Romans 13 ~ Armor of Light.

Romans 13

Let everyone be subject to the governing authorities, for there is no authority except that which God has established. The authorities that exist have been established by God. 2 Consequently, whoever rebels against the authority is rebelling against what God has instituted, and those who do so will bring judgment on themselves. 

3 For rulers hold no terror for those who do right, but for those who do wrong. 

Do you want to be free from fear of the one in authority? Then do what is right and you will be commended. 4 For the one in authority is God’s servant for your good. But if you do wrong, be afraid, for rulers do not bear the sword for no reason. They are God’s servants, agents of wrath to bring punishment on the wrongdoer. 5 Therefore, it is necessary to submit to the authorities, not only because of possible punishment but also as a matter of conscience.

6 This is also why you pay taxes, for the authorities are God’s servants, who give their full time to governing. 7 Give to everyone what you owe them: If you owe taxes, pay taxes; if revenue, then revenue; if respect, then respect; if honor, then honor.

 


8 Let no debt remain outstanding, except the continuing debt to love one another, for whoever loves others has fulfilled the law. 9 The commandments, “You shall not commit adultery,” “You shall not murder,” “You shall not steal,” “You shall not covet,” and whatever other command there may be, are summed up in this one command: “Love your neighbor as yourself.” 10 Love does no harm to a neighbor. Therefore love is the fulfillment of the law.


11 And do this, understanding the present time: The hour has already come for you to wake up from your slumber, because our salvation is nearer now than when we first believed.

 12 The night is nearly over; the day is almost here.

So let us put aside the deeds of darkness and put on the armor of light. 13 Let us behave decently, as in the daytime, not in carousing and drunkenness, not in sexual immorality and debauchery, not in dissension and jealousy. 14 Rather, clothe yourselves with the Lord Jesus Christ, and do not think about how to gratify the desires of the flesh.




The Lord Jesus says:

Luke 7

After he had finished all his sayings in the hearing of the people, he entered Capernaum. 2 Now a centurion had a servant who was sick and at the point of death, who was highly valued by him. 3 When the centurion heard about Jesus, he sent to him elders of the Jews, asking him to come and heal his servant. 4 And when they came to Jesus, they pleaded with him earnestly, saying, “He is worthy to have you do this for him, 5 for he loves our nation, and he is the one who built us our synagogue.” 6 And Jesus went with them. When he was not far from the house, the centurion sent friends, saying to him,

“Lord, do not trouble yourself, for I am not worthy to have you come under my roof. 7 Therefore I did not presume to come to you. But say the word, and let my servant be healed. 8 For I too am a man set under authority, with soldiers under me: and I say to one, ‘Go,’ and he goes; and to another, ‘Come,’ and he comes; and to my servant, ‘Do this,’ and he does it.”

9 When Jesus heard these things, he marveled at him, and turning to the crowd that followed him, said, “I tell you, not even in Israel have I found such faith.” 10 And when those who had been sent returned to the house, they found the servant well.

The Lord Jesus also says

Luke 1

18 And Zechariah said to the angel, “How shall I know this? For I am an old man, and my wife is advanced in years.” 19 And the angel answered him, “I am Gabriel. I stand in the presence of God, and I was sent to speak to you and to bring you this good news. 20 And behold, you will be silent and unable to speak until the day that these things take place, because you did not believe my words, which will be fulfilled in their time.”

Acts 9

4 And falling to the ground he heard a voice saying to him, “Saul, Saul, why are you persecuting me?” 5 And he said, “Who are you, Lord?” And he said, “I am Jesus, whom you are persecuting."

Proving to us,again,  Jesus is our Lord.



10 Love does no harm to a neighbor. Therefore love is the fulfillment of the law.


Acts 9
The Lord said to him in a vision, “Ananias.” And he said, “Here I am, Lord.” 11 And the Lord said to him, “Rise and go to the street called Straight, and at the house of Judas look for a man of Tarsus named Saul, for behold, he is praying, 12 and he has seen in a vision a man named Ananias come in and lay his hands on him so that he might regain his sight.” 13 But Ananias answered, “Lord, I have heard from many about this man, how much evil he has done to your saints at Jerusalem. 14 And here he has authority from the chief priests to bind all who call on your name.” 15 But the Lord said to him, “Go, for he is a chosen instrument of mine to carry my name before the Gentiles and kings and the children of Israel. 16 For I will show him how much he must suffer for the sake of my name.” 17 So Ananias departed and entered the house. And laying his hands on him he said, “Brother Saul, the Lord Jesus who appeared to you on the road by which you came has sent me so that you may regain your sight and be filled with the Holy Spirit.”


Romans 13
So let us put aside the deeds of darkness and put on the armor of light.





18 And immediately something like scales fell from his eyes, and he regained his sight. Then he rose and was baptized; 19 and taking food, he was strengthened.


22 Saul increased all the more in strength, and confounded the Jews who lived in Damascus by proving that Jesus was the Christ.

39 So Peter rose and went with them. And when he arrived, they took him to the upper room. All the widows stood beside him weeping and showing tunics and other garments that Dorcas made while she was with them. 40 But Peter put them all outside, and knelt down and prayed; and turning to the body he said, “Tabitha, arise.” And she opened her eyes, and when she saw Peter she sat up. 41 And he gave her his hand and raised her up. Then calling the saints and widows, he presented her alive.

Father God, Thank You, Your Word is clear.

Let us clearly remind ourselves we have put on the Armor of Light. We have fastened on the belt of truth, the breastplate of righteousness  and shoes our feet with the gospel of peace. We will take up the shield of faith, and the helmet of salvation, and the sword of the Spirit, which is the Word of God. Praying at all times in the Spirit.

Thank You for Your Ways, Your Word, Your Life.

With expectation of Your goodness and a patience when waiting upon the Timing of God Himself, we will look forward to Your Ways in Hope, Faith and Love.

Amen in Jesus.

♔ Lord Jesus Saves!  †

Psalm 89:1-18 ~ For who in the skies can be compared to the Lord?

Jericho, once a “Biblical problem” a seeming disagreement between archaeology and the Bible. However, now we know the archaeological evidence supports the historical accuracy of the Biblical account in every detail.

Psalm 89:1-18

A Maskil  ^{[musical, liturgical term]} of Ethan the Ezrahite.

 I will sing of the steadfast love of the Lord, forever;

with my mouth I will make known your faithfulness to all generations.

2 For I said, “Steadfast love will be built up forever;

in the heavens you will establish your faithfulness.”

3 You have said, “I have made a covenant with my chosen one;

I have sworn to David my servant:

4 ‘I will establish your offspring forever,

and build your throne for all generations.’” Selah

5 Let the heavens praise your wonders, O Lord,

your faithfulness in the assembly of the holy ones!

 

6 For who in the skies can be compared to the Lord?

Who among the heavenly beings ^{[the sons of God or the sons of might]}      

is like the Lord,

7 a God greatly to be feared in the council of the holy ones,

and awesome above all who are around him?

 

8 O Lord God of hosts,

who is mighty as you are, O Lord,

with your faithfulness all around you?

9 You rule the raging of the sea;

when its waves rise, you still them.

10 You crushed Rahab like a carcass;

you scattered your enemies with your mighty arm.

11 The heavens are yours; the earth also is yours;

the world and all that is in it, you have founded them.

12 The north and the south, you have created them;

Tabor and Hermon joyously praise your name.

13 You have a mighty arm;

strong is your hand, high your right hand.

14 Righteousness and justice are the foundation of your throne;

steadfast love and faithfulness go before you.

15 Blessed are the people who know the festal shout,

who walk, O Lord, in the light of your face,

16 who exult in your name all the day

and in your righteousness are exalted.

17 For you are the glory of their strength;

by your favor our horn is exalted.

18 For our shield belongs to the Lord,

our king to the Holy One of Israel.

It's interesting how Scripture comes up when you are thinking about it. Today I was thinking of Rahab, 3rd great grandmother of David. As the Children of Israel left Egypt, with the riches the Egyptians were glad to give - to get rid them,  prophecy came forth of Rahab.

Isaiah 30:6-8

An oracle on the beasts of the Negeb.

Through a land of trouble and anguish,
    from where come the lioness and the lion,
    the adder and the flying fiery serpent,
they carry their riches on the backs of donkeys,
    and their treasures on the humps of camels,
    to a people that cannot profit them.
⁷ Egypt's help is worthless and empty;
    therefore I have called her
     “Rahab who sits still.”

⁸ And now, go, write it before them on a tablet
    and inscribe it in a book,
that it may be for the time to come
    as a witness forever.

The Children of Israel do not have lives that please them in Egypt and God hears them. Then 40 years later, they finally enter into the Promised Land because they didn't follow the advice of God, but their own fears. So they enter Jericho first. Jericho is the land flowing with milk and honey. It is fabulous. They are told how Jericho will fall. It seems absurd and hopeless. And today we see, the Bible has once again, told the Truth.

[ According to Bryant G. Wood PhD 

 Excavations at the outer (lower) fortification wall by the three major expeditions to Jericho. At the north end (numbers 1–5), a portion of the mud brick wall (shaded) atop the stone retaining wall survived, demonstrating that the city wall did not fall in this area. Nothing remains of the mud brick city wall at other points investigated, showing that it had collapsed everywhere else (numbers 6–13). Remnants of the collapsed city wall (shaded) were actually found still in place in three places at Jericho: number 11 (German excavation), number 12 (Kenyon’s excavation), and the 1997 Italian-Palestinian excavation extending Kenyon’s south trench at number 8.

According to the Bible, Rahab’s house was incorporated into the fortification system (Jos 2:15). If the walls fell, how was her house spared? As you recall, the spies had instructed Rahab to bring her family into her house and they would be rescued. When the Israelites stormed the city, Rahab and her family were saved as promised (Jos 6:17, 22–23). At the north end of the tell of Jericho, archaeologists made some astounding discoveries that seem to relate to Rahab.

The German excavation of 1907-1909 found that on the north a short stretch of the lower city wall did not fall as everywhere else. A portion of that mudbrick wall was still standing to a height of 8 ft (Sellin and Watzinger 1973: 58). What is more, there were houses built against the wall! It is quite possible that this is where Rahab’s house was located.]

 

Now we can draw from tales of sea monsters, and names of water, but this Psalm was published, verified, sung by her 4th great grandson (Solomon) in the Temple. Written by one of his wisest councilors. Truth being told in the LORD'S TEMPLE and trying to honor a story working for the LORD. If you wanted to honor your heroic great, great, great, great grandmother in the Temple of the LORD - how would you delicately refer to her profession and her salvation? Perhaps to point out God is greater and to say she was crushed in her life...

Who was Rahab? We find out from.... Joshua 6. These were her actions:

Joshua 1:7-8
Only be strong and very courageous, being careful to do according to all the law that Moses my servant commanded you. Do not turn from it to the right hand or to the left, that you may have good success wherever you go. 8 This Book of the Law shall not depart from your mouth, but you shall meditate on it day and night, so that you may be careful to do according to all that is written in it. For then you will make your way prosperous, and then you will have good success.

Perhaps. Perhaps because Rahab is listed in Matthew 1:4-6...........

and Ram the father of Amminadab, and Amminadab the father of Nahshon, and Nahshon the father of Salmon, 5 and Salmon the father of Boaz by Rahab, and Boaz the father of Obed by Ruth, and Obed the father of Jesse, 6 and Jesse the father of David the king.

And David was the father of Solomon by the wife of Uriah

..........we can say Rahab was like the Gospel.

Matthew 13:17
For truly, I say to you, many prophets and righteous people longed to see what you see, and did not see it, and to hear what you hear, and did not hear it.

We are telling God's story. We can draw from  Job, Joshua, Solomon, Solomon's advisors, David, Rahab, Isaiah and we are telling of flawed people. Doing what they can. Abiding in God, seeing like Paul....Philippians 2:19-24 ~ how it will go with me, and I trust in the Lord
.

Blessed are the people who know the festal shout,
who walk, O Lord, in the light of your face,
16 who exult in your name all the day
and in your righteousness are exalted.
17 For you are the glory of their strength;
by your favor our horn is exalted.
18 For our shield belongs to the Lord,
our king to the Holy One of Israel.

 

Father God, we thank You for hearing prayers of your people for the rains around Houston to subside. We continue to pray for Your favor on our area and to help with people experiencing flooding. I am so very glad to find my 19 year old cat, Scoop.

Thank You, Father God, for people who pray! In Jesus. Amen! 

♔ Lord Jesus Saves!  †

Psalm 116 ~ I love the Lord, because He has heard my voice and my pleas for mercy. Because He inclined his ear to me, therefore I will call on Him as long as I live.

Psalm 116

1 I love the Lord, because he has heard
my voice and my pleas for mercy.
2 Because he inclined his ear to me,
therefore I will call on him as long as I live.
3 The snares of death encompassed me;
the pangs of Sheol laid hold on me;
I suffered distress and anguish.
4 Then I called on the name of the Lord:
“O Lord, I pray, deliver my soul!”

5 Gracious is the Lord, and righteous;
our God is merciful.
6 The Lord preserves the simple;
when I was brought low, he saved me.
7 Return, O my soul, to your rest;
for the Lord has dealt bountifully with you.

8 For you have delivered my soul from death,
my eyes from tears,
my feet from stumbling;
9 I will walk before the Lord
in the land of the living.

10 I believed, even whena I spoke:
“I am greatly afflicted”;
11 I said in my alarm,
“All mankind are liars.”

12 What shall I render to the Lord
for all his benefits to me?
13 I will lift up the cup of salvation
and call on the name of the Lord,
14 I will pay my vows to the Lord
in the presence of all his people.

15 Precious in the sight of the Lord
is the death of his saints.
16 O Lord, I am your servant;
I am your servant, the son of your maidservant.
You have loosed my bonds.
17 I will offer to you the sacrifice of thanksgiving
and call on the name of the Lord.
18 I will pay my vows to the Lord
in the presence of all his people,
19 in the courts of the house of the Lord,
in your midst, O Jerusalem.
Praise the Lord!

We live on the Gulf Coast. The weather reports are always inaccurate, because the wind of the vast ocean is unpredictable. So unpredictable the weather might say 100% chance of rain and we might not see rain for 3 weeks. The cities further inland do not have this struggle with weather forecasts.

We cannot say do not take your umbrella. However, we can say with gratitude, Lord God Almighty, Father, if You never do another thing for me, I thank You for Your Salvation provided to me in Jesus Christ the LORD.

Life does give us storms. Anger. Pondering in long nights of sleeplessness. Times when it seems the silence of God is unrelenting.

Yet we have a complete guarantee. God our Father hears us, and in this life, we will see prayers answered. Daily.

In peace I will both lie down and sleep;
for you alone, O Lord, make me dwell in safety.

Psalm 116
I love the Lord, because he hath heard my voice and my supplications.

Psalm 65:4
Blessed are those you choose and bring near to live in your courts! We are filled with the good things of your house, of your holy temple

Micah 7:7
But as for me, I watch in hope for the LORD, I wait for God my Savior; my God will hear me.

Psalm 4:3
Know that the LORD has set apart his faithful servant for himself; the LORD hears when I call to him.


Thank You, Father God, for all of the prayers You have heard of mine. For the Yes, the no, the wait, and the no way. 

Father God, Thank You so much for the disappearance of the tornado Sunday night just vanished during prayer in the Houston suburbs. So many people are saying they are having flooding. Alex is moping out his very elderly parent's house where he diligently cars for his brother in a wheelchair. Roofs have leaks. People are concerned for their businesses. The Tomball Schools are closed. Please help the people who pray to be more diligent in asking God for the impossible with confidence and answer the call to pray with Verve and Belief.

Thank you that the lump in my arm is leaving and my BP will lower. I will diligently do the work of getting rid of problem areas of  weight, caffeine and junky sugar foods.  We pray for Edward to walk into Heaven boldly on the day You have set for us all in Your Book of Life. For His brain to be fed by his soul through You. For his muscle pull to be healed. For good communication.

Thank You for Your Help and Mercy, in Jesus.    Your way for us all. In Jesus. Amen.

♔ Lord Jesus Saves!  †

Ezra 7:27-28, Ezra 8:21-36 ~ Blessed be the Lord, the God of our fathers

Ezra 7:27-28



27 Blessed be the Lord, the God of our fathers, who put such a thing as this into the heart of the king, to beautify the house of the Lord that is in Jerusalem, 28 and who extended to me his steadfast love before the king and his counselors, and before all the king's mighty officers. I took courage, for the hand of the Lord my God was on me, and I gathered leading men from Israel to go up with me.

Ezra 8:21-36


21 Then I proclaimed a fast there, at the river Ahava, that we might humble ourselves before our God, to seek from him a safe journey for ourselves, our children, and all our goods. 22 For I was ashamed to ask the king for a band of soldiers and horsemen to protect us against the enemy on our way, since we had told the king, “The hand of our God is for good on all who seek him, and the power of his wrath is against all who forsake him.” 23 So we fasted and implored our God for this, and he listened to our entreaty.

24 Then I set apart twelve of the leading priests: Sherebiah, Hashabiah, and ten of their kinsmen with them. 25 And I weighed out to them the silver and the gold and the vessels, the offering for the house of our God that the king and his counselors and his lords and all Israel there present had offered. 26 I weighed out into their hand 650 talents [75 pounds or 34 kilograms] of silver, and silver vessels worth 200 talents, and 100 talents of gold, 27 20 bowls of gold worth 1,000 darics, [coin weighing about 1/4 ounce or 8.5 grams] and two vessels of fine bright bronze as precious as gold. 28 And I said to them, “You are holy to the Lord, and the vessels are holy, and the silver and the gold are a freewill offering to the Lord, the God of your fathers. 29 Guard them and keep them until you weigh them before the chief priests and the Levites and the heads of fathers' houses in Israel at Jerusalem, within the chambers of the house of the Lord.” 30 So the priests and the Levites took over the weight of the silver and the gold and the vessels, to bring them to Jerusalem, to the house of our God.

31 Then we departed from the river Ahava on the twelfth day of the first month, to go to Jerusalem. The hand of our God was on us, and he delivered us from the hand of the enemy and from ambushes by the way. 32 We came to Jerusalem, and there we remained three days. 33 On the fourth day, within the house of our God, the silver and the gold and the vessels were weighed into the hands of Meremoth the priest, son of Uriah, and with him was Eleazar the son of Phinehas, and with them were the Levites, Jozabad the son of Jeshua and Noadiah the son of Binnui. 34 The whole was counted and weighed, and the weight of everything was recorded.

35 At that time those who had come from captivity, the returned exiles, offered burnt offerings to the God of Israel, twelve bulls for all Israel, ninety-six rams, seventy-seven lambs, and as a sin offering twelve male goats. All this was a burnt offering to the Lord. 36 They also delivered the king's commissions to the king's satraps [Persian official] and to the governors of the province Beyond the River, and they aided the people and the house of God.


You have to applaud the truth in the Scriptures. Not a golden fable where everything is always clear to people trying to live God's will. God's favored people have been freed from slavery, an amazing, rare thing. Not easy grace; God's children have experienced slavery first hand. Like Egypt, the children of Israel are leaving not just with the clothes on their backs, but laden with all types of riches. An amazing king, giving treasure and working God's plan. For the King, which came first? God's blessings to him, or his willingness to bless God?

This band of newly freed men don't rush to ask for Darius' willing protection, but immediately wonder, worry, if God will protect them. They worry for themselves, they worry for God's honor in their words, they worry about their witness. This anxiety is far from displeasing God.

In this glorious time, is it any wonder the Temple of the Living God would be built?

God says:

“The hand of our God is for good on all who seek him, and the power of his wrath is against all who forsake him.”


Isaiah 49:23b
you will know that I am the Lord;
those who wait for me shall not be put to shame

John 5:24
Truly, truly, I say to you, whoever hears my word and believes him who sent me has eternal life. He does not come into judgment, but has passed from death to life.

John 2:19
Jesus answered them, “Destroy this temple, and in three days I will raise it up."


John 14:13-18
Whatever you ask in my name, this I will do, that the Father may be glorified in the Son. 14 If you ask me anything in my name, I will do it. 15 “If you love me, you will keep my commandments. 16 And I will ask the Father, and he will give you another Helper, to be with you forever, 17 even the Spirit of truth, whom the world cannot receive, because it neither sees him nor knows him. You know him, for he dwells with you and will be in you.

18 “I will not leave you as orphans; I will come to you.

2 Corinthians 4:6-7

Because the God who said, Out of darkness light shall shine, is the One who shined in our hearts to illuminate the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ. But we have this treasure in earthen vessels that the excellency of the power may be of God and not out of us.



Father God,
In Joy and Expectation of Your Blessings:

And we know that for those who love God all things work together for good, for those who are called according to His purpose.

In faith we say, Thank You Jesus. Amen.

♔ Lord Jesus Saves!  †

Psalm 101 ~ ponder the way that is blameless

Psalm 101

Of David. A psalm.

1 I will sing of steadfast love and justice;
to you, O Lord, I will make music.

2 I will ponder the way that is blameless.
Oh when will you come to me?
I will walk with integrity of heart
within my house;
3 I will not set before my eyes
anything that is worthless.

I hate the work of those who fall away;
it shall not cling to me.

4 A perverse heart shall be far from me;
I will know nothing of evil.

5 Whoever slanders his neighbor secretly
I will destroy.
Whoever has a haughty look and an arrogant heart
I will not endure.

6 I will look with favor on the faithful in the land,
that they may dwell with me;
he who walks in the way that is blameless
shall minister to me.

7 No one who practices deceit
shall dwell in my house;
no one who utters lies
shall continue before my eyes.

8 Morning by morning I will destroy
all the wicked in the land,
cutting off all the evildoers
from the city of the Lord.

This beautiful Psalm is a person who loves the Lord wants to serve Him. In the morning, He is their first thought. This is a happy person who enjoys making a beautiful song - making a beautiful noise before the Lord. Someone who seeks others who love the Lord. No double standards and no spiteful speech. The blessings of life do not cause this person to love life more than the Lord - the glories of life do not cause arrogance or haughtiness.

Anointed of God - these are the attitudes.

Come Lord Jesus.




This is a Psalm of David. Who lived in the real world, with real life, fighting enemies without and within. Flawed and still trusting God to be his righteousness.

St. Thomas Aquinas said of the seven levels of Heaven, the first is highest to the Lord God and probably holds the infants and the martyrs. I'm not sure all the people who have placed Father God first, like the Disciple John, have died for the faith. And Revelation writes of Father God listening the cries of the martyrs awake during the fifteen hundred year sleep to ask for justice and vengeance. Father God comforts them and gives comforting and beautiful white robes to slumber on until the fifteen hundred years have occurred.

A far different thing than Stephen, the radiance of God's Love and Eternity sees Heaven open for Stephen welcoming him.

Not only this - Ephesians 3 says:

14 For this reason I bow my knees before the Father, 15 from whom every family in heaven and on earth is named, 16 that according to the riches of his glory he may grant you to be strengthened with power through his Spirit in your inner being, 17 so that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith—that you, being rooted and grounded in love, 18 may have strength to comprehend with all the saints what is the breadth and length and height and depth, 19 and to know the love of Christ that surpasses knowledge, that you may be filled with all the fullness of God.

20 Now to him who is able to do far more abundantly than all that we ask or think, according to the power at work within us, 21 to him be glory in the church and in Christ Jesus throughout all generations, forever and ever. Amen.


Abundantly. Where His Storehouses are never depleted and All Blessings Flow with His Good Word.

Ephesians 3 tells us Families live. A family is together to be a family. These are people living together, so Father God is doing something where "His Ways are not our ways" with those 7 levels of Heaven. And infants in the first level would be depleted of many kith and kin. Not all people had beautiful childhoods, I was fortunate, and they wouldn't want to repeat the years of such struggles.

The Prophet Zechariah had something to say about this, the mothers whose hope is reconnecting lost children in a comprehensible, emotional bond. Not the years missed skipped over.

4"Thus says the LORD of hosts, 'Old men and old women will
again sit in the streets of Jerusalem, each man with his staff in his hand because of age.

5'And the streets of the city will be filled with boys and girls playing in its streets.' 6"Thus says the LORD of hosts, 'If it is too difficult in the sight of the remnant of this people in those days, will it also be too difficult in My sight?' declares the LORD of hosts.


Ponder the way that is blameless... The Way, the Truth and the Life of Jesus Christ.

Our prayer today is one of a mercenary,
a poor father at times,
The Lord has sought out a man after his own heart and appointed him ruler of his people ~ 1 Samuel 13,14


Let's Pray with David for the people we love and pray for: 2 Samuel 7:18-29



Father we sit with You, praying for the people we love, Jesus pray with us, please,

Then King David went in and sat before the Lord and said, “Who am I, O Lord God, and what is my house, that you have brought me thus far?

19 And yet this was a small thing in your eyes, O Lord God. You have spoken also of your servant's house for a great while to come, and this is instruction for mankind, O Lord God!

20 And what more can David say to you? For you know your servant, O Lord God! 21 Because of your promise, and according to your own heart, you have brought about all this greatness, to make your servant know it.

22 Therefore you are great, O Lord God. For there is none like you, and there is no God besides you, according to all that we have heard with our ears. 23 And who is like your people Israel, the one nation on earth whom God went to redeem to be his people, making himself a name and doing for them great and awesome things by driving out before your people, whom you redeemed for yourself from Egypt, a nation and its gods?

24 And you established for yourself your people Israel to be your people forever. And you, O Lord, became their God.

25 And now, O Lord God, confirm forever the word that you have spoken concerning your servant and concerning his house, and do as you have spoken. 26 And your name will be magnified forever, saying, ‘The Lord of hosts is God over Israel,’ and the house of your servant David will be established before you. 27 For you, O Lord of hosts, the God of Israel, have made this revelation to your servant, saying, ‘I will build you a house.’ Therefore your servant has found courage to pray this prayer to you.

28 And now, O Lord God, you are God, and your words are true, and you have promised this good thing to your servant. 29 Now therefore may it please you to bless the house of your servant, so that it may continue forever before you. For you, O Lord God, have spoken, and with your blessing shall the house of your servant be blessed forever.”


We ask for Your Gracious favor, Father God, to be covered in the Name of Jesus. Amen.

♔ Lord Jesus Saves †

Cast Your Nets Ministry

Psalm 100 ~ Know that the Lord, he is God!

 Psalm 100

1 Make a joyful noise to the Lord, all the earth!

Serve the Lord with gladness!
Come into his presence with singing!


Know that the Lord, he is God!
It is he who made us, and we are his;
we are his people, and the sheep of his pasture.


Enter his gates with thanksgiving,
and his courts with praise!
Give thanks to him; bless his name!


For the Lord is good;
his steadfast love endures forever,
and his faithfulness to all generations.

Luke 12

6 Are not five sparrows sold for two pennies?
And not one of them is forgotten before God.
7 Why, even the hairs of your head are all numbered.
Fear not; you are of more value than many sparrows.

8“And I tell you, everyone who acknowledges me before men, the Son of Man also will acknowledge before the angels of God

Mark 10:16
Then Jesus held the children in his arms. He laid his hands on them and blessed them.

Isaiah 63:9
And the angel of his presence saved them. In his love and mercy he redeemed them; he lifted them up and carried them all the days of old.


Father God,

Because of Your Son, Jesus, we have come to know and to believe the love that God has for us. God is love, and whoever abides in love abides in God, and God abides in him.

We give Thanks You know our prayers. Amen in Jesus for His Joy.

♔ Lord Jesus Saves †