Psalms Scripture Reading - Psalm 46:11

Psalm 46:11 New King James Version (NKJV)

11 The Lord of hosts is with us;
The God of Jacob is our refuge. Selah

Sunday Praise & Worship Message - Live in Harmony

As I watch the news, I am appalled by the violence and destruction. There are times when I have to turn the television off and pray that we return to God and truly love one another. However, over the course of just a single week, I see or hear of more violence, more destruction and the list goes on. Instead of exchanging ideas and listening to one another, we have turned to calling one another names or, worst yet, screaming at each other. Even our elected officials are no longer respectful of one another.  They, too, have become just as offensive as the individuals I see on television or read about in the news. It seems that we are no longer civil to one another and have resorted to violence and anger to express our feelings. We no longer strive to work together for the betterment of all, but rather, look for ways to only advance ourselves over others.

What has happened to us? I remember the times when we came together to do great things and advance noble causes. We fought against tyranny and social injustice. We fought for those who were oppressed, poor, or were of a different color. As Americans without the hyphen, we continue to do great things.

In May of this year, for example, the United States returned to space for the first time in almost nine years by launching two astronauts from United States soil. Prior to that momentous moment, US astronauts were hitching rides on Russian rockets. For me, when Crew Dragon lifted off the pad at Kennedy, I felt a certain pride knowing that we were returning to space.

When we, as a nation, commit ourselves to do something great, we go all out with pride and are dedicated to the idea of not only doing it for our nation but also for the advancement of mankind as a whole. I cannot think of a better example than the Apollo program that started with a brash young President standing before the United States Congress challenging us all to do something almost unheard of.

President John Fitzgerald Kennedy, standing before a joint session of Congress on May 25, 1961, uttered these words that still to this very day fill me with pride, “First, I believe that this nation should commit itself to achieving the goal, before this decade is out, of landing a man on the moon and returning him safely to the earth. No single space project in this period will be more impressive to mankind, or more important for the long-range exploration of space; and none will be so difficult or expensive to accomplish. We propose to accelerate the development of the appropriate lunar spacecraft. We propose to develop alternate liquid and solid fuel boosters, much larger than any now being developed, until certain which is superior. We propose additional funds for other engine development and for unmanned explorations--explorations which are particularly important for one purpose which this nation will never overlook: the survival of the man who first makes this daring flight. But in a very real sense, it will not be one man going to the moon--if we make this judgment affirmatively, it will be an entire nation. For all of us must work to put him there.”

We, as a nation, committed ourselves to meeting the challenge given to us by President Kennedy. In July,1969, Neil Armstrong became the first man to set foot on the moon. Everyone around the world was glued to a television or radio as he came down the ladder of the lunar excursion module and set his foot upon the soil of a foreign world.

The entire world came together and shared in that momentous achievement and marveled at what we, not only as a nation, but also as a people, could do when we set our minds on doing something great.

When we work for the good, the good just naturally comes through and shines like a brilliant light. We have no petty differences. We work to do those things that give us an opportunity to add yet another thread in the rich tapestry of man’s existence.

Even today, we see a similar opportunity to do something wonderful. As we face a pandemic and an invisible foe, COVID-19, thousands of people all around the world are working tirelessly to create a vaccine. Thousands of healthcare workers, physicians, specialists, nurses, emergency medical workers and so many others work daily to keep those infected with this malady alive. It is through these moments when we see the best in man come out and outshine the violence and destruction.

Paul, in chapter twelve of his letter to the Romans, writes, “Don’t just pretend to love others. Really love them. Hate what is wrong. Hold tightly to what is good. Love each other with genuine affection, and take delight in honoring each other.”

When I witness the violence and destruction that has embroiled our nation, I am saddened by all of it. I see the lives of individuals shattered by the violence and destruction that has become a way of advancing mankind. We should stop all of this and work towards peaceful solutions that are created by listening to one another rather than screaming at one another. We should reach out with an open hand to those in need of help instead of shaking a clenched fist in anger. 

In order for us to do those things that are great, noble and good, we need to start by loving one another and not pretending that we do. As Paul puts it, hate is wrong. By embracing love, we embrace goodness and when we do that, we embrace God.

God showed his love for all of us by giving His son for us as an atonement sacrifice. Through Jesus’ death, our debt of sin was paid. Through his resurrection, our gift of eternal life was ensured. Through his example, we live our lives with a Christ-like attitude of love and understanding.

When we strive to rise above our differences and genuinely love one another, we can work to solve all of the problems that face us all. We live in a world of abundance but there are those who starve. Some do not even have clean water to drink. Let us unite in Christian brotherhood and endeavor to love one another and live in harmony.

In chapter thirteen of his second letter to the church at Corinth, Paul, closes his letter, by writing, “Be joyful. Grow to maturity. Encourage each other. Live in harmony and peace. Then the God of love and peace will be with you.”

I encourage you to go out today and everyday and encourage those around you to live in peace and harmony. Show others that you not only care for them but you also genuinely love them. By doing those things, we are advancing a great, noble and good cause that unites us all in Christian love and gives us the strength to stand firm in His grace.   

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

Proverbs Scripture Reading - Proverbs 19:25

Proverbs 19:25 New King James Version (NKJV)

25 Strike a scoffer, and the simple will become wary;
Rebuke one who has understanding, and he will discern knowledge.

Morning Scripture Reading - John 3:18-21

John 3:18-21 New King James Version (NKJV)

18 “He who believes in Him is not condemned; but he who does not believe is condemned already, because he has not believed in the name of the only begotten Son of God. 19 And this is the condemnation, that the light has come into the world, and men loved darkness rather than light, because their deeds were evil. 20 For everyone practicing evil hates the light and does not come to the light, lest his deeds should be exposed. 21 But he who does the truth comes to the light, that his deeds may be clearly seen, that they have been done in God.”

Evening Scripture Reading - Isaiah 37:14-20

Isaiah 37:14-20 New King James Version (NKJV)

14 And Hezekiah received the letter from the hand of the messengers, and read it; and Hezekiah went up to the house of the Lord, and spread it before the Lord. 15 Then Hezekiah prayed to the Lord, saying: 16 “O Lord of hosts, God of Israel, the One who dwells between the cherubim, You are God, You alone, of all the kingdoms of the earth. You have made heaven and earth. 17 Incline Your ear, O Lord, and hear; open Your eyes, O Lord, and see; and hear all the words of Sennacherib, which he has sent to reproach the living God. 18 Truly, Lord, the kings of Assyria have laid waste all the nations and their lands, 19 and have cast their gods into the fire; for they were not gods, but the work of men’s hands—wood and stone. Therefore they destroyed them. 20 Now therefore, O Lord our God, save us from his hand, that all the kingdoms of the earth may know that You are the Lord, You alone.”

Psalms Scripture Reading - Psalm 46:10

Psalm 46:10 New King James Version (NKJV)

10 Be still, and know that I am God;
I will be exalted among the nations,
I will be exalted in the earth!

Proverbs Scripture Reading - Proverbs 19:24

Proverbs 19:24 New King James Version (NKJV)

24 A lazy man buries his hand in the [a]bowl,
And will not so much as bring it to his mouth again.

Footnotes:

1. Proverbs 19:24 LXX, Syr. bosom; Tg., Vg. armpit

Morning Scripture Reading - Matthew 7:1-6

Matthew 7:1-6 New King James Version (NKJV)

Do Not Judge

7 “Judge[a] not, that you be not judged. 2 For with what [b]judgment you judge, you will be judged; and with the measure you use, it will be measured back to you. 3 And why do you look at the speck in your brother’s eye, but do not consider the plank in your own eye? 4 Or how can you say to your brother, ‘Let me remove the speck from your eye’; and look, a plank is in your own eye? 5 Hypocrite! First remove the plank from your own eye, and then you will see clearly to remove the speck from your brother’s eye.

6 “Do not give what is holy to the dogs; nor cast your pearls before swine, lest they trample them under their feet, and turn and tear you in pieces.

Footnotes:

1. Matthew 7:1 Condemn
2. Matthew 7:2 Condemnation

Evening Scripture Reading - Luke 11:28

Luke 11:28 New King James Version (NKJV)

28 But He said, “More than that, blessed are those who hear the word of God and keep it!”

Psalms Scripture Reading - Psalm 46:8-9

Psalm 46:8-9 New King James Version (NKJV)

8 Come, behold the works of the Lord,
Who has made desolations in the earth.
9 He makes wars cease to the end of the earth;
He breaks the bow and cuts the spear in two;
He burns the chariot in the fire.

Proverbs Scripture Reading - Proverbs 19:23

Proverbs 19:23 New King James Version (NKJV)

23 The fear of the Lord leads to life,
And he who has it will abide in satisfaction;
He will not be visited with evil.

Morning Scripture Reading - John 9:1-5

John 9:1-5 New King James Version (NKJV)

A Man Born Blind Receives Sight

9 Now as Jesus passed by, He saw a man who was blind from birth. 2 And His disciples asked Him, saying, “Rabbi, who sinned, this man or his parents, that he was born blind?”

3 Jesus answered, “Neither this man nor his parents sinned, but that the works of God should be revealed in him. 4 I[a] must work the works of Him who sent Me while it is day; the night is coming when no one can work. 5 As long as I am in the world, I am the light of the world.”

Footnotes:

1. John 9:4 NU We

 

Evening Scripture Reading - Ecclesiastes 4:6

Ecclesiastes 4:6 New King James Version (NKJV)

6 Better a handful with quietness
Than both hands full, together with toil and grasping for the wind.

Psalms Scripture Reading - Psalm 46:7

Psalm 46:7 New King James Version (NKJV)

7 The Lord of hosts is with us;
The God of Jacob is our refuge. Selah

Proverbs Scripture Reading - Proverbs 19:22

Proverbs 19:22 New King James Version (NKJV)

22 What is desired in a man is [a]kindness,
And a poor man is better than a liar.

Footnotes:

1. Proverbs 19:22 Lit. lovingkindness

Morning Scripture Reading - Matthew 5:1-12

Matthew 5:1-12 New King James Version (NKJV)

The Beatitudes

5 And seeing the multitudes, He went up on a mountain, and when He was seated His disciples came to Him. 2 Then He opened His mouth and taught them, saying:

3 “Blessed are the poor in spirit,
For theirs is the kingdom of heaven.
4 Blessed are those who mourn,
For they shall be comforted.
5 Blessed are the meek,
For they shall inherit the [a]earth.
6 Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness,
For they shall be filled.
7 Blessed are the merciful,
For they shall obtain mercy.
8 Blessed are the pure in heart,
For they shall see God.
9 Blessed are the peacemakers,
For they shall be called sons of God.
10 Blessed are those who are persecuted for righteousness’ sake,
For theirs is the kingdom of heaven.

11 Blessed are you when they revile and persecute you, and say all kinds of evil against you falsely for My sake. 12 Rejoice and be exceedingly glad, for great is your reward in heaven, for so they persecuted the prophets who were before you.

Footnotes:

1. Matthew 5:5 Or land

Evening Scripture Reading - 1 Corinthians 13:4-7

1 Corinthians 13:4-7 New King James Version (NKJV)

4 Love suffers long and is kind; love does not envy; love does not parade itself, is not [a]puffed up; 5 does not behave rudely, does not seek its own, is not provoked, [b]thinks no evil; 6 does not rejoice in iniquity, but rejoices in the truth; 7 bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things.

Footnotes:

1. 1 Corinthians 13:4 arrogant
2. 1 Corinthians 13:5 keeps no accounts of evil

Psalms Scripture Reading - Psalm 46:4-6

Psalm 46:4-6 New King James Version (NKJV)

4 There is a river whose streams shall make glad the city of God,
The holy place of the [a]tabernacle of the Most High.
5 God is in the midst of her, she shall not be [b]moved;
God shall help her, just [c]at the break of dawn.
6 The nations raged, the kingdoms were moved;
He uttered His voice, the earth melted.

Footnotes:

1. Psalm 46:4 dwelling places
2. Psalm 46:5 shaken
3. Psalm 46:5 Lit. at the turning of the morning

Mid-Week Message - Monsters Under the Bed

 "Even when I walk through the darkest valley, I will not be afraid, for you are close beside me.  Your rod and your staff protect and comfort me."  Psalm 23:4  (NLT)

When you were a child, did you worry about what might be under your bed or in your closet at night?  Things look different then.  Simple shadows of tree branches can mimic scary creatures.  Especially for children who do not share a room with siblings, the nighttime can be stressful before sleep overtakes them.  Nightlights were the magic in our house.  My daughter still does not like to sleep in a dark room.  She isn't afraid of monsters.  Watching Scooby Doo when she was little cured that.  But she still feels more secure if she can see everything.  

I wish I could say that adults never struggle with fears in the night, but I can't.  When all the sounds are quieted and everyone else is sleeping is the time when our minds can run wild.  Though distracted by activity during the day, once we are alone with our thoughts we begin to examine things that were said or done, whatever we heard on the news, anything stressful that we experienced during the day, those things that we are anticipating that could go wrong or simply whether we are adequate in our positions in life.  

Sadly, monsters exist in many forms.  Anything that we feel threatened by or that causes fear can be the ugly ogre that we heard about in fairy tales.  And in the current times, we see them growling on the street corners, hear them screaming from the streets and dread that they may attempt to enter our own homes.  

Can you feel that churning in the pit of your stomach?  Does your eye twitch or your heartbeat speed up?  I'd be lying if I said these things never affected me.  As I listen to the news and witness people tearing down statues and burning down buildings, all while the churches are being ordered to remain shuttered in many areas, my brain goes into overdrive.  We live in a nation that is approving abortions of even full-term infants, perversions of all types being "normalized", criminals being set free, our liberties being denied and our way of life changing rapidly.  I admit that it scares me and I don't like it.  

Thankfully, our Lord has assured us that we are not alone and that because He is with us and in full control, we do not have to live in fear.  He has always been aware of what would take place on this earth.  We have an enemy that is determined to claim this realm for himself and to create an environment in which our psyches are overwhelmed by the things of this world, including the monsters that we sense around us.  The last thing he wants is for any of us to hear and follow Jesus. 

One of the first sections of scripture that we learn as children is Psalm 23.  There we are reminded that we are the sheep and He is our Shepherd.  Dear readers, I wish that I could assure you that the evil that is playing out will go away and that we will return to our peaceful lives.  I really wish I could, but I can't.  For one thing, I cannot see what will happen tomorrow.  Also, scripture warns us that evil will strengthen as the time nears for Jesus to return.  The only One who knows when that will be is God Himself.  We need to be on our knees in prayer and to put on the full armor of God.  We need to be studying the Word so that we are informed and so that we will have the Sword of Truth which is the very Word of God to use against the enemy.  We have to remember Who is in charge and Who to run to when we are afraid.  His power, grace and mercy will calm and strengthen our hearts and minds.

I pray for each of you as you navigate the days ahead.  May you be swept up in the huge arms of our Father and may you find security, peace and love there.  The monsters may roam about but He is greater than any of them and will shelter you if you turn to Him.  God bless.