Power and Authority

 Power and Authority

May 15, 2026

Luke 9:1-2 (NKJV) 

1Then He called His twelve disciples together and gave them power and authority over all demons, and to cure diseases. 2 He sent them to preach the kingdom of God and to heal the sick.

Matthew 28:18-20 (NASB)

18 And Jesus came up and spoke to them, saying, “All authority has been given toMe in heaven and on earth. 19 Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit, 20 teaching them to observe all that I commanded you; and lo, I am with you always, even to the end of the age.”

Ephesians 1:19-21

19 and what is the surpassing greatness of His power toward us who believe. These are in accordance with the working of the strength of His might 20 which He brought about in Christ, when He raised Him from the dead and seated Him at His right hand in the heavenly places, 21 far above all rule and authority and power and dominion, and every name that is named, not only in this age but also in the one to come.

1 Peter 3:21-22

21 Corresponding to that, baptism now saves you—not the removal of dirt from theflesh, but an appeal to God for a good conscience—through the resurrection of Jesus Christ, 22 who is at the right hand of God, having gone into heaven, after angels and authorities and powers had been subjected to Him.

Revelation 12:10-11

10 Then I heard a loud voice in heaven, saying,

“Now the salvation, and the power, and the kingdom of our God and the authority of His Christ have come, for the accuser of our brethren has been thrown down, he who accuses them before our God day and night. 11 And they overcame him because of the blood of the Lamb and because of the word of their testimony, and they did not love their life even when faced with death.

Yesterday, we were talking about becoming courageous. And the reason that we need to be courageous is so that we can carry out the great commission. And to preach the gospel and make disciples we need to have the courage to exercise the power and authority that He has given us. Through this power we can preach the Word with authority, heal the sick, raise the dead and  se the captives free. So, go therefore, and make disciples…

Becoming Courageous

 Becoming Courageous 

May 14, 2026

Acts 4:13

13 Now as they observed the confidence of Peter and John and understood that theywere uneducated and untrained men, they were amazed, and began to recognize them as having been with Jesus.

Acts 4:31

31 And when they had prayed, the place where they had gathered together wasshaken, and they were all filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak the word of God with boldness.

The lesson on “Becoming Courageous” at our mid-week Bible study was very interesting. The Bible is full of stories of courageous people who performed mighty deeds for the Lord, but the basic point of this lesson was that there was something that happened to these people to make them courageous. In the gospels, the apostles were often uncertain and fearful, but in the book of Acts, they are confident and spoke boldly even in the face of much opposition. What happened to them in the meantime? What transformed uneducated and untrained men into mighty men that performed great signs and wonders and who could speak the word of God with boldness?

The difference is Acts 2, the day of Pentecost. It was an encounter with the Holy Spirit that transformed them and filled them with courage. This gives hope to all of us who may think of ourselves as ordinary and not particularly courageous. It gives us hope that we also can be filled with the Holy. Spirit and be emboldened to do whatever the Lord calls us to do. It is the authority of Jesus and the power of the Holy Spirit who enables us to go forth and make disciples. Jesus gave the command in Matthew 28 to go forth, but it wasn’t until Acts 2 that the apostles were able to respond and preach the gospel to the nations. So take heart. You too can become courageous if you seek the Lord and ask the Holy Spirit to fill your heart with confidence and boldness.

Sacrifice

 Sacrifice

May 13, 2026

2 Samuel 24:24-25 (NKJV) 

24 Then the king said to Araunah, “No, but I will surely buy [it] from you for a price;nor will I offer burnt offerings to the LORD my God with that which costs me nothing.” So David bought the threshing floor and the oxen for fifty shekels of silver. 25 And David built there an altar to the LORD, and offered burnt offerings and peace offerings. So the LORD heeded the prayers for the land, and the plague was withdrawn from Israel.

The lesson from today’s scripture is simple. If you are going to give something to the Lord, it has to cost you something. Liberals could learn something from this. Asking the government to feed the hungry is not an offering. A true offering of alms has to come from your own resources. Government largess may make you feel better, but it doesn’t necessarily please the Lord and doesn’t help the needy as much as your personal involvement in their lives. When you give something of your own, person to person, there is a spiritual and human benefit. It is a sacrifice that pleases the Lord. So be like King David; do not offer a sacrifice that costs yiu nothing.

Discernment

 Discernment

May 12, 2026

Malachi 3:18 (NKJV) Then you shall again discern Between the righteous and the wicked, Between one who serves God And one who does not serve Him.

Hebrews 5:14 (NKJV) But solid food belongs to those who are of full age, [that is,] those who by reason of use have their senses exercised to discern both good and evil.

Sometimes it’s hard to tell the players without a scorecard. In this mid-term election year, there is a lot said about all the candidates, mostly bad, but it’s not always easy to tell who is telling the truth. At least with politicians, you have a voting record to look at. The past doesn’t always predict the future, but it gives you some idea of their basic character. Discernment is needed to tell who has good character and who is just play acting. But one thing about stressful times is that it reveals underlying character. That is true in engineering as well. When you put materials under stress, the embedded faults appear. One thing you can say about President Trump is that he is putting his enemies under stress and revealing their hidden faults. Even the nation of Iran appeared to be a strong power until the US military applied pressure and revealed it’s hidden weaknesses. That matter remains to be fully resolved, but there is less to fear that Iran will ever be a nuclear power and threaten the whole world.

Discernment. The scriptures today tell us that there will come a time when God’s people will be able to discern between the righteous and the wicked. A time when mature Christians will discern both good and evil. We certainly are coming into a time when discernment is required. And also courage. When the wicked are revealed, it will take courage to deal with them according to their evil deeds. One of the problems with our world today is that evil men have been allowed to roam freely, pursuing their hateful acts, and bringing fear to the people. We pray for courageous leaders to emerge that will have the strength of purpose to deal with this evil and bring justice and peace to our land. So pray for our leaders and vote with wisdom that they will have discernment and courage.

Faith vs. Fear and Decption

 Faith vs. Fear and Deception

May 11, 2026

Luke 21:7-9 (NKJV) 

7 So they asked Him, saying, “Teacher, but when will these things be? And what sign [will there be] when these things are about to take place?” 8 And He said: “Take heed that you not be deceived. For many will come in My name, saying, ‘I am [He,]’ and, ‘The time has drawn near.’ Therefore do not go after them. 9 “But when you hear of wars and commotions, do not be terrified; for these things must come to pass first, but the end [will] not [come] immediately.”

Revelation 18:23 (NKJV) - The Fall of Babylon

“Thelight of a lamp shall not shine in you anymore, and the voice of bridegroom and bride shall not be heard in you anymore. For your merchants were the great men of the earth, for by your sorcery all the nations were deceived.

Jesus warned us not to be deceived and not to be terrified for there was coming an age of fear and deception. We are living in such a time now. So how do we live in faith, hope and love in an age such as this? The great men of our times, the millionaires and billionaires practice deception and scheme to oppress the people of the world with famine, wars and pestilence. It’s easy to see all this and be afraid, but we need to keep our eyes on Jesus and remember His words.

John 16:33 (NKJV) 

“These things I have spoken to you, that in Me you may have peace. In the world you will have tribulation; but be of good cheer, I have overcome the world.”

An overcoming faith practices love in the face of hate and exhibits courage in the face of fearful events. We can have peace at heart when the world is at war. So take heart and be of good cheer. Jesus has overcome the world and in Him we have peace.

Joy and Sorrow

 Joy and Sorrow

May 8, 2026

Psalm 32:10-11 (NKJV) 

10Many sorrows [shall be] to the wicked; But he who trusts in the LORD, mercy shall surround him. 11 Be glad in the LORD and rejoice, you righteous; And shout for joy, all [you] upright in heart!

The scripture for today is not one that everyone wants to hear. Basically, this word boils down to the fact that many of our problems are of our own creation. How many times do you hear someone complain of their sorrows and woes, but they are unwilling to consider how they have contributed to their problems and are often unwilling to forgive those who have hurt them. We have found that unforgiveness is the source of many of our problems. A little kindness and forgiveness goes a long way to easing our problems.

The psalm concludes that true joy and gladness comes from doing right. A righteous person is simply one that does the right thing. The Lord will show mercy to one who decides in his heart to do the right thing. So examine your heart. Are your problems a result of something that you did wrong? Are your conflicts with others springing our of something that can be forgiven? Even if you think it is something unforgivable, the Lord in His mercy will give you the ability to forgive if you ask Him. True joy then comes when you reflect the Lords love and mercy to those around you. So shout for joy and decide in your heart to do the right thing.

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Psalm 32:1-11 (NKJV) 

1 [A Psalm] of David. A Contemplation. Blessed [is he whose] transgression [is] forgiven, [Whose] sin [is] covered. 2 Blessed [is] the man to whom the LORD does not impute iniquity, And in whose spirit [there is] no deceit. 3 When I kept silent, my bones grew old Through my groaning all the day long. 4 For day and night Your hand was heavy upon me; My vitality was turned into the drought of summer. Selah 

 

5 I acknowledged my sin to You, And my iniquity I have not hidden. I said, “I will confess my transgressions to the LORD,” And You forgave the iniquity of my sin. Selah 

 

6 For this cause everyone who is godly shall pray to You In a time when You may be found; Surely in a flood of great waters They shall not come near him. 7 You [are] my hiding place; You shall preserve me from trouble; You shall surround me with songs of deliverance. Selah 

 

8 I will instruct you and teach you in the way you should go; I will guide you with My eye. 9 Do not be like the horse [or] like the mule, [Which] have no understanding, Which must be harnessed with bit and bridle, Else they will not come near you. 10 Many sorrows [shall be] to the wicked; But he who trusts in the LORD, mercy shall surround him. 11 Be glad in the LORD and rejoice, you righteous; And shout for joy, all [you] upright in heart!

Tabernacle of David- Sacrifice of Praise

 Tabernacle of David

May 2, 2026

1 Chronicles 16:7-10 (NKJV) 

7 On that day David first delivered [this psalm] into the hand of Asaph and his brethren, to thank the LORD: 8 Oh, give thanks to the LORD! Call upon His name; Make known His deeds among the peoples! 9 Sing to Him, sing psalms to Him; Talk of all His wondrous works! 10 Glory in His holy name; Let the hearts of those rejoice who seek the LORD!

1 Chronicles 16:6 (NKJV) Benaiah and Jahaziel the priests regularly [blew] the trumpets before the ark of the covenant of God.

1 Chronicles 16:41-42 (NKJV) 

41 andwith them Heman and Jeduthun and the rest who were chosen, who were designated by name, to give thanks to the LORD, because His mercy [endures] forever; 42 and with them Heman and Jeduthun, to sound aloud with trumpets and cymbals and the musical instruments of God. Now the sons of Jeduthun [were] gatekeepers.

In today’s scripture, we have the account of the ark of the covenant being restored to Jerusalem and installed in the tent that David had erected for it; the Tabernacle of David. This is an important scripture for all worshipers to understand as it establishes the importance of worship before the Lord. Moses’ tabernacle in the wilderness and the temple in Jerusalem had more of an emphasis on the rituals and sacrifices, but in David’s tabernacle, the major duties of the priests are listed as acts of music and worship. In fact this chapter on the dedication of the tabernacle is a psalm which King David wrote for the occasion. There were animal sacrifices at that time also, but the King realized the the most Important sacrifice was a sacrifice of praise. 

Psalm 69:30-32 (NKJV) 

30 I will praise the name of God with a song, And will magnify Him with thanksgiving. 31 [This] also shall please the LORD better than an ox [or] bull, Which has horns and hooves. 32 The humble shall see [this and] be glad; And you who seek God, your hearts shall live.

Hebrews 13:15-16 (NKJV) 

15 Therefore by Him let us continually offer the sacrifice of praise to God, that is, the fruitof [our] lips, giving thanks to His name. 16 But do not forget to do good and to share, for with such sacrifices God is well pleased.

So let us offer a sacrifice of praise and extol the. And of the Lord our God.