1 Samuel 2: 2

"There is no holy God like the Lord. There is no God but You. There is no Rock like our God."

~ (1 Samuel 2: 2)

We give thanks and praise to an immovable, unshakable, solid, fortified source of strength! Blessed be the Lord, our Rock. Amen.

Matthew 14: 29

"Come!' He said. And climbing out of the boat, Peter started walking on the water toward Jesus." ~ (Matthew 14: 29)

Lord, taking an ordinary fisherman with no formal theological education and making him Your right hand man can teach us so much. Thank You that the scriptures share so much insight into Peter's life. Amen.

Acts 5: 15

"As a result, they would carry the sick out into the streets and lay them on cots and mats so that when Peter came by, at least his shadow might fall on some of them." ~ (Acts 5: 15)

WOW! Amen.

Acts 2: 41

"Those who embraced his message were baptized, and about 3,000 were added to the believers that day." ~ (Acts 2: 41)

"The key is not money, organization, cleverness, or education. Are you and I seeing the results Peter saw? If not, we need to get back to His power source." ~ Jim Cymbala

Matthew 4: 19

"Follow Me,' He told them, 'and I will make you fishers of men." ~ (Matthew 4: 19)

Christ bless your day family. Amen.

John 1: 42 PETER

"When Jesus saw him, He said, 'You are Simon, son of John. You will be called Cephas." (which means Peter). ~ (John 1: 42)

PETER - originally a fisherman, one of the twelve apostles and founder of the Church of Antioch and Rome; later crucified upside down for Christ.

Love!

The outward physical sign of our love for Christ is "OBEDIENCE."

It is the "PROOF" of our devotion.

The "EVIDENCE" of our commitment.

The "RESULT" of our determination.

Jesus said;
"If you love Me, you will keep My commandments."

This is Jesus' CHALLENGE & PREREQUISITE to you & me.

"LOVE IS OFFERED FREELY TO THE RECEIVER!"

"BUT IT COMES AT A HIGH PRICE TO THE GIVER!"

"TRUE LOVE WILL ALWAYS LEAD TO OBEDIENCE!"

Matthew 16: 18

"And I tell you that you are Peter, and on this rock I will build my church, and the gates of Hades will not prevail against it." ~ (Matthew 16: 18)

Thanks be to God for knowing to trust Peter and the apostles with the gospel that made it all the way to us. Amen.

Psalm 24: 5

"He will receive blessing from the Lord, and righteousness from the God of His salvation." ~ (Psalm 24: 5)

In and of ourselves we can't even come close to Your holiness Father. Thank You for sending Jesus Christ to be our perfect righteousness! Amen.

Romans 3: 22

"The righteousness is given through faith in Jesus Christ to all who believe." ~ (Romans 3: 22)

Amen.

Instruction vs. Discretion!

2 Timothy 3:16-17

"All Scripture is inspired by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, for training in righteousness; so that the man of God may be adequate, equipped for every good work."

"AS CHRISTIANS, WE ARE CALLED TO LIVE ACCORDING TO GOD'S INSTRUCTIONS, NOT MAN'S DISCRETIONS!"

Instruction:

Detailed information telling how something should be done.

Discretion:

The freedom to decide what should be done in a particular situation.

"THAT WHICH GOD HAS ESTABLISHED IS NOT UP FOR DEBATE OR DISCUSSION!"

"IT IS MEANT TO BE OBEYED & APPLIED!"

"MAN SAYS THAT WE CAN COME TO OUR OWN TRUTH CONCLUSIONS!"

"BUT GOD IS TRUTH!"

"HIS WORD IS THE ONLY TRUTH THAT CAN TRANSFORM US!"

"RELYING ON OUR ABILITY TO CHOOSE IS NOT THE SAME AS SURRENDERING TO GOD'S WILL!"

"AS CHRISTIANS, WE ARE CALLED TO LIVE ACCORDING TO GOD'S INSTRUCTIONS, NOT MAN'S DISCRETIONS!"

Mark 2: 17

"It is not the healthy who need a doctor, but the sick. I have not come to call the righteous, but sinners to repentance." ~ (Mark 2: 17)

"There are only two kinds of people: the righteous who think they are sinners and the sinners who think they are righteous." ~ Blaise Pascal

Romans 7: 18

"For I know that nothing good lives in me, that is, in my flesh. For the desire to do what is good is with me, but there is no ability to do it." ~ (Romans 7: 18)

In Christ alone, family. Amen.

TRUE RELIGION!

James 1:26-27

"If anyone thinks himself to be religious, and yet does not bridle his tongue but deceives his own heart, this man’s religion is worthless. Pure and undefiled religion in the sight of our God and Father is this: to visit orphans and widows in their distress, and to keep oneself unstained by the world."

"TRUE RELIGION IS NOT DEFINED BY MAN!"

"GOD SETS THE STANDARDS & WE ARE TO ABIDE BY THEM!"

"IT IS IN KEEPING HIS WILL THAT WE DEMONSTRATE OUR FAITH TO A FAITHLESS GENERATION!"

"RELIGION, IN ITS SIMPLEST FORM, IS THE PRACTICE OF OUR FAITH IN CHRIST!"

"RELIGION IS NOT A SUNDAY VISIT, BUT A LIFESTYLE MARKED GOD'S LOVE & POWER TO HUMANITY!"

"JESUS' RELIGION WAS MARKED BY HIS DAILY STROLLS DOWN THE CITY STREETS!"

"IT WAS GOD'S LOVE & COMPASSION, FLOWING THROUGH HIM, THAT MADE IT CLEAR TO THOSE HE ENCOUNTERED ON A REGULAR BASIS WHO HE WAS!"

"ALTHOUGH SCRIPTURE RECORDS MANY OF JESUS' WORDS, HIS ACTS OF LOVE ARE SAID TO BE BEYOND RECORDING!"

Therefore, let us learn from Jesus;

"OUR ACTIONS SHOULD ALWAYS OUTWEIGH OUR TALK!"

"TRUE RELIGION IN THE SIGHT OF GOD IS DEFINED BY GOD'S STANDARDS, NOT OURS!"

"THEREFORE, STUDY THE WORD OF GOD & LEARN HOW TO LIVE APPROPRIATELY!"

Titus 3: 5 RIGHTEOUS

"He saved us - not by works of righteousness that we had done, but according to His mercy - through the washing of regeneration and renewal by the Holy Spirit." ~ (Titus 3: 5)

RIGHTEOUS - 1. morally good; following religious or moral laws. 2. morally right or justifiable.

Trust Him!

"HE KNOWS WHAT HE IS DOING!!!"

"HE WILL NEVER FALL OFF OF HIS THRONE!!!"

"UNDERSTAND THAT YOU SERVE A MIGHTY GOD!!!"

Isaiah 64: 6

"All of us have become like one who is unclean, and all our righteous acts are like filthy rags; we all shrivel up like a leaf, and like the winds our sins sweep us away." ~ (Isaiah 64: 6)

May we live righteous, but never fall into the trap of thinking any right act of our own can save us. Amen.

1 Peter 3: 20

"Because they formerly did not obey, when God's patience waited in the days of Noah, while the ark was being prepared, in which a few, that is, eight persons, were brought to safety through water."
~ (1 Peter 3: 20)

May we be mindful of the parallels between how Noah saved and how Jesus saves, that once God judged the world with water, but soon with fire. Amen.

Hebrews 11: 7

"By faith Noah, after he was warned about what was not yet seen and motivated by godly fear, built an ark to deliver his family. By faith he condemned the world and became an heir of the righteousness that comes by faith." ~ (Hebrews 11: 7)

Q: If we can all trace our family tree back to Noah, why all the racial divide???

Stewardship!

2 Timothy 2:15

"Be diligent to present yourself approved to God as a workman who does not need to be ashamed, accurately handling the word of truth."

"GOD'S WORD IS HIS MESSAGE TO MANKIND!"

"HE HAS ENTRUSTED HIS MESSAGE TO US AS FAITHFUL MINISTERS!"

"THEREFORE, LET US CONVEY HIS MESSAGE ACCORDING TO HIS INTENT, NOT OUR OPINION!"

"GOD WILL HOLD US ACCOUNTABLE FOR HOW WE INFLUENCE THOSE AROUND US!"

Example:

If you were to give me a message to relay to a friend for their benefit;

Would you be happy with me if I decided to twist your message to say what I thought that person needed to hear?

Would you be offended?

Would not my actions reflect my opinion of your message?

Would it not become my message?

Would I have successfully carried out your instructions?

Or have I just demonstrated that I've been an unfaithful steward?

Would you not require of me an account for my actions?

"HAVE NOT MY ACTIONS DEMONSTRATED MY REJECTION OF YOUR MESSAGE?"

The same is true about God's Word!

Let us not assume that we have the right to misuse His Words!

"HIS WORDS TRANSFORM!"

"OUR OPINIONS DON'T!"

"THEREFORE, LET US BE FAITHFUL STEWARDS OF THAT WHICH WAS ENTRUSTED TO US!!!"

Matthew 24: 37

"As the days of Noah were, so will the coming of the Son of Man will be." ~ (Matthew 24: 37)

"There is but one way in which men find salvation, just as outside the ark of Noah it was not possible for anyone to be saved." ~ Thomas Aquinas

Eternity!

1 Timothy 1:17

"Now to the King eternal, immortal, invisible, the only God, be honor and glory forever and ever. Amen."

"LIVE WITH ETERNITY IN VIEW!"

"THEN, YOU WILL BE SURPRISED AT HOW DIFFERENTLY YOU APPROACH DAILY STRUGGLES!"

Be Yourself!

"BE STRONG IN THE LORD & IN THE POWER OF HIS MIGHT!"

If you are convinced that "JESUS IS THE WAY", then, live like it!

"DARE TO BE WHOM GOD CREATED YOU TO BE!"

"WE ARE IN DESPERATE TIMES!"

"THE WORLD NEEDS TO KNOW THE JESUS WITHIN YOU!"

Genesis 7: 1

"Then the Lord said to Noah, 'Enter the ark, you and all your household, for I have seen that you alone are righteous before Me in this generation." ~ (Genesis 7: 1)

Have a blessed day family. Amen.

Genesis 5: 32 NOAH

"And he named him Noah saying, 'This one will bring us relief from the agonizing labor of our hands, caused by the ground the Lord has cursed." ~ (Genesis 5: 32)

NOAH - God's "preacher of righteousness," receiving mercy and saving humanity from extinction when God judged the world for evil.

Genesis 6: 8

"But Noah found favor in the eyes of the Lord." ~ (Genesis 6: 8)

Father, thank You for taking the time to notice Noah in the midst of an evil and corrupt world, that through him, we might live. Amen.

Matthew 2: 1

"Now when Jesus was born in Bethlehem of Judea in the days of Herod the king, behold, there came wise men from the east to Jerusalem." ~ (Matthew 2: 1)

May all of our journeys; short or long, easy or hard, in groups or alone, all lead us to Jesus and eternity with Him. Amen.

Genesis 12: 1

"Now the Lord said to Abram, 'Go from your country and your kin and your father's house to the land I will show you." ~ (Genesis 12: 1)

Would you do as Abram did?

Psalm 23: 4

"Even though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I fear no evil, for You are with me." ~ (Psalm 23: 4)

"Hope is like the sun, which, as we journey toward it, casts the shadow of our burden behind us." ~ Samuel Smiles

Genesis 24: 40

"The Lord, before whom I have walked, will send His angels with you to make your journey successful." ~ (Genesis 24: 40)

God be with your journey today family. Amen.

FAITH!

HEBREWS 11:1

"Now faith is the assurance of things hoped for, the conviction of things not seen."

"Faith is belief in action.

Faith is the element that aligns life with belief.

It is the lack of faith that permits us to say we believe one thing & then live as though we don't truly believe.

Faith simply believes, then behaves accordingly & lets God manage the outcome."

An excerpt from J.M. Stowell

"WE LIVE ACCORDING TO WHAT WE BELIEVE TO BE TRUE!"

Question of the day:

"IS GOD'S WORD YOU'RE ULTIMATE TRUTH?"

Mark 6: 8 JOURNEY

"He instructed them to take nothing but a staff for the journey - no bread, no bag, no money in their belts." ~ (Mark 6: 8)

JOURNEY - something suggesting travel or passage from one place to another.

Ezra 8: 21

"I proclaimed a fast there at the river of Ahara, that we might humble ourselves before our God to seek from Him a safe journey for us, our little ones, and all our possessions." ~ (Ezra 8: 21)

Lord, be our guide in all life's journeys; small, big, and lifelong. Amen.

Do God's Will!

1 Peter 2:13-17

"Submit yourselves for the Lord’s sake to every human institution, whether to a king as the one in authority, or to governors as sent by him for the punishment of evildoers and the praise of those who do right. For such is the will of God that by doing right you may silence the ignorance of foolish men. Act as free men, and do not use your freedom as a covering for evil, but use it as bondslaves of God. Honor all people, love the brotherhood, fear God, honor the king."

1 Timothy 1: 16

"This saying is trustworthy and deserving of full acceptance, that Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners, of whom I am the foremost." ~ (1 Timothy 1: 16)

Praise be to God that Paul was receptive to the call. May our lives mirror his obedience and humility. Amen.