THE WORLD IS A MESS! Why do the nations say, “Where is their God?” Our God is in heaven; he does whatever pleases him. But their idols are silver and gold, made by human hands. They have mouths, but cannot speak, eyes, but cannot see. They have ears, but cannot hear, noses, but cannot smell. They have hands, but cannot feel, feet, but cannot walk, nor can they utter a sound with their throats. Those who make them will be like them, and so will all who trust in them. —Psalm 115:2-8 Leave God out of the picture and you get a sinful mess. This is clearly seen in our…

TELL YOUR STORY! Let the redeemed of the Lord tell their story— Psalm 107:2 Last night I was at the State Prison in Concord, NH for an evangelistic ministry. The speaker, Jim, sat at our table during supper and heard me sharing the gospel with one of the men sitting at the table I was hosting. He said, “Ted I’d like you to share your testimony and give the invitation when I finish preaching from God’s Word. Would you?” Well, of course I said, “Sure!” I love to tell others how the Lord redeemed me! 8 men responded to the gospel call for salvation! Now, may they be faithful disciples…

BE PATIENT—WAIT ON THE LORD! But they soon forgot what he had done and did not wait for his plan to unfold. —Psalm 106:13 Do not conform to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God’s will is—his good, pleasing and perfect will. —Romans 12:2 For everything that was written in the past was written to teach us, so that through the endurance taught in the Scriptures and the encouragement they provide we might have hope. —Romans 15:4 Wait patiently for the LORD. Be brave and courageous. Yes, wait patiently for the LORD.…

EVIDENCE OF HIS GREAT LOVE FOR US He will not always accuse, nor will he harbor his anger forever; he does not treat us as our sins deserve or repay us according to our iniquities. For as high as the heavens are above the earth, so great is his love for those who fear him; as far as the east is from the west, so far has he removed our transgressions from us. —Psalm 103:9-12 God is so gracious to us. If He truly treated us according to our sins we would have no hope. But He has put His favor on those who put their trust in Him. He…

Praise! Shout for joy to the Lord, all the earth. Worship the Lord with gladness; come before him with joyful songs. Know that the Lord is God. It is he who made us, and we are his; we are his people, the sheep of his pasture. Enter his gates with thanksgiving and his courts with praise; give thanks to him and praise his name. For the Lord is good and his love endures forever; his faithfulness continues through all generations. —Psalm 100:1-5 Joy, gladness, songs, thanksgiving, praise… do these describe our lives toward the Lord Jesus Christ? https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LqkW19B0d3g Does He make you glad and are you rejoicing in Him? May…

TRANSFORMATION Do not conform to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God’s will is—his good, pleasing and perfect will. —Romans 12:2 The world will seek to press us into its mold, but rather than be pressed into the mold of the world we are to “be transformed by the renewing of our minds.” This transformation process for the follower of Jesus is called “metamorphousthe — from metamorphoo— I change the form, transform.” Just as that caterpillar goes through the life cycle of transformational change to become a butterfly, so we also go…

THE QUICKLY PASSING SEASONS OF LIFE Our days may come to seventy years, or eighty, if our strength endures; yet the best of them are but trouble and sorrow, for they quickly pass, and we fly away. Teach us to number our days, that we may gain a heart of wisdom. May the favor of the Lord our God rest on us; establish the work of our hands for us— yes, establish the work of our hands. —Psalm 90:10, 12, 17 The righteous will flourish like a palm tree, they will grow like a cedar of Lebanon; planted in the house of the Lord, they will flourish in the courts…

WONDERFUL NAME OF JESUS Christ is the culmination of the law so that there may be righteousness for everyone who believes. —Romans 10:4 “Is the law, therefore, opposed to the promises of God? Absolutely not! For if a law had been given that could impart life, then righteousness would certainly have come by the law. But Scripture has locked up everything under the control of sin, so that what was promised, being given through faith in Jesus Christ, might be given to those who believe” (Galatians 3:21-22). There are none on this planet that are righteous, no, not one person (Romans 3:10). Therefore, none can become righteous on their own.…

FORMED FOR HIS PURPOSES Does not the potter have the right to make out of the same lump of clay some pottery for special purposes and some for common use? —Romans 9:21 You turn things upside down, as if the potter were thought to be like the clay! Shall what is formed say to the one who formed it, “You did not make me”? Can the pot say to the potter, “You know nothing”? —Isaiah 29:16 Yet you, LORD, are our Father. We are the clay, you are the potter; we are all the work of your hand. —Isaiah 64:8 Imagine you are at the potter’s wheel and just finishing…

LONGING TO BE WITH HIM Better is one day in your courts than a thousand elsewhere; I would rather be a doorkeeper in the house of my God than dwell in the tents of the wicked. —Psalm 84:10 Do I have a longing for God like this? Or, am I too tied to this world and its ways? Would I truly rather be with Him for one day rather than one-thousand days doing something else? How about today, would I rather be spending time with Him or will I get busy with all kinds of other things and not spend time with Him? Would I truly rather be a doorkeeper…