2020 Archived Blogs

Numbers 6:24-26  (NKJV)

The LORD bless you and keep you;
The LORD make His face shine upon you,
     and be gracious to you;
The LORD lift up His countenance upon you,
     and give you peace.

We offer the following three prayers in response ...

1.   LORD, bring those who yet need You into new-
      birth relationship with You through Your beloved
      Son, Jesus Christ - Lord of lords and King of kings.
      Please do so whereby they, too, can so enjoy the
      huge blessings found only in the Lord Jesus as
      Your New Covenant graciously continues.  May
      peace  with God  be their eternal discovery this
      new year.  Amen

2.   LORD, bless and keep those in You who, by grace, con-
      tinue in relationship with You in their new-born state.  May
      Your holy face shine upon them and be gracious to them.
      Lift up Your countenance upon them, precious Father.
      And, dear YHVH God Most High:  THANK YOU for
      Your holy New Covenant through Jesus Christ Your
      Son.  May the  peace  of God  which passes all
      understanding be our ongoing blessing through
      2020.  Amen

3.   LORD, soften the hearts of those who claim to be
      in You  but who are not abiding in Your Son.  Open
      their eyes to the dangers of the life they are presently
      living.  Help the carnal to repent of their ways, turn
      and walk in Your Holy Spirit.  May You grace them
      with change whereby they, too, can enjoy the sweet
      abundant life Your Son, our Shepherd, so kindly offers. 
      May Your merciful, gracious light reign over the darkness.
      In Jesus Christ's glorious name we pray, amen.

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Week of 1/6-10  (B2;20)

Psalm 1  (NKJV)

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.
He shall be like a tree planted by the rivers of water,
that brings forth its fruit in its season, whose leaf also 
shall not wither;  and whatever he does shall prosper.
The ungodly  are  not so, but  are  like the chaff which
the wind drives away.  Therefore the ungodly shall not
stand in the judgment, nor sinners in the congregation
of the righteous.  For the LORD knows the way of the
righteous, but the way of the ungodly shall perish.

Father, in a day filled with dark uncertainty, may we be
wise enough to heed the blessings of this psalm.  May
we enjoy Your peace which passes all understanding
even though the events of Mt. 24:4-8 continue to 
manifest themselves.  LORD, we praise You for the
heavenly blessings in Christ Jesus Your glorious Son.
Thank You for Your peace which does indeed transcend
all understanding.  We magnify You oh eternal YHVH God.
In Jesus Christ's - Your Son's - holy name we pray, amen. 

____________________

Week of 1/13-17  (B3;20)

Psalm 2  (NKJV)

Why do the nations rage, and the people plot a vain thing?
The kings of the earth set themselves, and the rulers take
counsel together, against the LORD and against His Anointed,
saying,  "Let us break Their bonds in pieces and cast away 
Their cords from us."  He who sites in the heavens shall laugh; 
the LORD shall hold them in derision.  Then He shall speak to 
them in His wrath, and distress them in His deep displeasure:
"Yet I have set My King on My holy hill of Zion.  I will declare 
the decree:  The LORD has said to Me, 'You  are  My Son,
today I have begotton You.  Ask of Me, and I will give  You  
the nations  for  Your inheritance, and the ends of the earth
for  Your possession.  You shall break them with a rod of iron;  
You shall dash them to pieces like a potter's vessel.'"  Now 
therefore, be wise O kings;  be instructed, you judges of the 
earth.  Serve the LORD with fear, and rejoice with trembling.  
Kiss the Son, lest He be angry, and you perish  in  the way, 
when His wrath is kindled but a little.  Blessed  are  all those 
who put their trust in Him.   

Father God, we ADORE Thee.  In Jesus Christ's holy name,
LORD, help us to revere Your glorious Son.  During these
days of rebellion, help us LORD to  stay the course  and 
remain faithful to You.  Help us  endure  during these days
of global warfare against You and Your peoples - both Your
Old Covenant people and Your New Covenant people in 
Jesus Christ Your Son.  Thank You, Father God.  In Christ
alone  we bring appeal:  Come soon Lord Jesus!  

____________________

Week of 1/20-24  (B4;20)

I Peter 3:8-17  (NKJV)

Finally, all  of you be  of one mind, having compassion for one
another;  love as brothers, be  tenderhearted, be  courteous;  not
returning evil for evil or reviling for reviling, but on the contrary
blessing, knowing that you were called to this, that you may
inherit a blessing.  For  "He who would love life and see good
days, let him refrain his tongue from evil, and his lips from
speaking deceit.  Let him turn away from evil and do good;  
let him seek peace and pursue it.  For the eyes of the LORD
are on the righteous, and His ears are open to their prayers;
but the face of the LORD is against those who do evil.  And
who  is  he who will harm you if you become followers of what
is good?  But even if you should suffer for righteousness' sake,
you  are blessed.  "And do not be afraid of their threats, nor be
troubled."  But sanctify the Lord God in your hearts, and always
be ready to  give  a defense to everyone who asks a reason of
the hope that is in you, with meekness and fear;  having a
good conscience, that when they defame you as evildoers,
those who revile your good conduct in Christ may be ashamed.
For  it is  better, if it is the will of God, to suffer for doing good 
than for doing evil. 

Father YHVH God, thank You for graciously providing 
the resources to  walk  in the perspective You've kindly
outlined Your people to obey as we abide in Your Son.
Yes LORD, thank You for your empowering Spirit.  Help
us to walk in Him as Your Ambassadors of Christ Jesus.
May we, in Your abundant mercy and grace, continue
being those lights which exalt and magnify Your great
name.  In Jesus Christ's name we pray, amen. 

____________________

Week of 1/27-31  (B5;20)

II Peter 2:1-11  (NKJV)

But there were also false prophets among the people, even as
there will be false teachers among you, who will secretly bring
in destructive heresies, even denying the Lord who bought them,
and  bring on themselves swift destruction.  And many will follow
their destructive ways, because of whom the way of truth will be
blasphemed.  By covetousness they will exploit you with deceptive
words;  for a long time their judgment has not been idle, and their
destruction does not slumber.  For if God did not spare the angels
who sinned, but cast  them  into chains of darkness, to be reserved
for judgment;  and did not spare the ancient world, but saved Noah,
one of  eight  people, a preacher of righteousness, bringing in the
flood on the world of the ungodly;  and turning the cities of Sodom
and Gomorrah into ashes, condemned  them  to destruction,
making  them  an example to those who afterward would live
ungodly;  and delivered righteous Lot,  who was  oppressed by
the filthy conduct of the wicked (for that righteous man, dwelling
among them, tormented  his  righteous soul from day to day by
seeing  and hearing  their  lawless deeds)  -  then  the Lord 
knows how to deliver the godly out of temptations and to re-
serve the unjust under punishment for the day of judgment,
and especially those who walk according to the flesh in the
lust of uncleanness and despise authority.  They are  pre-
sumptuous, self-willed.  They are not afraid to speak evil of
dignitaries, whereas angels, who are greater in power and
might, do not bring a reviling accusation against them before
the Lord.  [ continued next week ]
 

Lord God, grace us, please, with Your discernment regarding the
false teachers  currently  among us.  Thank You for caring for us
to the degree You put these warnings in Your Word.  May Your
generous Spirit illumine our minds, hearts and eyes whereby we
better discern the  many  deceptions today.  Unto our protection 
in these  end of days  (in which we are, very much so, in harm's
way)  unto the efforts at reaching the lost, and ultimately, unto
Your glory and praise.  In the name of Your beloved Son, Jesus 
Christ, our Lord and Savior we pray, amen.

____________________

Week of 2/3-7  (B6;20)

II Peter 3:1-9  (NKJV)

Beloved, I now write to you this second epistle (in  both of  which
I stir up your pure minds by way of reminder), that you may be
mindful of the words which were spoken before by the holy
prophets, and of the commandment of us, the apostles of the Lord
and Savior, knowing this first:  that scoffers will come in the last
days, walking according to their own lusts, and saying, "Where is
the promise of His coming?  For since the fathers fell asleep, all
things continue as  they were  from the beginning of creation."
For this they willfully forget:  that by the word of God the heavens
were of old, and the earth standing out of water and in the water,
by which the world  that  then existed perished, being flooded 
with water.  But the heavens and the earth  which  are now pre-
served by the same word, are reserved for fire until the day of
judgment and perdition of ungodly men.  But, beloved, do not 
forget this one thing, that with the Lord one day  is  as a 
thousand years, and a thousand years as one day.  The Lord
is not slack concerning  His  promise, as some count slackness,
but is longsuffering toward us, not willing that any should perish
but that all should come to repentance.

Thank You, Father God, for caring as You do.  Thank You for
Your generous patience with us.  May some come to You as
we continue in these  end of days.   In Your Son's, our Savior's
mighty and holy name we pray, amen.  

Note:  Please see our Gospel pages on this site if you're open
           to God's saving message of eternal Hope in Christ Jesus.  

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Week of 2/10-14  (B7;20)

I Corinthians 15:50-58  (NKJV)

Now this I say, brethren, that flesh and blood cannot inherit
the kingdom of God;  nor does corruption inherit incorruption.
Behold, I tell you a mystery:  We shall not all sleep, but we
shall all be changed - in a moment, in the twinkling of an
eye, at the last trumpet.  For the trumpet will sound, and
the dead will be raised incorruptible, and we shall be changed.
For this corruptible must put on incorruption, and this mortal
must  put on immortality.  So when this corruptible has put
on incorruption, and this mortal has put on immortality, then
shall be brought to pass the saying that is written, "Death is
swallowed up in victory.  O Death, where is your sting?  O
Hades, where is your victory?"  The sting of death  is  sin,
and the strength of sin  is  the law but thanks  be  to God,
who gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ.
Therefore, my beloved brethren, be steadfast, immovable,
always abounding in the work of the Lord, knowing that
your labor is not in vain in the Lord. 

Faithful Father God, thank You for being ever so True to Your
Word.  Thank You for Your promises to Your own in death - that
death is swallowed up in victory.  Thank You for seeing our loved
ones in You, safely Home.  Thank You for the victory You provided
for needy mankind in Your holy Son, Jesus Christ our Lord.  And
Abba God, help us who remain to be faithful to the end, knowing
our kingdom labor on Your behalf is not in vain, especially as we
walk in Your Spirit and abide in Your Vine.  In Christ Jesus' name
we pray, amen. 

____________________

 
Valentine's Day  celebrations  continue ...
Praise:  Lord YHVH God, You are SO good!

Week of 2/17-21  (B8;20)

I Corinthians 13  (NKJV)

Though I speak with the tongues of men and of angels, but have
not love, I have become sounding brass or a clanging cymbal.
And though I have  the gift  of prophecy, and understand all my-
steries and all knowledge, and though I have all faith, so that I can
remove mountains, but have not love, I am nothing.  And though I
bestow all my goods to feed  the poor,  and though I give my body
to be burned, but have not love, it profits me nothing.
Love suffers long  and  is kind;  love does not envy;  love does
not parade itself, is not puffed up;  does not behave rudely, 
does not seek its own, is not provoked, thinks no evil;  does
not rejoice in iniquity, but rejoices in the truth;  bears all things,
believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things.  Love
never fails.  But whether  there are  prophecies, they will fail;
whether  there are  tongues, they will cease;  whether  there 
is  knowledge, it will vanish away.  For we know in part and we 
prophesy in part.  But when that which is perfect has come, 
then that which is in part will be done away.  When I was a
child, I spoke as a child, I understood as a child, I thought as
a child;  but when I became a man, I put away childish things.
For now we see in a mirror, dimly, but then face to face.  Now
I know in part, but then I shall know just as I also am known.
And now abide faith, hope, love, these three;  but the great-
est of these  is  love. 

Loving Creator, thank You for  showing  Your love for us as You
do.  Thank You for the supreme expression of Your deep love by
sending us Your Savior, Christ Jesus our Lord.  Thank You for
dying for us so that our sins can be forgiven if we but accept Your
precious, eternal gift.  Lord, wake up some churches to the fact 
that  YOU  have called us to  love  You through our graced-based
obedience to You.  Help us discern the false teaching that
everything's "done" and that we are not to "do."   Thank You
for being absolutely clear in Your Word on this matter.  And
thank You, too, for being clear that the works which are
honoring to You are done, in Your mercy and grace, by
Your generous Spirit within us whereby  You  get the glory.
Thank You for Your call (to us) to honor Your full Word so 
that we avoid the consequential deceptions of  half truths.  
Thank You that Christ Jesus Your Son atoned for the
sins of mankind while on the cross.  Yes, Lord, it is
finished.  Help lost mankind to  accept  Your gift so as
to apply it, personally, to their lives.  And thank You, too, 
that You continue doing wonderful things in and through 
Your people by Your kind mercies and grace.  We praise
and magnify Your great name.  In Jesus Christ's holy
name we pray, amen. 

____________________

Week of 2/24-28  (B9;20)

Ephesians 6:10-18  (NKJV)

Finally, my brethren, be strong in the Lord and in the power of
His might.  Put on the whole armor of God, that you may be able
to stand against the wiles of the devil.  For we do not wrestle
against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers,
against the rulers of the darkness of this age, against spiritual
hosts  of wickedness in the heavenly  places.  Therefore take up
the whole armor of God, that you may be able to withstand in the
evil day, and having done all, to stand.  Stand therefore, having
girded your waist with truth, having put on the breastplate of
righteousness, and having shod your feet with the preparation
of the gospel of peace;  above all, taking the shield of faith with
which you will be able to quench all the fiery darts of the wicked
one.  And take the helmet of salvation, and the sword of the 
Spirit, which is the word of God;  praying always with all prayer 
and supplication in the Spirit, being watchful to this end with all
perseverance and supplication for all the saints ...

Father YHVH God, thank You for kindly directing Your people
in Christ Jesus with the protective Counsel above.  As we
enjoy Your provision in this context of spiritual warfare, may 
we press on in Gospel and Discipleship ministry unto Your
glory and praise.  In Your glorious Son, Christ Jesus we pray.

____________________

Week of 3/2-6  (B10;20)

John 14:1-6  (NKJV)

[ Jesus Christ speaking ]  "Let not your heart be troubled; you 
believe in God, believe also in Me.  In My Father's house are
many mansions;  if  it were  not  so,  I would have told you.  I
go to prepare a place for you.  And if I go and prepare a place
for you, I will come again and receive you to Myself;  that where
I am,  there  you may be also.  And where I go you know, and
the way you know."  Thomas said to Him, "Lord, we do not 
know where You are going, and how can we know the way?"
Jesus said to him, "I am the way, the truth, and the life.  No
one comes to the Father except through Me."

Lord Jesus, thank You for speaking Truthfully to needy humanity.
Lord, may we accept Your significant revelation to us concerning
the way of eternal life.  May those who need to do so, accept unto
regeneration;  may those who have already been born anew, walk
in our new birth as we rely upon You and Your wonderful provision,
Your Holy Spirit within us.  We praise You, Father, for Your kind,
ongoing grace!  Unto Your glory and praise we pray, amen. 

____________________

Week of 3/9-13  (B11;20)

I Corinthians 15:50-52  (NKJV)

Now this I say, brethren, that flesh and blood cannot inherit 
the kingdom of God;  nor does corruption inherit incorruption.
Behold, I tell you a mystery:  We shall not all sleep, but we
shall all be changed - in a moment, in the twinkling of an
eye, at the last trumpet.  For the trumpet will sound, and the
dead will be raised incorruptible, and we shall be changed.

YHVH God, we  long  for your Son's return and the gathering
together of His elect.  Until that time, Lord, and until His initial
appearing, help us to abide in Your precious Holy Spirit so that
we are  supernaturally - by You - enabled  Ambassadors on 
Your behalf, equipped to represent You in a manner pleasing 
to You, Oh Lord Most High.  In Jesus Christ's name we pray, amen. 

____________________

Week of 3/16-20  (B12;20)

Psalm 46  (NKJV ; emphases ours ; addition in [ ] ours)

[ YHVH ]  God  is  our refuge and strength, a very present help
in trouble.  Therefore we will not  fear, *  even though the earth
be removed, and though the mountains be carried into the midst
of the sea;  though  its waters roar  and  be troubled,  though 
the mountains shake with its swelling.     Selah

There is  a river whose streams shall make glad the city of God,
the holy  place  of the tabernacle of the Most High.  God  is  in 
the midst of her, she shall not be moved;  God shall help her, 
just at the break of dawn.  The nations raged, the kingdoms 
were moved;  He uttered His voice, the earth melted.  The LORD
of hosts  is  with us;  the God of Jacob  is  our refuge.     Selah

Come, behold the works of the LORD, who has made desolations
in the earth.  He makes wars cease to the end of the earth;  He
breaks the bow and cuts the spear in two;  He burns the chariot
in the fire.  Be still and know that I  am  God;  I will be exalted 
among the nations, I will be exalted in the earth!  The LORD
of hosts  is  with us;  the God of Jacob  is  our refuge.        Selah

Father God, You are great and greatly to be praised!  You grace
man with  things  which allow for the bending of our knees in wor-
ship.  Thank You!  Lord, You dwell in Your Church in Jesus Christ
Your holy Son.  Indeed, You are  in the midst of us  as this psalm
powerfully highlights when we contemplate the blessings of Your
New Covenant in Christ.  May we glean the insights You have so
kindly extended in  I & II Thessalonians  concerning Your Church
being persecuted YET eventually experiencing Your deliverance - 
in Your time.  As did the church in Thessalonica, help us endure 
through the tribulations too.  * And LORD, help us not to  fear, 
even as the earth suffers from COVID-19.  May Jesus Christ be 
praised.  Amen

____________________

Week of 3/23-27  (B13;20)

Psalm 100  (NKJV)

Preamble:  
"It is  better to trust in the LORD than to put confidence in man.  
It is  better to trust in the LORD than to put confidence in princes."
Psalm 118:8, 9 ; NKJV  

Make a joyful shout to the LORD, all you lands!  Serve the LORD
with gladness;  come before His presence with singing.  Know 
that the LORD, He  is  God.  It is  He  who  made us, and not we
ourselves;  We are  His people and the sheep of His pasture.
Enter into His gates with thanksgiving,  and  into His courts with
praise.  Be thankful to Him,  and  bless His name.  For the LORD
is  good;  His mercy  is  everlasting, and His truth  endures  to all
generations. 

LORD God, we bless and magnify Your glorious name.  We give
thanks to You who alone are great and greatly to be praised!  We
exalt You in all things.  Our Father, who art in heaven, hallowed
be Thy name.  Thy kingdom come, Thy will be done, on earth as
it is in heaven.  Give us this day our daily bread.  Forgive us our
trespasses as we forgive those who trespass against us.  Lead
us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil.  For Thine is the
kingdom and the power and the glory forever and ever, amen.
Even so, come quickly Lord Jesus.  Amen

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