February 2023

Daily Devotion February 2023

2/28/2023

Good morning!

Biblical meekness is a self-control of strength that makes us lambs in our own causes and lions for the cause of Christ.

Song for the Day: https://youtu.be/XQan9L3yXjc

Complete the Verse & Name the Book: Let the man who has two tunics . . . (completion at the end)

On Sunday, Pastor Michael continued his series “Issues of Life” with the second sermon in the series titled “The Issue of Tithing/Giving”.

Tithing and giving are not the same thing. A person could give without tithing. Tithing is a specific subset of giving.

Tithing is a word that means ten percent. There’s no specific percentages tied with giving.

How does tithing and giving relate to a disciple of Christ today? Matthew 23:23-24 tells us: “Woe to you, teachers of the law and Pharisees, you hypocrites! You give a tenth of your spices—mint, dill and cumin. But you have neglected the more important matters of the law—justice, mercy and faithfulness. You should have practiced the latter, without neglecting the former. You blind guides! You strain out a gnat but swallow a camel.”

The Pharisees made a big deal about how much they gave to God. They wanted others to notice and be impressed. They wanted to be held up as a model for others to follow. Of course, that’s the wrong motive for giving to God. Jesus didn’t knock them for their giving of a tithe, but he told them tithe takes a back seat to justice, mercy, and faithfulness—which they were neglecting. Their priorities were mixed up. They had a heart issue. If their hearts had been in the right place, everything else would have aligned with what pleases God.

Are the words of Jesus applicable to us today? How does the Old Testament’s teaching on tithing relate to us today? Let’s begin answering these questions by taking a look at Genesis 14:18-20:

Then Melchizedek king of Salem brought out bread and wine. He was priest of God Most High, and he blessed Abram, saying, “Blessed be Abram by God Most High, Creator of heaven and earth. And praise be to God Most High, who delivered your enemies into your hand.” Then Abram gave him a tenth of everything.

Here’s the background story: Abram’s nephew, Lot, was living in Sodom. There was a battle which resulted in Lot being taken away as a prisoner. Consequently, Abram put an army together and defeated the five kings who had joined forces and captured Lot. As a result, Lot was set free. King Melchizedek blessed Abram for what he accomplished.

In recognition of who God is and recognizing it was God who gave Abram the victory in battle, Abram gave God ten percent of all he plundered from his enemies.

Now let’s look at a different story. Jacob is in Bethel and he has a dream about a staircase where there were angels ascending to heaven and descending from heaven. Genesis 28:20-22 says: Then Jacob made a vow, saying, “If God will be with me and will watch over me on this journey I am taking and will give me food to eat and clothes to wear so that I return safely to my father’s household, then the LORD will be my God and this stone that I have set up as a pillar will be God’s house, and of all that you give me I will give you a tenth.”

Jacob is responding to an anticipation of what he expects from God just as Abram responded to God after what God did for him. In both cases a tithe is promised or given to God.

In Hebrews 7:1-7, we receive an explanation for what took place with Abraham: This Melchizedek was king of Salem and priest of God Most High. He met Abraham returning from the defeat of the kings and blessed him, and Abraham gave him a tenth of everything. First, the name Melchizedek means “king of righteousness”; then also, “king of Salem” means “king of peace.” Without father or mother, without genealogy, without beginning of days or end of life, resembling the Son of God, he remains a priest forever.

Just think how great he was: Even the patriarch Abraham gave him a tenth of the plunder! Now the law requires the descendants of Levi who become priests to collect a tenth from the people—that is, from their fellow Israelites—even though they also are descended from Abraham. This man, however, did not trace his descent from Levi, yet he collected a tenth from Abraham and blessed him who had the promises.

And without doubt the lesser is blessed by the greater.

The lesser, Abraham, is blessed by the greater—God. Because Abraham was blessed by God, Abraham wants to return a blessing to God.

We will continue all week with a recap of Pastor Michael’s message.

Verse Completion: . . . share with him who has none; and let him who has food do likewise. Luke 3:11 (NASB)

2/27/2023

Good morning!

Biblical meekness is a self-control of strength that makes us lambs in our own causes and lions for the cause of Christ.

Song for the Day: https://youtu.be/B0oVJIEEuVs

Complete the Verse & Name the Book: walk in a manner worthy of the Lord, to please Him in all respects bearing fruit in every good work and. . . (completion at the end)

Today we will conclude a recap of Pastor Michael’s sermon titled “The New Creation” based on Galatians 6:11-18.

Salvation comes about when people believe in Jesus as their Lord and Savior and are born again through the Holy Spirit. Sanctification takes place as we live our lives in the Holy Spirit.

Galatians 5:13-26 tells us: You, my brothers and sisters, were called to be free. But do not use your freedom to indulge the flesh ; rather, serve one another humbly in love. For the entire law is fulfilled in keeping this one command: “Love your neighbor as yourself.” If you bite and devour each other, watch out or you will be destroyed by each other.

So I say, walk by the Spirit, and you will not gratify the desires of the flesh. For the flesh desires what is contrary to the Spirit, and the Spirit what is contrary to the flesh. They are in conflict with each other, so that you are not to do whatever you want. But if you are led by the Spirit, you are not under the law.

The acts of the flesh are obvious: sexual immorality, impurity and debauchery; idolatry and witchcraft; hatred, discord, jealousy, fits of rage, selfish ambition, dissensions, factions and envy; drunkenness, orgies, and the like. I warn you, as I did before, that those who live like this will not inherit the kingdom of God.

But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, forbearance, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control. Against such things there is no law. Those who belong to Christ Jesus have crucified the flesh with its passions and desires. Since we live by the Spirit, let us keep in step with the Spirit. Let us not become conceited, provoking and envying each other.

The Holy Spirit is central to our lives—God in us. Because Christ is central to our lives, we have been crucified to the world, and the world has been crucified to us. The center of my life is Jesus. All I’m interested in is what Jesus wants to do through me; my desires have been crucified. What interests me is living the life God desires. What’s important to me is what’s important to God. That’s a change from how I used to be. It used to be that what was important to me was what I wanted. My desires came first. Now God’s desires come first in my life. When there’s a conflict between what I desire and what God desires, I pray and ask God to align my will with his will.

When transformation takes place, the way we think and live changes because we are new creations. Salvation is not taking somebody off the street who is dirty and smelly and giving them a bath. We don’t clean them up and dress them in nice new clothes and say, “There you go. Now you’re a new creation.” That is works; that is not salvation. The bath mentality says, “Be more impressive. Make yourself more presentable.”

Salvation does not clean the outside and make oneself look good. Salvation crucifies the old self, and we are recreated as a new self. God makes a brand new creation. The old way of living is left behind, and we start living in a new way. 2 Corinthians 5:17 says: Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, the new creation has come: The old has gone, the new is here!

Why is the old gone? It has been crucified! How is the new here? It’s through the power of the Holy Spirit. The result of the new creation is we look more like Jesus, live more like Jesus, act more like Jesus, talk more like Jesus, respond more like Jesus, and interact more like Jesus.

Peace and mercy to all who follow this rule—to the Israel of God.

The rule Paul is referring to is the law of love—loving God and loving others. The Israel of God is composed of all the followers of Christ.

From now on, let no one cause me trouble, for I bear on my body the marks of Jesus.

The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with your spirit, brothers and sisters. Amen.

Paul follows up his words with action; what he says, he lives. He didn’t compromise the truth, and it cost him personal injury. He stood for Christ because in Christ he was a new creation. He’s never going back to the old life because it profits him nothing. With the new creation comes everlasting life.

Stand up for truth. Don’t be influenced by falsehood. Walk in the truth. Remain in the truth regardless of its cost. Live the new life in Christ. Let Jesus be the one who influences you, not the world.

May the grace of Christ be with your spirit—not law, but grace.

Verse Completion: . . . increasing in the knowledge of God; Colossians 1:10b (NASB)

2/25/2023

Good morning!

Biblical meekness is a self-control of strength that makes us lambs in our own causes and lions for the cause of Christ.

Song for the Day: https://youtu.be/9Y8zP34AhuU

Complete the Verse & Name the Book: “And behold, I am coming quickly. Blessed is he who . . . (completion at the end)

Today we will continue with a recap of Pastor Michael’s sermon titled “The New Creation” based on Galatians 6:11-18.

Not even those who are circumcised keep the law, yet they want you to be circumcised that they may boast about your circumcision in the flesh. The false teachers want you to keep the law when they themselves don’t keep the law. They don’t practice what they preach. Their words are empty. Their lifestyle doesn’t line up with their words. They boast about all their accomplishments, but their accomplishments don’t line up with God’s word.

Jesus said, “You hypocrites! Isaiah was right when he prophesied about you:

“ ‘These people honor me with their lips, but their hearts are far from me. They worship me in vain; their teachings are merely human rules’ ” (Matthew 15:7-9).

False teachers are not interested in the well-being of others. If they were interested in their well-being, they wouldn’t be leading them away from Christ. Anyone whose teachings don’t line up with the teachings of Christ is a false teacher. False teachers use and abuse people. They are legalistic and judgmental.

Teachers of truth say that we are declared right before God through Jesus. We can’t do anything to be more right. False teachers are self-righteous. They teach you are made righteous by what you do yourself. They follow what their “heart” tells them to do rather than follow Jesus. False teachers keep the focus on them rather than on Jesus.

Today we are told by false teachers, “It’s too exclusive to say Jesus is the onlyway to God” even though Jesus said, “I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me” (John 14:6). Jesus is not a way; he isthe way. Jesus was not being exclusive when he said, “Here I am! I stand at the door and knock. If anyone hears my voice and opens the door, I will come in and eat with that person, and they with me” (Revelation 3:20).

May I never boast except in the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ, through which the world has been crucified to me, and I to the world. Paul is saying: God forbid that I would boast about any of my own accomplishments. The only boasting I will do will be in the cross of Christ. When I died to myself, I was able to start living for Christ. I no longer was afraid to speak up for truth. It’s the truth of Christ that frees people from guilt, shame, sin, and doing enough good works to earn salvation. It’s the truth of Christ that gives us peace and rest.

The crucifixion of Christ on the cross is central to my life. Because Christ died on the cross and paid the penalty for my sin, because he rose from the grave, because I have received Christ as my Lord and Savior, I am crucified to the world; I am crucified to my old nature. I consider all the ways of the world (all my worldly accomplishments) as dead. Those ways have been crucified. The world has been crucified to me. I consider the ways of the world as nothing. It’s all garbage. It’s useless to me.

In addition to crucifying the world, I crucify myself to the world. I am no longer the center of the universe. My life is not all about me; it’s about Christ. Christ is the center of me. I crucified myself to let this happen. I no longer demand my own rights. My rights have been crucified. My life is no longer about me; it’s about Christ in me. My old way of thinking has been crucified.

Romans 12:1-2 tells us: Therefore, I urge you, brothers and sisters, in view of God’s mercy, to offer your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and pleasing to God—this is your true and proper worship. Do not conform to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God’s will is—his good, pleasing and perfect will.

Neither circumcision nor uncircumcision means anything; what counts is the new creation. The works of the law mean nothing. Good works mean nothing. Ritual means nothing. These things do nothing to make me right before God. These things are useless for my salvation. What does count for my salvation is the new creation that comes about through faith in Christ that results in transformation.

Salvation comes about when people believe in Jesus as their Lord and Savior and are born again through the Holy Spirit. Sanctification takes place as we live our lives in the Holy Spirit.

On Monday we will conclude this recap of Dr. Wedman’s message.

Verse Completion: . . . heeds the words of the prophecy of this book.” Revelation 22:7 (NASB)

2/24/2023

Good morning!

Biblical meekness is a self-control of strength that makes us lambs in our own causes and lions for the cause of Christ.

Song for the Day: https://youtu.be/-Ejs2o-uhu4

Complete the Verse & Name the Book: For this reason a man will leave his father and mother and will be united to his wife, and . . . (completion at the end)

On February 12, Pastor Michael preached a sermon titled “The New Creation” based on Galatians 6:11-18:

See what large letters I use as I write to you with my own hand!

Those who want to impress people by means of the flesh are trying to compel you to be circumcised. The only reason they do this is to avoid being persecuted for the cross of Christ. Not even those who are circumcised keep the law, yet they want you to be circumcised that they may boast about your circumcision in the flesh. May I never boast except in the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ, through which the world has been crucified to me, and I to the world. Neither circumcision nor uncircumcision means anything; what counts is the new creation. Peace and mercy to all who follow this rule—to the Israel of God.

From now on, let no one cause me trouble, for I bear on my body the marks of Jesus.

The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with your spirit, brothers and sisters. Amen.

Paul is wrapping up what he wants to say to the churches in Galatia. He has told them that salvation and sanctification are by faith alone through grace alone. Salvation and sanctification do not come about by our works, traditions, or following a set of rules.

Paul has not been writing this letter in his own handwriting; he has been using an assistant. That is typically what he did. However, as he draws close to the end of the letter, he does write with his own hand. It has been estimated that his writing was around an inch in height. Perhaps trouble with his vision, an injury to his hand, or arthritis from years as working as a tentmaker has made it difficult for him to write.

Paul says something similar about writing with his own hand in 1 Corinthians 16:21, Colossians 4:18, and 2 Thessalonians 3:17. Ending the letter in his own handwriting was a way of validating the letter as being from the Apostle Paul.

Those who want to impress people by means of the flesh are trying to compel you to be circumcised. The only reason they do this is to avoid being persecuted for the cross of Christ. Paul is referring to false teachers here. Anyone who takes you away from Jesus or the truth of Jesus is a false teacher. It could be a pastor, Sunday School teacher, Home Team leader, or anyone else.

False teachers like to bring attention to themselves rather than Jesus. They do what they can to impress others so others will hold them in high esteem. False teachers want others to see their good works and be impressed with how good they are at following rules. They want others to notice how many good things they do, how often they are present at the church, how often they pray, how much they put in the offering, or how much they donate to the food bank. Jesus is not Lord and Savior to false teachers. They are the lord of their lives, and their salvation is not found in the grace and mercy of Jesus—the only place salvation can be found.

False teachers do not speak truth. They want you to follow rules, not follow Jesus. They want you to believe you are saved by your good works. Their motivation is to avoid being persecuted for the cross of Christ.

Paul was being persecuted for his teaching concerning the cross of Christ: Christ died on the cross in our place. We should have been the ones dying on the cross for our own sins, but Jesus, the Perfect Lamb of God, took our place. Salvation is through Jesus only. It’s by the grace and mercy of God that we receive salvation and not by our works. Jesus is the Messiah. Jesus is God. Jesus overcame sin. Jesus rose victorious from the grave. He gives eternal life to his followers. Jesus has initiated a New Covenant and made the Old Covenant obsolete by fulfilling it.

The Judaizers did not like the message of the cross of Christ. They did not like anyone saying that the Old Covenant was obsolete. Anyone believing Paul’s message was in danger of being persecuted by the religious leaders.

The false teachers wanted to compromise God’s word. They wanted everyone to be happy. Therefore, they said that salvation was through faith in Jesus and good works.

Tomorrow we will continue with this recap of Pastor Michael’s sermon.

Verse Completion: . . . the two will become one flesh. Ephesians 5:31 (NIV)

2/23/2023

Good morning!

Biblical meekness is a self-control of strength that makes us lambs in our own causes and lions for the cause of Christ.

Song for the Day: https://youtu.be/qpwpqexUNdw

Complete the Verse & Name the Book: for a man is a slave to . . . (completion at the end)

Today we will conclude a recap of Pastor Michael’s message titled “The Issue of Poverty”.

Pastor Michael put together a “Poverty Continuum” that looks like this for the world in general:

POVERTY POOR RICH LUXURY LAVISH

no car part-time car reliable car 2 cars 3 or more cars

no home rent own house property vacation home

no extras no extras RV/boat/toys plane multiple

1 meal 2 meals/day 3 meals/day fine dine hire cook

no job part-time work good job benefits live off interest

NEEDS

help help contentment reality ck generosity

Looking at this continuum, we might consider someone who has no car to be in poverty. If the person has access to a car sometimes, we might say they are poor. If the person has a reliable car, we might say they are rich. If the person has two cars, we might say they live in luxury. If the person has more than two cars, we might say they live a lavish lifestyle.

If you live in America, you are probably a lot better off financially than you think you are. You may not consider yourself rich because you have one reliable car, but compared to the rest of the world, you would be considered rich.

What are the needs? Those in poverty need help. The poor need help. The rich need contentment. They need to be thankful for all they have. Those living in luxury need a reality check. They need to recognize God’s grace in their lives. The lavish need to be generous. Sometimes it seems like those living in poverty and those who are poor are more giving than those who are rich, live in luxury, or live lavishly. The more we have, the more we see as ours, and the harder it is to be generous.

What does God say about poverty? What are our attitudes toward poverty?

Proverbs 14:20-21 says: The poor are shunned even by their neighbors, but the rich have many friends. It is a sin to despise one’s neighbor, but blessed is the one who is kind to the needy.

We are not to shun those who are at a different socioeconomic level than ourselves.

Proverbs 14:31: Whoever oppresses the poor shows contempt for their Maker, but whoever is kind to the needy honors God.

Proverbs 19:17: Whoever is kind to the poor lends to the LORD, and he will reward them for what they have done.

Proverbs 21:13: Whoever shuts their ears to the cry of the poor will also cry out and not be answered.

We reap what we sow.

Proverbs 22:9: The generous will themselves be blessed, for they share their food with the poor.

Proverbs 28:27: Those who give to the poor will lack nothing, but those who close their eyes to them receive many curses.

As disciples of Christ, we are to do something for the poor—help them and take care of their needs. Who are the poor we are to help? That’s something you have to determine in your relationship with God. God will tell you who you are to help when you are in step with him. It’s possible that God could tell you to donate to the food bank. He might tell you to volunteer at an orphanage or contribute financially to an orphanage. It could be you know of a widow who needs something done that she is unable to do, but you are able to do. It could be a neighbor that needs a hand. It could be donating to an organization such as World Vision. God will lead you to someone who needs help, and you have the means to help that person.

As disciples of Christ, we are to care for the poor. They matter to God, and they should matter to us.

Helping the poor starts with you acknowledging you are rich. By world standards, you are most likely rich. You probably have the means to be of help to the poor.

Align your life with Scripture. If you aren’t doing anything to help the poor, pray for God to show you the path you are to follow that will lead to the poor being helped. Meet needs as God leads you.

Verse Completion: . . . whatever has mastered him. 2 Peter 2:19b (NIV)

2/22/2023

Good morning!

Biblical meekness is a self-control of strength that makes us lambs in our own causes and lions for the cause of Christ.

Song for the Day: https://youtu.be/MSAc5Z2lprk

Complete the Verse & Name the Book: Remember this: Whoever sows sparingly will also reap sparingly, and . . . (completion at the end)

Today we will continue a recap of Pastor Michael’s message titled “The Issue of Poverty”. Yesterday, our pastor said there are three types of poverty. The first is fake poverty where people who are not poor act as if they are poor. The second is self-induced poverty which is a consequence of people living above their means.

Third, there is laziness. People are simply unwilling to work. Proverbs 6:9-11tells us: Go to the ant, you sluggard; consider its ways and be wise! It has no commander, no overseer or ruler, yet it stores its provisions in summer and gathers its food at harvest.

How long will you lie there, you sluggard? When will you get up from your sleep? A little sleep, a little slumber, a little folding of the hands to rest—and poverty will come on you like a thief and scarcity like an armed man.

Proverbs 10:4-5 says: Lazy hands make for poverty, but diligent hands bring wealth. He who gathers crops in summer is a prudent son, but he who sleeps during harvest is a disgraceful son.

Proverbs 19:15 says: Laziness brings on deep sleep, and the shiftless go hungry.

Proverbs 20:13 says: Do not love sleep or you will grow poor; stay awake and you will have food to spare.

Don’t sleep your life away. Get up and do something. Be productive. Contribute to the expenses that surround you. Get a job.

Proverbs 24:30-34 says: I went past the field of a sluggard, past the vineyard of someone who has no sense; thorns had come up everywhere, the ground was covered with weeds, and the stone wall was in ruins. I applied my heart to what I observed and learned a lesson from what I saw: A little sleep, a little slumber, a little folding of the hands to rest—and poverty will come on you like a thief and scarcity like an armed man.

There’s a correlation between laziness and poverty. If you’re lazy, you’re going to end up being poor.

2 Thessalonians 3:6-10 tells us: In the name of the Lord Jesus Christ, we command you, brothers and sisters, to keep away from every believer who is idle and disruptive and does not live according to the teaching you received from us. For you yourselves know how you ought to follow our example. We were not idle when we were with you, nor did we eat anyone’s food without paying for it. On the contrary, we worked night and day, laboring and toiling so that we would not be a burden to any of you. We did this, not because we do not have the right to such help, but in order to offer ourselves as a model for you to imitate. For even when we were with you, we gave you this rule: “The one who is unwilling to work shall not eat.”

If you are lazy and won’t work, you won’t be eating.

Poverty can be brought about by overspending and underworking.

In addition to fake poverty, self-induced poverty, and laziness, there is a genuine poverty. These are the ones we need to be taking care of. There are people who want to work but can’t. There are people who work hard but don’t earn enough money to pay for all of their expenses even though their expenses are few.

How do we determine who is genuinely poor? Does the government tell us who’s poor? What does poverty look like where we live? Is it the person holding a sign and asking for a handout? Is it those who are living in homeless camps? Is a poor person a person without a car? Is a poor person someone who only has a bicycle for transportation? Is a poor person someone who doesn’t have any transportation?

It’s not simple to determine the genuinely poor. We need to meditate on these verses and ask God, “Who are the poor? Who are the needy? Who am I supposed to help?”

Tomorrow we will conclude this recap of Dr. Wedman’s message.

Verse Completion: . . . whoever sows generously will also reap generously. 2 Corinthians 9:6 (NIV)

2/21/2023

Good morning!

Biblical meekness is a self-control of strength that makes us lambs in our own causes and lions for the cause of Christ.

Song for the Day: https://youtu.be/sz81dIfwf4Y

Complete the Verse & Name the Book: I have the same hope in God as these men, that there will be a resurrection of . . . (completion at the end)

Yesterday, we started a recap of Pastor Michael’s message titled “The Issue of Poverty”.

Proverbs 28:27 says: Those who give to the poor will lack nothing, but those who close their eyes to them receive many curses.

Proverbs 14:31 tells us: Whoever oppresses the poor shows contempt for their Maker, but whoever is kind to the needy honors God.

Proverbs 19:17 says: Whoever is kind to the poor lends to the LORD, and he will reward them for what they have done.

God always pays back with interest.

1 John 3:17-18 says: If anyone has material possessions and sees a brother or sister in need but has no pity on them, how can the love of God be in that person? Dear children, let us not love with words or speech but with actions and in truth.

Jesus cares about the poor and needy. We need to do the same. Pay attention to the needs of others. When God tells me to meet someone’s need, I need to be obedient. The poor matter to Christ, and they should matter to me.

How does a person define poverty? It’s not easy because it’s so subjective. It’s relative to who is being compared to whom. If I’m compared to most people in the world, I might be considered rich. If I compare myself to the billionaires in this world, I might be considered poor.

As I’ve thought about the problem of poverty, I have determined there are three types of poverty. First, there is fake poverty. These are people who always consider themselves to be poor. They always compare themselves to people who have more than them. If they have two cars, they compare themselves to those who have three cars and conclude that since they only have two cars, they are poor.

Proverbs 13:7 tells us: One person pretends to be rich, yet has nothing; another pretends to be poor, yet has great wealth.

Fake poverty is rampant in the U.S. There are people who want others to see them as poor when in reality they have great wealth.

Second, there is self-induced poverty. Poverty is the result of a certain lifestyle. These are people who spend more than they earn. Their attitude is: I don’t live within my means, because I don’t consider that living. They always want more than they have and determine ways to get it even when they know they won’t be able to pay for it. They thrive on having the latest and greatest electronic gadgets.

Proverbs 21:17 tells us: Whoever loves pleasure will become poor; whoever loves wine and olive oil will never be rich.

Wine and olive oil were symbols of the highlife. This verse is referring to expensive wine. Olive oil was something wealthy people would use.

Those who love the latest and greatest in electronics, expensive clothes, and fine dining will never be rich. It’s a self-induced poverty.

Proverbs 23:19-21 says: Listen, my son, and be wise, and set your heart on the right path: Do not join those who drink too much wine or gorge themselves on meat, for drunkards and gluttons become poor, and drowsiness clothes them in rags.

Drunkards and gluttons experience a self-induced poverty. They live beyond their means. They overspend because they want to experience the good life.

There was a man who came to the church asking for money. He needed food for his family. Upon investigation, we found out he had recently purchased a new radial arm saw. It was $150 off the regular price, and he couldn’t pass up a deal like that, so he bought the saw. Consequently, he didn’t have the money he needed to buy food for himself and his family.

The average credit card holder is $7000 in debt to their credit card company. If you have no debt on your card, think about how much someone else has to have on their card to make the average come out to $7000.

Let’s put things in perspective. A quarter of the world lives on 54 cents a day. Half of the world lives on less than $500 a year. You can see how poverty is relative.

Tomorrow we will continue this recap of Dr. Wedman’s message.

Verse Completion: . . . both the righteous and the wicked. Acts 24:15 (NIV)

2/20/2023

Good morning!

Biblical meekness is a self-control of strength that makes us lambs in our own causes and lions for the cause of Christ.

Song for the Day: https://youtu.be/uW6xcmqfiY4

Complete the Verse & Name the Book: Where your treasure is, . . . (completion at the end)

Yesterday, Pastor Michael started a new series of sermons titled “The Issues of Life”. The first sermon in this series is “The Issue of Poverty”. Let’s explore what God has to say about this topic. Let’s explore why poverty is even an issue for a follower of Christ. As we look through Scripture, we won’t be adjusting God’s word to fit our lifestyle. Rather, we will adjusting our lives to be in line with Scripture. God’s word is truth. God’s word is absolute. God’s word is the rule of faith and practice for the disciple of Christ.

Galatians 2:9-10 tells us: James, Cephas and John, those esteemed as pillars, gave me and Barnabas the right hand of fellowship when they recognized the grace given to me. They agreed that we should go to the Gentiles, and they to the circumcised. All they asked was that we should continue to remember the poor, the very thing I had been eager to do all along.

It’s apparent that the poor were important to the early church leaders.

We are to look after those who don’t have anyone to look after them.

This verse in James refers back to Isaiah 1:17: Learn to do right; seek justice. Defend the oppressed. Take up the cause of the fatherless; plead the case of the widow.

The poor are important to disciples of Christ. The poor are important to Jesus. We see this in Matthew 26:6-11:

While Jesus was in Bethany in the home of Simon the Leper, a woman came to him with an alabaster jar of very expensive perfume, which she poured on his head as he was reclining at the table.

When the disciples saw this, they were indignant. “Why this waste?” they asked. “This perfume could have been sold at a high price and the money given to the poor.”

Aware of this, Jesus said to them, “Why are you bothering this woman? She has done a beautiful thing to me. The poor you will always have with you, but you will not always have me.”

Poverty will never be eradicated. It’s an issue that will never go away. There will always be poor people on the earth. Governments will never be able to wipe out the problem of poverty. The poor will always be with us.

Deuteronomy 15:7-11 says: If anyone is poor among your fellow Israelites in any of the towns of the land the LORD your God is giving you, do not be hardhearted or tightfisted toward them. Rather, be openhanded and freely lend them whatever they need. Be careful not to harbor this wicked thought: “The seventh year, the year for canceling debts, is near,” so that you do not show ill will toward the needy among your fellow Israelites and give them nothing. They may then appeal to the LORD against you, and you will be found guilty of sin. Give generously to them and do so without a grudging heart; then because of this the LORD your God will bless you in all your work and in everything you put your hand to. There will always be poor people in the land. Therefore I command you to be openhanded toward your fellow Israelites who are poor and needy in your land.

Every seven years debt was canceled for the Israelites. What was happening was people who were owed a debt, as it got close to the seventh year, they would predict they would never see the money that was owed them. Consequently, they would show ill will to the person who owed them a debt. To get back at the person they wouldn’t give them anything. They were being greedy rather than generous.

There will always be poor people, and as disciples of Christ, we are to look toward filling their needs. We can’t overlook the poor. They should always be on our radar.

Tomorrow we will continue this recap of Dr. Wedman’s message.

Verse Completion: . . . there will your heart be also. Luke 12:34 (NASB)

2/18/2023

Good morning!

Biblical meekness is a self-control of strength that makes us lambs in our own causes and lions for the cause of Christ.

Song for the Day: https://youtu.be/0NIh_HQRcgM

Complete the Verse & Name the Book: Give thanks to the LORD, for he is good! His . . . (completion at the end)

Laurie Copelin has written a prayer to thank God for Pastor Del McKenzie. His ministry has touched the lives of countless people.

Dear God, our Father in Heaven,

Today we take time to thank you for sending Pastor Del McKenzie to our church, The New Community Church of Union. Not only did you send Pastor Del to speak in person at our church several times, but you also led him to share many messages online that we can access through our church’s website. We thank you for “Godly Character Qualities”, “The Holy Spirit”, and “Del’s Diamonds”. Each series drew us closer to you and helped us grow in you.

Lord, all this week we have enjoyed reading what Pastor Del shared in his last talk with us on December 19. He reminded us of your earthly parents, Joseph and Mary, and all they went through. Having you as their child was indeed an honor, but it also carried a lot of weight. It’s difficult for us to fathom being the ones chosen to parent the Messiah, the long awaited Son of God! Pastor Del helped us imagine what that was like for Joseph and Mary as he told the story of your birth in the first person.

Oh Lord, we are so grateful that Pastor Del’s teaching on “Godly Character Qualities” will continue to live on through the Sunday School curriculum based on your servant’s series. Those that attend Sunday School are blessed to partake in the wisdom you gave Pastor Del.

Holy Spirit, please press each goldy character quality into the heart of each child. We desire that each child will benefit from learning about all thirty-two godly character qualities that Pastor Del shared with NCCU: gentleness, humility, integrity, endurance, responsibility, thankfulness, forgiveness, acceptance, generosity, loyalty, honesty, flexibility, sincerity, orderliness, thoroughness, discernment, decisiveness, punctuality, respect, graciousness, deference, truthfulness, commitment, initiative, submission, diligence, self-control, contentment, joyfulness, dependability, friendliness, and holiness. Lord, may each teacher and student in Sunday School draw closer to you with each lesson given to us from his kitchen, the very place where you took him home to heaven to be with you. We know Pastor Del is in heaven with you now where he is experiencing eternal life with you because of your grace and mercy. We know Pastor Del is with you because of his faith in you.

Lord, you know that in Sunday School so far we’ve only gotten to the sixth godly character quality—thankfulness. The first one Pastor Del taught us about was gentleness. In Matthew 11:29 Jesus said, “Take my yoke upon you. Let me teach you, because I am humble and gentle at heart, and you will find rest for your souls.”

The second godly character quality we learned about through Pastor Del was humility. In James 4:6-7a, your word tells us, God opposes the proud but gives grace to the humble. So humble yourselves before God.

The third godly character quality is integrity, and, Jesus, you are our model of integrity. 2 Corinthians 3:18 says: So all of us who have had that veil removed can see and reflect the glory of the Lord. And the Lord—who is the Spirit—makes us more and more like him as we are changed into his glorious image.

The fourth is endurance, and it is your purpose and plan for us to become more like you. We are to develop your character as found in Hebrew’s 12: 1-4. Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a huge crowd of witnesses to the life of faith, let us strip off every weight that slows us down, especially the sin that so easily trips us up. And let us run with endurance the race God has set before us. We do this by keeping our eyes on Jesus, the champion who initiates and perfects our faith. Because of the joy awaiting him, he endured the cross, disregarding its shame. Now he is seated in the place of honor beside God’s throne. Think of all the hostility he endured from sinful people, then you won’t become weary and give up. After all, you have not yet given your lives in your struggle against sin.

Responsibility is Number Five. In John 6:38 we find that you, Jesus, were responsible. You said, “For I have come down from heaven to do the will of God who sent me, not to do my own will.”

Currently, we are learning about thankfulness and our need to be thankful for you, Jesus! 1 Timothy 2:5 says, There is one God and one Mediator who can reconcile God and humanity—the man Christ Jesus. He gave his life to purchase freedom for everyone. In spite of our circumstances, Jesus, you have given us so much to be thankful for: our sins forgiven, grace, mercy, freedom in you, transformation, eternal life, and so much more. We give you praise. We worship you. You alone are worthy.

As a Sunday School class, we are so thankful for Pastor Del and what he taught us about you, Lord God. Be with Pastor Del’s family. Continue to give them strength and comfort them during this season of time.

God, we trust you with everything, and that includes our lives. May we all continue to grow and learn through your word, the Bible, and through the teaching of Pastor Michael and Pastor Del. May their labor not be in vain.

We love you, Lord. Amen.

Verse Completion: . . . faithful love endures forever. Psalm 107:1 (NLT)

2/17/2023

Good morning!

Biblical meekness is a self-control of strength that makes us lambs in our own causes and lions for the cause of Christ.

Song for the Day: https://youtu.be/8cIZA9HFxtU

Complete the Verse & Name the Book: And if anyone’s name was not found written in the book of life, he was . . . (completion at the end)

Today we will conclude Pastor Del McKenzie’s “Christmas Diamond”, a first person story given by Joseph, the earthly father of Jesus:

There's one other event I should tell you about. It's special in my memories as the father of Jesus. Every year we went to Jerusalem for the feast of the Passover. When Jesus was twelve years old, he had an unusual incident. When the feast was over, our whole group started back home heading north. We thought Jesus was with some of the other children in the big group. When we camped that night, we discovered that Jesus wasn't with us. The next day, the rest of our people continued on to Nazareth, but Mary and I went back to Jerusalem to look for Jesus.

After three days we found him in the Temple. He was with the teachers and was asking them questions and listening to them. They were asking him questions and they were amazed at the answers he gave. When Mary chided him for treating us the way he had, he replied, “Don't you know that I need to be in my father's house?” We couldn't figure out what that meant at the time, but years later we came to understand what Jesus was saying.

When he was old enough to begin helping me in the carpentry shop, he developed his skills in the most amazing way. He became known as The Carpenter of Nazareth.

That's my story. Now let me tell you how I was changed.

There are many things that happened in those years that impacted my life. One of them was the reality of Mary's conception while she was still a virgin. As I told you, I doubted it all until God gave me a special revelation. But believing it and understanding what it meant are two different things. If Jesus had been conceived by me or any other man, he would have inherited a sinful nature and would not have been a fully innocent, spotless, and perfect substitute who could pay for the sins of all people. But he wasn’t conceived by me; he was conceived by the Holy Spirit, born without inherited sin, and grew up without ever doing anything sinful. It was a miracle of God.

Nothing is impossible with God. Mary and Elizabeth were both evidence of this. All that got into my heart and into my mind, and I thanked God for the amazing miracle of the virgin conception and the virgin birth.

When he died on the cross, his death was a perfect and infinite sacrifice. He could pay for the sin of every person, whoever lives on this earth. I trusted in the death of my stepson, which I knew would take place as the payment for my sin.

Another factor that changed my life was the influence and impact of Mary. She was an amazing woman. Her submission to God to accept all the pain that came with her situation, powerfully touched my life. Why did God choose her? Why did God choose us? It just seemed natural that the Messiah should have been born to royalty. We sure weren't royalty; we weren’t even middle class. He was born into a family of the poor. We lived in lowly and humble circumstances. Mary never seemed to let that bother her. Mary’s great example has been an inspiration to people around the world for centuries.

God has special regard for her because of her submission. She was a great model of faith. She trusted God. She trusted God through it all in a way that powerfully influenced my life. It was a great privilege to be a husband to the mother of Jesus. I learned from Mary’s submission. It's a great truth for all of us to learn to submit totally to God.

There’s another thing that radically changed my life for time and eternity, and that was to understand the meaning of the name Jesus. He came to be a Savior from sin. As you heard, I had great struggles with faith. Could I be forgiven? What would it take to have my sin cancelled and my heart changed? The answer was this amazing Jesus. His death would pay for my sins, so they could be cancelled. Trusting him changed my heart so there was new life inside of me with power and motivation to be different. That is a clear and wonderful message of the coming of Jesus.

There is salvation from the penalty and the power of sin. Jesus does save his people from their sins. He is the Savior of the world. I found the answer to my great dilemma. It was not trying, but trusting—trusting Jesus.

Then I would ask you, have you come to Jesus for forgiveness and cleansing? Have you received him into your life as Lord and Master? Are you in submission to him? Have you personally surrendered to this person—Jesus? He’s the Savior of the world. He is Immanuel—God with us. He's still with us today, and he's still changing the hearts and lives of people all around the world, just as he changed my heart and my life.

Verse Completion: . . . thrown into the lake of fire. Revelation 20:15 (NASB)

2/16/2023

Good morning!

Biblical meekness is a self-control of strength that makes us lambs in our own causes and lions for the cause of Christ.

Song for the Day: https://youtu.be/NswPPVgMaPE

Complete the Verse & Name the Book: And I saw the dead, the great and the small, standing before the throne, and books were opened; and another book was opened, which is the book of life; and the dead were . . . (completion at the end)

Today we will continue Pastor Del McKenzie’s “Christmas Diamond”, a first person story given by Joseph, the earthly father of Jesus:

Well, we got to Bethlehem, and there was such a crowd that had come for registration that there wasn't a room to rent in the whole town. We finally found space in a cave that was used as a barn. It was there that night that the baby was born. It was an awesome event to witness the birth of this special boy, the Son of God. It was even more amazing when shepherds came in from the hills and told us an angel had announced his birth to them and they had come to see and worship him.

Eight days later we had Jesus circumcised. About thirty days later, we took Jesus to the Temple in Jerusalem. Our law said that every first born male child belonged to the Lord, but we could buy him back with an offering. If we were too poor to bring a lamb, we could bring two doves or two pigeons. We brought two doves. When you struggle with poverty or being poor, remember that Jesus grew up under those kinds of conditions.

The other special person we met was Anna. She was really old and lived in the Temple. She gave herself to worship, fasting, and prayer. God showed her that Jesus was a special child, and he was going to bring redemption to Israel. This all made a deep impression on Mary and me, and we got an even deeper appreciation for the privilege and responsibility that lay ahead of us.

After those few weeks in Bethlehem and our trips to Jerusalem, we decided we would live in Bethlehem. There was much misunderstanding and lots of gossip back in Nazareth.

That first year was a wonderful time for us in our new home. Jesus grew and his personality began to develop. I was constantly searching for a better grasp on what it meant to be the father of this special boy, the Son of God.

About halfway through that second year, an event took place which radically altered our lives and our family. One day astronomers showed up at our door. They had come far from the East, and they said they'd seen a special star in the sky which heralded the birth of a new King for the Jews. They had gone to Jerusalem first and inquired there. The chief priest, scribes, and teachers told them the promised King must be born in Bethlehem. When they got to our house, they bowed down and worshipped Jesus giving him gifts of gold, frankincense, and myrrh.

The difficulty was that King Herod heard about it. He was deeply disturbed that his plans for his son to be his successor were threatened. He secretly met with the astronomers and ordered them to report back to him when they found the child. God warned them though not to go back to Herod, and they returned home another way. Herod was furious when he found out, and he ordered all the boys who were two years old and younger in the vicinity of Bethlehem to be killed.

An angel came to me in a dream—a wonderful thing God did for me. He told me that Herod was searching deep for Jesus as he wanted to kill Jesus. I was told to take my family and escape to Egypt. We were to stay there until I was told to return. We did that, and we escaped Herod's evil plan.

After Herod died, an angel came to me in a dream again and told me to return to Israel. We planned to go back to Bethlehem, but when we got to the area we learned that Herod's son was on the throne. God again warned me in a dream that the area was not safe, and so we moved to the town of Nazareth. Jesus grew up there and was joined by our other children as they came along: James, Joseph, Simon, Judas, and our daughters.

Tomorrow we will conclude Joseph’s story shared by Pastor Del.

Verse Completion: . . . judged from the things which were written in the books, according to their deeds. Revelation 20:12 (NASB)

2/15/2023

Good morning!

Biblical meekness is a self-control of strength that makes us lambs in our own causes and lions for the cause of Christ.

Song for the Day: https://youtu.be/-rtQ13XlDJ0

Complete the Verse & Name the Book: If anyone considers himself religious and yet does not keep a tight rein on his tongue, . . . (completion at the end)

Today we will continue Pastor Del McKenzie’s “Christmas Diamond”, a first person story given by Joseph, the earthly father of Jesus:

Every Sabbath I went to the synagogue and worshipped with the people who came and listened to the teaching from God's word. One Saturday the teaching was from Isaiah, Chapter 7. The Scripture reader read, “Therefore the Lord himself will give you a sign: The virgin will conceive and give birth to a son, and will call him Immanuel.” That really caught my attention. That is exactly what Mary was telling me. Could it be? Was this the fulfillment of an ancient prediction made by Isaiah 700 years before? Was it possible that the baby Mary was carrying was really the Messiah, the one promised many times in many ways over the years of Jewish history? If I was confused before, I was really in a state of confusion now. I cried out to God to show me what I should think and do. I had made a commitment that I would go through with the divorce. Should I or should I not?

I went to bed that night, still confused. I tossed and I turned for a long time, and finally I went to sleep. And then God did something very special. He saw my struggle and he saw my unbelief, so God gave me a dream. In the dream there was an angel. The angel came to me and said, “Joseph, son of David, do not be afraid to take Mary home as your wife, because what is conceived in her is from the Holy Spirit. She will give birth to a son, and you're to give him the name Jesus because he will save his people from their sins.”

There was only one thing left to do. I sent a message to Mary asking for her forgiveness, and I pleaded for her to come back home. I waited with an eager heart. It took days for the message to go 100 miles one way, and then return another 100 miles back.

What a memorable day it was when Mary returned to me! There were many tears of joy. I confessed to her, and I asked forgiveness for being so cruel for failing to believe what she told me.

We talked long and in great depth over the message that had been given to her. Her conception had been by the Holy Spirit. She was still a virgin. A miracle had taken place! She had conceived by an act of God's power. The baby she was carrying was a special person. He was to be named Jesus, which means “God is salvation”. Only he was to be the Savior of the world. He personally would be bringing God's salvation to people. He would also be called Immanuel, which means “God with us”.

It was God who was bringing salvation to the world. God himself, in the form of a baby, was coming to save the earth and save people from their sins. Now we more fully understood what Isaiah's prophecy meant and how it was being fulfilled. The long ago prediction of a virgin conceiving was now unfolding. God was about to do something new, something spectacular, something really wonderful. We tangled with amazement at what was happening and wondered as to why God would pick us to serve as the parents of his Son.

We had a very simple wedding celebration, partly because we were poor and partly because we didn't want to draw attention to ourselves. Then we began to live together, but we refrained from a sexual relationship until after the baby was born. That was by God's grace as well. Not only was there a virgin conception, there was a virgin birth as well.

I'm getting ahead of myself in my story. Before the baby was born, we had to make a trip to Bethlehem which was south of Jerusalem. We had to go there because the Roman governor wanted to take a census of all the people and the land for taxation purposes. We had to report to the town where we were born. I was born in Bethlehem. I resisted going because Mary's nine months were almost up, but the Roman government would make no exceptions.

Tomorrow we will continue with Joseph’s story shared by Pastor Del.

Verse Completion: . . . he deceives himself and his religion is worthless. James 1:26 (NIV)

2/14/2023

Good morning! Happy Valentine's Day!

Biblical meekness is a self-control of strength that makes us lambs in our own causes and lions for the cause of Christ.

Song for the Day: https://youtu.be/VMPV7UABJm8

Complete the Verse & Name the Book: Let us then approach the throne of grace with confidence, so that we may receive . . .(completion at the end)

Today we will continue Pastor Del McKenzie’s “Christmas Diamond”, a first person story given by Joseph, the earthly father of Jesus. Joseph has just been told by Mary that she is pregnant. She said it happened by the power of the Holy Spirit, and she is still a virgin.

I stood dumbfounded, and then I said, “Mary, please leave. I don't want to see you again. Don't stand here and keep insulting my intelligence. Go to the man that you've been with and marry him.”

She looked at me. Then she left the shop with a look on her face that I will never forget. Later, I heard that she immediately went to visit her cousin, Elizabeth, who was also pregnant. It was a hundred mile trip to the hills south of Jerusalem. Mary got in with a caravan of worshippers who were going to Jerusalem, and just like that she was gone.

Mary was saturated with the word of God and quoted it often. Look at the song she sang, and you'll find that it is filled with the holy Scriptures. Was she a hypocrite? Had she been deceiving me all along? How could I be so wrong about her? Was it some kind of a mistake? Maybe she wasn't pregnant after all. Maybe she'd been raped by her brother, or an uncle, or her father. Was she trying to cover for one of them? What was really going on?

“God,” I said, “I am really confused.”

How could I believe her story? I know God is almighty, but this is something else. Should I believe it? Could I believe it if I really wanted to? I thought I could trust Mary, but I wondered if this was just a story to cover herself? Is it possible that God is in all this? No, it's simply too much to believe. I can't do it.

Not only was I confused, but I was angry. The whole matter made me angry. Why does my life have to get all torn up like this? Why did Mary blame God for her condition? She could simply tell me the truth—tell me who the man was that got her pregnant. That would be easier.

I said, “God, I'm angry with you, too! Why did you allow this mess to happen? Why didn’t you have Mary be honest with me and come clean about the whole ordeal? I'm angry you let it happen. I have trusted you. I’ve been trying to obey you. What's wrong with my life? Show me and I'll deal with it. Why are you putting me through this? Just when it seems like your blessing was on me in a special way, it's all been turned around. I was looking forward to our marriage. Now it can't take place. Why, God, did you let this happen?”

Those next three months were a time of great agony, confusion, and disbelief. Anger swirled around inside of me. I couldn't sleep well. I lost weight. One day I would repent of my bad attitude, and the next day I would be back at it again. Anger at Mary and God would surge through me. One day I'd be ready to forgive Mary and get married to her, and the next day I wanted to divorce her.

Finally, I decided that I would get a divorce and break the betrothal. I had grounds. Obviously, she had committed fornication. I had two choices. I could do it publicly and there was a chance that she would be executed for her sin by being stoned. That would be the price paid for her sin. The other choice was to do it quietly and say that she didn't want to go through with the marriage. There was a great struggle in me between justice and gentleness, between forgiveness and anger. I wanted to do the right thing, but I wanted to spare Mary humiliating embarrassment—the shame and pain of public exposure. I chose to get a divorce as quietly as I could.

I had to think of myself, too. When her pregnancy began to show, I'd be the one most likely suspected to be the baby's father. That would make me the target of gossip in our little village and throughout the surrounding community. Should I move away and build my business somewhere else? If I didn't believe her story, how could I expect anyone else to?

Those were days of great turmoil as I tried to sort out what my best response should be. During that time I kept studying the Scriptures, worshipping God, and praying. I couldn't talk to anyone else about it, but I could talk to God. Every Sabbath I went to the synagogue and worshipped with the people who came and listened to the teaching from God's word.

Tomorrow we will continue with Joseph’s story shared by Pastor Del.

Verse Completion: . . . mercy and find grace to help us in our time of need. Hebrews 4:16 (NIV)

2/13/2023

Good morning!

Let me only accomplish the Will of God.

Let me not desire great things for myself.

--from Florence Nightingale’s diary, 1850

Song for the Day: https://youtu.be/BLpS70QYdXM

Complete the Verse & Name the Book: And the one on whom seed was sown on the good ground, this is the man who hears the word and understands it; who indeed bears fruit, and brings forth, . . .(completion at the end)

Pastor Del McKenzie has been doing a series of messages titled “Del’s Diamonds”. So far we have recapped: “God’s Provision for His People to Be Holy”, “Can a Human Be Righteous before God?”, “The Ability to Learn and Know”, “God’s Superlatives”, “The Love of the Father”, “God’s Values”, “The Power of God”, and “Victory Is the Gift of God”. Today we will start a recap of “Christmas Diamond”. Sadly, this will be the last message we will receive from Pastor Del. This series was cut short when on Saturday, January 7, 2023, 85-year-old Del McKenzie perished in a house fire in Moses Lake, WA. He will be greatly missed!

This message was shared with NCCU on December 19, 2022. Pastor Del did something different on this broadcast; he gave the story of Joseph, the earthly father of Jesus, in first person. Let’s hear from “Joseph” now as he tells his story:

I am Joseph. I have been told that I am one of thirteen Josephs in the Bible. I was a carpenter. I lived in the town of Nazareth, which is now in Israel. When you celebrate the birth of Jesus, it is a time of great celebration. It was a time of great celebration for me, as well, when it happened.

Jesus was my stepson. My life was forever changed by the birth of Jesus—by the events leading up to it and by those that unfolded after it. Let me tell you the story through my eyes.

I was to become the husband of Mary, but things were much different in our day than in yours. There were three distinct steps to getting married. First, there was a period engagement. Marriage was arranged for us by our parents or by a professional matchmaker. Ours was made by our parents when we were still children. That was okay because at least we saw each other. Many couples that were engaged never saw each other until after the engagement. Mary and I grew up in the same village and knew throughout the years that we had been committed to each other.

The second step is a betrothal—the ratification of the engagement. It took place one year prior to the wedding. At this point, the engagement made by the parents could have been broken by Mary or me, but we wanted to continue with it because we were attracted to each other. God was deep at work in our lives, building us into the people that he wanted us to become. Once the betrothal was entered, it could not be broken. We were known during that year as husband and wife, even though we didn't have the rights of marriage. We didn't live together. The only way a betrothal could be broken was by divorce, and that could happen only if fornication took place. It was so binding that a girl whose fiancée died during that year of betrothal was called “a virgin who is a widow”.

The third step was the wedding itself. It was a great celebration that usually lasted anywhere from several days to a week. We were both looking forward with great anticipation to this coming event that would take place at the end of our year's betrothal.

I was in my carpenter shop one day enjoying my work. I was ecstatic about how my life was going and thinking about my upcoming marriage to the most wonderful woman in the world. I was thanking God for his goodness. Not all arranged marriages turned out well, but I was sure ours would. Who would have known, when we were engaged as children, that Mary would grow up to be such a marvelous young lady? She was beautiful, had a charming personality, possessed godly character, and loved God in a deep way—deeper than anyone I'd ever known before.

Then I received the shock of my life. Mary came into my shop and said, “Joseph, I have something to tell you.”

“Yes, what is it?” I said. “You can tell me anything. I so appreciate you that nothing you can say to me will spoil my day.”

She looked at me and said, “Joseph, I'm pregnant.”

I said, ”Oh, come on, Mary, don't joke about things like that. We've hardly touched each other. No one gets pregnant by holding hands.”

“No, Joseph,” she said. “Please understand. I am pregnant.”

“Who is it? Who have you been in bed with?”

“It's not that, Joseph. My baby was conceived in me by an act of God—by the power of the Holy Spirit. The Holy Spirit caused me to conceive. I am still a virgin.”

“You expect me to believe that?” I said. “Do I look like some kind of a fool? Something like that doesn't happen. How could you be such a hypocrite and come to me with a story like that?”

“But, Joseph, it's true. An angel even came to me to tell me the news. I'm going to be the mother of the Son of the Most High. It is a miracle of God. When I questioned him about it, he said, ‘Nothing is impossible with God.’”

I stood dumbfounded, and then I said, “Mary, please leave. I don't want to see you again. Don't stand here and keep insulting my intelligence. Go to the man that you've been with and marry him.”

Tomorrow we will continue with Pastor Del telling Joseph’s story in the first person.

Verse Completion: . . . some a hundredfold, some sixty, and some thirty. Matthew 13:23 (NASB) See also Mark 4:20 and Luke 8:15

2/11/2023

Good morning!

Biblical meekness is a self-control of strength that makes us lambs in our own causes and lions for the cause of Christ.

Song for the Day: https://youtu.be/rNXd0KQaYXg

Complete the Verse & Name the Book: Watch and pray so that you will not fall into temptation. The spirit is willing, . . . (completion at the end)

Today we will conclude a recap of Pastor Michael’s sermon “The Fruit of the Spirit” based on Galatians 5:16-26. We have already looked at the character qualities of love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, and goodness.

Seventh, we have gentleness. A gentle person takes a soft stance of caring for others. The picture is of a strong man holding the hand of a toddler. There is strength, but the strength is under control. A gentle person could obliterate another person, but he/she chooses to be favorable and deal lightly with others. A gentle person does not abuse their authority or strength. Gentleness is authority in the container of grace. Gentleness is not weakness.

Eighth, we have faithfulness. This involves loyalty, commitment, trust, and steadfastness with people and with God. Faithful people are people of their word. They follow through with what they say. They say what they mean, and they mean what they say. The actions and words of a faithful person line up with each other. Faithful people are trustworthy people. Their words carry weight. They can be depended upon to do what they say. When they say they’ll be at a certain place at a certain time, they will follow through.

All nine of these character qualities work together; they complement each other. The result of having the Holy Spirit central in your life is having these character qualities becoming evident in your life.

A very common mistake is to refer to the fruit of the Holy Spirit in the plural. They are not “fruits” but one fruit. All these character qualities work together to create one piece of fruit. To describe what this fruit looks like and tastes like takes all nine character qualities. If even just one characteristic is missing, then it is not the fruit of the Holy Spirit. The fruit of the Holy Spirit must have all nine character qualities. Those who are non-Christians can have different aspects of this fruit, but every quality must be present in order to be the fruit of the Spirit.

Fruit takes time to mature. Thus, a Christian can have these qualities in some measure, but likely they are not fully mature. Each quality takes time to mature and develop so that, eventually, the fruit ripens and becomes mature in all of its nine qualities. Do not become discouraged or think you are not a Christian because you are not experiencing these nine qualities in your life to any great or full degree. The fruit takes time to ripen. Keep walking with Jesus and allow the Holy Spirit to transform and shape your character. It is important to keep obeying, keep following, and keep seeking. Do not stop or believe you are mature enough already. Allow God to develop all nine qualities of the fruit in your life.

If we claim to be disciples of Christ, we have to start looking more and more like these nine character qualities. This requires transformation of our character that comes from the work of the Holy Spirit. It is the Holy Spirit who transforms us. We cannot do it on our own. We can make changes here and there on our own, but we cannot transform the heart. Heart transformation comes only from Christ’s Spirit in us.

We are to walk beside Jesus, matching our steps to his steps. When we start realizing that some of the characteristics in our life look more like those in the first list (verses 19-21), we know we are not walking with Jesus. It is then that we know we have to stop what we are doing and have to get right with Jesus. We have to get back in step with the Holy Spirit and with the transforming power that comes only from him.

Don’t get discouraged. Jesus transforms lives! That’s his specialty. All lives, including yours, can be transformed by the power of Jesus through his Holy Spirit in you. Jesus died on the cross for your transformation! He didn’t die in vain! Call on him to transform you and develop his fruit in your life.

Verse Completion: . . . but the body is weak. Matthew 26:41 (NIV)

2/10/2023

Good morning!

Biblical meekness is a self-control of strength that makes us lambs in our own causes and lions for the cause of Christ.

Song for the Day: https://youtu.be/9DaoRBUSL_w

Complete the Verse & Name the Book: Therefore, to one who knows the right thing to do, and does not do it, . . . (completion at the end)

Today we will continue a recap of Pastor Michael’s sermon “The Fruit of the Spirit” based on Galatians 5:16-26.

The fruit of the Spirit can be defined as character qualities that are developed in a Christian’s life by the Holy Spirit as a Christian walks in a right relationship with Jesus. The most important fact to remember is that the fruit of the Spirit is about character qualities, whereas the gifts of the Spirit are enabled supernaturally so we can accomplish the work God has prepared for us to do.

The fruit of the Spirit is about producing Christ-like character in our lives. It is what is produced when the Holy Spirit presses into our lives. This is important because not only do we need to accomplish the works of God through his power that is given to us as a gift, it is equally important that our character reflects the character of Jesus as we go about accomplishing his works. These character qualities are called the fruit of the Spirit. They are the character qualities that the Holy Spirit produces in us as we walk in obedience to Jesus.

An important fact to note is that these character qualities are not qualities that we, ourselves, work at or initiate. They are, rather, characteristics that the Holy Spirit presses into our lives as we grow in maturity with Jesus. The Holy Spirit is continually seeking to mold and shape our character so that we reflect all of these character qualities.

We cannot live the new life God gives us without the fruit of the Spirit. Let’s examine the nine character qualities. First, we have love. This is agape love. It’s a selfless love. This kind of love is not looking for something in return; it’s looking out for the well-being of others, and that includes the spiritual well-being of others. Agape love wants others to know Jesus. There no agenda to agape love. Agape loves flows from a servant’s heart.

Second, we have joy. Although joy is not happiness, happiness is part of it. There is contentment and a sense of wellness that does not result from good things happening to us. Joy is not dependent on circumstances. It’s a result of the abiding presence of Jesus in our lives. We have joy knowing that God loves us and wants to bless us. We have joy knowing we have been forgiven of our sins and have everlasting life in our future.

Third, we have peace. It comes from the Hebrew word shalom. It’s not just the absence of conflict. Peace is the presence of wholeness of soul, mind, and body. Those who experience peace are settled in their mind and spirit that God is sovereign. Nothing is missing when we are with God; we are whole. We can rest in the knowledge of his goodness and “God-ness”.

Fourth, we have patience. Patience involves waiting for another person without agitation or anger. When we are patient, we put our interests behind us and below the interests of others. Patience involves trusting God for his timing and his gifts. Patience serves others, not self.

Fifth, we have kindness. When we are kind to others, we extend goodness, grace, and peace to them. We cause people to feel accepted and comfortable. There is no desire to control others and no desire to press one’s own agenda. Kindness looks out for the wellness of the other person with no strings attached. One kind of false kindness is flattery.

Sixth, we have goodness. This is the character quality that reflects the heart of God. God gives good gifts to those who love him. Goodness extends grace and favor to others without expecting anything in return.

We will conclude this recap of Dr. Wedman’s message tomorrow.

Verse Completions: . . . to him it is sin. James 4:17 (NASB)

2/9/2023

Good morning!

Biblical meekness is a self-control of strength that makes us lambs in our own causes and lions for the cause of Christ.

Song for the Day: https://youtu.be/L4R3H92nF94

Complete the Verse & Name the Book: Let no one say when he is tempted, . . . (completions at the end)

On January 29, Pastor Michael gave a sermon titled “The Fruit of the Spirit” based on Galatians 5:16-26. The fruit of the Spirit is singular; it’s one fruit with nine character qualities: love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control. This fruit is essential to our spiritual growth. Spiritual growth, or sanctification, is not an option for a disciple of Christ. Something is wrong when a baby doesn’t grow and mature. This is true spiritually as well. We are to be progressively becoming more like Christ.

There are numerous Scripture verses that deal with spiritual growth:

· 2 Corinthians 5:17: Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, the new creation has come: The old has gone, the new is here!

· Galatians 5:24: Those who belong to Christ Jesus have crucified the flesh with its passions and desires.

· Romans 7:14-25: We know that the law is spiritual; but I am unspiritual, sold as a slave to sin. I do not understand what I do. For what I want to do I do not do, but what I hate I do. And if I do what I do not want to do, I agree that the law is good. As it is, it is no longer I myself who do it, but it is sin living in me. For I know that good itself does not dwell in me, that is, in my sinful nature. For I have the desire to do what is good, but I cannot carry it out. For I do not do the good I want to do, but the evil I do not want to do—this I keep on doing. Now if I do what I do not want to do, it is no longer I who do it, but it is sin living in me that does it.

So I find this law at work: Although I want to do good, evil is right there with me. For in my inner being I delight in God’s law; but I see another law at work in me, waging war against the law of my mind and making me a prisoner of the law of sin at work within me. What a wretched man I am! Who will rescue me from this body that is subject to death? Thanks be to God, who delivers me through Jesus Christ our Lord!

So then, I myself in my mind am a slave to God’s law, but in my sinful nature a slave to the law of sin.

Only Jesus is able to give us the power to live a new life in him.

Now we come to today’s text found in Galatians 5:16-26:

We should hate our sinful nature. We should want to crucify it. We grow in Christ through Christ. He gives us the Holy Spirit to grow us in Christ. The Holy Spirit should be central in our life. We are to walk in the Spirit, be led by the Spirit, live in the Spirit, and keep in step with the Spirit. When we do this, the fruit of the Spirit becomes evident in our life. We can’t live as new creations without submitting to the Holy Spirit.

We will continue this recap of Dr. Wedman’s message tomorrow.

Verse Completions: . . . “I am being tempted by God”; for God cannot be tempted by evil, and He Himself does not tempt anyone. James 1:13 (NASB)

2/8/2023

Good morning!

Biblical meekness is a self-control of strength that makes us lambs in our own causes and lions for the cause of Christ.

Song for the Day: https://youtu.be/AI3VcChbPBY

Complete the Verse & Name the Book: Do not judge, and . . .

Do not condemn, and . . .

Forgive, and . . . (completions at the end)

Today we will conclude a recap of Pastor Michael’s sermon “The Law of Christ” based on Galatians 6:1-10.

The law of Christ is different from the law of sin and death. Romans 8:1-4 tells us: Therefore, there is now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus, because through Christ Jesus the law of the Spirit who gives life has set you free from the law of sin and death. For what the law was powerless to do because it was weakened by the flesh, God did by sending his own Son in the likeness of sinful flesh to be a sin offering. And so he condemned sin in the flesh, in order that the righteous requirement of the law might be fully met in us, who do not live according to the flesh but according to the Spirit.

We are to carry each other’s burdens because of our love for Christ and others. We are to help in the restoration of others so they can have peace with God.

Verse six of our test says: Nevertheless, the one who receives instruction in the word should share all good things with their instructor. Carrying the burdens of others is one part of loving others, but sharing your joys and blessings with others is another part. The instructor mentioned here could be a pastor, teacher, friend, or anyone who has helped you grow spiritually. When someone helps you carry the burden you were unable to carry on your own and helps restore you to Christ, you need to share that goodness with others. Share your joy and share your blessings of God with others. Let others rejoice in the Lord with you.

We do good to others because we all get caught in traps of sin and need help. When we do good to others we are fulfilling what Christ asks us to do. When we do good to others we are fulfilling the golden rule: “Do to others what you would have them do to you.” There’s a third reason we do good to others, and it’s found in verses 7-10:

Do not be deceived: God cannot be mocked. A man reaps what he sows. Whoever sows to please their flesh, from the flesh will reap destruction; whoever sows to please the Spirit, from the Spirit will reap eternal life. Let us not become weary in doing good, for at the proper time we will reap a harvest if we do not give up. Therefore, as we have opportunity, let us do good to all people, especially to those who belong to the family of believers.

We do good to others because there are eternal rewards; there are treasures in heaven. You can’t fool God by pretending you are doing good to others. You can’t fool God by saying you love others, but in your heart you don’t love them. You can’t fool God with acting like you are loving others when you are actually manipulating people so you’ll receive something in return. God cannot be fooled; he sees the heart. Numbers 32:23b says, you may be sure that your sin will find you out. A spiritual principle of life is you reap what you sow. It’s true in this life, and it’s true in the life to come. Sin has physical, emotional, and spiritual consequences. If you sow to please the flesh, you will reap destruction. If you sow to please the Spirit, you will reap eternal life. You always reap what you sow. Jesus said, “The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy; I have come that they may have life, and have it to the full” (John 10:10).

Don’t give up. Don’t throw in the towel. Yes, we live in a fallen world where good things happen to bad people, and bad things happen to good people. Don’t focus on the temporal; focus on the eternal. We will reap a harvest if we don’t give up. 1 Corinthians 9:24-27 says:

Do you not know that in a race all the runners run, but only one gets the prize? Run in such a way as to get the prize. Everyone who competes in the games goes into strict training. They do it to get a crown that will not last, but we do it to get a crown that will last forever. Therefore I do not run like someone running aimlessly; I do not fight like a boxer beating the air. No, I strike a blow to my body and make it my slave so that after I have preached to others, I myself will not be disqualified for the prize.

Do good especially to the family of believers of which you are a part. Extend grace. Extend kindness. Extend goodness. Look out for their best interests expecting nothing in return.

Verse Completions: . . . you will not be judged.

. . . you will not be condemned.

. . . you will be forgiven. Luke 6:37 (NIV)

2/7/2023

Good morning!

Biblical meekness is a self-control of strength that makes us lambs in our own causes and lions for the cause of Christ.

Song for the Day: https://youtu.be/GnagUvvpGjw

Complete the Verse & Name the Book: Any of you who does not give up everything he has cannot . . . (completion at the end)

Today we will continue a recap of Pastor Michael’s sermon “The Law of Christ” based on Galatians 6:1-10.

A person who lives by the Spirit will help another Christian get restored to Jesus gently. Gentleness flows naturally from a person who lives by the Spirit. A gentle person is not a judgmental person. They don’t shame or berate the person who has fallen. They never kick a person who’s down. Those caught or trapped in sin don’t need more hurt; they need help in getting back to Jesus. A person who lives by the Spirit recognizes: Except for the grace of God, there go I.

All of us are vulnerable to sin. None of us are immune from sin. That’s why Paul said, But watch yourselves, or you also may be tempted. When Jesus spoke to those who had accused the woman of adultery, he said, “Let any one of you who is without sin be the first to throw a stone at her.” They all walked away. Each of us should never think we are above sinning. We have all been caught by sin and we can be trapped by sin again. While helping others, we have to be very careful ourselves so we don’t become entangled in sin.

Each one should test their own actions. Then they can take pride in themselves alone, without comparing themselves to someone else, for each one should carry their own load. We need to test our motives. We need to avoid comparing ourselves to others and saying, “At least I’m better than him. I would never do what he did.” Instead of being arrogant and proud, we need to have a humble spirit that says, “Lord, forgive me for I am a sinner.” We are to keep short accounts with our sins. We need to be asking God to reveal our sins to us. As they are revealed to us, we need to be asking God for forgiveness. We need to repent of our sin. Deal with sin right away. Don’t put it off. Unrepented sins have a way of compounding.

Carrying our own load has the idea of putting on a backpack. It’s looking to your own spiritual well-being. It’s getting yourself right before Christ. It involves the hard work of submitting to the Holy Spirit. Carrying your own load involves abiding in Christ and submitting to the Holy Spirit. A load is different from a burden. A burden is something a person is unable to lift on their own. They need help getting back to Jesus.

Why should I do good to others? I myself can get caught up in sin, and I will need the goodness of others to help me get back on track.

Carry each other’s burdens, and in this way you will fulfill the law of Christ. What is the law of Christ? Galatians 5:14 says: For the entire law is fulfilled in keeping this one command: “Love your neighbor as yourself.” The law of Christ is to love your neighbor as yourself. Leviticus 19:18 says: “ ‘Do not seek revenge or bear a grudge against anyone among your people, but love your neighbor as yourself. I am the LORD.

When Jesus was asked which was the greatest commandment in the Law, he replied: “ ‘Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind.’ This is the first and greatest commandment. And the second is like it: ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’ All the Law and the Prophets hang on these two commandments” (Matthew 22:37-40).

Tomorrow we will conclude this recap of Dr. Wedman’s message.

Verse Completion: . . . be my disciple. Luke 14:33 (NIV)

2/6/2023

Good morning!

Biblical meekness is a self-control of strength that makes us lambs in our own causes and lions for the cause of Christ.

Song for the Day: https://youtu.be/W-glwD-J-ig

Complete the Verse & Name the Book: And just as they did not see fit to acknowledge God any longer, God gave them over to . . . (completion at the end)

On Sunday, Pastor Michael preached a sermon titled “The Law of Christ” based on Galatians 6:1-10.

Paul started writing Galatians stating clearly that salvation is found in Jesus Christ alone. Tragically, 30% of evangelical pastors in America today do not believe Jesus is the only way for salvation. They believe salvation comes through other means such as good works. Only 37% of all pastors in Christian churches in America today have a Biblical worldview which means almost 2/3 of pastors in the U.S. do not believe and live by the truth of God’s Word for their lives.

The truth of God and his Word is under attack in our country. NCCU exists to promote and proclaim the gospel of Jesus Christ for the salvation and sanctification of all people. May we never deviate from this purpose. May we always be invested in building God’s Kingdom according to God’s Word.

As we draw near to the end of the letter, the emphasis is on application. Galatians 6:1-10 tells us: Brothers and sisters, if someone is caught in a sin, you who live by the Spirit should restore that person gently. But watch yourselves, or you also may be tempted. Carry each other’s burdens, and in this way you will fulfill the law of Christ. If anyone thinks they are something when they are not, they deceive themselves.

Each one should test their own actions. Then they can take pride in themselves alone, without comparing themselves to someone else, for each one should carry their own load.

Nevertheless, the one who receives instruction in the word should share all good things with their instructor.

We are told to be good to all people. We are to look out for the spiritual well-being of others while expecting nothing in return. Why should we be good to others when others are not good to us? Maybe you were told by your parents, “Be good to your brother. Be good to your sister.”

Sometimes we attempt to do good, and it seems to blow up in our face. You may have heard the saying: No good deed goes unpunished. So why should we do good? This passage of Scripture provides some reasons.

Paul starts out: Brothers and sisters . . . He is reminding us that we are part of the family of God. We need to remember who we are in Christ. He continues: . . . if someone is caught in a sin, you who live by the Spirit should restore that person gently. But watch yourselves, or you also may be tempted.

The idea of someone being caught in a sin does not mean we should go around spying on people, and trying to catch them in the act of a sin. Caught in a sin carries the idea of being trapped in a sin. It’s similar to an animal being caught in a trap. Someone who is trapped in a sin may be surprised to find themselves in that situation. It wasn’t like they set out to sin. It could be an addiction and the person feels trapped in it. They need help getting out. They need the help of another person. They need help from a person who lives by the Spirit—a person who consciously submits to the Holy Spirit.

It's a person who lives by the Spirit who will be able to restore a brother or sister to Jesus. When we’re trapped in sin, we need a brother or sister-in-Christ to come along beside us, and help us get out of the trap. We need to be restored to Jesus, and a person who lives by the Spirit is able to help us get restored to Jesus. We can’t live isolated lives; we need each other’s help.

Tomorrow we will continue this recap of Dr. Wedman’s message.

Verse Completion: . . . a depraved mind, to do those things which are not proper. Romans 1:28 (NASB)

2/4/2023

Good morning!

Biblical meekness is a self-control of strength that makes us lambs in our own causes and lions for the cause of Christ.

Song for the Day: https://youtu.be/ir-XbtrgcRk

Complete the Verse & Name the Book: A new commandment I give to you, that . . . (completion at the end)

Yesterday we saw where David said, “I will not present burnt offerings to the LORD my God that have cost me nothing."

Do you remember when you got your first job and started buying things on your own instead of having your parents give you everything? My first purchase was a 10-speed bike; a big deal back in the day. I had been taught to take care of my things, but I gave this 10-speed extra TLC. I knew how many days of "hard labor" this bike had cost me. I wanted to make sure it lasted a LONG time!

When we give God that which costs us something, it means more to God. When we have a full schedule and “don't have time” to spend in his word or pray, but we go ahead and make time anyway, God is aware of that. It's a way of showing God we love him more than the other things that consume our time. Preparing a meal for someone in need costs something, but it shows we want to be God's hands and feet to care for others. David didn't want to give God a gift that cost him nothing. I doubt God is impressed with regifting.

David remarked longingly to his men, "Oh, how I would love some of that good water from the well by the gate in Bethlehem." So the Three broke through the Philistine lines, drew some water from the well by the gate in Bethlehem, and brought it back to David. But he refused to drink it. Instead, he poured it out as an offering to the LORD. "The LORD forbid that I should drink this!" he exclaimed. "This water is asprecious as the blood of these men who risked their lives to bring it to me." So David did not drink it. These are examples of the exploits of the Three.

In my shallowness, I probably would have said, "Hey! Thanks, guys! That was nice of you torisk your lives for this water. Don't worry; you'll have your own soon." GLUG, GLUG, GLUG. King David was a lot deeper. Going back to what was mentioned earlier, David did not offer to God that which cost him nothing. This water had come at a high price—the possible deaths of some of David's elite warriors. That water would have been so refreshing to David and would have quenched his burning thirst, but that's what he gave God—his best.

I can't help but think about God giving us his best—his only Son, Jesus. As David poured out the precious water as an offering to God, God poured out his Son's most precious blood as an offering for our sin. What a price to pay, but he was willing to pay it for our sake! David loved his warriors, but God loves us even more. Let's receive that love and share it with others.

Verse Completion: . . . you love one another, even as I have loved you, that you also love one another. John 13:34 (NASB)

2/3/2023

Good morning!

Biblical meekness is a self-control of strength that makes us lambs in our own causes and lions for the cause of Christ.

Song for the Day: https://youtu.be/XjWvbV6ohVc

Complete the Verse & Name the Book: And if I give all my possessions to feed the poor, and if I deliver my body to be burned, but do not have love, . . . (completion at the end)

During Billy Graham’s 1949 Los Angeles Crusade, Pearl Goode, a widowed nurse seeking God’s next call on her life, joined the volunteer prayer team. After the LA meetings ended, she continued to lift up Billy Graham’s crusades in prayer. She would often check into a motel near the meetings and pray. Sometimes she prayed all night asking God to draw people to Himself. Her prayer ministry carried her over 48,000 miles. Pearl’s expenses were paid by her.

Many years later Billy Graham discovered what Pearl Goode had been doing. He commented, “I could sense the presence and power of that prayer. When she died, I felt it.”

We all have been given gifts by God that can be used to make a difference in this world. Aren't you thankful for people like Pearl Goode? Who is thanking God for you?

So David went up to do what the LORD had commandedhim. When Araunah saw the king and his men coming toward him, he came and bowed before the king with his face to the ground. "Why have you come, my lord the king?" Araunahasked.

David replied, "I have come to buy your threshing floor and to build an altar to the LORD there, so that he will stop the plague."

"Take it, my lord the king, and use it as you wish," Araunah said to David. "Here are oxen for the burnt offering, and you can use the threshing boards and ox yokes for wood to build a fire on the altar. I will give it all to you, your Majesty, and may the LORD your God accept yoursacrifice."

But the king replied to Araunah, "No, I insist on buying it, forI will not present burnt offerings to the LORD my God that have cost me nothing." So David paid him fifty pieces of silver for the threshing floor and the oxen.

David built an altar there to the LORD and sacrificed burnt offerings and peace offerings. And the LORD answered his prayer for the land, and the plague on Israel was stopped.

Verse Completion: . . . it profits me nothing. 1 Corinthians 13:3 (NASB)

2/2/2023

Good morning!

Biblical meekness is a self-control of strength that makes us lambs in our own causes and lions for the cause of Christ.

Song for the Day: https://youtu.be/_DYCO1vOXMA

Complete the Verse & Name the Book: The harvest is plentiful, . . . (completion at the end)

Today we will continue to look at legacies left behind after people’s deaths. What would it look like if we reduced the life of some Bible characters to just a sentence or so? Let's look at a few:

· Abel was a righteous man of faith (Hebrews 11:4).

· Abraham is the father of all who believe. His faith didn't weaken even when there was no reason for hope (Romans 4:16-25).

· David was a man after God's own heart. The LORD was his Master (Acts 13:22; Psalm 16:2).

· Elijah was a prayer warrior (James 5:16-18).

· Eve ate the family out of house and home (Genesis 3:22-24).

· Manasseh did what was evil in the LORD'S sight following the detestable practices of the pagan nations. He built pagan altars in the LORD'S Temple and sacrificed his own son in the fire. He practiced sorcery, divination, and consulted with mediums and psychics (2 Kings 21:2-6).

· Ezra led the people in a recommitment to following God's laws (Nehemiah 8-10).

· Esther risked her life to save her people (Esther 4-8).

· Haman planned to have the king honor him by wearing royal robes as he rode on the king's horse through the city square. Instead his enemy, Mordecai, was given the honor. Haman planned to have Mordecai impaled on a 75 foot sharpened pole, but, instead, Haman was impaled on it (Esther 7).

· Joseph was sold into slavery by his brothers but Joseph's attitude toward his brothers was: "You intended to harm me, but God intended it all for good. God put me in this high position of office so I could play a part in saving the lives of many people. I will take care of you and your children" (Genesis 50:19-21).

· Paul was put in prison, whipped many times, received 39 lashes on five occasions, beaten with rods three times, stoned, shipwrecked three times, spent a day and night adrift at sea, faced dangers from rivers and robbers. He worked hard and long with many sleepless nights, was hungry and thirsty, and shivered in the cold. He found pleasure in the troubles he suffered for Christ. He found living means living for Christ (2 Corinthians 11:23-27; 12:10; Philippians 1:21).

If our lives were reduced to a few summary sentences, what would those sentences say? As long as you have life, it's not too late to change that summary, if that's what you'd like to do. Philippians 4:13 says,For I can do everything through Christ, who gives me strength.

Verse Completion: . . . but the workers are few. Ask the Lord of the harvest, therefore, to send out workers into his harvest field. Luke 10:2 (NIV)

2/1/2023

Good morning! Welcome to February.

Biblical meekness is a self-control of strength that makes us lambs in our own causes and lions for the cause of Christ.

Song for the Day: https://youtu.be/QhbK2GpbKTY

Complete the Verse & Name the Book: For it is God’s will that by doing good you should . . . (completion at the end)

Funerals or memorial services can be good experiences because they can put life back into perspective. They can help us evaluate what's really important in life. We might ask ourselves, “What do I want people to say about me after I'm gone?” How we live our lives now will determine what is said about us. We will all leave a legacy; the question is whether it will be positive or negative.

King Jehoram didn't leave a good legacy. 2 Chronicles 21:4 and 6 says,But when Jehoram had become solidly established as king, he killed all his brothers and some of the other leaders of Judah.

But Jehoram followed the example of the kings of Israel and was as wicked as King Ahab, for he had married one of Ahab's daughters. So Jehoram did what was evil in the LORD'S sight.

Jehoram was thirty-two years old when he became king, and he reigned in Jerusalem eight years.No one was sorry when he died. They buried him in the City of David, but not in the royal cemetery (verse 20).

Then there's Rehoboam. 2 Chronicles 10:3-11 gives a hint as to the kind of legacy Rehoboam will leave:The leaders of Israel summoned [Rehoboam], and Jeroboam and all Israel went to speak with Rehoboam. "Your father was a hard master," they said. "Lighten the harsh labor demands and heavy taxes that your father imposed on us. Then we will be your loyal subjects."

Rehoboam replied, "Come back in three days for my answer." So the people went away.

Then King Rehoboam discussed the matter with the older men who had counseled his father, Solomon. "What is your advice?" he asked. "How should I answer these people?"

The older counselors replied, "If you are good to these people and do your best to please them and give them a favorable answer, they will always be your loyal subjects."

But Rehoboam rejected the advice of the older men and instead asked the opinion of the young men who had grown up with him and were now his advisers. "What is your advice?" he asked them. "How should I answer these people who want me to lighten the burdens imposed by my father?"

The young men replied, "This is what you should tell those complainers who want a lighter burden: 'My little finger is thicker than my father's waist! Yes, my father laid heavy burdens on you, but I'm going to make them even heavier! My father beat you with whips, but I will beat you with scorpions!' "

Rehoboam followed the counsel of his younger advisers, and 2 Chronicles 12:14 gives a summary of his life:But [Rehoboam] was an evil king, for he did not seek the LORD with all his heart.

Tomorrow we will continue to take a look a legacies left behind after people’s deaths.

Verse Completion: . . . silence the ignorant talk of foolish men. 1 Peter 2:15 (NIV)