ALWAYS TREAT YOUR WIFE LIKE A LADY

Husbands,be considerate as you live with your wives, and treat them with respect. 1 Peter 3:7... Showing a woman honor and respect involves so much more than chivalrous gestures such as holding a door, rising politely at the dinner table, or laying one’s coat over a puddle of rainwater. A husband’s treatment of his wife like a lady begins with his attitude toward her. Do you truly value your spouse, or do you take them for granted? Do you view your wife as a gift from God, or as more of a burden, “the ol’ ball and chain”? The bible describes a wife of noble character as her husband’s crown” (Proverbs 12:4), “worth far more than rubies” (Proverbs 31:10). A Godly wife is a treasure to be cherished, deserving her husband’s highest compliments and praise. God is calling wives to be true ladies, kindhearted and worthy of respect; he is calling husbands to be gentlemen, and to give their wives the honor they have earned. How will you demonstrate this in your marriage today?

TAKE THE DAYS ONE AT A TIME. SOON FIFTY YEARS WILL PASS- BUT IT WON’T SEEM LIKE IT.

Oh, satisfy us early with your mercy, That we may rejoice and be glad all our days. Psalm 90:14.... A lifelong marriage is built day by day. It is made of days that seem momentous and days that seem mundane. Yet everyone is important. Everyone is indispensable. As you and I live out each day with our spouse to the fullest potential, sharing its joys and challenges, our days will steadily join together like the masonry in a sturdy brick home, forming a relationship that is solid and secure. Such a relationship, built on the sure foundation of faith in God and commitment to each other no matter what the days may bring, WILL STAND FOREVER! What will you do today that will make today momentous rather than mundane?

NEVER LET A DAY GO BY WITHOUT TELLING EACH OTHER, "I LOVE YOU."

A word fitly spoken is like apples of gold in pictures of silver. Proverbs 25:11... The words “I LOVE you” are powerful. They can build you up individually and strengthen you as a couple. They can encourage you and remind you of your lifelong commitment to each other, of the reasons why you chose to walk through this life together. Those words never wear out and they never go out of style. STOP….right now take a moment with your spouse…hold hands, gaze into each other’s eyes, and whisper “I LOVE YOU.”

TAKE TIME TO WORK THINGS OUT

Many waters cannot quench love; rive cannot wash it away. Song of Songs 8:7 There have been many times in our marriage when the difficulties life brings; have made us feel like we were in the midst of raging waters. It was easy for me to panic in that fear of being overwhelmed. Until I was reminded that I am not fighting alone. God has promised, “When you pass through the waters, I will be with you; and when you pass through the rivers, they will not sweep over you” (Isaiah 43:2). Trust the Lords promise, call out to Him, and cling to Him. He’ll take you safely to high ground. What is the single most important problem you need to work through today in your marriage?

YOU CAN ALWAYS WORK THINGS OUT IF YOU WANT TO

There are three things that will endure- faith, hope, and love- and the greatest of these is love. 1 Corinthians 13:13.... There have been times when I have felt that things were at their worst, and during those times I have been tempted to give up not only hope but question my very faith. I have wondered why God would allow us to suffer such awful circumstances, when I’ve done my best to obey Him. But the Word tells us that once we are in His hands, He will never let us go. Our faith maybe tested, but he won’t allow it to die. Maybe you’re in a season where you’re feeling the love between you has grown cold, and there seems to be nothing left between you. Be reminded like hope and faith, LOVE never completely dies. Trust God despite every reason to quit, He will prove Himself trustworthy. He will rekindle the embers in your hearts and fan the flames until they are burning steady and strong. For the rest of you...what will you do today preparation for the strength of your marriage during the worst of times?

Communicating Kindness

Kindness is communicating that someone is valuable through our actions (Smalley). How will you communicate kindness to your spouse today?

WORK AT BECOMING CLOSER

This is my command; love each other as I have loved you. John 15:12 There are an abundance of things I can do to foster feelings of romance, but if I want to experience true intimacy with my wife, I must first plumb the depths of Christ’s love, then give her a love that runs as close to those depths as possible. The journey toward intimacy with your spouse lies along the pathway of obedience to God. We are commanded to love each other as Jesus loves us. What would loving your spouse like Jesus loves us look like? What would you do to reach that kind of love? If it means flowers, do it. If it means picking up dirty laundry, cleaning the bathroom, bathing the kids, encouraging them, or giving them a quiet moment at the end of the day, DO IT. Take the time to become closer today!

DO EVERYTHING YOU CAN TO EXPRESS YOUR LOVE

DO EVERYTHING YOU CAN TO EXPRESS YOUR LOVE Little children, let us not love in Word or talk but in deed and in truth. By this we shall know that we are of the truth and reassure our hearts before him. 1 John 3:18-19 True love- everyone’s searching for it. But how do you know if you have it? How do you and your spouse express your love? Take a moment and write down those things that quickly come to mind. How many of those ideas you wrote down moved beyond the materialistic? Perhaps you, like me came up with many awesome ideas of gifts, and should certainly be used from time to time, but none of those things can prove your heart to be true. The ONLY way to know if you have true love is to see whether it stands the test of time. Has it endured hardship, boredom, and pain? Has it weathered life’s busyness? Has it withstood the pressures of job, family, and home, the stresses of middle and old age? Time alone will tell. Respect each other, encourage each other, and serve each other minute by minute, hour by hour. You determine whether the love you have is true over time…You can begin right now!

NEVER GET TO OLD TO HOLD HANDS

NEVER GET TO OLD TO HOLD HANDS I am always with you; you hold me by my right hand. You guide me with your counsel, and afterward you will take me into glory. Psalm 73:23-2 It is said that it starts with a tiny fist wrapped around a mother’s finger. It continues with a young hand held gently in one much larger. It endures through puppy love, adolescent relationships, and courtship. And if we are wise, it extends into marriage, through middle age, beyond the golden years, to the very end of life. Why would two people ever stop holding hands? Hold your spouse’s hand throughout your life together; don’t ever let it go until the day when you've fulfilled every marriage vow and finally release it from your grasp, placing it lovingly, trustingly into the hand of God!

HAVE FUN JUST BEING TOGETHER

HAVE FUN JUST BEING TOGETHER 1 Timothy 6:17 God…gives us richly all things too enjoy In all the busyness of your life; when was the last time you took the time to simply have fun with your spouse? Solomon said, “I commend the enjoyment of life” (Ecclesiastes 8:15). Have a good time with your spouse. Enjoy each other’s company. It doesn’t have to take a lot of money (or any for that matter) to have fun if you think of creative ways to be lighthearted and playful together. Have trouble with creativeness…Reflect on the One who provides you with so many blessings. Who fashioned and breathed to life the incredible person with whom you delight to share it all! Go ahead-Have some FUN!

YOU ONLY GET OUT OF MARRIAGE WHAT YOU PUT INTO IT

Whoever sows generously will also reap generously. 2 Corinthians 9:6 Several years ago we owned a house and had our front yard re-landscaped. New grass, a new flower bed arrangement with a water fountain, and new ground cover along with new flowers. After the installation was complete. I was not able to merely sit back and enjoy the new landscape. No, I had to work continuously keeping the weeds out, the ground cover cut. I had to constantly water everything, and the lawn had to be mowed each week. If your marriage is going to last a life time, it requires the same level of devotion and energy. Each must be available to the other when needed, fully present, ready to listen, to talk and to act. Both spouses must pour their heart and soul into the landscape of their marriage, making whatever sacrifices necessary to ensure success! The payoff is a rich, healthy, loving relationship that lasts. Sound Good? Devote time and energy to your marriage.

Weekend Quote (Sun)

It is the ordinary method of the Spirit of God to convict sinners by the law. It is this which, being set home on the conscience, generally breaketh the rocks in pieces. It is more especially this part of the Word of God which is quick and powerful, full of life and energy and sharper than any two-edged sword. ~ John Wesley

Weekend Quote

A zealous man feels sinners by the law. It is that, like a lamp, he is made to burn; and if consumed in burning, he has but done the work for which God appointed him. Such a one will always find a sphere for his zeal. If he cannot preach the work and give money, he will cry and sigh and pray. ~ John C. Ryle

Daily Word

But, as it is written, “What no eye has seen, nor ear heard, nor the heart of man imagined, what God has prepared for those who love him”- these things God has revealed to us through the Spirit. For the Spirit searches everything, even the depths of God. 1 Corinthians 2:9-10. In contrast to the wise of this world (who cannot even conceive the greatness of divine salvation), those who love God know and partake of His blessings. The quotation is based on Is. 64.4, but includes other ideas of the OT. The idea of divine searching (searches everything), emphasizes God’s omniscience, particularly His power to see what is invisible to humans. It does not imply that the Holy Spirit needs to seek knowledge of the Father that He otherwise lacks. The Spirit probes the depths of knowledge for our benefit. Spend some time and chew on this for a few moments. How does your walk with Christ change today understanding that the Spirit is probing the depths of God for your benefit?

Daily Word

None of the rulers of this age understood this, for if they had, they would not have crucified the Lord of glory. 1 Corinthians 2:8. Unbelievers (none of the rulers of this age) are still part of the old age and so have not received God’s wisdom. Paul emphasizes this point by focusing on the most influential members of society. It shouldn’t surprise anyone today as they watch all that is taking place in the world around us. We fail miserably at focusing on influential people in our society. Why? Perhaps it is because we have failed just as miserably influencing those on our own block, neighborhood, on our jobs. Around our city. If we have failed here how we can possibly expect to stand toe to toe with those who are influential elsewhere in our society?

Daily Word

But we impart a secret and hidden wisdom of God, which God decreed before the ages of our glory. 1 Corinthians 2:7. This passage should not be interpreted (a secret and hidden wisdom of God) as a reference to mysteries accessible only to superior Christians. The riches of the gospel, through “hidden” during Old Testament period, have now been revealed by the spirit. Eph. 3:2-6 makes plain that the word “mystery,” used by Paul to emphasize the distinctiveness of his message to the Gentiles, has a strong temporal meaning. The “mystery” is a truth that “was not made known…in other generations”; it was kept “secret from the ages.” But now the truth has been clearly revealed to those who have the Spirit, who live in “the end of the ages.” Take some time in the Word today and let its mysteries be revealed unto you!

Daily Word

Yet among the mature we do impart wisdom, although it is not a wisdom of this age or of the rulers of this age, who are doomed to pass away. 1 Corinthians 2:6. The word “mature here translates “perfect.” The apostle does not have in mind a special category of elite Christians, and the idea that may have been present among the Corinthians. The expression here is no doubt equivalent to “spiritual,” referring to the influence of the Holy Spirit. The mature or spiritual person is the person who has the Holy Spirit. Since every true believer has received the Spirit, every believer is spiritual and can understand God’s wisdom, the gospel of Jesus Christ. Where would the body of Christ be today if they put as much emphasis upon imparting Spiritual wisdom to others as they do chasing after signs, wonders, speaking into someone else’s life as the church designated prophet?

Daily Word

For I decided to know nothing among you except Jesus Christ and Him crucified. And I was with you in weakness and in fear and much trembling, and my speech and my method were not in plausible words of wisdom, but in demonstration of the Spirit and power, that your faith might not rest in the wisdom of men but in the power of God. ! Corinthians 1:2-5. Taken by themselves, these verses might suggest that Paul was timid, uneducated, and unable to speak with the force and eloquence. Both the book of Acts and Paul’s own two letters prove otherwise. “Self-confidence,” if it rests on arrogance concerning one’s own strength, reflects a desire to be independent from God. Paul had learned that God can use human weakness to show forth His coming glory. Because he knew that men and women will be persuaded only “in demonstration of the Spirit and power,” Paul used his talents and training with full confidence. This is a foundational portion of scripture(s) for those afraid to witness their faith. It’s not about you it’s ALL about God and what he can do through you. Your nervous, so was Pau, you feel weal, so did Paul…the only difference between you and Paul is that he put more trust in God than himself and allowed the power of God to work through him. It’s your turn…TODAY!

Daily Word

And I, when I came to you, brothers, did not come to you proclaiming to you the testimony of God with lofty speech or wisdom. 1 Corinthians 2:1. Paul must be referring to (when I came to you) to his first visit to Corinth, recorded in Acts 18:1-7. Influenced by Greek culture, some of the Christians in Corinth may have been critical of Paul for not using the rhetorical techniques (with lofty speech or wisdom) of their contemporaries. Paul focused on the message of the cross, so that the Corinthians would put their faith in Christ who was crucified rather than in the ability of human messengers. The message you share must be more about what Christ has already done for them than what he will do for them. Anything short of that produces a false convert…period!

Weekend Quote (Sun)

We cannot come to Christ to be justified until we have first gone to Moses to be condemned. But once we have gone to Moses and acknowledge our sin, guilt, and condemnation, we must not stay there. ~ John Stott

Weekend Quote S(at)

Whatever we make the most of is our God. ~ Martin Luther For those who worship Idols, the idols’ silence gives the worshiper an illusion of permission to sin, to rise up early and embrace the pleasures of sin.

Daily Word

But God chose what is foolish in the world to shame the wise; God chose what is weak in the world to shame the strong; God chose what is low and despised in the world, even things that are not, to bring to nothing things that are, so that know human being might boast in the presence of God. And because of him you are in Christ Jesus, who became to us wisdom from God, and righteousness and sanctification and redemption, so that, as it is written, “Let the one who boasts, boast in the Lord.” 1 Corinthians 1:27-31. This principle, (no human being might boast in the presence of God) which Paul underscores in vs. 31 by quoting Jer. 9:24, provides the foundation for the biblical doctrine of salvation: It is a gracious gift from God that rules out human boasting. What have you been boasting about lately?

Daily Word

For consider your calling, brothers: not many of you were wise according to worldly standards, not many were powerful, not many were noble birth. 1 Corinthians 1:26. Salvation, by its very nature, does not depend on human values. Even those in the Corinthian church who might have been justly admired could not have claimed that they were chosen because of their good qualities. Rather, God has mercy on all who acknowledge their sinfulness. Whom will God have mercy on today because you were an obedient vessel reaching out on God’s behalf?

Daily Word

For the Jews demand signs and Greeks seek wisdom, but we preach Christ crucified, a stumbling block to the Jews and folly to the Gentiles, but to those who are called, both Jews and Greeks, Christ the power of God and the wisdom of God. For the foolishness of God is wiser than men, and the weakness of God is stronger than men. 1 Corinthians 1:22-25. Paul identifies precisely what the world finds offensive (we preach Christ crucified) about the gospel. Possibly these words also reflect the reason for Paul’s opposition to the gospel before his conversion. The thought that the messiah (God’s anointed) had been hanged on a tree and had come under divine curse was intolerable to many Jews. God’s wisdom and power (Christ the power of God and the wisdom of God) are not abstract forces but personal qualities that manifest themselves fully in the life, teachings, death, and resurrection of Jesus Christ. It is interesting to me that today it appears that it is the “believers” who chase after signs, and challenge one another with the wisdom of God in regards to what the word means. We’ve gotten so busy in our attempt to manufacture the qualities of God within the church that we’ve become blinded to the lost and dying world around us. The power of the gospel has become insignificant in our own eyes before it ever reaches theirs. Today, take some time to mediate on the power of the gospel…then go forth and apply it!

Weekend Quote (Sun)

No man knows the brightness of the gospel ‘till he understands the blackness of those clouds which surround the Law of the Lord. ~ Charles Spurgeon

Weekend Quote (Sat)

The moment God’s Law ceases to be the most powerful factor in influencing the moral sensitivity of any individual or nation, there will be no indifference to Divine wrath, and when indifference comes in it always brings in its train indifference to salvation. ~ A.N. Martin

Daily Word

For since, in the wisdom of God, the world did not know God through wisdom, it pleased God through the folly of what we preach to save those who believe. 1 Corinthians 1:21. This passage is filled with intense irony. Those who are wise according to the standards of this world think the gospel is foolish (the folly of what we preach). But even the most “foolish” thing about God is wiser than human wisdom. God can use the simplicity of the gospel to demonstrate that real foolishness belongs to those who oppose him. The arrogance of human wisdom blinds unbelievers to the truth. Jesus thanked His Father for His good pleasure in hiding these things from the wise and learned but revealing them to the little children. Be reminded today, that those in the world see the things of God as foolishness because they are blinded. It is God, and God alone who is able to remove the clouds from their eyes. None the less we continue to plow and plant the seed... So “happy farming” today!

Daily Word

Where is the one who is wise? Where is the scribe? Where is the debater of this age? Has not God made foolish the wisdom of the world? 1:20. It is not clear whether Paul intends a sharp distinction between these three categories (wise…scribe…debater). Possibly the first is general in character, while the other two are specifically Jewish scribes and Greek teachers. Much of Paul’s theology is built on the basic opposition (this age…the world) between “the present evil age,” and the coming age, which has already dawned for those who received the spirit.

Daily Word

For the word of the cross is folly to those who are perishing, but to us who are being saved it is the power of God. For it is written, “I will destroy the wisdom of the wise, and the discernment of the discerning I will thwart.” 1 Corinthians 1:18-19. According to the bible there will be two types of response to the gospel arising from God’s elective purpose (perishing…being saved). This truth does not make God responsible for the perishing of unbelievers; they perish because of their own sin and stubborn impenitence. Those who believe and are saved, on the other hand, are those who are “called.” This is one of those that always stirs it up…If Jesus died for everyone…then He failed because many die every day in their sin and according to His Word they shall spend eternity in the lake of fire…However, if Jesus died for those whom have been “called” than His death has accomplished fully the purpose by which He was sent! This is always a tough one for folks to wrap their heads around…but none the less…our command is to go forth and preach the gospel. To plant, water, or reap…makes no difference…just do something!

Daily Word

For Christ did not send me to baptize but to preach the gospel, and not with words of eloquent wisdom, lest the cross of Christ be emptied of its power. 1 Corinthians 1:17. The Corinthian church had an unhealthy regard (words of eloquent wisdom) for rhetorical display. Paul will focus attention on what true wisdom is (in upcoming verses). In this verse he reminds the Corinthians that the power of his own preaching did not depend on such skills. In the opinion of those who are wise according to this world, proclaiming (cross of Christ) the crucified Lord is foolishness. Paul therefore treats “wisdom” and “the cross” as opposites. Be reminded that regardless of how well educated a man maybe. NO one can stand against the power of your testimony! I’m not knocking education by all means get all that you can…but never back up, back down, or back off from anything the world puts in front of you!

Weekend Quote (Sun)

We Christians too often substitute prayer for playing the game. Prayer is good; but when used as a substitute for obedience, it is nothing but a blatant hypocrisy, a despicable Pharisaism…To your knee, Man! And to your bible! Decide at once! Don’t hedge! Time flies! Cease your insults to god. Quit consulting your flesh and blood. Stop your lame, lying, and cowardly excuses. Enlist! ~ C.T. Studd

Daily Word

Is Christ divided? Was Paul crucified for you? Or were you baptized in the name of Paul? I thank God that I baptized none of you except for Crispus and Gaius, so that no one may say that you were baptized in my name. (I did baptize also the household of Stephanas. Beyond that, I do not know whether I baptized anyone else.) 1 Corinthians 1:13-16. With this question Paul anticipates one of his fundamental teachings about the church. Just as a physical body, though made up of many members is one, so also the church, which is the body of Christ, cannot be divided. One of the greatest hindrances of the church today is its lack of unity. Today, take a moment and reflect your role…are you adding to or taking away from the unity of the body of Christ?

Daily Word

For it has been reported to me by Chloe’s people that there is quarrelling among you, my brothers. What I mean is that each one of you says, “I follow Paul,” or “I follow Apollos,” or” I follow Cephas,” or “I follow Christ.” 1 Corinthians 1:11-12. Reported means to “show,” “make clear,” or “reveal” something. Chloe’s people may have done this by oral report. Chloe’s identity and her location are unknown, as well as whether these “people” are friends, business associates, family, or from her household. Apparently the Corinthian were divide into factions on the basis of who baptized them. Paul new Apollos well. His rhetorical skills were impressive, and the Corinthian Christians had received him gladly after Paul’s departure. Cephas is the Aramaic equivalent of the name Peter, and both names refer to Peter the apostle. Unlike Paul, Cephas was married and had traveled to Corinth with his wife. Apparently one faction in Corinth, claiming to be above it all, took the slogan “I follow Christ.” Many today carry on in the same manner when they talk about which church they attend, or which denomination they belong to. The truth is, in Christ we are of one body…the body of Christ

Daily Word

I appeal to you brothers, by the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, that all of you agree, and that there be no divisions among you, but that you be united in the same mind and the same judgment. 1 Corinthians 1:10. This exhortation (I appeal to you) begins the body of the letter and announces Paul’s primary concern. He has heard that the unity of the Corinthian church has broken down. Many of the problems addressed in this letter reflect the spirit of dissension that was in the community. When it comes to maintaining the unity around you are you adding to it or taking away from it?

Daily Word

Who will sustain you to the end, guiltless in the day of our Lord Jesus Christ. God is faithful, by who you were called into the fellowship of His Son, Jesus Christ our Lord. 1 Corinthians 1:8-9. There is no condemnation on the final day for those who, like the Corinthians, are in Christ Jesus. They already have been justified and, in a sense, even sanctified, so no one will be able to bring a charge against them at the judgment. The Corinthians’ have a long way to go before their behavior matches their status before God, but Paul is confident that God, who is faithful, will make them what they should be. How does your behavior as a follower of Christ match the status given you by Christ through the eyes of those around you?

Daily Word

Grace to you and peace from God our Father and Lord Jesus Christ. I give thanks to my God always for you because of the grace of God that was given you in Christ Jesus, that in every way you were enriched in Him in all speech and all knowledge- even as the testimony about Christ was being confirmed among you-so that you were not lacking in any spiritual gift, as you wait for the revealing of our Lord Jesus Christ, who will sustain you to the end, guiltless in the day of our Lord Jesus Christ. 1 Corinthians 1:3-8. The Corinthians were tempted to become puffed up by their gifts of “knowledge” and of speaking “in tongues” (in every way you were enriched). Paul needs to rebuke them for their moral weakness and abuse of those gifts, but he does not deny or minimize the blessing they have received. Paul encourages his readers by assuring them that God, who began a work of grace in them, can be trusted to complete it (will sustain you). Indeed, they will be presented “guiltless” at the time of Christ’s return. God has given each of us spiritual gifts to be used for His purposes in furthering the body of Christ until His return. Do you know what He as gifted you with, and if so are you diligent in honoring that which has been given you for His purpose?

Weekend Quote (Sun)

The true function of the Law is to accuse and to kill; but the function of the gospel is to make alive! ~ Martin Luther

Weekend Quote (Sat)

Secure sinners must hear the thundering of Mount Sinai before we bring them to Mount Zion. Every minister should be Boanerges, a son of thunder, as well as a Barnabas, a son of consolation. ~ George Whitfield

Daily Word

To the church of God, that is in Corinth, to those sanctified in Christ, called to be saints together with all those who in every place call upon the name of our Lord and ours: 1 Cor. 1:2. The word “saints” calls attention (sanctified…called to be saints) to the distinctive status of God’s people. Paul often uses it to identify the Christians to whom he writes. The description “sanctified” underlines this aspect of Christian life. The Corinthians’ were plagued by ethical problems and this letter touches repeatedly on the subject of sanctification. At the very beginning Paul calls special attention to it. Significantly, however, he encourages them in a pastoral way by reminding them that they are sanctified. The goal of holiness is realistic because God has already changed their hearts. The ground that Moses once stood upon was holy. So holy in fact that he was told to remove his sandals. Nothing about the piece reality was any different than the reality five feet in any direction…except that God called it holy. YOU have been sanctified…set apart by God, and called to be saints with all (not just some)!

Daily Word

Paul, called by the will of God to be an apostle of Christ Jesus, and our brother Sosthenes, 1 Cor. 1:1-1. An apostle is one commissioned directly by Christ as His authoritative messenger. Paul stresses the significance of his office elsewhere. Some of the problems in the Corinthian church involved challenges to Paul’s authority. Has it ever occurred to how many problems are caused in the church today because people challenge pastoral authority? Everyone loves the pastor until he brings correction or rebuke. Then because of a lack of maturity people run off to the next church. Remember today that the “Man of God” that stands before you in your house of worship was placed there by God, and if God has led you there it is your responsibility to honor his authority rather than challenge his authority!

Daily Word

James, a servant of God and of the Lord Jesus Christ, to the twelve tribes in the dispersion: Greetings. James 1:1. James Identifies himself as a slave of God and of Chris. A bond servant is one purchased and owned by a master or “Lord.” This indicates not only humility on the part of the writer but a profound testimony to his conversion to faith in his earthly half-brother as his redeemer. James is a servant to both God and Jesus, a crucial theological bracketing. Today most everyone calls themselves Christian, and most have made a decision to believe but not a commitment to follow. Do you live your life purchased and sold out to Christ, or are you living more like your on a lease/rental agreement?

Weekend Quote (Sun)

The Law searches to the dividing asunder of joints and marrow, and it is a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart. Its excessive light strikes us like Saul of Tarsus, to the earth, and makes us cry for mercy. ~ Charles Spurgeon

Daily Word

The Lord is king forever and ever; the nations parish from his land. O Lord, you hear the desire of the afflicted; you will strengthen their heart; you will incline your ear to do justice to the fatherless and the oppressed, so that man who is of the earth may strike terror no more. Psalm 10:16-18. God is covenant Lord. The lament concludes with a strong statement of trust in God, who delivers the weak from oppression. Men terrify, but God overrules the wickedness of men. There are many around us each day caught up in their own oppression. How can God use you to strengthen someone’s heart today?

Daily Word

The helpless are crushed, sink down, and fall by his might. He says in his heart, “God has forgotten, he has hidden his face, he will never see it.” Psalm 10:11-12. In the mouth of the wicked, this would attribute a weak memory to God (God has forgotten), or perhaps indifference to human suffering. Either way its blasphemy, and the faithful mention it to God in order to stir him to action that prove the wicked to be wrong…as you will see in the following days verses. Remember this next to your going through something and think that God is nowhere

Daily Word

His mouth is filled with cursing and deceit and oppression; under his tongue are mischief and iniquity. He sits in ambush in the villages; in hiding places he murders the innocent. His eyes stealthily watch for the helpless; he lurks in ambush like a lion in his thicket; he lurks that he may seize the poor; he seizes the poor when he draws them to his net. Psalm 10:7-9. Sins of speech are the focus here these verses. Paul alluded to this in Romans 3:14 when he wrote that “no one was righteous”. The metaphor (sits in ambush) of the wicked in ambush is well known from proverbs 1:11…If they say, “Come with us, let us lie in wait for blood; let us ambush innocent blood without reason”. The wicked prefer to work in darkness (stealthy), not in the light. The wicked is portrayed here as a hunter of the helpless. When was the last time you considered the “sins” of your speech? How often do we say things without thinking the consequences of our words through, and what the effect might have on those around us? The verses above speak of the wicked and are intentional. How much deeper the pain inflicted by ne seen as believer…

Daily Post

His ways prosper at all times; your judgments are on high, out of his sight; as for all his foes, he puffs at them. He says in his heart, “I shall not be moved; throughout all generations I shall not meet adversity.” Psalm 10:5-6. From the perspective of the oppressed (prosper at all times), it appears the oppressor has no troubles. This attitude of self-trust (I shall not be moved) brought trouble to the psalmist himself. Confidence must be in God, not in one’s own ability. How often we seek confidence in ourselves; whether it be in the small things or the bigger things in our lives…perhaps if we practiced putting more confidence in God in the smaller things in our lives. We would learn to trust God in the greater things in life…thus finding the intimacy with him we so often desperately seek.

Weekend Quote (Sun)

So pure, so just, so uncompromising is the Law of God, that when it is really understood, it makes us quail, and brings us to our knees. ~ Charles Spurgeon

Weekend Quote (Sat)

Ah! How foolish we are! How we repeat the folly of our first parent every day when we seek to hide sin from conscience, and then think it is hidden from God. ~ Charles Spurgeon

Daily Word

For the wicked boast of the desires of his soul; and the one greedy for gain curses and renounces the Lord. In the pride of his face the wicked does not seek him; all his thoughts are, there is no God. Psalm 10:3-4. The wicked persons ethical judgment (boasts…renounces) are up-side down. He should bless the Lord and reject the greedy. Telling a non-believer about the love of Christ and pointing out the benefits of restoring a marriage, curing an addiction etc…only feeds into the greedy desires of the soul. However, when you first teach them the Law of God that they may understand precisely why they are wicked and greedy; only then will they be in a position to fully understand the curse upon them and seek to the Lord and reject the greedy.

Daily Word

Why, O Lord, do you stand far away? Why do you hide yourself in times of trouble? In ignorance the wicked hotly pursue the poor; let them be caught in the schemes that they have devised. Psalm 10:1-2. This psalm has no title, it was likely combined with Ps.9. Taken separately and calling on God the psalm would be an individual lament, bemoaning the wicked who victimize the righteous and calling on God to restore justice. The psalmist is more troubled (Why…do you stand far away) by the apparent absence of God than by his enemies. Today, many continue to cry out…”why, O Lord, do you stand so far away” and “Why do you hide your face in times of trouble?” Yet those very same folks crying out fail to recognize that the only time they are interested in God or His help are during those times of tragedy or trouble, and never once do they accept or recognize their own part in what has caused that distance between themselves and God. Today, will you draw closer to God or push Him farther away?

Daily Word

For the needy shall not always be forgotten, and the hope of the poor shall not perish forever. Arise, O Lord! Let not man prevail; let the nations be judged before you! Put them in fear, O, Lord! Let the nations know they are but men! Psalm 918-20. The phrase “the poor and needy” is a fixed expression in the OT, and the words often appear frequently in parallel. The meaning is frequently literal poverty, but the words may also be used figuratively to express total dependency on God. Poverty is not of itself meritorious, but God gives special attention to the cries of the oppressed. Jeremiah equates bringing “justice and righteousness” to the “poor and needy” with knowing God. This was an explicit responsibility of those in power.

Daily Word

The nations have sunk in the pit that they made; in the net that they hid, their own foot has been caught. The Lord has made himself known; he has executed judgment; the wicked are snared in their work of their own hands. The wicked shall return to Sheol, all the nations that forget God. Psalm 9:15-17. The wickedness of such enemies will come back to haunt them. Remember it is the people who create a nation…and ALL those that forget God are considered enemies. The Lord continues to make Himself known. You as a follower of Christ are either furthering or hindering in His process. In which direction will you lead today?

Daily Word

Be gracious too me, O Lord! See my affliction from those who hate me, O you who lift me up from the gates of death, that I may recount all your praises, that in the gates in the daughter of Zion I may rejoice in your salvation. Psalm 9:13-14. In these verses this song moves to a prayer for deliverance from affliction. The previous threat (vv.3-6) makes it clear that others are yet to come, while the decisive victory has displayed God’s commitment to protect and preserve His people. The result of God’s answer to the people will be further praise in worship. How often do you give praise to God outside the comfort of your home or the weekly church service? Are you one whom is recognized for praising God in public?

Weekend Quote (Sun)

To be “spiritually minded” simply means to look at earth from heaven’s point of view. The spiritually mined believer makes his decisions on the basis of eternal values and not the passing fads of society. ~ Warren Wiersbe

Weekend Quote

Taking up a cross and dying to myself sounds more like torture. We think that such a decision would make us miserable. Is that what it means to follow Jesus? We wake up every morning and commit to misery. But when we die to ourselves and completely surrender to Him, there is a surprising side effect to dying; we discover true life. In a twist of irony, we find that giving up our lives gives us the life we so desperately wanted all along. ~ Kyle Idleman

Daily Word

Sing praises to the Lord who sits enthroned in Zion! Tell among the peoples his deeds! For he who avenges blood is mindful of them; he does not forget the cry of the afflicted. Psalm 9:11-12. The afflicted should know that God is present with them in their world. (Seeks Blood) God does not let wickedness go unpunished. Often times we look at the horrific things going on in the world around us, and wonder where God is. Be reminded today that regardless of how the circumstance appear on the outside of any situation; God hears the cry of the afflicted and NO wickedness goes unpunished. Nothing man can do in the eyes of man’s justice can compare to the wrath of God’s justice!

Daily Post

But the Lord sits enthroned forever; he has established his throne for justice, and he judges the world with righteousness; he judges the people with uprightness. The Lord is a stronghold for the oppressed, a stronghold in times of trouble. And those who know your name put their trust in you, for you, O Lord, have not forsaken those who seek you. Psalm 9:7-10. And yet another reminder of that our God is more than a God of love…He is a God of justice. He doesn’t forsake those who seek him. The question is…Are you seeking Him according to your terms or His?

Daily Word

You have rebuked the nations; you have made the wicked perish; you have blotted out their name forever and ever. The enemy came to an end in everlasting ruins; their cities you rooted out; the very memory of them has perished. Psalm 9:5-6. To be remembered no more (blotted out their name), contrasted with God’s name which will be praised forever. History has a way of repeating itself. No matter how big or small the enemy may be that you are facing; God has demonstrated His actions of bringing it to an end and leaving it in ruins. We must remember that His timing is not necessarily our timing. Our job is to stay focused in Him with both thanksgiving and praise!

Daily Word

When my enemies turn back, they stumble and parish before your presence. For you have maintained my just cause; you have sat on the throne, giving righteous judgment. Psalm 9:3-4. This is a statement of future hope (when my enemies turn back), not past reality. The psalmist is not confident in himself (throne, giving righteous judgment), but in God’s character as the righteous judge. Sometimes as we go through situations it appears that being a follower of Christ causes us to get the short end of the deal. From a worldly perspective we may come out looking weak or unjustified. But rest assured as a child of God…He maintains our just cause. In the end His purpose is better than ours could have ever been.

Daily Word

I will give thanks to the Lord with my whole heart; I will recount all your wonderful deeds. I will be glad and exult in you; I will sing praise to your name, O most high. Psalm 9:1-2. The Hebrew word (wonderful deeds) refers to the great acts of God, His intervention in human affairs, as at the Exodus from Egypt. Today, take some time and to look back at God’s intervention throughout your life. Maybe you will find some times where looking back today ended up being more of His wonderful deed then it appeared to be at that time!

Weekend Quote (Sun)

“All heaven is interested in the cross of Christ, all hell terribly afraid of it, while men are the only beings who more or less ignore its meaning.” ~ Oswald Chambers

Weekend Quote (Sat)

“I was alive without the law once: but when the commandment came, sin revived’. So it is with work-righteous and the proud unbelievers. Because they do not know the Law of God, which is directed against them, it is impossible for them to know their sin. Therefore also they are not amenable to instruction. If they would know the Law, they would also know their sin; and sin to which they are now dead would become alive in them.” ~ Martin Luther

Daily Word

What is man that you are mindful of him, and the son of man that you care for him? Yet you have made him a little lower than the heavenly beings and crowned him with glory and honor. You have given him dominion over the works of your hands; you have put all things under his feet, all the sheep and oxen, and also all the beasts of the field, the birds of the heavens, and the fish of the sea, whatever passes along the paths of the seas, O Lord, How majestic is your name in all the earth. Psalm 8:4-9. This passage is applied to Jesus in Heb.2:6-8. He was a perfect man as well as God. Jesus is the model of redeemed humanity and restored human dominion over creation. In the vastness of the universe (what is man) and against the greatness of God’s power, man is little. The Hebrew word ‘elohim, here translated “heavenly beings,” usually Means “God”, but it can mean “divine beings.” If God were in view one would have expected, “you have made him a little lower than yourself.” The “cultural mandate” (dominion) of Gen. 1:28 divinely confers on humanity the authority and responsibility for governing earthly life.

Daily Word

O Lord, our Lord, how majestic is your name in all the earth! You have set your glory above all the heavens. Out of the mouth of babies and infants, you have established strength because of your foes, to still the enemy and the avenger. When I look at your heavens, the work of your fingers, the moon and the stars, which you have set into place. Psalm 8:1-3. The subject of this hymn is the excellence of God in His works of creation, a major theme of the wisdom literature. The Psalm can be called a wisdom poem. It ponders God’s exaltation of lowly humanity in giving them dominion over creation. The personal, or covenantal, name (Lord) of God revealed to Moses at the burning bush. A title (our Lord), which can be translated “governor” or “master”. He is our Lord because He has established His covenant with His people. The second verse of this Psalm is prophecy fulfilled by Jesus (Matt. 21:15-16). Take some time today to meditate on His majesty and glory…when was the last time you gave some thought to Him in that area of your life?

Daily Word

If a man does not repent, God will wet his sword; he has bent and readied his bow; he has prepared for him his deadly weapons, making his arrows fiery shafts. Behold, the wicked man conceives evil and is pregnant with mischief and gives birth to lies. He makes a pit, digging it out, and falls into the hole that he has made. His mischief returns upon his own head, an on his own skull his violence descends. I will give to the Lord the thanks due to his righteousness, and I will sing praise to the name of the Lord, the most high. Psalm 7:12-17. Evil returns upon evil doers. God’s anger toward the persecutors shows itself by turning their own schemes against them. To those who only preach the love of God be reminded that the wrath of God is every bit as real and equal.

Daily Word

Arise, O Lord, in your anger; lift yourself up against the fury of my enemies; awake for me; you have appointed a judgment. Let the assemblies of the people be gathered about you; over it return on high. Oh, let the evil of the wicked come to an end, and may you establish the righteous—you who test the minds and hearts, O righteous God! My shield is with God, who saves the upright in heart. God is a righteous judge, and a God who feels indignation every day. Psalm 7:6-11. These verses of the Psalm are a call to God to arise as judge. The singers see their requests as a part of the larger picture: God is a righteous judge, to whom all the peoples of mankind, and not just Israel, are accountable; thus His anger and indignation are directed against those who threaten His faithful ones (the righteous, and the upright in heart). In the Psalms, judging is more often than not a saving action, God intervening on behalf of the innocent and oppressed. (In English the word “judge” tends to focus more on condemning than on rescuing.) The particular deliverance, then, is part of God’s larger project of putting the whole world back to its right order. Meditate on the point shown here that the psalmist recognizes and understands the importance of his righteousness before God, and therefore in faith confidently goes before God knowing His heart and mind will be tested.

Weekend Quote (Sun)

On the invitation Jesus gives us to follow Him there is an RSVP date and it reads: TODAY. The word tomorrow is not in the Holy Spirit’s vocabulary. Regardless whether or not you are a unbeliever, new believer, or how long you have believed. When Jesus calls us to follow, He means right now. He means today! ~ Kyle Idleman

Weekend Quote (Sat)

Taking up a cross and dying to myself sounds more like torture. We think that such a decision would make us miserable. Is that what it means to follow Jesus? We wake up every morning and commit to misery. But when we die to ourselves and completely surrender to Him, there is a surprising side effect to dying; we discover true life. In a twist of irony, we find that giving up our lives gives us the life we so desperately wanted all along. ~ Kyle Idleman

Daily Word

O Lord my God, if I have done this, if there is any wrong in my hands, if I have repaid my friend with evil or plundered my enemy without cause, let the enemy pursue my soul and over take it, and let him trample my life ;to the ground and lay my glory in the dust. Psalm 7:3-5. Claim of innocence. These verses make it clear that this psalm is for those cases in which the danger stems from the malice of the persecutors, and not from the wrong doing of the person in trouble. There is an implicit warning to those who commit the evils listed here- that they may not use this psalm to ask for God’s help in their troubles. When you pray do you ever use the scriptures in prayer, and how deep do you dig into those that you use? When was the last time you searched through the Palms…

Daily Word

O Lord my God, in you do I take refuge; save me from all my pursuers and deliver me, lest like a lion they tear my soul apart, rending it to pieces, with none to deliver. Psalm 7:1-2. This psalm is another lament from David. The title refers to an otherwise unknown incident in his life when a man of Benjamin (the tribe of Saul) slandered David. The psalm provides a vehicle by which those unfairly criticized and persecuted may call to God for help. In the face of desperate circumstances, the first words express trust (my God, refuge), leading to the specific request. When you turn for help in your time of need is it God you turn to first, and when you turn to God are you quick to cry for help or do you express first your trust and faith in who he is?

Daily Word

Turn, O Lord, deliver my life; save me for the sake of your steadfast love. For in death there is no remembrance of you; in Sheol who will give you praise? Psalm 6:4-6. Here the psalmist thinks the Lord has turned from him. The word translated “steadfast” (the sake of your steadfast love) indicates how devotedly God binds Himself t His people by His covenant. A similar statement is expressed in Psalm 30:9 (No remembrance). This word (Sheol) is found most often in poetic passages that revel the thoughts and fears of the living, but are not presentations of a doctrine of resurrection or of the intermediate state. Again, be reminded that this psalm is a plea for mercy. Mediate on each word, and process this psalm as an example of deep prayer unto God…When was the last time you turned to God in such manner?

Daily word

O Lord, rebuke me not in your anger, nor discipline me in your wrath. Be gracious to me, O Lord, for I am languishing; heal me, O Lord, for my bones are troubled. My soul also is greatly troubled. But you, O Lord---how long? Psalm 6:1-3. This psalm is an individual lament from David. It is especially suited to one whose hard circumstances have led him to see his sins and to repent of them. The psalmist begs the Lord to refrain from verbal and physical punishment (rebuke…discipline). Though God disciplines His people, it is for correction and not destruction. The psalmist experiences suffering, probably a serious illness (I am languishing….my bones are troubled). Some take the language as figurative for spiritual distress. The psalmist boldly asks how long God will permit his suffering to continue. He desperately seeks relief from the One who is able to give it. If you haven’t begun already…begin today to look at the heart of the words as we walk through the psalms. Looking within himself, acknowledging his own place, then immediately turning the one who is able to bring help and healing. A great example of both faith and trust!

Daily Word

Make them bear their guilt. O God; let then fall by their own counsels; because of the abundance of their transgressions cast them out, for they have rebelled against you. But let all who take refuge in you rejoice; let them ever sing for joy, and spread your protection over them, that those who love your name may exult you. For you bless the righteous, O Lord; you cover him with favor as with a shield. Psalms 5:10-12. The psalmist calls upon God to punish the wicked (let them fall by their own counsel) because they are guilty. Sin often brings its own retributive consequences. Often times we blame everything under the sun for the negative circumstances in our lives; seeking God to step in and save us from our woes and mishaps. We rarely look within ourselves to search out our own sin which may have brought about the retributive consequence of which we are walking through. Today own your part, repent, rejoice, exalt Him…and walk in His favor as covers you as with a shield!

Weekend Quote (Sun)

God is an infinite circle whose center is everywhere and whose circumference is nowhere. ~ Saint Augustine of Hippo

Weekend Quote (Sat)

We are saved by God’s grace when we believe in Jesus and put our faith in Him, but biblical belief is more than just something we confess with our mouths; it’s something we confess with our lives. ~ Kyle Idleman

Daily Word

But I, through the abundance of your steadfast love, will enter your house. I will bow down before your holy temple in the fear of you. Lead me, O Lord, in your righteousness because of my enemies; make your way straight before me. For there is no truth in their mouth; their inmost self is destruction; their throat is an open grave; they flatter with their tongue. Psalm 5:7-9. The writer knows that he is different from the wicked only because of God’s grace (abundance of your steadfast love). Is own sin would destroy him if God did not have compassion on him as he approached Go’s presence. The psalmist protests his innocence by stating his desire to worship the Lord (will enter your house). “Your house” and “your holy temple” may refer to the site where the temple would be built, or perhaps the tabernacle of the psalmists own time. The path of safety that God opens (your way) is also the path of obedience to His will. (Destruction…open grave) Note how evil speech brings death. Meditate for a few minutes today, and be reminded that we come before God only through “the abundance of His steadfast love”; and we must continually pray that God will lead us to walk in the way that is morally straight.

Daily Word

For you are not a God who delights in wickedness; evil may not dwell with you. The boastful shall not stand before your eyes; you hate all evildoers. You destroy those who speak lies; the Lord abhors the blood thirsty and deceitful man. Psalms 5: 4-6. This is a poetic understatement (not a God who delights in wickedness). God hates sin. God is holy, “set apart” from all evil (evil may not dwell). Sinful people may not come into His presence without a substitutionary sacrifice. We cannot continue to live a life style so connected to the world that we are blinded by our own compromise to His Word. What is it that you no longer fell conviction over because you have allowed yourself to be blinded by compromise…remember, He is not a God who delights in wickedness…of any kind.

Daily Word

Give ear to my words, O Lord; consider my groaning. Give attention to the sound of my cry, my king and my God, for to you I do pray. O Lord, in the morning you hear my voice; in the morning I prepare a sacrifice for you and watch. Psalm 5:1-3. This lament petitions the Lord in the midst of distress. However, the psalmist also expresses trust in the Lord’s protection. The psalmist’s distress is caused by the evil speech of the wicked. The Hebrew word (groaning) implies a kind of muttering or scarcely audible speech, as would accompany memorizing or reflection. David, Israel’s king, addresses God as King. He knows that his own kingship is a pale reflection of God’s. What is it that you consider a “sacrifice” to God? Some consider those things of the world that they have given up as a sacrifice. Consider today a sacrifice of “time”. Beginning each morning with time spent crying out to God. Laying before Him the business of your day, your life, and then watch...see Him work in your life!

Daily Word

Be angry, and do not sin; ponder in your own hearts on your beds, and be silent. (Selah) Offer right sacrifices, and put your trust in the Lord. There are many who would say, “Who will show us some good? Lift up the light of your face upon us, O Lord!” You have put more joy in my heart than they have when their grain and whine abound. In peace I will both lie down and sleep; for you alone, O Lord, make me dwell in safety. Psalm 4:4-8. (Words to the Godly) The singer (Psalmist) tells the godly not to give into the anger that would lead them to take revenge; instead they must remain steadfast in their worship and trust. This (Be angry, and do not sin) should perhaps be taken as a conditional sentence: “If you feel anger at those who slander you (which you may well do), nevertheless do not sin by seeking revenge against them.” They way to prevent sin is to PONDER and BE SILENT: that is, reflect on how the Lord has shown Himself trustworthy. This does not discourage the faithful from using legal resources when necessary; instead it speaks against personal revenge that circumvents the law and consumes the lives of the vengeful. It is the practice of intimate prayer, and the daily study of His Word that enables you to ponder and be silent in times of anger…Which also can be a test of your maturity in Christ!

Daily Word

O men, how long shall my honor be turned into shame? How long will you love vain words and seek after lies? But know that the Lord has set apart the godly for himself; the Lord hears when I call to him. Psalm 4:3-4. It seems that the psalmist is angry (My honor be turned into shame) at men who turn away from God to serve the false gods of the nation. The idols of the nations (seek after lies) are lies because they don’t really exist; they are figments of sinful imagination. The Hebrew word (Hasid) is the adjective form of “steadfast love” (Hb. Hesed). This term, variously rendered “godly”, “saint”, “faithful one”, and “holy one” in the Psalms, refer to those who have genuinely laid hold of God’s steadfast love; here it is singular, to stress that each faithful member of the people may have this confidence. If you attend your church once a week, and live out the rest of the week too busy to study His Word, or seek Him in prayer; then you may very well be living that life of loving vain words and seeking after lies. Without true knowledge of the Word you have no way of knowing whether or not what you hear each week is God’s truth or man’s truth. How can you expect to be set apart…when you fail to take the time to set apart your own life through Him?

Weekend Quote (Sun)

We must have faith; and let us not apologize for it, for faith is an organ of knowledge and can tell us more about ultimate reality than all the findings of science. We are not opposed to science, but we recognize its proper limitations and refuse to stop where it is compelled to stop. The bible tells of another world to fine for the instruments of scientific research to discover. By faith we engage that world and make it ours. It is accessible through the blood of the everlasting covenant. If we will believe we may even now enjoy the presence of God and the ministry of His heavenly messengers. Only unbelief can rob us of this royal privilege. ~ A. W. Tozer

Weekend Quote (Sat)

Our body is the most gracious gift God has given us, and if we hand over the mainspring of our life to God we can work out in our bodily life all that He works in. It is through our bodily lives that Satan works, and, thank God, it is through our bodily lives that God’s Spirit works. God gives us His grace and His Spirit; He puts right all that was wrong, He does not suppress it nor counteract it, but readjusts the whole thing; then begins our work. ~ Oswald Chambers

Daily Word

Answer me when I call, O God of my righteousness! You have given me relief when I was in distress. Be gracious to me and hear my prayer! Psalm 4:1. Like Psalm 3 this Psalm (4) was composed in distress, and the psalmist exhibits a deep confidence in God. Both Psalms meditate on faith in the night. The righteous have nothing to fear, because God hears their prayers and cares for them. The righteous are not without sin, but are in a covenant relationship with God. The imperative verbs in this verse (Answer me….my righteousness) show the boldness of the psalmist in prayer. He can fearlessly call on God because He knows that God is his righteousness. How often do you enter into prayer whether in distress or not with abandon confidence, and complete boldness knowing He is your righteousness; that you have nothing to fear?

Daily Word

He who sits in the heavens laughs; the Lord holds them in derision. Then he will speak to them in his fury, saying, “As for me, I have set my King on Zion, my holy hill.” Psalm 2:4-6 Since the Lord is not dismayed, neither do his people need to be, God laughs at the rebels and declares his firm purpose to establish the throne of David as he has promised. The Lord counters the plotting of the kings by pointing to the establishment of His messianic King, prefigured in the temporal monarchy of Jerusalem. Again, it doesn’t matter who man appoints to govern at any level…God is, and has always been in control. As children of God we must look towards the future of a worldwide rule from the house of David calls for a ruler who is more than a mere man!

Daily Word

Why do the nations rage and the people plot in vain? The kings of the earth set themselves, and the rulers take counsel together, against the Lord and against his anointed, saying, “Let us burst their bonds apart and cast away their cords from us.” Psalm 2:1-2. This is a perfect reminder that it we are to trust in God alone when it comes to government. We should not be surprised at those things which man does as he is only following his nature. Be reminded that no matter how things may appear on the outside…God is ALWAYS in control.

Daily Word

Therefore the wicked will not stand in the judgment, nor sinners in the congregation of the righteous; for the Lord knows the way of the righteous, but the way of the wicked will perish. Psalm 1:5-6. The two ways of life (the Lord knows the way) are determined by one’s relation to the Lord. The ideal of righteousness is fulfilled in Jesus Christ. What does your relation to the Lord determine about you right now?

Daily Word

He is like a tree planted by streams of water that yields its fruit in its season, and its leaf does not wither. In all that he does, he prospers. The wicked are not so, but are like chaff that the wind drives away. Psalm 1:3-4. As Joseph prospered in Egypt, so will the righteous man. He is compared to a luxuriant tree, ever blooming because water is near. The contrast is strong. The wicked are compared to dead and rootless plants. A puff of wind carries them away. What does it mean to be prosperous in your eyes? Is it a Spiritual view or a worldly view? One who is rooted and planted in His Word remains strong and is prosperous. However, without His Word actively working in and through your life you will ultimately wither and die…That path is easley recognized as when the trials and tribulations that life brings comes their way…they are driven about like chaff in the wind!

Weekend Quote (Sun)

God does not communicate things to us so much as He just is Himself in us. We are the vessels, the containers, so the first work after the new birth is to cultivate the habit of receptivity. ~ Norman Grubb

Weekend Quote (Sat)

The presence of God is a fact of life. We may, by defying the purpose of God, insulate ourselves from that presence. We may, by unrepented sin, cut off the sense of God because we are clouded by a sense of guilt. We may through, no fault of our own, be unable to sense the God who is all about us. But the fact remains that He is with us all the time. ~ J.B. Phillips

Daily Word

Blessed is the man who walks not in the counsel of the wicked, nor stands in the way of sinners, nor sits in the seat of scoffers; but his delight is in the law of the Lord, and on his law he meditates day and night. Psalms 1:1-2. A stronger word than “happy” (blessed); to be “blessed” is to enjoy God’s special favor and grace. The righteous man is described by what he avoids (walks not…nor stands…nor sits). There is a downward progression in the verbs “walks”, “stands”, “sits.” The righteous man is described as someone who loves (his delight) the law of God. “Law” can refer to a specific command, but also to the whole scripture. The righteous person grows by an obedient response to the scriptures, which expresses the will of God…. STOP… Right now, take a long, hard, and deep look at yourself. Whose counsel are you following? Is your life as blessed as it could be or do you find yourself in an area of downward progression? If you find this to be true of you today…Repent, and return to the law of the Lord…as the righteous person loves and studies it.

Daily Word

For this Melchizedek, king of Salem, priest of the most high God, met Abraham returning from the slaughter of the kings and blessed him, and to him Abraham apportioned a tenth part of everything. He is first, by translation of his name, king of righteousness, and then he is also king of Salem, that is king of peace. Hebrews 7:1-2. The central point of this chapter is that the solemn promise of Ps. 110:4 was fulfilled only in Jesus Christ. Jesus’ eternal priesthood is explained in terms of the two OT texts that mention Melchizedek (Gen 14:17-20, Psalm 110:4). The introduction of Melchizedek emphasizes that he was a king as well as a priest. As such he is a type of Christ, who is our prophet, priest, and king. “Salem” was apparently an ancient name for Jerusalem. How does Jesus as prophet, priest, and king play out in your walk with Christ?

Daily Word

We have this as a sure and steadfast anchor of the soul, a hope that enters into the inner place behind the curtains, where Jesus has gone as a forerunner on our behalf, having become a high priest forever after the order of Melchizedek. Hebrews 6:19-20. Our life’s anchor is secured (the inner place behind the curtain) in the innermost section of the heavenly tabernacle, the original from which earthly sanctuary was modeled. Entrance to the inner sanctuary (has gone as a forerunner) is not possible without Jesus. He went in first, so that his people could follow. As Christians our hope is in the person and saving works of Jesus. Our hope provides security and stability for the soul. Be assured today that Because He has gone on before us that He has made the way for each of us to draw near into that place of the holy of holies. When was the last time you slowed down long enough to enter?

Daily Word

For people swear by something greater than themselves, and in all their disputes an oath is final for conformation. So when God desired to show more convincingly to the heirs of the promise the unchangeable character of his purpose, he guaranteed it with an oath, so that by two unchangeable things, in which it is impossible for God to lie, we who have fled from refuge might have strong encouragement to hold fast to the hope set before us. Hebrews 6:16-18. God’s oath bound promise was not only for Abraham but for all who follow in his footsteps. God’s unchanging, purpose was to bless the world through the seed of Abraham; the meaning of this was revealed in the gospel. The unchanging promise God conveyed to Abraham and the oath that confirmed it raising it above all uncertainty or distrust. The oath confirms that the promise was indeed the purpose of God. Hang on to this passage for future reference the next time you find yourself doubting the promises of God!

Weekend Quote (Sun)

Christianity is neither contemplation nor action. It is participation. Contemplation is looking at God as if He were an object. But if you participate in God in the sense that you let yourself be penetrated by Him, you will go to the cross like Him, you will go to work like Him, you will clean shoes, do the washing up and the cooking, all like Him. You cannot do otherwise because you will have become part of Him. You will do what He loves to do. ~ Louis Evely

Weekend Quote (Sat)

Fellowship with God leads straight to obedience and good works. That is the divine order and it can never be reversed. ~ A.W. Tozer.

Daily Word

For when God made a promise to Abraham, since he had no one greater by whom to swear, he swore by himself, saying, “Surely I will bless you and multiply you” And thus Abraham, having patiently waited, obtained the promise. Hebrews 6:13-15. Faith can endure patiently because God’s oath secures His promise to us, as it did to Abraham. Our confidence rests in the eternal high priesthood of Jesus after the order of Melchizedek, a priesthood secured by divine promise and oath. That God whose “word is truth,” should reinforce the surety of that infallible promise through an oath underscores the permanence and seriousness of the divine promise. While sinful and fallible human beings “swear by something greater” than themselves, God, the highest authority, “swore by himself.” The divine promise and oath was God’s response to Abraham’s attempted sacrifice of Isaac, the child of divine promise, in obedience to divine direction. In the birth and then the rescue of Isaac, Abraham did receive the promised blessing of offspring. Nevertheless, he did not see the complete fulfillment of those covenantal promises. The word is full of God’s promises for you. Those promises are fulfilled in His time and not ours. Our requirement is to demonstrate faith that endures patiently. What promise have you given up on lately?

Daily Word

Though we speak in this way, yet in your case, beloved, we feel sure of better things- things that belong to salvation. For God is not unjust so as to overlook your work and the love that you have shown for his name in serving the saints, as you still do. And we desire each one of you to show the same earnestness to have the full assurance of hope until the end, so that you may not be sluggish, but imitators of those who through faith and patience inherit the promises. Hebrews 6:9-12. By bearing firstfruits of a useful crop, the readers give reason for confidence that they will prove to be the land that receives God’s blessing of salvation. Still, they must shake off their present sluggishness to receive the inheritance promised to patient believers. The severity of the previous warning should not lead to despair. Because the goal of faith is in the future (hope), the faithful must “hold on until the end.” Abraham is the preeminent example (through faith and patience inherit the promises); but biblical history is full of witnesses who have run the course of patient faith ahead of us, and have now received the promised inheritance through Christ’s perfecting work. When was the last time you felt “sluggish” in your faith, and how do you walk through faith and patients in your relationship with Christ?

Daily Word

For land that has drunk the rain that often falls on it, and produces a crop useful to those for whose sake it is cultivated, receives a blessing from God. But if it bears thorns and thistles, it is worthless and near to being cursed, and its end is to be burned. Hebrews 6:7-8. According to the Prophetic imagery of the OT, the ground is God’s people, and the rain falling on it is the word or the Spirit of God. The unproductive field is destroyed. Today, many claim to be a Christian. You cannot simply believe that there is a “God”, or a “higher power.” Because you attend church once a week, have a Christian radio station set on your car radio to listen to once in a while, and where a cross around your neck because it looks good. Doesn’t qualify among those things that God receives as honoring Him. Confession, submission, and obedience are the first steps…And they produce in you a cultivated life that produces a crop useful in His service and honorable in His sight!

Daily Word

For it is impossible, in the case of those who have once been enlightened, who have tasted the heavenly gift, and have shared in the Holy Spirit, and have tasted the goodness of the word of God and the powers of the age too come, and then have fallen away, to restore them again to repentance, since, they are crucifying once again the Son of God to their own harm and holding him up to contempt. Hebrews 6:4-6. (Once been enlightened) That is, had the knowledge of God disclosed in the gospel message and publicly confessed baptism. In early Christian writings, conversion and baptism were sometimes termed “enlightenment.” The Greek word for “once” is prominent in Hebrews. It is used in connection with the once-for-all sacrifice in Christ. Some see here (tasted the Holy gift) a reference to participation in the sacrament of the Lord’s Supper. Or the phrase could be paired with “enlightenment” as a broad description of apparent conversion. They had some experience (shared in the Holy Spirit) with the gifts of the Holy Spirit, but it is not necessary to conclude that regeneration is specifically intended. Most obviously, (signs to come) the signs and wonders that accompanied the introduction of the gospel. You cannot turn your back on something you never had in the first place. One either fully submits to Christ or does not there is no partial commitment.

Daily Word

Therefore let us leave the elementary doctrine of Christ and go on to maturity, not laying again a foundation of repentance from dead works and of faith toward God, and of instruction about washing's, the laying on of hands, the resurrection of the dead, and eternal judgment. And this we will do if God permits. Hebrews 6 1-3. These (elementary doctrines) ABC’s of Christian doctrine, which are now briefly enumerated. All these doctrines can be found in the Book of Acts. The plural is unexpected (washing's/baptisms); there is only one Christian baptism. Yet even today when Christian baptism is discussed, other baptisms, at least John the Baptist’s, must be mentioned. This was certainly true in NT times. Another possibility is that the word refers specifically to OT ceremonial washings as part of the essential background for Christ’s work. The action (laying on of hands) accompanied blessing, healing the sick, ordination of church officers, and especially the gift of the spirit, which was associated with baptism. Alternatively, as is possible with “ washing's,” the writer may be referring to the OT foundation of Christ’s work. The conventional phrase (God permits) acknowledges the need for God’s help in learning and teaching Christian doctrine. Its use suggests that the material to follow is difficult, as indeed it is. Although verse three (last verse) is only eight words long. Foe me, it bears the weight of this entire passage. “And this we will do if God permits,” So many times we try to do things in our own power, and accomplish things according to our own agenda failing to rely on God. We accomplish that which God alone permits, and often time take way to much credit for ourselves rather than giving it the one who permitted our victories in the first place. Maturity is being able to recognize from where our accomplishments come. Take time today to thank, and give God His due glory for all that He has permitted you to accomplish this far in your life!