Proverbs 12:25

There is so much anxiety in the world today and I have no desire to add to it. Please Father guard my heart so that out of my mouth flow healing words. We need to build up the family of God by our words and our actions. It should start in our homes!

Anxiety loses some of its force in the face of a positive, encouraging word.

Barnabas’s encouragement of Paul is a great example of this.

Proverbs 12:25

Anxiety in the heart of man causes depression,

But a good word makes it glad.

A merry heart makes a cheerful countenance, But by sorrow of the heart the spirit is broken. 

Proverbs 15:13

“The Lord God has given Me The tongue of the learned, That I should know how to speak A word in season to him who is weary. He awakens Me morning by morning, He awakens My ear To hear as the learned. 

Isaiah 50:4

And Joses, who was also named Barnabas by the apostles (which is translated Son of Encouragement), a Levite of the country of Cyprus, 

Acts 4:36

But Barnabas took him and brought him to the apostles. And he declared to them how he had seen the Lord on the road, and that He had spoken to him, and how he had preached boldly at Damascus in the name of Jesus. 

Acts 9:27

Luke

The simplicity of the Gospel by faith in Jesus Christ for salvation underscores the complexity of the plan that God provided from the foundation of the world…..beyond our comprehension but within our grasp by the one thing that pleases God…..FAITH. We have the ability through the power of the Holy Spirit to love others and share HIStory with them because He first loved us….all of us. Jesus is the line drawn in the sands of time.We either accept God’s gift of salvation in Jesus or we die in our ignorance.

The Book of Luke

Just like we’d expect from a family doctor, Dr. Luke sensitively describes Jesus as One who reaches out personally and heals those who are mercilessly caged by devastating illnesses. As a person, He is concerned with people. Whereas Matthew likes to refer to Jesus as the Son of David and Mark refers to Him as the Son of God, Luke’s favorite expression is “the Son of Man.”

Because Jesus is the only perfect person born of a woman and because He identifies compassionately with the plight of suffering sinful people, He alone is qualified to carry our sorrows, bear our sin, and offer us the priceless gift of salvation.

The book ends with Jesus telling the disciples to wait for the coming of the Spirit. By now, they should have realized that everything that had taken place in Jesus’ life was promised in the Law, the Prophets, and the Psalms. Jesus is the promised Messiah. Forgiveness of sin can be obtained only through Him. The disciples were witnesses to this fact; their mission was to share this Good News with all nations, not merely the Jews. Jesus gave them this task, but He also provided them with the power through the Holy Spirit to carry it out. Thus it is clear that Luke’s Gospel centers on God’s plan to provide salvation to the world. It closes anticipating the spread of the gospel that is recorded in its sequel, the Book of Acts.

Luke

1 Inasmuch as many have taken in hand to set in order a narrative of those things which have been fulfilled among us, ² just as those who from the beginning were eyewitnesses and ministers of the word delivered them to us, ³ it seemed good to me also, having had perfect understanding of all things from the very first, to write to you an orderly account, most excellent Theophilus, ⁴ that you may know the certainty of those things in which you were instructed.

but these are written that you may believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God, and that believing you may have life in His name. 

John 20:31

to whom He also presented Himself alive after His suffering by many infallible proofs, being seen by them during forty days and speaking of the things pertaining to the kingdom of God. 

Acts 1:3

For we did not follow cunningly devised fables when we made known to you the power and coming of our Lord Jesus Christ, but were eyewitnesses of His majesty. 

2 Peter 1:16

 How shall we escape if we neglect so great a salvation, which at the first began to be spoken by the Lord, and was confirmed to us by those who heard Him, 

Hebrews 2:3

Matthew 2:7-12

Wise men still seek Him!

Wiser men heed His word made flesh!

Gold symbolized royalty; frankincense was a fragrance; myrrh was the ointment of death.

Matthew 2:7-12

⁷ Then Herod, when he had secretly called the wise men, determined from them what time the star appeared. ⁸ And he sent them to Bethlehem and said, “Go and search carefully for the young Child, and when you have found Him, bring back word to me, that I may come and worship Him also.”

⁹ When they heard the king, they departed; and behold, the star which they had seen in the East went before them, till it came and stood over where the young Child was. ¹⁰ When they saw the star, they rejoiced with exceedingly great joy. ¹¹ And when they had come into the house, they saw the young Child with Mary His mother, and fell down and worshiped Him. And when they had opened their treasures, they presented gifts to Him: gold, frankincense, and myrrh.

¹² Then, being divinely warned in a dream that they should not return to Herod, they departed for their own country another way.

“I see Him, but not now; I behold Him, but not near; A Star shall come out of Jacob; A Scepter shall rise out of Israel, And batter the brow of Moab, And destroy all the sons of tumult. 

Numbers 24:17

The kings of Tarshish and of the isles Will bring presents; The kings of Sheba and Seba Will offer gifts. 

Psalm 72:10

The multitude of camels shall cover your land, The dromedaries of Midian and Ephah; All those from Sheba shall come; They shall bring gold and incense, And they shall proclaim the praises of the Lord. 

Isaiah 60:6

When they saw the star, they rejoiced with exceedingly great joy. 

Matthew 2:10

And when they had come into the house, they saw the young Child with Mary His mother, and fell down and worshiped Him. And when they had opened their treasures, they presented gifts to Him: gold, frankincense, and myrrh. 

Matthew 2:11

Daniel 9:16-19

We who are called by His name represent the Godhead. Our lives should be a reflection of not only His grace, mercy and love but also of our ability to do what is right because we love Him and He loves His creation. He is kind to the unkind and merciful to those who do not merit mercy (such as we once were). My hope and prayer is that in doing His will and abiding in His love we will be living examples of the transformation that comes to all who accept His salvation in Christ Jesus. We are the temple of the Holy Spirit and collectively we are the Body of Christ… we should see His reflection in both.

It is important to note that the only basis for Daniel’s appeal was the grace of God.

Daniel 9:16-19

¹⁶ “O Lord, according to all Your righteousness, I pray, let Your anger and Your fury be turned away from Your city Jerusalem, Your holy mountain; because for our sins, and for the iniquities of our fathers, Jerusalem and Your people are a reproach to all those around us. ¹⁷ Now therefore, our God, hear the prayer of Your servant, and his supplications, and for the Lord’s sake cause Your face to shine on Your sanctuary, which is desolate. ¹⁸ O my God, incline Your ear and hear; open Your eyes and see our desolations, and the city which is called by Your name; for we do not present our supplications before You because of our righteous deeds, but because of Your great mercies. ¹⁹ O Lord, hear! O Lord, forgive! O Lord, listen and act! Do not delay for Your own sake, my God, for Your city and Your people are called by Your name.”

Now therefore, stand still, that I may reason with you before the Lord concerning all the righteous acts of the Lord which He did to you and your fathers: 

1 Samuel 12:7

In You, O Lord, I put my trust; Let me never be ashamed; Deliver me in Your righteousness. 

Psalm 31:1

And seek the peace of the city where I have caused you to be carried away captive, and pray to the Lord for it; for in its peace you will have peace. 

Jeremiah 29:7

and when they return to You with all their heart and with all their soul in the land of their enemies who led them away captive, and pray to You toward their land which You gave to their fathers, the city which You have chosen and the temple which I have built for Your name: 

1 Kings 8:48

O Lord, though our iniquities testify against us, Do it for Your name’s sake; For our backslidings are many, We have sinned against You. 

Jeremiah 14:7

yet when they come to themselves in the land where they were carried captive, and repent, and make supplication to You in the land of those who took them captive, saying, ‘We have sinned and done wrong, we have committed wickedness’; 

1 Kings 8:47

Ezekiel 47:7-12

Out of the word of His mouth will flow living water that all may partake of God’s gift to man. Jesus, the Christ, gives life to anyone who believes in Him and they will never thirst again. The fruit of the Spirit that God will give to believers has healing in its wings. 

Jesus is the only way. the only truth. the only light.

The water becomes a river of healing and the source of abundant life for everything and everyone. This is an amazing picture—the Dead Sea is the saltiest body of water and is presently unable to support life. It is also the lowest point on earth, with its surface 1,300 feet below sea level and the water itself 1,300 feet deep. The living water that God will provide has immeasurable power to renew, restore, and resurrect life. This sea which is dead will teem with life all along its shores—from En Gedi to En Eglaim. Great volumes and variety of vegetation, everlasting and perpetually productive, will result from this river which flows from the sanctuary.

Ezekiel 47:7-12

⁷ When I returned, there, along the bank of the river, were very many trees on one side and the other. ⁸ Then he said to me: “This water flows toward the eastern region, goes down into the valley, and enters the sea. When it reaches the sea, its waters are healed. ⁹ And it shall be that every living thing that moves, wherever the rivers go, will live. There will be a very great multitude of fish, because these waters go there; for they will be healed, and everything will live wherever the river goes. ¹⁰ It shall be that fishermen will stand by it from En Gedi to En Eglaim; they will be places for spreading their nets. Their fish will be of the same kinds as the fish of the Great Sea, exceedingly many. ¹¹ But its swamps and marshes will not be healed; they will be given over to salt. ¹² Along the bank of the river, on this side and that, will grow all kinds of trees used for food; their leaves will not wither, and their fruit will not fail. They will bear fruit every month, because their water flows from the sanctuary. Their fruit will be for food, and their leaves for medicine.” 

Also your people shall all be righteous; They shall inherit the land forever, The branch of My planting, The work of My hands, That I may be glorified. 

Isaiah 60:21

To console those who mourn in Zion, To give them beauty for ashes, The oil of joy for mourning, The garment of praise for the spirit of heaviness; That they may be called trees of righteousness, The planting of the Lord, that He may be glorified.” 

Isaiah 61:3

There is a river whose streams shall make glad the city of God, The holy place of the tabernacle of the Most High. 

Psalm 46:4

“Ho! Everyone who thirsts, Come to the waters; And you who have no money, ^bCome, buy and eat. Yes, come, buy wine and milk Without money and without price. 

Isaiah 55:1

He shall be like a tree Planted by the rivers of water, That brings forth its fruit in its season, Whose leaf also shall not wither; And whatever he does shall prosper. 

Psalm 1:3

On the last day, that great day of the feast, Jesus stood and cried out, saying, “If anyone thirsts, let him come to Me and drink. ³⁸ He who believes in Me, as the Scripture has said, out of his heart will flow rivers of living water.”

John 7:37–39

And the Spirit and the bride say, “Come!” And let him who hears say, “Come!” And let him who thirsts come. Whoever desires, let him take the water of life freely. 

Revelation 22:17

Matthew 2:1-12

HIStory was written before the foundation of the world and HIS word will be fulfilled in God’s timing. In order to spiritually survive we need to be able to hear the Spirit of Christ and listen to what He tells us. The Scriptures are not just Holy Spirit inspired they are the living and breathing Word of God made flesh. His words are sharper than a double edged sword for dividing the spirit of man from his soul. We need to get into His story instead of making up our own….before we were in our mother’s womb He knew us and He alone knows the path He created us to walk in.

The Jewish leaders were alerted early to the coming of the Messiah. Matthew clearly records how the Jewish religious authorities, who became Christ’s enemies later, unintentionally affirmed that Jesus had fulfilled a messianic prophecy in His birth. God sometimes uses the words of His opponents to speak the truth. 

Gold symbolized royalty; frankincense was a fragrance; myrrh was the ointment of death. These gifts provided the financial resources for Mary and Joseph’s flight to Egypt.

Five dreams of divine guidance emphasize God’s orchestration of these perilous events.

Matthew 2:1-12

2 Now after Jesus was born in Bethlehem of Judea in the days of Herod the king, behold, wise men from the East came to Jerusalem, ² saying, “Where is He who has been born King of the Jews? For we have seen His star in the East and have come to worship Him.”

³ When Herod the king heard this, he was troubled, and all Jerusalem with him. ⁴ And when he had gathered all the chief priests and scribes of the people together, he inquired of them where the Christ was to be born.

⁵ So they said to him, “In Bethlehem of Judea, for thus it is written by the prophet:

⁶ ‘But you, Bethlehem, in the land of Judah,

Are not the least among the rulers of Judah;

For out of you shall come a Ruler

Who will shepherd My people Israel.’ ”

⁷ Then Herod, when he had secretly called the wise men, determined from them what time the star appeared. ⁸ And he sent them to Bethlehem and said, “Go and search carefully for the young Child, and when you have found Him, bring back word to me, that I may come and worship Him also.”

⁹ When they heard the king, they departed; and behold, the star which they had seen in the East went before them, till it came and stood over where the young Child was. ¹⁰ When they saw the star, they rejoiced with exceedingly great joy. ¹¹ And when they had come into the house, they saw the young Child with Mary His mother, and fell down and worshiped Him. And when they had opened their treasures, they presented gifts to Him: gold, frankincense, and myrrh.

¹² Then, being divinely warned in a dream that they should not return to Herod, they departed for their own country another way.

“But you, Bethlehem Ephrathah, Though you are little among the thousands of Judah, Yet out of you shall come forth to Me The One to be ^fRuler in Israel, Whose goings forth are from of old, From everlasting.” 

Micah 5:2

For there is born to you this day in the city of David a Savior, who is Christ the Lord. 

Luke 2:11

In a dream, in a vision of the night, When deep sleep falls upon men, While slumbering on their beds, 

Job 33:15

Then He opens the ears of men, And seals their instruction. 

Job 33:16

Mark 2:23-28

We need to be very careful not to make the OT Laws with its 600 or so man made bylaws as static and realize that the NT of God’s mercy and grace came to fulfill God's law. The Holy Spirit inside of us teaches us the  ways of Jesus Christ and they become written in our new hearts so that we no longer need the parameters of the Law to do what is right. We are changed precept by precept through His love. As our love for Him grows we radiate that love and make positive changes in our life and the lives of others.

Filtered through our love for God we fulfill the commands of Jesus Christ to love God above all and to love others with that same love that He has for us…. then we will fulfill the law and the commandments.

 Without love we are are just irritating noise.

The point to the Pharisees’ accusation against Jesus and His disciples was that they had performed work on the Sabbath, but their charge was dubious. The act of plucking grain should not be confused with Sabbath work condemned in the law. This incident is further proof of rising opposition to Jesus’ ministry. Part of Jesus’ defense was to recall the story of David’s eating the showbread from the tabernacle. Since that bread was intended for the priests, it was not lawful for others to eat.

Mark 2:23-28

²³ Now it happened that He went through the grainfields on the Sabbath; and as they went His disciples began to pluck the heads of grain. ²⁴ And the Pharisees said to Him, “Look, why do they do what is not lawful on the Sabbath?”

²⁵ But He said to them, “Have you never read what David did when he was in need and hungry, he and those with him: ²⁶ how he went into the house of God in the days of Abiathar the high priest, and ate the showbread, which is not lawful to eat except for the priests, and also gave some to those who were with him?”

²⁷ And He said to them, “The Sabbath was made for man, and not man for the Sabbath. ²⁸ Therefore the Son of Man is also Lord of the Sabbath.”

You made known to them Your holy Sabbath, And commanded them precepts, statutes and laws, By the hand of Moses Your servant. 

Nehemiah 9:14

⁸ For the Son of Man is Lord even of the Sabbath.” 

Matthew 12:8

Matthew 2:1-2

Those who seek Him…..find Him! The wise men, most likely astrologers, had been searching the sky for a sign of His birth to seek out the King of the Jews to worship Him…..they found Him. 

Knowledge is the beginning of wisdom.

His star in the East may refer to a star supernaturally introduced into the heavens, discernible only to students of the sky. The star reappeared to guide the wise men to where Christ was. The fact that it was called “His star” indicates that the wise men identified the star with the arrival of the King of the Jews.

Matthew 2:1-2

2 Now after Jesus was born in Bethlehem of Judea in the days of Herod the king, behold, wise men from the East came to Jerusalem, ² saying, “Where is He who has been born King of the Jews? For we have seen His star in the East and have come to worship Him.”

“I see Him, but not now; I behold Him, but not near; A Star shall come out of Jacob; A Scepter shall rise out of Israel, And batter the brow of Moab, And destroy all the sons of tumult. 

Numbers 24:17

The Gentiles shall come to your light, And kings to the brightness of your rising. 

Isaiah 60:3

For there is born to you this day in the city of David a Savior, who is Christ the Lord. 

Luke 2:11

1 Corinthians 15:1-8

The salvation of the world was seen by men and believed by those who witnessed the event and they spread the Word of the Gospel to all who would accept it….blessed are those who by faith believe! The simplicity of the Gospel of Jesus Christ is a stumbling block to those who believe they can earn their way to eternal life…but it is a gift of God to man so that no one can boast. Eternal life is promised to all who choose to believe in His birth, death and resurrection.

Christ is a risen Savior today.

At the time of Paul’s writing, a person could have verified the truthfulness of the apostle’s statements. The majority of the five hundred people who saw the risen Christ, as well as all the apostles and James (the half brother of Jesus), were still living.

Christ’s death dealt decisively with our sins. He suffered in our place to endure the just wrath of God against us.The Resurrection verifies the fact that Christ’s death paid the full price for sin. The Greek term translated rose here is in the perfect tense, emphasizing the ongoing effects of this historical event. 

 1 Corinthians 15:1-8

15 Moreover, brethren, I declare to you the gospel which I preached to you, which also you received and in which you stand, ² by which also you are saved, if you hold fast that word which I preached to you—unless you believed in vain.

³ For I delivered to you first of all that which I also received: that Christ died for our sins according to the Scriptures, ⁴ and that He was buried, and that He rose again the third day according to the Scriptures, ⁵ and that He was seen by Cephas, then by the twelve. ⁶ After that He was seen by over five hundred brethren at once, of whom the greater part remain to the present, but some have fallen asleep. ⁷ After that He was seen by James, then by all the apostles. ⁸ Then last of all He was seen by me also, as by one born out of due time.

²¹ For since, in the wisdom of God, the world through wisdom did not know God, it pleased God through the foolishness of the message preached to save those who believe. 

1 Corinthians 1:21

¹⁶ in the day when God will judge the secrets of men by Jesus Christ, according to my gospel. 

Romans 2:16

² through whom also we have access by faith into this grace in which we stand, and rejoice in hope of the glory of God. 

Romans 5:2

²⁰ Well said. Because of unbelief they were broken off, and you stand by faith. Do not be haughty, but fear. 

Romans 11:20

¹⁶ For I am not ashamed of the gospel ³of Christ, for it is the power of God to salvation for everyone who believes, for the Jew first and also for the Greek. 

Romans 1:16

Our Triune God

Anything is possible to those who believe! When you hold onto Jesus you hold on to the very breath of the Almighty. Seek Him and  He promises that you will find Him.There is healing in His name.

The Son provides life as a gift and the Father has authorized and authenticated the Son as the Giver of life. All we ask in the name of Jesus is accomplished through the power of the Holy Spirit.

The Holy Spirit appears in the Gospel of John as the power by which Christians are brought to faith and helped to understand their walk with God. He brings a person to new birth: “That which is born of the flesh is flesh, and that which is born of the Spirit is spirit” (3:6); “It is the Spirit who gives life” (6:63). The Holy Spirit is the Paraclete, or Helper, whom Jesus promised to the disciples after His ascension. The Trinity of Father, Son, and Holy Spirit are unified in ministering to believers (14:16, 26). It is through the Helper that Father and Son abide with the disciples (15:26).

Matthew 14:34-35

³⁴ When they had crossed over, they came to the land of Gennesaret. ³⁵ And when the men of that place recognized Him, they sent out into all that surrounding region, brought to Him all who were sick, ³⁶ and begged Him that they might only touch the hem of His garment. And as many as touched it were made perfectly well.

Mark 6:53-56

⁵³ When they had crossed over, they came to the land of Gennesaret and anchored there. ⁵⁴ And when they came out of the boat, immediately the people recognized Him, ⁵⁵ ran through that whole surrounding region, and began to carry about on beds those who were sick to wherever they heard He was. ⁵⁶ Wherever He entered, into villages, cities, or the country, they laid the sick in the marketplaces, and begged Him that they might just touch the hem of His garment. And as many as touched Him were made well.

John 6:22-25

²² On the following day, when the people who were standing on the other side of the sea saw that there was no other boat there, except that one which His disciples had entered, and that Jesus had not entered the boat with His disciples, but His disciples had gone away alone—²³ however, other boats came from Tiberias, near the place where they ate bread after the Lord had given thanks—²⁴ when the people therefore saw that Jesus was not there, nor His disciples, they also got into boats and came to Capernaum, seeking Jesus. ²⁵ And when they found Him on the other side of the sea, they said to Him, “Rabbi, when did You come here?”

²⁶ Jesus answered them and said, “Most assuredly, I say to you, you seek Me, not because you saw the signs, but because you ate of the loaves and were filled. ²⁷ Do not labor for the food which perishes, but for the food which endures to everlasting life, which the Son of Man will give you, because God the Father has set His seal on Him.²⁸ Then they said to Him, “What shall we do, that we may work the works of God?”

²⁹ Jesus answered and said to them, “This is the work of God, that you believe in Him whom He sent.”

For by grace you have been saved through faith, and that not of yourselves; it is the gift of God, 

Ephesians 2:8

“Behold! My Servant whom I uphold, My Elect One in whom My soul delights! I have put My Spirit upon Him; He will bring forth justice to the Gentiles. 

Isaiah 42:1

While he was still speaking, behold, a bright cloud overshadowed them; and suddenly a voice came out of the cloud, saying, “This is My beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased. Hear Him!” 

Matthew 17:5

John 12:44-50

The Father and the Son are one just as we are one in Christ with the Father who created us. The perfect gentleman, the Holy Spirit will never intrude into our lives without an invitation….invite Him in and be made whole! Jesus the Christ is our only hope and the door to eternity with God.

Jesus insisted that anyone who believed in Him was at the same time exercising belief in God the Father. Jesus explained that He was the personal manifestation of God. He did not come to judge but to save. Those who choose not to accept Him condemn themselves.

John 12:44-50

⁴⁴ Then Jesus cried out and said, “He who believes in Me, believes not in Me but in Him who sent Me. ⁴⁵ And he who sees Me sees Him who sent Me. ⁴⁶ I have come as a light into the world, that whoever believes in Me should not abide in darkness. ⁴⁷ And if anyone hears My words and does not believe, I do not judge him; for I did not come to judge the world but to save the world. ⁴⁸ He who rejects Me, and does not receive My words, has that which judges him—the word that I have spoken will judge him in the last day. ⁴⁹ For I have not spoken on My own authority; but the Father who sent Me gave Me a command, what I should say and what I should speak. ⁵⁰ And I know that His command is everlasting life. Therefore, whatever I speak, just as the Father has told Me, so I speak.”

¹⁸ “He who believes in Him is not condemned; but he who does not believe is condemned already, because he has not believed in the name of the only begotten Son of God. 

John 3:18

¹⁶ For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life. 

John 3:16

¹⁶ He who hears you hears Me, he who rejects you rejects Me, and he who rejects Me rejects Him who sent Me.” 

Luke 10:16

¹⁸ I will raise up for them a Prophet like you from among their brethren, and will put My words in His mouth, and He shall speak to them all that I command Him. 

Deuteronomy 18:18

¹⁷ For God did not send His Son into the world to condemn the world, but that the world through Him might be saved. 
                                                                                                                      John 3:17

¹⁵ He is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn over all creation. 
                                                                                                             Colossians 1:15

Romans 3:21-26

FAITH alone pleases God! His grace through faith in Jesus the Christ is His gift to mankind that no man can boast in his own goodness but can rejoice in the mercy and goodness of the triune God.

In this context the righteousness of God is not an attribute of God, but an act of God whereby He declares a sinner righteous. This is righteousness from God. No one can live up to what God created us to be; we all fall short of His glory. We cannot save ourselves because as sinners we can never meet God’s requirements. Our only hope is faith in Jesus Christ.

Those who believe are justified, that is, “declared righteous,” freely, without cost, by God’s grace, or “favor.” Christ Jesus died to provide redemption, which means He died to pay the price required to ransom sinners. By paying the penalty of their sin through His death, Jesus can free people from their sin and transfer His righteousness to those who believe in Him.

By His death, Christ satisfied the justice of God. He paid the penalty of sin in full. Paul cites two reasons why the righteousness of God comes through Christ’s death. The first is to demonstrate that God Himself is righteous, and did not judge the sins committed prior to the Cross. The second reason for the Cross is that God wanted to show that He is both righteous and at the same time the One who can declare sinners righteous. Because of Christ’s death, God does not compromise His holiness when He forgives a sinner.

Romans 3:21-26

²¹ But now the righteousness of God apart from the law is revealed, being witnessed by the Law and the Prophets, ²² even the righteousness of God, through faith in Jesus Christ, to all and on all who believe. For there is no difference; ²³ for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God, ²⁴ being justified freely by His grace through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus, ²⁵ whom God set forth as a propitiation by His blood, through faith, to demonstrate His righteousness, because in His forbearance God had passed over the sins that were previously committed, ²⁶ to demonstrate at the present time His righteousness, that He might be just and the justifier of the one who has faith in Jesus.

¹¹ But we believe that through the grace of the Lord Jesus ²Christ we shall be saved in the same manner as they.” 

Acts 15:11

⁴⁶ For if you believed Moses, you would believe Me; for he wrote about Me. 

John 5:46

¹⁰ Of this salvation the prophets have inquired and searched carefully, who prophesied of the grace that would come to you, 

1 Peter 1:10

^28 lThere is neither Jew nor Greek, there is neither slave nor free, there is neither male nor female; for you are all one in Christ Jesus. 

Galatians 3:28

²² But the Scripture has confined all under sin, that the promise by faith in Jesus Christ might be given to those who believe. 

Galatians 3:22

¹⁶ Therefore it is of faith that it might be according to grace, so that the promise might be ⁴sure to all the seed, not only to those who are of the law, but also to those who are of the faith of Abraham, who is the father of us all 

Romans 4:16

Nahum 3:8-10

God shows favor to no man or nation….they are equal in sin and equal in His righteousness. If they turn from His ways they will be punished. God will not tolerate strange gods put before Him that includes greed and power. Out of God’s will for our lives we are lost and without hope.There are consequences to our actions.

The destruction of the city of Thebes near the Nile River in 663 b.c. was going to be a template for the destruction of Nineveh. No Amon is the Hebrew name for Thebes, derived from the Egyptian name meaning “City of [the god] Amon.” The argument seems to suggest that before its destruction, no one would have even dreamed of the fall of Thebes. But the destruction had happened—not long before the writing of the Book of Nahum. The city of Thebes was rebuilt only to be destroyed later during the Roman period (29 b.c.). Nineveh, however, would never be rebuilt. 

The city of No Amon had many powerful allies, but they were not sufficient to protect her in her hour of need. Who would ally with Nineveh to fight off the Lord’s attack?

Nahum 3:8-10

⁸ Are you better than No Amon

That was situated by the River,

That had the waters around her,

Whose rampart was the sea,

Whose wall was the sea?

⁹ Ethiopia and Egypt were her strength,

And it was boundless;

Put and Lubim were your helpers.

¹⁰ Yet she was carried away,

She went into captivity;

²⁵ The Lord of hosts, the God of Israel, says: “Behold, I will bring punishment on Amon of No, and Pharaoh and Egypt, with their gods and their kings—Pharaoh and those who trust in him. 

Jeremiah 46:25

²Go over to Calneh and see; And from there go to Hamath the great; Then go down to Gath of the Philistines. Are you better than these kingdoms? Or is their territory greater than your territory? 

Amos 6:2

¹⁴I will make Pathros desolate, Set fire to Zoan, And execute judgments in No. ¹⁵ I will pour My fury on Sin, the strength of Egypt; I will cut off the multitude of No, And set a fire in Egypt; Sin shall have great pain, No shall be split open, And Noph shall be in distress daily. 

Ezekiel 30:14–16

Daniel 6:16-17

If we are faithful in the small things of our every day life that same faith will deliver us in the storms.

Daniel’s faithfulness got him into trouble; his faith got him out of it.

Daniel 6:16-17

So the king gave the command, and they brought Daniel and cast him into the den of lions. But the king spoke, saying to Daniel, “Your God, whom you serve continually, He will deliver you.” ¹⁷ Then a stone was brought and laid on the mouth of the den, and the king sealed it with his own signet ring and with the signets of his lords, that the purpose concerning Daniel might not be changed.

Daniel 6:10 

¹⁰ Now when Daniel knew that the writing was signed, he went home. And in his upper room, with his windows open toward Jerusalem, he knelt down on his knees three times that day, and prayed and gave thanks before his God, as was his custom since early days. 

Hebrews 11:33

who through faith subdued kingdoms, worked righteousness, obtained promises, stopped the mouths of lions, 

Have a blessed New Year!

“Therefore, having obtained help from God, to this day I stand” (Ac 26:22 NKJV). 

 “Because of the Lord’s great love we are not consumed, for his compassions never fail. They are new every morning; great is your faithfulness” (Lam 3:22-23 NIV).