The LORD is a refuge for the oppressed, a stronghold in times of trouble. Those who know your name trust in you, for you, LORD, have never forsaken those who seek you.
They that know thy name will put their trust in thee, for thou Lord, hast not forsaken them that seek thee. Then Psalm 46: 1 says “God is our refuge and strength, a very present help in trouble”. In this year 2024, No trouble shall swallow you because the LORD will SHOW up even AT THE LAST MINUTE! FEAR NOT! He is a PRESENT HELP in trouble of difficult! SEE Psalm 32: 7 “Thou art my hiding place, thou shall preserve me from trouble, thou shall compass me shout with songs of deliverance. I remember Debasish Mridha: Hard times are like thunder; they make a lot of noise but do-little harm. Don’t fear hard times.
Bernice Johnson Reagon: Lifes challenges are not supposed to paralyze you, they are supposed to help you discover who you are in Christ.
In times of difficulties, TRUST God more and hold on to hold out when he says to. SHAME WILL NOT BE YOUR LAST BUS-STOP.
Prayer Points:
Lord, I will trust you the most this year! No difficulty will swallow me
I scatter evil arrows sent to confront my peace this year!
Trouble and difficulties pass my address in Jesus’ name.
I had opened Micah’s story several times and even tried to find out the meaning of the story. A relatively short story and until yesterday had I gotten the major picture when I read the prodigal son. Prior to this, I had seen many explanations, one of which is:
Judges 17 is a mirror that reflects the danger of moral and religious relativism. In seeking to worship God in his own terms, Micah lost the essence of true worship. The chapter stands as a reminder that it is not enough to worship according to our convenience or understanding; it is crucial to worship God in truth, as He has commanded us. https://biblehub.com/chaptersummaries/judges/17.htm
Verses 1-2: The Stolen Silver
Micah confesses to stealing 1,100 shekels of silver from his mother, who had cursed the theft. Upon his confession, his mother blesses him and dedicates the silver to the Lord for creating a carved image and an ephod.
The prodigal son tells a story of a man, who has a son who wanted his inheritance, the inheritance stands as an idol to Micah’s story. He then takes what was his inheritance away as Micah took silver from his mother.
Verses 3-4: Making of the Idol
So, the father gives the prodigal son what he wanted his inheritance(idol) which takes and spends all, as Micah uses all his mother’s silver and incurs his mother’s curse which turns to a blessing. Micah actually confesses that he stole the idol, as the prodigal son states he expended his father’s wealth.
His mother helps him make a shrine.
And well, a Bethlehemite comes seeking a place to stay and Micah welcomes him, the reverse is done with the prodigal son, his father welcomes him home. whereas Micah with his idol welcomes the Bethlehemite home.
*Some are to seek the father, and some are to welcome him to dwell in us. *
As the wandering Levite from Bethlehem in Judah comes to Micah’s house. Micah offers him wages, room and board to become his personal priest. Micah, thinking God will now bless him because he has a Levite as his priest, shows a distorted understanding of true worship.
22 “But the father said to his servants, ‘Quick! Bring the best robe and put it on him. Put a ring on his finger and sandals on his feet. 23 Bring the fattened calf and kill it. Let’s have a feast and celebrate. 24 For this son of mine was dead and is alive again; he was lost and is found.’ So they began to celebrate. Luke 15: 22
The prodigal son returns home and is offered more than a servant, a party is thrown for him and it shows us what the father through Jesus has to offer us as with the case of Micah welcoming a son that is not his home. Micah’s story is both ways as a curse turned into a blessing when he welcomed the Bethlehemite home (where Jesus is from). Whereas the prodigal son is accepted home. Sometimes, we welcome the King (Jesus) and other times he brings us home.
While we are not hired servants because Christ took our curse much like Micah’s mother (Galatians 3: 13) curse turning to bless him, which would cause him to be linked to actual priest from Benjamin. And because repentance is an ongoing process; sometimes we run back to him when we lose our way, whereas when we come to know him as our lord and savior and take away our idols as Micah, we welcome him to our house (body).
Jesus took our curses to give us blessing; should we love him. In Judges 17 vs 21 Micah (the one who is like God not is God as the name translates), offer him a wage, food and clothes as Jesus offers his son to us, the father offers the prodigal son a robe, puts a ring around his finger and celebrates him.
Micah has a semblance like God but his reach for an actual high priest makes all unbelievers like this, whereas the prodigal son out of love with the father because of his inheritance, Micah love for idols overwhelms him into seeking for a true high priest, Jesus. So, Micah welcomes a righteous man from a Levite lineage and gets blessed. (Matthew 10: 40 – 42).
Micah rejoiced at seeing a Levite, the prodigal son rejoiced at seeing his son who was once lost. Micah had sons but still welcomed a Levite as his son (unbeliever reach for Jesus), so the prodigal son had an older son (saved believer walking in obedience) but still welcome his son (the lost one).
He does not treat us as our sins deserve or repay us according to our iniquities. Psalm 103: 6 - 12
In the heat and bust of the city, I have been trying to joggle Gods work and actual getting finances from labor. Two things dawned on me. I once taught I did not know how God rewards us but clearly the scriptures say he does not repay us according to our iniquities.
A young man who had broken his father’s rule limiting his movements in the community refused to return home one night, afraid of the punishment awaiting him. He sought refuge in the nearby residence of his father’s close friend. He told his host that his father was a temperamental man. In his anger, he would scourge him in excess of his wrongdoing. He pleaded with him to allow him to stay away from such an injury – inflicting parent that night.
Christians with a perfect understanding of the relationship they have with their heavenly father do not harbor such misgivings. They know that, as emphasized by today’s text, God’s mercy and grace run deeper that our faults and failures. He chastens them when they err. He would not pamper them. He would not want their sin to take them into eternal perdition in hell. So, as they realize their transgression and seek forgiveness, he returns them graciously into his warm embrace, giving them more grace to live the overcoming life.
Only an exceptionally loving father would not reward us “according to our iniquities”. Not one soul can stand his full wrath if it should come upon man. His holiness would not stand sin. Though he is gracious and merciful, we must not take this for granted or as a liberty to indulge in sin.
As we receive the mercy of our gracious God, we should express our appreciation by constantly staying away from sinful acts, thoughts and appearances that offend and provoke him.
Pleasing the Lord all the days of our lives must become our priority. And we receive grace to do this as we pray.
God’s grace embraces us in our inadequacy and strengthens us with his mercy for righteous living.
Songs:
we don’t want to miss the things of God, while we are on this earth.
In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth. Genesis 1: 1
Song writer, Bill Staines, struck the right chord when he wrote, “All things bright and beautiful; all creatures great and small; all things wise and wonderful; the Lord God made them all”! Whichever way man turns, he will always be confronted with the evidence of God as the origin of his environment, outer space and beyond. He will be dwarfed by the overwhelming aura of God’s greatness. He spoke all things into existence as the Bible declares and he ordains their movements. No one is able to displace what God put in place since creation.
An irrefutable account of the origin of the world and the beginning of all things showcases in today’s Bible passage. God is here seen as the Source of all creations who spoke everything into existence. The creation story follows a sequential order that ends with a conclusive affirmation that all God created was beautiful without a single mistake and no creature is useless.
In the LORD’s hand the king’s heart is a stream of water that he channels toward all who please him. Proverbs 21: 1
Coming to terms with the reality of the Bibles version of creation would save humanity unnecessary labor. For instance, the ancient Greek philosophers and scientists were confused about the shape of the earth. At a point, some said it was flat. Those who disagreed could not provide an acceptable answer. Yet, the Lord, thousands of years before them, had revealed the planets shape through Prophet Isaiah. He said He “sitteth upon the circle of the earth” Isaiah 40:22
Believing the biblical account of the creation story strengthens our faith in such a mighty God made the awesome world. As we look at the beauty of creation, we are compelled to conclude that they are the handiwork of a very skillful designer who can surely beautify and sustain us, the crown of his creation! Psalm 2:8-12
We may not see all of God, but all we see of him persuades us about his grandeur.
Today, I realized the opportunity an employer gave me was to use to do a savior complex, because he saw what had happened to me, but never could really pay the price for helping me but had to act like it to be a “savior”. Well, aren’t we free indeed! why help to behave like a savior that can’t meet the expectations of one; I am glad we have one savior and that is JESUS. I am like we don’t have a white savior complex too we obviously have a black man savior complex were helping your own people makes you a savior! what should Jesus who saved me do! Glory CHASERS!
As today’s story goes:
Thirty-four years after graduating from a university in the United States of America, a therapist called the school to say she cheated in the final exam. The institution did not revoke her degree. Instead, they asked her to write an article on integrity. Another woman who was being celebrated for a walk around the world confessed she did not deserve the honor because she rode in a truck for part of the trip. She said, “I should not remember as the first woman to walk round the world when I cheated.”
These two persons were fully liberated from their sinful nature after receiving Jesus Christ as their Savior and Lord. They were no longer slaves to guilt that denied them joy and peace. When the Lord frees us from the power of sin at salvation, we receive boldness to go on to make necessary restitutions for past sins without shame. The liberty he gives us is the highest form of deliverance. No longer are we held bonded by the power of guilt, condemnation and the wicked one.
A True form of Salvation, from a savior who actually saves.
Man cannot experience true freedom and peace unless he hearkens to the pleas of the Son of God to come for his rest. Without him, man will continue to trudge in his delusion that prosperity and the giant strides in scientific inventions will bring about emancipation from the grave effects of sin. Sin and its products in the world enslave and disconnect the creature from his creator.
Besides, the freedom that is guaranteed in the constitutions of the nations of the world does not address the integrity deficit of a depraved man BECAUSE there is a missing link in what they offer. Sinners must accept the Lord to access the life-transforming offer, which he promises to those who come to him for true freedom.
Freedom from self is pure freedom and it comes from Christ.
Jesus turning water to wine is my favorite Jesus story as child. Probably because it’s a miracle we all need when we need saving at the right place and the right time. But as examine the scriptures, the wedding shows the covenant that Jesus has with us. You notice when a covenant is to be broken or made (see Esther), Parables (stories): wine is always present typically as with the enactment of the same laws governing Jesus’ death.
John 19:33-34 But when they came to Jesus and found that he was already dead, they did not break his legs. 34 Instead, one of the soldiers pierced Jesus’ side with a spear, bringing a sudden flow of blood and water.
His sides were pierced, and water came out and blood symbolizing water to wine, a new covenant through Christ Jesus. The communion stating this is my blood for the new covenant Matthew 26:28. We are filled when we thirst, so as jars/vessels in Jesus family through the covenant by his blood. We draw water from the wells of salvation. This is why Jesus satisfies our thirst (the woman by the well), thirst and hunger for righteousness. Jesus first saves us by giving us living water of salvation and when we are filled with his spirit; feeds our need for righteousness.
Cana -> abundance of reed or cane in a particular area.
Galilee -> fertile mountains.
Jesus fills our temple (body), so one will not fill it with material things. This is why the concluding story of turning water to wine; the next story you would see is Jesus clearing the temple courts. Luke 2: 13 – 20 with whips out of cords where money exchangers turned his father’s house into a marketplace. John 2: 20 clearly shows the temple was his body. we have this earthly temple called the BODY, what are we feeding our body with?
Luke 2: 25, Psalm 118: 8 – 9
He is our abundance of everything in every area, turns deserts into mountains. We are all like the 6 stone jars filled up.
When you go into battle in your own land against an enemy who is oppressing you, sound a blast on the trumpets. Then you will be remembered by the Lord your God and rescued from your enemies. Number 10: 9
There was a story about a Scottish Highlands widow whose only son sends her monthly letter. The old lady was bitter that her son in Australia did not care about her. One day, a visitor asked what her son had done for her. She replied, “He writes to me regularly, once a month, but only sends me a little picture with his letter.” That “little picture” was actually her monthly upkeep money, but her ignorance of the worth of the currency left her wallowing in poverty.
Equally, in our text, God made provisions for Israel, his chosen people that looked simply but had the potency to command his mighty intervention on their behalf. The Lord instructed them to make two silver trumpets that would be used for special occasions – to order their movement, to assemble the congregation, to encourage their armies in battle and on festive priests (the sons of Aaron). However, the nation’s history showed until their enemies defeated them. But whenever they moved at God’s command victory and success came their way.
Believers are privileged to have guiding and shielding instruments such as God’s word, the name of Jesus, his atoning possibilities. The challenge is not whether there is enough to go around everyone but if his children will tap these resources in their hour of need.
To see God manifest his power on our behalf, we must obey his word, remain in faith, pray fervently and continue to sound the alarm of the gospel message to the unconverted. if we do these, no power will stand against us.
Move at God’s pace and get to the right destination at the right time.
Brethren, be followers together of me, and mark them which walk so as ye have us for an ensample. 18 (For many walks, of whom I have told you often, and now tell you even weeping, that they are the enemies of the cross of Christ:
4 “You shall not make for yourself an image in the form of anything in heaven above or on the earth beneath or in the waters below. 5 You shall not bow down to them or worship them; for I, the Lord your God, am a jealous God, punishing the children for the sin of the parents to the third and fourth generation of those who hate me, 6 but showing love to a thousand generations of those who love me and keep my commandments.
7 “You shall not misuse the name of the Lord your God, for the Lord will not hold anyone guiltless who misuses his name.
Welcome to today’s devotion. Strange things never stop happening in a strange world. The Washington post carried this very strange news about a religious man in Euless, Texas, who was often SEEN reading the bible. The 41-year-old man was arrested on the 1st day of October 2021 in connection with the death of three people whose dismembered bodies were found in a burning dumpster. The avid bible-reading man was known to talk about God always, and he often expressed a desire to help people, However, his actions were in total variance with what he purportedly preached and advocated.
Ater being arrested, he was charged with the killings of three people: a 42-year-old man and two other unnamed women. He also allegedly admitted to the killing of two other people in the past. According to the narrative of the Washington Post, the religious man invited the 42-year-old man to his hotel room around mid-September 2021. In the room, he felt that 42-year-old man should be sacrificed. He then proceeded to cut his throat. He dismembered his body thereafter and placed the remains in a plastic storage bin. About two days after he did that, he decided that a female friend who also visited him in the hotel room also needed to be sacrificed. He proceeded to cut her throat and dismembered her body. After another 2 days, he set out again to kill another person. He killed another female visitor, and also dismembered her body. HE transported the remains to a dumpster and set them on fire. During police interrogation, the religious man confessed to the killings and referred to them as sacrifices. Wow! indeed, many people use the name of the LORD IN vain! Some people are using God or his name to do terrible things. Today’s scripture refers to them as people whose God is their belly. They are using God, rather than God using them, BE different!
Prayer Point!
Songs:
Father, in the year 2024, preserve me and my family from those who use your name to do evil.
O lord, let the fore of true repentance and revival come upon your CHURCH AGAIN. Expose every evil commercial pastor this year!
Heavenly Lord, open the eyes of your people discern between good and evil.
I shall not be a victim of a False Gospel in Jesus name.
We show that we are LETTERS FROM CHRIST, the result of our MINISTRY, written not with ink but with SPIRIT of living God, not on tablets of STONES but on tablets of HUMAN HEARTS. 2 Corinthians 3 vs 3
Not that we are competent in ourselves, but our competency comes FROM GOD ministry that brought DEATH = engraved in letters on stones came with glory. (transitory it was)
MINISTRY of the SPIRIT = is even more glorious because it brings righteousness through Christ. The law puts a VEIL OVER OUR FACE (shame tried to cover in the garden) to prevent the end from passing away. So, their minds are made DULL, FOR to this day the same veil remains when the OLD TESTAMENT IS READ. But only in CHRIST is it taken away; the revelation of unveiled glory is in CHRIST; this is why the veil was thorn and the partition was taken away when Jesus died. Matthew 27: 51. This is why the Old Testament veils Christ in characters (in Moses as a deliverer, David as a king who bring the kingdom of God i.e. the church, he reveals himself in man) and the New Testament reveals CHRIST as the son of God. This why a veil covers the hearts of men when the law of Moses is read, but as we turn to the LORD Jesus Christ the veil is taken away.
The Lord Jesus is SPIRIT AND WHERE the spirit of the lord is; there is FREEDOM. So, when we see Jesus, we contemplate the Lord’s glory as we are being transformed into Christs image with ever increasing glory, which comes from the LORD, who is SPIRIT.
CHAPTER 4 – the teaching of the (Old Testament) and the preaching of Jesus (New Testament)
The dictionary meaning of teaching is to enact knowledge using examples. Preaching is based on the church, where we bring the kingdom of God (Jesus) down to show who God is. So, we preach Jesus and teach the Old Testament. It is Jesus that is the kingdom of God, because he taught the kingdom of heaven see Matthew 4:17, Matthew 3:2. This is why the kingdom of God is within us, his spirit in us. https://www.dictionary.com/browse/preacher
For example, Matthew 3: 1-2 ‘John the Baptist, preaching in the wilderness of Judaea, and saying, Repent ye: for the kingdom of heaven is at hand.’
Since we have Christ ministry of life within us, we renounce SECRET AND SHAMEFUL WAYS, we do not use Deception, nor do we distort the truth of the WORD of God. We set forth TRUTH plainly. We commend ourselves to everyone’s conscience in the sight of ELOHIM. If the gospel is VEILED, it is from those who the GOD OF THIS AGE has BLINDED THEIR minds (making them unbelievers), so they cannot see the light of the gospel.
FOR what we preach is not ourselves, but JESUS CHRIST as lord (what we teach can also be the word of God) but we PREACH Jesus Christ. For God said let light shine out of darkness, so light will shine in our hearts to give us LIGHT of the knowledge of Gods glory displayed in the FACE of Christ. So, we can see Christ who is the face of God without veil.
But we have this treasure in JARS OF CLAY to show that this all-surpassing power is from God and not in despair; PERSECUTED but not abandoned, struck down but not destroyed. we carry around in OUR BODY the death of JESUS, so the life of Christ is revealed in US.
Therefore, do not lose heart, though outwardly you are wasting away inwardly we are being renewed day by day. For our light affliction/troubles is achieving us an eternal glory that far outweighs them ALL. So, fix your eyes not on what is SEEN, but on what is UNSEEN, since what is SEEN is temporary but what is UNSEEN is eternal.
In our human world, we have the ministry of works, ministry of transport and government is on Jesus’s shoulder. Isaiah 9:6. so is the ministry of the spirit and letters. The spirit super cedes the letters of the law.
We see the law is used to condemn or acquit/justify a person and it followed harsh punishment. So, they came to Jesus in John 8:5; saying the LAW commands us to stone such woman. They kept questioning Jesus then Jesus said, “Let anyone without sin, be the first to cast a STONE”. They turned away one after the other. Jesus asked the woman where her accusers were, and she said, “they are gone”. Jesus said no one condemns you and neither do I.
In a sense, we ALL have sins is why we don't have the right to condemn a person by the LAW; we can condemn sin but not the sinner. Jobs friends ended up condemning him than refuting him. Because our righteousness is not based on the LAW, but by grace and grace and truth is JESUS.
We ought to be as Jesus is, the LIGHT of the world to follow him that we will never walk in darkness but have his light of Life. Jesus was teaching us the LAW are a form of human JUDGEMENT/Standards (versus 15), but we should pass judgement on no one as he did with the woman caught in adultery. Because Jesus is the father’s son, and his spirit judges the law of the spirit not the flesh as the spirit searches all things. It is thus true that without the spirit of God, we can’t make sound judgements. Jesus calls him the spirit of truth. It is an element of himself given to us. He then references the human, also that the testimony of two witness is true, why? 1) God the father is Jesus’ witness 2) he testifies of himself. If a person does not know Jesus or believe in Jesus, you will not believe the words he says and therefore not know the father (scriptures say no man cometh to the father except through me) here it is restated in John 8: 9. Notice Jesus confronted them in the temple courts about their judgements, but no one harmed him, because his hour had not come yet. As they kept disputing over who Jesus was, he said they’d die in their SIN (why the same unbelief in him). He reaffirms we are not of this world as Jesus is, we are above as Christ Jesus is seated at the right hand of the throne of God, because that is where our thoughts should linger to. Jesus says this in John 8 VS 23. Thereafter, Jesus refuses to make further discussion on judgement by the law or the spirit because he says his words are from the father and he is not to say more than he heard from the LORD. John 8: 26
Jesus does only what pleases his father in heaven. Some Jews believed in him: he told them to hold fast to his teachings as they were his DISCIPLES. God’s word is TRUE, and the word becomes FLESH is TRUTH, thus this truth sets us free. They begin to claim that they are Abraham’s seed, but Jesus said only when we are not slaves to sin are we Abraham’s seed. Abraham obeyed Gods word, voice and commands; so, he is not a slave to sin, and this is RIGHTEOUSNESS. Notice murder was in the hearts of those who Jesus spoke the truth to John 8:37. Once there are no room for God’s word to dwell in a person, he will have hatred in his heart for truth and that why men silence the truth (Jesus) by killing it. Jesus backed this up by saying if they were really Abraham’s children, they would do what Abraham did (i.e. obey Gods voice) John 8: 39. Abraham never killed (had murder in his heart, he believed the truth of God’s word, Jesus says Abraham did not do such (John 8 vs 40). He thus tells the Jews they are doing the works of their father the devil who was a murderer (Killing Adam and Eve Spiritually) verse 44-45. Lies kills a person, and the devil lied to eve so she would eat the forbidden fruit (apple) and desire wrongly (see 42 – 44). We can kill someone with our words, Jezebels testimony against Naboth got him killed. This is why God those 9 sins in Proverbs 6:16-19. When one has to kill someone, you will lie against a person, i.e. is slander the person the character; Jezebel did this and then her desire to kill entered (murder). Jesus likens this to the works of the devil. They weren’t able to believe this because they did not believe in Jesus. (John 8: 44).
Jesus says if we obey his words, we will not see death as the devil intended when he introduced SIN. This is why sexual immoral, slanderers, greedy person can enter the kingdom of God. They because of this called Jesus a SAMARITAN and demon possessed but Jesus said he was seeking the father’s honor. Whose HONOR are you seeking today? God or Man.
Before Abraham was, I AM.
SONGS
As the law is applied in our heart Hebrews 10:16, so there is a natural conviction in man, but the TRUTH we tell is what the Lord will use to bring judgement or repentance in a person before the FIRE of God’s judgement (wrath) is revealed.
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