#Psalm 11: 1-2

[walkswithmyfather]

“Rejoice always, pray without ceasing, give thanks in all circumstances; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you.” —1 Thessalonians 5:16

“In all circumstances part 1: trust in God's character” By Antique Candle Co.:

“Why is it that we most often seek the Lord during the valleys of life? We know from His Word that He wants us to seek Him in every season. During the peaks, with moments of great joy and celebration; during the valleys, in times of worry and uncertainty. Not only does He desire His children to seek Him out, but He calls us to be faithful in all circumstances.

“Trust in the Lord with all your heart, and do not lean on your own understanding...” —Proverbs 3:5

Trusting in the Lord's character allows us to find hope in every situation. It's not just about trusting God to get us through the difficult moments, but fully trusting in who He is, which extends to every moment of life.

So what is God's character? Many things. God cannot be compared to anything else in all creation. He created all things. Therefore, there are some attributes of Christ we can and cannot understand. We can't understand being 'unchanging' or 'all-knowing' ourselves because, as we are finite beings, we are neither. However, His Word tells us these truths about Him so that we may trust the characteristics that are unique to God alone. We can see and acknowledge the truth of His character in the Word and in our own lives.

GOD IS UNCHANGING:

“Jesus Christ is the same yesterday and today and forever.” —Hebrews 13:8

“Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of lights, with whom there is no variation or shadow due to change.” —James 1:17

GOD IS FAITHFUL:

“...if we are faithless, he remains faithful—for he cannot deny himself.” —2 Timothy 2:13

“The Lord is good; his steadfast love endures forever and his faithfulness to all generations.” —Psalm 100:5

GOD IS ALL-KNOWING:

“He who planted the ear, does he not hear? He who formed the eye, does he not see? He who disciplines the nations, does he not rebuke? He who teaches man knowledge—the Lord—knows the thoughts of man, that they are but a breath.” —Psalm 94:9

GOD IS SOVEREIGN:

“For from him and through him and to him are all things. To him be glory forever. Amen.” —Romans 11:36

“In him we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of our trespasses, according to the riches of his grace, which he lavished upon us, in all wisdom and insight.” —Ephesians 1:7-8

“And we know that for those who love God all things work together for good, for those who are called according to his purpose.” —Romans 8:28

“And this gospel of the kingdom will be proclaimed throughout the whole world as a testimony to all nations, and then the end will come.” —Matthew 24:14

Place your trust in a God who is unchanging, faithful, all-knowing, sovereign, and so much more. In all circumstances, His character is something that will never fail.”

[Read the whole of this encouraging Blog post here.]

[martyschoenleber]

Jesus is Coming

Some years ago I was walking around the reception tables after a wedding I had performed. An older woman approached me with a question. Almost everyone present at this particular wedding had come from a high church liturgical tradition. In their tradition, they had sometimes weekly, sometimes monthly recited either the Apostle’s Creed or the Athanasian Creed. But apparently, she hadn’t been…

[mybeautifulchristianjourney]

Tyndale Life Application Daily Devotion

Devotional for February 1st

Serve the LORD with reverent fear,        and rejoice with trembling. Submit to God's royal son, or he will become angry,        and you will be destroyed in the midst of all your activities— for his anger flares up in an instant.        But what joy for all who take refuge in him! — Psalm 2:11-12

Insight

We must surrender fully and submit to the Son. Christ is not only God's chosen King, he is also the rightful King of our hearts and lives.

Challenge

To be ready for Christ's return, we must submit to his leadership every day.

© 2010 by Tyndale House Publishers

[padderley14]

"I'm Not Good Enough" is Only One of the Lies

“I’m not good enough” is only one of the lies we tell ourselves. Moreover, this is what I told myself most of my life along with other lies like “You’re not good enough”, “You’ll never amount to anything”, “You’re too fat”, “You’re not pretty enough”, and the like. What Lies Do You Tell Yourself? I guess the point that I’m trying to make is that these are lies. So, why did I continue to believe…

[the-black-reaper]

"I am the Lord's friend if do as he commands"

I understand greatness is mine to manifest, I have a vision, a plan, and ill make it work. My faith is stronger then ever. Amen

In God have I put my trust: i will not be afraid what man can do unto me. Ps 56; 11-13

Trust in the Lord with all thine heart; and lean not unto thine own understanding. In all thy ways acknowledge him, and shall direct thy paths. Pr 3: 5,6

Thou wilt keep him in perfect peace, whose mind is stayed on thee, because he trusteth in thee. Trust ye in the Lord forever: for in the Lord Jehovah is everlasting strength. Isa 26: 3-5

The Lord thy God, he will go over before thee, and he will destroy these nations from before thee, and thou shalt possess them: and Joshua, he shall go over before thee, as the Lord hath said. Deuteronomy 31: 3

The eternal God is your refuge, And underneath are the everlasting arms; He will thrust out the enemy from before you, And will say, ‘Destroy!’Deuteronomy 33:27

The God of my rock; in him will I trust: he is my shield, and the horn of my salvation, my high tower, and my refuge, my saviour; thou savest me from violence. I will call on the Lord, who is worthy to be praised: so shall I be saved from mine enemies. When the waves of death compassed me, the floods of ungodly men made me afraid; 2 Samuel 22:3-5

In thee, O Lord, do I put my trust; let me never be ashamed: deliver me in thy righteousness. Bow down thine ear to me; deliver me speedily: be thou my strong rock, for an house of defence to save me. For thou art my rock and my fortress; therefore for thy name's sake lead me, and guide me. Psalm 31:1-3

The Lord is my strength and my shield; my heart trusted in him, and I am helped: therefore my heart greatly rejoiceth; and with my song will I praise him. Psalm 28:7

Fret not thyself because of evildoers, neither be thou envious against the workers of iniquity. For they shall soon be cut down like the grass, and wither as the green herb. Trust in the Lord, and do good; so shalt thou dwell in the land, and verily thou shalt be fed. Delight thyself also in the Lord: and he shall give thee the desires of thine heart. Commit thy way unto the Lord; trust also in him; and he shall bring it to pass. Psalm 37:1-5

He that dwelleth in the secret place of the most High shall abide under the shadow of the Almighty. I will say of the Lord, He is my refuge and my fortress: my God; in him will I trust. Surely he shall deliver thee from the snare of the fowler, and from the noisome pestilence. He shall cover thee with his feathers, and under his wings shalt thou trust: his truth shall be thy shield and buckler. Thou shalt not be afraid for the terror by night; nor for the arrow that flieth by day; Nor for the pestilence that walketh in darkness; nor for the destruction that wasteth at noonday. A thousand shall fall at thy side, and ten thousand at thy right hand; but it shall not come nigh thee. Only with thine eyes shalt thou behold and see the reward of the wicked. Because thou hast made the Lord, which is my refuge, even the most High, thy habitation; There shall no evil befall thee, neither shall any plague come nigh thy dwelling. For he shall give his angels charge over thee, to keep thee in all thy ways. They shall bear thee up in their hands, lest thou dash thy foot against a stone. Thou shalt tread upon the lion and adder: the young lion and the dragon shalt thou trample under feet. Because he hath set his love upon me, therefore will I deliver him: I will set him on high, because he hath known my name. He shall call upon me, and I will answer him: I will be with him in trouble; I will deliver him, and honour him. With long life will I satisfy him, and shew him my salvation. Psalm 91

I will lift up mine eyes unto the hills, from whence cometh my help. My help cometh from the Lord, which made heaven and earth. He will not suffer thy foot to be moved: he that keepeth thee will not slumber. Behold, he that keepeth Israel shall neither slumber nor sleep. The Lord is thy keeper: the Lord is thy shade upon thy right hand. The sun shall not smite thee by day, nor the moon by night. The Lord shall preserve thee from all evil: he shall preserve thy soul. The Lord shall preserve thy going out and thy coming in from this time forth, and even for evermore. Psalm 121:1-8

Blessed is the man who trusts in the Lord, And whose hope is the Lord. For he shall be like a tree planted by the waters, Which spreads out its roots by the river, And will not [a]fear when heat comes; But its leaf will be green, And will not be anxious in the year of drought, Nor will cease from yielding fruit. Jeremiah 17:7-8

The Lord is my shepherd; I shall not want. He maketh me to lie down in green pastures: he leadeth me beside the still waters. He restoreth my soul: he leadeth me in the paths of righteousness for his name's sake. Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil: for thou art with me; thy rod and thy staff they comfort me. Thou preparest a table before me in the presence of mine enemies: thou anointest my head with oil; my cup runneth over. Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life: and I will dwell in the house of the Lord for ever. Psalm 23:1-6

[bojackson54]

The Woman Who Believed an Unbelievable Message

Almost every Christmas pageant contains the Angel’s appearance to Mary. Luke’s narrative about Mary’s conversation with Gabriel described her reaction to some pretty unbelievable news. If you think about it, there is much to learn from Mary’s response to God’s messenger. (And BTW, the Greek word for angel is anggelos, or messenger—simply put, a courier who brings a message, or a word from someone…

[deremerstudios]

DIVISION'S MORAL DECEIT

Face it - we live in divisive times. Join us as we examining how the cultures' moral veneration of division has come home to roost in the Evangelical church... and the devastating consequences it has wrought. What counsel does the Scriptures offer?

Examining how the cultures’ moral veneration of division has come home to roost in the Evangelical church with devastating consequences. But what counsel does the Scriptures offer to help us right the ship before it’s too late? “A new commandment I give to you, that you love one another, even as I have loved you, that you also love one another. 35 By this all men will know that you are My…

[kmac4him1st]

Embrace Thanksgiving

This is a really great Thanksgiving Devotional to peruse through and enhance your soul in gratefulness, creating a desire to Embrace a lifestyle of Thankfulness.

Embrace Thanksgiving This is the season for Thanksgiving, so we are more aware of being grateful, but it would be such a great thing for our souls if we would embrace “Giving Thanks” as a way of life, a part of our daily life from day to day. I am thinking if we do this, if we become grateful, thankful people, on a daily basis, embracing thanksgiving as part of our character, we will know God’s…

[touchofgoddotworld]

No Matter The Darkness In The World, God Still Has Plans For Those Who Call Him Lord (269) - October 26 2024

Choose your Podcast App to Play this episode For those who love the Lord [who hold Him in affectionate reverence, promptly obeying Him and gratefully recognizing the benefits He has bestowed], what eye has not seen and ear has not heard and has not entered into the heart of man, [all that] God has prepared (made and keeps ready) for them. This is what 1 Corinthians 2:9 speaks about. The believer…

[30daysoffire]

Day 4

August 15, 2024

Dear friend,

Habits seem harder and harder to break. Which makes sense. The older I get, the more I become what I've been. The longer I've been doing the same things again and again and again, the deeper the patterns impress upon my heart. The dirt trails I have walked for three decades are now packed earth, paved road, highways.

But just because it's more difficult doesn't mean I should stop trying. Sin habits are still habits. I do them without thinking; they are so ingrained into my being and my soul. And yet, there's the still, small voice, the itty-bitty truth drowned out by routine... Think. Start thinking.

Think about who you are––beloved, saved, sanctified, adopted, made new.

Think about whose you are––child of the king, purchased and pardoned for a purpose, set apart for infinite glory and joy.

Think about why you continue to be––to glory in and enjoy a good God, to know and be known by Him, to reign with Him and be His bride, His body, His child (metaphors for infinite truths).

Think about where you are headed––eternal joy, seeing Jesus face to face.

Think about how you will get there––by faith... and through many dangers, toils, and snares... and carried along by grace and truth and divine power.

And as you think of these things, your affections might shift, even minutely, off course of where they were pushing your soul. And maybe the fires of lust get swallowed up in greater, stronger, divinely directed conflagrations.

Take some Philippians 4:8 pills and let them shape you a la Romans 12:1-2. Eat that bread of the Word and digest it thoroughly and soak in it (Psalm 1:1-3) and absorb every nutrient you can obtain (Psalm 119:11) and wield it powerfully (Ephesians 6:17) against the lies that have shaped you for years. But do it one day at a time, one step at a time, one leg at a time, one breath at a time (Philippians 3:13-14).

And you'll get there, friend.

And I struggle alongside you. It's tough out here. But we have infinite hope in an infinite Savior.

With affection,

Your brother

[graceandpeacejoanne]

Revelation 21: God's Glorious City

For this city was made entirely of the purest gold and shimmered with every hue of gem and pearl. In fact, each of its portals was carved from one voluminous pearl a piece. The sentries were angels. Every part of the city was foursquare, infinitely stable

[walkswithmyfather]

“Therefore I urge you, brethren, by the mercies of God, to present your bodies a living and holy sacrifice, acceptable to God, which is your spiritual service of worship. And do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, so that you may prove what the will of God is, that which is good and acceptable and perfect.” —Romans 12:1-2 (NASB1995)

“For whoever wishes to save his life will lose it; but whoever loses his life for My sake will find it.” —Matthew 16:25 (NASB1995)

“You will make known to me the path of life; In Your presence is fullness of joy; In Your right hand there are pleasures forever.” —Psalm 16:11 (NASB1995)

“The Blessing of Sacrifice” By In Touch Ministries:

“Though it may be difficult, we are called to follow Jesus' example and surrender everything to God.”

“In the Old Testament, sacrifice was a means of atonement. When a person sinned, he or she brought an animal to the altar, and through its death, reconciliation was accomplished. What, then, does today’s passage mean when Paul urges believers to “present your bodies as a living and holy sacrifice” (v. 1)?

Thankfully, there is no need for our blood to be shed; Jesus took care of that when He died on the cross for our sins. Instead, what Paul means is that our lives should be surrendered to the Lord. A surrendered life involves commitment. It’s a decision to defer to God’s will and His Holy Spirit instead of following our own preferences. Every aspect of our being—body, soul, and spirit—is to be a living sacrifice. 

Though this may sound dreary, true freedom and joy are found when we yield to Christ. The Lord promised His followers that abundant life comes from losing ourselves in Him (Matthew 16:25). Psalm 16:11 says it best: “In Your presence is fullness of joy; in Your right hand there are pleasures forever.”  

Becoming a living sacrifice sounds like a tall order—and it is. But it’s a call we face with Jesus by our side. Remember: He is our constant companion and wants to help us.”

[martyschoenleber]

Christo-Centric Reflection on Psalm 24

Today we heard a message from one of our newly ordained pastors on Psalm 24. It was a good reminder that when we (Christians) read the psalms, we read through the lens of the New Testament, Christ, and the resurrection. We are built up in our most holy faith (Jude 1:20) on the foundation of the Old Testament Law and Prophets and the New Testament Apostles and prophets of which Christ is the…

[granonine]

Saturday Soliloquy: Blessings

It’s a gorgeous day today. breezy and sunny. A perfect day to honor a new baby who will arrive in April, which is what we did this morning at a baby shower for the mommy of the coming baby. It was a very happy affair, with fun games, good food, and a lot of conversation around several tables. As we enjoyed the festivities, I thought about the fuss we like to make when a new baby is on the way.…

[fardell24b]

Church notes - 4th February 2024

2 Corinthians 5:19 - 6:2

The Call of the Gospel The Why

It can be daunting

Psalm 147:5

The Why is really important

Matthew 18:20 Obedience to Jesus

We will be jidged

Gratitude

2 Corinthians 5:10, 11 Have a healthy fear 2 Corinthians 5:14

Gratitude to Jesus We never forget the Cross

Ambassadors vs 1, 2

The last days. The growth of the Kingdom before He returns.

Communion 1 Corinthians 11:22 - 26

[doulafaith]

Lord, Don't Give Up on Me

Context: Psalm 119: 1-176 Focus: Psalm 119: 1-8 “I will obey your decrees. Please don’t give up on me!” Psalm 119:8 NLT (my emphasis) Those who follow the instructions of the Lord are blessed with the joy of His presence. Those who seek Him with all their hearts will find Him.  They do not compromise with evil but walk His path of righteousness.  You commanded us to keep Your law and our desire…