever he has placed them.

And if sometimes you feel like giving up because no one ever seems to notice, remember God does notice–someday we will hear the words “Well done!”

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

Praying ….

Psalm 100

A psalm of thanksgiving.

Be Thankful

1 Let the whole earth shout triumphantly to the Lord!
2 Serve the Lord with gladness;
come before him with joyful songs.
3 Acknowledge that the Lord is God.
He made us, and we are his[a]—
his people, the sheep of his pasture.
4 Enter his gates with thanksgiving
and his courts with praise.
Give thanks to him and bless his name.
5 For the Lord is good, and his faithful love endures forever;
his faithfulness, through all generations.

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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Right Turn or Left Turn, or No Turn, Straight and Narrow, Wide, Winding? Charting out the Course on the Road Leading to Success. Joshua 1:6-9

Joshua 1:6-9 Complete Jewish Bible

6 “Be strong, be bold; for you will cause this people to inherit the land I swore to their fathers I would give them. 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.”

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.

Our hearts stir with the stories of courageous people in the Bible.

We admire Abram for leaving his homeland to follow the Lord.

We applaud Moses for marching in before Pharaoh with God’s demand “Let my people go!” We love to hear of young David going out to meet mighty Goliath.

Look at God’s approach to Joshua, who is about to take over in Moses’ place.

God’s first words to Joshua are about courage.

Three times in his address to Joshua, God repeats the challenge “Be strong and courageous.”

Courage is needed when the task is big–and this task is immense!

God says, in effect, “Call Israel together; cross the Jordan; conquer the cities; overcome the enemies; resist their gods.

Yes, the enemies will be fearsome, but you must be courageous!”

Courage has always been a necessary quality among the people of God.

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 the new leadership do?

As God appoints Joshua,

does not say, “It’s time for fresh ideas; it’s time to do things differently than Moses did. Be creative.”

Rather, God says that the words of Moses are still relevant.

They were right for Israel’s life with God in the desert, and they will always 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 God had given him to lead and teach Israel.

To listen to Moses in the desert was to hear the Word of God.

And now, though Moses had died, 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. 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. Be strong and courageous. Do not be afraid; nor be discouraged, for the LORD your God will be with you wherever you go.”

The shortest distance between two points is a straight line.

Such a line will not deviate toward any other direction.

But such is really true only in ideal terms; in our reality, there is no such thing as a completely straight line.

It is possible to make a line seem very straight indeed, but we cannot make a perfectly straight line.

This nicely illustrates the human predicament.

God provides a standard for living; in the old covenant, it was the Law of Moses.

Ideally, Israel would hold firm to the Law, observing everything in it, not deviating at all, or, as God encouraged Joshua, and in turn Joshua the people, “to not turn from it to the right hand or to the left” (Joshua 1:7, 23:6).

In the new covenant in Jesus Christ, we are to love and know God and keep His commandments, walking as Jesus walked (1 John 2:1-6).

This remains the ideal today.

And yet none of us can live up to that standard perfectly.

Peter and Paul declared as much in regards to Israel and the Law (Acts 13:38-39, 15:10, Romans 3:20).

John understands Christians do not live up to the ideal either (1 John 1:8-2:6).

If we cannot perfectly go straight, why would God provide such exhortation to Israel and to Christians today?

The ideal is not worthless or irrelevant simply because no one save Jesus has ever lived up to it perfectly.

God always understood our deficiencies as humans; such is why He established the sacrificial system in the Old Testament, and continues to grant grace and mercy through Jesus in the New Testament (cf. Leviticus, Romans 5:6-11, 8:1-39).

And yet we must not become complacent or content by acknowledging our imperfection; it is easy for us to think that since we cannot live up to the ideal perfectly, we should not try!

Therefore, we do well to confess that the ideal is ideal: we should be following what God says perfectly. We should walk in God’s ways without any deviation; we should go “straight” and should not go “to the right hand or to the left.”

When we do deviate from God’s command, we ought to admit as much, change our minds and ways, and return to the good path (1 John 1:9). In all things we must place our trust in God and His ideal way for mankind (Hebrews 11:6)!

The image of going “straight” and not turning “to the right hand or to the left” also underscores the necessity of balance.

It remains true many people have deviated from God’s path and purposes on account of rebellion and a desire to sin, and many others have deviated from God’s path because they overemphasized certain aspects of God’s truth to the detriment of other aspects.

This proves quite easy to do; we humans easily go to extremes. We rightly see a problem with one side; it is tempting to run far to the other side in response. We see certain groups associated with certain practices; it is tempting to want to go from one extreme to the other so that no one would confuse “us” with “them.”

This is why it is important for us to remember that God wants us to not deviate to the right hand or to the left; truth is rarely, if ever, found in the extremes.

Furthermore, there remains many aspects of the faith that are held in a sort of tension: God’s sovereignty and grace with human freedom, for instance, or the imperative to holiness with the imperative to love, mercy, and grace.

The Scriptures are filled with examples of people who have gone to one extreme or another: the Pharisees, Sadducees, the “Judaizers,” the Gnostics, and so on.

God is far greater than ourselves, and His truth remains sublime (Isaiah 55:8-9, Romans 11:33-36).

God has set forth His standard for the creation and all mankind; it is up to us to confess its value and make it our goal in life.

Whenever we deviate from that standard, either by stumbling into some sin, or by overemphasizing certain aspects of truth to the detriment of other aspects of it, we must change our ways and seek to properly re-align our will to God’s.

God’s ways and God’s truth and God’s life remain ideally straight, firm, and balanced; we, in our sin and corruption, have turned to the right or to the left.

Let us turn our away from all deviations, distractions, divisions and all seek to exalt, glorify magnify God in spirit and truth in all we think, say, do, and teach!

Hebrews 4:12Amplified Bible

12 For the word of God is living and active and full of power [making it operative, energizing, and effective]. It is sharper than any two-edged [a]sword, penetrating as far as the division of the [b]soul and spirit [the completeness of a person], and of both joints and marrow [the deepest parts of our nature], exposing and judging the very thoughts and intentions of the heart.

2 Timothy 3:16-17 Amplified Bible

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

2 Timothy 2:14-18 Amplified Bible

An Unashamed Workman

14 Remind the people of these facts, and solemnly charge them in the presence of God to avoid petty controversy over words, which does no good, and [upsets and undermines and] ruins [the faith of] those who listen. 15 Study and do your best to present yourself to God approved, a workman [tested by trial] who has no reason to be ashamed, accurately handling and skillfully teaching the word of truth. 16 But avoid all irreverent babble and godless chatter [with its profane, empty words], for it will lead to further ungodliness, 17 and their teaching will spread like gangrene. So it is with Hymenaeus and Philetus, 18 who have deviated from the truth. They claim that the resurrection has already taken place, and they undermine the faith of some.

God’s Word Will Not Pass Away

Standing for righteousness in a society that accommodates itself to evil takes courage. Faithfully, Steadfastly Spreading the true gospel of Jesus Christ in a culture that wants to say any religion will do, takes courage. Allegiance to Jesus Christ in a world that is too often against the centrality of Christ takes courage.

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