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Psalm 46:1-3
1 
God, you’re such a safe and powerful place to find refuge!
You’re a proven help in time of trouble—
more than enough and always available whenever I need you.
2 
So we will never fear
even if every structure of support [earth itself] were to crumble away.
We will not fear even when the earth quakes and shakes,
moving mountains and casting them into the sea.
3 
For the raging roar of stormy winds and crashing waves
cannot erode our faith in you.

In our passage today, the psalmist writes about his confident trust in God’s ability to save and protect his people. Although many other psalms begin by first describing a crisis that has arisen and then God showing up to help, this psalm begins by extolling the faithful provision of God and His desire to be our strength and power before the crisis.

The psalmist knows fear not only robs us as individuals, it robs God of the honor our confident trust should bring Him. That is why Satan tries to plant fear in our thoughts; he wants us to think we are alone and that the use of our faith is futile. Satan knows God has promised to care for His own and will never betray His Word. We must know it, too.

When crisis hits—notice I said not “if” but “when”—we must be ready to allow the presence of God to sustain us because His help is more than enough to see us through. Keep your faith on the true Source of support who will always be there for you. Whatever challenge or trial you may face, God is greater and more powerful.

Prayer: Lord, thank you for the promises you have made to be my source of strength. I continue to find you as my safe place. Help me to stay focused on your eternal Word. In Jesus’ name. Amen.

Luke 10:16-20 TLB

Background: In our passage today from Luke’s gospel, Jesus has just given his disciples important instructions for preparing a number of towns for his visit. The disciple’s mission is to totally rely upon God; they are to ask God to provide for them, as well as supply more workers to help them. Then, Jesus warns his disciples to expect opposition, but they are not to take it personally. The opposition they will face is really resistance to God’s authority.

16 “The one who listens to you, listens to me. The one who rejects you, rejects me. And rejecting me is the same as rejecting God, who sent me.”

17 The seventy [disciples] came back triumphant. “Master, even the demons danced to your tune!”

18-20 Jesus said, “I know. I saw Satan fall, a bolt of lightning out of the sky. See what I’ve given you? Safe passage as you walk on snakes and scorpions, and protection from every assault of the Enemy. No one can put a hand on you. All the same, the great triumph is not in your authority over evil, but in God’s authority over you and presence with you. Not what you do for God but what God does for you—that’s the agenda for rejoicing.”

Our duty, as temples of God’s presence on earth, is to allow him to prioritize our lives in a way that advances his salvation mission. We are to go into all the world—all the places he takes us each day—and share the message of Christ’s atoning, redeeming, and healing love. We are able to do that because we understand we already have the victory—we have God’s authority operating in our lives.

Prayer: Lord, thank you for making me a citizen of heaven on an earthly mission. I welcome your authority over me and your presence with me. In Jesus’ name. Amen.

Psalm 62:9-12
9 
Before God all the people of the earth, high or low,
are like smoke that disappears,
like a vapor that quickly vanishes away.
Compared to God they’re nothing but vanity, nothing at all!
10 
The wealth of the world is nothing to God.
So if your wealth increases, don’t be boastful or
put your trust in your money.
And don’t you think for a moment that
you can get away with stealing by overcharging others
just to get more for yourself!
11 
God said to me once and for all,
“All the strength and power you need flows from me!”
And again I heard it clearly said,
12 
“All the love you need is found in me!”
And it’s true that you repay people for what they do.

Every day serves as a great reminder for me to put what I believe is important about God’s world, his Word, and this time in which I live into perspective. In doing so, I find peace. I believe I am here on earth to live for God’s glory; not for my own pleasure—because I no longer belong to myself, I belong to God and have chosen to serve as his temple (1 Cor. 6:19). Honestly, some days I do that better than others, but nonetheless that is what I believe 2020 has taught me and this year will continue to teach me—so I press on. Do you serve as his temple?

If we were paying attention, last year taught us about spiritual blessings while it taught us to endure confusion, deception, sorrows, health challenges, and financial difficulties. It was a time of preparation and it unveiled the truth about where we individually placed our greatest trust and loyalty. Did we fall on our faces before our merciful and forgiving God, trust in his love, and stand on the promise of his Word to save us? Or, did we expect the government and the world’s systems to save us? I support and treasure this country and I will continue to faithfully pray for our leaders. Yet, scripture teaches the world’s economic and governing systems will one day fall before God (Rev. 18). In whom do you place your hope and trust?

In our passage today, King David sings a worship song encouraging us to place our hope in God who is always in control. Relief does not come because problems and difficulties are resolved—there will always be more problems that manifest in a fallen and sinful world in need of God. Relief is experienced as we endure in our hope that God’s salvation will come with Christ’s Return—when all the trials we face will finally be over. Are you ready?

Prayer: Father, may you be glorified in my life, because I place my trust and hope in you alone. May your Kingdom be advanced through my voice, as well as how I choose to live as your temple. And, may the deceptive reign of Satan be destroyed and the truthful rule of your Son be revealed in your world. In Jesus’ name. Amen.

Psalm 86:9-12 TPT King David’s Prayer of Faith
9
Lord Almighty, you are the one who created all the nations;
Look at them—they’re all on their way!
Yes, the day will come when they all will worship you
and put your glory on display
10 
You are the one and only God.
What miracles! What wonders! What greatness belongs to you!
11 
Teach me more about you, how you work and how you move,
so that I can walk onward in your truth
until everything within me brings honor to your name.
12 
With all my heart and passion I will thank you, my God!
I will give glory to your name, always and forever!

Our passage today is a prayer from King David. In it David reminds his readers of the position every heart should assume before Almighty God who created all nations and is calling them to himself with the purpose of becoming One in Christ. God’s Word tells us, “The authority of the name of Jesus causes every knee to bow in reverence! Everything and everyone will one day submit to this name—in the heavenly realm, in the earthly realm, and in the demonic realm. And every tongue will proclaim in every language: “Jesus Christ is Lord Yahweh,” bringing glory and honor to God, his Father! (Phil. 2:10-11).

Today is Inauguration Day for the United States of America. We will witness the ceremonial induction of President-Elect Biden into the office of President. Now, we must in faith pray like David first of all for our own hearts to be right before God, and second for the hearts of those who have been positioned in office to lead this country as One Nation Under God.

We are commanded to faithfully pray for God’s highest to be served through our established leaders. As we pray, may the Spirit shake every leader with a holy awe and sense of responsibility before God to whom each one of us will one day answer. May their souls become weighted with the heart of God for this country, so they will humbly bow before the righteous rule of his Mighty Hand. Please put all politics aside and never forget God’s in control of heaven, earth, and beneath the earth. This is his story, so use your faith and pray for his Word to be written on every heart…in Jesus’ name! Amen.

January 19, 2021

Acts 5:1-4  

Background:  The Book of Acts is an accurate historical record of the early church written by Dr. Luke.  It is the connecting link between Christ’s life and the life of the church between the New Testament Gospels and the Letters.

The Judgment of Ananias and Sapphira

5 Now, a man named Ananias and his wife, Sapphira, likewise sold their farm. 2 They conspired to secretly keep back for themselves a portion of the proceeds. So when Ananias brought the money to the apostles, it was only a portion of the entire sale. 3 God revealed their secret to Peter [through the indwelling Holy Spirit], so he said to him, “Ananias, why did you let Satan fill your heart and make you think you could lie to the Holy Spirit? You only pretended to give it all, yet you hid back part of the proceeds from the sale of your property to keep for yourselves. 4 Before you sold it, wasn’t it yours to sell or to keep? And after you sold it, wasn’t the money entirely at your disposal? How could you plot such a thing in your heart? You haven’t lied to people; you’ve lied to God!”5 The moment Ananias heard those words, he fell over dead. Everyone was terrified when they heard what had happened. 6 Some young men came in and removed the body and buried him.

7 Three hours later, his wife came into the room, with no clue what had happened to her husband.

8 Peter said to her, “Tell me, were the two of you paid this amount for the sale of your land?”

Sapphira said, “Yes, that’s how much it was.”

9 Peter told her, “Why have you agreed together to test the Spirit of the Lord? I hear the footsteps of those who buried your husband at the door—they’re coming here to bury you too!” 10 At that moment she dropped dead at Peter’s feet.

When the young men came in, she was already dead, so they carried her out and buried her next to her husband. 11 The entire church was seized with a powerful sense of the fear of God, which came over all who heard what had happened.

In our passage today, Ananias and Sapphira have sold some property in order to share the proceeds with others; to help those less fortunate be sustained during a difficult time of lack and persecution.  At this time, the government is corrupt and negligent to really care for people; they care only about furthering their reach of power.  No one asks Ananias and Sapphira to sell their property. No one tells them if they sell their property, they have to share “all” the money with their neighbors. The issue we see in our passage is these two say one thing and the truth is really quite another. They want to draw attention to their so-called sacrificial “acts of love” on behalf of their neighbors when they are really loving themselves by painting a false picture to gain the approval of others in the community.  This is a worldly attitude that does not belong among those who say they serve God.  Therefore, this couple’s true motives are noticed by the Spirit who declares, “You haven’t lied to people; you’ve lied to God!”  Judgment comes quickly.

Prayer:  Lord Yahweh, you are generous beyond all understanding and your love is unfailing for all people.  Many people find themselves in a time of lack and persecution due to the lockdowns in our country. We pray for them to be sustained by your mighty hand. Use your Church and use this government.  Hold us accountable not just to hand out checks in order to look generous, but to embrace the very actions that further the well-being and restoration of those suffering in “One nation under God.”  May your name be honored!  In Jesus’ name.  Amen.

2 Corinthians 6:14-18

The Temple of the Living God
14 Don’t continue to team up with unbelievers in mismatched alliances, for what partnership is there between righteousness and rebellion? Who could mingle light with darkness? 15 What harmony can there be between Christ and Satan? Or what does a believer have in common with an unbeliever? 16 What friendship does God’s temple[c] have with demons? For indeed, we are the temple of the living God, just as God has said:
I will make my home in them and walk among them.
I will be their God, and they will be my people.

17 For this reason,
“Come out from among them and be separate,” says the Lord.
“Touch nothing that is unclean, and I will embrace you.
18 
I will be a true Father to you,
    and you will be my beloved sons and daughters,”
    says the Lord Yahweh Almighty.

In our passage today, the Apostle Paul encourages all Christians to pay attention to the relationships we may form with unbelievers, because being with them can sway our own commitment to Christ. When we associate with people who do not share our goal to remain in the integrity of Christ, we can find ourselves compromising just to avoid conflict. Paul is not saying we should leave our unbelieving spouses. He is not advocating that we isolate ourselves from unbelievers. He is revealing the issues that can arise and encourages us to be careful to remain loyal to Christ in the midst of them. Sometimes we have to limit the amount of time we spend with certain people in order to stay close to God. Sometimes, we cannot go to the same places others go, because we know it displeases God. We can never dismiss our responsibility to share the gospel of Jesus Christ with others, but we must pay careful attention to any relationship that tries to divide our loyalty to Christ.

Prayer: Father, thank you for the reminder that we must be careful with the company we keep and the relationships we cultivate. Please continue to surround me with people who love you and remain committed to you, so I too remain strong in faith. Help me to be a blessing and witness to others who need to know Jesus. In Jesus’ name. Amen.

Psalm 139:1-4 King David’s song

1 
Lord, you know everything there is to know about me.
2 
You perceive every movement of my heart and soul,
and you understand my every thought before it even enters my mind.
3–4 
You are so intimately aware of me, Lord.
You read my heart like an open book
and you know all the words I’m about to speak
before I even start a sentence!

Whether we believe in the Lord’s love and salvation or not, God knows everything about every human being. No one can hide anything from the pure omnipresent Light of Truth. God always has a righteous plan for his human creation and he will not stop bringing it forward because he flawlessly works for our restoration and wholeness. We were made in his image, after all and he works to redeem the Truth. When we stoop to deception, painful or not, God raises up Truth to confront and correct us. As King David discovered in his own life, no matter how much power a person may have, Truth eventually comes out and prevails because even though others may be oblivious, God is not mocked (Gal 6:7).

God’s love is pure and he wants more for us than to live as liars. When humans lie, we look like the father of lies—Satan. So, God patiently makes arrangements for humans to have an encounter with Truth. If you find yourself discouraged because you feel Truth has been robbed by the evil work of Satan, rest assure whatever a person sows they will reap. When we build temples of deceit, Truth in time brings a wrecking ball. Your biggest challenge will be choosing to love and trust God in the meantime. Spend your time praying for Truth to rise, continue producing good fruit in your own life, and leave the harvest to God.

Prayer: Lord, thank you for knowing everything about your human creation. You alone know the Truth and motives of our hearts. We pray for our hearts to be in sync with your Spirit of Truth, and we pray for our country and world to not only hunger for the Truth, but for the One who is Truth—Jesus—to be revealed to the world. In Jesus’ name. Amen.

Judges 2:13-15
13 The Israelites abandoned the worship of the Eternal One and turned to serve Baal and his consort the moon goddess, Ashtaroth. 14 So the Eternal’s anger burned hot against them, and He caused them to be overcome by those around them, using their enemies to plunder them so that the Israelites could no longer stand against their enemies. 15 Whenever they marched out to battle, the hand of the Eternal One was raised against them in evil, as He had warned and promised them, and they were in anguish.

After Joshua died, the Israelites moved once again toward idolatry. They left their first love—Yahweh—and worshiped idols with their neighbors. They sacrificed their relationship with God who had lovingly delivered them time and time again to align themselves with the world. So, the people ended up fighting against God who used their enemies to bring judgment upon them.

Scripture teaches “God opposes the proud but gives grace to the humble” (James 4:6). May we allow the Spirit to soften our hearts and may we hunger for more of God in the days ahead. May we be truly grateful for his goodness and his blessings that sustain us and help us to persevere. May we reach out to lift others up who are struggling around us. May the world wake up and connect to Christ!

Prayer: Lord, I know idolatry is a matter of the heart; help me to stay focused on you, put on humility, as well as be willing to serve and share my life and blessings with others. In Jesus’ name. Amen.

Before we begin reading our passage for today, let’s put a few nuggets of biblical history into our thoughts. The gospel of John was written by the apostle John who served as one of the twelve disciples during Jesus’ earthly ministry. John the Baptist was Jesus’ cousin; his mother was Elizabeth whom Mary went to visit. In Chapter 1, John’s gospel tells us John the Baptist finds himself interrogated by some religious leaders; they want to know who he is because he has chosen not to follow the proper priestly path for leadership. In other words, he does not represent or take order from the establishment and they are not happy with him. So, John the Baptist answers them, “I am fulfilling Isaiah’s prophecy: ‘I am an urgent, thundering voice shouting in the desert—clear the way and prepare your hearts for the coming of the Lord Yahweh!’” John the Baptist makes no apologies for usurping those in power; he simply does what the Lord sends him to do. He get’s people’s attention and warns them to turn from wickedness and seek the Truth—Yahweh.

John 1:29-34 The Lamb of God
29 The very next day John saw Jesus coming to him to be baptized, and John cried out, “Look! There he is—God’s Lamb! He will take away [lift off] the sins of the world! 30 I told you that a Mighty One would come who is far greater than I am, because he existed long before I was born! 31 My baptism was for the preparation of his appearing to Israel, even though I’ve yet to experience him.”

32 Then, as John baptized Jesus he spoke these words: “I see the Spirit of God appear like a dove descending from the heavenly realm and landing upon him—and it rested upon him from that moment forward! 33 And even though I’ve yet to experience him, when I was commissioned to baptize with water God spoke these words to me, ‘One day you will see the Spirit descend and remain upon a man. He will be the One I have sent to baptize with the Holy Spirit.’ 34 And now I have seen with discernment. I can tell you for sure that this man is the Son of God.”

Jesus is the Messiah; the Son of God and the Way of Truth who pleases the Father. He came and laid down his life, so humanity could choose to accept life in him; God’s plan for salvation from judgement. Believers—those who have laid their lives down to live in Christ—have been baptized with the Spirit of Holiness–now we, too, please the Father.

Friends, through the Holy Spirit, God is warning us again to get ready, but this time for his Second Coming. The apostle John writes about it in his prophetic vision from the Lord, “Then I witnessed another angel flying in the sky, carrying a message of eternal good news to announce to the earth—to every tribe, language, people, and nation. With a loud voice he shouted, “You must reverence God and glorify him, for the time has come for him to judge [the time of his deciding]. Worship at the feet of the Creator of heaven, earth, sea, and springs of water” (Rev 14:6-7).

Prayer: Lord, thank you for preparing our hearts through your Word and for the encouragement of the Spirit who supernaturally directs our paths. It is now the work of the Spirit to prepare us for your Second Coming. While I am waiting, help me to be an effective witness of the Truth for others. In Jesus’ name Amen.

Acts 22:3-15
3 I’ve been extremely passionate in my desire to please God, just as all of you are today. 4 I’ve hunted down and killed the followers of this Way. I have seized them and thrown them into prison, both men and women. 5 All of this can be verified by the high priest and the Supreme Council of Elders. For they even wrote letters to our fellow Jews of Damascus, authorizing me to arrest them and bring them back to Jerusalem as prisoners to be punished.
6 “As I was on the road approaching Damascus, about noon, a brilliant heavenly light suddenly appeared, flashing all around me. 7 As I fell to the ground I heard a voice say, ‘Saul, Saul . . . why are you persecuting me?’
8 “I answered, ‘Who are you, my Lord?’
“He said to me, ‘I am Jesus, the Victorious. I am the one you are persecuting.’
9 “Those who were with me saw the brilliant light, but they didn’t hear the voice of the one who spoke to me.
10 “So I asked, ‘Lord, what am I to do?’
“And the Lord said to me, ‘Get up and go into Damascus, and there you will be told about all that you are destined to do.’
11 “Because of the dazzling glory of the light, I couldn’t see—I was left blind. So they had to lead me by the hand the rest of the way into Damascus.
12 “A Jewish man living there named Ananias came to see me. He was a godly man who lived according to the law of Moses and was highly esteemed by the Jewish community. 13 He stood beside me and said, ‘Saul! My brother, Saul—open your eyes and see again!’ At that very instant I opened my eyes and I could see! 14 Then he said to me, ‘The God of our ancestors has destined you[e] to know his plan and for you to see the Holy One and to hear his voice. 15 For you will be his witness to every race of people and will share with them everything that you’ve seen and heard.

In our passage today, Paul is giving his testimony at the Temple in Jerusalem. He is trying to get the men of Israel to pay attention to his story about Jesus. They falsely accuse him of teaching against the laws of Moses. A mob comes after Paul with the purpose of killing him; they beat him until a regiment of Roman soldiers come to break up the attack. Paul lets these religious zealots know he understands where they find themselves. He, too, was deceived by Satan into misinterpreting the Word of God, as well as harming the Lord and his servants.

Organized religion may or may not correctly represent the Truth of God’s Word or will. Be careful. Humans have an inclination to make God in their own image—based on their personal opinions, rather than conform to his image and his ways revealed in the Word. Jesus came to draw us into a relationship based on personal responsibility; he brings the power to live for God. We must read the Word of God, stay true to what is written and taught about living a life that pleases God, and listen to the Holy Spirit who bears witness to the Truth and brings the power to live as an obedient Christ follower. Otherwise, like Paul, some well-meaning folks may find themselves using a false religion to silence others who are actually standing on the Word and obeying the Lord who is Truth. In the last days, deceived government/world leaders and deceived religious teachers will partner with Satan for the purpose of trying one last time to silence Christ’s followers and dethrone and Lord of all (Rev. 13).

Prayer: Lord, thank you for the witness of the apostle Paul and his courage to speak Truth even when others did not want to hear it. I pray for Truth to rise up in me and in all your followers, so we will continue to speak honestly and accurately for your heart. In Jesus’ name. Amen.