September 2023

Kept Secure In The Lord

SEPTEMBER 7, 2023
Daily Reading – Pro. 1-3 / 1 Cor. 11

GOD’S WORD:

Proverbs 3:26 For the LORD shall be thy confidence, and shall keep thy foot from being taken.

 GETTING INTO GOD’S WORD:

        Remember the little prayer that you heard as a child? “Now I lay me down to sleep, Pray the Lord my soul to keep, If I should die before I wake, I pray the Lord my soul to take, Amen.” What a comforting prayer for a little child. But what about this prayer for an adult? What goes through the mind of a lost person when they are all alone? All the friends have gone home, the hooting, screaming, and all the activities have died down, and the partying is over. Now what? I remember when I was like that. Often, I would wonder, what if I died tonight in my sleep? What if the house caught on fire and I did not make it out? What if someone broke in and killed me. The people I hung out with were not the nicest people, and as far as that goes, neither was I. What if one of them were drunk or high and came to get even for something I said or did? Where was I going after that?

      That simple little prayer can haunt an unsaved person. Also, that little prayer is not a salvation prayer. It never asks for forgiveness of sin. It never shows repentance for sin. It is a great children’s prayer before the age of accountability. However, for an adult, we need to acknowledge we are sinners and ask God to save and forgive us. Inviting Him into our heart to dwell in us. Then when we lie down, we can sleep in restful confidence that God is watching over us. Then no matter what happens in the night we are kept secure in the Lord.

 GETTING GOD’S WORD INTO ME:

        Saved folks might need to change the prayer a little to say: “Now I lay me down to sleep, I know the Lord my soul doth keep. If I should die before I wake, I know the Lord my soul will take. AMEN!” What peace to know we are kept secure in the Lord.

Where does your security lie?

Kingdom Praise

SEPTEMBER 6, 2023
Daily Reading – Psa. 144-150 / 1 Cor. 10

GOD’S WORD:

Psalm 145:13 Thy kingdom is an everlasting kingdom, and thy dominion endureth throughout all generations.

 GETTING INTO GOD’S WORD:

        Lee Greenwood wrote a song that said, “I’m proud to be and American, where at least I know I’m free. And I won’t forget the men who died who gave that right to me. And I gladly stand up, next to you and defend her still today. Cause there ain’t no doubt I love this land. God bless the USA.” Every red-blooded American loves that song, as it reflects on the country we love. Not to be anti-American, however, people from other nations also may believe that the country they live in is probably also the best on this mud ball we call earth. There is nothing wrong with being loyal and proud of your nation, even with all the flaws each one has. Imagine how proud you could be if it and its leaders were absolutely perfect. God’s Kingdom is.

        In Psalm 145:10 it says, “All thy works shall praise thee.” You may be thinking, not everyone loves the Lord and believes there is a God. True, but it does not say they all praise Him now. But they will. Philippians 2:10-11 says, “That at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, of things in heaven, and things in earth, and things under the earth; And that every tongue should confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.” Psalms 145 says the saints will speak of the glory and majesty of this kingdom. They will tell of His power and mighty acts. A perfect eternal Kingdom, with a perfect righteous leader. Why not praise Him now?. 

 GETTING GOD’S WORD INTO ME:

        In Luke 19 Jesus told the Pharisees, if the disciples stopped praising Him, the stones would immediately cry out. I sure do not want some silly rock doing what God created me to do. Why wait for the Coming King. He is King of His Kingdom today. 

I ask again, why not praise Him now?

Know Me!

SEPTEMBER 5, 2023
Daily Reading – Psa. 138-143 / 1 Cor. 9

GOD’S WORD:

Psalm 139:6 Such knowledge is too wonderful for me; it is high, I cannot attain unto it.

 GETTING INTO GOD’S WORD:

        Just how well do you really know someone? My children, who are now grown, were sitting around talking one day about things they had done as little children that neither my wife nor I knew anything about. These are the kids we raised. We think that we know them, but do we really? How about our husband or wife? Do we really know all about them? We want to know and understand them. In fact, in 1 Peter 3:7 husbands are told, “Likewise, ye husbands, dwell with them according to knowledge, giving honour unto the wife, as unto the weaker vessel, and as being heirs together of the grace of life; that your prayers be not hindered.” Yet as any honest husband will tell you, we will never totally understand the heart and mind of our wife. Most women will confess, they will never understand what makes men act like they do either. That kind of knowledge is far above what we can truly understand.

        Still, in today’s passage we find that God does know us. Even better than most of us know ourselves. In verse 1 the Psalmist says that God has, “searched me, and known me.” He goes on to say God knows when we are sleeping and awake and even all our thoughts. He knows where we have been and where we are going. He knows our funny little quirks and mannerisms. He hears every word we have said and has known us from before we were born. God really does know us. 

 GETTING GOD’S WORD INTO ME:

        So, what does God think of all this? In Psalm 139:17 it says, “How precious also are thy thoughts unto me, O God! how great is the sum of them!” Clearly, God loves you as He thinks about you, and He has great desires for your life.

Could anyone know you like God?

Kinfolk Care

SEPTEMBER 4, 2023
Daily Reading – Psa. 130-137 / 1 Cor. 8

GOD’S WORD:

Psalm 133:1 Behold, how good and how pleasant it is for brethren to dwell together in unity!

 GETTING INTO GOD’S WORD:

        When I was a little boy growing up with only one other sibling in the house, she was the target of all my frustrations. If someone was to be blamed, it was her. If someone was to be picked on, it was her. If someone needed a spanking, I always wanted it to be her and not me. That was at home. However, when we got outside the house, if someone decided to pick on someone, it better not be her. Isn’t it funny how the same person that I called names in the house, was the object of my deepest affection outside the home. While I would never say it out loud back then, she was my sister and I loved her. No one was going to pick on her.

        It seems we have all grown up and found church to be a bit like home. We may pick and fuss a bit with our brothers and sisters in Christ, but if one of them are hurting, we all come to their rescue. Dwelling together in unity does not always look like a bunch of people holding hands skipping down the road together. People who love each other still have differing opinions. People who care about one another will at times confront each other with concerns about their life. However, we as brothers and sisters in the Lord are made kinfolk through the blood of Jesus Christ. Our unity is in Him. We may not agree on everything, but we do agree on this. God is our Father, Jesus is our Saviour, the church is the body of Christ, and we as kinfolk care for one another. 

 GETTING GOD’S WORD INTO ME:

        In Gal. 6:10 it says, “As we have therefore opportunity, let us do good unto all men, especially unto them who are of the household of faith.” One big blessing in the believer’s life is the church. People who care. 

Does the world see our care for the church?

Jerusalem’s Compact

 SEPTEMBER 2 & 3, 2023
 SEPTEMBER 2 – Daily Reading – Psa. 120-129 / 1 Cor. 7
 SEPTEMBER 3 – NO READING

 GOD’S WORD:

Psalm 122:3 Jerusalem is builded as a city that is compact together:

 GETTING INTO GOD’S WORD:

        What does it mean in Psalm 122:3 when the Psalmist says, “Jerusalem is builded as a city that is compact together:” Some have supposed he was referring to the structural stability of the walls and buildings. That each stone is so carefully placed as to strengthen the others around them. That every part contributes to the strength of the entire city. Some have said that the Spiritual and Political union is so attractive to all the tribes of Israel and that each tribe has a part in its stability. Also, some have supposed it refers to the population of their city and how the people are compacted close together. Overall, everyone agrees that the writer connected whatever the compacting was to the House of God.

        Today we have all heard the phrase, “United we stand, Divided we fall.” The first and last verse in this chapter speak of the house of the Lord. While I know that our body is the temple of the living God today, I also realize that we each are living stones. That together we make up the Church. In 1 Peter 2:5 Peter said, “Ye also, as lively stones, are built up a spiritual house, an holy priesthood, to offer up spiritual sacrifices, acceptable to God by Jesus Christ.” Jesus is the cornerstone of the Church. The foundation that holds everything together. Yet, you my Christian friend are a living stone, compacted together with other living stones to come together as the church.

 

 GETTING GOD’S WORD INTO ME:

        1 Peter 2:9 says, “But ye are a chosen generation, a royal priesthood, an holy nation, a peculiar people; that ye should shew forth the praises of him who hath called you out of darkness into his marvellous light:”

Any church stones gone?

THE WEEK IN REVIEW:

        No matter the trial, if we are grounded in God and His Word, we can always find Joy In Jesus. We saw that this week in:

  ● Judging From The Past
  ● Jesus, Priest And King
  ● Junk Doesn’t Work!
  ● Joint Ventures
  ● Judgment Calls
  ● Jerusalem’s Compact

      Joy In Jesus does not mean every day will be a piece of birthday cake. It does mean that no matter what winds blow into our life, Jesus will always be there to relight our candles.

       Enjoy today with your church and hear what God has prepared in the heart of His man for you this week.

   See you tomorrow.  

 SUNDAYS:

       Today we suggest you read and study whatever the Lord has laid on your Pastors heart. Whatever scripture he uses for today’s messages were given to him by God for your specific needs.

September 4, 2023	Psa. 130-137	1 Co. 8
September 5, 2023	Psa. 138-143	1 Co. 9
September 6, 2023	Psa. 144-150	1 Co. 10
September 7, 2023	Pro. 1-3	1 Co. 11
September 8, 2023	Pro. 4-5	1 Co. 12
September 9, 2023	Pro. 6-7	1 Co. 13
September 10, 2023	No Passages Assigned

Joy In Jesus