Feelings

2 Corinthians 2:1-5

But I determined this within myself, that I would not come again to you in sorrow. For if I make you sorrowful, then who is he who makes me glad but the one who is made sorrowful by me?

    Forgive the Offender

    And I wrote this very thing to you, lest, when I came, I should have sorrow over those from whom I ought to have joy, having confidence in you all that my joy is the joy of you all. For out of much affliction and anguish of heart I wrote to you, with many tears, not that you should be grieved, but that you might know the love which I have so abundantly for you.

   But if anyone has caused grief, he has not grieved me, but all of you to some extent—not to be too severe

The Runner

Galatians 2:1-5

Defending the Gospel

   Then after fourteen years I went up again to Jerusalem with Barnabas, and also took Titus with me. And I went up by revelation, and communicated to them that gospel which I preach among the Gentiles, but privately to those who were of reputation, lest by any means I might run, or had run, in vain. Yet not even Titus who was with me, being a Greek, was compelled to be circumcised. And this occurred because of false brethren secretly brought in (who came in by stealth to spy out our liberty which we have in Christ Jesus, that they might bring us into bondage), to whom we did not yield submission even for an hour, that the truth of the gospel might continue with you.

Proverbs 11:12

“A man who lacks judgment derides his neighbor, but a man of understanding holds his tongue.”
Wise folks don't have to prove their wisdom by disrespecting others and putting them down. Instead, they hold their tongues and let their lives speak what is good, honorable, righteous, and true.
In a world of sarcasm and in a culture that is attracted to the person who can put down others with quick and razor-sharp "put downs," we are called to bring a blessing with our words (Ephesians 4:29).

[Message No: 6881]

Demons were cast out

Mark 1:23-27

Now there was a man in their synagogue with an unclean spirit. And he cried out, saying, “Let us alone! What have we to do with You, Jesus of Nazareth? Did You come to destroy us? I know who You are—the Holy One of God!”

   But Jesus rebuked him, saying, “Be quiet, and come out of him!” And when the unclean spirit had convulsed him and cried out with a loud voice, he came out of him. Then they were all amazed, so that they questioned among themselves, saying, “What is this? What new doctrine is this? For with authority He commands even the unclean spirits, and they obey Him.”

Matthew 8:28-32

Two Demon-Possessed Men Healed

     When He had come to the other side, to the country of the Gergesenes, there met Him two demon-possessed men, coming out of the tombs, exceedingly fierce, so that no one could pass that way. And suddenly they cried out, saying, “What have we to do with You, Jesus, You Son of God? Have You come here to torment us before the time?”

   Now a good way off from them there was a herd of many swine feeding. So the demons begged Him, saying, “If You cast us out, permit us to go away into the herd of swine.”

   And He said to them, “Go.” So when they had come out, they went into the herd of swine. And suddenly the whole herd of swine ran violently down the steep place into the sea, and perished in the water.

Matthew 9:32-33

A Mute Man Speaks

     As they went out, behold, they brought to Him a man, mute and demon-possessed. And when the demon was cast out, the mute spoke. And the multitudes marveled, saying, “It was never seen like this in Israel!”

Peter’s mother-n-law Healed

Matthew 8:14-15
Peter's Mother-in-Law Healed
     Now when Jesus had come into Peter's house, He saw his wife's mother lying sick with a fever. So He touched her hand, and the fever left her. And she arose and served them.

[Message No: 6880]
    

Comparisons of Israel – 6

A Treacherous Wife

Jeremiah 3:20
Surely, as a wife treacherously departs from her husband,
 So have you dealt treacherously with Me,
 O house of Israel,” says the Lord.

An Adulterous Wife

Ezekiel 16:32
You are an adulterous wife, who takes strangers instead of her husband.

The Virgin of Israel 

Jeremiah 18:13
Therefore thus says the Lord:
   “Ask now among the Gentiles,
 Who has heard such things?
 The virgin of Israel has done a very horrible thing.

Message and Power

Mark 3:13
And He went up on the mountain and called to Him those He Himself wanted. And they came to Him

Mark 6:7
And He called the twelve to Himself, and began to send them out two by two, and gave them power over unclean spirits

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.

Luke 9:1
Then He called His twelve disciples together and gave them power and authority over all demons, and to cure diseases.

[Message No: 6879]

Bring it to Jesus

Matthew 14:15-21
The twelve said, “Send them away!” But Jesus said, “Bring what you have to Me!”
Give Him your all, and He will use it to meet the need. He can do the impossible with whatever is wholly given to Him.
You can even bring to Him people who need His touch. [v. 35].

Jesus 

Sermon on the Mount
When Jesus spoke about Sermon on the Mount: What people said –
Up to that time
God Removes Obstacles

Zechariah 4:7
Unbelief makes mountains out of molehills, but faith in  God makes mountain into plains!
The leaders faced all kinds of obstacles, but God would open the way for them.
[Isa. 41:15; Matt. 17:20]

Psalm 37:16-17

“Better the little that the righteous have than the wealth of many wicked; for the power of the wicked will be broken, but the LORD upholds the righteous.”

What do we want to be the basis of our security? Will it be what we can do, accomplish, achieve, earn, and hoard? Or will it be our God, who has shown himself faithful throughout generations upon generations? We get to choose! So what will be your choice? In what will you find your security?

Results of Eternity

I live for souls and for eternity, I want to win some soul to Christ. If you want this and work for it, eternity alone can tell the result.

.. D. L. Moody

[Message No: 6878]

Your Heart

Proverbs 3:1-8

My son, do not forget my law,
  But let your heart keep my commands;
  For length of days and long life
 And peace they will add to you.
  Let not mercy and truth forsake you;
 Bind them around your neck,
 Write them on the tablet of your heart,
  And so find favor and high esteem
 In the sight of God and man.
  Trust in the Lord with all your heart,
 And lean not on your own understanding;
  In all your ways acknowledge Him,
 And He shall direct your paths.
  Do not be wise in your own eyes;
 Fear the Lord and depart from evil.
  It will be health to your flesh,
 And strength to your bones.

Proverbs 4:23

Keep your heart with all diligence,
 For out of it spring the issues of life.

2 Corinthians 3:1-3

Do we begin again to commend ourselves? Or do we need, as some others, epistles of commendation to you or letters of commendation from you? You are our epistle written in our hearts, known and read by all men; clearly you are an epistle of Christ, ministered by us, written not with ink but by the Spirit of the living God, not on tablets of stone but on tablets of flesh, that is, of the heart.

[Message No: 6877]

We have a living Lord

1 Corinthians 15:1-8

The Risen Christ, Faith's Reality
   Moreover, brethren, I declare to you the gospel which I preached to you, which also you received and in which you stand, by which also you are saved, if you hold fast that word which I preached to you—unless you believed in vain.

   For I delivered to you first of all that which I also received: that Christ died for our sins according to the Scriptures, and that He was buried, and that He rose again the third day according to the Scriptures, and that He was seen by Cephas, then by the twelve. After that He was seen by over five hundred brethren at once, of whom the greater part remain to the present, but some have fallen asleep. After that He was seen by James, then by all the apostles. Then last of all He was seen by me also, as by one born out of due time.

Thought 

"Don't ask what the world wants, be what the world needs." - Ryan Lister

Acts 11:18

“When they [the Jewish Christians] heard this, they had no further objections and praised God, saying, "So then, God has granted even the Gentiles repentance unto life."

Breaking through racial and cultural barriers is never easy. Thankfully, God's Spirit doesn't let us settle comfortably into our prejudices. Instead, we are challenged, led, and pushed to break through racial hatred and cultural ignorance. Let's be the kind of people who rejoice and praise God as every barrier dividing people falls.

Let's press on until the triumphant promise of the Gospel is fulfilled: "There is no longer Jew or Gentile, slave or free, male or female. For you are all Christians — you are one in Christ Jesus" (Galatians 3:28). In doing this, we anticipate the incredible chorus of heaven that praises God with folks from every language, tribe, people, and nation (Revelation 7:9-11).

Thoughts

"Keep one thing in view forever- the truth; and if you do this, though it may seem to lead you away from the opinion of men, it will assuredly conduct you to the throne of God." - Horace Mann
"We are called to stand on the Promises, not to merely sit on the premises."

— Author Unknown

[Message No: 6876]

Teach Yourself

Proverbs 6:6-11

The Folly of Indolence
   Go to the ant, you sluggard!
 Consider her ways and be wise,
  Which, having no captain,
 Overseer or ruler,
  Provides her supplies in the summer,
 And gathers her food in the harvest.
  How long will you slumber, O sluggard?
 When will you rise from your sleep?
  A little sleep, a little slumber,
 A little folding of the hands to sleep—
  So shall your poverty come on you like a prowler,
 And your need like an armed man.

A Prudent Heart

Proverbs 16:20-24

He who heeds the word wisely will find good,
 And whoever trusts in the Lord, happy is he.
  The wise in heart will be called prudent,
 And sweetness of the lips increases learning.
  Understanding is a wellspring of life to him who has it.
 But the correction of fools is folly.
  The heart of the wise teaches his mouth,
 And adds learning to his lips.
  Pleasant words are like a honeycomb,
 Sweetness to the soul and health to the bones.

[Message No: 6875]

The Anointing

But you have an anointing from the Holy One, and all of you know the truth. I do not write to you because you do not know the truth, but because you do know it and because no lie comes from the truth. - 1 John 2:20-21 NIV

Jesus promised that the Holy Spirit, whom he called the Comforter (or Counselor or Advocate, depending on the translation), would come and lead us into all truth (John 16:13). The Spirit, who inspired the writing of the Scriptures (2 Timothy 3:16-17), is alive in us and helps us know, understand, discern, and live God's truth (1 Corinthians 2:10-16; Romans 8:13-14). The Spirit of the living God lives in us and is at work in us — in me and in you! So each of us needs to ask oneself if we are inviting the Holy Spirit into our lives to help us know, understand, discern, and live God's truth.

Am I yielding to the Spirit and am I in the word of God seeking to be informed and transformed by the Holy Spirit? Am I asking the Holy Spirit to filter, correct, challenge, and redeem what I think, read, hear, see, and do? Rather than succumbing to the lie that all truth is subjective, let's subject what we think, read, hear, see, and do to the Spirit of truth!

Psalm 95:1

Come, let us sing for joy to the LORD; let us shout aloud to the Rock of our salvation.
Having a loving God who is Eternal, a Rock of stability in a "topsy turvy" world, is really something to shout about. So much of what we get excited about in our world today is just a fleeting victory, a vicarious sporting thrill, or personality worship. But in God, we have something to truly sing about with joy.

He has known us since our conception, he has loved us from before the foundation of the world, he has sent his Son to save us, and he will bring us home to himself! No quiet song will do today. Let's sing with joy and shout out loud to the LORD!

Quote 

"Worship lifts us up to see the problems and troubles we face from God's perspective instead of being trapped in an earthly, time-bound viewpoint. The higher we go, the smaller our problems seem." – Tenny

'The God of Daniel'

Tremble with fear before the God of Daniel] For he is the living God, and he will endure forever. His kingdom will never be destroyed, and his rule will never end. He rescues and saves his people; he performs miraculous signs and wonders in the heavens and on earth. - Daniel 6:26-27

[Message No: 6874]