Breathe On Me Breath Of God

.. Breathe on me, breath of God,

Fill me with life anew,
That I may love what Thou dost love,
And do what Thou wouldst do.

.. Breathe on me, breath of God,

Until my heart is pure,
Until with Thee I will one will,
To do and to endure.

Questions in Job

8:11
“Can the papyrus grow up without a marsh?
 Can the reeds flourish without water?

9:2
“Truly I know it is so,
 But how can a man be righteous before God?

Submission to Spiritual Leaders

. Let them Baptize you

Acts 9:18
Immediately there fell from his eyes something like scales, and he received his sight at once; and he arose and was baptized.

Let them Commission you

Acts 13:13
Now when Paul and his party set sail from Paphos, they came to Perga in Pamphylia; and John, departing from them, returned to Jerusalem.

Thought

. Believe in the Lord, and He will do half the work–the last half. - Cyrus Curtis

[Message No: 7235]

Amos 5:15

Hate evil, love good; maintain justice in the courts. Perhaps the LORD God Almighty will have mercy on the remnant of Joseph. —

While we teach our children that we must not hate people, we also must teach them to loathe injustice, evil, prejudice, and the mistreatment of the weak. Amos reminded Israel that God demands justice be administered fairly for both rich and poor, resident and alien. Their repeated refusals of God's will in these areas brought destruction upon their land despite their apparent affluence and power in Amos' day.

Admitting Sin – Ways of Repentance

Disposition and Deeds

Matthew 5:20
For I say to you, that unless your righteousness exceeds the righteousness of the scribes and Pharisees, you will by no means enter the kingdom of heaven.
Am I blessed  like this?

Matthew 5:3-10
Blessed are the poor in spirit,
 For theirs is the kingdom of heaven.
  Blessed are those who mourn,
 For they shall be comforted.

  Blessed are the meek,
 For they shall inherit the earth.

  Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness,
 For they shall be filled.

  Blessed are the merciful,
 For they shall obtain mercy.

  Blessed are the pure in heart,
 For they shall see God.

  Blessed are the peacemakers,
 For they shall be called sons of God.

  Blessed are those who are persecuted for righteousness’ sake,
 For theirs is the kingdom of heaven.

[Message No: 7234]

Wow!

Those who accepted his message were baptized, and about three thousand were added to their number that day. — Acts 2:41

Wow! Wouldn't it be great to see 3,000 added to God's people in church today. Those who accepted Peter's message at Pentecost were baptized and the beginning of the early church started with an incredible bang. Earlier that day, only a small group of Jesus' followers had met to pray just as they had done for several days since Jesus' ascension. As night falls in Jerusalem, the number has jumped to over 3,000!

Acts 2 stands as a hallmark passage showing us the message of salvation, what the response of open hearts will be, and how the Holy Spirit uses this simple message to bring seeking hearts to salvation and community. Why don't you read Acts 2 today? Jot down what Peter says about Jesus. Notice what Peter tells the people to do to be saved. The Gospel is still just as simple, so let's not only study it; let's share it, praying for God to bring revival to our times and to our broken land!

Commands 

Def rand not

Mark 10:19
You know the commandments: ‘Do not commit adultery,’ ‘Do not murder,’ ‘Do not steal,’ ‘Do not bear false witness,’ ‘Do not defraud,’ ‘Honor your father and your mother.’ ”

Desire Spiritual Gifts

1 Corinthians 14:1
Pursue love, and desire spiritual gifts, but especially that you may prophesy.

Desire milk of Word

1 Peter 2:2
as new-born babes, desire the pure milk of the word, that you may grow thereby,

The Bandit of Joy

Matthew 5:5
Blessed are the meek,
 For they shall inherit the earth.

[Message No: 7230]

Prayer Partners

“In all my prayers for all of you, I always pray with joy because of your partnership in the gospel from the first day until now.” - Philippians 1:4-5

Paul prayed with joy because the Philippians were partners with him, not just supporters. Through their financial help, prayers, and interest in his work, they truly shared in his ministry. They were partners! Let's get interested in our congregations' missions. Let's pray and contribute to missions and get to know our missionaries. Let's get to know our missionary partners all over the world!

Elders

And seventy of the – Exodus 24:1

Now He said to Moses, “Come up to the Lord, you and Aaron, Nadab and Abihu, and seventy of the elders of Israel, and worship from afar.

And teach his elders – Psalm 105:22

To bind his princes at his pleasure,
 And teach his elders wisdom.

And counsel from the elders – Ezekiel 7:26

Disaster will come upon disaster,
 And rumor will be upon rumor.
 Then they will seek a vision from a prophet;
 But the law will perish from the priest,
 And counsel from the elders.

Prayer choice and Prayer Conflict 

Matthew 6:6
But you, when you pray, go into your room, and when you have shut your door, pray to your Father who is in the secret place; and your Father who sees in secret will reward you openly.

Loving God’s Word as Jesus’ Follower

John 14:21
He who has My commandments and keeps them, it is he who loves Me. And he who loves Me will be loved by My Father, and I will love him and manifest Myself to him.”

[Message No: 7232]

Prayer Life of Jesus

. Early Morning

Mark 1:35
Now in the morning, having risen a long while before daylight, He went out and departed to a solitary place; and there He prayed.

. Whole Night

Luke 6:12
Now it came to pass in those days that He went out to the mountain to pray, and continued all night in prayer to God.

Finding Life

John 14:19
“A little while longer and the world will see Me no more, but you will see Me. Because I live, you will live also.

Our Blessings in Christ

. Adopted by Christ
Ephesians 1:5
having predestined us to adoption as sons by Jesus Christ to Himself, according to the good pleasure of His will,
. Accepted in the Beloved
Ephesians1:6
to the praise of the glory of His grace, by which He made us accepted in the Beloved.

The Sphere of Exaltation

Mark 9:2
Now after six days Jesus took Peter, James, and John, and led them up on a high mountain apart by themselves; and He was transfigured before them


Thoughts 

. No man has a right to lead such a life of contemplation as to forget in his own ease the service due to his neighbor; nor has any man a right to be so immersed in active life as to neglect the contemplation of God. - Augustine of Hippo

. God says to man: “With thy very wounds I will heal thee.” - The Talmud

[Message No: 7231]

God is Love

The whole duty and blessedness of waiting on God has its root in this, that He is such a blessed Being, full, to overflowing, of goodness and power and life and joy, that we, however wretched, cannot for any time come into contact with Him, without that life and power secretly, silently, beginning to enter into us and blessing us.  God is Love!  God's love is just His delight to impart Himself and His blessedness to His children. 

Come, and however feeble you feel, just wait in His presence.  As a feeble invalid is brought out into the sunshine to let its warmth go through him, come with all that is dark and cold in you into the sunshine of God's holy, omnipotent love, and sit and wait there, with the one thought:  Here I am, in the sunshine of His love.  As the sun does its work in the weak one who seeks its rays, God will do His work in you.

  Thought 

. George Muller had run and orphanage in England in the early 1800s that cared for 5,000 children.  He had made a vow never to ask people directly for anything, but to ask God instead to inspire them to provide food, clothing, money, or whatever else was needed.  He eventually received more than 50 million British pounds in donations, all without ever asking anybody for anything. – Unknown

Father God…You Excellent!

Deuteronomy 33:29
Blessed are you, O Israel! Who is like you, a people saved by the LORD? He is your shield and helper and your glorious sword. Your enemies will cower before you, and you will trample down their high places.”

Job 37:23
The Almighty is beyond our reach and exalted in power; in his justice and great righteousness, he does not oppress.

After God’s silence what?

John 11:6
So, when He heard that he was sick, He stayed two more days in the place where He was.

Commands

Luke 12:33-34
Sell what you have and give alms; provide yourselves money bags which do not grow old, a treasure in the heavens that does not fail, where no thief approaches nor moth destroys. For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.

. Lay hold on eternal life

1 Timothy 6:12
Fight the good fight of faith, lay hold on eternal life, to which you were also called and have confessed the good confession in the presence of many witnesses.

[Message No: 7230]

"Amazing Grace, how sweet the sound,

.. "Amazing Grace, how sweet the sound,
That saved a wretch like me....
I once was lost but now am found,
Was blind, but now, I see.
.. T'was Grace that taught...
my heart to fear.
And Grace, my fears relieved.
How precious did that Grace appear...
the hour I first believed.

Excuses of the Deceived

If  I live right it matters not what I believe –

Matthew 1:16
And Jacob begot Joseph the husband of Mary, of whom was born Jesus who is called Christ.

Matthew 16:16
Simon Peter answered and said, “You are the Christ, the Son of the living God.”

John 8:24
Therefore I said to you that you will die in your sins; for if you do not believe that I am He, you will die in your sins.”

John 14:6
Jesus said to him, “I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through Me.

Prayer

 . Prayer should never be regarded as a science or reduced to a system—that ruins it, because it is essentially a living and personal relationship, which tends to become more personal and also more simple, as one goes on. - Evelyn Underhill.

Heaven is the Home of The Righteous [Believing]

2 Cor. 5:1
For we know that if the tent that is our earthly home is destroyed, we have a building from God, a house not made with hands, eternal in the heavens.

[Message No: 7229]

Building on Rock and on Sand

[The Parable of Jesus Christ]

Matthew 7:24-27

Build on the Rock

     “Therefore whoever hears these sayings of Mine, and does them, I will liken him to a wise man who built his house on the rock: and the rain descended, the floods came, and the winds blew and beat on that house; and it did not fall, for it was founded on the rock.

   “But everyone who hears these sayings of Mine, and does not do them, will be like a foolish man who built his house on the sand: and the rain descended, the floods came, and the winds blew and beat on that house; and it fell. And great was its fall.”

Luke 6:47-49
Whoever comes to Me, and hears My sayings and does them, I will show you whom he is like: He is like a man building a house, who dug deep and laid the foundation on the rock. And when the flood arose, the stream beat vehemently against that house, and could not shake it, for it was founded on the rock. But he who heard and did nothing is like a man who built a house on the earth without a foundation, against which the stream beat vehemently; and immediately it fell. And the ruin of that house was great.”

Questions in Nehemiah

5:9
Then I said, “What you are doing is not good. Should you not walk in the fear of our God because of the reproach of the nations, our enemies?

6:3
So I sent messengers to them, saying, “I am doing a great work, so that I cannot come down. Why should the work
cease while I leave it and go down to you?”

6:11
And I said, “Should such a man as I flee? And who is there such as I who would go into the temple to save his life? I will not go in!”

Thought 

. Oh, beware!  Do not seek to be something!  Let me be nothing, and Christ be all in all. - John Wesley

[Message No: 7228]

Am I convinced by Christ?

Luke 10:19-20
Behold, I give you the authority to trample on serpents and scorpions, and over all the power of the enemy, and nothing shall by any means hurt you. Nevertheless do not rejoice in this, that the spirits are subject to you, but rather rejoice because your names are written in heaven.”

Inner Beauty

1 Peter 3:3-4
Do not let your adornment be merely outward—arranging the hair, wearing gold, or putting on fine apparel— rather let it be the hidden person of the heart, with the incorruptible beauty of a gentle and quiet spirit, which is very precious in the sight of God.

Waiting on God

Isaiah 30:18
Therefore the Lord will wait, that He may be gracious to you;
 And therefore He will be exalted, that He may have mercy on you.
 For the Lord is a God of justice;
 Blessed are all those who wait for Him.

Elders 

. and  called for the elders – Acts 20:17
From Miletus he sent to Ephesus and called for the elders of the church

. elders who rule well be – 1 Timothy 5:17
Let the elders who rule well be counted worthy of double honor, especially those who labor in the word and doctrine.

. lacking and appoint elders – Titus 1:5
For this reason I left you in Crete, that you should set in order the things that are lacking, and appoint elders in every city as I commanded you—

My Joy … You Joy 

John 15:11
“These things I have spoken to you, that My joy may remain in you, and that your joy may be full.

[Message No: 7227]

When to be Silent?

1.  Be silent In the heat of  anger – Prov. 14:17

2.  Be silent When you don't  have all the facts – Prov. 18:13

3.  Be silent When you haven't verified the story - Deut. 17:6

4.  Be silent If your words will offend a weaker person - 1 Cor. 8:11

5.  Be silent When it is time  to listen – Prov. 13:1

6.  Be silent When you are tempted to make light of holy things – Eccl. 5:2

7.  Be silent When you are tempted to joke about sin – Prov. 14:9

8.  Be silent If you would be ashamed of your words later – Prov. 8:8

9.  Be silent If your words would convey the wrong impression – Prov. 17:27

10. Be silent If the issue is none of your business -  Prov. 14:10

11. Be silent When you are tempted to tell an outright lie – Prov. 4:24

12. Be silent If your words will damage someone else's reputation – Prov.  16:27

13. Be silent If your words  will damage a friendship – Prov. 16:28

14. Be silent When you are feeling critical - James 3:9

15. Be silent If you can't say it without screaming it – Prov. 25:28

16. Be silent If your words will be a poor reflection of the Lord or your friends and family - 1 Peter   2:21-23

17. Be silent If you may have to eat your words later – Prov. 18:21

 18. Be silent If you have already said it more than one time  - Prov. 19:13

19. Be silent When you are  tempted to flatter a wicked person – Prov. 24:24

20. Be silent When you are supposed to be working instead  - Prov.  14:23

Get a move on

John 15:4
Abide in Me, and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit of itself, unless it abides in the vine, neither can you, unless you abide in Me.

The uncritical temper

Matthew 7:1
“Judge not, that you be not judged.

[Message No: 7226]

It’s about me

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? And how can they hear without someone preaching to them? — Romans 10:14

Since "calling on the name of the Lord" is essential for salvation, then what is going to happen if we don't speak about Jesus with those who do not know him? We must share Jesus with everyone who will listen. That "someone preaching to them" must be us!

Significance of Repentance

. Puts forth the Disaster – 1 Kings 21:29
“See how Ahab has humbled himself before Me? Because he has humbled himself before Me, I will not bring the calamity in his days. In the days of his son I will bring the calamity on his house.”

. Establish the Church
Revelation 2:5
Remember therefore from where you have fallen; repent and do the first works, or else I will come to you quickly and remove your lampstand from its place—unless you repent.

Revelation 1:20
The mystery of the seven stars which you saw in My right hand, and the seven golden lampstands: The seven stars are the angels of the seven churches, and the seven lampstands which you saw are the seven churches.

The weapon of the blood

Revelation 12:11
And they overcame him by the blood of the Lamb and by the word of their testimony, and they did not love their lives to the death.

This experience must come

2 Kings 2:12
And Elisha saw it, and he cried out, “My father, my father, the chariot of Israel and its horsemen!” So he saw himno more. And he took hold of his own clothes and tore them into two pieces.

[Message No: 7225]

He understands and Cares

Isaiah 53:1-8

   Who has believed our report?
   And to whom has the arm of the Lord been revealed?
  For He shall grow up before Him as a tender plant,
 And as a root out of dry ground.

 He has no form or comeliness;
 And when we see Him,
 There is no beauty that we should desire Him.
  He is despised and rejected by men,
 A Man of sorrows and acquainted with grief.

 And we hid, as it were, our faces from Him;
 He was despised, and we did not esteem Him.

  Surely He has borne our griefs
 And carried our sorrows;
 Yet we esteemed Him stricken,
 Smitten by God, and afflicted.

  But He was wounded for our transgressions,
 He was bruised for our iniquities;
 The chastisement for our peace was upon Him,
 And by His stripes we are healed.

  All we like sheep have gone astray;
 We have turned, every one, to his own way;
 And the Lord has laid on Him the iniquity of us all.

  He was oppressed and He was afflicted,
 Yet He opened not His mouth;
 He was led as a lamb to the slaughter,
 And as a sheep before its shearers is silent,
 So He opened not His mouth.

  He was taken from prison and from judgment,
 And who will declare His generation?
 For He was cut off from the land of the living;
 For the transgressions of My people He was stricken.

[Message No: 7224]

God is a speaking God.

Hebrews 1:1-2

In the past God spoke to our forefathers through the prophets at many times and in various ways, but in these last days he has spoken to us by his Son, whom he appointed heir of all things, and through whom he made the universe.

God is a speaking God. He loves us and has chosen to get his message to us in words. First there were the patriarchs and great prophets. Then there was the written record in the Scriptures. But God's greatest message, his most powerful words, were not really words at all, but a person named Jesus of Nazareth, who is Christ and Lord of all. For us, his Church, to be what he wants us to be, we must not just look at Scripture, we must also look at him. He is the key to understanding what Scripture means and how it is to be lived.

Commands 

. Help propagate truth

3 John 8
We therefore ought to receive such, that we may become fellow workers for the truth.

. Humble Selves

James 4:10
Humble yourselves in the sight of the Lord, and He will lift you up.

. Husbands love wives

Ephesians 5:25
. Husbands, love your wives, just as Christ also loved the church and gave Himself for her,

Ephesians 5:28
So husbands ought to love their own wives as their own bodies; he who loves his wife loves himself.

Colossians 3:19
. Husbands, love your wives and do not be bitter toward them.

1 Peter 3:7

Word to Husbands

    Husbands, likewise, dwell with them with understanding, giving honor to the wife, as to the weaker vessel, and as being heirs together of the grace of life, that your prayers may not be hindered.

[Message No: 7223]

Expression of Praise and Worship in Scripture - Hands

With The Hands

. Lifting

Psalm 63:4
So I will bless you as long as I live;
in your name I will lift up my hands.

. clapping

Psalm 47:1
Clap your hands, all peoples!
Shout to God with loud songs of joy!

. Musical Instruments

Psalm 150

Let Everything Praise the LORD
 Praise the LORD!
Praise God in his sanctuary;
praise him in his mighty heavens!
  Praise him for his mighty deeds;
praise him according to his excellent greatness!
  Praise him with trumpet sound;
praise him with lute and harp!
  Praise him with tambourine and dance;
praise him with strings and pipe!
  Praise him with sounding cymbals;
praise him with loud clashing cymbals!
  Let everything that has breath praise the LORD!
Praise the LORD!

Too good not to share

John 1:14

And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us, and we have seen his glory, glory as of the only Son from the Father, full of grace and truth.

[Message No: 7222]

Does It Spark Joy?

Philippians 4:4-9

Rejoice in the Lord always. Again I will say, rejoice!
   Let your gentleness be known to all men. The Lord is at hand.
   Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication, with thanksgiving, let your requests be made known to God; and the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus.

      Meditate on These Things

     Finally, brethren, whatever things are true, whatever things are noble, whatever things are just, whatever things are pure, whatever things are lovely, whatever things are of good report, if there is any virtue and if there is anything praiseworthy—meditate on these things. The things which you learned and received and heard and saw in me, these do, and the God of peace will be with you.

Scriptures for Correction

Job 5:17-18
“Behold, happy is the man whom God corrects;
 Therefore do not despise the chastening of the Almighty.
  For He bruises, but He binds up;
 He wounds, but His hands make whole.

Proverbs 3:12
For whom the Lord loves He corrects,
 Just as a father the son in whom he delights.

Psalm 94:12-13
Blessed is the man whom You instruct, O Lord,
 And teach out of Your law,
  That You may give him rest from the days of adversity,
 Until the pit is dug for the wicked.

[Message No: 7221]

Commands – 3

. Harden not your hearts

Hebrew 3:8-15

do not harden your hearts as in the rebellion,
on the day of testing in the wilderness,
  where your fathers put me to the test
and saw my works for forty years.
  Therefore I was provoked with that generation,
and said, ‘They always go astray in their heart;
they have not known my ways.’
  As I swore in my wrath,
‘They shall not enter my rest.’”

  Take care, brothers, lest there be in any of you an evil, unbelieving heart, leading you to fall away from the living God.  But exhort one another every day, as long as it is called “today,” that none of you may be hardened by the deceitfulness of sin.  For we have come to share in Christ, if indeed we hold our original confidence firm to the end.  As it is said,      
“Today, if you hear his voice,
do not harden your hearts as in the rebellion.”

. Have no respect of persons

1 Timothy 5:21
In the presence of God and of Christ Jesus and of the elect angels I charge you to keep these rules without prejudging, doing nothing from partiality.

. Have same love

Philippians 2:2
complete my joy by being of the same mind, having the same love, being in full accord and of one mind.

. Have no fellowship with works of darkness

Ephesians 5:11
Take no part in the unfruitful works of darkness, but instead expose them.

Thought 

. The wrath of God is never thought of in scripture as opposed to his holiness.  It is a necessary part of it.  Christ would have lost my soul if he had not refused to compromise with me. - Arthur J. Gossip

[Message No: 7220]

Blessed Assurance

Blessed assurance, Jesus is mine
O what a foretaste of glory divine
Heir of salvation, purchase of God
Born of His Spirit, washed in His blood
Perfect submission, all is at rest
I in my Savior am happy and blessed
Watching and waiting, looking above
Filled with His goodness, lost in His love
This is my story, this is my song
Praising my Savior all the day long
This is my story, this is my song
Praising my Savior all the day long.

Commands 

. Intreat others according to:

1 Timothy 5:1-2
Treatment of Church Members
   Do not rebuke an older man, but exhort him as a father, younger men as brothers, older women as mothers, younger women as sisters, with all purity.

. Judge not

Matthew 7:1
Judge not, that you be not judged.

Luke 6:37
“Judge not, and you shall not be judged. Condemn not, and you shall not be condemned. Forgive, and you will be forgiven.

. Know how to control body

1 Timothy 4:4
For every creature of God is good, and nothing is to be refused if it is received with thanksgiving;

[Message No: 7219]

Always Now

2 Corinthians 6:1
 We then, as workers together with Him also plead with you not to receive the grace of God in vain.

Receiving one’s self in the fires of Sorrow

John 12:27-29
“Now My soul is troubled, and what shall I say? ‘Father, save Me from this hour’? But for this purpose I came to this hour. Father, glorify Your name.”

  Then a voice came from heaven, saying, “I have both glorified it and will glorify it again.”
   Therefore the people who stood by and heard it said that it had thundered. Others said, “An angel has spoken to Him.”

Questions in Nehemiah

2:2
Therefore the king said to me, “Why is your face sad, since you are not sick? This is nothing but sorrow of heart.”

  So I became dreadfully afraid,
4:2
And he spoke before his brethren and the army of Samaria, and said, “What are these feeble Jews doing? Will they fortify themselves? Will they offer sacrifices? Will they complete it in a day? Will they revive the stones from the heaps of rubbish—stones that are burned?”

Nehemiah 1:11

“O Lord, let your ear be attentive to the prayer of this your servant and to the prayer of your servants who delight in revering your name. Give your servant success today by granting him favor in the presence of this man.” —

God takes great delight when we pray asking for his guidance and help! This is especially true when the focus of our efforts is on building up his people and his Kingdom. Nehemiah comes as God's servant.

He's not giving God a "go do" list using prayer to make God his servant. Instead, Nehemiah's heart burns with the needs of God's people. The rest of the book of Nehemiah is proof that God loves his children to pray when the desires of their heart are on his people and his will.

[Message No: 7218]

We are being called there

Philippians 3:13-14

Brethren, I do not count myself to have apprehended; but one thing I do, forgetting those things which are behind and reaching forward to those things which are ahead, I press toward the goal for the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus.

John 14:1-3

The Way, the Truth, and the Life

   “Let not your heart be troubled; you believe in God, believe also in Me. In My Father's house are many mansions; if it were not so, I would have told you. I go to prepare a place for you. And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again and receive you to Myself; that where I am, there you may be also.

Heaven: A Place That Never Will Never End

2 Peter 1:11
for so an entrance will be supplied to you abundantly into the everlasting kingdom of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.

1 Peter 1:4
to an inheritance and undefiled and that does not fade away, reserved in heaven for you,

Heaven: A place untainted by evil

Revelation 21:27
But there shall by no means enter it anything that defiles, or causes an abomination or a lie, but only those who are written in the Lamb's Book of Life.

Ephesians 5:5
For this you know, that no fornicator, unclean person, nor covetous man, who is an idolater, has any inheritance in the kingdom of Christ and God.

Thoughts

. He who can inwardly lift his mind up to God, and can regard outward things little, needs not to seek for time or place to pray. - Thomas Kempis

. God was making you ten billion years ago, and he knew what he was doing: setting up a world you could live in and lining up an ancestry for you.  He is making you now, and knows what he is doing.  He will be making you ten billion years from now, and knowing what he is doing. - Carroll E. Simcox

[Message No: 7217]

The effect of Non-Repentance

But let justice roll on like a river, righteousness like a never-failing stream! — Amos 5:24

While many attribute this quote to Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., it was originally uttered by Amos, God's spokesman over 2600 years earlier than Dr. King quoted it. God wanted his people to know that their religious pilgrimages, their sacrificial offerings, and their songs meant nothing to him if they were not backed up by a life of compassion, character, and concern. Northern Israel did not believe Amos and did not repent. Not too many years later, they were utterly destroyed because God found their hypocrisy, injustice, and abuse of the weak reprehensible. But we live now, and these words are just as powerful and clear as they were then! What will our response be?

Dramatic Events to Take Place

The deal in Christ will be raised to life

John 6:40
And this is the will of Him who sent Me, that everyone who sees the Son and believes in Him may have everlasting life; and I will raise him up at the last day.”

John 11:25
Jesus said to her, “I am the resurrection and the life. He who believes in Me, though he may die, he shall live.

Those believers still alive will be caught up to meet Him

Matthew 24:31
And He will send His angels with a great sound of a trumpet, and they will gather together His
elect from the four winds, from one end of heaven to the other.

Creation  will be set free from its bondage

Romans 8:19-21
For the earnest expectation of the creation eagerly waits for the revealing of the sons of God. For the creation was subjected to futility, not willingly, but because of Him who subjected it in hope; because the creation itself also will be delivered from the bondage of corruption into the glorious liberty of the children of God.

Isaiah 35:1-7

The Future Glory of Zion
   The wilderness and the wasteland shall be glad for them,
   And the desert shall rejoice and blossom as the rose;
  It shall blossom abundantly and rejoice,
 Even with joy and singing.

 The glory of Lebanon shall be given to it,
 The excellence of Carmel and Sharon.
 They shall see the glory of the Lord,
 The excellency of our God.

  Strengthen the weak hands,
 And make firm the feeble knees.
Say to those who are fearful-hearted,
 “Be strong, do not fear!

 Behold, your God will come with vengeance,
 With the recompense of God;
 He will come and save you.”
  Then the eyes of the blind shall be opened,
 And the ears of the deaf shall be unstopped.
  Then the lame shall leap like a deer,
 And the tongue of the dumb sing.

 For waters shall burst forth in the wilderness,
 And streams in the desert.

  The parched ground shall become a pool,
 And the thirsty land springs of water;
 In the habitation of jackals, where each lay,
 There shall be grass with reeds and rushes.

[Message No: 7216]

Sin a barrier to communing with God

Isaiah 6:1-8

Isaiah Called to Be a Prophet
   In the year that King Uzziah died, I saw the Lord sitting on a throne, high and lifted up, and the train of His robe filled the temple. Above it stood seraphim; each one had six wings: with two he covered his face, with two he covered his feet, and with two he flew. And one cried to another and said:
   “Holy, holy, holy is the Lord of hosts;
 The whole earth is full of His glory!”
     And the posts of the door were shaken by the voice of him who cried out, and the house was filled with smoke.

   So I said:
   “Woe is me, for I am undone!
 Because I am a man of unclean lips,
 And I dwell in the midst of a people of unclean lips;
 For my eyes have seen the King,
 The Lord of hosts.”

       Then one of the seraphim flew to me, having in his hand a live coal which he had taken with the tongs from the altar. And he touched my mouth with it, and said:
   “Behold, this has touched your lips;
 Your iniquity is taken away,
 And your sin purged.”

   Also I heard the voice of the Lord, saying:
   “Whom shall I send,
 And who will go for Us?”
  Then I said, “Here am I! Send me.”

Are you ready to be offered?

2 Timothy 4:6
For I am already being poured out as a drink offering, and the time of my departure is at hand.

[Message No: 7215]

Questions in Job - 1

13:9
Will it be well with you when he searches you out?
Or can you deceive him, as one deceives a man?

13:11
Will not his majesty terrify you,
and the dread of him fall upon you?

13:19
Who is there who will contend with me?
For then I would be silent and die.

13:23
How many are my iniquities and my sins?
Make me know my transgression and my sin.

13:24
Why do you hide your face
and count me as your enemy?

13:25
Will you frighten a driven leaf
and pursue dry chaff?

14:3
And do you open your eyes on such a one
and bring me into judgment with you?

14:4
Who can bring a clean thing out of an unclean?
There is not one.

14:10
But a man dies and is laid low;
man breathes his last, and where is he?

14:14
If a man dies, shall he live again?
All the days of my service I would wait,
till my renewal should come.

[Message No: 7214]

Prayer for God’s Will

The LORD works righteousness and justice for all the oppressed. — Psalm 103:6

There are times in our world history when this promise of God seems like a mirage in the face of brutal governments, racial hatred, and human injustice. But over time, brutal governments are smashed. Despots go to their graves. Moral indignation replaces complacency.

As Kingdom people, don't you think we are called to model the ethics and values of God's will? So let's renew the prayer Jesus taught us: "Your will be done, on earth as it is in heaven!" And let's also demonstrate God's will in our families, friendships, and churches!

Praying for Others

Paul prayed for the Christians -  to pray for him

Ephesians 6:18-19
knowing that whatever good anyone does, he will receive the same from the Lord, whether he is a slave or free.
   And you, masters, do the same things to them, giving up threatening, knowing that your own Master also is in heaven, and there is no partiality with Him.

Colossians 4:3
meanwhile praying also for us, that God would open to us a door for the word, to speak the mystery of Christ, for which I am also in chains,

Romans 15:30-32
Now I beg you, brethren, through the Lord Jesus Christ, and through the love of the Spirit, that you strive together with me in prayers to God for me, that I may be delivered from those in Judea who do not believe, and that my service for Jerusalem may be acceptable to the saints, that I may come to you with joy by the will of God, and may be refreshed together with you.

Called of God

Isaiah 6:8
Also I heard the voice of the Lord, saying:
   “Whom shall I send,
 And who will go for Us?”
  Then I said, “Here am I! Send me.”

[Message No: 7213]

Only Jesus can give us the light

When Jesus spoke again to the people, he said, “I am the light of the world. Whoever follows me will never walk in darkness, but will have the light of life." – John 8:12

Darkness is more than a symbol, it is a pervasive way of living and viewing the world. Darkness is the place of deception, evil, crime, predators, sin, and death. To follow Jesus means to bring him our heart and let him cast from the darkness that plagues us on the inside so we don't have to be afraid of the darkness on the outside. In this way, Jesus gives us light, but it is a light that does more than fill a dark room with light. This is a light that illumines the heart.

Thought 

. The created world is but a small parenthesis in eternity. - Thomas Browne

Excuses of the Deceived

Luke 18:9-14
The Pharisee and the Tax Collector

 He also told this parable to some who trusted in themselves that they were righteous, and treated others with contempt:  “Two men went up into the temple to pray, one a Pharisee and the other a tax collector.  The Pharisee, standing by himself, prayed thus: ‘God, I thank you that I am not like other men, extortioners, unjust, adulterers, or even like this tax collector.  I fast twice a week; I give tithes of all that I get.’  But the tax collector, standing far off, would not even lift up his eyes to heaven, but beat his breast, saying, ‘God, be merciful to me, a sinner!’  I tell you, this man went down to his house justified, rather than the other. For everyone who exalts himself will be humbled, but the one who humbles himself will be exalted.”

The “Go” of Renunciation

Luke 9:57
Now it happened as they journeyed on the road, that someone said to Him, “Lord, I will follow You wherever You go.”

Responding to the Closed Doors

The costs of disobedience are always higher than the benefits of pushing through a closed door. If the Lord has sealed off an entry, it’s for your protection. The right response is to wait patiently and be faithful in your present situation. In time, He’ll either open the door or redirect you to the path that leads to His will.

[Message No: 7212]

New Life

Jesus said, "I tell you the truth, I am the gate for the sheep; whoever enters through me will be saved. He will come in and go out and find pasture. The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy; I have come that they may have life, and have it the full." - John 10:7,9-10

Jesus came to the world to give us life. He didn't come to bring us rules, or judgement, or fear, or work. Jesus came to give us life in its fullest form. While we know that this is promised to us when we go to be with him for all eternity, John wants us to clearly hear that Jesus' promise to give us life begins right now! Not JUST life later, but also life NOW!

Our Blessings in Christ

. Faith in Christ
Ephesians 1:15
Therefore I also, after I heard of your faith in the Lord Jesus and your love for all the saints,

 . Wisdom in Him
Ephesians 1:17
 that the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of glory, may give to you the spirit of wisdom and revelation in the knowledge of Him

. Hope in Christ
Ephesians 1:18
the eyes of your understanding being enlightened; that you may know what is the hope of His calling, what are the riches of the glory of His inheritance in the saints,

Prophet – Isaac

Genesis 26:3-4
Dwell in this land, and I will be with you and bless you; for to you and your descendants I give all these lands, and I will perform the oath which I swore to Abraham your father. And I will make your descendants multiply as the stars of heaven; I will give to your descendants all these lands; and in your seed all the nations of the earth shall be blessed;

Genesis 26:24
And the Lord appeared to him the same night and said, “I am the God of your father Abraham; do not fear, for I am with you. I will bless you and multiply your descendants for My servant Abraham's sake.”

[Message No: 7211]

Let the Beauty of Jesus be seen in me

Verse 1:

“Let the beauty of Jesus be seen in me,
All His wonderful passion and purity,
Oh, Thou Spirit divine, all my nature refine,
Till the beauty of Jesus be seen in me.”

Verse 2:

When your burden is heavy and hard to bear,
When your neighbors refuse all your load to share,
When you’re feeling so blue, Don’t know just what to do…
Let the beauty of Jesus be seen in you.

Verse 3:

When somebody has been so unkind to you,
Some word spoken that pierces you through and through,
Think how He was beguiled, spat upon and reviled,
Let the beauty of Jesus be seen in you.

Seen and Unseen World

 “So we fix our eyes not on what is seen, but on what is unseen. For what is seen is temporary, but what is unseen is eternal.” - 2 Corinthians 4:18

What do you see most clearly today? Is it what is seen or what is unseen? No matter our belief system, we ultimately have to trust what we can't see. Even the most atheistic scientist trusts gravity, breathes air, and depends upon principles, he cannot see until they produce results in the tangible world of human perception. But as Christians, we don't believe the seen world is as real as the unseen world.

The seen world is subject to disease, disaster, decay, disorder, and death. I don't know about you, but if it isn't any more permanent than that, it's not very real. I want something to hang on to. That requires I look past the seen to find my Father who is unseen. He is the one who guarantees the unseen!

[Message No: 7210]

Immanuel

The Lord himself will give you a sign: The virgin will be with child and will give birth to a son, and will call him Immanuel - Isaiah 7:14

God is interested in us personally. So much so, that he personally gives us this sign. Because of Matthew's explanation of the meaning of the name Immanuel, we know what that sign was — Jesus coming to live as God with us. His presence is God's presence. His life is God's sign. The miracle of his conception is God's mystery and also his statement of grace for us.

Scriptures for Comfort

. Psalm 27:14
Wait on the Lord;
 Be of good courage,
 And He shall strengthen your heart;
 Wait, I say, on the Lord!

. Psalm 9:9
The Lord also will be a refuge for the oppressed,
 A refuge in times of trouble.

. Romans 8:18
For I consider that the sufferings of this present time are not worthy to be compared with the glory which shall be revealed in us.

Commands

. Husbands be not bitter against wives

Colossians 3:19
Husbands, love your wives and do not be bitter toward them.

. Instant rebels in meekness

2 Timothy 2:25
in humility correcting those who are in opposition, if God perhaps will grant them repentance, so that they may know the truth,

Thought 

. Negativity and hate are contagious.  But so are positivity, kindness and courage. - Aaron Judge

[Message No: 7209]

He still loves us

“O Israel, put your hope in the LORD, for with the LORD is unfailing love and with him is full redemption.” - Psalm 130:7

What do we have here that is unfailing and inexhaustible? Nothing except God's unfailing love. Even when we disappoint, hurt, offend, or rebel against him, he still loves us. While we were sinners he sent Jesus to redeem us from sin and death. Why trust anything or anyone else with our future? Let's lean on God's unfailing love!

Questions in Job 

22:15
Will you keep to the old way
 Which wicked men have trod,

22:17
They said to God, ‘Depart from us!
 What can the Almighty do to them?’
23:13
And you say, ‘What does God know?
 Can He judge through the deep darkness?

24:1
“Since times are not hidden from the Almighty,
 Why do those who know Him see not His days?

24:25
“Now if it is not so, who will prove me a liar,
 And make my speech worth nothing?”

25:3
Is there any number to His armies?
 Upon whom does His light not rise?

25:4
How then can man be righteous before God?
 Or how can he be pure who is born of a woman?

Thought 

. In order to understand the true essence of a thing we must transform the physical into the spiritual. - Leo Tolstoy

[Message No: 7208]

Finding the Way

Jesus answered, "I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me - John 14:6
I don't want to be any more exclusive than Jesus. But I do want to hear his voice. He calls me to find the way to the Father through him. I must also know that others must know him to find their way to the Father, too. How can we not be more passionate about those around us who do not really know Jesus as their Savior, Redeemer, Brother, and Lord? How can the first four books of our New Testament lie unread?

1 Breathe on me, breath of God:

fill me with life anew,
that I may love as you have loved
and do as you would do.

2 Breathe on me, breath of God,
until my heart is pure,
until my will is one with yours
to do and to endure.

Questions in Job 

22:4
Is it because of your fear of Him that He corrects you,
 And enters into judgment with you?

22:5
Is not your wickedness great,
 And your iniquity without end?

22:12
“Is not God in the height of heaven?
 And see the highest stars, how lofty they are!

22:13
And you say, ‘What does God know?
 Can He judge through the deep darkness?

[Message No: 7207]

God says “No” to anyone who comes to Him in Faith

John 15:7
If you abide in Me, and My words abide in you, you will ask what you desire, and it shall be done for you.

John 15:16
You did not choose Me, but I chose you and appointed you that you should go and bear fruit, and that your fruit should remain, that whatever you ask the Father in My name He may give you.

James 1:5-8
If any of you lacks wisdom, let him ask of God, who gives to all liberally and without reproach, and it will be given to him. But let him ask in faith, with no doubting, for he who doubts is like a wave of the sea driven and tossed by the wind. For let not that man suppose that he will receive anything from the Lord; he is a double-minded man, unstable in all his ways.

Read: John 14:1-15

Questions in Job

6:22
Did I ever say, “Bring something to me’?
 Or, ‘Offer a bribe for me from your wealth’?

6:23
Or, “Deliver me from the enemy's hand’?
 Or, ‘Redeem me from the hand of oppressors’?

7:1
“Is there not a time of hard service for man on earth?
 Are not his days also like the days of a hired man?

7:4
When I lie down, I say, ‘When shall I arise,
 And the night be ended?’
 For I have had my fill of tossing till dawn.

[Message No: 7206]

Encouragement

Looking for that blessed hope . . .Titus 2:13

One of the best ways to get rid of discouragement is to remember that Christ is coming again. The most thrilling, glorious truth in all the world is the Second Coming of Jesus Christ. When we look around and see pessimism on every side, we should remember the Bible is the only Book in the world that predicts the future. The Bible is more modern than tomorrow morning’s newspaper. The Bible accurately foretells the future, and it says that the consummation of all things shall be the coming again of Jesus Christ to this earth.

If your life is dismal, depressed, and gloomy today, Christ can turn those dark clouds inside out. The sunlight of His love can still shine into the darkest part of your life.

Expression of Praise and Worship in Scripture

With The Body

. Standing
Psalm 134:1
Come, bless the LORD, all you servants of the LORD,
who stand by night in the house of the LORD

. Kneeling, bowing

Psalm 95:6
Oh come, let us worship and bow down;
let us kneel before the LORD, our Maker!

. Dancing and Leaping for Joy

Psalm 30:11
You have turned for me my mourning into dancing;
you have loosed my sackcloth
and clothed me with gladness,

The Sphere of Ministration

Mark 9:22
And it has often cast him into fire and into water, to destroy him. But if you can do anything, have compassion on us and help us.”

[Message No: 7205]

Divine Mandate

Joshua 4:20-24
And those twelve stones which they took out of the Jordan, Joshua set up in Gilgal. Then he spoke to the children of Israel, saying: “When your children ask their fathers in time to come, saying, ‘What are these stones?’ then you shall let your children know, saying, “Israel crossed over this Jordan on dry land’; for the Lord your God dried up the waters of the Jordan before you until you had crossed over, as the Lord your God did to the Red Sea, which He dried up before us until we had crossed over, that all the peoples of the earth may know the hand of the Lord, that it is mighty, that you may fear the Lord your God forever.”

Psalm 78:5-7

For He established a testimony in Jacob,
 And appointed a law in Israel,
 Which He commanded our fathers,
 That they should make them known to their children;
  That the generation to come might know them,
 The children who would be born,
 That they may arise and declare them to their children,
  That they may set their hope in God,
 And not forget the works of God,
 But keep His commandments;

The overmastering majesty of personal power

2 Corinthians 5:14
For the love of Christ compels us, because we judge thus: that if One died for all, then all died;

Are you ready to be offered?

Philippians 2:17
Yes, and if I am being poured out as a drink offering on the sacrifice and service of your faith, I am glad and rejoice with you all.

Thoughts 

. The soul, like the body, lives by what it feeds on. - Josiah Gilbert Holland

. The devil never tempts us with more success than when he tempts us with a sight of our own good actions. - Thomas Wilson

[Message No: 7204]

Commands – 2

. Give enemy drink
Romans 12:20
To the contrary, “if your enemy is hungry, feed him; if he is thirsty, give him something to drink; for by so doing you will heap burning coals on his head.”

. Give no occasion to the adversary
1 Timothy 5:14
So I would have younger widows marry, bear children, manage their households, and give the adversary no occasion for slander.

. Glorify God in body and Spirit
1 Corinthians 6:20
for you were bought with a price. So glorify God in your body.

. Grieve not Holy Spirit
Ephesians 4:30
And do not grieve the Holy Spirit of God, by whom you were sealed for the day of redemption.

. Grow in grace and knowledge
2 Peter 3:18
But grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. To him be the glory both now and to the day of eternity. Amen.

. Grudge not against another
James 5:9
 Do not grumble against one another, brothers, so that you may not be judged; behold, the Judge is standing at the door.

. Hate flesh spotted garments
Jude 1:23
 save others by snatching them out of the fire; to others show mercy with fear, hating even the garment stained by the flesh.

Thought 

. I thirst for truth, But shall not reach it till I reach the source. - Robert Browning

[Message No: 7203]

Breath of Life

Genesis 2:4-8

This is the history of the heavens and the earth when they were created, in the day that the Lord God made the earth and the heavens, before any plant of the field was in the earth and before any herb of the field had grown. For the Lord God had not caused it to rain on the earth, and there was no man to till the ground; but a mist went up from the earth and watered the whole face of the ground.

   And the Lord God formed man of the dust of the ground, and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life; and man became a living being.

    Life in God's Garden
    The Lord God planted a garden eastward in Eden, and there He put the man whom He had formed.

Classes Mentioned in the Bible

Satanic Powers

Psalm 22:20
Deliver Me from the sword,
 My precious life from the power of the dog.

Wicked Men

Psalm 22:16
For dogs have surrounded Me;
 The congregation of the wicked has enclosed Me.
 They pierced My hands and My feet;

Psalm 59:16
But I will sing of Your power;
 Yes, I will sing aloud of Your mercy in the morning;
 For You have been my defense
 And refuge in the day of my trouble.

Thought 

. My situation is urgent, and I cannot see how I will ever be delivered.  Yet this is not my concern, for He who made the promise will find a way to keep it.  My part is simply to obey His commands, not to direct His ways.  I am His servant, not His advisor.  I call upon Him and He will deliver me. - Charles H. Spurgeon

[Message No: 7202]

Alone in Space

Genesis 28:10-17

Jacob's Dream

 Jacob left Beersheba and went toward Haran.  And he came to a certain place and stayed there that night, because the sun had set. Taking one of the stones of the place, he put it under his head and lay down in that place to sleep.  And he dreamed, and behold, there was a ladder set up on the earth, and the top of it reached to heaven. And behold, the angels of God were ascending and descending on it!  And behold, the Lord stood above it and said, “I am the Lord, the God of Abraham your father and the God of Isaac. The land on which you lie I will give to you and to your offspring.  Your offspring shall be like the dust of the earth, and you shall spread abroad to the west and to the east and to the north and to the south, and in you and your offspring shall all the families of the earth be blessed. 
Behold, I am with you and will keep you wherever you go, and will bring you back to this land. For I will not leave you until I have done what I have promised you.”  Then Jacob awoke from his sleep and said, “Surely the Lord is in this place, and I did not know it.”  And he was afraid and said, “How awesome is this place! This is none other than the house of God, and this is the gate of heaven.”

Excuses of the Deceived

There are too many things I cannot understand – way of salvation –

John 1:12
But to all who did receive him, who believed in his name, he gave the right to become children of God,

John 3:16
For God So Loved the World
 “For God so loved the world, that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life.

Romans 10:9-10
because, if you confess with your mouth that Jesus is Lord and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved.  For with the heart one believes and is justified, and with the mouth one confesses and is saved.

1 John 1:9
The true light, which gives light to everyone, was coming into the world.

[Message No: 7201]

What is the nature of calling?

Not according to man’s wisdom. - 1 Corinthians 1:26
For you see your calling, brethren, that not many wise according to the flesh, not many mighty, not many noble, are called.

The heavenly calling of God - Philippians 3:14
I press toward the goal for the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus.
The holy calling - 2 Timothy 1:9
who has saved us and called us with a holy calling, not according to our works, but according to His own purpose and grace which was given to us in Christ Jesus before time began,

In peace - 1 Corinthians 7:15
But if the unbeliever departs, let him depart; a brother or a sister is not under bondage in such cases. But God has called us to peace.

Some refuse their calling - Matthew 22:3-6
and sent out his servants to call those who were invited to the wedding; and they were not willing to come. Again, he sent out other servants, saying, ‘Tell those who are invited, “See, I have prepared my dinner; my oxen and fatted cattle are killed, and all things are ready. Come to the wedding.” ’ But they made light of it and went their ways, one to his own farm, another to his business. And the rest seized his servants, treated them spitefully, and killed them.

Many are called, but few are chosen - Matthew 22:14
For many are called, but few are chosen.”

We must make our calling sure - 2 Peter 1:10
Therefore, brethren, be even more diligent to make your call and election sure, for if you do these things you will never stumble;

Questions in Nehemiah

13:26
Did not Solomon king of Israel sin by these things? Yet among many nations there was no king like him, who was beloved of his God; and God made him king over all Israel. Nevertheless pagan women caused even him to sin.

13:27
Should we then hear of your doing all this great evil, transgressing against our God by marrying pagan women?”

[Message No: 7200]

Questions for God

Judges 6:11-16

The Call of Gideon

 Now the angel of the Lord came and sat under the terebinth at Ophrah, which belonged to Joash the Abiezrite, while his son Gideon was beating out wheat in the winepress to hide it from the Midianites.  And the angel of the Lord appeared to him and said to him, “The Lord is with you, O mighty man of valor.”  And Gideon said to him, “Please, my Lord, if the Lord is with us, why then has all this happened to us? And where are all his wonderful deeds that our fathers recounted to us, saying, ‘Did not the Lord bring us up from Egypt?’ But now the Lord has forsaken us and given us into the hand of Midian.” 

And the Lord turned to him and said, “Go in this might of yours and save Israel from the hand of Midian; do not I send you?”  And he said to him, “Please, Lord, how can I save Israel? Behold, my clan is the weakest in Manasseh, and I am the least in my father's house.”  And the Lord said to him, “But I will be with you, and you shall strike the Midianites as one man.”

Judges 6:24
Then Gideon built an altar there to the Lord and called it, The Lord Is Peace. To this day it still stands at Ophrah, which belongs to the Abiezrites.

Excuses of the Deceived

2 Timothy 2:19
Nevertheless the solid foundation of God stands, having this seal: “The Lord knows those who are His,” and, “Let everyone who names the name of Christ depart from iniquity.”

1 John 3:8-10
He who sins is of the devil, for the devil has sinned from the beginning. For this purpose the Son of God was manifested, that He might destroy the works of the devil. Whoever has been born of God does not sin, for His seed remains in him; and he cannot sin, because he has been born of God.

    The Imperative of Love

    In this the children of God and the children of the devil are manifest: Whoever does not practice righteousness is not of God, nor is he who does not love his brother.

Thoughts

. You may need to lose everything to find that God is all you need. - Unknown
. Not expecting answers from God wastes His time and yours. - Church sign

[Message No: 7199]

Practicing His Teaching

The Lord your God will raise up for you a prophet like [Moses] from among your own brothers. You must listen to him. – Deuteronomy 18:25

Jesus is that prophet like Moses. He has come and taught us God's truth. He has taught us with his words recorded in the Gospels. He has taught us with his example, through the deeds he has done. He is teaching us through his abiding presence in us and through the Spirit he has given us. But he teaches us most effectively when we put into practice what he has said.

When Jesus Returns  - The Second Coming

 . Jesus spoke about His own Return -

Matthew 24:30
Then will appear in heaven the sign of the Son of Man, and then all the tribes of the earth will mourn, and they will see the Son of Man coming on the clouds of heaven with power and great glory.

John 14:2-3
In my Father's house are many rooms. If it were not so, would I have told you that I go to prepare a place for you?  And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again and will take you to myself, that where I am you may be also

. Angels fore told it –

Acts 1:10-11
And while they were gazing into heaven as he went, behold, two men stood by them in white robes,  and said, “Men of Galilee, why do you stand looking into heaven? This Jesus, who was taken up from you into heaven, will come in the same way as you saw him go into heaven.”

Questions in Job

11:11
For he knows worthless men;
when he sees iniquity, will he not consider it?

12:3
But I have understanding as well as you;
I am not inferior to you.
Who does not know such things as these?

12:9
Who among all these does not know
that the hand of the Lord has done this?

[Message No: 7198]

O God, Restore Us

Restore us, O God Almighty; make your face shine upon us, that we may be saved. - Psalm 80:7
This passage makes me want to cry out to God: "Please restore us God! Restore us, your people, O God, who have lost their sense of wonder! Restore our old withered hearts to their innocence. Restore our lives to their unsoiled perfection and intention. Restore us to yourself, O God Almighty!" While not every Christian has lost his or her sense of wonder and while not everyone of us has an old withered heart, we all need God's presence to shine upon us and renew us!

The Power of the Cross

. To deliver from the curse of the law

Galatians 3:13
Christ has redeemed us from the curse of the law, having become a curse for us (for it is written, “Cursed is everyone who hangs on a tree”)

. To deliver from the Self-Life

Galatians 2:20
I have been crucified with Christ; it is no longer I who live, but Christ lives in me; and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave Himself for me.

Galatians 5:24
And those who are Christ's have crucified the flesh with its passions and desires.

Think it Over

Are you uncertain about which direction you should go?  Take your question to God and receive guidance from either the light of His smile or the cloud of His refusal.  You must get alone with Him, where the lights and the darkness’s of this world cannot interfere and where the opinions of others cannot reach you. 

You must also have the courage to wait in silent expectation, even when everyone around you is insisting on an immediate decision or action.  If you will do these things, the will of God will become clear to you.  And you will have a deeper concept of who He is, having more insight into His nature and His heart of love. – Unknown

[Message No: 7197]

We have our eyes fixed there

2 Corinthians 4:17-18

For our light affliction, which is but for a moment, is working for us a far more exceeding and eternal weight of glory, while we do not look at the things which are seen, but at the things which are not seen. For the things which are seen are temporary, but the things which are not seen are eternal.

Hebrew 11:9-10

By faith he dwelt in the land of promise as in a foreign country, dwelling in tents with Isaac and Jacob, the heirs with him of the same promise; for he waited for the city which has foundations, whose builder and maker is God.

Hebrew 9:14-16

how much more shall the blood of Christ, who through the eternal Spirit offered Himself without spot to God, cleanse your conscience from dead works to serve the living God? And for this reason He is the Mediator of the new covenant, by means of death, for the redemption of the transgressions under the first covenant, that those who are called may receive the promise of the eternal inheritance.
    The Mediator's Death Necessary

    For where there is a testament, there must also of necessity be the death of the testator.

We have our treasure there

1 Peter 1:3-4

A Heavenly Inheritance

    Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who according to His abundant mercy has begotten us again to a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead, to an inheritance incorruptible and undefiled and that does not fade away, reserved in heaven for you,

Matthew 6:19-21

Lay Up Treasures in Heaven

     “Do not lay up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust destroy and where thieves break in and steal; but lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust destroys and where thieves do not break in and steal. For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.

[Message No: 7196]

Planning !

Why, you do not even know what will happen tomorrow. What is your life? You are a mist that appears for a little while and then vanishes. Instead, you ought to say, "If it is the Lord's will, we will live and do this or that." — James 4:14-15

"If the Lord wills!" Do you do short term and long range planning? I do. But my planning always has an invisible asterisk: "If Lord, this is your will and your timing." I don't know about you, but God has shown me time and again that if I will be open to him, his timing is always better than my planning.
Does that mean I quit planning? Nope. I just plan with prayer, asking for wisdom and the Holy Spirit to help me find God's timing to know and do his will (James 1:5-6 & Ephesians 5:15-18). Life is too short to not plan with prayer and walk led by the Spirit!

Must I Listen?

Exodus 20:19
Then they said to Moses, “You speak with us, and we will hear; but let not God speak with us, lest we die.”

The Discipline of Heeding

Matthew 10:27
“Whatever I tell you in the dark, speak in the light; and what you hear in the ear, preach on the housetops

The Inspiration of Spiritual Initiative

Ephesians 5:14
Therefore He says:
   “Awake, you who sleep,
 Arise from the dead,
 And Christ will give you light.”

Thought 

. Bibles read without prayer, sermons heard without prayer, engagements to marriage without prayer, travel undertaken without prayer, homes chosen without prayer, friendships formed without prayer, the daily act of private prayer itself hurried over or gone through without heart—these are the kind of downward steps by which many a Christian descends to a condition of spiritual paralysis, or reaches the point where God allows him to have a tremendous fall. - J. C. Ryle

[Message No: 7195]

Let it Rise

Let the glory of the Lord, rise among us
Let the glory of the Lord, rise among us
Let the praises of the King rise among us

Let it rise (twice)

Oh - oh - oh, let it rise
Oh - oh - oh, let it rise
Let the songs of the Lord, rise among us
Let the songs of the Lord, rise among us
Let the joy of the King, rise among us
Let it rise (twice)

Questions in Job

9:4
God is wise in heart and mighty in strength.
 Who has hardened himself against Him and prospered?

9:12
If He takes away, who can hinder Him?
 Who can say to Him, ‘What are You doing?’

Hindrances to Prayer

. Sin in Heart

Psalm 66:18
If I regard iniquity in my heart,
 The Lord will not hear.

. Idols in heart

Ezekiel 14:3
“Son of man, these men have set up their idols in their hearts, and put before them that which causes them to stumble into iniquity. Should I let Myself be inquired of at all by them?

[Message No: 7194]

Knowing John 3:16 Again !

The Lord is not slow in keeping his promise, as some understand slowness. He is patient with you, not wanting anyone to perish, but everyone to come to repentance. — 2 Peter 3:9

Far from being a vindictive God looking for some reason to condemn us, God wants all people, of all races and languages, to come to know him, to turn to him in repentance, and follow his Son as Lord and Savior. That's why Jesus came (cf. John 3:16)! That's why Jesus' return has not yet happened.
So if our desire is to do the LORD's will and please him in what we do, shouldn't we be doing something to bring all the people of the world to a knowledge of simple truth about Jesus? Shouldn't we do everything we can to help them know his grace and call them to repent and follow Jesus as Lord?

Commands 

Cut off offending members

Matthew 5:29-30
If your right eye causes you to sin, pluck it out and cast it from you; for it is more profitable for you that one of your members perish, than for your whole body to be cast into hell. And if your right hand causes you to sin, cut it off and cast it from you; for it is more profitable for you that one of your members perish, than for your whole body to be cast into hell.

Matthew 18:8-9
“If your hand or foot causes you to sin, cut it off and cast it from you. It is better for you to enter into life lame or maimed, rather than having two hands or two feet, to be cast into the everlasting fire. And if your eye causes you to sin, pluck it out and cast it from you. It is better for you to enter into life with one eye, rather than having two eyes, to be cast into hell fire.

The voice of the nature of God

Isaiah 6:8

Also I heard the voice of the Lord, saying:
   “Whom shall I send,
 And who will go for Us?”
  Then I said, “Here am I! Send me.”

[Message No: 7193]

The Divine Inspiration of the Bible

2 Timothy 3:16

All Scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness

The Complete Trustworthiness of the Bible

Psalm 19:7

The law of the Lord is perfect, converting the soul;
 The testimony of the Lord is sure, making wise the simple;

The Content of the God’s Word is Completed

Proverbs 30:5-6

Every word of God is pure;
 He is a shield to those who put their trust in Him.
  Do not add to His words,
 Lest He rebuke you, and you be found a liar.

Significance of Repentance

Leads to self-judgment – Luke 18:13
And the tax collector, standing afar off, would not so much as raise his eyes to heaven, but beat his breast, saying, ‘God, be merciful to me a sinner!’

Leads to Reconciliation – Luke 15:20-24
And he arose and came to his father. But when he was still a great way off, his father saw him and had compassion, and ran and fell on his neck and kissed him. And the son said to him, ‘Father, I have sinned against heaven and in your sight, and am no longer worthy to be called your son.’

   “But the father said to his servants, ‘Bring out the best robe and put it on him, and put a ring on his hand and sandals on his feet. And bring the fatted calf here and kill it, and let us eat and be merry; for this my son was dead and is alive again; he was lost and is found.’ And they began to be merry.

Thoughts 

. How good a person feels when, exhausted from striving for goodness in his everyday life, he stretches out his hands to God. - Blaise Pascal

. The more urgently you want to speak, the more likely it is that you will say something foolish. - Leo Tolstoy

[Message No: 7192]

We bring the sacrifice of praise

.. We bring the sacrifice of praise
Into the house of the Lord.
We bring the sacrifice of praise
Into the house of the Lord.
.. And we offer up to You
The sacrifices of thanksgiving;
And we offer up to You
The sacrifices of joy

Facts About Prayer

. Pray in Jesus’ name – John 14:14

If you ask anything in My name, I will do it.

. By Faith – Matthew 21:22

And whatever things you ask in prayer, believing, you will receive.”

Blessings of Prayer

. Forgiveness of Sins

Psalm 32:5
I acknowledged my sin to You,
 And my iniquity I have not hidden.
 I said, “I will confess my transgressions to the Lord,”
 And You forgave the iniquity of my sin.
 Selah

. Deliverance from Trouble

Psalm 34:6
This poor man cried out, and the Lord heard him,
 And saved him out of all his troubles.

Thoughts 

. The devil’s boots don’t creak. - Scottish proverb

. The level of fear you feel about death is the level of your understanding of life.  The less you fear death, the more you possess freedom, tranquillity, and an understanding of the greatness of your spirit and the joy of life.  The understanding of eternity is part of the nature of the human soul. - Leo Tolstoy

[Message No: 7191]

Importance to be Holy

“Let not my heart be drawn to what is evil, to take part in wicked deeds with men who are evildoers; let me not eat of their delicacies” – Psalm 141:4

How important is it for you to be pure? How important is it for you to be righteous? For David, who had experienced the elation of sharing an intimate holy relationship with God and the utter pain of miserably failing God, guarding his heart was of ultimate importance. He didn't want to have any part of evil. He didn't want to be attracted to it.

He didn't want to be a part of those who committed vile deeds. He didn't even want to take part in the luxuries and feasts. What are we willing to ask God to withhold from us to keep us from evil?

God the Covenant – Maker

Genesis 1:3-5

Then God said, “Let there be light”; and there was light. And God saw the light, that it was good; and God divided the light from the darkness. God called the light Day, and the darkness He called Night. So the evening and the morning were the first day.

Isaac, the result of covenant 

Genesis 22:13

Then Abraham lifted his eyes and looked, and there behind him was a ram caught in a thicket by its horns. So Abraham went and took the ram, and offered it up for a burnt offering instead of his son.

Passion for Souls 

Bishop Joseph Berry – referring to the gospel (Luke 14:16-21)

The man who sits down to the banquet  and selfishly enjoys its light and warmth, with never a thought of the hungry multitude outside, is a caricature of a Christian. He has caught not true vision of his Lord;  nor have the fires of Christian evangelism been kindled in his heart.
He may be a church member, but he is not a Christian … is anyone a real disciple of Christ who is not swayed by this consuming passion?

[Message No: 7190]

He Emptied His Home

When the time had fully come, God sent his Son, born of a woman, born under law, that we might receive the full rights of sons. — Galatians 4:4-5
God waited till history reached his appointed time and sent Jesus. Just the right time — Roman rule, Jewish subordination, good roads, freedom, a degree of safety, a common trading language, cruel and barbaric punishment accompanied by religious infighting. In times such as these, he sent his Son to be a woman's son. He emptied his home so he could send a redeemer to our home. He did it so we could be his children — not pretend children, but real children, with full rights. So he could not only be God, but so he could be Abba.

The Call of God

For Christ sent me not to baptize, but to preach the gospel” [1 Cor. 1:17]
The one passion of Paul’s life was to proclaim the Gospel of God. He welcomed heart-breaks, disillusionments, tribulation, for one reason only, because these things kept him in unmoved devotion to the Gospel of God.

The recognized ban of relationship 

1 Corinthians 4:9-13
For I think that God has displayed us, the apostles, last, as men condemned to death; for we have been made a spectacle to the world, both to angels and to men. We are fools for Christ's sake, but you are wise in Christ! We are weak, but you are strong! You are distinguished, but we are dishonored! To the present hour we both hunger and thirst, and we are poorly clothed, and beaten, and homeless. And we labor, working with our own hands.
Being reviled, we bless; being persecuted, we endure; being defamed, we entreat. We have been made as the filth of the world, the offscouring of all things until now.

Thoughts 

. We should not only understand the importance of our waiting on God but also realize something even more wonderful—the Lord waits on us.  And the very thought of His waiting on us will give us renewed motivation and inspiration to “wait for Him.”  It will also provide inexpressible confidence that our waiting will never be in vain.  God knows He cannot gather the fruit until it is ripe, and He knows precisely when we are spiritually ready to receive blessings for our gain and His glory. - L. B. Cowman

. Success has made failures of many people. – Unknown

. Impatience is a form of unbelief. - Unknown

. He who has God and everything else has no more than he who has God only.
-    C. S. Lewis

[Message No: 7189]

God is my Abba Father

There is no fear in love. But perfect love drives out fear, because fear has to do with punishment. The one who fears is not made perfect in love. — 1 John 4:18

While I approach God with reverence and awe because he is the holy and majestic God, I don't have to fear his presence. Because of Jesus and the Holy Spirit, I know God is my Abba Father. He longs for me to draw near him. He has shown me his heart by sending Jesus. He has shown me his love by having Jesus die for me. If he loves me that much, then I can trust that his desire is to save and bless me. I don't have to fear his presence or his judgment. As his child, his love has driven fear from my heart and replaced it with love from his abiding presence, the Holy Spirit.

The “Go” of Relationship

Matthew 5:41
And whoever compels you to go one mile, go with him two.

The Unblameable Attitude

Matthew 5:23
Therefore if you bring your gift to the altar, and there remember that your brother has something against you,

The Soul’s Quests

. That I may win Christ

Philippians 3:8
Yet indeed I also count all things loss for the excellence of the knowledge of Christ Jesus my Lord, for whom I have suffered the loss of all things, and count them as rubbish, that I may gain Christ

. That I may know Him

Philippians  3:10
that I may know Him and the power of His resurrection, and the fellowship of His sufferings, being conformed to His death,

Thought 

. Thou hast no life to lose, because thou hast given it already to Christ, nor can man take away that without God’s leave. - William Gurnall

[Message No: 7188]

Facing the Obstacles in our Prayers

O God, whom I praise, do not remain silent, for wicked and deceitful men have opened their mouths against me; they have spoken against me with lying tongues. – Psalm 109:1-2

Satan has a way of discouraging us by using unscrupulous and evil people to spread lies and false rumours about us. This often occurs when we are most effective in our discipleship. We must not let the criticisms of wicked people derail our efforts to please the eternal and almighty God!

Excuses of the Deceived

Romans 8:9-16
But you are not in the flesh but in the Spirit, if indeed the Spirit of God dwells in you. Now if anyone does not have the Spirit of Christ, he is not His. And if Christ is in you, the body is dead because of sin, but the Spirit is life because of righteousness. But if the Spirit of Him who raised Jesus from the dead dwells in you, He who raised Christ from the dead will also give life to your mortal bodies through His Spirit who dwells in you.

    Sonship Through the Spirit

    Therefore, brethren, we are debtors—not to the flesh, to live according to the flesh. 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. For as many as are led by the Spirit of God, these are sons of God. For you did not receive the spirit of bondage again to fear, but you received the Spirit of adoption by whom we cry out, “Abba, Father.” The Spirit Himself bears witness with our spirit that we are children of God,

Our Blessings in Christ

. Redeemed and Forgiven in Christ

Ephesians 1:7
In him we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of our trespasses, according to the riches of his grace,

. Received His will in Himself

Ephesians 1:9
making known to us the mystery of his will, according to his purpose, which he set forth in Christ

[Message No: 7187]

Hate, what He Hates?

To fear the LORD is to hate evil; I hate pride and arrogance, evil behavior and perverse speech. - Proverbs 8:13

When we have a deep and reverential respect for our holy God, we are going to love what he loves and hate what he hates. We need to realize, however, that the word "hate" is used very carefully in Scripture. This strong verb is not used often, and when it is used with God as the subject, the object of God's hatred needs to be noticed.

God hates evil, which in this case is defined as pride, arrogance, evil behaviour, and vile speech. These are things that Christians not only avoid, but they also loathe. God wants his people to be people of character — people of humility, moral behaviour, and helpful speech.

Commands 

. Forbid not Tongues
1 Corinthians 14:39
Therefore, brethren, desire earnestly to prophesy, and do not forbid to speak with tongues.

. Forget not to Share
Hebrews 13:16
But do not forget to do good and to share, for with such sacrifices God is well pleased.

. Forgive 490 Times
Matthew 18:22
Jesus said to him, “I do not say to you, up to seven times, but up to seventy times seven.

Submission to Spiritual Leaders

. Follow them as they follow Christ

Hebrew 13:7
Remember those who rule over you, who have spoken the word of God to you, whose faith follow, considering the outcome of their conduct.

1 Corinthians 11:1
Imitate me, just as I also imitate Christ.

[Message No: 7186]

God Cares

Hear my prayer, O LORD; listen to my cry for mercy. In the day of my trouble I will call to you, for you will answer me – Psalm 86:6-7

Sometimes there are no immediate answers. We have prayed and cried and tried and gone sleepless and mourned and shouted. Still there are no answers. The days roll by in an agonizing parade of pain. Still there are no answers we can identify. What do we do? We go to the Psalms. We let them raise up our heart's cry. We are honest with the God of the entire universe and yet we can still anticipate mercy from him. We are convinced that in our troubles, he will not only hear us, but he will also care about what is happening in our lives.

Why all should work?

That they may be  blessed and rewarded.

Romans 14:10
But why do you judge your brother? Or why do you show contempt for your brother? For we shall all stand before the judgment seat of Christ.

1 Corinthians 3:13-15
each one's work will become clear; for the Day will declare it, because it will be revealed by fire; and the fire will test each one's work, of what sort it is. If anyone's work which he has built on it endures, he will receive a reward. If anyone's work is burned, he will suffer loss; but he himself will be saved, yet so as through fire.

2 Corinthians 5:10
For we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ, that each one may receive the things done in the body, according to what he has done, whether good or bad.

Sweet Scent

2 Corinthians 2:14-16
Now thanks be to God who always leads us in triumph in Christ, and through us diffuses the fragrance of His knowledge in every place. For we are to God the fragrance of Christ among those who are being saved and among those who are perishing. To the one we are the aroma of death leading to death, and to the other the aroma of life leading to life. And who is sufficient for these things?

Thought 

.Not expecting answers from God wastes His time and yours. - Church sign

[Message No: 7185]

Believe Moses!

But do not think I will accuse you before the Father. Your accuser is Moses,  on whom your hopes are set.    If you believed Moses, you would believe me, for he wrote about me.    But since you do not believe what he wrote, how are you going to believe what I say?” - John 5:45-47

Jesus is that great prophet like Moses that God had promised would come. However, Jesus is greater than Moses. The covenant that Jesus brought is greater than the covenant given through Moses. At the same time, Jesus fulfils the law of Moses.

Jesus teaches the heart of God that lies underneath the law of Moses. So, we look to the law as the way to bring us to a deeper appreciation of God's grace given us in Jesus (Galatians 3:26-29; Galatians 4:1-4). We can appreciate and admire Moses, but we set our faith and our hopes on Jesus, God's Son!

Life and Peace

The mind governed by the flesh is death,  but the mind governed by the Spirit is life  and peace. - Romans 8:6

What do you want from your limited days on earth? Among other things, you probably want to enjoy life and have every moment of it bring joy and peace. There is only one way for this kind of life to happen: The Holy Spirit must be in you, must lead you, and must govern you.

All other paths to peace are temporary. Some are simply mirages: tempting deceptions to lure us to what is really death. Life and peace are found by pursuing God, trusting Jesus, and being led and governed by the Holy Spirit.

Devotion and Love to Christ

What does your lifestyle reveal about the depth of your devotion to Christ—can others see it clearly in your conversation, character, and conduct? And if you ever feel disappointed that your love for Christ seems small, open the Word of God and obey whatever He says. He will abide with you and disclose Himself, thereby increasing your capacity to love and know Him more.

Thought 

. This joy in God is not like any pleasure found in physical or intellectual satisfaction.  Nor is it such as a friend experiences in the presence of a friend.  But, if we are to use any such analogy, it is more like the eye rejoicing in light.
- Augustine

[Message No: 7184]

Complete Power is in God’s Hands

“Woe to those who make unjust laws, to those who issue oppressive decrees, to deprive the poor of their rights and withhold justice from the oppressed of my people.” – Isaiah 10:1-2

Complete power corrupts completely... by allowing us to have what we shouldn't; ...by allowing us to forget where we came from; ...by allowing us to ignore the cries of the oppressed. Complete power corrupts, because only God can handle complete power! Our desire to have it is like the sin of Adam and Eve - it is the lust to be God. But true power, power acceptable to The Complete Power, is used to bless the broken, lift the unfortunate, forgive the guilty, and assist the powerless.

God’s Word and Practical, Fruitful Living

Psalm 119:105
Your word is a lamp to my feet
 And a light to my path.

Facts about Repentance

Repentance is God’s work – Acts 11:18
When they heard these things they became silent; and they glorified God, saying, “Then God has also granted to the Gentiles repentance to life.”

God gives time for repentance – Revelation 2:21
And I gave her time to repent of her sexual immorality, and she did not repent

Relatives 

Relatives stand afar off – Psalm 38:11
My loved ones and my friends stand aloof from my plague,
 And my relatives stand afar off.

Thoughts 

. Fight all error, but do it with good humor, patience, kindness, and love.  Harshness will damage your own soul and spoil the best cause. - John Cantius

. Whoever seems to himself to have understood the divine scriptures in such a way that he does not build up that double love of God and neighbor has not yet understood. - Augustine of Hippo

[Message No: 7183]

Abandon It All

Romans 12:1-8

Living Sacrifices to God

   I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that you present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable to God, which is your reasonable service. And do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, that you may prove what is that good and acceptable and perfect will of God.

    Serve God with Spiritual Gifts

    For I say, through the grace given to me, to everyone who is among you, not to think of himself more highly than he ought to think, but to think soberly, as God has dealt to each one a measure of faith. For as we have many members in one body, but all the members do not have the same function, so we, being many, are one body in Christ, and individually members of one another. Having then gifts differing according to the grace that is given to us, let us use them: if prophecy, let us prophesy in proportion to our faith; or ministry, let us use it in our ministering; he who teaches, in teaching; he who exhorts, in exhortation; he who gives, with liberality; he who leads, with diligence; he who shows mercy, with cheerfulness.

Marks of Spirituality

. To listen to the voice of the Lord

1 Samuel 3:9
Therefore Eli said to Samuel, “Go, lie down; and it shall be, if He calls you, that you must say, ‘Speak, Lord, for Your servant hears.’ ” So Samuel went and lay down in his place.

. To be taken up with the Lord himself

Luke 10:39
And she had a sister called Mary, who also sat at Jesus’ feet and heard His word.

Thought 

. God does not dispense strength and encouragement like a druggist fills your prescription.  The Lord doesn’t promise to give us something to take so we can handle our weary moments.  He promises us Himself.  That is all.  And that is enough. - Charles Swindoll

[Message No: 7182]