We should not quench the Spirit

Lord, thank you for sending the Holy Spirit.  Thank you LORD that we can experience the power of your Spirit in our lives, if we only yield to Him. Thank you reminding me that we should not quench the Spirit. 

Text: 1 Thessalonians 1:4-5, 5:19 NIV

For we know, brothers and sisters loved by God, that he has chosen you, 5 because our gospel came to you not simply with words but also with power, with the Holy Spirit and deep conviction. You know how we lived among you for your sake.  

19 Do not quench the Spirit. 

SCRIPTURE INSIGHT:

ODB:   Despite knowing that the electricity wasn’t working in our house after a strong storm (an inconveniently common occurrence in our neighborhood), I instinctively flipped on the light switch when I entered the room. Of course, nothing happened. I was still enveloped in darkness.

That experience—expecting light even when I knew the connection to the power source was broken—vividly reminded me of a spiritual truth. Too often we expect power even as we fail to rely on the Spirit.

In 1 Thessalonians, Paul wrote of the way God caused the gospel message to come “not simply with words but also with power, with the Holy Spirit and deep conviction” (1:5). And when we accept God’s forgiveness, believers too have immediate access to the power of His Spirit in our lives. That power cultivates in us characteristics such as love, joy, peace, and patience (Galatians 5:22–23) and it empowers us with gifts to serve the church, including teaching, helping, and guiding (1 Corinthians 12:28).

Paul warned his readers that it’s possible to “quench the spirit” (1 Thessalonians 5:19). We might restrict the power of the Spirit by ignoring God’s presence or rejecting His conviction (John 16:8). But we don’t have to live disconnected from Him. God’s power is always available to His children.

By Lisa M. Samra 

COMMENTARY:  In Paul’s time, Thessalonica was the capital city of the Roman second district of Macedonia. It was a center of heavy commerce and the place the apostle transitioned to after his arrest and beatings in Philippi (Acts 16). With his coworkers Silas and Timothy, the church was established there after the gospel had been preached in the synagogue for three consecutive Sabbath days (17:1–9). While the Jewish population turned against Paul and his team, some of the “God-fearing Greeks” (gentile proselytes to Judaism, v. 4) embraced the gospel, apparently becoming the core of the new church assembly there.

Most scholars are convinced that 1 Thessalonians was written by Paul in Corinth around the early 50s ad. Paul affectionately commended the believers in Jesus for their faithfulness and commitment to Christ (1:4–10). That commendation has caused some to refer to Thessalonica as the “ideal first-century church.”

BY Bill Crowder

FROM ME:  Lord, thank you for sending the Holy Spirit.  Thank you LORD that we can experience the power of your Spirit in our lives, if we only yield to Him. 

Repentance is the key to receiving forgiveness from God.

Thank you LORD for reminding me about the importance of repentance and having a contrite humble heart.  Forvie me LORD for my sins, and I repent of my sins.  That you LORD for your precious forgiveness (1 John 1: 9).   Lord, please always guide me to true repentance. Please help me to always recognize my sin and put my total trust in your great  saving power.

Text:  1 Samuel 12: 1, 12-17  NIV 

1 Samuel said to all Israel, “I have listened to everything you said to me and have set a king over you. 

19 The people all said to Samuel, “Pray to the Lord your God for your servants so that we will not die, for we have added to all our other sins the evil of asking for a king.”

20 “Do not be afraid,” Samuel replied. “You have done all this evil; yet do not turn away from the Lord, but serve the Lord with all your heart. 

21 Do not turn away after useless idols. They can do you no good, nor can they rescue you, because they are useless. 

22 For the sake of his great name the Lord will not reject his people, because the Lord was pleased to make you his own. 

23 As for me, far be it from me that I should sin against the Lord by failing to pray for you. And I will teach you the way that is good and right. 

24 But be sure to fear the Lord and serve him faithfully with all your heart; consider what great things he has done for you. 

25 Yet if you persist in doing evil, both you and your king will perish.”

SCRIPTURE INSIGHT

As he neared the end of his life, John M. Perkins had a message for the people he would leave behind. Perkins, known for advocating racial reconciliation, said, “Repentance is the only way back to God. Unless you repent, you will all perish.”

These words mirror the language of Jesus and many other people in the Bible. Christ said, “Unless you repent, you too will all perish” (Luke 13:3). The apostle Peter said, “Repent, then, and turn to God, so that your sins may be wiped out” (Acts 3:19).

Much earlier in Scripture, we read the words of yet another person who desired that his people would turn to God. In his farewell address “to all Israel” (1 Samuel 12:1), the prophet, priest, and judge Samuel said, “Do not be afraid. You have done . . . evil; yet do not turn away from the Lord, but serve the Lord with all your heart” (v. 20). This was his message of repentance—to turn from evil and follow God wholeheartedly.

We all sin and miss the mark of His standard. So we need to repent, which means to turn away from sin and turn to Jesus, who forgives us and empowers us to follow Him. Let’s heed the words of two men, John Perkins and Samuel, who recognized how God can use the power of repentance to change us into people He can use for His honor.

By Dave Branon

Commentary:  When God freed the Israelites from Egyptian bondage to make them into “a kingdom of priests and a holy nation” (Exodus 19:6), He specifically commanded them not the follow the ways of her pagan neighbors or worship their gods (23:32; Deuteronomy 7:1–6).   

Israel was a theocratic monarchy—God was their Lawgiver and King (Isaiah 33:22; 43:15), and they were to live according to His law (Deuteronomy 26:16–19). God anticipated the day that Israel would ask for a king (17:14–19) so they’d be “like all the other nations” (1 Samuel 8:5, 20). Refusing to be God’s “holy nation” (Exodus 19:6), the Israelites rejected God’s ways and His rule over them to follow the ways of pagan nations and other gods (1 Samuel 8:7–8). God warned the Israelites of the consequences of asking for such a king (vv. 10–21).   by K. T. Sim

From me:  Thank you LORD for reminding me about the importance of repentance and having a contrite humble heart.  Forvie me LORD for my sins, and I repent of my sins.  That you LORD for your precious forgiveness (1 John 1: 9).   Lord, please always guide me to true repentance. Please help me to always recognize my sin and put my total trust in your great  saving power.

Posted September 28, 2023

We are commanded to go and make disciples

Thank you LORD for reminding me that I should share the gospel to other people. You mandated us to go and make disciples of all nations.  Thank You for calling me to be a part of Your mission. 

Text:  Mark 2: 13-17  NIV 

13 Once again Jesus went out beside the lake. A large crowd came to him, and he began to teach them.  

14 As he walked along, he saw Levi son of Alphaeus sitting at the tax collector’s booth. “Follow me,” Jesus told him, and Levi got up and followed him.

15 While Jesus was having dinner at Levi’s house, many tax collectors and sinners were eating with him and his disciples, for there were many who followed him. 

16 When the teachers of the law who were Pharisees saw him eating with the sinners and tax collectors, they asked his disciples: “Why does he eat with tax collectors and sinners?”

17 On hearing this, Jesus said to them, “It is not the healthy who need a doctor, but the sick. I have not come to call the righteous, but sinners.”

SCRIPTURE INSIGHT:

Recently, I found myself someplace I’d seen in movies and on TV more times than I could count: Hollywood, California. There, in the foothills of Los Angeles, those enormous white letters marched proudly across that famous hillside as I viewed them from my hotel window.

Then I noticed something else: down to the left was a prominent cross. I’d never seen that in a movie. And the moment I left my hotel room, some students from a local church began to share Jesus with me.

We might sometimes think of Hollywood as only the epicenter of worldliness, in utter contrast with God’s kingdom. Yet clearly Christ was at work there, catching me by surprise with His presence.

The Pharisees were consistently surprised by where Jesus turned up. He didn’t hang out with the people they expected. Instead, Mark 2:13–17 tells us He spent time with “tax collectors and sinners” (v. 15), people whose lives practically screamed, “Unclean!” Yet there Jesus was, among those who needed Him most (vv. 16–17).

More than two thousand years later, Jesus continues to plant His message of hope and salvation in unexpected places, among the most unexpected of people. And He’s called and equipped us to be a part of that mission.   

By Adam Holz

Commentary:  The Pharisees accused Jesus of associating with two groups of “undesirable” people—tax collectors and sinners (Mark 2:16). Tax collectors were despised and hated by the Jews because they were regarded as greedy mercenaries and traitors working for the Roman conquerors. They also collected more money than the mandated Roman tax, pocketing the excess and enriching themselves at the expense of their own people (Luke 3:12–13). “Sinners,” in Jewish parlance, were the notoriously wicked; reprobates who rejected God’s law. The Pharisees also used “sinners” to denote anyone who didn’t meticulously maintain ceremonial purity or follow their rigid pharisaic standards. Tax collectors were deliberately lumped together with sinners to show how degenerate and wicked the tax-collectors were. Jesus was invited to dine with all sorts of people, even with the Pharisees (7:36; 11:37). He ate so often with social and religious outcasts—the scum of society—that He earned the reputation as “a friend of tax collectors and sinners” (7:34).

BY K. T. Sim

From me:  Thank you LORD for reminding me that I should share the gospel to other people. Thank You for calling me to be a part of Your mission. 

Posted September 27, 2023

Jesus is always with us.

Yes, LORD, thanks for reminding that You are always with us.  Your gaze is always on me.  We sometimes feel alone, lonely and discouraged.  But let me always remember that You are with us. You are my shepherd. I shall not want. You provide all of my needs. Thank you LORD for the promise that you will never leave us (Hebrews 13:5).

Text:  Psalm 23  King James Version

1 The Lord is my shepherd; I shall not want.  

2 He maketh me to lie down in green pastures: he leadeth me beside the still waters.

3 He restoreth my soul: he leadeth me in the paths of righteousness for his name's sake.

4 Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil: for thou art with me; thy rod and thy staff they comfort me.

5 Thou preparest a table before me in the presence of mine enemies: thou anointest my head with oil; my cup runneth over.

6 Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life: and I will dwell in the house of the Lord for ever.

SCRIPTURE INSIGHT

At 7 p.m., Hui-Liang was in his kitchen, eating rice and leftover fish balls. The Chua family in the apartment next door was having dinner too, and their laughter and conversation cut through the silence of Hui-Liang’s unit, where he had lived alone since his wife died.  

He’d learned to live with loneliness; over the years, its stabbing pain had become a dull ache. But tonight, the sight of the one bowl and pair of chopsticks on his table pierced him deeply.

Before he went to bed that night, Hui-Liang read Psalm 23, his favorite psalm. The words that mattered most to him are only four syllables: “You are with me” (v. 4). More than the shepherd’s practical acts of care toward the sheep, it was his steadfast presence and loving gaze over every detail of the life of the sheep (vv. 2−5) that gave Hui-Liang peace.

Just knowing that someone is there, that someone is with us, brings great comfort in those lonely moments. God promises His children that His love will always be with us (Psalm 103:17), and that He’ll never leave us (Hebrews 13:5). When we feel alone and unseen—whether in a quiet kitchen, on the bus going home from work, or even in a crowded supermarket—we can know that the Shepherd’s gaze is always on us. We can say, “You are with me.”

By Karen Huang

Commentary:  A key metaphor in this much-loved psalm is that of God’s “rod” and “staff” (23:4). The Hebrew word for “rod” is shevet, and as used here refers to a shepherd’s staff. But it can also mean the rod of a leader or a military weapon.  

As such, shevet connotes God’s discipline, correction, and leadership. We might think of such an image as negative—something to be avoided—but David sees it as a source of comfort. “The Lord disciplines the one he loves,” said the writer of Hebrews (12:6). God’s discipline is a sign that we’re His children. David was often pursued by his enemies, yet in this psalm he notes how he can eat in safety “in the presence of my enemies” (Psalm 23:5). Rather than being pursued by his enemies, it was God’s “goodness and love” that followed him (v. 6).

by Tim Gustafson

From me:  Yes, LORD, thanks for reminding that You are always with us.  Your gaze is always on me.  We sometimes feel alone, lonely and discuraged.  But let me always remember that You are with us. You are my shepherd. I shall not want. You provide all of my needs. Thank you LORD for the promise that you will never leave us (Hebrews 13:5).

Posted September 26, 2023

Jesus commanded us to love our enemies

 LORD, thank you for reminding me that I should love my enemy.  That I should do good to those who are unkind to me or who treats me as an enemy.  Dear Jesus, I praise You that Your kindness leads me to repentance and inspires me to be kind to my enemies.

Text:  Proverbs 25: 18-23  NIV

18  Like a club or a sword or a sharp arrow is one who gives false testimony against a neighbor. 

19  Like a broken tooth or a lame foot is reliance on the unfaithful in a time of trouble.

20  Like one who takes away a garment on a cold day, or like vinegar poured on a wound,     is one who sings songs to a heavy heart.

21 If your enemy is hungry, give him food to eat; if he is thirsty, give him water to drink.

22 In doing this, you will heap burning coals on his head, and the Lord will reward you.

23 Like a north wind that brings unexpected rain is a sly tongue—which provokes a horrified look.

SCRIPTURE INSIGHT

ODB:   Dan endured daily beatings from the same prison guard. He felt compelled by Jesus to love this man, so one morning, before the beating was about to begin, Dan said, “Sir, if I’m going to see you every day for the rest of my life, let’s become friends.” The guard said, “No sir. We can never be friends.” Dan insisted and reached out his hand. 

The guard froze. He began to shake, then grabbed Dan’s hand and wouldn’t let go. Tears streamed down his face. He said, “Dan, my name is Rosoc. I would love to be your friend.” The guard didn’t beat Dan that day, or ever again.

Scripture tells us, “If your enemy is hungry, give him food to eat; if he is thirsty, give him water to drink. In doing this, you will heap burning coals on his head, and the Lord will reward you” (Proverbs 25:21–22). The “coals” imagery may reflect an Egyptian ritual in which a guilty person showed his repentance by carrying a bowl of hot coals on his head. Similarly, our kindness may cause our enemies to become red in the face from embarrassment, which may lead them to repentance.

Who is your enemy? Whom do you dislike? Dan discovered that the kindness of Christ was strong enough to change any heart—his enemy’s and his own. We can too.   By Mike Wittmer

Commentary:  The first verse of Proverbs 25 tells us that the proverbs in chapters 25–29 were “of Solomon, compiled by the men of Hezekiah king of Judah.” You may recall Hezekiah as the good king who fought against idolatry and the Assyrians and led the people in following God (2 Kings 18:1–8). 

The various sections of the book of Proverbs (including today’s reading) usually don’t have an obvious theme. They’re simply “collections” of wise sayings by which we may live. So, it’s interesting to note that of the five proverbs in 25:18–23, four are warnings against the negative fallout of imprudent behavior (vv. 18, 19, 20, 23). Such evil actions are likely to create animosity. The proverb contained in verses 21–22 stands in contrast to the warnings against such unwise (or evil) actions.  by Tim Gustafson

From me:  LORD, thank you for reminding me that I should love my enemy.  That I should do good to those who are unkind to me or who treats me as an enemy.  Dear Jesus, I praise You that Your kindness leads me to repentance and inspires me to be kind to my enemies.

Posted September 25, 2023

God is our refuge, He guides us in the path ahead.

LORD, when we are at a dead-end, or when we dont know what will happen next, or when our path is uncertain, or when we are discouraged, we can always rely on You.  As David said - "When my spirit grows faint within me, it is you who watch over my way."  It is You who guide and watches over my path. Remind me LORD about this truth so this will lessen or remove the worries in my life.  Remind me about this so I can walk , in faith, knowing that You know the way ahead of me. You are my Guide.  My path.  My LORD.

Text:  Psalm 142   NIV 

A maskil (contemplation) of David. When he was in the cave. A prayer.

1   I cry aloud to the Lord;

    I lift up my voice to the Lord for mercy.

2   I pour out before him my complaint;

    before him I tell my trouble.

3   When my spirit grows faint within me,

    it is you who watch over my way.

    In the path where I walk

    people have hidden a snare for me.

4   Look and see, there is no one at my right hand;

    no one is concerned for me.

    I have no refuge; no one cares for my life.

5   I cry to you, Lord;

    I say, “You are my refuge,

    my portion in the land of the living.”

6   Listen to my cry,

    for I am in desperate need;

    rescue me from those who pursue me,

    for they are too strong for me.

7   Set me free from my prison,

    that I may praise your name.

    Then the righteous will gather about me

    because of your goodness to me.

SCRIPTURE INSIGHT

Perhaps I shouldn’t have agreed to join Brian on a run. I was in a foreign country, and I had no idea where or how far we would go or what the terrain would be like. Plus, he was a fast runner. Would I twist an ankle trying to keep up with him? 

What could I do but trust Brian because he knew the way? As we started, I got even more worried. The trail was rough, winding through a thick forest on uneven ground. Thankfully, Brian kept turning around to check on me and warn me of rough patches ahead.

Perhaps this was how some of the people in Bible times felt while entering unfamiliar territory—Abraham in Canaan, the Israelites in the wilderness, and Jesus’ disciples on their mission to share the good news. They had no clue what the journey would be like, except that it would surely be tough. But they had Someone leading them who knew the way ahead. They had to trust that God would give them strength to cope and that He would take care of them. They could follow Him because He knew exactly what lay ahead.

This assurance comforted David when he was on the run. Despite great uncertainty, he said to God: “When my spirit grows faint within me, it is you who watch over my way” (Psalm 142:3). There will be times in life when we fear what lies ahead. But we know this: our God, who walks with us, knows the way.

By Leslie Koh

Commentary:  Fourteen psalms have historical titles that tie them to specific events in David’s life (Psalms 3, 7, 18, 30, 34, 51, 52, 54, 56, 57, 59, 60, 63, 142). 

 The title of Psalm 142 tells us that David wrote this maskil or contemplation “when he was in the cave.” Psalm 57 has a similar superscription: “When he had fled from Saul into the cave.” David hid in the caves escaping from the murderous king on two occasions (1 Samuel 22:1; 24:1–7). Pushed into a corner, the despondent David lamented that “no one is concerned for me” (Psalm 142:4). But he turned his troubles over to God: “I cry out to the Lord; I plead for the Lord’s mercy. I pour out my complaints before him and tell him all my troubles” (vv. 1–2 nlt). David didn’t merely take refuge in a cave; he made God his “refuge” (v. 5).

by K. T. Sim

From me:  LORD, when we are at a dead-end, or when we dont know what will happen next, or when our path is uncertain, or when we are discouraged, we can always rely on You.  As David said - "When my spirit grows faint within me, it is you who watch over my way."  It is You who guide and watches over my path. Remind me LORD about this truth so this will lessen or remove the worries in my life.  Remind me about this so I can walk , in faith, knowing that You know the way ahead of me. You are my Guide.  My path.  My LORD. 

Posted September 23, 2023

Jesus is the resurrection and the life.

Thank you LORD for reminding me that You understand our pains, our sicknesses, our struggles.  That You are concerned with us, especially when we are down or sick or when we are facing death, or have experienced death in the family.  Thank you that You have the same humanity like ours.  Thank you LORD that You raised Lazarus from the dead, which demonstrates your power over death.  Thank yo LORD that You are the resurrection and the life. Thank you LORD for your promise - “I am the resurrection and the life. The one who believes in me will live, even though they die" (John 11:25)

Text:   John 11:25-36   New International Version

25 Jesus said to her, “I am the resurrection and the life. The one who believes in me will live, even though they die;  

26 and whoever lives by believing in me will never die. Do you believe this?”

27 “Yes, Lord,” she replied, “I believe that you are the Messiah, the Son of God, who is to come into the world.”

28 After she had said this, she went back and called her sister Mary aside. “The Teacher is here,” she said, “and is asking for you.” 

29 When Mary heard this, she got up quickly and went to him. 

30 Now Jesus had not yet entered the village, but was still at the place where Martha had met him. 

31 When the Jews who had been with Mary in the house, comforting her, noticed how quickly she got up and went out, they followed her, supposing she was going to the tomb to mourn there.

32 When Mary reached the place where Jesus was and saw him, she fell at his feet and said, “Lord, if you had been here, my brother would not have died.”  

33 When Jesus saw her weeping, and the Jews who had come along with her also weeping, he was deeply moved in spirit and troubled. 

34 “Where have you laid him?” he asked.

“Come and see, Lord,” they replied.

35 Jesus wept.

36 Then the Jews said, “See how he loved him!”

SCRIPTURE INSIGHT

It had been a few years since my longtime friend and I had seen one another. During that time, he’d received a cancer diagnosis and started treatments. An unexpected trip to his state afforded me the chance to see him again. I walked into the restaurant, and tears filled both of our eyes. It’d been too long since we’d been in the same room, and now death crouched in the corner reminding us of the brevity of life. The tears in our eyes sprang from a long friendship filled with adventures and antics and laughter and loss—and love. So much love that it spilled out from the corners of our eyes at the sight of one another.   

Jesus wept too. John’s gospel records that moment, after the Jews said, “Come and see, Lord” (11:34), and Jesus stood before the tomb of His good friend Lazarus. Then we read those two words that reveal to us the depths to which Christ shares our humanity: “Jesus wept” (v. 35). 

Was there much going on in that moment, things that John did and didn’t record? Yes. Yet I also believe the reaction of the Jews to Jesus is telling: “See how he loved him!” (v. 36). That line is more than sufficient grounds for us to stop and worship the Friend who knows our every weakness. Jesus was flesh and blood and tears. Jesus is the Savior who loves and understands.

By John Blase

Commentary:  The resurrection is an ancient Jewish belief. Job said, “After my body has decayed, yet in my body I will see God!” (Job 19:26 nlt). Jesus spoke of a coming day “when all the dead in their graves will hear the voice of God’s Son, and they will rise again” (John 5:28–29 nlt). Martha affirmed this Jewish hope that Lazarus would “rise again in the resurrection at the last day” (11:24). But when Jesus said that Lazarus would “rise again” (v. 23), He wasn’t merely referring to the future. He was also promising an immediate resurrection (vv. 43–44).

by K. T. Sim

From me:  Thank you LORD for reminding me that You understand our pains, our sicknesses, our struggles.  That You are concerned with us, especially when we are down or sick or when we are facing death, or have experienced death in the family.  Thank you that You have the same humanity like ours.  Thank you LORD that You raised Lazarus from the dead, which demonstrates your power over death.  Thank yo LORD that You are the resurrection and the life. Thank you LORD for your promise - “I am the resurrection and the life. The one who believes in me will live, even though they die" (John 11:25)

Posted September 22, 2023

 

The forces of evil are powerless against the hand of God.

Jesus demonstrated that He has power over the winds and sea abd the storm.  He calmed the storm just by commanding it to be still - verse 39.  God is powerful.  The evil forces are powerless against the hand or command of God.  The power of Christ’s power in our lives can strengthen my faith and the faith of other people.  LORD, thank you for  calming my heart as I trust You through life’s stormy seasons. 

Text:  Mark 4:35-41  New International Version

Jesus Calms the Storm

35 That day when evening came, he said to his disciples, “Let us go over to the other side.” 

36 Leaving the crowd behind, they took him along, just as he was, in the boat. There were also other boats with him. 

37 A furious squall came up, and the waves broke over the boat, so that it was nearly swamped. 

38 Jesus was in the stern, sleeping on a cushion. The disciples woke him and said to him, “Teacher, don’t you care if we drown?”

39 He got up, rebuked the wind and said to the waves, “Quiet! Be still!” Then the wind died down and it was completely calm.

40 He said to his disciples, “Why are you so afraid? Do you still have no faith?”

41 They were terrified and asked each other, “Who is this? Even the wind and the waves obey him!”

SCRIPTURE INSIGHT

In 2013, about six hundred on-site spectators watched aerialist Nik Wallenda walk on a tightrope across a 1,400-foot-wide gorge near the Grand Canyon.  

Wallenda stepped onto the 2-inch-thick steel cable and thanked Jesus for the view as his head camera pointed toward the valley below. He prayed and praised Jesus as he walked across the gorge as calmly as if he was strolling on a sidewalk. When the wind became treacherous, he stopped and crouched. He rose and regained his balance, thanking God for “calming that cable.” With every step on that tightrope, he displayed his dependence on the power of Christ to everyone listening then and now as the video is watched across the world.

When the winds of a storm caused waves to overtake the disciples on the Sea of Galilee, fear seeped through their pleas for help (Mark 4:35–38). After Jesus stilled the squall, they knew He controlled the winds and everything else (vv. 39–41). Slowly they learned to grow in their trust of Him. Their personal experiences could help others recognize Jesus' intimate availability and extraordinary might.

As we experience life’s storms or walk on the tightropes of trust stretched over the deep valleys of affliction, we can demonstrate confident faith in the power of Christ. God will use our faith-walk to inspire others to hope in Him.  By Xochitl Dixon

Commentary:  Many of the disciples were experienced fishermen who would have faced many storms, but Mark describes this one as uniquely terrifying and life-threatening (Mark 4:37–38).  

In Jewish belief, the sea was associated with the chaotic forces of evil and destruction, adding an extra level of terror. Jesus and the disciples’ lives were under siege by forces of evil.

But Jewish faith also described God as the Creator who brings order out of chaos (Genesis 1:2–3, 6–9), who stills not only “the roaring of the seas” but “the turmoil of the nations” (Psalm 65:7). Jesus’ calm rebuke of the wind and waves was unmistakable evidence that the power of God was at work in Him. Through Christ, God’s kingdom was coming, and the forces of evil would be powerless to resist Him. The disciples couldn’t yet grasp this and were “terrified” by Jesus’ power (Mark 4:41).

by Monica La Rose

From me:   Jesus demonstrated that He has power over the winds and sea abd the storm.  He calmed the storm just by commanding it to be still - verse 39.  God is powerful.  The evil forces are powerless against the hand or command of God.  The power of Christ’s power in our lives can strengthen my faith and the faith of other people.  LORD, thank you for  calming my heart as I trust You through life’s stormy seasons. 

Posted September 20, 2023

God never abandons His children.

There are situations in life when we experience the pains of being forgotten. We are sick, or living far away, or isolated.  But God does not forget us. He will make a way for you to go back to normal society or to be with friends and loved ones.  God will lift you up. Thank you LORD that You promised to never to abandon us or neglect us, your children.   You love us and care for us.  We worship You, O Lord. 

Text:  Genesis 40: 4-23  NIV  

4 The captain of the guard assigned them to Joseph, and he attended them.

After they had been in custody for some time, 

5 each of the two men—the cupbearer and the baker of the king of Egypt, who were being held in prison—had a dream the same night, and each dream had a meaning of its own.

6 When Joseph came to them the next morning, he saw that they were dejected. 

7 So he asked Pharaoh’s officials who were in custody with him in his master’s house, “Why do you look so sad today?”

8 “We both had dreams,” they answered, “but there is no one to interpret them.”

Then Joseph said to them, “Do not interpretations belong to God? Tell me your dreams.”

9 So the chief cupbearer told Joseph his dream. He said to him, “In my dream I saw a vine in front of me, 10 and on the vine were three branches. As soon as it budded, it blossomed, and its clusters ripened into grapes. 11 Pharaoh’s cup was in my hand, and I took the grapes, squeezed them into Pharaoh’s cup and put the cup in his hand.”

12 “This is what it means,” Joseph said to him. “The three branches are three days. 13 Within three days Pharaoh will lift up your head and restore you to your position, and you will put Pharaoh’s cup in his hand, just as you used to do when you were his cupbearer. 14 But when all goes well with you, remember me and show me kindness; mention me to Pharaoh and get me out of this prison. 15 I was forcibly carried off from the land of the Hebrews, and even here I have done nothing to deserve being put in a dungeon.”

16 When the chief baker saw that Joseph had given a favorable interpretation, he said to Joseph, “I too had a dream: On my head were three baskets of bread.[a] 17 In the top basket were all kinds of baked goods for Pharaoh, but the birds were eating them out of the basket on my head.”

18 “This is what it means,” Joseph said. “The three baskets are three days. 19 Within three days Pharaoh will lift off your head and impale your body on a pole. And the birds will eat away your flesh.”

20 Now the third day was Pharaoh’s birthday, and he gave a feast for all his officials. He lifted up the heads of the chief cupbearer and the chief baker in the presence of his officials: 21 He restored the chief cupbearer to his position, so that he once again put the cup into Pharaoh’s hand— 22 but he impaled the chief baker, just as Joseph had said to them in his interpretation.

23 The chief cupbearer, however, did not remember Joseph; he forgot him.

SCRIPTURE INSIGHT: 

ODB:  When you listen to their stories, it becomes clear that perhaps the most difficult part of being a prisoner is isolation and loneliness. In fact, one study revealed that regardless of the length of their incarceration, most prisoners receive only two visits from friends or loved ones during their time behind bars. Loneliness is a constant reality.

It’s a pain I imagine Joseph felt as he sat in prison, unjustly accused of a crime. There had been a glimmer of hope. God helped Joseph correctly interpret a dream from a fellow inmate who happened to be a trusted servant of Pharaoh. Joseph told the man he would be restored to his position and asked the man to mention him to Pharaoh so Joseph could gain his freedom (Genesis 40:14).  

But the man “did not remember Joseph; he forgot him” (v. 23). For two more years, Joseph waited. In those years of waiting, without any sign that his circumstances would change, Joseph was never completely alone because God was with him. Eventually, the servant of Pharaoh remembered his promise and Joseph was released after correctly interpreting another dream (41:9–14).

Regardless of circumstances that make us feel we’ve been forgotten, and the feelings of loneliness that creep in, we can cling to God’s reassuring promise to His children: “I will not forget you!” (Isaiah 49:15).

By Lisa M. Samra

Commentary:  This isn’t the first time in Genesis that God spoke in dreams to individuals who weren’t His chosen people. He’d warned King Abimelek in a dream not to touch Sarah, the wife of Abraham (20:3). Then there was Jacob’s father-in-law Laban, whom God warned in a dream not to harm Jacob (31:24–29). In chapter 40, Joseph was careful to credit Him for the interpretation of dreams (v. 8). Later, God would use the dreams of Pharaoh to show His power, not Joseph’s (41:1–16), a point Joseph highlighted repeatedly (vv. 16–32).

by Tim Gustafson

From me:  There are situations in life when we experience the pains of being forgotten. We are sick, or living far away, or isolated.  But God does not forget us. He will make a way for you to go back to normal society or to be with friends and loved ones.  God will lift you up. Thank you LORD that You promised to never to abandon us or neglect us.  You love us and care for us.  We worship You, O Lord. 

Posted September 20, 2023

God wants us to take care of the weak, the needy and the sick.

LORD, thank you for reminding me that we ought to love our fellowmen, and we need to  help the needy, the weak and the sick, the powerless and the homeless, and those who are naked / without clothes, those without food.   LORD, You are the great Shepherd, and You take care of all your sheep.  You want us also to take care of the needy sheeps among us.  

LORD, help me to help take care of the needy and the sick and the poor. 

Text:  Ezekiel 34:1-2  New International Version

The Lord Will Be Israel’s Shepherd

1 The word of the Lord came to me:

2 “Son of man, prophesy against the shepherds of Israel; prophesy and say to them: ‘This is what the Sovereign Lord says: Woe to you shepherds of Israel who only take care of yourselves! Should not shepherds take care of the flock?

Ezekiel 34:7-12  New International Version

7 “‘Therefore, you shepherds, hear the word of the Lord: 

8 As surely as I live, declares the Sovereign Lord, because my flock lacks a shepherd and so has been plundered and has become food for all the wild animals, and because my shepherds did not search for my flock but cared for themselves rather than for my flock, 

9 therefore, you shepherds, hear the word of the Lord: 

10 This is what the Sovereign Lord says: I am against the shepherds and will hold them accountable for my flock. I will remove them from tending the flock so that the shepherds can no longer feed themselves. I will rescue my flock from their mouths, and it will no longer be food for them.

11 “‘For this is what the Sovereign Lord says: I myself will search for my sheep and look after them.  

12 As a shepherd looks after his scattered flock when he is with them, so will I look after my sheep. I will rescue them from all the places where they were scattered on a day of clouds and darkness.

SCRIPTURE INSIGHT

Perhaps the most heartwarming tradition in college football happens at the University of Iowa. The Stead Family Children’s Hospital sits next to Iowa’s Kinnick Stadium, and the hospital’s top floor has floor-to-ceiling windows offering a great view of the field. On game days, sick children and their families fill the floor to watch the action below, and at the end of the first quarter, coaches, athletes, and thousands of fans turn to the hospital and wave. For those few moments, the children’s eyes light up. It’s powerful to see the athletes, with a packed stadium and thousands more watching on TV, pause and show they care.

The Scriptures instruct those who have power (and all of us have some kind of power) to care for those who are weak, watch over those who are struggling, and tend to those whose bodies are broken. Too often, though, we ignore those in need of attention (Ezekiel 34:6). The prophet Ezekiel rebuked Israel’s leaders for their selfishness, for disregarding those who most needed help. “Woe to you,” God said through Ezekiel. “You have not strengthened the weak or healed the sick or bound up the injured” (vv. 2, 4).

How often do our personal priorities, leadership philosophies, or economic policies demonstrate little regard for those in distress? God shows us a different way, where those with power watch out for those who are weak (vv. 11–12).

By Winn Collier

Commentary:  We’re familiar with Jesus being referred to as the Good Shepherd in the New Testament (John 10:11), but that metaphor had its origins in Ezekiel. God promised to reject the failed shepherds of the people (Ezekiel 34:10), which Jesus in turn identified as the leaders of Israel in His day (Matthew 9:36; Mark 6:34; John 10:1–6). God promised to be Israel’s shepherd Himself (Ezekiel 34:11–16).

When Jesus tells the story of the lost sheep (Luke 15:1–7) or calls Himself the Good Shepherd (John 10:1–18), He’s claiming to be the shepherd, like David, who’d rescue all God’s lost sheep (Ezekiel 34:22–24). Long ago, God promised to shepherd His people. In Jesus, we see that promise fulfilled.  by Jed Ostoich

From me:   LORD, thank you for reminding me that we ought to love our fellowmen, and and help the needt, weak and the sick, the powerless and the homeless, and those who are naked / without clothes, those without food.   LORD, You are the great Shepherd, and You take care of all your sheep.  You want us also to take care of the needy sheeps among us.  

LORD, help me to help take care of the needy and the sick and the poor. 

Posted September 18, 2023

God will wipe away our tears.

Thank you LORD that You promised - "He will wipe every tear from their eyes. Revelation 21:4 ".   Someday, You will remove all the pain, all sicknesses, You will heal our bodies, You will heal our emotional sadness and depressions and problems.  You will remove death, under the "new heaven and new earth".   Thank you LORD that You care for us, you love us, and you care for our pains and diseases.  We love you O Lord. 

Text   Revelation 21: 1-8  New International Version

A New Heaven and a New Earth

1 Then I saw “a new heaven and a new earth,” for the first heaven and the first earth had passed away, and there was no longer any sea.   

2 I saw the Holy City, the new Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God, prepared as a bride beautifully dressed for her husband. 

3 And I heard a loud voice from the throne saying, “Look! God’s dwelling place is now among the people, and he will dwell with them. They will be his people, and God himself will be with them and be their God. 

4 ‘He will wipe every tear from their eyes. There will be no more death’[b] or mourning or crying or pain, for the old order of things has passed away.”

5 He who was seated on the throne said, “I am making everything new!” Then he said, “Write this down, for these words are trustworthy and true.”

6 He said to me: “It is done. I am the Alpha and the Omega, the Beginning and the End. To the thirsty I will give water without cost from the spring of the water of life. 

7 Those who are victorious will inherit all this, and I will be their God and they will be my children.

8 But the cowardly, the unbelieving, the vile, the murderers, the sexually immoral, those who practice magic arts, the idolaters and all liars—they will be consigned to the fiery lake of burning sulfur. This is the second death.”

SCRIPTURE INSIGHT

“I measure every Grief I meet,” the nineteenth-century poet Emily Dickinson wrote, “With narrow, probing, eyes – / I wonder if It weighs like Mine – / Or has an Easier size.” The poem is a moving reflection on how people carry the unique ways they’ve been wounded throughout their lives. Dickinson concludes, almost hesitantly, with her only solace: the “piercing Comfort” of seeing at Calvary her own wounds reflected in the Savior’s: “Still fascinated to presume / That Some – are like my own –.”

The book of Revelation describes Jesus, our Savior, as a “Lamb, looking as if it had been slain” (5:6; see v. 12), His wounds still visible. Wounds earned through taking upon Himself the sin and despair of His people (1 Peter 2:24–25), so that they might have new life and hope.

And Revelation describes a future day when the Savior will “wipe every tear” from each of His children’s eyes (21:4). Jesus won’t minimize their pain, but truly see and care for each person’s unique grief—while inviting them into the new, healing realities of life in His kingdom, where there is “no more death or mourning or crying or pain” (v. 4). Where healing water will flow “without cost from the spring of the water of life” (v. 6; see 22:2).

Because our Savior has carried our every grief, we can find rest and healing in His kingdom.   By Monica La Rose

Commentary:   Exiled on the island of Patmos (Revelation 1:9), the apostle John was given a glimpse of “what must soon take place” (v. 1) when Jesus returns to rule the world as king.

God will judge and punish an unbelieving, sinful world for her wickedness and evil (chs. 4–19). Satan will be sent into eternal punishment (20:10). In the final vision (21:1–22:9), John saw “a new heaven and a new earth” (21:1), a fulfillment of a promise God made in Isaiah 65:17–25. Scholars say both Isaiah and John are describing heaven, “God’s dwelling place,” where He will live with His people forever (Revelation 21:3). “Nothing impure will ever enter it . . . but only those whose names are written in the Lamb's book of life” (v. 27). The apostle Peter says this new heaven and new earth is “where righteousness dwells” (2 Peter 3:13).   by K. T. Sim

From me:   Thank you LORD that You promised - "He will wipe every tear from their eyes. Revelation 21:4 ".   Someday, You will remove all the pain, all sicknesses, You will heal our bodies, You will heal our emotional sadness and depressions and problems.  You will remove death, under the "new heaven and new earth".   Thank you LORD that You care for us, you love us, and you care for our pains and diseases.  We love you O Lord. 

Posted September 16, 2023

God hates oppression, injustice and allowing the poor to suffer

Thank you LORD for reminding me that you dont look with favor on our empty religious rituals such as prayer and fasting if we are oppressing our fellow men.   You want us to practice our religious disciplines, but at the same time practicing righteousness, caring for the sick and needy,  giving food to the hungry,  providing clothes for the naked, providing shelters for the homeless.  If we do this, then You will be pleased, and You will listen to our prayers.  Thank you LORD for this great lesson and principle.   We can use this principle under Grace Ministries, where we shall provide some medical assistance and treatment for the poor, sick and needy, and provide clothes, and some practical assistance (such as training and referrals) to them. 

Text:  Isaiah 58: 1- 9  NIV 

1 “Shout it aloud, do not hold back.

    Raise your voice like a trumpet. 

   Declare to my people their rebellion

    and to the descendants of Jacob their sins.

2 For day after day they seek me out;

    they seem eager to know my ways,

   as if they were a nation that does what is right

    and has not forsaken the commands of its God.

   They ask me for just decisions

    and seem eager for God to come near them.

3 ‘Why have we fasted,’ they say,

    ‘and you have not seen it?

   Why have we humbled ourselves,

    and you have not noticed?’

 “Yet on the day of your fasting, you do as you please

    and exploit all your workers.

4 Your fasting ends in quarreling and strife,

    and in striking each other with wicked fists.

  You cannot fast as you do today

    and expect your voice to be heard on high.

5 Is this the kind of fast I have chosen,

    only a day for people to humble themselves?

    Is it only for bowing one’s head like a reed

    and for lying in sackcloth and ashes?

    Is that what you call a fast,

    a day acceptable to the Lord?

6   “Is not this the kind of fasting I have chosen:

    to loose the chains of injustice

    and untie the cords of the yoke,

    to set the oppressed free

    and break every yoke?  

7   Is it not to share your food with the hungry

    and to provide the poor wanderer with shelter—

    when you see the naked, to clothe them,

    and not to turn away from your own flesh and blood?

8   Then your light will break forth like the dawn,

    and your healing will quickly appear;

    then your righteousness will go before you,

    and the glory of the Lord will be your rear guard.

9  Then you will call, and the Lord will answer;

    you will cry for help, and he will say: Here am I.

    “If you do away with the yoke of oppression,

    with the pointing finger and malicious talk,

SCRIPTURE INSIGHT

David Willis had been upstairs in Waterstones Bookshop when he came downstairs and found the lights were turned off and the doors locked. He was trapped inside the store! Not knowing what else to do, he turned to Twitter and tweeted: “Hi @Waterstones. I’ve been locked inside of your Trafalgar Square bookstore for 2 hours now. Please let me out.” Not too long after his tweet, he was rescued.  

It’s good to have a way to get help when we’re in trouble.   Isaiah said there’s Someone who will answer our cries when we’re trapped in a problem of our own making. The prophet wrote that God had charged His people with practicing their religious devotion irresponsibly.    They were going through the motions of religion but masking their oppression of the poor with empty and self-serving rituals (Isaiah 58:1–7). This didn’t win divine favor. God hid His eyes from them and didn’t answer their prayers (1:15). He told them to repent and display outward acts of caring for others (58:6–7). If they did that, He told them, “You will call, and the Lord will answer; you will cry for help, and he will say: Here am I. If you do away with the yoke of oppression, with the pointing finger and malicious talk” (v. 9).  

Let’s get close to the poor, saying to them: “I am here.” For God hears our cries for help and says to us, “I am here.”

By Marvin Williams

Commentary:   The prophet Isaiah (which means “God is salvation”) wrote the longest prophetic book, which contains sixty-six chapters. Isaiah 1:1 provides some helpful information about Isaiah: “The vision concerning Judah and Jerusalem that Isaiah son of Amoz saw during the reigns of Uzziah, Jotham, Ahaz and Hezekiah, kings of Judah.” 

These kings place Isaiah in the eighth century bc and have caused some scholars to speculate that Isaiah’s prophetic ministry may have lasted for some sixty-four years. Apparently, Isaiah had two sons and was married to a prophetess (7:3; 8:3).

Bill Crowder

From me:   Thank you LORD for reminding me that you dont look with favor on empty religious rituals such as prayer and fasting if we oppressing our fellow men.   You want us to practices our religious disciplines, but at the same time practicing righteousness, caring for the sick and needy,  giving food to the hungry,  providing clothes for the naked, providing shelters for the homeless.  If we do this, then You will be pleased, and You will listen to our prayers.  Thanks LORD for this great lesson and principle.   We can use this principle under Grace Ministries, where we shall provide some medical assistance and treatment for the poor, sick and needy, and provide clothes, and some practical assistance (such as training and referrals). 

Posted September 14, 2023