“Through the Lord’s mercies we are not consumed, because his compassions fail not, they are new every morning, great is thy faithfulness.” Oh Lord, we know that it’s not because of anything that we have done why you are faithful to us, it‘s only because of your mercy towards us. Therefore, give us thankful, grateful hearts and penitent hearts, and enable us by your grace, to do only those things which you command us to do, and help us to serve you with gladness and newness of heart. Lord, your compassion for us fail not, your love for us will never die, and your faithfulness towards us is great. What more could we ask for, but your saving grace. Thank you Lord!

“Let us pursue the things that make for peace and build up the common life.” How many of us are willing to do this? If we are, we must be able to quench fires less they spread. We are reminded in Proverbs chapter 26 that where there is no wood the fire goes out and where there is no talebearer strife ceases. Many times we have information that would incite trouble, and as Christians we should be wise enough to know when to speak and when to keep silent, as Christians we should not be willing to add wood to the fire by being talebearers, as Christians we should not encourage idle babble which gives life to gossip, for without gossip a quarrel dies, and we should be peacemakers; for blessed are the peacemakers, for they shall be called the children of God.

We read in Matthew chapter 12, that, when an unclean spirit goes out of a man, he goes through every dry place, seeking rest, and finds none. Then he says, I will return to my house from which I came. But, when he comes, he finds it empty, swept and put in order. My brothers and sisters in Christ, will you allow the enemy to continually enter your house, bind you up, and plunder your goods, or will you clean your house and put it in order, so that the enemy no longer has access to you or your goods, so that the enemy no longer feels welcomed in your house? Our house is our heart where Christ dwells, and we must prepare a home in our heart where God will continually dwell, a heart that is free from every tie that binds it in sin, a heart that is strong in the hope of the Lord, a heart that will reject unclean spirits, a heart swept clean and put in order. Many times we clean our homes and leave the dust in the corner, instead of sweeping it up, and when the wind blows, it blows it back into the house, so too, when we fail do a good job of preparing a home in our hearts for God, we allow the enemy renewed access.

For you O, Lord, have been a shelter for me, and a strong tower from the enemy. You have hedged me in front and behind, and laid your hands upon me. There is no place I could go to hide from your presence, if I run to the hills you are there, and if I descend to the utmost parts of the sea, you could find me. So therefore, I will continually walk in your truth and let it preserve me, I will daily lift you up in praise, for many are your good thoughts towards me. How great is the sum of them? If I should count them, they are more than could be numbered. Thank you Lord!

Dear Lord, you have given us the choice to choose whom we will serve, and I have chosen to serve you. There are many who have chosen you, but there are many who are still undecided, and many who still reject you, because they have not allowed their seeing eyes to see your goodness, or their hearing ears to hear of your mercy and truth. Lord, position me this day to reach the undecided and those who have rejected you, equip me with the right words to say to them, to encourage them to make that choice to serve you. Lord, there are many who say they have chosen you, but still they refuse to let go of the world, flesh and the devil, but we are reminded in your word, that we cannot drink of the cup of the Lord and the cup of demons, we cannot serve two masters, for we would either hate the one and love the other, or love the one and hate the other. My brothers and sisters in Christ, choose whom you will serve, the time to decide is now, for tomorrow may be too late.

“Everyone who competes for a prize is composed in all things, they do it to obtain a perishable crown, but we for an imperishable crown”, praise the Lord. “Therefore, I run thus, not with uncertainty, thus I fight, not as one who beats air, but I discipline my body and bring it into subjection, lest when I have preached to others, I myself should become disqualified.”  Lord, I am running the race, I am fighting the good fight, I am your messenger carrying the gospel without charge, help me not to run this race in vain, let me not convince others and fail in my conviction, let me not admonish others, yet feel that I am beyond reproach, for you know us intimately, and you will reward all who have run the race and fought the fight, according to your instructions with the imperishable crown. Oh, glory be to God!

How strong is your anchor this morning? When the storms of life are raging, will your anchor drift or firm remain? My brothers and sisters in Christ, it is so important for our faith to be securely anchored in God alone, for when troubled times comes, it’s the only anchor that will save us. If it is safely moored, it will withstand the storm, for it will be secured by the Savior’s hand. Job’s faith was anchored in God, for even when his wife said to him, “Do you still hold fast to your integrity? Curse God and die! Job said to her “You talk like a foolish woman. Shall we accept good from God and not adversity?” Many of us are happy when we are blessed by God, we praise him, but the moment adversity steps into lives, we lose heart and rebel against God, forgetting, that the same God who caused good to come into our lives could also take bad out of our lives. We are ready to pull anchor and run to other sources for help. But, my friends, hold fast to your integrity, keep your faith anchored in God, and he will bless you with good times and see you through the bad times. Believe, and have faith in God alone, for we have an anchor that keeps the soul, steadfast and sure while the billows roll, fastened to the Rock which cannot move, grounded firm and deep in the Savior’s love. Praise the Lord!

“The heart is deceitful above all things and desperately wicked. Who can know it? I, the Lord search the heart and test the mind, even to give every man according to his ways, according to the fruit of his doing. My brothers and sisters in Christ, blessed is the man who fears the Lord, whose trust is  in the Lord and whose hope is the Lord, but woe to him who builds his house by unrighteousness and his chambers by injustice. For thus says the Lord, you will be ashamed and humiliated for all your wickedness, and your house will become desolate. Therefore, let us daily strive to do good and shun all forms of evil, for our God neither slumbers nor sleep and nothing that we do can be hidden from his face, nor our iniquities hidden from his eyes. Praise the Lord!

We read in Luke chapter 8, that when Jesus drove out the demons from the man called Legion, he was so thankful, he just wanted to stay with Jesus, but he sent him away, saying, “ Return to your own house and  tell what great things God has done for you.” So too, when God does good things for us, he wants us to be thankful, but he wants more for us to tell others what he has done for us, so that they too would want to taste and see for themselves the goodness of the Lord, to understand, that if God could do great things for you, he could do it for them, so that they too could give him the glory. My brothers and sisters in Christ, every second, minute, and hour of each day, God continues to do great things for us. How grateful are you for the storm he just brought you through? He did not have to do it, but he did. Praise the Lord!

Oh taste and see for yourself this morning, that the Lord is good. Just taste and see how good our God is. “Blessed is the man who trust in the Lord. O, fear the Lord, you his saints, there is no want to those who fear him. The young lions lack and suffer hunger, but those who seek the Lord will not lack anything good. Many are the afflictions of the righteous, but the Lord delivers him out of them all. The Lord redeems the soul of his servants and none of those who trust him shall be condemned. Come, you children, and listen to me, and I will teach you the fear of the Lord. If you love life and would love to live to see many good days, keep your tongue from evil and your lips from speaking deceit, depart from evil and pursue good, so that good may follow you all the days of your life. The Lord is near to those who trust him and fear his name. Oh, magnify the Lord with me and let us exalt his name together. Praise the Lord!