Thursday, May 28, 2020

PART 2: - PRECEPTS FOR LIFE...THE PEACEFUL, JOYFUL LIFE

In Psalm 19:8, the praise continues with the Psalmist (King David) saying “The precepts of the Lord are right, making the heart glad, the command of the Lord is radiant, making the eyes light up.”

What are the “precepts of the Lord” and why would they give us peace, joy and contentment in our souls?

First of all, this is one thing only a truly converted child of God (i.e. born again) can comprehend. The reason is that the empowering and enlightening agent is the Holy Spirit of God. To understand what the precepts of the Lord are, is the key to a different level of thinking which the unsaved do no possess. The precepts are the statutes, laws, decrees and commands of God. We know what those are.

They are not just the ten commandments but the decrees of the Lord which encompass love, mercy, compassion and living a lifestyle which is both pleasing to the Lord, while not offending others. The bible tells us that while some things may be lawful, as regards food and drink etc. not everything is profitable. If something causes someone else to stumble, that thing is an anathema. Why would be want to diminish our testimony by going into a liquor store, buying a bottle of Jack Daniels and a case of Budweiser just as our next door neighbor is driving by, to whom we are trying to witness?

The precepts of the Lord is more than just those which concern loving God and your fellow man. God gave us these to save us from ourselves, as well as to protect His Glorious Name. Committing adultery not just destroys marriages and families, it has the capability to ruin the health of the participants, the children of those families who are now scared for life, once sin is discovered and lead to drug abuse, sin, and depression. Obeying God’s commands to stay faithful to Him and our spouses, gives us peace and harmony in our homes and brings contentment to the nth degree.

These commands and commandments are not to keep us from having fun. They are keep us from harming ourselves! Read all the decrees in the New Testament from the Apostle Paul, in many places, and see why the Lord put them there. It is for us to have a joyful and as pure a life as we can.

God’s Word is pure! His Commandments are pure because He is as Pure as His Word. When He says in 1 Thessalonians 5:13b and following: “Be at peace among yourselves…..admonish the idle, encourage the fainthearted, help the weak, be patient with them all (verse 14). Then He says “do not repay evil with evil….”(15). “Rejoice always (16). Pray without ceasing (17). Give thanks in call circumstances (18). Do not quench the Spirit (19). Abstain from every form of evil (22)……He says all of this so that our “whole spirit, soul and body will be kept blameless at the coming of the Lord Jesus Christ (23).

All of this put together, as Psalm 19:8b says, for “enlightening of the eyes”! In the great big Heart of God, what He saying here, is that the eyes of our own spiritual hearts, will see the beauty, joy and comfort of the Lord in the darkness which exists out there in the unsaved evil world.

What an amazing loving God. He cares so much for us, He gave us what the world sees as rules, but we see as the roadmap, to a truly peaceful and joyful life, while we journey here on earth. Hallelujah, what a Savior!

Christian Standard Bible (CSB)

The Christian Standard Bible. Copyright © 2017 by Holman Bible Publishers. Used by permission. Christian Standard Bible®, and CSB® are federally registered trademarks of Holman Bible Publishers, all rights reserved.

Tuesday, May 26, 2020

PART 1: HIS INSTRUCTION, HIS TESTIMONY, HIS MERCY

One particular passage from the oh-so powerful praiseworthy Psalm 19, is worthy of further deep diving and study, rather than reading it and going on to the next thing. In fact, it is so inspiring as to be transformational in the best way possible!

Verse 7 (CSB) reads as follows:

The instruction of the Lord is perfect, renewing one’s life; the testimony of the Lord is trustworthy, making the inexperienced wise.

The instruction of the Lord, as found in the Scriptures! In 2 Timothy 3:16 we know that The Word of the Lord is/was “breathed” into the authors of the Bible by God and is profitable for teaching (instruction); reproof (discipline); for correction (righting the path we were on) and for training in righteousness (just a closer walk with Thee, Oh Lord). It is perfect. There is nothing that should be added or taken away.

Because of its divine origins, we know there is no error in it.

Because it is from the Mind and great big Heart of the Ancient of Days, we can trust it.

Because it is from the Creator of the Universe, Whose intricate designs are flawless, seamless and nothing less than perfection, we can trust His Mighty Hand.

All of this revives the Soul! It refreshes us as we awake to a new day. It fuels us to make it through not just that particular day, but for the rest of our days. There is so much to be grateful here in that our Heavenly Father loves us so much that He poured out His Spirit into the most magnificent document ever written. It stands for all peoples of any age, until the End of the Age, when all will be revealed.

In light of all of this, and the Purity, Perfection and all-powerful Presence of the Lord, His testimony can be depended on. If He says it, it settles the matter. If He speaks it, we believe it. If He promises it, it will happens.

When His prophets speak, their warnings materialize at the appointed time. When His Spirit moves, He saves and rescues.

Therefore, He takes coal like us, and makes diamonds. He takes simpletons like us, and makes His complex creation simple. He rescues us from the folly of our disastrous ways, and bring us to the Knowledge of the uminaginable – the Knowledge of the Holy. He guides us out from the domain of darkness, into the Kingdom of His Marvelous Light!

Oh, what love is this?!

Oh, what incredible mercy and compassion!

Oh, what a mighty God He is.

Hallelujah, what a Savior, His mercies endureth forever.

Christian Standard Bible (CSB)

Wednesday, May 20, 2020

NATIONAL DAY OF PRAYER 2020 BROADCAST

The following is the primetime 8 pm Central Daylight Time broadcast of the 2020 National Day of Prayer Illinois state capitol event, in Springfield, Illinois. It was broadcast from the studios of Christian Radio for Central Illinois - WLUJ family of stations.

The following were the prayer leaders, who prayed for our families, churches, communities and governments (Federal, State, Local) and military, of course:

Pastor Eric Ginder - New Life Tabernacle, Macon, Il.
Pastor Mac Dalton - Radiant Church, Springfield, Il.
Dr. Eddie Pullen - Illinois Baptist State Association, Church Planter
Patrick Groth - Hope Church Spiritual Formation Leader
Pastor John Swinford - Sweetwater Christian Church
Pastor Joseph Krol - Galilee Baptist Church
Bernie Lutchman - President, Business Men in Christ and NDP Springfield Leader.

Tuesday, May 19, 2020

A MATURE PERSON OF PRAYER

TEXT:

COLOSSIANS 4:2-4

2 Continue steadfastly in prayer, being watchful in it with thanksgiving. 3 At the same time, pray also for us, that God may open to us a door for the word, to declare the mystery of Christ, on account of which I am in prison— 4 that I may make it clear, which is how I ought to speak.

English Standard Version (ESV)

DEEP SEA PRAYING

TEXT:

Jonah 2

Then Jonah prayed to the Lord his God from the belly of the fish, 2 saying,

“I called out to the Lord, out of my distress,
    and he answered me;
out of the belly of Sheol I cried,
    and you heard my voice.
3 For you cast me into the deep,
    into the heart of the seas,
    and the flood surrounded me;
all your waves and your billows
    passed over me.
4 Then I said, ‘I am driven away
    from your sight;
yet I shall again look
    upon your holy temple.’
5 The waters closed in over me to take my life;
    the deep surrounded me;
weeds were wrapped about my head
6     at the roots of the mountains.
I went down to the land
    whose bars closed upon me forever;
yet you brought up my life from the pit,
    O Lord my God.
7 When my life was fainting away,
    I remembered the Lord,
and my prayer came to you,
    into your holy temple.
8 Those who pay regard to vain idols
    forsake their hope of steadfast love.
9 But I with the voice of thanksgiving
    will sacrifice to you;
what I have vowed I will pay.
    Salvation belongs to the Lord!”

10 And the Lord spoke to the fish, and it vomited Jonah out upon the dry land.

English Standard Version (ESV)

Thursday, May 14, 2020

THE POWER OF A PRAYING MOTHER

1 Samuel 1:9-11

9 On one occasion, Hannah got up after they ate and drank at Shiloh. The priest Eli was sitting on a chair by the doorpost of the Lord’s temple. 10 Deeply hurt, Hannah prayed to the Lord and wept with many tears.

11 Making a vow, she pleaded, “Lord of Armies, if you will take notice of your servant’s affliction, remember and not forget me, and give your servant a son, I will give him to the Lord all the days of his life, and his hair will never be cut.

1 Samuel 2:1-10

Hannah prayed:

My heart rejoices in the Lord;
my horn is lifted up by the Lord.
My mouth boasts over my enemies,
because I rejoice in your salvation.
2 There is no one holy like the Lord.
There is no one besides you!
And there is no rock like our God.
3 Do not boast so proudly,
or let arrogant words come out of your mouth,
for the Lord is a God of knowledge,
and actions are weighed by him.
4 The bows of the warriors are broken,
but the feeble are clothed with strength.
5 Those who are full hire themselves out for food,
but those who are starving hunger no more.
The woman who is childless gives birth to seven,
but the woman with many sons pines away.
6 The Lord brings death and gives life;
he sends some down to Sheol, and he raises others up.
7 The Lord brings poverty and gives wealth;
he humbles and he exalts.
8 He raises the poor from the dust
and lifts the needy from the trash heap.
He seats them with noblemen
and gives them a throne of honor.
For the foundations of the earth are the Lord’s;
he has set the world on them.
9 He guards the steps of his faithful ones,
but the wicked perish in darkness,
for a person does not prevail by his own strength.
10 Those who oppose the Lord will be shattered;
he will thunder in the heavens against them.
The Lord will judge the ends of the earth.
He will give power to his king;
he will lift up the horn of his anointed.

Christian Standard Bible (CSB)

Saturday, May 9, 2020

NATIONAL DAY OF PRAYER 2020 ROUNDUP

The Annual National Day of Prayer Illinois State Capitol event was canceled for the public part of it, but it was still the Day of Prayer. Thanks to the great management of our local Christian radio station, and Moody Bible Radio affiliate - the WLUJ Family of Stations, we were able to assemble our small group of 6 praying ministers and record the most powerful and anointed appeal to Heaven we have had in recent memory.

That pre-recorded broadcast was then played across the stations many frequencies from the Mississippi River to the Indiana Border - a listening area of over 3 millions people.

In order of Prayer, on the National Day of Prayer across America, our prayer leaders were:
Pastor Joey Krol (Galilee Baptist, WLUJ Morning Host) - Opening Prayer
Pastor Patrick Groth (Hope Church) - The Glory of God
Pastor Mac Dalton (Radiant Church ) - Government (Federal, State, Local)

Pastor Eddie Pullen (Il. Southern Baptist Association IBSA) - The Church, Missions, The Lost

Bernie Lutchman (BMIC) - Families
Pastor John Swinford (Sweetwater Christian Church) - The Military, First Responders, Medical Personnel

Pastor Eric Ginder (New Life Tabernacle) - The Judiciary, Transformation, Vision.

The audio from the radio station will be available at a future time.

Friday, May 8, 2020

PRAYERS OF REPENTANCE LEADS TO REVIVAL

TEXT:

Ezra 9:6-15

6 saying: “O my God, I am ashamed and blush to lift my face to you, my God, for our iniquities have risen higher than our heads, and our guilt has mounted up to the heavens. 7 From the days of our fathers to this day we have been in great guilt. And for our iniquities we, our kings, and our priests have been given into the hand of the kings of the lands, to the sword, to captivity, to plundering, and to utter shame, as it is today.

8 But now for a brief moment favor has been shown by the Lord our God, to leave us a remnant and to give us a secure hold[a] within his holy place, that our God may brighten our eyes and grant us a little reviving in our slavery. 9 For we are slaves. Yet our God has not forsaken us in our slavery, but has extended to us his steadfast love before the kings of Persia, to grant us some reviving to set up the house of our God, to repair its ruins, and to give us protection[b] in Judea and Jerusalem.

10 “And now, O our God, what shall we say after this? For we have forsaken your commandments, 11 which you commanded by your servants the prophets, saying, ‘The land that you are entering, to take possession of it, is a land impure with the impurity of the peoples of the lands, with their abominations that have filled it from end to end with their uncleanness.

12 Therefore do not give your daughters to their sons, neither take their daughters for your sons, and never seek their peace or prosperity, that you may be strong and eat the good of the land and leave it for an inheritance to your children forever.’ 13 And after all that has come upon us for our evil deeds and for our great guilt, seeing that you, our God, have punished us less than our iniquities deserved and have given us such a remnant as this, 14 shall we break your commandments again and intermarry with the peoples who practice these abominations? Would you not be angry with us until you consumed us, so that there should be no remnant, nor any to escape? 15 O Lord, the God of Israel, you are just, for we are left a remnant that has escaped, as it is today. Behold, we are before you in our guilt, for none can stand before you because of this.

English Standard Version (ESV)