Shalom,

Psalm 42:1:

¹AS THE hart pants and longs for the water brooks, so I pant and long for You, O God.

To "pant" is the Hebrew word, "arag", which means: to long for, to pant after. The dictionary definition of pant is: to long demonstratively, to yearn. Demonstrative is: marked by the open expression of emotion. To yearn is: to have a strong desire. The psalmist is saying that he has the same intensity of feeling for being in the presence of God that the deer has when he is overcome with thirst and MUST HAVE water! When was the last time you just HAD to be in the presence of God? Sometimes we can get so busy with DETAILS of life that we forget that we were MADE to praise God! We cannot survive without spending time in His presence! We MUST HAVE close, intimate fellowship with the One, True, Most High, Living, Almighty God of the Bible in order to flow in the LIFE that others around us need, not to mention our own needs! TAKE the time, EVERYDAY! It is vital, for you AND for all those you care about! AMEN!

I absolutely love the Amplified Bible for 1 Timothy 6:3-5:

³But if anyone teaches otherwise and does not assent to the sound and wholesome messages of our Lord Jesus Christ (the Messiah) and the teaching which is in agreement with godliness (piety toward God), ⁴He is puffed up with pride and stupefied with conceit, [although he is] woefully ignorant. He has a morbid fondness for controversy and disputes and strife about words, which result in (produce) envy and jealousy, quarrels and dissension, abuse and insults and slander, and base suspicions, ⁵And protracted wrangling and wearing discussion and perpetual friction among men who are corrupted in mind and bereft of the truth, who imagine that godliness or righteousness is a source of profit [a moneymaking business, a means of livelihood].

If the people we cone in contact with, even believers, do not want to submit to the Word of God, it is because they are "puffed up with pride" and "stupefied with conceit"! Pride is: an excessively high opinion of oneself (apart from God!) and conceit is: an exaggerated opinion of oneself. Oh-oh! Do you remember what follows pride? (Proverbs 16:18). To be stupefied is: mentally confused; unable to think with clarity or act intelligently. Morbid suggests an unhealthy mental state. Do you get the picture of the futility of carrying on a discussion with someone like this? What to do? Smile, walk away and let THEM come to You when they are in a position, like the deer, when they realize that they NEED what you have to offer! We cannot MAKE someone see sense! That is the job of the holy Spirit. We should pray the prayers in Ephesians 1, Ephesians 3 and Colossians 1 for them. Then pray in the Spirit and let God do the work. He will! AMEN!

There were two things that stood out to me in Isaiah 1-2 today. The first is found in Isaiah 1:2-3:

²Hear, O heavens, and give ear, O earth! For the Lord has spoken: I have nourished and brought up sons and have made them great and exalted, but they have rebelled against Me and broken away from Me. ³The ox [instinctively] knows his owner, and the donkey his master's crib, but Israel does not know or recognize Me [as Lord], My people do not consider or understand.

God's people had gotten so away from the presence of God by their disobedience to His Word that they had become like those we looked at in 1 Timothy. Stupefied! They didn't even know and recognize their God anymore! They weren't even as smart as animals that DO know who feeds them and cares for them! Keep yourself in constant and consistent fellowship so you always recognize Him!

In Isaiah 1:19 we have this promise:

¹⁹If you are willing and obedient, you shall eat the good of the land;

It is NOT enough to simply obey the Word! This verse tells us that we must also be willing! That involves our attitude when we DO the Word! If you have a problem with your attitude when obeying the Word, then pray telling the Father that you are "willing to be willing" and let Him do the work! I have found that I get willing in a hurry after praying THAT prayer! What is the promise? We will "eat the good of the land!" That goodness refers to goodness, gladness, welfare and prosperity! Sounds GOOD to me, how about you?

And then in Isaiah 2:1-4:

¹THE WORD which Isaiah son of Amoz saw [revealed] concerning Judah and Jerusalem. ²It shall come to pass in the latter days that the mountain of the Lord's house shall be [firmly] established as the highest of the mountains and shall be exalted above the hills, and all nations shall flow to it. ³And many people shall come and say, Come, let us go up to the mountain of the Lord, to the house of the God of Jacob, that He may teach us His ways and that we may walk in His paths. For out of Zion shall go forth the law and instruction, and the word of the Lord from Jerusalem. ⁴And He shall judge between the nations and shall decide [disputes] for many peoples; and they shall beat their swords into plowshares and their spears into pruning hooks. Nation shall not lift up sword against nation, neither shall they learn war any more.

There WILL come a time when these things happen! It is yet in our future. The thing that I hadn't noticed before was the fact that the "mountain of the Lord's house" would be the highest mountain ANYWHERE IN THE WORLD! Some big changes are coming to the Earth for that to happen! Soon and very soon we are going to see our King! King Jesus! Are YOU ready? Hallelujah!

Shalom in Him!

Shalom,

Psalm 41:1-3:

¹BLESSED (HAPPY, fortunate, to be envied) is he who considers the weak and the poor; the Lord will deliver him in the time of evil and trouble. ²The Lord will protect him and keep him alive; he shall be called blessed in the land; and You will not deliver him to the will of his enemies. ³The Lord will sustain, refresh, and strengthen him on his bed of languishing; all his bed You [O Lord] will turn, change, and transform in his illness.

These verses cover the promises of what God will do for someone who will consider the poor! "Consider" is the Hebrew word, "sakal", which means: to give attention to, to wisely understand, to act wisely, to cause to prosper. When we pay attention to the poor and needy for the purpose of helping them to prosper and have a better life, then God will do all of these things for us! What wonderful promises! He will protect us, keep us alive, deliver us from trouble, evil and our enemies, bless us in the land, sustain, refresh and strengthen us, and overturn and overthrow sickness and illness from us! Our motives for helping the poor and needy should be because it is pleasing to God because they belong to Him! The rewards for doing so are all of these promises! What a wonderful God we serve!

In 1 Timothy 5 we will look at verses 17-18:

¹⁷Let the elders who perform the duties of their office well be considered doubly worthy of honor [and of adequate financial support], especially those who labor faithfully in preaching and teaching. ¹⁸For the Scripture says, You shall not muzzle an ox when it is treading out the grain, and again, The laborer is worthy of his hire.

This is referring to the "elders that rule", which would be the Pastor and his Associates. They are the ones who do the studying and praying so that they have something from the Holy Spirit to teach and train the people. These verses say that these ministers are worthy of DOUBLE honor! "Honour" here is the Greek word, "time", which means: a value, money paid, esteem of the highest degree! So DOUBLE that! You know how the world likes to SUPER-SIZE everything? Well, this is one instance when it is highly appropriate! Make sure that YOU are being a blessing to your Pastor and those that he has chosen to teach you the Word! Being a doer of THIS Word will make a significant impact on YOUR prosperity and every area of your life! AMEN!

One very important lesson that we can learn from all of these accounts in 2 Chronicles of the kings and their lives lived either for good or for evil, is to be consistent! Some of these kings did "right in the sight of the Lord" for a time, but then slipped right back into the world's way of doing things! Find out what God wants done and how He wants it done, then consistently do these good things every day! Don't allow yourself any leeway when it comes to obeying God! If you miss it, and you WILL, then pick yourself up, use 1 John 1:9, and get right back to it! Your rewards in Heaven will be GREAT and your blessings in THIS life won't be too bad either!

Shalom in Him!

Shalom,

There are so many ways we could go with Psalm 40, but there is only one thing that I believe we are to focus on today. Verse 1:

¹I WAITED patiently and expectantly for the Lord; and He inclined to me and heard my cry.

"I waited" and "patiently" are both the Hebrew word "qavah", which means: to look for, to hope for, to expect, to look eagerly for. What was he looking for? The Lord! Jehovah! The Eternal, Self-existing One! What did the Lord do? "He inclined", the Hebrew word, "natah", which means: to stretch out, to extend, to turn to, to hold out to. And He heard David's cry! That reminds me of a New Covenant promise that we have in 1 John 5:14-15:

¹⁴And this is the confidence (the assurance, the privilege of boldness) which we have in Him: [we are sure] that if we ask anything (make any request) according to His will (in agreement with His own plan), He listens to and hears us. ¹⁵And if (since) we [positively] know that He listens to us in whatever we ask, we also know [with settled and absolute knowledge] that we have [granted us as our present possessions] the requests made of Him.

When David called out to the Lord to deliver him from the hand of Saul, David did not see the answer right away. When Joseph was taken into captivity and ended up in prison, it didn't SEEM like what God had promised could ever come to pass! When Moses was called of God to deliver the people, it didn't seem to him that the people would EVER listen to him! Think of the things that YOU have been believing God for. Does it SEEM like some of them will never come to pass? Well, we have the witness of all of these who were under the Old Covenant that if God promised it, it definitely WILL come to pass! Our responsibility is to make sure that what we are believing for lines up with the Word of God under our New Covenant. When we are sure of that, then we need to "wait patiently", just like David did! We look forward to the manifestation of what we are believing for with expectant hope and eager anticipation, knowing that our God is working on it at this very moment! Don't ever give up and don't ever quit! While we are looking for it, be constantly filling our hearts with the Word of God and staying filled with the Spirit of God. Stay in fellowship with like-minded believers and be about our Father's business of sharing the Good News with everyone we can!

1 Timothy 4:8-9:

⁸For physical training is of some value (useful for a little), but godliness (spiritual training) is useful and of value in everything and in every way, for it holds promise for the present life and also for the life which is to come. ⁹This saying is reliable and worthy of complete acceptance by everybody.

If we are truly going to be DOERS of this Word, then we will do whatever we know to do to take care of our physical bodies, which IS of value to us! We will live longer and better lives when we take care of the body that God has given us charge over! This body is the only one we will have while we live out THIS life on Earth! Take care of it! Then we must give even MORE importance to our Spiritual training! That means we will make it a priority to spend time EVERY DAY in the Word of God, reading, studying, meditating, sharing the Word with others. We will spend time EVERY DAY in praise, worship and fellowship with the One, True, Most High, Living, Almighty God of the Bible! We will spend time in fellowship with like-minded believers and we will share the Gospel every chance we get. That Spiritual training is valuable in everything and in every way! Not only in THIS life, but also in the life to come! That's called REWARDS! AMEN! Verse 9 says that this should be accepted completely (obeyed!) by every believer! What say you? I say AMEN!

2 Chronicles 23-24 give us another account of Joash being anointed as king and how he reigned. He started out in a good and Godly way, but when Jehoiada the priest and his mentor died, he had no good influence. Who you choose to spend time with will most definitely influence how your think, talk and act! Spending time with like-minded believers is vital to your spiritual growth! DO IT!

Shalom in Him!

Shalom,

In Psalm 39 David is again lamenting the sin he allowed into his life and is speaking of the troubles he was enduring. Remember that David was a human being JUST LIKE US! He did NOT have a special anointing that kept him from sin! He was strong and operated under the anointing of God at times. Then there were other times when he was weak and made stupid decisions, just like we have all done at one time or another! I believe that this Psalm reveals one of those times! Notice in verse 2 where he says that he "held his peace, even from good". I read this in The Bible Illustrator - Old Testament:

"The same law which forbids all corrupt communications requires that which is good to the use of edifying.

Silence may indicate the greatest strength of character, or the greatest weakness."

The Word of God says that there IS a time to be silent, but it says in so many MORE places to give thanks unto the Lord, to tell of His excellent greatness, to praise Him, to speak of Him to others. I believe that had David STOPPED the whining and complaining and started praising and worshiping sooner, he would have seen quicker results from the Lord! Remember that David was a man after God's own heart NOT because he did everything right, but because when he did miss it, he eventually repented and got back on track SEEKING the Lord! Make sure you do the same and you will be a "person after God's own heart" also!

1 Timothy 3 is speaking to those who desire to serve the Lord in whatever capacity He has called them to. For those women who have been called of God into the ministry, this is referring to you also! If you would like to do some word study on this chapter you will find that the phrase "If any man" or from the KJV "If a man" is actually a compound of two Greek words: "ei" and "tis", which together mean: if any! In fact, all of the references to "man" in this chapter have been added by the translators! I am NOT intending to cause a debate or division or introduce a new doctrine with this! The Word of God is abundantly clear that God is the ONLY One Who calls and separates someone into the ministry! I am merely sharing this so that the women who have been called, anointed and separated by God will have the confidence that they answer to God alone for this calling and DO NOT need the approval of anyone to fulfill the God-given call on their lives! Don't use this as a point to argue over, just use it as another confirmation of what God has already spoken to your heart. Now go forth and obey God by preaching the Gospel to those who need to hear! AMEN!

Amos 8:1-2:

¹THUS THE Lord God showed to me, and behold, a basket of [ripe and therefore soon to perish] summer fruit. ²And He said, Amos, what do you see? And I said, A basket of summer fruit. Then said the Lord to me, The end has come upon My people Israel; I will not pass by and spare them any more.

Here the Lord God (the Sovereign Lord) uses the example of summer fruit, or the last of the harvest, to show that this was the end of God's sparing Israel. The would face His judgement for their sins against him and His Word. The people had been warned time and time again and continued to ignore the warning and to revile the prophet. This time was it!

In Amos 9:9 the Lord says this:

⁹For behold, I will command, and I will sift the house of Israel among all nations and cause it to move to and fro as grain is sifted in a sieve, yet shall not the least kernel fall upon the earth and be lost [from My sight].

He will NOT forsake Israel forever! He knows where every person will be as they are scattered among the nations! Then He gives this promise in verses 13-15:

¹³Behold, the days are coming, says the Lord, that the plowman shall overtake the reaper, and the treader of grapes him who sows the seed; and the mountains shall drop sweet wine and all the hills shall melt [that is, everything heretofore barren and unfruitful shall overflow with spiritual blessing]. ¹⁴And I will bring back the exiles of My people Israel, and they shall build the waste cities and inhabit them; and they shall plant vineyards and drink the wine from them; they shall also make gardens and eat the fruit of them. ¹⁵And I will plant them upon their land, and they shall no more be torn up out of their land which I gave them, says the Lord your God.

This promise began to be fulfilled in 1948 and continues to this day! Our God IS God and His Word endures forever! COUNT ON IT! AMEN!

Shalom in Him!

Shalom,

In Psalm 38 David is crying out to God for deliverance from his troubles. He attributes his suffering to his own sin in verse 4:

⁴For my iniquities have gone over my head [like waves of a flood]; as a heavy burden they weigh too much for me.

We don't have another account of this to know just what David was suffering from and when this all occurred. The important thing to look at today is found in verse 15:

¹⁵For in You, O Lord, do I hope; You will answer, O Lord my God.

No matter what tests, trials and temptations we may face in this life, the ANSWER is always found IN HIM! Cry out to God for wisdom in the situation! Search His Word for promises that cover your particular need. Present that Word before Him and expect Him to answer you! Then continue to praise Him and watch with expectant hope and eager anticipation for the restoration of good and Godly things in your life!

In 1 Timothy 2:1-4 tells us what God's priority is for us concerning prayer:

¹FIRST OF all, then, I admonish and urge that petitions, prayers, intercessions, and thanksgivings be offered on behalf of all men, ²For kings and all who are in positions of authority or high responsibility, that [outwardly] we may pass a quiet and undisturbed life [and inwardly] a peaceable one in all godliness and reverence and seriousness in every way. ³For such [praying] is good and right, and [it is] pleasing and acceptable to God our Savior, ⁴Who wishes all men to be saved and [increasingly] to perceive and recognize and discern and know precisely and correctly the [divine] Truth.

Remember that prayer is communication with God. It involves speaking His Word back to Him, praying in the Spirit, praying with thanksgiving, praying direct petitions, and all of this first of all for leaders and those in authority. Verse 3 tells us that that type of praying is pleasing to Him because it IS according to His Word and His Will!

The rest of this chapter we will not address at this time. Many commentaries have been written about these passages suggesting that Jesus does not want women involved in ministry except in a supporting role. That simply does NOT line up with the rest of Scripture! In the Old Testament we have Deborah operating as a ruling Judge! In the New Testament we have Jesus Himself sending Mary to preach the Gospel to His disciples (the Good News that He is Risen! AMEN!). All through the book of Acts we see women involved in many aspects of the ministry! Add to all of this Galatians 3:28 and we have found a part of Scripture that we just don't quite get yet and we need to set it aside until we do! In the meantime, if YOU have been harassing women in the ministry - STOP - God is NOT pleased and you just may be in trouble! Psalm 105:15:

¹⁵Saying, Touch not My anointed, and do My prophets no harm.

God's anointed is anyone who is born again and anyone whom HE has called and sent forth!

In Amos 6-7 God continues to speak to the people through Amos. He is SO very patient! But this looks like it may be the end of His patience with this group! Keep yourself in close intimate fellowship with Him by going to 1 John 1:9 the moment you are aware of sin and then continue to obey His Word. Let's not get to the end of His patience! We cannot lose our home in Heaven, but life on Earth can get pretty difficult if we try to do things our own way instead of His way! His way is ALWAYS better!

Shalom in Him!

Shalom,

Psalm 37:1:

¹FRET NOT yourself because of evildoers, neither be envious against those who work unrighteousness (that which is not upright or in right standing with God).

We are told here NOT to "fret", the Hebrew word, "charah", which means: to be hot, to be furious, to become angry, to be incensed, to be displeased, to blaze up, to heat oneself in vexation, about evildoers, and NOT to be envious of them! Evildoers (wicked, unbelievers) have a certain end in their future and so do we! If they continue in their wickedness and never receive Jesus as Lord and personal Saviour, the end for them will be Hell and the Lake of Fire! That is really a whole lot worse than what anyone may be putting US through right now! Our responsibility is to pray for them that their hearts will be open to receive the Truth, that the Lord of the Harvest will send laborers into their lives, that they will receive that Word and be saved. Don't allow yourself to question why some unbelievers APPEAR to be prospering more than you when you are doing things God's way! We are promised a sure reward IF we don't quit or give up (Galatians 6:9)! The wicked also have a promised result in the Word of God and it's NOT pretty! Continue to remind yourself every day:

• Who you are.
• Where you came from.
• Why you're here.
• Where you're going.

Knowing and reminding yourself of the answers to these questions will keep you in a right frame of mind and keep you in position to receive God's richest and best for you and your entire family! AMEN!

In 1 Timothy 1 we see Paul encouraging the young pastor. He reminds Timothy of his (Paul's) own qualifications for being in the ministry. Verse 1:

¹PAUL, AN apostle (special messenger) of Christ Jesus by appointment and command of God our Savior and of Christ Jesus (the Messiah), our Hope,

Then Paul reminds Timothy of his (Timothy's) calling into the ministry and encourages Timothy to stick with it. Verses 2 and 18:

²To Timothy, my true son in the faith: Grace (spiritual blessing and favor), mercy, and [heart] peace [be yours] from God the Father and Christ Jesus our Lord.

¹⁸This charge and admonition I commit in trust to you, Timothy, my son, in accordance with prophetic intimations which I formerly received concerning you, so that inspired and aided by them you may wage the good warfare,

There were times when Timothy withstood persecution because of his youth. I have experienced similar treatment because I am a woman in ministry. The encouragement of my pastor and other ministry gifts greatly encouraged me to continue on in what God has called me to do. As a born again believer, a member of the Body of Christ and a child of the God of the Bible, make sure that YOU are always an encouragement to those in the ministry! How we receive the Gifts that God has given us will affect our harvest of good things in this life!

In Amos we see another young preacher who was despised by some! The prophets were sent by God to His people to warn them of the consequences of their continued rebellion against the Lord and His Word. Time after time the people ignored, reviled and sometimes even killed the prophets that the Lord sent, but He continued to give them opportunity after opportunity to repent. He spoke through the prophets what the people and nations needed to do to be blessed by Him! Amos 5:4 is one such instruction and promise:

⁴For thus says the Lord to the house of Israel: Seek Me [inquire for and of Me and require Me as you require food] and you shall live!

The word "live" here is the Hebrew word, "chayah", which means: to live, to have life, to live prosperously, to be restored, to revive. That hasn't changed under the New Covenant! If we seek Him as our vital necessity, we, too, shall walk in the fullness of all that God has for us (Matthew 6:33)!

Shalom in Him!

Shalom,

Psalm 36:1 says:

¹TRANSGRESSION [like an oracle] speaks to the wicked deep in his heart. There is no fear or dread of God before his eyes.

The "wicked" is referring to those who are without God. It is the Hebrew word, "rasha`", which means: wicked, hostile to God, guilty of sin against God or man. Remember that when you accept Jesus of Nazareth as Lord and personal Saviour, you are no longer a sinner (wicked) but you become a saint! You are forever more a saint who sometimes sins, but you are no longer a sinner! This verse is saying that those who have never received Jesus as Lord and Saviour will have their sin nature (their unregenerate inner man) speaking continually to them of sin! They have no fear or dread of God and don't believe that there will ever be a consequence for their sin! This word "fear" is not the reverential fear and awe of the Lord that we have spoken about frequently here. This is saying that these people have no respect for or concern about the just nature of the One, True, Living, Almighty God of the Bible! If I was not saved, I would be AFRAID of God, very afraid! But because I lined up with his Word by receiving Jesus as Lord and Saviour, I am no longer a "stranger in danger"! A stranger to the things of God and in danger of spending eternity in Hell and the Lake of Fire! Verses 5-6 show the promise of God to those who seek Him and His will!

⁵Your mercy and loving-kindness, O Lord, extend to the skies, and Your faithfulness to the clouds. ⁶Your righteousness is like the mountains of God, Your judgments are like the great deep. O Lord, You preserve man and beast.

He IS the ANSWER! AMEN! The rest of Psalm 36 is praise from David to the Lord!

2 Thessalonians 3:6 is a serious charge to believers!

⁶Now we charge you, brethren, in the name and on the authority of our Lord Jesus Christ (the Messiah) that you withdraw and keep away from every brother (fellow believer) who is slack in the performance of duty and is disorderly, living as a shirker and not walking in accord with the traditions and instructions that you have received from us.

This is NOT speaking of staying away from sinners! We are told to avoid the company of unbelieving believers! Those are believers that are saved, but have no working knowledge of the Word of God, therefore they cannot obey it! Notice that this verse says to withdraw and keep away from these believers. It does NOT say to scorn them or hate them or revile them or talk bad about them! We are just to avoid being in their company so that we can maintain a high level of faith! We are no good to anyone if don't have a level of faith that will change circumstances in the lives of the people we come in contact with!

We begin the book of Amos today! Amos ministered in trying times like the ones that we are experiencing right now! He addressed sin when speaking to the 6 Gentile nations AND the nations of Israel and Judah. Eight times Amos used the term "for three transgressions and for four", which is a Jewish idiom that means "an indefinite number that has finally come to an end"! Our God is VERY long-suffering, but there IS an end to His patience! That end usually comes after many, many, many attempts on His part to get the attention of those He is dealing with! Let's NOT try the patience of our wonderful God! Let's be quick to obey the Word of God AND the leading of the Holy Spirit! THAT is pleasing to God because everything He instructs us to do is to get us into position to receive all that He has provided for us!

Shalom in Him!

Shalom,

In Psalm 35 we see David being a doer of Philippians 4:6 before it was ever written!

⁶Do not fret or have any anxiety about anything, but in every circumstance and in everything, by prayer and petition (definite requests), with thanksgiving, continue to make your wants known to God.

With every problem, David presented His petition to the Lord and then he praised God! That is exactly how WE should handle bad situations that we are faced with! Find out what the Word of God promises in each situation, present His Word back to Him and then praise Him for the answer, because "God is not a man that He should lie!" (Numbers 23:19) If He said it, then we can count on it!

It is more important NOW than it has ever been for us, as believers in Jesus of Nazareth, to KNOW who we are, where we came from, why we are here and where we are going! It is also vital that we understand that we are Ambassadors sent from Heaven to represent God in the Earth (2 Corinthians 5:20). We are the Light of this world. We expose the darkness and show people the way out of it! While we are about this vital business, we have ALL of the resources of Heaven at our disposal! If you haven't done so yet, you need to catch the vision that the Holy Spirit is placing in the heart of every believer to see the people of this world coming to Jesus! THAT is our purpose for being here! Let's get the job done so Jesus can come and TAKE US HOME! AMEN!

THAT takes us into 2 Thessalonians 2! Here Paul is encouraging the believers not to be moved by the things they were hearing concerning the return of Jesus. There have always been theories put forth by people as to when these things will take place. Paul lays out here some of the things to be aware of and how to recognize when the time is near. The most important verses for US to concentrate on are verses 15-17:

¹⁵So then, brethren, stand firm and hold fast to the traditions and instructions which you were taught by us, whether by our word of mouth or by letter. ¹⁶Now may our Lord Jesus Christ Himself and God our Father, Who loved us and gave us everlasting consolation and encouragement and well-founded hope through [His] grace (unmerited favor), ¹⁷Comfort and encourage your hearts and strengthen them [make them steadfast and keep them unswerving] in every good work and word.

Everything else will fall into place at God's appointed time! WE need to major on our assignment to spread the Gospel and let God take care of the timing. We know that it will be PERFECT timing!

Every time I read Jonah I am puzzled by something new! This time I noticed Jonah 2:1:

¹THEN JONAH prayed to the Lord his God from the fish's belly,

This comes after verse 17 of the previous chapter that says that Jonah was in the fish's belly for three days and nights! THEN Jonah prayed. I wonder WHY he took so long! When I did a word study, I found that the phrase "Then prayed", is actually the Hebrew word, "palal", which means: to pray, to entreat, to make supplication. It doesn't really include the idea of "when", but the fact that his prayer is recorded AFTER the fact that he was there for three days and nights points to him waiting some time. From some of the other things we read of Jonah, I get the idea that he was a rather stubborn man. That makes me check myself! I want to be one who obeys the Word of God immediately! Why? Because I want God to act immediately on my behalf! Don't WAIT to be a doer of the Word! When you know WHAT to do, do it quickly! God already has a plan for our good. Jeremiah 29:11:

¹¹For I know the thoughts and plans that I have for you, says the Lord, thoughts and plans for welfare and peace and not for evil, to give you hope in your final outcome.

He is just waiting for us to get position to receive! I like that!

Shalom in Him!

Shalom,

Psalm 34:7:

⁷The Angel of the Lord encamps around those who fear Him [who revere and worship Him with awe] and each of them He delivers.

The Angel of the Lord under the Old Covenant was the preincarnate Jesus! Under the New Covenant, Jesus of Nazareth sits at the right hand of the Father in Heaven. Believers are to be filled with the Spirit of God. We have a better Covenant, based on better promises (Hebrews 8:6)! NOW, when we FEAR (respect, revere, be in awe of) the Lord, we have the Holy Spirit within us to lead, guide and protect us and ministering spirits sent to minister FOR us (Hebrews 1:13-14)! Remember that this IS a BETTER Covenant! That means that every promise that isn't replaced by something else in the New Testament, is that much BETTER than the Old one! And to make sure we can get ourselves in position for this promise, we have verse 11:

¹¹Come, you children, listen to me; I will teach you to revere and worshipfully fear the Lord.

We are told to come, so the first step is OURS! Then we are told to "listen" (KJV says "hearken"). This is the Hebrew word, "shama`", which means: to hear with attention or interest, to hear for the purpose of obeying. What does the Lord want us to listen to? He wants us to pay attention so that He can teach us HOW to fear the Lord! What better teacher could we have?! The next step is YOURS! Do YOU want to know how to properly operate in the "fear of the Lord"? There are many other promises for those who fear, revere and worship Him! Do your own study and meditation on this and you will be extremely blessed and ready to begin GOD SCHOOL! AMEN!

2 Thessalonians is preparing believers to endure the persecution that comes with the preaching of the Gospel of Jesus of Nazareth! KNOWING that there IS a reward for not allowing the enemy to get you side-tracked by feeling sorry for yourself because of persecution will help! Verses 7 and 10:

⁷And to [recompense] you who are so distressed and afflicted [by granting you] relief and rest along with us [your fellow sufferers] when the Lord Jesus is revealed from heaven with His mighty angels in a flame of fire,

¹⁰When He comes to be glorified in His saints [on that day He will be made more glorious in His consecrated people], and [He will] be marveled at and admired [in His glory reflected] in all who have believed [who have adhered to, trusted in, and relied on Him], because our witnessing among you was confidently accepted and believed [and confirmed in your lives].

And then verse 11 directs our prayer!

¹¹With this in view we constantly pray for you, that our God may deem and count you worthy of [your] calling and [His] every gracious purpose of goodness, and with power may complete in [your] every particular work of faith (faith which is that leaning of the whole human personality on God in absolute trust and confidence in His power, wisdom, and goodness).

In 2 Kings 13-14 we see again the accounts of some of the kings of Israel and Judah. It has been so interesting to observe the results of choices that have taken place in the lives and reigns of all of these kings! They all had the same choice - to serve the Lord all of their days, or not! I didn't realize it before this time through, but it is pretty clear that when the king or ruler chose to follow the God of the Bible, the results they got were good and Godly and lasting sometimes for future generations! It doesn't COST to serve God, it PAYS! AMEN! When the king or ruler chose NOT to follow and serve the Lord, they were actually choosing satan, the enemy, as their lord and master! Then they got his results! It doesn't PAY to serve the devil and his crew, it COSTS! BIG TIME! But there is ALWAYS the opportunity to repent, change your thinking to agree with God, and move on, back in the center of His will for you! DO IT!

Shalom in Him!

Shalom,

Psalm 33 is all about giving praise, thanksgiving and worship to the One, True, Most High, Living, Almighty God of the Bible! The verbs used here are all plural, which means that these instruction are for the congregation. They are for public praise and worship, but can always be used in individual praise and worship! In light of what we see happening in the world around us, the nations of the world should be reading and obeying this Word! Verses 8-12:

⁸Let all the earth fear the Lord [revere and worship Him]; let all the inhabitants of the world stand in awe of Him. ⁹For He spoke, and it was done; He commanded, and it stood fast. ¹⁰The Lord brings the counsel of the nations to nought; He makes the thoughts and plans of the peoples of no effect. ¹¹The counsel of the Lord stands forever, the thoughts of His heart through all generations. ¹²Blessed (happy, fortunate, to be envied) is the nation whose God is the Lord, the people He has chosen as His heritage.

In case they think He doesn't notice what they're saying and doing, see verses 13-16:

¹³The Lord looks from heaven, He beholds all the sons of men; ¹⁴From His dwelling place He looks [intently] upon all the inhabitants of the earth-- ¹⁵He Who fashions the hearts of them all, Who considers all their doings. ¹⁶No king is saved by the great size and power of his army; a mighty man is not delivered by [his] much strength.

And what of US, if our nation does not serve the Lord? Verses 18-19:

¹⁸Behold, the Lord's eye is upon those who fear Him [who revere and worship Him with awe], who wait for Him and hope in His mercy and loving-kindness, ¹⁹To deliver them from death and keep them alive in famine.

AMEN! Keep spending time in intimate fellowship with Him and nothing that goes on will take us by surprise and we will be protected by HIM, through it all! Thank You, Lord Jesus!

In keeping with that thought, we see this in 1 Thessalonians 5:1:

¹BUT AS to the suitable times and the precise seasons and dates, brethren, you have no necessity for anything being written to you.

And then verses 4-5:

⁴But you are not in [given up to the power of] darkness, brethren, for that day to overtake you by surprise like a thief. ⁵For you are all sons of light and sons of the day; we do not belong either to the night or to darkness.

Our instruction comes in verse 6:

⁶Accordingly then, let us not sleep, as the rest do, but let us keep wide awake (alert, watchful, cautious, and on our guard) and let us be sober (calm, collected, and circumspect).

And our promise in verses 9-11:

⁹For God has not appointed us to [incur His] wrath [He did not select us to condemn us], but [that we might] obtain [His] salvation through our Lord Jesus Christ (the Messiah) ¹⁰Who died for us so that whether we are still alive or are dead [at Christ's appearing], we might live together with Him and share His life. ¹¹Therefore encourage (admonish, exhort) one another and edify (strengthen and build up) one another, just as you are doing.

Another instruction we have in this chapter is found in verses 12-13:

¹²Now also we beseech you, brethren, get to know those who labor among you [recognize them for what they are, acknowledge and appreciate and respect them all]--your leaders who are over you in the Lord and those who warn and kindly reprove and exhort you. ¹³And hold them in very high and most affectionate esteem in [intelligent and sympathetic] appreciation of their work. Be at peace among yourselves.

The word "know" here is the Hebrew word, "oida", which means: to see, to perceive. It is a perfect tense with a present meaning: to have knowledge of, rather than "ginosko" (related to epignosis) which means a progression of knowledge. What this is telling us is that we need to be aware of those who work WITH us and have the care OVER us. We need to be praying for them, encouraging them and supporting them in every way possible! Stay current in this! Having told your pastor last year that you appreciated him is NOT being a doer of this Word! Being obedient to this will increase your capacity to receive more of everything you need from the Lord and will help you get in position to receive!

Another instruction is found in verse 16:

¹⁶Be happy [in your faith] and rejoice and be glad-hearted continually (always);

This is NOT to be neglected! If you find yourself not very happy, find out what is hindering you so that you can show forth THIS attitude always! Doing verse 18 will help!

¹⁸Thank [God] in everything [no matter what the circumstances may be, be thankful and give thanks], for this is the will of God for you [who are] in Christ Jesus [the Revealer and Mediator of that will].

Notice it says to thank God IN everything, not FOR everything! Whether the situation you are facing is a good thing or a bad thing, be thankful to God for HIS part in it! He is either your PROVIDER (for the good thing) or your DELIVERER (from the bad thing), so thank Him always! AMEN! THAT attitude will help you be happy in your faith!

Verse 23 is a verse we use often to show our triune makeup:

²³And may the God of peace Himself sanctify you through and through [separate you from profane things, make you pure and wholly consecrated to God]; and may your spirit and soul and body be preserved sound and complete [and found] blameless at the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ (the Messiah).

Remember that your spirit was made new immediately at the New Birth (2 Corinthians 5:17), your soul (mind, emotions and will) are made new daily by meditating on and obeying the Word (Romans 12:2), and your body WILL BE made new immediately when you receive your resurrection body at the time of the catching away of the Church (1 Corinthians 15:51-53)!

And finally, a verse that I remind myself daily. Verse 24:

²⁴Faithful is He Who is calling you [to Himself] and utterly trustworthy, and He will also do it [fulfill His call by hallowing and keeping you].

Count on it! Whatever God has called you to do, HE will perform it THROUGH you! AMEN!

Shalom in Him!

Shalom,

Psalm 32 is a joyful statement of the blessing of God's forgiveness! David speaks of how awful he felt when he hid his sin and how it affected his entire life! When he confessed his sin, God was faithful and just to forgive him (1 John 1:9) and he could move on in the joy of God's restoration! Make sure you are keeping yourself in close, intimate fellowship with the Lord by confessing any sin. Then move on in the joy of the Lord and His Word! Verse 11 is YOUR instruction!

¹¹Be glad in the Lord and rejoice, you [uncompromisingly] righteous [you who are upright and in right standing with Him]; shout for joy, all you upright in heart!

"Be glad" is the Hebrew word, "samach", which means: to brighten up, cheer up, make merry. "Rejoice" is the Hebrew word, "giyl", whcih means: to be glad, to be joyful, to spin! You who are in right-standing with God are to do these things and MORE! We are to "shout for joy", the Hebrew word, "ranan", which means: to cry out, to give a ringing cry in exaltation, to cry aloud, to sing out for joy, to shout out for joy, to be overcome! There IS a place in the Scripture where we are told to "be still and know that I am God", BUT THIS IS NOT IT! This is the time to be a doer of THIS Word and have the good and Godly results that come from obeying God! AMEN!

When we see all that is taking place on the Earth and realize that every single thing we are seeing now was foretold in the Word of God, then we realize that the promise for US is also soon to come to pass! 1 Thessalonians 4:15-18:

¹⁵For this we declare to you by the Lord's [own] word, that we who are alive and remain until the coming of the Lord shall in no way precede [into His presence] or have any advantage at all over those who have previously fallen asleep [in Him in death]. ¹⁶For the Lord Himself will descend from heaven with a loud cry of summons, with the shout of an archangel, and with the blast of the trumpet of God. And those who have departed this life in Christ will rise first. ¹⁷Then we, the living ones who remain [on the earth], shall simultaneously be caught up along with [the resurrected dead] in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air; and so always (through the eternity of the eternities) we shall be with the Lord! ¹⁸Therefore comfort and encourage one another with these words.

We are to comfort each other with these Words and then to encourage one another to BE ABOUT OUR FATHER'S BUSINESS! What IS that business? It is spreading the Good News of the Gospel that God isn't holding anything against anyone. That the price for everyone's sin has already been paid and that the only question that will be asked of them when they leave this Earth is "What have you done with Jesus?" AMEN! Keep Heaven in mind when you share the Good News! It is our SURE reward! AMEN!

In 2 Kings 9-10 we see the fulfillment of what God had said would happen to those ungodly kings who went against His Word. I found three verses in Scripture that tell what will happen when to the ungodly:

Job 4:8:

⁸As I myself have seen, those who plow iniquity and sow trouble and mischief reap the same.

Proverbs 22:8a:

⁸He who sows iniquity will reap calamity and futility

Hosea 8:7a:

⁷For they sow the wind and they shall reap the whirlwind.

THAT is what happens in these two chapters! Then you would think that the man that God used to fulfill His Word concerning this would open his eyes and decide to do things God's way. NOT SO! 2 Kings 10:31:

³¹But Jehu paid no attention to walking in the law of the Lord, the God of Israel, with all his heart. He did not quit the sins with which Jeroboam made Israel to sin.

And the results? Verses 32-33:

³²[So] in those days the Lord began to cut off parts of Israel. Hazael [of Syria] defeated them in all the [across the Jordan] territory of Israel. ³³From the Jordan east, all the land of Gilead, the Gadites, Reubenites, and Manassites, from Aroer which is by the Valley of the Arnon, even Gilead and Bashan.

Let's do things God's way! We have much better results then! AMEN!

Shalom in Him!

Shalom,

Psalm 31:19-20 is a wonderful promise to stand on in the face of intense situations when it SEEMS like all of hell has broken loose!

¹⁹Oh, how great is Your goodness, which You have laid up for those who fear, revere, and worship You, goodness which You have wrought for those who trust and take refuge in You before the sons of men! ²⁰In the secret place of Your presence You hide them from the plots of men; You keep them secretly in Your pavilion from the strife of tongues.

"Laid up" is the Hebrew word, "tsaphan", which means: to hide by covering over, to treasure up, to store up, to protect, to keep secret. The "goodness" that is hidden away for us is the Hebrew word "tuwb", which means: goodness, the best, beauty, gladness, welfare, joy, prosperity. All of that is hidden FOR those who trust, fear, revere and worship the One, True, Most High, Living, Almighty God of the Bible! Where can we find them? Verse 20 says "in the secret of", the Hebrew word "cether", which means: a covering, a hiding place, a shelter, a secret place, "Your presence" is the Hebrew word "paniym", which means: in front of, in the presence of, face to face. We will find the good things that God has hidden FOR us in the secret place of His presence! As you and I spend time in intimate fellowship with Him, He will reveal to us how to partake of all that He has for us! But be aware! There are NO short cuts! We will ONLY find the answers by spending time in His presence! Check your schedule today and set aside anything that is keeping you from spending time with HIM! When you do that, He will show you how to organize your schedule to fit everything that NEEDS to be there! AMEN! So we will leave Psalm 31 with THIS encouragement in verse 24:

²⁴Be strong and let your heart take courage, all you who wait for and hope for and expect the Lord! AMEN!

In 1 Thessalonains 3 Paul is writing to the young church is Thessalonica to explain to them why he had sent Timothy back to them. Verses 1-5:

¹THEREFORE, WHEN [the suspense of separation and our yearning for some personal communication from you] became intolerable, we consented to being left behind alone at Athens. ²And we sent Timothy, our brother and God's servant in [spreading] the good news (the Gospel) of Christ, to strengthen and establish and to exhort and comfort and encourage you in your faith, ³That no one [of you] should be disturbed and beguiled and led astray by these afflictions and difficulties [to which I have referred]. For you yourselves know that this is [unavoidable in our position, and must be recognized as] our appointed lot. ⁴For even when we were with you, [you know] we warned you plainly beforehand that we were to be pressed with difficulties and made to suffer affliction, just as to your own knowledge it has [since] happened. ⁵That is the reason that, when I could bear [the suspense] no longer, I sent that I might learn [how you were standing the strain, and the endurance of] your faith, [for I was fearful] lest somehow the tempter had tempted you and our toil [among you should prove to] be fruitless and to no purpose.

When the people had heard of the persecutions that Paul and his friends were enduring, Paul was concerned that it would affect their faith! He reminded them that he had warned them about this. I remind YOU of 2 Timothy 3:12:

¹²Indeed all who delight in piety and are determined to live a devoted and godly life in Christ Jesus will meet with persecution [will be made to suffer because of their religious stand].

Don't be discouraged when you hear that the world is persecuting the church! Realize that Jesus warned of this, but He is GREATER than any enemy who comes against us! Trust in HIM and see the salvation and deliverance of our God! AMEN!

In Joel we hear of judgement, a call to repentance and the promise of God's intervention. Many times when the prophets spoke, they were speaking of things immediate and things to come. I believe that we should all judge ourselves concerning our attitude towards God and His Word. If we find that we have not been doers of the Word of God, then repent (change your thinking to agree with God), confess it as sin, and receive your forgiveness (1 John 1:9). Then move on in the right direction! Take the promise of God and make it your own! Remember that when the multitudes were questioning if the disciples from the upper room were drunk, Peter said "this is that which was spoken by the prophet Joel". (Acts 2:16). He was referring to Joel 2:28-29:

²⁸And afterward I will pour out My Spirit upon all flesh; and your sons and your daughters shall prophesy, your old men shall dream dreams, your young men shall see visions. ²⁹Even upon the menservants and upon the maidservants in those days will I pour out My Spirit.

So what happened on the Day of Pentecost was the beginning of THAT! But notice that the Spirit of God said through Joel that God would pour out OF His Spirit ON ALL FLESH! I am eagerly anticipating and expectantly waiting for the manifestation of THAT Word in our midst! AMEN! In the meantime, as believers, we need to be being filled with the Spirit DAILY, meditating on the Word of God DAILY, praising and worshiping DAILY, so that we are in position to be used of God for His purposes in the last moments of these last days of the Church Age! Then we are ready to fly! AMEN!

Shalom in Him!