BE A SIGN! I have become a sign to many; you are my strong refuge. —Psalm 71:7 My mouth will tell of your righteous deeds, of your saving acts all day long— though I know not how to relate them all.  I will come and proclaim your mighty acts, Sovereign Lord.  I will proclaim your righteous deeds, yours alone. —Psalm 71:15-16             A sign directs people.  You stop as the stop sign directs.  You turn when a sign directs you to do so to get to a town.  You slow down when a sign indicates curves.  You receive information from signs for the action to take or not take.             Am…

SERVING ACCORDING TO HIS PLAN, HIS CHOICE, HIS STRENGTH Yet the Lord, the God of Israel, chose me… he chose my family…  he has chosen my son… —I Chronicles 28:4-5 And you, my son Solomon, acknowledge the God of your father, and serve him with wholehearted devotion and with a willing mind, for the Lord searches every heart and understands every desire and every thought. If you seek him, he will be found by you; but if you forsake him, he will reject you forever. Consider now, for the Lord has chosen you to build a house as the sanctuary. Be strong and do the work.” —I Chronicles 28:9-10 David also said to Solomon his son,…

Now devote your heart and soul to seeking the Lord your God. —I Chronicles 22:19             How devoted am I?  Am I truly seeking the Lord?  Am I devoted more to other things?  Am I seeking more for other things?  Just where is my focus?  Look at the devotion of the early church and the results of that devotion— “They devoted themselves to the apostles’ teaching and to fellowship, to the breaking of bread and to prayer. Everyone was filled with awe at the many wonders and signs performed by the apostles. All the believers were together and had everything in common. They sold property and possessions to give to anyone who had need. Every day…

HE REVEALS HIMSELF TO THE NATIONS THROUGH US Give praise to the Lord, proclaim his name; make known among the nations what he has done.  Sing to him, sing praise to him; tell of all his wonderful acts.  Glory in his holy name; let the hearts of those who seek the Lord rejoice.  Look to the Lord and his strength; seek his face always. —I Chronicles 15:8-11 Let the heavens rejoice, let the earth be glad; let them say among the nations, “The Lord reigns!” —I Chronicles 16:31 There is no one like you, Lord, and there is no God but you, as we have heard with our own ears. —I Chronicles 17:20 May God…

BE IN HIS PRESENCE AND TRUST HIM And David became more and more powerful, because the Lord Almighty was with him. —I Chronicles 11:9 If it seems good to you and if it is the will of the Lord our God… —I Chronicles 13 If you do this and God so commands… —Exodus 18:23 If I regard sin and baseness in my heart [that is, if I know it is there and do nothing about it], The Lord will not hear [me]… —Psalm 66:18             We have no power of our own. All our power and successes come from the Lord as we depend on Him. “If it seems good to you…

SONGS OF JOY The whole earth is filled with awe at your wonders; where morning dawns, where evening fades, you call forth songs of joy. —Psalm 65:8             His Creation is a marvel as we consider the tiniest flowers to the massive waterfalls, to the glory of our sun to the greatness of the universe.  Yes, His creation is a wonder.  Morning dawns, evening fades and it is a reminder to me that the— “Bloody red sky Of night and morn Tis a witness His body torn And was for me Planned cross forlorn That I could be Once again born” —tw             And this fills my heart with such…

Disciple-Making Encouragement https://drive.google.com/file/d/1dLOTUOv6cAlaeeNHRzYMdBhfNggIQ5Ud/view?usp=drive_link

OH, TO BE WITH JESUS! And the word of the Lord came again to Zechariah: “This is what the Lord Almighty said: ‘Administer true justice; show mercy and compassion to one another. Do not oppress the widow or the fatherless, the foreigner or the poor. Do not plot evil against each other.’ —Zechariah 7:8-10  These are the things you are to do: Speak the truth to each other, and render true and sound judgment in your courts; do not plot evil against each other, and do not love to swear falsely. I hate all this,” declares the Lord. —Zechariah 8:16-17 I long to dwell in your tent forever and take refuge in the shelter of your wings. —Psalm…

AM I… Then the word of the Lord came through the prophet Haggai: “Is it a time for you yourselves to be living in your paneled houses, while this house remains a ruin?” —Haggai 1:3-4 This is what the Lord Almighty says: “Give careful thought to your ways. —Haggai 1:7 “You expected much, but see, it turned out to be little. What you brought home, I blew away. Why?” declares the Lord Almighty. “Because of my house, which remains a ruin, while each of you is busy with your own house. —Haggai 1:9 You are my strength, I watch for you; you, God, are my fortress, my God on whom I can…