THE PURSUIT OF RIGHTEOUSNESS HAS ITS REWARDS

Proclamation:

"He who pursues righteousness and love finds life, prosperity and honor." Proverbs 21:21 (NIV)

Explanation:

These words were written under the influence of The Holy Spirit of God by King Solomon, the wisest man to ever live.  This proverb of Solomon teaches that the pursuit of God’s righteousness and love will lead not only to righteousness and love, but will also result in a long life, prosperity, and honor.

Application:
The pursuit of God’s righteousness will result in much more than what we are seeking.  The reward for seeking His righteousness will be much greater than we expected.  By seeking first the kingdom of God and His righteousness, all of the other things that we want will be given to us. (Matthew 6:33)  If we truly seek The Lord God, we will find Him. (Deuteronomy 4:29)  The Lord knows those who seek Him. (Psalm 14:2)  Those of us who seek Him will be blessed. (Psalm 34:10 and Lamentations 3:25)  If we humble ourselves and seek The Lord, then our prayers will be answered and our sins will be forgiven. (2 Chronicles 7:14)  The pursuit of His righteousness will result in our being showered with His blessings. (Hosea 10:12)

MAY OUR GOOD WORDS AND OUR HEARTS MATCH

Proclamation:

"These people honor Me with their lips, but their hearts are far from Me.  They worship Me in vain; their teachings are but rules taught by men." Matthew 15:8-9 (NIV)

Explanation:

These words were spoken by Jesus, The Christ, and recorded by the Apostle Matthew.  In response to some Pharisees who had questioned the behavior of His disciples, Jesus said that the Old Testament Prophet Isaiah was right when he prophesied about them saying that they were honoring God with their words, but their words did not reflect what was in their hearts. (Isaiah 29:13)

Application:
We need to be very careful when we speak.  God knows exactly what is in our heart, how we really feel, and what we truly believe.  It is not good for us to say one thing when we actually believe differently. (Mark 7:6)  Maybe we should just say "yes" when we mean yes and say "no" when we mean no, and not say very much else. (Matthew 5:37 and James 5:12)  We talk a lot and frequently say things to impress people.  The more we talk, the more likely we are to say something that is offensive to God.  If we truly believe in The Lord God, then our thoughts, words, and actions should reflect our beliefs.  It is sinful when we say something, knowing that we really believe something totally different.  Let's be true to our belief in God, let's make sure that our good words and our hearts match each other.

BLESSED IS THE MAN WHO DOES WHAT IS RIGHT

Proclamation:

"This is what The Lord says: 'Maintain justice and do what is right, for My salvation is close at hand and My righteousness will soon be revealed.  Blessed is the man who does this, the man who holds it fast, who keeps the Sabbath without desecrating it, and keeps his hand from doing any evil.’" Isaiah 56:1-2 (NIV)

Explanation:

These words were written by the Prophet Isaiah under the influence of The Holy Spirit of God.  After inviting the people to become suffering servants and heirs to abundant life, Isaiah tells them to do what is right.  He tells them that The Lord says blessed is the man maintains justice, does what is right, keeps the Sabbath, and keeps from doing evil.

Application:
We are to do what is right and honor The Lord on His day and every day of the week.  Blessed are the Jews and Gentiles (Isaiah 55:6 & 56:3) who are willing to love, serve, and obey The Lord, keep the Sabbath, and turn away from evil.  According to the English Study Bible (ESV), keeping the Sabbath is a covenant sign that represents a lifestyle of devotion to The Lord.  True observance of the Sabbath entails not only refraining from work but also refraining from doing any evil.  Every Sunday we should rededicate ourselves to The Lord and renew our commitment to love Him more and serve Him better.  Blessed is the man who does this.  Knowing that which is right is not enough, we must also do right.  Part of our daily prayer should be that God will help us to recognize and do the right thing.

WE SHOULD ALWAYS HAVE HOPE

Proclamation:

"But as for me, I will always have hope; I will praise you more and more." Psalms 71:14 (NIV)

Explanation:
This psalm is thought to have been written by King David as an elderly man under the influence of The Holy Spirit of God.  Most Bible scholars believe that the trouble David was facing here was as he fled from his son Absalom.  Here as a mature man of faith he responds to trouble by displaying his faith and trust in God.  He prays for God's help and expresses confidence that his prayer will be answered.

Application:
As a believer today, like this psalmist, we should never lose our hope, faith, and trust in God.  Whatever the circumstance or situation, we should always have hope.  Our prayer during the storms of life should be a request for strength for today and hope for tomorrow, knowing that tomorrow will be a better day.  We know that God is with us at all times, so we just have to hold on and grin and bear it.  We should never let the devil get the best of us and cause us to give up hope.  We need to exercise our faith and always have hope.  Trouble won’t last always, our rejoicing time is coming. (Psalm 30:5)  We should praise God for what He has done for us in the past, is doing for us right now, and for what He will do for us in the future.  We should always have a reason to praise and thank The Lord.

THE CERTAINTY OF GOD'S PROMISES

Proclamation:

"God did this so that ... we who have fled to take hold of the hope offered to us may be greatly encouraged.  We have this hope as an anchor for the soul, firm and secure." Hebrews 6:18-19 (NIV)

Explanation:

These words were written under the influence of The Holy Spirit of God by an unknown human author.  After explaining God's promise to Abraham, and the oath that God made unto Himself because there was nobody greater to swear by, the author makes it clear that our hope is embodied in Jesus Christ Himself.  It is to Him that we flee and take refuge during times of trouble.  He offers us protection and security.  He is our anchor in a safe harbor.

Application:

We should be encouraged by the knowledge that where ever we go, Jesus has gone before us, and The Holy Spirit will be there with us.  God will never leave us or forsake us. (Deuteronomy 31:6)  There is nothing that we go through, that we go through alone. (Matthew 28:20)  Our hope is steadfast and secure because He promised to always be with us, and He keeps His promises. (Matthew 24:35, Mark 13:31, and Luke 21:33)

BEING CONTENT IS A LEARNED BEHAVIOR

Proclamation:

"I am not saying this because I am in need, for I have learned to be content whatever the circumstances.  I know what it is to be in need, and I know what it is to have plenty.  I have learned the secret of being content in any and every situation, whether well fed or hungry, whether living in plenty or in want.  I can do everything through Him who gives me strength." Philippians 4:11-13 (NIV)

Explanation:

The Apostle Paul wrote these words under the influence of The Holy Spirit of God to the believers in Philippi.  Paul thanked them for their gifts and then stated that he was not needy.  He had learned to be content "... whatever the circumstances ..." and "... in any and every situation ..."  He stated "... for I have learned to be content ..." and then repeated himself with slightly different words saying "I have learned the secret of being content ..."  His contentment was not based upon his circumstances or his situation, but upon his belief, faith, and trust in The Lord God, who gives him the strength to handle everything that comes his way.

Application:
We need to understand that joy and contentment come from God.  The world can't give it to us, and the world can't take it away from us.  Contentment, like joy, is a gift from God. (Ecclesiastes 2:26)  When we truly believe that all things work together for good for them that love The Lord, (Romans 8:28) then we too can be content in every circumstance and situation.  Unfortunately, most of us have not learned this.  We are not truly needy, we are just greedy.  Regardless of what we have, or how much we have, we still want more.  We do not really appreciate what we have been blessed to have.  To us our glass is always half empty.  We must learn to be thankful for the blessing that we have.  Our circumstances may not be ideal, but they could be a lot worse.  We must learn that God gives us the strength to handle everything that He allows to come our way.  We must learn to believe in Him, have faith in Him, and to trust in Him.

I LOVE YOU AND GOD BLESS YOU

To all of my family and friends, colleagues and co-workers and classmates, associates and acquaintances, preachers and teachers, I just wanted you to know that I love you, each and every one of you, and I pray that The Good Lord will bless you today and continue to bless you.

Today is a special day, and every day is a special day because The Lord God made each one of them.  I will rejoice and be glad in it and I pray that you will also.  While we celebrate and appreciate this glorious Lord’s Day let us say a kind word to someone and encourage them.  Today is a good day for us to do random acts of kindness and demonstrate the love of God.  Let’s not wait until their “Homegoing Celebration” to say something good about someone.  Let the people in your life know that you love them, tell them and show them, while they can appreciate it.

I love you and may God bless you.

Rev Wendell