In All Of This, Job Did Not Sin By Blaming God.

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In All Of This,
Job
Did Not Sin By Blaming God.



Scripture

Job 1

22 In all of this, Job did not sin by blaming God.

Observation

 Job had seven sons and three daughters. He owned 7,000 sheep, 3,000 camels, 500 teams of oxen, and 500 female donkeys and all he had was destroyed in one day. Then Satan covered Job with boils from his head to his feet. Yet in spite of this tremendous loss and terrible suffering Job did not blame God! 

Blame shifting is blaming God, blaming our spouse, blaming anybody and everybody else rather than accepting responsibility for our own actions. 

When bad things happen to us it is putting the blame on God or on others rather than trusting God to get us through the difficult time. 


Lets not blame anyone else for our actions or for the bad circumstances that we find ourselves in. 

Lets not blame someone else for our failure to follow through on a task. 

If we are at fault for the bad situation we find ourselves in then lets try this. I messed up. I am sorry. Will you forgive me? 

If we are suffering and it is not our fault then let’s do what Job did … lets trust God and not blame God or anyone else! 

Application

I will work hard at accepting the blame for my own shortcomings. How about you?

Prayer

Heavenly Father, I am amazed at the character of Job. He had amazing faith. He trusted in You even when he had lost everything even his health. Give me that kind of faith. Help me trust You when things are not going my way and not try to put the blame on everyone else. You will protect me. I know that nothing can come into my life without Your permission.

Daily Bible Reading:  Job 1,2; Acts 6,7

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I Know The LORD Is Always With Me. I Will Not Be Shaken, For He Is Right Beside Me.

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I Know The LORD Is Always With Me.
I Will Not Be Shaken,
For He Is Right Beside Me. 


Scripture

Psalm 16

⁷ I will bless the Lord who guides me;
    even at night my heart instructs me.

⁸ I know the Lord is always with me.
    I will not be shaken, for he is right beside me.
⁹ No wonder my heart is glad, and I rejoice.
    My body rests in safety.

Observation

Do you and I live like the LORD is always with us? 

Do we live and act like He is right beside us? 

King David wrote Psalm 16 and he started it off by saying this:

”Keep me safe, O God, for I have come to you for refuge. I said to the Lord, “You are my Master! Every good thing I have comes from you.” 

When He is our refuge we will not be shaken. 

When you are depressed, lonely, our having a plain old rotten very bad day, read the Psalms. 

King David knew where to find help. 

Now so do you! 

.

Psalm 62:8
O my people, trust in him at all times. Pour out your heart to him, for God is our refuge.
Psalm 9:9
The Lord is a shelter for the oppressed, a refuge in times of trouble.
Psalm 46:1
God is our refuge and strength, always ready to help in times of trouble.
Psalm 119:114
You are my refuge and my shield; your word is my source of hope.
Psalm 142:5
Then I pray to you, O Lord. I say, “You are my place of refuge. You are all I really want in life.

Application

When I need to be lifted up I will go to God’s Word especially the Psalms. How about you?

Prayer

Heavenly Father, You are my refuge and my shield. You are right beside me. I will never be shaken. Your Word is my source of hope. You are always ready to help me in times of trouble. You are my strength. You are all I really want in life. Psalm 9:9, 46:1, 62:8, 119:114, 142:5 (Personalized)

Daily Bible Reading: Malachi 3,4; Psalms 148; Acts 5; Psalm 16, Psalm 116, Proverbs 16

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So Guard Your Heart; Do Not Be Unfaithful To Your Wife

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So Guard Your
Heart;
Do Not Be Unfaithful To Your Wife


Scripture

Malachi 2

¹⁴ You cry out, “Why doesn’t the Lord accept my worship?” I’ll tell you why! Because the Lord witnessed the vows you and your wife made when you were young. But you have been unfaithful to her, though she remained your faithful partner, the wife of your marriage vows.

¹⁵ Didn’t the Lord make you one with your wife? In body and spirit you are his. And what does he want? Godly children from your union. So guard your heart; remain loyal to the wife of your youth.

¹⁶ “For I hate divorce!” says the Lord, the God of Israel. “To divorce your wife is to overwhelm her with cruelty,” says the Lord of Heaven’s Armies. “So guard your heart; do not be unfaithful to your wife.”

Observation

In marriage “I love you” really means: “I promise to be there for you all of my days.” It is a promise that says, “I will be there when you lose your job, your health, your parents, your looks, your confidence, your friends. It is a promise that tells your partner, I’ll build you up; I will overlook your weaknesses; I’ll forgive your mistakes; I’ll put your needs above my own; I’ll stick by you when the going gets tough.”

I, _____________, in the presence of God, our family and friends, take you _______________, to be my friend, my lover, the mother of my children and my wife. I will be yours in times of plenty and in times of want, in times of sickness and in times of health, in times of joy and in times of sorrow, in times of failure and in times of triumph. I promise to cherish and respect you, to care and protect you, to comfort and encourage you, and stay with you, for all eternity. 

Maybe you and I need to renew those vows that we made before God and make some changes to get our marriages back where they should be!

Application

I will continue to work to make my marriage the very best. How about you?

Prayer

Heavenly Father, thank You for giving me such a great wife. Kathy puts You first in her life and that makes it easy for me to love her. Help me love her in the way that You intended. Help me not to be so selfish. Help me to think about her and her needs more than my own. Bless her today. May Your face shine on her with Your favor and with Your grace.

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Happy Is The Person Who Doesn’t Listen To The Wicked

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Happy Is The Person
Who Doesn’t Listen
To The Wicked



Scripture

1. Happy is the person who doesn’t listen to the wicked.
    He doesn’t go where sinners go.
    He doesn’t do what bad people do.
² He loves the Lord’s teachings.
    He thinks about those teachings day and night.
³ He is strong, like a tree planted by a river.
    It produces fruit in season.
    Its leaves don’t die.
Everything he does will succeed (ICB)

Observation

I love Psalm 1 in the MESSAGE: 

“How well God must like you—you don’t hang out at Sin Saloon, you don’t slink along Dead-End Road, you don’t go to Smart-Mouth College. ^2-3 Instead you thrill to God’s Word, you chew on Scripture day and night. You’re a tree replanted in Eden, bearing fresh fruit every month, Never dropping a leaf, always in blossom.” 

Psalm 1 is a promise to you who are striving to live a godly life. 

God will bless you. Just put Him first! 

“Praise the Lord! For all who fear God and trust in him are blessed beyond expression. Yes, happy is the man who delights in doing his commands.” Psalm 112:1

Application

I will strive to live a godly life. How about you?

Prayer

Heavenly Father, I am blessed. I am blessed beyond expression! Thank You for giving me Eternal Life. Thank You for saving me. I am truly blessed. I pray for men today who are trying to stay away from sin. Give them strength. And for all of those that are fighting addictions I pray that You give them victory. Set them free!

Daily Bible Reading:  Nehemiah 11,12; Psalms 1; Acts 3; Psalm 14, Psalm 114, Proverbs 14



> If you are reading this simple blog this morning you are an encouragement to me!

> I have made it a habit to pray for those who read this blog! I enjoy lifting you and your family up to the Lord in prayer.

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O LORD, How Long Will You Forget Me? Forever?

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O LORD,
How Long Will You Forget Me?
Forever? 


Scripture

Psalm 13

¹ O Lord, how long will you forget me? Forever?
    How long will you look the other way?
² How long must I struggle with anguish in my soul,
    with sorrow in my heart every day?

³ Turn and answer me, O Lord my God!
    Restore the sparkle to my eyes, or I will die.

⁵ But I trust in your unfailing love.
    I will rejoice because you have rescued me.
⁶ I will sing to the Lord
    because he is good to me.

Observation

King David the Giant killer spent a lot of his time desperately crying out to his God for help!

Yes, there were times when he felt alone and afraid. And there must have been many days when it seemed to King David that God had forgotten him.

Maybe you are having some of King David’s low moments right now!

The truth, if we are honest, is that all of us have those kinds of lows because life is tough!

Life is brutal!

So what should we to do when we feel all alone and we feel like God is not hearing our cries for help?

We should do just what King David did – we should trust!

We should trust in God’s unfailing love. We should trust in God’s goodness.

And we should look back at how God has taken care of us in the past! Even though we can’t see His Hand we trust His Heart!

God is too wise to be mistaken
God is too good to be unkind
So when you don't understand
When don't see His plan
When you can't trace His hand
Trust His Heart   (Babbie Mason)

    “Don't worry about anything; instead, pray about everything. Tell God what you need, and thank him for all he has done. If you do this, you will experience God's peace, which is far more wonderful than the human mind can understand. His peace will guard your hearts and minds as you live in Christ Jesus.” Philippians 4:6-7

    “Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways acknowledge him, and he will make your paths straight.” Proverbs 3:5-6

 I read a Psalm almost everyday! When you are down and need to be lifted up remember that the book of Psalms is right in the middle of your Bible and very easy to find!

Application

I will trust the Lord with everything that I am dealing with right now. How about you?

Prayer

Heavenly Father, thank You for Your Word. Thank You for showing me that I can trust in You even when I am feeling bad and even when I am feeling low. You are my God. I know that I can trust You. I can trust in Your unfailing love. I will rejoice because you have rescued me. I will sing to You because You are good to me.

Daily Bible Reading:  Nehemiah 9,10; Acts 2; Psalm 13, Psalm 113; Proverbs 13

   




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Worry Weighs A Person Down; An Encouraging Word Cheers A Person Up.

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Worry Weighs A Person Down;
An
Encouraging Word Cheers A Person Up.





Scripture

Proverbs 12

²⁵ Worry weighs a person down;
    an encouraging word cheers a person up.

Proverbs 12

¹⁸ Careless words stab like a sword,
    but wise words bring healing.

Observation

Words … How are we going to use them today?

You and I have a choice to make.

We can be ugly, vicious, hateful, hurtful, condescending, demeaning, and/or critical. We can slice, dice and destroy someone with our words!

Or we can build them up and encourage them. The power of the tongue!

The choice is ours!

I am shocked at how mean that I can be at times, saying hurtful things to Kathy who I love the most.

Here are some words that can bring healing: I love you. I am sorry. Will you forgive me?

We better learn those 3 phrases and better learn to use them a lot!

Our kids need to hear us use those words after we say hurtful things and we also need to use those phrases with our kids!

Lets watch how we talk to each other! Lets build someone up today with what we say and how we say it! Are you with me? 

Application

I will look for someone to encourage today! How about you?

Prayer

Heavenly Father, thank You for Your Word. Thank You for letting me see Your Heart as I read Your Word everyday. I admit that I am so unlike You when I use the words of my mouth to hurt people. Help me to guard my tongue. Don’t let me say things that are ugly and hurtful. Help me to think about what I am going to say and help me to carefully respond to people I love. I confess that it is so easy for me to respond in ways that do not bring You glory and honor and in ways that only hurts those that I love. Change me Lord. May the words of my mouth and the meditation of my heart be pleasing to You.

Daily Bible Reading:  Nehemiah 7,8; Acts 1; Psalm 12, Psalm 112; Proverbs 12

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Without Wise Leadership, A Nation Falls;

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Without Wise
Leadership,
A Nation Falls;

Scripture

Proverbs 11

¹⁴ Without wise leadership, a nation falls;
    there is safety in having many advisers.

Observation

I don’t care which side of the political fence you are on in this mess we call an election. 

It is still a mess! 

Wise leaders better rise up from somewhere to lead our country or we are in big trouble! I didn’t say that – God did! 

Christians are being encouraged in this election to go ahead and vote for a person even though we know in our hearts that they are not the right person to lead our country. We are being told that we must choose between the lesser of two evils. 

Where do we find that in God’s Word?   

Here is my advice for what it is worth: Seek God’s direction on how to vote in this election and then leave the future in His Hands. 

 Application


I will continue to seek God’s guidance in how to cast my vote in this election? How about you? 

Prayer

Heavenly Father, thank You that You have given us Your Holy Spirit and I know that You will guide us if we are willing to listen and follow Your leadership. I pray for our President. Give him wisdom. I pray for those running for the job of being the President of our country. I pray that You will bring godly people to speak truth into their lives. 

Change the direction of our country.

We need to repent and turn to You just as You tell us in 2 Chronicles 7:14, “…if my people, who are called by my name, will humble themselves and pray and seek my face and turn from their wicked ways, then will I hear from heaven and will forgive their sin and will heal their land.”

   

Daily Bible Reading:  Nehemiah 5,6; Psalms 146; Luke 24; Psalm 51, Psalm 111; Proverbs 11

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When The Storms Of Life Come, … The Godly Have A Lasting Foundation

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When The Storms Of Life Come, …
The
Godly Have A Lasting Foundation



Scripture

Proverbs 10

²⁵ When the storms of life come, the wicked are whirled away,
    but the godly have a lasting foundation.


Matthew 7

²⁴ “Anyone who listens to my teaching and follows it is wise, like a person who builds a house on solid rock. ²⁵ Though the rain comes in torrents and the floodwaters rise and the winds beat against that house, it won’t collapse because it is built on bedrock. ²⁶ But anyone who hears my teaching and doesn’t obey it is foolish, like a person who builds a house on sand. ²⁷ When the rains and floods come and the winds beat against that house, it will collapse with a mighty crash.”

Observation

When the storms of life come, not if, but when they come will they whirl you away?

 You and I are either in a storm, just passing through a storm, or getting ready to head into one. 

How do I know? 

Because Jesus said in John 16:33, “I have told you these things, so that in me you may have peace. In this world you will have trouble. But take heart! I have overcome the world.” 

A godly person is not someone who is perfect, but someone who strives to daily live in obedience to what God says in His Word. 

So will the next storm whirl you away or do you have an Anchor that will hold? 

Hebrews 6:24 “Therefore, we who have fled to him for refuge can have great confidence as we hold to the hope that lies before us. This hope is a strong and trustworthy anchor for our souls.”

Psalm 9:9 “The Lord is a shelter for the oppressed, a refuge in times of trouble.”

Psalm 46:1 “God is our refuge and strength, always ready to help in times of trouble.”

Psalm 119:114 “You are my refuge and my shield; your word is my source of hope.”

Application

Jesus is my Anchor. He is my refuge. I will trust Him during the storms of life! How about you?

Prayer

Heavenly Father, I know that if we didn’t have storms and if our faith was never tested then there would be no need to have faith in You. Storms do come into our lives. We live everyday with trouble of one kind or another. You are my refuge. You are my Hope. I put my trust in You. Help me to live in obedience today. Help me not to yield to sin and temptation. You are my Refuge! You are my Anchor! I am holding on to You!

Daily Bible Reading:  Nehemiah 3,4; Luke 23; Psalm 10, Psalm 110, Proverbs 10

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Run From Anything That Stimulates Youthful Lusts.

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Run
From Anything
That Stimulates Youthful Lusts. 

Scripture

2 Timothy 2

22 Run from anything that stimulates youthful lusts. Instead, pursue righteous living, faithfulness, love, and peace. Enjoy the companionship of those who call on the Lord with pure hearts.

1 Timothy 4

¹¹ Teach these things and make sure everyone learns them well. ¹² Don’t let anyone think little of you because you are young. Be their ideal; let them follow the way you teach and live; be a pattern for them in your love, your faith, and your clean thoughts.

I Timothy 4

16 Keep a close watch on all you do and think. Stay true to what is right and God will bless you and use you to help others.

Observation

Run …don’t walk …Run … don’t linger… Run! Instead pursue living the way God intended for you to live. 

The Living Bible puts it this way, “Run from anything that gives you the evil thoughts that young men often have, but stay close to anything that makes you want to do right. Have faith and love, and enjoy the companionship of those who love the Lord and have pure hearts.” 

That’s why it is so important to be involved in worship every Sunday and committed to a community group and to be a part of Celebrate Recovery if you are fortunate enough to have CR that meets at your church.

The Apostle Paul was mentoring young Timothy in his faith! His words to Timothy are good words for us to put into practice this week!

I Timothy 4

16 Keep a close watch on all you do and think. Stay true to what is right and God will bless you and use you to help others.

Application
 

I will keep a close watch on all that I do and think. I will stay true to what is right so God will bless me and use me to help others.

 

Prayer

Heavenly Father, this is the day that You have made I will rejoice and be glad in it! Help me to run away from things that cause me to sin. Don’t let me do stupid sins that mess up my relationship with You and keep me from helping others. I pray for our pastors today as they preach. Use Pastor Brian and Pastor Bruce in a powerful way today in the lives of our people!

Daily Bible Reading:  Nehemiah 1,2; Psalms 133,134; Luke 22, Psalm 9, Psalm 109, Proverbs 9; 2 Timothy 2

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What Are Mere Mortals That You Should Think About Them, Human Beings That You Should Care About Them?

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What Are Mere Mortals That You Should Think About Them,
Human Beings
That You Should Care About Them? 

Scripture

Psalm 8

³ When I look at the night sky and see the work of your fingers—
    the moon and the stars you set in place—
⁴ what are mere mortals that you should think about them,
    human beings that you should care for them?
⁵ Yet you made them only a little lower than God
    and crowned them with glory and honor.
⁶ You gave them charge of everything you made,
    putting all things under their authority—
⁷ the flocks and the herds
    and all the wild animals,
⁸ the birds in the sky, the fish in the sea,
    and everything that swims the ocean currents.
⁹ O Lord, our Lord, your majestic name fills the earth!

Observation

How can a loving God allow such a destructive storm to hit us, even worse than us how could God allow Hurricane Matthew to clobber the poorest country in our hemisphere, the country of Haiti? 

You and I will never understand tragic events! 

Storms, wars, fatal accidents, disease, and unexpected deaths, how can these occur if our God is a God of love?

I can’t answer the question of suffering in this simple blog. I couldn’t answer that question if I had all day to write and you had all day to read. 

So what do you and I do when we don’t understand why something happens? We trust. We trust in the goodness of God. He is All-Powerful. He is All-Knowing and we (my friends) are not.

Pastor Bruce recently preached a message from Luke 13 where Jesus shared this with his disciples:

    “About this time Jesus was informed that Pilate had murdered some people from Galilee as they were sacrificing at the Temple in Jerusalem. [2] "Do you think those Galileans were worse sinners than other people from Galilee?" he asked. "Is that why they suffered? [3] Not at all! And you will also perish unless you turn from your evil ways and turn to God.”

.......

All of the evil in this world, including destructive weather patterns, are a result of sin and sins impact on our world. You and I are not immune or protected from all the suffering that sin has caused and continues to cause in our world. 

John 16:33

    "I have told you these things, so that in me you may have peace. In this world you will have trouble. But take heart! I have overcome the world."

Hurricane Matthew is a powerful reminder that you and I need to repent and get our hearts right with God.

   

Application

I will trust God’s heart when I can’t see His hand in what is going on around me! How about you?

Prayer

Heavenly Father, I know that as long as I am on this side of Heaven I will never understand all of the suffering that goes on in this world. My hope and confidence is in the fact that Jesus has conquered this evil world. One day this will all change. I look forward to that day! You are King of Kings and Lord of Lords! You are at work in the middle of our storms. You have given me peace in the middle of my storms! You care about us! Your majestic name fills the earth!


Daily Bible Reading:  Ezra 9,10; Psalms 131; Luke 21

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The Gray Hair Of Experience Is The Splendor Of The Old

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The Gray Hair
Of Experience
Is The Splendor Of The Old

Scripture

Proverbs 20

²⁹ The glory of the young is their strength;
    the gray hair of experience is the splendor of the old.

Observation

The splendor of our growing old is “experience” and “gray hair”. Well my hair turned gray a long time ago and then it turned loose! Seems like these golden years are full of trips to the doctor’s office to complain about aches and pains to which the doctor says is from having too many “birthdays”.

But for me at least, I have found some really wonderful things about these good ole days. They are called “Grandkids”! They are God’s reward for getting old! We have 10 of the best Grandkids in the world!

Another thing that God allows us to do when we get old (if we let him) is invest in the lives of younger couples and young single adults that God has brought into our lives. Hopefully our experience will help them avoid some of life’s potholes and traps!

To be honest I would love to have the strength that I once had when I was young, and not wake up each day to so many aches and pains, but honestly I am very okay with my gray (white) hair and with everything that comes with it!

Application

I will to my best not to act like an old grouch and I will invest my life and time in the lives of those around me.  How about you?

Prayer

Heavenly Father, thank You for allowing me to live to be old. Help me enjoy every minute of life that You allow me to have. Don’t let me become a grouchy old person. Help me make a difference in the lives of those that you have placed in my path. 

I pray for my grandchildren today. Bless them. Help them to grow up with a love for You. Don’t let them miss out on what You want them to experience. 

I pray that all of my grandchildren will place their faith and their trust in You for their salvation. Help them to live an abundant life. Bring people into their lives that will involve them in church so that they can grow in the knowledge of You and Your Word. I pray that their parents would follow after You and set an example for our grandchildren! Nothing is too hard for You!

Daily Bible Reading:  Ezra 7,8; Luke 20; Psalm 20, Psalm 120; Proverbs 20

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If They Kept Quiet, The Stones Along The Road Would Burst Into Cheers!

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If They Kept Quiet,
The Stones Along The Road
Would Burst Into Cheers!

Scripture

Luke 19

³⁵ So they brought the colt to Jesus and threw their garments over it for him to ride on.

³⁶ As he rode along, the crowds spread out their garments on the road ahead of him. ³⁷ When he reached the place where the road started down the Mount of Olives, all of his followers began to shout and sing as they walked along, praising God for all the wonderful miracles they had seen.

³⁸ “Blessings on the King who comes in the name of the Lord!
    Peace in heaven, and glory in highest heaven!”

³⁹ But some of the Pharisees among the crowd said, “Teacher, rebuke your followers for saying things like that!”

⁴⁰ He replied, “If they kept quiet, the stones along the road would burst into cheers!”

.

Observation

.

King of Kings, Lord of Lords, Jesus came triumphantly riding into Jerusalem on a colt with the crowds spreading out their garments on the road ahead of Him for Him to ride on!

Nothing could contain the excitement! Nothing could contain the people’s joy!

The Pharisees tried to silence them.

They told Jesus to make the people stop, but His reply to them was that nothing was going to stop this celebration! The triumphant entry into Jerusalem was something that no one or no thing could stop.

He was coming into Jerusalem to finish what He had come to earth to do!

He was triumphantly riding into Jerusalem to die for me and to die for you! And triumphantly He came back to life on the third day victorious over death! He is Worthy of our praise!

Lets give Him our praise!

.

 Application

I will praise Him! How about you? 

.

Prayer

Heavenly Father, I would love to have been there when Jesus rode into Jerusalem on the colt. I would love to have seen and heard all the people praising Him along the way. Help me to worship and praise You today with all of my heart. Jesus is the King of Kings and Lord of Lords and He is Worthy of all praise!

Daily Bible Reading:  Esther 9,10; Luke 19




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Then Who In The World Can Be Saved?

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Then Who
In The World
Can Be Saved? 


Scripture

Luke 18

²⁴ When Jesus saw this, he said, “How hard it is for the rich to enter the Kingdom of God!
 
²⁵ In fact, it is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for a rich person to enter the Kingdom of God!”

²⁶ Those who heard this said, “Then who in the world can be saved?”

²⁷ He replied, “What is impossible for people is possible with God.”

Observation


Ax murderers, serial killers, child molesters, Mother Teresa, and Billy Graham where would you place them on a morality ladder that reaches from us to God? 

You would probably place the ax murderers, serial killers, and child molesters way down at the bottom rung of the ladder. 

For certain you would place Mother Teresa higher up the ladder than those evil folks and you might place Billy Graham either slightly above or slightly below Mother Teresa. 

But both Mother Teresa and Billy Graham have both admitted that they were far from perfect and they would not dare place themselves all the way up to the top of the ladder. 

Where would you place yourself on this morality ladder? Think about it. 

You and I are not perfect. We don’t live perfect lives. No matter where are on this morality ladder there will still be a gap between God and us. 

Jesus Christ came to die on a cross to pay the penalty for our sins. He came to take care of that gap! 

What you and I must do is trust in Jesus Christ as our Savior and trust in what He did for us on the cross? Ready to close that gap? 

Ask Jesus to be your Lord and your Savior right now. 

Ask Him to forgive you of your sins. Ask Him to take care of that gap between you and God! 

What is impossible for people is possible with God!

Application

I will keep sharing with the people that God brings into my life the Good News that Jesus can save them from their sin. How about you?

Prayer

Heavenly Father, thank You for saving me. Thank You that I don’t have to depend on my goodness to get me into Heave or earn me a relationship with You. Thank You that even though I am a sinner and don’t deserve to be forgiven Jesus Christ died for me and gifted me with forgiveness. I am forgiven. I know that I will go to Heaven when I die not because I am good but because Jesus paid the penalty of my sins on the cross. Nothing is impossible for You! 

Daily Bible Reading:  Esther 3,4,5,6,7,8; Luke 18



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O LORD, What A Variety Of Things You Have Made!

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O LORD,
What A Variety Of Things
You Have Made!

Scripture

Psalm 104

¹⁹ You made the moon to mark the seasons,
    and the sun knows when to set.

²⁰ You send the darkness, and it becomes night,
    when all the forest animals prowl about.

²¹ Then the young lions roar for their prey,
    stalking the food provided by God.

²² At dawn they slink back
    into their dens to rest.

²³ Then people go off to their work,
    where they labor until evening.
²⁴ O Lord, what a variety of things you have made!
    In wisdom you have made them all.
    The earth is full of your creatures.

²⁵ Here is the ocean, vast and wide,
    teeming with life of every kind,
    both large and small.

Observation

Take a few minutes today just to look around and think about the variety of everything that the Lord has made! None of us look the same!

We are all uniquely and wonderfully made! We have a Creator who loves variety!

The tendency though is for us to dislike and look down on people that God has made simply because He has made them with a different tone of skin or they learned to speak a different language than ours when they were growing up.

You and I are so unlike God when we let hatred, prejudice, and discrimination rule in our hearts.

Trust me. It is a worldwide problem not just a problem here in the USA.

Every country that Kathy and I have visited or lived in all had the same problem going on that we have!

There are so many things that I love about our church, but one of the things that tops the list is our cultural diversity! Red and Yellow, Black and White they are precious in His sight!

May you and I examine our hearts to make sure that we don’t allow or give any space to the hate that permeates our country today!

Application

I will guard my heart. How about you?

Prayer

Heavenly Father, thank You for all the variety that I see all around me. Help me to celebrate it and not be critical of it. Don’t let me look down on anyone just because they are different than me. Everybody is different. Help me Lord to look at people through Your eyes. Give me Your heart for the people that You bring into my life. Thank You for creating me when You did and the way You did. Thank You for allowing me to be born in this country where I had the opportunity to hear the Gospel and turn to You for my salvation! You are Awesome Lord, totally Awesome!

Daily Bible Reading: Esther 1,2; Psalms 150; Luke 17; Psalm 4, Psalm 104, Psalm 140; Proverbs 4

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Don’t Abandon Me, For You Made Me

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Don’t
Abandon Me,
For You Made Me

Scripture

Psalm 138

⁸ The Lord will work out his plans for my life—
    for your faithful love, O Lord, endures forever.
    Don’t abandon me, for you made me.

Observation

It’s Monday! Psalm 138 – take time to read it! It is a good way to start out this Monday morning!

I was in Shalimar, Florida yesterday and I went to Cinco Baptist Church (Ft. Walton Beach) with my sister Bea, her husband Norm, and their daughter Kacy with her kids!

Their Pastor Mickey Hawkins preached from Habakkuk chapter 1 and 2. Habakkuk’s world was a lot like ours – totally crazy!

Here is Pastor Mickey’s 3 points about what we are to do when our world seems totally out of control. 1. We need to wait on God. 2. We need to watch God at work. 3. And we need to worship Him!

Every week it seems like things get crazier and crazier. What we need to do is look at things from God’s perspective and see that God is working in the middle of this craziness!

We need a 30,000 feet perspective of what is happening in our world today.

Pastor Mickey said in his message yesterday that buzzards, bats, and bees all have our problem: if you put them in a cage without a lid they will not fly up to escape because they never look up. They are always looking down.

We need to look up! And we need to keep looking up!

 Application

I will keep looking up! How about you?

Prayer

Heavenly Father, thank You that we are not without hope. Your faithful love, O LORD, endures forever. You will work out Your plans for my life— You will not abandon me, for you made me.  I give you thanks, O Lord, with all my heart.  I will sing your praises …  I praise your name for your unfailing love and faithfulness; for your promises are backed by all the honor of your name.  As soon as I pray, you answer me; you encourage me by giving me strength. (Taken from Psalm 138) 

I pray for Pastor Mickey Hawkins and the congregation at Cinco Baptist Church. Thank You for bringing them into my sister’s life during this difficult time in her life. May Your face shine with favor on all of them!

    

Daily Bible Reading:  Ezra 5,6; Psalm 138; Luke 16




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How Good To Sing Praises To Our God! How Delightful And How Fitting!

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How Good To Sing Praises
To Our God!
How Delightful And How Fitting!

Scripture

Psalm 147

¹ Praise the Lord!
How good to sing praises to our God!
    How delightful and how fitting!

Observation

I drove up to Shalimar, Florida (near Destin) this weekend to see my younger sister Bea and her husband Norm.

All the way up from Tampa to Shalimar I listened to Christian music and praised the Lord!

When you get into your car you probably do the same thing! “Praise the LORD! How good to sing praises to our God! How delightful and how fitting!”

In just a few minutes hopefully you will be heading to a place of worship and you will have the opportunity to praise the LORD with a bunch of other Christians!

I pray that when you and I go this morning to worship that we will really and truly Praise the Lord!

Lets sing like we mean it. Lets actually focus on the lyrics and sing them intentionally to the Lord with all of our hearts!

Lets take off the roof with our Praise!

 Psalm 150

¹ Praise the Lord!
Praise God in his sanctuary;
    praise him in his mighty heaven!
² Praise him for his mighty works;
    praise his unequaled greatness!
³ Praise him with a blast of the ram’s horn;
    praise him with the lyre and harp!
⁴ Praise him with the tambourine and dancing;
    praise him with strings and flutes!
⁵ Praise him with a clash of cymbals;
    praise him with loud clanging cymbals.
⁶ Let everything that breathes sing praises to the Lord!
Praise the Lord!

Application

I will praise the Lord in church today! How about you?

Prayer

Heavenly Father, I look forward to singing praises to You this morning at Cinco Baptist Church in Ft. Walton Beach with my sister Bea and Norm and their family. I pray for my sister Bea this morning and her husband Norm as they deal with Bea having cancer. I pray for healing for Bea.  I pray for strength for the two of them and their children as they walk through this difficult time. Bless them Lord. Show them Your goodness. Do mighty and powerful things in their lives as they put their trust and faith in You. Nothing is too hard for You. You are All-Powerful.

I pray for those in Tampa that will celebrate and praise You today and for those who will be baptized at Ft. Desoto Beach. I pray for Dax and Ginger as they follow in believers’ baptism today. Help them to continue to grow in their faith. Bless them Lord!

Daily Bible Reading:  Zechariah 13,14; Psalms 147; Luke 15; Psalm 2, Psalm 102; Proverbs 2

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The Man Who Makes Himself Insignificant Will Find Himself Important.

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The Man
Who Makes Himself Insignificant
Will Find Himself Important.

 Scripture

Luke 14

11 “For those who exalt themselves will be humbled, and those who humble themselves will be exalted.” NLT

11 “For everyone who makes himself important will become insignificant, while the man who makes himself insignificant will find himself important.” Phillips

Observation

Life is not all about me and life is not all about you either! Life is about everyone around us. I don’t know about you, but it is easy for me to get that mixed up. 

Some days it seems like I think more about me than those around me. Humility is hard to hold on to – once I think I have it – that is the moment I lose it! 

Don’t you laugh! 

Pride is the downfall for us all! It slips in without us knowing it. 

“Me” that guy is my biggest problem. “I” also messes me up! 

So what is the solution to this terrible problem we have called “Pride”? Here it is – “God First, Others Second, Eddy Third”. At my house it should always be God First, Kathy Second, Everybody Else Third, and Eddy Fourth! How about you? 

¹⁷ For the Kingdom of God is not a matter of what we eat or drink, but of living a life of goodness and peace and joy in the Holy Spirit. ¹⁸ If you serve Christ with this attitude, you will please God, and others will approve of you, too. ¹⁹ So then, let us aim for harmony in the church and try to build each other up. Romans 14:17-19

    But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well. Matthew 6:33

For even the Son of Man came not to be served but to serve others and to give his life as a ransom for many.” Mark 10:45 

Application

I will strive everyday to maintain my 3^rd or 4^th spot in life! How about you?

Prayer

Heavenly Father, help me deal with me, myself, and I today. I don’t want to be number 1. I want to keep You in that spot. Help me think about others today more than myself. Thank You for our family and our friends. Bless them today. Give them the desires of their hearts, answer their prayers, and make their plans successful. (Taken from Psalm 20)

Daily Bible Reading:  Zechariah 10,11,12; Psalms 126; Luke 14

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