Self-Control Is The Path Of Coming To Maturity

The Fruit of the HOLY SPIRIT

Podcast Episode: The Fruit of the HOLY SPIRIT – SELF-CONTROL #1

“But the Holy Spirit produces this kind of fruit in our lives: LOVE, JOY, PEACE, PATIENCE, KINDNESS, GOODNESS, FAITHFULNESS, GENTLENESS, AND SELF-CONTROL. There is no law against these things.” [Galatians 5:22-23 NLT]

David and Bathsheba

In 2 Samuel 11:1-5 NLT says, “1 In the spring of the year, when kings normally go out to war, David sent Joab and the Israelite army to fight the Ammonites. They destroyed the Ammonite army and laid siege to the city of Rabbah. However, David stayed behind in Jerusalem. 2 Late one afternoon, after his midday rest, David got out of bed and was walking on the roof of the palace. As he looked out over the city, he noticed a woman of unusual beauty taking a bath. 3 He sent someone to find out who she was, and he was told, “She is Bathsheba, the daughter of Eliam and the wife of Uriah the Hittite.” 4 Then David sent messengers to get her; and when she came to the palace, he slept with her. She had just completed the purification rites after having her menstrual period. Then she returned home. 5 Later, when Bathsheba discovered that she was pregnant, she sent David a message, saying, “I’m pregnant.”

In 2 Samuel 11:1 describes that the time when kings go forth to battle – having dealt with the Syrians who supported Ammon, Israel could now attend to Rabbah over the humiliating matter of the emissaries (2 Samuel 10:25). Among the ancient Near Eastern peoples the Assyrians were the most compulsive record-keepers: almost all of their wars were begun in the period April – June, or spring (Davies). David sent Joab, and his servants . . . they destroyed the children of Ammon – It was not incumbent on David as king to lead the army: he had a superb general in Joab. It is plain in 2 Samuel 21:17 that David’s commanders were worried lest he be killed. The besieged Rabbah- If any army could not capture a walled city by frontal attack or by a ruse of some sort, a full-scale siege followed. The soldiers pitched camp, seized all the roads and watering places near the city, and waited until hunger and thirst overcame the inhabitants. En route to the campsite near Rabbah, the Israelites most certainly devastated everything in their path of advance, to prevent trouble behind their lines and also to provide themselves with more food and supplies (cf. 2 Kings 3:24, 25). The Assyrians and Egyptians used various siege equipment, including ramps, battering-rams, sapping and scaling ladders. The defenders responded with stones, arrows, firebrands, and boiling water or oil (“Siege,” ISBE).

In 2 Samuel Chapter 11 Verse 2 describes David arose from off his bed, and walked upon the roof of the king’s house. The Hebrews, like other Near Easterners, arose at daybreak, and in the heat of the summer, at least (May – October), took a nap or rest during the heat of the day. Palestinian houses were built with flat roofs. Toward the end of the day these rooftops were the coolest, freshest place to sit and relax (cf. Judges 3:20). David’s palace has never been found by archaeologists, and even its location is unknown. Almost certainly, however, it was built on a high point in the Old City and looked down upon the houses of administrators, officers of his army, and other leading citizens. Jerusalem was destroyed by Nebuchadnezzar in 587 B.C. and by the Romans in A.D. 70 and 135. Excavations at Ophel in the 1970s and 1980s have unearthed architectural remains from David and Solomon’s day, but it is impossible to determine at present if these remains were part of the palace (Shiloh). A woman washing herself – lit. “purifying herself,” probably following her menstrual period (Leviticus 15:19-24) (McCarter). Performing the ritual ablutions on the roof of her house has led some to regard Bath-sheba’s actions as calculated so as to be noticed (Hertzberg).

In Verse 3 describes Bath-sheba, the daughter of Eliam – or Ammiel (1 Chronicles 3:5), one of David’s thirty “mighty men” (2 Samuel 23:34) and a son of Ahithophel. If this is the Ahithophel who became Absalom’s counselor (2 Samuel 16), he may have done so because he thought David had acted badly with his granddaughter.

In Verse 4 describes David sent messengers, and took her. The despotic kings of the East, when they wanted a woman, would send a courtier or officer to the house where she lived, who announced it to be the royal pleasure that she should take up residence in the palace. An apartment and maidservant would then be assigned to her, and she became a sexual plaything of the king. So great was the power of a king’s expressed wish that a woman had little or no choice in the matter. To avoid the liaison Bathsheba would have had to be much more strong-minded and persuasive than she was. Here begins David’s chain of sin: the lustful thought leading to the inner decision (cf. Matthew 5:28); the act itself; the attempt at deception and cover-up; and the subsequent murder conspiracy.

In Verse 5 describes the woman (Bathsheba) conceived, and sent and told David. In effect she turns the problem over to the king. She did recognize that some steps were immediately necessary if their sin was to be concealed and the king’s honor preserved.

“Taking a load off” is how our comfort-loving society phrases it. But taking a load off leads to secondary indulgences that the king allows himself while enjoying the castle comforts instead of living in the open field. At ease morally, he watches one of his soldier’s wives take a bath. And watching Bathsheba begets lusting, and lusting begets adultery, which results in a pregnancy, a murder and a huge cover-up operation that the king institutes to hide his sin and protect his reputation. When indulgence comes into our lives, self-control leaves by the back door. In David’s case, a great write of many psalms and praises to God is debased or humiliated, disgraced, or degraded to an indulgent adulterer.

Once we permit ourselves one sin and squelch or kill our inner remorse, that remorse loses its voice. We commit other sins, leading to a spiral of despair. The only hope we have is to make self-control the keeper of our inner lives. Our path to maturity in Christ is paved by self-control. It is God’s instrument, given by Him, to lead us to victory. 

Avoid Immoral Women

In Proverbs 5:15-20 NLT says, “15 Drink water from your own well – share your love only with your wife. 16  Why spill the water of your springs in the streets, having sex with just anyone? 17  You should reserve it for yourselves. Never share it with strangers. 18  Let your wife be a fountain of blessing for you. Rejoice in the wife of your youth. 19  She is a loving deer, a graceful doe. Let her breasts satisfy you always. May you always be captivated by her love. 20  Why be captivated, my son, by an immoral woman, or fondle the breasts of a promiscuous woman?

In Verse 15 represents the wife as the uniquely tailored satisfier of her husband’s thirst.

In Verse 16 represents the husband’s semen, although some would interpret the rivers as children. Marital fidelity does not mean impoverishing prudishness (Kidner). Men are exhorted to constancy and satisfaction in lawful conjugal enjoyments.

In Verses 17 describes male sexual expression should not be squandered promiscuously as a spring spewing water into a street but stored preciously in his own cistern – only thine own wife. To drink water from our own cistern means that we have agreed with God that we are willing to practice sexual self-control and that any suggestion of sexual infidelity injures not just our relationship with God but also with our fellow human beings as well.

In Verses 18-19 encourage us that we husbands need to let our fountain [of human life] be blessed [with the rewards of fidelity], and rejoice in the wife of our youth. It describes a loving doe; figures comparing the wife to the beauty and gracefulness of a deer (cf. Song of Sol. 2:9, 17; 4:5; 7:3). Breasts – erotic use of the breasts in a marriage context is approved by Scripture. Ravished – lit. “intoxicated,” i.e., fully satisfied.

In Verse 20 describes the two rhetorical questions emphasizing the God-ordained satisfaction within marriage. There is no need for illicit sex. Loving God will result in sexual purity.

While it is important to maintain a positive reputation, looking good on the outside is only part of the purpose of God in our lives. God requires pure hearts, willing to serve Him. Only self-control provides hearts that are prepared for God’s service.

This metaphor on fidelity in marriage is one of the most powerful in Scripture. It reminds us that in every marriage sexual fidelity is the hallmark of God’s blessing. Amen!

Job’s Eight Speech: A Response To Eliphaz

In Job 23:1-10 says, “1 Then Job spoke again: 2  “My complaint today is still a bitter one,
and I try hard not to groan aloud. 3  If only I knew where to find God, I would go to His court.
4  I would lay out my case and present my arguments. 5  Then I would listen to His reply
and understand what He says to me. 6  Would He use His great power to argue with me?
No, He would give me a fair hearing. 7  Honest people can reason with Him, so I would be forever acquitted by my judge. 8  I go east, but He is not there. I go west, but I cannot find Him. 9  I do not see Him in the north, for He is hidden. I look to the south, but He is concealed. 10  “But He knows where I am going. And when He tests me, I will come out as pure as gold”.

In Verse 2 meaning “even now” as a general indication of time rather than suggesting each discourse took one day. My stroke – or “my hand” (Masoretic Text), meaning his endurance is almost at an end, or “His hand” (LXX, NIV), meaning God’s hand, is heavy upon him.

In Verse 3 describes Job now focuses on his central desire – a conference with God (cf. Job 13:3). to His seat – i.e., His throne.

In Verse 4 describes that If given the chance, he would state his side of the argument logically (Job 13:18; cf. Isaiah 43:26 for God’s side). He even has several backup arguments.

In Verse 5 describes Job insists that he would be attentive to God’s reactions to his arguments and to what God desires.

In Verses 6-7 describe Job raises an objection and then answers it. God would not unfairly overpower him (Job 9:19, 34; 13:21). But He would put strength in me – better, “He would not press charges against me” (NIV); i.e., God would recognize his innocence and be acquitted by his divine Judge.

In Verses 8-9 describe that Job is frustrated. No matter how hard he tries to find God, he never seems to succeed. He searches forward (east), and backward (west), to the left hand (north), to the right hand (south) as he would have used the ancient perspective with the east as the initial direction. While God’s work was visible in the north, still His presence is elusive (cf. Psalm 139:7.).

In Verse 10 suggests that while Job cannot perceive God, God is very much aware of Job’s situation. Job has no greedy desire for gold as Eliphaz had insinuated (Job 22:24, 25), but would rather that God value his character as having the purity and worth of gold (Hartley).

Job says that God has “tested” us so that we can “come forth as gold.” Hebrews reminds us that God’s discipline is on our behalf. God disciplines us for our good, which we may share in His holiness. No discipline seems pleasant at the time, but painful. Later on, however, it produces a harvest of righteousness and peace for those who have been trained by it“(Hebrews 12:10-11).

In this Election 2020, then, tried and cleansed, we have moved freely into a relationship with our Lord Jesus Christ that is more powerful than it was before our trials. We are at home in the presence and fellowship of God, for we are heirs with our Lord Jesus Christ, more like Him that we could ever have dreamed possible. So, let’s continuously and persistently pray for this Election 2020, that may God’s perfect will be done. Amen!

Jesus Heals A Demon-Possessed Boy

In Mark 9:14-29 says, “14 When they returned to the other disciples, they saw a large crowd surrounding them, and some teachers of religious law were arguing with them. 15 When the crowd saw Jesus, they were overwhelmed with awe, and they ran to greet Him. 16 “What is all this arguing about?” Jesus asked. 17 One of the men in the crowd spoke up and said, “Teacher, I brought my son so you could heal him. He is possessed by an evil spirit that won’t let him talk. 18 And whenever this spirit seizes him, it throws him violently to the ground. Then he foams at the mouth and grinds his teeth and becomes rigid. So I asked your disciples to cast out the evil spirit, but they couldn’t do it. 19 Jesus said to them, “You faithless people! How long must I be with you? How long must I put up with you? Bring the boy to me.” 20 So they brought the boy. But when the evil spirit saw Jesus, it threw the child into a violent convulsion, and he fell to the ground, writhing and foaming at the mouth. 21 “How long has this been happening?” Jesus asked the boy’s father.
He replied, “Since he was a little boy. 22 The spirit often throws him into the fire or into water, trying to kill him. Have mercy on us and help us, if you can.” 23 “What do you mean, ‘If I can’?” Jesus asked. “Anything is possible if a person believes.” 24 The father instantly cried out, “I do believe, but help me overcome my unbelief!” 25 When Jesus saw that the crowd of onlookers was growing, he rebuked the evil spirit. “Listen, you spirit that makes this boy unable to hear and speak,” He said. “I command you to come out of this child and never enter him again!” 26 Then the spirit screamed and threw the boy into another violent convulsion and left him. The boy appeared to be dead. A murmur ran through the crowd as people said, “He’s dead.” 27 But Jesus took him by the hand and helped him to his feet, and he stood up. 28 Afterward, when Jesus was alone in the house with his disciples, they asked him, “Why couldn’t we cast out that evil spirit?” 29 Jesus replied, “This kind can be cast out only by prayer.””

In Verse 14 describes our Lord Jesus Christ, Peter, James, and John came down from the mountain and returned to the other nine disciples. A great crowd surrounded the disciples and some teachers of religious law in a heated argument. The nature of the argument is not stated, but perhaps the teachers were arguing with the disciples about their power and authority, or the power and authority of their Master, because the disciples had tried and failed to cast out a demon (Mark 9:17-18).

In Verses 15-17 describe when our Lord Jesus Christ unexpectedly arrived on the scene, the people ran to greet Him. Usually the people were in awe of His teaching and miracles; here they were in awe at His very presence with them (see also Mark 1:27; 5:20). Our Lord Jesus Christ asked, “What is all this arguing about?” The word for “arguing” means “disputing.” The answer came from a man in the crowd, the father of the demon-possessed boy. He explained that he had come looking for our Lord Jesus Christ to heal his son who was possessed by an evil spirit, making him unable to utter any sound (and he could not hear, see Mark 9:25). This was not just a case of deafness and muteness; it was the work of an evil spirit, as the man explained.

In Verse 18 describes the symptoms described by the father sound much like an epileptic convulsion, but the destructive intent of the demon described in Mark 9:22 reveals that this was more than mere epilepsy. Having heard of our Lord Jesus Christ’s power to cast out demons, the father had come to our Lord Jesus Christ, hoping for a cure for his son. Not being able to find our Lord Jesus Christ, he had asked the disciples to cast out the evil spirit, an appropriate request since the disciples had been given this power and had recently returned from a preaching tour where they had demonstrated that power (Mark 6:7, 13). The disciples couldn’t do it, however. This perplexed and upset them (our Lord Jesus Christ explained why in Mark 9:28-29). It also caused a commotion with the crowd and an argument with the Jewish leaders (Mark 9:14) who were seeking to discredit our Lord Jesus Christ.

In Verse 19 describes our Lord Jesus Christ cried out in exasperation (see Mark 3:5; 8:12). His unusual words carry a biting rebuke. They parallel Moses’ frustration as intercessor for God’s people (Deuteronomy 32:5, 20) and portray God’s frustration with His people (Numbers 14:11; Isaiah 63:8-10). The disciples had been given the authority to do the healing, but they had not yet learned how to appropriate God’s power. The disciples were not singled out for criticism because our Lord Jesus Christ did not rebuke them (Mark 9:28-29), but merely answered their question. Our Lord Jesus Christ would not leave the young boy in the power of the demon, so He told the father to bring the boy.

In Verses 20-22 describe when the evil spirit saw our Lord Jesus Christ, it knew that its rule over the boy would soon end. The demon responded with one last attack, throwing the boy into a violent convulsion. While it may seem odd that our Lord Jesus Christ would ask how long the boy had been like this, our Lord Jesus Christ asked it not for His own sake, but for the father’s sake. By answering the question, the father was indicating just what a difficult and seemingly hopeless case this was. Our Lord Jesus Christ was truly the man’s only hope. The boy had been possessed by the demon since he was very small. That this was not merely epilepsy is revealed in the demon’s destructive intent as it made the boy fall into the fire or into water, trying to kill him. The poor father had probably saved his son’s life numerous times, constantly having to watch the boy in order to protect him. Beyond that he had been unable to do anything. So he came to our Lord Jesus Christ and pled, “Do something if You can.”

In Verses 23 describes our Lord Jesus Christ repeated the father’s words and turned them around to put doubt in the right place. In a sense, our Lord Jesus Christ was saying that while He could do anything, it would depend on the father’s belief. Spiritual power comes only when a person turns from self to God in faith. This father had placed limits on God’s power, but with belief, anything is possible. Our Lord Jesus Christ’s words do not mean that we can automatically obtain anything we want if we just think positively. Our Lord Jesus Christ meant that anything is possible if we believe because nothing is too difficult for God, even when our experience seems to indicate otherwise. We are free to ask whatever we want, as long as we realize that God will answer according to His will (1 John 3:21-22; 5:14).

In Verse 24 describes that contrary to the patterns of confusion and unbelief the disciples had displayed, this father modeled the faith required of true discipleship. The father immediately understood our Lord Jesus Christ’s meaning. He had not meant to doubt the Master. The father instantly replied, “I do believe,” declaring his faith in our Lord Jesus Christ power. Then he added honestly and humbly, “Help me not to doubt!” At the feet of the Master, the man cried out with tears, confessing both his faith and its weakness.

In Verses 25-27 describe our Lord Jesus Christ tried to keep the miracle from becoming a circus; so when he saw the crowd growing, He quickly rebuked the evil spirit, commanding it to come out and never return. After crying out and convulsing him terribly, it came out, and the boy was like a corpse. After the terrible convulsion, probably prolonged by the angered demon, the child’s exhausted body went limp as the demon left him. In fact, he was so still and quiet that most of the people in the crowd thought he was dead. Our Lord Jesus Christ took the child by the hand and helped him to his feet. That he stood up indicates not only that the demon had left, but that our Lord Jesus Christ had given strength back to the child’s body. As always, the cure was complete.

In Verses 28-29 describe the disciples must have been very perplexed. They had cast out demons before (Mark 6:7, 13); why hadn’t this demon responded? Our Lord Jesus Christ pointed to their lack of faith. Perhaps the disciples had tried to drive out the demon with their own ability rather than God’s. If so, their hearts and minds were not in tune with God, so their words had no power. Their question revealed their error; they centered on themselves (“we”), not on Christ. Our Lord Jesus Christ explained that this kind can be cast out only by prayer, and the disciples had not depended on God’s power through prayer. God’s power must be requested and relied upon in each instance. This presents a strong message to our present-day church: Arguing among ourselves disables (Mark 9:14); prayer enables. The disciples had been debating and not praying.

Prayer is the key that unlocks and reveals faith. Effective prayer needs both an attitude of complete dependence and the action of asking. Prayer demonstrates complete reliance on God. Thus, there is no substitute for prayer, especially in situations that seem impossible. Often the disciples would face difficult situations that could be resolved only through prayer. Their humiliation made this a painful lesson to learn.

Our Lord Jesus Christ said that prayer and devotion to God are the real evidences of a robust inner faith. Self-control is the first step of spiritual discipline. We must practice and prepare ourselves for the coming battles. If we cannot control our appetites, we can hardly be expected to enter into spiritual combat that tries even the souls of those who pray and fast.

So, in this Election 2020, let our hearts and minds in tune with God, in the power of God, the Holy Spirit. Let’s continuously and persistently pray for God’s perfect will be done. Amen!

Psalm of David, Regarding The Time Nathan the Prophet Came To Him After David Had Committed Adultery With Bathsheba

In Psalm 51:1-12 NLT says, “1  Have mercy on me, O God, because of your unfailing love. Because of your great compassion, blot out the stain of my sins. 2  Wash me clean from my guilt. Purify me from my sin. 3  For I recognize my rebellion; it haunts me day and night. 4  Against you, and you alone, have I sinned; I have done what is evil in your sight. You will be proved right in what you say, and your judgment against me is just. 5  For I was born a sinner – yes, from the moment my mother conceived me. 6  But you desire honesty from the womb, teaching me wisdom even there. 7  Purify me from my sins, and I will be clean; wash me, and I will be whiter than snow. 8  Oh, give me back my joy again; you have broken me – now let me rejoice. 9  Don’t keep looking at my sins. Remove the stain of my guilt. 10  Create in me a clean heart, O God. Renew a loyal spirit within me. 11  Do not banish me from your presence, and don’t take your Holy Spirit from me. 12  Restore to me the joy of your salvation, and make me willing to obey you.”

In Verses 1-2 describe the compounding triad of words for sin shows the depth of the psalmist’s feelings of guilt and shame: (1) transgressions – i.e., rebellions; (2) iniquity – i.e., twisted, gone astray; and (3) sin – i.e., missing the mark, mistakes (cf. Psalm 32:1). This triad is matched by a fourfold call for God to deal with the sin. Have Mercy – i.e., unmerited favor (cf. 2 Samuel 12:22). Blot Out – This recollects the idea that the sins are recorded in a book (cf. Nehemiah 13:13; Daniel 7:10) (Anderson). Wash – scrub thoroughly. Cleanse – cultic purifying (Leviticus 13:6).

In Verses 3-6 describe that Conviction, the feeling of shame and guilt for what one has done, precedes forgiveness. He pleads for God’s gift of forgiveness (2 Samuel 12:13; Psalm 32:5; 1 John 1:9). Against thee – chiefly, and as sins against others are fundamentally violations of God as their creator and protector (Proverbs 14:13; Romans 3:4; Galatians 5:14). Thou Mightest Be Justified – The psalmist confesses the fairness of God’s judgment upon him, which further marks his repentance and affirmation of God’s perspective. As he turns inward, he realizes the core of sinful rebellion that resides at the core of his being. He has a sustained history of sin from his birth onward. The present besetting sin fits with a long pattern and marks a need for a much deeper repentance than just for this particular offense. Thou Shalt Make Me To Know Wisdom – Acknowledging his own inability to cleanse himself at those levels, he expresses his desire for God’s redemptive work to penetrate to the deepest parts of his being.

In Verses 7-12 describe that the psalmist gives a series of prayers for forgiveness and purifying. Purge me with hyssop – The use of this bushy little plant in rituals for sprinkling blood or water suggests the idea of atonement which is prominent here (Exodus 12:22; Numbers 19:6, 18). Whiter Than Snow – opposed to the scarlet-stained color of sin (Isaiah 1:18). Make Me To Hear Joy – through forgiveness, his anxious, guilt-ridden distress will be changed to joy. Bones . . . Broken – He physically feels the effects of sin. His anxious guilt breaks up his most solid inner substances (bones). Hide Thy Face From My Sins – Turn from beholding them (Genesis 3:8). Create – a work of almighty power establishing something totally new within him. In Me A Clean Heart – bestow as a gift, a heart free from the taint of sin (Psalms 24:4; 73:1). Renew – implies that he had formerly possessed it. The essential principle of a new nature had not been lost, but its influence had been interrupted (Luke 22:32). A Right Spirit – i.e., a “willing spirit” (NIV). He requests the renewal of desire within him to willingly follow God’s law so he would be firm in a right course of conduct. Holy Spirit – The personal presence of the Holy Spirit in the OT was not unknown (1 Samuel 16:13; Isaiah 63:10, 11). Although he had lost the “joy of his salvation” (Psalm 51:12), he prays for the return of spiritual communion.

So our worship centers on our self-control. But then so does our entire world of relationships. Our self-control finds the energy to be consistent in its driving desire to bring pleasure to our Heavenly Father.  

The principle is that no one has anything of value to bring to God in order to deserve salvation, mercy, justification, or even a second glance from God. The proud will be humbled, but the humble will be honored. Acceptance before God cannot be achieved by good deeds, piety, or any amount of self-proclaimed righteousness.

Let’s never get over the effect of God’s saving transformation on people’s lives. People who were lost in sin, filled with anger and bitterness, give up their hatred and become approachable as we have studied and learned last time. That is, of course, why we minister to others. Those of us who minister are not people to whom gentleness and self-control comes naturally. We are people who have been remodeled by grace. We thankfully leave our old natures far behind as we embrace gentleness in our treatment of others.

Sunday by Sunday as we come to worship, we may have confidence that the Bible is true. In the book of John, John and the other witnesses have certified it. May we be as gentle in our ministry of certainty as John is in his reporting it.

Let me encourage our brothers- and sisters-in-Christ, and I want my readers and listeners to be both strong in the faith and sensitive to others’ needs. Because all, we as Born-Again Christian believers are strong in certain areas and weak in others, we constantly need to monitor the effects of our behavior on others.

In these SELF-CONTROL Series of Podcast, we will learn the following PURPOSES of this fruit of the HOLY SPIRIT:

1. Learned and knew the Path of Coming to Maturity – Podcast Self-Control #1
2. To Remember Who We Are In Relationship with Jesus Christ – Podcast Self-Control #2
3. Learn To Say No To Our Appetites – Podcast Self-Control #3
4. To Receive Freedom From Permissiveness – Podcast Self-Control #4
5. To Manage Our Moods – Podcast Self-Control #5
6. To Have A Discipline Life and Mark of Obedience – Podcast Self-Control #6

Three (3) Questions we can answer from these Sources: The Bible and Guidance of the Holy Spirit

Observation: What do these passages say to you?

Interpretation: What do these passages mean to you?

Application: How do the meaning of these passages apply to you or to your situation?

If you are not sure that you are Born-Again Christian believer, please take a look of one of our ministries, “An Invitation To Meet Our Lord Jesus Christ” at https://homefellowshipchurches.org/an-invitation-to-meet-our-lord-jesus-christ/

Suggested Prayer: Father God, we come into your presence in our Lord Jesus Christ name, and in the power of the Holy Spirit. Thank you Lord Jesus Christ for Your agape love and forgiveness you have done on the Cross of Calvary, and continue to intercede for us in prayer. Thank you Holy Spirit as our Helper and Comforter. Thank you for the wisdom, knowledge, understanding, courage and strength. We cling, yield, plug-in and tune-in to you Holy Spirit to help us understand God’s Words, obey them, receive Your divine revelation, know the Truth that sets us free, and apply them in our lives, in our Lord Jesus Christ name, Amen!

God bless you all and our families!

In Malachi 3:10-12 AMPC says, “10 Bring all the tithes (the whole tenth of your income) into the storehouse, that there may be food in My house, and prove Me now by it”, says the Lord of hosts, “if I will not open the windows of heaven for you and pour you out a blessing, that there shall not be room enough to receive it.” [Malachi 2:2.] 11 “And I will rebuke the devourer (insects and plagues) for your sakes and he shall not destroy the fruits of your ground, neither shall your vine drop its fruits before the time in the field,” says the Lord of hosts. 12 “And all nations shall call you happy and blessed, for you shall be a land of delight”, says the Lord of hosts.

If the people would obey God, giving as they should, God would flood His people with blessings. There would be an overabundance of God’s blessing if He was given what He requested.