Time’s Up! ~ Raul Ries

Then the beast was captured, and with him the false prophet who worked signs in his presence, by which he deceived those who received the mark of the beast and those who worshiped his image. These two were cast alive into the lake of fire burning with brimstone.”
Revelation 19:20

So what happens to the Antichrist and the false prophet during the battle of Armageddon? The Lord captures them both and throws them alive into the lake of fire.

Finally, Jesus Christ deals with Satan. Revelation 20:1-3 says, “Then I saw an angel coming down from heaven, having the key to the bottomless pit and a great chain in his hand. He laid hold of the dragon, the serpent of old, which is the Devil and Satan, and bound him for a thousand years; and He cast him into the bottomless pit, and shut him up, and set a seal on him, so that he should deceive the nations no more till the thousand years were finished.”

Remember that Satan is a defeated foe! He has no jurisdiction over your life. You can resist him and his antics!

Thought for the Day:

Satan is a defeated foe! He who is in you is greater than he who attacks you!

Beware a Different Gospel! ~ WOW the Bible in 7 minutes a day

Beware a Different Gospel!

Galatians 1-2; Psalm 119:17-18,24; Proverbs 21:5

Paul, an apostle (not from men nor through man, but through Jesus Christ and God the Father who raised Him from the dead), and all the brethren who are with me,

To the churches of Galatia:

Grace to you and peace from God the Father and our Lord Jesus Christ, who gave Himself for our sins, that He might deliver us from this present evil age, according to the will of our God and Father, to whom be glory forever and ever. Amen.

I marvel that you are turning away so soon from Him who called you in the grace of Christ, to a different gospel, which is not another; but there are some who trouble you and want to pervert the gospel of Christ. But even if we, or an angel from heaven, preach any other gospel to you than what we have preached to you, let him be accursed. As we have said before, so now I say again, if anyone preaches any other gospel to you than what you have received, let him be accursed.

For do I now persuade men, or God? Or do I seek to please men? For if I still pleased men, I would not be a bondservant of Christ.

But I make known to you, brethren, that the gospel which was preached by me is not according to man. For I neither received it from man, nor was I taught it, but it came through the revelation of Jesus Christ.

For you have heard of my former conduct in Judaism, how I persecuted the church of God beyond measure and tried to destroy it. And I advanced in Judaism beyond many of my contemporaries in my own nation, being more exceedingly zealous for the traditions of my fathers.

But when it pleased God, who separated me from my mother's womb and called me through His grace, to reveal His Son in me, that I might preach Him among the Gentiles, I did not immediately confer with flesh and blood, nor did I go up to Jerusalem to those who were apostles before me; but I went to Arabia, and returned again to Damascus.

Then after three years I went up to Jerusalem to see Peter, and remained with him fifteen days. But I saw none of the other apostles except James, the Lord's brother. (Now concerning the things which I write to you, indeed, before God, I do not lie.)

Afterward I went into the regions of Syria and Cilicia. And I was unknown by face to the churches of Judea which were in Christ. But they were hearing only, "He who formerly persecuted us now preaches the faith which he once tried to destroy." And they glorified God in me.

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

But from those who seemed to be something-whatever they were, it makes no difference to me; God shows personal favoritism to no man-for those who seemed to be something added nothing to me. But on the contrary, when they saw that the gospel for the uncircumcised had been committed to me, as the gospel for the circumcised was to Peter (for He who worked effectively in Peter for the apostleship to the circumcised also worked effectively in me toward the Gentiles), and when James, Cephas, and John, who seemed to be pillars, perceived the grace that had been given to me, they gave me and Barnabas the right hand of fellowship, that we should go to the Gentiles and they to the circumcised. They desired only that we should remember the poor, the very thing which I also was eager to do.

Now when Peter had come to Antioch, I withstood him to his face, because he was to be blamed; for before certain men came from James, he would eat with the Gentiles; but when they came, he withdrew and separated himself, fearing those who were of the circumcision. And the rest of the Jews also played the hypocrite with him, so that even Barnabas was carried away with their hypocrisy.

But when I saw that they were not straightforward about the truth of the gospel, I said to Peter before them all, "If you, being a Jew, live in the manner of Gentiles and not as the Jews, why do you compel Gentiles to live as Jews? We who are Jews by nature, and not sinners of the Gentiles, knowing that a man is not justified by the works of the law but by faith in Jesus Christ, even we have believed in Christ Jesus, that we might be justified by faith in Christ and not by the works of the law; for by the works of the law no flesh shall be justified.

"But if, while we seek to be justified by Christ, we ourselves also are found sinners, is Christ therefore a minister of sin? Certainly not! For if I build again those things which I destroyed, I make myself a transgressor. For I through the law died to the law that I might live to God. I have been crucified with Christ; it is no longer I who live, but Christ lives in me; and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave Himself for me. I do not set aside the grace of God; for if righteousness comes through the law, then Christ died in vain."

Galatians 1-2

WORSHIP

Deal bountifully with Your servant,
That I may live and keep Your word.
Open my eyes, that I may see
Wondrous things from Your law.
Your testimonies also are my delight
And my counselors.
Psalm 119:17-18, 24

WISDOM

The plans of the diligent lead surely to plenty,
But those of everyone who is hasty, surely to poverty.
Proverbs 21:5

Joyful release ~ Mike MacIntosh

Now when they drew near Jerusalem, to Bethphage and Bethany, at the Mount of Olives, He sent two of His disciples; and He said to them, "Go into the village opposite you; and as soon as you have entered it you will find a colt tied, on which no one has sat. Loose it and bring it. And if anyone says to you, 'Why are you doing this?' say, 'The Lord has need of it,' and immediately he will send it here." So they went their way, and found the colt tied by the door outside on the street, and they loosed it. But some of those who stood there said to them, "What are you doing, loosing the colt?" And they spoke to them just as Jesus had commanded. So they let them go.
Mark 11:1-6

Here is a wealthy family, with a donkey tied outside the courtyard of their house. And with one simple sentence, "the Lord has need of it," the rich man gives the donkey into the Lord's care.

It's so great to see this here, since in the previous chapter, Mark tells of the rich young ruler who refused to give up anything and walked away in sorrow. Jesus' words were ringing so true in his life, that "it is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for the rich to enter the kingdom of God" (Mark 10:25).

Some of the disciples were also more concerned about wealth and power than obedience and faith, as they were asking Jesus who would be the greatest (Mark 10:35). Yet here we see in Mark 11 the faithfulness of a rich man and his family to the will of Jesus Christ. Everything you have--little or big--is all God's, so don't hold onto any possessions tightly. If Jesus has need of anything, be willing to immediately turn it over to Him.

And one last thing. Don't think about "having to give something up" as some sort of punishment or negative thing. I bet this family was honored to give what they had to the Lord's work. It doesn't say that they were grumbling and complaining. In fact, the text indicates that immediately after the disciples told them it was for the Lord, they let the colt loose; no questions asked. I think they were honored and humbled that Jesus was in need of something they had. I bet they were more than willing to give (oh how different than that rich young ruler, huh?).

So, be in that place that you are willing to give to the Lord whatever He requires of you, and do it with a heart of thankfulness, and joy, and honor, that He is asking you to be a part of His kingdom.

Complain and Remain, Praise and Be Raised ~ Joyce Meyer

Jesus therefore answered and said unto them, Murmur not among yourselves.
— John 6:43 (KJV)

Complaining is a sin! It is a corrupt form of conversation that causes many people a great deal of problems in their lives. It also opens many doors for the enemy.

Words are containers of power. Complaining, grumbling words carry destructive power. They destroy the joy of the one doing the complaining and can also affect other people who have to listen to them.

In Ephesians 4:29 the apostle Paul instructed us not to use any foul or polluting language. At one time I would not have known that included complaining, but now I have learned that it does. Murmuring and complaining pollute our lives and probably sound like cursing to the Lord. To Him it is verbal pollution. To pollute is to poison. Did you ever stop to think that you and I can poison our future by complaining about what is going on right now?

When we complain about our current situation we remain in it; when we praise God in the midst of difficulty, He raises us out of it. The best way to start every day is with gratitude and thanksgiving. Get a jump on the devil. If you don't fill your thoughts and conversation with good things, he will definitely fill them with evil things.

Truly thankful people do not complain. They are so busy being grateful for the good things they do have they have no time to notice the things they could complain about. Praise and thanksgiving are good; complaining and grumbling are evil.

Hearing loss ~ Jon Courson

… Seeing ye are dull of hearing.
Hebrews 5:11

The term translated ‘dull of hearing’ is the word for ‘ignorant’ in Greek. But the ignorance spoken of is not due to never hearing. Rather, the ignorance spoken of is the result of ignoring. In other words, when truth was shared, the response was, ‘Big deal. I don’t care what you say. I have my own perspective.’

There are those who say, ‘I’m just not getting anything out of Bible study. I go to church, but nothing registers with me. I read the Bible, but it just seems like ink on paper.’ Why? It could very well be because they are those who are dull of hearing. Why? Because God spoke to them a week ago, a month ago, a year ago concerning something they were to do. But they ignored it. Why, then, would God keep speaking to them if they refused to do those things He already made clear to them?

It is a loving Father who says, ‘Jon, I’m going to make it real simple: when you do step 1, I’ll take you to step 2. When you do what I ask, when you incorporate what I show you — then I’ll take you further down the road. But I’m not going to keep on heaping instruction and insight upon you if you’re only going to ignore what I’ve already told you.’

Dear saint, what’s the last thing God told you to do? Have you done it?

Abraham's Patient, Heavenly Pilgrimage, by Faith ~ Bob Hoekstra

These all died in faith, not having received the promises, but having seen them afar off were assured of them, embraced them, and confessed that they were strangers and pilgrims on the earth. For those who say such things declare plainly that they seek a homeland. (Hebrews 11:13-14)

We looked at Sarah's testimony in Hebrews previously (in the meditation on God's promises on August 8). Now, we will move on to consider a strategic facet of Abraham's testimony regarding his obedient, earthly sojourn, by faith. Therein, we saw him traveling through life on earth as an alien, a stranger (in the world, but not of it). Now, we will see Abraham's patient, heavenly pilgrimage, by faith. His previous testimony concluded with this pilgrimage theme: "For he waited for the city which has foundations, whose builder and maker is God" (Hebrews 11:10). Early in the present continuing testimony, the two themes are coupled. "They were strangers and pilgrims on the earth." A stranger (sojourner) is one who does not belong to the given locale. The pilgrim is one who is marching toward a given spiritual destination.

Abraham and his family (Sarah, Isaac, and Jacob) were promised the land flowing with milk and honey. "These all died in faith, not having received the promises." They did not personally possess the promised land. Yet, they lived with a sense of guaranty that God would fulfill His promises: "but having seen them afar off were assured of them, embraced them." They fully accepted the certainty that the Lord would some day give that land to their seed. Meanwhile, they confessed that they were content to live as strangers concerning this world and as pilgrims anticipating the world to come: "and confessed that they were strangers and pilgrims on the earth."

Now, the pilgrimage aspect of Abraham's testimony (and his family's) is emphasized. "For those who say such things declare plainly that they seek a homeland." As the years passed and the promised land was not given to them, their hearts yearned for a true, lasting, eternal homeland. "For those who say such things declare plainly that they seek a homeland." God wants to develop this perspective of heavenly pilgrimage in our hearts as well. "Beloved, I beg you as sojourners and pilgrims, abstain from fleshly lusts which war against the soul" (1 Peter 2:11). The Lord wants us to set our daily course toward heaven, rejecting earthly cravings that diminish spiritual vitality.

Father God, You have fulfilled so many promises for me here on this earth. I praise You and thank You for such loving grace. Still, my heart yearns for that which heaven alone can provide. Thus, I press on as a pilgrim, bound for my homeland above.

Fateful choice ~ David McGee

2 Kings 20:1

"In those days Hezekiah was sick and near death. And Isaiah the prophet, the son of Amoz, went to him and said to him, "Thus says the LORD: 'Set your house in order, for you shall die, and not live.'"
NKJV

Life Lesson

There are things worse than death.

What if God told you that you were going to die? People every day are informed by doctors and juries they have only years, months, days, or even moments left to live. Those could be moments of regret or moments of satisfaction...it all depends on what we 'make' of moments God allots to us. Make? Yes, God has given to each one of us creativity, time, a sense of right and wrong, and free will. What we do with these raw materials is up to us. Most of us dole out the moments on frivolous, self-centered activities. Sometimes, it takes moments of shock to make us change course.

Do something for the Lord or do something for the world? The first is a path leading to satisfaction and the latter is a highway leading to regret. It has been said, "Life is not measured by the number of breaths we take, but by the moments that take our breath away." Life is much more than just a measure of our days. It is what we do for the Lord and that, my friend, will last forever. What if God told you that you were going to die? Well...He has.

Hebrews 9:27 "And as it is appointed for men to die once, but after this the judgment," NKJV

What are you doing with your moments? Are they going to last?

Dear Father,
Thank You for Your love. Thank You for the moments You have given to me. Please forgive me for times when I have selfishly squandered the moments. Please give me the courage to make the most of the time and abilities You have given me. I want to go to Your kingdom with no regrets over the time I have here. In Jesus' name. Amen.

Accepted in the beloved! ~ Jack Graham

He answered, “I was sent only to the lost sheep of the house of Israel.” But she came and knelt before him, saying, “Lord, help me!”

-- Matthew 15:24-25

Do you know that you can come to Jesus just as you are, regardless of your nationality, your station, or religious background? It’s true!

We see Jesus’ open arms portrayed beautifully in Matthew 15 when a woman sought and begged him to deliver her demon-possessed daughter.

You see, as a Greek, she was about as far outside the family of faith as you could get. In fact, it was not uncommon for Greek women to serve as prostitutes in the courts of the Canaanites, as part of their pagan worship rituals. So this woman was one of the least likely people you’d expect to seek after Jesus.

But Jesus did not reject her, despite her sin and the fact that she wasn’t even Jewish.

Why do you think Jesus responded to her? It’s simple. He responded to her because of her relentless faith! This woman was completely reliant on Jesus’ ability to save her daughter, and she pursued him passionately. And as a result, Jesus told her, “Woman, you have great faith.” Her faith brought her into proximity with Jesus, and Jesus met her at her point of need.

Relentless faith in Jesus will draw you to him and into the true family of God. So whoever you are, wherever you’ve been, and whatever you’ve done, believe in him and his power to save.

YOU CAN COME TO JESUS JUST AS YOU ARE, REGARDLESS OF YOUR NATIONALITY, YOUR STATION, OR RELIGIOUS BACKGROUND.

The Power of the Holy Spirit ~ Charles Stanley

Acts 1:1-5

In the last week of His life, Jesus talked to His disciples about what was to come: after His resurrection, they would receive a Counselor—the Holy Spirit—who’d be with them forever (John 14:16). He would indwell each believer, providing His power to make living a victorious Christian life possible.

The Lord is willing to empower us with His divine strength if we cultivate certain Christ-like qualities:

Purity of heart. Prior to our salvation, sin separated us from the Father. When we received Jesus as Savior, God washed us clean (Titus 3:5), clothed us in Christ’s righteousness, and purified us so we could become His people (Titus 2:14). Now, our part is to pursue holiness so we can become more like the Lord. Regular confession of our ungodly thoughts and actions brings forgiveness and purifies us from unrighteousness (1 John 1:9 niv). Obedient spirit. Before we were adopted into God’s family, our nature was in rebellion against His authority. But since trusting in Christ, we have both freedom from sin’s power over us and the ability to choose obedience. While we will live imperfectly, the Lord looks to see if our minds and hearts are committed to following Him. Our sincere effort to obey Him brings a release of His power as we carry out His work. When we make holiness a priority and demonstrate obedience to the Lord, we’ll receive supernatural strength to choose righteousness. Each day, we will be filled with power as we confess any areas of sin (Ps. 51:1-2, 10), maintain our commitment to God, and follow the Spirit’s lead.

God and the Easter Bunny ~ Mark Balmer

Based on “The Reality of Hell” by Pastor Mark Balmer; 10/24-25/09,

Message #MB394; Daily Devotional #1 - “God and the Easter Bunny”

Preparing the Soil (Introduction): One day last week I was talking with a student and a co-worker about homework. My student told me how difficult it has been to do her homework because she has been having rehearsals at church for a play she is involved in. After the student left, my co-worker turned to me and said, “That’s one thing I never got, no offense, is religion. I don’t believe in all that stuff just like Santa Claus and the Easter bunny.” She promptly turned around and walked away, before I even had an opportunity to speak back. I stood there for a moment, thinking in disbelief. Do unbelievers really put God in the same category as Santa Claus and the Easter bunny? It was a shocking moment, and the reality of how deceived our world really is was almost overwhelming. My heart broke, and then I knew my mission with this co-worker. Not to show a religion, but a relationship.

Planting and Watering the Seed (Growth): Back in Bible times, just as it is today, people saw religion. They saw the Jewish leaders and the overwhelming laws, rituals, and duties that must be fulfilled in order to follow religion. Just as today, people see all the “have tos” and “can’ts” that religion has placed on people. It doesn’t make sense to follow rules that don’t seem to apply to them when they can go about their day perfectly fine without the need of God or the Easter bunny. A man is not a Jew if he is only one outwardly, nor is circumcision merely outward and physical. No, a man is a Jew if he is one inwardly; and circumcision is circumcision of the heart, by the Spirit, not by the written code. Such a man's praise is not from men, but from God. (Romans 2:28) The same is true for us today. We are not Christ followers if we have only an outward appearance, religion, showing that we follow some type of “written code.” There has to be a change, a circumcision of the heart by the Holy Spirit, that makes a relationship. This is what people want to see in us to know if we are real or not. From the beginning with Adam and Eve (Genesis 3:12-13), Satan has deceived people into believing there is no need for God. You can go about your day, your problems, and your happy times without God. Yes, he might exist, but He is only there for the finish, after living a good life. The rich man made a startling discovery after living his “good life.” In hell, where he was in torment, he looked up and saw Abraham far way, with Lazarus by his side. (Luke 16:23). Where did he end up? Not in heaven like he thought he would, but in hell. And even at this point he was still deceived into thinking that there would be some relief, by asking for just a drop of water. It was only after a plea for his brothers’ lives that he realized that the choice he made and the choice his brothers will make is indeed fixed. No take backs, no changes, but a permanent choice. The truth became all too real and too late. There are many people we know for whom a day like this is coming. So what are we to do? Devote yourselves to prayer, being watchful and thankful. And pray for us, too, that God may open a door for our message, so that we may proclaim the mystery of Christ, for which I am in chains. Pray that I may proclaim it clearly, as I should. Be wise in the way you act toward outsiders; make the most of every opportunity. Let your conversation be always full of grace, seasoned with salt, so that you may know how to answer everyone. (Colossians 4:2-6) We are to be devoted to prayer for those around us who do not believe. We are to be waiting and watching for every opportunity to proclaim Christ. We are to be wise in how we speak when those opportunities arise. Our conversations should be seasoned with salt, so they are thirsty to hear more. People are seeking truth even if they don’t think they need it. From one man He made every nation of men that they should inhabit the whole earth; and He determined the times set for them and the exact places where they should live. God did this so that men would seek Him and perhaps reach out for Him and find Him, though He is not far from each one of us. (Acts 17:26-27)

Harvesting the Crop (Action/Response): Do you know people who place God and the Easter bunny in the same category? They have no need for one just as much as they don’t have a need for the other. Satan is a great deceiver, to the point that he has deceived himself into believing that in the end he will win. The devil, who deceived them, was thrown into the lake of burning sulfur, where the beast and the false prophet had been thrown. They will be tormented day and night for ever and ever. (Revelation 20:10) That doesn’t sound like victory to me, but a place I wouldn’t want anyone to go. Take a moment and think about those around you who need prayer and an opportunity to hear about our amazing God, who wants no one to perish apart from Him. You might want to even make a list and place it on your frig, so it is a constant reminder to be devoted in prayer for those who don’t believe in the need for God.

Cultivating (Additional Reading): Ephesians 5:1-20

Terrible Times ~ Bob Coy

For then there will be great tribulation, such as has not been since the beginning of the world until this time, no, nor ever shall be."-Matthew 24:21 (NKJV)

After the rapture of the church, the next major event on the prophetic timeline is a period known as the great tribulation. According to Daniel 9:27, it will last for one "week, " or in prophetic terms, a seven-year period (see October 23). This "week " will begin the moment the nation of Israel signs a peace treaty with its enemies (Daniel 9:27) and will conclude with Jesus Christ coming back to earth to rule and reign (Revelation 19:1-10).

During these seven years, God will punish humanity's collective disobedience and rebellion by pouring out His wrath upon the world (Revelation 6:17). Life on earth will be excruciatingly unbearable during these years. So much so that Jesus tells us in the above verse that this will be the most terrible time the world has ever seen or ever will see!

Space does not permit a detailed description of every judgment that will be poured out (they can be found in Revelation 6-18), but they include a global famine (Revelation 6:5), the poisoning of one-third of the world's water (Revelation 8:10), a scorching heat from the sun that burns the earth's inhabitants (Revelation 16:8), and a great earthquake that will shatter the nations (Revelation 16:18).

As members of Christ's body, we'll escape these events ahead of time via the rapture, but imagine what it will be like for the unbelieving world to suffer through these horrors! The mere thought should motivate us to share the Gospel with those who haven't yet placed their faith in Jesus. We can't change the fact that terrible times are ahead for this planet; however, we can do something about those who will be forced to face this time of great tribulation.

Those who are wise shall shine like the brightness of the firmament, and those who turn many to righteousness like the stars forever and ever. (Daniel 12:3 NKJV)

Discuss with your group a time when you faced a very dark season in your life. How did you respond during that experience? How do you feel now knowing that you have escaped God’s righteous judgment of the earth?

Dig deeper into Matthew 24. Why do you think this judgment will be more severe compared to all other past judgments? As you reflect on God’s character, why do you think He allows this tribulation to last for seven years? How does this change the way you live now?

Decide with your group that this sober reminder of the coming judgment will move you to action. As you think about the people you know, who needs to be “turned to righteousness”? How can you be used this week to prevent those you know from experiencing the reality of the tribulation?

Passion and Persistence ~ Greg Laurie

"Ask, and it will be given to you; seek, and you will find; knock, and it will be opened to you. For everyone who asks receives, and he who seeks finds, and to him who knocks it will be opened.

— Matthew 7:7–8

The early church prayed with passion and persistence. When Peter was thrown into prison, "constant prayer was offered to God for him by the church" (Acts 12:5). Another way to translate the word "constant" would be "earnest." It is the same word used to describe the prayer of Jesus in the Garden of Gethsemane. Luke's Gospel tells us, "And being in agony, He prayed more earnestly. Then His sweat became like great drops of blood falling down to the ground" (Luke 22:44). That was a prayer of passion. It was an agonizing prayer. And that is how the early church prayed.

Often the problem is that our prayer has no power in it because there is no heart in it. If we put so little heart into our prayers, we cannot expect God to put much heart into answering them. Someone will tell us about a crisis they are facing, and we will pray, "Oh, Lord, just help them. . . . And then get back to me." We don't pray with passion. We don't pray continuously.

Jesus said, "Ask, and it will be given to you; seek, and you will find; knock, and it will be opened to you. For everyone who asks receives, and he who seeks finds, and to him who knocks it will be opened" (Matthew 7:7–8). In the original tense of the language, it could be translated, "Keep asking. Keep seeking. Keep knocking." In other words, be persistent, and keep at it.

We will pray for something once, twice, or maybe three times and then say, "Well, I guess God isn't going to answer this prayer." God is not irritated by our prayers. Keep praying. The early church prayed with great persistence as they brought their need before God. So let's not give up so easily.

Twitter Proverbs from Rick Warren

• RT @shawnmichael Rick, you are officially cool. You just got a shout out from Bono ion stage at the Rise Bowl,12:20 AM Oct 26th from web

• RE:Web Flamers "Warn a DIVISIVE person once,then warn him a second time. After that,have NOTHING to do with him."Titus3:104:01 AM Oct 24th from web

• God so loved the world he gave his only begotten system, so that whosoever believes could argue over interpretation. NOT!7:07 PM Oct 23rd from web

• When believers focus on loving Jesus,differences melt away.When we focus on anything else,the more divided we are.Gal.3:286:58 PM Oct 23rd from web

• "The world of the generous gets larger & larger; the world of the stingy gets smaller & smaller." Proverbs 11:24(Message)10:25 AM Oct 23rd from web

• Do ur giving while living! "If I should die with more than 10 pounds wealth, may every man call me a liar & a thief"Wesley10:14 AM Oct 23rd from web

• “When u hear a nightingale u hear an excellent preacher.He exhorts with this Gospel,not merewords but by deed&example”Luther10:08 AM Oct 23rd from web

• Success is the stewardship of great ideas. If you don’t write them down, you’ll lose them."Write down the vision" Hab.2:211:26 AM Oct 22nd from web

• "The world is charged with the grandeur of God...Glory be to God for dappled things" Geral Manley Hopkins11:12 AM Oct 22nd from web

• "Better 2lie still &worry about one's spiritual welfare than roam a wonderworker while neglecting ur spiritual life" aKempis10:59 AM Oct 22nd from web

• Preaching is all about bridging THEN(interpretation)& NOW(application).The bridge is the Timeless Principle.Study Rom.15:48:17 PM Oct 21st from web

• Pt3 When I preached thru Romans-took 2 1/2 yrs.Easy!Far harder to give whole counsel on a subject. Must memorize Scripture!8:00 PM Oct 21st from web

• Bob,Pt 2- I will typically study 100s of verses before selecting an average of 16 for the outline.I regularly preach 1 hr.7:53 PM Oct 21st from web

• Bob,it takes me19-20hrs study per message,even after 38yrs.Verse WITH Vs exposition takes far longer than Vs BY Vs.Do both.7:49 PM Oct 21st from web

• God must do his deepest work IN u B4 doing his greatest work thru u.That takes TIME! Study Joseph.No shortcuts to maturity7:36 PM Oct 21st from web

• The Lord said to us,'You\ve stayed at this mountain long enough.It's time to break camp & move on" Deut1:6-7 Is this 4 u?7:14 PM Oct 21st from web

• Dont envy other's ministry,"If u can't lead the ones u love honey, LOVE the ones you lead!" (apologies to Stephen Stills)10:00 AM Oct 21st from web

• Thermometers copy the climate.Thermostats CHANGE it!What r u? RADICALIS: For Radicals only,Feb 9-12 Youll never be the same7:44 AM Oct 21st from web

• Dont follow prophets seeking profits.(I call it propheteering) "hucksters who preach just to make money" 2 Cor.2:17 NLT9:44 PM Oct 20th from web

• "Don't be obsessed with getting your own advantage.Forget yourselves long enough to lend a helping hand."Phil.2:4(Message)7:00 AM Oct 20th from web

Fill’er Up! The Spirit And Its Fruit! ~ Kay Arthur

Life In The Spirit-part 15

Fill’er Up! The Spirit And Its Fruit!

What.s the first thing that you do my friend when you find yourself in a dilemma, or when you.re confused and you don.t know which way to go, or when you.re in a desperate hurry and you need a parking place? What do you do, how do you live? How do you handle the decisions of life? How do you know whether you.re to say yes or whether you.re to say no, whether you.re to spend this or whether you.re not to spend this? Well beloved, this is what life in the Spirit is all about and this is what we.re going to talk about today on Precepts for Life.

Walking by the Spirit: In other words, to let the Spirit govern you in every aspect of your life, and that.s what Christianity is all about. This is life in the Spirit. It.s being led by the Spirit so that you walk by the Spirit. And this was what was happening with the early church.

That.s what happens when man, who has sinned, who is without life, who is dead in his trespasses and sins receives the Holy Spirit. The Holy Spirit comes in him and then man knows how to walk, walk under the control of the Spirit. And when you do you will know it because these qualities will be present in your life. Look at it. Let.s go back to Galatians, chapter 5 where we left off. And you say, hey, I.m one of those new ones. I don.t know where you left off. Well, I want you to go to our website; its preceptsforlife.com, precepts, p-r-e-c-e-p-t-s, for life, and it.s all one word, .com and then you can find out how to get this whole series and understand life in the Spirit from the Word of God.

Galatians, chapter 5, he.s contrasted the deeds of the flesh now with the fruit of the Spirit. And when he.s talking about fruit he.s talking about what the Spirit produces. You know a tree by its fruit. You may be walking along and you may see blossoms, but several kinds of fruit trees have all white blossoms. But the minute the fruit comes you know whether it.s a pear tree, you know whether it.s a peach tree; you know whether it.s an apple tree. You know the tree by its fruit.

And so he.s saying here that you.re going to know that the Holy Spirit is there, that you.re walking by the Spirit, that you.re being led by the Spirit, because you will have a nine-fold evidence of the Spirit. Watch what he says and watch very carefully; this is observing the text and seeing who and what and when and where and why and how. It says, “But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace.” (Galatians 5:22a)

You.re saying but its multiple fruit, it should be a plural verb. It should be, “the fruits of the Spirit are.” No, what he.s saying is that every time the Spirit is being manifested, every time you.re walking by the Spirit nine things will be true, nine things will be evident. You will know that you.re walking by the Spirit because you will have love. You will have joy. You say, I.ve got cancer; I can.t have joy. Even in cancer there is a joy, not in the cancer, but in a joy that you know first of all, that God wounds and God heals, God kills and God makes alive. You know that you cannot die until God is ready. You know that if you have the Spirit of God in you, then when you are absent from the body you are present with the Lord, that the Spirit is the guarantee of heaven for you and the guarantee that some day this body that.s falling apart and cancerous and broken and hurting will become a brand new body that will never be able to be corrupted again because corruptibility will put on incorruptibility.

So there.s that joy underneath, that joy because the Spirit is reminding you of these things. So it.s love and it.s joy and there.s peace. There is a peace. There is a calm underneath.

I remember a missionary called Miss Bertha. And I remember when she was overseas and the Japanese came in and I mean it was war and they were shooting and all of a sudden fear came up into her heart and she started to be afraid and she said, I am not going to be afraid. That.s not from God. It is peace and she said I just ripped that fear out of there and I said I will walk by the Spirit. It is love, it is joy, it is peace and I appropriated that peace. She walked by the Spirit.

It says the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, kindness, kindness. There.s a kindness that comes out towards other people. Haven.t you ever had someone say to you, you are so kind; you are so kind? That means hey, it.s the Spirit, it.s not the flesh because the flesh isn.t kind. Oh, sometimes the flesh can clean up its act, but it.s just not natural for the flesh to be kind. So it.s love and joy and peace and patience and kindness and it is goodness.

There.s a goodness about a person who is walking by the Spirit. And not only is there goodness, but there is faithfulness. You.re going to be faithful, faithful to what you say, faithful to God in all that you do, faithful in the way that you behave, faithful to the people that you.re supposed to be faithful to because that.s what the Spirit produces; and not only that, but there.s going to be a gentleness, a gentleness, a caring, a softness about you.

You hear people that are constantly really mean and really hard, now I come across strong. People enjoy hearing my testimony „cause I come across strong, but I never come across mean, I never come across mean. Now God has worked it so that I walk more and more in the Spirit, but there is that gentleness and also there is that self-control. So that means you.ve been able to say no. That means you.ve been able to not take it and not do it, and not say it and not react because there.s self-control. Now this is the fruit of the Spirit.

And he goes on to say this: “Now those who belong to Christ,” he.s given you the deeds of the flesh. He.s given you the fruit of the Spirit, and he says, “Now those who belong to Christ have crucified the flesh with its passions and desires.” (Galatians 5:24) Why? Because the fruit of the Spirit is self-control and it has just said “death to the flesh.” No, I am not going to walk that way. I don.t have to walk that way. That.s the way I walked before, but not anymore. The old man, the old Kay, the old you is dead and you keep that dead body in the coffin.

This, this woman used to say, when she.d start to get upset with the children, “Get the nails, I.m coming out of the coffin.” And, and the kids knew, hey, we have really pushed mother to the limits. That old mother is coming back to us, get the nails. She knew that the old man, that the flesh, and it.s different, that the old man and the flesh need to be crucified. Keep them in the coffin. Put them to death.

All right, so he goes on to say this: “If we live by the Spirit.” (Galatians 5:25a) In other words, you are saved. The way that you passed from death to life was because you got the Spirit of God. All right, now you live by the Spirit, now “walk by the Spirit.” (Galatians 5:25b) Walk by the Spirit; let the Spirit control you. And then he says, “Let us not become boastful, challenging one another, envying one another.” That.s not the lifestyle of life in the Spirit.

Now, let.s go back to the book of Acts and let.s see how life in the Spirit was played out because I want you to see that the Spirit of God is there to lead you, the Spirit of God is there to guide you whenever you are in a difficult situation. So constantly you are to be in communication with the Spirit. The Spirit.s inside of you, okay, and you should be listening to the Holy Spirit so that the Holy Spirit is directing you so you know what to do. So anytime you find yourself in a difficult situation what do you do? Who do you talk to first? I.m constantly going around the house and saying God, I don.t know where my keys are. You know where they are, please show me where my keys are. I get to a parking spot, or I have to park the car and I.m in a hurry, and I.m praying Lord, I need a parking place, just please put me in a parking place. Please open one up for me or just show me where to park. I.m constantly talking to God. That is life in the Spirit. It.s realizing that it.s not by your might and it.s not by your power, but it.s by your Spirit.

God, I.m talking to this person. Lord, they have just found out that the cancer is back, that it.s on the adrenal glands, what do I say? I remember talking to Patsy Ramsey. And Patsy Ramsey is the one whose child, little Jon Benet was killed and murdered and Patsy and John were accused of the murder. First they accused John and then they realized John didn.t do it then they accused Patsy and neither one of them did it. And evidence has been found of a foreign DNA on the body of little Jon Benet and they.re in pursuit of that. But those people lost everything because people believed a lie, because they just listened to this inept police department who tried to handle the case themselves and just immediately assumed that it was one of the parents that did it.

Well on top of that Patsy had cancer and now the cancer has come back. And now it.s on the adrenal glands. And I called her the other day. I was with a friend of mine and I said I want to talk to Patsy; I haven.t talked to her. And she just picked up the phone and called her. The timing was absolutely perfect. I.ll tell you about it right after this announcement.

I.m glad you.re back. Let.s go back to Patsy. When my friend Suzanne got her on the phone, she says Kay wants to talk to you. And I picked up the phone and I started talking to Patsy and I knew that she had been crying. And I said is it hard? And she says it.s very hard right now. And I said I know it is. And I said, you know all you.ve been through, you think Lord, how much more are You going to put me through. We stopped, we prayed, the next day, I get a phone call from her. She said you know God just had you call me. Being led by the Spirit, I.ve had people say to me when I.m speaking at a conference with thousands there and they said I prayed that God would let me run into you. And I said God has answered. This is life in the Spirit. It.s being led by the Spirit so that you walk by the Spirit. And this was what was happening with the early church.

I want you to go to Acts chapter 4, first of all and I want to look at verse 31. And it says this: “And when they had prayed, the place where they had gathered together was shaken, and they were all filled with the Holy Spirit.” It says, “And they began to speak the word of God with boldness.” (Acts 4:31)

In other words, here they are and they.re praying and God fills them with His Spirit they go out and they speak the word with boldness. And with great power the apostles were giving witness of the resurrection of Jesus Christ and abundant grace was upon them all. When you walk in the Spirit there is God.s abundant grace. What is the grace of God? It.s everything that Jesus Christ is, everything that He has made available to you so that it.s there for you to use.

Well life in the Spirit is you walking by the Spirit, being led by the Spirit, and appropriating the wisdom that the Spirit gives you: the mind of Christ, the leadership, the fullness, the power of the Holy Spirit. And as you do that here is all this grace and you.re appropriating it.

You know, this is a book that has absolutely blessed me and I met Stanley Tam and his wonderful precious wife and I thought you guys are absolutely incredible; this is a book of the practical ways of God working in an individual.s life. After Stan came to know the Lord he got this business and it was a silver refining business where you take old photographs and when they do the chemicals, silver comes off of them. So he got this business where he would have like a magnet, that would pull that silver together and then he could go and he could sell that silver. Well he lived from hand to mouth and he was going around trying to collect these silver things and a lot of people didn.t even bother with it. They thought it was stupid. But finally he got enough that it was eighty dollars worth of silver that he had collected. And he had enough money to drive to this town, but he didn.t have enough money to drive back and he didn.t have enough money for food. But he knew that when he got there he would get eighty dollars, because every time he walked in they.d cut him a check and he.d go cash the check at the bank and then he.d have his money.

So he drives and he.s singing and he.s praising the Lord, he.s walking, he.s filled with the Spirit, singing and making melody in his heart to the Lord, in everything giving thanks. He gets there, he turns in the silver and he says I need my check. And she said I.m going to have to send it to you, Mr. Tam. I am so sorry. He says you can.t send it to me. I.ve got to have it now. She says well, I can.t give it to you now because only the boss can sign the checks and he.s not here and you.ll just have to wait. He won.t be home for several more days and as soon as he gets home, Mr. Tam, we will send you the check. He says, but you don.t understand, I don.t have any money. She says Mr. Tam, I am sorry; I cannot sign the check.

He said he walked out and he thought God, what am I am I going to do? As he was listening to all this, by the way, he stuck his hand in his pocket; he pulled out the money he had; he had thirteen cents. Now you.ve got to remember this is a long time ago when a nickel would buy a hamburger and he thought God, what am I going to do? He said I was so hungry that I went over and I bought a hamburger for a nickel. That left me 8 cents. So he said I just bowed my head and I said God, what do I do? What do I do? I don.t know what to do.

Now this is what life in the Spirit is all about, it.s what do I do God. And God says hey, I.ll let you know what to do. Commit your way unto the Lord, trust in Him and He will bring it to pass. (Psalm 37:5) It is that simple.

So if any man lacks wisdom let him ask of God, who gives to all men liberally, who upbraids not. Let him ask in faith, not doubting, not wavering; because he that doubts is like a wave of the sea tossed to and fro and that kind of man is a double-minded man and it does not please God. (James 1:5-8)

So he said, okay God, what do I do? And God spoke to his heart, not audibly, He just said go home. And he said God, this is all I have, is this gas in the tank and it is not going to take me all the way home and all I have is 8 cents. And God said go home. So he goes to the gas station. He says can you give me 8 cents worth of gas? Now today it wouldn.t have put a drop in there. But it was 8 cents worth of gas. He put it in. The guy says you.re not going to go very far on that. And he said I know and he gets in the car and he starts driving. And as he gets on this country road he sees a man ahead in his head lights and the man is hitchhiking. His father has taught him you never pick up hitchhikers. But he said I just felt like I was to stop and pick the man up. He said I rolled down the window, and said, where you going? And the man said you know I.ve been to Chicago and it.s so expensive that to save money I hitchhiked all the way up and now I.ve been standing here for hours and nobody.s stopped to pick me up until you did. He said I.m going to Marion, Ohio. And he said okay. He said there.s a problem. And the man says well, what.s the problem. I want you to take me. And he said well you see, I don.t have enough gas in my tank to get us there. And I don.t have any money. And he said listen, he says I.m not a poor man. He said I was just saving money. He says drive to the closest gas station and I.ll fill your tank. Now this is what Stan said that he learned. He says that night God taught me the greatest lesson of spiritual success I have ever been taught. He had His hitchhiker down along my pathway to meet all my needs if I would do one thing, the most important thing, if I would step out in faith and trust God every time that He spoke to my heart.

What is life in the Spirit all about beloved? It is Christ in you, by the power of the Holy Spirit, to lead you and to guide you until you see Him face to face. And that.s the way that He wants you to live. So how do you do that? Well I would suggest that you get Stanley Tams Incredible Adventures with God and you.ll see the story of how an ordinary man lived an extraordinary life and how he did it with a wife that also trusted God.

But may I just make this suggestion? That you go to God everyday before you ever get out of bed and you say God, You.re my Father and Father today, all I want to do is to please You, whether in my body or in heaven, I just have one ambition, and that.s to please You. And I know that I can only please You by walking in Your Spirit. And so I.m asking You now to fill me with Your Spirit.

And I want Him to direct my steps. I want Him to teach me. I want Him to lead me. I want Him to govern me. I want to experience that love and that joy and that peace and that goodness and that faithfulness and that kindness and that gentleness and that self-control. I want to be everything You want me to be. You have me lock, stock and barrel. And beloved, when you do that, you will sing and make melody in your heart to the Lord. And it will not be you; it will be you living in relationships with others the way God wants and especially with God.

Creation Leads to Creator ~ Bob Caldwell

Creation Leads to CreatorPsalm 104:1-35 104:24 O LORD, how manifold are Your works! In wisdom You have made them all. The earth is full of Your possessions— God's creative genius and beauty has captivated the human race throughout the ages. Its obvious grandeur has drawn an awed response from us all. And many have been so awestruck by nature's glory that they worship it as if it were itself God. From ancient times to this present hour, many attribute deity to the sun, moon, stars, or the things that make up our world. Those who have given their lives to study creation cannot help but be captivated by its amazing design. In everything from the smallest aspect of matter, unseen by the unaided eye, to the countless details that make a human body, we discover a design. Nothing is ultimately just a random mess. Yet, in spite of the obvious, most will worship the "mystery" of creation and deny it was created by something greater than creation itself. Not able to deny what is physically in front of us, many attribute an infinite wisdom, knowledge, and power to created things. Although they yield no evidence that matter can neither create itself out of nothing nor establish within itself a design that is capable of producing all we observe in creation. Down through the centuries, however, there have been those who are not afraid to let our God-given capacity for reason and logic bring themselves to God. There must be a glory in God beyond the glory of what is created. The observation of the detail, balance, and interdependency of Earth and all that lives upon it tells us of an all-wise and knowing Creator who has written "eternity" within our hearts, hearts that yield to the force that enables us to discover God in whose image we are made. It is there that our hearts find the One who is before all things and in whom and by whom all things exist. There, in God, our soul finds what it ultimately thirsts for. For those who do not end their quest to see the glory of creation until they find its Creator find the greatest treasure of all. They find love, love from Him who created us in His image as the crowning jewel of creation. In Him we discover what nothing else in all of creation can fully satisfy.
Psalm 104:1-35 Praise to the Sovereign LORD for His Creation and Providence 1 Bless the LORD, O my soul! O LORD my God, You are very great: You are clothed with honor and majesty, 2 Who cover Yourself with light as with a garment, Who stretch out the heavens like a curtain. 3 He lays the beams of His upper chambers in the waters, Who makes the clouds His chariot, Who walks on the wings of the wind, 4 Who makes His angels spirits, His ministers a flame of fire. 5 You who laid the foundations of the earth, So that it should not be moved forever, 6 You covered it with the deep as with a garment; The waters stood above the mountains. 7 At Your rebuke they fled; At the voice of Your thunder they hastened away. 8 They went up over the mountains; They went down into the valleys, To the place which You founded for them. 9 You have set a boundary that they may not pass over, That they may not return to cover the earth. 10 He sends the springs into the valleys; They flow among the hills. 11 They give drink to every beast of the field; The wild donkeys quench their thirst. 12 By them the birds of the heavens have their home; They sing among the branches. 13 He waters the hills from His upper chambers; The earth is satisfied with the fruit of Your works. 14 He causes the grass to grow for the cattle, And vegetation for the service of man, That he may bring forth food from the earth, 15 And wine that makes glad the heart of man, Oil to make his face shine, And bread which strengthens man's heart. 16 The trees of the LORD are full of sap, The cedars of Lebanon which He planted, 17 Where the birds make their nests; The stork has her home in the fir trees. 18 The high hills are for the wild goats; The cliffs are a refuge for the rock badgers. 19 He appointed the moon for seasons; The sun knows its going down. 20 You make darkness, and it is night, In which all the beasts of the forest creep about. 21 The young lions roar after their prey, And seek their food from God. 22 When the sun rises, they gather together And lie down in their dens. 23 Man goes out to his work And to his labor until the evening. 24 O LORD, how manifold are Your works! In wisdom You have made them all. The earth is full of Your possessions— 25 This great and wide sea, In which are innumerable teeming things, Living things both small and great. 26 There the ships sail about; There is that Leviathan Which You have made to play there. 27 These all wait for You, That You may give them their food in due season. 28 What You give them they gather in; You open Your hand, they are filled with good. 29 You hide Your face, they are troubled; You take away their breath, they die and return to their dust. 30 You send forth Your Spirit, they are created; And You renew the face of the earth. 31 May the glory of the LORD endure forever; May the LORD rejoice in His works. 32 He looks on the earth, and it trembles; He touches the hills, and they smoke. 33 I will sing to the LORD as long as I live; I will sing praise to my God while I have my being. 34 May my meditation be sweet to Him; I will be glad in the LORD. 35 May sinners be consumed from the earth, And the wicked be no more. Bless the LORD, O my soul! Praise the LORD!
Psalm 104:1-35 v. 1 Bless the LORD, O my soul! – See the study note to Psalm 103. This phrase begins a "Hallelujah Chorus" of praise to God that includes a panorama of the entirety of creation. You are clothed with honor and majesty – The image is of a king clothed in grand and majestic royal robes. v. 2 Who cover Yourself with light as with a garment – Picking up the metaphor from v. 1, the poet declares that the robes God is wrapped are light itself,the most fundamental element of creation. curtain – a tent v. 3 He lays the beams of His upper chambers in the waters – Above the vault of the sky, on the "upper waters" (Gen. 1:6-8), God builds his "upper chambers." Who makes the clouds His chariot – The picture of God as the mighty warrior who rides the clouds is a familiar one in the psalms (Psalm 18:10-12, 68:4). Israel consciously picked up the image and turned it against the Canaanite myth of Baal riding the clouds. walks – better translated, rides v. 4 – See comments on angels in study notes to Psalm 103. v. 5 foundations – a solid base. This verse begins a review of the creation and flood accounts from Genesis. v. 6 You covered it with the deep – Probably referring primarily to creation in Genesis 1, where God commands the primordial waters to recede, exposing the dry land and the possibility of life as we know it. v. 7 At Your rebuke – a divine command the voice of Your thunder – God is the true Thunder (in contrast to Baal of the Canaanites; Psalm 29:3-4). v. 8 to the place which You founded for them – The waters, wild and raging as they might be, must go to the place where God intends them to be. v. 9 set a boundary – Compare this with Genesis 9:8. v. 10 He sends the springs into the valleys – God commands the waters to provide life and sustenance for the animals and birds. v. 11 the wild donkeys – Wild donkeys are proverbially difficult to tame (Job 39:5-8). v. 12 By them – or, "above them." Refers to either the waters (the birds have their home near the water sources) or the animals (the birds live their lives out "above" the animals, in the sky). v. 13 He waters the hills from His upper chambers – The "waters above" (the rain) come from God's heavenly storehouse; they correspond to the lower waters from the springs. the fruit of Your works – All of life is the product of God's activity (see following verses). v. 14 He causes the grass to grow…and vegetation – God causes (literally translated, makes) creation to be fruitful. for the service of man – The Bible places created reality at the service of human beings. v. 15 wine…oil…bread – The classic staples of the Middle Eastern diet. v. 16 the cedars of Lebanon – huge trees growing on the slopes of the Lebanese mountains v. 17 stork…wild goats…rock badgers – a snapshot of the bird and animal world v. 19 the moon…the sun…darkness…night – The moon and the sun were viewed as "gods" by the Canaanite culture surrounding Israel. The psalmist makes clear that these are just instruments of God to control the cycle of the day and the seasons. v. 21 The young lions roar after their prey, and seek their food from God – Even the wildest of the predators are dependent upon God to provide for them. v. 23 labor – The Bible does not view work as a necessary evil or as a punishment for human sin; rather, it is part of the commission God gave us to care for our world (Gen. 1:26-31). v. 24 manifold – many In wisdom You have made them all – See Proverbs 8:22-31. Your possessions – or riches. This leads into a review of the wonders of creation that God "owns" by His right as the Maker. v. 25 This great and wide sea – The sea is no longer a fearful place, but God's "zoo." v. 26 Leviathan – Even the monster of the deep, perhaps a whale, is reduced to God's plaything. v. 27 These all wait for You – Literally translated, "look to You" (dependent upon God for life) v. 28 You open Your hand, they are filled with good – The biblical message consistently affirms that the things of creation are good. v. 29 troubled – terrified, or panicked You take away their breath – ruach (Heb.) the same word as for spirit and wind. God's breath brings life to all things living. v. 30 You send forth Your Spirit – Notice the word play between verses 29 and 30, turning upon the Hebrew word (ruach) for both "breath" and "spirit." they are created – From earliest times, the people of God have recognized that God's Spirit is the true source of creation/creativity. You renew the face of the earth – And God's Spirit is also the source of all "renewal" of life. v. 31 may the LORD rejoice in His works – This verse begins the concluding part of the hymn, praising God. The amazing reality is that we can bring "joy" to God's heart! v. 33 while I have my being – as long as I exist v. 34 my meditation – this praise hymn v. 35 be consumed – vanish or disappear Bless the Lord, O my soul! – The psalm ends with the same phrase with which it began, as the poet "calls" to his own innermost being to worship God.
"O LORD, how manifold are Your works! In wisdom You have made them all. The earth is full of Your possessions" –Psalm 104:24 We cry out with joy and marvel at Your creation, Lord. Although the Earth is in a fallen state and does not work the way You intended, it is still a wonderful, amazing, and wondrous place. May we stop today, Jesus, and take the time to appreciate what You have done. We praise You for the beauty that You have created, and we praise You for giving us minds that can appreciate it!
Engage Truth With new students attending BSU, and the surrounding campuses, there are more opportunities for Engage Truth to reach out. We are excited to see what the Lord has in store for this school year. Prayer Points that God would give wisdom as to how we can best reach out and minister to them effectively. that God would strengthen Christians on campus and reveal Himself to those who have yet to accept Him.