Rich and poor have this in common:  The LORD is the Maker of them all. Proverbs 22: 2, NIV. Most gracious God, You have made us of one blood, and given to all of us the possibility of becoming great in Your hand (1 Chronicles 29: 12). Please help us to be inspired to our full potential as we meet to study Your Word. In the holy name of Jesus we pray. Amen and Amen!  We are continuing in Proverbs 22. This chapter of the Proverbs is very rich in sayings that apply across the board - chronologically, culturally, and,...

A good name is more desirable than great riches; to be esteemed is better than silver or gold. Proverbs 22: 1, NIV. Blessed LORD, as we study Your Word, please teach us how to wear Your good name, for Your honor and glory. This we ask in the blessed name of Jesus. Amen. Some proverbs are relevant for a certain situation, and a certain period of time. I believe this proverb transcends all eras and situations. In some cultures, a name is extremely important, because it serves as a character description. In many instances, among the Israelites, one's name actually framed one's destiny, as...

o David inquired of God:  "Shall I go and attack the Philistines? Will you hand them over to me?" The LORD answered him, "Go, I will hand them over to you." So David and his men went up to Baal Perazim, and there he defeated them. He said, "As waters break out, God has broken out against my enemies by my hand." 1 Chronicles 14: 10, 11c, NIV. Dear God, thank You so much for the privilege of studying Your Word in freedom. Please help us to take advantage of the opportunity that You offer us, to guide us as we...

o David inquired of God:  "Shall I go and attack the Philistines? Will you hand them over to me?" The LORD answered him, "Go, I will hand them over to you." So David and his men went up to Baal Perazim, and there he defeated them. He said, "As waters break out, God has broken out against my enemies by my hand." 1 Chronicles 14: 10, 11c, NIV. Gracious God, we recognize that without You we can do nothing. Please remain with us and help us as we seek to give You the glory that is due to Your name during...

Do not be overwicked, and do not be a fool— why die before your time? Ecclesiastes 7: 17, NIV. Dear God, as we continue with this topic, please speak to our hearts. You know who may be needing this message, so please "Speak LORD, ." In the name of Jesus we pray. Amen. Yesterday we looked at three experiences of people who, obviously died before their allotted time. Today, I feel impressed to pursue this topic, because of a portion of Scripture that I came upon as I was studying, "Therefore—this is God's word, the God of Israel speaking—I once said that you and your...

Do not be overwicked, and do not be a fool— why die before your time? Ecclesiastes 7: 17, NIV. Holy Father, we thank You for the study of Your Word. Please help us as we sit at Your feet today, to learn of Your ways, and to walk in them. In the blessed name of Jesus we humbly pray. Amen. To some, this text might bring a lot of questions to your minds. Perhaps the most prominent would be, "Can someone actually die before their time?" Most people believe that this is not possible. Perhaps we base our conclusion on Ecclesiastes 3:...

For You formed my inward parts; You covered me in my mother’s womb. I will praise You, for I am fearfully and wonderfully made; marvelous are Your works, and that my soul knows very well. My frame was not hidden from You, when I was made in secret, and skillfully wrought in the lowest parts of the earth. Your eyes saw my substance, being yet unformed. And in Your book they all were written, the days fashioned for me, when as yet there were none of them. Psalm 139: 13-16, NKJV. Loving LORD, We thank You for reminding us how precious we are in Your sight. As we contemplate how...

But I am poor and needy; yet the LORD thinks upon me. You are my help and my deliverer; do not delay, O my God. Psalm 40: 17, NKJV. Holy God, it is good to know that no matter what condition we may be in, You, Lord, consider us, and care for us. For this we give You thanks. So speak to us now, through Your Word. We pray in the name of Jesus. Amen. We live in a very superficial age. Although science has reached some depths that we never thought we would live to see, yet, in so many ways in our dealings with each other,...

The way we know we've been transferred from death to life is that we love our brothers and sisters. Anyone who doesn't love is as good as dead. Anyone who hates a brother or sister is a murderer, and you know very well that eternal life and murder don't go together. This is how we've come to understand and experience love: Christ sacrificed his life for us. This is why we ought to live sacrificially for our fellow believers, and not just be out for ourselves. 1 John 3: 14-16, MSG. Holy Father, gracious God, we have come into Your presence...

Grace to you and peace from Him who is and who was and who is to come, and from the seven Spirits who are before His throne, and from Jesus Christ, the faithful witness, the firstborn from the dead, and the ruler over the kings of the earth. To Him who loved us and washed us from our sins in His own blood, and has made us kings and priests to His God and Father, to Him be glory and dominion forever and ever. Amen. Revelation 1: 4b-6, NKJV. Dear God, we thank You so much for this opportunity of coming into...