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  • Jesus is Alive!  He is Risen! He Is Risen Indeed!

    Acts 5:30 “The God of our fathers raised up Jesus whom you murdered by hanging on a tree.”

    The Apostles, especially Peter, are being questioned about preaching Christ and filling the city of Jerusalem with this new teaching.  Peter responds to the council that is headed by the Chief Priest that even though the Chief Priest and the Jewish leaders had murdered Jesus by calling for Him to be crucified God – their God – had raised Jesus up – raising Him up from the dead!! 

    Pause to consider this scene.  Picture it.  Peter and the Apostles are being questioned about preaching the gospel.  Can you see Peter?  He does not back up or back down but boldly proclaims clearly that Jesus Christ is alive!   Peter proclaimed the resurrection of Jesus!  

    From Acts 5:30 let us be reminded that the message of the gospel is the death (The crucifixion) in which Christ died for our sins as our substitute. He tasted what every person must taste in tasting death. He was buried (burial). And He was resurrected as God raised him up (resurrection).  

    The gospel is the death, burial, and resurrection of Jesus Christ.  

    Recall from 1 Corinthians 15:1,3-4 that it says, “I declare to you the gospel which I preached to you, 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,”

    Now Christ is exalted to the right hand of God and He offers salvation to anyone who believes the gospel and will call upon Him.  Romans 10:9-10, 13 says, “That if you confess with your mouth the Lord Jesus and believe in your heart that God has raised Him from the dead, you will be saved. 10 For with the heart one believes unto righteousness, and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation. 13 For “whoever calls on the name of the LORD shall be saved.” 

    For there to be salvation there has to be belief in the resurrection!

    Without the resurrection, we do not have a gospel message!

    Continue Strong Proclaiming The Resurrection Of Jesus,
    And remember to DATE the Word

  • God’s Plea Should Be Our Purpose!

    Deuteronomy 5:29 “Oh, that they had such a heart in them that they would fear Me and always keep all My commandments, that it might be well with them and with their children forever!” 

    What is your heart’s passion?  Have you ever wondered what God wished your heart’s passion is?  Here in Deuteronomy 5:29, God makes a plea that we would have a heart that is passionate about having reverence and respect for Him. Having reverence and respect for God is what it means to fear Him.  God is not looking for us to be afraid of Him, but He is looking for us to be in awe of Him.  Being in awe should lead to adoration, reverence, respect, and worship.

    Do you fear the Lord?  

    Furthermore, God wants us to keep, obey, His commandments. Please do not miss the word “all” in this verse. We don’t get to pick and choose the commandments we obey. 

    Do you keep His commandments? Is your heart prone to keeping all His commandments? One should never say they fear God or love God while living in disobedience. Obedience is most certainly connected to fearing the Lord and loving the Lord.  Do you recall that Jesus said, “If you love me keep my commandments?”  (John 14:15) 

    Our verse reminds us that how we live today affects our tomorrow and our children’s future!  Obedience opens God’s multiple doors and windows of blessings upon our lives and the lives of others.

    How will you respond to God’s plea? You have read what kind of heart He wants.  Will your heart be turned toward Him with a desire to please Him and carry out His purpose for our lives?

    It’s worth noting Proverbs 20:7 as it says, “The righteous who walks in his integrity bring blessing upon his children after him!”

    Let us respond to God’s plea with our reverence and obedience! Let our heart be about God’s heart!!!

    Continue Strong with Reverence and Obedience to God,
    And remember to DATE the Word

  • To Touch His Clothes

    Mark 5:28 “For she said, ‘If only I may touch His clothes, I shall be made well.’”

    In Mark 5 we read of a desperate unnamed woman. Starting at verse 25, we read, “Now a certain woman who had had a discharge of blood for twelve years, (12 years) and who had suffered much under many physicians, and had spent all that she had, and was no better but rather grew worse.”  Is this not painful to read as the pain just kept getting worse and those who she thought could help could not help?

    Verse 27 tells us that “She had heard the reports about Jesus.”  

    It is worth mentioning here that we should not forget that God uses our story to help others increase their faith. She had heard reports of Jesus and the incredible things He had done!  By her hearing what Jesus had done for others she began to believe that He could do it for her. Be sure to be telling your story of what God is doing as you never know how it might help someone else to turn to Jesus!

    In verse 28, we read of this desperate woman’s decision to (are you ready) to just touch His clothing to receive the help she needs. This decision may seem a little strange.  Maybe even superstitious.  Maybe she is timid, shy, or embarrassed to walk up to Jesus, to talk to Him.  Maybe she is too fearful to ask.  Yet, there does come a moment where she decides that if He is who she has heard He is then all she needs to do is touch His garment and she will be made well.  What faith she has!!

    Verse 29 tells us that the miraculous happens and she is completely healed!  Mark 5:29 says, “Immediately the fountain of her blood was dried up, and she felt in her body that she was healed of the affliction.”

    Maybe you are facing something and are a little timid, maybe really timid, afraid to ask Jesus for what you need. Maybe there is something you have been dealing with for a long time and you feel there will never be any help.  May I point you to Hebrews 4:16? You do know Hebrews 4:16, right? 

    Hebrews 4:16 says, “Let us, therefore, come boldly to the throne of grace, that we may obtain mercy and find grace to help in time of need.”

    What needs to be brought to the throne of grace?  Quit standing where you are and get to the throne! Turn to Jesus!  Take it to Jesus!!  Tell it to Jesus!!  

    Continue Strong Casting All Your Cares Upon The Lord
    And remember to DATE the Word

  • The Shocking Request that Would Change His Life

    Luke 5:27  “After these things Jesus went out and saw a tax collector named Levi, sitting at the tax office. And He said to him, ‘Follow Me.’”

    On the surface, Luke 5:27 is a pretty straightforward verse as Jesus sees a man named Levi (Matthew) and calls him to follow Him. Yet this is a very profound verse as we read of Jesus calling what many would call the most unqualified and even more so undesirable person to be a disciple. Levi is, after all, a tax collector. The title of tax collector speaks of corruption! It speaks of one who takes advantage of their own people!  It speaks of one with no integrity!!

    Yet Jesus calls this man, this type of man, to join Him. After all, Jesus did come to seek and to save those who were lost, to save sinners. (Luke 19:10)

    We should pay attention to the call, the invitation, for Jesus did say, “Follow Me.” That two-word invitation to Levi the tax collector was an invitation to leave what he was doing, walk in a new way, learn new things, and yes, become a new man.   He would no longer be a tax collector but a follower of Jesus!

    How much of a change took place in the life of Levi (Matthew) the former tax collector? If you open your NT to the first page, you will see the name Matthew (Levi). How about that?!!  Matthew, the former tax collector becomes one of the gospel writers.  And when we read His gospel, we get more than a story of one named Jesus Christ. We read proof after proof that Jesus Christ is the promised Messiah. Over and over Matthew will use the word fulfilled to demonstrate that Jesus fulfilled the Old Testament prophecies.  This means he had to learn and know the Old Testament really well!

    So, why do we get to read the gospel of Matthew with multiple proofs that Jesus is the Messiah?   Because one day Jesus saw more than a tax collector.  He saw more than a vile, wicked, corrupt sinner and extended him an opportunity to be different and to make a difference! 

    Here is something to think about from Luke 5:27. There might be in your path today a vile, wicked, corrupt sinner who needs to hear an invitation from you to follow Jesus. If Matthew could go from being a tax collector to a disciple and writer of a gospel book, the person in your path can be changed by Jesus as well.  Don’t look at where they presently are and what they are known for or to be but look at what they can become if they know and follow Jesus!!

    Let us be inviting sinners to meet the Savior and become saints!! 

    Continue Strong Letting Sinners Know About Our Great Savior,
    And remember to DATE The Word

  • These are Things Not To Do

    Galatians 5:26 “Let us not become conceited, provoking one another, envying one another.”  

    In working through the New Testament, a believer will learn numerous actions to do for and with other believers. I have identified at least 56 actions to do for and with one another.  While there are not as many, a believer does need to know that there are some things we are not to do as we seek to relate and have community with one another.  Galatians 5:26 will list 3 of those things we are not to do.

    The Apostle Paul first commands the believer not to become conceited.  To be conceited is to be arrogant and boastful.  

    A conceited person makes more of oneself while making little of others.

    The conceited tell how great they are to make others feel inferior, feel smaller.  The Bible (1 Thess. 5:11) teaches that we are to be building each other up yet this person is building themselves up.  Do not be conceited!

    A second thing we are not to be doing is provoking one another.  The Bible does call on us to challenge (provoke – KJV) one another to do good works and to demonstrate love for one another (Hebrews 10:24) however, the idea of “provoking” in this context is to challenge to combat.  It deals with comparison as one wants to prove they are better and more superior.  Another way of describing this word is that a person doing this is picking on another person.  Galatians 5:26 is saying, “Don’t pick on one another.”

    Paul does not want believers building themselves up while pushing others down and he does not want believers picking on one another.  Thirdly, he does not want believers to envy one another.  The ultimate cause of the conceit and the provoking is coming from envy.  Rather than discovering and developing what God has brought into a person’s life, this person looks out with longing eyes to have what others have.  There is a lack of satisfaction that can become so bad that one not only wants what someone else has but can move to not wanting someone to have what they have.  This is when things become dangerous.  

    As you consider the teaching of Galatians 5:26 about what you are not to be and not to be doing, what areas do you need to be putting a stop to?  Read again Galatians 5:26 as it says, “Let us not become conceited (proud, building oneself up, more about self and less about others), provoking (challenging, picking on) one another, envying (not satisfied, desiring to have what others have while desiring others did not have) one another.”  

    How will you implement, and apply not doing these things in your daily living?

    Continue Strong Not Doing Somethings
    And remember to DATE the Word

  • The Request of Request – Pray For Us!

    1 Thessalonians 5:25 “Brethren, pray for us.”

    One must describe the great Apostle Paul as a man who believed in prayer!! He started letter after letter telling how he was praying for those he was writing to, whether an individual or a church. Paul was a prayer warrior for others.  Then as you get to the end of his letters, he almost always made a personal appeal for prayer. For instance: 
    Romans 15:30 says, “I appeal to you, brothers, by our Lord Jesus Christ and by the love of the Spirit, to strive (agonize) together with me in your prayers to God on my behalf,”
    Ephesians 6:18 says, “Praying at all times in the Spirit, with all prayer and supplication. To that end keep alert with all perseverance, making supplication for all the saints, 19 and also for me, that words may be given to me in opening my mouth boldly to proclaim the mystery of the gospel, 20 for which I am an ambassador in chains, that I may declare it boldly, as I ought to speak.”
    Colossians 4:2 says, “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.

    A Major truth to consider: If the Apostle Paul knew he could not do ministry without prayer what makes any one of us think we can do ministry without prayer?    

    We must be prayer warriors and we must have prayer warriors!

    How will you apply 1 Thessalonians 5:25?  

    If you are the “brethren” of the verse I trust you will pray for your spiritual leaders (the “us” of the verse)

    If you are the “us” of the verse I trust you will be spending time in individual prayer but also asking others (the “brethren” of the verse) to pray for you!

    Reminder: “Nothing of eternal significance ever happens apart from prayer!”  Dr. Jerry Falwell

    Continue Strong as a Prayer Warrior,
    And remember to DATE the Word

    Download the Date the Word App for a guide for praying for pastors. There is a prayer request for each day. Please check it out!

  • Faithful In Name And Character Is God

    1 Thessalonians 5:24  “He who calls you is faithful, who also will do it.”

    1 Thessalonians 5:24 is one of the most reassuring verses in the Bible.  We live in a world of unfaithfulness.  The evidence is all around us, whether in the family unit, the church, the political world, etc.  It is hard to know who to trust.  It is hard to know who to believe.   

    Then you read 1 Thessalonians 5:24 that GOD, “who calls you is faithful” and then comes the additional confirmation, “who also will do it”.   As I internalize these words, I find assurance and I find encouragement.  As I have entrusted my soul and my life to Jesus, I have placed myself in the sure hands of one who is faithful.  He is reliable.  He can be trusted.  He keeps His promises!  

    Going a little deeper let me remind you that this description of God is mentioned many times in both the Old Testament and the New Testament.  For instance, in Deuteronomy 7:9 we read, “Therefore know that the LORD your God, He is God, the faithful God who keeps covenant and mercy for a thousand generations with those who love Him and keep His commandments.”

    Paul wrote in 1 Corinthians 1:9  that “God is faithful, by whom you were called into the fellowship of His Son, Jesus Christ our Lord.”
    To the Thessalonians, he wrote in 2 Thessalonians 3:3 that “the Lord is faithful, who will establish you and guard you from the evil one.”  
    John wrote that He is faithful to forgive and cleanse us when we confess our sins. (I John 1:9). John describes Jesus as the FAITHFUL witness (Rev. 1:5) and tells us that one of His names is FAITHFUL and true. (Rev. 19:11)  

    I know we live in a world filled with unfaithfulness and where we find ourselves wondering if anyone can be trusted.  However, we do know One we can always rely on.  When God makes a promise, He keeps a promise.  And the promises of promises are tied to our salvation.  Another verse for 5/24 is John 5:24 and in John 5:24 we have this promise: “Most assuredly, I say to you, he who hears My word and believes in Him who sent Me has everlasting life, and shall not come into judgment, but has passed from death into life”   What a promise.  The One we put our trust in for salvation is trustworthy!  He is faithful and will do it!!

    Ponder the great faithfulness of the Lord to you!! 

    Continue Strong Knowing He is Faithful,
    And remember to DATE the Word

  • Can God Tell You No And Redirect Your Steps?

    2 Samuel 5:23  “Therefore David inquired of the LORD, and The Lord said, “You shall not go up; circle around behind them and come upon them in front of the mulberry trees.”  

    2 Samuel 5 has been a go-to for me for making decisions since I first heard a Bible study on 2 Samuel 5 taught in the early ’80s!   

    With the Philistines invading the valley of Rephaim again King David knows he must go out and battle them again.  But before he goes, he inquires of the Lord what direction the Lord would have him take. We see this practice of inquiring of the Lord a few verses earlier in 2 Samuel 5:18-20 where we read “Now the Philistines had come in the Valley of Rephaim. 19 And David inquired of the LORD, “Shall I go up against the Philistines? Will you give them into my hand?” And the LORD said to David, “Go up, …..”

    David inquired of the Lord, and God gave the answer, and because of the Lord, David experienced victory. 

    Now we come to verse 22 and read, “The Philistines came up again and spread out in the Valley of Rephaim.”  Again – you see the word, right?  Again.  So again, David has to deal with the Philistines.

    Thus David again inquires of the Lord. (1 Samuel 5:23a) But this time God says, “You shall not go up.” (1 Sam. 5:23b)

    Please don’t miss this. To David’s prayer, God said “You shall not go up” as you did before. God redirects David to “Circle behind them.” (1 Samuel 5:23c) The Lord tells David that his approach will be different.

    Please don’t miss how specifically God is as He tells David to circle around.  He tells David to come upon them in front of the mulberry trees.”  (1 Samuel 5:23d)

    King David inquired of the Lord and God gave him an answer, a different answer than before. And God gave him another victory. We read in verse 24 “And it shall be, when you hear the sound of marching in the tops of the mulberry trees, then you shall advance quickly. For then the LORD will go out before you to strike the camp of the Philistines.” 25 And David did so, as the LORD commanded him; and he drove back the Philistines from Geba as far as Gezer.”

    What might we learn here?  First, it is foolish to think because God gave a victory one time, He will just give it again (Think Ai after Jericho). It is also foolish to think that God will work the same way even as you face the same temptations or problems. We must be ready for God to change our direction as well as even our methods. 

    Now, you need to ask yourself if God can say to you, “You shall not.” David was victorious twice in 2 Samuel 5 because he inquired of the Lord and He did what God said, doing the battles differently!  One time they GO UP.  One time they go around! 

    (Can’t you just hear the soldiers as they moved in front of the mulberry trees saying, “We’ve never done it this way before.”) 

    Are you flexible with God to allow Him to say you shall not so that He can get you into the right position to be victorious again?

    Continue Strong Inquiring of the Lord,
    And remember to DATE the Word

  • Abstain From Evil

    1 Thessalonians 5:22 “Abstain from every form of evil.”

    The apostle Paul pushes us to make serious decisions about participating in sin and doing any evil.  As believers, we are not to participate in any form of evil! The call is to abstain. Abstain means to reject.  It means to completely withdraw from it.  Abstain means to stay away from the practice of any evil. In the strongest sense, it means don’t do it!  Abstain! Don’t do evil!

    The KJV uses the phrase “appearance” instead of “form.” The clincher of the verse is do not even give the appearance of doing evil!  We are to avoid the appearance of doing evil!

    Do not even give the appearance of doing evil!

    Determining what to avoid means we must get into our Bibles to learn what is good and what is evil.  A major reason for learning what is right and what is wrong, what is good and what is evil is there are those who will call good evil and evil good. (Isa. 5:20) We must learn the difference and then abstain not just from the action but even the appearance of doing anything sinful or evil.  

    In growing to be stronger and more victorious over temptations we must remember that victory over temptation many times comes down to the decision of staying away from the people and places that provide temptations. 

    Do not place yourself in places where you are prone to fall!

    Do not place yourself with people who are prone to pressure you to fall! 

    It may be today you need to step up some decision-making to stay away from some places and people! Decide to decide that you are not going to give opportunities to temptation.  Decide that you will abstain from evil!!  Decide that you will not even give to anyone the appearance of evil. 

    Continue Strong with Strong Convictions Of Doing Right And Avoiding Wrong,
    And remember to DATE the Word

  • The Greatest Exchange

    2 Corinthians 5:21 “For He made Him who knew no sin to be sin for us, that we might become the righteousness of God in Him.”

    Jesus Christ, 2nd person of the Trinity, the Son of God, comes into this world as a human. Coming to this earth as a human, He came with a purpose, and in 1 John 3:5, we see the main reason for His coming as it says, “He was manifested to take away our sins, and there is no sin in Him.”

    Just as the Apostle John has written, the Apostle Paul writes in 2 Corinthians 5:21 that Jesus did not sin.  He was perfect.  He was completely righteous.  Paul then writes that while He never sinned, He is made sin.  This is to be understood that at Calvary, on the cross, He takes our sin. Then on the cross, He takes the punishment and pays the penalty for our sins.  The One who never sinned takes all our sins and pays the penalty for our sins.   Overwhelming to consider is it not?

    But there is more.  He then gives to those who accept Him as Savior His righteousness. He imparts His righteousness to the one who accepts Him.  

    Jesus Christ takes our sins and gives us His righteousness!

    Christ lived as if He lived my life or your life so that we might now have a life as if we had lived like Him. 

    Take a moment and say what an exchange! What a Savior!

    The prerequisite for entrance into heaven is to be as righteous as God. The only way that ever happens is for Christ, who was perfect, to give us His righteousness. Our righteousness is so bad that it is described as filthy rags. You are not getting to heaven keeping the Ten Commandments – (no one is able to keep all of them.) You are not getting to heaven being a good person because while you may be good you are also bad. You are not getting to heaven because you love people, help people, serve people, and even attend a church. You get to heaven by accepting Jesus, who died and rose again for you, and with that acceptance, you are justified, and being justified, you receive Christ’s righteousness. 

    Without a doubt, 2 Corinthians 5:21 is one of the most informative verses we have concerning our great and wonderful salvation provided by our wonderful Savior!

    Have you accepted Jesus as your Savior?   I trust you have and that you have experienced the greatest exchange of all time. 

    Continue Strong Praising God For The Great Exchange,
    And remember to DATE the Word