Proverbs Scripture Reading - Proverbs 16:21

Proverbs 16:21 New King James Version (NKJV)

21 The wise in heart will be called prudent,
And sweetness of the lips increases learning.

Morning Scripture Reading - Romans 10:5-13

Romans 10:5-13 New King James Version (NKJV)

5 For Moses writes about the righteousness which is of the law, “The man who does those things shall live by them.” 6 But the righteousness of faith speaks in this way, “Do not say in your heart, ‘Who will ascend into heaven?’ ” (that is, to bring Christ down from above) 7 or, “ ‘Who will descend into the abyss?’ ” (that is, to bring Christ up from the dead). 8 But what does it say? “The word is near you, in your mouth and in your heart” (that is, the word of faith which we preach): 9 that if you confess with your mouth the Lord Jesus and believe in your heart that God has raised Him from the dead, you will be saved. 10 For with the heart one believes unto righteousness, and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation. 11 For the Scripture says, “Whoever believes on Him will not be put to shame.” 12 For there is no distinction between Jew and Greek, for the same Lord over all is rich to all who call upon Him. 13 For “whoever calls on the name of the Lord shall be saved.”

Evening Scripture Reading - Exodus 3:13-17

Exodus 3:13-17 New King James Version (NKJV)

13 Then Moses said to God, “Indeed, when I come to the children of Israel and say to them, ‘The God of your fathers has sent me to you,’ and they say to me, ‘What is His name?’ what shall I say to them?”

14 And God said to Moses, “I AM WHO I AM.” And He said, “Thus you shall say to the children of Israel, ‘I AM has sent me to you.’ ” 15 Moreover God said to Moses, “Thus you shall say to the children of Israel: ‘The Lord God of your fathers, the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob, has sent me to you. This is My name forever, and this is My memorial to all generations.’ 16 Go and gather the elders of Israel together, and say to them, ‘The Lord God of your fathers, the God of Abraham, of Isaac, and of Jacob, appeared to me, saying, “I have surely visited you and seen what is done to you in Egypt; 17 and I have said I will bring you up out of the affliction of Egypt to the land of the Canaanites and the Hittites and the Amorites and the Perizzites and the Hivites and the Jebusites, to a land flowing with milk and honey.” ’

Psalms Scripture Reading - Psalm 35:4-8

Psalm 35:4-8 New King James Version (NKJV)

4 Let those be put to shame and brought to dishonor
Who seek after my life;
Let those be turned back and brought to confusion
Who plot my hurt.
5 Let them be like chaff before the wind,
And let the [a]angel of the Lord chase them.
6 Let their way be dark and slippery,
And let the angel of the Lord pursue them.
7 For without cause they have hidden their net for me in a pit,
Which they have dug without cause for my life.
8 [b]Let destruction come upon him unexpectedly,
And let his net that he has hidden catch himself;
Into that very destruction let him fall.

Footnotes:

1. Psalm 35:5 Or Angel
2. Psalm 35:8 Lit. Let destruction he does not know come upon him,

Proverbs Scripture Reading - Proverbs 16:20

Proverbs 16:20 New King James Version (NKJV)

20 He who heeds the word wisely will find good,
And whoever trusts in the Lord, happy is he.

Morning Scripture Reading - Jeremiah 7:1-11

Jeremiah 7:1-11 New King James Version (NKJV)

Trusting in Lying Words

7 The word that came to Jeremiah from the Lord, saying, 2 “Stand in the gate of the Lord’s house, and proclaim there this word, and say, ‘Hear the word of the Lord, all you of Judah who enter in at these gates to worship the Lord!’ ” 3 Thus says the Lord of hosts, the God of Israel: “Amend your ways and your doings, and I will cause you to dwell in this place. 4 Do not trust in these lying words, saying, ‘The temple of the Lord, the temple of the Lord, the temple of the Lord are these.’

5 “For if you thoroughly amend your ways and your doings, if you thoroughly execute [a]judgment between a man and his neighbor, 6 if you do not oppress the stranger, the fatherless, and the widow, and do not shed innocent blood in this place, or walk after other gods to your hurt, 7 then I will cause you to dwell in this place, in the land that I gave to your fathers forever and ever.

8 “Behold, you trust in lying words that cannot profit. 9 Will you steal, murder, commit adultery, swear falsely, burn incense to Baal, and walk after other gods whom you do not know, 10 and then come and stand before Me in this house which is called by My name, and say, ‘We are delivered to do all these abominations’? 11 Has this house, which is called by My name, become a den of thieves in your eyes? Behold, I, even I, have seen it,” says the Lord.

Footnotes:

1. Jeremiah 7:5 justice

Evening Scripture Reading - 1 John 1:5-10

1 John 1:5-10 New King James Version (NKJV)

Fellowship with Him and One Another

5 This is the message which we have heard from Him and declare to you, that God is light and in Him is no darkness at all. 6 If we say that we have fellowship with Him, and walk in darkness, we lie and do not practice the truth. 7 But if we walk in the light as He is in the light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus Christ His Son cleanses us from all sin.

8 If we say that we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us. 9 If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness. 10 If we say that we have not sinned, we make Him a liar, and His word is not in us.

Psalms Scripture Reading - Psalm 35:1-3

Psalm 35:1-3 New King James Version (NKJV)

The Lord the Avenger of His People

A Psalm of David.

3 Plead[a] my cause, O Lord, with those who strive with me;
Fight against those who fight against me.
2 Take hold of shield and [b]buckler,
And stand up for my help.
3 Also draw out the spear,
And stop those who pursue me.
Say to my soul,
“I am your salvation.”

Footnotes:

1. Psalm 35:1 Contend for me
2. Psalm 35:2 A small shield

Proverbs Scripture Reading - Proverbs 16:18-19

Proverbs 16:18-19 New King James Version (NKJV)

18 Pride goes before destruction,
And a haughty spirit before [a]a fall.
19 Better to be of a humble spirit with the lowly,
Than to divide the [b]spoil with the proud.

Footnotes:

1. Proverbs 16:18 stumbling
2. Proverbs 16:19 plunder

Morning Scripture Reading - John 8:14-18

John 8:14-18 New King James Version (NKJV)

14 Jesus answered and said to them, “Even if I bear witness of Myself, My witness is true, for I know where I came from and where I am going; but you do not know where I come from and where I am going. 15 You judge according to the flesh; I judge no one. 16 And yet if I do judge, My judgment is true; for I am not alone, but I am with the Father who sent Me. 17 It is also written in your law that the testimony of two men is true. 18 I am One who bears witness of Myself, and the Father who sent Me bears witness of Me.”

Evening Scripture Reading - 1 Timothy 6:6-10

1 Timothy 6:6-10 New King James Version (NKJV)

6 Now godliness with contentment is great gain. 7 For we brought nothing into this world, [a]and it is certain we can carry nothing out. 8 And having food and clothing, with these we shall be content. 9 But those who desire to be rich fall into temptation and a snare, and into many foolish and harmful lusts which drown men in destruction and perdition. 10 For the love of money is a root of all kinds of evil, for which some have strayed from the faith in their greediness, and pierced themselves through with many sorrows.

Footnotes:

1. 1 Timothy 6:7 NU omits and it is certain

Psalms Scripture Reading - Psalm 34:19-22

Psalm 34:19-22 New King James Version (NKJV)

19 Many are the afflictions of the righteous,
But the Lord delivers him out of them all.
20 He guards all his bones;
Not one of them is broken.
21 Evil shall slay the wicked,
And those who hate the righteous shall be [a]condemned.
22 The Lord redeems the soul of His servants,
And none of those who trust in Him shall be condemned.

Footnotes:

1. Psalm 34:21 held guilty

Sunday Praise & Worship Message - Plant Seeds of Peace

As Christians, we have an opportunity each day to deliver a message of peace, love and hope from our Heavenly Father to those around us. Right now, the world desperately needs that message. In fact, with everything that is going on, a heavenly message would be most welcome and give others food for thought and a moment of pause. It would be so easy for each of us to simply forget our obligations as Christians and let the world burn. We could easily shake our fingers and tell everyone that we told you so and that this is what you reap. We could all just sit back in the comfort of our homes and watch everything in 4k ultra high-definition burn to the ground with a certain smug satisfaction that this is what those evil people deserve.

I am here to tell you that no one deserves any of this and if you are sitting in your easy chair with this sort of attitude then you have forgotten the message of our Heavenly Father given to us through the life and example of His son, Christ Jesus. 

Life is not a spectator sport for us to enjoy on television or casually participate in. We are, as God’s ambassadors, to go out into the world and preach the gospel of peace, hope, salvation and, most importantly, love. All of these good things come only from the Father and are His gifts to all. If we embrace our responsibilities as Christians, we are to carry this message to those who need it.

There are so many that are scared, lonely, tired and just plain beaten down. Life has handed them a bad lot and some have resigned themselves to accepting it and living their lives in daily desperation. When you see their faces in public and not from the safety of your home, you see the look of fear and hopelessness. They cannot get beyond what they see in their lives. Each day is a struggle for them to make ends meet or just to find a moment of peace.

It doesn’t have to be that way. That same Gospel that gave us peace, love, hope and salvation is also available to all those who wish to receive it. It just takes someone to step out of their comfort zone and go out into the world to preach that Gospel. It isn’t that hard. It just requires that you share what Jesus did for you. The message is simple. Jesus came into this world to teach us about God the Father and how to live our lives in accordance with His laws.

James, in chapter three of his book, writes, “And those who are peacemakers will plant seeds of peace and reap a harvest of righteousness.”

Any farmer will tell you the same thing. A crop doesn’t just show up in a grocery store. It requires work. Farmers start their days early and end them very late. They work hard to provide the food that we eat and enjoy. They work to cultivate the soil and prepare it for the seed. The seeds that the farmers pick are good seeds that will yield a bountiful harvest.

In the case of our lives, God has provided us with great seed, but if it sits and isn’t planted, there will not be a harvest. It is up to us to cultivate the soil and plant that great seed into the prepared hearts of those who are in need of peace, hope, love and salvation. 

When that seed is planted and it begins to germinate, it will grow and flourish and yield a righteous harvest for all to see. But, the only way for this to happen is to go out into the world and sow those seeds into the hearts of those who are desperate for that message.

In chapter one of his book, James writes, “Whatever is good and perfect is a gift coming down to us from God our Father, who created all the lights in the heavens. He never changes or casts a shifting shadow. He chose to give birth to us by giving us his true word. And we, out of all creation, became his prized possession.”

Everything that is good and perfect comes from the Lord. When we receive those good things, we shouldn’t hoard them or just allow them to sit on our shelves and collect dust. We must share those things with others. 

When we accepted Jesus Christ as our personal Savior and Lord, we were born again and were given the true word of God the Father. We are His children and His prized possession. As His children, we have certain responsibilities. We are to share that same message that gave us peace, love, hope and salvation with all those who grope in darkness. Each is seeking something that will fill a void in their lives. We can share that message by sowing a seed of peace in their lives. The peace that I am talking about is spiritual peace. This peace is, as Paul, in chapter two of his letter to the Philippians, tells us is “God’s peace, which exceeds anything we can understand”.

Can you imagine what the world would be like if we all learned what God’s peace truly is and means? If we lived in peace, harmony and love with one another, things would be very different indeed. But, it can only start with planting those seeds each day.

We must be like farmers. We must start our days early and end them late. We must toil to cultivate the soil and plant those seeds. When all is done, we can stand back and behold the harvest of righteousness.

Jesus, in his Sermon on the Mount, tells those who came to listen to his words, “God blesses those who work for peace, for they will be called the children of God.”

Peace doesn’t just happen. It requires sweat and labor daily. But, realize this. As we labor for the Master, our work will be rewarded. Each sacrifice made will be rewarded many, many times over. As His children, we must work for peace and that righteous harvest. When we do all those things, we truly can stand firm in His grace.     

The grace of the Lord Jesus Christ be with your spirit.

Proverbs Scripture Reading - Proverbs 16:17

Proverbs 16:17 New King James Version (NKJV)

17 The highway of the upright is to depart from evil;
He who keeps his way preserves his soul.

Morning Scripture Reading - Isaiah 35:8

Isaiah 35:8 New King James Version (NKJV)

8 A highway shall be there, and a road,
And it shall be called the Highway of Holiness.
The unclean shall not pass over it,
But it shall be for others.
Whoever walks the road, although a fool,
Shall not go astray.

Happy 4th of July!

As we reflect on the meaning of this day, let us thank God that we live in a nation that allows us to worship without fear. In some countries, many Christians must worship in fear that they could be arrested or killed for their faith.

As Americans, we have been blessed to live in a nation that allows us to worship without fear of reprisal or retaliation. We live in a nation that acknowledges that rights are given to men by God and that all are equal.

Evening Scripture Reading - Exodus 33:21-22

Exodus 33:21-22 New King James Version (NKJV)

21 And the Lord said, “Here is a place by Me, and you shall stand on the rock. 22 So it shall be, while My glory passes by, that I will put you in the cleft of the rock, and will cover you with My hand while I pass by.

Psalms Scripture Reading - Psalm 34:17-18

Psalm 34:17-18 New King James Version (NKJV)

17 The righteous cry out, and the Lord hears,
And delivers them out of all their troubles.
18 The Lord is near to those who have a broken heart,
And saves such as [a]have a contrite spirit.

Footnotes:

1. Psalm 34:18 are crushed in spirit