Psalms 118:24 (NAS)

This is the day which the LORD has made;

Let us rejoice and be glad in it.

10-08-05 Psalms 33:18

Psalms 33:18 (KJ21)
Behold, the eye of the LORD is upon them that fear Him, upon them that hope in His mercy,

Psalms 33:18 (NAS)
Behold, the eye of the LORD is on those who fear Him, On those who hope for His lovingkindness

Psalms 33:18 (NIVUS)
But the eyes of the LORD are on those who fear him, on those whose hope is in his unfailing love

Psalms 33:18 (NRSV)
Truly the eye of the LORD is on those who fear him, on those who hope in his steadfast love

Psalms 33:18 (NLT)
But the LORD watches over those who fear him, those who rely on his unfailing love.

You may have heard the phrase "Big Brother is watching you", meaning an evil dictator or evil government had developed ways to watch and control their citizens. This term invokes fear in the heart of man, whom the Lord created to live free and not to be slaves to any other human being.

Although you are not to fear man, there is One whom you should fear, respect, and honor. Jehovah, the Lord God Almighty, is worthy of your reverence, for He is the Creator and Sustainer of all life. It is good when you stand in awe of Him and the Lord takes notice of your attitude towards Him.

Because you fear and revere Him, the Lord constantly has His eyes upon you. However, unlike "Big Brother", having the Lord's eye on you brings comfort and peace, instead of fear and terror. Adonai, your God, watches over you with the care of a loving Father. He desires to lead and direct you in the right way and wants to make your path smooth and straight.

Therefore, put your trust, hope, and expectation on Him, for He approves of you. He finds your company agreeable and you are pleasing in His sight. As you wait for Him to fulfill your hopes and dreams, He pours out His goodness, kindness, and mercy upon you. You can be assured of His faithfulness, for He will not reproach or shame you in any way. Rest in the love of your Heavenly Father and be at peace.

Friends are valuable

Friends are valuable and should be held precious in your thoughts. There are many times that you would not have made it through the day without the positive input of your companions. Therefore, thank God today for those who you know are your true friends!

Remember too, that as you spend more time with the Lord your God, you are developing a stronger friendship and relationship with Him. Abraham, one of the patriarchs of the faith, was named the friend of God in the Old Testament. Because of your faith in Adonai, the Lord your God, you are a son or daughter of Abraham and because of this relationship, you can also be named a friend of God. You know that friendship relationships span generations in families and so too in the family of faith.

Therefore, today if you need help and support, turn to your friends. Your true friends will be there for you. Likewise, you should be there for them when they need love and support. And recognize that in Jesus Christ you have found a friend who sticks closer to you than a brother.

10-07-05 Job 27:8

Job 27:8 (KJ21)
For what is the hope of the hypocrite though he hath gained, when God taketh away his soul?

Job 27:8 (NAS)
For what is the hope of the godless when he is cut off, When God requires his life?

Job 27:8 (NIVUS)
For what hope has the godless when he is cut off, when God takes away his life?

Job 27:8 (NRSV)
For what is the hope of the godless when God cuts them off, when God takes away their lives?

Job 27:8 (NLT)
For what hope do the godless have when God cuts them off and takes away their life?

The godless, profane, and the hypocritical have no ties to Adonai, the Holy One. They are defiled, polluted, and corrupt; they are not able to stand in the presence of the Lord. Unlike them, you are tied to God with cords of hope and trust. Your expected outcome will be good. The evil and wicked, however, do not have any grounds to hope. They have nothing for which to eagerly wait.

The unrighteousness are covetous and greedy. It may seem that they have great gain, but it all came through violence and wrongfully. In the end, however, they will be cut off from the wealth they created through their criminal activity. The Lord will plunder them, taking away their spoils. He will bring them to an end and will clear them completely away.

You, however, will continue to gain, for the Lord will continue to bless you abundantly. Therefore, maintain your trust and hope in Him. Unlike the wicked, your end will be better than your beginning.

10-06-05 Psalms 31:24

Psalms 31:24 (KJ21)
Be of good courage, and He shall strengthen your heart, all ye that hope in the LORD.

Psalms 31:24 (NAS)
Be strong, and let your heart take courage, All you who hope in the LORD.

Psalms 31:24 (NIVUS)
Be strong and take heart, all you who hope in the LORD.

Psalms 31:24 (NRSV)
Be strong, and let your heart take courage, all you who wait for the LORD.

Psalms 31:24 (NLT)
So be strong and take courage, all you who put your hope in the LORD!

It is important that you be resolute in your faith, remaining faithful and steady in what you know about Adonai and His word. You have found it to be your security and your strength. You must determine that you will remain firm, bold, and courageous, no matter what you face. If you have no one else to encourage you, you must encourage yourself. In this way you will prevail against your enemies, even if your foes are your own thoughts and emotions. Take a stand on God's word and His promises to you and they will sustain and support your.

As you strengthen your resolve, the Lord your God will also strengthen your heart, making you bold and courageous. As you persist in His will, you will become more solid and alert. Your obstinacy in your belief will assure your success. Then you will prove superior to your attackers and the Lord will confirm His purpose for your life.

You know that faith is the substance of things for which you hope. As you wait patiently on the Lord Jehovah, in whom you have put your trust and your confidence, your hope and expectation, in combination with your faith, will put flesh on your dreams and desires.

10-05-05 Psalms 71:14

Psalms 71:14 (KJ21)
But I will hope continually and will yet praise Thee more and more.

Psalms 71:14 (NAS)
But as for me, I will hope continually, And will praise Thee yet more and more.

Psalms 71:14 (NIVUS)
But as for me, I will always have hope; I will praise you more and more.

Psalms 71:14 (NRSV)
But I will hope continually, and will praise you yet more and more.

Psalms 71:14 (NLT)
But I will keep on hoping for you to help me; I will praise you more and more.

Perhaps you have been waiting for something for a long time and perhaps you want to give up. However, now is not the time to quit. Instead choose to keep on hoping, for if you keep your expectation fixed on God and His promises, you will see the result for which you have been looking.

Even if time seems to stretch longer and longer, do not become discouraged. Stretch your faith in proportion to the stretch of time, Keep believing even into perpetuity. You will obtain the fulfillment of your desires.

During your waiting time and even when the answer comes, continue to praise, worship, and adore the Lord Most High. When Satan attacks with his lies, increase your praises to God. Boast over and over of what He has done for you. Allow the glory of the Lord to shine from your face. Through this you will demonstrate your faith to Adonai, your God, and also to your enemies. And soon your hope will be turned into reality!

Whose Shoes Do You Fill?

This past Sunday, my senior pastor announced that he would be retiring in February. He has pastored my church for more than 50 years and the retirement is well deserved. It was also announced that our former music/associate pastor would become the senior pastor. This also is well deserved since he has been faithful at the church for over 25 years. He may be asking himself if he can fill our senior pastor's shoes, but in reality he cannot fill those or any other shoes, except his own.

Likewise, if you are facing a new position, you do not need to worry about filling the shoes of your predecessor. Even if you wear the same size, his/her shoes will not fit your feet exactly the same. God created us all different and unique. We do not have to do everything exactly alike. The only thing that God requires of us is to do the best that we can do and if we feel inadequate, we need to turn to Him for help. He told us that we can do all things through Christ who strengthens us.

Therefore, every morning seek the Lord and His strength and wisdom for your day. Then put on your own shoes and they will carry you through every task and circumstance that you encounter. Wearing your own shoes you can walk, run, or even hop, skip, and jump with no fear, for your shoes are a perfect fit.

10-04-05 Job 11:18 19

Job 11:18, 19 (KJ21)
And thou shalt be secure, because there is hope; yea, thou shalt dig about thee, and thou shalt take thy rest in safety. Also thou shalt lie down, and none shall make thee afraid; yea, many shall make suit unto thee.

Job 11:18, 19 (NAS)
Then you would trust, because there is hope; and you would look around and rest securely. You would lie down and none would disturb you, and many would entreat your favor.

Job 11:18, 19 (NIVUS)
You will be secure, because there is hope; you will look about you and take your rest in safety. You will lie down, with no one to make you afraid, and many will court your favor.

Job 11:18, 19 (NRSV)
And you will have confidence, because there is hope; you will be protected and take your rest in safety. You will lie down, and no one will make you afraid; many will entreat your favor.

Job 11:18, 19 (NLT)
You will have courage because you will have hope. You will be protected and will rest in safety. You will lie down unafraid, and many will look to you for help.

Hopelessness--there are few states which can be more terrifying or can drain your life away more quickly. You, however, need not fear this. You can be bold, confident, and secure, for you have found the One who always gives hope. As long as the Lord your God exists, you can trust that there will always be hope. You will have an expectation of good; you can eagerly wait and look for it. You know that nothing is impossible with God. Therefore, dig in your heels and keep believing.

Even when you lie down to rest, you can sleep in security and trust, for Adonai, the Almighty God, is working constantly in your behalf. You need have no anxiety nor tremble with care. Many who are weak, sick, or grieving will turn to you, for they will see your secure hope. They will recognize that you can show them the way and you will direct them to the One whom you have made the Lord of your life. From Him, they too shall receive hope for a good future.

10-03-05 Psalms 119:114

Psalms 119:114 (KJ21)
Thou art my hiding place and my shield; I hope in Thy word.

Psalms 119:114 (NAS)
Thou art my hiding place and my shield; I wait for Thy word.

Psalms 119:114 (NIVUS)
You are my refuge and my shield; I have put my hope in your word.

Psalms 119:114 (NRSV)
You are my hiding place and my shield; I hope in your word.

Psalms 119:114 (NLT)
You are my refuge and my shield; your word is my only source of hope.

The world today seems to be shaking.  There are wars, famines, earthquakes, tsunamis, and hurricanes.  Without warning you could find yourself in the midst of a catastrophe, with nowhere to go and no one to which you can turn.

There is One, however, who will never leave you nor forsake you.  Adonai, the Lord God Almighty, is always present and always available.  If you turn to Him, He will still be your shelter and your protection.  He will hide you in a secret place, covering you with the shadow of His wings.

It may seem as if there are enemies at every turn; then, what do you do?  Trust in God, for He is your shield and buckler.  He will stand before you and will also be your rear-guard.  He is your sure defense and will ward off the blows aimed at you. With His help, you will continue standing while your enemies cave in around you.
Jehovah, your Lord, is the only One who can give you hope.  As you wait on Him, you can expect  good things to happen.  Learn His promises that He gives you in His word. Speak and declare them to yourself, for they will uplift and stabilize you. In times of trouble, God's word will give you strength.
 
        

My Birthday Thoughts

Here I am looking at another birthday—Oct 3rd.  It hardly seems like it has been a year since my last birthday and now I am eligible for “senior” coffee at McDonalds and other restaurants.  I wonder why the restaurant industry considers a person a “senior” at 55, when the US government does not think I have reached that age until 62 or 65. And I have heard rumors that the retirement age could be raised to 70.

I told a good friend recently that I do not believe that chronological age is the correct one.  I know that the “me” inside is younger than what my birth certificate and driver’s license say.  I have heard others say the same thing.  So what does that mean?

As I was writing this, which was only going to be a comment about my birthday, an explanation suddenly presented itself.  When God created man, He made him to be spirit, soul, and body.  His spirit was the part most like God and was eternal.  His soul was made up of his mind, his will, and emotions.  Through his soul, he related both to God and to his fellow human beings.  His body, created from the dust of the earth, helped him to relate to his surroundings.

Originally man was created to last forever; he was to live in fellowship with his Heavenly Father.  However, when Adam disobeyed God’s word and ate from the Tree of the Knowledge of Good and Evil, he entered into sin and lost his fellowship with God.  Even so, men and women continued to live for hundreds of years, but as sin became more universal, man’s life-span was continually shortened.  Men and women began to die at 60, 70, 80, or even a little older, which was never God’s plan. His plan was for us to have everlasting life.

That is still possible through belief in Jesus Christ, the Son of God, who sacrificed His life to pay the penalty for mankind’s sin.  If someone chooses to believe in God’s redemption plan, his spirit is reborn and he comes back into fellowship with his Heavenly Father.  However, if the same person chooses not to believe, his spirit, though still eternal, is eternally cut off from God.  At death, he does not merely cease to exist; he exists eternally alone, without help, without hope, and away from God.  He will be cast into the lake of fire forever.

Because our spirits are eternal, we feel younger because there is no time or age in eternity.  Therefore, the choice of our young, eternal spirits is to believe in God’s plan of redemption with everlasting life or to continue in rebellion against the Most High., resulting in everlasting fire.

10-2-05 Isaiah 3:22

Isaiah 32:2 (KJ21)
And a man shall be as a hiding place from the wind and a covert from the tempest, as rivers of water in a dry place, as the shadow of a great rock in a weary land.

Isaiah 32:2 (NAS)
And each will be like a refuge from the wind, And a shelter from the storm, Like streams of water in a dry country, Like the shade of a huge rock in a parched land.

Isaiah 32:2 (NIVUS)
Each man will be like a shelter from the wind and a refuge from the storm, like streams of water in the desert and the shadow of a great rock in a thirsty land.

Isaiah 32:2 (NRSV)
Each will be like a hiding place from the wind, a covert from the tempest, like streams of water in a dry place, like the shade of a great rock in a weary land.

Isaiah 32:2 (NLT)
He will shelter Israel from the storm and the wind. He will refresh her as a river in the desert and as the cool shadow of a large rock in a hot and weary land.

Winds of sorrow and trouble come against everyone and it has been no different for you. You have been the target of angry tempers and impatient dispositions from those who are bitter and discontented. At those times, you needed a champion--a Man who could stand up to your severest attacks. Though He came in the form of weak, frail flesh, like your own, Jesus the Son of Man chose to be your hiding place.

He fervently loves and cherishes you. He is your shelter and protection. In Him you are concealed in the secret place of the Most High God from thunderstorms and torrents of rain. However, when you are in a dry parched land, the Lord is like rivers of water. In the desert heat, the Lord God is a shade for you. You can shelter in His shadow, for He is like a great and massive rock. He is your stronghold and your security. When you are faint, weary, and exhausted, God is your refreshing and your strength.