Demons and Swine

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“And they came over unto the other side of the sea, into the country of the Gadarenes. And when He was come out of the ship, immediately there met Him out of the tombs a man with an unclean spirit, who had his dwelling among the tombs; and no man could bind him, no, not with chains: because that he had been often bound with fetters and chains, and the chains had been plucked asunder by him, and the fetters broken in pieces: neither could any tame him. And always, night and day, he was in the mountains, and in the tombs, crying, and cutting himself with stones. But when he saw Jesus afar off, he ran and worshipped Him, and cried with a loud voice, and said, ‘What have I to do with thee, Jesus, Son of the Most High God? I adjure thee by God, that Thou torment me not.’ For He said unto him,
‘Come out of the man, unclean spirit.’
And He asked him,
‘What is thy name?’
And he answered, saying, ‘My name is Legion: for we are many.’ And he besought Him much that He would not send them away out of the country.
Now there was there nigh unto the mountains a great herd of swine feeding. And all the devils besought Him, saying, ‘Send us into the swine, that we may enter into them.’ And forthwith Jesus gave them leave. And the unclean spirits went out, and entered into the swine: and the herd ran violently down a steep place into the sea, (they were about two thousand;) and were choked in the sea.
And they that fed the swine fled, and told it in the city, and in the country. And they went out to see what it was that was done. And they come to Jesus, and see him that was possessed with the devil, and had the legion, sitting, and clothed, and in his right mind: and they were afraid. And they that saw it told them how it befell to him that was possessed with the devil, and also concerning the swine. And they began to pray Him to depart out of their coasts. And when He was come into the ship, he that had been possessed with the devil prayed Him that he might be with Him. Howbeit Jesus suffered him not, but saith unto him,
‘Go home to thy friends, and tell them how great things the Lord hath done for thee, and hath had compassion on thee.’
And he departed, and began to publish in Decapolis how great things Jesus had done for him: and all men did marvel.”  Mark 5:1-20

I believe that Jesus Christ had the power to cast demons into swine; and that He has the power to do so today. As He has said many times,

“He that has ears to hear, let him hear.”

Jesus, Anger, and the Sabbath

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“And He entered again into the synagogue; and there was a man there which had a withered hand. And they watched Him, whether He would heal him on the Sabbath day; that they might accuse Him. And He saith unto the man which had the withered hand,
‘Stand forth.’
And He saith unto them,
‘Is it lawful to do good on the sabbath days, or to do evil? To save life, or to kill?’
But they held their peace. And when He had looked round about on them with anger, being grieved for the hardness of their hearts, He saith unto the man,
‘Stretch forth thine hand.’
And he stretched it out: and his hand was restored whole as the other.”   Mark 3:1-5

The skill and wisdom of Jesus always amazes me. The way He challenges His challengers; the hostile challengers; of His words and life is truly awesome. Just because someone does not like what He says or does, does not deter Him from going ahead and doing what He was going to do in the first place; and He does it with authority and power.

I always take note of verses, also that tell of Jesus having anger, and of those where the word is not used, but also where He displays anger; for instance the two times He drives the money changers out of the Temple with a whip He made Himself. They had defiled His house.

Anger is not always a bad emotion. What makes you angry? That guy or gal that cut you off in traffic? That one in the check-out at Walmart that was rude and nasty to the associated checking them out? Is that really a good anger? Not at all. If it makes us angry to see someone rudely treated, then let’s compliment the one that was just treated that way.

Jesus had earlier in chapter 2 of Mark said the Sabbath was made for man, not man for the Sabbath. I suppose that is for all the laws of God. They are given to aid and to help us realize our evil plight in life, not to provide hindrances for good deeds.

When we come to Jesus, trusting Him as our Lord and Savior all the law is fulfilled in Him. We are saved by grace through faith (Ephesians 2:8-10). It was provided for us by the death, burial, and resurrection of Jesus. Call on the name of the Lord Jesus, believing that God has raised Him from the dead, and you shall be saved (Romans 10:9-10).

We Don’t Know When, So Be Ready

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“Watch therefore, for ye know neither the day nor the hour wherein the Son of Man cometh.”  Matthew 25:13

None of us know the time of our death. Neither does anyone know the time of the Lord’s second coming.

Just as one must be prepared for dying we need to be prepared for the coming of the Lord. One is closely associated with the other.

Please understand. It has been said that there are only two things which are certain in the life; and that is death and taxes. We all will die in this physical body. The heart will beat its final beat; and we will breathe our final breath. Are you ready?

The greatest preparation we can make for death is to call on the name of Jesus when we realize that we are lost, condemned, dying law breakers, headed to eternal judgment. Calling on Jesus who bled and died on the cross as the ultimate payment for our sin, and was buried carrying away all our sin, our shame, our guilt and condemnation, and then He rose from the grave justifying forever those who will come to Him.  See Matthew 26 through 28.

When you call on His name you are then prepared for death and for the coming of the Lord.

Remember This

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“Heaven and earth shall pass away, but My words shall not pass away.”  Matthew 24:35

There is peace of heart and mind in knowing and always remembering that every word of God which He has spoken; whether it be through the prophets, the Law, the Wisdom literature of the Old Testament; all will be fulfilled.

Also, every word spoken by the Son of God, His 13 apostles, and the other New Testament Scriptures will also be fulfilled. Not a single word which He has spoken shall fail.

There is only peace with God and rest in Him through the death, burial and resurrection of Jesus Christ. Call on His name in repentant faith, and receive Him.

A Set Mind On His Destination

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“And Jesus going up to Jerusalem took the twelve disciples apart in the way, and said unto them,
‘Behold, we go up to Jerusalem; and the Son of Man shall be betrayed unto the chief priests and unto the scribes, and they shall condemn Him to death, and shall deliver Him to the Gentiles to mock, and to scourge, and to crucify, and the third day He shall rise again.’ ”   Matthew 20:17-19

Many of us when we are going on a trip in our cars or trucks have a destination; a certain place we are going. There are times on vacation traveling especially when we set out for that destination and do not want to stop until we get there. It is, however, a good thing for us to take in some of the sights, and visit other things as we go.

Jesus came into the world; He came unto us with one set destination in His heart and mind. What was that destination? It was to glorify the Father by fulfilling all the things concerning Himself in Scripture. To begin with that was to go to Jerusalem and die for the sins of the world, upon  a cruel, old rugged cross; taking the sins of the world upon Himself, becoming sin for us (2 Corinthians 5:21), and taking the judgment from Holy God that should have been our own.

Before the cross He shares at least three times with His disciples that He must die, and that He will rise again. He did. He is alive forever more.

Call on the One and the only One who can redeem you from your sins. Call on the name of the Lord, confessing Him believing that God has raised Him from the dead, and you will be saved (Romans 10:9-10). Make this your destination – eternal life.

Loosing and Binding

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“Verily I say unto you, Whatsoever ye shall bind on earth shall be bound in heaven: and whatsoever ye shall loose on earth shall be loosed in heaven.”  Matthew 18:18

To be honest with you, I am not real sure of the power of these words and the authority that goes with it. It does seem greatly connected to prayer because the verse following has Jesus saying, “That if two of you shall agree on earth as touching any thing that they shall ask, it shall be done for them of my Father which is in heaven.”

Jesus also gives to Peter this same authority in chapter sixteen when Peter tells Jesus, “You are the Christ, the Son of the Living God.” What He gave to Peter He gives to all who follow Him here  in these verses. That is also Christians for this generation of 2021.

I remember a few years ago when I was still driving a school bus, as I was nearing my first pick up; I was greatly burdened for my wife. She was sick, with a fever, a cough, and she had just a few years previously recovered from heart aorta surgery, and gave us a scare in the hospital.

I began to pray out loud, verbally and with great authority, that came only from the Holy Spirit,  and I was really overwhelmed by the power of the Spirit. The prayer was a short one, and I do not remember the words that were said, but I do remember saying something about binding her sickness and casting it from her. When I closed the prayer I had a great peace. I made it to my first stop, picked up the students and took them to school.

When I got home my wife was recovered. No more fever, and no more cough. I thanked and praised the Lord.

I still am not sure of the power and the authority of those words to bind and loose, but I still want to learn, and practice the works of the Spirit of God, and give Him all the glory.

That Which Defiles

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“And He called the multitude, and said unto them,
‘Hear, and understand: Not that which goeth into the mouth defileth a man; but that which cometh out of the mouth, this defileth a man.’ ” Matthew 15:10-11

When Jesus said this He was addressing the hypocrisy of the religious leaders who had no heart to do His will, but their own. They knew the law but used it for their own ends and means.

Jesus was really revealing their hearts. Their hearts were vile, and evil, and with their mouths they defiled themselves. Further on in chapter 10 and in verses 16 – 20 Jesus explains His words above. All that is evil comes from the heart and is greatly expressed and exposed by the mouth.

Let us be swift to hear the word of the Lord, and in hearing it apply it to our lives beginning with the gospel of Jesus Christ and His death, burial, and resurrection; and receiving the change of heart that comes only through the new birth.

With the new birth of the Spirit we receive a new view of life and living, and an ever increasing faith in Him. With the new birth we also receive a new mouth or new vocabulary; if you will.

Knowing Jesus and His Father

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“At that time Jesus answered and said, ‘I thank Thee, O Father, Lord of heaven and earth, because Thou hast hid these things from the wise and prudent, and hast revealed them unto babes. Even so, Father: for so it seemed good in Thy sight. All things are delivered unto Me of My Father: and no man knoweth the Son, but the Father; neither knoweth any man the Father, save the Son, and to whomsoever the Son will reveal Him.’ ”  Matthew 11:25-27

It is a blessed thing to know Jesus and the Father, His Father. If you know the Father you know the Son, who is Jesus Christ. If you know the Son you know the Father. You cannot know One and not know the other.

The Father reveals to those who will receive Him with that child like faith, that Jesus is the Son of God. The Son reveals the Father to those who receive Him.

Let me leave some references: 2 John verses 8-9;  1 John 5:1, 10-12.

You can say that you love God, believe in God, and shout it from the highest mountain, yet die in your sins and perish if you deny that Jesus is God Incarnate. He is of the Father, loved by the Father, and through Him we love the Father.

Jesus died for us, was buried, and He rose again. He loves you and is calling you to Himself. Repent of your sins calling on the name of Jesus and He will hear you and He will deliver you giving you eternal life.

The Rejects of Society

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“And as Jesus passed forth from thence, He saw a man, named Matthew, sitting at the receipt of custom: and He saith unto him,
‘Follow Me.’
And he arose, and followed Him. And it came to pass, as Jesus sat at meat in the house, behold, many publicans and sinners came and sat down with Him and His disciples. And when the Pharisees saw it, they said unto his disciples,
‘Why eateth your Master with publicans and sinners?’
But when Jesus heard that, He said unto them,
‘They that be whole need not a physician, but they that are sick. But go ye and learn what that meaneth, I will have mercy, and not sacrifice: for I am not come to call the righteous, but sinners to repentance.’ ” Matthew 9:9-13

I am so grateful to the Lord for His bountiful love, mercy, and grace. He accepts those who are rejected by the elite, the powerful, and the popular, and saves all those who will come to Him and follow Him. I am grateful for that because I am one of those rejects of society.

The religious elite would not accept these tax collectors and sinners into their midst, but Jesus did. Jesus still does. He did not come to save those who are secure in themselves and their power and prestige. He came to save those who need Him. He came to save the sin sick, the lost, the dying the hurting.

If you fit into the category of one who is sin sick, lost, dying and hurting then there is forgiveness, there is healing, there is resurrection for you by calling on the name of the Lord Jesus Christ who died on the cross for your sins, our sins, and He was buried, and He rose again.

Will you call on the name of the Lord Jesus today?

The Fulfilling of God’s Word

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“Now when Jesus had heard that John was cast into prison, He departed into Galilee; and leaving Nazareth, He came and dwelt in Capernaum, which is upon the sea coast, in the borders of Zabulon and Nephthalim: that it might be fulfilled which was spoken by Esaias the prophet, saying,
‘The land of Zabulon, and the land of Nephthalim, by the way of the sea, beyond Jordan, Galilee of the Gentiles; the people which sat in darkness saw great light; and to them which sat in the region and shadow of death light is sprung up.’ ”  Matthew 4:12-16

Reading the Gospel of Matthew and the others as well we can see that there is much mention of the fulfilling of the Scriptures. That means all the Old Testament from Genesis through Malachi.

Jesus’s coming at the time He did was according to the plan of God from the beginning. He is the fulfillment of those prophecies and there is much more to come.

My prayer for all who read this is that the word of God be fulfilled in your heart, mind and soul. That you will hear the voice of the Spirit of God through His word, and that you will repent of sin, and trust the Lord Jesus Christ and His work on the cross as your Lord and Savior.

The Presence

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“And Jesus, when He was baptized, went up straightway out of the water: and, lo, the heavens were opened unto Him, and He saw the Spirit of God descending like a dove, and lighting upon Him: and lo a voice from heaven, saying, ‘This is My beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased.’ ”  Matthew 3:16-17

Jesus, the Christ of God; and there is no other, and never will be. There is only One Messiah, and His name is Jesus.

This is shown with great display as Jesus comes and presents Himself for baptism to fulfill Righteousness. Notice that His baptism was by immersion He “Went up straightway out of the water”. When He rose up there was the presence of the Holy Spirit of God in the form of a dove coming to Him “Lighting on Him” and there was the voice of the Father from heaven. The holy, holy, holy Three in One.

Notice also the Father makes it known to all who will hear, “This is My beloved Son” and He has no other only begotten Son but Jesus. If Jesus the Messiah is the Son of God, He is the Incarnation of of God – God in flesh. The God – Man.

Jesus came to die for the sins of the world; mine and yours. He died on the cross taking all sin upon Himself; even becoming sin for us (2 Corinthians 5:21) dying in our place; He was buried, and He rose from the grave justifying forever those who will call on His name.

Will you call on the name of Jesus Christ today and be saved?

Lest… I take the name of my God in vain

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“Two things have I required of Thee; deny me them not before I die: ‘Remove far from me vanity and lies: give me neither poverty nor riches; feed me with food convenient for me: lest I be full, and deny Thee, and say, ‘Who is the LORD?’ or lest I be poor, and steal, and take the name of my God in vain.’ ”  Proverbs 30:7-9

Prayer for needs, not wealth or riches, neither poverty lest we be poor and steal and take the name of God in vain. Pray also to be delivered from vanity and from lies – personal lying and deceiving lies of others.

So let us pray, not only for self, but also for one another; our neighbor – be they friend or foe.

Sharing What We Know

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“A fool uttereth all his mind: but a wise man keepeth it in till afterwards.”  Proverbs 29:11

“For this cause therefore have I called for you, to see you, and to speak with you: because that for the hope of Israel I am bound with this chain.”  Acts 28:20

May we as Christians learn when to speak what we know, and the right time to speak it; and to speak with it seasoned with salt and filled with love, mercy and grace.

What the Christ must know most is that Jesus died on the cross, was buried, and that He rose again. We must also be faithful in proclaiming the whole counsel of God – that is the whole of the word of God; believing and trusting that what God has said will come to pass just as He said it. His word is inerrant and infallible.

Hatred, Deceit, and Repentance

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“…Whose hatred is covered by deceit, his wickedness shall be shewed before the whole congregation.”  Proverbs 26:26

“Whereupon, O king Agrippa, I was not disobedient unto the heavenly vision: but shewed first unto them of Damascus, and at Jerusalem, and throughout all the coasts of Judaea, and then to the Gentiles, that they should repent and turn to God, and do works meet for repentance.”  Acts 26:19-20

Let us pray that all hatred that is covered by deceit be exposed. Christian first, in our own hearts and lives; then in the world and its wicked system that hates all things godly and holy.

May we also pray for the “Heavenly vision” which is the redemption of the lost through the Lord Jesus Christ and His death, burial and resurrection; that the condemned, the hopeless and the helpless might come to faith in Him receiving forgiveness of sin, for their sanctification, and eternal life through Him.

Neighbor, The Way and Hope Toward God

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“Debate thy cause with thy neighbour; and discover not a secret to another: lest he that heareth it put thee to shame, and thine infamy turn not away.”  Proverbs 25:9-10

“But this I confess unto thee, that after the Way which they call heresy, so worship I the God of my fathers, believing all things which are written in the law and in the prophets: and have hope toward God, which they themselves also allow, that there shall be a resurrection of the dead, both of the just and unjust.”  Acts 24:14-15

As Christians let us pray for our neighbor rather than accuse them to another. Let us treat them the way we desire to be treated. Let us pray, also, that they might find the Way to God through His Son Jesus Christ, because there is no other way.

Remember Jesus said, “I am the Way, the Truth, and the Life: no one comes to the Father, but by Me”  (John 14:6).  Let us pray for the lost, the dying and the perishing to be born again through the Lord Jesus Christ.

Endangered Living to Save Others

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“Rejoice not when thine enemy falleth, and let not thine heart be glad when he stumbleth: lest the LORD see it, and it displease Him, and He turn away His wrath from him.”   Proverbs 24:17-18

“Then Paul answered, What mean ye to weep and to break mine heart? for I am ready not to be bound only, but also to die at Jerusalem for the name of the Lord Jesus.”  Acts 21:13

As Christians we can not rejoice at the fall of someone who hates us. We are to love our enemies, and pray for them who despitefully use us.

Let us be like the apostle Paul who obeying the words of the Lord Jesus risked his life in Jerusalem, knowing his life was in danger, “Loved not his life, unto death” and went to the city with the gospel of Jesus Christ anyway.

Do you love the Lord Jesus today. The Father loved you so much that he gave us His only begotten Son – Jesus Christ. That whosoever believes in Him would not perish, but have eternal life. He died for you, was buried, and He rose again.

Landmarks and the Gospel of Grace

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“Remove not the old landmark; and enter not into the fields of the fatherless: for their Redeemer is mighty; He shall plead their cause with thee.”  Proverbs 23:10-11

“But none of these things move me, neither count I my life dear unto myself, so that I might finish my course with joy, and the ministry, which I have received of the Lord Jesus, to testify the gospel of the grace of God.”  Acts 20:24

Pray that we as Christians always deal faithfully with those who have no father or mother. That we respect the things that are theirs as we respect what is in our own possession. Remember that the One who has redeemed us is also their Redeemer.

Let us have a heart like the apostle Paul that no matter what comes into our path of life, that we consider none of those things; even our lives; are worthy of our concern: nothing but the gospel of Jesus Christ which is the gospel of grace.

If you have not experienced the gospel of grace you can call on the One who provides it by His death on the cross, His burial and resurrection. “Whosoever shall call on the name of the Lord shall be saved.”

Encouraging, Giving Strength to One Another

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“Cast out the scorner, and contention shall go out; yea, strife and reproach shall cease. ”  Proverbs 22:10

“And after he had spent some time there, he departed, and went over all the country of Galatia and Phrygia in order, strengthening all the disciples.”  Acts 18:23

Let us always be aware that there are those who will make a mockery of what the Scripture says, what we believe as Christians, and a mockery of the Lord Jesus Christ and His Deity, power and glory. Through this let us pray for their eyes to be opened to the truth of Jesus Christ, or for God to take them out of the way and His name glorified.

Let us pray always one for another in the faith of Christ to be always walking in the Holy Spirit, full and overflowing. Let us speak words of encouragement and faith to each other, even correction by the Spirit of God; and to be faithful to the Scriptures of the word of God as being the inerrant, infallible word of God.

If you do not know Jesus Christ today; He is the only One who became your sin and took the wrath of the Father upon Himself in the death of the cross, was buried, and He rose again. Call on His name and He will hear you and He will deliver you from sins condemnation.

Established Churches in the Faith

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“The sacrifice of the wicked is abomination: how much more, when he bringeth it with a wicked mind!”  Proverbs 21:27

“And as they went through the cities, they delivered them the decrees for to keep, that were ordained of the apostles and elders which were at Jerusalem. And so were the churches established in the faith, and increased in number daily.”  Acts 16:4-5

Seeing that God’s word tells us that the mind of Adam’s race is wicked continually and a sacrifice with wicked intent can only be further abomination, then let us pray that we come to God only through the sacrifice on God’s only begotten Son Jesus Christ. Let those who profess His name believe His word, proclaim His word, and live His word by the power of the Holy Spirit within and glorify His name. No sacrifice we offer can ever bring glory to God.

Let us pray for the continuing establishment of the Church of the Lord Jesus Christ through the Scriptures, teaching them, living out our lives for the glory of His name.

Come today to the One, the only One who can redeem You. He died on the cross for our sins (your sins and mine), He was buried taking away all our sins, shame and condemnation, and three days later He came out of that grave alive forever more. Call on His name today.

Open Door of Faith

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“Divers weights, and divers measures, both of them are alike abomination to the LORD.”  Proverbs 20:10

“And when they were come, and had gathered the church together, they rehearsed all that God had done with them, and how He had opened the door of faith unto the Gentiles.”  Acts 14:27

Pray that we who name the name of Jesus Christ as our Lord and Savior always be just, equitable, and righteous to all people with whom we speak, and with whom we do business.

We must also pray that we always in our gatherings together tell of all that God has done; of His Son Jesus, and His mighty works of grace and mercy in salvation of all who will call on His name.

Will you call on the name that is above every name – the name of Jesus Christ who died for us on the cross, was buried and He rose from the grave and forever lives interceeding for all who have come to Him calling on His name.

False Witnesses and Witnesses of Jesus Christ

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“A false witness shall not be unpunished, and he that speaketh lies shall perish.”  Proverbs 19:9

“And He commanded us to preach unto the people, and to testify that it is He which was ordained of God to be the Judge of quick and dead. To Him give all the prophets witness, that through His name whosoever believeth in Him shall receive remission of sins.”  Acts 10:42-43

Let us pray for strength, courage and faith to always be a true witness to those around us. That when we are around the unbelieving, we do not act as they act, do as they do for that is a false witness of what Jesus Christ has done for us; when they do not see the change He has made in us. Be a faithful witness.

May we always be faithful to the cross of Jesus Christ in our life and testimony. Testifying that Jesus Christ is the Judge of the living and the dead. In His is life, and life everlasting. In Him alone there is forgiveness and cleansing of all sin.

If you have not done so call on the only One who died for your sins. His name is Jesus the Christ. He did on the cross, was buried, and He bodily arose and came out alive.

The Safe Place

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“The name of the LORD is a strong tower: the righteous runneth into it, and is safe. ‘  Proverbs 18:10

“And Ananias went his way, and entered into the house; and putting his hands on him said, ‘Brother Saul, the Lord, even Jesus, that appeared unto thee in the way as thou camest, hath sent me, that thou mightest receive thy sight, and be filled with the Holy Ghost.’ And immediately there fell from his eyes as it had been scales: and he received sight forthwith, and arose, and was baptized.”  Acts 9:17-18

Let us always remember the safe place for anyone to be is in the name of the LORD, trusting Him, and growing in His love, mercy, grace, and His correction as well.

Remember the tormentor Saul sought to destroy the safe place of the LORD, which is in the name of the LORD, and he had an encounter with the Lord Jesus Christ, and bowed before Him. When Saul had met the LORD and humbled himself before Him he was filled with the Holy Spirit and the LORD used him mightily for the glory of His name. Let us pray to do likewise in the power of the Holy Spirit.

Let me tell you that Jesus Christ the Son of the Living God died on the cross for your sins, He was buried, and He rose again to justify forever those who will call on His name. If you will call on Him today, right now, He will hear you and will give you eternal life.

Speaking with Wisdom from Knowledge

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“He that hath knowledge spareth his words: and a man of understanding is of an excellent spirit.”  Proverbs 17:27

“And they were not able to resist the wisdom and the spirit by which he spake.”  Acts 6:10

In the fifty five years that I have been a born again believer in Jesus Christ I have learned this one thing; “The more I know, the more I realize that I do not know”.

I pray that I will increase in wisdom, knowledge, and understanding and that all those who are born again through the blood of Jesus Christ have the same.

I pray that when we speak that we speak with wisdom and grace. That we will realize that all who hear us when we speak with the wisdom, knowledge, and understanding in the grace and mercy of God through the Spirit of God will be recognized as being from God; but that some will hate us for it. Yet some will receive it and lives will be changed.

Join with me in praying daily for the filling of the Holy Spirit.

Bible Study Wednesday 11/14/07

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The following is a message I shared with Carr Lane Baptist Church in November of 2007.

Tim A.'s avatarShiloah Baptist Church

The Christian And Government

“Let every soul be subject unto the higher powers. For there is no power but of God: the powers that be are ordained of God.  Whosoever therefore resisteth the power, resisteth the ordinance of God: and they that resist shall receive to themselves damnation.  For rulers are not a terror to good works, but to the evil. Wilt thou then not be afraid of the power? do that which is good, and thou shalt have praise of the same:  For he is the minister of God to thee for good. But if thou do that which is evil, be afraid; for he beareth not the sword in vain: for he is the minister of God, a revenger to execute wrath upon him that doeth evil.  Wherefore ye must needs be subject, not only for wrath, but also for conscience sake.  For for this cause pay ye…

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Knowing What to Speak

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“The heart of the wise teacheth his mouth, and addeth learning to his lips.”  Proverbs 16:23
“Then Peter and the other apostles answered and said, ‘We ought to obey God rather than men. The God of our fathers raised up Jesus, whom ye slew and hanged on a tree. Him hath God exalted with His right hand to be a Prince and a Saviour, for to give repentance to Israel, and forgiveness of sins.’ ”  Acts 5:29-31

Pray for a wise heart that teaches the mouth to speak with grace and love and show forth through our lips the word of God to those who are perishing.

Pray also that we know when to speak; and that we be knowledgeable in the word of God and know when to stand against those who would try to thwart the preaching of the word of God and the Gospel of Jesus Christ.