Covid-19 encouragement 2 Chronicles 20

"...Act with courage, and may the Lord be with those who do well."

2 Chronicles 19:11 New International Version (NIV)www.biblegateway.com

In 2 Chronicles 20:3, read "Jehoshaphat was afraid..." If Jehoshaphat, fourth king of Judah, can be afraid, I can be afraid in 2020 with our uncertain world pandemic. What did he do and what am I to do?

I am to acknowledge my feeling; Jehoshaphat was afraid, Selma is afraid. The rest of 2 Chronicles 20:3, "...and he resolved to seek the LORD..." So, take a hint, Selma is to seek the LORD too!!! The scripture continues to read how Jehoshaphat called for fasting, praying and praising, 2 Chronicles 20:5-9. "...We will cry out to you because of our distress, and you will hear and deliver."

My response is the same as v 18-19, "...fell down before the LORD and worship Him...stood up to praise the LORD." 

Prayerfully read 2 Chronicles 20, underline what encourages your heart. Daily in prayer read this scripture; write and be an encouragement to others!!! This is my desire.

Thank you, Dr. Tony Evans for encouraging me!!! The message was on TBN on 26 April 2020.  TonyEvans.org.  Please share YOUR thoughts and experiences, thank you!!!

Many years ago, during another time of distress, I remember driving down the road singing Bill and Gloria Gaiter's song "Let's Just Praise the LORD."  Their music offered me inner strength to go another day. No, ha, ha, this was not the 1918 influenza pandemic; this song was published in 1972. 

Let's Just Praise the Lord

Chorus:

Let's just praise the Lord! Praise the Lord!

Let's just lift our hearts to heaven and praise the Lord;

Let's just praise the Lord! Praise the Lord!

Let's just lift our hearts to heaven an praise the Lord!

During my personal time of distress, I changed the chorus words. Instead of "lift our hearts..." I would sing "lift my head..." Then for the next chorus, I would change the body part [ eyes, ears, mouth, tongue, all down to toes]; I lifted every part of me, one at a time, very long song. The other change I needed was "Praise the Lord!" to "Praise MY LORD!"  Try singing praises to your LORD, share your experiences! Thank you. May God bless you, Selma.

The Gift of Prayer

Psalm 16:11

You will show me the path of life;
In Your presence is fullness of joy;
At Your right hand are pleasures forevermore.

New King James Version www.biblegateway.com 

Gift: a thing given willingly to someone without payment; a present.www.bing.com

Something offered to me, but I must accept it!

Have you sensed you want God’s guidance, but have no idea how to pray? In “The Gift of Prayer,” Dr. Stanley combines scripture and photography to acquaint the reader with down-to-earth direction.

In this brief review, I will only touch on one topic: praying for others. Has a friend or family member asked you to pray for them, however you have no idea what to say? Has God placed someone on your heart, you desire to pray for them, nevertheless you have no idea what is their issue?

Using the life-changing prayer found in Colossians 1:9-12, Dr. Stanley devotes the next seven pages to explain six parts of this prayer answering what is your responsibility and what is God’s responsibility. Each theme ends with a prayer. 

"Father, how grateful I am that I can talk to You about absolutely anything--including the needs of my family members, friends, coworkers, fellow believers, and acquaintances. I may not be able to help them, but I am thankful that through the awesome gift of prayer I can lift them up to You--and You can transform their lives in miraculous ways.
   You know who is on my heart right now, Father. I pray that this individual would be filled with the knowledge of Your will, would walk in a manner worthy of You, would bear fruit in every good work, would increase in the knowledge of You, and would be strengthened with all Your power and wisdom to stand against sin and embrace who You created him or her to be. I give thanks to You, Father, for this person's life. I know You formed this precious individual with great purposes in mind--even if this person is far from those plans right now. But with You, Father, there is always hope! Transform this situation in the way only You can.
   In Jesus' loving and life-changing name I pray. Amen." Page 128

After reading this 150 page book, I sensed encouragement, peacefulness, and calmness. Please read The Gift of Prayer and share your thoughts!!!     

Stanley, Charles F. The Gift of Prayer. Nashville: Thomas Nelson. 2019.

Uniqueness of Christ & Names of Christ

Matthew 16:13-20 Peter Declares That Jesus Is the Messiah

13 When Jesus came to the region of Caesarea Philippi, he asked his disciples, “Who do people say the Son of Man is?”
14 They replied, “Some say John the Baptist; others say Elijah; and still others, Jeremiah or one of the prophets.”
15 “But what about you?” he asked. “Who do you say I am?”
16 Simon Peter answered, “You are the Messiah, the Son of the living God.”
17 Jesus replied, “Blessed are you, Simon son of Jonah, for this was not revealed to you by flesh and blood, but by my Father in heaven. 18 And I tell you that you are Peter, and on this rock I will build my church, and the gates of Hades will not overcome it. 19 I will give you the keys of the kingdom of heaven; whatever you bind on earth will be bound in heaven, and whatever you loose on earth will be loosed in heaven.” 20 Then he ordered his disciples not to tell anyone that he was the Messiah.

www.biblegateway.com NIV

   Many people today have their own ideas about who Jesus is. Some people think He was merely a prophet or good teacher who taught people how to live. Even those who claim to be Christians have some inaccurate views of Him because they haven't based their perceptions on the comprehensive truth of Scripture.
   When Jesus asked, "Who do you say I am?" Peter answered, "You are the Christ, the Son of the living God" (Matt. 16:15-16). Jesus was unlike any other person who ever lived. He was set apart by …
   HIS BIRTH. Conceived by the Holy Spirit, the eternal Son of God entered the human race through the womb of a virgin.
   HIS WISDOM. At age 12, Jesus spent three days with the Jewish teachers, amazing them with His divine wisdom and understanding.
   HIS BAPTISM. Though He was innocent of sin, Jesus asked John to baptize Him in order to identify with the sinners He came to save.
   HIS TEMPTATION. Though Satan tempted Him in the wilderness, Jesus did not yield. Throughout His life, He fully obeyed every law of God and never sinned.
   HIS MINISTRY. He challenged man-made traditions and demonstrated the power of God by healing people, raising the dead, and forgiving sins.
   HIS DEATH. Jesus' death was a sacrifice for the sins of mankind so they could be forgiven and reconciled to God.
   HIS RESURRECTION. Christ was the only person to ever permanently overcome death through resurrection.
   Is this the Jesus you know? He is the only one who can save you.
Stanley, Charles F. "The Uniqueness of Christ." In Touch: Daily Readings for Devoted Living. Atlanta: In Touch Ministries. Dec 2019, pg 22.

Acts 4:8-12

8 Then Peter, filled with the Holy Spirit, said to them: “Rulers and elders of the people! 9 If we are being called to account today for an act of kindness shown to a man who was lame and are being asked how he was healed, 10 then know this, you and all the people of Israel: It is by the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth, whom you crucified but whom God raised from the dead, that this man stands before you healed. 11 Jesus is
“‘the stone you builders rejected,
which has become the cornerstone.’

12 Salvation is found in no one else, for there is no other name under heaven given to mankind by which we must be saved.”

www.biblegateway.com NIV

   In Biblical times, a baby's name was based on the child's characteristics or a hope or prayer of the parent. The same is true of Jesus, whose name means "Jehovah is salvation." He is uniquely sent from heaven by the Father to be our Savior, and all His names and titles are powerful descriptions of who He is and what He does. What's more, the way Jesus describes Himself in John's gospel provides additional, rich insight into His character and work:

   THE BREAD OF LIFE (5:32-40). Jesus Christ is the only one who can truly satisfy our heart and feed our soul with sustenance that leads to eternal life.

   THE LIGHT OF THE WORLD (8:12). He shines through this dark, sinful world, showing us the way to forgiveness and salvation.

   THE DOOR (10:7-10). Whoever enters through the door of Christ will be saved.

   THE GOOD SHEPHERD (10:11-18). As our Shepherd, Jesus knows and cares for us-with a love so great that He laid down His life to save us.

   THE WAY, THE TRUTH, THE LIFE (14:6). Jesus alone is the origin of truth and life, so He is the only avenue by which we can be saved and live eternally.

   THE VINE (15:1-10). Christ is the source of our spiritual life. Without His abiding presence, we could do nothing of eternal value.

   These are just some of the titles that Jesus Christ used to identify Himself, and the Bible refers to Him in many additional ways. Each time you read God's Word, pay attention to the descriptive names of Jesus. Each one will help you come to a better understanding of the One who loves you and came to save you.

Stanley, Charles F. "The Uniqueness of Christ." In Touch: Daily Readings for Devoted Living. Atlanta: In Touch Ministries. Dec 2019, pg 23.

A Loving God and Eternity

Matthew 25:31-46 31 “When the Son of Man comes in his glory, and all the angels with him, he will sit on his glorious throne. 32 All the nations will be gathered before him, and he will separate the people one from another as a shepherd separates the sheep from the goats. 33 He will put the sheep on his right and the goats on his left. 34 “Then the King will say to those on his right, ‘Come, you who are blessed by my Father; take your inheritance, the kingdom prepared for you since the creation of the world. 35 For I was hungry and you gave me something to eat, I was thirsty and you gave me something to drink, I was a stranger and you invited me in, 36 I needed clothes and you clothed me, I was sick and you looked after me, I was in prison and you came to visit me.’ 37 “Then the righteous will answer him, ‘Lord, when did we see you hungry and feed you, or thirsty and give you something to drink? 38 When did we see you a stranger and invite you in, or needing clothes and clothe you? 39 When did we see you sick or in prison and go to visit you?’ 40 “The King will reply, ‘Truly I tell you, whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers and sisters of mine, you did for me.’ 41 “Then he will say to those on his left, ‘Depart from me, you who are cursed, into the eternal fire prepared for the devil and his angels. 42 For I was hungry and you gave me nothing to eat, I was thirsty and you gave me nothing to drink, 43 I was a stranger and you did not invite me in, I needed clothes and you did not clothe me, I was sick and in prison and you did not look after me.’ 44 “They also will answer, ‘Lord, when did we see you hungry or thirsty or a stranger or needing clothes or sick or in prison, and did not help you?’ 45 “He will reply, ‘Truly I tell you, whatever you did not do for one of the least of these, you did not do for me.’ 46 “Then they will go away to eternal punishment, but the righteous to eternal life.” New International Version (NIV) https://www.biblegateway.com The scriptures speak clearly of existence after death-people will spend eternity in either heaven or hell. Yet many individuals consider this truth inconsistent with other facts about the Lord. While their objections are understandable, the Bible provides the answers:    HOW CAN THE LORD BE GOOD IF HE LETS SOME PEOPLE SPEND ETERNITY IN HELL? God is love (1 John 4:8), and He doesn't want anyone to live without Him (1 Timothy 2:4). According to HIs plan, every person can turn from sin and receive the Savior, enjoying His presence both now and throughout eternity. Some, however, reject Jesus Christ and live apart from Him all their days. Unless they change that tragic decision, their separation from divine love will continue eternally.    WHY WOULD GOD CREATE CERTAIN INDIVIDUALS, KNOWING THEY'D NEVER TURN TO HIM? To some, this seems unloving. Yet God so values our free will that He won't force anyone to go to heaven against his or her will. Doing so would amount to creating robots who are unable to truly respond, love and worship.    AN ENDLESS PENALTY SEEMS UNFAIR, ESPECIALLY IF A NON-CHRISTIAN NEVER HEARD THE GOSPEL. As long as unbelievers are alive, the heavenly Father goes to great lengths to keep them from eternal punishment-except He won't violate their free will. He gives enough time and evidence so that nobody has a valid excuse for rejecting the one path to salvation (Romans 1:20).    Jesus wants you to spend eternity with Him. So do you know Him as your Lord and Savior? Stanley, Charles F. "A Loving God and Eternity." In Touch: Daily reading for devoted living. Atlanta: InTouch.org. September 2019, page18.

What Is the Unpardonable Sin?

Matthew 12:22-32 

Jesus and Beelzebul

22 Then they brought him a demon-possessed man who was blind and mute, and Jesus healed him, so that he could both talk and see. 23 All the people were astonished and said, “Could this be the Son of David?”

24 But when the Pharisees heard this, they said, “It is only by Beelzebul, the prince of demons, that this fellow drives out demons.”

25 Jesus knew their thoughts and said to them, “Every kingdom divided against itself will be ruined, and every city or household divided against itself will not stand. 26 If Satan drives out Satan, he is divided against himself. How then can his kingdom stand? 27 And if I drive out demons by Beelzebul, by whom do your people drive them out? So then, they will be your judges. 28 But if it is by the Spirit of God that I drive out demons, then the kingdom of God has come upon you.

29 “Or again, how can anyone enter a strong man’s house and carry off his possessions unless he first ties up the strong man? Then he can plunder his house.

30 “Whoever is not with me is against me, and whoever does not gather with me scatters. 31 And so I tell you, every kind of sin and slander can be forgiven, but blasphemy against the Spirit will not be forgiven. 32 Anyone who speaks a word against the Son of Man will be forgiven, but anyone who speaks against the Holy Spirit will not be forgiven, either in this age or in the age to come.

New International Version (NIV) https://www.biblegateway.com/

   . . . The thought that a sin could be so bad hat it is unforgivable sometimes leads people to fear that they may have committed it. That's why it i important to understand the context of this statement, which Jesus made to the Pharisees.

   Although they had seen compelling evidence that Jesus was the Messiah, the Pharisees refused to believe in Him. What's more, they even attributed to Satan the miracles Christ performed by the power of the God's Spirit. This blasphemy of the holy Spirit was unforgivable because despite the clearest possible revelation of God, they still weren't willing to accept Jesus as the Messiah. Their unrepentance prevented them from receiving salvation.

   Since people living today do not have the undeniable physical presence of Jesus Christ in the world, the Pharisees' unforgivable sin doesn't apply to us. However, it is possible for people to end up in an unpardonable state. This happens when a person repeatedly rejects the Holy Spirit's conviction of sin and the clear revelation of Jesus Christ as the Savior., With each rejection, the heart becomes harder - eventually the calcification prevents it from sensing any impression God's Spirit tries to make.

   If you are worried that you may have committed the unpardonable sin, then I can assure you that you haven't, because you are still feeling the conviction of the Spirit. God doesn't withhold salvation from a repentant sinner who comes to Him for forgiveness through faith in his Son. The only thing that makes sin unforgivable is a hard, unrepentant heart.

Stanley, Charles F. "What Is the Unpardonable Sin?" In Touch: Daily Readings for Devoted Living. May 2019. Atlanta, Georgia: In Touch Ministries. page 30

Standing in the Storm

Psalm 62:1-8 

Truly my soul finds rest in God;

    my salvation comes from him.

 

Truly he is my rock and my salvation;

    he is my fortress, I will never be shaken.

How long will you assault me?

    Would all of you throw me down—

    this leaning wall, this tottering fence?

 

Surely they intend to topple me

    from my lofty place;

    they take delight in lies.

With their mouths they bless,

    but in their hearts they curse.

Yes, my soul, find rest in God;

    my hope comes from him.

 

Truly he is my rock and my salvation;

    he is my fortress, I will not be shaken.

 

My salvation and my honor depend on God;

    he is my mighty rock, my refuge.

 

Trust in him at all times, you people;

    pour out your hearts to him,

    for God is our refuge.

   "What am I going to do?" How many times have we all uttered this cry of despair? Sometimes the storms of life come without letup; they seem endless, successively crashing against us until we feel as though we can't take any more. In those times of desperation, Psalm 62 offers three valuable lessons.

   FIRST, WE MUST WAIT. It's understandable that we want answers and relief immediately, but the Lord acts in His own perfect time, and He's never late. Therefore, we must wait for Him to guide us to the next step-even when that means resisting our natural desire to react quickly and take control of circumstances.

   SECOND, WE MUST WAIT IN SILENCE. When we quiet our mind and tongue, we give God an opportunity to speak His words of hope and trust to our heart. Instead of letting anxiety and worry occupy our thoughts, we must focus on God's promises from Scripture. Then He will give us  patience, trust, courge, and the assurance that He cares and is in control.

   THIRD, WE MUST KEEP IN MIND THE MOTIVATION FOR WAITING-GOD'S INTERVENTION. Our focus is to be on the Lord, not on our troubles, ourselves, or other people. We must learn to filter out whatever is pulling our attention away from trust in almighty God, who is working according to His will and timing.

   When the storms of life batter you, make sure that your feet are planted on the solid rock of Jesus Christ. Do not despair, asking, What am I going to do? Rather, ask, What is God doing? And be assured-He is doing something.

Stanley, Charles F. "Standing in the Storm." In Touch: Daily Readings for Devoted Living. In Touch Ministries: Atlanta. April 2019, page 23.

John 3:16 God's Gift to Me

Romans 6:23 

23 For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.

New International Version (NIV) www.BibleGateway.com

   If you have ever memorized a verse of Scripture, most likely it is John 3:16: "For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whosoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life." It is the verse most often heard in the simplicity and beauty of a little child's voice proudly reciting it from memory. And it is the verse most often whispered by aged saints as they breathe their last breaths. It is the entire gospel in a nutshell.

   John 3:16 speaks of the cause of this great salvation: "For God so loved..." The single motivating factor behind God's entire redemptive plan is His love for you and me. This beloved verse also speaks of the cost of this salvation: "He gave His only Son." Jesus paid a high price to redeem us to Himself-death on a Roman cross outside the city gates of Jerusalem. And salvation's condition? "Whosoever believes in Him..." That speaks of me. It speaks of you. And any and all may come, placing their faith in Him alone. Finally, this verse speaks of salvation's consequence: We "shall not perish but have everlasting life." Those without Christ are perishing. . . a little more each day.

   Let God love you today as you meditate on this old and oft-repeated promise.

CODE WORD: GIFT

What do you do to get a gift? You don't earn it or deserve it. Someone who loves you very much gives it freely to you, and all you have to do is receive it. God's gift of eternal life, although purchased at great expense, is a free gift. Your part? Receive it by faith.

A PASSION: PROCLAMATION

The gift of God is eternal life in Jesus Christ our Lord. Romans 6:23

Lord, thank You for loving me even when I am so unloving Your love has no boundaries. I receive Your unconditional love right now by faith. In Jesus' name, amen.

Hawkings, O.S. The Easter CODE: A 40-day Journey to the Cross. Thomas Nelson: Nashville. 2019. page 60-61.