Song of Songs or Song of Soloman

 https://youtu.be/4KC7xE4fgOw?is=p3Ph8blQiihqt8X9

Ecclesiastes

 https://youtu.be/lrsQ1tc-2wk?is=-oAdynaXvlL-QY0x

Proverbs

 https://youtu.be/AzmYV8GNAIM?is=wfVf4AV3fVTZ7zty

Psalms

 https://youtu.be/j9phNEaPrv8?is=cnWJ97pa_kTzOcU4

Job

 https://youtu.be/xQwnH8th_fs?is=SuFvQL2mtjij29R_

Esther

 https://youtu.be/JydNSlufRIs?is=XaAWfg-OFZpJX8tC

Ezra and Nehemiah

 https://youtu.be/MkETkRv9tG8?is=zax47MrhaBi2AnAT

1 and 2 Chronicles

 https://youtu.be/HR7xaHv3Ias?is=JVx72rwAgaeHla3E

1-2 Kings

 https://youtu.be/bVFW3wbi9pk?is=66Pg0jywRc_bYYfF

1 Samuel part 2

 https://youtu.be/YvoWDXNDJgs?is=7tyhsno-VFXJmjSs

1 Samuel

 https://youtu.be/QJOju5Dw0V0?is=nzk9kDnORbRFAnUl

Ruth

 https://youtu.be/0h1eoBeR4Jk?is=UeiHqIUmIvWRe1t7

Judges

 https://youtu.be/kOYy8iCfIJ4?is=nL95TzlQ44nAANZ9

Joshua

 https://youtu.be/JqOqJlFF_eU?is=SeycdExzPDiZoV3m

Deuteronomy

 https://youtu.be/q5QEH9bH8AU?is=rsbcEaFWVYjfaMPr

Numbers

 https://youtu.be/tp5MIrMZFqo?is=cqnhvBj-_nuegEuS

Leviticus

 https://youtu.be/IJ-FekWUZzE?is=LubnS8CZbn3R7im1

Exodus part 2

 https://youtu.be/oNpTha80yyE?is=i59KKDtvMRFIXlup

Exodus part 1

 https://youtu.be/jH_aojNJM3E?is=xG0IUly7bXJmUOo8

Genesis part 2

 https://youtu.be/F4isSyennFo?is=MpOKwliGDKAeMeMd

Genesis Part 1

 New series! I hope you have read through your Bible! This video study will give us a short explanation of each book of the Bible. Some books will have a couple sessions to explain them. I hope you enjoy and feel free to comment!

https://youtube.com/playlist?list=PLVpri7vfPPtKUOaqAAjEtZR4C-bO5Y_XQ&si=z_cUZpEGXMp0col5

I rebelled!

 ““The LORD is righteous, For I rebelled against His commandment.

Lamentations 1:18 a

The first step in getting right with God is to admit you are a sinner! Here we see the author who is speaking on behalf of Judah who is in captivity to Babylon doing that very thing!

May we be wise and do the same!

Tom

God of all comfort!

 “Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of mercies and God of all comfort, who comforts us in all our tribulation, that we may be able to comfort those who are in any trouble, with the comfort with which we ourselves are comforted by God.”

‭‭II Corinthians‬ ‭1‬:‭3‬-‭4‬ ‭

Oh how many times have I received the comfort of God! Thank you Lord. May I and you use the comfort God gives us to comfort others who will go through the same situations we have faced. It is a beautiful thing to love and comfort others and thus pass on the love of God!

Tom

Be ready!

 “But sanctify the Lord God in your hearts, and always be ready to give a defense to everyone who asks you a reason for the hope that is in you, with meekness and fear;”

‭‭I Peter‬ ‭3‬:‭15‬ ‭

As a follower of Jesus we are to be able to tell others why we believe what we believe. Our Hope-Jesus! Can you? Do you?

Chew on that and act on it!

Tom

Mind your own business!

 “Then Peter, turning around, saw the disciple whom Jesus loved following, who also had leaned on His breast at the supper, and said, “Lord, who is the one who betrays You?” Peter, seeing him, said to Jesus, “But Lord, what about this man?” Jesus said to him, “If I will that he remain till I come, what is that to you? You follow Me.””

‭‭John‬ ‭21‬:‭20‬-‭22‬ ‭

A reminder to all of us to mind our business and do what God has willed for us!!!

Tom

Have you?

 “giving thanks always for all things to God the Father in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ,”

‭‭Ephesians‬ ‭5‬:‭20‬ ‭

Have you given thanks lately for all things to God?

Chew on that today! 

Tom

World vs. Bible

 Seen this a few weeks ago. Wanted to share it with you:

WORLD: live your truth

BIBLE: Jesus is Truth

WORLD: you do you

BIBLE: obey the Lord

WORLD: be your authentic self

BIBLE: be who God created you to be

WORLD: follow your heart

BIBLE: you need a new heart

WORLD: love is love

BIBLE: God is love

Listen to and obey God’s Word not the world.

Tom

Anything to hard?

 “Then the word of the LORD came to Jeremiah, saying, “Behold, I am the LORD, the God of all flesh. Is there anything too hard for Me?”

Jeremiah 32:26-27 

Here Jeremiah had been told by God to purchase some land even though they are currently in captivity to Babylon! Jeremiah of course had questions about that to God. God told him the verse above and also told him they would once again take back the land Babylon had taken!

Nothing is beyond God’s hand remember that!

Tom

Our righteousness!

 ““Behold, the days are coming,” says the LORD, “That I will raise to David a Branch of righteousness; A King shall reign and prosper, And execute judgment and righteousness in the earth. In His days Judah will be saved, And Israel will dwell safely; Now this is His name by which He will be called: THE LORD OUR RIGHTEOUSNESS.”

Jeremiah 23:5-6 

Remember…man has no righteousness in himself! Our righteousness comes from the shed blood of Christ!

Tom

Endure all things.

 “Therefore I endure all things for the sake of the elect, that they also may obtain the salvation which is in Christ Jesus with eternal glory.”

‭‭II Timothy‬ ‭2‬:‭10‬ ‭

Chew on this today. Paul was willing to endure anything to get the gospel spread. He proved it! Beaten, imprisoned, and then martyred for doing this very thing of sharing Jesus in hopes of folks obtaining salvation.

What are willing to endure to share Jesus?

Tom

No one listens!

 “And you have done worse than your fathers, for behold, each one follows the dictates of his own evil heart, so that no one listens to Me.”

Jeremiah 16:12 

Here God is bringing judgement upon Judah and He gives the reason why. If He did not spare His chosen people He will not spare our day in which many are doing the same thing!!!

Tom

None like you!!

 “Inasmuch as there is none like You, O Lord (You are great, and Your name is great in might), Who would not fear You, O King of the nations? For this is Your rightful due. For among all the wise men of the nations, And in all their kingdoms, There is none like You.”

Jeremiah 10:6-7 

Yes Lord! None like you! I will praise you for eternity!

Tom

Reject the Word?

 “The wise men are ashamed, They are dismayed and taken. Behold, they have rejected the word of the Lord; So what wisdom do they have?”

Jeremiah 8:9 

Reject God’s Word and you have no wisdom! Judah did and faced the consequences and we will too if we reject and don’t obey God’s Word!

Tom

Nations bless themselves!

 ““If you will return, O Israel,” says the Lord, “Return to Me; And if you will put away your abominations out of My sight, Then you shall not be moved. And you shall swear, ‘The Lord lives,’ In truth, in judgment, and in righteousness; The nations shall bless themselves in Him, And in Him they shall glory.””

Jeremiah 4:1-2 

The call for all nations! Repent and come and admit who the Lord is! Then in him be glorified!!!

Come!!!

Tom

Do you trust in Him?

 “The Lord is good, A stronghold in the day of trouble; And He knows those who trust in Him.”

Nahum 1:7 

God knows who trusts in Him and those who don’t. He will take care of those who truly trust in Him! That is a comforting thought!

Tom

Seduced.

 “So Manasseh seduced Judah and the inhabitants of Jerusalem to do more evil than the nations whom the Lord had destroyed before the children of Israel.”

II Chronicles 33:9 

While King,  Manasseh did this. How sad. May we look at our own lives and be careful not to lead others away from God by anything we say or do! May we draw them closer to the Lord by being like Jesus and letting His light shine through us!

Tom

Renewed!

 “But those who wait on the Lord Shall renew their strength; They shall mount up with wings like eagles, They shall run and not be weary, They shall walk and not faint.”

‭‭Isaiah‬ ‭40‬:‭31‬ ‭

I truly can not count the amount of times God has renewed my strength from sickness, from sorrow, and a number of other things! Thank you Lord and I will always wait for You!

Tom

Abundantly pardon!

 “Let the wicked forsake his way, And the unrighteous man his thoughts; Let him return to the Lord, And He will have mercy on him; And to our God, For He will abundantly pardon.”

Isaiah 55:7 

Thankful for God’s mercy! He pardons us sinners if we repent by the precious blood of Jesus! Thank you Lord!

Tom

Know!

 “Be still, and know that I am God; I will be exalted among the nations, I will be exalted in the earth!”

Psalms 46:10 

Take time to sit, talk, meditate, listen,  learn, and know God. Then exalt Him as He deserves!!! It is why you were made!

Tom

Look to Me!

 ““Look to Me, and be saved, All you ends of the earth! For I am God, and there is no other.”

Isaiah 45:22 

Only ONE to go to….Jesus!!!

Tom

No equal!

 ““To whom then will you liken Me, Or to whom shall I be equal?” says the Holy One.”

Isaiah 40:25 

None Lord! There are no equals to You and we can’t compare You to anyone for You are the One True God. We praise You and love You!!!

Tom

Your God will come!

 “Say to those who are fearful-hearted, “Be strong, do not fear! Behold, your God will come with vengeance, With the recompense of God; He will come and save you.” Then the eyes of the blind shall be opened, And the ears of the deaf shall be unstopped. Then the lame shall leap like a deer, And the tongue of the dumb sing. For waters shall burst forth in the wilderness, And streams in the desert. The parched ground shall become a pool, And the thirsty land springs of water; In the habitation of jackals, where each lay, There shall be grass with reeds and rushes. A highway shall be there, and a road, And it shall be called the Highway of Holiness. The unclean shall not pass over it, But it shall be for others. Whoever walks the road, although a fool, Shall not go astray. No lion shall be there, Nor shall any ravenous beast go up on it; It shall not be found there. But the redeemed shall walk there, And the ransomed of the Lord shall return, And come to Zion with singing, With everlasting joy on their heads. They shall obtain joy and gladness, And sorrow and sighing shall flee away.”

Isaiah 35:4-10 NKJV

 Beautiful words to Israel in that day and a picture for us of what will happen when Jesus comes! A double meaning Word from the Prophet Isaiah.

Tom

Bent on backsliding!

 “My people are bent on backsliding from Me. Though they call to the Most High, None at all exalt Him.”

Hosea 11:7 

May we learn from Israel and not repeat the same mistakes!!!

Tom

God is able!

 “And God is able to make all grace abound toward you, that you, always having all sufficiency in all things, may have an abundance for every good work.”

‭‭II Corinthians‬ ‭9‬:‭8‬ 

Don’t miss these things God gives his children!

1. Grace! 

2. Sufficiency in all things. God will give you just what you need!

3. Abundance for every good work. When it comes to glorifying Him by your works God will give you more than enough to do that good work!

So get busy!!! Especially sharing Jesus!

Tom

Even to death.

 “For this is God, Our God forever and ever; He will be our guide Even to death.”

‭‭Psalms‬ ‭48‬:‭14‬ ‭

These were the thoughts of Israel and Judah. They should be our thoughts and in our prayers as well. He is Judge, He is Love, He is Merciful and He is forgiving! 

Praise the Lord as He continues to guide us until we die and are home with Him for eternity!

Tom

Worth the wait!

 “And it will be said in that day: “Behold, this is our God; We have waited for Him, and He will save us. This is the Lord; We have waited for Him; We will be glad and rejoice in His salvation.””

Isaiah 25:9 

The wait for the Lord’s return with be worth it! It is unimaginable of how great it will be!

Tom

Exceeding great reward!

 “After these things the word of the Lord came to Abram in a vision, saying, “Do not be afraid, Abram. I am your shield, your exceedingly great reward.””

‭‭Genesis‬ ‭15‬:‭1‬ ‭

The sooner we learn that our greatest reward in life is God, the better off we will be! We were made for Him!

Tom

Resting place

 ““And in that day there shall be a Root of Jesse, Who shall stand as a banner to the people; For the Gentiles shall seek Him, And His resting place shall be glorious.””

Isaiah 11:10 

The Root of Jesse is Jesus through the genealogy line. And oh is His rest place glorious for it is eternity in heaven with Him!!! Praise the Lord!

Tom

I will trust!

 “I will say of the Lord, “He is my refuge and my fortress; My God, in Him I will trust.””

‭‭Psalms‬ ‭91‬:‭2‬ ‭

No one else can provide this like God! The sooner one learns this the better off they will be!

Tom

Do right!!!

 “But when he was strong his heart was lifted up, to his destruction, for he transgressed against the Lord his God by entering the temple of the Lord to burn incense on the altar of incense. So Azariah the priest went in after him, and with him were eighty priests of the Lord—valiant men. And they withstood King Uzziah, and said to him, “It is not for you, Uzziah, to burn incense to the Lord, but for the priests, the sons of Aaron, who are consecrated to burn incense. Get out of the sanctuary, for you have trespassed! You shall have no honor from the Lord God.” Then Uzziah became furious; and he had a censer in his hand to burn incense. And while he was angry with the priests, leprosy broke out on his forehead, before the priests in the house of the Lord, beside the incense altar. And Azariah the chief priest and all the priests looked at him, and there, on his forehead, he was leprous; so they thrust him out of that place. Indeed he also hurried to get out, because the Lord had struck him. King Uzziah was a leper until the day of his death. He dwelt in an isolated house, because he was a leper; for he was cut off from the house of the Lord. Then Jotham his son was over the king’s house, judging the people of the land.”

II Chronicles 26:16-21

One should make sure to be humble and do right in the house of the Lord!!! Do not take it lightly as so many do today!

Tom

Rejoice over the saved!

 “Then God saw their works, that they turned from their evil way; and God relented from the disaster that He had said He would bring upon them, and He did not do it.”

Jonah 3:10 

“But it displeased Jonah exceedingly, and he became angry. So he prayed to the Lord, and said, “Ah, Lord, was not this what I said when I was still in my country? Therefore I fled previously to Tarshish; for I know that You are a gracious and merciful God, slow to anger and abundant in lovingkindness, One who relents from doing harm. Therefore now, O Lord, please take my life from me, for it is better for me to die than to live!””

Jonah 4:1-3 

Have you ever been upset because someone who hurt you or you disliked got saved? Wrong attitude!! God wants all to turn to Him and we should rejoice as well no matter how hard it is!

Tom

GREAT!

 “Great is the Lord, and greatly to be praised!”

‭‭Psalms‬ ‭48‬:‭1‬a

Sometimes you just let God’s Word speak for itself!

Tom

Equal?

 ““To whom then will you liken Me, Or to whom shall I be equal?” says the Holy One.”

‭‭Isaiah‬ ‭40‬:‭25‬ ‭

May we always remember…God has no equal! He is the greatest of all and Creator of all and deserves our worship and praise!

Tom

Beautiful feet?

 “And how shall they preach unless they are sent? As it is written: “How beautiful are the feet of those who preach the gospel of peace, Who bring glad tidings of good things!””

‭‭Romans‬ ‭10‬:‭15‬ ‭

Most think feet are kinda nasty! lol Not God! When our feet are used to spread the gospel, God says they are beautiful! As followers of Jesus we are all sent to preach the death, burial, and resurrection of our Savior Jesus Christ for the sins of the world. Then encourage all to repent and follow Him!!!

Is God gonna say you have beautiful feet? 

Tom

What is done for Christ?

 I was doing some reading and come across this quote by CT  Studd:

Only one life, 'twill soon be past, Only what's done for Christ will last.

And when I am dying, how happy I’ll be, If the lamp of my life has been burned out for Thee.

Chew on this and ask yourself:

What have I done for Jesus? Like telling others about Him.

Are you living your life for Jesus that is pleasing to Him?

Tom

Unbelievable mercy

 “And the word of the Lord came to Elijah the Tishbite, saying, “See how Ahab has humbled himself before Me? Because he has humbled himself before Me, I will not bring the calamity in his days.”

‭‭I Kings‬ ‭21‬:‭28‬-‭29‬b

Even after all the wickedness King Ahab had done God still showed him mercy. He does the same for us through Jesus. If we will put our faith in Christ as Lord and Savior He will forgive us our sins and save our souls! Unbelievable mercy!!!

Thank you Lord!

Tom

Trouble maker!

 “Then it happened, when Ahab saw Elijah, that Ahab said to him, “Is that you, O troubler of Israel?” And he answered, “I have not troubled Israel, but you and your father’s house have, in that you have forsaken the commandments of the Lord and have followed the Baals.”

I Kings 18:17-18 

Those who follow God faithfully will be accused at times of all kinds of things. Stay true to God and He will always see you through but remember it may not always be the way you think it will be! God is in control not us!

Tom

Key ingredient!

 “Charm is deceitful and beauty is passing, But a woman who fears the Lord, she shall be praised.”

‭‭Proverbs‬ ‭31‬:‭30‬ ‭ 

When looking for a spouse…man or woman…this is a key ingredient: “Who fears the Lord”!

This should be #1 on the list. For nothing else compares to importance than this!

Tom

Turned his heart!

 “But King Solomon loved many foreign women, as well as the daughter of Pharaoh: women of the Moabites, Ammonites, Edomites, Sidonians, and Hittites— from the nations of whom the Lord had said to the children of Israel, “You shall not intermarry with them, nor they with you. Surely they will turn away your hearts after their gods.” Solomon clung to these in love. And he had seven hundred wives, princesses, and three hundred concubines; and his wives turned away his heart. For it was so, when Solomon was old, that his wives turned his heart after other gods; and his heart was not loyal to the Lord his God, as was the heart of his father David.” I Kings 11:1-4 

Even the wisest will stray if they don’t stay grounded in the Word of  God and obey it! Hard to understand how such a wise man who had everything can make such a stupid mistake! Seems we do the same thing though!

Tom

Pay it!

 “When you make a vow to God, do not delay to pay it; For He has no pleasure in fools. Pay what you have vowed— Better not to vow than to vow and not pay.”

Ecclesiastes 5:4-5

Keep your word to God!! No ifs, ands, or buts! Do what you commit yourself to doing!

Tom

A few characteristics

 “And be kind to one another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, even as God in Christ forgave you.”

‭‭Ephesians‬ ‭4‬:‭32‬ ‭

1. Be kind.

2. Tender hearted

3. Forgiving.

God’s word has spoken. Can we say we are all 3? All should be characteristics of a follower of Jesus!

Tom

Praise the Lord!

 “Praise the Lord! Praise the Lord, O my soul! While I live I will praise the Lord; I will sing praises to my God while I have my being.”

Psalms 146:1-2 

Yes I will! There is nothing else created worth praise other than Jesus!!!

Tom

Rejoice always!

 “Rejoice in the Lord always. Again I will say, rejoice!”

‭‭Philippians‬ ‭4‬:‭4‬ ‭

Paul had many hardships…beatings, prison, left for dead, shipwrecked, and the list goes on. All of this because he loved Jesus and spoke about Him. Yet Paul could say rejoice in the Lord! Always? 

May we ask ourselves…are we always rejoicing in the Lord? We should be for He has given us everything out of His love for us!

Tom

Foreigners

 “hear in heaven Your dwelling place, and do according to all for which the foreigner calls to You, that all peoples of the earth may know Your name and fear You, as do Your people Israel, and that they may know that this temple which I have built is called by Your name.”

I Kings 8:43 

Soloman, when dedicating the great temple of God included Gentiles (foreigners) 

Thank you Lord for remembering those who are not Jews!!! We are grateful!

In his own eyes!

 “Every way of a man is right in his own eyes, But the Lord weighs the hearts.”

Proverbs 21:2 

Most of us tend to think we are right in what we say and do! But if it don’t align with what God says then we are wrong no matter what we think! God truly knows our hearts!

Tom

Heed and trust!

 “He who heeds the word wisely will find good, And whoever trusts in the Lord, happy is he.”

Proverbs 16:20 

Heed the Word and trust the Lord. You will be happy knowing God is leading you!

Tom

Be careful who your friends are!

 “He who walks with wise men will be wise, But the companion of fools will be destroyed.”

‭‭Proverbs‬ ‭13‬:‭20‬ ‭

Wise people follow Jesus. Fools do not. Are your friends wise or fools. Be very careful who influence you!

Tom

Tree of life.

 “The fruit of the righteous is a tree of life, And he who wins souls is wise.”

Proverbs 11:30 

To be righteous we must be in Christ. For we are not righteous in ourselves alone. When we are in Christ we have the tree of life which is eternity with God!!! Thus to be wise is to win souls by sharing the gospel with others so they too can obtain the tree of life!

Are you a soul winner for Jesus?

Tom

Correction!

 “My son, do not despise the chastening of the Lord, Nor detest His correction; For whom the Lord loves He corrects, Just as a father the son in whom he delights.”

Proverbs 3:11-12 

We sin. Thankfully God forgives our sin when we are in Christ. There will be consequences because of our sin for our own correction. Our loving heavenly Father wants us to be obedient and chastening is needed! Be thankful God loves you enough to correct you even though it hurts!

Tom

Do you know Him???

 “Be still, and know that I am God.

‭‭Psalms‬ ‭46‬:‭10‬a

That’s it…just take time and be still. Know the One and only true God. 

Do you know Him? Or just about Him? 

An important question to chew on!

Tom

What would you ask for?

 “At Gibeon the Lord appeared to Solomon in a dream by night; and God said, “Ask! What shall I give you?””

I Kings 3:5 

What would you ask for?

Soloman asked for understanding to discern what is good and what is evil. That pleased God and He blessed Soloman with wisdom and much more!

May we be careful that what we ask of God is pleasing in His eyes!

Tom

Hidden in my heart.

 “Your word I have hidden in my heart, That I might not sin against You.”

Psalms 119:11 

We must as followers of Jesus learn His Word and then obey it so we do not sin against God. It can only be done by having the power of the Holy Spirit lead us! How much of God’s Word do you know?

Tom

All things come from You!

 “But who am I, and who are my people, That we should be able to offer so willingly as this? For all things come from You, And of Your own we have given You.”

I Chronicles 29:14 

Here David was gathering supplies for Soloman’s to build the temple. All were coming to giving offerings to help. David reminded them where everything comes from! Not self but God!

Always remember…all we have comes from God! Give to His work in the church accordingly!

Tom

Show me Your way.

 “Cause me to hear Your lovingkindness in the morning, For in You do I trust; Cause me to know the way in which I should walk, For I lift up my soul to You.”

Psalms 143:8

1. God loves us.

2. God is kind to us.

3. We trust God more than anyone.

4. Please show me your way each day Lord.

5. My soul is yours Lord!

Lots to chew on and do today!

Tom

Setting the table.

I found this on Facebook yesterday and wanted to share it. Good stuff! Committed Christian Outdoors in name of Facebook page if you are interested in following them!

CCO Daily Devotional

Setting the Table

Today’s Passage

Romans 13:11-14

Highlighted Verse

Romans 13:14

“But put on the Lord Jesus Christ, and make no provision for the flesh, to fulfill its lusts.”

Have you ever asked God to help you overcome something, only to realize you’re still feeding the very thing you’re asking Him to help you overcome?

Paul addresses that problem with a simple but powerful command:

“Put on the Lord Jesus Christ, and make no provision for the flesh, to fulfill its lusts.”

Those words, “make no provision for the flesh,” are worth slowing down and thinking about.

Paul isn’t just telling us not to give in to sinful desires.

He’s telling us not to keep setting the table for them.

In other words, don’t feed them.

Don’t nurture them.

Don’t keep giving them room to grow.

The battle is usually lost when temptation is welcomed, entertained, and given a place to grow.

That’s because the flesh is always trying to convince us that we can keep feeding certain desires without consequences.

It tells us we can hold onto them while still growing closer to Christ.

But the Spirit begins to change the way we think.

He teaches us to ask:

“Is this helping me follow Christ more faithfully, or feeding my flesh?”

As we grow in our walk with Christ, we sometimes discover that certain places, influences, habits, or situations are pulling us in a direction we no longer want to go. Those decisions are not always easy. Sometimes they involve things we enjoy, people we care about, or situations that have been part of our lives for years.

Yet as our love for Christ grows, we begin choosing what helps us follow Him more faithfully.

Paul’s command begins with:

“Put on the Lord Jesus Christ.”

Before Paul tells us what to put off, he tells us what to put on.

The Christian life is not merely about avoiding sin.

It is about pursuing Christ.

And the more we love Him, the less we want to keep feeding the things that pull our hearts away from Him.

Let’s Pray

Dear Heavenly Father, thank You for Your grace, mercy, and patience toward us. Thank You for loving us even when we are often tempted to feed the very things that pull our hearts away from You.

Give us wisdom to recognize temptation before it takes root and courage to walk away from anything that hinders our fellowship with You. Help us not to make provision for the flesh, but to pursue the things that honor You.

Teach us to put on the Lord Jesus Christ each day. As our love for You grows, help us desire Christ more and sin less. May our lives reflect gratitude for all You have done for us and a growing desire to follow You faithfully. In Jesus’ name, Amen.

Trust and hope.

 ““Blessed is the man who trusts in the Lord, And whose hope is the Lord.”

‭‭Jeremiah‬ ‭17‬:‭7‬ 

The number 1 blessing in life is trusting Jesus for it results in eternal life with God forever. Without the Lord there is no hope!

Chew on the today.

Tom

Done very foolishly!

 “And David’s heart condemned him after he had numbered the people. So David said to the Lord, “I have sinned greatly in what I have done; but now, I pray, O Lord, take away the iniquity of Your servant, for I have done very foolishly.””

II Samuel 24:10 

May we do like David and listen to the Holy Spirits conviction and repent when we sin!!! God will forgive! 

1 John 1:9

9 If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.

Tom

The Red Clay Strays-Grateful

I heard this song yesterday and wanted to share it with you! Lord I am so grateful!

 https://youtu.be/_cmz8T9mIyI?is=ldNSggnwvNtjhn5O

Who will deliver me?

 “O wretched man that I am! Who will deliver me from this body of death? I thank God—through Jesus Christ our Lord! 

‭‭Romans‬ ‭7‬:‭24‬-‭25‬a

Bring the sinful people we are, we need a deliverer!! Who might that be? Jesus!!! The only ONE who can deliver us….did!!! His death, burial and resurrection provided everything needed in the eyes of God to deliver us from hell!! Praise be to Jesus!!!

Tom

I shall not want!

 “The Lord is my shepherd; I shall not want.”

‭‭Psalms‬ ‭23‬:‭1‬ ‭

We started VBS at church last night. Had a great time with the kids. Above is the verse we learned about. When the Lord is our Shepherd we shall not want be cause He meets all our needs. A truth I have learned for myself. I pray you can say the same. I thank God for being the kind, gracious Shepherd He is and that He takes care of His sheep!

Tom

Are you good?

 Be careful how you answer that question. We tend to compare ourselves to someone else and say “I am a good person.” Especially compared to do and so. Let’s see what God  says:

“As it is written: “There is none righteous, no, not one; There is none who understands; There is none who seeks after God. They have all turned aside; They have together become unprofitable; There is none who does good, no, not one.””

‭‭Romans‬ ‭3‬:‭10‬-‭12‬ ‭

Conclusion…you are not good! Ouch!

 So how does one become good? Only one way! 

“Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; old things have passed away; behold, all things have become new. Now all things are of God, who has reconciled us to Himself through Jesus Christ, and has given us the ministry of reconciliation,”

‭‭II Corinthians‬ ‭5‬:‭17‬-‭18‬ ‭

In Christ is only way to be good in God’s eyes. Following Jesus as your Lord and Savior by trusting in His shed blood to cover your sins. Nothing you have done can make you good it’s all Jesus and the power of the Holy Spirit. 

I know that’s a tough pill to swallow but it’s the truth!

Tom

You will provide!

 “Iniquities prevail against me; As for our transgressions, You will provide atonement for them.”

Psalms 65:3 

God did provide!

No greater gift than what God has given us through His Son Jesus covering our sins with His shed blood. Praise the Lord!!! Hallelujah!

Tom

Life!

 “In Him was life, and the life was the light of men.”

‭‭John‬ ‭1‬:‭4‬ ‭

Only ONE can claim to be life. Jesus Christ. If you are not a follower of Him you do not have the life God made for you. That life is to worship and be with God for eternity. Words cannot describe what our Father in heaven has for His children. Don’t miss it!!!

Tom

We praise YOU!

 “We praise you, God, we praise you, for your Name is near; people tell of your wonderful deeds.”

Yes we praise the only ONE who deserves it! Always near and blessed us over and over again with wonderful deeds!

We love you Lord!!!

Tom

Your destiny!

 “for death is the destiny of everyone; the living should take this to heart.”

‭‭Ecclesiastes‬ ‭7‬:‭2‬b

The wis King Solomon reminds us if you are alive death is coming. Are you prepared? Only one way to be prepared and that is by being in Christ! Faith in Him alone secures your eternity in heaven…without Him you eternity will be in hell.

As Soloman said “take this to heart”! Follow Jesus now!

Tom

Who am I Lord?

 I don’t usually post on Saturday but this was too good not to share from my daily reading.

This verse is after God had told David that from his family will come a line of Kings until the final King…Jesus!

“Then King David went in and sat before the Lord; and he said: “Who am I, O Lord God? And what is my house, that You have brought me this far?”

II Samuel 7:18 

I can say the same as David! So unworthy of anything God has blessed me with but He has blessed me beyond measure!!!  All glory to God!

Tom

Yes I will Lord!

 “I will sing of the mercies of the Lord forever; With my mouth will I make known Your faithfulness to all generations.”

Psalms 89:1 

Yes I will Lord! Yes I will!

Will you?

Tom

Delight and meditate!

 “Blessed is the man Who walks not in the counsel of the ungodly, Nor stands in the path of sinners, Nor sits in the seat of the scornful; But his delight is in the law of the Lord, And in His law he meditates day and night.”

Psalms 1:1-2 

Delight in the Word and meditate on it to be blessed! And of course obey and do it! Plain and simple! 

Tom

Be ready!

 “Be sober, be vigilant; because your adversary the devil walks about like a roaring lion, seeking whom he may devour.”

‭‭I Peter‬ ‭5‬:‭8‬ ‭

Every second of every day we got to be ready to fight the devil. Don’t let your guard down! Stand strong for the Lord!

Tom!

Consider your ways!

 “Then the word of the Lord came by Haggai the prophet, saying, “Is it time for you yourselves to dwell in your paneled houses, and this temple to lie in ruins?” Now therefore, thus says the Lord of hosts: “Consider your ways!”

‭‭Haggai‬ ‭1‬:‭3‬-‭5‬ ‭

God told the people to rebuild His temple but they were more concerned with  living in their own houses. They needed a heart check to consider their priorities!

We also need to consider our ways and see if we are doing the things God has called us to or doing our own thing!

Tom

Thankful!

 Only one thing to share today.

Marred?

 “And the vessel that he made of clay was marred in the hand of the potter; so he made it again into another vessel, as it seemed good to the potter to make. Then the word of the Lord came to me, saying: “O house of Israel, can I not do with you as this potter?” says the Lord. “Look, as the clay is in the potter’s hand, so are you in My hand, O house of Israel!”

‭‭Jeremiah‬ ‭18‬:‭4‬-‭6‬ ‭

While these verses are talking about Israel, we can also get a lesson for ourselves. God forms us in the womb. We come out sinners. Will we let God make us into another vessel by following Jesus as Lord and Savior?

Chew on that today! Are you a new vessel or still marred in your sins?

Tom

Flourish!!!

 “Those who are planted in the house of the Lord Shall flourish in the courts of our God. They shall still bear fruit in old age; They shall be fresh and flourishing,”

Psalms 92:13-14 

Gods house better be a big part of your life if you want to flourish for the Lord!

Tom

Draw, trust, and declare.

 “But it is good for me to draw near to God; I have put my trust in the Lord God, That I may declare all Your works.”

Psalms 73:28 

Good word here! 3 things to grasp:

1. Draw near to God. Read and study His Word. Pray and worship.

2. Trust Jesus. He never fails.

3. Declare the works of Jesus especially His death, burial, and resurrection defeating death and sin for all who will follow Him.

Tom

Who am I?

As David thought:

 “Then King David went in and sat before the Lord; and he said: “Who am I, O Lord God? And what is my house, that You have brought me this far?”

‭‭I Chronicles‬ ‭17‬:‭16‬ ‭

We must think the same thing and be thankful of the blessings of  God especially salvation through Jesus!

Tom

What is man?

 “What is man that You are mindful of him, And the son of man that You visit him?”

Psalms 8:4 

Chew on this today! Then remember…God made you in His image…He loves you….and He let His son die for your sins.

We are not worthy!

Tom

I have sinned!

 “So David said to Nathan, “I have sinned against the Lord.” 

‭‭II Samuel‬ ‭12‬:‭13‬a

When David committed adultery with Bathsheba and had Uriah her husband murder, Nathan the Prophet got his attention with a story to help David realize his sins! May we be like David and admit our sin and repent before the Lord!!! He will forgive if we humble ourselves before Him!

Tom

Astrology, mediums, psychics, and such.

 God is clear in His word about astrology and mediums. Just ask Saul! 

Leviticus 19:31

“Do not turn to mediums or necromancers; do not seek them out, and so make yourselves unclean by them: I am the Lord your God.

1 Chronicles 10:13-14

13 Saul died because he was unfaithful to the Lord; he did not keep the word of the Lord and even consulted a medium for guidance, 14 and did not inquire of the Lord. So the Lord put him to death and turned the kingdom over to David son of Jesse.

Galatians 5:20-21

20 idolatry, sorcery, enmity, strife, jealousy, fits of anger, rivalries, dissensions, divisions, 21 envy, drunkenness, orgies, and things like these. I warn you, as I warned you before, that those who do such things will not inherit the kingdom of God.

Don’t mess with that demonic stuff!

Tom

Be a witness!

 “But you shall receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you; and you shall be witnesses to Me in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the end of the earth.””

‭‭Acts‬ ‭1‬:‭8‬ ‭

Here is your question to chew on today. Are you being a witness for Jesus? This verse calls us to do that everywhere we go! To live a Christ like life and to share the gospel to all we can. Notice it doesn’t say…if you want to…but …you shall! A command!

Tom

Fear?

 “The Lord is my light and my salvation; Whom shall I fear? The Lord is the strength of my life; Of whom shall I be afraid?”

Psalms 27:1 

When one has God he has everything he needs and has nothing to fear! Praise the Lord!

Tom

Behave wisely!

 “And David behaved wisely in all his ways, and the Lord was with him.”

I Samuel 18:14 

Behave wisely before the Lord and He will be with you too!

Chew on that!

Tom

He will deliver!

 “Moreover David said, “The Lord, who delivered me from the paw of the lion and from the paw of the bear, He will deliver me from the hand of this Philistine.” And Saul said to David, “Go, and the Lord be with you!””

I Samuel 17:37 

When you have faith and listen to God you can do anything the Lord leads you to do as David did by slaying Goliath!

Do you have this kind of faith?

Tom

Foolishly!

 “And Samuel said to Saul, “You have done foolishly. You have not kept the commandment of the Lord your God, which He commanded you. For now the Lord would have established your kingdom over Israel forever.”

I Samuel 13:13 

There are always consequences for sin! Learn this and be obedient to God! Keep his word!

Tom

Cling to you!

 “I cling to you; your right hand upholds me.”

‭‭Psalms‬ ‭63‬:‭8‬ ‭

For the follower of Jesus this verse is so important. We cling to Him as He is the answer to all. The right hand is a sign for  power and He is all powerful. That power holds us up!!! Thank you Lord!

Chew on that today!

Tom

Right in own eyes.

 “In those days there was no king in Israel; everyone did what was right in his own eyes.”

‭‭Judges‬ ‭17‬:‭6‬ ‭

Sadly in our day it is still happening…doing what is right in own eyes instead of God’s eyes!!! 

Obey God not self!

Tom

On our faces!

 “So Manoah took the young goat with the grain offering, and offered it upon the rock to the Lord. And He did a wondrous thing while Manoah and his wife looked on— it happened as the flame went up toward heaven from the altar—the Angel of the Lord ascended in the flame of the altar! When Manoah and his wife saw this, they fell on their faces to the ground. When the Angel of the Lord appeared no more to Manoah and his wife, then Manoah knew that He was the Angel of the Lord.”

Judges 13:19-21 

Ever notice how many people who have an encounter with Lord end up on their faces in worship?

When we see Jesus for the first time where do you think we will end up? On our faces in worship!!!

Tom

Do!

 “But be doers of the word, and not hearers only, deceiving yourselves.”

‭‭James‬ ‭1‬:‭22‬ ‭

Pretty simple…don’t just listen to or read the word! Follow it up with obedience! Do it!!!

Tom

Why?

 “And it came to pass, when the judge was dead, that they reverted and behaved more corruptly than their fathers, by following other gods, to serve them and bow down to them. They did not cease from their own doings nor from their stubborn way.”

‭‭Judges‬ ‭2‬:‭19‬ ‭

Israel was do hard headed! God showed them over and over again love, mercy, grace, and forgiveness but they continued to disobey? Why oh why? Why do we seem to do the same thing? It is a costly thing to do!

Tom

Not a Word failed!

 “Not a word failed of any good thing which the Lord had spoken to the house of Israel. All came to pass.”

Joshua 21:45 

The Word of God never fails!!! Read it, know it, love it, and obey it!!!

Tom

Music Friday-Won’t start now-Seph Schlueter

Turn it up, sing, and praise the Lord! This one will stick in your head!

 https://youtu.be/tS_H-xQq1hQ?si=tM1iBTetc86b3L23

Success!

 “This Book of the Law shall not depart from your mouth, but you shall meditate in it day and night, that you may observe to do according to all that is written in it. For then you will make your way prosperous, and then you will have good success.”

Joshua 1:8 

The key to success…knowing and following the Bible. The success God has for us is not necessarily money but doing His will in our life by being obedient and loving Him above all!

Tom

Ascribe greatness!

 “For I proclaim the name of the Lord: Ascribe greatness to our God. He is the Rock, His work is perfect; For all His ways are justice, A God of truth and without injustice; Righteous and upright is He.”

Deuteronomy 32:3-4

This was in the song of Moses right before he died. What an awesome description of God. Just dwell on how the great man of God Moses described God. Above all in all ways!

Tom

Special and Chosen!

 These verses to Israel from Moses:

“Also today the Lord has proclaimed you to be His special people, just as He promised you, that you should keep all His commandments, and that He will set you high above all nations which He has made, in praise, in name, and in honor, and that you may be a holy people to the Lord your God, just as He has spoken.””

Deuteronomy 26:18-19 

Remind me of these verses written to today’s believers:

1 Peter 2:9

9 But you are a chosen people, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, God’s special possession, that you may declare the praises of him who called you out of darkness into his wonderful light.

We are God’s! Praise the Lord!

Tom

Nothing we have done.

 “then you say in your heart, ‘My power and the might of my hand have gained me this wealth.’ “And you shall remember the Lord your God, for it is He who gives you power to get wealth, that He may establish His covenant which He swore to your fathers, as it is this day.”

Deuteronomy 8:17-18 

We like Israel need to be reminded….nothing we have is our own doing it is all from the blessed hand of God in love, mercy, and grace!

Tom

Holy Week 7

 

Holy Week 7

 

 Resurrection Sunday

The stone was rolled away. He is Risen! (Matthew 28)

My Savior is alive and coming back soon!

Tom

Holy Week 6

 

Holy Week 6

 

 Saturday

The world grew quiet. Jesus laid in the tomb as it was guarded and sealed with a stone. (Matthew 27:62-

66)

Think…..He is in the grave because of my sin. Thank you Lord for taking my place. 

Tom

Holy Week 5

 

Holy Week 5

 

 Good Friday

Jesus carried His cross, was crucified and placed in a tomb. (Matthew 27)

All for you. Read chapter and just let it sink in….all for you!

Tom

Holy Week 4

 

Holy Week 4

 

 Maundy Thursday

The last supper with the disciples giving new meaning to Passover celebration. Jesus is taken by Roman soldiers. (Matthew 26:17-29)

Maundy means “washing of the feet”. Jesus was forever setting the example of putting others first by serving them even on the day before his death! Think on that today! Are we serving others to show them the love of God?

Tom

Holy Week 3

 

Holy Week 3

 

 Wednesday

Judas betrays Jesus for 30 pieces of silver (Matthew 26:1-16

For the price of a slave Judas turns his back on the Lord. Sadly many do it for much less. 

Tom

Holy Week 2

 

Holy Week2

Jesus' authority was questioned by chief priests. He taught at the temple. (Matthew 21:18-25)

This is what took place on Tuesday of Holy Week. They were always trying to trap Jesus but Jesus was always a step ahead of them in their questions!

Tom

Holy Week 1

 

Holy Week 1

 Holy Week started yesterday. Going to give us a walk through it. Take time to read and think about the most important week in our faith! Praise Jesus our Lord for what He did for us!

Sunday-palm Sunday

Jesus rode into Jerusalem on a donkey. Crowds welcomed Him with "Hosana!" as they laid palm branches at His feet. (Matthew 21:1-9)

Monday

Jesus cleansed the temple, overthrew the tables of the money changers (Matthew 21:12-17)

Tom

Do you sing?

 “But I will sing of Your power; Yes, I will sing aloud of Your mercy in the morning; For You have been my defense And refuge in the day of my trouble. To You, O my Strength, I will sing praises; For God is my defense, My God of mercy.”

‭‭Psalms‬ ‭59‬:‭16‬-‭17‬ ‭

Don’t matter if you sound good or not! We all have much to sing about in response to God’s power, mercy, defense, refuge, strength, and a million other blessings especially His love!

So wake each day singing to the Lord!!!

Tom

Stone them!

 “But Joshua the son of Nun and Caleb the son of Jephunneh, who were among those who had spied out the land, tore their clothes; and they spoke to all the congregation of the children of Israel, saying: “The land we passed through to spy out is an exceedingly good land. If the Lord delights in us, then He will bring us into this land and give it to us, ‘a land which flows with milk and honey.’ Only do not rebel against the Lord, nor fear the people of the land, for they are our bread; their protection has departed from them, and the Lord is with us. Do not fear them.” And all the congregation said to stone them with stones. Now the glory of the Lord appeared in the tabernacle of meeting before all the children of Israel.”

Numbers 14:6-10 

Some know the truth and have firm faith in God and some don’t! Those that don’t then want to do away with the faithful in one way or another. 

Chew on that!

Tom

Don’t be unthankful!

 “Now when the people complained, it displeased the Lord; for the Lord heard it, and His anger was aroused. So the fire of the Lord burned among them, and consumed some in the outskirts of the camp.”

Numbers 11:1 

Complaining when God is meeting your needs but not your wants is unthankful and as we see very displeasing to God. May we learn from this and never do that!

Tom

Shine Lord!

 ““The Lord bless you and keep you; The Lord make His face shine upon you, And be gracious to you;”

‭‭Numbers‬ ‭6‬:‭24‬-‭25‬ ‭

The above word’s the priest was told to say over Israel. May we receive the same! We already know God has been gracious to us and blessed us. May we live lives that bring His glory to shine upon us as well!

Tom

Echo King David!

 “Therefore You are great, O Lord God. For there is none like You, nor is there any God besides You, according to all that we have heard with our ears.”

‭‭II Samuel‬ ‭7‬:‭22‬ ‭

May we echo the words of David here! God has blessed us beyond measure. He is God, the only God! 

Tom

Pure

 “The words of the Lord are pure words”

‭‭Psalms‬ ‭12‬:‭6‬a

Nothing more pure than God’s Word which also is known to be Jesus! Look here:

“In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. He was in the beginning with God. All things were made through Him, and without Him nothing was made that was made. In Him was life, and the life was the light of men. And the light shines in the darkness, and the darkness did not comprehend it.”

‭‭John‬ ‭1‬:‭1‬-‭5‬ ‭

Chew on that today!

Tom

Who were willing

 “The children of Israel brought a freewill offering to the Lord, all the men and women whose hearts were willing to bring material for all kinds of work which the Lord, by the hand of Moses, had commanded to be done.”

‭‭Exodus‬ ‭35‬:‭29‬ ‭

Israel gave to the Lords work at least those who were willing did! Do you think God noticed who did and who did not? You bet He did as it is recorded in His Word! So are you willing to give for the work of the Lord? If God looks at your bank account does He find you willing or not?

Chew on that today!

Tom

Name of the Lord

 “And whoever blasphemes the name of the Lord shall surely be put to death. All the congregation shall certainly stone him, the stranger as well as him who is born in the land. When he blasphemes the name of the Lord, he shall be put to death.”

‭‭Leviticus‬ ‭24‬:‭16‬ ‭

Just think on that. How many would be dead for doing this if penalty was still done!?? God takes His name very seriously. So should we. 

Tom

Power!!

 “For God has not given us a spirit of fear, but of power and of love and of a sound mind.”

‭‭II Timothy‬ ‭1‬:‭7‬ ‭

If you are a true follower of Jesus, then the Holy Spirit lives inside you. You then have power from God to do God’s will in your life like tell others about Jesus. Are we using that power as God has told us to do?

We have no excuses! Get busy!

Tom