Independence Day 2025

 Independence Day

July 4, 2025

Psalms 33:8 (NASB95) Let all the earth fear the LORD; Let all the inhabitants of the world stand in awe of Him.

Psalms 33:12 (NASB95) Blessed is the nation whose God is the LORD, The people whom He has chosen for His own inheritance.

“And whereas it is the duty of nations as well as of men, to own their dependence upon the overruling power of God ... and to recognize the sublime truth, announced in the Holy Scriptures and proven by all history, that those nations only are blessed whose God is the Lord.”

Abraham Lincoln

Happy Birthday, America! Today we celebrate “One nation, under God, indivisible…” , but in a time when there are forces that are trying to divide us. We are in a similar time to those in which Abraham Lincoln lived. (I was born in the land of Lincoln, so always like to quote good ole’ Abe.) In the time of the Civil War, there were those on both sides who quoted scripture and claimed that God was on their side. When someone asked President Lincoln if he believed that the North was on God’s side, he replied "Sir, my concern is not whether God is on our side; my greatest concern is to be on God's side, for God is always right." ~ Abraham Lincoln

In this simple saying, he highlighted the true issue; are we striving to be on God’s side? At another time, he quoted Psalm 33 which says that the nation is blessed who's God is the Lord. The Lord made the nations and is God of the whole earth, but He only will bless a nation who acknowledges Him. The answer for our nation’s revitalization is for a spiritual revival in which the people return to the Lord and call upon Him. When the people repent, and cease to call for the Lord to be on their side, but acknowledge their sin and strive to be on the Lord’s side, then peace can come. The forces of the evil one strive to foment civil war, strife and division, but if we as a people return to the Lord, he will bring peace, prosperity and reconciliation. 

So today, as we celebrate the birthday of America, let us call upon God, the Lord of all the nations, to bless America, because we, as a people, are calling upon Him to be a people worth blessing. Cease striving and know that I am God. When we repent, and call upon Him, He will hear from heaven and heal our land.

Humility and Healing

 Humility and Healing

July 3, 2025

Proverbs 3:5-8 (NASB95) 

5 Trust in the LORD with all your heart And do not lean on your own understanding. 6 In all your ways acknowledge Him, And He will make yourpaths straight. 7 Do not be wise in your own eyes; Fear the LORD and turn away from evil. 8 It will be healing to your body And refreshment to your bones.

Proverbs 4:20-22 (NASB95) 

20 My son, give attention to my words; Incline your ear to my sayings. 21 Do not let them depart from your sight; Keep them in the midst of yourheart. 22 For they are life to those who find them And health to all their body.

The subject of last evening’s Bible study was “Humility and Confidence”. That is a hard subject to teach  because you can’t claim to be humble lest you loose your humility to pride! Anyway, the Bible attributes many benefits to the man who is humble. In Proverbs 3, the writer admonishes, “be not wise in your own eyes; Fear the Lord… It will be healing to your body…”. I had never associated humility with healing before, but it makes sense that walking humbly before your God and living in the fear of the Lord would lead to a healthy life. The proverbs repeatedly warn against the dangers of pride and arrogance. So it stands to reason that if pride leads to difficulties and problems in your body, that the opposite could lead to good health. 

The Old Testament law is full of instructions of what to eat and what not to eat. To the arrogant one, these seem to be senseless restrictions, but when you look at the dietary laws in the light of modern medical science, many of the prohibited items are indeed unhealthy. This was particularly true in ancient times before modern methods of sanitation and medicine were available. I’m not saying that eating kosher is a requirement for a Christian, but I do think that you will be healthier if you stick to the foods allowed by the Torah. (Except for bacon of course. No southern man can live without bacon!) But seriously, walking humbly and giving attention to the Word of the Lord will lead to health and healing. When I was a child, they used to put it to me in the saying, “Don’t drink or smoke or chew, or run with those who do.” The boys would make fun of the old ladies that quoted this to us, but there is some wisdom there. Staying away from the things that the Lord says are harmful will lead to a healthy and happy life, despite what the popular crowd says. They encourage all sorts of debauchery which sounds fun to a young man, but which will lead to all sorts of disease and difficulties in the end.

Bottom line, living humbly and walking in the fear of the Lord, leads to the benefit of good health and long life according to the Proverbs. 

Prayer of Faith

 Prayer of Faith

July 2, 2025

Mark 11:24-25

24 Therefore I say to you, all things for which you pray and ask, believe that you have received them, and they will be granted you. 25 Wheneveryou stand praying, forgive, if you have anything against anyone, so that your Father who is in heaven will also forgive you your transgressions.

James 5:13-16

13 Is anyone among you suffering? Then he must pray. Is anyone cheerful? He is to sing praises. 14 Is anyone among you sick? Then he must call for the elders of the church and they are to pray over him, anointing him with oil in the name of the Lord; 15 and the prayer offeredin faith will restore the one who is sick, and the Lord will raise him up, and if he has committed sins, they will be forgiven him. 16 Therefore, confess your sins to one another, and pray for one another so that you may be healed. The effective prayer of a righteous man can accomplish much.

This week, we have been talking about intercessory prayer, which is basically praying for someone else. When we see sickness and oppression in those around you, you want to see them healed and set free. But what is the key to seeing those prayers answered? In Mark 11, Jesus instructs his disciples to pray, believing that they would receive an answer. So how do you pray and believe? That is one of the eternal questions of the Christian walk. Even the disciples, that walked with Jesus for three years struggled to believe. In the passage in Mark, the discussion started when they saw the withered fig tree that Jesus had cursed the day before. They saw the immediate results of Jesus’ prayer, and yet they had difficulty believing, so how do we pray in faith? I don’t think there is a pat answer. Part of the answer is just to commit to walk with Jesus regardless of what you see. After the disciples saw the fig tree wither and die in one day, they had more faith than they did the day before. So faith can grow when you see the results of prayer. 

Another key is forgiveness. Both of the passages quoted couple the prayer of faith with forgiveness. We will not see our prayers answered if we harbor unforgiveness in our heart. Forgiving and being forgiven increases our faith. When we truly repent and realize the great power in forgiveness, it becomes easier to pray for others,  believing that they also will be forgiven and healed.

There is a lot more that can be said about this topic, but the important thing is to do what you know to do. Pray and believe, in what little faith you have today, and that faith will grow, so that tomorrow, you will see more results than today. Keep repenting and confessing, and forgiveness will cleans your soul so that the power of the Holy Spirit can more more freely in you life. Commit to walk with Jesus every day, and listen to His voice. He will teach you to pray and believe, and when you have more faith, you will see more people healed and set free.

Intercession

 Intercession

July 1, 2025

Romans 8:26-28

26 In the same way the Spirit also helps our weakness; for we do not know how to pray as we should, but the Spirit Himself intercedes for us with groanings too deep for words; 27 and He who searches the hearts knows what the mind of the Spirit is, because He intercedes for thesaints according to the will of God.

28 And we know that God causes all things to work together for good to those who love God, to those who are called according to His purpose.

Romans 8:34b

Christ Jesus is He who died, yes, rather who was raised, who is at the right hand of God, who also intercedes for us.

Hebrews 7:23-25

23The former priests, on the one hand, existed in greater numbers because they were prevented by death from continuing, 24 but Jesus, on the other hand, because He continues forever, holds His priesthood permanently. 25 Therefore He is able also to save forever those who draw near to God through Him, since He always lives to make intercession for them.

1 John 2:1-2

1 My little children, I am writing these things to you so that you may not sin. And if anyone sins, we have an Advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous; 2 and He Himself is the propitiation for our sins; and not for ours only, but also for those of the whole world.

 

1 Peter 2:9

9 But you are A CHOSEN RACE, A royal PRIESTHOOD, A HOLY NATION, A PEOPLE FOR God’s OWN POSSESSION, so that you may proclaimthe excellencies of Him who has called you out of darkness into His marvelous light;

What is intercession? The Websters (1828) definition is:

INTERCES'SION, n. [L. intercessio, from intercedo. See Intercede.]

The act of interceding; mediation; interposition between parties at variance, with a view to reconciliation; prayer or solicitation to one party in favor of another, sometimes against another.

In the Bible verses quoted above, there are actually three Greek words used that have various shades of meaning of intercede, advocate and help. But the general idea is that someone is standing up for someone else, to represent and plead for them, like a lawyer would do for you in court. In Hebrews 7, we see that intercession was one of the roles of the Levitical priests, but is a role that has been taken over by Jesus, our great Hight Priest. In Romans, there is further clarification of how Jesus intercedes for us and in Romans 8, we see how the Holy Spirit also intercedes for us. So intercession is a priestly function that is performed by Jesus and the Holy Spirit as they represent us before the Father.

We are also called the royal priesthood in first Peter, so we also have a role in intercession. We have the privilege of taking the concerns of others before the Father in Heaven to plead their case, as it were. When we need help understanding the way to do this, we have the Holy Spirit, who is our helper and intercessor, to give us the words to use. So let us exercise or priestly responsibilities and help those around us to pray. We can help them pray and bring their concerns to our Heavenly Father, in the confidence that he hears our prayers and will answer them. 

Intercessroy Prayer

 Intercessory Prayer

June 30, 2025

1 Samuel 1:9-10 (NASB95) 

9 Then Hannah rose after eating and drinking in Shiloh. Now Eli the priest was sitting on the seat by the doorpost of the temple of the LORD. 10 She, greatly distressed, prayed to the LORD and wept bitterly.

1 Samuel 1:17 (NASB95) 

Then Eli answered and said, “Go in peace; and may the God of Israel grant your petition that you have asked of Him.”

The topic of our Bible study this week is intercessory prayer; in particular prophetic intercession. That’s not a topic I’m a real expert at. Praying for others involves a certain amount on empathy, or sympathy, and that is something I’ve always struggled with. But in praying about the topic this morning, I was prompted to read the passage in Samuel about Hannah praying for a son. 

She went up to the house of the Lord to pray, weeping and crying in her intense desire to have a son. The priest, Eli, was not a very compassionate man. He misinterpreted Hanna’s crying as the ravings of an intoxicated woman. But when he understood her concern, he prayed a simple prayer and it was answered. So what is the lesson in this? 

It might have been of some comfort to Hannah if he had understood her plight, but simple understanding might not have helped her. But he prayed a simple prayer, in the name of the God of Israel, and he had the authority, as high priest to intercede on her behalf. That prayer was answered the next year when Samuel was born. So I think the lesson here is that we need to pray in authority, praying in the Name of Jesus, and let the Holy Spirit guide our prayers to the real need. We may not understand the inner heart issues that cause someone to need to pray, but the Holy Spirit does. So we need to listen to the Holy Spirit, and pray for others in the authority and insight that He gives. It is not our human insight or compassion that helps a person, but it is the power of God, through the Holy Spirit that will work miracles in someone’s life to bring healing and deliverance. It is a comfort to someone when we understand and sympathize, and listening to people is important. But in the end, it is the power of the Holy Spirit, through intercessory prayer, that will deliver them from their true heart issues. So listen to the voice of the Holy Spirit and pray accordingly. Perhaps you will see a Samuel born in the life of a Hannah that will bring joy and peace into her life.

Apples of Gold

 Apples of Gold

June 25, 2025

Proverbs 25:11-13 (NASB95) 

11 Like apples of gold in settings of silver Is a word spoken in right circumstances. 12 Like an earring of gold and an ornamentof fine gold Is a wise reprover to a listening ear. 13 Like the cold of snow in the time of harvest Is a faithful messenger to those who send him, For he refreshes the soul of his masters.

Yesterday, we talked about hearing God. But communication is a two way street. What do you say to God? Also, what do you say to others about God? Many times, when God speaks to you, the message isn’t for you alone, but is a word that you need to share with someone else. Such a word is like apples of gold in a setting of silver. The wise reprover in this proverb is one who clearly heard the word of God, understood its meaning, and with wisdom, spoke that word to instruct another. If you are a parent, you know that reproof is not always received with a listening ear. It is a wise man who can apply the word of God to a situation and give a message to another in a manner that is received gladly. The writer of the proverb likens this to new fallen snow in the fall. It refreshes and brings beauty to a previously bleak landscape. After the harvest, a field is just barren and filled with brown stubble, but a layer of snow will transform this vista into a magical wonderland, all sparkling and white. A word spoken in the right circumstances has the same effect. An encouraging word can transform a bleak situation into something wonderful. So, listen to the voice of God, and use wisdom to speak into situations that require an encouraging word. Be a faithful messenger and refresh the soul of those in your circle who need the instruction and encouragement from the Lord.

Hearing God

 Hearing God

June 24, 2025

Matthew 11:15

15 He who has ears to hear, let him hear.

This weeks lesson is on hearing God. We have also been watching season 5 of “The Chosen”. It was interesting that in the latest episode, there were a couple examples of hearing God. Twice, disciples expressed concern about the events of Passover week, and what could happen to Jesus. Jesus’ comment to them was, “You’ve been listening”. In contrast to this, there was an extended conversation depicted between Jesus and Judas. They talked for a long time, but Judas never “heard” Jesus. Judas had preconceived notions about what the Messiah should do, and he couldn’t hear what Jesus was saying about what He would actually do. His lack of hearing, of understanding, and of obedience, led to his downfall. This was in sharp contrast to the other disciples who heard Jesus and began to prepare themselves for the events of Passover. They didn’t fully comprehend yet, but heard enough to know that something big was coming and began to prepare themselves.

Likewise, Jesus speaks to us today, but do we hear Him? Are we like Judas and preoccupied with out preconceived notions so that we can’t really hear Jesus, or are we like the other disciples who heard, not only Jesus words, but saw His heart, and prepared themselves to do whatever He told them. When Jesus speaks, we may have to change our plans. His plans for us must take precedence. When we commit to do His will, then He will tell us what it is. Pastor Joseph used to tell us that the Christian walk was much like signing a contract. We sign at the bottom, but the unique detail of a Christian life contract, is that none of the details are visible in the paper above! We sign it and commit to do His will, and then he gradually begins to fill in the details. It is sometimes surprising, and usually unexpected, but it is always a blessing when we do the things that He has planned for out life.