Tag: jesus

It is 2026. Fight or Flight? Publicly acknowledge God’s power, publicly recognize, testify, of His authority. Identifying the credentials of Jesus. Mark 11:27-33

Mark 11:27-33 New International Version

The Authority of Jesus Questioned

27 They arrived again in Jerusalem, and while Jesus was walking in the temple courts, the chief priests, the teachers of the law and the elders came to him. 28  “By what authority are you doing these things?” they asked. “And who gave you authority to do this?”

29 Jesus replied, “I will ask you one question. Answer me, and I will tell you by what authority I am doing these things. 30 John’s baptism—was it from heaven, or of human origin? Tell me!”

31 They discussed it among themselves and said, “If we say, ‘From heaven,’ he will ask, ‘Then why didn’t you believe him?’ 32 But if we say, ‘Of human origin’ …” (They feared the people, for everyone held that John really was a prophet.)

33 So they answered Jesus, “We don’t know.”

Jesus said, “Neither will I tell you by what authority I am doing these things.”

Word of God for the Children of God

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

The power of God is a theme that runs through the entire Bible.

It’s seen in the creation of the world, the creation of man and women and the parting of the Red Sea, the resurrection of Jesus from the dead, countless more.

This power isn’t just something that was only active in the far past, but it’s also something that is very much at work in our lives today.

God’s power is seen in the way He provides for our needs.

Think about the times when you were in need, when you didn’t know how you were going to make ends meet, or facing any situation that seemed impossible.

In those moments, did you acknowledge, recognize, testify, God provisions?

Acknowledge, recognize, testify He made a way where there seemed to be none?

His power is also seen in the way He changes lives.

We have all heard stories of people who were lost in their struggles against sin, who were living lives that were so far from any connection with God, but then encountered the power of God and their lives were completely transformed.

They were set free from the power of sin and became new creations in Christ.

But God’s power isn’t just about what He does for us, it’s also about what He does in us. He gives us the power to live godly lives, to resist temptation, to stand strong in the face of high risk adversity, even right up to life threatening.

That’s His power at work in us.

And finally, God’s power is seen in the way He works through us.

He uses us to accomplish His purposes, to spread the Good News of His love and forgiveness, His indelible Words of truth unto a world that desperately needs it.

He uses us to be His hands and feet, to be His voice, to be His love in real action.

Kneading Our Will

Consider the gathering of religious leaders in our passage.

They were men who held respected positions of authority, power and influence.

They were used to having their own way, to being in control.

But when confronted with Jesus, their will was challenged. Their responses reveals a will that was hardened, resistant to the kneading hands of God.

This brings us to the first aspect of kneading our will: the utter necessity of softening. As a lump of dough needs to be softened before it can be kneaded, so our wills needs to be softened before it can be shaped by God.

This softening process often involves experiences and circumstances that breaks us down, humble us, which makes us realize our greatest need for God.

It’s in these moments of vulnerability and surrender that God can begin to knead our will, to shape us according to His purposes.

The second aspect of kneading our will involves the process of shaping.

Once the dough is softened, the baker can begin to shape it.

This shaping process is not always comfortable.

It involves pressure, folding, stretching.

Similarly, the shaping of our will often involves harsh trials and challenges which stretches us, that push us far outside of our comfort zone.

But it’s through these experiences that our will becomes more aligned with God’s will. We begin to desire what He desires, and to value what He values.

Next is the proofing stage.

After the dough is shaped, it needs to rest.

It needs time to rise, to expand.

This is a crucial stage in the baking process.

Without it, the bread will not have the right texture and flavor.

In the same way, our will needs time to be proofed by God.

This involves periods of waiting, of trusting in God’s timing.

It’s in these moments of quiet trust that our will is strengthened and solidified, ready to be used by God.

Returning to our metaphor of kneading dough, there’s an additional aspect worth considering: the role of heat.

Once the dough has been kneaded, shaped, proofed, it’s placed in a hot oven.

Heat causes the dough to rise and solidify, transforming it into a loaf of bread.

In our lives, heat often comes in the form of trials and difficulties.

These experiences, while painful, can serve to harden, solidify our wills, to work it to temper it’s blade and make it sharper, more resilient and steadfast.

Keeping to God’s Way

The first aspect of Keeping to God’s Way we need to consider is the importance of obedience.

Obedience is not a popular word in our culture.

We value independence, autonomy, freedom to do what we want when we want.

But the Bible paints a different picture.

Biblically, obedience isn’t a burden or restriction; it’s a blessing and a privilege.

Next is the necessity of perseverance.

The Christian life is not a sprint; it’s a marathon.

It’s not about how fast we run, but about how long we keep running.

It’s about staying the course, about pressing on, about not giving up.

The third aspect of Keeping to God’s Way is the power of prayer.

Prayer is not just about asking God for things.

It’s about aligning our hearts with God’s heart.

It’s about seeking His will, not our own.

In James, we read, ‘The prayer of a righteous person is powerful and effective.’ (James 5:16)

This is a promise, a promise that our prayers make a difference. But it’s also a challenge, a challenge to pray consistently, to pray fervently, to pray with faith.

The fourth and final aspect of Keeping to God’s Way is the call to love.

Love is the hallmark of the Christian life.

It’s the distinguishing mark of a follower of Jesus.

It says in John 13:34-35, ‘A new command I give you: Love one another. As I have loved you, so you must love one another. By this everyone will know that you are my disciples, if you love one another.’

This is not a suggestion but a command, a command to love as Jesus loved.

But it’s also a challenge, a challenge to put love into action, to demonstrate our love in practical, tangible ways.

Let’s remember that God’s authority is not something to be questioned, but rather, it’s something to be embraced.

His power is not a threat to us, but a promise.

He’s not a distant deity, but a loving Father who wants the best for us.

He’s not a harsh taskmaster, but a gentle Shepherd guiding us along the right paths.

We’ve been reminded today that knowing God’s power is the key to truly living. It’s not about our strength, our wisdom, or our abilities.

It’s all about Him.

It’s about our surrendering our will to His, allowing Him to shape us and mold us into the people He needs us to be, he requires us to be and he wants us to be.

It’s about walking in His ways, even when the path seems difficult or uncertain.

Remember, we serve a God who loves us with an everlasting love, a God who is for us, not against us.

He’s our greatest cheerleader, our most faithful friend.

He’s the one who picks us up when we fall, who comforts us with an everlasting love us when we’re hurting, who guides us when we’re lost.

What do we believe, what do we think of Jesus’ authority and credentials?

Do we accept Jesus as the Son of God, sent into the world by the Father as our Savior?

So, as we go from here, let’s go with confidence, knowing that we are loved, we are cherished, and we are held in the mighty hands of our God.

And now, may the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, the love of God, and the fellowship of the Holy Spirit be with us all, now and forevermore. Amen.

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

Praying …

Psalm 8 New American Standard Bible

The Lord’s Glory and Mankind’s Dignity.
For the music director; on the Gittith. A Psalm of David.

8 Lord, our Lord,
How majestic is Your name in all the earth,
You who have [a]displayed Your splendor above the heavens!
2 From the mouths of infants and nursing babies You have established [b]strength
Because of Your enemies,
To do away with the enemy and the revengeful.

3 When I [c]consider Your heavens, the work of Your fingers,
The moon and the stars, which You have set in place;
4 What is man that You think of him,
And a son of man that You are concerned about him?
5 Yet You have made him a little lower than [d]God,
And You crown him with glory and majesty!
6 You have him rule over the works of Your hands;
You have put everything under his feet,
7 All sheep and oxen,
And also the animals of the field,
8 The birds of the sky, and the fish of the sea,
Whatever passes through the paths of the seas.

9 Lord, our Lord,
How majestic is Your name in all the earth!

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

https://translate.google.com

Dare we reorder our lives under God? Around this old quote from Socrates, recommending and teaching us “The unexamined life is not worth living.” Lamentations 3:40-42

Lamentations 3:40-42 New International Version

40 Let us examine our ways and test them,
    and let us return to the Lord.
41 Let us lift up our hearts and our hands
    to God in heaven, and say:
42 “We have sinned and rebelled
    and you have not forgiven.

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.

Letting God Name What’s Going On Inside …

Harder than the hardest Graphene, the hardest man-made material, 200 times more powerful than steel. Diamonds, strongest material we can find in nature.

Softer than the softest Vicuna fabric considered to be the softest fabric in the world, known for its ultra luxurious feel, fine fibers thinner than human hair.

It is highly prized for its exceptional softness and is often used in high-end garments like scarves and sweaters. 

What then, does Lamentations 3:40-42 really mean?

Lamentations 3:40-42 is about our acknowledging and repenting of our sins, returning to the Lord in prayer and seeking forgiveness, and examining our ways against those of God, to turn back to Him with sincerity and humility.

The scene opens in the ancient city of Jerusalem, a once bustling and vibrant place now reduced to ruins and desolation.

The sun is setting, casting a golden hue over the broken walls and scattered debris.

A group of survivors, including Jeremiah the prophet, are gathered in the midst of the destruction.

They have come together in a solemn assembly, seeking solace and guidance in the midst of their suffering.

Jeremiah, with tears in his eyes, raises his voice to address the group. He urges them to examine their ways and return to the Lord with repentant hearts.

The people are listening intently, their faces are etched with deep sorrow and despair. 

They have witnessed the consequences of their disobedience and now long for restoration and forgiveness.

As the evening shadows lengthen, a sense of heaviness hangs in the air.

The group bows their heads in prayer, seeking forgiveness and mercy from the God they have forsaken.

In this moment of brokenness and humility, they look to cling to the hope of redemption and restoration, knowing that only through sincerest repentance and faith, trust, obedience, can they find healing for their land and their souls.

The author in Lamentations 3:40-42 calls for deep reflection and introspection.

The verses emphasize the importance of our accepting responsibility for our actions and seeking forgiveness and mercy from God.

It prompts us to look closely at our behaviors, attitudes, and choices, and with brutal honesty, rigorously assess whether or not they align with God’s will.

We don’t test our ways for several reasons.

Could be as simple as laziness, but often it comes down to some sort of pride.

We arrogantly believe we couldn’t possibly be wrong, or we know we are and don’t want to feel challenged, lacking or embarrassingly wrong on any issue.

Such a discipline of self-examination proves uncomfortable on several levels.

We don’t like finding deficits or confessing to any hidden weaknesses in our character or spiritual life.

And yet, this is the only way we grow, going through temporary suffering and adversity to reach God’s greater joy and peace.

On the negative side, our flat rejection, refusal of such challenges, allows lies and weakness to destroy us.

The prophet Jeremiah writes during such consequences in Lamentations 3:40.

Judah had dismissed the prophetic calls to repentance away from idols and sin.

Ultimately, God allowed them to fall to chaos and oppression as a consequence. 

In the midst of these dismissive sorrowful verses of Lamentations, attributed to the prophet Jeremiah, penned during the Babylonian exile, we find God’s call to action that continuously, unmistakably, indelibly resonates through the ages.

These specific verses urge us to examine our ways, test them, and ultimately return to the Lord.

The essence of self-reflection and introspection is crucial in our spiritual walk, akin to David’s plea in Psalm 139 for God to search his heart, test his thoughts.

By our submission, giving God free access, delving and digging deep into our innermost thoughts and motives, we pave the way for personal growth and a significantly deeper, more intimate communion with Father, Son, Holy Spirit.

Repentance stands at the central core of the prophets’ messages, urging us to turn back to God wholeheartedly.

Just as Joel implores in the Old Testament, our return to the Lord necessitates a genuine transformation of heart and deeds.

The act of lifting our hearts and hands in worship symbolizes surrender and adoration, echoing exhortations in 1 Timothy to pray with uplifted, holy hands.

True worship involves not just our outward gestures but a profound connection with the Almighty.

Our acknowledgment of sin and rebellion, coupled with our sincere plea for forgiveness, reflects a profound understanding of fallibility and God’s justice.

John’s assurance in his epistle that God is faithful to forgive those who confess their sins underscores the indelibly timeless need for mercy and reconciliation.

These verses serve as a poignant reminder of our continual need for God’s grace and the humility required to seek His forgiveness.

In today’s fast-paced world, the principles of self-examination, repentance, and genuine worship remain as relevant as ever.

Taking a moment to pause, reflect on our actions, and realign our priorities with God’s will is essential for spiritual growth.

Consider the story of someone who, amidst their plethora of demands of life, realized the need to recalibrate their focus, leading to a restored balance and a deepened relationship with God.

Such narratives inspire us to embark on our own journey of introspection and renewal.

As we conclude, let us remember the vital lessons from Lamentations 3:40-42:

the significance of self-examination, the transformative power of repentance, and the beauty of genuine worship.

May we each be encouraged to set aside time with Jesus for reflection, to seek reconciliation with God, and to worship Him wholeheartedly.

Let us close with a prayer, asking for God’s guidance and grace as we navigate our paths of faith and repentance, trusting in His unfailing love and mercy.

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

Praying …

Psalm 26 New American Standard Bible

Protestation of Integrity and Prayer for Protection.

A Psalm of David.

26 [a]Vindicate me, Lord, for I have walked in my integrity,
And I have trusted in the Lord [b]without wavering.
2 Examine me, Lord, and put me to the test;
Refine my [c]mind and my heart.
3 For Your [d]goodness is before my eyes,
And I have walked in Your truth.
4 I do not sit with [e]deceitful people,
Nor will I go with [f]pretenders.
5 I hate the assembly of evildoers,
And I will not sit with the wicked.
6 I will wash my hands in innocence,
And I will go around Your altar, Lord,
7 That I may proclaim with the voice of thanksgiving
And declare all Your [g]wonders.

8 Lord, I love the dwelling of Your house,
And the place [h]where Your glory remains.
9 Do not [i]take my soul away along with sinners,
Nor my life with men of bloodshed,
10 In whose hands is a wicked scheme,
And whose right hand is full of bribes.
11 But as for me, I will walk in my integrity;
Redeem me, and be gracious to me.
12 My foot stands on level ground;
In the congregations I will bless 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.

https://translate.google.com

True or False or I do not know nor do I even care that trauma and loss make believing we’re all loved, challenging. Job 16:6-17

Job 16:6-17 New American Standard Bible

Job Says God Shattered Him

6 “If I speak, my pain is not lessened,
And if I refrain, what pain leaves me?
7 But now He has exhausted me;
You have laid waste all my group of loved ones.
8 And You have shriveled me up,
[a]It has become a witness;
And my infirmity rises up against me,
It testifies to my face.
9 His anger has torn me and [b]hunted me down,
He has gnashed at me with His teeth;
My enemy [c]glares at me.
10 They have gaped at me with their mouths,
They have [d]slapped me on the cheek with contempt;
They have massed themselves against me.
11 God hands me over to criminals,
And tosses me into the hands of the wicked.
12 I was at ease, but He shattered me,
And He has grasped me by my neck and shaken me to pieces;
He has also set me up as His target.
13 His arrows surround me.
He splits my kidneys open without mercy;
He pours out my bile on the ground.
14 He breaks through me with breach after breach;
He runs at me like a warrior.
15 I have sewed sackcloth over my skin,
And thrust my horn in the dust.
16 My face is flushed from weeping,
And deep darkness is on my eyelids,
17 Although there is no violence in my hands,
And my prayer is pure.

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 loved!

We are held together by God’s love!

We are held together by God’s unbreakable, unshakeable perfect love.

We are genuinely loved!

We are authentically loved!

We are perfectly loved!

We are loved with an everlasting love! (Jeremiah 31:3)

We are unconditionally loved by God the Father, the Son, God the Holy Spirit!

1 John 4:7-12 New American Standard Bible

God Is Love

7 Beloved, let’s love one another; for love is from God, and everyone who loves has been born of God and knows God. 8 The one who does not love does not know God, because God is love. 9 By this the love of God was revealed [a]in us, that God has sent His only Son into the world so that we may live through Him. 10 In this is love, not that we loved God, but that He loved us and sent His Son to be the [b]propitiation for our sins. 11 Beloved, if God so loved us, we also ought to love one another. 12 No one has ever seen God; if we all love one another, God remains in us, and His love is perfected in us.

These are simple sounding, deeply comforting, reassuring biblical truths that we all too often, tragically, catastrophically, we always remember to forget.

For some reason our believing we are loved, secure, precious, forgiven, and too created for a purpose, are inevitably something we will all have to struggle with.

Abraham … ordered by God to take the only son of his body, the one to whom Abraham would pass his inheritance to, Isaac, up a mountain, to be sacrificed.

Jacob who in his old age, learning that his youngest son, Joseph, had just been ravaged by a wild animal and was killed. Except his other sons had lied to him showing him a blood soaked garment, lied to, by his envious sons to cover up a conspiracy to kill Joseph, when in fact they had sold him into slavery in Egypt.

Then they had deliberately concealed the truth from their father for many long years until they needed food to stave off a severe famine throughout the region.

Then there is the 400 years of hardcore dehumanizing murderous unrelenting bondage in Egypt meant to destroy spirits, to starve a nation into submission.

The magnitude of the trauma cannot be imagined, measured nor quantified.

The short and long-term significance of God’s absence upon the spirits of the enslaved humanity believing there would be no relief, rescue and no freedom, redemption, likewise cannot be conceived, imagined, measured, nor quantified.

The promised love of God … transformed into what magnitude of anger, hatred?

Great is thy faithfulness, O’ God my Father?

Greater still thy faithlessness, O God!

Greater still shall be my growing hatred, growing disbelief, growing mistrust!

What about all that always faithful, always available love?

Wait, God … I will ask my taskmaster if he knows where your “love” went!

He said … “right here in my whip, right there on your breaking, laboring, body.”

So, Lord … just keep your alleged love to yourself … I cannot long bear it nor can I long survive it. Your love is literally killing me and my brethren. Please, STOP!

Please Lord, stop loving me so much…it is hard enough for me to just stay alive.

God, get out of my life!

I do not need nor do I want or desire your kind of love!

God, your “love” just brutalizes me, demeans me, hurts me too much!

God … just keep your love locked away in your house!

No one wants any part of it, anymore!

Get lost! God …

And stay lost … forever and ever … Amen!

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

Praying ….

An Experience of the Captivity.

137 By the rivers of Babylon,
There we sat down and wept,
When we remembered Zion.
2 Upon the [a]willows in the midst of it
We hung our [b]harps.
3 For there our captors [c]demanded of us [d]songs,
And our tormentors, jubilation, saying,
“Sing for us one of the songs of Zion!”

4 How can we sing the Lord’s song
In a foreign land?
5 If I forget you, Jerusalem,
May my right hand [e]forget its skill.
6 May my tongue cling to the roof of my mouth
If I do not remember you,
If I do not [f]exalt Jerusalem
Above my chief joy.

7 Remember, Lord, against the sons of Edom
The day of Jerusalem,
Those who said, “Lay it bare, lay it bare
To its foundation!”
8 Daughter of Babylon, you [g]devastated one,
Blessed will be one who repays you
With [h]the retribution with which you have repaid us.
9 Blessed will be one who seizes and dashes your children
Against the rock.

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

https://translate.google.com

Do not be obsessed with getting more material things? Be relaxed with what we have? We never require any castle. Hebrews 13:5-6

Hebrews 13:5-6 New American Standard Bible

5 Make sure that your character is free from the love of money, being content with what you have; for He Himself has said, “I will never desert you, nor will I ever abandon you,” 6 so that we confidently say,

“The Lord is my helper, I will not be afraid.
What will man do to me?”

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.

Did you ever read the story, The Fisherman’s Wife? 

https://americanliterature.com/childrens-stories/the-fisherman-and-his-wife

It’s a wonderful story published by the Brothers Grimm in about 1812 about a fisherman who catches a magic flounder fish.

When the fisherman shared this with his wife she called him foolish, told him go have the fish give them a cottage instead of the small house they lived in.

The fisherman obeyed and came home to a nice cottage.

But a day later, the wife was dissatisfied and insisted he go back and ask for a castle.

The fisherman reluctantly did that, and there was a castle in place of their cottage.

A day later, the wife wanted to be the queen of the whole land.

Once again, the husband went to the fish and told him what his wife wanted.

And even though that wish was also granted, the wife wanted to be ruler over the sun and moon.

When the husband left the fish after telling him that, he came home to find something that surprised him. He found his wife in the very same little house they first had. The story’s moral is: We should be content with what we have.

It’s easy to look around and see what others own and to be dissatisfied with what we have at the moment. We get envious, we get jealous, and depressed.

In this age of technology, we are forever being shown things we should own.

We are shown houses, estates, mansions of the rich and famous.

When I was in Scotland and London several years ago, a church tour we toured Edenborough Castle, we toured many other castles which were in complete and utter ruins barely recognizable as castles.

We finally returned to London there was the Royal House of Windsor Castle the oldest castle in the world.

Of course, we dare not miss mentioning the grandeur of Buckingham Palace.

Being owned by the Royal Family King Charles III, none of the above stately properties will ever go up for sale to anyone especially any of us commoners.

For all us regular folks, even millionaires and billionaires and trillionaire, the whole psychology behind real estate marketing is to make the potential buyer feel like he/she is missing out, if they do not have the newest of everything. 

Instead of the glut and lure, temptation of material things, all the latest highest technologies, God’s Word is what we should be immersed in, not the world and modest, low budget, fancy and 5 star expensive AI generated advertisements.

Place Your Life Before God

12 1-2 So here’s what I want you to do, God helping you: Take your everyday, ordinary life—your sleeping, eating, going-to-work, and walking-around life—and place it before God as an offering. Embracing what God does for you is the best thing you can do for him. Don’t become so well-adjusted to your culture that you fit into it without even thinking. Instead, fix your attention on God. You’ll be changed from the inside out. Readily recognize what he wants from you, and quickly respond to it. Unlike the culture around you, always dragging you down to its level of immaturity, God brings the best out of you, develops well-formed maturity in you.

Read Romans 12:1-2 very carefully.

So here’s what I want you to do, God helping you: Take your everyday, ordinary life—your sleeping, eating, going-to-work, and walking-around life—and place it all before God as an offering.

Embracing what God does for you is the best thing you can do for him.

Don’t become so well-adjusted to your culture that you fit into it without even thinking. Instead, fix your attention on God.

God wants us to not be conformed to this world.

We should not have to follow the world’s pattern.

If we read, study, apply God’s Word, we see how important it is to be content.

When we think we lack things we’re entitled to, it’s a very real temptation to be dissatisfied with God’s provision.

Philippians 4:10-14 The Message

Content Whatever the Circumstances

10-14 I’m glad in God, far happier than you would ever guess—happy that you’re again showing such strong concern for me. Not that you ever quit praying and thinking about me. You just had no chance to show it. Actually, I don’t have a sense of needing anything personally. I’ve learned by now to be quite content whatever my circumstances. I’m just as happy with little as with much, with much as with little. I’ve found the recipe for being happy whether full or hungry, hands full or hands empty. Whatever I have, wherever I am, I can make it through anything in the One who makes me who I am. I don’t mean that your help didn’t mean a lot to me—it did. It was a beautiful thing that you came alongside me in my troubles.

Read Philippians 4:18-20.

Philippians 4:18-20 New American Standard Bible

18 But I have received everything in full and have an abundance; I am [a]amply supplied, having received from Epaphroditus [b]what you have sent, [c]a fragrant aroma, an acceptable sacrifice, pleasing to God. 19 And my God will supply [d]all your needs according to His riches in glory in Christ Jesus. 20 Now to our God and Father be the glory [e]forever and ever. Amen.

God says he will supply all our needs.

And he does this according to the riches in Christ Jesus.

That’s Radical Generosity.

When we are discontent, it’s easy to have quarrels about material possessions.

The Bible calls us to be thankful for and be content with everything we have.

Our family, health, meals, resources we can share with loved ones, and of course life itself— all are precious gifts from the Lord.

But our discontentment, envy, jealousy, greed, or fears doesn’t allow us to fully appreciate and treasure the precious gifts of life.

We don’t know what the future holds.

We might have to go through difficult times of having “no food on the tables, in the cupboards or shelves”—or worse.

But as the beloved children of God we are each assured of his continuous love and care. The Lord himself is our helper and our provider in this perilous life.

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

Praying …

Psalm 23 Complete Jewish Bible

(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.

https://translate.google.com

I love You God because You listened to me, listened as I begged for mercy. God listened so intently as I laid out my case before him. Lord, I am tired and ready for change, ready for rest. Psalm 116

Psalm 116 Christian Standard Bible

Psalm 116
Thanks to God for Deliverance

1 I love the Lord because he has heard
my appeal for mercy.
2 Because he has turned his ear to me,
I will call out to him as long as I live.

3 The ropes of death were wrapped around me,
and the torments of Sheol overcame me;
I encountered trouble and sorrow.
4 Then I called on the name of the Lord:
“Lord, save me!”

5 The Lord is gracious and righteous;
our God is compassionate.
6 The Lord guards the inexperienced;
I was helpless, and he saved me.
7 Return to your rest, my soul,
for the Lord has been good to you.
8 For you, Lord, rescued me from death,
my eyes from tears,
my feet from stumbling.
9 I will walk before the Lord
in the land of the living.
10 I believed, even when I said,
“I am severely oppressed.”
11 In my alarm I said,
“Everyone is a liar.”

12 How can I repay the Lord
for all the good he has done for me?
13 I will take the cup of salvation
and call on the name of the Lord.
14 I will fulfill my vows to the Lord
in the presence of all his people.

15 The death of his faithful ones
is valuable in the Lord’s sight.
16 Lord, I am indeed your servant;
I am your servant, the son of your female servant.
You have loosened my bonds.

17 I will offer you a thanksgiving sacrifice
and call on the name of the Lord.
18 I will fulfill my vows to the Lord
in the presence of all his people,
19 in the courts of the Lord’s house—
within you, Jerusalem.
Hallelujah!

The Word of God for the Children of God

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

Return, O my soul, to your rest;  for the LORD has dealt bountifully with you. For you have delivered my soul from death, my eyes from tears, my feet from stumbling”  Psalm 116:7-8

Today I don’t want to get caught up in words…I find myself just wanting to sit quietly and listen.

To not think about everything too much and instead open my heart to hear God singing over me.

The Lord has dealt bountifully with me. He has delivered my soul from death, my eyes from tears, and my feet from stumbling. He is faithful. He is for me. As I calm and quiet my soul, He beckons me to rest in the shadow of His wings.

As I paused today to dwell on this, I simply, fervently prayed that God would open up my heart to hear His songs and recognize His sweet angelic melody.

I asked Him to speak His peace onto my soul.

Sitting here, moving through music videos, the next song that appeared was “My Beloved” by Kari Jobe.

Soon, tears came to my eyes as I realized what a perfect choice it was.

What a beautiful example of the faithful, compassionate care of our God.

Psalm 116 has a trio of uplifting verses tucked away in its third stanza.

The first two verses describe the writers thankfulness for God’s response.

The next section (verses three to six) recall God’s deliverance.

That’s where the trio of encouragement comes in.

Speaking about himself, the author tells himself to “return to your rest” (v. 7).

It’s clear from the verses above, that deliverance is in view, not a nap.

The Psalmist is able to rest easy, knowing God has taken action in his behalf.

Speaking about the Lord, the author praises the Lord for “delivering me from death” (v. 8).

This might seem a little overly dramatic at first, but God never wastes His energy.

The Psalmist cried out for help, and God intervened.

Speaking about the world around him, the author praises the Lord for delivering him “into the land of the living” (v. 9).

This phrase can be used literally or figuratively.

Figuratively, it means to live life before God and in fellowship with other believers.

These verses remind me that prayer is about more than asking God for things.

It’s about more than getting Him to meet my needs.

Prayer is one of the ways we experience eternal life.

We call out to God and He hears us. He moves on our behalf and we are saved.

We are free to live a new identity in connection with the God our Creator.

From our text today, the psalmist begins with a profound declaration of his love for God, rooted in the fact that God has heard his cries for mercy.

This is a response to God’s attentiveness—His willingness to listen and respond to His people.

It’s not just about hearing, but about God’s active participation in our lives.

The phrase “He inclined His ear” signifies a direct movement of God toward us, showing His personal involvement in our struggles and desires.

This understanding should lead us to marvel at God’s constant presence, ready to listen and act in our lives, no matter how dire our situation may seem.

Recognizing God’s deliverance is about acknowledging that His help has been consistent in both large and small ways.

When we look back at our lives, we see those countless moments where God’s mercy intervened in ways we couldn’t have anticipated.

The psalmist’s decision to call upon the Lord as long as he lives reflects a deep commitment born out of gratitude.

It’s a recognition that God’s attentiveness isn’t just a once in a lifetime event; it’s a reason to continuously engage with Him.

Our response, like the psalmist’s, should be to continuously call on God, not just in our times of discomfort and distress but in all of life’s moments also.

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

Praying …

Psalm 119:49-56 New Living Translation

Zayin

49 Remember your promise to me;
    it is my only hope.
50 Your promise revives me;
    it comforts me in all my troubles.
51 The proud hold me in utter contempt,
    but I do not turn away from your instructions.
52 I meditate on your age-old regulations;
    O Lord, they comfort me.
53 I become furious with the wicked,
    because they reject your instructions.
54 Your decrees have been the theme of my songs
    wherever I have lived.
55 I reflect at night on who you are, O Lord;
    therefore, I obey your instructions.
56 This is how I spend my life:
    obeying your 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.

https://translate.google.com

Guarding Against Unbelief: Now, if we can only keep a firm grip on this massive infusion of bold confidence? Hebrews 3:1-11

Hebrews 3:1-11 New Living Translation

Jesus Is Greater Than Moses

3 And so, dear brothers and sisters who belong to God and[a] are partners with those called to heaven, think carefully about this Jesus whom we declare to be God’s messenger[b] and High Priest. 2 For he was faithful to God, who appointed him, just as Moses served faithfully when he was entrusted with God’s entire[c] house.

3 But Jesus deserves far more glory than Moses, just as a person who builds a house deserves more praise than the house itself. 4 For every house has a builder, but the one who built everything is God.

5 Moses was certainly faithful in God’s house as a servant. His work was an illustration of the truths God would reveal later. 6 But Christ, as the Son, is in charge of God’s entire house. And we are God’s house, if we keep our courage and remain confident in our hope in Christ.[d]

7 That is why the Holy Spirit says,

“Today when you hear his voice,
8     don’t harden your hearts
as Israel did when they rebelled,
    when they tested me in the wilderness.
9 There your ancestors tested and tried my patience,
    even though they saw my miracles for forty years.
10 So I was angry with them, and I said,
‘Their hearts always turn away from me.
    They refuse to do what I tell them.’
11 So in my anger I took an oath:
    ‘They will never enter my place of rest.’”[e]

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.

When we study the Book of Hebrews, we must be reminded that it is written with three groups in mind.

Parts of it are directed right at those new Christians.

Parts of it are directed at those non-Christians who aren’t really accepting anything and parts of it – this part, for example – are directed toward those non-Christians who have an intellectual understanding, who know the gospel, and who are hanging right on the knife edge of decision.

And this passage that we come to now is one of those critical passages by which the Holy Spirit wants to give a great big supernatural shove to anybody hanging on the edge of faith in Jesus Christ, hasn’t yet committed themselves to faith.

Hebrews 3:7-9 Do not harden your hearts

My heart aches over the lack of belief in God that has become rampant in our younger generations, and the falling away of those believing in a false gospel.

Sadly, all it takes to keep some from believing is to hear another laugh at those who believe in what the scorners don’t.

It isn’t particularly hard to find the statistics to show this waning belief, even from within our most evangelical Christian churches.

Hebrews 3:7-11, the author warns his readers to not harden their hearts, using the example of the Israelites in the wilderness who rejected God at the edge of the promised land, proceeded to harden their hearts at the waters of Meribah.

It’s a slippery slope and there is no warning that one is only one step ahead.

More than I care to tell, I’ve been on the edge in my weaker moments as well.

How hoakey to think some “god” would come to earth to die for our sins as if that would really change things.

Intellectuals have the greatest problems with disbelief because they resolve to fully understand and prove anything to believe it.

Intelligence, or our lack of use of it is one of many traits of the human mind.

Proverbs 2:1-6New American Standard Bible

The Pursuit of Wisdom Brings Security

2 My son, if you will receive my words
And treasure my commandments within you,
2 Make your ear attentive to wisdom;
Incline your heart to understanding.
3 For if you cry out for insight,
And [a]raise your voice for understanding;
4 If you seek her as silver
And search for her as for hidden treasures;
5 Then you will understand the fear of the Lord,
And discover the knowledge of God.
6 For the Lord gives wisdom;
From His mouth come knowledge and understanding.

Notice that word “if” the author uses in the first verse?

“If” carries a connotation of skepticism, of not likely and worse … never.

Willingness to acquire wisdom requires a depth of spirit, an ability to recognize one’s own shortcomings in understanding, and the willingness to admit that its possible there is an intelligence beyond what man is capable of understanding.  

Hebrews 11:6 says, “Without faith it is impossible to please God.”

Hardness of heart – lack of faith – however you say it, God does not see it as a frivolous or trivial matter.

What is the lesson learned in Hebrews 3?

Being negative or complaining or stubborn does not glorify God and it is not what we were put on earth to do: Glorify God, Serving God and our neighbors.

In Hebrews 3:7-19, the author invites us to hear an urgent warning .

He reminds us how the human heart is bent toward evil.

Like the Israelites who longed to go back to Egypt (Exodus 16:3,17:3), our sinful hearts can delude us into believing we’re more secure apart from God who is nowhere to be found as we pray for assistance than we are walking with Him.

“You will seek me and find me when you seek me with all your heart.” (Jeremiah 29:13 NIV)

This verse is precious to me, a very powerful promise by God Himself.

He can be found.

But there is a prerequisite: one must sincerely want to find him.

As long as our hearts are hardened by our will to believe only what we can get our finite minds around, our wills to hold the reins of our lives with assistance only from our iron clad determination and not from the will of the One who created us, we are immune from discovering the Almighty All-Powerful God.

To be honest, I pride myself in my intelligence and wisdom and stubbornness.

I’ve seen my ‘scores’ as well as the results of certain accomplishments of mine.

But my relationship with my hardcore stubbornness pales in importance to the depth of my faith, trust, strength of my abiding in my relationship with Jesus.

I am continually humbled, impressed with the joy and freedom that comes through knowing God and dwelling in his Word.

How my heart aches for those whose hearts refuse to “taste and see that the Lord is Good.” (Psalm 34:8)

In other concluding words for the author of Hebrews, the wilderness generation is an historical example of those spiritual realities we face today in the church.

Just as most in the wilderness generation started out well but didn’t cross the finish line, so too there are those in the church who appear to start out well with us, who we break bread with, who can speak Christian lingo like we do, but who eventually faithfully walk away from Christ, from his church, and never finish.

As unbelief grits the hearts and minds of those in the wilderness generation, so too unbelief can grip the hearts and minds of those in the church today.

Just as that unbelief or severe consequences for the wilderness generation, so too perpetual unbelief in the church also bears consequences even more severe than simply temporal death in a wilderness, It bears eternal consequences too.

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

Praying …

Praise to the Lord and Warning against Unbelief.

95 Come, let’s sing for joy to the Lord,
Let’s shout joyfully to the rock of our salvation.
2 Let’s come before His presence with a song of thanksgiving,
Let’s shout joyfully to Him in songs with instruments.
3 For the Lord is a great God
And a great King above all gods,
4 In whose hand are the depths of the earth,
The peaks of the mountains are also His.
5 [a]The sea is His, for it was He who made it,
And His hands formed the dry land.

6 Come, let’s worship and bow down,
Let’s kneel before the Lord our Maker.
7 For He is our God,
And we are the people of His [b]pasture and the sheep of His hand.
Today, [c]if you will hear His voice,
8 Do not harden your hearts as at [d]Meribah,
As on the day of [e]Massah in the wilderness,
9 “When your fathers put Me to the test,
They tested Me, though they had seen My work.
10 For forty years I was disgusted with that generation,
And said they are a people who err in their heart,
And they do not know My ways.
11 Therefore I swore in My anger,
They certainly shall not enter My rest.”

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

https://translate.google.com

Now is exactly the right time for us to decide: In the full sight of God, Which life choice must we make: Increased Obedience, Increased Disobedience? 1 Samuel 15:22-23

1 Samuel 15:22-23 Complete Jewish Bible

22 Sh’mu’el said,

“Does Adonai take as much pleasure
in burnt offerings and sacrifices
as in obeying what Adonai says?
Surely obeying is better than sacrifice,
and heeding orders than the fat of rams.

23 “For rebellion is like the sin of sorcery,
stubbornness like the crime of idolatry.
Because you have rejected the word of Adonai,
he too has rejected you as king.”

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.

When God tells us to do something by instructions in His Word or by His Spirit how do we respond?

Obedience on our part is really an act of practical acknowledgement of God’s authority and will over our lives.

Included in that is our submitting our will to His will and way of doing things.

To be disobedient is to yield to our will or self will over God’s will.

It is not a trivial thing to God when we disobey Him.

It is in effect substituting our way for God’s way.

Our disobedience not only displeases God but it can cause loss and even permanent consequences we’ll have to learn how to live with.

In the Garden of Eden, God gave Adam and Eve one simple rule; they had only one simple rule to follow, yet they still managed to break it.

Ultimately, they rejected God’s authority.

We all must make a personal decision to accept or reject God’s authority—and that includes those He’s put in authority over us.

It is those who don’t believe they are accountable to anyone who live their lives haphazardly, unconcerned with rules; they don’t believe there is any sound and valid reason to obey rules.

We live in a society that emphasizes personal freedom.

Any restriction is viewed with disdain.

Rules, they say, create bondage.

But the fact is a world without rules would be a very scary place to live.

It wouldn’t take long before we would self-destruct.

Can we imagine what our country would be like if we didn’t have a Constitution?

Can you conceive any major corporation functioning successfully without any kind of mission statement?

These guidelines determine how we live and interact with others.

Picture a world cup professional soccer game with no rules.

It might seem like fun at first, but before long, players are likely to get seriously hurt, seriously chaotic, dangerous, which is why we have rules in the first place.

God’s one rule, or instruction, to Adam and Eve was for their protection.

Consider what it would be like to drive without rules.

Deaths would skyrocket.

Or what if doctors didn’t have to abide by strict standards?

I sure wouldn’t want any surgeon operating on me if that were the case.

While people generally expect rules in many areas, a willingness to obey them is another matter entirely.

We seem to be born with a heart that rebels.

But God expects obedience.

“Does the LORD delight in burnt offerings and sacrifices as much as in obeying the LORD? To obey is better than sacrifice, and to heed is better than the fat of rams” (1 Samuel 15:22, NIV).

The prophet Samuel had just anointed Saul to be King over His people with the command to listen and obey the words from the Lord to him.

The specific word was to utterly destroy Amalek, all with him, and all they had, sparing nothing.

In the past Amalek had opposed God’s people’s entry into Canaan’s Land by attacking the weak, faint, and those lagging behind in the advance. 

God was saying in destroying Amalek He hates what fights against His plan advancing in His people’s lives and what comes against their weaknesses and vulnerabilities.

Instead of fully obeying God, Saul partially obeys and spares the King Agag, and the best of the sheep, oxen, fatlings, lambs, and all that was good. 

23 “For rebellion is like the sin of sorcery,
stubbornness like the crime of idolatry.
Because you have rejected the word of Adonai,
he too has rejected you as king.”

Many people consider the Bible to be little more than a book of rules they have no desire, nor reason or rationale to follow.

Yes, the Bible does have certain “rules,” but they are for our benefit.

When you buy a new vehicle, it comes with an owner’s manual.

The manual is written by the people who designed the car to help you know how to use it, how to maintain it, and how to keep you safe.

For Christians, the Bible is our “owner’s manual.”

And just as with a new vehicle, if we don’t do what the “manual” says, we can’t expect things to go nearly as well in our Christian walk.

Rules have a negative connotation, but the giving of the Law was a loving act.

The Israelites, after 400 years of slavery, did not know how to peacefully govern themselves or how to relate to God.

The Law was given as a guide for living so that life would ultimately go well.

Had the Law not been given, the Israelites would have essentially still been in bondage.

How can we tell if we are an obedient child of God?

If you are, then you are.

If you have to be, then you are not.

If you have to obey rules in order to be obedient, then you are not.

“The law is not made for a righteous person, but for the lawless and insubordinate.” (1 Timothy 1:9).

(God) made (Jesus) who knew no sin to be sin for us, that we might become the righteousness of God in him.” (2 Corinthians 5:21).

If you are an obedient child, recognize the new you.

Identify with it.

Obedience should never be activated because we want something in return.

We obey, not so that God will show favor to us, but because God has already shown favor to us.

We tend to obey those we love, trust, and respect.

Such characteristics foster allegiance.

When we regularly contemplate all that the Lord has already done, our love, trust, and respect will increase, thus increasing our desire to obey as well.

When love is our central, primary motivation, God’s “rules” are not a heavy yoke but a natural response.

Obedience is our response of gratitude toward the One who always has our best interests at heart.

Love motivates us to obey, and as a result, we experience love more fully. Behind every act of Christian obedience is the reality of the Almighty God.

God gave us rules to live by; He also gave us free will.

The choice is ours to make.

While God expects obedience, He will not force us to obey Him.

Disobedience Will Weaken Our Relationship With The Lord

Disobedience not only leads to failure but also affects our fellowship with God.

In John 21:4-5, Jesus stood on the shore, unrecognized by the disciples, and asked, “Children, have ye any meat?” (John 21:5).

Their response, “No,” admitted their failure, and Jesus’ question was not to gather information but to stir their consciences.

Term “children” reflects a general address, not the intimate call of “disciples” or “friends,” signaling a strained connection due to their disobedience.

When Samuel asked Saul, “Why did you not obey the Lord?” Saul lied, saying that everything he did was for God.

Did you notice that King Saul did not obey the Lord’s commands but says he did in verse 20.

He thought that partial obedience was still obedience. 

Of course, Samuel already knew what Saul had done and why Saul had done it, and this was an opportunity for Saul to come clean to confess and to ­repent.

When, like Saul, we choose our own path—whether returning to old habits, neglecting our God-given roles, or ignoring His call to obedient service—it creates an ever widening, darker distance in our relationship with Him.

When we believe in God and desire to follow Him but only do it half way that is partial obedience.

King Saul partially obeyed the Lord and choose what he wanted to do instead.

He kept King Agag as a trophy to parade before the people as a symbol of their victory and they only kept the best of the sheep and cattle and killed the rest.

To compound this sin of disobedience, Saul tries to put the blame on his men.

He said his soldiers brought back the best sheep to use as sacrifices.

God tells King Saul what he thought of his partial obedience in verse 22.

You thought to bring the best sheep as sacrifices to me, said the Lord, but I’d rather have total obedience.

Don’t try to cover your disobedience with an excuse.

As a result, God removed the throne from King Saul and his descendants.

Later Samuel anointed David king but he had to wait 14 years before Saul to died in battle.

During those 14 years, Saul tried to kill David repeatedly and remove him as the future king.

His plans always failed as God protected David, his kingship was established.

During times of growing disobedience, prayers may feel like they “don’t even leave the room.” While salvation remains secure (John 10:28-29), disobedience weakens the intimacy of our walk with Christ, leaving us spiritually unfulfilled.

To obey or not to obey—that is the question

We must honestly confess, answer countless times over throughout our lives.

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

Praying through …

Isaiah 1:13-20 The Message

13-17 “Quit your worship charades.
    I can’t stand your trivial religious games:
Monthly conferences, weekly Sabbaths, special meetings—
    meetings, meetings, meetings—I can’t stand one more!
Meetings for this, meetings for that. I hate them!
    You’ve worn me out!
I’m sick of your religion, religion, religion,
    while you go right on sinning.
When you put on your next prayer-performance,
    I’ll be looking the other way.
No matter how long or loud or often you pray,
    I’ll not be listening.
And do you know why? Because you’ve been tearing
    people to pieces, and your hands are bloody.
Go home and wash up.
    Clean up your act.
Sweep your lives clean of your evildoings
    so I don’t have to look at them any longer.
Say no to wrong.
    Learn to do good.
Work for justice.
    Help the down-and-out.
Stand up for the homeless.
    Go to bat for the defenseless.

Let’s Argue This Out

18-20 “Come. Sit down. Let’s argue this out.”
    This is God’s Message:
“If your sins are blood-red,
    they’ll be snow-white.
If they’re red like crimson,
    they’ll be like wool.
If you’ll willingly obey,
    you’ll feast like kings.
But if you’re willful and stubborn,
    you’ll die like dogs.”
That’s right. God says so.

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

https://translate.google.com

Jesus looked and pointedly asked His disciples; “Okay, now how about all of you, who do each of you say I am?” Matthew 16:13-18

Matthew 16:13-18 English Standard Version

Peter Confesses Jesus as the Christ

13 When Jesus came into the district of Caesarea Philippi, he asked his disciples, “Who do people say that the Son of Man is?” 14 And they said, “Some say John the Baptist, others say Elijah, others Jeremiah or one of the prophets.” 15 He said to them, “But who do you say that I am?” 16 Simon Peter replied, “You are the Christ, the Son of the living God.” 17 And Jesus answered him, “Blessed are you, Simon Bar-Jonah! For flesh and blood has not revealed this to you, but my Father who is in heaven. 18 And I tell you, you are Peter, and on this rock[a] I will build my church, and the gates of hell[b] shall not prevail against it.

Word of God for the Children of God

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

In Matthew 16, Jesus asked His disciples who people say that He is. Some claimed he was a teacher, a prophet and a number of other possible theories.

Then Jesus brought the question home, “But who do you say that I am”.

This one question must be answered by every man or woman who will ever walk the earth.

How we answer this question determines whether or not Jesus is our Savior or just another teacher we pass by.

This single question is the foundational issue of Christianity.

In preparation for this message, I did a brief study and found the first time the word “church” is used in the Bible is in the passage we are currently studying.  

Matthew 16:18 First verse in the Bible where we find the word “church” used.

In that verse, Jesus promises to build His church and He says, “The gates of hell will not prevail against it.”

Imagine that!

Jesus said the gates of Hell could not stop His church, could not win against His church, could not win against His Bride.

The gates of hell themselves could not stop the church’s progress.

Sadly, I am afraid to contend that it isn’t the gates of hell which are prevailing against many churches.

I am afraid that many churches are failing, are having trouble today because we have forgotten our purpose, we have forgotten our mission.

We have forgotten why we exist.

We have become too afraid to ask each other; “who do we say Jesus is?”

Who will be the one’s who confess, ““Some say John the Baptist, others say Elijah, others Jeremiah or one of the prophets.”“?

Who will be the one’s who confess, ““You are the Christ, the Son of the living God.””

First I would like you to see with me the commission of the church.

I. THE COMMISSION OF THE CHURCH

– Matthew 28:18-20

In these verses Jesus gives the purpose of the church and some of the steps to fulfilling that purpose.

In verse 18 Jesus says:

Go and do what? Make disciples.

The Commission of the church is to make disciples.

I believe that we as a church are leading people to the Lord.

I believe we are being salt and light in the world. I believe we are helping people to grow, but I fear that we are not producing many true disciples of Jesus Christ.

We may do many things as a church.

We may sing together.

We can reach out.

We can visit.

We can encourage one another and do all of those other things, but if we are not making disciples, we are not effectively fulfilling the commission Jesus gave us.

Now, many of you would probably consider yourselves disciples.

Let me give you 7 marks of a true disciple and as I do, let me ask you to put a check mark by the ones that accurately describe you.

True disciples:

1. Embrace salvation by grace through Jesus Christ

2. Learn and understand the principles of Christian living

3. Obey God’s laws and commands

4. Represent God to the world

5. Serve other people

6. Reproduce themselves in Christ, become more like Christ.

7. Worship God with sincerity, intensity, and consistency.

In order to make disciples, we must first, be disciples.

The commission of the church is to make disciples.

As we think of the church and our commission, we look at the functions a church and its members must be involved in order to fulfill our commission.

I believe there are 7 primary functions a church and its members must be involved in.

II. THE FUNCTIONS OF A CHURCH

1. Worship – The first function of the church and of Jesus’ disciples is worship.

> Matthew 4:10 …Worship the Lord your God, and serve only Him.

My friends, worship should be a priority in this church and in the life of every believer, in the life of every disciple of Jesus Christ.

We are to worship daily, regularly, faithfully, and with all of our heart.

> Psalm 68:19 Blessed be the Lord, who daily bears us up; God is our salvation. 

> John 4:24 God is spirit, and His worshippers must worship Him in spirit and in truth.

Let me ask, when we come for “worship services” on Sunday morning, are we worshipping Him in our spirit or are we just going through the motions?

Have we prepared our hearts?

Have we gotten the rest we need so we won’t be irritated and distracted by the people encounter before the service begins?

Have we asked God to let Him be pleased with us and our worship during the service?

When we leave, do we pray God will be pleased with our sacrifice of worship?

Or of much greater concern, whether we were pleased with us and our worship.

2. Giving – The second function of the church and of Jesus’ disciples is giving.

> 1 Corinthians 16:2 On the first day of the week, each one of you should set aside a sum of money in keeping with his income.

The Bible teaches we should tithe, give a 10th of our income to God, and that’s before our offerings even kick in.

In a recent survey of “born-again believers” it was discovered that only 8% of them tithe, and twice as many 16% give nothing.

> Malachi 3:8 Will a man rob God? Yet you rob Me. But you ask, “How do we rob You?” In tithes and offerings.

3. Evangelism

> Romans 10:14 How, then, can they call on the one they have not believed in? And how can they believe in the one of whom they have not heard?

God sent His Son, Jesus Christ, into the world so that people could be saved.

And the only way people are going to be able to hear that news is if you and I are diligently working, sharing the Good News of Jesus Christ.

Recall Matthew 28:18. Jesus says, Go into all the world and make disciples. My friend, you and I must be going in order to share.

True or False?

Less than 1 out of every 10 Born Again Believers have ever intentionally built a friendship with a non-Christian in order to share their faith.

We must be diligent in the assignment Jesus gave us.

4. Fellowship

The church and Christ’s disciples are to fellowship.

Christians need to belong to a family.

Christians need the fellowship of other believers.

> Acts 2:42 They devoted themselves … to the fellowship, to the breaking of bread.

> Hebrews 10:25 Let us not give up meeting together, as some are in the habit of doing.

> Galatians 6:2 Carry each other’s burdens.

We are to fellowship together.

We are to spend time together, getting to know one another, encouraging one another, and helping one another.

It breaks my heart when the church holds fellowships are scantily attended.

I understand things come up.

I understand we have other commitments, but church families must spend time together in order to remain a family.

I hear folks talk about how little they know about other people in the church, or about how few people speak to them.

Listen, if you want a friend, be a friend.

If you desire people to shake your hand, you shake their hand.

If you want people to know and care about you, then get to know those other people and care about them.

The church and Jesus’ disciples fellowship.

5. Teaching

– Matthew 28:18-20 The Great Commission

Part of making and being a disciple is teaching and learning.

> Acts 2:42 They devoted themselves to the apostles’ teaching.

My friends, we need to continue to learn, to continue to study.

God’s Word is shallow enough the newest Christian can wade in it without harm, but deep enough the most mature Christian can never reach its depths.

Moving quickly, 6th, God’s church and His disciples are involved in prayer.

6. Prayer

> Matthew 21:13 My house will be called a house of prayer.

Jesus, quoting the Old Testament, said God’s house would be known as a house of prayer.

When we work, we accomplish what we are able to do with our strength; but when we pray, we can accomplish what can be done through God’s strength.

The Bible records Jesus often went off by Himself to pray.

The Church God uses will unerringly recognize it’s dependence on Him and will make prayer a major part of its work and ministry.

7. Ministry

>John 13:35 By this may all men know that you are My disciples, if you have love, one for another.

We are to fulfill the commission God has given us as a church.

We must be involved in ministries and missions of sacrifice and service if we are going to consider ourselves true disciples of Jesus Christ.

*** Take a minute. Look over this list.

Which would we say are the areas our churches are strongest in, weakest in?

What are we going to do about it?

So, we think about what that means for our lives today.

Jesus is still building his church.

How is he doing it?

He’s doing it through you and me proclaiming Jesus as the son of the living God.

The church grows today through you and me making this good news known where we live and wherever God leads us in the world.

So realize the parts, roles, God has given us to play in the building of his church.

Proclaim this promise “God is Alive!” as the people of God proclaim the Gospel of Christ, declare everywhere Jesus builds his church and nothing can stop it. 

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

Praying …

Unless the Lord Builds the House

A Song of Ascents. Of Solomon.

127 Unless the Lord builds the house,
    those who build it labor in vain.
Unless the Lord watches over the city,
    the watchman stays awake in vain.
2 It is in vain that you rise up early
    and go late to rest,
eating the bread of anxious toil;
    for he gives to his beloved sleep.

3 Behold, children are a heritage from the Lord,
    the fruit of the womb a reward.
4 Like arrows in the hand of a warrior
    are the children[a] of one’s youth.
5 Blessed is the man
    who fills his quiver with them!
He shall not be put to shame
    when he speaks with his enemies in the gate.[b]

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

https://translate.google.com

Once we were buried deep in our sins. Now made fully alive in Christ Jesus. No more used to be, or wannabe’s, or more never can be. Ephesians 2:1-10

Ephesians 2:1-10 Common English Bible

Saved from sin to life

2 At one time you were like a dead person because of the things you did wrong and your offenses against God. 2 You used to live like people of this world. You followed the rule of a destructive spiritual power. This is the spirit of disobedience to God’s will that is now at work in persons whose lives are characterized by disobedience. 3 At one time you were like those persons. All of you used to do whatever felt good and whatever you thought you wanted so that you were children headed for punishment just like everyone else.

4-5 However, God is rich in mercy. He brought us to life with Christ while we were dead as a result of those things that we did wrong. He did this because of the great love that he has for us. You are saved by God’s grace! 6 And God raised us up and seated us in the heavens with Christ Jesus. 7 God did this to show future generations the greatness of his grace by the goodness that God has shown us in Christ Jesus.

8 You are saved by God’s grace because of your faith.[a] This salvation is God’s gift. It’s not something you possessed. 9 It’s not something you did that you can be proud of. 10 Instead, we are God’s accomplishment, created in Christ Jesus to do good things. God planned for these good things to be the way that we live our lives.

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.

No Longer Dead, but Alive!

From Death to Life

2 And you were dead in your trespasses and sins, 2 in which you formerly walked according to the age of this world and according to the prince of the power of the air, the spirit who now works in the sons of disobedience,

Nothing is more basic and universal to humanity than the desire to live.

But we don’t want merely to exist.

We want a life that is long in years and rich in quality.

No wonder!

We are told in Genesis that God created human beings in his own image and likeness (Genesis 1:27).

Since God is the source of true life, people created in his image are naturally inclined toward desiring life.

The alternative to life is death, and we go to great lengths to avoid it.

Most observers recognize that increasing healthcare costs are putting immense strain on our households, governments, insurers and our healthcare providers – and too that the money spent is not translating into better health outcomes.

In 2021 alone, global spending on health reached a staggering $9.8 trillion, accounting for 10.3% of global Global Domestic Product.

Yet, last decade, life expectancy has stagnated in too many countries, including the United States (US), which alone spends over $4 trillion annually on health.

Understanding the True Cost of End-of-Life Care …

When someone receives a diagnosis of serious or terminal illness, the most immediate focus naturally centers on medical treatment, quality of life, and time with loved ones. Yet lurking beneath these urgent concerns is a question many families will mightily struggle to address: how will we pay for this?

For many people with terminal illnesses, hospital care represents the largest single expense. The final year of life often involves multiple hospitalizations, emergency room visits, intensive care stays, each carrying substantial costs.

The cost of end-of-life care represents most significant financial challenges families face, yet it’s a topic often shrouded in confusion, shame, and silence. 

How Much Does Hospice Cost Without Insurance?

Hospice care without insurance can range anywhere from $150–$500 per day, or $5,000–$15,000 per month, depending on the level(s) of care you agree to.

What is the overall average cost of death?

Among the eye-opening facts discovered: The average total expense of a loved one’s death is a hefty $12,70o –$15,000 or more depending on arrangements.

But Paul understood that there’s another kind of death that’s just as real as physical death but not as obvious. When the apostle Paul writes, “You were dead in your transgressions and sins,” he is referring to spiritual death.

In the Bible, spiritual death is caused by people’s separation from, and rejection of, fellowship with God, their Creator.

Because every person is created in God’s image, we all share a desire for life.

Because every person is trapped in rebellion against God, we all are alienated from the God of life.

Spiritual death is universal.

The Bible says every person without Christ is spiritually dead.

But when we look around us, this doesn’t seem to ring true. Some people might look totally corrupt, but many others look like decent people and appear very much alive. Isn’t it extreme to say that all people without Jesus are dead in sin?

Well, a carefully embalmed body may appear to be less shocking than a mangled or decaying corpse, a corpse is still a corpse, no matter what cosmetics are used.

In the same way, one person’s sinful condition may be much less offensive than another’s.

There may be different degrees of spiritual decay, but all are equally dead in sin.

Once a person is dead, the degree of decay makes little difference.

Dead is dead.

That’s why believers talk like this:

“On my own, I would ignore the Bible and be indifferent to Christ. But because God’s Spirit has breathed new life into my soul, I trust in Jesus and believe his Word. It is by grace I have been saved.”

“At just the right time, when we were still powerless, Christ died for the ungodly… While we were still sinners, Christ died for us” (Romans 5:6-8).

When we were dead and decaying, Jesus overcame sin and death.

Then he breathed the life of his Spirit into our souls and created in us the faith to believe in him.

We did nothing.

God has done it all.

But that’s not the end of the story.

The book of Ephesians introduces us to the answer to death in all its forms.

This is good news …

Embracing the good-news message of Jesus means life for all who believe.

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

Praying ….

The Lord’s Glory and Mankind’s Dignity.

For the music director; on the Gittith. A Psalm of David.

8 Lord, our Lord,
How majestic is Your name in all the earth,
You who have [a]displayed Your splendor above the heavens!
2 From the mouths of infants and nursing babies You have established [b]strength
Because of Your enemies,
To do away with the enemy and the revengeful.

3 When I [c]consider Your heavens, the work of Your fingers,
The moon and the stars, which You have set in place;
4 What is man that You think of him,
And a son of man that You are concerned about him?
5 Yet You have made him a little lower than [d]God,
And You crown him with glory and majesty!
6 You have him rule over the works of Your hands;
You have put everything under his feet,
7 All sheep and oxen,
And also the animals of the field,
8 The birds of the sky, and the fish of the sea,
Whatever passes through the paths of the seas.

9 Lord, our Lord,
How majestic is Your name in all the earth!

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

https://translate.google.com

Can I honor God’s covenant for rest? Stop juggling between burdens and God’s Word? Obey my heart ordering me to stop, sit down, simply shut up? Psalms 37:7-11

Psalm 37:7-11 New American Standard Bible

7 [a]Rest in the Lord and wait [b]patiently for Him;
Do not get upset because of one who is successful in his way,
Because of the person who carries out wicked schemes.
8 Cease from anger and abandon wrath;
Do not get upset; it leads only to evildoing.
9 For evildoers will be eliminated,
But those who wait for the Lord, they will inherit the land.
10 Yet a little while and the wicked person will be no more;
And you will look carefully for his place and he will not be there.
11 But the humble will inherit the land
And will delight themselves in abundant prosperity.

Word of God for the Children of God

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

In Seeking God’s Face, a devotional prayer book, author Philip Reinders urges readers to take the time each day to enjoy God’s presence.

Every day he invites us to “take refreshment in God’s presence.”

In his own words the author is repeating what David says in today’s verse: “Be still before the LORD and wait patiently for him.”

Most of us will find ourselves too busy, or too distracted to be still and to wait patiently for the Lord.

Today, I urge you to take a few moments today to look back on the past week and see the amount of time you have spent enjoying God’s presence.

Maybe you rushed to work or hurried to get your kids to school or to some other activity.

Maybe you had several meetings to attend, several appointments to keep, text messages to send, and emails to answer.

You may have had games to go to and other events to attend with your kids.

As you glance back, do you see much time or too little or no time at all, in which you exclusively focused on God’s presence?

If not, perhaps a few changes are needed.

What if you got up a few minutes earlier each day to pray?

What if you spent a half-hour less watching television or texting or on the Internet to pick up your bible to just reflect on God and enjoy his presence?

Some of us must learn to say “no” to some activities in our church or school.

Perhaps we need to discipline ourselves to be still before the Lord and to take the time to wait patiently for him?

The Significance of Sabbath Rest

Exodus 20:8-11 New American Standard Bible

8 “Remember the Sabbath day, to keep it holy. 9 For six days you shall labor and do all your work, 10 but the seventh day is a Sabbath of the Lord your God; on it  you shall not do any work, you, or your son, or your daughter, your male slave or your female slave, or your cattle, or your [a]resident who [b]stays with you.  11 For in six days the Lord made the heavens and the earth, the sea and everything that is in them, and He rested on the seventh day; for that reason the Lord blessed the Sabbath day and made it holy.

I recall several times when I neglected rest and found myself overwhelmed by busyness and stress.

A pastor friend of mine shared with me Exodus 20:8-11 and encouraged me to intentionally set aside times each week exclusively for rest, study, reflection, implicitly trusting that God’s commandment to rest was not just for physical rejuvenation but also for spiritual renewal.

Sabbath is a sacred gift from God, a covenanted time set apart for rest, worship, and reflection.

It reminds us of God’s creative power and his desire for us to experience his peace. In a culture that values productivity and constant activity, observing our Sabbath day requires intentional commitment and full trust in God’s provision.

When we honor the Sabbath, we accept our dependence on God and his never ending faithfulness.

We cease from our usual work to deliberately delight in God’s presence and to prioritize relationships with him and others.

Sabbath rest allows us to recharge physically, emotionally, and spiritually to serve God and others throughout the week. Each Sabbath day is an invitation to fully embrace, enjoy God’s rest, to align our hearts with his rhythms of grace.

As you long for spiritual refreshment and deeper intimacy with God, consider embracing the gift of Sabbath rest.

Set aside time to worship, pray, and reflect on God’s goodness, mercy and love.

May each Sabbath remind you of God’s love and his desire for us to rest in him.

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

Praying ….

Praise for the Lord’s Goodness.

A Psalm, a Song for the Sabbath day.

92 It is good to give thanks to the Lord
And to sing praises to Your name, Most High;
2 To declare Your goodness in the morning
And Your faithfulness by [a]night,
3 [b]With the ten-stringed lute and [c]with the harp,
[d]With resounding music on the lyre.
4 For You, Lord, have made me joyful by [e]what You have done,
I will sing for joy over the works of Your hands.

5 How great are Your works, Lord!
Your [f]thoughts are very deep.
6 A stupid person has no knowledge,
Nor does a foolish person understand this:
7 When the wicked sprouted up like grass
And all who did injustice flourished,
It was only that they might be destroyed forevermore.
8 But You, Lord, are on high forever.
9 For, behold, Your enemies, Lord,
For, behold, Your enemies will perish;
All who do injustice will be scattered.

10 But You have exalted my horn like that of the wild ox;
I have [g]been anointed with fresh oil.
11 And my eye has looked at my enemies,
My ears hear of the evildoers who rise up against me.
12 The righteous person will [h]flourish like the palm tree,
He will grow like a cedar in Lebanon.
13 Planted in the house of the Lord,
They will flourish in the courtyards of our God.
14 They will still [i]yield fruit in advanced age;
They will be [j]full of sap and very green,
15 To [k]declare that the Lord is just;
He is my rock, and there is no malice in Him.

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

https://translate.google.com