Hope In God

"Why art thou cast down, O my soul? and why art thou disquieted within me? hope in God: for I shall yet praise him, who is the health of my countenance, and my God.

Psalm 43:5 (KJV)

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These present days are full of frustrating moments. Even children of God are finding it challenging to walk in peace. We have walked in the assurance of the power of God, and that assurance had not been tested. Now, we are being tested. Between the economy, the rising violence around the world, and the other controversial issues we face, it has become easy to become, as David says, cast down and disquieted. Technically, to be cast down means to be depressed, and disquieted refers to having noise in your mind. Usually, depression causes one to hear adversarial voices, which lead to actions of the flesh. Yes, these are indeed the days of feeling cast down and defeated.

I am glad David does not stop with the condition. He tells his soul to hope in God. In the Hebrew, the word “hope” means to tarry, to trust, to wait. What a marvelous contrast for you. In moments of despair, we continue to trust in God. I have been struggling with hearing from God as all the voices of our world have crowded my mind. In certain situations, if I am not careful, I may become disquieted. We look for answers when the answer is to be still before God. Trust is easy to talk about but difficult to perform. We are in a time of faith and hope.

God has promised to be a present help in our times of trouble. He will sustain us, “Cast thy burden upon the LORD, and he shall sustain thee: he shall never suffer the righteous to be moved.” Psalm 55:22 (KJV)

I encourage you to place trust and hope in our God. He will always keep His promise, and He will never abandon His children. Remember, He loves you, and nothing can separate you from His love. Blessings to all.

Living In This Present World

"For the grace of God that brings salvation has appeared to all men, teaching us that, denying ungodliness and worldly lusts, we should live soberly, righteously, and godly in the present age, looking for the blessed hope and glorious appearing of our great God and Savior Jesus Christ, who gave Himself for us, that He might redeem us from every lawless deed and purify for Himself His own special people, zealous for good works."

Titus 2:11-14

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Titus, the youthful disciple of the Apostle Paul, faces a significant responsibility. The church at Corinth is struggling with worldliness and fleshly demonstrations of spirituality. Fornication is rampant, and the level of idolatry has increased. Paul's first letter to the Corinthians brought about a level of repentance, and the people walked as believers in Christ. Faithfulness was being restored. Then Paul sends Titus to Corinth with the second letter of reconciliation, and the message is clear: "Come out from among them, and do not touch the unclean." Titus takes this opportunity to instruct believers in the behaviors and practices that will make them better examples of Christ. One of the most definitive statements by Titus is found in Titus 2:11-14, where he instructs the believers to live soberly, godly, and righteously in this present world. We can only hope that his audience took those words to heart and changed their lives as a result. God's message through Titus remains alive and vibrant for Christians today. But how are we to live Christ-centered lives in a world that seems increasingly spinning out of control? There are many satanic traps placed in front of us. We often hear the voice of the ungodly culture whispering that we cannot live above sin. Therefore, we must accept the flaws of others and those of ourselves as part of the human experience. But is that God's view? Absolutely not! He has called us to holy lives of righteousness amid this secular, hedonistic society. How do we live above sin and embrace the Kingdom principles of God's plan? Is it possible to escape the snares of the Evil One in this life? Can we rise above our fallen nature, be washed of our sins, and cling to God's purity? The writer of the letter to the Hebrews exhorts followers of Christ to do just that: "Pursue peace with all people, and holiness, without which no one will see the Lord..." (Hebrews 12:14 NKJV) I am writing to you today because I want you to have a better understanding of the challenges we face in our society. We often hear warnings against murder, fornication, and stealing, but we hear little about gluttony, greed, pride, and theft. People usually accept these behavioral problems as typical human nature. To the contrary, they weaken the Christian just as effectively as the "BIG" sins. These are the sins that our culture accepts, and this careless and condoning attitude has led us to accept them in the church. But we must remember the warning that Jesus gave His followers:

"Do not think I came to destroy the Law or the Prophets. I did not come to destroy but to fulfill. For assuredly, I say unto you, till heaven and earth pass away, not one jot or tittle will by no means pass from the Law till all is fulfilled. Whoever therefore breaks one of the least of these commandments, and teaches men so, shall be called least in the kingdom of heaven; but whoever does and teaches them, he shall be called great in the kingdom of heaven. For I say unto you, that unless your righteousness exceeds the righteousness of the scribes and Pharisees, you will by no means enter the kingdom of heaven."

(Matthew 5:17-20 NKJV)

Christians cannot afford to become complacent about their culture. We know temptation is everywhere, and excuses will not be accepted. We must stand against the pull of the enemy and discipline ourselves for the Holy Spirit to use us for the Glory of God. We must be vigilant to understand God's expectations for us and to withstand the wiles of the devil. Blessings to all.

The Sacredness of Family

And the LORD God said, It is not good that the man should be alone; I will make him an help meet for him. Genesis 2:18 (KJV)

And the LORD God caused a deep sleep to fall upon Adam, and he slept: and he took one of his ribs, and closed up the flesh instead thereof; And the rib, which the LORD God had taken from man, made he a woman, and brought her unto the man. And Adam said, This is now bone of my bones, and flesh of my flesh: she shall be called Woman, because she was taken out of Man. Therefore shall a man leave his father and his mother, and shall cleave unto his wife: and they shall be one flesh. Genesis 2:21-24 (KJV)

With these words, our Lord ordains marriage and the family. Throughout Scripture, the family has been an instrument for the Lord to convey His plan and His holiness. Through Biblical marriage and the families produced by marriage, society has been blessed. Our nation’s history reflects what happens when families collapse and the culture violates the home.

Jesus says we are the light of the world and the salt of the earth; therefore, our homes and families should reflect the image of God. From the husband’s leadership, to the obedience of the children, to the wife’s encouragement, families are to demonstrate God’s greatness and love.

In March 2022, we will highlight the function of the family in this present world. Every sermon, class, and all of our cell groups will focus on the family and the power God has given to the family. We are dedicating March as “The Month of the Family.”

I encourage everyone to join us and learn how our Lord loves and cares for the family. My goal is to have the best experience ever, as we search through the word of God and apply these family truths to our everyday lives. I look forward to seeing all of you as we work through the Scriptures together.

Love you all,