Not sure if many of yall have young children but Jack Levin has a good book out. Proverbs for young people. Got it for my niece and nephew, good book for children.
Mark 12:33 and to love him with all the heart, and with all the understanding, with all the soul, and with all the strength, and to love his neighbor as himself, is more important than all whole burnt offerings and sacrifices."
Peter 4:11 Do you have the gift of speaking? Then speak as though God himself were speaking through you. Do you have the gift of helping others? Do it with all the strength and energy that God supplies. Then everything you do will bring glory to God through Jesus Christ. All glory and power to him forever and ever! Amen.
I am just starting to explore my faith due to some amazing events in my life lately that have made me question myself and what is out there, this is nice to read and follow thank you
Brett
"When walking in open territory bother no one. If someone bothers you, ask them to stop. If they do not stop, destroy them."
Never read Romans 13 (about being subject to governing authorities) without first reading Romans 12.
12:14-21 (ESV)--Bless those who persecute you; bless and do not curse them. Rejoice with those who rejoice, weep with those who weep. Live in harmony with one another. Do not be haughty, but associate with the lowly. Never be wise in your own sight. Repay no one evil for evil, but give thought to do what is honorable in the sight of all. If possible, so far as it depends on you, live peaceably with all. Beloved, never avenge yourselves, but leave it to the wrath of God, for it is written, "Vengeance is mine, I will repay, says the Lord." 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." Do not be overcome by evil, but overcome evil with good.
This is kind of my mantra during any election season--and most of the rest of the time as well.
Intelligence is knowing that a tomato is a fruit; wisdom is knowing not to put it in a fruit salad.
I like Oliva and Quesada (including Regius) a lot. I will smoke anything, though.
Eph. 2:8-9, "For by grace you have been saved through faith; and that not of yourselves, it is the gift of God; 9 not as a result of works, that no one should boast
But you can't forget Eph2:10 For we are his workmanship,created in Christ Jesus unto good works,which God hath before ordained that we should walk in them
1Jn 4:7-10 ESV Beloved, let us love one another, for love is from God, and whoever loves has been born of God and knows God. (8) Anyone who does not love does not know God, because God is love. (9) In this the love of God was made manifest among us, that God sent his only Son into the world, so that we might live through him. (10) In this is love, not that we have loved God but that he loved us and sent his Son to be the propitiation for our sins.
God desires us to worship and follow him with all of our heart, yet sometimes we want or desire to serve God and man at the same time. Notice when king Balak desired the prophet Balaam to curse God's people, Balaam found himself in a conflict within himself, to receive the money honor and praise of men or serve God. Balaam like a child would not take God's first answer to him, but went with them men willing instead of heading God's command of only going if the men called him in the morning of the second time they came to him, Balaam willingly got up and saddled his donkey. We many times find ourselves saddling our donkeys with the will of the world, hoping God will be pleased with us. Num 22:3-34 ESV And Moab was in great dread of the people, because they were many. Moab was overcome with fear of the people of Israel. (4) And Moab said to the elders of Midian, "This horde will now lick up all that is around us, as the ox licks up the grass of the field." So Balak the son of Zippor, who was king of Moab at that time, (5) sent messengers to Balaam the son of Beor at Pethor, which is near the River in the land of the people of Amaw, to call him, saying, "Behold, a people has come out of Egypt. They cover the face of the earth, and they are dwelling opposite me. (6) Come now, curse this people for me, since they are too mighty for me. Perhaps I shall be able to defeat them and drive them from the land, for I know that he whom you bless is blessed, and he whom you curse is cursed." (7) So the elders of Moab and the elders of Midian departed with the fees for divination in their hand. And they came to Balaam and gave him Balak's message. (8) And he said to them, "Lodge here tonight, and I will bring back word to you, as the LORD speaks to me." So the princes of Moab stayed with Balaam. (9) And God came to Balaam and said, "Who are these men with you?" (10) And Balaam said to God, "Balak the son of Zippor, king of Moab, has sent to me, saying, (11) 'Behold, a people has come out of Egypt, and it covers the face of the earth. Now come, curse them for me. Perhaps I shall be able to fight against them and drive them out.'" (12) God said to Balaam, "You shall not go with them. You shall not curse the people, for they are blessed." (13) So Balaam rose in the morning and said to the princes of Balak, "Go to your own land, for the LORD has refused to let me go with you." (14) So the princes of Moab rose and went to Balak and said, "Balaam refuses to come with us." (15) Once again Balak sent princes, more in number and more honorable than these. (16) And they came to Balaam and said to him, "Thus says Balak the son of Zippor: 'Let nothing hinder you from coming to me, (17) for I will surely do you great honor, and whatever you say to me I will do. Come, curse this people for me.'" (18) But Balaam answered and said to the servants of Balak, "Though Balak were to give me his house full of silver and gold, I could not go beyond the command of the LORD my God to do less or more. (19) So you, too, please stay here tonight, that I may know what more the LORD will say to me." (20) And God came to Balaam at night and said to him, "If the men have come to call you, rise, go with them; but only do what I tell you." (21) So Balaam rose in the morning and saddled his donkey and went with the princes of Moab. (22) But God's anger was kindled because he went, and the angel of the LORD took his stand in the way as his adversary. Now he was riding on the donkey, and his two servants were with him. (23) And the donkey saw the angel of the LORD standing in the road, with a drawn sword in his hand. And the donkey turned aside out of the road and went into the field. And Balaam struck the donkey, to turn her into the road. (24) Then the angel of the LORD stood in a narrow path between the vineyards, with a wall on either side. (25) And when the donkey saw the angel of the LORD, she pushed against the wall and pressed Balaam's foot against the wall. So he struck her again. (26) Then the angel of the LORD went ahead and stood in a narrow place, where there was no way to turn either to the right or to the left. (27) When the donkey saw the angel of the LORD, she lay down under Balaam. And Balaam's anger was kindled, and he struck the donkey with his staff. (28) Then the LORD opened the mouth of the donkey, and she said to Balaam, "What have I done to you, that you have struck me these three times?" (29) And Balaam said to the donkey, "Because you have made a fool of me. I wish I had a sword in my hand, for then I would kill you." (30) And the donkey said to Balaam, "Am I not your donkey, on which you have ridden all your life long to this day? Is it my habit to treat you this way?" And he said, "No." (31) Then the LORD opened the eyes of Balaam, and he saw the angel of the LORD standing in the way, with his drawn sword in his hand. And he bowed down and fell on his face. (32) And the angel of the LORD said to him, "Why have you struck your donkey these three times? Behold, I have come out to oppose you because your way is perverse before me. (33) The donkey saw me and turned aside before me these three times. If she had not turned aside from me, surely just now I would have killed you and let her live." (34) Then Balaam said to the angel of the LORD, "I have sinned, for I did not know that you stood in the road against me. Now therefore, if it is evil in your sight, I will turn back."
Just as God was not pleased with Balaam he is not pleased with us when we try to please him and desires of the world at the same time. To bad we don't have a wise donkey to protect us from ourselves as Balaam had. The great lesson here is to ignore the desires to please the worldliness within us, and completely follow our Lord. Thanks be to God for his great grace and love to man. God spared Balaam at that time, and he will spare us if we will turn to him. God Bless
8 As Samuel grew old, he appointed his sons to be judges over Israel.2 Joel and Abijah, his oldest sons, held court in Beersheba.3 But they were not like their father, for they were greedy for money. They accepted bribes and perverted justice.
4 Finally, all the elders of Israel met at Ramah to discuss the matter with Samuel.5 “Look,”
they told him, “you are now old, and your sons are not like you. Give
us a king to judge us like all the other nations have.”
6 Samuel was displeased with their request and went to the Lord for guidance.7 “Do everything they say to you,” the Lord replied, “for they are rejecting me, not you. They don’t want me to be their king any longer.8 Ever
since I brought them from Egypt they have continually abandoned me and
followed other gods. And now they are giving you the same treatment.9 Do as they ask, but solemnly warn them about the way a king will reign over them.”
Samuel Warns against a Kingdom
10 So Samuel passed on the Lord’s warning to the people who were asking him for a king.11 “This
is how a king will reign over you,” Samuel said. “The king will draft
your sons and assign them to his chariots and his charioteers, making
them run before his chariots.12 Some will be generals and captains in his army,[a] some will be forced to plow in his fields and harvest his crops, and some will make his weapons and chariot equipment.13 The king will take your daughters from you and force them to cook and bake and make perfumes for him.14 He will take away the best of your fields and vineyards and olive groves and give them to his own officials.15 He will take a tenth of your grain and your grape harvest and distribute it among his officers and attendants.16 He will take your male and female slaves and demand the finest of your cattle[b] and donkeys for his own use.17 He will demand a tenth of your flocks, and you will be his slaves.18 When that day comes, you will beg for relief from this king you are demanding, but then the Lord will not help you.”
19 But the people refused to listen to Samuel’s warning. “Even so, we still want a king,” they said.20 “We want to be like the nations around us. Our king will judge us and lead us into battle.”
21 So Samuel repeated to the Lord what the people had said,22 and the Lord replied, “Do as they say, and give them a king.” Then Samuel agreed and sent the people home.
Footnotes:
8:12Hebrew commanders of thousands and commanders of fifties.
1 Give thanks to the Lord, for he is good; his love endures forever.
2 Let Israel say: “His love endures forever.” 3 Let the house of Aaron say: “His love endures forever.” 4 Let those who fear the Lord say: “His love endures forever.”
5 When hard pressed, I cried to the Lord; he brought me into a spacious place. 6 The Lord is with me; I will not be afraid. What can mere mortals do to me? 7 The Lord is with me; he is my helper. I look in triumph on my enemies.
8 It is better to take refuge in the Lord than to trust in humans. 9 It is better to take refuge in the Lord than to trust in princes. 10 All the nations surrounded me, but in the name of the Lord I cut them down. 11 They surrounded me on every side, but in the name of the Lord I cut them down. 12 They swarmed around me like bees, but they were consumed as quickly as burning thorns; in the name of the Lord I cut them down. 13 I was pushed back and about to fall, but the Lord helped me. 14 The Lord is my strength and my defense[a]; he has become my salvation.
15 Shouts of joy and victory resound in the tents of the righteous: “The Lord’s right hand has done mighty things! 16 The Lord’s right hand is lifted high; the Lord’s right hand has done mighty things!” 17 I will not die but live, and will proclaim what the Lord has done. 18 The Lord has chastened me severely, but he has not given me over to death. 19 Open for me the gates of the righteous; I will enter and give thanks to the Lord. 20 This is the gate of the Lord through which the righteous may enter. 21 I will give you thanks, for you answered me; you have become my salvation.
22 The stone the builders rejected has become the cornerstone; 23 the Lord has done this, and it is marvelous in our eyes. 24 The Lord has done it this very day; let us rejoice today and be glad.
25 Lord, save us! Lord, grant us success!
26 Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord. From the house of the Lord we bless you.[b] 27 The Lord is God, and he has made his light shine on us. With boughs in hand, join in the festal procession up[c] to the horns of the altar.
28 You are my God, and I will praise you; you are my God, and I will exalt you.
29 Give thanks to the Lord, for he is good; his love endures forever.
Isn't it wonderful to know that no matter who you are, or what you have done that God's love is so great that we can be saved by the gift of God that we could never earn because our best efforts will result in sin and separation from God, and yet he saves us through his Grace - Rom 3:23-26 ESV for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God, (24) and are justified by his grace as a gift, through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus, (25) whom God put forward as a propitiation by his blood, to be received by faith. This was to show God's righteousness, because in his divine forbearance he had passed over former sins. (26) It was to show his righteousness at the present time, so that he might be just and the justifier of the one who has faith in Jesus.
Once we are saved in Christ his Grace is still there cleansing us daily with the Blood of Christ, and when we willfully sin, his Grace is still there for us to confess our sins, and he forgives us. How wonderful and great is his Grace, that he allows us to return and remain with Him.
1Jn 1:7-10 ESVBut if we walk in the light, as he is in the light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus his Son cleanses us from all sin. (8) If we say we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us. (9) If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness. (10) If we say we have not sinned, we make him a liar, and his word is not in us. 1Jn 2:1-3 ESVMy little children, I am writing these things to you so that you may not sin. But if anyone does sin, we have an advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous. (2) He is the propitiation for our sins, and not for ours only but also for the sins of the whole world. (3) And by this we know that we have come to know him, if we keep his commandments. AMEN!
As a child of God, we have opportunities everyday to share the light of God by doing good. The purpose of doing good is to show God's love, Grace and salvation to the lost, but also to the saved. By living this way we are laying up our treasures in heaven not on earth. From time to I have run into brethren that are hesitant to help the lost because they are not save, but God tells us to do good all. When we do good to the lost it is opportunity to show them God's grace that has come to all men to be saved. Gal 6:6-10 ESV Let the one who is taught the word share all good things with the one who teaches. (7) Do not be deceived: God is not mocked, for whatever one sows, that will he also reap. (8) For the one who sows to his own flesh will from the flesh reap corruption, but the one who sows to the Spirit will from the Spirit reap eternal life. (9) And let us not grow weary of doing good, for in due season we will reap, if we do not give up. (10) So then, as we have opportunity, let us do good to everyone, and especially to those who are of the household of faith.
God is also encouraging us not to give up on doing right!
Isaiah 41:10 10 So do not fear, for I am with you; do not be dismayed, for I am your God. I will strengthen you and help you; I will uphold you with my righteous right hand.
... and Spurgeon's morning devotion is taken from a passage just four verses down, Larry... good stuff.
Isaiah 41:14
I will help thee, saith the Lord.
This morning let us hear the Lord Jesus speak to each one of us: "I
will help thee." "It is but a small thing for Me, thy God, to help thee.
Consider what I have done already. What! not help thee? Why, I bought
thee with My blood. What! not help thee? I have died for thee; and if I
have done the greater, will I not do the less? Help thee! It is the
least thing I will ever do for thee; I have done more, and will do
more."
"Before the world began I chose thee. I made the covenant for
thee. I laid aside My glory and became a man for thee; I gave up My life
for thee; and if I did all this, I will surely help thee now. In
helping thee, I am giving thee what I have bought for thee already. If
thou hadst need of a thousand times as much help, I would give it thee;
thou requirest little compared with what I am ready to give. 'Tis much
for thee to need, but it is nothing for me to bestow. 'Help thee?' Fear
not! If there were an ant at the door of thy granary asking for help, it
would not ruin thee to give him a handful of thy wheat; and thou art
nothing but a tiny insect at the door of My all-sufficiency. 'I will
help thee.'"
O my soul, is not this enough? Dost thou need more strength
than the omnipotence of the United Trinity? Dost thou want more wisdom
than exists in the Father, more love than displays itself in the Son, or
more power than is manifest in the influences of the Spirit? Bring
hither thine empty pitcher! Surely this well will fill it. Haste, gather
up thy wants, and bring them here-thine emptiness, thy woes, thy needs.
Behold, this river of God is full for thy supply; what canst thou
desire beside? Go forth, my soul, in this thy might. The Eternal God is
thine helper!
Romans 12 3 For by the grace given me I say to every one of you: Do not think of yourself more highly than you ought, but rather think of yourself with sober judgment, in accordance with the faith God has distributed to each of you.
When the eternal King finally came to Israel, the message was for man to change. The type of change, was a call to return to God. Mat 4:17 ESV From that time Jesus began to preach, saying, "Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is at hand." The profound message was not one of pleasure, earthly riches, or world domination. Instead, it was a message of humility, grieving for our sins, realizing our spirit is broken, and reliance on God for salvation. Mat 5:3-12 ESV "Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven. (4) "Blessed are those who mourn, for they shall be comforted. (5) "Blessed are the meek, for they shall inherit the earth. (6) "Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they shall be satisfied. (7) "Blessed are the merciful, for they shall receive mercy. (8) "Blessed are the pure in heart, for they shall see God. (9) "Blessed are the peacemakers, for they shall be called sons of God. (10) "Blessed are those who are persecuted for righteousness' sake, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven. (11) "Blessed are you when others revile you and persecute you and utter all kinds of evil against you falsely on my account. (12) Rejoice and be glad, for your reward is great in heaven, for so they persecuted the prophets who were before you. Jesus also taught that the majority of people will not seek the way life, but of destruction. Mat 7:13-14 ESV "Enter by the narrow gate. For the gate is wide and the way is easy that leads to destruction, and those who enter by it are many. (14) For the gate is narrow and the way is hard that leads to life, and those who find it are few. Since Jesus has already established the Kingdom of God when he established the church. The message to us is, Repent for the Kingdom of Heaven is here.
Comments
For our sake he made him to be sin who knew no sin, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God.
Brett
"Then Jesus told his disciples a parable to show them that they should always pray and not give up."
(If you're frustrated with the current state of politics, this might be a good chapter to read, also.)
12:14-21 (ESV)--Bless those who persecute you; bless and do not curse them. Rejoice with those who rejoice, weep with those who weep. Live in harmony with one another. Do not be haughty, but associate with the lowly. Never be wise in your own sight. Repay no one evil for evil, but give thought to do what is honorable in the sight of all. If possible, so far as it depends on you, live peaceably with all. Beloved, never avenge yourselves, but leave it to the wrath of God, for it is written, "Vengeance is mine, I will repay, says the Lord." 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." Do not be overcome by evil, but overcome evil with good.
This is kind of my mantra during any election season--and most of the rest of the time as well.
I like Oliva and Quesada (including Regius) a lot. I will smoke anything, though.
For we are his workmanship,created in Christ Jesus unto good works,which God hath before ordained that we should walk in them
Num 22:3-34 ESV And Moab was in great dread of the people, because they were many. Moab was overcome with fear of the people of Israel. (4) And Moab said to the elders of Midian, "This horde will now lick up all that is around us, as the ox licks up the grass of the field." So Balak the son of Zippor, who was king of Moab at that time, (5) sent messengers to Balaam the son of Beor at Pethor, which is near the River in the land of the people of Amaw, to call him, saying, "Behold, a people has come out of Egypt. They cover the face of the earth, and they are dwelling opposite me. (6) Come now, curse this people for me, since they are too mighty for me. Perhaps I shall be able to defeat them and drive them from the land, for I know that he whom you bless is blessed, and he whom you curse is cursed." (7) So the elders of Moab and the elders of Midian departed with the fees for divination in their hand. And they came to Balaam and gave him Balak's message. (8) And he said to them, "Lodge here tonight, and I will bring back word to you, as the LORD speaks to me." So the princes of Moab stayed with Balaam. (9) And God came to Balaam and said, "Who are these men with you?" (10) And Balaam said to God, "Balak the son of Zippor, king of Moab, has sent to me, saying, (11) 'Behold, a people has come out of Egypt, and it covers the face of the earth. Now come, curse them for me. Perhaps I shall be able to fight against them and drive them out.'" (12) God said to Balaam, "You shall not go with them. You shall not curse the people, for they are blessed." (13) So Balaam rose in the morning and said to the princes of Balak, "Go to your own land, for the LORD has refused to let me go with you." (14) So the princes of Moab rose and went to Balak and said, "Balaam refuses to come with us." (15) Once again Balak sent princes, more in number and more honorable than these. (16) And they came to Balaam and said to him, "Thus says Balak the son of Zippor: 'Let nothing hinder you from coming to me, (17) for I will surely do you great honor, and whatever you say to me I will do. Come, curse this people for me.'" (18) But Balaam answered and said to the servants of Balak, "Though Balak were to give me his house full of silver and gold, I could not go beyond the command of the LORD my God to do less or more. (19) So you, too, please stay here tonight, that I may know what more the LORD will say to me." (20) And God came to Balaam at night and said to him, "If the men have come to call you, rise, go with them; but only do what I tell you." (21) So Balaam rose in the morning and saddled his donkey and went with the princes of Moab. (22) But God's anger was kindled because he went, and the angel of the LORD took his stand in the way as his adversary. Now he was riding on the donkey, and his two servants were with him. (23) And the donkey saw the angel of the LORD standing in the road, with a drawn sword in his hand. And the donkey turned aside out of the road and went into the field. And Balaam struck the donkey, to turn her into the road. (24) Then the angel of the LORD stood in a narrow path between the vineyards, with a wall on either side. (25) And when the donkey saw the angel of the LORD, she pushed against the wall and pressed Balaam's foot against the wall. So he struck her again. (26) Then the angel of the LORD went ahead and stood in a narrow place, where there was no way to turn either to the right or to the left. (27) When the donkey saw the angel of the LORD, she lay down under Balaam. And Balaam's anger was kindled, and he struck the donkey with his staff. (28) Then the LORD opened the mouth of the donkey, and she said to Balaam, "What have I done to you, that you have struck me these three times?" (29) And Balaam said to the donkey, "Because you have made a fool of me. I wish I had a sword in my hand, for then I would kill you." (30) And the donkey said to Balaam, "Am I not your donkey, on which you have ridden all your life long to this day? Is it my habit to treat you this way?" And he said, "No." (31) Then the LORD opened the eyes of Balaam, and he saw the angel of the LORD standing in the way, with his drawn sword in his hand. And he bowed down and fell on his face. (32) And the angel of the LORD said to him, "Why have you struck your donkey these three times? Behold, I have come out to oppose you because your way is perverse before me. (33) The donkey saw me and turned aside before me these three times. If she had not turned aside from me, surely just now I would have killed you and let her live." (34) Then Balaam said to the angel of the LORD, "I have sinned, for I did not know that you stood in the road against me. Now therefore, if it is evil in your sight, I will turn back."
Just as God was not pleased with Balaam he is not pleased with us when we try to please him and desires of the world at the same time. To bad we don't have a wise donkey to protect us from ourselves as Balaam had. The great lesson here is to ignore the desires to please the worldliness within us, and completely follow our Lord. Thanks be to God for his great grace and love to man. God spared Balaam at that time, and he will spare us if we will turn to him.
God Bless
At any given time the urge to sing "In The Jungle" is just a whim away... A whim away... A whim away...
My scripture reading every election eve:
1 Samuel 8 New Living Translation (NLT)
Israel Requests a King
8 As Samuel grew old, he appointed his sons to be judges over Israel. 2 Joel and Abijah, his oldest sons, held court in Beersheba. 3 But they were not like their father, for they were greedy for money. They accepted bribes and perverted justice.
4 Finally, all the elders of Israel met at Ramah to discuss the matter with Samuel. 5 “Look,” they told him, “you are now old, and your sons are not like you. Give us a king to judge us like all the other nations have.”
6 Samuel was displeased with their request and went to the Lord for guidance. 7 “Do everything they say to you,” the Lord replied, “for they are rejecting me, not you. They don’t want me to be their king any longer. 8 Ever since I brought them from Egypt they have continually abandoned me and followed other gods. And now they are giving you the same treatment. 9 Do as they ask, but solemnly warn them about the way a king will reign over them.”
Samuel Warns against a Kingdom
10 So Samuel passed on the Lord’s warning to the people who were asking him for a king. 11 “This is how a king will reign over you,” Samuel said. “The king will draft your sons and assign them to his chariots and his charioteers, making them run before his chariots. 12 Some will be generals and captains in his army,[a] some will be forced to plow in his fields and harvest his crops, and some will make his weapons and chariot equipment. 13 The king will take your daughters from you and force them to cook and bake and make perfumes for him. 14 He will take away the best of your fields and vineyards and olive groves and give them to his own officials. 15 He will take a tenth of your grain and your grape harvest and distribute it among his officers and attendants. 16 He will take your male and female slaves and demand the finest of your cattle[b] and donkeys for his own use. 17 He will demand a tenth of your flocks, and you will be his slaves. 18 When that day comes, you will beg for relief from this king you are demanding, but then the Lord will not help you.”
19 But the people refused to listen to Samuel’s warning. “Even so, we still want a king,” they said. 20 “We want to be like the nations around us. Our king will judge us and lead us into battle.”
21 So Samuel repeated to the Lord what the people had said, 22 and the Lord replied, “Do as they say, and give them a king.” Then Samuel agreed and sent the people home.
Footnotes:
I like Oliva and Quesada (including Regius) a lot. I will smoke anything, though.
Psalm 118
1 Give thanks to the Lord, for he is good;
his love endures forever.
2 Let Israel say:
“His love endures forever.”
3 Let the house of Aaron say:
“His love endures forever.”
4 Let those who fear the Lord say:
“His love endures forever.”
5 When hard pressed, I cried to the Lord;
he brought me into a spacious place.
6 The Lord is with me; I will not be afraid.
What can mere mortals do to me?
7 The Lord is with me; he is my helper.
I look in triumph on my enemies.
8 It is better to take refuge in the Lord
than to trust in humans.
9 It is better to take refuge in the Lord
than to trust in princes.
10 All the nations surrounded me,
but in the name of the Lord I cut them down.
11 They surrounded me on every side,
but in the name of the Lord I cut them down.
12 They swarmed around me like bees,
but they were consumed as quickly as burning thorns;
in the name of the Lord I cut them down.
13 I was pushed back and about to fall,
but the Lord helped me.
14 The Lord is my strength and my defense[a];
he has become my salvation.
15 Shouts of joy and victory
resound in the tents of the righteous:
“The Lord’s right hand has done mighty things!
16 The Lord’s right hand is lifted high;
the Lord’s right hand has done mighty things!”
17 I will not die but live,
and will proclaim what the Lord has done.
18 The Lord has chastened me severely,
but he has not given me over to death.
19 Open for me the gates of the righteous;
I will enter and give thanks to the Lord.
20 This is the gate of the Lord
through which the righteous may enter.
21 I will give you thanks, for you answered me;
you have become my salvation.
22 The stone the builders rejected
has become the cornerstone;
23 the Lord has done this,
and it is marvelous in our eyes.
24 The Lord has done it this very day;
let us rejoice today and be glad.
25 Lord, save us!
Lord, grant us success!
26 Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord.
From the house of the Lord we bless you.[b]
27 The Lord is God,
and he has made his light shine on us.
With boughs in hand, join in the festal procession
up[c] to the horns of the altar.
28 You are my God, and I will praise you;
you are my God, and I will exalt you.
29 Give thanks to the Lord, for he is good;
his love endures forever.
Rom 3:23-26 ESV for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God, (24) and are justified by his grace as a gift, through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus, (25) whom God put forward as a propitiation by his blood, to be received by faith. This was to show God's righteousness, because in his divine forbearance he had passed over former sins. (26) It was to show his righteousness at the present time, so that he might be just and the justifier of the one who has faith in Jesus.
Once we are saved in Christ his Grace is still there cleansing us daily with the Blood of Christ, and when we willfully sin, his Grace is still there for us to confess our sins, and he forgives us. How wonderful and great is his Grace, that he allows us to return and remain with Him.
1Jn 1:7-10 ESV But if we walk in the light, as he is in the light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus his Son cleanses us from all sin. (8) If we say we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us. (9) If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness. (10) If we say we have not sinned, we make him a liar, and his word is not in us.
1Jn 2:1-3 ESV My little children, I am writing these things to you so that you may not sin. But if anyone does sin, we have an advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous. (2) He is the propitiation for our sins, and not for ours only but also for the sins of the whole world. (3) And by this we know that we have come to know him, if we keep his commandments.
AMEN!
Gal 6:6-10 ESV Let the one who is taught the word share all good things with the one who teaches. (7) Do not be deceived: God is not mocked, for whatever one sows, that will he also reap. (8) For the one who sows to his own flesh will from the flesh reap corruption, but the one who sows to the Spirit will from the Spirit reap eternal life. (9) And let us not grow weary of doing good, for in due season we will reap, if we do not give up. (10) So then, as we have opportunity, let us do good to everyone, and especially to those who are of the household of faith.
God is also encouraging us not to give up on doing right!
"Before the world began I chose thee. I made the covenant for thee. I laid aside My glory and became a man for thee; I gave up My life for thee; and if I did all this, I will surely help thee now. In helping thee, I am giving thee what I have bought for thee already. If thou hadst need of a thousand times as much help, I would give it thee; thou requirest little compared with what I am ready to give. 'Tis much for thee to need, but it is nothing for me to bestow. 'Help thee?' Fear not! If there were an ant at the door of thy granary asking for help, it would not ruin thee to give him a handful of thy wheat; and thou art nothing but a tiny insect at the door of My all-sufficiency. 'I will help thee.'"
O my soul, is not this enough? Dost thou need more strength than the omnipotence of the United Trinity? Dost thou want more wisdom than exists in the Father, more love than displays itself in the Son, or more power than is manifest in the influences of the Spirit? Bring hither thine empty pitcher! Surely this well will fill it. Haste, gather up thy wants, and bring them here-thine emptiness, thy woes, thy needs. Behold, this river of God is full for thy supply; what canst thou desire beside? Go forth, my soul, in this thy might. The Eternal God is thine helper!
Red fish blue fish
Dr. Suess
What you can't forgive......you will become.
5000 fish...
-Jesus
At any given time the urge to sing "In The Jungle" is just a whim away... A whim away... A whim away...
2 Timothy 2:23-24
At any given time the urge to sing "In The Jungle" is just a whim away... A whim away... A whim away...
The profound message was not one of pleasure, earthly riches, or world domination. Instead, it was a message of humility, grieving for our sins, realizing our spirit is broken, and reliance on God for salvation. Mat 5:3-12 ESV "Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven. (4) "Blessed are those who mourn, for they shall be comforted. (5) "Blessed are the meek, for they shall inherit the earth. (6) "Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they shall be satisfied. (7) "Blessed are the merciful, for they shall receive mercy. (8) "Blessed are the pure in heart, for they shall see God. (9) "Blessed are the peacemakers, for they shall be called sons of God. (10) "Blessed are those who are persecuted for righteousness' sake, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven. (11) "Blessed are you when others revile you and persecute you and utter all kinds of evil against you falsely on my account. (12) Rejoice and be glad, for your reward is great in heaven, for so they persecuted the prophets who were before you.
Jesus also taught that the majority of people will not seek the way life, but of destruction. Mat 7:13-14 ESV "Enter by the narrow gate. For the gate is wide and the way is easy that leads to destruction, and those who enter by it are many. (14) For the gate is narrow and the way is hard that leads to life, and those who find it are few.
Since Jesus has already established the Kingdom of God when he established the church. The message to us is, Repent for the Kingdom of Heaven is here.