THE BLESSING OF CHILDREN May you live to see your children’s children…— Psalm 128:6 What a joy it is to see your own children’s children! I saw most of my children being born. My oldest son was a c-section which I was not allowed to go in to watch… that was too bad! It is such a joy to see your child born into this world. It is quite another joy to see your own children’s children. Yes, it is a marvel. These super six grand-girls will someday have children of their own. What a super blessing it would be to see their children— my children’s children’s children. Hmmm… I…

BE FEARLESSLY, LOVINGLY SOWING SEED Those who sow with tears will reap with songs of joy. Those who go out weeping, carrying seed to sow, will return with songs of joy, carrying sheaves with them. —Psalm 126:5-6 Do our hearts go out to the lost or are we callous toward them? Your answer will be seen in whether or not you seek to share the Lord Jesus Christ with them? If we truly have hearts after the Lord Jesus we will share the gospel with others and step out of our comfort zones and not allow fear to snare us – “Fear of man will prove to be a snare,…

BE DOERS OF THE WORD, NOT HEARERS ONLY You are my refuge and my shield; I have put my hope in your word. —Psalm 119:114 The unfolding of your words gives light; it gives understanding to the simple. —Psalm 119:130 May my cry come before you, Lord; give me understanding according to your word. —Psalm 119:169 I wrote to you in my letter not to associate with sexually immoral people—not at all meaning the people of this world who are immoral, or the greedy and swindlers, or idolaters. In that case you would have to leave this world. But now I am writing to you that you must not associate…

THE POWER OF GOD For the kingdom of God is not a matter of talk but of power. —I Corinthians 4:20 Talk, talk, talk… There is so much talk put no power. But when the power of God is truly present there will be a changed life—- thoughts, words and deeds. There will be a changed focus away from the worldly and toward the heavenly. More concern will be for the eternal and not on the temporal. There will be a desire for the lost to be saved and the saved to be sanctified. Love for God and love for people will be evident. So are you living by the…

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…