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.

Joy In Jesus

     

 Judgment Calls

 SEPTEMBER 1, 2023
 Daily Reading – Psa. 119:89-176 / 1 Cor. 6

GOD’S WORD:

Psalm 119:105-106 Thy word is a lamp unto my feet, and a light unto my path. I have sworn, and I will perform it, that I will keep thy righteous judgments.

 GETTING INTO GOD’S WORD:

        Ask anyone who knows me, I am not the sharpest pencil in the box when it comes to football. Not that there is anything wrong with football. I do enjoy watching a little bit now and again. Still, I cannot tell you the players’ stats. I do not always know which team is from what city or which league they play in. I do know that over the years they have changed some of the rules of the game, and that every player who plays better know those rules. If they do not, it can cost them and their team the game. Sometimes it is hard to see exactly what is happening and the referee on the field must make a judgement call based on what he believes he has seen. Their judgment calls are not always right, but they are most often final.

        When it comes to God’s judgements, two things are true. First, He is always right. That is why the author of Psalm 119:105-106 said, “Thy word is a lamp unto my feet, and a light unto my path. I have sworn, and I will perform it, that I will keep thy righteous judgments.” He calls God’s judgements, “righteous judgments.” God is never wrong. His Word is always true. It is trustworthy to guide you through life’s twists and turns. The second thing we see when it comes to God’s righteous judgements is that they never change. If they changed, that would mean He had been wrong and was correcting Himself. As we stated, He is never wrong in His judgement calls. 

 GETTING GOD’S WORD INTO ME:

        God has made decisions about life and how it should be lived. Those are his judgments. Since the game of life is a game He designed, the only way to play and win is by His rules. His judgement calls are always right, and at life’s end, very final.

Are you following the light of His Word?

     

Joint Ventures

AUGUST 31, 2023
Daily Reading – Psa. 119:1-88 / 1 Cor. 5

GOD’S WORD:

Psalm 119:18 Open thou mine eyes, that I may behold wondrous things out of thy law.

 GETTING INTO GOD’S WORD:

        Partnerships are great. Well, that is if you have the right partner. I have been in a joint venture with a great partner for years now. He is the Holy Spirit of God that resides in me. I ask God every morning to have Him help me with my understanding of the book He co-authored called the Bible. I do it by reciting this very verse almost every single day in my prayer time before doing my Bible reading. Psalm 119:18 “Open thou mine eyes, that I may behold wondrous things out of thy law.” I found this verse years ago and began praying it every single day. Not just words from my mouth, but the desire of my heart. Why, you might ask.

        Well first off, I pray and read very early in the day according to most people. I need my physical eyes open to the reading of the Word of God. However, I also need my spiritual understanding enlightened. There is no better person in the world to explain what they have written than the author. In 2 Peter 1:20-21 it says, “Knowing this first, that no prophecy of the scripture is of any private interpretation. For the prophecy came not in old time by the will of man: but holy men of God spake as they were moved by the Holy Ghost.” The Bible was written as a joint venture between, God and man. God, through the Holy Spirit, moved man to write His words. It should also be a joint venture for me then to read it. “Open thou mine eyes…”

 GETTING GOD’S WORD INTO ME:

        In 1 Cor. 2:13 it says, “Which things also we speak, not in the words which man’s wisdom teacheth, but which the Holy Ghost teacheth; comparing spiritual things with spiritual.” We need God’s Holy Spirit to teach us daily.

How do you pray for understanding?

     

Junk Doesn’t Work!

AUGUST 30, 2023
Daily Reading – Psa. 114-118 / 1 Cor. 4

GOD’S WORD:

Psalm 115:4 Their idols are silver and gold, the work of men’s hands.

 GETTING INTO GOD’S WORD:

         I get aggravated with things when they do not work like they are supposed to. Computers are a great tool, WHEN THEY WORK. They are also the point of some of my greatest frustrations. I spend time loading and reloading programs trying to make them do what the advertiser said they would do. I spend more time updating the software and rebooting just to make the update work. Sometimes e-mails do not go out like they should, and many times I get a lot of junk e-mail I wish I had never received from the sender. I purchased software to protect me from hackers and thieves. Still, after all that, for no apparent reason, they will just quit working. I just want to kick it to the curb when that happens because this JUNK DOESN’T WORK.

       As I read through Psalm 115, I thought to myself, that is how I would feel about the idols mentioned in verse 4. It says, “Their idols are silver and gold, the work of men’s hands.” When thinking about them, they probably look really pretty. All carved, molded, polished and worth only what gold and silver is worth that day. Sort of like a computer that looks good on a desk, until you turn it on and it does not work. The verses that follow say these idols have eyes, ears, noses, feet, hands, and a mouth, none of which work. It also says, they that make them, are just as smart as the idol they make. It should be plain for everyone to see that this JUNK DOESN’T WORK! God is the only GOD! 

 GETTING GOD’S WORD INTO ME:

        What do we worship that DOESN’T WORK? Wealth, health, cars, homes, jobs, or positions in life? All of these things are ok to have, if we know they are not to be worshiped. Our God in heaven provides all of these things. None of these things ever works as a god.

Where is your focus?

     

Jesus, Priest And King

AUGUST 29, 2023
Daily Reading – Psa. 109-113 / 1 Cor. 3

GOD’S WORD:

Psalm 110:1 The LORD said unto my Lord, Sit thou at my right hand, until I make thine enemies thy footstool.

 GETTING INTO GOD’S WORD:

        Jesus. We call Him King of Kings and Lord of Lords, and rightly so. This little Psalm, tucked into the middle of our Bible is said to have been quoted by Jesus and the Apostles more than any other Psalm. Its importance is not only in the statements made, but also in the subject of this Psalm. It could be none other than Jesus himself.

        In Psalm 110:1 David calls Him Lord. This is prophetic in that David was promised that his kingdom’s rule would never end. For Jesus to be considered David’s Lord at this point in time, Jesus, who is born years later into the lineage of David through His virgin birth to Mary, is a declaration of His Deity before His birth. In verse 4 it says, “The LORD hath sworn, and will not repent, Thou art a priest for ever after the order of Melchizedek.” The entire Psalm points to Jesus’ authority. However, verse 4 says so much. First, Melchizedek, like Christ, was also recognized as King and Priest. Genesis 14:18 “And Melchizedek king of Salem brought forth bread and wine: and he was the priest of the most high God.” Also, we see in Hebrews 7:3 that Melchizedek, like Christ, was ordained by God, had no beginning nor end, nor did his reign ever end. “Without father, without mother, without descent, having neither beginning of days, nor end of life; but made like unto the Son of God; abideth a priest continually.” Jesus, Our High Priest, and our King for all time.

 GETTING GOD’S WORD INTO ME:

        There is a chorus that says, “Christ is all I need, Christ is all I need, All, all I need. He was crucified, For me He died, On Calvary, This is why I know That He loves me so, Christ is all I need.” He is our Coming King, Our High Priest, Our Lord of Lords. He is all we need.

What is He to you?