Song on the Cross!

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Jesus quoted the first line of Psalm 22 as He was dying on the Cross!  Those who knew the Scriptures must have realized that the rest of that Old Testament song was talking about Jesus!

My God, my God, why have you deserted me? Why are you so far away? Won't you listen to my groans and come to my rescue?  I cry out day and night, but you don't answer, and I can never rest.  Yet you are the holy God, ruling from your throne and praised by Israel.  Our ancestors trusted you, and you rescued them.  When they cried out for help, you saved them, and you did not let them down when they depended on you.  But I am merely a worm, far less than human, and I am hated and rejected by people everywhere.  Everyone who sees me makes fun and sneers. They shake their heads, and say, "Trust the LORD! If you are his favorite, let him protect you and keep you safe."  You, LORD, brought me safely through birth, and you protected me when I was a baby at my mother's breast.  From the day I was born, I have been in your care, and from the time of my birth, you have been my God.  Don't stay far off when I am in trouble with no one to help me.  Enemies are all around like a herd of wild bulls. Powerful bulls from Bashan are everywhere.  My enemies are like lions roaring and attacking with jaws open wide.  I have no more strength than a few drops of water. All my bones are out of joint; my heart is like melted wax.  My strength has dried up like a broken clay pot, and my tongue sticks to the roof of my mouth. You, God, have left me to die in the dirt.  Brutal enemies attack me like a pack of dogs, tearing at my hands and my feet.  I can count all my bones, and my enemies just stare and sneer at me.  They took my clothes and gambled for them.  Don't stay far away, LORD! My strength comes from you, so hurry and help.  Rescue me from enemy swords and save me from those dogs.  Don't let lions eat me. You rescued me from the horns of wild bulls, and when your people meet, I will praise you, LORD  All who worship the LORD, now praise him! You belong to Jacob's family and to the people of Israel, so fear and honor the LORD!  The LORD doesn't hate or despise the helpless in all of their troubles. When I cried out, he listened and did not turn away.  When your people meet, you will fill my heart with your praises, LORD, and everyone will see me keep my promises to you.  The poor will eat and be full, and all who worship you will be thankful and live in hope.  Everyone on this earth will remember you, LORD. People all over the world will turn and worship you, because you are in control, the ruler of all nations.  All who are rich and have more than enough will bow down to you, Lord. Even those who are dying and almost in the grave will come and bow down.  In the future, everyone will worship and learn about you, our Lord.  People not yet born will be told, "The Lord has saved us!"

Psalm 22: 1 - 32

“May the Lord be praised now and forever! Amen.”

Try Repentance!

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Listen to me, you rulers of Israel! You know right from wrong, but you prefer to do evil instead of what is right. You skin my people alive. You strip off their flesh, break their bones, cook it all in a pot, and gulp it down. Someday you will beg the Lord to help you, but he will turn away because of your sins.

Micah 3:1-4

When tragedy strikes a nation, any nation there are many who cry out to God for help!  Whether it is a hurricane, an earthquake, or even a mass shooting and murder, those who are brought low by the terrible event know that there is no real help except from God Himself!

But what if you beg God for help and He turns away?   Why would God refuse to come to the aid of those who cry out to Him in pain and anguish? The answer is simple.  Men turn to God without turning away from their sins!  If you do that you will find God not to be everything you had hoped!  

God is not in the business of rescuing sinners so they can keep on sinning!  The word that we want to leave out of the Gospel message is REPENT! Turning to God without turning from your sins will surely disappoint.  So if your "walk with Jesus" has been less than amazing try repentance.  Turn away from everything in your life that is not pleasing to God!  Then beg Him for mercy!  You will find a stunning difference in your life with Christ!

"Lord Jesus, show me today how I can repent of those things that do not please You.  Praise Your Holy Name now and forever.  Amen.

Quiet Time Temptations!

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Jesus said to his disciples, "During this very night, all of you will reject me, as the Scriptures say, 'I will strike down the shepherd, and the sheep will be scattered.  But after I am raised to life, I will go to Galilee ahead of you."  Peter spoke up, "Even if all the others reject you, I never will!"  Jesus replied, "I promise you that before a rooster crows tonight, you will say three times that you don't know me."  But Peter said, "Even if I have to die with you, I will never say I don't know you." All the others said the same thing.

Matthew 26: 31 - 35

Peter told Jesus that he would be willing to die for his Master!  Peter sincerely believed that he would stand up for and even be willing to die with Jesus.  The other disciples repeated those words to Jesus.  But we read in the Bible that Peter’s strength of will was washed away in the flood of pressure that came just before the rooster crowed!

Peter was serious in his declaration of faith and willingness to die for Jesus.  In fact, Peter was the one who cut off the servant’s ear when they came to get Jesus.  Surely, Peter could have died if the soldiers had responded violently.  It was not in the heat of the moment that Peter denied the Lord, it was rather in the quiet of sitting by a fire waiting to see how things would come out!  It is a warning for us today.

Don’t be afraid of the violent onslaught of the Devil and his minions.  Most, will stand up to that even as Peter cut off the servant’s ear.  The hardest part of remaining loyal to Jesus is when you are sitting quietly by the fire and someone points you out as a follower of Jesus.  The first and second denial that Peter made of the Lord were in response to comments by two “servant girls” who recognized him.  Peter stood up well against the Roman soldiers who came to take Jesus away, but later he denied even knowing Jesus when two “servant girls” recognized him.

Sometimes it is the subtle temptations in a quiet time that are most difficult!

“Lord Jesus, help me not to deny You today. Make me strong enough to withstand even the QUIET TIME TEMPTATIONS.  Praise Your Holy Name, now and forever.  Amen.” 

Season of Signs!

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Always be ready! You don't know when the Son of Man will come.  Who are faithful and wise servants? Who are the ones the master will put in charge of giving the other servants their food supplies at the proper time?  Servants are fortunate if their master comes and finds them doing their job.

Matthew 24: 44 - 46

How can you be ready for the return of Jesus?  Many people seem to believe that accurately predicting the day of the Lord’s return is the most important thing.  In fact, it is not!  

The sobering reality is that accurately predicting the return of the Lord tomorrow could tempt you to cease being an obedient follower today!  The return of Jesus Christ will happen during a “Season of Signs,” but not on a prophetically predicted day or hour!

The Bible does not provide a “secret formula” for predicting the day of the Return!

But you can be ready by simply being obedient to everything the Lord tells you to do today!  

“Lord Jesus, I do pray that You will come quickly and gather all Your followers to be with You always!  Praise Your Holy Name now and forever.  Amen.” 

Sacrifice of Praise!

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On this earth we don't have a city that lasts forever, but we are waiting for such a city.  Our sacrifice is to keep offering praise to God in the name of Jesus.  But don't forget to help others and to share your possessions with them. This too is like offering a sacrifice that pleases God.

Hebrews 13: 14 - 16

Jesus sacrificed Himself on the Cross!  That sacrifice paid the price for all the sin that has ever, or will ever be committed on this earth!  There is no more sacrifice needed for the forgiveness of our sins. 

But we still have the opportunity to please God by sacrificing!  These verses in Hebrews 13 mention two ways that we can sacrifice.  

The first sacrifice that we can make is a “Sacrifice of Praise.”  When you praise God so that other men may see and hear you, you are sacrificing your own pride and self esteem!  It is a humbling experience to lift your hands and your voice to God and declare His praises!

Another way to sacrifice today is to share what you have with others who are in need!  The Bible specifically says that giving to those in need pleases God! 

So don’t believe it if someone tells you that there are no sacrifices today!  Sacrificing is very much a part of being like Jesus!  Praising Him and helping others are sacrifices today that do please God!

“Lord Jesus, You sacrificed Your life on the Cross for me.  Give me the strength to be like You and sacrifice by praising You and helping others.  Praise Your Holy Name now and forever.  Amen.”

Ultimate and Extreme Freedom!

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Respect and obey the LORD! This is the beginning of wisdom. To have understanding, you must know the Holy God.  I am Wisdom. If you follow me, you will live a long time.  Good sense is good for you, but if you brag, you hurt yourself.  Stupidity is reckless, senseless, and foolish.  She sits in front of her house and on the highest hills in the town.  She shouts to everyone who passes by, "If you are stupid, come on inside!" And to every fool she says, "Stolen water tastes best, and the food you eat in secret tastes best of all."  None who listen to Stupidity understand that her guests are as good as dead.

Proverbs 9: 10 - 18

Suffering as a follower of Jesus is not the same as suffering because you are reckless, senseless, and foolish! Much of the trouble in the world today is the result of men and women disrespecting God and choosing not to obey Him!  

When you choose not to be obedient to the Word of God you are like a man who ignores gravity and steps off of the side of a building!  His injuries or even death are not the result of punishment from God, but rather the inevitable outcome of his foolishness.  

God did not proclaim His Word to restrain us and limit our joy in life.  In fact, it is just the opposite.  God's wisdom shows us the path to the greatest joy and peace on earth, and how to live a life that is fulfilling in every way!  There is ultimate and extreme freedom in walking each moment of your life according to the Word of the Living God!  Of course, you will experience suffering in life as all believers do, but that suffering will not be the result of your own foolishness!

"Lord Jesus, may Your Wisdom rule my life today and live in my heart in everything that I think and do!  Show me the joy and peace of walking according to Your Wisdom today!  Praise Your Holy Name, now and forever.  Amen."

Trust God When You are Afraid!

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Have pity, God Most High! My enemies chase me all day.  Many of them are pursuing and attacking me, but even when I am afraid, I keep on trusting you. I praise your promises! I trust you and am not afraid. No one can harm me.  Enemies spend the whole day finding fault with me; all they think about is how to do me harm. They attack from ambush, watching my every step and hoping to kill me.  They won't get away with these crimes, God, because when you get angry, you destroy people.  You have kept record of my days of wandering. You have stored my tears in your bottle and counted each of them.  When I pray, LORD God, my enemies will retreat, because I know for certain that you are with me.  I praise your promises!  I trust you and am not afraid. No one can harm me.  I will keep my promises to you, my God, and bring you gifts.  You protected me from death and kept me from stumbling, so that I would please you and follow the light that leads to life.

Psalm 56: 1 - 14

If you are a man or woman of God, you will be attacked by those who do not fear Him!  Aligning yourself with God will put you squarely on Satan's target list!  

King David, who was a “man after God’s own heart,” declared that even when he was afraid, he kept on trusting God!  

Human emotion will flow through your heart every day.  You will be happy and joyful, sad and grieving, and sometimes even fearful, but you must keep on trusting God through it all!  Surprisingly it can often be harder to trust and depend on God during good times than during the difficult ones!  

“Lord Jesus, help me to trust You and depend on You no matter how my heart feels, even when I am afraid!  Praise Your Holy Name now and forever.  Amen.”