Psalms Scripture Reading - Psalm 18:43-45

Psalm 18:43-45 New King James Version (NKJV)

43 You have delivered me from the strivings of the people;
You have made me the head of the [a]nations;
A people I have not known shall serve me.
44 As soon as they hear of me they obey me;
The foreigners [b]submit to me.
45 The foreigners fade away,
And come frightened from their hideouts.

Footnotes:

1. Psalm 18:43 Gentiles
2. Psalm 18:44 feign submission

Afternoon Scripture Reading - Jeremiah 17:10

Jeremiah 17:10 New King James Version (NKJV)

10 I, the Lord, search the heart,
I test the [a]mind,
Even to give every man according to his ways,
According to the fruit of his doings.

Footnotes:

1. Jeremiah 17:10 Most secret parts, lit. kidneys

Morning Scripture Reading - Jude 20-21

Jude 20-21 New King James Version (NKJV)

Maintain Your Life with God

20 But you, beloved, building yourselves up on your most holy faith, praying in the Holy Spirit, 21 keep yourselves in the love of God, looking for the mercy of our Lord Jesus Christ unto eternal life.

Proverbs Scripture Reading - Proverbs 12:14

Proverbs 12:14 New King James Version (NKJV)

14 A man will be satisfied with good by the fruit of his mouth,
And the recompense of a man’s hands will be rendered to him.

Psalms Scripture Reading - Psalm 18:37-42

Psalm 18:37-42 New King James Version (NKJV)

37 I have pursued my enemies and overtaken them;
Neither did I turn back again till they were destroyed.
38 I have wounded them,
So that they could not rise;
They have fallen under my feet.
39 For You have armed me with strength for the battle;
You have [a]subdued under me those who rose up against me.
40 You have also given me the necks of my enemies,
So that I destroyed those who hated me.
41 They cried out, but there was none to save;
Even to the Lord, but He did not answer them.
42 Then I beat them as fine as the dust before the wind;
I cast them out like dirt in the streets.

Footnotes:

1. Psalm 18:39 Lit. caused to bow

Afternoon Scripture Reading - Zechariah 14:9

Zechariah 14:9 New King James Version (NKJV)

9 And the Lord shall be King over all the earth.
In that day it shall be—
“The Lord is one,”
And His name one.

Morning Scripture Reading - Galatians 5:22-23

Galatians 5:22-23 New King James Version (NKJV)

22 But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, 23 [a]gentleness, self-control. Against such there is no law.

Footnotes:

1. Galatians 5:23 meekness

Proverbs Scripture Reading - Proverbs 12:13

Proverbs 12:13 New King James Version (NKJV)

13 The wicked is ensnared by the transgression of his lips,
But the righteous will come through trouble.

Psalms Scripture Reading - Psalm 18:35-36

Psalm 18:35-36 New King James Version (NKJV)

35 You have also given me the shield of Your salvation;
Your right hand has held me up,
Your gentleness has made me great.
36 You enlarged my path under me,
So my feet did not slip.

Afternoon Scripture Reading - Matthew 9:1-8

Matthew 9:1-8 New King James Version (NKJV)

Jesus Forgives and Heals a Paralytic

9 So He got into a boat, crossed over, and came to His own city. 2 Then behold, they brought to Him a paralytic lying on a bed. When Jesus saw their faith, He said to the paralytic, “Son, be of good cheer; your sins are forgiven you.”

3 And at once some of the scribes said within themselves, “This Man blasphemes!”

4 But Jesus, knowing their thoughts, said, “Why do you think evil in your hearts? 5 For which is easier, to say, ‘Your sins are forgiven you,’ or to say, ‘Arise and walk’? 6 But that you may know that the Son of Man has power on earth to forgive sins”—then He said to the paralytic, “Arise, take up your bed, and go to your house.” 7 And he arose and departed to his house.

8 Now when the multitudes saw it, they marveled[a] and glorified God, who had given such power to men.

Footnotes:

1. Matthew 9:8 NU were afraid

Sunday Praise & Worship Message - Love and Care for Each Other

Since the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic, I have witnessed instances of selfishness punctuated with even more instances of self-centeredness. It seems for every twenty or thirty of those stories, there is one that demonstrates love and compassion for others. Needless to say, the stories of self-sacrifice and charity are often buried under a sea of stories that just make people shake their heads in disbelief.

As I watch the world trying to cope with this “undiscovered country” of global pandemic, I realize that the only way for us to get through this and remain dedicated to the ideal of love for one another is to truly remember that we should be servants to one another. When we put the health and needs of others above our own, we are no longer just animals, but, rather, human beings who love one another.

Several people have asked me a question similar to the one that the Pharisees asked Jesus, “What is the most important thing for us to do as Christians during this time of crises?”

My answer is the same as Jesus’. We are to love the Lord our God with all of our heart, mind and soul and, equally as important, love one another.

In chapter twenty-two of the Gospel of Matthew, Jesus replied to the Pharisees, “‘You must love the Lord your God with all your heart, all your soul, and all your mind.’ This is the first and greatest commandment. A second is equally important: ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’ The entire law and all the demands of the prophets are based on these two commandments.”

You notice what Jesus says about these two important laws. If you just follow those, the others, as well as the demands of the prophets, rest on these. When you examine the laws in the Old Testament, most of them easily follow into two simple buckets. The first governs our relationship with God the Father. The second governs our relationship with each other. 

If we just followed these two laws that Jesus calls important, we would be living in a far, far better world. By loving God and loving each other, our entire world would change overnight and be something of a paradise. There would be no need for other laws. We would do everything out of love for God and for each other. Nothing would please me more than to see a world where hate, bigotry, greed, lust and other sins would be a thing of the past.

Jesus, in chapter thirteen of the Gospel of John, says to his disciples, “So now I am giving you a new commandment: Love each other. Just as I have loved you, you should love each other. Your love for one another will prove to the world that you are my disciples.”

When we love one another, we reflect God’s love not only for us but also the entire world. This is how the simple message of the Good News spread like wildfire. It does not require a degree from a seminary to preach this message. It starts by demonstrating God’s love to everyone around us.

As people witness that love in action, they will, in turn, ask why. It is through that simple question that we are able to preach the Word to the lost and those in need of salvation. Many have found God not through a paper tract handed out but through the deeds and actions of those who are followers of the Christ.

Soon enough, we will see the end of this pandemic and each of us will have an opportunity to reflect on it. What will we say about it and ourselves? Will we look at ourselves and just shake our heads in disbelief as we think about our actions?

I have seen too many stories of selfishness and not enough of self-sacrifice. There are times when I just do not listen to the news or care to do so. Each day brings us to the brink of collapse. I am not preaching about doomsday or Judgement Day. I speak of the day when we, as human beings, give into the desires of this world and we spiral downwards into the pit of despair. 

Before we all take that last step, let us pause and think of what Jesus told the Pharisees.  Then let us live to love not only God the Father but also to love everyone. 

In his first epistle, John, in chapter four, writes, “Dear friends, since God loved us that much, we surely ought to love each other. No one has ever seen God. But if we love each other, God lives in us, and his love is brought to full expression in us.”

God lives in us when we love those around us and by doing so, His love is visible to the world and becomes real to all those who are looking for something that will fill that void in their hearts and souls.

As we begin another week, let us truly love one another and show the world that things can be better. We can make a big difference in other people’s lives and do so much to ease the pain and suffering of so many. We just have to start by loving God and then applying that love He had for us to the rest of the world by loving just one person at a time. When we learn to do these things, we can definitely stand firm in His grace.

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

Morning Scripture Reading - 1 Peter 2:9-10

1 Peter 2:9-10 New King James Version (NKJV)

9 But you are a chosen generation, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, His own special people, that you may proclaim the praises of Him who called you out of darkness into His marvelous light; 10 who once were not a people but are now the people of God, who had not obtained mercy but now have obtained mercy.

Proverbs Scripture Reading - Proverbs 12:12

Proverbs 12:12 New King James Version (NKJV)

12 The wicked covet the catch of evil men,
But the root of the righteous yields fruit.

Psalms Scripture Reading - Psalm 18:31-34

Psalm 18:31-34 New King James Version (NKJV)

31 For who is God, except the Lord?
And who is a rock, except our God?
32 It is God who arms me with strength,
And makes my way perfect.
33 He makes my feet like the feet of deer,
And sets me on my high places.
34 He teaches my hands to make war,
So that my arms can bend a bow of bronze.

Afternoon Scripture Reading - Revelation 21:4

Revelation 21:4 New King James Version (NKJV)

4 And God will wipe away every tear from their eyes; there shall be no more death, nor sorrow, nor crying. There shall be no more pain, for the former things have passed away.”

Morning Scripture Reading - Exodus 34:10

Exodus 34:10 New King James Version (NKJV)

The Covenant Renewed

10 And He said: “Behold, I make a covenant. Before all your people I will do [a]marvels such as have not been done in all the earth, nor in any nation; and all the people among whom you are shall see the work of the Lord. For it is an awesome thing that I will do with you.

Footnotes:

1. Exodus 34:10 wonderful acts

Proverbs Scripture Reading - Proverbs 12:11

Proverbs 12:11 New King James Version (NKJV)

11 He who [a]tills his land will be satisfied with bread,
But he who follows [b]frivolity is devoid of [c]understanding.

Footnotes:

1. Proverbs 12:11 works or cultivates
2. Proverbs 12:11 Lit. vain things
3. Proverbs 12:11 Lit. heart

Psalms Scripture Reading - Psalm 18:28-30

Psalm 18:28-30 New King James Version (NKJV)

28 For You will light my lamp;
The Lord my God will enlighten my darkness.
29 For by You I can [a]run against a troop,
By my God I can leap over a wall.
30 As for God, His way is perfect;
The word of the Lord is [b]proven;
He is a shield to all who trust in Him.

Footnotes:

1. Psalm 18:29 Or run through
2. Psalm 18:30 Lit. refined

Afternoon Scripture Reading - Philippians 1:15-18

Philippians 1:15-18 New King James Version (NKJV)

15 Some indeed preach Christ even from envy and strife, and some also from goodwill: 16 [a]The former preach Christ from selfish ambition, not sincerely, supposing to add affliction to my chains; 17 but the latter out of love, knowing that I am appointed for the defense of the gospel. 18 What then? Only that in every way, whether in pretense or in truth, Christ is preached; and in this I rejoice, yes, and will rejoice.

Footnotes:

1. Philippians 1:16 NU reverses vv. 16 and 17.

Morning Scripture Reading - Hebrews 12:1-2

Hebrews 12:1-2 New King James Version (NKJV)

The Race of Faith

12 Therefore we also, since we are surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses, let us lay aside every weight, and the sin which so easily ensnares us, and let us run with endurance the race that is set before us, 2 looking unto Jesus, the [a]author and [b]finisher of our faith, who for the joy that was set before Him endured the cross, despising the shame, and has sat down at the right hand of the throne of God.

Footnotes:

1. Hebrews 12:2 originator
2. Hebrews 12:2 perfecter

Proverbs Scripture Reading - Proverbs 12:10

Proverbs 12:10 New King James Version (NKJV)

10 A righteous man regards the life of his animal,
But the tender mercies of the wicked are cruel.

Psalms Scripture Reading - Psalm 18:25-27

Psalm 18:25-27 New King James Version (NKJV)

25 With the merciful You will show Yourself merciful;
With a blameless man You will show Yourself blameless;
26 With the pure You will show Yourself pure;
And with the devious You will show Yourself shrewd.
27 For You will save the humble people,
But will bring down haughty looks.