Tag: jesus

What would it look like for the Holy Spirit to be at work in the ministry of a particular congregation? Acts 17:11

Acts 17:10-13 New American Standard Bible

Paul in Berea

10 The brothers immediately sent Paul and Silas away by night to Berea, [a]and when they arrived, they went into the synagogue of the Jews. 11 Now these people were more noble-minded than those in Thessalonica, [b]for they received the word with [c]great eagerness, examining the Scriptures daily to see whether these things were so. 12 Therefore, many of them believed, [d]along with a significant number of  prominent Greek women and men. 13 But when the Jews of Thessalonica found out that the word of God had been proclaimed by Paul in Berea also, they came there as well, agitating and stirring up the crowds.

Word of God for the Children of God

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

How do we know if a preacher is doing a good job?

Do we say the preaching is good because it says what we want to hear, or is it good because we hear what the Bible teaches?

Sometimes our understanding of the gospel can grow narrow or get watered down, and we can fail to embrace the whole counsel of Scripture.

Sometimes in our efforts to protect ourselves from deception, we can close ourselves to new insights from Scripture.

Paul and Silas were bringing to the Jews in Berea a new interpretation of the person and mission of the long-awaited Messiah.

They taught that Jesus was the Messiah, that he suffered and died for the sins of the world–and, indeed, for the sins of the Bereans as well.

Instead of resisting or discarding what they heard, the Jews in Berea examined the Scriptures in close detail in order to know if Paul and Silas’s interpretations were true. They had used their available Scriptures as their standard for truth.

Question: What would it look like for the Holy Spirit to be at work in the life of a particular congregation?

In other words, if the Holy Spirit was truly present with us and active among us, what signs or evidences would we see of his presence and activity?

Some would look for passionate singing, people raising their hands in worship, maybe even people bowing down during worship.

These folks would cite a phenomenon like the 2023 “Asbury Revival” in Wilmore, Kentucky.

Best I can tell, the predominant feature of this revival was a prolonged worship service where an ever-changing group of students refused to leave the chapel.

Others (of a more charismatic stripe) would look for some kind of wild activity like people running the aisles, people speaking in tongues, or people laughing hysterically.

Some in this group would look for signs and wonders, people being slain in the Spirit, prophetic words, and dramatic healings.

Still others in this group would expect exorcisms and encounters with demons.

To be clear, my question is less based on experience, more based on Scripture.

Based on the biblical teaching about the person and the work of the Holy Spirit, what would we expect to see, hear, and experience if the Holy Spirit was truly at work in a local congregation.

I think Scripture points us to at least 7 realities.

The people of God will be focused on the Word of God. 

Jesus described the Holy Spirit as the “Spirit of truth” who would help the disciples remember the things Jesus taught (John 14-16).

Luke tells us the early church was devoted to the apostles’ teaching (Acts 2:42).

Paul clearly says that the only people who can receive the truth of God are the people who have the Spirit and are taught by the Spirit (1 Corinthians 1:11-16).

Most importantly, the Bible itself claims to be authored by the Holy Spirit working through human authors (2 Timothy 3:16-17, 2 Peter 1:20-21).

Make no mistake, when the Holy Spirit is at work in a church, the Children of God will be hungry – not for dreams and visions and words of prophecy – but the Holy Spirit inspired Word of God.

People will feel deep, genuine, abiding conviction of sin. 

In John 16 Jesus spoke plainly about his “going away” so that the Helper could come to the disciples.

Speaking about the Holy Spirit, Jesus promised, “when he comes, he will convict the world concerning sin and righteousness and judgment.” (John 16:8)

Only the Holy Spirit can work conviction that is deep, genuine, and abiding.

In contrast, man is quite capable of manipulating shallow, manufactured, temporary feelings of remorse.

Paul talks about this very issue in 2 Corinthians 7 when he contrasts “godly grief” that is brought about by the Holy Spirit and “worldly grief” that only ends in death. When the Spirit is at work in a congregation, the people in that congregation will experience “godly grief” that leads to repentance and life.

The miracle of regeneration will result in conversions. 

In the Old Covenant, the prophet Ezekiel looked forward to the day when the Spirit of God would remove hearts of stone and replace them with hearts of flesh (Ezekiel 36).

He looked forward to a day when the Spirit of God would bring life to those who were hopelessly dead in sin (Ezekiel 37).

That hope was brought to fruition in the work of regeneration (John 3).

Jesus told Nicodemus that no one would see the kingdom unless they were born again, and he explained that this new birth was the work of the Spirit of God.

The new birth is God’s work (1 Peter 1:3), and it is a work that God brings about through the preaching of the Word of truth (James 1:18).

Left to ourselves we are dead in sin, but the miracle of regeneration gives us life that leads to faith in Christ (Ephesians 2:1-10).

When the Spirit is at work, blowing like the wind and granting new birth, people who are dead in sin will be converted and saved.

The people of God will fix their eyes on Jesus. 

All too often, churches that boast about the work of the Holy Spirit have their eyes fixed on the Holy Spirit.

Jesus, however, clearly told his disciples that it was the work of the Holy Spirit to glorify the person and work of God the Son – “He will glorify me,” Jesus said (John 16:14).

This focus on Jesus fits perfectly with Paul’s teaching in Romans 8 where we learn that the Holy Spirit is given to us to help us in sanctification.

That is, it is the work of the Holy Spirit to conform the people of God to the image of the Son of God (Romans 8:29).

This is why Paul can say “for those who love God all things work together for good.” (Romans 8:28).

It’s also why the author of Hebrews can confidently call the people of God to fix their eyes – not on the Holy Spirit – but on Jesus, the author and the perfecter of our faith (Hebrews 12:1-2).

When the Spirit is at work in our midst, he will call us to look to Jesus.

The people of God will be serious about killing sin. 

Romans 8:13 is one of the most challenging texts in all of Scripture – not because it’s hard to understand, but because of the call it places on our lives.

Paul says, “For if you live according to the flesh you will die, but if by the Spirit you put to death the deeds of the body, you will live.” (Romans 8:13)

This isn’t legalism or Phariseeism or works-based-salvation.

Paul has laid those charges to rest in Romans 3-5.

Paul here is simply explaining what will happen in the life of a person who has trusted in Jesus and received the gift of the Holy Spirit.

They will kill sin.

Paul’s teaching here in Romans 8 is echoed in Galatians 5 and 1 Corinthians 6.

Believers will walk with the Spirit and not according to the works of the flesh.

Believers are the temple of the Holy Spirit, and their lives will increasingly reflect the holiness of the Spirit.

Rest assured, those who are experiencing the ongoing work of the Holy Spirit will be serious about obedience, discipleship, and holiness.

The people of God will be passionate about missions. 

After his death and resurrection, Jesus spoke the words we commonly know as “The Great Commission” …

“All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you. And behold, I am with you always to the end of the age.” (Matthew 28:18-20)

How is it that Jesus, who was going away and ascending to heaven, would be “with” his disciples to the end of the age.

Clearly the book of Acts indicates that the promised presence of Jesus became a reality in the sending of the Holy Spirit.

Matthew 28 reminds us that the precious promise about Jesus’ presence is directly tied to the clear command to make disciples.

Thus, those who enjoy the presence of Jesus through the person of the Holy Spirit will be people committed to making disciples of all nations.

The people of God will long for the return of Christ. 

Throughout Romans 8, as Paul talks about the work of the Holy Spirit in our sanctification, Paul also points us forward to the future hope of Christ’s return, the resurrection of our bodies, our heavenly inheritance, our final glorification.

Paul points to this future hope in Romans 8:11, reminding us that the Spirit who dwells in us now will raise our bodies in the future work of glorification.

He also points to this hope in Romans 8:17, when he talks about the Spirit’s work of assuring us of our adoption and our future inheritance – an inheritance that will be ours when we are “glorified with him.”

Paul circles back to this point in Romans 8:26-30 where he begins by telling us the Spirit helps us in our weakness and concludes by talking about the certainty of our future glorification.

When the Spirit is at work in a church, that church will long for the return of Christ and the glorification of believers (Revelation 22:20).

We are also challenged today to embrace the wide truth of the entire Scriptures.

The people in Berea, as our text explains, carefully examined the Scriptures to make sure Paul’s teaching was true.

Smart people need to be wise people, and wise people need to be listened to, talked with, questioned, and accepted if what they are saying is the truth.

Have we made God too small?

Have we limited our understanding of Scripture to only the most familiar parts of the Bible?

Have we placed more confidence in our tradition than in the living Word of God?

What is the foundation of our faith and practice?

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

Praying …

Psalm 119:105-112 New American Standard Bible

Nun

105 Your word is a lamp to my feet
And a light to my path.
106 I have sworn and I will confirm it,
That I will keep Your righteous judgments.
107 I am exceedingly afflicted;
[a]Revive me, Lord, according to Your word.
108 Be pleased to accept the [b]voluntary offerings of my mouth, Lord,
And teach me Your judgments.
109 My [c]life is continually [d]in my hand,
Yet I do not forget Your Law.
110 The wicked have set a [e]trap for me,
Yet I have not wandered from Your precepts.
111 I have inherited Your testimonies forever,
For they are the joy of my heart.
112 I have inclined my heart to perform Your statutes
Forever, even to the end.

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

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The Greatest Transfer of Trust; “Put your entire trust in the Master Jesus. Then you will live as you were meant to live—and everyone in your house included!” Acts 16:25-31

Acts 16:25-31 New Revised Standard Version Updated Edition

25 About midnight Paul and Silas were praying and singing hymns to God, and the prisoners were listening to them. 26 Suddenly there was an earthquake so violent that the foundations of the prison were shaken, and immediately all the doors were opened and everyone’s chains were unfastened. 27 When the jailer woke up and saw the prison doors wide open, he drew his sword and was about to kill himself, since he supposed that the prisoners had escaped. 28 But Paul shouted in a loud voice, “Do not harm yourself, for we are all here.” 29 The jailer[a] called for lights, and rushing in, he fell down trembling before Paul and Silas. 30 Then he brought them outside and said, “Sirs, what must I do to be saved?” 31 They answered, “Believe in the Lord Jesus, and you will be saved, you and your household.”

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.

It started with an earthquake that forced prison doors to open. A jailer’s world literally crumbling around him unto death by his own sword. In that moment of desperation, he discovered what we all eventually find – our strength will never be enough. “What must I do to be saved?” His question pierced the darkness.

For centuries, religion had made salvation complicated. Endless rules. Constant striving. Never quite measuring up. But on that night, in a prison of all places, heaven’s answer rang with breathtaking simplicity: “Believe in the Lord Jesus.”

Not “get better first” or “prove yourself worthy.” Not “try harder” or “do more.” Just believe. Just Trust. Just Receive.

In that moment, a prison became a sanctuary, and a hardened jailer discovered what countless hearts have found since – when we stop trying to save ourselves by our own severely limited resources, we quickly find the One who already has.

That same invitation lights up every dark place today: believe in Jesus.

One of the most important keys to being an effective witness for Christ is to be constantly on the lookout for open doors and open hearts.

We need to ask God for opportunities to share our faith, and we need to keep watch as God opens doors for us.

For the apostle Paul, every place he went was a potential mission field.

Even behind the closed doors of a prison Paul and Silas found open doors for sharing their faith.

First they sang hymns to God at midnight, and later they shared the story of Jesus with the jailer.

Jails have a way of hardening a person’s heart. The seamy side of life can leave one calloused and impenetrable. But the earthquake brought the jailer to his knees both physically and spiritually. He was scared, open, receptive, softened by the circumstances. Paul, Silas, saw the opportunity for a spiritual harvest.

Part of being an effective witness is being able to discern when people are open to hearing the good news. Be 100% assured that God is at work tilling the hard-packed soil of people’s hearts. The Holy Spirit is right now doing his spadework in the lives of many people around us.

That’s why we must always be ready to share the message of Jesus’ love. As 1 Peter 3:15 says, “Always be prepared to give an answer to everyone who asks you to give the reason for the hope that you have.”

1 Peter 3:13-18 The Message

13-18 If with heart and soul you’re doing good, do you think you can be stopped? Even if you suffer for it, you’re still better off. Don’t give the opposition a second thought. Through thick and thin, keep your hearts at attention, in adoration before Christ, your Master. Be ready to speak up and tell anyone who asks why you’re living the way you are, and always with the utmost courtesy. Keep a clear conscience before God so that when people throw mud at you, none of it will stick. They’ll end up realizing that they’re the ones who need a bath. It’s better to suffer for doing good, if that’s what God wants, than to be punished for doing bad. That’s what Christ did definitively: suffered because of others’ sins, the Righteous One for the unrighteous ones. He went through it all—was put to death and then made alive—to bring us to God.

Let grace do what all our striving never could.

1 Peter 3:15-16 Amplified Bible

15 But in your hearts set Christ apart [as holy—acknowledging Him, giving Him first place in your lives] as Lord. Always be ready to give a [logical] defense to anyone who asks you to account for the hope and confident assurance [elicited by faith] that is within you, yet [do it] with gentleness and respect. 16 And see to it that your conscience is entirely clear, so that every time you are slandered or falsely accused, those who attack or disparage your good behavior in Christ will be shamed [by their own words].

The fact that you’re reading these devotions suggests that you probably have some idea of what it means to be saved.

Saved is a familiar word, and yet it can mean different things to people in different places along the journey of faith.

For some, it can mean going back to church.

For others, it may mean agreeing with certain ideas in Christianity.

For yet others, being saved may mean being willing to feel guilty over sins they used to take pride in.

As God leads us, each faith-growing experience inevitably involves some kind of minor surrender—as when you face a crisis and seek direction, looking to God to sustain you along the way.

If you let God lead, guide and direct you along a series of surrenders, you’re eventually going reach a “tipping point” where something inside you realizes that you simply need to hand everything over to the God who’s been guiding you through the fog.

You can tell this has happened when you start worrying less about getting God’s help for what you want and instead start to wonder what he really wants for me and you. Instead of wanting God to find your way, you’re first seeking his way.

Have you been saved like that?

Ask Yourself:

  • What does it mean to move beyond knowing about Jesus to truly believing in Him?
  • How has simple faith in Jesus changed your perspective on life?

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

Praying …

Psalm 13 English Standard Version

How Long, O Lord?
To the choirmaster. A Psalm of David.

13 How long, O Lord? Will you forget me forever?
    How long will you hide your face from me?
2 How long must I take counsel in my soul
    and have sorrow in my heart all the day?
How long shall my enemy be exalted over me?

3 Consider and answer me, O Lord my God;
    light up my eyes, lest I sleep the sleep of death,
4 lest my enemy say, “I have prevailed over him,”
    lest my foes rejoice because I am shaken.

5 But I have trusted in your steadfast love;
    my heart shall rejoice in your salvation.
6 I will sing to the Lord,
    because he has dealt bountifully with 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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Has anyone devoted any serious time to pray through this thought? Living and loving without God in the World? Psalm 49

Psalm 49 New Revised Standard Version Updated Edition

Psalm 49

The Folly of Trust in Riches

To the leader. Of the Korahites. A Psalm.

1 Hear this, all you peoples;
    give ear, all inhabitants of the world,
2 both low and high,
    rich and poor together.
3 My mouth shall speak wisdom;
    the meditation of my heart shall be understanding.
4 I will incline my ear to a proverb;
    I will solve my riddle to the music of the harp.

5 Why should I fear in times of trouble,
    when the iniquity of my persecutors surrounds me,
6 those who trust in their wealth
    and boast of the abundance of their riches?
7 Truly, no ransom avails for one’s life;[a]
    there is no price one can give to God for it.
8 For the ransom of life is costly
    and can never suffice,
9 that one should live on forever
    and never see the Pit.

10 When we look at the wise, they die;
    fool and dolt perish together
    and leave their wealth to others.
11 Their graves[b] are their homes forever,
    their dwelling places to all generations,
    though they named lands their own.
12 Mortals cannot abide in their pomp;
    they are like the animals that perish.

13 Such is the fate of the foolhardy,
    the end of those[c] who are pleased with their lot. Selah
14 Like sheep they are appointed for Sheol;
    Death shall be their shepherd;
straight to the grave they descend,[d]
    and their form shall waste away;
    Sheol shall be their home.[e]
15 But God will ransom my soul from the power of Sheol,
    for he will receive me. Selah

16 Do not be afraid when some become rich,
    when the wealth of their houses increases.
17 For when they die they will carry nothing away;
    their wealth will not go down after them.
18 Though in their lifetime they count themselves happy
    —for you are praised when you do well for yourself—
19 they[f] will go to the company of their ancestors,
    who will never again see the light.
20 Mortals cannot abide in their pomp;
    they are like the animals that perish.

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.

Without God in the World?

For centuries, Western society has benefited from the widespread influence of the Christian faith.

While the history of the West is filled with examples of stark, grotesques human depravity, where there has been a consistent Christian presence it has, in many ways and at many times, also stayed the hand of evil. Most of us have not had to experience what a society looks like when it completely rejects and forgets God.

Psalm 10 Complete Jewish Bible

10 Why, Adonai, do you stand at a distance?
Why do you hide yourself in times of trouble?
2 The wicked in their arrogance hunt down the poor,
who get caught in the schemes they think up.

3 For the wicked boasts about his lusts;
he blesses greed and despises Adonai.
4 Every scheme of the wicked in his arrogance [says],
“There is no God, [so] it won’t be held against me.”
5 His ways prosper at all times.
Your judgments are way up there,
so he takes no notice.
His adversaries? He scoffs at them all.
6 In his heart he thinks, “I will never be shaken;
I won’t meet trouble, not now or ever.”
7 His mouth is full of curses, deceit, oppression;
under his tongue, mischief and injustice.
8 He waits near settlements in ambush
and kills an innocent man in secret;
his eyes are on the hunt for the helpless.
9 Lurking unseen like a lion in his lair,
he lies in wait to pounce on the poor,
then seizes the poor and drags him off in his net.
10 Yes, he stoops, crouches down low;
and the helpless wretch falls into his clutches.
11 He says in his heart, “God forgets,
he hides his face, he will never see.”

12 Arise, Adonai! God, raise your hand!
Don’t forget the humble!
13 Why does the wicked despise God
and say in his heart, “It won’t be held against me”?
14 You have seen; for you look at mischief and grief,
so that you can take the matter in hand.
The helpless commits himself to you;
you help the fatherless.
15 Break the arm of the wicked!
As for the evil man,
search out his wickedness
until there is none left.

16 Adonai is king forever and ever!
The nations have vanished from his land.
17 Adonai, you have heard what the humble want;
you encourage them and listen to them,
18 to give justice to the fatherless and oppressed,
so that no one on earth will strike terror again.

The Scriptures, however, do give us more than a few grim pictures of what happens when people have convinced themselves that there is no God.

It is a poignant picture of a rejection of humility, where “the wicked boasts of the desires of his soul” and rejects God in pride (Psalm 10:3-4). Humility is where the knowledge of God begins; therefore, those who reject God reject humility too.

Not only do such proud people reject God; they also revile Him, cursing and renouncing Him (Psalm 10:3).

It is often prosperity that leads people to curse God.

Their lives are going so well that they believe nothing can touch them and they will give no account to their Maker.

Their prosperity gives them a false sense of security.

They think they can live as they like, that “God has forgotten, he has hidden his face, he will never see it” (v 11), and that there will be no repercussions for their behavior.

With no accountability, personal morals, ethics, responsibility, for how people live, there is no need for the powerful to serve or the strong to be gentle: we can treat others however we please, and so the godless man “sits in ambush … he murders the innocent … he lurks that he may seize the poor” (v 8-9).

It is with good reason, then, that the psalmist poignantly says, “Man in all his pomp yet without understanding is like the beasts that perish.”

When we consciously reject and revile God, we foolishly think we are secure in our devices, which convinces us that it’s acceptable for us to mistreat others.

It is tempting to think that passages like this one only describe other people.

But we should not be too quick to look away from ourselves.

Are there ways we ourselves have rejected humility, believing ourselves to be “wholly sufficient” without God?

Have we let our prosperity numb us to our neediness and accountability before God? Has our treatment of those around us been marked by self-interest and arrogance instead of love and service?

We may confess to have faith in God, but perhaps there are still areas of our “Christian” lives that require some serious Psalm 51 measure of repentance.

The picture of man “in his pomp yet without understanding” is indeed a bleak one—both in this life and at its end.

So praise God that this is not our own whole “Mona Lisa” self portrait/selfie.

If you grasp we have a Creator to whom we are valuable and accountable,

and that that Creator has ransomed your soul and will receive you into eternal life (Psalm 49:15),

then all of the pomp of this world will assume its proper place, and in Jesus Christ you will enjoy purpose, hope, forgiveness, and pleasures forevermore.

Psalm 49:15-20 The Message

13-15 This is what happens to those who live for the moment,
    who only look out for themselves:
Death herds them like sheep straight to hell;
    they disappear down the gullet of the grave;
They waste away to nothing—
    nothing left but a marker in a cemetery.
But me? God snatches me from the clutch of death,
    he reaches down and grabs me.

16-19 So don’t be impressed with those who get rich
    and pile up fame and fortune.
They can’t take it with them;
    fame and fortune all get left behind.
Just when they think they’ve arrived
    and folks praise them because they’ve made good,
They enter the family burial plot
    where they’ll never see sunshine again.

20 We aren’t immortal. We don’t last long.
    Like our dogs, we age and weaken. And die.

“Naked I came from my mother’s womb,
and naked I will return there.
Adonai gave; Adonai took;
blessed be the name of Adonai.”

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

Praying …

Psalm 23 Complete Jewish Bible

23 (0) A psalm of David:

(1) Adonai is my shepherd; I lack nothing.
2 He has me lie down in grassy pastures,
he leads me by quiet water,
3 he restores my inner person.
He guides me in right paths
for the sake of his own name.
4 Even if I pass through death-dark ravines,
I will fear no disaster; for you are with me;
your rod and staff reassure me.

5 You prepare a table for me,
even as my enemies watch;
you anoint my head with oil
from an overflowing cup.

6 Goodness and grace will pursue me
every day of my life;
and I will live in the house of Adonai
for years and years to come.

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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Why it is good for us to be reminded what happens when we take the Bible Out of Context? 2 Timothy 2:14-18

2 Timothy 2:14-18 New King James Version

Approved and Disapproved Workers

14 Remind them of these things, charging them before the Lord not to [a]strive about words to no profit, to the ruin of the hearers. 15 Be diligent to present yourself approved to God, a worker who does not need to be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth. 16 But shun profane and [b]idle babblings, for they will [c]increase to more ungodliness. 17 And their message will spread like cancer. Hymenaeus and Philetus are of this sort, 18 who have strayed concerning the truth, saying that the resurrection is already past; and they overthrow the faith of some.

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.

It seems that whenever anyone quotes from the Bible, it is automatically out of context, or that whatever the Bible says, Christians just believe the opposite.

For example, It says homosexuality is wrong – Christians don’t. It says women should not speak in church – Christians don’t believe this either. Have I now found the right context, do I believe the opposite of whatever the Bible says?

I think one of the biggest issues that we have in Christianity today is that so many “Christians” are biblically illiterate and very liberal in their theology.

So they don’t know or comprehend what the Bible says, and even when they do, they will pick and choose what they want to believe, usually based on feelings, friends’ experiences, or cultures outside the Church.

Actually, I am glad to mention the 1 Corinthians text in your question. For, in response to it, if you put it into the correct context, you will see that the belief of women not speaking at all in church is in fact taking that little paragraph out of context.

1 Corinthians is a reply letter from Paul to the Corinthians. Part of it is what was reported to Paul from members of Chloe’s house-church, and part of it was in response to a previous letter written to him asking about certain issues.

In 1 Corinthians 14:34-35, Paul is addressing the need for order and quiet during the worship service.

Understanding the Bible IN Context

In the context of this passage, the women did not understand everything being preached…it was over their heads.

But instead of asking their OWN husbands (v.35), they were asking other men and other women’s husbands, disrupting the order worship and disturbing the men they were asking, who really wanted to listen.

Notice, IN CONTEXT, Paul tells them they should shut up and wait until after they get home, where they should ask their OWN husbands for understanding.

Paul says it is disgraceful for them to speak in church because the focus is supposed to be fully on the Lord…their disturbances are preventing this (this is also in sync with Paul’s talk about the head coverings).

If you have doubt of this, then notice women were not the only ones Paul tells to shut up in service, but also prophets who were speaking out of turn, as well as those speaking in tongues without interpreters…something you will experience in many tongues-promoting churches, and you will notice the rebuke from Paul if you keep this paragraph in the context in which it was written.

So you see, Paul was not saying that women (in general) should not speak in church (indefinitely), but that these particular women needed to quiet their mouths during worship so as to stop disrupting the focus from Christ.

Misconceptions By Reading the Bible Out Of Context

As for homosexuality, you are correct in saying that it is wrong.

However, I suggest so many people attack gays with the Bible that people’s compassions cause them to see scripture incorrectly, judging it or counting it wrong.

Then they start believing whatever they want (or feel is right), instead of what the Bible actually says.

I think if they were to focus on 1 Corinthians 6:11 (“And that is what some of you WERE. But you were washed, sanctified, and justified…”), instead of the verses before it, they will see that it is not a means of tearing gays down in particular,

but helping the Corinthian Christians understand such is not the behavior of those within the Body of Christ — there is supposed to be a transformation by the Holy Spirit — a cleansing, sanctification, justification, and transformation.

Those behaviors mentioned in this chapter are those of the culture outside the Church, thus are unacceptable among those called to be Holy, as God is Holy.

On that note, notice also that Paul does not only mention homosexuals, but many other types of people, also (wrongdoers, idolaters, adulterers, the sexually immoral, thieves, the greedy, drunkards, slanderers, swindlers).

I suggest it is wrong when somebody pulls out parts of scripture and goes after certain groups mentioned in the text, leaving out the others mentioned (notice, people will focus on gays, but say nothing to their buddies who get drunk every weekend or their friends living with their “hetero”-sexual partners).

Sin is sin, and it leads to death, period.

Everybody needs to acknowledge their sin, repent, and accept Jesus Christ as Lord (and their Lord and Savior) if they wish to be cleansed from sin.

Also, you cannot lead somebody to repentance by “attacking” them with the Bible, and nor will they recognize their need to repent if sin is continuously candy-coated as something less serious and deadly than it is, by people who claim to know the only One who can save them from it.

What Happens When You Take the Bible Out of Context?

2 Timothy 2:14-18 The Message

14-18 Repeat these basic essentials over and over to God’s people. Warn them before God against pious nitpicking, which chips away at the faith. It just wears everyone out. Concentrate on doing your best for God, work you won’t be ashamed of, laying out the truth plain and simple. Stay clear of pious talk that is only talk. Words are not mere words, you know. If they’re not backed by a godly life, they accumulate as poison in the soul. Hymenaeus and Philetus are examples, throwing believers off stride and missing the truth by a mile by saying the resurrection is over and done with.

Ever felt confused or misled when reading Scripture? You’re not alone. In this sobering reminder, we’re warned of common mistakes believers make when interpreting the Bible—from ignoring the original language to ripping verses out of context. Before you build your beliefs, learn how to study God’s Word carefully, prayerfully, and accurately—because accurate truth really matters.

The Bible also says, “If we say we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us.” So how can anyone claim sinless perfection?

Be very careful to study to understand the languages of the Bible.

Secondly, don’t take a single verse and run with it out of context. Many people have made that mistake.

Some even say, “I’ll just open the Bible, and whatever verse my eyes land on—that’s the verse for me today.”

But Scripture isn’t a lottery.

You need to read the Bible consistently, daily, and in its entirety.

Always ask yourself these questions:

-Who were the original readers?
-What was the author trying to communicate to them?
-What issues or problems were being addressed?

For example, the Apostle Paul was often answering specific questions sent to him by the churches, like the one in Corinth.

Understanding the context of those questions is essential.

Again, don’t isolate a verse.

Do not put it through a vegetable chopper or a deli meat slicer.

Read it in its full context.

Check it against https://www.blueletterbible.org/

Check it against https://www.biblestudytools.com/concordances/strongs-exhaustive-concordance/

Only after doing that should you apply it to your own life. But don’t start by asking, “What does this mean to me?” That can easily lead you astray.

Instead, ask:

-Why was it written?
-What is the context?
-How can I rightly apply this truth today?

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

Praying …

Psalm 119:9-16 New Revised Standard Version Updated Edition

9 How can young people keep their way pure?
    By guarding it according to your word.
10 With my whole heart I seek you;
    do not let me stray from your commandments.
11 I treasure your word in my heart,
    so that I may not sin against you.
12 Blessed are you, O Lord;
    teach me your statutes.
13 With my lips I declare
    all the ordinances of your mouth.
14 I delight in the way of your decrees
    as much as in all riches.
15 I will meditate on your precepts
    and fix my eyes on your ways.
16 I will delight in your statutes;
    I will not forget your word.

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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With One Heart, One Mind, One Voice Our Praying, Our Speaking the Word of God with Real and True Boldness. Acts 4:23-31

Acts 4:23-31 The Message

One Heart, One Mind

23-26 As soon as Peter and John were let go, they went to their friends and told them what the high priests and religious leaders had said. Hearing the report, they lifted their voices in a wonderful harmony in prayer: “Strong God, you made heaven and earth and sea and everything in them. By the Holy Spirit you spoke through the mouth of your servant and our father, David:

Why the big noise, nations?
Why the mean plots, peoples?
Earth’s leaders push for position,
Potentates meet for summit talks,
The God-deniers, the Messiah-defiers!

27-28 “For in fact they did meet—Herod and Pontius Pilate with nations and peoples, even Israel itself!—met in this very city to plot against your holy Son Jesus, the One you made Messiah, to carry out the plans you long ago set in motion.

29-30 “And now they’re at it again! Take care of their threats and give your servants fearless confidence in preaching your Message, as you stretch out your hand to us in healings and miracles and wonders done in the name of your holy servant Jesus.”

31 While they were praying, the place where they were meeting trembled and shook. They were all filled with the Holy Spirit and continued to speak God’s Word with fearless confidence.

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 apostles, Peter and John, were arrested for healing a man who was lame and giving credit to Jesus.

After spending a night in jail, they boldly claimed that the religious leaders who imprisoned them were murderers.

They tell the religious leaders to their face that Jesus, whom they crucified, is the fulfillment of God’s promises.

He is the Messiah who provides salvation. There is no other name by which we must be saved.

These statements were bold enough to offend the religious leaders, but they could not harm these apostles because they had just healed a man who was lame in front of the temple for the last forty years!

Peter and John went to their friends to let them know the details about what happened.

Imagine how you would feel after going through this.

Would you be excited to be set free?

Would you complain about how you were treated?

Notice that they don’t turn to their friends to complain.

They aren’t angry or rebellious.

They and their friends lift their voices together in praise and prayer unto God.

What do they say?

When it comes to our prayer life, sometimes we start off passionately praying only to end up with routine lifeless prayers or nothing at all.

I along with many others have experienced this.

The reasons we may have dull prayer lives are vast.

Maintaining fervency in prayer is often difficult to do every day, especially during a challenging season.

We may feel as though our words are insufficient and stop short of the ceiling: never making it to God’s ears.

At times, we might even feel like our prayers are ineffective because life’s situations seem to remain the same.

Although this is sometimes our reality it doesn’t have to stay this way.

Fervent prayer doesn’t rest on what we can do alone but it is impacted by the power of God.

When our prayer life seems powerless, we can ask God to make them powerful through the intervention of the Holy Spirit.

We see this in Acts chapter 3 and 4.

Peter healed a lame beggar and then he and John taught the people and also proclaimed in Jesus the resurrection of the dead.

This displeased the priest, captain of the temple guard and the Sadducees so they came up and seized Peter and John and put them in jail until the next day.

They threatened them but ultimately let them go because of the crowd.

Once they were released the immediate and collective response of the believers was prayer to God.

They acknowledged the sovereignty of God, the plots of mankind, and then asked the Lord to enable His servants to speak His word with great boldness.

At a time when they could have been fearful of what might happen to them they boldly prayed to God.

They did not shrink back.

These believers chose to pray more fervently in the midst of a dangerous time.

In Acts, 4:30 they said, “Stretch out your hand to heal and perform miraculous signs and wonders through the name of your holy servant Jesus.”

What does shaken mean in Acts 4:31?

The place was shaken – The word which is translated “was shaken” commonly denotes “violent agitation,” as the raging of the seas, the convulsions of an earthquake, or trees vigorously shaken by the wind, Matthew 11:7; Acts 16:26; Hebrews 12:26. The language here is suited to express the idea of an earthquake.

The believers moved forward, surged forward, indeed marched, courageously and in Acts 4:31 we see the whole place where they were meeting was shaken.

This illustrates the power of prayer in a physical way.

Our prayers have the power to shake the very hardest grounds of our heart and the circumstances of our lives.

Just like the early believers we must trust in God and not doubt.

We must make a conscious decision to pray bold prayers.

As we grow closer to God, He, by the power of His Holy Spirit, causes us to pray these types of prayers.

Our prayer life is not meant to solely focus on us and our problems.

It is meant to be a global battleground where we lay the foundation for God to work in and through us.

If our prayers have grown route and lifeless we can take our cues from the believers in Acts 4.

In doing so we also will acknowledge the sovereignty of God, man’s failed plots to stop the spread of the Gospel, to keep praying and asking the Holy Spirit to enable us to keep speaking the Word of the living God with a great boldness.

This will ensure our faith and our prayer life is anything but dull and boring. Choosing to pray this way might cause us to have the same type of hang-on-by-the-seat-of-your-pants adventures that the early believers experienced.

What is the significance of Acts 4 31?

The emphasis in Acts 4:31 is on “speaking” the Word.

This was the validation of being filled with the Holy Spirit.

I have emphasized this point previously; miracles and signs and wonders are not random. They are uniquely sacred opportunities given by God to either open the door for a verbal gospel witness or confirm the message and the messenger.

Why Should We Speak?

So often, we refuse to speak. Why?

Is it because we know that the world is going to reject it?

Do we think telling people the truth will destroy our relationship with them?

If we speak the truth in love, their rejection is their fault.

If we stay humble, they shouldn’t be proud.

They will be proud and reject the truth, but that’s not on you!

Please don’t feel guilty because people reject the truth.

Please do not be surprised by this or disheartened by this.

Look at the disciples.

They understand that this is to be expected.

But did you know that you will fail to reap if we refuse to spread seed?

Ecclesiastes (Spread your seed)

Luke (Cast your nets on the other side)

Romans (The power is in the gospel)

In Nehemiah, there was an excellent resistance to building the wall.

The greatest thing a church can have?

Are a few people who are persistently bullheaded about evangelism, like Nehemiah was bullheaded about building the wall.

We build anyway.

Conclusion

Acts 4:1-12 New American Standard Bible

Peter and John Arrested

4 As they were speaking to the people, the priests and the captain of the temple guard and the Sadducees came up to them, 2 being greatly disturbed because they were teaching the people and proclaiming [a]in Jesus the resurrection from the dead. 3 And they laid hands on them and put them in prison until the next day, for it was already evening. 4 But many of those who had heard the [b]message believed; and the number of the men came to be about five thousand.

5 On the next day, their rulers and elders and scribes were gathered together in Jerusalem; 6 and Annas the high priest was there, and Caiaphas, John, and Alexander, and all who were of high-priestly descent. 7 When they had placed them in the center, they began to inquire, “By what power, or in what name, have you done this?” 8 Then Peter, [c]filled with the Holy Spirit, said to them, “[d]Rulers and elders of the people, 9 if we are [e]on trial today for a benefit done to a sick man, as to [f]how this man has been made well, 10 let it be known to all of you and to all the people of Israel, that [g]by the name of Jesus Christ the Nazarene, whom you crucified, whom God raised from the dead—[h]by [i]this name this man stands here before you in good health. 11 [j]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.”

Before we close, please understand and pray through these poignant Acts 4 scriptures that, ultimately God will accomplish his will through evil people.

Isaiah 55:8-11 New American Standard Bible

8 “For My thoughts are not your thoughts,
Nor are your ways My ways,” declares the Lord.
9 “For as the heavens are higher than the earth,
So are My ways higher than your ways
And My thoughts than your thoughts.
10 For as the rain and the snow come down from heaven,
And do not return there without watering the earth
And making it produce and sprout,
And providing seed to the sower and bread to the eater;
11 So will My word be which goes out of My mouth;
It will not return to Me empty,
Without accomplishing what I desire,
And without succeeding in the purpose for which I sent it.

He will spread His Word, His purpose whether it’s through us or someone else.

He will create a love for him, his word, his people, the lost world in someone.

It will be with a denomination up the road if it’s not you.

1 Corinthians 15:50-58 English Standard Version

Mystery and Victory

50 I tell you this, brothers: flesh and blood cannot inherit the kingdom of God, nor does the perishable inherit the imperishable. 51 Behold! I tell you a mystery. We shall not all sleep, but we shall all be changed, 52 in a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trumpet. For the trumpet will sound, and the dead will be raised imperishable, and we shall be changed. 53 For this perishable body must put on the imperishable, and this mortal body must put on immortality. 54 When the perishable puts on the imperishable, and the mortal puts on immortality, then shall come to pass the saying that is written:

“Death is swallowed up in victory.”
55 “O death, where is your victory?
    O death, where is your sting?”

56 The sting of death is sin, and the power of sin is the law. 57 But thanks be to God, who gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ.

58 Therefore, my beloved brothers, be steadfast, immovable, always abounding in the work of the Lord, knowing that in the Lord your labor is not in vain.

If you lack boldness, ask for it.

If you are afraid, I understand why you are afraid.

But don’t pray for people to stop resisting the light.

That’s not going to happen.

Instead, let’s ask for boldness to speak the truth in the face of resistance.

Let’s be bullheaded about God’s mission for us.

If the government tells us, threatens us to be silent about God, let’s speak out courageously, even if it means people won’t understand what we are doing.

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

Praying …

Psalm 27 English Standard Version

The Lord Is My Light and My Salvation

Of David.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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How Does God Use Flowers to Teach Us about Himself? ‘Walk out into the fields, look at the wildflowers. They don’t fuss with their appearance—but have you ever seen such color and design quite like it?’ Luke 12:25-28

Luke 12:27-28 The Message

25-28 “Has anyone by fussing before the mirror ever gotten taller by so much as an inch? If fussing can’t even do that, why fuss at all? Walk into the fields and look at the wildflowers. They don’t fuss with their appearance—but have you ever seen color and design quite like it? The ten best-dressed men and women in the country look shabby alongside them. If God gives such attention to the wildflowers, most of them never even seen, don’t you think he’ll attend to you, take pride in you, do his best for you?

Word of God for the Children of God

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

“April showers bring May flowers” is a phrase I heard my mother say all too often. She was obsessed with flower gardens and had a green thumb to match.

My childhood was filled with days running around our 40 acres of country, I’d run through meadows of unbelievably vivid colors blowing in the wind, flowers were everywhere. Our property was an oasis for all types, kinds, and colors.

My most vivid memory is the joy I felt when I was with mom walking through those flowers she loved.

As a child, I was not a believer and did not think about what flowers symbolize.

These past 20 plus years, in my marriage, my walk of faith and the realization that I too am obsessed with flowers, my thoughts about them have blossomed. 

God created flowers for His children for many reasons.

They represent many aspects of the Christian walk.

I want to take time and examine what flowers symbolize, the spiritual truths they convey, how we learn more about the character of God from flowers. 

Floral Symbolism in the Bible

Flowers are vibrant and majestic.

They are beautiful symbols of so many aspects of life.

In the Bible, flowers often represent beauty and glory.

In Song of Solomon 2:2 it is written “Like a lily among thorns, so is my darling among the young women.” Solomon uses the lily flower in this poetic verse to illustrate that the lily is a flower so beautiful, it stands out among thorns.

In Luke 12:27, God uses the wildflowers to point out the beauty displayed on the earth.

“Consider how the wild flowers grow: They don’t labor or spin thread. Yet I tell you, not even Solomon in all his splendor was adorned like one of these.”

While flowers represent beauty and glory, they also represent mortality.

Myrrh is one such flower that symbolizes this idea beautifully. Myrrh is an old flower dating back to the Old Testament (Esther 2:12).

It was used as an aromatic for perfumes, and it comes full circle in Jesus’ life.

Jesus was presented myrrh at his birth (Matthew 2:8). Myrrh is then mixed with the wine the Roman soldiers gave him on the cross (Mark 15:23). As Jesus was being prepared for burial, myrrh’s used in the embalming process (John 19:39). 

Flowers are also used to symbolize divine provision and care for God’s children.

In Exodus 28, God gives instruction for the priestly garments Aaron and his sons needed to fulfill their duties.

In verse 33, God says to “make pomegranates of blue, purple, and scarlet yarn on its lower hem and all around it.”

God also used flowers such as mallow, mint, saffron, rye, cumin, caper berries, and dill to provide food and spices for His people.

Mint and dill were also used as tithes.

Flax is another flowering plant that was used to make linen for clothing. 

Flowers are also used to symbolize love, purity, growth, and restoration.

The rose and or crocus flower gives us hope for renewal (Isaiah 35:1).

Hyssop was used to purify and cleanse (Psalm 51:7).

Mandrakes are seen as a symbol of love and fertility. Its roots were often prepared and eaten as a fertility drug (Genesis 30:14, Song of Solomon 7:13).

Flowers were and continue to be the perfect symbol for the Christian life.

It is a beautiful life that gives us hope, renewal, a promise of provision, and an understanding of its fragility. 

Spiritual Truths Found in Flowers

The Bible is filled with teachings that provide us with essential spiritual truths.

What is the meaning of Luke 12:27?

Jesus is explaining that God has more important uses for our energy than worrying.

We have no good reason to panic about starvation, nakedness, or even death.

In Luke 12:24, He reminds a crowd that ravens neither work nor store food in barns, but God feeds them regardless.

Jesus spends his entire ministry sharing these truths with us.

When we read the words of Jesus, we witness the creative power He has.

Every flower that blooms on every plant comes from God.

He spoke them into existence.

That is powerful! The vibrant colors, the whimsical shapes, and the statuesque stems speak of His worthiness of our worship. 

Flowers remind us that our lives are transient and fleeting.

Every spring, summer, and autumn we enjoy the colorful blossoms as they unfurl their petals, but we know winter is coming and the blossoms will fade and disappear.

Our lives on Earth are but a vapor. Our worldly pursuits are temporary.

The old will pass away, but we have hope that one day we will be restored at the right hand of our Father. 

All flowers rely on sun and water for growth.

Sometimes we must give them a boost with fertilizer and spritz of pest deterrent.

If the flowers’ needs are not met, they do not grow.

Flowers are an ultimate example of dependence and humility.

We need God to guide our paths and keep us from harm. With Him, we can have no fear. He is our inspiration, encouragement, and only source of abundant life. 

God’s Character Displayed

What does consider how the wildflowers grow mean?

It could be translated as “examine carefully,” “observe well,” or “learn thoroughly.”

Jesus says: Examine the wildflowers carefully.

Learn thoroughly from them.

Jesus invites us to consider: what might these wildflowers have to teach us – the ones who don’t toil or spin and yet are clothed so beautifully?

Flowers symbolize many things.

They remind us of important spiritual truths. But the ultimate lesson we learn from flowers is better understanding God’s character. Our God is a caring God.

He created flowers to give us something exquisite to look at, provide for our basic needs such as food, clothing, shelter. Before God made man, God knew what we needed and cared enough to create it. 

Our God is also attentive to detail.

Each flower has a unique color, petal, leaf, and stem.

Some flowers are grown from seed while others are grown from bulbs.

Some flowers are dwarf varieties while some have double blooms.

The diligence God uses in the creation of flowers tells us that He is attentive to the details of our lives.

He has taken time to create us and prepare us for the plan He has for us.

We do not have to doubt Him because every detail is taken care of.

God boldly shows us His creative side when we observe flowers.

Watching the distinct stages of growth is amazing.

How creative is it to take a tiny seed that will sprout a plant that can grow as tall as six feet.

The array of colors tells us that we can be creative too. Flowers are useful for life-giving purposes, but they also are a way God makes our lives colorful. 

Commonly known as the Foxglove, Giant Shirley Digitalis comes in mixed colors. Foxgloves are tall plants with elongated, spotted, bell-shaped flowers of red, white and pink. Prefers shade in moderately rich soil.

Flowers also show off the transformative power God has.

Every flower God created has the power to transform our lives.

Flowers can turn a difficult day into a good one.

Flowers can be used to cleanse us when their aromas are used in soaps and perfumes.

They can put a smile on our faces.

Just as we are dirty with sin, God can transform our hearts, minds, and lives.

A plain field of grass can be plowed and filled with flower seeds and become transformed into a colorful, vibrant place.

Our plain lives can be made full and vibrant when we allow God to transform us. 

Final Floral Thoughts

What is the spiritual meaning of a wildflower?

The most significant meanings of wildflowers is their symbolism of unity.

These flowers grow together in natural meadows and fields, creating a beautiful tapestry of colors and scents. They remind us despite our many differences, we can come together to create community, something beautiful and harmonious.

Flowers are so much more than a stem with leaves and bloom.

They are a piece of God’s creation that symbolize purity, love, provision, and beauty. They are beautiful reminders that our lives are fleeting.

One day this Earth will be gone, and a new heaven and earth will take its place.

While we wait, we can only depend on God. 

The next time you see wildflowers in the field, tend the flowers in our garden, remember we serve a creative God. We serve a God that can transform our lives. 

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

Praying …

Psalm 46 The Message

46 1-3 God is a safe place to hide,
    ready to help when we need him.
We stand fearless at the cliff-edge of doom,
    courageous in seastorm and earthquake,
Before the rush and roar of oceans,
    the tremors that shift mountains.

    Jacob-wrestling God fights for us,
    God-of-Angel-Armies protects us.

4-6 River fountains splash joy, cooling God’s city,
    this sacred haunt of the Most High.
God lives here, the streets are safe,
    God at your service from crack of dawn.
Godless nations rant and rave, kings and kingdoms threaten,
    but Earth does anything he says.

7     Jacob-wrestling God fights for us,
    God-of-Angel-Armies protects us.

8-10 Attention, all! See the marvels of God!
    He plants flowers and trees all over the earth,
Bans war from pole to pole,
    breaks all the weapons across his knee.
“Step out of the traffic! Take a long,
    loving look at me, your High God,
    above politics, above everything.”

11     Jacob-wrestling God fights for us,
    God-of-Angel-Armies protects us.

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

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The Camel’s Challenge? “Do you have any idea how difficult it is for the rich to enter God’s kingdom? Its far easier to gallop a camel through a needle’s eye for rich to enter God’s kingdom.” Matthew 19:23-24

Matthew 19:23-24 Amplified Bible

23 Jesus said to His disciples, “I assure you and most solemnly say to you, it is difficult for a rich man [who clings to possessions and status as security] to enter the kingdom of heaven. 24 Again I tell you, it is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle, than for a rich man [who places his faith in wealth and status] to enter the kingdom of 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.

Jesus is emphatic: It is extremely difficult for the rich to embrace the radical call of discipleship in the Kingdom of God.

But, salvation does not depend on our ability, but on God’s generous grace.

The key point for us, however, is to be reminded about the dangers of wealth and possessions.

They can become our god, our stumbling block, our choking point, our diversion, our downfall as they become things we wont give up to follow Jesus.

From our vantage point, following Jesus’ radical call is impossible.

Fortunately, God has provided the Holy Spirit and fellow-Christians.

We all need the guidance of the Spirit and the strength of a dedicated Christian community to lead, guide, direct, and yield to Jesus’ call in all areas of our lives, including using our “poverty, wealth and possessions” to serve our neighbors.

Camels were one of the largest animals in the lands of the Bible.

Their ability to go without water is legendary.

Camels function like tractor trailers today because they can carry large amounts of cargo over great distances and harsh desert terrain.

In Biblical times, owning camels was a sign of wealth and many well-known individuals possessed them, Abram (Gen. 12:16), Jacob (Gen. 31:17), and Job (Job 1:3).

Jesus makes a spiritual point by referencing the size of a camel.

In Matthew 19:16–24, a rich young man approaches Jesus, asking, “Teacher, what good thing must I do to get eternal life?”

Jesus responds by highlighting the commandments, which the young man claims to have kept.

Then Jesus said, “If you want to be perfect, go, sell your possessions and give to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven. Then come, follow me” (v. 21).

The young man, saddened by his response, walked away because he had great wealth.

Jesus then turned to His disciples and said, “Truly I tell you, it is hard for someone who is rich to enter the kingdom of heaven. Again I tell you, it is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for someone who is rich to enter the kingdom of God” (vv. 23–24).

The imagery of a camel attempting to pass through the eye of a needle is intentionally jarring.

Since camels were the largest animals commonly seen in Israel at the time, His audience would know this would be uncommon and extremely difficult.

While some argue that the “eye of the needle” referred to a small narrow gate, it is much more likely it meant the minuscule eye of an actual sewing needle.

What does Matthew 19:24 mean?

It means Jesus was able to see that what came first in this man’s heart was his riches…. To follow Christ we have to give up everything that will take His place as God in our life. So be in riches or people or status or popularity and fame. If we cannot give that up, cannot walk or run away, we cannot be His disciple. 

This underscored the seemingly impossible task of entering God’s kingdom with a heart gripped by our “Golden Calves” material wealth and possessions.

Jesus had failed to separate the rich young man from his wealth. The trouble with possessions is that they can too easily possess us.

Jesus calls for radical change in our lives, a change that can seem unattainable.

However, he poignantly reminds us that, while something may seem utterly impossible for mortals, “for with God, all things are possible”.

Go Deeper

What are you holding on to that might hinder your spiritual growth? Consider what it means to “sell your possessions and give to the poor” in your own life?

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

Praying …

Psalm 49

The Folly of Trusting in Riches.

To the Chief Musician. A Psalm of the sons of Korah.

49 Hear this, all peoples;
Listen carefully, all inhabitants of the world,
2 
Both low and high,
Rich and poor together:
3 
My mouth will speak wisdom,
And the meditation of my heart will be understanding.
4 
I will incline my ear and consent to a proverb;
On the lyre I will unfold my riddle.

5 
Why should I fear in the days of evil,
When the wickedness of those who would betray me surrounds me [on every side],
6 
Even those who trust in and rely on their wealth
And boast of the abundance of their riches?
7 
None of them can by any means redeem [either himself or] his brother,
Nor give to God a ransom for him—
8 
For the ransom of his soul is too costly,
And he should cease trying forever—
9 
So that he should live on eternally,
That he should never see the pit (grave) and undergo decay.

10 
For he sees that even wise men die;
The fool and the stupid alike perish
And leave their wealth to others.
11 
Their inward thought is that their houses will continue forever,
And their dwelling places to all generations;
They have named their lands after their own names [ignoring God].
12 
But man, with all his [self] honor and pomp, will not endure;
He is like the beasts that perish.

13 
This is the fate of those who are foolishly confident,
And of those after them who approve [and are influenced by] their words. Selah.
14 
Like sheep they are appointed for Sheol (the nether world, the place of the dead);
Death will be their shepherd;
And the upright shall rule over them in the morning,
And their form and beauty shall [a]be for Sheol to consume,
So that they have no dwelling [on earth].
15 
But God will redeem my life from the power of Sheol,
For He will receive me. Selah.

16 
Be not afraid when [an ungodly] man becomes rich,
When the wealth and glory of his house are increased;
17 
For when he dies he will carry nothing away;
His glory will not descend after him.
18 
Though while he lives he counts himself happy and prosperous—
And though people praise you when you do well for yourself—
19 
He shall go to the generation of his fathers;
They shall never again see the light.
20 
A man [who is held] in honor,
Yet who lacks [spiritual] understanding and a teachable heart, is like the beasts that perish.

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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Gliding effortlessly, high into the Sky Majestically Soaring, Standing, with God, strong, free on Wings of Eagles. Isaiah 40:27-31

Majestic Steppe Eagle Spreading Wings on Grassy Field. A majestic steppe eagle spreads its wings wide while perched on a grassy field, showcasing its impressive wingspan and regal presence. Aquila nipalensis

Isaiah 40:27-31 Living Bible

27 O Jacob, O Israel, how can you say that the Lord doesn’t see your troubles and isn’t being fair? 28 Don’t you yet understand? Don’t you know by now that the everlasting God, the Creator of the farthest parts of the earth, never grows faint or weary? No one can fathom the depths of his understanding. 29 He gives power to the tired and worn out, and strength to the weak. 30 Even the youths shall be exhausted, and the young men will all give up. 31 But they that wait upon the Lord shall renew their strength. They shall mount up with wings like eagles; they shall run and not be weary; they shall walk and not faint.

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 Steppe Eagle is a powerful symbol representing strength, freedom, and resilience, particularly in Kazakh culture. 

It embodies the spirit of Kazakhstan, appearing in folklore, national symbols, the traditional practice of berkutchi (eagle hunting). 

The eagle is also seen as a symbol of wisdom and endurance, reflecting the long-standing relationship between Kazakh nomads and these majestic birds.

 Here’s a more detailed look at its symbolic meanings:

Wisdom and Resilience: The Steppe Eagle’s long lifespan and ability to adapt to various environments represents wisdom, the ability to endure difficult times. 

Strength and Power: The Steppe Eagle’s physical attributes, like its piercing gaze and powerful wings, are seen as reflections of its strength and dominance. 

Freedom and Independence: The eagle’s ability to effortlessly soar high above the steppes symbolizes freedom and the ability to rise high above challenges. 

Isaiah 40:31 is a favorite verse for many believers: “But those who hope in the LORD will renew their strength. They will soar on wings like eagles.”

This verse speaks a profound promise of God’s unending strength and the renewal only He can provide.

It acknowledges that all of us, regardless of our age, can experience weariness and exhaustion.

While we are all limited in our human ability, God has only infinite power. God’s promise is clear: Those who truly hope in Him will have their strength renewed.

There is some scholarly discussion about the original word translated eagle in most Bible versions as it is also the same word used for vultures, which is another bird of prey.

The griffon vulture is native to Israel, known for its long wingspan and soaring capabilities. So, its probable Isaiah was referencing that bird instead of an eagle.

While we may not like to think of ourselves as soaring on wings like “vultures,” the verse is not focusing on the bird’s appearance or diet.

Rather, the Bible is highlighting its smooth soaring capability and the calmness with which it takes to the air.

Eagles and vultures are well known for their ability to fly high above storms, using turbulent winds to lift them higher, rather than being battered by them.

Eagles are truly majestic creatures that symbolize strength and independence.

Catching sight of an eagle as it soars high above the earth can be breathtaking, and watching one swoop and maneuver its immense wings is awe-inspiring.

The reference to eagles in Isaiah 40 is a comfort for God’s people in a time of weariness and struggle.

Our matchless Creator and Sustainer gives us his strength and glory, filling us with the capacity to do far more than we think is possible.

We may feel weak and powerless in our current circumstances, but because of who we are in Christ, we can endure, persevere, hold tightly on to the promise that in his strength, God’s limitless strength we’ll “soar on wings like eagles.”

Similarly, when we place our hope and trust in God, we too can rise above life’s challenges and difficulties. Instead of being overwhelmed, threatened, we also can find strength and endurance to keep going beyond our best previous efforts.

Go Deeper

What are some areas in your life where you feel you are at your last gasp, weary, beatn or exhausted? How can Isaiah 40:31 be an encouragement to you today?

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

Praying,

Psalm 28 English Standard Version

The Lord Is My Strength and My Shield

Of David.

28 To you, O Lord, I call;
    my rock, be not deaf to me,
lest, if you be silent to me,
    I become like those who go down to the pit.
2 Hear the voice of my pleas for mercy,
    when I cry to you for help,
when I lift up my hands
    toward your most holy sanctuary.[a]

3 Do not drag me off with the wicked,
    with the workers of evil,
who speak peace with their neighbors
    while evil is in their hearts.
4 Give to them according to their work
    and according to the evil of their deeds;
give to them according to the work of their hands;
    render them their due reward.
5 Because they do not regard the works of the Lord
    or the work of his hands,
he will tear them down and build them up no more.

6 Blessed be the Lord!
    For he has heard the voice of my pleas for mercy.
7 The Lord is my strength and my shield;
    in him my heart trusts, and I am helped;
my heart exults,
    and with my song I give thanks to him.

8 The Lord is the strength of his people;[b]
    he is the saving refuge of his anointed.
9 Oh, save your people and bless your heritage!
    Be their shepherd and carry them forever.

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

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Who is My Family? These are my mother and brothers. Obedience is thicker than blood. The person who obeys my heavenly Father’s will are my brother, my sister, and mother. Matthew 12:46-50

Matthew 12:46-50 New Revised Standard Version

The True Kindred of Jesus

46 While he was still speaking to the crowds, his mother and his brothers were standing outside, wanting to speak to him. 47 Someone told him, ‘Look, your mother and your brothers are standing outside, wanting to speak to you.’[a] 48  But to the one who had told him this, Jesus[b] replied, ‘Who is my mother, and who are my brothers?’ 49 And pointing to his disciples, he said, ‘Here are my mother and my brothers! 50 For whoever does the will of my Father in heaven is my brother and sister and mother.’

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.

Can I begin to imagine this scene? Jesus’ beloved family comes by as he is preaching. Here He seizes the chance to widen that fortunate group.

He is not callously denying or ignoring family ties, but is instead, extending them into the Kingdom of God with a gesture that is like an ordination. When he points to the group of disciples, can I imagine that I am standing among them?

What is there to reflect on, to meditate over, pray to the Holy Spirit for clarity?

Reflection:

Belonging to God is basic relationship, prior to all human relations. We came from God before we came from father and mother. (Psalm 139:13-18)

Psalm 139:13-18 Revised Standard Version

13 For thou didst form my inward parts,
    thou didst knit me together in my mother’s womb.
14 I praise thee, for thou art fearful and wonderful.[a]
    Wonderful are thy works!
Thou knowest me right well;
15     my frame was not hidden from thee,
when I was being made in secret,
    intricately wrought in the depths of the earth.
16 Thy eyes beheld my unformed substance;
    in thy book were written, every one of them,
the days that were formed for me,
    when as yet there was none of them.
17 How precious to me are thy thoughts, O God!
    How vast is the sum of them!
18 If I would count them, they are more than the sand.
    When I awake, I am still with thee.[b]

Still there are times during our journey of life when family goes second to God.

How would Mary have taken this statement?

Was she being diminished?

Her faith was deep and was strong enough to know her spiritual relationship to her Son was stronger even that the human mother-son relationship.

Reflection:

The relationship we have with Jesus is founded on something deeper than even the deepest human relationships of family.

We are the family of God and are brother and sister to Jesus when we try to do God’s will and to make God’s kingdom come.

Prayer deepens our appreciation of the values of the kingdom of God: justice, holiness, peace, compassion, faith, and love – all central to the life of Jesus.

Reflection:

I wonder what did his mother and family want to speak to him about?

The evidence is they were coming from home to take him back home. Jesus, with his radical teaching, and challenging religious views, was becoming an embarrassment if not a danger to his family.

Jesus’ way of life would lead him into opposition with those closest to him, his family.

Reflection:

Jesus counts me among his closest, his next-of-kin.

I show that this is my identity as I do the will of God.

When you hear the word family, what usually comes to mind?

Where I grew up, a family was generally made up of a husband and wife and their biological children.

Some families also had adopted children. Some couples did not have children, and some parents were separated or divorced. But the most common family in that time and culture was the nuclear family. In the Bible and in today’s world, though, it’s less common to find families fitting that biblical description.

When Jesus’ family tried to get a message to him as crowds gathered around him, he saw an opportunity for a teaching moment and said, “Whoever does the will of my Father in heaven is my brother and sister and mother.”

Jesus was helping his followers to describe a new kind of family, a community bound by something more powerful than the blood in our veins.

This is not a rejection of the biological family. It’s an invitation to a bigger, richer family—the family of God, with whom we live in the kingdom of God.

By this narrative text you and I are invited to meet family members in your own community/neighborhoods where you work and live, in my biological family, and in other family groups that are too often a hidden or invisible part of life.

May God’s Holy Spirit work in us all to recognize the beautiful gift of his family in the relationships and communities we are a part of—no matter how different or diverse they might be.

Reflection

I pray that I may do the will of God with joy and courage, perhaps praying the ‘Our Father’ as I now ask that God’s will be done in this world as it is in heaven.

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

Praying …

Psalm 103:11-18 Revised Standard Version

11 For as the heavens are high above the earth,
    so great is his steadfast love toward those who fear him;
12 as far as the east is from the west,
    so far does he remove our transgressions from us.
13 As a father pities his children,
    so the Lord pities those who fear him.
14 For he knows our frame;
    he remembers that we are dust.

15 As for man, his days are like grass;
    he flourishes like a flower of the field;
16 for the wind passes over it, and it is gone,
    and its place knows it no more.
17 But the steadfast love of the Lord is from everlasting to everlasting
    upon those who fear him,
    and his righteousness to children’s children,
18 to those who keep his covenant
    and remember to do his commandments.

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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Today’s Reminder is to please let the peace of God reign inside your hearts. Colossians 3:15–17

Colossians 3:15-17 The Message

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. And 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 the Master, Jesus, thanking God the Father every step of the way.

Word of God for the Children of God

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

What do football, soccer, basketball, tennis, and baseball have in common?

They all involve some sort of referees whose sole purpose is to enforce the rules of the game.

These rule-keepers play a critical role.

Authority has been given to them to ensure the game is fairly played and can proceed without confusion or disruption.

In Colossians 3:15, describes how followers of Jesus should live:

“Let the peace of Christ rule in your hearts, since as members of one body you were called to peace. And be thankful.”

What does it mean to let the “peace of Christ” rule?

In a sporting event, the person with the most authority is given responsibility to enforce the rules of the game.

In the Christian life, Jesus has that authority.

When all of our individual opinions and desires are subjected to Him, He brings us together allowing peace to rule over us. When His peace rules, we will “bear with each other,” “forgive one another,” and will “put on love” (vv. 13–14).

As members of one body, we are to be mindful of and thankful for the rules we have been given by God.

They help us relate to one another in a spirit of thanksgiving (v. 15).

Paul explains how this happens through teaching and worship:

“Let the message of Christ dwell among you richly as you teach and admonish one another with all wisdom through psalms, hymns, and songs from the Spirit, singing to God with gratitude in your hearts” (v.16).

Notice how a spirit of thankfulness and gratitude is woven through these verses. We are told to sing to God “with gratitude in your hearts” (v. 16).

Paul says that “whatever [we] do, whether in word or deed,” when done in Jesus’ name, demonstrates our thankfulness to God (v. 17).

Go Deeper

Are you able to say you are experiencing the peace of Christ in your heart? In what ways is the peace of Christ being displayed in your life toward others?

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

Praying, ….

Philippians 4:6-9 The Message

6-7 Don’t fret or worry. Instead of worrying, pray. Let petitions and praises shape your worries into prayers, letting God know your concerns. Before you know it, a sense of God’s wholeness, everything coming together for good, will come and settle you down. It’s wonderful what happens when Christ displaces worry at the center of your life.

8-9 Summing it all up, friends, I’d say you’ll do best by filling your minds and meditating on things true, noble, reputable, authentic, compelling, gracious—the best, not the worst; the beautiful, not the ugly; things to praise, not things to curse. Put into practice what you learned from me, what you heard and saw and realized. Do that, and God, who makes everything work together, will work you into his most excellent harmonies.

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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